'Normal' Traverse City Patriot Game returns Friday

Andrew Rosenthal, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·6 min read

Sep. 16—TRAVERSE CITY — Eric Schugars presented a common message to the Trojans all week.

"I want this for them," the seventh-year Central coach said. "They played in a Patriot Game last year, but it wasn't the Patriot Game."

TC Patriot Game

TC CENTRAL vs. TC WEST

RECORDS: No. 10 Traverse City Central (2-1); Traverse City West (3-0)

WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Thirlby Field, 410 W Thirteenth St, Traverse City

RADIO: AM-580 WTCM/FM-101.1 WGRY

TV: Bally Sports Detroit+ (Charter 88, DirecTV 664; Xfinity 707; Dish 473).

SERIES: TC West leads 14-12

LAST MEETING: TC Central won 53-13 in 2020

HEAD COACHES: TC Central, Eric Schugars (Seventh season); Greg Vaughn (Fourth season)

KEY TROJANS: QB/LB Josh Burnham, Sr.; WR/DB Carson Bourdo, Sr.; WR/LB Dante Williams, Sr.; RB/DB Parker Schmidt, Sr.; OL/DL Kadyn Warner, Sr.; OL/DL Keegan Opper, Sr.; OL/DL Gavin Graczyk, Sr.; OL/DL Davis Hurley, Sr; OL/DL Brett Weaver, Sr.; RB/LB Reed Seabase, Jr.; QB/DB/RB Josh Klug, Jr.; K Everest Noyes, Sr.

KEY TITANS: OL/DL Kyle McCrumb, Sr.; WR/CB Will Gaston, Sr.; WR/DB Garett Shuler, Sr.; QB Brandon Konchek, Sr.; OL/DL Daniel Rosa, Sr.; RB Remy Schulz, Sr.; RB/LB Michael Schermerhorn, Sr.; TE/DB Caleb Kouchnerkavich, Sr.; OL/DL Kale Cerny, Sr.; OL/DL Owen Kamp, Sr.; TE/LB Carson Douglass, Sr.; LB Ben Schollett, Sr.; RB/DB Aiden Lewandowski, Sr.

BACKGROUND: It's the Patriot Game, what more do we have to say? Central appeared in the first AP rankings at No. 10, but West is the one who's undefeated and will have something to prove. Bally Sports Detroit is making a trip to Traverse City and 10,000 fans will fill the stands of Thirlby yet again.

KICKOFF FORECAST: Scattered showers, between 76 and 66 degrees, 58 percent chance of precipitation, winds out of the northwest 9 miles per hour.

UP NEXT: Traverse City Central at Petoskey Sept. 24; Traverse City West hosts Alpena Sept. 24.

If You Go

Tickets to Friday's 10th Traverse City Patriot Game are available for sale at gofan.co.

Tickets will also be available at the gate on game day beginning at 5 p.m. All veterans, active duty and first responders get into the game free and can enter Thirlby Field at the 13th Street rolling gate or through the 14th Street main entry. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

Proceeds from this year's T-shirt sales will support Reining Liberty Ranch, which offers community based programs that serve veterans, their families and other disabled/at-risk individuals within the Grand Traverse community.

This year, Titan supporters will wear red shirts, while supporters of the Trojans will wear blue. The minimum shirt donation is $10. Commemorative T-shirts are available for student sales Sept. 13-16 during lunch. The public can purchase shirts outside both schools at specific time periods. Traverse City West fans can purchase shirts on the east side lawn by the school's main entrance from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. through Thursday. TC Central fans can get their shirts outside of the gymnasium from 7:30-8 a.m. through Friday. Any remaining shirts will be sold at the game.

For more information, contact the TC West athletic office at 231-933-7780.

Normalcy returns in the form of the 10th annual TC Patriot Game, as it kicks off Friday with Traverse City Central facing Traverse City West at Thirlby Field. Yet again, the game will feature two of the top teams in northern Michigan vying for control of the Big North Conference.

Bally is set to broadcast the game across the state via Bally Sports Detroit Plus, BallySports.com and the Bally Sports app. It will also stream via NFHS Network and be available on two local radio stations.

"No matter what happens it's going to be a great game for both teams, hard fought, and looking forward to it a lot," said Trojans lineman Keegan Opper, who plays lacrosse with several of the Titans through the TC United co-op.

Last fall's meeting between the two teams saw Josh Burnham take the quarterback spot for the first time in his career and ignite the Trojans passing game as they took a 47-0 lead at the halftime break. Junior Reed Seabase joins him in the backfield this fall, coming into Week Four with two 200-yard games on the ground.

"You have to be able to defend the field both vertically and horizontally against these guys because they get it into the right spots," Traverse City West coach Greg Vaughn said.

Schugars said Seabase stepping up for Central in the rushing game has filled a void created with the loss of Austin Bills, who now plays for Saginaw Valley State University.

"Just him getting through the line and reading his blocks really well, he's been showing out since summer," Trojans senior wide receiver Dante Williams said of Seabase.

The Titans have a strong rushing corps too, with Michael Schermerhorn, Aiden Kamp and Brandon Koncheck leading the backfield. Last year's contest was Konchek's debut at QB as well.

"I don't think there's a much better opportunity, especially seeing they're number one in our conference and our crosstown rivals," Titans senior Ben Scholett said.

West enters undefeated with wins over Midland, Grand Haven and Cadillac. Central won its Big North Conference opener against Gaylord after beating Marquette in the week prior, but fell to defending Division 3 state champion DeWitt in its season-opening Battle at the Big House game.

Central, which enters this week No. 10 in Division 2, trails to West in the series 14-12. The Trojans won the last two meetings.

"Every single game we have something to prove," West senior Owen Kamp said. "We like to say we have a chip on our shoulder, because no one ever sees us. We're the underdog."

The inaugural Patriot Game was played in 2012 after then-West head coach Tim Wooer approached the officials at Grand Traverse County Veterans Affairs with the idea.

Wooer's former Kingsley player Justin Hansen, who was a sergeant serving in the Marine Corps in Afghanistan, was killed in action in 2012. Wooer wanted to do something to honor the fallen 26-year-old.

Wooer heard about Hansen's death during a 7-on-7 game at Thirlby Field that July 24.

In 2020, the game was briefly renamed the Celebrate Service game in honor of veterans, first responders, active duty and frontline workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Wooer now coaches at Kingsley and coordinates the Stags' Salute to Service game, which Kingsley won 48-0 against Glen Lake earlier this season.

"There's bigger things than just football, that's something we talk about, too," Vaughn said

Follow Andrew Rosenthal on Twitter @ByAndrewR