Drive for Detroit: Playoffs R3 in Review
November 16, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
And then, once again, there were 34.
Two undefeated 8-player finalists emerged from last week's Semifinals, while a number of moments were celebrated from another round of trophy-raising performances by 32 teams in 11-player Regional Finals.
8-Player
Powers North Central 70, Cedarville 6 – The first-year 8-player Jets will try to add a first football championship to their boys basketball title from the winter after besting last season’s runner-up, Cedarville (9-3). North Central (12-0) fell just 1.5 points shy of its previous 71.5 points per game average as it continued to dominate on both sides of the field. Click for more from the Sault Ste. Marie Evening News.
Battle Creek St. Philip 52, Deckerville 24 – The Tigers (12-0) also earned their first championship game berth in 8-player, to go with a perfect run to the Class D title in 11-player in 1985. Running back Brayden Darr scored seven touchdowns for the second straight game as St. Philip won its first meeting ever against the 2012 champion Eagles, who finished this fall 10-2. Click for more from the Battle Creek Enquirer.
Division 1
Grand Ledge 36, Rockford 16
Rockford looked like it would be moving on with a 16-3 lead after three quarters. But the Comets unloaded 33 straight points over the final 12 minutes to advance to their first MHSAA Semifinal since the 2000 Division 1 championship run. Grand Ledge never has been 12-0 before now; Rockford completed its 21st straight playoff appearance at 8-4. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal.
Also noted:
Romeo 40, Detroit Catholic Central 29 – Romeo’s first Regional title since 1992 came as the Bulldogs (11-2) set a program record for wins with yet another impressive playoff victory to go with those over Clarkston and Lapeer; DCC finished 9-3, a nice bounce-back from 4-5 in 2014.
Canton 27, Saline 7 – It sounds odd to say a win by Canton (10-2) would count as an upset, but that’s how highly Saline (11-1) has been regarded since making the Division 1 Final a year ago.
Detroit Cass Tech 16, Macomb Dakota 10 – The Technicians (10-2) scored 16 straight points after getting down 10, and neither team scored during the second half as Dakota (9-3) was eliminated by Cass Tech for the second time in three seasons.
Division 2
Lowell 36, Muskegon 7
This is as impressive a playoff win by Lowell as any since also beating the Big Reds by the same score during the 2011 run to Ford Field. Muskegon (9-3) entered after handing first and only losses, on the road, to both Traverse City Central and Muskegon Mona Shores. But the Red Arrows (11-1) dominated this one from the start and held the Muskegon offense to 151 yards and well below its average of 39 points per game. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Walled Lake Western 35, Midland Dow 14 – Western (12-0) piled up 424 yards of offense in ending the season for Dow (10-2) and moving on to its second Semifinal in five seasons.
Livonia Franklin 38, Berkley 6 – Franklin (9-3) was only 2-7 a year ago, but has advanced past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and will play its first Semifinal since becoming the first MHSAA Class A champion in 1975, when the playoffs started with Semifinals; Berkley’s 9-3 final record was its best since 2010 and tied the program record for wins.
Detroit Martin Luther King 26, Detroit East English 12 – For the second time this fall, King (12-0) held off a challenge from Detroit Public School League rival East English (9-3) after also beating the Bulldogs 20-15 during Week 3.
Division 3
Coldwater 20, St. Joseph 6
Another week into the postseason and Coldwater’s wins keep getting more impressive. The undefeated Cardinals’ unprecedented run now includes a first Regional title to go with a program-record 12 wins. Coldwater scored 20 straight points to upend St. Joseph, which saw its best run since 2008 come to an end with a 10-2 record. Click for more from the Battle Creek Enquirer.
Also noted:
East Grand Rapids 35, Mount Pleasant 0 – The Pioneers (9-3) stormed into their first Semifinal since 2011 with a second straight shutout and fourth in six weeks while ending Mount Pleasant’s season also at 9-3.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 56, St. Johns 14 – For the fifth time in six seasons, St. Mary’s (10-1) has at least 10 wins, and for the sixth time in seventh seasons will play in a Semifinal; St. Johns (8-4) ended in the Regional Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Chelsea 35, Allen Park 12 – The Bulldogs (11-1) tied their program record for wins with their first Regional title, and against an Allen Park team (10-2) that has earned its most victories since 2006 and had won nine straight.
Division 4
Zeeland West 28, Hudsonville Unity Christian 21
Probably because statewide expectations are always high, Zeeland West hasn’t gotten a ton of attention as it’s rolled along to a fourth Semifinal appearance in five seasons. But this one was interesting throughout. Unity Christian gave the Dux (12-0) their closest game since Week 4 and finished its longest playoff run at 8-4. West had beaten Unity Christian 52-6 in Week 9. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Ada Forest Hills Eastern 34, Remus Chippewa Hills 7 – The Hawks’ history-making run isn’t all about offense; Forest Hills Eastern (11-1) won its first Regional title with perhaps its best defensive game and has given up only 34 points over three during the playoffs; Chippewa Hills finished its longest playoff run at 9-3.
Flint Powers Catholic 28, Richmond 7 – Aside from Richmond’s lone score, it was playoffs as usual for the Chargers (10-2), who have now outscored three opponents by a combined 110-7; Richmond finished 10-2 for the second straight season after also winning a second straight District title.
Detroit Country Day 20, Milan 13 – This had to qualify as a major scare for the Yellowjackets (11-1), whose only close losses were to a pair of larger opponents from the Detroit Catholic League Central; Milan can celebrate a nice turnaround finishing 9-3 after going 4-5 a year ago.
Division 5
Grand Rapids West Catholic 24, Menominee 14
For the sixth straight season, West Catholic (10-2) ended Menominee’s with a loss – this time the Maroons’ only loss of 2015. West Catholic scored only 24 points – but held Menominee (11-1) to its fewest since beating the Maroons in the 2013 Division 5 Final. Menominee was averaging 44 points per game heading into the weekend. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Lansing Catholic 25, Freeland 22 – The Cougars (11-1) also handed Freeland (11-1) its first and only loss with a fourth-quarter comeback that featured a defensive touchdown and earned Lansing Catholic a rematch of last season’s championship game, against West Catholic.
Ida 43, Buchanan 20 – The Bluestreaks (12-0) continued their best season, handing Buchanan (11-1) its first and only loss, and impressing against a Bucks defense that hadn’t given up more than 38 points and had given up more than 20 only twice.
River Rouge 51, Algonac 25 – Did you know River Rouge has won at least 10 games three of the last four seasons? The unheralded Panthers won their first Regional title and have outscored three playoff opponents 167-25, with Algonac (10-2) scoring the only points as it finished its best season ever.
Division 6
Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 35, Constantine 34 (OT)
NorthPointe Christian (12-0) set a program record for wins and advanced to the Semifinals for the second straight year in ending arguably the most surprising playoff run regardless of division. Constantine had reached the postseason with an at-large bid and then eliminated previously-undefeated Schoolcraft and one-loss Watervliet. But NorthPointe stopped Constantine (7-5) on a 2-point conversion try after both teams scored in overtime. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Ithaca 34, Laingsburg 10 – The reigning runner-up Yellowjackets (12-0) ended the longest run ever for Laingsburg (8-4), with quarterback Jake Smith throwing two touchdown passes and running for two scores.
Traverse City St. Francis 12, Boyne City 0 – The Gladiators (12-0) upended their rival for the second time this season to return to the Semifinals for the first time since 2011; Boyne City ended its second straight season of double-digit wins at 10-2.
Clinton 49, Jackson Lumen Christi 20 – The Redskins (12-0) arguably have been the most impressive team in the playoffs, adding Lumen Christi (8-4) to a list of defeated opponents including Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central and Madison Heights Madison.
Division 7
New Lothrop 34, Sandusky 15
New Lothrop drew even with its 2011 team that also started 12-0 to advance to the Semifinals, earning its third Regional title over the last five seasons. The Hornets scored all of their points during the first half in handing the first and only loss to Sandusky, which finished its best season ever at 11-1 and did hold New Lothrop to its season low in points. Click for more from the Owosso Argus-Press.
Also noted:
Ishpeming 40, McBain 2 – The Hematites (11-0) won a fourth straight Regional title scoring their most points since September and with a defense that stopped McBain’s best season since 2011 at 8-4.
Pewamo-Westphalia 40, Cassopolis 3 – The Pirates (12-0) earned a berth in the Semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons, and junior running back Jared Smith set an MHSAA record with his 50th rushing touchdown and moved into second for yards in a season with 2,901 total; Cassopolis finished its best season since 2007 at 9-2.
Detroit Loyola 50, Dansville 0 – Loyola’s offense gets the attention, and with good reason, but the Bulldogs (10-2) held Dansville (10-2) to 25 total yards in ending the Aggies’ longest playoff run.
Division 8
Ottawa Lake Whiteford 48, Climax-Scotts 14
This was the upset of the Regional round, but not as huge as it might appear on paper. Climax-Scotts (11-1) was a league champion and undefeated, and had beaten playoff regulars Pittsford and Mendon the first two weeks of the postseason. But Whiteford (10-2) is one of two Tri-County Conference teams in the Semifinals joining Division 6 Clinton and set a program record for wins in a season with this one. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Also noted:
St. Ignace 22, Crystal Falls Forest Park 8 – The Saints (11-1) jumped to a two-score lead and hung on for their second Regional title in four seasons while ending Forest Park’s last run as an 11-player team (at least for the time being, as it will move to 8-player next year) at 7-4.
Muskegon Catholic Central 22, Frankfort 12 – MCC (10-2) held on for its closest playoff win since 2012 against a Frankfort team that posted its best finish since 2009, at 9-3, and led by five going into the fourth quarter.
Waterford Our Lady 32, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 6 – The Lakers (12-0) have added a first Regional title since 2006 to their long history of accomplishments, while the Cardinals (10-2) ended their best two-season run after making the Semifinals a year ago.
PHOTO: Grand Ledge players hoist their Division 1 Regional title trophy Friday after defeating Rockford. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Dock Putting Dad's Coaching Lessons to Work as Middleville TK Continues Climb
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
November 3, 2025
MIDDLEVILLE – Denny Dock can't pinpoint the exact moment he thought his football-loving son would follow him into coaching, but the signs were there all along.
For starters, there were the countless hours spent tossing a football around the backyard. Or when his young son, Jeff – not even old enough for middle school at the time – eagerly joined other Stevensville Lakeshore coaches watching film on weekends.
Maybe it was all those Friday nights spent trekking along the sideline as a ball boy for Lancers teams. Another clue might have been the Saturday afternoons the two spent together watching college football, or taking in the NFL on Sundays.
When Jeff got older, it may have been how he readily absorbed tips that helped him become a better quarterback in high school and then at Grand Valley State. It could have even been an early, uncanny ability to grasp the importance of fundamentals.
Put it all together, and it seemed inevitable coaching football loomed in Jeff Dock's future.
"That's very fair to say," said Denny Dock, who is 19th on the state's list of all-time winningest football coaches while also the winningest high school softball coach in the country. "The younger years in football were really positive for Jeff, and that doesn't happen all the time. There are negative things that can happen."
While there might have been multiple signs the younger Dock would one day join the coaching ranks, he admits it was far from a done deal. There were thoughts of becoming a biology teacher, a pastor or maybe even an orthopedic surgeon.
But coaching? Even with his father as a classic example of the positive impact a good coach could spread, Dock said it took years for him to eventually land in coaching.
"It dawned on me that there were a lot of all three of those things in being a coach," he said. "Growing up in sports is what I knew, and I ended up developing a passion for it."
That passion is actually the highest it's been in years as his Middleville Thornapple Kellogg football team this past weekend improved to 7-3, continuing the program's first winning season since 2020 and the best fall since the Trojans went 7-3 in 2018. The Trojans defeated Hastings 28-20 in a Division 2 playoff opener, and a win this Friday at Lowell would give Middleville its first District championship since 2001.
Denny Dock coached football at Hartford from 1981-83, Dowagiac from 1984-87, and then Lakeshore from 1988-2013, returning to lead the Lancers for one more season in 2020 and all together totaling a 270-79 career record, 15 league titles and five runner-up MHSAA Finals finishes.
He has kept his hand in football in aiding his son's Trojans program. He's at all the games to add support, critique, advice, strategy, tips on how practices can best be organized and long talks discussing how continual improvement can be furthered.
It's a two-way street as an old football coach who never had a losing season, and is a member of the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, can remain invested in the game while his son benefits from three decades worth of experience.
Jeff Dock said his father's real value is his ability to spot from the stands the little things that less experienced coaches may miss.
"Play calling, how players are used, maybe a little bit about strategy," Dock said.
After playing for his father, Dock said there's no doubt he's transferred the best of what he learned into his own coaching. The older Dock was not only a highly successful football coach, he's compiled a 1,319-345-2 record in softball with eight Finals titles.
Whether it's about football or the philosophy Dock stresses in his softball program, the advice accepted from his father – who still attends softball clinics for tips on improving the Lakeshore program – is virtually across the board. It begins, however, with how a coach should treat his players.
"I was a manager growing up, and I saw his intensity and a love of his players," Dock said. "He never pushed me in any direction, but he told me about education. He always let me figure it out. One of the coolest things my parents did in raising me was to allow me to figure things out."
As far as the Xs and Os of coaching, Dock said his father prizes an organized practice. In fact, it could even be argued that both Docks enjoy a spirited and productive practice session over the microscope of Friday Night Lights.
"He never had a losing season, and it was ingrained in us just to go back to work and that that work never stops," he said. "He loves practices and being organized. Rule No. 1 with him was to make sure the players are prepared, and that you have to communicate with them. Dad would never belittle us or cuss us out.
"I saw the work he put in, how he'd wake up every Saturday thinking about the game. I saw the nitty gritty of coaching and how it was going to take work."
It was that seemingly endless work, in fact, that Denny Dock made sure his young son understood. Denny had no illusions over the pitfalls of coaching, and the pros and the cons. But before he could teach that to his son the coach, he made sure his son the quarterback understood how athletics worked.
There were challenges as a player and now for his son as a coach.
"He was always a quarterback because I think he liked the ball in his hands," Denny Dock said. "I think he liked the leadership part of the game, understanding the team part, and knowing what he had to do. That always challenged him."
While the challenge of playing is long gone for the younger Dock, the next challenge is building a program which is annually competitive. To do that, Jeff Dock said he accepts what his father knew 30 years ago.
"I'm willing to learn anything from anyone at any time," he said. "I know my dad has always thought about what he can do to become a little better every year. I'm always looking for ways to communicate and do things better. It can always be done better, but how can you get there? How can we do the little things better. That's what I learned."
PHOTOS (Top) Jeff Dock, left, and son Micah – Middleville Thornapple Kellogg’s quarterback this season – stand for a photo at their home field. (Middle) Denny Dock, far left, coaches a base runner during Stevensville Lakeshore’s 2022 Semifinal win. (Top photo by Steve Vedder.)