MBC News file photo
The playoff picture is getting clearer, but there is still plenty of football left to be played.
Welcome to the Gridiron Wire, powered by Smitty’s Electrical, where Week 6 brought touchdowns, drama and one finish that came down to the final play.
The Waterford Wolves improved to 4-2 with a convincing 28-7 win over the Valley Heights Bears.
Waterford carried a 13-7 lead into halftime before quarterback Marcus Mudge and receiver Josh Earls provided the second-half fireworks.
Mudge went deep and Earls went all the way connecting on a 45-yard touchdown pass to give the Wolves some breathing room.
Then in the fourth quarter, Mudge decided to punch his own ticket, powering into the end zone from two yards out to help put the game away.
Waterford now heads into the final week of the regular season with some serious playoff momentum.
The Delhi Raiders also moved to 4-2 with a 33-19 victory over the Holy Trinity Titans.
Delhi has been one of the league’s dominant programs in recent years, but this season the Raiders have found themselves battling in the middle of the playoff pack. Their only two losses have come against the league’s top two teams.
Holy Trinity entered the game riding a three-game winning streak, but that run came to an end as the Titans fell to 3-3.
Meanwhile, the Simcoe Sabres finally broke through.
Simcoe picked up its first win of the season, edging the Cayuga Warriors 14-12.
It’s been a rebuilding process for the Sabres after they steamrolled through the 2024 regular season with a perfect 5-0 record.
Cayuga has a rebuilding story of its own. The Warriors returned to the league last year with a fresh football program, and having programs like Cayuga growing and competing remains important for the future of local high school football.
And in our last game, McKinnon Park escaped with a 21-20 win over Pauline Johnson in an absolute nail-biter between two teams that entered the game undefeated.
The Thunderbirds scored with no time remaining and went for the two-point conversion and the win.
They came up just short.
McKinnon Park finishes the regular season at a perfect 6-0, while Pauline Johnson falls to 5-1.
Could we see these two teams meet again with everything on the line in the final? Don’t touch that dial.
Buckle up for Week 7
McKinnon Park has secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while Pauline Johnson has secured home field for the semifinals.
But behind those two powerhouses, there’s still some business to settle.
Waterford and Delhi both sit at 4-2 and will meet next week with the third and fourth playoff seeds on the line. And if that matchup sounds familiar… well, cue the highlight reel.
Last season, the Wolves marched into Delhi for the semifinals and upset the Raiders on their home field. Now they’re heading back.
Wolves. Raiders. Third place on the line. A little history between them.
Written by Jeremy Hall
