Week 9 Picks: Comets seek revenge against Michigan Center; Pittsford hosts No. 3 Panthers
HILLSDALE COUNTY — The regular season finale is here. Several Hillsdale County football teams will be turning in their equipment after this Friday night's matchups. At least one team has locked up a playoff spot but has to face another top 5 state ranked matchup to end their season. Another team fights for their playoff hopes in a favorable matchup.
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This week's Game of the Week will feature the Hillsdale Hornets in their home Senior Night finale against the Onsted Wildcats. That game will be previewed in our Game of the Week breakdown. Here are our picks and predictions for the seven other matchups that will take place in Week 9.
Lakeside Danbury, OH (2-5) at Camden-Frontier (5-3)
Coach Rob Wickham and the Camden-Frontier football team look to make the postseason for the second year in a row with a potential win on Friday night at home against Lakeside Danbury.
Camden-Frontier sits 15th in the 8-player D2 playoff points race. There's a a small chance a win may not be enough to seal their playoff hopes, but a loss would surely eliminate them from the postseason tournament.
They have a favorable matchup against Danbury. The team has lost by double digits in each of their seven defeats this season. They lost their opener to 2-7 Waldron, a team Camden-Frontier decimated 48-14 in Week 7. This should be a win for Camden-Frontier and potentially a lock for the postseason tournament.
Winner: Camden-Frontier 40, Lakeside Danbury 8
Jonesville (3-5) at Michigan Center (6-2)
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Michigan Center managed to climb back after losing a shutout game to Jackson Lumen Christi in Week 1. The 6-2 Cardinals have only lost to AP D7 No. 2 Lumen Christi and No. 3 Napoleon this season.
The Cardinals took second in the Cascades East Division, which gives them the opportunity to host the Cascades East-West crossover game against Jonesville.
Jonesville finished second in the West behind undefeated Addison. The Comets and Cardinals met in Week 2 of the regular season in a 35-22 Cardinal victory.
Jonesville's offense looks to operate as a run-first unit, and they will need big games from playmakers Carson Playford and John Milks in order to knock off the Cardinals in their final game of the regular season.
Jonesville has drastically improved since losing their first three games of 2023. Their only losses since Week 4 have come to top 10 ranked opponents in Division 7 and 8. The Jonesville team of Week 9 can take down the Cardinals on the road if they can control time of possession.
Winner: Jonesville 28, Michigan Center 24
Litchfield (4-4) at Bellevue (4-3)
Terrier coach Michael Langhann looks to lead Litchfield football to their second winning season in a row for the first time since the 1993-95 seasons.
Standing in their way is a road trip to the Bellevue Broncos. After a disastrous 0-9 2022 season, the Broncos on knocking on the doors of a playoff berth. Bellevue will need help to play their way into the playoff picture, but it starts with taking down the Terriers on their home turf.
Langhann's offense has been inefficient in their games against winning teams this season. In their four games against teams with at or above .500 records, they were outscored by a combined point total of 62-to-254.
The Terriers will be playing without their prolific starting quarterback: senior Tyler Bills. Bills is out for Week 9 after playing through injury the past three weeks. The Terriers will have multiple players under center this Friday, including Week 7 Player of the Week Junior Alvarez.
Winner: Bellevue 40, Litchfield 16
Sandusky St. Mary's Central Catholic, OH (5-3) at North Adams-Jerome (1-7)
The Rams got their first win of the season with a 32-26 final over Waldron on the road. Coach Dave Price and North Adams-Jerome look to end their season on a high note.
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The offense and defense will be led by junior standout Will Thielen, who made a move to quarterback in the back-half of the season and threw for over 170 yards against the Spartans.
They host the 5-3 Sandusky St. Mary's Central Catholic Panthers for their final game of the 2023 season. Not much is known about the Panthers. The Panthers have scored more than 40 points in each of their five wins this season. This includes a recent 40-6 victory over Morenci. Due to the strength of schedule, we will have to go with the Panthers this Friday to take down the Rams.
Winner: Sandusky 40, North Adams-Jerome 12
No. 3 Climax-Scotts (8-0) at No. 10 Pittsford (7-1)
The Climax-Scotts Panthers won the SCAA West Division title with a 55-6 win over Colon. The 8-0 Panthers stuck around at No. 3 in the latest AP state rankings. The Pittsford Wildcats lost a SCAA East title game to 8-player D2 No. 1 Lenawee Christian in a 41-0 final.
The winner of this matchup more than likely secures a home playoff game for their team in the pre-regional round of the MHSAA prep football playoffs. It's possible that both teams will meet again in the first round of the tournament. Pittsford gets the opportunity to play at their home field for this pivotal Week 9 matchup.
The Panthers have held opposing offenses to just 10.2 points a game. In addition to their stout defense, the Panthers' offense hums along at roughly 50 points a game.
At the perimeter, 6-foot-7 Miles Shannon is one of the tallest receiving options in Southern Michigan 8-player football. Defensive backs Jake Drawe, Teagan Williams and Bryce Williams will be some of the Wildcats responsible for holding down the fort for Pittsford's defense.
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This game could turn into a shootout if the Pittsford offense - led by senior Gavyn Carden - can go toe-to-toe with the Panther quarterback Logan Gilbert. The Wildcats are a stronger opponent then their last matchup with the Panthers in 2022 where they lost 50-16.
It's possible one or both teams play it safe on both sides of the ball with a potential rematch looming in Week 10. Due to recent history, we believe the Panthers will be able to stay on track and finish the season undefeated while Pittsford looks to regroup for the playoffs.
Winner: Climax-Scotts 48, Pittsford 32
Reading (2-6) at Pioneer North Central, OH (8-1)
After earning a 32-20 homecoming victory over Erie-Mason, coach Rick Bailey and the Ranger football team head to Ohio for their final game of the season.
Pioneer North Central football is ranked No. 11 in the OHSAA's state rankings for D7 Region 26. The Eagles will be hosting senior night for their matchup with the Rangers.
The Rangers will have a tough task on the road to end their season with another victory.
Winner: Pioneer North Central 38, Reading 32
Waldron (2-6) at Stryker, OH (1-7)
Our only Saturday night matchup of the Week features the Spartans traveling on the road to the Stryker Panthers for the fourth county game this week featuring a team from Ohio.
The Panthers defeated North Adams-Jerome 42-0 in Week 1 but have lost every game since then, including a 40-14 defeat last Friday to Lakeside Danbury.
The Spartans defeated Danbury in Week 1 but have since only won one game on their schedule. The Spartan offense will be led by Collin Williams. The defense will be under the leadership of senior Sam Williams.
It should be a close matchup for the Spartans, and we will take them to win a bounce back game to end their season.
Winner: Waldron 32, Stryker 24
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This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Week 9 Football Picks: Comets seek revenge against Michigan Center
