2017 Week 6 Football Playoff Listing
September 26, 2017
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.
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. 27. 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 32 programs will then be divided into two divisions of 16 each based on enrollment. The playoff in that division also begins Oct. 27.
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. on Oct. 22 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, 3016, 4-1, 72.800
2. Dearborn Fordson, 2741, 5-0, 92.800
3. Utica Eisenhower, 2689, 5-0, 108.800
4. Grand Blanc, 2660, 5-0, 92.800
5. East Kentwood, 2639, 4-1, 72.600
6. Clarkston, 2603, 4-1, 82.000
7. Rockford, 2485, 3-2, 59.000
8. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 2434, 4-1, 79.200
9. Detroit Cass Tech *, 2434, 3-1, 56.600
10. Troy, 2422, 4-1, 75.600
11. Southfield Arts & Technology, 2345, 3-2, 52.600
12. Brighton, 2247, 3-2, 60.200
13. Canton, 2212, 4-1, 76.000
14. Holland West Ottawa, 2200, 4-1, 69.600
15. Detroit Catholic Central, 2080, 3-2, 56.000
16. West Bloomfield, 1990, 3-2, 63.400
17. New Baltimore Anchor Bay, 1956, 5-0, 89.600
18. Monroe, 1934, 3-2, 53.067
19. Utica, 1907, 3-2, 57.200
20. Saline *, 1869, 4-1, 75.600
21. Bloomfield Hills, 1842, 3-2, 55.600
22. Lapeer, 1837, 4-1, 72.600
23. Livonia Stevenson, 1811, 4-1, 77.200
24. Walled Lake Central, 1804, 3-2, 59.000
25. White Lake Lakeland, 1765, 4-1, 78.800
26. Romeo, 1753, 3-2, 56.600
27. Holt, 1752, 3-2, 47.000
28. Grandville, 1750, 4-1, 77.400
29. Grand Ledge, 1726, 4-1, 79.000
30. Warren Mott, 1712, 3-2, 52.400
31. Belleville, 1709, 5-0, 97.600
32. Detroit Western International, 1701, 3-2, 48.800
33. Davison, 1695, 5-0, 92.800
34. Walled Lake Northern, 1678, 3-2, 48.800
35. Grosse Pointe South, 1644, 3-2, 59.850
36. Rochester Adams, 1626, 4-1, 75.600
37. Waterford Mott, 1586, 4-1, 79.000
38. Traverse City West, 1582, 5-0, 97.600
39. Brownstown Woodhaven, 1569, 3-2, 52.800
40. Temperance Bedford, 1548, 4-1, 71.000
41. Warren DeLaSalle, 1538, 4-1, 75.267
42. Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 1502, 3-2, 49.600
43. Livonia Churchill, 1486, 4-1, 79.000
44. Livonia Franklin, 1469, 3-2, 52.400
45. Jenison, 1457, 3-2, 52.800
46. Roseville, 1412, 3-2, 53.800
47. Detroit Martin Luther King, 1404, 4-1, 64.267
48. Dearborn Edsel Ford, 1396, 3-2, 48.000
49. Oak Park, 1395, 4-1, 77.600
50. Portage Central, 1353, 4-1, 79.200
51. Traverse City Central, 1345, 3-2, 55.800
52. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1345, 5-0, 91.200
53. Royal Oak, 1332, 3-2, 50.400
54. Okemos, 1326, 4-1, 63.000
55. Walled Lake Western, 1318, 4-1, 77.400
56. Midland, 1316, 4-1, 74.400
57. Flushing, 1312, 4-1, 75.800
58. Birmingham Groves, 1300, 4-1, 74.200
59. Port Huron Northern, 1277, 4-1, 67.800
60. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, 1273, 3-2, 50.800
61. Pinckney, 1272, 4-1, 74.200
62. Detroit East English, 1270, 5-0, 76.800
63. Midland Dow, 1263, 4-1, 69.200
64. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 1258, 5-0, 94.400
65. Muskegon Mona Shores, 1238, 5-0, 105.600
66. Ypsilanti Lincoln, 1222, 3-2, 55.400
67. Lowell, 1195, 4-1, 79.200
68. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 1186, 3-2, 48.000
69. Ferndale, 1180, 4-1, 67.600
70. Mattawan, 1171, 3-2, 54.000
71. Holly, 1166, 3-2, 54.000
72. Fenton, 1163, 5-0, 94.400
73. Holland, 1140, 4-1, 63.200
74. Hamtramck, 1135, 3-2, 49.000
75. Detroit Renaissance, 1131, 3-2, 47.600
76. Gibraltar Carlson, 1125, 5-0, 97.600
77. Bay City Central, 1116, 3-2, 55.800
78. East Lansing, 1108, 3-2, 52.600
79. Redford Thurston *, 1102, 4-1, 61.000
80. Warren Woods Tower, 1095, 5-0, 91.200
81. Byron Center, 1083, 3-2, 54.000
82. Muskegon, 1058, 5-0, 99.200
83. St Joseph, 1043, 4-1, 76.000
84. Auburn Hills Avondale, 1033, 3-2, 61.800
85. Farmington Hills Harrison, 1030, 3-2, 59.000
86. East Grand Rapids, 1010, 5-0, 96.000
87. DeWitt, 994, 4-1, 72.800
88. Zeeland East, 994, 5-0, 88.000
89. St. Johns, 990, 3-2, 49.000
90. Ortonville-Brandon, 969, 3-2, 54.200
91. Zeeland West, 960, 3-2, 60.600
92. Melvindale, 956, 3-2, 55.400
93. Cedar Springs, 946, 3-2, 54.000
94. Coldwater, 933, 4-1, 62.200
95. Riverview, 928, 4-1, 66.000
96. Detroit Cody, 924, 3-2, 49.200
97. Linden, 924, 4-1, 79.200
98. Trenton, 911, 3-2, 55.400
99. Warren Fitzgerald, 903, 4-1, 66.400
100. Grand Rapids Christian, 896, 5-0, 97.600
101. Stevensville Lakeshore, 891, 5-0, 100.800
102. Hazel Park, 889, 3-2, 60.600
103. Battle Creek Harper Creek, 884, 5-0, 78.400
104. Parma Western, 880, 4-1, 64.200
105. New Boston Huron, 877, 4-1, 65.800
106. Adrian, 865, 3-2, 53.800
107. Romulus, 864, 3-2, 49.400
108. Haslett, 856, 4-1, 69.200
109. Carleton Airport, 855, 3-2, 46.000
110. Dearborn Divine Child, 852, 5-0, 83.200
111. Tecumseh, 850, 3-2, 55.200
112. Chelsea, 841, 4-1, 75.600
113. River Rouge, 836, 4-1, 72.800
114. Edwardsburg, 835, 5-0, 73.600
115. Detroit Mumford, 829, 4-1, 66.200
116. Coopersville, 824, 3-2, 49.200
117. Wayland Union, 816, 3-2, 50.600
118. Sparta, 815, 4-1, 58.000
119. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 812, 4-1, 61.600
120. Marysville, 808, 3-2, 46.200
121. Plainwell, 808, 4-1, 61.400
122. Vicksburg, 801, 4-1, 63.000
123. Ionia, 792, 3-2, 47.000
124. Milan, 772, 3-2, 44.400
125. Madison Heights Lamphere, 768, 3-2, 41.000
126. Detroit Old Redford, 763, 3-2, 39.400
127. Goodrich, 759, 4-1, 58.200
128. Escanaba, 739, 4-1, 64.200
129. Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy, 727, 3-2, 46.150
130. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 718, 4-1, 52.000
131. Three Rivers, 707, 4-1, 70.600
132. Armada, 685, 3-2, 44.600
133. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 679, 5-0, 64.000
134. Wyoming Kelloggsville, 678, 5-0, 73.600
135. Romulus Summit Academy North, 674, 4-1, 58.200
136. Yale, 672, 3-2, 36.400
137. Paw Paw, 662, 3-2, 47.800
138. Whitehall, 661, 3-2, 46.400
139. Lake Fenton, 660, 4-1, 66.400
140. Flat Rock, 658, 3-2, 53.400
141. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 646, 5-0, 68.800
142. Alma, 642, 5-0, 76.800
143. Comstock Park, 636, 4-1, 64.400
144. Corunna, 633, 3-2, 44.200
145. Williamston, 628, 3-2, 49.200
146. Lansing Sexton, 620, 3-2, 55.000
147. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 608, 5-0, 76.800
148. Hudsonville Unity Christian, 606, 3-2, 53.800
149. Grand Rapids South Christian, 602, 4-1, 66.400
150. Belding, 597, 4-1, 61.600
151. Bridgeport, 594, 3-2, 44.800
152. Muskegon Oakridge, 592, 4-1, 59.600
153. Saginaw Swan Valley, 586, 4-1, 69.600
154. Hancock, 584, 4-1, 51.933
155. Macomb Lutheran North, 581, 3-2, 40.000
156. North Muskegon, 579, 3-2, 38.200
157. Freeland, 564, 4-1, 61.400
158. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, 555, 5-0, 68.800
159. Olivet, 552, 5-0, 76.800
160. Lansing Catholic, 551, 4-1, 66.200
161. Remus Chippewa Hills, 550, 4-1, 61.400
162. Kingsford *, 542, 3-1, 64.933
163. Algonac, 534, 4-1, 58.200
164. Portland, 534, 4-1, 72.400
165. Frankenmuth, 528, 5-0, 80.000
166. Carrollton, 520, 4-1, 58.200
167. Ida, 520, 4-1, 54.800
168. Marine City, 514, 4-1, 74.400
169. Grant, 512, 3-2, 42.800
170. Kalkaska, 512, 3-2, 34.400
171. Richmond, 510, 5-0, 78.400
172. Grand Rapids West Catholic, 505, 4-1, 63.000
173. Onsted, 505, 4-1, 50.000
174. Reed City, 501, 4-1, 61.600
175. Almont, 494, 4-1, 59.800
176. Gladstone, 493, 5-0, 64.000
177. Grayling, 492, 4-1, 55.200
178. Perry, 489, 3-2, 38.400
179. Berrien Springs, 484, 4-1, 54.600
180. Coloma, 480, 4-1, 48.400
181. Menominee, 479, 4-1, 62.533
182. Kalamazoo Hackett, 474, 4-1, 50.400
183. Newaygo, 474, 3-2, 47.600
184. Detroit Denby *, 461, 4-0, 68.800
185. Ovid-Elsie, 458, 4-1, 51.800
186. Clare, 457, 4-1, 61.600
187. Detroit Voyageur, 446, 4-1, 56.400
188. Parchment, 443, 4-1, 56.400
189. Boyne City, 428, 5-0, 72.000
190. Brooklyn Columbia Central, 426, 3-2, 50.800
191. Michigan Center, 419, 4-1, 54.800
192. Harrison, 410, 3-2, 36.600
193. Montague, 409, 5-0, 78.400
194. Millington, 407, 5-0, 76.800
195. Hemlock, 405, 3-2, 39.000
196. Morley Stanwood, 405, 5-0, 60.800
197. Ithaca, 403, 5-0, 70.400
198. Clinton Township Clintondale, 401, 5-0, 81.600
199. Calumet, 396, 3-2, 37.633
200. Byron, 387, 3-2, 49.200
201. Constantine, 386, 3-2, 36.200
202. Detroit Henry Ford, 385, 3-2, 28.300
203. Warren Michigan Collegiate, 382, 5-0, 78.400
204. Montrose, 381, 4-1, 59.800
205. Quincy, 376, 3-2, 44.600
206. Kent City, 375, 5-0, 64.000
207. Napoleon, 373, 3-2, 49.000
208. Schoolcraft, 372, 4-1, 53.400
209. Blissfield, 371, 3-2, 52.600
210. Niles Brandywine, 370, 3-2, 32.800
211. Detroit Central, 369, 4-1, 58.350
212. Laingsburg, 367, 4-1, 42.200
213. Grass Lake, 365, 3-2, 34.200
214. Traverse City St. Francis, 362, 5-0, 76.000
215. Jackson Lumen Christi, 361, 4-1, 64.800
216. Houghton Lake, 357, 3-2, 43.000
217. Watervliet, 355, 5-0, 68.000
218. Beaverton, 353, 5-0, 72.000
219. Elk Rapids, 353, 4-1, 55.200
220. Burton Bendle, 352, 3-2, 31.800
221. L'Anse, 351, 4-1, 49.533
222. Vermontville Maple Valley, 346, 3-2, 32.000
223. Allen Park Cabrini, 344, 3-2, 31.400
224. Hanover-Horton, 342, 3-2, 34.600
225. Ishpeming Westwood, 342, 4-1, 47.200
226. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 341, 5-0, 54.400
227. Lake City, 333, 5-0, 72.000
228. Oscoda, 332, 4-1, 42.400
229. Detroit Delta Prep, 329, 3-2, 49.600
230. St Louis, 329, 3-2, 36.400
231. Flint Hamady, 327, 3-2, 43.000
232. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, 327, 5-0, 72.000
233. Union City, 327, 5-0, 64.000
234. Madison Heights Madison, 323, 5-0, 77.867
235. Hartford, 318, 4-1, 47.200
236. McBain, 314, 4-1, 52.000
237. New Lothrop, 311, 5-0, 67.200
238. Clinton, 309, 3-2, 37.600
239. Harbor Springs, 306, 3-2, 35.600
240. Pewamo-Westphalia, 305, 4-1, 51.400
241. Reese, 301, 3-2, 42.800
242. Homer, 299, 3-2, 41.000
243. Saugatuck, 297, 3-2, 42.800
244. Saranac, 285, 4-1, 48.600
245. Springport, 285, 3-2, 35.000
246. Cass City, 282, 4-1, 56.600
247. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 279, 5-0, 55.600
248. Evart, 270, 3-2, 34.600
249. Cassopolis, 268, 5-0, 60.800
250. Unionville-Sebewaing, 267, 3-2, 36.400
251. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, 263, 4-1, 55.200
252. Hudson, 263, 5-0, 72.000
253. Reading, 263, 4-1, 54.600
254. Carson City-Crystal, 258, 3-2, 34.600
255. Breckenridge, 254, 4-1, 45.600
256. Addison, 253, 4-1, 48.600
257. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian *, 248, 3-1, 43.600
258. Beal City, 247, 3-2, 33.400
259. Iron River West Iron County, 245, 4-1, 45.733
260. Ubly, 243, 4-1, 50.200
261. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 239, 5-0, 64.000
262. St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic, 238, 3-2, 31.750
263. Petersburg-Summerfield, 235, 4-1, 50.400
264. Decatur, 234, 3-2, 35.000
265. Lincoln Alcona, 233, 4-1, 45.600
266. Norway, 230, 5-0, 62.667
267. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 228, 3-2, 32.600
268. White Pigeon, 228, 3-2, 35.200
269. Harbor Beach, 218, 4-1, 50.400
270. Saginaw Nouvel, 208, 5-0, 63.467
271. Mendon, 205, 5-0, 62.400
272. Newberry *, 205, 3-2, 32.800
273. Pittsford, 204, 4-1, 51.800
274. Morenci, 200, 3-2, 39.800
275. Munising, 200, 3-2, 30.200
276. Bark River-Harris, 197, 3-2, 38.000
277. Muskegon Heights Academy, 188, 3-2, 44.200
278. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 181, 4-1, 43.800
279. Athens, 181, 4-1, 35.800
280. Gaylord St. Mary, 173, 5-0, 64.000
281. Frankfort *, 170, 4-1, 45.550
282. Muskegon Catholic Central *, 169, 4-0, 68.000
283. Fulton-Middleton, 167, 3-2, 30.000
284. Climax-Scotts, 162, 4-1, 43.800
285. AuGres-Sims *, 148, 5-0, 59.200
286. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, 133, 3-2, 33.000
287. Waterford Our Lady *, 124, 3-1, 35.200
288. Clarkston Everest Collegiate, 112, 4-1, 46.000
8-Player Playoff Listing
1. Deckerville, 182, 5-0, 52.800
2. Onekama, 136, 5-0, 52.800
3. Rapid River, 118, 5-0, 49.200
4. Camden-Frontier, 156, 5-0, 48.000
5. Bellevue *, 174, 5-0, 46.400
6. Cedarville, 152, 5-0, 44.800
7. Central Lake, 191, 5-0, 44.800
8. Morrice, 175, 5-0, 44.800
9. Stephenson, 160, 5-0, 44.000
10. Pickford, 151, 5-0, 41.600
11. Portland St. Patrick, 103, 4-1, 39.200
12. Bay City All Saints, 97, 4-1, 37.600
13. Marion, 136, 4-1, 36.800
14. Flint International Academy, 150, 4-1, 36.000
15. Rudyard, 193, 4-1, 34.400
16. Ontonagon *, 187, 3-1, 32.000
17. Battle Creek St. Philip, 135, 3-2, 31.600
18. Engadine, 95, 4-1, 31.200
19. Crystal Falls Forest Park, 146, 3-2, 30.400
20. Kinde-North Huron, 148, 4-1, 28.800
21. Kingston, 191, 3-2, 28.600
22. Webberville, 179, 3-2, 28.600
23. Lawrence, 181, 3-2, 28.400
24. Suttons Bay, 201, 3-2, 28.200
25. Hale, 129, 3-2, 25.600
26. Brimley, 164, 3-2, 24.600
27. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 182, 2-3, 24.400
28. Peck, 127, 3-2, 23.400
29. Waldron *, 79, 3-2, 23.400
30. New Haven Merritt Academy, 164, 3-2, 21.600
31. Atlanta, 74, 3-2, 21.400
32. Mayville, 197, 2-3, 21.400
33. St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran, 99, 3-2, 20.200
34. Powers North Central *, 112, 2-2, 20.100
35. Brethren *, 159, 2-2, 19.800
36. Mesick, 180, 2-3, 19.400
37. Tekonsha, 145, 2-3, 19.400
38. Manistee Catholic Central *, 178, 2-3, 18.450
39. Carney-Nadeau, 133, 2-3, 16.267
40. Bear Lake, 93, 2-3, 15.600
41. North Adams-Jerome, 150, 2-3, 14.800
42. Onaway, 195, 2-3, 14.600
43. Bellaire, 142, 1-4, 14.000
44. Fife Lake Forest Area, 165, 1-4, 12.800
45. Eben Junction Superior Central, 131, 1-4, 12.100
46. Felch North Dickinson, 101, 1-4, 11.950
47. Burton Madison Academy, 171, 1-4, 10.000
48. Posen, 87, 1-4, 9.000
49. Carsonville-Port Sanilac, 106, 1-4, 8.400
50. Owendale-Gagetown, 57, 1-4, 7.800
51. Baldwin, 105, 1-4, 7.250
52. Pellston, 167, 0-5, 3.000
53. Litchfield, 81, 0-5, 2.600
54. Big Rapids Crossroads Academy, 187, 0-5, 2.250
55. Akron-Fairgrove, 76, 0-5, 2.200
56. Burr Oak, 74, 0-5, 2.200
57. Caseville, 93, 0-5, 2.200
58. St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy, 140, 0-5, 2.000
59. Flint Michigan School for the Deaf *, 47, 0-3, 0.800
MCC Follows 'Big #77' in 3-Peat Attempt
November 4, 2015
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
Jacob Holt will be in the middle of the action, guaranteed, when two great football traditions collide Saturday afternoon in Beal City.
Holt is a four-year starter up front for Muskegon Catholic Central, which ventures toward the middle of the mitten to Beal City in its quest for a third consecutive MHSAA Division 8 championship.
“We know we have to play our best or it will be our last game,” said Holt (6-foot, 245), a senior guard and defensive end for the Crusaders, who were ranked No. 1 in Division 8 in the final Associated Press state poll. “This is a completely different team than the past two years, but our motivation is to uphold the MCC tradition.”
Holt brings a wealth of size, talent and, perhaps most importantly, experience into Saturday’s showdown. He has started nearly 48 games for MCC over the past four years – leading his team to the Semifinals in 2012, starting all 14 games each of the next two years for back-to-back championship teams, and all nine games this year for the 7-2 Crusaders.
Holt is a force on an offensive line which is very good, but not quite the wrecking machine of a year ago.
MCC lost three players off last year’s offensive line who earned some form of all-state recognition – Jaeden MacPherson (now at Ferris State), Michael Caughey (Benedictine in Atchison, Kan.) and Lamar Jordan (St. Francis in Joliet, Ill.).
The new line showed its youth in this season’s opening game at perennial Division 5 powerhouse Muskegon Oakridge. The Eagles rolled to a 31-0 halftime lead and, eventually, a 45-26 victory, snapping MCC’s 26-game winning streak.
Since that game, the Crusaders’ line has come of age behind Holt, who will likely go down as one of the best pulling guards to ever play for veteran MCC line coach and defensive coordinator Mike Ribecky.
“Jacob is just really coordinated and skilled for his size,” said third-year MCC coach Steve Czerwon, whose team has won seven of its last eight games, with its only loss during that stretch coming Week 8 at Detroit Country Day, the top-ranked team in Division 4. “We try to take advantage of that in different ways. We pull him quite a bit and he has played about 20 snaps this season at fullback.”
In his normal position at guard, Holt anchors the strong right side of the Crusaders’ line, which also includes monstrous junior tackle Brock Johnson (6-1, 280) and senior tight end Nate Jones, who made his 50th consecutive varsity start in last week’s 49-7 win over visiting Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
Also missing off those back-to-back championship winners is quarterback Nick Holt, Jacob’s older brother and the unquestioned leader of those powerhouse teams. The Holts also made up the battery of MCC’s MHSAA championship baseball team this spring, with Nick on the pitcher’s mound and Jacob at catcher.
“It’s been weird not having him around this fall,” said Jacob of his older brother, who is now a freshman at Hope College, where he is a pitcher on the baseball team. “I miss riding home with him after every game and every practice and just going over everything. We still text all the time, but it’s not the same.”
Nick Holt had to make a difficult choice between playing baseball or football in college, and Jacob will soon face the same agonizing decision. Among the schools pursuing him in football are Saginaw Valley State, Wayne State, Northwood, Mount Union (Ohio) and Hope, while he is actively being recruited in baseball by Kalamazoo College, Aquinas College and Hope.
Stepping into Nick Holt’s big shoes at the quarterback spot is senior Christian Martinez, who has assumed a more traditional ball distribution role – getting the ball to junior running backs Logan Helton and LaTommy Scott, as well as his favorite aerial target in junior Walker Christoffersen.
Holt gives much of the credit for his success to his parents, Mike and Cathi Holt, who raised their two sons to be both competitive and humble in everything they do.
“My dad has been my coach ever since I was a little kid,” said Jacob, 17, who has a 3.88 GPA and scored a 27 on his ACT. “He taught me how to be a man. The big thing with him was, win or lose, we weren’t going to be poor sports.”
Mike Holt, now in his 16th year as a science teacher at MCC, has influenced more than just his two sons for the Crusaders’ football program. Holt is the Crusaders’ middle school head football coach and, along with former MCC great and Northern Illinois Hall of Famer Frank Lewandoski, has played a big part in the development of the program’s players for the past six years.
This fall, the school district took it a step further with the formation of the Muskegon Catholic Central Youth Football Club, which was organized by current MCC School Board President Andy Riegler, who quarterbacked the Crusaders to a Class C championship in 1990. Czerwon called the club’s first season “hugely successful.”
Those kinds of efforts at the lower levels help explain MCC’s continued success, despite steadily declining enrollment over the past 35 years.
“We’re blessed to have quality coaches at the middle school and the youth levels, who really care about the kids,” said Czerwon, who boasts a gaudy 33-4 record in his three years as head coach.
MCC first broke through in the football playoffs as a Class B school, winning MHSAA titles in 1980 and 1982. The Crusaders won three Class C championships in the 1990s and have won five titles in either Division 7 or Division 8 during the first 15 seasons the 2000s.
With a current enrollment of 177 students, MCC is a Class D school in size, but the standards and expectations for the football program have remained as high as ever.
Many of those young kids aspire to someday be like Jacob Holt, big No. 77, who sets a great example for them both on and off the field.
Holt will need to be at his best against a Beal City program that knows all about physical football and playing in November.
While the Crusaders boast 10 MHSAA titles in the playoff era, Beal City has the edge over MCC and every other team in the state with 33 playoff appearances. Farmington Hills Harrison is second with 32, followed by Crystal Falls Forest Park and Fowler with 31. Muskegon Catholic is eighth with 27 playoff appearances.
Beal City (9-1), which was ranked sixth in the final AP Division 8 poll with its only loss coming Week 5 against Evart, will seek to avenge a 35-12 loss to MCC in the 2013 Division 8 championship game at Ford Field in Detroit.
While the two schools are known for football success, their biggest rivalry in recent years has been on the baseball diamond. Beal City knocked off MCC in Division 4 Regional Finals in 2013 and 2014, with the Crusaders getting the upper hand this past spring.
On Saturday, the two schools will meet on the gridiron for a Division 8 District championship.
“We’ve gotten to know Beal City really well,” said Holt, an all-Lakes 8 Conference lineman the past two years. “It’s a chance for us to show how far we’ve come this year. We lost 18 seniors last year, so it hasn’t always been smooth, but I think we’re playing our best right now.”
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) Jacob Holt recovers a fumble during MCC's dramatic, come-from-behind, 29-26 victory over host Fruitport on Oct. 2. (Middle) Holt shows his athletic ability, leaping high and nearly blocking this punt in a 49-14 victory over visiting Fremont at Kehren Stadium. (Below) Mike Holt, a Muskegon Catholic Central teacher and middle school football coach, is flanked by his sons, junior Jacob (77) and senior Nicholas (3), after MCC defeated Munising last year for its second consecutive MHSAA Division 8 championship. (Photos by Tim Reilly.)