2014 Week 6 Football Playoff Listing
September 30, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Following is a list of Michigan High School Athletic Association football playing schools, displaying their win-loss records and playoff averages through the fifth week of the season.
Schools on this list are in enrollment order for 11-player teams, with 8-player teams ordered by playoff average. An asterisk (*) beside a record indicates a team has eight or fewer games scheduled. A caret (^) beside a school’s name indicates a team is one win away from playoff qualification.
Those schools with 11-player teams with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules, or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer, will qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs beginning Oct. 31. Schools with 5-4, 4-3 or 4-4 records may qualify if the number of potential qualifiers by win total does not reach the 256 mark. Schools with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer may be subtracted from the field based on playoff average if the number of potential qualifiers exceeds the 256 mark.
Once the 256 qualifying schools are determined, they will be divided by enrollment groups into eight equal divisions of 32 schools, and then drawn into regions of eight teams each and districts of four teams each.
Those schools with 8-player teams will be ranked by playoff average at season’s end, and the top 16 programs will be drawn into regions of eight teams each for the playoff in that division, which also begins Oct. 31.
To review a list of all football playoff schools, individual school playoff point details and to report errors, visit the Football page of the MHSAA Website.
The announcement of the qualifiers and first-round pairings for both the 11 and 8-player playoffs will take place on Oct. 26 on the Selection Sunday Show on FOX Sports Detroit. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show.
11-Player Playoff Listing
1. Macomb Dakota, 2814, 4-1, 79.200
2. Sterling Heights Stevenson, 2767, 4-1, 75.400
3. Clarkston ^, 2742, 5-0, 107.200
4. Grand Blanc, 2668, 4-1, 72.600
5. East Kentwood ^, 2592, 5-0, 91.200
6. Rockford, 2555, 4-1, 82.000
7. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 2538, 3-2, 60.400
8. Dearborn Fordson ^, 2411, 5-0, 91.200
9. Northville, 2298, 4-1, 69.600
10. Holland West Ottawa, 2293, 4-1, 79.000
11. Canton, 2289, 4-1, 75.800
12. Detroit Cass Tech ^, 2277, 5-0, 89.600
13. Brighton, 2133, 3-2, 55.800
14. Plymouth, 2116, 4-1, 66.400
15. Lapeer ^, 2112, 5-0, 89.600
16. Utica Ford, 2090, 3-2, 53.800
17. Hartland, 2007, 4-1, 78.400
18. Monroe, 1992, 4-1, 72.800
19. Grand Haven, 1960, 3-2, 57.400
20. West Bloomfield, 1929, 4-1, 72.800
21. Westland John Glenn, 1872, 3-2, 51.000
22. Warren Mott, 1870, 3-2, 60.200
23. Oxford, 1864, 4-1, 79.200
24. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 1857, 3-2, 53.800
25. Livonia Stevenson, 1848, 3-2, 49.000
26. Saline, 1844, 4-1, 77.933
27. Walled Lake Central, 1815, 4-1, 74.200
28. Romeo, 1770, 3-2, 58.400
29. Hudsonville, 1759, 3-2, 57.200
30. Waterford Mott, 1738, 4-1, 76.000
31. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 1711, 3-2, 55.800
32. Livonia Churchill ^, 1696, 5-0, 97.600
33. Grand Ledge, 1689, 3-2, 55.800
34. Waterford Kettering, 1610, 3-2, 52.400
35. Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 1568, 4-1, 70.800
36. Warren DeLaSalle, 1562, 3-2, 47.467
37. Detroit Western International, 1521, 3-2, 45.400
38. Detroit Martin Luther King ^, 1507, 5-0, 96.000
39. Walled Lake Western, 1502, 4-1, 72.600
40. Traverse City Central, 1490, 4-1, 78.600
41. Oak Park, 1486, 4-1, 74.400
42. Brownstown Woodhaven ^, 1484, 5-0, 96.000
43. Ypsilanti Lincoln, 1422, 3-2, 52.000
44. Caledonia, 1417, 3-2, 58.200
45. Midland, 1400, 3-2, 51.800
46. Portage Central *, 1384, 3-1, 63.000
47. Detroit Pershing, 1379, 3-2, 44.600
48. Southgate Anderson, 1374, 3-2, 50.800
49. Lansing Everett, 1364, 3-2, 53.800
50. Dearborn Edsel Ford, 1356, 3-2, 55.000
51. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1351, 4-1, 75.800
52. Detroit East English, 1345, 4-1, 72.800
53. Portage Northern, 1345, 4-1, 78.400
54. Port Huron, 1336, 4-1, 79.200
55. Grosse Pointe North, 1310, 3-2, 58.400
56. Ypsilanti Community, 1300, 3-2, 56.600
57. Birmingham Brother Rice ^, 1298, 5-0, 97.600
58. North Farmington, 1296, 3-2, 50.200
59. Garden City, 1290, 3-2, 44.600
60. Battle Creek Lakeview *, 1278, 3-1, 75.000
61. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, 1275, 3-2, 47.200
62. Muskegon Mona Shores, 1274, 4-1, 82.200
63. Bay City Central, 1271, 3-2, 49.200
64. Birmingham Groves ^, 1270, 5-0, 86.400
65. Berkley ^, 1265, 5-0, 86.400
66. Flushing, 1260, 4-1, 78.600
67. Midland Dow ^, 1255, 5-0, 91.200
68. South Lyon ^, 1254, 5-0, 99.200
69. Southfield, 1239, 3-2, 57.400
70. Farmington Hills Harrison, 1212, 4-1, 79.000
71. Fenton ^, 1181, 5-0, 96.000
72. Farmington, 1178, 4-1, 72.600
73. Grand Rapids Northview, 1177, 3-2, 52.400
74. Warren Woods Tower ^, 1175, 5-0, 88.000
75. Muskegon ^, 1157, 5-0, 97.600
76. Lowell ^, 1145, 5-0, 86.400
77. Detroit Renaissance, 1144, 3-2, 45.800
78. Greenville, 1130, 4-1, 62.600
79. Gibraltar Carlson, 1129, 3-2, 52.600
80. Battle Creek Central, 1124, 3-2, 50.700
81. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern ^, 1113, 5-0, 86.400
82. Holland, 1109, 3-2, 52.000
83. Detroit Cody, 1096, 3-2, 44.400
84. Marquette, 1090, 4-1, 65.933
85. St. Johns ^, 1088, 5-0, 89.600
86. Byron Center, 1085, 4-1, 72.800
87. Allen Park, 1069, 4-1, 74.400
88. Auburn Hills Avondale, 1056, 3-2, 49.400
89. Orchard Lake St. Mary's ^, 1054, 5-0, 94.400
90. Mt. Pleasant, 1050, 3-2, 60.800
91. St. Joseph, 1028, 3-2, 58.600
92. East Grand Rapids, 986, 3-2, 57.600
93. Petoskey, 965, 4-1, 66.400
94. Trenton, 955, 3-2, 54.000
95. Romulus, 950, 4-1, 56.600
96. Riverview, 935, 4-1, 69.400
97. DeWitt ^, 930, 5-0, 91.200
98. Gaylord, 927, 4-1, 63.000
99. Linden, 921, 3-2, 51.000
100. Detroit Mumford, 919, 3-2, 47.400
101. Clio, 918, 3-2, 50.400
102. Cedar Springs, 910, 4-1, 65.800
103. Grand Rapids Christian, 895, 4-1, 74.400
104. Stevensville Lakeshore, 887, 4-1, 81.700
105. Niles, 885, 4-1, 66.200
106. Carleton Airport, 879, 3-2, 44.600
107. Coldwater ^, 876, 5-0, 70.400
108. Tecumseh, 869, 3-2, 57.200
109. New Boston Huron, 867, 4-1, 71.200
110. Warren Fitzgerald, 857, 3-2, 49.000
111. Zeeland West ^, 850, 5-0, 80.000
112. Dearborn Divine Child, 848, 4-1, 63.600
113. Bay City John Glenn, 847, 3-2, 43.200
114. Battle Creek Harper Creek, 845, 3-2, 44.400
115. St. Clair, 844, 4-1, 68.000
116. Edwardsburg, 839, 4-1, 67.800
117. Chelsea, 838, 4-1, 74.000
118. Detroit Old Redford, 837, 3-2, 44.000
119. Plainwell, 812, 4-1, 66.200
120. Marysville, 806, 3-2, 52.600
121. Spring Lake, 802, 3-2, 49.200
122. Detroit Denby, 800, 3-2, 58.800
123. Vicksburg, 794, 4-1, 67.800
124. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, 790, 3-2, 41.000
125. Eaton Rapids, 773, 3-2, 45.800
126. Cadillac ^, 747, 5-0, 88.000
127. Goodrich, 737, 4-1, 68.000
128. Three Rivers, 722, 3-2, 50.600
129. Dearborn Heights Robichaud ^, 717, 5-0, 75.600
130. Yale, 716, 4-1, 56.600
131. Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy, 691, 3-2, 52.200
132. Detroit Country Day, 690, 3-2, 51.200
133. Muskegon Orchard View, 662, 4-1, 58.000
134. Williamston ^, 659, 5-0, 80.000
135. Paw Paw, 657, 3-2, 47.600
136. Lansing Sexton ^, 652, 5-0, 102.400
137. Whitehall ^, 644, 5-0, 70.400
138. Grosse Ile, 640, 3-2, 46.200
139. Kalamazoo Hackett, 635, 4-1, 54.800
140. Richmond, 630, 4-1, 69.600
141. Grand Rapids South Christian, 623, 3-2, 49.000
142. Wyoming Kelloggsville, 610, 3-2, 44.600
143. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 609, 4-1, 49.800
144. Saginaw Swan Valley ^, 602, 5-0, 70.400
145. Clawson, 589, 3-2, 40.800
146. North Muskegon, 577, 3-2, 38.200
147. Birch Run ^, 575, 5-0, 72.000
148. Remus Chippewa Hills ^, 567, 5-0, 81.600
149. Flint Powers Catholic, 553, 3-2, 57.400
150. Marine City ^, 553, 5-0, 78.400
151. Freeland ^, 549, 5-0, 78.400
152. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, 545, 4-1, 53.600
153. Stanton Central Montcalm, 539, 3-2, 44.200
154. Portland, 538, 3-2, 50.800
155. Menominee ^, 532, 5-0, 83.867
156. Detroit University Prep, 530, 3-2, 46.000
157. River Rouge, 530, 4-1, 67.200
158. Frankenmuth, 528, 4-1, 60.000
159. Gladwin, 528, 4-1, 55.200
160. Ida ^, 527, 5-0, 70.400
161. Hopkins, 522, 4-1, 61.400
162. Grayling, 517, 3-2, 40.850
163. Lansing Catholic ^, 515, 5-0, 80.000
164. Almont ^, 512, 5-0, 73.600
165. Carrollton, 511, 3-2, 37.400
166. Newaygo, 506, 4-1, 61.600
167. Olivet, 505, 4-1, 53.000
168. Berrien Springs, 501, 3-2, 43.800
169. Muskegon Oakridge, 501, 4-1, 55.200
170. Onsted, 499, 4-1, 45.600
171. Chesaning, 480, 4-1, 56.800
172. Manistee, 479, 4-1, 53.400
173. Gladstone, 473, 3-2, 35.000
174. Stockbridge, 462, 4-1, 58.200
175. Reed City, 461, 4-1, 56.600
176. Leslie, 454, 3-2, 37.800
177. Clare, 445, 3-2, 43.200
178. Harrison ^, 444, 5-0, 62.400
179. Kingsley, 439, 3-2, 39.600
180. Grand Rapids West Catholic ^, 438, 5-0, 83.200
181. Lakeview, 426, 4-1, 48.000
182. Beaverton, 422, 3-2, 36.200
183. Calumet, 419, 3-2, 48.133
184. Jonesville, 419, 3-2, 39.800
185. Jackson Lumen Christi ^, 417, 5-0, 76.800
186. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central ^, 417, 5-0, 84.800
187. Negaunee, 417, 3-2, 36.000
188. Millington ^, 414, 5-0, 76.800
189. Warren Michigan Collegiate ^, 414, 5-0, 72.000
190. Fennville, 407, 3-2, 34.600
191. Ithaca ^, 405, 5-0, 72.000
192. Sanford Meridian Early College, 404, 4-1, 45.200
193. Hillsdale, 401, 4-1, 52.000
194. Hanover-Horton, 399, 4-1, 40.600
195. Boyne City ^, 395, 5-0, 65.600
196. Grass Lake ^, 395, 5-0, 56.000
197. Madison Heights Madison, 393, 4-1, 71.200
198. Montrose, 392, 4-1, 53.400
199. Tawas, 385, 4-1, 54.800
200. Elk Rapids, 384, 3-2, 43.000
201. Niles Brandywine, 383, 4-1, 57.800
202. Manchester, 379, 4-1, 55.200
203. Watervliet, 378, 4-1, 47.000
204. Quincy, 375, 3-2, 28.400
205. Vassar, 375, 3-2, 36.800
206. St. Charles, 373, 3-2, 46.200
207. Bad Axe, 371, 3-2, 38.200
208. Constantine ^, 371, 5-0, 66.000
209. Clinton ^, 367, 5-0, 65.600
210. Vandercook Lake, 366, 4-1, 42.200
211. Laingsburg, 361, 4-1, 48.800
212. Schoolcraft, 361, 3-2, 48.400
213. Flint Beecher ^, 350, 5-0, 73.600
214. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, 347, 4-1, 55.000
215. Kent City, 344, 3-2, 34.600
216. Leroy Pine River, 343, 3-2, 41.400
217. Ravenna, 342, 4-1, 48.600
218. Carson City-Crystal, 330, 3-2, 36.000
219. Bridgman *, 327, 3-1, 48.600
220. Ishpeming Westwood, 318, 3-2, 33.200
221. Marlette, 316, 4-1, 49.800
222. Homer ^, 312, 5-0, 57.600
223. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker ^, 308, 5-0, 62.400
224. Ishpeming *, 307, 5-0, 68.800
225. Traverse City St. Francis, 305, 3-2, 41.600
226. Burton Atherton, 304, 4-1, 53.600
227. Pewamo-Westphalia, 302, 4-1, 45.400
228. Dansville, 301, 3-2, 41.400
229. Gobles, 301, 4-1, 55.200
230. Iron Mountain, 298, 3-2, 40.000
231. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 297, 3-2, 49.400
232. Flint Hamady, 295, 4-1, 42.200
233. Union City ^, 294, 5-0, 56.000
234. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 289, 3-2, 36.400
235. Ecorse, 288, 3-2, 38.800
236. Whittemore-Prescott ^, 283, 5-0, 67.200
237. Mancelona, 282, 3-2, 28.400
238. Saugatuck, 281, 3-2, 38.200
239. Detroit Loyola ^, 278, 5-0, 85.200
240. Manton, 276, 3-2, 34.600
241. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, 273, 4-1, 49.800
242. Hudson, 271, 4-1, 45.600
243. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 270, 4-1, 48.600
244. Decatur ^, 262, 5-0, 70.400
245. Lincoln Alcona, 260, 3-2, 35.000
246. Iron River West Iron County ^, 259, 5-0, 67.200
247. New Lothrop ^, 259, 5-0, 68.800
248. Blanchard Montabella, 256, 4-1, 48.200
249. Breckenridge, 247, 3-2, 38.000
250. Reading, 246, 3-2, 33.200
251. Norway, 244, 3-2, 32.767
252. Onekama, 244, 3-2, 28.400
253. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 243, 4-1, 48.800
254. Suttons Bay, 243, 4-1, 51.050
255. Indian River Inland Lakes, 242, 4-1, 42.400
256. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 238, 3-2, 34.800
257. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 237, 4-1, 44.000
258. Petersburg-Summerfield, 233, 3-2, 38.400
259. Harbor Beach ^, 232, 5-0, 65.600
260. Bessemer *, 231, 3-2, 28.467
261. L'Anse, 230, 3-2, 36.600
262. White Pigeon, 226, 3-2, 35.700
263. Beal City ^, 222, 5-0, 68.800
264. Lutheran Westland, 221, 4-1, 50.200
265. Coleman, 217, 4-1, 45.800
266. Mendon, 214, 4-1, 51.800
267. St. Ignace ^, 211, 5-0, 59.200
268. Pittsford, 205, 4-1, 36.800
269. Bark River-Harris, 194, 4-1, 37.300
270. Munising, 194, 4-1, 41.200
271. Central Lake, 190, 3-2, 28.600
272. Fowler ^, 189, 5-0, 62.400
273. Morenci ^, 184, 5-0, 67.200
274. Muskegon Catholic Central ^, 183, 5-0, 81.600
275. Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, 171, 3-2, 40.800
Sailor Nation Works Together to Save Life
December 12, 2019
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
Bob Mirkle calls it a miracle that he’s still alive.
The 74-year-old Norton Shores resident had a brush with death Oct. 18 in front of 7,000 fans packed into Sailor Stadium for the blockbuster Muskegon at Mona Shores football game.
Just as the huge crowd stood for the national anthem, Mirkle was slumping back onto the bleachers from cardiac arrest, later identified as the failure of a heart stent which had been implanted 18 years ago.
“Something’s wrong with grandpa!” screamed his grandson, causing a ruckus in the Mona Shores reserved section, about 10 rows below the press box.
What transpired over the next 30 minutes was an incredible performance by the Mona Shores fans, coaches, media and entire community to save Mirkle’s life. It was a textbook reaction which was lauded by Norton Shores public safety officials – and the Mirkle family.
“We live in a great community,” said Cheryl Mirkle, Bob’s wife, who stayed home that night to babysit two of her grandchildren. “In a lot of other places, he wouldn’t have made it. We were told that 1 out of 9 people who have that situation happen don’t make it. So we believe it was nothing short of a miracle.”
The immediate family surrounding Mirkle – many of whom were at the game to support Shores starting junior linebacker Karsen Marihugh, Bob’s great-nephew, and two other family members who are cheerleaders – helped clear a small area in the packed stands and get Mirkle down flat on his back.
A woman sitting four rows back, who was well trained in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, was able to clear Mirkle’s airway and immediately start chest compressions.
Mark Konecny, a Mona Shores assistant coach and part-time Norton Shores fireman, recognized what was going on and grabbed the automated external defibrillator (AED) on the sidelines and headed up into the stands. Konecny, who was an all-state quarterback for Shores in 1980 and went on to play two years in the NFL with Miami and Philadelphia, was able to connect the defibrillator and shock Mirkle’s heart back into action.
Joe Kinnucan, who was in the press box about to go on the air with a Sailor Nation Sports Network broadcast of the game, threw down his headset and made a beeline for Mirkle, leaving his son Noah to make his unplanned broadcasting debut.
“There was no second thought,” explained Kinnucan, whose full-time job is Deputy Fire Chief for the Norton Shores Fire Department. “You ask any first responder who is truly vested in their work, and they will tell you that they are always on call. I was just happy to be able to help out.”
The huge crowd and both teams, who were wired for one of the state’s biggest regular-season prep football games of the year, briefly put aside the intense rivalry and went dead quiet out of respect. Shores public address announcer Dan Vandermyde even asked those in attendance to say a prayer as Mirkle was carried underneath the bleachers, where Konecny and Kinnucan and others continued working on him as the game began.
Cheryl Mirkle, meanwhile, who was at home and receiving cryptic, panicked phone calls and texts from friends and family, believed that her husband had died. That is until she got a call from her niece, screaming: “He’s breathing! He’s alive!”
Cheryl first saw her husband at Mercy Hospital in Muskegon where, like a true fan, the first words out of his mouth were: “What’s the score?”
The score of that night’s game was surprisingly one-sided: Muskegon 53, Mona Shores 0. Since that shocking night, both Mirkle and the Sailors have been on the recovery trail.
Mirkle underwent heart bypass surgery Oct. 23, five days after the game, and ended up spending 11 days in the hospital. He is back home and even mowed the lawn one day, and will start his therapy sessions this week.
“I’m doing great,” said Mirkle, a retired truck driver and devout fisherman. “I’m getting better and getting ready to start going to therapy. My story has a happy ending.”
As Mirkle was recovering, the Sailors and Big Reds were putting together long playoff runs, with both culminating Thanksgiving weekend in MHSAA Finals appearances at Ford Field in Detroit.
Muskegon’s run came to a disappointing end in a 30-7 loss to River Rouge in the Division 3 championship game.
Mona Shores, meanwhile, continued its magic run under diminutive junior quarterback Brady Rose, upsetting Detroit Martin Luther King, 35-26, in the Division 2 title game.
It capped an amazing rags-to-riches story for Mona Shores, which until recently had become synonymous with losing on the football field. Shores had only one winning season during a 14-year stretch from 1998 to 2012, but ended its playoff drought in 2013 and then made it all the way to the Division 2 championship game in both 2014 and 2018, before taking it all this time.
“We have waited all of these years for Shores to win some football games, and now it’s happening,” said Cheryl, who has been going to games with her husband since the late 1980s when their nephew, Sam Wakefield, was playing for the Sailors. “It really has been an amazing season in so many ways.”
At the community celebration at the school’s gym on Dec. 1, Mona Shores athletic director Todd Conrad praised the community for its support of the team and for rising up and raising funds to help defray the cost of travel en route to the championship.
It was actually the second time this season that the Mona Shores community responded quickly in a time of need.
“The saving of that man’s life was a textbook example of an entire community responding in the right way,” said Kinnucan. “People responded in a split-second with training which they had acquired somewhere along the line.
“Sure, we went on to win a state championship, which is incredible, but it still doesn’t top that moment and how everyone worked together to save his life.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS: (Top left) Bob and Cheryl Mirkle sit for a photo with their three grandchildren during Christmas 2017. (Top right) Joe Kinnucan, far right, returns to the press box Oct. 18 to share with play-by-play partner Nick Davros and their viewers that a man in the stands who was experiencing a cardiac event was “breathing and had a pulse.” (Top below) The Sailor Nation Sports Network crew, from left: Nick Davros, Noah Kinnucan, Connor Fritz, Joe Kinnucan and John Hall (with videographer Kimon Kotos on the roof). (Middle) Bob Mirkle. (Photos courtesy of Joe Kinnucan and Bob Mirkle, respectively.)