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1st & Goal: Week 6 in Review

October 6, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

There’s no pretending this football season hasn’t been a little different, for obvious reasons.

But every week seems to reintroduce something familiar – and looking at the statewide scoreboard after Week 6, it was the “first time since the last time” list.

If that’s a theme, Jonesville, Ann Arbor Huron, Centreville and Brimley are among the stars with accomplishments this week they hadn’t enjoyed in a while. Details are below as we take a glance again at the scores that jumped off the page most from the weekend’s action.

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER Grand Blanc 34, Lapeer 16 The Bobcats (2-1) had lost both regular-season and playoff games to Lapeer the last two seasons, last year by 34 and 28 points, respectively. But they handed the Lightning (2-1) only its second defeat during the regular season over the last three seasons. Click below for more from WJRT.

Watch list North Branch 27, Croswell-Lexington 20 The Broncos (3-0) handed the Pioneers (2-1) their first loss, a week after avenging last year’s loss to Almont. Up next is Richmond, the only other team that defeated North Branch during the 2019 regular season.

Remember this one Hemlock 48, Midland Bullock Creek 32 The Huskies (3-0) still see Millington, and Millington still faces Bullock Creek (1-2), and it’s likely some combination of those results determines the Tri-Valley Conference West I champion.

More shoutouts Sanford Meridian 28, Harrison 8 The Mustangs (3-0) kept themselves in the hunt for the Jack Pine Conference championship, with Meridian, Harrison (2-1) and Beaverton all trailing league leader Clare by a win. Goodrich 42, Lake Fenton 27 The Martians (2-1) did the same in the Flint Metro League Stars, holding on just a game back of league leader Ortonville Brandon after delivering Lake Fenton (2-1) its first defeat.

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER Clarkston 24, West Bloomfield 21 (OT) The Wolves showed they’re absolutely back after coming all the way back from a 21-7 deficit to edge the rival Lakers (2-1) in overtime. Clarkston (3-0) sits alone atop the Oakland Activities Association Red standings with as many wins as it earned all of last season. Click for more from the Oakland Press and see highlights below from State Champs Sports Network.

Watch list Canton 21, Brighton 20 Canton is off to its first 3-0 start since 2015 and leads the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West after edging the reigning Division 1 runner-up Bulldogs (1-2).

Remember this one Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 42, Sterling Heights Stevenson 27 In the loaded six-team Macomb Area Conference Red, reigning champion Chippewa Valley (2-1) stopped previously-surging Stevenson (2-1) to create a four-way tie atop the standings.

More shoutouts Detroit Catholic Central 14, Warren De La Salle Collegiate 10 The Shamrocks (3-0) clinched a share of the Detroit Catholic League Central title, avenging last season’s 14-3 loss to the Pilots (1-2). Auburn Hills Oakland Christian 21, Whitmore Lake 7 The Lancers (3-0) sit atop the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference after finishing second to Whitmore Lake (1-2) a year ago.

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER Portland 21, Lansing Catholic 7 The Raiders (2-1) saw an overall six-game winning streak against Lansing Catholic end in last season’s District Final as the Cougars went on to win Division 5. But Portland ran its regular-season winning streak against Lansing Catholic (2-1) to six in a matchup that put the Raiders in solid position to win the Capital Area Activities Conference White title. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal and see highlights below from WLNS.

Watch list New Lothrop 44, Montrose 15 The Hornets (3-0) appear the team to beat again in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference after improving on last year’s win over reigning league runner-up Montrose (2-1) – although Durand also is unbeaten and will have a say.

Remember this one Fowlerville 17, Holt 14 Morgyn Muck’s 44-yard last-minute go-ahead field goals surely won’t be forgotten soon by the Gladiators (2-1).

More shoutouts East Lansing 17, Lansing Waverly 0 The Trojans have produced outstanding receivers before him, but Andrel Anthony Jr. is resetting all the school’s receiving records, including for career yardage in this win. Lake Odessa Lakewood 43, Stockbridge 26 The Vikings (2-1) set themselves up to face Olivet this week with a share of the Greater Lansing Activities Conference title on the line.  

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER Kingsley 36, Traverse City St. Francis 23 The Stags (3-0) took a major step toward repeating as Northern Michigan Football Conference Legends champions, as St. Francis (1-2) annually finishes among the top two in the division. Owen Graves piled up 287 yards rushing and scored four times for Kingsley. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Watch list Manistee 42, Harbor Springs 20 Manistee (3-0) tuned up well for this week’s Lakes 8 Athletic Conference decider against Muskegon Catholic Central, handing Harbor Springs (2-1) its first defeat.

Remember this one Traverse City Central 41, Cadillac 17 The first-place Trojans (3-0) now own wins over the two teams tied for second in the Big North Conference, Cadillac (2-1) and Traverse City West.

More shoutouts Evart 29, Houghton Lake 22 The Wildcats (1-2) celebrated their first win, knocking Houghton Lake (2-1) out of a tie for first in the Highland Conference. East Jordan 30, St. Ignace 6 The Red Devils (2-1) had lost all four previous meetings to the Saints since they joined the NMFC Legacy together. 

Southeast & Border 

HEADLINER Jonesville 44, Reading 18 There are plenty of impressive numbers coming off the weekend’s most surprising score. Jonesville (2-1) hadn’t beaten Reading since 2014, having lost the last two meetings with the Rangers by a combined 112-0. Reading (2-1) hadn’t lost a Big 8 Conference game since 2016, and only one other regular-season game over the last three seasons. This sets Jonesville up to compete with Week 9 opponent Homer for this year’s league title – although Reading faces Homer first in Week 8. Click for more from the Hillsdale Daily News.

Watch list Blissfield 28, Clinton 14 The Royals (3-0) are alone atop the Lenawee County Athletic Association with wins over two of three second-place teams and the third, Brooklyn Columbia Central, not on the shortened schedule.    

Remember this one Ann Arbor Huron 18, Ann Arbor Pioneer 8 The Hurons (1-1) broke an 18-game losing streak to rival Pioneer (0-2) that went back to 2002.

More shoutouts Sand Creek 50, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 14 The Aggies’ first win over Whiteford since 2011 kept Sand Creek (3-0) tied for first in the Tri-County Conference. Chelsea 42, Schoolcraft 21 Scheduled after two other cancelations, this last-minute matchup pitted teams both often among the highly-ranked in their divisions.

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER Centreville 36, Cassopolis 7 The Bulldogs (3-0) not only scored their first points on Cassopolis since 2015, they defeated the Rangers (2-1) for the first time in 10 recent meetings. Cassopolis also hadn’t lost a league game since 2017. Centreville will play co-leader Mendon this week for a share of the Southwest 10 Conference championship. Click for more from JoeInsider.com.

Watch list Buchanan 31, Berrien Springs 15 The Bucks (3-0) have equaled last year’s win total and with another victory will guarantee their best finish since 2016. Buchanan had lost the last three Berrien Springs matchups by a combined 127-0.

Remember this one Constantine 55, Watervliet 6 The Falcons (2-1) locked up a Watervliet offense that had scored a combined 107 points in two wins to start the fall.

More shoutouts Paw Paw 49, Sturgis 0 The Trojans (2-1) have put themselves back in the football conversation in the Wolverine Conference, but Paw Paw (3-0) made sure the title talk still centers on itself and Week 9 opponent Edwardsburg. Kalamazoo United 44, Parchment 6 The Titans (3-0) remain in position to challenge for a third-straight Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER Gladstone 28, Sault Ste. Marie 26 The has been a whirlwind start for Gladstone, which didn’t play in the opening “Week 4” and then defeated Negaunee by two Week 5 on just a few days of prep. And now, this past weekend, the Braves (2-0) edged a Sault Ste. Marie team (2-1) that appeared to be the U.P.’s best after its first two victories. Click for more from the Escanaba Daily Press.

Watch list Marquette 10, Kingsford 0 The Redmen (2-1) ran their winning streak over Kingsford (2-1) to three and sit in good position to win the Great Northern Conference, with Menominee – which Marquette beat by 23 in Week 4 – up next. 

Remember this one Negaunee 29, L’Anse 6 The Miners (2-1) bounced right back after a two-point loss to Gladstone two weeks ago.

More shoutouts Manistique 12, Bessemer 0 The Emeralds (1-2) picked up their first win of the season with their first defensive shutout since 2012. Bark River-Harris 43, Norway 12 The Broncos (1-2) also earned their first victory, putting up a big number after scoring a combined six points over the first two weeks.

West Michigan 

HEADLINER Grand Rapids Catholic Central 42, Cedar Springs 28 The rebuilt Ottawa-Kent Conference this fall placed GRCC – coming off five straight league titles, most recently in the Blue – in the Gold with two-time reigning White champion Cedar Springs (2-1). Undefeated Grand Rapids South Christian still must face both, but the league race appears down to those three and with the Cougars and Sailors tied for the lead. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.

Watch list Byron Center 35, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 14 The Bulldogs (3-0), along with Lowell, have emerged as the frontrunners in the O-K White, with Forest Hills Central (2-1) and East Grand Rapids one game behind.

Remember this one Grand Rapids Union 59, Wyoming 57 Union’s 45-game losing streak, going back to 2015, came to an end in a game with so many points scored it will be included in the MHSAA record book at the end of the season.

More shoutouts Zeeland West 34, Zeeland East 14 With a third-straight win over the Chix (2-1), the Dux (3-0) moved into first place in the O-K Green with Muskegon Mona Shores. Grandville 21, Hudsonville 17 The Bulldogs (3-0) share the lead in the O-K Red with Rockford after breaking a two-game losing streak against the Eagles (2-1).

8-Player

HEADLINER Gaylord St. Mary 54, Whittemore-Prescott 18 The Snowbirds (3-0) topped 50 points for the third time in three games, this time against a first-year 8-player program that had given up a combined 44 points over its first two weeks. St. Mary is averaging 55 points per game and certainly provided the Cardinals (2-1) their toughest 8-player challenge so far. Click for more from the Iosco County News-Herald.

Watch list Adrian Lenawee Christian 55, Climax-Scotts 8 Lenawee Christian continued its impressive start in 8-player, handing former 11-player foe Climax-Scotts (2-1) its first defeat of the fall and improving its scoring margin for the season to 141-14.

Remember this one New Buffalo 28, Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 26 The Bison (3-0) have gone from contributing players to Bridgman as part of a cooperative team in 2018 to winning one game in its first season of 8-player a year ago, to putting together one of the strongest starts of 2020.

More shoutouts Brimley 42, Engadine 30 The Bays (1-2) broke a 15-game losing streak against Engadine and after falling 66-8 in last year’s meeting. Cedarville 32, Rapid River 20 The Trojans (2-1) had lost their three most recent games with Rapid River (2-1) by eight or fewer points each time.

PHOTO: Negaunee's Lukas Nelson (25) finds a brief opening Friday before L'Anse closes it up. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)

Beal City’s Austin Small (2) looks to cut back Friday as Gabriel Richard’s Aidan Valatka (13) pursues him.

Physical & Powerful, Beal City Rumbles to 1st Finals Title Since 2009

By Brad Emons
Special for MHSAA.com

November 29, 2024

DETROIT – No stranger to an MHSAA Finals appearances, Beal City put an exclamation point on its 2024 season by upending Riverview Gabriel Richard, 43-14, for the Division 8 title Friday at Ford Field.

The Aggies (12-2), using a highly-effective ground attack, secured their third championship in 10 tries matching the feats of their 2009 (D8) and 1994 (Class D) title teams.

Beal City racked up 315 yards on the ground led by senior Drew Block, who finished with 112 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns. Owen McKenny chipped in with 12 carries for 88 yards and a TD, while Garrison Zuker contributed seven for 64.

“Our offensive line was just outstanding today,” Block said. “We really couldn’t do anything without them. They’re the heart-and-soul of our team. They continually got us chunks and chunks of yards. We were going to let them just do their job and march down the field. We’ve got a lot of great talent on this team. Each guy has his own specific thing ... just a bunch of dogs, really.”

Beal City’s Brad Gross, in his 10th season as head coach, has been part of the program for nearly 23 years. He was a player on that ’94 team and was the offensive coordinator in 2009.

“They all mean a lot,” Gross said. “To be the head coach and get your first one ... it’s just awesome. I’m a Beal guy; when I’m done coaching, it will be at Beal.”

Gabriel Richard quarterback Nick Sobush was 9 of 18 passing for 120 yards and a TD for the Pioneers (11-2). He also added 51 yards rushing on 12 carries with a score.

Beal’s Drew Block follows the block of Jace Faber. Gabriel Richard, making its inaugural Finals appearance, scored first taking its opening possession 72 yards in just three plays. The drive was capped by Sobush’s 53-yard TD toss down the sideline to Derek Lesko followed by Joey Calhoun’s 2-point conversion run to make it 8-0 just 1:19 into the game.

Beal City answered on its first offensive possession to make it 8-all after Drake Gatrell returned the ensuing kickoff to the 50. Six plays later Block scored on a two-yard run and McKenny added the 2-pointer after the Pioneers jumped offsides on the extra point attempt with 7:48 to go in the first.

With 4:39 remaining in the opening quarter, the Pioneers went for it on 4th-and-4 at their own 49 only to turn the ball over as Block intercepted a pass on his own 13. That led to a nine-play, 77-yard TD drive for the Aggies capped by Block’s five-yard TD run followed by Kyle Martin’s PAT to give Beal City a 15-8 advantage with 39 seconds remaining in the first.

On its next possession Gabriel Richard, going for it on 4th-and-9 from the Beal City 40, came up empty on an incomplete pass, which led to the Aggies increasing their lead to 22-8. Quarterback Cuyler Smith connected with McKenny, who made a leaping grab just over the goal line for an eight-yard TD catch on 4th-and-2 with 2:30 to play in the first half.

“The ball was thrown perfectly, I just came back and grabbed it,” McKenney said. “I was snag. It was 4th-and-2 and changed the momentum of the game. It was a real tone setter.”

Gabriel Richard did thwart another Beal City scoring threat just before the first half ended when Lesko intercepted a pass at his own 4 with just four seconds remaining.

Beal City outgained the Pioneers 195-158 in total offense over the first two quarters.

McKenny returned the opening kickoff of the second half 44 yards, and the Aggies’ star running back scored just six plays later on three-yard TD run to increase Beal’s lead to 29-8 with 8:30 to go in the third quarter.

Gabriel Richard answered with a 16-play, 76-yard drive that chewed up 7 minutes and 37 seconds and finished on a one-yard keeper by Sobush, but the Pioneers were unable to convert the 2-pointer and trailed 29-14 with 47 seconds to play in the third.

The Pioneers then tried an onside kick that was recovered by Zuker at the 50. With a short field to play with, Beal City put the game away on flanker Austin Small’s 29-yard TD run with 9:14 to go.

Neil Finnerty also got into the scoring act with a five-yard TD run to give the Aggies a 29-point cushion with only 2:21 left.

Aggies coach Brad Antcliff raises the Division 8 championship trophy as his players celebrate.“Today they caught us at the right time,” Gabriel Richard first-year coach Mark Shea said. “We went through a gauntlet of teams. We were really beat up coming into this. Honestly, we had three or four guys that we didn’t think would be able to play, but they came out and played. Taking absolutely nothing away from Beal City. They played a great game, but we were beat up and you could see it. We lacked some of the explosiveness that we generally have. And when we don’t have the balance in our attack, it puts us in a bad situation. But as far as effort goes, they gave me everything they could do.”

“Joey (Calhoun) got a little banged up first drive on defense; that’s an all-state kid,” Sobush added. “And (Beal City) kind of just took our passing game away. I made a bad throw that kind of changed the momentum of the game.”

Beal City had opened this postseason with a 47-0 win over Frankfort, but then had to get past Glen Lake (21-14), Iron Mountain (14-7) and Fowler (17-16).

“It was nice to get this one,” Gross said. “I wouldn’t say easier, but the word I’m looking for is that it wasn’t as stressful. These guys have done everything we asked them to do.”

Six weeks ago, and just prior to the playoffs, Gross said the Aggies “had to play physical football with bad intentions.

“These guys took it to heart,” the Beal City coach said. “We just got more physical.”

Gross said the beauty of this newly-crowned Aggies championship team was the cohesiveness between the seniors, juniors, sophomores and even their freshmen.

“And these guys treat those guys like they’re just like any other player,” he said. “That’s what makes our team special, because we’re more of a team. I think our model all year was, ‘Teams win championships, individuals win awards,’ so we kind of stuck by that and that’s what got us here. It means a lot to me, but it’s all about these guys and that’s the most important thing.”

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) Beal City’s Austin Small (2) looks to cut back Friday as Gabriel Richard’s Aidan Valatka (13) pursues him. (Middle) Beal’s Drew Block follows the block of Jace Faber. (Below) Aggies coach Brad Antcliff raises the Division 8 championship trophy as his players celebrate. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)