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Herrington's Record Run Filled with Thrills

By Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half

October 12, 2017

FARMINGTON HILLS – John Herrington soon will stand alone as the winningest football coach in Michigan high school history.

Herrington, 76, is in his 48th season as head coach at Farmington Hills Harrison. He spent eight seasons as an assistant at North Farmington. He is the only head coach Harrison has had.

Herrington and Al Fracassa of Birmingham Brother Rice currently are tied for the most victories at 430. Herrington will pass Fracassa on Friday if the Hawks, coming off their biggest victory of the season, 17-14 over Oak Park, can defeat Berkley at Harrison.

Fracassa’s record stands at 430-117-7. He retired following the 2013 season. Herrington’s record is 430-104-1. The next active coach within shouting distance is Herb Brogan of Jackson Lumen Christi. His record is 337-83.

It will be Herrington’s name at the top of that list, but the number of people who have had a hand in this accomplishment is in the hundreds, if not a thousand or more.

Coaches like his longtime friend Bob Sutter, Herrington’s defensive coordinator for 34 seasons; John Witkowski, Steve Dolloway and current coaches like offensive coordinator Jon Herstein and defensive coordinator Dave Thorn all have contributed mightily to the success of the program.

Then there’s the players. Harrison boasted some of the best and most talented teams in state history including the Mill Coleman-led teams of the late 1980s and the Drew Stanton-led teams in the early 2000s.  

“As a player, every player, every Hawk, feels they contributed,” Coleman said. “Coach doesn’t like to talk about (the record). We tried to get him to talk about it after the Oak Park game. He said, ‘Yeah, it’s a great win but we want to get into the playoffs.’”

Harrison is 5-2, and a victory over Berkley would clinch the program’s 33rd MHSAA playoff appearance. It also would clinch for the Hawks at least a share of the Oakland Activities Association White title.   

This has been a special season in many ways. School administrators and others helped organize the return of many of Herrington’s players to be a part of the season-long celebration. For the first home game, players from the 1970s were asked to come back. The players from the 1980s were asked to attend the second home game, and so on.

Well-wishers are pouring in from all over the country. 

“This week we’ll have players from the 2000s,” Herrington said. “Last week I think we had like 70 (for the Oak Park game). And I’m getting all kinds of emails.”  

Herrington coached in some of the more memorable games of the last 40 years. There was the 1989 Class B Semifinal against East Grand Rapids that became known as the ‘Ice Bowl’ because the artificial surface at Atwood Stadium in Flint was completely ice-covered, making playing conditions quite challenging. Harrison won that game, 3-2. The following week, inside the Pontiac Silverdome, Coleman led a comeback over DeWitt that even longtime MHSAA historian Dick Kispaugh called one of the greatest games he’d seen. After trailing 21-0, Harrison won 28-27 on Coleman’s 9-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left. DeWitt had taken a 27-21 lead with 2:20 remaining.

“I came from Albion after my freshman year,” Coleman said. “It was great to play for Coach. Yeah, it was a big change for me. Harrison was a perennial state championship team then. Been there, done that type of thing.

“It was pretty systematic. That’s what stood out for me. Plus the attitude of the players. (You were) expected to win. It was pretty laid out. It was pretty comforting for me, too. I noticed the amount of time the staff put in, with meetings and stuff. We had a pretty in-depth scouting report. Still do.”

Coleman has been around the program since his professional career ended in 1998. As an assistant coach his main responsibility, quite naturally, is working with the quarterbacks. Coleman, whose name is splashed seemingly all over the MHSAA record book, is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in state history. He won two MHSAA titles, lost in a Class B Final as a sophomore in 1987, and it was his ability to turn a busted play into something special that earned him the nickname “Mill the Thrill.”   

One can’t overlook Harrison’s first two titles. The Hawks defeated Muskegon Catholic Central, 7-0, in the 1981 Class B Final, then the next season the Hawks went to double overtime to defeat Dearborn Fordson, 17-14, in the Class A title game. Those teams were led, in part, by all-state running back/defensive back John Miller, who would go on to play at Michigan State. Miller started for four seasons and was the last of four brothers who played at Harrison.

“Following in my brothers’ footsteps, playing for Coach Sutter and John, it was a dream come true,” Miller said. “I was 7 or 8 years old when I got to know John, running around, chasing footballs, just being around my brothers.

“(Herrington) is a remarkable man and coach, but also as a teacher. He cared about his players more than he did about the games.

“I remember coming off of that Class B title. We moved up to A, and that was quite a jump for us. We knew we would be good, but we also knew we couldn’t do just the same old thing. We had to do things a little different, on offense. We had Dave Blackmer, who started at fullback and linebacker, and Kenny Kish at quarterback. (Kish) was really good and a great guy. It was a matter of getting all of the right skill guys together. We had a lot of great athletes, maybe not great at one sport, but guys who played multiple sports. I was a senior on that ’84 team and it might have been one of John’s best, but we didn’t win it.”

Fordson gained some revenge that season, defeating Harrison, 9-7, in a Class A Semifinal.    

But Herrington’s program continued to grow and eventually become one of the storied programs in state history. Comparisons, fair or not, soon surfaced between Herrington and Harrison and Brother Rice and Fracassa, and Detroit Catholic Central and its former head coach, Tom Mach.

Herrington and Fracassa crossed paths eight times as head coaches, with Fracassa holding a 6-2 edge.

But the most memorable Harrison-Brother Rice game took place in 2010 in a Division 2 Pre-District matchup at Harrison. Because both teams were so highly rated, those in the media labelled it as a state championship.

Brother Rice led late and was attempting to run the clock out, but fumbled. Jake Vento scooped the ball up and ran for the winning touchdown. Harrison went on to win the Division 2 title, the school’s most recent.

Fracassa would get the last laugh in the last game matching these two coaching legends, as Brother Rice defeated Harrison, 30-7, in a Division 2 District Final in 2011 – as the Warriors then went on to win the championship at Ford Field. 

Herrington said 52 of his former players became high school football coaches, and he estimates that more than 20 coached at Harrison. One of those is Joe Pesci, a 1994 graduate who was the starting quarterback for two seasons. 

Pesci was one of five Pescis to play for Herrington. Mike was the eldest brother, and he played fullback and linebacker before graduating in 1992. David was the youngest and, like Joe, played quarterback and he graduated in 1999. These brothers also had two uncles play at Harrison.

“I was fortunate when I came out of college (Albion) to coach under (Herrington),” Joe Pesci said. “Here I was, 22 years old, and he made me the head coach (of the freshmen team). We were having a ball. It was a great perspective to see the other side, to see the amount of time the coaches put in. I got to coach my brother (Dave), Stanton, (Agim) Shabaj. To watch his game-planning, it was awesome. That’s when I started to become good friends with John. I still call him once a week. I reach out to him. Not just with things that happen on the field but things in school, too. He’s a good sounding board to have.”

Joe Pesci is the current head coach at South Lyon East.

The most recent accomplishment is but one of many for Herrington. His program has won the most MHSAA football titles (13), tied for the most MHSAA Football Finals appearances (17), and in his 46 years Harrison has had just five losing seasons – and only three since 1972. Twenty-six times his teams have won 10 or more games. Harrison and East Grand Rapids share the record for most consecutive MHSAA titles, the Hawks’ five straight coming from 1997-2001.

“(Herrington) was pretty much laid back when I played,” Coleman said. “Sutter was more of the fiery type of coach. It wasn’t a good cop, bad cop thing. One was fiery. One was laid back. The joke was Coach Sutter was the only one to yell at me in high school. John was an honest coach. He was like that to the parents, too. When they asked why their son wasn’t playing, he’d tell them their son wasn’t good enough.

“He takes losses hard but, like his players, it drives him more to be better. I’ve never seen him say it was somebody else’s fault. But we didn’t lose much when I played. I lost two games, one in a league championship and the other in a state final.” 

The victories have been there for Herrington. The titles, too. But above all else is the stability and the integrity.

Joe Pesci recalled the 1999 season when Herrington and his staff, including Pesci, were made aware that they had used an ineligible player.

“We didn’t know,” Pesci said. “As soon as we found out John turned us in (to the MHSAA). I remember him making the speech to the kids. It was tough to watch him. He put it out there and then said, ‘OK, now how are we going to handle it?’”

Harrison was 3-1 at the time but the forfeits changed that to 1-3. Harrison lost one more game that season and, at 5-4, made the playoffs as an at-large playoff qualifier. Harrison went on to win the Division 3 title with a 42-35 victory over Grand Rapids Creston in the Final.

Harrison will be a big favorite to defeat Berkley but Herrington, true to his word and commitment, remains cautious. “You never know what will happen,” he said, but admitted that to win this much, a program has to be “pretty good.”

The key is the Hawks also have been “pretty good” and much better than that consistently over five decades.

“I remember when I first started, I wanted to do everything, call everything. I did the offense, special teams, made the defensive calls,” Herrington recalled. “After we lost in 1976 (36-27 to Midland Dow in the Class A Final), Sutter came up to me and said, ‘Do you just want me to stand on the sidelines or what?’ That’s when I changed.

“I’d have to say one of my greatest skills is to hire good people, and I’ve had some great coaches.”

Harrison is scheduled to close following the 2018-19 school year, and Herrington said he intends to coach next season but is unsure if he will remain in coaching after that.

What has kept him coaching all these years is the relationships he has maintained and the players he coaches. The games present their own challenges but it is the preparation, the filtering through the scouting reports and the hours of watching game film that test his imagination.

He’s still motivated and continues to enjoy coaching.

“I don’t play golf,” he said, “so what else am I going to do?”

Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.

PHOTOS: (Top middle) Farmington Hills Harrison coach John Herrington mans the headset during a 2009 game against Southfield. (Middle top) Herrington raises the championship trophy after leading his team to the Class B title in 1988. (Middle below) Herrington, Dave Condeni (11), Agim Shabaj and Drew Stanton (9) celebrate a fifth-straight title in 2001 at the Pontiac Silverdome. (Below) Herrington enjoys a moment after coaching his 2010 team to the Division 2 championship. 

Grand Blanc quarterback Jake Morrow throws a pass Friday with a Davison rusher in pursuit.

1st & Goal: 2025 Week 8 Review

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 20, 2025

The words “winner-take-all” appears in this week’s 1st & Goal Review 10 times referring to games played this weekend.

MI Student AidAs schedules tend to rotate annually or every few years, in just about every league across Michigan, to have that many winner-take-all conference championship matchups work out to fall during the same weekend is just incredible luck.

They certainly were the theme of Week 8, as we nearly finished up those races and turned even more of our attention to the playoff chase soon to begin.  

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER Grand Blanc 57, Davison 29 In one of two games statewide between undefeated teams, Grand Blanc (8-0) dominated in clinching the Saginaw Valley League South championship. Quarterback Jake Morrow was among headliners as the Bobcats scored a season high in handing Davison (7-1) its lone defeat. Click for more from the Flint Journal.

Watch list Frankenmuth 27, Freeland 13 The Eagles (7-1) ran their winning streak over rival Freeland (6-2) to seven by locking up this winner-take-all matchup for the outright Tri-Valley Conference Red championship. Frankenmuth hasn’t lost a league game since 2014.

On the move Goodrich 21, Fenton 20 This concluded Sunday because of Saturday night storms, and the Martians (8-0) held on to claim a second-straight overall Flint Metro League title and after also facing Fenton (5-3) for the championship a year ago. Harbor Beach 20, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker 6 The Pirates (8-0) need one more win – albeit against a tough Millington team this week – to lock up a second-straight perfect regular season after downing another solid opponent in Laker (6-2). Flint Elite 34, Burton Bendle 8 Elite, a cooperative of New Standard Academy and Burton Madison Academy, improved a 7-1 and clinched a share of the Genesee Area Conference championship with a solid win over Bendle (5-3), which also can clinch a share this week. 

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER Detroit Cass Tech 35, Detroit Martin Luther King 19 The Technicians (8-0) finished a season sweep of King (6-3) and ran their winning streak over the Crusaders to three with a fourth-straight Public School League Blue city championship. One more win this weekend would will give Cass Tech its first perfect regular season (not including shortened 2020) since 2018. Click for more from the Detroit Free Press.

Watch list Warren Fitzgerald 36, Port Huron Northern 23 Fitzgerald (7-1) added to its perfect run through the Macomb Area Conference Gold with this notable victory over the MAC Blue champion Huskies (6-2). Although the Spartans did make the playoffs the last two seasons, this is guaranteed to be their first with a winning record since 2021.

On the move Detroit Denby 20, Detroit Pershing 6 After opening this season 0-2, Denby (6-2) began and finished PSL play with wins over Pershing (5-3), this one in the Gold city championship game. Detroit Edison 27, Ecorse 8 The Pioneers (7-1) finished an outright league title run in the Charter School Conference Gold, winning the tie-breaker over Romulus Summit Academy North because of a 26-14 victory in their Week 3 matchup. Utica 26, Macomb Dakota 17 After losing its league opener, Utica (6-2) still ended up with a share of the MAC White title and ran its winning streak to five games by avenging 35-0 and 31-0 losses to Dakota (6-2) from a year ago.

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER Howell 37, Brighton 28 The Highlanders (7-1) had been chasing the lead in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West since falling to Northville during the second week of the league schedule. They finally caught up and earned a share of the title by getting past co-champ Brighton (6-2), extending their winning streak over the Bulldogs to four. Click for more from the Livingston Daily Press & Argus.

Watch list Mount Pleasant 10, Midland 0 The Oilers (8-0) finished a perfect run through the SVL North with their closest win of the season, avenging last year’s 10-7 loss to the Chemics (4-4).

On the move Fowler 48, Ithaca 28 These two small-school powers most recently met in a 2023 playoff opener, won by Ithaca 28-27, but they won’t see each other again this fall with Fowler (6-2) in Division 8 and Ithaca (6-2) in Division 7. Beal City 49, LeRoy Pine River 6 The Aggies (8-0) finished their Highland Conference championship run with four shutouts in seven league games and giving up only 21 total in league play. Portland 49, Charlotte 7 The Raiders (8-0) capped another perfect run through the Capital Area Activities Association White, while Charlotte (4-4) will need to jump seven spots this week to make the Division 4 playoff bracket. 

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER Charlevoix 13, Boyne City 12 With both teams already done with league competition, this played like a playoff game as Charlevoix (8-0) moved within one more win of achieving a first perfect regular season since 1977 (not counting shortened 2020). The Rayders also had lost three of their previous four against the Ramblers (5-3), including last year’s matchup 45-21. Click for more from the Petoskey News-Review.

Watch list Harbor Springs 34, Oscoda 22 After three straight winless seasons, Harbor Springs is 4-4 with a chance for its winningest since 2019.

On the move Ogemaw Heights 34, Sanford Meridian 0 The Falcons (7-1) posted their second-straight shutout in downing Meridian (5-3) in this matchup of Jack Pine Conference division champions. East Jordan 25, Frankfort 14 East Jordan (5-3) is No. 19 on the Division 8 playoff list and Frankfort (5-3) is No. 23 after the Red Devils’ fourth-straight win in the series. Kingsley 63, Kalkaska 8 The Stags (6-2) prepped to face Charlevoix this week by scoring their most points this season and holding Kalkaska (5-3) to its fewest.

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richad 44, Macomb Lutheran North 19 Matthew Hoban and James Milanovich both scored three touchdowns as FGR (8-0) finished a perfect run through the Catholic High School League Intersectional #1, ending Lutheran North’s two-year reign and also handing the Mustangs (7-1) their only loss. Click for more from the Ann Arbor News.

Watch list Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 20, Monroe Jefferson 15 The Huron League finished play with three champions as the Falcons (7-1) bounced back from a Week 7 loss to Riverview to hand Jefferson (7-1) its lone defeat – giving all three a share of the title.

On the move Springport 35, Union City 34 The Spartans (8-0) capped a Big 8 Conference outright championship march by getting past second-place Union City (5-3) by the closest of margins, as a few points the other way would’ve meant a shared title. Michigan Center 46, Napoleon 14 These two faced off in a winner-take-all for the Cascades Conference East title, with the Cardinals (8-0) reversing the scenario from when Napoleon (5-3) won their matchup and the league in 2023. Jackson Lumen Christi 27, Traverse City St. Francis 12 No championship was on the line with this showdown, but this could end up the preview of a late-playoff Division 6 matchup as Lumen (5-3) sits No. 2 on that division’s list and St. Francis (6-2) is No. 11.

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER Decatur 22, White Pigeon 14 Decatur’s first win over White Pigeon in three seasons gave the Raiders the outright championship in the Southwest 10 Conference – after White Pigeon defeated Decatur in a winner-take-all for last year’s title. They may meet again; Decatur (6-2) is No. 9 and White Pigeon (6-2) is No. 13 on the Division 8 playoff list. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Watch list Battle Creek Harper Creek 41, Marshall 22 The Beavers (7-1) clinched a share of the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference title and can claim the championship outright this week at Jackson Northwest. A perfect run through league play would be their first since 2017.

On the move Paw Paw 43, Three Rivers 0 The Red Wolves (5-3) have now won five straight after opening 0-3 against opponents that are a combined 22-2. Vicksburg 38, Edwardsburg 35 The Bulldogs (5-3) bounced back from a pair of tough losses to defeat Edwardsburg (6-2) for the first time since 2014. St. Joseph 37, Battle Creek Central 18 The Bears (5-3) have won five of their last six games and put Central in position as one of several 4-4 teams working for a playoff spot in Division 2.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER Menominee 49, Kingsford 14 Another hard-fought race in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper was decided as Menominee came up big in a winner-take-all after Kingsford (6-2) did the same versus the Maroons to clinch the outright title a year ago. Menominee (8-0) also remains in the hunt for its first perfect regular season since 2015. Click for more from the Iron Mountain Daily Reporter.

Watch list Marquette 21, Cadillac 12 The Sentinels (5-3) are sitting No. 27 on the Division 3 playoff list after a fourth win over their last five games – but with Kingsford up next to complete the regular season.

On the move Bark River-Harris 44, West Iron County 7 The Broncos (6-1) completed a perfect run through the West-PAC Iron and sit No. 12 on the Division 8 playoff list, with the Wykons (3-4) still holding out hope at No. 36. Negaunee 42, Houghton 6 The Miners (5-3) are holding at No. 26 on the Division 5 playoff list, with a tough home matchup with Iron Mountain this week. Calumet 46, Gladstone 3 Calumet (6-2) ended up third in the West-PAC Copper, its losses to the league leaders, but one more win will give the Copper Kings their most since 2021.

West Michigan

HEADLINER Hudsonville Unity Christian 42, Grand Rapids South Christian 14 When last these two met, South Christian (4-4) avenged a 50-21 regular-season loss by ending Unity’s 2024 season with a 35-28 District Semifinal defeat. They may meet again in these Division 4 playoffs as well – but at this moment, Unity (8-0) is the repeat Ottawa-Kent Conference Green outright champion. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.

Watch list Wyoming Godwin Heights 41, Wyoming Kelloggsville 22 A ninth-straight win over the rival Rockets (5-3) sent Godwin Heights (7-1) into one of the few remaining league championship games this weekend as the Wolverines will face Belding in a winner-take-all for the O-K Silver title.

On the move Kent City 24, Howard City Tri County 21 After surviving its closest game this season, Kent City (8-0) this week against Grant will pursue its first perfect regular season since 2017. Grand Rapids Catholic Central 35, Grand Rapids Northview 7 The Cougars (8-0) finished a perfect run through the O-K Black by avenging last season’s loss to Northview (5-3). Grand Rapids West Catholic 31, Ada Forest Hills Eastern 21 The Falcons have won 19 straight league games and now four straight league championships including two consecutive in the O-K Green.

8-Player

HEADLINER Blanchard Montabella 36, Merrill 26 Montabella (8-0) wrapped up a repeat championship in the Mid-State Activities Conference Blue by claiming this winner-take-all matchup, and can complete a first perfect regular season during the playoff era this week against Portland St. Patrick. Montabella also is No. 3 on the Division 1 playoff list, while Merrill (6-2) is tied for the No. 11 spot. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.

Watch list Pittsford 52, Waldron 44 The Southern Central Athletic Association Blue title belongs to Pittsford after another winner-take-all matchup. The Wildcats (7-1) finished a second-straight perfect run through the league and handed Waldron (5-3) its only conference defeat.

On the move Powers North Central 38, Gogebic 34 The Jets (6-2) have swooped in to create a three-way tie for first in the Great Lakes Eight Conference West with the Miners (7-1) and Lake Linden-Hubbell and one league game left to play. Mendon 46, Climax-Scotts 20 The Hornets (8-0) won a winner-take-all in the SCAA Red, further avenging a 46-44 loss to Climax-Scotts last season that allowed the Panthers to do the same. Bridgman 44, New Buffalo 8 The Bees (7-1) handed the Bison (7-1) their only loss this season in claiming a winner-take-all for the Southwest Michigan 8-Man Football League title.

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PHOTO Grand Blanc quarterback Jake Morrow throws a pass Friday with a Davison rusher in pursuit. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)