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Second Half by MHSAA

Week 7 Football Playoff Listing

October 8, 2013

Here is a list of Michigan High School Athletic Association football playing schools, displaying their win-loss records and playoff averages through the sixth week of the season. Schools on this list are in enrollment order. An asterisk (*) beside a record indicates that a team has eight or fewer games scheduled. A caret (^) beside a school’s name indicates that a team is one win away from playoff qualification.

Those schools with 11-player teams with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules, or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer, will qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs beginning Nov. 1-2. Schools with 5-4, 4-3 or 4-4 records may qualify if the number of potential qualifiers by win total does not reach the 256 mark. Schools with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer may be subtracted from the field based on playoff average if the number of potential qualifiers exceeds the 256 mark.

Once the 256 qualifying schools are determined, they will be divided by enrollment groups into eight equal divisions of 32 schools, and then drawn into regions of eight teams each and districts of four teams each.

Those schools with 8-player teams will be ranked by playoff average at season’s end, and the top 16 programs will be drawn into regions of eight teams each for the playoff in that division, which also begins Nov. 1-2.

To review a list of all football playoff schools, individual school playoff point details and to report errors, visit the Football page of the MHSAA Website.

The announcement of the qualifiers and first-round pairings for both the 11 and 8-player playoffs will take place on Oct. 27 on the Selection Sunday Show at 7 p.m. on FOX Sports Detroit. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show.

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11-Player Playoff Listing

1. Sterling Heights Stevenson, 2781, 3-3, 45.667
2. Utica Eisenhower, 2772, 3-3, 49000     
3. Clarkston ^, 2737, 5-1, 83.167
4. Macomb Dakota, 2693, 6-0, 101.333   
5. Howell, 2672, 4-2, 66.500         
6. Grand Blanc ^, 2624, 5-1, 86.000           
7. East Kentwood, 2612, 4-2, 65.000        
8. Rockford ^, 2572, 5-1, 86.000 
9. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 2506, 6-0, 100.000               
10. Lake Orion ^, 2490, 5-1, 82.000           
11. Dearborn Fordson, 2309, 4-2, 67.733               
12. Holland West Ottawa, 2293, 4-2, 65.500         
13. Northville ^, 2275, 5-1, 79.000             
14. Detroit Cass Tech, 2262, 6-0, 92.000 
15. Brighton, 2164, 4-2, 69.500   
16. Monroe, 2145, 4-2, 61.500    
17. Detroit Catholic Central ^, 2132, 5-1, 78.433  
18. Plymouth ^, 2126, 5-1, 75.000             
19. Canton, 2078, 6-0, 100.000   
20. Novi, 1986, 4-2, 62.333           
21. Macomb L'Anse Creuse North ^, 1965, 5-1, 79.167    
22. West Bloomfield, 1941, 3-3, 45.667   
23. Saline ^, 1897, 5-1, 83.500     
24. Westland John Glenn, 1880, 3-3, 48.333         
25. Holt, 1866, 3-3, 52.500            
26. Warren Mott, 1796, 6-0, 92.000          
27. Romeo, 1793, 3-3, 54.333      
28. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek ^, 1759, 5-1, 80.667       
29. Livonia Franklin, 1746, 3-3, 51.000     
30. Hudsonville, 1736, 3-3, 55.333             
31. Ann Arbor Skyline, 1715, 4-2, 62.000
32. Grand Ledge, 1715, 3-3, 43.167          
33. Belleville, 1714, 4-2, 61.000  
34. Davison, 1692, 3-3, 43.167    
35. Walled Lake Northern, 1688, 4-2, 62.333        
36. White Lake Lakeland, 1655, 3-3, 52.333           
37. Traverse City West, 1653, 4-2, 66.833              
38. Rochester, 1615, 3-3, 48.167
39. Waterford Kettering, 1604, 3-3, 47.167           
40. Temperance Bedford, 1600, 6-0, 104.000       
41. Grosse Pointe South, 1598, 3-3, 48.167           
42. Rochester Adams, 1582, 4-2, 66.667 
43. Saginaw Heritage, 1575, 4-2, 64.000 
44. Warren DeLaSalle, 1564, 4-2, 71.000 
45. Walled Lake Western, 1556, 6-0, 98.667         
46. Kalamazoo Central, 1554, 3-3, 40.167               
47. Brownstown Woodhaven, 1502, 3-3, 46.667
48. Flint Carman-Ainsworth ^, 1488, 5-1, 80.833 
49. Detroit U-D Jesuit, 1476, 4-2, 65.000
50. Midland ^, 1462, 5-1, 87.333
51. Ypsilanti Lincoln ^, 1460, 5-1, 76.833 
52. Pinckney, 1452, 4-2, 67.833  
53. Traverse City Central, 1448, 3-3, 44.167          
54. Oak Park ^, 1438, 5-1, 80.667               
55. Detroit Martin Luther King *, 1432, 5-0, 89.867            
56. Ypsilanti Community, 1399, 3-3, 42.000           
57. Port Huron, 1398, 4-2, 63.800              
58. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1373, 6-0, 98.667        
59. Portage Central, 1372, 6-0, 94.667     
60. Lansing Everett ^, 1369, 5-1, 73.667  
61. Portage Northern, 1364, 4-2, 65.667
62. Southfield ^, 1356, 5-1, 86.167            
63. North Farmington *^, 1352, 4-2, 59.267          
64. Caledonia ^, 1350, 5-1, 76.667             
65. Battle Creek Lakeview, 1348, 6-0, 82.667       
66. Birmingham Seaholm, 1337, 6-0, 94.667         
67. Birmingham Brother Rice, 1326, 6-0, 110.667
68. Grosse Pointe North, 1323, 4-2, 63.667           
69. Muskegon Mona Shores ^, 1314, 5-1, 78.000               
70. Midland Dow ^, 1304, 5-1, 76.667      
71. Farmington Hills Harrison ^, 1300, 5-1, 82.000              
72. South Lyon, 1277, 4-2, 67.833              
73. Swartz Creek, 1277, 4-2, 63.000          
74. Birmingham Groves, 1274, 6-0, 88.000            
75. Berkley, 1260, 3-3, 40.333     
76. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, 1231, 4-2, 52.833
77. Fenton, 1188, 6-0, 94.667      
78. Grand Rapids Northview, 1182, 4-2, 63.500   
79. Warren Woods Tower, 1170, 4-2, 49.667        
80. St Clair Shores Lake Shore, 1168, 3-3, 40.333
81. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer ^, 1151, 5-1, 84.333             
82. Lowell, 1146, 6-0, 103.467     
83. Taylor Truman ^, 1131, 5-1, 80.500    
84. Holly, 1124, 3-3, 48.667          
85. East Lansing, 1124, 3-3, 46.333            
86. Muskegon ^, 1118, 5-1, 88.833           
87. Lapeer East, 1113, 3-3, 44.500             
88. Marquette *, 1110, 5-1, 78.667          
89. Detroit East English, 1109, 4-2, 59.233              
90. Detroit Cody, 1106, 3-3, 46.333           
91. Allen Park, 1103, 4-2, 68.167
92. Detroit Renaissance, 1097, 3-3, 39.167            
93. Detroit Mumford, 1090, 6-0, 86.667 
94. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern ^, 1079, 5-1, 70.167           
95. St Johns, 1079, 3-3, 44.500    
96. Zeeland East ^, 1071, 5-1, 79.333       
97. Lapeer West ^, 1063, 5-1, 85.833       
98. Redford Thurston, 1063, 3-3, 53.167
99. Byron Center, 1039, 4-2, 60.833         
100. Mt. Pleasant ^, 1033, 5-1, 82.167     
101. Riverview ^, 993, 5-1, 67.500             
102. St. Joseph, 986, 6-0, 100.000             
103. Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 980, 3-3, 50.000     
104. Saginaw Arthur Hill, 973, 3-3, 43.167              
105. Petoskey, 965, 3-3, 48.667 
106. Mason, 958, 4-2, 58.667      
107. East Grand Rapids, 949, 3-3, 48.667
108. Linden, 944, 4-2, 58.833       
109. DeWitt, 941, 6-0, 100.667    
110. Sault Ste. Marie, 928, 3-3, 42.467    
111. Grand Rapids Christian ^, 927, 5-1, 82.000   
112. Cedar Springs, 911, 3-3, 47.833         
113. Detroit Denby ^, 909, 5-1, 68.500    
114. Haslett, 907, 4-2, 62.500      
115. Stevensville Lakeshore, 892, 4-2, 56.333      
116. Fruitport, 886, 4-2, 53.333  
117. Romulus, 882, 3-3, 39.000   
118. Coldwater, 878, 3-3, 44.667               
119. Milan, 872, 6-0, 94.667         
120. St. Clair, 869, 6-0, 86.667     
121. Tecumseh, 869, 4-2, 62.167               
122. Sturgis, 868, 3-3, 45.833       
123. Wayland Union, 861, 3-3, 51.167     
124. Melvindale ^, 860, 5-1, 79.500          
125. Plainwell, 852, 6-0, 85.333  
126. Sparta ^, 851, 5-1, 68.333    
127. Ionia, 851, 4-2, 54.667          
128. Jackson Northwest, 847, 3-3, 40.500              
129. Eaton Rapids, 844, 4-2, 55.333          
130. Detroit Old Redford *, 838, 5-1, 64.667         
131. Zeeland West ^, 833, 5-1, 75.333     
132. Carleton Airport, 832, 3-3, 38.833    
133. Charlotte ^, 830, 4-2, 66.667              
134. Battle Creek Harper Creek ^, 823, 5-1, 72.833            
135. Dearborn Heights Annapolis, 818, 4-2, 53.833            
136. North Branch ^, 809, 5-1, 66.000      
137. Dearborn Divine Child, 802, 3-3, 48.000        
138. Marysville, 791, 4-2, 57.000
139. Detroit Collegiate Prep, 790, 4-2, 49.667      
140. Three Rivers, 789, 4-2, 48.333           
141. Edwardsburg, 787, 6-0, 78.667          
142. Holland Christian, 785, 3-3, 42.000  
143. Spring Lake ^, 783, 5-1, 66.000          
144. Cadillac, 779, 6-0, 86.933     
145. Ogemaw Heights, 754, 4-2, 53.600  
146. Croswell-Lexington, 738, 4-2, 53.167             
147. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 732, 4-2, 58.833 
148. Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy ^, 724, 5-1, 67.433  
149. Yale, 704, 4-2, 55.667            
150. Comstock Park, 701, 6-0, 97.600      
151. Detroit Country Day, 700, 3-3, 44.667            
152. Fremont, 697, 3-3, 35.167   
153. St. Clair Shores South Lake, 690, 3-3, 46.667               
154. Otsego, 688, 4-2, 47.000      
155. Corunna, 686, 3-3, 40.333   
156. Lansing Sexton, 684, 6-0, 93.333      
157. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 678, 3-3, 41.333         
158. Allendale *, 676, 5-1, 71.500              
159. Cheboygan ^, 660, 5-1, 74.000          
160. Belding, 654, 4-2, 50.833     
161. Battle Creek Pennfield ^, 652, 5-1, 55.333   
162. Williamston *^, 651, 4-2, 52.333      
163. Grand Rapids South Christian ^, 645, 5-1, 71.333      
164. Saginaw Swan Valley, 644, 6-0, 81.333          
165. Richmond ^, 642, 5-1, 70.167            
166. Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 635, 3-3, 44.667          
167. Paw Paw, 632, 6-0, 70.667  
168. Grosse Ile, 632, 3-3, 41.833
169. Dowagiac ^, 621, 5-1, 60.833             
170. Lake Fenton ^, 613, 5-1, 67.333        
171. Ludington, 610, 4-2, 46.500
172. Remus Chippewa Hills, 600, 3-3, 38.000        
173. Marine City, 596, 6-0, 94.667             
174. Mt. Morris, 593, 3-3, 39.333               
175. Wyoming Kelloggsville, 591, 4-2, 51.167       
176. Clawson, 584, 4-2, 48.333   
177. Essexville Garber, 583, 4-2, 54.667  
178. Birch Run, 579, 3-3, 43.000 
179. Livonia Clarenceville, 577, 6-0, 82.667            
180. Portland *, 572, 6-0, 86.667               
181. Freeland ^, 568, 5-1, 67.500               
182. River Rouge ^, 568, 5-1, 54.967        
183. Kingsford, 561, 4-2, 49.310 
184. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 560, 4-2, 39.500
185. Parchment, 552, 3-3, 36.833              
186. Ovid-Elsie, 549, 4-2, 51.000
187. Clinton Township Clintondale, 544, 6-0, 80.000         
188. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard ^, 544, 5-1, 71.500            
189. North Muskegon ^, 541, 5-1, 56.667              
190. Gladwin, 539, 4-2, 45.333    
191. Chesaning, 532, 3-3, 37.500               
192. Frankenmuth ^, 527, 5-1, 76.167     
193. Hopkins, 527, 4-2, 57.000    
194. Almont ^, 524, 5-1, 64.667  
195. Newaygo ^, 523, 5-1, 66.167             
196. Standish-Sterling Central, 520, 6-0, 78.667  
197. Flint Powers Catholic, 517, 3-3, 37.500          
198. Olivet, 505, 6-0, 69.333        
199. Ida ^, 504, 5-1, 65.667          
200. Allen Park Cabrini, 504, 3-3, 36.333 
201. Menominee, 501, 6-0, 83.048           
202. Detroit University Prep, 501, 4-2, 49.333      
203. Macomb Lutheran North, 501, 3-3, 44.500  
204. Stanton Central Montcalm, 501, 3-3, 31.833               
205. Muskegon Oakridge ^, 496, 5-1, 63.500        
206. Bridgeport, 495, 3-3, 37.500               
207. Grayling ^, 494, 5-1, 56.500
208. Reed City, 490, 6-0, 78.667 
209. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 490, 4-2, 48.833 
210. Dundee, 489, 4-2, 37.333    
211. Lansing Catholic, 480, 3-3, 41.000    
212. Brooklyn Columbia Central, 474, 3-3, 31.500               
213. Clare, 451, 4-2, 45.500          
214. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central ^, 445, 5-1, 66.167             
215. Jackson Lumen Christi, 441, 6-0, 88.000        
216. Kingsley, 439, 4-2, 46.667    
217. Houghton, 437, 3-3, 27.548
218. Roscommon, 431, 3-3, 34.000           
219. Millington, 430, 4-2, 57.167
220. Warren Michigan Collegiate, 428, 4-2, 47.667             
221. Kalkaska ^, 425, 5-1, 54.000               
222. Madison Heights Madison, 424, 6-0, 84.000
223. Sanford Meridian, 423, 6-0, 68.000 
224. Detroit Consortium, 422, 3-3, 32.000             
225. Harper Woods, 420, 3-3, 29.333       
226. Negaunee, 416, 6-0, 60.000               
227. Michigan Center ^, 416, 5-1, 54.000               
228. Hanover-Horton, 412, 3-3, 28.167   
229. Montrose Hill-McCloy, 411, 6-0, 77.333        
230. Lakeview, 409, 4-2, 49.500 
231. Grass Lake ^, 402, 5-1, 620 
232. Shelby, 401, 6-0, 74.667       
233. Elk Rapids, 400, 4-2, 51.833
234. Ithaca, 399, 6-0, 74.667        
235. Manchester ^, 398, 5-1, 60.833        
236. Niles Brandywine, 397, 6-0, 72.838
237. Hillsdale, 397, 3-3, 36.333    
238. Mt. Clemens, 390, 3-3, 34.333          
239. Jonesville ^, 389, 5-1, 62.167             
240. Maple City Glen Lake, 388, 6-0, 68.000          
241. Grandville Calvin Christian, 388, 3-3, 44.167
242. Watervliet, 387, 6-0, 61.333               
243. Vassar, 385, 3-3, 28.833       
244. Clinton, 383, 6-0, 72.000      
245. Boyne City ^, 383, 5-1, 62.167           
246. Byron Area ^, 380, 5-1, 52.833          
247. Constantine, 379, 4-2, 45.000            
248. Burton Bendle, 374, 4-2, 44.967       
249. Adrian Madison, 374, 3-3, 27.167    
250. Montague, 373, 4-2, 49.500               
251. St. Charles, 367, 3-3, 29.667               
252. Quincy, 361, 4-2, 34.667      
253. Whitmore Lake, 360, 3-3, 36.667     
254. Hartford, 351, 3-3, 29.000   
255. Cass City, 350, 3-3, 36.167   
256. Indian River Inland Lakes, 348, 4-2, 34.500  
257. Schoolcraft ^, 346, 5-1, 64.833          
258. Flint Beecher ^, 345, 5-1, 62.000      
259. Reese ^, 337, 5-1, 50.167    
260. Saginaw Nouvel ^, 333, 5-1, 69.633
261. Marlette, 332, 6-0, 65.333  
262. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian ^, 331, 5-1, 59.167         
263. Iron Mountain, 330, 3-3, 30.500       
264. McBain, 326, 4-2, 41.333     
265. Bath, 325, 3-3, 28.167           
266. Hesperia, 324, 4-2, 42.500  
267. Carson City-Crystal, 323, 6-0, 69.333              
268. Bridgman, 320, 4-2, 42.433 
269. Lake City, 314, 6-0, 61.333  
270. Whittemore-Prescott, 309, 4-2, 45.667         
271. Springport ^, 308, 5-1, 52.667           
272. Lawton, 307, 6-0, 60.000     
273. Southfield Christian ^, 306, 5-1, 48.667         
274. East Jordan, 302, 3-3, 28.500             
275. Ishpeming, 301, 6-0, 60.571               
276. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker ^, 301, 5-1, 55.333      
277. Sandusky, 299, 3-3, 25.167 
278. Dansville, 298, 4-2, 38.833  
279. Pewamo-Westphalia, 295, 6-0, 65.333          
280. Madison Heights Bishop Foley, 295, 4-2, 53.167        
281. Evart ^, 292, 5-1, 51.500      
282. Traverse City St. Francis, 291, 4-2, 54.833     
283. Genesee, 289, 3-3, 30.000  
284. Mancelona, 286, 4-2, 41.167              
285. Unionville-Sebewaing, 285, 4-2, 33.000        
286. Homer, 284, 6-0, 64.000      
287. Detroit Loyola, 282, 6-0, 96.000        
288. Gobles, 280, 3-3, 28.500      
289. St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic *, 279, 36647, 56.800        
290. Decatur ^, 279, 5-1, 52.833 
291. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 279, 3-3, 34.167    
292. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic ^, 278, 5-1, 63.167              
293. Cassopolis Ross Beatty, 278, 3-3, 34.867       
294. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 276, 4-2, 37.000        
295. Lincoln Alcona, 273, 6-0, 57.333        
296. Iron River West Iron County, 268, 6-0, 66.667            
297. Hudson ^, 268, 5-1, 51.333 
298. Reading, 268, 3-3, 23.500    
299. Burton Bentley, 264, 3-3, 27.833      
300. Britton Deerfield, 260, 4-2, 47.833  
301. Saugatuck ^, 255, 5-1, 43.333            
302. New Buffalo, 253, 3-3, 34.533           
303. Suttons Bay, 253, 3-3, 29.833            
304. Harbor Beach ^, 252, 5-1, 58.167     
305. Merrill, 250, 3-3, 34.333       
306. Kalamazoo Christian, 250, 3-3, 31.000            
307. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 248, 4-2, 43.833     
308. Vestaburg, 248, 4-2, 37.767               
309. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 246, 4-2, 36.667    
310. New Lothrop, 243, 6-0, 72.000          
311. Bessemer, 241, 4-2, 37.748
312. Onekama, 240, 3-3, 23.000 
313. Petersburg-Summerfield, 239, 3-3, 34.833  
314. L'Anse ^, 236, 5-1, 47.500   
315. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary ^, 233, 5-1, 60.833     
316. White Pigeon, 228, 4-2, 41.433         
317. Detroit Allen Academy *, 226, 41335, 41.700              
318. Coleman ^, 225, 5-1, 46.433               
319. St. Ignace La Salle ^, 224, 5-1, 58.667             
320. Pittsford, 219, 4-2, 33.667   
321. Beal City, 218, 6-0, 73.333   
322. Mendon, 211, 6-0, 66.133   
323. Mio ^, 210, 5-1, 47.167         
324. Stephenson, 206, 3-3, 26.333            
325. Morenci, 205, 4-2, 44.167   
326. Fowler ^, 200, 5-1, 52.833   
327. Powers North Central ^, 196, 5-1, 42.167     
328. Munising, 196, 3-3, 26.167  
329. Rogers City, 192, 3-3, 24.500              
330. Atlanta, 186, 3-3, 25.667      
331. Climax-Scotts, 185, 6-0, 56.000         
332. Waterford Our Lady, 173, 4-2, 53.333            
333. Bellevue, 172, 4-2, 34.167   
334. Muskegon Catholic Central, 167, 4-2, 43.667              
335. Lake Linden-Hubbell, 166, 4-2, 38.714           
336. Crystal Falls Forest Park, 163, 6-0, 62.857     
337. Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, 160, 3-3, 25.500
338. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 155, 4-2, 34.667 
339. Gaylord St. Mary, 154, 3-3, 27.600  
340. Hillman, 151, 3-3, 26.667     
341. Pickford, 150, 4-2, 37.267    
342. Baldwin, 129, 4-2, 35.100    
343. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart ^, 124, 5-1, 48.833            
344. Clarkston Everest Collegiate ^, 110, 5-1, 60.500        
345. Felch North Dickinson *, 103, 5-1, 46.167

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8-Player Playoff Listing

1. Rapid River, 120, 6-0, 52.000
2. Peck, 171, 6-0, 49.600
3. Portland St. Patrick, 107, 6-0, 46.667
4. Battle Creek St. Philip, 157, 6-0, 44.267
5. Owendale-Gagetown, 68, 6-0, 41.333
6. Cedarville, 191, 5-1, 40.033
7. Carsonville-Port Sanilac, 151, 5-1, 39.533
8. Bellaire, 147, 5-1, 35.533
9. Kinde-North Huron, 169, 4-2, 32.433
10. Lawrence *, 191, 4-1, 31.767
11. Akron-Fairgrove, 99, 5-1, 30.167
12. Burr Oak, 76, 4-2, 29.667
13. Posen, 82, 3-3, 28.867
14. Deckerville, 185, 3-3, 26.967
15. Waldron, 89, 3-3, 21.333
16. Engadine, 88, 2-4, 19.167
17. Eben Junction Superior Central *, 136, 2-3, 17.133
18. Brimley, 149, 2-4, 14.367
19. Webberville, 177, 2-4, 14.333
20. Marine City Cardinal Mooney, 182, 1-5, 12.167
21. St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran, 111, 1-5, 12.100
22. Kingston *, 195, 1-4, 10.400
23. New Haven Merritt, 141, 1-5, 9.000
24. Tekonsha, 158, 1-5, 8.000
25. Ewen-Trout Creek, 155, 1-5, 7.500
26. Flint Michigan School for the Deaf *, 50, 0-6, 3.000
27. Litchfield, 117, 0-6, 2.667

New Field Next Step in Glen Lake Surge

August 31, 2017

By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half

MAPLE CITY – With school about to begin, Glen Lake will be hosting perhaps its biggest event of the school year tonight.

Perennial power Traverse City St. Francis heads up to Leelanau County to take on the Lakers in a Week 2 football showdown.

Glen Lake, a 42-20 winner over Kingsley in last week’s season opener, is coming off an 11-3 campaign that ended in the MHSAA Division 6 Final at Ford Field. The Lakers lost the title game to Jackson Lumen Christi 26-14.

St. Francis, a 21-7 victor over Marquette last weekend, finished 11-1 a year ago, losing to eventual Division 7 champion Pewamo-Westphalia 17-14 in the Regional Finals.

“Anytime you play St. Francis – it doesn’t matter if you play them on the beach – it’s a big game,” Lakers coach Jerry Angers said.

The two teams will not be playing in the sand tonight. They’ll be playing on Glen Lake’s new synthetic field, which workers put the finishing touches on to meet a down-to-the-wire deadline this week.

The field is the latest positive for the Glen Lake program.

The school board considered installing a new natural grass field, but opted for the artificial turf because of its “usability.”

“Once you accept the premise that the football field needed to be replaced, it wasn’t that much of a leap to go to artificial turf (over natural grass) given how much more we can use it,” superintendent Sander Scott said. “Usability – that was the determining factor.”

The field will be used by other sports teams as well as physical education classes.

“That’s the beauty of it,” athletic director Jennifer Johnston added. “Our entire student body and community can reap the benefits of having a field like that.”

The school board approved spending nearly $850,000 on the surface, but Scott said “it’s looking like it’s going to come in well below that.”

Scott said officials put added emphasis on drainage, an issue that’s plagued Traverse City’s Thirlby Field.

“We’re aware of the challenges Thirlby Field has had (with its synthetic surface), so we really made sure we did not duplicate whatever mistake that was done there,” he said. “We probably overbuilt for drainage.”

The field is not the only new enhancement fans will notice tonight. Officials “beefed up” the wireless network at the field and brought back the berms on the home side for those who prefer lawn seating to bleachers.

The upgrades add to the momentum that’s building in the athletic program. Glen Lake was named the Traverse City Record-Eagle’s School of Year in 2016-17 after the football team reached the MHSAA Finals and the girls basketball team the Semifinals. In addition, Nichole Cox won a third consecutive individual MHSAA Finals golf championship.

“We’re on an upswing,” Angers said. “Everybody is upbeat.

“I know we savored it (last year’s football tournament run). Hopefully, it will fuel us this year – and in years to come.”

Johnston said her message to fall coaches was “keep doing what you’re doing because it’s working.”

“We have a vision and that’s to work hard to improve every day with pride, class and integrity,” she added.

It’s that motto that the school emphasized in ads that ran in the Record-Eagle fall sports tab and in the Leelanau Enterprise.

“We wanted to promote and brand our athletic department,” Johnston said.

Still, Johnston noted, the school has goals other than winning for its student athletes.

“We want to prepare our students to be successful in the real world and contribute to society in a positive way,” she said. “We have high expectations on the playing field, but it starts in the classroom.”

Speaking of the classroom, Glen Lake is on a roll there, too. The school conducted a search this summer for two secondary math teachers with proven records of increasing student achievement. The school even offered a signing bonus. Forty-six teachers applied, compared to 14 for a similar position at another local high school.

Glen Lake ended up hiring two teachers with more than 20 years of experience.

“The one thing we do that distinguishes us from other schools,” Scott said, “is that we will give teachers credit for all their years. When I was part of other districts, the highest they typically go is six years. If you’re a teacher with 20-plus years, you’re not going to take a huge pay cut to move. We wanted to eliminate that (obstacle). We just posted an elementary opening and had 153 applicants.”

For Johnston, she had another reason to celebrate the 2016-17 sports season. Her father, Roy, who coaches basketball at Beaverton, became the state’s all-time winningest coach in that sport last winter.

“I was really excited for him,” she said. “He’s definitely stood the test of time. He’ll be the first to tell you that you’re not put in that position, to reach a milestone like that, without a lot of good players and without the support of a great community and school. To me, the entire Beaverton community earned that accolade.”

When Glen Lake was making its run to Ford Field last fall, Johnston was quick to mention to Angers that he should enjoy every minute of it.

“I said, ‘Jerry, you have to realize my dad’s been coaching 46 years and the furthest he’s made it is to the Semifinals,” she said. “You never know. (The Finals are) quite an accomplishment. Enjoy it to the fullest.”

One game into the new season, Angers already is raving about the support his team is receiving from the student body and community.

“The crowd we had at Kingsley was unbelievable,” he said. “And I expect it will continue to grow.”

Especially with St. Francis coming to town tonight.

But for all the good cheer, Glen Lake is also without a familiar face this season. Paul Christiansen stepped down as girls golf coach after last season, ending a coaching career that started at the school in 1973. 

“I texted him after our coaches meeting in August,” Johnston said. “I said, ‘It was sure weird not having you at that coaches meeting.’ He texted me back and said, ‘Trust me, it was sure weird not being there.’”

When Christiansen started in the fall of 1973, he was an assistant varsity football coach and boys JV basketball coach. By the next year, he had become the head football and boys varsity track coach, in addition to coaching JV basketball for his close friend Don Miller.

“After the second year, our superintendent said three (coaching jobs) is too many, especially with two as a head coach at the varsity level,” Christiansen recalled. “He said, ‘I don’t care which ones you do, but pick two. I think you’ll be better off.’”

Christiansen gave up football. But he later picked up a third sport again when he coached girls middle school basketball. He would end up coaching boys JV basketball for 25 years and boys and girls varsity track 20 years apiece. In all, he coached 92 sports seasons at Glen Lake.

“It’s an odd feeling after 44 years,” Christiansen said. “It’s like, ‘Whoa!’ But it was time to move on.”

Christiansen went out on a high note after Cox became just the third girl in MHSAA history to win three consecutive individual golf titles. She’s now at Bowling Green University.

“I didn’t script it that way, but if you were to script it, going out with an individual or team championship would be the way,” he said.

Glen Lake had just three golfers last season, not enough to compete as a team. The school dropped the sport this season.

“For Glen Lake to allow us to keep competing (last season), even though we didn’t have a full complement of players to count as a team score, I was really thankful for that,” Christiansen said. “And Nichole was especially thankful.”

Cox’s title was part of a “wave of success” that highlighted the last school year.

But this is a new year. New teams. New challenges.

Angers, for one, is hoping to keep that momentum rolling, although he lost some talented players to graduation, including eight defensive starters.

“The key is you want to retool (not rebuild) every year and I think that’s where we are right now with the program,” he said.

St. Francis will be a good test.

Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.

PHOTOS: (Top) Maple City Glen Lake quarterback Cade Peterson prepares to take a snap last season. (Middle top) A drone's view of the new artificial turf field at Glen Lake, set to debut Friday. (Middle below) Peterson breaks through a hole following a block by teammate Max Guilbeau (43). (Below) Recently retired coach Paul Christiansen. (Photos courtesy of Greg Guilbeau [action] Scott Jozwiak [drone] and Don Miller [Christiansen].)