10/26/2006

A look at area playoff matchups

DIVISION 3

Petoskey (5-4) at Cadillac (6-3), Fri., 7 p.m.

PETOSKEY: When the Northmen lost starting quarterback Jordan Chopp to injury before the first game of the season, their chances of making the playoffs seemed remote at best. But they faced up to the challenge and finished 5-4.

It was Petoskey's first winning season since 1998. The key victory was a 6-0 triumph over visiting Cadillac in week eight in a game that was played in blizzard-like conditions and went to five overtimes before being decided when Steve Behan, the holder for place-kicker Colin Murphy, grabbed a high snap and ran it in for the only score.

The Northmen like to play power football with rugged fullback Tony Bellmer leading the way for versatile Matt Weston and elusive junior Warren Gero. Rob Michel was thrust into the role of starting quarterback at the start of the season and has made admirable progress.

When Michel goes to the air, he has a good corps of receivers to go to. Weston, a playmaker who can turn a short out into a long touchdown, is at the top of the list. Chad Ellis and T.J. Reeves are dependable receivers as well.

Petoskey employs a 3-5 defensive scheme and can be tough to run against. Linebackers Weston and Brad Roguska are physical and mobile.

CADILLAC: Even though the Vikings lost their last two games of the season to Big North foes Petoskey and Gaylord, they are still the No. 1 seed in their district. Ninth-year head coach Jim Webb is hoping his team can make a similar playoff run to 2005 when they won a district championship and advanced to the regional round before losing to eventual state champion Caledonia.

To accomplish that, Cadillac will have to reverse the heartbreaking 6-0 defeat it suffered at the hands of Petoskey two weeks ago.

"It's not too often that you get a second chance in football and this is our second chance," Webb said.

Cadillac employs a veer attack that features the running, passing and decision-making of quarterback Kyle Hinkle. He has thrown for more than 1,000 yards and has engineered an offense that has shown the ability to score quickly at times and to drive the ball down the field in small chunks.

Running backs Ryan Combs, Derrick Liebler and Evan Dean have the strength to run between the tackles and the trio also have the speed to get around the edge. Hinkle is also a threat to break free on the option play. When Hinkle goes to the air, his favorite target is Kyle McDonald, who has more than 800 yards receiving.

DIVISION 4

Cheboygan (6-3) at Kingsford (6-3), Sat., 3 p.m.

CHEBOYGAN: One of the chief goals longtime Cheboygan head coach Jack Coon had coming into the 2006 season was diversification. The Chiefs had been known as masters of the wing-T offense for decades. This year, Coon and his staff spent considerable time introducing other facets into the offense. The results have been impressive.

Cheboygan has averaged 35 points this season while allowing an average of two touchdowns per game. Two of the Chiefs' three losses have been to playoff teams. They are coming off a 36-30 defeat at playoff-bound Ogemaw Heights, a game in which they led 30-20 in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs have had to focus this week on finding ways to beat familiar foe in Kingsford. While Cheboygan has diversified its offense, the run game is still the team's bread and butter. Cheboygan has averaged 250 yards rushing per game. While hard-driving fullback Nathan Schott frequently gets his number called near the goal-line, the Chiefs rotate a number of running backs in and out, including Marty Korte, Cody Sems, Stash Dombroski and Jake Fein.

Junior quarterback Brady Lafrinere is also a capable runner. When he goes to the air, he specializes in high-percentage passes, often to his running backs. Korte has been a particularly effective receiver out of the backfield. Troy Congreyer has shown the ability to make big plays at receiver and he's also a threat as a punt returner.

The Chiefs' defense is at its best when it keeps the pressure on. Coon is not afraid to blitz using a mobile linebacking crew, led by Schott, Korte and Sems. As a result, Cheboygan has created a lot of turnovers this season but at times the Chiefs have left themselves vulnerable to quick strikes against them.

KINGSFORD: The Flivvers are in the playoffs for the seventh straight year and are facing Cheboygan in the playoffs for the third straight year. Kingsford defeated Cheboygan 39-22 last year and 27-21 in 2004.

Kingsford employs the wing-T offense but passes the ball more frequently than a typical wing-T team. Senior quarterback Mike Olson is a two-year starter and engineer of an offense that has the capability of grinding out drives or making the quick strike. When Olson goes to the air, his primary receiver is Justin Groeneveld, an excellent athlete who was named to the Great North U.P. All-Conference squad both as a receiver and defensive back. Groeneveld is a big-play threat on every down.

Dan Nardi is the Flivvers' all-conference running back, though he and Jeff Smart are of about equal ability. Nardi and Smart are of a similar mold; both can pick up the short yards for a first down and both have decent speed and can get around the edge. Center Andy Reddinger is the anchor of the offensive line.

Kingsford uses a four-man front on defense with four linebackers. Linebacker Bob Rice was runner-up as defensive player of the year in the conference this season. The linebackers are mobile and physical. Adam Graifer is all-conference on the defensive line. Place-kicker Roger Nault has an accurate leg with good range.

Since a week five loss to Menominee, the Flivvers have been on a roll, winning four straight. Included in that was a 21-14 victory over Division 3 playoff bound Escanaba.

DIVISION 5

Elk Rapids (6-3) at Menominee (9-0), Sat., 2 p.m.

ELK RAPIDS: The Elks are making their first-ever playoff appearance after their first winning record since 1996. The team gathered at the Hacienda restaurant for some Mexican food while watching the playoff selection show, learning that they'll be in the land of pasties for their game.

"It's got to be an exciting time for them," Menominee coach Ken Hoover said.

Charlie Smith leads the Elks with over 1,000 rushing yards in the team's split-back veer offense, while Zac Dreffs has 400 yards through the air. Middle linebacker Justin Webb tops the team in tackles and will be an important cog if the Elks can slow down the Maroons, who didn't score less than 26 points this year.

Elk Rapids will take the six-hour journey to Menominee's Walton Blesch Stadium in a Greyhound bus, stopping in St. Ignace on Friday for a walk-through and staying overnight in Menominee before the Saturday contest.

The team normally employs a 5-2 defense, but may stray from that against the Maroons' single wing offense that has put the team into the playoffs 12 of 13 years since the postseason format expanded in 1994.

MENOMINEE: The Maroons had to go outside the state five times to find good competition, breezing through the Great Northern U.P. League with a 4-0 record (giving up only a total of seven points and knocking off Class A teams Marquette and Escanaba by a combined 78-7).

Menominee never surrendered more than seven points in any game this season, including when the 579-student school took on defending Minnesota Class 5A champion Plymouth Wayzata, a school so large it has five junior varsity teams. The Maroons trounced Wayzata 33-6.

"It looks like we drew a nice first round," Elks coach Ed Schindler joked.

The Maroons also run the rarely-seen single wing — which features no quarterback — making it difficult to defend. "We've got to get creative," Schindler said.

Ethan Shaver leads the Maroons with 1,044 yards on 133 carries, while Blake Chouinard has 381 yards and nine TDs rushing and 491 yards and six TDs passing. The team's 50 defense had five first-team all-conference players in defensive end Trevor Powell, defensive tackles Scott Demars and Cody Woods, linebacker Matt Eisenzoph and defensive back Matt Lacanne.

Trivia fact: Menominee's first varsity football game in 1954 was a 7-5 win over Traverse City Central.

DIVISION 6

Kingsley (7-2) at Charlevoix (8-1), Fri., 7 p.m.

KINGSLEY: Kingsley enters the playoffs with a bulls-eye on its back. After all, the Stags are the defending Division 6 state champs.

The Stags only two losses this season are to St. Francis and Suttons Bay. They are coming off a 42-19 win over playoff-bound Rogers City. In fact, Kingsley is riding a four-game winning streak.

The Stags boast a potent ground game led by Joe McGrath and Cody Mutter. McGrath ran for 213 yards the last two games.

Defensively, Rob Kautman and Brian Bott are stalwarts.

CHARLEVOIX: The Rayders are coming off their best regular season since 1977. Charlevoix, 8-1, averaged nearly 26 points a game while surrendering 11.

Coach Don Jess likes the character and athleticism on his team. The Rayders are diversified offensively. Quarterback Chris Waha has passed for more than 1,100 yards. His favorite target has been the elusive Darron Munson. Charlevoix's been noted for its passing game in recent seasons, but the Rayders have a back in Kyle Jones who can keep the chains moving. He runs behind a big and improving offensive line.

The 6-foot-3 Waha has blossomed at his new position. Originally a tight end, Waha switched to quarterback when returning starter Matt Kautz moved to Florida just prior to the start of the season.

Waha is also a standout on defense from his linebacking post. The team's leading tackler is captain and middle linebacker Drew Klooster, one of the best in the north.

The Rayders expect to be without flanker-cornerback Matt Kanine for a second consecutive week. He's battling mononucleosis. Kanine is one of the fastest players on the team.

Jess is impressed with Kingsley.

"They're really playing well at the right time," he said. "They've put things together."

Boyne City (6-3) at Suttons Bay (9-0), Fri., 7 p.m.

SUTTONS BAY: The Norsemen are 9-0 for the second time in school history thanks to a suffocating defense that had seven straight shutouts and had allowed just 30 points all season.

The Norsemen look to continue to rely on its defense - in addition to another postseason staple — against Boyne City.

"Absolutely," Suttons Bay coach Joe Trudeau said. "When you live in the area, you never know what you're going to run into weather-wise. So you have to be good on defense and have a good running game. Otherwise, you'll run into one bad night and be done."

Suttons Bay is led on defense by safety Jordan Peplinski and linebacker Casey Drow. The two leading tacklers are both students at Lake Leelanau St. Mary's.

In 2004, Suttons Bay became the first co-op to reach the state finals. It's also the last time the Norse faced Boyne City, a 25-7 triumph in the second round.

The Norse have a two-pronged rushing attack with Peplinski (750 yards, eight touchdowns) and Anthony Stewart (745, nine).

Trudeau said Boyne City will throw a lot of different offensive sets at the Suttons Bay defense.

"They run a lot of different things, a few things we haven't seen this year," he said. "It's a lot of different things to get ready for."

Suttons Bay is just thankful the preparation will end with a home game.

"That's definitely a plus," Trudeau said. "We've been on the road the last two weeks. It'll definitely feel good to play in our own home stadium again."

BOYNE CITY: Boyne City is making its sixth consecutive appearance in the playoffs under coach Dave Hills.

The improving Ramblers are a young team with just six seniors on the roster — only four who have been in the program all four years. Two seniors start on offense, three on defense. By contrast, four sophomores will get the starting call on offense, two on defense.

"Our kids are getting better every week," Hills said. "We're playing good football right now."

The Ramblers are led by senior quarterback Taylor Voice and junior halfback Robbie Jensen on offense. In order for those two to be productive, however, the offensive line will need to be effective.

"Suttons Bay likes to put a lot of pressure on your front five," Hills said. "It will be important for us to handle that."

Defensively, linebacker Nick Simeri leads the way.

"We have to limit their big plays," Hills said.

Hills said the Norsemen are a well-rounded team.

"They're a good football team — very, very balanced," he said. "They have few weaknesses from what we can tell."

DIVISION 7

Mancelona (6-3) at Norway (7-2), Sat., 2 p.m.

MANCELONA: It's been an emotional ride for the Ironmen, beginning with the sudden death of former head coach John Neumann just before the season began and culminating with a three-game winning streak that lifted the team into the playoffs for the first time since since 1977.

Prior to this season, Mancelona had two victories in the last five years.

"(Coach Neumann's wife) was crying after our last game," said first year head coach Dan Derrer, who took over for Neumann following last season. "She said John would be proud of us.

"From where we've been to where we are now, this is just a huge accomplishment. No matter what happens from here, it's been a successful season. These seniors can take pride in knowing they helped turn things around."

But Derrer said the Ironmen aren't content.

"We're not driving six hours (to Norway) to lose," he said. "We're going up there to try and win a football game."

Mancelona is led by senior running back Josiah Simmonds and junior back Adam Duerksen, who have carried the offense all season. The two also play defensive back.

Sophomore Greg Blanco will call the signals at quarterback. Blanco had only 48 passing attempts this season, but Derrer said he has the ability to throw if he needs to.

Pacing the defense are sophomore linebacker Kodi Balhorn, whose call-up from the JV squad coincided with the team's winning streak; along with junior defensive end Cody Sehl and senior outside linebacker Zach Musselman.

Derrer called Norway "a very solid team."

They're big up front. They're physical and very tough," he said. "They also have one of the best backs (Milbrath) in the U.P.

"We'll see what happens. We're going to give it everything we've got."

NORWAY: It's been a while since Norway won a state championship (1979 and '80), but the Knights have been frequent playoff qualifiers. In 2002, they reached the semifinals, beating Traverse City St. Francis en route.

"We keep getting knocked out in the first round, second round..." Norway coach Brad Grayvold. "There are a lot of good teams in this region."

The Knights have a powerful 1-2 punch in their backfield with seniors Phil Milbrath and Taylor Petrick, who combined to rush for more than 2,000 yards this fall (Milbrath had 1,300, Petrick 700).

Senior Nathan Meneghini is the quarterback.

"He can throw the ball, we just haven't needed him to," Grayvold said. "He's shown good poise and leadership."

Defensive leaders are Milbrath, Petrick and junior linebacker Kyle Zweifel.

Sizing up his team's opponent, Grayback said he is impressed by what he's seen of Mancelona.

"They're very fast, and they've shown a good ability to put points on the board," he said. "Their backs run very hard. They've played good defense; they get to the ball pretty well.

"I'm expecting a pretty hard-hitting game."

DIVISION 8

Onaway (5-4) at Central Lake (9-0), Fri., 7 p.m.

ONAWAY: The Cardinals just played Central Lake on Friday, losing to the Trojans 32-15. But they're eager for the rematch.

"We feel fortunate to get this chance to redeem ourselves," coach Tony Hoffmeyer said.

Onaway, plagued by suspensions early in the season, started 0-2 before reeling off five consecutive wins. The Cardinals then lost their last two games.

"I wish we were more consistent," Hoffmeyer said.

Senior quarterback Tim Garms directs the Onaway offense. He's passed for 702 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 493 yards and six more scores.

"Tim has an excellent arm and is an extremely physical running quarterback," Hoffmeyer said.

Fullback Andrew LaLonde, another punishing runner, leads the team in rushing with 670 yards. Tight end T.J. Bentley is the team's top receiver.

Defensively, linebackers Bentley and LaLonde and strong safety Cody Hoffmeyer are the top tacklers.

Tony Hoffmeyer knows the task at hand Friday will not be easy.

"Central Lake's a very good football team," he said. "They're 9-0 for a reason."

CENTRAL LAKE: Top-ranked Central Lake put together its first 9-0 season in 15 years. Coach Adam Grybauskas said the Trojans are not overlooking a team they just beat last week.

"We told the guys it doesn't matter who we play in the first round," he said. "We still have goals in mind.

"Plus, a lot of our guys weren't happy with how they performed last Friday. So they're motivated to play better. They know we have things we need to improve on."

Still, there's plenty to like about this Central Lake team. The Trojans can run (All-State back Cody Rogers has more than 1,500 yards on the ground) and pass (quarterback Byron Patton has completed 60 percent of his passes for more than 600 yards and 15 touchdowns). Patton's favorite receiver is senior Ben Ernst, who's gobbled up 27 passes. Last Friday, Rogers rushed for 189 yards and three scores while Patton completed 10 of 14 passes for 169 yards and two TDs. Ernst hauled in five of those passes.

The Trojans average 41 points a game. They scored a school record 369 points in the regular season.

Defensively, Central Lake allows just six points a game. Linebacker Brent Patton spearheads the defensive unit. The linebacker has 94 tackles. That total includes four sacks.

Frankfort (5-4) at Marion (6-3), Fri., 7 p.m.

FRANKFORT: The Panthers are hoping history repeats itself. Frankfort qualified for the playoffs in 2000 with a 5-4 record and went all the way to the Division 8 semifinals.

The Panthers played four playoff teams during the regular season.

Frankfort's offense is built around quarterback Wade Luxford and running backs Cory Lietaert, Scott Demerly and Max Banktson, who can also play quarterback. Lietaert was the go-to ballcarrier most of the season, but Demerly rushed for 375 yards in the final two games. Lietaert gained 166 yards in the last two games, Banktson 161. When the Panthers go to the air, Dan Haigh has been a dependable receiver.

Banktson, meanwhile, leads a defense that pitched two shutouts to end the season.

MARION: The Eagles' strength could very well be wide reciever Jared Spaulding. The speedster — who also plays as a wingback — accounted for 385 yards of total offense in a 21-14 win over Evart (220 rushing, 105 receiving and 60 on returns).

However, Marion is young and backed into the playoffs after a 4-1 start. The final four weeks of the season included one-point wins over Mesick and Pine River and losses to Lake City and Baldwin. Of those last four teams, only Baldwin made the playoffs. Lake City's 19-7 win over Marion was one of only two for the Trojans.

That could very well be due to the Eagles' youth. Marion starts five sophomores and four juniors on offense, so a return to the postseason in 2007 is entirely likely.

Prior to this year, the Eagles hadn't made the playoffs since 1997. The Panthers, on the other hand, have won a pair of postseason contests each of the last three years.

While watching the MHSAA playoff selection show, Marion players celebrated when they drew Frankfort.

"The kids jumped up and down and they started cheeriong," fourth-year coach Kurt Gillespie said. "I asked why and they said, 'Not because we're playing Frankfort, but because we're playing at home.' "

Marion was 4-0 at home this season.

Both teams won state titles in 1990, but obviously in different classes (Frankfort won another in 1991).

Linebacker Cameron Cooper leads the team with 15 tackles per game, and ends David Evers and Tory Baughan provide good pressure.

Hillman (6-3) at Gaylord St. Mary (8-1), Fri., 7

HILLMAN: Hillman, like Mancelona, went from being winless a year ago to making the playoffs with a 6-3 record. The Tigers were 2-3 after five games but closed out the campaign with four straight wins, including a 22-12 win over Hale in week nine to clinch a playoff berth.

The Tigers are a run-oriented team, using a three-back set almost all the time. Out of that set, they will use a lot of sweeps and misdirection plays. They are not an explosive team but they are often effective at keeping the ball for long periods and methodically moving the chains.

The primary running backs are Brad Mercer, Chris Richards and John Godfrey. Mercer is the leading rusher with 617 yards in 130 attempts and he has nine touchdowns. Richards has more than 500 yards rushing and four touchdowns and Godfrey has more than 300 yards and four touchdowns.

Sophomore quarterback Andy Smith improved under center as the season progressed. He is not a huge threat to pass the ball, though.

The Tigers don't possess great size or depth on defense but they do have some quickness. They use a 4-4 scheme and like to load the box with eight players at or near the line of scrimmage. Linebackers Godfrey, Mercer and Richards are the leading tacklers.

ST. MARY: Longtime St. Mary head coach Rod Bragg did not expect his team to finish the regular season with an 8-1 record. He thought his team would be good enough to earn six wins and make the playoffs but he didn't figure on eight wins. In Bragg's estimation, the Snowbirds have overachieved to this point.

St. Mary, which is in the playoffs for the eighth straight year, employs a sophisticated veer offense that relies heavily on the ability of senior quarterback Robert DeLong to make proper reads and good decisions. DeLong has thrown for 600 yards and seven touchdowns, completing nearly 55 percent of his aerials. He's also rushed for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns.

The St. Mary backfield features junior Matt Foster at fullback with junior Alvin Sitkiewicz and senior Joel Kippe at the running back spots. As a unit, the Snowbirds are not breakaway threats but they are quick hitting and run hard. Kippe (766 yards in 119 carries, 10 TDs) has averaged 6.4 yards per carry and is coming off a 200-yard performance against Johannesburg-Lewiston. Sitkiewicz (634 yards, 81 attempts, 13 TDs) is a power runner while Foster (307 yards, 6 TDs) grinds it out between the tackles.

When DeLong goes to the air, his favorite targets are wide receivers Andy Borowiak (23 catches, 229 yards) and Bryan Cook (8 for 179 yards).

The defense is anchored by Foster and Sitkiewicz at inside linebacker and Eric Hagedorn, Hans Marquard, Jimmy Myler and Joe DeFelice on the defensive line. Hagedorn has been involved in 61 tackles with seven tackles for loss and three sacks. St. Mary has forced 31 turnovers this season, including five fumble recoveries by Myler.