Lelito's Work Helps St Clair Athletes Play
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2017
If not for sports, Tim Lelito isn’t sure he would have finished high school.
Now that he’s entering his fifth season in the National Football League, Lelito is doing what he can to make sure kids in St. Clair County don’t have to worry about that.
The Lelito Legacy Foundation has teamed with the Community Foundation of St. Clair County to grant $9,000 for county schools to cover athletic participation fees for students in need.
“I used sports as a vehicle for where I am now – to get to college and get through high school,” the 2007 St. Clair High School graduate said. “If I didn’t have sports, I don’t think I would have graduated high school at all. School wasn’t a priority; the horses that my grandparents raised were the priority, because that was our livelihood.
“Making it to college and being the first one in my family to graduate with a degree, sports was that vehicle for me to get that degree, and that really hit home with me.”
Five St. Clair County community partners were able to raise $4,500, and Lelito’s foundation matched. The funds will be able to cover participation fees for 116 students at St. Clair County high schools and middle schools during the 2017-18 school year.
The Port Huron Schools Endowment Fund, East China School District Athletic Boosters and PTOs, the Community Foundation of St. Clair County’s Youth Advisory Council and its Marysville Community Fund, and the Capac Adolescents Preventing Abuse and Crime (CAPAC) Fund were the five partners.
“It’s exciting to see someone who is not only successful and has come back to help his hometown, but he’s so humble about it,” Community Foundation Vice President Jackie Hanton said. “When we were in our meetings, it’s not about Tim. It’s that he has this vision to help kids who are like him.”
Lelito was a mauling all-state offensive lineman at St. Clair, paving the way for the team’s option attack. He was also an all-state thrower on the Saints’ track & field team.
Playing sports required a participation fee, something Lelito’s grandparents handled, even if they struggled to do so.
“When I was younger, my grandparents raised racehorses, and money was tight for a while,” Lelito said. “My grandparents put my brother and I in sports, and we always played sports. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I was older. They were pinching pennies together and taking care of us before taking care of their needs.”
Lelito earned a scholarship to Grand Valley State University, where – after redshirting as a freshman and being forced to take a medical redshirt his second year – he started 45 straight games and was named Offensive Lineman of the Year by the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2012.
He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2013, and worked his way into the rotation almost immediately, seeing action in 63 games during his four years in New Orleans and starting 24 games, including 13 in 2015.
This past offseason, Lelito signed a free-agent deal with the Tennessee Titans.
Throughout his NFL career, Lelito has given back, both to his hometown and his professional town. He has conducted free football camps for St. Clair County kids for the past few years.
“He’s just a young man that I’ve continued to be impressed with how grounded he’s remained,” Bill Nesbitt, Lelito’s football coach at St. Clair, said. “He understands the big picture. His success is not just in playing at that level, but in helping others. That’s his great success.”
Funds for the participation fees will be given to the school districts in St. Clair County, and the schools will be tasked with selecting students most in need. In future years, Lelito hopes to help schools purchase equipment for kids in need, and eventually he wants his foundation to reach more than just athletes.
“My foundation isn’t just for kids in sports, it’s for underprivileged youth,” Lelito said. “I think moving forward, in the next five years, I want to be able to take care of a lot of kids in a very broad spectrum – in sports and arts and other extracurricular activities.”
That will take funding, but Lelito said he has found generous donors in St. Clair County.
“That’s why I bought a house here,” he said. “I love it here. I love the people; they’ll give you the shirt off their back. That’s why I wanted to put roots down here.”
With his efforts, Lelito is doing all he can to make it an even better place to call home. Nesbitt believes the funds could be the difference in playing sports as opposed to sitting out for some students, which he hopes will have a lasting effect.
“I think it definitely can have a positive impact that way,” Nesbitt said. “Hopefully, in a larger, greater, grander sense, these kids who are participants could one day give back themselves. If they are able to go on and have some success, maybe they could remember that somebody had helped them out and do the same.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Tim Lelito watches an athlete work out during a camp he conducts in the St. Clair area. (Middle) Lelito during his high school career at St. Clair. (Below) Lelito, middle, has worked this offseason to help pay participation fees for athletes in need of financial assistance. (Top and below photos courtesy of the Port Huron Times Herald.)
1st & Goal: 2026 Playoffs Week 3 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 12, 2026
There are only 64 teams remaining in the 11-Player Football Playoffs, and most have been here before – so it’s not shocking at this late date that those remaining may have seen each other in the not-so-distant past.
Six of the eight 11-Player Regional Finals we highlight below are rematches from last season’s playoffs, and a handful of other matchups this weekend will see teams meet again either after facing off in the postseason last year or in league play earlier this fall.
That familiarity with the competition doesn’t transfer over to this weekend’s eight 8-Player Semifinals participants. But half those remaining teams have played in Finals at Superior Dome over the last two years and two more have made the trip to Marquette this decade – so the majority have experienced at least a little of what’s next if they prevail.
Games listed below are Friday unless noted. Tickets can be purchased at GoFan.co, and all 36 will be streamed live as well on the NFHS Network.
8-Player Division 1
Deckerville (10-1) vs. Pickford (9-2) – Saturday at Cadillac
After avenging its lone loss of the season last week against Dryden, the Eagles will play in a Semifinal for the fourth straight season in a rematch of the 2024 Division 1 Final won by Deckerville 30-28. Pickford missed the Semifinals last season but is back for the third time in four years and led by another dual-threat quarterback in senior Carter Rye (1,279 yards/16 TDs passing, 727 yards/9 TDs rushing).
Colon (10-1) vs. Blanchard Montabella (10-1) – Saturday at Greenville
Colon’s return to contention after three years missing the playoffs has seen the Magi win 14 of their last 15 games going back to last season, with the only loss along the way to Mendon – which is playing in a Division 2 Semifinal this weekend. Montabella is seeking to add the crowning step to this playoff run after finishing Division 1 runner-up a year ago, led in part by some of last year’s standouts including senior quarterback Gabe Kauffman, receiver Austin Jensen and defensive back Noah Carlson.
8-Player Division 2
Gaylord St. Mary (11-0) vs. Portland St. Patrick (11-0) – Saturday at Cadillac
Gaylord St. Mary’s first run to the Semifinals since 2002 in 11-player has been a product of dominance on both sides of the ball – and it’s impossible to overlook either. The offense has topped 50 points seven times in 10 games (one win came by forfeit) and the defense has allowed 34 points total. St. Patrick is the reigning Division 2 champion and may provide the Snowbirds with their toughest challenge to date – although there is an intriguing mutual opponent to consider, with St. Pat a 10-point winner over Pickford in Week 6 and St. Mary a 42-0 winner over Pickford in Week 8.
Britton Deerfield (9-2) vs. Mendon (11-0) – Saturday at Ypsilanti Lincoln
Mendon is seeking to return to the Finals for the first time since 2022 and once again can run the ball with anyone in the state with seniors Zak Iobe (1,299 yards, 29 touchdowns) and Xavior Zinsmaster (1,090 yards, 20 TDs) and junior Logan Stuart (699 yards, 12 TDs) all averaging more than nine yards per carry. Britton Deerfield, also playing in its second Semifinal over the last three seasons, fell to Mendon by only four points when they last played a year ago and can also chew up yards on the ground led by senior Trevor Karpinski (1,347 yards, 20 touchdowns, 11.2 yards per carry).
11-Player Division 1
Detroit Catholic Central (10-1) at Clarkston (10-1)
This is a rematch of a 2025 Regional Final won by eventual Division 1 champion DCC 42-13, and Clarkston’s only loss since was in Week 8 to Harper Woods, which is still playing in Division 3. The Shamrocks’ only loss over the last two seasons came Week 9 to Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, still alive in Division 2. The Shamrocks have navigated the last five weeks without injured starting quarterback Duke Banta, with Peyton Sofran stepping in to impressively shoulder the load.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Northville (9-2) at Detroit Cass Tech (11-0), Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (9-2) at Romeo (11-0). SATURDAY Portage Central (10-1) at East Kentwood (11-0).
11-Player Division 2
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (8-3) at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (9-2)
These Catholic High School League Central rivals met in Week 5, with reigning Division 2 champion St. Mary’s posting a 48-20 victory. The Eaglets’ only losses this fall are by a combined 16 points, and while they took two (to Toledo Central Catholic and Detroit Catholic Central) after the win over the Warriors, they’ve also come back with two resounding victories to open the playoffs. But Brother Rice’s performance since that first OLSM meeting also has been notable; the Warriors also lost to TCC but defeated DCC to finish the regular season, and they’re no doubt recalling last season when they defeated St. Mary’s in league play but lost the District Final rematch.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Muskegon Mona Shores (10-1) at Byron Center (9-2), South Lyon (9-2) at Milford (10-1), Livonia Franklin (9-2) at Grosse Pointe South (10-1).
11-Player Division 3
DeWitt (9-2) at Mount Pleasant (10-1)
This is a rematch of last season’s Division 3 championship game, won by DeWitt 54-20, and while the Panthers have a pair of losses this time both came to league champions. Those defeats, to Mason and Grand Ledge, were the only two games DeWitt didn’t score at least 44 points this season. Mount Pleasant’s strength also has been its ability to score points; the Oilers have won all of their games (except for a loss to Traverse City West) by double digits and outlasted Cadillac 56-41 last week.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (8-3) at Zeeland West (9-2), Mason (10-1) at Chelsea (11-0), Warren De La Salle Collegiate (7-4) at Harper Woods (9-2).
11-Player Division 4
Dearborn Divine Child (10-1) at Goodrich (11-0)
This is also a rematch from last season’s playoffs, as Divine Child edged the Martians 10-7 in a Division 4 Semifinal on the way to winning the title the following weekend. Divine Child has lost only once since, to Division 3 Regional finalist Warren De La Salle Collegiate in Week 8. Goodrich’s perfect run to this point has included nine games scoring at least 42 points but perhaps more notably eight games giving up seven points or fewer. The offense had succeeded similarly before being shut down by the Falcons a year ago, but the Martians’ defense has taken another step this fall.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Hudsonville Unity Christian (7-4) at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (10-1), Portland (11-0) at Grand Rapids South Christian (10-1), Detroit Country Day (8-3) at Macomb Lutheran North (10-1).
11-Player Division 5
Saginaw Swan Valley (10-1) at Frankenmuth (10-1)
This longtime rivalry has really caught fire again the last two seasons, and Frankenmuth’s 41-22 Week 8 victory decided the Tri-Valley Conference Red championship in favor of the Eagles. Frankenmuth already has won one rematch this playoffs, downing Armada last week after also defeating the Tigers in Week 9, but must remain wary of a Vikings defense that held its four other playoff opponents this fall to an average of 9.8 points per game.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Negaunee (7-4) at Ogemaw Heights (9-2), Romulus Summit Academy (8-3) at Monroe Jefferson (10-1). SATURDAY Berrien Springs (9-1) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (9-2).
11-Player Division 6
Marine City (11-0) at Almont (11-0)
These lower Thumb powers have met only three times during the playoff era, all since 2015, and with Almont winning all three meetings including last year’s 27-0 in a District Final. But the scenario is a little different for Marine City this time around. The Mariners entered the 2025 meeting having lost two of their last three games, and this time they are undefeated and coming off downing Mid-Michigan Activities Conference champion Montrose to advance. Almont, meanwhile, finds itself in a familiar place coming off a third-straight perfect regular season and entering this matchup having scored 41 or more points in four straight wins.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Sanford Meridian (11-0) at Kingsley (11-0), Belding (9-2) at Jackson Lumen Christi (9-2). SATURDAY Ecorse (10-1) at Detroit Edison (10-1).
11-Player Division 7
Ithaca (10-1) at Pewamo-Westphalia (10-0)
P-W’s road to get here turned east instead of west this season, but the Pirates have arrived in a rematch as well after defeating Ithaca 42-21 in a Regional Final a year ago. The bracket this time saw both P-W and the Yellowjackets take on some of the best from the Thumb and Saginaw over the first two rounds. Ithaca found its stride again after losing to Beal City in Week 9, impressively downing previously undefeated Millington 39-16 last week, and that also was the Yellowjackets’ eighth win this season over a playoff team. The Pirates have faced a similarly rigorous slate, defeating seven playoff teams while playing one fewer game.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Jonesville (7-4) at Ottawa Lake Whiteford (9-2). SATURDAY Charlevoix (8-2) at Menominee (10-1), Ravenna (9-2) at North Muskegon (10-1).
11-Player Division 8
Clarkston Everest Collegiate (10-1) at Madison Heights Madison (9-2) – Saturday
Madison is playing in a Regional Final for the second straight season, and after advancing last year with a 22-17 District Final win over Everest. The Eagles’ only losses this fall were to Division 4 Macomb Lutheran North and Division 6 Ecorse – both playing for Regional titles as well this week – and they defeated six playoff teams on the way back to this round. Everest is undefeated since falling to another Division 8 Regional finalist Ubly in Week 1, and downed another league champion Royal Oak Shrine Catholic last week for the second time in three weeks – the only losses Shrine took this fall.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Ubly (8-3) at New Lothrop (10-1), Springport (10-1) at Hudson (10-1). SATURDAY Bark River-Harris (9-2) at Beal City (11-0).
MHSAA.com's weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice's Tyler Trusel (3) breaks from the line during his team's Week 9 win over Detroit Catholic Central. (Middle) Corbin Kanitz (3) smashes into the end zone for a score in Ogemaw Heights' Week 3 victory over Clare. (Brother Rice/DCC photo by Olivia B. Photography. Ogemaw Heights/Clare photo by High School Sports Scene.)