Copyright M Live Michigan
Now that name-calling is back in fashion, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Still, it caught me a bit off-guard when a reader recently called me a “Homer.” It sent me into a moment of introspection as I pondered “Am I a homer? Do I root, root, root for the home team?” I have 22 football teams in my coverage area and I often pick against them in this weekly high school football predictions post. In fact, I picked against five of my 11 teams in Round 1 of the playoffs when the mudslinging occurred. I pick against them, but I never root against them. But do I root for them? I’ll fall back on my old sports writer’s axiom and say “I root for me.” Give me a good story, a fun story, an inspiring story, an impactful story. I’ll trade an incorrect pick for any one of those at any time. Of the readers who shared their picks on my Facebook page last week, 16 either beat me or tied me, led by the 10-0 ledgers of Don Debo, Mark Krzysiak, Dave Lester and Mike Vincent. Join the fun in this, our final week of prediction competition. Good luck to all of my area teams. And go Team Thompson! Now let’s get picking! LEE T’S RECORD Spotlight Games (Week 10): 8-2 (.800) Spotlight Games (Season): 78-22 (.778) Overall (Week 10): 8-2 (.800) Overall (Season): 152-33 (.822) Division 5 KINGSFORD (7-3) at OGEMAW HEIGHTS (9-1) Kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday Series History: Kingsford owns a 5-0 advantage, including a 19-14 victory in the 2023 district final. All five contests have been postseason matchups, with Kingsford winning the past two in one-score thrillers. The Lowdown: Ogemaw mostly steamrolled its way to an eight-game winning streak but didn’t appear at its best in a Round 1 win over Negaunee. A pair of missed conversions by Negaunee allowed the Falcons to escape with a 29-28 overtime win. Now Ogemaw gets another dose of U.P. power as Kingsford comes to town. The Flivvers have a history of playoff success, highlighted by their 1993 state title, and beat Ogemaw in this situation two years ago. To earn its first district title since 2012, Ogemaw must be at its finest. With the powerful 1-2 punch of Calvin Marshall and Conner Lambert and a big-play talent in Corie Kanitz, expect the Falcons to do just that. Prediction: Ogemaw 30, Kingsford 28 Division 7 ITHACA (7-3) at LAKER (8-2) Kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday Series History: First meeting The Lowdown: It has been 10 years since Ithaca won the last of its five state championships as the team of the 2010s. But the Yellowjackets remain a mighty program, rattling off 20 consecutive winning seasons. With a payback win over Valley Lutheran, and the stellar play of QB Gibson Rondy, Ithaca looks poised for another playoff run. But there is something special about this Laker defense. The Lakers have strong-willed athletes at every spot, led by the likes of Caden Carriveau, Lucas Lesoski and Grant Buchholz, and that’s what it takes at playoff time. A 17-0 win over Cass City gave the Lakers their fourth shutout of the year. Plus, they have a kicker in Lucas Wehner who could make the difference at crunch time. Prediction: Laker 17, Ithaca 14 SHELBY (6-4) at HARRISON (8-2) Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday Series History: Harrison leads 1-0, winning 27-0 in Week 8 of the 1956 season. The Lowdown: The chips have fallen nicely for Harrison this time around. A year ago, the Hornets won the Jack Pine Conference-2 but drew an 8-1 McBain team in the first round of the playoffs. This year, the Hornets have kind of quietly delivered eight wins to equal their most since 1999. Notably, they drew a No. 1 district seed and are now poised to win the program’s first district title behind a punishing ground game. Shelby isn’t exactly tradition-rich, having just won its first playoff game since 2013. But its defense appears potent after stomping Pine River 20-2 in Round 1. Harrison squeaked past Pine River by six early this season. Prediction: Harrison 24, Shelby 20 Division 8 UNIONVILLE-SEBEWAING (7-3) at HARBOR BEACH (10-0) Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday Series History: Harbor Beach leads the all-time series 35-17, including a 52-6 win in Week 5 this season. USA’s last win in the clash came in 2020. A bit surprisingly, they’ve never crossed paths at playoff time. The Lowdown: Painting a rosy picture for USA is difficult in this one. Harbor Beach is good – dang good. The No. 1-ranked team in D8 just throttled defending D7 state champion Millington 41-7 in Week 9. The Pirates have scored 40 or more points seven times and held opponents to single digits eight times. Expect the Patriots to give it a go with their potent offensive line and the running of 1,300-yard back Brady Green. They’ve already clinched their best season – and reached their first district final -- since 2016. Pretty good year. Prediction: Harbor Beach 40, USA 12 MORE PREDICTIONS Beal City 38, Saginaw Nouvel 12 Frankenmuth 42, Richmond 14 Midland Dow 28, East Lansing 20 Millington 30, Lutheran Northwest 22 Mount Pleasant 35, Gaylord 20 Swan Valley 36, Whitehall 22
