Tag: michigan high school football

The catch of the year just happened in the Michigan state championship

The catch of the year may have happened in the Michigan high school football state championship when Adrian Walker made a behind-the-back pick.

With 16,000 high school football teams, there are hundreds of thousands, if not well over a million, receptions each season. This year, it took until one of the very final games of the season to have what may be the catch of the year.

In the game between nationally ranked Belleville and Southfield Arts & Tech, which would decide the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Div. 1 championship, three-star receiver/defensive back Adrian “AD” Walker Jr. had an interception in the first quarter that was unlike any pick you’ve seen before.

Walker went airborne, jumping the route; he tipped the ball up with both hands and then caught it behind his back:

The incredible catch certainly belongs with the best of all time in a championship game, sharing space with the likes of David Tyree, Julian Edelman and Lynn Swann.

Walker returned the ball to the 11-yard line, putting Belleville in position for running back Colbey Reed to punch home a touchdown and give the team a 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Despite the heroics, Belleville fell to Southfield Arts & Tech 36-32. Kansas quarterback commit Isaiah Marshall scored the game-winning touchdown and subsequent two-point conversion with just under a minute to go, clinching the championship and putting the bow on a 13-1 season.

In getting the win, Southfield Arts & Tech broke Belleville’s 38-game win streak and prevented the No. 21 team in the Super 25 national rankings from achieving a three-peat after Belleville won the titles in 2021 and 2022.

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Michigan dual-threat QB Kalieb Osborne announces commitment to Toledo

Toledo got quite a Valentine’s Day gift yesterday in the form of a commitment from a highly-ranked quarterback from the class of 2024.

Toledo got quite a Valentine’s Day gift yesterday in the form of a commitment from a highly-ranked quarterback from the class of 2024.

Mott (Mich.) three-star QB Kalieb Osborne announced his commitment to Toledo on his Twitter page. The statement he released was full of gratitude and humility:

“First, I want to thank God for blessing me with the abilities I have today. Without him, I wouldn’t be here. I want to thank Coach Fahr for all the time he put into me and pushing me every day from being my head coach and leader I follow. Next, I want to thank Coach Weiner for taking a chance on me and giving me an opportunity to play at the next level. I’d also like to thank Coach Parker as well for building a relationship with me. Lastly, I must thank my mom, my hero, my everything, I wouldn’t be here without you! With that being said, I am committed to the University of Toledo. GO ROCKETS! Kalieb Osborne #1”

Toledo is getting one of the top dual-threat QBs in the entire country. Osborne racked up 20 passing touchdowns this past season and another 19 touchdowns as a rusher. He is their first commit in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Going by the 247Sports composite rankings, Osborne (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) is ranked No. 46 at his position and No. 13 overall in the state. He also had offers from Central Michigan and Michigan.

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Top Michigan HS football team under investigation for undue influence

Jermaine Crowell, head coach fo the Belleville (Mich.) high school football team is under investigation for undue influence.

According to a report by Mick McCabe at the Detroit Free Press, the best high school football team in the state of Michigan is under investigation for undue influence.

At issue is head coach Jermaine Crowell’s alleged involvement in multiple undue influence violations as the school tried to recruit King (Mich.) WR/DB Jameel Croft Jr. over the summer. Apparently, Croft was practicing around Belleville when Crowell made initial contact to recruit him, violating the undue influence rule.

For his part, Crowell denies any wrongdoing, per the report.

“When they talked to me, they said something like the reporter that was interviewing asked him several different times in several different ways how did he get picked up and who was doing it… In any case, it’s not true and what they said they didn’t give you that information.”

In the end, Croft chose King so he could play with Dante Moore, one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2023 and an Oregon commit.

Per the Free Press, Crowell has an 81-10 record since taking over as head coach for Belleville. They went 9-0 this season and will begin the playoffs on Friday night at home against Woodhaven (Mich.).

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Notre Dame commitment dashes through snow to final four

A little snow couldn’t slow down future Irish linebacker @JoshuaBurnham20 on Friday night…

Snow fell in different parts of the midwest on Friday, something I could have done without.  Where I’m at outside Chicago though, almost no snow stuck Friday despite it falling like crazy at times.

Where Notre Dame linebacker commitment Josh Burnham plays in Michigan however, the snow was falling and sticking.  Burnham, a four-star linebacker recruit in the 2022 class, dashed through it on offense in guiding Traverse City Central to a victory and trip to the state’s final four.  Burnham scored four rushing touchdowns in Central’s 42-14 victory over Caledonia.  Check  out a few of the highlights below:

Burnham then spoke to a reporter after the game and discussed the conditions and how to avoid losing in the semi-finals a second year in a row:

Burnham and Traverse City Central now take on unbeaten South Lyon for a trip to Ford Field and the state finals next week.

Related:

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Michigan relaxes spectator limits for high school sports

Michigan will now allow up to 1,000 spectators at outdoor high school sporting events across the state.

High school sporting events in Michigan are about to get a bit more crowded than they have been for the last month.

On Tuesday, the Michigan High School Athletic Association an increase in its spectator limits from two fans per participant to up to 1,000 fans per venue, according to MLive.com. Michigan’s new spectator policy goes into effect immediately. The increase was originally slated to take effect on Friday, Oct. 9, but applied to any competition beginning on Tuesday afternoon.

According to MHSAA guidelines, crowd sizes at high school sporting events will now be determined by the venue’s size. Indoor venues in Regions 1-5, 7 and 8 are allowed to hold 20% of their seating capacity up to 500 spectators. Indoor venues in Region 6 are allowed to hold up to 25%. Outdoor venues across Michigan will be allowed to hold 30% of their seating capacity up to 1,000 spectators.

The new spectator policy replaces the MHSAA’s two-spectators-per-participant limit, which was set to expire upon the start of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 183 on Oct. 9. The order allows for outdoor social gatherings of up to 1,000 people as long as persons not part of the same household practice social distancing. Spectators must also wear face coverings.

Schools have the option to maintain the original two-spectator-per-participant policy.