Kosmo’s curious what will hit the grapevine after district finals
Kosmo has to chuckle about how the grapevine works in the digital age.
There’s all kinds of information floating around out there, and there are STILL kids like Waterford Mott’s Kalieb Osborne that fly under the radar.
Maybe that’s Kosmo’s fault for not trumpeting his skills far and wide — even though everyone around here was well aware.
Well, last week’s output in the first round — where Osborne put up nine TDs in a 77-63 win over Saginaw Heritage — certainly helped spread the word a bit, on a state-wide level.
Now Osborne and the Corsairs (8-2) get to take to the road, and sail up to Midland for a date with the Chemics (91) for the district title.
A road win up there would certainly put the state on notice.
Here are Kosmo’s picks for Round 2 of the football postseason:
Clarkston at Davison: A rematch from Week 1, and Kosmo’s interested to see what’s changed in two months. The first time around, the Cardinals controlled the ground game, putting a pair of running backs — Jay’Len Flowers and AJ Hill — over 100 yards, while holding Clarkston’s Ethan Clark to 69 yards. The Wolves have had to win some shootouts this year, and they’ve proven fully capable of doing that, but it all starts with the run.
Kosmo says: Clarkston.
Detroit Cass Tech at Southfield A&T, Saturday 1 p.m.:
Another Week 1 rematch, when the Warriors put the state on notice that their explosive offense would be a force to be reckoned with. The Technicians won their first-round game on the road by forcing turnovers, but if A&T can avoid that bug, this one could be Round 2 of the high-scoring opener.
Kosmo says: A&T.
Rochester at Rochester Adams: Sincere kudos from Kosmo to coach Vernon and the Falcons for getting that “first playoff win”-monkey off their backs. It’s been a long time coming. So, too, has a win over their intra-city rivals, the Highlanders. Does that change this week, too?
Adams.
Kosmo says:
Detroit Catholic Central at Northville:
Since moving to Novi, CC has gone 17-2against the KLAA teams that surround them, most of those results in the playoffs (Plymouth and Livonia Stevenson have the only wins, in 2008 and 2010). The Road ‘Rocks strike again, remain unbeaten away from The Elm this season.
Kosmo says: Catholic Central.
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Waterford Mott at Midland:
The Corsairs put up a boatload of points in Week 1of the postseason, but the Chemics have only given up 80in the eight games since yielding 51 in their Week 2 loss to Mt. Pleasant. If Mott wins this, it’s gonna have to be at the Corsairs’ pace, not the Chemics’.
Kosmo says:
South Lyon at Dexter:
Mott.
A couple of years ago, when these two met in the first round, it was shortly after both came off eight-loss seasons, with the Dreadnaughts having ended their years-long, 42-game losing streak. South Lyon had its special season
a year ago, and now it’s the Dreads’ turn.
Kosmo says: Dexter. Birmingham Brother Rice at Walled Lake Western: Kosmo’s been saying all along that the Warriors of Rice were the best three-win team in creation, and they certainly proved it with a resounding road win to open the postseason. Western’s first foray outside the LVC didn’t go well (last week’s went far better), but if the lessons have been learned from that loss to Davison, this one could be wild. Whichever team controls the ground game wins this one. Kosmo says: Western. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s at Madison Heights Lamphere: If Rice wasn’t the best three-win team around, OLSM was. There’s plenty
of firepower for the Eaglets, who went out to the Thumb and took care of business in Round 1. Can they do the same, closer to home? Kosmo says: OLSM. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep at Detroit Country Day: Kosmo’s main man, Dan MacLean, has owned this private-school rivalry over the years, with a 7-0 mark, but something tells Kosmo that the Irish offense is good enough to end that run. Kosmo says: Notre Dame Prep.
Warren Michigan Collegiate at Madison Heights Bishop Foley: When a program’s won 77percent of its games, and posted nine wins every season but one in the last seven years, Kosmo’s gotta respect that. Last year’s D6finalist, Michigan
Collegiate has won district titles three of the last five seasons and five times in its 11previous years of existence. That’s the level that Bishop Foley aspires to, looking for its second district title in three seasons. Kosmo thinks this is the senior class that takes Foley to that level.
Kosmo says: Bishop Foley. Clarkston Everest Collegiate at Marine City Cardinal Mooney at East China Stadium: The first time around, Everest held a potent Mooney attack to just 15points, part of a run where the Mountaineers only allowed 35 points in a five-game stretch. It comes down to defense, and that’s why Everest played those tough schools at the start, to get ready for this.
Kosmo says: Everest.