For two opponents separated by as many miles as Walled Lake Western and Lowell, the Warriors and Red Arrows will not lack familiarity with each other in Saturday’s Division 2 semifinal.

The two annual contenders from opposite sides of the state challenged each other from the get-go by scheduling a season-opening clash back in August. Little did they know, the season would come full circle months later in a rematch with a trip to the state finals at Ford Field on the line.

Western won 42-40 on the road in Week 1, coming from two touchdowns down in the late stages for a victory that raised some eyebrows state-wide.

“We’ve been working for this for a long time, and these (seniors) have put four years of their lives into it. It feels good to get back to the semifinals,” Western coach Mike Zdebski said. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Alma College. 

Prior to this season, Lowell and Western last met in the 2011 semifinals, which coincidentally is the last time either program has advanced this deep into the postseason. The Red Arrows prevailed in overtime that day, making it a difficult loss for the Warriors to swallow after they rallied to tie the game on a 47-yard field goal with two seconds left in regulation.

Western is 12-0 for the first time since 1999, when it ran the table en rout to its most recent state title. Lowell’s record, at 11-1, is unblemished since its last encounter with the Warriors.

“We expect another great game. We’ll come prepared,” Western quarterback Kyle Thomas said.

Thomas accounted for three total touchdowns Saturday in the Warriors’ 35-14 regional finals win over Midland Dow, but the celebration was somewhat overshadowed by the late-game ejection of senior Darnell Lanier after referees deemed he targeted the head of a defenseless receiver in going for a tackle.

Per MHSAA rules, such an ejection triggers an automatic one-game suspension the following week. After the play, Zdebski took issue with the referee’s assessment, arguing that Lanier made no contact with his helmet.

“With us having the technology we have right now, you should review that. To take away a kid’s senior year and a semifinal game, a chance to play at Ford Field for a state championship, that should be a reviewable thing,” Zdebski said having seen the video almost as soon as the hit occurred. 

Lanier leads the Warriors with 129 tackles, as well as three sacks, this season. Zdebski called him the team’s best defender. 

The task of slowing Lowell’s offense, which averages nearly 43 points per game, will be a real challenge on Saturday.

“They can throw the ball. That’s where everybody thinks that Lowell, coming out from Grand Rapids, they just run the ball, run the ball. But they can throw it and they do it very well,” Zdebski said. “Their quarterback is as good as any quarterback in the state. I think they must have the best skill (position) kids we’ve seen all year.”

Western will rely heavily on senior running back Jake Prokes, who has posted five straight games of 100-plus yard rushing yards, including 12 touchdowns in that span. Thomas has 24 touchdowns to just seven interceptions this season, rushing for over 700 yards and passing for over 2,100. Junior wideout Cody White has amassed 780 yards and eight touchdowns on 41 receptions.

“There’s probably two games you hate to lose in the state playoffs — The first round and the semifinals,” Zdebski said. “If we win next Saturday, then we’re five days away (from the championship game). That’s a tough one to lose.”

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