Hutchinson Makes Name at Divine Child
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
September 13, 2017
DEARBORN – Often, a child of a successful athlete has difficulty living up to that standard.
To this point, that’s not the case with Aidan Hutchinson.
He plays a similar position as did his father Chris, an All-America defensive lineman at University of Michigan in 1992. But there are differences as well between father and son – although like his dad, Aidan also will head to Ann Arbor after he graduates from Dearborn Divine Child.
All Falcons fourth-year coach John Filiatraut knows is that he hit the lottery when the Hutchinsons decided Aidan would attend Divine Child – not that he didn’t see it coming, given Aidan’s mother, Melissa Hutchinson, and his two older sisters, Mia and Aria, all attended the Catholic school.
“They’re great people,” said Filiatraut, a 1986 Divine Child graduate. “It’s a treat. Coaches can complain and whine with the best of them. But we’re lucky to have Aidan.
“And Chris is not very intrusive. I was worried about that at the beginning. With his background, it would be easy to step in. We as coaches are trying to do things right here. (Chris) is committed to Aidan and for him to do this on his own, and not cast a shadow on Aidan.”
Coming off its winningest season (10-3) since 1985 and a Division 3 Semifinals berth in 2016, Divine Child is off to a 3-0 start this fall.
As for those differences between father and son, size is one. The elder Hutchinson was 6-foot-2 and weighed 221 pounds when he graduated from high school. His playing weight at U-M was 250. His son is 6-6 and weighs 255 pounds, and is considered one of the top prospects in the class of 2018. Aidan plays defensive end and tight end. His father was a defensive tackle.
Chris Hutchinson grew up in Houston and played football at Cypress Creek High before going on to University of Michigan, where he played four seasons and was named first team All-America as a senior defensive lineman in 1992. Chris Hutchinson said private school education was all new to him, but he couldn’t be more pleased with the educational – and now with his son – athletic experiences his family has enjoyed.
Not surprisingly, Aidan has accepted a scholarship offer to attend U-M. He did make unofficial visits to Notre Dame and Wisconsin, in addition to his interest in attending Penn State, but eventually U-M won out.
And so far his senior season has unfolded as planned.
“We’re 3-0. It’s great,” he said. “Michigan is undefeated. We’re undefeated. It’s all great.”
Chris Hutchinson didn’t allow Aidan to play tackle football until he was in the seventh grade. Aidan did play flag football, and other sports like soccer, but his father held him out of the physical contact until he thought Aidan was ready.
“It was a big change for me,” Aidan said of playing tackle football. “I had to learn a lot because most of the other kids had been playing two or three years. It wasn’t too bad a transition. I just had to learn quickly.”
Despite his size, and his weight as an infant (11 pounds, one ounce), Aidan wasn’t a large child growing up. He weighed 135 pounds when he was in the eighth grade, then 160 as a freshman playing on the line on Divine Child’s junior varsity team. Over the next two years, he grew seven inches and added 70 pounds.
“I’ve been (growing) all through high school,” he said. “Am I done growing? I don’t think so, but I’m hoping I am.”
The answer is likely the former. Aidan just turned 17 last month (Aug. 9).
Though his size is a plus once he gets to college, there are times when it can work against him at the high school level.
“It’s different when you’re 6-6 going against a 6-foot kid,” Chris Hutchinson said. “You have to keep your head down, and stay low.”
Chris Hutchinson, who’s a doctor in the emergency room at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, understands it’s not his place to coach his son from the sideline, even though, as the team physician, it’s his job to be on the sideline. He keeps a safe distance and allows Filiatraut and his staff do their jobs.
At home, it’s a different story. The two view film constantly to determine where improvements can be made.
“Thank God for Hudl,” Chris said. “I only focus on technique. When Aidan tells me they’re using a double team, I ask what type? There are different ways you can use a double team.
“It’s important not to be that dad who coaches. There are way too many dads who do the coaching thing. The hardest thing for me is not to say something, and have him come to me. When they do ask, then you can go forward.”
Aidan is quick for his size, and he attributes much of that quickness and his ability to react quickly to the other sport he plays, lacrosse. He started playing lacrosse the same year he began playing tackle football, and to him they go hand in hand.
“It’s a ton of fun (playing lacrosse),” he said. “My whole group of friends play. All six of us started (on varsity) as freshmen, so we should be pretty good this year. There’s no question it helps me in football. One hundred percent. It helps with my hip movement, and in lacrosse it forces you to back pedal.”
Filiatraut said Hutchinson is a special part of a special team at Divine Child. Its quarterback, Theo Day, is one of the state’s best. Day led the Falcons to the Division 3 Semifinals last season and has committed to sing with Michigan State.
“Aidan gives great effort all of the time,” Filiatraut said. “Honestly, he’s on the shy side. He’s trying to figure it all out. He’s doing his best to be a vocal leader, but it’s not in his nature.
“He’s got a ton of want-to. He wants to be good, and to get better.”
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) Deaborn Divine Child’s Aidan Hutchinson grabs a water break while dad and team physician Chris Hutchinson keeps an eye on the field. (Middle) Hutchinson blocks against Benton Harbor during his team’s Week 1 win. (Below) Aidan, Chris, mom Melissa and U-M coach Jim Harbaugh take a photo after Aidan commits to sign with the Wolverines. (Photos courtesy of the Hutchinson family.)
1st & Goal: 2025 Playoffs Week 2 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 7, 2025
The term “rivalry week” doesn’t really pop up much during the playoffs, as generally those rivalry games take place during the regular season with maybe a few rematches as we get into November.
This second weekend of the 2025 MHSAA Playoffs might be the exception.
We have several rivalries reigniting – most rematches from the regular season but others with longer histories of seeing each other this time of year, with seasons on the line.
Tickets this weekend are $7 for 11-Player District Finals and $9 for 8-Player Regional Finals and can be purchased at GoFan.co. A total of 63 games also will be broadcast and available to watch with subscription on the NFHS Network.
Games listed below are tonight unless noted.
11-Player Division 1
Rockford (8-2) at Hudsonville (10-0) WATCH
The Eagles are a combined 22-2 over the last two seasons with two wins Rockford, including 35-28 in Week 6 this fall. But finishing a season sweep of the rival Rams would be another major accomplishment. Rockford has won their past four playoff meetings, going back a decade, and the Eagles didn’t have to go through Rockford last year on the way to finishing Division 1 runner-up.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grand Blanc (10-0) at Clarkston (9-1) WATCH, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (7-3) at Rochester Adams (8-2) WATCH, Macomb Dakota (7-3) at Romeo (7-3) WATCH.
11-Player Division 2
St. Clair Shores Lakeview (8-2) at Grosse Pointe South (9-1), Saturday WATCH
South’s only loss this season – and only Macomb Area Conference White loss over the last four years – came 25-22 to Lakeview on Oct. 10 and resulted in a shared league title between the Blue Devils and Utica. If South avenges this weekend, it will win a District title for the first time since 2016. If Lakeview wins, the Huskies will celebrate their first District title, ever – and after going 3-6 only a year ago.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Byron Center (7-3) at Portage Central (10-0) WATCH, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (6-4) at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (7-2) WATCH, Dexter (9-1) at South Lyon (10-0) WATCH.
11-Player Division 3
Gaylord (10-0) at Mount Pleasant (10-0) WATCH
These teams have taken distinctly different paths to reach perfection this deep into the season. Mount Pleasant hasn’t played a single-digit game and impressed primarily by giving up more than 17 points only once – when it outscored Midland Dow 63-39. Gaylord has won seven games by seven points or fewer, showing some serious moxie in outlasting those opponents – an intangible skill that tends to become important with trophies on the line.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Zeeland West (7-3) at St. Joseph (6-4) WATCH, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (7-3) at Lowell (8-2) WATCH, Fenton (7-3) at Adrian (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 4
Chelsea (9-1) at Goodrich (10-0) WATCH
The reigning Division 4 champion Martians have won 23 straight games, including close ones this fall over Frankenmuth, Lapeer and Fenton. They’ll take on a Chelsea team that’s lost only to Division 2 Dexter and otherwise played one single-digit game, defeating Linden 35-28 two weeks ago. Goodrich’s power running game has long been its catalyst, and Chelsea must either stop it – or match it – to win its first District title since its 2021 Finals championship season.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Haslett (8-2) at Williamston (10-0) WATCH, Harper Woods Chandler Park (8-2) at Harper Woods (10-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Big Rapids (9-1) at Escanaba (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 5
Grand Rapids West Catholic (9-1) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (10-0) WATCH
This will be the fourth playoff meeting over the last five seasons between these rivals, and Grand Rapids Catholic Central has won the first three of that series – including by two points two years ago and three last season. The Cougars have avenged three losses from last fall – when they reached the Division 5 Semifinals – and haven’t allowed more than 17 points in a game. West Catholic opened this fall with its lone loss, to Grand Rapids Northview, but has been on a roll since and finished the regular season with a 28-16 win over reigning Division 3 champion Zeeland West.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Michigan Center (9-1) at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (10-0) WATCH, Monroe Jeffers (9-1) at Romulus Summit Academy North (8-1) WATCH, Richmond (9-1) at Frankenmuth (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 6
Traverse City St. Francis (7-2) at Kingsley (8-2) WATCH
St. Francis won these rivals’ Week 5 matchup 21-20 with a stop on a 2-point conversion try. This will be their first playoff rematch since 2018, and Kingsley retained homefield advantage thanks to a schedule that also included a loss to undefeated Division 3 Gaylord and a big Week 9 win over previously-unbeaten Charlevoix. That said, this will be St. Francis’ eighth game against a team with a winning record – with its losses to reigning Division 6 champion Jackson Lumen Christi and last year’s Division 5 title winner Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Kent City (10-0) at Belding (9-1) WATCH, Warren Michigan Collegiate (6-4) vs. Detroit Edison (8-2) at The Corner Ballpark, Marine City (7-3) at Almont (10-0) WATCH.
11-Player Division 7
Clinton (8-2) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (8-2)
This is a rematch from Week 1 and a repeat of last season – and actually the third year in a row these two will meet in the playoffs. St. Mary, last year’s Division 7 runner-up, opened this fall with a 42-6 win over Clinton and obviously won last year’s District Final matchup as well. Clinton’s only other loss this fall was to still-undefeated Hudson, while SMCC closed the regular season with defeats to Riverview and Detroit Country Day over a three-week span before bouncing back with a 27-2 win over Leslie to open the playoffs.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Bronson (8-2) at Hanover-Horton (8-2) WATCH, Lawton (8-2) at Schoolcraft (8-2) WATCH. SATURDAY Ithaca (7-3) at Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (8-2).
11-Player Division 8
New Lothrop (7-3) at Springport (10-0) WATCH
Springport is pursuing its first District championship in this sport and after falling in last year’s District Final against Reading by just a point. The Spartans closed this regular season with a pair of close calls, defeating Union City by a point and Bronson by seven, but opened the playoffs by downing Manchester 47-8. New Lothrop is back in the mix after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 1999, and the Hornets bounced back from a pair of late league losses to win close in Week 9 over Cheboygan and then 19-14 last week over Fowler – which missed Ford Field with a one-point Semifinal defeat a year ago.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Iron Mountain (6-3) at Bark River-Harris (8-1) WATCH, Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central (8-2) at Beal City (10-0) WATCH, Riverview Gabriel Richard (5-5) at Allen Park Cabrini (9-1) WATCH.
8-Player Division 1
Climax-Scotts (8-2) at Martin (10-0) WATCH
Climax-Scotts is playing to win a first Regional title since 2019 and has put up 72 points – and given up at least 62 – in both of its last two games, last week avenging a Week 1 defeat against Gobles. The Panthers are averaging 54 points per game but likely will run up against their toughest challenge yet in the Clippers, who have allowed 87 points total this season – and more than 14 only twice. Martin won the Division 1 championship back-to-back in 2022 and 2023 before falling in this round last season. The Clippers also have a win over Gobles from Week 4.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Pickford (8-1) at Norway (10-0) WATCH, Merrill (8-2) at Blanchard Montabella (9-1) WATCH, Capac (8-2) at Kingston (9-1) WATCH.
8-Player Division 2
Mendon (10-0) at Portland St. Patrick (10-0) WATCH
Mendon has reached at least the Regional Finals four of its five seasons in 8-player football, and this will be the first time doing so undefeated. The Hornets have the highest-scoring player in MHSAA 8-player history in running back Owen Gorham, and they’ll run up against a defense giving up only 8.5 points per game. The Shamrocks can score too, topping 40 points in all but one of their wins on the field (one win was by forfeit). But the Hornets also have shown they can slow down top offenses – they held Climax-Scotts, noted above, to just 20 points three weeks ago.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Gaylord St. Mary (8-2) at Onekama (10-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Lake Linden-Hubbell (8-2) at Felch North Dickinson (10-0), Deckerville (9-1) at Britton Deerfield (9-1) WATCH.
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PHOTO Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central's Sean Foley (2) breaks down the sideline during a Week 7 game against Ithaca. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)