Writer-Turned-Coach Enjoys Debut
November 3, 2016
By Dennis Grall
Special for Second Half
ESCANABA — Sam Eggleston has seen high school football from two drastically different viewpoints. Now, even though he is an unpaid volunteer, he enjoys being on the sideline as a coach.
Eggleston just completed his first season as a high school head coach, with Eben Superior Central winning its final three games to finish 4-5 in 8-player football. The Cougars were among the first teams in the state to join the 8-player format in 2010, their first year of football.
Eggleston was a sportswriter before becoming a coach, giving him different perspectives to watching the same event.
The 1998 Rock Mid Peninsula High School graduate worked at newspapers in Escanaba, Kenai, Alaska; Northville and Novi, and Marquette before becoming a freelance writer and website blog editor in 2008. He started the writing phase of his career in 2000 with the Daily Press in Escanaba, under my direction.
He served as a volunteer assistant football coach in Northville, then moved back to the Upper Peninsula and became a volunteer coach at his alma mater in 2011 when the Wolverines went to 8-player football. He joined Superior Central in 2014 and spent two seasons as a volunteer aide until landing the head job just two weeks before the 2016 preseason began.
“In both careers … you took a shot on me and I ran with it, and the same with coaching; they gave me a shot and I’ve run with it as best I can,” he said.
In addition to his unpaid position at Superior Central, in rural Alger County, Eggleston is responsible for fundraising for the self-funded football program, a major priority for his offseason.
“My coaching is over (for the season) now and the majority of my time will be spent on raising funds so we can get new helmets, get new pads to replace ones that are broke, spending money we don’t have so we’ve got to make that up now,” he said. “We have to win now to have successful fundraisers.”
As a sportswriter, Eggleston would simply switch gears and move on to coverage of the next athletic season, for instance once fall sports moved into winter. He also never had to worry about how coaches managed off-field X’s and O’s once their seasons concluded.
Life was totally different as a reporter. “I had a different approach, different viewpoint, different mindset to a game as a writer,” said Eggleston, who still has the heft of when he was a lineman but now looks like a lumberjack with his bushy beard and build.
“Now I have to worry about every kid and every position,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t even see the end result of the play because I’m watching the line play. I don’t even know how well my running back did until I see where they moved the stick.”
He may also be working on an injured player while the game goes on, trying to make play calls and other decisions at the same time.
As a sportswriter, he would be jotting down notes between plays or perhaps checking the result of a picture he took of the previous snap, totally unaware the coach was monitoring several assignments.
“I look back at the writer I was and as a coach now, and I would hate the type of writer I was,” he said.
Eggleston would analyze why a coach would switch to running a sweep rather than the counter that had been working, all while the coach may be working on an injured player that caused a change in offensive plans.
“As a writer I never had the insight to see everything. I just saw the overall game and kept track of every yard,” he said. “As a coach I can’t even tell if the play went five yards because I have three plays stacked up as the game goes on.”
While he was writing sports in the metro Detroit area, his weekly paper often covered games also being covered by the Detroit Free Press or the Oakland Press, with those stories appearing the next day. Eggleston’s story would appear maybe five days later, after everyone knew what happened.
“I had to come in with a different angle. I tried to be a little more analytical and focus on strategy versus the flourish and try to get the meat of the game rather than get to the flowery parts,” he recalled. “I tried to take a different approach and make my stuff more interesting.”
His style apparently worked as the paper received several journalism awards and subscriptions remained strong.
Writing also provided some interesting backdrops. He had to use small charter planes to see some games in Alaska, or get to Nome to handle features about the Iditarod sled dog race.
He recalls covering a high school hockey game on an outdoor rink in Alaska and said “it was the first time I saw wind shear affect a hockey game.”
Eggleston also covered a football game where a kicker booted the ball off the uprights, then off a fence, and it bounced into the ocean in Homer.
He reported on a murder trial at that paper, where he would work the news desk in the morning, take time off and then handle sports at night. “It was super stressful,” he said.
Now walking the sidelines as a coach, he said “it definitely does feel like I’ve seen both sides of the coin, and I understand both sides of them better.”
He remembers just giving “little more rounded answers and (to) give both sides of the story” in postgame interviews. “A lot of coaches give canned answers. I try to be a little more in-depth and help try to write the story.”
In his early days as a sportswriter, he said “I would see the game unfold and see the pressures and why a coach would make a decision to go for it (on fourth down). I was a bit more critical of the coach and their decision,” he said, adding “I would probably have been a little more biting about it when I wrote the story.”
He admits in those days “I thought I knew everything there was to know about football. I played it,” he said. “I always approached the game like I was the professional and knew everything about the game. Now as a coach there are a host of responsibilities during every game. I am in completely different waters now. The hardest thing is keeping the kids pointed in the right direction as things go wrong.
“You’ve got the entire team and you’ve got to keep moving in a positive direction, keep the focus going forward. Forget the last play and work on the next one and get the kids to buy into that philosophy.”
He also compares his first writing assignment at the Daily Press with his first game this season at Ontonagon. “I did a (men’s baseball) story about the Escanaba Polecats, and you read my first line and said, ‘Did Yoda write this?’ I thought, oh my God, I don’t know what I’m doing.”
The Cougars lost their opener this fall 36-8, and Eggleston said “after being an assistant for four years, I still wasn’t prepared going into that Ontonagon game. We lost, and as I look back, if we played them right now I think we would beat them.
“I had no clue coming into that first game and didn’t have any idea how to get us back on track.”
He eventually figured enough out to finish 4-5 and found plenty of ways to enjoy being a coach.
Eggleston tries to eat lunch with his players every day, and he pays for his own meal.
“I want a family environment there; we all sit at the same table,” he said. “What I get back is relationships I never had before. I feel like I have 21 kids, and I love every minute of it.”
Denny Grall retired in 2012 after 39 years at the Escanaba Daily Press and four at the Green Bay Press-Gazette, plus 15 months for WLST radio in Escanaba; he served as the Daily Press sports editor from 1970-80 and again from 1984-2012. Grall was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and serves as its executive secretary. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Upper Peninsula.
PHOTOS: (Top) Eben Junction Superior Central football coach Sam Eggleston speaks with some of his players during a game this season. (Middle) Eggleston monitors the action on the field. (Photos by Dennis Grall.)
A Game for Every Fan: 11-Player Finals
November 24, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
You’ll recognize many of the teams playing for MHSAA 11-player football championships this weekend at Ford Field.
Of 16 finalists, 11 are previous champions. Seven of the 11 have won at least three titles.
Then there’s Romeo, Chelsea, River Rouge, Clinton and Pewamo-Westphalia. All are seeking their first MHSAA championship in the sport – with Romeo, Chelsea and River Rouge getting the opportunity to play for one for the first time.
See below for a look at all of the finalists who will take the field this weekend. The Division 8, 2, 6 and 4 games are Friday, with the odd-numbered divisions playing Saturday. Tickets cost $10 and are good for all four games on one day. Click for a full schedule.
The first three Friday games will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit’s primary channel (check cable/satellite box listings for your specific channel) with the Division 4 game tape delayed at 11:30 p.m. on FSD but available live on FoxSportsDetroit.com. Saturday's games all will air live on Fox Sports Detroit. Audio broadcasts will be available on the MHSAA Network website.
Rankings below were voted upon by The Associated Press’ media panel but can be used only as a guide; the AP establishes divisions before the season for poll purposes, but many teams ended up in different divisions at playoff selection. Statistics are current unless noted.
Division 1
ROMEO
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 7
Co-coaches: Curt Rienas and Jason Couch, 13th seasons (90-43)
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference White.
Finals history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 26-14 over No. 9 Macomb Dakota, 28-14 over No. 10 Clarkston in Pre-District, 34-14 over No. 8 Lapeer in District Final, 40-29 over No. 6 Detroit Catholic Central in Regional Final, 48-21 over No. 5 Grand Ledge in Semifinal.
Players to watch: QB Paul Hurley, 6-2/190, sr. (1,451 yards/23 TDs passing, 332 yards/3 TDs rushing); SE/DB Brad Tanner, 6-2/180, sr. (701 yards/13 TDs rushing, 564 yards/8 TDs receiving); TE/LB Mitchell Heimbuch, 6-3/220, sr. (676 yards/9 TDs receiving, 53 tackles/4 sacks/4 interceptions); DB Kade Messner, 5-10/175, jr. (62 tackles/2 interceptions).
Outlook: Romeo has advanced to its first MHSAA Final despite facing eight playoff teams and defeating seven – the lone loss was by three to Utica Eisenhower in the regular-season finale. No one’s individual numbers pop out, but as a team the Bulldogs run for 6.2 yards per carry and average nearly 12 per pass while giving up only 9.9 points per game. Heimbuch has reportedly committed to sign with Western Michigan University and is a force on both sides of the ball.
DETROIT CASS TECH
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 4
Coach: Thomas Wilcher, 18th season (141-59)
League finish: Second in Detroit Public School League East I.
Finals history: Division 1 champion 2012 and 2011.
Best wins: 16-10 over No. 9 Macomb Dakota in Regional Final, 48-41 over Canton in Semifinal, 33-8 over Division 2 No. 6 Detroit East English, 27-0 over Southfield.
Players to watch: QB Rodney Hall, 6-3/215, jr. (2,232 yards/20 TDs passing, 1,053 yards/14 TDs rushing); TE/LB Timothy Walton, 6-2/225, sr. (108 tackles through 11 games); WR/DB Demetric Vance, 6-2/200, sr. (55 tackles/4 interceptions through 11 games); WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, 6-1/195, jr (1,141 yards/17 TDs receiving); RB/SS Jaylen Kelly-Powell, 6-0/190, jr. (53 tackles/2 interceptions through 11 games); OL/DT Michael Onwenu, 6-3/360, sr.
Outlook: Cass Tech is loaded with talent – leading a large group of college-bound players are Onwenu (Michigan), Vance (Michigan State) and Walton (Illinois), and Peoples-Jones and Kelly-Powell will have their picks as well. The Technicians' only losses were to Division 2 finalist Detroit King, twice. But all eyes will be watching to see if Hall trots onto the field – he missed the Semifinal win with an injury that reportedly was season-ending. Sophomore Aaron Jackson stepped in and accounted for three touchdowns.
Division 2
LOWELL
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 4 in Division 3 (regular season)
Coach: Noel Dean, 20th season (201-35)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Finals history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 49-34 over No. 2 Walled Lake Western in Semifinal, 36-7 over Division 3 (regular season) No. 5 Muskegon in Regional Final, 35-13 over East Grand Rapids, 28-14 over Grand Rapids Christian.
Players to watch: QB Ryan Stevens, 6-2/160, sr. (2,418 yards/31 TDs passing, 945 yards/16 TDs rushing); RB/LB Max Dean, 5-11/185, sr. (1,164 yards/17 TDs, 57 tackles/7.5 sacks); WR/DB Gabe Steed, 6-1/160, sr. (1,058 yards/17 TDs receiving); LB/RB Nathan Stephens, 5-10/185, jr. (55 tackles); TE/LB Alex Anschutz, 6-1/185, sr. (518 yards/10 TDs receiving, 39 tackles/5 interceptions).
Outlook: The Red Arrows are playing for a championship for the first time since finishing runner-up in 2011 and lost only to Walled Lake Western in the season opener – avenging that loss in the Semifinal. The skill positions are dominated by seniors who also helped the team advance to the Regional Final last season and navigate one of the most competitive leagues in the state again this fall – among those opponents, East Grand Rapids, although unranked, made the Semifinals in Division 3.
DETROIT MARTIN LUTHER KING
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Dale Harvel, seventh season (60-19)
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League East I
Finals history: Division 2 champion 2007, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 42-6 over honorable mention Wyandotte Roosevelt in District Final, 12-10 over No. 9 Warren DeLaSalle, 20-15 and 26-12 (Regional Final) over No. 6 Detroit East English, 31-28 and 27-25 over Division 1 No. 4 Detroit Cass Tech.
Players to watch: QB/LB Armani Posey, 6-1/200, sr. (1,829 yards/19 TDs passing); WR/DB Donnie Corley, 6-3/185, sr. (1,221 yards/14 TDs receiving); WR/DB Dontre Boyd, 5-10/160, sr. (563 yards, 5 TDs receiving); RB Martell Pettaway, 5-10/210, sr. (1,514 yards/22 TDs rushing); WR/DB Lavert Hill, 5-10/175, sr. (11 interceptions through regular season);
Outlook: From the season opener against reigning champion Warren DeLaSalle through last week’s Semifinal against Livonia Franklin, King has been arguably the most impressive team in the state regardless of division. The Crusaders have won big and close – four victories came by a touchdown or less. Hill has at least 13 interceptions and has scored on offense, defense and special teams, and Corley had nine interceptions through the end of the regular season. He’s one of the state’s most pursued college prospects; Pettaway has committed to West Virginia and Hills has committed to Penn State, among others who will play at the next level.
Division 3
CHELSEA
Record/rank: 12-1, No. 9
Coach: Brad Bush, 19th season (149-56)
League finish: Tied for first in Southeastern Conference White.
Finals history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 35-7 over No. 3 Coldwater in Semifinal, 29-16 over honorable mention Trenton in District Final, 35-12 over No. 10 Allen Park in Regional Final, 9-7 over Ann Arbor Pioneer.
Players to watch: QB Jack Bush, 6-2/175, jr. (1,797 yards/17 TDs passing, 9 TDs rushing); WR Bailey Edwards, 6-3/180, sr. (727 yards/8 TDs receiving); TB Trey Seitz, 6-1/185, sr. (875 yards/9 TDs rushing); OT Jay Packard, 6-3/275, sr.; LB Ryan Stasiak, 6-1/180, sr.
Outlook: Chelsea will play in its first championship game but has long been a contender; this was the 16th season in 17 that the Bulldogs made the playoffs, and they had won at least 10 game five other times over the last 16 seasons before setting a program record for victories this fall. The lone loss, to Ypsilanti Community, cost them the outright league title, but the 34 points given up that game were a season high for a defense allowing only 9.2 per game and held Coldwater’s celebrated running attack to only 119 yards on 37 carries in the Semifinal.
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 11-1, No. 2
Coach: George Porritt, 27th season (245-67)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Finals history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 14-7 over East Grand Rapids in Semifinal, 38-0 over Division 2 No. 9 Warren DeLaSalle, 14-7 over Division 1 No. 6 Detroit Catholic Central, 24-12 over Division 7 No. 6 Detroit Loyola.
Players to watch: RB/SS Justin Myrick, 5-10/190, sr. (1,049 yards/13 TDs rushing); RB/DB Ryan Johnson, 5-8/175, jr. (651 yards/11 TDs rushing); QB Brendan Tabone, 6-1/180, sr. (1,036 yards/5 TDs); OL/DL Cameron Kolwich, 6-5/270, sr. LB Josh Ross, 6-1/225, jr.
Outlook: St. Mary’s has rumbled into its fifth final in six years with seven straight wins including the avenging of its lone loss, to Warren DeLaSalle in Week 5. The Eaglets ride a strong running game, although one of three backs may need to take the lead Saturday – Johnson was the leading rusher in the Semifinal with Myrick out with an injury and senior Brandon Adams then also getting hurt during the game. Ross keys a defense that hasn’t given up more than 14 points in a game since the loss, and receiver Kaylee Hamler (569 yards/3 TDs receiving) is another standout junior.
Division 4
FLINT POWERS CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 11-2, unranked
Coach: Bob Buckel, fifth season (45-15)
League finish: Second in Saginaw Valley League Blue.
Finals history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2011).
Best wins: 41-0 over No. 10 Goodrich in Pre-District, 28-7 over Division 5 (regular season) No. 8 Richmond in the Regional Final, 21-14 over No. 1 Detroit Country Day in the Semifinal.
Players to watch: QB Noah Sargent, 5-11/175 sr. (1,561 yards/18 TDs passing; 1,020 yards/15 TDs); LB Spencer Gomez, 5-10/195, jr. (69 tackles through 12 games); HB Reese Morgan, 5-10/185, sr. (981 yards/10 TDs rushing); NG Daurel Tolbert, 5-9/252, sr. (72 tackles/3 sacks through 12 games).
Outlook: Powers might not have been regarded as a title contender heading into the playoffs, and again while down two touchdowns in last week’s Semifinal win over Country Day. But the Chargers’ only losses were on opening night to Flushing and then to eventual Division 2 District champ Midland Dow in Week 5, and they’re lead by a championship-winning coach in Buckel, who has 211 wins over 33 seasons at four schools. Powers gave up only 60 points total in its 11 wins this fall.
ZEELAND WEST
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1 in Division 3 (regular season)
Coach: John Shillito, 11th season (110-22)
League finish: First in O-K Green.
Finals history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2013).
Best wins: 38-28 over No. 4 Comstock Park, 28-21 over honorable mention Hudsonville Unity Christian in the Regional Final, 46-8 over Ada Forest Hills Eastern in the Semifinal, 42-34 over Oak Park.
Players to watch: QB/DB Casey Brinks, 6-0/170, sr. (456 yards/4 TDs rushing, 576 yards/7 TDs passing); FB/DB Darius Perisee, 5-9/155, sr. (1,906 yards/29 TDs rushing); HB/LB Tyler Thompson, 6-1/200, sr. (925 yards/19 TDs rushing); HB/DB Dakota Geurink, 6-0/185, sr. (685 yards/8 TDs rushing).
Outlook: After losing to Muskegon in the Semifinal a year ago, West is back to try for its third title – and second perfect season – over the last half decade. The Dux have piled up 5,000 yards rushing with their Wing-T rushing attack, with fullback Perisee getting nearly 40 percent of those yards behind a line averaging 6-foot-1 and 247 pounds. The defense has progressively improved throughout the season and has given up more than one touchdown only once over the last seven games. Shillito is up to 266 wins over 32 seasons and four schools.
Division 5
GRAND RAPIDS WEST CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 11-2, No. 6
Coach: Dan Rohn, ninth season (98-19)
League finish: First in O-K Blue.
Finals history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 24-14 over No. 1 Menominee in Regional Final, 42-13 over No. 4 Lansing Catholic in Semifinal, 21-14 over No. 9 Reed City in District Final, 28-14 over honorable mention Muskegon Oakridge in Pre-District, 45-28 over Division 4 honorable mention Hudsonville Unity Christian, 42-35 over Division 4 No. 4 Comstock Park.
Players to watch: QB Gaetano Vallone, 5-10/160, soph. (2,474 yards/28 TDs passing, 814 yards/12 TDs rushing); RB/LB Denny Alt, 5-10/175, sr. (1,364 yards/17 TDs rushing); OL/DL Carl Myers, 6-3/260, sr.; WR/DB Conner Nemmers, 6-1/193, sr. (928 yards/13 TDs receiving).
Outlook: No one can argue West Catholic doesn’t deserve a return to Ford Field after the Falcons downed three top-10 teams and an honorable mention to get to this weekend. This is West Catholic’s fifth straight appearance in a championship game – it is 2-2 with two straight wins over the last four trips. Vallone has continued to impress during his first season as the starter at quarterback, but the Falcons can attack a number of ways with Alt carrying the load and Nemmers a tough matchup on the receiving end of Vallone’s passes.
RIVER ROUGE
Record/rank: 12-1, honorable mention
Coach: Corey Parker, seventh season (55-20)
League finish: First in Michigan Metro Athletic Conference Blue.
Finals history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 51-25 over honorable mention Algonac in the Regional Final, 28-26 over No. 5 Ida in the Semifinal, 41-12 over Romulus, 40-34 over Riverview.
Players to watch: QB Antoine Burgess, 5-10/180, sr. (1,484 yards/27 TDs passing, 1,040 yards/11 TDs rushing {rushing total does not include last week}); WR Aaron Vinson, 6-2/190, sr. (513 yards/11 TDs receiving); Alexander Carter, 5-10/205, soph. (1,076 yards/10 TDs through 12 games); OL Julius Laidler, 6-4/300, sr.
Outlook: River Rouge is no longer just a basketball school. The Panthers have been known statewide for hoops success from a half century ago, but they’ve won 10 or more football games three of the last four seasons and made the playoffs six straight, with this their first championship game appearance. River Rouge has its share of playmakers, but perhaps most notable and almost most noticeable are the guys in front of them. The Panthers’ offensive linemen average 6-1, 312 pounds.
Division 6
CLINTON
Record/rank: 13-0, Division 7 (regular season) No. 5
Coach: Scott McNitt, 31st season (195-109-1)
League finish: First in Tri-County Conference.
Finals history: Division 6 runner-up 2013.
Best wins: 14-10 over No. 4 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in Pre-District, 43-20 over No. 9 Madison Heights Madison in District Final, 49-20 over honorable mention Jackson Lumen Christi in Regional Final, 42-20 over Division 7 (regular season) No. 8 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian in Semifinal, 36-18 over Division 8 honorable mention Ottawa Lake Whiteford.
Players to watch: RB/LB Mathew Sexton, 5-11/170, sr. (2,247 yards/34 TDs rushing, 212 yards/4 TDs receiving, 99 tackles); QB Kaden Kelly, 6-3/160, sr. (680 yards/8 TDs passing); RB/LB Noah Poor, 5-9/180, sr. (1,029 yards/15 TDs rushing); OL/LB Ken DeShano, 6-0/200, sr. (101 tackles/6 sacks); TE/LB Blake Rogers, 6-0/175, sr. (79 tackles).
Outlook: Clinton’s run to its second championship game appearance rivaled Romeo’s in Division 1; the Redskins defeated the reigning champion in addition to multiple ranked and/or undefeated powers after emerging from a league that put four teams in the postseason. Sexton was the team’s second-leading rusher and tackler in the Final as a sophomore and is the player who receives the most attention, but as a team Clinton has run for 3,979 yards and 59 touchdowns with Kelly making key passes as opportunities have arisen.
ITHACA
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 1
Coach: Terry Hessbrook, 12th season (127-18)
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference West.
Finals history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2013), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 56-14 over honorable mention Vassar in Pre-District, 42-6 over No. 6 Sanford Meridian in District Final, 28-19 over Division 7 (regular season) No. 1 Traverse City St. Francis in Semifinal, 38-0 over Division 7 No. 9 Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary.
Players to watch: OL/LB Jace Demenov, 6-0/205, sr. (153 tackles); QB/DB Jake Smith, 6-1/170, sr. (1,342 yards/24 TDs passing, 1,632 yards/31 TDs rushing); WR/DB Grant Gimmey, WR/DB, sr. (284 yards/6 TDs receiving); WR/DB Spence DeMull, 6-4/175, sr. (364 yards/8 TDs receiving); RB/NG Jonah Loomis, 5-10/180, sr. (850 yards/15 TDs rushing, 84 tackles).
Outlook: A group of 17 seniors have unfinished business at Ford Field after last season’s defeat in the Final by Monroe St. Mary. Smith has been the key player over the last two seasons and took his game to another level this fall. But just as important Saturday could be Demenov, who is charged with leading a defense that must shut down Clinton’s dominating rush attack. DeMull was injured at the start of this season, but has steadily returned to his elite status and could be a tough matchup this weekend.
Division 7
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 4
Coach: Jeremy Miller, third season (33-5)
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference.
Finals history: Division 7 runner-up 2011.
Best wins: 30-0 over Detroit Loyola in Semifinal, 38-28 over No. 7 Saugatuck in District Final, 26-25 over Division 6 No. 9 Madison Heights Madison, 34-7 over Division 8 No. 9 Fowler.
Players to watch: RB/DE Jared Smith, 6-0/205, jr. (3,096 yards/52 TDs rushing); QB Jimmy Lehman, 6-3/200, soph. (654 yards/8 TDs passing through 12 games); FB/LB Nate Jandernoa, 5-11/220, sr. (348 yards/3 TDs rushing through 12 games); OL/LD Matt Fox, 6-1/295, sr.
Outlook: Pewamo-Westphalia is making its second trip to Ford Field in five seasons but this time on the legs of a record-break running back. Smith eclipsed the MHSAA single-season rushing touchdown record two weeks ago and the single-season yardage record last week, and has more than 5,000 yards combined over the last two seasons. Fox leads a line that averages 6-2, 259 pounds, and Jandernoa keys a defense that has given up three points total over the last two weeks and only 9.1 per game despite a schedule with seven playoff opponents.
ISHPEMING
Record/rank: 12-0, No. 2
Coach: Jeff Olson, 24th season (182-79)
League finish: First in Mid-Peninsula Conference.
Finals history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2013), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 22-14 over No. 3 New Lothrop in Semifinal, 20-14 over Division 8 No. 2 St. Ignace, 22-16 over Negaunee, 32-8 over Calumet.
Players to watch: QB/DB Ozzy Corp, 6-5/205, sr. (644 yards/7 TDs rushing, 1,047 yards/7 TDs passing through eight games); RB/LB Isaac Olson, 5-10/175, jr. (662 yards/7 TDs rushing through eight games); TE/DE Thomas Finegan, 5-11/200, sr. (453 yards/3 TDs receiving, 7 interceptions through eight games); FB/LB Halen Carello, 5-8/180, sr.
Outlook: The Hematites are seeking their third MHSAA title in four seasons. Corp led a new group of contributors to Ford Field last season and they came up short against Detroit Loyola, but a number of those players returned to win nine games against playoff teams this fall including a pair each against rivals Ishpeming Westwood and Iron Mountain. Ishpeming played only eight regular-season games because it didn’t have an opponent Week 6, but total has given up 99 points – 8.3 per game – with five players back who had tackles in last season’s Final.
Division 8
WATERFORD OUR LADY
Record/rank: 13-0, No. 3
Coach: Josh Sawicki, third season (30-5)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League CD.
Finals history: Division 8 champion 2002, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 36-20 over honorable mention Ottawa Lake Whiteford in Semifinal, 32-6 over Division 7 (regular season) No. 9 Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Regional Final, 36-10 over Division 4 No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
Players to watch: QB Clay Senerius, 6-3/175, sr. (2,913 yards/34 TDs passing); WR/DB Devin Senerius, 6-2/170, sr. (1,288 yards/12 TDs receiving, 39 tackles/4 interceptions); RB/DB Chris Cartier, 6-3/180, sr. (1,264 yards/20 TDs rushing, 395 yards/7 TDs receiving, 66 tackles/4 interceptions); LB/WR Ryan Kostich, 6-1/210, sr. (352 yards/11 TDs rushing, 590 yards/9 TDs receiving, 158 tackles/6 sacks).
Outlook: Our Lady has set a program record for victories on the way back to the Finals for the first time since 2002, with Whiteford last week the first team to come within 25 points. The Lakers are led by their highest-scoring offense ever, with Senerius to Senerius a dangerous passing comboand Cartier and Kostich providing balance on the ground and as additional targets. Kostich, senior Gabe Nickels (147 tackles) and junior Kurt Romkema (74 tackles) do most of the cleaning up for a defense giving up 9.1 points per game.
MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 10-2, No. 1
Coach: Steve Czerwon, third season (36-4)
League finish: First in Lakes 8 Conference.
Finals history: Ten MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 33-20 over No. 2 St. Ignace in Semifinal, 22-12 over honorable mention Frankfort in Regional Final, 48-13 over No. 6 Beal City in District Final,
Players to watch: RB/DB LaTommy Scott, 5-8/185, jr. (1,191 yards/18 TDs rushing); QB/DB Christian Martinez, 6-2/180, sr. (770 yards/14 TDs passing, 426 yards/10 TDs rushing); RB/DB Logan Helton, 5-7/175, jr. (864 yards/11 TDs rushing); OL/DL Jacob Holt, 6-1/245, sr.; LB Nate Jones, 6-1/205, sr.
Outlook: A 26-game winning streak ended on opening night, but the Crusaders put themselves back into contention for a third straight MHSAA title with losses only to Division 5 honorable mention Muskegon Oakridge that evening and Division 4 No. 1 Detroit Country Day in Week 8. Holt leads the way for a strong set of runners – junior Walker Christoffersen is only the team’s third-leading rusher with 472 yards, but he had 192 and a touchdown in the Semifinal win. Holt and Jones were among contributors on last season’s defense but this fall are leaders of a unit giving up 13 points per game during the playoffs.
The MHSAA Football Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTO: Ford Field has been home to the MHSAA 11-player Football Finals since 2005.