Inside Selection Sunday: Mapnalysis '14
October 26, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The pictures we drew Sunday morning at the MHSAA office won’t be found hanging on anyone’s walls.
But we worked toward something suitable for framing, designing this season’s football playoff brackets while considering the months and years of work put in by our schools and their teams, parents and fans to earn an opportunity to continue their seasons this weekend.
The work completed today to draw up the 2014 MHSAA Football Playoffs began long before opening night in August. Our football tournament is like none other sponsored by the MHSAA – it’s the only team tournament in which every team doesn’t qualify – and we began talking about this tournament not long after last season’s champions were decided.
Then came April and May and tracking down schedules for 613 MHSAA varsity football teams, plus 45 out-of-state opponents our Michigan schools were set to play including 14 from Ontario and one from Minnesota.
The fun part was monitoring the scores and standings for all of these teams over the nine weeks of the regular season, each Friday night a stream of chatter from kickoff into our weekly highlights show on Fox Sports Detroit.
And then came Sunday – and navigating the most difficult maps to draw in my four seasons assisting in the process.
We often have versions “a” and “b” and on occasion “c” when considering which best accomplishes our goal – to create the correct geographical picture for each of eight 11-player divisions and our 8-player bracket.
Sunday morning, we saw a version “e” for the first time I can remember and some shapes that didn’t make much sense without explanation.
Some of those explanations are below – the stories behind how we made some of the toughest decisions. I start with a quick history lesson you can skip if you’re familiar with this annual report or our playoff selection process in general, then move into some of the specifics many will be discussing this week as they begin focusing on their Pre-District opponents. (Click for the full schedule.)
The process
Our past: The MHSAA playoff structure – with 256 teams in eight divisions, and six wins equaling an automatic berth (or five wins for teams playing eight or fewer games) – debuted in 1999. An 8-player tournament was added in 2011, resulting in nine champions total each season.
The first playoffs were conducted in 1975 with four champions. Four more football classes were added in 1990 for a total of eight champions each fall. Through 1998, only 128 teams made the postseason, based on their playoff point averages within regions (four for each class) that were drawn before the beginning of the season. The drawing of Districts and Regions after the end of the regular season did not begin until the most recent playoff expansion.
In early years of the current process, lines were drawn by hand. Dots representing qualifying schools were pasted on maps, one map for each division, and those maps were then covered by plastic sheets. Districts and Regionals literally were drawn with dry-erase markers.
Our present: After a late Saturday night tracking scores, we file in as the sun rises Sunday morning for a final round of gathering results we may still need (which can include making a few early a.m. calls to athletic directors). Re-checking and triple-checking of enrollments, what schools played in co-ops and opted to play as a higher class start a week in advance, and more numbers are crunched Sunday morning as the fields are set.
This season, there were 229 automatic qualifiers by win total – with the final 27 at-large then selected, by playoff-point average, one from each class in order (A, B, C, D) until the field is filled.
Those 256 11-player teams are then split into eight equal divisions based on enrollment, and their locations are marked on digital maps that are projected on wall-size screens and then discussed by nearly half of the MHSAA staff plus a representative from the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association. Only the locations themselves are marked (by yellow dots) – not records, playoff point averages or names of the schools or towns. In fact, mentions of those are strictly prohibited. Records and playoff points are not part of the criteria. Matchups, rivalries, previous playoff pairings, etc. also DO NOT come into play.
The same process is followed for organizing the 8-player bracket, with the difference that the 16 teams are selected purely on playoff-point average.
Geography rules: This long has been rule number one for drawing MHSAA brackets in any sport, and is a repeat as well for those who have read this report the last three Octobers. Travel distance and ease DO come into play. Jumping on a major highway clearly is easier than driving across county-wide back roads, and that’s taken into consideration. Also, remember there’s only one Mackinac Bridge and hence only one way to cross between peninsulas – and boats are not considered a possible form of transportation. When opponents from both peninsulas will be in the same District, distance to the bridge is far more important than as the bird flies.
Tradition doesn’t reign: Every group of 32 dots is a new group – these 32 teams have not been placed in a bracket together before. That said, how maps have been drawn in the past isn’t considered – it’s hard to say a division has been drawn in a certain way traditionally when this set of 32 teams is making up a division for the first time.
Observations and answers: 2014
Class A ripple: A total of 80 Class A teams qualified for the playoffs in 2013 after three seasons of 79 each. But 89 Class A teams are part of the 2014 field, and that increase in turn shifted a number of smaller schools into different divisions – including some annual favorites. Muskegon, Division 2 runner-up the last two seasons, is in Division 3. Marine City, last season’s Division 4 champion, will play in Division 5. Five-time Division 5 champ Jackson Lumen Christi moved into Division 6, where it could be the toughest obstacle as Ithaca attempts to win that division for the fifth straight season.
Stranger on paper: Yes, Division 1’s District 2 stretches from Grandville to Hartland. This isn’t a desirable outcome, but was necessary with this field. Six districts are filled with teams all east of U.S. 23, and a seventh is completely north and west of Grand Rapids. That left the four teams in the middle – Grandville, East Kentwood, Grand Ledge and Hartland.
Something similar came down in the 8-player bracket – why would we break up four teams in the Thumb to include three with Big Rapids Crossroads Academy all the way west of U.S. 127? It had to do with creating the appropriate semifinal matchup for whichever team emerges from the Rapid River/Cedarville/Engadine/Bellaire regional; keeping the Thumb teams together might’ve meant Lawrence or Waldron from near the Indiana border going all the way to Rapid River instead of Thumb teams that are still far away but closer to the convenient highways.
Line falls through Warren: Division 2 presented a few challenges. There are five districts made up of schools predominantly in the Greater Detroit and Port Huron areas, so one was going to end up potentially matching up farther from home. At first we drew a region across the bottom of the Lower Peninsula that connected teams from the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area with a district from Ypsilanti and south of Detroit. But rearranging districts to draw a line between Warren DeLaSalle and Warren Counsino, although they’re nearly neighbors, helped make the rest of the map much cleaner – and eliminated that I-94 Regional we didn’t prefer.
Deconstructing D3: This was another toughie given the locations of teams involved. Three districts are all east of U.S. 23 and south of Pontiac, and four more are all west and/or north of Greater Lansing. Usually the Lansing area has a large share of Division 3 qualifiers – but not this season. So that left five schools somewhat without a sure home – St. Johns, DeWitt, Mason, Tecumseh and Linden. DeWitt is much closer to Mason and even Tecumseh, with the differences between St. Johns and DeWitt to Linden and St. Johns and DeWitt to Grand Rapids small enough to cancel out in the big picture.
Stretching Division 6: In the end, this map looks good – but there was a lot of conversation. The tough part was finding the fairest possible situation for whichever district champ might end up playing Negaunee – Bad Axe in the Thumb, Madison Heights Madison or Warren Michigan Collegiate as possibilities coming out of northern Detroit, or even Fennville near Lake Michigan south of Holland. Proximity to I-75 helped make this decision.
Crisscrossing Division 8: Figuring out this bracket started out easy enough with eight teams in the Upper Peninsula or just south of Mackinac Bridge and with the southwest and southeast Lower Peninsula set. But a group of 10 across the top of the Lower Peninsula – including neighbors Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, Beal City and Coleman – made this interesting. A rule of thumb is we don’t want a team passing through a different district or regional to reach its opponent – and with three teams so closely bunched, that was a challenge in drawing this one out.
At the end of the day ...
What you see is what our committee decided upon after multiple discussions among multiple groups that broke down every sensible possibility we could muster. There are certainly points open to argument – and we likely made those arguments as well.
In the end, we present a group of dots on a map – as stated above, we don’t identify the schools until after the groupings are drawn. Part of the fun is then finding out what first-round matchups we’ve created: Muskegon Mona Shores vs. Caledonia and Detroit Martin Luther King vs. Southfield should be incredible, as well as the Ishpeming/Westwood and Iron Mountain/West Iron County rivalry games in the Upper Peninsula.
And no doubt, those who play for and support Burton Atherton, Ypsilanti Community, first-year Lapeer High School, Big Rapids Crossroads and New Haven Merritt Academy are ready to enjoy the playoff ride for the first time.
We’re excited to watch them all – and see which end up in Detroit with us to finish the fall over Thanksgiving weekend. We hope to see you there as well.
PHOTO: The Division 4 map for 11-player football has each region shaded; champion of the white plays green in a semifinal with yellow facing blue in the other.
1st & Goal: 2021 Finals Review
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 30, 2021
Two of the longest MHSAA Finals days at Ford Field – capped by two of the most exciting championship games in recent memory – concluded the 2021 football season this weekend.
Fans were able to savor every moment until nearly midnight both nights, and more than 38,000 made the trip to Detroit over the two-day 11-player event. That was in addition to those who journeyed from near and far the weekend before for the 8-Player Finals at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome, where a pair of repeat champions reigned again.
Second Half covered all 10 championship games, with quick recaps and links (click on the game scores) to those stories below followed by notations of performances entered into the MHSAA Finals record book and a report on some of the biggest and best stories to emerge from the championship weekends.
Finals in Review
11-Player Division 1: Belleville 55, Rochester Adams 33
After falling a win short of reaching the Final the last three seasons, Belleville advanced this fall and completed its first championship run. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood showed on a statewide stage why he’s received lots of attention during his high school debut, and he was surrounded by seniors including receiver Jeremiah Caldwell who helped carry the Tigers to the win.
11-Player Division 2: Warren De La Salle Collegiate 41, Traverse City Central 14
After falling in last season’s championship game, De La Salle took the next step in winning its fourth Finals title – and with expectations we could see the Pilots back at Ford Field again in 2022. Junior quarterback Brady Drogosh has been a big part of both trips, and this time he had a hand in 316 total yards and four touchdowns either running or passing.
11-Player Division 3: Detroit Martin Luther King 25, DeWitt 21
Two of the state’s premier quarterbacks were on display, junior Dante Moore for King and senior Ty Holtz for reigning champ DeWitt. But the deciding play was a defensive stand – specifically, the Crusaders stopping a 4th-and-goal from their 1-yard line with 2:34 to play. Both teams brought interceptions back for touchdowns, Holtz making the grab and score for DeWitt.
11-Player Division 4: Chelsea 55, Hudsonville Unity Christian 52
This is the game from this weekend many will be referring to years from now. Take your pick why – the 11-Player Finals record 107 combined points, Chelsea’s also-record 28-point comeback over the final 23 minutes, the fact Unity Christian had set the season record for points scored during the game. Maybe the walk-off field goal by Hunter Shaw saved in part by the deft handling of a short snap by quarterback/holder Lucas Dunn.
11-Player Division 5: Grand Rapids Catholic Central 31, Marine City 7
The Cougars won their second-straight championship in Division 5 and fifth over the last six seasons to go with Division 4 titles in 2016, 2017 and 2019. They did so with what has to be one of the finest back-up quarterbacking performances ever – senior John Passinault stepped in for injured past Finals star Joey Silveri and threw for 2,307 yards and 37 touchdowns this fall.
11-Player Division 6: Lansing Catholic 16, Warren Michigan Collegiate 6
The Cougars have been known for their offensive production over the last decade or more, but the defense led the way to their second championship in three seasons – they had won Division 5 in 2019. Lansing Catholic gave up only 40 points – or eight per game – during this playoff run, and in this game took advantage of four interceptions and a fumble recovery.
11-Player Division 7: Pewamo-Westphalia 14, Lawton 10
The Pirates added their fourth championship in six seasons, capping a run which saw them win their league and defeat eight more league champions along the way – one of them Lansing Catholic, the eventual Division 6 title winner. P-W had accomplished most of it with key players out with injuries, but multiple returned to lead the Pirates past Lawton, which was making its first Finals appearance.
11-Player Division 8: Hudson 14, Beal City 7
Defense has reigned in Division 8 the last few seasons, with Hudson following recent champions Centreville and Reading in thriving on that side of the ball. The Tigers ended their undefeated season having given up only 99 points (7.1 per game), and this time stopped a Beal City team averaging 35.5 points per contest entering Ford Field.
8-Player Division 1: Adrian Lenawee Christian 31, Suttons Bay 20
A rematch of last season’s Division 1 Final was more closely contested, but with the same result as Lenawee Christian finished its second-straight undefeated campaign. Cougars quarterback Ashur Bryja is a name to remember – he opened the scoring 51 seconds in with an interception return touchdown, ran for two more scores and threw for 229 yards.
8-Player Division 2: Powers North Central 63, Colon 0
The Jets won their second-straight Division 2 title and fourth 8-player championship total, and put up a combined 133 points over those last two Finals wins. North Central had 520 yards of total offense this time. Wyatt Raab, Luke Gorzinski and Alex Naser all scored two touchdowns, and Gorzinski also was the team’s leading tackler.
Records Report
11-Player
Chelsea and Hudsonville blew past the previous record of 94 combined points in an 11-Player Finals game with their combined 107. Chelsea’s 55 tied for third-most, with Unity Christian now sitting at sixth on that list after Belleville also scored 55 in Division 1.
As expected from a 55-52 game, Chelsea ended up with the fourth-most total yardage in 11-Player Finals history, with 533, and the teams’ combined total of 1,024 ranks second. Chelsea’s 28 first downs are tied for third-most.
Chelsea’s Lucas Hanifan tied 11-player championship game records with 30 points and five touchdowns, and set the receiving touchdowns record by two with that total. His quarterback Lucas Dunn set the 11-Player Finals record with six touchdown passes while also making the yardage list with 308, pass attempts list with 36 and completions list with 25. Hanifan’s nine receptions also rank among the most in that category.
Belleville freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood may have even exceeded high expectations with his Finals debut, making the total offense list with a combined 346 rushing and passing yards (with 284 passing) and tying for second with four others with five touchdown passes. Senior receiver Jeremiah Caldwell played a big part, tying for second with 204 receiving yards (on only four receptions) and also tying for second with three touchdown catches.
Warren De La Salle Collegiate became the 22nd team to keep an opponent from completing a pass, shutting out Traverse City Central on its nine attempts. Detroit Martin Luther King became the 29th team to not punt in an 11-Player Final.
De La Salle quarterback Brady Drogosh also made the total yardage list with 316 (including 174 rushing). King’s Dante Moore made the completions list with 18 on 24 attempts.
Chelsea’s Hunter Shaw and Belleville’s Brayden Lane tied the 11-Player Finals record held by three others with seven extra points, while in Division 2, De La Salle’s Brady Lowe made the extra point list with five. Shaw and Adams’ Colin Timko became the 11th and 12th, respectively, to make two or more field goals, Timko hitting from 27 and 35 yards in the Division 1 game and Shaw from 26 and 33.
Hudson’s march to victory included 282 rushing yards on 64 carries, which tied for the eighth-most runs by one team in an 11-Player Final.
8-Player
Powers North Central’s big win was accompanied by multiple scoring record book entries, including for 29 points in a quarter (third most), 49 in the first half (first) and 63 for one game (also ranking third). The Jets also made the team rushing yardage list with 328 and the team first downs list with 20. North Central also became the first in the category for fewest rushing yards allowed, holding Colon to -14.
Adrian Lenawee Christian set the team first downs record with 24 against Suttons Bay.
Lenawee Christian quarterback Ashur Bryja earned the sixth-most total yards in 8-Player Finals history, with 372 including 229 passing.
North Central’s Jaden Walters set the standard for 8-player championship game kickers, making all seven of his extra point attempts.
Suttons Bay’s August Schaub set a record that will be tough to match, returning an interception 99 yards for a touchdown against Lenawee Christian.
Teammate Hugh Periard was added with the second-longest rushing play in 8-Player Finals history, 90 yards against Lenawee Christian.
Stories Behind the Scores
Winning streaks grow: A few of this season’s winners not only repeated as champions, but extended overall winning streaks that will be followed closely next season. Grand Rapids Catholic Central has won 36 straight games, tied for the sixth-longest undefeated run. Lenawee Christian has won all 24 8-player games it’s played over the last two seasons, and North Central also is 24-0 over the last two.
What’s new is new: Belleville and Chelsea were first-time champions after some just-misses over the last decade. As noted above, the Tigers made the Semifinals this season for the fourth straight year before reaching Ford Field for the first time, and Chelsea has made the Semifinals five of the last seven seasons and had lost in Finals in 2015 and 2018.
QB Power: Michigan is graduating another fine class of high school quarterbacks – DeWitt’s Ty Holtz, in particular, provided two seasons of memories leading the Panthers on back-to-back trips to Ford Field. But we should expect to see some of the other 2021 championship signal-callers a lot next season. King’s Dante Moore will close one of the most highly-followed careers in some time, and De La Salle’s Brady Drogosh will be watched just as much next fall. Belleville’s Bryce Underwood will generate plenty of statewide interest over the next three seasons. As noted, Lenawee Christian’s Ashur Bryja is one of the next stars among the small schools, and North Central’s Luke Gorzinski has led two championship runs and still is just a junior. Two more to remember: Marine City junior Jeffery Heaslip was a standout run/pass threat in leading his team to the Division 5 Final, and Rochester Adams junior Parker Picot became known at least in-state as much for football leading his team in Division 1 as he’s known as a top-level baseball prospect.
No taking ‘normal’ for granted: Those who experienced the start-stop-start 2020 season will never forget it, nor should any of us who had the opportunity to enjoy a more “normal” 2021. With COVID-19 ever present, Michigan high schools did their parts again to play safely this fall. And proper perspective remains a great teacher of just how much that’s worth.
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