Ubly Sends Out Retiring Coach with Program's 1st Finals Win in D8 Rematch
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
November 25, 2023
DETROIT – You could not have written a better script for Ubly’s football program and its tight-knit Thumb community Saturday at Ford Field.
The Bearcats captured their first Finals championship, avenged last year’s title-game loss to Ottawa Lake Whiteford, and sent head coach Eric Sweeney into retirement a champion with a 21-6 victory over the Bobcats in the Division 8 title game.
Might Sweeney consider an encore and coach another year?
“No!” Sweeney quickly responded with conviction, prompting laughter among attendees of the press conference and even his own players before adding another “no.”
Sweeney served as Ubly’s head varsity coach for only four seasons, but he compiled a 48-5 overall record. He led the Bearcats to the top of the mountain after the program had made several title pursuits prior to Saturday, including a last year’s which ended with a 26-20 loss to Whiteford and a 2020 Finals run that concluded with a 22-0 defeat to Centreville.
“You know, I’m done. I’ve coached for 23 years at every level there is. No, this makes it easier to walk away,” Sweeney said. “I loved coaching all these years. I got to coach these guys (referring to his players at the press conference) for four years at the varsity level. I coached them in seventh-grade basketball. I know these kids pretty good.
“My kids are all well out of high school, and there’s just other things I want to do in life. I’m just proud I’m leaving the program in the condition that it is.”
It may be impossible to leave it better than Sweeney and the Bearcats did Saturday and throughout their perfect journey in 2023.
Ubly completed this run with a 14-0 record and did it the Bearcat way – with physicality at the point of attack, a clock-grinding, ball-control offense; and a very stingy defense. The Bearcats outscored their opponents this season by a combined 596-134 margin.
“It means a lot. Like, last year, we lost here and we felt terrible for the seniors, the way we went out, basically on a last-second thing,” said Ubly senior Evan Peruski, who also started at quarterback in the Bearcats’ 2022 and 2020 Finals losses.
“It means everything. I mean, a lot of us up here, we’re friends with kids that played 10, 20 years ago. I saw about 30 of them in the crowd, people I knew that played 20, 30 years ago. They’re there supporting us.”
Whiteford, which was seeking its third Division 8 title since 2017, saw a 27-game winning streak end and closed the season with a 13-1 record – a tough conclusion to a tremendous two-year run.
“I’ve been coaching football a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever had an experience of a senior group like these guys that we have,” said Todd Thieken, who finished his second season as Whiteford’s head coach but has been in the game since the late 1980s with various stops in Michigan and Ohio.
“A couple of seniors came up to me after the game and they said, ‘I’m sorry, coach.’ I just said to them, ‘I’m just sorry that I don’t ever get to coach you again,’” Thieken added, getting a bit choked up. “I’m still going to be around and in their lives and making sure that they continue to get through school and be successful young men.”
Well-executing Ubly and Whiteford squads engaged in a game of keep-away, both aiming to possess the football and keep it out of the opponent’s hands.
Ubly won that battle, possessing the ball for nearly a 2-to-1 margin (31:51-16:09). The Bearcats nearly doubled up the Bobcats in total offense as well, 310-165, led by an overwhelming advantage in rushing yardage (281-60).
Senior Seth Maurer led Ubly with 138 yards on 27 carries, highlighted by his 4-yard touchdown run that drew the teams even with 1:31 left in the first half before senior Brett Mueller hammered through the ensuing PAT for a 7-6 edge.
Whiteford had struck first in the contest. Ubly’s game-opening, 16-play, 79-yard drive that consumed 8:01 of the clock was stopped just shy of the goal line after a review determined Peruski’s knee was down inside the 1. Whiteford then marched 99 yards the other way and got into the end zone on a 4-yard scoring pass from freshman Tre Eitniear to senior Hunter DeBarr. The two-point conversion pass failed, but the Bobcats led 6-0 with 8:11 left in the second quarter.
Ubly’s defense settled in after that, allowing only 66 yards the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, Ubly’s offense continued to move the ball. The Bearcats extended their lead to 14-6 on Peruski’s 11-yard TD pass to senior Ryan Learman on 4th-and-goal from the 11. Junior Luke Volmering all but put the game away with his 3-yard scoring run with 6:13 remaining.
“I think our line does a great job. The big fella here (pointing to 6-foot-3, 270-pound senior lineman Mitchell Foote) had a heck of a game today,” Sweeney said. “When you’re running our offense, it’s an offensive line game. I’m an offensive line coach, so you know, it’s kind of my kind of game. I’m not smart enough for all this fancy passing stuff.
“We’ve got to play the game at the line of scrimmage, and I thought defensively our D-line made some big plays as it went on and the secondary did a great job, too. … The game was won at the line of scrimmage.”
Peruski did enough to keep Whiteford’s defense honest. He ran six times for 32 yards and completed 2 of 3 passes for 29 yards. Volmering ran 16 times for 77 yards. Ubly senior Canden Peruski led the defense with 11 tackles.
Whiteford senior Jake Iott was all over the field, registering 18 tackles. Bobcats senior Kolby Masserant made 13 stops, while senior teammate Ryin Ruddy notched 11 tackles. Eitniear was 6-of-11 passing for 78 yards, while Ruddy went 3-of-4 for 27 yards. Iott led his team on the ground with 37 yards on 12 carries.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity. You know, I’ve been starting for four years on varsity,” DeBarr said. “I’m glad the coaches and some of my teammates could make me a better player for those four years. We won a lot of big games and, you know, you lose a couple of big games. It was fun.”
Saturday marked Ubly’s fourth Finals appearance. The Bearcats also had lost to Traverse City St. Francis in the Division 7 Final in 2008.
Sweeney attributed much of Ubly’s success over the past couple of decades to his cousin, former head coach Bill Sweeney. The Bearcats have won 10 Regional titles over the last 20 years.
Eric Sweeney also credited the unwavering support of Ubly’s community and that of the Bearcats’ rival schools along the way. Ubly spent the week practicing indoors at the Laker Legacy Center of rival Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port.
“It’s not as much for me personally. It’s for our community,” Sweeney said. “The support we get from the Thumb area is unreal. It just means a lot.”
Said Foote: “It just means the world. Best coach I’ve ever had. He’s always pushed us. (They) just had to make him go out with a state championship. It would be a shame to not give him one.”
PHOTOS (Top) Ubly coach Eric Sweeney presents the Division 8 championship trophy to his team Saturday morning at Ford Field. (Middle) The Bearcats’ Seth Maurer (30) follows teammate Canden Peruski’s block into a small gap in the Whiteford defense. (Below) Mitchell Foote (76) brings down the Bobcats’ Ryin Ruddy. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Drive for Detroit: 11-Player Finals Preview
November 27, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
There will be no appetizers for this weekend’s MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field.
Show up early and stay late – every game both days has a story, ranging from two first-time finalists playing for the Division 1 title to two of the most successful programs of this decade matching up for the first time in the Division 7 championship game.
Total, five teams will travel to Ford Field this weekend looking to finish as a champion for the first time. Joining hopefuls Brighton and Davison in Division 1 are Muskegon Mona Shores in Division 2, River Rouge in Division 3 and Almont in Division 5 – Brighton, Davison and Almont also playing in Finals for the first time.
Mona Shores and neighbor Muskegon High also will be returning to Ford Field after finishing as Finals runners-up a year ago, while three reigning champions will seek to win again – Reading for the second-straight season in Division 8, Detroit Martin Luther King in Division 2 after winning Division 3 in 2018 and Jackson Lumen Christi in Division 7 after winning three straight in Division 6.
FRIDAY
D8: Beal City (12-1) vs Reading (12-1), 10 a.m.
D2: Muskegon Mona Shores (11-2) vs Detroit Martin Luther King (10-2), 1 p.m.
D6: Maple City Glen Lake (12-1) vs Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (11-1), 4:30 p.m.
D4: Grand Rapids Catholic Central (12-1) vs Detroit Country Day (13-0), 7:30 p.m.
D7: Pewamo-Westphalia (13-0) vs Jackson Lumen Christi (12-0), 10 a.m.
D1: Brighton (11-2) vs Davison (11-2), 1 p.m.
D5: Lansing Catholic (12-1) vs Almont (13-0), 4:30 p.m.
D3: River Rouge (12-1) vs Muskegon (13-0), 7:30 p.m.
See below for a look at all of the finalists taking the field, powered by MI Student Aid. Tickets cost $15 and are good for all four games on one day; only cash will be accepted at the door. Click for a full schedule. Also, Ford Field again will host Special Olympics Unified flag football games prior to the start of Saturday’s four 11-Player Finals. Teams will take the field at 9 a.m. and play 30-minute exhibitions. Unified Sports programs combine students with and without intellectual disabilities on competitive athletic teams.
The first two Friday and Saturday Finals will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Detroit’s primary and PLUS channels (check cable/satellite box listings for your specific channel) with the third and fourth games both days available live on FOX Sports Detroit PLUS only. All eight games also can be viewed live on FOXSportsDetroit.com and on the FOX Sports app. Games will be archived for on-demand viewing on MHSAA.tv, which also will live stream the first three postgame press conferences each day. Audio broadcasts will be available on the MHSAA Network website live both days.
Rankings below were voted on by The Associated Press’ media panel. Statistics are current except where noted. The “playoff era” began with the first MHSAA postseason in 1975.
Division 1
DAVISON
Record/rank: 11-2, honorable mention
Coach: Jake Weingartz, second season (18-5)
League finish: Second in Saginaw Valley League Red
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 42-21 over No. 9 Lapeer in District Final, 35-21 over No. 10 Romeo in Pre-District, 35-27 over honorable mention Utica Eisenhower in Regional Final, 34-27 (OT) over Sterling Heights Stevenson in Semifinal, 48-0 over Division 4 No. 8 Flint Powers Catholic.
Players to watch: QB Brendan Sullivan, 6-3/180, jr. (2,754 yards/32 TDs passing, 366 yards/9 TDs rushing); RB/DB Caleb Smith, 5-10/210 sr., (961 yards/16 TDs rushing, 434 yards/1 TD receiving, 41 tackles/4 interceptions); FB/LB Logan Pasco, 6-0/207, sr. (148 tackles/20 tackles for loss/5 interceptions); WR/DB Latrell Fordham, 6-4/180, sr. (866 yards/11 TDs receiving).
Outlook: Davison had reached Semifinals four more times before breaking through for the first time Saturday, and the historic run also was made possible by avenging a three-point Week 9 loss to league rival Lapeer. Pasco, an all-state honorable mention linebacker last year, leads a defense that doesn’t get a lot of attention but gives up only 14 points per game. The lights shine much more brightly on the Sullivan-led offense that has set a school playoff-era record of 553 points and counting. Smith could go over 1,000 yards rushing early Saturday, and in addition to Fordham, Sullivan also has found senior Harrison Terry for 10 touchdowns through the air. Fordham has committed to Ball State.
BRIGHTON
Record/rank: 11-2, honorable mention
Coach: Brian Lemons, fifth season (37-15)
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 22-19 over No. 2 Belleville in Semifinal, 35-20 over Hudsonville in Regional Final, 48-26 over East Kentwood in District Final, 26-7 over Holt in Pre-District, 21-7 over Livonia Churchill.
Players to watch: QB Colby Newburg, 6-0/190, sr. (1,335 yards/18 TDs passing, 1,242 yards/18 TDs rushing); RB Nicholas Nemecek, 5-10/185, jr. (1,010 yards/9 TDs rushing, 3 TDs receiving); LB Cole Riddle, 6-1/215, sr. (99 tackles/19 tackles for loss), DE Luke Stanton, 6-4/235, sr. (44 tackles, 11 sacks).
Outlook: The Bulldogs showed they were on the verge with close losses to No. 9 Plymouth (14-7) and No. 5 Dearborn Fordson (46-35) during the regular season. They’ve surged in the playoffs, with last weekend’s win over Belleville making one of the loudest statements from the Semifinals. Newburg is a dangerous two-way threat with the ball, and seven receivers have caught at least one touchdown pass with 6-3 senior Ruben Salinas the leader with six scores. But the defense – giving up 14 points on average – is just as big a reason the Bulldogs will play for their first title. Only Fordson in Week 9 scored more than 26 points on Brighton, and eight teams were held to 14 or fewer. Riddle earned an all-state honorable mention as a junior.
Division 2
DETROIT MARTIN LUTHER KING
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 3
Coach: Ty Spencer, fourth season (46-8)
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League Division 2
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 27-6 and 32-14 over Detroit Denby, 47-7 over Detroit Cass Tech, 60-17 over Birmingham Seaholm in the Semifinal, 49-21 over Detroit U-D Jesuit in the Regional Final.
Players to watch: RB Peny Boone, 6-1/220, sr. (1,085 yards/19 TDs rushing); QB Dante Moore, 6-2/165, fr. (2,522 yards/32 TDs passing); WR Marshawn Lee, 5-7/155, sr. (847 yards/12 TDs receiving); LB Jaylen Reed, 6-0/195, jr. (108 tackles/11 tackles for loss/6 forced fumbles).
Outlook: King has raised championship trophies three of the last four seasons, in Division 2 in 2015 and 2016 and then in Division 3 a year ago. The Crusaders have made it back to Ford Field in part on a powerful offense led by a returning all-state running back in Boone and one of the most anticipated quarterback talents in Moore, who has competed at least 30 passes to three receivers – Lee, senior RaShawn Williams and sophomore Lynn Wyche-El. They operate behind a line led by 6-foot-4, 280-pound senior Deon Buford. And that’s not to mention a defense giving up just a bit above 12 points per game. King’s only losses came the first two weeks to Detroit Catholic Central and Division 3 finalist Muskegon. Boone will continue collegiately at Maryland, Williams at Indiana and Buford at Kentucky.
MUSKEGON MONA SHORES
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 4
Coach: Matt Koziak, ninth season (71-29)
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference Black
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2014 and 2018.
Best wins: 57-56 over No. 2 Walled Lake Western in Semifinal, 28-23 over Portage Northern in Regional Final, 35-12 over Midland Dow in District Final, 20-13 over No. 9 Midland in Pre-District, 28-7 over East Kentwood.
Players to watch: RB/SS Tre’shawn Hatcher, 5-10/180, sr. (1,432 yards/15 TDs rushing); WR/DB Jaylen Hopson, 5-10/152, sr. (304 yards/5 TDs receiving). QB/DB Brady Rose, 5-7/150, jr. (332 yards/1 TD passing, 585 yards/11 TDs rushing, 5 interceptions); LB/SL Kolbe Trovinger, 6-0/181, sr. (335 yards/5 TDs rushing, 209 yards receiving – does not include Semifinal).
Outlook: Mona Shores is seeking to take the final step after falling in last season’s championship game to Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 29-16. The Sailors reportedly will not get back 2018 all-state quarterback Caden Broersma (908 yards/11 TDs passing, 486 yards/10 TDs rushing), who left the Semifinal during the first series with an injury. But Mona Shores still will be confident; Rose moved over from slot receiver after the injury and ran for five touchdowns, including the game winner. Mona Shores’ only losses this season were to a pair of league champions, Rockford and Division 3 finalist Muskegon, and the Sailors beat four league champions in the playoffs on the way to Ford Field (Midland and Dow shared the SVL Blue title). Trovinger was one of the team’s leading tackles in last year’s Final and continues to contribute in a variety of ways on both sides of the ball.
Division 3
MUSKEGON
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Shane Fairfield, 10th season (113-19)
League finish: First in O-K Black
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 28-21 over DeWitt in Semifinal, 49-10 (Regional Final) and 28-23 over East Grand Rapids, 48-10 over No. 9 Cedar Springs in District Final, 53-0 over Division 2 No. 4 Muskegon Mona Shores, 41-18 over Division 2 No. 3 Detroit Martin Luther King, 41-7 over Warren De La Salle Collegiate.
Players to watch: QB Cameron Martinez, 5-11/190, sr. (1,258 yards/11 TDs passing, 2,016 yards/35 TDs rushing); RB Tommy Watts, 5-8/175, sr. (852 yards/17 TDs rushing – does not include Semifinal); WR/DB Quentin Reynolds, 5-10/180, sr. (421 yards/4 TDs receiving); DE/OT Billie Roberts III, 6-4/280, sr.
Outlook: Martinez was named statewide Player of the Year by MLive for the second time this week and will attempt to finish his high school career with a second Finals championship after helping Muskegon Catholic Central to the Division 8 title as a freshman. He’s run for more than 4,500 yards over the last two seasons and will continue next year at Ohio State. The Big Reds have scored more than 600 points for the fourth season in a row, but lost to a degree is a defense giving up only 8.2 points per game – in fact, Muskegon gave up only 10 points over six league games, with five shutouts. Senior center/nose guard D’Andre Mills-Ellis (6-1/300) joins Roberts as a valuable two-way starter on the line.
RIVER ROUGE
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 5
Coach: Corey Parker, 10th season (96-29)
League finish: First in Michigan Metro Athletic Conference Blue
Championship history: Division 5 runner-up 2015.
Best wins: 14-7 over No. 6 Chelsea in Semifinal, 49-14 over No. 3 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Regional Final, 16-3 over Detroit Catholic Central, 31-24 over Southfield Arts & Technology.
Players to watch: RB Deandre Bulley, 6-2/245, sr. (1,820 yards/20 TDs rushing); QB Mareyohn Hrabowski, 6-3/205, jr. (1,000 yards/11 TDs passing, 1,000 yards/11 TDs rushing); WR Xavier Smith, 5-10/170, sr. (800 yards/10 TDs receiving); CB David Carter, 6-1/170, sr. (Statistics do not include Semifinal).
Outlook: With Muskegon a main topic of football discussion across the state all season, River Rouge quietly has won 12 straight games since falling to Division 4 finalist Grand Rapids Catholic Central 17-14 in Week 1. Including wins of 53-0 over Detroit Mumford and 38-8 over Redford Thurston, the Panthers have outscored their four playoff opponents by a combined 154-29. Carter – an Eastern Michigan recruit – is among standouts on a defense that gives up just 7.6 points per game. Bulley is another Division I college talent, and behind him junior Charles Daniels has run for 11 more touchdowns.
Division 4
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Dan MacLean, 22nd season (172-77)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 21-0 over No. 8 Flint Powers Catholic in Semifinal, 24-6 over No. 4 Milan in Regional Final, 37-12 over Division 6 No. 9 Warren Michigan Collegiate, 27-3 over Detroit Mumford.
Players to watch: RB/DB Anthony Ammori, 5-10/185 (971 yards/15 TDs rushing), sr., QB/DB Ahlon Mitchell, 5-10/175, sr. (734 yards/9 TDs passing), WR/DB Saborn Campbell, 5-11/195, jr. (344 yards/6 TDs receiving, 8 interceptions). WR/DB Marcus Sheppard, 5-10/185, sr. (376 yards/5 TDs receiving).
Outlook: The last time Country Day played Grand Rapids Catholic Central, in the 2016 Final, the teams combined to score 17 points as the Cougars won 17-10. Country Day’s defense this season would seem to indicate a similar game is possible. After the Semifinal shutout of Powers, the Yellowjackets are giving up 5.2 points per game – having surrendered a high of 12 and more than eight only twice. A rushing attack averaging nearly 200 yards per game, meanwhile, has been the key to the team’s 35 points per contest while no doubt also helping Country Day control the ball. Sheppard has committed to Bowling Green.
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record: 12-1, T-No. 2
Coach: Todd Kolster, eighth season (86-14)
League finish: First in O-K Blue.
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 56-17 over Hudsonville Unity Christian in Semifinal, 33-7 (District Final) and 44-0 over No. 7 Sparta, 38-0 (Pre-District) and 20-19 over Allendale, 17-14 over Division 3 No. 5 River Rouge.
Players to watch: QB Joey Silveri, 6-0/180, soph. (2,609 yards/31 TDs passing, 910 yards/17 TDs rushing); RB Nick Hollern, 5-6/190, jr. (756 yards/9 TDs rushing – does not including Semifinal), WR/DB Jace Williams, 6-4/185, jr. (715 yards/9 TDs receiving – does not include Semifinal); LB/TE Ethan Lott, 6-1/192, sr.
Outlook: The Cougars are seeking their third championship in four seasons after winning Division 4 in both 2016 and 2017. Lott is one of three two-way starters and leads a defense giving up only 9.5 points per game – and only 8.5 per game not counting the Cougars’ lone loss to Niles Notre Dame of Illinois. On offense, seniors dominate the line with the majority of the team’s playmaking coming from standouts who should be back again next fall. Williams earned all-state honorable mention as a receiver as a sophomore, and senior tight end Drew Gommesen has a team-high 11 touchdown catches for the balanced attack.
Division 5
ALMONT
Record/rank: 13-0, T-No. 5
Coach: James Leusby, fifth season (45-11)
League finish: First in Blue Water Area Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 22-20 over No. 3 Marine City in District Final, 30-20 (Pre-District) and 28-10 over Richmond, 36-8 over Detroit Denby in Semifinal, 25-14 over Saginaw Swan Valley in Regional Final.
Players to watch: QB/DB Josh Hellebuyck, 5-11/165, sr. (1,226 yards/23 TDs passing), RB/LB Jack Paupert 5-11/180, sr. (877 yards/15 TDs rushing, 363 yards/7 TDs receiving), RB/OLB Mason Smith, 5-11/165, soph. (907 yards/11 TDs rushing), SE/CB Colby Schapman, 6-5/190, sr. (673 yards/14 TDs receiving).
Outlook: Almont faced road games during the first two weeks of the playoffs and another for the Semifinal, making this historic run even more incredible. But the Raiders surely are glad to be traveling one more time to the Finals, for the first time. This is their 10th-straight playoff season and 13th over the past 14 years, and few programs statewide have been so consistently strong on defense – Almont has given up 150 points or fewer eight times over the last decade, including 131 (10 per game) this fall. But the Panthers also have scored their second-most points of the playoff era this fall – 536 – behind a line with four senior starters among eight senior starters total on that side of the ball.
LANSING CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 4
Coach: Jim Ahern, 11th season (103-24)
League finish: Second in Capital Area Activities Conference White
Championship history: Class C champion 1985, Division 5 runner-up 2011 and 2014.
Best wins: 28-14 over No. 2 Kingsley in Semifinal, 21-0 over No. 8 Portland in District Final, 40-13 over Kalamazoo United in Regional Final, 28-21 over honorable mention Olivet in Pre-District.
Players to watch: QB/DB/P Zach Gillespie, 6-1/180, sr. (2,481 yards/24 TDs passing, 557 yards/18 TDs rushing); WR/DB Alex Watters, 5-11/170, soph. (997 yards/14 TDs receiving, 298 yards/3 TDs rushing); WR/DB Vince Salquist, 6-5/190, sr. (631 yards/4 TDs receiving); TE/OLB Sam Edwards, 6-0/190, sr. (164 tackles, 14 tackles for loss).
Outlook: The Cougars will play in their third Final this decade, and give their league a team in the Division 5 championship game for the second-straight year. A major win came over last season’s runner-up Portland in the District Final after the Raiders had dealt Lansing Catholic all three of its losses over the last two years and five of six over the last three seasons. Gillespie is the latest star quarterback in a long line coached by Ahern, who went over 300 career coaching wins this playoffs. Mitch Raphael with 563 yards (and nine TDs) is the team's leading rusher, but the Cougars have totaled more than 2,000 yards on the ground behind a line that has four two-way starters. Lansing Catholic has had only two single-digit games– both against Portland – a credit as well to a defense that surrenders only 13 points per game.
Division 6
MONROE ST. MARY CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 11-1, No. 1
Coach: Adam Kipf, fifth season (39-16)
League finish: Second in Huron League
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 36-7 over No. 4 Montrose in Regional Final, 44-14 over No. 9 Warren Michigan Collegiate in District Final, 17-14 over Onsted in Semifinal, 33-16 over Riverview.
Players to watch: RB/LB Alex Morgan, 6-0/175, sr. (1,680 yards/16 TDs rushing); RB/LB Sam Cousino, 6-3/225, sr. (727 yards/11 TDs rushing, 73 tackles/5 forced fumbles); QB/DB/K/P Wyatt Bergmoser, 5-7/170, sr. (939 yards/10 TDs rushing, 60.5 tackles); OL/DL Brendan Sloan, 5-10/205, sr.
Outlook: St. Mary is returning to the Finals for the first time since its 2014 title run, with just a loss to Division 4 Milan from perfection so far. After opening with three of their tougher opponents, the Falcons haven’t given up more than 16 points in a game since, led by 2018 Division 7-8 all-state honorable mention Cousino. Morgan leads a rushing attack with more than 4,200 yards this season – and more than 500 attempts, to go with only 32 passes thrown this fall. But while Bergmoser rarely throws, he’s another weapon running the ball – and kicking it, as his 25-yard field goal on the game’s last play won the Semifinal.
MAPLE CITY GLEN LAKE
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 5
Coach: Jerry Angers, 11th season (73-42)
League finish: First in Northern Michigan Football League Leaders
Championship history: Class DD champion 1994, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 31-30 (OT) over Montague in Semifinal, 15-14 over No. 10 Calumet in Regional Final, 42-18 over Charlevoix, 28-7 over Traverse City St. Francis.
Players to watch: QB/DB Reece Hazelton, 6-6/190, sr. (1,207 yards/16 TDs passing, 477 yards/6 TDs rushing); WR/DB Finn Hogan, 6-4/190, jr. (602 yards/11 TDs receiving – does not including Semifinal); RB/LB Jonathan Wright, 6-1/195, sr. (1,112 yards/17 TDs rushing – does not include Semifinal); OT/DL Ben Kroll, 6-3/270, sr.
Outlook: Glen Lake earned its way back to Ford Field for the first time since finishing runner-up in 2016, bouncing back from a lone loss to Division 5 semifinalist Kingsley with six straight wins. Hogan and Wright are playmakers on both sides of the ball, and Wright also has three kickoff return touchdowns. Senior running back Isaac Sterzer is another key offensive option – he had 768 yards and seven touchdowns rushing heading into the Semifinal. Kroll was an all-state honorable mention lineman as a junior last fall. After winning eight games during the regular season all by at least 15 points, Glen Lake has won all of its playoff games by 11 or fewer, including by just one point both of the last two weeks – although that experience could come in handy if this finale also is close.
Division 7
JACKSON LUMEN CHRISTI
Record/rank: 12-0, T-No. 2
Coach: Herb Brogan, 40th season (368-83)
League finish: First in Interstate 8 Athletic Conference
Championship history: 11 MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 35-30 over No. 7 Schoolcraft in Regional Final, 27-0 over honorable mention Cass City in Semifinal, 42-14 over No. 9 Riverview Gabriel Richard in District Final, 38-21 over Division 3 honorable mention Coldwater, 14-12 over Kalamazoo United.
Players to watch: RB/DB Walker Plate, 5-10/180, sr. (2,404 yards/33 TDs rushing); FB/LB Johnny Teachout, 5-8/200, sr. (503 yards/9 TDs rushing); WR/DB Jack Kelley, 6-0/170, sr.; OL/DL Keegan Smith, 6-3/315, sr.
Outlook: Lumen Christi has won three straight Finals championships and 35 straight games, with the slight difference about this Ford Field trip that the Titans are in Division 7 after winning those consecutive titles all in Division 6. A standout running back sets the tone for the Lumen Christi offense, and Plate is the latest after playing a significant role on defense the last two seasons. Smith also is a multi-year mainstay up front on both sides of the ball, and he’ll continue his career at Central Michigan. He made the Division 5-6 all-state team last fall.
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record: 13-0, T-No. 2
Coach: Jeremy Miller, seventh season (84-8)
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Division 7 champion 2016 and 2017, runner-up 2011 and 2015.
Best wins: 36-35 over No. 1 New Lothrop in Regional Final, 43-7 over No. 5 Iron Mountain in Semifinal, 41-7 over Division 8 No. 7 Fowler, 14-0 over Division 8 No. 1 Reading, 41-0 over Williamston.
Players to watch: RB/DB Tanner Wirth, 5-9/170, soph. (1,591 yards/25 TDs rushing); QB Ethan Thelen, 6-0/180, sr. (1,059 yards/16 TDs passing, 381 yards/11 TDs rushing); OL/DL John Martin, 6-4/230, sr.; OL/LB Jacob Pung, 6-0/220, sr.
Outlook: The Pirates earned their return to the Finals with two straight wins over previously-unbeaten teams, including reigning Division 7 champion New Lothrop. That gave P-W wins this season over two 2018 champs – they also opened with the shutout of Division 8 title winner Reading. Especially given the strong schedule, the Pirates allowing just 63 points over 13 games (4.8 per game) speaks volumes. Martin made the all-state first team last season and Pung the second, and they play major roles on both sides of the ball. Senior Carter Thelen is a starter at linebacker as well and showed again last week (94 yards/3 TDs rushing) that he can carry some of the offensive load along with Wirth – Thelen has now run for eight scores this fall. Wirth meanwhile, while just a sophomore, is averaging 9.1 yards per carry.
Division 8
READING
Record: 12-1, No. 1
Coach: Rick Bailey, 32nd season (222-105)
League finish: First in Big 8 Conference
Championship history: Division 8 champion 2018.
Best wins: 26-21 over No. 5 Adrian Lenawee Christian in Regional Final, 28-6 over Cassopolis in District Final, 62-18 over No. 7 Fowler in Semifinal, 38-0 over No. 8 Mendon in Pre-District, 51-6 over Addison.
Players to watch: QB/LB Porter Mauk, 6-0/175, jr. (950 yards/9 TDs passing); RB/DB Hunter Midtgard, 6-1/176, sr. (1,360 yards/17 TDs rushing, 8 interceptions); FB/LB Ben Affholter, 6-2/287, sr.; OL/DL Nick Affholter, 6-3/307, sr,
Outlook: The team’s only loss the last two seasons was 14-0 to Division 7 finalist Pewamo-Westphalia in Week 1. The Rangers were the only team this season to hold P-W to fewer than 35 points, and since that night Reading offensively also has been back to unstoppable. The Rangers have won the last 12 games by an average score of 47-7. Both Ben and Nick Affholter were all-state first-team selections last season, and they along with Mauk, Midtgard, senior TE/LB Jayson Scoville and junior WR/DB Dilon Denison are two-way starters. Senior fullback Elijah Strine is another major contributor both ways; he starts at defensive tackle and has run for 879 yards and 22 touchdowns.
BEAL CITY
Record: 12-1, unranked
Coach: Brad Gross, fifth season (34-19)
League finish: Tied for first in Highland Conference
Championship his