A Game for Every Fan: District Openers
October 30, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Friday begins another five-week journey to whittle 272 MHSAA football playoff qualifiers to nine champions.
But many more than nine teams have something to celebrate over the next month:
- Burton Atherton, Lapeer, Ypsilanti, Big Rapids Crossroads Academy and New Haven Merritt Academy are appearing in the playoffs for the first time. Lapeer is in its first year as a school.
- Brethren (1990), Manton (1994), Fraser (1998), Harrison (1999), Romulus (2000), Bad Axe (2001), Riverview Gabriel Richard (2003), Leroy Pine River (2005), Newberry (2005) and Quincy (2005) all are in the postseason for the first time in more than a decade.
- Rockford, with 20 straight appearances, has taken over the longest active playoff streak with Felch North Dickinson not qualifying this fall for the first time since 1990. Menominee has qualified 19 straight seasons, and Crystal Falls Forest Park is next with 18 straight.
- Beal City has made the playoffs 15 straight seasons and an MHSAA-best 32 times overall, following by Farmington Hills Harrison with 31 appearances and Forest Park with 30.
- All nine champions from 2013 are back, although Marine City is in Division 5 after winning Division 4 a year ago. All but one of last season’s 18 finalists made the field again. Ithaca is going for its fifth straight title, and Birmingham Brother Rice is seeking its fourth straight.
And it all begins this weekend. Read on for some of the best matchups from each division. All are Friday unless noted.
DIVISION 1
Fraser (6-3) at Dearborn Fordson (9-0)
Fraser was among big celebration stories Sunday after earning its first playoff berth since 1998 – in fact, the Ramblers have achieved their first winning season since 2001 and were 3-6 only a year ago. Fraser also opened this fall 1-3 before winning five straight to qualify – so there’s a lot here to praise. But Fordson has high expectations as well. The Tractors have made the playoffs nine straight seasons but not past the District opener since 2011. Three of their last five wins this fall are over playoff teams – and Fordson gave up single-digit points in seven victories.
Others that caught my eye: Waterford Mott (6-3) at Walled Lake Central (7-2), Plymouth (7-2) at Livonia Churchill (7-2), Hudsonville (5-4) at Holland West Ottawa (5-4).
DIVISION 2
Caledonia (7-2) at Muskegon Mona Shores (8-1), Saturday
For statewide fans, this is the most intriguing game of opening weekend. Their first meeting wasn’t much to discuss – Mona Shores won big, 40-7. But since, Caledonia has outscored its five opponents by a combined 187-27. Four of those opponents are in the playoffs, and total the Fighting Scots have beaten six playoff teams from arguably the strongest area of the state. That said, Mona Shores might be the best from the west right now, given arguably its most memorable win ever last week, 48-27 over Muskegon. Quarterback Tyree Jackson will finish his career among the leading passers in MHSAA history, and his offense is averaging 41 points per game.
Others that caught my eye: Portage Northern (6-3) at Portage Central (7-1), Farmington Hills Harrison (7-2) at Fenton (9-0), Southfield (6-3) at Detroit Martin Luther King (8-1).
DIVISION 3
East Grand Rapids (6-3) at Lowell (8-1)
The Red Arrows own four straight wins over their Ottawa-Kent Conference White rival. But it’s important to put the last couple of matchups in perspective; Lowell helped keep East Grand Rapids out of the playoffs in 2011 with a 42-39 win and then won 30-25 in Week 3 this fall. The Pioneers would surely enjoy returning to the playoffs after two years off by ending Lowell’s season in a District opener.
Others that caught my eye: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (7-2) at Cedar Springs (8-1), Mount Pleasant (6-3) at Marquette (7-2) on Saturday, Grand Rapids Christian (5-4) at St. Johns (8-1).
DIVISION 4
Goodrich (7-2) at Saginaw Swan Valley (9-0)
It will be tough for Swan Valley to not look ahead to a possible District Final matchup with Lansing Sexton, the only team to beat the Vikings the last two seasons (in last year’s Regional Final). But they know to be careful with Goodrich, their District Final opponent in 2012 and the second-place team this fall in the solid Genesee Area Conference Red. Swan Valley has enjoyed senior running back Alex Grace to the tune of 7,055 rushing yards while building a 30-4 record over the last three seasons – he’s currently fifth all-time for career rushing yards in MHSAA history and could move up to third on the list with a big game Friday.
Others that caught my eye: Paw Paw (6-3) at Edwardsburg (8-1), Williamston (7-2) at Lansing Sexton (9-0), Detroit Country Day (5-4) at Detroit Denby (5-4) on Saturday.
DIVISION 5
Muskegon Oakridge (8-1) at Hopkins (8-1)
This is another of the few battles between league champions highlighting the first weekend; Hopkins won the O-K Silver and Oakridge claimed the West Michigan Conference title. Oakridge’s lone loss came on opening night to reigning Division 5 champion Grand Rapids West Catholic, and the Eagles fell just shy of playing for that title last fall losing to Menominee in a Semifinal. But Hopkins earned enough playoff points to host this week with a strong nonleague slate – in addition to beating Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian to win its O-K division, the Vikings also beat Schoolcraft and lost to Allendale in nonconference play. All three are playing this weekend as well.
Others that caught my eye: Lakeview (8-1) at Remus Chippewa Hills (7-2), Newaygo (7-2) at Reed City (7-2), Stockbridge (6-3) at Olivet (7-2) on Saturday.
DIVISION 6
Montrose (6-3) at Flint Beecher (9-0)
With its long winning tradition and after losing by only a point to Ithaca in a Semifinal last fall, Montrose might still be considered by some the favorite in this District opener – despite losing to Beecher 19-14 only two weeks ago in the deciding game of the GAC Red. In fact, Beecher will make its eighth straight playoff appearance and finished perfect for the regular season for the second time in six years, and made the Semifinals in 2012. Montrose did give the Buccaneers their toughest game this season – but the Rams have plenty to prove with three losses over their last five games and no wins this season over teams with winning records.
Others that caught my eye: Niles Brandywine (8-1) at Watervliet (8-1), Manchester (8-1) at Clinton (9-0), Schoolcraft (6-3) at Constantine (8-1).
DIVISION 7
Iron Mountain (6-3) at Iron River West Iron County (8-1)
Despite the shared mineral in their names, these schools actually are about 45 miles apart along the Michigan/Wisconsin border. But the rivalry burns as if they are neighbors, even though they also play in different leagues. They’ve faced each other annually for nearly 50 years and often twice of late with a rematch in the playoffs. West Iron won the first game this year, 24-0, but the Mountaineers are 5-1 since despite one-point wins each of the last two weeks.
Others that caught my eye: Ishpeming Westwood (6-3) at Ishpeming (8-0), Pewamo-Westphalia (7-2) at Union City (8-1), Homer (7-2) at Hudson (8-1).
DIVISION 8
Hillman (8-1) at Johannesburg-Lewiston (8-1)
This is a rematch of a 2012 playoff opener, a 62-14 Johannesburg-Lewiston win, but things have changed slightly. That year Hillman was an at-large qualifier at 5-4; this season the Tigers have only a loss to undefeated Whittemore-Prescott. The Cardinals have beaten three playoff teams, falling only to St. Ignace in Week 5, and quietly built on one of the consistently strong programs in the northern Lower Peninsula – they’ve won at least eight games four seasons running.
Others that caught my eye: Indian River Inland Lakes (7-2) at Munising (8-1), Clarkston Everest Collegiate (6-2) at Waterford Our Lady (8-1) on Saturday, Pittsford (7-2) at Climax-Scotts (8-1).
8-PLAYER
Bellaire (7-2) at Cedarville (8-1) on Saturday
Cedarville’s football program probably has looked forward to this week for nearly a year – the Trojans were upset 28-26 in their playoff opener last season by league foe Engadine, a year after a similar upset at the hands of rival Rapid River in a 2012 Regional Final. Cedarville seems on the cusp of big things again – but this time must first face Bellaire, another Bridge Football Alliance opponent. The Eagles are seeking their first 8-player win in five games against the Trojans after falling to them 57-14 only two weeks ago.
Others that caught my eye: Kingston (6-3) at Owendale-Gagetown (8-1), Portland St. Patrick (8-1) at Lawrence (9-0) on Saturday, New Haven Merritt Academy (6-3) at Morrice (5-4) on Saturday.
PHOTO: Mona Shores quarterback Tyree Jackson prepares to throw during last week’s victory over rival Muskegon. (Photo courtesy of Eric Sturr.)
Veteran Ishpeming Takes Back D7 Title
November 28, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
DETROIT – Michigan high school football players, if they’re most fortunate and their teams uncommonly successful, can play up to 20 playoff games during their careers.
Saturday morning at Ford Field, Ishpeming seniors Ozzy Corp and Thomas Finegan joined that exclusive club. And with membership came a few lessons available to those who have experienced two MHSAA championships and a runner-up finish.
Don’t get frazzled when trailing by two touchdowns early. Don’t be fazed when a record-setting running back is galloping at you play after play after play.
And above all else, don’t forget a game has two halves – and their team tends to own the second one.
Despite trailing into the fourth quarter and failing to slow Pewamo-Westphalia’s Jared Smith over the first two, the Hematites stayed calm – and came back for a 22-16 win to clinch their third Division 7 championship in four seasons.
“We’re a second-half team. In the fourth quarter, we get tired, but we know how to fight through it, and I feel like that’s our advantage,” said Corp, the team’s starting quarterback the last two seasons. “We know how to face adversity. When things don’t step our way, we know how to fight back and stand right back up.”
This Ishpeming four-season has run included championship game wins twice over Detroit Loyola and now P-W, to go with a loss to Loyola in last season’s MHSAA Final. The Hematites were a combined 13-0 this fall and 52-2 over the last four seasons, losing only to Loyola last year and rival Negaunee midway through 2012.
Those are some incredibly impressive numbers – and would have been only a little less impressive if the numbers from Saturday’s first half would’ve stood up over the entire game.
Pewamo-Westphalia junior running back Jared Smith, who finished this season with single-season records of 3,245 yards and 53 touchdowns rushing, had 112 and his lone score by halftime as the Pirates (13-1) held on to a 16-6 lead after scoring the game’s first two touchdowns and running 20 of the first 27 offensive plays. P-W’s first possession ended with a turnover on downs at Ishpeming’s 1-yard line after senior defensive end Luke Kuliu came up with a goal line stop.
“We didn’t have an answer,” Ishpeming coach Jeff Olson said of Smith. “We worked hard at stopping the cut back, and he got the cut back. We worked hard on stopping him from getting the outside; he got the outside. When he gets one on one, he’s extremely difficult to tackle.”
But not impossible to stop after all, as Ishpeming showed during the second half.
The Hematites picked up momentum with a 13-play drive that took up half of the second quarter before Corp scored his team’s first points with 2:41 to go in the second quarter. They carried it through the third quarter as both teams resorted to ramming their best runner back and forth against each other – Smith at times taking direct snaps for P-W and Corp blasting ahead from the shotgun for Ishpeming.
But the results were sharply different from the first half. Ishpeming gained 135 of its 211 yards during the third and fourth quarters as Corp added touchdown runs seven minutes into the second half and with 3:52 to play – the final score coming after a drive of 14 plays over nearly 8 minutes.
P-W managed only three first downs and 43 yards over the final two quarters, as Smith was contained to 37 yards rushing on eight carries. Ishpeming held onto the ball for 15 minutes and 19 seconds total in the second half to the Pirates’ 8:41 – controlling tempo a lot like P-W during the first quarter and a half.
“Because it’s our gameplan too,” Olson said. “When you’ve got two teams, something’s gotta budge.
“In the first half they were winning the line of scrimmage. I think we threw a couple of passes to try to loosen them up a little bit, back them up. But I think we did wear them down. I could see them breathing hard in the fourth quarter, definitely that last drive.”
P-W did have one chance to tie after taking over the ball at the 50 with 3:42 to play. The Pirates drove to Ishpeming’s 32-yard line, but with less than a minute remaining had to go to the pass for only the fourth and fifth times on the day. Both were incomplete – the last knocked away like a basketball blocked shot in front of the end zone by the 6-foot-5 Corp.
He ran 32 times for 128 yards and three scores after gaining only 33 yards on the ground during the first half. He also completed 6 of 11 passes for 77 yards and led the defense with 10 tackles. Senior defensive back Nick Comment had nine tackles.
P-W sophomore quarterback Jimmy Lehman did connect on a 50-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Bryce Thelen during the first half. Senior linebacker Nate Jandernoa led the Pirates with nine tackles as they made their second appearance at Ford Field to go with a runner-up finish in Division 7 in 2011.
P-W will graduate seniors who filled only seven starting positions Saturday. A large group of expected returnees will play to get back to Detroit to take advantage of the knowledge they gained facing the most experienced tournament team in the state.
“It’s big for us to come in here, for our guys to get a look at what it’s like,” Smith said. “We’ve got a lot of guys coming back next year, so hopefully we’re coming right back with experience. We played a pretty good game, but next year we’ll know exactly what to expect.”
The MHSAA Football Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTOS: (Top) Ishpeming quarterback Ozzy Corp reaches across the goal line for one of his three touchdowns Saturday. (Middle) Ishpeming running back Isaac Olson charges ahead through an opening in the Pewamo-Westphalia defense.