MHSAA Football - Week Eight Preview

Week Eight is here! It’s hard to believe that next week at this time will be the final regular season installment of my MHSAA football previews. But that’s not today. Today we talk about Week Eight and the big slate of games that are going on. There are a lot of league championships on the line. Win and get that gym banner and some gear for the trophy case. Lose and all you get to keep are the memories of the season.  If you noticed this was posted on Thursday, it's because i'm at the American Girl doll store in Columbus.  Oh, the things we do for our little girls!

Northernish

Harrison (7-0) at Clare (5-2) (Friday October 17, 7pm)

This game pits the two top teams from the Jack Pine Conference against each other for the league title. Harrison is having their best season since they went 10-1 in 1999 and have secured the first winning season since 2000. Last week they smoked Beaverton 57-28. Quarterback Thomas Nunnally completed three of his five passes for 53 yards and a score. He also ran 12 times for 247 yards and a score. Zach Nowland and Blayne Fowler each rushed 15 times, gaining 134 yards and 63 yards respectively. Now they have a chance to beat Clare for only the 10th time in 37 meetings and win the Jack Pine for the first time since 1999.

If there is a dynasty in the Jack Pine, the designation would go to Clare. Led by Coach Kelly Luplow for the 27th year, the Pioneers are having another great season. They stumbled out of the blocks, losing to Ithaca (who are riding a heck of a winning streak) and the always tough Beal City. Last week they dismantled Farwell 34-0. Quarterback Colton Punches completed 10 of his 13 passes for 169 yards and two scores while also running 10 times for another 23 and a score. His favorite receiver was Joe Huston who grabbed five passes for 92 yards and a score. Jordan Gross rushed 15 times for 88 yards and a score. Coach Luplow was not happy with his team’s first half as they didn’t score until just before the halftime break. Can they continue their winning ways and win a 52nd consecutive Jack Pine game?

West Side

Lowell (7-0) at Caledonia (5-2) (Friday October 17, 7pm)

This game has all the makings of a huge affair. Lowell is going into the game with an unblemished record while Caledonia has two losses. Coach Noel Dean says that Caledonia is the best team in West Michigan and should be ranked #1. He even said that he doesn’t think that the Red Arrows have a chance, but I’m not sure how much of that is hyperbole and how much is true. Last week, Lowell beat Jenison 19-7. Quarterback Ryan Stevens completed 10 of his 18 passes for 162 yards, a score, and a pick. Gabe Steed caught four of those passes for 100 yards and that sole receiving touchdown. Running back Max Dean rushed 20 times for 102 yards and a pair of scores. A win this week would give the Red Arrows a share of the O-K Conference White Division championship. A loss would really bring a lot of teams back into contention for the conference championship.

It’s been a while since Caledonia has beat Lowell. In fact, it was back in 1990 and the players on the team hadn’t even been born. Coach Tom Burrill doesn’t believe the statement of Coach Dean that they can’t beat the Fighting Scots. Last week, they were able to secure a big 30-7 win over East Grand Rapids. Quarterback Tanner Christian completed four of his eight passes for 68 yards and a score. Kobe Wilson completed two of his three attempts for 70 yards. Michael Andrusiak grabbed two passes for 76 yards to lead the team in receiving. Trent Foreman had three receptions for 51 yards to lead the team in balls caught. Nick Adams caught one pass, but he was the only one to score a receiving touchdown (11 yards.) Eddie Kelly led Caledonia in rushing with 24 attempts for 175 yards and two scores. Jalen Burton rushed 13 times for 62 yards. This is a huge game for Caledonia. They have a chance to win a conference title and pick up their third win against Lowell in 13 attempts.

Ypsilanti Area

Ypsilanti (5-2) vs. Ypsilanti Lincoln (5-2) (Friday October 17, 7pm, at Eastern Michigan University)

This intra-city rivalry is just starting to brew. Ypsi has only been using the Grizzlies moniker for two seasons now. In their second year, they have secured a winning record. Now they have a chance to beat Lincoln and take a piece of the Southeastern Conference White Division. Last week, Ypsilanti destroyed Dexter 55-12. Troy Willis ran buck wild over the Dreadnaughts to the tune of seven carries for 276 yards and three scores. Jahn Watts found the end zone twice on six carries for 15 yards while Robert Peterson rushed eight times for 90 and a score. Watts also completed nine of his 15 passes for 149 yards and a score. Peterson caught that score and had three catches for 50 yards.

For Lincoln, the past few years have seen the birth of the Railsplitters. For decades, they were horrid. From 2000 until 2008, they won nine games. Now they have played two playoff games. This rivalry game features kids who know each other and have played sports with each other. That always adds to the rivalry and usually keeps things from getting super nasty. In their 48-22 win over Adrian last week, the Railsplitters used a bunch of big plays. Quarterback Eugene Smith completed 10 of his 21 passes for 241 yard and four scores. BJ Gardner caught four passes for 70 yards and three scores while also running four times for another 21 and another score. Lazon Hicks caught four passes for 135 yards and a score. Cam Williams led the rushing attack with eight carries for 51 yards and a score. Lincoln has already clenched a partial league title. A win will give them a second consecutive championship!

Capital Area

Pewamo-Westphalia (6-1) at Fowler (7-0) (Friday October 17, 7pm)

After looking at this upcoming game a few times over the past few weeks, I nearly forgot about it! P-W and Fowler have won the Central Michigan Athletic Conference on an alternating basis over the past four years. Now it comes down to them again to see who will win the conference. Both are undefeated in league play so the winner will take home the title. Last week, Pewamo-Westphalia smacked around Laingsburg by the score of 56-18. Trey Bauer had a great night from the quarterback position. He ran six times for 59 yards and a score while passing for three scores and 144 yards on eight completions of 12 attempts. His favorite receiver was Jared Smith who caught two passes for 41 yards and a score. He also rushed 19 times for 137 yards and a score. They gained 300 rushing yards and finished with 444 total yards. They will need to have another solid game if they want that conference title.

Fowler had a killer game as well. They beat Saranac 52-0. Austin Cook ran for 119 yards and two scores. He also caught a pass that went four yards for a score. Quarterback Derek Bengel completed all three of his passes for 26 yards and three touchdowns. Glenn Becker rushed six times for 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns. This week is going to be a real test for both squads. Fowler will need Cook to continue his rushing ways and grind out some tough yards.