For me, the early highlight of Week 2 (Labor Day weekend) was seeing, once again, just how good the high school football is in our capital city -- Lansing. Three of the best early games (Aug. 31) took place in the "Governor's Town."
Lansing Sexton 20, Portland 14 -- What a terrific game between powerhouse teams that should play more often. The Big Reds (2-0), coming off a 33-0 victory over Gaylord in Week 1, needed a 5-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run by senior Jock Warren (5-11, 200) with 28 seconds left to secure the hard-earned win. The Raiders (1-1) beat Ovid-Elsie 26-17 to open their season a week ago. Portland has a 24-7 combined overall record the past three seasons (not including this year). In 2012, the Raiders won the Division 5 state championship, defeating Grand Rapids West Catholic 12-9. Since their defeat against Portland, the Falcons have gone on to capture four straight D-5 state titles. The Raiders' top prospect is junior OT-DT Hunter Klein (6-6, 280). Sexton, Division 4 state runner-up in 2014 (losing to Grand Rapids South Christian, and current WMU starting QB Jon Wassink, 28-27), is led this season by two high-level D-I college football recruits in seniors CB-RB Cody Blankenburg (5-9, 170, 4.4 40) and WR-LB Karl Brooks (6-5, 225, 4.5 40).
Dearborn Divine Child 20, East Lansing 17 -- After a rocky start, it became the "Theo Day (6-5, 195, QB) Show" in the fourth quarter for the visiting Falcons (2-0). Day (Michigan State verbal), threw a touchdown pass early in the final frame and scored the game-winner on a short run with less than two minutes remaining for Divine Child. Day finished 12-of-28 passing for 172 yards and a TD, with two interceptions. Besides Day, the Falcons are loaded with D-I prospects including seniors DE-OT Aidan Hutchinson (6-6, 265, Michigan verbal), TE-WR Quinn Blair (6-6, 220) and OG Sean Pilon (6-3, 285). The Trojans (1-1) are paced by D-I recruits seniors S Blake Underwood (6-3, 190, Miami (OH) verbal) and P-PK Connor Charamella (5-11, 185).
DeWitt 14, Grand Ledge 7 -- In a game between perennial Lansing-area and state powers, the Panthers (1-1) came out on top. Both DeWitt and the Comets (1-1) have long been top programs, but for some reason, haven't regularly met on the gridiron. Last season, Grand Ledge beat the Panthers 28-21 in Week 2 in the first meeting between the squads in years. This season, junior QB Blake Gatfield connected with senior WR Noah Koenigsknecht (6-2, 175) for the game-winning TD pass in the fourth quarter. Koenigsknecht (4.4 40) is definitely one of the state's biggest sleepers. He is definitely a high-level D-I college football prospect. In DeWitt's Week 1 loss to Grand Rapids Christian (38-30), Koenigsknecht had five receptions for 133 yards and three TDs. For Grand Ledge, senior quarterback Nolan Bird (6-2, 190, Michigan's No. 9-ranked QB) finished with 190 yards passing versus the Panthers. Besides Bird, the Comets' other D-I prospect is TE Cal Johnston (6-5, 225, also one of the state's top baseball recruits). In the past three years, Grand Ledge has a combined record of 27-8. In 2015, the Comets lost in the Division 1 state semifinals to eventual champion Romeo, 48-21. In 2000, Grand Ledge won the D-1 state title defeating Utica Eisenhower 19-14. DeWitt has a combined three year mark of 30-5. The Panthers were D-3 state runner-up in 2013 and 2002, D-4 state runner-up in 2004 and 2003 and Class B state runner-up in 1989.
Besides the action in Lansing, other big-time Week 2 games include --
Sept. 1 --
Mishawaka (IN) Penn (1-1) at Birmingham Brother Rice (1-0)
Muskegon Catholic Central (0-0) at Frankfort (1-0)
Traverse City St. Francis (1-0) at Maple City Glen Lake (1-0)
Toledo (OH) Whitmer (1-0) at Detroit Catholic Central (1-0)
Macomb Dakota (1-0) at Utica Eisenhower (1-0)
Lowell (1-0) at Rockford (1-0)
East Kentwood (1-0) at Orchard Lake St. Mary's (0-1)
Detroit King (1-0) at Toledo (OH) Central Catholic (1-0)
Sept. 2 --
East Cleveland (OH) Shaw (0-1) at Detroit East English Village (1-0)
Muskegon (1-0) at Lincolnshire (IL) Stevenson (1-0)
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