Inside Selection Sunday: Mapnalysis '18
October 21, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
For a fading moment, we thought we saw the Big Dipper floating through the second floor of the MHSAA office Sunday morning.
Michigan’s northernmost high school in Calumet held the handle – but the only place the rest of the Region pointed was to questions about how we could come up with such a disjointed scenario for this season’s Division 6 Playoffs.
Below – as has become an annual tradition – we’ll answer that question and a few more about this year’s selection process.
Our mission Sunday was to map 213 automatic qualifiers for 11-player football – and a record 43 additional qualifiers with 5-4 or 4-4 records – plus our top 32 8-player teams across 10 divisions of playoffs that will conclude with the latter Nov. 17 at Northern Michigan University and 11-player Nov. 23-24 at Ford Field.
As often noted in the past, this process didn’t start Sunday morning – but months and in some cases more than a year ago when athletic directors began scheduling games for this fall. We make sure all are loaded into our system by early summer, and then follow every score/cancellation/forfeit/additional change through Week 9’s final games – including this season those for 46 teams from other states or Ontario that played Michigan schools and needed to be followed as well because their successes affected MHSAA teams’ strengths of schedule.
Now that the maps are drawn, we line up all that will come with the next five weeks of games including assigning officials, gathering potential Semifinal sites and continuing our work with our Finals hosts to create memorable experiences as teams play for championships.
So we’re off. For those familiar with our playoff selection process, or who have read this report in the past and don’t want a refresher on how we do what we do, skip the next section and go directly to the “Observations & Answers: 2018.” For the rest, what follows is an explanation of how we selected the playoff pairings during the morning hours Sunday, followed by how we made some of the toughest decisions plus a few thoughts on the breakdown of the field. Go to this page on MHSAA.com to see the pairings in full.
Ground Rules
Our past: The MHSAA 11-player 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, and in 2017 a second division of 8-player football was introduced.
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 Regionals after the end of the regular season did not begin until the most recent 11-player 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 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 and coaches). 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.
As noted above, this season there were 213 automatic qualifiers for the 11-player field by win total with the final 43 additional qualifiers then selected, by playoff-point average, one from each class in order (A, B, C, D) until the field was filled. There were only five Class D additional qualifiers with 5-4 or 4-4 (playing eight games) records from which we could choose – so with those five we added 13 teams from Class A and B and 12 from Class C.
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 red 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 8-player process is different for team selection and similar for designation of Regionals. We take the top 32 teams in 8-player based on playoff point average as our field, then re-sort those 32 by enrollment – the 16 biggest make up Division 1, followed by the next 16 in Division 2. There are no automatic qualifiers by record for 8-player.
Geography rules: This long has been rule number one for drawing MHSAA brackets in any sport. 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 (or in 8-player, 16) dots is a new group – these 32 teams have not been placed in a bracket together before. 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 & Answers: 2018
We always start with CONGRATULATIONS: And this season they go first to Detroit Community, Detroit Public Safety Academy and Dexter, which made the MHSAA Football Playoffs for the first time. Of 611 football varsities across the state, all but 12 have made the playoffs at least once. Rockford missed out on an automatic bid with a Week 9 loss, but received an additional qualifier berth to set the record by making the MHSAA Playoffs for the 24th straight season. Crystal Falls Forest Park (22 seasons), Stevensville Lakeshore (21), Macomb Dakota (18), Climax-Scotts (16) and Grand Rapids West Catholic (16) also extended their stays on the list for longest MHSAA playoff streaks.
Break the tie: We again had to break a tie (actually two for District rounds) as teams that will or could meet ended up with the same playoff point averages. Ties are broken by head-to-head competition first – if the teams played each other during the regular season – followed by opponents’ winning percentage as the second criteria and then a coin flip if those two won’t do it. Our tie-breaks this season both took place in Division 4 – Grand Rapids South Christian received a home game against Wyoming Godwin Heights this week and St. Clair will host North Branch if they meet in a District Final. There are more possible meetings of teams with same averages in later rounds, and those ties will be broken the same way.
What is up with Division 6: Last year I had a “worst map ever,” and two of them this year would be in contention. Division 6 is the first – but the explanation for how we came up with what we did is simple. Region 1 is made up of two Districts with six schools from the northern Lower Peninsula and two from the Upper Peninsula. So however the Districts were sliced, two Lower Peninsula schools had to go with the U.P. And we settled this one strictly by comparing highway mileages of those Lower Peninsula teams to Mackinac Bridge (again, the only way to travel between the peninsulas). In the end, we placed Elk Rapids (93 miles) and Traverse City St. Francis (124) with Escanaba and Ishpeming Westwood because they are closest to the Bridge – followed by Kingsley (126), Maple City Glen Lake (144), Beaverton (161) and Tawas (168). The optics are strange – it may look like Glen Lake is driving past Elk Rapids and St. Francis on the way to Beaverton this week and potentially Tawas next. But Glen Lake’s route still travels south of those two schools this week (and depending on its chosen route on the way to Tawas as well), making everything fit – strangely looking, but nonetheless.
Lake Huron tour: You could see most of the American side by checking out this week’s Region 2 games in 8-player Division 2. This map also looks odd – there’s a bridge crossing and a drive around Saginaw Bay. Yet, after drawing this at least two more ways, we settled here – although Region 2 looks a little odd, all four teams are east of I-75 and north of Bay City.
Get your zoom on: We don’t enjoy splitting up teams that live next door to each other, but sometimes it’s a must. In Division 7 we were able to keep all eight Detroit-area and southeastern schools in Region 4, but the distance between its Districts came down to a few miles along I-96. In Division 2, we had to factor in outliers Port Huron Northern and Temperance Bedford – and the resulting Districts ended up splitting Livonia Churchill and Livonia Franklin.
At the end of the day …
I include this every year, but we draw the maps not knowing which schools are represented by the dots. At one point Sunday morning, I was wrong about which division we were considering at the time – and that’s a good thing. For the map drawing portion, it doesn’t matter.
But now that we know who is going where, here’s a glance at some stories that might emerge this week:
• We’ve got rivalries, like Portage Northern at Portage Central and Birmingham Groves at Birmingham Seaholm in Division 2, St. Johns at DeWitt and Haslett at East Lansing in Division 3, Constantine at Schoolcraft in Division 6 and Waterford Our Lady at Clarkston Everest Collegiate in Division 8 – plus Kingston at Deckerville in 8-player Division 1. There are many more we could mention – and some potential feuds renewed in two weeks as well depending on who wins this round.
• The Macomb Area Red, generally considered one of the strongest leagues annually in the state, sent four of six teams to the Division 1 playoffs – and they’re all in the same District. Champion Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (9-0) takes on Utica Eisenhower this week, and with a win would face either Macomb Dakota or Romeo after defeating both by just seven points during the regular season.
• Perhaps the most intriguing opener statewide is River Rouge (8-1) at Detroit Martin Luther King (7-2) in Division 3. Neither gets tested much during their league seasons, but both played tough nonleague opponents and the winner will be considered a favorite to make it to Ford Field.
• Farmington Hills Harrison holds the records for most MHSAA Finals appearances (18) and titles (13) and will play its final playoffs in Division 4 after finishing Division 3 runner-up a year ago. The school is closing next spring. Coach John Herrington is the winningest in state history with 441 wins and counting against only 111 losses (and a tie).
• There are a few annual powers not in the bracket this season – most notably Lowell, Muskegon Catholic Central and Menominee – and others like Rockford, Mendon and Grand Rapids West Catholic got in as additional qualifiers. West Catholic has won five straight Division 5 championships and opens at Hudsonville Unity Christian. The Falcons won the 2013 title after also entering as a 5-4 team.
• There are 34 teams entering the playoffs unbeaten, but only four Districts have multiple – Manistee and Reed City share one in Division 5, Traverse City St. Francis and Calumet in Division 6, Reading and Ottawa Lake Whiteford in Division 8, and Wyoming Tri-unity Christian and Morrice in 8-player Division 1. All of those potential matchups would happen in 11-Player District or 8-Player Regional Finals.
• This will be the eighth year of the 8-player tournament, and in Division 1 only Deckerville in 2012 has won an MHSAA championship in this format. In Division 2, reigning champion Crystal Falls Forest Park opens with 2015-16 back-to-back champion Powers North Central.
• In 8-player, three teams with 5-4 records didn’t make the field of 32, and two teams with 4-5 records advanced. This is the reality of measuring by playoff point average. Fife Lake Forest Area and Webberville are the 4-5 teams, and their opponents this season won more than 61 percent of their games. The three teams at 5-4 and one at 4-4 had opponents’ winning percentages between 38-56 percent.
Every school and every community can tell a story of making these playoffs, and over the next five weeks the fortunate will continue to write chapters filled with moments that will never be forgotten. We’re looking forward to watching them all unfold.
PHOTOS: (Top) The Division 6 map shows an odd-looking scenario with two Traverse City-area teams in the same District as two from the Upper Peninsula. (Middle) The 8-player Division 2 map shows how schools are connected to a District along the Lake Huron shoreline.
1st & Goal: 2021 11-Player Finals Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 24, 2021
We have a lot to be thankful for this fall, including the opportunities that have been provided for our high school athletes in every sport with 2020 still a not-so-distant memory.
On the football field, we surely are grateful for the opportunity to play a "normal" season. And we're most certainly thankful to again be celebrating another championship conclusion with our traditional 11-Player Finals weekend at Ford Field.
Here's the schedule for Friday and Saturday's games:
FRIDAY
Division 8 – 10 a.m. – Beal City (12-1) vs. Hudson (13-0)
Division 2 – 1 p.m. – Traverse City Central (12-1) vs. Warren De La Salle Collegiate (12-0)
Division 6 – 4:30 p.m. – Warren Michigan Collegiate (11-2) vs. Lansing Catholic (12-1)
Division 4 – 7:30 p.m. – Hudsonville Unity Christian (13-0) vs. Chelsea (13-0)
SATURDAY
Division 7 – 10 a.m. – Lawton (13-0) vs. Pewamo-Westphalia (13-0)
Division 1 – 1 p.m. – Belleville (12-1) vs. Rochester Adams (13-0)
Division 5 – 4:30 p.m. – Marine City (13-0) vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (13-0)
Division 3 – 7:30 p.m. – DeWitt (12-1) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (12-1)
All games will be broadcast live on either the Bally Sports Detroit primary or PLUS channels – click for the schedule and check local listings to find the channels for your cable service. All eight also will be available on the Bally Sports app and streamed on the Bally Sports Detroit website. Additionally, all eight championship games will be available for listening from the MHSAA Network at MHSAANetwork.com.
Rankings below are derived from where teams finished the regular season in their divisions based on playoff point average. Statistics are through Regional Finals unless noted.
Division 1
ROCHESTER ADAMS
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 5
Coach: Tony Patritto, 19th season (149-58)
League finish: First in Oakland Activities Association White
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2003.
Best wins: 40-20 over No. 4 Grand Blanc in Semifinal, 14-13 (Regional Final) and 35-17 over No. 7 West Bloomfield, 42-20 over Lapeer in District Semifinal.
Players to watch: QB/S Parker Picot, 6-2/185, jr. (1,316 yards/19 TDs rushing, 502 yards/7 TDs passing – includes Semifinal); RB/LB Griffin Henke, 5-10/185, sr. (863 yards, 15 TDs rushing); SL/LB Marco Discresce, 5-11/175, sr.; OL/DE Alex DeGrieck, 6-5/240, sr.
Outlook: Adams quickly made last season’s 3-5 finish a distant memory with a 35-17 win over reigning Division 1 champion West Bloomfield on opening night. The Highlanders have gone on to set a program record for wins while also defeating the Lakers a second time in the Regional Final and last week handing Grand Blanc its lone loss of the season. DeGrieck is a menace up front on defense, and that group allows only 12.1 points per game and hasn’t given up more than 21. Picot earned an all-state honorable mention last season and directs an attack that averaged 32 points per game during the regular season but has gone over 40 in three of four playoff wins.
BELLEVILLE
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 6
Coach: Jermain Crowell, seventh season (71-10)
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 40-26 over No. T-10. Sterling Heights Stevenson in Semifinal, 12-7 (Regional Final) and 21-19 over No. 12 Dearborn Fordson, 14-10 over No. T-10. Ann Arbor Huron in District Semifinal, 46-9 over Hartland, 53-29 over Livonia Franklin.
Players to watch: DB/WR Jeremiah Caldwell, 6-3/175, sr.; QB Bryce Underwood, 6-2/180, fr.; RB/LB Aaron Alexander, 6-1/205, sr.; DB/WR Deshaun Lee, 5-11/175, sr. (Statistics not provided.)
Outlook: Belleville has broken through to reach championship weekend for the first time after playing in four straight Semifinals – and losing its previous two by a combined four points. The offense gets a lot of attention – and for good reason – but Belleville’s defense has given up only 11.5 points per game and is led in part by Alexander, who has committed to sign with Michigan. That offense does average nearly 42 points per game, with Underwood becoming an immediate star. Caldwell is a top target, and Underwood has found Lee for three touchdowns over the last two weeks. Junior Jeremiah Wilson (6-3/265) starts up front on both sides of the ball. Caldwell, Lee and senior offensive lineman Ja'Kobie Watkins (6-2/190) earned all-state honorable mentions last season.
Division 2
WARREN DE LA SALLE COLLEGIATE
Record/rank: 12-0, No. 1
Coach: Dan Rohn, second season (20-5)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 45-14 over Roseville in Regional Final, 47-26 over Division 3 No. 9 Harper Woods, 17-7 over Division 1 No. 9 Detroit Catholic Central, 21-16 over Division 3 No. 8 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 38-29 over Division 3 No. 14 River Rouge.
Players to watch: QB Brady Drogosh, 6-4/205, jr. (1,285 yards/10 TDs passing, 1,440 yards/21 TDs rushing); WR Jack Yanachik, 6-2/180, jr. (426 yards/4 TDs receiving); RB Rhett Roeser, 5-11/210, soph. (774 yards/8 TDs rushing); LB Will Beesley, 6-1/215, sr.
Outlook: The Pilots are returning to the Finals for the second-straight season and fourth in five years, having most recently won back-to-back Division 2 titles in 2017 and 2018. Drogosh also directed the offense during last season’s run, and he has continued his rise as a playmaker – he threw for two more touchdowns and ran for two during the Semifinal win. Roeser also ran for a pair of scores in the Semifinal, and as a team the Pilots are averaging 43 points per game during the playoffs – up nearly a touchdown from the regular season. De La Salle’s defensive points-allowed average also has fallen five points during the playoffs to 12 points per game over the last month. Rohn led Grand Rapids West Catholic to Division 5 championships in 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
TRAVERSE CITY CENTRAL
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 4
Coach: Eric Schugars, seventh season (62-15)
League finish: First in Big North Conference
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 1988), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 56-20 over No. 2 South Lyon in Semifinal, 42-14 over No. 3 Caledonia in Regional Final, 56-13 over Division 3 No. 8 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 42-14 over Traverse City West, 24-0 over Division 4 No. 11 Cadillac.
Players to watch: QB/LB Josh Burnham, 6-4/230, sr. (1,487 yards/28 TDs rushing, 956 yards/14 TDs passing – includes Semifinal); HB/LB Reed Seabase, 5-11/190, jr. (1,175 yards/12 TDs rushing); SB/DB Carson Bourdo, 6-0/180, sr. (381 yards/5 TDs rushing, 468 yards/8 TDs receiving); OL/DE Kadyn Warner, 6-4/245, sr.
Outlook: The last time Central played in an MHSAA Final, it was known as Traverse City High with the creation of Traverse City West (and resulting split in enrollment) still nearly a decade away. But the Trojans have bulled their way back into the final weekend, led by a battering ram in Burnham – who is committed to sign with Notre Dame. While he does most of the damage on offense, Seabase and Bourdo are among a host of others who have complemented him well as the team has put up nearly 49 points per game. Central allows only 13.5, even more impressive considering the playoff run that’s included wins over the Nos. 2 and 3-ranked teams hasn’t seen the Trojans allow more than 20 points in a game. The only defeat came opening weekend to Division 3 finalist DeWitt.
Division 3
DETROIT MARTIN LUTHER KING
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 1
Coach: Tyrone Spencer, sixth season (65-14)
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League Division 1
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 46-7 over No. 15 Mason in Semifinal, 28-7 over No. 6 Allen Park in Regional Final, 33-12 over No. 14 River Rouge in District Final, 39-29 over Cincinnati Moeller, 21-15 and 41-34 over Detroit Cass Tech, 40-19 over Division 2 No. 16 Muskegon Mona Shores.
Players to watch: QB Dante Moore, 6-2/195, jr. (2,820 yards/40 TDs passing – includes Semifinal); WR Lynn Wyche-El Jr, 5-9/160, sr. (823 yards/11 TDs receiving); DB Jameel Croft Jr., 6-1/170, jr.; LB Blake Bailiff, 5-11/210, sr.
Outlook: After falling by three to eventual Division 3 runner-up River Rouge in a Regional Final last season, King is back at Ford Field for its third championship game in four years. The team’s lone loss was by two points Week 1 to Indiana power Carmel, which finished 9-2. Moore is a returning all-stater and has continued to pick apart defenses with rarely-seen precision, with Wyche-El the leading receiver after earning an all-state honorable mention as a junior and seniors Chansey Willis Jr. (444 yards/6 TDs) and Joseph Williams (369/7) among other top targets. The Crusaders’ defense doesn’t get the same attention, but deserves its share of praise – King is giving up 16.7 points per game for the season, but only 9.5 per game during the playoffs. Bailiff and Croft both earned all-state honorable mentions last season.
DEWITT
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 2
Coach: Rob Zimmerman, 23rd season (234-46)
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference Blue
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2020, five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 42-12 over No. 10 Cedar Springs in Regional Final, 50-26 over No. 4 Mount Pleasant in District Final, 50-14 over No. 11 Stevensville Lakeshore, 49-14 over Division 2 No. 10 East Lansing, 47-27 over Division 2 No. 4 Traverse City Central.
Players to watch: QB/DB Tyler Holtz, 5-10/190, sr. (2,732 yards/39 TDs passing, 839 yards/11 TDs rushing); WR/DB Nicholas Flegler, 6-0/190, sr. (708 yards/14 TDs rushing, 433 yards/4 TDs receiving); RB/DE/LB Bryce Debri, 5-11/190, sr. (981 yards/12 TDs); WR/DB Thomas McIntosh, 6-5/205, sr. (1,238 yards/21 TDs receiving). (All statistics include Semifinal.)
Outlook: The Panthers won their first championship to close last season’s Finals, and have not slowed down with this fall’s only loss to Division 5 semifinalist Portland in Week 2. DeWitt has scored at least 42 points in every other game and averages 47 points per, with Holtz throwing for 5,128 yards and 74 touchdowns over the last two seasons. In addition to those listed above, junior Bryce Kurncz is another prominent target – he’s caught 10 touchdown passes. Holtz, Flegler, Debri, McIntosh and Kurncz – and senior lineman Jaden Hall – also start for a defense giving up 15.4 points per game. Holtz will play next at Brown, McIntosh at Wisconsin and Flegler at Air Force. McIntosh and Holtz both made the all-state first team last season, and Holtz was named Division 3-4 Player of the Year.
Division 4
CHELSEA
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Josh Lucas, fourth season (46-6)
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference White
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2018, Division 3 runner-up 2015.
Best wins: 30-27 over No. 9 Freeland in Semifinal, 27-20 over Detroit Country Day in Regional Final, 49-12 over Milan in District Final, 24-14 over St. Joseph.
Players to watch: RB/FS Trenton Hill, 5-10/185, sr. (1,490 yards/30 TDs rushing); QB Lucas Dunn, 6-0/170, sr. (1,641 yards/20 TDs passing); WR Lucas Hanifan, 6-0/164, sr. (718 yards/7 TDs receiving); SS Carson Gray, 6-0/160, sr. (All statistics include Semifinal.)
Outlook: After reaching Semifinals the last two seasons as well, Chelsea will return to Ford Field coming off two straight wins decided in dramatic fashion – the Bulldogs defeated Country Day on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown during the final minute, then stopped Freeland less than two yards short of the end zone late in the Semifinal victory. Those last two games were the only single-digit wins of the season – the Bulldogs are winning by an average score of 41-14. Hill made the all-state second team and Gray earned honorable mention a year ago, and they part of a group of 35 seniors total. Lucas previously served as head coach at Allegan for three seasons before taking over at Chelsea in 2018 and guiding that team to Ford Field as well.
HUDSONVILLE UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 2
Coach: Craig Tibbe, 19th season (114-84)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue
Championship history: Division 5 champion 2018.
Best wins: 58-8 over No. 3 Edwardsburg in Semifinal, 53-22 over No. 11 Cadillac in Regional Final, 79-21 (District Final) and 58-21 over No. 7 Grand Rapids Christian, 40-14 over Division 5 No. 3 Grand Rapids West Catholic.
Players to watch: QB/DB Cameron Chandler, 6-3/185, sr. (879 yards/25 TDs rushing, 13 TDs passing – includes Semifinal); RB/DE Abraham Rappuhn, 6-3/195, sr. (1,116 yards/12 TDs rushing – includes Semifinal); RB/LB Micah Bush, 5-9/195, sr. (708 yards/10 TDs rushing); RB/DB Drew Chandler, 6-3/185, sr. (1,333 yards/20 TDs rushing, 9 TDs receiving – includes Semifinal).
Outlook: Unity Christian has scored 751 points, and needs only 24 more – or just more than 40 percent of its average scoring output – to break the record of 774 set by Muskegon Orchard View in 1999. The Crusaders have put up more than 40 every game and more than 50 in 11 wins, piling up more than 4,900 yards on the ground with Cameron Chandler then adding well-timed passes as more than half his completions heading into the Semifinal had gone for scores. An offense like that gives the defense a lot of room to breathe, but it’s not necessarily been needed – the Crusaders give up only 12.7 points per game.
Division 5
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Todd Kolster, 10th season (113-12)
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2020), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 35-0 over No. 4 Frankenmuth in Semifinal, 25-6 over No. 12 Muskegon Oakridge in Regional Final, 44-6 over No. 3 Grand Rapids West Catholic in District Final, 41-40 over Division 3 No. 10 Cedar Springs, 43-21 over Lapeer.
Players to watch: QB/DB John Passinault, 6-0/180, sr. (2,086 yards/35 TDs passing, 9 TDs rushing); WR/DB Nolan Ziegler, 6-4/210, sr. (1,212 yards/23 TDs receiving, 86 tackles/7 sacks); WR/LB Ronin Russell-Dixon, 5-7/180, sr. (767 yards/7 TDs receiving); TE/DE Brady Redmer, 6-0/185, sr. (61 tackles).
Outlook: The Cougars are playing for a second-straight Division 5 championship, and fifth Finals win in six seasons after previously competing in Division 4. Last season’s quarterback star Joey Silveri was injured early this fall, but Passinault stepped in and has been outstanding as well, with Notre Dame-bound Ziegler again a major target. Ziegler made the all-state first team last season, and Redmer earned an honorable mention. After the Cedar Springs win in Week 8, GRCC hasn’t given up more than seven points in a game – and the Cougars have allowed only 12 over four playoff games, taking their season average down to 9.3 allowed per game.
MARINE CITY
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 2
Coach: Daryn Letson, second season (21-2)
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Silver
Championship history: Division 4 champions 2013 and 2007, runner-up 2011.
Best wins: 27-7 over No. 6 Portland in Semifinal, 43-12 over Division 4 No. 10 St. Clair, 21-10 over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 41-12 over Warren Fitzgerald.
Players to watch: QB Jeffery Heaslip, 5-11/190, jr. (1,435 yards/16 TDs passing, 519 yards/10 TDs rushing); RB/DB Zachary Tetler, 5-9/165, jr. (1,359 yards, 27 TDs rushing); FB/QB/SS Charles Tigert, 5-8/185, sr. (994 yards/9 TDs rushing, 58 tackles/12 sacks on defense); LB Wyatt Walker, 5-10/170, sr. (94 tackles)
Outlook: Marine City’s first trip to the Finals since winning Division 4 in 2013 has showcased a defense giving up only 9.1 points per game. In addition to Walker and Tigert, senior linebacker Jacob Hincherick (90 tackles) and senior safety Ty Nelson (58 tackles/7 interceptions) are among standouts. The Mariners have had to navigate only one single-digit win – over Corunna in the Regional Final – and Heaslip leads a steady offense averaging nearly 44 points per game with only three scoring less than 40.
Division 6
LANSING CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 1
Coach: Jim Baker, first season (12-1)
League finish: First in CAAC White
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 18-7 over No. 8 Standish-Sterling in Semifinal, 31-13 over No. 10 Montague in Regional final, 28-8 over No. 5 Millington in District Final, 31-29 over Division 5 No. 6 Portland
Players to watch: WR/S Alex Watters, 6-0/160, sr. (1,063 yards/14 TDs receiving, 8 TDs rushing); QB Joey Baker, 6-1/165, sr. (2,628 yards/27 TDs passing – includes Semifinal); WR/CB Brandon Lewis, 5-11/170, jr. (814 yards/11 TDs receiving, 411 yards/13 TDs rushing); DL/OL Bo Poljan, 6-3/235, sr.
Outlook: The Cougars are seeking to win a second championship in three years after claiming the Division 5 title in 2019 and reaching the Semifinals last season. Their only loss was to a team still playing – 12-7 to Division 7 finalist Pewamo-Westphalia in Week 9. Despite the defeat, that game started a run of five during which Lansing Catholic has given up only 9.2 points per game – cutting down their season points allowed average to 14 per. Watters starred on the 2019 team as well, and Poljan and offensive guard Jonah Richards also were key contributors during that run as sophomores. Watters and Poljan both made the all-state first team last season. Jim Baker took over the program this season after 27 years serving as a varsity assistant and later junior varsity head coach.
WARREN MICHIGAN COLLEGIATE
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 4
Coach: John Guth, eighth season (72-18)
League finish: First in Charter School Conference East
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 36-29 over Michigan Center in Semifinal, 38-16 over Ecorse in Regional Final, 46-13 over Port Huron, 22-0 over Romulus Summit Academy North.
Players to watch: QB/DB Deion Black, 6-4/186, sr. (944 yards/14 TDs passing, 1,222 yards/16 TDs rushing, 9 interceptions); RB/LB Deshaun Parkman, 5-11/210, sr. (727 yads/10 TDs rushing); RB/LB Teshawn Thomas, 5-10/205, jr. (685 yards/8 TDs rushing); WR/DB Tre’von Redding, 5-11/155, sr. (681 yards/10 TDs receiving, 4 TDs rushing, 11 interceptions.) (All statistics include Semifinal.)
Outlook: Michigan Collegiate has earned its first trip to the Finals, building on a 13th-straight playoff berth and third Semifinal appearance. Black earned an all-state honorable mention at quarterback last season and is a frequent playmaker on both sides of the ball. Redding is another player who can make something good happen any time he touches the ball; in addition to his receiving and rushing touchdowns, he’s returned two of his 11 interceptions for touchdowns and also scored on kickoff and punt returns. The defense total has 29 interceptions while giving up just 14.7 points per game. The Cougars’ only losses were to Division 4 Milan and Detroit Country Day.
Division 7
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 5
Coach: Jeremy Miller, ninth season (104-9)
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 28-21 over No. 3 Traverse City St. Francis in Semifinal, 53-21 over No. T-10. New Lothrop in District Final, 42-7 over No. T-15. Ithaca in District Semifinal, 12-7 over Division 6 No. 1 Lansing Catholic, 26-14 over Division 5 No. 15 Olivet, 33-6 over Division 4 No. 6 Redford Union.
Players to watch: QB/LB Troy Wertman, 6-2/210, jr. (945 yards/15 TDs rushing, 580 yards/9 TDs passing); RB/DB Dak Ewalt, 5-9/180, sr. (833 yards/9 TDs rushing); FB/LB Gavin Nurenberg, 5-9/200, soph.; OL/DL Corey Schafer, 6-5/215, sr.
Outlook: The Pirates will be playing in their fifth Final in seven seasons, but arguably have never encountered and overcome so many obstacles to get here. In addition to a playoff road that included wins over both last season’s champion and runner-up, P-W has succeeded having lost its starting quarterback, leading receiver and all-state running back. But players like Wertman have kept things rolling – he threw for three touchdowns and ran for the fourth in the win over St. Francis last week – and Schafer made the all-state second team last season and continues to anchor both lines. All seven nonleague wins, including four in the playoffs, have come over teams that went on to or had won their conference championships.
LAWTON
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 8
Coach: Wade Waldrup, third season (30-3)
League finish: First in Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 21-20 over No. 1 Jackson Lumen Christi in Semifinal, 41-22 over No. 6 Muskegon Catholic Central in Regional Final, 69-40 over No. T-10. Montrose.
Players to watch: RB/S Jake Rueff, 6-0/176, sr. (2,317 yards/46 TDs rushing); RB/S Carter Cosby, 5-9/165, jr. (847 yards/11 TDs rushing); QB/S Landon Motter, 6-0/154, sr. (622 yards/10 TDs passing, 8 TDs rushing); OL/DL Evan Stephayn, 6-2/250, sr. (All statistics through Semifinal.)
Outlook: Lawton will be playing in its first championship game, coming off arguably the biggest win in program history, and riding the legs of a senior standout putting up numbers hardly seen in 100+ years of Michigan high school football. Rueff’s 49 total touchdowns (including three receiving) currently rank fourth for one season; his 46 rushing touchdowns are third on that list. And when Lumen Christi kept him mostly contained last week, Motter ran for two scores and senior Cooper Geib (690 yards/8 TDs rushing) led the team in run yardage. Senior tight end/defensive end Chase Mitchell is another standout – he starts both ways and was an all-state honorable mention punter last season. Rueff also earned honorable mention, and Stephayn made the second team in 2020.
Division 8
HUDSON
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Dan Rogers, second season (18-4)
League finish: First in Lenawee County Athletic Association
Championship history: Division 7 champion 2010, three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 28-22 over No. 2 Ottawa Lake Whiteford in Semifinal, 8-0 over No. 9 White Pigeon in Regional Final, 28-8 over No. 3 Addison in District Final, 22-0 over No. 14 Reading in District Semifinal, 22-14 over Division 6 No. 6 Ida, 59-14 over Division 7 No. T-15. Ithaca.
Players to watch: RB/LB Nick Kopin, 5-11/175, sr. (1,483 yards/16 TDs rushing – includes Semifinal); RB/S Bronson Marry, 5-10/155, sr. (640 yards/11 TDs rushing – includes Semifinal); RBLB Brendan Akers, 5-10/195, jr. (856 yards/12 TDs rushing); RB/LB Payton Rogers, 5-8/160 sr.
Outlook: A high-powered rushing game and a nearly-unbreakable defense have Hudson back at the Finals for the first time since that 2010. The Tigers are approaching 4,000 yards rushing for the season, and the defense has given up a mere 7.1 points and 136 yards per game this fall. Hudson has seven shutouts, and only Whiteford last week and Division 6 Clinton scored more than 14 points. Dan Rogers played at Hudson and served as an assistant since 1997 – including 19 seasons as defensive coordinator – before taking over the program a year ago. Senior Ethan Harris (6-foot-3/235 pounds) and junior Aden Barrett (5-9/170) start on both lines.
BEAL CITY
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 4
Coach: Brad Gross, seventh season (54-23)
League finish: First in Highland Conference
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 12-7 over No. 5 Ubly in Semifinal, 34-14 over No. 6 Carson City-Crystal in Regional Final, 41-6 over No. 7 Iron Mountain in District Final, 14-12 over Sand Creek.
Players to watch: RB/LB Cade Block, 5-9/165, sr. (1,351 yards/27 TDs – includes Semifinal); QB/DE Hunter Miles, 5-10/175, sr. (695 yards/6 TDs passing); RB/DB Jamisen Latham, 5-9/170, soph. (680 yards/6 TDs rushing – includes Semifinal); TE/DE Matt Oswald, 6-1/225, sr. (3 TDs receiving, 60 tackles).
Outlook: Beal City is headed back to Ford Field for the second time in three seasons, a one-point Week 1 loss to Division 7 Ravenna from a perfect record and riding one of the most impressive playoff runs into Detroit. In addition to the wins over three top-seven teams, the Aggies began the playoffs with a 36-0 win over another league champion, Bark River-Harris. The 6.8 points they are allowing per game during the playoffs falls right in line with their season average of 8.5. Oswald earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and he’s joined on both lines by senior Peyton Sellers (5-foot-10/230 pounds), with linebackers Wade Wilson and Josh Wilson two more key two-way starters and top tacklers.
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