Thanks, Mr. Woodley (Saginaw News)

August 24, 2012

LaMarr Woodley was a football star at Saginaw High long before he went on to the University of Michigan and now the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He's given students in his hometown the same opportunity for accomplishment without the cost they would've otherwise incurred this school year.

Students at Saginaw and Saginaw Arthur Hill plus the districts junior highs and middle schools were facing a $75 participation fee until Woodley stepped in earlier this month with a $60,000 donation.

Hugh Bernreuter has covered the majority of Woodley's career, and tells this story.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley pays participation fees for Saginaw Public Schools student-athletes (Saginaw News)

Today in the MHSAA: 1/5/26

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

January 5, 2026

1. BOYS WRESTLING Top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central edged No. 4 Brighton by a point to win its invitational, which featured four of the top six ranked teams in Division 1 – Detroit Catholic Central athletics

2. BOYS BASKETBALL Stevie Hall scored his 1,000th career point and the game winner in Detroit Cass Tech’s 54-52 win over Cleveland Central Catholic at the Detroit Public School League Holiday Classic – Detroit Free Press

3. GIRLS WRESTLING LeRoy Pine River clinched the Montague Invitational with Kaylee Gibson’s win over No. 2-ranked Lowell in the day’s final match – Cadillac News

4. BOYS WRESTLING Division 2 No. 7 Freeland repeated as Saginaw County champion – Saginaw News

5. BOYS BASKETBALL Michael Lindquist became the second Greenville boys basketball player to reach 1,000 points, doing so during a 71-56 win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central – Grand Rapids Press

6. GIRLS WRESTLING Bay City John Glenn won the championship at the Reed City Invitational by 30 points – Bay City Times

7. GIRLS BOWLING Rockford defeated reigning Division 4 champion Ravenna to clinch the Fruitport Invitational title – Rockford Athletics

8. ICE HOCKEY Division 3 No. 4 Houghton defeated Division 1 No. 7 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 5-1 and No. 5 Brighton 6-1 during a downstate trip – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

9. GIRLS BASKETBALL Saginaw Heritage handed DeWitt its first loss, 60-55 in double overtime – Saginaw News

10. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Spring Lake – ranked No. 8 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – set 34 personal records in winning its home invitational – Local Sports Journal

Also of note …

MHSAA Longtime Catholic High School League director Vic Michaels, a member of the MHSAA Representative Council for more than two decades, died at age 71 – Oakland Press

MEDIA The Detroit and statewide media communities are mourning the death of the Detroit News’ longtime prep sports reporter Dave Goricki – Detroit News

FOOTBALL Lansing Eastern hired Dan Boggan – the winningest coach in Lansing Sexton history – to take over the program – Lansing State Journal