Branch County high school football: Week 9 previews and predictions
What began in the heat of the summer way back in August will now end in the crisp autumn air of October as we enter the final week of the 2022 high school football regular season here in Branch County.
With week 9 of the prep football season on tap two teams are on the cusp of a postseason berth, while the three other local teams are all looking to head into the postseason with a bit of momentum they hope to carry into offseason work.
The Union City Chargers are a lock for the MHSAA postseason, as they currently sit in the eleventh spot in terms of playoff points with 36.750. The top 32 teams make the MHSAA postseason so Union City is firmly in, it’s just a matter of who and where. To get the best possible seed Union City needs to take care of business on Saturday as they face off with fellow Division 7 postseason lock Napoleon in the Big 8/Cascade Conference Crossover Championship.
The Tekonsha Indians are also just 48 minutes away from a possible playoff berth, although their standing in 8-man Football Division One is a little more precarious entering the final week of the regular season. The top 16 teams in 8-man Division One in terms of playoff points head to the postseason, with Tekonsha currently sitting in thirteenth place with 29.643 points. The 14th-place team, Rudyard, enters the week at 5-3 overall with 28.161 playoff points while Fulton sits in fifteenth with a record of 6-2 and 28.125 playoff points. The final team slotted to make the 8-man D1 playoffs is Indian River Inland Lakes who enter week 9 at 6-2 with 28.054 points. Tekonsha will face off against the second-seeded team in 8-man Division Two in Colon on Friday, so a win will assuredly send them to the postseason, although some estimates see them in the playoffs regardless.
As for the three remaining teams, the Coldwater Cardinals (1-7), the Bronson Vikings (2-6) and the Quincy Orioles (2-6) are all looking to finish off their 2022 regular season with a bang.
So with all that in mind let us take a look at the Branch County High School Football Week 9 Previews and Predictions.
Game One- The Daily Reporter Game of the Week features the Tekonsha Indians (7-1) vs. Colon Magi (8-0) in 8-man football. The teams will play Friday night at Colon High School with game time scheduled for 7 p.m.
Outlook- This week’s game of the week pits the 7-1 Tekonsha Indians against the number two team in 8-man Division Two in the unbeaten Colon Magi.
Tekonsha is coming into the game on a seven-game win streak, having rattled off wins over Waldron, St. Phil, Litchfield, Bellevue, North Adams-Jerome, Burr Oak and most recently Holgate (Ohio), the second-ranked team in 8-man football in the Buckeye state, all coming after a season-opening loss to Camden-Frontier. Tekonsha has done that by averaging a whopping 52 points a game on the season while allowing 17.75 points a contest.
Colon is coming a 73-34 blasting of Camden Frontier who coincidentally enough gave Tekonsha their only loss on the year. Colon has beaten an impressive list of teams on the season, taking down the second-ranked team in 8-man Division 1 in Adrian Lenawee Christian (40-24) and previously unbeaten Climax Scotts (25-20) along with St. Phil, Athens, Bellevue, Pittsford, Burton Atherton, and Camden Frontier, averaging 47.44 points a game over that stretch while allowing 17.75 points a game, the same exact amount as Tekonsha.
With Colon, everyone knows that they are going to get offensively, yet they still can’t stop it. The Magi love to pass and the connection of Simon Vinson to Justin Wickey is probably the most dangerous combo in the state. Wickey has broken a number of state records this season, including receptions in a game with 18, receptions in a season with 80, receptions in a career with 149, and yards in a career with 3,029 yards. Wickey has several other records in his crosshairs, entering the game with 26 touchdowns on the year, one touchdown away from the record of 27 set by Matthew Cammire of Lawrence back in 2013 in addition to career touchdown receptions, with Wickey currently at 50 and the record three away at 53, also set by Cammire.
Any good receiver needs a good quarterback and Wickey has one of the best in Simon Vinson who has thrown for 34 touchdowns and run for seven more. In short, the Colon offense is dynamic and even though teams have tried to stop the combo of Vinson to Wickey, it has yet to be done.
Tekonsha’s offense is also dynamic and runs through the capable hands of senior quarterback Wyatt Blashfield who has averaged 332.4 total yards per game this season, including 195.3 yards rushing and 137.1 yards passing per game. For the season Blashfield has rushed for 1,562 yards and 17 touchdowns and has thrown for 1,097 yards and 16 touchdowns, totaling 2,659 yards on the season and 33 total touchdowns.
Blashfield is not alone in the Tekonsha backfield however as junior running back Xander Kilbourn has rushed the ball 90 times for 994 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season, an average of 124.3 yards per game in a breakout year.
For Tekonsha on offense, it all boils down to their domination down in the trenches, as the trio of Blake Griffith, Dylan Griffith and Claude Wart have proven to be one of the best lines in the state of Michigan. They are big, athletic and physical and open up huge holes for that Tekonsha running game.
What this game will come down to is the Tekonsha defense versus the vaunted Colon offense. The Indians defense has a tough task ahead of them but this team may just be scrappy enough to get it done. The Indians are led by undersized but fearless linebacker Ben Mead along with lineman Claude Wart and Isaac Henry. The secondary will be tested, most notably Derek Booker who should see a lot of Justin Wickey Friday night.
In the end, Tekonsha should be able to score and the duo of Blashfield and Kilbourn should get their yards, but can the Indians defense stop Vinson and Wickey? Can Tekonsha keep the Colon duo from making history and breaking records? Nobody has been able to do it just yet, though the scrappy Indians may just have the athleticism to do it.
In the end, it’s hard to believe anyone will be able to stop Vinson and Wickey so we are looking at a legitimate shootout. The last one with the ball will win.
Prediction: Colon 48, Tekonsha 42
Game Two- Napoleon Pirates (8-0) at Union City Chargers (7-1) at Union City High School, Saturday at 1 p.m. Championship game of the Big 8/Cascade Conference Crossover
Outlook- The two teams facing off in the Big 8/Cascade Conference Crossover Championship are two of the closest-matched teams of the season. The Chargers enter the game at 7-1 overall and ranked ninth in Division 7 by MaxPreps after winning the outright Big 8 conference title while Napoleon enters the game at 8-0 overall and ranked tenth in Division 7 by Max Preps after winning the Cascade Conference title.
The teams have virtually identical numbers when it comes to offense and defense, with Napoleon averaging 34.5 points a game after scoring 276 points for the season while Union City sits at 28.5 points per game after scoring 228 points on the year. Give the slight offensive edge to Napoleon in terms of scoring.
On defense, however, it’s the Chargers that pace the matchup, as Union City has only allowed 11.25 points a game while the Pirates have allowed 14.5 points a contest. The slight edge here goes to Union City.
Napoleon loves to run the football and it does it well behind the tough running of 5-foot-9, 195-pound senior running back Bart Laretz. On the season, Laretz has run for 983 total yards for an average of 163.8 yards per game, scoring nine total touchdowns. The Pirates average 210.3 yards per game on the ground, with the majority coming from Laretz, who runs from the straight I-formation with a fullback ahead of him. Napoleon will pass the ball from time to time, as quarterback Grant Bradley has averaged 78.2 yards a game through the air this season for a total of 469 yards and three touchdowns. But make no mistake, where Laretz goes, so does the Napoleon offense.
The Union City offense is a little more diverse than that of Napoleon, as the Chargers average 311.1 yards per game on the season, with 185.6 coming on the ground and 125.5 coming through the air. Union City has a stable of running backs that can carry the load, led by junior Riley Laird who has carried the ball 95 times for 645 yards and 11 touchdowns. Sophomore Dylan MacDonald, junior Owen Jackson, and junior Landyn Crance can all tote the rock, with MacDonald second on the team with 379 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
Union City’s offense is diverse in that they don’t just run the ball, they can also open it up for the pass as well. Sophomore quarterback Eli Payne has completed 51 of 108 passes for 963 yards and 11 touchdowns compared to only two interceptions, an average of 120.4 yards per game. On the other end of those passes are a proverbial stable of wideouts, led by sophomore Rick Austin and junior Jeremy Zehr. Austin enters week nine with 16 catches for 493 yards and six touchdowns, an average of 61.6 yards per game, while Zehr enters the week with 22 catches for 347 yards and two scores, an average of 43.4 yards per game. Aiden Decker and Laird also have multiple catches in a wide-open offensive set.
Both teams have talented offensive lines, with Union City’s very senior-driven as four of the five starters are playing their last regular season game.
What this game will come down to is which defense can hold down which offense. Napoleon has played some good teams and has beaten them all, although they have yet to play a defense as physical and disruptive as Union City. The defensive front, led by lineman Jakob Fosmore, Grady Iobe, Phoenix Elkins, and Tyler Wagley along with linebackers Owen Jackson, Aiden Decker, Luke Watson, Garrett Halder and leading tackler Colton Russell love to hit and have shut down some of the best running attacks in the area, including the Addison Panthers who put up over 300 yards rushing in their loss to Napoleon in conference action. Union City’s defensive front will be tested by a very good running game and a really good running back in Laretz. Are the Chargers up to the task?
Bottom line, both teams are very good and both teams deserve to be in the spot they are in. This game will come down to the defense and who can stop who. Union City’s defense will prove to be the difference in this game.
Prediction: Union City 20, Napoleon 14.
Game Three- Parma Western Panthers (5-3) at Coldwater Cardinals (1-7) at Coldwater High School, Friday night beginning at 7 p.m.
Outlook- To say the 2022 season has been a tough one for Coldwater may be an understatement. The Cardinals have only managed a total of 85 points scored for the season, an average of 10.625 points a game while the defense has allowed a total of 279 points or 34.87 points a game. Coldwater has been shut out four times this season, including in their most recent loss to Harper Creek 18-0. Heading into week 9 Coldwater has a win over Pennfield with losses to Grand Ledge, Plainwell, Lumen Christi, Hastings, Harper Creek, Marshall and Northwest.
Parma Western comes into the contest at 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the Interstate 8 with wins over St. Johns (27-22), Pennfield (64-0), Northwest (27-7), Marshall (16-0) and Harper Creek (34-0) while dropping games to Detroit Country Day (14-21), Lumen Christi (14-19) and to the Interstate 8 champions from Hastings (7-48).
Parma runs a very balanced offense, equal parts pass and run, as seen in their most recent win over Marshall where they rushed for 155 yards and threw for 147 yards. The offense runs through quarterback Ty Keeler, running back Alex Trudell and wideouts Caden Oliver and Noah Berdiner.
Coldwater has struggled to get anything going on offense all season long despite the best efforts of quarterback Zach Coffing, running back Jayden Kegler, and wideouts Hunter Munson and Donte Work.
Parma Western is a solid team and should be in the playoffs in Division Three, with the current projection by the Snooze2You site putting them as a three-seed in D3, Region 2, District 1, facing off with Zeeland West. The Panthers have really only been out of one game this year when they were thumped by Hastings 48-7, but Hastings has thumped everyone this year.
Coldwater is in a major rebuild and although the younger players are undergoing some tough growing pains this year the lessons learned this season should translate into the coming years, especially with a really talented crop of athletes coming to high school in the near future.
Tough way to end a tough season for Coldwater.
Prediction: Parma Western 46, Coldwater 7.
Game Four- Hanover Horton Comets (2-6) at Quincy Orioles (2-6) at Quincy High School, Friday night beginning at 7 p.m.
Outlook- This game pits the fifth-place team in both the Big 8 and Cascade Conference versus one another in the crossover game. Both teams are 2-6 entering the contest and looking to end the season on a high note.
Hanover Horton comes into the game sporting wins over Michigan Center and Grass Lake while suffering losses to Hudson, Addison, Napoleon, East Jackson, Manchester, and Jonesville. The Comets have scored a total of 162 points on the season for an average of 20.25 points a game while allowing 251 points on the season for an average of 31.375.
Quincy enters the game also at 2-6 with wins over Springport and Bronson and losses to Sand Creek, Union City, Jonesville, Manchester, Reading, and Homer. The Orioles have struggled to score on the year, putting up 126 total points for an average of 15.75 points per game while allowing 259 points on the season for a total of 32.375 points.
Quincy’s offense has really come alive over the past few weeks thanks to the play of their offensive line and the hard running of senior back Tre’Von Bodley who had a 30-carry, 193-yard, three-touchdown performance against Bronson. Add that to the play of quarterback Brennen Allman and offensive skill players such as Sam Sawyer, Ryder Schmachtenberger, and Ethan Copas and the Orioles offense is almost humming.
Hanover Horton likes to mix up the run and the pass but leans a little more toward the passing game which may cause trouble for the Orioles who have struggled to cover the pass on the defensive side of the ball. Quincy’s defense has been making strides of late though thanks to the play of Big 8 leading tackier Blaine Pish and tough-as-nails defenders Davin George, Nash Fitton, Noah Pearson, Lucas Dixon, Ryan Kempter, Dreyden Feltner, and Brady Mescher.
It’s good to see the Quincy offense get going, the defense just needs to step up in this game and shut down the Hanover passing attack in order for the Orioles to finish the season with a win. Can the Quincy defense hold strong and get their team a win?
Prediction: Hanover Horton 31, Quincy 24.
Game Five- Michigan Center Cardinals (3-5) at Bronson Vikings (2-6) at Bronson High School, Friday night beginning at 7 p.m.
Outlook- This game pits the sixth-place team in both the Big 8 and Cascades Conference versus one another in the crossover game.
These two teams have actually met once this season back in Week 3 when Michigan Center handed Bronson its first loss of the season, 48-20. That loss started a big slide for the young Vikings that they just have not been able to pull out of, dropping six straight games to come into the contest at 2-6.
Michigan Center comes into the game with wins over Bronson, Manchester and East Jackson while suffering losses to Tecumseh, Hanover Horton, Addison, Grass Lake, and Napoleon. Michigan Center can score the football, putting up a total of 252 points this season for an average of 31.5 points; however, its defense has been a bit porous, allowing 254 points for the year, an average of 31.75 points a game.
Bronson started off the season with two straight wins, racing out to a 2-0 start with victories over Prairie Heights and Springport. Since its Week 3 loss to Michigan Center, the Vikings have dropped games to Homer, Jonesville, Reading, Union City, and Quincy for their 2-6 record. Bronson has scored a total of 152 points a game for a 19-point average while allowing 278 points for the year or 34.75 points a game.
Bronson is in a rough place right now on the football field as the young Vikings continue to struggle to find their way. The offense has shown tremendous flashes of brilliance behind the ability of Seth Withington, Boston Bucklin, Devlin Duff, Drew Norton and Kam Brackett, although turnovers have been a big problem. On defense, the Vikings struggle to stop the run and they give up big plays, which have bit them all year long. The defense is led by Brackett in the secondary and the very tough Collin York at linebacker. York and Brackett are joined by Jacob Dixon, Everardo Lozada, Devlin Duff, Drew Norton, Adam Riddle, and Seth Withington.
On the other side of the ball, Michigan Center can score the ball with the best of them thanks to its dynamic passing game. The only problem is that they can’t stop anyone either. When you average over 31 points a game you’d expect more than three wins, but in the end, it’s all about scoring more than the other guy, only if by a point and so far the Cardinals defense has had a tough go.
This Bronson team is full of extremely talented kids with a very bright future however this season has been rough terrain for the youngsters wearing the purple and gold. Michigan Center took the win in the first meeting between these two, no reason to think that won’t happen again.
Prediction: Michigan Center 52, Bronson 24.
Do you agree with Sports Editor Troy Tennyson’s picks? Disagree? Let him know via email at ttennyson@thedailyreporter.com or if you see Troy out and about don’t be afraid to stop him and talk some football. Stay tuned to The Daily Reporter’s Facebook page throughout the night on Friday and on Saturday afternoon for updates on all the games from Branch County with scores, highlights and news throughout the night and day.
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Branch County high school football: Week 9 previews and predictions
