2019 Week 7 Football Playoff Listing
October 8, 2019
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 sixth 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.
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 Nov. 1. 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 32 programs will then be divided into two divisions of 16 each based on enrollment. The playoffs in those divisions also begin Nov. 1
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 Oct. 27 on the Selection Sunday Show on FOX Sports Detroit PLUS. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show.
11-Player Playoff Listing
1. Macomb Dakota, 3034, 4-2, 63.000
2. Dearborn Fordson, 2868, 5-1, 78.167
3. Grand Blanc, 2719, 4-2, 66.833
4. East Kentwood, 2673, 3-3, 46.833
5. Utica Eisenhower, 2617, 4-2, 69.333
6. Clarkston *, 2499, 3-3, 47.000
7. Sterling Heights Stevenson, 2498, 3-3, 55.000
8. Rockford, 2443, 6-0, 100.000
9. Lake Orion, 2416, 5-1, 84.667
10. Howell, 2391, 3-3, 46.000
11. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 2386, 6-0, 104.000
12. Troy Athens, 2276, 3-3, 41.500
13. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2250, 4-2, 58.667
14. Canton, 2228, 3-3, 45.833
15. Brighton, 2224, 5-1, 82.167
16. Dearborn, 2152, 3-3, 49.833
17. Plymouth, 2090, 6-0, 100.000
18. Southfield Arts & Technology, 2067, 3-3, 49.667
19. West Bloomfield, 2042, 5-1, 94.000
20. Detroit Catholic Central, 2024, 3-3, 58.000
21. Hartland, 2021, 3-3, 48.833
22. Macomb L'Anse Creuse North, 1957, 3-3, 46.667
23. Hudsonville, 1930, 5-1, 84.500
24. Detroit Western, 1888, 4-2, 50.000
25. Saline, 1861, 5-1, 80.567
26. Utica Ford, 1812, 3-3, 48.333
27. Lapeer, 1792, 5-1, 87.333
28. Livonia Stevenson, 1784, 3-3, 43.167
29. Grandville, 1719, 5-1, 87.333
30. Holt, 1713, 4-2, 73.000
31. Rochester Adams, 1710, 4-2, 62.667
32. Davison, 1694, 6-0, 101.333
33. White Lake Lakeland, 1693, 4-2, 69.500
34. Romeo, 1692, 5-1, 79.167
35. Belleville, 1692, 6-0, 93.333
36. Traverse City West, 1663, 4-2, 68.167
37. Waterford Mott, 1658, 3-3, 50.000
38. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 1638, 4-2, 63.833
39. Brownstown Woodhaven, 1623, 6-0, 101.333
40. Walled Lake Northern, 1608, 3-3, 45.667
41. Warren Mott, 1513, 4-2, 60.167
42. Saginaw Heritage, 1512, 4-2, 58.667
43. Grosse Pointe South, 1510, 5-1, 86.000
44. Detroit U-D Jesuit, 1486, 4-2, 63.500
45. Temperance Bedford, 1466, 4-2, 61.000
46. Sterling Heights, 1464, 4-2, 61.667
47. Farmington *, 1444, 6-0, 93.333
48. Livonia Franklin, 1435, 6-0, 94.667
49. Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse, 1434, 4-2, 62.167
50. Dearborn Heights Crestwood, 1404, 3-3, 40.333
51. Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 1404, 3-3, 50.167
52. St. Clair Shores Lakeview, 1404, 4-2, 59.667
53. Traverse City Central, 1404, 5-1, 81.833
54. Lansing Everett, 1388, 3-3, 45.667
55. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1386, 5-1, 76.833
56. North Farmington, 1371, 6-0, 92.000
57. Birmingham Seaholm, 1370, 4-2, 63.833
58. Portage Central, 1359, 3-3, 49.667
59. Battle Creek Lakeview, 1350, 6-0, 92.000
60. Flushing, 1326, 3-3, 47.333
61. Birmingham Groves, 1310, 5-1, 86.000
62. Port Huron, 1309, 5-1, 70.000
63. Midland, 1309, 6-0, 98.667
64. Midland Dow, 1287, 3-3, 40.333
65. Port Huron Northern, 1284, 5-1, 76.667
66. Oak Park, 1276, 5-1, 90.000
67. South Lyon, 1276, 6-0, 100.000
68. Portage Northern, 1274, 5-1, 75.167
69. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, 1237, 3-3, 44.167
70. Jackson *, 1231, 4-2, 57.500
71. Walled Lake Western, 1228, 5-1, 83.500
72. Muskegon Mona Shores, 1227, 5-1, 79.500
73. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 1219, 4-2, 64.000
74. Dexter, 1214, 5-1, 72.833
75. Detroit Renaissance, 1205, 4-2, 56.867
76. Alpena, 1194, 3-3, 49.667
77. Fenton, 1168, 5-1, 82.167
78. Detroit Martin Luther King, 1158, 4-2, 69.167
79. Lowell, 1152, 4-2, 57.500
80. Byron Center, 1145, 6-0, 93.333
81. Auburn Hills Avondale, 1133, 3-3, 43.500
82. Grand Rapids Northview, 1130, 4-2, 58.500
83. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 1129, 3-3, 43.667
84. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 1128, 4-2, 72.367
85. Allen Park, 1127, 4-2, 62.500
86. Gibraltar Carlson, 1127, 4-2, 65.333
87. Southgate Anderson, 1124, 3-3, 42.833
88. East Lansing, 1119, 4-2, 74.500
89. Redford Thurston, 1084, 5-1, 75.333
90. Lansing Waverly, 1056, 3-3, 41.167
91. Zeeland West, 1054, 5-1, 84.833
92. Pinckney, 1053, 5-1, 67.500
93. Mount Pleasant, 1048, 5-1, 75.500
94. Garden City, 1030, 4-2, 58.333
95. St. Joseph, 1019, 6-0, 90.667
96. Cedar Springs, 1018, 5-1, 82.833
97. DeWitt, 1013, 4-2, 72.000
98. Detroit Mumford, 1007, 4-2, 49.000
99. River Rouge, 992, 5-1, 69.200
100. Mason, 964, 6-0, 88.000
101. East Grand Rapids, 959, 4-2, 56.167
102. Muskegon, 954, 6-0, 101.333
103. Flint Kearsley, 951, 5-1, 78.000
104. Zeeland East, 943, 5-1, 71.867
105. Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 942, 6-0, 106.095
106. Coldwater, 940, 5-1, 68.833
107. St. Johns, 938, 4-2, 62.667
108. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, 926, 3-3, 40.333
109. Eastpointe, 926, 3-3, 49.667
110. Riverview, 915, 4-2, 58.833
111. Trenton, 914, 3-3, 50.000
112. Dearborn Divine Child, 878, 3-3, 47.000
113. Parma Western, 870, 5-1, 70.167
114. Marysville, 869, 4-2, 55.000
115. Battle Creek Harper Creek, 863, 3-3, 43.667
116. Spring Lake, 856, 4-2, 50.833
117. Edwardsburg, 856, 6-0, 86.667
118. Chelsea, 847, 6-0, 108.000
119. Fowlerville, 834, 5-1, 66.167
120. Marshall, 825, 3-3, 43.500
121. Ortonville Brandon, 825, 5-1, 64.667
122. Cadillac, 824, 4-2, 59.167
123. Redford Union, 823, 4-2, 61.167
124. Grand Rapids Christian, 822, 4-2, 61.500
125. Carleton Airport, 815, 4-2, 57.167
126. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 811, 3-3, 42.500
127. Fruitport, 805, 3-3, 45.500
128. Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 789, 3-3, 44.000
129. Imlay City, 780, 4-2, 45.167
130. Sparta, 780, 5-1, 70.000
131. St. Clair, 780, 6-0, 88.000
132. Hamilton, 778, 3-3, 39.167
133. Vicksburg, 764, 5-1, 64.833
134. Allendale, 756, 3-3, 39.167
135. Goodrich, 741, 5-1, 72.500
136. Milan, 738, 6-0, 82.667
137. North Branch, 736, 4-2, 48.333
138. Croswell-Lexington, 719, 3-3, 41.167
139. Holland Christian, 713, 3-3, 43.167
140. Escanaba, 708, 5-1, 78.300
141. Hazel Park, 707, 3-3, 36.333
142. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 705, 5-1, 76.038
143. Lake Fenton, 703, 3-3, 36.167
144. Otsego, 683, 4-2, 52.333
145. Romulus Summit Academy North, 681, 4-2, 58.667
146. Sault Ste. Marie, 679, 4-2, 63.167
147. Detroit Country Day, 677, 6-0, 92.000
148. Paw Paw, 662, 6-0, 84.000
149. Ludington, 656, 4-2, 43.900
150. Warren Lincoln, 653, 3-3, 35.667
151. Flint Powers Catholic, 652, 4-2, 60.167
152. Harper Woods Chandler Park, 647, 3-3, 44.667
153. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 628, 5-1, 83.500
154. Williamston, 621, 4-2, 51.833
155. Hudsonville Unity Christian, 618, 4-2, 57.000
156. Cheboygan, 605, 3-3, 38.500
157. Livonia Clarenceville, 602, 4-2, 37.167
158. Muskegon Orchard View, 602, 6-0, 87.467
159. Grand Rapids South Christian, 599, 3-3, 42.667
160. Benton Harbor, 598, 4-2, 56.714
161. Dowagiac, 596, 3-3, 40.833
162. Ogemaw Heights, 588, 4-2, 48.000
163. Portland, 580, 6-0, 89.333
164. Hancock, 579, 4-2, 41.000
165. Freeland, 579, 5-1, 71.500
166. Macomb Lutheran North, 574, 3-3, 40.333
167. Muskegon Oakridge, 574, 6-0, 74.667
168. Belding, 570, 3-3, 38.500
169. Detroit Communication Media Arts, 567, 3-3, 32.167
170. Kingsford, 566, 3-3, 42.667
171. Essexville Garber, 561, 4-2, 50.833
172. Frankenmuth, 547, 6-0, 89.333
173. Saginaw Swan Valley, 544, 4-2, 52.167
174. Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 542, 5-1, 69.833
175. Midland Bullock Creek, 541, 4-2, 50.500
176. Grant, 539, 4-2, 49.000
177. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, 536, 4-2, 54.167
178. Marine City, 521, 6-0, 88.000
179. Whitmore Lake, 520, 4-2, 34.667
180. Lansing Catholic, 520, 5-1, 67.500
181. Clawson, 515, 3-3, 32.000
182. Hopkins, 514, 6-0, 77.333
183. Almont, 514, 6-0, 78.667
184. Detroit Denby, 508, 5-1, 68.500
185. Berrien Springs, 505, 6-0, 80.000
186. Olivet, 505, 6-0, 80.000
187. Dundee, 497, 3-3, 38.833
188. Detroit Henry Ford, 492, 4-2, 56.167
189. Reed City, 490, 4-2, 50.333
190. Manistee, 487, 3-3, 31.333
191. Standish-Sterling, 484, 3-3, 35.333
192. Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, 483, 3-3, 36.333
193. Lansing Sexton, 478, 3-3, 39.000
194. Richmond, 476, 6-0, 85.333
195. Ida, 471, 3-3, 37.333
196. Ovid-Elsie, 468, 3-3, 39.667
197. Central Montcalm, 457, 6-0, 81.333
198. Shepherd, 454, 3-3, 35.500
199. Kingsley, 454, 6-0, 78.667
200. Onsted, 449, 4-2, 56.000
201. Caro, 448, 3-3, 29.000
202. Montague, 446, 4-2, 53.500
203. Hillsdale, 445, 6-0, 81.333
204. Durand, 444, 3-3, 34.833
205. Clare, 442, 6-0, 77.333
206. Detroit Osborn, 441, 4-2, 51.667
207. Newaygo, 438, 4-2, 50.667
208. Gladstone, 437, 3-3, 45.667
209. Menominee, 425, 4-2, 53.762
210. Tawas *, 421, 3-3, 31.167
211. Perry, 420, 3-3, 34.833
212. Flint Hamady *, 420, 5-1, 60.500
213. Brooklyn Columbia Central, 414, 4-2, 47.667
214. Constantine, 412, 4-2, 48.333
215. Ishpeming Westwood, 412, 4-2, 54.833
216. Negaunee, 407, 4-2, 54.833
217. Adrian Madison, 398, 3-3, 32.500
218. Jonesville, 395, 5-1, 54.167
219. Clinton Township Clintondale, 392, 4-2, 44.333
220. Maple City Glen Lake, 389, 6-0, 70.667
221. Muskegon Catholic Central *, 387, 3-2, 40.167
222. Lake City, 386, 3-3, 31.500
223. Sanford Meridian, 386, 4-2, 52.333
224. Harrison, 382, 4-2, 43.000
225. Blissfield, 381, 4-2, 61.667
226. Niles Brandywine, 378, 6-0, 76.000
227. Calumet, 377, 5-1, 67.500
228. Warren Michigan Collegiate, 375, 5-1, 68.833
229. Montrose, 374, 5-1, 67.500
230. Hemlock, 367, 4-2, 55.333
231. Ithaca, 362, 5-1, 61.833
232. Morley Stanwood, 360, 4-2, 52.333
233. Delton Kellogg, 358, 4-2, 47.000
234. Quincy, 356, 3-3, 29.667
235. Hanover-Horton, 352, 3-3, 32.500
236. Manchester, 349, 4-2, 40.167
237. Grass Lake, 347, 6-0, 62.667
238. Ravenna, 347, 5-1, 64.833
239. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central *, 347, 5-1, 75.500
240. LeRoy Pine River, 345, 3-3, 29.500
241. Byron, 342, 4-2, 53.333
242. Hartford, 341, 3-3, 24.667
243. Kent City, 340, 4-2, 46.667
244. North Muskegon, 338, 4-2, 42.500
245. Laingsburg, 338, 4-2, 44.333
246. Traverse City St. Francis, 337, 4-2, 57.667
247. Pewamo-Westphalia, 335, 6-0, 72.000
248. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, 333, 4-2, 37.500
249. Houghton Lake, 328, 4-2, 47.000
250. Clinton, 328, 6-0, 69.333
251. Schoolcraft, 328, 6-0, 78.667
252. L'Anse, 324, 4-2, 42.333
253. Detroit Leadership Academy, 322, 5-1, 66.000
254. Charlevoix, 318, 4-2, 42.500
255. Beaverton, 318, 6-0, 76.000
256. Ecorse, 317, 3-3, 32.000
257. Springport, 316, 3-3, 25.500
258. Madison Heights Bishop Foley, 316, 3-3, 28.300
259. Jackson Lumen Christi *, 314, 6-0, 96.000
260. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 313, 5-1, 63.000
261. McBain, 308, 3-3, 35.000
262. Homer, 307, 4-2, 45.333
263. New Lothrop, 307, 6-0, 82.667
264. Iron Mountain, 303, 6-0, 82.667
265. Detroit Central, 299, 5-1, 61.667
266. Oscoda, 295, 6-0, 68.000
267. Sandusky, 289, 4-2, 39.833
268. Detroit Community, 283, 5-1, 53.833
269. Mancelona, 282, 4-2, 37.667
270. Centreville, 281, 4-2, 38.833
271. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, 279, 4-2, 50.500
272. Harbor Springs, 279, 5-1, 54.300
273. Lawton, 275, 6-0, 62.667
274. Detroit Loyola *, 272, 3-3, 51.667
275. Evart, 271, 3-3, 29.667
276. Brown City, 270, 3-3, 28.167
277. Cass City, 269, 5-1, 55.333
278. Cassopolis, 268, 6-0, 72.000
279. Allen Park Cabrini, 265, 3-3, 30.333
280. Concord, 259, 3-3, 33.667
281. Carson City-Crystal, 256, 4-2, 45.167
282. Sand Creek, 256, 4-2, 52.000
283. Unionville-Sebewaing, 250, 4-2, 50.667
284. Beal City, 249, 6-0, 66.667
285. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, 249, 6-0, 76.000
286. Addison, 238, 5-1, 53.667
287. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 235, 4-2, 44.000
288. West Iron County, 235, 5-1, 52.667
289. Gobles, 233, 3-3, 27.000
290. Reading, 232, 5-1, 54.167
291. Mount Clemens, 225, 4-2, 42.000
292. Flint Beecher *, 224, 4-2, 48.000
293. Bark River-Harris, 223, 4-2, 37.500
294. Ishpeming, 217, 4-2, 38.333
295. White Pigeon, 213, 5-1, 58.167
296. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 212, 6-0, 70.667
297. Decatur, 211, 3-3, 23.500
298. Harbor Beach, 207, 6-0, 64.000
299. St. Ignace, 205, 3-3, 32.500
300. Southfield Christian, 200, 3-3, 24.667
301. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 199, 5-1, 50.595
302. Ubly, 198, 5-1, 55.500
303. Merrill, 197, 4-2, 45.167
304. Breckenridge, 197, 5-1, 51.500
305. Detroit Public Safety Academy, 191, 4-2, 49.333
306. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 189, 5-1, 52.500
307. Britton Deerfield, 188, 3-3, 36.167
308. Saginaw Nouvel, 188, 4-2, 46.167
309. Mendon, 184, 5-1, 50.167
310. Fowler, 180, 6-0, 64.000
311. Pittsford, 176, 4-2, 33.833
312. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 175, 4-2, 39.967
313. Detroit Southeastern, 158, 4-2, 49.167
314. Lake Linden-Hubbell, 131, 3-3, 32.333
315. Clarkston Everest Collegiate *, 121, 5-0, 62.133
316. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, 100, 3-3, 33.667
8-Player Playoff Listing
1. Colon, 160, 6-0, 55.200
2. Powers North Central, 107, 6-0, 54.667
3. Martin, 187, 6-0, 53.600
4. Gaylord St. Mary, 162, 6-0, 52.667
5. Deckerville, 195, 6-0, 52.000
6. Morrice, 182, 6-0, 52.000
7. Pellston, 173, 6-0, 50.667
8. Portland St. Patrick, 99, 6-0, 50.667
9. Pickford, 138, 5-1, 50.167
10. Mio, 168, 5-1, 47.767
11. Climax-Scotts, 145, 5-1, 46.167
12. Suttons Bay, 205, 5-1, 42.833
13. Kingston, 197, 5-1, 42.167
14. Engadine, 108, 5-1, 39.333
15. Hillman, 124, 5-1, 39.333
16. Kinde North Huron, 126, 5-1, 39.333
17. Mesick, 193, 5-1, 38.667
18. Crystal Falls Forest Park, 121, 4-2, 37.500
19. Onekama, 142, 5-1, 37.200
20. New Haven Merritt Academy, 174, 5-1, 35.167
21. Peck, 119, 4-2, 34.500
22. Mayville, 193, 4-2, 33.667
23. Brimley, 166, 4-2, 33.000
24. Camden-Frontier, 175, 4-2, 33.000
25. Burr Oak, 70, 4-2, 30.667
26. Bellevue, 171, 3-3, 30.333
27. International Academy of Flint, 185, 4-2, 30.333
28. Brethren, 141, 4-2, 30.000
29. Onaway, 182, 4-2, 29.433
30. Posen, 71, 3-3, 28.833
31. Rapid River, 131, 3-3, 28.333
32. Webberville, 182, 3-3, 28.333
33. Vestaburg, 186, 4-2, 27.833
34. Cedarville, 154, 3-3, 27.167
35. Newberry, 186, 4-2, 24.833
36. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 100, 3-3, 24.767
37. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, 113, 3-3, 24.667
38. Tekonsha, 159, 3-3, 24.500
39. Rudyard, 164, 3-3, 24.333
40. Hale, 113, 3-3, 22.100
41. Marion, 133, 3-3, 20.500
42. Litchfield, 179, 3-3, 19.500
43. Bay City All Saints, 136, 2-4, 19.333
44. Genesee, 179, 2-4, 17.500
45. Carney-Nadeau, 132, 2-4, 16.905
46. Eben Junction Superior Central, 177, 2-4, 16.833
47. Battle Creek St. Philip, 179, 2-4, 16.100
48. Au Gres-Sims, 129, 2-4, 15.667
49. Fife Lake Forest Area *, 175, 1-3, 15.500
50. Manistee Catholic Central, 177, 2-4, 14.833
51. Burton Madison Academy, 164, 2-4, 14.500
52. Akron-Fairgrove, 90, 2-4, 12.667
53. North Adams-Jerome, 145, 1-5, 11.500
54. Ashley, 90, 1-5, 11.000
55. Bellaire, 122, 1-5, 10.333
56. Lawrence, 180, 1-5, 10.000
57. Carsonville-Port Sanilac, 92, 1-5, 9.833
58. Atlanta, 74, 1-5, 9.433
59. New Buffalo *, 178, 1-4, 9.267
60. Central Lake, 169, 1-5, 8.833
61. Owendale-Gagetown, 49, 1-5, 8.333
62. Ontonagon, 165, 1-5, 8.167
63. St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran, 103, 1-5, 8.000
64. St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy *, 181, 1-4, 7.900
65. Big Rapids Crossroads Academy, 188, 1-5, 7.667
66. Felch North Dickinson, 86, 1-5, 7.667
67. Baldwin, 106, 1-5, 7.000
68. Waldron, 77, 1-5, 7.000
69. Caseville, 79, 0-6, 2.667
70. Bear Lake, 98, 0-6, 1.667
71. Stephenson, 175, 0-6, 1.667
Constantine Celebrates 100th Season, Renowned for Continuity & Signature Wing-T
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
September 6, 2023
CONSTANTINE – Bennett Vandenberg and Cohen McGee are just like any other high school football players.
Both Constantine seniors have high aspirations of winning a fifth-straight Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title and reaching the postseason.
But Vandenberg and McGee, along with their Falcons teammates, will be celebrating more than victories and a potential playoff appearance this fall.
Constantine, a community located in southern St. Joseph County, is observing the 100th season of the school's football program.
The Falcons (1-1) will commemorate the occasion Saturday, Oct. 7, with a home game against SAC Lakeshore foe Kalamazoo United. Kickoff time from Sweetland Stadium is 1 p.m. The game will be followed by a community luncheon and program in the high school at which time past coaches, players and the program's biggest accomplishments will be recognized and celebrated.
Vandenberg, a starting fullback/tight end and outside linebacker, and McGee, an offensive lineman and linebacker, are both looking forward to the rest of the season and continuing Constantine's strong tradition on the gridiron.
"We have a huge football tradition here at Constantine. This year we're celebrating the 100th year, and we have some of the oldest living players coming back to help celebrate after that game with United,” said Vandenberg, a three-year starter and Finals placer his junior year in wrestling and track & field. “Our community is all about football. We know we have to go out there and represent our school and community the right way."
McGee is following in the footsteps of his older brother Carter.
"There are lots of things that people who follow Constantine football don't see, like the hours of dedication and work we put in during the offseason. That's where we make our strides and become better as a program," McGee said.
The football stadium at Constantine is named after Dr. George Sweetland, a physician in the community, who donated money for a football stadium to be built with a hill completely circling the facility.
Sweetland, who moved to Constantine in 1916 to take over his brother's medical practice after the latter was killed in a car crash, reportedly allowed patients to work off their medical bills by helping with the stadium's construction.
Constantine, which played its first football game in 1924 and finished as county champs at 4-2 under coach Lew Lake, sports an all-time record of 481 wins and 221 losses with 11 ties. During that span, the Falcons have enjoyed 11 unbeaten seasons, including Robert Finlay's 1937 squad that went 8-0 and was unscored upon.
Coaching longevity is one of the biggest factors allowing Constantine to be as successful as it has been, especially during the program's modern era. The Falcons have had just four head coaches since 1964.
Mike Messner, a three-sport athlete and 1965 Constantine graduate, later served as the school's athletic director from 1992-2016.
Messner pointed to Meredith 'Spud' Huston, Constantine's football coach from 1958-1961, as one of the first individuals influential in setting the wheels in motion for the program's future success.
Huston guided the Falcons to their first league title in 1961.
Constantine's four winningest coaches – Dave Horn, Tim Baker, Ken Rimer and Shawn Griffith – are all honorary members of the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association's Hall of Fame.
Horn, who died earlier this summer, served two stints as Constantine's head coach from 1964-1981 and 1987-1989 while compiling a 116-65-4 record.
Baker (129-30) coached Constantine for 15 seasons and guided the Falcons to a record of 129-30. Under Baker, the Falcons were Division 6 champs in 2004 and Finals runners-up in 1994 (Class CC) and 2002 (Division 5).
"Dave (Horn) was a genuinely great person who coached 21 years. He could get upset at you on the field, but he was a very kind, storyteller and a thoughtful guy who really cared about others," Messner said.
"In the modern coaching era, Tim (Baker) really believed in lifting weights, making kids stronger and developing kids into good football players. He was diligent, hardworking and put a lot of time into the program while missing a lot of family functions. He concentrated on doing the best job he could. Ken (Rimer) was right there in the same mode as Tim. When they started coaching together, they wanted a program that kids at Constantine could be proud of. Things started really happening, and ever since then the program has been strong. We have coaches who want Constantine to be successful on the field."
Rimer spent 28 years as an assistant coach under Baker and current head coach Shawn Griffith. Constantine compiled a win-loss mark of 242-70 with Rimer as an assistant.
Griffith, who took over as Constantine's head coach in 2005, is the Falcons’ all-time winningest coach at 156-53. Under Griffith's tutelage, the Falcons have made 17 playoff appearances, with back-to-back Division 6 runners-up finishes in 2011 and 2012.
"The history of Constantine football kind've coincides with everything else here in the community. This is my 32nd year overall as a coach in this program. But I also have several memories from when I was in high school at Mendon as a player going up against Constantine," Griffith said.
"When you talk about any community our size, you immediately look at family names. We have another Stears (Lucas) on this year's team. Mike (Messner) told me there have been over 20 from the Stears family that have worn the Falcon uniform. It doesn't stop there. I look at the number of kids we have in the locker room this year, and I realize that I've coached many of their brothers, fathers and uncles. We look at the program as one big family. This program has helped to raise a lot of young men in the area these last few years. The community has been extremely supportive of the program as well."
Constantine won 19 league championships as a member of the St. Joseph Valley League from 1952-2007. That league consisted of Constantine, White Pigeon, Schoolcraft, Centreville, Colon, Climax-Scotts, Burr Oak and Mendon. Bronson and Battle Creek St. Philip became members later after Climax-Scotts and Burr Oak left to join the Southern Central Athletic Association. Eventually, the SJV disbanded due to conference realignment and declining enrollment among its smaller schools.
At one time, Constantine played in one of the longest-running rivalries in state football history. The Falcons and archrival White Pigeon began playing one another in 1924 and Constantine held a 47-35-6 in the rivalry, with wins in the final 17 meetings before the series ended after the 2007 season.
Messner recalls the 1981 meeting between White Pigeon and Constantine as one of the most memorable. The game was played at the Sweetland Stadium in Constantine, and there were more than 5,000 people in attendance.
"White Pigeon came into that game unscored upon and ranked No. 1 in the state. We were undefeated, but nobody was saying anything about us, but they were really talking (White Pigeon) up," Messner said. "(White Pigeon) had brought over 1,000 balloons with them and hid them behind the bleachers. They were going to launch them every time they scored. They never scored, and we beat them 21-0. It was such a sad moment for both schools when they had to stop playing one another in football."
After the SJV dissolved, Constantine and Schoolcraft became members of the Kalamazoo Valley Athletic Association from 2008-2014 before leaving to join the Southwestern Athletic Conference for the 2015 season. Constantine begins its ninth season competing in the SAC Lakeshore against the likes of Watervliet, Allegan, Kalamazoo United, South Haven and Parchment.
Messner also lists several playoff games as big moments in Constantine's football history.
"Our first playoff team (1991) was a big year, and our first state finals appearance (1994) was another," Messner added.
Constantine lost to Orchard Lake St. Mary's (35-7) in the 1994 Class CC Final, but knocked off heavily-favored Fennville (50-0) in their Pre-Regional and Whittemore-Prescott (54-6) in a Semifinal to get there.
"Both teams were considerably bigger than us up front on the line. Fennville had a really good quarterback (Frank Alfieri) and Whittemore-Prescott had a great tailback (Tom 'Touchdown' Tyson) that our much smaller guys managed to shut down," Messner said. "Then there was a 13-7 win we had in the 2002 Regional Finals over heavily-favored Muskegon Oakridge."
But perhaps the 2004 Semifinal deemed 'The Miracle in Marshall' will go down as the most memorable game in Constantine history. In that contest, Constantine trailed Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 27-14 with a little more than six and a half minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
The Falcons scored twice during those last few minutes, including a last-second 32-yard TD pass from Aaron Baker to Sean Wolf caught in the end zone that tied the game at 27-27 with one second left. Jordan Williams booted the PAT as time expired, giving the Falcons a 28-27 win.
Constantine went on to defeat Suttons Bay 34-13 in the Division 6 Final the following week.
From 1991-2015, Constantine attained at least seven wins for 25 consecutive years, which is a state record. The Falcons made 18 consecutive playoff appearances from 1999-2016 before suffering their most recent losing season in 2017, when they finished 3-6.
Constantine's overall playoff record stands at 49-25 with 26 total appearances.
It was Griffith, who played his high school football at Mendon for Class D championship-winning coach Roger Smith and his then-assistant John Schwartz (who would later lead the Hornets to 10 more Finals titles) who convinced Baker the Falcons should transition from the I-Formation to the Wing-T offense.
After much discussion and argument among the coaching staff, Baker reluctantly agreed to Griffith's idea.
"I joined the coaching staff in 1992 as offensive coordinator. As a coaching staff, we really came into our own and made our first run to the Finals in 1994. In the late ’90s we had some really good teams, but still didn't quite have a real identity. During that time we ran into some really good Wing-T football teams," Griffith said.
"We started noticing that we had a real hard time stopping these teams that ran the Wing-T like Muskegon Orchard View, Hopkins and Battle Creek Pennfield. So I came to Tim (Baker) after the 2001 season with the idea of changing the offense. We knew we had a tremendous group of running backs coming up through the program for the next seven or eight years. I approached him about running the Wing-T. He wasn't real receptive at first about running it. But after sitting down with other Wing-T coaches like John Shilito (Muskegon Orchard View) and Irv Sigler (Belding), he agreed to give it a try."
Constantine began running the Wing-T at the start of the 2002 season.
"Once you get known for running an offense like this, it kind've becomes your niche. I get emails from people all over the United States wanting me to come teach them this offense at camps. Here at Constantine, we've been fortunate to rack up quite a few wins since we installed this offense. Our kids can really talk the Wing-T game, and we didn't really have that before when we were running our I-formation and single-back stuff," Griffith said.
"The blocking schemes have become ingrained in our kids. They do a great job of knowing where they are supposed to be and who they are supposed to block. Another thing I really like about the Wing-T is it's a lineman's offense. Our linemen get a lot of credit, which they deserve. There is a certain toughness to this offense as well. It's allowed us to use kids who might be smaller and less athletic, but still allows us to be successful because they have developed a certain toughness."
Griffith credits a lot of that toughness to his players who compete on the Falcons' wrestling team during the winter sports season. Constantine’s wrestling program also has enjoyed a long run of success, including a Class C-D title in 1993 and Division 3 runner-up finish in 2002. The Falcons have won Team Regional titles three straight seasons.
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Constantine players celebrate near the end of their 2004 championship win at Pontiac Silverdome. (2) A trio of Constantine defenders pursue Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Phil Martin (4) during the 1994 Class CC Final. (3) Longtime Constantine athletic director Mike Messner. (4) Current Constantine head varsity coach Shawn Griffith. (5) The 2004 “Miracle in Marshall” remains one of the most memorable games in Constantine football history. (Finals photos from MHSAA archive. “Miracle in Marshall” photo by Dick Carter. Messner and Griffith photos gathered by Scott Hassinger.)