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Remington's 'All-State' Remains in Play
By
Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian
October 28, 2016
Unfortunately, or perhaps fittingly, Richard E. Remington’s time on earth ended during football season.
Age 69 at the time of his passing, Remington was well-known as one of Michigan’s best football referees, at both the high school and college level. But for tens of thousands of high school football fans, players and parents, he was once best-known as the father of the Michigan All-State football team.
Now some might argue that there were others before. Indeed, “all-state” or “all-scholastic” teams go back nearly to the start of prep football in Michigan. From the beginning, fans have wanted to identify the state’s and the nation’s most talented athletes.
However, most of those selections were made by a local newspaper writer, or perhaps a high school coach. Usually, they were built around the finest players seen among opponents, and featured a more-than-healthy dose of local athletes. Coach “Bull” Green of Saginaw High named four from Saginaw and one from Saginaw Arthur Hill among his 1907 All-State eleven. In 1912, William H. Stocking, coach of Detroit Central, named an 11-member “all-scholastic” team that included four ballplayers from his own Detroit Central squad. Across the state that same year, Louis Gudelsky, coach of Muskegon’s high-scoring team, included four MHS players among his All-State selections.
Remington began officiating high school games before graduation from the University of Michigan in 1910. Born in Auburn, N.Y., he was educated as a civil engineer. But it was his interest in high school athletics that led him to a career in education. In 1912 and 1913, he guided Orchard Lake St. Mary’s through its first two seasons of football. Next came work at Detroit Eastern (now Detroit Martin Luther King), where he served as an assistant coach in multiple sports in 1914 before taking over as head coach of the school’s football and baseball teams in 1915. With the opening of Detroit Northeastern in 1917, Remington again changed schools when he was named director of athletics for the Green and Brown.
By then, he was recognized as one of the state’s finest officials. Of the opinion that “schoolboy athletes didn’t receive sufficient recognition,” Remington picked his first All-State squad in 1917 for the Detroit News, adding a paragraph on each describing his assessment of the athlete. Who better than an impartial judge – a referee – to select an all-state squad?
Remington’s article announcing his picks included his summation on the top team he had seen on the year, (in this case, Scott High of Toledo, Ohio) and his first-team selections, including player weights. While no second team was named, he did include a brief “honorable mention” list, noting “no team is stronger than its substitutes.”
He also admitted the possible shortfall of his choices.
“I have refereed behind the majority of the larger teams, and if there is some one man in a smaller team deserving of especial mention whom I have left off, I am indeed sorry. I base my conclusions on what I have seen right on the field, close to the boys, and at that angle one has a little better view point than from the stands or coaches benches.”
Discussing the team named by Remington, C.D. McNamee, editor and publisher of the Muskegon Chronicle, wrote, “The selections of the Detroit tutor are by far the best of any made this fall by various writers and officials.”
Despite an influenza pandemic sweeping the nation in 1918 that affected the number of games played, Remington was one of the few to name an All-State squad that fall. This time around, he added a second team, and also called out six other players for special mention.
Remington’s writing was unique, in depth, and captured the public’s attention. His selections included fewer clusters from a single school.
Within the write-up of his 1919 team, again published by the News, he singled out Lansing Central quarterback Don Graham (who had also appeared among his 1918 selections) and called him “the brainiest high school player in Michigan.” As such, Graham was named captain of Remington’s mythical squad.
Those selections did create a stir, at least in one part of the state.
“R.E. Remington, Detroit, who selected the Detroit News “all-state” prep school football team, probably is unaware of the fact that Cloverland – the upper peninsula – is part of Michigan,” stated a column that appeared in the Ironwood Daily Globe. “Mr. Remington knows considerable about the southern half of the state, but his education is bounded by Lakes Michigan and Huron.” The author noted that only six cities were represented on the Detroit official’s first team: Lansing, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Muskegon.
“‘As a center,’ says Mr. Remington, ‘B. Springsteen (Detroit Northwestern) is without peer in the state.’ Mebbe, but that’s coming strong, unless Remington saw Umnus of Menominee. No all-state quarterback could be selected fairly without consideration of ‘Bud’ Finch of Escanaba.”
Of course, similar sentiments would be repeated often in the years that followed, as fans, coaches and writers felt slighted when a favorite athlete from a school was ignored.
Remington moved away from coaching football, when his employment led him to Detroit Northwestern in the fall of 1919. However, he did coach basketball there until early in 1922.
“Everyone was sorry to see Richard E. Remington forced to resign as basketball coach,” it was noted in the school yearbook that spring. “Mr. Remington’s ill health lost Northwestern a fine basketball coach. As a coach few surpassed him.”
He did recover from health issues, and would continue to serve as a mathematics instructor at Northwestern. Athletics continued to fill his weekends as he was in constant demand as an official at both the college and prep level.
In 1920, the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations was formed. The Roaring Twenties saw explosive growth in sports coverage across media, and that became a major reason for men to purchase newspapers. Interscholastic sports and the heroic accomplishments of local “boys” were highlighted in the local newspaper and saved in scrapbooks. Civic pride meant great joy when a local earned recognition in one of the statewide papers.
As the circulation and marketing departments recognized the value, advertisements in a variety of newspapers began to highlight the release of Remington’s teams as a reason to pick up a copy of the News from a local newsstand across the state. By 1922, Remington’s prep all-state selections were viewed as the ultimate achievement for a gridiron athlete and took on status as official. Individual photos of each of the first team selections were featured in a near half-page layout in the News that season.
Remington’s 1923 edition added a third team, and his Honorable Mention picks swelled to 31 players across all positions. That same fall, Remington named an “All-Time, All-State High School Team, highlighting players from as far back as 1911. His 22 picks, spread over a first and second team, included 10 from Detroit high schools. Hindsight, as is said, is 20/20, and Remington’s choices were, no doubt, influenced by play at the college level.
But one thing no one could argue – it certainly made for great press.
When Michigan State athletic director Ralph H. Young invited Remington and his all-state selections to East Lansing to attend the Spartans’ annual football bust banquet in 1924, the Remington stamp-of-approval only grew in value. Among the athletes selected that year was Russell Becks (Tackle, 5-foot-9, 190 pounds), likely the first African-American to be named first-team all-state in Michigan, although this fact was not mentioned in Remington’s write-up. He now relied on personal observation and, with the aid of some 20 men, had “access files, reports and data on every boy” playing high school football in classes ‘A’ and ‘B’ in Michigan.
Other papers published All-State selections. Since these were the days of mid-September starts to the season and Thanksgiving Day games between prep rivals, All-State teams generally received publication in late November and into December. Remington’s selections traditionally were the last announced.
The Detroit Free Press decided to fight fire with fire, and in 1926 hired George M. Lawton, another well-respected football official, to select its all-state team. One of the greatest punters ever developed at the University of Michigan, Lawton also had served as head coach at the University of Detroit in 1913 and 1914. A year before, Lawton and two other well-respected football officials, J.J. Ritter and Wit Duncan, selected an All-State squad for the Detroit Times, a Michigan tabloid-style newspaper.
In 1927, Lawton’s All-State selections were invited to attend the University of Michigan Club of Detroit’s annual Football Bust at the Statler Hotel in early December.
Edgy design and elaborate layouts announcing the All-State teams were a sight to behold in the Detroit publications in the coming years as the newspapers battled for readers.
“By the early 1930s, high school coaches were torn between the welcome impact and adverse effects of newspaper publicity,” notes Michael Oriard in his book, King Football. “While it helped to boost attendance and gate receipts, the added attention could also negatively affect the impressionable boys who played the game.”
As the battle for recognition raged, high schools across the state engaged Remington’s crew to insure area athletes were seen by the referee.
Remington continued with detailed analysis of his first-team selections, adding players’ heights and ages to his reports. In his write-up on the 1933 team, he noted weekly reports from 112 scouts from around the state had helped him in making selections. In the write-up accompanying his selections that appeared in the Free Press, Lawton thanked numerous football coaches and officials for assisting him with compiling his 1933 team. In both cases, the list of Honorable Mentions continued to expand.
Criticism still rained down.
“Remington names 33 men for his first, second and third teams, and then proceeds to give honorable mention to nearly 200 other high school players,” reported the Ironwood Daily Globe in mid-December of 1936. “The designation ‘all-state team’ is a misnomer, however, for out of all that crew of gridders not one has been selected from a high school north of the Straits of Mackinac.”
For unexplained reasons, in 1938, Lawton separated from the Free Press. He would die five years later at age 55.
Remington also separated from the News that year without explanation. Both papers continued selecting All-State squads, using in-house writers.
Yet the Remington tradition of selecting teams continued, with the announcement of his picks now occurring exclusively at the MSC football banquet. They were eagerly anticipated. Invitations to the event were sent to prep players across the state. In nearly all cases, “an invitation to a high school boy usually means a selection on at least the honorable mention list.”
“A crowd of 700 grid fans, alumni, students, players and sportswriters from throughout the state including 212 high school players” attended the Saturday, Dec. 10 banquet at the M.S.C. gymnasium. Remington’s selections were carried in a variety of newspapers including, for the first time, the Detroit Free Press.
The same arrangement with Michigan State took place in 1939. In 1940, the banquet program included a large photo of Richard Remington, next to his first, second and third-team selections. It would be Remington’s last All-State squad.
In 1941, the annual prep selections presented at the Michigan State banquet were chosen by the Michigan Officials Association.
The change, announced in late November by John H. Kobs of the Association, indicated that 200 ballots were mailed to member officials, and that players would be selected based on the returns.
Writing in his “Sports Patter” column in the Benton Harbor News-Palladium, sports editor Nort Baser celebrated the change.
“The conductor of this Patter has an idea the new order will be welcomed especially by the boosters of high school football as played in southwestern Michigan. … Since that team released at the Spartan banquet has been looked upon by many as being more or less official, we in this section of the state have always deplored the fact that a Detroit newspaper man should be the sole judge of the state’s talent.”
The void was filled by The Associated Press, who with the help of “a blue ribbon jury of sports editors of Associated Press newspapers, reflecting the opinions of their staffs, and 50 widely known coaches and officials,” selected its first All-State team. Following the formula established by Remington nearly 20 years before, the AP named first, second and third All-State squads, as well as a host of Honorable Mentions for recognition. Ironically, Watson Spoelstra, the AP writer who penned the column that accompanied the 1941 list, would later work as a sportswriter for the News for nearly 40 years.
Remington remained active into the 1940s as a college referee, frequently officiating MSC games. Slowly, his name faded from the sports spotlight. In 1952, AP writer Harry Stapler mentioned his name in his article on the season’s all-state selections:
“This is the 12th annual team picked by the Associated Press. The AP took over the job of picking all-state teams in 1941 when Dick Remington, widely known official and coach, retired from the job of picking what were considered the official all-state teams.”
Remington continued to work as a mathematics instructor at Detroit Northwestern until retirement in 1956. He died a year later, in late October at age 69, survived by his wife Ruth, three sons and two daughters.
His obituary, carried by some papers, did celebrate his contribution to Michigan prep sports. Perhaps more importantly, the die cast years ago by Remington, with slight modification, is still used by the Detroit papers and The Associated Press in honoring prep football’s finest athletes – the ultimate tribute to Remington’s lifetime of work.
Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.
PHOTOS: (Top) Richard Remington's 1922 "All-State Team," selected for the Detroit News. (Top middle) A 1929 ad for Remington's team ran in the Lansing State Journal. (Middle) Ann Arbor all-stater Russell Becks. (Middle below) George M. Lawton's 1928 team for the Detroit Free Press. (Below) Remington's "All-State" selections, as shown in the program for Michigan State's 17th annual football banquet. (Photos collected by Ron Pesch.)
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1st & Goal: Week 8 In Review
October 20, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Even with a shortened regular season, football teams across Michigan are equaling past accomplishments or at least making better on their performances of a year ago.
Many of our notes this week highlight the crowning, at least partially in some cases, of a league champion. But those other little successes – like surpassing last season’s win total, or ending a losing streak – also make every week memorable, with many more teams seeing the fruits of work and patience during an otherwise unpredictable fall.
Below is our look at many who found reasons to celebrate during Week 8.
Bay & Thumb
HEADLINER Hemlock 12, Millington 6 Defense reigned as Hemlock (5-0) clinched the Tri-Valley Conference West championship – its first league title since 2012. Millington (4-1) continued to shine defensively, with its average points given up per game rising just a few tenths to 10.6 this season. But Hemlock’s defense was a score stronger, lowering its average points allowed this fall to 14.6 per game. Click for more from the Saginaw News and see highlights below from WJRT.
One play after picking off Millington, Hemlock's @Corbinlarkin21 cashes in with an 83-yard TD to lead the Huskies to their first league title since 2012 and take home our Highlight of the Night! @MIHemlock_High https://t.co/KBSGbraJ1D
— ABC12WJRT (@ABC12WJRT) October 17, 2020
Watch list Marine City 24, Marysville 21 The Mariners (5-0) finished a perfect run through the Macomb Area Conference Silver for the second-straight season, while extending their winning streak over Marysville (4-1) to four.
Remember this one Harbor Beach 42, Marlette 20 The Pirates (3-2) will finish second in the Greater Thumb Conference East but made sure only Sandusky will finish first by handing the Red Raiders (3-2) their only league loss of an abbreviated schedule.
More shoutouts Almont 28, Richmond 25 (OT) For the first time in a long time, these two aren’t really in the mix in the Blue Water Area Conference – but the rivalry remains notable as Almont (2-1) extended its winning streak to four. Bad Axe 26, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker 6 With Bad Axe (4-1) and Cass City not facing off this season – that game was among those canceled early on – this win cemented a shared GTC East championship for both.
Greater Detroit
HEADLINER Sterling Heights Stevenson 42, Grosse Pointe South 35 At the end of one of the most intriguing league races of this shortened season, Sterling Heights Stevenson finished tied for first with Macomb Dakota, thanks to this win that sent Grosse Pointe South (3-2) into third place. The Titans (4-1) continued a rise that began with last season’s run to the Division 1 Semifinals after they had finished only 1-4 in the Red last fall. Click for more from the Macomb Daily.
Watch list Detroit Cass Tech 41, Detroit Martin Luther King 19 After defeating King (3-2) by eight in their season opener, the Technicians (5-0) more than doubled that during this Detroit Public School League 1-2 championship game – a great sign with the postseason approaching.
Remember this one Clarkston Everest Collegiate 41, Royal Oak Shrine 7 This was the third time in five seasons these two decided the Detroit Catholic League Intersectional 2 championship, and the Mountaineers (5-0) are a win away from a second-straight undefeated regular season.
More shoutouts Dearborn Heights Crestwood 21, Garden City 12 After a down 2019, Crestwood (5-0) clinched its second Western Wayne Athletic Conference championship in three seasons. Canton 49, Hartland 28 The Chiefs (5-0) clinched the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title outright and can finish a perfect league run against reigning champ Plymouth.
Mid-Michigan
HEADLINER Mount Pleasant 21, Midland Dow 0 The Oilers (4-1) threw a wrench into an anticipated Saginaw Valley League Blue championship decider this week between Dow and Midland High. Mount Pleasant earned itself a chance at a shared championship instead, if the Chargers (4-1) are able to hand the Chemics their first loss Friday. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.
Watch list Holt 26, Portage Northern 0 The weekend’s biggest upset statewide saw the Rams (2-2) shut down Portage Northern (4-1), not only handing the Huskies their first defeat but holding them scoreless for the first time since 2014.
Remember this one Pewamo-Westphalia 30, Fowler 7 Although the Central Michigan Athletic Conference decided to not award a league champion because of the shortened schedule, the Pirates (5-0) still ran their league winning streak to 39 and run against Fowler (4-1) to six straight since the Eagles handed them that last CMAC loss in 2014.
More shoutouts New Lothrop 49, Durand 6 The Hornets (5-0) clinched another Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title by handing Durand (4-1) its first defeat. Williamston 17, Olivet 6 The Hornets (5-0) prepped for their Capital Area Activities Conference Red decider this week by handing Olivet (4-1) its first loss.
Northern Lower Peninsula
HEADLINER McBain 23, Beal City 19 The Ramblers (5-0) locked up their first Highland Conference title since 2015 with their fourth-straight win over the Aggies (4-1), who also entered the evening unbeaten. McBain is one of 11 undefeated teams left in Division 7. See below for highlights from MI Sports Now.
McBain recorded its fourth straight win over Beal City and captured the Highland Conference championship with a 23-19 win Friday.https://t.co/0f89oD6qGp pic.twitter.com/8zfmQd6BNc
— MISportsNow (@MISportsNow) October 17, 2020
Watch list Kingsley 40, Sault Ste. Marie 6 With a game to play, the Northern Michigan Football Conference Legends has belonged firmly to the Stags (5-0), who clinched a second-straight title by handing second-place Sault Ste. Marie (3-2) its first league loss.
Remember this one Traverse City West 45, Cadillac 27 These teams finished second and third, respectively, in the Big North Conference, and West (4-1) continued its string of four-straight 40-plus point offensive efforts since losing to eventual champion Traverse City Central in the season opener.
More shoutouts Traverse City St. Francis 35, Ogemaw Heights 14 The Gladiators (3-2) continued to establish solid footing in advance of the Division 7 playoffs with a win over Division 5 Ogemaw Heights (3-2). Maple City Glen Lake 18, Benzie Central 0 The Lakers (4-1) posted their second shutout of the season and are giving up only 6.6 points per game.
Southeast & Border
HEADLINER Erie Mason 56, Sand Creek 38 The Eagles’ offense continued to roll as they clinched a share of the Tri-County Conference championship, their first league title since 2003, while handing Sand Creek (4-1) its first defeat. Erie Mason (5-0) now also has as many wins as the last four seasons combined – and with 282 points, needs 48 more to equal how many it scored over nine games a year ago. The Eagles are averaging 56.4 per game. Click for more from the Adrian Daily Telegram.
Watch list Reading 26, Homer 19 The Rangers (4-1) losing to Jonesville in Week 6 was no reason to write them off, as they’ve bounced back to hand Homer (4-1) its first loss. Reading no doubt will root for Homer to take down Jonesville this week to set up a shared Big 8 Conference title.
Remember this one Blissfield 42, Ida 40 The Royals (5-0) earned a share of the Lenawee County Athletic Association title, but only after holding off the Bluestreaks (2-3) after they were tied with less than nine minutes to play.
More shoutouts Michigan Center 42, Manchester 7 The Cardinals (2-1) got one game in this fall before having to take two weeks off, but they’ve won both matchups since returning to the field. Adrian Madison 46, Pittsford 6 The Trojans improved to 4-1, equaling their win total from last season and setting them up for a possible fifth victory – which would give Madison its winningest finish since 2009.
Southwest Corridor
HEADLINER Schoolcraft 45, Lawton 14 The Eagles (4-1) clinched a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley title, to go with their shared SAC Lakeshore championship from last season, and by defeating the Valley’s 2019 champ. Schoolcraft shut down a Lawton offense that averaged 42.5 points per game during its 4-0 start. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette and see highlights below from FOX 17.
At Schoolcraft: https://t.co/OMviWXNKoB
— FOX 17 Blitz (@FOX17Blitz) October 17, 2020
Watch list Constantine 43, Kalamazoo United 28 Last season these two and Schoolcraft shared the Lakeshore title, and this win over the formerly co-leading Titans (4-1) guaranteed the Falcons (4-1) will do at least the same again.
Remember this one Stevensville Lakeshore 13, Battle Creek Lakeview 7 Although the Southwestern Athletic Conference also isn’t awarding a league champion this season, this was a display of the strength among the league’s teams as Lakeshore (4-1) handed Lakeview (4-1) its first defeat.
More shoutouts Battle Creek Harper Creek 50, Marshall 27 The Beavers (3-2) have picked up two straight impressive victories and with one more would have their winningest season since 2017. Coloma 24, Watervliet 16 The Comets (4-1) put themselves in position to force a shared Lakeshore title with Constantine up this week.
Upper Peninsula
HEADLINER Marquette 27, Escanaba 6 To say the Great Northern Conference has navigated twists and turns this fall would be an understatement. But at the end of the league schedule, Marquette (4-1) is champion for the second straight season, and Escanaba (0-2) was able to get back on the field for the first time this year. Click for more from the Marquette Mining Journal.
Watch list Menominee 41, Gladstone 0 Two losses to Marquette have Menominee at 3-2, but in the Maroons’ two wins on the field they’ve averaged 41.5 points.
Remember this one Houghton 15, Negaunee 13 The Gremlins (2-1) have been forced to miss multiple games as well, but on this night were able to break a recent two-game losing streak to the Miners (3-2) and avenge last season’s 35-0 defeat.
More shoutouts West Iron County 20, Gwinn 14 (OT) The Wykons (5-0) held Gwinn (2-3) scoreless in overtime and then scored on their ensuing set of downs to remain undefeated. Calumet 34, Hancock 18 The Copper Kings (2-2) tuned up for what could be an intriguing regular-season finale this week with Marquette.
West Michigan
HEADLINER Montague 34, Whitehall 31 (2OT) A double-overtime field goal won this game for Montague in one of the state’s longest- running rivalries, giving the Wildcats a 64-48-2 advantage since they began playing in 1921 – and more importantly, a share of another West Michigan Conference championship. Click for more from the Muskegon Chronicle.
Blitz Game of the Week: Montague 34, Whitehall 31 https://t.co/e4F95tAKoi
— FOX 17 (@FOX17) October 17, 2020
Watch list Grand Rapids Catholic Central 28, Ada Forest Hills Eastern 3 The Cougars (5-0) set themselves up to face Grand Rapids South Christian this week for the outright Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold title.
Remember this one Muskegon 15, Zeeland West 14 The Big Reds (4-1) came back from a 14-0 deficit to knock Zeeland West (4-1) out of a tie for first place (with Mona Shores) in the O-K Green.
More shoutouts Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 35, Lowell 22 the Huskies opened 0-2 but have won three straight to equal their win totals of each of the last two seasons. Grand Rapids West Catholic 34, Allendale 12 The Falcons (4-1) held on to second place in the O-K Blue and will now cheer for Allendale (3-2) to defeat league leader Hudsonville Unity Christian this week.
8-Player
HEADLINER Portland St. Patrick 26, Merrill 22 Both should have championship aspirations, as St. Patrick (5-0) entered this game No. 2 in Division 2 based on playoff-point average, and Merrill (4-1) was tied for No. 2 in Division 1. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal.
Watch list Morrice 57, Kingston 0 The Orioles (5-0) moved into the No. 2 spot alone in Division 1 playoff-point average and have yet to score fewer than 52 points in a game this season while allowing 34 total over five games.
Remember this one Kinde-North Huron 36, Peck 6 The Warriors clinched their second league title in four seasons, this time in the North Central Thumb League Stripes, while improving their scoring margin to a combined 222-12 this fall.
More shoutouts Cedarville 32, Munising 8 The Trojans moved to 4-1 by handing Munising (4-1) its first defeat and locking down an offense formerly averaging 34.5 points per game. Deckerville 56, Genesee 36 The Eagles (4-1) bounced right back from the Week 7 loss to Mayville with another 50-point performance.
PHOTO: Battle Creek Pennfield takes the field at the start of a 49-7 win over Jackson Northwest on Friday. (Photo by Scott Mapes.)