Coming off a thrilling 27-20 overtime win at Spring Lake, the Cardinals head to Holton to play the Whitehall Vikings for the Division 4 Region 1 District 1 Finals. In 2022, Whitehall ended the Cardinals season with a 42-12 playoff opening win at Whitehall High School. This season, a resilient Big Rapids team gets a chance at retribution. Let’s look at last week, the history of the matchup, numbers, and the bracket implications of the outcome.

 

LAST WEEK

The Cardinals were underdogs at Spring Lake. The Lakers were 7-2 out of a tough OK-Blue Conference. They had size. They had dynamic athletes. They had a coach who knows how to win in the post season. But 2 unforced fumbles and the most questionable call you’ll see in football gave Big Rapids the opening they needed to win, and Coach Selzer’s crew did just that.

The Cardinals took an early lead but relinquished it just prior to the half. Late in the 3^rd, the Lakers would launch a 9 minute drive that took the game into the 4^th with Spring Lake up 8; 20-12. Any extra point would have given Coach Mallory’s Lakers a 2 score lead. Initially he opted to kick the field goal and go up 21-12. The Cardinals, instructed to be hyper aggressive and block the kick to keep the game a 1 possession match, jumped offsides twice in a row. Players for Spring Lake then started voicing how they should go for the 2 points instead of kicking. But Laker QB Reid Grimmer, undoubtedly their star, was emphatically signaling not to go for 2. Coach Mallory went for 2 anyway. Grimmer kept the ball, did not get the 2 points, and broke his leg in the process.

The Cardinals responded by eating up almost 7 minutes on a 74-yard touchdown scoring drive to get within 2. On the conversion, Coach Selzer and crew drew up a play to their go to guy: Garret Foster. Senior QB Riley Vennix rolled out to his arm side and hit Foster in the numbers on a flat route just past the goal line. Game tied at 20.

The Lakers, now without their starting QB, turned to backup QB and sophomore Landon O’Donnell who was unable to muster any kind of offensive threat and the game went to overtime.

In OT, Big Rapids took 1^st possession. Overcoming a 1^st down penalty, QB Vennix hit Senior WR Kaleb Dubowski on 3^rd and goal from the 15 for a 12 yd gain. On a gutty call, Vennix punched in the 4^th and goal attempt on a keeper to give BR the lead, 27-20. Spring Lake, again without their starting QB and already showing their backup was struggling to throw the ball, turned to the outside run game to kick start a response. On the 1^st play, the Lakers fumbled on a pitch, the Cardinals recovered, and BR stormed the field in victory. It was a heartbreaking loss for Coach Mallory’s program, and a historic win for Coach Selzer’s. Oh the beauty of competition.

 

Whitehall appeared to blast the Allendale Falcons last week at Whitehall High School, 28-7. However, Allendale outgained the Vikings on offense 361-345. The difference maker was that Allendale went 0 for 6 on 4^th downs. The Viking defense, known to play a soft shell in the passing game until the red zone, was the definition of bend don’t break. Whitehall went up less than 60 seconds into the game when Senior QB Kyle Stratton hit his 6’5” WR Camden Thompson for a 71-yard TD. Thompson, who has received offers to play for both Central. And Western Michigan, finished with 4 catches, 111 yards, and 2 TDs. The Falcon defense would firm up keeping the game a 7-0 affair at the half. But early into the 3^rd, the Vikings offense proved too much. Ultimately, Whitehall would quickly pull away. Seniors Darnell Mack, who totaled 117 yards himself, and Malcom Earvin led a 217-yard team rushing effort. Senior QB Kyle Stratton would throw 12 times completing 7 passes for 128 yards. And the Falcons would only score in the final minutes to make it a 28-7 game. To note, those 7 points were the first points surrendered by Whitehall since week 6 when they clobbered Oakridge; 48-7. Those Oakridge 7 points were the only points scored on Whitehall in the West Michigan Lakes Conference in 2023. Needless to say, the Vikings are a scary team on paper and in practice.

 

HISTORY

Big Rapids is 1-1 all-time versus the Vikings. The lone loss coming to end the 2022 season, and the lone win coming during the historic 2003 Semi-Final run. Big Rapids met Whitehall at Top Taggart Field in the Regional Final that year winning 22-19. Like every playoff win that season, there was magic in the air when Big Rapids took the field. Fast forward to 2023, and we saw some magic down at Spring Lake last Friday.

 

MATCHUP

Coach Selzer’s Cardinals are the underdogs in this game. There is no doubt. The Vikings are the #3 ranked team in D4, the top 3 teams all coming from the East side of the state meaning Whitehall is the #1 D4 team in West Michigan. The scores they have thrown up this season are dominating regardless of who they’ve played.

Some pundits are predicting a score similar to the 2022 outcome. But as a pundit myself, I’m predicting a much closer game. The 2023 Cardinals play with a little extra something. They have yet to get ‘out smashed’ this season. They play tough, hard-hitting football on both sides and they are exceptionally resilient, case in point the Spring Lake game.

Additionally, after breaking down the Spring Lake film the BR coaching staff had a lot to talk about with the offense. There were frequent miscues with formations, routes, timing, reads, etc. The offense was capable of so much more than the 27 points at Spring Lake. Coaches know that Whitehall is significantly less forgiving than Spring Lake was, so practice this week is focused on cleaning up check communication and focusing on individual execution.

 

NUMBERS

Since 2012, Whitehall has been coached by Tony Sigmon. He’s 79-43 with 9 playoff appearances. His Vikings average 35 points a game and give up 20. At home, which this game technically is despite being played at Holton High School’s Red Devil Field, he’s 45-16, scoring 38 and giving up 17.

This season, the Vikings are averaging 48 points a game and giving up only 7. The Vikings pitched 6 shutouts including a 35-0 blasting of Hastings in week 3. Hastings is the #8 team in D4 and the #1 seed in Region 2 District 2.

In the playoffs Coach Sigmon is 7-8 overall, scoring 32 and surrendering 29. Last season his squad beat BR in RD1 42-12, knocked out Fruitport in Rd2 51-26, then lost to the eventual D4 State Champion GR South Christian Sailors 51-26 in the Regional. He’s a proven coach who has built a powerhouse program at Whitehall.

Coach Selzer is in his 9^th season at Big Rapids High School. Overall he’s 44-42, scoring 25 and giving up 24. On the road he’s 28-24, scoring 28 and giving up 23. Selzer’s Cardinals have made the playoffs 6 times in 9 years, going 3-5. BR advanced past the opening round in 2015 with a win at Escananba 21-17, in 2020 with a win versus Newaygo 48-20, and now in 2023 with the win a Spring Lake. The Cardinals have won 16 of their last 20 games dating back to 2022. In that span they’ve outscored opponents 33 to 17. The future continues to trend upwards for Coach Mike Selzer and his Cardinals and tomorrow’s game versus Whitehall has the potential to impact the program for years to come.

 

BRACKET IMPLICATIONS

The winner of Friday’s game will play the winner of Ada Forest Hills Eastern and defending state champs Grand Rapids South Christian. Regardless of that game’s outcome, the games move to a neutral site after tomorrow. If they did not, the Cardinals would still be the underdog regardless of the winner (#5 seed in Region).

Last week’s win for Big Rapids was 1 of 2 upsets in D4. Dearborn Divine Child (#3 seed in Region 4) upset Redford Union 39-22. Otherwise, all favorites won their games.

 

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Big Rapids at Whitehall kicks off a Red Devil Stadium at 7:00pm on Big Country 1009.

You can listen online at WWBR.com or via the WWBR mobile app.