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SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joe Musgrove pitched six strong innings and Fernando Tatis Jr. went 0 for 4 in his first game back since June 21 as the San Diego Padres beat the Detroit Tigers 3-0 on Monday.

Luis Arraez had two RBI singles for the Padres, who edged ahead of Arizona and into the NL’s top wild card spot.

Tatis was activated from the 60-day injured list after being sidelined with a stress reaction in his right thighbone. The star right fielder received loud ovations during the pregame lineup announcements and when he ran out to his defensive position to start the game, gesturing to the fans along the way.

He grounded out twice, fouled out and struck out.

Tatis won both the NL Gold Glove Award and Platinum Glove Award in 2023, his first season playing right field.

Musgrove (5-4) was making his fifth start since a 2 1/2-month stay on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. He held the Tigers to three hits while striking out eight and walking two.

The first two batters in the fourth reached before Musgrove retired the side. He put two runners on with two outs in the sixth before striking out Colt Keith.

Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his 31st save.

Tigers opener Tyler Holton went two innings before Brenan Hanifee (0-1) took over. Mason McCoy beat out an infield single with one out in the third and advanced on Hanifee’s throwing error, and then scored on Arraez’s single to right.

Arraez hit another RBI single in the eighth and Manny Machado added an RBI base hit.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: Manager Mike Shildt said RHP Yu Darvish (right elbow inflammation) and SS Ha-Seong Kim (right shoulder inflammation) are making progress, but the team hasn’t decided what the next steps are for them. … While Tatis was activated, OF Bryce Johnson was optioned to Triple-A El Paso and DFA’d José Azocar. … LF Jurickson Profar got his first day off since June 22.

UP NEXT

MLB wanted the Padres to take Monday off to break up a long stretch of games, but the team wanted to play on the holiday and take Tuesday off. Tigers RHP Keider Montero (4-6, 5.17 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday night, while the Padres haven’t named a starter.

— By BERNIE WILSON, Associated Press

The Detroit Lions have named six players to represent them as captains for the 2024 season.

With the regular season set to kick off Sunday, the Lions announced the six players who earned the leadership role, including Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, Alex Anzalone, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Aidan Hutchinson.

The Lions are allowed to have up to eight players wear the captain patch on their jersey, per league rules. Teams used to be able to have up to 10 representatives wearing the patch, but the league lessened the amount to eight prior to the 2023 campaign.

Last season, Goff, Anzalone, Sewell, Reeves-Maybin, St. Brown and defensive end Charles Harris were the team’s six captains.

While up to eight players can be named captains, teams can only send a maximum of six players out to midfield for the pregame coin toss.

Goff, Sewell and St. Brown earned hefty contract extensions this offseason for their performance since arriving in Detroit in 2021. Sewell and St. Brown were First-team All-Pro selections last year as two of the highest performing players in the league at their positions.

For Goff, the 2023 season was also a successful one. He finished top five in the league in passing yards and touchdowns and won two playoff games.

Reeves-Maybin, meanwhile, was an NFLPA All-Pro selection as a core special teamer in his first season back with the Lions. He also earned Pro Bowl honors for his performance in that aspect of the game.

Meanwhile, Hutchinson is a first-time captain selection as he begins his third year out of Michigan.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan has played in many marquee matchups in recent years.

Only the high-stakes games, including three straight trips to the College Football Playoff, did not happen early in the season.

Texas is coming to town this week and it doesn’t get much bigger than that, or better for college football fans.

The fourth-ranked Longhorns will provide a tough test on Saturday for the ninth-ranked Wolverines, who had the luxury of tuning up for Big Ten Conference play with soft schedules the last two years.

Michigan will find out quickly if the relatively low expectations for a defending national champion were merited or simply underestimated Sherrone Moore’s first team.

“It’s exciting for our players, for the program, for the fans,” Moore said Monday. “You want these type of games. You want these atmospheres. You want these building blocks to help you mold your team and really get where you need to be.”

Texas found out how good it was in Week 2 last season when it beat then-No. 3 Alabama and went on to make the College Football Playoff.

Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said 46 current players experienced the victory over the Crimson Tide, showing them what it takes to win away from home.

“You have to have great poise and composure when you are in these type of road environments,” Sarkisian said.

The winner in front of more than 110,000 fans in the stands and millions of people watching on TV will get a boost for its bid to win a national championship while the loser still will have hope thanks to the expanded, 12-team playoff.

“Because of the new format, I like this matchup even more,” Sarkisian said.

The victors also will earn some bragging rights for the Southeastern Conference or the Big Ten.

Texas was dominant in its opener, clicking on offense with quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning while swarming on defense in a 52-0 rout of Colorado State.

Michigan, meanwhile, turned a closely contested game into a 30-10 win over Fresno State with an entirely rebuilt offensive line that struggled until late in the game.

A decade go, both schools announced their traditionally powerful programs would have a home-and-home series for the first time.

The first game is this week and the return trip to Austin is scheduled for Sept. 4, 2027. The Vince Young-led Longhorns beat the Wolverines on Jan. 1, 2005, in their only meeting, at the Rose Bowl.

In college football history, Michigan is No. 1 in all-time wins with 1,005 and Texas is No. 4 with 949 victories.

And finally, they’re facing off in the regular season.

“I’m super pumped,” Sarkisian said. “I love college football. To think these two iconic programs, with those iconic uniforms and iconic helmets meeting for the first time in the Big House … yeah, that’s awesome.”

The Wolverines kicked off their 2023 national championship season with mismatches against East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green one year after opening with Colorado State, Hawaii and Connecticut.

Oddmakers don’t seem to think Michigan is ready for the challenge, making it an underdog by a touchdown, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

The Wolverines, though, say they will be ready.

“It’s going to be like Rose Bowls, Ohio State games,” said Michigan’s Will Johnson, a preseason All-America cornerback. “Those type of games, I feel like that’s when we play our best football.”

Michigan statewide boys soccer rankings from the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association

For the week of Sept. 2, 2024

(Records in parentheses are as of the start of the week)

 

DIVISION 1

1. Northville (4-0-0)

2. Portage Central (4-0-1)

3. Plymouth (5-0-1)

4. Rochester Adams (3-0-2)

5. Rockford (4-0-1)

6. Troy (2-0-0)

7. Oxford (5-0-1)

8. Romeo (3-1-1)

9. Grand Blanc (2-1-1)

10. Clarkston (3-2-0)

11. Berkley (6-0-0)

12. Detroit Catholic Central (1-2-1)

13. Byron Center (6-0-0)

14. Ann Arbor Huron (3-0-0)

15. Troy Athens (2-1-1)

DIVISION 2

1. Warren DeLaSalle (7-1-0)

2. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood (3-0-0)

3. DeWitt (5-0-1)

4. Holland (5-1-0)

5. Auburn Hills Avondale (5-1-0)

6. Fruitport (4-0-0)

7. Mason (4-2-0)

8. Grand Rapids South Christian (5-1-0)

9. Waterford Kettering (7-1-0)

10. New Boston Huron (4-0-1)

11. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (4-1-1)

12. Zeeland East (5-0-0)

13. Hudsonville Unity Christian (3-1-1)

14. Grand Rapids Christian (3-2-1)

15. Muskegon Reeths Puffer (4-1-1)

 

DIVISION 3

1. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (6-0-0)

2. Macomb Lutheran North (6-0-0)

3. Detroit Country Day (5-1-3)

4. Flint Powers (3-1-0)

5. Hartford (4-0-1)

6. Kingsford (5-0-0)

7. Imlay City (7-2-0)

8. Eaton Rapids (3-1-0)

9. Wyoming Godwin Heights (3-0-0)

10. Traverse City St Francis (6-1-0)

11. Alma (7-0-1)

12. Wyoming Lee (3-0-0)

13. Ogemaw Heights (6-1-0)

14. Grosse Ile (2-1-1)

15. Delton Kellogg (2-1-1)

 

DIVISION 4

1. Lansing Christian (6-0-0)

2. Leland (3-1-1)

3. Royal Oak Shrine (4-0-0)

4. Jackson Christian (4-0-0)

5. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett (3-0-2)

6. Clarkston Everest Colligate (2-1-0)

7. Grandville Calvin Christian (5-1-0)

8. Bloomfield Hills Roeper (4-1-0)

9. Manchester (3-0-1)

10. Western Michigan Christian (1-3-2)

11. North Muskegon (2-3-0)

12. Holland Black River (3-1-1)

13. Plymouth Christian (1-1-1)

14. Capac (3-0-0)

15. Detroit Cristo Rey (1-0-1)

Now that Week 1 of the NFL regular season is approaching, the tone of coaches and players will subtly change.

Prior to the season, players, coaches and front offices are asked about season goals and the realistic opportunity to win the Lombardi Trophy is analyzed by pundits and fans.

Now that the Detroit Lions have started their preparation for the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, head coach Dan Campbell would like the talk of winning the Super Bowl to end.

Campbell, when asked about the psychology of players, coaches and the front office repeatedly talking about the Super Bowl noted, “It’s funny, because I just told the team, ‘Let’s not talk about it anymore.'”

Certainly, Detroit is aware it has put itself in position to make another deep playoff run.

For the fourth-year head coach, the focus shifts to the daily tasks that must get accomplished in order to the Lions to have any sort of chance of appearing in and winning Super Bowl 59 in February 2025.

“Of course we do, who doesn’t, right. We’re to the point, now, where that doesn’t even matter anymore. Like what does that do? Does nothing. Now it’s about the steps to get to there,” Campbell explained. “And the steps are you better win your division because you get home field again. And then once you get a home game now it’s about seeding, right? And you win these head-to-heads. And all of a sudden you’re the three seed. You’re the two seed. Maybe you’re the one seed.”

The first step involves facing an opponent that is playoff caliber and has a veteran quarterback in Matthew Stafford, who is very familiar with Detroit’s defense.

Detroit is now focusing on putting themselves in the best position to have success in 2024. This includes winning games, having the highest-seed possible and getting on the right side of head-to-head NFC matchups.

“So, we got we got to win division man. And so it starts with this first game NFC opponent who could win the the West at the end of this year. You win a head-to-head. So, it’s all about, now, what gives you the best odds. That’s (Super Bowl) so far down the road, now. So now it’s about setting yourself up for that,” said Campbell. “And how do you do that? Well, it’s like we said, it starts with game one. NFC opponent, really good opponent who I think is going to be staring at all of us in the playoffs at the end of this year, too. So that’s it. And you find a way to win your division again.”

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

The Detroit Lions had several key players dealing with injuries at points throughout training camp. Particularly, the team was hit with a number of ailments in the secondary.

With the regular season opener set for Sunday, the Lions appear to be getting healthier. Coach Dan Campbell said most of the group is ready to go for practice this week, but safety Ifeatu Melifonwu still has a lingering injury issue that continues to bother him.

“Iffy’d be the only right now who’s still not sure,” Campbell said. “Still not sure on him. We’re gonna try to get him moving around a little bit today and tomorrow and see where he’s at. Everyone else, we’re good.”

Melifonwu has been dealing with this injury throughout the preseason. His status is uncertain for Week 1, though the Lions are hoping to get him going in practice this week to evaluate where he stands.

“It’s really something that’s just been lingering, even before that,” Campbell explained. “It’s slow moving, that’s all. It’s slow healing. Take it as it comes.”

The Syracuse product was a breakout player at the end of last season. While injuries have hampered much of his first three seasons, Melifonwu made good on his opportunity in the starting lineup late in the year.

Melifonwu started six games last year and finished the season with two interceptions, three sacks and 33 combined tackles. He also had eight total passes defensed.

The Lions will have Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch as projected starters at the safety position. Joseph has paced the defense in interceptions in each of his first two NFL seasons, while Branch emerged as a dynamic playmaker while playing the nickel position a season ago.

The update is encouraging for the rest of the group of players who had been injured throughout training camp, including tight end Sam LaPorta, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Carlton Davis.

LaPorta and Gibbs had been dealing with hamstring injuries, while Arnold had suffered a pectoral injury in practice ahead of Detroit’s second preseason game.

Several players who had been out at points in training camp had previously returned to practice following the preseason finale. This group included Davis, Arnold, Gibbs, LaPorta, offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

DETROIT (AP) — Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene each hit a two-run homer, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Sunday.

The Tigers (70-68) earned their second series win in the last 13 against Boston and won the season series for the first time since 2017. They trail the Red Sox (70-67) by a half-game for fourth in the AL wild-card race.

Brant Hurter (3-1) pitched five innings of one-run ball for the win. He entered with two on and one out in the second and got Wilyer Abreu to bounce into a double play.

Jason Foley, the fourth Tigers pitcher, got his 20th save with a perfect ninth.

Red Sox opener Cooper Criswell pitched four perfect innings, striking out five. But Rich Hill (0-1) and Zack Kelly faltered.

Jarren Duran’s two-out RBI single lifted Boston to a 1-0 lead in the fifth, but the 44-year-old Hill issued a leadoff walk to Kerry Carpenter in the bottom half. Jace Jung struck out before Torkelson hit a drive to left for his eighth homer.

Greene made it 4-1 in the sixth, lining a two-run homer — his 20th — off Kelly that went just inside the right-field foul pole.

Boston’s search for late-game offense led to Red Sox manager Alex Cora playing Conner Wong in left field for his first appearance in the outfield since college.

UP NEXT

The Red Sox return home for a three-game series with the New York Mets. Neither team had announced their pitching plans for the Labor Day opener.

Detroit flies across the country for a holiday afternoon game against the San Diego Padres. The game comes two days after the Tigers honored their 1984 championship team, which beat the Padres in the World Series in five games. The teams have Tuesday off before finishing the series on Wednesday and Thursday.

— By DAVE HOGG, Associated Press

 

 

The University of Michigan opened its title defense with a win over visiting Fresno State on Saturday night at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

No. 9 Michigan begins defense of national title with 30-10 win over Fresno State

Photos by Suzie Baker for MediaNews Group.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Davis Warren and Alex Orji each threw a touchdown pass, Will Johnson returned an interception for a score and No. 9 Michigan started defense of its national championship with a 30-10 win over Fresno State on Saturday night.

The Wolverines (1-0) were sluggish on offense for much of the night, breaking in new quarterbacks behind a revamped offensive line and Sherrone Moore, who made his coaching debut as Jim Harbaugh’s full-time replacement.

The Bulldogs (0-1) trailed by just four points deep into the second quarter and 16-10 midway through the fourth before Michigan pulled away.

Warren, who beat out Orji to start at quarterback, threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland to give Michigan a 23-10 lead with 5:43 left.

Johnson picked off a pass on the ensuing possession and returned it 86 yards, making the score lopsided in a game that was close for much of the night.

The game opened with Orji throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Warren, but the rest of the night didn’t go very smoothly for Moore’s team until late in the game.

Davis, a former walk-on who overcame leukemia in high school, was 15 of 25 for 118 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Orji was 1 of 2 with a 3-yard touchdown pass and ran five times for 32 yards. Kalel Mullings had 92 yards rushing on 15 carries for the Wolverines.

Mikey Keene completed 22 of 36 passes for 238 yards with a 19-yard touchdown pass Raylen Sharpe in the fourth quarter that pulled the Bulldogs within six points and two interceptions.

Fresno State’s Jalen Moss had six catches for 97 yards, including a leaping, twisting catch on a sideline.

THE TAKEAWAY

Fresno State: Tim Skipper may have improved his case to keep the job with a competitive showing, despite the final score. Skipper was named interim coach in July, shortly before training camp, after Jeff Tedford stepped down for health reasons.

Michigan: Six offensive linemen from last year’s team landed in NFL training camps this summer, turning a strength into a weakness. The Wolverines were unable to create holes for the running game and didn’t give their quarterbacks much time to throw until wearing down the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

AP poll voters may see the final score and keep Michigan in the same spot even after an uneven performance. The last time a national champion was ranked as low as the Wolverines were in the preseason poll was 2011, when Auburn was No. 23. Prior to that, the only time a defending champion was ranked worse than seventh was in 1991 when Colorado was No. 13 in the preseason.

UP NEXT

Fresno State: Plays Sacramento State, coming off a 42-24 loss to San Jose State, on Saturday at home.

Michigan: No. 4 Texas visits the Big House on Saturday after opening with a 52-0 win over Colorado State.

DETROIT (AP) — Tarik Skubal allowed one run in eight innings and struck out eight to become the fourth Detroit left-hander with 200 strikeouts in a season as the Tigers celebrated the franchise’s 1984 World Series championship with a 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

Jack Morris threw the ceremonial first pitch to Lance Parrish, and Skubal (16-4) gave a performance that would have fit onto Morris’ resume. He allowed Tyler O’Neill’s first-inning homer, but Boston only hit three singles after that as Skubal made it through the eighth for the first time.

“It was a little fitting that it was the 1984 night and that’s the deepest I’ve pitched into a game,” he said.

Skubal joined Hal Newhouser, Mickey Lolich and Matthew Boyd as the team’s only left-handers to strike out 200 in a season. He now has 201, and could be a month away from something Morris never did — winning a Cy Young.

“Tarik is a special player,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s anchored this staff all season. He has gotten a lot of attention, but he keeps doing his work. I get to see all of it, not just the eight innings tonight or the routine seven innings, but the dominance, the strikeouts, the low hits, the low walks and the low ERA.”

Tyler Holton pitched the ninth for his sixth save as the Tigers moved within 1 1/2 games of Boston for fourth in the American League wild-card race.

“(Skubal) is amazing — he should probably win the Cy Young,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “That means we need to come out tomorrow and win the series.”

Boston’s Nick Pivetta (5-10) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk in six innings.

After O’Neill’s homer, the Tigers took the lead with two runs in the second.

Spencer Torkelson hit a one-out single and Zach McKinstry extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games with a double. Trey Sweeney hit a fly ball to left ball that Rob Refsnyder couldn’t play against the wall, driving in two with a double.

Hinch credited his third base coach, Joey Cora, with the decision to send McKinstry to the plate.

“We’ve talked all year about being aggressive,” Hinch said. “There have been a few outs at home, but you have to take risks to make those plays. That’s part of our identity.”

Alex Cora said he wasn’t surprised that Joey Cora — his older brother — made the decision to send McKinstry to the plate.

“They took a gamble with the runner at third — that third base coach is very aggressive,” Alex Cora said, never mentioning his brother by name. “We knew that coming in, of course. Not every third base coach would send that runner, but he makes decisions based on catching people off guard.”

The Tigers got a pair of singles in the seventh, but both Ryan Kreidler and Parker Meadows were picked off first. Meadows was caught by 44-year-old Rich Hill, the only player on either roster who was born when the Tigers last won the World Series.

Kreidler made up for his mistake in the eighth, retiring Triston Casas with a jump throw from foul territory behind third.

Skubal didn’t even expect to be on the mound for the eighth.

“It was a special night, with the 1984 team in the ballpark, and the crowd was incredible,” Hinch said. “They were giving him a standing ovation after the seventh, and I was trying to say ‘No, no, you’re going back out there for the eighth.’ ”

UP NEXT

The teams finish the three-game series on Sunday with Detroit RHP Ty Madden (0-0, 1.80 ERA) making his second start against RHP Cooper Criswell (5-4, 4.34).

— By DAVE HOGG, Associated Press

When asking who’s paving the way for success for Oakland County football teams this fall, some of the direct answers might be found right here.

In 2022, the county was rich with elite running backs like Walled Lake Western’s Darius Taylor and Brother Rice’s Nolan Ray. Last year’s top-tier talent included QBs like Isaiah Marshall from state champ Southfield A&T, along with Kalieb Osborne from Waterford Mott.

This year’s list, though, is proof of the elite talent along the offensive lines throughout the area. Led by a future Wolverine, four pavers are among the top-10 — seven in the top-16 — much to the delight of some skill position players that are also scattered throughout below as well.

That being said, here’s a look at the top 50 players in Oakland County for the 2024 season:

1 Avery Gach (Birmingham Groves 6-5, 295 Sr. OL) — Committed to Michigan, Gach exhibits pro potential and is one of the more elite lineman prospects Oakland County has seen in recent years. Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida State and USC all came after him before he chose Michigan.

2 Kam Flowers (West Bloomfield 6-0, 175 Sr. WR) — Committed to Toledo, Flowers is a power-conference prospect steal for the Rockets and the fastest pass-catcher in Oakland County this fall. He recorded 1,085 total yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior.

3 Jack Janda (Novi Detroit Catholic Central 6-6, 225 Jr. TE) — The No. 1 tight end prospect in the state’s junior class, Janda transferred to Catholic Central from Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the winter and holds offers from Michigan, Oregon, Wisconsin and others.

4 Charles “D.J.” White (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 6-2, 200 Sr. LB) — Committed to Michigan State, White is a menace sideline to sideline, with a high gridiron IQ and ferocious tackling ability,

5 Jaden Pydyn (Novi Detroit Catholic Central 6-2, 220 Sr. RB/S) — Committed to Army, Pydyn can burn opposing teams in multiple ways and will return to tailback full-time this year after playing quarterback for most of last season. He’ll play baseball at West Point as well.

6 Jayden Savoury (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 6-6, 215 Sr. TE) — Committed to Michigan State, Savoury is the No. 1 tight end in the state’s Class of 2025 and starred on St. Mary’s state-championship basketball team last winter.

7 Ben Eziuka (Novi Detroit Catholic Central 6-4, 290 Sr. OL) — The next in line in the legacy of great Shamrocks run blockers and pass protectors. Eziuka has offers from Penn State and Kentucky right now and is showing immense progress every snap.

8 Bryson Williams (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 6-2, 200 Sr. ATH) — Committed to Michigan State, Williams is considered to have a very high upside at the next level by scouts and just started to hit his stride as a prepster last season as a junior. He can stretch the field vertically or burn cornerbacks across the middle with his stellar crossing route ability

9 Liam Vaughan (Walled Lake Western 6-4, 285 Sr. OL) — Committed to Western Michigan, Vaughan is Metro Detroit’s “Pancake King” and maybe the most fundamentally-sound lineman in the area. A four-year starter, he’s posted more than 300 pancake blocks in his varsity career so far.

10 Jay Gardenhire (West Bloomfield 6-8, 365 Sr. OL) — Committed to Colorado, Gardenhire transferred into the “Swamp” in the offseason from New Jersey and is ready to make a major impact in Oakland County headlining the protection unit for the Lakers’ high-powered offense.

11 Tristan Hill (Lake Orion 6-0, 180 Sr. QB) — The three-year starter and RPO magician boasted 1,785 yards and 22 touchdowns from scrimmage last season in leading the Dragons to an undefeated regular season and the OAA Red title.

12 Ryland Watters (Rochester Adams 6-2, 195 Jr. QB) — As dangerous as dual-threat signal caller as there is in the area right now, pure electricity under center operating the veer offense for the Highlanders. He is also an elite baseball recruit.

13 Antonio Johnson (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 6-5, 285 Sr. OL) — He will be in his third straight year anchoring the Eaglets’ line play and is choosing between Penn State, Michigan State and Illinois right now.

14 Elisha Durham (West Bloomfield 6-0, 170 Sr. WR) — This 3-star prospect has Wisconsin in hot pursuit of his college commitment and is a big-play specialist in space.

15 Danilo Guberinich (Novi Detroit Catholic Central 6-5, 285 Sr. OL) — Committed to Western Michigan, Guberinich will captain the line for the Shamrocks again and remains the heart and soul of the team.

16 Spencer Beckeman (Stoney Creek 6-6, 285 Sr. OL) — Committed to Western Michigan, Beekman is tough as nails and smart as a whip up front and another in a long line of high-quality tackle prospects to emerge out of the Cougars’ Den.

17 Noah Sanders (Birmingham Groves 6-0, 175 Sr. RB) — Building off a breakout junior campaign, the son of Barry Sanders shows moves like his dad with more speed.

18 Donovan Triplett (Walled Lake Western 5-9, 175 Jr. RB) — The best running back in the LVC is ready to make a name for himself as one of the most lethal ball-toters in the state this season. During his breakout junior campaign, he ran for 1,285 yards and 14 scores.

19 Samson Gash (Novi Detroit Catholic Central 6-0, 175 Jr. WR) — Coaches and scouts are anticipating a breakout campaign for this slippery playmaker and NFL offspring.

20 Luke Johnson (Oxford 6-0, 195 Sr. RB) — The most underrated playmaker on offense in the OAA and the area’s most punishing rusher, Johnson epitomizes the heart that the Wildcats play with and could be a sleeper pick for Mr. Football.

21 Brendon Rice (North Farmington 6-4, 265 Sr. DL) — Committed to Rice, the Raiders’ defensive tackle is a high-value grab for the Owls down in Houston. Last season, he tallied 86 tackles and 10 sacks.

22 Cade Wilhelmi (Birmingham Detroit Country Day 6-6, 275 Sr. OL) — Committed to Toledo, Wilhelmi is a monster at the point attack and a natural leader.

23 Chris Little (Birmingham Groves 5-10, 170 Sr. CB) — Committed to Grand Valley State, Little is the best pure cover corner in Oakland County and has 18 career interceptions.

24 Griffin Boman (Clarkston 6-0, 195 Jr. RB/LB) — Expect Bowman to be the hardest-working ball-carrier in the OAA in 2024, building on a big-effort playoff push as a sophomore.

25 Jalien Peacock (Troy 6-3, 185 Sr. WR) — Committed to Saginaw Valley State, Peacock is the best player in the OAA that most people don’t know about yet.

The next 25:

26 Jaiden Allos (West Bloomfield Sr. ATH)

27 Lucas Tic (Troy Sr. OL) — Committed to Grand Valley State

28 Jeremiah Benson (West Bloomfield Sr. OL/DL)

29 Beau Jackson (West Bloomfield Sr. QB)

30 Jamal Shakespear (West Bloomfield Jr. QB/S)

31 Noah Oury (Troy Sr. QB) — Committed to Grand Valley State

32 Shane Rachner (Walled Lake Western Sr. LB)

33 Lucas Price (Walled Lake Western Sr. LB)

34 Axel Newell (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Sr. QB)

35 Josh Tate (West Bloomfield Sr. RB)

36 Matteo Humbert (Rochester Adams Sr. RB)

37 Anthony Cartwright (Birmingham Detroit Country Day Soph. TE)

38 Max Jansenvanjuren (Waterford Mott Jr. ATH)

39 Geno Seets (Waterford Mott Jr. QB/WR/S)

40 Kenny Brooks (Southfield A&T Jr. LB)

41 Jonathan Edison (West Bloomfield Sr. CB)

42 Trey Pochmara (Lake Orion Sr. S)

43 Jordan Melton (Southfield A&T Sr. CB)

44 Sam Fogler (Stoney Creek Sr. RB)

45 Nate Piggott (Troy Athens Jr. TE)

46 Mario Campo-Lavisco (Birmingham Groves Sr. RB)

47 Justin Greer-Sykes (Auburn Hills Avondale Sr. RB)

48 Lance Briolat (Ortonville Brandon Sr. QB)

49 Brody Pikur (West Bloomfield Sr. ATH)

50 Troy Temple (Walled Lake Western Sr. S)

DETROIT – Armed with a hoard of future Division 1 talent, including one of the top players in the nation in senior quarterback Bryce Underwood, Belleville was favored to handle Clarkston by some measure in Friday’s Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic matchup at Wayne State University.

As it turns out, it was the Wolves who gave the preseason D1 favorites all they could handle.

Clarkston came up empty on a potential game-tying drive in the final minutes, losing to the Tigers 35-28, but earning the feeling that the Wolves can compete with any team in the state.

“Man, I thought we went toe-to-toe with probably as good a team as there is in the state,” Clarkston head coach Justin Pintar said. “It was a little sloppy on both sides, but that was just a helluva football game. It just felt like watching a heavyweight title fight, with blow after blow. The determination from every kid was just outstanding.”

The Tigers, last year’s D1 runner-up to Southfield A&T after winning the title the previous two seasons, were on course to win somewhat comfortably when Central Michigan commit Andre Thomas blazed for an 80-yard touchdown, then took a direct snap on the conversion that followed to put the Tigers up 28-14 with 5:07 left in the third. In fact, it looked even worse for Clarkston when a punt attempt was mishandled on its next drive, resulting in a turnover on downs.

But on Belleville’s first play after getting the ball back, Underwood’s deep pass just short of the end zone was jumped by Clarkston senior Brady Beck, giving his team a new lease on life with his pick that was returned to near mid-field.

Not long after, Wolves sophomore QB Alex Waszczenko hit senior wide receiver Benny Adams for a 35-yard completion that came a yard short of the end zone, and Lukas Boman finished the job on the next play to make it an eight-point game with 10:13 remaining in the contest.

“The pick by Brady, that certainly swung momentum back, and then we got the big play right after that on offense,” Pintar said. “That’s what I mean, our guys just kept battling, even when we’re down two scores. It just felt like the guys kept grinding and never felt like they were gonna give up.”

Underwood scampered for over 30 yards on one run the next drive, and again Clarkston was reeling when, after holding the Tigers to 4th-and-13 at their own 12-yard line, they were flagged for having too many men on the field and looked destined to give up a score.

But two plays later, the Wolves forced a fumble that was recovered by T.J. Schafer inside the five with under six minutes left, and the turnover proved to be the opening they needed. Several minutes after, Waszczenko ate a shot out of the pocket, but connected on his shot downfield to junior Hank Hornung, who pedaled 80 yards for the touchdown to make it 28-26. On the two-point try, Beck took a sweep handoff right, and while being knocked out of bounds found Brady Roush for the game-tying conversion with 3:19 left.

“Alex played a great game, and you know, he took some hits and bounced right back up,” Pintar said. “He’s another kid that does everything you ask of him, made the throws when he had to, and in the run game, he had some where he just stuck his nose in them. He’s not a real big kid, but he plays a lot bigger than he is, and I was super proud of him in his first game.”

In response, however, the LSU-committed Underwood proved worthy of his billing. Seconds after gaining 10 yards, he took a designed run left 55 yards to the house — putting him close to 200 yards rushing on the evening on fewer than 10 carries — sending the Tigers back in front with 1:18 remaining.

“Honestly, I just wanted to show that I’ve got another gift to show everybody,” Underwood said of the work he did with his legs in the win.”

Needing to score in the remaining time left, Clarkston crossed half-field on a reception by Lukas Boman, but Tigers senior Ray-mond Smith recovered a fumble after a Wolves’ completion near the 30-yard line with 43 seconds left that sealed the win for Belleville.

Miami (OH) commit Adrian Walker Jr. was first to cross the pylon with a 27-yard pass from Underwood that put Belleville up 6-0 up in the first three minutes, the only scoring of the first quarter. Clarkston answered with a sustained drive that spanned into the second, finished by an 8-yard rushing TD from Griffin Boman to give the Wolves a 7-6 lead after the extra point with 10:57 on the board.

Later in the half, Belleville looked set to put up more points with great field position, but a sack by Griffin Boman and some resolve by the Wolves’ pass defense forced a turnover on downs. Belleville did eventually score next, getting in the end zone immediately after intermission on a 37-yard run by Underwood that put his team back ahead, and a Clarkston fumble just several plays later led to another score when Charles Britton caught a 14-yard TD pass from Underwood that made it 20-7 with 9:17 still left in the third.

It was at that point that Clarkston began to take chances through the air. A double move by Adams left him wide-open behind the defense, leading to a 65-yard reception, and Griffin Boman fought his way in for a 3-yard rushing score that would be answered instantly by Thomas’ long TD that set up the back-and-forth down the stretch.

Photo gallery of Clarkston vs. Belleville football at Wayne State University

"I'm just super proud of these guys, and hopefully we learn from our mistakes and keep getting better," Pintar said. "We've got to clean up the turnovers, and the mistakes -- the mental mistakes, the coaching mistakes, all the mistakes -- but if we can do that in Week 1 and keep getting better and better, I feel really good about where we are."

Clarkston remains away from home in its next game, taking on the defending D1 champs in Southfield A&T, who opened up with a 46-0 victory over Flint Beecher Friday night under new coach Keith McKenzie.

"That's been an OAA battle for years now, so we know that's going to be another talented football team, but I think this game probably prepared us pretty well for next week," Pintar said.

The new-look Brother Rice Warriors realized quickly that, while there’s plenty of excitement for the 2024 season, there’s just no substitute for experience.

Led by three-year starting quarterback Jordan Simes, the Roseville Panthers drained over eight minutes off the clock before Simes ripped a 22-yard touchdown pass to Howard commit Eric Slater across the middle in the opening drive of season-opening contest between Rice and Roseville on Friday, Aug. 30 at Lawrence Tech.

The 0-0 tie was the only time the Panthers never led on their way to a 35-0 victory.

“(Simes) was as cool and collected as possible,” said Roseville head coach Vernard Snowden. “Like, that first drive was like, geez – and he did that. Eight minutes! So you look at something like that, that was all Jordan.

“Jordan controls the game. Jordan controls making the audibles. He did everything that he’s supposed to have done. But that’s what you expect when a kid who’s a three-year starter and as good as he is.”

Roseville extended their lead midway through the second quarter when Simes scrambled and looked to the flat where he hit Reginald Feldner, who scampered in for a 26-yard score.

Jacob Blair recovered a fumble from Brother Rice quarterback Brady Thomas on the next possession – the first of four takeaways by Roseville – leading up to a play that even Simes didn’t know he could do.

With the pocket collapsing around him, the quarterback broke the line of scrimmage and ran, breaking tackles and swerving through defenders before finally reaching across the goal line for a 45-yard touchdown run to extend Roseville’s lead to 21-0 late in the first half.

“We’re a hell of a team,” Simes said. “I didn’t even know that I had that run in me. … I know I got a little speed to me.”

Snowden wasn’t shocked.

“No, because (Simes) can do it,” Snowden said. “And that’s the thing with Jordan – Jordan has a natural ability with his legs, and the last couple of years as a starter, he hasn’t used it. Now, as you see tonight, I’m pretty confident he had over 100-something yards. He used his legs. So we just got to keep doing that.”

Snowden was close – Simes finished with 97 rushing yards and 201 through the air.

Down three scores with a few minutes left in the first half, Brother Rice had the opportunity to get some momentum going into the break, but an interception by Dorrell Riley followed immediately by a Desmond Straughton 21-yard touchdown turned what could have been a potential two score game with Brother Rice set to receive out of halftime into a 28-0 slugfest.

After a 30-minute lightning delay out of halftime, Straughton scored on a 28-yard run to move the lead to 35 and trigger a running clock for the remainder of the game.

It was a good start to the season for the Illinois commit, who will be leaned on to contribute on offense this season more than he has in the past.

“He can do it all,” Snowden said. “That kid, he’s up for Mr. Football, and I’m telling you, he’s going to push for it because he’s just that type of kid. He’s very good, very humble. … He’s been one of the best 2025s in the state for three, four-years.”

Like Simes, Straughton is a multi-year starter, now playing in his fourth season as a leading man for the Panthers. He finished the game with 19 carries for 163 yards plus 11 tackles as a two-way star.

It’s a trend throughout the Roseville roster. Hank Elston, who picked off two passes on Friday, is in his second year starting. Their defensive line has three three-year starters, including Grand Valley State commits Elizah Jolly and Michael Chude, both of whom caused havoc for Brother Rice.

“We just came out fast,” Snowden said. “We got a lot of veteran kids with three, four-year starters. As you see, Jordan Simes had a good game. Desmond Straughton had a good game. These are guys who are three, four-year starters. So when you’re in a game like that with all the younger players, you expect guys like that to step up. And they did.”

It wasn’t a waste of a game for Brother Rice – the program, now led by first-year head coach Aaron Marshall, is on the upturn after an uncharacteristic winless season in 2023. They’ve brought in new players to star for the historic program, which features a trio of freshmen who are already gaining Power Four college interest in running back Deondre Hill, wide receiver Tyler Trusel and edge rusher Jayden Bell. All three players, among several other Warriors, showed flashes of greatness in their first varsity games against a top program.

Photos from Roseville football’s 35-0 victory over Brother Rice on Friday

“They (Brother Rice) got some really great young ball players,” Snowden said. “Brother Rice is going to be back. Coach Marshall did a good job. Coach (Richard) Popp, their offensive coordinator, did a great job. So they got a great coaching staff. And you know, this year, they took a little lump, but I expect them to be the old Brother Rice within the next couple of years.”

Simes agreed that the Warriors are a different team compared to the one the Panthers beat 41-0 one year ago.

“Most definitely,” he said. “Whole new coaching staff, basically new players. I know some transferred out, some came in. But yeah, they made a hell of an improvement.”

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams had a 63-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and Michigan State barely beat Florida Atlantic 16-10 Friday night.

The Spartans (1-0) were sloppy in coach Jonathan Smith’s debut.

Aidan Chiles threw an interception on the game’s opening snap, recovered his fumble to end the second drive and Montorie Foster Jr. lost the football on Michigan State’s third drive.

It didn’t go much smoother in the second half.

Chiles had a chance to put the Spartans ahead by more than two touchdowns late in the third quarter, but Ed Woods stepped in front of a pass in the flat at the Florida Atlantic 2 and returned it 58 yards.

Cam Fancher converted a fourth-and-1 with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jayshon Platt, cutting the Owls’ deficit to six points.

Smith went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Florida Atlantic 9 on the ensuing drive, instead of kicking a short field goal for a nine-point lead, and Lynch-Adams was stopped short on a run early in the fourth quarter.

Smith’s defense responded, forcing the Owls to turn it over on downs at the Michigan State 41 with 6:53 remaining, but Chiles’ errant passes led to another punt and chance for the visitors to go ahead.

The Spartans stopped Florida Atlantic again on the next drive.

Fancher came up short on a fourth-and-1 run near midfield and nearly drew a targeting penalty that didn’t stand after review, but two penalties after the play pushed the Spartans back 30 yards.

Florida Atlantic’s defense gave Fancher another chance and he converted a fourth-and-8 with a 21-yard pass to Omari Hayes, but he could not move the sticks again and turned it over on downs with 1:23 left at the Owls’ 41.

Florida Atlantic (0-1) turnovers proved to be pivotal, hurting its chances of beating a team from a power conference for the second time in school history and first since a 2007 win over Minnesota.

Fancher, sacked for a safety in the first quarter, was picked off on consecutive possessions early in the second quarter.

Chiles’ 11-yard touchdown run and Lynch-Adams’ long run for a score gave the Spartans a 16-0 lead.

Chiles, who like Smith left Oregon State, was 10 of 24 passing with two interceptions. He ran six times for 28 yards. Lynch-Adams, a graduate transfer from Massachusetts, finished with 101 yards and a score on nine carries.

THE TAKEAWAY

Florida Atlantic: Fancher, a transfer from Marshall, will have to learn a lot from a rough night. He was 12 of 25 passing for 116 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He ran 25 times for 67 yards.

Michigan State: Penalties plagued Smith’s first game with the program. The Spartans drew six penalties for 60 yards in the first quarter, including one for targeting that led to an ejection for defensive back Malik Spencer, and finished with 12 flags for 140 yards.

UP NEXT

Florida Atlantic: Host Army on Sept. 7.

Michigan State: Play at Maryland on Sept. 7.

PREP FOOTBALL

Allen Park Cabrini 51, Detroit Northwestern 0

Ann Arbor Skyline 19, Detroit University Prep 14

Atlanta 40, Rogers City 36

Battle Creek St Philip 46, Bangor 0

Beal City 22, Ravenna 15

Belleville 35, Clarkston 28

Bessemer 44, North Dickinson 26

Byron Center South Christian 42, Grand Rapids Christian 27

Cin. Elder, Ohio 20, Grand Rapids West Catholic 13

Detroit Cody 32, Detroit Community 20

Detroit Old Redford 18, Dearborn Advanced Tech 8

Dexter 27, Franklin 26, OT

Dryden 22, Kinde-North Huron 14

Ecorse 42, Hamtramck 6

Edwardsburg 48, Glenn, Ind. 8

Elk Rapids 7, Benzie Central 2

Flint Southwestern 22, Burton Bentley 14

Grand Haven 28, Stevensville Lakeshore 21

Grand Rapids Catholic Central 17, Lake Central, Ind. 10

Ida 48, Grosse Ile 6

Jackson 32, Monroe 27

Morrice 50, Breckenridge 28

Norway 48, Stephenson 0

Ontonagon 86, Carney-Nadeau 0

Otisville LakeVille 34, Burton Bendle 18

Petoskey 8, Greenville 6

Pickerington N., Ohio 53, Grandville 51

Portland St Patrick 67, Coleman 12

Prairie Heights, Ind. 24, Bronson 0

Roseville 35, Birmingham Brother Rice 0

Saranac 35, Cheboygan 13

Southfield A&T 46, Beecher 0

St Joseph 30, Niles 7

Standish-Sterling Central 33, Boyne City 14

Traverse City Central 22, Plymouth 14

Traverse City St Francis 67, Charlevoix 22

Waldron 48, Lakeside Danbury, Ohio 28

Westfield def. Detroit Leadership, forfeit

Ypsilanti Lincoln 10, Milan 7

Zeeland West 22, Muskegon 13

Clarkston went toe-to-toe with preseason Division 1 favorite Belleville, but came up just short, falling 35-28 in the season opener for both teams at Wayne State University on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.

DETROIT (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran homered in the 10th inning as the Boston Red Sox rebounded after squandering a four-run lead and beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Friday night.

The Tigers trailed 4-0 heading in the eighth inning, but rallied and forced extra innings by scoring three times in the eighth and once in the ninth.

But, Rafaela’s 14th homer off Shelby Miller (6-8) scored Nick Sogard and made it 6-4 with one out in the 10th. Duran, who doubled in his first two at-bats, hit Tyler Holton’s first pitch 431 feet into the right-field stands to make it a three-run game at 7-4.

Chris Martin pitched the 10th for Boston, allowing the automatic runner Riley Greene to score on a groundout before earning his second save.

Connor Wong doubled and homered for the Red Sox (70-65), who moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Tigers (68-68) for fourth in the American League wild-card race.

Kerry Carpenter hit a three-run homer off Brennan Bernardino in the eighth inning to rally the Tigers and end Detroit’s 21-inning scoreless drought.

Zach McKinstry led off the ninth with a single off Kenley Jansen and stole second. Colt Keith struck out before Jake Rogers tied the game with a double to left.

Jansen (4-2) picked up the win.

Red Sox starter Tanner Houck allowed three hits and two walks while striking out six in six shutout innings

Tigers starter Casey Mize allowed four runs on six hits and a walk in six innings. He gave up four doubles and a homer in his first start since a hamstring strain on June 30.

Duran’s early doubles helped Boston to a 2-0 lead. He scored in the first and moved Romy Gonzalez to third in the third, where he scored on Wilyer Abreu’s sacrifice fly.

Houck hit Rogers and Greene in the third, but escaped the inning without harm.

The Red Sox moved out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth when Tyler O’Neill walked, stole second and scored on Wong’s double.

Detroit didn’t get a hit until McKinstry led off the fifth with a single, but he was thrown out trying to take third on Parker Meadows’ base hit to right.

Wong made it 4-0 with a homer in the sixth.

UP NEXT

The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday — the day the Tigers honor their 1984 World Series champions. Detroit ace LHP Tarik Skubal (15-4, 2.58 ERA) will face RHP Nick Pavetta (5-9, 4.61).

— By DAVE HOGG, Associated Press

 

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