2018 Week 7 Football Playoff Listing
October 2, 2018
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 sixth 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. 26. 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. 26.
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 Oct. 21 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, 3114, 5-1, 79.500
2. Dearborn Fordson, 2795, 5-1, 82.167
3. Utica Eisenhower, 2668, 3-3, 51.667
4. East Kentwood, 2651, 5-1, 83.500
5. Grand Blanc, 2637, 4-2, 69.667
6. Sterling Heights Stevenson, 2591, 3-3, 48.333
7. Clarkston, 2548, 6-0, 98.667
8. Rockford, 2481, 3-3, 47.167
9. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 2462, 6-0, 110.667
10. Detroit Cass Tech, 2432, 6-0, 92.800
11. Lake Orion, 2393, 3-3, 48.667
12. Howell, 2387, 4-2, 62.500
13. Canton, 2260, 4-2, 65.167
14. Brighton, 2202, 5-1, 84.833
15. Holland West Ottawa, 2190, 5-1, 78.000
16. Oxford, 2170, 4-2, 69.000
17. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2115, 3-3, 45.000
18. Dearborn, 2106, 3-3, 45.833
19. Plymouth, 2060, 4-2, 65.167
20. Detroit Catholic Central, 2020, 5-1, 87.500
21. West Bloomfield, 2005, 5-1, 87.500
22. Macomb L'Anse Creuse North, 1994, 4-2, 59.500
23. Monroe, 1949, 5-1, 80.071
24. Hudsonville, 1879, 5-1, 78.100
25. Saline, 1834, 5-1, 87.500
26. Romeo, 1779, 5-1, 85.833
27. Detroit Western International, 1773, 4-2, 53.167
28. Lapeer, 1772, 6-0, 97.333
29. White Lake Lakeland, 1740, 4-2, 66.667
30. Ann Arbor Skyline, 1701, 3-3, 44.500
31. Davison, 1687, 6-0, 96.000
32. Kalamazoo Central, 1672, 4-2, 67.500
33. Belleville, 1642, 6-0, 105.333
34. Traverse City West, 1634, 4-2, 71.000
35. Brownstown Woodhaven, 1628, 5-1, 85.833
36. Rochester Adams, 1621, 3-3, 51.167
37. Grosse Pointe South, 1593, 6-0, 97.333
38. Warren Mott, 1585, 4-2, 71.000
39. Waterford Mott, 1558, 4-2, 61.000
40. Saginaw Heritage, 1541, 3-3, 42.667
41. Warren DeLaSalle, 1474, 5-1, 82.167
42. Jenison, 1464, 4-2, 69.000
43. Detroit U-D Jesuit, 1456, 3-3, 45.833
44. Livonia Franklin, 1443, 4-2, 62.000
45. Livonia Churchill, 1435, 4-2, 72.167
46. Dearborn Heights Crestwood, 1424, 6-0, 88.000
47. St Clair Shores Lakeview, 1399, 3-3, 45.500
48. Traverse City Central, 1391, 5-1, 88.500
49. Okemos, 1381, 4-2, 64.100
50. Birmingham Seaholm, 1376, 5-1, 79.500
51. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1376, 4-2, 63.833
52. Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 1358, 3-3, 48.500
53. Oak Park, 1349, 6-0, 96.000
54. Portage Central, 1349, 4-2, 66.333
55. Royal Oak, 1335, 3-3, 48.333
56. Roseville, 1303, 4-2, 58.667
57. Birmingham Groves, 1298, 4-2, 60.167
58. Port Huron Northern, 1295, 5-1, 79.333
59. Midland, 1289, 3-3, 47.000
60. Portage Northern, 1284, 4-2, 62.500
61. Midland Dow, 1277, 4-2, 58.667
62. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, 1276, 5-1, 76.667
63. Flushing, 1275, 4-2, 69.167
64. North Farmington, 1264, 3-3, 43.000
65. Swartz Creek, 1262, 5-1, 82.167
66. Walled Lake Western, 1258, 4-2, 62.500
67. Jackson, 1229, 6-0, 100.000
68. Ypsilanti Lincoln, 1226, 4-2, 57.500
69. South Lyon, 1225, 6-0, 96.000
70. Muskegon Mona Shores, 1215, 6-0, 98.667
71. Southgate Anderson, 1206, 3-3, 45.333
72. Dexter, 1172, 4-2, 54.667
73. Birmingham Brother Rice, 1168, 4-2, 71.924
74. Detroit Renaissance, 1168, 3-3, 39.500
75. Ferndale, 1162, 4-2, 62.667
76. Fenton, 1160, 5-1, 79.333
77. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 1154, 3-3, 42.833
78. Mattawan, 1153, 4-2, 62.333
79. Detroit Martin Luther King, 1149, 5-1, 70.167
80. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 1142, 3-3, 46.500
81. Warren Woods Tower, 1126, 6-0, 76.000
82. Auburn Hills Avondale, 1115, 4-2, 61.167
83. Gibraltar Carlson, 1114, 5-1, 86.000
84. East Lansing, 1111, 5-1, 79.767
85. Farmington, 1111, 5-1, 84.833
86. Allen Park, 1105, 4-2, 70.500
87. Redford Thurston, 1098, 3-3, 39.500
88. Grand Rapids Northview, 1096, 4-2, 59.833
89. Garden City, 1080, 4-2, 58.167
90. South Lyon East, 1063, 4-2, 63.833
91. Mt. Pleasant, 1053, 6-0, 92.000
92. Muskegon, 1022, 6-0, 105.333
93. Battle Creek Central, 1014, 4-2, 61.533
94. St. Joseph, 1010, 4-2, 66.167
95. Gaylord, 1002, 5-1, 68.667
96. DeWitt, 1001, 6-0, 106.667
97. East Grand Rapids, 998, 4-2, 61.500
98. Zeeland West, 997, 5-1, 83.333
99. Cedar Springs, 992, 5-1, 80.833
100. Warren Fitzgerald, 981, 3-3, 43.333
101. Linden, 977, 3-3, 48.500
102. Mason, 968, 3-3, 40.167
103. St. Johns, 955, 3-3, 47.000
104. Zeeland East, 955, 5-1, 75.333
105. Marquette, 952, 3-3, 47.167
106. Petoskey, 948, 3-3, 46.000
107. Detroit Mumford, 943, 5-1, 71.167
108. Trenton, 914, 4-2, 66.500
109. Riverview, 913, 5-1, 68.500
110. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, 903, 5-1, 71.333
111. River Rouge, 897, 5-1, 68.833
112. Haslett, 895, 5-1, 79.333
113. Ortonville-Brandon, 887, 5-1, 81.833
114. Grand Rapids Christian, 886, 5-1, 82.167
115. Parma Western, 870, 5-1, 67.500
116. Stevensville Lakeshore, 864, 3-3, 48.333
117. Chelsea, 851, 4-2, 66.000
118. Farmington Hills Harrison, 849, 5-1, 76.833
119. Spring Lake, 845, 5-1, 61.667
120. Marysville, 843, 3-3, 44.333
121. Fowlerville, 842, 3-3, 36.333
122. Edwardsburg, 838, 6-0, 84.000
123. Wayland Union, 829, 4-2, 58.500
124. Plainwell, 825, 4-2, 52.333
125. Carleton Airport, 811, 3-3, 39.500
126. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 809, 4-2, 60.300
127. St. Clair, 807, 4-2, 54.500
128. Sparta, 793, 3-3, 43.000
129. Milan, 761, 5-1, 64.667
130. Goodrich, 758, 4-2, 58.833
131. Detroit Cody, 755, 4-2, 61.500
132. Allendale, 749, 3-3, 40.667
133. North Branch, 726, 5-1, 67.500
134. Croswell-Lexington, 724, 3-3, 42.833
135. Center Line, 720, 3-3, 43.000
136. Battle Creek Pennfield, 709, 4-2, 58.667
137. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 702, 4-2, 53.071
138. Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy *, 701, 3-2, 42.233
139. Sault Ste. Marie, 700, 4-2, 51.167
140. Escanaba, 691, 4-2, 58.786
141. Detroit Country Day *, 687, 4-2, 66.167
142. Flint Powers Catholic, 687, 3-3, 47.500
143. Three Rivers, 682, 6-0, 86.667
144. Holland Christian, 672, 4-2, 54.667
145. Paw Paw, 670, 4-2, 55.000
146. Whitehall, 669, 4-2, 49.500
147. Wyoming Kelloggsville, 663, 3-3, 39.500
148. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 662, 5-1, 67.333
149. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 659, 3-3, 40.167
150. Otsego, 651, 3-3, 38.167
151. Lake Fenton, 648, 3-3, 36.333
152. Yale, 647, 3-3, 36.167
153. Ludington, 645, 4-2, 37.167
154. Alma, 643, 5-1, 63.500
155. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 643, 5-1, 67.333
156. Williamston, 619, 5-1, 75.000
157. Grand Rapids South Christian, 615, 3-3, 46.200
158. Big Rapids, 613, 3-3, 34.833
159. Grosse Ile, 609, 6-0, 77.333
160. Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 608, 6-0, 78.667
161. Hudsonville Unity Christian, 602, 5-1, 76.667
162. Harper Woods, 594, 4-2, 41.500
163. Freeland, 584, 5-1, 63.500
164. Dowagiac, 580, 3-3, 42.167
165. Gladwin, 575, 3-3, 32.333
166. Saginaw Swan Valley, 573, 6-0, 96.000
167. Belding, 572, 5-1, 63.333
168. Muskegon Oakridge, 571, 6-0, 73.333
169. Macomb Lutheran North, 560, 5-1, 61.667
170. Birch Run, 552, 4-2, 54.667
171. St. Clair Shores South Lake, 551, 3-3, 38.833
172. Clawson, 550, 3-3, 33.167
173. Portland, 550, 6-0, 82.667
174. Frankenmuth, 549, 5-1, 70.167
175. Olivet, 542, 6-0, 78.667
176. Detroit Osborn, 537, 5-1, 61.833
177. Lansing Catholic, 531, 5-1, 66.167
178. Remus Chippewa Hills *, 531, 3-3, 44.500
179. Cheboygan, 527, 4-2, 51.500
180. Grant, 525, 4-2, 45.167
181. Richmond, 524, 4-2, 55.667
182. Grand Rapids West Catholic, 513, 3-3, 44.833
183. Ida, 512, 5-1, 62.000
184. Hopkins, 507, 5-1, 68.833
185. Benzie Central, 505, 3-3, 39.333
186. Detroit Denby, 504, 5-1, 62.467
187. Reed City, 504, 6-0, 88.000
188. Almont, 503, 6-0, 76.000
189. Marine City, 503, 5-1, 70.167
190. Berrien Springs, 500, 5-1, 64.833
191. Dundee, 485, 4-2, 50.500
192. Caro, 473, 3-3, 29.333
193. Grayling, 473, 3-3, 42.167
194. Detroit Henry Ford, 472, 3-3, 39.333
195. Manistee, 472, 6-0, 69.333
196. Durand, 468, 3-3, 33.500
197. Coloma, 460, 3-3, 40.833
198. Gladstone *, 459, 3-3, 37.333
199. Ovid-Elsie, 453, 4-2, 51.000
200. Kalamazoo Hackett, 450, 6-0, 74.667
201. Clare, 449, 5-1, 56.667
202. Montague, 445, 5-1, 58.167
203. Newaygo, 445, 4-2, 51.833
204. Kingsley, 443, 5-1, 66.167
205. Hillsdale, 441, 6-0, 70.667
206. Houghton, 421, 3-3, 32.000
207. Tawas *, 418, 3-2, 34.667
208. Michigan Center, 412, 5-1, 48.833
209. Brooklyn Columbia Central, 410, 5-1, 68.500
210. Negaunee, 404, 3-3, 35.500
211. Muskegon Catholic Central, 402, 3-3, 36.000
212. Constantine, 400, 5-1, 63.333
213. Fennville, 400, 5-1, 52.667
214. Maple City Glen Lake, 395, 3-3, 35.333
215. Calumet, 392, 6-0, 78.667
216. Warren Michigan Collegiate, 392, 6-0, 77.333
217. Ishpeming Westwood, 391, 4-2, 51.000
218. Millington, 390, 5-1, 65.333
219. Ithaca, 388, 5-1, 56.833
220. Ecorse, 387, 5-1, 58.000
221. Blissfield, 383, 4-2, 63.000
222. Byron, 380, 4-2, 52.333
223. Montrose, 379, 4-2, 52.000
224. Delton Kellogg, 378, 5-1, 63.333
225. Hemlock, 374, 5-1, 51.333
226. Harrison, 372, 3-3, 35.500
227. Morley Stanwood, 369, 4-2, 45.333
228. Quincy, 369, 4-2, 42.833
229. Elk Rapids, 366, 4-2, 39.333
230. Napoleon, 365, 5-1, 50.000
231. Beaverton, 362, 5-1, 56.833
232. Grass Lake, 357, 6-0, 70.667
233. Jackson Lumen Christi *, 356, 6-0, 88.000
234. Traverse City St. Francis, 355, 6-0, 89.333
235. Flint Hamady, 353, 6-0, 82.667
236. Schoolcraft, 353, 5-1, 70.000
237. Niles Brandywine, 352, 4-2, 43.286
238. Kent City, 351, 6-0, 66.667
239. Lutheran Westland, 349, 3-3, 26.367
240. Detroit Central, 348, 3-3, 34.167
241. Lake City, 348, 6-0, 72.000
242. Leroy Pine River, 348, 4-2, 40.000
243. L'Anse, 344, 3-3, 37.833
244. Ravenna, 344, 3-3, 32.667
245. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, 332, 3-3, 31.000
246. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, 331, 4-2, 63.633
247. St. Louis, 331, 3-3, 35.167
248. Oscoda, 329, 5-1, 48.800
249. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 328, 3-3, 38.500
250. McBain, 327, 4-2, 50.833
251. North Muskegon, 327, 3-3, 29.833
252. Hartford, 322, 4-2, 35.667
253. Roscommon, 319, 5-1, 67.333
254. Madison Heights Madison, 316, 6-0, 100.000
255. Pewamo-Westphalia, 315, 6-0, 61.333
256. Clinton, 313, 5-1, 56.500
257. Bad Axe, 311, 3-3, 31.333
258. Detroit Community, 308, 6-0, 56.000
259. Madison Heights Bishop Foley, 306, 5-1, 60.833
260. New Lothrop, 302, 6-0, 81.333
261. Springport, 302, 6-0, 61.333
262. Allen Park Cabrini, 300, 5-1, 48.667
263. Sandusky, 300, 6-0, 64.000
264. Lawton, 299, 3-3, 29.667
265. Iron Mountain, 298, 4-2, 52.000
266. Union City, 297, 3-3, 32.833
267. Cass City, 291, 5-1, 57.833
268. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, 282, 5-1, 59.333
269. Detroit Loyola, 280, 4-2, 57.000
270. Harbor Springs, 280, 6-0, 60.267
271. Manton, 280, 4-2, 42.667
272. Centreville, 279, 6-0, 61.333
273. Saugatuck, 273, 5-1, 56.667
274. Sand Creek, 266, 4-2, 39.367
275. Cassopolis, 261, 6-0, 66.667
276. Saranac, 257, 4-2, 32.167
277. Concord, 255, 3-3, 32.833
278. Marlette, 255, 3-3, 36.333
279. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, 252, 3-3, 30.667
280. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 250, 6-0, 61.333
281. Carson City-Crystal, 248, 6-0, 53.333
282. Gwinn, 246, 4-2, 38.500
283. Iron River West Iron County, 246, 5-1, 47.500
284. Dansville, 244, 5-1, 49.500
285. Reading, 244, 6-0, 68.000
286. Addison, 243, 3-3, 30.167
287. Flint Beecher, 237, 4-2, 44.167
288. Holton, 234, 5-1, 48.500
289. Ishpeming, 233, 6-0, 68.000
290. Ubly, 232, 4-2, 41.500
291. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 226, 5-1, 50.100
292. White Pigeon, 225, 4-2, 44.333
293. Breckenridge, 224, 6-0, 58.667
294. Harbor Beach, 222, 5-1, 55.000
295. Norway, 220, 3-3, 30.167
296. Rogers City, 220, 5-1, 50.000
297. Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, 220, 6-0, 61.333
298. Petersburg-Summerfield, 219, 3-3, 31.667
299. Decatur, 216, 4-2, 40.333
300. St. Ignace, 209, 3-3, 31.167
301. Detroit Public Safety Academy, 206, 5-1, 45.200
302. Munising, 201, 3-3, 32.000
303. Mendon, 193, 3-3, 24.500
304. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 193, 6-0, 58.667
305. Merrill, 186, 3-3, 31.700
306. Pittsford, 186, 6-0, 58.667
307. Three Oaks River Valley, 186, 4-2, 36.833
308. Athens *, 185, 3-2, 36.167
309. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 183, 5-1, 46.333
310. Martin, 183, 3-3, 30.867
311. Saginaw Nouvel, 180, 3-3, 31.500
312. Frankfort, 174, 4-2, 38.500
313. Fowler, 170, 4-2, 34.833
314. Detroit Southeastern, 154, 4-2, 51.333
315. Waterford Our Lady, 128, 4-2, 41.667
316. Clarkston Everest Collegiate, 115, 6-0, 59.733
8-Player Playoff Listing
1. Colon, 162, 6-0, 61.333
2. Pickford, 156, 6-0, 60.000
3. Morrice, 182, 6-0, 54.667
4. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 173, 6-0, 52.533
5. AuGres-Sims, 160, 6-0, 50.667
6. Onekama, 131, 5-1, 48.033
7. Engadine, 102, 5-1, 46.167
8. Suttons Bay, 189, 5-1, 43.767
9. Hillman, 140, 5-1, 43.500
10. Powers North Central, 109, 5-1, 43.333
11. Peck, 136, 5-1, 43.000
12. Bellevue, 185, 5-1, 42.167
13. Posen, 78, 5-1, 39.333
14. Kingston, 187, 5-1, 37.833
15. Deckerville, 175, 4-2, 37.333
16. Fife Lake Forest Area, 183, 4-2, 36.000
17. Camden-Frontier, 176, 4-2, 34.833
18. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart, 122, 4-2, 34.833
19. Brethren, 143, 4-2, 34.767
20. Battle Creek St. Philip, 178, 4-2, 34.667
21. Mayville, 185, 4-2, 33.500
22. Rapid River, 127, 4-2, 33.500
23. Genesee, 169, 4-2, 33.467
24. Stephenson, 159, 4-2, 32.595
25. Manistee Catholic Central, 181, 4-2, 29.433
26. New Haven Merritt Academy, 154, 3-3, 29.333
27. Tekonsha, 121, 4-2, 29.333
28. Cedarville, 151, 4-2, 29.167
29. Portland St. Patrick, 102, 3-3, 28.333
30. Eben Junction Superior Central, 121, 3-3, 27.000
31. Crystal Falls Forest Park, 125, 3-3, 26.595
32. Kinde-North Huron, 130, 3-3, 24.333
33. Pellston, 167, 3-3, 24.333
34. Onaway, 187, 3-3, 23.700
35. Mesick, 202, 3-3, 23.167
36. Bellaire, 131, 2-4, 21.500
37. Caseville *, 95, 3-2, 21.200
38. North Adams-Jerome, 146, 3-3, 21.000
39. Marion, 139, 3-3, 20.433
40. Burr Oak, 74, 3-3, 20.167
41. Lawrence, 171, 2-4, 20.167
42. Webberville, 176, 2-4, 19.667
43. Ontonagon, 173, 3-3, 18.833
44. Central Lake *, 190, 2-3, 17.300
45. Bay City All Saints, 77, 2-4, 15.333
46. Rudyard, 159, 2-4, 14.667
47. Owendale-Gagetown, 57, 2-4, 13.667
48. Waldron, 65, 2-4, 12.167
49. Bear Lake *, 94, 1-4, 9.733
50. Hale, 122, 1-5, 9.667
51. Ashley, 94, 1-5, 8.667
52. Atlanta, 74, 1-5, 8.667
53. St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy, 156, 1-5, 8.500
54. Burton Madison Academy, 163, 1-5, 7.567
55. Big Rapids Crossroads Academy, 201, 1-5, 7.167
56. Brimley, 154, 1-5, 7.167
57. Felch North Dickinson, 83, 0-6, 3.167
58. Flint International Academy, 171, 0-6, 2.833
59. Carney-Nadeau, 133, 0-6, 2.500
60. Litchfield, 81, 0-6, 2.500
61. St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran, 100, 0-6, 2.167
62. Baldwin *, 120, 0-5, 1.867
Brogan Shepherds Lumen Christi Legacy
By
Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
November 17, 2017
By Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
JACKSON – It has been nearly 38 years since Herb Brogan became head football coach at Jackson Lumen Christi. It is hard to imagine anyone facing tougher circumstances in a promotion than he did early in 1980.
Lumen Christi was coming off its second Class B championship in three seasons, this one capping an undefeated season. Head coach Jim Crowley was named the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Class B Coach of the Year, and Brogan had been on the varsity staff since 1973 and had been part of the program since 1971.
It was a close coaching staff, but everything changed on the first Friday night of 1980. Crowley confronted a man in his driveway as he returned home from picking up his daughter. After sending his daughter inside, Crowley was shot and killed, leaving the Jackson community shocked and saddened.
At age 30, Brogan was chosen to succeed Crowley, his friend and mentor who had been the coach at rival St. John while Brogan played for St. Mary. The two schools merged in 1968, and Crowley was named head coach. Crowley and Brogan formed a strong friendship during their years together, and Brogan was the obvious choice to be the new head coach after Crowley’s sudden death.
“You’re in shock,” Brogan said of his recollections of that tragic night. “It played out slowly, and it was a long, long night. I remember that.”
Taking over the program under those circumstances was challenging for Brogan.
“It was hard just because I missed Jim,” he said. “I had the support of his family, and the coaching staff remained the same and constant, and the kids bonded together. We just worked our way through it.”
A year later, the MHSFCA created the Jim Crowley Award, and continues to hand it out each season.
Through the years, Brogan put his own stamp on the program, but the Crowley influence always has been evident to those who could recognize it.
“A lot of the plays are the same; that play-action pass is the way we ran it back then,” Brogan said. “He established the foundation, and a lot of the things are run the same way. Circumstances have changed, but the tradition has stayed the same.”
Maintaining tradition
Brogan’s first two teams both finished the regular season undefeated. In 1980, Lumen Christi lost to Farmington Hills Harrison 7-6 in the Class B Regional, and in 1981, the 9-0 Titans were denied a playoff spot despite outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 301-26.
From 1981-94, Lumen Christi made the playoffs just twice but still had 12 winning seasons out of 14 and never finished worse than 4-5. In 1995, Lumen Christi had an unbeaten regular season and won a playoff game before losing to Detroit Country Day.
The following season, Lumen Christi won its third MHSAA title – and the first with Brogan as head coach – and the most prolonged successful run in school history was underway.
Since 1992, Lumen Christi has not been worse than 6-3 in any season. It also has 263 wins – an average of more than 10 per season over 26 seasons. The Titans won seven MHSAA championships during that run, including two capping back-to-back 14-0 seasons in 2000-01.
Brogan said each title brought its own satisfaction.
“They are all different, and the kids are different,” he said. “Sometimes you expect it, like in 2000 and 2001 and in 1996. It would have been a disappointment if we didn’t win those.”
And sometimes the expectations are not as high. At the beginning of the 2016 season, Brogan saw promise in his young team but was unsure how things would turn out. It did not look real promising after the Titans started 1-2.
“The team did what we hoped it would do,” he said. “We knew we weren’t going to be very good early on, and we weren’t, but we were young and we had a chance to get a lot better and we did.”
Lumen Christi ran the table, winning its last 11 games with a few key victories along the way. One of those came in the sixth week against Coldwater.
“The Coldwater game that we won in overtime was a big confidence booster because we had already lost two games at that point,” senior fullback/linebacker Kyle Minder said. “It was a big game to win.”
Senior left guard Austin Maynard, then a junior, pointed to the victory over Schoolcraft in the Division 6 District Final as a key point in the season.
“We found out we can win it all because that team was probably the best we faced all year,” he said. “When we won that game, we looked at each other saying. ‘It’s possible that we could win it all.’ “
The 11-game run was capped with a 26-14 victory over Maple City Glen Lake at Ford Field in Detroit.
“It was what everyone dreams about; the feeling that happens when you win is indescribable,” Maynard said. “It feels like you are on top of the world and nothing can bring you down. You know all the hard work that you put in during the summer paid off.”
The players, however, wanted more.
“They have embraced the challenge of being the defending champions,” Brogan said. “We’ll see what happens, but it’s been on their minds ever since we walked off Ford Field last year.”
Driven to repeat
Brogan does not shy away from scheduling a tough foe or two in the non-conference, and this season the Titans opened against four-time reigning Division 5 champion Grand Rapids West Catholic for the second year in a row. They knocked off the Falcons 27-24 to get the season off to a rousing start.
“In the non-conference, there is nobody better to play than Grand Rapids West Catholic,” senior tight end/defensive end Cameron White said. “Just having them on our schedule is great, and to come out with a win was awesome.”
One of the neat aspects for this group of players is that it is the first to complete an entire season of playing its home games at the high school. In the past, Lumen Christi has always played its home games at Withington Community Stadium, which is located at Jackson High School. A few years ago, Lumen Christi opened its own field and eventually ended up playing all of its home games there.
“I was a little bit concerned about that because Withington is such a nice venue, and we wondered how the kids would accept it, but they love it,” Brogan said. “I think the kids in the school like it, and they have their own little section down there in the end zone and there is a lot of enthusiasm down there.
“It’s nice getting dressed here and walking out to play a ballgame.”
It certainly has been a hit with the players.
“It’s nice to be at our own school and not have to travel for home games,” senior receiver/defensive end Sam Mizner said. “It’s nice to have that LC in the middle of the field all of the time.”
Maynard said it’s a different feeling to be playing on the school grounds.
“When we played at Jackson High, they are one of our biggest rivals in football, so playing there you just didn’t feel at home,” he said. “Here we are playing in front of our home crowd at home.”
This year’s team is experienced with strong line play, and one improvement over last year – at least statistically – is on defense. The Titans have allowed an average of 12.8 points per game after giving up 17 a year ago.
“Offensively, we’re physical, and we have a great offensive line,” Brogan said. “I’d say that’s the strength of our team. We’ve been able to block everybody all year long. We have two good tailbacks who have rushed for 1,800 yards and a fullback who has rushed for 750. Our quarterback has thrown for about 1,200 yards and completed 68 percent. We haven’t thrown it a lot, but we have thrown it effectively off our play-action stuff. When we have been able to run it well, we’ve been able to hurt people.
“It’s an experienced group. Most of these kids had a role in the state championship last year. We returned a lot. It’s a mature group. They are fun to coach and fun to be around. They enjoy themselves and play hard and play with intensity, but they have a lot of fun doing it.”
Lumen Christi played an eight-game schedule this regular season and went 7-1 with a one-point loss to Battle Creek Harper Creek in the third week of the season.
“I think it was a very good point in the season when we ended up losing,” White said. “It was a wake-up call that everything wasn’t going to be easy and everything wasn’t going to be given to us.
“It showed that we need to work that much harder.”
Lumen Christi will take an eight-game winning streak into its Division 6 Semifinal on Saturday. The first eight Finals championships in school history were either in Class B or Division 5, but declining enrollment dropped the Titans to Division 6 in 2014. But that hasn’t necessarily meant an easier road to a title. This year, perennial powers Ithaca and Traverse City St. Francis are meeting in the other Semifinal game.
“Last year, I thought Division 5 was more difficult than Division 6, but overall this year, Division 6 is probably more difficult than Division 5,” Brogan said. “What I have found over the years is that there are really good teams in every division, just the further down you go there are less of them.
“We felt last week that seven of the eight teams who were left could win it, and now, any of the four could win it.”
Brogan – The Leader
With a lengthy resume as impressive as Brogan’s, there is no doubt who is in charge. And the players know of him long before they ever play for him.
“When you come into the program in seventh grade, you look at Coach and he’s a very intimidating guy,” Maynard said. “You know the hard work that he is going to put you through just from the stories you’ve heard, and true football players want that; they want coaches to come up to you and challenge you and put you through the most difficult workouts you’ve ever been through.”
And, when they mess up, they will hear about it.
“At first, you are scared of making a mistake, but you have to do everything 100 percent,” Mizner said. “You know you are going to get yelled at because you’re not perfect, but things will happen and you’ll get better during the season.”
Brogan will coach with an iron fist, but he isn’t one to run up the score. Often during his career a 28-0 halftime lead ended with something like a 35-0 victory.
He preaches clean play and will not tolerate any of his players doing something that might be deemed dirty. His players told of one such instance this season. One of the Titans pushed an opposing player after the play, and as White told it, that player felt the wrath of Brogan.
“Coach Brogan got in his face,” White said. “It solved the problem, and the player learned his lesson. And he learned his lesson at conditioning, too.”
And finally, there is a saying around football circles in Jackson. It goes something like this: “If Lumen Christi is close at halftime, the coaches will more often make the proper halftime adjustments to give the Titans the edge in the second half.”
In typical style of the low-key coach, Brogan directs that credit to his assistant coaches.
“I think we have a great coaching staff, and honestly, they do a lot more of that stuff than I do,” he said. “We have an offensive staff and an offensive coordinator and a defensive staff and a defensive coordinator, and my job is to sit here and talk to the media.”
Brogan is fifth all-time in coaching wins in the state of Michigan and second among active coaches. His career record is 341-83, and he is one of just 10 coaches to reach 300 career victories. He doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
“It’s still fun,” he said. “I don’t have a lot of classes anymore, and in the offseason I can kind of do what I want to do. I’m coaching with great guys and coaching great kids.
“I’ll be here as long as these guys want me around.”
Chip Mundy served as sports editor at the Brooklyn Exponent and Albion Recorder from 1980-86, and then as a reporter and later copy editor at the Jackson Citizen-Patriot from 1986-2011. He also co-authored Michigan Sports Trivia. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Lumen Christi players stand arm-in-arm. (Middle top) Titans coach Herb Brogan talks things over with his players. (Middle below) Lumen Christi fullback Kyle Minder, left, leads the way for tailback Sebastian Toland. (Below) The Titans are succeeding again behind a powerful offensive line. (Photos courtesy of the Jackson Lumen Christi football program.)