Logo

Drive for Detroit: Week 9 in Review

October 22, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

This week, 288 Michigan high school football teams are starting anew.

But before we turn our focus entirely toward the playoffs, let’s say a final goodbye to another memorable regular season.

The last of available league championships were clinched Friday and Saturday, and more teams than we can mention won to get into the postseason. Sunday, of course, was highlighted by the announcement of playoff divisions and pairings – and we’ll jump into the most intriguing first-round matchups later this week.

But for now, let’s take an acknowledging glance at the storylines from Week 9, which in many cases set up some of what we’ll be watching the rest of the way.

“Drive for Detroit” is powered by MI Student Aid. 

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER: Lapeer 28, Davison 6 The Saginaw Valley League Blue title went outright to the Lightning with this winner-take-all win. Lapeer (9-0) also capped its first perfect regular season since 2015 and third in five years since the former West and East high schools merged heading into fall 2014. Davison (7-2) finished league runner-up for the second straight season after winning it in 2016. Click for more from the Flint Journal and see below for highlights from WJRT.

Also of note: Ortonville Brandon 34, Swartz Creek 27 The Blackhawks (8-1) held off Swartz Creek to cap their best regular season run since 2000 with a share of the Flint Metro League title (with Flushing), while dropping the Dragons (6-3) out of first place and into a tie for third.

Remember this one: Midland 14, Midland Dow 8 Players never forget this kind of rivalry game. Midland (6-3) made it two straight over the Chargers (5-4) and in the process earned an automatic playoff berth. Dow became an additional qualifier, and they could meet again in a Division 2 District Final.

More shoutouts: Millington 34, Warren Michigan Collegiate 26 The Cardinals’ 14-year playoff streak was on the line, but Millington (6-3) earned an automatic bid by handing Michigan Collegiate (8-1) its lone regular-season defeat. Byron 31, Flint Beecher 27 Croswell-Lexington 47, Goodrich 13 Both ended up in the playoffs, but the Pioneers (6-3) made sure this time after missing last year at 5-4; Goodrich (5-4) did qualify with that record this time despite the defeat.

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER: Detroit Cass Tech 42, Detroit Martin Luther King 8 The Technicians (9-0) will carry Detroit Public School League Green and now PSL A playoff titles into the postseason after avenging last year’s 10-point loss to King. The perfect regular season finish was the team’s second in three years and fourth in six. King, the PSL Black champ, fell to 7-2. Click for more from MLive-Detroit and see below for highlights from State Champs Sports Network.

Also of note: Warren DeLaSalle 24, Detroit Catholic Central 6 A week after falling to the Shamrocks 10-7 in what created a shared Detroit Catholic League Central title between the two, DeLaSalle (7-2) came back to down DCC (6-3) in the Prep Bowl A-B championship game at Ford Field.

Remember this one: Farmington Hills Harrison 48, Farmington 7 The final regular-season game in Harrison’s illustrious football history saw the Hawks (6-3) earn an automatic playoff bid with a big win over Farmington (6-3), which also qualified for the first time since 2015.

More shoutouts: Oak Park 21, Clarkston 14 The Oakland Activities Association White champion Knights (8-1) bounced back from a Week 8 loss to gain a boost by beating the OAA Red champ Wolves (7-2). Belleville 32, Brighton 17 They met to open and close the regular season, but this Kensington Lakes Activities Association overall championship win for the Tigers (9-0) wasn’t as nail-biting as that five-point Week 1 victory over the Bulldogs (7-2).

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER: Pewamo-Westphalia 28, Williamston 27 (OT) The Pirates (9-0) stopped a 2-point conversion try in overtime to win this matchup of league champions and finish their third straight perfect regular season in four years. The two-time reigning Division 7 champion hadn’t had a game closer than 28 points this fall before getting a valuable test from the Division 4 Hornets (7-2). Click for more from the Lansing State Journal and see highlights below from FOX 17.

Also of note: Howard City Tri-County 48, Holton 16 The Vikings (5-4) made the playoffs for the first time since 2004 after giving themselves the opportunity with this win over Holton (5-4), which also was selected. Tri-County also guaranteed its first .500-or-better season since 2005 after going 1-8 a year ago.

Remember this one: East Lansing 20, Okemos 17 These neighbors already had qualified for the playoffs, Okemos (6-3) for the first time since 2014. But this might be another indication this rivalry is on its way back – East Lansing (8-1) has won four straight meetings, but four of the last six have been decided by seven points or fewer.

More shoutouts: Portland 27, Montague 20 The Raiders (9-0) look playoff-ready again after capping their third perfect regular season in four years by beating a Montague team that finished 7-2 with its only other defeat to also-unbeaten Reed City. Vermontville Maple Valley 42, Comstock 18 The Lions (5-4) struggled mightily through a 2-4 start, but finished with three straight wins to line up their second straight playoff appearance.

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER: Traverse City West 21, Petoskey 6 The Titans (7-2) entered this game with the possibility of falling into a three-way shared Big North Conference title. Instead, West won outright and finished a regular season where its two defeats were by a combined 10 points. Petoskey (5-4), meanwhile, earned its first playoff berth since 2015 after going a combined 5-14 over the last two seasons. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Also of note: Benzie Central 42, Frankfort 6 The Huskies (6-3) clinched their first playoff berth since 2011 – and after not having a team in 2016. Benzie came back to go 1-8 last season before completing the turnaround. Frankfort finished 5-4 but was an additional qualifier after winning three of their last five games.

Remember this one: Traverse City St. Francis 35, New Lothrop 14 Remember it, because the Hornets (8-1) do not lose often during the regular season. This was just their second regular-season defeat in nine seasons, but came against a Gladiators team that at 9-0 finished its third perfect regular season in four years.

More shoutouts: Maple City Glen Lake 27, Grayling 19 The Lakers (5-4) won the Northern Michigan Football League Leaders championship but were in jeopardy of missing the playoffs; beating Grayling (3-6) made them eligible as an additional qualifier. Gaylord 41, Sault Ste. Marie 0 Gaylord’s Blue Devils (6-3) bounced back from two straight one-point defeats to clinch their first playoff berth since 2015 and leave Sault Ste. Marie (5-4) just short, although those Blue Devils more than doubled their 2-7 records of both last season and 2016.

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER: Cassopolis 21, Centreville 0 It’s rare to luck out with two undefeated teams meeting for a league championship in their regular-season finale. Cassopolis (9-0) chipped away to claim the Southwest 10 Conference title with its sixth shutout this fall. Centreville (8-1) entered averaging nearly 44 points per game, and still has plenty to celebrate – the Bulldogs have their first playoff berth and winning season both since 2008. Click for more from the Cassopolis Vigilant.

Also of note: Kalamazoo United 21, Schoolcraft 20 The Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley championship was decided by a point as the Titans (9-0) edged Schoolcraft for the second straight season after beating the Eagles (7-2) last year by three.

Remember this one: Portage Northern 16, St. Joseph 7 The Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West sent five of its six teams to the playoffs, and the league race frequently is close. Portage Northern (7-2) with this win earned a share of the title while dropping the Bears (5-4) out of a possible share and into a tie for third place.  

More shoutouts: Stevensville Lakeshore 18, Mattawan 13 The Lancers’ 20-year playoff streak was on the line, but this win put them at 5-4 and allowed them to be selected as an additional qualifier. Mattawan (5-4) was selected as well. Coloma 52, Watervliet 36 The Comets (5-4) beat Watervliet for the first time since 2009 (they didn’t play 2012-14) to finish 5-4 for the second straight regular season – but this time they were selected for the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER: Reading 55, Grass Lake 7 The Rangers (9-0) took their domination outside of the Big 8 Conference with this crossover win over the Cascades Conference champion. Grass Lake (8-1) also entered undefeated and scoring nearly 39 points per game. Click for more from the Hillsdale Daily News.

Also of note: Jackson 36, Lake Fenton 14 The dream season continued for the Vikings (9-0), who ended the regular season unbeaten for the first time perhaps ever (?). Someone surely will be doing some digging to confirm, but it will be well worth it to celebrate a historic accomplishment – and after Jackson went 4-5 a year ago.  

Remember this one: Brooklyn Columbia Central 35, Hudson 16 The Eagles (8-1) broke a two-game losing streak to the Tigers (4-5) to clinch a share of the Lenawee County Athletic Association title with Hillsdale, which it defeated in Week 8.

More shoutouts: Hillsdale 30, Dundee 13 The Hornets (8-1) held on to their share of the LCAA title by avenging two straight defeats to Dundee (5-4), and by doing so kept the Vikings out of the playoffs. Michigan Center 25, Springport 16 The Cardinals finished the regular season 8-1 for the second straight as Springport (7-2) lost for the second straight week but only second time this season.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER: Escanaba 39, Kingsford 27 The Eskymos (7-2) probably didn’t anticipate ending the weekend with a share of the Great Northern Conference championship. But by beating the Flivvers (4-5), Escanaba was able to benefit from Menominee’s upset of first-place Marquette. The win over Kingsford held additional significance too – the Flivvers edged the Eskymos for the GNC title last season with a win in their Week 9 meeting. Click for more from the Escanaba Daily Press.

Also of note: Gwinn 20, Munising 16 The Modeltowners (6-3) flipped last season’s 3-6 record to earn an automatic playoff berth and keep Munising (4-5) from possible selection as an additional qualifier.

Remember this one: Menominee 32, Marquette 14 This ended an uncharacteristic down season for the Maroons (2-7) – they saw their 22-year playoff streak come to an end. But they did finish by adding to a seven-game winning streak over Marquette, denying the Redmen (4-5) an outright league title and possible additional qualifier bid for the playoffs.

More shoutouts: Ishpeming 54, Bark River-Harris 13 The Hematites (9-0) put together their fourth perfect regular season in six years and coming off back-to-back three-win finishes. St. Ignace 44, Gaylord St. Mary 0 The Saints missed the playoffs, but finishing 5-4 was a great jump from 1-8 in 2017.

West Michigan

HEADLINER: East Kentwood 28, Rockford 17 The Falcons (8-1) made their way through an Ottawa-Kent Conference Red that will send four of seven teams to the playoffs – and with Rockford making a bid Friday to grab a share of the league title. The win over the Rams was East Kentwood’s first since 2015 and put Rockford (5-4) in an unfamiliar spot of briefly not knowing if its season was done – although the Rams did make the playoffs as an additional qualifier for a record 24th straight season. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press and see highlights below from WZZM.

Also of note: Zeeland East 36, Hudsonville Unity Christian 13 The Chix (8-1) completed a repeat O-K Green championship after Unity Christian (7-2) entered with an opportunity to create a three-way tie for the top spot.

Remember this one: Saugatuck 56, Fennville 20 The Indians (8-1) claimed the SAC Lakeshore title in this winner-take-all matchup, avenging the Week 9 loss to the Blackhawks (7-2) a year ago that gave Fennville the championship ahead of Saugatuck.

More shoutouts: Holland Christian 24, Spring Lake 17 Despite playing in an O-K Green with three other playoff teams, the Maroons (6-3) are headed back to the postseason for the first time since 2012 and with a guaranteed final winning record for the first time since 2009. Spring Lake (5-4) also made the playoffs as an additional qualifier after going 0-9 a year ago. Hudsonville 23, Holland West Ottawa 16 Two more of the O-K Red’s best met with playoffs on the line for the Eagles, who earned an automatic berth with the win. These two will settle things one more time with a Division 1 rematch this week.

8-Player  

HEADLINER: Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 22, Colon 14 The Midwest Central Michigan Conference West champion Defenders (9-0) handed the Southern Central Athletic Association A champion Magi their only loss of the regular season, holding Colon (8-1) to almost 33 points under its average. The win also gave Tri-unity its second perfect regular season in three years. These teams could meet again in an 8-Player Division 1 Semifinal. Click for more from the Sturgis Journal.

Also of note: Morrice 32, Webberville 0 The Orioles finished 9-0 for the first time in program history and reached nine wins for the third time in four years. Webberville made the loss pay off getting enough bump to make the playoffs at 4-5 with a higher playoff-point average than other teams that finished 5-4.

Remember this one: Engadine 52, Crystal Falls Forest Park 42 The Eagles (8-1) edged the reigning 8-player Division 2 champ Trojans (5-4), but these teams could see each other again in a Regional Final.

More shoutouts: Pickford 48, Cedarville 8 The Pirates (9-0) completed their second straight perfect regular season and finished an outright title run in the Great Lakes Conference East. Cedarville (5-4) will join three others from the league in the playoffs. Deckerville 20, Peck 8 The Eagles (7-2) eluded a possible shared North Central Thumb League Blue title, holding on to the championship outright by holding off an upset bid by the Pirates (5-4).

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: Lapeer pushes through for a touchdown during its league title-clinching win over Davison. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)

Portage Northern football

Portage Northern Coach Nurturing New Roots After Arriving from Crosstown Rival

By Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com

October 19, 2021

PORTAGE — When Kurt Twichell was hired as Portage Northern’s head football coach last May, he had some serious closet cleaning to do.

Southwest CorridorAs an assistant coach at crosstown rival Portage Central, his wardrobe was filled with blue and gold.

“I had to clean out probably 80 percent of my closet,” Twichell said, laughing. “Being a phys. ed. guy, I had quite a bit of blue and gold PC stuff.

“That all went into a big old bag, and I actually donated it back to them. I had a lot of work to do from a wardrobe perspective, no doubt about that.”

Twichell is nearing the conclusion of his first season as a head coach, with Portage Northern 2-6 this fall heading into its season finale Friday against Kalamazoo Central.

He had spent the previous seven seasons at Portage Central, finishing his tenure with the Mustangs last fall as their defensive coordinator. Across town at that time, Pete Schermerhorn was completing his 27th and final season leading the Huskies’ football program – and after some thought, Twichell applied to be his replacement and was named Northern’s next coach this spring.

Twichell made sure to wear orange when he met with his new team for the first time.

If he had worn any hint of blue, “We wouldn’t have let him in,” said senior and two-way player Xavier Thomas with a big grin.

Twichell said he understood why players were apprehensive.

Portage Northern football“I think naturally, with teenagers, it was like what the heck is going on?” he said. “We hired a guy from Portage Central. This is crazy.”

Twichell said he worked very hard to establish a rapport with the players.

“You’re trying to build trust within your program,” he said. “As soon as I accepted this job, I’m diving full on in, orange, brown and white as a Huskie.”

Thomas said players did not know what to expect.

“The initial feeling, we were a little nervous as far as what his path for us was going to be. Having come from that school, would he hold a grudge against us or not?” he recalled.

“After meeting him and sitting down and having a conversation with him, we understood that he was fully on the path of Portage Northern Huskies. He fully supports all of our sports programs, not just football. He’s just a great guy that we need in our community.”

Climbing the ladder

Twichell said his love of football started at Haslett High School in “an up-and-coming program” under head coach Charlie Otlewski and defensive coordinator Rob Porritt, adding “Those are my guys.”

After a football injury at Hope College derailed his playing career, Twichell transferred to Michigan State as a “regular student” and started working with Otlewski and Haslett’s football team.

“I spent a couple years there doing it for fun,” Twichell said. “I ended up loving it so much.”

He scrapped plans for med school and earned a teaching degree.

Taking his first job at White Pigeon, “I was just a young guy looking for any job I could get.”

Portage Northern footballTwo years later he contacted Enders, who happened to have a job available. Twichell spent the next seven years at Central, working his way up to defensive coordinator.

When he heard about the opening at Northern, which included a teaching position, he was not sure about applying.

“I was very, very rooted with Central and really enjoyed the staff and the opportunity they gave me to work my way up to d-coordinator,” he said. “When this job came up, I actually sat down and thought about it for more than three seconds. Being a head coach is a goal of mine.”

Twichell’s wife, Kate, coaches the Portage schools’ co-op girls lacrosse team and he said the family, including 3-year-old twins, are happy living in the community.

Ironically, shortly after accepting the Northern coaching job, his wife left Hackett Catholic Prep to teach Spanish and English at Portage Central.

That makes for some interesting family dynamics, especially during the rivalry game.

“I try to push the (twins) one way; Kate doesn’t necessarily try to push them either way but we still hear the ‘M’ (Mustangs) word after “Go” from the kids,” Kurt said.  “They’ll say every now and then, Go Mustangs or Go Huskies. Kate just cheers for ‘no injuries,’ the way she puts it.”

No longer just Xs and Os

“The biggest change is how much of your role has almost nothing to do with football from an Xs and Os perspective or from an actual coaching kids perspective,” Twichell said.

“It’s community relations, youth involvement, financial management, recruiting.”

He said it is like the iceberg analogy.

“People just see Friday nights and results, but below the surface is all these components that go into building a good program,” he said. “Coach Shermerhorn left a pretty good foundation in terms of that iceberg, but I definitely want to put my own spin on things.”

During the day, Twichell is in the weight room, teaching a full day of power lifting.

The academic classes are open to all students, and Twichell hopes to resurrect the school’s power lifting team.

Chris Riker, Northern’s athletic director, said when hiring a coach, it is not where he coached but if he was a good fit for the program.

“We had some outstanding candidates and Kurt had a good plan on developing culture, developing not just the football player but the whole athlete, the whole person,” Riker said. “Academics were important. Getting involved in your community is important, and being a role model for the younger kids is important as well as being a good football player, good person.”

Riker said the team is very involved with the community.

“He’s done some things with our kids and Rocket Football to establish that connection with the youth program,” he said.

He added that Twichell and Enders collaborated on Camp Ability in July.

“It’s a camp for special needs kids who want to be involved with football,” Riker said. “It’s pretty cool to get out there and see kids who aren’t involved in football be that excited and be next to our football players. Kids had big smiles on their faces, just to be able to try on the shoulder pads and football jerseys.”

The children also ran drills, tossed footballs and ran for touchdowns, helped by players from both teams.

Not just another game

The Huskies are still settling into a new system (although a highlight was a Week 4 win over Division 3 No. 10 Stevensville Lakeshore). But Twichell has surrounded himself with solid support, carrying over several assistants from Schermerhorn’s staff.

Portage Northern football“Those guys have been phenomenal,” Twichell said. “Just about every coach who wanted to come back did.”

As the defensive coordinator at Portage Central, Twichell was familiar with Tom Laskarides, Schermerhorn’s defensive coordinator.

“People probably wondered what that was going to look like, but I have nothing but admiration and respect for Tom,” Twichell said. “We also brought back Mike McGuire who was on staff here probably 10 years ago. He’s a quarterbacks, offensive guy and a former head coach himself. That’s been huge to have these guys.”

Twichell said the team lost several outstanding players to graduation the last three years.

“When you go through losing groups like that, there’s going to be a transition there, regardless of a new coach,” he said. “We have a very young team, an inexperienced team.”

One game on Twichell’s radar this fall was the battle of the Portages, a game Northern lost, 33-17, two weeks ago.

“I’m not sure there’s a playbook out there that anybody’s ever written,” he said. “Not just competing against players that you had physically coached and had invested so much in their lives, but you know their families, their career aspirations, especially that senior class.”

Twichell said the “coach speak” was that it was just another game.

But the emotions surfaced during the postgame handshakes.

“Lots of hugs and some emotions. It was a good feeling from a human standpoint, but obviously we’re disappointed the game didn’t go the way we wanted it to,” he said.

Thomas said his coach warned the players that the game would generate more than the usual hype.

“He let us know there would be a lot of attention brought on us from the media, being (Central head coach Mick) Enders vs. Twichell,” Thomas said.

“But with his preparation, we were pretty dialed into the game. Hopefully we can take the things we learned from that game and assess them moving forward so the things that happened in that game won’t happen again.”

Pam ShebestPam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.

PHOTOS (Top) First-year Portage Northern varsity football coach Kurt Twichell talks with his team this season. (2) Portage Northern senior Xavier Thomas, top, and athletic director Chris Riker. (3) Twichell, left, works with his players during a practice this fall. (4) Twichell addresses the Huskies after a game. (Action photos by Jason Altwies; head shots by Pam Shebest.)