A Game for Every Fan: Week 4
September 17, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
By a quick count, there are 11 matchups statewide this week of MHSAA football teams entering with 3-0 records.
That means that at most only 119 teams will be undefeated after this week – and looking at the rest of the schedule, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the total after Saturday was much lower.
Read on for some of the best games to watch no matter where you live in Michigan or traveling to this weekend. And, as always, tune in to our Score Center on Friday for scores as soon as we receive them – usually all statewide by 11 p.m. – plus updated standings and the only place you’ll find updated playoff point averages throughout the weekend.
Bay & Thumb
Goodrich (2-1) at Flint Beecher (3-0)
Beecher has rolled to another impressive start, building on last season’s 9-0 regular-season finish with shutouts the last two weeks. Genesee Area Conference Red rival Goodrich was one of only two teams to come within 20 of the Buccaneers during that run last season – and is seeking its first win in this series since 2012. The Martians’ loss this season was by a point on opening night to still-undefeated Ortonville Brandon.
Others that caught my eye: Fenton (2-1) at Ortonville Brandon (3-0), Millington (2-1) at Birch Run (1-2), Yale (1-2) at Croswell-Lexington (2-1), Davison (2-1) at Flint Powers Catholic (2-1).
Greater Detroit
St. Clair Shores South Lake (3-0) at Clinton Township Clintondale (3-0)
The Macomb Area Conference Silver is one of the most competitive conferences rarely brought up west of Detroit, and Clintondale’s reputation is along that same line although it's reclaiming a place on the radar – the Dragons won 20 straight regular-season games from 2011-14 before finishing last fall a disappointing 4-5. But they’ve bounced back with two shutouts this fall – although South Lake, which already has surpassed last season’s win total, is averaging 31 points per game and likely won’t be the next to put up a zero.
Others that caught my eye: Warren DeLaSalle (2-1) at Birmingham Brother Rice (1-2), Orchard Lake St. Mary's (3-0) at Detroit U-D Jesuit (3-0), Livonia Churchill (2-1) at Plymouth (2-1), Waterford Our Lady (3-0) at Clarkston Everest Collegiate (2-1).
Mid-Michigan
Portland (3-0) at Lansing Catholic (3-0)
Recent elite-level success and star power gives this matchup the edge over four other meetings of undefeated teams in this region. Portland was the Division 5 champion in 2012 and Lansing Catholic was runner-up in 2014. The Raiders own a 6-4 edge in their 10 recent meetings, but fell 34-6 last year to a Cougars team again led this fall by quarterback Tony Poljan. Portland hopes a defense giving up just under 12 points per game can contain the University of Minnesota prospect.
Others that caught my eye: Midland (3-0) at Mount Pleasant (3-0), Grand Blanc (3-0) at Brighton (3-0), Pewamo-Westphalia (3-0) at Dansville (3-0), Lake Odessa Lakewood (3-0) at Stockbridge (3-0).
Lower Northern Peninsula
Whitehall (3-0) at Traverse City Central (3-0)
An overtime win over Traverse City West last week put Central at 3-0 for the second straight season but with an undefeated opponent making the trip up north this week. This could come down to Whitehall’s defense stopping the Trojans, who have scored 130 points but against opponents that are a combined 0-9. Whitehall has given up only 27 points so far but against opponents half the size or smaller in comparison to Central.
Others that caught my eye: Kingsley (2-1) at Boyne City (3-0), Grayling (2-1) at Charlevoix (2-1), Rogers City (2-1) at Hillman (2-1), Petoskey (2-1) at Traverse City West (0-3).
Southeast & Border
Detroit Loyola (2-1) at Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard (3-0)
Gabriel Richard is off to a 3-0 start for the fourth straight season, but this time outscoring its first opponents by a combined 143-6. The Fighting Irish can make that run look even better by continuing against Loyola, the defending MHSAA champion in Division 7. The Bulldogs’ 12-point loss to reigning Division 3 champion Orchard Lake St. Mary’s during opening weekend was its first defeat during the regular season since 2010, and they bounced back with impressive wins over Muskegon-area powers Oakridge and Ravenna.
Others that caught my eye: Hudson (2-1) at Brooklyn Columbia Central (3-0), Grass Lake (2-1) at Manchester (2-1), Ann Arbor Skyline (2-1) at Monroe (2-1), Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (3-0) at New Boston Huron (2-1).
Southwest Corridor
Benton Harbor (2-1) at Portage Central (3-0)
Portage Central continues to rank among the class of the southwest, with last week’s one-point win over rival Stevensville Lakeshore a great start to the Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference West schedule. Rival Portage Northern and St. Joseph are major obstacles in the league as well – and Benton Harbor suddenly can’t be overlooked with this season’s wins its first since 2012 and already its most for an entire season since 2006. The Tigers are a seven-point opening loss to Richland Gull Lake from entering this weekend undefeated.
Others that caught my eye: Cassopolis (3-0) at Berrien Springs (3-0), Stevensville Lakeshore (2-1) at St. Joseph (3-0), Edwardsburg (3-0) at Paw Paw (2-1), Kalamazoo Central (1-2) at Battle Creek Central (1-2).
Upper Peninsula
Ishpeming Westwood (2-1) at Ishpeming (3-0)
The story hasn’t changed much in a year – Westwood is still seeking its first win over the neighborhood rival since 1998. Ishpeming won during the regular season and in the playoff opener last year and hasn’t loss a regular-season game to anyone since 2012. But Westwood, coming off its first playoff berth in three seasons, looks even more impressive at this point than when it entered 3-0 a year ago; the Patriots last week handed a solid L’Anse team its first loss and fell only on opening night to a Wisconsin team now 3-1.
Others that caught my eye: Indian River Inland Lakes (3-0) at St. Ignace (3-0), Marquette (0-3) at Escanaba (2-1), Iron Mountain (2-1) at Negaunee (3-0), Munising (3-0) at Newberry (2-1).
West Michigan
Muskegon (2-1) at East Grand Rapids (3-0)
The Pioneers are off to their best start since 2010 and own impressive wins over Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Caledonia – but with the Big Reds this week plus Grand Rapids Christian and Lowell among the scariest teams left on the schedule. Muskegon dealt first losses to Christian and Grandville the last two weeks after opening with a loss to Detroit Catholic Central, and had one of its best defensive games of last year’s Division 3 Final run against EGR, winning 37-7.
Others that caught my eye: Muskegon Mona Shores (3-0) at Caledonia (2-1), Zeeland East (3-0) at Grand Rapids Christian (2-1), Grand Rapids West Catholic (1-2) at Hudsonville Unity Christian (3-0), Comstock Park (3-0) at Zeeland West (3-0).
8-Player
Posen (3-0) at Bellaire (2-1)
Before this season, Posen had scored 60 or more points three times in five seasons of 8-player football. The Vikings have scored 60 or more every week this fall for their best start since 2010; they likely will need to score at least half that many against a Bellaire team that won this matchup 49-0 a year ago. The Eagles fell to upstart Powers North Central last week but remain a consistent 8-player power and a great test as Posen looks to take a step up.
Others that caught my eye: Deckerville (3-0) at Kingston (2-1), Tekonsha (1-2) at Portland St. Patrick (2-1)
PHOTO: Portland’s defense, here against Ovid-Elsie on opening night, will be charged with shutting down a potent Lansing Catholic offense this week. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Driven to Dominate, West Catholic Dethrones 2024 Champ to Reign Again
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
November 30, 2025
DETROIT – The 2024 season didn’t finish the way that Grand Rapids West Catholic’s football team had intended. The 2025 season didn’t begin the way the Falcons would’ve hoped.
At the end of the day, two defining defeats and other adversities along the way set the stage and helped the 2025 squad peak at the right time.
West Catholic proved as strong as it’s been all season, and then some, in a 42-14 victory over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in the Division 5 Final on Sunday at Ford Field. The title was the Falcons’ first since 2022, their eighth in program history, and it marked the seventh-straight Finals appearance in which they’ve emerged victorious.
“Unbelievably proud of the way we played. It was one of those things where we knew we had that type of potential in us,” fourth-year West Catholic coach Landon Grove said.
“It’s been an up-and-down season with a lot of variables with injuries. We had a lot of injuries pile up each week, but they never flinched. The amount of adversity we faced this year – we lost captains, we lost underclassmen starters, upperclassmen starters – and it was just a next-man-up mentality.”
West Catholic (13-1) opened the season with a 32-21 loss to Grand Rapids Northview, then ripped off 13 straight victories.
The most momentous win along the way was a 21-20 overtime triumph in its District Final at archrival Grand Rapids Catholic Central, which had ended West Catholic’s 2024 season with a 21-18 defeat. GRCC also had ended West Catholic’s 2023 season in their Regional Final in another tight matchup, 30-28.
Once they returned to the Finals on Sunday, the Falcons left no doubt. They made plays all over the field, starting with senior quarterback Grady Augustyn’s 79-yard strike to junior Thomas Puksta to put their team on top, 7-0, just 4½ minutes into the contest.
West Catholic worked with short fields the rest of the first half, thanks to its stingy defense, and the Falcons stretched the lead to 28-0 midway through the second quarter on the following plays: a one-yard TD run by Augustyn (with 2:30 left in the first quarter), senior Connor Olszewski’s three-yard scoring run (10:34 left in the second), and Puksta’s 25-yard TD reception from Augustyn (5:54 left in the half).
“It feels great just to do it with this class. Our class has been working its butts off this whole year, last year,” said Augustyn, who finished 9-of-18 passing for 199 yards. “We were, like, ‘We’re not letting this happen again.’ … We kind of just made a pact, saying, ‘We’ve got to be tougher than (last year). That wasn’t West Catholic football all year, and that wasn’t West Catholic football that game (against GRCC).’
“So, coming back and then winning in overtime (against GRCC this season) showed us that, like, ‘Hey, we could do it and that’s West Catholic football. That’s how you play games.’ And then, just winning this championship, it just means a lot to our whole team. It means a lot to the big man over there (gesturing toward Grove). It just means a lot for all of us.”
Notre Dame Prep (11-3), which was attempting to repeat after winning its first Finals title a year ago, got on the board in the final minute of the first half on senior Anthony Tartaglia’s two-yard run.
However, West Catholic completely broke it open early in the third quarter on back-to-back pick-6s – the first by senior Cal Peterson covering 43 yards only 21 seconds into the period, and the second by senior Christian Patterson for 30 yards barely two minutes into the quarter.
“When we’re at our best at West Catholic, our defense is our strength,” Grove said.
West Catholic outrushed Notre Dame Prep, 190-65, as the Falcons outgained the Irish in total offense, 389-258.
West Catholic junior Collin Abram led all rushers with 154 yards on 17 carries. Falcons senior Noah Gillespie paced the defense with a game-high 10 tackles.
“Our defense put us in a great spot every time – three-and-outs, getting us at the 30, 35 (of Notre Dame Prep) every time, so it just helped us there,” Augustyn said. “And then our O-line played wonderful those quarters and we just kept rolling, kept rolling – (motioning toward Puksta) brought his big-boy pants and, ‘What would we be complaining about now?’”
Puksta had a game to remember for West Catholic, hauling in six passes for 161 yards.
For Notre Dame Prep, senior starting quarterback Sam Stowe finished 8-of-11 passing for 67 yards. He suffered a shoulder injury in the contest that made throwing the ball very painful, he said in the postgame press conference. Irish senior Drake Roa went 8-of-13 passing for 123 yards, including a 60-yard TD toss to senior Brody Sink to cap the game’s scoring with 11:51 remaining.
Sink had five receptions for 110 yards. Senior Henry Ewles and sophomore Chris Artinian led Notre Dame Prep defensively with eight stops apiece.
“You know, it’s not how you want to finish the year,” Notre Dame Prep coach Pat Fox said. “We’re very proud to come back and defend our 2024 state championship. West Catholic today, fine football team. They did some tremendous things on the offensive and defensive lines and controlled the flow of the game. All credit to them. They did a great job. I’m proud of the way our kids battled. I love those kids, and it’s hard to say goodbye to them.
“I think a lot of times, you can look at a game and you can say there were some plays that maybe didn’t go our way. At the end of the day, West Catholic won at the lines, and that was the deciding factor,” Fox added. “It wasn’t a play or two. Tonight, they were the better team and they did a great job.”
After the game, Grove expressed his pride in carrying on the strong West Catholic tradition but noted that he’s only a small part in the Falcons’ success.
West Catholic is now tied for 10th in MHSAA history with eight Finals championships, pulling even with Grand Rapids Catholic Central on the all-time list. Over their 10 Finals appearances, the Falcons have won titles in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, and 2025.
“I’ll say this, we live in a world where people don’t think kids are tough anymore, (but) they’ll do exactly what you ask them. These kids have epitomized what young men are capable of doing,” Grove said about his team. “That’s why this game is so great. This game is what tells them the truth every day. It told the truth today, that they’re a great football team. They get told the truth in practice, they get told the truth in the weight room. I mean, these kids answered every challenge.
“This is all them, this is all them. I couldn’t be more proud.”
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids West Catholic quarterback Grady Augustyn (6) finds his receiver during Sunday’s Division 5 Final. (Middle) Collin Abram (43) attempts to get out of the grasp of a Notre Dame Prep defender. (Below) Augustyn hands off to Connor Olszewski (7).