'Coaching Bug' Still Drives St Mary's Porritt
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
August 19, 2015
ORCHARD LAKE – George Porritt never seriously considered entering the coaching profession when he graduated from Hillsdale College in 1979 with a degree in both parks and recreation and physical education.
At age 14 he had worked part time in the parks and recreation department in Independence Township, a few miles south of Clarkston where he grew up. With that experience, Porritt thought he had found a career path.
But a year after graduating from college, Porritt, like most in their early 20s, was looking for work – any kind of work. During the fall of 1980, Dan Fife, the head varsity boys basketball coach at Clarkston, hired Porritt as his freshmen coach. The next school year he became an assistant football coach, along with current head coach Kurt Richardson, under Walt Wyniemko at Clarkston.
“I got the coaching bug,” Porritt said.
And he’s been a coach ever since.
Competing in the Detroit Catholic League Central, considered by many the state’s best football conference, is a challenge every year. Butting heads with legendary coaches such as Al Fracassa (now retired) at Birmingham Brother Rice and Tom Mach at Detroit Catholic Central is a daunting task, but Porritt and St. Mary’s have proved worthy adversaries.
The Eaglets are coming off a 12-2 finish and Division 3 title, their fifth under his leadership.
Most who follow high school sports link the name Porritt with football. It’s understandable.
In 1986, St. Mary’s hired Porritt as a teacher, and that summer he became a varsity assistant football coach under Rob Haeger. Porritt replaced Haeger in 1989.
His record heading into this season is 234-66, which ranks 10th among active coaches. Since 2006, St. Mary’s has reached the MHSAA finals six times. He’s coached 15 players who have gone on to play in the NFL.
There’s more. His brother Rich is the offensive coordinator at Clarkston. His uncle, Bob Porritt, coached at Okemos and a cousin, Rob Porritt, coached at Haslett and Perry.
George Porritt loves coaching football, and it’s likely he’ll coach few more seasons.
But there’s something Porritt loves more than football, and that’s being a part of St. Mary’s.
He’s been the school’s athletic director since 1989, and the year before he was hired as the varsity basketball coach. He coached basketball for 22 seasons (he took six years in the mid-90s off to help his wife, Terry, raise their three children) before he retired from that position this past July.
Porritt’s success in football often overshadowed his success as a basketball coach. He coached the Eaglets to the Class B title in 2000, they reached the Class A Semifinals in 2006 and his teams won 10 Catholic League Central titles, six league championships, 12 district titles and six regional titles. His career record is 336-180.
When asked why he stepped away from basketball, Porritt said he pondered that move two years ago but continued on because of his relationships with the coaching staff and, of course, the players.
In the end he got out of coaching basketball to spend more time with his family. His son Kenny lives in Maryland and he and his wife are expecting their third child. His daughter, Marilyn, graduated from University of Oregon and recently moved to Nashville, Tenn., to begin working for Vanderbilt University. The Porritts’ third child, Mason, is a senior at Grand Valley State University.
Terry Porritt travelled from Maryland and Tennessee earlier this month to visit her children, leaving her husband at home to coach football. Family time is precious, and the Porritts plan to spend more time with their family in the years to come.
But don’t expect George Porritt to leave St. Mary’s. Though he’s not coaching basketball, he’ll be at every home game because of his duties as athletic director. And aside from long road trips, he’ll be at the away games, too.
“I enjoyed my coaching at Clarkston,” he said. “And I wanted to get a teaching job there. But getting into education was tough then, as it is now.
“I love St. Mary’s. When you drive on this campus, it’s an awesome place to be. I want to work here as long as I can. I’ve met so many great people. Msgr. (Stanley) Milewski was awesome. (Headmaster) Larry Reeside has been tremendous. He inspired me and taught me so much. Then there’s the kids.”
Porritt mentioned one player, in particular, on the team this season as being a special person. His name is Josh Ross and his brother, James, plays for University of Michigan. Josh Ross is a 15-year-old junior but one of the team leaders, and he's already received scholarship offers from Michigan State, U-M and Notre Dame. Porritt said Ross is a no-nonsense type of player and one who helps maintain discipline, on the field and off.
Total, the Eaglets will return five starters on both offense and defense. Senior quarterback Brendan Tambone is back and joined by returning starting running backs Brandon Adams and Justin Myrick; Adams scored the lone touchdown in last season's MHSAA Final. Others of note include junior receiver/defensive back Kaylee Hamlee, who has offers from a handful of Big Ten programs, and 6-foot-5, 275-pound two-way lineman Cameron Kolwich, who will sign with Northwestern this fall.
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area but also contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Orchard Lake St. Mary's football coach George Porritt huddles with one of his players during last season's Division 3 Final. (Middle) Porritt watches a play unfold against Coopersville during his team's 2000 championship game win. (Below) Porritt receives last season's champion's trophy from Muskegon running back and MHSAA Student Advisory Council member Jared Pittman and the Representative Council's Orlando Medina, athletic director at Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse.
Dundee Says Good-Bye to Longtime Home
October 25, 2019
By Doug Donnelly
Special for Second Half
DUNDEE – One more memory.
After 85 years of playing prep football in the same location, Dundee will close the doors on its stadium tonight with plans to move into a new athletic complex next fall. Vikings head coach Kyle McElvany called tonight’s game against undefeated and state-ranked Hillsdale one more chance for the Vikings to make an ever-lasting memory.
“There is so much tradition and history here over the course of 85-plus years,” McElvany said. “It’s humbling. We hope to go out and make our alumni and community proud.”
Dundee hasn’t been to the playoffs in seven years, but a victory over Hillsdale would make certain the Vikings are in the 256-team field when the 11-player tournament pairings are announced Sunday. It would make for a memorable way to close out the history of the stadium, too.
Late last month, school officials announced that 1969 Dundee alum John D. Craig, retired chairman, president and CEO of EnerSys, has donated $1 million to be used exclusively toward the creation of the John D. Craig and Family Athletic Complex. The school will begin next week discussing the new complex at a public meeting. The plan is to build the new stadium in time for the 2020 season opener against Romulus Summit Academy North.
The Vikings have been playing football for decades in the current stadium, located behind what once was the high school in the village of fewer than 4,000 people. The new athletic complex will be built on the northwest side of the new high school.
“Our administration has already started to work on the project from a development standpoint, and I hope to get involved as well once our season is wrapped up,” McElvany said.
The new stadium will have a total visitor seating for approximately 2,500, new stadium lights and a new engineered natural grass athletic field. The facility will be capable of hosting football games, track meets and band festivals, and also feature a new scoreboard, new permanent concessions and restroom facilities.
The old stadium has been home to several great memories for Vikings fans over the years. One of them came earlier this season when Dundee’s defense made a goal-line stand during the final seconds to hold on for a 15-14 win over Ida. It was Dundee’s first football win over Ida in six years.
“To see the crowd and community on the field embracing those kids after that game was very special,” McElvany said.
Over the years, Dundee has won championships, completed undefeated seasons and hosted playoff games in the old stadium. In 2011, Dundee was still recovering from a tornado that caused millions of dollars in damage in the community when its football team brought some solace to the area with an 8-3 record and the only playoff win in school history.
“The greatest game ever for us in that stadium was the 2011 District playoff game versus Brooklyn Columbia Central,” said Dylan Williams, a 2012 Dundee graduate. “The field was all torn up from the tornado still. We took the lead in the fourth quarter with about a minute to go and held them.”
The most successful era for Dundee came during the 1960s when the Vikings won both Huron League and Southeastern Conference championships. Dundee didn’t lose for more than three years from 1963-1966 (finishing a combined 32-0-3), an accomplishment that remains the longest unbeaten streak in Monroe County Region history.
“The undying friendship, teamwork and dedication to a goal learned on this field will be with us all forever,” said Bob Busz, who played for those teams and graduated in 1966.
Ted Rath, a 2002 Dundee graduate and current assistant coach with the Los Angeles Rams, recalled several great memories from his time at Dundee. He was a student manager in 1994 and 1995 when his brother was playing quarterback, and then played for the Vikings himself. He met his wife, Robin, on that field while she was attending cheerleading practice.
“So many memories come flooding to mind when I think of my football experiences on that field,” Rath said. “I have been blessed to travel this great country and the world because of the sport of football. I have been to places like Wembley Stadium in London and Lambeau Field in Green Bay and many places in between. When I think about all the places that this sport has taken me, I realize that none are as sweet as that field in Dundee, Michigan.
“If I could stand on that field this week and say one thing it would simply be thank you,” Rath wrote in an e-mail. “Thank you for the memories, thank you for the victories, but also thank you for the defeats. The lessons learned on that field have shaped my life and driven me to become a better Christian, husband, father and person.”
While the new athletic complex is a welcome addition to the district and community, former players and coaches can’t help but recall the great times they made in the old stadium. Thoughts of fans rushing onto the field, wins over rival Ida and simply lining up for the kickoff at games at the stadium will keep the facility alive for Vikings fans for years to come.
Tyler Anson, a 2006 graduate, said he used to find his favorite spot at every home game to quietly reflect right before kickoff.
“My favorite memory from the stadium was always standing in the back of the end zone right before the national anthem,” Anson said. “There was something about being under the lights, looking down the field seeing the crowd, and hearing the anthem knowing you’re about to go to war with your brothers. It’s a feeling that will always give me chills.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Dundee’s football stadium has hosted games for 85 years. (Middle) Vikings fans stretch into the hillside next to the bleachers during a game. (Top team and middle football photos courtesy of Kyle McElvany; press box and field photos by Doug Donnelly.)