Highlight Reel: Saturday Football Finals

November 28, 2016

By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director

The final day of the MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field in Detroit – powered by the Michigan Army National Guard – produced a first-time gridiron champion and a game-winning play that will be talked about for a long time.

Division 7

Pewamo-Westphalia 28, Detroit Loyola 14

Logan & Lehman Go Long - The Pewamo-Westphalia combo of quarterback Jimmy Lehman and receiver Logan Hengesbach connected for two touchdowns in the Division 7 title game against Detroit Loyola. Here's the second TD in the third quarter, with Hengesbach winning the jump ball to complete a 37-yard scoring play.

Johnson Powers Into the End Zone - Detroit Loyola gets on the board midway through the fourth quarter, when TE Keith Johnson makes a great play to catch a pass from Price Watkins and then power into the end zone to complete the 18-yard score.

Division 1

Detroit Cass Tech 49, Detroit Catholic Central 20

CC Takes the Early Lead - Detroit Catholic Central led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, taking the lead on this 35-yard pass interception return by Jack Morris.

The Peoples' Choice for Cass Tech - Detroit Cass Tech QB Rodney Hall tied a Finals record with five touchdown passes against Detroit Catholic Central - two going to Donovan Peoples-Jones, including this 49-yarder in the third quarter.

Division 5

Grand Rapids West Catholic 43, Menominee 7

Meyers Off to the Races - Grand Rapids West Catholic scored its first TD against Menominee on a pitch and catch from Gaetano Vallone to Brett Meyers covering 91 yards.

Hass Records a Finals First - Menominee uses special teams to get on the board in the third quarter. Sam Larson blocks the West Catholic field goal attempt, and Hunter Hass returns it 76 yards for a TD – the first time in Finals history a blocked field goal has been returned for a score.

Division 3

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 29, Muskegon 28

Pimpleton's Second Score - Lined up in the slot, Muskegon's Kalil Pimpleton gets his second 18-yard rushing touchdown of the Division 3 Final against Orchard Lake St. Mary's on the end-around to give his team a 21-20 lead early in the fourth quarter.

A Catch for the Ages - In the closing seconds of the Division 3 Final, Orchard Lake St. Mary's QB Caden Prieskorn hits Ky’ren Cunningham in the end zone with an 18-yard touchdown strike to give the Eaglets the win.

The MHSAA Football Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.  

PHOTO: Orchard Lake St. Mary's Chris Bean celebrates during Saturday's Division 3 Final. 

Today in the MHSAA: 5/8/25

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 8, 2025

1. BOYS LACROSSE Brighton clinched the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title with 9-7 win over Hartland, which had won 76 straight league games – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. GIRLS SOCCER Standish-Sterling is the champion for this inaugural season of girls soccer in the Jack Pine Conference thanks to a 5-1 win over Ogemaw Heights – Bay City Times

3. TRACK & FIELD The Frankfort girls – No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 4 – and Maple City Glen Lake boys both clinched their first Northwest Conference championships in this sport – Traverse City Record-Eagle

4. GIRLS SOCCER Pontiac clinched its first league title with a 1-0 win over Harper Woods in the Oakland Activities Association Gold – Oakland Press

5. TRACK & FIELD Ithaca’s LPD3 No. 7 girls and No. 3 boys teams clinched their third-consecutive Tri-Valley Conference championships, this time in the Blue – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

6. BOYS GOLF LPD2 No. 6 Richland Gull Lake claimed a third-straight Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference title, carding a two-round 611 – Kalamazoo Gazette

7. GIRLS LACROSSE Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood edged Farmington Hills Mercy 9-8 to advance to the Catholic High School League Tournament championship game – Oakland Press

8. GIRLS SOCCER Division 1 No. 14 Romeo downed No. 5 Utica Eisenhower 1-0 to finish a Macomb Area Conference Red sweep – Macomb Daily

9. GIRLS SOCCER St. Joseph and Division 2 No. 8 Stevensville Lakeshore played to a 1-1 draw – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

10. SOFTBALL Macomb Lutheran North and Division 2 No. 2 Dearborn Divine Child split a doubleheader – Dearborn Press & Guide