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Lessons Learned, Goodrich Laughs Last

By Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com

October 25, 2017

The joke wasn’t incredibly original, nor was it incredibly funny, especially if you had any connection to the Goodrich football program.

But when you suffer through a winless season like the Martians did in 2016, people are going to have jokes.

This one was a knock-knock joke, and Owen was at the door. Owen Nine.

Goodrich senior defensive back and captain Ryan Aylmer can at least smile now when he tells it, because with the Martians having just completed an 8-1 regular season, there are no more jokes.

“This year, people go through the school and they talk about who we got next week, and what we’re looking like in the playoffs,” Aylmer said. “Now teachers are talking about the games in school, and I’ve got little kids recognizing who I am. People are back into the program now that we’re succeeding. It feels great, especially after last year when it felt like we were nothing, that forgotten team. But now we’re back in the community.”

This isn’t a story of some moribund program finally finding its way to the postseason. In fact, when Goodrich hosts Pontiac Notre Dame Prep on Friday in the first round of the MHSAA Division 4 playoffs, it will be in a familiar spot.

From 2008 through 2015, Goodrich qualified for the playoffs six times, and had a losing record just once.

The question in Goodrich was how does 0-9 happen?

“That team we had last year, they weren’t an 0-9 team,” Goodrich coach Tom Alward said. “I should have done a better job last year, and we should have won several games. It just didn’t happen. This year, kids are making things happen that we couldn’t make happen last year.”

Alward took over the Goodrich program in 1993, and in 1995 led the Martians to the postseason for the first time ever. His 146 wins since are the most in program history, and he already has been inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Despite all of that previous success, a moment at the end of last season led Alward to say he had never been more proud of any team he had ever coached.

“After our ninth game last year at St. Johns, when we just got beat 52-0 to finish an 0-9 season, that entire team stayed on the St. Johns football field for probably a half hour, 40 minutes just talking to one another, hugging one another -- they knew it was the end,” Alward said. “They played their tails off all year. I can’t say enough about them. I just feel so bad that they have that 0-9 stigma. I’ve got that stigma myself from when I played at Tampa on the 0-14 team (for the NFL’s Buccaneers in 1976). But I just feel bad, because they didn’t deserve that.”

Alward and his staff didn’t panic and make drastic changes following the winless season, but in his 25th with the Martians, he was able to look at all aspects of the program, including himself, to see where things needed to be different.

“We did exit interviews at the end of last year, because we were concerned about the culture,” Alward said. “We’ve been able to win here for a number of years, and we didn’t want to all of the sudden have kids thinking that they couldn’t win because we went 0-9. We wanted to address that part of it, so we did exit interviews, we did a lot of offseason bonding exercises, team building and all of that stuff. This team is pretty close. We were fortunate to get off to a good start, and the rest has kind of just taken care of itself.”

That bond, players say, is what has sparked the rebound.

“We would go out to dinner together, we would do everything together all summer long,” senior defensive lineman and captain Sebastian Foglio said. “We would work out together, we would push each other. There’s no age, there’s no ‘freshmen get the water,’ none of that stuff. We just came together and did what we had to do. Everybody is close with everybody, nobody dislikes anybody. If we do, we’ll talk and change that.”

And the start, well, it couldn’t have been much better.

In Goodrich’s opening game against Burton Bendle, freshman Tyson Davis returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. It was an immediate announcement that the 2017 season would be different.

“It was a sigh of relief,” Aylmer said. “Last year we scored (66) points all year. Seeing, literally, the first play of the brand new year getting taken back, and scoring (44) points our first game, it was just a sigh of relief getting that out of the way and realizing that we can do that this year.”

Goodrich rolled to a 3-0 start, outscoring opponents by a combined score of 132-12 before falling 20-7 in Week 4 against Genesee Area Conference Red rival Lake Fenton. But a resounding 42-0 win the next week against Otisville-LakeVille started a five-game winning streak to end the regular season for the Martians, who outscored opponents by an average of nearly 26 points on the year.

Suddenly all of the social media chatter from the area was gone, along with the jokes. But the lessons learned from an 0-9 season were not.

“There’s been a chip on our shoulder,” Aylmer said. “It seems like every week these guys last year thought we were bad, or we played them last year and they beat us. We had a chip on our shoulder and everybody has taken it to heart, and it seems like we’ve been fighting every week as an 0-9 team, but we’re really a good team this year.”

Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.

PHOTOS: (Top) Goodrich celebrates seeing itself on the playoff bracket during Sunday’s selection show on FOX Sports Detroit. (Middle) Goodrich freshman Tyson Davis contends for a loose ball during the season opener against Burton Bendle; he returned the opening kickoff that game for a touchdown. (Top photo by Paul Costanzo; bottom photo by Terry Lyons.)

Martin’s Gavin Meyers (7) breaks through a gap in the Gobles defense Friday.

1st & Goal: 2024 Playoffs Week 1 Review

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 4, 2024

The ability to play another day obviously is the best reward for 288 teams that qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs.

MI Student AidBut another of the greatest gifts is the chance to make up for a missed opportunity from the regular season.

We highlight below 40 of our 144 first-round games from this past weekend. Of those 40, 15 were rematches – and of those rematches, nine were won the second time by the team that lost the first.

11-Player Division 1

HEADLINER Grandville 24, Rockford 14 For the second-straight season, Grandville (6-4) opened the playoffs with a win – and this time with its first over the Rams since 2019. Rockford (7-3) had defeated Grandville 37-20 in Week 3, but with Tank Terry scoring twice during the third quarter the Bulldogs brought a lead into the second half of this rematch and never trailed again. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.

District Digest Hudsonville 25, East Kentwood 23 On the other side for Grandville in their District bracket, Ottawa-Kent Conference Red champion Hudsonville (9-1) held off a strong challenge from the Falcons (5-5) after having defeated them 35-6 in their Week 5 meeting. Oxford 21, Davison 14 Oxford (7-3) went on the road, and coming off a Week 9 loss, to win its first playoff game since 2021 and guarantee its best record since 2018 – when the Wildcats also opened the playoffs with a win over Davison (7-3). Clarkston 34, Lake Orion 16 The Wolves (7-3) are surging with five wins over their last six gams and this avenging their only loss during that string, a 20-13 defeat to the Dragons (6-4) in Week 7.

11-Player Division 2

HEADLINER Byron Center 38, Grand Rapids Northview 17 Byron Center (9-1) just missed on a league championship this fall but will play for a second-straight District title after pulling away to hand O-K Black champion Northview (9-1) its only loss this fall. The Bulldogs earned a rematch this week with O-K Green rival Muskegon Mona Shores, which won their Week 4 meeting 14-12. Northview closed its first winning season since 2019 with more victories than the last two combined. Click for more from FOX 17.

District Digest Grosse Pointe South 27, Roseville 26 South (10-0) at one point led 24-6 and held on to reach double-digit wins for the first time – and after going 9-2 a year ago and losing to Roseville (7-3) in a District Final, 24-17. Mattawan 27, Lansing Everett 21 Mattawan (7-3) is enjoying its winningest season since 2017, with this its first playoff victory since 2012. Everett (6-4) improved a win from a year ago to tie its highest total since 2014. Farmington 39, White Lake Lakeland 13 Farmington (7-3) earned its first playoff win since 2019 – continuing a rebound from 2-7 a year ago – and defeated a Lakeland team (6-4) that made the playoffs for the seventh time over the last eight seasons.

11-Player Division 3

HEADLINER Linden 42, Fenton 14 Linden (5-5) opened this season 0-2 and finished the regular season with two defeats and three over its last four games. But all of that may have paid off with this win to avenge a 24-21 Week 6 loss to the Tigers (7-3) that ended up deciding the Flint Metro League Stripes championship. That loss to Fenton was one of four three-point heartbreakers the Eagles endured this fall, but they will play for a District title this week. Click for more from the Tri-County Times.

District Digest Riverview 22, Trenton 21 Riverview quarterback Lucas Thompson put his team ahead to stay with a 2-point conversion run with 20 seconds to play, giving the Pirates (9-1) a close playoff win over Trenton for the second-straight season after they defeated the Trojans (6-4) by two in a District opener a year ago. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 7, East Grand Rapids 0 The reigning Division 3 champion Rangers (8-2) followed up a 24-0 win over EGR in Week 9 by just getting past the Pioneers (5-5) again. Walled Lake Western 49, Garden City 7 The Warriors (10-0) are expected to be top contenders in this division and reached 10 wins for the second straight season, but Garden City (7-3) deserves recognition as well for completing its winningest campaign since 2000.

11-Player Division 4

HEADLINER Dearborn Divine Child 42, Madison Heights Lamphere 6 Lamphere (8-2) entered the postseason No. 3 in the coaches poll and completed its third eight-win season over the last five. But Divine Child will play on after freshman quarterback Drew Sheridan threw five touchdown passes to send the Falcons (7-3) into a District Final matchup with reigning Division 4 champion Harper Woods. Click for more from the Dearborn Press & Guide.

District Digest Edwardsburg 29, Battle Creek Harper Creek 8 Edwardsburg (7-3) has shown plenty of times over the last 15 years why it is a scary playoff opponent, and this became another example as Harper Creek (8-2) entered the weekend coming off a league title and finished with its best record since 2017.  Niles 42, Paw Paw 14 The two teams that finished ahead of Edwardsburg in the Wolverine Conference met for the second week in a row, with Niles (9-1) adding to its 21-0 win from Week 9 to end Paw Paw’s season at 8-2. Harper Woods 46, Redford Union 6 Harper Woods (7-3) entered the playoffs ranked No. 5 by the coaches, and Redford Union (8-2) was No. 2 and also had lost to the Pioneers in their season opener 43-21.

11-Player Division 5

HEADLINER Gladwin 18, Kingsford 15 When a team moves to 7-3 with all three of its losses to league champions, it’s difficult to call it a stunner. But Gladwin can claim it as Kingsford (9-1) also was a league champion, undefeated and ranked No. 3 entering this District Semifinal. Eric Roggow’s fourth-quarter field goal was the decider for the Flying Gs. Click for more from the Bay City Times.

District Digest Ogemaw Heights 21, Clare 13 Just as the Week 5 matchup went to Ogemaw Heights, 41-34, so too did the rematch between the Jack Pine Conference Division 1 co-champions. Clare finished 7-3 for the second-straight year after completing its 19th-straight winning regular season. Romulus 26, Detroit Lincoln-King 24 Romulus (5-5) earned its first playoff win since 2016, and in doing so handed Lincoln-King (9-1) its only loss of what was by far the most successful season of its three-year varsity history. Lincoln-King was 0-9 two seasons ago and 3-6 last fall. Flat Rock 40, Detroit Denby 22 Flat Rock (8-2) advanced by defeating a league title winner in Detroit Public School League Gold co-champion Denby (6-4), putting the Rams in position to play for a third-straight District trophy.

11-Player Division 6

HEADLINER Ovid-Elsie 44, Almont 21 The Mid-Michigan Activities Conference saw its undefeated champion fall (see below) but its runner-up down another undefeated league title winner as Ovid-Elsie handed No. 2 Almont its only loss. This was a rematch of a 2023 Semifinal won by the Raiders 45-21, but this time the Marauders put up their most points since mid-September and the most Blue Water Area Conference champ Almont (9-1) had given up in a game since 2021. Click for more from Lansing State Journal.

District Digest Lansing Catholic 36, Chesaning 29 The Cougars (7-3) have won at least one playoff game now eight seasons in a row, and this one came against MMAC champion Chesaning (9-1) and a defense that otherwise gave up just 12 points per game this fall. Detroit Central 34, Detroit Edison 16 Central (7-3) shared the PSL Gold title with Denby and then won the PSL Gold City championship, and this victory over No. 9 Edison (6-4) ranks right up there as well. Constantine 39, Parchment 14 Just because Constantine (7-3) found itself outside a league title race this fall for the first time in a while doesn’t mean the Falcons were going to go quietly – and they made some serious noise in avenging a 51-30 loss to Parchment (7-3) from Week 7.

Clarkston’s Griffin Boman (0) wraps up Lake Orion’s Jayden Borrero.

11-Player Division 7

HEADLINER Union City 42, Hanover-Horton 13 Big 8 Conference champ Union City (9-1) has scored nearly 36 points per game during its winningest season since 2011, and this was the Chargers’ fourth time reaching 42 as they bounced back from a Week 9 loss to Buchanan. Hanover-Horton (8-2) closed this season with two losses to teams a combined 18-2 but must be celebrated for its best showing since 2014, a run which included a Cascades Conference West title. Click for more from the Coldwater Daily Reporter.

District Digest Clinton 38, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 32 The former Tri-County Conference rivals met for the first time since 2019, Clinton’s last season in the TCC, and this time the Redwolves (7-3) came back from two straight losses to end the regular season to end Whiteford’s fall at 5-5. Traverse City St. Francis 41, Charlevoix 16 The Gladiators (7-3) won this matchup of Northern Michigan Football League divisional champions, having also defeated the Rayders (6-4) in the season opener 67-22. McBain 49, Harrison 6 McBain (9-1) bounced back from a Week 9 loss to reach a second-straight District Final. Harrison (7-3) finished this fall with three straight defeats to playoff teams but with its best record since 2015 and after going 2-7 both of the last two seasons.

11-Player Division 8

HEADLINER Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 21, Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central 20 These neighbors have played one-point games three of the last five seasons, and Nouvel (8-2) actually won their regular-season meeting in Week 4, 23-14, and led this time 6-0 into the third quarter. But MLS (7-3) found its stride thereafter to earn its second trip to the District Finals in three seasons. Click for more from the Saginaw News.

District Digest Saugatuck 24, White Pigeon 22 After having three of its last four seasons ended by White Pigeon (8-2) in the playoffs, Saugatuck advanced to a second-straight District Final by winning the closest game for both this fall. Beal City 47, Frankfort 0 Beal City (8-2) faced Frankfort (7-3) in a playoff opener for the second-straight season, adding this win to last year’s 42-7 victory that started a Semifinal run. Harbor Beach 35, Ubly 0 The Pirates (10-0) posted their second-straight shutout and fifth of the season in ending this year’s run and a six-game winning streak for last fall’s Division 8 champion Bearcats (6-4).

Ishpeming's Caden Luoma breaks away from Norway's Carter Cazzola (43) and Keith Burar, Jr. (54).

8-Player Division 1

HEADLINER Martin 52, Gobles 22 The two-time reigning champion Clippers appear to be in playoff form again, as this avenged a 20-14 loss to Gobles from just three weeks earlier. This made it two seasons in a row that Martin (9-1) avenged a regular-season loss to the Tigers (9-1). The Clippers broke away with 30 second-half points to Gobles’ eight. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Regional Roundup Mendon 58, Climax-Scotts 50 Mendon’s Owen Gorham ran for 231 yards and five touchdowns, the last a four-yarder with three seconds to play followed by his 2-point conversion to push the Hornets (9-1) past Climax-Scotts just two weeks after losing to the Panthers (8-2) 46-44. Kingston 16, Fulton 14 The Cardinals (8-2) earned a rematch with rival Deckerville by handing the Pirates (8-2) just their second loss of their winningest season since 2010 in 11-player. Ishpeming 44, Norway 38 The Hematites’ first run into an 8-player bracket is off to the right start, with this win over the Knights (7-3) earning Ishpeming (6-2) a rematch with Week 4 opponent Pickford.

8-Player Division 2

HEADLINER Onekama 22, Marion 20 Both finalists for last season’s Division 2 championship were eliminated from this year’s bracket, and we’ll start with the reigning runner-up Marion (8-2) – which had defeated Onekama 44-8 in Week 2. The Eagles ended their season with two losses by a combined six points. But the Portagers improved to 9-1, one more win than their last four seasons’ totals combined. Click for more from the Manistee News Advocate.

Regional Roundup Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 24, Grand Rapids Sacred Heart 21 After debuting in varsity play last season with a win by forfeit and two losses, Grand Rapids Sacred Heart (9-1) established itself with a perfect regular season and No. 1 ranking heading into this playoffs. But Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (7-3) had seen plenty of top competition with its three losses to teams that all finished the regular season 8-1. Morrice 28, Portland St. Patrick 22 Two of those one-loss teams that had defeated MP Sacred Heart met on the other side of the bracket, with Morrice (9-1) avenging a 29-12 Week 4 defeat to the Shamrocks (8-2). Britton Deerfield 58, Adrian Lenawee Christian 15 The Patriots (9-1) reached nine wins for the second time in four seasons – and after finishing just 2-7 a year ago – completing a 2024 sweep of the 2023 Division 2 champion Cougars (4-6).

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PHOTOS (Top) Martin’s Gavin Meyers (7) breaks through a gap in the Gobles defense Friday. (Middle) Clarkston’s Griffin Boman (0) wraps up Lake Orion’s Jayden Borrero. (Below) Ishpeming's Caden Luoma breaks away from Norway's Carter Cazzola (43) and Keith Burar, Jr. (54). (Top photo by Gary Shook. Clarkston/Lake Orion photo by Terry Lyons. Ishpeming/Norway photo by Cara Kamps.)