A week is a long time to go without football, and we here at AnnArbor.com know that as well anyone. That's why we've decided to provide an early-week football fix.

Every Tuesday throughout the high school football season, we’ll publish a list of the top performers from the weekend as well as some anecdotes compiled from the weekend’s games.

In the first edition of the midweek football fix, Whitmore Lake High School coach Barry Pierson holds a late practice for an early game before a long trip, Willow Run High School coach Rufus Pipkins rehashes a gut-wrenching loss, and a lack of creativity in the mascot department exhibits itself in Skyline High School's first-ever varsity victory.

FOOTBALL TOP PERFORMERS, AUG. 25-27

Nate Bossory

PASSING YARDS
314 - Nate Bossory, Manchester (18 of 41, 3 TDs, 3 INTs)
232 - Andrew Copp, Skyline (14 of 22, 4 TDs, 0 INTs)
229 - Alex Hassan, Huron (18 of 24, 2 TDs, 1 INT)
212 - Andy Creal, Pioneer (17 of 24, 1 TDs 2 INTs)
194 - Reece Dils, Saline (10 of 28, 2 TDs, 2 INTs)

Nick Pauze

RUSHING YARDS
207 - Nick Pauze, Gabriel Richard (25 carries, 1 TD)
171 - Drake Johnson, Pioneer (33 carries, 2 TDs)
128 - Austin Sanders, Ypsilanti (20 carries, 0 TDs)
119 - Berkley Edwards, Chelsea (25 carries, 3 TDs)
108 - Deshawn Gohl, Willow Run (9 carries, 2 TDs)

Josh Finley

RECEIVING YARDS
157 - Josh Finley, Manchester (6 receptions, 0 TDs)
148 - Gage Hammond, Saline (5 receptions, 2 TDs)
124 - Jacob VanHoof, Dexter (4 receptions, 2 TDs)
104 - Blaise Stearns, Huron (6 receptions, 1 TD)
104 - Jordan Woods, Skyline (5 receptions, 2 TDs)

Johnny Brown

TACKLES
14 - Johnny Brown, Willow Run
12 - Hank Dreffs, Dexter
10 - Dylan Fink, Whitmore Lake
10 - Bryan Fortson, Ypsilanti
10 - Adam Smith, Ypsilanti

-- Compiled by Matt Durr and Bob Gross

Perry welcome

Whitmore Lake coach Barry Pierson faced a dilemma when scheduling a game for Week 2. School officials didn’t want the game to be played on Friday or Saturday so students and their families could enjoy the long Labor Day weekend.

But Pierson had plans of his own that made a Thursday game contentious. He planned a trip to the Upper Peninsula to watch his son, Zach Pierson -- a senior defensive lineman at Northern Michigan University -- take on Minnesota State at the Superior Dome in Marquette.

Luckily for Pierson, Perry agreed to play Whitmore Lake on Wednesday, so Pierson can still make it up in time.

When asked why Perry would agree to playing on such an odd date, Pierson said, "Perry beat us last year and that was the first game they won in forever, so I’m pretty sure they would have been O.K. with anything we wanted.”

Perry lost 20 straight games from October 2007 until beating Whitmore Lake in September of last year. Now it's Whitmore Lake looking for the Ramblers to return the favor after extending its losing streak to 14 games last weekend.

The game will be the only one played in the state on Wednesday.

Despite the short turnaround, the Trojans held a two-a-day practice on Monday and were still on the field as the sun was going down.

Still holding two-a-days after games have already started and two days before another is highly unusual. Peirson’s reasoning: “We’ve got a lot to work on.”

Roller coaster kick return

On Monday evening, Willow Run football coach Rufus Pipkins was still bumming from his team’s 38-35 loss to Detroit PEC.

Trailing in the fourth quarter, Willow Run drove the length of the field with its third string quarterback under center after starter Kareem Lovelace had left the game due to cramps.

When Willow Run got into a red zone situation, Lovelace told Pipkins he had one throw left in him and was subbed back into the game. Lovelace made good on his promise, hitting Johnny Brown on that “one throw” to put the Flyers ahead with just 28 seconds on the clock.

Detroit PEC returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown and won the game.

“You go from both extremes of emotion,” Pipkins said. “I’ve had teams lose games on the last play or at the end, but to have your team really show what they can do and drive the field when it counted, but then lose it.

“It was tough, not gonna lie,” Pipkins said.

Eagles everywhere

Forty-three high schools in Michigan use the eagle as its mascot, making it the most common in the state. So almost every season, league or region inevitably has an Eagles versus Eagles matchup.

The Eagles from Skyline and Hartland raised the bar even higher in terms of repetitiveness on Friday when they met at Rynearson Stadium -- home of the Eastern Michigan Eagles.

Not surprisingly, the Eagles won.

Eagle-on-Eagle crime at Eastern Michigan, home of the Eagles.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com