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Romeo Raises 1st Champion's Trophy

November 28, 2015

By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half

DETROIT — With a championship on the line and the margin for error too thin, Paul Hurley couldn't have been faulted if he started looking elsewhere to throw the football.

But Romeo's senior quarterback never lost faith in tight end Mitch Heimbuch, not even after the Western Michigan University recruit dropped two passes while wide open. 

"Mitch probably has the best hands on the team, so it was really bizarre for us to see him drop two passes today," Hurley said. "It was never in my head when I was throwing to him. I knew if I was throwing to him, he was catching it."

Heimbuch was sure-handed when it mattered the most, catching three passes for 46 yards on the game-clinching drive, as Romeo beat Detroit Cass Tech, 41-27, in the MHSAA Division 1 championship game Saturday at Ford Field. Heimbuch even grabbed the 2-point pass following Brad Tanner's 16-yard touchdown run with 1:29 remaining in the game. 

"Everyone still believed in me. Everyone was still coming up to me telling me to just get over it, forget about it," Heimbuch said. "I just knew I had to make a play if it came back to me. I forget my drops. You can't think too much on them or else they'll kill you."

Romeo scored six touchdowns, blocked a punt and recovered an onside kick to start the second half, but one of the key plays in the Bulldogs' first championship victory was a 12-yard catch by Heimbuch on second-and-13 on the second play of the final drive. That set up a manageable third-and-one and got the drive rolling. He also had catches of 12 and 22 yards on an 11-play, 75-yard march that consumed 5:45 from the clock, leaving Cass Tech little time to produce a miracle comeback similar to Detroit Martin Luther King's in the Division 2 Final on Friday. 

Just when it looked like Romeo (13-1) would simply run out the clock, Tanner broke free from 16 yards out for his third touchdown of the game. He finished with a game-high 130 yards on 13 carries.

The drive began after a 36-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Jackson to Donovan People-Jones got Cass Tech within 33-27 with 7:15 remaining. 

"I knew I just had to run hard on the play and good things would happen," Tanner said. "On that last drive, the whole time I knew if we just killed the clock, we'd be victorious."

Even before his three key catches on the final drive, Heimbuch made a major contribution to the victory on defense. 

He blitzed Jackson and got a sack to force a fumble, which was recovered by Romeo's Austen Malczewski at the Cass Tech 40 with 10:36 left in the second quarter. Four plays later, Tanner's second touchdown run from 31 yards out gave the Bulldogs a 19-7 lead.

"We changed the call at the last second to a two-linebacker blitz," Heimbuch said. "It just opened up. The D-linemen took away their guard and center. I shot the gap. He just lost the ball; he panicked, I think." 

Romeo scored on its first three possessions before Heimbuch's first drop on third-and-seven ended the fourth drive. The Bulldogs took that 19-7 lead into halftime.

Taking a page out of Sean Payton's book from the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl victory in the 2009 season, Romeo's coaches called for an onside kick to start the second half. Kicker Zach Nies recovered his own kick at the Cass Tech 48-yard line. Six plays later, Domenico Bongiorno bulled his way 10 yards up the middle for a touchdown, extending Romeo's lead to 26-14 with 9:49 left in the third quarter. 

"They have unbelievable return guys, so we were not supposed to kick it to them at all," Romeo co-coach Curt Rienas said. "We actually thought there was a 70-percent chance we would recover it. When you look at only a 15-yard difference in field position, we thought that was a good gamble on our part."

Recovering onside kicks was a priority in practice all week for Cass Tech (11-3) after it failed to cover three in its Semifinal victory over Canton. 

"That really ticked me off the most, out of anything that happened today," Cass Tech coach Thomas Wilcher said. "As far as trick plays or big plays, that one hurt the most, because we taught the kids what to do. We talked about it, met about it; they just froze. We lost three onside kicks, so that was the most important thing going into the game, just making sure we got all the short kicks."

Special teams had another huge impact when John Verellen blocked a punt and Anthony Quas returned the loose ball 18 yards to the Cass Tech 20. Hurley scrambled for a 20-yard touchdown on the next play, putting Romeo ahead 33-14 with 7:00 left in the third quarter. 

One day after Detroit Public School League rival King rallied from 18 points down to win the Division 2 title, Cass Tech provided the host city some hope for another miracle comeback.

Jackson threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Demetric Vance with 2:14 left in the third quarter, following a Khalid Jordan interception, and a 36-yarder to People-Jones with 7:15 remaining to make it a six-point game. 

It was only the second start for Jackson, a sophomore who took over in the Semifinal game when junior starter Rodney Hall was injured. Jackson finished 19 for 27 for 194 yards and two touchdowns Saturday.

"These two starts have really been a big confidence booster for me," Jackson said. "I have a great offense, a great defense. I really love my teammates. These great athletes right here did this; I played a really small role." 

Jackson wouldn't get the ball back until Romeo had run the clock down to 1:29 and added eight more points to the deficit.

People-Jones caught eight passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, with his first seven catches going for nine yards or fewer.

"They tackled great," the highly-recruited junior receiver said. "They rallied to the football, which made it harder to escape and make big plays." 

To win its first championship, Romeo had to knock off three teams that combined for five of the last six Division 1 titles.

The Bulldogs opened the playoffs by ending Clarkston's two-year reign, 28-14. In the Regional Final, they beat a Detroit Catholic Central team that won the 2009 championship and was runner-up three years in a row from 2011-13. Romeo completed the journey against a Cass Tech squad that won the 2011 and 2012 championships. 

It was only the second MHSAA championship for the school, the other won a year ago by the volleyball team.

"The Romeo community was a sea of red," Romeo co-coach Jason Couch said. "I would like to see if anybody else brought as many as Romeo did. If they did, I applaud them. The community shut down. They were here. Businesses were closing. That just shows the support. 

"The reason they come out and support the boys is because they're busy in the offseason and in season supporting them with community service and doing other events and activities throughout the community. That's why we graduated from Romeo and we're back in Romeo; it sucks you in. We're proud to be Bulldogs."

Click for the full box score.

The MHSAA Football Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.

PHOTOS: (Top) Romeo’s coaches and players host their first football championship trophy Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) Quarterback Paul Hurley hands off to Bradley Tanner (21) during the Division 1 Final.

Grand Blanc defenders converge on a Muskegon Mona Shores ball carrier during the Sailors' 28-26 win.

1st & Goal: 2024 Week 1 Review

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 3, 2024

Football is the only high school sport for which teams prepare an entire week to play just one game, and at most are guaranteed nine games each season.

MI Student AidThat being the case, every week contributes significantly to a team’s overall story. And we're thrilled to tell as many as possible again, starting with what struck us most from season openers this past holiday weekend.

This time, headliners included a pair of victories over 2023 Finals champions, and two of the highest-scoring games in MHSAA history. And those are just a few of the notables from this first chapter, as we restart our weekly "1st & Goal" series to highlight several of the results that especially jumped off the page.

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER Frankenmuth 22, Goodrich 0 After falling to the Martians on a last-minute score to start the 2023 season, Frankenmuth avenged by handing Goodrich its first regular-season shutout since 2018. Logan Diener led the Eagles’ defensive effort with 15 tackles and two sacks, and Kobbi Ke outran Goodrich as a team 117 yards to 54. Click for more from the Saginaw News.

Watch list Fenton 28, Midland Dow 14 The Tigers also opened last season with a win over Dow, by two points, on the way to a Flint Metro League title – and this victory was even more impressive with quarterback Noah Sheil starring.

On the move Harbor Beach 24, Cass City 22 (OT) These two finished a combined 17-5 last year, and Harbor Beach extended its winning streak against the Red Hawks to three this weekend with an overtime defensive stand. Saginaw Heritage 48, Mount Pleasant 24 Despite graduating one of the most accomplished receivers in MHSAA history, Heritage raced to a second-straight win over the Oilers, who won a league title a year ago. Armada 28, Marine City 27 This ending was unforgettable as well, as both teams scored during the final two minutes, Armada first and then Marine City on a kickoff return – but the Tigers stopped the ensuing two-point conversion try.

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER Belleville 35, Clarkston 28 Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood started one of the nation’s most anticipated senior seasons running for 177 yards and two scores and throwing two touchdown passes. His 55-yard TD sprint with 18 seconds left was the game-winner at the Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic. Click for more from the Detroit Sports Commission.

Watch list Warren De La Salle Collegiate 21, Davison 3 In another premier Xenith matchup at Wayne State, the 2023 Division 2 runner-up Pilots avenged last season’s 31-26 loss to Davison by dealing the Cardinals their first single-digit scoring day since 2021.

On the move West Bloomfield 42, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 0 The Lakers left no doubt in this rematch of annual powers, impressing even more after winning last season’s matchup with the Big Reds by just a point. Lake Orion 21, Northville 13 These were both 10-game winners a year ago, and Lake Orion is back on course after last season’s lone loss came by a point in its District Final. Riverview Gabriel Richard 15, Montrose 10 Gabriel Richard began building on last season’s trip to the Division 8 Semifinals by holding on against a Rams team that reached the Division 7 Regional Finals in 2023.

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER Lansing Everett 28, Lansing Sexton 0 Everett ended a two-game losing streak against its rival in a big way, shutting out a Sexton offense that scored 30 points per game last season and putting up 28 on a Sexton defense that gave up that many only once a year ago. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal.

Watch list East Lansing 31, Portage Central 7 Much is expected of the Trojans this season, and they showed why immediately in this matchup of 2023 league champions. East Lansing shut down a Central offense that averaged nearly 32 points per game last year.

On the move DeWitt 69, Haslett 42 These rivals ran right into the MHSAA record book combining for more than 100 points during one of the most high-scoring games of opening night, as the Panthers’ Elliott Larner and Vikings’ Kory Amachree combined to run for seven touchdowns. Pewamo-Westphalia 8, North Muskegon 7 The Pirates avenged their only two losses of a year ago (on opening night and then in a Regional Final) with a fourth-quarter touchdown and two-point conversion. Fowler 20, Hudson 6 Fowler also made some big-time small-school noise with this win over a Hudson program that was a combined 31-5 over the last three seasons.

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER Ogemaw Heights 29, Ubly 13 Ogemaw is coming off its best season in over a decade, and it’s impossible to argue with this start against last season’s undefeated Division 8 champion. Ubly has some significant changes on offense as several standouts graduated, and is a much smaller school, but the Falcons still held the Bearcats to their lowest-scoring performance since 2021. Click for more from the Bay City Times.

Watch list Traverse City West 6, Gaylord 0 West avenged last season’s 13-7 loss to the Blue Devils, who are coming off a perfect regular season and league and District titles. The Titans are seeking their first winning season since 2021.

On the move Traverse City St. Francis 67, Charlevoix 22 After opening last season with a one-point win over the Rayders, St. Francis fell to them in their Division 7 District opener. This avenges that, but they could mean again. Elk Rapids 7, Benzie Central 2 This may seem more like a baseball score, and Elk Rapids will take it after losing this matchup 47-26 last season and missing the playoffs at 4-5 while Benzie qualified at 5-4. Petoskey 8, Greenville 6 Only a few points were scored in this one too, but Petoskey knows every one of them counts after making the playoffs at 5-4 as well last season.

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER Onsted 35, Napoleon 20 The Wildcats are seeking their first winning season since 2019 and finished 2-7 a year ago. But they’re halfway to equaling that total after a loud start, as Napoleon is coming off back-to-back league titles. Click for more from the Adrian Daily Telegram.

Watch list Ypsilanti Lincoln 10, Milan 7 The Railsplitters are seeking their first winning season since 2017 and won two games a year ago as well, but they are on the right path with this victory over a 2023 playoff qualifier.

On the move Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 22, Clinton 14 The Falcons bounced back from losing to Clinton by the same score in last season’s Division 7 District Final. Jackson Lumen Christi 49, Michigan Center 21 This matchup featured two of the Jackson area’s traditional best for the second-straight season, with the reigning Division 7 champion Titans again prevailing. Ann Arbor Pioneer 27, Adrian 17 The Pioneers avenged last season’s 36-30 loss to the Maples as they look to build on their winningest season since 2015.

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER Paw Paw 32, Big Rapids 14 Paw Paw won this opening matchup for the second season in a row and by an almost identical score as in 2023, when Big Rapids went on to win the Central State Activities Association Gold and the Red Wolves finished second in the Wolverine Conference. PJ DeYoung led the way this time with 203 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Watch list St. Joseph 30, Niles 7 St. Joseph rebounded significantly after losing last season’s opener to Niles 55-0. The Bears took strides on both sides of the ball; Niles never scored fewer than 14 points in a game last season, and St. Joseph reached 30 only three times in 2023.  

On the move Hartford 55, Niles Brandywine 24 Hartford has a varsity team for the first time since 2021 and now its first win since 2019. Dowagiac 21, South Haven 11 Dowagiac last year posted its first winning season since 2019 despite a one-point loss to South Haven in their opener, and ending a three-game losing streak against the Rams over the weekend was another solid step. Buchanan 32, Saugatuck 6 Buchanan was another season-opening avenger, having fallen to Saugatuck 25-14 a year ago in what turned into a playoff season for both.

Marquette's Drew Bradley (6) breaks a tackle and gains several yards.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER Marquette 55, Gladstone 0 Watch out for the Sentinels. Marquette had lost two in a row to Gladstone, including 36-7 a year ago, and hadn’t reached 50 points in a game since 2021. This also was Marquette’s first season-opening win in three years. Click for more from the Marquette Mining Journal.

Watch list Ishpeming Westwood 36, Bark River-Harris 12 Westwood is coming off a pair of sub-.500 finishes after a string of much better ones, but breaking a two-game losing streak against Bark River-Harris could be the start of a turnaround. The Broncos had won last season’s matchup 50-14.

On the move Gwinn 14, Bridgeport 6 The Modeltowners are 1-0 for the first time since 2018 – the last time the team posted a winning record for the season. Iron Mountain 26, Houghton 16 The Mountaineers ran their winning streak against Houghton to three, but the Gremlins made this the closest matchup since their most recent victory over Iron Mountain in 2021. Kingsford 21, Escanaba 0 These two renewed this rivalry after a year ago, with Kingsford claiming its third-straight victory in the longtime series.

West Michigan

HEADLINER Zeeland West 28, Muskegon 13 This jumps off the page as Muskegon is the reigning Division 2 champion and won 12 straight games – including 22-16 over West – to close last season. But looking back further, it's fair to say the Dux have been on the verge; the Big Reds had won four of the last five matchups, but all of them were decided by eight points or fewer. This one, however, was a nonleague game as they are in separate divisions of the Ottawa-Kent Conference this fall for the first time since 2019. Click for more from the Holland Sentinel.

Watch list Reed City 24, Kingsley 22 Not to be outdone, Reed City also defeated a reigning Finals champion, edging last year’s Division 6 title winner Kingsley with a touchdown and two-point conversion with one second to play. Kingsley had defeated Reed City 37-7 last fall to advance to Ford Field.

On the move Rockford 30, Detroit Cass Tech 23 These Division 1 powers met for the first time, and the next time could be with a championship on the line. Rockford held on with a late defensive stand. Hudsonville Unity Christian 43, Whitehall 21 Unity Christian is coming off its first sub-.500 season in a decade, which began with a loss to Whitehall – which went on to finish 10-1 last fall and is Unity’s only opponent from 2023 on this year’s schedule. Muskegon Mona Shores 28, Grand Blanc 26 Shores followed quarterback Jonathan Pittman across the state for an impressive win at the Vehicle City Gridiron Classic.

Otsego's Lane Blanchard breaks through an opening during his team's loss to Coopersville.

8-Player

HEADLINER Pickford 40, Powers North Central 12 Pickford dealt the Jets a season-opening defeat for the first time since 2018 as the two 8-player powers faced off for the first time since 2019. Both could again be in the championship mix in at the end of this fall; North Central made the Division 2 Regional Finals last season, and Pickford reached the Division 1 Semifinals. Click for more from the Escanaba Daily Press.

Watch list Britton Deerfield 68, Pittsford 58 This tied for the 20th highest-scoring game in MHSAA 8-player history, with Britton Deerfield rebounding nicely off last year’s 2-7 finish to defeat a Pittsford team coming off a 7-3 run.

On the move Brimley 26, St. Ignace 0 The Saints stormed into 8-player last season with a 9-2 finish, but Brimley coming off a 3-6 run pulled off one of the stunners of Week 1 as it pursues a first .500-or-better season since 2019. Gaylord St. Mary 8, Rudyard 0 This was nearly an opposite of last season’s meeting; St. Mary’s won this time after Rudyard claimed last year’s 58-32. Atlanta 40, Rogers City 36 Atlanta closed last season 2-2 over its final four games and might be on the verge of another step forward with this first win over Rogers City after two losses in their previous two 8-player matchups – including 34-24 a year ago.

MHSAA.com's weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.

PHOTOS (Top) Grand Blanc defenders converge on a Muskegon Mona Shores ball carrier during the Sailors' 28-26 win. (Middle) Marquette's Drew Bradley (6) breaks a tackle and gains several yards against Gladstone. (Below) Otsego's Lane Blanchard breaks through an opening during his team's 41-0 loss to Coopersville. (Top photo by Terry Lyons, middle photo by Cara Kamps and below photo by Gary Shook.)