To Ford Field, and Home Again
August 31, 2012
The last time Lansing Catholic and Pewamo-Westphalia's football teams had suited up, it was under the bright lights of Ford Field for last season's MHSAA Finals.
The reigning Division 5 and 7 runners-up, respectively, returned to the field Aug. 24 in a season opener at Holt Junior High, in what was another first-time experience for leaders on both sidelines.
It was the first time in a coaching career spanning four decades that Cougars coach Jim Ahern started anew after making it to the previous season's final game. Despite numerous near-misses while coaching at Ithaca, last season was his first trip to the title game.
Pewamo-Westphalia's Brad Weber has been leading the Pirates for only five seasons, but his school and community also had never made it to a season finale before last November.
Click to see what each had to say after Lansing Catholic opened with a 45-21 win.
Moment: Morenci Returns to Record Book
November 18, 2020
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
The 1996 MHSAA Class C Football Final at the Pontiac Silverdome produced a special teams gem – the longest blocked punt return in the history of the event.
Morenci came to the game owning a piece of football history in Michigan. The Bulldogs' 1949 gridiron squad is one of seven teams to have ever produced an undefeated, untied and unscored campaign. At the same time, they scored 514 points in nine games, which was a regular-season record until Battle Creek Pennfield hit the 541-point mark in 1992.
Against Ravenna on this Thanksgiving weekend, Morenci found the record book again when Scott Miller blocked a punt attempt by Steve Johnson, and Chad Tedder picked up the loose ball and returned it a record 32 yards for a touchdown.
In the end, it was Ravenna which prevailed in this finale, 30-14. Benny Clark rushed for 207 yards and three touchdowns on a final-game record 49 attempts to end his career with 7,212 rushing yards, a state record at the time.