This Week on MHSAA.TV

October 22, 2014

Just in time for a heavy month of postseason tournament coverage, three month-long subscriptions to MHSAA.tv will be given away this week using the Association’s social media presence.

On Thursday, one winner will be drawn at random at 3 p.m. from Twitter users retweeting information about the giveaway.  On Friday, two winners will be randomly selected at 3 p.m. from an Instagram post asking users to “Share” or “Like” the giveaway on Facebook. Complete details can be found on each platform.

The passes will be good for 30 days, and will allow winners to view more than 125 hours of live MHSAA tournament action in cross country, football, boys soccer, girls swimming & diving, and volleyball, plus other live events across the country on NFHSNetwork.com. A Month Pass sells for $14.95 on the MHSAA.tv

Live coverage on MHSAA.tv of the MHSAA Boys Soccer Tournament continued Tuesday with Regional Semifinal activity at four sites. Four more games are available live tonight:

Div. 1 at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central

Saline v. Grand Haven – 5 p.m.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central v. Okemos  – 7 p.m.

Div. 3 at Clare

Elk Rapids v. Grant – 5 p.m.
Ludington v. Tawas – 7 p.m.

All live games are available on MHSAA.tv on a subscription basis. Subscriptions run either $9.95 for a Day Pass or $14.95 for a Month Pass. Games will become available for free on-demand viewing three days after they have been played.

Subscriptions support individual school programs, and many schools are now offering discounted annual passes through their portal pages, which will also allow for live viewing of nearly 300 live MHSAA postseason tournament events throughout the school year.

Below are highlights cut from last week’s live soccer games, with links to the games in full:

RODRIGUEZ SCORES FOR NORTHVILLE - With 5:39 left in the second half, Johnny Rodriguez lofts a shot over the goalie to give Northville a 1-0 victory over Walled Lake Central.

FIRST SPRING LAKE GOAL - Ryan Zietlow finds the back of the net in the first half of Spring Lake's District Semifinal win over Fruitport. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here.

KEEGAN GEORGE GETS SECOND SPRING LAKE GOAL - Spring Lake scores quickly after a Fruitport goal kick early in the second half on this blast from Keegan George. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here.

HASTINGS GAME WINNER - Caleb Sherwood gets the only goal of the game for Hastings in its District semifinal win over Battle Creek Harper Creek. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here

ETHAN GREEN SCORES - Ethan Green steals the ball from the Battle Creek Central keeper and scores late in Plainwell's win in the District Semifinals. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here.

DEREK SNYDER SCORES - Plainwell scored at will in the last 20 minutes against Battle Creek Central. Derek Snyder scores off a restart to give the Trojans the lead to stay. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here.

ANTHONY POLLACK SCORES FOR FRASER - Anthony Pollack gets the first goal of the game when Fraser met Grosse Pointe South. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here

Following are events from last week now available on-demand:

Soccer

  • Grosse Pointe South vs. Fraser at St. Clair Shores Lakeview
  • Warren DeLaSalle vs. Grosse Pointe North at St. Clair Shores Lakeview
  • Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern vs. Comstock Park at Forest Hills Northern
  • Muskegon Reeths-Puffer vs. Muskegon at Sparta
  • Fruitport vs. Spring Lake at Sparta
  • Battle Creek Harper Creek vs. Hastings at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg
  • Battle Creek Central vs. Plainwell at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg
  • Montrose vs. Corunna at Montrose
  • Grayling vs. Elk Rapids at Grayling
  • Novi vs. Detroit Catholic Central at Novi
  • Walled Lake Central vs. Northville at Novi

Volleyball

  • Mason at Owosso
  • Watervliet at Lawton
  • Holt at East Lansing
  • Oscoda at Lincoln Alcona
  • Rogers City at Hillman
  • Calumet at Negaunee
  • Fairview at Whittemore-Prescott
  • Fife Lake Forest Area at Central Lake
  • Rogers City at Hillman
  • Tawas at Pinconning
  • Montabella at Central Montcalm
  • Pinconning at Whittemore-Prescott
  • L'Anse at Calumet
  • Atlanta at Rogers City
  • East Jordan at Grayling

Football

  • Marquette at Negaunee
  • Flint Beecher at Montrose
  • Mancelona at Central Lake
  • Oscoda at Rogers City
  • Manton at Lincoln Alcona
  • Grand Ledge at East Lansing
  • Brimley at Posen
  • Pickford at Onaway
  • Whittemore-Prescott at Hillman
  • Harrison at Clare
  • Dowagiac at Paw Paw
  • Greenville at Cedar Springs
  • Allendale at Comstock Park
  • Saginaw Heritage at Davison
  • Detroit Consortium at Mason 


Swimming and Diving

  • Grand Ledge at East Lansing

MHSAA.tv Highlights: This week's package includes clips from the Clare/Harrison and Flint Beecher/Montrose football games and Stanton Central Montcalm/Blanchard Montabella volleyball match. 

Division 2 Final: 'Anything is Possible'

November 29, 2011

DETROIT – That was the motto of Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice’s football team this season.

And the Warriors had to believe it in order for Friday’s dream finish to become possible.

Brother Rice qualified for the Division 2 playoffs at 5-4 last month and after finishing just fourth in the Detroit Catholic League Central. But riding the legs of senior running back Devin Church, the Warriors finished this season with a 24-14 win over Lowell at Ford Field to earn their seventh MHSAA championship and first since 2005.

Church, who ran for more than 900 yards during the playoffs, piled up 244 and three touchdowns rushing in the Final.

“We did it to make Coach proud,” Church said. “We kept the tradition going.

“That’s everybody’s dream, to win a state title. To walk away with a ring, that’s a blessing.”

“Coach” is Al Fracassa, who finished his 43rd season by winning his 405th high school game. But this run provided a new experience for the longtime leader.

Playing in a conference that also includes Division 1 finalist Detroit Catholic Central, Division 3 finalist Orchard Lake St. Mary and playoff qualifier Warren DeLaSalle, the Warriors lost three league games by a combined four points. Brother Rice (10-4) picked up its fourth loss in Week 8 against Cincinnati LaSalle.

But wins over strong teams – Detroit Martin Luther King and Ann Arbor Pioneer among them – likely gave Brother Rice the playoff points boost it needed to get into the postseason.

“We were worried about making the playoffs again. You get down, but the kids, they taught me a lesson. They came out and they worked their tails off,” Fracassa said. “We had a motto before our season started. … Anything is possible. This motto really personifies this football team. Anything is possible, and they’re going to remember it the rest of their lives.”

Church – who will sign with Northern Illinois in February – ran the ball 33 times. His yards were the sixth-most in an MHSAA Final ever. And they were followed by some flattering comparisons from Lowell coach Noel Dean.

“I don’t want to belittle their team by making it about one player; they have a great team,” Dean said. “(Church) is a fantastic football player. One of the better ones I’ve seen. And I’ve coached against some pretty good running backs in my day. The Grady brothers and the Ducketts, I’ve seen some pretty good ones. He’s fantastic.”

Fracassa added: “He’s done that all year, for the last three years. This is not only his good game he played. He’s played good in every game he’s played.”

And while Church ran wild, the Warriors were able to contain Lowell all-state quarterback Gabe Dean, who was making his third straight appearance in the Division 2 Final. A senior now, he led the Red Arrows to a championship game win in 2009

Dean did throw for 190 yards and two touchdowns, but was able to get free for just 34 yards on the ground as Lowell (12-2) attempted to catch up, and catch Church, most of the afternoon.

“The veer offense, we learned how to shut it down this week in practice. And we did a great job in the game,” Brother Rice junior linebacker Jon Reschke said. “We got them out of the veer and into a shotgun formation, the spread offense, which they didn't want to be in, which helped us.”

Senior linebacker Mark Doman had a team-high 13 tackles for Brother Rice, and Reschke had 10. Junior linebacker Reed Stormzand had 20 to lead Lowell, followed by sophomore linebackers Garrett Stehley and Jake Stehley with 14 and 12, respectively.

Click for full stats and play-by-play.