2017 Week 9 Football Playoff Listing
October 17, 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 eighth 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. Oct. 22 on the Selection Sunday Show on FOX Sports Detroit PLUS. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show. The MHSAA Football Finals are presented by the Michigan Army National Guard.
11-Player Playoff Listing
1. Macomb Dakota, 3016, 5-3, 62.393
2. Dearborn Fordson, 2741, 7-1, 94.875
3. Utica Eisenhower, 2689, 8-0, 116.000
4. Grand Blanc, 2660, 6-2, 77.375
5. East Kentwood, 2639, 5-3, 60.018
6. Clarkston, 2603, 6-2, 78.375
7. Rockford, 2485, 5-3, 73.000
8. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 2434, 7-1, 95.875
9. Detroit Cass Tech *, 2434, 5-2, 69.500
10. Troy, 2422, 5-3, 65.000
11. Brighton, 2247, 4-4, 55.000
12. Canton, 2212, 7-1, 94.750
13. Holland West Ottawa, 2200, 7-1, 93.875
14. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2094, 4-4, 49.500
15. Salem, 2090, 4-4, 50.125
16. Detroit Catholic Central, 2080, 5-3, 66.393
17. Hartland, 2050, 4-4, 53.000
18. West Bloomfield, 1990, 6-2, 80.375
19. New Baltimore Anchor Bay, 1956, 6-2, 72.625
20. Monroe, 1934, 4-4, 48.056
21. Utica, 1907, 4-4, 51.250
22. Hudsonville, 1893, 4-4, 49.625
23. Saline *, 1869, 7-1, 92.500
24. Bloomfield Hills, 1842, 6-2, 74.375
25. Lapeer, 1837, 5-3, 60.125
26. Livonia Stevenson, 1811, 5-3, 72.500
27. Walled Lake Central, 1804, 5-3, 64.839
28. White Lake Lakeland *, 1765, 5-2, 72.393
29. Romeo, 1753, 6-2, 84.339
30. Grandville, 1750, 6-2, 76.125
31. Grand Ledge, 1726, 7-1, 90.750
32. Warren Mott, 1712, 4-4, 52.750
33. Belleville, 1709, 8-0, 104.000
34. Detroit Western International *, 1701, 5-3, 53.750
35. Davison, 1695, 7-1, 89.750
36. Walled Lake Northern, 1678, 5-3, 60.750
37. Grosse Pointe South, 1644, 5-3, 68.696
38. Rochester Adams, 1626, 7-1, 91.625
39. Waterford Mott, 1586, 7-1, 94.571
40. Fraser, 1584, 4-4, 53.250
41. Traverse City West, 1582, 8-0, 103.000
42. Brownstown Woodhaven, 1569, 6-2, 77.625
43. Temperance Bedford, 1548, 6-2, 74.375
44. Warren DeLaSalle, 1538, 6-2, 86.851
45. Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 1502, 5-3, 63.125
46. Livonia Churchill, 1486, 7-1, 93.500
47. Livonia Franklin, 1469, 6-2, 75.250
48. Jenison, 1457, 5-3, 61.375
49. Roseville, 1412, 5-3, 62.571
50. Detroit Martin Luther King, 1404, 7-1, 87.163
51. Dearborn Edsel Ford, 1396, 6-2, 68.625
52. Oak Park, 1395, 6-2, 81.500
53. Grosse Pointe North *, 1371, 5-2, 71.143
54. Portage Central, 1353, 7-1, 90.750
55. Port Huron, 1351, 4-4, 50.339
56. Traverse City Central, 1345, 5-3, 65.125
57. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1345, 8-0, 108.000
58. Royal Oak, 1332, 5-3, 55.750
59. Okemos, 1326, 5-3, 57.500
60. Walled Lake Western, 1318, 7-1, 94.464
61. Midland, 1316, 7-1, 92.875
62. Flushing, 1312, 6-2, 76.500
63. Birmingham Groves, 1300, 7-1, 92.625
64. Port Huron Northern, 1277, 7-1, 91.750
65. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, 1273, 4-4, 46.375
66. Pinckney, 1272, 7-1, 86.750
67. Detroit East English, 1270, 8-0, 92.000
68. Midland Dow, 1263, 7-1, 86.375
69. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 1258, 8-0, 109.000
70. Muskegon Mona Shores, 1238, 7-1, 101.875
71. Birmingham Brother Rice, 1224, 5-3, 71.601
72. Ypsilanti Lincoln, 1222, 6-2, 81.250
73. Lowell, 1195, 5-3, 69.250
74. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 1186, 5-3, 54.125
75. Ferndale, 1180, 7-1, 85.500
76. Mattawan, 1171, 6-2, 73.375
77. Holly, 1166, 4-4, 47.625
78. Fenton, 1163, 8-0, 108.000
79. Greenville, 1158, 4-4, 47.000
80. Holland, 1140, 5-3, 59.125
81. Hamtramck, 1135, 6-2, 64.125
82. Detroit Renaissance, 1131, 4-4, 43.250
83. Gibraltar Carlson, 1125, 7-1, 93.875
84. Bay City Central, 1116, 4-4, 54.500
85. East Lansing, 1108, 6-2, 74.500
86. Redford Thurston, 1102, 5-3, 55.875
87. Eastpointe, 1101, 4-4, 45.750
88. Warren Woods Tower, 1095, 6-2, 73.500
89. Mt. Pleasant, 1085, 4-4, 44.750
90. Byron Center, 1083, 4-4, 44.875
91. Allen Park, 1078, 4-4, 51.625
92. Muskegon, 1058, 8-0, 109.000
93. Marquette, 1044, 4-4, 45.617
94. St. Joseph, 1043, 6-2, 76.000
95. Auburn Hills Avondale, 1033, 5-3, 64.625
96. Farmington Hills Harrison, 1030, 6-2, 80.625
97. East Grand Rapids, 1010, 8-0, 105.000
98. DeWitt, 994, 7-1, 97.750
99. Zeeland East, 994, 8-0, 99.000
100. St. Johns, 990, 5-3, 59.000
101. Gaylord, 980, 4-4, 46.375
102. Ortonville-Brandon, 969, 5-3, 64.125
103. Zeeland West, 960, 6-2, 77.375
104. Melvindale, 956, 4-4, 49.125
105. Cedar Springs, 946, 5-3, 67.250
106. Coldwater, 933, 5-3, 55.569
107. Riverview, 928, 7-1, 80.625
108. Detroit Cody, 924, 5-3, 53.696
109. Linden, 924, 6-2, 83.625
110. Trenton, 911, 4-4, 54.500
111. Warren Fitzgerald, 903, 6-2, 69.500
112. Grand Rapids Christian, 896, 7-1, 94.875
113. Stevensville Lakeshore, 891, 7-1, 94.500
114. Hazel Park, 889, 5-3, 63.125
115. Battle Creek Harper Creek, 884, 8-0, 95.000
116. Parma Western, 880, 5-3, 54.000
117. New Boston Huron, 877, 5-3, 57.875
118. Romulus, 864, 6-2, 70.500
119. Haslett, 856, 6-2, 74.250
120. Marshall, 854, 4-4, 46.375
121. Dearborn Divine Child, 852, 7-1, 86.768
122. Tecumseh, 850, 5-3, 59.750
123. Chelsea, 841, 7-1, 87.625
124. River Rouge, 836, 6-2, 78.431
125. Edwardsburg, 835, 7-1, 80.750
126. Bay City John Glenn, 831, 4-4, 47.375
127. Detroit Mumford, 829, 5-3, 56.946
128. Coopersville, 824, 6-2, 64.125
129. Sparta, 815, 4-4, 41.625
130. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 812, 7-1, 73.750
131. Plainwell, 808, 6-2, 69.500
132. Vicksburg, 801, 6-2, 65.375
133. Ionia, 792, 4-4, 46.125
134. Milan, 772, 5-3, 56.000
135. Madison Heights Lamphere, 768, 5-3, 53.500
136. Detroit Old Redford, 763, 4-4, 32.875
137. Goodrich, 759, 7-1, 74.750
138. Escanaba, 739, 7-1, 83.615
139. Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy, 727, 5-3, 56.089
140. Center Line, 720, 4-4, 34.125
141. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 718, 6-2, 57.625
142. Three Rivers, 707, 7-1, 80.500
143. Armada, 685, 4-4, 37.625
144. Croswell-Lexington, 681, 5-3, 50.125
145. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 679, 6-2, 57.500
146. Wyoming Kelloggsville, 678, 8-0, 93.000
147. Romulus Summit Academy North, 674, 4-4, 40.375
148. Paw Paw, 662, 4-4, 41.750
149. Whitehall, 661, 6-2, 60.750
150. Flint Powers Catholic, 660, 5-3, 63.625
151. Lake Fenton, 660, 7-1, 78.875
152. Flat Rock, 658, 6-2, 72.625
153. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 646, 8-0, 86.143
154. Alma, 642, 6-2, 68.375
155. Comstock Park, 636, 5-3, 61.000
156. Benton Harbor, 634, 4-4, 51.000
157. Corunna, 633, 4-4, 41.500
158. Williamston, 628, 5-3, 55.000
159. Lansing Sexton, 620, 5-3, 69.625
160. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 608, 7-1, 76.875
161. Hudsonville Unity Christian, 606, 5-3, 58.000
162. Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 605, 4-4, 40.500
163. Grand Rapids South Christian, 602, 7-1, 78.750
164. Belding, 597, 6-2, 72.625
165. Bridgeport, 594, 5-3, 51.375
166. Muskegon Oakridge, 592, 6-2, 60.500
167. Saginaw Swan Valley, 586, 7-1, 84.875
168. Hancock, 584, 6-2, 57.665
169. North Muskegon, 579, 5-3, 40.125
170. Dowagiac, 568, 5-3, 56.000
171. Freeland, 564, 6-2, 69.375
172. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, 555, 7-1, 67.893
173. Olivet, 552, 8-0, 90.000
174. Lansing Catholic, 551, 6-2, 69.000
175. Remus Chippewa Hills, 550, 6-2, 66.375
176. Cheboygan, 548, 4-4, 40.375
177. Kingsford *, 542, 6-1, 77.540
178. Algonac, 534, 7-1, 80.750
179. Portland, 534, 7-1, 87.500
180. Frankenmuth, 528, 8-0, 92.286
181. Hopkins, 524, 4-4, 41.375
182. Carrollton, 520, 6-2, 65.375
183. Ida, 520, 6-2, 58.000
184. Marine City, 514, 7-1, 94.875
185. Grant, 512, 5-3, 46.000
186. Kalkaska, 512, 4-4, 32.750
187. Richmond, 510, 7-1, 76.750
188. Grand Rapids West Catholic, 505, 6-2, 71.625
189. Onsted, 505, 5-3, 44.875
190. Reed City, 501, 7-1, 79.875
191. Almont, 494, 6-2, 62.500
192. Gladstone, 493, 7-1, 63.750
193. Grayling, 492, 5-3, 49.375
194. Chesaning, 485, 4-4, 39.625
195. Berrien Springs, 484, 6-2, 59.250
196. Coloma, 480, 5-3, 47.625
197. Menominee, 479, 5-3, 57.464
198. Kalamazoo Hackett, 474, 6-2, 62.250
199. Newaygo, 474, 6-2, 64.375
200. Detroit Denby *, 461, 6-1, 73.321
201. Ovid-Elsie, 458, 6-2, 56.625
202. Clare, 457, 7-1, 66.875
203. Detroit Voyageur, 446, 4-4, 41.250
204. Parchment, 443, 5-3, 52.875
205. Hillsdale, 434, 4-4, 43.750
206. Boyne City, 428, 8-0, 84.000
207. Brooklyn Columbia Central, 426, 6-2, 68.250
208. Michigan Center, 419, 7-1, 65.625
209. Ecorse, 417, 5-3, 44.750
210. Fennville, 414, 4-4, 30.875
211. Harrison, 410, 5-3, 47.500
212. Montague, 409, 8-0, 88.000
213. Millington, 407, 7-1, 78.875
214. Hemlock, 405, 5-3, 43.875
215. Morley Stanwood, 405, 7-1, 61.875
216. Negaunee, 405, 4-4, 32.500
217. Ithaca, 403, 8-0, 84.000
218. Clinton Township Clintondale, 401, 7-1, 75.500
219. Delton Kellogg, 398, 4-4, 44.750
220. Calumet, 396, 5-3, 49.708
221. Byron, 387, 4-4, 44.000
222. Detroit Henry Ford, 385, 5-3, 39.857
223. Warren Michigan Collegiate, 382, 8-0, 95.000
224. Montrose, 381, 6-2, 60.500
225. Maple City Glen Lake *, 376, 5-2, 46.036
226. Quincy, 376, 5-3, 49.000
227. Kent City, 375, 8-0, 76.000
228. Lakeview, 374, 5-3, 45.500
229. Napoleon, 373, 6-2, 58.375
230. Schoolcraft, 372, 5-3, 52.000
231. Blissfield, 371, 5-3, 56.875
232. Niles Brandywine, 370, 4-4, 31.875
233. Detroit Central, 369, 6-2, 61.893
234. Laingsburg, 367, 6-2, 52.375
235. Grass Lake, 365, 4-4, 34.375
236. Traverse City St. Francis, 362, 8-0, 91.714
237. Jackson Lumen Christi *, 361, 7-1, 83.875
238. Houghton Lake, 357, 5-3, 44.125
239. Watervliet, 355, 8-0, 79.714
240. Beaverton, 353, 8-0, 82.000
241. Elk Rapids, 353, 6-2, 58.750
242. Burton Bendle, 352, 5-3, 43.250
243. L'Anse, 351, 4-4, 39.373
244. Vermontville Maple Valley, 346, 4-4, 33.750
245. Allen Park Cabrini, 344, 4-4, 30.000
246. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, 344, 5-3, 56.875
247. Hanover-Horton, 342, 4-4, 31.500
248. Ishpeming Westwood, 342, 7-1, 56.321
249. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 341, 7-1, 57.750
250. Lake City, 333, 8-0, 81.000
251. Oscoda, 332, 5-3, 37.857
252. Detroit Delta Prep, 329, 5-3, 53.464
253. St. Louis, 329, 5-3, 45.000
254. Flint Hamady, 327, 6-2, 54.625
255. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, 327, 5-3, 55.125
256. Union City, 327, 6-2, 54.250
257. Bloomingdale, 325, 4-4, 33.500
258. Madison Heights Madison, 323, 8-0, 98.000
259. Hartford, 318, 5-3, 44.875
260. McBain, 314, 6-2, 55.250
261. New Lothrop, 311, 8-0, 80.000
262. Clinton, 309, 5-3, 47.875
263. Harbor Springs, 306, 4-4, 30.893
264. Pewamo-Westphalia, 305, 7-1, 63.500
265. Homer, 299, 5-3, 45.875
266. Saugatuck, 297, 6-2, 53.125
267. Sandusky, 295, 4-4, 35.625
268. Saranac, 285, 5-3, 43.000
269. Springport, 285, 6-2, 52.375
270. Cass City, 282, 7-1, 68.750
271. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 279, 8-0, 67.143
272. Blanchard Montabella, 273, 4-4, 28.375
273. Evart, 270, 4-4, 35.375
274. Cassopolis, 268, 7-1, 64.875
275. Unionville-Sebewaing, 267, 5-3, 45.125
276. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, 263, 7-1, 67.750
277. Hudson, 263, 7-1, 78.625
278. Reading, 263, 7-1, 69.250
279. Carson City-Crystal, 258, 5-3, 37.875
280. Breckenridge, 254, 7-1, 57.875
281. Addison, 253, 7-1, 61.750
282. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian *, 248, 5-2, 47.089
283. Beal City, 247, 4-4, 39.000
284. Iron River West Iron County, 245, 7-1, 69.486
285. Ubly, 243, 6-2, 54.500
286. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 239, 8-0, 76.000
287. St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic, 238, 6-2, 42.357
288. Petersburg-Summerfield, 235, 6-2, 52.375
289. Decatur, 234, 5-3, 46.125
290. Lincoln Alcona, 233, 6-2, 54.018
291. Norway, 230, 7-1, 59.794
292. Whittemore-Prescott, 230, 4-4, 33.143
293. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 228, 5-3, 37.750
294. Detroit Southeastern, 223, 4-4, 39.500
295. Harbor Beach, 218, 7-1, 63.875
296. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 216, 4-4, 36.875
297. Marcellus, 210, 4-4, 34.000
298. New Buffalo, 209, 4-4, 32.625
299. Saginaw Nouvel, 208, 8-0, 82.333
300. Mendon, 205, 8-0, 76.000
301. Newberry *, 205, 5-2, 46.161
302. Pittsford, 204, 7-1, 65.625
303. Morenci, 200, 5-3, 44.375
304. Munising *, 200, 4-3, 33.643
305. Bark River-Harris, 197, 4-4, 37.857
306. Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, 194, 5-3, 45.839
307. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 181, 6-2, 43.375
308. Athens, 181, 5-3, 29.000
309. Gaylord St. Mary, 173, 8-0, 76.000
310. Frankfort *, 170, 6-2, 48.429
311. Muskegon Catholic Central *, 169, 7-0, 73.286
312. Fulton, 167, 6-2, 49.375
313. Climax-Scotts, 162, 6-2, 49.500
314. AuGres-Sims *, 148, 7-0, 64.429
315. Hillman, 140, 4-4, 35.732
316. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart, 133, 6-2, 48.125
317. Waterford Our Lady *, 124, 5-2, 44.875
318. Clarkston Everest Collegiate, 112, 7-1, 59.018
8-Player Playoff Listing
1. Central Lake, 191, 8-0, 63.000
2. Deckerville, 182, 7-1, 61.750
3. Camden-Frontier, 156, 8-0, 61.000
4. Pickford, 151, 8-0, 57.000
5. Morrice, 175, 7-1, 55.625
6. Onekama, 136, 7-1, 53.875
7. Bellevue, 174, 7-1, 52.875
8. Rapid River, 118, 7-1, 52.857
9. Portland St Patrick, 103, 7-1, 51.750
10. Stephenson, 160, 7-1, 49.480
11. Rudyard, 193, 7-1, 47.625
12. Kingston, 191, 6-2, 46.375
13. Crystal Falls Forest Park *, 146, 5-2, 44.087
14. Engadine, 95, 6-2, 42.625
15. Flint International Academy, 150, 6-2, 42.500
16. Marion, 136, 6-2, 42.357
17. Cedarville, 152, 6-2, 41.500
18. Kinde-North Huron, 148, 7-1, 41.250
19. Powers North Central *, 112, 5-2, 39.857
20. Mayville, 197, 5-3, 39.125
21. Bay City All Saints, 97, 6-2, 37.250
22. Webberville, 179, 5-3, 36.375
23. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian *, 182, 5-3, 36.125
24. Battle Creek St Philip, 135, 5-3, 34.750
25. Mesick, 180, 5-3, 33.857
26. Suttons Bay, 201, 5-3, 33.125
27. Ontonagon *, 187, 4-3, 32.071
28. Tekonsha, 145, 4-4, 27.750
29. North Adams-Jerome, 150, 4-4, 26.625
30. Bellaire, 142, 4-4, 24.875
31. Waldron, 79, 4-4, 24.375
32. Lawrence, 181, 3-5, 24.250
33. Atlanta, 74, 4-4, 23.625
34. Brimley, 164, 4-4, 23.625
35. Peck, 127, 4-4, 23.375
36. Brethren *, 159, 3-4, 20.643
37. Hale, 129, 3-5, 20.429
38. Manistee Catholic Central *, 178, 3-4, 20.375
39. Carsonville-Port Sanilac, 106, 3-5, 19.625
40. St Joseph Michigan Lutheran, 99, 4-4, 18.375
41. Eben Junction Superior Central, 131, 3-5, 18.071
42. Baldwin, 105, 3-5, 17.536
43. Onaway, 195, 3-5, 17.250
44. New Haven Merritt Academy, 164, 3-5, 16.750
45. Carney-Nadeau, 133, 2-6, 14.893
46. Fife Lake Forest Area, 165, 2-6, 14.679
47. Bear Lake, 93, 2-6, 13.625
48. Burton Madison Academy, 171, 2-6, 12.000
49. Posen, 87, 2-6, 11.250
50. Felch North Dickinson, 101, 1-7, 9.944
51. Caseville, 93, 1-7, 7.625
52. Owendale-Gagetown, 57, 1-7, 7.125
53. Burr Oak, 74, 0-8, 4.375
54. Litchfield, 81, 0-8, 4.125
55. Pellston, 167, 0-8, 4.000
56. St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy, 140, 0-8, 4.000
57. Big Rapids Crossroads Academy, 187, 0-8, 3.196
58. Akron-Fairgrove, 76, 0-8, 2.750
59. Flint Michigan School for the Deaf *, 47, 0-6, 1.833
King Completes Perfect Run on Final Play
November 27, 2015
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
DETROIT — Armani Posey was supposed to be a two-week stopgap at quarterback for Detroit Martin Luther King.
Two weeks turned into 11 weeks, building toward a championship finish for the ages.
In a moment that was “The Catch” and “The Drive” all rolled into one, Posey heaved a 40-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Donnie Corley on the final play of the game to give King a 40-38 victory over Lowell in the Division 2 title game Friday at Ford Field.
Lowell led 31-13 in the third quarter before Posey responded by throwing four of his record-tying five touchdown passes in the final 15:41 of the game. The final drive began with 37 seconds remaining at King's 3-yard line after a punt out of bounds and a penalty.
It was a scenario tailor-made for John Elway — or Armani Posey.
"What happened today is a memory forever," Posey said. "I dreamed about that and went out there and did it today. I couldn't imagine that type of performance, but we got the job done. Shout-out to the O-line."
When the starter was suspended for two weeks, King coach Dale Harvel was in search of a quarterback for the Week 4 game against Detroit Denby and the week 5 game against eventual Division 1 finalist Detroit Cass Tech. Harvel wanted a mature senior to, at the very least, manage an offense that is loaded with Division I college prospects. Posey turned into much more than a game manager.
"What we found out was he settled down everybody in the offense, because the first week we struggled a little bit against (Warren) DeLaSalle and struggled against East (English) Village," Harvel said. "We were able to win because we were playing good defense. He's been a settling effect on our offense and we couldn't go away from him, because we were in a rhythm with our offense. So, we stuck with him all year."
Posey's first position was quarterback, but that was way back in his elementary school days playing in the Detroit Police Athletic League for the East Side Tigers. One of his teammates back in the day happened to be the young man with whom his legacy will forever be linked.
"He played quarterback when I played for the Tigers," Corley said. "He's always been a good quarterback. I didn't know he was going to play this well. He had five touchdowns for 300 yards today? That's amazing."
After starting the game with three three-and-outs and his team falling behind 17-0, Posey finished 19 for 27 for 383 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. He broke the MHSAA Finals record of 335 yards set by Olivet's Jay Cousineau in the 2010 Division 5 Final. He matched the record of five touchdown passes shared by Macomb Dakota's Mitch Lovett (2007, Division 1) and Cass Tech's Jayru Campbell (2011, Division 1). Posey also ran seven times for 20 yards and a touchdown.
It took a rare defensive stop by King to put Posey and Corley in a position to produce a moment that will be talked about for decades.
Lowell drove from its own 35 to King's 39 before its only negative play of the game, a 2-yard loss on a run by quarterback Ryan Stevens, forced only the second punt of the game for the Red Arrows. Stevens nailed the punt out of bounds at the 5 with 37 seconds left. An illegal procedure penalty on King before the first snap moved it back inside the 3.
"They battled, right down to where we punted the ball down to the 5 with (37) seconds on the clock," Lowell coach Noel Dean said. "I thought that would be a pretty good spot to be in. Credit them — they made the plays at the end."
King made several plays on its way to the end zone.
A 22-yard pass to Lavert Hill, a 10-yard pass to Corley and a 25-yard pass to Dontre Boyd got the ball to the Lowell 40 with 10 seconds left. Boyd had to watch the final play from the sidelines, having injured his shoulder after his catch on a tackle by Alex Anschutz. Boyd had 126 yards on five catches.
"He could've easily dropped the football," Harvel said. "He focused on that football and knew he was going to get hit — a good legal hit. He caught the football and made the play for a first down for us and made the opportunity to throw that pass to Donnie. All of his teammates understand what he sacrificed for his football team out there today."
"To me, that was the biggest play of the game," said Corley, who was about to make the most memorable play of the 2015 season.
King had two shots at the end zone in the final 10 seconds. On the first play, Posey overthrew Ambry Thomas down the left side. Two seconds remained on the clock for a play that would make one team's dreams come true and crush another's.
As King lined up for the final play, Corley was in single coverage on the left side. This was an inviting prospect for the Crusaders, considering Corley is being recruited by Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
Corley said the Lowell cornerback called for safety help over the top, but that the safety didn't hear in the instructions.
"When we didn't see the safety move over, I was repeating, 'Throw it to Donnie, throw it to Donnie,'" Harvel said. "Nobody could hear me, but it was comforting to me to say that, even though nobody could hear me."
As Corley ran toward the left side of the end zone, Posey had time to heave the ball to his star receiver. Corley, who has a 37-inch vertical leap, won a jump ball against the corner who appeared to get a hand on the ball, then fell to the ground safely inbounds.
"It was a beautiful ball," said Corley, who caught six passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. "It couldn't have been any better. He threw it just inbounds and in the back of the end zone. I knew where I was on the field. I couldn't believe it — I'm not gonna lie. We fought back from 17-0 and we won."
It's only the second time that the winning score in an MHSAA championship game took place on the final play. Steve Mann caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Charlie Johnson to give Detroit Country Day an 18-14 victory over Muskegon Catholic Central in the 1986 Class C title game.
For most of the afternoon, this wasn't a championship game that appeared to be destined for a dramatic finish.
Max Dean's third touchdown run of the game, a 4-yarder with 8:24 left in the third quarter, gave Lowell a 31-13 lead. The Red Arrows had leads of 17-0 and 24-7 in the first half.
A 25-yard touchdown pass from Posey to Corley with 3:41 left in the third quarter and a 41-yard pass from Posey to Thomas got King back in the game, down only 31-26 with 11:44 remaining.
Lowell responded with a 10-play, 73-yard drive that culminated with a 2-yard touchdown run by Stevens with 7:10 remaining.
Aided by a personal foul for facemasking, King crept to within 38-34 on a 2-yard pass from Posey to Hill and a 2-point pass from Posey to Martell Pettaway with 4:42 to go.
Lowell got two first downs on its next possession, forcing the Crusaders to use their remaining timeouts. They were able to manage the clock well on the final drive, particularly when Hill gave up the opportunity for a few more yards to get out of bounds with 28 seconds left on the first play. The clock stopped temporarily when Corley's 10-yard catch got a first down. Boyd was on the field for a couple of minutes after being injured making his 25-yard catch, allowing King to discuss its options and be ready at the line when the clock started running as play resumed.
Corley's catch gave King its second MHSAA championship, matching the achievement of the 2007 team. It was King's fourth victory of three points or fewer in a 14-0 season.
Lowell scored on its first four possessions before taking a knee to end the first half during its fifth, leading 17-0 before King even registered a first down.
After getting first-and-goal at the King 5, Lowell settled for a 21-yard field goal by George Gonzales to open the scoring with 4:52 left in the first quarter.
A 36-yard pass to senior Gabe Steed was the key play on a 10-play, 70-yard scoring drive that ended with a 1-yard run by Dean with 11:03 left in the second quarter.
A 62-yard pass to a wide-open David Kruse on Lowell's third drive set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Stevens with 7:02 left in the first half. At this point, Lowell had a 173-9 advantage in total offense and a 17-0 lead.
It appeared King would suffer its fourth straight three-and-out to start the game when an intentional grounding penalty left the Crusaders facing third-and-20 from their own 25. That's when King's explosive offense finally showed life, as Boyd had a 73-yard catch and run down to the Lowell 2. Two plays later, Posey scored on a 3-yard bootleg to the right, cutting Lowell's lead to 17-7 with 4:21 left in the first half.
Lowell responded immediately, using a 66-yard pass to Sawyer Olesko to set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Dean with 1:53 to go in the first half, making it a 24-7 game.
King tightened the margin before the break, as Hill made an acrobatic 41-yard catch at the Lowell 12, then grabbed a 12-yard touchdown pass from Posey on the next play to cut Lowell's lead to 24-13 with 25 seconds left in the half. The extra point attempt failed.
Lowell (12-2) used some trickery to build its lead to 31-13, with Nathan Stephens taking a short direct snap on a fourth-and-one punt and running 38 yards to the King 5. Two plays later, Dean scored his third touchdown from four yards out with 8:24 left in the third quarter.
Dean finished with 99 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 22 carries. Stevens was 6 for 9 for 186 yards, running 22 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
The MHSAA Football Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Martin Luther King’s Donnie Corley pulls down a touchdown pass on the final play of the game to give the Crusaders the lead and win. (Middle) King players celebrate their second MHSAA championship.