Center Leading Big Reds Back for More
September 4, 2019
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
Muskegon High School’s offensive line sustained some BIG losses after last season.
Four of the starting five offensive linemen from that MHSAA Division 3 runner-up team, totaling 1,245 pounds in weight – and including 6-foot-5, 360-pound right tackle Anthony Bradford, who is now playing at Louisiana State University – are gone.
The lone returning starter is senior center D’Andre Mills-Ellis, which makes it all the more impressive the way the Big Reds dominated two-time reigning Division 2 champion Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 41-7, during Friday’s Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University.
“All summer long, we were hearing that we weren’t going to be anything with all of the big boys gone,” said Mills-Ellis, who is certainly a big boy himself at 6-0 and 305 pounds. “We’re not as big, but we’re more athletic.”
Mills-Ellis and the young Big Reds’ linemen certainly made a statement Friday, posting a 285-94 edge in rushing yards against the Pilots, who feature 6-7, 320-pound senior two-way lineman Grant Toutant, an Ohio State commit.
Muskegon (1-0) has no time to sit back and enjoy its big season-opening win, as the Big Reds face another long road trip and another monumental challenge this Friday night at Detroit Martin Luther King (0-1) – a rematch of last year’s Division 3 championship game, which King won, 41-25.
The Big Reds will be out for revenge, led by senior quarterback and returning MLive Michigan Player of the Year Cameron Martinez (6-0, 190), who also has verbally committed to Ohio State. Martinez carried the ball 21 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns against De La Salle, while completing 6-of-11 passes for 57 yards.
Martinez is the latest of an incredible stretch of quarterbacks at Muskegon – most recently bolstered by Kalil Pimpleton, now a starting slot receiver at Central Michigan, and then La’Darius Jefferson, now a major contributor at running back at Michigan State.
“We’ve been blessed with great quarterbacks here lately, but it all starts with D’Andre getting the ball to them,” said 10th-year Muskegon coach Shane Fairfield, who has guided the Big Reds to MHSAA Finals six times in the past seven years and led them to the Division 3 title in 2017.
Mills-Ellis said it’s an honor to block for such talented runners.
“The thing is, you don’t have to get pancakes with backs like that,” said Mills-Ellis, a college prospect who currently has offers from Judson (Ill.) and Northwood and wants to major in biology. “All those guys need is a little bit of room and they’re gonna go.”
The center always plays a critical role on the offensive line, getting to the ball first, surveying the defense and making sure that everyone up front knows their assignments. Mills-Ellis is used to that job, but he has become much more vocal in it with two sophomores and one junior starting alongside him.
The only other senior up front for the Big Reds is left tackle Billie Roberts (6-3, 255), a converted tight end who Muskegon offensive line coach Matt Bolles says has Division I skills. Starting next to Roberts is junior guard Tayvid Elmore (5-11, 280), while the right side has a pair of sophomores in guard Jamarrius Dickerson (5-10, 295) and tackle Duane Anderson (6-1, 285).
“It’s different for him this year because now he’s our rock, our leader up there,” explained Fairfield. “He’s always kinda been the comedian, but he’s had to scale that back a little, so that when it’s time to get serious the other guys will listen to him.”
The senior is known for his steady snaps, as the Big Reds line up almost exclusively in the pistol formation, with Mills-Ellis initiating every play with a quick snap back to Martinez. While his center is pretty much automatic these days, Muskegon offensive coordinator Brent White said that wasn’t always true.
“We converted him from tackle, and he was a little rocky with his snaps at first,” said White, who gave credit for his improvement to snapping to Jefferson, who is nicknamed ‘Sippy’ because he’s from Mississippi. “Sippy didn’t like bad snaps and he had a way of letting him know that, so he got better in a hurry.”
Mills-Ellis, who is one of the strongest players in West Michigan with a squat of 675 pounds, is also starting for the first time this season at defensive tackle.
Fairfield said during the preseason that he believes his team will be much improved on defense, and it certainly appeared that way in the opener as tackles Mills-Ellis and Roberts completely stuffed any interior running plays.
Muskegon limited De La Salle to just one touchdown, but a bigger defensive challenge awaits this week against a Detroit King team packed with Division I prospects – notably battering-ram running back Peny Boone (committed to Maryland), receiver Rashawn Williams (Indiana) and freshman quarterback Dante Moore, who already has an offer from Michigan.
King shredded Muskegon through the air and on the ground in November’s championship game at Ford Field, but Mills-Ellis said the Big Reds are determined to not let that happen again.
“We couldn’t overlook De La Salle, because they have a great program, but deep down inside, the game we all want and that we’ve been talking about all summer is King,” said Mills-Ellis. “You have to understand, us seniors here aren’t used to losing. This is our chance to make up for that loss.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Muskegon center D'Andre Mills-Ellis throws the key lead block as quarterback Cameron Martinez scores a touchdown during the Big Reds' 45-22 Division 3 Semifinal victory over Zeeland East last season at Grand Haven High School. (Middle) Mills-Ellis talks to Muskegon offensive line coach Matt Bolles during last year's Division 3 championship game at Ford Field. (Photos by Tim Reilly.)
Performance: GR Catholic Central's Nolan Fugate
October 13, 2017
Nolan Fugate
Grand Rapids Catholic Central senior – Football
Fugate, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound running back, ran 37 times for 477 yards and five touchdowns in GRCC’s 57-50 win over Comstock Park on Oct. 6. His rushing yardage ranked fourth-most in MHSAA history for one game and second-most in the state since 1990, earning Fugate the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Also the leading rusher on last season’s team that won the Division 4 championship, Fugate has carried the ball 111 times for 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns this fall – averaging 10 yards per carry. He's amassed those numbers despite limited attempts in four running clock games this fall. After coming up for the playoffs but seeing little action as a sophomore, and then moving into a prominent role the last two seasons, Fugate is fourth in GRCC history with 335 career carries, second with 2,537 career yards, tied for second with 27 career rushing touchdowns and fifth with a career average of 7.6 yards per carry. And like any good back, he knows to credit those clearing the way – Fugate follows an outstanding line led by 6-5, 270-pound Jalen Mayfield, who has committed to sign with University of Michigan.
Fugate also ran track last season for the first time in high school and plans to do so again this spring. He hopes to return to the basketball program as well – he played subvarsity his first two years before taking last season off. He’s aiming to continue his football career after high school and has interest from many of the state’s top Division II programs plus a few at the Division I mid-major and NAIA levels. Fugate is planning to study business and carries a 3.2 grade-point average. Wherever he goes, that program will get a proven winner – GRCC is 7-0 this fall heading into tonight’s Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue title-deciding matchup with reigning Division 5 champion Grand Rapids West Catholic, and the Cougars are 21-2 with Fugate on the roster.
Coach Todd Kolster said: "I think the world of Nolan. He is a very self-motivated young man. He is very mentally tough and has worked extremely hard to help lead our team. He is a great teammate and a high-character person. He's is a great competitor. ... He is one of the best tailbacks in the state of Michigan; he rushed for over 1,600 yards and 21 touchdowns a year ago. He could have very gaudy statistics and surpassed those totals already if I played him in those other (running clock) weeks."
Performance Point: “We had a good gameplan coming in, and I think we executed really well and our line blocked really well and it was just a good night offensively,” Fugate said of the Comstock Park win. “I knew I was having a pretty good night. I knew I had some big runs, and I was just following my blocks, but I didn’t know the exact yards I had. I was actually pretty surprised (at the yardage total). I had some big runs the first possession, and I could see our offensive line executing their blocks well so I was figuring I would have a pretty big night. The first play we had the ball in the second half, I broke a 72-yard run. That was my favorite run because I broke out into the open and I just ran past everyone and I could hear the crowd screaming.”
Following Jalen: “He’s my best friend too, and it’s pretty special. You don’t get a chance to run behind the best lineman in the state very often, so I’m pretty fortunate. We shared a moment when we talked about how good of a night it was, and it was just a really special night overall.”
Great expectations: “We’ve just been listening to the coaching staff, and whatever they’ve asked we’ve been executing to the best of our ability. And we’ve been staying focused throughout the week trying to have the best practices we could have. We realize the expectations are high, so we just have to stay focused on each game and play united and just get better each day. You’ve just got to worry about one thing at a time and for that (opponent), and you can’t look ahead to the playoffs. … We knew the expectations were high, but I had faith. We definitely had more talent last year, but I feel like we’ve executed a lot better this year up to this point. I knew we could be special, and if we just keep working out each day and bringing it every day I think it will turn out really well.”
Running like “All Day” Adrian: “My favorite running back is probably (the Phoenix Cardinals’) Adrian Peterson, so growing up I always watched him. He’s a strong, explosive, physical runner. I like how he runs downhill and he’s always physical, and when he gets an opening he’s very explosive.”
Hooping like a football player: “A kid I grew up with (point guard Austin Braun) has been talking to me about (playing basketball). I was thinking about it, and I think I’m just going to do it. I think our team will do really well this year, so it would be fun to be a part of it. I’ll probably play really physical. I’ll probably be like the sixth man, bring intensity and defense and rebounding. That’ll probably be my job."
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2017-18 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2017-18 honorees:
October 5: Marissa Ackerman, Munising tennis - Read
September 28: Minh Le, Portage Central soccer - Read
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Nolan Fugate runs away from the Comstock Park defense during last week’s 57-50 win. (Middle) Fugate prepares to take on a Comstock Park defender. (Photos by Murray Sports Photography.)