Which prep football teams fulfilled title dreams? Roundup of Friday's finals

4 state champions crowned on Friday, 4 more to come on Saturday

Reading players, coaches and cheerleaders pose with the championship trophy after knocking off Breckenridge in the Division 8 state championship game at Ford Field. Keith Dunlap/GMG

DETROIT – The first four prep state football champions were crowned on Friday, with four more set to be on Saturday. 
Here’s a recap of the four championship games on Friday at Ford Field.

Division 8
Reading 39, Breckenridge 20

It was the first state title in school history for Reading, a school located near the Indiana border 45 minutes southwest of Jackson. 
Breckenridge took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, but Reading dominated after that, scoring 24 unanswered points to take a 24-6 lead into the fourth quarter. 
Breckenridge cut Reading’s lead to 24-14 with 9:53 remaining, but Reading scored two more touchdowns after that to take a 39-14 lead with 2:26 left.
Breckenridge entered the game having allowed just 49 points all season, but Reading ran for 275 yards.
Senior running back Ethan LoPresto rushed for 128 yards on 16 carries to lead Reading, which finished 14-0. 
Breckenridge ended its season 13-1.

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Division 2
Warren De La Salle 29, Muskegon Mona Shores 16

De La Salle won its second straight state title and third since 2014 with a win over Mona Shores, the same team De La Salle beat to win it all in 2014. 
De La Salle took a 21-10 lead with 10:44 remaining in the game, but Mona Shores answered and cut its deficit to 21-16 with 7:26 left.
In need of a clock-burning drive, De La Salle delivered just that, mounting a 12-play, 65-yard drive that took 5:20 off of the clock. 
It ended with a touchdown and 2-point conversion that gave the Pilots a 29-16 lead with 1:57 remaining. 
Quarterback Nolan Schultz, who is actually the team’s backup quarterback filling in for the injured starter, accounted for all four of De La Salle’s touchdowns. Schultz went 8 of 13 passing for 189 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 55 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. 

Division 6
Jackson Lumen Christi, 42, Montague 28

For the 11th time in school history, Lumen Christi won a state championship and is now two titles away from tying Farmington Hills Harrison for the most titles in state history. 
The Titans (14-0) broke open a close game in the third quarter, scoring 28 unanswered points to take a 42-14 lead with 3:49 remaining in the game. 
Montague scored a couple of touchdowns in the final 3:00 to make the final score look more respectable.
Lumen Christi senior Nick Thomas was the story of the game, as he rushed for 249 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. 
Bryce Stark ran for 156 yards on 19 carries in defeat for Montague (11-3). 

Division 4
Edwardsburg 28, Chelsea 7

It was sweet redemption and history all at once for Edwardsburg. After losing in last year’s state final, Edwardsburg made good on a second chance and captured its first state championship in school history. 
Edwardsburg (14-0) controlled the clock with a dominant rushing attack that produced 382 rushing yards. 
Caden Goggins had 125 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, while Chase Sager had 119 yards rushing on 14 carries to lead Edwardsburg. 
Chelsea quarterback Quinn Starkey went 16 of 27 passing for 178 yards and a touchdown and wideout Hunter Neff caught 10 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown for Chelsea (10-4), which also was seeking its first title.
 


About the Author:

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.