The changing colors of the leaves and the chillier temperatures are a surefire indication that football season is in full swing.
With that in mind, here are a few observations on the local teams, as well as the struggles of my fantasy football team.
‘Congratulations to Coach Tom Alward and the rest of the Goodrich varsity football team, who clinched their first league championship in 31 years with a 35-12 win against Byron Oct. 17, earning at least a share of the Genesee Area Conference Red Division title. The Martians? last title came in 1972, when the Martians shared the Suburban League crown with Linden. The Martians can clinch their fourth state playoff berth in five years with a win against Yale Oct. 24. Kirk Elsworth has made the Goodrich offense go, but the league title is a team effort. The Martians deserve a lot of credit for hanging tough after a 1-3 start. They have represented the Goodrich community well.
‘On the other hand, it’s been a season of adjustment for the Brandon football team as they wrap up their first season under Coach Ron Gill. The Blackhawks are only 2-6 as of press time, but they have been competitive all season and displayed a good work ethic. Turnovers have been the main downfall the Blackhawks all season, but expect improvement from the Blackhawks next year after a full season of learning Gill’s pro set offense and 5-3 defense.
‘Unfortunately, one of my fantasy football teams (I’m in a league with a group of friends from Clarkston and the metro Detroit area) hasn’t done much better than the Lions. Halfway through the fantasy regular season, my team is 2-5. No doubt, there are plenty of people in my boat, so maybe we can all get together and complain about our teams. Maybe there are support groups for people in our situation. At least another team I have in an online league has a respectable 4-3 record, so the season hasn’t been a complete wash.