PORT HURON — Death, taxes and a BWAC team proving me wrong on the opening night of high school football. Some things never change.
This year, it was the Richmond football team that had the last laugh, after winning a game I said it would lose.
Luckily, I still went 7-3 with my predictions in Week 1.
Here are my picks for Week 2:
Cardinal Mooney at Oakland Christian, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: Cardinal Mooney (0-1), Oakland Christian (1-0)
Last meeting: Oakland Christian 40, Cardinal Mooney 6 — Oct. 20, 2017
Series: Oakland Christian leads 2-0
Cardinal Mooney is still adjusting to growing pains after graduating a talented senior class. The Cardinals were shut out in Week 1 against Algonac, 36-0. Unfortunately, life won’t be any easier in Week 2.
The pick: Oakland Christian
Croswell-Lexington at Armada, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: Cros-Lex (0-1), Armada (0-1)
Last meeting: Armada 14, Cros-Lex 0 — Sept. 6, 2024
Series (since 1950): Cros-Lex leads 21-3
Keep an eye on the skill positions in this one, particularly on the outside. Senior wide receivers Jak Klee and Shane Slanec will be key for Armada and Cros-Lex, respectively, as both have the ability to extend plays after the catch.
The pick: Armada
Hazel Park at Marysville, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: Hazel Park (1-0), Marysville (0-1)
Last meeting: Marysville 31, Hazel Park 14 — Sept. 6, 2024
Series (since 1950): Marysville leads 6-0
Albeit in a loss, Marysville did some good things last week against Almont. Brady Wright threw touchdown passes of 74 yards and 80 yards, respectively. Hunter Likins, who caught the 80-yard score, returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. The Vikings’ offense should have no problem putting up points this week.
The pick: Marysville
Imlay City at Almont, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: Imlay City (1-0), Almont (1-0)
Last meeting: Almont 45, Imlay City 15 — Sept. 6, 2024
Series (since 1950): Almont leads 28-21
As usual, Almont’s ground game took care of business in Week 1. The Raiders combined for 313 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 60 carries. New quarterback Blake Lane showed poise, finishing 4-of-8 passing for 62 yards and one touchdown. Imlay City will lean heavily on running backs Travis Tramontana and Daniel Rojas, the latter of which had 144 yards and one touchdown last week.
The pick: Almont
Madison Heights Madison at Marine City, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: Madison (1-0), Marine City (0-1)
Last meeting: Marine City 55, Madison 14 — Sept. 6, 2024
Series (since 1950): Marine City leads 7-2
Why am I not worried about Marine City’s 0-1 start? Well, the Mariners have dropped their opener in each of the past four seasons. During that stretch, following Week 1, they’ve only lost two regular season games. This program is a powerhouse for a reason.
The pick: Marine City
Marlette at Sandusky, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: Marlette (1-0), Sandusky (0-1)
Last meeting: Marlette 54, Sandusky 44 — Sept. 6, 2024
Series (since 1950): Sandusky leads 43-28-3
Running backs should be a big factor here. Marlette’s Adam Wilcox rushed for 84 yards and one touchdown in a 16-6 win over Manchester last week. Sandusky fell to Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central, 14-0, and was led by Chase Green’s 53 rushing yards (3.8 per carry) on 14 attempts.
The pick: Marlette
North Branch at Algonac, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: North Branch (0-1), Algonac (1-0)
Last meeting: North Branch 56, Algonac 0 — Sept. 6, 2024
Series (since 1950): North Branch leads 5-0
Algonac’s 36 points last week were the most for the program since a 39-6 win over Southfield Bradford Academy on Oct. 19, 2018. The Muskrats will need more of that offense against a North Branch team that averaged 36.6 points per game last season.
The pick: North Branch
Port Huron Northern at Madison Heights Lamphere, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: Northern (1-0), Lamphere (1-0)
Last meeting: Lamphere 21, Northern 13 — Sept. 6, 2024
Series: Lamphere leads 1-0
Northern thrives in physical, low-scoring games. That’s why the Huskies held off Redford Thurston, 13-6, on the road in Week 1. This matchup with Lamphere should be no different. Northern’s two stars — tight end Lincoln Watkins and cornerback Amir Morelan — were made for moments like these.
The pick: Northern
St. Clair at Warren Lincoln, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: St. Clair (0-1), Lincoln (1-0)
Last meeting: St. Clair 57, Warren Lincoln 14 — Sept. 6, 2024
Series (since 1950): St. Clair leads 8-1
St. Clair is too talented to start the season at 0-2. Last week, quarterback Ben Farkas connected with wideout Braden Schalk for three touchdown passes. Sure, it happened in a 30-point loss. But don’t be surprised if these two put on a show in Week 2.
The pick: St. Clair
Warren Fitzgerald at Port Huron, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: Fitzgerald (1-0), Port Huron (0-1)
Last meeting: Port Huron 24, Fitzgerald 6 — Sept. 6, 2024
Series (since 1950): Port Huron leads 3-0
Yes, Port Huron suffered a 32-0 loss to Anchor Bay in Week 1. However, Anchor Bay competes in the MAC Red, which is the highest division in the Macomb Area Conference. This week’s opponent, Warren Fitzgerald, hails from the MAC Gold. That’s one division lower than the Red Hawks. Give me the MAC Blue team at home.
The pick: Port Huron
Yale at Richmond, 7 p.m. Friday
Record: Yale (1-0), Richmond (1-0)
Last meeting: Richmond 28, Yale 14 — Sept. 6, 2024
Series (since 1950): Richmond leads 32-14-1
How does Richmond quarterback Dominic Bonnetti follow up a perfect debut? We’ll soon find out. The junior went 4-of-4 passing for 170 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s 49-19 triumph against St. Clair. Still, don’t overlook Yale quarterback Andrew Hubbard. In the Bulldogs’ 21-6 victory over Swartz Creek, the senior finished 8-of-15 passing for 98 yards. He also ran for 93 yards (6.6 per carry) and one touchdown.
The pick: Richmond
Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @BrendenWelper.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: High school football: Predictions for Week 2 in the Blue Water Area
Reporting by Brenden Welper, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
