Drive for Detroit: Week 6 in Review
October 5, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A dramatic event like an emotion-sapping comeback often will steer a team to greater heights as it moves toward the most important games of the season.
That would be good news for some of this week's most impressive football winners.
Traverse City Central trailed 21-0 before beating Petoskey in overtime; Grand Rapids Christian was down 26-0 before winning in OT as well. Calumet trailed Iron River West Iron County 22-0 at halftime before unloading 40 unanswered points, while Northville came back from 14-0 and Muskegon Catholic Central 13-0 to win their likely league title-deciding games.
Those five and a number of others are discussed below – as are a large handful of the 56 11-player teams that have clinched spots in this season's playoff field.
Bay & Thumb
Flint Beecher 27, Lake Fenton 26 (OT)
While a 20-8 Week 5 loss to upstart Corunna no doubt stunned Beecher a bit, the reigning champ Buccaneers came right back to edge Lake Fenton to remain a half-win ahead of the pack in the Genesee Area Conference Red. Beecher is 4-1 in the league with rival Montrose remaining; Corunna, Goodrich and Lake Fenton all are 3-1 in league play with two more games. Beecher made a two-point conversion in overtime, then stopped Lake Fenton’s conversion attempt. Click for more from the Flint Journal.
Also noted:
Algonac 33, Croswell-Lexington 21 – The Muskrats (6-0) gave up their first points since Week 2, but stayed on pace to face Almont this week to decide the Blue Water Area Conference title while dropping Croswell-Lexington (4-2) to fourth place.
Sandusky 48, Marlette 6 – The Redskins (6-0) remained a game ahead of the pack in the Greater Thumb Conference East while putting Marlette (3-3) in a must-win situation to make the playoffs.
Vassar 56, Cass City 21 – The Vulcans (5-1) will face Unionville-Sebewaing this week for first place in the GTC West, but Cass City (4-2) still looks good to make the playoffs for the second straight season.
Burton Bendle 34, Flint Hamady 26 – The Tigers (5-1) pulled within a win of qualifying for the playoffs after going 3-6 a year ago, handing Hamady (5-1) the only loss during what has been its best season since 2012.
Greater Detroit
Northville 24, Livonia Stevenson 14
Since the formation of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association in 2008, Northville is 32-6 in league games – with half of those losses coming to Stevenson. This avenging of last season’s 46-21 loss to the Spartans gave Northville (6-0) a share of the KLAA Central title, although Stevenson (5-1) can still hope for a claim with the Mustangs needing to beat also second-place Novi this week to finish an outright title run. Click for more from MLive-Detroit.
Also noted:
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 14, Riverview Gabriel Richard 13 – The Cranes (6-0) have equaled their most wins in a season since 2005 and remain tied with Waterford Our Lady atop the Detroit Catholic League C-D standings after pushing Gabriel Richard (5-1) to third.
Allen Park 23, Trenton 13 – The Downriver League is back to a three-team race, with this result bringing Trenton (5-1) back into a tie with Allen Park (5-1) and Wyandotte Roosevelt for first.
Walled Lake Western 34, Walled Lake Northern 31 – The Warriors (6-0) clinched a share of the KLAA North title but not before the Knights (4-2) provided their toughest test since opening night.
Sterling Heights 25, Marine City 19 – In three seasons as a league opponent, the closest Sterling Heights (5-1) had come to Marine City (3-3) was 24 points before claiming this victory to take a one-game lead over three teams in the Macomb Area Conference Gold.
Mid-Michigan
Hartland 14, Brighton 7
The KLAA West title will come down to this week thanks to the Eagles’ win over Brighton (5-1), which created a three-way tie atop the division standings with Howell. Hartland (4-2) shared the league title a year ago, but fell to Howell in this season’s West opener. Brighton gets Howell this week, while Hartland takes on reigning co-champion Grand Blanc. Click for more from the Livingston Daily.
Also noted:
Fowlerville 31, Williamston 28 – The Gladiators’ upset of the Hornets pushed them to 3-3, guaranteeing their most wins in a season since 2010, while putting Williamston (4-2) in a tougher spot with Portland, Haslett and Lake Fenton to finish.
Holt 14, Lansing Sexton 13 – The Rams’ resurgence continued as they moved to 4-2, but it’s hard to not feel for the Big Reds, who are 1-5 but with two one-point losses and a third by two points.
Ithaca 38, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 0 – The challenge didn’t come as expected, with Ithaca (6-0) handing MLS (5-1) its first loss and pulling within a win of clinching another Tri-Valley Conference West title.
DeWitt 27, Haslett 10 – The Panthers (6-0) have yet to give up more than 14 points this season, although Haslett (3-3) did hold DeWitt to its season low on offense.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Traverse City Central 28, Petoskey 27 (OT)
The Trojans (6-0) came all the way back from three scores down and stopped a two-point conversion run in overtime to remain atop the Big North Conference, one game ahead of three teams including Petoskey (4-2). Traverse City Central’s last four wins have come by seven points or fewer, and it had lost to the Northmen the last two seasons. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Also noted:
Beal City 42, McBain 22 – The Aggies (5-1) bounced back from last week’s shocking loss to Evart to stay tied for first with McBain (4-2) in the Highland Conference with one league game left for both.
Traverse City St. Francis 63, Grayling 28 – The Gladiators (6-0) all but locked up the Northern Michigan Football Conference Leaders title with their win over Grayling (4-2) giving them victories over both second-place teams.
Reed City 22, Big Rapids 7 – The Coyotes (6-0) remain tied for first in the Central State Activities Association Gold, while Big Rapids (4-2) moved to third but with a chance to stay in the hunt this week against co-leader Remus Chippewa Hills.
Johannesburg-Lewiston 58, Detroit Consortium 30 – Logan Huff did a lot of everything for the Cardinals (5-1), running eight times for 245 yards and three touchdowns, leading the team with 11 tackles and grabbing an interception against Consortium (2-4).
Southeast & Border
Saline 37, Ann Arbor Pioneer 21
Saline remained in control of the Southeastern Conference Red winning a game that played much closer than the final 16-point margin. Pioneer (5-1) scored the first points the Hornets had given up since Week 3. But Saline (6-0) took advantage of a few key Pioneer errors to clinch a share of the league title with third-place Monroe the last team on the league schedule. Click for more from the Detroit Free Press.
Also noted:
Temperance Bedford 34, Monroe 28 – If the Mules (2-4) get into the playoffs with an at-large bid, edging the Trojans (3-3) might be a big reason why.
Parma Western 28, Battle Creek Harper Creek 25 – Defeating Harper Creek (3-3) could go down as the key victory of a milestone season for the Panthers; Western (4-2) needs two more wins to qualify for the playoffs for the first time, and its Week 8 and 9 opponents are a combined 0-12.
Homer 46, Springport 0 – The Trojans (5-1) pulled to within a win of clinching a share of the Big Eight Conference title, while putting Springport (3-3) into a must-win situation the rest of the way.
Ypsilanti Community 30, Ypsilanti Lincoln 12 – The Grizzlies (3-3) won their third straight and get a shot at first-place Chelsea this week to earn a share of the Southwestern Conference White championship; Lincoln (2-4) must win out to have a slim shot at making the playoffs for the third straight season.
Southwest Corridor
Coldwater 26, Jackson Lumen Christi 7
The Cardinals (6-0) had lost at least 27 straight to Lumen Christi (4-2) and including the game that decided last season’s inaugural Interstate 8 Athletic Conference championship. But this historical win puts Coldwater only one from clinching a share of the league title and in the playoffs for the third straight season; the Cardinals only qualified for the first time in 2013. Click for more from the Coldwater Daily Reporter.
Also noted:
Climax-Scotts 36, Pittsford 0 – Make that 43 straight in the Southern Central Athletic Association for Climax-Scotts (6-0), plus a share of the league title with Pittsford (5-1) one of two teams in second place.
Watervliet 55, Constantine 34 – The Panthers (5-1) kept pace with Delton Kellogg atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference Division 1 while knocking Constantine (3-3) out of the title race.
Plainwell 17, Dowagiac 8 – The Trojans (4-2) have stayed in the upper half of a tough Wolverine B Conference that combined two divisions into one this fall, with Dowagiac (3-3) tied for fifth of 10 teams.
Schoolcraft 47, Lawton 0 – Schoolcraft (6-0) earned a second straight shutout, but this week's much more significant as Lawton (5-1) also entered undefeated and tied for first in the SAC Division 2.
Upper Peninsula
Calumet 40, Iron River West Iron County 22
Reigning Western Peninsula Athletic Conference champion West Iron (1-5) is not the same team this fall. But the Wykons still gave Calumet (4-2) all it could handle as the Copper Kings came back to give themselves a chance to claim the league title this week against co-leader L’Anse. Click for more from the Houghton Daily Mining Gazette.
Also noted:
Sault Ste. Marie 37, Gladstone 27 – The Blue Devils (4-2) continue to line themselves up to return to the playoffs, while Gladstone (2-4) must end a four-game slide to have an at-large shot.
Kingsford 49, Marquette 7 – The Flivvers (4-2) ended a two-game losing streak to Marquette, and may have ended any hope of the Redmen (2-4) returning to the playoffs.
Newberry 50, Gaylord St. Mary 26 – The Indians pulled within a win of tying last season’s total and two from its highest victory count since going 6-3 in 2005.
Hurley, Wis. 52, Bark River-Harris 34 – This didn’t have league implications, but was the first loss of an otherwise stellar season so far for the Broncos (5-1).
West Michigan
Muskegon Catholic Central 29, Fruitport 26
The Lakes 8 Conference championship will belong at least in part to MCC (4-1), which claimed a share against second-place Fruitport (3-3) on a go-ahead touchdown pass with less than a minute to play. The Crusaders have earned at least a share of the league title both seasons in the conference. Click for more from the Muskegon Chronicle.
Also noted:
Grand Rapids Christian 39, East Grand Rapids 33 (OT) – The Eagles (4-2) made the biggest comeback of all teams mentioned above, and with it retained a first-place tie with Lowell while East Grand Rapids (4-2) fell into a tie for third in the Ottawa-Kent Conference White.
Hudsonville 22, East Kentwood 13 – Four teams including both of these still have a shot in the O-K Red, but sharing first with Rockford is a nice spot for Hudsonville (5-1), especially if East Kentwood (4-2) can help with the Rams this week.
Scottville Mason County Central 39, Manistee 6 – The Spartans (4-2) get overlooked a bit in the strong West Michigan Conference, but handing Manistee (5-1) its first loss is headline-worthy.
Cedar Springs 34, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 8 – The reigning O-K Bronze champion Red Hawks (4-2) are again tied with Forest Hills Eastern for first after delivering the first loss this fall to Forest Hills Northern (5-1), which was emerging as the favorite.
8-Player
Posen 28, Cedarville 26
This is more than just the best win of Posen’s six-year 8-player history; it’s arguably the most momentous victory for the Vikings (6-0) in some time. Posen is 6-0, tying its most wins in a season total since going 8-4 in 2004, and joined Rapid River as the only teams to defeat reigning MHSAA runner-up Cedarville (4-2) during the regular season since 2011. Click for more from the Alpena News.
Also noted:
Battle Creek St. Philip 49, Webberville 0 – Webberville (4-2) continues to improve, but St. Philip (6-0) remains among a handful of championship contenders.
Morrice 34, Deckerville 30 – This definitely is the most impressive win in two seasons of 8-player for the Orioles (5-1), as no opponent had come within 20 points of the Eagles (5-1) this fall.
PHOTO: Ithaca, in yellow, won a battle of undefeated teams by downing Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary on Friday. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Lumen Christi Legacy Grows with D6 Triumph
November 23, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
DETROIT – Herb Brogan’s teams over 39 years coaching Jackson Lumen Christi have succeeded in part by regularly capitalizing on opportunities.
Give the Titans an inch … and in Friday’s case, they’ll take 28 straight points.
Halftime came just in time for Lumen Christi as all momentum had been lost during the Division 6 Final at Ford Field. But when Montague couldn’t keep the swing going into the second half, the Titans took the opportunity and made school history.
Lumen Christi rode a defensive stop and four straight touchdowns to a 42-28 win over the Wildcats – clinching the program’s 11th MHSAA football championship and third straight, a program first.
“The whole year, and really since freshman year, we’ve been talking about it,” Titans senior Nick Thomas said of the three-peat opportunity. “We had two good grades above us. We said we’re going to do it with those two grades, and we’re going to become the first team to make history.
“That just became a major motivator, during those early morning grinds, getting there an hour early instead of a half-hour early. You’re already sweating before anybody else gets there. We were working before anybody else gets up, and that was a big emphasis the whole season – and it paid off 10 times over.”
Lumen Christi last season became the program’s third repeat champion, and Friday’s win was the Titans’ 23rd straight – they finished 13-0 this season, with an open date Week 9.
Brogan improved his career record to 356-83 since taking over the program in 1980. He sits fifth all-time for state football coaching wins, and this season pulled within five of fourth place and longtime Waterford Our Lady coach Mike Boyd’s 361.
Although senior Bryce Stark gave Montague the game’s first lead with a 57-yard scoring run midway through the first quarter Friday, Lumen Christi tied it up with a 57-yarder by Thomas two minutes into the second. Senior Cy’Aire Johnson scored on a 40-yard pass from senior Joe Barrett a little more than two minutes later, and after senior Bobby Willis’ interception on Montague’s next possession, it seemed like the Titans might break away.
But not yet. Three plays after throwing the interception, Montague sophomore Drew Collins recovered a fumble, and Stark ran for his second touchdown to tie the score with 1:17 to go in the first half.
Lumen hustled to get to Montague’s 28-yard-line during the next minute – but Wildcats senior Sebastian Archer snagged an interception.
The score stood tied at halftime. And Montague (11-3) was set to get the ball first in the third quarter.
“It was a question mark: who was going to wear who down? They wore St. Francis down last weekend (in the Semifinal), and if you talked to those guys, they were tired,” Brogan said. “One of the things we talked about at halftime, it just comes down to playing with pain. You’re going to be uncomfortable for the next 24 minutes, but what are the results going to be if you can put up with that level of discomfort, push yourself and make plays and make some memories.”
The first possession of the third quarter didn’t include a score, but it should be memorable as the start of Lumen’s final surge.
Montague took the opening kickoff, and over three plays went backward one yard. Lumen scored on its next four possessions, twice getting the ball back on turnovers and a third time after a turnover on downs when the Wildcats had driven to the Titans’ 24.
“We ran out of gas today. They’re folding guys in all the time, and we just don’t have those guys,” said Montague coach Pat Collins. “Our guys worked hard. I’m proud of our guys. That’s who we are. We have nine guys going both ways … they’ve got a whole bunch of guys playing football, and that’s tough.
“If it was a video game, and your guys don’t get tired, that would be a closer game and maybe the ‘Cats would be on top. But it wasn’t; this is real life. … I love my guys. They’re great players. They just got tired.”
The Titans used 22 players to Montague’s 18, and Collins said the difference was most noticeable up front as the game wore on.
Lumen Christi ran for 216 of its 348 rushing yards during the second half.
“Our running backs always push us to try to be better and better every day,” Lumen junior lineman Keegan Smith said. “After every play, they’re saying ‘one more, one more.’ And ‘we’ve got 24 minutes (left)’ at halftime. They pushed us and we told each other, let’s do it for the brotherhood of the line and just try to make history.”
Thomas finished with 249 yards on 28 carries and scored twice. Barrett threw two touchdown passes – senior Dayton Keller caught the second, and Johnson and senior Brock Fitzpatrick also ran for scores. Thomas had a team-high 10 tackles.
The Wildcats cut the deficit to 14 late with two touchdown passes from Collins to junior Brennan Schwarz. Stark ran for 156 yards and three scores on 19 carries. Junior Mark Vanderleest had 12 tackles and Schwarz nine for Montague, which was playing in its first MHSAA Final since winning back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009.
The Wildcats’ only defeats this fall were to Lumen Christi, Division 5 finalist Portland and Division 5 District champ Reed City. Montague is 39-8 over the last four seasons and 22-4 over the last two.
“Since my freshman year, the seniors set the bar pretty high,” Archer said. “Sophomore year, the seniors did their part. Junior year, I love each and every one of those seniors and they’re great guys.
“This year I felt like we raised the bar.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Jackson Lumen Christi’s Nick Thomas (10) breaks past a defender during Friday’s Division 6 Final at Ford Field. (Middle) Thomas, Delton Langley (35) and Bobby Willis celebrate the Titans’ championship.