Week 12/Playoff 3 Part 1 - A Large Hope

First, congratulations to Central Michigan University on winning the MAC West Championship and becoming bowl eligible. They sure are playing a lot better than

First, congratulations to Central Michigan University on winning the MAC West Championship and becoming bowl eligible. They sure are playing a lot better than when I was a student there!

I’m going to be ambitious and try to write about all 32 games that will be played this weekend. It will be a three part series finishing up on Friday.

Division 1

It’s interesting that seven of the eight teams still playing in Division 1 are in the Detroit area. The one exception is Holt which is in the Lansing area.  All of these teams are very good squads and any of them could end up state champions.

Detroit Catholic Central at Holt (Friday 7pm)

Catholic Central did the improbably and beat a good Lansing Everett team to get a shot at Holt. The season didn’t go as planned for DCC, but they are doing very well in the playoffs…the time when it really counts. The momentum they have built since beating Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (a victory which head coach Tom Mach calls “The biggest victory since we moved to Novi”) rolls them into a showdown with Holt. Both the team and the coaches are having fun, and that really goes a long way towards winning games.

Holt has been rolling over everyone to reach their current 11-0 record. The most points they gave up all season was 28 this past week against the 2006 Division 1 runner up Rockford. Rockford was ahead in the fourth quarter and Holt had to drive over 50 yards to clinch the game. That happened after a great stand by their defense to force the punt. The Rams have a strong opponent this week and if they prevail, they will face the winner of the Macomb Dakota vs. Lake Orion winner.

Lake Orion at Macomb Dakota (Friday 7pm)

The Cougars haven’t lost a game since September 29, 2006 and are taking that 19 game winning streak into the game with Lake Orion. They have dominated everyone since that last loss (with the exception of a 29-22 victory over Utica Eisenhower this season) and hope to win and get one game closer to Ford Field. They are a tough team and play excellent football…otherwise; they wouldn’t have made it as far as they have. Coach Mike Giannone has these players ready to go and Lake Orion has better come with their best game of the season if they want to beat these defending champions.

Lake Orion struggled early in the season. They started out 1-2 before rattling off eight wins in seven games. Their potent passing attack lead by Chris Lum is a direct result of their offensive line. After the win last week, the Clarkston coach said the line played better than the quarterback who had a very good game. If they want to win, they will have to shut down Dakota running back Terrance Shelby who had 110 yards rushing and 76 receiving last week.

Troy at Warren Cousino (Friday 7pm)

After a slow start, Troy came into points from the four first half turnovers by Southfield-Lathrup. It was like everyone got a chance to make a play for the Colts. Running back Dave Perdon rushed for 102 yards and scored four times. They even had a 99 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Nick Gallina. Making it to the regional finals is a great accomplishment for a team that won 11 total games in the previous four seasons. This is their first playoff appearance since they lost their first round game to Utica Eisenhower in 1999.

Warren has beaten teams and destroyed others. Their 11-0 record going into Friday night’s game will be challenged by a tough Troy squad. The Patriots overcame a 15 point deficit to win the game against Detroit Denby this past week. Experience has really helped the team that lost to Macomb Dakota in the semifinals a year ago. Coach Mike Powell has them as calm, cool, and collected as any high school athlete in one of the biggest events of their young lives can be.  Now they have to make the plays at the important times.

Livonia Franklin at Livonia Stevenson (Friday 7pm)

Franklin is the only team still in the playoffs with four losses. It’s unusual for a team with four losses to make the playoffs, much more so to make it as far as they have. Once the playoffs begin, everything from the regular season is thrown out the window. Long forgotten is the 0-3 start to the season and the loss of David Fortin in the opener. Fortin is back and rushing like a madman. The Livonia Franklin Patriots will have to avenge the Week Two loss to Stevenson if they want to move on.

Livonia beat up a pretty good defense last week against Novi. They are hoping to beat up on cross town rivals this week. I highly doubt that there is much love lost between these two teams. Stevenson hopes to “pass” right on by Franklin and earn a spot in the semifinals. Mitchell and Austin White, a pair of brothers playing varsity for the Spartans hope to hook up in the game like they have in the backyard. Mitchell is the quarterback and Austin is wide receiver. Austin caught four touchdown passes from his brother this past week against Novi.

Division 2

This division is spread around the state much more than Division 1. There are teams from Mid Michigan, the west side of the state, and a few from Detroit. Defending Division 2 champions Muskegon lost to Hudsonville last week which makes the race wide open.

Lowell at Hudsonville (Friday 7pm)

The Red Arrows of Lowell lost to Hudsonville the first time they played this season. Now they’re back and ready to play again. Both have played teams multiple times this season. They played Caledonia twice and will play Hudsonville for the second time this week. That’s 1/3 of their games this season! Lowell already defeated Caledonia twice, now they need to beat Hudsonville for the chance at the semifinals.

What a difference a month makes for Hudsonville! If you read my columns, you’d know all about the two games between Hudsonville and Muskegon. I believe I profiled each of them. Hudsonville just came to play last week and Muskegon didn’t play to their ability. I’m not saying that if Muskegon would have played better they would have won, but it sure would have been a heck of a game! Hudsonville took a share of the O-K Red Conference Title and could ride this momentum into the championship game.

Davison at Midland (Friday 7pm)

After disposing of Flushing, Davison looks to move past Midland as well. The Cardinals had a tough schedule this season. They lost three games to Lowell, Rockford, and Holt. Two of those three teams are still in the playoffs. A lot of that has to do with the play of Richard Kirksey. The tailback has run buck-wild against everyone in the playoffs. Last week, he tallied 305 yards of total offense and two touchdowns, 261 of which came on the ground. Five of his runs were over 25 yards. The junior said he wants to become one of the best backs in the nation. You’re not there yet, buddy, but keep up the good work and show the nation what you can do!

Midland High, historically speaking, has a great football team. They are the 21st best program in regards to winning percentage since 1950. With all the accolades, they have never won a state title. They haven’t had a losing season since 1976. Their running back, Colter Robinson scored four touchdowns and had 118 rushing yards in their redemption for last season’s one point playoff loss to Bay City Central. One thing that Midland will have going for them is their special teams. Midland prides themselves on excelling at special teams and their kickers are always top notch. Midland Community Stadium is fantastic facility for games. Its field turf so it won’t be ripped up for the game. The running backs should both have a good night.

Farmington Hills Harrison at Rochester Adams (Friday 7pm)

Another game, another rematch. Rochester Adams beat up on Farmington Hills Harrison 33-14 back in Week Two. Now Harrison is looking for some of that sweet revenge. Their defense has improved, especially with transfer student Bruce Horner being eligible to play now. He has helped a lot with the defensive line, playing end. Also, Horner has helped the offense by playing receiver. The running back position has been played masterfully by Norman Shuford. Last week, he scored five touchdowns, two of them being 65 yards or more.

Rochester Adams is hoping for that return trip to Ford Field. They won the 2003 Division 2 State Championship. They showed last week against Brother Rice that they can come back and put points on the board under immense pressure. They started their scoring drive with three minutes left in the game and scored with less than a minute left. The score, by senior Josh Renel (who is the all time leading scorer in school history) wasn’t much of a surprise. Renel has scored a touchdown every 4.5 carries this season. One of the Highlanders, Andy Lentz, picked off a Brother Rice pass with two seconds left in the game to seal the victory.

Dearborn at Detroit Martin Luther King (Saturday 1pm)

Sometimes, a young man has to carry his team to a victory…especially if they don’t want their high school football career to end. That’s exactly what happened to Dearborn senior quarterback Anthony Mifsud. He threw for two touchdowns in the first half last week against Wyandotte Roosevelt. Early in the second half they lost their lead and were trailing 21-14 before he went on a tangent and scored three touchdowns with his legs. When it was all said and done, he had 214 yards on 19 carries to help his team win 35-21.

Detroit Martin Luther King had a heck of a game from a few of their players. Running back Darrin Williams had 228 yards and two scores on 28 carries. On the other side of the ball, Nick Perry, MLK defensive end, had 10 tackles and three sacks. One interesting note is that Perry is the last of the top recruits that hasn’t made his choice on where to play college football. He said it depends on the program and his social life. I did hear that Lansing has a good night life, though.

Division 3

This division’s remaining teams are spread around the state. Mount Pleasant to Grand Rapids to Lansing and back to Detroit. All of these teams are very tough and the defending Division 3 state champion East Grand Rapids is still alive and kicking. There are still two Lansing area teams in this division.

Mount Pleasant at East Grand Rapids (Saturday 1pm)

The Oilers are a team that I’ve followed this season. I lived atop the world’s flattest mountain while attending Central Michigan University (MAC West Champs!) (Sorry MTP, had to put that in there). They have three fantastic players in quarterback Will Arnold, wide receiver Tyler Mills, and running back Nick St. John. They traveled all the way to Sault St. Marie to take on a tough team from the UP this past week. It was tied up, 14-14 at the half and then Mount P took over. Final score was 42-24. Arnold threw for nearly 300 yards, Mills had 211 of receiving yards, and St. John carried the team in the second half to their victory. He had 110 yards and three touchdowns on the day.

What can you say about East Grand Rapids? Seven state championships in the playoff era. Six total losses in the past seven seasons. At one point, they had 21 consecutive winning seasons. They beat up on Cedar Springs 30-14 last week and are hoping to do the same to Mount Pleasant. One thing that EGR has going for them is their defense. They have really come through for them throughout the season by being able to put pressure on the opposing quarterback. If they can play great defense, they should be able to put a lot of pressure on Mount Pleasant, who has relied on their ability to outscore the other team.

Lansing Sexton at Saint Joseph (Saturday 1:30pm)

A Capital Area Activities Conference Red Division Championship, a Region One District Two Championship, and a chance at the semifinals are what Lansing Sexton has earned. Not bad for a team that went 3-6 last season. Marquis Davis had 18 tackles from the middle linebacker spot last week against Hastings. He was tired, but who can’t be pumped about the first district football championship in 17 years? They’re playing excellent defense right now, but they’ll have to step it up another notch if they want a win against unbeaten St. Joseph.

St. Joseph hasn’t lost a game this season. The Bears had a close game with Battle Creek Central, but won the game 19-18 back on September 14th. St. Joe is another team that has really turned their program around over the past couple of seasons. Last season was the first time in the 2000’s that they have had a winning squad. Ryan Bock had four touchdowns last week against Lakeshore helping the Bears’ offense to gain 518 yards in their 49-14 win.

East Lansing at Chelsea (Friday 7pm)

Wow! East Lansing? They seem to be recapturing that feeling they had in the early part of the decade. Their 1-4 start didn’t stop them from making the playoffs and putting that L on a formerly undefeated DeWitt team. Trojan tailback, Issac Harper had 218 yards on 33 carries and three touchdowns for the game. After getting injured and sitting out most of the fourth quarter, he came in and broke a 39 yard run for the go ahead touchdown. At that point, there were less than 30 seconds left in the game. DeWitt quarterback VanDreumel broke the state touchdown record during the game with his 38th on the season.

Chelsea’s leading tackler, Taylor Hopkins has motivated his team throughout the season. This past week, he had an interception to seal the win for the Bulldogs. His linebacking partner Stu Mann had a 71 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. The whole defense stepped up and had a goal line stand to end the first half. Nick Hill took over in the second half, rushing for 142 of his 185 yards. Again, the defense came up with three straight interceptions (the third being Hopkins’ sealing INT) to help their offense. The defense had better be ready for Issac Harper because he is a top tier running back.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s at Melvindale (Friday 7pm)

Melvindale is having one of their best seasons in school history. They’ve won two playoff games, which is something that has never happened for them. They didn’t win the Mega Blue Conference Championship, but they’ve made it further than the team that did. This past week they destroyed Carleton Airport 42-7. They had nine plays of 20 yards or more. It’s fairly obvious that they are a fast team. Team speed is nothing that the coaches have to worry about. Melvindale had better be ready for one of the best teams in Michigan.

When you talk about Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, you have to understand their history. Other than going 3-6 in 2002, the team has been spectacular. They’ve won 161 games since 1990 including three state championships. The Eaglets are a serious football squad and should never be taken lightly. I’m not saying that Melvindale will, but…you know what I mean. Dominique White had 107 yards and three touchdowns for the Eaglets in their impressive win over St. Clair.