Milan (5-0) is coming off of as blowout win over Grosse Ile 40-6 while SMCC (5-0) beat Airport 27-7. Milan has won eleven in a row in league play which includes a 35-20 victory over the Falcons last season. SMCC has won 8 out of the last 10 meetings.
Milan enters the game on a roll. The Big Reds are averaging 32 ppg while giving up only 12 ppg. Robert Kanitz has been arguably the best player in the league this season. Freshman RB Trace Lindeman has been a pleasant surprise in replacing the departed Arthur Dukes III. Defensively, senior Austin Hoover is continuing his fine career at Milan while junior Josh Colville has become one of the best LB’s in the league.
SMCC continues to plug along with their unselfish team play and system that has been ultra successful. The Falcons have given up just 22 points all season and are averaging 38 ppg offensively. SMCC is led by their junior QB Bryce Windham. Windham also starts at DB for the Catholics. The running game will fall on the shoulders of senior Josh Czarniowski, sophomore Justin Carrabino and John Lako. Team speed is the strength of the Falcon defense and should pose problems for the high powered Milan offense.
This is a tough pick. Maxpreps.com has Milan ranked as the #53 team in the state regardless of class while SMCC checks in at #76. Calpreps.com which is usually very accurate on game predictions has picked the Milan Big Reds 31-17. My mind says go with SMCC but I made a promise to myself not to get burned again by Milan. Pick: Milan 28 SMCC 26
I'm a CC Alumni who is away at college and I'm excited to see how this game turns out. Win means a deep playoff run for the FALCONS. A loss means they still have a little work to do before playoffs.
How do you know its SMCC people who cant handle it? This is getting ridiculous always ripping apart SMCC. You guys complain when they say stuff on here then complain when they don't. They have great fans and love there kids and coach just like everyone else does for there school. Should we pick on Milan since you praised your coach and your kids? Im not even a SMCC fan but its getting old. They are a good team with compassion just like every other team in the league. Time to get over it. I hope SMCC wins just to prove a point now.
To 2:01: Fans can give props to their coach but saying that their coach is more hard working than another coach is just silly–particularly when both teams are having success. Something tells me that coaches for both Milan and SMCC put in a ton of time.
@12:15 Poster
"Quit bragging about the past." Proceeds to brag about Jefferson's '94 State Championship.
LOL
Hey Coach Tom you missed the point. This blog has been going since 2009. Where were the Milan fans in '09 and '10 when they were pretty good? Maybe the city of Milan didn't get internet till 2012.
I was surprised that rivalry wasn't at the top of that survey the Evening news did. 2 weeks boys. Most always a good game. Shouldn't be any differnt this year. When Jefferson won 2 years ago that sign stayed up on Dixie Hwy for the year. It was a nice reminder everytime all of us drove by it. We will have to make a new one this year.
Can't wait.
Why is it that when SMCC compliments their coach and the whole team concept, that is acceptable. But if any other programs declare their coaches are dedicated, hard working, etc. and their team is working very hard, CC people can NOT seem to tolerate this. Every school around here has great kids and coaches, right now Milan seems to be rising to the top with a great coach and a good QB. If Milan people want to show Hoskins some love, let them.
Its going to come down to the team who makes the least amount of mistakes. Both teams are very well disciplined but I will give the edge to SMCC on that note.
I for one am excited for the SMCC/Milan game tonight. They both are good teams and will provide us with ONE of the best football games this season. I have no doubt that both teams will come out fired up and ready to play a hard game. SMCC has a better defense then Milan but Milan has the better offense so its going to be a very close game. No matter who wins you have to give both these teams credit weather you like them or not they both have great teams this year with a 5-0 record. I will admit that slowly SMCC has won me over so I will say they will barley pull out the win over Milan.
I love the Jefferson/SMCC rivalry.
WOW! You guys are very cocky today. Jefferson fan bases have not disappeared one bit. Most of them don't like to read all the BS on here most of the time. It doesn't phase me. Jefferson is on the upswing, trust me.
9:44 and 9:45, (probly same guy) we will see how it goes when your team has some bad times. It happens to all, it will happen to you also. Milan and Jefferson will be just fine, win or lose, we don't need to get on here to prove were still fans.
Quit bragging about the past. Get over it. Who has the most recent state championship??? NOT SMCC.
How bout that stat. Why you throwing out stats when you picked SMCC to lose the other day.
This is becoming ridiculous.
GO BEARS ! GO MILAN !
I'm looking forward to tonight's game and am very glad that it will take place at well-lit Joe O'Donnell Field instead of the permanent murky twilight of Navarre Field.
A few quick points:
*Please stop complaining that Milan fans didn't post on this board when they were 1-8. You wouldn't have liked those posts anyway. I'm *sure* this board would have been enriched by pearls such as:
-This team stinks, but my kid did great!
-Let's get our coach fired
-We would have won, but the refs hate our town
-We have talent, we just need to change our schemes and run some crazy system
-My grandfather's team destroyed your grandfather's team in 1954 and he still laughs at your school to this day
*Fellow Milan Fans: stats are fine, and one can often pick and choose stats to make just about any argument, but the only numbers that really matter are those on the scoreboard when the time reads 0:00.
*Fans of All Schools: When a school is doing well, their fans are going to chirp. It shouldn't be a surprise. You may not like it, but there's one great way to make it stop and it happens on Friday nights.
It should be a good one tonight! Wherever you're at this evening, go out and pack those stands!
Okay thanks for the w.and i guess after tonight the big reds will have one too.
Holy water
Since they play as a hole team I assume that is an advantage for CC. I mean holes in the defense and holes in the offense.
*whole team
You're welcome!
The stats are this team has not been beat in the last two year's in huron league after most people pick them to be 5and 4 it takes a hole team to win and this team plays that way.
SMCC is 8-2 vs the Big Reds in the last 10. That's the best stat I could find.
-bn
"The stats do not lie", What does that even mean? Please explain!
These Milan fans are gettin kinda full of themselves, i guess for good reason. I just remember when not a single post came from Milan the first couple years of this blog until last year. If you guys lose tonight dont disappear like some fan bases (Jefferson).
This does resemble the 09 year and that year Jefferson was supposed to be good. A lot of mouths on here, time for the falcons to shut em up again.
Whatever? Its been a nice peaceful week on here until crap like this starts. Who cares who was good when. All that matters is what you can do for me today.
Fact, there is no way SMCC defense will hang with Milan. They have 4 great fast receivers that will spread your defense, if your able to manage that, Lindemann or the QB will run it and tear you up. SMCC is a good team, but theres no way you have an answer for that.
Milan 35 SMCC 20
This is a much better team from last year's Milan team.what happened last year at smcc.and bring on any team any year the stats do not lie.
The difference will be Hoskins dedication???
What does that mean?
There isn't a team in this league that would compete with the 09 or 10 SMCC team. That 09 or 10 team wouldn't compete with the 04 or 05 SMCC team.
Thats a pretty huge insult there 7:07 I think I will let the team know about that. Thanks.
Smcc is very strong up front. They will destroy milans defense. Milans D-line has a long game ahead of them. 28-14
Excuses?
Milan will dominate CC no excuses
Hoskins and his dedication to the program is the difference here. No one works harder than him.
You might as well have written "I am dumb" after that statement.
ahh don't bring CC's 09' season into the mix. that team was on a whole different level when it came to the HL then and now. and had an even better 2010 team.
Go Falcons. Beat Milan.
Do you think it will be a high or low scoring game?
Good point 4:30. That Airport team would beat this Milan team by 2 TDs.
Hoskins and his dedication to the program is the difference here. No one works harder than him. You are only as good as your assistants and he has some good ones. When is the last time all 3 main boys sports were so good for a Monroe County School?
Milan 24-21 in a hard fought game. SMCC has some stud athletes and this score could be reversed and I would not be surprised. Two great teams.
I remember 2009 when Airport and SMCC met basically in this same exact game. Both teams ranked very high in their divisions and the making of a great game which would decide the HL title outright. Airport was a slight favorite by most and SMCC ended up winning by 40-22. It was a solid game between some great teams. I will take SMCC 35-27, As my boys will be playing with a slight chip in the shoulder!
I may be a little biased since I was on that 09 team ;).
Big game tomorrow between two solid teams!
Last year's game was a great lesson for all involved. History will repeat itself.
Not many picked Milan.
Not many picked them to win big.
This year, few picked Milan against against Riverview.
Reasons:
Kanitz, Lindeman, Hoover, the entire receiving corp, and the "No-name" line has been surprisingly good.
It will start out as a back and forth battle no doubt. But Big plays will prevail for the Big Reds–they will earn it.
Chris,
A fine preview of the game.
Yep, should be a fun one!! A classic match-up.
I guess you have to remember why you made that statement in the first place.
Why did you ever say that?
You may be torn on this one…
I was too until I saw SMCC on film.
CalPreps may be a realistic score on this game.
IMHO
It's not so much speed as it is the way Milan's O puts pressure on different parts of defenses.
If no big turnovers it will be a 2 score victory for Milan. If turnovers, then a close game.
I believe we will see that Milan's best is better than SMCC's best.
But that is what Friday nights are all about. Who will perform up to their capacity? Who will make big plays?
May all the guys have a great time.
Remember when y'all were hating on Hoskins at Milan?? Year 1 when he was 1-8. He brings in a new OC and a few other great coaches and he's god. Smart of him to surround himself with good coaches. Jack has done the same at SMCC. Milan won't stop SMCC 33-28 SMCC
Can't go against my big reds. CC hasn't seen a team like Milan yet this year. Milan hasn't been tested since week one against Ypsilanti. I think it should be a great game to watch. The two best teams battling for a win and most likely the league title.
At the same time, Milan hasn't seen a team like CC. I picked CC to win the league and nothing i've seen to this point has changed my mind.
Wait til Friday night..Big Red Nation…
How many times have we heard "*insert name here*'s defense will make the difference" when it comes to Milan??
Milan's program has developed into something special. With the spread and the changes on defense, they are the team to beat. SMCC still strong, but still oldschool. Should be a great game, but no way SMCC's defense will keep up with Milan, too many weapons. Hoskins coach of the year.
Milan 35 SMCC 20.
SMCC's defense will be the difference. SMCC 20 Milan 14. EM