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11/25/07-Football
Best state final saved for very last
By KEITH DUNLAP of The Oakland Press
DETROIT--During the state football finals every year, the Michigan High School Athletic Association likes to flash on the scoreboard highlights of the most memorable state championship games in history, doing so during timeouts of current games.
For future state football final games, there might not be a more memorable game to flash back to than the Division 3 state final between Orchard Lake St. Mary's and East Grand Rapids late Saturday night at Ford Field.
Never had a state playoff football game gone five overtimes, let alone a state final.
St. Mary's and East Grand Rapids decided to start a trend.
It was a game nobody deserved to lose, but somebody had to win.
Unfortunately for St. Mary's, East Grand Rapids was the one celebrating in the end after winning its eighth state title in school history via a heartstopping, 46-39 win over St. Mary's.
The overtime was like two kids going back-and-forth like two kids on a teeter-totter. St. Mary's and East Grand Rapids traded field goals in the first two overtimes, then touchdowns in the next two.
After scoring on the first possession of the fourth overtime, St. Mary's head coach George Porritt turned into a riverboat gambler, calling for a fake on the extra point.
The gamble paid off, as holder Kris Morris hit tight end/wideout Dion Sims in the end zone for a two-point conversion that gave the Eaglets a 39-31 lead.
However, like defending champions do, East Grand Rapids wouldn't go away that easy.
East Grand Rapids scored a touchdown of it own and then tied the game on a two-point conversion pass than sent this game into the history books.
Regulation was just like overtime in terms of how the teams went back-and-forth.
St. Mary's took a 7-0 lead and were poised to go up 14-0 in the second quarter with a fourth-and-goal from the East Grand Rapids one-foot line, but East Grand Rapids junior defensive lineman Alex Luke stuffed St. Mary's senior running back Donald Coleman for a 1-yard loss.
East Grand Rapids bailed itself out of its poor field position by driving into St. Mary's territory on its next possession.
The Pioneers might not have scored any points on the drive, but not only did they reverse field position, they reversed the whole emotions of the game.
Momentum all of a sudden was wearing a blue shirt.
By halftime, the game was tied at 7-7 after junior Joe Glendening scored on a 68-yard touchdown run with 39 seconds remaining in the first half.
After stopping St. Mary's on the first possession of the second half, East Grand Rapids went up 14-7 on a 9-yard touchdown run by Glendening, who capped off an eight-play, 55-yard scoring drive.
St. Mary's did manage to get back on track with a six-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that tied the game at 14-14 with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter (junior Sam Fioroni capped off the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run), but that would be one of the last highlights of the night for the Eaglets.
The key play was a 38-yard pass play from sophomore quarterback Robert Bolden to junior tight end/wideout Dion Sims, who got free down the sideline and hauled in a pass that gave the Eaglets a first down for the first time since the first quarter.
Fortunately for everyone who got to witness this historic game, it was just a prelude of things to come.
St. Mary's was no doubt sad over losing a state title when it was so close.
But no matter what, the Eaglets, along with the Pioneers, can say they were a part of a high school football game like no other ever played in the state of Michigan.
Copyright 2007, St. Mary's Preparatory, Orchard Lake, Michigan. All rights reserved.
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