With how well the Grosse Ile football team has been playing, mathematically it will be the underdog when it plays Highland Park in a second-round Division 4 playoff game.
The Polar Bears (8-2) went into the postseason with 67.889 playoff points and Grosse Ile (7-3) entered with 59.778.
That means Highland Park will be the home team, and the Polar Bears set the game time for 1 p.m. tomorrow -- a rare Saturday game for the Red Devils.
At the same time, Grosse Ile is on an absolute tear. The Devils were on the brink of playoff elimination at 1-3, but have gone 6-0 since, outscoring their opponents 284-66 -- an average score of 47.3–11.
And, Grosse Ile is coming off a 62-28 shellacking of Carlson, which shared second place with Highland Park in the Michigan Mega Conference Gold Division at 6-2.
"It could be a high-scoring game," Grosse Ile Coach Ryan Flanary said. "Both offenses could do some things. The defense that steps up will have the upper hand."
Three players especially caught Flanary's eye when he scouted the Polar Bears in their 34-7 home win over Madison Heights Lamphere on Saturday: sophomore running back Darius Johnson, who is a load at 6 feet 1 inches tall and 210 pounds; senior strong safety Lovell Washington (6-3, 190), who likes to stick people; and junior linebacker Chris Ruff (6-0, 210).
Freshman quarterback Keith Shelton (6-0, 200) runs the offense, and giving him protection are senior tackles Shawn Hendricks (6-3, 315) and Pat Sturdivant (5-11, 290).
"I'm pretty impressed with their linebackers and defensive backs," Flanary said. "They like to hit and block. Darius is tough to break down. He spins and likes to break tackles."
"It's kind of like Carlson. We've got to take care of their No. 1 stallion -- throw a blanket over Darius and keep him from having a big day."
Grosse Ile held Carlson's star running back, Chad Schoen, to 80 yards on 14 carries last Friday.
Highland Park Coach Cedric Dortch liked what he saw from Grosse Ile when he scouted last Friday's game.
"Grosse Ile looked impressive -- fast," he said. "They looked faster than I thought they'd be. They got to the edges.
"Speed-wise, we should match up pretty well. I was impressed with their young quarterback (junior Julian Mikola). He has a lot of poise."
Mikola has run the Devils' offense out of the wing-T and spread this season, depending on the opposing defense. He has completed 104 of 158 passes for a school-record 1,522 yards.
Seniors Mike Harwood and Blake Smolen have been keys to the offensive explosion, combining for 2,474 yards of total offense. Smolen has scored 23 touchdowns; Harwood has scored 12. They're threats running or catching the ball.
Senior tight end Dan Boisture also is a favorite target of Mikola, with 35 catches for 557 yards.
"They're on such a roll," Dortch said of the Devils. "They capitalize on mistakes."
He added that it's important that Highland Park try to gain the momentum right out of the gate. The Polar Bears were able to do that against Lamphere, taking advantage of the fact that the pass-happy Rams only threw once on Saturday afternoon because of the strong wind.
Flanary said that his team has a psychological edge over the Polar Bears because it handled a good Mega Gold team last week in Carlson.
"We have more weapons than they have, but they're still very dangerous," Flanary said.
Up next
Grosse Ile at Highland Park
Division: 4.
When: 1 p.m. tomorrow.
Where: Highland Park Community High School, 15900 Woodward. Take I-75 north to McNichols (Exit 57). Turn left and go to the next light, Oakland Avenue. Turn left, go 1.5 blocks and the school is on the right. There likely will be bridge work on I-75 just north of the Davison Freeway (M-8).
Records: Grosse Ile 7-3; Highland Park 8-2.
Last week: Grosse Ile 62, Carlson 28; Highland Park 34, Madison Heights Lamphere 7.
What's next: If Grosse Ile wins, it will travel to Marine City (10-0) or Algonac (8-2) next weekend.
TOP
JOBS
