Rye, Pickford football top Mio, reach MHSAA 8-player regional final

PICKFORD — Another regional semifinal, another win for the Pickford Panthers.  

Behind an excellent offensive display from senior quarterback Carter Rye, the Panthers advanced to their fourth consecutive MHSAA 8-Player Division 1 regional final by rolling to a 40-12 victory over Mio on Friday, Oct. 30.  

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Here’s some takeaways from Friday’s clash.

Rye, Pickford offense unstoppable all night  

On the opening snap from scrimmage, it was clear that the Panthers (8-2) wanted to set the tone with their rushing attack, as Rye used several powerful runs to push Pickford deep into Mio territory. Despite facing a 4th-and-10, Rye hooked up with Carter Yiirs on a 10-yard touchdown pass that allowed the Panthers to take a 6-0 lead four minutes in.

From that point on, Pickford’s offense couldn’t be stopped as Rye broke loose for a 31-yard TD to help extend the Panthers’ lead to 14-0. Rye added two more rushing scores in the second quarter, which helped Pickford build a commanding 26-0 halftime lead.  

Pickford continued its dominance in the third, capping off another drive with a 4-yard TD run from Mason Andrzejak, while a successful 2-point conversion made it 34-0. Rye added another TD run with 5:04 left.

Some things to clean up  

Overall, it was a dominant night for the Panthers.  

However, numerous penalties were committed on offensive possessions. While it wasn’t really a problem on Friday, it will be something Pickford will need to clean up if it wants to make another deep postseason run this fall.  

At times, Mio quarterback Cory Fox tested the Panthers with his arm, completing several deep passes downfield. However, the Thunderbolts (6-4) struggled to find the end zone as the Panthers’ defense rose to the occasion several times, with Rye picking off a pass that halted a Mio drive in the third.

Mio finally got on the board with a touchdown midway through the fourth, while Fox tossed a TD pass late.

U.P. regional final next Friday

With Pickford’s victory, the Panthers will have an opportunity to earn the program’s third regional title in four seasons if they can knock off Ishpeming (8-2), which rolled its way to a 36-14 semifinal victory at Rudyard on Friday.  

The No. 1-seeded Panthers will surely be tested against an Ishpeming team that should have loads of confidence, especially after winning convincingly in Rudyard.  

Pickford holds a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series against the Hematites, including a 44-6 regional final victory two years ago. Ishpeming will head into the clash on the heels of four consecutive wins.

Pickford lost at Norway in the regional final in 2025.

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT 

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Rye, Pickford football top Mio, reach MHSAA 8-player regional final