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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.

Ready for Some Football

August 12, 2014

How seriously should we take public criticism of tackle football when that public promotes boxing or cage fighting? Or how seriously should we take public criticism of football played with helmets when that public allows motorcyclists to ride without any helmets at all?

This fickle if not hypocritical focus on football deserves to be exposed. 

However, and more importantly, this does not reduce our obligation to rise above the obvious questions of fair and balanced criticism and keep pressing for a safer environment for schools’ most popular participation sport.

In Michigan this has led to new limitations on head-to-head contact in football practices that began for more than 600 high schools this week. Specifically, no team or individual may participate in more than one collision practice per day before the first game, and no more than two collision practices per week after the first game.

The new policies promote instruction in proper blocking and tackling technique. It is full speed head-to-head contact that is further reduced, not full speed shoulder contact with sleds, shields and dummies nor slow speed contact between players.

Last month, and perhaps two years too late to be helpful, the National Federation of State High School Associations hosted a high-profile, high-powered summit to discuss practice policies of the kind that we developed, debated and adopted during the past school year to be ready for this 2014 season.