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Top 25 HS Football Teams – Hudsonville is top new entrant; Cass Tech moves up
1. Clarkston (1-0): The Wolves survived a late scare from Macomb Dakota and defeated the Cougars 24-21. Twice Clarkston led by 17 points before Dakota made things interesting.
2. Muskegon (1-0): Yes, defeating Detroit Catholic Central 21-14 is a great victory. But Muskegon’s three turnovers and nine penalties are areas of concern.
3. Birmingham Brother Rice (1-0): Giving up 34 points last week isn’t a good thing but the real cause for concern is receiver Delano Madison who suffered a knee injury on Saturday. The good news for the Warriors is they have depth at the receiver spot.
4. Rockford (1-0): Coach Ralph Munger got what he wanted last week, a test and a (28-10) victory over Utica Eisenhower. Now if the Rams can only stay healthy.
5. Detroit Cass Tech (1-0): The Technicians found out they do have a quarterback (sophomore Rodney Hall) who can do the job afterall. The schedule gets a little easier in the next couple of weeks that will give Hall time to grow.
6. Warren De La Salle (1-0): Lost in the games played at Wayne State and those between teams from the west side against the east was De La Salle’s impressive 21-14 victory at Toledo Central Catholic. The Pilots still must find most consistency on offense.
7. Detroit King (1-0): King’s offense still needs to develop but there’s nothing wrong with its defense after earning a 22-10 road victory over Port Huron.
8. DeWitt (1-0): Coach Rob Zimmerman was able to rest star quarterback Jacob Johnson most of the second half as DeWitt handed Linden its first shutout (39-0) loss since 2002.
9. Canton (1-0): The Chiefs were most impressive in defeating Holland West Ottawa 31-21 on Thursday. It rushed for nearluy 300 yards and its defense continues to improve.
10. Caledonia (1-0): The Fighting Scots rolled last week but its schedule will gradually become more challenging beginning with Grand Rapids South Christian this week.
11. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (1-0): St. Mary’s displayed a balanced offense in defeating Southfield 21-19 on Friday. The Eaglets should be 4-0 when it plays De La Salle Sept. 26.
12. Oak Park (0-1): The Knights let a two-score lead in the second half slip through their hands against Cass Tech but this team will bounce back quickly.
13. Macomb Dakota (0-1): The Cougars wasted a few scoring opportunities against Clarkston. Coach Mike Giannone has the players. They just need to learn how to finish drives.
14. Lowell (1-0): The Red Arrows lost 18 starters to graduation but the talent is there. Week by week this young team will get better and better.
15. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (1-0): This could be the Big Reds’ best team since they reached the state semifinals in 2003. We’ll find out more this week when they host Dakota.
18. Detroit Catholic Central (0-1): The Shamrocks learned much from travelling to Muskegon last Friday. That experience will prove valuable as the season progresses.
17. East Grand Rapids (1-0): The Pioneers slipped past Grand Rapids Catholic Central 17-14. They should be 2-0 when they take on Lowell on Sept. 12.
18. Muskegon Mona Shores (1-0): Quarterback Tyree Jackson was on his game last week in a 31-28 victory at Saline. The physical play of running back DeOntay Moffett is a perfect compliment.
19. Farmington Hills Harrison (1-0): Quarterback Jevon Shaw was the "wow" factor in Harrison’s 48-12 victory over Farmington. The Hawks have a breather (Rochester) this week before facing Oak Park.
20. Traverse City West (1-0): One can’t overstate the importance of Thursday’s 31-14 victory over Midland. West lost to Midland 16-0 last season before winning four straight.
21. Hudsonville (1-0): Hudsonville trailed Holt 8-7 before scoring 20 unanswered points. Next up is Traverse City West.
22. Warren Mott (1-0): Mott’s move up to the MAC Red Division cane only help the Marauders come playoff time. But the scheduling is more challenging.
23. Northville (1-0): This team has experience but we can’t take too much away from last week’s 35-0 victory over White Lake Lakeland. Walled Lake Central (1-0) looms as a more serious challenger.
24. Oxford (1-0): The Wildcats have a four-year starter in Glacier Wallington and are a tough matchup for teams that have trouble stopping the run.
25. Traverse City Central (1-0): There’s plenty of experience on this team and they need to show poise this week against Escanaba with Traverse City West looming the following week.
