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 2 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 1, 2021
Last week's return to "normal" football was as good as anticipated, if not better. And the good news is we're just getting started.
As we cruise into Labor Day weekend, the great majority of Week 2 games will again be played Thursday. Additionally, more than 150 games will be viewable live on MHSAA.tv, with Bally Sports Detroit broadcasting Friday's Detroit Cass Tech at Muskegon game on its PLUS cable channel and State Champs! Sports Network streaming live Saturday's Grand Rapids Catholic Central game against Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean. See the full schedule from the MHSAA Score Center.
In addition to our weekly glance at some of the games to watch in every corner of our state, we're also introducing a new feature for this season -- an "Unforgettable 5ive" of highlights from MHSAA.tv and media partner broadcasts. See below for our Week 1 5ive, which includes the following:
► Marquette's Jordan Demay with the Pick 6 in Marquette's 49-14 win over Alpena.
► Clinton Township Chippewa Valley's Cephus Harris with the 60-yard TD run in a 45-20 win over Detroit Catholic Central.
► Dearborn Fordson's Alex Osman connecting with Antonio Gates Jr. for a 37-yard TD in Fordson's 38-23 win over Canton.
► DeWitt's Tyler Holtz throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Kurncz in DeWitt's 47-27 win over Traverse City Central.
► Grand Blanc's Elijah Jackson-Anderson sealing a 40-34 win over East Lansing with a 40-yard TD run.
Bay & Thumb
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (1-0) at Ubly (1-0), Thursday
Both got off to solid starts last week, Laker downing Flint Beecher and Ubly upending Unionville-Sebewaing. By October, both could be contending for league championships as well. Ubly was third in the Greater Thumb Conference East last season, while Laker came in third in the GTC West.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Saginaw Swan Valley (0-1) at Frankenmuth (1-0), Saginaw Nouvel (1-0) at Millington (1-0). FRIDAY North Branch (1-0) at Croswell-Lexington (0-1), Lapeer (0-1) at Midland (0-1).
Greater Detroit
Muskegon Mona Shores (1-0) at Detroit Martin Luther King (0-1), Friday
Mona Shores began its drive last week for a third-straight Division 2 championship with a 42-point win over Lowell, and they’ve lined up 2019 Finals foe King for a second-straight regular-season meeting. The Sailors have won both of those last two matchups, and the Crusaders also have plenty driving them from last week’s 42-40 loss to Indiana power Carmel – decided on a 35-yard touchdown catch on the game’s final play.
Keep an eye on these: FRIDAY Davison (0-1) at Detroit Catholic Central (0-1), West Bloomfield (0-1) at Oak Park (0-1), River Rouge (1-0) at Warren De La Salle Collegiate (1-0), Dearborn (1-0) at Belleville (1-0).
Mid-Michigan
Lansing Catholic (1-0) at Williamston (1-0), Thursday
Formerly league rivals until 2018, both again have league title aspirations after the Capital Area Activities Conference didn’t award championships last season due to the shortened schedule. Williamston, from the CAAC Red, set the tone coming off last year’s Division 4 Semifinal trip by doubling up Croswell-Lexington on the road last week. Lansing Catholic, in the CAAC White, made the Division 5 Semifinals last season and doubled up Lansing Waverly in its opener.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Lansing Everett (1-0) at Lansing Eastern (1-0), DeWitt (1-0) at Portland (1-0), Pewamo-Westphalia (1-0) at Laingsburg (1-0), Jackson (1-0) at Grand Ledge (1-0).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Maple City Glen Lake (1-0) at Kingsley (1-0), Thursday
These are two more who could emerge as league champions over the next eight weeks. Kingsley – from the Northern Michigan Football Conference Legends division – has made the best of last year’s unfortunate circumstance, when the undefeated Stags were unable to take the field for their District Final. Kingsley opened with a 54-8 win over McBain, last season’s Highland Conference champion. Glen Lake was second in the NMFC Leaders last fall, ending a four-year league title streak, but opened last week with a 35-6 win over 2020 Highland co-runner-up Houghton Lake.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Marquette (1-0) at Traverse City Central (0-1). FRIDAY Grand Haven (1-0) at Traverse City West (1-0), Escanaba (1-0) at Petoskey (1-0), Grayling (1-0) at Traverse City St. Francis (1-0).
Southeast & Border
Erie Mason (1-0) at Hudson (1-0), Thursday
The Eagles were one of the best stories of the 2020 season, breaking a string of 15 straight sub-.500 finishes to win the Tri-County Conference in their first season in the league. If this fall’s Week 1 is an indication, former Lenawee County Athletic Association foe Hudson could be a candidate for a similar 2021. The Tigers earned some statewide attention with a 59-14 opening win over annual power Ithaca.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Jonesville (1-0) at Homer (0-1), Ida (1-0) at Ottawa Lake Whiteford (1-0), Michigan Center (1-0) at Hanover-Horton (1-0), Harper Woods (1-0) at Pinckney (1-0).
Southwest Corridor
Three Rivers (1-0) at Edwardsburg (1-0), Thursday
Even with reigning Division 6 champion Montague undergoing a bit of a fresh start, few results jumped off the page more last week than the Eddies’ 38-0 win in their opening matchup. A little more undercover but intriguing also was Three Rivers’ 36-34 overtime win over Paw Paw, the most frequent runner-up of late to Edwardsburg’s Wolverine Conference dominance. Three Rivers’ victory also gave it as many wins as it totaled all last season, and this week will be another opportunity to show what’s possible.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Niles Brandywine (1-0) at Cassopolis (1-0), Schoolcraft (0-1) at Centreville (0-1), Battle Creek Pennfield (1-0) at Marshall (1-0), Kalamazoo Hackett Prep (0-1) at Stevensville Lakeshore (1-0).
Upper Peninsula
Ishpeming Westwood (1-0) at Iron Mountain (1-0), Thursday
The Mountaineers have a chance to stake a pretty serious claim as Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper favorites if they can add a win over Westwood to last week’s two-pointer over Negaunee. The Patriots similarly would enjoy a major boost with another Copper contender, Calumet, up next. Iron Mountain and Westwood have split their last four meetings on the field.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Calumet (0-1) at Negaunee (1-0), Bark River-Harris (1-0) at West Iron County (0-0). FRIDAY Gladstone (1-0) at Kingsford (1-0), Marinette, Wis. (0-2) at Menominee (1-0).
West Michigan
Detroit Cass Tech at Muskegon, Friday
This was another anticipated matchup that couldn’t be played last fall because of the late start, but this would be a massive draw any season. Both are coming off big wins, and as in years past both feature plenty of future college players. The Technicians are riding a 10-game regular-season winning streak – but Muskegon has lost only twice at home over the last six seasons.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Cedar Springs (1-0) at Rockford (1-0), Muskegon Oakridge (1-0) at Whitehall (1-0). FRIDAY Grand Blanc (1-0) at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (1-0), East Grand Rapids (0-1) at Grand Rapids South Christian (1-0).
8-Player
Hale (1-0) at Pellston (1-0), Friday
Pellston is a combined 15-3 over the last two seasons, and Hale is 12-6 over the same span of time – and Pellston won their league matchups in 2018 and 2019 before both moved into different conferences and didn’t play each other last season. This return of the series could feature strength on strength. Hale hasn’t given up more than 20 points in a game since last season’s opener, while Pellston’s 64 points last week followed the 45+ they scored six times a year ago.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Marion (1-0) at Brethren (0-1), Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (1-0) at Deckerville (0-0). FRIDAY Rapid River (0-1) at Lake Linden-Hubbell (1-0), Ironwood (1-0) at Ontonagon (1-0).
PHOTO: Capac and New Haven kicked off their season last week. Capac, returning after playing only one game a year ago, won 22-0. (Photo by Robert Batzloff.)