Football Finals updated
February 16, 2012
Check out our updated Championship Game records with everything from the 2011 Finals, including our first categories for 8-player football.
Among things that stick out from this past season's games:
- The Division 5 Flint Powers Catholic/Lansing Catholic game easily provided the most entries from this season and stacks up among the MHSAA's most offense-heavy Finals ever.
- Orchard Lake St. Mary and Saginaw Nouvel had two of the best running games in Finals history.
- Former Ithaca quarterback Alex Niznak is all over the record book for his accomplishments in the 2010 Division 6 Final. But last season's QB Travis Smith now has nearly as significant a presence after a big-time 2011 performance.
Click Record Book, and let me know at the end of the day if I've missed something. Make sure to click on "Championship Game Records." Additional updates to regular-season and career lists are on the way.
Moment: Fee Sets Stage with Record Kick
November 5, 2020
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
In keeping with the theme of 50-yard field goals written in this space earlier this week by MHSAA historian Ron Pesch, let’s take this week’s "Moment" to remember the longest field goal ever in an MHSAA Playoff Championship.
No one has ever gone over 50 yards. Heck, no one has ever tired a field goal over 50 yards that I can remember. But Ben Fee came as close as you could in the 2016 Division 3 Final for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s against Muskegon with a 49-yard boot in the Eaglets’ 29-28 victory.
The call on FOX Sports Detroit was cute – Fee was wearing Number 50, and while his holder straddled the 40-yard line, giving the appearance of a 50-yard attempt – the kicking block was a good half-foot in front of the 40, and by rule making it a 49-yard attempt. The kick broke a record set in the previous game of 47 yards by Liam Putz of Grand Rapids West Catholic and tied a record for most field goals in the final game with three also set by Jake Townsley from Warren DeLaSalle in 2014. Fee also had field goals of 32 and 35 yards in the contest.
The kick gave St. Mary’s a 23-21 lead with 4:47 left in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for one of the most dramatic finishes in playoff history. Muskegon would return the ensuing kickoff to near midfield and then score six plays later, on a La’Darius Jefferson three-yard run, with the extra point making it a 28-23 game in favor of the Big Reds with 1:55 to play.
Starting on its own 20-yard line, St. Mary’s got three runs from Rashawn Allen for 37 yards and reeled off a total of nine plays in 1:51, culminating with Caden Prieskorn’s 18-yard pass to Ky'ren Cunningham for the game-winning score with four ticks left on the clock.