Entries by Paul Adams

Ubly coaching legend Gerry Herp has passed away today. Here is a message from the family posted on www.coachherp.com.

Title: The HERP FAMILY

Name: THE HERP FAMILY

Message: WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE AND WILL
RESPOND TO THIS WEB SITE. MY DAD, COACH HERP, LOVED THE MESSAGES AND
LOOKED FORWARD TO HEARING THEM RIGHT UP UNTIL THE LAST FEW HOURS. HE
PASSED AWAY ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, AT 11:22 A.M. MORE DETAILS WILL
FOLLOW AS WE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH ZINGER SMIGIELSKI FUNERAL HOME IN
UBLY, MICHIGAN.

The Tribune will have much more on this loss in the coming days. For now, let our thoughts and prayers be with the family, friends and Ubly community during this time.

Auburn Hills-Oakland Christian ended Deckerville's magical season in the Class D quarterfinals at Fenton High School on Tuesday night. The Lancers swept the Eagles (25-14, 25-22, 26-24). Deckerville ends the season 33-9-3, but went unbeaten through the Greater Thumb East, won its third straight district and first-ever regional. The Tribune will have more on this match in Wednesday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

Ubly will be selling tickets for Saturday's Division 7 semifinal contest with Hudson at Ortonville-Brandon High School beginning on Wednesday and continuing through Friday at the high school office. The Tribune Blog will have more information on this game as we get it. 

For the second straight year, and the third time in four seasons, Ubly will be one step from playing for a Division 7 state championship. The Bearcats defeated a tough Petersburg-Summerfield squad, 42-20 to capture the regional title on Saturday night.

Ubly built a 36-6 lead in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs battled back to make it 36-20 with 3:49 to play in the game. Jordan Terrasi capped off his big game with a 27-yard scoring run with 2:38 to ice the game. Terrasi went for 188 yards on just 10 carries.

Overall, the Bearcats racked up 472 yards rushing. Justin Cleary continued his impressive postseason with 167 yards on 20 carries, including scoring runs of 3 and 9 yards. In three playoff games, Cleary has run for 474 yards on 54 carries and seven touchdowns.

Bryan Nash added 64 yards rushing and scores of 2 and 22-yards while Adam Glaza gained 36 yards and scampered for a 3-yard score.

Petersburg-Summerfield was held to just 34 yards rushing on 27 carries, but quarterback Mike Hewitt had a huge night, tossing for 258 yards and three touchdowns. All three scores went to Eric Cogan on plays of 20, 45 and 60 yards.

Ubly advances to play Hudson at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Ortonville-Brandon. The Tribune will have much more on this game in Monday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

History was going to be made regardless of who won the Class D regional volleyball championship at North Huron on Thursday. Both Caseville and Deckerville were playing for the first regional title in school history. In the end, Deckerville held off a scrappy Caseville squad for a three-game sweep (25-10, 25-19, 25-19). Deckerville advances to Tuesday's quarterfinal at Fenton. The Tribune will have much more on this match in Friday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

It will be a history making event at 7 p.m. on Thursday when Caseville takes on Deckerville for the Class D regional championship. Both teams advanced after sweeps on Tuesday, ensuring one team will earn its first ever regional trophy. Caseville defeated Burton Faith (25-19, 25-19, 25-20) while Deckerville knocked out Bay City All Saints (25-15, 25- 23, 25-15). The Tribune will have much more on these matches in Wednesday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

I received this from Betsy Herp the daughter of former Ubly football coach Gerry Herp. Please take a few seconds and check it out.

Coach Bill Sweeney has the opportunity to knock off one of my dad's records. They are still talking quite frequently and my dad told him to "Go for it!" He'd like nothing better than to see Ubly at the Finals again.

I will have a website up honoring my dad and asking input from past players, friends and coaches. If you could pass the word I would really appreciate it. My dad is putting up a good fight and I know any stories and well wishes people could send his way would really brighten up his days. The website will be www.coachherp.com

For a quarter, it looked like it was going to be a ball game between Ubly and Genesee as the teams were tied 6-6 after the first 12 minutes. Ubly responded to play one of its finest quarters with Bill Sweeney as coach, dropping 40 points, yes, 40 points on the Wolves to make it 46-6 by halftime. The Bearcats tacked on one more score in the second half for a convincing 52-6 decision.

The sequence of the game had to be with Ubly leading 22-6, and Genesee facing a fourth-and-3 on its own 29-yard line. The Wolves elected to go for it and failed. Justin Cleary ran the very next play in for a 29-yard score. It was the second of four touchdowns for Cleary, who ended with 151-yards on 17 carries. He also had scoring runs of 3, 10 and 25.

The Bearcats finished the first half with a flurry. Cleary capped off a 12-play 83-yard drive with a 3-yard TD with 31 seconds left. Genesee fumbled on the first play of its ensuing possession. Jordan Terrasi picked it up for a 32-yard score.

As impressive as the offense was, gaining 333 yards rushing and 352 yards total, the defense stymied standout quarterback Garret Cook. Sweeney said the goal was to hold Cook under 200 total yards. That was easily accomplished as he rushed for 59 yards on 11 totes and only completed 8-of-26 passes for 77 yards and three picks. The Wolves managed just 154 yards of total offense.

Ubly will host Petersburg-Summerfield at 7 p.m. next Saturday for the Division 7 regional championship. The Tribune will have much more on this game in Monday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

GTE champion and two-time district winner Deckerville was in action Thursday night, as the Eagles faced New Life Christian in the semifinals of the Class D district. They won in four games (25-14, 25-13, 20-25, 25-14) to advance to Friday's district final. Deckerville will face the winner of Kingston vs. Peck at 6 p.m. The Tribune will have a full report on this game in Thursday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

Many Thumb teams were getting their last tune-up before the postseason begins next week on Saturday at the Laker Volleyball Invitational. The Tribune will have a report from this tournament in Monday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

In the most dominating effort of the season, Ubly dismantled Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 52-0 in the first round of the Division 7 playoffs. The Bearcats' defense shined as it held the Crusaders to just 39 total yards of offense.

Meanwhile, the offense was clicking as it racked up 541 total yards, including 494 on the ground. In all, 13 different players ran the ball for Ubly, led by Justin Cleary with 156 yards on 17 carries, including a 29-yard score. Bryan Nash added 125 yards on 11 totes. He had touchdown runs of 22 and 29. Jordan Terrasi added 51 yards on nine carries and had a 3-yard TD run.

Other scores came from Jimmy Shaw on a 28-yard run, Keith Kramer on a 14-yard run and Adam Glaza to Eric Booms for a brilliant 8-yard throw and catch.

The Tribune will have much more on this game in Monday's paper. Until then, here are some photos from the game.

Here are playoff scores from around the state. There are a few surprises.

Friday’s Scores
By The Associated Press
PREP FOOTBALL

Division 1
Ann Arbor Pioneer 28, Temperance Bedford 7
Canton 40, Plymouth 17
Clarkston 17, Lake Orion 7
Detroit Cass Tech 24, Dearborn Fordson 23
Grand Haven 34, Grand Ledge 10
Holt 13, Brighton 10
Howell 19, Jackson 14
Livonia Stevenson 21, Northville 7
Macomb Dakota 34, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 10
Rockford 30, East Kentwood 20
Romeo 35, Grand Blanc 21
Sterling Heights Stevenson 35, Roseville 0
Warren Mott 35, Troy 21

Division 2
Birmingham Brother Rice 35, Walled Lake Central 7
Brownstone Woodhaven 28, Gibraltar Carlson 12
Caledonia 40, Portage Northern 34, OT
Grosse Pointe North 43, Port Huron 22
Inkster 51, Dearborn Edsel Ford 19
Lapeer West 14, Bay City Western 0
Lowell 42, St. Johns 3
Midland 31, Flushing 21
Muskegon 15, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills 6
Portage Central 28, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills 13
Rochester Adams 29, Fenton 23
Southgate Anderson 20, Wyandotte Roosevelt 17, OT
Warren De La Salle 20, Grosse Pointe South 0

Division 3
Adrian 28, Milan 0
Byron Center 41, Hastings 6
Chelsea 24, Carleton Airport 21
DeWitt 42, Mason 0
East Grand Rapids 43, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern 0
Hazel Park 40, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore 27
Lansing Sexton 33, Fowlerville 20
Linden 54, Bay City John Glenn 29
Melvindale 33, Dearborn Divine Child 10
St Joseph 56, Richland Gull Lake 13
Stevensville Lakeshore 14, Battle Creek Harper Creek 7
West Branch Ogemaw Heights 8, Petoskey 0

Division 4
Big Rapids 40, Fremont 7
Detroit Country Day 49, Dearborn Heights Annapolis 6
Flint Powers 7, Croswell-Lexington 0
Goodrich 31, Yale 8
Grand Rapids West Catholic 25, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 6
Hamilton 28, Dowagiac Union 3
Holland Christian 28, Spring Lake 6
Marine City 28, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 12
Marysville 50, Richmond 7
Saginaw Swan Valley 26, Portland 14
Stanton Central Montcalm 24, Essexville Garber 22
Three Rivers 14, Otsego 0
Williamston 42, Battle Creek Pennfield 6

Division 5
Berrien Springs 19, Hopkins 0
Capac 35, Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy 0
Clare 25, Freeland 20
Durand 34, Laingsburg 14
Jackson Lumen Christi 40, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 0
Madison Heights Madison 47, Detroit University Prep 0
Millington 53, Carrollton 21
Morley-Stanwood 38, North Muskegon 7
Ovid-Elsie 36, Lake Fenton 8
Pinconning 12, Houghton Lake 0
Stockbridge 13, Onsted 6
Vasser 28, Flint Beecher 0
Wyoming Kelloggsville 22, Hillsdale 8

Division 6
Bronson 27, Addison 13
Calumet 54, Charlevoix 13
Clinton 14, Adrian Madison 12
Ithaca 21, Grandville Calvin Christian 0
Manchester 10, Grass Lake 8
Michigan Center 14, Union City 8
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 42, Harper Woods 22
Montague 42, Lake City 0
Olivet 20, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 16
Reese 29, Elkton-Pigeon Bay Port Laker 6
Sanford-Meridian 14, Suttons Bay 7
St. Charles 51, Sandusky 12
Watervliet 49, Lawton 15

Division 7
Hudson 56, Concord 12
Ishpeming 34, Norway 0
Merrill 20, McBain 18
Petersburg Summerfield 28, Warren Michigan Collegiate 8
Potterville 29, Pewamo-Westphalia 6
Ravenna 43, Saugatuck 14
Reading 20, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 8
Rudyard 32, Rogers City 6
Traverse City St. Francis 54, Indian River-Inland Lakes 0
Ubly 52, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest 0
White Pigeon 14, Decatur 6

Division 8
Bark River-Harris 25, Pickford 20
Beal City 45, Ashley 8
Climax-Scotts 22, Fowler 6
Colon 45, St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran 0
Crystal Falls Forest Park 21, Iron Mountain North Dickinson 15
Frankfort-Elberta 21, Mio 14
Fulton-Middleton 20, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 16
Johannesburg-Lewiston 38, Hillman 0
Manistee Catholic Central 28, Central Lake 22
New Lothrop 56, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 33
Pittsford 36, Eau Claire 0
St. Ignace LaSalle 29, Gaylord St. Mary 28, OT

Harbor Beach fell to the defending Division 4 state champion Auburn Hill-Oakland Christian, 3-1 in the regional semifinals on Tuesday. It was the first and only loss for the Pirates as they finish the season 23-1-1. The Lancers took a 3-0 halftime lead, but Harbor Beach responded with a spirited effort in the second half, but couldn't overcome the deficit. The Tribune will have a full report on this game in Thursday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

Bad Axe played host to a GTC quad volleyball match on Tuesday. The other teams included Harbor Beach, Ubly and USA. The Tribune will have a full report on this match, as well as the rest of the action from around the Thumb in Wednesday’s paper. Until then, here are some photos.

EAST LANSING – The Michigan High School Athletic Association and Ford Field have agreed to a two-year extension of their contract to have the Association’s Football Finals take place at the 65,000-seat facility in downtown Detroit through the 2011 season.

Ford Field has been the home for the MHSAA Football Finals since 2005, and last year’s attendance of 66,160 was the highest for the two-day, eight-game event since the playoffs began their five-week, eight-division format in 1999.

“Our priority has always been to keep the Football Finals at Ford Field,” said John E. “Jack” Roberts, Executive Director of the MHSAA. “We know that teams and fans appreciate having ideal conditions in which to play for and watch an MHSAA championship, and we appreciate Ford Field’s willingness in a tough economy to agree to a contract extension under the terms of the current agreement.”

“As an organization, we are strongly committed to supporting youth football in our community and throughout the state of Michigan,” said Tom Lewand, President of Ford Field and the Detroit Lions. “Ford Field is proud to have been home to the high school football finals since 2005 and we’re thrilled to continue this tremendous partnership with the MHSAA, its teams and their fans.”

The MHSAA Football Finals take place annually on Thanksgiving weekend. This year’s dates are Nov. 27-28. The Finals are scheduled for Nov. 26-27 in 2010; and Nov. 25-26 in 2011.

Tickets for this year’s MHSAA Football Finals at Ford Field can be purchased for $10 beginning in mid-November at the Ford Field Box Office; and sales will take place at participating schools the week of the event. Tickets will also be sold on the day of the games at the Ford Field Box Office, located at the corner of Brush and Adams Streets. Parking for this year’s games will be available at the Ford Field Parking Deck, Lot 4 and Lot 5 for $6. Visit the parking maps at mhsaa.com or fordfield.com for other suggested parking locations near Ford Field.

In a game the looked destined for overtime, Seth Guza finally delivered for Harbor Beach with 16:26 remaining. Guza scored on centering pass from the far right side of the field to help the Pirates defend their Division 4 district soccer championship on Saturday with a 1-0 decision over Marlette. Harbor Beach advances to play the winner of the Auburn Hills-Oakland Christian district at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Auburn Hills-Oakland Christian for the regional semifinals. The Tribune will have much more on this match in Monday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.