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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.)

Drive for Detroit: Week 3 in Review

September 10, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Just like that, we're three weeks into another Michigan high school football season. 

And just like that, the picture of what we might expect this fall is beginning to get a little bit clearer.

There are 128 undefeated teams setting the pace. Some we're used to seeing at the top, and a number of others are enjoying encouraging turnarounds early this fall.

Below we offer glances at 45 games that popped from the page this past weekend, and we're just beginning to tell the story. 

“Drive for Detroit” is powered by MI Student Aid.

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER: Davison 36, Flint Carman-Ainsworth 29 These Flint-area powers haven’t been in the same league since 2013, but Davison (3-0) ran its winning streak over Carman-Ainsworth (2-1) to three straight with a late score and win in the Saginaw Valley League Blue opener. Click for more from the Flint Journal and see below for highlights from WJRT.

Also of note: Flint Hamady 24, Flint Beecher 18 With the other three Genesee Area Blue teams starting out a combined 2-7, Hamady might be in nice shape already to win its first league title since 2007. The rival Buccaneers (1-2), however, are hoping to turn things around quickly as they seek to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Remember this one: Sandusky 28, Ubly 22 These two and Harbor Beach have been in the mix for most of the Greater Thumb Conference East titles this decade; Sandusky (3-0) has an early upper hand this time, but Ubly (2-1) will be waiting for a trip-up.

Other shoutouts: Saginaw Swan Valley 41, Freeland 3 The Vikings (3-0) have looked unstoppable early, this time winning big against the rival Falcons (2-1). Cass City 40, Marlette 14 The Red Hawks (2-1) have bounced back from a Week 1 loss with two big wins including this one over a Marlette team that beat Harbor Beach in Week 2.

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER: Oak Park 23, Farmington Hills Harrison 15 In successive weeks, Oak Park (3-0) has defeated Birmingham Groves and now Harrison (2-1), the teams with which it shared the Oakland Activities Association White championship a year ago. The Knights are impressing especially on defense, giving up just under 12 points per game. Click for more from the Oakland Press and see highlights below from State Champs! Sports Network. 

Also of note: Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 45, Utica Eisenhower 24 The Big Reds (3-0) are the team to chase in the prestigious Macomb Area Conference Red after this win over last season’s champion Eisenhower (1-2) – which edged Chippewa Valley 49-42 a year ago in the game that eventually decided the title.

Remember this one: Lake Orion 28, Rochester Adams 24 The Dragons (1-2) had a tough 2017, which included a 39-8 defeat to Adams (2-1). But they got their first win this fall by handing a first loss to the reigning OAA Red co-champ.

More shoutouts: Canton 47, Plymouth 26 The Chiefs (2-1) handed the neighboring Wildcats (2-1) their first loss as the rivalry started a new chapter with both teams boasting new coaches. Dearborn Heights Crestwood 22, Romulus 20 Crestwood last was 3-0 in 1991, according to michigan-football.com, and equaled last season’s overall win total by downing a reigning league champion in the Eagles (0-3).

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER: East Lansing 31, Grand Ledge 28 This one told a lot about one of mid-Michigan football’s premier leagues. East Lansing, last season’s Capital Area Activities Conference Blue runner-up, now looks most likely to provide newcomer DeWitt the biggest challenge in this fall’s league race. But Friday also showed reigning champion Grand Ledge has the opportunity to make an impact despite graduating much of last year’s team. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal.

Also of note: Greenville 41, Lowell 35 (OT) The Red Arrows (0-3) are having rare struggles to open this fall, but beating them is still a huge accomplishment – and Greenville (1-2) had dropped three games to Lowell over the last two seasons, including once in the playoffs.

Remember this one: Williamston 21, Fowlerville 14 These two are main reasons the CAAC Red has a new look this fall, and Williamston (3-0) has an early advantage on contending for the league title – although much-improved Fowlerville (2-1) showed it can’t be counted out.

More shoutouts: Clare 42, Harrison 18 Harrison (1-2) remains the last team to beat Clare (3-0) in the Jack Pine Conference – back in Week 9 of 2015. Holt 14, Traverse City West 7 Downing a 2017 playoff team like West (1-2) is a great sign for Holt (1-2), especially after the Rams opened with losses to two more tough nonleague foes.

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER: Lake City 14, McBain 12 Recall that the Trojans (3-0) stormed back from 2-7 in 2016 to 12-1 last fall, and that they earned the Highland Conference title because of a 28-8 win over eventual runner-up McBain in Week 3. The Ramblers (1-2) made this one closer, but Lake City’s 12-game regular-season winning streak lives on. Click for more from the Cadillac News and see highlights below from MI Sports Now. 

Also of note: Manton 28, Beal City 22 The Rangers (3-0) were last 3-0 in their most recent playoff season, 2014, and hadn’t beaten Highland Conference foe Beal City (0-3) since joining the league in 2007.

Remember this one: Cheboygan 22, Boyne City 6 The Northern Michigan Football League Legends division could be shifting as Cheboygan (1-2) handed the reigning champion Ramblers (1-2) their first league defeat after a perfect run a year ago.

More shoutouts: West Branch Ogemaw Heights 18, Wyoming Kelloggsville 14 Kelloggsville (1-2) is struggling after last season’s 10-1 finish, but regardless this is big for Ogemaw Heights (1-2) as it equaled its win total for the last three seasons combined. Manistee 33, Ludington 14 The Chippewas (3-0) have bounced back from last season’s 2-7 finish and handed Ludington (2-1) its first defeat to start Lakes 8 Conference play.

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER: Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 20, Riverview 6 St. Mary (2-1) has played three 2017 playoff teams to open this fall, including reigning Huron League champion Riverview (2-1). The Falcons are chasing in the league after falling to Milan last week, but now will cheer for Riverview to take down Milan this week and open the league race all the way back up. Click for more from the Southgate News-Herald. 

Also of note: Dundee 33, Hudson 6 The Vikings (3-0) equaled last season’s win total by defeating the reigning Lenawee County Athletic Association champion Tigers (2-1), a big step as Dundee seeks its first playoff berth since 2012.

Remember this one: Brooklyn Columbia Central 21, Ida 20 These are two more contenders in the LCAA, with Ida (2-1) last season’s runner-up and Columbia Central (3-0) one of the new favorites.

More shoutouts: Jackson 27, Monroe 20 The Southeastern Conference is treating Jackson (3-0) well. Although this was just a crossover, the win over Monroe (2-1) was impressive and with two league victories to begin the fall gave the Vikings their best start since 2003. Dexter 37, Ann Arbor Huron 14 A week after breaking a 42-game losing streak, Dexter (2-1) guaranteed its best finish since 2011.

Southwest Corridor 

HEADLINER: Hartford 26, Mendon 24 (OT) Mendon does not lose often during the regular season; in fact, the Hornets were riding a 21-game regular-season winning streak before Hartford pulled off this headline grabber. Mendon had won last year’s meeting 41-14 on the way to claiming the first Southwest 10 Conference title. Click for more from the St. Joseph Herald-Palladium and see below for highlights from FOX 17.

Also of note: Portage Central 21, Portage Northern 20 Central (2-1) scored the go-head touchdowns during the final minutes to bounce back from a Week 2 loss and make it five straight over the rival Huskies (2-1).

Remember this one: Berrien Springs 41, Schoolcraft 28 The Shamrocks (2-1) opened this season with a loss but have bounced back with two solid wins including this one over a Schoolcraft team that has made the playoffs nine straight seasons and also sits 2-1.

More shoutouts: Delton Kellogg 28, Fennville 7 The Panthers are 3-0 for the first time since 2009 after handing Fennville (2-1) its lone defeat. Battle Creek Central 30, Battle Creek Lakeview 15 Central’s second straight win over Lakeview (0-3) put the Bearcats at 3-0 after they won three games total both of the last two seasons.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER: Calumet 14, Ishpeming Westwood 12 A few late defensive stops could end up being the difference in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference large-school title race as Calumet (3-0) hung on to deal Westwood (2-1) its first defeat. The Copper Kings have playoff-caliber Iron River West Iron County and Norway next, but both are in the league’s other division. Click for more from the Houghton Daily Mining Gazette.

Also of note: Ishpeming 46, Norway 19 The West PAC small-school division is loaded, but with this win it looks like Ishpeming (3-0) and West Iron might be favorites with Norway (2-1) on the chase.

Remember this one: Gladstone 14, Menominee 0 The Braves (2-1) didn’t play Menominee (0-3) last season, but before that hadn’t beaten the Maroons during their yearly series since 2008. Menominee shares the longest active playoff streak of 22 seasons with Rockford, but must win out to guarantee pushing it to 23.

More shoutouts: Escanaba 27, Detroit Loyola 24 After a Week 1 loss, Escanaba (2-1) has won two games by four points combined, with this one over rejuvenated Loyola (2-1). Negaunee 30, Hancock 29 The Miners (1-2) needed this after a tough start, and got past a Hancock team that’s also 2-1 and coming off its best season since 2006.

West Michigan

HEADLINER: Holland West Ottawa 45, Rockford 40 The Ottawa-Kent Conference Red season is one week old, but West Ottawa (3-0) made quite an opening statement with its third straight win over the perennially powerful Rams (1-2) – coincidentally all three have been decided by five points. This time quarterback Isaac VanDyke scored with 20 seconds to play to extend the streak. Click for more from the Holland Sentinel and see highlights below from WZZM.

Also of note: Muskegon Orchard View 32, Muskegon Catholic Central 14 The Cardinals (1-2) didn’t have the greatest start with two 20+ point losses, but beating MCC (1-2) for the first time since 1966 could be the beginning of a turnaround.

Remember this one: Muskegon 49, East Grand Rapids 21 The Big Reds (3-0) were the state’s biggest story after two huge wins to open this season, but they trailed East Grand Rapids (1-2) by 14 in this game before scoring 42 unanswered points.

More shoutouts: Grandville 37, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 36 The Bulldogs (1-2) are on the board after losses to two reigning MHSAA champions to start the season, but the Rangers (1-2) might also be one of the state’s best 1-2 teams after falling by just a point two straight weeks. Wayland 19, Grand Rapids South Christian 14 Wayland (3-0) has equaled its win total of both the last two seasons thanks to its first victory over the Sailors (2-1) since 2007.

8-Player

HEADLINER: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 22, Deckerville 12 The Irish brought a tradition of success from 11-player this fall, and the transition appears to be going smoothly as they moved to 2-1 with this win over the reigning 8-player Division 1 runner-up. The Eagles (1-2) have lost two straight but to teams that are a combined 5-1. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.

Also of note: Pickford 38, Crystal Falls Forest Park 20 The Panthers (3-0) avenged last season’s 8-Player Division 2 Semifinal loss to the eventual champion Trojans (1-2). 

Remember this one: Brethren 42, Marion 20 Brethren (2-1) sits alone atop the West Michigan D League standings with this win over the reigning champion Eagles, a 54-0 winner in last year’s meeting. 

More shoutouts: Genesee 8, New Haven Merritt 6 In its first season of 8-player, Genesee is 3-0 – after winning a combined three games over the last three seasons. Merritt (1-2), meanwhile, has two losses by a combined eight points. Camden-Frontier 44, Portland St. Patrick 0 The Redskins (3-0) have outscored their opponents by a combined 169-6 and handed the reigning 8-player Division 2 runner-up Shamrocks (2-1) their first shutout since 2014.

Second Half’s weekly “Drive for Detroit” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Student Financial Services Bureau located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information, including various student financial assistance programs to help make college more affordable for Michigan students. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 savings programs (MET/MESP) and eight additional aid programs within its Student Scholarships and Grants division. Click for more information and connect with MI Student Aid on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid. 

PHOTO: East Lansing and Grand Ledge players work to secure the ball during Friday's Trojans win. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)