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Highlight Reel: Division 4 Semifinals

November 26, 2014

The Grand Rapids South Christian football team defeated Edwardsburg 50-48 in a Division 4 Semifinal on Saturday, and Lansing Sexton downed Detroit Country Day 28-14. Click the headings below for highlights: 

VANVOORST FIRST TD CATCH - Eric VanVoorst had two touchdown catches for Grand Rapids South Christian against Edwardsburg. Here's the first - a 32-yard reception in the second quarter. 

EDDIES BOUNCE BACK - After Grand Rapids South Christian scored on its first possession, Edwardsburg responded with a 66-yard TD run by Isiah Miller. 

FAULKNER GOES THE DISTANCE - With less than a second left in the first period, Karey Faulkner goes 76 yards for Lansing Sexton for a score.

PENSON TIGHTENS IT UP - Detroit Country Day got back in the game midway through the fourth quarter on this 8-yard run by Larry Penson. 

Watch the South Christian/Edwardsburg game in its entirety and order DVDs by Clicking Here, or Sexton/Country Day by Clicking Here.

Football Follies

October 7, 2014

Notice reached the MHSAA office of a so-called “2014 Michigan Youth Football Classic” that invites youth league teams to “a great weekend of youth tackle football.” For $450 per team, youth football teams will bang bodies for two days – Nov. 8 and 9 – with each team guaranteed at least three games. Three!

No level of football but this – for the youngest players who have the most vulnerable skulls – allows the idiocy of three games in a weekend. Most limit competition to a maximum of one game in a week!

In my opinion, this isn’t a football classic. It’s child abuse.

I wish the foolishness would stop there, but even an organization called USA Football seems to have lost its head. Initially and mostly with funding from the NFL, USA Football was focused on teaching youth football coaches and players safe blocking and tackling techniques. Good.

But now this pseudo-national governing body for amateur football is planning events for various age groups that will extend tackle football practices and games throughout what used to be an off-season. Multiple competitions in tackle football are scheduled for high school age players in January, February and July of 2015.

At a time when professional, college, school and Pop Warner football are all reducing contact during practices in-season, USA Football wants to expand the contact experience out of season. It makes about as much sense as three games in a weekend.