High school football Games of the Week: Michigan kicks off, Saint Joe visits Mishawaka
Edwardsburg Eddies (0-0) VS. Grand Rapids West Catholic Falcons (0-0)
When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. at Hope College’s Ray and Sue Smith Stadium (artificial surface) in Holland, Michigan.
Series: Season opener is the first gridiron meeting ever between schools.
Last season: Coach Kevin Bartz and 12-1 Eddies won the Wolverine Conference title but lost 58-8 in the Division 4 semifinals to eventual state runner-up Hudsonville Unity Christian, which lost 55-52 to Chelsea in state championship. … Falcons, who lost 40-14 to Unity Christian during regular season, ended 9-2 after a 44-6 district championship loss to eventual Division 5 state champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
Extra points: The Eddies won Division 4 state championship in 2018 when they finished off a 14-0 season under Bartz with 28-7 victory over Chelsea, which pays a visit to Leo Hoffman Field in Edwardsburg on Oct. 14. … Edwardsburg opens its Wolverine Conference season on the road next Thursday at Three Rivers. … The Eddies return 27 seniors led by linemen Will Jacobson and Brennen Brady-Brittain and running back Jacob Edwards. … The Falcons, who are playing first season under head coach Landon Grove, have won six state championships since 2010.
South Bend Saint Joseph Indians (1-0) vs. Mishawaka Cavemen (1-0)
When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. on Tupper Field at Steele Stadium (grass surface) in Mishawaka.
When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. on Tupper Field at Steele Stadium (grass surface) in Mishawaka.
Series: Mishawaka leads series 8-6 after 42-21 road victory over its former Northern Indiana Conference rival during 2019 regular season.
Last week: Coach Ben Downey, who took the Indians to state title games in 2010 and 2011, started off his second tenure at Saint Joseph with a 36-17 victory at Lakeland. … The Cavemen got coach Keith Kinder’s fifth season off to a rousing start with a 38-0 victory at state power Mishawaka Marian.
Extra points: Quarterback Alex Ortiz threw for three touchdowns and running backs Brady Farrell and Joe Piontek each had a TD run as the Indians showed balance (209 yards rushing/208 yards passing) at Lakeland. … The Cavemen, led by a veteran offensive line, rushed for 391 yards against Marian behind quarterback Brady Fisher (72 yards, 2 TDs) and fullback Chase Gooden (140 yards, 1 TD).
John Glenn Falcons (1-0) vs. South Bend Riley Wildcats (1-0)
JOHN GLENN FALCONS (1-0) VS. SOUTH BEND RILEY WILDCATS (1-0)
When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. at Jackson Field (grass surface) in South Bend.Series: Riley leads 4-3 but John Glenn won 42-7 last Aug. 27 in Walkerton.
Last week: Long-time area coach John Barron saw his John Glenn career begin on a high note with a 28-14 victory at Boone Grove. … Darrick Lee’s coaching debut at Riley was a successful one as the Wildcats opened with an 18-14 victory over visiting Gary West last Saturday.
Extra points: This game is the Northern Indiana Conference North-South Division opener for both teams. … The Falcons got a pair of touchdown passes from Aiden Johnson – 76 yards to Chase Miller and 24 yards to Nate Taylor – in the victory over Boone Grove. … The Wildcats rode the arm of Austin White, who threw for 217 yards and three scores – one each to Sacio Williams, Caleb Francis and Brycen Avila.
Northridge Raiders (1-0) vs. Elkhart Lions (1-0)
HS Football: Six things we learned from Week 1 games
When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. at Rice Field (artificial surface) in Elkhart.
Series: This is the first meeting between the schools since Elkhart schools Central and Memorial merged prior to 2020 season. … Northridge beat Elkhart Memorial 21-0 during 9-1 run in 2017.
Last week: Coach Chad Eppley’s Raiders opened with a 50-12 home victory over South Bend Adams. … The Lions made coach Romison Saint-Louis’ coaching debut at Elkhart a memorable one in a 33-0 victory at Northern Lakes power Concord
.Extra points: Junior McClain Miller rushed 11 times for 190 yards and scored four touchdowns (19, 12, 34 and 11 yards) as the Raiders totaled 394 yards, 278 on the ground, in the rout of Adams. … Rodney Gates had touchdown receptions of 66 and 33 yards, Gavin Houser rushed for two scores and the Elkhart defense had 11 sacks against Concord.
Laville Lancers (1-0) vs. Triton Trojans (1-0)
When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. at Triton High School (grass surface) in Bourbon.
When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. at Triton High School (grass surface) in Bourbon.
Series: LaVille holds a 26-11 edge in the last 35 seasons after a 7-0 overtime victory last season in Lakeville.
Last week: Coach Will Hostrawser’s Lancers opened with 42-0 victory over visiting Bremen. … Coach Rodney Younis’ Trojans opened with a 49-0 victory over South Central in Union Mills.
Extra points: This is the Hoosier North Conference opener for both teams. … Last week, the Lancers’ Paul DeWitt rushed for 237 yards on 11 carries, two of them touchdowns, and quarterback Lucas Plummer completed just five passes but four of them for touchdowns, two by Owen Smith. … Anthony Schuh rushed eight times for 219 yards and four touchdowns of 7, 48, 49 and 78 yards as the Trojans ran for 344 yards in their rout of South Central.
Penn Kingsmen vs. Portage Indians
PENN KINGSMEN VS. PORTAGE INDIANS
When/where: Friday, 7:30 p.m. at The Warpath (artificial surface) in Portage.
Series: Penn leads 9-0 after 13-6 sectional victory in 2019.
Last week: Coach Cory Yeoman’s 1-0 Kingsmen opened at home with a 35-6 victory over Valparaiso, Portage’s Duneland Conference rival. … Coach Terry Chestovich’s 1-0 Indians opened with 46-27 victory over Hammond Morton.
Extra points: QB Nolan McCullough accounted for two touchdowns with a 47-yard run and a 34-yard pass to D.J. White, and Josiah Williams had touchdown runs of 9 and 98 yards for the Kingsmen in the rout of the Vikings.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Indiana, Michigan High School football Games of the Week
