It’s the first week of practice and we have decided to do a preseason power rankings for the teams that the blog covers. We will trying and do these power rankings every week of so. The power rankings will be based on how the teams played and fared every week.
I hope MHS picks the right starting QB.
The underclass man has much more skill.
Hearing the same thing on Erie. Word is traveling fast. Not going to comment on specific kids
but hope they learn their lesson. Also hearing SMCC numbers are way down.
It was announced today by their athletic director that Erie Mason will not be fielding a JV team. Apparently, several varsity players were booted off the team due to a criminal offense so they are being replaced by JV players. Anyone in Erie care to chime in?
It was only a few seasons ago that most teams fielded a freshman team. Now some teams are struggling to fill a JV team. Are coaches pushing the kids too hard? Previous generations started working out for football after baseball season. Now there is an expectation that kids start working out (specifically for football) in November for the next season. Specialization may seem fine in the short term, but long term I think it will have the same effect as PPV did for professional boxing.
Jefferson will surprise some people. Maybe not win the league, but definitely better than 13. They lost a couple stars, but so do Milan and many others. Many kids at many schools have decided not to play football for the injury concerns that continue to come up. The face of the game has changed around here and there will be surprises at the top.
I would like to see team numbers. SMCC barely has enough for a JV team. Many are down, this will tell the tale.
For Jefferson, I'd say it's the combination of exactly who they lost from last year and the typical first year head coach dip.
It's likely more helpful to sort teams into ranked tiers rather than a strict numerical ranking anyway, so if you want to think of the Bears in the same tier as Airport, I wouldn't object to that. Personally I would put the Pirates and Rams in the next tier up, but that's my uneducated opinion.
How do you drop Jefferson below Airport and Flat Rock and even Riverview when it seems they are bringing back a solid amount
Thank you guys for doing this blog, I read it daily! I agree with your predictions on Carlson and Huron but I have to disagree with your predictions on Monroe and Dundee.
Monroe has yet to prove they are anything more than an average team in their league and that is the same with Dundee. I know they have young coaches who are trying to do a good job but neither team has accomplished anything in quite some time. Dundee may have a good runner in Miller but the knock against their offense (including SMCC and when they finally did start throwing the ball well, they won a state title!) is their inability to throw the ball. Until Dundee knocks off a good team, I can't see them being anymore than an average 4-5, 5-4 team. No offense to those kids but this is the same team that lost to a bad Airport team last year.
Monroe has just as much talent as Carlson, maybe more but for whatever reason they never put it together. The rumblings I hear in Monroe is the Trojan faithful being unhappy by the new offense every week. If the Trojans can stick to 1 offense and stay healthy, then maybe they do as well as you predict.
Just my 2 cents-Thank you Chris and Gary for your support of the young men playing football in the county.
Jefferson and Airport will surprise people this year.
Has nothing to do with Respect.. Jefferson hasn't been the team they use to be in doom time..
Really Jefferson at 13? No respect for the boys out in newport.
Discipline from a young age carries over into high school.
Chris, look at student enrollment at MHS the past 10 years correct me if I'm wrong. But they were in the top 5 of the biggest schools in the state of Michigan and nothing to show for. Yes it's harder to win in Div1 but to never sniff it.. I remember a feed years back a 5-4 Livonia Franklin came to town and wiped us in the playoffs.. correct me if I'm wrong.. but I think we beat them earlier in the year. I think we handled them pretty good..MHS Alum
You could really ask that of any other school that doesn't win state titles. One thing I know for sure and others may disagree, but it is harder to win state titles in Division 1 and Class A because the competition is better and there is more of it. You have a tougher road to hoe in every sport, there are no weak sisters when you get into a regional for football, volleyball, basketball, softball, etc. Also, the SEC is tough in everything. Big schools with money and some of the best academic public schools in the state and country. Also, the open enrollment at some of these big schools is crazy. Every year schools like Pioneer, Saline, Chelsea, Skyline and others are getting stud players transfer into their programs. Does Monroe get that? I'm not sure. Listen, I'm not saying it is impossible to win state titles at Monroe, it's just not as tough (although super hard) to win state titles at SMCC.
My point is what is it across the river that makes them win in every sport? What do they have that we don't.? Why are they able to win state titles in almost every sport.? If kids are kids explain to me what they have we don't. MHS Alum
MHS dominated back in the 30's with state titles.
So sick and tired of people trying to compare SMCC and Monroe. Not the same league, will never play each other. Who cares. They are all highschool kids and enjoy playing the game. If you are an adult and don't get that, grow up! Get a life, and quit living in the past. This is 2017 not 1962!
Monroe is 54-42 in the last 10 years, hardly an embarrassment. The teams they play are around the same size. Some are bigger and some are smaller. I think you will see a much better Trojan team this season. By the way, Monroe is the 33rd biggest high school in the state for the 2017-18 school year.
What does that have to do with winning on the football field? Monroe is one of the biggest schools in the state and they fail to produce winning teams year after year.. I have been watching Monroe football for 40 years now..I remember a few years ago we played CC freshman and JV.. they won the freshman game and we won the JV game but it was close.. there is no way a Div 6 team should compete wit a Div 1 team. We have 1600 students they have 360 just saying .. concerned MHS alum.. GO TROJANS..
The facts are seen every year. Embarrassing teams for the amount of kids in that school.
Monroe has 1550 kids in their school. Hardly the biggest in the state. Yet they have to claim 400 for online school, the orchard center and Monroe Middle College where they get possibly 2-3 athletes that even try out for teams a year! No excuses being made but know the facts!!!! Good luck to all region teams this year, looking forward to the Friday Night Lights and a great blog!!!!
Still to this day I can't understand why MHS with so many kids can't piece solid teams together.
You look at cross town rival with a handful of kids with discipline getting sh*t done. Why is that?
Coaching? Youth CYO (structured sports teams starting at 4th grade.
Concerned MHS alum
At Huron the new visitors bleachers have handicap ramps going up into the seats
Monroe should not be 3 they haven't done anything . 4 teams should be in front of them..for being one of the biggest schools in Michigan you would think they would be better.. trust me they would lose to teams in the Huron league year in and year out..
I liked the pre-season rankings. The only ones I disagree with are Monroe and Riverview. Flat Rock is still Flat Rock until they live up to the hype! I agree with you guys that Dundee could finish higher as well. I'm with Gary and his pick on Huron winning the Huron League title. You guys do a great job covering our region football teams, we are lucky to have you! Keep up the good work!
It wasn't so much the bleachers, it was everything else!!! No sidewalks or anything to get over there, a big hill to walk up, which was hard for some of our visitors in wheelchairs!!! And then you couldn't hear the announcer!!!
They have just put in brand new visitors bleachers at Huron..
Might be Milan's saving grace 🙂
Huron comes to Milan this year!!!! Thank goodness because their side of the field for the visitors suck!!!!