Notes from football season

As last week proved, Hillman's Caleb Zimmer might be the Tigers' MVP. Without Zimmer the Tigers were shutout by Mio two weeks ago, but with Zimmer back in the lineup Hillman was able to overcome rainy and sloppy conditions and beat Alcona 7-0. Scoring seven points isn't exactly worthy of declaring Hillman's offense explosive, but the conditions were so poor it's to be expected. Also, let's not forget that Alcona is a pretty good football team. But there was definitely a bigger spark in Hillman's running game with No. 24 toting the rock.

The word I'm hearing is there will be a new starting quarterback in Alpena for Friday's game against Cadillac. Sophomores Tim Atkinson and Brady Marwede battled it out all through preseason practices, with Atkinson emerging as the varsity starter and Marwede taking the reins as JV starter. But after six weeks, and with the Alpena offense struggling to score points, it looks like Marwede will get his chance to see what he can do under center.

Speaking of Alpena's game against Cadillac, that contest will be the Wildcats' Homecoming game and my second consecutive Homecoming game to attend after the Hillman-Alcona contest last week. I joke often around the office that I'm a magnet for Homecoming games (I don't have anything against Homecoming except it lengthens games and generally makes for a longer night). I don't try to avoid them or try to go to them, but I never seem to witness fewer than three every year out of only 8 football playing schools in our coverage area.

Still no one from the area has officially clinched a playoff berth, but I'm confident that we'll have at least two teams — Mio and Hillman. Alcona's chances took a big hit by losing to Hillman, as the Tigers face a brutally tough schedule the rest of the way. Whittemore-Prescott is going to be a tough hurdle to overcome this week and Tawas will be as well the following week. That leaves the regular season finale against Rudyard, which isn't as strong as its been in recent years, but is definitely no slouch either. I don't know how confident I would be making a prediction on that game, but obviously an Alcona victory would hit the magic number of wins it needs and would be a nice story for a program that hasn't tasted playoff football in 11 years.