Drive for Detroit: Playoffs R3 in Review
November 16, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
And then, once again, there were 34.
Two undefeated 8-player finalists emerged from last week's Semifinals, while a number of moments were celebrated from another round of trophy-raising performances by 32 teams in 11-player Regional Finals.
8-Player
Powers North Central 70, Cedarville 6 – The first-year 8-player Jets will try to add a first football championship to their boys basketball title from the winter after besting last season’s runner-up, Cedarville (9-3). North Central (12-0) fell just 1.5 points shy of its previous 71.5 points per game average as it continued to dominate on both sides of the field. Click for more from the Sault Ste. Marie Evening News.
Battle Creek St. Philip 52, Deckerville 24 – The Tigers (12-0) also earned their first championship game berth in 8-player, to go with a perfect run to the Class D title in 11-player in 1985. Running back Brayden Darr scored seven touchdowns for the second straight game as St. Philip won its first meeting ever against the 2012 champion Eagles, who finished this fall 10-2. Click for more from the Battle Creek Enquirer.
Division 1
Grand Ledge 36, Rockford 16
Rockford looked like it would be moving on with a 16-3 lead after three quarters. But the Comets unloaded 33 straight points over the final 12 minutes to advance to their first MHSAA Semifinal since the 2000 Division 1 championship run. Grand Ledge never has been 12-0 before now; Rockford completed its 21st straight playoff appearance at 8-4. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal.
Also noted:
Romeo 40, Detroit Catholic Central 29 – Romeo’s first Regional title since 1992 came as the Bulldogs (11-2) set a program record for wins with yet another impressive playoff victory to go with those over Clarkston and Lapeer; DCC finished 9-3, a nice bounce-back from 4-5 in 2014.
Canton 27, Saline 7 – It sounds odd to say a win by Canton (10-2) would count as an upset, but that’s how highly Saline (11-1) has been regarded since making the Division 1 Final a year ago.
Detroit Cass Tech 16, Macomb Dakota 10 – The Technicians (10-2) scored 16 straight points after getting down 10, and neither team scored during the second half as Dakota (9-3) was eliminated by Cass Tech for the second time in three seasons.
Division 2
Lowell 36, Muskegon 7
This is as impressive a playoff win by Lowell as any since also beating the Big Reds by the same score during the 2011 run to Ford Field. Muskegon (9-3) entered after handing first and only losses, on the road, to both Traverse City Central and Muskegon Mona Shores. But the Red Arrows (11-1) dominated this one from the start and held the Muskegon offense to 151 yards and well below its average of 39 points per game. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Walled Lake Western 35, Midland Dow 14 – Western (12-0) piled up 424 yards of offense in ending the season for Dow (10-2) and moving on to its second Semifinal in five seasons.
Livonia Franklin 38, Berkley 6 – Franklin (9-3) was only 2-7 a year ago, but has advanced past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and will play its first Semifinal since becoming the first MHSAA Class A champion in 1975, when the playoffs started with Semifinals; Berkley’s 9-3 final record was its best since 2010 and tied the program record for wins.
Detroit Martin Luther King 26, Detroit East English 12 – For the second time this fall, King (12-0) held off a challenge from Detroit Public School League rival East English (9-3) after also beating the Bulldogs 20-15 during Week 3.
Division 3
Coldwater 20, St. Joseph 6
Another week into the postseason and Coldwater’s wins keep getting more impressive. The undefeated Cardinals’ unprecedented run now includes a first Regional title to go with a program-record 12 wins. Coldwater scored 20 straight points to upend St. Joseph, which saw its best run since 2008 come to an end with a 10-2 record. Click for more from the Battle Creek Enquirer.
Also noted:
East Grand Rapids 35, Mount Pleasant 0 – The Pioneers (9-3) stormed into their first Semifinal since 2011 with a second straight shutout and fourth in six weeks while ending Mount Pleasant’s season also at 9-3.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 56, St. Johns 14 – For the fifth time in six seasons, St. Mary’s (10-1) has at least 10 wins, and for the sixth time in seventh seasons will play in a Semifinal; St. Johns (8-4) ended in the Regional Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Chelsea 35, Allen Park 12 – The Bulldogs (11-1) tied their program record for wins with their first Regional title, and against an Allen Park team (10-2) that has earned its most victories since 2006 and had won nine straight.
Division 4
Zeeland West 28, Hudsonville Unity Christian 21
Probably because statewide expectations are always high, Zeeland West hasn’t gotten a ton of attention as it’s rolled along to a fourth Semifinal appearance in five seasons. But this one was interesting throughout. Unity Christian gave the Dux (12-0) their closest game since Week 4 and finished its longest playoff run at 8-4. West had beaten Unity Christian 52-6 in Week 9. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Ada Forest Hills Eastern 34, Remus Chippewa Hills 7 – The Hawks’ history-making run isn’t all about offense; Forest Hills Eastern (11-1) won its first Regional title with perhaps its best defensive game and has given up only 34 points over three during the playoffs; Chippewa Hills finished its longest playoff run at 9-3.
Flint Powers Catholic 28, Richmond 7 – Aside from Richmond’s lone score, it was playoffs as usual for the Chargers (10-2), who have now outscored three opponents by a combined 110-7; Richmond finished 10-2 for the second straight season after also winning a second straight District title.
Detroit Country Day 20, Milan 13 – This had to qualify as a major scare for the Yellowjackets (11-1), whose only close losses were to a pair of larger opponents from the Detroit Catholic League Central; Milan can celebrate a nice turnaround finishing 9-3 after going 4-5 a year ago.
Division 5
Grand Rapids West Catholic 24, Menominee 14
For the sixth straight season, West Catholic (10-2) ended Menominee’s with a loss – this time the Maroons’ only loss of 2015. West Catholic scored only 24 points – but held Menominee (11-1) to its fewest since beating the Maroons in the 2013 Division 5 Final. Menominee was averaging 44 points per game heading into the weekend. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Lansing Catholic 25, Freeland 22 – The Cougars (11-1) also handed Freeland (11-1) its first and only loss with a fourth-quarter comeback that featured a defensive touchdown and earned Lansing Catholic a rematch of last season’s championship game, against West Catholic.
Ida 43, Buchanan 20 – The Bluestreaks (12-0) continued their best season, handing Buchanan (11-1) its first and only loss, and impressing against a Bucks defense that hadn’t given up more than 38 points and had given up more than 20 only twice.
River Rouge 51, Algonac 25 – Did you know River Rouge has won at least 10 games three of the last four seasons? The unheralded Panthers won their first Regional title and have outscored three playoff opponents 167-25, with Algonac (10-2) scoring the only points as it finished its best season ever.
Division 6
Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 35, Constantine 34 (OT)
NorthPointe Christian (12-0) set a program record for wins and advanced to the Semifinals for the second straight year in ending arguably the most surprising playoff run regardless of division. Constantine had reached the postseason with an at-large bid and then eliminated previously-undefeated Schoolcraft and one-loss Watervliet. But NorthPointe stopped Constantine (7-5) on a 2-point conversion try after both teams scored in overtime. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Ithaca 34, Laingsburg 10 – The reigning runner-up Yellowjackets (12-0) ended the longest run ever for Laingsburg (8-4), with quarterback Jake Smith throwing two touchdown passes and running for two scores.
Traverse City St. Francis 12, Boyne City 0 – The Gladiators (12-0) upended their rival for the second time this season to return to the Semifinals for the first time since 2011; Boyne City ended its second straight season of double-digit wins at 10-2.
Clinton 49, Jackson Lumen Christi 20 – The Redskins (12-0) arguably have been the most impressive team in the playoffs, adding Lumen Christi (8-4) to a list of defeated opponents including Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central and Madison Heights Madison.
Division 7
New Lothrop 34, Sandusky 15
New Lothrop drew even with its 2011 team that also started 12-0 to advance to the Semifinals, earning its third Regional title over the last five seasons. The Hornets scored all of their points during the first half in handing the first and only loss to Sandusky, which finished its best season ever at 11-1 and did hold New Lothrop to its season low in points. Click for more from the Owosso Argus-Press.
Also noted:
Ishpeming 40, McBain 2 – The Hematites (11-0) won a fourth straight Regional title scoring their most points since September and with a defense that stopped McBain’s best season since 2011 at 8-4.
Pewamo-Westphalia 40, Cassopolis 3 – The Pirates (12-0) earned a berth in the Semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons, and junior running back Jared Smith set an MHSAA record with his 50th rushing touchdown and moved into second for yards in a season with 2,901 total; Cassopolis finished its best season since 2007 at 9-2.
Detroit Loyola 50, Dansville 0 – Loyola’s offense gets the attention, and with good reason, but the Bulldogs (10-2) held Dansville (10-2) to 25 total yards in ending the Aggies’ longest playoff run.
Division 8
Ottawa Lake Whiteford 48, Climax-Scotts 14
This was the upset of the Regional round, but not as huge as it might appear on paper. Climax-Scotts (11-1) was a league champion and undefeated, and had beaten playoff regulars Pittsford and Mendon the first two weeks of the postseason. But Whiteford (10-2) is one of two Tri-County Conference teams in the Semifinals joining Division 6 Clinton and set a program record for wins in a season with this one. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Also noted:
St. Ignace 22, Crystal Falls Forest Park 8 – The Saints (11-1) jumped to a two-score lead and hung on for their second Regional title in four seasons while ending Forest Park’s last run as an 11-player team (at least for the time being, as it will move to 8-player next year) at 7-4.
Muskegon Catholic Central 22, Frankfort 12 – MCC (10-2) held on for its closest playoff win since 2012 against a Frankfort team that posted its best finish since 2009, at 9-3, and led by five going into the fourth quarter.
Waterford Our Lady 32, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 6 – The Lakers (12-0) have added a first Regional title since 2006 to their long history of accomplishments, while the Cardinals (10-2) ended their best two-season run after making the Semifinals a year ago.
PHOTO: Grand Ledge players hoist their Division 1 Regional title trophy Friday after defeating Rockford. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Harper Woods Stops Record-Setting South Christian on Final Play to Clinch 1st Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 25, 2023
DETROIT – Carson Vis had been getting away all afternoon.
The Grand Rapids South Christian quarterback had smashed Finals records for passing yards and total offense in Saturday’s Division 4 Final against Harper Woods, mostly by evading pressure and finding his senior receiver Jake Vermaas for big plays.
So, when the Sailors needed just three yards to tie the game with three seconds to play, Harper Woods made sure they knew where Vermaas was, and that Vis didn’t get away one more time.
Defensive end Javonte Lee-Forbes put immediate pressure on Vis, draping himself on his legs and forcing the 6-foot-4 junior to attempt to fit in a pass – not to Vermaas. Keyontae Wilson broke it up, preserving a 33-27 victory for the Pioneers and giving them the first Finals title in program history.
“We were keying on two things, No. 2 (Vermaas) and No. 5 (Vis),” Harper Woods coach Rod Oden said. “First we needed to identify where (Vermaas) was, and two, we needed to cup the pocket and keep (Vis) inside, and he almost still got outside. Once we were able to contain the quarterback, we knew he had to try to just make a play, and we made a play. We made one more play than they did.”
In a game that featured 1,030 yards of total offense (533 from South Christian, 497 from Harper Woods), the second-most in Finals history, it’s not exactly fitting that the defense won the deciding play.
But it was something Oden knew his team would need, eventually.
“I’m glad it came down to the end,” he said. “Our defense, we knew it would come down to them for us to win the championship. The offense has kind of been consistent all year, and (the defense) had an opportunity to go out there and make a play, and they made it.”
Both offenses spent most of the game making plays, led by Vis’ record-breaking performance.
He threw for 441 yards on 30 of 44 passing with two touchdowns and one interception. His passing yards broke the record previously set by Armani Posey of Detroit Martin Luther King in 2015 (383). His 30 completions were also a record, breaking the previous mark of 26 set by Cooper Rush of Lansing Catholic (2011) and AJ Westendorp of Holland Christian (2008).
Adding in his 72 rushing yards, Vis finished with 513 yards of total offense, well ahead of Westendorp’s 426, which was the previous record. And all of that – plus a little more – came in the final three quarters, as he had negative-6 total yards through the first 12 minutes.
“I would say it was first-quarter nerves,” Vis said. “I wasn’t being myself out there. Not relaxed and not getting into it. We started getting some easy completions, we were trying to take shots early on. I started getting into a rhythm and started getting it to my guys who were getting open. Definitely (I can appreciate how well I played), but I feel for my guys, my seniors. Some of them, this is our last time playing. So I’m just going to try my best to love on them and be with them.”
Harper Woods didn’t set any records, but had multiple big-time offensive performances, as well, despite losing 1,000-yard rusher Colby Bailey on the second play of the game.
Donald Adams took on the rushing load for the Pioneers (11-3) and starred, rushing for 174 yards on 17 carries. Quarterback Nate Rocheleau had 210 yards and two TDs on 10-of-17 passing. Dakota Guerrant had four catches for 84 yards and a score, while Ramonty Houze had a single catch that went 90 yards for a TD.
“On the one to Ramonty, I had been trying to get it all game,” Rocheleau said. “It was man-to-man press with no high safety, and Ramonty is the fastest guy on the field, so we wanted to take that shot and it worked. The one to Dakota, we worked on that all week in practice where we’re in trips and we stack it, he popped wide open.”
The TD to Houze had the feeling of a back-breaker, as it put Harper Woods up 27-7 early in the third quarter. More so than the lead, it came after South Christian had made its way deep into Harper Woods territory with a chance to make it a one-score game. But Corey Bailey forced and recovered a fumble to end the threat.
It was the second time in as many South Christian possessions that a chance to pull within a single score had ended in a turnover. On the final play of the first half, Wilson intercepted a Vis pass in the end zone after the Sailors had made their way to the Harper Woods 9.
But none of it fazed the Sailors (10-4), who were seeking their second-straight Finals title.
Following Houze’s TD, South Christian finally did pull to within one score at 27-20, getting TD runs from Charlie Schreur (1 yard) and Vis (22 yards).
Harper Woods stretched it back to a 13-point lead with a 10-play, 85-yard drive, capped off by a 1-yard TD run by Stephone Buford.
But when Noah Funk scored on a 12-yard pass from Vis less than two minutes later, South Christian had again pulled to within a score, and a defensive stop set up the final drive, and the late-game drama.
“The message at halftime was, ‘We’ve been resilient, and nothing you ever do in life, when you’re chasing success, is going to be easy. There’s going to be adversity,’” South Christian coach Danny Brown said. “And that was the message. These are a bunch of great guys that do things the right way. If there was ever a time to come and climb that mountain of a little adversity, the second half was that time. They fought like crazy, and I’m proud of them to keep swinging, and we almost had it.”
Harper Woods jumped out a 14-0 lead with first-quarter TD runs by Buford and Dwight Houston. A 39-yard TD pass from Vis to Vermaas put the Sailors on the board in the second quarter, but Guerrant’s 27-yard TD catch had the Pioneers up 20-7 at the half.
Houston finished with 62 yards rushing for the Pioneers, while Buford had 46 to go along with two TDs.
Austin Tiesma had eight catches for 120 yards for South Christian, while Funk had five for 61.
PHOTOS (Top) Harper Woods raises its first football championship trophy after winning the Division 4 Final on Saturday. (Middle) South Christian's Carson Vis (5) unloads a pass as the Pioneers' Johnny Nelson (21) and Javonta Lee-Forbes (28) apply pressure. (Below) Dwight Houston (3) gets ready to make his move as South Christian's Austin Tiesma (7) gets into position to make the stop. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)