Flag Waves for Record-Setting Hudson
November 24, 2015
By Ron Pesch
Special for Second Half
The story of little Hudson High School had captured the minds of many back in the fall of 1975, but perhaps none more so then the one belonging to filmmaker Steve Gebhardt.
The small town, located south of Jackson, boasted a population of about 2,600 at the time. Student enrollment placed its high school firmly as Class C in a four-tiered system used by the Michigan High School Athletic Association to determine placement in MHSAA postseason tournament play.
On a cold day in Mount Pleasant at Central Michigan University, Gebhardt and crew, armed with cameras, captured the action. It was the first Class C title game in the state’s long history of prep football. The game matching Hudson’s Straight T and Ishpeming’s Slot I offenses also would serve as the conclusion to something amazing.
After losing their season opener in 1968 to Blissfield, Coach Tom Saylor’s Tigers began a march unseen in state high school history. Hudson finished out that football season with eight straight victories, but could not be found among the four squads with a single defeat ranked in the Associated Press top 10 poll for Class C. That changed a year later, when Hudson posted nine straight wins. The 1969 AP poll found the Tigers in second place behind only Frankenmuth’s undefeated squad at season end.
Nine dominating wins in 1970 brought the Tigers’ win streak to 26 straight. That Hudson squad, ranked among the best in school history, allowed a mere 24 points while scoring 372. Yet, again, the team landed in second place at the end of the year according to AP’s statewide panel, comprised of five members each from newspapers and radio/TV stations. According to the AP poll, Michigan’s Class C crown was instead awarded to a stellar Galesburg-Augusta team.
The 1971 season saw Hudson post a third consecutive 9-0 mark, and their 35th victory in a row, but again they finished the season as bridesmaids in the rankings behind North Muskegon. Tight wins in a pair of contests – an 8-0 victory over Harper Woods Lutheran East and a 6-0 defeat of Morenci in the traditional season finale – likely gave the nod to the Norseman, who had played only eight games that season.
With no control over the press polls, the Tigers coaching staff set its sights on another target – Michigan’s consecutive win streak of 44 gridiron games.
Hudson won the 1972 season opener against Blissfield, 16-3, and then rolled through its next six contests with relative ease. Game eight was against Homer, a team ranked among the top 10 in Class C all year. Suddenly, the streak was on the media’s radar.
“Little Hudson High Eyes 43rd in a Row” was the headline in the Detroit Free Press. “Winning streaks are made to be broken,” wrote the dean of state sports writers, Hal Schram. “Where will it end for little Hudson High?”
Saylor’s team trounced Homer 42-0 to ensure that the streak didn’t stop with the article.
Fittingly, the traditional season-ending battle with Morenci offered the chance to tie the state record for consecutive wins. As chance would have it, the Bulldogs held the long-standing mark in Michigan. Between 1948 and 1953, Morenci had posted 44 straight victories. The previous mark had been a 34-game winning streak by Detroit Catholic Central between 1936 and 1939.
Memories of the tight contest from 1971 were quickly forgotten as Hudson won easily, 42-0. With the victory, the Tigers were finally named Class C champs by the AP (but were still ranked second in Class C by United Press International), and Coach Tom Saylor was named AP Prep Coach of the Year.
A graduate of Deerfield High School in 1960, Saylor enrolled at Eastern Michigan University. At age 22 he accepted a teaching job at Hudson. After a year coaching the junior high team, and another as a junior varsity assistant, Saylor, was named varsity football coach in 1966 when Tiger coach Jack Zimmerman became principal at the Miller Building – the town’s elementary school.
The team became the record holder with a season opening 30-0 victory over Blissfield in 1973. However the streak was nearly ended by Manchester, a 6-0 win, in the season’s sixth game. Fullback Dan Bellfy scored the lone touchdown on a 4-yard run with 4:50 left in the first half.
“That was all the stubborn Tiger defense needed to work with,” noted the report in the Saturday, Oct. 20 edition of the Hillsdale Daily News. “Hudson coach Tom Saylor said, ‘Our defensive ends Don Hoover and Rick Beagle, did an outstanding job of pressuring (All-State quarterback Rick) Kennedy.’ (Dan) Mullaly came up with a big play as he intercepted a Kennedy pass at midfield with less than a minute left on the clock.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, the Tigers again ended the year undefeated, extending the streak to 53 straight wins. Hudson High was named mythical Class C state champ by the AP, but again UPI downplayed the success. Undefeated St. Ignace from the Upper Peninsula was named UPI champ, with second place awarded to once beaten Kalamazoo Hackett. The panel of eight different high school coaches that voted each week in the UPI poll felt “that if there was a playoff annually and it had to meet Hackett and St. Ignace,” Hudson would fall despite its lengthy winning streak. So instead, the Tigers finished third in the UPI Class C prep rankings.
The 1974 team extended the streak to 62. Of course, with a huge target on its back, pressure mounted throughout the year.
“The much-publicized battle between the top-ranked Tigers and the fourth-ranked (Addison) Panthers was everything the 6,000 rain-drenched fans could hope for,” stated the Hillsdale Daily News. Trailing 13-0 early, and 21-20 with 10:08 left in the contest, Hudson rallied back with a touchdown by Greg Guitierrez with 4:48 left in the fourth quarter for a 26-21 victory at Hudson’s Thompson Field in week three. Schram later called the contest “Prep Game of the Year.”
Two weeks later, Mark Luma, a junior running back for the Tigers, scored on the last play of the game to give Hudson a 14-8 road win over Grass Lake to keep the streak alive.
Hudson led 16-14 at halftime of the season finale with Hillsdale, but both teams were unable to score in the final two quarters, and Hudson capped a sixth straight undefeated season with its third consecutive Class C title according to the Associated Press.
“I was born and educated in Cincinnati,” said Steve Gebhardt, discussing his interest in the high school team from southeastern Michigan. “I stumbled on an article in a Detroit newspaper talking about the Hudson streak and its potential to gain this record next year. It seemed prophetic and I bit.”
The record that caught Gebhardt’s eye was owned by Jefferson City, Missouri. Between 1958 and 1966, the Jays compiled 71 straight wins on the gridiron.
A 1955 graduate of Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills High School, Gebhardt “worked at an architectural engineering firm for three years before enrolling in the University of Cincinnati to study architecture, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1964 and a master’s degree in community planning in 1968,” recalled the New York Times. “While at school he became infatuated with film. He founded the film society, (and) began making his own experimental 16-millimeter films.”
In 1970, he was invited to New York to work for a friend, Jonas Mekas, an avant-garde cinema pioneer. By 1972, Gebhardt was working as resident filmmaker for Joko Films, owned by former Beatle John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono. It was followed by work filming the Rolling Stones in Texas during their Exile on Main St tour.
Shortly after the 1974 season, the Michigan High School Athletic Association announced plans to host a state championship series for football in Michigan in the fall of 1975. The 1974 season had been spent studying the plan. Deemed a success, the coming season would see four teams selected from each of the four classifications selected to compete in a two-round playoff. Teams winning round one would pair off in a championship round, with the winner of that game proclaimed a true state champion, based on competition.
With Hudson’s streak now at 62, another undefeated season would mean they would tie the national record. If the Tigers qualified for the planned playoffs, the team would have the chance to top the mark in the opening round.
Gebhardt made contact with Saylor and school officials about the possibility of capturing the chase for the record on film for a possible documentary. Approved, with a film crew assembled, they joined the team for much of the 1975 season, shooting game film both in town and on the road. They caught a team focused on disappointing no one, including Saylor, the coaching staff, family, friends and classmates. After a period of adjustment, the presence of the crew provided more inspiration not to lose.
Prior to the start of the season, Saylor spoke of his optimism with the press.
''This is the group of kids we've been waiting for since they were in junior high. They've lost only one game since junior high, that to Manchester when they were freshmen.” Saylor also spoke of the team’s depth, as well as his only concerns. "We have three complete backfields which we can use. We've got Dan Salamin back at quarterback, with Greg Gutierrez and Mark Luma back at halfback. I'm concerned about complacency. I'm concerned about keeping everybody happy.”
A dominating 32-0 win over Blissfield in the season opener highlighted the strength of the defense. In game two, Clinton put up a good fight at Thompson Field, scoring two third quarter touchdowns to pull within two points, 16-14, but ultimately fell 32-14 as Luma rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. With the victory, Hudson now was tied with Pittsfield, Illinois, for second place nationally for consecutive wins at 64. Immediately, the spotlight on Hudson grew.
“I get at least two calls a day from newspapers, no less,” said Saylor at the time.
Hoping to see a repeat of the 1974 thriller, another huge crowd showed up for the Addison game. Hudson won the contest, 28-6, but took a huge blow with the loss of Luma early in the contest with torn ligaments in a knee.
Manchester, in week six, put up a bit of a struggle, but was defeated 18-7. Win number 70 was a convincing shutout of Bronson, 30-0. That set the stage for the Hillsdale game and a chance to tie the Jefferson City record.
The possibility of tying the mark was mentioned to a national television audience by former Detroit Lion Alex Karras on ABC’s Monday Night Football telecast. People magazine and Sports Illustrated were preparing stories for publication (Click to read the Sports Illustrated article). A camera crew from CBS sports, filming a spot for the Today Show, as well as numerous newspaper reporters had come to town. Coach Saylor fielded calls and requests for interviews from scores of radio and TV stations and newspaper and magazine reporters.
“The cheerleaders organized a special pep assembly, one that the community would never forget,” wrote John Behee in the book, Wave the Flag for Hudson High, detailing the streak. “Special invitations were extended to all of the 150 athletes who had played varsity football for Hudson High School during the eight-year victory string, to those who had performed as cheerleaders and to the parents of those players and cheerleaders.”
Telegrams from Jefferson City coach Pete Atkins and State of Michigan Governor William Milliken arrived before game time, wishing the team well. Luma, thought lost for the season, was cleared to play.
Ahead 11-0 at the half, the Tigers scored a 24-6 win over Class B Hillsdale to tie the mark. Writing for the Detroit News, Jerry Green recalled the theme song from an old radio adventure series, Jack Armstrong, All-American Boy, in his coverage of the game. The broadcast ran from 1933 to 1951.
"Wave the flag for Hudson High, boys, show them how we stand. Ever shall our team be champions, known through-out the land!"
“Jack Armstrong lives, a folk hero performing miracles … for Hudson High of course,” wrote Green. “He has gone into coaching and his name in true life is Tom Saylor.”
The only question that remained was whether playoff points would qualify the Tigers for the postseason. Based on strength of schedule and region, a loss by Allen Park Cabrini in its eighth and final week of football, and the upset of Traverse City St. Francis by Lansing Catholic Central in week nine improved the odds that the Tigers would earn a berth, but nothing was certain until final calculations by the MHSAA. The results were released late Sunday after the game.
According to the computer rankings, Hudson surpassed a 7-2 team from Flat Rock to represent Region II in the semifinal round of the postseason. They would play Region I’s Kalamazoo Hackett, once beaten during the regular season. The opportunity to capture the national record was scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15 on the artificial turf of Houseman Field in Grand Rapids.
Again Gebhardt’s crew, along with 11,000 fans, caught the action. A fumble by Hackett on the first play from scrimmage was recovered by Hudson’s John Barrett and eight plays later, the Orange and Black were on the board. Gutierrez crashed through from the 1, followed by the 2-point conversion by Luma. The Tigers were up 24-6 at the half. Hackett scored midway through the third quarter to pull within 10, 24-14. From that point on, stellar defense on both sides defined the game. An interception by Hudson’s Tim Decker in the final minute of play sealed the win, and the country had a new record holder.
Congratulations flowed in from across America, and included a letter from President Gerald R. Ford, a former Michigan high school football player himself.
A week later, the ride ended in the state final game at Central Michigan University before a crowd of 7,000. Ishpeming opened up a 24-8 lead in the first quarter and downed the Tigers 38-22, grabbing the first MHSAA Class C title. The incredible streak was over. Gebhardt and his crew had captured grass roots America at its finest, including the storybook end.
“Mr. Steve Gebhardt,” wrote Behee, “who had shared intimately in the triumphs and heartbreaks of the 1975 football season was made an honorary 42nd member of the Hudson team and given a varsity letter for ‘guarding the water bucket.’”
The football team’s accomplishments continued to rack up honors. In January 1976, it was announced that Hudson would be honored with induction into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
“This marks the first time in the Hall’s 22-year history that a team is to be honored, and I doubt if it happens again in our time.” said Nick Kerbawy, a former general manager of the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Pistons, and the Hall of Fame’s commissioner. “Many teams in Michigan have won consecutive championships, but no team — amateur or professional — can match Hudson’s amazing record.”
In 1976, Hudson again went undefeated, but because of the quirks of the early playoff system, failed to qualify for the postseason. The streak of regular-season victories was extended to 81 before ending in 1977.
Gebhardt began work, cutting down the hundreds of hours of film for the documentary. However, financing the project became a challenge.
“There is a terrific show here,” he would say, years later, describing his passion project. “The story up to the preparation after the Bronson game is pretty well cut. It's the fact that the story really is in the next three weekends of games. … It's that material after the Bronson game #70 that needs editing. (That is) where the meat of the story lives.”
“In the mid-1970s Mr. Gebhardt moved to Los Angeles and worked as an architect,” noted the New York Times. “He returned to Cincinnati in 1989 and resumed his film career.”
For the talented cameraman and story teller, other projects surfaced. A documentary on Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music, was released in 1993. A trio of films, with ties to the life of 1960s cultural activist John Sinclair, were filmed, edited and prepared for release.
Gebhardt’s passion for the Hudson High project was re-ignited in 1997 when California’s Concord De La Salle High School eclipsed the national mark, and again in 2008 when inquiries about the film were received.
In 2010, when Hudson defeated Ishpeming for the MHSAA Division 7 championship in a rematch of the 1975 title game, Gebhardt traveled from Cincinnati to Detroit’s Ford Field to film the meeting for possible use in the project.
Sadly, time expired. In October of this year, at the age of 78, Gebhardt passed away.
“At his death, he was at work on ‘Hudson Tigers,’ a documentary he began in the mid-1970s about a high school football team in Hudson, Mich., that had won 72 straight games,” stated his New York Times obituary.
“There are a number of versions of The Hudson Tigers out there,” wrote Gebhardt back in 2008, in an effort to attract financing for the tale. “All are of low resolution … quite frankly there isn't anyone other than me who can or should complete this show. What do you think?”
Despite a serious run at the mark by Ithaca High School, which assembled a 69-game streak that was ended by Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in the 2014 Division 6 championship game, Hudson’s amazing feat of 72 straight remains the Michigan state record. So, too, stands the regular season mark of 81.
However, it remains to be seen if the work of a young filmmaker, on location 40 years ago to capture an amazing feat, ever sees the light of day. In this time of sports documentaries, will the flag for the Hudson High’s teams of 1968 to 1975 again be waved?
Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.
PHOTOS: (Top) The 1975 Hudson football team made the first MHSAA Playoffs; this is the team photo from the Finals program. (Top middle) John Behee wrote "Wave the Flag for Hudson High" about the record run. (Middle) Captains for Hudson, left, and Kalamazoo Hackett met at midfield before the 1975 Class C Semifinal. (Below middle) Sports Illustrated was among national media that wrote about the Tigers. (Below) A sign stands in Hudson saluting the success of the local football program. (Photos courtesy of Ron Pesch or taken from "Wave the Flag for Hudson High."
1st & Goal: 11-Player Finals Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 21, 2021
We made it.
This season’s “Drive for Detroit” – as we often call it – started in August, stopped, started again, and stopped again in November.
But we’ve arrived at Ford Field with eight 11-player championship games left to cap the longest, and certainly one of the most unforgettable seasons in MHSAA football history.
This weekend’s lineup includes four 2019 champions aiming to repeat, and seven contenders hoping to claim the state’s ultimate high school football prize for the first time.
Here’s the schedule:
FRIDAY
Division 8: Centreville (10-0) vs. Ubly (9-2), 10 a.m.
Division 2: Muskegon Mona Shores (11-0) vs. Warren De La Salle Collegiate (7-4), 1 p.m.
Division 6: Montague (11-0) vs. Clinton (10-1), 4:30 p.m.
Division 4: Cadillac (8-2) vs. Detroit Country Day (8-2), 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
Division 7: New Lothrop (10-0) vs. Traverse City St. Francis (9-2), 10 a.m.
Division 1: Davison (11-0) vs. West Bloomfield (10-1), 1 p.m.
Division 5: Grand Rapids Catholic Central (10-0) vs. Frankenmuth (11-0), 4:30 p.m.
Division 3: DeWitt (11-0) vs. River Rouge (9-1), 7:30 p.m.
Spectators remain limited for this weekend’s games at Ford Field. But all eight will be broadcast by FOX Sports Detroit – click for the full cable schedule plus more links to watch online and listen live.
Rankings below are derived from where teams finished the regular season in their divisions based on playoff point average. Teams that are “unranked” finished outside of the top 10.
Division 1
DAVISON
Record/rank: 11-0, No. No. 10
Coach: Jake Weingartz, third season (30-5)
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League Red
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2019.
Best wins: 27-3 over No. 6 Rockford in Semifinal, 47-6 (District opener) and 37-6 over Lapeer, 20-7 over Detroit Catholic Central in Regional Final, 48-19 (District Final) and 46-21 over Grand Blanc.
Players to watch: QB/DB Dion Brown Jr., 6-0/180, sr. (248 yards/3 TDs passing, 387 yards/4 TDs receiving); RB/DB Carter Cryderman, 5-11/195, sr. (848 yards/11 TDs rushing, 132 yards/1 TD receiving); WR/DB Payton Pizzala, 6-0/185, sr. (118 yards/ 1 TD receiving); TE/DE Harrison Unger, 6-2/235, sr.
Outlook: Reigning Division 1 champion Davison handed lone losses this season to Detroit Catholic Central and Rockford on its way back to Ford Field. Brown has been one of the heroes of the playoffs; with all-state QB Brendan Sullivan off to Northwestern as an early enrollee, Brown has moved over from leading receiver to guide the Cardinals to their best two wins of the season. Senior running back Te’Avion Warren is emerging as another postseason star – he ran for a team-high 30 times for a team-best 163 yards and a two scores against the Rams, giving him 506 yards and seven TDs rushing this season. Unger made the all-state first team and keys a defense giving up just 6.9 points per game – he’ll play at Air Force after high school. Cryderman on offense made the all-state second team, and Pizzala on defense earned honorable mention.
WEST BLOOMFIELD
Record/rank: 10-1, No. 9
Coach: Ron Bellamy, 11th season (77-40)
League finish: Second in Oakland Activities Association Red
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2017.
Best wins: 35-34 (2OT) over No. 3 Belleville in Semifinal, 63-6 over Sterling Heights Stevenson in District Final, 28-0 over Lake Orion.
Players to watch: RB Donovan Edwards, 5-11/195, sr.; RB/DB Dillon Tatum, 5-10/185, jr.; DB Maxwell Hairston, 6-0/175, sr.; DT Jaden Green, 6-0/265, sr. (Statistics not provided.)
Outlook: West Bloomfield handed both Stevenson and then Belleville their lone losses to reach this weekend, and after the Lakers had fallen in Regional Finals the last two seasons. Edwards, an all-state first teamer and Michigan recruit, is arguably the most electrifying running back in the state. The Lakers’ lone defeat came in Week 6, 24-21 in overtime to eventual OAA Red champion Clarkston – and after that game, West Bloomfield’s defense posted four straight shutouts. Hairston and Tatum both made the all-state second team as defensive backs, and Green earned an honorable mention on the line. Senior punter Sammy Lafata also earned an all-state honorable mention, averaging 37.5 yards per punt through the Regional Final. Hairston will play next at Kentucky, and senior safety Gavin Hardeman will play at Air Force.
Division 2
MUSKEGON MONA SHORES
Record/rank: 11-0, No. 4
Coach: Matt Koziak, 10th season (83-29)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Green
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2019, runner-up 2018 and 2014.
Best wins: 43-30 over No. 9 Traverse City Central in Semifinal, 24-21 over No. 2 East Lansing in Regional Final, 28-25 over No. 8 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in District Semifinal, 35-21 over Detroit Martin Luther King, 21-14 over Division 3 No. 6 Muskegon.
Players to watch: QB/DB Brady Rose, 5-7/172, sr. (1,244 yards/20 TDs rushing, 985 yards/11 TDs passing); WR/DB Keondre Pierce, 5-11/175, sr.; TE/LB Karsen Marihugh, 5-11/236, sr.; OL/DL Mason Klos, 6-1/273, sr.
Outlook: Mona Shores won three playoff games by eight or fewer points and a fourth with a big comeback, which showed an impressive amount of resolve as the Sailors navigated one of the toughest paths to get to this weekend. Rose became an instant star taking over at quarterback for last season’s championship game and running for 90 yards and three touchdowns and throwing for 122 yards and a score. He made the all-state first team this season, Marihugh and Pierce made the second team, and Klos earned an honorable mention. Junior running back Elijah Johnson is another player to watch in the backfield – he’s run for 814 yards and 11 touchdowns.
WARREN DE LA SALLE COLLEGIATE
Record/rank: 7-4, unranked
Coach: Dan Rohn, first season (7-4)
League finish: Third in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Division 2 champions 2018, 2017 and 2014, runners-up up 2008 and 2006.
Best wins: 26-20 (OT) over Oak Park in Semifinal, 36-0 over No. 1 Port Huron in District Final, 45-3 over Warren Mott in Regional Final.
Players to watch: QB Brady Drogosh, 6-4/195, soph. (949 yards/9 TDs passing); QB/LB JC Ford, 5-9/175, sr. (484 yards/3 TDs rushing); RB/LB Brett Stanley, 5-8/180, sr. (699 yards/9 TDs rushing); WR Alton McCullum, 6-0/195, jr. (236 yards/2 TDs receiving). (Statistics through Regional Finals).
Outlook: After finishing 2-4 against a regular-season schedule that included three opponents that went 6-0 and a fourth 5-1 – and losing a pair of those games by a combined six points – De La Salle has put together a playoff run that included only one close game. Before the Semifinal, the Pilots had outscored their first four playoff opponents by a combined 172-23. Rohn previously led Grand Rapids West Catholic to Division 5 championships in 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015 and is a combined 157-57 during his head coaching career. Stanley earned an all-state honorable mention this season.
Division 3
DEWITT
Record/rank: 11-0, No. 2
Coach: Rob Zimmerman, 22nd season (221-45)
League finish: League did not keep standings because of shortened season.
Championship history: Finished runner-up five times (most recently 2013).
Best wins: 14-0 over No. 6 Muskegon in Semifinal, 43-0 over No. 5 Mason in District Final, 43-3 over Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 37-3 over Division 5 No. 4 Portland, 64-38 over Grand Ledge.
Players to watch: QB/DB Tyler Holtz, 5-11/195, jr. (2,219 yards/31 TDs passing, 3 TDs rushing); WR/DB Lukas Bresser, 6-3/180, sr. (612 yards/11 TDs receiving); WR/DB Thomas McIntosh, 6-5/200, jr. (707 yards/13 TDs receiving, 4 interceptions); RB/LB Andrew Debri, 5-11/215, sr. (312 yards/9 TDs rushing, 69 tackles/2 interceptions); QB/LB Grant Uyl, 5-11/210, sr. (56 tackles).
Outlook: DeWitt has made at least the Regional Finals the last five seasons and the Semifinals the last three, and last weekend’s Muskegon win avenged a seven-point Semifinal loss to the Big Reds in the same round in 2019. Zimmerman has led the program to double-digit wins 12 of the last 15 seasons and five of the six championship game trips. An offense scoring 45 points per game often gets the headlines, and for good reason. But the defense is giving up just five points per game and hasn’t allowed any since Stevensville Lakeshore put up six in the regular-season finale. Holtz, McIntosh and Debri all made the all-state first team, Debri at linebacker, with Bresser and Uyl earning honorable mentions.
RIVER ROUGE
Record/rank: 9-1, unranked
Coach: Corey Parker, 11th season (107-30)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2019, Division 5 runner-up 2015.
Best wins: 30-22 over No. 1 Chelsea in Semifinal, 33-30 over Detroit Martin Luther King in Regional Final, 38-20 over Riverview in District Semifinal, 40-21 over New Boston Huron in District Final.
Players to watch: QB Mareyohn Hrabowski, 6-4/214, sr.; DB Armorion Smith, 6-2/190, sr.; DL Pius Odjugo, 6-2/340, sr.; DL Davonte Miles, 6-5/280, jr.; OL Jalen Johnson, 6-2/310, sr. (Statistics not provided.)
Outlook: The reigning champion shut out five of six opponents during the regular season, with its only loss to eventual Division 2 Regional finalist East Lansing. Hrabowski starred in last season’s Division 3 championship game victory over Muskegon and can do damage running and passing; he made the all-state second team this fall. He works behind what might be the state’s most sizable offensive line, with the five starters averaging 6-foot-2 and 307 pounds. Johnson is one of that group and also made the all-state second team, and senior Chance Moore earned an honorable mention. Also earning accolades, Miles and Smith both made the all-state first team, while Odjugo made the second and senior receiver Tayshaun Massey-Johnson earned an honorable mention. Hrabowski will play next at Western Michigan, Smith at Cincinnati, Odjugo at Central Michigan, Johnson at Ball State and Moore at Morgan State.
Division 4
CADILLAC
Record/rank: 8-2, unranked
Coach: Cody Mallory, sixth season (26-33)
League finish: Third in Big North Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 28-26 over No. 1 Edwardsburg in Semifinal, 27-23 over Ada Forest Hills Eastern in Regional Final, 34-14 over Sault Ste. Marie in District Final.
Players to watch: QB/DB Aden Gurden, 6-0/170, jr. (945 yards/13 TDs rushing, 263 yards/1 TD passing); RB/LB Noah Cochrane, 5-11/180, sr. (540 yards/7 TDs rushing); RB/DB Collin Johnston, 5-9/180, jr. (243 yards/2 TDs rushing, 91 tackles); RB/DB Dan Gray, 5-11/160, sr. (61 tackles, 2 interceptions).
Outlook: It’s fair to say Cadillac stunned many who follow high school football with last week’s win over the offensively-powerful Eddies, but it’s hard to think of a better way for the Vikings to earn their first trip to the Finals. They’re enjoying an impressive turnaround – they were 1-8 only two seasons ago before improving to 7-5 in 2019. Their strength is defense, where Johnston and Gray earned all-state honorable mentions. Plenty of power running the ball helps on both sides, of course; the Vikings are rushing for 300 yards per game with four players scoring at least five times on the ground. Cadillac’s losses this season were to eventual Division 2 semifinalist Traverse City Central and also larger Traverse City West.
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 8-2, unranked
Coach: Dan MacLean, 23rd season (179-79)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 12-0 over No. 5 Williamston in Semifinal, 38-0 over No. 3 North Branch in Regional Final, 20-10 over No. 10 Madison Heights Lamphere in District Final, 21-14 (District Semifinal) and 10-0 over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 37-17 over Paw Paw.
Players to watch: TE/LB Billy Abdallah, 6-3/216, sr.; WR/DB Danny MacLean, 6-0/212, sr.; OL/DL Caleb Tiernan, 6-7/280, sr.; RB/DL Nick Wachol, 6-0/212, sr.; OL/DL Will Leggon, 6-3/290, sr.
Outlook: Country Day was able to get in only four regular-season games, but has surged through the postseason and looks to be in stride. The defense has been especially impressive, giving up a combined 36 points over five playoff games and bringing a two-game shutout streak into this weekend. Tiernan, who also will play next at Northwestern, made the all-state first team and plays on both sides of the ball, as does Leggon, who earned all-state honorable mention. Abdallah made the all-state second team and Danny MacLean and Wachol earned honorable mentions, all three for their work on defense as well. Senior Jacob Yarberry is an offensive playmaker of note; he’s the leading rusher and has scored five times on offense and once on a punt return. Junior quarterback Brandon Mann has run for six touchdowns and thrown for another.
Division 5
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 10-0, No. 1
Coach: Todd Kolster, ninth season (99-12)
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 49-14 over No. 7 Freeland in Semifinal, 58-7 over Muskegon Oakridge in Regional Final, 41-6 over No. 10 Belding in District opener, 28-27 (OT) over Division 4 No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian, 42-28 over Cedar Springs.
Players to watch: WR Jace Williams, 6-5/198, sr. (814 yards/19 TDs receiving); QB Joey Silveri, 6-0/205, jr. (1,839 yards/29 TDs passing, 7 TDs rushing); TB Nick Hollern, 5-9/195 sr. (1,057 yards/17 TDs rushing); SS Nolan Ziegler, 6-3/205, jr.; OL/DL Brady Redmer, 6-0/205, jr.
Outlook: The reigning Division 4 champion won three of the last four titles in that division and will look to add its first in Division 5. Only rival South Christian has come closer than 24 points of the Cougars this season, with 2019 Finals star Silveri putting up big numbers and Williams becoming one of the most prolific receivers in MHSAA history – his 19 touchdowns catches are tied for 15th most for one season and have come in just nine games (one win was a forfeit). He and Ziegler made the all-state first team, while Silveri made the second and Hollern and Redmer earned honorable mentions. Ziegler will continue next season at Notre Dame, and Williams will play at Miami (Ohio).
FRANKENMUTH
Record/rank: 11-0, No. 2
Coach: Phil Martin, eighth season (79-14)
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference East
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 31-7 over No. 6 Marine City in Regional Final, 31-7 over No. 9 Essexville Garber, 41-3 over No. 7 Freeland, 35-14 over Lansing Catholic in Semifinal.
Players to watch: QB Davin Reif, 5-8/170, sr. (842 yards/8 TDs passing, 963 yards/17 TDs rushing); RB Cole Lindow, 5-9/170, jr. (1,082 yards/14 TDs rushing); TE/DE Ethan Jacobs, 6-2/185, sr. (206 yards/2 TDs receiving, 49 tackles/9 sacks/2 interceptions); S Cole Jankowski, 6-1/175, jr. (6 interceptions); Kyle Main, 6-5/315, sr.
Outlook: Frankenmuth has played in seven Semifinals since making its first in 1987, and this time advanced to the season’s final weekend for the first time. Reif and Lindow combine to lead a rushing attack averaging 294 yards per game – but what jumps off the page perhaps more is the defense has allowed 302 rushing yards all season (on 267 carries). Passers haven’t fared much better; combined Frankenmuth yields just under 115 yards and 6.8 points per game. Main and Jacobs (as a punter) made the all-state first team, while Reif, Lindow and Jankowski earned honorable mentions. Seniors Konnor Roche and Ben Reinhert are two more to watch on defense – Roche leads the Eagles with 73 tackles and has 18 tackles for loss at linebacker, and Reinhert has 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks from the other defensive end spot.
Division 6
MONTAGUE
Record/rank: 11-0, No. 4
Coach: Patrick Collins, 17th season (158-45)
League finish: First in West Michigan Conference
Championship history: Division 6 champions 2009 and 2008, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 41-16 over No. 9 Montrose in Regional Final, 36-7 over No. 2 Muskegon Catholic Central in District Final, 50-7 over No. 6 Clare in District Semifinal, 34-31 (2OT) over Whitehall, 42-6 over Muskegon Oakridge.
Players to watch: QB/DB Drew Collins, 6-3/208, sr. (1,894 yards/22 TDs passing, 661 yards/16 TDs rushing); WR/DB/K Andrew Kooi, 5-9/170, jr. (426 yards/4 TDs passing, 362 yards/5 TDs receiving, 3 TDs rushing, 59-63 XP/2 FG); OL/DL Hayden McDonald, 6-3/285, jr. (65 tackles), OL/DL Walker Martin, 6-3/285, sr. (51 tackles)
Outlook: After missing the Finals by a one-point Semifinal defeat last season, Montague is back at championship weekend after finishing Division 6 runner-up in 2018. Drew Collins made the all-state first team and leads an attack that runs and passes to nearly equal yardage; he’s the second-leading rusher behind junior Dylan Everett (719 yards/16 TDs). The defense, minus the double-overtime win over Whitehall, gave up an average of only 6.9 points per game over its other 10. Martin and McDonald also made the all-state first team and start on both the offensive and defensive lines, and Montague also can rely on all-state first-team kicker Kooi. Also notable, Montague has intercepted 19 passes, with sophomore Izac Jarka picking off nine.
CLINTON
Record/rank: 10-1, No. 7
Coach: Jeremy Fielder, third season (27-5)
League finish: Second in Lenawee County Activities Association
Championship history: Division 6 runner-up in 2015 and 2013.
Best wins: 40-6 over No. 8 Constantine in Semifinal, 13-12 over No. 3 Warren Michigan Collegiate in Regional Final, 16-13 over No. 5 Blissfield in District Final, 21-14 over Hillsdale.
Players to watch: RB/LB Bradyn Lehman, 5-10/180, soph. (998 yards/11 TDs rushing); RB/LB Brayden Randolph, 5-11/180, sr. (843 yards/10 TDs rushing); RB/S Davey Campbell, 5-8/160, sr. (674 yards/8 TDs rushing); OL/DL Tyler Bowles, 6-0/280, sr.
Outlook: Clinton’s return to Ford Field included the rematch win over Blissfield, which won their first meeting 28-14 to eventually decide the league title. Another tough-running offense has allowed Clinton to earn a few postseason championships, however. In addition to Lehman, Randolph and Campbell, junior George Ames has rushed for 852 yards and 11 scores as the team has 3,885 yards and 54 touchdowns running the ball (and has thrown only 28 passes). Randolph made the all-state first team at linebacker, while Bowles made the second team and Campbell earned honorable mention also on defense. Junior kicker Jonathan Baughey earned an all-state honorable mention as well, making 36 of 42 extra points and a field goal so far this season.
Division 7
NEW LOTHROP
Record/rank: 10-0, No. 2
Coach: Clint Galvas, 13th season (128-15)
League finish: First in Mid-Michigan Activities Conference
Championship history: Division 7 champion 2018, Division 8 champion 2006.
Best wins: 36-21 over No. 6 Schoolcraft in Semifinal, 41-7 over No. 1 Detroit Loyola in Regional Final, 44-15 over Division 6 No. 9 Montrose, 49-6 over Durand.
Players to watch: QB/DL Cam Orr, 6-4/230, sr. (1,882 yards/27 TDs passing, 730 yards/18 TDs rushing); RB/DB Will Muron, 5-11/180, sr. (798 yards/8 TDs rushing, 603 yards/10 TDs receiving, 3 TDs on special teams); RB/LB Julius Garza, 6-0/180, sr. (209 yards/2 TDs rushing, 431 yards/7 TDs receiving); OL/DL Will Taylor, 6-3/250, sr. (Garza’s stats are through the Regional Final only.)
Outlook: After seeing last season end with a one-point Regional Final loss to eventual champion Pewamo-Westphalia, New Lothrop has stormed back winning all of its games by at least two touchdowns. The Hornets have won 26 of their last 27 games, going back to the start of that last championship playoff run. Orr sets the pace for an offense averaging nearly 49 points per game, although he made the all-state first team as a lineman for a defense giving up 9.2 points per contest. Muron was the offensive star of the Semifinal win, and he also made the all-state first team on defense. He’s also returned a kickoff and two punts for scores. Taylor was named to the all-state second team, and Garza earned an honorable mention.
TRAVERSE CITY ST. FRANCIS
Record/rank: 9-2, unranked
Coach: Josh Sellers, 11th season (120-17)
League finish: First in Northern Michigan Football Conference Legends
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 13-12 over Cass City in Semifinal, 44-32 over Charlevoix in District Final, 21-20 over Jackson Lumen Christi, 42-20 over Grayling.
Players to watch: RB/DB Owen Mueller, 5-9/178, sr. (565 yards/5 TDs rushing); RB/DT Aidan Schmuckal, 6-0/205, sr. (483 yards/11 TDs rushing); OL/DL/K Bryce Kempf, 6-3/220, jr. (35-35 XP/1 FG); OL/DE Casey Donahue, 6-3/210, sr. (Schmuckal and Kempf’s stats through Regional Final only.)
Outlook: The Gladiators are back at Ford Field for the first time since that last title run but after making the Semifinals four times over the last nine seasons. Sellers was coach for the 2003 and 2005 championships teams; he left to coach in Tennessee after the 2007 season but took St. Francis’ program back over in 2015. There’s some interesting history to this Finals matchup; St. Francis in 2018 gave the Hornets their only regular-season loss of the last four years. The offense has a number of contributors, and the running attack has gained more than 2,200 yards over 10 games on the field. Donahue made the all-state first team, while Schmuckal on defense and Kempf as a kicker earned honorable mentions.
Division 8
CENTREVILLE
Record/rank: 10-0, No. 7
Coach: Jerry Schultz, first season (10-0)
League finish: First in Southwest 10 Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 8-0 over Sand Creek in Regional Final, 32-14 over Reading in District Final, 16-0 (District Semifinal) and 14-8 over White Pigeon, 36-0 over Mendon.
Players to watch: WR/DB Tristan McElroy, 6-1/160, sr. (299 yards/4 TDs receiving, 5 interceptions); RB/OLB Gunner Bunning, 5-8/150, sr. (268 yards/4 TDs rushing); QB/FS Sam Todd, 6-1/185, sr. (438 yards/7 TDs passing, 1,005 yards/13 TDs rushing); FB/DE Jared Spencer, 6-3/195, sr. (399 yards/4 TDs rushing).
Outlook: Centreville is a combined 25-6 over the last three seasons after a run of nine straight finishing below .500. Schultz took over the program this fall after serving as defensive coordinator at Niles for four seasons, and has brought Centreville not only to its first championship game but also delivered its first Regional Final and Semifinal trips. While no opponent finished among the top 10 in its division in playoff point average, Sand Creek, Reading and Mendon all finished between Nos. 11-15 in Division 8. Todd earned an all-state honorable mention at quarterback, while the defense has given up a Michigan high school-best 3.2 points per game (credit to the Kalamazoo Gazette’s Patrick Nothaft for that research).
UBLY
Record/rank: 9-2, unranked
Coach: Eric Sweeney, first season (9-2)
League finish: Third in Greater Thumb Conference East
Championship history: Division 7 runner-up 2008.
Best wins: 43-0 over Johannesburg-Lewiston in Semifinal, 42-0 over Flint Beecher in District Final, 36-6 over Carson City-Crystal in Regional Final, 20-14 (OT) over Unionville-Sebewaing in District Semifinal.
Players to watch: RB/LB Carson Heleski, 6-1/190, sr. (1,135 yards/20 TDs rushing); RB/DT Colin Oberski, 6-1/180, jr. (565 yards/8 TDs rushing); RB/S Logan Mueller, 6-1/165, jr. (676 yards/6 TDs rushing); QB/S Evan Peruski, 5-11/165, fr. (238 yards/2 TDs passing, 498 yards/8 TDs rushing). (Statistics through Regional Final only.)
Outlook: Sweeney moved up after two seasons leading the junior varsity and has Ubly headed to Ford Field for the first time in more than a decade, and after the Bearcats missed the Finals last season by a one-point Semifinal loss. They finished 13th in Division 8 in playoff-point average after early losses to Harbor Beach and Sandusky. While the offense is certainly impressive, especially running the ball – Ubly averaged 306 yards rushing per game over its first 10 – the defense shut out a Johannesburg-Lewiston team that was averaging 44 points per game and a Beecher team that was scoring 32 points per contest. Heleski earned an all-state honorable mention, and you’ll certainly hear more about Peruski, the rare freshman starting quarterback to bring his team this far.