Drive for Detroit: Week 3 in Review
September 17, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Swartz Creek and Flint Kearsley combined for 137 points in Week 3, second most in MHSAA history for two football teams when the losing team scores at least 40 (Swartz Creek won 77-61).
Reigning Division 7 runner-up Detroit Loyola dropped reigning Division 4 runner-up Detroit Country Day to 0-3 with a 20-14 win. And Deckerville, last season's 8-player MHSAA champion, beat 2011 champion Carsonville-Port Sanilac 42-0.
All were pretty significant and worth mentioning for sure. But they were just honorable mentions in this week's recap of the most significant results from every region of the state.
West Michigan
Muskegon 45, Rockford 0
Instead of trying to explain the shock factor that accompanied this score, let’s instead focus on how good this likely means Muskegon (3-0) is again this season. The Big Reds are coming off a runner-up finish in Division 2, and have to be considered a favorite to return to Ford Field after defensively dismantling the Rams (2-1) while getting another big night from quarterback Deshaun Thrower. Click to read more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Holland West Ottawa 27, East Grand Rapids 23: The Panthers (2-1) earned another key nonleague win as they gear up for a tough O-K Red schedule; East Grand Rapids (2-1) will hope to pick up another this week before beginning in the similarly-strong O-K White.
Muskegon Mona Shores 21, Caledonia 20: The Sailors, seeking their first playoff berth, are 3-0 for the first time since 1980 with this win over frequent postseason qualifier Caledonia (2-1).
Zeeland East 14, Hudsonville 12: This Chix (3-0) made it 18 straight wins in the regular season, this time against a Hudsonville team (2-1) that also should be in the O-K Red mix.
Grand Rapids South Christian 34, Grand Rapids West Catholic 17: Another solid win by the reigning Division 4 champion Sailors (2-1) puts reigning Division 5 runner-up West Catholic (0-3) in a must-win scenario for the rest of the regular season.
Lower Up North
Traverse City West 17, Traverse City Central 14 (OT)
At the high school level especially, with rosters changing dramatically each season, it’s difficult to pick which early-season games will be the most competitive. But this rivalry game was again as good as advertised, coming down to an overtime field goal. West avenged last season’s loss to regain the Nowak-Olson Memorial Trophy and earn a 5-4 edge in the teams’ most recent nine meetings. Click to read more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Also noted:
Traverse City St. Francis 36, Elk Rapids 26: Although these two no longer play each other in the Lake Michigan Conference, this matchup between Gladiators (2-1) and Elks (2-1) remains one of the best among Traverse City’s smaller schools.
Cadillac 20, Petoskey 7: The Vikings (3-0) look good to be in the Big North Conference mix again after defeating another contender in Petoskey (2-1) on the first night of league play.
Hale 12, Oscoda 8: The Eagles (1-1) beat Oscoda (0-3) for the first time in their recent five-game series.
Indian River Indian Lakes 36, Pickford 34 (OT): The Bulldogs (2-1), seeking their first playoff berth since 2009, avenged last season’s loss against Pickford (2-1), a 2012 qualifier.
Bay and Thumb
Lapeer West 19, Lapeer East 13
As the Flint Journal led, “it was a classic finish to a storied rivalry.” These schools entered their final game against each other both 2-0 and were tied until the final two minutes. The series, which began in 1975, is ending because the schools are merging next summer. West finished with a 29-10 all-time lead. Click to read more from the Flint Journal.
Also noted:
Flint Beecher 40, Goodrich 7: The Bucs (3-0) pulled nearly a reversal of last season’s 26-0 loss to the Martians (1-2).
Saginaw Arthur Hill 21, Bay City Western 18: The Lumberjacks (3-0) already have equaled their best season since 2008 and did so last week by beating the regularly-ranked Warriors (1-2).
Saginaw Swan Valley 29, Freeland 19: Vikings running back Alex Grace ran for 337 yards as Swan Valley (3-0) continued to impress against the rival Falcons (2-1).
Yale 16, Croswell-Lexington 13: Yale (2-1) broke a four-game losing streak against Croswell-Lexington (1-2) which included regular season and playoff defeats in 2012. In doing so, Yale reclaimed The Helmet traveling trophy.
Upper Peninsula
Iron River West Iron County 23, Iron Mountain 20
How big was this win for West Iron? The Wykons hadn’t beaten their rival since 1990, including five seasons where they also lost playoff games to Iron Mountain. The Mountaineers (1-2) outscored West Iron by a combined 116-0 from 2010-12. And now the Wykons can celebrate their first 3-0 start since that same season 23 years ago. Click to read more from the Iron Mountain Daily News.
Also noted:
Crystal Falls Forest Park 31, Hurley (Wis.) 14: The Trojans (3-0) earned a significant Great Western Conference edge by handing rival Hurley (2-1) its first loss.
Marquette 17, Sault Ste. Marie 14: Few teams in Michigan can match the Marquette's start of three wins against 2012 playoff teams, with Sault Ste. Marie (1-2) its final opponent before the start of league play.
Menomionee 40, Harbor Beach 21: What a way for Menominee (3-0) to enter league play – coming off beating a Harbor Beach team (2-1) coming off the Division 8 championship.
Powers North Central 22, Lake Linden-Hubbell 14: The Jets are 3-0 for the first time since 1998, while the Lakes fell to 1-2 for the first time since 2004.
Greater Detroit and Southeast
Madison Heights Madison 29, Warren Woods Tower 22 (OT)
It’s only the end of Week 3, but Madison (3-0) looks pretty good to repeat at Macomb Area Conference Silver champion thanks to this win combined with last week’s over Warren Fitzgerald, the only team to beat Madison during last season’s title run. Madison trailed Warren Woods Tower (2-1) by two scores early before coming all the way back. Click to read more from the Detroit Free Press.
Also noted:
Detroit Mumford 26, Detroit Cody 22: By improving to 3-0, Mumford bested its records of the past two seasons while dropping Cody – a playoff team last season – to 1-2.
Oak Park 36, Rochester Adams 30: The Knights (3-0) scored twice over the final eight minutes to survive an Adams team that is much better than its 1-2 record indicates.
Warren DeLaSalle 42, Harper Woods Chandler Park 14: Chandler Park (2-1) is considered a team to watch in the Detroit area, which makes this win even more impressive for the Pilots (2-1).
Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 42, Utica Eisenhower 21: The Big Reds (3-0) continued their best start since 2006, with Eisenhower (1-2) now left to chase Chippewa Valley and Macomb Dakota in the Macomb Area Conference Red.
Mid-Michigan
Olivet 28, Schoolcraft 14
Wasn’t the Kalamazoo Valley Association supposed to come down again to Schoolcraft and Constantine? The Eagles no doubt used that as a motivating factor in handing the reigning league champ its first regular season loss since 2011 and only a week after Schoolcraft had beaten Constantine. Now it’s Olivet setting pace in the KVA, with Constantine coming up in Week 8. Click to read more from the Battle Creek Enquirer.
Also noted:
Eaton Rapids 17, Charlotte 12: The Greyhounds (2-1) regained the Little Brown Jug traveling trophy for the first time since 1992 against a solid Charlotte team (2-1), and with one more win will equal their most for a season since 1997.
Lansing Sexton 35, Grand Ledge 0: The Big Reds (3-0) haven’t given up a point in two weeks and with this win put the rival Comets (0-3) in a must-win situation for the rest of the regular season.
Grass Lake 27, Michigan Center 20: Only a loss to Michigan Center (2-1) kept Grass Lake (3-0) from a second straight outright Cascades Conference title last season; the Warriors, Cardinals and Manchester ended up sharing first place, but now Grass Lake has an upper hand.
Howell 14, Hartland 12: The Highlanders (3-0) survived to remain undefeated and avenge last season’s 12-point loss to the rival Eagles (1-2).
Southwest and Border
Plainwell 10, Dowagiac 0
These two don’t play in the same division of the Wolverine Conference, but are arguably the two best teams in the league. Dowagiac (2-1) entered this matchup 19-1 over its last 20 regular-season games and having won all seven of this recent series with the Trojans (3-0). Click to read more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Also noted:
Decatur 27, Saugatuck 20: This was the first time Decatur (3-0) gave up points this season, but this also was the most impressive of the victories; Saugatuck (2-1) had outscored its first two opponents by a combined score of 117-12.
Battle Creek Harper Creek 14, Marshall 6: The Beavers (2-1) were in need of a quick bounce-back after last week’s five-point loss to St. Joseph, and got it with a close win over Marshall (0-3).
Portage Central 34, Mattawan 8: After falling to Mattawan (1-2) by a point last season, Portage Central (3-0) left no question this time in the teams’ Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference West opener.
St. Joseph 32, Stevensville Lakeshore 20: The Bears (3-0) continued their impressive opening surge by winning the annual War by the Shore trophy and ending a four-game regular-season losing streak to Lakeshore (2-1).
Trophy Games
Every week of football season, the MHSAA highlights trophy games around the state. Here are two more not previously mentioned above:
Little Brown Jug - Suttons Bay vs. Kingsley: The Stags held onto this trophy for the third straight season. Final: Kingsley 34, Suttons Bay 21.
Bayou Battle Paddle - Fruitport vs. Spring Lake: Spring Lake claimed this trophy for the second time in three seasons, both times with one-point wins. Final: Spring Lake 10, Fruitport 9.
PHOTO: Detroit Mumford (maroon jerseys) edged Detroit Cody 26-22 to move to 3-0. (Photo courtesy of Detroit Public School League.)
St. Mary's Finishes Repeat Run with Defensive Stand Against Record-Setting Dexter
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 29, 2025
DETROIT – Camari Patterson and his defensive teammates at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s knew what they were up against in Dexter’s record-setting pass offense Friday night in the Division 2 Football Final.
But they weren’t worried, as they knew what Dexter was up against, too.
“I feel like we’ve got the best defense in the state, and all the points that you put on everybody else really doesn’t matter to us; you gotta show us,” Patterson said. “Last year we had the best defense in the state, and we’re standing on that. All those points that you scored on the big teams, that doesn’t matter, you gotta come show us.”
Patterson and his teammates did the showing as the Eaglets defeated Dexter 51-14 at Ford Field to claim their second-straight Division 2 title and 10th overall.
“Coming to St. Mary’s is like a brotherhood,” Patterson said. “I couldn’t imagine as a senior going back to back, so doing it with these guys, it’s a dream come true.”
St. Mary’s (11-2) held an explosive Dexter offense to 266 total yards and 4.8 yards per play, dominating the third quarter to pull away. Of those 266 yards, just 69 were gained during the second half by the Dreadnaughts.
“
We get to take all the credit, but coach (Jeff Phillips), coach (Bobby) Clouse, coach (Emil Miclea) behind the scenes, they give us the best gameplan, they’re the best defensive coaches in the state,” OLSM senior linebacker Luke Jackson said. “They help us out big time.”
Dexter quarterback Cooper Arnedt did manage to throw for 215 yards on 24-of-37 passing. With that effort, he finished the season with 4,523 yards, an MHSAA record. His No. 1 receiver, Cole Novara, had 10 catches for 64 yards, putting him at 2,162 yards on the season, adding to the record total he had reached a week ago. He also set the state records for receiving touchdowns (28) and receptions (128) in a season.
“I’ve been throwing with these guys since last year,” Arnedt said. “I knew we had a special group, and they make my job easy. I just have to get the ball to them. They make moves and (Novara) broke the record last week, so that shows you just how talented this group is. We had a couple guys injured and a couple other talented receivers – Oliver Hutchinson, Will Simpson, Pearson Taylor, Holden Niemi who’s obviously injured. They make my job easy. It’s really special to do that and be able to share that with them. It’s not just my record.”
The first half was full of fireworks, with the Eaglets building a lead despite taking some time to get their offense into gear.
They had a 10-0 lead despite having gained just four yards over two possessions. A long punt return by Daniel Taylor Jr. led to a 33-yard Becket Kiefer field goal, as St. Mary’s went backward one yard during the drive.
Taylor then did it all himself on Dexter’s next drive, picking up a fumble and returning it 59 yards for a touchdown.
When Dexter managed to get on the board early in the second quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Arnedt to Simpson, it had a 144-33 edge in yards, but trailed 10-7.
And that didn’t include a long catch and run from Novara that was called back on a hold.
St. Mary’s settled in offensively in the second quarter, getting a five-yard touchdown pass from Jabin Gonzalez to Lorenzo Barber and a one-yard run by Taylor to take a 24-7 lead.
Taylor’s touchdown run finished off a 27-yard drive, as a Reese Hurst interception set the Eaglets up deep in Dexter territory.
With 1:01 left in the second quarter, it appeared St. Mary’s would be taking its 17-point lead into the half, but Novara had other plans, returning the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a score to bring his team to within 10 at 24-14.
That somehow left time for one more wild play, as Gonzalez hit a streaking Barber down the sidelines. His 43-yard reception looked to have set the Eaglets up inside the 10, but Dexter’s Gabe Dobry forced a fumble and it was recovered by Jake Stepaniak, keeping the score at 24-14.
Things showed zero sign of slowing down in the second half, at least for St. Mary’s, as it scored on its second play when Brandon Adams Jr. turned a slant pass from Gonzalez into a 65-yard touchdown.
Barber would add another catch-and-run touchdown on the Eaglets’ next possession, taking a quick hitter from Gonzalez 40 yards for a score and a 38-14 St. Mary’s lead.
“We had to make a couple adjustments because they went hurry-up and they went spread, and we didn’t have an answer for it,” Dexter coach Phil Jacobs said. “We had a couple adjustments, but had a couple of breakdowns. They’re just a better team. They were better athletes, and I can’t complain. Our kids played their hearts out, the ball just didn’t bounce our way tonight.”
Jamari Givhan would add a two-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, while Brannon Hardy caught a 27-yard TD pass from Gonzales in the fourth.
Gonzales finished with more than 400 total yards of offense, throwing for 304 and four TDs on 17-of-22 passing, and rushing for 102 on 13 carries.
“It was just playing my game, playing me,” Gonzales said. “Like my dad (OLSM coach Jermaine Gonzales) always says, don’t be Superman, do you and everything is going to fall into place.”
Barber led St. Mary’s receivers with 149 yards on eight catches. Taylor led the defense with 10 tackles. Gage Nessen had two sacks for the Eaglets, and Ryan Harrington had 1.5.
Simpson had eight catches for 91 yards for Dexter, while Mateo Kipke, Nathan Gersh and Charlie Pomo each had seven tackles.
PHOTOS (Top) Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Daniel Taylor Jr. (15) sprints down the sideline as Dexter’s Grant Davis (77) and others chase him Friday. (Middle) The Eaglets’ Jabin Gonzales (1) bursts into the open. (Below) St. Mary’s Gage Nessen (23) pursues Dexter quarterback Cooper Arnedt.