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New Field Next Step in Glen Lake Surge

August 31, 2017

By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half

MAPLE CITY – With school about to begin, Glen Lake will be hosting perhaps its biggest event of the school year tonight.

Perennial power Traverse City St. Francis heads up to Leelanau County to take on the Lakers in a Week 2 football showdown.

Glen Lake, a 42-20 winner over Kingsley in last week’s season opener, is coming off an 11-3 campaign that ended in the MHSAA Division 6 Final at Ford Field. The Lakers lost the title game to Jackson Lumen Christi 26-14.

St. Francis, a 21-7 victor over Marquette last weekend, finished 11-1 a year ago, losing to eventual Division 7 champion Pewamo-Westphalia 17-14 in the Regional Finals.

“Anytime you play St. Francis – it doesn’t matter if you play them on the beach – it’s a big game,” Lakers coach Jerry Angers said.

The two teams will not be playing in the sand tonight. They’ll be playing on Glen Lake’s new synthetic field, which workers put the finishing touches on to meet a down-to-the-wire deadline this week.

The field is the latest positive for the Glen Lake program.

The school board considered installing a new natural grass field, but opted for the artificial turf because of its “usability.”

“Once you accept the premise that the football field needed to be replaced, it wasn’t that much of a leap to go to artificial turf (over natural grass) given how much more we can use it,” superintendent Sander Scott said. “Usability – that was the determining factor.”

The field will be used by other sports teams as well as physical education classes.

“That’s the beauty of it,” athletic director Jennifer Johnston added. “Our entire student body and community can reap the benefits of having a field like that.”

The school board approved spending nearly $850,000 on the surface, but Scott said “it’s looking like it’s going to come in well below that.”

Scott said officials put added emphasis on drainage, an issue that’s plagued Traverse City’s Thirlby Field.

“We’re aware of the challenges Thirlby Field has had (with its synthetic surface), so we really made sure we did not duplicate whatever mistake that was done there,” he said. “We probably overbuilt for drainage.”

The field is not the only new enhancement fans will notice tonight. Officials “beefed up” the wireless network at the field and brought back the berms on the home side for those who prefer lawn seating to bleachers.

The upgrades add to the momentum that’s building in the athletic program. Glen Lake was named the Traverse City Record-Eagle’s School of Year in 2016-17 after the football team reached the MHSAA Finals and the girls basketball team the Semifinals. In addition, Nichole Cox won a third consecutive individual MHSAA Finals golf championship.

“We’re on an upswing,” Angers said. “Everybody is upbeat.

“I know we savored it (last year’s football tournament run). Hopefully, it will fuel us this year – and in years to come.”

Johnston said her message to fall coaches was “keep doing what you’re doing because it’s working.”

“We have a vision and that’s to work hard to improve every day with pride, class and integrity,” she added.

It’s that motto that the school emphasized in ads that ran in the Record-Eagle fall sports tab and in the Leelanau Enterprise.

“We wanted to promote and brand our athletic department,” Johnston said.

Still, Johnston noted, the school has goals other than winning for its student athletes.

“We want to prepare our students to be successful in the real world and contribute to society in a positive way,” she said. “We have high expectations on the playing field, but it starts in the classroom.”

Speaking of the classroom, Glen Lake is on a roll there, too. The school conducted a search this summer for two secondary math teachers with proven records of increasing student achievement. The school even offered a signing bonus. Forty-six teachers applied, compared to 14 for a similar position at another local high school.

Glen Lake ended up hiring two teachers with more than 20 years of experience.

“The one thing we do that distinguishes us from other schools,” Scott said, “is that we will give teachers credit for all their years. When I was part of other districts, the highest they typically go is six years. If you’re a teacher with 20-plus years, you’re not going to take a huge pay cut to move. We wanted to eliminate that (obstacle). We just posted an elementary opening and had 153 applicants.”

For Johnston, she had another reason to celebrate the 2016-17 sports season. Her father, Roy, who coaches basketball at Beaverton, became the state’s all-time winningest coach in that sport last winter.

“I was really excited for him,” she said. “He’s definitely stood the test of time. He’ll be the first to tell you that you’re not put in that position, to reach a milestone like that, without a lot of good players and without the support of a great community and school. To me, the entire Beaverton community earned that accolade.”

When Glen Lake was making its run to Ford Field last fall, Johnston was quick to mention to Angers that he should enjoy every minute of it.

“I said, ‘Jerry, you have to realize my dad’s been coaching 46 years and the furthest he’s made it is to the Semifinals,” she said. “You never know. (The Finals are) quite an accomplishment. Enjoy it to the fullest.”

One game into the new season, Angers already is raving about the support his team is receiving from the student body and community.

“The crowd we had at Kingsley was unbelievable,” he said. “And I expect it will continue to grow.”

Especially with St. Francis coming to town tonight.

But for all the good cheer, Glen Lake is also without a familiar face this season. Paul Christiansen stepped down as girls golf coach after last season, ending a coaching career that started at the school in 1973. 

“I texted him after our coaches meeting in August,” Johnston said. “I said, ‘It was sure weird not having you at that coaches meeting.’ He texted me back and said, ‘Trust me, it was sure weird not being there.’”

When Christiansen started in the fall of 1973, he was an assistant varsity football coach and boys JV basketball coach. By the next year, he had become the head football and boys varsity track coach, in addition to coaching JV basketball for his close friend Don Miller.

“After the second year, our superintendent said three (coaching jobs) is too many, especially with two as a head coach at the varsity level,” Christiansen recalled. “He said, ‘I don’t care which ones you do, but pick two. I think you’ll be better off.’”

Christiansen gave up football. But he later picked up a third sport again when he coached girls middle school basketball. He would end up coaching boys JV basketball for 25 years and boys and girls varsity track 20 years apiece. In all, he coached 92 sports seasons at Glen Lake.

“It’s an odd feeling after 44 years,” Christiansen said. “It’s like, ‘Whoa!’ But it was time to move on.”

Christiansen went out on a high note after Cox became just the third girl in MHSAA history to win three consecutive individual golf titles. She’s now at Bowling Green University.

“I didn’t script it that way, but if you were to script it, going out with an individual or team championship would be the way,” he said.

Glen Lake had just three golfers last season, not enough to compete as a team. The school dropped the sport this season.

“For Glen Lake to allow us to keep competing (last season), even though we didn’t have a full complement of players to count as a team score, I was really thankful for that,” Christiansen said. “And Nichole was especially thankful.”

Cox’s title was part of a “wave of success” that highlighted the last school year.

But this is a new year. New teams. New challenges.

Angers, for one, is hoping to keep that momentum rolling, although he lost some talented players to graduation, including eight defensive starters.

“The key is you want to retool (not rebuild) every year and I think that’s where we are right now with the program,” he said.

St. Francis will be a good test.

Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. 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) Maple City Glen Lake quarterback Cade Peterson prepares to take a snap last season. (Middle top) A drone's view of the new artificial turf field at Glen Lake, set to debut Friday. (Middle below) Peterson breaks through a hole following a block by teammate Max Guilbeau (43). (Below) Recently retired coach Paul Christiansen. (Photos courtesy of Greg Guilbeau [action] Scott Jozwiak [drone] and Don Miller [Christiansen].)

Negaunee's David Juchemich is able to get to Iron Mountain's quarterback Brayden Kassin.

1st & Goal: 2025 Week 9 Review

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 27, 2025

Before we could get to Sunday and the announcement of brackets for this season’s MHSAA Football Playoffs, we cheered through Friday and Saturday’s regular-season finales as teams had one more chance to affect their postseason destinies this fall.

MI Student AidSeveral capitalized on those opportunities.

We highlight many of those matchups below, as well as a few final league title deciders and other games of note as 288 teams prepare to continue on this week.

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER Harbor Beach 41, Millington 7 This impressive win over the reigning Division 7 champion Cardinals (6-3) is another indication Harbor Beach is going to be tough to beat in the Division 8 bracket. The Pirates have held strong in the fourth spot on their division’s playoff list and are set to host through the Regional Final if they advance. Click for more from the Huron Daily Tribune.

Watch list Marysville 19, Marine City 8 These two kept their annual series going despite playing in different divisions of the Macomb Area Conference for the first time since 2011, with the Vikings (7-2) Gold runners-up and Marine City (6-3) the Silver champ. Marysville won the matchup for the second straight, closing the regular season with only a pair of losses coming during the first three weeks and both by three points or fewer.

On the move Grand Blanc 40, Romeo 36 The Bobcats (9-0) finished a second perfect regular season over the last four, but not without facing their toughest challenge as Romeo (6-3) lost for the first time since Week 2. Almont 53, Detroit Edison 46 Almont (9-0) capped its second-straight perfect regular season with its closest win since opening day, as Edison (7-2) lost for the first time since Week 2. Frankenmuth 42, Armada 14  These two could meet again in a Division 5 District Final after this result sent the Eagles to 8-1 and Armada to 6-3.

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER Detroit Catholic Central 26, Detroit Martin Luther King 14 The final game statewide of the 2025 regular season matched two expected contenders in Divisions 1 and 3, respectively, in a Prep Bowl showdown at Ford Field. King (5-4) pulled within one score multiple times during the fourth quarter, but DCC (9-0) answered both to finish a second-straight perfect regular season. Click for more from the Detroit Free Press.

Watch list Birmingham Groves 21, Birmingham Seaholm 14 Groves (6-3) defeated the Maples for the third-straight time to lock up homefield advantage through two potential District games, including a possible rematch with Seaholm (5-4) in two weeks.

On the move Harper Woods 21, Mason 17 The Pioneers (9-0) hung on for their third one-score win this fall to finish their first perfect regular season since  2007, while sending Mason to 5-4 with a third defeat by seven points or fewer. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 34, Hudsonville Unity Christian 25 The reigning Division 5 champion Fighting Irish (7-2) have won six straight with this arguably the most impressive of the run as they handed Division 4 Unity (8-1) its only loss. Salem 34, Livonia Stevenson 6 The Rocks (5-4) won their league crossover to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2017 (not counting 2020, when nearly all teams made the field because of COVID-19).

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER Howell 57, Belleville 36 The Highlanders (8-1) claimed their second-straight overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship as these two division winners met for a repeat of last year’s title game. Howell’s Christian Farren scored three touchdowns during the first quarter, and Bryce Kish scored three over the final three quarters as Belleville (7-2) lost for the first time since the season opener. Click for more from the Detroit News.

Watch list East Lansing 28, Holt 14 The Trojans reached the Division 2 playoffs at 4-5 in part after winning their third game in a row and also because their losses came against opponents with a combined record of 42-3, including three teams that finished 9-0.

On the move Beal City 39, Ithaca 8 The Aggies (9-0) completed their second perfect regular season in four years, and this one while giving up only 31 points total against a schedule with five playoff teams including Ithaca (6-3). DeWitt 63, Lansing Everett 7 The Panthers (9-0) closed an outright Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title, running their league winning streak to 17 games while scoring at least 51 points in all six Blue games this fall. St. Johns 28, Ypsilanti Lincoln 23 The Redwings (5-4) ended a four-game losing streak to secure a second-straight playoff berth and send also playoff-bound Lincoln to 6-3, which is still the Railsplitters’ best record since 2017 when they last qualified for the postseason (not counting COVID-shortened 2020).

Durand hands off the ball as blockers hold back Bath's defenders during the Railroaders' 50-0 victory.

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER Maple City Glen Lake 23, Mancelona 22 Glen Lake (7-1) went to Mancelona to claim this winner-take-all matchup for the Northern Michigan Football Conference Legacy championship, the Lakers’ second-straight outright league title. Glen Lake now will host Mancelona (5-4) in a Division 8 District Semifinal. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Watch list Traverse City West 21, Traverse City Central 20 (OT) You’ll literally have a chance to watch again as these two will face off this week as well in a first-round Division 2 game. The Titans (5-4) have won three straight in the series and will see Central (5-4) in the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

On the move Kingsley 44, Charlevoix 18 The Stags (7-2) will jump into the postseason as the No. 7 team on the Division 6 playoff list – their highest rank since Week 4 – and coming off handing Charlevoix (8-1) its only defeat. Boyne City 27, Kalkaska 20 The Ramblers (6-3) have reached the playoffs every season this decade but kept the Blazers (5-4) from advancing as they fell to the No. 37 spot on the Division 6 list. McBain 21, Fowler 14 These two have put together a nice regular season-ending showdown the last three seasons, with this the second straight decided by seven points and this time for McBain (7-2) after Fowler (6-3) won last season’s meeting.

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER Hanover-Horton 20, Michigan Center 14 The Comets (7-2) showed again how much can change over the course of a season, winning this championship matchup of Cascades Conference division winners after falling to Michigan Center (8-1) in nonleague play 53-14 in Week 3. Click for more from the Jackson Citizen Patriot.

Watch list Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 42, Allen Park Cabrini 7 FGR (9-0) impressively won this Prep Bowl matchup of undefeated opponents to complete its first perfect regular season since 1976 (according to Michigan-Football.com).

On the move Jonesville 22, Manchester 0 The Comets (6-3) were close to the line for making the playoffs heading into the weekend but secured their spot in Division 7, as did Manchester (5-4) in Division 8 despite the defeat. Napoleon 40, Brooklyn Columbia Central 36 The Pirates (6-3) bounced back from falling to Michigan Center in a title decider the week before to get past the Golden Eagles (5-4) in a matchup of Cascades runners-up. Onsted 36, Detroit Henry Ford 16 The Wildcats (4-5) – winners of three of their last four games – sat anywhere from No. 37-44 on the Division 6 playoff list between Weeks 3-8 before jumping seven spots to No. 32 with this victory and earning first postseason appearance this decade.

Otsego's Lane Blanchard (8) is chased by Plainwell defenders during the Bulldogs' 39-0 win. 

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER Portage Central 40, St. Joseph 8 Central avenged last season’s loss that led to shared league title, this time clinching the outright championship in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West and completing its first perfect regular season since 2013. The Mustangs (9-0) gave up their first points since Week 6 – making the total just 18 this season. The Bears (5-4) were averaging more than 37 points per game entering the weekend. Click for more from the St. Joseph Herald-Palladium.

Watch list Niles 21, Edwardsburg 12 Niles (9-0) completed an outright championship run in the Wolverine Conference despite facing their stiffest challenge in league play in the third-place Eddies (6-3). After back-to-back one-loss regular seasons, Niles also capped its first perfect one since 1979.

On the move Buchanan 46, Muskegon Catholic Central 6 The Bucks (6-3) were treading near the playoff qualification line in Division 6, but will return to the field for a fourth-straight season. Kalamazoo United 25, Schoolcraft 20 The Titans (7-2) have won six straight this fall and most recently against Schoolcraft (7-2) had lost back-to-back games in 2022 and 2023. Kalamazoo Central 52, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 10 The Maroon Giants (6-3) clinched a second-straight outright championship in the SMAC East and will next face Howell in a District opener for the second-straight season as well.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER Marquette 21, Kingsford 13 In breaking a three-year losing streak against the Flivvers, Marquette (6-3) bumped up four spots to No. 23 on the Division 3 playoff list to secure a spot in the postseason after just missing a year ago. Kingsford (6-3) fell only one spot in the Division 5 field, to No. 18, and will host its first-round District game this weekend. Click for more from MyUPNow.

Watch list West Iron County 42, Hancock 38 After ranking between No. 36-48 on the Division 8 playoff list over the last six weeks, West Iron (4-4) played this win into a four-spot jump and its first postseason berth this decade.

On the move Escanaba 38, Gladstone 12 Escanaba not only capped its most successful regular season since 1998 at 8-1, but guaranteed itself at least two home playoff games if it advances this week against Freeland. Negaunee 44, Iron Mountain 7 The Miners (6-3) broke a two-game losing streak to the rival Mountaineers (6-3), and in doing so held on to a spot in the Division 5 playoff field. Calumet 42, L’Anse 8 The Copper Kings (7-2) capped their best regular season since 2019 with a fourth-straight win, and L’Anse (5-4) as well was able to hang on to a first playoff berth in three seasons.

Marquette's Ford Richardson (11) eludes a Kingsford defender.

West Michigan

HEADLINER Belding 52, Wyoming Godwin Heights 20 The Black Knights took this winner-take-all title matchup in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver, running its league championship streak to four and its league game winning streak to 23. Belding (8-1) also clinched homefield advantage through Regional Finals if it advances, and Godwin Heights (7-2) also will host this week. Click for more from the Greenville Daily News.

Watch list Holland Christian 35, Grand Rapids Christian 22 Despite going 1-4 in O-K Black play, Holland Christian (5-4) hung on with this win over O-K White runner-up Grand Rapids Christian (5-4) as both landed in the playoffs.

On the move Grand Rapids West Catholic 28, Zeeland West 16 West Catholic (8-1) avenged last season’s loss to the eventual Division 3 champion Dux (6-3). Grand Rapids Catholic Central 24, Grand Rapids South Christian 17 The Cougars (9-0) survived one of their closest games this fall to clinch their first perfect regular season since 2021. Muskegon Oakridge 41, North Muskegon 27 Oakridge (6-3) bounced back from two straight losses by avenging last season’s defeat to North Muskegon (6-3).

8-Player

HEADLINER Indian River Inland Lakes 47, Gaylord St. Mary 20 This one receives top billing because it determined one of the final league titles still outstanding, and Inland Lakes (9-0) indeed clinched its fifth-straight Ski Valley Conference championship and ran its regular-season winning streak to 23 games. St. Mary (7-2) finished Ski Valley runner-up for the fourth-straight season but did hold on to one of the final spots in the Division 2 playoff field. Click for more from the Petoskey News-Review.

Watch list Portland St. Patrick 42, Blanchard Montabella 16 Montabella’s pursuit of a perfect regular season has been rightfully noted these last few weeks. But the Shamrocks (9-0) completed theirs by handing the Mustangs (8-1) their only loss, and in the process St. Patrick moved up to become the overall No. 1 in Division 2 playoff points – especially key if it ends up facing No. 2 Mendon in a Regional Final.

On the move St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy 43, AuGres-Sims 6 The Patriots (7-2) went from a three-year losing streak ending in 2023 to this fall the North Star League Big Dipper championship and their first season ending with a winning record. AuGres-Sims (5-4) shared the Little Dipper title. Climax-Scotts 72, Pittsford 64 These two finished the regular season with a bang, with their combined 136 points tying for ninth-most in an 8-player game when the losing team scored at least 40. Hillman 28, Rogers City 24 With this first win over Rogers City (4-5) in four recent attempts, Hillman (6-3) hung on to the final playoff qualifying spot in Division 2.

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PHOTOS (Top) Negaunee's David Juchemich is able to get to Iron Mountain's quarterback Brayden Kassin on Thursday. (2) Durand hands off the ball as blockers hold back Bath's defenders during the Railroaders' 50-0 victory. (3) Otsego's Lane Blanchard (8) is chased by Plainwell defenders during the Bulldogs' 39-0 win. (4) Marquette's Ford Richardson (11) eludes a Kingsford defender. (Negaunee/Iron Mountain photo by Cara Kamps. Durand/Bath photo by John Johnson. Otsego/Plainwell photo by Gary Shook. Marquette/Kingsford photo by Randy Ritari.)