Ogemaw Heights Makes Nemesis Latest Hurdle Conquered During Memorable Run
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
November 3, 2023
Ogemaw Heights found itself in an all too familiar position when the football playoffs opened up last week.
The Falcons were trailing Gladwin – this time by three touchdowns. Gladwin, the 2022 Division 5 champion, had knocked off Ogemaw Heights 35-20 last year on the way to the title. Gladwin also had topped the Falcons to open this season 42-28.
But this rematch didn’t stay familiar, as things changed fast. The Falcons cut the lead to just one score by halftime and went on to win 28-23.
Another difference is the Falcons (9-1) were at home — the two previous meetings in less than a year were on the Flying Gs’ field. The Falcons are staying home again this weekend, hosting Kingsford at 1 p.m. Saturday with a District title on the line.
Getting a win over Gladwin did not come as a surprise to the Ogemaw’s head coach, Chad Miller, now in his fifth year at the helm. Strong senior leadership has set the tone, and a talented group of underclassmen has arrived to bolster the lineup.
“We were down 21-0 with three minutes left in the first half and scored twice in that three minutes, and then dominated the second half,” Miller said. “We were good last year losing to a very good Gladwin team in a pretty close game in the first round of the playoffs.
“We knew if the sophomores came around we’d be OK this year.”
The Falcons utilize two of the sophomores at fullback, Calvin Marshall and Conner Lambert. Lambert is also the safety on defense, and Marshall plays defensive tackle.
The other sophomores are Eion Jones, Ethan Hock and Jace Peters. Jones starts at tight end and plays a little defense. Hock is the left guard, and Peters plays everywhere, Miller pointed out.
Karter Schmitt is a four-year starter. Week after week, he leads the team in rushing and tackles as a linebacker. Xander Kartes, in his second year as quarterback and third year starting at safety, is the playmaker and game manager, Miller said.
Schmitt started the comeback against Gladwin with two second-quarter touchdowns. The latter was set up by a Lambert interception.
“We don’t come back from 21 down unless our leaders make great plays,” Miller noted.
The Falcons have 11 other seniors on the roster. Multi-year starters are providing a ton of experience. This year’s seniors missed the playoffs only once during their careers. The other seniors starting again this year are right guard Mason Dunn, left tackle Ty Neubecker, linebacker Jack Fachting, and center/defensive tackle Andrew Christner.
Ogemaw Heights clinched the Northern Michigan Football Conference’s Legends title with a 35-12 win over Kingsley in Week 7. Schmitt ran 27 times for 149 yards to lead Ogemaw to the school’s first football league title since 2009. It was also the Falcons’ final game in the NMFC as they will join the Jack Pine Conference – which includes Gladwin – next fall.
That win over the Stags, also hosting a playoff game this week in Division 6, came in the program’s annual Purple Game. The Falcons wore purple jerseys against the Stags instead of their traditional brown as each player displayed a family member or friend’s name on the back of the uniform in honor of someone fighting cancer.
The Purple Game originated after the loss of previous coaches and community members to cancer, Miller indicated. The game date is set in advance of the season, just like Homecoming.
“We dedicate one game to anybody with or who has cancer,” Miller said. “The players choose someone in their lives, and we wear purple jerseys with the person’s relative or family name on the back and we present it to the family afterwards.
“It was a big night,” Miller continued. “Kingsley is a machine.”
Kingsford also will bring a 9-1 record over the Mackinac Bridge and down I-75 to the West Branch exit. The Flivvers’ only loss was 13-12 at Negaunee, a team battling this weekend for a District championship in Division 6.
“Kingsford is a very good team with a running back that has over 900 yards and 17 touchdowns the last three games,” Miller said of his team’s next opponent. “He’s probably the best running we’ve seen this year — he is going to be an issue.
“We won’t back down from anything,” Miller added. “The kids are cornfield tough – they are tough guys, man.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. 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) Ogemaw Heights’ Karter Schmitt is tackled by Gavin Dear and Gavyn Merchant during the Falcons’ win over Kingsley this season. (Middle) Xander Kartes (9) tips a pass intended for Eli Graves. (Photos courtesy of the Traverse City Record-Eagle.)
Molded by Early Losses, Cass Tech Closes Season by Taking Back D1 Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 30, 2024
DETROIT – The players and coaches on the Detroit Cass Tech football team heard the rumblings when they started this season 2-2.
They heard the calls for coach Marvin Rushing’s job. They heard the doubts sprouting up about their ability to compete for a Finals title.
Rather than let the noise break them apart, they used it to rally, and Saturday they put it all to bed with a 42-20 victory against Hudsonville in the Division 1 championship game at Ford Field.
“Everything we did was intentional – we purposely played Rockford to get ready for Dakota – we played those teams knowing we’d have games like this. We went to Ohio intentionally to get ready for all this, and every lesson we seemed to get better from,” Rushing said. “The biggest reason we’re here is our two losses. Those prepared us for today. It’s unfortunate that so many people don’t understand that great things can come sometimes from setbacks.”
The title was the fourth in program history for Cass Tech, and first since 2016, when it completed a remarkable run of three titles – and four Finals appearances – over six seasons.
“The day before check-in day, I chose to stay and play for my team and with my little brother James Johnson,” said senior receiver and defensive back Alex Graham, a Colorado commit who was at IMG Academy in Florida a year ago. “One of my goals my whole season was to win a state championship, and we got the job done. So, I’m real happy to do that.”
Graham had his usual stat-stuffing performance for the Technicians, who closed the season with 10 straight wins to finish 12-2. He had 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground, 57 yards on four catches through the air, and added six tackles, a forced fumble and an interception on defense.
His fellow wideout, Corey Sadler Jr., meanwhile, had six catches for 47 yards and two TDs.
“I have Batman and Batman,” Rushing said. “Some people say they have Batman and Robin, I have Batman and Batman.”
All those catches and yards came from the hand of freshman quarterback Donald Tabron II, who finished the night 15-of-20 for 176 yards and three TDs.
“It’s a great thing to have around me. It helps me play a balanced game on offense,” Tabron said. “We can run the ball, pass the ball. When you have guys like CJ and Alex, it kind of makes it easy for me as the quarterback. I know that no matter where I put the football, they’re going to make a play.”
Cass Tech dominated the first half, and by the time Hudsonville found its footing, the hole was too deep.
The Technicians scored on their first three possessions, driving 81 yards in nine plays on their first, and taking advantage of short fields on the second two, putting Hudsonville in a tough spot early in the second quarter.
Jaylen Spates scored the first touchdown on a five-yard run, while Sadler scored the next two on passes of 16 and six yards from Tabron. Sadler’s first score followed a short Hudsonville punt, while his second came after a Cass Tech fumble recovery deep in Hudsonville territory.
Tabron added a third TD pass late in the second quarter, hitting Will Sykes for a 19-yard score. That was also a short field, as Graham had intercepted a pass, setting Cass Tech up on the 19.
“We made some mistakes, and Cass Tech’s a really good football team,” Hudsonville coach Brent Sandee said. “They played really well, they’re very athletic. We had to play a clean game, and unfortunately we didn’t. But our kids battled the whole time and represented our school and our community real well. I’m really proud of us and the way we played. They’re great representatives of Hudsonville, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Cass Tech had a chance to add another score after recovering a fumble in Hudsonville territory with 1:10 to play in the first half, but the Hudsonville defense made a stand to keep the score 27-0.
That didn’t last long, though, as Graham scored on a 54-yard run two plays into the third quarter.
Hudsonville got on the board with a one-yard QB sneak for a touchdown by Griffin Baker. The score was set up by a 22-yard throwback to Baker from Braden VanLaecke.
The Eagles got some extra life when they recovered an onside kick following the score before exchanging turnovers near midfield – an interception for Cass Tech’s Derrick Jackson and a fumble recovery by Hudsonville’s Tyler Strick.
Bryce Fox cashed in for the Eagles, scoring on a 14-yard TD run to pull his team within three scores at 35-13 with 5:07 left in the third.
The Eagles threatened to make it even closer, getting down to the Cass Tech 6-yard line, but the Technicians’ defense held, forcing a turnover on downs.
By the time Hudsonville saw the ball again, it was trailing 42-13 – Cass Tech added a 24-yard TD run by De’Mari Hendrix – and there were fewer than four minutes remaining in the game.
Carson Dykstra ended the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown reception from Baker.
Baker finished 8-of-12 for 112 yards passing for the Eagles (12-2), with Dykstra catching four passes for 74 yards. Owen Haarsma led the Hudsonville ground game with 95 yards on 13 carries.
“I just feel like we have something special with this team, and it’s special for our community, too,” Hudsonville senior Jalen Oosting said. “I just think it’s an awesome story just to hear all the whispers, and all the talk and chatter at school. I just think it’s awesome it’s affected our community. I just loved being here with these guys.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Cass Tech’s Julian Taylor (23) works to break a Hudsonville tackle Saturday evening at Ford Field. (Middle) Dylon Pace (13) wraps up Eagles quarterback Griffin Baker. (Below) Cass Tech’s Logan Howell raises the championship trophy in the air as his teammates cheer around him. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)