A week after the Ohio high school football season kicked off, it is Michigan’s turn to open its prep season beginning with numerous Thursday games on the long weekend leading into the Labor Day holiday.
Among those teams getting a head start is 2023 Michigan Division 8 state runner-up and defending Tri-County Conference champion Whiteford, which plays host to Blissfield of the Lenawee County Athletic Association on Thursday in a nonleague game.
Also getting a one-day jump is TCC member Erie Mason, which hosts Flint New Standard Academy.
On Friday, Bedford of the Southeastern Conference’s Red Division gets things started by hosting Canton of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association’s West Division. Last year the host Cobras beat Bedford 35-17 in Week 1.
For Whiteford and Erie Mason, this season represents likely the last for their football membership in the TCC, which is down to just three member teams along with Summerfield.
Sand Creek, which played in the TCC last year, has moved to the Big-8 Conference. Whiteford and Erie Mason will be without a league beginning next year, but will play the majority of their 2025 schedules as nonleague games against teams from the LCAA.
Whiteford’s Bobcats are coming off a two-year run under third-year head coach Todd Thieken, who guided them to a 14-0, Michigan Division 8 state-championship season in 2022, and back to the D-8 title game last November.
In the 2022 state final at Ford Field in Detroit, Whiteford took a 26-20 win over Ubly, which last season avenged that defeat by topping the Bobcats 21-6 in the title game in Motown.
Whiteford has qualified for the state playoffs 12 straight years entering 2024.
Here is a look at the four Blade-area Michigan teams.
BEDFORD
■ Coach : John Phillips, fifth season
■ Last season : 4-5 overall, 3-4 SEC Red
■ Top players : Seniors Lucas Gerber, 5-10, 170, RB-LB; Hunter Faunce, 6-2, 250, OL-DL; Cole Johnson, 6-1, 180, RB-LB; Drew Logsdon, 6-2, 200, QB-DB; Blake Rickner, 5-10, 175, RB-DB. Juniors Hudson Heams, 6-4, 275, OL-DL; Isaac Henman, 5-10, 175, QB-CB.
■ Outlook : Leading the Kicking Mules will be Gerber, a first team All-SEC Red honoree on defense in 2023, and Faunce, who garnered first team honors on the offensive line. What was a more inexperienced group of starters in 2023 for Phillips (22-15 record) will be a more seasoned group this year running the team’s flexbone triple-option offense and 4-3 base defense. That experience and depth should help Bedford contend near the top of the SEC Red with perennial power and 2023 champion Saline and last year’s runner-up Dexter. Phillips views Bedford’s elevated roster number, the team's summer work ethic as positives, and believes the Mules will have more consistency on offense and defense in 2024. His concern is how well the graduation void is filled.
“Lots of buy-in has us very excited to see what we can do,” Phillips said. “Having five seasons in the same [offensive] system is beginning to pay dividends. We’ve got a number of returning players at key positions on defense. We will be aggressive, and should be a tough defense to content with.”
BLISSFIELD
■ Coach : Ryan Love, first season back (fifth total)
■ Last season : 5-5 overall, 4-3 LCAA
■ Top players : Seniors Kipp Fisher, 6-1, 225, TE-LB; A.J. Weirich, 5-10, 185, G-LB; Kassidy Lenz, 5-7, 190, RB-DB; Mason Case, 5-11, 165, WR-DB; Blake Iffland, 5-11, 220, FB-LB. Junior Nolan Wilson, 5-11, 235, G-NG.
■ Outlook : The Royals’ new coach is their former head coach, as Love returns after posting an 18-24 record at Blissfield from 2015 to 2018. His 2017 and 2018 teams each finished 7-5 and reached the second round of the playoffs. He replaces the highly-successful Ron Estes, who also had two stints as Royals head coach (2002-12, 2019-23). Upon his return, Love inherits a roster of 26 players that includes 11 seniors and 12 returning letterwinners. Six starters are back on offense, and seven on defense. Fisher (at LB) and Lenz (RB) return after earning first team All-LCAA honors in 2023. They will lead the Royals’ wing-T offense and 5-2 base defense. Love sees Blissfield’s guards, linebackers, and the offensive skill spots as team strengths. His main concern is inexperience on both lines.
The Royals, who tied for third place in the LCAA with Dundee and Ida last season, hope to contend along with defending champion Clinton and 2023 runner-up Hudson.
“We’re looking forward to having a fantastic season,” Love said. “We have been thrilled with our summer workouts, and our consistent senior leadership.”
ERIE MASON
■ Coach: Steve Bowers, fourth season
■ Last season: 3-6 overall, 1-2 TCC
■ Top players: Seniors Logan Goodin, 6-2, 187, WR-RB-DE; Micahel Narew, 5-7, 165, QB-WR-LB; Phoenix Stefko, 6-0, 180, WR-DB. Juniors Cam Davis, 5-10, 185, OL-LB; Aiden Cannon, 5-7, 150, RB-QB-DB; Bowie Jacobs, 5-10, 150, QB-WR-DB; Maddix Wise, 5-11, 170, OL-LB.
■ Outlook : The Eagles hope to improve on their 2023 finish behind 19 returning letterwinners on a 24-player roster. Seven starters are back on offense, and six on defense. Goodin has had 180 tackles over the past two seasons, and contributed 400-plus yards on offense. Narew had 24 catches for 300 yards, and added 64 tackles on defense. Cannon contributed 56 tackles, and Stefko had 52 stops en route to first team All-TCC honors at DB. Erie Mason will run a spread offense and 4-4 base defense under Bowers, who is 14-15 overall through three seasons. He points to his four returning offensive linemen as a team strength along with overall experience. Replacing a three-year starter at QB, the team's top two receivers, its top running back, and two talented linebackers are his primary concerns.
“Our schedule provides several challenges along the way,” Bowers said, “and we look to compete week in and week out. Seeing growth in our defense, and players stepping up to replace key spots on each side of the ball early in the season, will be key to our success this season.”
WHITEFORD
■ Coach : Todd Thieken, third season
■ Last season : 13-1 overall, 3-0 TCC
■ Top players : Seniors Chase Lee, 6-1, 265, C-DT; Connor Bott, 6-2, 275, OT-DT. Juniors Nolan Walker, 6-2, 225, OT-DE; Mason Debarr, 6-4, 170, TE-DE; Shevy Alexander, 6-0, 205, TE-NG. Sophomore Tre Eitniear, 5-10, 175, QB.
■ Outlook : The Bobcats look to reload despite some heavy losses to graduation and bid for a fourth straight TCC title as well as make another deep playoff run. Triggering the offense again is Eitniear, who was 49 of 97 passing for 1,075 yards and 16 touchdowns as a freshman. Lee was a first team All-TCC offensive lineman, and Alexander was first team all-conference on the defensive line. Debarr had 88 tackles, including 12 for losses and added four sacks. Whiteford returns 17 letterwinners on a 27-player roster that includes just six seniors. Six starters are back on offense but just three return on defense. Thieken (27-1 record) views experience on both lines as team strengths, as well as having Eitniear triggering the offense. He also likes the speed at running back. His chief concerns are overall inexperience on defense, including the graduation of several three and four-year starters, and an overall lack of depth.
“We are going to be a very young football team this year,” Thieken said, “which is also really exciting as I look to see how these young players grow and improve through the season. Our offense will need to continue to play ball-control football, and lead our team as our defense improves each week through the season. We will be tested early in the season, and our young team will need to grow up fast.”
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