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Gaylord's Teams Pursue Return to Elite

September 23, 2015

By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half

GAYLORD – Gaylord High School is in the midst of a football revival.

Gaylord St. Mary is hoping it can say the same in a few years.

Gaylord High is 4-0 and, among various media polls, ranked as high as No. 4 in Division 3. The senior-laden Blue Devils will be put to the test Friday, facing another unbeaten, Traverse City Central, on the road.

St. Mary, challenged by numbers, is 0-4. With just five seniors on the 25-player roster – there’s no junior varsity team – the Snowbirds are building for the future behind a "solid" sophomore class.

"We realize we're behind the eight ball in terms of numbers," St. Mary coach Kevin O'Connell said. "But we're very encouraged about what's coming up.

"We start six to seven sophomores on each side of the ball, plus a freshman. We're very young. We're a JV team playing on Friday night. We're OK with that because over the next two or three years we anticipate being very competitive."

Gaylord coach Will Cleaver can relate to that. Two years ago, in his first season back after a five-year hiatus, the Blue Devils started 0-8 before closing the campaign with a win over Alpena.

"That was a grind, a tough season," Cleaver said. "Our kids really had to learn a lot of things. We just weren't competitive."

But those underclassmen in 2013 stepped up, leading the Blue Devils to a 5-4 mark and near-playoff berth last season.

"The thing I was most proud about in 2014 was that we were competitive in every game," Cleaver said. "There were no blowouts, like in 2013. We were making progress."

The progress has continued. With the senior class leading the way, Gaylord football is returning to where it was when Cleaver first ran the program from 2000 to 2007. The Blue Devils went 55-24 during those eight years.

"It's exciting to be in the situation we're in now," Cleaver said. "We're pleased with how our kids are progressing and responding. We've got some pretty good players. That makes it easier."

One of those players is senior running back/safety Shane Foster, who rushed for 148 yards and four touchdowns in last week's 52-8 win over Ogemaw Heights. Foster was on the varsity as a sophomore in 2013 – a time when success was elusive. Gaylord slipped to 7-38 in the five years after Cleaver left following the 2007 season.

"It's all about mindset really and that (2013) team didn't have a good mindset,” Foster said.

That's changing now.

"Last year we went 5-4," Foster said. "Obviously, we want to do better than that and make the playoffs. We realize we have to come together and work as a team to make that happen."

Gaylord’s athletic director Christian Wilson has watched his school’s progression – and it puts into perspective what St. Mary is going through. Those sophomores who had to play in 2013 have continued to work hard, especially in the weight room, he said, and now are reaping the benefits.

"Sometimes you have those years when you've got a lot of young kids playing," Wilson said. "But it's difficult to win games, especially in the Big North Conference, when your key players are sophomores or even juniors. You need to have senior leadership. We've been blessed with that this year."

"So goes your seniors, so goes your season, as a general rule," Cleaver added.

Seniors dominate the line on both sides of the ball for the Blue Devils. Foster is the leading ground gainer. Another senior, Jacob Freeman, is a threat, too. He returned a kick 60 yards for a score, hauled in a 37-yard touchdown pass from Nick Rowley and completed a 34-yard pass to Rowley on a trick play in the win over Ogemaw.

Rowley, a sophomore, gives the Blue Devils balance. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 170 yards in a Week 3 win over Escanaba.

"Our kids have caught on as to what it takes to win ... what it takes to play at a high level," Cleaver said. "It all has to come together. We have great kids, and I have a staff that does a great job with those kids. It's been very rewarding."

Foster credits the staff for turning the team's fortunes around. It all starts with Cleaver, who left in 2007 to work as a defensive line/quality control coach under Butch Jones at Central Michigan University. He spent the next season coaching inside linebackers at Liberty High School in Frisco, Texas, before returning to Gaylord and helping out in the youth football program.

Cleaver, a financial adviser, said he didn't expect to return to the sidelines at the high school given the commitment it would take to rebuild the program. But his two sons, who were playing in the system, "begged" him to consider it. So a family meeting was called.

"I told them that if I'm going to do this, it's going to take a lot of work and you need to be on board," Cleaver said. "If everyone is not all in, it's not going to be worth it. Everybody voted and said 'Let's do it.'"

Gaylord started 4-0 last season, but a loss to Traverse City Central spiraled into a 1-4 finish.  

"After that (loss to Central), it didn't go the way we planned," Foster said.

That's why Friday's showdown is critical for the Blue Devils.

"We're trying to make our statement here for the Big North Conference (title)," Foster said.

At St. Mary, there is no league title to play for this season. The goal is long range – boost numbers in the program. With Manistee Catholic Central switching to 8-player this fall, St. Mary is now the smallest Catholic school playing 11-player football in the northern Lower Peninsula. In fact, the Snowbirds, who co-op with Alba, are the sixth smallest program in the state with 133 high school students – 91 at St. Mary, 42 at Alba.

With three Ski Valley Conference members – Bellaire, Pellston and Onaway – playing 8-player, there was talk in the community about making that switch, too. But that's all it was – talk. Since then the school's made a commitment to 11-player by joining the Northern Michigan Football League, with play starting next season.

"We feel there's a good future here," new athletic director Jeff Hunter said. "We obviously have to work at increasing our numbers. The economy really hurt us for several years. It hurt everybody. This is a choice for people to send their kids here. We've seen our numbers go from the mid-60s (three years ago) to back into the 90s. I would like to see us with 150 kids in this high school in the next five years. We're working really hard."

Five of the 25 players on the roster are from Alba. Hunter said he's looking at other "co-op opportunities" as well in order to strengthen the program, although he did not want to elaborate at this time.

"Everybody wants us to be competitive, most everybody wants us to stay 11-man," he said. "I have some things in the works I'm pushing hard to try and get."

St. Mary has a proud tradition. The Snowbirds went 85-22 over a stretch from 1999 to 2009. They won 10 or more games five years in a row. Twice, in 1999 and 2002, St. Mary finished 13-1, falling in the MHSAA Division 8 Final, first to Mendon (7-6) and then to Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (13-10).

Cleaver was the coach of the 1999 squad.

Hunter is certain St. Mary has the right coach in O'Connell to bring the Snowbirds back.

"Our current football staff is out of this world, entirely committed," he said. "We're not far from being competitive – three or four athletes. We're in most of these games. There's a lot to come, and Kevin is the guy to lead us."

St. Mary suffered two eight-point losses to start the season – 35-27 to Oscoda and 22-14 to Central Lake. O'Connell would like to have those games back.

"You can't turn the ball over five times one week and four the next and expect to win," he said.

The Snowbirds then ran into two of the area’s powerhouse teams, unbeaten and state-ranked St. Ignace and Johannesburg-Lewiston.

"We're taking our lumps right now, but we're definitely headed in the right direction," O'Connell insisted.

"We have a solid group of athletes in our sophomore class. They're physically big enough to play. And we have a nice eighth grade class coming up."

O'Connell is putting added emphasis in a strength and conditioning program for all high school athletes, regardless of sport.

"We're making great headway and our kids, boys and girls, are getting on board with it," he said. "We want to be able to jump higher, run faster and be more explosive. Last I knew, those (concepts) applied to every sport."

With such a young roster, O'Connell admits he and his staff are spending more time teaching fundamentals than in the past when the school had a JV team. They're also trying to develop the mental aspects of the game, such as working with players in analyzing situations in order to slow the speed of the action down so it's not overwhelming.

O'Connell feels for the younger players who are not ready for varsity, but are thrust into competing with older players. He said they miss out "on those formative years" at the JV level where they can grow, learn the fundamentals, gain confidence and get game repetitions while playing opponents the same age.

Hunter hopes this is just a blip.

"Our intent next year is to have a JV team," he said.

With several smaller schools, especially in the northern Lower Peninsula, turning to 8-player to keep programs alive, O'Connell is concerned about the future for those who elect to stay in the 11-player game. As more Division 8 schools make the switch, more Division 7 schools drop down to create equal numbers for the playoffs – widening the enrollment gaps within the division.

But St. Mary is moving forward, ready to tackle the challenge. Hunter, a pilot for Southwest Airlines, thinks the program is ready to take off.

"Kevin believes we can be successful," he said. "A quality football program is one of the cornerstones to a growing school. A lot of people don't like (to hear) that, but I think it's true. A great athletic program is a draw.

"I'm hoping next year you're writing a different article, and that article will say here's the way to success."

Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.

PHOTOS: (Top) Gaylord defenders stack up an Ogemaw Heights ball carrier during last week's win. (Middle top) Gaylord coach Will Cleaver addresses his team after a victory. (Middle below) St. Mary junior Josh Nowicki looks upfield for an opening. (Below) Older brother Adam Nowicki, a senior, turns the corner during the Snowbirds' game against Central Lake. (Gaylord photos by Rob DeForge/RD Sports photo; St. Mary photos by Bill Serveny/Gaylord Herald Times.) 

Martin’s Gavin Meyers (7) breaks through a gap in the Gobles defense Friday.

1st & Goal: 2024 Playoffs Week 1 Review

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 4, 2024

The ability to play another day obviously is the best reward for 288 teams that qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs.

MI Student AidBut another of the greatest gifts is the chance to make up for a missed opportunity from the regular season.

We highlight below 40 of our 144 first-round games from this past weekend. Of those 40, 15 were rematches – and of those rematches, nine were won the second time by the team that lost the first.

11-Player Division 1

HEADLINER Grandville 24, Rockford 14 For the second-straight season, Grandville (6-4) opened the playoffs with a win – and this time with its first over the Rams since 2019. Rockford (7-3) had defeated Grandville 37-20 in Week 3, but with Tank Terry scoring twice during the third quarter the Bulldogs brought a lead into the second half of this rematch and never trailed again. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.

District Digest Hudsonville 25, East Kentwood 23 On the other side for Grandville in their District bracket, Ottawa-Kent Conference Red champion Hudsonville (9-1) held off a strong challenge from the Falcons (5-5) after having defeated them 35-6 in their Week 5 meeting. Oxford 21, Davison 14 Oxford (7-3) went on the road, and coming off a Week 9 loss, to win its first playoff game since 2021 and guarantee its best record since 2018 – when the Wildcats also opened the playoffs with a win over Davison (7-3). Clarkston 34, Lake Orion 16 The Wolves (7-3) are surging with five wins over their last six gams and this avenging their only loss during that string, a 20-13 defeat to the Dragons (6-4) in Week 7.

11-Player Division 2

HEADLINER Byron Center 38, Grand Rapids Northview 17 Byron Center (9-1) just missed on a league championship this fall but will play for a second-straight District title after pulling away to hand O-K Black champion Northview (9-1) its only loss this fall. The Bulldogs earned a rematch this week with O-K Green rival Muskegon Mona Shores, which won their Week 4 meeting 14-12. Northview closed its first winning season since 2019 with more victories than the last two combined. Click for more from FOX 17.

District Digest Grosse Pointe South 27, Roseville 26 South (10-0) at one point led 24-6 and held on to reach double-digit wins for the first time – and after going 9-2 a year ago and losing to Roseville (7-3) in a District Final, 24-17. Mattawan 27, Lansing Everett 21 Mattawan (7-3) is enjoying its winningest season since 2017, with this its first playoff victory since 2012. Everett (6-4) improved a win from a year ago to tie its highest total since 2014. Farmington 39, White Lake Lakeland 13 Farmington (7-3) earned its first playoff win since 2019 – continuing a rebound from 2-7 a year ago – and defeated a Lakeland team (6-4) that made the playoffs for the seventh time over the last eight seasons.

11-Player Division 3

HEADLINER Linden 42, Fenton 14 Linden (5-5) opened this season 0-2 and finished the regular season with two defeats and three over its last four games. But all of that may have paid off with this win to avenge a 24-21 Week 6 loss to the Tigers (7-3) that ended up deciding the Flint Metro League Stripes championship. That loss to Fenton was one of four three-point heartbreakers the Eagles endured this fall, but they will play for a District title this week. Click for more from the Tri-County Times.

District Digest Riverview 22, Trenton 21 Riverview quarterback Lucas Thompson put his team ahead to stay with a 2-point conversion run with 20 seconds to play, giving the Pirates (9-1) a close playoff win over Trenton for the second-straight season after they defeated the Trojans (6-4) by two in a District opener a year ago. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 7, East Grand Rapids 0 The reigning Division 3 champion Rangers (8-2) followed up a 24-0 win over EGR in Week 9 by just getting past the Pioneers (5-5) again. Walled Lake Western 49, Garden City 7 The Warriors (10-0) are expected to be top contenders in this division and reached 10 wins for the second straight season, but Garden City (7-3) deserves recognition as well for completing its winningest campaign since 2000.

11-Player Division 4

HEADLINER Dearborn Divine Child 42, Madison Heights Lamphere 6 Lamphere (8-2) entered the postseason No. 3 in the coaches poll and completed its third eight-win season over the last five. But Divine Child will play on after freshman quarterback Drew Sheridan threw five touchdown passes to send the Falcons (7-3) into a District Final matchup with reigning Division 4 champion Harper Woods. Click for more from the Dearborn Press & Guide.

District Digest Edwardsburg 29, Battle Creek Harper Creek 8 Edwardsburg (7-3) has shown plenty of times over the last 15 years why it is a scary playoff opponent, and this became another example as Harper Creek (8-2) entered the weekend coming off a league title and finished with its best record since 2017.  Niles 42, Paw Paw 14 The two teams that finished ahead of Edwardsburg in the Wolverine Conference met for the second week in a row, with Niles (9-1) adding to its 21-0 win from Week 9 to end Paw Paw’s season at 8-2. Harper Woods 46, Redford Union 6 Harper Woods (7-3) entered the playoffs ranked No. 5 by the coaches, and Redford Union (8-2) was No. 2 and also had lost to the Pioneers in their season opener 43-21.

11-Player Division 5

HEADLINER Gladwin 18, Kingsford 15 When a team moves to 7-3 with all three of its losses to league champions, it’s difficult to call it a stunner. But Gladwin can claim it as Kingsford (9-1) also was a league champion, undefeated and ranked No. 3 entering this District Semifinal. Eric Roggow’s fourth-quarter field goal was the decider for the Flying Gs. Click for more from the Bay City Times.

District Digest Ogemaw Heights 21, Clare 13 Just as the Week 5 matchup went to Ogemaw Heights, 41-34, so too did the rematch between the Jack Pine Conference Division 1 co-champions. Clare finished 7-3 for the second-straight year after completing its 19th-straight winning regular season. Romulus 26, Detroit Lincoln-King 24 Romulus (5-5) earned its first playoff win since 2016, and in doing so handed Lincoln-King (9-1) its only loss of what was by far the most successful season of its three-year varsity history. Lincoln-King was 0-9 two seasons ago and 3-6 last fall. Flat Rock 40, Detroit Denby 22 Flat Rock (8-2) advanced by defeating a league title winner in Detroit Public School League Gold co-champion Denby (6-4), putting the Rams in position to play for a third-straight District trophy.

11-Player Division 6

HEADLINER Ovid-Elsie 44, Almont 21 The Mid-Michigan Activities Conference saw its undefeated champion fall (see below) but its runner-up down another undefeated league title winner as Ovid-Elsie handed No. 2 Almont its only loss. This was a rematch of a 2023 Semifinal won by the Raiders 45-21, but this time the Marauders put up their most points since mid-September and the most Blue Water Area Conference champ Almont (9-1) had given up in a game since 2021. Click for more from Lansing State Journal.

District Digest Lansing Catholic 36, Chesaning 29 The Cougars (7-3) have won at least one playoff game now eight seasons in a row, and this one came against MMAC champion Chesaning (9-1) and a defense that otherwise gave up just 12 points per game this fall. Detroit Central 34, Detroit Edison 16 Central (7-3) shared the PSL Gold title with Denby and then won the PSL Gold City championship, and this victory over No. 9 Edison (6-4) ranks right up there as well. Constantine 39, Parchment 14 Just because Constantine (7-3) found itself outside a league title race this fall for the first time in a while doesn’t mean the Falcons were going to go quietly – and they made some serious noise in avenging a 51-30 loss to Parchment (7-3) from Week 7.

Clarkston’s Griffin Boman (0) wraps up Lake Orion’s Jayden Borrero.

11-Player Division 7

HEADLINER Union City 42, Hanover-Horton 13 Big 8 Conference champ Union City (9-1) has scored nearly 36 points per game during its winningest season since 2011, and this was the Chargers’ fourth time reaching 42 as they bounced back from a Week 9 loss to Buchanan. Hanover-Horton (8-2) closed this season with two losses to teams a combined 18-2 but must be celebrated for its best showing since 2014, a run which included a Cascades Conference West title. Click for more from the Coldwater Daily Reporter.

District Digest Clinton 38, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 32 The former Tri-County Conference rivals met for the first time since 2019, Clinton’s last season in the TCC, and this time the Redwolves (7-3) came back from two straight losses to end the regular season to end Whiteford’s fall at 5-5. Traverse City St. Francis 41, Charlevoix 16 The Gladiators (7-3) won this matchup of Northern Michigan Football League divisional champions, having also defeated the Rayders (6-4) in the season opener 67-22. McBain 49, Harrison 6 McBain (9-1) bounced back from a Week 9 loss to reach a second-straight District Final. Harrison (7-3) finished this fall with three straight defeats to playoff teams but with its best record since 2015 and after going 2-7 both of the last two seasons.

11-Player Division 8

HEADLINER Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 21, Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central 20 These neighbors have played one-point games three of the last five seasons, and Nouvel (8-2) actually won their regular-season meeting in Week 4, 23-14, and led this time 6-0 into the third quarter. But MLS (7-3) found its stride thereafter to earn its second trip to the District Finals in three seasons. Click for more from the Saginaw News.

District Digest Saugatuck 24, White Pigeon 22 After having three of its last four seasons ended by White Pigeon (8-2) in the playoffs, Saugatuck advanced to a second-straight District Final by winning the closest game for both this fall. Beal City 47, Frankfort 0 Beal City (8-2) faced Frankfort (7-3) in a playoff opener for the second-straight season, adding this win to last year’s 42-7 victory that started a Semifinal run. Harbor Beach 35, Ubly 0 The Pirates (10-0) posted their second-straight shutout and fifth of the season in ending this year’s run and a six-game winning streak for last fall’s Division 8 champion Bearcats (6-4).

Ishpeming's Caden Luoma breaks away from Norway's Carter Cazzola (43) and Keith Burar, Jr. (54).

8-Player Division 1

HEADLINER Martin 52, Gobles 22 The two-time reigning champion Clippers appear to be in playoff form again, as this avenged a 20-14 loss to Gobles from just three weeks earlier. This made it two seasons in a row that Martin (9-1) avenged a regular-season loss to the Tigers (9-1). The Clippers broke away with 30 second-half points to Gobles’ eight. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Regional Roundup Mendon 58, Climax-Scotts 50 Mendon’s Owen Gorham ran for 231 yards and five touchdowns, the last a four-yarder with three seconds to play followed by his 2-point conversion to push the Hornets (9-1) past Climax-Scotts just two weeks after losing to the Panthers (8-2) 46-44. Kingston 16, Fulton 14 The Cardinals (8-2) earned a rematch with rival Deckerville by handing the Pirates (8-2) just their second loss of their winningest season since 2010 in 11-player. Ishpeming 44, Norway 38 The Hematites’ first run into an 8-player bracket is off to the right start, with this win over the Knights (7-3) earning Ishpeming (6-2) a rematch with Week 4 opponent Pickford.

8-Player Division 2

HEADLINER Onekama 22, Marion 20 Both finalists for last season’s Division 2 championship were eliminated from this year’s bracket, and we’ll start with the reigning runner-up Marion (8-2) – which had defeated Onekama 44-8 in Week 2. The Eagles ended their season with two losses by a combined six points. But the Portagers improved to 9-1, one more win than their last four seasons’ totals combined. Click for more from the Manistee News Advocate.

Regional Roundup Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 24, Grand Rapids Sacred Heart 21 After debuting in varsity play last season with a win by forfeit and two losses, Grand Rapids Sacred Heart (9-1) established itself with a perfect regular season and No. 1 ranking heading into this playoffs. But Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (7-3) had seen plenty of top competition with its three losses to teams that all finished the regular season 8-1. Morrice 28, Portland St. Patrick 22 Two of those one-loss teams that had defeated MP Sacred Heart met on the other side of the bracket, with Morrice (9-1) avenging a 29-12 Week 4 defeat to the Shamrocks (8-2). Britton Deerfield 58, Adrian Lenawee Christian 15 The Patriots (9-1) reached nine wins for the second time in four seasons – and after finishing just 2-7 a year ago – completing a 2024 sweep of the 2023 Division 2 champion Cougars (4-6).

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PHOTOS (Top) Martin’s Gavin Meyers (7) breaks through a gap in the Gobles defense Friday. (Middle) Clarkston’s Griffin Boman (0) wraps up Lake Orion’s Jayden Borrero. (Below) Ishpeming's Caden Luoma breaks away from Norway's Carter Cazzola (43) and Keith Burar, Jr. (54). (Top photo by Gary Shook. Clarkston/Lake Orion photo by Terry Lyons. Ishpeming/Norway photo by Cara Kamps.)