Metro Detroit Crew Recognized as September's "Crew of the Month" by Lions, MHSAA
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 29, 2026
A Metro Detroit football officiating crew has been named the inaugural Michigan “High School Officiating Crew of the Month” by the Detroit Lions.
Shelby Township’s Mike Gentry and Craig Goepper, Grosse Pointe Woods’ David Prince, Ann Arbor’s Shane Smith, Roseville’s Scott Suminski and Jordan Pearson, and St. Clair Shores’ Carson Roose make up the crew, which combined has been part of officiating 10 MHSAA Finals, nine Semifinals and more than 50 District Finals. Gentry received the MHSAA’s Vern L. Norris Leadership in Officiating Award in 2017.
The crew also was recognized for its dedication to the avocation, participation as members of the Motor City Area Officials Association and recruitment of new officials.
The Lions, in partnership with the MHSAA and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), will recognize an officiating crew monthly this season.
Be the Referee: Intentional Grounding Change
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
August 23, 2022
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Intentional Grounding Change - Listen
New this year in football is a change to intentional grounding.
What’s staying the same? A quarterback in the free block zone – who throws a pass to an area with no receiver nearby – will continue to be flagged for intentional grounding. That’s a five-yard penalty and loss of down.
So what’s different? Now … a quarterback outside of the free blocking zone can legally throw the ball away as long as the pass lands past the original line of scrimmage. This used to be flagged for grounding, but is now legal.
In fact, this rule doesn’t just pertain to the quarterback. Any passer, outside of the free blocking zone, can throw the ball away as long as it lands past the line of scrimmage.