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Drive for Detroit: Week 9 in Review

October 23, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

By now, you know which teams made the playoffs, what the first-round matchups look like and what the roads will be for your favorites to arrive at either the Superior Dome or Ford Field next month.

But a lot was still undecided heading into Week 9 – in fact, nearly one third of the playoff berths were still up for grabs.

So as we’ve done each Monday since mid-August, our “Drive for Detroit” – powered by MI Student Aid – will give you 45 glimpses below into how we got to this point. 

Bay & Thumb

Lapeer 35, Flint Carman-Ainsworth 23

With both 5-3 entering the weekend, a win would guarantee the victor a playoff berth. In the end, both teams qualified, but Carman-Ainsworth had to wait a little longer to find out its season would go on. Lapeer has made the playoffs all four years since the former West and East high schools merged into one. Carman-Ainsworth made the playoffs as an at-large qualifier for the second straight year, no doubt helped that its losses this fall came to to Grand Blanc, Davison, Midland Dow and Lapeer (which are a combined 28-8). Click for more from the Lapeer County Press.

Also noted:

Bridgeport 54, Chesaning 31 – The Bearcats (6-3) have as many wins as the last three seasons combined and earned their first playoff berth since 1999; Chesaning (4-5) missed the playoffs but did double its win total from a year ago.

Frankenmuth 20, Freeland 7 – After missing perfect regular seasons the last two because of losses to Freeland (6-3), Frankenmuth (9-0) got past its nemesis and ended up with the highest playoff point average in Division 5.

Midland 49, Midland Dow 21 – The Chemics (8-1) broke a four-game losing streak to rival Dow (7-2), in doing so doubling their win total from a year ago.

Lake Fenton 35, Williamston 28 – The Blue Devils (8-1) staved off their most challenging opponent since a Week 1 loss to New Lothrop … and earned the opportunity to face Williamston (5-4) again this week in a Division 4 opener. 

Greater Detroit

Detroit Martin Luther King 21, Detroit East English 0

King completed its second Detroit Public School overall title run in three seasons with this win in the PSL A final at Ford Field. The Crusaders also made it eight straight victories over East English (8-1), which hadn’t been shut out since 2013. King, the two-time reigning MHSAA Division 2 champion, finished the regular season 8-1 with its only loss to Toledo Central Catholic (which also is 8-1). Click for more from MLive-Detroit.

Also noted:

Warren DeLaSalle 35, Detroit Catholic Central 14 – The Pilots (7-2) beat Detroit Catholic Central (5-4) in Week 8 to clinch the Catholic League Central title, and then again Saturday for the A-B championship.

Detroit Central 40, Detroit Denby 0 – After opening the Detroit Public School League Black schedule with a 12-6 loss to Denby (6-2), Central (7-2) avenged in a big way in Friday’s PSL B championship game.

Waterford Mott 42, Fenton 28 – The Corsairs (8-1) reached eight wins for the first time since 1973 by handing Fenton (8-1) its lone loss of the regular season.

Canton 35, Livonia Churchill 21 – The overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship went to the Chiefs (8-1), who have won eight straight and swept the KLAA Black; Churchill (7-2) swept the Red to reach this final.

Mid-Michigan

Clare 38, Beaverton 14

Clare continues to own the Jack Pine Conference. Both of these teams entered the regular-season finale undefeated in league play – Beaverton undefeated overall as well – but the Pioneers (8-1) emerged with a big win to claim their 10th league title in 11 seasons and run their league winning streak back up to 14 straight games. The Beavers (8-1) do still have their best record since 1970, and home-field advantage this week and should they advance to a Division 7 District Final. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.

Also noted:

Ithaca 38, Carrollton 6 – It becomes easy to take for granted after so many years, but Ithaca (9-0) completed its eighth straight perfect regular season by downing playoff qualifier Carrollton (6-3); the Yellowjackets’ only losses since the start of 2010 were in the 2014 Division 6 Final and in a Division 5 Regional Final last season.

East Lansing 21, Okemos 7 – The Trojans (7-2) have come back from a 1-2 start to earn a home playoff game, while this victory kept Okemos (5-4) out of the postseason; the Chiefs still finished with more wins than their last two seasons combined.

Middleville Thornapple Kellogg 24, Grand Rapids Christian 20 – In easily one of the most massive upsets of the regular season, Middleville TK (2-7) won for the first time since opening night and avenged last season’s 54-0 loss to the Eagles (7-2).

Ovid-Elsie 23, Richmond 14 – The Marauders (7-2) continued their bounce-back from 4-5 a year ago with what likely would be considered an upset of the Blue Water Area Conference runner-up Blue Devils (7-2). 


Northern Lower Peninsula

Boyne City 19, Traverse City St. Francis 13

Arguably the most dramatic play statewide this weekend gave Boyne City the go-ahead points during the final minute (click the link below for more). The Ramblers (9-0) broke a three-game losing streak against the rival Gladiators and clinched the Northern Michigan Football League Legends championship outright. Boyne City also completed its second perfect regular season in four years, its 19 points only the second-most St. Francis (8-1) has given up this season. Defense certainly prevailed – the Rambers’ 19 also tied their second-fewest scored this season. Click for more from the Petoskey News-Review.

Also noted:

Johannesburg-Lewiston 50, Harbor Springs 8 – The Cardinals (6-3) clinched a playoff berth after missing last season for the first time in six; Harbor Springs (4-5) fell shy of an at-large opportunity.

Grayling 50, Kalkaska 33 – The Vikings (6-3) clinched a third straight playoff berth and eighth in nine seasons, while Kalkaska also (4-5) missed out on a chance at an at-large bid.

Hillman 58, Indian River Inland Lakes 8 – The Tigers (5-4) got the needed win to extend their playoff streak to 12 straight seasons; Inland Lakes (2-7) did take a step this fall after going winless in 2016.

AuGres-Sims 50, Adrian Lenawee Christian 6 – The Wolverines (8-0) capped their first perfect regular season since 2006 and with a big win over another playoff team in Lenawee Christian (6-3), which qualified after missing the postseason in 2016. 

Southeast & Border

Michigan Center 45, Reading 43

Michigan Center also has the argument for the most dramatic play of the weekend, scoring during the final minute to cap a fourth-quarter comeback and beat Reading in the crossover of champions from the Cascades and Big 8 conferences, respectively. The Rangers (7-2) suffered their first loss since Week 1 but still have more victories this season than the last two combined. Michigan Center (8-1) needs one more win to tie its program record. Click for more from the Jackson Citizen Patriot.

Also noted:

Union City 44, Addison 20 – The Chargers (7-2) have rebounded from two straight sub-.500 finishes to tie for second in the Big 8 Conference and earn this win over Cascades co-champion Addison (7-2).

Hudson 54, Blissfield 8 – The Tigers (8-1) locked up the Lenawee County Athletic Association championship, made more impressive as Blissfield (5-4) was one of six teams in the league, out of eight, to finish with overall winning records in the regular season.

Hillsdale 17, Brooklyn Columbia Central 10 – The Hornets (5-4) closed with three straight wins over playoff teams to earn an at-large berth after missing last season for the first time in 16; Columbia Central (6-3) is headed to the postseason for the third straight season.

Morenci 40, Petersburg Summerfield 28 – After opening this season 0-2, Morenci (6-3) won all but one of their Tri-County Conference games to finish second and secure their fourth straight playoff berth; Summerfield (6-3) finished third in the league and also qualified for the fourth straight season.

Southwest Corridor

Vicksburg 30, Three Rivers 20

Vicksburg (7-2) had only an outside chance Friday of gaining a share of the Wolverine B Conference championship. But the Bulldogs could prevent rival Three Rivers from claiming part of the league title – and this 30-20 win gave the outright championship to Edwardsburg, while Vicksburg, Three Rivers and Plainwell ended up tied for second place. Three Rivers (7-2) will have to wait only six days for a chance at vengeance; emotions surely will be running high when these two meet again in a Division 4 District opener Friday. Click for more from JoeInsider.com.

Also noted:

Coldwater 24, Traverse City West 9 – The Cardinals (6-3) took a long trip north needing a win to earn a fifth straight playoff appearance, and got it by holding the Titans (8-1) to 20 fewer points than they’d scored in any game over the first eight.

Dowagiac 21, Paw Paw 12 – The Chieftains (6-3) needed a third straight win over Paw Paw (4-5) to make the playoffs for the third straight year, and in the process took an at-large opportunity away from the Redskins.

Delton Kellogg 40, Constantine 7 – The Panthers (5-4) got what they needed to earn an at-large playoff bid for the second time in three seasons, and one more win would tie their most since 2001; Constantine (3-6) saw an 18-year playoff streak come to an end.

Battle Creek Pennfield 28, Olivet 21 – The Panthers (4-5) didn’t make the playoffs and were out of consideration after Week 8, but they rallied to give Olivet (8-1) its first loss. 

Upper Peninsula

Kingsford 21, Escanaba 14

First a few weeks ago, it looked like Escanaba/Gladstone might be the matchup of the best in the Upper Peninsula. After the Eskymos won that game, Kingsford (6-2) emerged from an early schedule of Wisconsin opponents to become the next challenger. So it’s fair to call the Flivvers the best above the bridge after it finished a perfect run through the Great Northern Conference while suffering its only loss this season to Menasha, Wis., in Week 1. Escanaba (7-2) could host up to two playoff games, however, and its losses were by a combined 14 points. Kingsford is in line to host up to three playoff games. Click for more from the Iron Mountain Daily News.

Also noted:

Calumet 20, Gladstone 16 – The Copper Kings (6-3) needed a win to guarantee a fourth straight playoff appearance and 12th in 13 seasons, and had to get it against a Gladstone team that at 7-2 is enjoying its first winning season since 2009 and first playoff season since 2008.

Ishpeming Westwood 30, Negaunee 14 – The Patriots (8-1) set a program single-season record for wins and after going only 2-7 a year ago; in the process they also helped end Negaunee’s five-year playoff streak as the Miners finished 4-5.

Menominee 34, Marquette 17 – The Maroons (6-3) earned their 22nd straight playoff berth, good to tie for second-longest streak all-time, but only by getting past the rival Redmen (4-5) as they sought an at-large opportunity.

Hancock 21, Houghton 0 – The win over Houghton (1-8) wasn’t a huge surprise, but Hancock (7-2) obviously should celebrate its first playoff berth since 2006. 

West Michigan

Montague 34, Muskegon Catholic Central 10

This meeting of league champions – Montague from the West Michigan Conference and MCC (7-1) from the Lakes 8 – was anticipated as well because both were undefeated and both are potential MHSAA champions, MCC in Division 8 and Montague in Division 6. This meeting was the first between the two Muskegon-area powers, and the Wildcats (9-0) were able to finish off a second perfect regular season in three years and end MCC’s 27-game winning streak. Click for more from the Local Sports Journal.

Also noted:

Holland West Ottawa 34, Grandville 18 – In the end, what looked a few weeks ago like an unpredictable Ottawa-Kent Conference Red race turned into an outright championship for West Ottawa (8-1); the title had been split three straight seasons, and a Grandville win would’ve earned the Bulldogs and Rockford shares.

Zeeland East 28, Zeeland West 8 – East (9-0) completed a perfect regular season for the first time since 2012 and claimed the outright O-K Green title, the Chix’ first league title since winning the O-K Black also in 2012. But East also must see West (6-3) again immediately in a Division 3 opener.   

East Grand Rapids 13, Grand Rapids South Christian 7 – The Sailors (7-2) also had a chance to turn the O-K Gold into a three-team title share, but East Grand Rapids (9-0) held on not just for the outright championship but its first perfect regular season since 2010.

Fennville 40, Saugatuck 7 – Fennville (5-4) fell shy of the playoffs and Saugatuck (6-3) will play on, but this win gave the Blackhawks the outright Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title with one more league win than the Indians.

8-Player

Kinde-North Huron 56, Bay City All Saints 46

North Huron (8-1) finished its North Central Thumb League Stripes championship run against All Saints, who were tied with the Warriors for first place entering the weekend. It’s been an incredible turnaround for North Huron, which was 2-7 a year ago and last won a league title in 2006 (sharing it that year with Kingston). These teams could meet again; North Huron is home in their shared Division 2 Regional and All Saints (6-3) will open on the road at Marion. Click for more from the Huron Daily Tribune.

Also noted:

Pickford 53, Rudyard 14 – The Panthers (9-0) held off Rudyard’s attempt at creating a shared Bridge Alliance title, as the Bulldogs (7-2) instead fell into a three-way tie for second.

Bellaire 42, Onaway 20 – Although Onaway finished only 3-6, this was a key game because it was Bellaire’s fourth straight win and likely the playoff clincher after a 1-4 start to this season.

Powers North Central 32, Stephenson 20 – After the reigning MHSAA champion Jets (6-2) started 1-2, things looked dim; in retrospect, those losses were by only a combined 10 points and this win over Stephenson (7-2) was their fifth straight.

Eben Junction Superior Central 46, Rapid River 22 – Superior Central (4-5) fell short of the playoffs but closed with three straight wins for the second straight season, and this time dealt Western Eight Conference champion Rapid River (7-2) its only league loss. 

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: Montague, here on defense surrounding a ball carrier, won a meeting of undefeated teams Friday in its first game ever against Muskegon Catholic Central. (Photo by Tim Reilly.)

From left, Port Huron standout Cecil Turner, Grand Rapids Union football coach John Truesdale, Flint Central players huddling and Central’s Lloyd Brazil.

Undefeated Contenders Make Claims as 1925 High School Football Champion

By Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian

November 14, 2025

It was another football season without an official postseason, just as they all were prior to 1975 in Michigan.

Well – that’s not exactly true – but we will detail that story on another day.

In the Great Lakes State, the 1925 prep season – now 100 years ago - provides a beautiful illustration of the fun, fascination, and frustration in proclaiming gridiron championships in Michigan before the arrival of the MHSAA playoffs.

 “The Roaring Twenties” – built in the age of prosperity that followed the end of World War I – were an age of excess, an era of more, and a time where anything seemed possible.

The Twenties are also known as the Golden Age of College Football, and excitement for the sport certainly trickled down to the high school level. The need or desire to open or break ground on impressively bigger and better stadiums hit schools around the nation. The 1925 season marked the opening of the University of Pittsburgh’s Pitt Stadium, with potential seating for 70,000. In Michigan, just upriver on Saginaw Bay in Bay City, the town’s Central High School unveiled a facility with a capacity of 7,100. That season marked the end of college careers for University of Illinois’ legend Harold “Red” Grange, Dartmouth’s Andy Oberlander, and Stanford’s Ernie Nevers. It was also the first varsity season at University of Michigan for Muskegon High School’s Bennie Oosterbaan, who became the school’s first three-time football All-American.

With a lack of lighted fields in Michigan, prep contests were mostly played on Saturdays, and the kickoff to seasons began around mid-September. Scheduled games generally ended in late November, with a few schools around the state closing their slate with a traditional Thanksgiving Day game.

Call it what you will – bragging rights, statewide acclaim, untethered validation, or an unsatisfied heart – but the regular season did not end the fascination and desire to name a state champion. While the state’s governing body did not sponsor championships, that did not stop cities, schools, the media, and the fan base from attempts to assign bragging rights to teams with unbeaten records. That was pretty much the case since the start of the prep game, dating back to 1888.

The era was often filled with “post season” challenges for games between teams to crystalize a claim on a championship. In general, they seldom came to fruition.

The MHSAA

The recently-created Michigan High School Athletic Association established three classes based on hard student enrollment numbers, with Class A – comprised of the state’s largest schools, each with a minimum of 500 students – Class B with between 175 and 499 enrolled, and Class C for schools with fewer than 175 pupils. Back then, the classifications were not segmented with an equal number of schools in each Class, as they are in today’s Division format. Rather, there were many more schools that fell into Class B and Class C than Class A. (Additional subdividing, adding Class D, and Class E, would come later).

Spurred on by fans and sportswriters, schools who wanted a share of the spotlight saw those classifications conveniently offering a means to segment claims on a state title. Acknowledging that they could seldom compete successfully against the larger schools in football, there was nothing to stop unbeaten teams from declaring themselves Class B or Class C gridiron champions.

The Fall of '25

Following the results of mid-November games across the state, just two prep teams in Michigan’s emerged as possible claimants to the title in Class A. Both Flint Central and Grand Rapids Union were unbeaten and untied. Flint would play Bay City Central at home on Saturday, Nov. 21, then square off for a Thanksgiving game with Ann Arbor in the university city.

Union would complete its regular season in a showdown with crosstown rival Grand Rapids South on Nov. 21. Unbeaten in 1924, South had shared that season’s mythical state title with Flint Central.

Just days before kickoff however, a third school emerged, making lots of noise.

The 1925 Flint Central team in a formal team photo.Port Huron Times-Herald reporter Ray Bouslog penned an article that appeared in the Tuesday, Nov. 17 edition.

“Comparing Port Huron with the other two undefeated teams, the locals appear to have just as good a record as their rivals,” he noted. Comparing scores of games among the three schools against common opponents, and opponent’s common opponents – a common practice among fans and sportswriters then and now – he felt the local school was among the state’s best regardless of class.

Two days later, in the same paper, Port Huron’s athletic director and head coach Melvin J. Myers, acknowledging they had two more games on their schedule, was quoted by Bouslog:

“Having gone through the schedule unbeaten, untied, and unscored on, we consider that we have as much a claim (on the state title) as either Grand Rapids Union or Flint Central. But unlike the situation in former years, when the teams were unable to agree on terms of the post season battle, we are willing to play either of these schools at home or away.”

It was a bold statement. Port Huron was classified as a Class B school by the MHSAA. Five of its eight wins had come against Class B or Class C competition. While its goal line had not been crossed, Port Huron had scored 151 points – an average of just under 19 per contest.

Port Huron also had scheduled a Turkey Day game with Richmond, a Class C opponent. Myers considered the contest “only a workout for the team,” with victory by a large margin expected. But Saturday’s contest was on the road against a University of Detroit High School squad – no pushover. Port Huron, of course, would fall out of the race with a defeat in either contest.

On Friday, the Flint Daily Journal, in an Extra edition, acknowledged the Myers’ challenge: “(T)he recognized leader in Class B having no blemish on her record ... Port Huron is willing to step out of her class (and) has hurled challenges at both Flint and Union, provided they are untied and unbeaten.”

Since Union did not have a scheduled Thanksgiving Day contest, Myers stated he was willing to reschedule the Richmond game and meet Union, in Grand Rapids, on the holiday. The move would set up a “playoff” for an undisputed championship.

Union coach John Truesdale responded in the Grand Rapids Press, stating “This is no time to talk such stuff. The proper time for serious entertainment of such ideas is after the South game is played. If we win Saturday we talk. If we lose, and that is not impossible, then we will be in a position to consider such things.”

The 1925 Port Huron team in a formal team photo.Union brushed off Coach Myers’ desire for a game on Thanksgiving. Truesdale indicated he was willing to listen to proposals from either Flint or Port Huron – not Thanksgiving Day – but on Saturday, Nov. 28, and no later.

Flint coach Charles Bassett was blunt with his response to the talk:  “It is absolutely out of the question for Flint to even think of playing Union or any other team on Nov 28. We have a regularly scheduled game with Ann Arbor only two days before that time. It would be physically impossible for the boys to play two games in three days.”

Emphasizing that his two remaining games had been scheduled over a year ago, he stated, “Union knows our schedule and so does every other school in Michigan. I have no intention whatever of trying to change it. … If Union or Port Huron desire to play at some later date, after my boys have had a suitable rest, I shall be glad to listen to their proposals.”

Stage is Nearly Set

All three schools won their game on Saturday, Nov. 21. Rocky Parsaca nailed three out of four drop-kicks as Union topped South, 9-0, while Port Huron slipped past U of D High, 6-0, on a fourth-quarter TD by senior fullback Cecil Turner. Flint crushed Bay City Central, 32-0, to set the stage.

With that win, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Bassett told the Journal, “If Central is successful against Ann Arbor tomorrow, we stand ready and willing to play either Port Huron or Grand Rapids Union for the undisputed state championship. This should settle all doubts as to our sincerity in believing we have the best team in the state. We are willing to test it on any neutral field.”

By then, however, negotiations for a three-way series involving Union had broken down and the news had reached the paper. In the same edition, it was noted that Union had packed up for the fall. Without a game on Thanksgiving or the Saturday following, Truesdale stated Union could not carry its squad for two full weeks without a game. On Monday, Nov. 24, the Press had announced that Union had closed out its football season and was now focused on basketball.

With that bit of news, the Flint paper stated, “It is probable that Flint and Port Huron will arrange a game for Saturday, Dec 5.”

Thanksgiving

Played on Ann Arbor’s high school field, located just three blocks from University of Michigan’s Ferry Field, Flint had its hands full, downing the hosts, 6-3, on a second-quarter touchdown by senior captain Lloyd Brazil, before 5,000 fans. A future star, and later head coach at the University of Detroit, Brazil intercepted an Ann Arbor pass during the closing minutes, capping a scoreless second half and sealing the win.

As expected, Port Huron trounced Richmond, 55-0.

Talk about a game with Flint to be played at Michigan State College at the new State stadium hit the papers. But discussions failed, and by the weekend, Port Huron and Flint Central also closed out their seasons.

With that, multiple schools laid claim to the crown proving, once again, football championships from the era are valid, but “mythical.”

Check back next week for a second installment on the 1925 football “championship” race.

PHOTOS (Top) From left, Port Huron standout Cecil Turner, Grand Rapids Union football coach John Truesdale, Flint Central players huddling and Central’s Lloyd Brazil. (Middle) The 1925 Flint Central team. (Below) The 1925 Port Huron team. (Photos gathered by Ron Pesch.)