Lansing Catholic Comes Back to Claim D5
November 30, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
DETROIT – Zach Gillespie was just part of what was out of rhythm for Lansing Catholic during the first half of Saturday’s Division 5 Final against Almont.
The senior quarterback headed into the break 2-of-6 passing for 16 yards with an interception, and had eight carries for nine yards – not at all characteristic for a standout who had thrown for nearly 2,500 yards and run for more than 550 through his first 13 games this season.
But somehow, the Cougars and Raiders were tied. And that meant Lansing Catholic was in position to win.
Gillespie stormed back with a big second half, the offense meeting halfway a defense that had kept the Cougars in the game, and the lessons of comebacks earlier this season made the difference in Lansing Catholic finishing a 31-17 win over Almont to earn its first Finals championship since 1985.
“I probably shouldn’t say that with these guys here, but I don’t think this team is the most talented team from top to bottom that we’ve ever had,” said Cougars coach Jim Ahern, who also brought Lansing Catholic to Ford Field in 2011 and 2014. “But I’ll tell ya, I don’t think I’ve had a team that has more chemistry and more heart than this group of kids did. We’ve been behind in a lot of games this year and they never quit, and I think that’s why.”
They call it a “21-7 mentality” and it was born from a loss this season, the sixth-straight over four seasons to rival Portland.
The Cougars (13-1) trailed in that Week 5 matchup 21-7 at halftime, and lightning forced the second half to be played the next day. Lansing Catholic came back to make the final score 21-20 – but even in defeat, the message hit home that the team can change the course of a game over the final two quarters. (And Lansing Catholic went on to defeat Portland 21-0 in the District Final.)
“We write it on the board at halftime – 21-7 mentality in the second half – and I think that was a big turning point coming out firing that game,” Cougars senior linebacker Sam Edwards said. “We’ve just carried that with us since, and it’s made us better.”
This time, as in many before, Gillespie led the way. He found his footing and touch after the break, completing 9-of-17 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns over the final two quarters and running for two scores as well.
Almont carried a 17-7 lead into the final two minutes of the third quarter. But Lansing Catholic scored 24 unanswered points to finish the game, with Gillespie shutting the door with a four-yard scoring run with 1:39 to play.
That followed touchdown passes of seven yards to senior Vince Salquist and 23 to senior Mitch Raphael, a soccer player last year who showed some delicate footwork getting one down before exiting the side of the end zone. Raphael’s score put the Cougars ahead 24-17 with 3:41 to play.
“We just knew. We knew we could come out and score with anyone,” Gillespie said. “We knew we had a couple three-and-outs, and it wasn’t going our way. We kinda just had all gas, no brakes, and weren’t just satisfied with going up seven there. We wanted to score again.
“I don’t think I could’ve had a worse first half. Especially in the state championship game, I went in at halftime and I was pretty down on myself. I (restored) the confidence in myself that I can make the throws, and I’ve got great playmakers that are going to catch it. Our line blocked pretty good in the second half … and everyone just got open for me and I was able to deliver.”
Almont (13-1) was making its first trip to the Finals for football, concluding an impressive run that saw it win on the road three of the first four weeks of the playoffs.
But the first half Saturday was frustrating, as the Raiders ended two drives throwing interceptions and a third giving up a fumble. The only first-half possession that didn’t end in a turnover finished with a touchdown.
Almont then scored on a field goal and touchdown on the first two possessions of the second half. But the Raiders threw another interception and fumbled the ball away again on the next two, allowing Lansing Catholic opportunities to catch up.
Senior Jack Paupert and junior Michael Lulgjuraj scored those Almont touchdowns, and Paupert ran 18 times for a team-high 78 yards. Senior Colby Schapman caught five passes for 80 yards. Senior Ryan Miller booted a 31-yard field goal to round out the team’s scoring.
Senior linebacker Jacob Hausmann with seven tackles led a defense that again this season measured up with the state’s best. The Raiders gave up just 11.6 points per game, holding teams below 15 per game for the sixth time in seven seasons. Lansing Catholic’s 31 points were the most surrendered by the Raiders since the 2017 playoffs.
“The backbone of our team is our defense. Coach (Ritchie) Feys does an excellent job preparing these guys, and these guys execut(e) the game plan,” Almont coach James Leusby said. “When we came out (after halftime) we were 0-0 ballgame, and we were going after it.”
Sophomore Alex Watters caught five passes for 107 yards for Lansing Catholic as Gillespie finished with 187 total through the air. Edwards had 19 tackles, recovered both fumbles and snagged an interception, and senior Daniel Magaway had 10 tackles as the Cougars locked down an offense that averaged 39.5 points this fall. Ahern directed the credit to assistants Kelly Carrier, Mike Doran and Pat Barner, who handle all of the defensive play-calling and made adjustments at halftime to slow down Almont’s outside running attack.
Ahern, meanwhile, claimed his first championship five decades after he began his head coaching career at Gobles in 1969. He spent more than three decades at Ithaca and came back from Florida in 2009 to take over at Lansing Catholic – going over 300 career wins this season and moving up to 11th on the in-state career list with a 301-152-6 record while coaching at those three Michigan high schools.
“When you get here and you don’t win, you don’t realize until I think months after that you had a great season. This is definitely a different feeling,” Ahern said.
“The message all week was let’s get him to 301,” Edwards said. “It means the world to me to be able to put on the jersey and play for this guy. It’s kinda bittersweet that I won’t get to do it again, but to end it on a high – there’s no one that deserves this more than this guy right here.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Lansing Catholic quarterback Zach Gillespie follows his blockers during Saturday’s Division 5 Final. (Middle) Mitch Raphael (7) helps bring down Almont’s Michael Lulgjuraj.
1st & Goal: 2021 Week 8 in Review
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 18, 2021
Week 8 showed the potential to end up arguably the most jaw-dropping this football regular season – and it’s fair to say the action met expectations.
As teams continued playing for league titles and positioning for one of 288 playoff spots, we saw the usual share of dominating performances – but also a couple of headline-making comebacks, an important overtime win, and more unexpectedly a handful of games determined by two-point conversion stops.
The playoff field will be selected in six days, and we’ll talk more about that soon. For now, here are many of the most intriguing results and notes from the weekend that was:
Bay & Thumb
HEADLINER Grand Blanc 30, Lapeer 6 The Bobcats (8-0) are Saginaw Valley League Red champions for the first time, clinching a share of the title with their first win over Lapeer (6-2) since joining the SVL in 2018. While Grand Blanc’s offensive standouts often get much of the attention, the defense stopped a Lightning offense averaging 46 points per game – and the Bobcats now have held their last five opponents to seven points or fewer. Click for more from the Flint Journal.
Watch list Croswell-Lexington 30, Armada 14 The Pioneers (7-1) finished their first perfect run through the Blue Water Area Conference since 2012, and this win over Armada (6-2) was the closest of six league victories on the field (the seventh was a forfeit win).
Remember this one Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker 21, Bad Axe 20 The Greater Thumb Conference West finished with a three-way shared championship between these two and Reese after Laker (6-2) stopped the Hatchets (7-1) on a late two-point conversion attempt.
More shoutouts Mount Pleasant 31, Bay City Western 16 The Oilers (8-0) clinched a share of the SVL Blue title, avoiding what would have been a three-way tie for first had Western (6-2) won. Lake Fenton 42, Fenton 6 The Blue Devils (7-1) won this Flint Metro League crossover, also its first matchup with the Tigers (4-4) since 2005.
Greater Detroit
HEADLINER Detroit Martin Luther King 21, Detroit Cass Tech 15 The Crusaders (7-1) made it a season sweep over Cass Tech with this comeback win in the Detroit Public School League Blue championship game. The Technicians (5-3) led 15-0 at halftime, but King scored 21 unanswered points during the second half including the eventual game winners on Lynn Wyche-El’s interception return for a touchdown with 6:50 to play. Click for more from the Detroit Free Press.
Lynn Wyche-El with the 15-yard interception return touchdown with 6:50 left in the 4th quarter as King went on to beat Cass Tech 21-15 on Friday night. @LynnWycheElJr @DetKingFootball #StateChamps X @hungryhowies pic.twitter.com/1Rz40t8MvW
— STATE CHAMPS! Michigan (@statechampsmich) October 16, 2021
Watch list Dearborn 13, Dearborn Fordson 10 The Pioneers (6-2) guaranteed their best record since 2016 and helped give the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East standings a final reshuffling that saw Belleville emerge as the outright champ. Fordson (6-2) and Livonia Churchill also had been tied for first entering the weekend; Churchill (6-2) lost to Livonia Stevenson 13-6.
Remember this one Redford Union 34, Melvindale 14 After three straight seasons of missing on a league title by a win, the Panthers closed the Western Wayne Athletic Conference schedule undefeated (7-1) when a win by Melvindale (5-3) would’ve created a three-way tie for first.
More shoutouts Detroit Central 30, Detroit Pershing 0 The Trail Blazers (8-0) picked up their third shutout in six games on the field this season to win the PSL Gold championship against Pershing (5-3), which hadn’t given up a point in three straight games. Clarkston Everest Collegiate 27, Royal Oak Shrine 13 This winner-take-all matchup for the Detroit Catholic League Intersectional #2 championship went to the Mountaineers (7-1), who ran their league title streak to five. Runner-up Shrine fell to 4-4 overall.
Mid-Michigan
HEADLINER Hartland 21, Canton 0 The Eagles (7-1) locked up a shared KLAA West title in impressive fashion, with their fourth shutout this fall also the first time Canton (5-3) hadn’t scored a point since a 2006 Division 1 Semifinal. Hartland and Howell are co-champs, and Hartland also moved to seven wins for the first time since 2014. Click for more from the Livingston Daily Press & Argus.
Watch list Howell 21, Brighton 14 The Highlanders (7-1) went ahead for good during the game’s final minutes to clinch their KLAA West share, moving to seven wins for the first time since 2010 with their first victory over Brighton (4-4) since 2017.
Remember this one East Lansing 27, Grand Ledge 12 Even with one of the state’s most impressive schedules, East Lansing (5-3) had fallen back in the Division 2 playoff field. But this win over the Division 1 Comets (6-2) sent the Trojans back into a comfortable spot, from No. 19 to tied for No. 10 in D2 with a game to play.
More shoutouts Olivet 20, Williamston 19 The Eagles (6-2) won a matchup of league champs, as the best from the Greater Lansing Activities Conference held off a comeback attempt by the Hornets (5-3), one of three teams that shared the title in the Capital Area Activities Conference Red. Beal City 14, Sand Creek 12 A late replacement game for both became a memorable one as Beal City (7-1) held on while on the road at Sand Creek (5-3).
Northern Lower Peninsula
HEADLINER East Jordan 22, Harbor Springs 14 (2OT) The Red Devils (6-2) held on to set up this week’s winner-take-all with Frankfort for the championship in the Northern Michigan Football Conference Legacy division. Additionally, East Jordan (5-2) has tied its most wins for a season since 2003 and put itself in position to move into the Division 7 playoff field sitting No. 36 with a game to play. Click for more from the Petoskey News-Review.
Watch list Cadillac 10, Portland 7 Not that anyone questioned if Cadillac (6-2) would be a player again in the Division 4 playoffs next month – but this win on the road at Division 5 No. 6 Portland reinforced that the Vikings and their dynamic defense will be in the mix.
Remember this one Traverse City Central 56, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 13 Not only did the Trojans (7-1) reach 56 points for the fifth time in eight games this fall, but they did so against a Brother Rice team that moved to 5-3 and hadn’t given up more than 30 points in a game in nearly two calendar years.
More shoutouts Charlevoix 28, Mancelona 20 The Rayders (7-1) reached seven wins for the third season in a row and moved up to No. 11 in Division 7, while Mancelona (5-2) remains in position to join the field as well at No. 26. McBain 44, Manton 20 The Ramblers (5-3) can breathe a bit easier also in Division 7 after moving up four spots to No. 24 with this win over the Rangers (3-5).
Southeast & Border
HEADLINER Saline 42, Dexter 40 This was Saline’s closest Southeastern Conference Red game since 2016, but the Hornets managed to extend their league winning streak to 45 in clinching the championship outright. The teams traded touchdowns during the final minute, but the decider came a few minutes earlier when Saline was able to stop a Dexter two-point conversion try that would’ve tied the score at 35-35. The Dreadnaughts fell to 5-3. Click for more from the Ann Arbor News.
Watch list Chelsea 24, St. Joseph 14 The Bulldogs (8-0) have been among the top three teams in Division 4 all fall and moved back into the No. 1 spot with this win over the Division 3 Bears (5-3).
Remember this one Addison 52, Napoleon 34 The Panthers cemented the outright Cascades Conference championship and in moving to 8-0 have their most wins in a season since 2006. Napoleon (5-3) had given up only 98 points total coming into the weekend.
More shoutouts Jackson Lumen Christi 33, Parma Western 0 The Titans (7-2) sent Western (5-3) into fourth place and earned one of three shares of the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference championship, with Hastings and Battle Creek Harper Creek also winning this weekend to tie for first. Reading 20, Homer 6 This wasn’t for a league title, but Big 8 Conference runner-up Reading (6-2) bumped up five spots in Division 8 to No. 13 with the win over the Division 7 Trojans (5-3).
Southwest Corridor
HEADLINER Constantine 32, Kalamazoo United 14 The Falcons (8-0) clinched a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore championship, continuing their season-long streak of double-digit wins while handing Kalamazoo United (5-3) its lone league loss. The championship is Constantine’s third straight, and it can claim the title outright this week against winless Coloma. Click for more from FOX 17.
Watch list Battle Creek Lakeview 44, Stevensville Lakeshore 29 After a Week 7 loss to Mattawan severely hampered Lakeview’s chances in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference, the Spartans (5-3) bounced back quickly to keep Lakeshore (6-2) – tied for first heading into the game – from claiming a share of the title.
Remember this one Portage Central 41, Battle Creek Central 16 Despite losing its season opener to Lakeshore, Portage Central didn’t lose again in SMAC play and clinched the title with this win over the Bearcats (3-5) – who remain in contention for a Division 3 playoff spot.
More shoutouts Three Rivers 28, Plainwell 20 Two weeks ago, Three Rivers (5-3) was one spot outside the potential Division 4 playoff field. But wins over Sturgis and now Plainwell have the Wildcats back up to No. 22 – and tied there with the Trojans (5-3). Vicksburg 35, Paw Paw 13 The Bulldogs (7-1) have moved up in Division 4 four straight weeks and now sit No. 4 with Paw Paw (5-3) at No. 25 in the same potential field.
Upper Peninsula
HEADLINER Ishpeming Westwood 50, Bark River-Harris 8 Co-leaders in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference divisions met for an intriguing tune-up before both play for league championships this week. The Copper’s Westwood (7-1) came away with its seventh game this season holding its opponent to eight points for fewer as it prepares for Negaunee this week. Bark River-Harris (5-3) will see Ishpeming for the outright Iron title and might be rooting for Westwood this week too as the Broncos need as many playoff points as possible to move up in the Division 8 field. Click for more from the Marquette Mining Journal.
Watch list Marquette 28, Traverse City West 15 Receiving one of the biggest rankings boosts this week was Marquette (6-2), which moved up 14 spots to No. 12 in Division 3 with this win over the Division 1 Titans (6-2).
Remember this one Calumet 30, Hancock 0 While most eyes will be on the Westwood/Negaunee matchup, Calumet (6-2) moved into position to claim a share of the Copper title as well and will face L’Anse to finish the league schedule.
More shoutouts Negaunee 26, Houghton 6 The Miners (7-1) moved up the Division 6 rankings for the third-straight week, up to No. 11 while also setting up this week’s matchup with Westwood. Kingsford 35, Petoskey 21 The Flivvers (5-3) received a nice bump to No. 15 in Division 5 with a solid win over the Division 3 Northmen (3-5).
West Michigan
HEADLINER Grand Rapids Catholic Central 41, Cedar Springs 40 After the Red Hawks (6-2) led for the majority of the first three quarters, GRCC went ahead to stay with 2:32 to play in the third – but not without a dramatic finish. Cedar Springs scored with 38 seconds left to pull within a point of the lead, but the Cougars (8-0) stopped the two-point conversion try and clinched a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold title. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Watch list Muskegon Catholic Central 24, Centreville 16 The Crusaders (7-1) moved up to a season-best No. 6 in Division 7 by getting past Division 8 then-No. 7 Centreville and scoring more points than defensively-dominant Centreville had given up over the last five games combined.
Remember this one Whitehall 34, Montague 14 This result created a three-team shared West Michigan Conference championship with these two and Muskegon Oakridge, and for Whitehall much more with context. It was the Vikings’ first win over Montague since 2014, and the league title is the program’s first since 1999.
More shoutouts Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 31, Byron Center 0 The Rangers (7-1) clinched a share of the O-K White championship while avenging last season’s 35-14 loss to the Bulldogs, who shared the 2020 title with FHC. Hudsonville Unity Christian 69, Coopersville 7 The Crusaders (8-0) clinched a share of the O-K Blue championship and sent Coopersville (5-3) into a tie for fourth place.
8-Player
HEADLINER Lake Linden-Hubbell 36, Crystal Falls Forest Park 6 The Lakes (6-2) threw a bit of a curveball into this week’s anticipated Great Lakes Eight Conference West title decider, knocking Forest Park (7-1) out of a tie for first place and in doing so helping leader Powers North Central to a share of the championship. Although it’s out of the league race, Lake Linden-Hubbell also may end up making the playoffs in large part because of this win – the Lakes moved up three spots to No. 12 in Division 2. Forest Park faces North Central this week and still has a chance to earn a GLEC West share. Click for more from the Iron Mountain Daily News.
Watch list Rogers City 36, Mio 28 The 8-player format is suiting the Hurons (8-0) well in their first season. Rogers City is up to No. 5 in Division 1 with this win over the Thunderbolts (6-2) arguably its best.
Remember this one Rudyard 27, Gaylord St. Mary 0 This could have playoff qualification impacts for both teams. The Snowbirds (5-3) fell from No. 13 to No. 17 in Division 2, and Rudyard (6-2) moved up from No. 18 to No. 13 in Division 1.
More shoutouts Kinde North Huron 50, Peck 18 The Warriors (8-0) clinched the outright North Central Thumb League Stripes championship, their second straight, while sending Peck to 5-3. Marion 36, Vestaburg 16 While the Eagles (7-1) moved into the No. 2 spot in Division 2, Vestaburg (5-3) fell to two spots out of the Division 1 field with similarly situated Bear Lake on the schedule this week.
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PHOTOS (Top) Grand Blanc's Elijah Jackson-Anderson (2) charges into the Lapeer defense behind his blockers Friday. (Middle) A Pewamo-Westphalia ball carrier is wrapped up by a Bath defender during the Pirates' 41-0 win. (Below) A Vestaburg defender wraps up a Marion ball carrier. (Photos by Terry Lyons, Christine McCallister, and High School Sports Scene, respectively.)