A 28-14 win over Midland Bullock Creek last Friday earned Reed City their second straight regional title on their home field. Now, the Coyotes await a rematch with the Stags for a chance to play at Ford Field. In preparation for the game, here’s a full in-depth look at the matchup including the history, schemes, numbers, and bracket implications for the two programs.

HISTORY

As two of the most historically successful teams in northern Michigan over the past few years, Reed City and Kingsley have matched up four times in their teams’ tenures. The most recent matchup on Aug. 25 went in favor of the Stags 46-12 behind over 400 yards rushing from their backfield. Kingsley also defeated the Coyotes in the 2019 pre-district round en route to a final four finish, where they lost to Grand Rapids Catholic Central 28-14. The Coyotes did beat Kingsley by virtue of a forfeit in the 2020 COVID season as well as a dominant 35-0 thumping in the 2007 season opener.

This is Kingsley’s first year in Division 6 since 2018, where they reached the regional title game and lost to Traverse City St. Francis 41-20. Previously, they played in Division 5 along with Reed City for the previous four seasons and went 7-4 over that span. Reed City, on the other hand, have been in Division 6 for the last three seasons and have won seven of nine games in the postseason. In terms of total success, Reed City and Kingsley each have winning records all time with a .518- and .552-win percentage respectively. Since the year 2000, Reed City has won nearly 73% of its games while Kingsley has won 66%.

SCHEME

If you love traditional smashmouth football, you’ll love this game on Saturday. Both teams run the original “T” and “Wing T” formations that were invented in the early 20^th century. In the comparison of the first week matchup, Reed City used more of a “head-down” aggressive running scheme as opposed to Kingsley’s more patient, finesse playbook. Kingsley’s ability to disguise and misdirect on the ground created some hefty problems against the Coyotes’ defense in the opening night loss. Kingsley, like Reed City, will throw the ball occasionally but will tend to use a run-dominant scheme rather than being balanced with passing.

For defense, Kingsley showed a heavy eight, nine and even sometimes ten-man box front against Reed City in week one to firmly pressure the run at the line of scrimmage. Kingsley’s offensive line does often show a tendency to use very low leverage points with their blockers. This causes pileups in the trenches and prohibits much defensive line movement after the snap. On the contrary, Reed City used a more conservative 5-2 front with a more considerate emphasis on containing the big gain potential. The Coyotes also like their defensive backs to roam on the outsides to make plays, especially against considerably fast opponents and more passing-oriented teams.

NUMBERS

Kingsley’s offense this year has put up an incredible 583 points in their 12 games. This averages out to about 48.58 points per contest, including only one game where they scored less than 37 points. This compares to Reed City’s 400, benchmarking about 33.33 per game on the offensive side. Across the line of scrimmage, Reed City has done better on slowing down opponents’ offenses. The Coyotes have held teams to 17 per game and only 204 total on the campaign; while Kingsley averages about 19 points a contest and a complied 227 on the year.

These focal points are seen in consideration of the individual players honored earlier this week by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association. Kingsley, ranked #3 in Division 6, was voted to have five all-region 1 players. This includes senior offensive lineman Caleb Bott, senior running back Eli Graves, senior quarterback Gavyn Merchant, senior defensive lineman James Pearson, and senior linebacker Max Goethals. For the Coyotes, ranked #7 in Division 6, they received four player honors in junior lineman Wyatt Spalo, senior linebacker Max Hammond, senior defensive back Spencer Hansen, and senior athlete John Ondrus.

BRACKET IMPLICATIONS

The team leaving Cadillac with a victory Saturday will not only get to play another week of football, but they will also reach the ultimate Mecca of high school football: Ford Field. The prestigious site of the finals for countless years has been reached only once by Kingsley in their lone triumphant trophy tour in 2005. For Reed City, the Coyotes have now reached the semi-final round three times but have yet to stand on the Lions’ turf in the big game.

For whom they would play, the other side of the bracket is what appears to be a matchup of the football equivalent of David and Goliath. David, who is represented by Ovid-Elsie, comes in a 21^st ranking in Division 6 with 37.889 playoff points and wins over #27 Ida, #28 Lansing Catholic, and #4 Constantine. Goliath, represented by Almont, is the top ranked squad with a massive 58.222-point total and a victory postseason resume against #30 Clinton Township Clintondale, #2 Warren Michigan Collegiate, and #9 Detroit Edison. The game will be played on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 4:30 P.M. in Detroit.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

For all the play-by-play action, join lead broadcaster Brandon Wirth and long-time voice of the Coyotes John Williams on Y102 starting at around 12:40 P.M. Listen in on 102.3 FM, WYBR.com, or the WYBR mobile app.