Football
Predictions for the state semifinals: Escanaba, in its first semifinal since 1981, will play defending champion GR Catholic Central
Escanaba – Early Saturday morning coach Dave Howes and his Escanaba team will head east on I-2, the only interstate in the Upper Peninsula, to the Mackinaw Bridge, head south, then southwest to Traverse City to play defending Division 4 champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Escanaba (10-2) is the only U.P. team to make this ...
Football
Edwardsburg coach credits a switch in offenses to his program’s turnaround in the last decade
Edwardsburg – Kevin Bartz finally gave in and did what all smart football coaches do and he paid heed to the wisdom of his wife. Eight times Bartz’s Edwardsburg team opened the season with Constantine and eight times Edwardsburg lost. In 2000, the beginning of this notable run, Edwardsburg came close. The Eddies lost 21-13. ...
Football
King runs past Ypsilanti Lincoln, 55-14, will play De La Salle in D2 semifinals
Detroit – There doesn’t seem to be much difference between this Detroit King team and the ones that won state titles in 2015 and ’16. The constants are a stingy defense and the big-play capability of the offense. The one difference could be subtle to some, obvious to others. Coach Tyrone Spencer decided to make ...
Football
Predictions for the third round of the state playoffs: Ithaca-Montague is a monster matchup in Division 6
Ithaca – All that’s left in the state playoffs is the best of the best. Sixty-four teams in eight divisions have reached the regional finals and once again with have Ithaca. We’ve become accustomed to this. Since 2009 when Ithaca lost in a Division 6 semifinal to Montague, 47-16, the Yellowjackets have played for a ...
Football
Riverview’s switch to the T-formation has put pep in the offense, Pirates to play for Division 3 region title on Friday
Riverview – Derek McLaughlin knew his program at Riverview needed a change, a different look, and a different offensive philosophy if they were to reach a higher level of success. When McLaughlin coached at Southgate Anderson, from 2009-13, he ran the veer. When he came to Riverview in 2014 McLaughlin used the I-formation. The Pirates ...
Football
Muskegon trails 6-0, then scores 28 straight and goes on to defeat Zeeland West, 55-20, in a district final
Grand Haven – Maybe Zeeland West just made Muskegon angry. Whatever the reason, Muskegon scored the final 28 points of the first half to take a 28-6 lead and the Big Reds ran past West, 55-20, in a Division 3 district final at Grand Haven on Friday. Muskegon (11-0), ranked No. 1 in State Champs’ ...
Football
Predictions for the second round of the state playoffs: Zeeland West faces tall task against top-ranked Muskegon
Zeeland – John Shillito has faced many obstacles in his 36 seasons as a high school football coach but there might be none as great as the one he and his Zeeland West team face this week. The Royal Oak native has been a head coach 34 seasons, the last 13 at West. Shillito is ...
Football
Churchill, Franklin to meet in the playoffs for the first time; district title at stake
Livonia – Churchill and Franklin have played 48 times but never have the two Livonia public schools met in the Michigan High School Athletic Association playoffs. Both teams won predistrict games as the road team last week and will play in a Division 2 district final at Churchill on Friday at 7 p.m. Churchill (8-2) ...
Football
Adams comes out from behind the shadow of other Oakland County teams to be a player in Division 1
Rochester – Rochester Adams was one of the top teams not only in Oakland County but throughout the state for a five-to-seven-year period. The Highlanders won 71 games from 2001-07 and this included a state championship (Division 2, 2003) and three semifinal appearances from ’03-’07. But since that impressive run Adams has been rather pedestrian, ...
Football
Harrison’s defense smothers Fitzgerald as the Hawks advance to a district final with a 45-14 victory
Farmington Hills – There were numerous upsets on the first night of the Michigan High School Athletic Association playoffs. Senior defensive back Joe Stevens and his fellow defensive mates made sure one didn’t take place at Warren Fitzgerald on Friday. Farmington Hills Harrison held Fitzgerald to a minus 20 yards and no first downs before ...
Football
Predictions for the first round of the state playoffs: Rematches highlight the predistricts; Zeeland teams play consecutive weeks
Repeats. It seems it’s what we’re stuck with in the first round of the state playoffs. Sometimes we get them in the second round, too. Good? Bad? Indifferent? Until a change in the playoff format is made we have no choice but to swallow them. Open wide now. Let’s start at the top. Maestro? Hit ...