The season is flying by, isn't it? It's already Week 7 of the 2013 prep football campaign. This past weekend was "Rivalry Week" with multiple big-time, backyard brawls throughout Michigan. There even was an interstate rivalry contest between Michigan and Wisconsin that is the nation's oldest. Here are the Week 7 highlights, plus updates on Division I college football players from Michigan.
Week 7 Highlights-
Grosse Pointe South (4-3) 21, Grosse Pointe North (4-3) 10-Great rivalry between the well-to-do
Walled Lake Western (7-0) 35, Walled Lake Central (1-6) 28-Western continues unbeaten year
Waterford Kettering (4-3) 27, Waterford Mott (2-5) 0-Kettering alum Kirk Gibson would be proud
Canton (7-0) 34, Plymouth (5-2) 23-Schools share campus with Salem; tough to lose this one
Westland John Glenn (4-3) 48, Wayne Memorial (0-7) 6-Blue collar rivalry; I know it well
Clarkston (6-1) 42, Troy (2-5) 0-My preseason No. 1 team hitting its stride after Week 1 loss
Farm. Hills Harrison (6-1) 60, Oak Park (5-2) 52-I hear they need new light bulbs on scoreboard
Flint Carman-Ainsworth (6-1) 28, Flint Powers Catholic (3-4) 10-C-A looks like best team in Flint
Gladwin (5-2) 19, Sanford Meridian (6-1) 14-Hard-hitting Jack Pine Conference game "Up North"
West Branch Ogemaw Heights (5-2) 41, Standish-Sterling (6-1) 28-Multiple D-I talent in contest
Paw Paw (7-0) 15, Plainwell (6-1) 13-Big Southwest Michigan clash in Wolverine Conference
Det. Catholic Cent. (6-1) 14, OL St. Mary's (3-4) 6-Another brutal Catholic League Central game
Kingsford (5-2) 48, Iron Mountain (3-4) 21-U.P. cities separated by a single street; Flivers rule
M & M Game-
Menominee (7-0) 56, Marinette (Wisc.) (2-6) 27-One of my favorite contests of the year. The M & M Game is one of the best rivalries in the country. The two schools, separated only by the Menominee River on the Michigan-Wisconsin border in the Upper Peninsula and connected by the Interstate Bridge, have been playing each other since 1894. The series is the oldest interstate rivalry between two public high schools in the nation. With the Maroons' win over the Marines in last weekend's 107th game, the overall series record is tied at 50-50-7. If you've never been to Menominee's Walton Blesch Field, you're missing gazing at and experiencing one of Michigan's finest high school football stadiums. Stone-walled on all four sides, with no inside track, and shoe-horned into the local neighborhood, the stadium looks better suited hosting players with leather helmets and no facemasks -- and that's exactly why I love it. If you've never been to the stadium, get in your vehicle and visit, you won't be disappointed. Then walk over the Interstate Bridge and straddle the Michigan-Wisconsin border. Put one foot in Michigan and the other in Wisconsin -- it's stupid fun, but, hey, it's free and there's nothing wrong with that.
Michigan kids sweep Big Ten honors-
As they do every Saturday, players from the Great Lakes State excel at the highest level in college football games across the country. Last weekend, however, was especially prominent as Michigan natives swept the major Big Ten weekly honors. Earning the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week was Michigan State junior running back Jeremy Langford from Westland John Glenn (the same school which produced former Spartan and current Houston Texans starting wide receiver Keshawn Martin). Named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week was Penn State junior defensive end C.J. Olaniyan from Warren Mott. Also earning the Big Ten's Special Teams Player of the Week honor was Michigan State junior punter Mike Sadler from Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern.
Michigan players dominate Big Ten leader board-
Why a head coach at one of Michigan's five D-I playing college football schools would ever leave the state to find talent still boggles my mind, especially after looking at the Big Ten statistical leader board after last Saturday's games. Most of the top categories are led by players from the Great Lakes State. Penn State junior Allen Robinson from Orchard Lake St. Mary's leads the Big Ten in receiving with 43 catches for 705 yards and five touchdowns. Robinson's 7.2 receptions per game and 117.5 yards receiving per contest also are tops in the Big Ten. Michigan dominates the receiving category with Northwestern junior Tony Jones from Grand Blanc sixth overall in the Big Ten with 29 receptions for 404 yards and three TDs, while Iowa junior Kevonte Martin-Manley from Birmingham Brother Rice is eighth overall in the Big Ten with 26 catches for 225 yards and one touchdown. Michigan sophomore tight end/H-back Devin Funches from Farmington Hills Harrison has 19 receptions for 408 yards and four TDs with 68 yards receiving per game (which is sixth in the Big Ten). Michigan junior quarterback Devin Gardner from Inkster leads the Big Ten in total offense with 439 yards rushing, 1,276 yards passing for 1,715 total yards for the season. Gardner averages 285 total yards per game. Martin-Manley leads the Big Ten in punt return average with nine punts returned for 232 yards (25.8 average return) and a Big Ten-leading two touchdowns. Sadler leads the Big Ten in punting with a 43.8 yards per punt average.
Brendon Kay-
Cincinnati senior quarterback Brendon Kay from Marine City was named the American Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Bearcats to a 38-20 win over Temple last week. Kay, who led Marine City to the 2007 Division 4 state championship, ended up 31-of-37 passing for 270 yards and two TDs against the Owls last week. Kay threw for a conference record 83.7 percent completion rate versus Temple. He also rushed for one touchdown in the game and punted twice for 107 yards (53.5 average) with both kicks downed inside Temple's 10-yard line. For the season, Kay has thrown for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns.
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