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Drive for Detroit: Playoff Week 3 Review

November 12, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The results are fewer at this stage of the MHSAA Football Playoffs, but the headlines are louder with more on the line and the best of the best running into each other with only a few weeks left to play.

This third round saw our 8-Player Finals pairings set – with those championship games taking place this Saturday at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome. Morrice will face Pickford in Division 1, while Rapid River will take on Onekama in Division 2.

Meanwhile, in 11-Player Regional Finals, we saw history made for Belleville, Holton and Breckenridge to name a few. We also saw the end to Pewamo-Westphalia’s attempt at making a fourth a straight MHSAA championship game, and said good-bye to one of Michigan’s most prominent high school programs and the winningest coach in state history.

Click to check out the scores through the first three weeks of the tournament and the pairings for the weekend ahead. “Drive for Detroit” is powered by MI Student Aid. 

Division 1

HEADLINER: Saline 13, Rockford 12 (OT) The Hornets’ impressive body of work this season grows by the week. By outlasting Rockford with a 2-point conversion stand, they advanced to the Semifinals for the first time since finishing Division 1 runner-up in 2014. Add to this one to wins over East Kentwood two weeks ago and Grand Rapids Catholic Central in Week 2 – and giving unbeaten Clinton Township Chippewa Valley its closest game of the season in a five-point Week 1 loss – and it continues to be quite a run. Rockford also should be proud; after opening 1-3 this fall, the Rams not only extended a record 24-year playoff streak but won their first District title since 2015. Click for more from the Ann Arbor News and see below for highlights from FOX 17.

Regional Recap: Clarkston 13, Lapeer 0 The reigning Division 1 champion Wolves (10-2) locked down their fourth Regional title in six seasons and eliminated Lapeer (11-1) for the third time over the last five – and second time during that string where the Lightning entered the game undefeated. Belleville 13 West Bloomfield 10 The Tigers (12-0) have broken through with their first Regional title, defeating last season’s Division 1 runner-up West Bloomfield (9-3) to make their first Semifinal. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 42, Dearborn Fordson 7 The Big Reds (12-0) are headed to the Semifinals for the first time since 2003 after shutting down a Tractors team that finished 10-2 and was averaging 38 points per game.

Division 2

HEADLINER: Birmingham Groves 53, Livonia Franklin 29 The Falcons (10-2) are headed to their second Semifinals in three seasons after downing Franklin (7-5), a semifinalist a year ago. Groves has run off 10 straight victories since opening this fall 0-2, and the 53 points were a season high. Franklin led at the end of the first quarter 2-0 before the Falcons ran off 21 unanswered points during the second. Click for more from the Oakland Press and see highlights below from State Champs Sports Network.

Regional Recap: Muskegon Mona Shores 58, Portage Northern 28 The Sailors (11-1) also scored a season high to win their second Regional title ever and first since 2014, over a Northern team that at 9-3 tied its program record for wins set in 1981. Midland 43, Walled Lake Western 0 The Chemics (9-3) won their first Regional title since 2007 with one of the most impressive victories of the weekend, handing Western (8-4) its first shutout since the 2016 Division 2 Final. Warren DeLaSalle 21, Port Huron Northern 3 The reigning Division 2 champion Pilots (10-2) ended the winningest season since 1986 for Northern (10-2), which did hold DeLaSalle to its third-fewest points of this fall.

Division 3

HEADLINER: Muskegon 34, Cedar Springs 18 The reigning Division 3 champion Big Reds (12-0) withstood one of their toughest challenges of this season, as Cedar Springs (10-2) trailed by only a point, 13-12, at halftime. Muskegon quarterback Cameron Martinez – who broke La’Darius Jefferson’s school season record of 2,095 rushing yards during the game – ran for 32 and 75-yard scores during the third quarter. The Red Hawks finished with their most wins since going 11-2 in 2000. Click for more from the Muskegon Chronicle and see highlights below from WZZM.

Regional Recap: Zeeland East 50, Parma Western 24 The Chix are headed to the Semifinals for the first time since 1989 when East and West were one school. Parma Western ended its longest playoff run with a school record for wins at 10-2. DeWitt 42, Farmington 7 The Panthers (12-0) bounced back offensively after scoring nine points in the District Final and as a defense giving up eight points per game locked down the Falcons (8-4), who completed their longest run since 2002. Detroit Martin Luther King 54, Allen Park 15 The Crusaders (10-2) won their sixth Regional title in eight seasons, ending Allen Park’s at 9-3 after the Jaguars bounced back from just missing the playoffs in 2017.

Division 4

HEADLINER: Chelsea 21, Farmington Hills Harrison 14 The Bulldogs (9-3) have risen from third in their league during the regular season to win their second Regional title over the last four years, this time under first-year coach Josh Lucas. Chelsea’s win also marked the end of Farmington Hills Harrison football under coach John Herrington, who concluded as the winningest coach in MHSAA history with a 443-112-1 record since starting the program in 1970. Harrison (8-4) is closing next summer. Click for more from the Sun Times News.

Regional Recap: Grand Rapids Catholic Central 35, Escanaba 6 For the third straight season, the two-time reigning Division 4 champion Cougars (11-1) eliminated the Eskymos (9-3), this time holding Escanaba to its fewest points of the fall. Edwardsburg 56, Holland Christian 21 The Eddies (12-0) set up a rematch of last season’s Division 4 Final (a 42-31 loss to GRCC) by scoring more than 50 points for the seventh time this season, ending a nice run for Holland Christian (8-4) with its best record since 2009. Williamston 28, St. Clair 0 The Hornets (10-2) advanced to their first Semifinal since 2010 by shutting out a St. Clair team that finished 9-3 and had scored a combined 132 points over its first two playoff games.

Division 5

HEADLINER: Saginaw Swan Valley 36, Reed City 28 Swan Valley’s side of this bracket began with four of the 30 undefeated teams left in all of 11-player at the end of the regular season, and the Vikings (12-0) remained one by edging another over the weekend. Reed City (11-1) gave Swan Valley its closest game this season and a closer one than when the two met and the Vikings won 29-14 in a Semifinal a year ago. How close was it? Reed City ended the game on Swan Valley’s 2-yard line. Click for more from the Saginaw News and see highlights below from WJRT.

Regional Recap: Hudsonville Unity Christian 39, Kalamazoo United 14 The Crusaders (10-2) advanced to their second Semifinal in three seasons by locking down a Titans offense averaging 53 points per game heading into Saturday. United finished 11-1, its best since the co-op between Hackett and Kalamazoo Christian was formed in 2014. Portland 40, Frankenmuth 6 The Raiders are headed to their first Semifinal since winning Division 5 in 2012 after stopping Frankenmuth (9-3) in its quest to win a third straight Regional title. Marine City 40, Detroit Denby 32 (2OT) The Mariners also finished third in their league during the regular season, but are headed to the Semifinals for the first time since winning Division 4 in 2013. Denby (9-3) concluded its winningest season and longest playoff run both since 2006, with its losses this fall by a combined 18 points.

Division 6

HEADLINER: Montrose 37, Flint Hamady 6 As noted above, this weekend was good to teams finishing third in their leagues this fall. The Rams (10-2) did so in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference, but with this victory won their first Regional title since 2013 and ended the longest run and winningest season ever for Hamady (11-1). Click for more from the Flint Journal and see highlights below from WEYI.

Regional Recap: Montague 30, Schoolcraft 14 The Wildcats (10-2) reached double-digit wins for the third time in four seasons with their first Regional title since 2009 – when it went on to win the Division 6 title. Schoolcraft (9-3) finished by playing in its first Regional Final since 2013. Traverse City St. Francis 41, Kingsley 20 The Gladiators (12-0) won their third Regional title in four seasons, although Kingsley (10-2) cut the deficit after St. Francis won their first meeting by 35 in Week 4. Jackson Lumen Christi 33, Blissfield 0 Two-time reigning Division 6 champion Lumen Christi (11-0) won its third straight Regional title with its third shutout of the season. Blissfield (7-5) was held scoreless for the first time since 2016.

Division 7

HEADLINER: New Lothrop 26, Pewamo-Westphalia 14 It’s rare that the loudest headline from a football weekend comes from one of the divisions pitting the state’s smaller schools. But it certainly was noticed when New Lothrop (11-1) ended the two-time reigning champ Pirates’ 24-game winning streak. P-W (11-1) had beaten New Lothrop 35-14 in a District Final only a year ago, but now the Hornets will return to the Semifinals for the first time since 2015. Click for more from the Flint Journal.  

Regional Recap: Lake City 34, Roscommon 28 The Trojans (12-0) held off Roscommon (10-2) to make the Semifinals for the second straight season and extend their run of the last two years to a combined 24-1. Cassopolis 23, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 22 The Rangers’ defense, giving up now 4.3 points per game, was tested for the first time. But Cassopolis (12-0) won its second Regional title in three years by stopping St. Mary (9-3) on a goal line stand to finish the game. Madison Heights Madison 44, Riverview Gabriel Richard 7 The Eagles (12-0) are returning to the Semifinals after handing a playoff defeat to Gabriel Richard (7-5) for the second straight season.

Division 8

HEADLINER: Holton 14, Mendon 6 The Red Devils’ first playoff season since 2007 now includes its first Regional title ever. Holton (8-4) outlasted annual power Mendon to move on after both reached the playoffs as additional qualifiers at 5-4 to end the regular season. The Hornets, after winning their 10th District title in 12 seasons, finished 7-5. Click for more from the Muskegon Chronicle.

Regional Recap: Breckenridge 12, Ishpeming 6 The Huskies (12-0) have taken the steps from first playoff berth in 2016 since 1993, to first District title ever last season to now first Regional championship. Breckenridge drove north and handed Ishpeming (11-1) its only defeat by locking down an offense averaging 42 points per game entering the weekend. Harbor Beach 35, Flint Beecher 0 The Pirates (11-1) are back in the Semifinals for the first time since making three straight trips from 2012-14. Beecher (8-4) closed its longest playoff run since 2012 in Division 7. Reading 54, Detroit Southeastern 0 The Rangers (12-0) now have shutouts in half of their games this season and their first Regional title since 2008. It was a memorable fall for Southeastern (8-4), which made the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and only two years removed from a 3-24 three-year string.  

8-Player Division 1

SEMIFINAL: Pickford 40, AuGres-Sims 20 The Wolverines (11-1) were giving up only 7.5 points per game and hadn’t scored fewer than 50 this season. But Pickford (12-0) dominated on both sides of the ball, breaking through for its first MHSAA championship game berth after missing in Semifinals the last two seasons. Click for more from the Sault Ste. Marie Evening News and see highlights below from MI Sports Now.

SEMIFINAL: Morrice 40, Colon 8 The Orioles (12-0) will continue their deepest playoff run ever, with this victory securing their first MHSAA Finals berth. Morrice locked down a Colon offense averaging 44 points per game, and the Magi (10-2) gave up a season high. Still, it was a strong 8-player debut for Colon, which went 2-7 in 11-player a year ago and was playing in its first Semifinal in either format. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal.

8-Player Division 2

SEMIFINAL: Onekama 28, Portland St. Patrick 14 The Portagers will play in their first MHSAA football championship game after doubling up last season’s Division 2 runner-up. Onekama (10-2) also set a program record for wins, piling up 20 straight points to hold off the Shamrocks (7-5). Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

SEMIFINAL: Rapid River 36, Cedarville 30 One more third-place success story from the weekend. Rapid River (9-3) downed Cedarville 28-20 in Week 7 to eventually lock up that spot in the Great Lakes Conference East, and edged the Trojans (7-5) a second time to reach the 8-Player Finals for the third time this decade and first since 2013. Click for more from the Escanaba Daily Press.

Second Half’s weekly “Drive for Detroit” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Student Financial Services Bureau located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information, including various student financial assistance programs to help make college more affordable for Michigan students. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 savings programs (MET/MESP) and eight additional aid programs within its Student Scholarships and Grants division. Click for more information and connect with MI Student Aid on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.

PHOTO: Breckenridge seniors give a thumbs up while celebrating their Division 8 Regional championship in Ishpeming. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)

Blahas Building Lasting Owosso Legacy

February 5, 2020

By Tim Robinson
Special for Second Half

Owosso seniors Hunter and Colton Blaha, born 11 months apart, have been competing with each other nearly every day of their lives.

“We’ve been competing forever,” said Colton, the younger of the brothers, with a laugh. “Sprinting down the road so you can get to the house first.”

Hunter agreed.

“We’re always competing, no matter what it is,” he said. “Board games, chores. It doesn’t matter.”

The Blaha brothers have channeled that competitiveness into a work ethic and sense of community that has helped lift the Owosso High School sports programs in which they’ve competed.

Both played football (Hunter at quarterback, Colton at running back), while Hunter plays basketball and runs track and Colton is an all-state wrestler who plays baseball in the spring.

Most of the programs they have played for have not had recent success. The brothers endured part of a 43-game losing streak in football, Hunter’s basketball team recently snapped a 30-game losing streak, and the Owosso baseball team has struggled in recent years.

And, to the Blahas, that doesn’t matter.

Competing does.

“I honestly don’t care what our record is,” Colton Blaha said. “We always had a close bond with the kids in our grade, and that means more than anything. It means more than any record we could have had in wins or losses.”

Trojans athletic director Dallas Lintner, who also is an assistant football coach, said what sets the Blahas apart is that selflessness – a willingness to help build a program despite an outward lack of success.

“What’s refreshing to see at the high school level is that they’re competitive, but they’re classy,” Lintner said. “They mean a lot to us at Owosso High School. They mean a lot to our community particularly with the relationships they’ve built with middle-school kids, with elementary school kids. They really do it all for us.”

Both Blahas have worked, assisting the coaches in their sports, with younger athletes at all levels to help them feel a part of the program.

“When we got here, the senior leadership was horrible,” Hunter Blaha said. “We got treated horribly by the upperclassmen, and that plays a big part in a program, having a bond and a relationship with the younger kids. We set that as a goal in the eighth grade, because we knew how important it was to our program if we got the youth program going at a young level and got them going at the same pace.”

And so Owosso football players at lower levels have seen the Blahas at their games or matches the last four years. Both attend youth level games and interact with future Owosso athletes as much as their schedules allow.

“They’re like rock stars to those kids,” football coach Devin Pringle said. “We do things at elementary schools like reading to kids, and we take the Blahas. They’re like NFL stars to those kids. They wrestle with them, give them high-fives, talk about grades.”

At one point during the football season, Hunter became involved with a troubled elementary school student as part of a class in social tolerance.

“I was chosen to help this kid,” he said. “My idea was to bring him to a game, come see a coin toss, maybe get him a signed football.”

Which he did. The youngster got to do all three and went home with a lasting memory.

“It was an awesome experience,” Hunter said. “I could tell he was really happy that he got the chance to do that.”

Another thing that makes the Blahas stand out, their coaches said, is their commitment to their hometown.

“A lot of kids transferred out of here to play on better sports teams,” Colton Blaha said. “My mom has always taught us to make a name for ourselves, and I feel that Hunter and I have both done that here. We’ve done the best we can to try to change the sports programs around, and we hope the kids under us have picked up on that.”

Naturally, coaching and commitment by those younger players is critical, but there are signs of a turnaround in Owosso football. The Trojans varsity won two games last season and lost three more by a single point. The rest of the teams in the program all had winning records.

“We knew coming in it would take some time to get a new culture established,” Pringle said. “When it happens, it’s because these young men decided to stay.”

After his freshman year of football, Hunter Blaha was promoted to varsity. As a sophomore, he was a unanimous choice as a team captain and started at quarterback.

Colton finished third at 160 pounds at last year’s Division 2 Individual Wrestling Finals, a rise fueled by the competitive fires built during his youth.

“We used to have basement wrestling tournaments, and he used to kick my butt,” Colton said of Hunter. “I used to get so mad at him.”

The boys wrestled and sometimes fought at school, too.

“I always beat him,” Hunter said. “I remember one day I stopped and he came up to me and said, ‘I’m not going to let you whip my (butt) any more. It’s just not going to happen. That’s the day he started wrestling, and he’s been working his tail off ever since. It’s pushed me to work harder and get some goals in mind.”

As for the rivalry, “a year later, (Colton) started whipping my butt,” Hunter said, smiling. “It’s escalated from there.”

Both Blahas plan to compete in college, Hunter in football and Colton in wrestling. Both plan to become teachers, and Pringle has a not-so-subtle plan for Hunter.

“Colton is amazing in his own right,” Pringle said. “But Hunter, when he gets that degree, he’ll be head football coach at Owosso someday. We’re getting a new weight room, and I tell him, ‘I’ll have this ready for you when you take over.’ He’ll be a kid who impacts hundreds of kids before he’s done.”

But first, there’s a senior year to complete.

“It feels like it came up way too fast,” Hunter said. “It feels like yesterday I started at quarterback my sophomore year. I kind of get emotional about it. I don’t like talking about it. Most kids are ready to get out of here, to get their lives going. But I’ve been here since I was 6 years old, and it’s all I’ve ever known, playing with these kids.”

Colton Blaha is known as an athlete who’s the first to arrive at practice and the last to leave, almost to a fault.

“I have him in a fourth-hour class, and he always wants to get in a couple of extra sets,” Pringle said, chuckling. “He always leaves the room last, and sometimes I’m late for lunch because of it.”

A few lost minutes of lunch, though, has been a small price to pay.

“I know they’re going to do great things,” Lintner said. “They’re going to be great husbands. They’re going to be great fathers. They’re going to be great college athletes no matter what university they choose. We’re super proud of them, and as an educator, I’ve been fortunate to be with them the last four years of their journey.”

Asked what the most important thing is that they've gained through athletics, both brothers pause for several seconds before answering.

“Hard work can take you anywhere,” Colton said. “Always. Through hard work, you go through a lot of ups and downs, a lot of lefts and rights, but if you keep working hard, keep your head balanced, you can go anywhere.”

“Being a family, definitely,” Hunter said. “That’s what it’s all about. Life’s not always about football and athletics. You want to make your friendships and talk about these memories 20 years down the road.”

But the Blahas have done more than make memories. They’ve made an impact, one that will be felt ‘years down the road.’

PHOTOS: (Top) Colton, left, and brother Hunter Blaha. (Middle) Colton, left, begins his third-place match during last season’s Division 2 Individual Finals at Ford Field. (Middle photo by HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)