FHC's Hallock Shines in Green & White
August 22, 2018
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Tate Hallock would eventually wind up wearing green and white.
The Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior receiver already has had plenty of success wearing those colors, and he’s always wanted to follow in the footsteps of his family members.
In June, Hallock verbally committed to sign with Michigan State’s football program. He will join his brother Tanner, a second-year walk-on who redshirted last year.
Hallock’s father, Ty, played at MSU from 1989-92 and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1993. Ty Hallock played eight seasons in the NFL with three teams (Detroit, Jacksonville and Chicago). Tate’s mother, Jennifer, also graduated from MSU.
“I think my whole life I knew I wanted to go to Michigan State,” said the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Tate, who also was recruited by Notre Dame and several Mid-American Conference schools.
“Obviously my brother plays there, so that was a huge factor, and overall the legacy of my family going to Michigan State played a huge role in that, too. My brother and I had a plan when we were younger that we were going to play together there, so I was able to get that opportunity and commit.”
The Spartans will get a playmaker who produced on both sides of the ball last season as the Rangers turned in one of the best in school history.
Forest Hills Central set a school record for wins, finishing 12-1 with the lone loss a shutout by Livonia Franklin in the Division 2 Semifinals.
Hallock had 779 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago, while also recording 81 tackles on defense.
“He is a threat to score on every down on offense,” FHC coach Tim Rogers said. “He has excellent speed and can go up and take the ball away from most defensive backs. We will move him from free safety to strong safety this season. He’s always around the ball, and he’s a violent tackler.”
Tate Hallock is in daily contact with his brother, who played a major role in FHC’s resurgence two years ago as the starting quarterback.
Tanner Hallock helped lead the Rangers to a nine-win season and playoff berth in 2016.
“We are very close, and I talk to him every day,” Tate Hallock said. “We’re always keeping each other in line, and I’ve learned a ton from him. He was a huge leader two years ago, and he really helped put the program back on track.”
Tate Hallock was just born when his father retired from the NFL, but he’s been around football his entire life.
He credits his father for teaching him the game and providing encouragement when needed.
“My dad has really taught me everything, and he just talks to me about being a leader and playing my role,” Tate Hallock said. “He’s my best motivator and the one I really look up to.”
While Tate Hallock waits for his time in East Lansing, he’s excited to play one more high school season and build off last year’s historic run.
“I’m definitely looking forward to next year, but I’m glad I’m finally done with the recruiting process so I can focus on this year and bringing home something for FHC.”
Hallock will benefit from having his longtime friend around to throw him the ball.
Senior dual-threat quarterback Luke Majick returns to engineer a potent Rangers’ offense. He threw for 1,787 yards and 21 touchdowns last season while also rushing for 840 yards and 15 touchdowns.
“I think it’s very important that we’re both back, but definitely Luke, because you need a quarterback and he brought a lot to us last year,” Tate Hallock said. “I think that will be the key to our success this year.”
Tate Hallock and Majick aren’t just teammates. They’ve known each other since elementary school and have developed a bond on and off the field.
It’s a connection that has enabled both of them to thrive.
“We’ve been best friends since fourth grade,” Tate Hallock said. “I think I’m capable of getting open, and he just knows where I am. We have good chemistry because he’s used to throwing me the ball.”
Majick echoed those sentiments, as both seem to always be in sync.
“We have great chemistry because we’re best buds, and I always know where he is going to be at on the field,” Majick said. “He’s so fast and tall, he makes my job a lot easier.
“Going to Michigan State has always been his dream, and I’ve been to a couple games with him. It seems that’s where his heart’s at, and I’m sure he’ll do great there.”
Tate Hallock hopes to prove last season wasn’t a one-time phenomenon. The Rangers have similar goals in mind, and ending the season at Ford Field instead of watching at home would be at the top of the list.
“I think you should prove something every year, and we definitely showed that last year and the year before,” he said. “The senior class really took a step forward last year, and now we need to take another step forward and show what we are all about.
“We definitely want to go undefeated during the regular season again and get to the state championship, but it’s really a day-by-day process starting with Jenison (on Thursday) and going from there.”
Dean Holzwarth covered primarily high school sports for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years and more recently served as sports editor of the Ionia Sentinel and as a sports photojournalist for WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Tate Hallock (3) turns up field looking for yardage last season against Traverse City Central. (Middle) Hallock works to pull away from a Muskegon Mona Shores defender. (Action photos courtesy of The Central Trend.)
Molded by Early Losses, Cass Tech Closes Season by Taking Back D1 Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 30, 2024
DETROIT – The players and coaches on the Detroit Cass Tech football team heard the rumblings when they started this season 2-2.
They heard the calls for coach Marvin Rushing’s job. They heard the doubts sprouting up about their ability to compete for a Finals title.
Rather than let the noise break them apart, they used it to rally, and Saturday they put it all to bed with a 42-20 victory against Hudsonville in the Division 1 championship game at Ford Field.
“Everything we did was intentional – we purposely played Rockford to get ready for Dakota – we played those teams knowing we’d have games like this. We went to Ohio intentionally to get ready for all this, and every lesson we seemed to get better from,” Rushing said. “The biggest reason we’re here is our two losses. Those prepared us for today. It’s unfortunate that so many people don’t understand that great things can come sometimes from setbacks.”
The title was the fourth in program history for Cass Tech, and first since 2016, when it completed a remarkable run of three titles – and four Finals appearances – over six seasons.
“The day before check-in day, I chose to stay and play for my team and with my little brother James Johnson,” said senior receiver and defensive back Alex Graham, a Colorado commit who was at IMG Academy in Florida a year ago. “One of my goals my whole season was to win a state championship, and we got the job done. So, I’m real happy to do that.”
Graham had his usual stat-stuffing performance for the Technicians, who closed the season with 10 straight wins to finish 12-2. He had 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground, 57 yards on four catches through the air, and added six tackles, a forced fumble and an interception on defense.
His fellow wideout, Corey Sadler Jr., meanwhile, had six catches for 47 yards and two TDs.
“I have Batman and Batman,” Rushing said. “Some people say they have Batman and Robin, I have Batman and Batman.”
All those catches and yards came from the hand of freshman quarterback Donald Tabron II, who finished the night 15-of-20 for 176 yards and three TDs.
“It’s a great thing to have around me. It helps me play a balanced game on offense,” Tabron said. “We can run the ball, pass the ball. When you have guys like CJ and Alex, it kind of makes it easy for me as the quarterback. I know that no matter where I put the football, they’re going to make a play.”
Cass Tech dominated the first half, and by the time Hudsonville found its footing, the hole was too deep.
The Technicians scored on their first three possessions, driving 81 yards in nine plays on their first, and taking advantage of short fields on the second two, putting Hudsonville in a tough spot early in the second quarter.
Jaylen Spates scored the first touchdown on a five-yard run, while Sadler scored the next two on passes of 16 and six yards from Tabron. Sadler’s first score followed a short Hudsonville punt, while his second came after a Cass Tech fumble recovery deep in Hudsonville territory.
Tabron added a third TD pass late in the second quarter, hitting Will Sykes for a 19-yard score. That was also a short field, as Graham had intercepted a pass, setting Cass Tech up on the 19.
“We made some mistakes, and Cass Tech’s a really good football team,” Hudsonville coach Brent Sandee said. “They played really well, they’re very athletic. We had to play a clean game, and unfortunately we didn’t. But our kids battled the whole time and represented our school and our community real well. I’m really proud of us and the way we played. They’re great representatives of Hudsonville, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Cass Tech had a chance to add another score after recovering a fumble in Hudsonville territory with 1:10 to play in the first half, but the Hudsonville defense made a stand to keep the score 27-0.
That didn’t last long, though, as Graham scored on a 54-yard run two plays into the third quarter.
Hudsonville got on the board with a one-yard QB sneak for a touchdown by Griffin Baker. The score was set up by a 22-yard throwback to Baker from Braden VanLaecke.
The Eagles got some extra life when they recovered an onside kick following the score before exchanging turnovers near midfield – an interception for Cass Tech’s Derrick Jackson and a fumble recovery by Hudsonville’s Tyler Strick.
Bryce Fox cashed in for the Eagles, scoring on a 14-yard TD run to pull his team within three scores at 35-13 with 5:07 left in the third.
The Eagles threatened to make it even closer, getting down to the Cass Tech 6-yard line, but the Technicians’ defense held, forcing a turnover on downs.
By the time Hudsonville saw the ball again, it was trailing 42-13 – Cass Tech added a 24-yard TD run by De’Mari Hendrix – and there were fewer than four minutes remaining in the game.
Carson Dykstra ended the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown reception from Baker.
Baker finished 8-of-12 for 112 yards passing for the Eagles (12-2), with Dykstra catching four passes for 74 yards. Owen Haarsma led the Hudsonville ground game with 95 yards on 13 carries.
“I just feel like we have something special with this team, and it’s special for our community, too,” Hudsonville senior Jalen Oosting said. “I just think it’s an awesome story just to hear all the whispers, and all the talk and chatter at school. I just think it’s awesome it’s affected our community. I just loved being here with these guys.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Cass Tech’s Julian Taylor (23) works to break a Hudsonville tackle Saturday evening at Ford Field. (Middle) Dylon Pace (13) wraps up Eagles quarterback Griffin Baker. (Below) Cass Tech’s Logan Howell raises the championship trophy in the air as his teammates cheer around him. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)