Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! We are back with our second week of high school action, which will feature three outstanding games across two days of action. This week will feature games involving teams that are all in our Top 25.
#13 Howell at #15 Belleville — Thursday, September 3
It’s a rematch of the KLAA Championship from last year that saw Howell walk away with a 57-36 victory over Belleville.
Belleville enters the game looking for its first win of the season after losing a heartbreaker, 24-23, to Grand Blanc last week. That game, as our Brandon Love put it, was “absolute cinema,” as the game came down to a 2-point conversion try. In that game, though, their 6-foot-7 duo of Kendall Franklin and Tre Britton lived up to the hype. Franklin completed 24 of his 33 passes for 309 yards, and he also ran the ball nine times for 20 yards and two touchdowns. Britton was on the receiving end of nine of those passes as he finished with 157 yards. The other touchdown came thanks to Trenton Foley, who finished with 33 yards on eight carries.
For Howell, they enter this one after beating Traverse City West 49-35. In the win, it was a combination of Palmer VanDeven and Bryce Kish. VanDeven had four touchdowns on the night, with two rushing and two passing, while completing all three of his passes for 56 yards. He also added 58 yards on the ground. Then there was Kish, who rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns. All three of his scores came in the fourth quarter of the game to help his team come out on top.
Picks
Bear: Belleville
Kirby: Howell
Toby: Belleville
Brandon: Belleville
Max: Belleville
Seth: Howell
Grace: Howell
#17 Davison at #1 Detroit Catholic Central
It’s a matchup of two high-powered offenses as the Shamrocks of Detroit Catholic Central welcome in the Cardinals of Davison.
The Shamrocks came out and put on a show in the 55-0 Week 1 win over Chippewa Valley. Running back Jalen Montlouis had two touchdowns, quarterback Duke Banta threw for two touchdowns, and neither of them went to Gideon Gash, who also had two touchdowns. One came off a 35-yard pick-six, and the other came off a 48-yard punt return.
The scary thought about their Week 1 victory? They didn’t look totally in sync, and that means it can only go up from there.
The Cardinals are coming into the matchup with the No. 1 team in the state after a 28-8 victory over Roseville. It was a coming-out party for sophomore quarterback Max Persails, as he finished the night with two touchdowns, one rushing and one passing, in the win. Braylon Green and Kris Robinson also scored on the ground in the win.
While it was Persails’ first career varsity win, he will need to be just as strong when he takes the field against the defending Division 1 state champions on Friday night.
Picks
Bear: CC
Kirby: CC
Toby: CC
Brandon: CC
Max: CC
Seth: CC
Grace: CC
#10 Detroit King at #3 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s — Big Ben’s Game of the Week
Our Big Ben’s Comix Oasis Game of the Week this week takes us to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s for a Top 10 matchup in the state, as Detroit King heads north to face off against the back-to-back Division 2 state champions, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
Orchard Lake enters this game after a close 35-27 win over Muskegon Mona Shores, and it looked like Mona Shores gave them everything they could handle. In that game a week ago, quarterback Jabin Gonzales completed 16 of his 24 passes for 274 yards and a passing touchdown, while adding two 2-point conversions. He also rushed for 62 yards and had two goal-line scores with his legs.
Detroit King comes into this one following a 27-7 win over Toledo Whitmer. In the win over Whitmer, King used multiple players at quarterback, with Amir Forris serving as the main signal caller.
Forris passed for 194 yards and two touchdowns on 11-of-17 passing attempts. Forris also ran for a touchdown in the win. On the receiving end of both touchdowns was Darryl Flemister, who also had 101 yards on five catches. Flemister also had five tackles and broke up two passes.
Fellow wide receiver Don Spillers pulled in three catches for 36 yards and had six tackles in the win.
Picks
Bear: OLSM
Kirby: OLSM
Toby: OLSM
Brandon: OLSM
Max: OLSM
Seth: OLSM
Grace: OLSM
Picks Standings After Week 1
1. Bear — 4-0
1. Toby — 4-0
1. Brandon — 4-0
1. Seth — 4-0
2. Kirby — 3-1
2. Max — 3-1
2.Grace — 3-1