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Weekly Michigan High School Football Recap!

Week One is finished. Although I’m always very excited to see football come back, the first week typically has a lot of scores that are very uneven. Some schools schedule weaker ones so they can try and get to that magical six win plateau, while others just have new coaches or systems they are trying to install and it sets them back. Either way, the play from here on out should get better. I’m sure if you are an avid reader of my column, you’ve heard me say this before. Go home and check out a game. Call a couple of buddies from the old team and make a night out of it. If that’s not a possibility, check out the school in your area. These kids and coaches work extremely hard and would love for there to be more people in the stands cheering them on. For those who listen to Spartan Nation Radio, Hondo is holding the edge in our picks by one game. Had to let the big guy get feeling good…you know, like when you’re playing your younger brother in basketball and you let them get the lead. Disregard that!  Now, let’s get on to the results.

Detroit

Farmington Hills Harrison 43 Detroit Cass Tech 7

Ouch! Everyone, including people from Farmington Hills thought this game would be much closer. Guys from Cass Tech admitted they weren’t as serious in practice as they should have been. At halftime, it was 29-0. Senior quarterback Jake Vento completed 13 of 19 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also scored a one yard touchdown run in the first half. Aaron Burbridge had three receptions for 54 yards and Devin Funchess also caught two footballs for 56 yards. The majority of those came on a 31 yard touchdown reception. Cass Tech’s Terry Richardson played pretty well; one reception for 11 yards, three kickoff returns for 70 yards, and a knocked down pass intended for Burbridge, which was actually in his hands. Harrison finished with 368 total yards to Cass Tech’s 133. After Cass Tech’s senior quarterback Kevin Biscoe went out with a knee injury, freshman Jayru Campbell came in and tossed a 26 yard touchdown pass to Daquan Pace for their only score.

Mid-Michigan

Mount Pleasant 21 Midland 7

This game drives me nuts. These are two of the best teams in the Saginaw Valley Conference and it seems to always be a Week One game. The Oilers took off quick and never looked back. They started the scoring with a 70 yard touchdown run in the first quarter by Dustin Lee. Michael Tweh punched it in from one yard out later in the first to push the lead up 13-0. In the third stanza, quarterback Ryan Elliott hit Colton Odykirk for a 34 yard score and then connected on the two point conversion to get up 21-0. Tweh finished with 96 yards on 15 carries. Lee 87 yards on nine runs and 96 yards on four receptions. Elliott finished 7-14 for 155 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Midland quarterback Paul Lynch found Alec Moulton for a 21 yard touchdown strike in the fourth quarter to get them on the board. Lynch finished eight of 19 for 125 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Avery Chatman ran 22 times for 85 yards. Moulton caught six footballs for 90 yards and that lone Midland touchdown.

West Coast

Lowell 28 Rockford 7

These two teams are powerhouses from the western part of the state. Lowell came out roaring and punished Rockford for their early mistakes. Two fumbles in the first quarter led to 14 points for the Lowell. Quarterback Gabe Dean had a fantastic start to the season; he completed 13 of his 21 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown while also running 31 times for 101 yards and another score. Blake Lyman caught four footballs for 76 yards but Renn Osborne caught two for 46 and a touchdown reception. Rockford quarterback Mark LaPararie completed five of his ten passes for 42 yards before leaving with an injury in the first half. Kyle Short came in and completed 12 of his 24 passes for 126 yards. Connor Darby ran the rock seven times and gained 41 yards. Ryan Hartley scored the only points for Rockford when he ran in from 11 yards out in the third quarter. 

Capital Area

East Jackson 40 Perry 27

We all knew someone would win, but it was a matter of who wanted it more. Perry led at the break with a 27-26 score, but East Jackson owned the second half. East Jackson quarterback Hunter Coolbaugh completed 16 of his 33 passes for 245 yards and two scores. Nathan Siegrist was the all-around scoring machine, carrying eight times for 35 yards and two scores while also catching two touchdowns. Terry Calagon led his team in receptions with eight catches for 114 yards and one touchdown. It was all about big plays for Perry. They started out with a 59 yard run in the first quarter by Dillon Brooks. He also ran one in from 84 yards out in the second and returned a punt 70 yards for another score. Adam Strom carried one in from 24 yards out. 

North

Iron Mountain 28 Ishpeming 16

This was a very sloppy game for both teams. Iron Mountain committed 10 penalties for 63 yards. Ishpeming turned the ball over eight times. Even Ishpeming coach Jeff Olson said his team wasn’t ready to play. It was four scores from turnovers that allowed IM to win the game. You know things are going bad when a defensive back, Iron Mountain’s Tony Ward, caught more balls than any receiver for either team with his three interceptions. Ishpeming quarterback Mike Hill finished four of 13 for 29 yards and four interceptions. Running back Derek Sloan gained 112 yards on 25 carries and one score. Iron Mountain’s Nik Flood scored first with an 80 yard run on the first offensive play after he recovered the first fumble. Tony Ward’s first interception set up Alex Herman’s five yard scoring run. Herman also hit Taylor Houtari for a 24 yard touchdown and Nate Secinaro for a 27 yard score.