Petoskey looking for BNC rebound Friday; Charlevoix, Boyne City go for 5-0

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Well, we’re off and rolling now.

More than a third of the season has passed – which does indeed seem crazy – and we’ve reached the point where legs are starting to get heavy and each practice feels like a grind to game day.

But, the ones that are left playing past week nine are the ones pushing through it each week.

Week five brings key league matchups once again for almost every area team, along with a chance for Boyne City and Charlevoix to put together a 5-0 start before their week six showdown.

This week also comes as a chance for Petoskey to rebound from a tough defeat a week ago against Gaylord, though the trek to Alpena isn’t always an easy ride.

Here’s what to look for in week five of the high school football season:

Petoskey (1-3) at Alpena (1-3)

ALPENA — Conference play started on the wrong foot for the Northmen a week ago and now Petoskey finds themselves on the bad kind of streak.

Luckily, there’s a familiar foe that they’ve had success against in droves up next.

Petoskey will head to Alpena to continue Big North play Friday, while looking to snap a two-game skid and keep up a success rate against the Wildcats that includes winning 13 of the last 14 meetings.

Alpena will head into Friday sitting in the same boat as Petoskey, having started the season 1-3.

The Wildcats have, however, struggled to get the offense going, being shut out twice, while not scoring more than two touchdowns in a game this season.

The offense runs through quarterback Jake Zann, who has had over 25 attempts in every game this season, including 40 in the season opener and 29 last week against Cadillac.

The Wildcats have also had a tough time slowing the passing game, giving up a combined eight passing scores over the past two games, while allowing Cadillac to throw for nearly 300 yards.

That could be good news for Petoskey quarterback Joe McCarthy and the offense, which will have to deal with the loss of running back CJ Hibbler, who will miss the remainder of the 2022 season.

The Northmen passing game has shown flashes this season and will likely have to take on a bigger role in the weeks ahead. With capable receivers in Seth Marek – who etched his name in the PHS record books a week ago – Brian Pike and Trevor Swiss, there’s opportunities to be had.

Coming back with a win from Alpena will be more so about cleaning up the mistakes of the past two weeks more than anything, though, or the Northmen are in for another long ride home.

Kalkaska (2-2) at Boyne City (4-0)

BOYNE CITY — Some things just take time.

Needing to work in new pieces along the offensive line, figure out an identity offensively and lean on new leadership on the field, the Boyne City football team’s season has been similar to a train getting started on the track.

And now that it’s rolling, watch out.

Behind a second straight 4-0 start, Boyne has built off each win of the season, culminating in a 55-0 shutout a week ago against Mancelona.

The Ramblers put up 42 points in the first quarter (that’s not a typo) and seemingly couldn’t do anything wrong.

Quarterback Jack Neer had the Rambler passing game humming once again, but it was the Rambler running game that really took off.

Joey McHugh ran for a season-high 135 yards and two scores, while nine different players helped contribute to 257 total yards and four scores.

It was a big way to start Leaders Division play and the Ramblers will have a chance to add to it against Kalkaska this week.

The Blazers are off to a 2-2 start, leaning on a run game that’s produced well in wins. In the opener against Glen Lake, Kalkaska churned out 426 yards and six scores on the ground, then ran for just over 200 yards and four scores in a win a week ago against Tawas.

If Boyne can shut down the Blazers’ ground attack, they should have no issue meeting their first 5-0 start since 2016.

Tawas (0-4) at Charlevoix (4-0)

CHARLEVOIX — Over the past two weeks it’s like Rayder wideout Patrick Sterrett is running down hill and opponents are blindfolded running up trying to stop him.

It’s been a great combination for Charlevoix, not so much for the team on the other sideline.

Over the past two games, Sterrett has accounted for 10 touchdowns, with 251 yards rushing, 102 receiving and 77 yards passing, while playing mostly just a half of football.

He’s also added a 63-yard punt return score and had two other punt return touchdowns called back.

It hasn’t all been Sterrett, though, as the Charlevoix defense has posted three straight shutouts, an impressive feat no matter who the opponent is.

This week could be another, as they welcome in a Tawas team in a Leaders Division meeting that’s scored just 40 points this season and heads in 0-4.

The Braves have now dropped 19 straight games and have not earned a victory since the final week of 2019.

The three straight shutouts for Charlevoix are already the most in consecutive weeks since 1958 when the Rayders didn’t allow a point in eight games of an undefeated season.

East Jordan (2-2) at Glen Lake (3-1)

MAPLE CITY — It looks like the Red Devils were happy to open up Legends Division play.

After beginning the season with a couple losses, East Jordan has been rolling since conference play opened a couple weeks back, but time will tell if that continues this week.

Once a Northern Michigan and even state-wide power, Glen Lake has fallen off a bit of late, though, like the Red Devils, have turned things on over the last three weeks against league foes.

The Lakers aren’t scoring much or putting up any big stats offensively – quarterback Sean Galla did stand out against Oscoda – but they’re adding wins behind a defense that’s allowed just seven points in the past two games.

It should be a good matchup between that defense and a Red Devil offense that’s scored 42 and 49 points in the last two games, leaning on quarterback Dawson Carey’s five touchdowns over the last two weeks. Logan Shooks and Braylon Grybauskas have also contributed in a big way as well.

While newcomer St. Ignace would like to throw its hat in the ring, Friday night could be a big decider in who holds the league title at the end of the season. It’s a big one for the defending champion Red Devils.

Harbor Springs at Lake Odessa Lakewood

LAKE ODESSA — Things haven’t exactly improved for Harbor Springs as the season has gone on.

The Rams are 0-4 for the first time since a 2011 winless season and on pace for the fewest points (47) scored in a season since a 2007 winless campaign in which they scored just 18 points. They’re also on pace for program record in points allowed (418).

It’s not exactly a great time for an eight-hour round trip game against a Division 5 opponent, but that’s what the Rams get in week five.

The Vikings have started the year off at 3-1 and found good production from running backs Cole Anderson and Nathan Willette, both of which will be a test to contain for the Rams.

There’s no quick fix to what the Rams are going through, but perhaps a trip out of Northern Michigan can do the trick.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey looking for BNC rebound Friday; Charlevoix, Boyne City go for 5-0