View from the Corner Desk

Football regional predictions

Five Upper Peninsula football teams will be playing for regional titles this weekend, four at the Superior Dome in Marquette, and three of those games Saturday. You can get in for the whole day for just $6. It is a great opportunity for U.P. fans to get out and now only cheer on their teams, but cheer on their U.P. rivals, too.

I see three football teams going all the way to Ford Field. I think the other two lose this weekend. So without further adieu, here are my predictions for the third week of the MHSAA football players.

We'll be running thumbnail sketches of the games in Friday's Mining Journal. Our sister paper, Iron Mountain's Daily News, will have preview Friday as well.

Division 7: Ishpeming (8-3) vs. Traverse City St. Francis (10-1), Superior Dome, 7 p.m. Friday

Record-Eagle preview | Mining Journal previews, Ishpeming angle, SF angle

I picked against Ishpeming last week and they proved me wrong. I’m fine with that. Maybe they’ll do it again, as they face St. Franny. The Glads bring as many players to the Dome as some colleges, inlcuding 19 offensive lineman on their roster. The Hematites have 23 players. Whoa. If Ishpeming can continue to ride horse Casey Hares, maybe they can pull up the upset. But I don’t see it happening. Pick: St. Francis

Division 8: Forest Park (10-1) vs. Central Lake (10-1), Superior Dome, 11 a.m. Saturday

Record-Eagle preview

“The Battle of the Trojans” is a phrase I’m getting sick of. If it’s not Cedarville, it’s Forest Park. Central Lake brings a young team to the Dome already overplaying expectations. A win would give the school its most successful football season yet. Forest Park is just steady. All it does is win. That’s what I see happening. Pick: Forest Park

Division 5: Standish-Sterling (10-1) vs. Menominee (11-0), Gaylord, 2 p.m.

Bay City Times fan angle

The Panthers have outscored opponents, 400-157 this year. The Maroons? 425-108. I don’t doubt the downstate team could challenge the U.P. powerhouse. But a smart prognosticator would not dare pick against the Maroons this season. Pick: Menominee

Division 6: Montague (8-3) vs. Iron Mountain (10-1), Superior Dome, 2 p.m.

Muskegon Chronicle preview

Montague looks like it played a pretty strong schedule and lost only to Class B schools. Iron Mountain, having only lost to Kingsford, can say the same. This could be the best game in the Dome all day. It will be interesting to see how much of a home field advantage the middle game of a three-U.P. team triple header is. West Michigan has some good football, so I’m giving Montague the edge. Pick: Montague

Division 4: Coopersville (8-3) vs. Kingsford (8-3), Superior Dome, 5 p.m.

Grand Rapids Press preview

Coopersville lost its first three games of the year, all out-of-conference, then won the next six games to make the playoffs and win the Ottawa-Kent (county) Blue league. They have a 1,300 yard rusher in Blake Waldecker. And they were state runners up in Division 4 last year. But like I said last week, I am NOT picking against the Flivvers. No way. Pick: Kingsford