by Aaron Michell
EAGLES LOOK TO MAKE HISTORY
With a win on Saturday, the Marion Eagles Football team will advance to the state championship game for the first time since 1990.
But first, they’ve got to take care of business.
They’ll take on the Lake Linden Hubbell Lakes in the 8-man Division 2 State Semifinal on Saturday at 1 pm at the Marion High School Athletic Complex with a spot in the championship on the line.
And although Lake Linden Hubbell [northwestern UP] is a good 7 hour drive from Marion, these teams have met before.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Lake Linden Hubbell is a familiar name for those who know the history of Marion football. These teams met twice in the early ‘90s – in 1990 and 1992 – with a spot in the championship game on the line both times.
The Eagles got the best of the Lakes in the fall of 1990, beating them 15-14 in the Class DD semifinals to advance to their first and only state championship game. They won the state championship a week later over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, 33-7.
In the fall of ’92, the Eagles once again met up with Lake Linden Hubbell in the state semifinal. That time, however, they were on the wrong side of a 22-0 final score.
These teams last met 31 years ago, but there are some familiar names from those ‘90s teams on Marion’s current roster: Prielipp, McCrimmon, Scott, Meyer, and others. In 1992, Cade Prielipp and Chris McCrimmon were big parts of that Marion roster, often sharing the backfield. The two were seniors that year – they’d been a part of the state championship team as sophomores – and they both went on to play college football at Ferris State University.
Chris’s son Colin McCrimmon is the starting quarterback and linebacker for the 2023 Eagles, while Cade’s nephew and cousin – Braden and Gavin Prielipp – both feature prominently in this year’s Eagles attack.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
To this point, the Eagles have had little trouble racking up wins. Behind an explosive offense and a staunch defense, the Eagles have stormed out to a 10-0 record, outscoring opponents 470 – 40. They defeated Bay City All-Saints in the pre-regional 64-14, and followed that up with a 48-6 regional win over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart. Each of the past 3 seasons, the Eagles have met up with perennial state powerhouse Powers North Central in the state semifinal, only to fall in defeat each time. But that won’t be the case this year.
Lake Linden Hubbell advanced to Saturday’s state semifinal by beating the aforementioned powerhouse from Powers. Earlier in the year, they beat Powers to snap a streak of 41 consecutive wins. And last week, they handled Powers, 37-18, setting up this weekend’s matchup. The Lakes bring an 8-3 record into the game, along with a 5-game win streak.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Without any common opponents, the comparisons get tough. Each of the two teams will be working to shut down the other’s high scoring offense. The Eagles will look to shut down the Lakes’ explosive offense, led by quarterback Danny Marcotte. Marcotte only threw the ball five times against Powers in the regional final, but 3 of those passes went for touchdowns. He ran for another score.
The Lakes will be a challenge for the Eagles defense, but fortunately the Eagles have some playmakers on that side of the ball. Lineman J.P. Williams and Aaron Whitney have been stout against the run all season, and both have the ability to get into the backfield. Linebackers Cole Meyer and Colin McCrimmon have great closing speed and ball smarts, making it tough for opponents to get to the second level. Defensive backs Gavin Prielipp and Quin Scott have made quarterbacks pay with numerous interceptions returned for touchdowns throughout the season. Prielipp has had game changing interceptions returned for touchdowns each of the past two weeks.
The Eagles offense has yet to be shut down all season, led by McCrimmon at quarterback and Gavin Prielipp and Meyer in the backfield. They hope to keep it that way. Highlighted by one of the fastest players in the division – Prielipp – the Eagles have a multi-dimensional offense that should be tough to stop. If the Eagles can keep the turnovers and penalties to a minimum, they should be able to move the ball against the Lakes, who have given up 260 points on the year, but only 31 points over the last 3 games.
And if the Eagles do find themselves in trouble, punter Braden Prielipp has a knack for booming punts and changing field position, as he did in the regional win against Sacred Heart.
With temperatures expected to be in the low 40s at gametime, it may take a bit longer for offenses to heat up. The Eagles have had no problem dealing with poor weather to this point, and they’ll hope it stays that way.
HOW TO ATTEND OR WATCH
To attend Saturday’s 1 pm semifinal at the Marion Athletic Complex, tickets must be purchased online at Gofan.co. Visit GoFan.co and search for “MHSAA”, and the category “8 Man Football”. Tickets will not be available at the gate, so be sure to get yours prior to the game. The game will also be streamed live on NFHSNetwork.com, on the Marion High School stream. The winner of Saturday’s semi-final will take on the winner of Adrian Lenawee Christian vs. Deckerville in the state championship at 2 pm on Saturday, November 18th, at the Superior Dome in Marquette.