EGR and Robert Bolden
November 28th, 2009 at 10:23 PM ^
Then again, Inkster is really not a very good team. They're extremely undisciplined on defense and their offensive line was a sieve all game.
I lived in Forest Hills (played against East), so even though I hate them with a passion, I respect their athletic program a lot.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:20 PM ^
So Inkster wasn't a really good team? Kinda odd to say that considering they played in the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL.
You're right, they must suck.
November 28th, 2009 at 11:24 PM ^
Isn't EGR in Division 3? They are asked if they want to switch divisions every year and they never do. They will continue to own that division as long as they stay. Not sure what their student numbers look like, but I'd imagine they are pretty big for their division. They will continue to chose to not switch divisions and will keep winning. Still, congratulations to them, even though they are playing lesser talent for the most part.
November 29th, 2009 at 2:00 AM ^
EGR might have even won Division 1, they're that good
November 29th, 2009 at 2:14 AM ^
I doubt it, but you kind of helped make my point. Detroit CC was BIG and they were really good. Same with Stevenson. Both teams had massive D and O lines. I definitely think that EGR needs to be moved to Division 1. They are good enough to contend for the title in higher divisions.
November 29th, 2009 at 7:03 PM ^
I know people have harped on this, but even after they do you keep making the same stupid suggestion. Divisions are determined by school size. DCC is good, but they are a school of over 2000 students of all boys. EGR is about 900 students, half of which (presumably) are girls. That means that DCC is 4 times the size of EGR in terms of male enrollment (all that matters for football purposes). Do you think those teams deserve to be in the same division?
November 29th, 2009 at 8:56 AM ^
So, if I understand this correctly, EGR's student enrollment falls within the limits of D-3, but they are being asked to move up because they win too much?
The MHSAA is supposed to recognize and reward excellence. Why decide to penalize it now? What kind of message does that give the student-athlete?
November 29th, 2009 at 1:04 PM ^
To be the best you have to beat the best. Being in division 3 an being moved up to division one doesn't penalize you it challenges you more.
November 29th, 2009 at 5:18 PM ^
If I'm consistently winning state championships at one level and I can stay at that level, I'm going to stay there. Yes, it does challenge you more, but would you rather your kids get a chance to win a state championship or have them be challenged and go 8-4 or something? I'll take the championships.
November 29th, 2009 at 8:05 PM ^
your point on winning state every year but when you pretty much outclass every playoff opponents in the same division, you know that you really don't belong in this division. EGR plays schools who are bigger than them and routinely beat them with ease. They really don't belong to Division 3 level. They belong to Division 2 where there are better competition for them to play against.
Score that they have won leading up to the state championship game.
43-0
37-14
40-7
43-8
They won't be 8-4 every year when moving up to division 2. They will still be either have one loss or undefeated in regular season. It's just that Division 2 provides them a more competitive games than Division 3 would provide.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:17 PM ^
EGR beat OLSM 24-21 and were losing before they scored with 3 minutes remaining. OLSM still had a chance to win the game on their final drive. Two years ago EGR beat OLSM in 5 OTs. They were not handed this state title or any others. The kids played hard and deserved it.
Yes they are good and can beat schools in higher divisions, but you can make this same argument about any team that won a state title outside of division 1.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:40 AM ^
OLSM plays similar schedule as EGR and they can beat teams that are bigger than them. They held Detroit Catholic Central, Division 1 state champion, to 7 points(albeit they lost 7-0).
I will not make the same argument for any team that won a state title outside of division 1. EGR is a different case because they won 6 state championships in the last 8 years and some of the state championship games weren't even close.
November 29th, 2009 at 12:10 PM ^
You don't pick your division in the MHSAA playoffs, no one does, it's a function of enrollment between the 256 teams. They get their field set and start chopping it into 32 team blocks.
November 29th, 2009 at 1:18 PM ^
HartAttack, what makes you think schools choose their division? EGR is a relatively small school and they beat schools bigger than them on a regular basis. They are the smallest school in the league they play in, they have around 900 students and they play in a league where every school is 1300+. They beat up on Lowell, who won the D2 championship by a wide margin.
The MHSAA picks what division you are in, not the schools. I love it how you say things like "I'd imagine they are pretty big for their division" without looking it up or worrying whether or not the statement you made had any credibility. Saying they play "lesser talent" is also a crazy statement: OLSM is a very good football program who has one of the top QB recruits in the country. Not exactly low in talent.
November 29th, 2009 at 12:20 AM ^
If so, I don't see how this is unfair. FWIW - EGR beat Lowell 27-6 earlier this year and Lowell won division 2. They also beat Inkster in the state finals last year, so I think it's safe to say they would have won division 2 as well.
November 29th, 2009 at 12:22 AM ^
in football is determined by how many teams qualify for the playoffs first, then divided into divisions by enrollment. 6 win teams first, 5 wins teams taken to fill out remaining 256 team field by playoff points.
There is no 'set' divisions in football, though everyone pretty much knows where they'll fall.
EGR had an official enrollment of 930, which puts them on the high end of Class B. For football they fell into Division 3, right where they should be if you divide A, B, C and D in half to make your eight divisions. This year they were about the 10th largest Division III school out of the 32 that qualified.
So EGR was and is right where they should be.
Incidently, Inkster's enrollment went up this year, which is one of the reasons they were in Division II and not III like last year.
November 29th, 2009 at 1:11 AM ^
EGR completly owns the west side of the state.
November 29th, 2009 at 3:02 AM ^
I have no problem with them playing within their own division based on enrollment especially considering they can't recruit. Does anyone know if catholic schools can still recruit? I feel like a dinosaur thinking that I graduated in 96', but when I was in high school the catholic schools could recruit and always fielded solid teams that could probably compete in higher classes.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:52 AM ^
Public schools like Rockford recruit
November 29th, 2009 at 12:36 PM ^
Officially, high schools can't recruit players. Unofficially, they do (and don't think that public schools don't try, as well).
November 29th, 2009 at 7:35 PM ^
They certainly do. My HS lost the few good athletes we had to neighboring districts because of this.
November 29th, 2009 at 8:06 PM ^
that was the first game that I have seen him live up to a lofty ranking. He was terrible or mediocre in other games that I watched him. He has nice arm but he doesn't always do it in games.
November 29th, 2009 at 8:21 PM ^
After reading some of the earlier posts i couldn't help but laugh at the choosing your division posts and ripping EGR. I am glad that people beat me to this.
November 29th, 2009 at 8:36 PM ^
This has happened before. Harrison was probably the best team in the state when they won a bunch of state titles in D3 in the late 90's-early 2000's. Lumen Christi has been like that in their lower division for a while. Dominating your division has never been grounds for moving up. In any sport.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:56 PM ^
Didn't Harrison have some astounding winning streak that was snapped by the mighty Chargers of Livonia Churchill, snapping an equally impressive losing streak?
November 30th, 2009 at 12:55 AM ^
That I'm not sure about. But EGR must have a pretty impressive win streak going, at least 19 games, but likely more. Does anyone know how many games they've won in a row?