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Playoffs Packed with Livonia Power

By Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half

October 25, 2017

LIVONIA – Let the good times roll.

Football fans in Livonia have been blessed recently with the success of Livonia Public Schools’ football programs, and this season is no exception. 

Churchill, Franklin and Stevenson all qualified for the MHSAA playoffs, and glancing at the pairings all have a reasonable shot at winning their Pre-District games and perhaps a District title as well.

Churchill and Franklin are both 7-2 and open Division 2 play as visitors, Churchill at Pinckney (8-1) and Franklin at Walled Lake Western (8-1). Stevenson will compete in Division 1 and, even though the Spartans are 5-4, will play host to Detroit Catholic Central (5-4). All three games are Friday at 7 p.m.

All three are members of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association. Franklin has made the playoffs three consecutive seasons and reached a Division 2 Semifinal in 2015. Churchill has qualified for the playoffs five of the last seven seasons and Stevenson, the most consistent program of the three, is in for the fifth time in the last six seasons. (Livonia Clarenceville, another public school in Livonia, is not part of the Livonia Public School system and did not make the playoffs this fall.)

The three head coaches agree that the source of this recent success is a thriving little league program, the Livonia Junior Athletic League. Four teams compete in the league – the Blue Jays, Eagles, Falcons and Orioles – and players range in age from 6 to 13. Those 6 and 7-year-olds compete in flag football.

The LJAL is the lifeline to the high schools because Livonia Public Schools does not sponsor middle school or junior high football.

“We’ve always had a strong little league program,” Franklin coach Chris Kelbert said. “With the little league program, our feeder program, we’ve worked hard to develop a system for them to do what we do.”

The Livonia schools haven’t always been so successful. Franklin, for example, won the first Class A title in 1975, then went 30 years before making its next playoff appearance. Stevenson made the playoffs just once in the first 19 seasons of the MHSAA tournament. But since 1993, the Spartans have qualified 16 times highlighted by a Division 1 championship game appearance in 2007 and a Semifinal appearance the following season.

Then there’s Churchill. The Chargers made the playoffs in 1979, then seemingly disappeared. Not only did they not make the playoffs again until 2004, the Chargers had one of the poorest runs in terms of victories in state history. From 1990-96 they won one game. At one point Churchill lost 34 consecutive. Following those rugged years the Chargers finished 2-7 five straight season (1997-2001).

Times have changed. John Filiatraut, now the head coach at Dearborn Divine Child, helped guide the Chargers out of those rough times as they won the school’s first District title in 2004 and finished 8-4. Except for a 1-8 season in 2005, Churchill has remained competitive since that bounce-back season.

Bill DiFillipo was an assistant under Filiatraut and is in his fifth season as Churchill’s head coach. He said talent in his program keeps improving and he credits the coaches, on his team and within the LJAL, for that progress. He also said the healthy rivalry that exists between the three schools has sparked enthusiasm and an increase in competitiveness.

“This is Churchill’s best run,” he said. “You have to have good feeder teams. We’ve done a good job of developing kids. Our senior class was 0-9 as freshmen, and they were 2-7 on the JV. Over at Franklin, Chris has done a good job. When Randy (Micallef) took over, Stevenson was down. Randy and his staff have done a good job of getting them back.”

Stevenson won just five games combined in 2010 and 2011. The Spartans made the playoffs in 2012 and missed the playoffs the following season, but then rattled off three straight appearances and will make it four straight this weekend.

The three programs annually play for a city championship. Stevenson has won the last two defeating Churchill and Franklin in each of the last two seasons.

Franklin’s only losses this fall were to Churchill and Stevenson, and the Patriots have won five straight since the second of those defeats.

Kelbert and his staff have done a remarkable job this season. Running back Isaac Moore was a part-time starter last season, and none of the other 10 starters on offense had started even one game. Franklin returned three starters on defense.

“We have a young offensive line,” Kelbert said. “We have two seniors there, and neither one played offense line before. But we’re clicking now. It’s been frustrating at times. We knew we had some good players coming back. After the Howell game (a 21-0 Franklin victory in Week 5), we saw some improvement. Our defense has been lights out all season. We adopted a new philosophy on defense. We wanted to be more athletic and have more speed. When Romeo won (the 2016 Division 1) title, they won it with small linemen who couldn’t be blocked. We figured we could use that philosophy. The game has changed dramatically in the 19 years I’ve coached in high school.”

Kelbert faced a different test this season. He’s starting his son, Jacob, at quarterback, and he’s just a sophomore. Jacob Kelbert played on the freshmen team last season after going through Livonia’s little league program.

“It has its challenges,” Kelbert said of coaching the eldest of his three sons. “I forget he’s young sometimes. I expect him to play like a senior.”

DiFillipo also has a first-year starter at quarterback, but at least this one was on varsity last season as a back-up. Junior Drew Alsobrooks has played well this season, and he’s benefitted from an experienced offensive line. Four seniors start on the offensive line and the lone junior, Ethan Gyurnek, started last season as a sophomore.

DiFillipo adds that it’s been a team effort.

“Our defense has played the best in the 10 years that I’ve been here,” he said. “We’re giving up 14 points a game.

“Franklin and us have had the best two defenses in our division (KLAA Gold). Grand Blanc has the best offense, and we held them to nine points. Franklin shut them out.”

It’s been a different season for Stevenson. The Spartans started 4-0, then lost three straight. They beat Salem, 31-10, in Week 8 before losing to Franklin, 35-21, in a KLAA crossover.

Micallef said he’s noticed an improvement in the level of skilled athletes to come through the three programs. Specifically in his program, players like quarterback Parker Graham, all-purpose athlete George Ferguson and two-way back Devin Dunn all have had experiences in other sports as well that have contributed to their competitive nature.

“The coaches have become progressively better across the board,” Micallef said. “And some of the kids who might have gone to private schools now are staying put. Catholic Central moving from Redford to Novi has had a hand in keeping some of the Livonia kids here.

“We have some really good athletes this season. Parker was a running back last year, and we played him in the secondary, too. But with him moving to quarterback, I’ve kept him off the defense. But I had him at linebacker last week, and he had like seven or eight tackles. Both him and Ferguson play basketball and baseball, and Devin is a multi-sport athlete, too. In crunch times, these kids have played in so many big baseball games or big basketball games that they’re not afraid to make the big play. They embrace that.”

Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.

PHOTOS: (Top) Clockwise from left, Churchill’s Martell Dooley, Stevenson’s Parker Graham and Franklin’s Isaac Moore are among standouts for the Livonia Public Schools’ three playoff-bound varsity teams. (Middle top) Churchill junior quarterback Drew Alsobrooks has stepped in well as the starter this fall. (Middle below) Senior linebacker Jacob Mass helps key a more athletic Franklin defense this season. (Below) Senior George Ferguson is one of the multi-sport athletes making major contributions to Stevenson’s success. (Photos courtesy of the Churchill, Stevenson and Franklin football programs.)

Martin's Haylen Buell charges into an opening during his team's win over Gobles.

1st & Goal: 2023 Playoff Week 2 Review

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 6, 2023

This weekend’s 8-Player Regional Finals and 11-Player District Finals featured more rematches from the regular season that crop up when the best teams must face off again but with the winner moving on and the loser this time putting away the pads until next fall.

MI Student AidAnd as we see just about every season, those matchups during the second week of this MHSAA Playoffs showed how much can change between the first meeting to the last – even if, in some cases, only a few weeks have passed between those two games.

8-player alone featured five rematches (of eight games total) – and three were won by the team that lost the first time, Martin enjoying the greatest reversal in flipping a 37-point defeat. The 11-player series saw its share of rematches as well – with a classic nearly stealing the thunder of another massive showdown in Division 1.

Of course, several individuals stood out over the weekend’s 72 games – but a couple require special recognition. Braylon Isom tied and reset the 11-player career receiving touchdowns record with his 49th and 50th in Saginaw Heritage’s 35-13 win over Midland Dow in Division 1. About a 1½-hour drive east, in Division 8, Ubly kicker Brett Mueller set the career extra points record with five more for 209 total as his team downed Harbor Beach 35-14.

See below for more of the most notable as we neared the halfway point of this postseason:

11-Player Division 1

HEADLINER Belleville 65, Saline 14 The growing legends of Belleville and quarterback Bryce Underwood added another chapter with the team’s 36th-straight win. Underwood was nearly perfect throwing the ball as the Tigers (11-0) also held Saline (9-2) to well below its 45 points-per-game average heading into the day. Click for more from the Ann Arbor News.

District Digest Clarkston 38, Lake Orion 37 Clarkston (6-5) dealt Lake Orion (10-1) the latter’s only loss of the season, doing so by avenging a 42-21 defeat by the Dragons in Week 7 and this time coming back from two touchdowns down with five minutes to play. Southfield Arts & Technology 36, Detroit Cass Tech 25 The Warriors (10-1) claimed their first District title since 2016, adding to a 29-27 win over Cass Tech from Week 1 and avenging last season’s District Final loss to the Technicians (7-4). Northville 24, Detroit Catholic Central 17 This also was a rematch of a 2022 District Final, with Northville (10-1) avenging last season’s 42-17 loss to the Shamrocks (8-3) to earn a rematch this week with Belleville. The Tigers dealt the Mustangs their only defeat this fall, in Week 9.

11-Player Division 2

HEADLINER Byron Center 31, Caledonia 28 A back-and-forth game during the second half went Byron Center’s way permanently on the final play as the Bulldogs (10-1) scored the go-ahead touchdown to clinch their first District title since 2016. Caledonia ended 8-3 and are a combined 30-7 over the last three seasons after reaching the Division 1 Final a year ago. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.

District Digest Muskegon 42, Muskegon Mona Shores 28 The Big Reds (9-2) secured their 11th District championship over the last 12 seasons, adding to a Week 4 win over the rival Sailors (7-4). Roseville 24, Grosse Pointe South 17 A program that won its first District title in 2021 now has its second in three seasons, Roseville (8-3) earning it by avenging a 16-7 Week 5 loss to the eventual MAC White champion.  Grosse Pointe South (9-2) capped its winningest season since 1987. Waterford Mott 34, Birmingham Seaholm 21 Mott (9-2) tied its school record for wins, per Michigan-Football.com, by also claiming a second District title in program history and second over the last three seasons. Seaholm finished 9-2, continuing a rise from 1-8 two seasons ago.

11-Player Division 3

HEADLINER Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 45, Mount Pleasant 21 Forest Hills Central (10-1) took a massive step as it continues to build on last season’s Division 2 runner-up finish, as these two ended the regular season fourth and second, respectively, in Division 3 playoff-point average. The Oilers finished 9-2, their only other loss in their season opener. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.

District Digest Zeeland West 46, Coopersville 32 After ending the regular season with three close losses, West (8-3) has bounced back with a repeat District championship and two of its five highest-scoring games this fall. Coopersville (8-3) ended its winningest season since 2007, and its three defeats were by a combined 18 points. Walled Lake Western 50, Auburn Hills Avondale 22 In clinching its first District title since 2019, Western (10-1) earned a rematch with the lone opponent it lost to this season, Mason. Avondale finished 9-2, its best since 2012. River Rouge 49, Riverview 27 The Panthers (7-4) ran their winning streak to six games with their first District title since 2020, and earned a rematch with Detroit Martin Luther King, which ended Rouge’s season in a playoff opener a year ago. Riverview saw an eight-game winning streak come to an end in finishing 9-2.

11-Player Division 4

HEADLINER Big Rapids 28, Whitehall 27 A final-seconds field-goal attempt block earned Big Rapids its first District title since 2003, as the Cardinals (10-1) also reached double-digit wins for the first time since that season. Whitehall (10-1) had entered the playoffs as one of only two undefeated teams in Division 4. Click for more from the Big Rapids Pioneer.

District Digest Niles 42, Paw Paw 13 Niles followed up its 56-18 Week 9 win over Paw Paw (9-2) that clinched the Wolverine Conference title with this victory to earn the Vikings (10-1) their first District championship. Haslett 30, Chelsea 22 The Vikings (8-3) went on the road and held on through the final play to clinch their first District title since 2005. Chelsea finished 9-2, nearly doubling its wins from a 5-5 run a year ago. Goodrich 21, Freeland 20 The reigning Division 4 runner-up followed up last season’s 10-9 District Final win over Freeland (9-2) as Easton Phipps scored the go-ahead touchdown for Goodrich (10-1) with 1:46 to play.

11-Player Division 5

HEADLINER Corunna 28, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 17 Corunna (11-0) downed an unbeaten opponent for the second-straight week, and in doing so set a program record for wins as Jaden Edington starred again on both sides of the ball. Notre Dame (9-1) had defeated its opponents by an average score of 54-10. Click for more from the Owosso Argus-Press.

District Digest Macomb Lutheran North 32, Marine City 30 Just 3-6 a year ago, Lutheran North (9-2) also set a program record for wins this weekend in winning its first District championship on a last-minute field goal. Marine City finished 9-2, its only other defeat coming in its season opener. Kingsford 19, Ogemaw Heights 14 Kingsford (10-1) finished its road trip with its first District championship since 2009 and after reaching 10 wins for the first time since 2004. Ogemaw Heights also finished 9-2, with its only other defeat coming in Week 1. Detroit Southeastern 26, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 22 Southeastern’s most recent District title had come in 2018, in Division 8, and the Jungaleers improved to 8-3 after an 0-2 start this fall. Father Gabriel Richard finished 8-3, up from 3-6 a year ago and its first winning record since 2017.

11-Player Division 6

HEADLINER Gladstone 28, Negaunee 14 Gladstone (9-2) won a District title and reached nine wins both for the second-straight season, and also avenged last year’s 18-12 Regional loss to Negaunee as the Miners went on to finish Division 6 runner-up. Negaunee’s only other losses this fall were to Iron Mountain in Week 9 and Gladstone 42-14 to start the league schedule in Week 2. Click for more from the Escanaba Daily Press.

District Digest Midland Bullock Creek 49, Chesaning 22 The Lancers (8-3) won their first District championship since 2005 and equaled their most wins since 2007, and after winning four games each of the last three seasons. Chesaning finished 9-2, its winningest run since 2001. Almont 40, Warren Michigan Collegiate 38 (OT) Almont (10-1) delivered Michigan Collegiate its lone loss after the Cougars (10-1) had come back from an early deficit in seeking what would have been a fourth-straight District title. The Pirates had fallen to Collegiate in their only other meeting, a 2021 District Final. Detroit Edison 32, Ecorse 6 Edison (8-3) continued its record-setting season with its first District championship, continuing to bounce back from last year’s 2-7 finish. Ecorse finished 8-2, reaching that win total for the third-straight season.

11-Player Division 7

HEADLINER North Muskegon 27, Lawton 24 North Muskegon (11-0) trailed by three points heading into the fourth quarter, but found the end zone one more time to clinch its first District championship since 2006 and tie the program record for wins set in 1981 and also tied in 1986. Lawton finished 9-2 and is a combined 31-6 over the last three seasons. Click for more from the Muskegon Chronicle.

District Digest Millington 21, Cass City 20 The Cardinals (11-0) repeated as District champions, scoring the game-tying touchdown and connecting on the winning extra point with 1:52 to play. Cass City finished 8-3, a solid jump after back-to-back 5-5 seasons. Jackson Lumen Christi 26, Napoleon 0 These two collided in the playoffs for the second straight season, and Lumen Christi (10-1) followed last year’s Semifinal win by ending Napoleon’s season this time at 9-2. Menominee 50, Charlevoix 14 Menominee’s best season since 2017 continued in a big way as the Maroons improved to 9-2 and ended Charlevoix’s winningest season since 1977 also at 9-2.

11-Player Division 8

HEADLINER Ithaca 29, New Lothrop 28 Joe Dawe’s field goal with eight seconds to play sent Ithaca past New Lothrop (9-2) for a second-straight District championship after winning one in Division 7 a year ago. After not playing a single-digit game during the regular season, the Yellowjackets (11-0) have won both of their playoff games by a point. New Lothrop’s only other defeat this fall came by five, in Week 2 to Chesaning. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.

District Digest Ubly 35, Harbor Beach 14 Ubly (11-0) claimed a fifth-straight District title and added to its 56-20 win over Harbor Beach (9-2) in Week 4. Ottawa Lake Whiteford 24, Hudson 14 Whiteford’s closest game since early September netted the Bobcats (11-0) their third District title in a row, and after Hudson (8-3) had won their last playoff meeting in a 2021 Semifinal. Clarkston Everest Collegiate 19, Marine City Cardinal Mooney 14 These two have met in league play and District Finals the last two seasons, and Everest (9-2) has won their last three matchups adding this to a 21-7 victory in Week 6. Cardinal Mooney ended 6-5 after bouncing back from an 0-2 start.

8-Player Division 1

HEADLINER Indian River Inland Lakes 40, St. Ignace 36 Inland Lakes (10-1) reached double-digit wins for the second time in three seasons and clinched a Regional title by avenging its lone loss of this fall. These two continued to match up about as closely as possible, with the Bulldogs claiming this meeting after St. Ignace won 30-28 in Week 4. The Saints ended their first season of 8-player at 9-2. Click for more from the Cheboygan Daily Tribune.

Regional Roundup Pickford 34, Norway 16 This was a rematch of Pickford’s 40-18 win in Week 7 and this time sent the Panthers (10-1) back to Semifinals for the first time since winning Division 2 in 2019. Norway’s 8-3 finish was its best since 2017. Kingston 26, Brown City 0 The Cardinals (9-2) have posted two of the most notable playoff victories to kick off any division, this one clinching a Regional title for the first time since 2019 but also avenging a 38-20 Week 3 loss to previously-undefeated Brown City (10-1). Martin 28, Gobles 6 Reigning Division 1 champion Martin (9-2) hurdled a major obstacle in Gobles (8-3), avenging a 53-16 loss to the Tigers from Week 4.

Freeland defenders attempt to gauge Goodrich's next move during Friday's Martians win.

8-Player Division 2

HEADLINER Adrian Lenawee Christian 56, Climax-Scotts 16 The dominance Lenawee Christian (11-0) is exhibiting this fall may eclipse its work from its undefeated championship seasons of 2020 and 2021. The Cougars opened up a 13-point lead by halftime and then extended it for their ninth win of at least 40 points this fall. Climax-Scotts (10-1) posted its best record in five seasons of 8-player. Click for more from the Battle Creek Enquirer.

Regional Roundup Lake Linden-Hubbell 37, Powers North Central 18 There will be a new Division 2 champion as Lake Linden-Hubbell (8-3) ended North Central’s three-year run in this elimination game. The win also finished a season sweep of the Jets (8-3), as the Lakes won their Week 5 meeting 28-25. Deckerville 34, Portland St. Patrick 32 Deckerville (9-2) built a lead early and held on late to clinch a first Regional title since 2017 and end the Shamrocks’ run at 9-2 – a mighty bounce-back from 3-6 in 2022. Marion 48, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 6 Marion (10-0) claimed a fourth-straight Regional championship and will enter the Semifinals undefeated for the second-straight year, this win ending the strongest of Sacred Heart’s six seasons of 8-player at 9-2 – double the success of finishing 4-5 a year ago.

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PHOTOS (Top) Martin's Haylen Buell charges into an opening during his team's win over Gobles. (Middle) Freeland defenders attempt to gauge Goodrich's next move during Friday's Martians win. (Top photo by Gary Shook; middle photo by Terry Lyons.)