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'New' Algonac Energized by Turnaround

October 27, 2015

By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half

ALGONAC — Algonac has been home for A.J. Garshott since he was 5 years old.

Yet, it's like he's living in an entirely new town this fall.

"I honestly have never seen Algonac like this in my entire life," the Muskrats' senior quarterback said. "It's completely different. You drive through town and every sign has stuff about our football team on it. There's signs in every yard. The fan base is unreal, how many people come to our games now. Last year, there'd be half the bleachers full. Now it's only standing room."

Football can have that impact on a small community.

"It's been overwhelming, to be quite honest, with the number of people who have gotten together, maybe because of the football team," Algonac coach Scott Barnhart said. "But they've renewed their enthusiasm for the community. The atmosphere around here is electric. Every business in town has 'Go Muskrats' up on their sign. I've been introduced to people who have come out and watched the team play who haven't been to a game in years. That's a great feeling for our kids and their parents. The people out there come away with a good feeling about the education their kids are getting here in town. It all feeds on itself."

The heightened sense of pride in this town which sits along the St. Clair River across from Canada stems from one of the most remarkable turnarounds experienced by any football program in the state.

Algonac is one of 38 teams during the 41-year MHSAA playoff era to win at least eight regular-season games one year after losing at least eight games. Hesperia also had a remarkable turnaround this season, going from 1-8 to 9-0. (See all 38 teams below.)

The 2014 season was all too typical for Algonac, as the Muskrats stumbled to a 1-8 record. It was the 19th time in the last 22 years that Algonac had a losing record, the only exceptions being a three-year run from 2004-06 in which the school had its only two playoff appearances and went 19-10.

It took only one night to let Algonac and the entire Port Huron area know that these were not your father's or your big brother's Muskrats.

Algonac opened the season with a 19-18 victory over Marine City, taking the lead with 36 seconds left on a 19-yard pass from Garshott to Luke Stephenson and sealing the deal with Joe McKee's second interception of the game.

Marine City was a huge hurdle for the Muskrats to clear. Algonac had lost 15 straight times to the Mariners, last winning 12-0 in 1986. Marine City, the 2013 MHSAA Division 4 champion, would bounce back to qualify for the playoffs for the 18th straight year.

"That was a huge confidence booster," Garshott said. "They've been the best team in the area. Coming out, they were thinking we were the old Algonac and we came out on top. It was a really cool feeling, especially to throw a touchdown with (36) seconds left."

"It was huge to come out in Week 1 and compete with a team as good as Marine City," senior defensive end Mason Ruhlman said. "We not only compete with them, but beat them. It was an unreal feeling."

For the Muskrats, the victory was an affirmation that all of their hard work in the offseason would pay off.

"We definitely saw improvements over the summer," Ruhlman said. "Guys were working out. The numbers were a lot better. We actually had guys showing up. In the weight room, we had 25 guys coming, compared to last year we had seven or eight guys."

Beating Marine City would've been the highlight of the season for past Algonac teams, but the Muskrats had much more in store for their fans as the season unfolded.

With consecutive shutouts over Imlay City, Armada and Yale in Weeks 3-5, the Muskrats had three straight shutouts for the first time since opening 1968 with three in a row. Algonac hadn't posted back-to-back shutouts since 1991.

Following a 28-0 shutout over Yale, the competition got tougher over the next three weeks. Algonac was down 21-7 in the second quarter against Croswell-Lexington, an eventual playoff qualifier, before scoring the final four touchdowns in a 33-21 victory. The following week, the Muskrats fell behind 7-0 in the first quarter against another playoff qualifier, Almont, before shutting out the Raiders the rest of the way in a 21-7 victory.

Algonac went into Week 8 with a perfect season and outright Blue Water Area Conference title on the line, but lost 15-14 to a Richmond team that finished the regular season with an 8-1 record.  Richmond took a 15-14 lead on a 92-yard kickoff return by D'Sean Hamilton before halftime. The teams played a scoreless second half, with Algonac's fourth turnover of the game ending a promising drive late in the fourth quarter.

"It was just terrible," Ruhlman said. "We worked so hard, then it came down to the wire and we just didn't come out on top. We battled and showed a lot of good things in that game as a team. We had a lot of guys battle through some stuff. There were positive notes in that game."

By beating Brown City, 50-27, last Friday, the Muskrats had eight regular-season victories for the first time since the 1972 team went 8-0. Algonac was 8-3 in 2004, winning a playoff game against New Haven.

The Muskrats will open the MHSAA Division 5 playoffs at home at 7 p.m. Friday against Clinton Township Clintondale. If Algonac wins, it will have a rematch with Marine City or Almont in the district final.

The Muskrats have been looking forward to the playoff atmosphere since clinching a berth with three regular-season games remaining.

"It's been 10 years since they've been in the playoffs, and we won our first league title since 1972," Barnhart said. "We stopped to smell the roses briefly and talked to the kids about that. They and their parents all have questions about the playoffs and how this business works with points and matchups. We took a little bit of time to talk through that with people. Then we had to stop and get business taken care of."

How did a team that finished so badly a year ago become so dominant this season?

First off, there were some extenuating circumstances that contributed heavily to that 1-8 record in 2014.

The Muskrats started eight sophomores last season. They lost their leading receiver, rusher and tackler to lengthy injuries. One key player from this year's team was ineligible last year, while another who "was making some poor decisions" has turned things around to be a key part of this year's success. Garshott got a year of experience as a starting quarterback as a junior.

"You tally all of those things together and we were not as bad a team last year," Barnhart said. "The leadership this year has been phenomenal. I do think that has made a huge difference.

"The kids have been very confident in what they've done to prepare. I don't mean it to sound like an arrogant statement, even though it kinda does, but if you ask any coach going into a season, there's great enthusiasm and excitement of the unknown. If you do it right, I don't think it should surprise you very much."

Algonac has outscored opponents 321-95, breaking the school scoring record of 300 points set in 11 games by the 2004 team. The average of 10.6 points allowed is Algonac's lowest since the 1972 unbeaten team allowed 6.4 points per game.

Garshott is 68 for 135 passing for 1,175 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has run for eight touchdowns. His leading receiver is senior Owen Kaatz, who has 25 catches for 526 yards and five touchdowns.

Junior Joe McKee has run 79 times for 406 yards and seven touchdowns, to go with 12 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown.

The defense has not only shut down opponents, but has scored four touchdowns and a safety. Ruhlman has returned two fumbles for touchdowns.

Sophomore middle linebacker Luke Stephenson has a team-high 65 tackles. More impressively, he is one of the team's four captains along with seniors Ruhlman, Garshott and linebacker Tom Goldenbogen.

"I've never had a sophomore captain before and don't think I ever will," Barnhart said. "He's got all the intangibles. It's attitude, discipline, work ethic, all of those things you want your captains to have. We've had seniors with all of those things that just don't have their teammates respond to them. It's an intangible thing to see how kids respond to some of the would-be leaders on your team."

Goldenbogen has 61 tackles. Sophomore Nick Folkerts has three interceptions.

"It was rough last year," Ruhlman said. "We didn't really have anything to look forward to. It was still awesome to be playing football, but it's completely different this year knowing we're going to the playoffs."

Teams winning at least eight regular-season games the year after losing at least eight games during playoff era (since 1975):

Grand Rapids Union, 1974-75, 1-8 to 9-0 (missed playoffs)
Richland Gull Lake, 1974-75, 1-8 to 8-1 (missed playoffs)
Essexville-Garber, 1976-77, 1-8 to 8-1 (8-2 including playoffs)
Cheboygan Catholic, 1977-78, 1-8 to 8-1 (missed playoffs)
Woodhaven, 1977-78, 0-9 to 8-1 (missed playoffs)
St. Joseph, 1979-80, 1-8 to 9-0 (9-1 including playoffs)
Chelsea, 1980-81, 1-8 to 8-1 (missed playoffs)
Kalkaska, 1980-81, 0-8 to 9-0 (missed playoffs)
Schoolcraft, 1981-82, 1-8 to 8-1 (missed playoffs)
Morenci, 1985-86, 1-8 to 8-1 (missed playoffs)
Dansville, 1988-89, 1-8 to 8-1 (missed playoffs)
Richland Gull Lake, 1988-89, 1-8 to 8-1 (missed playoffs)
Waterford Kettering, 1993-94, 1-8 to 8-1 (8-2 including playoffs)
Galesburg-Augusta, 1994-95, 1-8 to 8-1 (8-2 including playoffs)
Pellston, 1994-95, 0-8-1 to 8-1 (missed playoffs)
Ortonville Brandon, 1995-96, 1-8 to 9-0 (9-1 including playoffs)
St. Ignace, 1995-96, 1-8 to 8-1 (10-2 including playoffs)
Chesaning, 1996-97, 1-8 to 8-1 (9-2 including playoffs)
Ypsilanti, 1996-97, 1-8 to 8-1 (9-2 including playoffs)
Hale, 1998-99, 1-8 to 8-1 (8-2 including playoffs)
Birch Run, 1999-2000, 1-8 to 8-1 (8-2 including playoffs)
Farmington, 2001-02, 0-9 to 8-1 (10-2 including playoffs)
Leroy-Pine River, 2003-04, 0-9 to 8-1 (8-2 including playoffs)
Southfield, 2003-04, 1-8 to 9-0 (9-1 including playoffs)
Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 2006-07, 0-9 to 8-1 (9-2 including playoffs)
Battle Creek St. Philip, 2007-08, 1-8 to 9-0 (9-1 including playoffs)
Inkster, 2007-08, 1-8 to 8-1 (12-2 including playoffs)
Livonia Clarenceville, 2007-08, 1-8 to 8-1 (9-2 including playoffs)
Mason, 2007-08, 1-8 to 8-1 (9-2 including playoffs)
Ecorse, 2008-09, 1-8 to 8-1 (8-2 including playoffs)
Stockbridge, 2008-09, 1-8 to 8-1 (9-2 including playoffs)
Bellaire, 2009-10, 0-9 in 11-player to 9-0 in 8-player (9-1 including playoffs)
Springport, 2009-10, 1-8 to 9-0 (9-1 including playoffs)
Detroit Douglass, 2010-11, 1-8 to 8-1 (9-2 including playoffs)
Detroit University Prep, 2011-12, 1-8 to 8-1 (8-2 including playoffs)
Milan, 2011-12, 1-8 to 9-0 (10-1 including playoffs)
Algonac, 2014-15, 1-8 to 8-1 (qualified for playoffs)
Hesperia, 2014-15, 1-8 to 9-0 (qualified for playoffs)

Bill Khan served as a sportswriter at The Flint Journal from 1981-2011 and currently contributes to the State Champs! Sports Network. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.

PHOTOS: (Top) Algonac quarterback A.J. Garshott follows his blockers on a run during last week's win over Brown City. (Middle) Senior defensive end Mason Ruhlman (21) has returned two fumble recoveries for touchdowns this fall. (Photos courtesy of Algonac football.)

Drive for Detroit: Week 9 in Review

October 28, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Just like that, nine weeks of Michigan high school football have come and gone this fall, and more than half the state’s 600+ teams are turning in their helmets and pads as we turn our attention toward the final 288 playing for MHSAA championships.

But let’s not skip by Week 9 just yet. It definitely deserves a few more minutes of our time and attention. 

The regular season made plenty of noise on its way out this weekend, with a few surprise conclusions to league title races and plenty of teams with plenty to celebrate. Some of those achievements were obvious, some not, and below we tried to cover many in both categories.

"Drive for Detroit" is sponsored by MI Student Aid.

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER Lapeer 24, Davison 21 (2OT) For the second-straight year, the Saginaw Valley League Blue title came down to these two in a regular-season finale. And this one came down to a pair of field goal attempts in double overtime – Lapeer (8-1) made its kick and then blocked Davison’s to lock up the win and the repeat championship after also defeating the Cardinals (7-2) in the clincher a year ago. Click for more from the Flint Journal and see highlights below from State Champs Sports Network.

Watch list Midland Dow 42, Midland 7 The Chargers (6-3) started this season 2-3 and lost a Week 5 league game to Saginaw Heritage, which finished 4-5. But they battled all the way back and clinched a shared league title with the Chemics (8-1) by breaking a three-game losing streak against their rivals.  

Remember this one Millington 41, Central Montcalm 18 The Cardinals (5-4) needed to close with a significant win to extend their playoff streak to 16 years, and they made it as an additional qualifier after defeating a league champion in Central Montcalm (7-2).

More shoutouts Harbor Beach 21, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker 6 The Pirates (9-0) finished their third undefeated regular season this decade and first since 2014, with Laker (6-3) one of four opponents that also made the playoffs. Flint Hamady 56, Flint Southwestern 18 The Hawks (7-1) locked up the Genesee Area Conference title outright to go with their win in the old GAC Blue a year ago. 

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER Orchard Lake St. Mary's 13, Detroit Catholic Central 0 The co-champions of the Detroit Catholic League Central met again two weeks after DCC’s 20-14 win sealed the shared title. The Eaglets (8-1) avenged as well as any team could hope, not only claiming the Prep Bowl Bishop championship but also keeping the Shamrocks (4-5) from advancing to the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Click for more from the Detroit News.

Watch list Belleville 41, Plymouth 14 The Tigers (9-0) capped a third-straight undefeated regular season with another Kensington Lakes Activities Association overall title, in this KLAA final handing Plymouth (8-1) its only loss.

Remember this one Detroit Martin Luther King 27, Detroit Denby 6 The Crusaders (7-2) have rebounded from losses to DCC and Muskegon to open this season to win a third straight league championship and this PSL 1/2 final. Denby also is 7-2, with its losses both to King.

More shoutouts Brownstown Woodhaven 49, Birmingham Groves 28 The Warriors (9-0) locked up their second perfect regular season over the last six with a season-high scoring output against Groves (7-2). West Bloomfield 16, Warren De La Salle Collegiate 8 The Lakers (8-1) brought their average points allowed down to 12 with a near-shutout of the two-time reigning Division 2 champion Pilots (5-4), whose last three defeats have been by a combined 12 points.  

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER New Lothrop 42, Frankenmuth 22 Three games this weekend matched undefeated teams, and reigning Division 7 champion New Lothrop (9-0) made a statement handing a loss to Division 5 Frankenmuth (8-1). The Hornets completed their eighth unbeaten regular season over the last 10 years, locking it up by scoring more than double the number of points the Eagles allowed in any other game going back to Week 2 of 2018. Click for more from the Saginaw News and see highlights below from WJRT.

Watch list Pewamo-Westphalia 41, Williamston 0 Last year the Pirates got past the Hornets by a point in Week 9 on the way to the Division 7 Regional Finals. This time, P-W (9-0) earned its sixth shutout of the season, impressive even more considering the Hornets (5-4) are headed back to the Division 4 playoffs.

Remember this one Mason 48, Eaton Rapids 6 The Bulldogs, 5-4 last season and 2-7 in 2017, finished their first 9-0 regular season – an accomplishment made more impressive considering Mason had finished with one regular-season loss nine times over the last 35 years.  

More shoutouts Holt 42, Grand Ledge 37 The Rams (7-2) held on against the rival Comets (2-7) to clinch a share of the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title (with East Lansing and DeWitt) and guarantee their winningest season since 2010. St. Johns 21, Alpena 20 (OT) The Redwings (6-3) went to overtime to guarantee a playoff berth in coach Andy Schmitt’s first season and in the process ended any hopes for Alpena (4-5), which was hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.  

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER Traverse City Central 41, Cadillac 13 The Trojans (8-1) finished an outright championship run through the Big North Conference with their fifth straight win over Cadillac. Central hasn’t lost since Week 1 against DeWitt, which also went on to share a league title this fall. There’s a consolation, however, for the Vikings (5-4) – they’re back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and after going a combined 3-15 over the last two seasons. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Watch list Ogemaw Heights 30, Houghton Lake 18 The Falcons improved to 7-2, their best and also first winning record since 2013, and this win over Houghton Lake (6-3) arguably was the best of the run so far. The Falcons’ losses were to two other playoff teams, Kingsley and Sault Ste. Marie.

Remember this one Lake City 14, Sanford Meridian 10 Lake City’s streak of two straight undefeated regular seasons ended opening night. But the Trojans won four straight to get back to the playoffs for the third-straight year, with this win over Meridian (6-3) arguably their best this fall.

More shoutouts Johannesburg-Lewiston 47, Indian River Inland Lakes 0 The Cardinals finished the regular season 9-0 for the first time since 1998 and finished an outright championship run through the Northern Michigan Football League Legacy division. Kingsley 44, Boyne City 16 The Stags (9-0) had a similar story in the NMFL Legends, with this win completing a run to an outright title and their first perfect regular season since 2005.

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER Reading 51, Addison 6 The reigning Division 8 champion Rangers appear to be in postseason form after winning this crossover of winners from the Big 8 and Cascades conferences. Reading was the Big 8’s best for the third straight season and hasn’t scored fewer than 44 points in a game since being shut out opening night by still-undefeated Division 7 contender Pewamo-Westphalia. Cascades champion Addison (7-2) could see Reading again in the Regional Final. Click for more from the Hillsdale Daily News.

Watch list Saline 45, Grand Blanc 27 The Hornets are headed into arguably the toughest District in the state, regardless of division, but not without some momentum. Saline (8-1) is unbeaten since falling opening night to reigning Division 1 champion Clinton Township Chippewa Valley. Grand Blanc (5-4) scored the second-most points the Hornets have given up this fall, but Saline reached 400 points for the season – 40 more over nine games than the Hornets scored over 13 last season when they made the Semifinals.   

Remember this one Whitmore Lake 41, Livonia Clarenceville 6 The Trojans’ first season in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference now includes the outright league title, a first playoff berth since 2013 and at 7-2 its most wins since 2008. Clarenceville did miss the playoffs, but at 5-4 posted its first winning season since 2013.

More shoutouts Concord 51, Hanover-Horton 49 The Yellow Jackets (5-4) pushed back into the playoffs for the first time since 2016 with their first winning record since that year, while also dashing the hopes for Hanover-Horton (4-5) as it sought its first playoff berth since 2014. Grass Lake 26, Jonesville 24 The Cascades took this matchup of runners-up as Grass Lake (8-1) received one of its toughest challenges from the Comets (6-3), who have a winning record and made the playoffs both for the first time since 2013.  

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER Edwardsburg 44, Paw Paw 14 This decade now has included eight league championships for the Eddies, who locked up another in the Wolverine Conference as well as their fourth perfect regular season over the last five years. This matchup was for the outright title as Paw Paw (8-1) also hadn’t lost heading into the weekend. But Edwardsburg put up nearly half of the 92 points the Redskins have given up all season.

Watch list Portage Northern 49, St. Joseph 26 The co-leaders of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West also played for that outright championship, with Portage Northern (8-1) claiming it after sharing the title with Portage Central a year ago. St. Joseph (6-3) will try to bounce back from three straight losses as it heads into the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

Remember this one Kalamazoo United 35, Schoolcraft 27 Perhaps this shouldn’t be considered a stunner – the Titans won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley a year ago. But United (5-4) also bounced back from an 0-3 start and a loss in Week 8 to Constantine to deliver Schoolcraft (8-1) its only defeat – and turn the league title into a three-team share between the Titans, Eagles and Falcons.

More shoutouts Mattawan 32, Stevensville Lakeshore 6 The Wildcats (5-4) won four straight to get back to the playoffs for the third-straight year, and in the process ended Lakeshore’s bid to make the playoffs for the 22nd straight season by sending the Lancers to 4-5. Niles Brandywine 52, Buchanan 38 The Bobcats are 9-0 for the first time since 1995 after putting up 50 points for the fifth time this season to increase their scoring average to 50.3 points per game.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER Marquette 31, Kingsford 7 The Redmen (5-4) did it all in their regular-season finale, clinching the Great Northern Conference title outright while locking up their first winning regular-season record and playoff berth both since 2014. In the process they ended the postseason hopes for Kingsford, which at 4-5 fell a win shy of consideration for the second straight year. Click for more from the Marquette Mining Journal.

Watch list Menominee 48, Hopkins 38 The Maroons may have had a chance to get back to the playoffs at 5-4, but guaranteed a spot finishing 6-3 with this win over the Vikings (8-1), winners of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver this fall.

Remember this one Ishpeming Westwood 42, Negaunee 14 The Patriots (7-2) have beaten Negaunee in three straight, but the Miners (6-3) can earn a rematch as they line up on opposite sides of the same Division 6 District.

More shoutouts Ishpeming 54, Bark River-Harris 8 The Hematites (7-2) finished a perfect run through the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Iron – and will see Bark River-Harris (5-4) again this week in a Division 8 opener. Iron Mountain 42, Gogebic 14 The Mountaineers (9-0) claimed the outright West PAC Copper title and finished the regular season unbeaten for the first time since 2011.

West Michigan

HEADLINER Rockford 17, East Kentwood 7 The last two weeks in the O-K Red have been unpredictable to say the least. Week 8 saw Grandville down Rockford 30-3 to move into a first-place tie with a game to play for both. Rockford (8-1) took care of its end of winning the league title with this victory over East Kentwood. And the Rams finished the weekend outright champs after Caledonia upset the Bulldogs 56-35. Rockford’s win avenged a loss last season to the Falcons – and the Rams can double up as they face East Kentwood (5-4) again in a Division 1 opener this week. See below for highlights from FOX 17.

Watch list Hudsonville Unity Christian 55, Zeeland East 28 The Crusaders (6-3) needed a victory to guarantee returning to the playoffs after winning Division 5 a year ago – and they got it by avenging last season’s defeat to Zeeland East (5-4), one of two teams to beat Unity during the 2018 title run.

Remember this one Grand Haven 37, Grand Rapids Union 6 The Buccaneers (5-4) finished the regular season with a winning record and earned a playoff spot both for the first time since 2011 after closing with four straight victories.

More shoutouts Muskegon Oakridge 25, Traverse City St. Francis 20 The Eagles (9-0) finished their first perfect regular season since 2012 with a final defensive stand against another annual power in St. Francis (6-3). Montague 18, Portland 14 Downing last season’s Division 5 runner-up Portland (7-2) was a huge way to ride into the playoffs for Montague, which was runner-up in Division 6 last year.

8-Player

HEADLINER Gaylord St. Mary 53, Brethren 14 Prospects turned dim when St. Mary had to forfeit four wins three weeks ago. But the Snowbirds (4-5) did everything possible to get into the playoffs, with this victory over Brethen (5-4) joining a Week 8 win over Mio that helped them accumulate enough points to earn a spot in the Division 1 bracket. Click for more from the Gaylord Herald Times.

Watch list Martin 26, Climax-Scotts 24 The Clippers (9-0) just continue to impress, this weekend getting past Climax-Scotts (7-2) to lock up their first perfect regular season since 1987, in this their first season of 8-player football.

Remember this one Sutton Bay 27, Mesick 18 The Norsemen (9-0) closed the regular season winning this matchup of league champions over Mesick (7-2), which still finished with its best regular-season record since 1995.

More shoutouts Engadine 54, Cedarville 20 The Eagles (8-1) ran their winning streak over Cedarville (5-4) to five; Engadine’s only regular-season losses the last two seasons have come to Pickford, this week’s playoff opponent. Deckerville 48, Peck 0 The Eagles (9-0) finished their second straight North Central Thumb League Blue outright title and third perfect regular season this decade with their sixth-straight win over Peck (5-4). 

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PHOTO: Lapeer rumbled to a 24-21 double overtime win over Davison in Week 9 to lock up the Saginaw Valley League Blue championship. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)