Farmington Hills Harrison Hawks’s Jeremy Cooper scores a touchdown against West Bloomfield during Harrison’s 28-0 win Friday in Farmington Hills.

WEEK 5 FOOTBALL

Friday’s games

CATHOLIC LEAGUE

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s at Warren De La Salle, 7

Riverview Richard at Clarkston Everest, 7

Royal Oak Shrine at Madison Heights Bishop Foley, 7

CHARTER SCHOOL

Detroit Old Redford at Harper Woods Chandler Park, 7

Romulus Summit at Southfield Bradford, 7

DETROIT PSL

Central at Denby, 4

CMA at Collegiate Prep, 4

Cody at Mumford, 4

Douglass at Henry Ford, 4

Osborn at King, 4

Renaissance at Western, 4

Southeastern at Pershing, 4

Mick McCabe’s Week 4 Michigan high school football rankings

DOWNRIVER

Gibraltar Carlson at Allen Park, 7

Melvindale at Lincoln Park, 7

Southgate Anderson at Taylor Kennedy, 7

Trenton at Brownstown Woodhaven, 7

Wyandotte Roosevelt at Taylor Truman, 7

HURON

Flat Rock at Carleton Airport, 7

Milan at New Boston Huron, 7

Monroe Jefferson at Riverview, 7

Monroe St. Mary CC at Grosse Ile, 7

KENSINGTON LAKES

Brighton at Grand Blanc, 7

Howell at Pinckney, 7

Livonia Franklin at Wayne Memorial, 7

Livonia Stevenson at Salem, 6:30

Milford at Hartland, 7

Northville at South Lyon East, 7

Novi at South Lyon, 7

Plymouth at Canton, 7

Walled Lake Central at White Lake Lakeland, 7

Waterford Kettering at Walled Lake Western, 7

Waterford Mott at Walled Lake Northern, 7

Westland Glenn at Livonia Churchill, 7

MACOMB AREA

Bronze

Madison Heights Lamphere at Center Line, 7:15

Warren Lincoln at New Haven, 7

Red

Romeo at Utica Eisenhower, 7

Sterling Heights Stevenson at Macomb Dakota, 7

Warren Mott at Clinton Twp. Chippewa Valley, 7

Crossover

East Detroit at Port Huron Northern, 7

Grosse Pointe South at Grosse Pointe North, 7

L’Anse Creuse at L’Anse Creuse North, 7

Madison Heights Madison at Marine City, 7

Marysville at Clawson, 7

New Baltimore Anchor Bay at Sterling Heights, 7

Port Huron at Fraser, 7

Roseville at Utica Ford, 7

St. Clair at St. Clair Shores South Lake, 7

St. Clair Shores Lake Shore at St. Clair Shores Lakeview, 7

Utica at Warren Cousino, 7

MICHIGAN INDEPENDENT

Auburn Hills Oakland Christian at Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 7

MICHIGAN METRO

Blue

Detroit Community at River Rouge, 7

Detroit Science & Math at Hamtramck, 7

OAKLAND ACTIVITIES

Blue

Bloomfield Hills at Auburn Hills Avondale, 7

Ferndale at Pontiac, 7

Hazel Park at Royal Oak, 7

Rochester at Berkley, 7

Red

Lake Orion at Southfield A&T, 5:30

Rochester Hills Stoney Creek at West Bloomfield, 7

Troy Athens at Clarkston, 7

White

Birmingham Seaholm at Birmingham Groves, 7

North Farmington at Oak Park, 6

Rochester Adams at Farmington Hills Harrison, 7

Crossover

Oxford at Farmington, 7

SOUTHEASTERN

Red

Ann Arbor Pioneer at Monroe, 7

Saline at Ann Arbor Huron, 7

Temperance Bedford at Ann Arbor Skyline, 7

White

Adrian at Ypsilanti, 7

Tecumseh at Chelsea, 7

Ypsilanti Lincoln at Dexter, 7

WESTERN WAYNE

Blue

Dearborn Fordson at Redford Thurston, 7

Dearborn Heights Robichaud at Belleville, 7

Garden City at Redford Union, 7

Red

Dearborn Heights Annapolis at Dearborn Heights Crestwood, 7

Livonia Clarenceville at Dearborn Edsel Ford, 7

Romulus at Dearborn, 7

OTHER GAMES

Birmingham Detroit Country Day at Troy, 7

Detroit Cesar Chavez at Adrian Lenawee, 7

Detroit Consortium at Detroit Edison, 4

Detroit Leadership at Detroit Westside Christian, 7

Detroit Public Safety at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 7:30

Harper Woods at Clinton Township Clintondale, 7

Melvindale Business & Tech at Detroit Delta, 4

Saturday’s games

CATHOLIC LEAGUE

Detroit Loyola at Dearborn Divine Child, 1

Macomb Lutheran North at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook, 1

Novi Detroit Catholic Central at Birmingham Brother Rice, 7

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes at Marine City Cardinal Mooney, 7

CHARTER SCHOOL

Warren Michigan Collegiate at Detroit University Prep, 3

DETROIT PSL

East English at Cass Tech, noon

MACOMB AREA

Warren Fitzgerald at Warren Woods Tower, 1

MICHIGAN INDEPENDENT

Lutheran Westland at Southfield Christian, 1

Sterling Heights Parkway at Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 1

OTHER GAMES

Ann Arbor Richard at Toledo (Ohio) Scott, 1

Dearborn Heights Star at Allen Park Cabrini, 1

McCabe: Novi Detroit Catholic Central, Tom Mach get ‘defining’ win

Detroit King’s Ambry Thomas celebrates his touchdown against Southfield A&T during King’s 39-0 win Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016 at Wayne State.

The first game of Ambry Thomas’ sophomore year, he intercepted a pass and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown for Detroit King.

“I said ‘OK.’ I wanted to see if that was a fluke or not,” said Tyrone Spencer, the Crusaders’ defensive coordinator then and now their head coach.

“The next week, he was on offense and went for a long touchdown,” Spencer said. “I said this kid is a playmaker. That’s when I knew he was special.”

Now the country knows Thomas is special.

On Thursday, Thomas was honored as an Army All-American and will participate in its all-star Bowl game Jan. 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The senior defensive back/wide receiver/punt returner received his jersey in front of all his teammates with Spencer and mom, Carmen Thomas, at his side.

“This is real special,” said Thomas. “I watched Donnie Corley and Lavert Hill get this award last year, so this is something I wanted. It’s an honor to know that people think I’m an elite athlete. This warms my heart.”

Corley now plays for Michigan State, while Hill is at Michigan. Each was a key contributor to King’s winning the Division 2 state title last season.

Kerry Combs, the defensive back coach at Ohio State, told Thomas he’s on their radar before the ceremony.

“He told me they’d be recruiting me a lot harder because they think I’m an elite athlete,” said Thomas.

Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Florida are suitors in touch with Thomas.

“I like the fact that he’s focused on the season,” said Spencer. “He’s the ultimate competitor. I think he can play on offense and defense and special teams. He can run the jet sweeps. You have to monitor how to use him, especially depending on who you are playing. When you need him and you have to unload everything, unload it. Until then you have to take care of his body with the wear and tear.

“He has definitely put on some muscle. That helps.”

Thomas also may be looking at graduating early, which could push his college decision to sometime right after the season.

With a young core around him and a state title defense looming in the picture, Thomas has kept his focus on his teammates and playing in honor of late coach Dale Harvel, who passed away right before this season began.

“We still have some things to improve on, but right now I’m very impressed with the team,” Thomas said. “I didn’t think they’d step up and mature as fast as they have, but they’ve done it. We need to get to the level where we need to keep the switch on and not turn it off and turn it back on, because we don’t have that many older guys on the team.

“We have to play our football. I’ve been stepping up.”

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

Son of Swami

The big news in the universe this week is the breakup of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and no one is taking it harder than the Son of Swami.

Unlike the rest of the people on earth, SOS saw this coming.

You see, Mrs. SOS is missing. She claims she is in Hilton Head this week, vacationing with one of her “eccentric” sisters, while the All-Knowing One remains here, working hard to deliver the best high school coverage to Free Press readers across the globe.

But when Jolie filed for divorce, SOS got suspicious. Jolie cited “irreconcilable differences,” and if you type “irreconcilable differences” into your Google machine, you will notice pictures of SOS and Mrs. SOS.

SOS has the feeling — no, it is not rigor mortis — that Mrs. SOS and Pitt are really keeping company somewhere in the south if France, which is shocking. After all, it was just over 41 years ago that SOS handed Mrs. SOS her passport to paradise, beginning Mrs. SOS’s unparalleled 41-year reign as the undisputed Luckiest Woman on the Face of the Earth.

SOS does understand the attraction to Pitt. After all, in Mrs. SOS’s universe, she is only halfway to 70, while any math teacher might say she actually is halfway to 130. But why get hung up on a few years for someone still classified as a hot babe?

While SOS waits to see whether Mrs. SOS continues to cavort with Pitt or comes to her senses and returns to lovely Allen Park, here are the picks for this week’s top high school football games:

Week 5 high school football schedule

Romeo (3-1) at Utica Eisenhower (4-0), 7 Friday. Ike quarterback Max Wittwer doesn’t throw a lot, but when he does, he completes his passes, making Ike’s running game more effective. But how about the Ike defense that shut out Chippewa Valley last week? Romeo, the defending Division 1 state champ, has rebounded nicely from the Week 1 loss to Oxford. Romeo has a trio of running backs — Kade Messner, Ryan Medley and Nathan Goralski — who find ways to make positive yardage against the toughest defenses. They will be tested this week. I Like Ike 21, Wherefore Art Thou Romeo 17.

Millington (4-0) at Frankenmuth (4-0), 7 Friday. This is for the TVC-East title. SOS may not know a lot, but he does know that Frankenmuth, No. 4 in Division 5, can forget about picking off four passes in the first half like it did last week. Millington QB Bryce Bearss is too talented to allow that to happen to the No. 1 team in Division 6. Jared Davis is Frankenmuth’s two-way standout at quarterback and in the secondary; he had three of the interceptions last week. Corky’s School 30, Chicken Dinners 28.

Romulus (4-0) at Dearborn (3-1), 7 Friday. This is for the Western Wayne Red Division title. Romulus has made the playoffs the last two seasons but has been one-and-done both times. This team may stay awhile. This is the first time since 2000 that the Eagles are 4-0, which might be why they seem to be flying under the radar. If Romulus hopes to make it 5-0, not only will it have to stop the passing of Mikey Phillips, but it will have to deal with Dearborn’s defensive line, one of the best in the area. Dearborn Sausage 28, Romulus and Remus 19.

Detroit East English Village (3-1) at Detroit Cass Tech (4-0), noon Saturday. East English has a good passing attack with strong-armed Delvin Washington and surehanded Sammy Womack. But Cass Tech has Jaylen Kelly-Powell and Donovan Johnson, who are capable of shutting down any passing attack. East English’s defensive backs are going to be busy trying to cover Donovan Peoples-Jones and, if they can do that, QB Rodney Hall can take off for big yardage. Momma Cass 33, It Takes a Village 20.

Novi Detroit Catholic Central (4-0) vs. Birmingham Brother Rice (3-1) at Berkley, 7 Saturday. The memory of Rice’s 2-7 record last season might not be forgotten, but it is fading fast. The Warriors’ defense was impressive last week in not permitting Warren De La Salle to score a touchdown. Doing the same thing to CC might be another story. CC combines a smashmouth running attack with an efficient passing game. The Vatican 24, Shrimp Fried Rice 20.

Lowell QB Ryan Stevens looks to pass the ball against Detroit Martin Luther King in the second half of the Michigan High School Athletic Association football finals at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015.

One of the most significant football victories in the history of New Boston Huron occurred last week when the Chiefs registered a 7-6 win.

It was momentous because it came against Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, a team Huron beats about as often as the Lions win in Green Bay.

This was Huron’s first victory over St. Mary CC since 1986; before that, the last time Huron beat CC was … never.

The ironic thing about the win is that the guy who rebuilt the Huron program — Dan Kalbfleisch — no longer is the Huron coach. Coaching the Chiefs is his father, Jim Kalbfleisch.

Just before the season, Dan received an offer you can’t refuse to become athletic director at Gibraltar Carlson, which ended his coaching career. In stepped his father, who has been the team’s offensive and defensive line coach.

The elder Kalbfleisch, 68, began coaching in 1970 as an assistant to the great Bill McCartney, and has been the head coach at Lincoln Park.

Kalbfleisch already was the varsity boys basketball coach at Huron and ran the school’s daily sports tech class, so the transition was smooth.

The amazing part of the win over CC was that the powerful CC T-formation offense managed only one touchdown.

“Every year we’ve been tweaking and trying to stop the T,” Kalbfleisch said. “This year we tweaked one of the fronts we’ve been using. It gave them a lot of problems … we got on their quarterback real early on their boot passes.”

Detroit King star Ambry Thomas to play in Army All-American bowl

The younger Kalbfleisch did an amazing job in 11 years at Huron, making three playoff appearances in the past six years and two seasons ago advancing to the Division 3 semifinal before losing to eventual champ Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.

But last week’s win won’t soon be forgotten.

“It was fantastic,” Jim Kalbfleisch said. “The student body swarmed the field. The kids were as happy as they could be. It was really an exciting thing for them.”

Ristola a big kick for Churchill

Katherine Ristola is a junior back-up kicker and receiver/defensive back at Livonia Churchill who was profiled in last week’s Preps Extra. She had kicked only one extra point to that point, but last week Churchill’s starting kicker, Drew Alsobrooks, was injured.

Ristola stepped in and kicked a 27-yard field goal and six extra points in a 54-27 win over Plymouth.

“It was pretty cool,” she said. “I couldn’t get over the fact that I was actually out there. It was amazing. It was thrilling.”

A perfect fit: Walled Lake Western’s Rob Hudson and football

Don’t throw on St. Mary

The “No Fly Zone” at Gaylord St. Mary is still in effect.

Through four games, St. Mary has 14 interceptions, half coming in Week 2 against Bay City All Saints.

Most recently, the 4-0 Snowbirds picked off two passes in Week 3 against Indian River Inland Lakes, then had three picks last week against Mesick.

“We’re catching them at the end,” St. Mary coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We’re starting out slow, we’re putting points on in the third quarter and forcing offenses to go deep on us, and then we kind of cherry pick and catch them.”

The state record for interceptions in a season is 33, set by Warren Michigan Collegiate over 12 games in 2011.

Coach of the week

Dearborn Fordson’s Walker Zaban is this week’s Detroit Lions/Farm Bureau Insurance Michigan High School Coach of the Week.

Last week, Fordson defeated Garden City, 49-6, to improve to 4-0 and No. 4 in Division 1. This is Zaban’s 10th season as Fordson’s head coach, compiling a 76-26 record with nine state playoff appearances. Zaban spent 13 seasons as a Fordson assistant before becoming head coach.

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

Maggie Farrell

Battle Creek Lakeview’s Maggie Farrell finished a disappointing 97th at last year’s Division 1 cross-country state championship in a time of 19:29.

But last week, Farrell spent the first half of the Spartan Invitational in East Lansing a step behind Traverse City Central leader Sielle Kearney — before passing her and winning the event.

So, how did Farrell get from there to here?

“I get asked that question a lot,” she said, laughing.

There is not a simple answer, like she increased her mileage.

“Now I work on taking the easy days easy and the hard days hard,” she said. “My easy days might be substantially slower than my hard days. Back when I was running 19s, they were pretty much the same, so I wouldn’t really hammer the hard days. I would just stay the same.”

A perfect fit: Walled Lake Western’s Rob Hudson and football

Finishing 97th at states did not seem disastrous to Farrell. But she thought she could do better.

“I knew that it’s great to go to the state meet, but it’s even better to go and compete with the top girls,” she said. “I definitely thought there was something more I could do with my talent and ability. I really knew that if I put my mind to it and trained really hard, I could have a more positive experience there.”

Over the winter, she worked with a strength coach and changed her diet. Lakeview coach Becky Pryor also worked on increasing her mileage.

In June, Farrell finished sixth in the 1,600 meters (4:59.23) at the state meet and took it as a sign that her work was paying off. But Farrell really didn’t know what to expect when she entered the Portage Early Bird race recently.

The race attracted a good field, and she was hoping to finish in the low 18s.

“I wasn’t sure what the extent of my summer training would provide me in races,” she said. “I was hoping from that to get a good baseline. I was just hoping to stay consistent and the time would drop with competition.”

Preps ticker: New Boston Huron football gets rare win over Monroe SMCC

You can imagine her surprise when she won the race in 17:39, which at the time was the second-fastest time in the state.

Farrell’s confidence skyrocketed after that, so entering the Spartan Invitational she knew she could compete with the top runners in the state. However, she never had been in a big race where she wasn’t significantly behind the leaders. She never had to try to take the lead in a big race.

Farrell made her move halfway through the race and all of a sudden there was no one in front of her.

“It was a different experience to know that there’s people back there and you don’t know where they are instead of being able to see who you have to catch,” she said. “I could tell a little bit from the cheering how far back they were, but you don’t know for sure, and if you look back that could mean a few seconds, so I had to hold on and keep the pace and make sure not to slow down.”

Farrell didn’t slow down until she crossed the finish line in 17:39, a couple of seconds ahead of Kearney.

It was a monumental moment for a girl who no longer is satisfied with being in the middle of the pack.

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

Kahlee Hamler

One of the fastest recruits in the nation for the class of 2017 is Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy’s Kahlee “K.J.” Hamler. Before IMG, Hamler starred in football and track for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. Hamler is taking an official visit to Michigan State.

He was offered a scholarship by the Spartans over two years ago after he excelled at their summer camp. Since then, he has been on campus numerous times and has built a strong rapport with the MSU staff.

MSU was the first BCS school to extend a scholarship to Hamler and his recruitment has taken off since then. He now holds offers from Tennessee, Oregon, Nebraska, Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin among others.

Hamler is not the biggest player at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, but few are faster or more dynamic in the open field. Earlier this sprin,g Hamler won the MVP award at the Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour. He is a four-star recruit and the No. 44 wide receiver in the nation for the class of 2017.

• KJ Hamler has mixed feelings on leaving OL St. Mary’s

Hamler transferred to IMG earlier this summer in order to compete daily with many of the best players in the nation. Unfortunately, his season was cut short in the first game of the season when he tore his ACL. That injury has not dissuaded the Spartans level of interest in him.

Under Mark Dantonio, the Spartans have not been shy when it comes to taking players that have had injuries. Former standouts like Javon Ringer and Trae Waynes arrived in East Lansing after suffering season ending leg injuries as seniors in high school. Current 2017 linebacker commitment Darien Clemons suffered a season ending injury just a few weeks ago. Dantonio believes that a commitment is something that goes both ways and injury is not a disqualifying factor.

Dantonio always tells recruits to focus on building relationships. He wants players to make sure that the school they are selecting would be their choice even if they had an injury that he jeopardizes their career. Hamler will certainly have a better understanding of this fact due to his injury.

MSU is recruiting Hamler not only to play wide receiver, but also special teams. His role for the Spartans would likely be very similar to the way that RJ Shelton is used. Hamler’s speed would make him a weapon on the jet sweeps the Spartans often employ.

If the Spartans are able to add Hamler, he would team with current commitments Hunter Rison of Ann Arbor Skyline and Cody White of Walled Lake Western. The trio would give the Spartans a lot of talent and flexibility at wide receiver.

It is very possible that since Hamler is at IMG Academy, he could be eligible to enroll into college early. Though his injury would likely disqualify him from spring football, he could potentially participate in some strength and conditioning as well as sit in on team position meetings.

Matt Dorsey is a recruiting analyst for SpartanMag.com and Rivals.com.

Michigan quarterback commit Dylan McCaffrey attends U-M’s Aerial Assault camp June 18, 2016, in Ann Arbor.

Welcome to the debut of Sean Merriman’s recruiting mailbag at freep.com. Sean is a recruiting aficionado who used to work for rivals.com and the Big Ten Network and now is with Intersport. Look for his mailbag every other week (with some live chats sprinkled in, too). If you have a recruiting question for Sean, email him at merriman.sean@gmail.com or tweet him @BTNSean. 

Hi Sean! Personally, I think recruiting ranks and stars are overblown. Even being a Wolverine fan, I can acknowledge MSU as an example where they have had great success with 3 and 4 star athletes. In my opinion, it is much more important to get players that fit the team and philosophy of the coaches and the positions of need. Your thoughts? – JDDGoBlue

I agree with you, for the most part, @JDDGoBlue. When looking at the recent success of Michigan State’s football program, many of the Spartans’ standout players who have gone on to play in the NFL were two- and three-star players. Le’Veon Bell, Kirk Cousins, Trae Waynes and Jeremy Langford are NFL starters. Not one of them was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school. But as you said, Mark Dantonio and his staff viewed them as players who fit their system. However, take a look at some of the top-ranked Big Ten players in the 2016 recruiting class, and many of them already are making an impact as freshmen: Rashan Gary (five-star), Donnie Corley (four-star), Nick Bosa (five-star), Michael Jordan (four-star), etc. It goes both ways. But it’s hard not to be impressed with the job Dantonio and his staff have done at recruiting under-the-radar players.

Do you think Dylan McCaffery stays at QB once he arrives at UM, or is he an athlete who could play elsewhere for the Wolverines, like his brother at Stanford. It seems like UM, especially with Brandon Peters, is strong at the QB position already, and having either of those guys serve as a backup could be a waste of talent. – Dubyah

I agree with the fact that Michigan is loaded at the quarterback position. Wilton Speight will be a redshirt junior next season, while Peters likely will be a redshirt freshman. However, Dylan McCaffery is going to Michigan to play quarterback. If he didn’t think he was good enough to do so, I think he would have committed elsewhere. Now, could Harbaugh and his staff get creative and find a way to get him on the field? It’s possible. But my guess would be that Dylan McCaffery is Michigan’s starting quarterback in 2019.

What are Michigan’s chances with Nico Collins – david blue

Michigan remains the leader for four-star WR Nico Collins. In fact, he is expected to be on campus Saturday for the Wolverines’ game against Penn State (3:30 p.m., ABC). He already has taken two unofficial visits to Michigan, and all signs point to him eventually landing in Ann Arbor. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee, by any means. Collins is the top-ranked player in the state of Alabama and does have an offer from the Crimson Tide, so don’t think for a second that Nick Saban and Co. will give up easily on this kid. This is a recruiting battle that could come down to the wire, but ultimately, I see Collins playing his college ball in Ann Arbor.

Hey Sean—basketball question… who are MSU’s targets in the 2017 class, and where do they stand with consensus top 25 players like Gary Trent Jr. and Brian Bowen? – Sam

Tom Izzo already landed a megarecruit for the 2017 class in five-star PF Jaren Jackson Jr. Now the Spartans shift their focus toward other top-notch targets like Trent Jr. and Bowen, in addition to Xavier Tillman, Brandon McCoy and Nojel Eastern. All five of these players are Top 100 prospects, according to 247sports. Bowen, Tillman and Eastern all look like MSU leans, while Trent Jr.’s and McCoy’s recruitments appear to be more wide-open. Izzo recently visited both Trent Jr. and McCoy, and both came away impressed with the Spartans’ head coach. Tillman is expected to make his college announcement at the end of this month, and most believe he is going to pick MSU. Landing any three or four of these prospects would give the Spartans’ another top-five recruiting class.

Do you think playing all these freshmen will give Harbaugh a huge edge in recruiting? – MM

I don’t know if it gives Harbaugh an edge, but I know it doesn’t hurt. There are numerous factors that go into choosing a school, and early playing time is one of them. Others include facilities, proximity to home, comfort with current players and coaches, program history and NFL preparation. Harbaugh has been masterful as a recruiter so far at Michigan, so there really isn’t a ton of room to grow at this point. It’s about being consistent and landing top-10 national classes year after year. When recruits watch the Wolverines play and see guys like Rashan Gary, Chris Evans, Ben Bredeson and Devin Bush Jr. making an impact as true freshmen, that has to be attractive.

Why does MSU not compete with UM and OSU for recruits? They consistently have higher ranked recruiting classes. Sure MSU does a great job with underrated players, but how much better would they do with 4 and 5 star guys? – william

Actually, Michigan State does compete with Ohio State and Michigan for a good amount of recruits, and Mark Dantonio and Co. have won their fair share of recruiting battles against both. The Spartans beat out both Michigan and Ohio State for Donnie Corley and Justin Layne in 2016. They beat out Ohio State for LJ Scott and Michigan for Tyriq Thompson in 2015. Now, the Spartans are in a heated recruiting battle with both schools when it comes to five-star WR Donovan Peoples-Jones. Michigan State has a formula that works for its when it comes to evaluating recruits, and with the success this program has had as of late, why change it if it works?  

How is the D-Line shaping up for MSU’s 2017 class? They lost a lot of talent through graduation, dismissals, and transfers this past year and I expect McDowell to head to the NFL next season – dave

The Spartans have three 2017 commits on the D-line: Jacub Panasiuk, Lashawn Paulino-Bell and Donovan Winter. All three players are three-star prospects, according to 247sports. Keep an eye on Deron Irving-Bey, a four-star DE prospect from Flint. Many believe that MSU is his leader right now, but the Spartans will have to hold off the likes of Michigan and Tennessee.

Full list: Michigan’s recruits (with highlight videos)
Full list: Michigan State recruits (with highlights)

Walled Lake Western’s Robert Hudson before his team game against Northville on Monday, September 9, 2016, at Warriors Stadium in Walled Lake, MI.

What do you order when you stop at McDonald’s?

A Big Mac? A Quarter Pounder with cheese? Maybe some fries, too?

Try this: Eight McChicken sandwiches and eight McDoubles, which are double cheeseburgers.

All for yourself.

Welcome to Rob Hudson’s life — well, his life three years ago when Hudson was a freshman at Walled Lake Western.

“I’d eat until I was stuffed,” Hudson said. “And I’d drink two 2-liters of pop a day.”

That was when he weighed 440 pounds. But that was three years and a lifetime ago for Hudson.

Today, Hudson is 6 feet 7, 315 pounds and emerging as one of the top left tackles in the state, already accepting a scholarship offer from Purdue.

As stunning as his weight loss has been, so too has his turnaround academically and socially. The youngster will graduate from high school and meet NCAA standards to be able to play as a freshman.

And Hudson will be the first to tell you it all began with football — Western’s coaches and its players — who provided him with a sense of belonging that was desperately missing from his life.

Week 5 high school football schedule

Finding football

When Hudson was a freshman, graduating from high school and going to college wasn’t even a pipedream.

“No, I never even thought about it because my grades were horrible,” Hudson said. “My freshman year I had a 0.8 because I missed 84 days of school.”

Hudson missed so much school because his father, Robert, was slowly slipping away. A diabetic who had both legs amputated below the knee, his father had become so incapacitated he no longer could care for himself. That left the young boy to be the caregiver in the family.

“My mom wasn’t really in the picture, so I wanted to live with my dad,” said Hudson, who moved in with his father when he was 9. “After that, I tried to take care of him as much as I could. I was really worried about him.”

There was much to worry about. His father had heart issues and had suffered a heart attack.

“He was very obese,” Hudson said. “Even not having legs, he was around 350 pounds.”

His father died in April 2014, a moment of revelation for the youngster, who realized he had seen a vision of what his life could become if he didn’t make drastic changes.

That’s when he turned to football and Western coach Mike Zdebski.

Walled Lake Western’s head coach Mike Zdebski on the sideline against Northville on Monday, September 9, 2016, at Warriors Stadium in Walled Lake, MI.

Back then, there were no expectations that Zdebski and his assistants miraculously could transform Hudson into a college prospect. His goals were more elementary than that.

“I had no intention of playing college football,” Hudson said. “I had no intention of really doing much. I just had the intention of losing weight, and I knew Coach Z would help me lose weight.”

Zdebski and his staff did all that and more — but it wasn’t quick and easy.

Hudson went out for football as a freshman, but it was a disaster.

“He’d come out a day, we’d get him in a three-point stance, and he wouldn’t come back for two days because he was too tired and sore,” Zdebski said. “His hands hurt too bad, his back hurt, his legs hurt. Then we’d get him to where he could come out of a stance three or four times for 5 yards, and then we wouldn’t see him for a couple of days because he was too tired, too sore.”

Draeton Steiner was Western’s line coach for Hudson’s first three years and formed a bond with the youngster.

When practice ended, Steiner would make sure all the other players were in the locker room and then would begin the simplest of drills with Hudson.

Hudson would come out of his stance and run 5 yards. Eventually it became 10 yards.

“I would run with him,” Steiner said. “It was easier if he saw me run with him. The next day he wouldn’t be in school, so I called him. He said I wouldn’t believe how sore he was.”

Zdebski put Hudson on the varsity even though he wasn’t capable of playing in games. But it was easier for Zdebski to keep tabs on him that way.

“At that point, he wasn’t necessarily used to anybody pushing him,” Steiner said. “To have me and Z every day working with him, he really liked it, but at the same time he really bucked the idea and pushed back.”

Mick McCabe’s Week 4 Michigan high school football rankings

Hitting the weights and books

But Hudson didn’t push back when it came to school. As a sophomore, he made a commitment to attend school every day and began to care about his academic performance.

Gradually, Hudson’s grades improved, although he certainly was not a candidate for the National Honor Society.

“My sophomore year I got a little better, I was getting in shape, getting more concentrated on school — not as concentrated as now,” he said. “I was getting C’s and a few B’s here and there.”

Steiner remembers receiving a text from Hudson, saying he had lost 15 pounds that month. Next month came a text saying he had dropped 20 pounds.

Soon, the pounds seemed to be melting away, coinciding with his workouts once football ended his sophomore year. Hudson would lift weights during school and after school. He also would do agility drills to improve his quickness and footwork.

“I’d stay after school for hours doing ladders and lifting like crazy,” he said. “I’d lift three times a day sometimes.”

Late in his sophomore year, Hudson’s weight had dropped to 275. Then his fanatical weightlifting helped him add muscle. By the time his junior year began, Hudson was a starter on Western’s defensive line and his grades were improving.

But all was not well in his life. He had been living with an aunt, who early in the season decided to move more than an hour away from Walled Lake, which caused Hudson to place an emergency call to Steiner.

Steiner visited the house and learned the only option was for Hudson to file a motion under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

But there was a catch. Someone had to be willing to file for an emergency guardianship hearing.

At the time, Steiner was living with his fiancée, Melissa, who hadn’t met Hudson, but had heard of him and seen him play.

“Melissa had come from a situation where she was on her own at 17,” Steiner said. “She lived on her own, she had her own apartment, she finished high school. She worked two jobs.”

It didn’t take much for Steiner to convince Melissa to give it a shot, even though they weren’t much older than Hudson. Steiner was 26 at the time, Melissa 27.

“At the end of the day, what it came down to is we knew we could make a positive influence,” Steiner said. “We could give him a positive environment. We just wanted him to have the ability to be a kid and not worry about where he was going to live.”

They were granted emergency guardianship, but had to wait six weeks before a hearing in Oakland Country’s Children’s Court to show why two people their age should be granted custody.

In those six weeks, Hudson did not miss a day of school, didn’t miss any class assignments, and his grades climbed.

One of the keys was Dave Walczyk, a counselor at Western, who took a genuine interest in Hudson and was bound and determined to make sure the youngster would be solid academically.

“Honestly, I don’t think we would have been able to do it without Dave,” Steiner said. “Academically, before we went to court, Dave set up a year-and-a-half worth of classes to make Rob NCAA-eligible.”

A stable environment

When Hudson arrived to live with Steiner, all he had was a T-shirt, a pair of shorts and sandals.

That is when the Western community came through, donating everything from clothes to a mattress.

Hudson soon got into a routine, and Melissa, a biomedical researcher for the University of Michigan’s medical school, began working on his schoolwork.

“Academically, she spent hours and hours with him, teaching him study habits, how to be a good student, how to take tests, how to stay organized,” said Steiner, a logistics analyst with Penske. “She really embraced the idea that she had to start from the ground up with Rob.”

Hudson earned a 3.35 GPA in the second semester of his junior year, and he also got an “A” in both classes he took this summer.

And for probably the first time in his life, he was in a stable environment.

“Once we established an open line of communication with him, he’s never once broken curfew,” Steiner said. “He’s home when we ask him to be home. If we ask him to walk the dogs or take the trash out, he does it. At this point, I think he’s really happy to have a family.”

Not only is he happy, Hudson is grateful.

“He was a big part of what helped me push through,” Hudson said of Steiner. “They even asked me to stand up in their wedding.”

Over the past three years, Hudson has changed in more ways than physically and academically. He has become more social and fits in well with other students.

“My self-esteem changed all around,” he said. “I went from a big kid that wouldn’t even talk to anybody to someone that doesn’t mind talking to a random stranger to just say hi if I want to meet them.”

Detroit King star Ambry Thomas to play in Army All-American bowl

Crossing the line of scrimmage

This year, Zdebski moved Hudson from defensive line to offensive tackle, because that’s where he believes Hudson will play in college.

And naturally, there was some pushback from Hudson. He didn’t like the idea of playing on offense.

Defense, where he could crush people, was so much more fun, and he had an excellent junior season on defense.

Reluctantly, he agreed to go to camps as an offensive lineman — and then the offer from Purdue came.

“I told them I haven’t played there before,” Hudson said. “They said: ‘We’ll get you there. We’re not worried. You look like the type of guy that can get it in.’ They said I was so athletic on defense that they feel as though I would be able to mold into anything that they wanted me to be.”

That’s precisely what Zdebski has done with Hudson.

“He’s a beast,” Zdebski said. “He’d never done it, but he looks great.”

Western’s players agree. Cody White, who has committed to Michigan State as a receiver, spent the first three weeks at quarterback for the Warriors and liked the idea of Hudson guarding his blind side.

“I’ve known Rob since seventh grade,” White said. “Oh, he was a big dude. He was really big back in middle school and freshman year. He’s slimmed down, and he’s looking good now. It’s really amazing to see.”

White’s admiration for Hudson has grown exponentially as he watched him transform himself into a Big Ten recruit.

“I knew he had the size for it because he was such a big kid,” White said. “I knew if he got his feet right and did everything he needed to do, he could, and he did it.”

For his part, Hudson has a lot of people to thank for helping him on his journey.

He appreciates the way teammates rallied around him and turned out to be much more than just teammates on the field.

“They helped me every little step of the way,” he said. “I really didn’t have a big family growing up because my mom wasn’t really in the picture. My dad was a big part of my family, and I lived with my aunt after my dad passed away, and that was pretty much it. The team became my family. They helped me through it.”

And Zdebski and his assistants have gone above and beyond what you will find in a coaching manual.

“I feel like I would have failed high school if I wouldn’t have had football,” Hudson said. “The coaches are unbelievably my mentors, because they really helped me through everything. They saw something that I didn’t even see in myself. I have unbelievable respect for them.”

And because of that, he has a level of self-respect he never thought imaginable when he was ordering eight McChickens and eight McDoubles at a time.

“Now I usually eat as good as I can,” he said. “Once in a while I kind of let myself splurge. But I’ll only get two McChickens and that’s it.”

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

Son of Swami: Week 5 Michigan high school football picks

Football

A punt return and one big pass play finally broke up a defensive battle and loosened the reins just enough for host Grosse Pointe North to take down cross-town rival Grosse Pointe South, 8-4, Friday evening before a standing-room only, over-capacity crowd.

Neither team could break into the other’s red zone until the fourth quarter as the defenses stole the show.

“Two good teams that have a lot of returning kids on the line, so we figured it would be a battle in the trenches all the way,” said North coach Frank Sumbera. “They have some good linemen and we do too, and that’s all it was; rams just hitting heads all the time.

“It was a defensive battle all the way, no doubt about that. Both teams played real solid defense, and we each had our moments, a little bit. That first quarter they were making some mistakes but we just couldn’t capitalize. Their defense was too good. And the same thing the other way, so I knew something had to give, and in the fourth quarter we were able to hit that big pass play.”

That play was a 32-yard pass completion from North quarterback Bjorn Bjornsson to Pete Ciaravino that went to South’s 9-yard line. It came following a 29-yard punt return by Trent Lacroix to set up the drive.

Both Bjornsson and South quarterback Logan Mico were tossing the ball all over the field but most times over-throwing their targets for incompletions. Bjornsson said there might have been a little too much adrenaline with the rivalry and a packed house.

“I just wanted to make that pass, throwing it deep so many times,” he said. “But we got it once and that was so great. This is so good, an amazing win.”

South came into the game undefeated at 4-0, yet earned its only points on two safeties. The first came on a blocked punt by Jay Verlinden in the second quarter. Then in the closing minutes, North was backed up inside its 5-yard line. So on fourth down Bjornsson ran out of the back of the end zone instead of risking another blocked punt.

North (4-1) totaled 133 yards of offense, while South (4-1) was held to just 106 total yards.

Romulus’ tackled by Dearborn defenders Friday at Dearborn.

Adrian 18, Ypsilanti 6

Adrian Lenawee Christian 40, Detroit Cesar Chavez 30

Algonac 19, Croswell-Lexington 14

Allegan 31, Plainwell 7

Allen Park 14, Gibraltar Carlson 6

Allendale 49, Sparta 28

Alma 40, Midland Bullock Creek 0

Almont 49, Armada 6

Au Gres-Sims 42, Atlanta 6

Bath 54, Saranac 26

Battle Creek Central 22, Niles 10

Battle Creek Harper Creek 35, Battle Creek Pennfield 7

Bay City Central 25, Midland 14

Bay City Western 14, Flint Southwestern 13

Beal City 21, Evart 6

Beaverton 42, Sanford-Meridian 6

Belding 39, Wyoming Lee 8

Belleville 49, Dearborn Heights Robichaud 0

Bellevue 58, North Adams-Jerome 0

Benton Harbor 58, Wyoming Godwin Heights 41

Berrien Springs 42, Bridgman 7

Big Rapids 49, Newaygo 31

Birmingham Detroit Country Day 36, Troy 14

• More scores, stats from Friday’s games

Birmingham Groves 36, Birmingham Seaholm 0

Bloomfield Hills 35, Auburn Hills Avondale 14

Boyne City 35, Grayling 14

Breckenridge 62, Coleman 12

Brighton 20, Grand Blanc 19

Bronson 36, Centreville 6

Brooklyn Columbia Central 39, Blissfield 0

Brown City 70, Memphis 12

Burton Atherton 40, Genesee 8

Byron Center 24, Zeeland West 14

Cadillac 36, West Branch Ogemaw Heights 0

Caledonia 39, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills 20

Calumet 52, Hancock 17

Canton 21, Plymouth 14

Carson City-Crystal 58, Ashley 18

Cassopolis 60, Buchanan 14

Cedarville 60, Pellston 0

Charlotte 33, Petoskey 28

Chelsea 33, Tecumseh 0

Clare 63, Farwell 0

Clarkston 40, Troy Athens 21

Clarkston Everest Collegiate 40, Riverview Richard 7

Clinton Township Clintondale 48, Harper Woods 18

Coldwater 42, Jackson Northwest 14

Comstock 20, Niles Brandywine 6

Concord 33, Athens 27

Corunna 48, Flint Beecher 20

Crystal Falls Forest Park 66, Ewen-Trout Creek 24

Dansville def. Potterville, forfeit

Davison 51, Saginaw 0

DCP-Northwestern 37, Detroit Communication & Media Arts 6

Dearborn 22, Romulus 8

• Hannawi, MSU recruit help Dearborn run all over Romulus

Dearborn Edsel Ford 40, Livonia Clarenceville 0

Dearborn Fordson 45, Redford Thurston 6

Dearborn Heights Crestwood 32, Dearborn Heights Annapolis 14

Deckerville 42, Rudyard 12

Delton Kellogg 28, Coloma 16

Detroit Consortium 40, Detroit Edison 28

Detroit Denby 22, Detroit Central 14

Detroit King 46, Detroit Osborn 0

• Dequan Finn, Ambry Thomas put on an air show

Detroit Leadership def. Detroit Westside Christian, forfeit

Detroit Mumford 18, Detroit Cody 12

Detroit Western International 14, Detroit Renaissance 0

DeWitt 52, Owosso 7

East Grand Rapids 35, Wyoming 14

East Jordan 40, Indian River-Inland Lakes 0

East Lansing 22, Holt 20

Ecorse def. Detroit Allen, forfeit

Edwardsburg 40, Dowagiac Union 13

Elkton-Pigeon Bay Port Laker 26, Cass City 20

Escanaba 35, Sault Ste Marie 8

Essexville Garber 28, Bridgeport 20

Fair Haven-Anchor Bay 42, Sterling Heights 33

Fenton 55, Clio 6

Ferndale 45, Pontiac 7

Fife Lake Forest Area 28, Manistee Catholic Central 0

Flat Rock 22, Carleton Airport 3

Flint Carman-Ainsworth 59, Flint Northwestern 6

Flint Hamady 44, Durand 21

Flint International 58, Caseville 26

Flint Kearsley 67, Swartz Creek 52

Frankenmuth 24, Millington 7

Frankfort 58, Johannesburg-Lewiston 12

Freeland 20, Standish-Sterling 7

Fruitport 42, Grand Rapids Union 26

Gaylord 21, Traverse City Central 20

Gaylord St. Mary 45, Central Lake 12

Gladstone 46, Marquette 45

Grand Ledge 30, Jackson 19

Grand Rapids Catholic Central 35, Spring Lake 7

Grand Rapids Christian 41, Cedar Springs 16

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 35, Grand Rapids Northview 7

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 42, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills 0

Grand Rapids South Christian 39, Wayland Union 7

Grand Rapids West Catholic 35, Coopersville 0

Grandville 46, East Kentwood 3

Grass Lake 50, Vandercook Lake 18

Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran, Wis. 36, Ontonagon 14

Grosse Ile 28, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 0

Grosse Pointe North 8, Grosse Pointe South 4

• One punt return, one pass enough for North

Hale 54, Carsonville-Port Sanilac 6

Hamilton 42, Holland 26

Harbor Beach 34, Sandusky 30

Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy 56, Detroit Old Redford 6

Harrison 34, Gladwin 14

Hart 20, Shelby 19

Hartford 28, Bangor 18

Hartland 48, Milford 28

Hastings 37, Parma Western 34

Hazel Park 19, Royal Oak 14

Hemlock 42, Saginaw Valley Lutheran 0

Hesperia 51, White Cloud 0

Hillman 30, Mio 8

Hillsdale 21, Onsted 18

Holly 35, Flushing 14

Homer 28, Springport 26

Hopkins 24, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 21

Hudson 67, Erie-Mason 7

Hudsonville 55, Holland West Ottawa 22

Hudsonville Unity Christian 66, Comstock Park 31

Hurley, Wis. 40, L’Anse 20

Ida 47, Dundee 13

Iron Mountain 34, Ishpeming Westwood 6

Ithaca 48, Ovid-Elsie 21

Jackson Lumen Christi 28, Marshall 20

Jonesville 28, Union City 8

Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central 62, Constantine 57

Kingston 69, Kinde-North Huron 26

Laingsburg 25, Fowler 14

Lake Fenton 35, Montrose 0

Lake Linden-Hubbell 44, Newberry 29

Lake Odessa Lakewood 57, Stockbridge 21

Lake Orion 21, Southfield 14

Lakeview 25, Kent City 20

Lansing Catholic 21, Fowlerville 17

Lansing Everett 25, Lansing Eastern 0

Lansing Sexton 20, Okemos 7

Lapeer 35, Mount Pleasant 6

Lawton 31, Gobles 21

Leroy Pine River 44, Lake City 14

Lincoln-Alcona 22, Whittemore-Prescott 16

Livonia Churchill 26, Westland John Glenn 8

Livonia Franklin 49, Wayne Memorial 7

Livonia Stevenson 49, Canton Salem 32

Lowell 35, Greenville 10

Macomb Dakota 42, Sterling Heights Stevenson 0

Macomb L’Anse Creuse North 51, Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse 2

Mancelona 34, Mesick 20

Manchester 47, Jackson East Jackson 28

Manistee 23, Muskegon Orchard View 20

Manton 26, McBain 6

Maple City Glen Lake 49, Charlevoix 7

Marcellus 42, Bloomingdale 14

Marine City 37, Madison Heights Madison 29

Martin 29, Eau Claire 6

Marysville 49, Clawson 14

Mason 12, Haslett 10

Melvindale 26, Lincoln Park 8

Melvindale Academy for Business And Tech 30, Detroit Delta Prep 14

Mendon 18, White Pigeon 7

Menominee 42, Kingsford 7

Merrill 46, Blanchard Montabella 0

Merritt Academy 68, Burton Madison 48

Michigan Center 34, Addison 12

Middleville Thornapple Kellogg 68, Ada Forest Hills Eastern 48

Midland Dow 41, Flint Powers 0

Milan 42, New Boston Huron 7

Monroe 16, Ann Arbor Pioneer 13

Monroe Jefferson 28, Riverview 8

Montague 41, Whitehall 20

Morenci 20, Clinton 17 (OT)

Morley-Stanwood 49, Holton 14

Morrice 26, Mayville 20, OT

Mount Morris 12, Goodrich 11

Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 47, Vestaburg 20

Munising 46, Manistique 21

Muskegon 66, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 0

Muskegon Catholic Central 63, Baldwin 14

Muskegon Mona Shores 40, Jenison 10

Muskegon Oakridge 37, Ravenna 0

Napoleon 34, Hanover-Horton 20

Negaunee 19, Gwinn 12

New Buffalo 44, Three Oaks River Valley 0

New Haven 25, Warren Lincoln 11

New Lothrop 27, Byron 14

North Muskegon 28, Mason County Central 6

Northland Pines, Wis. 24, Ironwood 8

Northville 43, South Lyon East 22

Norway 14, Ishpeming 0

Novi 35, South Lyon 21

Oak Park 41, North Farmington 0

Olivet 42, Vermontville Maple Valley 14

Onaway 58, Charlton Heston 8

Onekama 33, Elk Rapids 21

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 14, Warren De La Salle 7

Ortonville Brandon 38, Linden 14

Otisville Lakeville 22, Caro 20

Ottawa Lake Whiteford 43, Whitmore Lake 0

Owendale-Gagetown def. Akron-Fairgrove, forfeit

Oxford 28, Farmington 21

Parchment 56, St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic 0

Paw Paw 33, South Haven 6

Perry 54, Leslie 22

Petersburg Summerfield 41, Britton-Deerfield 0

Pewamo-Westphalia 61, Fulton-Middleton 0

Pickford 56, Posen 12

Pinckney 39, Howell 14

Pinconning 51, St. Charles 14

Pittsford 42, Colon 0

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 35, Detroit Public Safety 0

Port Huron 45, Fraser 6

Port Huron Northern 21, Eastpointe East Detroit 6

Portage Central 10, Battle Creek Lakeview 7 (OT)

Portage Northern 34, Kalamazoo Central 13

Portland 38, Ionia 6

Portland St. Patrick 53, Burr Oak 0

Powers North Central 56, Baraga 0

Quincy 38, Reading 30

Rapid River 60, Carney-Nadeau 7

Redford Union 31, Garden City 14

Reed City 55, Howard City Tri-County 0

Reese 49, Vassar 12

Remus Chippewa Hills 35, Grant 7

Richmond 35, Capac 0

River Rouge 67, Detroit Community 0

Rochester 41, Berkley 27

Rochester Adams 21, Farmington Hills Harrison 9

Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest 32, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian 7

Rockford 31, Grand Haven 14

Rogers City 62, Oscoda 34

Roscommon 36, Houghton Lake 34

Royal Oak Shrine 35, Madison Heights Bishop Foley 7

Saginaw Heritage 51, Saginaw Arthur Hill 6

Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 27, St. Louis 0

Saginaw Swan Valley 38, Chesaning 12

Saline 54, Ann Arbor Huron 0

Sand Creek 26, Adrian Madison 18

Saugatuck 56, Decatur 0

Schoolcraft 56, Galesburg-Augusta 10

Shepherd 40, Carrollton 20

Southgate Anderson 50, Taylor Kennedy 14

St. Clair 71, St. Clair Shores South Lake 48

St. Clair Shores Lake Shore 58, St. Clair Shores Lakeview 35

St. Ignace LaSalle 56, Harbor Springs 20

St. Johns 54, Lansing Waverly 21

St. Joseph 28, Mattawan 21

Stanton Central Montcalm 14, Fremont 0

Stevensville Lakeshore 48, Richland Gull Lake 17

Tawas 62, Bay City All Saints 37

Tekonsha 38, Litchfield 0

Temperance Bedford 41, Ann Arbor Skyline 7

Thornwood, Ill. 26, Saginaw Nouvel 0

Three Rivers 21, Otsego 0

Traverse City St. Francis 38, Kingsley 0

Traverse City West 43, Alpena 14

Trenton 31, Brownstown Woodhaven 28

• Connor Charpring beats his ‘baby ball’ teammates

Ubly 47, Marlette 6

Unionville-Sebewaing 28, Bad Axe 7

Utica Eisenhower 16, Romeo 14

• Tocco kicks Ike to victory, 16-14

Utica Ford 54, Roseville 26

Vicksburg 26, Sturgis 0

Walled Lake Central 37, White Lake Lakeland 29

Walled Lake Western 40, Waterford Kettering 21

Warren Cousino 35, Utica 28

Warren Mott 42, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 24

Waterford Mott 27, Walled Lake Northern 26 (OT)

Watervliet 50, Fennville 12

Webberville 50, Waldron 14

West Bloomfield 36, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 19

Williamston 29, Eaton Rapids 7

Wyandotte Roosevelt 58, Taylor Truman 10

Wyoming Kelloggsville 36, Grandville Calvin Christian 28

Yale 33, Imlay City 0

Ypsilanti Lincoln 38, Dexter 0

Zeeland East 47, Holland Christian 32

Dearborn High’s Mikey Phillips celebrates his touchdown against Romulus Friday in Dearborn. Phillips has a run-or-pass option on almost all of Dearborn’s plays.

It did not take long for it to become apparent which side of the field Dearborn’s Hussien Hannawi was running with the ball.

“It was the left side,” Hannawi said.

What is so special about the left side of his offensive line?

“That’s because we’ve got a Michigan State commit that way,” Hannawi said. “It’s a little bit easier to run that way than the right.”

The MSU commit is 6-foot-6, 288-pound Mustafa Khaleefah, and the Dearborn offense moved behind him Friday night on its way to a 22-8 victory over Romulus in a key Western Wayne Red Division game.

Hannawi carried the ball 19 times and gained 106 yards, and he typically ran through holes provided by Khaleefah.

“It’s fantastic running behind him,” Hannawi said. “He opens it up for me every single time. He’s too strong for everybody we play against.”

• More scores from Friday night’s action

As he ran through the Romulus defense, Hannawi spotted Romulus players lying on the ground, thanks to Khaleefah’s blocks.

“I don’t know many pancake blocks I had, a lot I guess,” Khaleefah said. “I don’t really keep count. I keep count of that, and that’s all that matters.”

Khaleefah was pointing at the scoreboard’s final score, which improved the Pioneers to 4-1 (3-0), as Romulus dropped to 4-1 (2-1), despite far too many Dearborn penalties for a Week 5 game.

The running of Hannawi opened up the passing game for quarterback Mikey Phillips, who completed 15 of 22 throws for 126 yards.

Phillips has a run-or-pass option on most plays, and he makes up his mind which play to call just before the ball is snapped.

“It’s all about counting how the defense is set,” Phillips said. “The coaches believe in me to make the right choice. It’s just simple: If they’re going to give me the run, then I want to run the ball. My linemen and our running back, I think, are the best in the state and I’m going to let that happen. If the pass is open, then I’m going to pass the ball.”

• Tocco kicks Utica Eisenhower past Romeo
• Grosse Pointe North takes down South with one punt, one pass

Dearborn safety Hassan Beydoun ended Romulus’ first drive by knocking the ball away from a receiver and up into the air, managing to catch it on its way down for an interception at midfield that led to Phillips’ one-yard sneak.

Romulus’ DeAndre Holmes alertly recovered a bouncing punt after it hit the leg of a Dearborn player, and the Eagles took over at Dearborn’s 32-yard line. Following a short gain supplemented by a 15-yard penalty for a helmet-to helmet hit on Dearborn, Treylarenz Armstrong-Anderson scored on a 13-yard run for an 8-7 lead.

The Pioneers answered immediately, using a horse-collar penalty and a 45-yard run by Hannawi to set up Ayman Baydoun’s 13-yard run as Dearborn took a 13-8 halftime lead.

Dearborn opened the third quarter with Jamil Chami’s 32-yard field goal for a 16-8 lead, and then had a rare penalty-free possession the next time it had the ball. A 16-yard pass to Ali Fayad set up Issa Khalil’s twisting 5-yard TD run for a 22-8 lead with 10:23 left to play.

Khaleefah might not keep track of his pancake blocks, but there is something he does count.

“I did have a sack, which is my first of the season, which I’m really proud of,” he said. “It was awesome. This is my first year playing defense. It’s hard to work those moves, but I finally got it down.”

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

The Dearborn high school band takes the field before Dearborn’s 22-8 win over Romulus Friday in Dearborn.

Adrian Lenawee Christian 40, Detroit Cesar Chavez 30: Nathan Muscat was 28-for-58 passing for 385 yards and six total touchdowns, four passing and two rushing, for Cesar Chavez (2-3). Anthony Turner caught 16 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Lenawee Christian is 3-2.

Allen Park 14, Gibraltar Carlson 6: Ryan Fish rushed 16 times for 65 yards and two touchdowns for Allen Park (5-0). Matt Arnoldy secured two tackles and two interceptions. Reid Paffhausen had eight tackles.

Belleville 49, Dearborn Heights Robichaud 0: Khalid Crawford had 66 yards rushing with one touchdown for Belleville (3-2). Kyrie Boatman led the defense with eight tackles, one fumble recovery and two tackles for loss.

Birmingham Groves 36, Birmingham Seaholm 0: Bo Kewley completed 7 of 11 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown for Groves (5-0, 3-0 OAA White). Ernest Allen rushed 17 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Collin Heard added 54 yards rushing, one touchdown and a 43-yard interception return. Ryan Flaherty secured a team-high six tackles.

Canton 21, Plymouth 14: Zach Beadle totaled nine carries for 94 yards and one touchdown for Plymouth while Darius Timmons rushed for 22 yards and a score.

Carson City-Crystal 58, Ashley 18: Crystal’s Drew Stout was 20 of 36 for 316 yards and two touchdowns, as well as rushed 34 times for 252 yards and four more touchdowns. Bretten Stanley had six catches for 101 yards and a score. Daniel Smith led the defense with 15 tackles. Crystal improves to 4-1.

Clinton Township Clintondale 48, Harper Woods 18: Deonte Higgins completed 4 of 5 passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Higgins returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown. Gleo Wade rushed for a touchdown and secured eight tackles. Seth Maisano added six tackles. Clintondale improves to 2-3.

• Other Michigan high school football scores

Dearborn 28, Romulus 8: Mikey Philips went 16 of 22 for 150 yards and a touchdown for Dearborn (4-1). Hussain Hannawi had 110 yards rushing and a touchdown. Lyth Shalhaut had eight tackles, one sack and one interception to lead the defense.

Dearborn Edsel Ford 40, Livonia Clarenceville 0: Jonte Dorsey finished with nine rushes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Bates rushed seven times for 61 yards and a touchdown. Will Marano rushed six times for 57 yards and a touchdown. Edsel Ford moves to 3-2.

Dearborn Fordson 45, Redford Thurston 6: Hamze Elzayat had 73 passing yards and 183 yards rushing with three touchdowns for Fordson (6-0). Aziz Alhanek had 132 yards total and one touchdown. Khaled Elhaj had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown. Thurston is 3-2.

Detroit Collegiate Prep 37, Detroit CMA 6: Everett Hart had nine carries for 138 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard kick return for a touchdown, for Collegiate Prep (1-4). Jalen Williams had a 70-yard touchdown reception. Dominique Fuller had an interception return for a 40-yard touchdown. Delvon Wells made 13 tackles, had three sacks as well as two forced fumbles. CMA is 0-5.

Detroit Consortium 40, Detroit DEPSA 28: Kyron Williams had 21 carries for 198 yards and four touchdowns for Consortium (2-3). Dennis Smith made nine tackles, and had a 73-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Trae Harper made 14 tackles and had three sacks. DEPSA is 3-2.

Detroit Denby 22, Detroit Central 14: Dontae Calhoun had 19 carries for 137 yards rushing and one touchdown for Denby (4-1). He also threw a touchdown pass. Tonato Tutt added 74 yards receiving with one touchdown.

Detroit King 46, Detroit Osborn 0: Dequan Finn completed 6-of-8 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns, and he rushed for another score for King (5-0, 4-0 PSL). Ambry Thomas had three catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Jaeveyon Morton secured five tackles, one sack and returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown. Cepeda Phillips wrapped up 11 tackles and Damani Green added two sacks and recovered a fumble for a touchdown.

Detroit Mumford 18, Detroit Cody 12 (3OT): Brandon Green secured 13 tackles and three sacks for Mumford (4-1, 3-0 PSL). Aaron Woods added 10 tackles, one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Cerell Lewis carried the ball 18 times for 104 yards and a touchdown. Cody slips to 3-2.

Detroit Western 14, Detroit Renaissance 0: Derrick Corbin went 9 of 16 with 164 passing yards and two touchdowns for Western (4-1). Matthew Anderson had an interception for Western. Renaissance is now 2-3.

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern 26, Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg 23: Caden Peters led Forest Hills (2-3) with 99 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Ben Armbrester and Key Alward each grabbed three catches and a touchdown. Bennet VanSolkema was 7-for-13 for 159 yards and two scores. Ryan Roth led the defense with seven and a half tackles. Middleville falls to 0-5.

• Dearborn runs over Romulus, 22-8
• Tocco kicks Utica Eisenhower past Romeo, 16-14
• Grosse Pointe North tops South, 8-4

Livonia Stevenson 49, Plymouth Salem 32: Parker Graham rushed 24 times for 192 yards and two touchdowns for Stevenson (3-2, 1-1 KLAA Central). Ian Knoph added three catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. Josh Page secured five solo tackles, three assists, 1.5 sacks, and a forced-fumble recovery for a touchdown. Salem slips to 2-3.

Mendon 18, White Pigeon 7: Corbin Weinburg and Wyatt Cool both rushed for touchdowns for Mendon (3-1). Cole Grant scored the lone touchdown for White Pigeon (1-4).

Monroe Jefferson 28, Riverview 8: Nick Humphrey had 14 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns for Jefferson (2-3, 2-2 Huron). Brandon Sovey had 13 carries for 163 yards and one touchdown. Zach Warlick had nine carries for 37 yards and one touchdown for Riverview (1-4, 1-3).

Muskegon 66, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 0: Kalil Pimpleton scored four touchdowns — three rushing and one on a punt return. Ali’vonta Wallace picked off three passes and scored a touchdown.

Novi 35, South Lyon 21: Trayveon Maddox had six receptions for 77 yards and three touchdowns for Novi (3-2, 2-0 KLAA Central). Alec Bageris went 14-of-22 for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Carlos Zoratti went 10 of 23 for 161 yards and one touchdown. He also added two rushing touchdowns in the loss for South Lyon (2-3, 1-1 KLAA Central).

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 14, Warren De La Salle 7: Rashawn Allen had 29 carries for 169 yards and two touchdowns for St. Mary’s (3-2, 2-0 Catholic League). Cordell Tanninghille recorded a one-yard touchdown run for De La Salle (2-3, 0-2) in the loss.

Oxford 28, Farmington 21: Oxford snapped a three-game losing streak as the result of a Campbell Coker sack and subsequent forced fumble, which was recovered and then returned for a 15-yard, go-ahead touchdown by Ethan Williams. Williams was responsible for all four Oxford scores.

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 35, Detroit Public Safety Academy 0: Eli McLean went 2-of-4 with 41 yards and two touchdowns and also had three rushes for 98 yards for Prep (4-1). Zach Atkins had eight rushes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Joe Mervenne had 10 carries for 75 yards and one touchdown.

Royal Oak Shrine 35, Madison Heights Bishop Foley 7: Dan Ramano racked up 123 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns for Shrine (4-1). Asher Smith went 8 of 14 passing for 141 yards and one touchdown. Alex Dixon threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Nolan Gerds for the lone score for Foley (2-3).

St. Clair 71, St. Clair Shores South Lake 48: Datrell Milling was 19-for-28 passing for 358 yards and four touchdowns for South Lake (3-2). Jerrod Vines caught 11 balls for 293 yards and two touchdowns. Lance Mitchell had 12 carries for 142 yards and one touchdown. St. Clair is 3-2.

Trenton 31, Woodhaven 28: Connor Charping had 17 carries for 131 yards and two touchdowns for Trenton (5-0) while throwing for another 190 yards. Kenny Styles caught six receptions for 126 yards.

Utica Ford 54, Roseville 26: Noah Heide completed 14-of-17 passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns for Utica Ford (1-4, 0-2 MAC White). Kenyatte Bryon rushed for one touchdown and received two more. Ricky Morgan added 148 yards on 16 rushes. Alex Bogan led the team with five tackles, including one safety.

Walled Lake Western 40, Waterford Kettering 21: Jamon Benson rushed for 61 yards and two touchdowns for Western (5-0). Cody White totaled three catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. John Tracy passed 12-of-17 for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Cam Ford had three catches for 98 yards and one touchdown. Jalen Marshall rushed for 58 yards and a score. Matt Alati blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a score. Kettering slips to 1-4.

Warren Cousino 35, Utica 28: Ben Maleszyk was 17-for-24 passing for 210 yards and three total touchdowns — one passing and two rushing — for Cousino (4-1). Karry DeBose had 18 carries for 126 yards and two total touchdowns, including one of each the passing and the rushing variety. Utica is 2-3.

Warren Mott 42, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 24: Andre Chandler had six catches for 168 yards for Mott (5-0, 3-0 MAC Red). Jayvon Wilson rushed 16 times for 110 yards. Cortland Cross scored two touchdowns on the ground. James Warner secured nine tackles, two of which were for loss. Chippewa Valley slips to 2-3.

Preps!

Brighton’s players rushed the field four times before they could officially celebrate an unlikely 20-19 upset win over eighth-ranked and host Grand Blanc on Friday.

The Bobcats (4-1) had the ball, nursing a 19-17 lead with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. But Brighton’s defense stepped up and stripped a Grand Blanc ball carrier, allowing Jack Aigner to fall on the fumble.

The Bulldogs (4-1) put together one final drive, converting on two fourth downs, to get into field goal range, where Rudy Ramirez booted in a 35-yard kick.

Their defense had to step up once again. Grand Blanc, with two seconds left, heaved a Hail Mary into the end zone and drew a pass interference call. The ball moved up to the 25, where the Bobcats got one final untimed down.

“They got to take another shot, but we got pressure on the QB and caused a bad pass,” said Brighton coach Brian Lemons.

“Game over. That last two and half minutes were some of the most exciting football I’ve been a part of. Our kids rushed the field four times because there were four times they thought the game was over.”

Grand Blanc took the lead 19-10 with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Brighton responded with a 7-yard TD rush by Luke Helwing, then got the big fumble recovery.

“I’ve been a part of a lot of games where, in the last three minutes where people say to strip the ball, (a comeback) never happens,” Lemons said. “It’s happened to me with other teams against me a couple of times, but we’re never done it.

“Bam! We got the ball back and with more than enough time to get into field goal range. We didn’t hit the panic button.”

Field goal kicking has been key for the Bulldogs, especially with how well Ramirez, who had a 46-yarder in the first half, has kicked.

“In my experience, I’ve had good kickers every year,” Lemons said. “Our special teams coach does a good job coaching these guys up.

“As soon as you get passed the 40-yard line, you know you’re getting points. You’re not thinking, ‘How do I convert a fourth down at the 25?”

Friday, Sept. 23 Michigan high school football scores

Preps!

Connor Charpring wasn’t going to let his old buddies beat him Friday.

The quarterback led seventh-ranked Trenton to a 31-28 comeback win over Woodhaven, the same city he grew up playing youth football in, by tossing a game-winning touchdown pass with 11 seconds left.

The Trojans (5-0) drew up a play for their tight end to catch the ball in the middle of the field, but their offensive line’s protection busted. Charpring improvised instead, scrambling around until he hit Evan Berry with a difficult pass in the left corner of the end zone.

“Conner does a nice job keeping the ball alive for us with his scramble,” Trenton coach Bob Czarnecki said. “It was a good ending.”

Charpring, who finished with 199 yards passing and two TDs, found Kenny Styles with a pass for the two-point conversion that put Trenton ahead by three.

The Trojans had trailed, 21-14, at halftime, and that quickly turned into a two-touchdown deficit early in the third quarter.

However, they railed off 17 unanswered points to end the game.

“When we went down two touchdowns, that was an opportunity for our kids to make excuses,” Czarnecki said. “It just made them play harder.”

Charpring also rushed for 105 yards rushing and two TDs for the Trojans.

“It was a shame somebody had to lose that game,” Czarnecki said. “The Woodhaven game has turned into a competitive, well-fought rivalry.

“A lot of our kids played together in Little League. Connor played in Woodhaven. After the game, as heartbreaking as it was, they were able to hug some of their buddies who played baby ball with them.”

Friday, Sept. 23 Michigan high school football scores

Detroit Cass Tech’s Donovan Peoples-Jones returned an interception and a fumble for touchdowns against Detroit East English, Saturday, Sept. 23.

While the recruiting process continues to heat up for Detroit Cass Tech seniors Donovan Peoples-Jones and Jaylen Kelly-Powell, their play on the field Saturday afternoon was scorching in the Technicians’ 56-16 victory over visiting Detroit East English Village.

Peoples-Jones was simply spectacular. He had punt returns of 39 and eight yards in the first half. He drew two pass interference penalties in the first half — and then had the two best plays of the game.

Playing defensive back, People-Jones caught a fumbled pass reception in mid-air and returned it 64 yards for a TD. Then, with the Bulldogs trying to run out the clock, he scooped up a Delvin Washington fumble and raced 39 yards for his second TD in less than two minutes to give Cass Tech a 42-8 lead.

He also caught a 17-yard pass on a slant pattern to get the Technicians’ passing game going.

“We have to get better,” Peoples-Jones said. “Teams aren’t going to allow us to blow them out with a start like that. We have to get back to the drawing board and get better this week.”

Detroit King is coming to Cass Tech next week, so the postgame message was clear.

“We haven’t lost here in a while,” Peoples-Jones said. “King’s our rival. That’s who we get prepared for.”

► Related: Detroit King’s Dequan Finn, Ambry Thomas put on an air show

When Peoples-Jones is running in full stride, he makes everyone else look like they’re running in mud. He also was running after the game to Ann Arbor for the Michigan-Penn State game.

“I’ll be at Michigan (Saturday),” he said. “On Oct. 7, I’m taking an official visit to Florida. Anything else I’ll let people know via twitter.”

People-Jones said he’d like to make a decision by the end of the season so he’ll be able to enroll in January. MSU and U-M are pushing hard for his services.

Like Peoples-Jones, Kelly-Powell would like to make a decision by season’s end so he can enroll in the winter semester.

“I love my teammates and I love being here, but I’m looking forward to the next step,” said Kelly-Powell, a defensive back by trade.

Kelly-Powell had a 22-yard run which set up a touchdown, and caught a break when he blitzed and the receiver he lined up against scored only to have the play called back because of an illegal procedure penalty.

He also scored on an eight-yard TD run to start the second half to make it 49-8.

Both Peoples-Jones and Kelly-Powell are highly-rated recruits drawing national attention. Former Cass Tech running back Mike Weber was in attendance Saturday volleying for Ohio State, which had a bye week.

“I don’t have any visits coming up right now,” said Kelly-Powell. “Right now I’m just trying to focus on the games. We have King coming up.”

Kelly-Powell said he has three more official visits left, but hasn’t decided which schools he’ll visit.

Friday, Sept. 23 Michigan high school football scores

Detroit King’s Ambry Thomas celebrates his touchdown against Southfield A&T during King’s 39-0 win Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016 at Wayne State.

Thanks to ball security, Detroit King’s offense is taking flight.

The Crusaders (No. 2 in Division 2) shut out Detroit Osborn, 46-0, Friday night, relying on quarterback Dequan Finn, who was 6 of 8 passing for 181 yards and four touchdowns. Finn has thrown only two interceptions for King (5-0).

“Our QB has been playing fairly well the first five weeks,” King coach Tyrone Spencer said. “He’s taking care of the ball. We put a heavy emphasis on it in practice. We just do a good job of making sure it’s important.

“The things you stress are important to the kids, and they’ll definitely do what you ask them to do. We just make sure we cover it.”

Finn threaded three passes to four-star recruit Ambry Thomas, who finished with 143 yards and two TDs receiving.

Sophomore receiver Darrell Wyatt reeled in a 55-yard TD catch for a Crusaders team that focused on playing mistake-free.

“In the passing game, it’s just making sure you take what the defense gives you,” Spencer said. “We’re not trying to do a whole lot of stuff. We’re not trying to do too much.

“We just want to make sure whatever is that there we take it. We don’t want to force anything. That’s when mistakes happen.”

Kevin Willis and Jaylen Wilson combined for 150 yards rushing.

Friday, Sept. 23 Michigan high school football scores

Preps!

Millington finally did it.

When Bryce Bearss threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Kohlton Sherman early in the fourth quarter, Millington accomplished something none of Frankenmuth’s first four opponents had been able to do.

“That was the first touchdown,” Frankenmuth coach Phil Martin said, “that hasn’t been scored on our defense in the last couple of minutes of the fourth quarter.”

That pretty much sums up the Frankenmuth defense this season, as well as Friday night in its dominating 24-7 victory in one of the state’s biggest matchups. The Eagles suffocated a Millington offense which had averaged over 45 points a game in earning the No. 1 spot in the Division 6 rankings.

“I don’t know that they ever got in rhythm on offense,” Martin said. “We went into the game trying to take away the run game first, not to let them be a balanced offense, and make them throw to beat us and our front seven did a great job with that.”

Not only did the Frankenmuth defense take away the Cardinals running attack, it took away all hope of ever moving the ball on the ground or through the air.

Seven times Frankenmuth sacked the Millington quarterback, and Millington wound up with minus-three yards rushing after subtracting the sack yardage.

“Our kids just executed the plan like no other, I guess you could say,” Martin said. “Our down-three did a great job demanding double-teams and that’s what allowed our linebackers and defensive ends to have the game they did.”

Frankenmuth rotates six players at the three interior line spots, and their play permitted Dan Stone to record nine tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss.

Stone, 6-feet-4, 220-pounds, spent Saturday at Michigan State and next weekend will visit Western Michigan, but there is a catch.

“He was visiting for shot put, actually,” Martin said. “He was runner-up in the state last year in the shot put, so this wasn’t necessarily for football.”

Additionally, Stone punted five times for a 37-yard average (and almost no return yardage) to flip the field on several occasions.

“The way our defense played,” Martin said, “most of the time it was a field position game.”

Aaron Haubenstricker, the other defensive end, had two tackles for loss and a sack, and tackle Nate Lambeth added three tackles and three sacks.

Frankenmuth quarterback Jared Davis passed for 91 yards and was the game’s top ball carrier, netting 76 yards rushing. He scored the Eagles’ touchdowns on runs of 43, 14 and 23 yards.

Davis also shined on defense, contributing five tackles, including one for a loss.

“He’s probably, what I would say, is the guy that stirs the drink,” Martin said. “He’s the one that gets things going for us.”

Frankenmuth had everything going for it against Millington, which is why the Eagles are ranked No. 4 in Division 5.

“We look at it as a complete game,” Martin said. “We spend a lot of time on special teams setting up our offense. If you look at our drives this year, we’ve won the field position battle and offensively we’ve been able to take advantage of it.”

Precisely what the Eagles did in their dominant Week 5 performance.

“That doesn’t happen to Millington too often,” Martin said. “They’re a very, very good football team.”

He is right. Millington is very, very good.

And what does that make Frankenmuth?

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1

Friday, Sept. 23 Michigan high school football scores

Detroit Cass Tech’s Donovan Peoples-Jones returned an interception and a fumble for touchdowns against Detroit East English, Saturday, Sept. 23.

Detroit Cass Tech coach Thomas Wilcher was hot — and he had every reason to be.

Whether they were looking ahead to next week’s showdown with unbeaten Detroit King or were just plain lethargic, his Technicians didn’t look good early against visiting Detroit East English Village Saturday afternoon.

But that was before Donovan Peoples-Jones put on a show, helping Cass Tech (5-0, 1-0) roll up 35 points in the second quarter on the way to a 56-16 win.

“We had to get our bearings,” said Wilcher. “Every team is going to come out there very, very tough and very aggressive. We just have to make sure we’re able to maintain.”

Cass Tech’s offense got off to a rough start when quarterback Rodney Hall was tackled in the end zone for a safety with 7:01 left in the first quarter.

Then a heated Wilcher had to call a timeout when his punt return team was confused and didn’t have enough men on the field with 5:17 left in the first quarter.

“You have to be great on special teams’ ” said Wilcher. “Special teams are a very important part of the game.”

A high snap on the punt forced East English’s Desjuan Johnson to be tackled at his own 22. Then Peoples-Jones drew his second pass interference penalty, giving Cass Tech a first down at the Bulldogs’ one. Two plays later, Hall jogged into the end zone to give the home team a 7-2 lead.

East English had a 37-yard TD pass called back because of an illegal procedure penalty. Undaunted, 235-pound quarterback Delvin Washington scored from two yards out with 10:16 left in the first half to give the Bulldogs an 8-7 lead.

Donovan Johnson’s ensuing 70-yard kickoff return was called back because of holding. But Johnson made amends for that miscue, scoring from 35 yards out up the middle of the Bulldogs defense to make it 14-8.

The Technicians had finally found their footing, marching 44 yards and using a 22-yard run by Jaylen Kelly-Powell to set up Charles Highbaugh five-yard TD run to make it 21-8 with 5:37 left in the first half.

Johnson tacked on his second TD of the half from 23 yards out to make it 28-8.

Peoples-Jones then made the play of the game when the ball bounced off a Bulldogs receiver and into his arms. After stopping for a split-second, 64 yards later he was in the end zone for a 35-8 lead.

To put a cap on his big first half, Peoples-Jones then scooped up a Washington fumble and raced 39 yards for his second score in a two-minute span.

“We were in two-deep and I was running to get to the ball,” said Peoples-Jones. “I saw the ball come up in the air. I caught it. I didn’t know it was a live play. Coach told me to go and I ran it in. On the fumble recovery, the big quarterback ran in the hole and somebody got a good strip on him. I just saw the ball and picked it up.”

Things didn’t get better for East English after halftime, as the Bulldogs lost a fumble on the opening kickoff, and Cass Tech’s Kelly-Powell quickly scored on an eight-yard run.

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

Friday, Sept. 23 Michigan high school football scores

Mylan Hicks

Former Detroit Renaissance High and Michigan State football player Mylan Hicks was killed in Canada, according to reports.

Hicks, 23, was playing for the Calgary Stampede of the Canadian Football League. He played safety and linebacker for the Spartans from 2010-14.

MSU coach Mark Dantonio tweeted Sunday morning: “Our thoughts and prayers are with The Mylan Hicks family, as well as his extended Spartan Family, as we learn of this tragic loss. #RIP6”

Our thoughts and prayers are with The Mylan Hicks family, as well as his extended Spartan Family, as we learn of this tragic loss. #RIP6

—
Mark Dantonio (@DantonioMark) September 25, 2016

Hicks is the second member of MSU’s 2013 Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl team to die this year. Punter Mike Sadler was killed along with Nebraska punter Sam Foltz in an auto accident on July 23 near Waukesha, Wis.

• MSU honors Sadler with logo at Spartan Stadium

CBC News reported that Hicks was shot outside Marquee Beer Market nightclub in Calgary around 2:30 a.m. Calgary Police Insp. Don Coleman said at a news conference that the altercation began in the bar before moving outside where it escalated and ultimately led to Hicks being shot. Global News in Canada reported that there is no word yet on what prompted the shooting or whether Hicks was the intended victim.

Hicks reportedly was taken to Foothills hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Calgary police reportedly have three people of interest in custody, and it is being investigated by the homicide. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

According to Globe News, Coleman said there were other football players at the bar with Hicks, but it’s unclear whether they were part of the altercation.

“Mylan was a respected young man throughout his collegiate and professional careers,” Brian Ramsey of the CFL Players’ Association told Globe News. “As a member of the Calgary Stampeders, he was just starting to establish himself amongst his teammates, coaches and fans in the city. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mylan’s family, friends, teammates and the Calgary Stampeders organization during this extremely difficult time.”

Stampeders mourn the death of Mylan Hicks → ow.ly/vYBO304xxMe https://t.co/e6b7DHkg7s

—
Calgary Stampeders (@calstampeders) September 25, 2016

Josh Bell, one of Hicks’ teammates in Calgary, told reporters he was with Hicks at the bar early Sunday morning to celebrate the Stampeders’ Saturday afternoon win over Winnipeg but did not see the shooting. Bell called Hicks “family” and said the team is hurting and shaken by his death.

“I lost my little brother today,” said Bell, who added that he would take Hicks to movies or dinner once a week. “I feel like to a degree I’m a father figure because I’m the old man on the team, so I lost a son today. Just in reflection, it kind of hits you. That could’ve been me last night, and I have a wife and a son and a little one on the way.”

Hicks had 27 tackles in 32 career games for MSU and earned his psychology degree in psychology in August 2014, before his final season. He received the team’s Biggie Munn Award that fall as the Spartans’ most inspirational defensive player and had a career-high four tackles in their 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic win over Baylor.

Darien Harris, one of Hicks’ former teammates and fellow linebackers at MSU, tweeted: “God I know you are all knowing & make no mistakes but please just help us to understand why. RIP to my brother Mylan @AlmightyLO6 #6Forever”

God I know you are all knowing & make no mistakes but please just help us to understand why. RIP to my brother Mylan @AlmightyLO6 #6Forever

—
Darien Harris (@DHarris_45) September 25, 2016

Hicks had 27 tackles in 32 career games for MSU and earned his psychology degree in psychology in August 2014, before his final season. He received the team’s Biggie Munn Award that fall as the Spartans’ most inspirational defensive player and had a career-high four tackles in their 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic win over Baylor.

A two-year starter for coach Antonio Watts at Renaissance, Hicks had 44 tackles and four interceptions as a senior in the fall of 2009. The 5-foot-11, 199-pound Hicks signed to the Stampeders’ practice squad in May after being released by the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL.

“The loss of this 23-year-old young man at this stage of his life and his career is an unfathomable tragedy,” Ken King, president and CEO of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, said in the release. “Our sympathies to Mylan’s family and to the Stampeders family of players, coaches and staff.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free onAppleandAndroiddevices!

Several former Michigan State coaches and teammates tweeted after learning of Hicks’ death.

Rest peacefully to my brother @AlmightyLO6....watch over me bro. This hard for me right now man 😓

—
Lawrence Thomas (@LawrenceLThomas) September 25, 2016

I'm sick man...smh. RIP #6, we'll all miss you brotha @AlmightyLO6 😞

—
Matt Macksood (@MattMacksood) September 25, 2016

Sick of losing brothers 😔... love you big dawg @AlmightyLO6 #RIP6

—
Christopher Laneaux (@C_Laneaux14) September 25, 2016

Always tried to get @AlmightyLO6 to smile by calling him Smilin Mylan. No doubt he's above smiling down on us… twitter.com/i/web/status/7…

—
Mike Vorkapich (@CoachVork) September 25, 2016

Another Spartan Dawg gone way too soon man 😞 #RIP6 @AlmightyLO6

—
Tyriq Thompson (@TyriqThompson17) September 25, 2016

Preps!

The way Chris Jakubik looks at it, he was just filling his role.

The Novi Detroit Catholic Central safety got a hand in front of Mariano Valenti’s fourth-down pass intended for Kyle Livingway in the end zone. Jakubik’s batdown was the climax to the second overtime and preserved a thrilling 28-21 victory for the Shamrocks over their arch-rival, Birmingham Brother Rice.

“We were in man (pass coverage) and I stayed on my guy,” he said. “That’s all I had to do, stay on my guy and I did my job. I trusted everyone else that they would do their job and I did mine, and we got the win. It was a great team win.”

Brother Rice worked back from a 14-0 first half deficit and took its only lead, 21-14 in the first overtime when Valenti found Matthew Jordan in the back of the end zone.

But Catholic Central equaled the score when Cameron Ryan burst into the end zone on fourth-and-inches.

The Shamrocks got the eventual game-winner on the first play of the second overtime. Quarterback Austin Brown rolled out left and found no room to run, reversed direction and scrambled right. Eventually, he found Matt Young unguarded in the end zone, and his pass was right on target.

“Coach told me run it, and obviously I tried that but it was not there,” Brown said. “I tried making a play out of it. I knew Young was going out and my eyes lit up when he was open. To be honest, I knew he would be open because we haven’t looked at him all year, and they weren’t scouting that, so I knew there was a chance he would be open.”

The Shamrocks took control in the first half, jumping out to a 14-0 lead on rushing touchdowns by Nick Capatina and Ryan.

But Brother Rice shut down the Shamrock running attack in the second half, and came up with big plays in each of the last two quarters to equal the score. Valenti hit Jordan for a 3-yard touchdown pass in the third, and Marcellus Gaines got the equalizer with 5 minutes left in regulation on a 2-yard burst.

“Rice came to play,” Brown said. “We gave it to them in the first quarter but then we kind of laid down. We ended up pulling through as a team and it was a good win. It was crazy.”

“They had nothing to lose, we had everything to lose,” Young said. “They just made big plays and we had to respond. In overtime, that’s where we stepped up.”