Football Fridays: Welcome to Our House
October 27, 2017
The latest issue of "benchmarks" focused on the nation's most participated in and attended high school sport, football, and efforts to keep Fridays reserved for games at the high school level. Below is an opening editorial by MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts, followed by the magazine's cover story published earlier this fall.
By John E. “Jack” Roberts
MHSAA Executive Director
There is no less opportunity to help student-athletes mature into positive people in one sport than another or on one day or night of the week compared to others. That is an unshakable truth of educational athletics.
But that truth has not diminished the efforts of the Michigan High School Athletic Association, time and again for decades, to protest encroachment on Friday night high school football by both professional and college sports. The reasons go far beyond football and Friday nights.
Done right, as it very often is in very many Michigan communities, Friday night is a festival that engages far more than the football team and its fans. It is a forum for showcasing a variety of school activities:
• A volleyball-football doubleheader with a community barbeque in between.
• A cross country run starting and/or ending at the football stadium with the roar of the crowd.
• A showcase for the marching band and a variety of other musical groups to perform, as well as cheerleaders and pompon squads.
• An opportunity for all school groups to provide information booths so students and parents may become aware of these student programs and initiatives.
• An opportunity to announce results of golf, tennis and swimming meets and provide the upcoming schedule of events, both athletic and non-athletic.
Done right, 30 to 70 percent or more of a school’s student body has an active part at most Friday night football games.
It has been said that the interscholastic athletic program provides a window to the entire school – to what it stands for and how it operates. If so, then Friday night football games are the front porch – a place for the entire school body and surrounding community to feel welcomed and to become more engaged.
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
At a time when so many everyday distractions, mediums and changing ideals tear at the fabric of a cohesive society, school sports still offers a huge slice of Americana that continues to bond neighbors and promote community like few others can: high school football on Friday nights.
And now, that, too, is being threatened. Once “the only game in town,” prep football lights shone brightest on local kids playing on nearby fields while generating business for merchants on Main Street and providing inexpensive family entertainment. Friday nights were reserved for high schools.
In recent years, however, the lure of TV dollars led to a wave of universities which could not compete with the perennial powerhouses for exposure on Saturdays, shifting games to all nights of the week. For the most part, they steered clear of Fridays, respecting the hand that feeds their programs.
Not so anymore.
ESPN began to schedule and televise NCAA Friday night games in 2002, and last November things really hit home when the Big Ten announced a slate of games for Friday nights this fall.
Protecting Friday nights is paramount, and as the following illustrates, the MHSAA is not alone in its fight.
It’s difficult to project the effect that such scheduling will have on MHSAA football games, but to borrow an axiom from the go-to book of coaches quotes, it will be prudent to take things one play at a time, one week at a time.
“The Big Ten Conference and other collegiate leagues enjoy high school football within their shadows; but the foray into Friday nights can be problematic,” said MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts.
“With lengthier seasons which now reach 12 games – and 13 weeks if there is a bye week – the collegiate seasons extend well into postseason play for the MHSAA and other state associations. Clearly there is a concern when some traditional collegiate rivalries occupy the same dates as high school championships.”
It looked like things would become much worse this year. Originally, Michigan State was scheduled to play at Northwestern on Oct. 27, potentially keeping countless Green and White enthusiasts in front of their televisions during the most pivotal financial weekend of the fall for the MHSAA: the first Friday of the Football Playoffs.
That game was moved to Saturday due to “unintended consequences” had the game remained on Friday. Northwestern also had a Friday tilt against Maryland moved to a Saturday.
So, already things have changed since the first announcement of Friday games by the Big Ten last November.
While there are six Friday games on the Big Ten docket for this Fall, five were in September, including two on Labor Day weekend.
Labor Day Friday games have played out in the MHSAA’s back yard for quite some time, as MSU often hosted such season-opening contests. Those games, however, seldom created conflicts due to most high schools playing on Thursdays leading into the holiday weekend.
This year was no different, with 215 games involving MHSAA schools being played on Thursday, Aug. 31, compared to 58 on Friday, Sept. 1, and five on Saturday, Sept. 2.
Further, it should be noted that neither the University of Michigan nor MSU has a Friday night game this fall, largely because administrators at those schools voiced strong objections to hosting any of the Friday night contests.
Similar sentiments are shared throughout the league.
“I'm very concerned about (Friday night games),” said first-year Indiana University Head Coach Tom Allen at the Big Ten preseason media gathering this summer. “I'm not going to sit here and try and make a big issue in terms of what I think. My history as a high school coach for 15 years is strong. It's who I am, it's how I started, and it's been so many years.
"I think that's a special night. I don't like playing games on Friday night. I think that's high school night. It's not always my decision. But I'm not going to just not tell you what I believe.”
During a May conference involving administrators from Midwest high school associations and the Big Ten, several collegiate stakeholders voiced opinions favoring the high school spotlight on Friday nights.
MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis made it known that his school would agree to Friday nights only on Labor Day or Thanksgiving weekends. Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh proclaimed to local radio stations that day that, “I'm for traditional Saturdays. Friday is for high school games.”
Decades ago, a million dollar offer by the NCAA to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) which would have allowed for televised collegiate games on Friday nights was turned down.
Additionally, the NFL is barred by law from televising games on Fridays and Saturdays from mid-September through mid-December to avoid conflict with high school or NCAA games.
The landscape began to change with the formation of the College Football Association, a group formed by many of the American colleges with top-level college football programs in order to negotiate contracts with TV networks to televise football games. It was formed in 1977 by 63 schools from most of the major college football conferences and also select schools whose football programs were independent of any conference.
By 1982, a CFA legal challenge led to a 1984 Federal court decision that dissolved the NCAA’s exclusive control over television rights, allowing athletic conferences, independent schools and others to bargain for contracts.
As games now run rampant across TV screens and weekly calendars like tumbleweeds in the wild, wild west, could there finally be enough backlash to lasso this runaway horse?
The American Football Coaches Association – comprised of coaches from high schools to the pro ranks – unanimously opined in January at its annual convention that the NCAA should refrain from scheduling Friday night contests.
AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry issued a strong statement at the winter meeting, saying, “It was unanimous among all levels of coaches that the AFCA is in support of protecting Friday night for our high schools. We recognize the impact of having college football games on Friday night for our spectators, along with those viewing on television, can be significant. The AFCA feels very strongly that Friday night should be protected, not just for football, because the revenues generated by those high school football game ticket sales impact everything at those high schools such as other sports and organizations.”
That rings true not only from school to school, but also across state associations around the country which, like the MHSAA, depend upon football tournament attendance as one of the main sources of income from which to fund other programs throughout the year.
While the Big Ten’s announcement to increase Friday night television appearances has just recently brought glaring attention to the subject here at home, the unpopular trend has been affecting areas around the country for years.
The year 2001 was a landmark year of sorts for collegiate football telecasts, when the Mountain West Conference, Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference sought to gain exposure by scheduling Friday night contests. While it was long after the deregulation of 1984 and faced opposition from larger conferences such as the SEC, there was no legal ground to stand on for conferences then wishing to ban Friday night telecasts.
Even the larger conferences then – in certain extenuating circumstances – began to utilize Friday nights as an option.
In 2003, the Michigan-Minnesota football game was moved to Friday night to avoid a potential conflict with Major League Baseball as the Minnesota Twins could have hosted a playoff game on that particular Saturday.
At the time, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney said, “The Conference and the Administrators Council regret having to reschedule football games to a Friday night. The Big Ten continues to support the protection of Friday night as a traditional high school football playing date.”
One year later, a high-profile contest between Florida State and Miami was moved to Friday night when several storms hit the area. The problem was no one from the universities or the Atlantic Coast Conference bothered to inform the Florida High School Athletic Association ahead of time.
“In our opinion, (the decision) demonstrates their complete lack of sensitivity to our high school athletic programs, many of which are reeling financially due to the effects of hurricanes Charley and Frances,” said then-FHSAA Commissioner Robert Hughes said. “Most of our schools depend on the revenue from home football games to fund their entire athletic programs throughout the school year. Now, we find out that our schools will have to compete for an audience with the primetime telecast of arguably the biggest college football game that will played this year in this state.”
After watching an increasing number of games fill the prime Saturday slots and spill onto other days of the week, the Big Ten decided to modify its “Fridays are for high schools” stance, embarking on a path that will last until at least 2022.
The news release accompanying the decision stated that the conference “appreciates the significance of high school football within the region and has worked to minimize the impact of this initiative by limiting the number of Friday night games. Overall, these games represent approximately six percent of Big Ten home games annually, and no institution will host more than one game in any given year.”
It’s that top-down communication that doesn’t sit well with those involved in high school sports, the very level that the colleges count on to supply the talent pool. In that regard, the Friday night collegiate games don’t make sense.
“We have so many more teams in the Big Ten, that trying to find those windows that allow you to get that exposure for the whole league is important,” MSU’s Hollis has told reporters.
It’s not just the college football power conferences that have an effect on high school gridirons. Any city or town which includes a college campus shares a similar fan base.
With the MAC playing on any given night of the week for the last couple of decades, high schools in those cities have tried to adjust. After mixed results, however, some schools are simply standing their ground.
“Both (Mt. Pleasant) Sacred Heart and Mt. Pleasant High have avoided the same night as CMU Football over the years,” said Mt. Pleasant Athletic Director Jim Conway. “As of this year, though, both schools have elected to not change schedules based on the CMU schedule. Altering our schedules over the years has had a great effect on the visiting teams and their fan base coming to our sites.”
Further south, Middle Tennessee State University plays rival Western Kentucky on the same Friday as the TSSAA state high school football quarterfinals this fall. Additionally, a home game with Marshall was moved to another Friday night.
“My belief is that college coaches want to keep Fridays for high school only. But they are going to play when TV tells you to,” local high school coach Kevin Creasy, whose team plays that night, said in a story from the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal. “If TV said to us they want us to play on Saturday, we would. College coaches don’t want to play on Friday, but they do want their team to be on TV.”
Yet, it will be difficult for prep players to watch prospective colleges when they are busy playing. It also will minimize the number of live looks afforded college coaches for their recruits.
SBNATION.com writer Alex Kirshner surmised in an article last fall that, “If high school coaches are unified in opposition to something, college football programs have little choice but to listen. Taking a stand against your own state’s high school coaches is a horrible recruiting strategy.
“Friday night games in September and October mean recruits typically can’t visit for college games, because they’re busy playing.”
For those fans who prefer the college game, travel would be more difficult on Fridays, and/or would force many to take time off work to make their destinations by kickoff, versus driving just a few miles to root for the local high school team.
In that regard, logistics favor the high schools when it comes to “butts in the seats.” But, the proliferation of television provides an ample excuse for those more inclined to click remotes rather than drive to games of any level.
“Any diversion from the traditional Friday night football has a direct impact on high school game attendance. High-profile collegiate games clearly will allow people to sit home in comfortable climate and watch football. This is not good for local games,” Conway said.
Losing any number of spectators can be felt throughout athletic departments and booster clubs which count on fall Fridays as a main source of revenue for their overall programs. With most schools having just four or five home football games per year, it’s vital to make the most of them financially.
“When CMU plays on the same night here, it takes away some fundraising opportunities for some of our teams and Booster Clubs,” Conway said. “Obviously it puts our local fan base in a position where they have to decide which game to attend, but also many people who volunteer for our Booster Club and our event staff are paid to work on crews at CMU games. The result is both the high schools and CMU trying to replace game management personnel, as many of us work the high school events and CMU Football.”
Executive Director of the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Larry Merx believes that in many cases the prep and collegiate followings are different, but agrees with Conway for those locations which share geographic boundaries.
“I think high school football fans will stay with the high school game,” Merx said. “But, especially in and near college towns, many high school fans have work or other support responsibilities related to college games and will have to make some decisions.”
Fridays also provided a special stage for thousands of contest officials across the country. For the vast majority, working a regular schedule of high school varsity football games is the reward for countless hours and preparation.
For the select few fortunate enough to reach higher levels in the avocation, college opportunities and pay will trump Friday nights every time.
There is a vast pool of officials capable of working each week, but the absence of such veteran officials results in missed training opportunities as a new crop of officials is brought forward. In football more than most sports, there are limited chances for live officials training outside the school season.
“I’ve done college games on Saturday and high school games on the same Friday,” said NFL back judge Tony Steratore in a recent Referee magazine story. “Many officials do this, but I have to tell you something, if you’re going to do this you have to bring your ‘A-game’ to Friday night as much as you bring it to Saturday. If you don’t, you’re doing yourself and the game a disservice. When it comes down to it, if you can’t guarantee both games are getting equal attention, then you have to choose one or the other.”
When the games are both on Friday it’s a no brainer for the official faced with the choice.
For spectators, the choice often isn’t as clear-cut. That’s where school sports leaders – from the NFHS to the state high school associations to athletic administrators and coaches – must continue to promote the grand scenes that take place right down the street from their neighbors on Friday nights in the fall.
Portrayed in that light, scholastic sports leaders have an easy product to sell.
“Local high school games bring complete amateurism to the sport of football,” Conway said. “The band plays while moms and dads pop the popcorn and grill the hot dogs. Good high school games last no more than two-and-a-half hours, which is preferred to the length of collegiate games.”
It’s the perfect mix for a Friday night in the fall.
PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Ledge players man the sideline during a home game. (Top middle) The St. Johns' marching band takes the field. (Middle) Walled Lake Western cheerleaders run their flag around the stadium. (Middle below) Watervliet's concession stand feeds the crowd. (Below) Menominee's game provides the true scholastic vibe, complete with school buses parked in the background. (File photos.)
Drive for Detroit: 11-Player Finals Preview
November 27, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
There will be no appetizers for this weekend’s MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field.
Show up early and stay late – every game both days has a story, ranging from two first-time finalists playing for the Division 1 title to two of the most successful programs of this decade matching up for the first time in the Division 7 championship game.
Total, five teams will travel to Ford Field this weekend looking to finish as a champion for the first time. Joining hopefuls Brighton and Davison in Division 1 are Muskegon Mona Shores in Division 2, River Rouge in Division 3 and Almont in Division 5 – Brighton, Davison and Almont also playing in Finals for the first time.
Mona Shores and neighbor Muskegon High also will be returning to Ford Field after finishing as Finals runners-up a year ago, while three reigning champions will seek to win again – Reading for the second-straight season in Division 8, Detroit Martin Luther King in Division 2 after winning Division 3 in 2018 and Jackson Lumen Christi in Division 7 after winning three straight in Division 6.
FRIDAY
D8: Beal City (12-1) vs Reading (12-1), 10 a.m.
D2: Muskegon Mona Shores (11-2) vs Detroit Martin Luther King (10-2), 1 p.m.
D6: Maple City Glen Lake (12-1) vs Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (11-1), 4:30 p.m.
D4: Grand Rapids Catholic Central (12-1) vs Detroit Country Day (13-0), 7:30 p.m.
D7: Pewamo-Westphalia (13-0) vs Jackson Lumen Christi (12-0), 10 a.m.
D1: Brighton (11-2) vs Davison (11-2), 1 p.m.
D5: Lansing Catholic (12-1) vs Almont (13-0), 4:30 p.m.
D3: River Rouge (12-1) vs Muskegon (13-0), 7:30 p.m.
See below for a look at all of the finalists taking the field, powered by MI Student Aid. Tickets cost $15 and are good for all four games on one day; only cash will be accepted at the door. Click for a full schedule. Also, Ford Field again will host Special Olympics Unified flag football games prior to the start of Saturday’s four 11-Player Finals. Teams will take the field at 9 a.m. and play 30-minute exhibitions. Unified Sports programs combine students with and without intellectual disabilities on competitive athletic teams.
The first two Friday and Saturday Finals will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Detroit’s primary and PLUS channels (check cable/satellite box listings for your specific channel) with the third and fourth games both days available live on FOX Sports Detroit PLUS only. All eight games also can be viewed live on FOXSportsDetroit.com and on the FOX Sports app. Games will be archived for on-demand viewing on MHSAA.tv, which also will live stream the first three postgame press conferences each day. Audio broadcasts will be available on the MHSAA Network website live both days.
Rankings below were voted on by The Associated Press’ media panel. Statistics are current except where noted. The “playoff era” began with the first MHSAA postseason in 1975.
Division 1
DAVISON
Record/rank: 11-2, honorable mention
Coach: Jake Weingartz, second season (18-5)
League finish: Second in Saginaw Valley League Red
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 42-21 over No. 9 Lapeer in District Final, 35-21 over No. 10 Romeo in Pre-District, 35-27 over honorable mention Utica Eisenhower in Regional Final, 34-27 (OT) over Sterling Heights Stevenson in Semifinal, 48-0 over Division 4 No. 8 Flint Powers Catholic.
Players to watch: QB Brendan Sullivan, 6-3/180, jr. (2,754 yards/32 TDs passing, 366 yards/9 TDs rushing); RB/DB Caleb Smith, 5-10/210 sr., (961 yards/16 TDs rushing, 434 yards/1 TD receiving, 41 tackles/4 interceptions); FB/LB Logan Pasco, 6-0/207, sr. (148 tackles/20 tackles for loss/5 interceptions); WR/DB Latrell Fordham, 6-4/180, sr. (866 yards/11 TDs receiving).
Outlook: Davison had reached Semifinals four more times before breaking through for the first time Saturday, and the historic run also was made possible by avenging a three-point Week 9 loss to league rival Lapeer. Pasco, an all-state honorable mention linebacker last year, leads a defense that doesn’t get a lot of attention but gives up only 14 points per game. The lights shine much more brightly on the Sullivan-led offense that has set a school playoff-era record of 553 points and counting. Smith could go over 1,000 yards rushing early Saturday, and in addition to Fordham, Sullivan also has found senior Harrison Terry for 10 touchdowns through the air. Fordham has committed to Ball State.
BRIGHTON
Record/rank: 11-2, honorable mention
Coach: Brian Lemons, fifth season (37-15)
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 22-19 over No. 2 Belleville in Semifinal, 35-20 over Hudsonville in Regional Final, 48-26 over East Kentwood in District Final, 26-7 over Holt in Pre-District, 21-7 over Livonia Churchill.
Players to watch: QB Colby Newburg, 6-0/190, sr. (1,335 yards/18 TDs passing, 1,242 yards/18 TDs rushing); RB Nicholas Nemecek, 5-10/185, jr. (1,010 yards/9 TDs rushing, 3 TDs receiving); LB Cole Riddle, 6-1/215, sr. (99 tackles/19 tackles for loss), DE Luke Stanton, 6-4/235, sr. (44 tackles, 11 sacks).
Outlook: The Bulldogs showed they were on the verge with close losses to No. 9 Plymouth (14-7) and No. 5 Dearborn Fordson (46-35) during the regular season. They’ve surged in the playoffs, with last weekend’s win over Belleville making one of the loudest statements from the Semifinals. Newburg is a dangerous two-way threat with the ball, and seven receivers have caught at least one touchdown pass with 6-3 senior Ruben Salinas the leader with six scores. But the defense – giving up 14 points on average – is just as big a reason the Bulldogs will play for their first title. Only Fordson in Week 9 scored more than 26 points on Brighton, and eight teams were held to 14 or fewer. Riddle earned an all-state honorable mention as a junior.
Division 2
DETROIT MARTIN LUTHER KING
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 3
Coach: Ty Spencer, fourth season (46-8)
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League Division 2
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 27-6 and 32-14 over Detroit Denby, 47-7 over Detroit Cass Tech, 60-17 over Birmingham Seaholm in the Semifinal, 49-21 over Detroit U-D Jesuit in the Regional Final.
Players to watch: RB Peny Boone, 6-1/220, sr. (1,085 yards/19 TDs rushing); QB Dante Moore, 6-2/165, fr. (2,522 yards/32 TDs passing); WR Marshawn Lee, 5-7/155, sr. (847 yards/12 TDs receiving); LB Jaylen Reed, 6-0/195, jr. (108 tackles/11 tackles for loss/6 forced fumbles).
Outlook: King has raised championship trophies three of the last four seasons, in Division 2 in 2015 and 2016 and then in Division 3 a year ago. The Crusaders have made it back to Ford Field in part on a powerful offense led by a returning all-state running back in Boone and one of the most anticipated quarterback talents in Moore, who has competed at least 30 passes to three receivers – Lee, senior RaShawn Williams and sophomore Lynn Wyche-El. They operate behind a line led by 6-foot-4, 280-pound senior Deon Buford. And that’s not to mention a defense giving up just a bit above 12 points per game. King’s only losses came the first two weeks to Detroit Catholic Central and Division 3 finalist Muskegon. Boone will continue collegiately at Maryland, Williams at Indiana and Buford at Kentucky.
MUSKEGON MONA SHORES
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 4
Coach: Matt Koziak, ninth season (71-29)
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference Black
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2014 and 2018.
Best wins: 57-56 over No. 2 Walled Lake Western in Semifinal, 28-23 over Portage Northern in Regional Final, 35-12 over Midland Dow in District Final, 20-13 over No. 9 Midland in Pre-District, 28-7 over East Kentwood.
Players to watch: RB/SS Tre’shawn Hatcher, 5-10/180, sr. (1,432 yards/15 TDs rushing); WR/DB Jaylen Hopson, 5-10/152, sr. (304 yards/5 TDs receiving). QB/DB Brady Rose, 5-7/150, jr. (332 yards/1 TD passing, 585 yards/11 TDs rushing, 5 interceptions); LB/SL Kolbe Trovinger, 6-0/181, sr. (335 yards/5 TDs rushing, 209 yards receiving – does not include Semifinal).
Outlook: Mona Shores is seeking to take the final step after falling in last season’s championship game to Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 29-16. The Sailors reportedly will not get back 2018 all-state quarterback Caden Broersma (908 yards/11 TDs passing, 486 yards/10 TDs rushing), who left the Semifinal during the first series with an injury. But Mona Shores still will be confident; Rose moved over from slot receiver after the injury and ran for five touchdowns, including the game winner. Mona Shores’ only losses this season were to a pair of league champions, Rockford and Division 3 finalist Muskegon, and the Sailors beat four league champions in the playoffs on the way to Ford Field (Midland and Dow shared the SVL Blue title). Trovinger was one of the team’s leading tackles in last year’s Final and continues to contribute in a variety of ways on both sides of the ball.
Division 3
MUSKEGON
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Shane Fairfield, 10th season (113-19)
League finish: First in O-K Black
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 28-21 over DeWitt in Semifinal, 49-10 (Regional Final) and 28-23 over East Grand Rapids, 48-10 over No. 9 Cedar Springs in District Final, 53-0 over Division 2 No. 4 Muskegon Mona Shores, 41-18 over Division 2 No. 3 Detroit Martin Luther King, 41-7 over Warren De La Salle Collegiate.
Players to watch: QB Cameron Martinez, 5-11/190, sr. (1,258 yards/11 TDs passing, 2,016 yards/35 TDs rushing); RB Tommy Watts, 5-8/175, sr. (852 yards/17 TDs rushing – does not include Semifinal); WR/DB Quentin Reynolds, 5-10/180, sr. (421 yards/4 TDs receiving); DE/OT Billie Roberts III, 6-4/280, sr.
Outlook: Martinez was named statewide Player of the Year by MLive for the second time this week and will attempt to finish his high school career with a second Finals championship after helping Muskegon Catholic Central to the Division 8 title as a freshman. He’s run for more than 4,500 yards over the last two seasons and will continue next year at Ohio State. The Big Reds have scored more than 600 points for the fourth season in a row, but lost to a degree is a defense giving up only 8.2 points per game – in fact, Muskegon gave up only 10 points over six league games, with five shutouts. Senior center/nose guard D’Andre Mills-Ellis (6-1/300) joins Roberts as a valuable two-way starter on the line.
RIVER ROUGE
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 5
Coach: Corey Parker, 10th season (96-29)
League finish: First in Michigan Metro Athletic Conference Blue
Championship history: Division 5 runner-up 2015.
Best wins: 14-7 over No. 6 Chelsea in Semifinal, 49-14 over No. 3 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Regional Final, 16-3 over Detroit Catholic Central, 31-24 over Southfield Arts & Technology.
Players to watch: RB Deandre Bulley, 6-2/245, sr. (1,820 yards/20 TDs rushing); QB Mareyohn Hrabowski, 6-3/205, jr. (1,000 yards/11 TDs passing, 1,000 yards/11 TDs rushing); WR Xavier Smith, 5-10/170, sr. (800 yards/10 TDs receiving); CB David Carter, 6-1/170, sr. (Statistics do not include Semifinal).
Outlook: With Muskegon a main topic of football discussion across the state all season, River Rouge quietly has won 12 straight games since falling to Division 4 finalist Grand Rapids Catholic Central 17-14 in Week 1. Including wins of 53-0 over Detroit Mumford and 38-8 over Redford Thurston, the Panthers have outscored their four playoff opponents by a combined 154-29. Carter – an Eastern Michigan recruit – is among standouts on a defense that gives up just 7.6 points per game. Bulley is another Division I college talent, and behind him junior Charles Daniels has run for 11 more touchdowns.
Division 4
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Dan MacLean, 22nd season (172-77)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 21-0 over No. 8 Flint Powers Catholic in Semifinal, 24-6 over No. 4 Milan in Regional Final, 37-12 over Division 6 No. 9 Warren Michigan Collegiate, 27-3 over Detroit Mumford.
Players to watch: RB/DB Anthony Ammori, 5-10/185 (971 yards/15 TDs rushing), sr., QB/DB Ahlon Mitchell, 5-10/175, sr. (734 yards/9 TDs passing), WR/DB Saborn Campbell, 5-11/195, jr. (344 yards/6 TDs receiving, 8 interceptions). WR/DB Marcus Sheppard, 5-10/185, sr. (376 yards/5 TDs receiving).
Outlook: The last time Country Day played Grand Rapids Catholic Central, in the 2016 Final, the teams combined to score 17 points as the Cougars won 17-10. Country Day’s defense this season would seem to indicate a similar game is possible. After the Semifinal shutout of Powers, the Yellowjackets are giving up 5.2 points per game – having surrendered a high of 12 and more than eight only twice. A rushing attack averaging nearly 200 yards per game, meanwhile, has been the key to the team’s 35 points per contest while no doubt also helping Country Day control the ball. Sheppard has committed to Bowling Green.
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record: 12-1, T-No. 2
Coach: Todd Kolster, eighth season (86-14)
League finish: First in O-K Blue.
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 56-17 over Hudsonville Unity Christian in Semifinal, 33-7 (District Final) and 44-0 over No. 7 Sparta, 38-0 (Pre-District) and 20-19 over Allendale, 17-14 over Division 3 No. 5 River Rouge.
Players to watch: QB Joey Silveri, 6-0/180, soph. (2,609 yards/31 TDs passing, 910 yards/17 TDs rushing); RB Nick Hollern, 5-6/190, jr. (756 yards/9 TDs rushing – does not including Semifinal), WR/DB Jace Williams, 6-4/185, jr. (715 yards/9 TDs receiving – does not include Semifinal); LB/TE Ethan Lott, 6-1/192, sr.
Outlook: The Cougars are seeking their third championship in four seasons after winning Division 4 in both 2016 and 2017. Lott is one of three two-way starters and leads a defense giving up only 9.5 points per game – and only 8.5 per game not counting the Cougars’ lone loss to Niles Notre Dame of Illinois. On offense, seniors dominate the line with the majority of the team’s playmaking coming from standouts who should be back again next fall. Williams earned all-state honorable mention as a receiver as a sophomore, and senior tight end Drew Gommesen has a team-high 11 touchdown catches for the balanced attack.
Division 5
ALMONT
Record/rank: 13-0, T-No. 5
Coach: James Leusby, fifth season (45-11)
League finish: First in Blue Water Area Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 22-20 over No. 3 Marine City in District Final, 30-20 (Pre-District) and 28-10 over Richmond, 36-8 over Detroit Denby in Semifinal, 25-14 over Saginaw Swan Valley in Regional Final.
Players to watch: QB/DB Josh Hellebuyck, 5-11/165, sr. (1,226 yards/23 TDs passing), RB/LB Jack Paupert 5-11/180, sr. (877 yards/15 TDs rushing, 363 yards/7 TDs receiving), RB/OLB Mason Smith, 5-11/165, soph. (907 yards/11 TDs rushing), SE/CB Colby Schapman, 6-5/190, sr. (673 yards/14 TDs receiving).
Outlook: Almont faced road games during the first two weeks of the playoffs and another for the Semifinal, making this historic run even more incredible. But the Raiders surely are glad to be traveling one more time to the Finals, for the first time. This is their 10th-straight playoff season and 13th over the past 14 years, and few programs statewide have been so consistently strong on defense – Almont has given up 150 points or fewer eight times over the last decade, including 131 (10 per game) this fall. But the Panthers also have scored their second-most points of the playoff era this fall – 536 – behind a line with four senior starters among eight senior starters total on that side of the ball.
LANSING CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 4
Coach: Jim Ahern, 11th season (103-24)
League finish: Second in Capital Area Activities Conference White
Championship history: Class C champion 1985, Division 5 runner-up 2011 and 2014.
Best wins: 28-14 over No. 2 Kingsley in Semifinal, 21-0 over No. 8 Portland in District Final, 40-13 over Kalamazoo United in Regional Final, 28-21 over honorable mention Olivet in Pre-District.
Players to watch: QB/DB/P Zach Gillespie, 6-1/180, sr. (2,481 yards/24 TDs passing, 557 yards/18 TDs rushing); WR/DB Alex Watters, 5-11/170, soph. (997 yards/14 TDs receiving, 298 yards/3 TDs rushing); WR/DB Vince Salquist, 6-5/190, sr. (631 yards/4 TDs receiving); TE/OLB Sam Edwards, 6-0/190, sr. (164 tackles, 14 tackles for loss).
Outlook: The Cougars will play in their third Final this decade, and give their league a team in the Division 5 championship game for the second-straight year. A major win came over last season’s runner-up Portland in the District Final after the Raiders had dealt Lansing Catholic all three of its losses over the last two years and five of six over the last three seasons. Gillespie is the latest star quarterback in a long line coached by Ahern, who went over 300 career coaching wins this playoffs. Mitch Raphael with 563 yards (and nine TDs) is the team's leading rusher, but the Cougars have totaled more than 2,000 yards on the ground behind a line that has four two-way starters. Lansing Catholic has had only two single-digit games– both against Portland – a credit as well to a defense that surrenders only 13 points per game.
Division 6
MONROE ST. MARY CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 11-1, No. 1
Coach: Adam Kipf, fifth season (39-16)
League finish: Second in Huron League
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 36-7 over No. 4 Montrose in Regional Final, 44-14 over No. 9 Warren Michigan Collegiate in District Final, 17-14 over Onsted in Semifinal, 33-16 over Riverview.
Players to watch: RB/LB Alex Morgan, 6-0/175, sr. (1,680 yards/16 TDs rushing); RB/LB Sam Cousino, 6-3/225, sr. (727 yards/11 TDs rushing, 73 tackles/5 forced fumbles); QB/DB/K/P Wyatt Bergmoser, 5-7/170, sr. (939 yards/10 TDs rushing, 60.5 tackles); OL/DL Brendan Sloan, 5-10/205, sr.
Outlook: St. Mary is returning to the Finals for the first time since its 2014 title run, with just a loss to Division 4 Milan from perfection so far. After opening with three of their tougher opponents, the Falcons haven’t given up more than 16 points in a game since, led by 2018 Division 7-8 all-state honorable mention Cousino. Morgan leads a rushing attack with more than 4,200 yards this season – and more than 500 attempts, to go with only 32 passes thrown this fall. But while Bergmoser rarely throws, he’s another weapon running the ball – and kicking it, as his 25-yard field goal on the game’s last play won the Semifinal.
MAPLE CITY GLEN LAKE
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 5
Coach: Jerry Angers, 11th season (73-42)
League finish: First in Northern Michigan Football League Leaders
Championship history: Class DD champion 1994, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 31-30 (OT) over Montague in Semifinal, 15-14 over No. 10 Calumet in Regional Final, 42-18 over Charlevoix, 28-7 over Traverse City St. Francis.
Players to watch: QB/DB Reece Hazelton, 6-6/190, sr. (1,207 yards/16 TDs passing, 477 yards/6 TDs rushing); WR/DB Finn Hogan, 6-4/190, jr. (602 yards/11 TDs receiving – does not including Semifinal); RB/LB Jonathan Wright, 6-1/195, sr. (1,112 yards/17 TDs rushing – does not include Semifinal); OT/DL Ben Kroll, 6-3/270, sr.
Outlook: Glen Lake earned its way back to Ford Field for the first time since finishing runner-up in 2016, bouncing back from a lone loss to Division 5 semifinalist Kingsley with six straight wins. Hogan and Wright are playmakers on both sides of the ball, and Wright also has three kickoff return touchdowns. Senior running back Isaac Sterzer is another key offensive option – he had 768 yards and seven touchdowns rushing heading into the Semifinal. Kroll was an all-state honorable mention lineman as a junior last fall. After winning eight games during the regular season all by at least 15 points, Glen Lake has won all of its playoff games by 11 or fewer, including by just one point both of the last two weeks – although that experience could come in handy if this finale also is close.
Division 7
JACKSON LUMEN CHRISTI
Record/rank: 12-0, T-No. 2
Coach: Herb Brogan, 40th season (368-83)
League finish: First in Interstate 8 Athletic Conference
Championship history: 11 MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 35-30 over No. 7 Schoolcraft in Regional Final, 27-0 over honorable mention Cass City in Semifinal, 42-14 over No. 9 Riverview Gabriel Richard in District Final, 38-21 over Division 3 honorable mention Coldwater, 14-12 over Kalamazoo United.
Players to watch: RB/DB Walker Plate, 5-10/180, sr. (2,404 yards/33 TDs rushing); FB/LB Johnny Teachout, 5-8/200, sr. (503 yards/9 TDs rushing); WR/DB Jack Kelley, 6-0/170, sr.; OL/DL Keegan Smith, 6-3/315, sr.
Outlook: Lumen Christi has won three straight Finals championships and 35 straight games, with the slight difference about this Ford Field trip that the Titans are in Division 7 after winning those consecutive titles all in Division 6. A standout running back sets the tone for the Lumen Christi offense, and Plate is the latest after playing a significant role on defense the last two seasons. Smith also is a multi-year mainstay up front on both sides of the ball, and he’ll continue his career at Central Michigan. He made the Division 5-6 all-state team last fall.
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record: 13-0, T-No. 2
Coach: Jeremy Miller, seventh season (84-8)
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Division 7 champion 2016 and 2017, runner-up 2011 and 2015.
Best wins: 36-35 over No. 1 New Lothrop in Regional Final, 43-7 over No. 5 Iron Mountain in Semifinal, 41-7 over Division 8 No. 7 Fowler, 14-0 over Division 8 No. 1 Reading, 41-0 over Williamston.
Players to watch: RB/DB Tanner Wirth, 5-9/170, soph. (1,591 yards/25 TDs rushing); QB Ethan Thelen, 6-0/180, sr. (1,059 yards/16 TDs passing, 381 yards/11 TDs rushing); OL/DL John Martin, 6-4/230, sr.; OL/LB Jacob Pung, 6-0/220, sr.
Outlook: The Pirates earned their return to the Finals with two straight wins over previously-unbeaten teams, including reigning Division 7 champion New Lothrop. That gave P-W wins this season over two 2018 champs – they also opened with the shutout of Division 8 title winner Reading. Especially given the strong schedule, the Pirates allowing just 63 points over 13 games (4.8 per game) speaks volumes. Martin made the all-state first team last season and Pung the second, and they play major roles on both sides of the ball. Senior Carter Thelen is a starter at linebacker as well and showed again last week (94 yards/3 TDs rushing) that he can carry some of the offensive load along with Wirth – Thelen has now run for eight scores this fall. Wirth meanwhile, while just a sophomore, is averaging 9.1 yards per carry.
Division 8
READING
Record: 12-1, No. 1
Coach: Rick Bailey, 32nd season (222-105)
League finish: First in Big 8 Conference
Championship history: Division 8 champion 2018.
Best wins: 26-21 over No. 5 Adrian Lenawee Christian in Regional Final, 28-6 over Cassopolis in District Final, 62-18 over No. 7 Fowler in Semifinal, 38-0 over No. 8 Mendon in Pre-District, 51-6 over Addison.
Players to watch: QB/LB Porter Mauk, 6-0/175, jr. (950 yards/9 TDs passing); RB/DB Hunter Midtgard, 6-1/176, sr. (1,360 yards/17 TDs rushing, 8 interceptions); FB/LB Ben Affholter, 6-2/287, sr.; OL/DL Nick Affholter, 6-3/307, sr,
Outlook: The team’s only loss the last two seasons was 14-0 to Division 7 finalist Pewamo-Westphalia in Week 1. The Rangers were the only team this season to hold P-W to fewer than 35 points, and since that night Reading offensively also has been back to unstoppable. The Rangers have won the last 12 games by an average score of 47-7. Both Ben and Nick Affholter were all-state first-team selections last season, and they along with Mauk, Midtgard, senior TE/LB Jayson Scoville and junior WR/DB Dilon Denison are two-way starters. Senior fullback Elijah Strine is another major contributor both ways; he starts at defensive tackle and has run for 879 yards and 22 touchdowns.
BEAL CITY
Record: 12-1, unranked
Coach: Brad Gross, fifth season (34-19)
League finish: Tied for first in Highland Conference
Championship his