One step shy of the goal

Andy Roddick will one day enter the Tennis Hall Of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. A first-ballot automatic, no doubt about it. He's that good. Yet if there's one sentence that best captures his footprint on the landscape of the sport, it would be this: he was the best player in tennis not named Federer.

Allow me to apply this description to the 2008 MHSAA Division 1 football season: The Lake Orion Dragons were the best team in the state not named Rockford.

This year's version of coach Chris Bell's perennial powerhouse reads a perfect 12-0—twelve handsome-looking volumes to display on the mantle, to be sure—were it not for those God-awful bookends. A pair of losses at the hands of the mighty Rockford Rams, the first to open the season in August and the second, today's sobering 26-14 defeat on the grand stage of Ford Field, to earn the Rams their third state title in five years.



Branden Oakes (see my pic) gained 107 yards on 16 carries, but his biggest contribution never materialized. That's because his number wasn't called on a crucial third-and-two call at the Ram 11-yard line during an electrifying Dragon drive that chewed up half the third quarter. Instead, quarterback Sean "I'm Still Just Fifteen... Hello" Charette rolled right and forced a throw into dense short-side coverage, where Gabe Speirs caught it in stride and brought it back past midfield.

Lake Orion was trailing 20-7 at the time. They had belly-crawled into the locker room but emerged with a swagger--taking the kickoff down the field, converting multiple third-down opportunities (even a fourth down) while wearing the Ram defense two-ply thin. The feeling among the white-out faithful was, we score here from the two, then hold Rockford to a three-and-out, and we're in the lead. One only needs to travel back three weeks to find the Dragons in a 13-point hole at intermission, 23-10 to Romeo in the District finals. Wow. The Romeo game was just three weeks ago?


Yes, this tiny slip of momentum was quickly assuaged by a Rockford fumble the very next play. Lake Orion turned that gift into points, with Oakes jamming it in from a yard out to cut the deficit to six, 20-14. Less than a minute remained in the third, and Rockford had the ball for exactly one play.

That drive, however, should have been for the lead.

The Dragons stopped the Rams cold on third and inches on their subsequent possession, and began moving again. Jeff "I’m The Reason Why We're Here At Ford Field In The First Place" Heath hauled in a Charette pass over the middle for a first down, and lost the ball after being hit at his 45-yard line. Rockford cradled the little bundle of joy and took it from there, driving the proverbial stake to the Dragons' hearts with a 4-yard Darby run for the game's final points.

Watching each unfortunate event unfold gave me the sensation of heading uphill on a mountain bike and repeatedly missing the gear each time I down-shifted. While I can simply quit mountain biking, the task for coach Bell is more substantial. He brought his team through districts, past the regional final and all the way to Ford Field. His team then played toe-to-toe with the team who put the only blemish on their record, virtually dead-even in total yards (263-248 Dragons), first downs (13-12 Rams), total plays (Lake Orion by a 59-53 score) and time of possession (24:46-23:14, a 92-second edge for Rockford).

But in situations such as this, when two teams who look similar on paper play a game where you need DNA samples to tell them apart, something unforeseen typically decides the outcome. For the Dragons, those somethings included, in order: a mental meltdown in two-deep coverage (leading to Ram quarterback Tim McGee’s 47-yard scoring strike to Nick Stokes, who was extended-holiday-hours open along the right sideline and scored without the need for express checkout); a blocked punt in the final minute of the second quarter (leading to Rockford's one-play, six-yard drive and a 20-7 lead at the break); Charette's aforementioned Big-Mo-sucking end-zone INT; and Heath's aforementioned hemorrhage of a 20-yard pitch and run (leading to receipt of aforementioned stake).

Even those five somethings cannot dull the brilliance of something as shiny as Lake Orion's 2008 campaign. All game I sat in my $100-if-it’s-a-Lions-game seat, thinking, 'they're really here, playing for it all.' Yet it never once felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Frankly, it felt a lot like a first-of-three-straight-trips experience.

After all, Roddick did win a U.S. Open. And he was the world’s top-ranked player for three months. And three months does span the length of an entire state-championship football season. I can keep going with this. Suffice to say, they’ll be playing for it all at Ford Field again. If not next year then the one after that. In fact, if they don’t win THE title in '09 I may even bring a bitter tone to the recap.

Deal with that, Andy.

[By the way--fear not, Dragon fans, the state title will be ours in the courts if not on the field. Soon the MHSAA will sanction Rockford for using an ineligible player. See their right tackle? Did he look familiar? Don’t tell me I’m the only one who knows what Jake Long looks like. They even gave the guy #77. Real smart move.]

The Night Before the Finals

'Twas the Night before the Finals, and all through the town
Not a player was worried--not even one frown.
The cleats were all hung in their lockers with care,
Awaiting these Dragons, whose footsteps they'd share.

The townfolk were nestled all snug in their beds,
As visions of championships danced in their heads.
Moms slept in green jerseys, while zebra-striped refs
were resting their heads upon yellow 'kerchiefs.

When out at the high school there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter!
Away to my minivan I flew like a flash,
Warmed up the old engine and made a mad dash.

The lights of the stadium with their thousand-watt glow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to the field turf below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But eighty-five warriors--all clad in full gear!

With a bright firey leader, so lively and well,
I knew in a moment it must be Coach Bell!
The team couldn't sleep, too amped up for the game,
So he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Branden! Now Marques! Now Nay, Bruce and Lott!
On Charette! And Charles Fleck! On Heath and Knoblock!
To the top of the mountain! To the top, proud and tall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
Coach read from the playbook his plans of attack
for the twelve-and-one heroes he'd flung on his back.

They'll soon face the one foe they couldn't survive--
with a QB who's not old enough yet to drive!
But a wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

Coach spoke not a word, but went straight to his book,
And filled all their heads up, then turned with a look.
Then pointing his finger to the sky with a pose,
He gave them a nod--toward Rockford they rose!

We've all seen a miracle, and it wasn't St. Nick.
'Twas the spirit that lifted that 49-yard kick
High over the crossbar, between the uprights,
and lifted Lake Orion to unheard-of heights.

Swarming onto the field as the clock showed all zeros
We all celebrated these newly crowned heroes
Win or lose they're immortal, they've made history
Nonetheless, "Here's to you boys, and ONE MORE VICTORY!"

Mighty Dragons Stop Fordson Cold, 38-0... next stop, Ford Field!

"Destiny" has become a popular explanation for that which cannot be explained. Largely because the term itself isn't easily explained.

Yet with each successive victory, we're left with fewer ways to make sense of the Lake Orion Dragons' improbable run through the 2008 Michigan High School playoffs. From a long touchdown run in the final minute of a scoreless tie with Utica Eisenhower in round 1; to the rally from a 13-point halftime deficit against Romeo the following week; to the 9.2-second drive and 49-yard game-winning field goal last Friday against a Sterling Heights Stevenson team who had come back from a 28-point third quarter hole.

Add to the list last night's astonishing 38-0 dismemberment of Division 1's Goliaths from Dearborn Fordson on the frigid field turf of Troy Athens High School, and even the thinnest traces of reason go "poof!"



A team so youthful its starting quarterback barely qualifies for a learner's permit, the Dragons drove over top-ranked and seemingly unbeatable Fordson the way monster trucks would drive over traffic. What's ironic here is that the team nicknamed the Tractors happens to be the one with tire tracks on their chests.

The tone was set just moments after the pre-game coin toss. On the game's first offensive play, Lake Orion's John Chanthakhot stepped in front of a hurried Ali Baidoun screen pass and returned the interception 26 yards for an instant 7-0 lead. Moments later the Dragons forced a Fordson fumble (see pic), leading to a nine-play scoring drive capped by Branden Oakes' two-yard plunge. Hypothermia had barely set in, and already the Dragons were up 14.

That was all the stingy Lake Orion defense needed in recording their second shutout of the playoffs. Truth be told, the 38-0 final doesn't reflect how severely Fordson's once-prolific offense had been dominated. Even the zero seems generous. The Tractors didn't so much as threaten to score all evening, any brief sign of momentum thwarted by friendly fire--five turnovers in all, compared to Lake Orion's zero. Halfway through the third quarter, most of their fans had already abandoned the icy aluminum grandstands and headed back to Dearborn, freeing themselves from the dream that had stuck with them since the sweltering days of late August.

So now, one more challenge stands before the Lake Orion Dragons. One to be faced at room-temperature, thankfully, on the biggest stage of all: Ford Field. Awaiting them is a rematch with the Rockford Rams, the only blemish on Lake Orion's 12-1 season. This Saturday at 1:00pm, they will have the opportunity to settle the score and avenge their only defeat by winning their first-ever state championship.

There's a word for that, isn't there?

[The ok-quality photos from these Lake Orion Dragon posts are mine. The spectacular quality ones come from MarkROakes, Nick Couretas and Studio C, and Photo Impressions. If you appreciate good photography from people who know what they're doing, I encourage you to look at their work, as it's pretty amazing. No plugging here--these are my words. Although these pics speak for themselves.]

GO DRAGONS!

I'm off to Troy Athens High School to witness what I hope is the next chapter of the Improbable Journey. Hoping my next post will say something like "Wooooo-hooooo!"

Meantime, here's another pic from the field after last week's miracle win. The hardware would be the regional champions trophy, the school's second ever. Wish the boys luck--and magic!

The biggest game in Lake Orion history (until next week?)

[Note: My blog has also embraced the Lake Orion Dragons, the high school of the city in which I live and the school my son will be attending next fall. They have built a high school powerhouse in northern Oakland County, having reached the MHSAA Regional finals each of the past two seasons (losing to eventual state champ Macomb Dakota each time). This year's squad followed an opening-game loss to Rockford at EMU's Rynearson Stadium with 11 straight wins, and sits two wins away from the school's first state title. So if you like reading my posts, I invite you to take this ride with us. If you'd rather focus on my posts regarding Detroit college and professional teams, there are plenty of those as well so allow me this high school thrill ride and skip ahead to further reading.]



Saturday night, 7:00pm at Troy Athens High School, the Michigan Region 3 champion Lake Orion Dragons will attempt to go where no Lake Orion team has ever gone before.

Ford Field.

More specicifially, the Division 1 Michigan High School football championship game. The miracle ride continues after Jeffrey Heath's last-second prayer of a 49-yard field goal (see pic) upset Sterling Heights Stevenson, 38-36, in the greatest football game I have ever witnessed (so great I'm still writing the blog about it... should be up by Monday). Already the winningest team in Lake Orion football history, they seek a date on Thanksgiving weekend to show the state's viewing audience what they're made of. And a chance to add to the school's three state title banners, for wrestling (1990), baseball and girls' golf (2007).

Only once have the Dragons ever reached the state semis, in 1999. So they've already made history. But this season's magic carpet ride almost conjures up that D-word. Not "DEE-FENSE" but "DESSS-TINY." Consider the details of the Lake Orion playoff run:

1. Game 1 - Region 3 Division 1 Pre-Districts vs. Utica Eisenhower. The teams remained in a scoreless deadlock until the game's final two minutes, when tailback Branden Oakes exploded for a 25-yard touchdown and the game's only points.

2. Game 2 - Region 3 Division 1 Districts vs. Romeo - Lake Orion trailed Romeo by 13 points in the third quarter but came back for an impressive and equally improbable 24-23 win, keyed by a momentum-shifting quarterback sack by LB Eric Knoblock as Romeo had driven to the brink of the red zone, threatening to increase the lead to 20.

3. Game 3 - Region 3 finals vs. Sterling Heights Stevenson - The Dragons flew to a 35-7 third-quarter lead, buoyed by the return of a blocked punt. Fans were leaving the stands before host Stevenson rode the rocket arm of junior quarterback Jason Fracassa--grandson of legendary Birmingham Brother Rice coach Al Fracassa--with 29 unanswered points to take a 36-35 lead. Lake Orion lost the ball on downs, then held SHS and got the ball back on their 40 with 9.2 seconds on the clock. 15-year-old freshman QB Sean Charette lofted a pass to Charles Fleck at the Stevenson 32. The defender pushed him out of bounds instead of tackling him in bounds, leaving 2.5 seconds on the clock. Out trotted Heath, for a moment as improbable as Kirk Gibson's hobbled body hitting the 9th inning home run in his only at-bat of the 1988 World Series. 49 yards later, the ball splitting the uprights, Lake Orion was bound for the semis with a 38-36 win.

Tonight at 7:00, they take the next unlikely step toward the summit of Mount NoFrigginWay. As I type this, Rockford has just beaten Livonia Stevenson in the other semi-final at Spartan Stadium. So a win tonight against Dearborn Fordson and the Dragons can avenge their only defeat of the season, on the biggest stage in school history. The table is setting itself.

I'll tell you what. I'm glad magic is on our side.

The losing fan's guide to watching Michigan-Ohio State

Forgive me, I've only watched college football's biggest rivalry since 1970. So I've never watched the Wolverines go into their game with the Buckeyes when the maize and blue have a losing record.

But there you are. Michigan stands at 3-8. With a game in hand, they're already guaranteed to be the losing team in the 126-year history of Michigan football. Their defense has given up more points tan any Wolverine team ever has. Normally that would mean the offense is their strong suit. Except that the offense is currently 11th in the Big 10. They do have a damn fine punter though. So they've got that going for them.

Anyway, there are still a few Michigan football traditions worth clinging to. So here's my defensive viewing guide for today's game at Ohio Stadium:

1. Score baby score. Michigan's scoring streak is among the longest in the nation, if not the top of the list. They've put points on the board every game for a quarter century, last being shut out by the Iowa Hawkeyes, 26-0, in 1984 - their last non-winning season. And the last time the Buckeyes shut them out? 1962. Forty-six years ago. The Kennedy Administration. So yeah it's a big deal.

2. He's still a freshman, so pressure the hell out of him. Buckeye QB Terrell Pryor snubbed the Wolverines on the final day of the signing period, leading to a leaderless three-win season in Ann Arbor. Defense, let him know your true feelings. I know, "stop the running quarterback" is the decades-long battle cry of unsuccessful Wolverine teams past. But the longer they can stay in his head and keep him out of his game, the better off they'll be.

3. Please please please Lord, watch over the health of our quarterback. Stephen Threet, the backup-turned-starter-turned-injured-guy-with-headphones, didn't even make the trip to Columbus. So although I'm not entirely sure, I think Matt Sheridan is officially the backup QB on the 2008 depth chart. Rich Rod rotates them as he sees fit, but that's not possible. Michigan's fortunes rest on the shoulders of #8, essentially. Justin Feagin, a freshman recruit from Florida, is the second team signal-caller. He's been inserted into a few games toward the end of the season, mostly in the backfield. I think he even caught a pass. But he's just not ready for this.

Looking back, Michigan's most painful football moments occurred as a result of injuries at the quarterback position. The 6-6 season of 1984? The one dark spot of the last four decades of Wolverine football pre-2008? If you recall, that season started out with an upset of top-ranked and defending national champ Miami. The team was led by an upbeat sophomore named Harbaugh, who broke his arm in the second half of the Michigan State game. Michigan was 3-1 at the time. Last year's drubbing by Oregon was made possible in part by Chad Henne's disappearance during the second quarter. It wasn't known till after the game that he had been injured, and true freshman Ryan Mallet was forced to cut his teeth in the worst of circumstances.

Should Sheridan have a rough go, or should he go to the locker room wincing in pain, hundreds of thousands of maize and blue supporters will wince along with him.

4. Nobody routs the Wolverines...right? Michigan hasn't lost a game by five touchdowns in 40 years. Sure, it happened in the Horseshoe, 50-14 in 1968, the last game of the year 1 B.B. (before Bo). But the Wolverines have played almost 500 games since then. Only one team has beaten them by as much as 30 - Oregon, 39-7 last year. Only three times have they even lost by four touchdowns: Tennessee, 45-17 in the 2002 Capital One Bowl; Oregon last year; Penn State, 46-17 this year.


5. The wheels on the bus come off and off, off and off... This will be the toughest challenge of all. In the aforementioned Penn State game, the 29-point loss to Penn State, Michigan was actually ahead at the half, 17-14. In fact, the 2008 Wolverines would be in pretty good shape if they could make a rule retroactively ending all games at the half. (I'm not holding my breath on that one.) The disaster that is Michigan football 2008 is largely due to two things. First, horrid conditioning. In other words, the players are at three-quarter speed after three quarters. And second, nonexistent adjustment success by the coaching staff. Since the great comeback against Wisconsin that gave them 2-2 record--boy were those the days!--the Wolverines have been outscored in the second half by a whopping 134-40. One more time with that one. Opponents have outscored them by 94 points. That's nearly 10 points per game! And that's not counting whatever happens in Columbus. This may end up being the most telling statistic of all for this team.

So assuming they've scored points and things go the way they have against Notre Dame, Illinois, Toledo, Penn State, Michigan State and Northwestern - uh, safe bet - Wolverine fans will be in the unfamiliar position of cheering for garbage time. So save those timeouts, Rich Rod. You'll need them when you're down 40 with eight minutes left. Keep playing till the end. The school's very football pedigree is in the balance. Remember, a touchdown or two against the third-string Buckeye defense may not mean much to the fans streaming out of Ohio Stadium. But to students, alumni and fans watching all over the nation, it may be all we've got.

That said, it's worth noting that the Buckeyes have never beaten the Wolverines five times in a row. Also, no Michigan coach has ever lost their first Ohio State game. If Coach Rodriguez is eager to abandon Michigan tradition, he's well on his way.

One thing to remember. No matter how bad they lose today, NOBODY CAN TAKE AWAY THE JUG! IT'S OURS BABY!

The Lake Orion Miracle

I saw three games last night. All of which occurred in the same sixty minutes. And none of which I believe.

The last of the three games--the one that lasted roughly 12 seconds--may not ever cross my threshold and enter the world of reality. When so many things that had to happen, happen--all in a certain way, and all in succession--you have to rule out simple coincidence. Then you rule out lucky chance. Then you rule out the refs, the partisan timekeepers, the crown of the field and finally, in the rare case of the Little Brown Jug, the likelihood that someone affiliated with the opposing team had contaminated your team's water supply with biological impurities.

You're left with only one conclusion. God wanted Lake Orion High School to win.

Sorry, Sterling Heights Stevenson. Feel free to bring your best counterpoint, but that's what you'll be up against.

Here's a recap of Game 1 and Game 2, to set the stage for Game 3:

GAME 1
Score: Lake Orion 35, Stevenson 7.
Duration: Opening kickoff to halfway mark of third quarter

The Titans raced to a quick 7-0 lead and were driving again before fumbling the ball over. Lake Orion's offense took over from there, grinding out 229 yards on the ground by halftime. Kim Bruce led the attack with 90 first-half yards, on his way to 147 for the three games, on 24 carries.

Mike Nelson hauled in a 4-yard pass from 15-year-old freshman quarterback Sean Charette to give the Dragons a 21-7 lead at intermission. One 32-yard gallop by Branden Oakes and one blocked punt return later, Lake Orion led by a staggering 28 points. 5:57 remained in the third quarter. And Stevenson fans began to exit the stands, unaware of the two games that would follow.

GAME 2
Score: Stevenson 36, Lake Orion 35
Duration: Six-minute mark of third quarter to final :12 of fourth

Jason Fracassa, Sterling Heights' laser-armed junior, was having as good a day as any quarterback at the short end of a 35-7 score could be having. He was hitting receivers, only to have passes dropped or broken up. He was airing it out, tossing long, tight spirals into the evening air when his line provided him the chance. Most notably, the 37-yard heat-seeking missle that landed in the arms of wideout D.J. Mershman for the first points of Game 1.

As Game 2 began, his opponent was ripe for the picking. And Fracassa, grandson of Birmingham Brother Rice's legendary coach Al Fracassa--no stranger to the pressure of state playoffs himself--went to work. He fired a 20-yard sling-shot to Thomas Beaurem to cut the lead to 35-13, then hit tailback Justice Wright for two points. 35-15. He found Mershman over the middle and hot-knifed the buttery Dragon defense for a 48-yard scoring strike. 35-23. After another three-and-out by Lake Orion, he led the Titans down the field, with Wright covering the final five yards off-tackle right. 35-29. Then, with the Dragons deflated and down, he finished a drive that started with an interception by sneaking in from less than a yard out with 3:43 remaining. The extra point sailed up and through. 35-36.

The stands erupted. The Stevenson bench erupted. Somewhere in northern California, the needle on a seismograph blipped. "Did what just happen, happen?" thought every player in a white jersey, as well as their parents, siblings, friends and fellow students.

The Dragons frantically tried to undo a quarter and a half of do, but the tank sputtered and officially ran out with 1:44 on the clock, as an errant fourth-down pass sailed into the ground. The Titans took over at the Lake Orion 44, with one Dragon timeout in their way. "It's over, they won't get the ball back," the guy next to me said as he left.

I bought into my friend's miscalculation, not thinking that it's virtually impossible for 104 seconds to come off the clock after two plays. I had figured that Stevenson would at least try for a first down (Thing That Had To Happen #1). But Fracassa took a quick knee on the first play, expending :01. The second play took about as much time, running the clock down under a minute. Then, on third down, Fracassa scrambled around in the backfield, chewing up as much time as possible, before being tackled for a substantial loss, surrendering massive amounts of field position (Thing That Had To Happen #2). By the time the play clock ran down and the Titans called timeout, only :12 remained. The Stevenson fans had emptied from the stands and began to line the cyclone fence in anticipation of the on-field celebration.

None of them knew there was still one more game to be played.

GAME 3
Score: Lake Orion 38, Stevenson 36
Duration: 12 seconds

The timeout (Thing That Had To Happen #3) allowed Dragon coach Chris Bell precious to rally his offense together and formulate a plan for their final one or two plays. Sterling Heights Stevenson was a squib punt away from a regional championship. Nothing pretty, just a wobbly, bouncing, rolling kick, the kind that eats up twelve seconds of clock.

Instead the punter popped it up (Thing That Had To Happen #4), allowing senior Charles Fleck to call for a fair catch (Thing That Had To Happen #5) with 9.2 seconds remaining. The punt that could have ended the game took less than three seconds off the clock. And Lake Orion had the ball on their own 40-yard line, just four yards from where they surrendered it moments before. Yet miles from anything resembling victory.

Charette dropped back and looked for Fleck. To his surprise, the Titan defense was spread down the field, protecting itself from what was sure to be a "Hail Mary" lob toward the end zone. In so doing, it was leaving the medium sideline routes to single coverage (Thing That Had To Happen #6). Getting sufficient protection from his line (Thing That Had To Happen #7), Charette planted and threw a dart to Fleck, who caught the ball (Thing That Had To Happen #8) as he turned toward the sideline. The Stevenson defender, who had the space and the wherewithal to bring the receiver down, instead pushed him out of bounds (Thing That Had To Happen #9), leaving 2.5 seconds on the scoreboard clock.

Fleck's progress was marked at the 32-yard line (Thing That Had To Happen #10), within the realm of a field goal try however unlikely. In fact, a long pass was only thought as my son and I watched from the Sterling Heights sideline (he had convinced me to leave and beat traffic, but just before walking out of the gate I convinced him to watch the last few seconds). The pass to Fleck put them close enough where they could put the ball into the end zone, and at least give them a chance.

Then Coach Bell trotted out senior kicker/wideout/cornerback/kickoff returner Jeff Heath and the rest of his field goal unit (Thing That Had To Happen #11). Although I had not seen them enough to pass judgement, I witnessed enough fourth-and-long situations where going for it was seen to be the best option. I didn't think the kid could hit the end zone much less the uprights. They at least had a chance with a thrown ball; this move was a waive of the white flag.

The holder was kneeling down at the 39 1/2 yard line. This was basically a 50-yard kick. A kick from that distance causes fans to hold their breath at NFL games. Unsure of the accuracy of their professional kicker. Many times, in the comfort of a domed stadium. This was a 17-year-old boy who didn't instill enough confidence in his own coach to be given the chance to attempt so much as a 40-yarder. A boy now being asked by his coach to kick a 49-yard, last-second field goal in a winter drizzle, to win his school's second-ever regional championship. Um, gulllllllllllllllp.

Pressed up against the cyclone fence, surrounded by giddy Sterling Heights high school students, we watched from about the 10-yard line as the ball was snapped, spotted and kicked. It was a mean-looking end-over-end ball, the type that go higher than long when I kick 'em. But this one kept going... and going. It wouldn't drop, it just sailed like a thrown tomahawk. I watched it clear the crossbar (Thing That Had To Happen #12). The referees looked at each other and threw their arms up in the air. Good. Good? Good... GOOD!

I went to scream and nothing came out. My son looked at me like, "Now what?" as if they still needed to do something else before the game ended. I looked up and saw the Lake Orion stands pour onto the field like a pitcher of cream tipping over. I grabbed my boy and headed straight for the gate that opened up to the field. We darted through fans that were still registering what they had just witnessed, whooping and hollering all the way.

The scene on the field looked as if I had ran onto the field with an AK-47 assault rifle. Stevenson players were scattered all over the artificial playing surface, some kneeling, others lying flat on their backs. And most of them sobbing uncontrollably. Lake Orion players took turns hugging each other, hugging anyone they saw. Tears streamed down their faces. Cheerleaders were weaping with joy. It took nearly five minutes for the team to regain its composure enough to shake hands with their opponents at midfield.

I ran into the kicker's parents and asked them if they'd ever seen their kid kick it that far. They said the coach doesn't like field goals so he's never had the chance. Heath himself claimed to have kicked a ball 30, maybe 40 yards before, but never 49. "I just tried to kick it as hard as I could. I've never even tried one that long."

The kids, their friends and their families remained on the field for another hour. They improvised a team photo at the 50. The coaches went from microphone to microphone, trying to capture with words what they're not entirely sure they just saw with their own two eyes.

I've been watching football for nearly forty years. I've never seen an ending like that. The '82 Stanford-Cal game comes close. I actually watched the Immaculate Reception live, which still stands as the single most improbable play I've ever witnessed. I didn't know what happened even after I saw it. But this one beats them all.

Nothing to play for? How about infamy

Since head coach Rich Rodriguez landed at the University of Michigan this past January, he's made a point of not being all that impressed with the school's rich football tradition. To a point he was correct, insofar as a team can get complacent and comfortable with merely being good while riding on the shoulders of successful seasons past. But Rich Rod's ambivalence bordered on an arrogance that belied a man intending to make history of his own.

Well, coach is making history all right. Yesterday's 48-42 loss on the road at Purdue has perched Rich Rod on the precipice of Michigan football infamy:

o He now finds himself at the helm of the first Wolverine team since 1967 to post a losing record. That's 41 straight winning seasons. Poof.

o The loss also eliminated Michigan from bowl eligibility for the first time since 1974. 33 straight post-seasons, with the added exposure, the alumni travel packages, the extra practices, the recruiting. Poof, poof, poof, poof and poof.

That alone is enough to draw the ire of several hundred thousand alumni, students and fans. But the worst may be yet to come.



Momentum--especially the negative kind--is as hard to stop as that dreaded mobile quarterback. (see my photo from the Illinois loss.) As the former Mountaineer coach readies his team for a potentially gruesome homestretch, he'll need some source of motivation for his disspirited troops. How bout this, coach. You're on the verge of completing THE WORST SEASON IN THE HISTORY OF MICHIGAN FOOTBALL. In fact you've virtually achieved it already--and we're just one day into November. Here are some of the ugly details thus far:

o The 2-7 Wolverines have already matched the school record for most losses in a season, set in 1934 and tied two years later.

o The Purdue loss increased Michigan's current losing streak to six, the longest in a half century and one shy of the school's all-time mark, set in 1937.

o Last week's setback to Michigan State assured the maize and blue of its first losing season at the Big House in 41 years; furthermore, a loss to Northwestern in two weeks would give the '08 Wolverines five home defeats, the most ever witnessed at the Big House or any house before it.

o While we're on the topic, Michigan has also dropped seven home games over the past two seasons, tying the school's all-time mark.

Think the agony stops here, fans? We've yet to talk about the defensive side of the ball. As you know, Rich Rod warned us to be patient since his new spread offense would require a bit of a learning curve. What he didn't mention, however, was how his new defensive scheme would turn an already soft unit goose-down-filled-hypoallergenic-comforter soft. Consider these light and pillowy figures:

o Purdue's 48 points represent the fifth time an opponent has scored more than 30 this season, a new Michigan record.

o The 2008 Wolverine defense has allowed 278 points, one shy of the all-time record... and there are still three games left to play!

o Michigan's defense is allowing an average of just under 31 points a game, by far the most generous in the history of Michigan football. To lend some perspective, during Schembechler's salad days of the early 1970s, his prolific triple-option offense averaged just over 37 points a game.

o If this week's opponent (7-2 Minnesota) hangs more than 30 on the Metrodome jumbotron, it would be the fourth straight opponent to score 30+ points on the Wolverines, tying another all-time record.

These stats doesn't make for the most inspiring of pre-game pep talks, that's for sure. But they do underscore the notion that, despite the season being long gone, there is plenty for the team captains, the seniors and the brand-spankin' new coaching staff to play for. I understand Rich Rod isn't keen on pulling out the college football history books, but it's worth a look. At least enough of a look to understand that the aforementioned records tied or broken by the first team of the Rodriguez era cover 130 years. And 130 years goes back to the Rutherford B. Hayes administration.

A small pile of un-extinguished embers can take out ten thousand acres of century-old redwoods. And a coach who doesn't respect the pedigree of the institution he serves can take out a century of sequoia-solid tradition. All it takes is a few simple acts of arrogance. Such as downplaying the significance of its biggest rivals, for example. A nuance that helps explain lackluster Wolverine losses to Notre Dame and Michigan State (the former Michigan had beaten by 38 and 25 points the past two seasons, the latter of which hadn't defeated the maize and blue since the "Spartan Tom the clock-keeper" game of 2001). And one that may make sense of what will happen three weeks from now in Columbus (haven't lost all three rivalry games in the same season since 1987). A team as strong as the Buckeyes could really lay a whoopin' on the disspirited winged helmets, the likes of which hasn't been seen around these parts for generations (if we define a rout as a five-touchdown defeat, the last time Michigan was routed was in Columbus, exactly 40 years ago). Even this week, they have a very real chance at losing the 102-year-old Little Brown Jug to the Gophers (haven't lost in Minneapolis since 1977).

Yes, he inhereited a team with many holes to fill. But he did dig a few himself. After all, he had a receiver by the name of Manningham who wanted to return for his fourth year. As well as two projected starting linemen who ended up transferring after seeing the tradition they coveted fall by the wayside. And at the helm, a battle-tested, rifle-armed quarterback who had just finished an impressive freshman season (he also happened to be the nation's top-ranked high-school QB the previous year). Before anyone tells me that Stephen Threet is a stronger spread quarterback then Ryan Mallet could have been, just save it. Please.

The three teams that remain on Michigan's schedule have a combined record of 21-6, and two of them--including those lovable Buckeyes--will play the Wolverines at home. Michigan will have their work cut out for them just to avoid an unprecedented and equally unthinkable 10-loss campaign.

So Rich Rod wants to inspire his kids without using the storied tradition of college football's winningest all-time program. Okay then. Maybe he can gather the team together and tell them the story of the little mountaineer that could.