EGR 5-Year Title Run Remains Awe-Inspiring, Product of More Than Talent Alone
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
November 25, 2022
It was Peter Stuursma's first year at East Grand Rapids and while the wolves weren't necessarily knocking at the door, they were definitely on the prowl.
The tradition-rich Pioneers football team had slumped to an uncharacteristic 3-6 record in Stuursma's first season as varsity head coach in 2000, and there were subtle signs a community used to winning was growing restless with the program's direction.
That's when Stuursma bumped into one of his players coming out of the weight room, and the two had a quick conversation which he clearly remembers 22 years later.
"It was this senior offensive lineman and all he said was, 'Don't worry about it Coach, it's not going to happen again. We got this,’" Stuursma said. "We had just gone 3-6, and I'm wondering how we're going to get this going and that they might get rid of me. You never underestimate what people can do."
East Grand Rapids, under legendary coach George Barcheski, had been the dominant football program in West Michigan with 28 winning seasons over 29 from 1970-99, and 38 victories in 39 games from 1993-95, along with Class B championships in 1976 and 1983. After Stuursma replaced the retiring Barcheski,, some in the community were expecting more of the same when it came to success.
Those fans never dreamed what they would see as the Pioneers promptly pieced together arguably the greatest decade-long stretch in Michigan high school football history – and without doubt one of the most incredible five-year runs of dominance.
Even that optimistic offensive lineman couldn't have imagined a remarkable 126-7 record over the next 11 years, a 40-3 MHSAA Tournament mark and seven Finals championships. Five of those titles (2006-10) came in a row, a feat accomplished just three times in the now 46-year history of the playoffs.
The five straight championships were part of an amazing era that Stuursma and his players say has not diminished with time. They recall no single factor explained going 67-3 overall over those five seasons. There was talent, obviously, but coaching, tradition, confidence and strength of community all played vital parts. There were Thanksgiving practices attended by hundreds of former football alumni, dedicated fan support that included playing before more than 30,000 fans at least twice at Ford Field, and a program-wide attitude that, while some may call it a cliché, proved that success did indeed breed success.
"I'm in awe of the scope of things," said Stuursma, whose team used back-to-back Division 3 championships in 2002-03 as a springboard to later success. "Because we had won a couple times before it just started to feel normal. We had such support the community used to think Thanksgiving break ended at Ford Field."
EGR teams would find all kinds of ways to win during the five-year title stretch. The 2009 team, for instance, barreled through its first four playoff opponents by a combined score of 164-29 until a 24-21 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the Final. The 2010 team had to win three playoff games by eight points or fewer to finish off its perfect 14-0 record. And then there was the wild 46-39 five-overtime win over St. Mary's in the 2007 Final during which the Pioneers had to score on all five possessions in overtime to outlast the Eaglets.
While teams always seemed to find ways to get the victory, former players remember what it was like to be part of a seemingly endless tradition of success on the football field.
"One of the things that was so special about East Grand Rapids were the expectations," said Luke Glendening, a running back on the 2006 team who has gone on to a long NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars. "During the game I'd look around and see guys who had played here a long time ago. I viewed it as a privilege to have the opportunity to play before the alumni and community."
Quarterback Ryan Elble, who completed a combined 34 passes for 483 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2008 and 2009 Finals, also used the word "honored" to describe his high school experience.
"The culture was to win. Coach Stuursma made it fun, and it always seemed to take shape on the field," said Elble, who went on to play baseball at Miami (Ohio) "I think each team had different skill sets, but at the end of the day it was our culture and putting in the work to spend Thanksgiving weekend at Ford Field."
The players point to that winning culture over talent. Elble said he played with only one eventual Division I college player in linebacker/running back Trent Voss, who went on to Toledo. Nobody wins without talent, of course, but they point to many other factors as being just as critical. Because EGR coaches would always work juniors into the lineup, Stuursma said the program faced only one major rebuild, in 2007. That team wound up 13-1 and the second of those five straight champions.
"We had some incredible players," said Stuursma, who left EGR in 2016 to lead Hope College to two Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles, three second-place finishes and a 46-15 overall record over his seven seasons. "We returned only two starters (in 2007), but we still had good guys who wanted to win."
The players say the culture started with Barcheski and the program's tradition. As Hope College's coach, Stuursma said there’s a similar common thread among schools he sees on recruiting visits: a winning tradition that, in Stuursma's words "screams excellence," from every corner of the building. He sees it the minute he walks into some schools, and East Grand Rapids had the same culture before he arrived. The past players say it played a major part in their careers.
That tradition didn't start with the five straight titles, said former quarterback Kyle Cunningham, who played on the 2002-03 teams and went 46-0 over four years from his freshman to senior seasons. Those two championship teams’ most recognizable player was running back Kevin Grady, who still holds multiple MHSAA records including for career rush yardage and went on to play at University of Michigan.
"We worked hard and had a lot of pride," he said. "I remember watching film of earlier teams, and I remember hoping our team could stand up the same way."
While the players point to tradition and community, Ryan Blair, a tight end/defensive tackle on the 2006-08 champion clubs, said talent remained critical – but EGR was outmanned physically in some of those title games. That's when camaraderie and the confidence that someone was going to make a key play took over. The Pioneers' remarkable run was teeming with such plays.
"Certainly we were never one of the biggest teams there, we never had a big size advantage in any game," he said. "But we had this camaraderie on every team. We had guys who really liked playing with each other. When things got tight we stuck together, and we'd fight to the fourth quarter or beyond."
Despite the long odds of winning a single state title let alone repeating, Stuursma believes there could be a team one day which wins six straight. That team will have the same characteristics of those EGR teams – the talent, coaching, tradition and fortune of catching timely breaks – but it can be done, he said.
"Absolutely," Stuursma said. "The only record I can think of that won't be broken is Wayne Gretzky's (NHL) scoring record. It will take a lot, but records are made to be broken. I think high school football is on the upswing and there would have to be an emphasis on winning. You would have to have a good path to get there, but I can see someone getting six one day."
PHOTOS (Top) East Grand Rapids celebrates its third-straight Division 3 championship win in 2008. (Middle) Pioneers converge on an Orchard Lake St. Mary’s ball carrier during the 2007 five-overtime title decider. (Below) EGR coach Peter Stuursma, kneeling center, monitors the action during the 2010 championship game.
1st & Goal: 2024 Week 6 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 3, 2024
If Week 5 could be considered something of a bridge week for several football conferences across the state, this one likely will be the eventual decider as championships are wrapped up over the final month of the regular season.
Several matchups, including three pitting undefeated teams detailed below, have the potential to set off league title celebrations that are almost always the primary goal when teams kick off every season.
All games listed below are tonight unless noted, with results posting as they are reported all weekend on the MHSAA Scores page. Updated standings also are available by clicking the schools on the score list, and every division’s playoff points summary updates as well as scores are received.
Bay & Thumb
Almont (5-0) at Armada (5-0) WATCH
Armada has not given up a point in its four Blue Water Area Conference wins, and after opening with a 28-27 victory over a Marine City team that has since averaged 52 points per game. The Tigers will face their toughest offensive challenge since that win over the Mariners, as Almont is averaging nearly 42 points per game – and also giving up just under nine per contest. The last three meetings between these two have been decided by seven points or fewer, with Almont last year’s victor 13-12.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Corunna (5-0) at Goodrich (4-1) WATCH, East Lansing (3-2) at Davison (4-1), Grand Blanc (4-1) at Lapeer (4-1), Marysville (4-1) at Marine City (4-1).
Greater Detroit
Troy (3-2) at Birmingham Seaholm (5-0) WATCH
Seaholm has dominated since moving back into the Oakland Activities Association Blue in 2022, with a combined 22-5 record overall over the last three seasons and eight straight league wins as the Maples pursue a repeat title. They have won three straight over Troy, but the Colts avenged a 2023 loss to Oak Park last week 31-6 and have gotten a few looks at top competition with defeats to powerful Lake Orion and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Clinton Township Clintondale (4-1) at Clawson (3-2) WATCH, Rochester Adams (4-1) at Oxford (3-2) WATCH, Lake Orion (4-1) at West Bloomfield (2-3) WATCH. SATURDAY Warren Michigan Collegiate (4-1) at Detroit Voyageur College Prep (4-1).
Mid-Michigan
Pewamo-Westphalia (5-0) at Fowler (5-0) WATCH
These two began their annual series in 1966, and according to Michigan-Football.com P-W leads it 30-28 – with wins last year (27-14) and eight of the last nine. This could again eventually decide the Central Michigan Athletic Conference title, especially with Fowler already having handed Saranac its lone loss. The Eagles also opened the season by handing Hudson what remains the Tigers’ lone defeat, and P-W opened by dealing North Muskegon what remains its only loss this fall. Neither Fowler nor the Pirates have given up a point since Week 2.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Pinconning (4-1) at Harrison (5-0) WATCH, Napoleon (3-2) at Leslie (5-0) WATCH, Mason (4-1) at St. Johns (5-0) WATCH, Grand Ledge (4-1) at Lansing Everett (4-1) WATCH.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Petoskey (5-0) at Cadillac (3-2) WATCH
The next two weeks will make or break Petoskey’s Big North Conference title hopes, and potentially Cadillac’s as well. The Northmen and Marquette lead the league with 3-0 starts, while Cadillac is 3-1, and Petoskey faces Marquette next week – meaning a Cadillac win in this matchup and a Petoskey win over the Sentinels would open up the possibility of a three-team title share (with Escanaba also involved in this mix). The Northmen have given up just 37 points total this fall and defeated Escanaba in Week 3. Cadillac fell to Midland and then Escanaba to open this season, by seven points apiece, before winning three straight.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Traverse City St. Francis (4-1) at Cheboygan (3-2) WATCH, East Jordan (3-2) at Mancelona (3-2), Midland (4-1) at Traverse City Central (2-3) WATCH. SATURDAY Kingsley (3-2) at Benzie Central (2-3) WATCH.
Southeast & Border
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (5-0) at Riverview (5-0) WATCH
For the second straight week, Riverview is playing in a premier matchup – and thanks to last week’s 52-45 win over previously-undefeated Flat Rock. That’s left these two tied for first in the Huron League and with opposing strengths set to face off. Riverview has topped 35 points in all five of its games and 50 the last three weeks, while SMCC hasn’t given up a point since Week 2 and just 22 total this fall. Also of note, the Falcons follow this weekend with a home game against Flat Rock.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Dexter (5-0) at Ann Arbor Pioneer (4-1) WATCH, Adrian Madison (4-1) at Hudson (4-1) WATCH, Toledo St. Francis de Sales, Ohio (5-1) at Jackson Lumen Christi (4-1) WATCH, Battle Creek Harper Creek (4-1) at Parma Western (4-1).
Southwest Corridor
Edwardsburg (4-1) at Paw Paw (5-0) WATCH
The Eddies are bouncing back nicely from last year’s 5-5 finish, and this will be their first opportunity to avenge a 2023 loss – in fact, two – as they fell to Paw Paw 35-0 and then 16-7 in the playoffs last fall. Edwardsburg’s lone loss this season came Week 2, by just seven points, to still-undefeated St. Joseph. Paw Paw’s surge started a year ago and has simply continued, as the Red Wolves opened with solid nonleague wins over Big Rapids and Berrien Springs – and, like Edwardsburg – have yet to be challenged much in three Wolverine Conference games.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Constantine (5-0) at Kalamazoo United (4-1), Portage Northern (4-1) at St. Joseph (5-0) WATCH, Bronson (4-1) at Union City (5-0), Lawton (4-1) at Schoolcraft (4-1) WATCH.
Upper Peninsula
Escanaba (3-2) at Marquette (4-1)
This rivalry is getting a massive boost with Escanaba already guaranteeing its best finish since 2019. Escanaba also will be playing for its first win over Marquette since 2017 and coming off its best back-to-back offensive performances (combining for 107 points) in more than a decade. Marquette has continued to build after finishing 3-6 in 2022 and 5-4 last year, with four shutouts this season and its only stumble in a Saturday game downstate at Lowell.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Gwinn (2-3) at Iron Mountain (5-0) WATCH, Negaunee (4-1) at Ishpeming Westwood (2-3) WATCH, Calumet (2-3) at Houghton (2-3), West Iron County (2-3) at Manistique (2-3) WATCH.
West Michigan
Holland Christian (5-0) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4-1)
Holland Christian is another of the best comeback stories in the state so far, with its five wins already the varsity’s most since 2018 and punctuated by last week’s 21-20 triumph over East Grand Rapids. That said, this will clearly be the Maroons’ most massive challenge yet. Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s loss to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in Week 3 gains context by the week as undefeated NDP rumbles through its schedule.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Rockford (3-2) at Caledonia (4-1), Beal City (4-1) at Evart (4-1) WATCH, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (5-0) at Reed City (4-1) WATCH, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (4-1) at Zeeland West (4-1) WATCH.
8-Player
Bellevue (4-1) at Mendon (5-0) WATCH
While Mendon hasn’t navigated a sub-.500 season since 2006, it’s fair to call this the Hornets’ most powerful start – at least statistically – in some time. The Hornets have absolutely dominated, scoring 54 or more points every game, 60 or more in four, and giving up 34 points total with three shutouts. Their best win likely was 66-14 over Britton Deerfield, which hasn’t lost otherwise. Enter Bellevue, which jumped from 0-9 two years ago to 6-3 last season and sits a three-point loss in Week 2 to Adrian Lenawee Christian from being undefeated as well. The Broncos have given up just 57 points this season and are coming off back-to-back 60-plus scoring performances.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Norway (4-1) at Munising (5-0) WATCH, Grand Rapids Sacred Heart (5-0) at St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic (4-1), Marion (5-0) at Suttons Bay (4-1) WATCH.
MHSAA.com's weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO Ishpeming's Grady Gauthier holds onto Indian River Inland Lakes' quarterback Aidan Fenstermaker's leg as he gets ready to dive into the end zone during Inland Lake's Week 5 win. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)