The high school football regular season comes a conclusion this week, with playoff pairings announced on Sunday night. Here’s the action that our cameras caught on our final regular season night of Sports Overtime.
BIG RAPIDS 55, ALMA 13
The Big Rapids Cardinals burnished their postseason resume, wrapping up the regular season with an 8-1 record after a 55-13 triumph over visiting Alma on Friday night. The Cardinals held a 27-13 lead at the half, and exploded for 28 points in the third quarter to break the game open. Jack Bollman ran for three touchdowns, and Riley Vennis threw for two touchdowns, and ran for two more to pace the Big Rapids offense.
LUDINGTON 45, MASON COUNTY CENTRAL 14
The Ludington Orioles raced out to a 28-6 halftime lead against their cross-county rivals, and cruised to victory, 45-14 over Mason County Central on Friday night. Between the first and second quarters, the schools honored area first responders on the field, and the two schools’ marching bands played a combined show at halftime. Both teams finish the regular season with identical 5-4 overall records, and they will have to wait to learn their playoff fates on Sunday evening.
REED CITY 27, CADILLAC 14
The Reed City Coyotes continued their strong late-season play, rolling to a 27-14 victory over Cadillac. The Coyotes held a slim 21-14 lead at the half, but their defense stepped up in the second half, holding the Vikings off of the scoreboard. The victory makes it five wins in a row for Reed City, while Cadillac finished the season dropping four of their last five games. Both teams will now tune in on Sunday night to see if they’ve earned a playoff berth.
HART 44, RAVENNA 0
The Hart Pirates blitzed Ravenna from the opening whistle, en route to a 44-0 shutout victory over the Bulldogs. With the win, the Pirates post an 8-1 regular season record, the school’s best regular season performance since 1968. The Pirates scored three touchdowns and recorded a safety in the first eight minutes of the contest to race out to a 22-0 first quarter lead. The Pirates finished second place in the West Michigan Conference - Rivers Division and will now sit back and wait to learn who they will be playing in the opening round of the postseason.
ST. IGNACE 42, PICKFORD 10
In a colossal battle in the 8-player game, the St. Ignace Saints made a major statement in their inaugural season in the 8-player game, throttling top-ranked Pickford 42-10 on Friday evening. The win clinches an outright conference championship for the Saints. The Saints and Panthers each finish the regular season with 8-1 marks, and they will now prepare for the 8-player postseason, with both teams learning their opening week opponents on Sunday night.
FOWLER 40, McBAIN 0
The McBain Ramblers were unable to contain 9th-ranked Fowler on Friday night, as the Eagles soared to a 40-0 victory. McBain concludes their season with a 5-4 record, and they will have to wait to see if they’ve earned a playoff berth on Sunday night.
GAYLORD 20, SAULT STE. MARIE 8
The Gaylord Blue Devils capped a perfect regular season, their first since 2022, with a solid defensive effort in a 20-8 victory over Sault Ste. Marie on Friday. Gaylord held a 10-0 lead at the half. The win clinches an outright Big North Conference title for the Blue Devils, who will learn their opening week postseason opponent on Sunday evening. As for Sault Ste. Marie, they fall to 5-4, and will have to sweat out the playoff pairings announcement to see if they earned an invite to the second season.
