Inspired by Dad's Memory, Lawrence's Vasquez Emerges After Family Losses
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
January 16, 2024
LAWRENCE — While COVID-19 affected many students in different ways, it definitely made an impact on Austin Vasquez.
As a freshman at Lawrence High School during the pandemic, Vasquez lost his grandmother Theresa Phillips to cancer on March 25, 2021.
Two days later, on March 27, his father Tom Vasquez, died of complications from COVID. And on April 19 that spring, his grandfather Darrell “Gene” Phillips also lost his fight against the coronavirus.
“There is no way (to cope). You just have to keep on moving,” Austin said. “It’s what (my dad) would want me to do.
“He was my biggest (influence) in sports. He talked to me about never giving up – leave everything you’ve got.”
That is just what Vasquez is doing in the midst of his three-sport senior year.
He is the top wrestler at the school, competing at 175 pounds with a goal of making the MHSAA Tournament. He was a versatile contributor on the football field this past fall, and he’s planning to join the baseball team this spring.
He’s 8-3 with six pins on the mat this winter after a busy summer of camps and tournaments. Those experiences helped lessen the nerves he’d felt during matches previously, and now he’s wrestling with an outlook of “everything to gain and nothing to lose.”
And Vasquez said he feels his dad’s presence as he prepares for competition.
“Before every match, before every game, I just think about what my dad would be telling me,” he said. “Everything he’s always told me has taught me to get better.
“In life, I still remember everything he taught me. He was definitely a great man, and I want to be like him someday.”
Wrestling also has made Vasquez more in tune with his health.
His sophomore season he went from 230 pounds to 215, and by his junior year was down to his current 175.
“I just wanted to be healthier, not just for wrestling,” he said. “I started going to the gym every night, watched my calories, and from there grew (taller).
“Now I’m at 6-(foot-)2, and I don’t know how that happened,” he laughed.
Lawrence coach Henry Payne said Vasquez always has a positive attitude and helps the other wrestlers in the program.
“When he notices a kid next to him doing a move wrong, he’ll go over and show him the right way,” Payne said. “We have a lot of young kids that this is their first year, and he’s been a good coach’s helper.”
The coach’s helper gig will continue after graduation.
"Next year we’re hoping to open up a youth program here, and I got him and an alumni that graduated last year and is helping the varsity team this year (Conner Tangeman) to take over the youth program for us,” Payne said.
On the football team, Vasquez was a jack of all trades.
“He started at guard, went to tight end, went to our wingback, went to our running back. He was trying to get the quarterback spot,” football coach Derek Gribler laughed.
Vasquez said there is no other feeling like being on the field, especially during home games.
“Wrestling is my main sport, but I’d do anything to go back and play football again,” he said. “I just love it.”
Although the football team struggled through a 1-8 season, “It was still a really fun season,” Vasquez said. “Everybody was super close. Most of us never really talked before, but we instantly became like a family.”
Vasquez had the support of his mother, Heather, and four older sisters: Makaylah, Briahna, Ahlexis and Maryah. He also found his school family helped him get through the end of his freshman year.
“(My friends) were always there for me when everything was going on,” he said. “I took that last month off school because it was too hard to be around people at that time.
"Every single one of them reached out and said, ‘Hey, I know you’re going through a rough time.’ It really helped to hear that and get out of the house.”
The family connection between Vasquez and Lawrence athletic director John Guillean goes back to the senior’s youth.
“I was girls basketball coach, so I coached his sisters,” Guillean said. “I remember him when he was pretty young. I knew the family pretty well. I knew his dad. He was pretty supportive and was there for everything.”
Vasquez said that freshman year experience has made him appreciate every day, and he gives the following advice: “Every time you’re wrestling, it could be your last time on the mat or last time on the field. Treat every game and every match as if it’s going to be your last. If you’re committed to the sport, take every chance you have to help your team be successful.”
Gribler has known Vasquez since he was in seventh grade and, as also the school’s varsity baseball coach, will work with Vasquez one more time with the senior planning to add baseball as his spring sport.
“When we talk about Tiger Pride, Austin’s a kid that you can put his face right on the logo. His work ethic is just unbelievable,” Gribler said. “Everything he does is with a smile. He could be having the worst day of his life, and he’d still have a smile on his face. He pushes through. It’s tough to do and amazing to see.”
The coach – who also starred at Lawrence as an athlete – noted the small community’s ability to rally around Vasquez and his family. Lawrence has about 150 students in the high school.
“It goes beyond sports,” Gribler said. “Austin knows when he needs something he can always reach out and we’ll have his back, we’ll have his family’s back. It’s not so much about winning as it is about the kids.”
Vasquez is already looking ahead to life after high school. He attends morning courses at Van Buren Tech, studying welding, and returns to the high school for afternoon classes.
“I’d like to either work on the pipeline as a pipeline welder or be a lineman,” he said, adding, “possibly college. I would like to wrestle in college, but let’s see how this year goes.
“I’m ready to get out, but it’s going to be hard to leave this all behind.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Lawrence senior Andrew Vasquez, right, wrestles against Hartford this season. (2) Vasquez works on gaining the advantage in a match against Mendon. (3) From left: Lawrence wrestling coach Henry Payne, athletic director John Guillean and football and baseball coach Derek Gribler. (4) Vasquez also was a standout on the football field. (Wrestling and football photos courtesy of the Lawrence athletic department. Headshots by Pam Shebest.)
1st & Goal: 2024 11-Player Semifinals Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 22, 2024
It’s pretty simple for football teams still playing this late into November.
All 32 that have reached this season’s MHSAA 11-Player Semifinals have accomplished something special while taking their communities on an unforgettable ride.
But those 16 that emerge victorious Saturday will have an opportunity to finish this four-month drive with the ultimate experience in Michigan high school football.
All 16 Semifinals kick off at 1 p.m. except for the Division 7 matchup between Schoolcraft and Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, which will begin at noon. Follow along in person or watch all of them on MHSAA.tv, and keep up with the scores as they come in on the Football Playoff Scoreboard. See below for a glance at all 16 Semifinals.
Division 1
Rochester Adams (10-2) vs. Hudsonville (11-1) at Okemos
Hudsonville’s first Semifinal run since 2005 saw the Eagles avenge their lone loss this fall, downing undefeated Howell last week 35-6 after falling to the Highlanders in their season opener. Senior quarterback Griffin Baker has thrown for 1,105 yards and 10 touchdowns and run for 13 scores leading a balanced attack. Adams is back in the Semifinals for the first time since 2021, with two midseason losses by a combined four points. Senior Matteo Humbert carries a lot of the offensive load, rushing for 1,204 yards and 18 TDs.
Detroit Cass Tech (10-2) vs. Detroit Catholic Central (12-0) at Troy Athens
These two are playing each other for the first time since the 2016 Division 1 championship game. Detroit Catholic Central gives up only 10.5 points per game and attacks on the ground and through the air, with senior running back Jaden Pydyn (1,158 yards, 23 TDs rushing) among notable standouts. Cass Tech is giving up only 6.8 points per game and has avenged one of its two losses, with freshman quarterback Donald Tabron II quickly drawing attention throwing for 1,318 yards and 13 TDs to arguably the strongest group of receivers in the state.
Division 2
East Lansing (9-3) vs. Byron Center (11-1) at Greenville
East Lansing is playing in a Semifinal for the second straight season, and these teams have some familiarity with each other as the Trojans won their Regional matchup a year ago 42-20. East Lansing senior running back Jace Clarizio has remained one of the state’s elite with 1,574 yards and 28 TDs rushing. Byron Center will counter with senior quarterback Landon Tungate, who will go down as one of the best in his program’s history throwing for 1,727 yards and 23 scores this fall and running for 1,237 yards and 19 more TDs.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (9-3) vs. Birmingham Groves (12-0) at West Bloomfield
Groves defeated reigning champion Warren De La Salle Collegiate last week 21-19 to advance to its second Semifinal in three seasons. The Falcons also rely on a balanced offensive attack, led by senior running back Noah Sanders (821 yards/11 TDs rushing) and senior quarterback Ryan Counts (1,363 yards/16 TDs passing). St. Mary’s has reached the Semifinals for the first time since 2016, giving up only a combined 10 points over three playoff wins, and with senior receiver Bryson Williams a dynamic playmaker with nine touchdowns receiving, four rushing and two apiece on kickoff and punt returns.
Division 3
Zeeland West (11-1) vs. DeWitt (12-0) at Ada Forest Hills Eastern
After missing last season, DeWitt will play in its sixth Semifinal over the last seven years, and with an offense that upped its average scoring this fall to nearly 57 points per game with 70 more last week. Senior quarterback Elliott Larner is one of several standouts and has thrown for 2,085 yards and 32 touchdowns and run for 1,812 yards and 24 scores. Zeeland West’s power running style could help keep the Panthers’ offense off the field; the Dux have run for 3,458 yards led by senior Keaton Hendricks with 1,419 and 18 touchdowns on the ground.
Mason (10-2) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (9-3) at Chelsea
These two have met in the playoffs three years in a row, with the Bulldogs emerging 25-20 in a Semifinal last fall. While Mason graduated most of the starting lineup that led the team to a Division 3 runner-up finish, senior quarterback Cason Carswell is finishing his fourth as a starter in a big way with 1,989 yards and 31 scores through the air as his younger teammates have grown into another standout unit. King’s defense perhaps stands out most this season, as senior defensive ends Xavier Newsome (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) and Willie Fletcher (6-2, 230) are one of the state’s top pairs.
Division 4
Grand Rapids South Christian (8-4) vs. Niles (11-1) at Three Rivers
South Christian emerged from a four-game losing streak near the end of the regular season to reach the Semifinals for the third straight, and will attempt to make it three straight trips to Ford Field. Senior quarterback Carson Vis continues to impress with 2,371 yards and 22 touchdowns passing and 1,186 yards and 18 scores rushing. Niles’ season-opening loss to St. Joseph proved to be just a momentary detour during its first trip to the Semifinals. Seniors Peyton Gordon, Paul Hess and Sam Rucker have combined to run for 2,738 yards and 44 touchdowns,
Goodrich (11-1) vs. Harper Woods (9-3) at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
This is a rematch of a 2023 Semifinal, won by Harper Woods 35-24 on the way to claiming the Division 4 title. Many of the major players are the same. Senior Chase Burnett is the top rusher behind an impressive offensive line for Goodrich, powering for 1,340 yards and 22 scores. Harper Woods’ attack is again directed by junior quarterback Nate Rocheleau, who has thrown for 1,503 yards and 29 touchdowns. Goodrich’s lone loss and two of Harper Woods’ came to teams still playing.
Division 5
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (8-4) vs. Frankenmuth (12-0) at Mount Pleasant
This will be the fourth time these two have met in the playoffs over the last five seasons. Grand Rapids Catholic Central won their Semifinal meeting last season 35-0 and rebounded from three straight losses to finish this regular season to claim a ninth-straight Regional title. Odin Spencer is another impressive freshman quarterback, throwing for 1,585 yards and 17 touchdowns and running for 531 yards and three scores. Frankenmuth has given up only 13 points through three playoff games, with senior Derrick Simmons (6-4/275) a force at defensive end. The Eagles have won five straight Regional championships.
Flat Rock (10-2) vs. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (10-1) at Westland John Glenn
Notre Dame Prep showed itself to be a title contender with back-to-back wins over Jackson Lumen Christi and Grand Rapids Catholic Central in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively, and hasn’t let up. Junior quarterback Sam Stowe has thrown for 2,249 yards and 30 touchdowns and run for six scores. Flat Rock is playing in a Semifinal for the second-straight season, this time with its most wins since 1976. Senior Graham Junge is another standout quarterback, throwing for 2,468 yards and 36 touchdowns and also running for six scores.
Division 6
Boyne City (10-2) vs. Lansing Catholic (9-3) at Clare
Both of these contenders have recaptured past success to return to the Semifinals, Boyne City for the first time since 2014 and Lansing Catholic for the second time in four seasons but after going only 4-7 a year ago. Senior running back Ryan Spate is one from a collection of playmakers who have emerged for the Ramblers, running for 1,809 yards and 20 touchdowns. Senior Alex Fernandez has powered the Cougars, throwing for 2,664 yards and 28 touchdowns and rushing for 925 yards and 16 scores.
Marine City (10-2) vs. Jackson Lumen Christi (11-1) at Novi
Lumen Christi moved to Division 6 this fall after winning Division 7 the last two seasons, and hasn’t been stopped aside from a four-point loss to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in Week 2. The Titans have their highest-powered offense in a decade and have scored at least 42 points in all three of their playoff wins. Marine City is back in a Semifinal for the first time since 2021, powered by a high-scoring offense as well. The Mariners have topped 50 points seven times this season, including twice during the playoffs, led by a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in senior Paul Muscat (1,237/22 TDs) and junior Austin Brown (1,042/17).
Division 7
North Muskegon (11-1) vs. Millington (11-0) at Lansing Eastern
Millington is seeking a first trip to the Finals, and North Muskegon its first since 1981. Both also played in Semifinals a year ago, on opposite sides of the Division 7 bracket. Senior quarterback Truk Terbush is part of a loaded Cardinals backfield, throwing for 1,298 yards and 19 touchdowns and running for 453 yards and 10 scores. The Norsemen turn to a standout quarterback as well, as junior Bryce Colbert has thrown for 2,003 yards and 22 scores. North Muskegon’s lone defeat came in its season opener, by a point, to Pewamo-Westphalia.
Schoolcraft (11-1) vs. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (12-0) at Battle Creek Harper Creek
Monroe St. Mary is making its longest playoff run since its most recent championship season in 2019 and has scored more points this fall than the last two combined. Senior running back Drew Harris has played a large role in that resurgence, rushing for 1,348 yards and 21 touchdowns. Schoolcraft is back in a Semifinal for the first time since 2020, its only loss to Constantine by two points in Week 3. Sophomore quarterback Jack DeVries has emerged impressively, throwing for 1,402 yards and 15 scores.
Division 8
Beal City (10-2) vs. Fowler (12-0) at Ithaca
Fowler’s first trip to the Semifinals since 2019 got a bit of a jumpstart in Week 9 with a 35-28 win over McBain – one of the two teams to defeat Beal City, 29-25 in Week 4. But like Fowler, the Aggies also eliminated an undefeated opponent to win a Regional title last week. They’ve both continued to be known for strong running games as well, Beal City following seniors Drew Block and Owen McKenny (1,625 yards/22 TDs rushing combined) while Fowler has had a bit more balance but also must replace injured lead rusher Ford Phillips (1,153 yards/25 TDs rushing). The Eagles also have been able to turn to senior quarterback Jacob Halfmann (1,671 yards/18 TDs passing, 8 TDs rushing).
Decatur (11-1) vs. Riverview Gabriel Richard (10-1) at Jackson
Decatur has advanced to the Semifinals for the first time since 2002, its only loss to White Pigeon by just eight points in Week 4. The Raiders have three rushers who have combined for more than 3,000 yards, led by junior Brody Mead (1,152/18 TDs) and senior Danny Camarillo (1,047/10). Gabriel Richard is returning to the Semifinals for the second-straight season, improving statistically on both sides of the ball from last fall and with its only loss to a Division 4 District champ in Macomb Lutheran North. Senior Joey Calhoun has averaged more than nine yards per carry for 1,140 and 16 TDs total on the ground.
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PHOTO North Muskegon takes the field for its District Final against McBain on Nov. 8. (Photo by Tim Reilly.)