Drive Complete: 2019 Finals in Review
December 3, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Teams that reach the MHSAA Football Finals have been running around in helmets and pads for just short of four months, starting when we’re keeping an eye out for high temperatures and finishing as we watch the snow fall.
Second Half covered all 10 championship games last weekend at Ford Field and two weekends ago at the Superior Dome, with quick recaps and links (click on the game scores) to those stories below followed by notations of performances entered into the MHSAA Finals record book and a report on some of the biggest and best stories to emerge from the 2019 Finals. See also below highlights from the weekend from State Champs Sports Network, and keep an eye on Second Half for a schedule of replays of the 8 and 11-Player Finals on FOX Sports Detroit.
Finals in Review
11-Player Division 1: Davison 35, Brighton 25
The two first-time Finals qualifiers helped fill most of Ford Field’s lower bowl Saturday, and Davison emerged with its first championship. The game was highlighted by the play of standout quarterbacks Brendan Sullivan of Davison and Colby Newburg of Brighton, who both were added to the MHSAA record book for their performances (see more below).
11-Player Division 2: Muskegon Mona Shores 35, Detroit Martin Luther King 26
The Sailors earned the first of the weekend’s “upsets,” never trailing against the 2018 Division 3 champion Crusaders. For the second-straight week, back-up quarterback Brady Rose led the way with all-stater Caden Broersma injured. After King came within two points early in the fourth quarter, Rose led another scoring drive to put the game away.
11-Player Division 3: River Rouge 30, Muskegon 7
River Rouge suffered only one loss this season and played a solid group of opponents, so calling this an upset is tough – but likely still accurate as Muskegon had been considered the state’s best regardless of division (especially after defeating Mona Shores 53-0 during the regular season) and had received national recognition. Rouge scored the final 30 points after an early deficit.
11-Player Division 4: Grand Rapids Catholic Central 44, Detroit Country Day 0
When these two met in the 2016 Final, they combined to score 17 points. This rematch saw many more, at least for GRCC as it scored 44 of the 111 total points Country Day gave up this season. Cougars quarterback Joey Silveri, just a sophomore, cemented himself as a player to watch over the next two years as well, and receiver Jace Williams tied a Finals record as GRCC won its third title in four seasons.
11-Player Division 5: Lansing Catholic 31, Almont 17
The Cougars came back from a bit of an ugly first half offensively to claim their first championship since 1985. Lansing Catholic scored the final 24 points of the game, also earning coach Jim Ahern his first Finals title of a career that began 50 years ago. This was the third Cougars team he had brought to Ford Field this decade, while Almont was making its first Finals appearance.
11-Player Division 6: Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 7, Maple City Glen Lake 0
The Falcons scored their first Finals championship since 2014 in one of the lowest-scoring title games in 45 seasons of MHSAA Football Playoffs. SMCC put the game’s only points on the board on quarterback Wyatt Bergmoser’s six-yard TD run with 7:17 to play in the first half. The Falcons otherwise dominated defensively and controlled the clock to secure the win.
11-Player Division 7: Pewamo-Westphalia 14, Jackson Lumen Christi 0
The arguably most power-packed of the weekend’s Finals saw Pewamo-Westphalia win its third championship in four seasons and end a 35-game winning streak for Lumen Christi, which had won three straight Division 6 titles. Both teams had fewer than 120 yards of total offense, but P-W was able to get into the end zone with three seconds left in the first half and again during the game’s final minutes to finish an unbeaten fall.
11-Player Division 8: Reading 33, Beal City 6
The Rangers opened the weekend with a repeat championship in Division 8, moving to 27-1 over the last two seasons with only a 14-0 Week 1 loss this fall to Pewamo-Westphalia breaking up the perfection. Reading scored the final 19 points and outrushed Beal City 260-42. The Aggies were playing in the Finals for the first time since 2013 and coming off two-straight sub-.500 seasons.
8-Player Division 1: Colon 26, Suttons Bay 14
Colon also won a Division 1 matchup of two teams seeking their first championship, following two-way standout Brandon Crawford to victory at the Superior Dome. The game was tied into the final minute of the third quarter, but the Magi scored the final 12 points to finish off an undefeated season and their closest of 13 wins.
8-Player Division 2: Pickford 48, Portland St. Patrick 15
The Panthers returned to the 8-Player Finals and claimed their first championship after finishing Division 1 runner-up in 2018. Quarterback Jimmy Storey closed his high school career running for three touchdowns and throwing for two more, helping hand the Shamrocks their second runner-up finish in three seasons and only loss of this fall.
Record Report
Star quarterbacks found the spotlight at both the 11 and 8-Player Finals. The Division 1 game saw Brighton’s Colby Newburg (332 yards) and Davison’s Brendan Sullivan (330) both make the all-time 11-Player Finals record list for total offense and passing yards as well with 290 and 249, respectively. Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Joey Silveri is ranked 10th in Finals total offense after his 375 yards (236 passing, 139 rushing) in Division 4, and Pickford’s Jimmy Storey ranks sixth on the 8-Player Finals list with 298 totals yards after passing for 152 and running for 146.
Silveri also made the 11-player passing touchdowns list with four, and Jace Williams was the main beneficiary. He tied the 11-Player Finals record with three touchdown catches and was the first to catch that many since 2013.
Colon’s Brandon Crawford made the 8-player records twice for rushing – his 205 yards were the third-most in 8-Player Finals history, and his 94-yard touchdown run was the longest rushing play. Colon as a team ranked fifth with 340 yards rushing.
Muskegon Mona Shores kicker Keegan DeKuiper and Davison kicker Trennor Rhodes both were added to the 11-player list for most extra points in a Final, both connecting on all five of their respective attempts.
Brighton, while in defeat, made the 11-Player Finals list with 23 first downs against Davison. Detroit Martin Luther King and Muskegon Mona Shores in Division 2 joined Hartford and Onsted from the 1993 Class CC Final as the only opponents to go an entire championship game without punting.
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central became one of eight teams to win a championship by scoring seven points or fewer.
Both Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Reading tied for second on the first downs allowed list giving up only four apiece.
Lansing Catholic’s Zack Stone and Zach Gillespie both snagged two interceptions, joining 31 others tied for third for most interceptions in one championship game.
There previously was not a category for most extra-point attempts blocked, but it was impossible to not add one after Detroit Country Day blocked five tries by Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
Stories Behind the Scores
First-time champions: They reigned again, with Davison, Muskegon Mona Shores, River Rouge, Colon and Pickford matching last season’s total of five first-time winners. That makes 10 first-time champions over the last two seasons, compared with a combined three in 2016 and 2017.
Defense wins championships: After no Finals shutouts in 2018 and just one apiece in 2017 and 2016, this season’s Finals saw Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Pewamo-Westphalia all hold their opponents scoreless. Total, the 10 runner-up teams scored an average of 11 points. River Rouge saw its season defensive points allowed average fall to 7.6, GRCC’s fell to 8.8, P-W’s to 4.5 and Reading’s to 7.4 points per game. Colon finished the season giving up just 5.5 points per game – perhaps even more notable given the wide-open offensive attack characteristic of 8-player.
Unsung no more: A pair of previously or at least little-known quarterbacks before last week’s 11-Player Finals will certainly be well-known entering next fall. As noted above, Mona Shores junior Brady Rose was forced into action early in his team’s one-point Semifinal win over Walled Lake Western, and he finished an incredible two weeks running for 90 yards and three touchdowns, completing 8-of-11 passes for 122 yards and a score and making a team-high 10 tackles with an interception against King. River Rouge junior Mareyohn Hrabowski burst onto the statewide scene in the weekend’s final game with 175 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and 45 yards passing against Muskegon.
Ahern’s work rewarded: As noted above, Lansing Catholic coach Jim Ahern finished with a Finals championship for the first time, a well-deserved achievement for an architect of multiple programs that have had elite success. Ahern ranks 13th in MHSAA history with a 301-152-6 record at three in-state schools beginning in 1969 (and not counting his seasons coaching in Florida during the end of the last decade). In addition to bringing the Cougars to Ford Field three times over the last nine years, Ahern led Ithaca’s program from 1972-2003. Among his standouts there was current Yellowjackets coach Terry Hessbrook, who is the first to credit Ahern with building the foundation that has led to Ithaca’s five Division 6 titles and two runner-up finishes over the last decade. Ahern pioneered the spread offense in this state, writing a book nearly 20 years ago teaching the scheme that is now used all over the country.
Fun with numbers: Friday’s four-game attendance was just 17,971 fans – the lowest of the decade for one day at Ford Field. But Saturday’s four-game attendance of 30,466 was the highest since 2010 for one day. Together, the 48,437 fans for the weekend fell in line with the five-year average for the 11-Player Finals.
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PHOTOS: (Top) Davison and Brighton fans helped fill the lower bowl of Ford Field on Saturday. (Middle) Pickford celebrates its championship at the Superior Dome two weekends ago. (Top photo by Paige Winne; middle photo by Cara Kamps.)
Schmitt Happily Home as St Johns Coach
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 13, 2019
ST. JOHNS – The 50 or so students chanting “Schmitt! Schmitt! Schmitt!” during the earliest minutes of Monday morning know him mostly as a high school math teacher.
Which makes sense – the oldest probably had just turned 3 when Andy Schmitt was locking down his local legend status as St. Johns’ history-making quarterback.
What they probably don’t remember, they’ve surely heard about – how he led unheralded St. Johns to the 2004 Division 3 championship game, its only appearance in an MHSAA Football Final, on the way to starring at Eastern Michigan University and earning a tryout from the Detroit Lions.
That fame he earned more than a decade ago still stands tall, just as the Redwings' first-year varsity head coach did by a few inches over the rest of his coaching staff and possibly all of his players as the team kicked off the 2019 season with a midnight practice on its home field.
While Schmitt’s experiences and successes surely could have led him down a variety of football coaching roads, he always was circling to come back home – with the hope of giving today's players opportunities to make memories like those that continue to resonate within him.
“It never mattered on opportunities. It was always a matter of trying to come back home,” said Schmitt late Sunday night, as St. Johns’ game clock behind him ticked down the seconds until football teams statewide were allowed to practice for the first time this fall. “My wife’s from here. I’m from here. I grew up with a lot of pride in this community. I saw myself, once I decided to get into education and coaching, I saw myself coming back to St. Johns.
"We had such a good experience playing here, made a couple of nice runs, and I just want to help this program do the same thing."
He began a busy journey as a mostly-unheralded high school junior in 2003. Unheralded, that is, until he led St. Johns to its first District football title that fall.
Schmitt then emerged the next season as the best from a historically-deep group of standout mid-Michigan quarterbacks, leading St. Johns to the Pontiac Silverdome. Although the Redwings lost that championship game to Lowell 38-17, Schmitt made a pair of long scrambling passes that helped St. Johns stay tied with the Red Arrows until the final minutes of the third quarter. And regardless of the defeat, the playoff run spoke volumes – Schmitt eventually was named Lansing State Journal All-Decade quarterback for the mid-Michigan area in 2010, prestige that lives on even for players who have seen him play only on YouTube.
“It’s all over the school. He’s got a banner in there, a picture in the weight room,” Redwings senior lineman Sam Hallead said. “It’s always there to motivate us.”
Schmitt went on to Eastern Michigan University, where after redshirting his first year he played 34 games with 30 starts before a knee injury ended his college career after the team’s third game of the 2009 season. All told, he threw for 5,867 yards and 33 touchdowns at EMU and holds four school passing records while ranking near the top in a number of other categories. He still shares the NCAA Division I record for single-game completions with 58 against Central Michigan in their 2008 meeting.
Schmitt came back from his injury to try out for the Lions in 2010, and then he turned toward his next career. He student taught at Williamston, then as a long-term substitute at Bay City John Glenn before taking his first fulltime teaching job at New Buffalo. Then it was on to Fowlerville and Ovid-Elsie Middle School before arriving back at St. Johns in 2015. Schmitt coached at all of the schools where he taught, and was a freshman coach the last three seasons under his former coach Dave Mariage, who retired from the head varsity job after last season. A week after Mariage resigned, Schmitt was promoted, and he’ll be surrounded this fall by all of the same staff – and with Mariage as his freshman coach.
It's where Schmitt always was meant to be, with qualities he began showing 20 years ago shining through.
“The same love of the game. The same enthusiasm. He loves the game, he knows the game, and he’s excited every day he comes out here,” Mariage said. “I didn’t know that’s what he was going to do (become a teacher and coach), but he’s a natural leader. He checks all the boxes. He’s going to do great.”
Schmitt takes over a program that remains one of the most consistently successful in the Lansing area.
Mariage stepped away with a 124-72 record over his 19 seasons, and the Redwings haven’t finished below .500 for a season since 2005. They’ve won two more District titles since Schmitt graduated and are a regular league title contender.
St. Johns will begin its seventh season since building a football stadium after Schmitt starred on a field that certainly could be referred to as yesteryear. And Hallead said the varsity has 35 players out, with his class plenty familiar with the new coach after Schmitt coached them as freshmen.
Schmitt laughed when asked if his players know of his legendary status in town – “They don’t need to know” – but he admits there’s substantial buzz heading into this season. He’ll never forget how the community came out to support the team when he played, and that support was perhaps the heaviest driving force that brought he and his wife Teisha (Thelen), also a 2005 grad and three-sport standout, home again and home to stay.
“The amount of pride that I experienced going through the runs that we had junior and senior year, and again, watching this town come together and how supportive the town was, made football mean so much to me,” Schmitt said. “How a group of people can bring a lot of people together, seeing the support, seeing the pride made me want to come right back to St. Johns.
“This is home. There’s not going to be anywhere else. This is where we’re going to raise our kids. There’s no going anywhere from here.”
Geoff Kimmerly joined the MHSAA as its Media & Content Coordinator in Sept. 2011 after 12 years as Prep Sports Editor of the Lansing State Journal. He has served as Editor of Second Half since its creation in Jan. 2012. 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) St. Johns first-year head varsity coach Andy Schmitt works with his defensive backs during Monday morning’s “midnight madness” practice. (Middle) Schmitt formerly starred at quarterback for the Redwings, leading the program to its first District and Regional titles.