Tradition-Filled Tri-County Conference Kicking Off Final Season of 11-Player Football
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
August 20, 2024
The bus driver went too fast.
It was fall of 1979, and Ottawa Lake Whiteford football coach John Hoover had come up with a plan for his Bobcats to dress in their own locker room, warm up on their own field and arrive at the Petersburg Summerfield football field for a Tri-County Conference battle just moments before kickoff.
The plan was working, except the bus driver went a little too fast.
“I don’t remember when I decided we would do it,” Hoover said. “But the night before our game, I got in my car, and I drove about the speed that I thought the bus driver would take from Whiteford to Summerfield. I had a stopwatch to time it just right. I didn’t tell anybody.”
The ploy was meant to rattle the opponent, perhaps make the other team lose focus on the game at hand.
“It’s only like 20 minutes between schools, so warming up at Whiteford and driving was no different than warming up at Summerfield and walking out to the field and waiting through the national anthem and the coin toss,” Hoover thought.
The scheme was working to perfection, but when Hoover determined the arrival would be too soon, he had the bus driver pull over just outside of Petersburg. Finally, the bus made its final trek and arrived.
On the first play from scrimmage, Summerfield fumbled, Whiteford recovered and scored a few plays later – the only touchdown of the game in a 7-0 Bobcats win.
“I don’t know if it worked,” Hoover said. “But, when the bus got near, when we were driving up the road where the Summerfield stadium was, the head coach (LeRoy Wood) was out in the middle of the street, looking down the road, looking for us. I knew right then that it probably worked. It wouldn’t have worked if we had cell phones like they do today.”
Summerfield and Whiteford have played some spirited games over the years as rivals in the Tri-County Conference. Unfortunately, the season that starts next week will be the last one for 11-player football in the TCC.
With the makeup of the league changing over the last decade or so and the move to 8-player football for three league schools, this is the final season for TCC football after 51 years of small-town competition.
The league has just three remaining schools playing 11-player football – Whiteford, Summerfield and Erie Mason. There is no TCC football schedule for 2025 and beyond, although the league itself will stay together for other sports.
“The 2024 season will be the last season that a TCC football champion is recognized in the current league format for football,” Britton Deerfield athletic director Erik Johnson said.
It will be the end of an era in southeast Michigan.
The league was formed in 1973 with schools from Washtenaw, Lenawee and Monroe Counties.
Several schools have taken turns at the top of the conference. Sand Creek has the most league championships, winning 15 between 1977 and 2011 – 14 of them under head coach Ernie Ayers. Morenci (9), Whiteford (7), Summerfield (7) and Clinton (7) have hoisted their fair share of league football trophies. Ayers is the winningest coach in league history, going 174-71 in league games over 38 seasons. Sand Creek left the TCC in football only after last season and will compete in the Big 8 Conference this season.
Whiteford is the only league school to win an MHSAA Finals football championship, but Sand Creek, Morenci and Clinton all have appeared in state championship games.
Both times Clinton played in Finals, Mathew Sexton was the star. Sexton would go on to play four years at Eastern Michigan University and has been in multiple NFL training camps and played in the XFL. He’s the league record holder for touchdowns and points scored.
“I loved being in the TCC,” Sexton said. “It was great competition and was always a blast. Played with some great players, coaches and love the atmosphere each game would bring. Clinton and the TCC made me who I am today. I’m thankful for the experience it gave me.”
Summerfield graduate Jamie LaRocca was an all-state running back in the league, coached in the league and later watched his sons play football in the league as student-athletes at Whiteford.
“There were some great games, great battles,” LaRocca said. “Most of all, it was competitive. Sand Creek was good, Summerfield had good teams and Morenci had some great teams. Different teams always seemed to make their run.”
Britton and Deerfield were two charter members of the TCC, along with Ann Arbor St. Thomas (now known as Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard), Summerfield and Adrian Madison. During the 1990s, however, Britton and Deerfield formed a co-op and became Britton-Deerfield. They later officially combined high schools to become Britton Deerfield
BD had a dominating run on the football field in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Among the players who played for BD teams were Dan Musielewicz and Dustin Beurer. Beurer is now the head coach at Division II Northwood University while Musielewicz is head coach at Division III University of Olivet.
Beurer said he remembers as a high school student going to class with others from rivals Sand Creek or Madison at the Lenawee County Vocational Tech school all week, then playing against them on Friday nights.
“I get goosebumps thinking about those days,” he said. “It was small-town football at its finest back in the day.”
Brad Maska, now the head boys basketball coach at Onsted, was the BD quarterback when that team won multiple TCC titles.
“It is sad,” Maska said of the end of the TCC football era. “It truly was a great conference that produced a lot of great teams, coaches, and players throughout the years.
“The best part of the conference was the small-school pride from the communities. Friday night playing at Sand Creek or Whiteford when I was in school was always the only thing going on in town and the communities always got around us, and the atmosphere for small-school football was amazing.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Clinton’s Mathew Sexton scored more touchdowns in Tri-County Conference games than any player in league history. (Middle) Thomas Eitniear was the quarterback and Jason Mensing head coach at Whiteford when the Bobcats became the first school in Tri-County Conference history to win an MHSAA Finals football championship. (Below) Ernie Ayers coached at Sand Creek for 38 years and won 14 Tri-County Conference championships. (Photos courtesy of the Adrian Daily Telegram and Monroe News.)
1st & Goal: 2026 Week 6 Review
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 5, 2026
The races are on for 90 leagues featuring Michigan high school football teams this fall.
A few championships have been decided, and several more are in the process. Those races and how they stack up heading into these final weeks are easily the theme as we look back on Week 6 below.
Bay & Thumb
HEADLINER Sanford Meridian 42, Harrison 14 The Mustangs (6-0) clinched a share of the Jack Pine Conference Division 2 title and can make the championship outright this week against Beaverton. While the offense was mighty, the defense arguably was more impressive – Harrison (5-1) entered the game averaging 44.8 points per. Click for more from the Midland Daily News.
Watch list Port Huron 29, Macomb L’Anse Creuse North 14 Port Huron (6-0) clinched its first league title since 2023, claiming a share of the Macomb Area Conference Blue championship with a chance to finish the league schedule perfect this week against Warren Cousino. The Red Hawks have doubled up every league opponent so far, with LCN (4-2) providing the toughest challenge.
On the move Unionville-Sebewaing 30, Ubly 16 The Patriots (4-2) made the playoff last season for the first time this decade, and a year later have clinched a share of the Big Thumb Conference Black title with their two losses by a combined eight points. Holly 30, Flushing 29 Holly (4-2) can’t win the Flint Metro League Stripes title but with this result took Flushing (3-3) out of the race as well. Midland Dow 52, Traverse City West 24 The Chargers (4-2) kept pace one game behind Saginaw Valley League North leader Mount Pleasant and put West (3-3) in the same spot by dealing the Titans their first league defeat.
Greater Detroit
HEADLINER Detroit Catholic Central 31, Toledo Central Catholic (OH) 12 The Catholic High School League Central race still includes four teams with three league games (or two for two teams) to play, but it may realistically be down to just two contenders after the Shamrocks (6-0) handed TCC (5-2) its first league defeat. Next up for DCC is Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, the only other Central team without a league loss. Click for more from the Detroit Free Press.
Watch list Dearborn Fordson 14, Northville 10 Fordson (5-1) will be Northville’s biggest fan this week as the Tractors’ Kensington Lakes Activities Association Black title hopes now rest with the Mustangs (5-1), who play leader Belleville next. A five-point Week 3 loss to the Tigers has been Fordson’s only setback, with this win over Northville interestingly its fourth by seven points or fewer.
On the move Grosse Pointe South 28, Macomb Dakota 21 GPS (5-1) will need some help to finish next weekend with a share of the MAC Red title, but the Blue Devils are up to No. 7 in Division 2 playoff-point average with this win over Division 1 Dakota (3-3). Oxford 15, Rochester Adams 14 The Wildcats (5-1) avenged last season’s 27-point loss to Adams (3-3) to move up to a tie for No. 6 in Division 1 playoff-point average. Monroe Jefferson 36, New Boston Huron 21 Jefferson (5-0) paced a step closer to facing Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in a winner-take-all Huron League decider in Week 8, while sending New Boston Huron (4-2) into a tie for third.
Mid-Michigan
HEADLINER Pewamo-Westphalia 34, Fowler 28 (2OT) It probably didn’t seem possible to exceed expectations in this rivalry matchup, and yet this game arguably did so as P-W prevailed for its first back-to-back wins over Fowler since 2020 and 2021. The Pirates (6-0) clinched at least a share of the league championship with the Eagles (5-1) now rooting for Saranac this week to give them a chance of still claiming a share. Click for more from WLNS.
Watch list Howell 28, Hartland 27 (OT) The Highlanders (6-0) held on to send Hartland (4-2) a game back in the KLAA Gold and set up a potential title decider this week against Brighton.
On the move Brighton 28, Dearborn 27 The Bulldogs (4-2) similarly had to survive a close one to make this week’s matchup with Howell mean even more. Dearborn fell to 3-3 with a second single-digit loss over the last three weeks. New Lothrop 49, Ovid-Elsie 14 The Hornets (5-1) kept pace in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference, a game behind leader Montrose, while making a title pursuit much tougher for the Marauders (3-3) as they prepare to face Montrose this week. Okemos 37, Holt 20 At 4-2, Okemos has as many wins this fall as the last six years combined and sits No. 30 in Division 1 playoff-point average.
Northern Lower Peninsula
HEADLINER Petoskey 42, Gaylord 21 The Northmen (4-2) control their destiny in the Big North Conference, with this win over the Blue Devils (3-3) leaving open an opportunity to face Marquette in Week 8 for a share of the league title – or more, if Marquette slips up this week against Gaylord. Cadillac also remains in the mix, tied with Petoskey for second place. Click for more from the Petoskey News-Review.
Watch list Maple City Glen Lake 34, Oscoda 14 With three league games to go, three teams are chasing leader East Jordan in the Northern Michigan Football Conference – and Glen Lake (4-2) is one of those three teams 4-1 in league play thanks to this key victory over Oscoda (3-3).
On the move Traverse City St. Francis 49, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 28 The Gladiators (4-2) quietly have strung together three straight wins after a tough season start. After facing similarly tough competition, Notre Dame Prep (2-4) is hanging on to the No. 31 spot in the Division 5 playoff-point rankings. Elk Rapids 26, Boyne City 6 The Elks (4-2) avenged a 36-0 loss last season to the Ramblers (3-3) with their first win over them since 2011. Harbor Springs 18, Lakeview 13 The Rams (5-1) are now a win away from their most since 2019, and Lakeview (3-3) is enjoying the same scenario despite this defeat.
Southeast & Border
HEADLINER Hudson 38, Clinton 30 Four teams are back in the hunt in the Lenawee County Athletic Association after Hudson handed Clinton its first defeat in both league play and overall. Ida stands alone atop the standings at 5-0, but Hudson, Clinton and Adrian Madison are all 4-1 – with Hudson playing Ida in Week 8 and Clinton getting Ida this week followed by Madison on Oct. 16. Click for more from the Adrian Daily Telegram.
Watch list Temperance Bedford 38, Dexter 35 Bedford made the District Finals last season while finishing 5-6 overall, and the Kicking Mules (6-0) already have surpassed that win total as they prepare for a potential Week 8 winner-take-all against Saline in the Southeastern Conference Red.
On the move Manchester 80, Leslie 35 This battle for first in the Cascades Conference North turned high scoring and then some, with the end result Manchester (5-1) gaining an opportunity to earn a share of the league title this week as Leslie (4-2) already had done so. Adrian 15, Tecumseh 14 Adrian (5-1) needs help to have a chance at a share of the SEC White championship, but the Maples continued to improve their playoff position jumping up to No. 14 in Division 4 while sending Tecumseh to No. 22. Springport 61, Reading 8 Springport (5-1) took the last step to set up this week’s matchup of Big 8 Conference leaders with Union City.
Southwest Corridor
HEADLINER Decatur 34, Galesburg-Augusta 7 The Raiders (6-0) clinched a share of a second-straight Southwest 10 Conference championship with another dominating victory and have given up only 28 points total over their last five. Galesburg-Augusta (5-1) will be hoping for some help from Hartford in Decatur’s league finale in Week 8. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Watch list Berrien Springs 29, Dowagiac 28 Berrien Springs (6-0) clinched a share of a fourth-straight Lakeland Conference title but needed its closest league win in decades to do so. Dowagiac (3-3) lost by 21 and 14 in its two meetings with the Shamrocks last season, but made this one much closer.
On the move Kalamazoo United 7, Schoolcraft 0 The Titans (6-0) strengthened their hold significantly on first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and lead two others by a game with three to play – all against teams 2-4 or 1-5. Battle Creek Harper Creek 38, Coldwater 19 The Beavers (5-1) kept pace just behind Marshall in the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference and surely will root for Coldwater (4-2) against the Redhawks in Week 8. Battle Creek Central 36, Kalamazoo Central 23 The Bearcats (3-3) broke a three-game losing streak as they pursue a first playoff appearance since 2022, and this win jumped them 15 spots in the Division 3 playoff-point average rankings to No. 32.
Upper Peninsula
HEADLINER Bark River-Harris 46, L’Anse 18 The Broncos (5-1) bounced back from their lone loss to move within one more win of clinching a share of a repeat Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Iron title. Bark River-Harris can make that happen this week against Hancock, which has only one defeat in league play. L’Anse (3-3) is just outside the top 32 on the Division 8 playoff-points average list but has opportunities to gain big points the rest of the way facing Iron Mountain, Hancock and Calumet.
Watch list Marquette 34, Alpena 21 Marquette (4-2) entered this season a combined 14-4 in Big North Conference play over its three seasons in the league. But its increased that to 18-4 this fall as it attempts to close in on a first league title in the BNC after two second places and a third.
On the move Kingsford 35, Hancock 6 The Flivvers (6-0) edged another win closer to setting up a winner-take-all again in the West PAC Copper against Menominee. Calumet 34, Houghton 13 The Copper Kings (4-2) bounced back from consecutive losses to those Copper contenders and sit No. 14 in Division 6 playoff-point average. Negaunee 36, Ishpeming Westwood 14 The Miners (4-2) rank No. 18 in Division 5 playoff-point average as they prepare to host undefeated Menominee with a chance to shake up those league standings.
West Michigan
HEADLINER Muskegon Mona Shores 29, Byron Center 28 The margin was slim but the result massive in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green as Mona Shores (5-1) sits alone atop the standings after breaking a two-game losing streak against the Bulldogs (4-2). The Sailors can clinch a share of the league title this week against Muskegon High. Click for more from the Local Sports Journal.
Watch list Hopkins 42, Belding 22 The Vikings (6-0) also sit alone atop the O-K Silver standings after handing Belding (5-1) its lone defeat and breaking a four-game losing streak against the Black Knights. The victory also gave Hopkins one more than all of last season.
On the move Grand Rapids Catholic Central 27, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg 7 The Cougars (5-1) took over first place alone in the O-K Black, handing MTK (5-1) its lone loss with an impressive defensive showing. East Kentwood 31, Rockford 10 The Falcons (6-0) did their part to set up this week’s O-K Red showdown with also-undefeated co-leader Caledonia, also sending Rockford to 3-3. Zeeland West 48, Zeeland East 14 The Dux (5-1) ran their winning streak in this neighborly rivalry to 11, bouncing back nicely from a Week 5 defeat.
8-Player
HEADLINER Portland St. Patrick 28, Pickford 18 These two remain on track to potentially finish their seasons at the Superior Dome, as St. Patrick (6-0) moved up two spots to sit tied for No. 3 in Division 2 playoff-point average and Pickford (5-1) fell just one position after entering the weekend No. 1 in Division 1. The Shamrocks led 7-6 at halftime before pulling away. Click for more from the Cheboygan Daily Tribune.
Watch list Crystal Falls Forest Park 34, Norway 26 The Trojans (5-1) dwell alone in second place in the Great Lakes Eight Conference West with a Week 9 date with leader Lake Linden-Hubbell gaining more and more steam.
On the move Climax-Scotts 56, Marcellus 52 This was another high-profile cross-division battle as Climax-Scotts moved up to No. 6 in Division 1 playoff-points average and Marcellus fell to No. 10 in Division 2. Bridgman 58, St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic 20 The Bees (5-1) bounced back from a Week 5 defeat to hand Our Lady (4-2) this one before Our Lady attempts to finish off a league title run this week. Merrill 30, Breckenridge 14 Despite a notable defensive effort by the Huskies (3-3), high-scoring Merrill powered through to set up this week’s winner-take-all matchup with Blanchard Montabella in the Mid-State Activities Conference Blue.
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PHOTOS (Top) Portland’s Carson Spenski (7) turns a corner with several Lansing Catholic players in pursuit during a 49-14 Raiders win. (Middle) Laingsburg players celebrate a touchdown during a 44-0 shut out of Bath. (Below) Negaunee's Kyle Waterman keeps the ball and carries it to within a few yards of the end zone. (Portland/Lansing Catholic photo by TCP Photography. Laingsburg photo by John Johnson. Negaunee photo by Cara Kamps.)