TC Showdown: Titans seek winning season

TRAVERSE CITY -- When Traverse City Central and Traverse City West meet up, you can never say the game is for nothing.

This year's matchup may be one of the first where a league title or playoff berth isn't on the line, but both teams have a lot to play for in what looks like it will be an old-school brawl in the mud at Thirlby Field.

The Titans (4-4) are trying to avoid having the first losing season in West history, while Central can defeat the Titans in back-to-back meetings for the first time ever.

Both teams had playoff aspirations coming into the season. Both have dealt with numerous injuries that have helped derail those hopes.

And not having a game after this annual regular-season finale makes this one that much more important.

"Unfortunately, we're not making the playoffs," West defensive end Craig Wilson said. "Since we're not going, this is a really big game for us. We saw last year how our seniors reacted to losing to them and we want to get a win for them. Plus, you don't want to lose to Central, or that's how you'll be remembered."

Central won 21-14 last year, bringing its total to three wins in 12 tries against West. Both teams made the playoffs, though, and had another game to go. This time around is different.

"I know I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life, so I want it to be a good memory," West linebacker Zack Skeels said. "I don't want to have any regrets about the game. I just want to go out there and give it my all and hopefully come out on top. Seeing everybody's reaction to it last year, I don't want to feel like they did after that game."

"It's the last time you'll get to play with your brothers and best friends," Wilson said. "It can be pretty emotional, for sure. I've been playing football with these guys for years, and it's all going to be over Friday night.

"Both teams had a lot of hopes and dreams going into the season. It didn't turn out the way we wanted. That's why I know for a fact they're going to bring their 'A' game."

Central comes having lost six of its last seven, while the Titans dropped a big game with Petoskey two weeks ago.

Both team have dealt with a lot of injuries, especially the Titans.

West has spent parts of the season without many or its expected leaders, as running back Jay Meyers, linebacker Morgan Tolle, center Blake Goodell, safety Anthony West and Wilson have all missed playing time. Now, the Titans have also lost senior cornerback Troy Hinds to an ACL tear in last week's 30-16 win over Alpena.

Starting quarterback Brett Kenny is still up in the air after missing the last two games with a neck injury, and Tolle is dealing with the flu.

"We'll get the best 11 guys out there and hopefully everyone can do their best," said Goodell, who returned last week from a broken foot and split time with Sean Buttars.

Goodell said he's is at about 75 percent and Wilson estimated he's at 50 percent.

Still, the pair of likely Division 1 college players are expected to play an important part on their side of the ball.

West second-year head coach Tim Wooer said he's better equipped to deal with all the hoopla surrounding the town's biggest matchup, one that spawns massive tailgate parties and seems to be the talk of the town all week.

"The only difference I've learned in a year is how to handle the game," Wooer said. "I though I knew what a rivalry was all about until last year. Week nine last year was kind of a shock."

"Last year, I knew it was a rivalry game," Wooer said. "But I'm sitting with the kids at lunchtime and looking at them and I said, 'Are you guys nervous?' and they go, 'N-n-n-n-o, coach, I'm not nervous.' You see it written all over their face. ... And in pre-game warm-ups, kids were as white as ghosts."

On the field this week, a big factor will be whether TC West can improve its pass coverage against a dangerous Trojans aerial attack, led by quarterback Mack Sovereign.

"Their ability to throw the ball -- he's one of the best pure throwers we'll see," Wooer said. "And they've got a lot of weapons with (Jack) Stevens, (Mike) Heim, (Dylan) Roe, (Derrick) Rudolph and (Ben*) Broad -- you look at their 400 relay team in track and there it is. They're loaded with athletes. One thing we noticed last year was they had a team that could beat anybody. ... And I think they've got a similar team to last year; all the pieces are there. The scary thing -- and I told our kids this -- is you're going to get their best game, no doubt about it.

"If you put our kids on a track with their kids and its embarrassing."

But -- if the weather forecast holds up -- they'll be playing on a cold, muddy field after several straight days of rain and tonight's freshmen and junior varsity games.

Alpena was able to move the ball with throws to the flats last week.

"They have a pretty good passing game," Skeels said of Central. "They like to run the same thing Alpena did, and we struggled with getting to the out (route) and breaking it up. I know they were probably watching that."

Although the teams aren't likely to play in front of a bigger crowd unless they reach Ford Field for the state finals, Wooer said the focus should be on postseason games over a regular-season rivalry contest.

"We talked earlier about how this is been like a Super Bowl," Wooer said. "It's not a Super Bowl to us. Now unfortunately this year, we don't have a week 10, so it's a bigger game this year than in normal years. It's the last game you're going to be together with your players and coaching staff and seniors in particular. So it's a bigger game that normal years."

Wooer said he thinks there's virtually no chance the Titans slip into the playoffs if they get to 5-4.

"It's bigger than any rivalry I've ever seen," Wooer said. "I thought Kingsley-Suttons Bay was big. Clare-Farwell, those are two programs that there's no love loss there either, but it's nothing compared to this. I think the district made a great decision when they made the split, because it's great for the community."

In two seasons, the Central-West game won't be in week nine any longer, which is a relief to both coaches.

"Tom (Passinault) and I both felt that week nine game was really tough to recover from," Wooer said. "Both teams had different dreams of how this season was going to go, so to end with a climactic event like this is a good was to end it. But hopefully in the years to come, there will be bigger things after week nine."

Clearing the Record

Due to a reporter's error, Ben Broad was originally misidentified in this story.

Crosstown Showdown 2009

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