SAC Sound-Off: One Team, One Community
December 3, 2012
By Matt Freeman
Owosso senior
OWOSSO, Michigan (population 15,000) – To our town, the high school football program had been in a tailspin since its first playoff appearance in 2001.
A group of 24 seniors, 11 juniors and one sophomore decided to change that direction this fall.
Owosso, 3-6 in 2010 and 5-4 in 2011, had tasted success during the previous two years – especially considering our four straight 1-8 finishes from 2006-09. Although the program had not returned to the level of competitiveness set by teams of the mid-1990s, there was hope leading into this fall.
So naturally, during the spring and summer leading up to the beginning of practice, my teammates and coaches were bombarded with questions about this year’s team. It was simple; if we played the way we knew we could, then we would have a great opportunity in front of us. And as the season rolled on, I came to understand just how much our town was cheering us on.
Growing up in a rural community in a family that has lived here since the turn of the 20th century, if I don’t know someone, someone else in my family knows that person. So I was tied in some way to many of the people packing the stands and hoping for us to achieve our lofty expectations.
Splitting the first two games and winning a nail-biter against Haslett, we landed ourselves at 2-1 to start. After two losses and a win, we found ourselves at 3-3 with three games to play: against Ionia, Birmingham Groves and Eaton Rapids. We had to win all three to make the playoffs for the first time in 11 years – and we pulled it off, with three of our four biggest wins of the entire regular season.
Next up was the Sunday Selection Show and more backing from our neighbors. For the event, the whole team and lots of fans went to one of our local restaurants that had supported us throughout the season. The show came on at 6 p.m., and we were pretty sure we were going to be in Division 3; we just didn't know who our opponent would be.
Finally it came across the screen: CADILLAC. We were going to play Cadillac that Friday at 7 p.m. We were excited, but also a bit disappointed; the game was so far away. To us, this meant that we would not have a good crowd – just the die-hard parents would be willing to make the trip.
Soon, I learned just how much our team meant to the rest of our fans.
Our football team was the buzz of the school that week, but we tried to stay all business. We knew we had the opportunity to do what no football team in the history of our school had done before – actually win a playoff game. That thought alone drove us. We had the best week of practice since the beginning of the season. Everyone was sharp and focused on one common goal. But we still knew it was going to take a lot more than a couple good practices to win this game.
I stop at our local Speedway station, north of town, to get a coffee almost every day on my way to school. That Thursday, Nov. 1, was no different. Yes, it was the day before a game, but I was not about to break my routine.
I was standing in line with my large coffee waiting to pay when I heard a voice next to me. An older man, wearing old jeans and an old coat that had seen more winters than I had, looked at me and said, “Very proud of what you boys are doing.”
“Thank you,” I said, not expecting the conversation to go further.
“I've been to every home game this year, and I’ll be making the drive to Cadillac tomorrow too. Keep it up,” he then added.
I said thank you again, paid for my coffee and left. I then realized what had just happened
Suddenly, I was hit with a lot of questions. Who was this man? How did he know me? Did I know him and just forget? I then realized that I was wearing my varsity jacket, and that solved how he knew I was on the football team.
After stewing on it for a while, I came to the conclusion that no, I didn't know him, nor did he know me. But yet, he felt like he knew me, because of the jersey I was putting on every Friday at 7.
I posted about it on Facebook and told my team, but no one felt what I felt. He didn't know me from Adam. We very easily could have passed by, not knowing each other, and not caring much about it. But he didn't pass by; he stopped because I had on a blue and gold coat, and he was blue and gold in his heart.
To this day I don’t know his name, and I probably never will. But I know he was in the stands come Friday, cheering us on.
When Friday rolled around, the nerves set in. In fact, that day from 8 a.m. until the end of school was a blur. But 2 p.m. did eventually roll around, and we got on the bus and started our 2-hour, 30-minute ride north to Cadillac. We had a police and fire truck escort to the outskirts of town, which was so amazing. As we neared the city limits, our coach stood up and told us to look out the window. Lining both sides of the street were our player signs, with everyone’s names and numbers on them. A local resident had done this so we could see them as we left town. That was our first hint that this was going to be different than any game we’d played in before.
With a few stops we rolled into Cadillac at 5 p.m. Chomping at the bit to play the game, we went into the locker room and came out about 6 to see the visitor stands already half full, while our two student buses hadn't arrived. We warmed up and went in the locker room with 15 minutes until game time.
When the time came for the National Anthem, we gathered two by two and trotted our way to the field. We quickly noticed our visitor stands were over-flowing with people, with the Cadillac stands not 60 percent full at kickoff. Owosso, a town 130-plus miles away, had more people in its stands than the home team. We were all so proud of our team, our coaches and our community. It was then that we realized just what this team meant to our town.
We won that game with a dominating second half; the Trojans of Owosso finally had their first-ever playoff win. Without a doubt, the mass of fans in the stands was remarkable, as was the way the team played that night.
I've been around Owosso football ever since I can remember, and the volume and energy that night rivaled our best home games. I don’t think there is a guy on our team who will forget that night, ever. I know I won’t, and I do not think our community will either.
Matt Freeman, Owosso senior
- Sports: Football and basketball.
- Non-sports activities: Hunting and fishing.
- Favorite class: Mythology
- Up next: Freeman is considering multiple college football scholarship offers. He intends to study business.
- Shining moment: Freeman was a significant contributor this season as Owosso made the football playoffs for the second time ever and won its first playoff game in school history. The Trojans beat Cadillac 27-14.
- Pump-up jams: Anything classic rock; bands like Journey, Boston and Van Halen.
- Must-see TV: "MythBusters," "Pawn Stars," and ESPN "SportsCenter."
- Favorite films: "The Italian Job," "Remember the Titans," and "S.W.A.T."
PHOTO: Owosso senior Matt Freeman begins emerging from his defensive stance during his team's playoff win over Cadillac this season. Freeman, a two-way lineman, was recently named Division 3 all-state by the Detroit Free Press and earned Division 3-4 all-state honorable mention from The Associated Press. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Champions Built to Lead
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 10, 2014
A variety of leadership styles are effective. Many leaders talk. Others save their voices, instead showing the way by walking the walk.
Similarly, a variety of characteristics serve as building blocks for those who will their teams to success.
Leaders can be created equal – but from different combinations of pieces.
Covering MHSAA athletes from all over the state over the last three years for our Second Half site, we’ve had plenty of opportunities first-hand to watch the best of these traits shine through.
Following are some of what we’ve seen make champion leaders:
Vision
“I don’t really think anybody in Michigan besides these 19 guys, our four coaches, the trainers and obviously our parents believed we could do this. We knew all along that if we caught fire at the right time, some bounces would go our way … and we all just busted our butts the whole six games.” –Farmington goaltender John Lethemon, in March, after his team finished an unanticipated (by most) run by winning the Division 3 hockey title with a 2-1 victory over Sault Ste. Marie.
Vision, for a leader, includes seeing possibilities when others fail to see potential. Farmington had never won an MHSAA hockey title – and found itself facing 16-time champ and heavy favorite Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood in a Quarterfinal. But Lethemon put his skills behind his vision, carrying his team with a combined 110 saves over Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Final victories.
Encouragement
“When our team saw it, we thought, ‘That’s just Allie.’ With Allie, it doesn’t matter if you’re the slowest person or just started (running), she wants to cheer you on. Her thought is everybody should be cheered on, no matter what.” – Ann Arbor Huron girls cross country coach Tim Williams, describing his athletes’ reactions when they saw teammate Alexandria Cell running with Dearborn Divine Child’s Mariah Fuqua during a 2012 race as Fuqua worked to finish for the first time.
Cell closed her high school cross country career last season with a strong 35th place in a competitive Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final. But she’ll likely be remembered more by both Huron and Divine Child supporters for the leadership she showed in a regular-season race – when she guided home a runner from another team. Cell, then a junior, had finished at the Detroit Catholic Central Invitational and was jogging for a cool-down when she noticed Fuqua approaching the course’s midway point. Fuqua planned to end her race there – she’d been building stamina since trying the sport for the first time the year before, but had never completed a course – but Cell, first running circles around her and then next to her, encouraged Fuqua to keep going past the 2-mile marker and past the finish line for the first time.
Know-how
“(Jason) Alessi’s … a guy who comes around once every 15, 20 years. You’ve got to take advantage of him when you have him. He’s been awesome for us, and today he was a big-time leader for us.” – Birmingham Brother Rice boys lacrosse coach Ajay Chawla, on June 7, after the Warriors defeated Detroit Catholic Central 23-7 to win the Division 1 championship.
An athlete’s knowing how to win is nearly as difficult to describe as it is to learn. But there’s no question it pays off when titles are on the line. Alessi helped the Brother Rice boys lacrosse team to four MHSAA championships and the football team to three more, and not just playing bit parts – he’s listed twice in the MHSAA lacrosse record book and three times in the football records for accomplishments in championship game play. It’s tough to know how to win until an athlete does so – but that knowledge is invaluable in leading others to do the same.
Empowerment
“Everyone looks up to the seniors. The seniors are just like top dogs. They lead the younger ones, and they try to keep that motivation through them and keep the enthusiasm to keep the tradition going.” – Battle Creek St. Philip hitter Sierra Hubbard-Neil after leading the Tigers to a three-set win over Waterford Our Lady on Nov. 23 to secure an eighth straight MHSAA title.
It was tough to believe the St. Philip contingent at last fall’s Finals as it explained how some outsiders doubted the Tigers would remain atop Class D in 2014. But it’s a fact that St. Phil tied the MHSAA record for most consecutive volleyball championships despite only one returning starter from 2013 – four-time all-state hitter Sierra Hubbard-Neil. Obviously she provided a good starting point – she had 19 kills in the Final match – but it was up to her and new senior leaders to bring an inexperienced team back to championship level.
Sacrifice
“Jonathan (Gurnee) is the All-American kid who fought for the success of his team. Along the way, he broke a few records. Of course, we will miss his ability next year. But what I am going to miss most is his presence. He led by action and deed. He was the consummate captain. He epitomized Dow High tennis.” Midland Dow boys tennis coach Terry Schwartzkopf, in 2011, after Gurnee finished his final high school season with the most wins in MHSAA boys tennis history.
Gurnee played No. 4 singles his first two seasons, moving to No. 3 as a junior before earning the opportunity to challenge for the top flight as a senior. He faced junior teammate John Templeman in a No. 1 singles challenge match and lost by such a small margin that Gurnee could’ve asked for a rematch. Instead, Gurnee recognized that Templeman at No. 1 was best for Dow, which would win the third of what has become five straight MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 team titles. Gurnee tied the MHSAA single-season record with 41 victories that fall and also set the career wins record of 141.
Drive
“I’ve never had somebody who works harder than this girl. We’d get to the range at 2:45 and leave at 6 o’clock, and she’d be there until 7 o’clock every single night. It would be dark, and she’d be using street lights to putt and chip. She was grinding it out, not leaving any stone unturned. And the thing about it is all the other girls felt they needed to stay too.” – Plymouth girls golf coach Dan Young, about top player Kelsey Murphy after Plymouth won the 2012 Lower Peninsula Division 1 title and Murphy finished first in the individual standings.
Murphy had led the individual race with four holes to play at the 2011 LP Division 1 Final, but finished in third place. Plymouth as a team also finished third that year while in pursuit of the first girls championship in school history. Murphy returned to the Finals the following fall after playing all season with one goal in mind – to deliver that team title, which Plymouth won by 11 strokes. And she held on to a one-stroke lead after the first round to claim the individual title by the same margin.
Fortitude
“I don't think anybody's been in more big games than he has in football and basketball. He's a tough leader. He makes sure everyone is doing what they're supposed to do and holding themselves accountable. To have a leader on your team like that, everybody else follows.” –Muskegon boys basketball coach Keith Guy, describing senior guard and football team quarterback Deshaun Thrower after Thrower helped Muskegon to a 91-67 Class A Final win over Bloomfield Hills to earn the school’s first boys basketball title since 1937.
It’s not so much that Thrower scored 21 points, second-most on his team, or ran and passed the football team back to Ford Field and within a win of the Division 2 championship the previous fall for the second straight season. Those on-field contributions surely made differences – but so did his ability to guide his team after disappointment – be it the football team after the 2012 Final loss, or this season’s basketball team as it worked to rebound from a close Quarterfinal loss the year before and another football setback in the fall.
‘Rally’
“She knew she wanted to play today. She is one of the most focused kids I know, and she was coming in here big and focused. It’s just amazing what that girl can do and what she can endure. She is a rally girl out there and got the troops ready in the seventh inning.” – Gladstone softball coach Ashley Hughes, speaking of pitcher Tinner Sharon, after the latter struck out the side in the seventh inning of the Division 3 Final in June to secure for the Braves a 2-1 title-clinching win over previously-undefeated Unionville-Sebewaing.
It’s difficult to find one word to describe the act of being clutch – raising one’s game to another level with everything on the line. But Sharon personified it. In her team’s Semifinal win, she gave up back-to-back homers in the seventh inning to force Gladstone to win the game in the eighth. That brief letdown no doubt keyed Sharon’s rise again with the team’s third MHSAA title on the line. A leader certainly doesn’t have to be the best athlete on a team – but teammates will follow a player who takes his or her game to a championship level when it matters most.
PHOTOS: (Top, from left) Battle Creek St. Philip’s Sierra Hubbard-Neil, Muskegon’s Deshaun Thrower and Gladstone’s Tinner Sharon all led their teams to MHSAA championships during the 2013-14 school year.