2015 Week 5 Football Playoff Listing
September 22, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Here is a list of Michigan High School Athletic Association football playing schools, displaying their win-loss records and playoff averages through the fourth week of the season.
Schools on this list are in enrollment order for 11-player teams, with 8-player teams ordered by playoff average. An asterisk (*) beside a record indicates a team has eight or fewer games scheduled. A caret (^) beside a school’s name indicates a team is one win away from playoff qualification.
Those schools with 11-player teams with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules, or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer, will qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs beginning Oct. 30. Schools with 5-4, 4-3 or 4-4 records may qualify if the number of potential qualifiers by win total does not reach the 256 mark. Schools with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer may be subtracted from the field based on playoff average if the number of potential qualifiers exceeds the 256 mark.
Once the 256 qualifying schools are determined, they will be divided by enrollment groups into eight equal divisions of 32 schools, and then drawn into regions of eight teams each and districts of four teams each. Those schools with 8-player teams will be ranked by playoff average at season’s end, and the top 16 programs will be drawn into regions of eight teams each for the playoff in that division, which also begins Oct. 30.
To review a list of all football playoff schools, individual school playoff point details and to report errors, visit the Football page of the MHSAA Website.
The announcement of the qualifiers and first-round pairings for both the 11 and 8-player playoffs will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 on the Selection Sunday Show on FOX Sports Detroit. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show.
11-Player Playoff Listing
1. Macomb Dakota, 2921, 3-1, 72.750
2. Grand Blanc, 2727, 3-1, 64.750
3. Utica Eisenhower, 2669, 3-1, 74.500
4. Sterling Heights Stevenson, 2634, 3-1, 66.500
5. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 2611, 3-1, 76.500
6. East Kentwood, 2581, 4-0, 94.000
7. Howell, 2567, 4-0, 90.000
8. Detroit Cass Tech, 2285, 4-0, 90.000
9. Northville, 2281, 4-0, 86.000
10. Brighton, 2211, 4-0, 101.111
11. Detroit Catholic Central, 2138, 3-1, 45.167
12. Utica Ford, 2080, 3-1, 68.750
13. Canton, 2076, 4-0, 92.000
14. Monroe, 2066, 3-1, 66.750
15. Lapeer, 2059, 4-0, 80.000
16. Plymouth, 2057, 3-1, 64.500
17. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2025, 4-0, 84.000
18. West Bloomfield, 1932, 4-0, 92.000
19. Saline, 1879, 4-0, 84.000
20. Livonia Stevenson, 1831, 4-0, 92.000
21. Warren Mott, 1810, 4-0, 94.000
22. Hudsonville, 1763, 3-1, 68.500
23. Belleville, 1735, 3-1, 66.250
24. Romeo, 1673, 4-0, 96.000
25. Grand Ledge, 1663, 4-0, 80.000
26. Walled Lake Northern, 1611, 3-1, 66.750
27. Warren DeLaSalle, 1572, 3-1, 58.750
28. Sterling Heights, 1561, 4-0, 78.000
29. Detroit Martin Luther King, 1537, 4-0, 94.000
30. Warren Cousino, 1514, 3-1, 64.500
31. Waterford Kettering, 1512, 3-1, 62.750
32. Detroit U-D Jesuit, 1486, 3-1, 45.417
33. Traverse City Central, 1474, 4-0, 86.000
34. Walled Lake Western, 1462, 4-0, 98.000
35. Midland, 1419, 4-0, 84.000
36. Lincoln Park, 1363, 3-1, 68.750
37. Portage Central, 1351, 4-0, 95.778
38. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1346, 3-1, 72.500
39. Detroit East English, 1338, 3-1, 64.750
40. Southfield, 1269, 3-1, 74.750
41. Midland Dow, 1256, 3-1, 62.500
42. Berkley, 1248, 3-1, 54.250
43. Birmingham Groves, 1248, 4-0, 82.000
44. Jackson, 1244, 3-1, 58.250
45. Flushing, 1242, 3-1, 68.500
46. Muskegon Mona Shores, 1239, 4-0, 90.000
47. Farmington Hills Harrison, 1218, 3-1, 64.750
48. Farmington, 1176, 3-1, 70.500
49. Lowell, 1168, 3-1, 72.750
50. Gibraltar Carlson, 1140, 3-1, 62.500
51. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 1124, 4-0, 90.000
52. Muskegon, 1113, 3-1, 76.500
53. Fenton, 1108, 3-1, 68.250
54. Byron Center, 1070, 3-1, 64.750
55. Mt. Pleasant, 1061, 3-1, 70.750
56. Ortonville-Brandon, 1060, 3-1, 64.500
57. Allen Park, 1058, 3-1, 64.500
58. St. Johns, 1053, 3-1, 74.500
59. Zeeland East, 1040, 3-1, 70.500
60. Orchard Lake St. Mary's *^, 1032, 4-0, 90.400
61. St. Joseph, 980, 3-1, 70.500
62. East Grand Rapids, 975, 3-1, 70.500
63. Petoskey, 970, 3-1, 58.250
64. DeWitt, 960, 4-0, 96.000
65. Romulus, 956, 3-1, 62.750
66. Trenton, 953, 4-0, 86.000
67. Linden, 947, 3-1, 66.750
68. Gaylord, 940, 4-0, 76.667
69. Sturgis, 926, 3-1, 54.250
70. Grand Rapids Christian, 905, 3-1, 64.500
71. Haslett, 875, 3-1, 68.500
72. Stevensville Lakeshore, 874, 3-1, 72.750
73. Coldwater, 863, 4-0, 84.000
74. Marshall, 863, 3-1, 64.750
75. Vicksburg, 858, 3-1, 58.750
76. Edwardsburg, 851, 4-0, 74.000
77. Sault Ste. Marie, 850, 3-1, 71.833
78. Chelsea, 845, 4-0, 78.000
79. Zeeland West, 840, 4-0, 82.000
80. Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 828, 4-0, 72.000
81. Milan, 820, 3-1, 60.500
82. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 794, 4-0, 68.000
83. North Branch, 758, 3-1, 54.250
84. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 728, 4-0, 84.000
85. Detroit Country Day, 685, 3-1, 56.500
86. Comstock Park, 682, 3-1, 70.750
87. Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy, 681, 3-1, 40.750
88. Croswell-Lexington, 668, 3-1, 52.750
89. St. Clair Shores South Lake, 668, 4-0, 86.000
90. Hudsonville Unity Christian, 665, 3-1, 48.250
91. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 658, 3-1, 65.667
92. Williamston, 657, 3-1, 62.500
93. Corunna, 656, 3-1, 56.250
94. Whitehall, 656, 3-1, 64.556
95. Detroit Collegiate Prep, 632, 4-0, 72.000
96. Lake Fenton, 625, 3-1, 50.750
97. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 624, 4-0, 60.000
98. Saginaw Swan Valley, 613, 3-1, 56.500
99. Dowagiac, 611, 3-1, 54.500
100. Flint Powers Catholic, 610, 3-1, 68.500
101. Big Rapids, 609, 4-0, 68.000
102. Richmond, 605, 4-0, 78.000
103. Remus Chippewa Hills, 600, 3-1, 54.500
104. River Rouge, 593, 4-0, 82.000
105. Clawson, 592, 3-1, 44.000
106. Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 573, 4-0, 78.000
107. Freeland, 563, 4-0, 76.000
108. Portland, 563, 4-0, 84.000
109. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, 556, 3-1, 56.500
110. Southfield Bradford Academy, 550, 3-1, 46.250
111. Ida, 548, 4-0, 74.000
112. Kingsford, 547, 3-1, 59.417
113. Marine City, 540, 3-1, 50.750
114. Muskegon Oakridge, 538, 3-1, 43.833
115. Algonac, 532, 4-0, 68.000
116. Frankenmuth, 529, 4-0, 66.000
117. Olivet, 524, 3-1, 48.000
118. Detroit Henry Ford, 523, 3-1, 44.000
119. Lansing Catholic, 517, 3-1, 60.750
120. Almont, 513, 4-0, 62.000
121. Onsted, 509, 3-1, 44.750
122. Berrien Springs, 495, 4-0, 68.800
123. Parchment, 493, 3-1, 42.000
124. Stockbridge, 493, 3-1, 54.750
125. Ovid-Elsie, 491, 3-1, 56.750
126. Reed City, 491, 4-0, 56.667
127. Grayling, 489, 3-1, 50.750
128. Clinton Township Clintondale, 486, 3-1, 62.750
129. Menominee, 480, 4-0, 76.800
130. Harper Woods, 476, 3-1, 50.500
131. Manistee, 469, 4-0, 68.667
132. Brooklyn Columbia Central, 463, 4-0, 68.000
133. Buchanan, 459, 4-0, 66.000
134. Harrison, 430, 3-1, 50.250
135. Jackson Lumen Christi, 426, 4-0, 80.000
136. Lakeview, 417, 3-1, 48.250
137. Sanford Meridian Early College, 408, 4-0, 66.000
138. Ithaca, 402, 4-0, 62.000
139. Byron, 399, 3-1, 48.500
140. Delton Kellogg, 398, 3-1, 50.500
141. Millington, 398, 4-0, 74.000
142. Montague, 396, 4-0, 60.000
143. Burton Bendle, 393, 3-1, 46.750
144. Oscoda, 391, 3-1, 34.000
145. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, 389, 4-0, 82.000
146. Negaunee, 385, 4-0, 64.000
147. Maple City Glen Lake, 384, 3-1, 38.500
148. Boyne City, 383, 4-0, 60.000
149. Vassar, 377, 3-1, 38.750
150. St. Louis, 374, 3-1, 44.250
151. Laingsburg, 373, 3-1, 42.750
152. Watervliet, 372, 3-1, 48.750
153. Madison Heights Madison, 367, 3-1, 62.750
154. Manchester, 365, 3-1, 44.750
155. Schoolcraft, 357, 4-0, 64.000
156. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, 345, 4-0, 64.000
157. Lawton, 342, 4-0, 56.000
158. Vandercook Lake, 341, 4-0, 56.000
159. Clinton, 335, 4-0, 60.000
160. Traverse City St. Francis, 320, 4-0, 68.000
161. Hesperia, 310, 4-0, 58.000
162. Sandusky, 310, 4-0, 56.000
163. McBain, 307, 3-1, 50.750
164. Cass City, 304, 3-1, 40.500
165. Bridgman, 303, 4-0, 60.000
166. Gobles, 301, 3-1, 48.000
167. Marlette, 298, 3-1, 42.500
168. Union City, 298, 3-1, 40.500
169. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, 296, 3-1, 44.500
170. Homer, 294, 3-1, 40.500
171. Pewamo-Westphalia, 292, 4-0, 60.000
172. Flint Hamady, 291, 4-0, 54.000
173. Dansville, 289, 3-1, 40.750
174. Saginaw Nouvel, 285, 3-1, 45.417
175. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 284, 4-0, 56.000
176. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 282, 3-1, 46.250
177. Harbor Springs, 281, 3-1, 28.500
178. Flint Beecher, 278, 4-0, 70.000
179. Ishpeming *^, 278, 4-0, 60.000
180. Detroit Loyola, 276, 3-1, 60.750
181. New Lothrop, 276, 4-0, 68.000
182. Saugatuck, 271, 4-0, 56.000
183. Ubly, 271, 3-1, 48.500
184. Cassopolis, 270, 3-1, 40.750
185. Concord, 267, 3-1, 50.500
186. Decatur, 266, 3-1, 44.250
187. Lincoln Alcona, 265, 4-0, 40.000
188. Unionville-Sebewaing, 262, 3-1, 46.750
189. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 255, 3-1, 36.500
190. Indian River Inland Lakes, 251, 3-1, 38.750
191. Onekama, 250, 4-0, 48.000
192. Petersburg-Summerfield, 240, 3-1, 42.750
193. Beal City, 228, 4-0, 60.000
194. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 226, 4-0, 50.000
195. St. Ignace, 225, 4-0, 48.000
196. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 223, 4-0, 62.000
197. Mayville, 217, 3-1, 40.750
198. L'Anse, 215, 3-1, 50.250
199. Newberry, 211, 3-1, 42.750
200. Pittsford, 211, 3-1, 34.750
201. Vestaburg, 205, 3-1, 36.500
202. Bark River-Harris, 194, 4-0, 54.000
203. Morenci, 191, 4-0, 64.000
204. Munising, 191, 3-1, 43.700
205. Fowler, 183, 4-0, 52.000
206. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 170, 3-1, 28.750
207. Climax-Scotts, 163, 4-0, 48.000
208. Frankfort, 160, 3-1, 46.500
209. Waterford Our Lady, 157, 4-0, 66.000
210. Lake Linden-Hubbell, 155, 4-0, 47.067
211. Colon, 153, 3-1, 36.750
212. Hillman, 146, 3-1, 28.250
213. Bay City All Saints, 118, 3-1, 28.500
8-Player Playoff Listing
1. Rapid River, 111, 4-0, 46.000
2. Owendale-Gagetown, 49, 4-0, 45.333
3. Deckerville, 178, 4-0, 44.000
4. Battle Creek St. Philip, 144, 4-0, 42.000
5. Powers North Central, 198, 4-0, 42.000
6. Posen, 84, 4-0, 40.000
7. Waldron, 88, 4-0, 40.000
8. Cedarville, 144, 3-1, 36.750
9. Webberville, 184, 4-0, 34.000
10. Peck, 152, 3-1, 32.500
11. Lawrence, 189, 4-0, 32.000
12. Morrice, 169, 3-1, 30.750
13. Pickford, 164, 3-1, 28.500
14. Baraga, 164, 3-1, 28.250
15. Portland St. Patrick, 87, 3-1, 26.750
16. Akron-Fairgrove, 99, 3-1, 26.333
17. New Haven Merritt Academy, 148, 3-1, 24.750
18. Stephenson, 186, 2-2, 23.000
19. Marion *, 145, 2-2, 22.583
20. Bellaire, 134, 2-2, 21.500
21. Kingston, 187, 2-2, 21.500
22. Onaway, 196, 2-2, 21.250
23. Engadine, 85, 2-2, 19.250
24. Kinde-North Huron, 147, 2-2, 18.750
25. Tekonsha, 148, 1-3, 12.000
26. Ontonagon, 129, 1-3, 9.750
27. Burr Oak, 75, 1-3, 9.500
28. Caseville, 91, 1-3, 9.500
29. St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy, 108, 1-3, 9.500
30. Eben Junction Superior Central, 123, 1-3, 9.250
31. St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran, 103, 0-4, 2.750
32. Ewen-Trout Creek, 126, 0-4, 2.250
33. Litchfield, 92, 0-4, 2.250
34. Carsonville-Port Sanilac, 120, 0-4, 2.000
35. Big Rapids Crossroads Academy, 190, 0-4, 1.833
36. Flint Michigan School For The Deaf *, 47, 0-3, 1.750
37. Covert *, 91, 0-3, 1.583
38. Hale, 132, 0-4, 1.333
39. Pellston, 170, 0-4, 1.250
40. Brimley, 142, 0-4, 1.000
EGR 5-Year Title Run Remains Awe-Inspiring, Product of More Than Talent Alone
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
November 25, 2022
It was Peter Stuursma's first year at East Grand Rapids and while the wolves weren't necessarily knocking at the door, they were definitely on the prowl.
The tradition-rich Pioneers football team had slumped to an uncharacteristic 3-6 record in Stuursma's first season as varsity head coach in 2000, and there were subtle signs a community used to winning was growing restless with the program's direction.
That's when Stuursma bumped into one of his players coming out of the weight room, and the two had a quick conversation which he clearly remembers 22 years later.
"It was this senior offensive lineman and all he said was, 'Don't worry about it Coach, it's not going to happen again. We got this,’" Stuursma said. "We had just gone 3-6, and I'm wondering how we're going to get this going and that they might get rid of me. You never underestimate what people can do."
East Grand Rapids, under legendary coach George Barcheski, had been the dominant football program in West Michigan with 28 winning seasons over 29 from 1970-99, and 38 victories in 39 games from 1993-95, along with Class B championships in 1976 and 1983. After Stuursma replaced the retiring Barcheski,, some in the community were expecting more of the same when it came to success.
Those fans never dreamed what they would see as the Pioneers promptly pieced together arguably the greatest decade-long stretch in Michigan high school football history – and without doubt one of the most incredible five-year runs of dominance.
Even that optimistic offensive lineman couldn't have imagined a remarkable 126-7 record over the next 11 years, a 40-3 MHSAA Tournament mark and seven Finals championships. Five of those titles (2006-10) came in a row, a feat accomplished just three times in the now 46-year history of the playoffs.
The five straight championships were part of an amazing era that Stuursma and his players say has not diminished with time. They recall no single factor explained going 67-3 overall over those five seasons. There was talent, obviously, but coaching, tradition, confidence and strength of community all played vital parts. There were Thanksgiving practices attended by hundreds of former football alumni, dedicated fan support that included playing before more than 30,000 fans at least twice at Ford Field, and a program-wide attitude that, while some may call it a cliché, proved that success did indeed breed success.
"I'm in awe of the scope of things," said Stuursma, whose team used back-to-back Division 3 championships in 2002-03 as a springboard to later success. "Because we had won a couple times before it just started to feel normal. We had such support the community used to think Thanksgiving break ended at Ford Field."
EGR teams would find all kinds of ways to win during the five-year title stretch. The 2009 team, for instance, barreled through its first four playoff opponents by a combined score of 164-29 until a 24-21 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the Final. The 2010 team had to win three playoff games by eight points or fewer to finish off its perfect 14-0 record. And then there was the wild 46-39 five-overtime win over St. Mary's in the 2007 Final during which the Pioneers had to score on all five possessions in overtime to outlast the Eaglets.
While teams always seemed to find ways to get the victory, former players remember what it was like to be part of a seemingly endless tradition of success on the football field.
"One of the things that was so special about East Grand Rapids were the expectations," said Luke Glendening, a running back on the 2006 team who has gone on to a long NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars. "During the game I'd look around and see guys who had played here a long time ago. I viewed it as a privilege to have the opportunity to play before the alumni and community."
Quarterback Ryan Elble, who completed a combined 34 passes for 483 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2008 and 2009 Finals, also used the word "honored" to describe his high school experience.
"The culture was to win. Coach Stuursma made it fun, and it always seemed to take shape on the field," said Elble, who went on to play baseball at Miami (Ohio) "I think each team had different skill sets, but at the end of the day it was our culture and putting in the work to spend Thanksgiving weekend at Ford Field."
The players point to that winning culture over talent. Elble said he played with only one eventual Division I college player in linebacker/running back Trent Voss, who went on to Toledo. Nobody wins without talent, of course, but they point to many other factors as being just as critical. Because EGR coaches would always work juniors into the lineup, Stuursma said the program faced only one major rebuild, in 2007. That team wound up 13-1 and the second of those five straight champions.
"We had some incredible players," said Stuursma, who left EGR in 2016 to lead Hope College to two Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles, three second-place finishes and a 46-15 overall record over his seven seasons. "We returned only two starters (in 2007), but we still had good guys who wanted to win."
The players say the culture started with Barcheski and the program's tradition. As Hope College's coach, Stuursma said there’s a similar common thread among schools he sees on recruiting visits: a winning tradition that, in Stuursma's words "screams excellence," from every corner of the building. He sees it the minute he walks into some schools, and East Grand Rapids had the same culture before he arrived. The past players say it played a major part in their careers.
That tradition didn't start with the five straight titles, said former quarterback Kyle Cunningham, who played on the 2002-03 teams and went 46-0 over four years from his freshman to senior seasons. Those two championship teams’ most recognizable player was running back Kevin Grady, who still holds multiple MHSAA records including for career rush yardage and went on to play at University of Michigan.
"We worked hard and had a lot of pride," he said. "I remember watching film of earlier teams, and I remember hoping our team could stand up the same way."
While the players point to tradition and community, Ryan Blair, a tight end/defensive tackle on the 2006-08 champion clubs, said talent remained critical – but EGR was outmanned physically in some of those title games. That's when camaraderie and the confidence that someone was going to make a key play took over. The Pioneers' remarkable run was teeming with such plays.
"Certainly we were never one of the biggest teams there, we never had a big size advantage in any game," he said. "But we had this camaraderie on every team. We had guys who really liked playing with each other. When things got tight we stuck together, and we'd fight to the fourth quarter or beyond."
Despite the long odds of winning a single state title let alone repeating, Stuursma believes there could be a team one day which wins six straight. That team will have the same characteristics of those EGR teams – the talent, coaching, tradition and fortune of catching timely breaks – but it can be done, he said.
"Absolutely," Stuursma said. "The only record I can think of that won't be broken is Wayne Gretzky's (NHL) scoring record. It will take a lot, but records are made to be broken. I think high school football is on the upswing and there would have to be an emphasis on winning. You would have to have a good path to get there, but I can see someone getting six one day."
PHOTOS (Top) East Grand Rapids celebrates its third-straight Division 3 championship win in 2008. (Middle) Pioneers converge on an Orchard Lake St. Mary’s ball carrier during the 2007 five-overtime title decider. (Below) EGR coach Peter Stuursma, kneeling center, monitors the action during the 2010 championship game.