Drive for Detroit: Week 5 in Review
September 30, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The most significant celebrations of MHSAA football season Week 5 arguably were thrown by Portland and Felch North Dickinson, the first teams this fall to claim spots in the playoffs.
Both won their fifth games and are playing only eight. They'll no doubt be joined in the postseason field by many more expected to win their sixth games (of nine) this weekend.
But the main focus at this point remains on league title races, and most of our significant scores this week either affected those or broke long streaks among annual foes.
Greater Detroit
Birmingham Brother Rice 28, Detroit Catholic Central 21
This could be the final time Brother Rice coach Al Fracassa faces DCC – he will retire after this, his 54th season, and the teams aren’t guaranteed to face each other again in the Week 9 Prep Bowl. But what a way to potentially finish off his part in one of Michigan’s best rivalries. A late touchdown pass gave the Warriors (5-0) its third win in its last five games against the Shamrocks (4-1) and the lead in the Detroit Catholic League Central. Click to read more from the Detroit Free Press.
Also noted:
Southfield 20, Farmington Hills Harrison 19: The Bluejays (4-1) continued to build after an opening-night loss to Cass Tech, handing Harrison (4-1) its first loss.
Wyandotte Roosevelt 17, Melvindale 10: Roosevelt (5-0) gained an edge over the Cardinals (4-1) thanks to what could decide the Downriver League champion.
Detroit Loyola 36, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 29: The Catholic League AA also has a couple teams capable of reaching Ford Field, with reigning Division 7 runner-up Loyola (5-0) claiming this league opener over the Fighting Irish (4-1).
Temperance Bedford 33, Saline 17: Beating previously-undefeated Saline (4-1) was its best performance so far as Bedford (5-0) has put together its best start since 2010.
Bay and Thumb
Mount Pleasant 50, Midland 42
These teams combined for 49 points during the first quarter alone, with Mount Pleasant (4-1) left trailing with three and then two quarters to play. But a big third quarter put the Oilers ahead for good and earned them a half-game advantage atop the Saginaw Valley Association North standings, while dropping reigning champion Midland (4-1) a game back. Click to read more from the Saginaw News.
Also noted:
Reese 34, Vassar 28 (OT): Beating the Vulcans (3-2) makes Reese (4-1) likely to face Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port to decide the Greater Thumb League West championship.
Harbor Beach 49, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port 6: This nonconference loss didn’t hurt Laker (4-1) in its league race, but it did give reigning Division 8 champion Harbor Beach (4-1) its most impressive win this fall.
Lake Fenton 33, Flint Beecher 14: Beecher (4-1) was beginning to look unbeatable in the Genesee Area Conference Red, but now Lake Fenton (4-1) looks most likely to push Montrose for first place.
Midland Dow 42, Saginaw Arthur Hill 20: At least five SVA North teams look like possible playoff qualifiers, with Dow (4-1) looking much better off after handing Arthur Hill (3-2) its second straight loss.
Mid-Michigan
Holt 24, East Lansing 21 (OT)
The demise of Holt football surely has been overstated. After opening with tough losses to Hudsonville and Rockford, Holt’s Rams (3-2) have won three straight and beaten Capital Area Activities Conference Blue contenders Lansing Everett and East Lansing (3-2) in successive weeks. Next up: impressive favorite Lansing Sexton, which hasn't lost or given up more than 14 points in a game. Click to read more from the Lansing State Journal.
Also noted:
Carson City-Crystal 50, Coleman 48: Go back to 1999 to find the last Eagles team to start 5-0. Coleman (4-1) also should still be proud; its four wins are as many as all of last season.
Charlotte 37, Mason 16: The Orioles (3-2) have been tough to figure out, but there’s no denying this win over the Bulldogs (4-1) was impressive.
DeWitt 35, Haslett 7: Make that 11 straight for the Panthers (5-0) over the rival Vikings (3-2).
Portland St. Patrick 47, Burr Oak 36: The Shamrocks (5-0) have now won all 14 regular-season games since moving to 8-player football last season; Burr Oak at 3-2 already has equaled last season’s win total and its highest since 2005.
Upper Peninsula
Menominee 42, Kingsford 13
The Maroons further avenged last season’s one-point loss to Kingsford, and in a big way. Menominee also had beaten Kingsford (4-1) during last fall’s playoffs after falling to the Flivvers during the regular season, and made it two straight Friday after jumping out to a 21-0 lead. Given that one of these teams has at least shared the Great Northern UP Conference title every season going back to 1999, it’s a good expectation the Maroons (5-0) will come away with the championship later this month. Click to read more from the Iron Mountain Daily News.
Also noted:
Munising 26, Manistique 21: After three losses to open, Munising (2-3) has equaled last season’s win total; Manistique (0-5) is continuing to seek its first this fall with three losses by six points or fewer.
St. Ignace 29, Sault Ste. Marie 21: The Saints (4-1) have stormed back after an opening-night loss to Charlevoix; two of Sault Ste. Marie’s three losses have come by eight points or fewer.
Rapid River 46, Engadine 22: The Rockets (5-0) are firing again, undefeated heading into this week’s matchup with Bridge Alliance rival Cedarville; Engadine fell to 1-4 but with four losses to undefeated teams.
Hurley, Wis. 30, Bessemer 0: This matchup of 2012 co-Great Western Conference champions likely eliminated Bessemer (3-2) from contention this time.
Lower UP North
Maple City Glen Lake 42, Kingsley 14
Glen Lake (5-0) looks strong atop the Northwest Conference as it plays for its second straight championship, with only Kingsley and Suttons Bay now a win back and the rival Stags (3-2) out of the way. The Lakers scored on five plays of 52 or more yards to beat them. Click to read more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Also noted:
Boyne City 27, Traverse City St. Francis 14: The Ramblers (4-1) have followed up a 10-game losing streak to St. Francis (3-2) with two straight wins.
Cadillac 53, West Branch Ogemaw Heights 27: Last season’s three-point loss to Ogemaw Heights (3-2) was one of few obstacles that kept Cadillac from Big North Conference contention; the Vikings (5-0) now are the only undefeated team in the league.
Cheboygan 9, Petoskey 6: The Chiefs (4-1) ended a five-game losing streak to Petoskey (2-3) in one of the state’s lowest-scoring games this season.
Lincoln Alcona 28, Whittemore-Prescott 26 (2 OT): The Tigers (5-0) are lined up favorably to at least their equal their most wins (seven) since 1986, and ending a 19-game losing streak against the Cardinals (3-2) has been the highlight so far.
Southwest and Border
Lawton 25, Decatur 21
Lawton (5-0) remains tied for first in the Southwestern Athletic Conference South thanks to a 42-yard go-ahead touchdown pass with 26 seconds to play against the Raiders (4-1). Four of the formerly six-team league made the playoffs last season, and that looks possible again even as the division now has only five teams. Lawton is only one win away and tied with Watervliet atop the title hunt. Click to read more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Also noted:
Watervliet 41, Hartford 17: As mentioned above, Watervliet (5-0) also is in first in the SAC South, with Hartford (3-2) hoping to remain in the mix despite falling in this league opener.
Portage Central 49, Portage Northern 7: The goalposts of these teams’ shared stadium will be painted for Central (5-0) after its second straight win over the rival Huskies (3-2).
Edwardsburg 40, Three Rivers 22: If this season plays out like last, dispatching of Three Rivers (3-2) should allow the Eddies (5-0) to decide the Wolverine Conference West championship in three weeks against Dowagiac.
Battle Creek St. Philip 67, St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran 14: The Tigers (5-0) have one of the most potent offenses in 8-player football, averaging 58 points per game while giving up 29 total; Michigan Lutheran (1-4) scored nearly half of those.
West Michigan
Muskegon Oakridge 31, Ravenna 27
Oakridge (5-0) has had little to fear over the last two seasons aside from Grand Rapids West Catholic, which eliminated the Eagles in last season’s District Final and fell to them by only six on opening night. But Ravenna (2-3) showed plenty of fight as it works to get back to its previous status as a West Michigan Conference contender. Click to read more from the Muskegon Chronicle.
Also noted:
Comstock Park 30, Belding 7: Four teams in the O-K Blue are 4-1 or better including both of these, but Comstock Park is the only one at 5-0.
Grand Rapids Christian 28, East Grand Rapids 17: The Eagles (4-1) continue to impress and now own three wins in their last four games against the Pioneers (3-2) and 27 wins in their last 30 games overall.
Rockford 20, Holland West Ottawa 13: At midseason, these looked like the best of the O-K Red, with Rockford (4-1) now holding a slight edge on the Panthers (3-2) and two others in the title hunt.
Muskegon 26, Muskegon Mona Shores 20: Coming off a disappointing loss to Lowell, Muskegon (4-1) got a scare from the much-improved Sailors (4-1).
Trophy Games
Each week the MHSAA highlights trophy games played around the state. All six of these were contested Friday:
Red, White & Blue Bell: Whitehall vs. Montague. The Wildcats made it seven straight over rival Whitehall. Final: Montague 56, Whitehall 34.
The Silver Football: Coldwater vs. Sturgis. The Cardinals broke a three-game losing streak to reclaim this prize. Final: Coldwater 34, Sturgis 14.
Bobcat-Bulldog Award: Ottawa Lake Whiteford vs. Petersburg-Summerfield. This game was made bigger this season in that both entered 3-1. Final: Whiteford 38, Summerfield 13.
Iosco County News-Herald/Oscoda News-Press Trophy: Tawas vs. Oscoda. Tawas scored its most points in more than two seasons, dating back to its last win over Oscoda in 2011. Final: Tawas 50, Oscoda 14.
Cipriano Cup: Dearborn vs. Dearborn Fordson: Fordson got some revenge for last season's District opener loss to the Pioneers. Final: Fordson 34, Dearborn 7.
WBRN Victory Bell: Big Rapids vs. Remus Chippewa Hills: These two have split their last 22 regular-season meetings. Final: Chippewa Hills 42, Big Rapids 7.
PHOTO: Maple City Glen Lake (white jerseys) shut down Kingsley's offense in taking the Northwest Conference lead and moving to 5-0 last week. (Photo courtesy of Glen Lake athletic department).
Marysville, St. Clair Join Together to Honor Beloved Coach with Rivalry Trophy
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
October 11, 2023
Denny White brought quite a bit to the Marysville and St. Clair communities.
In 1961, as a junior in high school, White was part of the first team to bring a football state title to Marysville.
Fifty years later, as an assistant coach, he played a vital role in bringing St. Clair its first MHSAA Finals title in baseball.
During the years in between, and decade after, White brought his knowledge of and passion for those sports to hundreds of student athletes.
But most recently, he brought the two communities together.
This past Friday night, the rival schools played for the Denny White Trophy, an award created to honor the late coach and connect the two communities where he was most revered.
“I’m so happy with all the support that has been around the project,” said Brady Beedon, a family friend who helped to create the trophy and was in the booth calling Friday night’s game for Get Stuck On Sports. “It’s the least we could’ve done for a man who helped so many athletes. His legacy deserves to be preserved.”
In a fitting tribute to White, who died Jan. 22 of this year following a long battle with cancer, the two teams played a hard-fought game at East China Stadium, with White’s alma mater Marysville coming away with a 25-20 victory.
Both teams featured players who had been coached by White at some point in one or both of the sports, as his time on the bench lasted through the fall of 2022.
That season, he coached the JV B football team at Marysville. Most recently before that, he had been the varsity baseball coach at St. Clair from 2015-21.
“Not much can unify rivals, but Coach White’s influence goes beyond that rivalry,” Marysville football coach Derrick Meier said at a press conference unveiling the trophy. “He’s affected thousands of local athletes. … It is awesome that someone had such an influence across the board with all local athletes (in multiple) sports. I contacted him my first year coaching varsity, and he was not willing to leave where he was at. I called him three subsequent years; he graciously declined. The last year he did accept, we added a JV B team, his wisdom and knowledge went well beyond just coaching on the field. We’re all lucky for his influence.
“Heroes get remembered. Coach White will be remembered.”
White was a 1963 graduate of Marysville, who then attended Ferris State and Central Michigan. His coaching journey did not begin in the area where he grew up, however, as he coached baseball and football at Newaygo High School before coming to St. Clair.
He spent 35 years in the Saints athletic program, coaching baseball and multiple levels of football.
Much of his time was spent as the pitching coach for St. Clair for coaches Richie Mallewitz and Bill McElreath. That included the 2011 season, when his pitching staff included current major leaguer Jacob Cronenworth, who now plays second base for the San Diego Padres.
Also on that staff were Joel Seddon, who was drafted twice – once out of high school and again after college – and would go on to be the closer at South Carolina; and Jared Tobey, who pitched at Wayne State and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers, playing four years in their minor league system.
While White coached nearly 1,000 baseball games in his career, he was involved with more than just high school sports. He also coached a 13-year-old Little League team to a state title and the semifinals of the Great Lakes Regional in 2015.
No matter the level, White poured all he had into coaching, and that included his final season on the sidelines at Marysville, just months prior to his passing.
“Every single kid that he touched with that team, you could just tell, gravitated toward him immediately,” said Travis Disser, who coached with White that final year at Marysville. “His lessons and his light-hearted humor are just something that you can’t replace, or ever hope to. I was lucky enough to learn pitching from Coach White when I was a younger kid, as well. He was the exact same Denny White as he was all those years ago, as he was last year during his battle with cancer. Coach White was a warrior in every sense of the term. His lessons, both on the field and off the field from him, are something that I’ll never, ever forget.”
The idea to create the trophy honoring White came about not long after his death, as Beedon worked with Meier, former St. Clair athletic director Denny Borse and St. Clair assistant football coach T.J. Schindler to create and design the trophy.
The final product is a two-tiered trophy topped with a pair White’s hats – one from St. Clair, the other from Marysville – that have been bronzed. It includes the years in which he won his state titles at his respective schools, and a passage about his life. There is also room to list the yearly winners, as it is planned to represent the rivalry and shared respect for White in the two communities for years to come.
“Whether it was Little League kids over the last 20 years, or some of the football players and baseball players that he coached over the decades that he coached, all of them when they get together have great stories and fondness for all the memories that (White and his fellow coaches) helped them create,” said Sandy Rutledge, the current St. Clair athletic director and a longtime friend and colleague of White. “I think it’s awesome that now as we play for this trophy every year, it will give our coaches a chance to kind of explain who Coach was. The next generation, maybe they didn’t even know him, will know that he is a legend, and he’ll always be remembered.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS (Top) From left: St. Clair’s Larry Wawryzniak, Liam Nesbitt and Peyton Ellis, Denny White’s wife Karen White, and Marysville’s Bryce Smith, Carter Saccucci and Caz Carty stand with the first-year traveling trophy celebrating Denny White’s coaching career. (Middle) White was a mainstay in the area’s sports community for more than six decades. (Below) The trophy celebrates his contributions to both schools and will list the winners of their annual football game. (Trophy photos courtesy of Brady Beedon. Headshot courtesy of the White family.)