By Tom Kendra
LocalSportsJournal.com

Playoffs?

That word, followed by a question mark, requires that you say it in the squeaky, high-pitched voice of then-Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Mora after a loss to the 49ers in the middle of the 2001 season dropped them to 4-6 and led to this legendary quote when asked about making the postseason:

“Playoffs? Are you kidding me? Playoffs? I’m just hoping to win a game,” Mora said, incredulously.

As far as coaching rants go, it might be the best of all time – followed closely by Dennis Green (“If you want to crown ‘em, crown ‘em), Mike Gundy (“I’m a man, I’m 40!) and Allen Iverson (“Practice? We talkin’ about practice?”).

Speaking of playoffs, we are only two weeks away from the start of the Michigan high school football postseason, and many of our local perennial playoffs teams find themselves in very unfamiliar – and uncomfortable – territory.

Muskegon (3-3) not only has played in the state championship game nine times in the last 12 years, but it has the longest area streak of consecutive playoff berths with 23.

That streak is in jeopardy with tough games at Byron Center this week and then at home against Cincinnati Moeller (or, if you will, The University of Cincinnati Moeller). The guys who study this stuff tell me that the Big Reds will get in with a 4-4 record, but if that’s where they are, they will have to sweat it out on Selection Sunday, Oct. 27, to see if their streak will continue.

The two area teams with the most all-time playoff berths – Oakridge and Muskegon Catholic, both with 32 postseason appearances – are also in danger of missing out.

Oakridge (3-4) hosts Ravenna and then plays at North Muskegon, likely needing at least one win to secure playoff berth No. 33. The last time Oakridge missed the playoffs was 2004 with a 4-5 record (the locals were calling for Jack Schugars’ head), but the old ball coach came back the next year and led the Eagles to the Division 5 state championship with an epic victory over “unbeatable” Jackson Lumen Christi.

Muskegon Catholic (1-5) – which leads all area schools with 12 state championships in the playoff era, trailing only Farmington Harrison and the aforementioned Jackson Lumen Christi – has lost three heartbreakers already this fall, and now needs two wins and a lot of help to sneak into the Division 8 playoffs.

All games kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday, unless noted, and my picks are in all caps.

Last week: 17-1 (94 percent)

Best pick: Montague over Fremont. I not only picked the winner, but I also took the “over” in this defense optional, 70-64 win for the Wildcats.

Worst pick: Orchard View over Hart. Joe Tanis and the single wing picks up a big win over his old school, preventing a perfect week for TK in the process.

Overall: 101-29 (78 percent)

O-K Red

Grand Haven (2-5, 1-4) at ROCKFORD (5-2, 3-2) – Something tells me that the Rams will be a better and more focused playoff team with a pair of losses, after entering the postseason the past four years with a perfect record.

Holland-West Ottawa (1-6, 1-4) at GRANDVILLE (3-4, 3-2) – Grandville is at home and playing for its playoff life, which will be the difference in this one.

O-K Green

MUSKEGON (3-3, 3-1) at Byron Center (6-1, 3-1) – The Bulldogs are averaging 42 points per game, but the Big Reds are coming in motivated to get a win and keep their 23-year playoff streak alive. Muskegon holds the hosts to one-third of their scoring average in a huge road win.

MONA SHORES (7-0, 4-0) at Reeths-Puffer (2-5, 1-3) – I can see a similar result to the Shores vs. Muskegon game. Puffer sells out to stop the run and Jonathan Pittman’s deadly-accurate throwing arm is the difference.

O-K White

GR Christian (1-6, 0-4) at SPRING LAKE (1-6, 0-4) – The Lakers had a chance to win the last four games, but found a way to lose all of them. This week, the breaks finally go their way.

O-K Silver

Holland (3-4, 2-2) at FRUITPORT (2-5, 1-3) – These are the two largest-enrollment schools in the O-K Silver, which is made up primarily of Division 5 teams, and is a very even game on paper. I think home-field advantage is the difference.

WMC-Lakes

WHITEHALL (5-2, 5-0) at Fremont (2-5, 1-4) – The Vikings pick up their fifth win in a row after a 1-2 start, setting up a showdown next week at unbeaten Portland.

Montague (3-4, 3-2) at MANISTEE (4-3, 2-3) – The good news is that Montague scored 70 points last week. The bad news is that the Wildcats gave up 64 points. Look for Manistee’s Kaden Kott to add a few more TDs to his school-record total.

Orchard View (1-6, 0-5) at LUDINGTON (5-2, 4-1) – Ludington junior Cameron Gunsell is one of the area’s top quarterbacks. He puts on a show this week at Oriole Field.

WMC-Rivers

Hesperia (2-5, 0-4) at HART (3-4, 1-3) – Hart coach Joe Tanis did some incredible coaching last fall, but his biggest stroke of genius might have been going to Cameo and getting Jim Mora to do a classic video, congratulating the Pirates on their first-ever playoff berth. 

MASON COUNTY CENTRAL (6-1, 4-1) at Shelby (3-4, 1-3) – This MCC is not used to playoff excitement, but Scottville residents will soon learn about snooze2you and goosepoop (I kid you not) and all of the other web sites that track and predict Michigan high school football playoff matchups. 

CENTRAL STATES – Red

REMUS-CHIPPEWA HILLS (1-6, 0-4) at Grant (2-5, 0-4) – I can’t understand why there are like 20 people crammed into the self-checkout corral at Meijer, when you can step right up to a regular lane, where they will scan everything for you and bag it, as well.

CENTRAL STATES – White

KENT CITY (4-3, 2-1) at Morley-Stanwood (3-4, 1-2) – Cooper Stinson and the Eagles inch a little closer to their eighth playoff berth in the last nine years.

White Cloud (1-6, 0-3) at CENTRAL MONTCALM (6-1, 3-0) – I like Central Montcalm in this game almost as much as Donald Trump likes “Ave Maria.”

NON-CONFERENCE

MUSKEGON CATHOLIC (1-5) at Centreville (2-5) – Centreville won the Division 8 state championship in the crazy Covid year of 2020, but has been going in the wrong direction ever since. Bryan Convertini gets MCC back into the win column.

Muskegon Heights (3-4) at FULTON-MIDDLETON (6-1) – The Tigers were 3-1 at one point, then the schedule got much tougher – and that continues this week.

NEWAYGO (5-2) vs. Lake Odessa-Lakewood (2-5), at Davenport – These two teams get to play on a college football field at Davenport. What a great place for Ralph Munger and the Lions to lock up a playoff berth.

Ravenna (4-3) at OAKRIDGE (3-4) – I hate when announcers say: “You can throw out the records in this game.” Well, guess what? You can throw out the records in this game.