Division 4 Final: No. 2 Becomes No. 1
November 29, 2011
DETROIT -- Subtract an injured star linebacker, and what did Zeeland West get?
An inspired performance from his teammates -- and this fall’s MHSAA Division 4 football championship.
Senior Josh Blanton remained on the sideline Friday at Ford Field, unable to contribute because of an injury suffered in last week’s Semifinal.
But his No. 2 Dux teammates rallied, and despite falling behind early came back to run over and past top-ranked Marine City 45-7 in perhaps the most highly-anticipated of the day’s four Finals.
“We knew we were going to have a tough time, and as a team we kinda thought about things,” Zeeland West quarterback Clay Coatney said. “We just said to ourselves, we’re going to come out and play as hard as we could, play as physical as we could.”
Zeeland West finished with its second MHSAA championship, but first 14-0 record in seven seasons as a program. Marine City ended 13-1.
The Dux’ physicality was the difference-maker on both sides of the ball. Marine City’s offense came into the Final averaging nearly 37 points per game. But led by senior linebacker Jake McKellar’s eight tackles and lots of contributors all around him, the Dux held the Mariners to just 216 yards of total offense -- while also dominating the line on offense and gaining 410.
Senior Kyle Kujawa ran for 99 of the team’s 288 rushing yards, and scored once. Coatney was 6 for 9 passing for 122 yards and two scores. Senior Brad Mesbergen responded to the Mariners’ early touchdown by returning the ensuing kickoff an MHSAA Finals-record 97 yards to even the score.
Marine City scored the game’s first touchdown just less than two minutes into the game. But the Mariners, despite multiple drives into Dux territory, gave the ball away one each by fumble and interception and three more times on turnovers on downs.
“We’ve got an all-state linebacker not playing. To say we’re playing that type of explosive offense, (and) for those kids to show up and do what they did, you’ve just gotta go, ‘Holy smokes, who are those guys?’” Zeeland West coach John Shillito said.
Marine City senior Adam Kroll threw 36 yards to senior Gunnar Glodich for that lone Mariners touchdown, and finished 8 of 16 passing for 85 yards total. Senior running back Anthony Scarcelli gained just 42 yards on eight carries in his final high school game before signing with Central Michigan, but did lead the team with eight tackles in what also was the final game for his father and coach, Tony Scarcelli.
"When I look at this season, I don't look at one game," Tony Scarcelli said. "I look at this as we're state runners-up. Twenty years from now, we'll all look back on this and say what a great season it was."
1st & Goal: 2024 8-Player Finals Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 22, 2024
For the first time since 8-player football was split into two divisions in 2017, all four teams playing in this season’s MHSAA Finals are past champions.
Deckerville and Pickford in Division 1, and Crystal Falls Forest Park and Morrice in Division 2 have all won one title during the first 13 years of 8-player playoffs. All four also are making their first championship appearances this decade.
Deckerville and Pickford kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome, and Morrice and Crystal Falls Forest Park follow at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and are good for both games, and may be purchased online through NMU or at the door – click for details. Both games will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv, and audio of both games will be streamed live on MHSAANetwork.com.
Below is a look at all four finalists:
Division 1
DECKERVILLE
Record/Rank: 12-0, No. 1
Coach: Bill Brown, 32nd season (258-90)
League finish: First in Big Thumb Conference Blue
Championship history: 8-player (single division) champion 2012, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 49-32 over No. 7 Mendon in Semifinal, 40-6 (Regional Final) and 44-0 over No. 8 Kingston, 54-34 (Regional Semifinal) and 50-16 over Bay City All Saints, 50-42 over No. 2 Alcona, 30-28 over Brown City.
Players to watch: QB Hunter Garza, 6-1 sr. (1,488 yards/26 TDs rushing, 804 yards/10 TDs passing); SE/DB Ian Flanagan, 6-1 jr. (230 yards/3 TDs receiving); RB/DB Parker Merriman, 5-10 sr. (1,003 yards/14 TDs rushing); RG/DE Preston Holman, 6-1 sr. (Weights not provided. Statistics through Regional Final.)
Outlook: Deckerville will be playing in its first championship game since finishing runner-up in both 2016 (single division) and 2017 (Division 1), and after reaching the Semifinals a year ago. Alcona and Brown City were the only opponents to get within 17 points of the Eagles this fall. There are only seven seniors, but they combine to fill seven of the 16 starting spots. Holman made the all-state second team last season, and Garza earned an honorable mention.
PICKFORD
Record/Rank: 12-0, No. 3
Coach: Josh Rader, 21st season (153-66)
League finish: First in Great Lakes Eight Conference East
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2019, Division 1 runner-up 2018.
Best wins: 34-18 over No. 5 Indian River Inland Lakes in Semifinal, 44-6 (Regional Final) and 65-14 over No. 10 Ishpeming, 51-6 over Norway, 40-12 over Division 2 No. 6 Powers North Central.
Players to watch: QB/DE Tommy Storey, 5-9/175 sr. (1,656 yards/28 TDs passing, 954 yards/16 TDs rushing); RB/DB Gunner Bennin, 6-0/165 jr. (828 yards/19 TDs rushing, 386 yards/8 TDs receiving); TE/DE Ian Browne, 6-3/175 sr. (206 yards/4 TDs receiving); OG/DT Haydn Rader, 6-1/210 sr.
Outlook: Storey is a returning all-state first-teamer who also quarterbacked the team to the Semifinals a year ago. He leads an attack that’s rushed for 3,768 yards – at more than 10 a carry – but can keep defenses honest with a passing game as well. In addition to being the team’s second-leading rusher and leading receiver, Bennin has a team-high four interceptions and has also scored on defense and as a kick and punt returner. Haydn Rader made the all-state second team last season and with Storey, Browne and Bennin is among eight players who start on both sides of the ball.
Division 2
CRYSTAL FALLS FOREST PARK
Record/Rank: 11-1, No. 3
Coach: Brian Fabbri, fifth season (35-11)
League finish: Second in Great Lakes Eight Conference West
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2017, three MHSAA titles and 10 runner-up finishes in 11-player.
Best wins: 34-12 over No. 6 Powers North Central in Regional Final, 49-24 over No. 8 Onekama in Semifinal, 42-20 over Norway.
Players to watch: RB/DB Dax Huuki, 6-0/175 soph. (1,424 yards/20 TDs rushing); QB/DB Vic Giuliani, 6-2/165 soph. (908 yards/14 TDs passing, 7 TDs rushing); RB/DE Grayson Sundell, 6-1/190 sr. (899 yards/17 TDs rushing); TE/DT Kevin Giuliani, 6-5/270 sr. (277 yards/6 TDs receiving).
Outlook: Forest Park will play in its first championship game since its title-winning season in 2017 and picked up major steam with its Regional Final win over rival North Central, which avenged a 45-34 league title-deciding loss from Week 9. No other opponent got within 20 points of the Trojans this season. Kevin Giuliani made the all-state second team last season and is one of seven two-way starters. Junior Trent Kannich is another and has 406 yards and seven touchdowns rushing and a team-high 364 yards receiving from his fullback spot. Senior linebacker Brody Starr has five interceptions and has returned two for touchdowns, and senior linebacker Nik Stephens has four picks and one for a score.
MORRICE
Record/Rank: 11-1, No. 5
Coach: Kendall Crockett, 11th season (96-25)
League finish: Tied for first in Mid-State Activities Conference Red
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2018.
Best wins: 36-0 over No. 4 Britton Deerfield in Semifinal, 46-14 (Regional Final) and 38-6 over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, 28-22 over No. 7 Portland St. Patrick in Regional Semifinal, 22-0 over Fulton.
Players to watch: RB/DB Joel Fisher, 5-7/139 sr. (1,687 yards, 19 TDs rushing); WR/DB Wyatt Valentine, 5-10/163 soph. (50 tackles, 10 interceptions); RB/OLB Wyatt Cartier, 5-7/150 sr. (1,468 yards, 27 TDs rushing), OG/DE Travis Smith, 6-0/215 sr.
Outlook: Morrice also avenged its lone regular-season loss to advance this postseason, having lost to St. Patrick 29-12 in Week 4 before opening the playoffs with a win over the Shamrocks. Fisher and Cartier are a dynamite 1-2 punch in the backfield, and Fisher made the all-state second team last season. Smith earned an honorable mention in 2023 and is joined on both lines by 6-foot-3, 215-pound junior Oliver Long, who has 12 sacks. Junior linebacker Austin Gutting is the leading tackler for a defense giving up only 10 points per game.
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