By Tom Kendra
LocalSportsJournal.com
LocalSportsJournal.com
It’s hard to beat the fun of “Friday Night Lights,” especially on a perfect September night like last Friday, when the incredible, multi-hued sky looking west from Hackley Stadium’s giant grandstand gave new meaning to the term.
But then it got kinda neat and spooky and interesting when, with just over 2 minutes remaining in the game, there was a loud boom and it became “Friday Night No Lights.”
Both towers of lights on the visitor’s side of the field went dark, leaving the field half-illuminated and the already delirious crowd wondering when, and if, the game would be completed.
If Larry Schillaci was worth his salt as the public address announcer, he would have had Pat Travers’ version of the old R&B classic, “Boom
Boom (Out Go the Lights)” ready to blare over the speakers to get the entire crowd of 5,000-plus up and dancing.
Every so often, a few of the lights would pop back on, and the entire crowd would go: “Ooooh.”
Then a moment later, they would go back out, causing a collective: “Aaaaah.”
Thankfully, stadium workers were able to get enough of the lights working (not all of them) to complete the game and prevent everyone from having to come back on Saturday morning, creating the biggest lights-related cheer at Hackley since the field was first lit up back in
1940.
So, rage, rage, against the dying of the light … and read on to reveal this week’s winners.
All games kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday, unless noted, and my picks are in all caps.
Last week: 13-5 (72 percent)
Best pick: Mason County Central over Ravenna. I have a source in Scottville who helped me with this one. I won’t mention his name, but
his initials are the same as his last name.
Worst pick: Reeths-Puffer over GR Forest Hills Northern. I had a gut feeling the Huskies would have a letdown after a tough loss at Muskegon. Must have been indigestion.
Overall: 71-23 (76 percent)
O-K Red
Grand Haven (2-3, 1-2) at HUDSONVILLE (4-1, 3-0) – Haven got run over last week by Grandville’s wing-T. The Bucs match up much better against the Eagles.
JENISON (2-3, 1-2) at Holland-West Ottawa (0-5, 0-3) – The O-K Red is crazier than Springfield, Ohio, as ‘Cats are eating Rams and those wacky Scots are devouring Falcons.
O-K Green
GR Forest Hills Northern (3-2, 1-1) at MONA SHORES (5-0, 2-0) – Shores overcame more than 1,000 miles of travel the first three weeks, a very good Byron Center team and suddenly pass-happy Muskegon last week. FHN would love to catch the Sailors patting themselves on the back.
MUSKEGON (1-3, 1-1) at GR Union (0-5, 0-2) – Remember the last time Muskegon and Muskegon Catholic Central were both 1-3? Nope, neither do I. But read my lips: the Big Reds will make the playoffs at 4-4 (and nobody will want to play them).
BYRON CENTER (4-1, 1-1) at Reeths-Puffer (2-3, 1-1) – I’m hoping I was just a week late in picking Puffer to get a signature win. This BC team is really good, coming within a whisker of spoiling “Sailor Salute” night a few weeks back.
O-K White
GR FOREST HILLS EASTERN (4-1, 2-0) at Spring Lake (1-4, 0-2) – The Lakers lost another close one last Friday, and those types of tough losses take a toll. Not sure if they have enough wind left in their sails against a loaded FHE team.
O-K Silver
FRUITPORT (2-3, 1-1) at Wyoming Godwin Heights (1-3, 1-1) – Call me crazy – OK, that’s not that much of a stretch – but Fruitport has a chance to win out and make the playoffs.
WMC-Lakes
WHITEHALL (3-2, 3-0) at Oakridge (3-2, 3-2) – Oakridge is one of the few teams in the WMC that can battle the Vikings up front, but Cam Thompson is the difference in this one.
Fremont (1-4, 0-3) at ORCHARD VIEW (1-4, 0-4) – The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” First-year coach Aaron James and the Cardinals took that crucial first step last week against MCC.
Manistee (3-2, 2-2) at LUDINGTON (4-1, 3-0) – I expect a very similar, high-scoring game as the Orioles had last week at home against Montague.
WMC-Rivers
Hesperia (2-3, 0-2) at RAVENNA (3-2, 2-1) – Look for the Bulldogs to get back on track heading into the big showdown next week at North Muskegon.
Hart (2-3, 1-2) at MASON COUNTY CENTRAL (4-1, 2-1) – The Spartans are like Stacy’s Mom. They’ve got it going on.
CENTRAL STATES – White
Central Montcalm (4-1, 1-0) at KENT CITY (3-2, 1-0) – To paraphrase Steve Perry and Journey: “When the lights, go on, in Kent City … the Eagles will find a way to win.”
MORLEY-STANWOOD (1-4, 0-2) at White Cloud (1-4, 0-1) – Did you know that the first game with lights at Wrigley Field, Aug. 8, 1988, ended up being rained out? That caused many to speculate that God didn’t want night baseball at the Friendly Confines.
CENTRAL STATES – Red
Remus-Chippewa Hills (1-4, 0-2) at NEWAYGO (4-1, 2-1) – One last comment about lights. Everyone knows the Cubs were the last major- league baseball team to play night games, but the second-to-last team was our beloved Detroit Tigers in 1948.
NON-CONFERENCE
NORTH MUSKEGON (4-1) at Montague (2-3) – The ‘ole announcer and my good friend Jim Moyes tells me a Norsemen win would be
victory No. 500 in school history. This could be one of the wildest wins of them all.
LAKEVIEW (2-3) at Grant (1-4) – This game is like the Vice Presidential debate. Both want to win, but in the grand scheme of things, the outcome is not going to change much.
BRITTON-DEERFIELD (4-1) at Muskegon Heights (3-2), 1 p.m. Saturday – In 1888, a local storekeeper in charge of the post office
named John Britton paid $500 to rename the small, southeastern Michigan town of Balch after himself. Seems like an awfully arrogant thing to do … although, Kendra, Michigan, does have a nice ring to it.