#TBT: 600-plus Teams Ready for Kickoff
August 27, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Football teams have represented Michigan high schools for more than a century, beginning long before the MHSAA was formed during the winter of 1924-25.
This weekend, nearly all of the 614 varsity teams scheduled to play this fall will kick off their seasons – and for a fortunate 18, start a journey that will last more than three months through the MHSAA Finals.
This will be the 40th season of the MHSAA football playoffs, which were first played with a much smaller field of teams in 1975. The field expanded to its current 256 11-player teams in 1999, and an 8-player tournament was added in 2011.
The above photo was taking during a 23-0 Muskegon victory over Escanaba during the 1989 Class A playoffs (senior Marcus Longmire celebrates scoring his team's second touchdown). The Big Reds advanced from this Pre-Regional game to face Midland, then Lansing Sexton, and finally Detroit Martin Luther King in the Class A Final – which Muskegon won 16-13.
The Big Reds have won five MHSAA titles total, and also made Finals the last three seasons, finishing runner-up in Division 2 in 2012 and 2013 and last season in Division 3 after falling 7-0 to Orchard Lake St. Mary's.
Highlight Reel: Friday Football Finals
November 26, 2016
By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director
A pair of repeat champions took center stage Friday at the first day of the MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals, powered by the Michigan Army National Guard, at Ford Field in Detroit.
Division 8
Muskegon Catholic Central 35, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 6
Due to technical difficulties, highlights of this game will be posted at a later date.
Division 2
Detroit Martin Luther King 18, Walled Lake Western 0
Finn Hits Thomas for King TD - Late in the first half, Dequan Finn hit Ambry Thomas with a 9-yard touchdown pass for Detroit Martin Luther King.
Tip Drill Turns Into King TD - A tipped ball turned into a pick-six for Detroit Martin Luther King, as Jesse Scarber came up with this second interception of the game returned this one 56 yards for a score.
More Pick-Six Action By Morton - Detroit Martin Luther King returned a second interception for a score in the fourth quarter when Jay-Veyon Morton took this pick back for a TD.
Division 6
Jackson Lumen Christi 26, Maple City Glen Lake 14
Lakers Back In The Game - Trailing in the second quarter, Maple City Glen Lake gets back into the Division 6 Final when QB Cade Peterson finds a streaking Nick Rice going down the sideline for 57 yards and a score.
Ring The Bell - Jackson Lumen Christi's Bo Bell came up big with 238 yards rushing. Here's his longest run of the day, a 46-yard jaunt in the third quarter which set up a 3-yard scoring run – his lone TD of the game.
Division 4
Grand Rapids Catholic Central 10, Detroit Country Day 7
Yellowjackets Score On The Interception - Trailing in the second quarter, Detroit Country Day seized the lead when Roy McCree intercepted a pass and returned it 82 yards for a score.
Finding Its Offense At The Right Time - Early in the fourth quarter, Grand Rapids Catholic Central gets its lone first down of the Division 4 title game on this 44-yard pitch-and-catch from Jack Bowen to Michael Brown.
The MHSAA Football Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTO: Detroit Martin Luther King players hoist the Division 2 championship trophy Friday at Ford Field.