Anticipation High as Statewide Football Eyes Turn to History-Chasing Mason
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 8, 2023
MASON – The drone lightly buzzing overhead during the final hour of Mason’s first practice was providing coaches another point of view as another season got underway Monday evening.
But those shouldn’t be the only eyes watching the Bulldogs these days.
Two years ago, the Bulldogs started grabbing attention with a run of eight straight wins that landed them a first Regional championship with a stunning 20-17 win over frequent contender Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice.
A statewide audience began focusing in last season on the 8,200-resident town just south of Lansing as Mason returned to the Division 3 Semifinals and finished 12-1, setting a school record for wins with the only loss coming to eventual champion Detroit Martin Luther King for the second-consecutive season.
The Bulldogs return nine starters on offense and eight on defense this fall, led in part by two four-year varsity players and three in their third seasons on the top squad. Not tuning in would be a mistake – and mean missing out on potentially another historic effort.
“It started when we beat the Brother Rice team two seasons ago. That kinda kicked off a little bit of a spark for us here at Mason, and the energy just became the difference,” said senior lineman Nick Saade, one of those three-year varsity standouts. “You could just tell. All of our coaches have been at the weight room every day, giving us harder workouts as each year progresses. We’ve increased everything. The energy is there, all the seniors are back. We’re ready to go.”
Practices in nine sports started for an estimated 95,000 athletes across 750 MHSAA member high schools Monday. And Mason football got a running start. On what felt like the most comfortable first day of practice weather-wise in recent memory, there was no sign the Bulldogs were aiming to sit comfortably after what they’d accomplished the last two seasons.
So many experienced returnees means less to teach the greater group and an opportunity for coaches to start game-planning and focusing on details they might not get to usually until the first third of the season is done.
The program has had plenty of success over the years, including a stretch of 14 winning seasons over 15 from 2002-16. But the combined 39-6 record over the last four seasons is unmatched in Bulldogs history and made Mason a place to be for local media Monday as expectations – and anticipation – likely have never been higher.
“Expectations are high, no question about it – and it’s exciting,” said seventh-year coach Gary Houghton, whose only sub-.500 finish came his first season in 2017. “These guys love a challenge, our coaches love a challenge. … We feel like we have a blueprint that leads to success, and we’re going to stay to that blueprint.
“We’ve tweaked some little things, but the core of what we do, we’re going to continue to do. With the added experience we have coming back, I think we have an opportunity to take it to another level.”
Mason took a solid offense to nearly unstoppable last season, upping its per-game scoring average 12 points to 43 per game. Junior Cason Carswell should begin approaching Mason career passing records in his third season as the starter after setting single-season school records with 2,403 yards and 34 scores through the air last fall in making the Division 3-4 all-state second team.
The Bulldogs return all but one receiver among last year’s starting skill players, with senior running back AJ Martel entering his fourth season on varsity after running for 1,273 yards and 20 scores a year ago behind a line that returns Saade among three starters.
The defense was two points better per game last fall than in 2021 while facing another tough playoff slate, giving up 15 points per game. The entire linebacking group returns, with senior Kaleb Parrish having been named the Lansing State Journal Defensive Player of the Year last season. Senior Derek Badgley and junior Logan Doerr also received postseason all-area recognition at linebacker, as did seniors Tyler Baker and Cole Ries in the defensive backfield and senior Grant Gilchrist and junior Sam Corey up front. Junior Collin Winters, also a soccer player, was an all-area kicker last fall.
The energy Monday was undeniable. Houghton loves the chemistry this group has developed over the last three seasons, starting as a young team grew together during that 2021 run. He credits rebuilding the program’s culture, undertaken in several ways purposefully, as putting this team in this position to put the last two years of experiences and learning toward another championship opportunity.
“Just stay confident. Know you can get the job done. Just trust your teammates,” Carswell said he has learned most.
“We all have huge hopes. A couple of years ago, it was like, ‘Let’s make the playoffs. Let’s make a big run.” Now it’s let’s go for it all.”
Geoff Kimmerly joined the MHSAA in Sept. 2011 after 12 years as Prep Sports Editor of the Lansing State Journal. He is a senior editor of MHSAA.com's editorial content and has served as MHSAA Communications Director since January 2021. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Livingston, Ionia, Clinton, Shiawassee, Gratiot, Isabella, Clare and Montcalm counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Linemen work on one-on-one drills during Mason’s first football practice Monday evening. (Middle) Third-year starting quarterback Cason Carswell lines up under center. (Photos by Geoff Kimmerly.)
2016 Week 5 Football Playoff Listing
September 19, 2016
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 fourth 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. 28. Schools with 5-4, 4-3 or 4-4 records may qualify if the number of potential qualifiers by win total does not reach the 256 mark. Schools with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer may be subtracted from the field based on playoff average if the number of potential qualifiers exceeds the 256 mark.
Once the 256 qualifying schools are determined, they will be divided by enrollment groups into eight equal divisions of 32 schools, and then drawn into regions of eight teams each and districts of four teams each. Those schools with 8-player teams will be ranked by playoff average at season’s end, and the top 16 programs will be drawn into regions of eight teams each for the playoff in that division, which also begins Oct. 28.
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. 23 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. Utica Eisenhower, 2700, 4-0, 92.000
2. Clarkston, 2683, 3-1, 70.250
3. Grand Blanc, 2628, 4-0, 94.000
4. Howell, 2499, 3-1, 66.500
5. Dearborn Fordson, 2487, 4-0, 94.000
6. Detroit Cass Tech, 2368, 4-0, 70.000
7. Northville, 2325, 3-1, 76.750
8. Brighton, 2142, 3-1, 72.500
9. Detroit Catholic Central, 2128, 4-0, 94.000
10. Macomb L'Anse Creuse North, 1986, 4-0, 90.000
11. Dearborn, 1978, 3-1, 70.500
12. Lapeer, 1932, 3-1, 60.500
13. Saline, 1923, 4-0, 94.667
14. Bloomfield Hills, 1831, 4-0, 92.000
15. White Lake Lakeland, 1822, 4-0, 90.000
16. Grandville, 1810, 4-0, 94.000
17. Hudsonville, 1797, 3-1, 74.750
18. Warren Mott, 1768, 4-0, 90.000
19. Grand Ledge, 1694, 3-1, 68.500
20. Davison, 1668, 4-0, 84.000
21. Rochester Adams, 1666, 3-1, 66.250
22. Romeo, 1641, 3-1, 72.000
23. Walled Lake Northern, 1631, 4-0, 88.000
24. Grosse Pointe South, 1600, 4-0, 92.000
25. Temperance Bedford, 1597, 3-1, 66.750
26. Detroit Western International, 1584, 3-1, 44.750
27. Brownstown Woodhaven, 1579, 3-1, 64.750
28. Detroit East English, 1579, 3-1, 50.500
29. Livonia Churchill, 1578, 3-1, 72.250
30. Traverse City West, 1552, 3-1, 70.750
31. Warren Cousino, 1496, 3-1, 66.250
32. Detroit Martin Luther King, 1487, 4-0, 78.000
33. Detroit U-D Jesuit *, 1482, 3-1, 60.250
34. Jenison, 1481, 3-1, 64.500
35. Traverse City Central, 1394, 4-0, 96.000
36. Midland, 1388, 3-1, 60.500
37. Portage Central, 1388, 3-1, 62.750
38. Walled Lake Western, 1370, 4-0, 92.000
39. Grosse Pointe North, 1367, 3-1, 58.500
40. Battle Creek Lakeview *, 1353, 3-0, 84.000
41. Berkley, 1319, 3-1, 68.500
42. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 1316, 3-1, 68.500
43. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1311, 3-1, 66.750
44. Port Huron Northern, 1288, 3-1, 52.000
45. Wyoming, 1288, 3-1, 62.750
46. Midland Dow, 1254, 4-0, 84.000
47. Birmingham Brother Rice, 1250, 3-1, 68.400
48. Birmingham Groves, 1248, 4-0, 92.000
49. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 1198, 3-1, 58.250
50. Lowell, 1165, 4-0, 92.000
51. Holly, 1164, 3-1, 62.500
52. Farmington Hills Harrison, 1161, 3-1, 66.250
53. Greenville, 1142, 3-1, 70.500
54. Allen Park, 1094, 4-0, 94.000
55. Redford Thurston, 1090, 3-1, 62.500
56. Byron Center, 1070, 3-1, 62.500
57. Muskegon, 1052, 3-1, 66.500
58. Ortonville-Brandon, 1034, 3-1, 56.250
59. Detroit Cody, 1015, 3-1, 48.750
60. Mason, 1009, 3-1, 64.500
61. Zeeland East, 1007, 3-1, 58.750
62. DeWitt, 1002, 3-1, 76.500
63. St. Joseph, 989, 3-1, 68.500
64. Trenton, 969, 4-0, 90.000
65. Linden, 940, 3-1, 60.500
66. Cedar Springs, 936, 3-1, 68.500
67. Niles, 931, 3-1, 57.850
68. Coldwater, 929, 3-1, 66.250
69. Romulus, 929, 4-0, 35.333
70. Grand Rapids Christian, 912, 4-0, 88.800
71. Warren Fitzgerald, 891, 4-0, 80.000
72. New Boston Huron, 886, 3-1, 54.750
73. Battle Creek Harper Creek, 880, 4-0, 74.000
74. Chelsea, 867, 4-0, 84.000
75. Redford Union, 865, 3-1, 50.250
76. Stevensville Lakeshore, 865, 3-1, 70.500
77. Vicksburg, 861, 3-1, 54.750
78. Dearborn Divine Child, 859, 4-0, 78.000
79. Zeeland West, 857, 3-1, 70.750
80. Edwardsburg, 855, 4-0, 74.000
81. Sparta, 834, 3-1, 50.500
82. Fowlerville, 833, 3-1, 56.750
83. Cadillac, 817, 3-1, 62.250
84. Hamilton, 810, 4-0, 82.000
85. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 797, 3-1, 50.250
86. Marysville, 794, 4-0, 76.000
87. Detroit Osborn, 786, 3-1, 54.500
88. Milan, 775, 4-0, 78.000
89. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 749, 3-1, 72.250
90. River Rouge, 741, 3-1, 56.750
91. Three Rivers, 730, 3-1, 60.000
92. Escanaba, 722, 4-0, 90.000
93. Detroit Mumford, 714, 3-1, 50.500
94. Ludington, 695, 3-1, 46.750
95. Detroit Country Day, 692, 4-0, 70.000
96. Alma, 674, 3-1, 56.750
97. South Haven, 674, 3-1, 58.250
98. Wyoming Kelloggsville, 660, 3-1, 51.417
99. Croswell-Lexington, 659, 3-1, 58.500
100. Lake Fenton, 654, 4-0, 72.000
101. Grosse Ile, 653, 4-0, 84.000
102. Whitehall, 653, 4-0, 66.000
103. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 645, 3-1, 52.917
104. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 644, 4-0, 84.000
105. Benton Harbor, 643, 4-0, 70.000
106. Corunna, 639, 4-0, 74.000
107. Hudsonville Unity Christian, 629, 4-0, 88.000
108. St. Clair Shores South Lake, 617, 3-1, 64.750
109. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 614, 4-0, 68.000
110. Hancock, 608, 3-1, 38.350
111. Detroit Denby, 593, 3-1, 54.500
112. Muskegon Oakridge, 590, 3-1, 40.750
113. Southfield Bradford, 587, 3-1, 52.500
114. Portland, 579, 4-0, 82.000
115. Remus Chippewa Hills, 577, 4-0, 74.000
116. Richmond, 562, 3-1, 62.750
117. Freeland, 561, 4-0, 84.000
118. Essexville Garber, 550, 3-1, 52.750
119. Algonac, 547, 4-0, 66.000
120. Ida, 546, 4-0, 68.000
121. Carrollton, 543, 3-1, 48.750
122. Kingsford, 543, 3-1, 61.200
123. Olivet, 541, 3-1, 50.750
124. Harper Woods, 540, 3-1, 52.250
125. Frankenmuth, 533, 4-0, 70.000
126. Lansing Catholic, 532, 3-1, 66.750
127. Grant, 520, 3-1, 46.750
128. Kalkaska, 517, 4-0, 60.000
129. Reed City, 496, 4-0, 72.000
130. Grayling, 492, 3-1, 52.750
131. Stockbridge, 482, 3-1, 52.750
132. Grand Rapids West Catholic, 475, 3-1, 46.500
133. Durand, 463, 4-0, 56.000
134. Parchment, 448, 3-1, 38.250
135. Menominee, 439, 4-0, 71.600
136. Ithaca, 426, 4-0, 72.000
137. Clare, 419, 3-1, 50.750
138. Montague, 414, 4-0, 62.000
139. Houghton, 412, 3-1, 38.500
140. Tawas *, 412, 3-1, 40.500
141. Calumet, 406, 3-1, 50.750
142. Morley Stanwood, 404, 3-1, 48.500
143. Negaunee, 400, 4-0, 66.000
144. Warren Michigan Collegiate, 398, 3-1, 56.500
145. Adrian Madison, 397, 3-1, 48.750
146. Charlevoix, 393, 4-0, 54.000
147. Millington, 393, 4-0, 72.000
148. Constantine, 386, 3-1, 48.750
149. Montrose, 386, 3-1, 52.500
150. Byron, 385, 3-1, 46.250
151. Quincy, 381, 4-0, 50.000
152. Watervliet, 380, 3-1, 48.750
153. Maple City Glen Lake, 379, 3-1, 46.750
154. Houghton Lake, 374, 3-1, 48.750
155. Laingsburg, 374, 4-0, 58.000
156. Roscommon, 367, 4-0, 70.000
157. Grass Lake, 363, 4-0, 68.000
158. Kent City, 362, 3-1, 46.500
159. Schoolcraft, 358, 4-0, 58.000
160. Oscoda, 352, 3-1, 44.500
161. Ravenna, 350, 3-1, 46.750
162. Leroy Pine River, 347, 3-1, 52.750
163. Madison Heights Madison, 343, 3-1, 64.500
164. Traverse City St. Francis, 341, 4-0, 70.000
165. Lawton, 333, 4-0, 52.000
166. Clinton, 331, 4-0, 62.000
167. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, 330, 3-1, 40.250
168. Reese, 328, 3-1, 46.750
169. McBain, 326, 3-1, 54.500
170. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 320, 3-1, 50.500
171. Bridgman, 312, 3-1, 42.250
172. Iron Mountain, 302, 3-1, 52.083
173. New Lothrop, 298, 4-0, 58.000
174. Gobles, 289, 4-0, 60.000
175. Saugatuck, 289, 4-0, 0.000
176. Pewamo-Westphalia, 288, 4-0, 62.000
177. Gwinn, 287, 3-1, 42.500
178. Cassopolis, 278, 4-0, 60.667
179. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 277, 4-0, 62.000
180. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, 274, 4-0, 56.000
181. Carson City-Crystal, 268, 3-1, 34.000
182. Sand Creek, 268, 4-0, 48.000
183. Hudson, 267, 4-0, 66.000
184. Unionville-Sebewaing, 267, 3-1, 10.444
185. Detroit Loyola, 266, 3-1, 52.250
186. East Jordan, 261, 3-1, 34.500
187. Ubly, 260, 4-0, 62.000
188. Springport, 259, 4-0, 52.000
189. Concord, 258, 4-0, 52.000
190. Onekama, 254, 3-1, 30.500
191. Whittemore-Prescott, 251, 3-1, 44.500
192. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, 249, 3-1, 52.500
193. Saginaw Nouvel, 248, 3-1, 54.750
194. Lincoln Alcona, 245, 3-1, 34.500
195. Evart, 242, 3-1, 44.500
196. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 242, 4-0, 58.000
197. Breckenridge, 235, 4-0, 48.000
198. St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic, 232, 4-0, 50.000
199. Melvindale Academy for Business & Tech, 224, 3-1, 44.250
200. St. Ignace, 219, 3-1, 46.750
201. Norway, 214, 4-0, 41.200
202. Newberry, 212, 4-0, 50.000
203. AuGres-Sims, 206, 3-1, 38.500
204. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 200, 3-1, 48.250
205. Vestaburg, 195, 4-0, 50.000
206. Merrill, 191, 3-1, 32.000
207. Fowler, 185, 3-1, 38.250
208. Frankfort, 171, 4-0, 48.000
209. Gaylord St. Mary, 170, 4-0, 42.000
210. Climax-Scotts, 169, 4-0, 52.000
211. Muskegon Catholic Central, 163, 4-0, 78.000
212. Lake Linden-Hubbell, 157, 4-0, 60.800
213. Colon, 156, 3-1, 34.750
214. Clarkston Everest Collegiate, 115, 4-0, 54.000
8-Player Playoff Listing
1. Powers North Central, 115, 4-0, 48.800
2. Deckerville *, 177, 4-0, 48.000
3. Cedarville, 156, 4-0, 48.000
4. New Haven Merritt Academy, 165, 4-0, 46.000
5. Engadine, 91, 4-0, 44.000
6. Portland St. Patrick, 92, 4-0, 42.667
7. Lawrence, 186, 4-0, 42.000
8. Owendale-Gagetown, 48, 4-0, 42.000
9. Crystal Falls Forest Park, 159, 3-1, 38.750
10. Peck, 143, 3-1, 36.750
11. Rapid River, 116, 3-1, 36.500
12. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 168, 4-0, 36.000
13. Camden-Frontier *, 159, 3-0, 34.667
14. Battle Creek St. Philip, 143, 4-0, 34.000
15. Stephenson, 177, 3-1, 31.700
16. Marion, 132, 3-1, 31.167
17. Waldron, 83, 3-1, 29.417
18. Pickford, 149, 3-1, 28.750
19. Hale, 129, 3-1, 28.750
20. Fife Lake Forest Area, 162, 3-1, 27.417
21. Webberville, 178, 3-1, 27.167
22. Posen, 94, 2-2, 21.917
23. Morrice, 168, 2-2, 21.500
24. Mayville, 196, 2-2, 21.250
25. Ontonagon, 126, 2-2, 21.250
26. Flint International Academy, 185, 2-2, 19.500
27. Onaway, 190, 2-2, 17.500
28. Tekonsha, 135, 1-3, 14.583
29. Brethren, 152, 1-3, 13.667
30. Carney-Nadeau *, 140, 1-2, 12.667
31. Caseville, 98, 1-3, 12.000
32. Eben Junction Superior Central, 125, 1-3, 11.917
33. Flint Michigan School for the Deaf *, 47, 1-2, 11.583
34. Baraga, 150, 1-3, 11.417
35. Ewen-Trout Creek, 115, 1-3, 11.250
36. Burr Oak, 72, 1-3, 11.167
37. Bellaire, 133, 1-3, 9.750
38. St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran, 97, 1-3, 9.750
39. Burton Madison Academy, 198, 1-3, 9.500
40. St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy, 137, 1-3, 9.500
41. Carsonville-Port Sanilac, 118, 1-3, 9.500
42. Manistee Catholic Central, 189, 1-3, 9.000
43. Pellston, 169, 0-4, 2.000
44. Covert *, 95, 0-4, 2.000
45. Kinde-North Huron, 157, 0-4, 1.750
46. Litchfield, 85, 0-4, 1.500
47. Akron-Fairgrove, 105, 0-4, 0.750
48. Big Rapids Crossroads Academy, 193, 0-4, 0.500