Drive for Detroit: Week 5 in Review
September 26, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend, we’ll be able to start counting how many teams have punched tickets for this season’s MHSAA playoffs. But here are a few numbers of note before we take that next significant step.
The number of undefeated high school varsity teams in Michigan was cut from 100 to 81 during Week 5. A total of 73 pulled to within a win of qualifying for the postseason. And in more of an oddity, three pairs of teams combined to score 119 points: St. Clair and St. Clair Shores South Lake (71-48 for St. Clair), Flint Kearsley and Swartz Creek (67-52 for Kearsley) and Kalamazoo United and Constantine (62-57 for Kalamazoo). On the other side of the spectrum, rivals Grosse Pointe North and South combined for an 8-4 North victory.
Numbers are great, but what mattered more, of course, were a number of results from all over the state. Check out the most significant from every corner below.
Bay & Thumb
Frankenmuth 24, Millington 7
The Eagles (5-0) made it four wins over their last five meetings with their Tri-Valley Conference East rival, this time holding an offense averaging 46 points per game to a single score while getting three touchdown runs from quarterback Jared Davis. Frankenmuth has given up only 27 points over five games this season – although Millington (4-1) did hold the Eagles to a season low on offense as well. Click for more from the Saginaw News.
Also noted:
Algonac 19, Croswell-Lexington 14 – The reigning co-champion Muskrats (5-0) more or less eliminated another Blue Water Area Conference contender in Croswell-Lexington (3-2) to keep pace with the other co-champion, Richmond, atop the standings.
Bay City Central 28, Midland 14 – The Wolves (3-2) equaled their win total from last season with their first over Midland (3-2) since a 2006 District Final.
Lake Fenton 35, Montrose 0 – The Blue Devils (5-0) likely brought the Genesee Area Conference Red race down to two teams, with Corunna, by handing the Rams (3-2) their first league loss.
Flint Hamady 44, Durand 21 – Hamady (3-2) knocked Durand (4-1) out of a tie for first in the GAC Blue while pulling only a win behind solo leader New Lothrop after losing to the Hornets in Week 4.
Greater Detroit
Detroit Catholic Central 28, Birmingham Brother Rice 21 (2 OT)
Brother Rice (3-2) may be back from its worst finish in 30 years, but Detroit Catholic Central earned the better track to finishing on top in the Detroit Catholic League Central. The Shamrocks (5-0) watched a 14-0 lead dissolve, but held on for a final stop after scoring the first points of the second overtime. DCC is only 1-0 in the Central, with Orchard Lake St. Mary’s at 2-0 as the other undefeated team in league play. Click for more from the Oakland Press.
Also noted:
Trenton 31, Brownstown Woodhaven 28 – The Trojans (5-0) scored the final 17 points against previously-undefeated Woodhaven (4-1) to come back and stay atop the Downriver League standings with co-leader Allen Park up next.
Dearborn 22, Romulus 8 – The Pioneers (4-1) took over first place alone in the Western Wayne Athletic Conference Red with two league games to play and Romulus (4-1) needing help now from teams sitting tied for fourth and sixth.
Detroit Cody 18, Detroit Mumford 12 (3 OT) – After an eight-point loss to Grosse Pointe South on opening night, Cody (4-1) has put together its best start since 2010, doubled last season’s win total and now beaten a Mumford team (3-2) coming off three straight victories.
Utica Eisenhower 16, Romeo 14 – The Eagles (5-0) kept pace with Warren Mott atop the Macomb Area Conference Red by handing reigning MHSAA Division 1 champion Romeo (3-2) its first league loss on a last-second field goal by Anthony Tocco.
Mid-Michigan
Brighton 20, Grand Blanc 19
The Bulldogs (4-1) are alone at 2-0 in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West after getting a late turnover and then game-winning field goal by Rudy Ramirez against the rival Bobcats (4-1). Brighton has mastered the close win early this season, with three victories by six points or fewer. Click for more from the Livingston Daily Press & Argus.
Also noted:
Corunna 48, Flint Beecher 20 – As noted above, the GAC Red race seems down to Corunna (5-0) and Lake Fenton, with the Cavaliers off to their best start since 2002 and Beecher (2-3) now having to win out to guarantee a 10th straight playoff berth.
Laingsburg 25, Fowler 14 – The Wolfpack (5-0) beat Fowler (3-2) for the first time since 2009 to remain tied for first in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference with co-leader Pewamo-Westphalia up next.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 47, Vestaburg 20 – The Irish (2-3) probably aren’t in the mix in the Mid-State Activities Conference after suffering two league losses during an 0-3 start, but they might have taken Vestaburg (4-1) out as well while keeping playoff hopes alive.
Grand Ledge 30, Jackson 19 – The Comets (4-1) scored the final two touchdowns but were a quarter from seeing their lead in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue disappear as Jackson (2-3) scored to take the lead at the start of the fourth.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Traverse City Central 21, Gaylord 20
For the second time in three weeks, Traverse City Central just held on to its perfect record against a Big North Conference rival. After beating West 10-8 two weeks ago, the Trojans returned to league play Friday and drove for the go-ahead score over the final 1:11 to remain in first place in the Big North Conference. Gaylord (2-3) has fallen twice to Central by a combined eight points over their last two meetings. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Also noted:
Gaylord St. Mary 45, Central Lake 12 – The Snowbirds (5-0) have won all of their games by at least 18 points in amassing more victories this season than in any since 2009.
Boyne City 35, Grayling 14 – Hopefully no one counted out the Ramblers (3-2) after an 0-2 start; they are one of three teams still undefeated in Northern Michigan Football Conference Legends league play after handing Grayling (3-2) its first Legends defeat.
Maple City Glen Lake 49, Charlevoix 7 – The Lakers (4-1) left no doubt which team should be ahead in the NMFC Leaders title hunt, handing Charlevoix (4-1) its first loss with the other league favorite, Frankfort, up next.
Roscommon 36, Houghton Lake 34 – Every Roscommon win lately seems notable as the Bucks (5-0) go after a first league title since 2006, this one because Houghton Lake (3-2) is off to its best start since 2011.
Southeast & Border
Morenci 20, Clinton 17 (OT)
Morenci (3-2) has had a lot to celebrate while watching the football program ascend over the last three seasons. But Friday’s conquest had to be among the top handful of highlights. Clinton (4-1) hadn’t lost a regular-season game since 2011 – a run of 40 straight – and aside from an eight-point win over Adrian Madison two weeks ago hadn’t been slowed much this fall despite some pretty significant graduations this spring. Click for more from the Adrian Daily Telegram.
Also noted:
Homer 28, Springport 26 – The reigning Big 8 Conference champion Trojans (3-2) are hanging on tied for second in the league after knocking Springport (4-1) out of a tie for first.
Sand Creek 26, Adrian Madison 18 – The Aggies (5-0) moved into a Tri-County Conference first-place tie with only Ottawa Lake Whiteford thanks to an impressive win over Madison (3-2) and the Clinton upset discussed above.
Adrian 18, Ypsilanti Community 6 – The Maples (3-2) are working back toward their former status as contenders, this week avenging last season’s 45-point loss to Ypsilanti Community (2-2) to earn a third win – their most in a season since 2012.
Milan 42, New Boston Huron 7 – Huron (3-2) looked like it might give Milan (5-0) some trouble in the Huron League, but the Big Reds instead put together their most impressive win as they head into this week’s likely title-decider against Grosse Ile.
Southwest Corridor
Lawton 31, Gobles 21
Lawton won its third straight over the Tigers to set up this week’s matchup with Schoolcraft which could decide the Southwestern Athletic Conference Central championship. Lawton (5-0) ran for more than 400 yards to grind out the win after trailing Gobles (4-1) late in the second quarter. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Also noted:
Comstock 20, Niles Brandywine 14 – First, Comstock (2-3) breaks a 40-game losing streak last week; this week, the Colts won their second game in a row for the first time since 2010 and against a Brandywine team (1-4) that went 5-4 a year ago.
Kalamazoo United 62, Constantine 57 – Aside from the fact these teams combined to score 119 points, this is the first time either school in the United co-op – Hackett or Christian – had beaten Constantine (3-2) since 2008; Kalamazoo also is 3-2.
Climax-Scotts 20, Bark River-Harris 8 – The Panthers (5-0) got their closest competition this season from the unfamiliar Broncos (2-3) but still managed to continue a defensive effort that’s given up 31 points over five games.
Portage Central 10, Battle Creek Lakeview 7 – The Mustangs (4-1) needed and got a nice bounce-back from last week’s loss to Traverse City Central by handing Lakeview (3-1) its first loss.
Upper Peninsula
Norway 14, Ishpeming 0
Norway is enjoying one the best turnaround seasons in all of Michigan, and beating Ishpeming for the first time since 2009 is the topper so far. The Hematites had defeated the Knights by a combined 86-0 over the last two seasons, but Norway (5-0) now has more wins than in any season since 2010 – and will play Negaunee this week in what could be the deciding game in the Mid-Peninsula Athletic Conference race. Ishpeming (2-2) has two losses in a season for the first time since 2011, but with an eight-game schedule needs only five wins to qualify automatically for the playoffs. Click for more from the Iron Mountain Daily News.
Also noted:
Gladstone 46, Marquette 45 – The Braves (2-3) squeaked out their first win over Marquette since 2009 and after falling to the Redmen (1-4) by 30 a year ago.
Calumet 52, Hancock 17 – The Copper Kings’ big win over third-place Hancock (3-2) puts Calumet (4-1) firmly atop the West-Peninsula Athletic Conference standings.
Negaunee 19, Gwinn 12 – Add Gwinn (3-2) to an impressive list of challengers Negaunee (5-0) has taken down this season; next up are undefeated Norway and rival Ishpeming.
Lake Linden-Hubbell 44, Newberry 29 – The Lakes (5-0) still have three league games to play and Newberry (4-1) only one, but Lake Linden-Hubbell is in a semi-comfortable position in the Mid-Eastern Conference thanks to this key win.
West Michigan
Montague 41, Whitehall 20
This one wasn’t as close as Montague’s one-point win over Whitehall (4-1) a year ago, but could turn out just as significant for the Wildcats (5-0) as they look to repeat as West Michigan Conference champions. Montague’s next two games are against teams that are a combined 2-8 before they face rival Muskegon Oakridge in the final league game and a rematch of the title-decider in 2015. Click for more from the Muskegon Chronicle.
Also noted:
Hamilton 42, Holland 26 – The Hawkeyes’ resurgence continues; Hamilton is 5-0 after going 4-23 over the last three seasons combined.
Byron Center 24, Zeeland West 14 – Another nice run by the Bulldogs (4-1) just got a bonus as they handed reigning Division 4 champion Zeeland West (3-2) its second straight loss.
Grand Rapids Christian 41, Cedar Springs 16 – The Eagles (5-0) got a solid win over Cedar Springs (3-2) during a one-week break in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold schedule and heading into this week’s tilt with co-leader East Grand Rapids.
Wyoming Kelloggsville 36, Grandville Calvin Christian 28 – The Rockets (4-1) broke a five-game losing streak to Calvin Christian (2-3) to remain tied for first in the O-K Silver after winning three games last season.
8-Player
Camden-Frontier 22, Battle Creek St. Philip 0
Camden-Frontier (4-0) is enjoying a successful move to 8-player, breaking a 19-game losing streak on opening night. But this had to be a surprise; St. Philip is the reigning MHSAA runner-up and hadn’t lost a regular-season game since Week 9 of 2014 – or been shut out since making the move to 8-player in 2012. Click for more from the Hillsdale Daily News.
Also noted:
New Haven Merritt 68, Burton Madison 48 – Merritt (5-0) has enjoyed a nice run over the last three seasons, but this easily has been the Mustangs’ most dominating start – and also-undefeated Owendale-Gagetown is up next.
Morrice 26, Mayville 20 (OT) – The Orioles (3-2) hung on for what likely will be a key win as they build their playoff case; Mayville was 5-4 in 11-player only a season ago.
PHOTO: Morrice earned a key 8-player win in overtime over Mayville last week. (Click to see more from Varsity Monthly.)
Schmitt Happily Home as St Johns Coach
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 13, 2019
ST. JOHNS – The 50 or so students chanting “Schmitt! Schmitt! Schmitt!” during the earliest minutes of Monday morning know him mostly as a high school math teacher.
Which makes sense – the oldest probably had just turned 3 when Andy Schmitt was locking down his local legend status as St. Johns’ history-making quarterback.
What they probably don’t remember, they’ve surely heard about – how he led unheralded St. Johns to the 2004 Division 3 championship game, its only appearance in an MHSAA Football Final, on the way to starring at Eastern Michigan University and earning a tryout from the Detroit Lions.
That fame he earned more than a decade ago still stands tall, just as the Redwings' first-year varsity head coach did by a few inches over the rest of his coaching staff and possibly all of his players as the team kicked off the 2019 season with a midnight practice on its home field.
While Schmitt’s experiences and successes surely could have led him down a variety of football coaching roads, he always was circling to come back home – with the hope of giving today's players opportunities to make memories like those that continue to resonate within him.
“It never mattered on opportunities. It was always a matter of trying to come back home,” said Schmitt late Sunday night, as St. Johns’ game clock behind him ticked down the seconds until football teams statewide were allowed to practice for the first time this fall. “My wife’s from here. I’m from here. I grew up with a lot of pride in this community. I saw myself, once I decided to get into education and coaching, I saw myself coming back to St. Johns.
"We had such a good experience playing here, made a couple of nice runs, and I just want to help this program do the same thing."
He began a busy journey as a mostly-unheralded high school junior in 2003. Unheralded, that is, until he led St. Johns to its first District football title that fall.
Schmitt then emerged the next season as the best from a historically-deep group of standout mid-Michigan quarterbacks, leading St. Johns to the Pontiac Silverdome. Although the Redwings lost that championship game to Lowell 38-17, Schmitt made a pair of long scrambling passes that helped St. Johns stay tied with the Red Arrows until the final minutes of the third quarter. And regardless of the defeat, the playoff run spoke volumes – Schmitt eventually was named Lansing State Journal All-Decade quarterback for the mid-Michigan area in 2010, prestige that lives on even for players who have seen him play only on YouTube.
“It’s all over the school. He’s got a banner in there, a picture in the weight room,” Redwings senior lineman Sam Hallead said. “It’s always there to motivate us.”
Schmitt went on to Eastern Michigan University, where after redshirting his first year he played 34 games with 30 starts before a knee injury ended his college career after the team’s third game of the 2009 season. All told, he threw for 5,867 yards and 33 touchdowns at EMU and holds four school passing records while ranking near the top in a number of other categories. He still shares the NCAA Division I record for single-game completions with 58 against Central Michigan in their 2008 meeting.
Schmitt came back from his injury to try out for the Lions in 2010, and then he turned toward his next career. He student taught at Williamston, then as a long-term substitute at Bay City John Glenn before taking his first fulltime teaching job at New Buffalo. Then it was on to Fowlerville and Ovid-Elsie Middle School before arriving back at St. Johns in 2015. Schmitt coached at all of the schools where he taught, and was a freshman coach the last three seasons under his former coach Dave Mariage, who retired from the head varsity job after last season. A week after Mariage resigned, Schmitt was promoted, and he’ll be surrounded this fall by all of the same staff – and with Mariage as his freshman coach.
It's where Schmitt always was meant to be, with qualities he began showing 20 years ago shining through.
“The same love of the game. The same enthusiasm. He loves the game, he knows the game, and he’s excited every day he comes out here,” Mariage said. “I didn’t know that’s what he was going to do (become a teacher and coach), but he’s a natural leader. He checks all the boxes. He’s going to do great.”
Schmitt takes over a program that remains one of the most consistently successful in the Lansing area.
Mariage stepped away with a 124-72 record over his 19 seasons, and the Redwings haven’t finished below .500 for a season since 2005. They’ve won two more District titles since Schmitt graduated and are a regular league title contender.
St. Johns will begin its seventh season since building a football stadium after Schmitt starred on a field that certainly could be referred to as yesteryear. And Hallead said the varsity has 35 players out, with his class plenty familiar with the new coach after Schmitt coached them as freshmen.
Schmitt laughed when asked if his players know of his legendary status in town – “They don’t need to know” – but he admits there’s substantial buzz heading into this season. He’ll never forget how the community came out to support the team when he played, and that support was perhaps the heaviest driving force that brought he and his wife Teisha (Thelen), also a 2005 grad and three-sport standout, home again and home to stay.
“The amount of pride that I experienced going through the runs that we had junior and senior year, and again, watching this town come together and how supportive the town was, made football mean so much to me,” Schmitt said. “How a group of people can bring a lot of people together, seeing the support, seeing the pride made me want to come right back to St. Johns.
“This is home. There’s not going to be anywhere else. This is where we’re going to raise our kids. There’s no going anywhere from here.”
Geoff Kimmerly joined the MHSAA as its Media & Content Coordinator in Sept. 2011 after 12 years as Prep Sports Editor of the Lansing State Journal. He has served as Editor of Second Half since its creation in Jan. 2012. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Livingston, Ionia, Clinton, Shiawassee, Gratiot, Isabella, Clare and Montcalm counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) St. Johns first-year head varsity coach Andy Schmitt works with his defensive backs during Monday morning’s “midnight madness” practice. (Middle) Schmitt formerly starred at quarterback for the Redwings, leading the program to its first District and Regional titles.