Performance: Morrice's Hunter Nowak
November 15, 2018
Hunter Nowak
Morrice senior - Football
Morrice’s third-year varsity quarterback continued the play Friday that has helped his team to the best season in program history. Nowak ran 28 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Orioles to a 40-8 win over Colon in an 8-Player Division 1 Semifinal, earning the senior signal-caller the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Nowak has run 204 times for 1,922 yards (9.4 yards per carry) and 33 touchdowns this season, and completed 24 of 49 passes for 529 yards and eight more scores. His 232 points rank third all-time since MHSAA-sponsored 8-player football was added a decade ago. He took over the QB spot in 2016, and Morrice went 4-5, but the Orioles improved to 9-2 last season and this fall finished the regular season 9-0 for the first time in the program’s 11 or 8-player history. Last week’s Semifinal was the team’s second ever and first since 1996, and this Saturday’s championship game against Pickford at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome will be the Orioles’ first trip to the MHSAA Finals in this sport. Along the way, Morrice avenged last season’s playoff loss to North Central Thumb League Red rival Deckerville – which went on to finish 2017 Division 1 runner-up – and handed Wyoming Tri-unity Christian its only defeat this fall in the Regional Final two weeks ago.
Nowak plays only football at Morrice, but does also play on a high school-level rugby club team based in Howell. He carries a 4.0 grade-point average while dually enrolled at Lansing Community College, and hopes to study aviation after high school with aspirations of becoming a commercial airline pilot.
Performance Point: “The defense played great. They played shutout. The defense really won us the game, I think,” Nowak said of the Semifinal win over Colon. “We were able to put up 40 points, but that was a great offense they had. … It’s the first time we ever went to a state final for this, and we’re just really excited about it. We’ve been playing football since third grade, and we’ve always had successful seasons. We always thought that especially our senior year, we always thought, man, we really need to do really good that year. For it to happen, I think it’s great, because we’ve been working hard all year (and) ever since we started playing varsity. We’re thankful to the town for showing up at the games. Everyone comes out. It’s a big deal.”
That’s when we knew: “Our sophomore year, we didn’t do too great. We got four wins as sophomores; we could’ve done better. Last year we were OK – we lost to Deckerville in the second round (38-0). … Our first game (this season), we beat Deckerville (34-14). I think that was big. We went there, we won by 20 points, and that’s when we realized we’re a good team this year – we really have a shot to go far. We had lost the second round of playoffs the year before by a lot there. So to have our first game, since playing there, be right there again, and to be able to win – it put behind all the doubt that we had last year.”
Taking this on together: “I think it’s the combination of a lot of us have been playing since third grade together. And there’s not a whole lot of us, so that bond has just grown through the years. And I think we’re just really good at football, and the whole speed thing really helps too. … I think it’s just knowing what someone else is going to do. If I’m running the ball, I can get a sense of where my lead blockers are going to go, what they’re going to do. We can try to get a sense of what other people are going to do. We can communicate easier. If something happens, we can fix it real quick, because we know how to talk to each other.”
It’s a speed thing: “I think 11-man was more about who’s going to be bigger on the line and then trying to work around that. (Eight-player) is not so much who is bigger on the line, it’s who can get off the line quicker and find the hole faster. We’re not the biggest team, but we’re a very fast team. That definitely helps us out.”
Revved and rallying: “When you’re done with the game and you’re walking back to the stands, there’s a lot of people I’ve never met before. But they’re all congratulating us, and they seem really excited about it. They’re there. They don’t know us personally, but they’re excited for the football team and they want to tell us, ‘Good job.’ There’s a lot of people talking about coming up (for the Final).”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2018-19 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Past 2018-19 honorees
November 8: Jon Dougherty, Detroit Country Day soccer - Read
November 1: Jordan Stump, Camden-Frontier volleyball - Read
October 25: Danielle Staskowski, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep golf - Read
October 18: Adam Bruce, Gladstone cross country - Read
October 11: Ericka VanderLende, Rockford cross country - Read
October 4: Kobe Clark, Schoolcraft football - Read
September 27: Jonathan Kliewer, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern soccer - Read
September 20: Kiera Lasky, Bronson volleyball - Read
September 13: Judy Rector, Hanover-Horton cross country - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Morrice quarterback Hunter Nowak (32) pulls away from a Colon defender during last week’s Semifinal win over the Magi. (Middle) Nowak and teammate Sam Koresky celebrate one of his touchdowns. (Photos courtesy of the Lansing State Journal.)
2014 Week 9 Football Playoff Listing
October 21, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Following is a list of Michigan High School Athletic Association football playing schools with at least four wins, displaying their win-loss records and playoff averages through the eighth week of the season.
Schools on this list are in enrollment order for 11-player teams, with 8-player teams ordered by playoff average. An asterisk (*) beside a record indicates a team has eight or fewer games scheduled. A caret (^) beside a school’s name indicates a team is one win away from playoff qualification.
Those schools with 11-player teams with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules, or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer, will qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs beginning Oct. 31. Schools with 5-4, 4-3 or 4-4 records may qualify if the number of potential qualifiers by win total does not reach the 256 mark. Schools with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer may be subtracted from the field based on playoff average if the number of potential qualifiers exceeds the 256 mark.
Once the 256 qualifying schools are determined, they will be divided by enrollment groups into eight equal divisions of 32 schools, and then drawn into regions of eight teams each and districts of four teams each. Those schools with 8-player teams will be ranked by playoff average at season’s end, and the top 16 programs will be drawn into regions of eight teams each for the playoff in that division, which also begins Oct. 31.
To review a list of all football playoff schools, individual school playoff point details and to report errors, visit the Football page of the MHSAA Website.
The announcement of the qualifiers and first-round pairings for both the 11 and 8-player playoffs will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 26 on the Selection Sunday Show on FOX Sports Detroit. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show.
11-Player Playoff Listing
1. Macomb Dakota, 2814, 6-2, 84.500
2. Sterling Heights Stevenson, 2767, 6-2, 83.875
3. Clarkston, 2742, 8-0, 111.000
4. Utica Eisenhower ^, 2712, 5-3, 75.500
5. Grand Blanc ^, 2668, 5-3, 63.875
6. Howell, 2595, 4-4, 57.750
7. East Kentwood, 2592, 7-1, 93.500
8. Rockford, 2555, 6-2, 88.375
9. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley ^, 2538, 5-3, 69.750
10. Lake Orion, 2459, 4-4, 50.750
11. Dearborn Fordson, 2411, 8-0, 108.000
12. Northville ^, 2298, 5-3, 63.000
13. Holland West Ottawa ^, 2293, 5-3, 72.500
14. Canton, 2289, 6-2, 85.375
15. Detroit Cass Tech, 2277, 8-0, 106.000
16. Brighton, 2133, 4-4, 52.125
17. Plymouth, 2116, 6-2, 77.250
18. Lapeer, 2112, 8-0, 101.000
19. Utica Ford, 2090, 4-4, 47.125
20. Hartland, 2007, 6-2, 84.125
21. Monroe, 1992, 6-2, 81.625
22. West Bloomfield, 1929, 7-1, 93.875
23. Dearborn ^, 1876, 5-3, 71.375
24. Westland John Glenn ^, 1872, 5-3, 60.875
25. Warren Mott, 1870, 4-4, 58.250
26. Oxford, 1864, 6-2, 78.625
27. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 1857, 4-4, 48.250
28. Livonia Stevenson, 1848, 6-2, 76.125
29. Saline, 1844, 7-1, 92.083
30. Grandville, 1820, 4-4, 56.750
31. Walled Lake Central, 1815, 6-2, 83.250
32. Romeo ^, 1770, 5-3, 66.625
33. Hudsonville ^, 1759, 5-3, 67.875
34. Waterford Mott ^, 1738, 5-3, 69.750
35. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 1711, 4-4, 50.625
36. Livonia Churchill, 1696, 6-2, 79.250
37. Grand Ledge ^, 1689, 5-3, 61.875
38. Fraser ^, 1684, 5-3, 61.625
39. Grosse Pointe South, 1674, 4-4, 57.750
40. Traverse City West, 1658, 4-4, 54.625
41. Rochester Adams, 1614, 4-4, 49.375
42. Walled Lake Northern, 1613, 4-4, 54.250
43. Waterford Kettering, 1610, 4-4, 49.250
44. Temperance Bedford, 1600, 4-4, 54.125
45. Warren Cousino ^, 1588, 5-3, 67.250
46. Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 1568, 6-2, 77.375
47. Warren DeLaSalle ^, 1562, 5-3, 59.100
48. Davison, 1531, 4-4, 47.000
49. Detroit Western International, 1521, 4-4, 41.125
50. Detroit Martin Luther King, 1507, 8-0, 109.143
51. Walled Lake Western, 1502, 7-1, 97.500
52. Traverse City Central, 1490, 6-2, 79.875
53. Oak Park, 1486, 6-2, 79.500
54. Brownstown Woodhaven, 1484, 8-0, 107.000
55. East Detroit, 1422, 4-4, 45.750
56. Ypsilanti Lincoln, 1422, 6-2, 74.875
57. Caledonia, 1417, 6-2, 86.875
58. Midland, 1400, 4-4, 48.375
59. Southfield-Lathrup, 1388, 4-4, 49.250
60. Portage Central *, 1384, 6-1, 86.911
61. Detroit Pershing, 1379, 4-4, 40.518
62. Southgate Anderson ^, 1374, 5-3, 59.000
63. Lansing Everett ^, 1364, 5-3, 63.125
64. Dearborn Edsel Ford, 1356, 4-4, 51.250
65. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1351, 6-2, 77.625
66. Detroit East English ^, 1345, 5-3, 62.768
67. Portage Northern ^, 1345, 5-3, 69.571
68. Port Huron, 1336, 6-2, 80.375
69. Grosse Pointe North ^, 1310, 5-3, 66.625
70. Ypsilanti Community ^, 1300, 5-3, 59.500
71. Birmingham Brother Rice, 1298, 8-0, 109.000
72. Swartz Creek ^, 1285, 5-3, 61.875
73. Battle Creek Lakeview *, 1278, 6-1, 90.071
74. Muskegon Mona Shores, 1274, 7-1, 95.625
75. Okemos ^, 1273, 5-3, 66.750
76. Bay City Central, 1271, 4-4, 51.750
77. Birmingham Groves, 1270, 6-2, 76.375
78. Berkley, 1265, 6-2, 75.125
79. Flushing, 1260, 6-2, 79.250
80. Midland Dow, 1255, 8-0, 101.000
81. South Lyon, 1254, 7-1, 94.250
82. Southfield, 1239, 6-2, 78.500
83. Farmington Hills Harrison, 1212, 7-1, 94.625
84. Mattawan ^, 1184, 5-3, 64.929
85. Fenton, 1181, 8-0, 107.000
86. Farmington, 1178, 7-1, 94.750
87. Grand Rapids Northview, 1177, 6-2, 76.375
88. Warren Woods Tower, 1175, 6-2, 76.500
89. Muskegon, 1157, 8-0, 105.000
90. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, 1153, 4-4, 48.375
91. Lowell, 1145, 7-1, 85.625
92. Detroit Renaissance ^, 1144, 5-3, 58.893
93. Greenville, 1130, 4-4, 43.125
94. Gibraltar Carlson, 1129, 4-4, 45.750
95. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, 1125, 4-4, 49.750
96. Battle Creek Central, 1124, 4-4, 49.339
97. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 1113, 6-2, 78.375
98. Holland, 1109, 4-4, 46.000
99. Detroit Cody ^, 1096, 5-3, 58.893
100. Marquette, 1090, 7-1, 81.292
101. St. Johns, 1088, 7-1, 90.875
102. Byron Center, 1085, 6-2, 74.500
103. Allen Park, 1069, 7-1, 88.875
104. Richland Gull Lake, 1064, 4-4, 46.964
105. Auburn Hills Avondale ^, 1056, 5-3, 58.000
106. Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 1054, 7-1, 85.875
107. Mt. Pleasant ^, 1050, 5-3, 59.125
108. Mason ^, 1032, 5-3, 61.125
109. St. Joseph, 1028, 4-4, 50.214
110. Redford Thurston ^, 1024, 5-3, 62.875
111. East Grand Rapids ^, 986, 5-3, 69.250
112. Petoskey, 965, 6-2, 77.375
113. Trenton ^, 955, 5-3, 60.250
114. Romulus, 950, 6-2, 65.500
115. Riverview ^, 935, 5-3, 55.250
116. DeWitt, 930, 8-0, 107.000
117. Gaylord ^, 927, 5-3, 59.875
118. Linden, 921, 6-2, 74.500
119. Detroit Mumford ^, 919, 5-3, 61.125
120. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, 914, 4-4, 46.000
121. Cedar Springs, 910, 7-1, 87.500
122. Grand Rapids Christian ^, 895, 5-3, 65.125
123. Fruitport, 890, 4-4, 48.625
124. Stevensville Lakeshore, 887, 6-2, 80.071
125. Sault Ste. Marie, 886, 4-4, 46.750
126. Niles ^, 885, 5-3, 60.589
127. Coldwater, 876, 7-1, 73.875
128. Haslett, 874, 4-4, 55.750
129. Tecumseh ^, 869, 5-3, 62.125
130. New Boston Huron, 867, 7-1, 78.875
131. Warren Fitzgerald ^, 857, 5-3, 55.625
132. Zeeland West, 850, 8-0, 95.000
133. Dearborn Divine Child, 848, 6-2, 66.857
134. Bay City John Glenn, 847, 6-2, 59.500
135. Battle Creek Harper Creek ^, 845, 5-3, 53.250
136. St. Clair, 844, 6-2, 76.375
137. Edwardsburg, 839, 7-1, 84.625
138. Chelsea, 838, 6-2, 75.125
139. Detroit Old Redford ^, 837, 5-3, 47.889
140. Charlotte, 836, 4-4, 41.500
141. Milan, 828, 4-4, 40.750
142. Plainwell, 812, 7-1, 77.750
143. Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 808, 4-4, 46.750
144. Marysville ^, 806, 5-3, 62.250
145. Spring Lake ^, 802, 5-3, 56.625
146. Detroit Denby, 800, 4-4, 54.375
147. Ionia, 796, 4-4, 46.375
148. Vicksburg, 794, 6-2, 68.250
149. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood ^, 790, 5-3, 44.750
150. Eaton Rapids ^, 773, 5-3, 55.000
151. Cadillac, 747, 8-0, 103.000
152. Goodrich, 737, 7-1, 76.875
153. Ferndale, 723, 4-4, 47.500
154. Three Rivers ^, 722, 5-3, 62.000
155. Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 717, 7-1, 79.786
156. Yale, 716, 6-2, 61.625
157. Comstock Park, 703, 4-4, 46.875
158. Hudsonville Unity Christian, 693, 4-4, 46.000
159. Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy, 691, 6-2, 67.875
160. Detroit Country Day, 690, 4-4, 46.500
161. Allendale, 689, 4-4, 46.250
162. Muskegon Orchard View ^, 662, 5-3, 50.750
163. Williamston, 659, 6-2, 69.250
164. Paw Paw ^, 657, 5-3, 53.875
165. Grand Rapids Catholic Central ^, 655, 5-3, 60.000
166. Lansing Sexton, 652, 8-0, 111.000
167. Whitehall, 644, 6-2, 59.500
168. Grosse Ile, 640, 6-2, 67.625
169. Kalamazoo Hackett ^, 635, 5-3, 45.536
170. Detroit Collegiate Prep, 634, 4-4, 42.250
171. Richmond, 630, 7-1, 77.875
172. Imlay City, 629, 4-4, 36.500
173. Grand Rapids South Christian, 623, 6-2, 74.125
174. Wyoming Kelloggsville ^, 610, 5-3, 51.750
175. Wyoming Godwin Heights ^, 609, 5-3, 44.625
176. Saginaw Swan Valley, 602, 8-0, 89.000
177. Clawson ^, 589, 5-3, 49.125
178. North Muskegon, 577, 4-4, 36.250
179. Birch Run, 575, 7-1, 75.750
180. Essexville Garber ^, 574, 5-3, 51.250
181. Remus Chippewa Hills, 567, 6-2, 70.250
182. Flint Powers Catholic, 553, 6-2, 68.500
183. Marine City, 553, 8-0, 96.000
184. Freeland, 549, 7-1, 74.875
185. Kingsford, 546, 4-4, 45.667
186. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, 545, 6-2, 56.786
187. Stanton Central Montcalm ^, 539, 5-3, 55.750
188. Portland, 538, 4-4, 48.875
189. Menominee, 532, 8-0, 91.730
190. Detroit University Prep, 530, 6-2, 60.264
191. River Rouge, 530, 7-1, 73.143
192. Frankenmuth, 528, 7-1, 75.750
193. Gladwin ^, 528, 5-3, 47.000
194. Ida, 527, 6-2, 58.500
195. Hopkins, 522, 7-1, 74.804
196. Grayling, 517, 4-4, 41.643
197. Lansing Catholic, 515, 8-0, 94.000
198. Almont, 512, 8-0, 85.889
199. Carrollton, 511, 4-4, 37.250
200. Newaygo, 506, 7-1, 73.625
201. Olivet, 505, 6-2, 64.125
202. Berrien Springs ^, 501, 5-3, 53.500
203. Muskegon Oakridge, 501, 7-1, 72.875
204. Onsted ^, 499, 5-3, 41.125
205. Ovid-Elsie ^, 487, 5-3, 53.000
206. Chesaning, 480, 4-4, 41.375
207. Detroit Central Collegiate ^, 479, 5-3, 52.018
208. Manistee, 479, 4-4, 40.375
209. Stockbridge ^, 462, 5-3, 50.625
210. Reed City, 461, 7-1, 77.750
211. Clare, 445, 6-2, 65.625