Ithaca coach Terry Hessbrook celebrates his state final win after defeating Clinton in the Division 6 final at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015.

Ithaca quarterback Jake Smith ran for three touchdowns and threw for another as the Yellowjackets defeated Clinton 27-20 at Ford Field for the team’s fifth Division 6 state championship in six years.

Ithaca (14-0) fell behind 13-0 early in the third quarter Friday when Clinton All-State running back Matthew Sexton scored on a 56-yard run.

• More: Michigan high school football championship coverage

The Yellowjackets then scored on four consecutive possessions, while the Redskins (13-1) failed to gain a first down on three straight drives.

Clinton’s Noah Poore caught a first-quarter touchdown pass and scored on a short run with 4:59 remaining in the game to make it 27-20.

The Redskins forced an Ithaca turnover on downs with 1:47 left to play. Their final drive ended near midfield on a fourth-down sack of Clinton quarterback Kaden Kelly.

Son of Swami

Welcome to the Detroit Public School League Invitational.

Once upon a time it would seem like an impossible fantasy to imagine PSL teams playing for state championships in the state’s two biggest divisions on the same weekend. But here we are, and now the chore is for King and Cass Tech to win the two titles.

Can the PSLers do it? Who better to ask than the Son of Swami, whose crystal ball darn near froze in last weekend’s snowstorm?

But before SOS proceeds, he needs to send a shout out to all of the schools that did such an amazing job hosting semifinal games last week, especially Bob Dowd and his crew of volunteers at Troy Athens.

They did an excellent job preparing the Athens field for play, but that was not the most impressive aspect of the day. The concession stand’s special, the Bobby D cheeseburger which features pulled pork and cold slaw, was spectacular. SOS is certain it blocked three of SOS’s arteries, which gave Mrs. SOS something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.

As for the prospects of Cass Tech and King leaving Ford Field with championship trophies, the All-Knowing One says to count on it.

Last week SOS was a mediocre 11-5 (69%) in the semifinals, bringing his playoff total to 181-59 (75%).

Division 1

Romeo (12-1) vs. Detroit Cass Tech (11-2), 1 Saturday. Romeo, the home of SOS’s personal videographer — Alexandra Bahou, has been incredibly impressive working its way through the field to get to Ford Field. It looked like Romeo got a break when Cass QB Rodney Hall broke his ankle in the regional, but replacement Aaron Jackson can still get the ball to Donovan Peoples-Jones and that means another title for the PSL. Momma Cass 34, Wherefore Art Thou 25.

Division 2

Detroit King (13-0) vs. Lowell (12-1), 1 Friday. Lowell’s victory over Walled Lake Western last week was remarkable, but now the Red Arrows are coming into King’s house. If stopping receivers Donnie Corley and Lavert Hill is a difficult assignment, what happens now that running back Martell Pettaway is gobbling up huge chunks of turf every time he carries the ball? King of Wishful Thinking 33, Low and Outside 24.

Division 3

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (11-1) vs. Chelsea (12-1), 7:30 Saturday. St. Mary’s has been the odds-on favorite to repeat as state champs all season, and for a while it looked like it was going to be easy. But now the Eaglets have more injuries than the New England Patriots. Complicating matters is that Chelsea has a high-powered offense and quarterback Jack Bush has a plethora of quality receivers. Will McAvoy High 27, St. Mary’s by the Lake 24 (OT).

Division 4

Zeeland West (13-0) vs. Flint Powers (11-2), 7:30 Friday. Quarterback Noah Sargent has been the do-it-all player for Powers, but now its find-the-football time. Who is going to be able to figure out which one of West’s running backs has the ball, and can they do it before the guy with the ball is standing in the end zone? And who is going to block West’s Zach VanValkenburg? Zeeland’s Best 35, Flint Power & Light 22.

Division 5

River Rouge (12-1) vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic (11-2), 4:30 Saturday. What an amazing season River Rouge has had, turning the school with the greatest basketball legacy in the state into a football school. And then there is West Catholic, which is in the finals for the fourth straight season and attempting to win its third in a row. Mission accomplished. Catholics West of Grand Rapids 33, Rouge River 27.

Division 6

Ithaca (13-0) vs. Clinton (13-0), 4:30 Friday. Does Ithaca, making its sixth straight appearance in the finals, have its own reserved parking spot at Ford field? How about its own locker room? Ithaca is shooting for its fifth title in that span, and it makes sense it will get it. But don’t sleep on Clinton’s Mathew Sexton. And don’t forget about his teammate Noah Poore. Either can score every time they touch the ball. Mythical 35, Hillary 34.

Division 7

Pewamo-Westphalia (13-0) vs. Ishpeming (12-0), 10 a.m.Saturday. Hey, where’s Loyola? Without the Bull Dogs around, it seems like the Yoopers from Ishpeming are about to win their third state title in four years. But not so fast. Will the Hematites (you have to love the nickname) be able to tackle P-W’s Jared Smith, who is having the best year any running back has ever had? Pewamo Will Fail You 28, Ishmael 26.

Division 8

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (13-0) vs. Muskegon CC (10-2), 10 a.m. Friday. SOS isn’t sure Muskegon CC has seen a passer like Lakes’ Clay Senerius, who has plenty of weapons to go with him. And SOS understands that MCC isn’t as good as it has been the last two years, but the Crusaders are good enough. MCC-ABE 24, Waterford Our Gal 21.

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

Muskegon Catholic Central ‘s Jacob Holt carries the trophy after a 7-0 victory over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes in the MHSAA Division 8 state football championship at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015.

Of course it was a defensive play that started Muskegon Catholic Central’s game-winning touchdown drive in the Division 8 state championship game.

Christian Martinez grabbed an interception, then ended the drive with an eight-yard TD run with 10:20 left in the fourth quarter against Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes.

It gave the Crusaders a 7-0 victory. MCC stuffed an offense that hadn’t scored fewer than 32 points in a game this season.

Martinez’s interception with 62 seconds left in the third quarter was the third of four thrown by Lakers senior quarterback Clay Senerius. Starting at its own 36-yard line, MCC (11-3) passed only one time on the 64-yard drive, a 12-yarder from Martinez to Logan Helton.

Martinez had a 14-yard run, and Walker Christoffersen contributed a 24-yard run to the Lakers 8. Martinez scored on the next play.

“We had some key plays,’’ Martinez said. “We had a third down where the line blocked perfect. That kept the drive going. We had an explosive run by Walker that set up the touchdown. On the touchdown, Jacob Holt got around the edge and blocked two guys. He set it up perfectly for me to get in.’’

Live: Audio, scores, tweets from football state finals

Waterford Our Lady (13-1) tried to respond, driving from its own 30 to the Crusaders’ 13. On second-and-8, Senerius tried to hit Chris Cartier in the right corner of the end zone, but Christoffersen stepped in front of the pass with 3:21 remaining for yet another interception.

“It was really good knowing that, during practice this week, all we went over was stay deep and stay on your man,’’ Christoffersen said. “He ran a flag route, and I knew if I got to him in time, I could break on the ball. We had good coaching and good teaching throughout the week, and it resulted in the interception.’’

This is the Crusaders’ third straight championship. MCC might not be as talented as its previous two championship teams, but coach Steve Czerwon gladly accepted the hardware.

“It was a hard-fought battle out there,’’ he said. “I don’t think anyone that watched these two teams expected it to be 7-0. We’ve been in quite a few close games. A lot of grit and integrity out of these guys today.’’

Christoffersen led the offense with 113 yards on 18 carries.

While the Crusaders moved the ball, the Lakers were stymied in their first two possessions until Senerius hit Cartier with a 29-yard pass for the team’s initial first down.

Waterford Our Lady finally put a drive together midway through the second quarter, until Brody Kieft broke through for a six-yard loss on Cartier. Devin Senerius, Clay’s twin, then missed a 35-yard field goal.

The Lakers had another scoring opportunity inside two minutes of the first half, but a fourth-down pass by Clay Senerius was tipped away in the end zone.

Clay provided the offense, completing 17 of 27 passes for 193 yards. But the interceptions were killers.

“I made some bad reads; it was my fault,’’ he said.

Coach Josh Sawicki corrected him.

“It was our fault,’’ he said. “We had the most wins in school history and scored the most points. That was a physical, physical football game. In close games, it always comes down to one or two plays that you have to make. Unfortunately, it didn’t fall our way today.’’

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

Muskegon Catholic Central’s #20 LaTommy Scott is stopped for a short gain by Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes Mclane Burtum at the MHSAA Division 8 state football championships at Ford Field in Detroit, Nov. 27, 2015.

Detroit King was fooled — twice.

On a 4th-and-1 play, Lowell shifted its entire offensive line to one side of the field. Biting on the play, Armani Posey crossed the line of scrimmage.

Encroachment. First down for the Red Arrows at the King 17. Tack on a facemask penalty after a seven-yard run by quarterback Ryan Stevens and two plays later Lowell increased its Division 2 championship game lead to 38-26.

With just 7:10 left to play, King’s championship appeared doomed.

After scoring and getting a two-point conversion to make it 38-34, King got fooled again on the exact same play with 2:14 left on a third-down and three. Encroachment — again. First down — again.

King seemed to be fooled most of the game, especially when the defense was on the field.

“We went out there and told them don’t move on the shift,” said King coach Dale Harvel. “Don’t move. Don’t even get in a stance. That goes back to when you don’t see things throughout the year. … It’s mental. We stressed all week what this was going to be about; mental. It was mental mistakes that kept us in a hole. We had two stops and they got a first down.”

It nearly cost the Crusaders a state title.

“We’ll work on it for next year,” Harvel said.

TOUGH ENDING: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes won 13 games, the most in school history.

It scored the most points in school history, but the Lakers couldn’t find the end zone Friday afternoon in the Division 8 championship game against Muskegon Catholic Central, losing 7-0 to end the season on a bitter note.

Twins Clay and Devin Senerius didn’t have a lot to say.

Clay suffered through his worst game of the year, throwing four interceptions, and took the blame.

“It’s great to be a Laker, that’s all I have to say,” Devin said. “I love playing with my brother. I love all my teammates.”

Coach Josh Sawicki said it was a team effort that resulted in the loss.

“I was proud of how we battled,” he said. “We keep our head up. …

“I thought we moved the ball relatively well, we just didn’t execute in the red zone. They played a deep cover four. They dropped those guys back there. They’re a great defensive football team, and they came up and tackled. Their gameplan was to keep everything in front of them and we just came up short a couple of times in the red zone.

NAME GAME: LaTommy Scott’s older brother, Tommy, starred in last year’s Division 8 championship game with four touchdowns for Muskegon Catholic Central.

Their father’s name is Tommy. Their grandfather’s name is Tommy.

“Both my brother and I are same generation and we’re both LaTommy III,” said LaTommy, who carried 12 times for 44 yards in the 7-0 victory over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes.

To differentiate the brothers, the younger Scott is called ‘Baby-T’ and the older brother is called ‘Man-man.’

LaTommy had one interception and one tackle in the victory.

Unlike his brother, he didn’t eat a lot of banana pudding before the game, which caused Tommy to vomit in the second quarter of last year’s championship game.

“My stepmom made a lot of banana pudding for us, which she always does for Thanksgiving,” said LaTommy. “He was eating it here. He reminded me not to eat a lot because he didn’t want me getting sick like he did. I just kind of not ate a lot. Now I’m going to eat.”

It probably tasted better after a victory.

Live audio, updates from prep football state finals

Detroit King coach Dale Harvel hugs players at Ford Field in Detroit on Oct. 23, 2015.

Muskegon Catholic Central celebrates with its fans after a 7-0 victory over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes in the MHSAA Division 8 state football championship at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015.

Gridiron glory is on the line this weekend at Ford Field in Detroit, as eight state champions will be crowned.

Divisions 2, 4, 6 and 8 will be decided on Friday; Divisions 1, 3, 5 and 7 on Saturday.

Here’s the schedule. (Links before and during the game go to a live radio feed. Links after the game go to our recap.)

• Check out Son of Swami’s predictions here

Friday

Division 8: Muskegon Catholic Central 7, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 0

Division 2: Detroit King 40, Lowell 38

Division 6: Ithaca 27, Clinton 20

Division 4: Flint Powers (11-2) vs. Zeeland West (13-0), 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Division 7: Pewamo-Westphalia (13-0) vs. Ishpeming (12-0), 10 a.m.

Division 1: Detroit Cass Tech (11-2) vs. Romeo (12-1), 1 p.m.

Division 5: River Rouge (12-1) vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic (11-2), 4:30 p.m.

Division 3: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (11-1) vs. Chelsea (12-1), 7:30 p.m.

Live updates from Ford Field:

Div. 1, 2 preview: PSL’s King, Cass Tech can win at ‘home’
Div. 3, 4: Chelsea in group with state powerhouses
Div. 5, 6: One a rematch, one title shot for Rouge
Div. 7, 8 preview: Ishpeming, P-W in battle of unbeatens

Detroit King wide receiver Donnie Corley goes through drills on Aug.11, 2015.

Detroit Martin Luther King Donnie Corley catches the game-winning touchdown against Lowell Gabe Steed, during the Michigan High School Athletic Association football finals at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015. King won 40-38.

Donnie Corley transferred from Wyandotte Roosevelt to Detroit King to help his family take care of his grandmother.

Friday afternoon at Ford Field, he helped the Crusaders to a Division 2 state championship.

Corley’s 40-yard TD catch with no time on the clock completed an incredible comeback for a 40-38 victory over Lowell (12-2) by the Detroit Public School League (14-0) champs.

• More: Michigan high school football championship coverage

“When I saw the safety wasn’t coming over I said ‘throw the ball to Donnie,’” said King coach Dale Harvel. “No one could hear me, but I was saying it to myself. Armani (Posey) made a great throw.”

And Corley sealed the deal, stretching his body over Gabe Steed for King’s only lead of the game.

“He’s a great receiver,” said Steed. “It was a good play by him.”

UNBELIEVABLE. Detroit King wins the Division 2 state title on a Hail Mary. Went 97 yards in 38 seconds. https://t.co/hykmmtnTQt

—
Brad Galli (@BradGalli) November 27, 2015

The winning drive went 95 yards in just 37 seconds.

“I just thought two-minute drill,” said Posey, who started the season in the defensive backfield. “Get the ball to the playmakers.”

Corley credited Dontre Boyd for setting up the winning score with a 25-yard catch to the Lowell 40. He got blasted on the play and left the game with a shoulder injury. Boyd had five catches for 126 yards.

“I saw the corner and the safety wasn’t coming over so I was one-on-one,” Corley said of the winning play. “I knew Posey was going to make the right read when he saw me one-on-one. I wasn’t surprised. They probably thought their corner was good. The safety was telling the corner to get up top. It was a beautiful ball. It couldn’t have been better. I knew where I was on the field. It was amazing.”

Said Posey, who threw for 383 yards and five touchdowns and ran for a three-yard TD run: “I saw one-on-one coverage on the best receiver in the state. I threw it up and gave my guy a chance to make a play.”

Corley finished with six catches for 108 yards and two scores.

Harvel wasn’t happy his defense gave up a season high 38 points and 400 yards.

“I thought they kept us off balance a lot as far as what they were doing,” said Harvel. “Give Lowell a lot of credit. My kids kept fighting. We had a couple of stops when we needed them, but we didn’t stop them consistently. They ran their game-plan to a T. They took away our running game and made us one-dimensional. We had to pass.”

When Max Dean (22 carries, 99 yards, three TDs) powered in from four yards out, the Red Arrows were up 31-13 early in the third quarter.

King responded with a 25-yard TD pass from Posey to Corley to make it 31-20. Posey threw another dump-off pass to Ambry Thomas, who weaved his way through the Lowell defense for a 41-yard TD, completing another 95-yard drive with 11:44 left in the game to make it 31-26.

Lowell got a two-yard TD run from quarterback Ryan Stevens (six of nine, 186 yards) to make it 38-26 with 4:25 left.

King scored again on a two-yard pass from Posey to Lavert Hill, and the two-point conversion by Martell Pettaway made it a four-point game.

“Anytime you’re competing against 15 kids that have been offered scholarships to other colleges and you have 1.5 kids (offered) you’re kind of nervous coming into the game,” said Lowell coach Noel Dean. “I thought our kids competed well and intelligently on offense. At times athleticism took over and it was hard on the kids, but they still battled. I thought when we punted down to the five with 45 seconds left that would be a good spot for us to be in.”

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

Flint Powers Catholic QB Noah Sargent tis tackled by Zeeland West RIley Brinks, during the first half of the Michigan High School Athletic Association football Division 4 finals at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015. Z west was up 16-0 at the half. during the Michigan High School Athletic Association football Division 4 finals at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015., during the Michigan High School Athletic Association football Division 4 finals at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015.

There’s two things that Flint Powers needed to know about Zeeland West’s wing-T offense. First, the Dux were apt to keep the ball on the ground. Second, the ball was going to Darius Perisee. Or maybe Tyler Thompson. Unless it was Dakota Geurink.

Zeeland West has thrived behind a running attack featuring precision and deception, and while Powers got better reads than most opponents, the Dux stuck to their game plan Friday and mixed up their assignments, cruising by the Chargers 40-14 in the Division 4 championship.

“Me, Dakota and Darius, we always go out and we always want to give our all,” said Thompson, who led the attack with 117 yards and two touchdowns. “No matter whose number is called, we always want to do our thing and we want to be successful in the end. We’re all seniors and we want to get the big prize, and we did it.”

The Dux didn’t need to air it out, throwing only four passes in 59 offensive plays, since they rushed for 318 yards and five touchdowns.

Zeeland West (14-0) turned the ball over on downs at the Powers 5 on the opening series before hitting paydirt the next time around, traveling 86 yards in nine plays. Perisee took the ball 8 yards around left end for the game’s first touchdown. Thompson scored on a 4-yard run in the second, increasing the lead to 16.

Then, it was Geurink’s turn to power into the end zone, carrying in a tackler on a third-and-goal call from the 4. Thompson added a two-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, making the lead 32-6.

Casey Brinks got into the act as well, scoring on a 39-7 yard quarterback keeper for the game’s final touchdown. He also intercepted two passes, including one in the end zone as time expired in the first half.

“To win the state championship as a senior, it’s the best feeling in the world,” he said. “During the regular season and the playoffs we worked it week by week, and we finally got here and it was a dream to get here and finish it all.”

The Chargers (11-3) got their scores on a 15-yard keeper by Noah Sargent and a 35-yard pass from Sargent to Luke Brcic.

Zeeland West has only been in existence since 2005, but has won four state titles in that timespan, collecting trophies in 2006, 2011 and 2013. Powers last won a championship in 2011, in Division 5.

“Our hard work really paid off, and just everything turned out like a normal storybook ending,” Thompson said. “We just give our best effort. That’s all anyone can ask for. We are told our assignment and we go out and we fill that assignment and do everything in our power to make each play that we do successful. We’re doing our job every play, and that’s it.”

Live audio, updates from prep football state finals

Ithaca fans cheer on their team in the final minutes of Ithaca’s 27-20 win over Clinton in the Division 6 state final Friday at Ford Field.

“From our town to D town, keeping the football legacy alive” was printed on the back of an Ithaca T-shirt, and that phrase was a good fit for both sides of the stands in the Division 6 state final, as virtually the entire populations of Ithaca (2,862) and Clinton (2,298) journeyed to Ford Field.

“I don’t know how many live there, but not a lot are there now — they’re all here,” said Sarah Turner of Clinton, who was in the front row sporting a red No. 6 jersey. The senior had the responsibility of holding up a whiteboard signaling the student section what cheer to do next.

All but one of Clinton’s playoff games were on the road, but that was hardly an issue, as the Redskins often outdrew opponents hosting the games.

“We have pep rallies, everybody meets up before every game. We have fan buses to every playoff game,” Turner said. “Our fans are the best; we love our team so much, we’re so proud of them.”

On the opposite side of Ford Field, Ithaca senior Andrew Mills was making his sixth trip in a row to root on the Yellowjackets in the title game. He wore a white T-shirt, with half of his face painted white; the other half had blue and yellow stripes.

“We’re pumped up because we’re here to win,” he said. “I’ve been here every year. There’s a whole new crew every year and its fun seeing them play. I love it. We’ve done a white-out every year and its just tradition. We’re keeping it going.”

In the end, Ithaca had more to cheer about as the Yellowjackets won their fifth crown in six years, 27-20.

■ Better late than never: It appeared that Ithaca captain Spence DeMull would spend his senior season on the sidelines after he hurt his meniscus in summer 7-on-7 play. But because Ithaca makes long playoff runs, he eventually got back into the lineup fully healed, and ended up being one of the Yellowjackets’ big contributors with 350 receiving yards down the stretch.

DeMull had an 18-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, but coach Terry Hessbrook said his earlier 39-yard reception into the red zone was the spark that got Ithaca’s offense going.

“I ran a curl route, and right when I turned around the ball was right there,” DeMull said. “I didn’t really see the defender miss, but when I turned, I saw a lot of open green field in front of me. … I tried to make a run for the end zone, but they caught me from behind.”

■ Speed trap: Clinton rushed for over 4,000 yards this season and 60 touchdowns, including a 56-yard sprint by Matt Sexton which gave the Redskins a 13-0 lead in the third quarter. Of course, it also helps when you’ve got speed to burn.

Clinton’s track team, which is also coached by Scott McNitt, had the state champion 4×100 meter relay team last spring, consisting of running backs Sexton and Noah Poore, along with graduated seniors Zach Johnston and Tyler Underwood. Sexton, Poore, Underwood and lineman Kenny DeShano were also runners-up in the 4×200 relay.

Romeo TE Mitchell Heimbuch is surrounded by his teammates after they defeated Detroit Cass Tech 41-27, during the Michigan High School Athletic Association football Division 1 finals at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015.

Detroit Cass Tech QB is tackled by Romeo DB Jacob Hernden and Domenico Bongiorno after gaining yards, during the first half of the Michigan High School Athletic Association football Division 1 finals at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015.

The year was 2002 and Romeo needed a head football coach.

Curt Rienas and Jason Couch were assistant coaches there and were two of the three finalists. When the other finalist dropped out, Couch and Rienas met.

“What do you think?” Couch asked Rienas. “What’s your vision?”

Couch listed and then gave Rienas his vision.

• More: Michigan high school football championship coverage

Neither one is sure who said it first, but one of them said: “How about doing this together?”

Romeo football hasn’t been the same since.

Rienas and Couch became the first co-coaches in playoff history to win a state championship today when their Bulldogs upset Detroit Cass Tech, 41-27, in Ford Field.

The two met when Rienas joined the Romeo varsity as a sophomore and Couch was a senior.

“He was the captain, the leader of our team,” Rienas said. “He was kind of spiritual leader of the group. He kind of took me under his wing when I was the young guy that everybody wanted to see if he was really ready for this or not.”

Rienas was ready and together they helped the Bulldogs win a regional title and advance to the semifinals. It was the furthest any Romeo team had been . . . until this Romeo team. Their Romeo team.

The friendship grew from there. After college they returned to coach as assistants, but their idea of co-coaches wasn’t welcomed with open arms.

Everyone athletic director Greg Brynaert asked about having co-coaches advised him against it. Even when he agreed to it, Brynaert told them the first time he saw one of them point the finger at the other he was pulling the plug.

He is still waiting for the first finger to be pointed.

Couch runs the offense and Rienas runs the defense and they are sounding boards for each other.

The Couch-Rienas relationship is like a marriage . . . except better. There is no bickering.

“Seriously, there’s none; I’m dead serious,” Couch said. “We communicate all the time. My wife jokes about how we talk more than her and I do because that’s what you have to do. It’s like any relationship, you’ve got to have communication.”

Actually, it’s better than a marriage. Each of their wives refers to the other coach as her husband’s “girlfriend.”

There are no harsh words between the two. The worst it gets is when one poses a question.

“There’s probably things, like in a marriage, where you ask: ‘Are you sure?’ ‘’ Rienas said. “But whenever you have open dialogue you’re going to end up with the best answer at the end. You might not initially agree, but when you have the same mission, you’re on the same page anyway.”

The mission here has always been the same: a state championship.

This week the two have received text messages and e-mails from guys who played for them in 2003 and remembered Couch’s opening remarks as a co-coach.

Couch told them that Sterling Heights Stevenson had played in the state championship game and so had Utica Eisenhower. Then he asked the players a question:

“Why can’t Romeo? Let’s do this.”

Well, they did it and Couch and Rienas did it together.

The key is their egos don’t get in the way of what is best for the team.

“There’s no egos,” Couch said. “I don’t care about the title, I really don’t. I’m just proud to be a Bulldog and I love every minute about this.”

Before they left Ford Field they talked about returning to the school where their seniors will take the annual “senior walk.”

The underclassmen make a tunnel and the players walk through it.

This senior walk will be different in one not-so-little way.

“We always said: ‘The last game, you end sad . . . unless,” Couch said. “And here we are.”

Here they are together.

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

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Storybook ending for Romeo in Div. 1 title game
Peoples-Jones, quarterbacks give Cass Tech hope

Grand Rapids West Catholic’s Gaetano Vallone runs behind the block of Kurtis Schultz during 1st quarter of West Catholic’s 40-34 win over River Rouge in the Division 5 state final Saturday at Ford Field.

River Rouge was big, but Grand Rapids West Catholic was experienced with two straight Division 5 football titles.

West Catholic prevailed, 40-34, despite going against an offensive line that went 280, 290, 300, 340 and 350 in front of elusive quarterback Antoine Burgess (13 of 19, 354 yards, three TDs) for a three-peat.

The Falcons’ run game (363 yards) and the Panthers’ mistakes proved to be the difference.

“We had a small senior class and I think a lot of people doubted this group,” said West Catholic coach Dan Rohn. “This means a lot. We’re a small school trying to get kids come to our school. This helps a lot.

“We got off to a 1-2 start. We got blown out by a good Forest Hills Eastern team.”

David Fox had 152 yards on 10 carries for the Falcons and three TDs. Gaetano Vallone rushed 19 times for 115 yards even though he was slowed by an ankle injury, and Denny Alt had 79 yards on 13 carries.

“It feels great; to be able to come to West Catholic,” said Fox, who was replaced by Vallone as the team’s quarterback after he hurt his shoulder. “Ever since my freshman year we’ve been able to come to Ford Field. This is my third ring and we’re hoping for another one.”

West Catholic stunned the Panthers with a 64-yard TD run by Fox, bursting up the middle and out-racing the River Rouge secondary with 44 seconds left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.

Rouge got a 43-yard pass from Burgess to Aaron Vinson to get the offense in scoring position.

Burgess’ passing yards were the second most in finals history.

“We were playing West Catholic,” said Panthers Coach Corey Parker of the team’s slow start. “I don’t discredit what we were doing, but they were doing an awesome job creating some issues up front that we couldn’t go deep down the field in our passing game. We had to make some blocking adjustments. Once we did that we were able to create some time for Antoine.”

Burgess hit Ashawnti Howard for an 11-yard score with 8:51 left in the half, but failed on the two-point conversion.

Fox burned the Panthers with another long run, sprinting 38-yards for his second TD with 2:33 left in the first half to make it 14-6.

Burgess completed a 41-yard pass to Giavonni Turner to set up another possible score, but two plays later was intercepted by Connor Bolthouse with 27 seconds left in the half to end the threat.

By halftime, Fox had already lit up the Panthers’ defense for 106 yards on just four carries.

The Falcons (12-2) didn’t miss a beat to start the second half, getting a 53-yard run from Gaetano Vallone to the Rouge 12.

Fox literally walked in from there just 16 seconds into the third quarter to make it 21-6.

Burgess finally struck gold when he hit Vinson in stride for a 63-yard TD pass with 3:56 left in the third. He hit Turner for the two-point conversion pass and the Panthers (12-2) were on the prowl, down just seven.

West Catholic responded with a 9-yard TD pass from Vallone to Aaron Hall with 14 seconds left in the third to make it 28-14.

Still firing, Burgess hit Howard with a 51-yarder to the 1-yard line, where Burgess scored two plays later with 10:54 to play.

Succumbing to a fake punt, River Rouge still had a chance to get back into the game, but a West Catholic punt to the Panthers’ 2 was followed by a fumbled snap by Burress. He was tackled in the end zone for a safety, making it a nine-point game with just 7:15 left.

West Catholic got a 31-yard field goal from Liam Putz to extend the lead to 33-21.

“That was a big sequence,” said Parker.

Burgess kept going deep using just 37 seconds to go 65 yards and throwing a 23-yard TD pass to Turner with 3:36 left.

“My thing was to keep fighting,” said Burgess. “Every time we got the ball back I said let’s score.”

Said Parker: “My guys fought and fought. That’s our mantra.”

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

Ishpeming coach Jeff Olson yells at the referee for a missed call against Pewamo-Westphalia, during the first half of the Michigan High School Athletic Association football Division 7 finals at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015.

The burning questions entering Saturday’s Division 7 championship game at Ford Field were: How many carries would junior running back Jared Smith get and could the Pewamo-Westphalia star single-handedly provide enough offense to beat Ishpeming?

Well, Ishpeming senior quarterback Ozzy Corp exceeded Smith’s carries and the Hematites controlled the ball well enough in the second half to keep Smith on defense as Corp and Ishpeming rallied from a 16-0 deficit to win their third state title in four years with a 22-16 victory.

Ishpeming (13-0) survived two penalties and a fumbled snap for a seven-yard loss on its game-winning drive.

• More: Michigan high school football championship coverage

“We like to control the football,” said Corp, who rushed for 128 yards. “Time of possession is a big part of our offense. We like to wear teams down. It worked pretty well in the fourth quarter. We’re a team that knows how to overcome adversity.”

Corp, who finished with 32 carries and three rushing TDs, plowed in from the one with 3:52 left. He also tacked on the two-point conversion run to make it 22-16. He also was the hero on defense, knocking away a fourth-down pass in the end zone to seal the victory.

“In the first half they were winning the line of scrimmage,” said Ishpeming coach Jeff Olson. “You had two teams that liked to do the same thing. I think we did wear them down. I could see them breathing hard in the fourth quarter, definitely on that last drive. We were down 16-0 and we didn’t get frazzled.”

As expected Smith did all the heavy lifting in the Pirates’ first drive. He carried the ball 13 times, but was stopped on a 4th-and-1. He finished with 149 yards on 27 carries.

“We didn’t have an answer in the first half,” said Olson. “We worked on stopping the cutback and he got the cutback. We worked hard on stopping him from getting to the outside and he got to the outside. When he gets one-on-one he’s extremely difficult to tackle.”

The Pirates scored on a 25-yard run by Smith to start the second quarter. Quarterback Jimmy Lehman threw to Bryce Thelen for the two-point conversion.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Pirates struck again, but this time through the air.

With Ishpeming biting on the run, Lehman spotted a wide open Thelen in the secondary and hit him for a 50-yard score with 9:17 left in the first half, covering 61 yards in two plays. Smith’s two-point conversion run gave Pewamo-Westphalia a 16-0 lead.

Ishpeming responded with a drive to the Pirates’ one with Corp carrying the ball eight straight times.

On fourth down, Corp bulldozed in from the one with 2:41 left in the half. The two-point conversion pass failed, leaving the Pirates ahead, 16-6.

Smith’s only first-half miscue was a fumble when he was stripped by Luke Kuliu with Devin Dent recovering with 47 seconds left in the half.

“We had an interception and a fumble and you can’t do that in these games,” said Smith. “We left plays out on the field. We didn’t score on the one-yard line. I had a fumble and we had an interception. We have a lot of talent coming back, so we have to get in the weight room and start working.”

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

Detroit Cass Tech Donovan People-Jones catches a pass, during the first half of the Michigan High School Athletic Association football Division 1 finals at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015.

Even though Detroit Cass Tech came up short against Romeo in Saturday’s Division 1 championship contest, the Technicians could very well get another crack at the 2016 title since several impact players are due to return.

Rodney Hall, a junior, began the season under center and guided the Technicians to 10 wins before a broken ankle sent him to the sidelines after regionals. In Hall’s absence, sophomore Aaron Jackson stepped in and was 19-of-27 for 194 yards and two touchdowns Saturday — following up a solid performance in his first start, a 48-41 semifinal win over Canton.

“These two starts have really been a big confidence booster for me,” he said. “My team has a great offense and a great defense. I really love my teammates and they did this, I had a small role in this. These great athletes here did this.”

But no matter who is throwing the ball, their favorite target is one of those “great athletes” — Donovan Peoples-Jones. The junior wideout had eight receptions for 85 yards Saturday — twice the team’s total rushing yardage — including a nifty touchdown catch in the fourth quarter that pulled Cass within six points.

And it didn’t matter to him that the guy running the show Saturday was possibly the most inexperienced one on the Ford Field turf.

“He’s a great quarterback, he’s a very mechanical quarterback; he does everything the coaches ask him, he’s a competitor,” Peoples-Jones said. “That makes it easier for me. If he can get the ball there, I can catch the ball. Our chemistry is real good.”

That was apparent in the fourth quarter. Facing a 3rd-and-15, Jackson hit Peoples-Jones with a flare to the right side, and he rambled the remaining yardage for the first down. The duo followed that up on the very next play as Peoples-Jones took off up the right sideline as Jackson lofted the ball up. Peoples-Jones got under it and hauled it in with out breaking pace, heading into the end zone on a play covering 36 yards.

“He’s something else, man,” said Romeo’s Brad Tanner, who drew the unenviable assignment of defending Peoples-Jones. “He’s easily the quickest receiver off the line. He’s really physical, he’s a great receiver. That double-move that he did on me, that was D-I (college) right there. He’s a great player and I respect him.”

While Hall has earned spotlight time and Jackson is just coming into his own, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Peoples-Jones is already one of Michigan’s top junior recruits. Now that his season is over, he can devote some time to sifting through his 19 offers from Division I schools.

But before he gets to campus, he’s excited about the Technicians’ prospects for next year.

“I know it’s going to be a quarterback battle, it’s going to be a great battle,” he said. “Aaron’s a great quarterback, Rodney’s a great quarterback, so that will help the team because those guys will be competing all spring and all summer.”

Sounds like Cass Tech can’t go wrong either way.

Live: Audio, scores, tweets from football state finals

Romeo WR Bradley Tanner, center, celebrates scoring a touchdown with his teammates, Hunberto Flores and Louis Thom, during the first half Michigan High School Athletic Association football Division 1 finals against Detroit Cass Tech at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015.

Saturday could not have been scripted any better for Romeo, making its first Division 1 football championship appearance.

The gameplan was excellent. Poise and execution was spot on and the result was a state title as the Bulldogs clearly outplayed Detroit Cass Tech in a 41-27 victory at Ford Field in front of a sea of Red.

“If any other school brought more fans I’d like to see them,” said co-coach Jason Couch. “This community pulls you in.”

The Bulldogs scored on their first drive. They took a punch from Cass Tech and responded with another score. Their tiny defensive line caused the bigger Technicians problems. They forced an early turnover and scored off it. They ran the ball. They threw the ball. They converted a hook-and-ladder play. They used a flea-flicker to try and score.

By the end of the first half, the Bulldogs had piled up 278 yards and scored 19 points.

“I think in each facet of the game we wanted to be aggressive and leave it all on the field,” said Romeo co-coach Curt Rienas. “The players felt like they played a state championship game. We executed the onside kick, punting out of our offense. All those things ended up being key plays in the game.”

The Bulldogs struck first on a 20-yard run by Brad Tanner as he weaved his way through Cass Tech defenders. He finished with 130 yards rushing and three scores.

“My O-line did a great job blocking,” said Tanner. “The running back did a good job of getting out in front on the jets (sweeps). When I got the ball around the edge it was wide open. I just turned on my jets, cut it up and it was off to the races.”

Paul Hurley found Lucas Schimon for a 40-yard TD pass to give Romeo a 13-7 lead.

On Cass Tech’s next possession, Romeo’s defensive line sacked Aaron Jackson, causing a fumble recovered by linebacker Austen Malczewski. Romeo turned the miscue into points when Tanner went around left end and found a hole in the defense, sprinting 31 yards to make it 19-7 with 9:04 left in the half.

Tanner’s 93 yards rushing was one more than Cass Tech’s entire offense in the first half as the Bulldogs built a 19-14 lead.

Romeo even pulled off a successful onside kick to start the second half, the first in a Division 1 game since 2000.

“You work on some things all year and never have a chance to use them,” said Couch.

That set up Domenic Bongiorno’s 10-yard TD run through the heart of the Cass Tech defense to take a 26-14 lead.

Romeo’s John Verellen blocked a punt. Anthony Quas picked up the ball and raced to the Cass Tech 20. One play later Hurley was in the end zone on a 20-yard TD run and it was 33-14.

Cass rallied, scoring two touchdowns, but Rienas and Couch stayed aggressive, smartly moving the ball downfield with Hurley at the controls. Eleven plays and 75 yards later, using 5:45 on the clock, the Bulldogs were back up 14.

“It’s just all trust in each other,” said Hurley, who completed 12 of 18 passes for 203 yards. “All year long we’ve been in this wing-T offense for the most part. We struggled early in the season. On that drive we went back to the old spread offense. It was just trusting in our system.”

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

Live: Audio, scores, tweets from football state finals

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Tyler Cochran, left, and John Mike Santoni celebrate their 29-12 victory over Chelsea in the Division 3 football title game at Ford Field on Saturday.

From the get-go, it was apparent what Orchard Lake St. Mary’s operating mode would be. The Eaglets asserted themselves in the trenches — running between the tackles on all 13 plays of their opening drive — and powered to their seventh state championship, 29-12, over Chelsea in the Division 3 final.

“That’s just how we play, that’s what our coaches want us to play, and that’s what we’re going to do, and we do it all the time,” right tackle Cameron Kolwich said. “It was like it was just another week. We played great, beat a great team, and we had great coaching, ran great plays; we did what we needed to win.”

“The offense is solid. That’s what we do, and for us to win, we’ve got to do things like that,” St. Mary’s coach George Porritt said. “We got great running from Troy (Marks) inside, and they were blitzing us pretty hard, and we got some great blocking from the offensive line, (Justin) Myrick was outstanding running the ball.”

St. Mary’s (12-1) scored the game’s first two touchdowns within eight minutes, and the Bulldogs couldn’t dig themselves out of that hole, especially since the Eaglets’ defense took away their run options.

By and large, Chelsea was unable to move the ball on the ground effectively. When the Bulldogs (12-2) faced first-and-goal from the 4 late in the game, two attempts netted negative yardage, and the Eaglets’ defense forced two incomplete passes to get the ball back on downs.

Meanwhile, St. Mary’s had its ground game in gear, holding a 294-13 edge in rushing yards, behind 108 from Myrick and 105 from Marks.

The Eaglets took the opening kick and moved methodically downfield, using up 6 minutes to cover 64 yards. Myrick traveled the final yard into the end zone. He later barged in from 3 yards out for the game’s final score early in the fourth quarter

“We’re just going to wear you out,” he said. “It’s hot in here, they’re not used to playing in this, they haven’t been here before, so we knew what to do. It’s definitely not easy, but the linemen made it easier for me to do my job, and I just have to follow them. Same thing with the backs; they made great blocks.”

After that first score, Josh Ross’ interception at the Chelsea 45 two plays later gave the ball back to the Eaglets, and it only took them three plays to go the distance. To switch things up, Brendan Tabone threw a pass to Kahlee Hamler, who hauled it in for a 34-yard score, and the Eaglets led, 15-0, quickly.

Chelsea fans got something to cheer about in the second quarter, as the Bulldogs put together a five-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Noah VanReesema got in the clear and took a Graham Kuras pass 47 yards into the end zone. The score was set up by a 26-yard completion from Jack Bush to Jacob Grob on the prior play.

“I think that really sparked our team and got everyone’s emotions back up; it was demoralizing being quickly down 15,” Kuras said. “I love running it; I’ve always wanted to be the quarterback but I never got the chance. It’s kind of my favorite thing to do.”

Chelsea’s regular quarterback, Jack Bush, compensated for the ground game struggles, by completing 13 of 21 passes for 145 yards. He threw a 14-yard scoring pass to Cameron Cooper in the third quarter.

Grand Rapids West Catholic head coach Dan Rohn directs his team Saturday at Ford Field.

There weren’t any “Reserved for…” signs along the Grand Rapids West Catholic sideline, but there could have been. The Falcons made their fourth consecutive trip to Ford Field, winning their last three games there. That streak just might continue, since only two of West Catholic’s 40 points were scored by a senior — Connor Nemmers’ fourth-quarter safety.

“Our program is built on great kids,” coach Dan Rohn said. “We had a small senior class, and I think a lot of people doubted this group, because it’s one of our smallest classes in history. But for them to be here four years, it’s pretty remarkable. It doesn’t happen that often. It just feels really good. We had a lot of underclassmen who made a lot of plays, so the expectations are high for the future.”

■ Familiar faces II: If you thought seeing Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the finals seemed familiar, you’d be right. The Eaglets made their 13th appearance in a championship clash, fourth-most on the list behind Farmington Hills Harrison and Catholic League foe Detroit Catholic Central (16 apiece), and Division 8 title-winner Muskegon Catholic Central (14). However, George Porritt’s squad is the undisputed king of Ford Field, where the games have been played since 2005. Saturday’s contest against Chelsea was the Eaglets’ seventh finals appearance downtown, ahead of East Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Muskegon Catholic and Crystal Falls Forest Park, with five apiece. However, East Grand Rapids has beaten St. Mary’s in three head-to-head finals matchups there, including the epic five-overtime battle from 2007. Not to be overlooked, Chelsea was making its first trip to Ford Field, and no doubt just as glad to be there.

■ A passing glance: River Rouge’s Antoine Burgess shredded the West Catholic secondary in a losing cause, connecting on 13 of 19 pass attempts for 354 yards. That was better than the former mark of 335, set by Olivet’s Jay Cousineau in 2010 (also against West Catholic). The Panthers’ marquee play was a 63-yard touchdown toss to Aaron Vinson, who added catches covering 43 and 42 yards. Ashawnti Howard also had a 51-yard reception, and Giovanni Turner gained 41 on another pass play.

However, Burgess had only the second-best mark of the weekend. Martin Luther King’s Armani Posey threw for a new standard of 383 yards in the Crusaders’ last-second victory against Lowell in Friday’s Division 2 contest.

■ Football by descrimb: If anyone can tell you anything about Orchard Lake St. Mary’s football, it’s Robin Goddard. The school’s longtime statistician published a comprehensive history book about the program this fall. According to the text, St. Mary’s played its first game at the Michigan Military Academy on Oct. 22, 1895, losing 1-0 to the Cadets. That was about it until 1912, when the White Eagles (as they were called then) had a 1-1 season, splitting a pair of games against Pontiac High. The program was interrupted between 1916-29 and again from 1933-43, but has been going strong in the 72 years since. The Eaglets have an all-time record of 471-217-7, have won seven state championships and have sent 16 players to the pro ranks. The team scored its 15,000th point during a 55-14 district victory against Linden three weeks ago.

Detroit King’s Lavert Hill scores a touchdown before halftime of the Division 2 state final Friday at Ford Field.

Despite being a Penn State 2016 commit, Detroit King cornerback Lavert Hill has spent his share of time in Ann Arbor this fall.

Apparently that’s no longer a conflict.

Hill, a four-star prospect whose brother Delano Hill is currently a U-M safety, announced his Penn State decommitment on Twitter tonight, writing he plans to take all of his official visits. Rivals’ No. 5 player in the state of Michigan, Hill had been committed to Penn State since Jan. 31.

https://t.co/rOsheYwCzx

—
Ghost (@VertHill21) November 30, 2015

With King’s state championship locked up in dramatic fashion on Friday, Hill now has time to focus on recruiting.

But it may not be a coincidence that he decommitted from the Nittany Lions tonight.

Scout.com’s Josh Newkirk reported that Hill had a few visitors tonight — Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and secondary coach Mike Zordich.

Four-star CB Lavert Hill told me #Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and secondary coach Michael Zordich just left his house for an in-home visit.

—
Josh Newkirk (@JoshNewkirk7) November 30, 2015

And Harbaugh told Hill he’s not backing down.

Four-star CB Lavert Hill says #Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh told him he wants him in this class and he won't stop recruiting him.

—
Josh Newkirk (@JoshNewkirk7) November 30, 2015

Contact Mark Snyder at msnyder@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter at @mark__snyder. Download our new Wolverines Xtra app on iTunes and Android !

Romeo QB Paul Hurley

These five high school football players led their teams to state championships:

Ozzy Corp, Ishpeming: The 6-foot-5, 205-pound senior quarterback/safety carried the ball 32 times for 128 yards, including touchdown runs of 1, 1 and 4 yards, and was 6-for-11 for 77 yards. He also led the Hematites with 10 tackles in a 22-16 victory over Pewamo-Westphalia for the Division 7 title.

Armani Posey, Detroit King: The 6-1, 200-pound senior quarterback/safety had 10 tackles, ran for a 3-yard TD and completed 19 of 27 passes for a finals record 383 yards and touchdowns of 12, 25, 41 and 4 yards. He threw a 40-yard TD with no time left to give King a 40-38 win over Lowell and the Division 2 crown.

• Results from state football finals at Ford Field

David Fox, Grand Rapids West Catholic: The 6-1, 206-pound junior free safety/running back gained 152 yards on 10 carries, including touchdowns of 64, 38 and 12 yards, and added a team-high 10 tackles as West Catholic won its third straight Division 5 championship with a 40-34 victory over River Rouge.

Jake Smith, Ithaca: The 6-1, 170-pound senior quarterback/defensive back completed 10 of 21 passes for 180 yards, including an 18-yard TD, and ran for 126 yards on 25 carries with TD runs of 14, 11 and 1 yard in a 27-20 win over Clinton as Ithaca notched its fifth Division 6 title in six years.

Paul Hurley, Romeo: The 6-2, 190-pound senior quarterback completed 12 of 18 passes for 203 yards and a 40-yard TD. He also rushed six times for 25 yards and a 20-yard TD to help Romeo defeat Detroit Cass Tech, 41-27, claiming the school’s first Division 1 championship.

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s celebrates their 29-12 victory over Chelsea in the Division 3 football title game at Ford Field on Saturday.

Chelsea coach Brad Bush isn’t one for hyperbole, but he couldn’t restrain himself when asked about Orchard Lake St. Mary’s junior linebacker Josh Ross.

“He’s the best player I’ve seen on film since Woodley,” Bush said. “I think he’s that good.”

Bush didn’t mean to insinuate that Ross, whose older brother James starts at Michigan, is going to become a college All-America like former Saginaw star LaMarr Woodley and spend nine seasons (so far) in the NFL.

He was talking about Ross as a high school player and St. Mary’s as a team defense, which defeated Chelsea, 29-12, in the Division 3 state championship game.

“I’m not trying to overplay it,” Bush said, “but I thought, for me, defensively, that’s the best defensive team we’ve seen on film. De La Salle had four first downs against them in the Prep Bowl. Four? The whole game.”

Ross, 6-feet-1, 205 pounds, led the St. Mary’s defense again, and his interception set up the Eaglets’ second score for a 15-0 lead. Chelsea couldn’t recover, although it played considerably better from then on.

This was St. Mary’s second consecutive state title, and Ross has his eyes set on winning a third next season.

“It’s something to look forward to,” he said. “This was a great year. Last year was a great, great team. I’m going to miss the seniors that we had this year. Next year, we have to step up and win another one. All the hard work we did this year, we have to emulate it next year and do the same thing.”

• Results from state finals at Ford Field

Multifaceted athlete

Basketball season begins next week in Ishpeming, and Ozzy Corp will be on the court.

He plays every position imaginable, and in last season’s district final, he blocked nine shots.

That is important, because on fourth down from the Ishpeming 32-yard line and Ishpeming leading Pewamo-Westphalia, 22-16, with 43 seconds left, Corp was at his safety spot when the ball was thrown into the Ishpeming end zone. Corp leaped into the air and swatted the ball to the ground with a force that nearly planted the ball into the turf.

“You know how you always see those plays on SportsCenter where someone catches it and they just take it away?” Corp asked. “I was trying to bat it down and get it away from their players.”

Corp did just that and in the process helped Ishpeming take the Division 7 state championship trophy back to the Upper Peninsula for the third time in his four-year high school career.

While he led Ishpeming with 10 tackles, Corp’s main contributions came offensively. The 6-5, 205-pound quarterback carried the ball 32 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns. He also was 6-for-11 passing for 77 yards. He carried the ball 41 times in the semifinal win.

“You never think that you’re going to do that going into the game, but during the game you just want to keep going,” Corp said. “You get on a run and you want to keep going.”

This has been an amazing four-year run for the Hematites, and it began with quarterback Alex Briones, who is now a linebacker at Central Michigan, doing exactly what Corp has done the past two years.

“After we’d play somebody in Alex’s senior year, the coaches would say they were glad Briones was gone,” coach Jeff Olson said. “I knew in the back of my mind we had somebody coming up that was going to be just like him, and he is.”

Corp and Briones are different kids, but when it comes to running an offense, they’re the same.

“For our offense, No. 1, he’s an athlete,” Olson said of Corp. “But No. 2, you have to be tough and hard-nosed whether you’re carrying the ball 30-plus times or whether you’re blocking and carrying the ball. And then you have to be able to step back in the pocket and throw, so you’ve got to be very multidimensional.”

After basketball season, Corp will play baseball and run track.

Briones became a legendary figure in Ishpeming when he led the Hematites to two state titles, and that was a tough standard for Corp to live up to, but he handled it better than anyone could have imagined.

“I just wanted my own identity,” Corp said. “Briones is a great player and he had a legacy, but I think we have our own legacy with our team. I think I carried it over with his style, but I wanted my own identity.”

Five high schoolers who lifted team to state titles

P.S.

As a postscript to the regional final incident when referee Tom Rau initiated contact with me and shoved me before I could ask a question: Had a Free Press reporter initiated contact and shoved a game official, the Free Press likely would have suspended the reporter. When the referee initiated contact and shoved a reporter, the Michigan High School Athletic Association gave him a state championship game assignment.

That speaks volumes about the MHSAA.

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

The champs

Division 1: Romeo

Record: 13-1

Division 2: Detroit King

Record: 14-0

Division 3: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s

Record: 12-1

Division 4: Zeeland West

Record: 14-0

Division 5: Grand Rapids West Catholic

Record: 12-2

Division 6: Ithaca

Record: 14-0

Division 7: Ishpeming

Record: 13-0

Division 8: Muskegon Catholic Central

Record: 11-2

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and newly committed defensive tackle Jordan Elliott.

After a summer blitz that saw U-M add the majority of its current 22 commitments in the span of just over two months, U-M went three weeks between pledges. After defensive end Carlo Kemp joined the Wolverines’ 2016 class at the beginning of the month, he gained a teammate up front Saturday.

Houston Westside three-star Jordan Elliott took his official visit to Ann Arbor over the weekend, and Saturday afternoon, ended his recruitment in favor of the Maize and Blue.

“After extensive research and after sitting down with my family to look at all possible scenarios,” he posted on his Twitter account, “I have made my final decision to further my education and football career at the University of Michigan. I have felt this way for some time now and I am truly excited to make it known. In my heart, I know that Michigan is the place for me. Time to work.”

The 6-foot-5, 301-pound Elliott is the No. 28 defensive tackle nationally and the No. 52 overall senior in the Lone Star State. A strong senior season – despite a 4-7 record for his Wolves squad, he was third on his team in tackles, and made 10 tackles for loss, including four sacks – could see him move up in the Rivals.com rankings.

Recruiting: Full coverage

Signing Day 2016: Feb. 3

U-M football, hoops recruits

MSU football, hoops recruits

Photos: Michigan’s 2016 football recruits

Photos: MSU’s 2016 football recruits

Photos: 2015 Sound Mind Sound Body

More recruiting news

Kemp and Elliott aren’t the only defensive linemen in the class thus far (Florida two-star Rashad Weaver joined up during the aforementioned June commitment blitz), and they certainly won’t be the last. The Wolverines are in good shape with one of the nation’s top prospects, No. 2 overall Rashan Gary, a five-star from Paramus (N.J.) Catholic, and are also pursuing four-star defensive tackle Chris Daniels, defensive end Connor Murphy and other players up front.

After a season-ending game in which the U-M defensive line was depleted due to injury – sophomore nose tackle Bryan Mone missed the entire year and Ryan Glasgow and defensive end Mario Ojemudia the second half of the year – Elliott is one of many prospects who could see the opportunity to earn playing time up front right away.

Elliott’s commitment – in addition to changes in other schools’ commitment lists – helped boost the Wolverines’ class to No. 3 nationally at this time, with several openings in the class to close strong.

Tim Sullivan is the Football Recruiting Editor of The Wolverine magazine and TheWolverine.com. He is also a contributor to national football recruiting coverage on the Rivals.com network. You can follow him on Twitter @TimS_Wolverine.

Cass Tech Technicians’ QB Rodney Hall throwas the ball against M.L. King Crusaders, during Division I Detroit Public School League 2015 Football Championships at Ford Field In Detroit, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. against M.L. King Crusaders, during Division I Detroit Public School League 2015 Football Championships at Ford Field In Detroit, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015.

Second team

Offense

E: Rodney Graves, Cody

OL: Calvin Moore, Denby

OL: James Newman, Loyola

OL: Alvin Clemons, Cass Tech

OL: Deonte Stewart, Henry Ford

OL: Symian Jenkins, Northwestern

E: Jaye Patrick, Western

QB: Rodney Hall, Cass Tech

QB: Delvin Washington, East English

RB: Christopher Dennis, Northwestern

RB: Trevon Williams, Henry Ford

K: Albert Pace, Cass Tech

Defense

DL: Antonio McCants, Western

DL: Monterrio Jackson, Northwestern

DL: Marcus Currington, Mumford

DL: Jaysaar Ball, Cody

LB: Brian McNamara, U-D Jesuit

LB: Lawrence Bryant, King

LB: Tim Walton, Cass Tech

LB: Christian Jones, Central

DB: Donovan Johnson, Cass Tech

DB: Tee’Ondre Harvey, Mumford

DB: Darius Lynaum, Central

Honorable mention

Receivers: Julian Bonner, Central; Mark Wilson, Renaissance; James Ceasar, East English; Ambry Thomas, King; Lamont Montgomery, Denby; Isaiah Foreman, Southeastern; Raymon Gates, Osborn; Branden Green, Mumford.

Linemen: Laron McCann, Renaissance; Jordan Ighofose, King; Teashon Trotter, Cass Tech; Damani Green, King; Ostell Martin, Cass Tech; Dylan Swanson, King; Jordan Reid, Cass Tech; Brian Hopson, Denby; Andre Thompson, Denby; Tobias Wyana, Denby; Andre Bailey, Mumford; Duane Steward, Allen Academy.

Quarterbacks: William Goodwin, Denby; Curtis Murphy, Southeastern; Danny Whitt Jr., Northwestern; Omar Salih, Cesar Chavez.

Running backs: Kareem Ray, Western; Cornelius Stevenson, Denby; DeAndre Loyd, Southeastern; Blaine Woodland, Loyola; D’anthony Robinson, Loyola;

Darrick Jones, Osborn; Cerell Lewis, Mumford; Santango Reynolds, Allen Academy.

Linebackers: Andrei Nichols, Renaissance; Jaquon Boyd, King; Anron Brown,

Osborn.

Defensive backs: Dontre Boyd, King; Jahkal Thompson, Denby; Kevin Mahone, Cody; Michael Drayton, Cody; Corey Jones, Southeastern; Lavell Boyette, Osborn; Brian Graham, Osborn; Germaine Williams, Northwestern; Michael Marion,

Northwestern; Marc Sheffield, Mumford; Ahmad Miah, King.

Kickers/punters: David Anton, U-D Jesuit; Anwar Miah, King.

All-Detroit football: Corley a great catch for King
All-Detroit football first-team offense
All-Detroit football first-team defense