Football Playoffs: Semifinals in Review
November 21, 2011
It’s always hard to wave good-bye to another high school football season.
But stories of this fall’s playoffs will no doubt be retold a few times this winter -- especially after one of the most memorable Semifinals weekends in recent memory,
Nine of Saturday’s 16 games were decided by eight points or fewer. Two games were decided by three points, and three more games by just one. Twice, overtime was necessary to decide which team would advance to this weekend’s MHSAA Finals at Detroit’s Ford Field.
We’ll kick off Finals week with our regular round-up of the previous weekend’s playoff action – including the first 8-Player Final in MHSAA history. Later this week, we’ll take a brief look at every team hoping to finish by hoisting a championship trophy.
All eight games will be broadcast on Fox Sports Plus. Click for a full schedule and playoff scoreboard. And click here for a list of Fox Sports Plus channels in your area.
(Rankings are by The Associated Press’ panel of media voters.)
1st and 10
Division 1: Detroit Catholic Central 23, Rockford 20 (OT) – Rockford kicked a field goal for a three-point lead to begin overtime, but No. 2 beat No. 1 when DCC running back Anthony Darkangelo ran in the game-winner from seven yards out. Read more in the Novi News.
Division 1: Detroit Cass Tech 6, Utica Eisenhower 3 – Here’s why they play the games. Unranked Cass Tech continued an impressive defensive stand (see lower in this post for more) in knocking off the No. 3 Eagles. Read more in the Detroit Free Press.
Division 2: Lowell 42, Walled Lake Western 35 (OT) – Walled Lake Western came back from 14 down in the third quarter and then took a lead, but couldn’t keep the Red Arrows from booking a third-straight trip to the Finals. Read more in the Grand Rapids Press.
Division 2: Birmingham Brother Rice 27, Detroit Martin Luther King 26 – The Crusaders fought back from an early 21-0 deficit, and Brother Rice scored all of its points during the first half. But the Warriors held on twice at the end – once on a two-point conversion try that would’ve given King the lead, and then once more on the Crusaders’ final possession. Read more from the Oakland Press.
Division 3: Mount Pleasant 38, East Grand Rapids 37 – The Oilers were probably thinking less about EGR’s 28-game playoff winning streak and more about how the Pioneers had knocked them out of the playoffs two of the last three seasons. Now, Mount Pleasant can focus on playing in its first MHSAA Final. Read more in the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.
Division 5: Lansing Catholic 42, Grand Rapids West Catholic 35 – The teams exchanged shots until just about the end, with this season’s No. 1 taking down the reigning champion despite trailing twice during the first half. Read more in the Lansing State Journal.
Division 6: Constantine 45, Ecorse 44 – The Falcons have shown they are tough to stop when it matters most, winning their third playoff game by seven or fewer points to advance to their first Final since 2004. Read more in the Sturgis Journal.
Division 7: Pewamo-Westphalia 22, Hudson 14 – The Pirates, making their second Semifinal appearance ever, earned their first Finals berth by ending the 26-game winning streak of the reigning champion Tigers. Read more from the Lansing State Journal.
Division 8: Mendon 34, New Lothrop 13 – The No. 3 Hornets had given up 47 points over their first 12 games, but top-ranked Mendon nearly doubled that while holding a New Lothrop offense averaging 52 points to just a pair of touchdowns. Read more in the Sturgis Journal.
8-Player Final: Carsonville-Port Sanilac 59, Rapid River 20 – It’s arguable what was more impressive – the Tigers’ offensive might, or that its defense held Rapid River scoreless in the second half of the first-ever MHSAA 8-player Final. Read more in the “First Pitch” at MHSAA.com.
Numbers Game
16 – Number of points Detroit Cass Tech has given up during the postseason, including three to Utica Eisenhower in Saturday’ 6-3 victory. The Technicians have held opponents to seven or fewer points in nine of 13 games this fall.
34 – Number of minutes Constantine held onto the ball – and kept Ecorse’s offense off the field – in a 45-44 Division 6 win.
901 – Number of yards, combined, put up by Carsonville-Port Sanilac and Rapid River in the inaugural 8-player Football Final.
324 – Passing yards by Carsonville-Port Sanilac quarterback Hayden Adams, who likely will be remembered as this state’s first 8-player star. Five of his 12 completions went for touchdowns, and he also ran for 130 yards and two scores.
More Fantastic Finishes
Division 3: Orchard Lake St. Mary 14, Battle Creek Harper Creek 10 – They were tied going into the fourth quarter. Harper Creek added a go-ahead field goal – and then St. Mary’s Grant Niemiec scored on an 11-yard run with 49 seconds left to take the final lead.
Division 4: Zeeland West 30, Comstock Park 6 – The Dux moved to 13-0 to tie the school record for wins and make a second MHSAA Final – in just seven seasons of existence.
Division 4: Marine City 45, Grosse Ile 6 – The Mariners shut down Grosse Ile until the final five minutes of the game to earn their second Finals berth in five seasons.
Division 5: Flint Powers Catholic 27, Almont 10 – Why they play the games, Part II. Powers is the latest to make the rare trek from 5-4 qualifier to potential MHSAA champion after taking out Nos. 2 and, most recently, 4 from the final AP regular-season poll.
Division 6: Ithaca 28, Iron Mountain 0 – The Yellowjackets returned to the Superior Dome and beat Iron Mountain for the second straight season to advance to Detroit.
Division 7: Saginaw Nouvel 14, Traverse City St. Francis 3 – The Panthers’ defense also has been awesome during this postseason, giving up just 23 points over four games.
Division 8: Fowler 45, St. Ignace La Salle 8 – The Eagles have gone from losing their coach the weekend before practice began in 2010 to making their first Final since winning Class D in 1998.
Up Next: MHSAA 11-player Finals
FRIDAY
Division 8: Mendon (13-0) vs. Fowler (11-2), 10 a.m. – These are two of the most storied small-school programs in state history, both ranking among the top 14 in the state in winning percentage since 1950 according to Michigan-football.com. Mendon was expected to be here, but surprise Fowler has been to this point plenty of times as well.
Division 2: Birmingham Brother Rice (9-4) vs. Lowell (12-1), 1 p.m. – Brother Rice’s tough schedule always gives it a decent shot of making the playoff field even at 5-4, but getting to the Final after coming in with that record is new ground for the Warriors (they made the Semifinals in 2009 after entering 5-4). Lowell was just about everyone’s pick to get this far – and will try to make it two titles in three seasons after losing in the 2010 championship game.
Division 6: Constantine (11-2) vs. Ithaca (13-0), 4:30 p.m. – Constantine’s 1-2 start is a distant memory as the Falcons go for their first championship in seven seasons. Ithaca made its first Final just a year ago, but can further its reputation as an elite power but claiming two titles in a row and extending its winning streak to 28.
Division 4: Marine City (13-0) vs. Zeeland West (13-0), 7:30 p.m. – It’s rare for the combination of bracket assignments and rankings to play out like this, but Marine City entered the postseason No. 1 and Zeeland West No. 2. The Mariners last won a championship in 2007, but have the chance to also finish 14-0 this time. Same story as the Dux try to improve just that little bit on their 2006 title run.
SATURDAY
Division 7: Pewamo-Westphalia (13-0) vs. Saginaw Nouvel (12-0), 10 a.m. – The Panthers are going for their third MHSAA championship in six seasons and have no problem raising their game; not counting two against Canadian teams, Nouvel played 10 games this season against teams that qualified for the playoffs. P-W joins Fowler as finalists from the Central Michigan Athletic Conference, and is led by a senior class that might be one of the best in the program’s successful history.
Division 1: Detroit Cass Tech (10-3) vs. Detroit Catholic Central (12-1), 1 p.m. – The Technicians seemingly have been building toward this weekend after making their first Semifinal appearance in 2010, and after losing by three in that game before going on to win by three in last week’s semi. Now they get the Shamrocks, who can move into a third-place tie with 11 MHSAA football championships.
Division 5: Flint Powers Catholic (9-4) vs. Lansing Catholic (13-0), 4:30 p.m. – The Cougars defeated Powers 37-17 in Week 2, but it’s fair to say much has changed. The Chargers haven’t given up that many points in a game since – but Lansing Catholic also hasn’t scored that few.
Division 3: Mount Pleasant (13-0) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary (11-2), 7:30 p.m. – The Eaglets lost the last two Finals to East Grand Rapids by eight and three points, respectively. No matter what happens in this finale, there will be a new Division 3 champion for the first time in five seasons.
(Photo courtesy of Sharon Weber via the Lansing State Journal.)
Drive for Detroit: Week 6 in Review
October 3, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A total of 52 Michigan high school football teams celebrated 6-0 starts this past weekend and qualifying for the MHSAA playoffs set to begin in four weeks. A handful more celebrated the first league championships awarded this season.
And we’re just getting started.
Take a look below at the results that rang most significant from Week 6, including a number of games that set up what we’ll be watching as the regular season heads into its final third.
Bay & Thumb
Davison 20, Midland 0
The Saginaw Valley League Red race appears down to two teams after Davison handed Midland its first league loss of this season. The Cardinals – now 6-0 and with more wins than in any season total since 2012 – take on co-leader Lapeer this week. Midland does remain in the hunt, however; the Chemics (3-3) get Lapeer in Week 8 with a chance to share the title if the Lightning is successful Friday. Click for more from the Midland Daily News.
Also noted:
Fenton 54, Holly 35 – The Tigers (4-2) are among teams that dropped their first game or two but have come back strong, and now sit a win ahead of Holly (4-2) and two others atop the Flint Metro League standings.
Marine City 27, St. Clair 6 – The Mariners (2-4) continued their run at finishing a 34th straight winning season by earning their second victory in a row, with St. Clair falling to 3-3.
Unionville-Sebewaing 20, Reese 12 – The Patriots (5-1) held on to a share of the lead in the Greater Thumb Conference West with a third straight win over Reese (4-2).
Flint Carman-Ainsworth 34, Bay City Central 34 – The Cavaliers (4-2) remain tied atop the Saginaw Valley League Blue with Midland Dow after facing their toughest challenge this season from Central (3-3).
Greater Detroit
Detroit Cass Tech 31, Detroit Martin Luther King 18
The Technicians (6-0) were held to their fewest points this season, but the story was Cass Tech’s defense. King (5-1) hadn’t scored fewer than 39 points in a game since last season’s Division 2 Regional Final win over Detroit East English and put up 31 and 27 in beating Cass Tech twice last fall. And just like in 2015, don’t be stunned if these two face off again in the Detroit Public School League final at Ford Field in three weeks. Click for more from MLive-Detroit.
Also noted:
Allen Park 23, Trenton 10 – The Jaguars (6-0) now hold a one-win lead in the Downriver League on both Trenton (5-1) and Wyandotte Roosevelt with three games to play and victories over both.
Warren Cousino 36, Grosse Pointe North 33 – Cousino (5-1) hasn’t been considered a football power for about a decade, but the Patriots are creeping toward their best finish since 2007 and sit in first in the Macomb Area Conference Blue after dealing Grosse Pointe North (4-2) a first league loss.
Birmingham Groves 14, Farmington Hills Harrison 7 (OT) – The Falcons (6-0) won their second Oakland Activities Association White game by seven points or fewer this fall to remain a half-win ahead of Rochester Adams, this week’s opponent, and send Harrison to 3-3.
Oak Park 14, Clarkston 7 – The Knights (4-2) are a win back in the OAA White standings but have two of the league’s most impressive victories over Adams and now Clarkston (4-2), which is tied for second in the OAA Red.
Mid-Michigan
Breckenridge 38, Carson City-Crystal 0
One of the state’s top turnaround stories keeps getting better. The Huskies, 6-0 after going 0-9 only a year ago, clinched their first playoff berth since 1993 while taking over first place in the Mid-State Activities Conference alone by handing the Eagles (4-2) their first league loss. Breckenridge hasn’t won six games in a season since 1994. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.
Also noted:
Ithaca 17, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 6 – The Yellowjackets (6-0) had beaten the rest of their Tri-Valley Conference West opponents by at least 27 and now look good to clinch at least a share of the title after fending off the Cardinals (4-2).
Howell 48, Grand Blanc 46 – Not only did the Highlanders (4-2) end a five-game losing streak to the Bobcats (4-2), but they opened up a chance to claim a share of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title against Brighton in Week 8.
Pewamo-Westphalia 40, Laingsburg 7 – The Pirates (6-0) did score their fewest points since opening night and also gave up their first score since Week 1, but still win comfortably to hold on to first place in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference, a win ahead of the Wolfpack (5-1).
Lake Odessa Lakewood 34, Olivet 27 – The Vikings (6-0) clinched a share of a second straight Greater Lansing Activities Conference title, potentially relegating Olivet (4-2) to second place for the second straight season as well.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Frankfort 26, Maple City Glen Lake 21
This matchup for first place in the Northern Michigan Football Conference Leaders division was as good as billed, with Frankfort holding on to a slim lead as the only team without a league loss. The Panthers (6-0) scored the go-ahead points this time with just more than four minutes to play, and a final drive by Glen Lake (4-2) ended in a turnover. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Also noted:
Boyne City 21, Kalkaska 14 – The Ramblers (4-2) continued their rebound from an 0-2 start by possibly eliminating another contender in the NMFC Legends division; Kalkaska (5-1) is a win back of Boyne City and Traverse City St. Francis in the league standings.
Charlevoix 21, East Jordan 0 – The Red Rayders (5-1) bounced back from a tough Week 5 loss to Glen Lake with a third straight shutout of East Jordan (4-2) – which is hoping to rebound and earn its first playoff berth since 2003.
AuGres-Sims 22, Whittemore-Prescott 20 – The Wolverines (5-1) kept pace a half-win behind leader Lincoln Alcona in the North Star League by winning their first meeting with the Cardinals (3-3) since 1992.
Cadillac 16, Gaylord 12 – The Vikings (5-1) hung on for a Homecoming win to remain tied for first in the Big North Conference and send Gaylord (2-4) potentially out of playoff contention.
Southeast & Border
Milan 27, Grosse Ile 6
The Big Reds may be breathing only a little easier after taking over first place alone in the Huron League and sending Grosse Ile (5-1) into second place. Two league games remain, and nemesis Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central is up next for Milan, which surely will be amped up after losing the title-decider to the Falcons last year. Click for more from the Southgate News-Herald.
Also noted:
Hillsdale 14, Hudson 6 – The Hornets (4-2) kept themselves in the Lenawee County Athletic Association discussion by knocking Hudson (5-1) out of a first-place tie with Ida; both now trail the leader by a win and play Ida successively over the next two weeks.
Jackson Lumen Christi 21, Coldwater 20 (OT) – The Titans (4-2) have avenged both of their 2015 Interstate 8 Athletic Conference losses over the last two weeks and sit a win back of league leader Harper Creek, this week’s opponent for the reigning champ Cardinals (4-2).
Sand Creek 12, Clinton 7 – Just as Morenci’s win the week before over Clinton was one of its best in some time, Sand Creek (6-0) can claim the same as it held on to a first-place tie in the Tri-County Conference while likely knocking the reigning champ Redskins (4-2) out of contention.
Springport 20, Concord 16 – Concord (5-1) had won three games by a touchdown or less to take the lead in the Big 8 Conference, but first place is now a tie between the Yellowjackets, Springport (5-1), Quincy and Homer; Springport’s only loss was by two to the Trojans.
Southwest Corridor
Constantine 60, Watervliet 58
The Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore race has three first-place teams with one game to play, with Constantine, Watervliet and Delton Kellogg all 3-1 in league play and Watervliet playing Delton next. This Falcons/Panthers matchup mirrored at least in score Constantine’s 49-48 Division 6 District Final win last fall. This time, the teams combed for more than 1,000 yards of total offense. Click for more from JoeInsider.com.
Also noted:
Benton Harbor 21, Traverse City West 16 – Benton Harbor (6-0) continued its best start since 1985 with a second straight and second-ever playoff berth after beating West (4-2), which has lost its two games by a combined seven points.
Climax-Scotts 48, Pittsford 28 – The Panthers (6-0) ran their Southern Central Athletic Association winning streak to 48 in clinching a share of this season’s championship and sending Pittsford (3-3) into a tie for second place.
Kalamazoo Central 14, Battle Creek Lakeview 7 – Central (3-3) moved into first place in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East by handing the reigning co-champ Spartans (3-2) their second straight loss – and second straight by seven or fewer points.
Schoolcraft 56, Lawton 7 – Second-place Gobles still can shake things up a bit this week, but Schoolcraft claimed (6-0) a share of the SAC Central championship by knocking Lawton (5-1) out of the tie for first.
Upper Peninsula
Menominee 28, Escanaba 14
The Eskymos are playing their best football since the start of this decade, but the Great Northern U.P. Conference looks to still belong to Menominee (6-0) after this matchup of previously undefeated teams. The Maroons can clinch a share of the league title this week against Sault Ste. Marie and still haven't given up more than 14 points in a game. Escanaba (5-1) hadn’t given up more than 13 in a game but did hold Menominee to a season low. Click for more from the Escanaba Daily Press.
Also noted:
Calumet 34, Iron River West Iron County 7 – The Copper Kings (5-1) pulled within a win of clinching a share of the West-Peninsula Athletic Conference title by downing West Iron (3-3); Calumet’s final two league games are against teams that are a combined 1-11.
St. Ignace 36, Gaylord St. Mary 8 – The Saints (5-1) are one of the first league champions of 2016 after clinching a share of the NMFC Legacy title by sending St. Mary (5-1) into a four-team tie for second place.
Hancock 47, Hurley, Wis. 40 – The Bulldogs (4-2) most likely ended Hurley’s West-PAC chances and gave themselves an outside shot while continuing their best season since at least 2010.
Negaunee 28, Norway 14 – The Miners (6-0) remain the only undefeated team in the Mid-Peninsula Athletic Conference and can clinch a share of the league title this week against rival Ishpeming, with Norway (5-1) and Iron Mountain cheering for the Hematites.
West Michigan
Rockford 7, Grandville 6
The Ottawa-Kent Conference Red is not a league teams come to looking to rebound from a slow start. But it's been quite a month for Rockford (4-2), which opened 0-2 and now finds itself back in the driver's seat in the Red after just surviving the league's top team to date. Grandville (5-1) had beaten all of its opponents by at least 30, but now will be rooting especially for Hudsonville in Week 9 to beat Rockford and create a shared championship. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
East Grand Rapids 28, Grand Rapids Christian 7 – The Pioneers (4-2) moved to the top of the O-K Gold standings ahead of the Eagles (5-1), running their streak to two straight over Christian after losing their regular-season meeting but winning their playoff rematch last fall.
Byron Center 54, Hamilton 32 – The Bulldogs (5-1) have turned the O-K Green into a two-team race by delivering upstart Hamilton (5-1) the first loss of an otherwise outstanding turnaround season.
North Muskegon 14, Montague 6 – In one of the weekend’s biggest shockers, North Muskegon (2-4) handed West Michigan Conference co-leader Montague (5-1) its first defeat; Montague now trails Muskegon Oakridge by a win.
Reed City 12, Remus Chippewa Hills 8 – The Coyotes (6-0) can clinch a share of the Central State Activities Association Gold title this week after just edging former co-leader Chippewa Hills (5-1).
8-Player
New Haven Merritt 36, Owendale-Gagetown 32
This arguably is the best win of Merritt’s five-season history. Although these teams play in different divisions of the Mid-Michigan 8-Man Football League, they lead those divisions. During its first season, 2012, Merritt (6-0) lost both of its games to Owendale-Gagetown by at least 50 points; the Mustangs cut the deficit to 24 when the teams met last October. The Bulldogs (5-1) had won 16 straight regular-season games. Click for more from the Huron Daily Tribune.
Also noted:
Lawrence 32, Camden-Frontier 8 – The Redskins absolutely have been impressive with a 4-1 start, but Lawrence (6-0) proved to still be another level above at this point in the season.
Webberville 16, Battle Creek St. Philip 14 – These two at this point are among what would be the final teams selected for the 16-team playoff field, and Webberville (5-1) owns a nice advantage now – although St. Philip (4-2) still has plenty of opportunities to secure its spot.
PHOTO: Breckenridge quarterback Carter Staley (10) breaks away during the Huskies' win over Carson City-Crystal on Friday. (Photo courtesy of Gratiot County Herald.)