Drive for Detroit: Week 3 in Review
September 10, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Mid-September is not the logical time to announce a league championship has been decided.
But this season, games played during Week 3 eventually may determine at least nine league championships.
A number of results could've been considered the most intriguing – and we've tried to hit all of the possibilities in this week's Drive for Detroit report.
West Michigan
Muskegon 21, Rockford 9
The Big Reds are rivaling Detroit Cass Tech as the most impressive team in the state so far after motoring past Rockford on the legs of a 400-21 rushing yards advantage. Muskegon (3-0) now owns wins over Rockford, Orchard Lake St. Mary and Ohio power Sylvania Southview. The Rams face a 1-2 start for the first time since 1999. But rest assured, Ram Nation: the last time Rockford opened 1-2, it still made the Division 1 Semifinals. Click to read more from the Muskegon Chronicle.
Also noted:
Holland West Ottawa 24, East Grand Rapids 17 – These teams met for the first time since 1983; West Ottawa beat the Pioneers for the first time since 1980.
Muskegon Oakridge 35, Montague 7 – After two straight one-point games between these two, Oakridge won big to take the upper hand in the West Michigan Conference.
Zeeland East 15, Hudsonville 14 – East is off to a 3-0 start again, but the Eagles are 1-2 with those losses by a combined four points.
Grand Rapids South Christian 42, Grand Rapids West Catholic 7 – Beating this 2011 Division 5 Semifinalist, plus losing to Grand Rapids Christian by only 10 in Week 1, makes the Sailors look lined up to challenge Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the O-K Gold.
Mid-Michigan
Pinckney 36, Brighton 14
The Pirates had lost 18 straight to Brighton. In fact, they hadn’t beaten the Bulldogs since 1977 before scoring 29 unanswered points Friday in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West opener. Pinckney is 2-1, just a win off last season’s total and halfway to their best season since 2001. Brighton fell to 1-2. Click to read more from the Livingston Daily.
Also noted:
Alma 14, Freeland 6 – The Panthers opened the Tri-Valley Conference Central season by avenging a loss that kept them from winning a share of the title in 2011.
Grand Ledge 35, Lansing Sexton 8 – The Comets scored more than 30 points for the third straight week and look good to cruise into an Oct. 5 showdown with Lansing Everett that could decide the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title.
Portland St. Patrick 58, Burr Oak 14 – The Shamrocks appear to have struck gold with the 8-player format, averaging nearly 61 points per game during a 3-0 start.
Owosso 25, Haslett 22 – This was arguably Owosso’s most impressive win since 2006 and will help as the Trojans go for a first playoff berth since 2001.
Greater Detroit
Oxford 34, Farmington Hills Harrison 31 (2 OT)
The Wildcats had lost by an average of 31 points to the Hawks over the last two seasons, their first together in the Oakland Activities Association White. But Oxford (2-1) broke Harrison’s 21-game regular-season winning streak in what has to be considered an upset although both teams made the playoffs in 2011. The Wildcats also beat a 2011 playoff team, North Farmington, in Week 2. Click to read more from NorthOaklandSports.com.
Also noted:
Livonia Churchill 35, Plymouth 31 – Churchill had lost its first four matchups with Plymouth since the start of the KLAA, including 41-0 in 2011.
Warren DeLaSalle 40, Dearborn Fordson 19 – After a loss to one of the best in Ohio, Cleveland St. Ignatius, the Pilots bounced back for a solid win heading into the Catholic League season.
Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 21, Utica Eisenhower 7 – The Big Reds avenged a 45-0 shutout from last season to get to 2-1 and only a win shy of last season’s victory total.
Oak Park 34, Rochester Adams 22 – The Knights are 3-0 and equaled last season’s win total; combine this with an opening-weekend win over Detroit East English, and Oak Park is looking good to make some noise in the OAA White.
Thumb and Bay
Frankenmuth 12, Millington 8
The Eagles (3-0) had lost four straight to their rival, and appeared in trouble of making it five after giving up a safety in the fourth quarter. But Frankenmuth recovered an onside kick and scored, and with the win earned an an early upper hand in the Tri-Valley Conference East. Millington fell to 2-1. Click to read more from the Saginaw News.
Also noted:
Capac 12, Almont 7 – The Chiefs avenged a 28-0 loss from 2011 and gained what could be a significant step toward its playoff hopes.
Peck 44, Carsonville-Port Sanilac 13 – The Pirates downed the reigning MHSAA 8-player champion to move to 3-0.
Midland Dow 27, Saginaw 16 – Dow avenged last season’s 18-13 loss and moved to 2-0 in the tough Saginaw Valley Association North.
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 28, Merrill 14 – The Cardinals needed this one to keep pace in a league that sent five of eight teams, including both of these squads, to the playoffs last season.
Southwest and Border
Schoolcraft 21, Olivet 20
Schoolcraft knocked out two Kalamazoo Valley Association favorites over the last two weeks and at 3-0 is now the team to beat. Olivet led by 10 points during the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold on despite some significant statistical advantages and fell to 2-1. Click to read more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Also noted:
Battle Creek Harper Creek 35, Sturgis 3 – This was looking like a must-win for the 1-2 Beavers, and turned into an impressive win as well.
Stevensville Lakeshore 21, Portage Northern 14 (2 OT) – This was the best of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference openers, and could have title implications later on.
Blissfield 32, Hudson 13 – The Royals got their first win by avenging a 39-point loss from 2011.
Dowagiac 30, Plainwell 13 – Dowagiac extended its winning streak over Plainwell to seven straight and looks set for another run in the Wolverine B South.
Lower Up North
Traverse City St. Francis 12, Elk Rapids 7
The Gladiators have bounced back well since an opening-night loss to Kingsley, moving to 2-1 against an Elk Rapids team that is likely better than its 1-2 record. The Elks also fell on opening night, to Mancelona, which won 10 games in 2011. With St. Francis not playing in the Lake Michigan Conference this season after winning it a year ago, Elk Rapids could be the team that pushes Grayling for the league title. Click to read more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Also noted:
Pellston 7, Rogers City 6 – The Hornets made a first-quarter touchdown stand to move to 3-0 for the first time since 1995 and equal their highest win total of the last decade.
Benzie Central 8, Frankfort 6 – This was looking like a bit of a must-win for Benzie Central after an 0-2 start, and is a big first step toward defending the Northwest Conference title.
McBain 19, Manton 14 – The Ramblers stopped a Manton offense that had scored at least 40 points in each of its first two games this season.
Cadillac 44, Petoskey 14 – One of these two has won the Big North Conference every season dating to 2008; Cadillac is the favorite now.
Upper Peninsula
Negaunee 36, Gladstone 34
The Miners (3-0) pushed their winning streak over Gladstone to three straight with this second consecutive win over the Braves by a field goal or less. Negaunee entered the fourth quarter trailing by 14 points, but scored twice during the final six minutes to stay perfect this fall. Gladstone fell to 2-1, but has plenty to be pleased about after finishing winless in 2011. Click to read more from the Marquette Mining Journal.
Also noted:
Crystal Falls Forest Park 13, Hurley 12 – The Trojans avenged last season’s lone regular-season loss and became favorites in the Great Western Conference.
L’Anse 45, Ontonagon 6 – The Purple Hornets eclipsed last season’s win total and moved to 3-0 by beating a team with three straight playoff appearances.
Norway 14, Stephenson 8 – The Knights equaled last season’s win total by moving to 2-1, also by beating a team that is coming off three straight playoff berths.
Eben Junction Superior Central 61, Posen 40 – The 8-player game has proven high-scoring, but this is the first matchup this season to result in more than 100 combined points with the losing team scoring at least 40.
Trophy Games
Each week, the MHSAA highlights trophy games around the state. Here's one from Week 3.
- The Wooden Oar Trophy: Fruitport and Spring Lake launched this award last week, dubbing their matchup the Bayou Battle. Final: Fruitport 15, Spring Lake 6.
PHOTO: Traverse City St. Francis' Byron Bullough (5) works to break a tackle by Elk Rapids' Ryan Simpson (57) during Friday's 12-7 Gladiators win. (Click to see more at Terry McNamara Photography.)
Jones' Motto Inspires 'Get To' Foundation's Work to Provide Opportunities
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
October 4, 2023
Ben Jones always had the same, simple message, even if it was 100 degrees and sunny or 35 degrees and raining sideways, and whether he was playing for a powerhouse like Muskegon Catholic Central or coaching a program trying to establish itself at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
“We get to play football today,” Jones would say, as many of those around him were complaining and grumbling.
It was never “have to” for Jones, but always “get to.”
Jones, who was about to start his second year as head coach at Cranbrook, had his life tragically cut short by a drunk driver who crashed into his vehicle as he was traveling home from work in Detroit on Aug. 19, 2020. He was just 30 years old.
While Jones is gone, leaving a hole as large and painful as the 6-foot-2, 260-pound frame he carried as a tight end in his senior year at Hillsdale College, that “Get To” mentality is alive and well, and thriving and growing – thanks in large part to the efforts of his football teammates from Muskegon Catholic and later at Hillsdale.
The Get To Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was formed in Jones’ honor and has grown exponentially in less than three years, providing grants to sports organizations and scholarships to student-athletes.
“There is a core group of about 10 of them that have worked on (the foundation), and it’s been amazing,” said Theresa Jones, Ben’s mother, who with her husband Bruce has worked with the foundation. “It started small, and then it caught fire.”
The president of the foundation is Tim Hornak, Jones’ best friend and teammate in the trenches at both Muskegon Catholic and Hillsdale. Hornak returned to deliver a pre-game speech before the Crusaders’ home game on Sept. 15 against Kalamazoo United, where he talked about the man who is the inspiration behind the rapidly-growing Get To movement.
“You don’t have to, you get to – that simple difference can change your lives,” said Hornak, who teamed with Jones when both were seniors to help the Crusaders to a 14-0 record and the Division 8 championship in 2008. “You get to play football tonight and continue the tradition that started here in the 1950s.
“You get a chance to line up and play a great game with your best friends.”
Inspired by Hornak’s words and Jones’ legacy, the Crusaders downed Kalamazoo United 27-7 that night, the team’s second-straight win after an 0-2 start, which put them back in the Division 8 playoff picture.
A tailgate party was held before the game as a fundraiser for the Get To Foundation, and it happened to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the Crusaders’ 2008 championship team – arguably one of the best teams in the school’s storied history. MCC has won 12 state championships, trailing only Farmington Hills Harrison in state playoff history.
The phrase “get to,” according to Hornak, goes back to the whiteboard in the MCC locker room his sophomore year and perfectly captures Jones’ approach to life and to football, whether his team was unbeaten like at MCC or struggling like the Chargers did just after he and Hornak graduated.
Jones, who wore No. 62 at MCC, was a two-way starting lineman who also played on the Crusaders’ 2006 championship team as a sophomore. His best friends on the team were the Hornak twins, Tim and Jon, whose father Mike was an assistant coach.
After his funeral service on Aug. 24, 2020, Jones’ hearse made a stop at MCC’s Kehren Stadium on the way to the cemetery, taking a lap on the track around Mike Holmes Field.
He went on to play on three teams which won or shared Great Lakes Interscholastic Athletic Conference titles at Hillsdale, where he wore No. 91 and played tight end and H-back.
“He had an inner self-confidence that you could tell right away when talking to him,” said Hillsdale coach Keith Otterbein. “He was very positive. He encouraged his teammates.”
Jones graduated from Hillsdale in 2013 with a degree in financial management and a minor in mathematics, moved to Royal Oak and took a job as a portfolio manager and financial planner at Schwartz & Co. Investment Advisors.
In his free time, he worked as an assistant varsity football coach at Cranbrook from 2015 to 2018, before being elevated to head coach in 2019 at the age of 28.
One of his first actions as head coach was getting Cranbrook football T-shirts printed with the message “Get To” on the back. Jones guided the Cranes to a 6-4 record and a Division 4 playoff berth in what would prove to be his only season as head coach.
He died nine days before Cranbrook’s scheduled season opener in 2020, which ended up being delayed six weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the immediate aftermath of Jones’ shocking death, the Hornak brothers and other former teammates vowed to do something to honor Ben and to help out his family. Out of that mission, the Get To Foundation was born.
Get To has awarded scholarships for the past three years. In 2023 alone, the foundation awarded $16,000 in scholarships to 22 student-athletes from around the state.
In addition, Get To has awarded $55,000 in grants to 17 organizations – including $3,000 to the Eaton Rapids High School football program for new shoulder pads and helmets and $2,500 to the Detroit Tigers Foundation’s Gloves for Kids program.
The next event on the foundation’s busy calendar is a speech by best-selling motivational author Jon Gordon at Lawrence Tech University on Oct. 17.
The foundation’s board has trademarked the phrase “Get To” and hopes to continue to grow the organization’s size and scope – in a way mirroring how big and impactful Ben’s life could have been if it wasn’t cut short.
For more information or to make a donation, go to the organization’s website at www.gettofoundation.org.
The relentless efforts of Ben’s ex-teammates to keep his memory alive means the world to his parents, as well as his two younger siblings – Alissa, a standout swimmer at Hillsdale who is now the school’s assistant women’s swimming coach; and Nate, who also played football for the Chargers and is now a foreign currency trader for Barclay’s, based in New York City.
Theresa Jones said coming together with all of Ben’s closest friends for Get To Foundation events has been a continuous blessing for the family.
“Every time we have an event for the foundation, it’s all of Ben’s friends and family members dressed up and having a good time,” his mother said. “It always feels like Ben’s wedding reception that he never got to have.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Ben Jones is shown before the 2008 Division 8 championship game at Ford Field during his senior year at Muskegon Catholic Central. The Crusaders defeated Crystal Falls Forest Park, 40-0. (Middle) Jones works with his linemen during his first year as head coach at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood in 2019. (Below) A plaque honoring Jones has been placed in the tunnel leading from the home locker room to the football field at Hillsdale College. (Top photo by Tim Reilly. Additional photos courtesy of the Get To Foundation.)