Michigan high school football: Game predictions for Week 4
Well, she finally did it. Mrs. SOS has left the Son of Swami.
Not only did she leave SOS, she left the country.
While most of you are wondering what took her so long, you should know that against the advice of her children, not to mention SOS, she is planning to return when she finishes the pilgrimage she is walking.
Mrs. SOS is walking the Camino de Santiago. Now, she isn’t walking the entire 500 miles, which was recently accomplished by our pastor at Cabrini, Fr. Tim Birney, the pride of Brother Rice.
Mrs. SOS is taking a 100 KM (62 miles) route. She flew in to Porto in Portugal and took a route that began in Vigo, Spain.
It is the shortest route you can take and still count as walking the Camino and receive a Compostela Certificate.
Of course you are likely wondering why SOS isn’t accompanying Mrs. SOS on this journey? Simple, it’s football season.
Who would be left to do SOS’s weekly ranking and make his idiotic picks if SOS was in Europe, walking uphill the entire way?
In his place, Mrs. SOS convinced former college classmate Cathy (Baksa) Buller to accompany her on this boondoggle.
Son of SOS, PhD, did a good portion of this walk several years ago and it wasn’t a picnic. He stayed in hostels, slept in bunk beds and washed his laundry in a sink.
That is not the case with Mrs. SOS, whose definition of roughing it is a hotel room without two bathrobes and heated toilet seats.
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After her first day on the trail, Mrs. SOS stayed in a house that has seven apartments with a washer/dryer they could access for free. The joint also has a swimming pool.
We’re talking a five-star situation. Nothing but the best for Mrs. SOS. SOS is even footing the bill for a company to pick up Mrs. SOS’s baggage each day and transport it to her next stop.
Each day Mrs. SOS sends the SOS family texts detailing the walk, but never actually mentions the walk. She goes on and on about all the food she is eating ... monk fish, octopus, calamari, garlic mushrooms and so on.
She should be filming this so she could give Rick Steves a run for his money with her TV show: “Mrs. SOS Eats Her Way Through the Camino de Santiago.”
While there are many starting points to the walk, everyone winds up at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain.
Mrs. SOS is scheduled to reach there next week. SOS makes it a 50/50 proposition that she returns to lovely Allen Park.
Until then, here are SOS’s picks in this week’s top games.
MICK MCCABE: 2 QBs are one too many? Not for East Grand Rapids and its substitution system
Game predictions
All games Friday at 7 p.m. unless noted.
Caledonia (3-0) at Rockford (3-0): This is the revenge game to end all revenge games. Rockford had dominated Caledonia seven straight times, including a 38-15 victory in Week 9 last season. But the Fighting Scots turned around and two weeks later knocked off Rockford, 14-13, in the district final on their way to the D-1 championship game. Caledonia is in D-2 this season so this will be the only meeting. The Rams want to make it count. Rockford Files 24, Caledonian Sleeper 21.
West Bloomfield (3-0) at Lake Orion (3-0): Both teams are rolling. We’re not surprised by the Lakers at 3-0, but Lake Orion? SOS knows Lake Orion’s Billy Roberson is an excellent running back, but which running back in these United States can run the ball effectively against Brandon Swain-Davis and the West Bloomfield defense? That’s where QB Tristan Hill needs to come up big for the Dragons and open up the passing game. West Broomfield 31, Lake O’Ryan 27.
Muskegon (1-2) at Muskegon Mona Shores (2-1): The dynamic of the Mona Shores offense has changed. With Jonathan Pittman running the show, the Sailors appear to be more of a power team, grinding out possessions instead of airing it out. The Big Reds, on the other hand, are still a running team and with quarterback M’Khi Guy and running backs Jakob Price and Destin Piggee, so why not? The difference is Muskegon scoring drives are about three plays long. Muskie’s Gone 37, Mona!!! 26.
Warren De La Salle (2-1) at Toledo Central Catholic (4-0): This is quite a matchup between defending state champions and should decide the Central Division title. De La Salle won the Division 2 state title in Michigan; CC won the Division II title in Ohio. La Salle lost a tough opener at Davison while CC has been steamrolling through the Central Division, dominating Birmingham Brother Rice, 33-7, and Novi Detroit Catholic Central, 42-21. The La Salle defense will need to stop CC’s Marquan Braswell from dominating the game. The Other CC 28, De La Slappy 20.
Detroit Cass Tech (1-2) at Detroit King (1-2), Friday, 7:30: All is now right with the world. After King and Cass each opened the season with two demoralizing losses apiece, both teams bounced back in a big way with lopsided victories last week in the PSL opener. This is the biggest game in the PSL each year and this will be no exception. King is trying to replace graduated quarterback Dante Moore, who started for UCLA last weekend. Cass is trying to get sophomore Corey Sadler comfortable at QB. Momma Cass 23, King of the Hill 20.
Mick McCabe (err, Son of Swami) is a former longtime columnist for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at mick.mccabe11@gmail.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @mickmccabe1.
Order his book, “Mick McCabe’s Golden Yearbook: 50 Great Years of Michigan’s Best High School Players, Teams & Memories,” now at McCabe.PictorialBook.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan high school football: Game predictions for Week 4
