Clinton Works to Keep Running, Rising
By
Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
September 22, 2016
By Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
CLINTON – In 2012, Clinton football coach Scott McNitt had accomplished enough during his 27-year career that he was inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Since then, McNitt, now in his 32nd year, has enjoyed the best on-the-field run of his career.
It doesn't happen often that a Hall of Fame coach reaches new heights after induction, but McNitt is proof it can happen.
Over the last three seasons, Clinton is 49-4 with three consecutive finishes with double-digit wins, two trips to the Division 6 championship game at Ford Field and one 40-game regular-season winning streak – the third longest regular-season winning streak by a Lenawee County football team since Hudson won 81 in a row from 1968-77.
All of that success – and especially the recent attention from the 40-game winning streak – has brought some unwanted credit to McNitt, who preaches the team concept and praises the work of his assistant coaches.
“It's a great accomplishment, but I can't stand hearing, 'McNitt did this,' or 'McNitt did that.' It's just that I have to be on the top line, but I've have tremendous assistants and some very, very good players,” he said.
McNitt has similar feelings about his induction into the Hall of Fame.
“The two biggest accomplishments for me have been the Hall of Fame and Ford Field,” he said. “That's every coach's dream. But this is a team thing, and there are coaches on our staff who work a lot harder than I do, and I get all the accolades.
“But it means a lot to me to stay at the same school for 32 years and outlast it. We had some seasons that weren't good. We had three 1-8 seasons in a row. We've been successful – but surviving for 32 years and keeping it going in the right direction, and I think what we have coming from our youth programs and middle school, it can continue – means a lot to me.”
Key to success
When McNitt interviewed for the Clinton job prior to the 1985 season, he was given some advice that has stuck with him for more than three decades.
“When I first got here 32 years ago, during the interview the superintendent said, 'Surround yourself with good people, and you won't have a problem,'” McNitt said. “So it's been a philosophy to put good people into the program.”
As is common with most high school programs, assistant coaches would come and go throughout the years at Clinton. But over the past eight seasons, Clinton has kept its coaching staff together – even down to junior varsity and middle school – and McNitt believes it’s no coincidence that his greatest run has happened under those circumstances.
“We've had changes over the years, and it is what it is, but this last eight years the staff we have in place now seems to jell together,” he said. “Jeremy Fielder came from Adrian College as a football coach and player. He brought a great philosophy and work ethic and new ideas.
“Our line coach, John Schuler, he was a player here in the 1980s and was on one of the best teams we had here. He's back there teaching and coaching, and he's an outstanding line coach. Joe Gillies and our JV coaches do a great job, and we also have volunteer coaches who are very familiar with the program and give us their time and dedication. We all work really well together.”
But coaches can't coach and have great success without talented players, right?
“Having good players is the other key,” McNitt said. “We've had a phenomenal run of outstanding players, and we saw it coming when they were in youth football in fifth and sixth grade. We watched them in seventh and eighth.
“They were a group of very fast kids with unbelievable speed. We watched them, and it was like, 'Holy Toledo, wait until we get ahold of these kids.'”
A trip to Ford Field – and back
From 1985-2009, Clinton made 12 playoff appearances under McNitt. The 1990 team made it to the Class C Semifinals, but more often than not, the Redskins were one-and-done in the postseason. After losing to rival Manchester in the 2012 Pre-District, Clinton was 7-13 in the playoffs.
Since then, Clinton is 9-3 in the postseason.
“I went to the Silverdome I don't know how many years and Ford Field, and we would sit there and go, 'It would be nice to get there,'” McNitt said. “But we were always in such a tough division, we'd always face Monroe Catholic Central in a District, and we could never get over that.
“In 2013, we finally got a good draw, and we felt we could make a good run, and we did (finishing runner-up in Division 6). The next year we were even better, but we drew Catholic Central in the second round, and they kind of blew us out.”
That set the stage for last season. But when the playoff pairings were announced, McNitt and his staff faced an overwhelming road to Ford Field. The first assignment: A road game at reigning Division 6 champion Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central.
A 14-10 victory in the Pre-District proved to be the sparkplug that charged the Redskins’ run.
“To go down there and win a close one gave us great confidence,” Schuler said.
Next was Madison Heights Madison, making its 11th consecutive appearance in the playoffs. On the road again, Clinton scored a huge 43-20 victory to earn a home game in the Regional against eight-time MHSAA champion Jackson Lumen Christi.
“To play the Regional Final at home against Jackson Lumen Christi was just a thrill ride,” Schuler said of the 49-20 victory that earned a Semifinal matchup with undefeated Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, which was making its fifth consecutive appearance in the playoffs.
Clinton’s 42-20 victory over NorthPointe brought it back to Ford Field for its biggest test of all: Ithaca, which had won four of the previous five Division 6 titles and defeated Clinton 41-22 in the 2013 championship game.
“It was a murderer's row of opponents, and we did not want to play Ithaca,” McNitt said. “We wanted Traverse City St. Francis just for something new.
“We knew Ithaca and who they were, but we were hoping for something different. But we had a chance, we were up 13-0 in the third quarter, and Ithaca took over.”
Ithaca dashed Clinton's title hopes with a 27-20 victory, but the experience Clinton had gained two years earlier resulted in a calming effect.
“Personally, I thought we'd get one shot at Ford Field because normally these small towns get one shot, and it's over with,” McNitt said. “I wasn't sure we would get back. And then last year when we got there, it was just like another game.
“It wasn't as big of a hype as it was the first time, and the community loved it.”
It also added to the momentum that has been building.
“It was a momentum-builder for us, and if we stay as a team, we can make it back there,” senior running back Steve Laurell said. “It's just team effort and coaching for sure. It was a good feeling.”
New challenge
The good news at Clinton is that the Redskins are 4-0 and rolling again. The bad news is that the talented speed group has graduated. The 2016 Redskins lack the flashy skill players from the past but are a senior-orientated team boasting an experienced line.
Any coach will tell you that having an experienced, talented line is a big step toward success.
“We have some interior linemen back, but we're brand new everywhere else,” McNitt said. “We do have some senior players who have waited their turn, and we knew we'd be OK up front because we're big.”
Center Alex McIntosh is a third-year varsity player and is joined by Austin Popp and Josh Brown as key players in the trenches, while the senior backfield of Laurell at tailback and Cordell Hernandez at fullback has been “outstanding,” according to McNitt.
“We just don't have the burners, but we have solid, good players,” he said.
Clinton has outscored its opponents by a combined 164-65 this season, with its next game tonight against a 2-2 Morenci team. It's easy to look at a matchup of a 4-0 team and a 2-2 team and assume the outcome, but that sort of mentality makes McNitt a little uneasy. The community has embraced the program, and its expectations can sometimes be a little too much too soon.
“It is erupting into a very big animal,” McNitt said. “We have to be careful, and we have to corral it before it gets too out of control. But it's nice for the football program, based on our current success – getting to Ford Field two out of three years – that is where the excitement comes from.
“The community support really has been incredible.”
The season already has had one milestone. Two weeks ago, McNitt reached 200 career victories, becoming the 61st high school football coach in Michigan to reach that number. He also is 12th among active coaches with 201 wins. His overall record is 201-113-1 for a .640 winning percentage.
“I remember when I got my 100th win. Some community supporters and fathers said, ‘That's quite a big deal, but if you get to 200, that puts you in a whole different group.’ It kind of stuck with me, but I never thought I'd get there,” McNitt said, “but the past four or five years did it.”
The future at Clinton
McNitt is very realistic about what lies ahead for Clinton. But he isn't discounting anything, either.
“Can we get back to Ford Field again? The chances are probably no, but we've gone twice in three years, so it's possible,” he said. “We focus on our rival up the road here, Manchester, just seven miles away, and then try to win our league. If you do those two things, you're going to be in the playoffs and then see what happens.”
It is a sensible approach that has worked at Clinton. He has surrounded himself with good assistants and let them do their thing on the field.
“Our assistant coaches do a phenomenal job, and there are times when I just sit back and watch them do their thing,” he said. “I'm very fortunate to have people like that around us.”
Fielder was hired in as defensive coordinator nine years ago, and he recognizes that there were some up-and-down moments along the way.
“To be given that trust was huge because he's a Hall of Famer,” Fielder said. “He hired me, and I had a big role, and there were some growing pains early on. I will always be thankful for him sticking with me once we got the system figured out and once we figured out how we were going to execute.”
The players come to the varsity having learned the system at a younger age, and their coach is a man who was coaching the varsity more than a decade before they were born. And he wins. That commands respect.
“We know that the coach knows what he's doing, and he's going to make the right call at the right time, and we just need to follow what he does,” said McIntosh, the senior center. “We have no question about it. He knows what he's doing.
“I think what it is is that our coaches push us. Through practice, they expect us to do things right, and if we don't get it right the first time, they expect that we won't make the same mistake twice.”
So, the obvious question looms. How much longer does McNitt expect to coach? He didn't dodge the question.
“I could be easily done this year, or I could go another 10 years,” he said. “I want to be able to turn it over to Jeremy Fielder, our really good defensive coach. He has waited, and he is probably going to take it farther than we ever dreamed of.
“Jeremy is a phenomenal football coach.”
Although Fielder likely would be thrilled to someday succeed McNitt, he seems comfortable in his current role, too.
“Times have changed for head coaches, and it is kind of nice to know your role and coach with people you trust and just be able to do your job,” said Fielder, who also is an English teacher at the high school. “When you look at coaching, yes, the head coach is the position and it's the title, but when you get down to the nitty gritty, you're a team within a team.
“If you have an outstanding team and coach with people you respect and admire, you're happy there no matter what your role is.”
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) Clinton’s Steve Laurell (left) and Cordell Hernandez, shown this season against Manchester, are two of the top returning players from the 2015 Division 6 runner-up. (Middle) From left: Clinton assistant coach John Schuler, head coach Scott McNitt, defensive coordinator Jeremy Fielder. (Below) Clinton also returns multiple contributors from the offensive line that took on Ithaca during last season's Final at Ford Field. (Top photo by John Discher/Adrian Daily Telegram.)
MHSAA Finals: Prepare for Impact
November 21, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Recognize more than a few of this season's MHSAA 11-player football finalists? You should.
Only three first-timers will be making the trip to Ford Field this weekend. The other 13 contenders have combined for 68 championship game appearances over the 37-year history of the playoffs.
A couple games will look extremely familiar. Detroit Cass Tech and Detroit Catholic Central meet again in Division 1 after the Technicians claimed last year's title matchup 49-13. Ithaca and Constantine also face a Division 6 rematch, with the Yellowjackets looking to repeat last season's 42-14 result and add to their 41-game winning streak.
The Shamrocks will be appearing in their 15th MHSAA Final, good for second-most all-time. Birmingham Brother Rice and Orchard Lake St. Mary's also are among the top 10 on that list and will add to their totals.
The Division 8,4,6 and 2 games are Friday, with the odd-numbered divisions playing Saturday. All games but Division 4 will be broadcast on Fox Sports Detroit (Division 4 will be on FSD Plus, but not available to Direct TV subscribers) and can be heard audio-only on the MHSAA Network web site. Tickets cost $10 and are good for all four games on one day. Click for a full schedule.
Here’s a look at all 16 finalists. (Rankings and all-state honors were voted upon by The Associated Press’ media panel. Statistics were provided by schools; all are through Regional Finals except those for Portland, which are through the District Final. Cass Tech did not submit.)
Division 1
DETROIT CASS TECH
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 7
Coach: Thomas Wilcher, 17th season (148-51)
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League West
Finals history: MHSAA Division 1 champion in 2011.
Best wins: 34-27 over No. 3 Lake Orion (Semifinal), 21-14 over No. 10 Saline (Regional Final), 37-3 over honorable mention Grosse Pointe South (District Semifinal), 25-18 over Division 2 No. 3 Birmingham Brother Rice.
Players to watch: WR/DB Jourdan Lewis, 5-11/165, sr.; QB Jayru Campbell, 6-3/185, soph.; OT/NG David Dawson, 6-5/285, sr.; OT/DE Dennis Finley, 6-5/285, sr.; DB Dejuan Rogers, 6-0/170, sr., FS Delano Hill, 6-0/195, sr.; OG/DT Kenton Gibbs, 6-2/260, sr. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Many from the incredible class that led the school to its first championship moved on to college football, but this group also is loaded with players who will continue at the next level. Lewis has committed to sign with the University of Michigan, Finley with Michigan State, Hill with Iowa, Pace with Eastern Michigan and Rogers with Toledo. And Dawson might be the best prospect of the bunch. Despite a number of new faces, the defense remains solid giving up only 13 points per game. And Campbell threw five touchdown passes, tying a Finals record, in his championship game debut last fall.
DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 9-4, unranked
Coach: Tom Mach, 37th season (330-80)
League finish: Tied for first in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Finals history: 10 championships (most recent 2009), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 35-6 over No. 4 Rockford (Semifinal), 28-7 over honorable mention Plymouth (Regional Final), 21-15 over honorable mention Hartland (District Semifinal), 35-13 over Division 3 No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
Players to watch: DT Wyatt Shallman, 6-4/250, sr.; RB/LB Anthony Darkangelo, 6-0/200, sr. (164 carries, 1,036 yards, 14 TDs, 16 receptions, 262 yards receiving); OL/DL Derek Edwards, 6-5/270, sr.; RB/LB David Houle, 5-11/230, sr. (114 carries, 583 yards, 12 TDs).
Outlook: Half the Shamrocks' losses came to Ohio powers and the other half to teams also playing at Ford Field this weekend, so don’t be deceived by the less impressive record. Darkangelo and Houle also were main offensive cogs last season – each scored one of the team’s two touchdowns in the championship game. Leading the way in front of them are some impressive blockers led by Edwards, who has committed to sign with Central Michigan. Shallman will sign with Michigan and plugs the middle for a defense giving up 11 points per game in the playoffs. And keep an eye out for senior Garrett Moores. He’s the quarterback, but also a reliable kicker.
Division 2
BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE
Record/rank: 11-2, No 3
Coach: Al Fracassa, 44th season (371-98-2)
League finish: Tied for first in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Finals history: Seven championships (most recent 2011), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 42-12 over honorable mention Walled Lake Western (Regional Final), 20-14 over Detroit Catholic Central, 30-29 over Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle.
Players to watch: QB Cheyne Lacanaria, 5-9/165, sr. (93 of 160 passing, 1,221 yards, six TDs); LB Jon Reschke, 6-3/232, sr.; RB Brian Walker, 5-8/225, jr. (226 carries, 1,352 yards, 20 TDs; LB Lucas Cherocci, 6-1/218, sr.
Outlook: The Warriors bear similarities to the team that won last season’s championship – Lacanaria is back at quarterback, Reschke keys a strong defense, and a running back carries the load. That back this time is Walker, but like Devin Church last season he’s put up some big numbers. Reschke will sign with Michigan State and with Cherocci mans the middle for a defense giving up only 14 points per game despite a loaded schedule. Brother Rice’s losses were to Cass Tech and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – and it has given up only a combined 21 points over the last three games.
MUSKEGON
Record/rank: 12-1, No 2
Coach: Shane Fairfield, third season (28-8)
League finish: Second in O-K Black.
Finals history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2008).
Best wins: 36-21 and 15-13 (District Semifinal) over No. 5 Lowell, 49-21 over No. 1 Midland (Regional Final), 21-14 over Division 3 No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 21-9 over Division 1 No. 4 Rockford.
Players to watch: RB/LB John King, Jr., 5-11/210, sr. (139 carries, 1,565 yards, 20 TDs); LB Demetrius Brown, 5-8/185, sr.; QB Jalen Smith, 6-0/160, sr. (30 of 64 passing, 593 yards, seven TDs, 137 carries, 854 yards, 12 TDs rushing); RB Marcus Smith, 5-8/185, sr. (45 carries, 599 yards, seven TDs, 15 receptions, 391 yards, five TDs receiving).
Outlook: The Big Reds are back at Ford Field for the first time under Fairfield, who previously served as defensive coordinator during the last title run and before that led Holton to two league titles. This defense has been good too, giving up 18 points per game against arguably the toughest schedule in the state. But the offense is what scares opponents most – heading into last weekend, the Big Reds had gained 5,175 yards and all but 1,008 on the ground. A one-point loss to Zeeland East in Week 9 is all that has kept Muskegon from perfection so far.
Division 3
GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 2
Coach: Don Fellows, third season (29-6)
League finish: First in O-K White
Finals history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 31-7 over No. 3 Stevensville Lakeshore (Regional Final), 45-6 over No. 9 Fruitport (District Semifinal), 52-28 over No. 10 DeWitt (Semifinal), 38-28 over Grand Rapids South Christian, 21-7 over Division 2 No. 5 Lowell.
Players to watch: QB Alex VanDeVusse, 6-1/180, sr. (173 of 311, 3,226 yards, 35 TDs passing, 167 carries, 652 yards, 12 TDs rushing); WR Drake Harris, 6-4/180, jr. (76 receptions, 1,552 yards, 20 TDs); DL Zach Crouch, 6-5/255, sr., RB Seth McIntosh, 5-10/205, sr. (108 carries, 854 yards, seven TDs).
Outlook: The Eagles have improved steadily over the past four seasons beginning with a 4-5 finish in 2009. They've scored fewer than 31 points only once this season, and have put up 196 points during the playoffs alone. VanDeVusse is a dangerous dual threat and Harris – already committed to Michigan State – might be the best receiver in Michigan. Teams can’t pay him all the attention though; senior Davaris Collier also has caught 36 passes including eight for scores. And they’re helped as well by one of the best kickers in MHSAA history; unofficially, senior Joel Schipper has made a career record 168 extra points in 169 tries, and also has 12 field goals in 14 tries this fall. Crouch, signing with Central Michigan, is among standouts on the unheralded but solid defense.
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 4
Coach: George Porritt, 24th season (214-59)
League finish: Tied for first in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Finals history: Five championships (most recent 2011), five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 49-14 over No. 7 Auburn Hills Avondale (District Final), 13-6 over Division 1 No. 7 Detroit Cass Tech, 24-14 over Division 2 No. 3 Birmingham Brother Rice, 27-10 over Detroit Catholic Central.
Players to watch: RB/LB Grant Niemiec, 6-1/220, sr. (232 carries, 1,587 yards, 23 TDs); RB Parker McInnis, 6-0/185, sr. (199 carries, 1,236 yards, 18 TDs); QB Matt Linehan, 6-3/180, sr. (86 of 127 passing, 1,299 yards, 13 TDs).
Outlook: Niemiec and McInnis were among standouts from last season’s championship game win, and might be the best one-two running back tandem in the state this fall. Niemiec has committed to Miami (Ohio) and also keys a defense giving up just under 12 points per game. McInnis also had three punt return touchdowns this fall heading into Semifinal weekend. The Eaglets’ lone losses were on opening night to Muskegon and in Week 8 to Detroit Catholic Central; St. Mary’s avenged that latter loss the next week in the Catholic League Prep Bowl.
Division 4
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 9
Coach: Dan MacLean, 15th season (108-58)
League finish: Does not play in a conference.
Finals history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 47-14 over No. 4 Grosse Ile (Regional Final), 14-12 over No. 10 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (District Final).
Players to watch: QB Tyler Wiegers, 6-3/190, jr. (129 of 209 passing, 1,822 yards, 18 TDs); RB Richard Wilson, 6-0/185, jr. (154 attempts, 1,074 yards, 24 TDs); NG Poet Thomas, 6-6/295, sr.
Outlook: Country Day will try to cap its seventh-straight playoff season with its first championship since 1999; the Yellowjackets also made Finals in 2007 and 2008. Wilson might be the name fans know most – he ran for four more touchdowns last week against Saginaw Swan Valley to give him 28 on the ground total this fall. But few defenses have been better during the postseason; Country Day has given up just 26 points in those four games and shut out two opponents. Thomas, literally and figuratively, has been one of the biggest college prospects in the state this season.
GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 10-3, unranked
Coach: Mark Tamminga, fourth season (23-18)
League finish: Second in O-K Gold
Finals history: Division 4 champion 2002, three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 21-7 over No. 6 Comstock Park (Semifinal), 48-0 over No. 3 Paw Paw (District Semifinal), 42-23 over Division 5 No. 5 Dowagiac (in D4 for playoffs, District Final), 33-7 over Grand Rapids West Catholic.
Players to watch: RB/DB Chad Sterk, 5-10/150, sr. (77 carries, 413 yards, 10 TDs, 42 receptions, 480 yards, two TDs receiving); QB Jon Wassink, 6-2/175, soph. (182 of 276 passing, 2,564 yards, 23 TDs, 116 carries, 713 yards, nine TDs rushing); WR/DB Jason Miller, 6-1/170, sr. (59 receptions, 683 yards, six TDs, five interceptions).
Outlook: Former longtime assistant Tamminga was on the sideline for the 2002 championship team and 1999 runner-up, and has the Sailors back after three seasons of either four or five wins. South Christian started 4-3 this fall before romping through its final two regular-season opponents and a tough playoff slate. This season’s team has set a school record for points – and that’s saying something considering the program has four other championship game appearances and seven other seasons with at least 10 wins.
Division 5
GRAND RAPIDS WEST CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 10-3, unranked
Coach: Dan Rohn, sixth season (62-11)
League finish: First in O-K Bronze
Finals history: Division 5 champion 2010, one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 13-6 over No. 2 Muskegon Oakridge (District Final), 20-17 over No. 9 Menominee (Semifinal), 28-0 over Division 4 No. 6 Comstock Park.
Players to watch: QB Travis Russell, 5-11/160, soph. (182 of 368 passing, 2,143 yards, 20 TDs); WR David Kuzma, 6-2/165, sr. (65 receptions, 1,084 yards, 11 TDs); RB Andy Corey, 5-8/160, jr. (282 carries, 1,435 yards, 11 TDs, 37 receptions, 264 yards receiving); DL Daniel Green, 6-0/260, sr.
Outlook: West Catholic is going for its second championship in three seasons and has at least 10 wins for the fourth straight and fifth season in six. This fall’s success came after a 1-3 start, and the Falcons are especially tough in close games – six of those wins were by eight points or fewer. Corey is dangerous whenever he touches the ball, and averages 29 yards per kickoff return. Green earned an all-state special mention at nose guard.
PORTLAND
Record/rank: 12-1, unranked
Coach: John Novara, 14th season (89-53)
League finish: Second in Capital Area Activities Conference White
Finals history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 45-28 over No. 1 Flint Powers Catholic (Regional Final), 37-7 over Division 3 No. 10 DeWitt.
Players to watch: RB/DB Jacob Kimmell, 5-11/185, jr. (116 carries, 1,278 yards, 17 TDs); OL/LB Adam Goodman, 6-0/200, sr.; QB Tanner Allison, 6-1/180, jr. (52 of 94 passing, 794 yards, 14 TDs); RB/DB Justin Goodman, 5-9/165, sr.
Outlook: Portland’s is one of the neatest stories of this season’s Finals; Novara resigned as coach amid a 1-8 season and some player commitment issues in 2002, but rescinded that resignation at the request of his players and since has led them to 10 straight playoff appearances and their first championship game. The Raiders’ lone loss this fall was the reigning MHSAA runner-up Lansing Catholic. Kimmell earned an all-state honorable mention, but Portland has more weapons. Senior Caleb Hickling had run for more than 800 yards through 11 games and junior Auston Brandt had caught nearly half of Allison’s completions for more than two-thirds of the team’s passing yards.
Division 6
CONSTANTINE
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 9
Coach: Shawn Griffith, eighth season (82-17)
League finish: Third in Kalamazoo Valley Association
Finals history: One championship (2004), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 49-35 over T-No. 3 Hillsdale (Regional Final), 40-27 over No. 2 Schoolcraft (District Final).
Players to watch: FB/LB Ben Mallo, 5-7/170, sr. (175 carries, 1,627 yards, 16 TDs); LB/RB Justin Hull, 5-8/165, soph. (33 carries, 296 yards, three TDs).
Outlook: Constantine is back for its second straight Final and with at least 10 wins for the fourth straight season thanks in large part to a wing-T offense that needs only seven more points to break 600 for the second time in nine years. The Falcons had run for 5,096 yards coming into last week’s Semifinal, and Hull broke out with 245 yards and a touchdown in that win over Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central. Mallo was the team's leading rusher in last season’s championship game.
ITHACA
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Terry Hessbrook, ninth season (85-17)
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference West
Finals history: MHSAA Division 6 champion 2011 and 2010.
Best wins: 31-0 over No. 10 Montrose (Regional Final), 49-14 over No. 5 Hemlock (District Final), 33-21 over Division 5 honorable mention Carrollton.
Players to watch: QB Travis Smith, 6-2/200, jr. (140 of 226 passing, 2,264 yards, 36 TDs, 109 carries, 732 yards, 13 TDs rushing); TE/DB Jared Evers, 5-11/225, sr. (36 receptions, 469 yards, nine TDs); DB Jordan Hessbrook, 5-8/160, sr.; (four interceptions); OL/DL Bradley Martyn, 5-8/190, sr.
Outlook: Smith, named all-state earlier this week, had one of the most impressive passing performances in MHSAA history in 2011 – 18 of 25 for 299 yards and a score, plus he ran for two more – and must be tracked at all times. But he’s got plenty of help. Four receivers have at least 24 catches and at least seven for touchdowns: Evers plus Caden Kipp, Markes Gadlen and Zach Allen. Jordan Hessbrook also made all-state and is among leaders of a defense no one talks about but should – the Yellowjackets have given up only 83 points this fall and have seven shutouts.
Division 7
DETROIT LOYOLA
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: John Callahan, fourth season (38-8)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Intersectional
Finals history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 50-7 over honorable mention Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett (District Final), 51-20 and 36-7 (District Semifinal) over honorable mention Royal Oak Shrine, 28-18 over honorable mention Waterford Our Lady.
Players to watch: RB Keymonn’e Gabriel, 5-11/208, sr. (103 carries, 2,195 yards, 32 TDs); DE/OL Malik McDowell, 6-7/290, jr.; DL/OL Kajohn Armstrong, 6-5/275, jr.
Outlook: Loyola is in its first Final after reaching its second-straight Semifinal a week ago, and is led by one of the top scorers in MHSAA history. Gabriel, an all-stater, added three more touchdowns last week and now has 314 points this season – good for second-most in the MHSAA record book. He runs behind a massive line keyed by Associated Press Division 7-8 Player of the Year McDowell at right tackle and Armstrong at the left plus three more blockers weighing in between 250-270. The defense has given up only 77 points and more than seven only twice.
ISHPEMING
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 4
Coach: Jeff Olson, 21st season (143-75)
League finish: Second in Mid-Peninsula Conference
Finals history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 1979), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 32-0 over No. 3 Mancelona (District Final), 8-7 over Pewamo-Westphalia (Semifinal).
Players to watch: RB Eric Kostreva, 5-7/185, sr. (157 carries, 1,153 yards, 17 TDs); LB/TE R.J. Poirier, 5-11/205, sr. (six catches, 119 yards, TD); OTL/DT Brad Wootke, 6-2/255, sr.
Outlook: The Hematites are back at Ford Field for the second time in three seasons and just missed last time, falling 28-26 to Hudson. Their only loss this fall was to league rival Negaunee, a Regional finalist in Division 6, and that also was the only game in which Ishpeming gave up more than 14 points; the Hematites have allowed just 31 total in four playoff games. Poirier earned honorable mention all-state as a linebacker and Wootke special mention as a lineman.
Division 8
BEAL CITY
Record/rank: 13-0, tied for No. 2
Coach: Lou Rau, 13th season (132-29)
League finish: First in Highland Conference
Finals history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 38-19 and 28-21 (District Final) over No. 9 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, 25-7 over No. 4 St. Ignace (Semifinal).
Players to watch: QB/LB Sam Schafer, 6-1/180, sr. (74 of 107 passing, 1,546 yards, 19 TDs); RB/LB Ty Rollin, 5-8/180, jr. (124 carries, 869 yards, 18 TDs; OL/DL Nate Schafer, 6-0/200, sr.
Outlook: Only one opponent – rival Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, the second time they played – has gotten within 12 points of stopping the Aggies this fall. Sam Schafer and Rollin were all-state honorable mentions at their offensive positions, and the team has broken 40 points in eight games. Nate Schafer made the all-state first team and along with those two and four more also starts on both sides of the ball. They make double duty work well: The defense has given up more than 19 points only twice.
HARBOR BEACH
Record/rank: 12-1, No 6
Coach: Troy Schelke, 16th season (108-59)
League finish: First in Greater Thumb Conference East
Finals history: Class C runner-up 1991.
Best wins: 56-20 over T-No. 2 New Lothrop (District Final), 17-10 over Division 7 honorable mention Waterford Our Lady (D8 for playoffs, Regional Final), 32-27 over No. 8 Muskegon Catholic Central (Semifinal).
Players to watch: QB/DB Eli Kraft, 5-11/180, jr. (71 of 95 passing, 1,129 yards, 11 TDs, 102 carries, 740 yards, 14 TDs rushing, five interceptions on defense); FB Derek Pfaff, 5-10/165, sr. (109 carries, 828 yards, 15 TDs); LB/RB Aaron Ginther, 6-0/180, sr. (39 carries, 452 yards, six TDs, 30 receptions, 501 yards, seven TDs receiving).
Outlook: It’s tough to believe Harbor Beach was 1-8 just three seasons ago – the Pirates are 23-2 over the last two and have tied the school wins record set in 2007. Kraft is the main playmaker among some dangerous ones on offense and earned an all-state honorable mention at quarterback. But Harbor Beach is tough on passers too – he had five interceptions and three teammates had three apiece going into last week. The team’s lone loss came in Week 3 to eventual Division 5 Semifinalist Menominee.
PHOTO: Orchard Lake St. Mary's senior Parker McInnis (33) is tackled by Detroit Cass Tech seniors Dejuan Rogers (3) and DaQuan Pace (22) during their Week 5 game. (Click for more from Terry McNamara Photography.)