Checking in on the status of each 8-player prep football team after week 1
HILLSDALE — This week saw 8-player prep football start for Hillsdale County teams.
Three teams were able to find their way to victory on Friday and Saturday. Two others fell in their tough week one contests.
More: Litchfield QB Tyler Bills erupts once again, leads Terriers over Burr Oak
This is our first check-in of the 2023 season to find out how each team did and what lays ahead in week two of the high school football season.
Camden-Frontier
The Camden-Frontier varsity football team traveled to Bellevue for their opening game of the high school football season. Bellevue lost all nine games to enter 2023, but it looks like the Broncos put together a strong offseason as they took down C-F in a 36-16 final.
Coach Wickham and the rest of the CF football staff will be busy preparing their players to get ready for week two's contest against Battle Creek St. Phillip.
The biggest hurdle the team will face this week is that the contest is currently scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 30 at 6:30 p.m. With the weekend, CF will only two weekdays to prepare for the road trip.
Litchfield
The Litchfield Terriers hosted Burr Oak for their Military Appreciation Night. The Terrier offense that dominated their competition in 2022 came back with a vengeance in 2023, putting up 58 against an outmatched Burr Oak squad.
Head coach Michael Langhann entrusted the offense to senior quarterback Tyler Bills, who put on one of the most impressive performances of his career. However, everyone knew the Litchfield offense would be a threat to opposing teams.
The Terriers managed to give up more than 200 rushing yards to Burr Oak, but they found ways to keep them out of the endzone with successful turnover opportunities. The status of the defense will be the major question mark heading into their week two contest.
They travel to Adrian Lenawee Christian (Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.) for what might be their toughest game on the schedule.
North Adams-Jerome
The Rams fell in their week one contest to the Styker Panthers in a home contest. The 42-0 victory for the Panthers sets the Rams up for a chance to earn a bounce back performance in week two.
The Rams and junior athlete Will Thielen will take on the Pittsford Wildcats in the first matchup of county 8-player schools this season. Head coach Dave Price and the Rams will have to earn more experience on the offensive side of the ball to keep up with a Wildcat team that has managed to spread the ball out more this season.
The week two contest on Thursday, Aug. 31 (7 p.m. kickoff) will be the home opener for the Wildcats.
More: Pittsford football sends statement with victory over Athens
Pittsford
Speaking of the Wildcats, head coach Mike Burger got a perfect passing game from senior quarterback Gavyn Carden that helped lead Pittsford to victory in week one. Their 44-16 win over Athens provided the team a chance to open up their season against a tough opponent.
Gavyn Carden and Bryce Williams were the biggest story from their week one game. The offense will continue to develop and involve their other playmakers like Legend Gore and Anthony Governo as they welcome North Adams-Jerome to town for their home opener.
The Wildcats look primed to earn a 2-0 start to their season, but the biggest question will be if they can sustain the same defensive success week-in and week-out as their opponents become more dialed into what the Wildcats' tendencies are. They'll lean on senior Lane Lewis to lead the defensive group after a standout week one performance.
More from Week 1: Jace Lennox scores three times for Hillsdale football, Hornets roll Jonesville 40-8
Waldron
Head coach Anthony Roney and the Spartan football team may have had the most unique contest on the schedule for an 8-player school in Hillsdale County. The Spartans traveled far for their first game of the season to Lakeside Dansbury.
Each school did not know much about the other, which made for a classic back-and-forth battle for four quarters. Two two-point conversions in the first half would be the deciding factor in the 28-24 victory.
The biggest status change for the Spartans from 2022 to 2023 was the quarterback play from Sophomore Seth Williams. Williams completed 19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns. Seven of those catches and 107 yards went to his senior older brother: Sam Williams.
Defensively, stopping all four two-point conversions from Lakeside was key to earning the victory. Collin Williams led the team with 17 tackles; Sam Williams had 14.
"The boys showed their character," said coach Roney. "We have a lot of work up front to do, but I was very pleased that our boys played through adversity."
If the Williams brothers can prove the Spartans' passing attack wasn't a fluke, they'll have a strong opportunity to win their second game of the season this Thursday, Aug. 31 at Tekonsha (7 p.m. kickoff).
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: 8-player prep football recaps and things learned from week 1
