MHSAA Football Finals - For That Michigan Shaped Trophy

The end is near! Starting Friday morning, the state championship games will be played at Ford Field in Detroit. For nearly four months now, teams have been

The end is near! Starting Friday morning, the state championship games will be played at Ford Field in Detroit. For nearly four months now, teams have been practicing, lifting, hurting, winning, and losing. There has been joy, anger, laughs, crying, and just about every emotion you can think of. Since this will be one of the longer columns of the year, let’s get right to the football!

Beal City (13-0) vs. Harbor Beach (12-1) (Division 8 ) (Friday November 23, 10am)

Beal City has played in five state championship games. They last won a state title in 2009 when they beat Crystal Falls Forest Park. This is the 13th straight playoff appearance for the Aggies and 30th overall. The team is coached by Lou Rau. They have rolled through the season with an undefeated record, although Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart gave them a scare and a tough game in the District Championship. Running back Ty Rollin had a great game in the semifinal win over St. Ignace. He ran for 149 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. Hayden Huber also ran well, toting the rock 10 times for 39 yards. The Aggies are quarterbacked by Sam Schafer. He completed half of his 14 passes last week for 149 yards. Joe Rau is also a big contributor to the team from his running back and defensive back position.

For the Pirates of Harbor Beach, they probably feel like this was a long time coming. In 2007, they had a good team and were playing well, but ran into the buzz saw that was Traverse City St. Francis. The only loss HB has this season was to state semifinalist Menominee (who is also three divisions higher). The team has scored 50 or more points in six games and has shut out four opponents. That’s pretty good if you ask me! Harbor Beach had their closest games of the season against Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes for the Regional Championship, which they won 17-10. The team is coached by Troy Schelke. In last week’s 32-27 win over Muskegon Catholic Central, quarterback Eli Kraft completed 13 of his 25 passes for 213 yards and two scores while also running for 88 yards and a score on 15 attempts. Derek Pfaff got one more carry (16) and gained 65 yards. Nick Hessling has been pretty good at kicking the ball, having made two field goals last week. These two teams are pretty well matched. The first game of the finals might be one of the best of the weekend.

Ishpeming (12-1) vs. Detroit Loyola (13-0) (Division 7) (Saturday November 24, 10am)

The Hematites of Ishpeming have played very well this season. The only loss came to Negaunee back in early October. They were rolling through teams in the playoffs until last week. Last week, they beat Pewamo-Westphalia 8-7. Coach Jeff Olson has been at it for a long time and knows what is going on. Quarterback Alex Briones had a monster semifinal game, scoring a two point conversion, making a key interception on defense, and executing the game plan. This team likes to run the ball. Leading the charge is running back Eric Kostreva. He rushed for 93 yards and scored the team’s only touchdown last week. This is the second time in three years that Ishpeming is playing for that Michigan shaped trophy. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Eric Dompierre, the kicker who successfully petitioned the MHSAA to change its eligibility rules to allow him to play his senior year, even though he is 19, but has Downs Syndrome.

Detroit Loyola has been rolling over anyone that comes in its path. The team has scored 596 points while only giving up 77. The closest game they had was a 28-18 win over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes back in early October. They have only allowed teams to score in double digits twice (Waterford and Royal Oak Shrine Catholic.) Coach John Callahan has his team playing very well. The loss in the regional finals last year inspired his team to hit the weights hard and get more dedicated according to Coach Callahan. The team is led by junior Malik McDowell, a 6’7” 290lb offensive tackle. He has also made 50 tackles and 10 sacks on the season. With an offensive line averaging 250lbs, they are very effective at running the ball. Tailback Keymonne Gabriel has rushed for 2,400 yards and scored 25 touchdowns. That stat is more impressive when you consider that he is pulled out of the game when they get lopsided. They can throw the ball when the defense stacks the line against them. Quarterback Toby Sharpe has 531 passing yards and four touchdowns. Keith Graves has pulled in nine passes for 207 yards and two scores. Needless to say, this team is big, fast, and tough.

Ithaca (13-0) vs. Constantine (11-2) (Division 6) (Friday November 23, 4:30pm)

This is a rematch of last year’s Division 6 state title game. In that one, Ithaca won 42-14. It’s interesting to see two VERY different offenses. Ithaca loves the spread offense and will throw the ball all over the field and spread everyone out to set up the run. Constantine runs the Wing T, so they will just line up and punch you in the mouth, even if it’s third and long. Ithaca coach Terry Hessbrook has his team playing very well. They are extremely disciplined and very well coached. Quarterback Travis Smith orchestrates the offense and finds the open receivers…even if he has to run around in the backfield for a while to find them. He also can make plays with his feet. In last week’s win over Shelby, Smith completed 11 of his 19 passes for 182 yards and three scores while running 31 times for another 164 yards and a score. Jared Evers might be his favorite receiver, but Caden Kipp and Zach Allen see an awful lot of balls thrown their way. Four receivers have caught at least 13 balls. The Yellowjackets have won 41 straight games.

Constantine is no slouch.  They run up and down the field, no matter the situation. When they want to pass, it’s fairly easy because everyone and their grandmother are looking for the run. As a team, they have nearly doubled the points scored in relation to points given up (593-299.) Coach Shawn Griffith knows how to run this Wing T offense and his team knows what they have to do to win. Quarterback Tommy Reed didn’t get a chance to play for the title last year because of injury, but is under center this year. He has run for 634 yards and passed for 458. Unfortunately, leading tailback Payton White was suspended for the season before the semifinal game. They have a lot of good backs so sophomore Justin Hull got the nod and ran for 245 yards. Ben Mallo has run for 1,668 yards this season and scored a touchdown last week. Justin Bontrager has caught five balls for 174 yards this season. The big question is whether or not the secondary of Constantine can slow down Travis Smith and his crew of receivers and if Ithaca can stop Constantine’s potent rushing attack.

Grand Rapids West Catholic (10-3) vs. Portland (12-1) (Division 5) (Saturday November 24, 4:30pm)

West Catholic won a state title in 2010. Now, they have a chance to get another one. Although they are young (utilizing seven sophomores) they are learning every week and improving at every opportunity. Coach Don Rohn had to help his team pull out a game in the last week of the regular season to secure a playoff berth. They were losing 14-3 in the fourth quarter against Grand Rapids Northview but pulled it out 17-14 to get back to the playoffs. Quarterback Travis Russell has completed 164 passes for 1,942 yards and 15 touchdowns. 1,467 yards and nine of those scores went to receiver David Kuzma. Andy Corey has rushed for 1,467 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those three players are very good and will be tough for any team to match up with on a consistent basis. They were nearly knocked out by Menominee last week, but Russell found Kuzma for a 14 yard touchdown with under a minute left to play and came away with a 21-17 win. For the game, Russell completed 23 of his 40 passes for 258 yards and two scores. Seven players caught passes, including Russell. The know how to pull out games when they are close, and that’s an important thing to have in the back pocket.

Portland is in their first state title game ever. They had made the District Championship game in each season since 2003, but could never advance further than that. Coach John Novara is at the helm and the whole community is behind the team. I heard they were rolling up the sidewalks in Portland at Noon on Saturday so everyone can go to the game (kidding!) Quarterback Tanner Allison has played pretty well, completing 34 of his 67 passes for 742 yards. The two headed rushing attack of Jacob Kimmell (1,011 yards) and Caleb Hickling (720 yards) has worked very well. Auston Brandt is the leading receiver with 485 yards. Last week, they had a good game with Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, winning it 28-23. Allison scored twice when running and tossed a TD to Brandt on his only completion of the game. Kimmell rushed for 161 yards on 22 runs. This will be a great game, pitting a team with lots of experience and upperclassmen against a team who is learning how to play at that level.

Grand Rapids South Christian (10-3) vs. Detroit Country Day (11-2) (Division 4) (Friday November 23, 7:30pm)

The Sailors of South Christian have had an interesting season. They started out with a loss and took a few more lumps along the way, but are on a six game winning streak. The team is coached by Mark Tamminga. He made sure they won the last two games to get into the playoffs, and now that hard work is being repaid. South Christian has a dual threat quarterback in sophomore Jon Wassink. He has completed 182 of his 276 passes for 2,564 yards and 23 touchdowns while running for another 9 scores and 713 yards. Austin Diekevers has made 41 receptions for 873 yards and 10 scores. Last week, they beat Comstock Park 21-7. Wassink completed 19 of his 32 passes for 212 yards and a score while also running six times for 100 more yards. Chad Sterk rushed 21 times for 125 yards and a score and caught three passes for 25 yards. Jason Miller pulled in seven passes for 78 yards and a score. Derek Woltjer ran 11 times for 58 yards and a rushing touchdown while also pulling in two passes for 27 more yards.

Detroit Country Day is in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. They lost two games this season, one to U-D Jesuit in Week 2 and again in the regular season finale to Brighton. Coach Dan MacLean has them playing very well and has a roster with many players who will be playing at the next level. The lines on both sides of the ball have been one of the big reasons they are back in the state championship game. Quarterback Tyler Wiegers played very well against Saginaw Swan Valley last week. He completed 12 of his 19 passes for 213 yards. Richard Wilson was the workhorse though, running seven times for 81 yards and scoring four times. Khalil Rivers ran five times for 12 yards. Tristin Wiegers caught four passes for 100 yards while Maurice Ways also hauled in four passes for 49 yards. Giamarco Rea grabbed two passes for 39 yards but made his biggest impact as the middle linebacker (11 tackles.) Richard Wilson chipped in 8 tackles and two sacks. Poet Thomas, Nick Boswell, and Rhodwin Chungag each made 12 tackles on defense. They don’t give up a lot on defense, as you can tell.

Grand Rapids Christian (12-1) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (11-2) (Division 3) (Saturday November 24, 7:30pm)

It wasn’t too long ago that Grand Rapids Christian was just another football team. That changed when Don Fellows came from College of the Canyons in California to be their head coach three years ago. Since then, they have really started to develop. The only loss for GRC this season was to Ohio powerhouse Cincinnati Moeller. It helps when you have future Spartans like Drake Harris (1,773 receiving yards this season.) Their quarterback, Alex Van De Vusse has thrown for nearly 3,500 yards this season. Last week, Van De Vusse completed 16 of his 21 passes for 304 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran 10 times for another 68 yards. Harris made seven receptions for 216 yards and three scores. The team worked hard all summer and its showing.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s must never make Thanksgiving plans. Nine times since 1999 they have been playing for a state title. That includes five of the past six seasons. Since 1999, they have four titles. Coach George Porritt has won tons of games and is a great coach in the Detroit Catholic School League (along with other big time names like Detroit Catholic Central’s Tom Mach and Brother Rice’s Al Fracassa.) They have played very well this season, losing the season opener to Muskegon (who is also playing for a state title) and to Detroit Catholic Central (also playing for a state title.) The team has a dynamic duo at running back. Grant Niemiec has run 249 times for 1,742 yards and 25 touchdowns. Parker McInnis has 216 carries for 1,355 yards and 22 touchdowns. The quarterback of the team is Matt Linehan (son of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.) Niemiec credits the offensive line and says the team feeds off of that. Last week, they beat Battle Creek Harper Creek 28-7. Niemiec ran 15 times for 148 yards and two scores while McInnis ran 19 times for 128 yards and a score. Linehan was five of 10 for 105 yards and a score. McInnis caught that score and had two grabs for 38 yards. Both teams will have to stop their opponent’s biggest threat and get their offense rolling if they want to win.

Muskegon (12-1) vs. Brother Rice (11-2) (Division 2) (Friday November 23, 1pm)

The Big Reds have been humming along all season. The lone blemish on the season was a 40-39 loss to Zeeland East.  This is their 12th consecutive playoff appearance. Coach Shane Fairfield is in his third season at the helm, and has the team playing some of its best football of the season. The option offense is led by John King, a senior who has run for about 1,500 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. Quarterback Jalen Smith has 800 yards rushing under his belt to go along with 11 scores. In the win over Caledonia last week, you can credit the offensive line. Quarterback Jalen Smith ran for 141 yards on 23 carries. King ran the ball 10 times for 146 yards and scored once. Sherman Hodges returned the kickoff to open the second half 79 yards for a touchdown. These two teams are traditional powerhouse programs and it should be a heck of a game.

Brother Rice has this coach. You might have heard me talk about their coach Al Fracassa. The 80 year old legend is in the top 10 in the country for wins. He has been a head football coach for 53 years. In that time, he has won seven state titles, but none back to back. This is a chance for him to do just that. Some are saying that this could be his final season. The team predicated on a strong offensive line and a power running game. Shon Powell and Brian Walker lead that charge. Walker has over 1,300 yards rushing this season and 20 touchdowns. Quarterback Cheyene Lacanaria and Malzone each spend time under center. In last week’s 31-3 win over Wyandotte Roosevelt, Powell ran for 105 yards and scored once. Brian Walker had 159 all-purpose yards and also returned a kickoff 63 yards to set up a field goal just before halftime. There is a player who will be donning the green and white of Michigan State next season. Linebacker Jon Reschke has 123 total tackles on the season. This team is good. They play in a very tough league. How many other leagues have three teams playing for a state title this weekend? I’ll tell you. None.

Detroit Catholic Central (9-4) vs. Detroit Cass Tech (11-2) (Saturday November 24, 1pm)

It wasn’t the best year for the Shamrocks of Detroit Catholic Central. They squeaked into the playoffs with a 5-4 record. Once they were in, they were beating the daylights out of most everyone. Coach Tom Mach knows how to get teams ready for a state championship game, seeing as he has won 10 of them and played in 15. Last year was one of the years they lost. This year, they get a rematch with the team that beat them, Detroit Cass Tech. Running backs Anthony Darkangelo and David Houle posted great regular seasons. Quarterback Garrett Moores has done very well also. In last week’s 35-6 win over Rockford, Moores completed four of his 10 passes for 100 yards and a score. Jon Malone caught three of those passes for 78 yards and the score. He also returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown. Houle ran 19 times and found the end zone once while finishing with 76 yards. Darkangelo ran 12 times for 54 yards. The tandem of Darkangelo and Houle will be tough to defend.

Cass Tech won their first ever state title last year when they shocked Detroit Catholic Central. This year, they lost two games; one to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and the other to Detroit Martin Luther King. Coach Thomas Wilcher has been on the field for Cass Tech as the head man for 16 years. Sophomore quarterback Jayru Campbell has plenty of experience, having taken his team to a state title last year. The running backs are the reason this team is so good…that and the lines. Future Spartan Dennis Finley laid a huge block that sprung Mike Weber for a huge 25 yard run at the end of the third quarter. He finished with 21 runs for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Campbell completed 10 of his 13 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns (he also ran one in.) Receiver Jourdan Lewis caught four balls for 87 yards and a touchdown. This team has TONS of players who will be headed to Division 1 college programs. Many are being recruited. Wilcher is making the most of the talent that he has on his team.