**ARTICLE BY NICK TUORI AND JOSH LONGSTRETH**
Coopersville v East Grand Rapids
The Coopersville Broncos are back in the Division 3 football playoffs. They enter with a 7-2 record, the program’s best regular season mark since 2008. They will look to secure an opening round victory for the third time in four years on Friday, when they take on the East Grand Rapids Pioneers. EGR, co-champions of the OK White, also carry a 7-2 record into the playoffs. Both of these teams have been dependent on their offense’s consistent play to win ballgame. EGR is 7-0 when their team scores any points this year, while Coopersville has scored at least 20 points in all 7 of their victories (0-2 otherwise). This is the first match-up between the schools since 2007. In that early season non-league bout, EGR won 14-6 on their way to a 13-1 State Championship campaign. With the Zeelands matched up on the other side of this district (preview below), there is a lot of excitement about this ballgame. The fans at Reeds Lake eagerly await this Friday night battle.
South Christian v Wayland
The Sailors suffered a surprising 49-40 defeat last Friday, falling to the Wayland Wildcats. This victory allowed Wayland to secure a playoff berth for the first time since 2013 (excluding the all-in COVID playoffs of 2020). These Week 9 opponents will rematch for the second straight Friday, with their seasons on the line. South Christian will look to win their sixth straight playoff opener, while the Wildcats will attempt to double down on the Sailors and capture their first playoff win since 2013. The defending Division 4 State Champion Sailors have a chip on their shoulder entering the postseason, looking to prove to some detractors that they are still capable of capturing a State Championship this fall in a loaded Division 4.
GR Catholic Central v Benton Harbor
The Cougars are back in the postseason for the 16th straight season, and the 25th time in 27 years. Despite being a mainstay in the postseason, GRCC is hungry to prove themselves this fall. Last season, they were stunned by Gladwin in the Division 5 Semifinals, ending a three-year State Championship streak. The unfinished business leaves the Cougars eager to return to Ford Field. With an offense headlined by Kellen Russell-Dixon, the Cougars have averaged just under 39 points per game. Their opponent, the Benton Harbor Tigers, are thrilled to return to the postseason. At 4-5, they scored a 24-16 victory last week against Hopkins to slide into the playoffs as the 32nd ranked team in terms of playoff points. With the prognosticators giving them slim chances in this bout, they will attempt to stun Goliath and send them home in the first round. If that happens, it would be the first first round exit for the Cougars since 2016, the year the Tigers defeated South Christian in the playoffs.
Rockford v West Ottawa
Rams open playoffs with round two versus West Ottawa
Rockford will mark their state record 29th consecutive appearance in the MHSAA Division 1 playoffs by hosting Holland West Ottawa in a first-round contest at Carlson-Munger Stadium on Friday, October 27 at 7:00 P.M. The two squads met five weeks ago with Rockford claiming a 39-12 win at home. Rockford will enter the contest with a record of 9-0 while the Panthers come in with a mark of 4-5. With the highest playoff point total in their 16-team side of the bracket, Rockford would host the first three rounds of the playoffs should they continue to win. West Ottawa’s record is somewhat deceiving as they began the year with a record of 1-5 before reeling off three consecutive wins to cement their spot in the playoff field. The Panthers’ five losses are all to playoff teams including Rockford, Caledonia, Grandville, Grand Ledge and Portage Northern.
Rockford leads the all-time series with an overall mark of 45 wins 12 losses and seven ties. West Ottawa’s most recent win came in 2018 by the score of 45-40. That marked the third of three consecutive wins for the Panthers. West Ottawa averages 23.2 points per game while surrendering 28.2. Rockford is scoring 41.5 points per contest while giving up 8.4. The Panthers are coached by Pat Collins, who is in his third year at the helm. Collins was a highly successful coach at Montague for 17 seasons before accepting the West Ottawa job. Collins won state crowns in 2008, 2009 and 2020 with Montague as well as a runner-up finish in 2018. He also led the Wildcats to six league, twelve district and seven regional titles. The Panthers had lost 17 consecutive games when he took over but they have gone 8-19 in his tenure. They narrowly missed the playoffs at 4-5 last year before getting over the hump in 2023. The Rams are coached by Brent Cummings who has an overall mark of 38-3 in his tremendously successful short four-year tenure at Rockford. The Rams are putting up 41.5 points per game while allowing only 8.4
West Ottawa features several outstanding skill position players led by running back Kayden Forbes. Forbes had nearly 300 yards on the ground in the playoff clinching 34-22 win over East Kentwood last week. Forbes also ran for nearly 150 yards against the Rams earlier this season. Connor Knapp is the quarterback for West Ottawa and he is ably assisted by a pair of excellent receivers in Ruben Esparza and Dylan Vruggink.
The Rams counter with a versatile attack that features quarterback Drake Iwin and a bevy of talented receivers including Cam Kruisenga, Blake Linsley, Mikey DeKuiper, Seth Anderson and Lucas Pitsch. Two-way standouts Ryan Ahern and Isaac Poot form a formidable duo as running backs for the Rams. Alex McPhee, Mason KIrn, Nolan Miller and Dawson LaPlante lead a huge, deep and talented offensive line. Ahern at linebacker and Poot at safety lead the Rockford defense. Luke Ahern, Louis Bosscher and Jonah Carlson are all solid in the secondary while Kade Friesen, Sam Cummings and Andrew Hambleton are stalwart linebackers as well. Gabe Stouffer, Christian Herrema and Hudson Hensley man the defensive line for Rockford.
The winner of this contest will advance to face the winner of another OK Red battle where Grandville hosts Hudsonville. Rockford will remain the home team with a win while West Ottawa is relegated to be the visitors no matter the outcome.
Grandville v Hudsonville
One of the area’s best rivalries is set for another chapter on Friday night. In Week 5, these two played an epic battle. With the offense flowing on both sidelines, Grandville outlasted the Eagles in a 44-37 shootout. Hudsonville enters this battle losers of four of their past five contests, though losses to Caledonia, Grandville and Rockford are no shame. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are 7-2 and suffered losses to Davison and Rockford. With another OK Red rematch on the horizon for the winner of this game, conference bragging rights are on the line. Expect another instant classic on Friday evening.
Freeland VS Lake Fenton
It’s been another successful season for the Freeland Falcons. A team that has paved their through most of their opponents this season, Freeland has outscored those opponents 403-163. The Falcons wouldn’t end the regular season without being tested in a big way, however. Freeland found themselves down big throughout most of its week nine matchup with Cros-Lex before coming from behind to knock off the Pioneers, 35-32. It was a big one for the green and white. With the win they would secure a first round home game which can prove pivotal come playoff time.
Freeland embarks on their 16th playoff appearance in a row. The Falcons are battle tested as six of the nine teams that they played during the regular season are playoff teams. Outside of just one game on the season, the Freeland offense has been humming on all cylinders. It’s an offense led by quarterback Jake Metiva who has had plenty of success on the year both through the air and on the ground. Ty Fournier is a do it all back who with any sign of space in the open field, can make you pay in a hurry. Sam Talaga (Harvard Football commit) is another back who provides power and speed. Brayden Petre is another all-purpose back who can make defenses pay. Eli Murphy is a big back who can be used on short yardage and goal line situations. The Falcons have size at the tight end position that can prove to be pivotal. They rely on their big offensive line, and it’s a line that doesn’t allow many opponents in the backfield.
The Falcons defense has been solid yet again this season. Quite possibly their biggest strength is coming up with big stops late in games. There will be times where the Freeland defense bends, but they won’t break. Their defense is the perfect compliment to their offense and they have guys on the back end that can make big plays.
On the other side is a Lake Fenton program who has now made nine of their last fourteen playoff appearances. The Blue Devils, out of the Flint Metro League, come in with a 6-3 overall record and went 3-2 in conference play. Lake Fenton has been tested from a tough schedule that included some of the best in the state in Goodrich, Corunna, Ortonville Brandon, and New Lothrup.
Lake Fenton can pile up yards on the ground in a hurry and have playmakers on the outside that can hurt you. It’s a team that has racked up nearly 200 yards rushing in four of their nine games on the season.
Then defense is prone to give up points at times but they have playmakers on that side of the ball. In four of the Blue Devils games the were able to turn the opponent over a total of 16 times which led to wins for them. Lake Fenton will look to see if they can do the same against a Falcons team that has been coughing up the ball a bit lately.
Freeland Head Coach, Kevin Townsend, gave his thoughts on Lake Fenton heading into their matchup. “This is really a time of the year where you throw the records out the window. We’re a team that could easily be 7-2 right now. They’re 6-3 and lost to some of the best in Goodrich, Corunna, and New Lothrup so you really just throw the records out. They’re a very good football team that is led by a very good running back and they have a solid playmaker at wide receiver. They’ll use two quarterbacks as well so they’ll give some different looks”.
He also gave his take on his own team coming off an emotional win in week nine. “Last week was a very emotional win. There were times where the effort didn’t seem to be there in the first half and that’s the big thing that really got to me. We talked it over at the half and although we gave up some plays at times, the effort was so much better. Just the little things that were really able to help us get back in the game. Then of course there’s a little bit of unfortunate bounces that didn’t go Cros-Lex’s way and we were able to take advantage”.
Heading into Friday night, he knows what his teams goals need to be. “We have to establish the run-game. We’re a much better throwing team when establishing the run. One of the biggest things is we’re healthy as well so we have different backs that can give different looks. Cros-Lex did a really good job of giving us different looks on defense. Our goal has to be getting off to a better start and making adjustments early. We’ve turned the ball over lately and they have really been self inflicted so we have to be much better at taking care of the ball”.
Expect this one to be a battle. Look for both teams to establish the run and take some stress off their defense early on. The team that is able to do that will be able to get some looks through the air. Buckle up, it’ll be a dig fight when Lake Fenton heads to Freeland High School. The two collide this Friday night with a 7:00 start time.
Tri-County @ Kingsford
The Tri-County Vikings are coming off another successful regular season campaign. One that has them entering their fifth playoff appearance in six years. In the two Tri-County losses this season, their opponents have combined to go 16-2 entering the playoffs. The Vikings started the season at 6-0 before falling to conference winner, Big Rapids. Tri-County fell to a very good Belding team last week who has been dismantling their opponents for most of the season. But playoff time is a completely new season and the Vikings are a team that could very well make a deep playoff run.
It’s a Vikings offense that, aside from one game this season, has been able to put points on the board for much of the year. The offense has been humming to the tune of 31.1 points per game this season. Led by quarterback, Owen Behrenwald, this is a Vikings team that will be in the game at all times because of their offense. The defense has been solid all season but they are prone to struggling against playoff teams and limiting those better offenses. They’ll need to be much better on that side of the ball this week against a potent Kingsford offense. If the Vikings expect to make a deep playoff run, it’ll be the defense that needs to come up big as we enter the playoffs.
Kingsford is a program that continues to make strides and are now in the midst of their fourth playoff appearance in a row. They come into this one at 8-1 on the season, with the only blemish coming to a Negaunee team by one point. The road has not been easy for the Flivvers as four of the nine teams they have faced are making playoff appearances. It’s a team that is battled tested and has everything that it takes to be successful this post-season.
The Kingsford offense has moved the ball at will for most of the season by posting 35.6 points per game. They’re led on offense by tailback Elizin Rouse , who has run for nearly 11 yards per carry on the season while posting 20 touchdowns. They’re led by veteran play and it’s an offense that doesn’t turn the ball over. The Flivvers have had just three turnovers on the season. On defense, Kingsford has allowed just 7.5 points per game on the season. They’re led by dominate defensive end, Noah Johnson, who has been coveted by many GLIAC schools. It’s a team that can do it on both sides of the ball.
Kingsford head football coach, Mark Novara, gave his thoughts on Tri-County ahead of Saturdays matchup. “First thing is, the quarterback is real good. They seem to want to set him up to have a big nights. They’re a very solid football team. They don’t do anything out of the ordinary on defense. Offensively they really look to establish the run and they aren’t afraid to stick with it”.
Novara was able to give his thoughts on his own team heading in. “I feel great about our team. We’re very good on defense, we’ve given up just 68 points on the season. Our front seven is as good as any and very physical. We have a very experienced group that has played a lot of football. We take acre of the ball but with the playoffs being here we know that’s something we need to continue. Turnovers happen and you see different stuff happen in the playoffs. Our biggest goal on Saturday is we really need to limit the quarterback”.
This is one of the more interesting matchups in the first round of the playoffs. Tri-County will need to limit Kingsford early on and if they can stick around for most of the game they could very well come out on top in this one. If the Flivvers are ably to jump up early and limit the Vikings offense they could control most of the game. Tri-County will take a 5-hour trip up to the Upper Peninsula for this one where Kingsford will be ready and willing. They will collide this Saturday with a 1:00 start time.
Central Montcalm @ Chesaning
Winners of their last three games, the Central Montcalm Hornets finished their season in a big way by making their run at the playoffs. Montcalm was able to jump on Lakeview early last week and cruise the rest of the way to close out the regular season with a 5-4 record. The Hornets faced four playoff teams this season and although they lost each, they were in most of those games until late. Now, they have a chance to start fresh and see if they can continue the torrid pace they’ve been on.
Central Montcalm is led by a three-headed attack on the ground. The Hornets put up 28.5 points per game on the season in due part because of their ground game. Leading the attack is Anthony Schultz who went for 787 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns. Haden Train is another guy that leads the attack as he went for 439 yards and 4 touchdowns. Sophomore McCoy Wernholm finished with 353 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns. The Montcalm defense has improved on a weekly basis and gives up just 16.2 points per game. They have held their last three opponents to just seven points total.
Central Montcalm head coach, Scott Cripe, gave his thoughts on what they’ll seen in Chesaning. “Chesaning is a very good football team who has multiple weapons offensively and is solid up front. Their running back in particular has had a very productive season overall and they can move the ball in a variety of ways. Defensively they are fast, aggressive, and solid up front as well. Special teams they are dangerous in the return game and sound in all areas”.
His team goes into Friday night with clear goals ahead. “We need to execute on offense and find ways to move the football and finish drives. Blocking offensively will be key up front and on the perimeter. Defensively everyone must do their job, play their responsibility, and finish plays”.
It’s been a big season for the Chesaning Indians. After losing their first game of the season, Chesaning has gone on to win eight games in a row. The Indians have cruised past their past three opponents. The Chesaning offense rolls to the tune of 32 points per game. The defense is right on par with that as they give up just 10.4 points per game. The Indians have been through a gauntlet of a schedule as they faced five playoff teams throughout the regular season. One of the best of those teams, New Lothrup, Chesaning was able to give them their lone loss of the season in week two.
The Indians are led by Brayden Florian who finished the season with 1,689 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Max Volk finished with 801 yards and 14 touchdowns. The defense is led by Cal Frasier who finished with 68 tackles and 5 sacks.
Chesaning head coach, Matthew Walter, gave his thoughts on the Hornets. “Watching the film they have some nice size on the line and some solid speed on the outside. The quarterback looks to have some nice size and can run the ball. The outside guys look quick and shifty. They remind me in a way of New Lothrup”.
Walter gave his thoughts on what he believes his team will need to do to be successful against Montcalm. “Our guys need to play their game. They have done a great job against some tough teams, in some tough weather and kept fighting until the end to come out on top. We are almost completely healthy and getting a couple guys back from early in the season. It’s going to come down to our offense and defensive line which I feel has been one of our strengths all season. Our program is very excited to finally be back in the playoffs, hosting a first round, but we have a job at hand and our guys are focused”.
This one heads in as a very intriguing game. Despite the records the Hornets have competed until deep into games against some very good playoff teams. Chesaning is battle tested and have been in some nail biters that they came out on top in. The Indians will welcome in Montcalm for a 7:00 showdown with everything on the line this Friday night.
Zeeland West VS Zeeland East
The Zeeland East Chix have had a monumental season for their football program in 2023. So much so that East has put together their best season since 2018. Now, after a one year hiatus from the playoffs, the Chix are back. East has put together a 6-3 season, one that was capped off by quite possibly their biggest win in week nine over Mona Shores. The Chix started the season at 4-0 before falling to upcoming opponent Zeeland West. East went on a bit of a tough stretch by losing three of four and one point but with the win last week and a breath of fresh air come playoff time, there’s a new sense of life for the Chix.
East has had their way for much of the season offensively as they have hummed out 35.3 points per game on the season. In just two games on the year the Chix offense was limited. But the offense has been on track for the last three weeks and that could prove pivotal this time of year. The Chix defense has been a bit of a problem at times. The defense has been able to limit opponents but it has led to some tight games that could have gone either way. Now is the time in the season where the defense can fix some mistakes to give their offense some help in hopes of a deep playoff run.
Zeeland East head coach, Joe Woodruf, gave his thoughts on a second meeting with rival Zeeland West. “In some regards, we kind of knew that the first time we played would likely be round one and round two would be in the playoffs. Not a big shocker there. And once again, we knew what they have and what they’ll try and do. They want to come out and run the ball. They’re a bit banged up, as are we, so they have gone a little more shotgun of late. But with any time you play a John Schlitto team you expect nothing but the best from that other side. Neither of our teams are the same as the first meeting so this is kind of a fresh slate”.
He was able to give his thoughts on his team coming off an emotional week nine win. “Well both of us are very banged up teams right now. But no one is going to feel sorry for either of us, that’s part of the game. We really need to answer their run game and now that we know how fast their defense is we can expect to be a little more on par with that. The first game we had our opportunities and couldn’t take advantage”.
Zeeland West has imprinted their name as a playoff staple since the 2009 season. They come into this one at 6-3 on the season, with the losses coming against other playoff times in the likes of Muskegon, Mone Shores, and Reeths-Puffer. The Dux are tested as they have already faced five playoff teams during the regular season. Riding a three-game losing streak, West will get a breath of playoff air in hopes of making their own post-season run.
Before some crucial injuries for the Dux, their offense was putting up 36.2 points per game. Over the course of the last three games, the offense has been limited to just 11.3 points per game. Throw in playing some tough defenses, the injury bug, and some weather factors and things have come harder for West. The defense, however, has not skipped a beat all season. The Dux have held opponents to just 11.1 points per game on the year.
This one will be very evenly matched and with two opponents who know everything about each other, you can expect a thriller. East will look to see if they can adjust the second time around to a very good West defense. The Dux will need to get some things going offensively to help out their defense. A rivalry matchup in round one of the playoffs couldn’t get much better. They will collide for round two this Friday night with a 7:00 start time.
Comstock Park @ West Catholic
Comstock Park helped themselves last week by grabbing a regular season finale win and securing their spot in the playoffs. The Panthers come in at 5-4 on the season, they missed the playoffs in 2022 but made sure that wouldn’t happen in 2023. They’ve had their ups and downs this season but have also been a team that has been able to bounce back after losses. They survived a scare from Newaygo last week but were able to hang on to defeat the Lions. Now, playoff time gives the Panthers a fresh start.
The Comstock Park offense has been able to keep the Panthers in most games as it’s a team that has been able to put up 30 points per game on the year. The Panthers haven’t had much trouble moving the ball aside from back to back games in weeks seven and eight where they couldn’t get much going. That can be credited to stingy defenses and the weather being a factor in each game.
The defense has had trouble limiting opponents for most of the season. They have given up 34.4 points per game but their defense has been able to come up with big stops late in games. Their defense will need to be much better if they hope to compete against a loaded West Catholic team.
The West Catholic Falcons are the defending state champions and are now making their fourth playoff appearance in a row. West Catholic finished their regular season with a dominant win over Fruitport, 59-7. They come in at 9-0 and have cruised through most of their opponents for much of the year. They come in as the #2 team in the state in division 5.
West Catholic has been able to move the ball on offense at will for much of the season as the Falcons have averaged 50.7 points per game on the year. They’re a team that can get it done both through the air and on the ground. Charlie DeBruyn leads the rushing attack as he led the team with 1,248 yards and 16 touchdowns on the year. Mike Murphy accounted for 382 yards and 12 touchdowns. David Brittenfield pitched in 306 yards to go with 5 touchdowns. Alek Wickstrom is the man at the helm and led the Falcons with 1,147 yards passing, 15 touchdowns, and just 1 interception. Ryar Snow leads the receiving attack with 379 yards and 4 touchdowns.
The defense has been one of the best all season. The Falcons defense gave up just 12.6 points per game on the season and were dominant on the year aside from two games. West Catholic only saw two games go over the twenty-point mark on their defense this year.
West Catholic head coach, Landon Grove, gave his thoughts on what his team will face in Comstock Park. “I think they are a clearly well coached team that do a number of things on both sides of the ball. They have done a nice job of giving us a lot to prepare for which is always a fun challenge”.
He was also able to give his thoughts on his own team. “In regards to us, we are just continuing to focus on being the best version of us that we can be. Regardless of opponent, we know we need to play well every week to earn another Monday”.
Comstock Park will need to come out and get off to a solid start if they hope to compete with West Catholic. The Panthers defense will need to make some things happen to ensure that the offense has the ball in their hands and gets points on most of their possessions. If the Falcons jump on them early, it could be a long night for the visiting Panthers. West Catholic welcomes in Comstock Park this Friday night for a 7:00 battle. ‘
Bullock Creek @ Clare
The Clare Pioneers picked up a solid win to end their regular season by defeating Petoskey last week, 28-14. Clare has now won five games in a row and look like a team that could do some real damage in the playoffs. The Pioneers are now heading into their eighth playoff appearance in a row. This is nothing new for them as they have now made the playoffs in 22 of the last 24 seasons. It’s an experienced bunch that fully expected to be right where they are in 2023. The Pioneers come in at 7-2 on the year and they’re a tested bunch who has already faced four playoff teams on the season.
Clares offense hasn’t seen an opponent on the year that has been able to limit them. The Pioneers have racked up 42.3 points per game and have a variety of weapons that can make you pay. Jayden Arthur is at the helm for the Pioneers. He has accounted for 1,022 passing yards, and 14 touchdowns on the year to go with just 5 interceptions. He’s also racked up 467 yards on the ground to go with 9 rushing touchdowns. Westyn Bryant is the main man out of the backfield accounting for 743 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Aiden Van Bonn pitched in 344 rushing yards to go with 8 touchdowns. Ryan Louch is a guy that can do it all as he went for 434 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns while adding 4 touchdowns on the ground. Carter Smedley and Jacob Halicek weapons on the outside for the Pioneers as well.
The defense has been nearly dominant for most of the season. The Clare defense gave up just 10.4 points per game on the year and at one point late in the season pitched four shutouts in a row. It’s a defense that can get after the quarterback as Jake Punches and Richie Montgomery both accounted for 3 sacks a piece on the season. Louch gets it done on the back end as well accounting for a team leading 3 interceptions.
Clare head coach, Steven Spranger, gave his thoughts on what his team will face in Bullock Creek. “They’re physical. The two Swartz boys on both sides of the ball are a lot. I believe Bo Schwartz went for nearly twenty-five carries and nearly 250 yards rushing last Friday night in a big win for them. They have a physical mindset. They’ve played some really good teams that we have a lot of respect for and they were close with those teams until late in the game”.
Spranger loves where his team is at and believes they have learned a lot throughout the season. “Looking back, you wish things could have gone different in the two losses, especially the Gladwin game. The Gladwin loss stung, we kind of allowed that game to slip away. But we talked to our guys and they realized that they couldn’t let one bad performance extend into other bad performances. From there we had four straight shutouts. Last week was big for us in facing Petoskey. Tied game at the half and the guys came out of the half and made sure that we didn’t let past mistakes happen. We’re confident and excited heading in and the last four weeks we’ve learned a lot from. We’ve stayed focused and now with playoff time we realize it’s a brand new season and we’re now re-focusing on that”.
He was clear in what his team would need to do on Friday night to be successful. “We’re both physical teams, there’s no denying that. We have to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. And then like other games, especially in the playoffs, we need to win the field possession battle and turnover battle”.
The Bullock Creek Lancers are coming off a very solid season for their program. Bullock Creek comes in at 6-3, their best regular season since 2019. Bullock Creek pulled out a monumental win last week over Swan Valley to ensure that their playoff fate was secure. One of the losses on the season for the Lancers came to an undefeated Millington team where they were tied with the Cardinals at the half. Three of the Bullock Creek wins came against other playoff teams. The Lancers are battled tested and hungry to keep their season rolling.
The Lancers have some weapons on offense that has led to them scoring 28.8 points per game on the year. Big running back, Bo Schwartz, leads the Lancers offense with 951 rushing yards on the season and 11 touchdowns. Brother, Zane Schwartz, pitched in with 5 rushing touchdowns on the season. Caden Tate, who will play both quarterback and wide receiver, accounted for 6 rushing touchdowns. The main weapon on the outside is Nick Schneider who caught 4 receiving touchdowns on the year.
On the defensive side the Lancers have been one of the best by limiting opponents to just 14.2 points per game throughout the season. Outside of two games, the Bullock Creek defense is one that can be hard to move the ball on. They’re a team that can turn you over led by Tates 3 interceptions on the year.
Bullock Creek head coach, Christopher Holly, knows what they’ll face in a solid Clare squad. “Clare is a very physical team that dominates the line of scrimmage in the games we’ve seen on film. Their quarterback has a good arm and likes to run the ball. They have a variety of rushers that attack you from multiple points. Their defense plays fast and physical. Overall they’re a very good football team. Very well coached”.
He knows what goals his team will need to have to be successful on Friday night. “For us to win, we have to win the line of scrimmage, win the turnover battle, and be able to match the intensity. We are finally getting healthy at the right time of the year. Our football team can play physical as well. I expect a very heartfelt football game as both teams like to win the line of scrimmage. If we can do that along with winning the turnover battle, we’ll have a real shot”.
This is a game that could come right down to the wire. If Bullock Creek can limit the potent Clare offense they might just be able to clip the Pioneers. Clare comes in with a real shot to make a deep playoff run as they have all the pieces to do so. They will welcome in the Lancers into what should be a packed home game for the Pioneers. This clash is slated for a 7:00 start this Friday night.
Gladwin @ Ogemaw Heights
Week nine didn’t go as planned for Gladwin. Gladwin welcomes in a tough Frankenmuth team and could never really get anything going on either side of the ball as they fell to the Eagles. It was a big test for Gladwin as Frankenmuth is another team, like themselves, that could make a deep playoff run in 2023. Gladwin finished the regular season at 7-2 and again this year are battle tested. They faced five teams that are currently in the playoffs and we’re able to go 3-2 against those teams. Now, it’s a team that is able to reset and set their sights on another deep playoff run.
The Gladwin offense has multiple weapons that can beat you. They’re led by Sophomore Colton Pfenninger at the helm. Pfenninger accounted for 596 passing yards and 5 passing touchdowns. He also pitched in 337 yards on the ground and 3 scores. Jhace Massey had a stretch of the season where he couldn’t be stopped. He led the Gladwin offense with 689 yards on the ground and 12 touchdowns. He also threw for 2 scores in a big time come back win at Clare. Donald Corlew III is another big time playmaker for the blue and white. Corlew finished with 419 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns. He added 444 receiving yards and 4 scores. Nore Cajigas, Braden Ritchie, Josh Leinenger , and sophomore Preston Willert are also guys to keep an eye on.
On the defensive side, Gladwin has been able to limit most of the opponents they’ve played outside of just a couple teams. The Gladwin defense can give a variety of looks and when they’re at their best they put a lot of pressure on the quarterback and can create turnovers.
The Ogemaw Heights Falcons are now making their second playoff appearance in a row and have now reached the playoffs in four of their last five seasons. They come in at 8-1 on the season with the lone loss being a close battle with Gladwin in the first week of the season. Ogemaw has wins over the likes of Grayling, Traverse City St. Francis, Boyne City, Kinglsey, and just handed a highly ranked Almont squad their first loss of the season. The offense racks up 41.4 points per game on the year and even had their offense rolling in the loss earlier in the season to Gladwin. The defense struggled in the first two weeks of the season before really getting on tracking, so much so that they gave up just a total of 13.3 points per game on the year. It’s a legit squad that now has revenge in their sights as they look to make a deep playoff run of their own.
This is a big time battle with two teams that know all too well about each other to begin the playoffs. Each team now has a new breath of playoff air as they embark on what they hope is a long journey well into late November. Gladwin looks to make another run with a different looking team this season. It’s a team that still has the pieces to do so. Ogemaw Heights wants to prove that their regular season was a sign of things to come as they look like a real threat in the 2023 playoffs. The Falcons welcome in Gladwin with hopes that they can knock off the Flying G’s in round two. The two clash this Friday night with a 7:00 kickoff.
