Huron-Clinton Metroparks is willing to sell — for $5 — the Flat Rock Dam and a portion of adjoining Huron River bottomlands to either the city of Flat Rock or Huron Township Metroparks posted the offer to its website as well as separate letters sent Friday to Huron Township Supervisor Kelly Trombly and the township board and Flat Rock Mayor Steven Beller and City Council members with partners and using federal grant money since 2022 has studied ways to potentially improve habitat around the more than 500-foot Flat Rock and smaller nearby Huroc dams and improve upstream fish passage Identified options include keeping the dams more or less as-is but working to improve fish passage; a partial removal of the dams and a rock ramp construction that allows fish to move but maintains close to current water elevations; or removal of the dams altogether which would drain levels of the long-standing 250-acre impoundment behind the dam by about 10 feet and expose large amounts of currently submerged bottomland Though no final decision on any option is close the idea of the dam removal and loss of much of the impoundment led community members to be increasingly active in their opposition Residents' lives have been built around the water body behind the dam when Henry Ford built the dam for hydropower to his car lamp plant in Flat Rock The dam feasibility study has provided multiple opportunities for public and stakeholder input Metroparks spokeswoman Danielle Mauter said "A common theme we have heard is a consistent desire for more local control in the decision-making around the future of the dam," she said this move is really about listening to that feedback we have received." Huron-Clinton Metroparks manages 13 large parks and more than 25,000 acres of woods water and recreational facilities across five southeastern Michigan counties: Wayne "We do take a regional look at the Metroparks with all of the five counties that we serve," Mauter said this (dam sale offer) feels like an opportunity and way to bring that decision-making a little more local." More: Potential removal of Flat Rock dam on Huron River has communities nearby concerned Beller and Trombly did not immediately return Free Press messages seeking comment Friday afternoon would not only be taking over the dam and bottomlands but the responsibility for maintaining the dam and potential liabilities arising from it Metroparks' letter to both local governments notes that the Flat Rock dam is designated as a high hazard potential dam by the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy's Dam Safety Division " 'High hazard potential' indicates a dam located in an area where a failure may cause serious damage to critical infrastructure or where failure could cause potential loss of life," the Metroparks letters to Huron Township and the city of Flat Rock state The letter further notes that the most recent inspection of the Flat Rock dam found it in fair condition it will continue to degrade over time," the Metroparks letters to the local governments state we feel it is our responsibility as the owners of the Flat Rock Dam to be proactive in the management of the dam and have as much information about future alternatives as possible to make decisions and to budget for future needs That is why we are currently conducting the feasibility study around this dam." More: Trump budget document points to ending federal role in Great Lakes science by next year The feasibility study will continue to its conclusion with a next step being a public forum slated for sometime in June to go through questions and answers from earlier public engagements "Regardless of the outcome of the sale and transfer we will still complete the feasibility study," she said "We feel it’s really important to have as much information and data as we can to make future decisions regarding the dam." Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com FLAT ROCK, Mich. – The Huron Clinton Metro Parks is in the process of deciding what will happen to a nearly 100-year-old damn in Flatrock. One option has residents stressed out about their homes, businesses, and even the wildlife in the area. So far, nothing has been decided. But so many people love this dam that the thought alone of removing it worries them. The dam that’s been here in Flat Rock since the 1920s could soon be going away. And that’s the last thing these community members want to hear. “I think these people all bought their homes for this lake. I feel for these people. I feel greatly for them,” said nearby resident Jesse Cowell. The dam has been a staple in the Flatrock community. According to the Department of Natural Resources, it has had issues with not allowing fish to pass through the water easily, which has, in turn, affected the ability to reproduce for the variety of species inside the water. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission conducted a feasibility study in February. So far, the options to tackle the problem include improving the fish passage or removing Flat Rock and/or Huroc Dam, which are just a short distance away. If that does happen, business owners fear what could happen next. Gerardo Melgarejo owns a restaurant and a canoe rental business. “We think that the water level is gonna come down. So, it’ll affect the views of the restaurant and definitely the water for the paddles,” said Gerardo. Dora Hill, the owner of the boutique bed and breakfast The Sanctuary on Huron River, has a similar concern about the water going down. “If you can imagine that, just a muddy flat land with all the animals and fish gone. We don’t really know how long it’s going to take for it to come back to any type of eco-balance,” Hill said. Many, however, are concerned about the animals and what will happen to them. “Most of the people that live behind the damn, they’ve been posting pictures of all the wildlife. Tons of seagulls. Tons of fish. Tons of turtles. I think it’s gonna be affected by this. The water’s just gonna shrink,” Gerardo said. “The wildlife has been here for years, and now we’re going to dramatically change everything, which I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Cowell said. A petition to save the damn has already received hundreds of signatures, along with a growing Facebook group dedicated to the same thing. You’ll also find these signs all over town with the words save Flat Rock dam”. A passionate plea from people who just want their voices heard. “I think if you’re going to make them his decision of ripping this dam out, if you can afford to, I think you made a really bad decision,” Cowell said. It seems that it’s clear that Residents rather have the damn fixed than removed. But once again, there is no idea when a concrete decision will be made. Officials want to take their time researching to make the right choice. Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Victor Williams joined Local 4 News in October of 2019 after working for WOIO in Cleveland, OH, WLOX News in Biloxi, MS, and WBBJ in Jackson, TN. Victor developed a love for journalism after realizing he was a great speaker and writer at an early age. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WDIV Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group FLAT ROCK — On April 7 attended a town hall in New Boston to answer questions and listen to concerns about the possible removal of the Flat Rock-Huroc dam structures "This would be a big change for our area and it’s something I continue to hear about locally," she said in a release "I have spoken with some people who were not aware something like this was even under consideration and wanted to have a platform to share their perspective." several residents of the areas surrounding the dams expressed their concerns about the effects if the dam were demolished These ranged from lower property value because of water changes to potential damage to the ecosystem because the surrounding wetlands are habitats for various birds "It should be noted that I did not see one person in attendance stand in support of the dams going away so it's important going forward to understand and respect the overwhelming input coming from our communities as this decision is made so we can uphold what’s best for our residents," Thompson said More: Flat Rock's Junge honored as Michigan Sportswriters All-Stater A feasibility study by Metroparks to determine the current conditions of both dams is currently in the draft stage the City of Flat Rock for the Huroc Dam and Huron-Clinton Metroparks for the Flat Rock Dam information that will help them make future decisions about whether to demolish the dams — Contact reporter Connor Veenstra at CVeenstra@gannett.com (WLOS) — Billions of Christians around the world are observing Good Friday on April 18 and many churches will hold a devotion called Stations of the Cross John in the Wilderness church in Flat Rock holds a Stations of the Cross event each year It takes multiple church members at a time to lift up the cross and take turns carrying it across the property and into the church said it's one way that they are able to live through the story of Jesus LIST: EASTER EVENTS AND FESTIVITIES IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS WEEKEND and it’s a way that we pray with our entire selves as we actually carry this large wooden cross for for Good Friday," he said Christians recognize Good Friday as the day Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross and died at Calvary The stations of the cross cover 14 specific events beginning with the condemnation of Jesus and ending with his burial Father Josh said observing Good Friday in this way allows church members to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and pray about his sacrifice He said he hopes those attending the service will remember that God knows about the suffering of his people "...and that somehow by being honest with God about our own experiences and seeing God‘s experience as one of us gives us a lot of grace and it gives us a lot of hope," he said GOD'S PIT CREW DELIVERS HOPE AND NEW HOMES TO HURRICANE-AFFECTED YANCEY COUNTY FAMILIES The cross is made of cedar by a member of the church The Stations of the Cross is a historical event dating back to the early Christian church Father Josh said all are welcome to join their Easter services on Sunday Editor's Note: This story was modified from its original form to correct a misspelling Huron-Clinton Metroparks is considering what to do with a nearly century-old dam it owns on the Huron River in Flat Rock — including potentially removing it But that's an option that has many in the nearby community not willing to go with the flow The more-than-500-foot Flat Rock Dam was built in the late 1920s by Henry Ford for hydropower generation for his headlamp plant there the following year sold the dam to the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Authority for $25,000 The southeast Michigan parks operator acquired the dam to maintain the approximately 250-acre water impoundment behind it and adjoining natural areas for recreational use Generations have since built a life around the impoundment a councilwoman for the city of Rockwood just downriver from Flat Rock and the dam are the first significant barrier to fish traveling upstream from Lake Erie Though a fish ladder was added at the dams in the late 1990 the Michigan Department of Natural Resources still has found that the dams restrict fish passage and limit reproduction for a number of prized sport fish species Options for the damsA letter from the DNR Fisheries Division to the Metroparks Authority shows DNR officials encouraging the removal of the Flat Rock Dam as far back as November 1984 Huron River Watershed Council and the city of Flat Rock successfully submitted for a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Regional Partnership Grant through the congressionally appropriated Great Lakes Restoration Initiative The grant was used to conduct a feasibility study for alternative options for the Flat Rock and Huroc Dams "that would benefit the local community and natural habitats," a report by Public Sector Consultants The draft feasibility study was released in February with a local public meeting then held in March Taking no action on the dams but installing a new fishway.Partially removing the Flat Rock and Huroc dams while maintaining a similar reservoir level a gradual sloping ramp made of rocks allowing fish to pass freely would be added at each dam.Full removal of both dams which would reduce impoundment water levels by about 10 feet and leave the impoundment more like the river segment farther upstream either active or passive restoration of the river bottom lands exposed would be part of the plan.A U.S Fish and Wildlife Service review indicates the potential dam removals would not be expected to cause a significant increase in invasive sport fish-damaging sea lamprey farther up the Huron River spokesman for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission Huron-Clinton Metroparks spokeswoman Danielle Mauter emphasized that no alternative has been decided upon "This means that currently there is no proposal to remove the dam," she said "The step we are on is still the feasibility study which is only the very first step in complex projects like these." Residents want to protect lifestyle built around streamAny alternative would still require future study and design phases and would have to comply with permitting requirements from multiple departments and agencies before moving forward But just the listing of the complete removal of the dams as an option has aroused the passions of many in the community. A Facebook group, "Save the Flat Rock Dam," has 1,200 members A corresponding petition drive calling for preserving the dams "Save Flat Rock Dam" signs are showing up on lawns near the impoundment Grzywacz said she took up the movement and petition after "people were just talking about it and not really taking action." Many of her constituents in Rockwood are just as concerned as those in Flat Rock "Removal of those dams changes the lifestyles and quality of life dramatically for those living nearby," she said It's a major concern for all surrounding cities More: Trump emergency order will expedite permitting process for Enbridge Line 5 tunnel More: Sea lamprey control efforts slowed during COVID-19. It let the Great Lakes invaders flourish said she is "firmly opposed to the dam's removal," citing "the significant adverse impacts this decision could have on our residents and the community at large." Shannon Barrett lives on James Avenue in Flat Rock and the river as it is was the crucial part of my decision," she said and we just relax outside with the nature — the swans All of that is going to be impacted if they do the full removal of this dam." Through family living elsewhere in Michigan she has seen dam removals leave behind "a stench wasteland." Great Lakes and Energy inspection of the Flat Rock Dam listed its condition as "fair." Use that grant money to maintain the dam." Community feedback obtained in public meetings in late 2023 and March 6 of this year and public comments submitted through March 17 will be incorporated into the draft feasibility study with further public meetings coming this summer (This story has been updated with new information.) FLAT ROCK — ­All faiths are invited to the National Day of Prayer at 3 p.m According to one of the coordinators and Flat Rock Community Foundation trustee the event will be held at the Recreation Center North said the celebration will allow the community to come together and share spiritual values Religious leaders from several walks of faith will be participating Mayor Steven Beller of Flat Rock invited the co-chairs of the Imams Council of Michigan to offer the Muslim prayer during the celebration Both Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi and Imam Mustafa El-Turk will lead the Muslim prayer as part of the interfaith gathering “It will be a time when all kinds of prayer requests will be lifted to a high power,” North said “All faiths coming together and getting along.” the event will host approximately 30 presenters for prayers on various subjects national and local civic leaders and support of both local and international church missions and veteran organizations More: Huron-Clinton Metroparks offers to sell Flat Rock dam to city, Huron Township for $5 the worship team has selected a mixture of patriotic and old time gospel songs for the audience and the worship to perform during the day," the release said Pastor Gary Cook of Apostolic Church of Flat Rock said the day is about people coming together to pray for the nation We’re getting the word out beyond the four walls of the church and into the community.” Held on the first Thursday of May each year the National Day of Prayer invites people of different faiths in the United States to pray for the nation and its leaders This year’s National Day of Prayer will be celebrated on Thursday Where is the National Day of Prayer taking place an event will be held at the Community Park National Day of Prayer is not a public holiday post offices and stores and other businesses and organizations are open as usual How did the National Day of Prayer get started President Truman signed a bill proclaiming the National Day of Prayer into law in the United States President Reagan amended the law making the first Thursday of May each year as the National Day of Prayer More: Monroe churches, Catholics react to death of Pope Francis the president will issue a proclamation encouraging Americans to participate in the National Day of Prayer What is the purpose of the National Day of Prayer The purpose is to unite the nation in prayer asking for guidance and blessings for the country and its leaders — Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com (WLOS) — Matthew Rogers bought his Flat Rock home more than 30 years ago and named it the "Cabin of Hope." "One thing that strikes me about that line is what comes from "Shawshank Redemption," the line 'Hope Maybe the only thing and no good thing ever dies'," Rogers said Rogers lived at the Cabin of Hope with his wife until the Hungry River tore down a bridge a few miles away during Helene he and Rosy lived in the basement of their downtown Hendersonville restaurant LIVE UPDATES: BLACK COVE COMPLEX FIRE, OTHER FIRES AND EVACUATIONS "They'd walk to a foot bridge; they'd climb up where the bridge was and then someone would pick them up and drive four miles so we just chose to stay in town," Rogers said a friend let them stay at his apartment until just recently when the bridge was rebuilt It was only days later when three fires in Polk County broke out and they were told not to return to the Cabin of Hope HENDERSON COUNTY RESIDENTS PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE EVACUATION FROM BLACK COVE COMPLEX FIRES Rogers logged on to Facebook to check the progress of the fires 'That's our house!" Rogers said it's gone and then our firemen friend Phil called and said their chimney was all that remained amidst a pile of their burned-up possessions "The first thing you wish you had is time," Rogers said "Half an hour to get pictures and your scrapbooks of your grandparents which I had to pass on to the next generation INTERACTIVE EVACUATION MAP RELEASED FOR BLACK COVE COMPLEX FIRE The Rogers' home remains in an evacuation zone "We will survive because you're talking to me today," he said Rogers told News 13 his restaurant will stay open and they'll rebuild their Cabin of Hope "A goal without a plan is just a wish so I don't wish that it'll be rebuilt This story has been updated with additional information NEWPORT ― The Jefferson-Erie Mason girls soccer team finished 1-15-2 last spring coach Dave Cousino told everyone who would listen that he thought the Bears could post a .500 record this spring “A lot of people looked at me funny when I said that.” More: Erie Mason's Joel Liedel commits to Detroit Mercy for second time Jefferson-Mason improved to 6-7 with a 1-0 win over Flat Rock in the opening round of the Huron League round robin Wednesday “The girls put in a lot of work since last year,” he said This is the second year that Jefferson and Erie Mason have joined forces to field a soccer team but the girls really did bond,” Cousino admitted “Some of them already knew each other from playing for Monroe United The defense played like close friends to help Dakota Cousino record her fourth shutout of the season “Morgan Simota was amazing in the midfield and the back four of Alena Schafer Madison Cox and Kate Otting were outstanding on 'D,'” Cousino said Camryn Cousino finally snapped the deadlock about five minutes after the intermission “She had a breakaway up the middle,” Cousino said Mary Catholic Central to end a long drought in the league Cousino said at the time that it was the first Huron League triumph for the Bears in six years “We believe it’s actually closer to 10 years,” the coach said “It’s quite possible that it was the first time we’ve ever beaten SMCC No one can ever remember us beating them.” Flat Rock: Combined on a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts as the Rams handed New Boston Huron its first loss of the season 3-1 “What a great win for our program,” Flat Rock coach Josh Godfrey said The Rams scored all of its runs in the bottom of the fifth keyed by an RBI single by Alex Barron Myles Grace went 1-for-2 and scored for 16-1 Huron SMCC: Collected three hits to lead a 7-4 victory over Airport Anthony Caladino added two hits for the Falcons (8-2 overall Whiteford: Yielded two hits combined in a 5-0 Zayne Emch collected four hits for Whiteford (10-4 overall scored three times and drove in a run during an 8-1 triumph over Ann Arbor Pioneer Jace Bloomer stroked two doubles and Keagen Dixon and Nick Coberley drove in two runs each and Isaac Garrow tossed a three-hitter for the 13-8 Mules Summerfield: Made a diving catch in leftfield for the final out with the bases loaded to save a 5-4 win over Sand Creek  Rylee Schiffler delivered a key RBI single and earned the pitching win during a 6-4 triumph over Sand Creek in the second game of a doubleheader The 6-5 Bulldogs dropped the first game 4-2 Gibraltar Carlson: Struck out all nine hitters she faced in a three-inning perfect game Carlson won 15-0 as Kiley Lewandowski went 3-for-3 with a double and a triple Addison Butt added two hits and drove in two runs Bedford: Went a combined 7-for-9 with a double Makayla Johnson added five hits and Aubrey Hensley Nyah Mullins and Lily Vidra notched three each Adrianna Kester and Paige Bock earned pitching wins SMCC: Went 3-for-3 and scored twice during a 3-2 win over Airport Hannah Williams drove in all of the runs for the Kestrels and Braelyn Runyon and Olivia Piepsney shut down a potent offense Whiteford: Went a combined 7-for-9 with 6 RBIs and 6 runs to lead a 13-1 “"Mills had a menacing night at the plate,” Whiteford coach Matt VanBrandt said Addeson Cousino collected five hits and five RBIs Ava Stevens added four hits and Ava Butz and Peyton Welch three each Milan: Went 2-for-3 with a home run during an 8-4 loss to Riverview Reese Knox also had two hits and Bree Kuhn ripped a two-run double Summerfield: Tossed a shutout with 12 strikeouts in the first game and drove in six runs in an 8-0 Hayden Iott went 3-for-4 in the first game and Claire Franzen logged 10 strikeouts in the second New Boston Huron: Recorded three goals and an assist in a 6-0 win over Airport That was more than enough with Brooklyn Burke recording another shutout in goal Ida: Won the 100 and 200 meters and ran on two winning relays during victories over Onsted (92-39) and Clinton (86-45) Julia Hughes swept the hurdles and was part of a winning relay The Blue Streaks also got wins from Alayna Markey (shot-put) Addyson Wilt (discus) and Cassandra Gensler (long jump) Dundee: Took first in the 800 1,600 and 3,200 meters and ran on the winning 3,200 relay as the Vikings beat Hillsdale 91-45 and lost 86-50 to Adrian Madison Ida: Won the 400 meters a personal-best time and anchored the winning 1,600 relay during an 86-51 win over Clinton and an 88-48 loss to Onsted Dundee: Won the 1,600 and ran on the winning 1,600 relay during losses to Hillsdale (71-66) and Adrian Madison (96-41) SMCC: Shot a medalist round of 41 during a 184-191 win over New Boston Huron at Monroe Golf & Country Club Ryan Biller shot 45 and Cameron Grant 46 for Huron Milan: Led the Big Reds with a round of 40 during a 170-183 loss to Grosse Ile Bedford: Each shot 40 in a 164-165 loss to Tecumseh Taleon Guess added a 41 and Hussein Salami 44 for the Mules Flat Rock: Led the Rams with a round of 43 in a 180-210 win over Riverview Gibraltar Carlson: Posted a convincing 6-2 2 singles to lead a 5-3 win over Trenton that pushed the Marauders’ record to 8-0 Skylar Warren pulled out a three-set singles win and Lila Angelos-Sarah Pente Aliyah Newsome-Chloe Hales and Morgan Wort-Maggie Samford picked up doubles points Bedford: Scored four goals as the Mules (9-2) beat Ann Arbor Skyline 10-4 Brennan McIntire added a pair of goals while Brady Weirich Matthew Hawkins and Landon Wilson logged one each Bryce Senyo and Dillon Kaun led an outstanding defensive effort MONROE – Flat Rock’s baseball team is holding a pair of aces Junior Jayden Yancy was an All-Region pitcher for the Rams last season but Flat Rock still had plenty of pitching Senior Mikey Giroux tossed a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts to help his team hand St Mary Catholic Central its first loss of the season “What a great game for Michael Giroux,” Flat Rock coach Josh Godfrey said More: Tuesday's top performances for Monroe County Region athletes He was dominant against a team that had been dominant offensively this season SMCC was averaging nearly 10 runs per game “He’s really good,” said SMCC coach Jared Janssen whose team dipped to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the Huron League He’s the best pitcher we’ve seen this year.” Janssen says Giroux and Yancy make Flat Rock a very dangerous team “They are two of the better pitchers around,” he said SMCC’s Cameron Cole also was outstanding on the mound He did not give up a hit over six and two-thirds innings Flat Rock scored all of its runs in the seventh inning A two-run single by Logan Coplen drove in two runs “This is a great win for our guys,” Godfrey said “We had some good at-bats in the seventh and were able to score three when it mattered.” Bedford: Tossed a 4-hit shutout with 9 strikeouts and just one walk in a 2-0 win over Ann Arbor Skyline He also sparked the offense for the 8-7 Mules by going 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI New Boston Huron: Went 3-for-4 with a triple scored twice and drove in a run during a 7-2 win over Jefferson Jakob Furkas and Cash Moczdylowsky added two hits each Erie Mason: Tossed a 1-hitter with 15 strikeouts to beat Lenawee Christian 3-2 “Karter Stubleski pitched about as good a game as I have seen a Mason kid pitch,” Mason coach Blain Moore said Stubleski also led the offense with two hits in each game Whiteford: Racked up five hits each in a 15-3 Caden Schroyer and Dalton Neal turned in strong pitching outings for the 8-4 Bobcats Airport: Led off the game with a single and scored on a single by Brenna Baker to touch off an 8-0 win over Milan Tilley finished 4-for-4 and Alyana McDaniel pitched a shutout New Boston Huron: Tossed a 2-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts during a 7-0 win over Jefferson She and Maya Martindale led the offense with two hits each Bedford: Went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and drove in two runs in a 9-2 win over Ida Maddy Kwiatkowski doubled and tripled and Adrianna Kester whose father Jason threw out the first pitch on Military Appreciation Day Whiteford: Tossed a pair of one-hitters and struck out 20 in a sweep of Morenci Brooklyn Mills led the offense with five hits Freshman Rory Vida was 4-for-6 for the 8-5 Bobcats and drove three runs to lead the Trojans (10-4) to a 20-4 win over Adrian Gibraltar Carlson: Went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs during a 13-7 loss to Wyandotte Roosevelt Lauren Dunwoody added two hits and a pair of RBIs SMCC: Hurled a 2-hit shutout and went 2-for-3 in a 4-0 victory over Flat Rock Hayden Southerland and Maddie Gessner also finished 2-for-3 and Busen scored three times New Boston Huron: Each had a hat trick in a 10-0 whitewash of Livonia Churchill 1,600 and 3,200 and was part of a winning relay as the Vikings beat Onsted 87-48 and Hudson 92-41 Chani VIncent and Lily Ratliff also won for a Dundee team that was shorthanded with several athletes out because of illness Ida: Won the 1,600 and took 13 seconds off her personal best in taking first in the 3,200 as Ida moved to 3-0 in the Lenawee County Athletic Association with an 85-52 win over Adrian Madison Julia Hughes ruled the 100 and 200 along with the low hurdles Alexis Lynn (800) and Addyson Etue (pole vault) Dundee: Won events to help the Vikings salvage a split They beat Hudson 91-45 and fell 88-49 to Onsted Ida: Won the shot-put with a personal-best throw of 42-5.5 during a 115-22 loss to Adrian Madison Ramzy Tippin and Tristen Sedlar won with a season-best 8:55.85 Flat Rock: Each shot 43 to tie Max Jenness of Milan for medalist honors during a 177-199 Flat Rock victory Joel Scully shot 45 and Colin Gilleran and Frank White each carded a 46 for the Rams Bedford: Shot a 2-over-par 38 to lead the Mules past Ann Arbor Huron 159-186 Brady Younce and Quintin Bruce both shot 40 and Connor Urbanski added a 41 Bedford: Scored his first career goal during a 15-6 win over Ann Arbor Huron Blake Dlugosielski and Brennan McIntire each had a hat trick Kyle Burger notched two goals and Brady Weirich was credited with a goal and two assists 1 seeds in the boys basketball district pairings announced Sunday by the Michigan High School Athletic Association Flat Rock will host a Division 2 district while SMCC is at Whiteford in a Division 3 district Summerfield is hosting the Division 4 district This is the first year that the entire district is seeded The previous couple of seasons only the No Prep Basketball: Standings for Monroe County Region leagues Whiteford is hosting a district boys basketball tournament for the first time in school history The Bobcats moved into its new gym before last season All boys district games will be played beginning Monday Bedford and Monroe are scheduled to play each other on the first night of districts Airport on the first night of the tournament Here are the pairings involved Monroe County Region schools: Six Monroe County Region teams played in boys basketball district championships games Friday night Bedford and Flat Rock emerged as champions It had been a while since any of those teams had won a district Flat Rock last moved on to the regionals in 2018 and Bedford celebrated for the first time since 2012 MONROE – It didn’t take Bedford long to know it was going to be a good night The first basket of the night was a 3-pointer by senior Jace Williams just moments after the opening tip ‘Thank God,’” Bedford coach Jordan Bollin said “It gets me and my teammates excited,” Williams said More: Monroe County Region basketball summaries for Feb. 24-March 2 Girls Basketball: SMCC, Bedford, Monroe win games against other Region teams The excitement carried over to the rest of the game Jace Williams knocked down five 3 pointers and scored 21 points Bedford has been playing better in the second half of the season “We started believing in ourselves and playing harder,” Williams said Noah Colon added 10 points for the 12-13 Mules “This is special for this group,” Bollin said of the district crown Carlson (10-13) was led by Trent Ison with 10 points “The kids played hard,” Carlson coach Rob Raymond said This is Raymond’s second stint as coach of the Marauders “It was more difficult than I thought,” he said of his comeback I’ve got five freshmen and sophomore on the team FLAT ROCK – The finals of the district at Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard was played at Flat Rock before the Flat Rock-Huron game and went overtime Then a problem with the lights at Flat Rock forced a delay before tip-off “We’ve been really focused since Monday’s practice,” Flat Rock coach Rick Smith said They would have played if we had to have people holding flashlights on the court." Huron scored 18 points in the first quarter The Rams allowed only 5 points in the second period Sophomore Jordan Godfrey led on that end of the court “Walker (Alex Tejada-Walker killed us the first two times we played them,” Smith said “Jordan Godrey did a great job on such a good player for Huron.” The offense eventually got going for Flat Rock we were just clicking offensively,” Smith said We really shared the ball and shot the ball.” Graham Junge led the 16-8 Rams with 18 points Cyrus Goins had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds Milan moves on to the regional at Milan at 5:30 p.m Tejada-Walker led Huron (12-11) with 10 points “We executed our game plan in the first quarter,” Huron coach Ted Tackett said we were not able to maintain that execution in the next three quarters.” That was a reflection of the entire season for Huron “The things I expect out of our kids and program like high energy on defense “Our offense was inconsistent at times and it showed its face at times Mary Catholic Central started celebrating after the win “They didn’t know what to do,” SMCC assistant coach Bryce Windham said after the game None of the current SMCC seniors have won a district championship before “We haven’t been able to do this in seven years I’ve lost in the district finals all the years I’ve been here it’s our last go-around so we wanted to make this one special.” SMCC turned what started out as a back-and-forth game into a 15-5 lead on a layup by Foster and 3-pointer by Drew Vuich It was 31-22 at halftime as the Falcons closed the first half on a 5-2 run The third quarter is where SMCC exerted its defensive prowess holding the Bobcats to one field goal the entire eight minutes “He saw something watching them and thought we ought to play man-to-man defense,” Coach Windham said The move was somewhat of a surprise to Whiteford head coach Nick Abalos they play zone against everybody else,” Abalos said SMCC outscored the Bobcats 8-2 in the third quarter with all of its buckets coming on layups or drives to the basket The Falcons had dropped two straight to Whiteford including a regular season game in January and in last year’s district championship game “It was in the back of our minds,” Foster said Windham said the focus wasn’t on getting revenge “I always stress playing up to our potential,” he said It leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you know you can play better.” Whiteford closes its season with a 16-8 record despite losing all of its starters and 90 percent of its scoring from last season’s team that reached the regional finals “A lot of people on the outside might be surprised at the success we had this year but I’m not because I saw how hard these kids worked,” Abalos said The Bobcat have only two seniors – starters Logan Delmotte and Rylan Joerin The district title is the ninth all-time for Windham SMCC will take a 20-4 record to next week’s regional Bill Junge was a good basketball player in high school There were many competitive one-on-one basketball games at home through the years “We always competed in the backyard,” Graham said All-Region Football: Junge named offensive player of year; SMCC's Kipf is top coach It was a big moment when young Graham finally got the best of his father “It was the seventh or eighth grade,” Graham said “I was so excited; I took a lap around the house.” conquering high school sports came easily to Junge The quarterback was crowned Monroe County Region Offensive Player of the Year honors in football last fall the Flat Rock senior adds Boys Basketball Player of the Year to his resume joining former Summerfield star Eric Cogan as the only athletes to win the award in both sports Junge re-wrote the school record book in basketball He set career records with 1,531 points and 259 3-pointers Junge also set standards for points in a game (47) points in a game (47) and points in a quarter (24) “He’s the best player I’ve ever coached,” said Flat Rock coach Rick Smith “The biggest thing is he’s like another coach on floor.” “What people don’t realize is the time and effort he puts in,” Smith said “People don’t see the work he does in the weight room or taking shots after practice He will get in the gym after girls games and shoot He has great character and carried a 3.9 GPA.” One of the things that makes Junge the proudest of his high school hoops career is winning three Huron League championships in four years “We started out as a new team this year,” he said We had to build chemistry and find our groove The Rams went 16-9 and won a district title in 2024-25 as Junge averaged 18.3 points 4.2 rebounds 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game Junge has to decide which sport he will pursue in college “I have to narrow it down and make a decision soon,” he said I’ll probably got in the backyard and throw the football Mary Catholic Central’s boys basketball team gave Randy Windham a nice going-away present It was an open secret that Windham was going to step down after the 2024-25 season and hand the reins to his son The school formally announced the switch a few weeks ago “The guys probably knew before anyone else,” he said ‘I can’t wait until next year when I don’t have to get mad at you guys.’” Windham didn’t have to get mad very often this season His Falcons made if farther in the state tournament than any other team in the Monroe County Region reaching the regional finals before getting eliminated by eventual Division 3 state champ Riverview Gabriel Richard Those accomplishments led to Windham being named Monroe County Region Boys Basketball Coach of the Year by The Monroe News sports staff Stepping down was a family decision for Windham He plans to do the same thing for his son in basketball “When Bryce retired last year (from professional baseball) I knew someday that it would happen,” he said I got to be an assistant and I enjoyed that Knowing that their roles were going to switch next year “I let him stand during games,” the elder Windham said “Sometimes as coach need to know what that feels like I wanted him to do it with me still on the bench You see the game from a different perspective.” And the Windhams were able to play good cop and bad cop with dad offering the tough love – something he learned from his days as an assistant to former SMCC coach Ray Lauwers they really need male coaches to bring out something extra in them,” he said but it became more difficult because I like these guys so much ‘Don’t let the players like you too much.’” An example of the tough love came following a disappointing overtime loss to Whiteford early in the season Windham made some pointed comments after that game “I wanted them to take ownership of their team,” he said Windham has never judged his teams on wins and losses What he looks for is growth and reaching potential “We fell short of our goal of winning the (Huron) League but we won the district and made it to the regional finals,” he said “They played to their potential most of the time Sometimes you play to your potential and the other team just beats you.” That was the case in the regional finals against Riverview Richard “Their coach told me that was their toughest game of the year “I felt really good walking off the floor for my final game as coach Became a 1,000-point scorer and averaged 17.1 points “Great defender and he's a great scorer,” Whiteford coach Nick Abalos said Topped 1,000 career points and averaged 18.7 points “One of the top point guards in school history,” SMCC coach Randy Windham said The Grand Valley baseball commit averaged 12.4 points “Michael is one of the best athletes I ever coached,” Flat Rock coach Rick Smith said Led his team in rebounding with 7 per game and scored at a 13.5 clip “Cyrus is an unbelievable shooter,” Flat Rock coach Rick Smith said “If left open is as a good as anyone in the Region.” “Logan led us in scoring (14.0) and rebounds (7.0) while battling illness and injuries for much of the season,” Mason coach Kevin Skaggs said The Region’s Defensive Player of the Year in football averaged 11.1 points and 8.7 rebounds a game “Definitely one of the strongest players in the Region,” said SMCC coach Randy Windham “Jha is an explosive player,” Summerfield coach Phil Schiffler said “He fills the stat line on a nightly basis.” “He was non-stop in the gym,” Whiteford coach Nick Abalos said Set school records for 3-pointers (69) and points (491) in a season while averaging 21.3 points per game “Very difficult to stop on offense,” Airport coach Jason Ruhlig said “He was a great leader for us this season,” Airport coach Jason Ruhlig said “His overall effort was unmatched.” Averaged 14 points “Brody has had the biggest jump in one season that I have seen to date,” Summerfield coach Rick Schiffler said 16-rebound effort highlighted a season where he averaged 15.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game “Best overall post presence in the county,” said Jefferson coach Corey Wiley Led his team in scoring (14.3) rebounding (4.4) and steals (2.0)  “He is a kid that every coach wants on their team,” Huron coach Ted Tackett said Rang up averages of 16.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game “Jace was incredible this season,” said Bedford coach Jordan Bollin “He has a knack for stepping up in big moments.” Notched a 30-point game and averaged 14.4 points “He was our best offensive and defensive player,” Dundee coach Jay Haselschwerdt said A former Flat Rock police officer died and his wife was critically injured following a shooting police called "domestic related" Monday morning at their home in Trenton Officers were dispatched to the 5500 block of Elmhurst Drive at about 7 a.m Trenton police said in a press release posted on Facebook A family member met police at the home and unlocked the door Trenton police Chief Mike Hawkins said the woman remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon Hawkins said the woman is in her late 40s and Vamos was in his early 50s Police described the incident as "domestic related" and said there was no threat to the public Hawkins said an initial investigation indicates the shootings happened sometime shortly before police were dispatched at 7 a.m Flat Rock police reportedly told WJBK-TV (Fox 2) that Vamos served with the department from 1996 until 2017 Flat Rock police Chief Steve McInchak did not respond to messages seeking comment Online court records and news reports indicate Vamos had had several legal issues over the course of his career two other men and the city of Flat Rock were sued in 2007 in Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit Vamos allegedly harassed a female dispatcher in 2006 while both were off-duty at the police station by showing her photos in which he was nude or wearing novelty underwear which is an internal disciplinary process for law enforcement Vamos was found guilty of showing her the photos and the Police Department was advised to fire him he was suspended without pay for 120 days and ordered him to seek psychological counseling Online court records show the Circuit Court case was settled in December 2008 @max_detroitnews Mary Catholic Central’s football team trailed for the first time all season Saturday The Falcons must not have liked it very much They spent less than two minutes on the wrong side of the scoreboard Schoolcraft’s Gavin Hart scored on a 5-yard run with 2:01 left in the first half to give his team 7-3 lead over SMCC in the Division 7 state semifinals Saturday The Falcons had erased that deficit by halftime and poured on 28 more points in the second half to pull away for a 38-7 victory That pushed SMCC into the state championship game at Ford Field in Detroit Saturday “You’ve got to be able to overcome adversity to get to this point,” SMCC coach Adam Kipf said The Falcons used the final two minutes of the first half efficiently moving 55 yards in five plays to quickly retake the lead Brady Hines got the drive started by coming back to the football and outwrestling a defender for a 30-yard gain on a pass from Ian Foster Drew Harris picked up 13 yards on a pair of runs to put the Falcons on the 12-yard line The Foster pass fell incomplete on second down then the senior quarterback threw to Brock Cousino on the right side of the end zone The tight end outmuscled a defender for a nice touchdown catch The second half belonged to SMCC as the Falcons took command of the line of scrimmage we didn’t play as physical as we can,” Hines said “The coaches gave up a pep talk at halftime.” “I really didn’t have to say much,” he said we have to play better.’ We were able to sustain our blocks better (in the second half).” The SMCC defense forced Schoolcraft into a fourth-down on its first drive of the second half The ball carrier was thrown for a 7-yard loss setting up SMCC on the Schoolcraft 36-yard line the SMCC line blew open a gaping hole that Hines sprinted through for a touchdown Dominating line play has been a theme for SMCC all season SMCC’s first-team offense fumbled the ball away for the first time all season on its next possession That was the only thing that stopped the Falcon offense the rest of the day SMCC quickly got the ball back when Foster recovered a fumble The Falcons marched 89 yards to score a 5-yard run by Foster Hines ran three yards for his second TD of the day on the next possession “He runs hard and on defense he plays hard Lukas Linzell closed the scoring with a 25-yard scoring run as SMCC rolled its record to 13-0 The Falcons will play Millington for the championship at 9:30 a.m WESTLAND – Flat Rock’s road to Ford Field was sidetracked by a well-oiled machine Saturday as the Rams fell in the Division 5 state semifinals for the second straight season The Fighting Irish built a 35-0 lead before the Rams got on the board with an efficient When Flat Rock gave them a short field by missing a fourth-down conversion the Irish made quick work of the good field position for a touchdown When the Rams pinned them deep in their own territory the Irish broke free on a 94-yard touchdown run “I liked our game plan,” Rams coach Buck Reaume said “We just had to execute it a little better Flat Rock had a big kickoff return to start the game and appeared to have the ball at midfield but a holding call brought it back to their own 10 quarterback Graham Junge marched the team down the field A pass completion put Flat Rock near the red zone but that play was called back for a penalty as well putting the Rams again back in their own territory and eventually forced a punt Flat Rock’s defense held Notre Dame on its first drive to a three-and-out Drew Heimbuch scored from 5 yards out for the first touchdown then Irish signal-caller Sam Stowe connected with Colin Whalen on a short touchdown pass to make it 14-0 on the first play of the second quarter A Junge interception then led to a 58-yard touchdown run by Joseph Decasas Flat Rock was forced to punt and Junge booted a 57-yard punt to the Irish 6 Billy Collins covered all 94 yards for a 28-0 lead Flat Rock’s only score came on a pass play from Junge to Adam Szalay The ball appeared to hit the helmet of the Irish defender then ran to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown Junge led an impressive senior class at Flat Rock who qualified for the playoffs the last three seasons and set a host of school records “We’re going to miss the seniors,” Reaume said I told the young guys they have some big shoes to fill.” FLAT ROCK — One of the biggest hits in theatre history is coming to Flat Rock Playhouse starting April 25 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic "Cats" will whisk you away into a world of magic and mayhem at the Leiman Mainstage in an all-new production that promises to delight long-time fans and newcomers The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year — the night of the Jellicle Ball "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," this innovative production breathes new life into the beloved story Unforgettable music and captivating choreography will transport audiences into an imaginative and whimsical realm "We were invited by the owners of the musical to produce an all new version of "Cats" and we were thrilled to accept the challenge,” said director Lisa K prepare to be mesmerized by the Jellicle cats as they sing More: Flat Rock Playhouse receives $38,988 grant to improve vital theater infrastructure This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Flat Rock Community Schools Board of Education is seeking applicants for a vacant board position an individual will be appointed to fill the vacancy through Dec The new appointee will be succeeded by the individual elected in the November 2026 election on Jan Qualified electors interested in the position should submit a letter of application to the Superintendent’s Office by 2 p.m Applications must include the applicant's legal name phone number and a short resume outlining their qualifications Community, parents speak out about Monroe Public Schools' grade redistribution plan at abrodie@flatrockschools.org or call 734-535-6502 Applications can be sent to Flat Rock Community Schools This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/ GROSSE ILE – Graham Junge is Flat Rock’s scoring king The senior became the top scorer in school history during a 59-40 victory over Grosse Ile Friday night Junge needed 13 points to surpass Andy Mangin’s school record of 1,393 points More: Monroe County Region prep basketball summaries Feb. 3-9 He got off to a fast start with 8 points in the first quarter then drilled a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter to seize the record but most people outside our program don’t know the amount of time he spends in the gym perfecting his shot,” Flat Rock coach Rick Smith said Jordan Godfrey added 14 points and Cyrus Goins contributed 11 points and 9 rebounds for the 10-6 Rams “We did a good job taking care of the ball and kept our turnovers to 11,” Smith said Flat Rock won the junior varsity game 35-33 as Max Silva tossed in 12 points – Cooper Worley reached 1,000 points just in time Thursday night More: Monroe's Masserant: 'I don't see myself as a one-handed wrestler' The State Line Christian boys basketball standout achieved the milestone in the third quarter of a 54-47 loss to Homeschool Resource Center in the opening round of the Hammond Baptist Tournament Thursday “Cooper went down with an ankle injury just a few minutes after he got to 1,000,” State Line coach Nathan Nash said Hopefully he’s back for (Michigan Association of Christian Schools) state tournament games We are planning to honor him at our first state tournament game on Feb State Line fell 64-42 to Quintin Road in the second game of the tournament Preston Roque added 10 points in that game State Line went with a long-range offense against Quintin Road All but two of its 13 baskets were 3-pointers Jackson Baumker hit a trio of 3s and finished with 11 points Baumker scored 24 points Friday in a 57-50 overtime loss to Calumet Christian NEWPORT – Luke Beaudrie hit the game-winning shot as time expired to give Jefferson a 54-52 victory over Airport Friday night That shot capped off a nine-point comeback in the final 60 seconds “Great effort,” Jefferson coach Corey Wiley said Trey Oldenburg racked up 26 points for the 7-11 Bears and Beaudrie finished with 11 Airport (3-15) was led by Austin Tackett (14 points) "We continue to improve but not quick enough for any Jet out there," Airport coach Jason Ruhlig said MILAN – Head coach Randy Windham missed St Mary Catholic Central's game against Milan Friday night because of illness but his son and assistant coach Bryce Windham stepped in and led the Falcons to a convincing 73-42 victory Mary Catholic Central roared out to a 21-4 lead in the first quarter and pushed its advantage to 44-11 at halftime in cruising past Milan 73-42 Friday night "Came out with great focus and never looked back," Windham said Ian Foster scored 21 of his 25 points in the first half and Brady Hines added 11 points for the 13-4 Falcons Milan (5-13) was led by Grant Segrist with 16 points TEMPERANCE – Bedford exploded for 27 points in the fourth quarter but could not gain much ground as Ann Arbor Skyline scored 26 to hold on for an 84-79 win Friday night “Feels like a little bit of a wasted effort,” said Bedford coach Jordan Bollin “I told her boys after the game the effort was there we’re playing well offensively but at some point we gotta be able to dig in and get stops.” Jace Williams poured in 25 points for Bedford (8-10) IDA – Ida limited Blissfield to 12 points in the first half but the Royal rallied for 22 points in the third period and went on to win 55-52 in overtime "Second half we played like we know we are capable of playing," Ida coach Jared Karner said "The biggest difference was second-half free throws." Connor Zimmerman scored 16 points and Luke Hennessey 12 Jacob Towne pulled down 18 rebounds and scored 9 points NEW BOSTON – Alex Tejeda-Walker scored 24 points but New Boston fell short in a 57-54 loss to Huron League leader Riverview Friday night “We played another tough game against a good Riverview team but came up short,” Huron coach Ted Tackett said after watching his team fall to 9-8 “Our kids kept battling just needed a few more possessions to go our way.” Madison handles DundeeADRIAN – Adrian Madison tied with Onsted for the Lenawee County Athletic Association lead refused to led Dundee derail its title bid Friday night OTTAWA LAKE – Bridgett Salenbien did not score a point Friday night But she might have been the most important player on the floor as Summerfield’s girls basketball team went on the road to beat arch-rival Whiteford 50-36 “I think the biggest key for us tonight was Bridgett Salenbienm who held Whiteford leading scorer Emily Rasor to just 6 points,” Summerfield coach Mickey Moody said Summerfield had a balanced offensive attack as Jaeli Jones Mia miller snd Makenzie Wolfe netted 12 points each Mayley Mannebach added 9 for the 12-5 Bulldogs Emily Hill led all scorers with 18 points for Whiteford (9-6) Summerfield junior varsity won 40 -13 as Elena miller scored 10 points NEWPORT – Chloe Ruhlig hit a big 3-pointer late in regulation and Sophia Mator Brooklyn Martin and Olivia Gratz came through with clutch free throws in overtime as Airport outlasted Jefferson 44-39 Friday night “Jefferson played inspired basketball we were very fortunate to leave with a win,” Airport coach Darrell Mossburg Alivia LeBrun hit four 3-pointers to lead Jefferson (8-9) with 12 points and Anna Boggs scored 11 ANN ARBOR – Bedford survived a spirted challenge from Ann Arbor Skyline to emerge with a 40-35 victory Friday night Victoria Gray scored 18 points to lead the 14-1 Mules WILLIS – Bedford got wins from Aaron Majewski (breaststroke) and Jack Andrews (diving) in a 107-78 loss to Ypsilanti Lincoln Thursday Andrews had a season-best score of 215.95 and Majewski also placed second in the 100-yard freestyle with a personal best of :53.99 Also recording best times were Austin Comstock (This story has been updated with additional information) Mary Catholic Central are headed to the state semifinals after posting dominating wins Friday night SMCC rolled over Leslie 55-18 in Division 7 and Flat Rock overpowered Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 41-0 in Division 5 Saturday for a chance to move on to the state finals at Ford Field in Detroit More: Monroe County Region football scoreboard for Week 3 of playoffs Flat Rock is slated to meet Pontiac Notre Dame and SMCC will take on the winner of Saturday’s game featuring Hudson and Schoolcraft The location for the semifinal games has not yet been determined FLAT ROCK – Flat Rock wasted no time in showing Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard what it was made of Friday night The Rams scored 21 points in the first 10 minutes led 35-0 at halftime and beat the Irish 41-0 to win the Division 5 Regional championship Flat Rock will play in the state semifinals next week after the impressive victory “We came out and set the tone,” Ram quarterback Graham Junge said Jacob Hagan scored the first two touchdowns Junge hit Evan Szalay on a slant pattern for a 21-0 lead and Junge hit Jordan Godfrey on a razzle-dazzle play that resulted in a 45-yard touchdown and a 27-0 Ram lead before Gabriel Richard had its initial first down of the game “Scoring on that first drive was big,” Flat Rock coach Buck Reaume said Flat Rock’s next drive started after Ann Arbor Richard fumbled at the Flat Rock 17-yard line After keeping the drive alive with a fourth-down pass from Junge Junge hit Adam Szalay from 22 yards out and a 35-0 lead before halftime Junge hit Evan Szalay for a 28-yard touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter playing his final game under the lights at Mittlestat Field On the second quarter touchdown pass to Adam Szalay combined between his touchdown passes and his own rushing touchdowns Junge finished with 260 yards through the air Evan Szalay had 100 yards receiving and Hagan rushed for 120 yards Carter Aicher recovered a fumble and had six tackles for Flat Rock Mary Catholic Central (12-0) overcame some early jitters to cruise to the 12th regional championship in school history SMCC had two botched snaps on their first drive of the night and fumbled away their second before running back Drew Harris put the home team ahead for good with a 64-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter they disrupted us and our kids faced some adversity," said SMCC Coach Adam Kipf "We did some things tonight that we've never done before we struggled like we've never struggled before I think our kids just kind of outlasted them in the second half and did some good things." Harris finished the night with four rushing touchdowns "It feels amazing," the senior Falcon said of the win "We struggled in the beginning of the game Quarterback Ian Foster added a 58-yard TD run and connected with Joel Treece for a 27-yard passing score Cole Reinhardt and Bret Stark notched rushing touchdowns from 20 and 4 yards out "I think what makes this group special is we've got more than one threat (offensively)," Kipf said "We've got several guys that can break a game open we've got guys that can make plays all over the field for us we've got a lot of guys that can really do some damage." SMCC improved its all-time playoff record to 60-25 GIBRALTAR – Gibraltar Carlson scored on a 31-yard field goal by Dean Manthei on its first possession of the night but struggled with the speed of St “They were all over us,” Carlson coach Jason Gendron said “They are extremely physical and very athletic.” Carlson trailed just 13-3 at halftime but could not move the ball on its first possession after the intermission Mary’s answered with a touchdown to build a 17-point lead Carlson's Izaiah Wright rushed for 182 yards Carlson finishes with a 10-2 record and reached the regional finals for the second straight season “Our program is heading the right direction,” Gendron said Doug Donnelly and Blake Bacho also contributed to this story FLAT ROCK – Flat Rock’s offense is dynamic There is a 2,000-yard quarterback (Graham Junge) two receivers who have combined for 1,500 yards and 26 touchdowns (Evan and Adam Szalay) and two running backs near 1,000 yards (Ben Scully and Jacob Hagan) Coach Brendan Reaume isn’t afraid to dial up a trick play now and then “It worked last year in our last regional game Prep Football Notes: Exploring the stories behind the final scores In last week’s Division 5 regional final against Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard Flat Rock didn’t need many trick plays in a 41-0 victory They did execute a reverse flea flicker to perfection that ended up being a touchdown pass from Junge to Adam Szalay “Through all my years here I’ve had great receivers,” Junge said Ram running back Jacob Hagan is just under 900 rushing yards for the season He said the trick plays are something the coaching staff puts in each week in practice but I don’t always expect to run them in the game,” Hagan said Flat Rock faces a stiff test this week in the Division 5 semifinals when the 10-2 Rams take on Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 1 in the division most of the season in several polls and rankings “Pontiac Notre Dame Prep is the real deal,” Reaume said “They are very good in all three phases of the game and are well coached.” Flat Rock is one of two Huron League teams remaining in the playoffs who will play at noon Saturday against Schoolcraft in the Division 7 semifinals All-time series: The teams have never played before Notre Dame Prep playoff history: The Fighting Irish has been in the playoffs in eight of the 11 seasons Fox has been the head coach and 18 times all-time This is the first time in the semifinals for Notre Dame Prep Flat Rock playoff history: In the playoffs for the seventh time with a record of 9-5 Seven of those wins have come in the past three seasons Won a state title in 1976 and have reached the semifinals two consecutive seasons Notre Dame Prep statistical leaders: Sam Stowe 170-for-242 passing for 2,249 yards and 30 touchdowns; Bill Collins 152 rushes for 1,024 yards and seven touchdowns 37 catches for 522 yards and seven touchdowns; D Heimbuch 58 rushes for 426 yards and 17 touchdowns; J DeCasas 64 catches for 989 yards and 17 touchdowns Flat Rock statistical leaders: Graham Junge 154 for 242 passing for 2,468 yards and 36 touchdowns 56 rushes for 265 yards and six touchdowns; Ben Scully 141 rushes for 953 yards and eight touchdowns; Hagan 114 carries for 841 yards and 10 touchdowns Szalay 48 receptions for 885 yards and 16 touchdowns; A Szalay 44 receptions for 682 yards and 10 touchdowns; Smith 53-for-61 extra points Game notes: Reaume won his 50th game as the Rams head coach last week against Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard He is just the third Flat Rock coach to reach 50 wins the others being Larry Duggan (79) and Marv Mittlestat (57) … Notre Dame Prep’s only loss this season was to Hudsonville Unity Christian who lost in the Division 4 playoffs … Notre Dame Prep coach Pat Fox has coached at five schools – Ortonville-Brandon He is in the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame … One of Notre Dame Prep’s wins this season was against defending Division 7 state champion Jackson Lumen Christi This year’s team has tied the school record for wins with 10 (2019 76-34): “Flat Rock is a tremendous challenge due to their dynamic offense and aggressive special teams The QB is a three-year starter and a Division 1 athlete that demonstrates tremendous leadership skills and decision making and the offensive line is returning four starters and exhibit great technique in pass protection and fundamentals in the counter run scheme.” Flat Rock coach Buck Reaume (ninth year 50-49): “You can see why they have been ranked No 1 all year in Division 5 after turning on the film we gained some experience from being in a state semifinal game like this last year We look forward to the opportunity to play a top-notch opponent for a chance to play at Ford Field.” Schoolcraft playoff history: The Eagles have been in the playoffs 34 times and won state championships in 2001 SMCC playoff history: The Falcons are in the playoffs for the 29th time 2019 and have an all-time playoff record of 60-25 SMCC statistical leaders: Drew Harris 131 rushes for 1,348 yards and 32 TDs; Brady Hines 59 carries for 443 yards and 7 TDs; Ian Foster 68 carries for 424 yards and 7 TDs 27 of 41 passing for 640 yards and 15 TDs; Cole Reinhardt 39 carries for 361 yards 6 receptions for 198 yards; Brock Cousino 70 tackles Game notes: Schoolcraft eliminated Lenawee County Athletic Association champion Hudson last week 24-16 Hudson led 10-0 … The 11 wins this season for Schoolcraft are the most for the program since the 2001 state champion team went 14-0 … Comments from Schoolcraft coach Nathan Ferency 55-20): “SMCC is one of the most athletic teams we will have faced all year They are extremely explosive on offense with a defense that suffocates you We will have to keep their offense off the field by sustaining drives and finishing with points.” Comments from SMCC coach Adam Kipf (10th year 79-32): “Schoolcraft is a tremendous football team They are physical up front and get after people They can pound the ball or spread you out with the talent they have Foster became the fourth boys basketball player in school history to reach 1,000 career points during a 70-66 victory over Hillsdale in the semifinals of the Division 3 regional at Riverview Gabriel Richard The Falcons move on to regional finals against the No the season came to an end for Bedford and Flat Rock who bowed out of the state tournament with semifinal losses RIVERVIEW  -- Hillsdale put up a great fight but the Falcons pulled out the win in the final minute thanks to clutch free throws by Eddie Keshen and Brock Cousino “We’ve played so well for so long,” SMCC coach Randy Windham said we came out played hard and executed the offense very well who came into the night needing 8 points to reach 1,000 achieved the milestone on a 3-pointer in the first half There were a bunch of cut-out ‘1,000’ signs in the stands I noticed the cheering was a little louder The milestone basket came on an inbound play “I came off a screen and hit the shot,” Foster said That’s the same number that SMCC assistant coach Bryce Windham scored Windham also reached 1,000 in a regional tournament game John Vandecaveye holds the school record with 1,271 points Foster is well aware that he is in select company "It says mostly that we are a selfless program," Foster said of SMCC's low number of 1,000-point scorers We move the ball and play for each other." is a member of the school's athletic hall of fame Senior Joel Treece scored a career-high 15 points Brady Hines and Brock Cousino added 11 each for the 21-4 Falcons SMCC faces a big task Thursday against the host team "I just told the kids that this is best team I've ever coached again," Windham said Bedford 57DEARBORN – Bedford carried a 41-40 lead into the fourth quarter but that evaporated on a 3-pointer early in the final period The long-range shots by Lincoln Park were a theme of the evening “Give Lincoln Park a lot of credit,” Bedford coach Jordan Bollin said “They are a team that normally does not shoot that well Jace Williams scored 19 points to lead the Mules while Max Hite and Noah Colon tossed in 10 each “This team went through a lot of adversity the last two years,” Bollin said “Last year certainly was a difficult season “One thing this team always did was come to practice ready to play hard This is arguably the best leadership we’ve ever had.” Bollin will miss the eight seniors who crafted that leadership – Williams But Bollin is encouraged about next season “Evan Gartee and Nick Coberley started at times and Payton Sheaves and Corbin Miller have stepped up Flat Rock 43MILAN – Stevie Elam is Adrian’s Division 1 signee but Adrian’s biggest shot of the night Tuesday came from Jaxon Francis Flat Rock trailed by as many as 19 points to the Maples but came roaring back in third and fourth quarters When Cyrus Goins nailed his fifth 3-pointer of the night the Rams were within four points when Elam found Francis alone in the corner for a 3-pointer that proved to be more than the Rams would overcome “That one sort of sealed it,” Flat Rock coach Rick Smith said The Rams lost 53-43 to close out their season 16-9 and Smith’s second district championship in eight years as head coach in Flat Rock Goins finished with 20 points and Graham Junge 14 in his final high school game Several of Goins' shots were with a Maple defender right in his face forcing the Maples into three early turnovers and not allowing an offensive rebound by Adrian in the first quarter Junge scored the first six points of the game including hitting an incredible off-balance 3-pointer It was 6-0 before the Maples got on the board and the Rams held that lead at 14-11 going into the second period After Francis scored to make it 14-13 early in the second quarter Elam got free for a dunk that gave Adrian the lead a University of Milwaukee-Green Bay signee His basket late in the third quarter put Adrian up 49-31 – there biggest lead of the game “We didn’t have an answer for him,” Smith said “But I don’t think anyone has had an answer for him all season.” Junge finished as the Flat Rock’s all-time career leading scorer he’s the best player I’ve had,” Smith said “I can’t say enough about just the type of kid he is I think he’s calmer out there than I am sometimes.” OTTAWA LAKE – There has been change at the top for Flat Rock’s softball team Haylee Simpson is taking a year off after giving birth to a son She has handed the reins to her assistant coach and husband Greg admits she still makes the final call on most things related to the team More: One Windham to replace another as SMCC boys basketball coach “I do want a happy wife,” he said with a laugh Both Simpsons were happy Wednesday as Flat Rock opened its season with a 15-2 win over defending state runner-up Whiteford “This is a great way to start the season,” Greg Simpson said me and Haylee were talking about how we don’t have any egos Most of these girls have played together for a long time and we’re adding some good freshmen to that.” Avery Mack got her junior season off to a great start racking up four hits and five RBI to lead the Rams She belted a two-run homer in the fifth inning “Avery came in and started for us as a freshman and has gotten progressively better and better every year,” Greg Simpson said She’s in the cleanup position for a reason.” Addi Kopp and Sarah Giroux also homered for the Rams Giroux had three hits and drove in three runs while Kopp Jaclynn Motyka and Ashlin Woodman logged two hits apiece Freshman Quinn Robertson recorded her first varsity hit and Flat Rock did not commit an error Emma Neace did a solid job in the circle for Flat Rock It was a great matchup for a season opener “We wanted to test ourselves,” Simpson said “They’re a solid team,” Whiteford coach Matt VanBrandt said Ava Stevens went 2-for-2 to lead Whiteford while freshman Peyton Welch showed great toughness continuing to pitch after taking a hard shot off her shin VanBrandt is confident that better days are ahead for Whiteford “We made some good plays and can learn from our mistakes,” he said “We’re a young team and young teams make mistakes.” PREP SOFTBALLMilan starts rightBIRMINGHAM – Mackenzie Chrsyler and Kendyll Fell combined on a six-hitter as Milan opened its second with a 3-1 victory over Detroit Country Day Wednesday Leila Daniels led the offense with two hits and Georgia Linzell and Ginny Heikka drove in runs Hughes leads Ida to titleONSTED – Julie Hughes won two events ran on a winning relay and set a school record to lead Ida to the championship of the Onsted Early Bird Invitational Wednesday She fought through a headwind to run the high hurdles in :16.02 breaking the school record held by Mackenzie Dollison She also won the low hurdles and ran on the winning 1,600 relay Kadience Weaver was part of three winning relays 400 relay) and Taylee Williamson (two relays) each took home a pair of first-places Jaxon Bolster won the pole vault and took second in the 200 meters and AJ Sivil ruled the shot put as Ida’s boys finished third Braden Bydlowski was the runner-up in the pole vault and Brenner Nelson (high jump) and Jacob Young (long jump) hit personal bests to place third Mary Catholic Central and Ida kicked off their seasons Wednesday by playing to a 4-4 tie Nora Kinsey led SMCC with a goal and an assist Leah Genaw and Olvia Horning netted the other goals with assists going to Quinn Harrington and Alex Wickenheiser “I couldn’t be prouder of the effort and determination shown tonight,” said SMCC coach Laura Perry RIVERVIEW – Megan Woelkers rang up four goals and an assist to lead Flat Rock to a season-opening 5-0 victory over Riverview Gabriel Richard 5-0 Wednesday Elyse Rogier had the other goal for the Rams and Sophia Ellison had a pair of assists NEW BOSTON – Noah Banas and Dayton Miller both went 3-for-3 as New Boston Huron opened its season with a 14-0 rout of Riverview Gabriel Richard Wednesday Banas and Jackson Surma drove in three runs each and Myles Grace was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI Jakob Furkas and Keaton Diserens all threw one inning to combine on a two-hitter Lucas Hutson collected two hits and Karter Stubleski scored four times but Erie Mason fell 14-10 to Riverview Gabriel Richard in its season opener Wednesday PREP LACROSSEFlint nets four goalsALLEN PARK – Max Flint scored four times and Paul Laboe twice Mary Catholic Central fell to Allen Park 8-7 Wednesday unfortunately just not enough to find the back of the net,” SMCC coach Frank Giarmo said Four Monroe County Region football teams are moving on in the state playoffs Mary Catholic Central all kicked off the postseason with wins at home Friday night Summaries: Scoring plays, statistics from first-round playoff games while Whiteford and Summerfield also were eliminated GIBRALTAR – Gibraltar Carlson moved into the second round of the playoffs for the fourth straight season The Marauders also have recorded at least nine wins in each of those years but we've got some things to clean up moving forward," Carlson coach Jason Gendron said of his 9-1 team More: Monroe County Region football scoreboard for Week 1 of playoffs The two teams put three touchdowns on the board in the first two minutes and five seconds of the game Carlson’s Avery Ortiz returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a score then Bedford answered four plays later on a 62-yard run by Trent Smithson quarterback Joe Krolak scrampered 76 yards for a score The next two TDs were scored by Carlson on a pair of 8-yard runs by Izaiah Wright Bedford recorded the final score of the half on a 5-yard pass from Luke Whetstone to Jacob Spoonmore Carlson opened a 28-point lead in the third quarter with scoring runs by Wright (16 yards) and Krolak (23) Bedford scored its final TD on a 1-yard run by freshman quarterback Luke Whetstone in the fourth quarter which came into the contest with 12 starters out of the lineup "We're excited," Bedford coach John Phillips said when asked about the future of his program Detroit Denby 22FLAT ROCK – Leading 21-14 coming out of halftime Flat Rock coach Buck Reaume opted for the onside kick to start the second half of Friday’s Division 6 playoff matchup with Detroit Denby “They had one guy we did not want to kick to The Rams (8-2) went on to score on the ensuing drive and never looked back Flat Rock receiver Adam Szalay broke the school record for career receiving yards in a performance which included catching a touchdown pass from his brother Jacob Hagan rushed for three touchdowns for the Rams The Rams (8-2) will host Detroit Voyageur next week Mary Catholic Central will stay at home at Navarre Field to host Clinton in the second round of the Division 7 playoffs after staying perfect at 10-0 “It was a good effort,” SMCC Coach Adam Kipf said Cole Reinhardt returned the opening kick 85 yards for a score Drew Harris had touchdown runs of 20 and 89 as SMCC built a 21-0 and never looked back Harris and Lukas Linzell scored in the second quarters and Jack Fox returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score in the second half for SMCC The Falcons will host Clinton in the second round IDA – Ida (9-1) led 42-0 at halftime and never looked back in the opening round of the Division 6 playoffs Dean Thomas rushed for four of the Blue Streaks’ six first-half TDs 55 and 15 yards out and finishing the night with a game-high 197 yards on nine carries Wyatt Dirkmaat ran for 92 yards and a score on nine carries and was also 8-for-8 on extra-point attempts while Gavin Albring finished with 68 yards and a score on five touches Joey King’s only carry for the night went for a 72-yard touchdown CLINTON - Whiteford gave up touchdowns on Clinton's first five possessions but was still within a touchdown when the clock ran out in a Division 7 contest "We were right there," Bobcat coach Todd Thieken said "I'm very proud of how the kids stayed in it We had some unfortunate things happen in the first half." The Bobcats trailed 38-24 but got the ball back with about four minutes left A big pass play from Tre Eitniear to Brek Ruddy put them into the Red Zone Tre Eitniear found Trenton Eitniear on an 11-yard pass to get a first-and-goal Trenton Eitniear's fourth touchdown of the night and two-point conversion pulled the Bobcats within 38-32 recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock to win the Division 7 first-round playoff game PETERSBURG – The Bulldogs’ stellar season ended in heartbreaking fashion at home in the opening round of the Division 8 playoffs Summerfield came back in the second half only to see the visitors take the decisive lead with just under a minute to play “We played incredibly hard,” Bulldogs coach Dylan Szegedi said “We came back and battled and played a really great second half we struggled a little bit at times to just execute the simple things Mitchell Gomulinski led Summerfield on both sides of the ball Friday rushing for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries and tallying a team-high 16 tackles Jude Flowers and Nate Wadsworth finished with 11 and 10 tackles FLAT ROCK – Graham Junge produced his finest offensive game of the season Tuesday night But Rams’ coach Rick Smith thought the other end of the court was the key to a 67-48 victory over Airport More: Monroe County Region prep basketball summaries Jan. 27-Feb 2 More: Bedford girls top Summerfield; defense helps SMCC stay unbeaten “We gave up 19 points in the first quarter which is uncharacteristic for our team,” Smith said “I challenged the team to lock down on defense and we went on to only give up 29 points the next three quarters.: Junge scored a season high 32 points and added five rebounds Cyrus Goins tossed in 13 points for the Rams (8-6 overall “Turnovers continued to plague us in the third as the game got out of reach for us,” Airport coach Jason Ruhlig said Aidyn Stahr and Dillon Byrd scored 13 points apiece for the 2-13 Jets Flat Rock won the junior varsity game 34-20 and the freshman contest 46-34 Joel Scully scored 9 points for the JV and Brady Beatty led the freshmen with 16 Talladay leads MilanNEWPORT – Milan’s Landon Talladay won the duel and game The Milan junior poured in a career-high 38 points including a 10-for-11 night from the free-throw line to lead his team past Jefferson 73-60 Tuesday night Jefferson’s Try Oldenburg nearly kept pace with Talladay knocking down 6 of his 7 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and going 7-of-9 from the charity stripe to finish with 32 points "I thought it was a good team win," said Milan Coach Bobby Green "Lots of contributions from guys like Connor Wilson and Jordan Roberson Landon Talladay is quietly showing why he is one of the best players in the Monroe County area he's a phenomenal shooter and competitor." Milan's Muhammed Ba joined Talladay in double figures with 13 points RIVERVIEW - Riverview took advantage of a cold offensive start by St starting quickly to establish a lead it never relinquished in a 52-41 victory Tuesday night "Our defense let us down early with some easy baskets as Riverview jumped out 20-7," said SMCC Coach Randy Windham Ian Foster and Eddie Keshen led SMCC (10-3) offensively with 9 points apiece NEW BOSTON – Zennon Grant scored a career-high 20 points last week He must have liked that feeling because the junior matched that total Tuesday in a 57-52 win over Grosse Ile “It was a tough Huron League game tonight against Grosse Ile,” Huron coach Ted Tackett said Alex Tejeda-Walker added 10 points for Huron (9-5 overall OTTAWA LAKE – Whiteford gave up just 9 points in the first half of a 53-32 victory over Morenci Tuesday night Rylan Joerin led the 11-5 Bobcats with 16 points and Caden Schroyer contributed 10 Carlson lead disappearsDEARBORN – Gibraltar Carlson (6-7) built a 26-17 halftime lead on the back of a 20-point second quarter but Dearborn Edsel Ford responded with a 19-2 run in the second half to rally for a 49-42 win Matt MacBride led Carlson (6-7) with 13 points ADRIAN – A putback by Logan Goodin with 6:50 remaining gave Erie Mason a 9-point lead Tuesday night but Lenawee Christian came roaring back for a 55-51 win “The Eagles brought the fight to Lenawee throughout the entire contest leading 95 percent of the game by shutting down the great shooters from Lenawee Christian,” Mason coach Kevin Skaggs said Lenawee Christian’s Jaxon Salenbien snapped a 51-51 tie with a pair of free throws with 1:05 remaining Goodin paced 6-8 Mason with 19 points and David Sweeney drilled four 3-pointers for 12 Mason’s junior varsity got 16 points from TJ Langenderfer and 10 from Warren Williams in a 59-31 victory Ida fades in fourthIDA – Ida managed just two points in the fourth quarter of a 54-49 loss to Hudson Tuesday night The game was tied heading into the final period Owen Snyder scored a career-high 20 points for the 6-9 Blue Streaks while Jacob Towne added 10 “Owen Snyder was sensational tonight,” Ida coach Jared Karner said “Despite missing a lot of time being in foul trouble he scored 20 and was the floor general I know he is.” DUNDEE – Dundee showed improvement during a 61-42 loss to undefeated Onsted Tuesday night “We played a lot better tonight than the last time we played them,” Dundee coach Jay Haselschwerdt said Ryan Zanger paced Dundee (2-12) with 15 points Airport duo nets 51FLAT ROCK - Airport's Peyton Zajac paced all scorers with 27 points and Sophia Mator added 24 including four 3-pointers as Airport (9-5) knocked off Flat Rock 66-54 Tuesday night "Peyton Zajac responded," said Airport coach Darrell Mossburg “Sophia was outstanding from the perimeter and our team defense was good." Layla Holbrook led the Rams (7-6) with 21 points while Addi Kopp joined her in double figures with 11 "We have done a very good job limiting our turnovers but that didn't happen tonight,”  Flat Rock coach Brian Kryk said ERIE – Erie Mason kept chipping away at a double-digit deficit in the second half and had a chance to tie the game on its final possession but fell 41-38 to Lenawee Christian Tuesday night “We competed until the end of the game,” Mason coach Josh Sweigert said “I was proud of the way we worked back into the game.” Bailey Meiring led 4-10 Mason with 16 points while Zoie Stubleski chalked up a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds MORENCI – Whiteford made an upset bid against undefeated Morenci before falling 50-40 Tuesday night The Bobcats were down just 4 points heading into the fourth quarter Emily Rasor netted 12 points for Whiteford (7-5) HUDSON – Ida suffered a frustrating loss Tuesday night The Blue Streaks (8-4) carried a 42-39 lead into the fourth quarter “You could feel the game slipping away little by little,” Ida coach Tim Leonard said Hudson took its first lead of the game with 48 seconds to go Ida got a steal and timeout with 2 seconds left but missed a short jumper to end the game Jessica Schrader led Ida with 21 points and Reese Hennessey added 10 ONSTED – Dundee built a 25-21 halftime lead but Onsted charged back for a 47-42 victory The Vikings were outscored 16-6 in the third quarter Dundee (4-9) was led by Ella Rath with 11 points GIBRALTAR – Gibraltar Carlson fell to 10-4 with Tuesday night's 34-33 loss to Dearborn Edsel Ford Riley Ivy dropped a pair of 3-pointers and led Carlson with 10 points Gibraltar Carlson and Flat Rock made winning football district championships look easy Friday night The closest of the smallest margin of victory in the three games was 18 points and none of them were as close as the final scores indicated More: Monroe County Region football scoreboard for Week 2 of playoffs And all three teams will play on their home fields again in regional title games next week Ida’s season came to an end with a loss to the No GIBRALTAR — The Marauders got out to a 21-0 lead in the first half and coasted from there and the defense came out with a three-and-out and set the tone right away," said Carlson coach Jason Gendron "We had phenomenal play from our defense all night long the kids up front on the defensive line did a great job and we had special linebacker play tonight Carlson linebackers Cam Kalbfleisch and Teegan Nagy finished with 6 tackles and a sack to lead a defense that finished with 5 total sacks and many more quarterback pressures a baseball player and phenomenal athlete," Gendron said the Marauders were led by quarterback Joe Krolak and running back Izaiah Wright Krolak connected with Trent Ison on a 27-yard touchdown pass to put Carlson on the board in the first quarter and Wright then scored on 1 and 2-yard rushes to make it 21-0 Wright's first score of the night was set up by a fake punt-pass deep in the Marauders' own territory so we called for the fake punt deep in our own territory," Gendron said and he got the green light from me and made the correct call based on what [Franklin] was aligned in." Franklin responded with a touchdown in the second quarter but Krolak answered out of halftime with a touchdown on a 67-yard quarterback keeper He scored Carlson's final touchdown of the night on a 9-yard run in the fourth "Joe and Izaiah complemented each other really well," Gendron said I'm extremely proud of the way our guys responded all night long The Marauders (9-1) will host Orchard Lake St FLAT ROCK — Flat Rock flexed its offensive muscle in rolling to its third consecutive Division 5 district championship “It feels great,” said junior receiver Evan Szalay Flat Rock kept pressure on its guests by recovering two onside kicks and pinning the Cougars inside their own 20 twice on kickoffs “They have some dangerous guys,” Flat Rock coach Buck Reaume said We stole two possessions with onside kicks.” Braylen Crump and Caleb Rollins recovered the onside kicks by Mitchell Smith Rollins and Evan Szalay had interceptions in the fourth quarter to kill Voyageur drives The Szalay brothers and quarterback Graham Junge put on a show for Flat Rock in the first half Junge threw three touchdown passes before the intermission – one to Adam Szalay (8 yards) and two to his brother Evan (50 and 16 yards) RJ Percha and Blake Recor added two points on a safety for the Rams by tackling the Voyageur quarterback in the end zone Junge ran for another score in the 3rd quarter and threw a 16-yard scoring to Evan Szalay Jacob Hagan ran 8 and 14 yards for Flat Rock TDs in the 4th quarter The Rams (9-2) stay at home for the regional finals next week Mary Catholic Central took out some revenge on team that eliminated it from the state playoffs last season The game wasn't as close as the final score indicated as the Falcons were in complete control of the game with leads of 21-0 Having lost to Clinton in the Division 7 playoffs was extra motivation this week for the 11-0 Falcons "They knocked us out last year," Falcon senior quarterback Ian Foster said It feels like there is something that comes up every week people doubting us or staying stuff about us We always sort of play with a chip on our shoulder Every game we just come out and want to make a statement." Drew Harris scored SMCC's first offensive play with a 68-yard sprint in which he was at least 10 yards past everyone else on the field Foster hit a wide open Harris on a 40-yard touchdown pass "Drew had an amazing run on the first play," Foster said The coaches saw what they did on the first play and came back with the pass play on the second Clinton's offense moved the ball toward midfield on their third possession but were forced to punt finished off with a 62-yard pass from Foster to Cole Reinhardt to make it 21-0 Clinton scored to cut into the lead but a 50-yard run by Lukas Linzell a safety when the snap sailed over the Clinton punters head and out of the back of the end zone an amazing Brock Cousino catch in the end zone and a 15-yard touchdown by Harris put SMCC up 37-6 SMCC got a 44-yard run by Brady Hines in the third quarter to lead 51-14 and force a running clock Clinton scored on two pass plays in the 4th quarter "I was a little nervous," SMCC coach Adam Kipf said JACKSON — Ida came back from a 21-7 halftime deficit to make perennial powerhouse Jackson Lumen Christi sweat "That's a tough team to face in the district finals," said Ida coach Jeff Potter "That's a really good football team we ran into tonight." led by Dean Thomas who finished with 126 yards and 2 touchdowns on 16 touches Gavin Albring rushed for 99 yards on 14 carries Wyatt Dirkmaat toted the rock 9 times for 78 yards and Jeremiah Hoffman finished with 65 yards and a TD on 6 touches Owen Snyder completed 3-of-4 passes for 84 yards the bulk of which came on a 57-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Towne Four Monroe County Region football teams will play for district championships Friday night And three of them get to do it on their home fields Gibraltar Carlson and Flat Rock go into the district finals as favorites All-time series: The teams have never met before Franklin playoff history: The Patriots are in the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season and 16th time overall They lost in the state finals in 2017 and reached the semifinals in 2021 and 2015 Prep Football Notes: Exploring the stories behind the final scores Carlson playoff history: Qualified in each of the past seven seasons and 16 times overall Franklin statistical leaders: Derek Hetu 77-for-141 passing for 1,131 yards and 8 TDs 81 carries for 281 yards rushing; Owen Pittenger 218 carries for 1,459 yards and 21 TDs 28 receptions for 345 yards receiving and 4 TDs 39 tackles and three interceptions on defense; Mendale Broaden 11 catches for 232 yards Carlson statistical leaders: Joe Krolak 77-of-116 10 for loss; Dean Manthei 1 for 3 field goals 62 of 63 PATs Game notes: Carlson quarterback Joe Krolak surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the season with his 201-yard performance Friday against Bedford … Franklin has played Bedford five times in the playoffs since 2016 Franklin coach Chris Kelbert (26th season 142-123): “Carlson is a great team They have a lot of talent and play a similar physical style of football The challenge we have is the same for every team that plays them: Can we slow down their offense The goal for us is always to get better each week Carlson coach Jason Gendron (third year 28-5): “Livonia Franklin is similar to us in that they pride themselves on running the ball and stopping the run They’re a well-coached team … We have to eliminate mistakes with penalties and win the turnover battle We’ll rely on our playmakers to make plays focus on controlling the line of scrimmage and stay true to our schemes that have gotten us this far.” Detroit Voyageur (8-2) at Flat Rock (7-2)Division: 5 Voyageur playoff history: Made the playoffs this year for the fourth time in school history Last week’s win over Summit Academy was the second playoff victory for the Cougars Flat Rock playoff history: In the playoffs for the seventh time with a record of 8-5 Six of those wins have come in the past three seasons Won a state title in 1976 and reached the semifinals last year Voyageur statistical leaders: Amare Smith 20-of-48 for 466 yards leads team in tackles with 74; Jamarion Jenkins 16 carries for 893 yards Flat Rock statistical leaders: Graham Junge 120-194 Game notes: Voyageur started playing football in 2009 setting a school record for wins this year in posting a winning record for the fourth time … Flat Rock is hosting a district championship game for the third straight season Voyageur coach Ricky Gonzalez (fourth year 24-14): “I believe it's our balance that's our greatest strength We can win games in a lot of different ways … Flat Rock is a great team with a winning tradition We are happy to test our talent against other talented teams in a win or go home situation (Graham Junge) for Flat Rock is as good as it gets for high school quarterbacks so we will have to limit his successes if we want to win Flat Rock coach Buck Reaume (ninth year 48-49): “Voyageur is a talented team who is big up front and has some speed They like to run their QB and throw it all over the place We will have to play sound defensive football and get to the ball we will need to get the ball to our playmakers and give Graham some options where he can make decisions based on what the defense presents We need to take care of the ball and establish the line of scrimmage with our veteran offensive line.” Ida playoff history: Ida is in the postseason for the 15th time in school history The Blue Streaks are 12-14 all-time in the playoffs Lumen Christi playoff history: One of the most impressive playoff resumes of any school in state history The Titans have made the playoffs every season since 1998 – 27 straight seasons – and 34 seasons all-time More: Matchups, times for second round of Michigan high school football playoffs Ida statistical leaders: Dean Thomas 148 rushes for 1,367 yards and 20 TDs; Gavin Albring 104 rushes for 846 yards 6 receptions for 136 yards; Wyatt Dirkmaat 69 rushes for 462 yards; Owen Snyder 15-of-34 pass attempts for 341 yards and two TDs Lumen Christi statistical leaders: Timmy Crowley 61 for 96 for 993 passing yards and eight TDs 13 carries for 112 yards and four TDs rushing; Kadale Williams 155 carries for 1,552 yards and 27 TDs; Kash Kalahal 27 receptions for 637 yards and five TDs; Isaac Rehberg 390 yards rushing 72 tackles on defense; Amarion Clay 344 yards rushing Game notes: Brogan has been the head coach at Lumen Christi since 1980 His 417 puts him as the third-winningest coach in state history … Lumen Christi’s opponents are 50-37 this season … Lumen Christi’s loss was to Notre Dame Prep while Ida lost to 9-1 Hudson Ida coach Jeff Potter (eighth year 50-30): “Lumen Christi will present challenges as they do not have a weakness on either side of the football We have to execute and possess the ball on offense Lumen Christi coach Herb Brogan (45th year 417-96): “Ida is a sound They are solid defensively and run to the ball well They force you to play well to beat them.” Last meeting: SMCC beat Clinton 22-14 in Week 1 this season Clinton playoff history: Clinton is in the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season During that run they reached the state finals three times – all in Division 6 2019 and have an all-time playoff record of 58-25 Clinton statistical leaders: Bryce Randolph 182 carries for 1,066 yards and 12 TDs; Jacob Felts 122 carries for 596 yards; Clifford Jones 62 carries for 373 yards; Andy Fair 30-for-60 passing for 410 yards and 4 TDs SMCC statistical leaders: Drew Harris 108 rushes for 991 yards and 15 TDs; Brady Hines 50 carries for 410 yards and 6 TDs; Ian Foster 57 carries for 310 yards and 6 TDs 20 of 33 passing for 437 yards and 10 TDs; Cole Reinhardt 32 carries for 316 yards 5 receptions for 137 yards; Brock Cousino 58 tackles Game notes: This is a matchup of two teams with tremendous playoff history and success over the years will be making his second career start at quarterback In his first start against Whiteford last week … SMCC’s Drew Harris enters the game nine yards shy of 1,000 for the season Clinton has a 1,000-yard rusher in Bryce Randolph Clinton coach Casey Randolph (fourth year 29-6): “We are excited to get to play another great program like SMCC They are a well-coached team that does everything well and they’ve improved since we faced them in Week 1 Comments from SMCC coach Adam Kipf (10th year 77-32): “Clinton has shown tremendous improvement from Week 1 through Week 10 We know they play the game physically and will present a tough challenge for us I wouldn't expect anything else from a well-coached team.”