SPORTSBEAT by Peter Jakey:Hurons and Vikings to square off in football in ?05

The year was 1987. What was going on? It was the last time the Tigers made the playoffs. Only three years after Detroit won the World Series, they were in the hunt for another title. Standing in their way were the Toronto Blue Jays. That wasn’t the only notable sports story from the fall of 1987.

Four weeks after the Tigers bowed out of the playoffs was the last time two high school football teams, separated by only 15 minutes of driving, met each other on the gridiron. That will change next season in week two of the 2005 campaign. It was 17 years ago the Hurons defeated the Vikings 12-0 on Gilpin Memorial Field, the last time the schools played against each other in football. Brent Muckle passed for 165 yards on 33 attempts and the offense rolled up more than 300 yards of offense against Posen. The Vikes struggled, with a paltry 15 yards of rushing offense.

Both teams were wrapping up losing seasons. It was Rogers City’s second victory of the season; both victories came against county schools, while the Vikings slipped to 3-6. A lot of time has passed since that matchup and circumstances have changed in more than a decade-and-a-half. The schools will pick up where they left off 17 years ago, in Posen. The last time the Vikings came out on top was Bob Brietzke’s first year in Rogers City, 1981. The final score in Posen was 8-6.

THE HURONS have had some great teams during that time span. They played in a state semifinal game in the late 1990s and have some memorable games. Rogers City is not the Class C School it was in 1987. The student population has shrunk and there are not as many students playing football. Coaches spend a lot more time recruiting. Under the direction of Posen coach Glenn Budnick, and a dedicated group of experienced coaches, the Vikings have emerged as a winning program the last six years in northern Michigan. The Vikings have lost only five regular season games the last five years.

Why not a Posen-Rogers City football game? Competitive-wise, I think it’s a better rivalry than Rogers City-Onaway, these days. Emotionally it’s not as heated. Friday’s loss for the Hurons to Onaway got kind of ugly at Gilpin, I hear. The time is right — and so is the timing. Posen has been locked up in the same schedule for several seasons, but the problems in De Tour of not having enough players to field a team, and the blowouts the last couple of seasons against the Raiders, left Posen school officials searching for another opponent.

ROGERS CITY athletic director Pat Lamb was overhauling the Huron football schedule after the unfortunate turn of events the last two months and everything just came together. Games between the schools have been a tremendous draw in other sports. Earlier this year, when Posen and Rogers City met in boys basketball, it was one of the best nights I can remember in covering local sports. The gate was the best in Lamb’s term as A-D in Rogers City. The gym was packed with fans cheering every basket like it was a district championship game and the energy level was unmatched. Who can forget the district tournament softball game between the Hurons and the Vikings?

According to Posen athletic direct

or Cliff Kelly, the players who will get to play in next year’s game are looking forward to the contest. It’ll also be a more competitive game for the Vikings. Another night to get better for the North Star League and a way to improve before the big showdown with Mio. The De Tour game wasn’t providing that. The schedule will be one, I believe, that will please Huron fans. After games at Hillman and Posen, Rogers City has four straight home games against Alcona, St. Ignace, Inland Lakes, and Rudyard. They’ll then travel to Newberry and Kingsley Inland Lakes and Kingsley are new additions.

Just like Posen, Inland Lakes will provide some excellent competition for the Hurons, and they won’t have to travel very far. Now if the Tigers could just end their drought.