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 22, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each day of this weekend's MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field will have its own distinct theme.
Friday features the only first-time football finalist this season, Ottawa Lake Whiteford in Division 8, plus three teams seeking their first championships since the 1990s: Walled Lake Western in Division 2, Detroit Country Day in Division 4 and Maple City Glen Lake in Division 6.
Saturday, meanwhile, will be rematch day. The Division 1, 3 and 5 Finals are rematches of championship games from earlier this decade, and Division 7 finalists Detroit Loyola and Pewamo-Westphalia met in a Semifinal a year ago.
See below for a look at all of the finalists taking the field this weekend, powered by MI Student Aid. Tickets cost $10 and are good for all four games on one day. Click for a full schedule.
The first three Friday games will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit’s primary channel (check cable/satellite box listings for your specific channel) with the Division 4 game available live on FoxSportsDetroit.com and on FOX Sports GO! for tablet and handheld users. Saturday's first two games will air live on Fox Sports Detroit, with the third on Fox Sports Detroit-PLUS. As with the Division 4 game, the Division 3 game will be available live online only, but both will be aired on Fox Sports Detroit on Sunday; the Division 4 game will air at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Division 3 game at 9 p.m. Audio broadcasts will be available on the MHSAA Network website.
Rankings below were voted upon by The Associated Press’ media panel. Statistics are current unless noted; those with a "*" are only through Regional Finals.
Division 1
DETROIT CASS TECH
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Thomas Wilcher, 19th season (197-51)
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League East Division 1.
Finals history: Division 1 champion 2012, 2011; runner-up 2015.
Best wins: 32-28 over No. 3 Utica Eisenhower in the Semifinal, 43-42 over No. 4 Saline in the Regional Final, 24-7 over No. 7 Dearborn in the District Final, 35-7 over No. 8 Dearborn Fordson in the Pre-District, 31-18 and 41-20 over Division 2 No. 3 Detroit Martin Luther King.
Players to watch: RB/DB Donovan Johnson, 5-8/175 sr. (1,007 yards/16 TDs rushing); QB Rodney Hall, 6-2/210 sr. (2,315 yards/23 TDs passing); WR/FS Donovan Peoples-Jones, 6-2/190, sr. (982 yards/16 TDs receiving); OT/DT Jordan Reid, 6-5/295 jr.; DB/RB Jaylen Kelly-Powell, 6-0/200 sr.
Outlook: Not that anyone was doubting it before, but it’s tough to argue with Cass Tech’s ranking after its body of work in the playoffs – with Saturday’s comeback win over Eisenhower just the latest of an impressive run. Hall, Peoples-Jones and Kelly-Powell were stars on last year’s team too and Johnson and senior Tim Cheatem are back as the top runners after the Technicians – without Hall because of an injury – fell to Romeo in last season’s Division 1 Final. Kelly-Powell is committed to sign with Michigan, Hall with Northern Illinois and Reid with Michigan State, and both Peoples-Jones and Johnson are making decisions with a number of offers from elite college programs.
DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 2
Coach: Tom Mach, 41st season (373-96)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Finals history: Ten MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 28-14 over No. 6 Grandville in the Regional Final, 28-21 over Division 2 No. 10 Birmingham Brother Rice, 28-7 and 17-14 over Division 3 No. 10 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
Players to watch: RB/DB Nicholas Capatina, 5-9/180, sr. (1,035 yards/13 TDs); QB/DB Austin Brown, 6-0/180, soph. (1,314 yards/14 TDs); FB/LB Cameron Ryan, 6-0/220, jr. (833 yards/15 TDs rushing); FB/LB Isaac Darkangelo, 6-1/230, jr.; RB/LB Matt Young, 6-1/220, jr.
Outlook: The Shamrocks get to renew their postseason rivalry with Cass Tech after going 1-2 against the Technicians during two championship game and one Semifinal meeting from 2011-13. DCC can control the tempo by controlling the ground game – see last week’s 17-0 win over reigning Division 1 champion Romeo – but additionally hasn’t given up more than 21 points in a game this season while also defeating some strong out-of-state competition including Toledo Whitmer (29-7) and Cleveland St. Ignatius (28-21). The Shamrocks run behind a line averaging 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds and can deploy some skilled receiving threats in seniors Chris Jakubik and Jack Morris.
Division 2
DETROIT MARTIN LUTHER KING
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 3
Coach: Ty Spencer, first season (11-2)
League finish: Second in Detroit Public School League East Division 1.
Finals history: Division 2 champion 2015 and 2007, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 14-7 over No. 5 Birmingham Groves in the Semifinal, 21-7 over No. 7 Temperance Bedford in the Regional Final, 39-0 over No. 10 Southfield Arts & Technology.
Players to watch: RB Kevin Willis, 5-8/165 sr. (1,003 yards/13 TDs rushing*); WR/DB Ambry Thomas, 5-11/175, sr.; (885 yards/13 TDs); QB Dequan Finn, 6-0/165, soph. (2,175 yards/34 TDs); DB/FL Jae’Veyon Morton, 5-9/165, jr. (592 yards/13 TDs receiving*).
Outlook: Last season’s champion is back in the Final with a few different players in key positions, but also returning standouts Willis and Thomas. King’s only losses this fall were twice to Division 1 finalist Detroit Cass Tech; Cass Tech and also-PSL rival Detroit East English were the only teams to put up more than 14 points on the Crusaders this season. Thomas is one of the most highly-recruited players in the state and also has scored on interception, kick and punt returns this season. Former defensive coordinator Spencer has led the return effort, taking over after the tragic death of coach Dale Harvel in July.
WALLED LAKE WESTERN
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 2
Coach: Mike Zdebski, 19th season (153-56)
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association North and Lakes.
Finals history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 37-34 over No. 1 Lowell in the Semifinal, 61-21 over Fenton in the Regional Final, 37-7 over Brighton.
Players to watch: WR/DB Cody White, 6-3/205 sr. (547 yards/8 TDs rushing, 694 yards/9 TDs receiving, 638 yards/9 TDs passing); WR/DB Kameron Ford, 5-10/165, sr. (1,097 yards/13 TDs receiving); TB/LB Jalen Marshall, 5-10/225 sr. (881 yards/17 TDs rushing); QB Johnny Tracy, 6-3/205 sr. (2,125 yards/23 TDs passing).
Outlook: Zdebski brings Walled Lake Western back to the Finals after leading the Warriors to a championship back in his second season and also a 12-1 record a year ago. White – a rushing/receiving/passing threat headed to Michigan State – is the player most know, but he’s hardly the only offensive threat. Senior defensive back Jack Dodge paces the defense with 120 tackles and seven interceptions; total, Western has taken advantage of 30 turnovers this fall.
Division 3
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 9-4, No. 10
Coach: George Porritt, 28th season (254-71)
League finish: Second in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Finals history: Seven MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 35-28 over No. 6 DeWitt in the Regional Final, 21-0 over Division 2 No. 10 Birmingham Brother Rice, 35-14 over Division 7 No. 5 Detroit Loyola.
Players to watch: RB/DE Kyren Cunningham, 6-1/220, jr. (1,967 yards/22 TDs rushing); RB/LB RaShawn Allen, 5-9/200, jr. (943 yards/16 TDs); LB/RB Josh Ross, 6-1/225, sr.; DB/WR Richard Bowens, 6-1/190, sr.
Outlook: St. Mary’s is playing for its third straight Division 3 title and the second time against Muskegon during this run after downing the Big Reds 7-0 in the 2014 Final. The Eaglets’ offensive playmakers are mostly juniors; joining Cunningham and Allen in the backfield, junior quarterback Caden Prieskorn (6-6/215) has thrown for more than 1,000 yards. The defense is stacked with talented seniors; Ross will sign with Michigan, Bowens has committed to play at Iowa State, defensive back Shermond Dabney is headed to Bowling Green and nose guard Ralph Holley and linebacker Dwayne Chapman to Western Michigan. The Eaglets have given up more than 17 points only three times.
MUSKEGON
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 1
Coach: Shane Fairfield, 12th season (73-17)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Black.
Finals history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2008), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 49-14 and 62-7 (Regional Final) over No. 5 Byron Center, 19-8 over No. 2 Edwardsburg in the Semifinal, 28-10 over East Grand Rapids in the District Final.
Players to watch: QB Kalil Pimpleton, 5-7/160 sr. (1,456 yards/21 TDs rushing, 714 yards/14 TDs passing, 229 yards/2 TDs receiving); QB La’Darius Jefferson, 6-2/210, jr. (865 yards/17 TDs rushing, 863 yards/9 TDs passing); WR/FS Jacorey Sullivan, 6-3/205, sr. (553 yards/7 TDs receiving); LB/RB Andrew Ward, 6-1/210, sr.
Outlook: As noted above, this is a rematch of the 2014 Final, and a little bit of a rebound for the Big Reds after they fell to Lowell in a Division 2 Regional Final a year ago. The quarterback tandem of Pimpleton and Jefferson should be one of the most entertaining offensive duos of the weekend; Pimpleton will play next at Virginia Tech. Ward also has major conference Division I offers and leads a defense that has given up 39 points over four playoff games and more than 15 only once, in a three-point Week 2 loss to Lincolnshire Stevenson of Illinois.
Division 4
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Dan MacLean, 19th season (148-68)
League finish: Does not play in a conference.
Finals history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 20-14 over No. 2 River Rouge in the Semifinal, 45-7 over No. 4 Marysville in the District Final, 21-20 over Division 2 No. 7 Temperance Bedford.
Players to watch: RB/DB Chris Bergin, 5-11/200 sr. (626 yards/11 TDs rushing); QB/WR/DB Steve Mann, 6-0/195, sr. (713 yards/6 TDs passing, 281 yards/4 TDs receiving); QB/DB Jalen Graham, 6-2/185, soph. (407 yards/7 TDs passing); LB Kolin Demens, 6-2/200 jr.
Outlook: Country Day has played in three Finals over the last decade, in 2007, 2008 and 2012, and is back after falling in Semifinals the last two seasons. The Yellowjackets set a school record with 470 points with some incredible balance; although no player’s stats jump off the page, both Mann and Graham have had success at quarterback, while Bergin leads five with at least 200 yards rushing and four players have caught 10 or more passes. The defense gets more attention; aside from giving up 21 and 20 to Division 2 Detroit U-D Jesuit and Temperance Bedford, respectively, Country Day has held the rest to 14 or fewer points. Senior linebacker Adam Fakih leads with 98 tackles.
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 5
Coach: Todd Kolster, fifth season (49-10)
League finish: Tied for first in O-K Blue
Finals history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2010), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 31-3 over No. 8 Hudsonville Unity Christian in the Semifinal, 34-0 over Escanaba in the Regional Final, 27-6 over East Grand Rapids, 35-20 and 38-7 (District Final) over Allendale.
Players to watch: QB Jack Bowen, 5-10/165 jr. (2,329 yards/24 TDs passing*); TB Nolan Fugate, 6-0/200 jr. (1,637/14 TDs rushing); WR/DB Michael Brown, 6-0/200, sr. (1,090 yards/11 TDs receiving*); WR/DB Antonio Strong, 6-0/180, sr. (1,050 yards/11 TDs receiving*).
Outlook: GRCC advanced past the District round for the first time since 2010 with its highest-scoring offense since that season and a defense that has given up a combined 10 points over the last five weeks. The lone loss was to Division 5 finalist Grand Rapids West Catholic in Week 8, and in that game the Cougars allowed only 20 points. A key has been forcing turnovers; GRCC had 24 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries head into the Semifinal.
Division 5
GRAND RAPIDS WEST CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 6
Coach: Joe Hyland, first season (11-2)
League finish: Tied for first in O-K Blue.
Finals history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 10-7 over No. 1 Portland in the District Final, 28-7 over No. 4 Lansing Catholic in the Pre-District, 30-13 over Division 6 No. 5 Jackson Lumen Christi, 20-3 over Division 4 No. 5 Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
Players to watch: RB/QB/DB David Fox, 6-2/215 sr. (689 yards/8 TDs rushing, 1,286 yards/17 TDs passing*); QB Gaetano Vallone, 5-10/170, jr. (889 yards/7 TDs passing*); WR/DB Sam Neville, 6-3/205, sr. (854 yards/13 TDs receiving*); WR/DB Alex Fortier, 5-8/150 jr. (574 yards/9 TDs rushing*)
Outlook: The Falcons have a new coach but the same result as they’ll play in their fifth straight Final while seeking their fourth straight Division 5 championship. Hyland brought a successful past that included leading a playoff program in South Carolina, and he has guided West Catholic through all road games (including a neutral-field Semifinal) on the way to Detroit. Fox and Vallone were the stars of last year’s victory over River Rouge, and Fox at defensive back also helps linebackers Nathaniel Mitchell and Chris Markules pace a defense that has given up 20 points total during the playoffs.
MENOMINEE
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 5
Coach: Joe Noha, fifth season (59-6)
League finish: First in Great Northern U.P. Conference
Finals history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2007), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 23-20 over No. 7 Frankenmuth in the Semifinal, 40-14 over No. 8 Reed City in the Regional Final, 28-14 over Escanaba.
Players to watch: WB/DB Ethan Mileski, 6-2/180, jr. (658 yards/5 TDs rushing, 1,250 yards/15 TDs passing); FB/LB Sam Larson, 5-11/185, sr. (766 yards/17 TDs rushing); WB/DB Marcus McKenney, 6-0/170 sr. (385 yards/4 TDs rushing, 499 yards/4 TDs receiving); TB/DB Keifer Rasner, 5-10/190, sr. (1,372 yards/20 TDs rushing, 410 yards/3 TDs passing).
Outlook: Menominee is back at Ford Field for the first time since 2013, earning a rematch of that Division 5 Final loss to West Catholic. The run has been impressive, including a late comeback win last week over Frankenmuth, and especially because all-state running back Rasner has missed the last few games with an injury. Larson and Mileski have picked up the slack, Larson with more than 300 yards rushing over the last two games and Mileski with more than 500 yards of total offense as the team downed the Eagles and Reed City.
Division 6
JACKSON LUMEN CHRISTI
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 5
Coach: Herb Brogan, 37th season (336-83)
League finish: Tied for first in Interstate 8 Athletic Conference.
Finals history: Eight MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 27-7 over No. 3 Millington in the Semifinal, 37-34 OT over No. 2 Schoolcraft in the District Final, 21-20 OT over Coldwater.
Players to watch: RB Bo Bell, 5-9/170 sr. (2,428 yards/32 TDs rushing); WR/FS Jake Lathers, 5-11/175, sr. (593 yards/4 TDs receiving*); QB Troy Kutcha, 6-1/170 jr. (1,374 yards/10 TDs passing); FB/LB Kyle Minder, 5-11/200 jr. (457 yards/8 TDs rushing*).
Outlook: Lumen Christi will make its first trip to the Finals since that last championship run after eliminating two of the favorites along the way. Bell has carried a heavy load especially during the playoffs, and carried it well, while Kutcha adds a threat in the air to keep defenses honest. Minder is joined on defense by talented linebackers Alex Lasky and Luke Stanton, while end Karim Harris and tackle Grant Smith provide further power up front.
MAPLE CITY GLEN LAKE
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 6
Coach: Jerry Angers, eighth season (50-32)
League finish: Second in Northern Michigan Football Conference Leaders.
Finals history: Class DD champion 1994, Class DD runner-up 1996.
Best wins: 14-0 over No. 4 Calumet in the Regional Final, 36-12 over No. 8 Roscommon in the District Final, 34-20 over Leroy Pine River in the Semifinal.
Players to watch: RB/LB Nick Apsey, 6-1/200 jr. (791 yards/13 TDs rushing, 610 yards/10 TDs receiving); QB Cade Peterson, 6-4/190, jr. (1,953 yards/20 TDs passing, 664 yards/7 TDs rushing); WR/DB Jared Jackson, 5-11/160, sr. (455 yards/3 TDs receiving); RB/LB Duke Angers, 6-1/230, sr. (255 yards/3 TDs rushing).
Outlook: Glen Lake has broken the 10-win plateau for the first time since 2001 and won their most games since that last Finals run. Fewer teams at this stage have better losses; Glen Lake fell to Frankfort and Traverse City St. Francis, which both finished with only one loss this fall. Only those two and Pine River last week have scored more than 14 points against a defense keyed by Angers in the middle.
Division 7
DETROIT LOYOLA
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 5
Coach: John Callahan, seventh season (77-14)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League AA
Finals history: Division 7 champion 2014, runner-up 2013 and 2012.
Best wins: 36-13 over No. 6 Hudson in the Regional Final, 46-7 over No. 8 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett in the District Final, 34-24 over Dearborn Divine Child.
Players to watch: QB/DB Price Watkins, 6-0/175, sr. (1,060 yards/9 TDs rushing, 817 yards/9 TDs passing); RB/LB Malcolm Mayes, 6-1/207, sr. (1,240 yards/14 TDs rushing); RB/LB D’Anthony Robinson, 5-10/210 soph. (1,298 yards/19 TDs rushing); LB/OL Kailen Abrams, 6-2/220 sr.
Outlook: Loyola no doubt has been looking forward to this rematch after falling to P-W 30-0 in a Semifinal last season. And the Bulldogs have beaten four league champions during this playoff run. But they are in a bit of a tough spot; Loyola's success this decade mostly has come as a result of a highly-productive running game, and three players have gone over 1,000 yards rushing this season. But the Detroit News has reported that Mayes and Robinson will be out with injuries Saturday. The good news is this team also can throw; Watkins has an all-state receiver in 6-foot-4 senior Hunter Harris (618 yards/7 TDs receiving).
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 2
Coach: Jeremy Miller, fourth season (46-6)
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference.
Finals history: Division 7 runner-up 2015 and 2011.
Best wins: 17-14 over No. 1 Traverse City St. Francis in the Regional Final, 25-19 over No. 3 Saugatuck in the District Final, 34-16 over No. 4 Ubly in the Semifinal, 40-7 over Division 6 No. 10 Laingsburg.
Players to watch: RB/LB Jared Smith, 6-0/205, sr. (2,528 yards/38 TDs rushing); WR/DB Mason Schneider, 5-11/160, sr.; OT/DT Dominic Spitzley, 6-3/260, sr.; OL/LB Devon Pung, 5-11/200, sr.
Outlook: P-W was 3 minutes and 53 seconds from its first MHSAA title last season before falling to Ishpeming 22-16, and many of 2015's top contributors are back for another shot – including the second-leading rusher in MHSAA history. Smith has run for 8,140 yards over a four-season varsity career and is only 291 shy of the career record set by East Grand Rapids’ Kevin Grady from 2001-04. Defenses will focus on Smith – but he has a veteran line in front of him and a pair of quarterbacks in senior Ryan Smith and junior Jimmy Lehman who bring different looks on that side of the ball. Senior Nathan Smith joins Pung and Schneider as all-state honorees leading a defense that hasn’t given up more than 20 points in a game and 103 overall.
Division 8
OTTAWA LAKE WHITEFORD
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 5
Coach: Jason Mensing, fifth season (47-12)
League finish: First in Tri-County Conference.
Finals history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 40-21 over Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary in the Semifinal, 38-18 over No. 2 Climax-Scotts in the Regional Final, 30-26 and 44-21 (District Final) over Morenci.
Players to watch: QB/FS Thomas Eitniear, 5-10/160, jr. (920 yards/9 TDs passing, 796 yards/7 TDs rushing); RB/LB Jesse Kiefer, 5-9/165, sr. (1,240 yards/30 TDs rushing rushing, 287 yards/5 TDs receiving); WB/LB Conner Hoogendoorn, 5-11/175 sr. (953 yards/16 TDs rushing); OT/DT Lucas Tesznar, 6-5/250, jr.
Outlook: This is Whiteford’s first trip to the Finals after its second straight – and second-ever – Semifinal appearance. Kiefer, an all-state honorable mention, is the school’s career record-holder for rushing yards, points and total offense, while Eitniear has started every game of the two Semifinal runs at quarterback. He also was an all-state honorable mention and Tesznar made the first team as Whiteford has scored nearly 100 points more than last season’s record total. The Bobcats have had only two single-digit games this fall, winning their four playoff games by an average of 21 points.
MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Steve Czerwon, fourth season (50-4)
League finish: First in Lakes 8 Conference.
Finals history: Eleven MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 21-6 and 35-0 (Semifinal) over No. 3 St. Ignace, 35-0 over No. 6 Frankfort in the Regional Final, 30-6 over Division 5 No. 9 Muskegon Oakridge.
Players to watch: RB/LB LaTommy Scott, 5-10/175, sr. (873 yards/8 TDs rushing); LB Andrew Schulte, 5-10/185, sr.; RB/DB Logan Helton, 5-9/175 sr. (817 yards/13 TDs rushing); RB/DB Walker Christoffersen, 5-9/180 sr. (656 yards/11 TDs rushing).
Outlook: MCC has won the last three Division 8 titles and brings back a number of veterans including all three top running backs from last season, when the Crusaders beat Waterford Our Lady 7-0. They did suffer a setback when all-state lineman Adam Benoit was ruled out for the rest of the season with an injury a few weeks ago – but it’s been tough to tell by MCC’s combined 70-0 score over the last two games. Senior quarterback Trenton Bordeaux adds another dimension offensively (589 yards/7 TDs passing) and also is an all-state punter, while all-stater Schulte leads a defense that hasn’t given up a point in three weeks and only 71 overall this fall.
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PHOTO: Ford Field is again the home of the MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals.