brennen beyer

A continuation of the Wednesday post that covers the last three years and what's shaping up in 2012. Side note: light day today. Semi-vacation day.

2009: Dominance Type Substance

Chris Norman, Larry Caper, Will Campbell

(MSU H2H wins: Dion Sims, Larry Caper, Edwin Baker, and Chris Norman.)

Michigan State nearly swept the in-state four stars, though some of those were pretty iffy—Jeremy Gainer's offer list read "MSU, Iowa and crap"; Donald Spencer's read "MSU and… MSU." Others could be filed under "just one of those things," like Blake Treadwell being a Spartan coach's son. Others were no longer of interest to Michigan because of their offensive system.

That said, this year saw four players who Michigan wanted and seriously could have used go to Michigan State, more than the previous six years combined. Only one—Norman—was a Ren/SE kid. Michigan's instate recruits were three Cass Tech kids and Inkster's Cam Gordon; with the exception of Michigan getting the #1 kid in the state this looks like a complete reversal of The Natural Way Of Things.

2010-2011: Even Footing

Anthony Zettel, Will Gholston, Brennen Beyer

(MSU H2H wins: Mylan Hicks, Will Gholston (2010); Ed Davis, Lawrence Taylor (2011))

The last two years were a wash. Michigan State picked up four more head to head battles, all of them for Ren/Southeastern kids. Michigan won a few, mostly Cass Tech kids. The state continued to bleed talent outside its borders.

2010 was odd because three of the four-star prospects in state were quarterbacks. Michigan won the derby for Devin Gardner, then Robert Bolden picked Penn State; Joe Boisture was left over for State. By the end of the year it was clear he was massively overrated, and he's already left the program. Gholston and Hicks were in bad places for Michigan recruiting; Max Bullough was a legacy. CJ Olaniyan also picked Penn State. A bit farther down the list Michigan made a bad choice by taking Austin White over Nick Hill and inexplicably ignored eventual Iowa commit Austin Gray. Their on-again, off-again recruitment of Jon Hankins (and his presence at SE) eventually turned him off; he went to Ohio State and contributed there his first year.

Last year the top player in the state was again a Ren kid who went to State. DeAnthony Arnett flirted with instate schools but always seemed headed elsewhere; he ended up at Tennessee. Anthony Zettel was a lifelong Michigan fan that Rodriguez/turmoil/etc eventually blew. The next four guys ended up at Michigan; further down Michigan lost SE's Ed Davis to State and Jacob Fisher to The Process.

2012: Hokeamania

We don't have rankings yet but a head to head scoreboard will suggest some things.

Royce Jenkins-Stone, Mario Ojemudia, James Ross

Michigan commits: Ben Braden, Royce Jenkins-Stone, James Ross, Devin Funchess
Michigan leans: Matt Godin, Mario Ojemudia, Ron Thompson, Dan O'Brien*
Tossups:
MSU leans: Aaron Burbridge
MSU commits:

*[O'Brien maintains Tennessee as his leader but Michigan is currently second with MSU nowhere in sight; if he stays instate he will be at M.]

The Natural Way Of Things returns.

With both schools seeking pro-style offensive players and running 4-3s on defense the evaluation gap has evaporated. Southeastern and Renaissance have no D-I players; even if they did, the "hurts my heart" guy got fired and the "Will Gholston lived with me" guy was hired by (surprise!) Michigan State to be a video coordinator. Those two factors were at play in six of the ten head to head battles Michigan State won over the last four years, and most people who follow these things closely think a couple of the exceptions are iffy. Tyler Hoover probably didn't actually have a committable Michigan offer and Michigan seemed to back off of Sims after they got wind of he and his dad's involvement with a laptop theft ring.

Hoke walked into a situation closer to those Michigan experienced at the beginning of the time frame covered here: Michigan has a number of very good regional recruits but few that are being recruited nationally. Of those guys two are at Cass Tech and a third is best friends with the guys at Cass Tech, leaving Danny O'Brien the only guy notching offers from way across the country who isn't extremely predisposed to head to Ann Arbor.

Still, Hoke locking down guys who should go to Michigan is an accomplishment. Michigan's downfall started when they failed to take advantage of the record bumper crop of 2007, losing "locks" like Ronald Johnson, Joseph Barksdale, and Dionte Allen and failing to swing any of the guys who were "locks" to other schools. Michigan lost CJ Olaniyan, Jon Hankins, and Dior Mathis two years ago. Last year Anthony Zettel escaped to Penn State, Jacob Fisher to Oregon, and DeAnthony Arnett to Tennessee. Those sorts of losses were far less frequent in the early part of the time frame here—from 2003 to 2006 Michigan missed on one top-three Michigan player they offered. Further down the list they had a similar strike rate.

Michigan lost its grip on instate recruiting late in the Carr era and failed to reassert it under Rodriguez. That was a combination of a run of talent at schools featuring guys who were going to funnel their guys to State come hell or high water, State legacies, and some guys on the margins of four stars. Without that confluence of factors, MSU was pretty much just MSU.

So: the question?

It seems likely Michigan will get seven or eight of the top ten-ish players instate. This is indeed unprecedented. In the long long ago when the Natural Way Of Things held, the state didn't produce enough talent for Michigan to offer the top five players, let alone the top ten. When it suddenly started producing buckets of talent huge chunks of it fled. So, like, Hoke uber alles.

For live updates of the games I'm attending, follow me on Twitter @varsityblue. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

FL RB Demetrius Hart

Last Week: Pregame Dee fluff. DP was at risk of forfeiting games in which WR Chris Gallon played, but he was proven to be eligible. Dr. Phillips crushed Oak Ridge 45-0. First, the video:

Now, the gory details:

Hart, a senior speedster who has orally committed to sign with Michigan, scored four times on runs from scrimmage, and also took a short pass 38 yards to the end zone and added a 68-yard punt return TD in another signature performance for an ever-humble star.

"Congratulations to my O-line, they've been working hard," Hart said of his performance. "That's the fruit of their efforts. It was a team effort, not just me."

Hart rushed for 129 yards on 18 carries and totaled 286 on runs, receptions and returns.

Hart is now the single-season scoring record-holder for Central Florida, as well as career. He will be invited to the US Army All-American Bowl on Thursday (at the start of 'A' lunch, of course). Official stats below come from the Dr. Phillips website.

This week: Dr. Phillips hosts Seminole Ridge in Round 3 of the State Playoffs next Friday.

FL OL Tony Posada

Last week: Plant blasted Newsome 52-23 in Round 2 of the State Playoffs. Article 2. No mentions of Posada.

This week: Plant hosts Countryside in Round 3 of the State Playoffs.

MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer

Last Week: Pregame Fluff 1. Pregame fluff 2. Game preview. Plymouth fell to Lake Orion 13-21 in the State Championship Game. Fluff on how Beyer got the team there:

"From not winning a playoff game to coming within one game of winning it all is quite an accomplishment," said Beyer, after his team lost to Lake Orion, 21-13, in the state final at Ford Field Saturday. "I love all my teammates, but there is no question this was a disappointing loss. I really felt we could have played better."

There's even mention of getting ready for Ann Arbor:

He plans to speak with the Michigan coaching staff in the coming weeks to get a better understanding of how he can best prepare himself for the rigors of Big Ten football. "I know I will be hitting the weight room, but I will want to get a (training) plan together," Beyer said. "I just want to be able to contribute as best as I can next season."

This week: Plymouth's season is over, they finished 11-3 and State runners-up.

FL CB Dallas Crawford

Last week: Pregame fluff (in which it is revealed that Crawford is the county's all-time leading passer). Pregame fluff 2. South Fort Myers beat Naples 28-21 on a last-minute TD pass from Crawford:

“He did what Sammy does,” Crawford said about his favorite target. “That’s what we live for. We practice the two-minute drill every day. That’s what we wanted. They gave us a shot, and we completed our task.”

He had an impressive day statistically, as well:

Crawford finished with a season-high 339 yards passing and four touchdowns.

That came on 14/21 passing, though he also threw two picks (just his second and third of the season). Dallas also rushed 12 times for 65 yards. There are four quarters worth of video in the above-linked article, so check it out. Here's the fourth:

Postmortem from the other side, and a couple more game columns. Dallas also gets a shoutout for his production.

This week: 11-0 South Fort Myers hosts Bradenton-Southeast at 7:30 on Friday in the Regional Championship game (Round 3 of the State Playoffs).

Seasons Complete

FL QB Kevin Sousa

Lake Nona's season has ended with a 1-9 record. Sousa finished with 125/226 passing for 1936 yards with 13 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Rushing, he had 120 attempts for 835 yards and 6 touchdowns. For a full game-by-game stat breakdown, check out last week's FNL post.

MI RB/Slot Justice Hayes

Hayes missed most of his senior season with a broken wrist. Grand Blanc finished 7-4 and lost in the second round of the State Playoffs to Lake Orion.

MI WR Shawn Conway

Seaholm's season is over, with a 4-5 record. Conway finished the year with about 22 catches for 375 yards, and11 kick/punt returns for 393 yards.

MI OL Jake Fisher

Traverse City West's season is over, with a 6-4 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs. Fisher was 1st-Team All-District as a defensive end.

OH OL Jack Miller

St. John's finished the season 11-2 with both losses to Toledo Whitmer (in the second in Round 3 of the State Playoffs). Miller was also named 1st-Team All-District, and the District Lineman of the Year. Also 1st-Team All-State.

OH DE Chris Rock

DeSales's season ended at 5-6 with a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

TX LB Kellen Jones

St. Pius X's season finished with a 10-3 record and a loss in the second round of the TAPPS playoffs. Jones finished with 110 tackles, 25 for loss, and 7 sacks, to go along with 3 fumbles forced, 2 recovered, and a punt block.

OH CB/S Greg Brown

Fremont Ross's season is over, with a 9-2 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs. Brown was named All-District, and All-State at WR. Coach comments:

"Greg Brown had an outstanding year," Kidwell said. "He could have easily been the offensive player of the year, too. We attacked people all over the field with him."

Brown had 20 catches as a receiver for 460 yards and four scores. His yardage was 10th all-time on the Ross single-season receiving list. He added 450 yards on the ground rushing on 58 attempts, adding seven more scores.

Yay Greg Brown.

MI CB Delonte Hollowell

Cass Tech finished the season 12-1 with a loss in the State Semifinals.

For live updates of the games I'm attending, follow me on Twitter @varsityblue. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

New Commit MI RB Justice Hayes

Game 1. Grand Blanc defeated Carman-Ainsworth 21-7. Hayes had a good game:

Hayes finished with 149 yards on 18 carries. He also threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Ryan Morley, who began the play by tossing a lateral to Hayes. Hayes attracted a pass rush, then threw to his left to Morley, who had plenty of room down the left sideline with 8:20 left in the first quarter.

"There were guys in my area, so I had to hurry up and get if off quick," Hayes said. "It was a very difficult throw for me."

...but also fumbled in the end zone, giving Carman-Ainsworth their only score.

Game 2. Grand Blanc was pasted by Canton, 20-62. Hayes had just 20 yards on 9 carries.

Game 3. Grand Blanc dropped an overtime decision to Milford, 35-42. Hayes did most of his damage as a receiver:

Justice Hayes caught 11 passes for 98 yards and one score

His junior teammate Detrick Goff got most of the rushing yardage.

Game 4. Hayes missed the game with a wrist injury as Grand Blanc beat Brighton 27-20. More on the wrist injury:

As for Hayes, Delaney doesn’t know when his star running back will be able to play again. “At first it was thought to be a bad sprain, but the swelling never went down,” Delaney said. “It looked as bad last week on Friday as it did on Saturday morning the previous week. He’s gone around to different places and gotten different opinions. It seems to be a problem in the wrist with a small bone. We’re trying to get it figured out.”

The injury turned out to be a broken wrist, and Justice missed the remainder of the season. Grand Blanc would finish 7-4, losing in the second round of the State Playoffs to Lake Orion.

FL RB Demetrius Hart

Last Week: Hart is a nominee for the US Army All-American Player of the Year. Dr. Phillips crushed Olympia 52-3 in Round 1 of the State Playoffs:

Running back Demetrius Hart rushed for 118 yards and accounted for three touchdowns — two rushing, one receiving — to lead the Panthers in a 52-3 rout.

Official stats from the Dr. Philips website. Demetrius settin' records. Video:

This week: Dr. Phillips hosts Oak Ridge in Round 2 of the State Playoffs next Friday.

FL OL Tony Posada

Last week: Maxpreps picked this as an upset special. Eh, not so much, as Plant smashed Plant City 47-18 in Round 1 of the State Playoffs.

This week: Plant faces Newsome in Round 2 of the State Playoffs.

OH OL Jack Miller

Last Week: Pregame Fluff:

“Even though we're only 16, 17, 18-year-old kids,” Miller said, “we kind of know what this means in the big picture [of Toledo football history]. For us seniors, this is our last year and it's the last year of the City League [for St. John's, Whitmer and others]. On so many different levels, this game is very meaningful.”

Miller was also named 1st-Team All-District, and the District Lineman of the Year.

St. John's Jesuit fell to Whitmer 10-14 in Round 3 of the State Playoffs. Article 2.

This week: 11-2 St. John's has ended their season with both losses coming at the hands of Whitmer.

MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer

Last week: Plymouth upset Rockford 20-17 in the State Semifinals. Beyer was the star of the show:

"Obviously, (Beyer) is an outstanding athlete," said Rockford coach Ralph Munger, whose team ended its season 11-2. "The quarterback made the throw and he made the catch with two guys in coverage. But you have to make plays and deny plays, and we didn't make enough big plays today." ...

"(Beyer) is a great kid, and he just keeps playing," Plymouth coach Mike Sawchuk said. "As a coach, obviously, you have doubt (when they score that touchdown with just over a minute to play), but these kids never quit.

Beyer made plays on both sides of the ball for Plymouth. He caught his team's first touchdown early in the first quarter and, on defense, he caused problems for the Rockford offense all game from the defensive end position... Beyer had five catches for 105 yards.

PlymouthCantonSports has much more:

"I ran a streak and our coach said to high-point the ball," said Beyer, describing his incredible reception. "That's what I did. It was surreal. I didn't even know what was happening. I was so dead tired, but it felt incredible. This feels so great. I just want to close my eyes and try to remember this moment for the rest of my life." ...

Plymouth's defense was outstanding the entire afternoon. Beyer led the way with seven tackles and three sacks.

Plymouth fluff. You can watch the whole game on MHSAA.tv.

This week: The 11-2 Wildcats will take on Lake Orion at Ford Field on Friday at 1PM. The game will be televised on FSN+ and MHSAA.tv.

TX LB Kellen Jones

Last week: Game Preview. St. Pius X fell to Bishop Lynch 21-22 on a last-second field goal. I'l update Kellen's stats when Tom hears from his coach. UPDATED:

Kellen Jones' team lost 22-21 on the last play of the game, a 38 yard field goal. Kellen left in the fourth quarter with a high ankle sprain, but he had 9 total tackles, 6 solo, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF.

So there's that. Final chart below:

This week: St. Pius has seen their season come to an end.

MI CB Delonte Hollowell

Last week: Cass Tech lost to Lake Orion 21-24 in the State Semifinals. You can watch the whole game on MHSAA.tv.

Next Week: The 12-1 Technicians have seen their season end.

FL CB Dallas Crawford

Last week: Game preview. South Fort Myers beat Barron Collier 33-2 in Round 1 of the State Playoffs (click through for quarter-by-quarter videos):

South had 161 rushing yards and Crawford completed 11 of 14 attempts for 163 yards and two TDs.

Sammy Watkins had... a 23-yard TD pass to Crawford.

Dallas dedicated his performance to his father, who passed away last Friday:

“He was my biggest fan... He taught me everything I know,” Crawford said. “He taught me how to throw a football.”

Article 2. Rest in Peace, Steven Crawford.

This week: Undefeateds square off as South Fort Myers travels to 11-0 Naples in Round 2 of the State Playoffs.

Seasons Complete

FL QB Kevin Sousa

Lake Nona's season has ended with a 1-9 record. Sousa finished with 125/226 passing for 1936 yards with 13 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Rushing, he had 120 attempts for 835 yards and 6 touchdowns. For a full game-by-game stat breakdown, check out last week's FNL post.

MI WR Shawn Conway

Seaholm's season is over, with a 4-5 record. Conway finished the year with about 22 catches for 375 yards, and 11 kick/punt returns for 393 yards.

MI OL Jake Fisher

Traverse City West's season is over, with a 6-4 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

OH DE Chris Rock

DeSales's season ended at 5-6 with a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

OH CB/S Greg Brown

Fremont Ross's season is over, with a 9-2 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs. Brown was named All-District.

For live updates of the games I'm attending, follow me on Twitter @varsityblue. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

New Commit FL CB Dallas Crawford

A new commit means a rundown of his season to date.

Game 1. South Fort Myers pasted Estero 49-7. Crawford excelled on both sides of the ball for SFM:

Crawford led the Wolfpack by completing 6 of 7 passes for 156 yards with two TDs, and rushing three times for 30 yards with two more scores. He even picked off a pass for good measure.

Their stats credit Crawford with 3 rushing TDs, so I've given him the benefit of the doubt. Click through to the article for more photos.

Game 2. South Fort Myers rolled over Cypress Lake 39-0.

Crawford attempted just 10 passes and, as usual, his accuracy level was high with nine completions for 118 yards.

The article also includes video (relevant portion begins around 1:25):

Game 3. SFM beat Bishop Verot 35-3:

South’s explosive offense was present in the form of 23-, 67-, 60- and 25-yard passing touchdowns from quarterback Dallas Crawford. The senior also ran for a 3-yarder to break a scoreless tie early in the second quarter and finished with 311 total yards...

He had an impressive 5-yard touchdown to tight end Luke Smith negated by a rare rule when his helmet was knocked off (instant dead play) while escaping what seemed like a sure sack. Then another pass was dropped inside the 5-yard line...

Vikings starting quarterback Jake Kistel was knocked out of the game just three plays into the third quarter after back-to-back crushing blows from linebacker Anthony DeBonis and Crawford, who also plays free safety.

Crawford also had a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown that was negated by a roughing the passer penalty.

You never want a kid to get hurt, but I'm still glad to hear Crawford's a certified big hitter. Photo gallery can be found here.

Game 4. The Wolfpack rolled Gulf Coast 49-7 (video in link).

“We settled down,” South quarterback Dallas Crawford said. “We came in a little too amped, trying to make big plays instead of taking what the defense was giving us.”

South (4-0) did much of its damage – especially on the host Sharks' spirits on homecoming – in the final five minutes of the first half. The Wolfpack put together a five-minute drive capped by Crawford's 2-yard dive to take a 14-7 lead with 5:14 left to play...

Always willing to capitalize on his opponent's mistakes, Crawford dropped a 51-yard touchdown pass in Tyrell Blanks' arms on the final play of the first half...

GC snagged Crawford's only interception thrown this season. He made up for it by pulling in one of his own on the defensive side of the ball (pictured above). Photo Gallery. Thanks to @ryanhaase for helping me find this article.

Game 5. Crawford stole the show as South shut out North Fort Myers 34-0.

After being crowned at halftime, South Fort Myers senior Dallas Crawford promptly returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown as the host Wolfpack pulled away from stubborn North Fort Myers 34-0 in a Class 3A-District 11 game. Crawford finished with two interceptions on defense and threw two touchdown passes...

“Coach Redhead takes a lot of time breaking down film every week,” Crawford said. “He comes to practice on Monday and let’s us know what to expect. We execute what he tells us during the week.”

Photo Gallery.

Game 6. South doubles up Baker 40-20.

The ability of the elusive Crawford (13-of-24 passing, 260 yards) to fire strong, accurate throws on the run gave the Bulldogs a headache all night...

Crawford snagged one of four interceptions by Wolfpack defensive backs and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown in the Wolfpack’s 20-point second quarter.

In addition to the defensive touchdown, Dallas threw for 2.

Game 7. South Fort Myers pasted Fort Myers 43-10.

Representatives from Clemson and Michigan watched from the South sideline as Wolfpack stars Dallas Crawford and Sammy Watkins turned their games up another notch...

Crawford hurdled for one touchdown and dived for another, both from 5 yards. He also hit tight end Luke Smith on a 3-yard touchdown pass. Crawford missed his first two passes, but then completed nine straight and finished 10-of-13 for 144 yards.

Game 8. The Wolfpack beat Riverdale 39-3.

Less than a minute into the game, senior quarterback Dallas Crawford found Sammy Watkins on a slant that turned into a 75-yard dash to the end zone.

Crawford rushed for 88 yards and completed 8 of 10 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. The other scoring toss to Watkins came on a similar play to Crawford across the middle for a 20-yard TD in the second quarter.

Dallas also notched a rushing touchdown, which the recap fails to mention. Photo Gallery.

Game 9. In the regular-season finale, South Fort Myers crushed Mariner 50-7. Article 2:

Senior Dallas Crawford threw two long touchdown passes, ran for one score and added an interception in his final high school regular-season game.

The Wolfpack had a bye last weekend, and will kick off the state playoffs on Friday.

This week: As mentioned above, South Fort Myers kicks off their playoff campaign on Friday. They'll host Barron Collier at 7:30

FL QB Kevin Sousa

Last week: Lake Nona fell to East River 14-28.

Kevin's coach tells Tom that Sousa went 16/28 passing for 209 yards, a score and three picks. He also carried 25 times for 58 yards.

This week: Lake Nona's season has ended with a 1-9 record. Sousa finished with just under 2,000 yards passing, and more than 800 yards rushing.

FL RB Demetrius Hart

Last Week: Pregame fluff. Dr. Phillips pounded West Orange 49-6. Dee continued raining touchdowns on Central Florida:

Dee Hart, a Michigan recruit, ran for three first-half touchdowns, the last one from 34 yards that capped a seven-play 68-yard drive to give DP a 21-0 halftime lead. Hart added two more scores in the third quarter to finish with five TDs, 120 yards rushing and 212 all-purpose yards.

Hart was predictably named the Player of the Game. As always, the Sentinel provides highlights:

Official stats below come from the Dr. Phillips website.

This week: 10-0 Dr. Phillips hosts Olympia in round 1 of the State Playoffs on Friday at 7:30.

FL OL Tony Posada

Last week: Plant defeated Robinson 40-21. Article 2.

Next week: Plant hosts Plant City in Round 1 of the State Playoffs on Friday.

OH OL Jack Miller

Last Week: St. John's Jesuit beat Medina 24-6:

Normally the more physical team, the Bees ran into an offensive line with the likes of Troy Favorite, Nick Brunner, Nate Pearson, Miles Ashleman and Jack Miller, who average 6-3 and 263 pounds.

The Titans managed to ride that line for 198 rushing yards in the game. Miller talked to the Toledo Blade about the big win:

“When you get in the playoffs, you're going to give up big plays, but it's about the ability to keep fighting and not give up,” said Titan senior two-way lineman Jack Miller. “That's what we did tonight.”

This week: 11-1 St. John's will play crosstown rival Whitmer in Round 3 of the State Playoffs at Bowling Green's Doyt Perry Stadium on Saturday at 7.

MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer

Last week: Pregame fluff. Plymouth upset Detroit Catholic Central 9-7 in round 3 of the State Playoffs:

Penalties kept that march going, including one called on senior Brennen Beyer for horse-collaring Birney on a sack attempt at the CC 35. Had Beyer completed the sack without an infraction, the Shamrocks likely would have been forced to punt. Later on, that gave Beyer extra motivation to regain the lead. “We needed to bounce back from that,” Beyer said. “If our defense held us for the rest of the game we were pretty confident our offense would score. That’s what we planned and that’s what we did, it worked out well.”

It didn’t hurt knowing Brindza was waiting to do his thing. “It gives you so much reassurance,” Beyer added. “When I was lining up for the (winning) field goal I was really confident it was going to go in. He’s the best kicker in the state and one of the best in the nation, it helps a lot.”

Standard sad faces about Brindza's Notre Dame commitment go here: :( :( :(. The linked article has video, but there are no Beyer sightings, and it was edited by someone who's not very good at editing, so be careful. Article 2:

"This feels great; even better than last week," said defensive end/receiver Brennen Beyer. "We played tough, hit hard and stopped the run. We came ready to play today."

...

That's when a jolting sack by Fox knocked the ball loose from Birney. Beyer nearly scooped the ball up at the CC 35, but it rolled out of bounds before he could gain possession.

This week: The 10-2 Wildcats face Rockford on Saturday at Lansing Everett at 1pm.

TX LB Kellen Jones

Last week: Pregame fluff:

Senior Kellen Jones, the middle linebacker, has lived up to the hype as a member of Dave Campbell Texas Football's preseason Super Team. Jones has committed verbally to Michigan.

St. Pius X beat San Antonio Antonian 40-6. User gobluehtown took in the game, and provides a scouting report:

He had another monster game and played like a beast, had 6 tackles.  Not much got past the first level of defenders, so a lower quantity of tackles, but great quality. Two TFL. Also had two fumble recoveries, almost took one for six. Nearly blocked two punts, missed one by inches. Bottom line: dude makes plays. Also played on offense in short yardage situation.

Kellen's coach tells Tom that he officially came in for 5 tackles, 2 for loss with a sack. He also recovered 2 fumbles, as mentioned above.

* Blocked punt. The table has gone all to hell with Kellen racking up various types of stats at this point, so I'll expand fumbles forced and recovered, and punt blocks into their own columns for next week.

This week: St. Pius hosts Dallas Bishop Lynch on Saturday.

MI CB Delonte Hollowell

Last week: Cass Tech defeated Macomb Dakota 31-19 in the Regional Finals of the State Playoffs.

Next Week: The 12-0 Technicians play Lake Orion Saturday at 1pm at Troy Athens High School.

Seasons Complete

MI WR Shawn Conway

Seaholm's season is over, with a 4-5 record. Conway finished the year with about 22 catches for 375 yards, and 11 kick/punt returns for 393 yards. Seaholm's coach resigned following the final game.

MI OL Jake Fisher

Traverse City West's season is over, with a 6-4 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

OH DE Chris Rock

DeSales's season ended at 5-6 with a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

OH CB/S Greg Brown

Fremont Ross's season is over, with a 9-2 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

For live updates of the games I'm attending, follow me on Twitter @varsityblue. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

Game Of The Week:

OH OL Jack Miller and OH CB/S Greg Brown

Last Week: Miller's St. John's Jesuit defeated Brown's Fremont Ross 45-35. I was there, so enjoy some MGoBlog original video. You're watching #55 in blue (mostly early in the video) and #3 in white (mostly later in the video):

My apologies for less-than stellar filming at times, as I wasn't sure how to deal with filming guys on opposite teams. I managed to get most of the key plays, aside from a 35-yard reception from Brown.

I've seen Miller in person before, and my scouting report hasn't changed. On defense, he's a strong rusher off the edge. Ross used double- and even triple-teams in an attempt to slow him down, and usually ran their plays away from him. On offense, he's a vicious blocker who never seems satisfied unless his man is pancaked. His quickness in pass-blocking isn't the greatest, but Ross didn't have anyone who could make him pay for that (and he won't have to deal with it as much playing on the interior of the line in college). He could have an impact on either side of the ball in college, but he looks like a future David Molk(!), nasty streak and all.

Brown, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as impressive. He's a bit stocky, and played exclusively outside linebacker on defense for Fremont Ross. Even at a position closer to the ball, he rarely seemed to be in on any plays, despite having a chance on some of them. As a linebacker, he only covered tight ends from the slot in pass coverage, and did an adequate job staying with a guy half a foot taller than him. On offense, Brown was only in on every second or third play, partially because he was bringing in the plays from the coaching staff, but it seemed to me that it was also because he was expendable on a lot of offensive plays. His speed wasn't that impressive, and he was thoroughly outplayed on both sides of the ball by Cheatham Norrils of St. John's (#3 in blue), who scored three defensive touchdowns, including one on a pick-6 that went through Brown's hands. Brown did manage to get deep once or twice, but only came down with one of them, because Norrils was all over him. Brown also ran one play out of the Wildcat, and got decent yardage, but didn't blow anyone away with his athleticism.

There are also a few local media recaps of the game. I unofficially have Miller down for 2 tackles, 3 assists, 1 tackle for loss, 2 QB hurries, and one holding penalty drawn. Brown had a 43-yard kickoff return, 4 receptions for 61 yards, 1 rush for 9 yards, a tackle, and a pass breakup.

This week: Ross's season is over with a 9-2 record. Miller and his 10-1 St. John's Titans will face Medina (upset winners over Canton McKinley) next week in Round 2 of the State Playoffs.

FL QB Kevin Sousa

Last week: Lake Nona was crushed by Winter Haven 0-42. Sousa's coach tells Tom that Kevin finished 9/14 passing for 128 yards, in addition to 5 rushes for 29 yards.

This week: Lake Nona visits East River on Friday at 7:30 in their season finale.

FL RB Demetrius Hart

Last Week: Hart entered the game 2 touchdowns shy of the all-time conference record. Game preview. Dr Phillips pasted Freedom 56-13. The Panthers clinched their district with the win, and set the Division's scoring record for a single season in the process:

The Panthers have scored 476 points, surpassing the Class 6A record of 473 held by Miami Northwestern. The Panthers (9-0, 5-0 in 6A-6) are within reach of the state regular-season record, of 526 points set by Jacksonville Trinity Christian in 1999.

DP needs "just" 50 points (3 below their season average) against West Orange to set the record. Dee rushed 23 times for 229 yards and three touchdowns, and notched a pair of receptions for 26 yards. Stats and image come from the Dr. Phillips Athletics website. Video:

This week: Dr. Phillips hosts West Orange on Friday at 7:30.

FL OL Tony Posada

Last week: Plant pasted Chamberlain 42-7, clinching the 5A-5 District championship.

Next week: Plant closes the regular season at Robinson on Friday.

OH DE Chris Rock

Last week: Preview for the area Game of the Week. DeSales falls to Bishop Watterson 7-14 in Round 1 of the State Playoffs.

This week: DeSales's season ends at 5-6 with a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer

Last week: Fluff on Plymouth's receiving corps. Plymouth upset Canton 17-7 in Round 2 of the State playoffs.

“We were ready,” Plymouth senior linebacker/tight end Brennen Beyer said. “We came out and we played physical, we played our butts off, it was great. And the fans are great ... we have a crazy student section. Our fans are great, they helped us pull this out.”

Beyer (five solo tackles on defense; three receptions for 34 yards on offense) said Plymouth’s second-ever playoff win (the Wildcats defeated Saline on Oct. 30) was “so much sweeter” than the first one.

PlymouthCantonSports.com has more detail on Beyer's day, a forced fumble (pictured at right).

This week: The 9-2 Wildcats will travel to Detroit Catholic Central on Saturday at 1.

TX LB Kellen Jones

Last week: St. Pius X defeated St. Thomas 33-28. MGoMember gobluehtown took in the game live, and shared his thoughts on mgoboard:

Kellen was a beast. Had about 14 tackles by my count. 4 or 5 where he absolutely stuffed the A gap and stood up the tailback for no gain. He has great instincts and dropped into coverage and covered the flats really well. Almost blocked 2 field goals straight up. Took great angles and read the guards really well.

Jones tells Tom he notched 13 tackles (10 solo!), to go along with 3 QB hurries and 2 tackles for loss.

* Blocked punt.

This week: 9-1 St. Pius hosts San Antonio Antonian on Saturday.

MI CB Delonte Hollowell

Last week: Cass Tech beat Dearborn Fordson 32-13. No mention of Hollowel.

Next Week: The 11-0 Technicians host Macomb Dakota in the Regional Finals of the State Playoffs on Saturday at 1.

Seasons Complete

MI WR Shawn Conway

Seaholm's season is over, with a 4-5 record. Conway finished the year with about 22 catches for 375 yards, and 11 kick/punt returns for 393 yards. Seaholm's coach resigned following the final game.

MI OL Jake Fisher

Traverse City West's season is over, with a 6-4 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

For live updates of the games I'm attending, follow me on Twitter @varsityblue. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer

Last week: Plymouth defeated Adrian 48-7. I was there, so enjoy some MGoBlog original video:

Beyer had 2 catches for 50 yards (and another 29-yarder, a would-be touchdown, called back on an illegal formation penalty). Defensively, he had 3 QB hurries, 3 tackles (1 for loss), and a pass deflection.

For scouting purposes, the video is only semi-useful. Adrian mostly stayed away from Beyer defensively until the game was out of reach, running to the opposite side of the field and rolling their quarterback out in that direction. On the other side of the ball, Plymouth was having no problem moving on the ground, so they didn't pass a whole lot.

The effort shown in the video is sometimes underwhelming, but the vast majority of the clips are from when the game was already in hand, so Beyer was taking it a little easier to avoid injury.

One thing that I noticed in this game (that I hadn't noticed last time I saw Brennen play) is that he has a pretty odd physique, with short legs but a very long torso. I'm no scout, so I can't tell you how that translates to defensive end at the next level (I would guess it's a good thing), but it does make him look a little funny running routes as a WR.

This week: The 7-2 Wildcats host Saline in Round 1 of the State Playoffs on Saturday at 1pm.

FL RB Demetrius Hart

Last Week: Dr Phillips beats Oak Ridge 56-28.

Dee Hart scored four touchdowns for the Panthers (7-0, 3-0 in 6A, Dist. 6) and Nick Patti threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. Hart finished with 120 yards on 20 carries.

That rushing performance takes Hart over 1,000 yards on the year. The article also included video:

Stats below from the Dr. Phillips website.

This week: Dr. Phillips travels to Gateway on Friday at 7:30.

MI WR Shawn Conway

Last Week: In the season finale, Seaholm defeated rival Groves 21-7.

No mention of Conway in the game article, and Misopogon reported that Seaholm didn't even throw his way. [Ed-M: In the first half, during plays when a gaggle of teeny boppers weren't trying to shove past each other in front of me -- I missed plenty of plays]

This week: Seaholm's season is over, with a 4-5 record. Conway finished the year with about 22 catches for 375 yards, and 11 kick/punt returns for 393 yards.

OH OL Jack Miller

Last week: St. John's defeated Toledo Waite 42-6.

This week: 8-1 St. John's travels to Toledo Central Catholic on Friday at 7.

FL OL Tony Posada

Last week: Plant defeated Alonso 34-7.

Plant offensive tackle Tony Posada sat for the first quarter on what Weiner termed a "coach's decision," and then was pulled from the game at halftime for precautionary reasons after tweaking the MCL in the right knee he recently came back from.

No word on the nature of the "coach's decision," but from the sounds of things it may have been injury-related.

This week: 6-2 Plant has a bye week. They'll face Chamberlain in a couple weeks.

MI OL Jake Fisher

Last week: In the regular season finale, TC West bested rival TC Central 51-42.

"What a redemption," defensive end Jake Fisher said. "It feels really good."

Video. Fisher also scored an interception in the game. The win lands TC West in the playoffs after a loss to Central in last year's finale left them with a sub-.500 record.

This week: 6-3 Traverse City West travels to (heavy favorite) Rockford in Round 1 of the State Playoffs on Friday at 7pm.

OH DE Chris Rock

Last week: DeSales falls to Cincinnati LaSalle 30-33. Rock got on the scoresheet by blocking a punt:

In the first half, DeSales leaned on its special teams. Midway through the first quarter, Chris Rock blocked a LaSalle punt, giving DeSales the ball on the 11-yard line

This week: 5-5 DeSales travels to Cleveland Benedictine on Saturday at 7pm.

TX LB Kellen Jones

Last week: St. Pius X beat Kelly 35-7 in a rematch of a game from earlier this year. Jones had 9 tackles, 2 for loss, and a sack, his coach tells Tom. Kellen's dad also e-mailed Tom a local news feature from earlier this season:

This week: St. Pius rematches Houston Christian on Friday at 7:30.

OH CB/S Greg Brown

Last week: Fremont Ross defeated Lima Senior 28-3. Brown caught a touchdown:

Ross would get the ball back once again, as Kori Campbell would recover a fumble, and the Little Giants would cap the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Wolf to Greg Brown to put the game away.

The Fremont Ross Forum Blog has no mention of Brown.

This week: Ross hosts Sandusky Friday at 7:30.

MI CB Delonte Hollowell

Last week: Pregame fluff. Cass Tech blasted Detroit Crockett 41-7. Hollowell mention (for the first time this year?):

Crockett (8-1) threw a scare into Cass on its first play when it completed a double pass for 59 yards. Defensive back Delonte Hollowell, who committed to Michigan, caught receiver James White from behind.

“We had to ball up after that,” Hollowell said. “We were expecting them to give us competition but we came back hard.”

Next Week: The Technicians host Detroit Southeastern in Round 1 of the State Playoffs on Friday at 5. Cass Tech won the teams' previous meeting this season 42-0.

FL QB Kevin Sousa

Last week: Lake Nona had a bye week.

This week: Lake Nona visits Tenoroc on Friday at 7:00.