Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.
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The days might have been different (Saturday and Sunday as opposed to Friday and Saturday), but the drama and high-end performances of state championship weekend in high school football was just the same at Ford Field.
Here’s a look at what happened in all eight divisions.
Division 1
Southfield A&T 36, Belleville 32 — This was a stunner to many. Belleville entered as the two-time defending state champion, winners of 38 straight and as a top-10 team nationally according to some pundits. But behind quarterback Isaiah Marshall’s 281 yards passing, Southfield A&T won its first ever title in an upset. Headed to Kansas, Marshall led the game-winning 69-yard touchdown drive, capped off by an 11-yard touchdown run and subsequent 2-point conversion run with 47 seconds left.
Division 2
Muskegon 33, Warren De La Salle 21 — M’Khi Guy accounted for 374 yards and four total touchdowns for Muskegon (12-2), which won it seventh title. Sante Gasperoni passed for 249 yards for De La Salle, which was seeking its third straight championship.
Division 3
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 27, Mason 10 — Mason McDonald rushed for 86 yards and passed for 142 yards to lead Forest Hills Central (13-1), which lost in the Division 2 final last year.
Division 4
Harper Woods 33, Grand Rapids South Christian 27 — Donald Adams rushed for 174 yards for Harper Woods (11-3), which won its first title. South Christian quarterback Carson Vis accounted for 521 yards of total offense by himself (441 passing, 80 rushing).
Division 5
Grand Rapids Catholic Central 21, Corunna 7 — Connor Wolf rushed for 78 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 82 more yards to lead Catholic Central (13-1), who won their sixth state title in the last eight years.
Division 6
Kingsley 38, Almont 24 — Eli Graves ran for 210 yards and four touchdowns on 33 carries for Kingsley (12-2), a Traverse City-area school that won its first title since 2005. Almont was seeking its first ever title.
Division 7
Jackson Lumen Christi 34, Menominee 30 — Kandale Williams ran for 276 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries to lead Lumen Christi (13-1) to its sixth state title in eight years.
Division 8
Ubly 21, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 6 — Seth Maurer rushed for 138 yards on 27 carries in leading Ubly (14-0) to its first ever title and some revenge after losing to Whiteford in last year’s title game.
Alma upsets national power in Division III playoffs
It’s probably not hyperbole to say Alma College recorded its biggest win in school history on Saturday.
Already enjoying a dream unbeaten season, Alma pulled off a stunner in a second-round Division III playoff game, going into national power and No. 2-ranked Mount Union and pulling off a 24-20 victory.
The Scots scored the winning touchdown with 10 seconds remaining on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Carter St. John to Cole Thomas, which finished off a 96-yard drive.
Mount Union has won 13 Division III national championships, so this was quite a feat Alma pulled off.
Next up for Alma is a quarterfinal game against Cortland on Saturday.
Grand Valley State keeps national title hopes alive
While Michigan in FBS and Alma in Division III kept their national title hopes alive, Grand Valley State did the same in Division II.
The Lakers pulled out a 24-21 home win over Pittsburgh State, scoring the winning touchdown with 35 seconds remaining on a 5-yard touchdown run by quarterback Avery Moore.
Grand Valley State (11-1) advanced to the quarterfinal round, where it will face Harding.