Remember when Kosmo told everyone he was sad that the curtain was about to close on the prep football season?
Having three local teams vying for a state championship on the final weekend takes away the sting just a little bit.
It’s been since 2017 that Oakland County had three teams gunning for it all, and a decade since the county had a chance to bring home the bacon in three different divisions. Kosmo has already given his thanks for that, but would it be greedy to hope the Shamrocks, Eaglets and Irish (that’s enough luck, right?) each do it all?
Kosmo
Well, Kosmo is all about hope, but his business one of predictions, not wishes. So before the gravy-induced coma hits, here’s the final forecast for Friday and Sunday’s big games at Ford Field.
Friday, Nov. 28
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s vs. Dexter (D2 championship), 7 p.m. — Getting back to the big dance is no small feat, despite how easy some of these teams might make it look sometimes. Going back to the regular season finale against River Rouge, the Eaglets have outscored opponents 174-38. That’s remarkable against at least three teams that were genuinely among the best 10 in Division 2.
Dexter has beaten some pretty nice teams also in South Lyon and Gibraltar Carlson, and done so behind the arm of senior quarterback Cooper Arnedt, who is eying several state records. Six-foot-seven Owen Winder (Iowa State) watches his blind side to be able to get the ball to his favored target, Cole Navara, who has over 2,000 yards receiving this season. Those are Nintendo numbers! Don’t underestimate the Dreads’ athleticism. They have some guys destined for Saturdays.
But if anyone can shut the power off, it’s the athletic secondary of St. Mary’s. Losing to Catholic Central is acceptable, and Kosmo wonders if that loss to Brother Rice might have been a wake-up call that ends up being the catalyst for a repeat. Totally shutting down the Dreadnaughts would be ambitious, but keeping pace with Jabin Gonzales, Lorenzo Barber and the Eaglets’ attack is probably where Dexter falls short. Kosmo says: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Sunday, Nov. 30
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic (D5 championship), 4 p.m. — Hello again, Irish! There are some other wicked finals pairings, but here’s a true West vs. East battle to see which (or witch — like what Kosmo did there?) is best.
Notre Dame Prep has knocked off not some of the best teams in its own division like Frankenmuth and Monroe Jefferson, but also some darn good programs above and below its own weight. There are some truly great pocket passers behind center across all the games this weekend, but Kosmo would probably be fielding complaints from Coach Fox if he didn’t give a nod to Sam Stowe, who has nearly 2,500 passing yards and almost 40 touchdowns, many of which he’s spread to targets Drake Roa and Brody Sink, also pretty tall guys in their own right.
The Falcons, meanwhile, haven’t been beaten since a 32-21 loss to D2 GR Northview on opening weekend. They beat Ogemaw Heights 34-24 in the semifinals, but the granddaddy victory was a 21-20 overtime win over GR Catholic Central thanks to a stop a on 2-point conversion (CMU commit Jacob Timmer is a two-way load to push around).
If this comes down to the nitty gritty, Irish kicker Owen Fulsher hasn’t attempted nearly as many field goals as his counterpart, Landon Smith, but the Irish have also proven time and again the ability to alter or block kicks, which might deter the Falcons if they’re up in the air about whether to go for it.
If you’re feeling wicked, you’ve gotta go green, right? Kosmo says: Notre Dame Prep
Detroit Catholic Central vs. Detroit Cass Tech (D1 championship), 7 p.m. — The final game of the season is the one that most dreamed of. And holy heck, how about the history? This is to be the fourth finals showdown between the Technicians and Shamrocks since 2011.
Cass Tech hasn’t tasted defeat since an 18-12 OT loss to King back on Sept. 20 of last year, though they’ve gotten several real tough tests early this year by Toledo Catholic Central (28-27), Grandville (31-28, OT) and King (27-22). Super sophomore QB Donald Tabron and Corey Sadler are as talented a duo as it gets, but just like CC, the well runs far deeper with gamers.
Might the Shamrocks benefit from being better tested in the past few weeks? If this was just about the best four teams, East Kentwood and Clarkston, Catholic Central’s last two victories, might round out the field. And much as Kosmo loved seeing the Wolves do big things this year, those games weren’t close.
If you replayed last year’s semifinal 10 times, Cass Tech might have won it six times. They just felt like they had that explosive edge. Catholic Central feels like it can at least match that with the Gash Bros. and an equally impressive pass rush as it had in the last meeting. After all the heartbreak at the hands of the Technicians, it feels like it’s the Shamrocks’ time to shine. Kosmo says: Detroit Catholic Central