Harrison Comes Back to Win Classic
August 23, 2016
By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director
As a new season of events launches this week on MHSAA.tv, this summer’s 80s Finals Flashback series concludes with one of the classic Football Finals of all time.
Our ninth and final game in the Flashback series is the 1989 Class B Final at the Pontiac Silverdome between Farmington Hills Harrison and DeWitt. Here’s a look at this week’s game, and click the score below to watch:
Week of August 22 – Farmington Hills Harrison 28, DeWitt 27 – 1989 Class B Football Final - In Class B, Farmington Hills Harrison scored a 28-27 victory over DeWitt in what many consider the greatest game of Michigan's 25-year playoff history. The defending Class B champions and top-ranked Hawks had their hands full with the Panthers. Tied 7-7 after one quarter, DeWitt grabbed a two-touchdown lead in the second on 32-yard run by John Tellford and a 35-yard pass play from Tellford to John Cowan. Harrison responded with a Matt Conley 1-yard run to cut the margin to 21-14 at the half. Hawks quarterback Mill Coleman knotted the score at 21 with a dazzling 16-yard run early in the fourth quarter, but DeWitt stormed back again, driving 75 yards on 13 plays. The series was highlighted by tight end Dave Riker's 24-yard, one-handed catch to the Hawks’ 3-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Chris Berkimer slipped over from the 1, and DeWitt again took the lead, 27-21. With 2:12 remaining on the clock and the ball at the Harrison 33, Coleman went to work. Three quick completions moved the ball to the DeWitt 16, then Coleman let his legs do the rest of the work. Following a Hawks timeout, Coleman dashed right for seven more yards to the Panthers’ 9. Facing a 2nd-and-three, Coleman dropped back to pass, escaped the rush at the DeWitt 17, then scampered up the middle and dove into the end zone for the tying points. Steve Hill added his fourth PAT of the game with 1:34 remaining for the final margin, then secured the victory with an interception on the next series. (Watch Coleman’s game-winning touchdown by Clicking Here.)
DVDs may be purchased directly from the MHSAA.tv Website – just click the “Get DVD” button below the player. See the bottom of this screen for the rest of this summer’s “Flashbacks.”
The new season of games produced by members of the School Broadcast Program begins this week with live video of two football games scheduled as of noon Monday. Coming up on Thursday, the SBP at Montrose High School follows its Rams on the road for a game at Byron beginning at 6:40 p.m. At 7 p.m., Marquette High School will cover its home contest against Traverse City St. Francis. Check this release on the MHSAA Website for updates throughout the week as additional games are scheduled.
The NFHS Network has announced new pricing for 2016-17, eliminating the Day Pass and lowering the cost of a Month Pass to $9.95. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. Some schools also will be selling Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.
Now in its eighth year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
Schools interested in becoming a part of the School Broadcast Program should contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office.
Previous Flashbacks
August 15: St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic 41, Ontonagon 39 – 1988 Class C Girls Basketball Final - Watch
August 8: Grand Rapids South Christian 69, Redford Bishop Borgess 66 – 1988 Class B Boys Basketball Final - Watch
August 1: Dearborn Divine Child 50, Okemos 45 (OT) – 1986 Class B Girls Basketball Final - Watch
July 25: Muskegon 16, Detroit Martin Luther King 13 – 1988 Class A Football Final - Watch
July 19: Northport 80, Beal City 78 – 1988 Class D Boys Basketball Final - Watch
July 12: Detroit Cass Tech 52, Saginaw 51 – 1987 Class A Girls Basketball Final - Watch
July 5: Traverse City 24, Detroit Catholic Central 14 – 1988 Class A Football Final - Watch
June 28: Saginaw Buena Vista 33, Flint Beecher 32 – 1986 Class B Boys Basketball Final - Watch
Team of the Month: Martin Football
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 13, 2022
Two straight trips to 8-Player Semifinals
Two seasons over the last three with double-digit wins.
Three straight seasons where the only loss on the field came in the playoffs to the eventual Division 1 champion.
Martin’s football team had come so close a few times to earning the ultimate prize in Michigan high school football. And finally, this fall, it was the Clippers’ turn.
Paced by 11 seniors, the MHSAA/Applebee’s “Team of the Month” for November claimed the 8-Player Division 1 championship at the Superior Dome in Marquette – the Clippers’ first Finals title since 1987 – with a 74-24 win over previously-undefeated Merrill.
“This is the most seniors we’ve ever had, as long as I’ve been coaching here,” said Martin coach Brad Blauvelt, a 2003 graduate of the school who just finished his fifth season leading the program after serving as an assistant coach nearly as long before taking over. “Program kids – from rocket football to middle school, all the way up, they’ve been committed to the program the whole time.”
Martin has an interesting recent history as a program, to say the least. After five straight winning seasons from 2003-07, the Clippers didn’t win a game from 2008-2013. They got back on the plus side at 6-4 in 2018, then made the move to 8-player – where they’ve gone a combined 40-6 over the last four seasons.
This one started with a 30-28 win over Mendon – the eventual 8-Player Division 2 runner-up – and over 13 games Martin averaged 54 points while giving up only 14.5. There were a pair of losses along the way – to Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian and Bridgman, which both finished 9-0 but have enrollments too high to qualify for the 8-Player Playoffs. Those losses helped Martin move forward, especially the 35-34 defeat against Bridgman in the regular-season finale.
“The biggest thing was being OK with a loss, because we were so used to winning … not being OK with it, just understanding we’ll get better from it,” Blauvelt said.
The Bees were able to get their playmakers outside on the Clippers – which generally means big plays in the 8-player format. So Martin’s coaches made a sharp adjustment heading into the postseason, putting all-state safety Sam Jager at one outside linebacker, and moving middle linebacker (and all-state quarterback) JR Hildebrand outside on the other side.
So while Hildebrand was able to continue leading the offense to totals of 68, 56, 42 and 74 points over the four playoff games, the Clippers during the playoffs gave up just 52 points total – and held a two-time reigning champion Adrian Lenawee Christian team averaging 48 points per game to just 14 in a 59-14 Regional Final win.
The Cougars had eliminated Martin from the playoffs the last two Semifinals on the way to those two straight Division 1 championships. In 2019, Martin lost to Colon in a Regional Final, and the Magi went on to claim the Division 1 title.
“The last couple of years, we lost the last game of the season, and you can’t do anything about it,” Blauvelt said. “Losing in-season, we were able to fix and change some things around that I think ultimately helped us.”
Hildebrand was one of the state’s best at his position this fall, rushing for 1,340 yards and 23 touchdowns and throwing for 1,234 yards and 25 scores. He owns two school records on offense, and also led the team with 90 tackles, to go with four sacks and seven more tackles for loss.
Jager caught seven of those touchdown passes and was the best blocker for a team that ran for more than 2,600 yards. He had 51 tackles and five interceptions, including one he brought back for a score. Another senior, Karter Ribble, topped 300 yards rushing and receiving, with a combined 12 touchdowns, plus scored twice on kickoffs and again on a punt return. He also made 90 percent of his extra-point tries and set a school record with a 43-yard field goal.
They were part of that senior class that, although graduating, has helped bring a buzz and momentum that Blauvelt hopes carries over into other sports, academics and the community as a whole.
“They come to morning workouts, they come to all the summer stuff, and they do the extra work to push themselves over the hump,” Blauvelt said. “They’re so talented athletically too, that doing that pushed them over the top even more so.”
Past Teams of the Month, 2022-23
October: Gladwin volleyball - Report
September: Negaunee girls tennis - Report