By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
It's homecoming at Dowagiac tonight, but the Chieftain varsity football team will have more on its mind than floats, kings and queens.
Dowagiac will be looking to lock up a spot in the Michigan High School Athletic Association football playoffs with a victory over the visiting Gull Lake Blue Devils.
Gull Lake will also be trying to nail down a playoff berth as it comes to Chris Taylor-Alumni Field sporting the same record as the Chieftains – 5-1.
The winner of this game will also remain in at least a tie for first place in the Wolverine Conference.
Dowagiac, Gull Lake, Three Rivers and Comstock are all coming into Friday night with a 5-1 record. The Chieftains have Otsego on the road next week and Paw Paw at home on Oct. 20 to wrap up their regular season.
Gull Lake still has to face Plainwell and Comstock. Three Rivers takes on South Haven tonight and then wraps up the regular season against Comstock and arch rival Vicksburg.
The Comstock Colts face Plainwell this evening and then finish with Three Rivers and rival Gull Lake.
"We are playing for a lot more tonight than just a homecoming victory," Dowagiac coach Mike Stanger said. "The conference championship is definitely on the line and so is a spot in the playoffs. If we win on Friday night we control our own destiny. If we win out we will do no worse than a share of the conference championship. That would be a great accomplishment in our first season in the Wolverine Conference. We are also playing for home field advantage in the playoffs. If we can win the rest of our games and finish at 8-1, I think we will host a playoff game for the first time since 1999."
Stanger said he isn't looking past Gull Lake tonight. He said he knows that the Blue Devils are big and talented.
"They are a very good football team," he said. "They are very big with five or six guys over 6-foot-3. They have one guard who is 6-foot-7 and another who is 6-foot-8. They run a spread offense, but they like to run the football more than pass it. They spread the field to open up room for their running game."
Despite their size, Stanger said he feels his squad is quicker than the Blue Devils.
"On film we look to have a speed advantage," he said. "We want to take advantage of that. We have not had a great week of practice because of injuries and illness. We had to hit a little bit more on Wednesday than we normally due just because it was the first day we had a majority of the kids on the field. But my goal is to have them clicking on all cylinders when they walk on that field Friday night."
Stanger said his biggest concern is about his team not getting a good feel for the Gull Lake offense and defense because players have missed practicing against its formations. He said he likes to get his team lots of repetitions against the opponent's offense and defense so that they recognize the plays when the Blue Devils line up.
That didn't happen, so Stanger said he is banking on the fact that since it is week No. 7, that the team can adapt on the fly.
"We have played a lot of football and seen just about everything," Stanger said. "So hopefully, the kids can make adjustments quickly."
Dowagiac will definitely be without senior defensive back Mike Kasper, who injured his knee against Plainwell last Friday night. Kasper is out for the season.
Despite illness that has been going around the squad the past two weeks, Stanger believes he will have everyone suited up tonight. Drew Staley, who missed last week's game due to illness, was cleared to play by his doctor on Thursday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.