The marathon is just about over and a lot of football has been played. Only one team from the area has punched a playoff ticket, quite the change from the first five weeks when it appeared to the All-Knowing-One there could have been as many as five teams making it.

The wins have been few and far in between and most teams have a chance to go 4-5 with no hope for the postseason. The All-Knowing-One has to say a 4-5 season is considered a building step. But how many of those seasons can a team go through and consider it success before they move to the next level?

Swami is an optimist and hopes the wait isn’t a long one for local teams.

PETOSKEY (0-7) at ALPENA (2-5)-This game is for pride and nothing else as neither team is where they would like to be. For Alpena it’s Homecoming Night and the seniors will play their last game in an Alpena uniform, so it should be more than enough incentive for the Wildcats. A win tonight and another next week would give Alpena a lot to build on for next year.

Last year Petoskey had everything going right and won its final game at Curtis Field. The Northmen haven’t won this year, but this isn’t a game that Alpena will automatically will win.

The Northmen let Big North conference foe Gaylord jump out to a 21-0 lead last week before they would make a valiant effort in attempt to pull out the win. Joel Wilson ripped off a 46 yard touchdown run early in the fourth.

The Wildcats saw too much of Traverse City Central’s Devante Walker last week, but Alpena’s Logan Guthrie had a personal best 134 rushing yards.

The All-Knowing-One says the Wildcats will be able to move the ball on Petoskey, something that didn’t happen last season. The tone has to be set from the opening kickoff and if Alpena can do that it’ll walk away the victor.

Swami Sez: Alpena 28, Petoskey 7.

LAKE CITY (2-5) at ALCONA (6-1)-Alcona may have clinched a playoff bid, but there is plenty of work still to be done. The Tigers dominated an undermanned Atlanta squad in a game that hardly them. The Tigers raced out to double digit lead and only complicated the Huskies’ attempts to get the offense moving. Dresden Parkinson and Alex Stephenson led the touchdown barrage with two touchdowns each. Leading ground gamer Brock Franklin turned in 162 yardsand a score.

For Lake City, there have been many great efforts in games, but not enough wins. The Trojans put forth a good effort against McBain last week and played physical.

Zach Noren led the Trojan attack on the ground with 98 yards a touchdown, while Justin Balcer was limited to 31 yards, but was able to find the end zone. Lake City made all the critical stops on defense except for one. Wyatt Bisballe led the way with 11 tackles.

Swami sees the Tigers not easing up just yet. Each win only improves their chances of hosting a playoff game. The All-Knowing-One sees the Tigers continuing to use the running game to keep the defense fresh. With that said, Swami believes Lake City will not a defensive scheme to stop them.

Swami Sez: Alcona 42, Lake City 14.

HILLMAN (4-3) at WHITTEMORE-PRESCOTT (4-3)-The playoff push for Hillman and Whittemore-Prescott is still on. This should be a playoff preview and a tough game. The Tigers have put together a four game win streak now Swami says they must continue to go forward. They will face a much stiffer defensive game with Whittemore-Prescott, then it did against offensive-minded Oscoda. The Cardinals had a defensive struggle against Rogers City last week, but they’ve still got fight and neither team wants to lose this one.

Billy Kolcan took matters into his own hands in the high scoring affair with Oscoda. Kolcan accounted for five touchdowns with four coming from his 312 rushing yards. The opposition attempted to concentrate on Kolcan, but did not have a plan to stop him. Hillman also has Caine Hunt and Kyler Moir who can put up big numbers. In a defensive battle, Whittemore-Prescott outlasted Rogers City. It was a defensive battle, but the Cardinals found enough offense to put three touchdowns on the board.

Swami says neither team will have a runaway win and it may come down to the last play.

Swami Sez: Hillman 21, Whittemore-Prescott 20.

NEWBERRY (6-1) at ROGERS CITY (3-4)-Rogers City is going up a steep hill to finish with a winning record and possibly a shot at the playoffs.

The Hurons had a chance to move closer to their goal last week, but came up short. Swami would have to say it was a total team effort that let Rogers City down, not just one person. With that record intact, the Hurons wouldn’t be under the gun to win two to get in. They could have been afforded a loss and made a strong bid with a season-ending win.

The Huron defense will have to work overtime to stop an all offensive juggernaut in Newberry led by quarterback John Paramski, his rushing counterparts Adam Hilderbrandt, George Sevarns, Tom Clark and Tyler Blakely. Jeff Rahilly at split end has had his share of touchdown receptions as well and is the main reason why Newberry is ranked eighth in Division 8. The Indians had an easy time against Manistique last scoring 48 points before allowing a defensive score with seconds remaining.

Swami says this will be a tall order for the Hurons, but not an impossible task. The All-Knowing-One will foretell that everything will have to be in alignment if the Hurons are able to pull off the upset. If not it will be a season that could have been and went for naught.

Swami Sez: Newberry 35, Rogers City 8.