We have finally made it. Our Road to Ford Field ends this weekend as 16 teams are looking to raise the Mitten Trophy above their heads. Last week in the Picks, Jason went 5-6, Josh went 7-4, and our guest picker Jake Pacholski went 6-5. That brings the playoff standings to Jason at 46-20, Josh to 49-17, and our guest picker spot to 31-12. We have eight games left, so let’s jump in.
Division 1
Belleville vs Caledonia
In the Division 1 final, we have the defending State Champion, the Belleville Tigers going up against the Caledonia Fighting Scots. This will be the first matchup between these two.
Belleville enters the state finals after having an undefeated season and as the defending State Champs. Belleville also enters this game with a heavy heart as Head Coach Jermain Crowell was fired on Tuesday afternoon after a lengthy investigation into his recruitment of players. Byrce Underwood enters the game after throwing for 2479 yards and 34 touchdowns on the season, and he’ll look to win back-to-back title wins. Belleville’s offensive coordinator, Coach Short talked about the possibility of going back-to-back, saying, “It’s special, but it’s very difficult to do.”
Caledonia comes into the game for the first time since 2005, when they won the division three Championship over Haslett. Caledonia will be led by Senior Quarterback Mason McKenzie, who threw for 1356 yards and 19 touchdowns while also running for 1441 yards and 19 touchdowns. McKenzie said, “It would be awesome to prove everyone wrong and show that all of our hard work since the summer has paid off,” when asked what it would mean to him to win a state title.
Will Belleville repeat as state champions, or can Caledonia take advantage of a team that got heartbreaking news a few days before Thanksgiving? Kickoff is Saturday at 1 pm.
Jason: Caledonia
Josh: Belleville
Division 2
De La Salle vs Forest Hills Central
Division Two defending state champs, the De La Salle Pilots, will meet up with the Forest Hills Central Rangers for the first time in school history.
De La Salle enters this one as the defending state champions, and this will also mark the third straight season the Pilots season will end at Ford Field. For the Pilots, this will be the last time that Quarterback Brady Drogosh will lead them onto the field. This season Drogosh finished with 1839 passing yards and 33 touchdowns while also adding 1033 rushing yards and another 13 touchdowns on the ground. Sherron Sutton, Triston Nichols, Jack Yanachik, and Rhett Roeser will also look to have big games for the Pilots.
The Rangers enter their first state final since 1994 when they lost to the now-defunct Farmington Hills Harrison Hawks. They will be led into this game by senior Quarterback Justin Osterhouse. Osterhouse passed for 1070 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding another 15 scores on 654 yards rushing. Ty Hudkins and JT Hartman will have to step up if they want a shot at taking down De La Salle.
Can Brady Drogosh pilot to a second straight title, or can Justin Osterhouse and the Rangers shoot down the Pilot’s plane? Kickoff is set for 1 pm on Friday.
Jason: De La Salle
Josh: De La Salle
Division 3
Detroit King vs Muskegon
This is the eighth matchup between these two powerhouses. Muskegon leads the series 6-1. The last meeting between the two came in week two of the 2019 season and saw Muskegon walk away with a 41-18 victory.
Dante Moore and the King Crusaders will look to repeat as state champions and reverse their fate versus Muskegon as they will look for their first win over them since the 2018 state final, which they won 41-25. Moore enters the last game of his high school career with 1787 passing yards and 24 touchdowns while adding another 204 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Sterling Anderson and Jameel Croft will also look to make an impact in their final game in high school.
For Muskegon, they will look to rely on Quarterback M’Khi Guy who has been their rock this season. Guy has rushed for 1297 yards and 18 touchdowns while throwing for 614 yards and ten touchdowns. Junior running back Jakob Price will be a key factor for Muskegon with his 14 touchdowns.
Will the big names of King be able to end their career on a high note, or will Muskegon be able to pull off the upset? It’s the last game of the year. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm on Saturday.
Jason: King
Josh: King
Division 4
Goodrich vs Grand Rapids South Christian
The Sailors of South Christian will meet the Martians of Goodrich for the first time.
The Sailors enter the final game of the year undefeated, thanks to quarterback Jacob DeHaan who has passed for 2308 yards and 28 touchdowns. DeHaan has also rushed for 14 touchdowns on 950 yards. Of the 28 touchdowns that DeHaan threw for, 14 of them went to Sophomore Wide Receiver Carson Vis, who also had 573 yards on 47 receptions.
The Goodrich Martians will look to Senior Quarterback Gavin Hart to give them their first title in school history. On the season, Hart has passed for 1612 yards and 19 touchdowns; however, he’s also thrown ten interceptions. He also added two touchdowns on the ground. The rushing game has been there for Goodrich as Senior running back Jace Simerson has rushed for 1130 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Will Goodrich win their first state title in school history, or will South Christan be able to get its fourth title in school history? Kickoff is set for 7:30 on Friday.
Jason: Goodrich
Josh: South Christan
Division 5
Gladwin vs Frankenmuth
The Frankenmuth Eagles will meet the Gladwin Flying G’s for the first time in school history. Both teams are undefeated, and something will have to give in this one.
The Frankenmuth Eagles enter this one averaging 41.3 points a game, and a big reason for that is the play of running backs Griffin Barker and Sam Barger. The two backs have combined for 1375 yards and 23 touchdowns. Barker has acted as the lead back, scoring 13 times and rushing for 765 yards. Senior Quarterback Aidan Hoard has also been big for the Eagles as he’s thrown for 1289 yards and 16 touchdowns on 54 of 98 passing and added 610 yards and ten more scores on 115 carries.
The Flying G’s of Gladwin is another team that relies heavily on the run. Their lead rusher is Senior Earl Esiline, who has run for 1048 on 78 carries and has scored 14 times. However, if you want to see the biggest difference maker, it’s Senior Quarterback Nick Wheeler who passed for 939 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he also ran for another 19 touchdowns and 819 yards. Wheeler also plays Safety for the Flying G’s and intercepted the opposing QB five times.
Both teams are looking for their first State Title. Who gets it? Will it be the Flying G’s or the Eagles? Kickoff is 4:30 on Saturday.
Jason: Frankenmuth
Josh: Frankenmuth
Division 6
Negaunee vs Grand Rapids West Catholic
The Negaunee Miners meet the West Catholic Falcons for the first time.
The Miners of Negaunee are looking for their first undefeated season in school history. The last time they were this close was in 2002 when they defeated Hopkins in the 2002 State Title game. In that game, Paul Jacobson was the Head Man and is still the man on the sideline. Jacobson will look to running backs Nico Lukkarinen and Kai Larcar. The rushing attack for the Miner has rushed for just under 3000 yards and 52 scores, with Lukkarinen and Larcar running for 2206 yards and 34 scores.
The Falcons are in their ninth finals appearance and are looking for their seventh title. This is the first time Head Coach Landon Grove has been in this game. After leading the Carlson Marauders to a 9-2 record last season, Grove’s wife got a job on the west side of the state, and he wound up at West Catholic. Grove will look to his Quarterback Bernie Varnesdeel who comes in with 1417 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. Running Back Timmy Kloska has 2182 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns, and he’s added 174 yards and four touchdowns on 11 receptions.
Which team’s rushing attack will prevail? Will it be the double-headed dragon of Lukkarinen and Larcar out of Negaunee, or will Kloska lead his team to their seventh title since 2010? Kickoff is Friday at 4:30 pm.
Jason: West Catholic
Josh: West Catholic
Division 7
Jackson Lumen Christi vs Traverse City St. Francis
Lumen Christi and St. Francis will kick off the final day of the football season. This is a rematch of a week two game that saw St. Francis win 42-35. Who will come out on top this time around?
From 2016-2019 Lumen Christi was a staple in the finals, winning three of the four they’ve been in. For Head Coach Herb Brogan, though, this will be his 12th appearance, with him owning a 9-3 record in the finals. This year’s team will look to Joe Lathers and Derrick Walker to win their first state title since 2018. As the QB, Lathers has been more of a runner than a passer, as he’s only passed for 844 yards and seven touchdowns. He has run for 678 yards and 15 touchdowns. Walker has done all his damage in the rushing game, picking up 968 yards and 15 touchdowns on 124 carries.
St. Francis is back in the finals for the first time since 2020, when they came up just short in a 42-35 loss to New Lothrop. For Head Coach Josh Sellers this is his fourth time in the finals going 2-2. This year Sellers will look to seniors Wyatt Nausadis and Garrett Hathaway to lead his team to a championship. Hathaway is coming into this game with 19 touchdowns and 922 total yards. For Nausadis, he has 1192 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, and he’s added another 984 yards and ten touchdowns running the ball.
The Final day of the high school season kicks off with a bang. Kickoff is set for 10 am on Saturday.
Jason: Lumen Christi
Josh: Lumen Christi
Division 8
Ubly vs Ottawa Lake Whiteford
The weekend’s first game is also the only one that sees two undefeated teams this year.
When looking at Whiteford, it’s a three-headed monster in the form of Jake Iott, Hunter DeBarr, and Shea Ruddy. Ruddy, a senior QB, has passed for 19 touchdowns. He has also run for 13, to go with Iott’s 21 rushing touchdowns and DeBarr’s 9. DeBarr has also caught seven more scores for a total of 16 on the season. Can they keep it up?
Ubly will look to their do-it-all man in Junior Quarterback Evan Peruski and their Senior running back Mark Heilig. Heilig has run for 1151 yards and 26 touchdowns while adding another touchdown and 64 yards receiving. Peruski has run for 1158 and 20 touchdowns, has thrown for six scores and 312 yards and has a score as their punt returner.
Who will stay undefeated in this kickoff of the State Finals? The first game is Friday at 10 am.
Jason: Whiteford
Josh: Whiteford