Martinez Shines in Big Reds' Opening Run
September 5, 2018
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
Muskegon High School junior quarterback Cameron Martinez already has shown off a plethora of moves in just the first two weeks of this season.
Week 1 was a display of uncanny patience, field vision and sudden bursts of speed – a combination which produced 30 carries for 290 yards and all five of the Big Reds’ touchdowns during a 36-21 win over visiting Warren DeLaSalle in a battle of reigning MHSAA Finals champions.
Week 2 featured more of an option attack and split-second decision-making (as well as a fourth quarter comeback) during a thrilling 24-21 victory over visiting Detroit Martin Luther King in another blockbuster cross-state matchup.
“I love playing in big games like this, with this atmosphere,” a smiling Martinez said moments after the King game on Aug. 31, as a packed house of more than 7,000 fans exited historic Hackley Stadium.
“There is no feeling like this.”
Martinez has played in big games before, but this atmosphere is a regular part of lining up for the reigning Division 3 champion – which he’s doing for the first time this fall. Midway through his sophomore year in January, Martinez – whose step-father is Muskegon athletic director and head varsity boys basketball coach Keith Guy – transferred from nearby Muskegon Catholic Central (which he led to the Division 8 championship as a freshman) to a larger school and a larger challenge at Muskegon High, which has the winningest high school football program in Michigan.
“When I got here, it was like a family right away,” said the 16-year-old Martinez. “That made the process and the transition so much easier.”
Muskegon coach Shane Fairfield made it clear when Martinez came over that no one is handed a starting position for the Big Reds. Martinez prevailed in a competition with senior Johnny Martin III for the starting position.
Muskegon fans also were skeptical at first, and who would blame them?
The relatively thin Martinez had to replace La’Darius Jefferson, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound quarterback with the mentality of a fullback who regularly ran over defenders while leading Muskegon to a 14-0 record and a victory over Farmington Hills Harrison in last fall’s Division 3 championship game. Jefferson, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards and was named The Associated Press’ Division 3-4 Player of the Year, is now a running back at Michigan State University.
Martinez won over the Big Reds’ faithful quickly with his memorable performance against DeLaSalle, which featured several highlight-reel long touchdown runs, along with many tough carries in short-yardage situations.
The humble Martinez, whose athletic ability was noticed by Central Michigan University two years ago when he was offered a scholarship as a 14-year-old eighth grader, deflected all of the praise and gave credit to the huge offensive line in front of him. Muskegon’s line averages 6-2 and 330 pounds, and returns four of five starters from a year ago.
Anthony Bradford (6-4, 350), who has committed to sign with Louisiana State University, anchors the line at right tackle, and the interior three – senior guards Marquis Cooper (6-2, 330) and Dquarius Johnson (6-2, 330) and junior center D’Andre Mills-Ellis (6-1, 290) – also are returning starters. The only new starter up front is senior left tackle Evan Towers (6-1, 290).
Fairfield said both Martinez and the big guys up front deserve credit.
“There is always a spot he’s heading to, and the guys are clearing the way,” explained Fairfield. “But then he is able to improv, and he does things on his own. He is special.”
Next up is a major road challenge Friday at perennial playoff power East Grand Rapids, before the Big Reds finish the regular season with six straight Ottawa-Kent Conference Black games.
Martinez also is expected to be a key contributor this winter on Guy’s Big Reds basketball team.
Now that the Big Red fans have fallen for Martinez, they do have two follow-up questions: Can Martinez continue to run the ball so much and stay healthy for a full season? And can he throw the ball accurately if need be?
Muskegon offensive coordinator Brent White hinted that he plans to share the wealth more as the season wears on to reduce the wear and tear on Martinez. That was certainly the case in Week 2 against King as halfback Jeremiah Lockhart and slots Demario Robinson and Hyrosha Wilson all had key carries.
White plans to introduce more wrinkles to his team’s attack each week, with the goal a more balanced run-pass offense for the big games down the stretch – most notably a looming home showdown on Oct. 12 against undefeated cross-town rival Muskegon Mona Shores – and then the playoffs.
Martinez has 59 carries over the first two games for 444 yards (7.5 per carry) and seven touchdowns. He has yet to complete a pass as a Big Red – Martinez was 0 for 1 through the air against DeLaSalle and 0 for 2 against King.
“We’re a power team, but we can throw the ball if we have to,” said Martinez, who threw for more than 700 yards last year as a sophomore at Muskegon Catholic. “There’s still a lot of room for improvement. I have to protect the ball better and show everyone that I can run and throw. It’s a great start for us, but we have a long way to go.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
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Crusaders Making Most of Opportunities
When Cameron Martinez transferred to Muskegon High in January, it was an opportunity for Muskegon Catholic Central sophomore Max Price.
Price, who has a strong arm and was a standout shortstop on the Crusaders’ varsity baseball team as a freshman, proved he was ready for prime time with a strong performance in MCC’s impressive 35-7 season-opening road win at Algonac.
Price threw for 150 yards and a touchdown against Algonac, which has advanced to at least the third round of the Division 5 playoffs each of the last three years. MCC is 1-1 after a 21-7 home loss last week to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.
The other big offseason news out of Muskegon Catholic was its announcement that it has entered into a two-year cooperative agreement to allow Muskegon Western Michigan Christian students to play football at MCC.
The agreement will bring much-needed depth to the Crusaders’ roster, as seven of its 32 players this fall are WMC students. However, it also will push the perennial Division 8 powerhouse up to a higher division for the playoffs. MCC will now have to combine its enrollment of 126 with 276 students from WMC for a total of 402, which would likely make it a Division 6 playoff school.
MCC, which has won 13 total MHSAA football championships and 12 during the playoff era, won four consecutive Division 8 championships from 2013-16. Christian Martinez, Cameron’s older brother who now plays receiver at Northwood University, was the starting quarterback on the Crusaders’ championship teams in 2014 and 2015.
– Tom Kendra
PHOTOS: (Top) Muskegon quarterback Cameron Martinez breaks through an opening during a Week 1 win against Warren DeLaSalle. (Middle) Martinez pulls away from a Detroit Martin Luther King defender during last week’s victory. (Below) Muskegon Catholic Central quarterback Max Price hands off during last week’s loss to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. (Photos courtesy of Local Sports Journal.)
1st & Goal: 2021 Finals Review
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 30, 2021
Two of the longest MHSAA Finals days at Ford Field – capped by two of the most exciting championship games in recent memory – concluded the 2021 football season this weekend.
Fans were able to savor every moment until nearly midnight both nights, and more than 38,000 made the trip to Detroit over the two-day 11-player event. That was in addition to those who journeyed from near and far the weekend before for the 8-Player Finals at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome, where a pair of repeat champions reigned again.
Second Half covered all 10 championship games, with quick recaps and links (click on the game scores) to those stories below followed by notations of performances entered into the MHSAA Finals record book and a report on some of the biggest and best stories to emerge from the championship weekends.
Finals in Review
11-Player Division 1: Belleville 55, Rochester Adams 33
After falling a win short of reaching the Final the last three seasons, Belleville advanced this fall and completed its first championship run. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood showed on a statewide stage why he’s received lots of attention during his high school debut, and he was surrounded by seniors including receiver Jeremiah Caldwell who helped carry the Tigers to the win.
11-Player Division 2: Warren De La Salle Collegiate 41, Traverse City Central 14
After falling in last season’s championship game, De La Salle took the next step in winning its fourth Finals title – and with expectations we could see the Pilots back at Ford Field again in 2022. Junior quarterback Brady Drogosh has been a big part of both trips, and this time he had a hand in 316 total yards and four touchdowns either running or passing.
11-Player Division 3: Detroit Martin Luther King 25, DeWitt 21
Two of the state’s premier quarterbacks were on display, junior Dante Moore for King and senior Ty Holtz for reigning champ DeWitt. But the deciding play was a defensive stand – specifically, the Crusaders stopping a 4th-and-goal from their 1-yard line with 2:34 to play. Both teams brought interceptions back for touchdowns, Holtz making the grab and score for DeWitt.
11-Player Division 4: Chelsea 55, Hudsonville Unity Christian 52
This is the game from this weekend many will be referring to years from now. Take your pick why – the 11-Player Finals record 107 combined points, Chelsea’s also-record 28-point comeback over the final 23 minutes, the fact Unity Christian had set the season record for points scored during the game. Maybe the walk-off field goal by Hunter Shaw saved in part by the deft handling of a short snap by quarterback/holder Lucas Dunn.
11-Player Division 5: Grand Rapids Catholic Central 31, Marine City 7
The Cougars won their second-straight championship in Division 5 and fifth over the last six seasons to go with Division 4 titles in 2016, 2017 and 2019. They did so with what has to be one of the finest back-up quarterbacking performances ever – senior John Passinault stepped in for injured past Finals star Joey Silveri and threw for 2,307 yards and 37 touchdowns this fall.
11-Player Division 6: Lansing Catholic 16, Warren Michigan Collegiate 6
The Cougars have been known for their offensive production over the last decade or more, but the defense led the way to their second championship in three seasons – they had won Division 5 in 2019. Lansing Catholic gave up only 40 points – or eight per game – during this playoff run, and in this game took advantage of four interceptions and a fumble recovery.
11-Player Division 7: Pewamo-Westphalia 14, Lawton 10
The Pirates added their fourth championship in six seasons, capping a run which saw them win their league and defeat eight more league champions along the way – one of them Lansing Catholic, the eventual Division 6 title winner. P-W had accomplished most of it with key players out with injuries, but multiple returned to lead the Pirates past Lawton, which was making its first Finals appearance.
11-Player Division 8: Hudson 14, Beal City 7
Defense has reigned in Division 8 the last few seasons, with Hudson following recent champions Centreville and Reading in thriving on that side of the ball. The Tigers ended their undefeated season having given up only 99 points (7.1 per game), and this time stopped a Beal City team averaging 35.5 points per contest entering Ford Field.
8-Player Division 1: Adrian Lenawee Christian 31, Suttons Bay 20
A rematch of last season’s Division 1 Final was more closely contested, but with the same result as Lenawee Christian finished its second-straight undefeated campaign. Cougars quarterback Ashur Bryja is a name to remember – he opened the scoring 51 seconds in with an interception return touchdown, ran for two more scores and threw for 229 yards.
8-Player Division 2: Powers North Central 63, Colon 0
The Jets won their second-straight Division 2 title and fourth 8-player championship total, and put up a combined 133 points over those last two Finals wins. North Central had 520 yards of total offense this time. Wyatt Raab, Luke Gorzinski and Alex Naser all scored two touchdowns, and Gorzinski also was the team’s leading tackler.
Records Report
11-Player
Chelsea and Hudsonville blew past the previous record of 94 combined points in an 11-Player Finals game with their combined 107. Chelsea’s 55 tied for third-most, with Unity Christian now sitting at sixth on that list after Belleville also scored 55 in Division 1.
As expected from a 55-52 game, Chelsea ended up with the fourth-most total yardage in 11-Player Finals history, with 533, and the teams’ combined total of 1,024 ranks second. Chelsea’s 28 first downs are tied for third-most.
Chelsea’s Lucas Hanifan tied 11-player championship game records with 30 points and five touchdowns, and set the receiving touchdowns record by two with that total. His quarterback Lucas Dunn set the 11-Player Finals record with six touchdown passes while also making the yardage list with 308, pass attempts list with 36 and completions list with 25. Hanifan’s nine receptions also rank among the most in that category.
Belleville freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood may have even exceeded high expectations with his Finals debut, making the total offense list with a combined 346 rushing and passing yards (with 284 passing) and tying for second with four others with five touchdown passes. Senior receiver Jeremiah Caldwell played a big part, tying for second with 204 receiving yards (on only four receptions) and also tying for second with three touchdown catches.
Warren De La Salle Collegiate became the 22nd team to keep an opponent from completing a pass, shutting out Traverse City Central on its nine attempts. Detroit Martin Luther King became the 29th team to not punt in an 11-Player Final.
De La Salle quarterback Brady Drogosh also made the total yardage list with 316 (including 174 rushing). King’s Dante Moore made the completions list with 18 on 24 attempts.
Chelsea’s Hunter Shaw and Belleville’s Brayden Lane tied the 11-Player Finals record held by three others with seven extra points, while in Division 2, De La Salle’s Brady Lowe made the extra point list with five. Shaw and Adams’ Colin Timko became the 11th and 12th, respectively, to make two or more field goals, Timko hitting from 27 and 35 yards in the Division 1 game and Shaw from 26 and 33.
Hudson’s march to victory included 282 rushing yards on 64 carries, which tied for the eighth-most runs by one team in an 11-Player Final.
8-Player
Powers North Central’s big win was accompanied by multiple scoring record book entries, including for 29 points in a quarter (third most), 49 in the first half (first) and 63 for one game (also ranking third). The Jets also made the team rushing yardage list with 328 and the team first downs list with 20. North Central also became the first in the category for fewest rushing yards allowed, holding Colon to -14.
Adrian Lenawee Christian set the team first downs record with 24 against Suttons Bay.
Lenawee Christian quarterback Ashur Bryja earned the sixth-most total yards in 8-Player Finals history, with 372 including 229 passing.
North Central’s Jaden Walters set the standard for 8-player championship game kickers, making all seven of his extra point attempts.
Suttons Bay’s August Schaub set a record that will be tough to match, returning an interception 99 yards for a touchdown against Lenawee Christian.
Teammate Hugh Periard was added with the second-longest rushing play in 8-Player Finals history, 90 yards against Lenawee Christian.
Stories Behind the Scores
Winning streaks grow: A few of this season’s winners not only repeated as champions, but extended overall winning streaks that will be followed closely next season. Grand Rapids Catholic Central has won 36 straight games, tied for the sixth-longest undefeated run. Lenawee Christian has won all 24 8-player games it’s played over the last two seasons, and North Central also is 24-0 over the last two.
What’s new is new: Belleville and Chelsea were first-time champions after some just-misses over the last decade. As noted above, the Tigers made the Semifinals this season for the fourth straight year before reaching Ford Field for the first time, and Chelsea has made the Semifinals five of the last seven seasons and had lost in Finals in 2015 and 2018.
QB Power: Michigan is graduating another fine class of high school quarterbacks – DeWitt’s Ty Holtz, in particular, provided two seasons of memories leading the Panthers on back-to-back trips to Ford Field. But we should expect to see some of the other 2021 championship signal-callers a lot next season. King’s Dante Moore will close one of the most highly-followed careers in some time, and De La Salle’s Brady Drogosh will be watched just as much next fall. Belleville’s Bryce Underwood will generate plenty of statewide interest over the next three seasons. As noted, Lenawee Christian’s Ashur Bryja is one of the next stars among the small schools, and North Central’s Luke Gorzinski has led two championship runs and still is just a junior. Two more to remember: Marine City junior Jeffery Heaslip was a standout run/pass threat in leading his team to the Division 5 Final, and Rochester Adams junior Parker Picot became known at least in-state as much for football leading his team in Division 1 as he’s known as a top-level baseball prospect.
No taking ‘normal’ for granted: Those who experienced the start-stop-start 2020 season will never forget it, nor should any of us who had the opportunity to enjoy a more “normal” 2021. With COVID-19 ever present, Michigan high schools did their parts again to play safely this fall. And proper perspective remains a great teacher of just how much that’s worth.
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