Drive for Detroit: Week 3 in Review
September 10, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Mid-September is not the logical time to announce a league championship has been decided.
But this season, games played during Week 3 eventually may determine at least nine league championships.
A number of results could've been considered the most intriguing – and we've tried to hit all of the possibilities in this week's Drive for Detroit report.
West Michigan
Muskegon 21, Rockford 9
The Big Reds are rivaling Detroit Cass Tech as the most impressive team in the state so far after motoring past Rockford on the legs of a 400-21 rushing yards advantage. Muskegon (3-0) now owns wins over Rockford, Orchard Lake St. Mary and Ohio power Sylvania Southview. The Rams face a 1-2 start for the first time since 1999. But rest assured, Ram Nation: the last time Rockford opened 1-2, it still made the Division 1 Semifinals. Click to read more from the Muskegon Chronicle.
Also noted:
Holland West Ottawa 24, East Grand Rapids 17 – These teams met for the first time since 1983; West Ottawa beat the Pioneers for the first time since 1980.
Muskegon Oakridge 35, Montague 7 – After two straight one-point games between these two, Oakridge won big to take the upper hand in the West Michigan Conference.
Zeeland East 15, Hudsonville 14 – East is off to a 3-0 start again, but the Eagles are 1-2 with those losses by a combined four points.
Grand Rapids South Christian 42, Grand Rapids West Catholic 7 – Beating this 2011 Division 5 Semifinalist, plus losing to Grand Rapids Christian by only 10 in Week 1, makes the Sailors look lined up to challenge Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the O-K Gold.
Mid-Michigan
Pinckney 36, Brighton 14
The Pirates had lost 18 straight to Brighton. In fact, they hadn’t beaten the Bulldogs since 1977 before scoring 29 unanswered points Friday in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West opener. Pinckney is 2-1, just a win off last season’s total and halfway to their best season since 2001. Brighton fell to 1-2. Click to read more from the Livingston Daily.
Also noted:
Alma 14, Freeland 6 – The Panthers opened the Tri-Valley Conference Central season by avenging a loss that kept them from winning a share of the title in 2011.
Grand Ledge 35, Lansing Sexton 8 – The Comets scored more than 30 points for the third straight week and look good to cruise into an Oct. 5 showdown with Lansing Everett that could decide the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title.
Portland St. Patrick 58, Burr Oak 14 – The Shamrocks appear to have struck gold with the 8-player format, averaging nearly 61 points per game during a 3-0 start.
Owosso 25, Haslett 22 – This was arguably Owosso’s most impressive win since 2006 and will help as the Trojans go for a first playoff berth since 2001.
Greater Detroit
Oxford 34, Farmington Hills Harrison 31 (2 OT)
The Wildcats had lost by an average of 31 points to the Hawks over the last two seasons, their first together in the Oakland Activities Association White. But Oxford (2-1) broke Harrison’s 21-game regular-season winning streak in what has to be considered an upset although both teams made the playoffs in 2011. The Wildcats also beat a 2011 playoff team, North Farmington, in Week 2. Click to read more from NorthOaklandSports.com.
Also noted:
Livonia Churchill 35, Plymouth 31 – Churchill had lost its first four matchups with Plymouth since the start of the KLAA, including 41-0 in 2011.
Warren DeLaSalle 40, Dearborn Fordson 19 – After a loss to one of the best in Ohio, Cleveland St. Ignatius, the Pilots bounced back for a solid win heading into the Catholic League season.
Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 21, Utica Eisenhower 7 – The Big Reds avenged a 45-0 shutout from last season to get to 2-1 and only a win shy of last season’s victory total.
Oak Park 34, Rochester Adams 22 – The Knights are 3-0 and equaled last season’s win total; combine this with an opening-weekend win over Detroit East English, and Oak Park is looking good to make some noise in the OAA White.
Thumb and Bay
Frankenmuth 12, Millington 8
The Eagles (3-0) had lost four straight to their rival, and appeared in trouble of making it five after giving up a safety in the fourth quarter. But Frankenmuth recovered an onside kick and scored, and with the win earned an an early upper hand in the Tri-Valley Conference East. Millington fell to 2-1. Click to read more from the Saginaw News.
Also noted:
Capac 12, Almont 7 – The Chiefs avenged a 28-0 loss from 2011 and gained what could be a significant step toward its playoff hopes.
Peck 44, Carsonville-Port Sanilac 13 – The Pirates downed the reigning MHSAA 8-player champion to move to 3-0.
Midland Dow 27, Saginaw 16 – Dow avenged last season’s 18-13 loss and moved to 2-0 in the tough Saginaw Valley Association North.
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 28, Merrill 14 – The Cardinals needed this one to keep pace in a league that sent five of eight teams, including both of these squads, to the playoffs last season.
Southwest and Border
Schoolcraft 21, Olivet 20
Schoolcraft knocked out two Kalamazoo Valley Association favorites over the last two weeks and at 3-0 is now the team to beat. Olivet led by 10 points during the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold on despite some significant statistical advantages and fell to 2-1. Click to read more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Also noted:
Battle Creek Harper Creek 35, Sturgis 3 – This was looking like a must-win for the 1-2 Beavers, and turned into an impressive win as well.
Stevensville Lakeshore 21, Portage Northern 14 (2 OT) – This was the best of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference openers, and could have title implications later on.
Blissfield 32, Hudson 13 – The Royals got their first win by avenging a 39-point loss from 2011.
Dowagiac 30, Plainwell 13 – Dowagiac extended its winning streak over Plainwell to seven straight and looks set for another run in the Wolverine B South.
Lower Up North
Traverse City St. Francis 12, Elk Rapids 7
The Gladiators have bounced back well since an opening-night loss to Kingsley, moving to 2-1 against an Elk Rapids team that is likely better than its 1-2 record. The Elks also fell on opening night, to Mancelona, which won 10 games in 2011. With St. Francis not playing in the Lake Michigan Conference this season after winning it a year ago, Elk Rapids could be the team that pushes Grayling for the league title. Click to read more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Also noted:
Pellston 7, Rogers City 6 – The Hornets made a first-quarter touchdown stand to move to 3-0 for the first time since 1995 and equal their highest win total of the last decade.
Benzie Central 8, Frankfort 6 – This was looking like a bit of a must-win for Benzie Central after an 0-2 start, and is a big first step toward defending the Northwest Conference title.
McBain 19, Manton 14 – The Ramblers stopped a Manton offense that had scored at least 40 points in each of its first two games this season.
Cadillac 44, Petoskey 14 – One of these two has won the Big North Conference every season dating to 2008; Cadillac is the favorite now.
Upper Peninsula
Negaunee 36, Gladstone 34
The Miners (3-0) pushed their winning streak over Gladstone to three straight with this second consecutive win over the Braves by a field goal or less. Negaunee entered the fourth quarter trailing by 14 points, but scored twice during the final six minutes to stay perfect this fall. Gladstone fell to 2-1, but has plenty to be pleased about after finishing winless in 2011. Click to read more from the Marquette Mining Journal.
Also noted:
Crystal Falls Forest Park 13, Hurley 12 – The Trojans avenged last season’s lone regular-season loss and became favorites in the Great Western Conference.
L’Anse 45, Ontonagon 6 – The Purple Hornets eclipsed last season’s win total and moved to 3-0 by beating a team with three straight playoff appearances.
Norway 14, Stephenson 8 – The Knights equaled last season’s win total by moving to 2-1, also by beating a team that is coming off three straight playoff berths.
Eben Junction Superior Central 61, Posen 40 – The 8-player game has proven high-scoring, but this is the first matchup this season to result in more than 100 combined points with the losing team scoring at least 40.
Trophy Games
Each week, the MHSAA highlights trophy games around the state. Here's one from Week 3.
- The Wooden Oar Trophy: Fruitport and Spring Lake launched this award last week, dubbing their matchup the Bayou Battle. Final: Fruitport 15, Spring Lake 6.
PHOTO: Traverse City St. Francis' Byron Bullough (5) works to break a tackle by Elk Rapids' Ryan Simpson (57) during Friday's 12-7 Gladiators win. (Click to see more at Terry McNamara Photography.)
Menominee Follows Winning Formula
October 29, 2015
By Dennis Grall
Special for Second Half
MENOMINEE – Explaining the continued success of football at Menominee High School is not difficult.
"Football is just work. The kids are willing to work," fourth-year coach Joe Noha said of a simple explanation of a premier program for decades.
The Maroons (9-0) host Grayling (6-3) Friday at venerable Walton Blesch Stadium in a Division 5 opener. Noha, a former Menomninee player and assistant coach under legendary head coach Ken Hofer, is 45-4 since taking over the program.
Menominee was Division 5 runner-up under Noha in 2013 and reached the MHSAA Semifinals the other two seasons. Under Hofer, with Noha as the top assistant, the Maroons won Division 5 titles in 2006 and 2007 and Class BB in 1998.
There is more to this amazing success than simply hard work, something every successful program can also claim.
"We try to put our guys in the best position to have success," Noha said. "We can do a lot of different things."
Again, all successful teams can make that claim.
The Maroons also can point to stability in the coaching staff. Hofer, who retired after the 2011 season, is the all-time leader in victories among Upper Peninsula coaches with a 313-141-2 record. Noha, who graduated from Menominee in 1983 and then played football at Saginaw Valley State University, joined Hofer's staff in 1994.
Assistants like Ron "Satch" Englund, Jamie Schomer, Dave Mathieu, Nathan Linsmeier, Lucas Chouinard, Tyler Uecke, Bill Schwanz and Mark Klapp have also been part of the program for many years, providing stability to that success. Many of them also played for Hofer.
"After every practice we evaluate and look at ways to get better," said Noha, mentioning something else that of course is done across the sports universe.
Noha noted successful operations, referring to Fortune 500 companies, as he said, "everyone has core values. We put kids first, teach them hard work and responsibility (and discipline). Our teaching staff, our community; it is all part of what we do. We always have a support staff to lean on. Our kids know that. They know what the Menominee standard looks like."
He also pointed out, "There is a lot of pride there. We talk about giving back to what was given to you."
Noha also notes a "family mantra" in Menominee. "There is definitely family here, there is definitely community support here, the school supports us. There is not a lot of turnover here. We stick together, we work well together. A lot of people maintain the standard.
"A lot of people have a vested interest."
Again, nothing different from other successful programs.
But here's what is different: The Menominee Maroons do all of those things, and most importantly, perhaps, is it has been like that for nearly half a century.
One other explanation could also be how the Maroons operate on the gridiron. They are one of the very few remaining teams who use a single-wing offense, which makes it difficult for potential playoff opponents to prepare for since it is tough to emulate in practice.
Familiar Upper Peninsula opponents such as Escanaba, Kingsford, Gladstone and Marquette get to see the single-wing every year, as well as at the freshmen and jayvee levels. Grand Rapids West Catholic, which beat the Maroons in the 2013 title game and the 2012 semis, also has a good idea of the single-wing intricacies.
"West Catholic has beaten us because they were better," admitted Noha. "Trying to replicate it in practice is very difficult. You have to execute. It comes down to putting kids in good spots."
The Maroons have obviously modified the single-wing through the years, from fullback spinners to jump passes to bubble screens and fly patterns for receivers. "We can spread it out and we can pound it, but the single-wing concepts are still there,” Noha added.
"Everybody puts their tweaks on everything. If you are defending us, you better know the top three plays in our formations. Everyone's film is your DNA, your template. It is not brain surgery by any means."
It still comes down to other areas. "You have to have the kids, the coaches, and the kids have to be resilient," Noha said. "You can have any system you want."
Talent also comes in handy, and the Maroons again are blessed in that department. Led by quarterback/running back Nathan Nowack, the Maroons fill six defensive positions and five offensive positions on the Great Northern Conference all-star team this fall.
Nowack, who scored seven touchdowns against Gladstone this year, is the GNC's offensive player of the year, and lineman Adam Beyersdorf is the GNC's defensive player of the year.
Noha said changes have been made throughout the 35 years he has been associated with the program, some mandated by the MHSAA such as the reduction of contact in practice and the emphasis on concussions.
"The practices and the schemes stay the same. We look at nutrition more and we don't hit nearly as much as we used to," said Noha, who also indicated weight training has been emphasized much more since he was a player.
"The kids are bigger, stronger, faster and more physically fit. The game is faster, the kids are more skilled and get out in space more," Noha said.
While the Maroons usually boast good size in the line, Noha said the Maroons look more at body composition and how it best suits the players and positions. Many of the players go around the 180-190 pound area and are well-conditioned, solid athletes, he said.
Noha noted the first three playoff games are usually held outdoors, and then the Maroons usually play in the Superior Dome at Northern Michigan University and then hit Ford Field if they reach the title game. He said heavier kids may wilt under the indoor conditions. "We want kids that can run and move," he said.
Menominee's future may look even brighter. After not having a freshmen football team the past four years, Noha said that level will resume in 2016 as 30 freshmen players are anticipated. There were 22 freshmen on the 2015 junior varsity team.
Football is played to be fun for the Maroons, and it is always more fun when you can enjoy success like the Maroons experience. What it all comes down to in Menominee, Noha said, is "the scoreboard never defines us. We try to use football to get us to a better place."
Denny Grall retired in 2012 after 39 years at the Escanaba Daily Press and four at the Green Bay Press-Gazette, plus 15 months for WLST radio in Escanaba; he served as the Daily Press sports editor from 1970-80 and again from 1984-2012. Grall was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and serves as its executive secretary. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Upper Peninsula.
PHOTOS: (Top) Senior Nathan Nowack (36) follows two of his blockers during this season's game against Marquette. (Middle) Hunter Hass works to avoid a Marquette defender on a rainy night. (Below) A Menominee ball-carrier holds onto the ball as two Marinette, Wis., players tackle him. (Photos courtesy of Val Ihde.)