By Tom Kendra
LocalSportsJournal.com

“Home, where my thought’s escapin’ … Home, where my music’s playin’ … Home, where my love lies waitin’ silently for me.”

Simon & Garfunkel certainly waxed poetically about home back in 1966, but does home – more specifically, homefield advantage – mean much anymore in high school football?

Think about the area’s best rivalries. Does homefield advantage make a huge difference when Muskegon plays Mona Shores or Whitehall battles Montague?

My answer to my own question is that playing surface and conditions are a bigger determining factor for outcomes than which team gets to dress in its home locker room.

In fact, high school teams are often more focused and locked in on the road, away from distractions such as girlfriends, family members who think they are Vince Lombardi, ex-girlfriends, the football strategy expert who coached you at the Dynamite level and wanna-be girlfriends.

Muskegon, before artificial turf was installed in 2020, regularly gave up the familiarity of the Hackley Stadium tunnel and its muddy, mosh pit-like field conditions in favor of the carpet at Grand Haven (I am so glad those days are over).

North Muskegon, citing poor field conditions at Fred Jacks Field, registered two of the most memorable “home” wins in modern school history last fall, thrilling playoff wins over Lawton and Pewamo-Westphalia, on the field turf at Oakridge. 

Those moves were smart coaching decisions, and back up my point that field conditions are more important in big games than playing on a home field.

What first got me contemplating this topic is when I realized, for probably the first time in my (yee gads) 36 years of covering high school football, that I picked the home team to win every single one of our area’s opening-round playoff games this week.

Fortunately, we have been blessed with the best fall football weather in years, which means that fields are in great shape for the most part and we will likely get a reprieve from home teams voluntarily moving games – right?

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

Last week: 16-3 (84 percent)

Best pick: Toledo Central Catholic over Mona Shores. The Sailors will be a better playoff team after this game, because they now know the pain that they don’t want to experience again.

Worst pick: Manistee over Mason County Central. I am certainly getting older, but not necessarily smarter. Should have picked the powerful Spartans at home.

Overall: 131-36 (78 percent)

DIVISION 2: Region 1, District 1

Traverse City West (6-3) 57.556 at MONA SHORES (8-1) 74.361 – It takes a LOT of resources to consistently stop a freight train like Shores junior running back Ike Steward. In fact, it takes so many bodies up front that it opens up the passing game for Jonathan Pittman. That, in a nutshell, is the secret of the Mona Shores offense.

Grand Rapids Northview (9-0) 68.444 at BYRON CENTER (8-1) 71.361 – So, Northview goes 9-0 for the first time since 1970, beating the likes of Chelsea and Grand Rapids Catholic, and is rewarded with a playoff game at BC and, if it wins, a trip to Mona Shores. Northview’s Armaan Irving is a dangerous quarterback, but BC’s Landon Tungate is a different breed of cat.

DIVISION 4: Region 1, District 1

Ludington (7-2) 47.556 at BIG RAPIDS (8-1) 55.111 – I voted early on Tuesday, which felt good and somewhat liberating. But I’m wondering if I should have waited and heard 477 more Elissa Slotkin vs. Mike Rogers ads to make a more informed choice. Good grief.

Whitehall (6-3) 51.111 at ADA FOREST HILLS EASTERN (7-2) 54.778 – Injuries have slowed the Vikings’ roll, most notably season-ending knee injuries to senior two-way starters Parker Mott and Ryan Goodrich. But unlike past years when Whitehall was burdened with sky-high playoff expectations, this group could surprise in a spoiler role.

DIVISION 5: Region 2, District 1

Oakridge (4-5) 35.111 at GRAND RAPIDS WEST CATHOLIC (6-3) 54.889 – Good to see the real Oakridge team show up last week at North Muskegon, holding the lead late in the third quarter. If that team shows up Friday, this game will be very interesting. 

Hopkins (6-3) 43.208 at GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL (5-4) 54.730 – I would compare this GRCC team with Hulk Hogan. The Hulkster can’t rip off his tank top emphatically like the old days, but I still wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley. The Cougars have four losses but, trust me, Hopkins doesn’t want to play them.

DIVISION 6: Region 1, District 2

Manistee (5-4) 37.222 at REED CITY (7-2) 48.222 – “Home Sweet Home” by Motley Crue has always been one of my favorite songs, which made it even more disappointing to go see them last summer at Soaring Eagle and realize that they are washed up. The Coyotes, meanwhile, are in their prime.

Standish-Sterling (6-3) 45.111 at MASON COUNTY CENTRAL (8-1) 46.431 – Michigan public employees have MERS savings accounts, while Mason County Central has something even more valuable in senior running back Peyton Merz, who has eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing plateau.

DIVISION 6: Region 2, District 1

Montague (4-5) 35.889 at NEWAYGO (7-2) 48.778 – Newaygo coach Ralph Munger has won 10 games in two years at Newaygo, after winning 335 in 11 years at Frankenmuth and 28 years at Rockford. The Lions’ first playoff win since 2018 will be one of the most special “W’s” of his career.

Kent City (6-3) 37.986 at CENTRAL MONTCALM (8-1) 43.444 – I do a mean “Country Roads” at karaoke (just ask the boys down at the Knights of Columbus). This week’s version: “Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong, Central Montcalm! Home of the Hornets, take me home, down country roads.”

DIVISION 7: Region 2, District 2

Evart (6-3) 32.000 at NORTH MUSKEGON (8-1) 42.222 – Jaden Villalpando’s 94-yard kickoff return sparked the Norsemen’s comeback win last week over Oakridge. After four straight blowout wins, the Norse needed a game like that, to be pushed before the postseason.

Harrison (7-2) 36.444 at MCBAIN (8-1) 39.778 – This is one of the best McBain teams since Reeths-Puffer assistant coach Paul Siembida coached the Ramblers to the regional finals back in 2004. Ramble on, Ramblers, and see you in the village of North Muskegon next weekend.