Extra points: Week 1

Well, just as we expected -- the unexpected. Here's a quick look at what stuck out from Friday's opening-night games.

The big two:
1. Holt 21, Sexton 13 -- Older, wiser, better Rams didn't fold while also debuting a spread offense.
2. Haslett 19, East Lansing 12 -- Vikings' defense off to a good start again, with offense showing potential to improve. 

Game ball: Ovid-Elsie, after knocking off Portland 34-33. The Marauders did it after losing their quarterback to injury, with all-state running back Chris Robinson chipping in nearly 260 yards rushing. Ovid-Elsie was already starting fresh outside of Robinson and a handful of others from last season's state runner-up team, and to pull this off over the CAAC White favorite is the biggest performance of the night.

WOW Factor: Okemos 42, Waverly 14 -- That the Chieftains won this opener wasn't that shocking. It looked like a game that could go either way. But Okemos in a rout? It's a great step toward proving wrong last-place predictions in the CAAC Blue.

Upset central: Ashley 46, Webberville 37 -- The Bears have been building toward something big for a few seasons, and knocking off the Spartans is a great start. Webberville may have more star power, but Ashley didn't seem to notice in avenging last season's 42-6 loss.

Three more that caught my eye:
1. Lansing Catholic 28, Jackson Northwest 20 -- The Cougars started coach Jim Ahern's tenure right, after losing to the Mounties 41-13 last season.
2. St. Johns 31, Charlotte 21 -- This one stood to be close, sure. But St. Johns' offense, especially, made a statement. 
3. DeWitt 34, Flushing 14 -- DeWitt, at home, was a favorite to get some vengeance for last year's loss at Flushing. But after leading just 7-0 at halftime, the Panthers showed why everyone, myself included, expects big things.

A few more thoughts from my game ... Sexton at Holt
1. Holt went back to its power-running offense at crunch time. But the spread has lots of potential, with an accurate quarterback in senior Jordan Beachnau (10-of-11) and a speedster in Dominick Todd coming off the edge. 
2. Big Reds junior defensive back Greg Scott made the first big hit I saw this season, and sophomore linebacker Kyren Kemp led Sexton in tackles. Great signs of things to come. 
3. Coach Mike Smith retired from Holt two seasons ago, but junior linebacker Mike Smith is going to be an impact player for the Rams this fall. 
4. Sexton junior Onaje Miller didn't get too many carries -- only 11 for 27 yards -- but he's going to have a big season running the ball as Sexton's young line gets better. He also broke free for a 48-yard reception and made some plays on defense.