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Grand Blanc/Davison football

1st & Goal: 2021 Week 4 in Review

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 20, 2021

With every varsity team getting at most nine regular-season games, every week of the high school football season has the potential to shift landscapes locally and sometimes statewide.

MI Student AidWeek 4 saw its share of movement with league races taking some early shape and playoff talk already beginning as programs work to get a read on how their early work fits into the now fully-implemented “enhanced strength-of-schedule” system.

We’ll discuss that more as we preview our Week 5 top matchups – below take a look at many of the results from this weekend that have the state talking as we approach the midway point.

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER Grand Blanc 43, Davison 7 The Bobcats broke free after three single-score wins over strong opponents with a victory that may prove the most memorable of all this regular season, as they ended Davison’s four-game winning streak in this rivalry. Grand Blanc (4-0) joined the Cardinals in the Saginaw Valley League Red in 2018 and had lost the last three league meetings against them by an average of 36 points per defeat. Davison (1-3), last season’s Division 1 runner-up, also has played one of the state’s toughest opening slates. Click for more from the Flint Journal.

Watch list Freeland 43, Essexville Garber 14 The Dukes’ defense has been a strong point the last two seasons and first three games of this one as they’d given up 22 points total during a 3-0 start. But Freeland’s offense after four games – and four wins – is more than halfway to equaling last season’s scoring across 11 games.

Remember this one Ubly 50, Harbor Beach 33 The Pirates (2-2) had won five of the last six in this series including twice during the playoffs and 16-14 to open the 2020 regular season. But Ubly (4-0) broke 50 points for the second straight week and is one of two teams sitting atop the Greater Thumb Conference East.

More shoutouts Millington 21, Standish-Sterling 8 The Cardinals (4-0) handed Standish-Sterling (3-1) its first defeat and can become the only undefeated team left in Tri-Valley Conference West I play when they take on Carrollton this week. Montrose 35, Chesaning 0 The Rams (3-1) are a one-point loss from a perfect start and ended Chesaning’s with their second shutout of the season.

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER Warren De La Salle Collegiate 21, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 16 The reigning Division 2 runner-up Pilots (3-0) scored all of their points during a mid-first half surge and held the Warriors’ offense scoreless during the second (two points came on a safety) to take an important first step in the Detroit Catholic League Central race. Brother Rice (3-1) hadn’t given up a point since the season opener and had defeated De La Salle the last two seasons. Click for more from the Detroit Free Press.

Watch list Macomb Dakota 27, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 23 With this one of the state’s best rivalries, and both coming off close Week 3 wins, this shouldn’t have been entirely stunning. But with the Big Reds 3-0 coming in, it still could represent a nice turning point for the Cougars (2-2) – and a possible reset on the Macomb Area Conference Red race with undefeated Romeo having defeated Dakota and seeing Chippewa Valley next.

Remember this one Armada 24, Richmond 10 Four teams have won at least one Blue Water Area Conference championship over the last five seasons, and Armada (4-0) is making a strong bid to be the fifth in six years after adding a nice win over the annually-contending Blue Devils (3-1) to their six-point victory over reigning league champ North Branch in Week 3.

More shoutouts Oak Park 30, North Farmington 24 The Knights’ first four opponents are a combined 14-2, and Oak Park (1-3) fell twice by five or fewer points during the first two weeks before getting on the better side of a close one in handing North Farmington (3-1) its first defeat. South Lyon 31, Detroit Country Day 7 The Lions are 4-0 to start for the third time in four seasons and after scoring the most points reigning Division 4 champion Country Day has given up since it also appeared in the 2019 Division 4 title game.

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER Haslett 21, Mason 8 After opening with an eight-point loss to Jackson, Haslett (3-1) has won three straight – eclipsing its win totals of the last two seasons – to pull into first place alone in the Capital Area Activities Conference Red. The Vikings led 21-0 into the fourth quarter and all but stopped an offense that was averaging 35 points per game entering the weekend. Reigning league champ Mason (2-2) had opened the league schedule in Week 3 with a win over Williamston and joined the Hornets among four teams now a game back in the standings. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal

Watch list Mount Pleasant 33, Midland Dow 10 The Oilers (4-0) had opened with three wins over opponents with a combined one victory now through Week 4, but beating Dow (2-2) solidly reinforced Mount Pleasant’s playoff-point status as the top-ranked team in Division 3.

Remember this one East Lansing 20, Portage Central 15 Mason Woods’ 63-yard touchdown catch from Brevin Jackson with 2:21 to play helped the Trojans (2-2) get back to .500 after a start against opponents a combined 11-5 so far.

More shoutouts Beal City 48, Lake City 8 The Aggies (3-1) are a one-point Week 1 loss from a perfect start and will play Evart this week with the Highland Conference title potentially on the line after shutting down the Trojans (3-1). Stockbridge 68, Pontiac 40 Jeremy Pilch scored nine touchdowns – tying for fourth-most in MHSAA history – and a total of 64 points, which is tied for third-most in that category.

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER Traverse City Central 42, Traverse City West 14 The Trojans extended their winning streak against the rival Titans to three and moved into first place alone in a Big North Conference that features four of six teams at 3-1 overall – including both Central and West. The Trojans ran out to a quick lead this time and then ran away during a second-half surge. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Watch list Big Rapids 25, Central Montcalm 21 After opening with a loss to Coopersville, Big Rapids has won three straight to tie for the early lead in the Central State Activities Association Gold – while handing Central Montcalm (3-1) its lone defeat.

Remember this one Mancelona 66, Johannesburg-Lewiston 42 While the Cardinals (0-4) are admittedly off to a rare slow start, Mancelona (4-0) brought a high-scoring end to a seven-game losing streak against them.

More shoutouts Gaylord 10, Petoskey 7 The Blue Devils (2-2) avenged last season’s 22-14 loss, in the process handing the Northmen (3-1) their lone defeat. Frankfort 22, Oscoda 14 Playing a rare back-to-back series, the Panthers (3-1) finished a two-week sweep of the Owls (1-2), this one ending a bit closer than the Week 3 32-16 win.

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER Addison 36, Michigan Center 35 These Cascades Conference contenders never separated from each other by more than seven points, with Addison adding the winning score with 3:12 to play. While the Panthers (4-0) gave up as many points as they had over their first three games, they did hold Michigan Center (3-1) to a season low while scoring the first points the Cardinals had given up this fall. Addison’s Week 8 opponent is the only other team that has yet to lose a Cascades game. Click for more from the Jackson Citizen Patriot.

Watch list Union City 26, Reading 20 (OT) The Chargers (2-2) bounced right back from a Week 3 loss to Jonesville, handing Reading (3-1) only its second Big 8 Conference loss over the last five seasons.

Remember this one Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 21, Milan 15 The Big Reds (3-1) had won three straight of St. Mary (although the two Huron League rivals didn’t play each other last season). But the Falcons ended that streak and put themselves in position to take a commanding advantage in the league title race this week against reigning champ Riverview.

More shoutouts Ida 26, Clinton 20 The Bluestreaks (3-1) are in position to contend for the Lenawee County Athletic Association title after edging the reigning Division 6 runner-up and with early league co-leader Hudson next up. Ann Arbor Huron 31, Temperance Bedford 30 The River Rats (3-1) equaled last season’s win total and set themselves up for their best finish in more than a decade by holding off a late Bedford comeback attempt.

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER Portage Northern 35, Stevensville Lakeshore 28 Coming off a 2020 District Final run, Portage Northern (1-3)  didn’t find its footing early this fall against three opponents who have made some early noise in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference. But the Huskies may have turned the corner in a big way handing Lakeshore (3-1) its first loss – while also running their winning streak over the Lancers to four as well. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Watch list Lawton 52, Allegan 7 The Blue Devils (4-0)  gave up their first points of the season and continued their streak of breaking 50 points every game this fall.

Remember this one Battle Creek Lakeview 31, Battle Creek Central 18 The Spartans (3-1) extended their winning streak in this rivalry series to three, bouncing back from a Week 3 loss to River Rouge to keep pace tied atop the SMAC.

More shoutouts Parchment 50, Saugatuck 43 Since opening with a loss to Lawton the Panthers (3-1) have equaled last season’s win total, with their next victory guaranteeing their best record since 2017. Plainwell 33, Richland Gull Lake 14 Much of the attention in the Wolverine Conference is being paid to powerful Edwardsburg, but Plainwell (4-0) will roll into this week’s matchup with the Eddies with its best start since 2013.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER Houghton 21, Bark River-Harris 20 The Gremlins (3-1) are on a roll since falling to Ishpeming Westwood in their season opener, with this win giving them one more than either last season or 2019. Similar to last season, this came down to the final minutes – a year ago Houghton won 3-0 on a fourth-quarter field goal, and this time the go-ahead points against the Broncos (3-1) came on late touchdown catch. Click for more from the Houghton Daily Mining Gazette.

Watch list Marquette 55, Kingsford 34 Halfway through the Greater Northern Conference schedule, Marquette (3-1) has two 50-point scoring performances and two double-digit wins – this one handing Kingsford (3-1) its first loss.

Remember this one Gladstone 30, Escanaba 15 The Braves (2-2) came back from a one-point loss to Menominee in Week 3 to defeat Escanaba (1-3) for the first time since 2010.

More shoutouts Sault Ste. Marie 49, Cheboygan 21 The Blue Devils (3-1) rebounded from their first loss with their highest points total of the season. Ishpeming Westwood 42, Ishpeming 0 The Patriots (3-1) posted a second-straight shutout of the rival Hematites (1-2), also in bouncing back from a Week 3 defeat.

West Michigan

HEADLINER Montague 33, Muskegon Oakridge 7 The Wildcats have outscored their three West Michigan Conference opponents by a combined 103-7 and have themselves in position to repeat as league champions with a second-straight big win over the rival Eagles (3-1). Two of Montague’s final three league foes are also 3-1 overall, but the Wildcats have at least a game on both in the league standings. Click for more from FOX 17.

Watch list Muskegon Heights Academy 34, Manistee 28 The Tigers didn’t play last season and before that had lost 21 of their last 22. But they’re off to a 4-0 start and have guaranteed their best finish since at least 2011.

Remember this one Rockford 53, Grandville 46 (2OT) Pay little attention to Grandville’s 1-3 record – the Bulldogs have played two of the three early frontrunners in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red. This matchup is almost always memorable, and Rockford (4-0) made it six wins over their last eight meetings including three of those decided by one score.

More shoutouts Muskegon Mona Shores 47, Zeeland West 12 Over the last two weeks Muskegon High and then Mona Shores (3-1) have whittled the O-K Green race down a bit with back-to-back wins over West (1-2), and the Sailors get another contender in Zeeland East next. Byron Center 28, East Grand Rapids 20 The Bulldogs (4-0) avenged last season’s 12-8 Week 9 loss to the Pioneers (1-3) that cost them an outright O-K White championship.

8-Player

HEADLINER Bridgman 45, Mendon 0 The Bees (4-0) are now 19-2 since moving to 8-player in 2019, but this might be their most notable win since making the switch. Mendon (3-1) had entered averaging 63 points per game, but Bridgman earned its second-straight shutout of the fall while seeing its scoring average fall to only 53 points per contest. Click for more from the St. Joseph Herald-Palladium.

Watch list Morrice 59, Lawrence 6 The Orioles (4-0) appear to be building toward another special season now having scored at least 58 points in every game and giving up no more than six in any of them – and the Tigers (3-1) had scored 60+ the previous two weeks. Circle Morrice’s Week 9 matchup with Deckerville as potentially the biggest 8-player game of the regular season.

Remember this one Marion 44, Mesick 29 If Marion (4-0) eventually wins the West Michigan D League title, this could be the decider as it sent 2019 champion Mesick into second place and one game back. (No league title was awarded in 2020.)

More shoutouts Adrian Lenawee Christian 56, Athens 0 The Cougars moved to 15-0 since moving to 8-player last season, this time handing Athens (3-1) its lone defeat. Eau Claire 30, Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 26 The Beavers (2-2) have set themselves up to make a run at their best record in at least seven years, especially notable coming back from a stretch that saw them win only two games total from 2015-19.

Second Half’s weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.

PHOTO: A swarm of Grand Blanc defenders bring a Davison ball carrier to the ground Friday. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)

Muskegon's Quest: 800 Wins & Counting

By Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian

September 24, 2015

Editor's note: The Muskegon High School football program became the first in Michigan high school history to win 800 games when it defeated Grandville 39-12 on Sept. 11. 

Longtime MHSAA historian Ron Pesch is the foremost expert on Muskegon Big Reds football; he even wrote the book celebrating the program's first 100 years in 1994. Below, he recounts his start in uncovering Muskegon's rich past and notes many of the highlights on the way to this season's milestone victory – as well as his "journey" starting with instructor's criticisms and finishing with the publishing of "Muskegon Big Reds: 100 Years of Football."  

“This is all very interesting, but what good is it? What can you tell from all this data? Are there any patterns you can ascertain? Changes in size of the schools played?”

So began the journey to 800.

The newest version of a high school in Muskegon opened in the fall of 1893. Two years later, in the fall of 1895, the Muskegon High Athletic Association was organized with the goal of assembling a football team “fully capable of sustaining Muskegon’s reputation in athletics.”

Under the guidance of Mr. Edward Taylor, a teacher at the high school, whose influence led to the creation of the organization, the club was formed, with Louis Udell named to serve as president, while John Miller acted as vice-president, Louis Brock as secretary and Vernor Page as treasurer. “A committee of three … was appointed to select from pupils of the High School a sufficient number to form a Foot Ball Team.”

Practices were scheduled and challenges quickly came from teams in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Big Rapids, Ionia, and the Ferris Business College in Muskegon. The first game was scheduled against the Business College for Saturday, November 2 at the baseball grounds, at the terminus of the Pine Street railway line.

A stiff breeze had to be contended with, but good straight play was a feature of the game. The high school was defeated by the heavier squad assembled by Business College, 12-8. It was a start. 

The next two contests were cancelled due to weather. On November 23, 1895 at 12:35 p.m., Muskegon boarded a train for Grand Haven. At 3 p.m., the contest, featuring two halves of 30 minutes each, was played. When the final whistle blew, MHS had its first-ever victory.

The details of what occurred over the next 80 or so years were then buried in yearbooks, newspaper accounts and in the memories of hundreds of Muskegon athletes.

As it turned out, no one was compiling the wins. No one had tried to see the forest through the trees.

“A disappointing paper. Very little narrative and practically no analysis or insight. I realize it must have been difficult to put together the team records, but what use are they?”

Like most schools, Muskegon did produce a yearbook, and, in the early days, a monthly magazine that detailed the success and failures of individual games and seasons. Unfortunately, there were years where magazines or annuals simply didn’t exist, or results weren’t listed.

For 11 seasons, I couldn’t find the scores.  Scanning the forest of newsprint on microfilm from those early years, when the results of sporting events were mixed in with the news of the day, often proved of little help.

“You do not even total them up for an overall record. Services are not understood.”

Larry Harp inherited a talented squad from his predecessor, after head coach Roger Chiaverini opted to jump across town to lead the Crusaders of Muskegon Catholic in the fall of 1971. In Harp’s first year as head varsity coach, the Big Reds won a huge victory over previously unbeaten Traverse City before 10,000 fans at Hackley Stadium, ended the year undefeated, and were proclaimed Michigan’s Class A football state champions by the statewide media at season’s end. I was as proud as a 10-year-old could be that the high school that would be mine had won the crown.

But while I loved the game, I never played a down of football at Muskegon High School.  Coach Harp was my gym teacher, but he understood, as a 4-foot-11 senior, I was as far as one could be from being all-state material.

Instead, fate had a different role for me. As a college student, I enrolled in a local history class. There I was assigned a term paper that would alter my path in life.

My paper would focus on football at Muskegon. By all accounts, the delivered product was limited in scope, comprised of hundreds of scores and some details on important people, games and interesting notes I found along the way.

I had 15 weeks, start to finish, molding a paper that was enlightening to me, but a major disappointment to my professors.

"What about comparing trends in Muskegon sports to trends elsewhere? Distance traveled to play opponents as roads improved, etc.  Changes in Strategy? Use of specialized teams? What about even a listing of all-staters from Muskegon? Anything to make it worth your trouble."

I learned that in 1901, Dr. J.L. Williams was hired as the school’s first coach. Prior to that time, the team’s captain, fullback, or a volunteer served in the role.  A parade of others followed Williams, including Robert Walker, a player on that first team who led Muskegon to its first undefeated season in 1904, and Mortimer Jones, a star in Muskegon’s backfield before the turn of the century, who in all likelihood was the first African-American to coach a high school team in Michigan, and perhaps beyond.          

Within the collection of coaches was Robert Zuppke, who had accepted his first coaching job at Muskegon. His success led to a move to Oak Park High School in the suburbs of Chicago, where he won a pair of mythical national gridiron crowns before moving to the University of Illinois where his football squads totaled 131 victories, seven Big Ten titles and four mythical national championships over 29 seasons.  With players like Harold "Red" Grange, George Halas and Potsy Clark, his innovative mind is credited with creating the screen pass and the “flea flicker” that advanced the game.

As a sophomore at Muskegon, I had led tours through the school’s newly opened gymnasium building. Thanks to the research, I now better understood why the district had named the complex the Redmond/Potter gymnasium.  Coach C. Leo Redmond guided Muskegon to seven mythical state football titles and a basketball crown, while his longtime assistant and successor, Harry Potter, led Muskegon to a gridiron championship in 1951. The quarterback of that team was Earl Morrall, later an All-American at Michigan State University and a 21-year veteran in the NFL.

The 1920s were Muskegon’s most successful decade, as the team won more than 85 percent of its games thanks to the leadership of J. Francis Jacks, who guided Muskegon to its first mythical state football title in 1920, then additional titles in 1921 and 1923. Like Potter years later, Jacks’ team in 1923 featured the skill of a future University of Michigan All-American, Bennie Oosterbaan, who is considered the greatest all-around athlete in the long rich history of the university. Following the sudden passing of Coach Jacks in the spring of 1924, the school hired Redmond, who would compile a 156-29-13 record as head coach over 22 seasons before retiring in 1946. Muskegon posted 28 straight winning seasons between 1919 and 1946.

The first instructor completed his assessment and graded the paper with a "C” ... The second added his note, tacked on a minus sign to the “C” and altered the score. Final grade – 70.  Unlike most assignments from high school and college, when the semester ended, I did not toss this one out.

The final entry in the paper noted that Muskegon had finished the 1979 season with a 7-2-0 record and a Lake Michigan Athletic Conference championship. It was Coach Harp’s final year. He stepped down to become the school’s athletic director.

On the gridiron, Muskegon’s fortunes had begun to slip.  Over the next three years, the team set school passing records galore, but posted a disappointing 8-19 record.  A lone highlight was a 19-15 regular-season win over cross-town rival Muskegon Catholic Central in 1980. The Crusaders would go on to win the MHSAA Class B championship that year. It was Muskegon Catholic’s single loss during an otherwise flawless season, and Muskegon’s single victory that year.

I continued digging into microfilm, and researching the history of football at Muskegon. Coach Harp cheered me on during my research, assisting where possible. Staff at our local library knew me by name.

As I neared completion of the list of scores, a pair of phone calls would lead to a startling discovery.

A call to Kalamazoo Central High School designed to cross-check scores of games played against the Maroon Giants guided me to a resident of the Kalamazoo area.  My second call was to Dick Kishpaugh. Unknown to me, I had reached the state authority on high school sports.

Kishpaugh quickly recognized that Muskegon’s win total topped Michigan in all-time football wins and ranked among the top teams in the nation.

In the fall of 1983, Dave Taylor was named head coach at Muskegon, and quickly righted the ship. In 1985, I was presented with a chance to write a series of articles, based on my research, covering the history of high school football at Muskegon for the local newspaper.

The timing was remarkable, as the Big Reds scored their first appearance in the MHSAA football playoffs that same season. A year later, Taylor’s team won the school’s first playoff title. Led by an undersized defense, Muskegon  upset Sterling Heights Stevenson 10-0 for the Class A title – its first since the MHSAA began a playoff system in 1975.

Taylor’s Big Reds won a second title in 1989.  He spent 17 years at the helm, second in longevity to only Redmond, and compiled a 112-51-1 mark over the span.  

In the fall of 1994, the project that began as a term paper hit the press. A fundraiser for the school’s Athletic Association, 100 Years of Muskegon Big Red Football, told the story of Muskegon’s gridiron past. Still offering little analysis, it did contain much more narrative, and a comprehensive look at the names and faces that guided the teams to success.

Taylor retired from teaching, but at the request of school administrators, remained in charge as the district sought a replacement. In 2000, Tony Annese, took the reins and, to the astonishment of many across the state, pushed the program to an even higher level. In nine seasons, his squads won three MHSAA Division 2 titles and totaled 92 victories in 107 games.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the road to 800 is the fact that a single school district has been able to sustain success on the football field for so long. In an environment of constant economic, demographic and personnel change, where the number of school districts serving students in the Muskegon area has ballooned in size beginning in the 1950s, the Big Reds continue to rack up victories against strong opponents. 

Matt Koziak took charge of the Muskegon program for a year before moving over to Mona Shores, where he has put together a squad that has emerged as a playoff contender after years of silence. Shane Fairfield was named head coach of the Big Reds beginning in 2010, and hasn’t missed a beat.  His teams have earned three straight trips to Detroit’s Ford Field, where all three finished as runners-up to the MHSAA crown.  Entering the season, Fairfield’s Big Reds have scored 52 victories against 13 defeats.

In the state of Michigan, Muskegon entered the 2015 season with a 798-273-43 record over 120 seasons of football. Ann Arbor Pioneer first started playing in 1891 and ranked second in wins, with a 714-422-38 record, while Menominee began the current season tops in the Upper Peninsula and third in the state with a 634-283-40 mark dating back to its start in 1894.

Muskegon picked up win number 800 on Friday, Sept. 11, with a 39-12 victory over Grandville, making the school only the 10th in the nation to reach the landmark. Victory 700 came in 2005, with Annese in charge, while victory 600 was earned by Taylor’s 1991 squad versus cross-town rival Mona Shores.  Unbeknown at the time, Harp’s 1975 team scored the school’s 500th win. Redmond’s 1935 team tallied the school’s 250th, while Louis Gudelsky’s 1912 team was the one that grabbed win number 100.  In total, the school has won 17 state titles, 12 mythical when a team with an unblemished season-ending record could lay claim, and five MHSAA crowns.

In the end, they are only games, but the educational value and impact on lives can be far reaching.  Certainly for those who play and coach the game, and sometimes, even for those who simply play witness.

Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.

PHOTOS: (Top) The Muskegon football team readies for its entrance at Ford Field before last season's MHSAA Division 3 Final. (Middle top) The 1944 team was among those considered a "mythical state champion" before the introduction of MHSAA playoffs in 1975. (Middle) A number of Big Reds legends, clockwise from left: Bennie Oosterbaan, Earl Morrall, coach Robert Zuppke, coaches C. Leo Redmond and his rival, to the right, Muskegon Heights' Oscar E. "Okie" Johnson, over an action shot from their 1943 game. (Middle below) Marcus Longmire celebrates a touchdown during the 1989 playoff against Escanaba. (Below) Pesch's book, co-authored with Marc Okkonen, detailed the first 100 years of Muskegon football.