Week 8 prep football picks; Reading and Jonesville look for bounce back wins
HILLSDALE COUNTY — 11-player football teams fight to end their seasons on a winning note. 8-player football teams fight for playoff hopes. There's a lot happening in Week 8 for prep football in Hillsdale County.
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The biggest matchups of the week - Camden-Frontier at Litchfield and Pittsford at Lenawee Christian - will be the subjects of our Week 8 Games of the Week. Those games will be covered in our standalone preview feature.
Before diving into those games in Friday morning's print edition, lets preview the rest of the matchups in Hillsdale County on Oct. 13.
Week 7: Prep football top performers: Carden fuels Homecoming win, Bowles leads Hillsdale
Hillsdale (2-5) at Clinton (6-1)
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Hillsdale football looks to rebound after a 15-14 loss to Dundee that came down to the wire on a blocked field goal attempt. The Hornets head to Clinton High School on Friday the 13th looking to upset the AP D6 No. 6 Redwolves.
The Redwolves are looking to add more playoff points to their postseason portfolio before heading into the postseason. They finish their season with games at home against Hillsdale and D8 No. 3 Hudson.
Clinton's only loss of the season was to undefeated Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in a 37-21 final. The D5 No. 4 Fighting Irish just beat last year's Division 5 state champion Gladwin.
Clinton is the clear favorite heading into the matchup, but since 2020 the Hornets have given the Redwolves a fight in every game they have played.
Winner: Clinton 42, Hillsdale 20
Prep Sports: Kutter VanAken wins Week 6 Athlete of the Week; Vote for Week 7 here
Jonesville (2-5) at Homer (0-7)
Game Time: 7 p.m.
After playing in four straight postseasons, the Homer Trojans have struggled in their transition to the Cascades Conference this season. All three teams that entered the Cascades West Division this season are currently under .500.
Columbia Central beat Homer 24-13 in Week 7 to continue the Trojans' losing streak. They are at the bottom of the Cascades West Division standings at 0-3 on the season.
Jonesville is 2-5 but has a 2-1 league record for the 2023 season. The Comets have beaten Hanover-Horton and Columbia Central this season. Addison maintains the division lead at 4-0 and they are also undefeated at 7-0.
Jonesville has a chance to end their first Cascades season with a winning divisional record should they defeat the winless Trojans on Friday night. They will then play their comparable opponent in the Cascades East-West crossover game at the end of the season.
Winner: Jonesville 35, Homer 0
Erie Mason (3-4) at Reading (1-6)
Game Time: 7 p.m.
After losing three straight games, Erie Mason has come back to win two of their last three matchups by double digits. With games against Reading and Sand Creek to end their season, there's still an outside shot that Erie Mason can sneak their way back into the Division 7 playoffs.
Coach Rick Bailey and the Reading Rangers will have a chance to beat Erie Mason in their final home game of the season and end their postseason hopes.
Erie Mason senior Vaughn Brown is the quarterback and player to watch for Erie Mason. The Rangers will have limited player numbers for the rest of the season, but that shouldn't deter the Rangers from earning a win in their final home game of the season.
Winner: Reading 20, Erie Mason 12
North Adams-Jerome (0-7) at Waldron (2-5)
Game Time: 7 p.m.
North Adams-Jerome heads to Waldron this week looking for their first potential win of the 2023 season. Waldron football looks to end a four-game losing streak before the end of their season.
The Rams offense will be led by Will Thielen. Nolan Paradine and Carter Raider are other playmakers to keep an eye on. Thielen broke away for a 79-yard touchdown against 8-player D2 No. 1 ranked Lenawee Christian in Week 7.
The Spartan offense will be led by athlete Collin Williams. Williams has led the Spartans in both rushing and receiving this season. Senior Sam Williams will look to contribute defensively, and younger brother Seth Williams looks to end his sophomore season with strong numbers from the quarterback position.
The Spartans should have enough playmakers on both sides of the ball to escape with a home victory over a Rams team hungry for their first win.
Winner: Waldron 38, North Adams-Jerome 18
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This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Week 8 Hillsdale County prep football picks and predictions
