Week One Results - Jitters are officially OVER!

Week one is in the books. It’s hard to tell who the contenders are from the pretenders at this point though. Many teams have those opening night jitters and looked better (or worse) than they actually are. The first game should set up the rest of the season and hopefully get that teams started on a positive note. Some teams need to rally this week. The six wins needed to make the playoffs may be tough to come by if you lose your first two!

I’d like to apologize to the readers for picking some lopsided games. You never know who will be good and who won’t be this early in the season.

Detroit

Muskegon 35 Detroit Martin Luther King 0

I heard a second hand (or maybe it was a third hand) account of the game. He said that MLK came out acting like the state champions but left looking like a bad team. Big Red quarterback Elan Banks had a nice game, completing seven of nine passes for 89 yards in his debut as the starting quarterback. It was their ground game that really propelled the team to their victory though. They rushed 29 times for 276 yards. Next week won’t be any easier as Muskegon takes on Birmingham Brother Rice and still having games against Hudsonville and Rockford on the horizon.

It didn’t help MLK that their starting quarterback is a freshman. Langston Williams didn’t complete a pass (although he only threw one). The Crusaders rushed for 173 yards on 42 attempts. Field position played a factor as King’s first six possessions started inside their 25 yard line. 2008 will be a rebuilding season for Detroit Martin Luther King. Coaching will be the key to this season for the Crusaders.

West Coast

East Grand Rapids 49 Orchard Lake St Mary’s 14

So much for another overtime battle royal! The Pioneers scored on their first seven possessions and the clock hardly stopped in the second half. Running back Joe Glendening had two touchdowns and 133 yards on 22 carries while senior quarterback Andrew Thompson completed five of seven passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns. Chris Blair and Colin Voss caught those three touchdowns. Four players from East Grand Rapids rushed the ball a total of 40 times for 254 yards.

Orchard Lake St Mary’s coach George Porritt was embarrassed by his team’s performance. He said his team was not prepared and his team took it in the jaw in every aspect of the game. Dion Sims had two receptions for 41 yards and a 23 yard touchdown. Quarterback Robert Bolden completed five of his 11 passes for 72 yards. This is a talented team who must have thought they could win this game based on the name on their jersey. There is still plenty of time for the Eaglets to rally and show that they are a strong team to be reckoned with. Hopefully this will serve as a wake up call.

Mid Michigan

Sanford Meridian 34 Midland Bullock Creek 19

The Mustangs picked up right where they left off last season. In their defeat of the Bullock Creek Lancers, multiple players contributed. Jason Hockemeyer tossed a 25 yard touchdown pass to Dan Rau. He also ran for a 20 yard touchdown. Allen Van Nortwick returned a fumble 90 yards in a game dominated by big plays. Matt Bowen had two touchdown runs as well. The defense was paced by Zac Kucharek who had 10 tackles and two fumble recoveries.

Bullock Creek seemed to have more of the big plays, but was not able to take advantage of these plays and turn them into a victory. Kyle O’Boyle had an 85 yard kick return for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, he also had an 80 yard run for another score. Max Isacoff rushed 15 times for 137 yards and a score. In the end, the Lancers made too many mistakes to win the game.

North

Fife Lake Forest Area 33 Indian River Inland Lakes 21

Running backs from both sides tore up the opposing defense. In the end, it was the Warriors who won both the running back battle and the game. AJ Freeman ran 15 times for 235 yards and a touchdown for his warriors. In the first half, they had three touchdown drives of 80 yards. Quarterback John Ricket was 13-17 for 128 yards and two touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Tyler Denike had 12 tackles.

Inland Lakes played a heck of a game, but it didn’t show with the final score. Jake Osier had 206 yards on seven carries in the running back battle. Quarterback Doug Elliott as 13-18 for 210 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The interceptions were costly as both were thrown in the end zone. Steven Kolb had six receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns.