2022 Week 9 Football Playoff Listing: Top 40 in 11-Player Divisions & Top 24 in 8-Player Divisions
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 19, 2022
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 divided by division and ordered by playoff average. The top 32 teams by playoff average in each 11-player division and top 16 teams by playoff average in each 8-player division will qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs beginning Oct. 28. Divisions were determined prior to the start of the season, and the lists below include not only teams currently positioned to potentially qualify, but also the next eight teams in each division. (Forfeits confirmed for this week already have been added and are reflected in win-loss records and playoff points below.)
To review a list of all football playoff schools, individual school playoff point details and to report errors, visit the Football Playoff Point Summary page.
The announcement of the qualifiers and first-round pairings for both the 11 and 8-player playoffs will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, on the “Selection Sunday Show” on Bally Sports Detroit and its website. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show.
11-PLAYER DIVISION 1
1. Belleville, 8-0, 79.875
2. Macomb Dakota, 8-0, 79.643
3. Brighton, 8-0, 79.500
3. Rockford, 8-0, 79.500
5. Caledonia, 8-0, 78.875
6. West Bloomfield, 7-1, 75.875
7. Clarkston, 6-2, 75.750
8. Lapeer, 7-1, 74.000
9. Davison, 7-1, 73.375
10. Rochester Adams, 7-1, 72.875
11. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 6-2, 71.500
12. Romeo, 6-2, 70.000
13. Northville, 7-1, 69.875
14. Grandville, 6-2, 68.375
15. Utica Eisenhower, 6-2, 66.750
16. Southfield Arts & Technology, 6-2, 65.625
17. Saline, 6-2, 64.125
18. Detroit Catholic Central, 6-2, 63.504
19. Dearborn, 6-2, 61.750
20. Novi, 5-3, 61.500
21. Troy, 6-2, 61.250
22. Holt, 5-3, 59.714
23. Ann Arbor Huron, 5-3, 59.667
24. East Kentwood, 5-3, 58.018
25. Hartland, 5-3, 57.750
26. Grand Ledge, 6-2, 56.714
27. Brownstown Woodhaven, 6-2, 55.804
28. Grand Blanc, 4-4, 52.125
29. Detroit Cass Tech, 5-3, 51.679
30. Lake Orion, 4-4, 50.500
31. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 4-4, 49.625
32. Livonia Stevenson, 4-4, 49.000
33. New Baltimore Anchor Bay, 3-5, 48.125
34. Rochester, 4-4, 46.125
35. Holland West Ottawa, 3-5, 45.000
36. Howell, 3-5, 43.500
37. Westland John Glenn, 3-5, 43.000
38. Monroe, 3-5, 42.750
39. Troy Athens, 4-4, 42.625
40. Jenison, 2-6, 41.375
11-PLAYER DIVISION 2
1. Dexter, 8-0, 80.042
2. Birmingham Seaholm, 7-1, 71.250
3. Livonia Franklin, 7-1, 70.750
4. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 8-0, 69.500
5. Muskegon Mona Shores, 7-1, 67.125
6. Midland, 7-1, 66.750
7. Temperance Bedford, 7-2, 65.528
8. Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 7-1, 65.375
9. Roseville, 6-2, 64.875
10. Battle Creek Central, 7-1, 64.107
11. Waterford Mott, 6-2, 63.625
12. Byron Center, 6-2, 63.500
13. Port Huron Northern, 7-1, 60.500
14. Farmington, 6-2, 60.000
15. Saginaw Heritage, 6-2, 59.500
16. Grosse Pointe South, 5-3, 58.875
16. South Lyon East, 6-2, 58.875
18. South Lyon, 6-2, 58.607
19. East Lansing, 6-2, 57.964
20. Port Huron, 6-2, 55.500
21. Swartz Creek, 6-2, 55.250
21. Traverse City Central, 4-4, 55.250
23. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 5-3, 52.000
24. Dearborn Heights Crestwood, 6-2, 51.500
25. Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse, 4-4, 50.500
26. Portage Northern, 5-3, 50.357
27. St Clair Shores Lakeview, 5-3, 50.125
28. White Lake Lakeland, 4-4, 49.875
29. Warren Cousino, 5-3, 48.250
29. Warren Mott, 4-4, 48.250
31. Milford, 4-4, 47.875
32. Birmingham Groves, 5-3, 47.750
33. Ypsilanti Lincoln, 3-5, 44.625
34. Portage Central, 3-5, 44.607
35. Ferndale, 4-4, 44.375
36. North Farmington, 2-6, 43.750
37. Bay City Western, 4-4, 43.000
38. Detroit U-D Jesuit, 4-4, 42.286
39. Harper Woods, 3-5, 41.375
40. Midland Dow, 3-5, 39.375
11-PLAYER DIVISION 3
1. Walled Lake Western, 7-1, 72.750
2. Mount Pleasant, 7-1, 67.625
3. Trenton, 7-1, 66.750
4. Mason, 8-0, 65.500
5. Gibraltar Carlson, 7-1, 64.250
6. St. Joseph, 7-1, 63.232
7. Grosse Pointe North, 8-0, 62.875
8. Zeeland West, 7-1, 62.625
9. Muskegon, 6-2, 61.250
10. Fenton, 6-2, 58.875
11. Linden, 5-3, 56.125
12. Detroit Martin Luther King, 5-2, 54.238
13. Southgate Anderson, 5-3, 53.750
14. DeWitt, 5-3, 52.000
15. River Rouge, 5-2, 51.917
16. Haslett, 6-2, 51.125
16. Lowell, 5-3, 51.125
18. Cadillac, 5-3, 50.375
19. Auburn Hills Avondale, 5-3, 49.875
20. Coopersville, 5-3, 49.250
21. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 3-4, 48.000
22. Jackson, 4-4, 46.625
23. Allen Park, 4-4, 46.607
24. East Grand Rapids, 3-5, 45.875
25. Parma Western, 5-3, 45.661
26. Holly, 4-4, 45.500
27. Cedar Springs, 4-4, 44.607
28. Detroit Henry Ford, 5-3, 44.399
29. Detroit Renaissance, 4-4, 44.274
30. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, 4-4, 43.125
31. Lansing Waverly, 4-4, 43.089
32. Gaylord, 5-3, 43.000
33. Sparta, 5-3, 42.625
34. New Boston Huron, 5-3, 42.250
35. Sturgis, 5-3, 41.750
36. Stevensville Lakeshore, 3-5, 40.857
37. Sault Ste. Marie, 5-3, 39.625
38. Grand Rapids Northview, 3-5, 35.250
39. Zeeland East, 2-6, 34.875
40. Richland Gull Lake, 3-5, 34.500
11-PLAYER DIVISION 4
1. Whitehall, 9-0, 64.097
2. Grand Rapids South Christian, 8-0, 62.250
3. Tecumseh, 8-0, 62.125
4. Goodrich, 7-1, 60.750
5. Redford Union, 8-0, 60.375
6. Riverview, 8-0, 59.875
7. Hastings, 7-1, 58.819
8. Edwardsburg, 7-1, 58.625
9. North Branch, 7-1, 53.917
10. Charlotte, 7-1, 52.875
11. Chelsea, 5-3, 51.458
12. Freeland, 7-1, 50.250
13. Dearborn Divine Child, 6-2, 50.125
14. Hudsonville Unity Christian, 5-3, 50.069
15. Fruitport, 6-2, 49.750
16. Madison Heights Lamphere, 6-2, 49.125
17. Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 6-2, 48.375
18. Croswell-Lexington, 6-2, 46.375
19. Ludington, 6-2, 46.194
20. Ortonville Brandon, 5-3, 45.750
21. Three Rivers, 5-3, 45.625
22. Garden City, 5-3, 45.250
23. Vicksburg, 4-4, 44.875
24. Carleton Airport, 6-2, 44.500
25. Livonia Clarenceville, 5-3, 43.750
26. Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 3-5, 43.625
27. Marysville, 5-3, 42.768
28. Big Rapids, 6-2, 41.000
28. Paw Paw, 4-4, 41.000
30. Grand Rapids Christian, 3-5, 40.750
31. Niles, 4-4, 40.375
32. Adrian, 4-4, 39.875
32. Wayland, 4-4, 39.875
34. Lake Fenton, 3-5, 38.625
35. Marshall, 4-4, 38.000
36. Detroit East English, 4-4, 36.667
37. Lansing Sexton, 4-4, 36.339
38. Center Line, 5-3, 35.768
39. Allendale, 3-5, 35.000
40. Fremont, 4-4, 34.569
11-PLAYER DIVISION 5
1. Frankenmuth, 8-0, 59.875
1. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 7-1, 59.875
3. Corunna, 7-1, 59.500
4. Marine City, 7-1, 57.125
5. Muskegon Oakridge, 7-1, 56.194
6. Portland, 7-1, 55.750
7. Armada, 7-1, 55.625
8. Belding, 7-1, 53.875
9. Kingsford, 6-2, 51.083
10. Williamston, 6-2, 49.500
11. Gladwin, 8-0, 48.500
12. Detroit Country Day, 5-2, 46.679
13. Berrien Springs, 6-1, 45.732
14. Romulus Summit Academy North, 6-2, 45.250
15. Flat Rock, 5-3, 45.125
16. Kingsley, 6-2, 45.000
17. Howard City Tri County, 7-1, 42.875
18. Dundee, 6-2, 42.750
18. Saginaw Swan Valley, 5-3, 42.750
20. St. Clair Shores South Lake, 6-2, 42.500
21. Olivet, 6-2, 41.750
22. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 5-3, 41.000
23. Hopkins, 5-3, 40.875
24. Flint Hamady, 7-1, 40.839
25. Ogemaw Heights, 6-2, 40.125
26. Detroit Denby, 5-3, 39.988
27. Shepherd, 6-2, 39.250
28. Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, 4-4, 38.524
29. Essexville Garber, 5-3, 38.250
30. Detroit Southeastern, 5-3, 36.696
31. Yale, 4-4, 36.375
32. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 6-2, 36.125
33. Birch Run, 4-4, 35.125
34. Benton Harbor, 4-4, 34.732
35. Grosse Ile, 4-4, 34.250
36. Richmond, 3-5, 34.125
37. Flint Powers Catholic, 3-5, 33.161
38. Whitmore Lake, 6-2, 31.625
39. Midland Bullock Creek, 4-4, 31.429
40. Macomb Lutheran North, 3-5, 30.875
11-PLAYER DIVISION 6
1. Grand Rapids West Catholic, 7-1, 61.750
2. Almont, 6-2, 52.167
3. Gladstone, 6-2, 51.125
4. Ecorse, 8-0, 50.738
5. Madison Heights Bishop Foley, 8-0, 48.750
6. Constantine, 7-1, 48.125
6. Durand, 8-0, 48.125
8. Reed City, 7-1, 48.000
9. Clinton, 8-0, 47.750
10. Negaunee, 8-0, 47.139
11. Warren Michigan Collegiate, 7-1, 46.536
12. Buchanan, 7-1, 45.054
13. Standish-Sterling, 7-0, 44.946
14. Millington, 7-1, 44.804
15. Boyne City, 8-0, 44.750
16. Detroit Voyageur College Prep, 6-2, 41.000
17. Ovid-Elsie, 6-2, 40.000
18. Kent City, 6-2, 37.250
19. Clare, 5-3, 36.875
20. Manistee, 5-3, 35.819
21. Muskegon Catholic Central, 6-2, 35.500
22. Watervliet, 5-3, 35.232
23. Menominee, 4-4, 34.792
24. Detroit Northwestern, 5-3, 34.292
25. Elk Rapids, 6-2, 34.250
26. Calumet, 5-3, 34.014
27. Montague, 3-5, 33.944
28. Houghton, 5-3, 33.764
29. Sanford Meridian, 5-3, 33.250
30. Lansing Catholic, 3-5, 33.000
31. Laingsburg, 6-2, 32.500
32. Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 3-5, 30.500
33. Detroit Pershing, 4-4, 30.321
34. Parchment, 4-4, 30.179
35. Clawson, 4-4, 30.143
36. Lutheran Westland, 5-3, 29.750
36. Stockbridge, 5-3, 29.750
38. Remus Chippewa Hills, 3-5, 29.375
39. Ida, 3-5, 28.500
40. Hillsdale, 3-5, 28.482
11-PLAYER DIVISION 7
1. Traverse City St. Francis, 8-0, 53.250
2. Detroit Central, 8-0, 51.113
3. Hudson, 8-0, 47.750
4. Jackson Lumen Christi, 5-3, 47.000
5. Ithaca, 7-1, 39.804
6. North Muskegon, 7-1, 39.500
7. Lawton, 6-2, 39.232
8. Napoleon, 8-0, 38.750
9. Charlevoix, 7-1, 38.500
10. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, 8-0, 38.125
11. Union City, 7-1, 36.750
12. New Lothrop, 6-2, 36.625
13. Schoolcraft, 6-3, 35.716
14. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, 3-5, 34.375
15. Bad Axe, 6-3, 34.083
16. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 6-2, 34.000
17. Pewamo-Westphalia, 5-3, 33.375
18. Delton Kellogg, 4-4, 32.792
19. Homer, 6-2, 32.625
20. Montrose, 5-3, 32.250
21. Ravenna, 5-3, 31.625
22. Manchester, 5-3, 31.500
23. Cass City, 5-3, 30.375
24. Grass Lake, 5-3, 30.250
25. Benzie Central, 3-5, 28.071
26. Lake City, 5-3, 27.500
27. Bath, 5-3, 27.321
28. Niles Brandywine, 4-4, 27.107
29. Erie Mason, 5-3, 26.500
30. L'Anse, 4-4, 26.264
31. Burton Bendle, 4-4, 26.161
32. Jonesville, 4-4, 25.125
33. Perry, 3-5, 23.875
34. Leslie, 2-6, 23.125
35. Beaverton, 2-6, 23.000
36. Detroit Loyola, 1-7, 22.661
37. Hanover-Horton, 2-6, 20.875
38. Sandusky, 2-6, 20.667
39. Galesburg-Augusta, 2-5, 20.577
40. Harrison, 2-6, 20.125
11-PLAYER DIVISION 8
1. Iron Mountain, 7-1, 44.764
2. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 8-0, 44.250
3. Ubly, 8-0, 40.000
4. Beal City, 8-0, 38.625
5. Marine City Cardinal Mooney, 7-1, 38.250
6. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 7-1, 37.875
7. Harbor Beach, 7-1, 35.875
8. Fowler, 7-1, 35.375
9. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 5-3, 35.125
10. Evart, 7-1, 34.375
11. Reading, 6-2, 33.625
12. St. Ignace, 6-2, 33.375
13. Mount Clemens, 7-1, 32.613
14. Frankfort, 7-1, 32.250
15. Centreville, 6-2, 31.970
16. Bark River-Harris, 6-2, 31.125
17. Saginaw Nouvel, 5-3, 30.964
18. Carson City-Crystal, 7-1, 30.250
19. Clarkston Everest Collegiate, 5-3, 29.214
20. Decatur, 5-3, 29.036
20. White Pigeon, 5-3, 29.036
22. Ishpeming, 4-4, 28.847
23. White Cloud, 6-2, 28.750
24. Flint Beecher, 4-3, 28.536
25. Melvindale Academy for Business & Tech, 6-2, 28.488
26. Detroit Leadership Academy, 3-5, 28.167
27. Addison, 4-4, 25.875
27. McBain, 4-4, 25.875
29. Marlette, 4-4, 25.750
30. East Jordan, 4-4, 25.250
31. Detroit Community, 4-4, 24.292
32. Petersburg Summerfield, 4-4, 24.125
33. Vassar, 4-4, 23.917
34. Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, 3-5, 23.250
35. Dansville, 3-5, 20.250
35. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 3-5, 20.250
37. Unionville-Sebewaing, 2-6, 20.167
38. Manton, 3-5, 19.625
39. Burton Bentley, 3-5, 19.286
40. Maple City Glen Lake, 3-5, 18.875
8-PLAYER DIVISION 1
1. Munising, 8-0, 37.375
2. Martin, 7-1, 37.250
3. Merrill, 8-0, 36.250
3. Rogers City, 8-0, 36.250
5. Kingston, 8-0, 34.375
6. Brown City, 7-1, 33.875
7. Newberry, 7-1, 32.804
8. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 7-1, 31.625
9. Norway, 6-2, 31.083
10. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 6-2, 30.750
11. Breckenridge, 6-2, 30.375
11. Gobles, 6-2, 30.375
13. Tekonsha, 7-1, 29.643
14. Rudyard, 5-3, 28.161
15. Fulton, 6-2, 28.125
16. Indian River Inland Lakes, 5-3, 28.054
17. Deckerville, 5-3, 27.625
18. Pickford, 5-3, 27.411
19. Mesick, 5-3, 26.607
20. Marcellus, 5-3, 26.500
21. Britton Deerfield, 5-3, 26.232
22. Manistee Catholic Central, 5-3, 25.857
23. Battle Creek St. Philip, 4-4, 25.518
24. Suttons Bay, 3-5, 24.804
8-PLAYER DIVISION 2
1. Colon, 8-0, 36.625
2. Marion, 8-0, 34.857
3. Climax-Scotts, 7-1, 34.250
4. Powers North Central, 8-0, 33.958
5. Peck, 7-1, 32.375
6. Au Gres-Sims, 7-1, 31.625
6. Morrice, 7-1, 31.625
8. Crystal Falls Forest Park, 7-1, 30.458
9. Mendon, 6-2, 30.000
10. Posen, 7-1, 29.875
11. Gaylord St. Mary, 6-2, 28.929
12. Central Lake, 6-2, 28.500
13. Lake Linden-Hubbell, 5-3, 25.708
14. Cedarville, 5-3, 25.536
15. Camden-Frontier, 4-4, 25.250
16. Stephenson, 5-3, 24.958
17. Kinde North Huron, 5-3, 24.625
18. Bay City All Saints, 4-4, 23.000
19. Athens, 4-4, 22.625
20. Pittsford, 4-4, 22.250
21. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 4-4, 21.875
22. Mio, 3-5, 21.750
23. Atlanta, 3-5, 21.375
24. New Haven Merritt Academy, 4-4, 21.125
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.3 million spectators each year.
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Undefeated Contenders Make Claims as 1925 High School Football Champion
By
Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian
November 14, 2025
It was another football season without an official postseason, just as they all were prior to 1975 in Michigan.
Well – that’s not exactly true – but we will detail that story on another day.
In the Great Lakes State, the 1925 prep season – now 100 years ago - provides a beautiful illustration of the fun, fascination, and frustration in proclaiming gridiron championships in Michigan before the arrival of the MHSAA playoffs.
“The Roaring Twenties” – built in the age of prosperity that followed the end of World War I – were an age of excess, an era of more, and a time where anything seemed possible.
The Twenties are also known as the Golden Age of College Football, and excitement for the sport certainly trickled down to the high school level. The need or desire to open or break ground on impressively bigger and better stadiums hit schools around the nation. The 1925 season marked the opening of the University of Pittsburgh’s Pitt Stadium, with potential seating for 70,000. In Michigan, just upriver on Saginaw Bay in Bay City, the town’s Central High School unveiled a facility with a capacity of 7,100. That season marked the end of college careers for University of Illinois’ legend Harold “Red” Grange, Dartmouth’s Andy Oberlander, and Stanford’s Ernie Nevers. It was also the first varsity season at University of Michigan for Muskegon High School’s Bennie Oosterbaan, who became the school’s first three-time football All-American.
With a lack of lighted fields in Michigan, prep contests were mostly played on Saturdays, and the kickoff to seasons began around mid-September. Scheduled games generally ended in late November, with a few schools around the state closing their slate with a traditional Thanksgiving Day game.
Call it what you will – bragging rights, statewide acclaim, untethered validation, or an unsatisfied heart – but the regular season did not end the fascination and desire to name a state champion. While the state’s governing body did not sponsor championships, that did not stop cities, schools, the media, and the fan base from attempts to assign bragging rights to teams with unbeaten records. That was pretty much the case since the start of the prep game, dating back to 1888.
The era was often filled with “post season” challenges for games between teams to crystalize a claim on a championship. In general, they seldom came to fruition.
The MHSAA
The recently-created Michigan High School Athletic Association established three classes based on hard student enrollment numbers, with Class A – comprised of the state’s largest schools, each with a minimum of 500 students – Class B with between 175 and 499 enrolled, and Class C for schools with fewer than 175 pupils. Back then, the classifications were not segmented with an equal number of schools in each Class, as they are in today’s Division format. Rather, there were many more schools that fell into Class B and Class C than Class A. (Additional subdividing, adding Class D, and Class E, would come later).
Spurred on by fans and sportswriters, schools who wanted a share of the spotlight saw those classifications conveniently offering a means to segment claims on a state title. Acknowledging that they could seldom compete successfully against the larger schools in football, there was nothing to stop unbeaten teams from declaring themselves Class B or Class C gridiron champions.
The Fall of '25
Following the results of mid-November games across the state, just two prep teams in Michigan’s emerged as possible claimants to the title in Class A. Both Flint Central and Grand Rapids Union were unbeaten and untied. Flint would play Bay City Central at home on Saturday, Nov. 21, then square off for a Thanksgiving game with Ann Arbor in the university city.
Union would complete its regular season in a showdown with crosstown rival Grand Rapids South on Nov. 21. Unbeaten in 1924, South had shared that season’s mythical state title with Flint Central.
Just days before kickoff however, a third school emerged, making lots of noise.
Port Huron Times-Herald reporter Ray Bouslog penned an article that appeared in the Tuesday, Nov. 17 edition.
“Comparing Port Huron with the other two undefeated teams, the locals appear to have just as good a record as their rivals,” he noted. Comparing scores of games among the three schools against common opponents, and opponent’s common opponents – a common practice among fans and sportswriters then and now – he felt the local school was among the state’s best regardless of class.
Two days later, in the same paper, Port Huron’s athletic director and head coach Melvin J. Myers, acknowledging they had two more games on their schedule, was quoted by Bouslog:
“Having gone through the schedule unbeaten, untied, and unscored on, we consider that we have as much a claim (on the state title) as either Grand Rapids Union or Flint Central. But unlike the situation in former years, when the teams were unable to agree on terms of the post season battle, we are willing to play either of these schools at home or away.”
It was a bold statement. Port Huron was classified as a Class B school by the MHSAA. Five of its eight wins had come against Class B or Class C competition. While its goal line had not been crossed, Port Huron had scored 151 points – an average of just under 19 per contest.
Port Huron also had scheduled a Turkey Day game with Richmond, a Class C opponent. Myers considered the contest “only a workout for the team,” with victory by a large margin expected. But Saturday’s contest was on the road against a University of Detroit High School squad – no pushover. Port Huron, of course, would fall out of the race with a defeat in either contest.
On Friday, the Flint Daily Journal, in an Extra edition, acknowledged the Myers’ challenge: “(T)he recognized leader in Class B having no blemish on her record ... Port Huron is willing to step out of her class (and) has hurled challenges at both Flint and Union, provided they are untied and unbeaten.”
Since Union did not have a scheduled Thanksgiving Day contest, Myers stated he was willing to reschedule the Richmond game and meet Union, in Grand Rapids, on the holiday. The move would set up a “playoff” for an undisputed championship.
Union coach John Truesdale responded in the Grand Rapids Press, stating “This is no time to talk such stuff. The proper time for serious entertainment of such ideas is after the South game is played. If we win Saturday we talk. If we lose, and that is not impossible, then we will be in a position to consider such things.”
Union brushed off Coach Myers’ desire for a game on Thanksgiving. Truesdale indicated he was willing to listen to proposals from either Flint or Port Huron – not Thanksgiving Day – but on Saturday, Nov. 28, and no later.
Flint coach Charles Bassett was blunt with his response to the talk: “It is absolutely out of the question for Flint to even think of playing Union or any other team on Nov 28. We have a regularly scheduled game with Ann Arbor only two days before that time. It would be physically impossible for the boys to play two games in three days.”
Emphasizing that his two remaining games had been scheduled over a year ago, he stated, “Union knows our schedule and so does every other school in Michigan. I have no intention whatever of trying to change it. … If Union or Port Huron desire to play at some later date, after my boys have had a suitable rest, I shall be glad to listen to their proposals.”
Stage is Nearly Set
All three schools won their game on Saturday, Nov. 21. Rocky Parsaca nailed three out of four drop-kicks as Union topped South, 9-0, while Port Huron slipped past U of D High, 6-0, on a fourth-quarter TD by senior fullback Cecil Turner. Flint crushed Bay City Central, 32-0, to set the stage.
With that win, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Bassett told the Journal, “If Central is successful against Ann Arbor tomorrow, we stand ready and willing to play either Port Huron or Grand Rapids Union for the undisputed state championship. This should settle all doubts as to our sincerity in believing we have the best team in the state. We are willing to test it on any neutral field.”
By then, however, negotiations for a three-way series involving Union had broken down and the news had reached the paper. In the same edition, it was noted that Union had packed up for the fall. Without a game on Thanksgiving or the Saturday following, Truesdale stated Union could not carry its squad for two full weeks without a game. On Monday, Nov. 24, the Press had announced that Union had closed out its football season and was now focused on basketball.
With that bit of news, the Flint paper stated, “It is probable that Flint and Port Huron will arrange a game for Saturday, Dec 5.”
Thanksgiving
Played on Ann Arbor’s high school field, located just three blocks from University of Michigan’s Ferry Field, Flint had its hands full, downing the hosts, 6-3, on a second-quarter touchdown by senior captain Lloyd Brazil, before 5,000 fans. A future star, and later head coach at the University of Detroit, Brazil intercepted an Ann Arbor pass during the closing minutes, capping a scoreless second half and sealing the win.
As expected, Port Huron trounced Richmond, 55-0.
Talk about a game with Flint to be played at Michigan State College at the new State stadium hit the papers. But discussions failed, and by the weekend, Port Huron and Flint Central also closed out their seasons.
With that, multiple schools laid claim to the crown proving, once again, football championships from the era are valid, but “mythical.”
Check back next week for a second installment on the 1925 football “championship” race.
PHOTOS (Top) From left, Port Huron standout Cecil Turner, Grand Rapids Union football coach John Truesdale, Flint Central players huddling and Central’s Lloyd Brazil. (Middle) The 1925 Flint Central team. (Below) The 1925 Port Huron team. (Photos gathered by Ron Pesch.)