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Ready for Some Football

August 12, 2014

How seriously should we take public criticism of tackle football when that public promotes boxing or cage fighting? Or how seriously should we take public criticism of football played with helmets when that public allows motorcyclists to ride without any helmets at all?

This fickle if not hypocritical focus on football deserves to be exposed. 

However, and more importantly, this does not reduce our obligation to rise above the obvious questions of fair and balanced criticism and keep pressing for a safer environment for schools’ most popular participation sport.

In Michigan this has led to new limitations on head-to-head contact in football practices that began for more than 600 high schools this week. Specifically, no team or individual may participate in more than one collision practice per day before the first game, and no more than two collision practices per week after the first game.

The new policies promote instruction in proper blocking and tackling technique. It is full speed head-to-head contact that is further reduced, not full speed shoulder contact with sleds, shields and dummies nor slow speed contact between players.

Last month, and perhaps two years too late to be helpful, the National Federation of State High School Associations hosted a high-profile, high-powered summit to discuss practice policies of the kind that we developed, debated and adopted during the past school year to be ready for this 2014 season.

#TBT: Mill Thrills Again at Silverdome

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 26, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Pontiac Silverdome 25 years ago served as the stage for one of the most exciting moments in MHSAA Football Finals history, appropriately performed by an athlete known as "Mill the Thrill."

Mill Coleman, who later would star as a receiver at Michigan State University, scored on a 9-yard quarterback scramble with 1:34 to play to push Harrison even with DeWitt, 27-27. Steve Hill's extra point put the Hawks ahead to stay as they repeated as MHSAA champions. 

Below is a "Finals Flashback" to that go-ahead scoring run, part of a collection of flashbacks that formerly ran during breaks at MHSAA football championship games. Click for the full box score from that game and playoff results from the entire 1989 Class B bracket. 

The championship was the second of Harrison's now MHSAA-best 13. Coleman currently serves as an assistant coach for the Hawks. 

PHOTO: Farmington Hills Harrison quarterback Mill Coleman looks for an opening as DeWitt's Travis Gribble works to get away from a blocker while in pursuit. (Photo courtesy of Gary Shook.)