The regular season of high school football is getting to the end of the year, and the teams that are the best of the best are making it known as we get close to the end of the season.
Trenton at Carlson
The Trenton Trojans are heading to try and slow down the Carlson Marauders. In 29 previous meetings, the Marauders are 19-10 and have won the last five regular-season meetings between the two schools.
Since week two, the Marauders have been without their best offensive player, Izaiah Wright. However, that hasn’t been an issue, as they have rallied behind their Quarterback, Joe Krolak. Krolak has passed for 669 yards and six touchdowns in five games. However, Krolak can also take off and run with the ball, as he has 406 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Also filling in on the rushing attack is Avery Ortiz. In five games, Ortiz has rushed for 381 yards and six scores. Drew Sikora has been the team’s primary receiver, pulling in a team-high 14 receptions for 312 yards and four touchdowns.
The Trojans will look to slow down or stop the highest-scoring offense in the league, but that might prove tough. However, the Trojans have two studs on offense, Ashton Rooney and Drew Carson. Rooney and Carson are the Trojans’ offense, as they have combined for 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns. Their defense has been able to hold teams to 13 points a game.
Will Carlson’s offense be able to keep up their high-scoring ways, or will Trenton’s Defense be the first to hold Carlson under 40 points in a game?
Bear: Carlson
Nat: Carlson
Kirby: Trenton
Lincoln Park at Taylor
In what might be considered the worst matchup of the year, we see a bright side and a game that might shock people.
The Lincoln Park Railsplitters are off to a fantastic start. They are 3-2 on the season and looking to make it to the playoffs for the first time since the Covid-shortened 2020 season. Leading the way for the Railsplitters have been Jamir King on offense and Logan Ferrell on defense. King has been their main focus in the backfield, as he has rushed for 231 yards and three touchdowns. Ferrell has been the best player on the Lincoln Park defense for two years now. This year, Ferrell has 40 tackles in four games and an interception. A sleeper on defense for the Railsplitters has been Sean Bailey. Bailey has 35 tackles and has recorded two sacks in five games this season.
The Griffins of Taylor High School are on a 14-game losing streak dating back to the start of last season. While on this losing streak, they have one of the best players in the league, Aaron Mayfield. Mayfield plays both ways. On offense, he is a Receiver, and on defense, he is on the line as an edge rusher. His size and speed make him a deadly player.
Will Lincoln Park take the next step to the playoffs, or will Taylor snap this losing streak?
Bear: Lincoln Park
Nat: Lincoln Park
Kirby: Lincoln Park
Cleveland Heights vs River Rouge
This is a battle of what ifs, as 2-3 River Rouge welcomes in 2-4 Cleveland Heights.
River Rouge enters this game after returning from a road trip to Mentor, Ohio last week. While they came up short, that was at no fault of Jamauri Foster, who has taken over the lead-back role. Foster rushed the ball 21 times for 82 yards and two of the team’s three touchdowns. Jordin Farrow stepped up on defense for the Panthers of River Rouge.
The Tigers of Cleveland Heights, we saw them when they visited Detroit Martin Luther King. While they lost that game, we were impressed with Senior Athlete Emere Atkins. In that week one showdown, Atkins showed he was a Swiss army knife as he lined up at Receiver and Quarterback. Atkins pulled in two receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, and he ran it seven times for 142 yards and two scores. One player we saw little of in that game was Marquise Davis. Davis is the team’s highest-rated player, and if they want to come out of Michigan with a win this week, they will need to involve him more.
Bear: Cleveland Heights
Nat: River Rouge
Kirby: Cleveland Heights