Fugate Carries CC On 1 More Trophy Run
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 24, 2017
DETROIT – As classmates and fans screamed his name from the Ford Field stands Friday night, Nolan Fugate put the focus on his teammates.
“I cannot thank my offensive line and my outside receivers enough,” the Grand Rapids Catholic Central senior running back said. “Without them none of this would be possible, and I just can’t thank them enough. They’re the best offensive line in the state.”
That line paved the way for Fugate, who gained 306 yards on the ground and tied an MHSAA Finals record with five total touchdowns as the Cougars defeated Edwardsburg 42-31 in the Division 4 championship game.
It was the second straight title for Catholic Central (14-0), and the program’s fourth overall. Coach Todd Kolster has led the Cougars to three of them (2010, 2016 and 2017).
“It has nothing to do with me,” Kolster said. “I’m the beneficiary of being the head coach for three of these, but it’s the kids that do all the work. They’re outstanding. This senior class, I love them so much. I’ve been so critical of them, and I say that all the time, because I came back here to Catholic Central with that class when they were freshmen and now they’re seniors. It’s really special to see these guys enjoy this, because they’ve earned every bit of it.”
This year’s title game was in stark contrast to last season’s when the Cougars eked out a 10-7 victory in a defensive struggle against Detroit Country Day. Big plays from both offenses highlighted Friday night’s game as Catholic Central had to battle to hold off a relentless Edwardsburg team down the stretch.
“They all mean the same,” Kolster said. “They all come in the right column, so we’ll take it.”
Seven of the game’s scoring plays were 20 yards or longer, including an MHSAA Finals record-tying 99-yard kick return touchdown by Edwardsburg’s Caden Goggins, and a MHSAA Finals record-tying 90-yard touchdown run by his teammate Nick Bradley.
On the night, the Eddies (12-2) averaged 9.7 yards per play and 10.8 yards per carry, while Catholic Central averaged 7.7 yards per play in managing to outgain Edwardsburg 448-369.
“Our defense, they played well -- we gave up a couple big plays, and Edwardsburg is a heck of a football team,” Kolster said. “We gave up three (big) kickoff returns and three big plays, but we handled them pretty well. That’s what they do, and that’s why they’re so good. That’s why they’re here, because they just keep at it, they keep at it and they’ll pop one, and they have confidence in that. But we have confidence in our guys.”
The Cougars’ defense did stiffen when it absolutely had to, as sophomore Ethan Lott came up with a tackle for loss on a 4th-and-1 play late in the fourth quarter to all but seal the game.
“Our guys did a great job on that 4th-and-1; it’s just a matter of reading their keys,” Kolster said. “I’m really proud of them.”
The game was absolutely put away when Fugate went 58 yards on a 3rd-and-10 in the final minute, barely getting tripped up at the Edwardsburg 10. It was another in a long line of huge plays for Fugate, who had touchdown runs of one, five, 54 and 32 yards, as well as a 20-yard touchdown reception from Jack Bowen.
Fugate also had 86 yards receiving and came down with a 38-yard catch along the sideline on a crucial 3rd-and-28 play midway through the fourth quarter with his team clinging to a 35-31 lead.
“The long third down, I saw (Bowen) leave the pocket and I was running my route and knew I had to get open,” Fugate said. “I just kind of boxed my guy out and said throw the ball, and I just did my best to make a play on the ball, and I was able to come down with it.”
The game put Fugate over 2,900 yards rushing for the season, and capped off a brilliant career that saw him set the school’s all-time career rushing record.
“Fugate is obviously a terrific runner,” Edwardsburg coach Kevin Bartz said. “I thought he ran as hard as I’ve ever seen him. We watched a good portion of film on him, and we knew he was fast, but I guess what I was more impressed with today is how hard he ran. He picked up lots of extra yards after contact. He’s an impressive athlete.”
Bartz was equally impressed with his team, which was playing in the title game for the first time and kept finding ways to hang around despite trailing by 16 midway through the third quarter.
On top of the record-tying touchdowns, the Eddies had scoring runs of 55 and 78 yards from Kyle Shrider, and 64 yards from Chase Sager. Shrider finished with 162 yards rushing, while Bradley had 96 and Sager had 73.
“Just to make it to this point, this was a team that was not expected to be here,” Bartz said. “With the number of kids we lost last year, we were kind of expected, I think, by most to be average at best. For them to come out here and perform against a top-level team like Grand Rapids CC, I’m extremely proud of these kids. They’ve now set the bar pretty high for everybody else at Edwardsburg.”
Bowen finished with 128 yards passing for the Cougars, while Erik Grabow had a 14-yard touchdown run.
The MHSAA Playoffs are sponsored by the Michigan Army National Guard.
PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Rapids Catholic Central players raise the winner's trophy after Friday night’s Division 4 championship game. (Middle) Edwardsburg’s Kyle Shrider pulls away from a Cougars defender.
1st & Goal: 2025 Playoffs Week 2 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 7, 2025
The term “rivalry week” doesn’t really pop up much during the playoffs, as generally those rivalry games take place during the regular season with maybe a few rematches as we get into November.
This second weekend of the 2025 MHSAA Playoffs might be the exception.
We have several rivalries reigniting – most rematches from the regular season but others with longer histories of seeing each other this time of year, with seasons on the line.
Tickets this weekend are $7 for 11-Player District Finals and $9 for 8-Player Regional Finals and can be purchased at GoFan.co. A total of 63 games also will be broadcast and available to watch with subscription on the NFHS Network.
Games listed below are tonight unless noted.
11-Player Division 1
Rockford (8-2) at Hudsonville (10-0) WATCH
The Eagles are a combined 22-2 over the last two seasons with two wins Rockford, including 35-28 in Week 6 this fall. But finishing a season sweep of the rival Rams would be another major accomplishment. Rockford has won their past four playoff meetings, going back a decade, and the Eagles didn’t have to go through Rockford last year on the way to finishing Division 1 runner-up.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grand Blanc (10-0) at Clarkston (9-1) WATCH, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (7-3) at Rochester Adams (8-2) WATCH, Macomb Dakota (7-3) at Romeo (7-3) WATCH.
11-Player Division 2
St. Clair Shores Lakeview (8-2) at Grosse Pointe South (9-1), Saturday WATCH
South’s only loss this season – and only Macomb Area Conference White loss over the last four years – came 25-22 to Lakeview on Oct. 10 and resulted in a shared league title between the Blue Devils and Utica. If South avenges this weekend, it will win a District title for the first time since 2016. If Lakeview wins, the Huskies will celebrate their first District title, ever – and after going 3-6 only a year ago.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Byron Center (7-3) at Portage Central (10-0) WATCH, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (6-4) at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (7-2) WATCH, Dexter (9-1) at South Lyon (10-0) WATCH.
11-Player Division 3
Gaylord (10-0) at Mount Pleasant (10-0) WATCH
These teams have taken distinctly different paths to reach perfection this deep into the season. Mount Pleasant hasn’t played a single-digit game and impressed primarily by giving up more than 17 points only once – when it outscored Midland Dow 63-39. Gaylord has won seven games by seven points or fewer, showing some serious moxie in outlasting those opponents – an intangible skill that tends to become important with trophies on the line.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Zeeland West (7-3) at St. Joseph (6-4) WATCH, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (7-3) at Lowell (8-2) WATCH, Fenton (7-3) at Adrian (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 4
Chelsea (9-1) at Goodrich (10-0) WATCH
The reigning Division 4 champion Martians have won 23 straight games, including close ones this fall over Frankenmuth, Lapeer and Fenton. They’ll take on a Chelsea team that’s lost only to Division 2 Dexter and otherwise played one single-digit game, defeating Linden 35-28 two weeks ago. Goodrich’s power running game has long been its catalyst, and Chelsea must either stop it – or match it – to win its first District title since its 2021 Finals championship season.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Haslett (8-2) at Williamston (10-0) WATCH, Harper Woods Chandler Park (8-2) at Harper Woods (10-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Big Rapids (9-1) at Escanaba (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 5
Grand Rapids West Catholic (9-1) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (10-0) WATCH
This will be the fourth playoff meeting over the last five seasons between these rivals, and Grand Rapids Catholic Central has won the first three of that series – including by two points two years ago and three last season. The Cougars have avenged three losses from last fall – when they reached the Division 5 Semifinals – and haven’t allowed more than 17 points in a game. West Catholic opened this fall with its lone loss, to Grand Rapids Northview, but has been on a roll since and finished the regular season with a 28-16 win over reigning Division 3 champion Zeeland West.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Michigan Center (9-1) at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (10-0) WATCH, Monroe Jeffers (9-1) at Romulus Summit Academy North (8-1) WATCH, Richmond (9-1) at Frankenmuth (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 6
Traverse City St. Francis (7-2) at Kingsley (8-2) WATCH
St. Francis won these rivals’ Week 5 matchup 21-20 with a stop on a 2-point conversion try. This will be their first playoff rematch since 2018, and Kingsley retained homefield advantage thanks to a schedule that also included a loss to undefeated Division 3 Gaylord and a big Week 9 win over previously-unbeaten Charlevoix. That said, this will be St. Francis’ eighth game against a team with a winning record – with its losses to reigning Division 6 champion Jackson Lumen Christi and last year’s Division 5 title winner Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Kent City (10-0) at Belding (9-1) WATCH, Warren Michigan Collegiate (6-4) vs. Detroit Edison (8-2) at The Corner Ballpark, Marine City (7-3) at Almont (10-0) WATCH.
11-Player Division 7
Clinton (8-2) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (8-2)
This is a rematch from Week 1 and a repeat of last season – and actually the third year in a row these two will meet in the playoffs. St. Mary, last year’s Division 7 runner-up, opened this fall with a 42-6 win over Clinton and obviously won last year’s District Final matchup as well. Clinton’s only other loss this fall was to still-undefeated Hudson, while SMCC closed the regular season with defeats to Riverview and Detroit Country Day over a three-week span before bouncing back with a 27-2 win over Leslie to open the playoffs.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Bronson (8-2) at Hanover-Horton (8-2) WATCH, Lawton (8-2) at Schoolcraft (8-2) WATCH. SATURDAY Ithaca (7-3) at Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (8-2).
11-Player Division 8
New Lothrop (7-3) at Springport (10-0) WATCH
Springport is pursuing its first District championship in this sport and after falling in last year’s District Final against Reading by just a point. The Spartans closed this regular season with a pair of close calls, defeating Union City by a point and Bronson by seven, but opened the playoffs by downing Manchester 47-8. New Lothrop is back in the mix after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 1999, and the Hornets bounced back from a pair of late league losses to win close in Week 9 over Cheboygan and then 19-14 last week over Fowler – which missed Ford Field with a one-point Semifinal defeat a year ago.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Iron Mountain (6-3) at Bark River-Harris (8-1) WATCH, Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central (8-2) at Beal City (10-0) WATCH, Riverview Gabriel Richard (5-5) at Allen Park Cabrini (9-1) WATCH.
8-Player Division 1
Climax-Scotts (8-2) at Martin (10-0) WATCH
Climax-Scotts is playing to win a first Regional title since 2019 and has put up 72 points – and given up at least 62 – in both of its last two games, last week avenging a Week 1 defeat against Gobles. The Panthers are averaging 54 points per game but likely will run up against their toughest challenge yet in the Clippers, who have allowed 87 points total this season – and more than 14 only twice. Martin won the Division 1 championship back-to-back in 2022 and 2023 before falling in this round last season. The Clippers also have a win over Gobles from Week 4.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Pickford (8-1) at Norway (10-0) WATCH, Merrill (8-2) at Blanchard Montabella (9-1) WATCH, Capac (8-2) at Kingston (9-1) WATCH.
8-Player Division 2
Mendon (10-0) at Portland St. Patrick (10-0) WATCH
Mendon has reached at least the Regional Finals four of its five seasons in 8-player football, and this will be the first time doing so undefeated. The Hornets have the highest-scoring player in MHSAA 8-player history in running back Owen Gorham, and they’ll run up against a defense giving up only 8.5 points per game. The Shamrocks can score too, topping 40 points in all but one of their wins on the field (one win was by forfeit). But the Hornets also have shown they can slow down top offenses – they held Climax-Scotts, noted above, to just 20 points three weeks ago.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Gaylord St. Mary (8-2) at Onekama (10-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Lake Linden-Hubbell (8-2) at Felch North Dickinson (10-0), Deckerville (9-1) at Britton Deerfield (9-1) WATCH.
MHSAA.com's weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central's Sean Foley (2) breaks down the sideline during a Week 7 game against Ithaca. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)