MHSAA Football - Regional Championship Round

Regional Championship week is here! There aren’t a whole lot of games left at this point. Winners in the Regional round move on to the semifinals. Winners of that get to play at Ford Field after Thanksgiving. As long as the credentialing goes right (no reason to believe otherwise), I will be at Ford Field to cover the state championship games. This week was a bit tough. I wanted to pick some great games, but every game is great. It has been difficult to eliminate games and write up others. If I had tons of free time, I would write about them all. Since I work full time, have a family, as well as other responsibilities, I have to pick my top four games. Let’s take a look at some of the action for the Regional Championship Round!

Mid-Michigan vs. Upper Peninsula (Division 6)

Negaunee (10-1) at Ithaca (11-0) (Saturday November 16, 1pm)

The Miners are having another nice season. Last year, they lost in the Regional round to Shelby. This year, they find themselves back in the regional championship.  This time, they have a tall task; dethroning the machine that is Ithaca. A week ago, the Miners were able to beat Boyne City 42-19 in a game played at the Yooper Dome. It wasn’t an easy win, despite what the scoreboard said. At the halftime break, Negaunee led 12-6. Mistakes doomed Boyne City and Negaunee was able to capitalize on them. Quarterback Ryan Syrjala completed three of his six passes for 106 yards, including an 81 yard touchdown pass to Tyler Jandron. He also found the end zone once on a one yard sneak. Tailback Tyler LaJoie was the main cog for the team, running for 174 yards on 21 carries and scoring twice (30 yards, 71 yards.) Tyler Windahl recovered a fumble and ran 22 yards to pay dirt. This should be a very interesting game. Both teams are good. It’s a long bus ride down to Ithaca. 362 miles is quite a trip. They better bring their lunch pail, because it’s going to take perfection to bring down the Yellowjackets.

Ithaca is rolling. They have beat up virtually everyone they have faced for the past four years. Heck, they haven’t even lost a game since November 20, 2009! That’s 53 straight games and is the longest active winning streak in the country. How many other Division 6 schools have their own jumbotron? Last week, they found themselves in unfamiliar territory. Maple City Glen Lake scored on their first possession and Ithaca found themselves behind for the first time this season. A big third quarter pushed them ahead and a fourth quarter touchdown began the running clock. Quarterback Travis Smith completed 21 of his 27 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns while also punching in a score on a two yard run. Logan Hessbrook grabbed seven passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. Eli Villalobos had six receptions for 83 yards. Bryan Shaw ran 13 times for 103 yards and a score. Dallas Reeser also found the end zone. Each game is getting tougher and tougher as Ithaca pushes through the rounds toward a state championship. If they can keep executing at the level they are, the Yellowjackets could find themselves with a fourth straight Division 6 state title trophy for the display case.

West Coast (Division 8)

Muskegon Catholic Central (9-2) at Mendon (11-0) (Saturday November 16, 1pm)

I’ve always found Muskegon Catholic Central to be an interesting team. It’s a small school. There haven’t been more than 300 students in the school since the late 80’s. Year after year, they schedule these schools FAR larger than themselves. This year, they played Muskegon Mona Shores (1,314 students) and Grand Rapids Catholic Central (678 students) which accounted for their only losses this year. Being an independent, they can schedule teams like that. I also find them interesting because a friend of mine helped them win a state title before going on to play and coach at the college level. Last week, the Crusaders posted their fourth shutout of the season, beating Fowler 42-0. The defense has only allowed 90 points for the season. Quarterback Nick Holt completed three of his four passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns and led his team in rushing with 12 carries for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Ian Tyler caught two passes for 23 yards and a score while Tommy Scott pulled in a 53 yard scoring strike. Alex Lewandowski ran nine times for 108 yards and a score. Tommy Scott had 11 runs for 69 yards and a touchdown to go along with his touchdown reception. Now they get to play Mendon. These two teams seem to have great games every time they step on the field together.

The Hornets of Mendon seem to be good every year. Once in a while, they have a bad season, but that’s more of the exception than the rule. The school won its seventh consecutive district championship with a 13-0 win over Climax-Scotts. It was their 14th in the past 15 years. Mendon scored on their first possession and didn’t find the end zone again until the fourth quarter. Quarterback Robert Riley completed three of his seven passes for 45 yards. Josh Hawkins grabbed two of those passes for 28 yards. Kaleb McCarroll was the leading rusher with 32 runs for 143 yards and a score. Elijah Klepper ran 18 times for 83 yards and the other touchdown. Robert Riley has done pretty well, considering he had to replace Jordan Medich who broke his collar bone in the season finale. Coach John Schwartz has been at the helm of the Hornets for 24 years. In that time, his team has won 11 state championships. As far as small school football goes, Mendon is always in the argument for the best football team.

Capital Area (Division 3)

Eaton Rapids (7-4) at DeWitt (11-0) (Friday November 15, 7pm)

Eaton Rapids is a success story this season. This is a team that has flat out *sucked* for a LONG time. They have had one winning season since 1993 and zero playoff appearances. This year, they have seven wins, which is as much as the previous nine seasons COMBINED! Not only that, but they won their district for the first time ever. If I read it correctly, they won their first football title since 1959. 1959! With a huge game against perennial powerhouse DeWitt coming up, new/returning head coach Mike Smith has a monumental task ahead of him. Last week, the Greyhounds kept Tecumseh out of the end zone on four trips into the red zone. None was bigger than a fourth and goal at the one yard line in the final seconds of the game. This team is learning how to win. Coach Smith has enjoyed a lot of success at Holt High School and at Olivet College. Now they get to see how they stack up against a team who seems to always enjoy success.

The Panthers have enjoyed a lot of success over the years. They have missed the playoffs only once since 2000. In that time, they have played in four state championship games. This year, they have only allowed 84 points and have a perfect record. Last week against Linden, DeWitt started out fast and scored 21 first half points to take a 21-7 advantage into the break. Running back Ben Heinritz had a fantastic day. He rushed 14 times for 209 yards and two touchdowns. One of the scores was a 92 yard sprint to the end zone. The other came late in the fourth quarter to put away Linden. Quarterback Jacob Johnson completed seven of his 13 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson also rushed for 27 yards on seven carries. Christopher Ruby grabbed three passes for 88 yards and a score. The Panthers have their eyes on a trip to Ford Field, but I highly doubt that Coach Zimmerman is going to let them look past this week’s opponent.

Detroit (Division 1)

Macomb Dakota (11-0) at Detroit Cass Tech (11-0) (Saturday November 16, 7pm)

This has the makings of the top game in the state for the year. Look at all the things it has going for it. Huge enrollment? Check. Awesome athletes? Check. Top notch coaching? Check. What isn’t to like about this game? Macomb Dakota has a fantastic defense. They have only given up 70 points this season, 28 of which were in the last two games. Miscues by Chippewa Valley helped Macomb Dakota take control of the game. Quarterback Tyler Crowell completed 11 of his 18 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. He also ran four times for 10 yards. Maurice Moon rushed 18 times for 122 yards and a touchdown. Zachury Flack ran five times for 86 yards and a score. Mustafa Abdur-rahman only had one catch for four yards, but he did return a punt 37 yards for a score and snag an interception. The defense is going to need an awesome game plan to stop Cass Tech.

Detroit Cass Tech has enjoyed a great season. They are coming off back to back state titles and are poised to make a run at number three. Coach Thomas Wilcher is a great guy. Yes, it seems that he sends the best players to U of M, his alma mater, but he helps a lot of young men find their way to college campuses. That’s the kind of thing that can make a lasting impression on young men. Last week, the Technicians beat Warren-Mott 28-19. Running back Mike Weber was contained for the most part. He gained 19 first half yards and finished with 77 yards on 15 carries and three receptions for 26 yards. The biggest play he made was an 88 yard kickoff return for a score after Mott had pulled within seven. It was the second week in a row that Jayru Campbell did not start. He came into the game late in the second quarter. For the game, he completed seven of his 17 passes for 96 yards and a score while also running four times for 30 yards. Cass Tech cannot afford to play sloppy ball against a tough defense like Dakota. If they can play like they should, it will be an awesome game between two great defenses and two great offenses.