HILLSDALE COUNTY — Week 1 is in the books. Hillsdale County football teams started their season off with difficult matchups in non-conference battles. Only Jonesville and Waldron walked away with victories from the gauntlet of games.
Let's dissect the results for each team and figure out where things stand for Week 2 of high school football after Labor Day weekend.
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Jonesville's defense passes first test
A balanced, methodical offensive attack wasn't the only highlight of Jonesville's 22-21 win over Hillsdale. Even more impressive was the overall defensive effort by the Comets. This summer, coach Frank Keller discussed their offseason work on tackling and defensive fundamentals, and it paid off on Thursday night.
The Comets held Hillsdale to six first downs, and the Hornets went 1-for-6 on third downs. They held the Hillsdale rushing attack to 62 yards. The team struggled to contain several explosive plays for the Hornet passing attack, but two interceptions highlighted the Comet secondary's potential.
They will look to improve on their success when they face Napoleon on the road in Week 2. Napoleon lost their first game of the year at Onsted in a 35-30 final and will look to get back on track when they host the Comets on Friday, Sept. 6.
Hillsdale passing attack shows signs of growth
You'd be hard pressed to find many recent games from Hillsdale in the 2020's where its passing offense was as featured as it was on Thursday night. Turnovers played a factor into Hillsdale's loss to Jonesville, including two interceptions from sophomore quarterback Evan Towne.
However, coach Joe Williamson and the Hornets showed signs of improvement with several explosive passing plays. Towne completed five of his 11 pass attempts for 158 yards and two touchdowns. 156 yards of that production went to senior first-year starter Dominick Coke on three receptions. Coke caught both touchdowns.
If Hillsdale can find efficiency on the ground behind some of their experienced linemen, the Hornets will be able to put together sustained drives. The Hornets possessed the ball for less than 13 minutes against the Comets in Week 1. If they want to win on the road at Lake Fenton (who beat the Hornets 35-0 last season), they will need to keep the Blue Devil defense on their toes with an effective run game.
Lake Fenton won their road opener 21-12 at Pinckney. The Friday night game starts at 7 p.m.
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Reading defense faced trial by fire
The White Pigeon Chiefs did not need a lot of play calling magic to get things done against a Reading defense that gave up 350-plus yards on the ground in a 52-14 loss. The regional finalists from 2023 are an experienced group across the board, and the walloping may end up being a blessing in disguise for Reading's defense. The Rangers may not face a better rushing attack all year from their Big 8 opponents, which should prepare them for the weeks ahead.
Coach Rick Bailey and company will look to put Week 1 into their rear-view mirror as they face Quincy in the Battle for the Bell. The Orioles bring a competent passing attack led by two seniors , but a Week 1 51-8 loss to Loy Norrix was note the kind of start the Orioles were hoping for. Reading heads to Quincy Friday before returning back for their home opener against Union City in Week 3.
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This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Week 1 takeaways for 11-player Hillsdale County football
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