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.

Highlights

Football Streaming Returns to MHSAA TV

August 27, 2019

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

For the third straight year, MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network will open the high school football season with live streaming video of contests from gridiron festivals in Detroit and Flint.

The action begins at 4 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 29) when Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice and Utica Eisenhower open the 15^th Annual Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic at Tom Adams Stadium on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit, and Grand Blanc faces Midland Dow in the Third Annual Vehicle City Gridiron Classic at historic Atwood Stadium in Flint on the campus of Kettering University.

The nightcap games on Thursday are Clinton Township Chippewa Valley vs. Saline at 7 p.m. in Detroit and Goodrich against Flint Powers Catholic in Flint at 7:30 p.m.

Here’s the schedule for the other games:

Prep Kickoff Classic – Detroit

Friday - Aug. 30
Birmingham Groves v. Grosse Pointe South, 4 p.m.
Muskegon v. Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 7 p.m.
Saturday - Aug. 31
Detroit Catholic Central v. Detroit Martin Luther King, 1 p.m.
Detroit Cass Tech v. Chicago Wendell Phillips Academy, 4 p.m.

Vehicle City Gridiron Classic – Flint

Friday, Aug. 30
Otisville LakeVille v. North Branch, 4 p.m.
Flint Carman-Ainsworth v. Port Huron, 7:30 p.m.

The NFHS Network is also working with FOX Sports Detroit to help promote the 2019 edition of Football Week In Michigan, by making the games in Detroit available to cable or satellite subscribers of that channel on FOX Sports GO!

The games in Detroit and Flint are part of a 25-game weekend on the NFHS Network and MHSAA.tv, which is also highlighted by Week 1 showdowns between Pewamo-Westphalia and Reading at Olivet College and Hudson at Ithaca both at 7 p.m. Thursday.