Muskegon Catholic Central Repeats in D8
November 28, 2014
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
DETROIT — It certainly wasn't nerves.
Tommy Scott had already played in an MHSAA championship game, winning the Division 8 title with Muskegon Catholic Central last season. Scott, like the Crusaders' other veterans, said he was more at ease this season, knowing what to expect on the big stage at Ford Field.
So, why was Scott throwing up as he came off the field in the second quarter of the Crusaders' 31-6 victory over Munising?
"Thanksgiving food," he said.
Something he ate Thursday didn't agree with him for the early game the following morning, but it was Munising feeling queasy once Scott started feeling better.
"I felt sick in the first half," he said. "I wouldn't let that stop me in my last game in the state championship. I wasn't coming out. After I vomited, I felt way better."
Coach Steve Czerwon quickly added, "After he saw his dad screaming at him to get back in, I think he felt better, too."
Scott said he felt fine early in the game, well enough to bust off a momentum-altering 99-yard kickoff return just 13 seconds after Munising had taken a 6-0 lead. But he started to feel sick shortly after that, finally finding relief when he threw up.
Held to 14 yards on seven carries in the first half, Scott finished with 21 carries for 92 yards and three second-half touchdowns on the ground in addition to the record-breaking kick return. The previous record was a 97-yard return by Zeeland West's Brad Mesbergen in the 2011 Division 4 final.
"We knew coming in, we had to stop Scott and their quarterback," Munising senior Andy Cooper said. "We knew their quarterback was a little bit injured. He toughed it out today and played a heck of a game. Tommy, we saw he got sick a little bit on the sidelines. He came back in and was running the ball on us; he was tough."
Crusaders quarterback Nick Holt has been playing at less-than-optimal health the second half of the season after spraining his ankle, an injury he aggravated in the semifinals. Holt finished with 13 carries for 61 yards and was 2 for 6 passing for 41 yards.
"You know it's going to be your last game," Holt said. "You're never going to be able to put on your pads again or your helmet again. Just to have a group of guys around me that are there for me saying, 'You're going to be all right, you're going to be all right.' I couldn't have gotten through without them."
The Crusaders trailed for the first time all season when Cooper made a leaping catch in double coverage at the 50-yard line and sprinted to the end zone on third-and-seven to complete a 74-yard scoring pass from Austin Kelto with 10:14 left in the first quarter. Cooper's extra point was blocked.
It turned out that MCC would trail for only 13 seconds all season, as Scott turned on the jets and out-sprinted the last player back, Cooper, who won four events in last season's MHSAA Division 3 Upper Peninsula track and field meet.
"It was huge to get the momentum right back after they took the momentum in the first three plays," Scott said. "Making a big play like that can change a game."
Munising also allowed a 99-yard kick return by Beal City's Chase Rollin in a 10-7 semifinal victory after scoring a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter.
"We were all excited after that touchdown," Cooper said. "Everyone was: the fans, the sidelines, the coaches. Then it seemed like deja vu, because it happened last week, the exact same thing. We score and they returned the next kickoff on us. We got through it and still kept our heads in the game."
The Mustangs were still in the hunt by halftime, trailing only 10-6. Seymour booted a 25-yard field goal with 2:37 left in the first half to cap an 18-play, 64-yard drive that consumed 9:16 off the clock.
MCC had a chance to extend its lead before halftime, but Blake Sanford had the ball punched out by Cooper at the 7-yard line after making a 29-yard catch. Kelto recovered the fumble, but a roughing-the-passer penalty gave the Crusaders new life at the 21. On the next play, Ben Stasewich tipped a pass by Holt, and Ian McInnis intercepted it with 24 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
In the second half, the Crusaders controlled the game with their ground attack.
They scored on their first three possessions of the half, with Scott scoring on runs of 1, 30 and 9 yards.
"We got a little bit tired in the second half," Munising coach Jeff Seaberg said. "Just not as many subs to put in. They started to grind on us and impose their running game on us a little bit. We weren't able to stop them. Once it got out of hand, it's a little bit too much to get back into it against them. They're a heck of a football team. We have a heck of a football team. They were just a little bit too much for us today."
Any conversation about the greatest high school football programs in Michigan must now include Muskegon Catholic Central.
With their 10th MHSAA title, the Crusaders joined five other elite programs who have reached double digits. Farmington Hills Harrison leads the way with 13, followed by now-closed Detroit St. Martin dePorres (12), East Grand Rapids and Mendon (11 each), and Detroit Catholic Central (10).
The only other time the Crusaders repeated was in 1991.
"To be able to say we won back-to-back, we're never going to be forgotten," Holt said. "Everyone is going to remember the 2013-14 team. Not only is it back-to-back, but we had such a big class. We had 18 starters last year, and this year it's just about everyone. This class is always going to be remembered. It's an honor and a blessing."
The Crusaders held Munising to 39 yards on 30 carries. Jaeden MacPherson had two sacks for minus-19 yards.
Muskegon Catholic Central ran for 198 yards on 48 carries.
PHOTOS: (Top) A group of Muskegon Catholic Central defenders surround and take down Munising's Izaak Mahoski. (Middle) Munising's Austin Kelto (2) and David Harris (32) work to wrap up MCC's Tommy Scott. (Click for action photos and team photos from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS:
MUSTANGS LIGHT IT UP FIRST - On the third play of the Division 8 title game, Austin Kelto hits Andy Cooper, and Cooper converts into a 74-yard touchdown for Munising.
LONGEST KICK RETURN EVER IN A FINAL - On the kickoff following the Munising score, Muskegon Catholic Central's Tommy Scott goes coast-to-coast - 99 yards - for the longest kickoff return in an MHSAA Football Final. Scott ended up scoring four times and rushing for 96 yards.
Watch the game in its entirety and order DVDs by Clicking Here.
Prepare to Compare: Clarkston Wins D1
November 29, 2014
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
DETROIT — Nolan Eriksen dislikes two things: Losing and comparisons to his older brother, Ian.
He's never had to experience a loss since being promoted to Clarkston's varsity football team before last year's MHSAA playoffs, so that's never been an issue.
But comparisons between the Eriksen brothers are plentiful — and valid.
Nolan, a junior running back, ran 28 times for 172 yards and three touchdowns as the Wolves repeated as MHSAA Division 1 champions with a 33-25 victory over first-time finalist Saline on Saturday at Ford Field.
A year ago, Ian Eriksen ran 32 times for 237 yards and three touchdowns against Detroit Catholic Central, leading Clarkston to its first title.
So, you'd think that Nolan would've leaned upon his brother's advice now that he was the starting running back in the championship game.
Nope.
"I was just trying to do what I do," Nolan said. "People always try to compare us and stuff, but I just try to play my game and do the best I can for my team. No advice. ... Every now and then we'll talk about it a little bit, but mainly we try to keep it pretty separate. We just do our own thing."
Senior quarterback D.J. Zezula has no problem comparing the brothers. He's got a unique perspective, having handed the ball to each during his three-year career as Clarkston's starter.
"Noah doesn't want to be compared, but they're twins in my eyes," said Zezula, who ran 17 times for 120 yards and a 70-yard touchdown. "They're both hard-hitting football players. Mr. (Mark) Eriksen coached me when I was younger; he's the same way. They're awesome kids. They want what's best for the team. I love both of them. I love Mr. Eriksen. They're great guys. He coached me my first two years of football that I ever played."
While Ian Eriksen was the workhorse for Clarkston's first championship team, Nolan watched from the sidelines, as is typical for junior varsity players who are promoted after the regular season. He said he "got a couple plays" during the 2013 playoff run, but never saw action at Ford Field.
Just being part of the atmosphere last year was beneficial once he stepped onto the field Saturday, Eriksen said.
"We've been here before," he said. "We weren't too shocked looking around. We knew what the deal was. We knew what it felt like to be here. We knew what was riding on it. It was just the experience. It was incredible being able to look up there and see your whole town there and getting it done."
Eriksen had a solid first half, running 12 times for 61 yards and a touchdown, but he was a key reason why Clarkston took over in the second half after trailing 10-7 at halftime. Eriksen ran 16 times for 111 yards and two scores in the second half, as Clarkston scored touchdowns on four of its first five possessions after halftime.
"These guys have taught me something," Clarkston coach Kurt Richardson said. "The old Kurt Richardson would've blown up at half with two turnovers and stuff. We just said, 'Hey, we're fine. We're down three. We didn't play very well. We're getting the ball, so everything's fine.' I learned it from these guys."
Poise comes more naturally when a team has won 27 straight games — now the longest active streak in Michigan following Finals losses this weekend by Ithaca (69) and Ishpeming (33).
The Wolves needed only four plays after the second-half kickoff to take the lead for good on a 52-yard pass from Zezula to Merrick Canada with 10:09 left in the third quarter. A bobbled snap prevented an extra-point kick, leaving Clarkston up by a 13-10 score.
Clarkston's only three-and-out of the second half came on the next series, but the Wolves followed with three straight touchdown drives. A 2-yard run by Eriksen made it 20-10 with 47 seconds left in the third quarter before Zezula kept it and ran 70 yards for a touchdown with 8:17 remaining in the game, expanding the lead to 27-10.
Just before that touchdown, Saline missed a chance to make it a one-possession game. The Hornets had first-and-goal at the 8-yard line, but settled for a 24-yard field goal attempt that was wide left.
Saline also missed a field goal on the first series of the game, as linebacker Cole Chewins blocked the kick. Chewins, who has committed to Miami (Ohio) as a tight end, also batted down three passes.
"With the deflections and stuff, that was just playing the game," Chewins said. "I was able to make plays and just play football."
Saline coach Joe Palka tried to run plays away from Chewins, who had his blocked kick and two of his knockdowns early in the game.
"We had to adjust and go to the other side, just because he can cover so much ground and he's got such good range," Palka said.
Saline cut the deficit to 27-17 when quarterback Josh Jackson scored on a 1-yard run with 5:15 remaining.
Clarkston (14-0) recovered the onside kick, then marched 50 yards in eight plays, the final 22 yards coming on a touchdown run by Eriksen with 1:57 on the clock. The extra point failed, keeping it a two-possession game at 33-17.
That loomed as a potential issue when it took Saline only four plays to reach the end zone on a 2-yard run by Kevin Gross with 1:09 to go. Cameron Cole caught a 2-point pass from Jackson to make it an eight-point game.
Clarkston's Shane Holler recovered the onside kick, allowing the Wolves to clinch the title with two kneel-downs.
Jackson, a junior, was 20-for-31 for 237 yards while running 17 times for 82 yards and a touchdown to lead Saline, which won a school-record 12 games (to finish 12-2) and advanced beyond the Regional Final for the first time.
"It's an amazing thing for Saline football," Jackson said. "It's the best team ever in Saline. That we got to play on this stage was an amazing opportunity. Going into next year, that will just give us fire to come back here and try to win it."
Even though his career ended Saturday after starting at quarterback for teams that went 37-2 over three seasons, Zezula is mindful of what these back-to-back championships will mean for the future of the Clarkston program. The Wolves lost in Semifinals three times in 16 playoff appearances under Richardson before breaking through last year.
"Last year was kind of like breaking the mold, breaking this dark cloud over Clarkston that we could never win, could never get there," Zezula said. "This year was about building a legacy, a tradition here at Clarkston. ...
"It hits home when the little kids, the seventh-graders at our youth camps, wear my jersey and wear No. 5. That's where it really hits home, just to pave the way for the younger kids and start a legacy, start a tradition here that winning is what's got to happen at Clarkston."
PHOTOS: (Top) Clarkston's Nolan Eriksen takes a handoff as his lineman work to open a gap near the goalline Saturday. (Middle) Quarterback D.J. Zezula looks for a receiver while those on the Saline sideline look on. (Click for action photos and team photos from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS:
GROSS GETS SALINE STARTED - Saline started the scoring in the second quarter against Clarkston with Kevin Gross running it in from 27 yards out.
OH CANADA! CLARKSTON GOES ON TOP - Clarkston took the lead to stay in the Division 1 championship game when D.J. Zezula hit a wide open Merrick Canada on a 52-yard pass.
Watch the entire game and order DVDs by Clicking Here.