1,000-yard season in reach for Groves (Mich.) RB Noah Sanders, son of Barry Sanders

The Wylie E. Groves Falcons are set to take on Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep on Saturday afternoon in the Michigan Division 2 state semifinals.

Undefeated through 12 games, a significant part of Groves’ success has been Toledo running back commit Noah Sanders.

Sanders, the son of Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, comes into the state semifinal with 924 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on just 107 carries — good for a whopping 8.6 yards per carry.

Sanders will have a chance to hit the 1,000-yard mark on the ground Saturday afternoon in Groves’ semifinal game against St. Mary’s.

Groves is 12-0 this season ahead of its matchup with St. Mary’s. The Falcons are fresh off of a nailbiter against De La Salle Collegiate, winning 21-19 over the state’s No. 6 team, per the On3 Massey Ratings.

The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.

The Massey Ratings currently project a 34-21 St. Mary’s victory over Groves.

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The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Sanders has been committed to Toledo since Oct. 13. Earlier this year, he was offered a gray-shirt by Michigan State, meaning he would not be on scholarship his first semester at MSU but would be the rest of his career following that first semester.

Sanders is one of 17 prospects committed to Toledo’s 2025 recruiting class, good for the top class in the MAC. Ann Arbor (Mich.) West Bloomfield wide receiver Kamren Flowers headlines the class as the No. 464 overall prospect, No. 77 receivers and No. 6 player in the Mitten State.