Week 3 of the Michigan Girls High School Flag Football League is in the books!
Sports reporter Brandon Folsom is here to rank each team from the Hometown Life coverage area and explain why.
Reminder: HTL covers teams in Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Canton, Commerce Twp., Farmington, Farmington Hills, Garden City, Livonia, Milford, Northville, Novi, Plymouth, Redford, South Lyon, Wayne, Walled Lake, Westland, White Lake and Wixom.
1. Wayne Memorial (3-0; Last week: No. 1; 18-0 win at Romulus)
The Zebras are one win over Belleville away from clinching the Grid Iron Heroes League title and punching their ticket to Ford Field. Expect them to get it done, considering their defense has allowed just 12 points through three weeks. Led by Capri Easley (10 flag pulls, five sacks vs. Romulus), Skyann Penn (three flag pulls), Laylah Brown (two flag pulls, one interception) and Ma’Kiah Williams (three flag pulls, one interception), who wouldn’t want to see arguably Michigan’s best defense face state power Brighton’s offense in the playoffs later this month?
2. Redford Thurston (3-0; Last week: No. 3; Bye)
The Eagles enjoyed their bye in Week 3, but they’re expected to wrap up the Motor City Muscle League with a perfect 4-0 record against Detroit Cody (0-2-1) next week.
3. Bloomfield Hills (3-0; Last week: No. 4; 14-6 win vs. Utica Ford)
In a matchup between the top two teams in the Grit Don’t Quit League, the Black Hawks’ defense took over, holding the Falcons to just 22 offensive plays. Julia Esshaki snagged an interception midway through the second half that set up Milan Thai-Tang’s winning 14-yard TD run on a fly sweep. Pressure from Kennedy Vaughn (2 TFLs, 1 QB hurry) helped limit Ford to just two completed passes. Bloomfield Hills is one win over Chippewa Valley (1-1-1) away from an undefeated regular season.
4. Northville (2-1; Last week: No. 6; 53-0 win vs. Saline)
The Mustangs control their destiny entering the final week. All they must do is beat 3-0 Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard and do so in a convincing fashion to control the point differential in the final All Great League standings. That will depend on how well their defense performs.
While their coaching staff wanted QB Taylor Chrzanowski (17-of-26 passing for 228 yards, six TDs and five one-point conversion passes) nominated for the Detroit Lions’ Player of the Week, the stars were their two pass rushers. Lili Vettraino once again dominated, recording six QB hurries, four tackles for loss and two sacks to make life a nightmare for Saline QB Gretchen Leighton Kruger (5-of-10 passing for 63 yards and three interceptions). And Chrzanowski’s sister Jenna also contributed with three QB hurries and an interception she returned 20 yards for a score.
5. Redford Union (2-1; Last week No. 5; 20-0 win vs. Detroit CMA)
The Panthers returned two interceptions for TDs to bounce back from their upset loss to rival Thurston. For any chance of making it to Ford Field, they must hope Thurston loses to Cody while also beating Detroit Renaissance by enough points to regain the lead in the final Motor City Muscle League standings.
6. P-CEP Prowlers (2-1; Last week: No. 2; 8-6 loss to Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard)
The Prowlers made three goal-line stands in the second half, but it was the offense that cost them the victory. They suffered a Dan Orlovsky safety with 33.5 seconds left, possibly costing them the All Grit League title and a berth in the state tournament at Ford Field. The tough loss overshadows a strong defensive effort and a breakout game from soccer star Eileena Chinyadza, who rushed seven times for 118 yards and a TD.
7. Birmingham Groves (1-3, 1-2); Last week: No. 9; 46-0 loss to Brighton, 12-0 win vs. Detroit Lincoln-King)
It’s a shame the Falcons waited until Week 3 to get their first win of the season because Ke’lko Buskin should be in the running for Hometown Life’s Player of the Year. As both a QB and defender, she dominates, looking awfully similar to last year’s Player of the Year, Redford Union’s Cameron Cherry.
Buskin threw for a TD, pulled two flags and batted down two passes to help the Falcons beat Detroit Lincoln-King 12-0 this past weekend. Expect her to close out the season strong in Week 4 vs. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian School.
8. Westland John Glenn (2-2; Last week: No. 7; 12-6 loss vs. Detroit UPrep)
After a surprising loss to Detroit UPrep, the Rockets closed out their season at .500. Their usual passing game with Amiya Handy (4-of-11 passing for 53 yards, two interceptions) couldn’t get going despite the presence of star Bayley Wisley, who rushed three times for 74 yards and the team’s lone score.
In Year 1, Glenn did well, especially considering it nearly upset rival Wayne Memorial in Week 2. As long as participation keeps growing, the program should only improve going forward.
9. Novi (1-2; Last week: No. 8; 33-0 loss vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s)
The Wildcats showed improvement despite facing one of the best offenses in Michigan. Highlights included Khaella Sakoguchi, who caught three passes for 33 yards and rushed six times for 41 yards, while Lydia Molnar (seven flag pulls, one interception) and Aubrey Kirby (six flag pulls) led the defense. Expect them to try to put it together for one final win in their season finale against North Farmington.
10. North Farmington (1-1; Last week: No. 10; Bye)
The Raiders didn’t have enough available players to take on Brighton, so Oakland Activities Association rival Groves stepped in for a nonleague matchup against the Bulldogs.
11. Farmington (0-3; Last week: No. 11; Bye)
The Falcons had the week off after facing three Create the Standard League opponents in the first two weeks. They’ll look to finish the regular season with a win next week at home.
Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on his new X.com account at@folsomwrites.
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Michigan girls flag football rankings after Week 3
Reporting by Brandon Folsom, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
