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Area teams battle in Big Day
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The John Glenn Rockets, coached by Todd DeLuca, face Livonia Franklin in the Big Day Prep Showdown at Eastern Michigan University at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 24. Photo by Jeff NovakWith schools closing their doors for the summer and the scorching seasonal heat still not yet upon us fully, it is hard to talk football.
Official full-team, full-dress practices are still two months away for programs, but the excitement is already brewing.
To kick off the new season the Detroit Metro Sports Commission (DMSC) is hosting its third Big Day Prep Showdown during the weekend of August 25th.
This year the event, that is quickly being regarded as the premier opening weekend high school football event in the state—offering big-time teams playing in big-time games on the big stage of Eastern Michigan University’s Rynearson Stadium—is bigger and better.
The DMSC expanded the program to two days with seven games instead of four.
Fans of the event can now take in three games on Friday, August 24 and the usual four on Saturday, August 25.
“Our goal for the Big Day Prep Showdown has always been to expand the event to a blend of not only exciting high school football, but also a celebration of the school communities,” said Dave Beachnau, DMSC executive director. “The growth in 2007 to seven games on two days along with the new scholarship program continues the evolution to our long-range vision for the event.”
Among those teams competing are local juggernauts John Glenn, Canton, Belleville and Plymouth and teams out of area teams like Fraser, Warren Cousino, Allen Park, Detroit Finney, Livonia Franklin, Chelsea, Ypsilanti, Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic, Milford and Walled Lake Central.
“The 2007 Big Day Prep Showdown will again feature an exciting blend of traditional high school powers and emerging programs including seven 2006 MHSAA playoff teams from teams in four local counties and Ohio,” said Beachnau. “We are also very pleased to have several schools who very much wanted to return to the event including Allen Park and Chelsea who have been a part of the event from its inception.”
The Canton Chiefs, who made it to the regional finals last season and to the state championship game the prior year, will take on Toledo Central Catholic High School at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25.
Although there is no bigger stage for the team to play on than Ford Field where they played at in 2005, Canton Coach Tim Baechler said the Big Day Prep Showdown would be a good start to the season this year.
“It will be exciting to for the kids to play at EMU,” he said. “TCC is a tough team and it will be a difficult day. We always want to win the first game of the year but we proved two years ago that it’s not the end of the world if you lose a couple.”
Earlier on that day Belleville will take to the gridiron against Plymouth at 2:30 pm.
Both teams struggled last year.
Belleville finished with a 2-7 overall record. Long-time Head Coach Bob La Pointe hopes to turn things around this year. He said he’s looking forward to the match-up.
“We’re all excited about the game,” he said. “It should be fun for the kids to play on a big stage. We’ve never played Plymouth before and they have a new coach so it could be a good opportunity.
“Winning the first game is important to us,” he added. “It would be nice to use a win in a situation like this to get the season going.”
Plymouth’s 3-6 record last season led to the early retirement of Coach Jay Blaylock. Mike Sawchuck will take over the reigns this season with his first game as head coach at Eastern Michigan University.
John Glenn takes on Livonia Franklin at 8 p.m. on Friday.
Head Coach Todd DeLuca and his Rockets struggles to a 3-6 record last year should match up well against the 5-4 Patriots. This will be the first time since 2003 that the two Western Lakes Activities Association teams have met. Glenn won that contest, 25-7.
“We feel fortunate to be apart of the Big Day Prep Showdown,” DeLuca said. “This will be a good match-up and we’re excited about it. It will also offer the kids some great experience to play in that type of atmosphere.”
The Big Day Prep Showdown III will include a new student scholarship award program in partnership with Detroit Lions Charities. Awards in the amount of $500 will be provided to one student from each school based on a blend of academic, civic and extra curricular activity. Judging for the awards will be conducted this summer by a panel of local civic and educational experts and announced at half-time of each game.
“This scholarship program is an exciting addition to the 2007 Big Day Prep Showdown,” said DMSC Chairman Robert Porcher. “The vision is to celebrate not only football, but to acknowledge the tremendous academic and civic accomplishments of students from the participating schools who excel in their own pursuits.
Another exciting element of the Big Day Prep Showdown III will be a Comcast Local contest for students from the fourteen participating schools to win an opportunity to be a sideline reporter on Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Big Day Prep Showdown, according to Amy Lamphier of Comcast Local.
Tickets to the Friday, Aug. 24 games for all ages are $6 in advance and $7 on the day of the event. Advance one-day tickets for the Saturday, Aug. 25 games are $9 for adults and $7 for students and provide admission for all games that day. Children age five and under are free on Saturday, Aug. 25. All one-day/game-day tickets for Saturday, Aug. 25 are $10 at the gate and are also good for all games that day.
Match-Ups
Friday, Aug. 24th
2 p.m. Fraser vs. Warren Cousino
5 p.m. Allen Park vs. Detroit Finney
8 p.m. Westland John Glenn vs. Livonia Franklin
Saturday, Aug. 25th
11:45 a.m. Chelsea vs. Ypsilanti
2:30 p.m. Belleville vs. Plymouth
5 p.m. Canton vs. Toledo (OH) Catholic Central
8 p.m. Milford vs. Walled Lake Central
