Sturgis hosts Niles in critical first game
We made it.
Thursday marks the opening of the 2022 high school football season in Michigan and there are several local teams who are looking at being solid. A handful of them play on Thursday this week and there are also games on Friday and Saturday.
Niles at Sturgis
The 2022 Sturgis football team has been a popular topic heading into the season. The Trojans return 19 starters combined and several of them are at key spots.
The Trojans welcome in Niles on Thursday night. The Vikings beat Sturgis 24-6 in the season-opener last season and went on to a 5-4 record. Victories in their final two games on the year — 36-20 over Otsego and 46-0 over Dowagiac — gave Niles some optimism heading into the off-season.
“Niles is a very good team,” Sturgis coach Chance Stewart said of his team’s Week 1 opponent. “We have to play disciplined football this week. Anytime you face an offense like this, it is crucial to do your job. We take care of business up front and it will be a fun night.”
Sturgis should have a very strong offensive line this season. They will be tested early, but the Trojans plan to run the football with Jacob Thompson, Brenden Myers and Dalton Tisdel quite a bit.
“Offensively, we want to establish our run game early. The three-headed monster of Thompson, Myers and Tisdel is going to be fun to watch,” Stewart said. “Key again is up front. We establish the ling of scrimmage and we will be in a good spot.”
Line of scrimmage play often dictates how a game will go. The Trojans will play a lot of guys both ways in the trenches, so being able to keep those guys fresh enough up front will be key.
Sturgis is hoping for some quality attendance from the community as well. The buzz around town for the beginning of high school football is palpable, so Stewart and the football program are hoping they have the ability to play in front of a packed house.
The Trojans know Niles has plans to open the season with a victory just as much as they do. Sturgis is aiming for a home-field advantage with the crowd.
“Could be a barn burner,” he said. “They have some nice athletes and this could shape up to being quite the opener.”
Thursday games
Outside of Sturgis, there are a handful of other local teams opening the season on Thursday.
White Pigeon plays host to Reading in what looks to be the best potential game. The Chiefs won 10 games last season and Reading has been pretty solid the last handful of years as well. White Pigeon has qualified for the playoffs in four straight seasons, picking up a win here over visiting Reading would surely help kick off another playoff run.
Centreville likes playing in the playoffs as well. The Bulldogs won the state championship in the COVID 2020 year, which was weird as we all know. They, like White Pigeon, have also qualified for the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. Union City comes to town on Thursday. The Chargers are expected to have a decent offensive line, but Centreville will be looking to bring the heat defensively.
Three Rivers heads on the road to Paw Paw. The Wildcats beat Paw Paw 36-34 in the season opener last year, but the Cats were inconsistent. Even so, it resulted in a playoff appearance and a 9-7 victory over Vicksburg in the district opener, a game TR avenged from a regular season loss. The Red Wolves are breaking in a new coach.
Marcellus heads to Gobles in 8-player football on Thursday as well. The Wildcats won three straight games early last year, but stumbled down the stretch. Nate Davies and his group are looking to start the season on the right foot this year. Gobles has won just five games in its first two years of 8-player football.
Friday games
On Friday, there is a handful of games being played by local schools.
Constantine will travel to Kalamazoo College to play Parchment. The Falcons are loaded on offense once again as they look to rumble over everybody in their path. Offensive line play will be critical to any success Shawn Griffith’s team has, but they sure do have the headline-makers coming out of the backfield.
That game will be played at 5 p.m. It’s a league game right out of the gate for both schools and Parchment qualified for the playoffs last season, but they were out-scored on the season. The Falcons won over the Panthers 64-14 last year, but Parchment is expected to be better.
Mendon was supposed to play at Martin on Thursday night, but official assignments forced the game to be moved to Friday. Bobby Kretschman and the Hornets don’t mind, they’re just looking to avenge a loss from last year to the Clippers, which ended Mendon’s season in the playoffs.
The Hornets have been focused on playing Martin since that loss last year, but Kretschman and company know one single game to open the year won’t define their season. Lot of football to be played. The Hornets have massive size up front and surely will look to control the clock, run the football and play tough defense. This one should be a rock fight.
Pittsford will travel to take on Burr Oak in 8-player football. Both of these teams were 1-8 last season, but Pittsford has made the move to 8-player for the first time. The Wildcats were just 1-15 the last two years combined, so it’s tough to figure out just what they will bring. Burr Oak surrendered almost 50 points per game last season, so defensive improvements will be key for the Bobcats.
Bronson travels south of the border to play Prairie Heights to open the season. The Vikings dropped a 36-22 decision to Prairie Heights last year and the Panthers beat up on Whitko to open their season last week, 39-0. The Vikings have some new players at key positions and it will be interesting to see how they play against a team which already has a game under its belt.
Colon at BC St. Philip
Colon opens the season on Saturday evening. The Magi will be taking on Battle Creek St. Philip, a team that Colon did not play last year. The Magi are one of the premier programs in 8-player football, but fell in the state finals last season. This year, Colon returns All-State quarterback Simon Vinson and All-State wide receiver Justin Wickey. They will hook up for plenty of passes in this one.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Sturgis hosts Niles in critical first game
