By Gary Hauf
SMCC(9-2) invades the village of Cassopolis to take on Beatty High(11-0). Cassopolis, population 1,725, resides in Cass County, 174 miles due west of Monroe.
We last saw the Falcons at Navarre Field, who handled business with a 38-28 victory over the Clinton Redskins. Beatty also used a workman’s like performance to dismantle the Bulldogs of Centreville 35-0.
The Falcons, as always, will rely on their tremendous ground game and fantastic offensive line. The big uglies are led by Connor Bogdanski, Briggs Hehl, Brendan Sloan, James Hawkins and Bryce Iott. For me, if I had to pick a difference maker on this team, a kid who doesnt get much publicity(and maybe that is our fault) is QB Josh Blanchett. His number doesn’t get called much, maybe 5 carries a game and a few passes thrown in for good measure. But his impact is felt with the toughness he has shown throughout the season. Blanchett is a kid who never runs out of bounds, gets up after every big hit, hurt or nor not. He has shown an extra gear this year on the edge, picking up timely first downs and and the occasional scamper to the end zone. His leadership is felt throughout the ranks and makes this T go for the Falcons.
The Rangers are built on a stingy, and I mean stingy, defense. Giving up 30 points on the season(yes you read that right 30 points), with 7 shutouts. My math tells me that’s under 3 points a game given up. Hard to lose with defensive performances like that, week in and week out. The defense is led by Gage Collins, Tashawn Morris and Tyrese Hunt-Thomson. Offensively the Rangers operate out of the Full House T, however they will go shotgun and spread you out if the game dictates. QB Dylan Green and RB Hunt-Thompson are the catalysts for the high-powered Ranger attack, averaging 48.3 points per game. With the average score of 48-3, you can clearly see why Cassopolis enters the game unblemished.
This is an interesting match-up. One that pits a program who is knocking on the door to be a regional power(41-7 overall, 7 playoff wins) last 4 seasons, versus one that is a regional power(36 playoff victories since 2003). The T has taken over small ball across the state of Michigan. Whose version of the T will be better? Whose offensive line will control the line of scrimmage? Can SMCC score more than 3 points? Can the Falcons drag the game into the deep end, holding a lead in the 2nd half? Something Cassopolis hasn’t dealt with all season. How will the Rangers deal with a challenge?
The Falcons can rely on a very tough schedule up to this point. Nearly every game was close. For the Rangers, no game was close. Will the tougher schedule hold water or is Beatty High just that good? We will find out the answers to all these questions soon enough.
Due to the distance, this game was agreed upon to kick off on Saturday at 1:00p. You don’t often see a 3-4 hour bus ride for a pre-semi-final matchup. This, in my opinion, will have an affect on the game. How will SMCC deal with the early morning wake-up, the long bus ride, the hostile environment of Cassopolis? The staff at SMCC has reached out, as to how to deal with such a task, and has a great plan in place.
If you can’t make the long drive, you can stream the game live on 983nashicon.com. The Voice of Monroe, Jeff Grodi, will be doing play by play and your’s truly will be joining him.
Chris’ Pick: SMCC 58 Cassopolis 57 Triple OT
Gary’s Pick: SMCC 28 Cassopolis 27
Frank’s Pick: Cassopolis 31 SMCC 22
It doesn't matter Cass is moving on while Monroe is sitting at home crying their selves to sleep Cause Cass put y'all in the dumpster in our garbage conference- Mexican
My man !! Cassopolis does not beat MHM and you can take that to the bank. They are stacked !! I hope, I'm wrong, but I don't think so, best wishes!
In regards to the schedule them boys beat SMCC so they can beat anyone on SMCC schedule, in the end all that matters is the Rangers were the better team today hoping to do well next week against another tough team. Thanks for the wish of luck.
With all due respect, that was the closest game you had by far all year. Your conference stinks and if you would have played CC’s schedule, you may not have made the playoffs. At best, you would have had to travel 3 hours to Monroe to play. Congrats on your win, but don’t pretend for a minute that your kids aren’t siore and feeling fortunate that they won. Good luck next week. I hope you do well.
Hopefully u all enjoyed the Pioneer Log Cabin, cause the game didn't go so well for you. Guess our dumpster conference team was just a little better today! What a goal line stand!!!!!!
All cat lovers should know…the inventor of cat litter grew up there…never forget that.
down river
Just remember…win or lose…you can always go to visit the Pioneer Log Cabin Museum. I hear MSU hides the Bunyan Trophy there sometimes. Be careful of the deadly Masssasauga Rattler who they say lives underneath the cabin. But all in all try to wear your coonskin cap…the locals will give you a nice wink!!!
Chris or Gary,IF SMCC wins Saturday, where do think they would play the next round's game?
@5:56,you may want to put your fork away. The Falcons? THEY'RE not done yet. THEIR chances are as good as any other Division 7 playoff team. They could have great success over THERE.
@ 5:56, your use of proper English, or lack there of, doesn’t make you appear to be Nostradamus. Go Falcons!
54 to 15 King
The Falcons are leaving early and are taking a Charter bus that will stop every hour and allow the kids to walk around. They will be find.
Stick a fork in the falcon there done
Anybody going to the AP King game tonight to keep us informed.
I coach high school football and I am well aware of how kids handle life and hotels and bus trips, there is nothing worse then a 2 hour bus ride.
You can not expect them to stay locked in and focused that long and it will cramp them all up sitting in a closed bus with small area to stretch and expand.
Smcc is discipline enough to control 20-28 kids on a hotel stay. They have to have 4-6 coaches which means less then 6 kids to a coach would be easy
Good luck Falcons!
Congrats on a fine season, and what a great coaching job by the SMCC staff.
A lot of injuries to deal with and still standing!
Awesome!!!!
I agree 7:04 pm, it's on the defense this game, the coaches have to get all they can out of that defense for this game…remember defense wins championships and it's so true, we're gonna find out if CC made any changes …
@6:43 Where are you hearing/seeing 2-4" of snow? All the sites I've checked predict light snow. Less than an inch. It will be a little slippery. Not sure who that hurts more…
Is the transfers name Kendi Young
https://www.wndu.com/content/sports/Cassopolis-football-not-surprised-with-its-success-500003342.html?jwsource=cl
Cassopolis Highlights
LET IT SNOW
Go Jags- Rocky had a punchers chance !!!
Nope not trying to down play their league at all. Both leagues speak for themselves. I am just throwing it out there that maybe SMCC can have an advantage in the fact that they have played close games all year due to a tough schedule. I do realize Cassopolis has done well in the playoffs and I fully expect them to bring it this Saturday.
SMCC can use it's place(which I think was tied for 2nd-3rd this year) in the HL as a barometer as to how they may do in the playoffs. History is there to look at for such a comparison.
Cassopolis cannot make that sort of claim… now that doesnt mean they arent a great team or anything like that.
If the game is close in the 2nd half, I like the Falcon's chances.
Gary,
It seems like your trying to down play the Cassopolis program a little because of their league play. I get the Divisional comparison D7 league versus D3/D4 league. But when you look at Cassopolis in the last three years they have lost to a team in a close game that went to FF.
2017 the lost 6-7 to Saugatuk who beat Madison H.M. who beat CC. Then went to the finals.
2016 they lost to Detroit Loyola by a score. DL went to the finals.
2015 they lost a close game to PW who we ll know is from a weak league but performs at a top level to get to FF.
So lets agree to disagree and say both these teams are pretty darn good without down playing their competition or their league play. Let also agree to disagree that the team who's OL and Defense comes to play will win.
I love the HL but sometimes we think we are all powerful. Let's just take it one game at a time and let the pads to the talking. All the hype doesn't really help anyone except the papers and blogs.
Humble HL Fan
@November 7, 2018 at 1:43 PM
A hotel would be completely unnecessary and a terrible idea. Theoretical Schedule: wake up at 7, get to the school by 7:30-7:45, bus leaves at 8, arrive in Cassopolis around 11:30, and game time at 1. Wake up time isn't much different than a typical school day.
If you get a hotel: kids are hanging out with their buddies later than they would if you stayed home, they're not sleeping in their own beds, and although it shouldn't be the determining factor, a huge expense. This route makes it feel more like a field trip than a business trip.
-Blue Wing
I'm telling you, CCs defense scares me, the defense had to win this game, gotta get some stops. Defense shows up, CC wins
2"-4" of snow coming Saturday in the Cassopolis area. Might play a roll in this game.
Good Luck to SMCC and their long drive over to Cassopolis and their sweet ride back!! Keep the HL alive!!
Big Bob Milan
@ 9:59 Couldn’t have said it better. CC backs are all different and they all embrace their roles. There’s more to their offense than just speed, and they proved that at least twice this season, when they played teams with silly fast rbs. They eventually contained them and won. These boys run hard, and block hard for each other. Don’t fall into the trap that the haters try to set on here, and start picking our boys and their roles apart. They depend on each other.
Nobody on that team is overlooking any team that’s still playing.
Go Falcons !
Gary, I think your right with Blanchett being the unsung leader. He really drives that offense of the falcons. He brings a strong sense of leadership to the huddle. Many people don’t realize he saw time at quarterback as a sophomore. He nearly led a comeback against pewamo at their place the first year cc played them. That was a game where he came in for the injured qb, and he provided the leadership then. He does a lot of things unseen that the rest of the team respects. He will sacrifice and throw a block for his running backs as well.
All I can say is best of luck to CC and hopefully we'll get a chance to see them at Ford Field winning a State hmpionship. I'm from GI and anytime one of our Huron League competitors is winning in the playoffs I'm in support of them totally. It does nothing but give our League a good name when our teams are winning.
Match-ups are hard to determine as far as how teams will fair versus each other.
In regards to tough schedule, I think it applies to CC more than any team in the HL because they are a D7 team.
Typically in D3 for example, the early rounds in the playoffs do compare to the good teams in the HL. That is usually not so in D7. You typically dont see the caliber of a HL champion in D7(D6) til maybe the Regional or semi-final.
Being a D7 team as CC is, the HL certainly prepares them well for a playoff run. Sometimes they make that run, sometimes not. Usually the Champion of the HL, whoever it is, would have a really good shot at winning D7… not so in D4 or 3.
Look at the times CC has won the HL, they usually make a deep run, often times all the way to FF. I would say Cassopolis is probably on par with a Riverview, GI, Milan. CC beat one and lost to the others. If they play well, as they did vs View, they will have a good chance to beat Cassopolis. Cassopolis on the other hand, cant make that sort of claim. They dont have that type of backround, either this year or going off years passed.
Maybe/Maybe not. But if you know you are superior to your competition then you dominate them. Cassopolis has done that thru their schedule and in the playoffs. Much like Whiteford who won a state title last year, Like Reading has done who beat Whiteford. Like PW has done over the past 3-4 years. Like Ithaca has done over the last 12 years. So weak leagues doesn't necessarily determine a team has weaknesses or faults. their play speaks for itself. The HL is tough, we say yet we don't make great playoff runs. Same can be said for the SEC, Downriver, LCAA and TCC. We always try to point out intangibles, which is fun and interesting. But it does not dictate success or lack of. It goes back to the constants. Players play, coaches coach, God gives talent, some have some don't and even that doesn't rule supreme on the gridiron. Plenty of talented teams loose to less talented teams. Now if you want to talk match-ups that is a better way to compare then any.
@7:38 no fast backs? #7 flys so does #26. #28 and #8 will run you over. #14 will surprise you with his strength and elusiveness. Good luck figuring out who has the ball and how you're going to stop them. Oh don't forget #3. He will punch you in the mouth
A tough schedule helps you identify your weaknesses. Does Cassopolis have any weaknesses? I wonder if they even know.
Cc has a nice mix of speed and power in the backfield with #7 back definitely the fastest kid on the team. #28 is a power back but has some deceiving speed. While #26 can out run you or put a shoulder down when needed.
cass 35 CC 14
Why do people and fans talk about easily winning, win by at least two scores, no body can stop SMCC backs? Really! How about just support the team, encourage them to play hard, stay humble but laser focused and take care of business. Its a simple game. Block, Tackle, Discipline, take care of the ball, score, stop scores. The teams that do that consistently win. At this point anyone can beat anyone. we see it in the regular season, we see it in playoffs, we see it at every level this great game is played. But if you can solidify the basic principles of this game and tune out all the BS and hoopla your team can have success. Respect the game, respect your opponent.
Fan of the Game
I think that SMCCs fastest back is NIck Marino. Most powerful is Sam Cousino. Best all-purpose is Alex Morgan.
This one comes down to turnovers and special teams.
Go Falcons. !!!!!!!
!
!!!
Who are CCs backs ? No one fast !!!
A few fun stats in my opinion between Cassopolis and SMCC
Uniforms
-Cassopolis
Better Offense
-SMCC
Better O-Line
-SMCC
Better Defense
-Cassopolis
More Playmakers
-Cassopolis
More Tough Gritty Players
-SMCC
I have no doubt that these SMCC players and coaches will have to drive 3 hours and pull out the W. I guarantee you that the coaches are stressing that “were not driving 3 hours to lose.” These kid will be focused and excited to take the field Saturday. THe cold and snow will only benefit CC going forward. I mean who wouldn’t want to hang out with your brothers on a bus for a few hours.
SMCC 36, Cassapolis 24
There is no way Cassapolis can stop all the backs that SMCC has. This might be close for a half but SMCC pulls away after making their halftime adjustments.
I hope the school is sending them guys out Friday and providing a hotel to stay in so they can be fresh and ready come morning. It’s a business trip not a field trip.
Go falcons!!! Carry on the tradition 04 grad!
GO FALCONS!!
SMCC wins this game very easily. Cassopolis plays in a dumpster fire of a conference. I am concerned that Clinton cut through CC's defense like butter running a basic fullback iso play. I feel like they are mismanaged in regards to offense and defense. Offensively, the execute extremely well and don't make mistakes. Defensively they are very limited giving up 34 points to an average Sand Creek team, and giving up 28 points in 1 half to moderate Clinton team. But like I said, Cassopolis has not seen anything like what CC is going to do on Offense. CC by 2 to 3 touchdowns.
I think this will be an interesting game because the CC offense has not been stopped this playoffs so far. Clinton had a big D-Line and CC found a way to run trap very effectilvy which gained them lots of yards from Alex Morgan. Clinton also ran a Vampire Defense which has given CC trouble in the past because they could never get up the Vampire. This past week they got their Tighends up to him and got him in his way. CC defensive coaches and players, to me, lick their chops when they see a Full House T team in front of them because they throw a lot of sets against the teams and know how to stop it the best out of any offense they play against. If CC goes up by two scores within the game they will win because they have shown they can hold the ball for 7 plus minutes, pretty much taking it the entire quarter.
CC 32 Cass 24
LOL, no voted No on that. I think it will be 36-36 at the end of regulation. I expect both teams to score 3 TD's in OT with Cassoplis holing a 57-50 lead and the Falcons scoring a TD and getting the 2 point conversion for the win. Every fan will be frozen as the 4 hour marathon takes it's toll on the young and old.
58-57 Chris? What are you smoking? (celebrating proposal 1?)
You forgot Ian Adler on the O-line. Very underrated smart kid who doesn't miss assignments. I hope #20 can play. He is a huge difference maker. My prediction, #7 runs wild, CC 30- Cass 24.