Marine City, Mathison Make Right Moves
November 29, 2013
By Bill Khan
Special to Second Half
DETROIT — When Jarrett Mathison was told he wouldn't be Marine City's quarterback this season, he could've taken the news the wrong way.
He could've been selfish about losing the marquee position on the football team. He could've sulked, becoming a disruptive force on the team. He could've complained to his parents, who in turn could've made life miserable for coach Ron Glodich and his staff.
Instead, Mathison handled the change with a team-first attitude, even though he had no clue what his role would be with the Mariners.
"There wasn't really a decision until about a week before our first game," Mathison said. "They told me I was going to play fullback. I said, 'OK. I don't care. I'm playing. I've got to do what I've got to do to help the team out.'"
As it turned out, Mathison got even more action this season than he did a year ago when he was the sophomore quarterback for an 8-2 team.
He starred in all three phases of the game, leading Marine City to a 49-35 victory over defending-champion Grand Rapids South Christian in the MHSAA Division 4 championship game Friday at Ford Field.
Mathison intercepted two passes, returned the opening kickoff of the second half 91 yards for a touchdown, and ran 18 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
"We had to tell him he could be a benefit on both sides of the ball," Glodich said. "That gamble paid off tonight. He's a warrior. He was better at the end of the game than the beginning of the game."
Mathison never expected to have such an active role in Marine City's success after the quarterback position was turned over to junior Alex Merchant, who was 10 for 12 for 208 yards and three touchdowns against South Christian.
"I thought I was just going to be a person filling in," said Mathison, who scored 32 touchdowns this season. "It just came out for the better. Everything happens for a reason."
Senior Pete Patsalis caught all three touchdown passes for the Mariners, grabbing five passes for 142 yards. Marine City scored on seven straight full possessions, not including a one-play series in which it ran out the clock following a South Christian touchdown with 12 seconds left in the first half.
The score was tied 21-21 at halftime when Mathison gave Marine City a huge lift to start the second half. A series of fake handoffs on a kick return that fooled nobody the first time the Mariners tried it worked wonders this time around. Mathison received the kick, turned his back toward the Sailors and faked the ball to three teammates before taking off and getting in the clear.
"The big kickoff return took the wind out of us a bit," South Christian coach Mark Tamminga said. "That was a huge momentum swing there. Give all the credit to them. That's a heck of a football team. We got beat by a better football team."
Still, South Christian was in the game when quarterback Jon Wassink scored from one yard out on fourth-and-goal to tie the game 28-28 with 6:04 left in the third quarter.
The Sailors couldn't stop the Mariners' offense, however. A 65-yard touchdown pass from Merchant to Patsalis with 5:11 left in the third quarter put Marine City ahead to stay. A 1-yard run by Mathison made it a 14-point game.
South Christian got within 42-35 with plenty of time left when Wassink hit Eric VanVoorst with a 19-yard touchdown pass with 10:04 remaining, but Marine City ground out a 12-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 6:15 to get some breathing room. A 20-yard pass from Merchant to Patsalis capped the drive with 3:45 left.
"We told the kids, 'You stay with them until the fourth quarter, then I guarantee you you'll have more in your tank than they do,'" Glodich said.
History was made in this game, as Marine City junior Olivia Viney became the first girl to play in an MHSAA Final. Viney did more than just play, going 7 for 7 on extra points to tie a Finals record for most extra points in a game. Paul Gross of Jackson Lumen Christi also was 7 for 7 in the 2001 Division 5 Final against Livonia Clarenceville.
"I really wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be," Viney said. "My team did a really good job of keeping everyone calm, keeping their heads on their shoulders. I was totally prepared mentally and physically."
Viney finished the season 61 for 65 on extra points, breaking the Marine City mark of 59 extra points in a season. She also had a 30-yard field goal.
"I couldn't do it without my team," she said. "I couldn't score an extra point unless we get touchdowns. Our snapper, our holder, our offensive line — I couldn't do it without them."
The tone for the high-scoring game was set just 58 seconds in, as Wassink hit VanVoorst with a 52-yard touchdown pass to give South Christian a 7-0 lead.
That was the only score of the first quarter, but the pace picked up in the second quarter, with the teams combining for five touchdowns to go into halftime tied at 21-21.
Mathison's 1-yard run put Marine City on the board with 10:28 left in the second quarter.
A 39-yard pass from Merchant to Patsalis with 7:12 left in the second quarter gave the Mariners a 14-7 lead.
Wassink's 50-yard option keeper with 5:36 left in the second quarter tied it 14-14. Tait Sapienza answered for Marine City with an 18-yard touchdown run with 2:05 to go in the half.
South Christian tied it 12 seconds before halftime when Wassink threw a low 8-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Haan, who was able to trap the ball between his legs as he fell across the goal line.
Wassink, a junior two-year starter who missed last year's championship game after breaking his collarbone in the Semifinal, was 18-for-38 for 240 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Sapienza ran 17 times for 123 yards and a touchdown for Marine City (13-1), which won its other MHSAA title in 2007.
"They were more physical than us," Tamminga said. "When you control both sides of the line of scrimmage, you're going to win a lot of football games."
PHOTOS: (Top) Marine City's Joe Mazure (88) hauls in a pass during Friday's Final. (Middle) Grand Rapids South Christian quarterback Jon Wassink breaks away for a gain. (Click to see more from Terry McNamara Photography.)
Drive for Detroit: Regional Finals in Review
November 19, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We often celebrate teams making deep playoff runs for the first time as they and their communities reach heights never experienced before.
That experience as the toughest levels of the tournament is invaluable. Just ask the 10 teams that repeated as Regional champions in 11-player last weekend, or 2011 8-player runner-up Rapid River – which will play for the championship again this Friday.
See below for some of the stories behind how all of those teams advanced to the neutral-site rounds of the MHSAA football tournament.
Division 1
Detroit Catholic Central 34, Temperance Bedford 33
Detroit Catholic Central (10-2) had a couple close calls on the way to Ford Field in both 2011 and 2012, but none this close. The Shamrocks scored with 25 seconds remaining to edge Temperance Bedford, which was attempting to reach its first Semifinal and made its second Regional Final appearance in four seasons (the Kicking Mules just missed the Semifinals in 2010 as well with a two-point loss to Grosse Pointe South). Click to read more from the Detroit Free Press.
Also noted:
Flint Carman-Ainsworth 27, Hudsonville 20: The Cavaliers (11-1) hung on to earn their first Semifinal trip in their 28-year history. Hudsonville (8-4) did finish its best season since 2008.
Clarkston 56, Rochester Adams 28: The Wolves (11-1) have taken a step deeper into the postseason each of the past four seasons, with this sending them to the Semifinals for the first time since 2009. Adams finished a strong 8-4, impressive especially after the team went 4-5 in 2012 and lost quarterback/linebacker standout Matt Sokol to a season-ending injury in Week 6.
Detroit Cass Tech 32, Macomb Dakota 17: The Technicians (12-0) ended the season of a previously-undefeated opponent for the second straight week, this time halting Dakota (11-1) during its best season since 2007.
Division 2
Detroit Martin Luther King 6, Wyandotte Roosevelt 0
Both teams had showed plenty of offensive firepower to this point this season, but defense set the tone in the Regional Final. King (10-1) posted its fourth shutout and saved its season with a last-minute stand as Roosevelt (11-1) fell short in its drive to make the Semifinals for the second straight fall. Click to read more from MLive Detroit.
Also noted:
Muskegon 24, Midland 7: The Big Reds (11-1) have made the Semifinals five times over the last decade including the last two seasons thanks to wins over Midland (10-2).
Portage Central 42, Farmington Hills Harrison 21: The Mustangs (12-0) have asserted themselves among statewide powers this fall and beat another in Harrison (10-2) to reach the Semifinals for the first time since 1977.
Birmingham Brother Rice 41, Detroit U-D Jesuit 14: Brother Rice (12-0) finished a season sweep of Catholic League opponent U-D Jesuit (7-5) to reach the Semifinals for the third straight season.
Division 3
Zeeland West 62, Mount Pleasant 27
The Dux (11-1) appear to be gaining steam at the right time, with 545 yards of offense against the Oilers. Mount Pleasant led into the third quarter before West scored 36 straight points to make the Semfinals for the second time in three seasons. Mount Pleasant, 2-7 only a year ago, finished 10-2. Click to read more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Stevensville Lakeshore 34, Byron Center 7: Hailing from the same league as Portage Central, Lakeshore (9-3) has battled back from a 4-3 start to make its first Semifinal since 2008. Byron Center (8-4) made Regionals for the first time since 2000.
DeWitt 49, Eaton Rapids 0: Eaton Rapids (7-5) saw its first-ever playoff run end after two wins, but against near-annual semifinalist DeWitt (12-0).
St. Clair 40, Melvindale 14: St. Clair (11-1) added to its best season by earning its first Semifinal berth by beating a Melvindale team (9-3) that should still celebrate making the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
Division 4
Lansing Sexton 26, Saginaw Swan Valley 21
Swan Valley junior running back Alex Grace did run for 246 yards to unofficially set the MHSAA single-season rushing record with more than 2,900 (awaiting confirmation). But the Big Reds (12-0) continued to power through their tough slate by taking the lead in the fourth quarter and then ending the Vikings’ final drive with an interception in Sexton territory. Swan Valley finished 11-1. Click to read more from the Lansing State Journal.
Also noted:
Comstock Park 36, Cadillac 29: Comstock Park (12-0) advanced to the Semifinals for the third straight season, but first as an undefeated team. Cadillac (11-1) gave up the most points it had all season, but also scored the most on the Panthers of any team so far.
Grand Rapids South Christian 35, Battle Creek Pennfield 17: The reigning MHSAA champ Sailors (11-1) now haven’t lost since August and scored the most points Pennfield (10-2) gave up this season.
Marine City 33, Detroit Country Day 28: The lone Saturday night game of the weekend was a classic, with Marine City (11-1) scoring the go-ahead points with less than a minute remaining to eliminate the reigning MHSAA runner-up Yellowjackets (8-4).
Division 5
Livonia Clarenceville 21, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 20
There’s no question Clarenceville knows how to pull out the close ones, with now four wins by seven or fewer points this fall and two by 10 or fewer over the last two weeks. The Trojans (11-0) scored on a trick play with under 20 seconds left to edge ahead of Monroe St. Mary (10-2), a Regional champion in 2012. Click to read more from the Detroit News.
Also noted:
Menominee 49, Standish-Sterling 27: Make that 159-47, Menominee (12-0) over its three playoff opponents combined this month. Standish-Sterling (9-2), however, did finish with its best record since 2008.
Muskegon Oakridge 31, Millington 12: Oakridge (11-1) has won seven Regional titles, but this is the first since its MHSAA championship season of 2008. Millington (9-3) finished its longest run since 2010.
Grand Rapids West Catholic 35, Olivet 14: That 1-4 start is fading from memory as West Catholic (8-4) heads to its fourth straight Semifinal. Olivet (10-2) capped its best run since 2010, when it fell to West Catholic in the MHSAA championship game.
Division 6
Montrose 42, Madison Heights Madison 13
The highly-anticipated matchup to earn the right to face Ithaca didn’t end up that close, with Montrose (12-0) leading by enough during the third quarter to switch on the running clock. The Rams do now get to face Ithaca for the fourth straight season in the playoffs, but this time in Montrose’s first Semifinal since 2002. Madison finished 11-1, its fourth one-loss season over the last eight. Click to read more from the Flint Journal.
Also noted:
Ithaca 62, Negaunee 34: The Ithaca (12-0) win streak moved to 54 straight, but not before Negaunee (10-2) scored the most points the Yellowjackets had given up since 2010.
Shelby 33, Schoolcraft 7: Make that five straight seasons Shelby (11-1) has now increased its win total, and two straight it will play in a Semifinal. Schoolcraft (10-2) ended with double-digit wins for the second straight fall.
Clinton 47, Constantine 28: Clinton (12-0) eliminated the reigning MHSAA runner-up Falcons (7-5) to earn a first Semifinal berth since 1990 and its second overall.
Division 7
Harbor Beach 31, Pewamo-Westphalia 14
So far, Division 7 hasn’t posed much more of a challenge than Division 8 did last season for the reigning D8 champion Pirates (11-1). This Regional Final against P-W (10-2) was much closer than Harbor Beach’s first two playoff games this run, but quarterback/linebacker Eli Kraft continued to shine with two touchdowns on offense and a third scored while playing on the other side of the ball. Click to read more from the Saginaw News.
Also noted:
Ishpeming 28, Lake City 13: The Hematites’ 19th straight win put them at 12-0 this fall and removed a familiar and tough obstacle – Lake City (10-2) fell to Ishpeming by a nearly identical score in 2012.
Homer 26, Decatur 15: The Trojans (11-1) tied a school record for wins in advancing to their first Semifinal; Decatur (8-4) ended its season in the Regional Final for the second straight.
Detroit Loyola 50, Southfield Christian 7: The Bulldogs (12-0) improved to 36-2 over the last three seasons by scoring 50 points for the 10th time during that run. Southfield Christian did cap its best season of its eight-year history at 10-2.
Division 8
Crystal Falls Forest Park 24, Felch North Dickinson 20
Look back over the illustrious history of Forest Park football, and close playoff wins are more common than one might expect. The Trojans (12-0) know how to win down the stretch and pulled off another nail-biter to make their eighth Semifinal over the last decade. North Dickinson (8-3) came back from an early deficit but was stopped twice seeking a late go-ahead score. Click to read more from the Marquette Mining Journal.
Also noted:
Beal City 55, St. Ignace 0: Beal City (12-0) has scored 691 points, good already for second-most in MHSAA history; the Saints (9-3) made the Regional Final for the third straight season.
Muskegon Catholic 28, Mendon 12: This now-annual playoff battle of southwest powers went Muskegon Catholic’s way for the second straight season, with the Crusaders (10-2) scoring more points than Mendon (11-1) had previously given up all fall.
New Lothrop 58, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 22: The Hornets (11-0) advanced to their third Semifinal in eight seasons with their sixth game scoring more than 50 points this fall; Whiteford (9-3) capped its longest playoff run since 2000.
8-Player Semifinals
Rapid River 40, Kinde-North Huron 8
The 2011 MHSAA runner-up Rockets (12-0) earned another chance to claim the championship thanks in part to 359 yards rushing by quarterback Jake Pearson. He ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more while Rapid River didn't give up North Huron’s lone score until the fourth quarter. North Huron did tie its school record for wins in finishing 8-4. Click to read more from the Escanaba Daily Press.
Peck 73, Lawrence 34
Peck advanced to its first MHSAA championship game by stopping one of the hottest teams in any division and did so in an even more impressive manner than when they met earlier this season. The Pirates (12-0) had defeated Lawrence 61-38 in Week 4 and put up a season-high point total to fend off the Tigers (8-3) this time. Click to read more from the Port Huron Times Herald.
PHOTO: Detroit Cass Tech quarterback Jayru Campbell breaks away from a Macomb Dakota defender during the Technicians’ Regional Final win. (Click to see more from Terry McNamara Photography.)