That about sums up the football scheduling philosophy for CHSL athletic directors, who must put together a puzzle of an eight- or nine-game schedule that gives them pretty good odds of winning at least five or six games.
Don HorkeyThose are the magic numbers that high school football teams in Michigan need to automatically qualify for the state playoffs, in place since 1999, when the Michigan High School Athletic Association expanded its classifications to eight divisions with 32 qualifying schools in each division.
If you have a pretty good team with aspirations of playoff glory, would you accept a call from Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice seeking to play your team, knowing the Warriors have qualified 16 years in a row? Or from either Novi Detroit Catholic Central or Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep, each of which have qualified 14 of the 17 seasons since 1999?
If no opponent from within the state can be found, then beleaguered ADs can resort to seeking competitors beyond the border — which the MHSAA allows for nearby states such as Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin, and even an adjoining country, Canada.
This fall, seven CHSL schools have contracted with 14 out-state squads: six from Canada, three each from Indiana and Ohio, and one each from Illinois and Pennsylvania. Nine contests are home, five away. Since most of these are home-and-home arrangements, CHSL teams will be on the road more next year. Here’s some idea of what’s involved:
Brother Rice traveled to Indiana on back-to-back Fridays, Sept. 2 and 9, for games against Mishawaka Penn High School and Elkhart Central. In both instances, the Warriors left campus Friday at about noon on two charter buses, arrived about 5:30 p.m. for the 7 o’clock kickoff. AD Jeff Calcaterra said the booster club covered the costs of both pre- and post-game meals. Rice lost 14-7 to Penn, but walloped Central 41-7.
Catholic Central lined up three out-state foes in a row: an up-and-back journey Sept. 2 to Toledo to defeat Whitmer High, 29-7, and the next Friday to Toronto to bombard St. Michael’s, 49-17. CC hosted Cleveland St. Ignatius Sept. 16.
The Shamrocks left Novi Thursday morning for the four-hour-plus trip to Toronto. Because the Basilian order sponsors both schools, AD Aaron Babicz said they agreed that the host school covers hotel and meal accommodations for the visitors. St. Michael made the trip to CC last year.
In addition, to cross into Canada, Babicz had to make sure players had birth certificates and signed consent forms from parents permitting the overnight stay.
Mishawaka Penn made the three-hour trip to play St. Mary’s last Friday, beating the Eaglets, 10-7, to avenge a loss to St. Mary’s a year ago on Penn’s gridiron. OLSM AD George Porritt said “each school takes care of its own stuff,” such as transportation, accommodations, meals, etc. St. Mary’s last year left campus on Thursday for the Saturday game, meaning lodging for two nights.
“I had received a big donation and we had fundraising events to cover most of the costs (of around $9,000),” he said. The trip’s highlight was a tour of the Notre Dame campus, Mass at the grotto and a visit with Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly.
Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard AD Hally Yonko provided another insight when the Irish host Westinghouse High from Pittsburgh on Sept. 30.
“We are paying for half of their transportation costs, and providing dinner Friday and breakfast Saturday morning. They are sleeping in our gym,” she added. “Right now this is a one-year agreement. We hope to be able to find a game within Michigan next year.”
A hope that is shared by her fellow ADs.
Don Horkey may be reached at [email protected].
