Longtime Crew Leader Harrelson Begins 32nd Season on Chains, Amid Cancer Fight
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
September 11, 2026
First down! Move the chains.
As a member of the Suttons Bay chain gang, Jim Harrelson doesn’t know how many more times he’ll follow the referee crew’s direction on the Norsemen sideline. Similarly, he has no idea how many times he’s already moved the chains.
But, in the meantime, every time he does, it will undoubtedly be a school record. An unofficial record of course, but a well-earned and appreciated achievement nonetheless.
Harrelson stepped on the field Wednesday night sporting a down marker for the 32nd straight year. This time, it was for the Norse’s middle school contest with Onekama. Harrelson was joined by Curt Murphy and Dave Faught. Mike Gordon, another regular member of the crew, was also on hand to celebrate Harrelson’s 32nd season.
Wednesday’s chain gang team was organized – no surprise – by Harrelson. It’s something he’s done on a volunteer basis for Suttons Bay the last 16 years.
Harrelson’s crews have staffed middle school, junior varsity and varsity football games, including the home contests during the Norsemen’s three straight seasons from 2019-21 that culminated in three trips to 8-Player Division 1 Finals. Harrelson, Faught, Murphy and Gordon are in their 10th season working together.
“The chain gang was always his baby, and he was always able to go find other people to help him out,” said Doug Periard, a long-time member of the Norse football coaching staff and former school athletic director. “Somehow he managed to get some of those who might not have done much in football, to suddenly come on board and enjoy doing it.”
Harrelson, who last spring retired from a coaching career spanning 35 years, has no intentions of letting anything get in the way of holding the down marker for the Norsemen.
“I've always loved sports, and being a part of the chain gang was always big part of it,” Harrelson said. “The ADs didn’t have to worry about it, knowing it was taken care of.”
Jamie Hawkins, Suttons Bay’s principal and current athletic director, was on hand for Wednesday’s kickoff as well. Hawkins, one of the administrators who has relied on Harrelson, believes the community owes Harrelson a huge thank you, acknowledging he has marked more first downs than anyone could ever comprehend.
“Jim’s years as a coach and chain gang chief are an amazing commitment to our student-athletes, our football program, and the entire Suttons Bay community,” said Hawkins. “His time, energy, and passion have been a part of countless Friday nights and memories for generations of Norsemen.”
Harrelson, now 82, is battling cancer for the second time in his life. He was first diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2010. Early this year, he was told cancer had returned.
Working with doctors and his wife of 53 years, Brenda, Harrelson picked a six-week treatment plan this summer timing it so he could return to the sidelines for the first football game. He’s awaiting word from his medical team on the outcome of the most recent treatment.
“I haven't let it dominate my life – everybody's going to have trials and tribulations no matter what,” Harrelson said of his cancer return. “Cancer is something that thousands of people find themselves having to deal with, and I'm pretty proud I've been able to function pretty much as normal as could be even though it’s obviously right there in front of me.”
Harrelson’s coaching journey began in 1991 with softball, drawn into the role as his children made their way through the Suttons Bay school system. He went on to serve as an assistant and head volleyball coach from 1996 through 2004.
Eventually he served as an assistant or head coach for Suttons Bay in golf, cross country and track.
Among the highlights of his time on the volleyball bench was helping guide the 2001 squad all the way to the MHSAA Finals, where the team earned a runner-up finish in Class C.
A short while ago, Harrelson was honored with the Don Lukens Legacy Award at the Traverse City Record-Eagle John Lober Honor Roll Meet for his coaching of student-athletes from all four Leelanau County schools – Maple City Glen Lake, Leland, Lake Leelanau St. Mary’s and Northport (with some of that coaching was made possible through the schools becoming a part of a co-op with Suttons Bay).
Much of Harrelson’s coaching was on a purely volunteer basis – even while serving as a head coach responsible for running an entire program.
Now, Harrelson’s favorite thing is watching his grandchildren grow and compete in sports, while admiring his adult children’s great parenting.
Harrelson points to his first grandchild’s birth 15 years ago as a prime motivator during the first cancer round. The Harrelsons have seven grandchildren now, one of whom was playing volleyball Wednesday night for Suttons Bay’s middle school team – with Grandma in the stands.
And while he’s remembered fondly by Leelanau athletes and athletic directors for his coaching commitment and success, Harrelson has only one thought for his family legacy.
“I just hope if I’m remembered for anything by my grandchildren and my kids is that I handled cancer pretty well without letting it affect me in any way, shape, or form in how I behave, how I coach or whatever,” Harrelson said. “I am pretty doggone proud of the fact that I've been able to put that on the table and still be able to function.”
Periard already views Harrelson as a great student-athlete advocate and solution finder.
“It was an incredible amount of time he put in doing the stuff he did and how much he loved it,” recalled Periard. “Cross country, track, whatever he was called upon, he was there to help out. He's a jack of all trades, a great kids guy at heart.”
Harrelson’s first paid coaching job was as an assistant for track in 2006. At the time he was hired by Cody Ingils, then the Suttons Bay athletic director and now a senior assistant director for the MHSAA.
Harrelson asked Inglis a decade ago to delivery his eulogy someday upon the veteran coach’s passing.
“Jim also always wanted the best for kids at every turn, and he wanted to be a positive force in kids’ lives – and I think Jim's ultimate takeaway is he met the kids where they were and tried to make sure that they got better,” Inglis said. “Jim was able to work with elite athletes, and he was able to work with kids that had never done that sport before. And that was the beauty of his coaching, is that it applied to anybody and everybody because of his positive way of dealing with kids.”
Harrelson, who points to track as his favorite sport to coach because of the camaraderie, is ready to keep moving the down marker as he battles the return of cancer.
“What I've been experiencing is part of who I am,” Harrelson said. “It’s just the cards I've been dealt. I just want to do it with class if I can.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Suttons Bay football chain gang leader Jim Harrelson plants his down marker on the sideline during Wednesday’s middle school game with Onekama. (2) Harrelson shakes hands with referee Ed Blough. (3) Harrelson stands for a photo with Suttons Bay principal and athletic director Jamie Hawkins, far left, past athletic director and longtime coach Doug Periard, far right, and his chain gang of (from left) Dave Faught, Curt Murphy and Mike Gordon. (4) Harrelson enjoys a break in the shade. (Top and sitting photos by Meredith McNabb Photography. Others by Tom Spencer.)
1st & Goal: 2021 Week 6 in Review
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 4, 2021
As we get deeper into the regular season, we expect to see league championship races draw to a close and the best of the best locally separate from the rest.
Week 6 saw plenty of contenders begin pulling away and toward conference titles – but also a good share of packs grow as we head into the final three weeks before playoff selection.
We highlight many of both in this week’s review:
Bay & Thumb
HEADLINER Goodrich 48, Ortonville Brandon 21 The Martians (5-1) came way back to get past Brandon and secure a share of the Flint Metro League Stars championship. Goodrich scored 38 unanswered second-half points after Brandon (5-1) scored the first touchdown of the third quarter to take a 21-10 lead. Jace Simerson was among standouts with 187 yards and three touchdowns rushing, with two of those scores during the third quarter 28-7 blast. Click for more from WJRT.
Watch list Bad Axe 37, Reese 7 The Hatchets (6-0) won a matchup of undefeated Greater Thumb Conference West contenders to set up a potential Week 8 league title decider with Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, which also is unbeaten in league play. Laker must get by Reese (5-1) this week, however, and Bad Axe faces Vassar with an opportunity to set up a winner-take-all showdown.
Remember this one Flint Kearsley 40, Fenton 38 The Hornets (3-3) would need three results to go their way to claim a share of the Metro League Stripes title this week. But their first win over Fenton in 14 tries as members of the league together also put the Tigers (3-3) in a must-win situation if they hope to clinch a share and run their league title streak to 11.
More shoutouts Flint Hamady 52, Burton Bendle 20 Since scoring seven points total over back-to-back losses to begin the season, Hamady (4-2) has won all four of its Genesee Area Conference games to clinch a share of the league title, scoring 52 or more points in three of those victories. Bay City Western 54, Midland 8 The Warriors (5-1) have guaranteed their best overall finish since 2012 with their first win over Midland since 2008 – and this one also kept Western in the Saginaw Valley League Blue title conversation with leader Mount Pleasant coming up in two weeks.
Greater Detroit
HEADLINER West Bloomfield 34, Clarkston 27 (OT) The Lakers (5-1) emerged with a share of the Oakland Activities Association Red championship, also avenging last season’s 24-21 loss to the Wolves (5-1) that ended up deciding the 2020 league title. West Bloomfield standout Dillon Tatum made multiple plays at the end with all of that on the line, scoring in overtime and intercepting a Clarkston pass in the end zone to end the game on the ensuing possession. Click for more from the Oakland Press.
Here's the full highlights of the West Bloomfield (@WbLakers) vs. Clarkston football game from Friday night. @PrimeTimeDill @coach_grice #StateChamps X @DMC_Rehab pic.twitter.com/ZQxUWfJjyS
— STATE CHAMPS! Michigan (@statechampsmich) October 4, 2021
Watch list Sterling Heights Stevenson 36, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 32 After sharing the league title last season, Stevenson (5-1) has emerged from a crowded group of state-renowned contenders again, clinching a share of the Macomb Area Conference Red title with this win over the Big Reds (4-2). Stevenson can win the league outright this week against Romeo.
Remember this one Warren De La Salle Collegiate 17, Detroit Catholic Central 7 The Detroit Catholic League Central title belongs to the Pilots (5-0), who avenged last season’s 14-10 loss to the Shamrocks (4-2) and also earned a 5-4 advantage against DCC over the rivalry’s last nine games.
More shoutouts Riverview 42, Milan 29 The Pirates (6-0) need one more Huron League win over the next two games to repeat as champions and all but ended title aspirations for the Big Reds (4-2). Rochester Adams 28, North Farmington 21 (OT) The Highlanders (6-0) put together a string of big plays late to emerge with a share of the OAA White championship. Trailing midway through the fourth quarter, Adams forced a turnover deep in North Farmington territory, scored on the next possession to tie the game, then scored the first points of overtime and stopped the Raiders (3-3) on their possession to finish the job.
Mid-Michigan
HEADLINER Lansing Catholic 31, Portland 29 The Cougars (6-0) took a two-score lead into the fourth quarter, but needed 33-yard field goal by Jonah Richards on the game’s final play to push past the Raiders (5-1) and clinch a share of the Capital Area Activities Conference White championship. Portland had won 33 straight league games dating to 2014. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal.
Watch list Williamston 21, Haslett 14 Three teams are tied atop the CAAC Red standings with a league game to play after Williamston (4-2) stopped Haslett’s attempt to clinch a share of the championship. Both the Vikings and Mason are also 4-2 overall and 3-1 in league play, and all three play opponents this week with 1-3 conference records.
Remember this one New Lothrop 66, Ovid-Elsie 24 The Mid-Michigan Activities Conference is back to a four-team league title race with these two and Durand all 4-1 and Montrose 3-1 with two MMAC games to play. New Lothrop (4-2) sees Durand this week, while Ovid-Elsie (4-2) finishes the conference slate with two opponents that are a combined 2-7 in league play.
More shoutouts Hartland 29, Howell 7 This finish along with Canton’s win over Brighton also created a three-team tie atop the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West standings between the Eagles (5-1), Highlanders (5-1) and Chiefs. Howell must still see Brighton, and Hartland takes on Canton in Week 8. Pewamo-Westphalia 26, Olivet 14 The Pirates (6-0) appear well on their way to another Central Michigan Athletic Conference championship and got their toughest test of the season from the Eagles (4-2), who will face Lakewood this week for the outright Greater Lansing Activities Conference title.
Northern Lower Peninsula
HEADLINER Traverse City Central 24, Cadillac 0 The Trojans (5-1) put together their second-straight shutout to claim a share of the Big North Conference championship, and they can finish a third-straight outright league title run this week against one-win Alpena. Cadillac (4-2) did hold Central to its season low in points, but the Trojans took a 21-0 lead into halftime in extending their BNC winning streak to 18 with that one league game left before moving into the Saginaw Valley League for football in 2022. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Watch list Charlevoix 14, East Jordan 6 The Rayders (5-1) will need help to end up with a title share in the Northern Michigan Football Conference Leaders division, but handing a defeat to Legacy co-leader East Jordan (4-2) provided a nice playoff points bonus boost.
Remember this one Traverse City West 22, Petoskey 16 As West (5-1) also prepares to leave for the SVL, Petoskey in 2015 was the only team other than Central to defeat the Titans over the last seven seasons. Three of the last six meetings since were decided by one score.
More shoutouts Grayling 36, Sault Ste. Marie 32 With Legends contenders Kingsley and Traverse City St. Francis behind them, Grayling (4-2) has an opportunity to build some serious momentum heading into a playoff appearance – and defeating Sault Ste. Marie (4-2) was a great start. Boyne City 48, Kalkaska 16 The Ramblers (5-1) face Mancelona this week with a share of the Leaders title on the line, and they enjoyed a nice bounce-back after suffering their lone loss in Week 5.
Southeast & Border
HEADLINER Jonesville 34, Reading 8 The Comets (6-0) clinched a share of a Big 8 Conference repeat championship with another strong defensive performance, making it five games of holding opponents to eight or fewer points while lowering their average to 6.8 points allowed per game. This time they stopped a Reading offense averaging 37 points per game. The Rangers (4-2) fell into a tie for third place, and Jonesville needs to defeat winless Quincy this week to claim the league title outright. Click for more from the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
Watch list Ann Arbor Huron 28, Dexter 21 The River Rats (5-1) have guaranteed their best finish since 2009, and one more win will take that back to tying their best since 2002. Huron surely will be cheering now for Dexter (4-2), which will play Southeastern Conference Red leader Saline in Week 8 with a chance to shake up the standings.
Remember this one Chelsea 49, Ypsilanti Community 13 The Bulldogs (6-0) clinched their third-straight SEC White championship and ran their regular-season winning streak to 21.
More shoutouts Parma Western 13, Coldwater 7 Combined with Jackson Lumen Christi’s loss this weekend (see below), the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference race has a ton of possible conclusions – and Western (4-2) could be in the mix at the end. Napoleon 15, Grass Lake 0 The Pirates (5-1) kept alive a possible winner-take-all Cascades Conference title matchup in Week 8 against Addison, although they still must get past Michigan Center this week. Regardless, this one avenged a 39-0 loss to Grass Lake from last season.
Southwest Corridor
HEADLINER Portage Central 36, St. Joseph 30 (OT) The Mustangs (4-2) also made a series of unforgettable plays late to create a three-team tie atop the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference. Aaron Pollack’s 30-yard field goal tied the score at 30-30 with 16 seconds left in regulation, the defense stopped the Bears (5-1) to start overtime and Thomas Layne scored the winning points on the ensuing possession. Click for more from WWMT.
Watch list Battle Creek Harper Creek 33, Jackson Lumen Christi 14 This one looked a little intriguing heading into the weekend. But many more eyes will be turned toward Harper Creek (5-1) and the I8AC over the next two weeks as this turned the title race into at least a three-teamer with Hastings also tied with these two for first.
Remember this one Centreville 28, Cassopolis 0 A third shutout this season gave Centreville a share of its second-straight Southwest 10 Conference championship. The Bulldogs can clinch it outright this week against Comstock, while Cassopolis (4-2) and White Pigeon remain a game back and face each other.
More shoutouts Edwardsburg 57, Paw Paw 14 For the third-straight week Edwardsburg (6-0) defeated another top-four team in the Wolverine Conference, with only the bottom three teams in the league standings left as the Eddies play for a fourth-straight undefeated regular season. Lawton 69, Montrose 40 A late add to the schedule became one for the record books – literally – as they combined to score 109 points. Lawton (6-0) entered as No. 5 in Division 7, and Montrose (4-2) was tied for the No. 13 spot.
Upper Peninsula
HEADLINER Marquette 40, Clare 39 The Pioneers (4-2) scored first and led until Marquette went ahead for good with 7:40 to play. Seven of nine teams on Marquette’s schedule this season are .500 or better after Week 6, and this one provided another playoff points bonus boost. Marquette returns to Great Northern Conference play this week and can clinch the league title outright against Menominee, while Clare will face Gladwin for first in the Jack Pine Conference. Click for more from the Marquette Mining Journal.
Watch list Calumet 21, Iron Mountain 6 Despite beginning the season 0-2, Calumet (4-2) has surged and sits in the middle of the title hunt in a Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper that still has all seven teams at .500 or better. The Copper Kings can claim a share by winning out.
Remember this one Menominee 46, Escanaba 20 The Maroons (4-2) set themselves up for that upcoming GNC clash referenced above, as they defeated Escanaba for the first time on the field since 2016.
More shoutouts Ishpeming Westwood 36, Hancock 6 The Patriots (5-1) remain in control of their West-PAC Copper destiny as a Week 9 matchup with Negaunee looks like it could decide at least one team that shares the league title. Negaunee 42, L'Anse 0 The Miners (5-1) held up their end of creating that season-finale showdown with their second-straight shutout and third this season.
West Michigan
HEADLINER Comstock Park 35, Belding 34 (OT) Comstock Park came back from a double-digit deficit and held on through overtime to hold onto a slim lead in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver. The Panthers (6-0) remain a game up on Hopkins and Sparta but have defeated both. Click for more from FOX 17.
Watch list Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 35, Grand Rapids Christian 28 (OT) The Rangers (5-1) are a four-point Week 2 loss to Grand Blanc from a perfect record, and they’re setting themselves up well to face Byron Center in Week 8 to decide the O-K White title after those two shared it last season. This win sent Christian out of a first-place tie and into third.
Remember this one Muskegon Catholic Central 52, Muskegon Heights Academy 20 The Crusaders (5-1) clinched a share of the Lakes 8 Activities Conference championship, their second straight, and will attempt to finish it outright this week against Manistee.
More shoutouts Grand Rapids West Catholic 28, Coopersville 24 Week 6 promised to bring clarity to the O-K Blue race, and West Catholic (6-0) is one of two teams still tied for first after also coming back from a double-digit deficit against the Broncos (5-1). Hudsonville Unity Christian 54, Spring Lake 21 Also in the Blue, Unity Christian (6-0) held onto the other share of first place by handing Spring Lake (5-1) its first loss. Unity and West Catholic face each other this week.
8-Player
HEADLINER Portland St. Patrick 21, Vestaburg 20 The Shamrocks (6-0) took a 13-0 lead into halftime but had to hold off a Vestaburg comeback on the way to earning a share of the Central Michigan 8-Man Football Conference title. Both defenses shined; St. Patrick had averaged 50 points per game entering the weekend, and the Wolverines (5-1) had averaged just more than 60. Click for more from the Greenville Daily News.
Watch list Pellston 34, Gaylord St. Mary 8 The Hornets (6-0) may have made the Ski Valley Conference race a two-team chase by handing St. Mary (4-2) its first league loss. Pellston next faces the other team without a Ski Valley defeat, Indian River Inland Lakes.
Remember this one Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 44, Peck 36 The Irish (4-2) need help to earn a title share in the North Central Thumb League Stripes, but they gave some assistance to leader Kinde North Huron by sending Peck (5-1) out of a first-place tie.
More shoutouts Adrian Lenawee Christian 28, Climax-Scotts 12 The Cougars (6-0) navigated their closest game in two seasons of 8-player to take over first alone in the Southern Central Athletic Association A. Au Gres-Sims 58, Hale 50 The Wolverines (6-0) have scored 48 or more points every game this season, but survived a big offensive performance from Hale to remain in first alone in the North Star League.
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PHOTOS (Top) West Bloomfield’s Dillon Tatum (5) sprints past a pair of Clarkston defenders during Friday’s win. (Middle) Lansing Catholic’s Rory Durr (8) works to get upfield against Portland. (Top photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers; middle photo by High School Sports Scene.)