2015 Week 6 Football Playoff Listing
September 29, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Here 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. 30. 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. 30.
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 at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 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, 2921, 4-1, 82.200
2. Grand Blanc, 2727, 4-1, 76.000
3. Clarkston, 2707, 3-2, 55.800
4. Utica Eisenhower, 2669, 3-2, 62.000
5. Sterling Heights Stevenson, 2634, 4-1, 72.600
6. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 2611, 4-1, 85.400
7. East Kentwood, 2581, 4-1, 78.800
8. Howell, 2567, 4-1, 74.200
9. Rockford, 2561, 3-2, 60.800
10. Detroit Cass Tech, 2285, 4-1, 76.000
11. Northville ^, 2281, 5-0, 89.600
12. Brighton ^, 2211, 5-0, 94.400
13. Troy Athens, 2153, 3-2, 55.400
14. Detroit Catholic Central, 2138, 4-1, 64.800
15. Utica Ford, 2080, 4-1, 82.400
16. Canton ^, 2076, 5-0, 91.200
17. Monroe, 2066, 3-2, 55.800
18. Lapeer ^, 2059, 5-0, 86.400
19. Plymouth, 2057, 4-1, 72.400
20. Ann Arbor Pioneer ^, 2025, 5-0, 92.800
21. Hartland, 2017, 3-2, 52.600
22. New Baltimore Anchor Bay, 1946, 3-2, 55.000
23. West Bloomfield ^, 1932, 5-0, 96.000
24. Saline ^, 1879, 5-0, 86.400
25. Livonia Stevenson ^, 1831, 5-0, 96.000
26. Warren Mott, 1810, 4-1, 80.600
27. Utica, 1788, 3-2, 59.000
28. Holt, 1788, 3-2, 55.400
29. Davison, 1765, 3-2, 53.600
30. Hudsonville, 1763, 4-1, 78.800
31. Belleville, 1735, 4-1, 72.200
32. Romeo ^, 1673, 5-0, 99.200
33. Grand Ledge ^, 1663, 5-0, 88.000
34. Grosse Pointe South, 1629, 3-2, 57.200
35. Livonia Churchill, 1620, 3-2, 49.400
36. Walled Lake Northern, 1611, 4-1, 76.000
37. Warren DeLaSalle, 1572, 4-1, 77.600
38. Sterling Heights, 1561, 4-1, 67.800
39. Detroit Martin Luther King ^, 1537, 5-0, 100.800
40. Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 1533, 3-2, 50.600
41. Warren Cousino, 1514, 3-2, 52.200
42. Waterford Kettering, 1512, 3-2, 54.200
43. Detroit U-D Jesuit, 1486, 4-1, 65.000
44. Traverse City Central ^, 1474, 5-0, 94.400
45. Walled Lake Western ^, 1462, 5-0, 99.200
46. Midland ^, 1419, 5-0, 88.000
47. Jenison, 1418, 3-2, 60.000
48. Portage Northern, 1375, 3-2, 53.800
49. Lincoln Park, 1363, 4-1, 72.800
50. Portage Central ^, 1351, 5-0, 94.400
51. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1346, 4-1, 77.400
52. Battle Creek Lakeview, 1344, 3-2, 58.600
53. Detroit East English, 1338, 4-1, 69.600
54. Southfield-Lathrup, 1320, 3-2, 49.200
55. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, 1280, 3-2, 49.000
56. Southfield, 1269, 3-2, 62.000
57. North Farmington, 1267, 3-2, 53.400
58. Port Huron Northern, 1260, 3-2, 50.000
59. Midland Dow, 1256, 4-1, 67.600
60. Birmingham Groves ^, 1248, 5-0, 83.200
61. Berkley, 1248, 4-1, 62.800
62. Royal Oak, 1248, 3-2, 50.200
63. Jackson, 1244, 3-2, 50.600
64. Flushing, 1242, 3-2, 55.400
65. Muskegon Mona Shores ^, 1239, 5-0, 97.600
66. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 1222, 3-2, 48.800
67. Farmington Hills Harrison, 1218, 4-1, 75.800
68. Farmington, 1176, 3-2, 75.817
69. Lowell, 1168, 4-1, 82.400
70. Gibraltar Carlson, 1140, 3-2, 52.400
71. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern ^, 1124, 5-0, 92.800
72. Muskegon, 1113, 4-1, 82.200
73. Fenton, 1108, 4-1, 75.600
74. Byron Center, 1070, 4-1, 71.200
75. Holly, 1068, 3-2, 60.400
76. Redford Thurston, 1064, 3-2, 58.800
77. Mt. Pleasant, 1061, 3-2, 60.800
78. Ortonville-Brandon, 1060, 3-2, 53.600
79. Allen Park, 1058, 4-1, 74.200
80. St. Johns, 1053, 4-1, 80.600
81. Zeeland East, 1040, 3-2, 64.400
82. Mason, 1033, 3-2, 54.200
83. Orchard Lake St. Mary's *^, 1032, 4-1, 79.267
84. Hamtramck, 984, 3-2, 44.800
85. St. Joseph, 980, 4-1, 77.200
86. East Grand Rapids, 975, 4-1, 79.000
87. Petoskey, 970, 4-1, 64.600
88. DeWitt ^, 960, 5-0, 96.000
89. Romulus, 956, 4-1, 72.800
90. Trenton ^, 953, 5-0, 89.600
91. Linden, 947, 4-1, 77.600
92. Cedar Springs, 943, 3-2, 47.600
93. Gaylord, 940, 4-1, 63.600
94. Sturgis, 926, 4-1, 64.200
95. Riverview, 912, 3-2, 41.400
96. Grand Rapids Christian, 905, 3-2, 52.400
97. Parma Western, 876, 3-2, 47.800
98. Haslett, 875, 3-2, 57.000
99. Stevensville Lakeshore, 874, 3-2, 60.400
100. Fruitport, 865, 3-2, 44.200
101. Coldwater ^, 863, 5-0, 86.400
102. Marshall, 863, 4-1, 74.400
103. Vicksburg, 858, 3-2, 49.400
104. Edwardsburg ^, 851, 5-0, 80.000
105. Sault Ste. Marie, 850, 3-2, 61.600
106. Bay City John Glenn, 847, 3-2, 47.600
107. Chelsea ^, 845, 5-0, 81.600
108. Zeeland West ^, 840, 5-0, 84.800
109. Detroit Mumford, 837, 3-2, 53.800
110. Ada Forest Hills Eastern ^, 828, 5-0, 80.000
111. Milan, 820, 4-1, 67.800
112. Battle Creek Harper Creek, 816, 3-2, 47.200
113. Plainwell, 807, 3-2, 44.000
114. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood ^, 794, 5-0, 67.200
115. Marysville, 783, 3-2, 53.800
116. Holland Christian, 759, 3-2, 47.800
117. North Branch, 758, 3-2, 45.400
118. Goodrich, 754, 3-2, 50.600
119. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 728, 4-1, 71.000
120. Detroit Douglass, 718, 3-2, 43.800
121. Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy, 692, 3-2, 49.200
122. Detroit Country Day, 685, 4-1, 64.600
123. Comstock Park, 682, 4-1, 74.400
124. Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy, 681, 4-1, 47.200
125. St. Clair Shores South Lake ^, 668, 5-0, 88.000
126. Croswell-Lexington, 668, 4-1, 53.400
127. Hudsonville Unity Christian, 665, 3-2, 39.400
128. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 658, 4-1, 77.400
129. Williamston, 657, 4-1, 67.800
130. Corunna, 656, 4-1, 62.800
131. Whitehall, 656, 3-2, 48.000
132. Paw Paw, 653, 3-2, 49.400
133. Alma, 642, 3-2, 47.600
134. Wyoming Kelloggsville, 640, 3-2, 39.600
135. Detroit Collegiate Prep ^, 632, 5-0, 78.400
136. Benton Harbor, 631, 3-2, 57.000
137. Lake Fenton, 625, 4-1, 60.000
138. Lake Odessa Lakewood ^, 624, 5-0, 68.800
139. Saginaw Swan Valley, 613, 3-2, 48.800
140. Dowagiac, 611, 3-2, 44.400
141. Flint Powers Catholic, 610, 3-2, 57.000
142. Big Rapids, 609, 4-1, 56.400
143. Richmond, 605, 4-1, 68.000
144. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 602, 3-2, 36.200
145. Remus Chippewa Hills, 600, 4-1, 59.600
146. River Rouge ^, 593, 5-0, 81.600
147. Clawson, 592, 4-1, 53.000
148. Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 573, 4-1, 64.600
149. Gladwin, 571, 3-2, 42.400
150. Portland ^, 563, 5-0, 84.800
151. Freeland ^, 563, 5-0, 83.200
152. Essexville Garber, 557, 3-2, 47.600
153. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, 556, 4-1, 60.200
154. Ida ^, 548, 5-0, 81.600
155. Kingsford, 547, 3-2, 50.000
156. Marine City, 540, 3-2, 44.800
157. Muskegon Oakridge, 538, 4-1, 49.800
158. Algonac ^, 532, 5-0, 70.400
159. Frankenmuth ^, 529, 5-0, 72.000
160. Olivet, 524, 3-2, 41.000
161. Chesaning, 523, 3-2, 46.000
162. Detroit Henry Ford, 523, 3-2, 37.800
163. Lansing Catholic, 517, 4-1, 66.400
164. Almont ^, 513, 5-0, 70.400
165. Onsted, 509, 4-1, 48.800
166. Detroit Central Collegiate, 508, 3-2, 40.800
167. Berrien Springs ^, 495, 5-0, 71.200
168. Stockbridge, 493, 4-1, 61.600
169. Parchment, 493, 4-1, 48.000
170. Reed City ^, 491, 5-0, 61.600
171. Ovid-Elsie, 491, 3-2, 48.000
172. Grayling, 489, 4-1, 59.800
173. Standish-Sterling Central, 489, 3-2, 39.000
174. Dundee, 489, 3-2, 32.600
175. Clinton Township Clintondale, 486, 3-2, 50.600
176. Menominee ^, 480, 5-0, 82.133
177. Harper Woods, 476, 4-1, 47.000
178. Manistee ^, 469, 5-0, 66.000
179. Brooklyn Columbia Central, 463, 4-1, 60.000
180. Buchanan ^, 459, 5-0, 72.000
181. Grand Rapids West Catholic, 442, 3-2, 52.600
182. Kalkaska, 437, 3-2, 37.800
183. Harrison, 430, 4-1, 54.600
184. Hillsdale, 430, 3-2, 43.000
185. Jackson Lumen Christi, 426, 4-1, 67.800
186. Warren Michigan Collegiate, 421, 3-2, 47.800
187. Calumet, 419, 3-2, 44.267
188. Lakeview, 417, 3-2, 39.000
189. Sanford Meridian Early College ^, 408, 5-0, 67.200
190. Michigan Center, 406, 3-2, 34.200
191. Detroit Pershing, 405, 3-2, 37.600
192. Ithaca ^, 402, 5-0, 67.200
193. Byron, 399, 3-2, 39.800
194. Millington, 398, 4-1, 64.800
195. Delton Kellogg, 398, 4-1, 56.400
196. Montague ^, 396, 5-0, 68.800
197. Burton Bendle, 393, 4-1, 50.400
198. Oscoda, 391, 4-1, 40.200
199. Detroit Edison Public School Academy, 390, 3-2, 28.000
200. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central ^, 389, 5-0, 84.800
201. Morley Stanwood, 386, 3-2, 42.600
202. Negaunee ^, 385, 5-0, 65.600
203. Constantine, 385, 3-2, 43.000
204. Maple City Glen Lake, 384, 4-1, 48.600
205. Boyne City, 383, 4-1, 52.000
206. Niles Brandywine, 380, 3-2, 37.800
207. Adrian Madison, 379, 3-2, 36.600
208. Vassar, 377, 4-1, 47.000
209. Mason County Central, 376, 3-2, 39.600
210. St. Louis, 374, 3-2, 37.800
211. Laingsburg, 373, 4-1, 45.400
212. Watervliet, 372, 4-1, 56.800
213. Madison Heights Madison, 367, 4-1, 68.000
214. Manchester, 365, 4-1, 45.600
215. Schoolcraft ^, 357, 5-0, 65.600
216. Charlevoix, 350, 3-2, 31.600
217. Leroy Pine River, 349, 3-2, 42.800
218. Quincy, 346, 3-2, 34.000
219. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian ^, 345, 5-0, 67.200
220. Lawton ^, 342, 5-0, 60.800
221. Vandercook Lake ^, 341, 5-0, 59.200
222. Clinton ^, 335, 5-0, 64.000
223. Traverse City St. Francis ^, 320, 5-0, 75.200
224. Hesperia ^, 310, 5-0, 62.400
225. Sandusky ^, 310, 5-0, 62.400
226. Iron Mountain, 309, 3-2, 36.800
227. McBain, 307, 4-1, 56.800
228. Cass City, 304, 4-1, 46.800
229. Bridgman, 303, 4-1, 52.000
230. Gobles, 301, 3-2, 41.000
231. Union City, 298, 3-2, 34.600
232. Marlette, 298, 3-2, 34.200
233. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, 296, 3-2, 39.400
234. Homer, 294, 4-1, 48.400
235. Pewamo-Westphalia ^, 292, 5-0, 60.800
236. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 292, 3-2, 36.000
237. Flint Hamady ^, 291, 5-0, 59.200
238. Dansville, 289, 4-1, 47.200
239. Springport, 287, 3-2, 33.200
240. Saginaw Nouvel, 285, 4-1, 58.000
241. Riverview Gabriel Richard ^, 284, 5-0, 64.000
242. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 282, 3-2, 42.200
243. Harbor Springs, 281, 3-2, 24.800
244. Ishpeming *, 278, 5-0, 64.000
245. Flint Beecher, 278, 4-1, 59.800
246. New Lothrop ^, 276, 5-0, 72.000
247. Detroit Loyola, 276, 4-1, 71.000
248. Saugatuck ^, 271, 5-0, 62.400
249. Ubly, 271, 3-2, 39.800
250. Cassopolis, 270, 3-2, 38.400
251. Concord, 267, 4-1, 51.800
252. Decatur, 266, 3-2, 36.400
253. Lincoln Alcona, 265, 4-1, 33.800
254. Unionville-Sebewaing, 262, 4-1, 48.800
255. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 255, 4-1, 40.600
256. Indian River Inland Lakes, 251, 4-1, 42.400
257. Onekama, 250, 4-1, 40.600
258. Petersburg-Summerfield, 240, 4-1, 47.000
259. Beal City, 228, 4-1, 53.000
260. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 226, 4-1, 44.000
261. St. Ignace ^, 225, 5-0, 59.200
262. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary ^, 223, 5-0, 65.600
263. Mayville, 217, 4-1, 40.800
264. L'Anse, 215, 3-2, 42.600
265. Pittsford, 211, 4-1, 40.600
266. Newberry, 211, 3-2, 36.400
267. Marcellus, 209, 3-2, 29.800
268. Vestaburg, 205, 4-1, 39.000
269. Bark River-Harris ^, 194, 5-0, 52.800
270. Morenci, 191, 4-1, 55.200
271. Munising, 191, 4-1, 44.667
272. Central Lake, 189, 3-2, 25.400
273. Fowler, 183, 4-1, 43.800
274. Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, 178, 3-2, 38.200
275. Muskegon Catholic Central *, 177, 3-1, 55.000
276. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 170, 4-1, 34.800
277. Climax-Scotts ^, 163, 5-0, 46.400
278. Crystal Falls Forest Park *, 163, 3-2, 33.467
279. Frankfort, 160, 4-1, 53.400
280. Waterford Our Lady ^, 157, 5-0, 67.200
281. Lake Linden-Hubbell ^, 155, 5-0, 56.800
282. Colon, 153, 3-2, 33.800
283. Hillman, 146, 4-1, 35.400
284. Bay City All Saints, 118, 3-2, 28.200
8-Player Playoff Listing
1. Owendale-Gagetown, 49, 5-0, 50.400
2. Powers North Central, 198, 5-0, 49.600
3. Posen, 84, 5-0, 48.000
4. Waldron, 88, 5-0, 46.400
5. Deckerville, 178, 5-0, 44.800
6. Battle Creek St. Philip, 144, 5-0, 43.200
7. Rapid River, 111, 4-1, 40.400
8. Cedarville, 144, 4-1, 37.400
9. Lawrence, 189, 5-0, 36.800
10. Morrice, 169, 4-1, 36.000
11. New Haven Merritt Academy, 148, 4-1, 33.600
12. Peck, 152, 4-1, 32.600
13. Portland St. Patrick, 87, 4-1, 31.200
14. Webberville, 184, 4-1, 29.600
15. Stephenson, 186, 3-2, 28.400
16. Engadine, 85, 3-2, 28.400
17. Pickford, 164, 3-2, 27.000
18. Onaway, 196, 3-2, 26.800
19. Akron-Fairgrove, 99, 3-2, 25.050
20. Bellaire, 134, 3-2, 24.000
21. Baraga, 164, 3-2, 23.600
22. Marion, 145, 2-3, 20.600
23. Kingston, 187, 2-3, 18.200
24. Kinde-North Huron, 147, 2-3, 17.600
25. Tekonsha, 148, 2-3, 16.400
26. Caseville, 91, 2-3, 15.800
27. Big Rapids Crossroads Academy, 190, 1-4, 12.250
28. Ewen-Trout Creek, 126, 1-4, 10.400
29. Burr Oak, 75, 1-4, 8.800
30. St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy, 108, 1-4, 8.400
31. Eben Junction Superior Central, 123, 1-4, 8.200
32. Ontonagon, 129, 1-4, 8.000
33. Hale, 132, 1-4, 7.850
34. St Joseph Michigan Lutheran, 103, 0-5, 3.600
35. Carsonville-Port Sanilac, 120, 0-5, 2.400
36. Litchfield, 92, 0-5, 2.400
37. Pellston, 170, 0-5, 1.800
38. Flint Michigan School For The Deaf, 47, 0-4, 1.800
39. Covert, 91, 0-3, 1.650
40. Brimley, 142, 0-5, 1.600
Lung Transplant Survivor Inspires, Teaches Through Football
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
September 1, 2021
ADRIAN – As the final seconds ticked off the clock in the 2019 Division 8 Regional Football Final at Reading, Adrian Lenawee Christian assistant coach Jon Willett started looking for his wife.
Reading would be going on to play the next week, while the LCS’s season was over. Willett desperately needed oxygen. He could barely breath.
Hillary Willett, Jon’s wife, pulled the car as close to the Reading field as she could, and Jon opened the door.
“I got in the car and sat down,” Willett said. “And I looked at her and I said, ‘I just coached my last game.’”
As miracles go, Willett was wrong. Less than two months after that football game that Willett thought was his last, he underwent a double lung transplant at the University of Michigan Hospital. He still doesn’t know how he survived so long, but is certain there was divine intervention.
“I’ve always had a close relationship with Jesus Christ,” Willett said. “And I’ve always been passionate about football. I always thought that if I survived, I would use football as a tool to reach younger people. I’m doing that today.”
Willett helped coach the Cougars to last season’s 8-Player Division 1 championship and is back on the sidelines this season, coaching the Cougars JV team and continuing to serve as an assistant with the varsity.
He even gets in on some drills now and then, such as doing push-ups with the quarterbacks.
“Jon has been with me for seven or eight years,” LCS varsity head coach Bill Wilharms said. “He’s a great man and a great football coach. The kids love having him around, and he loves them. I love coaching with him, and he’s a big part of our coaching family.”
Willett grew up in Sand Creek, about 10 minutes south of Adrian in Lenawee County. He played on some outstanding Aggies football teams for Hall of Fame coach Ernie Ayers. Willett led the 1990 Aggies in rushing, finishing just shy of 1,000 yards his senior season.
He got into coaching when his sons, Noah and Isaiah, began playing flag football.
“I coached them in flag football, then in Pop Warner,” Willett said. “I love coaching football. When Noah was in middle school I coached him one year, then became an assistant for the varsity.”
Wilharms tabbed Willett to be the JV head coach, a position he’s held for the last couple of years. He also coaches varsity wide receivers and defensive backs and will assist the LCS scout team quarterbacks at practice. He jumps in whenever needed.
Sometimes, it’s as a motivational speaker.
“I share my testimony whenever possible,” Willett said. “I tell my players that life is short. You never know how long you are going to have. You truly don’t. You have to live your life to the fullest.”
Willett first was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis – chronic, progressive lung disease – in April 2017 when he visited the doctor due to a constant cough and shortness of breath. The prognosis was not good.
“The doctor said at that point I had 65-percent capacity of my lungs,” he said. “They gave me three to five years unless I could get a double lung transplant. They said that would be the only option and that there was no cure.”
Willett believed the doctors, of course, but admits he wasn’t the best patient.
“I figured if I could make it 10 years, my kids would be out of school,” he said.
The disease had other ideas. While he was put on oxygen due to shortness of breath, his LCS football players had no idea.
“I never did it in front of them,” he said. “I should have. I wasn’t a very good patient. I was wanting to be with the team. I wanted to coach.”
In July 2019, he noticed a big change.
“My lung capacity had dropped,” he said.
He continued to coach. He had some doctors’ appointments here and there but remained coaching the entire season.
“It was a mental thing,” he said. “I wanted to get through the season.”
He rode the bus to the LCS-Reading game. When the game was over, he told Wilharms that he had to go home.
“I told Coach Wilharms that I was just getting in the car with my wife,” he said. “She pulled the car up to the gate because it was so hard to walk. I couldn’t get air because of not having oxygen.”
When he told his wife that he thought he would never coach again, she said no.
“She looked at me and she said, ‘(You’ve coached your last game) with those lungs.’”
By Christmas of 2019, Willett had been in and out of the hospital on numerous occasions. He was on oxygen tanks around the clock. He went home at Christmas, believing it was his last.
“I said I want to go home. I think it’s my last Christmas. I wanted to be with my family,” he recalled.
When he returned to the hospital after Christmas, his son Noah sat in the backseat during the car ride changing out oxygen tanks every few minutes just to keep his father alive. Willett’s oxygen levels were dangerously low.
“When I got to U-M, there was a whole team of people waiting for me. They worked on me and sent me up to ICU. It was bleak,” he said.
The LCS community sent out word via social media to pray for Coach Willett, his wife, two sons and two daughters, Emily and Abigail. Willett said those prayers were answered.
Willett was told by doctors he had to have a double lung transplant within 24 hours, or he would die. Seven hours and 13 minutes later, the doctor walked in, with tears in his eyes, and told the family they found a match.
Willett is feeling better now. In February of this year, about a month after Willett watched from the sidelines as LCS won the championship in Brighton, the medications he had been on took hold and he began to improve.
When the season started this summer, Willett was no doubt going to be part of the Cougars staff.
“Everything is very stable right now,” he said. “My lungs keep getting better. I can tell at football practice, walking from end zone to end zone, I’m feeling better. I’m building up. That exercise helps.”
Some day he plans on reaching out to the family of the person who donated lungs to him. For now, he’s grateful to be alive and thankful for every moment he gets to spend coaching football.
“I’m feeling great and loving the opportunity I have to keep coaching and be with the kids,” Willett said. “The story I get to share with my players is truly a miracle. God took me to the point where it was 100 percent out of my control.
“If I can use football as a tool to keep talking to the youth and help them become better men, I’m going to do that. Football is what drives me.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Lenawee Christian head varsity coach Bill Wilharms (holding football) gives assistant Jon Willett a hug after last season’s 8-Player Division 1 Final win. (Middle) Willett returned to the sideline a year after a double lung transplant. (Below) Willett serves as junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant. (Photos by Jeff Jameson/Lenawee Christian Schools.)