Football Finals: Top 10 of first 15 Years
By
Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian
January 23, 2021
Not long ago, MLive published an article listing its "Top 30" Michigan high school football state finals performances over the last 30 years.
But what about those feats from the first 15 years (1975-1989)?
There were a total of 60 championships awarded in that first decade-and-a-half of play in Michigan, with title trophies awarded in only four classifications of 11-player football.
Since the beginning of the postseason, one can certainly argue the game of football has evolved from a run-dominated approach to a more wide-open style. While rushing marks from those first 15 years still dot the MHSAA championship record book, title game passing records overwhelmingly come from the later years of the playoffs.
Despite the changes made over time to the postseason, it’s interesting to note, the average margin of victory for 312 MHSAA football championship games has not really changed much. For the first 60 titles, the differential was 15.88 points. For the 252 played since 1989, it averages 16.12.
What has changed is the average score. For the first 60, it was 25-9 (25.25 to 9.37). Since then, it has climbed to 30-14 (29.98 to 13.84). In other words, the offense for both the victor and the runner-up is more productive.
The defense has shut out its opponent on 42 occasions over the past 45 years. That happened on 16 occasions in those first 15 years, over 26 percent of the time. Over the last 30 years, that’s happened in just over 10 percent of MHSAA title games played since 1990.
Top performances aren't always found in a state record book. In a world that's constantly changing, the circumstances that form the setting mean everything.
Now about those 10 performances, shown chronologically by year.
1975 Class C
Mike Dellangelo, Ishpeming vs Hudson
Quarterback Mike Marana earned Detroit Free Press Class C all-state honors come December, but it was a 5-foot-6, 160-pound running back named Mike Dellangelo who stole the spotlight when Ishpeming stunned Hudson, 38-22, in the MHSAA title game in 1975 hosted at Central Michigan University. The postseason lasted only two weeks in that inaugural season of the playoffs, with only four teams qualifying in each of four classifications.
Dellangelo’s two touchdowns, a pair of two-point conversions and his 158 rushing yards on 21 carries may seem pedestrian to most when looking at playoff history today. But when studied against the accomplishment of Ishpeming’s opponent, Hudson, it magnifies the performance. The Tigers were, at the time, the most famous high school football team in America. Riding a 72-game win streak, recognized at the time as the longest ever in the nation, Hudson’s team’s achievements were featured in Sports Illustrated, before a Sunday broadcast of NFL games, and in countless newspapers and magazines from coast-to-coast.
“Few except the loyal fans from Ishpeming gave the Hematites a chance,” wrote Free Press sports writer, Hal Schram.
“A blocked punt by Bill Andriacchi early in the first period set up the game’s opening score,” stated the Green Bay Press-Gazette. ”Andriacchi broke through and blocked a punt by John Barnett on the 49-yard line, with the ball going out of bounds on the Hudson nine.”
Ishpeming coach Mike Mileski told Press-Gazette sports editor Len Wagner that the play turned the game over to the Hematites.
“We had three guys scout Hudson in their semi-final and one of the things we thought we could do was block their punts,” Mileski revealed. “We had four different rushes planned and we just called the right one in that case. It was our game after that.”
Dellangelo’s first TD, a 60-yard dash on a pitchout from Marana, in which he reversed his field and turned on the jets, was the day’s most explosive play. Followed by a two-point conversion by Marana, it gave the Hematites a stunning 24-8 first quarter lead. His second, a 10-yard scamper in the third quarter, upped the lead to 36-16.
Following the game, Hudson coach Tom Saylor called Dellangelo “the finest back I’ve seen this year. No one is quicker.”
That Saturday night, a welcoming party of 1,000 fans greeted the Hematites upon their arrival home to help celebrate their 38-22 triumph.
1975 Class D
Bill Santilli, Crystal Falls Forest Park & the Trojans defense vs. Flint Holy Rosary
Of course, the big story of the 1975 football playoffs was the end of Hudson’s national-record winning streak played out before a crowd of 7,000 at CMU. Yet, perhaps the most impressive performances on the day were provided by the Crystal Falls Forest Park squad, who completely stymied Flint Holy Rosary, 50-0, in the Class D Final, hosted at Western Michigan University, the other site used by the MHSAA to host that first year of championship games. The Finals would move indoors, away from the elements, to the recently-opened Pontiac Silverdome in 1976.
It would take until 1994 for a single championship team to equal the 50-point total put up by Forest Park that day, and until 2002 for a single team to exceed the point total. Bill Santilli “was double-teamed and even triple-teamed” for much of the day, but still managed to rack up 178 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 37 carries. The 5-foot-9 senior totaled 226 points on the season, (including 46 points in the team’s 67-0 thrashing of Posen in the Semifinals a week earlier) to set an MHSAA single-season record for points scored at the time. Quarterback Rich Mettlach totaled 148 yards passing, with 103 to Bryan LaChapelle out of the backfield.
The Forest Park defense limited Holy Rosary to an incredible -32 yards rushing, 78 passing and only four first downs in the contest.
“They told us the competition got tougher the farther south we got,” said winning coach Richard Mettlach. “We like it down here and may come back next year.”
The two teams squared off again each of the next two years to form one of the tournament’s first classic postseason rivalries. These were much better contests, with Crystal Falls again victorious,14-6, in 1976, and Rosary the winner, 21-20, in 1977.
1978 Class C
Kerry Smith, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern vs Bad Axe
Quick. Tell me who was the first to break the Pontiac Silverdome’s single-game rushing mark of 273 yards, set by O.J. Simpson on November 25, 1976? (No – it’s not Barry Sanders, who did run for more than 200 yards in a single game at the Silverdome on two occasions – the tops being 237 in 1994.)
The answer - Junior halfback Kerry Smith from Forest Hills Northern.
Running behind what was then considered a massive line (averaging 220 pounds), Smith rambled, seemingly at will, for 278 yards on 27 carries. The top mark would last for 13 seasons before being eclipsed by Farmington Hills Harrison’s Roy Granger.
Northern held a 12-0 halftime advantage, and an 18-0 third-quarter lead, before hanging on for an 18-16 win. Smith ran for 176 yards on 13 carries in the first half, and 252 on 20 totes through three quarters before a miscue and a 60-yard drive put the Hatchets into the game. But time was running out, and following a failed squib kick with 1:49 to go, Northern, handing the ball to Smith, ground out four more rushes to seal the victory.
An ideal fit under Bo Schembechler’s approach to football, Smith went on to a solid career at the University of Michigan.
1984 Class D
Jim Steinman, Gobles vs. Crystal Falls Forest Park
“Our scouting report indicated that we could pass on them,” said Gobles quarterback, Tony Koshar. Indeed, after grabbing a 6-0 lead on a 31-yard dash by Shawn Ampey on their opening drive of the game, Koshar connected with tight end Jim Steinman on a pass for the two-point conversion.
Following the exchange, Crystal Falls Forest Park responded with a long drive, but it stalled at the Gobles 9-yard line. Following a procedure penalty, Koshar spotted Steinman on the left sideline at the Tigers 40. The 6-2, 195-pound junior grabbed the pass, shook off a defender, then sprinted to the end-zone. The 96-yard TD reception stood as a championship record until 2008. Koshar connected with his big receiver for two more touchdown strikes of 17 and eight yards in the opening two quarters as Gobles opened up a 28-0 lead.
“We were sleeping in the first half,” said Forest Park coach Dick Mettlach, whose squad was making its sixth appearance in the Class D title game in 10 years.
The Trojans stormed back in the second half, closing the gap to 28-22, before Steinman ended the day with a championship-record field goal of 34 yards with 1:29 remaining to go up 31-22. (The mark would be topped a couple of hours later by Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Jeff Fisher, who booted a 42-yarder against Dearborn Fordson in the Class A title game). He finished the day with 23 points, also a new championship record. His point total mark would last until 1990.
(It’s also interesting to note that the 1983 season was the first in which the Silverdome installed high school goal posts for the four title games. Prior to that, the title games used pro posts, which measured 18 feet, 6 inches in width, versus the 23-feet, 4-inch posts used in high school.)
1987 Class A
Chris Moore, Ann Arbor Pioneer vs Detroit Catholic Central
It doesn’t appear among final game record performances in today’s MHSAA record book, but it might arguably be called the most important field goal in championship game history. In all honesty, the boot held little meaning to those assembled in the press box until after the game was finished.
The 1987 Class A match-up between Detroit Catholic Central and Ann Arbor Pioneer was expected to feature two strong defenses. Ranked sixth in The Associated Press final press poll, the Shamrocks’ lone loss on the year had come against Pioneer, 7-2, in the third game of the season. Still, CC was favored by most after taking out Dearborn Fordson and Sterling Heights, ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the final AP press poll, in their opening-round games of the postseason.
Pioneer, unranked with two losses, had barely slipped into the playoffs.
“In Pioneer’s last regular-season game against Ann Arbor Huron, (Chris) Moore lined up to kick a potential game-winning field goal but the kick was blocked,” noted Free Press sports writer Mick McCabe. The football was scooped up and returned 85 yards for a touchdown as time ran out, giving Huron a 27-21 win.
The football Final was a “day of redemption,” as Moore’s 35-yard kick, midway through the second quarter, broke a scoreless tie. In the end, it would be the only points scored in Pioneer’s 3-0 victory over Catholic Central. The point total still stands alone as the lowest number scored by two teams in the 45-year history of the postseason championship contests.
“I wanted Coach to call on me, but I didn’t know if he would,” said Moore after the game. “The snap was a little off but Sterling Olsen caught it and put it down. As soon as I kicked it, I felt good about it. It was on the left hash and I’m left footed, so I hooked it a little and it went right down the middle.”
“It might not have been the best-looking game,” stated Pioneer coach Chuck Lori, “but from this side of the press room it’s a beautiful win.”
1988 Class D
Brad Johnson, Schoolcraft vs. Frankfort
Over 30 years later, Brad Johnson’s record-setting 87-yard TD on a punt return still stands as an MHSAA title game record.
Johnson, Schoolcraft’s top rusher with more than 1,600 yards on the season, fielded the kick midway between the far right sideline and the hash mark, headed left, faked a reverse to teammate Todd Spears, then followed a wall of blockers down the left sideline to the end zone, giving the Eagles a 21-7 lead with a little over nine minutes remaining in the first half.
The return was his second touchdown of the game. Schoolcraft finished with a 42-7 victory over Frankfort.
1988 Class B
Brian Wauldron, Farmington Hills Harrison vs. St. Joseph
Farmington Hill Harrison’s junior quarterback Mill Coleman broke the state’s championship records for passing yards with 228 on 12 of 14 completions and with four passing touchdowns, but it was Brian Wauldron’s 177 yards and three TDs (on a mere five receptions), two interceptions and a fumble recovery that were truly mind-blowing at the end of the day.
St. Joseph took the game’s opening kickoff and moved from its 19 to Harrison’s 30 before Wauldron intercepted a fourth-down pass. On the next play, Coleman fired a perfect strike to Wauldron, who caught the ball in stride and streaked into the end zone. The play went for 71 yards.
The Bears responded with a long scoring strike of their own, cutting the lead to 7-6. Then 5-foot-9 Coleman connected again with Wauldron for a 72-yard TD. Their third touchdown, Waldron’s final catch of the day, came from 15 yards out in the third quarter.
The Hawks’ 44-9 win marked the first of back-to-back titles and came in the second of three straight visits to the Class B title game. Harrison had lost to Grand Rapids Catholic Central a year earlier, 19-7.
1989 Class A
Marcus Longmire, Muskegon vs. Detroit Martin Luther King
“Two years ago, Ann Arbor Pioneer won the Class A state championship by scoring three points,” wrote Mick McCabe in his pregame article on the Detroit Martin Luther King/Muskegon game, scheduled for Saturday. Playing in another Class A contest matching outstanding defenses, Detroit Martin Luther King was the first Detroit Public School League team to reach the Finals. Muskegon had made its first appearance in an MHSAA title game in 1986, defeating Sterling Heights Stevenson for the Class A crown.
The Son of Swami gave a vote of confidence to King and coach Jim Reynolds in his annual pregame picks, but noted that “SOS has a funny feeling that Muskegon might come into the Dome and leave with the state championship trophy.”
Muskegon held a 9-0 halftime lead and didn’t allow King a first down until midway through the second quarter, but it was an 89-yard playoff record kickoff return by Marcus Longmire to open the second half that stands out from the game in the minds of most.
Twelve seconds into the second half, Muskegon led 16-0. King responded almost instantaneously, with a Class A record-setting 76-yard TD pass from quarterback Zolton Hall to David Bowden. Then, with 3:36 left in the third quarter, Hall scored from three yards out to pull King within three, 16-13. Big-play defense ruled the scoreless fourth quarter, punctuated by strong secondary play by Longmire, and the Big Reds escaped with the trophy.
Longmire’s return has since been equaled or topped on 13 occasions, but lasted as the record until 1996 when Martez Johnson took one 95 yards to the house for Detroit St. Martin dePorres in the 1996 game against Iron Mountain.
1989 Class B
Mill Coleman, Farmington Hills Harrison vs. DeWitt
Mill Coleman’s performance in 1988, impressive as it was, is overshadowed in many minds by both Brian Wauldron’s game and what Coleman engineered a year later. The 1989 title game with DeWitt was a battle, in which the top-ranked and Class B reigning champion Hawks had their hands full.
Tied 7-7 after the first 12 minutes of play, DeWitt, ranked No. 8 in the final Associated Press poll, opened a two-touchdown lead in the second quarter on a 32-yard run by fullback John Telford and a 35-yard option pass from Telford to John Cowan. Harrison responded with a Matt Conley one-yard run to cut the margin to 21-14 with just over a minute left to play before the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, Coleman knotted the score at 21-21 with a dazzling 16-yard run early in the fourth quarter, but DeWitt stormed back again driving 75 yards on 13 plays. The series was highlighted by tight end Dave Riker's 24-yard, one-handed catch to the Hawks’ 3-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Chris Berkimer slipped over the goal line from the 1. The extra point attempt was blocked but DeWitt again held the lead, 27-21.
With 2:12 remaining and the ball at the Harrison 33, Coleman went to work. Three rapid completions of 24, 12 and 15 yards gave the Hawks a first down at the DeWitt 16 with 1:50 left on the clock. Following a Hawks timeout, Coleman dashed right for seven more yards to the Panthers’ 9. On second down, he dropped back to pass, moved to his left at the DeWitt 17, then, feeling the pressure, darted up the middle, shaking off a tackle at the 15 and slipping past two defenders at the 10, a third at the 6 and a fourth at the 4 before diving into the end zone for the tying points. Steve Hill added his fourth PAT of the game with 1:34 remaining, giving Harrison only its second lead of the day, 28-27. Hill then sealed the victory with an interception on the next series.
Coleman finished with 297 yards of total offense (89 rushing and 208 passing). The mark stood until 2002, and has since been topped an amazing 29 times by 27 players.
(One might also point out that Coleman ended his prep career as the most prolific quarterback in state history, throwing for 7,464 yards and 77 touchdowns during his career. Today, both marks rank 10th overall.)
Still, when it comes to top individual performances in 45 years of MHSAA Final games, in my mind, no one has topped Coleman’s galvanizing performance on that championship weekend in November.
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]:void(0);t with ideas for historical articles.
PHOTOS: (Top) Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Chris Moore lines up to kick what will be the winning field goal of the 1987 Class A Final. (Middle) Kerry Smith starred at Forest Hills Northern before going on to play at University of Michigan. (Below) The scoreboard announced the 1987 Class A championship game still remembered. (Photos gathered by Ron Pesch.)
Awe Working to Reignite Three Rivers, Bring Best of Past to New-Look Home
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
September 11, 2024
THREE RIVERS – Jeff Awe had always been content as an assistant during his 30 years coaching high school football.
All that changed in early April when Awe accepted the head varsity position at Three Rivers. Awe had spent 27 of those years as a Wildcats assistant before taking over the program.
"Becoming a varsity football coach was never on my radar," said Awe, who spent the last three years as head coach of the Wildcats junior varsity, guiding them to an 8-1 record last fall.
Awe felt he could help rejuvenate a program that stumbled to a 1-8 record in 2023 and suffered its first losing season since 2020.
“With the kind of season we had I could see, at least in my mind, exactly what needed to be done to turn this program around,” Awe said. “I wanted to bring some positivity back to Three Rivers football. The timing and circumstances made it the right time to pursue it.”
Awe, who played for and coached under former Three Rivers coaches Scot Shaw, Jeff Zonyk and Tom Foghino – all members of the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame – has brought back some of that positivity already with increased participation. More than 80 players came out for the sport between the varsity and JV teams.
Three Rivers defeated Charlotte 36-0 in the season opener two weeks ago at newly-renovated Armstrong Field, avenging a 52-22 loss from 2023. The Wildcats are 1-1 overall after losing a hard-fought 10-7 decision Friday at Adrian. Three Rivers hosts 2023 league champ and Regional finalist Niles in Friday's Wolverine Conference opener.
Shaw, coincidently, is currently the head coach at Niles.
Awe played for Shaw, Three Rivers' head coach from 1986-2004, and was a standout receiver and cornerback earning first-team all-conference his senior year.
Three Rivers finished with back-to-back 9-0 records in Awe's freshman and sophomore years. Awe was a starter as a senior on the first Wildcats team to make the playoffs in 1986.
"In my junior year we went 8-1 but lost our last game to Coldwater and didn't make the playoffs under the old system," Jeff Awe recalled. Three Rivers finished the 1986 regular season 8-1 as well on the way to that first playoff berth.
Awe is graduate of Western Michigan University and a long-time science teacher at Three Rivers Middle School. His long-range vision for the football program is to combine the old-school mentality from when Three Rivers was the most physical and disciplined football team every week with new-school principles.
"I want to build a bridge from our youth flag football program all the way up to the varsity level. I want to be able to put a coaching staff in place that can take over the program someday when I am done and keep it going strong," Jeff Awe said.
Three Rivers, mainly a spread offense team for several years, has returned to its old-school I-formation principles. But the passing game will remain a big part of the Wildcats' attack.
"We're going to have multiple looks on both sides of the football. With the way high school football is played now, we have to ready to adjust and adapt every week," he said.
"Right now I want our seniors to have a great year. We're excited and ready to go, and I like the way the summer went. Now we have to win some games and compete against some very good football teams on our schedule."
Awe feels fortunate to have been influenced by a number of great football minds over the course of his career like Zonyk, Foghino, Shaw and J.J. Wagner at Three Rivers, along with Mendon's John Schwartz and the late Bob Critz.
"We all did a lot of good things together. All of those guys taught me a great deal about the game," Awe said.
However, the lessons he learned as a player from Shaw have really stuck with him.
"Scot is a master at motivating his players, getting teams ready mentally, and he knows how to make you feel like a million bucks with just a comment or two. He can get his athletes to run through a wall and do things you thought were impossible,” Awe said. “I loved playing and coaching for him, and now I'll be coaching against him.”
Awe worked tirelessly over the summer promoting the Three Rivers football tradition.
"I've worked hard by having former players and coaches who have been successful in life come in and speak to our kids. There is a huge legacy here about what it means to put that Wildcat jersey on. I'm bringing the old nameplates back. The front of the uniform sports the name of the community you play for, and the name on the back is your family," Awe said.
"When you learn how to go out on the field and work hard and be disciplined, those are life lessons these kids will take with them into adulthood and beyond. I want them to understand that whatever number they wear there are people all over the country who once wore that number who are paying attention. They want to see if the individuals on this team are doing the correct things to make themselves successful."
Three Rivers features much more experience on the field than in the past. Brayden Carpenter and Aiden Williams are the lone sophomores on a 38-player varsity roster that features 17 seniors. Senior cornerback Jace Gray and two-way lineman Sam Reynolds, along with junior quarterback Mason Awe (Jeff’s son), have emerged as three of the team’s leaders on and off the field.
Gray, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound linebacker, has 18 tackles over two games after a team-high 12 against Adrian.
"Jace is the heart and soul of our defense. He is incredibly instinctive and has a knack for forcing turnovers,” Jeff Awe said. “He is a big reason we hope to be greatly improved on defense this season.”
Reynolds, a three-year varsity letterman, helps anchor much-improved offensive and defensive lines with his 5-10, 240-pound frame. "Sam is one of our best players and leaders. He is our strongest kid and anchors both sides of our line. We are looking forward to a big year from him," Awe said.
Mason Awe (5-11, 190) completed 4-of-5 passes for 57 yards against Charlotte. "Mason is smart, athletic and one of our leaders on offense. He can make plays with his arm, legs and brain and is a complete player at the quarterback position," Jeff Awe said.
Senior tailback Lamonta Stone leads Three Rivers in rushing with 34 carries for 267 yards and three TDs over those first two games. Other impact players on defense include senior linebackers Tre Rohrer (5-10, 185) with 16 tackles and a fumble recovery, and Landon Moreland with 16 stops.
Senior Max Burg (6-6, 260) is another key returning starter on the Wildcats' offensive line.
Reynolds sees a much different attitude from teammates this season.
"Everyone wants to be at practice this year. Coach Awe has created a camaraderie in our program that hasn't existed for a while,” said Reynolds, who aspires to become a coach and math teacher.
“My varsity experience has helped me with the physicality and the speed of the game. We got a bad taste in our mouth last year and aren't going to settle for a losing season.”
Gray feels he and his teammates are more connected with one another.
"The experience I bring back is valuable, and it gives me an advantage on the field. My strength and senior leadership are factors I hope contribute to us winning more games and making the playoffs," Gray said.
Mason Awe enjoys the special relationship he has as a son of the head coach.
"It's special because off the field I can go home and talk with him about how the practice or game went, the plays and what is working or not working. We have a good relationship, and we think alike on the field," Mason Awe said. "Our team wants to be the toughest and most gritty one out there. That's a trademark of old Three Rivers teams and we want to go back to that. I like being a big part of the offense, making plays and helping the team win. Confidence is a big key coming off last year. It will be the defining factor. This is a strong group, and we've been playing together for a while."
Awe's coaching staff consists of Mitch Walters, Nate Foley, Drew Bosma and Zac Robare at the varsity and JV levels, along with Scott Muffley, Toby Gose and Al Schmucker at the middle school level.
Armstrong Field introduces improvements
Three Rivers has played its home football games at Armstrong Field since 1951. Voters approved a bond in 2019 for upgrades to the stadium and the 40-year-old fieldhouse that was built during the early 1980s.
The renovations also included construction of a new weight room at the high school (completed in 2022), along with the installation of a new track, video scoreboard, artificial turf and new gating.
"We compete in the Wolverine Conference where over half of our schools play their football games on artificial turf,” said Three Rivers athletic director Matt Stofer. “It's been a long five years, but it’s cool to see it finished. Our community and alumni, along with our student-athletes have been great about everything, and the stadium looks great."
Finding a safe playing surface and one that could withstand multiple uses were major factors.
"We wanted to find a surface that other schools had a lot of success with. We traveled to and took a look at fields in St. Joseph, Chelsea, Olivet College and some other schools," Stofer added.
The high school soccer teams, band, physical education classes and youth football program also will have access to the facility.
Two of the biggest changes inside the facility are new gating and a new sound system.
"Before the renovations you could just pull into Armstrong Field, and you were right there. You can still drive in, but now you have to physically get out of your car to pay and enter the stadium through one of the two new gates located at the end near the concession stand," Stofer explained. "These changes allow us to lock up the facility now when we need to."
The new video scoreboard, purchased by an anonymous donor, will include a new sound system.
"It's been quite a busy summer,” Stofer said. “We've traveled to Stevensville Lakeshore and up to Holland West Ottawa to work with their video crew in a few training sessions. We're very excited about what we can use it for once we learn everything. Our goal for now is just to get it up and running.”
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) From left: Three Rivers varsity football coach Jeff Awe and players Mason Awe, Jace Gray and Sam Reynolds. (Middle) A new video scoreboard complete with a sound system is among new features fans will see this season at Armstrong Field in Three Rivers. (Below) Three Rivers Community Schools superintendent Niki Nash gathers with students, school officials and community members near midfield Aug. 29 to cut the ribbon prior to the first home football game played on newly-renovated Armstrong Field. (Top photo by Scott Hassinger; scoreboard and ribbon-cutting photos by Matt Stofer.)