Drive for Detroit: Week 6 in Review
October 2, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
New powers continued to rise all over Michigan during Week 6 of the football regular season.
A few did so with spectacular upsets, while others broke streaks that had grown to include multiple seasons – or in one case, stretched nearly two decades.
The Drive for Detroit report powered by MI Student Aid details the most intriguing 11-player results from eight regions across our state plus the best from 8-player every week – and this week’s headliners are the most riveting, as a group, so far in 2017.
Bay & Thumb
Midland 39, Davison 25
Among the state’s elite in the near past, Midland entered this fall with two 4-5 finishes over the last three seasons (surrounding a 7-3 in 2015). But this win made lots of noise as Davison (5-1) hadn’t lost a regular-season game since 2015 and shut out the Chemics 20-0 last fall. Midland (5-1) and Lapeer now sit atop the Saginaw Valley League Blue standings and meet Week 8. Click for more from the Midland Daily News.
This Methner TD with :12.5 left makes the score 39-25 and seals it for the Chemics. pic.twitter.com/R8NPrEmoql
— Midland Chemics (@midlandchemics) September 30, 2017
Also noted:
Goodrich 41, Corunna 27 – The Martians (5-1) held onto their chance to grab a share of the Genesee Area Conference Red title and will cheer for Corunna (3-3) this week as the Cavaliers take on leader Lake Fenton.
Richmond 17, Almont 7 – The Blue Water Area Conference is down to a two-team race as Richmond (6-0) and Algonac are in first and Almont (4-2) has lost to both; the leaders meet in Week 8.
Flint Carman-Ainsworth 41, Bay City Central 31 – These Cavaliers (4-2) have won three straight to move into first place alone in the SVL Red, with Central (3-3) and Week 8 opponent Midland Dow a win back.
Unionville-Sebewaing 30, Reese 14 – USA (4-2) put itself in position to create a two or even three-way tie for the Greater Thumb Conference West title with leader Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker up next; Reese (3-3) is fighting for a playoff spot.
Greater Detroit
Belleville 35, Dearborn Fordson 7
Belleville not only clinched a share of the Western Wayne Athletic Conference Red title and earned a playoff berth by downing the co-leading Tractors (5-1), but the Tigers (6-0) make an even louder statement as a contender in Division 1. They are 6-0 for the first time since 2002 after also making the playoffs the last two seasons, and they’ve now given up just 13 points over their last five games. Fordson hadn’t given up more than 14 in a game this season. Click for more from the Detroit News.
ICYMI: Belleville improved to 6-0 on the season with a 35-7 win over Fordson on Friday night! Watch the highlights here! @JermainCrowell pic.twitter.com/FC61NZ7VfY
— STATE CHAMPS! (@statechampsnet) September 30, 2017
Also noted:
Detroit Martin Luther King 27, Detroit Denby 6 – The Crusaders (5-1) earned a share of the Detroit Public School League Black division title while handing Denby (4-1) its first loss in league play and overall.
Rochester Adams 38, Southfield Arts & Technology 14 – The Highlanders (5-1) remain part of a three-team first-place tie in the Oakland Activities Association Red after handing this loss to what has to be one of the best 3-3 teams in the state in the Warriors.
Warren DeLaSalle 52, Dearborn Divine Child 14 – Both could finish first in their respective Detroit Catholic League divisions, and DeLaSalle (5-1) if it wins out would have little argument as the overall best after handing Divine Child (5-1) its only loss so far.
Romulus 31, Redford Thurston 22 – The Eagles (4-2), which finished second in the WWAC Red last year, clinched a share of the WWAC Blue title while sending Thurston (4-2) into a tie for second place
Mid-Michigan
Olivet 34, Lake Odessa Lakewood 6
Lakewood (5-1) had won 15 straight league games and the last two championships after Olivet won the first-ever Greater Lansing Activities Conference title in 2014. The Eagles (6-0) have been on the verge though, with their only league losses the last two seasons to the Vikings. Olivet can clinch the championship outright this week against Stockbridge. Click for more from FOX17.
Also noted:
Alma 21, Freeland 7 – The Panthers (6-0) broke a four-game losing streak to the Falcons (4-2), keeping alive a Tri-Valley Conference Central title showdown possibility against Saginaw Swan Valley in Week 8.
Belding 35, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 21 – The Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver race got whittled down this weekend and Belding (5-1) remains one of two co-leaders, while NorthPointe (5-1) is poised to claim a share if both falter over the final three games.
Breckenridge 27, Carson City-Crystal 26 – The Huskies (5-1) remain perfect in the Mid-State Activities Conference since joining the league last season; a win by Carson City-Crystal (3-3) would’ve created a three-way tie for first.
Pewamo-Westphalia 32, Laingsburg 11 – The Pirates (5-1) got one win away from clinching a third straight Central Michigan Athletic Conference title by upending the second-place Wolfpack (4-2).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Maple City Glen Lake 48, Frankfort 34
A five-point loss to Frankfort cost Glen Lake (3-2) the Northern Michigan Football Conference Leaders title in 2016, even as the Lakers went on to play at Ford Field and finish runner-up in Division 6. But they clinched a share of the 2017 league title with this victory, and with only winless Mancelona standing in the way of an outright championship. Frankfort (4-2) had won 11 straight league games dating to the start of the 2014 NMFC schedule. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Also noted:
Boyne City 34, Kalkaska 13 – The Ramblers (6-0) held on to a share of first place in the NMFC Legends division by handing Kalkaska (3-3) its third straight defeat.
Traverse City St. Francis 49, Grayling 22 – The Gladiators (6-0) kept pace with Boyne City, handing Grayling (4-2) a second straight loss as the leaders continued to point to a possible league decider in Week 9.
AuGres-Sims 54, Whittemore-Prescott 14 – The Wolverines (6-0) clinched a share of the North Star League title after finishing second a year ago, and may also have dealt the blow to end the Cardinals’ 10-year playoff streak; Whittemore-Prescott is 2-4 and must win out for a chance at an at-large bid.
Traverse City West 30, Benton Harbor 13 – The Titans (6-0) equaled their win total from last season and already their most victories since 2004, while also putting Benton Harbor (2-4) in a position where it must win out to have a hope of a third straight playoff berth.
Southeast & Border
Reading 36, Union City 12
The Rangers, coming off back-to-back 3-6 seasons, are one win from claiming a share of the Big 8 Conference title after downing second-place Union City. Reading (5-1) hasn’t lost this season since opening night, and its final two league opponents are a combined 2-10. Union City also is 5-1 and enjoying a great rebound after going 2-7 last fall and 4-5 in 2015. Click for more from the Hillsdale Daily News.
Also noted:
Ottawa Lake Whiteford 51, Morenci 8 – Whiteford turned away what looked to be its most formidable challenge so far in the Tri-County Conference, sending Morenci to 3-3 overall and second place in the standings.
Clinton 28, Petersburg-Summerfield 24 – Clinton (4-2) is tied for second in the TCC and stayed in line for a Week 8 title-deciding date with Whiteford by jumping above the Bulldogs (4-2), who fell to fourth place.
Pinckney 35, Tecumseh 10 – The Pirates (5-1) held on to a tie for first in the Southeastern Conference White while putting Tecumseh (3-3) in a spot to win out to guarantee a playoff berth for the first time since 2014.
Saline 42, Monroe 14 – The Hornets (5-1) clinched a share of the SEC Red title and face co-second place Ann Arbor Pioneer this week; Monroe (3-3) is aiming to win out to make it back to the playoffs after missing a year ago.
Southwest Corridor
Stevensville Lakeshore 30, Portage Northern 27
In its closest Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West game so far this season, Lakeshore clinched a share of the league title and avenged last season’s three-point loss to the Huskies. The Lancers also moved to 6-0 for the first time since 2012 and secured a 20th straight playoff berth. Northern (2-4) continued a heart-breaking string, with three of their losses by a combined nine points. Click for more from the St. Joseph Herald-Palladium.
Also noted:
Climax-Scotts 60, Adrian Lenawee Christian 29 – The Panthers (5-1) remained tied for first in the Southern Central Athletic Association by handing Lenawee Christian (4-2) its second loss in three weeks.
Berrien Springs 59, Parchment 6 – The Shamrocks (5-1) clinched a share of the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph White title with their third game of 50 or more points; Parchment (4-2) remains two wins from guaranteeing its first playoff berth since 2013.
Schoolcraft 35, Constantine 8 – This rivalry win by the Eagles (5-1), combined with the result below, helped put Schoolcraft into a first-place tie with only Watervliet in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley; Constantine (3-3) must win out to guarantee adding to its 18-year playoff streak.
Kalamazoo United 28, Coloma 27 – After falling to Watervliet in Week 5, United (5-1) dealt a disappointing blow to the much-improved Comets (4-2).
Upper Peninsula
Escanaba 42, Menominee 21
The streak is over; the Eskymos (5-1) downed Menominee for the first time since 1998 in the 122nd meeting between the Great Northern Conference rivals. And the win was impressive – the reigning champion Maroons hadn’t given up 42 points in a league game since 2008. Although it was the GNC opener for Menominee, Escanaba had already played two league games and with this win set up a potential league title matchup with Kingsford in Week 9 – although the Flivvers, 2-0 in GNC play, must first face the Maroons in Week 8. Click for more from the Escanaba Daily Press.
Also noted:
Iron River West Iron County 53, Calumet 20 – The Wykons (5-1) remain the only team undefeated in West Peninsula Athletic Conference play, while reigning champ Calumet (3-3) has lost three of four and needs to win out to extend a three-year playoff streak.
Bessemer Gogebic 26, L'Anse 7 – The first half of this season was tough for the Miners (2-4), but they’ve doubled last season’s win total and still have a playoff shot after stunning the Purple Hornets (4-2).
Negaunee 21, Ishpeming 14 – What a turnaround for these Miners; after opening 0-3, Negaunee is 3-3 and put Ishpeming (2-4) in a position of needing to win out for a chance at an at-large playoff bid.
Lake Linden-Hubbell 24, Bark River-Harris 12 – The Lakes also are riding a comeback wave; they opened 0-3, but after having no game Week 4 have won two straight and this time put Bark River-Harris (3-3) into a must-win playoff situation.
West Michigan
East Grand Rapids 28, Grand Rapids Christian 7
Reigning champion East Grand Rapids (6-0) took command of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold again by beating the Eagles by an identical score as in last year’s game, which also ended up deciding the league title. EGR lowered its points allowed average to 8.2 per game this fall. Still, this may not be over. Christian (5-1) is one of three teams one win behind in the league standings, and the Pioneers still must play the other two. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Also noted:
Rockford 27, Grandville 0 – The Rams lined up an O-K Red battle for first place this week against Holland West Ottawa by handing Grandville (4-2) its first league loss; depending on how this week goes, all three could end up sharing the title after Rockford and Grandville did so with Hudsonville in 2016.
Cedar Springs 28, Lowell 14 – It’s odd to call this an upset when Cedar Springs is 4-2, but Lowell (also 4-2) hadn’t lost an O-K White game since 2014 and this season has wins over leaders of two other leagues.
Kent City 28, Morley Stanwood 0 – The Eagles (6-0) not only won a matchup of undefeated teams, but in doing so clinched a share of the Central State Activities Association Silver title against the now second-place Mohawks (5-1); the teams shared the title in 2016.
Wyoming Kelloggsville 21, Wyoming Godwin Heights 20 – This was the other half of the paring down in the O-K Silver; both entered undefeated, but Kelloggsville (6-0) is now tied with Belding atop the standings while Godwin Heights (5-1) fell a game back in a league with four of seven teams at 5-1 or better.
8-Player
Morrice 33, Deckerville 32
Deckerville, last season’s 8-player MHSAA runner-up, has been considered a championship favorite all fall and still may be. But the Orioles (6-0) are in position to claim the North Central Thumb 8-Man League Stars division title after scoring a last-minute touchdown and converting a two-point conversion to hand the Eagles (5-1) their first league loss since 2014. Morrice must beat either Kingston this week or Lawrence in Week 8 to clinch a share NCTL Stars championship. Click for more from the Owosso Argus-Press.
Also noted:
Camden-Frontier 30, Bellevue 26 – The Redskins (6-0) have turned away both second-place teams in the Southern Central 8-Man Football League and can clinch a share of the title this week against Burr Oak; Bellevue (5-1) and Battle Creek St. Philip will be back in the mix with an upset.
Flint International Academy 78, Lawrence 74 – This set the MHSAA record for most points in an 8-player game when both teams score at least 40; Flint International (5-1) is tied for second in the NCTL Stars, but Lawrence (3-3) has scored the most points of any league team this season.
Kinde-North Huron 36, New Haven Merritt Academy 18 – The Warriors (5-1) held on to a first-place tie in the NCTL Stripes with Bay City All Saints; the Mustangs (3-3) have lost to both over the last three weeks.
Rudyard 30, Engadine 20 – The Bulldogs (5-1) still trail leaders Cedarville and Pickford in the Bridge Alliance Conference, but put themselves in position to earn a share of the league title if both falter over the next three weeks; Engadine (4-2) fell to fourth place but gets Cedarville next.
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PHOTO: Davison defenders chase a Midland ball carrier during Friday's Chemics win. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
Long Losing Streak Becoming Distant Memory as Adrian Football Re-Emerges
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
October 10, 2023
It’s hard to point to one particular move that led to the resurgence of the Adrian High School football program, but there’s no doubt the Maples are back.
Just a few years ago, they were in the throngs of a 30-game losing streak, had a difficult time fielding a junior varsity team and the school’s administration conducted a survey about possibly leaving the Southeastern Conference.
Now, Adrian is 6-1, finished just a game out of first place in the SEC White and is primed for a Division 4 playoff run.
“There are a lot of really good things going on with the football program, the school and athletic program,” said second-year varsity football coach Joel Przygodski. “We have great kids who love to work hard. I’m glad to see them being successful because they work so hard.”
Przygodski is part of an overhaul at Adrian, which has seen a new superintendent, high school principal and athletic director over the last couple of years.
“The leadership is all in line with a similar point of view about how high school athletics should be a positive experience for kids,” Przygodski said. “It’s really fun to be a part of a school district like Adrian when everybody is rowing in the same direction.”
Historically, Adrian has had success on the football field. From 1999 to 2011, the Maples missed the playoffs just twice. Then came a series of 2-7 and 3-6 years, but a bounce-back 7-5 in 2016.
The program took a downturn after that.
Adrian didn’t win a game during the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons. The Maples lost 30 straight in all before defeating Brooklyn Columbia Central in Week 2 of the 2021 season. Those losses included the Maples forfeiting a 2020 playoff game – when almost all teams made the postseason due to COVID-19 – due to a lack of available players.
Przygodski was one of the Adrian assistants during the playoff years, then left to become an assistant coach at Saline. He remained a teacher in the district, however.
When the Adrian head coaching job opened after the 2021 season, Przygodski didn’t hesitate to throw his name into the candidate pool.
“I taught the same kids who are playing now in middle school, so it’s not like I had to meet these kids for the first time,” he said. “It was more of a re-introduction to them. They only knew me as Mr. P, not as Coach P.
“The kids wanted to win, they wanted that discipline and structure, and they just hadn’t had it for one reason or another.”
Chad O’Brien, in his third year as the Adrian athletic director, is pleased with the progress of the athletic program. The baseball team won an SEC title last year, and the basketball team has had success as well.
“I think we have a lot of good people in good positions right now, and that makes a huge difference,” he said. “The continuity of the staff is huge. We have everyone on the same page. We discuss it as a group. We interact a ton. We aren’t separated. Everyone is moving in the same direction.
“There are still things that need to be addressed, but it’s definitely different than it was two years ago.”
The biggest turnaround has been in the football program. With some of the same players who were part of the 30-game losing streak, the Maples went 5-5 last year and are 6-1 this fall.
The Maples opened the season with four straight wins before falling 28-18 to Chelsea, the only blemish on a great season so far. They followed up the loss to the Bulldogs with back-to-back conference wins over Jackson and Pinckney to finish 4-1 in the SEC White. They have two nonleague games left to get ready for the postseason.
Quarterback Sean Parker is the unquestioned leader of the team. A four-year starter, Parker has thrown for 1,147 yards and 13 touchdowns this season while completing 65 percent of his passes. He has also rushed for 356 yards.
“He’s one of the smartest kids I’ve ever coached,” Przygodski said. “He has 4.1 GPA. He’s a very intelligent young man who works very hard. He’s kind of a silent leader, but a fun kid to be around. He’s gotten better each and every day.”
Chase Henline is the rushing leader with 780 yards and eight touchdowns. Five Maples have more than 100 yards receiving and are in double digits for catches.
Parker is one of 15 seniors.
“The majority of them have played all four years, and a handful of them are four-year starters,” Przygodski said. “When you have kids who have been battle-tested and have endured some of the things they did as freshmen and sophomores, then having a pretty decent year as juniors, it sets the stage for a pretty good senior campaign with everything falling in line.”
Przygodski is an Ann Arbor native who was head coach at his alma mater – Ann Arbor Huron – for four years before coming to Adrian in 2010. He served time as an assistant with the Maples under Phil Jacobs and was in Milan for a year. He then worked under Joe Palka at Saline for four years.
“I learned a lifetime of football working for Joe for those four years,” he said. “I think the biggest thing I got from him is how he organized. Everything was down to the details. If you put our practice plan and their practice plan next to each other, it would probably look similar. That’s probably the thing I learned the most.”
Przygodski isn’t worried about an encore just yet, but praised Adrian for its facilities and strength and conditioning program under Toby Ernst, now in his second year.
“They check all of the boxes of what you need to be competitive and successful in high school sports,” Przygodski said. “The community support has been phenomenal. It’s a place where you can compete and win.”
O’Brien said Adrian will continue to move forward with its athletic program.
“We’ve always had good kids here. We just had to have the right people directing them,” O’Brien said. “The biggest thing is we are going to do what’s right for kids, do what’s right for our district and do what’s right for our league. Every decision we make, we make sure we are following that.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Adrian’s Carson DeKeyser (7) and Thomas Dayharsh celebrate a touchdown during Friday’s 34-0 win over Pinckney. (Middle) Maples quarterback Sean Parker rolls right behind the protection of Antonio Brown. (Photos by Deloris Clark-Osborne.)