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Drive for Detroit: Week 2 in Review

September 4, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The east side of the Lower Peninsula enjoyed a rematch of last season’s Division 1 championship game. The west enjoyed a matchup of arguably the two best teams in all the state this fall.

In between, Week 2 of Michigan’s high school football season included at least three headline-grabbing upsets, a memorable last-second score, and the end of a losing streak stretching more than four years.

Muskegon and Clarkston had a lot to celebrate over the long weekend, but so did Saline, Lansing Catholic and Harbor Springs – not to mention rejuvenated Battle Creek Central and Detroit Cass Tech, coming off a play that surely will be remembered in that program’s storied history. 

And let’s give special shoutouts to Dexter – which ended a 42-game losing streak with a 36-22 win over Ypsilanti Community – and Spring Lake, which moved to 2-0 with a win over rival Fruitport after going winless for 2017.

Many more of last week’s storylines are covered below in our Drive for Detroit review, powered by MI Student Aid.

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER: Flint Carman-Ainsworth 21, Midland 7 The reigning champions in the Saginaw Valley League Blue and Red, respectively, are off to opposite starts. Carman-Ainsworth is 2-0 heading into the start of league play this week, while Midland is a deceptive 0-2 after now falling to two 2017 playoff teams. Click for more from the Flint Journal and see below for highlights from State Champs Sports Network.

Also of note: Saginaw Swan Valley 56, Frankenmuth 20 The Vikings (2-0) were runners-up in Division 5 last season and Frankenmuth (1-1) was a semifinalist coming through opposite sides of the bracket. We could see how much changes over two months if they meet again this playoffs.

Remember this one: Richmond 24, Algonac 21 Last year it was Algonac winning this matchup to clinch the Blue Water Area Conference title in Week 8. This time the Blue Devils (1-1) have an edge on the Muskrats (0-2) but with the rest of the league schedule left to play.  

More shoutouts: Marlette 20, Harbor Beach 14 (OT) The Raiders (1-1) broke a seven-game losing streak against the Pirates (1-1), last season’s Greater Thumb Conference East champ. Swartz Creek 16, Flushing 13 The Dragons are 2-0 for the first time since 2012 after winning three games total last season and losing to Flushing (1-1; 9-3 in 2017) last year 53-12.

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER: Clarkston 28, West Bloomfield 25 This rematch of last season’s Division 1 championship game saw many more than five points score (Clarkston won that Finals meeting 3-2). The Wolves (2-0) held off West Bloomfield (1-1) multiple times at the end to secure its second-straight three-point win to open the season and an important first step in the Oakland Activities Association Red race – West Bloomfield won the league meeting a year ago. Click for more from MLive-Detroit.

Also of note: Detroit Cass Tech 21, Lakewood St. Edward (Ohio) 20 The Technicians (2-0) got past Ohio power St. Edward scoring all 21 of their points over the final five minutes and the winning touchdown on a 60-yard toss into the end zone on the game’s final play.

Remember this one: Oak Park 13, Birmingham Groves 7 These two and Farmington Hills Harrison shared the Oakland Activities Association White title last season. Oak Park (2-0) faces Harrison this week and Groves (0-2) is hoping to get into the mix after opening with close losses to the Knights and West Bloomfield.

Other shoutouts: Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 20, Waterford Our Lady 13 Parkway is now 2-0 by avenging two big 2017 losses, this one after falling to Our Lady (1-1) by 29 last season. Birmingham Brother Rice 13, Mishawaka Penn (Ind.) 7 The Warriors (2-0) appear back after a big Week 1 win over U-D Jesuit and this avenging of last year’s 38-0 loss to Indiana power Penn.

Mid-Michigan 

HEADLINER: Lansing Catholic 15, Grand Rapids West Catholic 14 This might have made the loudest boom of the weekend statewide as the Cougars (2-0) edged the reigning five-time Division 5 champion. Quarterback Josh Kramer ran for 149 yards and two touchdowns and also for the winning two-point conversion. West Catholic fell to 0-2 after also losing Week 1 to reigning Division 6 champion Jackson Lumen Christi. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal and see highlights below from WZZM.

Also of note: Haslett 20, Lansing Sexton 6 The Vikings moved to 2-0 with their second win over a 2017 playoff team – Sexton (0-2) coming off an 8-4 finish – and Haslett has outscored its first two opponents by a combined 48-13.  

Remember this one: Harrison 38, Houghton Lake 34 Half the Jack Pine Conference made the playoffs in 2017, including these third and fourth-place finishers, respectively, and the result this time could come into play if either challenges for the league title. Both are 1-1 overall.

Other shoutouts: Dansville 33, Laingsburg 0 The Aggies (1-1) bounced back from a tough Week 1 loss to Leslie to earn a nice win over a Laingsburg program that is 0-2 but won eight games each of the last three seasons. East Lansing 20, Dearborn Divine Child 10 The Trojans are looking especially tough defensively as they too are 2-0 for the first time since 2012 and after losing to Divine Child (0-2) a year ago.

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER: Harbor Springs 14, Frankfort 7 Frankfort was 28-7 over the last three seasons, so this is impressive for more than adding to Harbor Springs’ first 2-0 start since 2013. The Rams also are working to bounce back from last season’s 4-5 finish. Frankfort fell to 1-1 after opening with a win over Newberry. Click for more from the Petoskey News-Review.

Also of note: Rogers City 24, Tawas 8 The Hurons (2-0) equaled their win total for all of 2017, holding a Tawas team that scored 48 against Lincoln Alcona in a Week 1 win to only eight points.

Remember this one: Traverse City St. Francis 50, Maple City Glen Lake 12 This is the third straight season St. Francis has beaten Marquette and Glen Lake (0-2) to start, but a combined 92-15 scoring edge easily is the widest over the recent series.

More shoutouts: Kingsley 43, West Branch Ogemaw Heights 0 The Stags have welcomed back coach Tim Wooer with a 2-0 start after winning one game all of last season. Benzie Central 33, Kalkaska 0 The Huskies couldn’t finish 2016 and won one game last fall – but their 2-0 start equals their number of wins from the past four seasons combined.

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER: Saline 17, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 7 The Hornets broke the two-time reigning Division 4 champion’s 21-game winning streak, handing GRCC (1-1) its first defeat since Week 8 of 2016. Saline locked down the Cougars’ running game and scored the final 17 points to improve to 1-1 as well. Click for more from the Saline Post.

Also of note: Sand Creek 27, Climax-Scotts 16 The Aggies (1-1) are trying to bounce back from last season’s 4-5 finish, and avenging a 31-point loss to Climax-Scotts (1-1) certainly helps.

Remember this one: Napoleon 35, Addison 20 These were two of three co-champions last season in the Cascades Conference, but now Addison (1-1) must catch up quickly with the third title winner Michigan Center up next and Napoleon (1-1) not seeing Michigan Center until Week 8.

More shoutouts: Milan 26, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 21 These two frequently have decided the Huron League title, and Milan (2-0) surely is hoping that turns out the case again. St. Mary fell to 1-1 having played two 2017 playoff teams to open. Pittsford 10, Petersburg Summerfield 0 The Wildcats (2-0) have yet to give up a point this season and avenged a 12-point loss to the Bulldogs (1-1) from a year ago.

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER: Battle Creek Central 34, Richland Gull Lake 33 The Bearcats may be back. Battle Creek Central pulled off a second straight win by seven or fewer points to reach 2-0 for the first time since 2005. Battle Creek Central finished 3-6 both of the last two seasons and last made the playoffs in 2008. Click for more from the Battle Creek Enquirer.

Also of note: Three Oaks River Valley 32, Galesburg-Augusta 24 River Valley had won a combined two games over the last four seasons but is 2-0 for the first time since 2006 and guaranteed to equal its best record since 2002.

Remember this one: Kalamazoo Central 30, Portage Central 14 The Maroon Giants (1-1) this fall are seeking their first playoff berth since 2004 and had lost to annual playoff qualifier Portage Central (1-1) by 22 and 10 the last two seasons.

More shoutouts: Springport 22, Union City 20 The Spartans (2-0) launched their Big 8 Conference schedule by avenging last season’s 26-point loss to the Chargers (1-1). Marshall 28, Battle Creek Harper Creek 27 After falling in overtime in its opener, Marshall (1-1) edged Harper Creek – which has lost its two games by a combined three points. 

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER: Ishpeming Westwood 34, Iron Mountain 7 The Patriots have kept churning after last season’s record nine-win finish, adding this victory for a 2-0 start during which they’ve outscored those opponents by a combined 76-7. Iron Mountain (1-1) opened with a solid win over Negaunee and will work to still figure into the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference “large school” race. Click for more from the Marquette Mining Journal and see below for a highlight from ABC10.

Also of note: Escanaba 15, Petoskey 14 The Eskymos (1-1) took an opening night loss to Alpena and needed every last point against this Big North Conference opponent in a game that could prove important to Escanaba’s eventual playoff hopes.

Remember this one: St. Ignace 38, Newberry 30 The Saints (1-1) played through an uncharacteristic one-win season a year ago and then fell on opening day last month, but avenging a 37-point loss to Newberry (0-2) from last  year is a significant step in a better direction.

More shoutouts: Calumet 30, Negaunee 8 The Copper Kings (2-0) have outscored their first two opponents by a combined 78-14 to set up one of the U.P.’s best matchups this week against Westwood. Ishpeming 38, Lake Linden-Hubbell 12 The Hematites (2-0) have begun a bounce-back from a tough end to last fall with a pair of wins by a combined 90-12 score.

West Michigan

HEADLINER: Muskegon 24, Detroit Martin Luther King 21 This was everything expected and more from a matchup of two of the absolute top teams in the state, regardless of division. The Big Reds (2-0) took their final lead late to cement the victory and add to a 16-game winning streak and 18-game regular-season winning streak. The Crusaders (1-1) haven’t won fewer than 11 games since 2014 and are expected to make a double-digit run again. Click for more from the Muskegon Chronicle.

Also of note: Holland West Ottawa 42, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 41 (2OT) The Panthers moved to 2-0 with a second straight impressive win and after falling by three to the Rangers (1-1) a year ago.

Remember this one: Rockford 36, Lowell 0 The Rams (1-1) had lost all four of their games this decade to the Red Arrows (0-2), but got a dboost that should pay off later as they seek to make the playoffs for the 24th straight season.  

More shoutouts: Grand Haven 13, Traverse City West 10 The Titans (1-1) had won the last two meetings between these teams by 27 and 28 points, and Grand Haven (2-0) won only one game all of last season. Saugatuck 49, Watervliet 42 This was expected to be high-scoring and also delivered thanks in part to Brad Dunn’s 316 yards and five touchdowns rushing for the Indians (2-0), who handed Watervliet (1-1) its first regular-season loss since Week 6 of 2016.

8-Player

HEADLINER: Morrice 34, Deckerville 14 Twice in the last three seasons these two also have met in the playoffs, so this might not be the final chapter of this fall. Both times Morrice (2-0) won the regular-season meetings and Deckerville (1-1) won in the playoffs – including 38-0 in last season’s Regional Final – so the Orioles won’t rest much despite an impressive victory. Click for more from the Owosso Argus-Press.

Also of note: Pickford 52, Engadine 7 The Panthers (2-0) won big in the latest installment of what’s become a nice rivalry with Engadine (1-1), especially since both are now in the Great Lakes Conference East beginning this fall.

Remember this one: Suttons Bay 45, Bellaire 6 Both teams made the playoffs last season, previously playing in different leagues, but the Norsemen have opened with a 107-6 combined score over two games as they look to challenge in the Midwest Central Conference West both now share.  

More shoutouts: Colon 45, Bellevue 20 The Magi (2-0) won just two games all of last season, but got a big one off Bellevue (1-1), which won 10 in 2017. Onekama 53 Central Lake 6 The Portagers (2-0) sent the reigning 8-player Division 1 champion Trojans to 0-2 by avenging last season’s 14-point defeat.

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: Lake Linden-Hubbell's Kyle Simpson (52) and Cole Gregiore (20) try to stop Ishpeming's Hunter Smith. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)

Muskegon's Quest: 800 Wins & Counting

By Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian

September 24, 2015

Editor's note: The Muskegon High School football program became the first in Michigan high school history to win 800 games when it defeated Grandville 39-12 on Sept. 11. 

Longtime MHSAA historian Ron Pesch is the foremost expert on Muskegon Big Reds football; he even wrote the book celebrating the program's first 100 years in 1994. Below, he recounts his start in uncovering Muskegon's rich past and notes many of the highlights on the way to this season's milestone victory – as well as his "journey" starting with instructor's criticisms and finishing with the publishing of "Muskegon Big Reds: 100 Years of Football."  

“This is all very interesting, but what good is it? What can you tell from all this data? Are there any patterns you can ascertain? Changes in size of the schools played?”

So began the journey to 800.

The newest version of a high school in Muskegon opened in the fall of 1893. Two years later, in the fall of 1895, the Muskegon High Athletic Association was organized with the goal of assembling a football team “fully capable of sustaining Muskegon’s reputation in athletics.”

Under the guidance of Mr. Edward Taylor, a teacher at the high school, whose influence led to the creation of the organization, the club was formed, with Louis Udell named to serve as president, while John Miller acted as vice-president, Louis Brock as secretary and Vernor Page as treasurer. “A committee of three … was appointed to select from pupils of the High School a sufficient number to form a Foot Ball Team.”

Practices were scheduled and challenges quickly came from teams in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Big Rapids, Ionia, and the Ferris Business College in Muskegon. The first game was scheduled against the Business College for Saturday, November 2 at the baseball grounds, at the terminus of the Pine Street railway line.

A stiff breeze had to be contended with, but good straight play was a feature of the game. The high school was defeated by the heavier squad assembled by Business College, 12-8. It was a start. 

The next two contests were cancelled due to weather. On November 23, 1895 at 12:35 p.m., Muskegon boarded a train for Grand Haven. At 3 p.m., the contest, featuring two halves of 30 minutes each, was played. When the final whistle blew, MHS had its first-ever victory.

The details of what occurred over the next 80 or so years were then buried in yearbooks, newspaper accounts and in the memories of hundreds of Muskegon athletes.

As it turned out, no one was compiling the wins. No one had tried to see the forest through the trees.

“A disappointing paper. Very little narrative and practically no analysis or insight. I realize it must have been difficult to put together the team records, but what use are they?”

Like most schools, Muskegon did produce a yearbook, and, in the early days, a monthly magazine that detailed the success and failures of individual games and seasons. Unfortunately, there were years where magazines or annuals simply didn’t exist, or results weren’t listed.

For 11 seasons, I couldn’t find the scores.  Scanning the forest of newsprint on microfilm from those early years, when the results of sporting events were mixed in with the news of the day, often proved of little help.

“You do not even total them up for an overall record. Services are not understood.”

Larry Harp inherited a talented squad from his predecessor, after head coach Roger Chiaverini opted to jump across town to lead the Crusaders of Muskegon Catholic in the fall of 1971. In Harp’s first year as head varsity coach, the Big Reds won a huge victory over previously unbeaten Traverse City before 10,000 fans at Hackley Stadium, ended the year undefeated, and were proclaimed Michigan’s Class A football state champions by the statewide media at season’s end. I was as proud as a 10-year-old could be that the high school that would be mine had won the crown.

But while I loved the game, I never played a down of football at Muskegon High School.  Coach Harp was my gym teacher, but he understood, as a 4-foot-11 senior, I was as far as one could be from being all-state material.

Instead, fate had a different role for me. As a college student, I enrolled in a local history class. There I was assigned a term paper that would alter my path in life.

My paper would focus on football at Muskegon. By all accounts, the delivered product was limited in scope, comprised of hundreds of scores and some details on important people, games and interesting notes I found along the way.

I had 15 weeks, start to finish, molding a paper that was enlightening to me, but a major disappointment to my professors.

"What about comparing trends in Muskegon sports to trends elsewhere? Distance traveled to play opponents as roads improved, etc.  Changes in Strategy? Use of specialized teams? What about even a listing of all-staters from Muskegon? Anything to make it worth your trouble."

I learned that in 1901, Dr. J.L. Williams was hired as the school’s first coach. Prior to that time, the team’s captain, fullback, or a volunteer served in the role.  A parade of others followed Williams, including Robert Walker, a player on that first team who led Muskegon to its first undefeated season in 1904, and Mortimer Jones, a star in Muskegon’s backfield before the turn of the century, who in all likelihood was the first African-American to coach a high school team in Michigan, and perhaps beyond.          

Within the collection of coaches was Robert Zuppke, who had accepted his first coaching job at Muskegon. His success led to a move to Oak Park High School in the suburbs of Chicago, where he won a pair of mythical national gridiron crowns before moving to the University of Illinois where his football squads totaled 131 victories, seven Big Ten titles and four mythical national championships over 29 seasons.  With players like Harold "Red" Grange, George Halas and Potsy Clark, his innovative mind is credited with creating the screen pass and the “flea flicker” that advanced the game.

As a sophomore at Muskegon, I had led tours through the school’s newly opened gymnasium building. Thanks to the research, I now better understood why the district had named the complex the Redmond/Potter gymnasium.  Coach C. Leo Redmond guided Muskegon to seven mythical state football titles and a basketball crown, while his longtime assistant and successor, Harry Potter, led Muskegon to a gridiron championship in 1951. The quarterback of that team was Earl Morrall, later an All-American at Michigan State University and a 21-year veteran in the NFL.

The 1920s were Muskegon’s most successful decade, as the team won more than 85 percent of its games thanks to the leadership of J. Francis Jacks, who guided Muskegon to its first mythical state football title in 1920, then additional titles in 1921 and 1923. Like Potter years later, Jacks’ team in 1923 featured the skill of a future University of Michigan All-American, Bennie Oosterbaan, who is considered the greatest all-around athlete in the long rich history of the university. Following the sudden passing of Coach Jacks in the spring of 1924, the school hired Redmond, who would compile a 156-29-13 record as head coach over 22 seasons before retiring in 1946. Muskegon posted 28 straight winning seasons between 1919 and 1946.

The first instructor completed his assessment and graded the paper with a "C” ... The second added his note, tacked on a minus sign to the “C” and altered the score. Final grade – 70.  Unlike most assignments from high school and college, when the semester ended, I did not toss this one out.

The final entry in the paper noted that Muskegon had finished the 1979 season with a 7-2-0 record and a Lake Michigan Athletic Conference championship. It was Coach Harp’s final year. He stepped down to become the school’s athletic director.

On the gridiron, Muskegon’s fortunes had begun to slip.  Over the next three years, the team set school passing records galore, but posted a disappointing 8-19 record.  A lone highlight was a 19-15 regular-season win over cross-town rival Muskegon Catholic Central in 1980. The Crusaders would go on to win the MHSAA Class B championship that year. It was Muskegon Catholic’s single loss during an otherwise flawless season, and Muskegon’s single victory that year.

I continued digging into microfilm, and researching the history of football at Muskegon. Coach Harp cheered me on during my research, assisting where possible. Staff at our local library knew me by name.

As I neared completion of the list of scores, a pair of phone calls would lead to a startling discovery.

A call to Kalamazoo Central High School designed to cross-check scores of games played against the Maroon Giants guided me to a resident of the Kalamazoo area.  My second call was to Dick Kishpaugh. Unknown to me, I had reached the state authority on high school sports.

Kishpaugh quickly recognized that Muskegon’s win total topped Michigan in all-time football wins and ranked among the top teams in the nation.

In the fall of 1983, Dave Taylor was named head coach at Muskegon, and quickly righted the ship. In 1985, I was presented with a chance to write a series of articles, based on my research, covering the history of high school football at Muskegon for the local newspaper.

The timing was remarkable, as the Big Reds scored their first appearance in the MHSAA football playoffs that same season. A year later, Taylor’s team won the school’s first playoff title. Led by an undersized defense, Muskegon  upset Sterling Heights Stevenson 10-0 for the Class A title – its first since the MHSAA began a playoff system in 1975.

Taylor’s Big Reds won a second title in 1989.  He spent 17 years at the helm, second in longevity to only Redmond, and compiled a 112-51-1 mark over the span.  

In the fall of 1994, the project that began as a term paper hit the press. A fundraiser for the school’s Athletic Association, 100 Years of Muskegon Big Red Football, told the story of Muskegon’s gridiron past. Still offering little analysis, it did contain much more narrative, and a comprehensive look at the names and faces that guided the teams to success.

Taylor retired from teaching, but at the request of school administrators, remained in charge as the district sought a replacement. In 2000, Tony Annese, took the reins and, to the astonishment of many across the state, pushed the program to an even higher level. In nine seasons, his squads won three MHSAA Division 2 titles and totaled 92 victories in 107 games.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the road to 800 is the fact that a single school district has been able to sustain success on the football field for so long. In an environment of constant economic, demographic and personnel change, where the number of school districts serving students in the Muskegon area has ballooned in size beginning in the 1950s, the Big Reds continue to rack up victories against strong opponents. 

Matt Koziak took charge of the Muskegon program for a year before moving over to Mona Shores, where he has put together a squad that has emerged as a playoff contender after years of silence. Shane Fairfield was named head coach of the Big Reds beginning in 2010, and hasn’t missed a beat.  His teams have earned three straight trips to Detroit’s Ford Field, where all three finished as runners-up to the MHSAA crown.  Entering the season, Fairfield’s Big Reds have scored 52 victories against 13 defeats.

In the state of Michigan, Muskegon entered the 2015 season with a 798-273-43 record over 120 seasons of football. Ann Arbor Pioneer first started playing in 1891 and ranked second in wins, with a 714-422-38 record, while Menominee began the current season tops in the Upper Peninsula and third in the state with a 634-283-40 mark dating back to its start in 1894.

Muskegon picked up win number 800 on Friday, Sept. 11, with a 39-12 victory over Grandville, making the school only the 10th in the nation to reach the landmark. Victory 700 came in 2005, with Annese in charge, while victory 600 was earned by Taylor’s 1991 squad versus cross-town rival Mona Shores.  Unbeknown at the time, Harp’s 1975 team scored the school’s 500th win. Redmond’s 1935 team tallied the school’s 250th, while Louis Gudelsky’s 1912 team was the one that grabbed win number 100.  In total, the school has won 17 state titles, 12 mythical when a team with an unblemished season-ending record could lay claim, and five MHSAA crowns.

In the end, they are only games, but the educational value and impact on lives can be far reaching.  Certainly for those who play and coach the game, and sometimes, even for those who simply play witness.

Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.

PHOTOS: (Top) The Muskegon football team readies for its entrance at Ford Field before last season's MHSAA Division 3 Final. (Middle top) The 1944 team was among those considered a "mythical state champion" before the introduction of MHSAA playoffs in 1975. (Middle) A number of Big Reds legends, clockwise from left: Bennie Oosterbaan, Earl Morrall, coach Robert Zuppke, coaches C. Leo Redmond and his rival, to the right, Muskegon Heights' Oscar E. "Okie" Johnson, over an action shot from their 1943 game. (Middle below) Marcus Longmire celebrates a touchdown during the 1989 playoff against Escanaba. (Below) Pesch's book, co-authored with Marc Okkonen, detailed the first 100 years of Muskegon football.