Games of the Week Preview: Hillsdale hosts Ida and Jonesville takes on Addison

HILLSDALE COUNTY — Week 5 of the high school football season looks to match up new conference foes and set-in-stone rivals. Every season, we choose one week to host two matchups as our doubleheader Games of the Week.

Week 4: Prep Football Top Performers; Vote for the Cottage Inn Pizza Player of the Week

This year, Jonesville looks to pull off a home upset against the undefeated Addison football team. Just a few minutes south, Hillsdale hosts the Ida football team for a LCAA rivalry showdown. The four teams have shown a knack for turning their contests against each other into barnburners.

This is our breakdown of each game, which player to watch on each squad and our predictions for each matchup.

Addison (4-0) at Jonesville (1-3)

The 1-3 Jonesville Comets won their first Cascades conference matchup and their first win of the season in Week 4 against the Hanover-Horton Comets.

Catch up on Week 4: Jonesville and Reading football get their first wins of the 2023 season

The Addison Panthers are currently ranked seventh overall in the latest Michigan High School Associated Press rankings for Division 8. The Panthers are also the highest scoring offense in the state.

Yes, the Panthers have averaged 55 points per game over their first four matchups of the 2023 season, better than any team from 11-player divisions all the way up to 1.

This year marks the first time both teams will meet as members of the Cascades West Division. We envision a rivalry brewing between these two programs for years to come and will start with this Week 5 matchup.

What's at stake for the Comets in this matchup? A win gives the Comets quality playoff points and a big upset to hang their hats on for the rest of the season ahead. It could spark an end-of-season run that gives the Comets a winning season and may give them enough cushion that they could drop another contest and still be in the playoffs.

A loss will set the Comets back in their hunt for a winning season and a playoff berth. They would have to win each of their final four games in order to earn their way into the 2023 tournament. That would include a looming matchup against the Division 7 No. 10 ranked Pewamo-Westphalia Pirates.

There's no denying that coach Frank Keller and the Comets will need to play their best game yet this season in every facet of the game. The keys to victory for the Comets will be simple on paper.

First, they must shut down the straight-T offense of the Panthers. Part of the Panther success this season has been due to their ability to break away big gains on consecutive plays. That starts with running back Spencer Brown. Jonesville's linebackers will be very busy Friday night flowing to the football and preventing running lanes from opening.

One of the key players to watch in that regard will be senior Austin Bowers. The senior linebacker has led the Comets in tackles two weeks in a row. He was a large part in helping Jonesville earn their first win of the season. He will have one of the largest responsibilities of any Comet player this Friday night.

The other key to victory will be to target the Panther defense in ways they might not expect. The Comets have leaned on their ground game through four matchups so far this season. The Comets have done a strong job the past few seasons balancing their offensive attack when they need to.

The Comets will have to strike the Panthers for big plays if they want to send Addison home with their first loss of the season. That will start with our other player to watch this Friday: quarterback Connor VanBuskirk.

VanBuskirk is coming off his best game as a starter for the Jonesville Comets. He had over 200 yards passing and two touchdowns. He also added two touchdowns on the ground.

Prediction: On paper, this may be the best team the Comets have faced all season, but they are a much different squad compared to the one that started the season off with a loss to Hillsdale on their home turf. Addison heads into hostile territory and may face the best opponent yet on their schedule this season.

This division matchup may end up closer than expected. We have to pick the Comets for the major upset on Friday night. WCSR’s own Andy Brown and Brad Felix will be on the broadcast live for this game at 92.1.

Jonesville 35, Addison 30

Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news and high school sports content.

Ida (1-3) at Hillsdale (1-3)

It is the middle of the season, and the stakes couldn't be any higher for these two 1-3 LCAA prep football teams. Both Hillsdale and Ida earned their lone win so far in 2023 during Week 1.

Both teams decimated their opponents in nearly identical fashion; with Hillsdale defeating Jonesville 40-8 and Ida beating Grosse Ile 41-7.

Each team lost to a playoff contending opponent in Week 2. Each team has a double-digit loss to a conference opponent. They both lost by only two scores to the undefeated Hudson Tigers.

Week 4 Recap: Coach's Notebook: Week 4 notes and stats for each prep football game

The resumes for both programs this year could not be more identical, and both teams need a big Week 5 win to jumpstart their season at the halfway mark.

The Bluestreaks and Hornets like to play solid defense and run the football. The Hornets are looking to end a two-game losing streak to Ida over the past two seasons. Last year, the Hornets went on the road for a Game of the Week trip to Ida, where they fell in a 14-27 final.

This year, the Hornets will need to rely on their offensive a defensive line to shut down the Bluestreaks and earn their first conference win of the season.

Our first player to watch is John Petersen. The junior guard helped pave the way for a 300-yard rushing night in Week 4 against Blissfield. On defense, he added nine tackles for the Hornets.

Alongside Petersen will be our two other players to watch on the line: juniors Wyatt Wahtola and Wyatt Coshatt. Coshatt had another standout night in Week 4 with 10 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. Wahtola is the anchor of the Hornet line at the center position.

It will be up to the athletes in the trenches to get the job done clearing the way for running backs Stephen Petersen (probable) Jace Lennox and Hunter Wilson (probable). Other linemen looking to make contributions to the effort this Friday include senior Dre Fox, Joshua Herring, senior Jace Ringman (out), Logan Bayer, Brady Kast and Drayven Luke.

Tight ends and defensive linemen Brian Hulbert, Lane Pearson and Ethan Amburgey will also look to have an impact in this game.

Prediction: Hillsdale enter the matchup relatively healthy on the offensive line, the Hornets should prevail at home in a 50/50 tossup.

Hillsdale 20, Ida 18

No injuries were reported before the writing of this article and lists of players who are on watch lists for Game of the Week are subject to change with additional information.

For more sports, follow The Daily News Sports Account on X (formerly Twitter) and reporter Joe Flaherty on X

Story Suggestions: jflaherty@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Games of the Week Preview: Hillsdale hosts Ida and Jonesville takes on Addison