Lenawee Christian Builds on Historic Win
October 12, 2018
By Doug Donnelly
Special for Second Half
ADRIAN – Adrian Lenawee Christian gave a whole new meaning to Sweet 16 last week.
The Cougars and their roster of 16 strong won their biggest game in program history Friday, beating the No. 1 team in last week’s Associated Press Division 8 poll – Pittsford – to clinch a playoff berth and share of the Southern Central Athletic Association title.
It was the first time Lenawee Christian won a conference title and the first time the Cougars have qualified for the playoffs in back-to-back years.
“It was a big night,” Lenawee Christian head coach Bill Wilharms said. “It was senior night, parent’s night and our last (regular-season) home game. I’m just so excited for the kids. They’ve worked so hard. There were only 16 of them Friday, but they came to play.”
Lenawee Christian never trailed, although the game was tied briefly in the third quarter. The Cougars put up more than 400 yards of total offense against previously unbeaten Pittsford and a defense that had recorded two shutouts and allowed just five touchdowns all season.
Adam Baker, the Cougars’ starting quarterback, was sensational, throwing for 317 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for the game’s opening touchdown and picking up a team-best 70 yards on the ground. What was even more impressive, Wilharms said, was his junior signal-caller’s calling of the plays at the line of scrimmage.
“There were a couple of times where the play would happen, and I’d think to myself, ‘Okay, that was a good play. I don’t know what it was or where it came from, but, hey, it worked.’”
Baker said there were times when he got to the line of scrimmage and saw something different from the defense that warranted an audible.
“When I got to the line of scrimmage, if I saw something, I would just motion to my receivers or tell my line what to do,” Baker said. “I would signal something and change the play.”
It’s a credit to Wilharms and his staff that an experienced quarterback like Baker can make those adjustments on the fly.
“I think Coach has a lot of trust in our team to recognize the things that are happening out on the field,” Baker said. “He trusts us.”
Wilharms said Baker studies film and knows what he is doing.
“We’ve got a lot of things built into our run-pass option offense,” he said. “There are a lot of wrinkles. Adam does a great job of reading the defense. He made some fabulous reads. He went to his second or third option several times. It shows that he is a third-year quarterback.”
On the season, Baker has completed 95 of his 150 passing attempts for 1,289 yards and 17 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 391 yards. One of his rushing attempts in particular ignited the LCS players and fans Friday night.
“We ran a sweep and Baker lowered his shoulder and got a few extra yards,” Wilharms said. “Plays like that are big for a football team.”
Lenawee Christians runs the spread offense with multiple looks and a deep crew of receivers. In the Pittsford game alone, Baker connected with seven receivers. Some teams go a full season without seven different players catching a pass.
“We’re trying to do some different things out of the spread,” Wilharms said. “As long as our line can give Baker time in the pocket, we can really sling it.”
The line that Baker operated behind Friday did a great job, especially considering senior Jack Leisenring, the team’s biggest player, was out with an injury.
“We have a sophomore that is about 210 and one of our freshman lineman is about 145,” Wilharms said. “The younger kids have really stepped up on the line. We try to do things to take advantage of their quickness because they don’t have a lot of size. Our kids came to play against Pittsford, who is a tough, physical team. They knew they were going to get hit, but they took it on.”
The SCAA has just four teams – Pittsford, Climax-Scotts, Athens and LCS. Climax-Scotts has committed to 8-player football next year while LCS was undecided until this month, when it informed the other SCAA schools it will maintain an 11-player team in 2019. The middle school and junior varsity Cougars already play 8-player, but Wilharms said he believes the numbers will support an 11-player team at least one more season.
“We only have three seniors and a big junior class,” he said. “If we keep who we have, we should be okay. Scheduling might be tough. We will probably have to hit the road to find teams.”
But no one is thinking about next year yet. Lenawee Christian is among the top-five ranked teams in Division 8, and the Cougars could land the first home playoff game in school history. They will travel tonight to play at Blanchard Montabella, and the Oct. 19 game against Detroit Universal Academy will go into the books as a forfeit win. The Cougars have never won a playoff game.
Baker said the team got excited after its win Friday, but he and his teammates know they still have work to do.
“I mean, sure we beat the No. 1-ranked team in the state, but there is always room for improvement,” he said. “You can always get better. That’s what we did when we went back to practice on Monday, just worked and worked to try and get better for this week.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Lenawee Christian quarterback Adam Baker follows his blocker during last week’s win over Pittsford. (Middle) Cougars coach Bill Wilharms checks out his play chart. (Photos by Stacy Kline.)
MHSAA Provides Update on 2024 Football Playoff Hopefuls, Bracket Reveal Schedule
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 23, 2024
Here is a list of Michigan High School Athletic Association football playing schools, displaying their win-loss records and playoff averages through the eighth week of the season, plus information on this season's MHSAA Playoffs bracket and Finals schedule announcements.
Schools on this list are divided by division and ordered by playoff average. The top 32 teams by playoff average in each 11-player division and top 16 teams by playoff average in each 8-player division will qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs beginning Nov. 1. Divisions were determined prior to the start of the season, and the lists below include not only teams currently positioned to potentially qualify, but also the next eight teams in each division.
To review a list of all football playoff schools, individual school playoff point details and to report errors, visit the Football Playoff Point Summary page.
The announcement of the qualifiers and first-round pairings for both the 11 and 8-player playoffs will take place at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, on the “Selection Sunday Show” on FanDuel Sports Network and its website. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show, and times and dates will be added Monday, Oct. 28.
The MHSAA Football Playoffs conclude with the 8-Player Finals on Nov. 23 at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome and 11-Player Finals to be played Nov. 29-30 at Ford Field.
11-Player Division 1
1. Howell, 8-0, 83.250
2. Belleville, 8-0, 79.125
3. Detroit Catholic Central, 8-0, 78.911
4. Hudsonville, 7-1, 78.250
5. Grand Blanc, 7-1, 76.375
6. Utica Eisenhower, 7-1, 75.125
7. Macomb Dakota, 7-1, 72.750
8. Lake Orion, 6-2, 72.125
9. Rochester Adams, 6-2, 69.875
10. Oxford, 6-2, 68.875
11. Brighton, 6-2, 66.750
12. Rockford, 6-2, 65.071
13. Davison, 6-2, 64.804
14. Detroit Cass Tech, 6-2, 62.250
15. Clarkston, 5-3, 60.750
16. Northville, 5-3, 60.000
17. Dearborn Fordson, 5-3, 58.750
17. Saline, 5-3, 58.750
19. Novi, 5-3, 58.500
20. East Kentwood, 5-3, 57.875
21. West Bloomfield, 4-4, 57.125
22. Grandville, 4-4, 54.917
23. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 5-3, 54.875
24. Lapeer, 5-3, 54.500
25. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 4-4, 53.250
26. Romeo, 3-5, 51.750
27. Dearborn, 4-4, 51.375
28. Sterling Heights Stevenson, 4-4, 50.250
29. Grand Ledge, 4-4, 49.625
30. Livonia Stevenson, 4-4, 49.125
31. New Baltimore Anchor Bay, 3-5, 47.875
32. Troy, 4-4, 45.804
33. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 3-5, 45.750
34. Jenison, 3-5, 45.125
35. Holt, 4-4, 44.375
36. Hartland, 3-5, 44.250
37. Kalamazoo Central, 5-3, 43.500
38. Utica, 3-5, 42.625
39. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 5-3, 42.500
39. Rochester, 3-5, 42.500
11-Player Division 2
1. Dexter, 8-0, 79.875
2. Grosse Pointe South, 8-0, 78.375
3. Muskegon Mona Shores, 8-0, 76.321
4. Birmingham Groves, 8-0, 73.625
5. Byron Center, 7-1, 69.821
6. Port Huron Northern, 6-2, 67.625
7. Gibraltar Carlson, 7-1, 66.946
8. Midland, 7-1, 66.625
9. Grand Rapids Northview, 8-0, 65.750
10. Allen Park, 6-2, 62.571
11. Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 5-2, 62.536
12. East Lansing, 5-3, 61.750
13. Birmingham Seaholm, 6-2, 61.375
13. Portage Central, 6-2, 61.375
15. Roseville, 6-2, 61.000
16. White Lake Lakeland, 6-2, 60.236
17. Lansing Everett, 6-2, 60.125
18. Livonia Franklin, 5-3, 59.500
19. Warren Mott, 6-2, 59.375
20. Milford, 6-2, 59.339
21. Portage Northern, 5-3, 58.375
22. Mattawan, 5-3, 58.000
23. Saginaw Heritage, 5-3, 57.875
24. North Farmington, 5-3, 56.625
25. Temperance Bedford, 5-3, 55.625
26. Midland Dow, 5-3, 54.625
27. Farmington, 5-3, 53.500
28. Flushing, 6-2, 53.125
29. Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 5-3, 53.054
30. Warren Cousino, 5-3, 52.875
31. Traverse City West, 5-3, 52.250
32. Lincoln Park, 5-3, 51.821
33. Ferndale, 5-3, 51.554
34. South Lyon East, 5-3, 51.464
35. Marquette, 6-2, 49.875
36. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 4-4, 49.589
37. Caledonia, 4-4, 49.250
38. South Lyon, 4-4, 49.089
39. Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse, 4-4, 49.000
40. Traverse City Central, 4-4, 47.250
11-Player Division 3
1. DeWitt, 8-0, 77.411
2. Walled Lake Western, 8-0, 76.839
3. Zeeland West, 7-1, 65.946
4. Fenton, 7-1, 65.750
5. St. Joseph, 7-1, 65.000
6. Detroit Martin Luther King, 6-2, 64.887
7. Petoskey, 8-0, 63.875
8. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 6-2, 62.250
9. Southgate Anderson, 6-2, 61.571
10. Lowell, 6-2, 60.750
11. Trenton, 5-3, 60.089
12. Mason, 6-2, 58.250
13. Cedar Springs, 7-1, 58.125
14. Auburn Hills Avondale, 5-3, 53.375
15. Riverview, 7-1, 52.625
16. Redford Thurston, 6-2, 52.500
17. Garden City, 6-2, 51.125
18. Port Huron, 4-4, 50.250
19. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, 5-3, 49.750
20. East Grand Rapids, 5-3, 48.375
21. Coopersville, 5-3, 46.875
22. Mount Pleasant, 4-4, 46.750
22. St. Johns, 5-3, 46.750
24. Linden, 4-4, 46.625
25. River Rouge, 3-4, 45.036
26. Zeeland East, 4-4, 44.500
27. Cadillac, 4-4, 42.625
27. Grosse Pointe North, 4-4, 42.625
29. Warren Fitzgerald, 4-4, 41.625
30. Detroit East English, 3-5, 40.536
31. Jackson, 4-4, 40.250
32. Wayland, 4-4, 36.250
33. Waterford Kettering, 2-6, 36.000
34. Bay City John Glenn, 4-4, 35.750
35. Ypsilanti Community, 3-5, 35.357
36. Holland, 4-4, 34.875
37. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, 2-6, 34.750
38. Swartz Creek, 3-5, 34.500
39. Bay City Central, 2-6, 34.250
40. Jackson Northwest, 3-5, 33.000
11-Player Division 4
1. Hudsonville Unity Christian, 8-0, 68.750
2. Madison Heights Lamphere, 7-1, 63.250
3. Chelsea, 7-1, 62.750
4. Goodrich, 7-1, 62.625
5. Paw Paw, 8-0, 61.875
6. Harper Woods, 5-3, 59.000
7. Redford Union, 7-1, 58.500
8. Battle Creek Harper Creek, 7-1, 58.375
9. Portland, 8-0, 56.750
10. Hastings, 7-1, 56.500
11. Niles, 7-1, 55.625
12. Marysville, 7-1, 55.250
13. Big Rapids, 7-1, 54.250
14. Parma Western, 5-3, 52.375
15. Freeland, 7-1, 52.125
16. Holland Christian, 6-2, 51.500
17. Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 6-2, 50.875
18. Haslett, 5-3, 50.250
19. Dearborn Divine Child, 5-3, 50.143
20. Whitehall, 6-2, 49.625
21. Ionia, 5-3, 48.000
22. Edwardsburg, 5-3, 47.986
23. Ortonville Brandon, 5-3, 47.375
24. Macomb Lutheran North, 7-1, 46.625
25. St. Clair, 6-2, 46.375
26. Croswell-Lexington, 6-2, 45.625
27. Lake Fenton, 5-3, 45.500
28. Ludington, 6-2, 44.500
29. Grand Rapids South Christian, 4-4, 44.375
29. Hamilton, 5-3, 44.375
31. Detroit Southeastern, 4-4, 43.375
32. Detroit Henry Ford, 5-3, 41.625
33. Three Rivers, 4-4, 40.000
34. Lansing Sexton, 4-4, 39.125
35. Escanaba, 4-4, 39.000
36. Pinckney, 4-4, 38.625
37. Owosso, 4-4, 38.000
38. North Branch, 5-3, 37.875
39. Carleton Airport, 4-4, 37.375
40. Adrian, 3-5, 36.125
11-Player Division 5
1. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 7-0, 63.107
2. Frankenmuth, 8-0, 60.250
3. Corunna, 7-1, 59.375
4. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 5-3, 55.929
5. Grand Rapids West Catholic, 6-2, 53.917
6. Armada, 7-1, 51.875
7. Kingsford, 8-0, 51.500
8. Belding, 7-1, 50.768
9. Ogemaw Heights, 7-1, 50.375
10. Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, 7-1, 49.375
11. Clare, 7-1, 48.500
12. Flat Rock, 6-2, 44.500
13. Detroit Voyageur College Prep, 6-2, 44.446
14. Flint Hamady, 5-2, 43.875
15. Hopkins, 6-2, 43.518
16. Gladwin, 6-2, 43.125
16. Saginaw Swan Valley, 5-3, 43.125
18. Romulus Summit Academy North, 5-2, 41.500
19. Berrien Springs, 5-3, 41.125
20. Detroit Lincoln-King, 8-0, 40.208
21. Dowagiac, 5-3, 38.500
22. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, 5-3, 38.500
23. St Clair Shores South Lake, 5-3, 38.375
24. Howard City Tri County, 5-3, 37.375
25. Hazel Park, 5-3, 35.625
26. Whitmore Lake, 6-2, 35.250
27. Detroit Denby, 5-3, 35.000
27. South Haven, 4-4, 35.000
29. Muskegon Oakridge, 4-4, 34.750
29. Williamston, 3-5, 34.750
31. Romulus, 3-5, 32.625
32. Flint Powers Catholic, 3-5, 32.375
33. Detroit Country Day, 3-5, 31.804
34. Richmond, 3-5, 31.625
35. Cheboygan, 4-4, 31.375
36. Midland Bullock Creek, 4-4, 31.250
37. Houghton, 3-5, 29.125
38. Livonia Clarenceville, 2-6, 28.768
39. Birch Run, 4-4, 28.750
40. Essexville Garber, 3-5, 27.625
11-Player Division 6
1. Almont, 8-0, 59.500
2. Jackson Lumen Christi, 7-1, 57.054
3. Warren Michigan Collegiate, 7-1, 51.321
4. Marine City, 6-2, 49.375
5. Chesaning, 8-0, 47.375
6. Detroit Edison, 6-2, 46.875
7. Reed City, 6-2, 46.554
8. Newaygo, 6-2, 45.875
8. Olivet, 6-2, 45.875
10. Mason County Central, 7-1, 44.018
11. Ovid-Elsie, 7-1, 43.875
12. Lansing Catholic, 5-3, 43.125
13. Standish-Sterling, 5-3, 41.500
14. Negaunee, 6-2, 41.125
15. Kingsley, 6-2, 41.000
16. Ida, 7-1, 40.500
17. Detroit Pershing, 6-2, 40.250
18. Boyne City, 6-2, 39.875
18. Central Montcalm, 7-1, 39.875
20. Constantine, 6-2, 39.750
21. Parchment, 6-2, 39.375
22. Detroit Central, 6-2, 38.054
23. Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 4-4, 37.125
24. Manistee, 5-3, 36.250
25. Dearborn Advanced Tech Academy, 5-3, 35.750
26. Calumet, 5-3, 35.250
27. Kent City, 5-3, 34.518
28. Clinton Township Clintondale, 5-3, 34.375
29. Detroit Old Redford, 7-1, 34.333
30. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, 6-2, 34.250
31. Buchanan, 5-3, 34.125
31. Clawson, 6-2, 34.125
33. Montague, 3-5, 33.000
34. Adrian Madison, 4-4, 32.250
35. Ecorse, 3-4, 30.411
36. Onsted, 4-4, 30.250
37. Grass Lake, 5-3, 30.000
38. Pinconning, 5-3, 29.875
39. Durand, 4-4, 28.875
40. Hart, 4-4, 27.500
11-Player Division 7
1. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, 8-0, 56.750
2. Hudson, 7-1, 47.625
3. Menominee, 7-1, 46.750
4. Ithaca, 8-0, 44.125
5. Millington, 7-0, 42.196
6. Hanover-Horton, 8-0, 42.000
7. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 5-3, 41.250
8. Traverse City St. Francis, 6-2, 40.750
9. Clinton, 6-2, 40.250
10. McBain, 8-0, 39.875
11. North Muskegon, 7-1, 39.500
12. Union City, 8-0, 38.500
13. Schoolcraft, 7-1, 37.250
14. Montrose, 5-3, 37.000
15. Lawton, 6-2, 36.875
16. Harrison, 7-1, 36.625
17. Pewamo-Westphalia, 7-1, 36.250
18. Leslie, 7-1, 35.000
19. Charlevoix, 6-2, 34.500
20. Napoleon, 5-3, 33.000
21. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 4-4, 32.917
22. Bronson, 6-2, 32.208
23. Cass City, 5-3, 30.446
24. Bath, 5-3, 30.000
25. Saranac, 5-3, 29.375
26. Evart, 5-3, 28.500
27. Burton Atherton, 6-2, 28.393
28. Houghton Lake, 4-4, 28.125
29. Blissfield, 3-5, 28.000
30. Jonesville, 5-3, 27.625
30. Oscoda, 5-3, 27.625
32. Saginaw Valley Lutheran, 4-4, 27.375
33. Ravenna, 4-4, 27.250
34. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, 4-4, 26.446
35. Burton Bendle, 5-3, 24.643
36. New Lothrop, 3-5, 24.554
37. Coloma, 3-5, 23.875
38. LeRoy Pine River, 3-5, 23.625
39. Galesburg-Augusta, 3-5, 23.125
40. Benzie Central, 2-6, 21.625
11-Player Division 8
1. Clarkston Everest Collegiate, 8-0, 43.125
2. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 7-1, 43.067
3. Fowler, 8-0, 40.000
4. Decatur, 7-1, 38.250"
5. Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central, 7-1, 37.625
6. Beal City, 7-1, 37.500
7. Iron Mountain, 8-0, 37.375
8. Harbor Beach, 8-0, 36.375
9. White Pigeon, 7-1, 35.750
10. Maple City Glen Lake, 7-1, 35.679
11. Petersburg Summerfield, 7-1, 35.125
12. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 5-3, 33.125
13. Manchester, 6-2, 31.875
14. Detroit Loyola, 3-5, 31.500
15. East Jordan, 6-2, 31.429
16. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 6-2, 30.625
17. Springport, 6-2, 30.500
18. Saugatuck, 5-3, 30.250
19. Ubly, 5-3, 30.125
20. Frankfort, 6-2, 28.232
21. Mount Clemens, 6-2, 28.208
22. Reading, 4-4, 26.875
23. Bark River-Harris, 5-3, 26.750
24. Allen Park Cabrini, 5-3, 26.500
25. Centreville, 3-5, 25.304
26. Addison, 4-4, 24.625
26. Sand Creek, 4-4, 24.625
26. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, 3-5, 24.625
29. Reese, 4-4, 24.446
30. Mancelona, 4-4, 24.429
31. Manistique, 4-4, 24.125
32. Marine City Cardinal Mooney, 3-5, 23.125
33. Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac, 3-5, 22.083
34. Burton Bentley, 4-4, 21.732
35. Marlette, 3-5, 21.625
36. Madison Heights Madison, 2-6, 21.000
37. Melvindale Academy for Business & Tech, 3-5, 20.333
38. West Iron County, 3-5, 19.625
39. Detroit Douglass, 3-5, 17.750
40. Unionville-Sebewaing, 2-6, 17.500
8-Player Division 1
1. Alcona, 8-0, 37.750
1. Deckerville, 8-0, 37.750
3. Pickford, 8-0, 35.768
4. Gobles, 8-0, 35.714
5. Indian River Inland Lakes, 8-0, 33.518
6. Mendon, 7-1, 32.750
7. Bay City All Saints, 7-1, 32.375
7. Climax-Scotts, 7-1, 32.375
7. Fulton, 7-1, 32.375
10. Martin, 6-1, 31.821
11. Ishpeming, 5-2, 31.357
12. Norway, 6-2, 30.375
13. Kingston, 6-2, 30.000
14. Blanchard Montabella, 6-2, 28.500
15. Atlanta, 6-2, 27.804
16. Munising, 6-2, 27.375
17. Coleman, 5-3, 26.875
18. Suttons Bay, 6-3, 25.750
19. Bessemer, 4-4, 25.625
20. Marcellus, 5-2, 25.250
21. Bellevue, 5-3, 24.625
22. Rudyard, 4-4, 24.500
23. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 4-4, 24.125
24. Whittemore-Prescott, 3-5, 22.875
8-Player Division 2
1. Crystal Falls Forest Park, 8-0, 35.500
2. Grand Rapids Sacred Heart, 8-0, 34.375
3. Au Gres-Sims, 7-1, 34.304
4. Britton Deerfield, 7-1, 34.250
5. Portland St. Patrick, 7-1, 33.125
6. Marion, 8-0, 32.875
7. Onekama, 7-1, 32.375
7. Morrice, 7-1, 32.375
9. Pittsford, 7-1, 31.625
9. Powers North Central, 7-1, 31.625
11. Gaylord St. Mary, 7-1, 30.298
12. Mio, 6-2, 29.679
13. Bellaire, 6-2, 27.708
14. Burr Oak, 6-2, 27.375
14. Kinde North Huron, 6-2, 27.375
16. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 4-4, 27.071
17. Cedarville, 7-1, 26.833
18. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, 5-3, 26.458
19. Peck, 5-3, 25.750
20. Felch North Dickinson, 5-3, 25.000
21. Waldron, 5-3, 24.625
22. Battle Creek St. Philip, 5-3, 23.500
23. Lake Linden-Hubbell, 3-5, 22.500
24. Bear Lake, 4-4, 21.500
24. Ontonagon, 4-4, 21.500