By Chad Wingert (Contact / Staff Bio)

Originally published October 28, 2009, 12:04 p.m. EST. Updated October 28, 2009, 12:04 p.m. EST

By Chad Wingert

Sports Editor

CARO — The 2009 MHSAA Football playoffs are officially here as the Thumb area gets to watch 10 teams continue their season.

Vassar and North Branch both slide into the playoffs after huge victories in Week 9. However, these two 6-3 teams also walk into state-ranked opponents with unblemished records.

Co-GTW champ Vassar will travel to Flint on Friday night to take on the Genesee Area Conference Red Division champion, Flint Beecher Bucs.

The Bucs, coached by former Michigan State University and Beecher stand-out Courtney Hawkins, enter the post season 9-0. Three of those victories came against Goodrich (33-13), Lake Fenton (26-0) and Durand (22-16), all teams that also made the playoffs this year. The Vulcans chalked up just one win over a playoff team this season. But, that same win that clinched them a conference championship - defeating Reese 26-17.

What is the biggest difference between Vassar and Beecher?

The defense.

The Bucs defense has allowed just 65 points all year long while the Vulcans have allowed 201. But, this game could turn into a shootout as well, with both teams scoring more than 260 points this season.

Beecher is led by senior running back Torrey Cordell, who has rushed for 1,738 yards and 19 touchdowns on 334 carries. Vassar is led by junior quarterback Kyle Auernhamer,senior running back Keif Vickers and the Vulcans’ Mr. Everything, Troy Hecht.

Hecht hopes to stay hot after ending the regular season with a 198 all-purpose yard, 5 TD performance that helped Vassar clinch their first playoff birth since 2006 while Vickers enters the post season with 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns on 163 carries.

Beecher punched its playoff ticket for the sixth time in school history, including their third straight appearance.

North Branch and head coach Pat Forster draw the tough task of facing the Saginaw Valley League champion, Mt. Pleasant Oilers.

And, as if taking on the 9-0 Oilers was not a big enough stage, the Broncos will now play Saturday on the field of Central Michigan University’s Kelly-Shorts Stadium, due to the condition of Mt. Pleasant’s high school field after last week’s heavy rains.

“These playoffs are such a special month for high school kids, as well as high school coaches,” Forster said. “This is a great opportunity for our kids and playing on CMU’s field only adds to our excitement.”

However, newly-renovated Kelly-Shorts Stadium’s field is made of a different surface than what the Broncos are used to. But after flashing back to one of North Branch’s pre-season scrimmages, Forster had no worries.

“At first, the other coaches and I were trying to come up with a location for us to practice so we could get used to the playing surface,” Forster said. “But then, I was reminded of a scrimmage we had earlier in the year at Marysville, which has the same surface. So these kids know what to expect, we will be OK.”

Mt. Pleasant is coached by Jason McIntyre, now in his fourth season as the Oilers head coach with a 33-9 overall record. McIntyre and his squad held opponents to just 83 points this season while scoring 347 in their championship season. That includes three victories over playoff-bound St. John’s (49-14), Bay City Western (35-7) and Midland (28-13).

The Oilers are led by running back John McCann and quarterback Josh Rathje. McCann has rushed for 835 yards on 92 carries while scoring 15 touchdowns. Rathje has completed 48 of 72 passes for 793 yards. He has also thrown nine touchdowns and one interception.

“We can not be intimidated,” Forster said. “They may have 200 more kids in their school, be conference champs and be undefeated. But, we have to have the mindset that this team is beatable.”

Mt. Pleasant will be making its tenth trip to the playoffs, including their fourth straight. The Broncos will be making their second appearance in the post-season, the school's first since 2006.

Millington reaches the post season for the sixth straight year as they prepare for Carrollton, who also holds an 8-1 record.

However, this year will be a bit different for the Cardinals as they hope to stretch out their season as long as they can with Hall-of-Fame coach Tim Furno calling it quits after 32 years of roaming the Cardinals sideline.

Furno puts his 205-109 career record up against the Cavaliers and head coach Greg Wasmer, now in his second season with a career record of 17-3.

Millington holds a 7-4-1 all-time advantage over Carrollton, which includes three shutouts. The last time these two Tri-Valley Conference teams met up was in 1988, resulting in a 6-0 Cardinal victory.

The big story this year is the Millington defense, which has held opponents to only 90 points this season while rattling off 308 on offense. Carrollton has scored 374 while giving up 121.

The Cavaliers are led by senior running back Robert Essex who has rushed 231 times for 1,754 yards and 21 touchdowns. Millington is led by senior running back Justin Stutler, who has rushed for 1,521 yards on 175 carries. He also has scored 16 touchdowns and holds the single-season rushing record for the Cardinals after totaling 255 yards on 12 carries in last week’s 42-0 whooping of LakeVille.

Two teams in the Greater Thumb West championship picture will go toe-to-toe in the first round of the playoffs as Reese and EPBP will battle for the second time this season.

The Lakers and head coach George Gardy are hoping to get revenge on the Rockets after Reese spoiled EPBP’s plans of repeating as lone GTW champs with a 33-7 win back in Week 7. This is also not the first time these two squads have met up in the first round of post season play. On Nov. 1, 2002 the Lakers topped Reese, 38-7, to advance to the District final and complete the sweep of the Rockets for the season. But overall, Reese holds a 9-6 advantage over EPBP, including winning six of the last seven match ups between the two schools.

“We are happy to be in the playoffs and these kids are excited to play Lakers again,” Reese head coach Bob Saylor said. “It would of been nice to see an all-Thumb district, but St. Charles slid in to play Sandusky on the other side.”

Saylor takes his 82-26 career record into the playoffs after missing out on the post season in 2008. Before last season, the Rockets had piled up eight straight playoff appearances.

The Lakers sail into the playoffs for the second straight season - the school’s 14th overall visit, including a Class C state title in 1981.

Laker High is led by senior quarterback Luke Voelker and senior running back Chris Rowe. Reese is led by a multitude of players including Justin Heinlein, Cody Somerville, and Travis VanAlst along with Kevin Kinasz on defense.

Heinlein has hauled in 12 receptions for 350 yards and seven touchdowns while Somerville has rumbled for 420 yards rushing and six TDs on 50 carries. VanAlst has totaled 334 yards rushing and four touchdowns thus far.

The rematch between these two schools can be heard live on Mix 92.1 with Christian Selich and Derek Bosley, starting at 6:30 Friday night.