First Thing: Farmington, Harrison Headed to State Football Playoffs

The pairings for this year's state finals have been announced, and two local teams are in the running.

Farmington and Harrison high schools are headed into Michigan's state football playoffs, Fox Sports Detroit announced during its selection show Sunday. Both teams will play away games in the first round. Harrison, with a 6-3 record will play at Fenton, 8-1, and Farmington, also at 6-3, plays at Walled Lake Western, 7-2. No information about game dates and times was available Sunday night on the Michigan State High School Athletic Association website. Pre-district games will be played Oct. 26-27, with the District finals Nov. 2-3 and Regional finals Nov. 9-10. The Division 2 championship game will be played at Ford Field Nov. 23, 1 p.m. Our calendar is filled with events this week; follow the links below to learn more about them. We've also…

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Council Members Invited to Watch Farmington High Marching Band

Junior drum major Elise Newcomer invites officials from Farmington and Farmington Hills to attend a future performance.

Farmington High School (FHS) Junior Drum Major Elise Newcomer would like to see a little more school spirit among Farmington-area city officials. Over the past week, she visited both the Farmington and Farmington Hills city councils, inviting officials to attend an upcoming FHS football game to see the band and enjoy a tailgate dinner before the game. She hopes to coordinate a date when both councils can attend.

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Farmington Tops Oxford in Overtime

The Falcons remain unbeaten with a nail-biting 19-13 victory on home turf.

The Farmington High Falcons football team held on to an unbeaten record Friday night, with a 19-13 overtime win over the powerhouse Oxford Wildcats on home turf.  Oxford took a 6-0 lead into the second half, after the Falcons turned the ball over four times. Wildcat quarterback Glacier Wallington hit tight end Kyle Anderson for the touchdown; the Falcons blocked the extra-point kick.  Farmington finally scored at the start of the third quarter, as running back Connor Mohr carried the ball in from the 4-yard line. An attempt at a two-point conversion failed, tying the score at 6-6. A flurry of penalties kept the ball moving back and forth; at one point, Farmington took two consecutive off-side calls, matched by two illegal procedure …

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Detroit Lions Honor Farmington High Football Coach

John Bechtel receives the second week 2012 High School Coach of the Week program award.

The Detroit Lions have named Farmington High School football coach John Bechtel as the week two recipient of the 2012 High School Coach of the Week Program.    Bechtel led his Falcons to a 14-6 victory over #9-ranked Southfield on August 31 to run the Falcons record to 2-0. In his 15th season as a head coach, 14 of them with Farmington High, Bechtel has a career record of 74-67. He has led Farmington to all eight of the school’s playoff appearances, including the last four seasons in a row.  This Friday, the Falcons will look to improve to 3-0 as they go on the road to take on Southfield-Lathrup at 7 p.m. In addition to his accomplishments on the field, Bechtel is proactive when it comes to promoting player health and safety within his …

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Farmington Boys Take a Narrow Win Over Troy Athens

The Falcons let a big lead slip away, but hold on for the 65-61 win.