Unified Sports: Unified Goal, Unified Effort
By
Mark Uyl
MHSAA Executive Director
April 11, 2019
The following publisher's note and cover story were featured in this winter's edition of the MHSAA benchmarks magazine.
At its best, sport breaks down barriers and differences through promoting teamwork, inclusiveness and humility. At its worst, we’ve seen sport do the opposite.
Obviously those involved in school sports aim to create a culture within every school which fosters the best of what all of us can be. Those places that do this best have created a culture in every hallway, classroom, playing field and gymnasium filled with diverse students pulling for one another and working together regardless of the different backgrounds, races, religions, abilities, physical stature or academic acumen of each person. A culture of understanding and acceptance is what we strive for in each of our school communities.
On Nov. 24, such a scene played out on the grand stage of the playing surface at Ford Field in Detroit. In what we hope will be the launching pad for many more such events, Unified Sports competitors from four MHSAA member schools competed simultaneously in two games prior to the MHSAA Division 7 Football Final.
Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program within Special Olympics which pairs students with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates for training and competition.
From the time competitors walked through the tunnel to perform in front of family, friends, and the appreciative crowds from New Lothrop and Madison Heights Madison awaiting kickoff for the 10 a.m. game, the enthusiasm was unmatched.
Following competition these Unified teams were given tours of the facility, including a visit to the Detroit Lions locker room. We intended to deliver a day filled with an experience and memory for a lifetime for our guests, and feedback suggests that was accomplished. But, make no mistake, the session left lasting impressions on the staff here at the MHSAA, as well.
Brighton, Holt, Mason and Sparta – schools represented at the 2018 Football Finals – are among the 300-plus schools statewide which are Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools®, and it is our hope that the number continues to grow around Michigan and throughout the country.
The MHSAA and Michigan Special Olympics have a wonderful relationship, and we will continue to plan with our valued partner for future events as opportunities present themselves.
There is no limit to the benefits of these games and such a partnership. And, no limit to the enthusiasm of its participants who are helping to redefine school cultures by helping us break down barriers and build inclusive school communities around this great state.
***
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
The pass was lofted high, and floating toward the end zone nearest the tunnel where teams enter the playing surface at Ford Field.
As players from both teams converged, the intended receiver came away with the ball, clutching his prize and raising his arms in jubilant triumph.
It was arguably the best catch of the Thanksgiving weekend football feast in Detroit, and undoubtedly a memory this player will never forget. Moments later, the ear-to-ear grin remained as he high-fived spectators and family members on the way to the tunnel and up to the locker room.
And all of this happened before the second day of MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals kicked off Saturday, Nov. 24.
The play was one of many memorable moments to take place during the first-ever Unified Champion School event held in conjunction with the MHSAA Football Finals. If this year’s exhibition was any indication, it will be the first of many to come.
“The event far exceeded our expectations, and in discussions with the students, coaches and parents involved, I think it exceeded their expectations as well,” said MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl. “The feedback was positive, and the thanks and appreciation we received was overwhelming.”
Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® (UCS) is an education-based project that uses sports and education programs to activate young people to develop school communities where all youth are agents of change – fostering respect, dignity and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities.
Last summer, as Uyl was settling into his role as executive director at the MHSAA, Tim Hileman was acclimating himself to a similar role with Michigan Special Olympics. Both were replacing long-time leaders – Jack Roberts at the MHSAA and Lois Arnold at Special Olympics, who both had served their organizations for more than three decades.
The similarities brought Uyl and Hileman together, and they began to nurture seeds that had been planted by their predecessors.
“Mark reached out when the announcement was made that I was to become CEO of Michigan Special Olympics,” said Hileman. “We strongly believed in the benefits of a partnership between the two organizations. We talked about long-term plans and the goal of growing a culture of inclusion within our schools. A more immediate component was exploring existing opportunities to highlight a partnership, and what greater way to do that than at Ford Field during one of the most prominent weekends of the MHSAA sports season?”
The inaugural event included students from Brighton, Holt, Mason and Sparta school districts, each of which sponsor Unified teams.
Brighton, which has been in the game since 2016-17 and involves a combined 75 general education students and students with intellectual disabilities (I.D. students), recently earned national recognition for its Unified program.
“Andy Doupe, a faculty member who teaches special education here, brought the initiative to our district and it was a no-brainer that we needed to implement the program,” said John Thompson, athletic director at Brighton High School and a member of the MHSAA Representative Council. “It was a great opportunity to be supportive of all students in our community.”
Brighton Unified coach and faculty member Jody Renicker has helped take the lead.
“The foundation of Unified Sports is pretty simple,” Renicker said. “It's the idea that training and competing together is one of the fastest ways to friendship and understanding. The students discover that they are much more alike than they are different. This helps to dissolve the preconceptions and stereotypes often associated with people with disabilities.”
Just up the road in Holt, that community was gaining its own recognition, bringing home the Gold Medal from the USA Flag Football Championships in Seattle last summer. The lessons and experiences proved even more valuable.
“Athletes roomed with UCS partners,” said Val Suszko, a coach for the Holt/Mason program, which involves roughly 80 students with and without disabilities and is in its sixth year of existence. “The friendship that they developed over those 10 days was priceless. They are friends for life. They care for and protect each other. Without this experience, they wouldn’t have ever met.”
That’s the overriding goal of Unified athletics: to break down barriers within schools and communities while introducing young people to those with various challenges, offering opportunities to lead and assist.
“The inclusion of special needs kids and how it makes them feel is a wonderful part of the school community and program,” Thompson said. “We have a young lady with a prosthetic leg who never wore shorts because she was embarrassed. Now, being part of our basketball team, she wears shorts all the time.
“Naturally there’s a huge upside for the special needs students, but the general ed kids are being provided an opportunity to grow and develop leadership skills. The experiences open some eyes and break down some divisions that exist to make for an improved culture throughout the school. The melding of kids with different backgrounds of any kind is always good for perspective.”
Unified programs offer increased participation opportunity for the general education population as well as the I.D. students. For students who may not make the cut for school teams, or prefer to focus on academics or part-time jobs, the Unified option provides just what they are seeking. Others are varsity athletes looking for competition outside their preferred sport seasons.
“We receive a lot of interest from those partners who might have wanted to play on freshman, JV, or varsity teams but couldn’t meet the eligibility requirements or physically do not make the cuts at those levels of team tryouts,” said Renne Wyman, Unified coach at Sparta High School. “So they wander into the gym and join us. What happens is, the level of play ratchets up a notch or two. These kids initially come here to play, not necessarily help the intellectually disabled kids.
“But, then they start giving shooting advice, or directing them where to move offensively or whom to cover defensively. Suddenly they are talking to each other, and no adult staged the mentoring. It carries on between quarters, at halftime, before games and practices. They start texting and offering a seat in the cafeteria at lunch. I’m talking about major culture change in our building.”
This type of interaction serves to reduce the number of negative incidents in the hallways.
“Statistics show that these programs have proven to reduce bullying of the intellectually disabled population,” said Suszko of Holt/Mason. “To have an organized sports team and school support team is invaluable. The students with intellectual disabilities gain so much. They train together, play together and develop friendships through sports with the general school population.”
With such important life lessons in the balance, and 300-plus schools around Michigan sponsoring school programs, the time was right to further shine a spotlight on the product. In the past, Unified basketball events have been showcased during MHSAA Hoopfest events in conjunction with the Boys Basketball Finals, and it was time to take the next step.
“A partnership between the MHSAA and Special Olympics is a natural fit, and our goal is to assist in promoting inclusiveness and leadership components of Unified Champion Schools as opportunities at our tournaments allow,” Uyl said. “These are such worthwhile endeavors, and the student-athletes involved truly symbolize the best in school sports.”
The Ford Field event provided a chance for some serious competition on the field, along with countless smiles – and some tears – from onlookers and support groups following the action.
“My favorite story from that day came as Mark (Uyl) was addressing the group in the Lions locker room and thanking them for being there,” Hileman said. “I looked into the corner of the room and there’s a man – pretty good sized, tough-looking – standing there with his wife, and they’ve got tears in their eyes. The dad came up and told me, ‘I never thought I’d see my son play any kind of sport, and here he is at Ford Field. I’ll never forget this, and never watch a Lions game without thinking of this.’
“So many of our athletes are told what they can't do. Special Olympics is about showing what they can do.”
For Suszko, the highlights began earlier in the morning.
“The most memorable moment for me was watching the expressions on all of the athletes’ faces as they walked through the tunnel onto the field,” she said. “What a great opportunity. The hospitality that Mark Uyl, Nate Hampton, and the rest of the staff gave us was appreciated so much. The parents were excited. They loved seeing their athlete participating alongside the other high school football teams. Watching barriers being broken and teamwork being established is what inclusion is all about.”
There were plenty of emotions to go around, from the guests and the hosts.
“The kids and parents were over the moon when the invitation came. Ford Field, the MHSAA Finals, it really resonated with the kids, the school and families,” Thompson said. “Nate and Mark and all staff involved went out of their way to make it a wonderful and meaningful experience. They did more for the families and kids than anyone expected. We are very appreciative of the MHSAA continuing to work toward inclusion, and events like these help to spread the word.”
Spreading the word will help bolster an already strong movement both in Michigan and nationally. Hileman is excited for the future in partnering with the MHSAA for events like the one in November, which generate a high level of enthusiasm. In the near future, he has some more immediate goals.
“We are concentrating on expanding league play. That’s what sports are; athletes competing, and our athletes want to compete,” Hileman said. “We have league play in the O-K Conference, and in the Lansing area. Our goal and vision is to continue to build on the Unified conference experience; more competitions during the season.”
The Sparta program has been in place for four years, and numbers have increased from a handful to a total of 60 partners and Special Olympics athletes combined. Volunteers are a vital part of the initiative, and Wyman says hundreds of people donate their time at affiliated service projects held twice yearly. The school offers Unified flag football at the league/conference level each fall, Unified ski/snowboard on a smaller scale, Unified basketball at the league/conference level in the winter, and is looking to add Unified track & field at the league/conference level this spring.
Make no mistake; athletes of all kinds like to compete.
“My kids are learning the game like they never did before. The partners don’t dumb down the vocabulary or slow down what they teach. This occurs in real-time scrimmaging with a need to adjust quickly,” said Wyman. “So our Unified athletes are being coached and challenged to increase their skill and conditioning at a level I just can’t replicate in my Special Olympics Physical Education class where no partners are present.”
One also cannot replicate the related successes outside the gyms and away from the fields, where Wyman reports that I.D. students are now being offered rides to school for dances and athletic events, improving their grades to be eligible to participate in the program and becoming healthier through the activities, all while gaining confidence in themselves.
Renicker believes that seeing is believing, and encourages people to attend events in neighboring communities. The impression will likely spur action.
“My No. 1 suggestion would be to come and witness how special a Unified Game is,” Renicker said. “It will give you hope for our future and highlight some pretty amazing things that are going on in schools every day that don't make the front page of the newspaper. I feel so lucky to be part of a school community that values this program and the culture it has created.”
Hileman recently attended a national Special Olympics event and heard International Chairman of Special Olympics Dr. Timothy Shriver proclaim his dream: that just as every high school sponsors boys and girls athletic programs, he hopes that one day every high school in the country will become a Unified Champion School.
It is a big dream, but the slightest nudge can put things in motion, as Wyman has seen.
“It can start small. You only need one or two partners to commit and you can get something going,” Wyman said. “A lot of kids would love to help in supporting roles, whether it’s running sporting events, officiating, keeping stats, designing, or organizing. In the beginning, it is one person reaching out to one school seeing if they can get together and play the game.”
With that, the guidance of Special Olympics, and assistance from partners like the MHSAA, maybe the ball can keep rolling all the way around the state.
***
Inclusion is Primary Mission of Special Olympics UCS
Team sports bring people together. Special Olympics Unified Sports® teams do that, too, and much more.
About 1.4 million people worldwide take part in Unified Sports, breaking down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities in a really fun way. ESPN has served as the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports since 2013, supporting the growth and expansion of this program that empowers individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to engage through the power of sports.
Promoting Social Inclusion Through Sport
Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away.
States Embracing Unified Sports
Young people with disabilities do not often get a chance to play on their school sports teams. More and more states are adopting the Unified Sports approach that Special Olympics pioneered.
Unified Sports is also an integral part of Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, which was founded in 2008 and funded through the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education to use Special Olympics as a way to build inclusion and tolerance in schools. Unified Sports are now in more than 4,500 elementary, middle and high schools in the United States. Seventy percent of Unified Champion Schools (Pre-K through Grade 12) are engaging in Unified Sports! Also 215 U.S. colleges and universities have Special Olympics College Clubs on campus, providing ongoing Unified and inclusionary activities for students and Special Olympics athletes. Seventy-three of the 215 U.S. colleges and universities activating Special Olympics College conduct ongoing Unified Sports on their campuses. Learn how to get involved at www.playunified.org.
Mission: Inclusion
As part of the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International “Mission: Inclusion” partnership, the LCI youth network-Leos have become a strong global partner in expanding and implementing Unified Sports together with Special Olympics. The Leos have helped start and sustain Unified Sports in a number of nations worldwide, and serve as one of the movement’s strongest youth leadership networks in bringing inclusive programming to communities across the world. From Zimbabwe to Brazil and from California to India, the Leos continue to amplify the voice of athletes and embody the creed: Play Unified. Live Unified.
Major sports organization, league and event support to Play Unified
Many high-profile, professional sports organizations and events have also showcased Unified Sports as a vehicle to show the power of inclusive sports! This support includes:
• National Basketball Association (NBA)
• Major League Soccer (MLS)
• Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
• National Collegiate Athletic Association, D-III
• ESPN's X Games Aspen
• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
• National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)
PHOTOS: (Top) Unified teams from Brighton and Mason/Holt play during the second day of the MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field. (Top middle) Participants from those three schools and Sparta took part in the morning's games. (Middle) Sparta athletes stand together for the national anthem. (Below middle) A Brighton coach and players exchange high fives. (Below) Brighton's Unified basketball team plays during a celebration for receiving national recognition last fall. (Photos by John Johnson.)
1st & Goal: 11-Player Finals Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 21, 2021
We made it.
This season’s “Drive for Detroit” – as we often call it – started in August, stopped, started again, and stopped again in November.
But we’ve arrived at Ford Field with eight 11-player championship games left to cap the longest, and certainly one of the most unforgettable seasons in MHSAA football history.
This weekend’s lineup includes four 2019 champions aiming to repeat, and seven contenders hoping to claim the state’s ultimate high school football prize for the first time.
Here’s the schedule:
FRIDAY
Division 8: Centreville (10-0) vs. Ubly (9-2), 10 a.m.
Division 2: Muskegon Mona Shores (11-0) vs. Warren De La Salle Collegiate (7-4), 1 p.m.
Division 6: Montague (11-0) vs. Clinton (10-1), 4:30 p.m.
Division 4: Cadillac (8-2) vs. Detroit Country Day (8-2), 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
Division 7: New Lothrop (10-0) vs. Traverse City St. Francis (9-2), 10 a.m.
Division 1: Davison (11-0) vs. West Bloomfield (10-1), 1 p.m.
Division 5: Grand Rapids Catholic Central (10-0) vs. Frankenmuth (11-0), 4:30 p.m.
Division 3: DeWitt (11-0) vs. River Rouge (9-1), 7:30 p.m.
Spectators remain limited for this weekend’s games at Ford Field. But all eight will be broadcast by FOX Sports Detroit – click for the full cable schedule plus more links to watch online and listen live.
Rankings below are derived from where teams finished the regular season in their divisions based on playoff point average. Teams that are “unranked” finished outside of the top 10.
Division 1
DAVISON
Record/rank: 11-0, No. No. 10
Coach: Jake Weingartz, third season (30-5)
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League Red
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2019.
Best wins: 27-3 over No. 6 Rockford in Semifinal, 47-6 (District opener) and 37-6 over Lapeer, 20-7 over Detroit Catholic Central in Regional Final, 48-19 (District Final) and 46-21 over Grand Blanc.
Players to watch: QB/DB Dion Brown Jr., 6-0/180, sr. (248 yards/3 TDs passing, 387 yards/4 TDs receiving); RB/DB Carter Cryderman, 5-11/195, sr. (848 yards/11 TDs rushing, 132 yards/1 TD receiving); WR/DB Payton Pizzala, 6-0/185, sr. (118 yards/ 1 TD receiving); TE/DE Harrison Unger, 6-2/235, sr.
Outlook: Reigning Division 1 champion Davison handed lone losses this season to Detroit Catholic Central and Rockford on its way back to Ford Field. Brown has been one of the heroes of the playoffs; with all-state QB Brendan Sullivan off to Northwestern as an early enrollee, Brown has moved over from leading receiver to guide the Cardinals to their best two wins of the season. Senior running back Te’Avion Warren is emerging as another postseason star – he ran for a team-high 30 times for a team-best 163 yards and a two scores against the Rams, giving him 506 yards and seven TDs rushing this season. Unger made the all-state first team and keys a defense giving up just 6.9 points per game – he’ll play at Air Force after high school. Cryderman on offense made the all-state second team, and Pizzala on defense earned honorable mention.
WEST BLOOMFIELD
Record/rank: 10-1, No. 9
Coach: Ron Bellamy, 11th season (77-40)
League finish: Second in Oakland Activities Association Red
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2017.
Best wins: 35-34 (2OT) over No. 3 Belleville in Semifinal, 63-6 over Sterling Heights Stevenson in District Final, 28-0 over Lake Orion.
Players to watch: RB Donovan Edwards, 5-11/195, sr.; RB/DB Dillon Tatum, 5-10/185, jr.; DB Maxwell Hairston, 6-0/175, sr.; DT Jaden Green, 6-0/265, sr. (Statistics not provided.)
Outlook: West Bloomfield handed both Stevenson and then Belleville their lone losses to reach this weekend, and after the Lakers had fallen in Regional Finals the last two seasons. Edwards, an all-state first teamer and Michigan recruit, is arguably the most electrifying running back in the state. The Lakers’ lone defeat came in Week 6, 24-21 in overtime to eventual OAA Red champion Clarkston – and after that game, West Bloomfield’s defense posted four straight shutouts. Hairston and Tatum both made the all-state second team as defensive backs, and Green earned an honorable mention on the line. Senior punter Sammy Lafata also earned an all-state honorable mention, averaging 37.5 yards per punt through the Regional Final. Hairston will play next at Kentucky, and senior safety Gavin Hardeman will play at Air Force.
Division 2
MUSKEGON MONA SHORES
Record/rank: 11-0, No. 4
Coach: Matt Koziak, 10th season (83-29)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Green
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2019, runner-up 2018 and 2014.
Best wins: 43-30 over No. 9 Traverse City Central in Semifinal, 24-21 over No. 2 East Lansing in Regional Final, 28-25 over No. 8 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in District Semifinal, 35-21 over Detroit Martin Luther King, 21-14 over Division 3 No. 6 Muskegon.
Players to watch: QB/DB Brady Rose, 5-7/172, sr. (1,244 yards/20 TDs rushing, 985 yards/11 TDs passing); WR/DB Keondre Pierce, 5-11/175, sr.; TE/LB Karsen Marihugh, 5-11/236, sr.; OL/DL Mason Klos, 6-1/273, sr.
Outlook: Mona Shores won three playoff games by eight or fewer points and a fourth with a big comeback, which showed an impressive amount of resolve as the Sailors navigated one of the toughest paths to get to this weekend. Rose became an instant star taking over at quarterback for last season’s championship game and running for 90 yards and three touchdowns and throwing for 122 yards and a score. He made the all-state first team this season, Marihugh and Pierce made the second team, and Klos earned an honorable mention. Junior running back Elijah Johnson is another player to watch in the backfield – he’s run for 814 yards and 11 touchdowns.
WARREN DE LA SALLE COLLEGIATE
Record/rank: 7-4, unranked
Coach: Dan Rohn, first season (7-4)
League finish: Third in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Division 2 champions 2018, 2017 and 2014, runners-up up 2008 and 2006.
Best wins: 26-20 (OT) over Oak Park in Semifinal, 36-0 over No. 1 Port Huron in District Final, 45-3 over Warren Mott in Regional Final.
Players to watch: QB Brady Drogosh, 6-4/195, soph. (949 yards/9 TDs passing); QB/LB JC Ford, 5-9/175, sr. (484 yards/3 TDs rushing); RB/LB Brett Stanley, 5-8/180, sr. (699 yards/9 TDs rushing); WR Alton McCullum, 6-0/195, jr. (236 yards/2 TDs receiving). (Statistics through Regional Finals).
Outlook: After finishing 2-4 against a regular-season schedule that included three opponents that went 6-0 and a fourth 5-1 – and losing a pair of those games by a combined six points – De La Salle has put together a playoff run that included only one close game. Before the Semifinal, the Pilots had outscored their first four playoff opponents by a combined 172-23. Rohn previously led Grand Rapids West Catholic to Division 5 championships in 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015 and is a combined 157-57 during his head coaching career. Stanley earned an all-state honorable mention this season.
Division 3
DEWITT
Record/rank: 11-0, No. 2
Coach: Rob Zimmerman, 22nd season (221-45)
League finish: League did not keep standings because of shortened season.
Championship history: Finished runner-up five times (most recently 2013).
Best wins: 14-0 over No. 6 Muskegon in Semifinal, 43-0 over No. 5 Mason in District Final, 43-3 over Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 37-3 over Division 5 No. 4 Portland, 64-38 over Grand Ledge.
Players to watch: QB/DB Tyler Holtz, 5-11/195, jr. (2,219 yards/31 TDs passing, 3 TDs rushing); WR/DB Lukas Bresser, 6-3/180, sr. (612 yards/11 TDs receiving); WR/DB Thomas McIntosh, 6-5/200, jr. (707 yards/13 TDs receiving, 4 interceptions); RB/LB Andrew Debri, 5-11/215, sr. (312 yards/9 TDs rushing, 69 tackles/2 interceptions); QB/LB Grant Uyl, 5-11/210, sr. (56 tackles).
Outlook: DeWitt has made at least the Regional Finals the last five seasons and the Semifinals the last three, and last weekend’s Muskegon win avenged a seven-point Semifinal loss to the Big Reds in the same round in 2019. Zimmerman has led the program to double-digit wins 12 of the last 15 seasons and five of the six championship game trips. An offense scoring 45 points per game often gets the headlines, and for good reason. But the defense is giving up just five points per game and hasn’t allowed any since Stevensville Lakeshore put up six in the regular-season finale. Holtz, McIntosh and Debri all made the all-state first team, Debri at linebacker, with Bresser and Uyl earning honorable mentions.
RIVER ROUGE
Record/rank: 9-1, unranked
Coach: Corey Parker, 11th season (107-30)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2019, Division 5 runner-up 2015.
Best wins: 30-22 over No. 1 Chelsea in Semifinal, 33-30 over Detroit Martin Luther King in Regional Final, 38-20 over Riverview in District Semifinal, 40-21 over New Boston Huron in District Final.
Players to watch: QB Mareyohn Hrabowski, 6-4/214, sr.; DB Armorion Smith, 6-2/190, sr.; DL Pius Odjugo, 6-2/340, sr.; DL Davonte Miles, 6-5/280, jr.; OL Jalen Johnson, 6-2/310, sr. (Statistics not provided.)
Outlook: The reigning champion shut out five of six opponents during the regular season, with its only loss to eventual Division 2 Regional finalist East Lansing. Hrabowski starred in last season’s Division 3 championship game victory over Muskegon and can do damage running and passing; he made the all-state second team this fall. He works behind what might be the state’s most sizable offensive line, with the five starters averaging 6-foot-2 and 307 pounds. Johnson is one of that group and also made the all-state second team, and senior Chance Moore earned an honorable mention. Also earning accolades, Miles and Smith both made the all-state first team, while Odjugo made the second and senior receiver Tayshaun Massey-Johnson earned an honorable mention. Hrabowski will play next at Western Michigan, Smith at Cincinnati, Odjugo at Central Michigan, Johnson at Ball State and Moore at Morgan State.
Division 4
CADILLAC
Record/rank: 8-2, unranked
Coach: Cody Mallory, sixth season (26-33)
League finish: Third in Big North Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 28-26 over No. 1 Edwardsburg in Semifinal, 27-23 over Ada Forest Hills Eastern in Regional Final, 34-14 over Sault Ste. Marie in District Final.
Players to watch: QB/DB Aden Gurden, 6-0/170, jr. (945 yards/13 TDs rushing, 263 yards/1 TD passing); RB/LB Noah Cochrane, 5-11/180, sr. (540 yards/7 TDs rushing); RB/DB Collin Johnston, 5-9/180, jr. (243 yards/2 TDs rushing, 91 tackles); RB/DB Dan Gray, 5-11/160, sr. (61 tackles, 2 interceptions).
Outlook: It’s fair to say Cadillac stunned many who follow high school football with last week’s win over the offensively-powerful Eddies, but it’s hard to think of a better way for the Vikings to earn their first trip to the Finals. They’re enjoying an impressive turnaround – they were 1-8 only two seasons ago before improving to 7-5 in 2019. Their strength is defense, where Johnston and Gray earned all-state honorable mentions. Plenty of power running the ball helps on both sides, of course; the Vikings are rushing for 300 yards per game with four players scoring at least five times on the ground. Cadillac’s losses this season were to eventual Division 2 semifinalist Traverse City Central and also larger Traverse City West.
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 8-2, unranked
Coach: Dan MacLean, 23rd season (179-79)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 12-0 over No. 5 Williamston in Semifinal, 38-0 over No. 3 North Branch in Regional Final, 20-10 over No. 10 Madison Heights Lamphere in District Final, 21-14 (District Semifinal) and 10-0 over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 37-17 over Paw Paw.
Players to watch: TE/LB Billy Abdallah, 6-3/216, sr.; WR/DB Danny MacLean, 6-0/212, sr.; OL/DL Caleb Tiernan, 6-7/280, sr.; RB/DL Nick Wachol, 6-0/212, sr.; OL/DL Will Leggon, 6-3/290, sr.
Outlook: Country Day was able to get in only four regular-season games, but has surged through the postseason and looks to be in stride. The defense has been especially impressive, giving up a combined 36 points over five playoff games and bringing a two-game shutout streak into this weekend. Tiernan, who also will play next at Northwestern, made the all-state first team and plays on both sides of the ball, as does Leggon, who earned all-state honorable mention. Abdallah made the all-state second team and Danny MacLean and Wachol earned honorable mentions, all three for their work on defense as well. Senior Jacob Yarberry is an offensive playmaker of note; he’s the leading rusher and has scored five times on offense and once on a punt return. Junior quarterback Brandon Mann has run for six touchdowns and thrown for another.
Division 5
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 10-0, No. 1
Coach: Todd Kolster, ninth season (99-12)
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 49-14 over No. 7 Freeland in Semifinal, 58-7 over Muskegon Oakridge in Regional Final, 41-6 over No. 10 Belding in District opener, 28-27 (OT) over Division 4 No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian, 42-28 over Cedar Springs.
Players to watch: WR Jace Williams, 6-5/198, sr. (814 yards/19 TDs receiving); QB Joey Silveri, 6-0/205, jr. (1,839 yards/29 TDs passing, 7 TDs rushing); TB Nick Hollern, 5-9/195 sr. (1,057 yards/17 TDs rushing); SS Nolan Ziegler, 6-3/205, jr.; OL/DL Brady Redmer, 6-0/205, jr.
Outlook: The reigning Division 4 champion won three of the last four titles in that division and will look to add its first in Division 5. Only rival South Christian has come closer than 24 points of the Cougars this season, with 2019 Finals star Silveri putting up big numbers and Williams becoming one of the most prolific receivers in MHSAA history – his 19 touchdowns catches are tied for 15th most for one season and have come in just nine games (one win was a forfeit). He and Ziegler made the all-state first team, while Silveri made the second and Hollern and Redmer earned honorable mentions. Ziegler will continue next season at Notre Dame, and Williams will play at Miami (Ohio).
FRANKENMUTH
Record/rank: 11-0, No. 2
Coach: Phil Martin, eighth season (79-14)
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference East
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 31-7 over No. 6 Marine City in Regional Final, 31-7 over No. 9 Essexville Garber, 41-3 over No. 7 Freeland, 35-14 over Lansing Catholic in Semifinal.
Players to watch: QB Davin Reif, 5-8/170, sr. (842 yards/8 TDs passing, 963 yards/17 TDs rushing); RB Cole Lindow, 5-9/170, jr. (1,082 yards/14 TDs rushing); TE/DE Ethan Jacobs, 6-2/185, sr. (206 yards/2 TDs receiving, 49 tackles/9 sacks/2 interceptions); S Cole Jankowski, 6-1/175, jr. (6 interceptions); Kyle Main, 6-5/315, sr.
Outlook: Frankenmuth has played in seven Semifinals since making its first in 1987, and this time advanced to the season’s final weekend for the first time. Reif and Lindow combine to lead a rushing attack averaging 294 yards per game – but what jumps off the page perhaps more is the defense has allowed 302 rushing yards all season (on 267 carries). Passers haven’t fared much better; combined Frankenmuth yields just under 115 yards and 6.8 points per game. Main and Jacobs (as a punter) made the all-state first team, while Reif, Lindow and Jankowski earned honorable mentions. Seniors Konnor Roche and Ben Reinhert are two more to watch on defense – Roche leads the Eagles with 73 tackles and has 18 tackles for loss at linebacker, and Reinhert has 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks from the other defensive end spot.
Division 6
MONTAGUE
Record/rank: 11-0, No. 4
Coach: Patrick Collins, 17th season (158-45)
League finish: First in West Michigan Conference
Championship history: Division 6 champions 2009 and 2008, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 41-16 over No. 9 Montrose in Regional Final, 36-7 over No. 2 Muskegon Catholic Central in District Final, 50-7 over No. 6 Clare in District Semifinal, 34-31 (2OT) over Whitehall, 42-6 over Muskegon Oakridge.
Players to watch: QB/DB Drew Collins, 6-3/208, sr. (1,894 yards/22 TDs passing, 661 yards/16 TDs rushing); WR/DB/K Andrew Kooi, 5-9/170, jr. (426 yards/4 TDs passing, 362 yards/5 TDs receiving, 3 TDs rushing, 59-63 XP/2 FG); OL/DL Hayden McDonald, 6-3/285, jr. (65 tackles), OL/DL Walker Martin, 6-3/285, sr. (51 tackles)
Outlook: After missing the Finals by a one-point Semifinal defeat last season, Montague is back at championship weekend after finishing Division 6 runner-up in 2018. Drew Collins made the all-state first team and leads an attack that runs and passes to nearly equal yardage; he’s the second-leading rusher behind junior Dylan Everett (719 yards/16 TDs). The defense, minus the double-overtime win over Whitehall, gave up an average of only 6.9 points per game over its other 10. Martin and McDonald also made the all-state first team and start on both the offensive and defensive lines, and Montague also can rely on all-state first-team kicker Kooi. Also notable, Montague has intercepted 19 passes, with sophomore Izac Jarka picking off nine.
CLINTON
Record/rank: 10-1, No. 7
Coach: Jeremy Fielder, third season (27-5)
League finish: Second in Lenawee County Activities Association
Championship history: Division 6 runner-up in 2015 and 2013.
Best wins: 40-6 over No. 8 Constantine in Semifinal, 13-12 over No. 3 Warren Michigan Collegiate in Regional Final, 16-13 over No. 5 Blissfield in District Final, 21-14 over Hillsdale.
Players to watch: RB/LB Bradyn Lehman, 5-10/180, soph. (998 yards/11 TDs rushing); RB/LB Brayden Randolph, 5-11/180, sr. (843 yards/10 TDs rushing); RB/S Davey Campbell, 5-8/160, sr. (674 yards/8 TDs rushing); OL/DL Tyler Bowles, 6-0/280, sr.
Outlook: Clinton’s return to Ford Field included the rematch win over Blissfield, which won their first meeting 28-14 to eventually decide the league title. Another tough-running offense has allowed Clinton to earn a few postseason championships, however. In addition to Lehman, Randolph and Campbell, junior George Ames has rushed for 852 yards and 11 scores as the team has 3,885 yards and 54 touchdowns running the ball (and has thrown only 28 passes). Randolph made the all-state first team at linebacker, while Bowles made the second team and Campbell earned honorable mention also on defense. Junior kicker Jonathan Baughey earned an all-state honorable mention as well, making 36 of 42 extra points and a field goal so far this season.
Division 7
NEW LOTHROP
Record/rank: 10-0, No. 2
Coach: Clint Galvas, 13th season (128-15)
League finish: First in Mid-Michigan Activities Conference
Championship history: Division 7 champion 2018, Division 8 champion 2006.
Best wins: 36-21 over No. 6 Schoolcraft in Semifinal, 41-7 over No. 1 Detroit Loyola in Regional Final, 44-15 over Division 6 No. 9 Montrose, 49-6 over Durand.
Players to watch: QB/DL Cam Orr, 6-4/230, sr. (1,882 yards/27 TDs passing, 730 yards/18 TDs rushing); RB/DB Will Muron, 5-11/180, sr. (798 yards/8 TDs rushing, 603 yards/10 TDs receiving, 3 TDs on special teams); RB/LB Julius Garza, 6-0/180, sr. (209 yards/2 TDs rushing, 431 yards/7 TDs receiving); OL/DL Will Taylor, 6-3/250, sr. (Garza’s stats are through the Regional Final only.)
Outlook: After seeing last season end with a one-point Regional Final loss to eventual champion Pewamo-Westphalia, New Lothrop has stormed back winning all of its games by at least two touchdowns. The Hornets have won 26 of their last 27 games, going back to the start of that last championship playoff run. Orr sets the pace for an offense averaging nearly 49 points per game, although he made the all-state first team as a lineman for a defense giving up 9.2 points per contest. Muron was the offensive star of the Semifinal win, and he also made the all-state first team on defense. He’s also returned a kickoff and two punts for scores. Taylor was named to the all-state second team, and Garza earned an honorable mention.
TRAVERSE CITY ST. FRANCIS
Record/rank: 9-2, unranked
Coach: Josh Sellers, 11th season (120-17)
League finish: First in Northern Michigan Football Conference Legends
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 13-12 over Cass City in Semifinal, 44-32 over Charlevoix in District Final, 21-20 over Jackson Lumen Christi, 42-20 over Grayling.
Players to watch: RB/DB Owen Mueller, 5-9/178, sr. (565 yards/5 TDs rushing); RB/DT Aidan Schmuckal, 6-0/205, sr. (483 yards/11 TDs rushing); OL/DL/K Bryce Kempf, 6-3/220, jr. (35-35 XP/1 FG); OL/DE Casey Donahue, 6-3/210, sr. (Schmuckal and Kempf’s stats through Regional Final only.)
Outlook: The Gladiators are back at Ford Field for the first time since that last title run but after making the Semifinals four times over the last nine seasons. Sellers was coach for the 2003 and 2005 championships teams; he left to coach in Tennessee after the 2007 season but took St. Francis’ program back over in 2015. There’s some interesting history to this Finals matchup; St. Francis in 2018 gave the Hornets their only regular-season loss of the last four years. The offense has a number of contributors, and the running attack has gained more than 2,200 yards over 10 games on the field. Donahue made the all-state first team, while Schmuckal on defense and Kempf as a kicker earned honorable mentions.
Division 8
CENTREVILLE
Record/rank: 10-0, No. 7
Coach: Jerry Schultz, first season (10-0)
League finish: First in Southwest 10 Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 8-0 over Sand Creek in Regional Final, 32-14 over Reading in District Final, 16-0 (District Semifinal) and 14-8 over White Pigeon, 36-0 over Mendon.
Players to watch: WR/DB Tristan McElroy, 6-1/160, sr. (299 yards/4 TDs receiving, 5 interceptions); RB/OLB Gunner Bunning, 5-8/150, sr. (268 yards/4 TDs rushing); QB/FS Sam Todd, 6-1/185, sr. (438 yards/7 TDs passing, 1,005 yards/13 TDs rushing); FB/DE Jared Spencer, 6-3/195, sr. (399 yards/4 TDs rushing).
Outlook: Centreville is a combined 25-6 over the last three seasons after a run of nine straight finishing below .500. Schultz took over the program this fall after serving as defensive coordinator at Niles for four seasons, and has brought Centreville not only to its first championship game but also delivered its first Regional Final and Semifinal trips. While no opponent finished among the top 10 in its division in playoff point average, Sand Creek, Reading and Mendon all finished between Nos. 11-15 in Division 8. Todd earned an all-state honorable mention at quarterback, while the defense has given up a Michigan high school-best 3.2 points per game (credit to the Kalamazoo Gazette’s Patrick Nothaft for that research).
UBLY
Record/rank: 9-2, unranked
Coach: Eric Sweeney, first season (9-2)
League finish: Third in Greater Thumb Conference East
Championship history: Division 7 runner-up 2008.
Best wins: 43-0 over Johannesburg-Lewiston in Semifinal, 42-0 over Flint Beecher in District Final, 36-6 over Carson City-Crystal in Regional Final, 20-14 (OT) over Unionville-Sebewaing in District Semifinal.
Players to watch: RB/LB Carson Heleski, 6-1/190, sr. (1,135 yards/20 TDs rushing); RB/DT Colin Oberski, 6-1/180, jr. (565 yards/8 TDs rushing); RB/S Logan Mueller, 6-1/165, jr. (676 yards/6 TDs rushing); QB/S Evan Peruski, 5-11/165, fr. (238 yards/2 TDs passing, 498 yards/8 TDs rushing). (Statistics through Regional Final only.)
Outlook: Sweeney moved up after two seasons leading the junior varsity and has Ubly headed to Ford Field for the first time in more than a decade, and after the Bearcats missed the Finals last season by a one-point Semifinal loss. They finished 13th in Division 8 in playoff-point average after early losses to Harbor Beach and Sandusky. While the offense is certainly impressive, especially running the ball – Ubly averaged 306 yards rushing per game over its first 10 – the defense shut out a Johannesburg-Lewiston team that was averaging 44 points per game and a Beecher team that was scoring 32 points per contest. Heleski earned an all-state honorable mention, and you’ll certainly hear more about Peruski, the rare freshman starting quarterback to bring his team this far.