Week Five Recap - Play For The Name On Front, Not The Back of Your Jersey
It finally feels like fall is here. The weather is cold, windy, and rainy this week. Leaves are starting to fall, construction projects (some, at least) are finishing, and we are beginning to separate the contenders from the pretenders. This week had plenty of good football games, homecomings, some blowouts, and inched us closer to Ford Field. Once again, I encourage you to go out and watch some high school football games. Most (if not all) of us have fond memories or playing or going to our high school football games. So how did last week’s games turn out? Let’s take a look.
Capital Area
Mason 36 St. Johns 0
Mason had played a couple of teams that were sub-par, so they wondered how they would match up with another good team. Well, when the final whistle blew, the Bulldogs had a decisive victory. They were led by sophomore running back Saylor LaVallii. He carried 34 times for 301 yards and three touchdowns (one being a 59 yard score). Sophomore quarterback Thomas McNamara only threw four passes but did have two touchdown runs. The Bulldog defense, in addition to shutting out St. Johns, held the Redwings to 94 rushing yards and 165 yards of total offense.
Detroit
Sterling Heights Stevenson 28 Macomb Dakota 21
Jason Fracassa etched his name into the annals of Michigan high school football this past Friday. He passed Mill “The Thrill†Coleman of Farmington Hills Harrison to stand at the top of the career passing list with 7,559 yards…and still has four games left. He did have to share the victory with the defense though. They collected 10 sacks in the game. Fracassa went 17 of 32 for 273 yards and three touchdowns. Defensive end Kyle Kimball had four sacks on the night. Ryan Spicuzzi had a 96 yard kickoff return for a score to begin the second half and pull Dakota to within a score, 21-14. Dakota junior quarterback Mark Morris also had a good game. He went 16 of 25 for 173 yards and also was able to run the ball when forced out of the pocket. Unfortunately for Morris, he was sacked a ton.
West
Hamilton 20 Byron Center 10
It was all about defense for Hamilton. They stuffed Byron Center in the first half, limiting them to 56 total yards (44 rushing) and taking a 7-3 lead into intermission. Other than the 22 yard field goal by Blake Petroelje which was set up by a 64 yard kickoff return by Derick Ansley, Zac Cross had a 60 yard run and Ansley scored from 14 yards out to pull within 7. Quarterback Evan Mudd hit Todd Scholton for a 46 yard score and ended up nine of 18 for 186 and two touchdowns. Aric Spots carried the ball 29 times for Hamilton and racked up 98 yards.
Mid Michigan
Ovid-Elsie 34 Saginaw Swan Valley 31
Once again it was O-E’s Chris Robinson who keyed the win. He had 348 yards and five touchdowns on 33 attempts to bring his total to 1,254 yards and 21 touchdowns on the season. Swan Valley tried to combat their rushing attack with a rushing attack of their own, but Jared Briguglio wasn’t able to go and they used a few backs to fill in. The Vikings had a lead at the end of the third quarter after battling back from a 13 point deficit in the first, but Robinson scored with a little over 8:30 left in the fourth to take the lead and never looked back.
North
Mount Pleasant 28 Midland 13
There was plenty of running in this game. The Chemic’s big back Charlie Leffingwell had 256 yards and 33 carries. Mount Pleasant’s John McCann had 172 and four touchdowns on 21 carries and also made 14 tackles. The Oilers played very, very well and Midland made many costly errors. Midland would drive the ball or have a big play, and then it would be wiped away due to a mistake. They had their chances, but Mount Pleasant was the team that capitalized on their opportunities and take the momentum. Quarterback Alex Rapanos was eight of 21 for 130 yards and an interception. Mount Pleasant’s Josh Rathje was six of 14 for 80.
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