Week Four - Hope

 Week four is upon us. This upcoming Wednesday is the mid point of the season for those who don’t make the playoffs. My my my…how this football season

 

Week four is upon us. This upcoming Wednesday is the mid point of the season for those who don’t make the playoffs. My my my…how this football season is flying by by by. Within a month, we will be quickly approaching the first round of the playoffs. That’s when the crazy fun begins. The slate of games this week is very interesting. All the teams profiled are either 3-0 or 2-1. With that said, we will examine the Spartan Nation games of the Week.

North

Crystal Falls Forest Park (3-0) at Ontonagon Area (3-0) (Friday September 17, 7pm)

Those of you who follow high school football surely know about the Trojans of Crystal Falls Forest Park. They have been in six straight state championship games (winning it all in 2007). That’s pretty good for a school with just under 200 students in the western part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Last week in their 42-7 win over Hurley, there were ups and downs. The down part was that they allowed Hurley to march down the field and score on their first possession. Even worse than that was that starting quarterback Michael Smithson fell on his left hand and broke a bone in his wrist (non throwing arm). Justin Snell led the Trojans with 21 carries for 154 yards and scored three touchdowns. Smithson completed two of his five passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Maki carried six times for 57 yards, including a 33 yard touchdown run. Coach Bill Santilli credited his offensive line for stopping the blitzing Hurley defense.

Ontonagon is having a sort of rebirth. Last year, they had their first winning season since 1996. You can credit part of that to switching to the single wing offense and credit the rest to good coaching. In last week’s 42-40 win over L’Anse, it took two overtimes, but they were able to get it done. TJ Houtari scored three times and converted twice on two point conversions. When it was all done, he had a 22 carry 125 yard night. Quarterback Dylan Kirkley completed one of his three passes for 36 yards but ran 15 times for 130. Chase Collins was the man who caught the one pass for the Gladiators. The defense came through late in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. In overtime, Ontonagon took all four plays to get into the end zone, but Houtari got in. During the second overtime, the Gladiators found the end zone and got the two point conversion, which forced L’Anse to do the same. While L’Anse found the end zone, they couldn’t get the two point conversion and that was the final score.

Mid Michigan

West Branch Ogemaw Heights (2-1) at Bay City John Glenn (3-0) (Friday Sept 17, 7pm)

Ogemaw Heights may have lost a close game to Petoskey on September 3rd, but they came back like a team on a mission last week against Pinconning, winning 53-6. At halftime, it was 21-0 thanks to quarterback Sheldon Roberto’s two first half rushing touchdowns. He finished the game with 135 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. Roberto also threw for 112 yards on five completions of nine attempts. The Falcon’s defense came up with four interceptions. The Northeast Michigan Conference will be folding after this year so this may be the last meeting between these two teams for a few seasons.

The John Glenn football squad topped Standish Sterling for a victory last week. Quarterback Travis Bryant completed seven of his 11 passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns to go along with four carries for 59 yards and another score. Tanner Kain gained 108 yards and two touchdowns for the game. He also gained 53 yards rushing. Devin McCulloh picked up 101 yards on 12 carries. This upcoming game is very important for both teams. A win for Ogemaw Heights will muddy the race for the final NEMC Football Championship. Meanwhile, a win for Bay City John Glenn could put them in the driver’s seat. These two teams are traditional powerhouse programs for the northern part of Mid Michigan. West Branch Ogemaw Heights will join the Big North Conference and compete with Alpena, Cadillac and the Traverse City teams. Rumor I’ve heard is that Bay City John Glenn is applying to join the Saginaw Valley League. The SVL may be the best spot for them because they are a larger school and the Valley is the only league in the area they fit into.

Detroit

Dearborn (3-0) at Dearborn Fordson (2-1) (Friday September 17, 7pm)

It was a close game for the Pioneers of Dearborn last week. They won a 14-6 game over Dearborn Edsel Ford. Kenny Dennis got on the scoreboard first for Dearborn when he finished a five play, 52 yard drive with a 10 yard touchdown run. Quarterback CJ Mifsud led an 11 play, 85 yard drive which culminated in a one yard QB sneak for a score with only nine ticks left before the break. Dearborn did have its share of mistakes though. They fumbled a kickoff at their 30 yard line, but came up with a third quarter defensive stand at the eight yard line. There was also a pass which was picked off in the first half to end a drive. In the fourth quarter, Dearborn Edsel Ford drove to the 10, but penalties and some good defensive plays stopped that drive. That defense was led by Feerooz Yacoobi who had 13 tackles and Gerald Moore chipped in 10 takedowns as well. Dennis finished the night with 25 carries for 128 yards.

Dearborn Fordson was in the national news this season if you recall. They moved their practices to 11pm in order to accommodate many of their players who were in the midst of Ramadan. Fordson took an early lead 9-0 and rode it into the half, but let Belleville back into the game with a 96 yard kickoff return for a score and allowed another drive to get into the end zone. When they allowed Belleville to recover a botched kick which the Tigers turned into a score to take the lead, the Tractors began to battle back. Rabeah Beydoun toted the rock like a pro; he gained 221 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries. Quarterback Mohammed Faraj scored a TD on a QB sneak and also tossed a 12 yard touchdown to Mohamed Berry. Dearborn High and Dearborn Fordson haven’t always played each other even though they are in the same town. There was a long period where they only played twice (from 1970 until 1997). This rivalry is renewed and it should be a good game.

West Coast

Rockford (3-0) at Grand Haven (2-1) (Friday September 17, 7pm)

The Rams of Rockford are a one of the top teams in the state year in and year out. Going into the game with Grand Haven, they are ranked #2 in the state in Division 1 (big Class A schools). Rockford almost always has good special teams but last week the Rams had a few breakdowns. Kicker Steven Mette nailed a pair of field goals (44, 30 yards) and kicked four extra points in the win. Return man Brian Fischer turned a kickoff into an 89 yard touchdown. It wasn’t all fun and games though; Jenison made some awesome plays and retook the lead (including a Rockford special teams error – an onside kick recovery for Jenison). The Jenison Wildcats were led by Tyler Hoezee’s 176 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Rockford’s Zach Schmuch ran 14 times for 100 yards and a touchdown.  He also picked up a HUGE first down that enabled Rockford to run out the clock and preserve the W. This is one of the tops teams though. Coach Ralph Munger is teaching his players how to win the close games

Grand Haven is no slouch. They might not be ranked, but they are an honorable mention. The Buccaneers need to fix some problems that plagued them last week though. After jumped out to a 9-0 lead, turnovers tightened up the score. A turnover at the Grand Haven 10 late in the second quarter gave Holland West Ottawa a score and another fumble early in the third set up another Panther touchdown. Adam Poel had a decent night at the quarterback position, completing 12 of his 33 passes for 158 yards (of the team total 198). Unfortunately, you can’t put the ball on the ground three times and expect to win. They also had a blocked punt and only gained 40 yards on 24 carries. With a tough Ottawa-Kent Conference Red Division game on the line, they will need to shore up those problems and play mistake free football. The O-K Red is, in my opinion, the toughest division in the state. Most of these teams would win the conference if they didn’t have to play each other week in-week out.

Capital Area

Pewamo-Westphalia (3-0) at Fowler (3-0) (Friday September 17, 7pm)

If you live in the Lansing area, this is the game to be at this Friday. These two programs are among the top in the Capital Area, even though they play at the Class C and Class D levels. It was a night for Alex Thelen to remember. The running back gained 207 yards and five touchdowns on 24 carries in the 41-22 win over Laingsburg. It wasn’t easy though. A 22-6 lead evaporated and the game was tied at 22 less than two minutes into the third quarter. After that, the Pirates linemen stepped up and helped secure the lead and the win. Garrett Strong also had a monster game, running the ball 17 times for 110 yards. Quarterback Charlie Hengesbach completed five of the seven passes he attempted for 93 yards and a touchdown. The lone touchdown reception went to D. Thomas.

Fowler was recently named the “Team of the Decade” by the Lansing State Journal. With a winning percentage of .770 and a record of 284-85-1 since 1975, it’s easy to see why. I’m surprised that Fowler is 3-0 though. Head football coach Paul Hungerford left the school and program THE DAY before football practice started. Interim head coach Craig Koenigsknecht slid into the varsity job from the JV squad and has his team rolling along. Last week they beat Potterville for the “Little Brown Jug.” Dustin Wirth is the man under center for the Eagles. He is a dual threat with his passing and running ability. Mitch Thelen seems to be the work horse for Fowler as well as Tyler Koenigskencht.