Football Finals to Re-Air Christmas Day
December 19, 2017
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
High school football fans will have eight presents under the tree Christmas Day – courtesy of FOX Sports Detroit when it re-airs the championship games from the 2017 MHSAA 11-Player Football Playoffs – presented by the Michigan Army National Guard.
Here’s the complete schedule:
Dec. 25
8 a.m. – Division 8 – Ottawa Lake Whiteford 42, Saginaw Nouvel 21 – The Wildcats were not to be denied this time at Ford Field, roaring to a 34-7 halftime lead. Quarterback Thomas Eitniear ran for three touchdowns.
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10 a.m. – Division 2 – Warren DeLaSalle 41, Livonia Franklin 6 – The Pilots scored 31 points in the second quarter en route to the win. Luke Pfromm three two TD passes.
***Watch & Buy DVD @ MHSAA.tv - Listen & Buy Instant Audio Download @ MHSAANetwork.com
Noon – Division 6 – Jackson Lumen Christi 40, Ithaca 34 – Sebastion Toland and Kyle Minder combine for 450 yards rushing to lead the Titans.
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2 p.m. – Division 4 - Grand Rapids Catholic Central 42, Edwardsburg 31 – An offense-lovers’ paradise – six touchdowns of 50 or more yards between the two teams, and CC’s Nolan Fugate just missed a Finals game rushing record with 306 yards and four scores.
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4 p.m. – Division 7 – Pewamo-Westphalia 21, Saugatuck 0 - Not a fancy win – just a dominant one. PW’s Pirates were in control of this one from the get-go, scoring on three of their four first-half possessions.
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6 p.m. – Division 1 – Clarkston 3, West Bloomfield 2 - A Jermaine Roemer 30-yard field goal proved to be the game-winner in the second-lowest scoring Final game of all time.
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8 p.m. – Division 5 – Grand Rapids West Catholic 34, Saginaw Swan Valley 7 - Gaetano Vallone led the way again for the Falcons, passing for two touchdowns and running for a third.
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10 p.m. – Division 3 – Muskegon 28, Farmington Hills Harrison 10 – The winningest high school program in Michigan football history against the winningest coach of all time made for an entertaining finale for the weekend. La’Darius Jefferson scored all of the Big Reds’ touchdowns in this one.
***Watch & Buy DVD @ MHSAA.tv - Listen & Buy Instant Audio Download @ MHSAANetwork.com
DVDs are $24.95, and Instant Audio Downloads are $4.99.
***NOTE – As of Dec. 18, only the Div. 8 Final game was available on DVD. Check the individual event above occasionally to look for the addition of the blue GET DVD button to purchase a video.
Things are winding down for the holidays on MHSAA.tv with School Broadcast Program members heading into a break.
In its ninth year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events, with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot – the NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution - is used by schools that wish to live stream games but lack the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by SBP members:
Monday – Dec. 18
Freshman Boys Basketball – Saginaw Swan Valley at Freeland - 4:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Ontonagon at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Saginaw Swan Valley at Freeland - 6 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Coleman at Harrison - 6 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Bark River-Harris at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Baraga at Lake Linden-Hubbell - 7:00 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Ontonagon at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Saginaw Swan Valley at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Coleman at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Bark River-Harris at Norway - 8 p.m.
Tuesday – Dec. 19
Freshman Boys Basketball - Burton Atherton at Otisville-Lakeville - 4 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball – Battle Creek Lakeview at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - New Lothrop at Montrose - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Grand Blanc at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Muskegon Orchard View at Fremont - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Burton Atherton at Otisville-Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Baraga at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Battle Creek Lakeview at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Burton Atherton at Otisville-Lakeville - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Lincoln Alcona at Alpena - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Davison at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Grand Blanc at Novi - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Haslett at Fowlerville - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - New Lothrop at Montrose - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Muskegon Orchard View at Fremont - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Battle Creek Lakeview at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Baraga at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Dec. 20
Swimming & Diving - Marquette - 3:30 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball – Saginaw Heritage at Freeland - 4:30 p.m.
Wrestling – OK Quad - 5 p.m.
Wrestling - Vicksburg at Plainwell - 5:30 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood at Birmingham Brother Rice - 5:45 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Saginaw Heritage at Freeland - 6 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Petoskey at Alpena - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Saginaw Heritage at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday – Dec. 21
Freshman Boys Basketball - Gladwin at Harrison - 4:30 p.m.
Freshman Boys Basketball - Bay City at Freeland - 4:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Webberville at Montrose - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Brighton at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - L'Anse at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Gladwin at Harrison - 6:00 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Bay City at Freeland - 6:00 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Powers North Central at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Brighton at Novi - 7:00 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Webberville at Montrose - 7:00 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Kingsford at Marquette - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - L'Anse at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Bay City at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Gladwin at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Rochester at Lake Orion - 7:45 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Powers North Central at Norway - 8:00 p.m.
Friday – Dec. 22
Freshman Boys Basketball - Zeeland West at Comstock Park - 4 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Zeeland West at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Zeeland West at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Traverse City at Alpena - 7 p.m.
Thursday – Dec. 28
Varsity Wrestling - Hemlock at Freeland – 9 a.m.
Varsity Wrestling - Montrose - 12 p.m.
Friday – Dec. 29
Girls Basketball - Marquette - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Escanaba at Alpena - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Sault Ste. Marie at Marquette - 8 p.m.
Saturday – Dec. 30
Varsity Boys Ice Hockey - Escanaba at Alpena 1 p.m.
Varsity Boys Ice Hockey - Saline at Marquette 3 p.m.
Tuesday – Jan. 2, 2018
Girls Basketball - Otisville-Lakeville at Montrose - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Chassell at Dollar Bay - 5:45 p.m.
Highlight Reel: Saturday Football Finals
November 28, 2016
By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director
The final day of the MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field in Detroit – powered by the Michigan Army National Guard – produced a first-time gridiron champion and a game-winning play that will be talked about for a long time.
Division 7
Pewamo-Westphalia 28, Detroit Loyola 14
Logan & Lehman Go Long - The Pewamo-Westphalia combo of quarterback Jimmy Lehman and receiver Logan Hengesbach connected for two touchdowns in the Division 7 title game against Detroit Loyola. Here's the second TD in the third quarter, with Hengesbach winning the jump ball to complete a 37-yard scoring play.
Johnson Powers Into the End Zone - Detroit Loyola gets on the board midway through the fourth quarter, when TE Keith Johnson makes a great play to catch a pass from Price Watkins and then power into the end zone to complete the 18-yard score.
Division 1
Detroit Cass Tech 49, Detroit Catholic Central 20
CC Takes the Early Lead - Detroit Catholic Central led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, taking the lead on this 35-yard pass interception return by Jack Morris.
The Peoples' Choice for Cass Tech - Detroit Cass Tech QB Rodney Hall tied a Finals record with five touchdown passes against Detroit Catholic Central - two going to Donovan Peoples-Jones, including this 49-yarder in the third quarter.
Division 5
Grand Rapids West Catholic 43, Menominee 7
Meyers Off to the Races - Grand Rapids West Catholic scored its first TD against Menominee on a pitch and catch from Gaetano Vallone to Brett Meyers covering 91 yards.
Hass Records a Finals First - Menominee uses special teams to get on the board in the third quarter. Sam Larson blocks the West Catholic field goal attempt, and Hunter Hass returns it 76 yards for a TD – the first time in Finals history a blocked field goal has been returned for a score.
Division 3
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 29, Muskegon 28
Pimpleton's Second Score - Lined up in the slot, Muskegon's Kalil Pimpleton gets his second 18-yard rushing touchdown of the Division 3 Final against Orchard Lake St. Mary's on the end-around to give his team a 21-20 lead early in the fourth quarter.
A Catch for the Ages - In the closing seconds of the Division 3 Final, Orchard Lake St. Mary's QB Caden Prieskorn hits Ky’ren Cunningham in the end zone with an 18-yard touchdown strike to give the Eaglets the win.
The MHSAA Football Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTO: Orchard Lake St. Mary's Chris Bean celebrates during Saturday's Division 3 Final.