Playoffs: Semifinals in Review
December 16, 2011
It’s always hard to wave good-bye to another high school football season.
But stories of this fall’s playoffs will no doubt be retold a few times this winter -- especially after one of the most memorable Semifinals weekends in recent memory,
Nine of Saturday’s 16 games were decided by eight points or fewer. Two games were decided by three points, and three more games by just one. Twice, overtime was necessary to decide which team would advance to this weekend’s MHSAA Finals at Detroit’s Ford Field.
We’ll kick off Finals week with our regular round-up of the previous weekend’s playoff action – including the first 8-Player Final in MHSAA history. Later this week, we’ll take a brief look at every team hoping to finish by hoisting a championship trophy.
All eight games will be broadcast on Fox Sports Plus. Click for a full schedule and playoff scoreboard. And click here for a list of Fox Sports Plus channels in your area.
(Rankings are by The Associated Press’ panel of media voters.)
1st and 10
Division 1: Detroit Catholic Central 23, Rockford 20 (OT) – Rockford kicked a field goal for a three-point lead to begin overtime, but No. 2 beat No. 1 when DCC running back Anthony Darkangelo ran in the game-winner from seven yards out. Read more in the Novi News.
Division 1: Detroit Cass Tech 6, Utica Eisenhower 3 – Here’s why they play the games. Unranked Cass Tech continued an impressive defensive stand (see lower in this post for more) in knocking off the No. 3 Eagles. Read more in the Detroit Free Press.
Division 2: Lowell 42, Walled Lake Western 35 (OT) – Walled Lake Western came back from 14 down in the third quarter and then took a lead, but couldn’t keep the Red Arrows from booking a third-straight trip to the Finals. Read more in the Grand Rapids Press.
Division 2: Birmingham Brother Rice 27, Detroit Martin Luther King 26 – The Crusaders fought back from an early 21-0 deficit, and Brother Rice scored all of its points during the first half. But the Warriors held on twice at the end – once on a two-point conversion try that would’ve given King the lead, and then once more on the Crusaders’ final possession. Read more from the Oakland Press.
Division 3: Mount Pleasant 38, East Grand Rapids 37 – The Oilers were probably thinking less about EGR’s 28-game playoff winning streak and more about how the Pioneers had knocked them out of the playoffs two of the last three seasons. Now, Mount Pleasant can focus on playing in its first MHSAA Final. Read more in the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.
Division 5: Lansing Catholic 42, Grand Rapids West Catholic 35 – The teams exchanged shots until just about the end, with this season’s No. 1 taking down the reigning champion despite trailing twice during the first half. Read more in the Lansing State Journal.
Division 6: Constantine 45, Ecorse 44 – The Falcons have shown they are tough to stop when it matters most, winning their third playoff game by seven or fewer points to advance to their first Final since 2004. Read more in the Sturgis Journal.
Division 7: Pewamo-Westphalia 22, Hudson 14 – The Pirates, making their second Semifinal appearance ever, earned their first Finals berth by ending the 26-game winning streak of the reigning champion Tigers. Read more from the Lansing State Journal.
Division 8: Mendon 34, New Lothrop 13 – The No. 3 Hornets had given up 47 points over their first 12 games, but top-ranked Mendon nearly doubled that while holding a New Lothrop offense averaging 52 points to just a pair of touchdowns. Read more in the Sturgis Journal.
8-Player Final: Carsonville-Port Sanilac 59, Rapid River 20 – It’s arguable what was more impressive – the Tigers’ offensive might, or that its defense held Rapid River scoreless in the second half of the first-ever MHSAA 8-player Final. Read more in the “First Pitch” at MHSAA.com.
Numbers Game
16 – Number of points Detroit Cass Tech has given up during the postseason, including three to Utica Eisenhower in Saturday’ 6-3 victory. The Technicians have held opponents to seven or fewer points in nine of 13 games this fall.
34 – Number of minutes Constantine held onto the ball – and kept Ecorse’s offense off the field – in a 45-44 Division 6 win.
901 – Number of yards, combined, put up by Carsonville-Port Sanilac and Rapid River in the inaugural 8-player Football Final.
324 – Passing yards by Carsonville-Port Sanilac quarterback Hayden Adams, who likely will be remembered as this state’s first 8-player star. Five of his 12 completions went for touchdowns, and he also ran for 130 yards and two scores.
More Fantastic Finishes
Division 3: Orchard Lake St. Mary 14, Battle Creek Harper Creek 10 – They were tied going into the fourth quarter. Harper Creek added a go-ahead field goal – and then St. Mary’s Grant Niemiec scored on an 11-yard run with 49 seconds left to take the final lead.
Division 4: Zeeland West 30, Comstock Park 6 – The Dux moved to 13-0 to tie the school record for wins and make a second MHSAA Final – in just seven seasons of existence.
Division 4: Marine City 45, Grosse Ile 6 – The Mariners shut down Grosse Ile until the final five minutes of the game to earn their second Finals berth in five seasons.
Division 5: Flint Powers Catholic 27, Almont 10 – Why they play the games, Part II. Powers is the latest to make the rare trek from 5-4 qualifier to potential MHSAA champion after taking out Nos. 2 and, most recently, 4 from the final AP regular-season poll.
Division 6: Ithaca 28, Iron Mountain 0 – The Yellowjackets returned to the Superior Dome and beat Iron Mountain for the second straight season to advance to Detroit.
Division 7: Saginaw Nouvel 14, Traverse City St. Francis 3 – The Panthers’ defense also has been awesome during this postseason, giving up just 23 points over four games.
Division 8: Fowler 45, St. Ignace La Salle 8 – The Eagles have gone from losing their coach the weekend before practice began in 2010 to making their first Final since winning Class D in 1998.
Up Next: MHSAA 11-player Finals
FRIDAY
Division 8: Mendon (13-0) vs. Fowler (11-2), 10 a.m. – These are two of the most storied small-school programs in state history, both ranking among the top 14 in the state in winning percentage since 1950 according to Michigan-football.com. Mendon was expected to be here, but surprise Fowler has been to this point plenty of times as well.
Division 2: Birmingham Brother Rice (9-4) vs. Lowell (12-1), 1 p.m. – Brother Rice’s tough schedule always gives it a decent shot of making the playoff field even at 5-4, but getting to the Final after coming in with that record is new ground for the Warriors (they made the Semifinals in 2009 after entering 5-4). Lowell was just about everyone’s pick to get this far – and will try to make it two titles in three seasons after losing in the 2010 championship game.
Division 6: Constantine (11-2) vs. Ithaca (13-0), 4:30 p.m. – Constantine’s 1-2 start is a distant memory as the Falcons go for their first championship in seven seasons. Ithaca made its first Final just a year ago, but can further its reputation as an elite power but claiming two titles in a row and extending its winning streak to 28.
Division 4: Marine City (13-0) vs. Zeeland West (13-0), 7:30 p.m. – It’s rare for the combination of bracket assignments and rankings to play out like this, but Marine City entered the postseason No. 1 and Zeeland West No. 2. The Mariners last won a championship in 2007, but have the chance to also finish 14-0 this time. Same story as the Dux try to improve just that little bit on their 2006 title run.
SATURDAY
Division 7: Pewamo-Westphalia (13-0) vs. Saginaw Nouvel (12-0), 10 a.m. – The Panthers are going for their third MHSAA championship in six seasons and have no problem raising their game; not counting two against Canadian teams, Nouvel played 10 games this season against teams that qualified for the playoffs. P-W joins Fowler as finalists from the Central Michigan Athletic Conference, and is led by a senior class that might be one of the best in the program’s successful history.
Division 1: Detroit Cass Tech (10-3) vs. Detroit Catholic Central (12-1), 1 p.m. – The Technicians seemingly have been building toward this weekend after making their first Semifinal appearance in 2010, and after losing by three in that game before going on to win by three in last week’s semi. Now they get the Shamrocks, who can move into a third-place tie with 11 MHSAA football championships.
Division 5: Flint Powers Catholic (9-4) vs. Lansing Catholic (13-0), 4:30 p.m. – The Cougars defeated Powers 37-17 in Week 2, but it’s fair to say much has changed. The Chargers haven’t given up that many points in a game since – but Lansing Catholic also hasn’t scored that few.
Division 3: Mount Pleasant (13-0) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary (11-2), 7:30 p.m. – The Eaglets lost the last two Finals to East Grand Rapids by eight and three points, respectively. No matter what happens in this finale, there will be a new Division 3 champion for the first time in five seasons.
(Photo courtesy of Sharon Weber via the Lansing State Journal.)
Memories Don't Fade for 1st MHSAA Class A Champion Franklin
By
Brad Emons
Special for MHSAA.com
November 8, 2024
Even after 50 years, Tim Hollandsworth recalls Livonia Franklin’s run to the first MHSAA Class A football playoff championship like it was yesterday.
Before 5,506 fans at Western Michigan University’s Waldo Stadium, the unranked Patriots capped a season for the ages by upending heavily favored Traverse City for the 1975 title, 21-7.
“It was a once in a lifetime event, and I guess it just brings back great feelings winning that game obviously,” said Hollandsworth, who went on to become an all-Mid-American Conference linebacker at Central Michigan. “What I remember most was carrying that trophy around on the field. Myself, Jim Casey and the whole team ... we paraded it out Stanley Cup-style in front of our fans, and everybody was going crazy. Just a happy time.”
The championship game was played on a frigid Nov. 22 afternoon in Kalamazoo, just 12 years following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
“When I think about that game, the first thing that comes to mind is that it was a cold, cloudy day before the game,” Hollandsworth said. “And as the game started, the sun came out; it was really bright. It turned out to be a bright, sunny day, and we didn’t feel the cold at all. The adrenalin was pumping.”
No. 2-ranked Traverse City, coached by Jim Ooley, entered with a high-powered offense averaging 34 points per game. The Trojans featured the running back tandem of Rick Waters (1,300 yards) and Bruce McLachlan, along with tight end Mark Brammer, a two-time All-American at Michigan State who later played five seasons for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL.
Franklin took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Dennis Smith, the holder on a 30-yard field goal attempt by Sam Williams, couldn’t secure the snap from center but alertly got up and tossed a 17-yard TD pass to Rick Lee.
The Patriots then went up 14-0 in the second quarter on a 3-yard TD run by Casey, who went on to play four seasons at Ball State as a defensive back.
Traverse City cut the deficit to 14-7 before halftime on a 2-yard TD run by McLachlan, but the Patriots put it away in the final quarter on a 9-yard TD run by Casey, who finished the game with a hard-earned 105 yards on 24 carries.
Hollandsworth, who also starred in the backfield with Casey, severely twisted his ankle in the first half and was limited to playing only defense for the remainder of the game. Fortunately for Franklin, Tom Smith took his place and helped continue the offensive surge.
“It was just the fact that everybody was just stepping up when they had to have them,” Casey said. “I think it kind of exemplified everything we did throughout the year to get there. That’s what was so cool about the whole deal.”
Meanwhile, Waters – who later became Hollandsworth’s friend and teammate at CMU – led the Trojans’ rushing attack with 85 yards rushing on 19 carries.
Franklin’s defense played a pivotal role in the win with four interceptions – one each by Hollandsworth, Chuck Hench, Jerry Pollard and Casey (his 10th of the season).
Williams, the Patriots’ star tight end and middle linebacker and the son of former Detroit Lions “Fearsome Foursome” defensive end Sam Williams Sr., also batted down a key fourth-down pass in the end zone to thwart a Traverse City scoring threat.
“It’s funny about the whole game ... you forget about the details, it’s crazy,” Casey said. “It was everybody coming together. There may have been some mistakes along the way. That just happens during the game and we hung in there, did what it took to score enough points to win.”
The game was played on artificial turf, not real grass, which was also a first for both teams.
“I think it had been raining the day before ... anyhow, the field was soaked,” Casey said. “And all it takes is to fall on a field that is soaked on an Astroturf field and everything, and all your clothes are soaked. I remember in the first half – I couldn’t wait for halftime to go inside and warm up.”
During the practice week prior to the title game, the Patriots were able to get acclimated when athletic director and assistant coach George Lovich made a deal to practice on the University of Michigan’s artificial surface.
“We had to get new shoes because nobody had played on artificial turf in high school back then,” Casey said. “They had a bunch of used shoes from the (U-M) team. They threw them in a big old box and they let us practice one night on their Astroturf. We went in and got our shoes and we were ready to play – excited about that. It was just different compared to regular grass. It felt super-fast.”
With only four spots per Class up for grabs in the inaugural MHSAA playoffs, five unbeaten Class A teams did not make the postseason including Warren Fitzgerald and Mount Clemens Chippewa Valley from Region 1, Trenton in Region 3, and Grand Rapids Union and Marquette from Region 4.
On the final Saturday of the regular season at Eastern Michigan’s Rynearson Stadium, No. 1-ranked Birmingham Brother Rice (Region 2) was upset in the Catholic League championship, 7-0, by Dearborn Divine Child, which went on to claim the Class B title.
That allowed the 8-1 Patriots, who had lost to rival Livonia Stevenson 13-9 in Week 2, to sneak into the playoffs just ahead of the previously-unbeaten Warriors.
“We were all in the stands watching that game,” Hollandsworth said. “And our coach, Armand Vigna, had all our points figured out right to the point where he said if Brother Rice were to lose, we were in. So, we’re sitting in the stands and Detroit Southwestern is off to our right a little bit higher in the stands. When Divine Child won that game, we were just going crazy and you could see Southwestern wondering who we were and what was going on.”
During the build-up to the Class A Semifinal game against Franklin, Southwestern coach Joe Hoskins was quoted in the Detroit newspapers as saying, “Livonia who?”
Southwestern was led by all-state QB Mike Marshall (MSU), along with junior tackle Luis Sharpe (UCLA), an eventual first-round NFL pick who played 13 seasons with the St. Louis, Phoenix and Arizona Cardinals.
And in that Semifinal at Pontiac’s Wisner Stadium before 5,000 fans, Franklin upended the No. 3-ranked Prospectors, 12-9, as Casey ran for 145 yards on 27 carries. Hollandsworth added a 1-yard TD to cap a nine-play, 72-yard drive and give his team the lead 9-7 at the half.
Southwestern got an 18-yard TD pass from Marshall to Andrew Williams and scored on a two-point safety when the Patriots fumbled the kickoff to start the second half.
Williams, however, booted a pair of field goals, including the game-winning 28-yarder to break a 9-9 deadlock for the Patriots after they were aided by a pass interference call followed by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which took the ball to the Southwestern 18.
In protest, Hoskins took his team off the field and had to be coaxed by MHSAA officials to bring his players back to finish the game.
“I think we were excited about the playoffs because we were undefeated the year before, so were looking forward to getting into the playoffs,” Hollandsworth said. “It was deflating when we lost; it was low-scoring, tough battle versus Stevenson. All the Livonia games (vs. Churchill and Bentley) were tough battles. It was the first game that Sam Williams was out. He got hurt in the (Dearborn) Fordson game before that (the opener) and Sam was not only our tight end, and starting middle linebacker, but he was also our punter and kicker. I think we passed up some field goals in that Stevenson game because we were so unsure of our kicking game.”
PHOTOS (Top) Livonia Franklin’s Jim Casey (45) plows ahead during the 1975 Class A Final as Traverse City tacklers converge. (Middle) Franklin coach Armand Vigna, right, shares an embrace with lineman Rick Kruger in the moments after their team’s championship victory. (Photos courtesy of Hometown Life, which includes the former Livonia Observer).