Mid-October means a few things for a prep sports writer.

It’s time to start dressing a little warmer when you cover things. Player and coach of the year awards start becoming part of your daily thinking process. And after you check your email every day, you check Snooze2you.com to see potential playoff matchups for your area teams.

Snooze, as the man who runs the site goes by online, is the Joe Lunardi – ESPN’s Bracketologist – of Michigan high school football, putting out his Mapetology weekly from Week 3 through Week 9.

For the first several weeks, it’s a fun look at where teams might end up. In the final two – including a midweek update prior to the final games of the regular season – players, coaches, fans and press view it as gospel, as it very often is close to what the MHSAA winds up doing.

The pairings are set up if the season were to end now, so other than the “Favorites Win” update between weeks 8 and 9, winners aren’t being projected. In this week’s Mapetology, nine area teams are listed.

In Division 4, Snooze has Marysville as the No. 1 seed in Region 3, District 1. The Vikings would play Croswell-Lexington in one district game, while Richmond would host Goodrich in the other. Marysville has a small edge on Richmond in playoff points despite the Blue Devils’ victory when they met in Week 1.

Division 5 could produce a rematch, as Algonac would host Marine City in the first round of the latest Snooze projections. The Muskrats have a big playoff-point advantage on the rest of the teams projected for Region 4, which could mean three home playoff games. Almont would host Clintondale in the other district game.

Sandusky appears on its way to a No. 1 seed in Division 7. In the latest projections, the Redskins would play Marlette, with Ubly hosting Cass City in the other district semifinal. The region projection is a tough one, as the other district includes, New Lothrop, Unionville-Sebewaing, Flint Beecher and Saginaw Nouvel.

Snooze’s 8-man projection has Deckerville hosting Peck in the first round of the playoffs, with the winner playing either Morrice – which has defeated both teams – or New Haven Merritt. Deckerville and Peck play at Peck Friday in a game that not only will decide the North Central Thumb League, but could also determine home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Although, I imagine the 8-man map is hard to figure out as all of the teams are so spaced out throughout the upper and lower peninsulas.

Go to the site and take a look around at all of Snooze’s projections. It’s fun to see possible matchups not just for the first round, but what teams could see down the road. If you want to be notified when the maps come out, follow Snooze on Twitter @Snooze2you, or find him on Facebook. He’s a must-follow for any high school football fan.

Paul’s Top 10

1. Algonac, 7-0

2. Richmond, 6-1

3. Sandusky, 7-0

4. Croswell-Lexington, 5-2

5. Marine City, 4-3

6. Marysville, 5-2

7. Port Huron Northern, 4-3

8. Port Huron, 2-5

9. St. Clair, 3-4

10. Yale, 2-5

Contact Paul Costanzo at (810) 989-6251 or pcostanzo@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCostanzo.

Sterling Heights couldn’t stop Ryan Ellul and the Marysville run game this past Friday night.

So much so, that the Vikings were scoring on plays even Ellul couldn’t explain.

“I just watched it earlier today, and I was kind of shocked about it,” Ellul said of his 50-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, which came on a broken play. “I got the handoff kind of off to the center, and there was a big group around me. I don’t really know how I got out of it.”

The touchdown was one of five on the night for Ellul, who rushed for 235 yards on 28 carries in Marysville’s 48-21 win against the Stallions. For his efforts, Ellul is the Times Herald Athlete of the Week.

“Backs can have speed, they can have power, but the big thing with Ryan is that he has that vision,” Marysville coach Mark Caza said. “He has that ability to cut back against the grain.”

Marysville’s win gave it a chance at a share of the Macomb Area Conference Gold Division title, as Sterling Heights entered the game with an unbeaten conference record. Caza called it one of more special moments of the season for the Vikings (3-1, 5-2), who can clinch that share – or better, if Marine City and Sterling Heights lose – of the league title with a win Friday against St. Clair.

The Vikings are entering the game on a four-game win streak and appear to be playing their best football of the season.

“I think we’re coming together more as a team as the season goes on,” Ellul said. “We have different people for offense and defense, and now you see us on the field, in the hallways, in the locker room coming together and going over plays. Everybody is getting along much better.”

In games, Marysville’s offense is doing what it was expected to do – run the ball successfully. Ellul eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark against Sterling Heights, and at 1,027 yards is just 3 yards away from his 11-game total a year ago.

His backfield-mate, Dante Chrcek, has 842 yards on the season. Both are averaging more than 100 yards per game, both have more than 10 touchdowns (16 for Ellul, 11 for Chrcek) and both are averaging more than seven yards per carry.

“It’s huge, because if you have just one back and he’s more of an outside runner, teams can focus on that,” Ellul said. “We have another back that goes up the middle and is straight power, so you’ve got to focus on both of them.

“When you get the ball back to back to back, you can get tired, and you can’t be 100 percent every time. When you alternate handoffs, you get a fresh pair of legs.”

It’s all adding up to a four-game win streak, and if Marysville’s success continues, it could not only lead to a conference title, but also some home playoff games.

“I think everybody is extremely excited – we’re actually starting to see Marysville football getting the name back and coming back together,” Ellul said. “St. Clair is a rivalry school, and no matter how they’re playing and where they’re at, we’re going to play our hardest no matter what. Everybody is so excited.”

Contact Paul Costanzo at (810) 989-6251 or pcostanzo@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCostanzo.

ST. CLAIR – St. Clair handed Marine City its first Macomb Area Conference Gold Division loss Tuesday night in a four-game victory.

After losing in five the first time the two teams met, the Saints rode a scrappy defense and strong front line to a 25-22, 25-26, 30-32, 25-16 victory against their rival.

“We’ve been working on drills where I make them start where they’re down a couple points and they have to fight back, so it was good to see them put that to use,” St. Clair coach Stephanie Pietrzak said. “We’ve definitely been working on a quicker offense, scrappier defense, and they put it to work today. We lost to them in five at the beginning of the season, so it’s kind of good to see all of your hard work put to use, and the outcome of it was awesome.”

Jessica Bohm and Brooke Mahn each had 11 kills for the Saints, while Brenna Johnson had 10. Mariah Slis had 23 assists.

Karyssa Austin led the Mariners with 26 digs, 13 service receptions, nine kills, six blocks and five service points, while Desaray DeSnyder had 23 digs, 14 assists and six points, and Taelor Frank had 22 digs, 17 service receptions, 14 kills, seven points and five blocks.

The teams traded leads in the first game, with the Mariners getting ahead by as many as five points at 18-13. But St. Clair scored seven of the next eight to take a 20-19 lead, and didn’t give it up, putting the game away with a hard serve from Mackenzie Buslepp that wound up as an ace.

St. Clair led for most of the second game, putting it away by winning the final seven points.

Throughout the game, the Saints were able to scramble and recover, keeping the ball in play, while Marine City struggled to do the same. The presence of Jessica Bohm and Brooke Mahn at the net was big in that game. They got some help from setter Mariah Slis, as well.

The third game ended with a battle of wills between the rivals, as the Mariners refused to die and the Saints did all they could to end things.

Marine City led 24-23, but wasn’t able to put it away until several dramatic rallies were held getting the score into the 30s. At one point the scoreboard operator accidentally put 100 up for the Saints. One couldn’t blame her for losing track.

“We just pushed through it,” Mahn said of regrouping after losing the third game. “We knew that coming into it they were practicing all week for us, so we just worked hard to get it done.”

The beginning of the fourth game was played with the players providing almost all the noise. It was as if the crowd was either regrouping from the end of the third, or saving up for what could be another dramatic finish. They didn’t need it, as the Saints got well ahead and cruised to the victory.

“They played aggressive defense tonight — they were a lot better team tonight than they were at our place,” Marine City coach Kelly Thomas said. “We didn’t play well, we kind of shot ourselves in the foot a lot. They made a lot of great defensive plays, and there were a lot of scrambling plays, and good defensive plays, on both sides, I thought. They were overall able to capitalize more on those.”

On Sept. 15, Emma Kerr shot a 63 during a Women’s Thumb Independent League jamboree at Heather Hills.

At that point, the Capac senior was searching for answers in a golf game that had been so good not long before. So she went out and found them herself.

“That was the day I hit rock bottom,” Kerr said. “I’m more willing to admit it now, seeing how I’ve come back and made it to state after that, as unlike as it seemed at the time. I knew I couldn’t give up because I did not want to go out like that. I knew if I worked hard enough and tried hard enough I could fix it.

“I was like, ‘OK, I’m not going home, I’m going straight to the range to fix this.’ I went to the range at Holly Meadows, got a few buckets of balls and kept hitting until I figured it out.”

Kerr fixed the glitch in her swing, and finished the season strong, winning the St. Clair County Championship and finishing high enough in the regional to qualify for Friday and Saturday’s Division 4 state tournament at Forest Akers East on the campus of Michigan State University.

Kerr is one of three area players who will be playing in the state tournament, as Armada’s Gabriella Locke and St. Clair’s Kara Likins – both sophomores – qualified for the Division 3 tournament at Forest Akers West.

Locke and Kerr are making their first state finals appearance while Likins is making her second straight.

Kerr is Capac’s first state qualifier, something she just learned on Tuesday.

“I’m very honored,” she said. “That’s awesome.”

Capac has had a girls golf team since 2007 and included among its alumni is Kerr’s sister, Erin, who now plays for Oakland University.

“She helps me so much, she’s kind of like my mini teacher,” Kerr said of her older sister. “When there’s a problem that pops up, she can do a small fix that makes it better. She’ll have me caddy for her for some of her tournaments. It’s really nice to be able to walk around and just watch how they do it. In the summer tournaments that I did my best in, it was because it was a few days after I caddied for Erin.”

It was Erin’s move to golf that pushed Emma to the sport in the summer before her eighth-grade year. She’s been a four-year member of the Capac program.

“She’s a great gal, I love her to death,” Capac coach John Hollenbeck said. “She’s very easy to coach and help out. She does anything you ask her to do – and she’ll try it.

“I don’t know if she was playing too much golf, but (the midseason dip) was a mind thing, anyway. She plays every day of the week. She loves the game of golf. I told her, ‘Emma, I know you’re strong, and I know you can walk, but you’re going to get tired.’ It’s a good thing she’s got violin lessons (Wednesday) or she’d probably be playing (Thursday).”

Kerr entered the regional with a thought that playing her best game would be good enough for her, whether it led to a trip to state or not. Now that she’s playing on the final weekend of the season, she has the same mindset.

“All of the hard work and all the pain and awful rounds – the sadness of that, it all paid off,” she said. “I know there will be a lot of girls (at state), even more than there were at regionals, who will shoot very well. But I’m not going to go and go for that. I’m going to play my game, and if it works out, great.”

State Golf Tournaments

Friday and Saturday

Division 3 at Forest Akers West (MSU): Kara Likins (St. Clair) and Gabriella Locke (Armada)

Division 4 at Forest Akers East (MSU): Emma Kerr (Capac)

Capac golfer Emma Kerr tees off Monday, Oct. 5, during the St. Clair County Golf Tournament at Holly Meadows Golf Course in Capac.

Capacs’ Emma Kerr walks across a bridge Monday, Oct. 5, during the St. Clair County Golf Tournament at Holly Meadows Golf Course in Capac.

Emma Kerr of Capac, watches her iron shot Aug. 3, during the Blue Water Water Junior Golf Association Tournament of Champions at The Port Huron Elks Golf Club.

Note: This is the first in a series of articles profiling the 2015 inductees to the Port Huron Sports Hall of Fame.

Most Port Huron Sports Hall of Fame inductees – or any hall of fame inductees, for that matter – are simply looking back on great careers.

Daryel McCarrel has plenty of great things to look back on, but he’s the rare instance of someone who can still look to the future in their career, as he’s being inducted while still an active coach.

“I know the quality of people that go in there, and it’s a great honor,” said McCarrel, who admitted he was a little surprised he had received the call. “To get that phone call, and knowing you’re going to be in with those guys and ladies – I know the quality of people they put in there. It’s a real honor for my wife and I to have that bestowed upon us.”

McCarrel is one of seven inductees – six individuals and one team – in the 2015 class. He will be inducted on Oct. 24 along with Marshall “Duke” Campbell, Randy Shagena, Mary Kay Baribeau, Dave Forstner, Jacqueline “Jackie” Jeffrey and the 1970 St. Clair County Community College men’s golf team.

The induction banquet will be held in the Atrium at the student center at SC4. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. This year’s guest speaker is former Denver Broncos offensive lineman George Geoddeke. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased by Saturday at the Palmer Park Recreation Dept., ForSports in Fort Gratiot, from any Hall of Fame Board member, by calling Sherry Artman at (810) 989-5560 or online through SC4 (a link can be found at http://www.phsportshalloffame.com/banquet.html).

McCarrel, a Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native, moved to Port Huron in 1986 with his wife, Julie, and began coaching at Northern in 1987. Eventually, he turned the Huskies into one of the state’s top programs, as he has won 12 regional championships, advanced to six Final Fours, and finished as state runner-up once.

Beyond that, however, McCarrel and the Huskies earned the respect of the state’s biggest programs, enough so that they were invited to join them in starting the state’s most prestigious high school hockey conference, the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League. It’s a league, McCarrel said, that has proven high-school hockey players can move onto the highest levels of the sport.

“I think mostly (I look back on) where we came from and where we are,” McCarrel said. “I think when the private coaches called us up and respected our program enough and decided to make the league we have now (was a proud moment).”

Campbell and Shagena both played for McCarrel, and Baribeau was “racking up state championships” for the Northern girls tennis program while McCarrel was in his first stint as Northern hockey coach. So going in with them is an added thrill, McCarrel said.

While he’s no doubt had a ton of success – he’s likely to eclipse the 400-win mark this season – he credits his assistant coaches with having helped build the program. He also looks at the off-ice success of his former players as a point of pride.

“I think that’s one of the things I’m most proud of,” McCarrel said. “We believe in having leadership with our captains, and it’s a hard thing to ask a 16 or 17 or 18-year old to stand in front of their friends and be a leader. I’m most proud that so many of the young men that were captains for us went on to become leaders in the community and around the state. I think that’s a big part of Northern hockey, is leadership.”

The typical motivators for a high school football team at the end of a season aren’t there for Port Huron. But that doesn’t mean the Big Reds aren’t motivated.

“Football – to guys who love football – football is the motivation,” Port Huron coach Ryan Mullins said. “And really, our focus has been that it’s for the seniors. It’s their last two games, and we’ve got some very committed seniors, so our young guys are there to support them and make these last two games the best that they can be for the seniors.”

Port Huron (1-3, 2-5) has two games remaining this season, starting with a Macomb Area Conference White Division clash against Utica (1-3, 3-4) at 7 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium.

It won’t have conference title ramifications, and it won’t be part of a playoff resume, both of which are rare for the Big Reds under Mullins. Closing the season strong is still a major goal for the team.

“I just want to leave everything on the field,” junior quarterback DeAngielo Sanderson Jr. said. “Just go out there, and what happens, happens. I just leave everything on the field. It’s definitely (a chance to) build momentum. You can always start off where you left off.

“But this year, we also want to end off on a good note. End 2-0. That’s what our goal is.”

It helps that the final two games are homecoming and the cross-town rivalry against Port Huron Northern. Friday’s game will be just the third for the Big Reds in Memorial Stadium this season, as they had an odd scheduling quirk in which their fourth home game was the Northern game, and five of their first seven were on the road.

“It’s nice knowing that we’re here for two weeks,” Mullins said. “It has been a lot of road games, so we’re happy to be back. Our last home game (a win against Roseville) we felt like we had a good crowd, and it was a good environment, so we’re looking forward to that again.”

On the field, the Big Reds will be looking to contain Utica running back Kumehnnu Gwilly, who Mullins called one of the best backs in the state.

“He’s a good athlete, a big, strong guy,” Mullins said. “It’s going to be a challenge for us defensively. We’re going to have to stop him. He’s a threat to take it all the way every time he touches it, and he’s going to get the ball a lot.

“He’s a strong, strong player. And you have to account for him on every play.”

Contact Paul Costanzo at (810) 989-6251 or pcostanzo@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCostanzo.

Week 8

Friday

Utica at Port Huron

Port Huron Northern at Sterling Heights

Tower at Marine City

St. Clair at Marysville

Algonac at Richmond

Almont at Croswell-Lexington

Armada at Capac

Yale at Imlay City

Memphis at Sandusky

Marlette at Harbor Beach

Brown City at Ubly

Deckerville at Peck

North Huron at C-PS

Saturday

Dearborn Star at Mooney

Note: This is the second in a series profiling the members of the 2015 induction class of the Port Huron Sports Hall of Fame.

Mary Kay Baribeau’s accomplishments as the Port Huron Northern girls tennis coach are what are getting her into the Port Huron Sports Hall of Fame.

It’s what happened after those girls left her, however, that is her biggest source of pride.

“The thing I’m most proud of is that the kids continued to play – the fact they enjoyed the experience and it helped them in their life,” Baribeau said. “When you hear that, that makes you the most proud. All the coaches give 100 percent to their teams, but I had a lot of talent. I was privileged to be able to sit back and watch them and their talent be on display.”

Baribeau is one of seven inductees – six individuals and one team – in the 2015 class. She will be inducted on Oct. 24 along with Marshall “Duke” Campbell, Randy Shagena, Daryel McCarrel, Dave Forstner, Jacqueline “Jackie” Jeffrey and the 1970 St. Clair County Community College men’s golf team.

The induction banquet will be held in the Atrium at the student center at SC4. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. This year’s guest speaker is former Denver Broncos offensive lineman George Geoddeke. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased by Saturday at the Palmer Park Recreation Dept., ForSports in Fort Gratiot, from any Hall of Fame Board member, by calling Sherry Artman at (810) 989-5560 or online through SC4 (a link can be found at http://www.phsportshalloffame.com/banquet.html).

Baribeau was an assistant at Northern on Al Wright’s staff through most of the 1990s, helping the Huskies to state titles in 1996 and 1997. She took over the program in 1998, and won state titles in 1999, 2000 and 2002.

Northern was 113-15-7 under Baribeau, and she was named Class A Coach of the Year by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association in 2000. She’s a member of the MHSTCA Hall of Fame.

As her former players continued to play and enjoy the sport, her former program continued to enjoy success, as the Huskies have remained a state power, winning a state title in 2013.

“It’s wonderful,” Baribeau said of the continued success. “A lot of the kudos goes to the tennis house and their staff, they take the kids at a young age and groom them, so by the time they come to high school they’re very familiar with the sport and have a lot of talent. That makes all the area programs strong.”

Contact Paul Costanzo at (810) 989-6251 or pcostanzo@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCostanzo.

A valiant comeback effort by the Port Huron football team came up 3 yards short Friday night.

The Big Reds were stopped inside the 5-yard line as time expired in their 27-20 Macomb Area Conference White Division loss against Utica. The loss drops the Big Reds to 2-6 on the season.

“We just came up a little short on time,” Port Huron coach Ryan Mullins said. “It would have been nice if we would have been able to conserve one of our timeouts that we had to burn earlier. But I felt like we had to use the one we used earlier just to give Devon (Lynch) a break. We had a chance at the end, and I was proud of the way the kids fought back.

“To be down for most of the game and then come back and have a chance late, shows a lot about the kids.”

The Big Reds put together a drive in the final minute that went 60 of the 63 yards they needed. On the final play of the game, quarterback DeAngielo Sanderson avoided the rush and heaved a ball toward Lynch inside the five. Lynch caught the ball surrounded by defenders, and nearly drug them to the goal line, but was brought down at the 3, causing a big-time celebration on the Utica sidelines.

“It was a pretty gutsy performance, because (Lynch is) banged up, and he’s playing both ways,” Mullins said. “It was a pretty solid effort there on (Lynch’s second receiving) touchdown, and to turn around and play defense — he’s been like that all year. So I’m proud of him for the way he played. He gave us a chance at the end.”

Lynch finished with 115 yards receiving and two touchdowns, which came on consecutive offensive plays for the Big Reds. His first was a 28-yarder down the seam from Sanderson Jr. with 4:09 to play, and the second was a 45-yarder with 2:14 to go on a nearly identical play. Although on the second, Lynch broke several tackles in the secondary before cutting toward the sideline and dashing in for a touchdown that tied the game at 20.

Sanderson Jr. finished the night with 176 yards on 15-of-24 passing. He also had 135 yards on the ground.

Utica running back Kumehnnu Gwilly rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns in 2 1/2 quarters before getting hurt on his third score of the game. The Chieftains didn’t do much on offense without him until their final drive, when a pair of long passes set them up deep in Port Huron territory, and Patrick O’Connor hit Slater Lutz for the go-ahead 15-yard score.

“He’s tough,” Mullins said of Gwilly, a Central Michigan commit. “You can see why he’s one of the top running backs in the state. He’s a physical player with great speed. He’s just the combination of both. But really, I thought our defense did a good job and came up with some big stops and some turnovers in the second half.”

Gwilly made his presence felt early, scoring on a 25-yard run on Utica’s first drive. It was actually his second touchdown of the game, but his 38-yard score four plays earlier was called back because of a holding penalty.

The Big Reds responded well, however, driving 65 yards on 13 plays, and taking up nearly 6 minutes before Sanderson Jr. scored on a 9-yard keeper, tying the game at 7.

After a roughing the punter penalty kept Utica’s second drive alive, Gwilly added a 35-yard touchdown run. The point after try gave Utica a 14-7 lead, which it took into the half.

Gwilly added another score in the third quarter, capping off a 56-yard drive in which he gained all the yards with a 4-yard score. The extra point missed, however, and Utica led 20-7. In more bad news for the Chieftains, Gwilly was injured on the play and didn’t return.

This is weird, because I pick college football games in this column, and the biggest game of the week – which also happens to be by far the biggest game locally – is one that I’ve already picked.

I thought about picking Michigan to win with one prediction, and Michigan State with another, just to see if any of you noticed, and also to make sure that I got at least one right. I later thought better of it.

So to avoid repeating myself, I will direct you to our staff predictions for the game inside this section. But to cover all my bases, I’ll also give you my score here. Deal?

Now that I’ve spent three paragraphs writing about nothing, here are this week’s picks, which I am apparently not very good at anymore.

No. 17 Iowa at No. 20 Northwestern, noon, ABC: I am a vehement defender of the head-to-head win, because in college football, it’s so rare that we get those to compare teams in different conferences, that I feel they’re incredibly important. Saying that, if you asked me to pick a spread right now for a Northwestern/Stanford rematch on a neutral field, I would have Stanford as at least a two-score favorite. The Wildcats are good, don’t get me wrong, but their offense is not. Iowa isn’t Stanford, but it’s better than Northwestern. Pick: Iowa 17-13

No. 13 Ole Miss at Memphis, noon, ESPN2: This is a huge game for Memphis – which is unbeaten – and its coach Justin Fuente, who is a rising star in the sport. Hang with the Rebels, or somehow beat them, and the chance at a top-tier bowl goes through the roof. Sure, it also means your coach is probably gone at season’s end, but that’s happening anyway. I’m not sure the Tigers have any shot at slowing the Ole Miss offense, though. Pick: Ole Miss 44-27

No. 10 Alabama at No. 9 Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m., CBS: Texas A&M wins the quarterback battle here rather easily, as Kyle Allen is fantastic. But I’ve made this mistake once before with Alabama – albeit with Georgia’s Greyson Lambert, who is no Kyle Allen – and I won’t do it again. Pick: Alabama 34-28

No. 7 Michigan State at No. 12 Michigan, 3:30 p.m., ESPN: I gave my reasoning in our staff picks, but let me add this – a Michigan win here doesn’t mean the Spartans go away forever. It just means Michigan is better at this very moment. Pick: Michigan 24-17

No. 8 Florida at No. 6 LSU, 7 p.m., ESPN: Will Grier getting suspended makes this tough for Florida, but I don’t think the Gators were going to go into Baton Rouge and put up a ton of points had Grier been playing. Treon Harris needs to not turn the ball over, and Florida needs to not let Leonard Fournette blow up. That second one is going to be hard. Pick: LSU 24-13

USC at No. 14 Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m., NBC: One of two USCs is going to show up for this game – a team that rallies around the dismissal of its coach and is motivated to silence doubters, or a team that has gone through too much and, combined with the sub-40 temperatures, packs it in. I imagine we get the former, at least at first, and it will be Notre Dame’s duty to turn the Trojans into the latter. Pick: Notre Dame 31-20.

Penn State at No. 1 Ohio State, 8 p.m., ABC: Penn State is coming off its best win of the season, while Ohio State is still sleep-walking until it absolutely has to play in games. Christian Hackenberg could make the Buckeyes pay if they’re sleeping this week. That is, if he has any time to actually throw. Pick: Ohio State 27-14.

Last week: 3-4 (43%)

Overall: 28-16 (64%)

Contact Paul Costanzo at (810) 989-6251 or pcostanzo@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCostanzo.

Dave Forstner has lifted more than 700 pounds off the floor and off his chest. He’s put nearly 1,000 pounds on his shoulders, voluntarily squatted down and stood back up.

But even Forstner isn’t safe from public speaking butterflies.

“I would be more comfortable if they put a bench press up there and I had to bench 800 pounds,” Forstner said, laughing, of having to give a speech Saturday at the Port Huron Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet.

Forstner may be a bit nervous, but he’s overjoyed to have to give it, as he is one of seven inductees – six individuals and one team – in the 2015 class. He will be inducted on Saturday along with Marshall “Duke” Campbell, Randy Shagena, Daryel McCarrel, Mary Kay Baribeau, Jacqueline “Jackie” Jeffrey and the 1970 St. Clair County Community College men’s golf team.

The induction banquet will be held in the Atrium at the student center at SC4. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. This year’s guest speaker is former Denver Broncos offensive lineman George Goeddeke.

Forstner, a 21-time world champion powerlifter, is a bit of a different inductee to the Hall of Fame, as none of his accomplishments came at an area high school or SC4.

“I pay attention to stuff like that,” Forstner said. “Every year I kind of pay attention to the people that go in, and it’s a lot of (former high school athletes). It’s something I always thought would be cool growing up in Port Huron. It’s a really awesome honor to be in.”

Forstner began powerlifting in 1990, one year after graduating from Port Huron High School, where a broken collarbone had derailed his prep athletic career before it could start.

He said he started because he always liked being strong. He’s certainly been that.

In a little more than two decades, Forstner has set 26 state records and seven world records. He has benched 760 pounds in competition, deadlifted 749 pounds and squatted 925 pounds. He was the first member of the World Association of Benchers and Dead Lifters to hit the 700-pound mark in both the bench press and deadlift.

He is a member of the WABDL Hall of Fame, and remains active in the sport. He will compete at the world championships later this year.

“I don’t think I’ll ever quit,” Forstner said. “My wife, my parents, they’re all getting on me to quit. But If I did, I’d probably be a big couch potato.”

Contact Paul Costanzo at (810) 989-6251 or pcostanzo@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCostanzo.

Before Algonac and Richmond played the biggest game of either of their seasons this past Friday, they showed us all what high school sports are actually about.

The Muskrats – who had organized a bandana sale in support of Richmond co-coach John Kocher, who is undergoing cancer treatment – handed Kocher a $1,000 check prior to the game.

Algonac wasn’t the only Blue Water Area Conference team to show its support for Kocher throughout the season, as others not only had similar gestures but joined in with the #KocherStrong movement on social media.

As someone who spends more of his time than a sane person should monitoring social media – in fairness to me, it’s part of my job – it’s been incredible to see this support, and people genuinely caring for a man many have never met.

This area does a great job of that – pulling together in times of trouble. Part of it is because the kids in this area are pretty close to one another for being at different schools. Whether it be playing travel sports with one another, against one another or just having interacted online, the mutual respect is always good to see.

But more than anything, I think we simply have good people playing and coaching sports in this area, and the people who have raised those good people are also doing their part to chip in.

High school sports are all about communities, and while that certainly means the individual communities, it also means our larger, Blue Water Area community. Congratulations, everyone. You’re doing it right.

What we can still learn

Not a whole lot, really. With one week left in the regular season, just one area team can clinch a playoff spot with a win Friday, and that’s Marine City, which will play at Warren Cousino.

The area’s other playoff teams are already set: Algonac, Richmond, Sandusky, Croswell-Lexington, Marysville, Peck and Deckerville.

Those seven teams will be playing for positioning, especially Richmond, Cros-Lex and Marysville.

So the majority of the area’s teams will be playing for pride, which I don’t think you should underestimate in Week 9. For the seniors, most of which will be playing their final football game, going out with a win is a great way to end things. For the rest, it’s an opportunity to get a good feeling heading into the offseason.

A week ago Port Huron coach Ryan Mullins told me that simply playing football was motivation enough for people who love football. He’s 100 percent correct.

Paul’s Top 10

1. Richmond, 7-1

2. Algonac, 7-1

3. Sandusky, 8-0

4. Cros-Lex, 6-2

5. Marine City, 5-3

6. Marysville, 6-2

7. Port Huron, 2-6

8. Port Huron Northern, 4-4

9. Yale, 3-5

10. St. Clair, 3-5

Mark Daniell has been working to grow lacrosse in the Blue Water Area for a decade.

He recently received some news that proved he’s succeeding, and should continue that growth.

St. Clair will have a varsity lacrosse team in the spring, as the St. Clair United club team that Daniell had been coaching, is getting an upgrade.

“We started those camps and clinics in 2008, and really this whole thing got underway in 2005 in Port Huron,” Daniell said. “It moved south, and Anchor Bay had a few guys jump in. Now we’ve got three teams within 50 miles of each other.”

St. Clair will be eligible for the MHSAA postseason, and will also be a member of the Macomb Area Conference White Division, two things that weren’t options in its first four years of existence.

“Prior to that, we were the only team within at least 200 miles that was not in a league,” Daniell said. “The closest team to us was Houghton Lake that wasn’t in a league. Everybody had their schedules, so I had to scramble every year to try and play games. Playing in the MAC alleviates the scheduling (concerns), it alleviates (setting up) officiating.”

A year ago, St. Clair was 3-1 against MAC teams, with two wins against Anchor Bay, and one against Warren Mott/Sterling Heights. The lone MAC loss for St. Clair came against Port Huron United.

Daniell – who does not plan on being the team’s head coach in the spring – said St. Clair has been at .500 or above in each of its four seasons, including 2015’s 6-6-2 mark.

The program has also turned out multiple collegiate lacrosse players.

“This was the plan all along,” Daniell said. “We kept telling the kids, ‘Hang with it. Hang with it.’ We were telling the parents to hang with it.

“This has been a journey.”

Contact Paul Costanzo at (810) 989-6251 or pcostanzo@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCostanzo.

St. Clair’s Riley Finnegan gets past Port Huron United’s Jake Lee during a lacrosse game May 12, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

St. Clair’s Anthony Plotzke gets past several Port Huron United defenders during a lacrosse game May 12, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

St. Clair’s Nolan Lyons carries the ball down field during a lacrosse game May 12, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

St. Clair’s Kent Westrick passes the ball during a lacrosse game May 12, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Port Huron United’s Mike Mahaffey puts pressure on St. Clair’s Chase Kammer during a lacrosse game May 12, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

ALGONAC – The Yale boys cross country team prevented a complete sweep for Croswell-Lexington, but the Pioneers still walked away from the final Blue Water Area Conference cross country jamboree Tuesday with a pair of league titles.

Cros-Lex’s girls won their third jamboree of the season, while the boys – who had won the first two – placed second to Yale, which was good enough to still claim a BWAC title of their own.

“It’s what we wanted ultimately, but we’re going to have to go after those guys at the regionals, and they’re going to go after us,” Cros-Lex boys coach Rick Shaw said. “It’ll be fun.”

Yale’s boys, who had defeated Cros-Lex at three nonleague meets this season, finished with 40 points, as the trio of Brendan Macias (second, 16 minutes, 26 seconds), Carlos Soto (fourth, 16:41) and Andrew Vincent (sixth, 16:58) all finished in the top six. Nos. 4 and 5 for Yale – Noah Terpening (17:33) and Remington Martin (18:03) – finished 11th and 17th. Cros-Lex finished with 58 points.

“This is something good going into regionals,” Yale boys coach Greg Whitican, who was named league coach of the year, said. “The boys are going to be fired up.”

Cros-Lex also put its top five runners in the top 20, led by Max Whittredge who was fifth in 16:41. He was followed by Jarred Jolley (seventh, 17:12), Wyatt Perry (13th, 17:44), Joshua Johnson (15th, 17:47) and Ethan McFarlane (18th, 18:08).

There was much less drama in the girls team race, as Cros-Lex’s trio of Megan Cates (19:50), Miranda Cates (20:08) and Calli Townsend (20:09) finished second, third and fourth behind Imlay City’s Camylle Velazquez-Fuentes (19:32). Corbin Redman (14th, 21:29) and Lauren Barbarich (16th, 21:39) also scored for the Pioneers, who finished with 37 points, 16 ahead of Imlay City.

“It’s nice to have the depth we have – we have one runner who was a little sick, and the other ones came through,” Cros-Lex girls coach Lisa Shaw said. “We finished what we started, that was our goal.”

Algonac’s Morgan Beadlescomb won the boys race with a time of 16:06. It was his seventh straight BWAC jamboree victory, dating back to his sophomore year.

“I feel really good – my confidence was down after Spartan Invite, but after Portage, it just went right back up,” Beadlescomb said. “I’m just focused on training, and I just really focused on getting a lot better for states – and hopefully after that.”

Other top 15 finishers for the boys were Armada’s Brenden Allen (third, 16:38), Richmond’s Jacob Hatcher (eighth, 17:13), Almont’s Josh Phelps (ninth, 17:19), Algonac’s Noah Foote (10th, 17:32), Armada’s Jack Albrecht (12th, 17:39) and Imlay City’s Daniel Evard (14th, 17:44).

In the top 15 for the girls were Imlay City’s Ericka Lathrop (fifth, 20:13) and Sarah Evans (sixth, 20:29), Armada’s Victoria Mabbitt (seventh, 20:44), Yale’s Megan Dunsmore (eighth, 20:54) and Kelly McKillop (ninth, 20:59), Algonac’s Abigail Nutter (10th, 21:01), Capac’s Sara Herrera (11th, 21:05), Algonac’s Taylor LaParl (12th, 21:07), Almont’s Jennifer Curtis (13th, 21:19) and Richmond’s Starr Schroeder (15th, 21:36).

Contact Paul Costanzo at (810) 989-6251 or pcostanzo@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCostanzo.

Port Huron senior Rachel Bonner will continue her running career at Syracuse.

The announcement of her commitment was made by her father, Paul, on his Facebook page.

Bonner had also considered Michigan State and had taken an official visit to Texas A&M.

It only appears on Friday nights that Devon Lynch is playing everywhere for the Port Huron football team.

The reality is he can be seen in the backfield at either running back position for the Big Reds, at tight end, split out in the slot, and at either inside or outside linebacker. But Lynch probably knows how to play the rest, too.

“I don’t just learn my spot,” Lynch said. “I learn everyone’s spot, so if they need me somewhere, I can go there.”

Even offensive line?

“Oh yeah, for sure,” Lynch said with a smile. “Coach (Ken) Semelsberger knows that. Coach, could I play on the offensive line?”

“Sure, he could play any place he wants to,” the offensive line coach said. “If he wanted to play offensive line, I’d take him tomorrow. Any place he wants to play, I’ll take him.”

Semelsberger likely won’t get Lynch in the final week of the season, but the senior’s versatility makes him one of the more valuable players in the Blue Water Area. He’ll take the field for the final time as a Big Red Friday night when his team plays cross-town rival Port Huron Northern. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

Lynch and his teammates want nothing more than to close out the season by beating the Huskies, something Port Huron has done four straight times, and seven out of the last times the two have met.

“Going back to when I was 8-years old, I’ve never lost to them,” Lynch said. “And I don’t plan on it.”

What also goes back to being 8 is Lynch’s versatility. He said that through his time in the Thumb Area Football League, middle school and as a freshman, he played all of those positions previously mentioned and more.

As a sophomore, he was moved to the varsity to play in the Big Reds Hulk position, which is essentially an H-back. He played there as a sophomore and junior.

“He’s pretty unique,” Port Huron coach Ryan Mullins said. “His first two years on varsity, he’s been a strong runner for us. With graduation, we had a need for him defensively (this season), and he’s really excelled and been a starter there. We’ve kind of tried to spot him on offense, and try not to expect too much out of him, but as the game goes on, he’s gotten better and better at playing more snaps, so it’s tough to keep him off the field. He’s always just ready to play.”

Lynch’s versatility has been on display throughout the season, and fortunately for Port Huron fans, they’ve been able to see two of his best games at Memorial Stadium. Against Roseville, he returned a fumble for a touchdown, had two interceptions and added two rushing touchdowns on offense. Against Utica this past Friday, he had a pair of receiving touchdowns, the second tying the game for the Big Reds late in the fourth quarter.

“He’s always been very capable of catching the ball, and in the first couple years, he didn’t have a lot of opportunities to be split out as a receiver,” Mullins said. “So really, just by need, he’s had to fulfill that role. Obviously he did a great job of it. The moves he made on a short pass to elude two or three defenders, he showed a lot of elusiveness. He’s a very instinctive kid. He understands the game and watches a lot of film, and it pays off for him.”

It’s certainly paid off this season, as Lynch’s preparedness has allowed him to have a breakout year.

“He’s taken every opportunity he can,” Mullins said. “The nice thing is, he’s just an unselfish player who just wants to help the team. He knows his role, and he just wants the team to do well. That’s really what I know the coaches appreciate the most about him. He’s turned into a great leader for our team. He’s a great example for our young kids to look at and go, ‘This is what happens when you really commit yourself to being the best you can.’”

Contact Paul Costanzo at (810) 989-6251 or pcostanzo@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCostanzo.

Port Huron (2-6) vs. Northern (4-4)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: Memorial Stadium

At Stake: Brick Fowler Trophy

Port Huron senior Devon Lynch runs the ball after recovering a fumble and scores during a football game Friday, September 25, 2015 at Memorial Stadium in Port Huron.

Port Huron senior Devon Lynch hypes up his teammates in the locker room during a football game Friday, September 25, 2015 at Memorial Stadium in Port Huron.

Jacqueline “Jackie” Jeffery said she was one of the lucky ones to get an opportunity to play high school basketball before Title IX attempted to even the playing field for females.

Her coaching career was dedicated to making sure others had opportunities, too.

“I wanted to be successful because I wanted (St. Clair County Community College) to be a place where the young women athletes of the area could feel it was a place they could go to follow their dreams,” Jeffery said. “So often with Thumb schools, colleges don’t really look at them. This was a place where if they wanted to continue playing, they an opportunity to do so.”

Jeffery, who coached the SC4 women’s basketball team for eight years, will be back on campus Saturday night to be inducted into the Port Huron Sports Hall of Fame.

She is one of seven inductees – six individuals and one team – in the 2015 class. She will be inducted on Saturday along with Marshall “Duke” Campbell, Randy Shagena, Daryel McCarrel, Mary Kay Baribeau, Dave Forstner and the 1970 St. Clair County Community College men’s golf team.

The induction banquet will be held in the Atrium at the student center at SC4. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. This year’s guest speaker is former Denver Broncos offensive lineman George Goeddeke.

Jeffery was the first women’s basketball coach at SC4, and had plenty of success with the new program. The team won five out of six league championships, including four straight from the 1976-77 season through 1979-80.

In 1977, the team won state and regional titles, as well, and earned a bid to the national tournament, where it finished eighth.

In her eight seasons, Jeffery compiled a 164-84 record, had two All-Americans – Nancy DeNardin and Penny Kroll – and one member of the All-National Tournament Team – Laurie Nolan.

“When you coach a team, you don’t think about going into the Hall of Fame,” Jeffery said. “You think about how you can bring your team to have the most amount of success they can have. I was very fortunate, because most of the girls I recruited were very coachable and gave their best all the time.

“I was just always happy that they were following their dream and they were as successful as they were.”

Contact Paul Costanzo at (810) 989-6251 or pcostanzo@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCostanzo.

Two of Kevin Nguyen’s biggest passions are science and fitness.

After moving to California to further pursue both, the 2013 Port Huron Northern graduate has also found a way to mix them through body building.

“I’m into fitness kind of to the point of being an extremist,” Nguyen said. “I was really big into health and fitness even when I was in Michigan, but I felt (California) was a perfect place to discover myself and try different things. I got into body building when I met a couple guys who competed at the gym. From that, I really got to learn the science behind it. I’m really a science guy, and I enjoy more of the science part than the physical part.”

Nguyen, who was a standout wrestler for the Huskies, attended Central Michigan University after graduation but is attending community college in California with plans to transfer to UCLA for the 2016-17 school year. He also hopes to attend medical school at UCLA.

He said he’s been inspired by his former wrestling coach Ken Meinhardt to help people.

“It’s a lot of schooling, but I think it’s going to be really rewarding as far as being able to discover something and apply it clinically,” he said. “Coach Meinhardt definitely contributed to that mindset as far as being self-disciplined on what you eat, but also treating a sickness or an illness with a holistic approach rather than a pill or a quick fix. That’s how, as a doctor, I want to help people. To treat the problems, not the sickness.

“The best way to fight an illness is to prevent it.”

Kevin Nguyen, a 2013 Port Huron Northern graduate, has started body building in California.

When not in school, Nguyen has dedicated himself to body building, and dedication is definitely the right word.

“Wrestling really helped me, because mentally it was really tough,” Nguyen said. “I had to eat super, super clean. I ate asparagus and tilapia six meals a day every day. I went from 194 (pounds) to 140 in a matter of three months. I was mentally prepared for it because of wrestling.”

Nguyen has competed in two body building competitions — one a team competition and the other an individual. He finished in the top five of the individual competition.

“The men’s show it was me against a bunch of 30-year-olds, and I played top five out of like 20 men,” he said. “It was crazy. They just out-did me by mass. I can’t compete with their muscle maturity. Basically, they judge you by appearance, muscle symmetry, stage presence, how smooth you transition from pose to pose.

“It’s basically like a modeling thing. I did it because I like to work out, but it’s more fun to have a goal at the gym.”

Nguyen said that body building required a lifestyle change, especially in terms of his diet. But when it comes to days of competitions, he’s able to gorge on junk food like a kid the day after Halloween. In fact, it’s encouraged.

“The best part is carb loading right before you go on the stage,” he said. “In my last show, I ate a huge carrot cake and was doing curls. Right before you step on the stage, what I did was grabbed a handful of Sour Patch Kids, you eat that then when you pump up, you look all veiny.”