MHSAA State Finals Preview: New Lothrop vs TC St. Francis

The Division 7 state championship features two dynasties that have largely dominated the division since the early 2000s. Traverse City St. Francis captured state championships in 03’, 05’, 08’ and 09’, going 84-8 from 2003 to 2009. New Lothrop then carried the torch as the division’s most accomplished program, going 120-11 from 2010 to the present day, winning a state title in 18’. Both teams played in hard-fought semifinals to get to Ford Field as Traverse City St. Francis won in a 13-12 dogfight over Cass City and New Lothrop played in its closest game of the season, defeating Schoolcraft 36-21. Few programs across the state have had as much success as St. Francis and New Lothrop in the past 20 years, setting up for what should be a great state championship. Below, I’ll break down the top prospects from each team, keys to the game, and my prediction. <em><strong>Playoff Road</strong></em> New Lothrop (10-0 Mid-Michigan Activities Conference): Pre-District: Bye, District Semi: Defeated Burton Bendle 63-16, District Final: Defeated Bath 56-12, Regional Final: Defeated Detroit Loyola 41-7, Semifinal: Defeated Schoolcraft 36-21. Traverse City St. Francis (9-2, Northern Michigan Football League - Legends) Pre-District: Defeated L’Anse 65-7, District Semi: Defeated Harbor Springs 35-8, District Final: Defeated Charlevoix 44-32, Regional Final: Defeated Oscada via Forfeit, Semifinal: Defeated Cass City 13-12. <em><strong>Top Prospects</strong></em> <h6>Will Taylor, OL, New Lothrop</h6> <h6>Cam Orr, QB/DL, New Lothrop</h6> <h6>Julian Garza, LB, New Lothrop</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29808" first="Will" last="Muron"], RB/DB, New Lothrop</h6> <h6>Ian Gross, New Lothrop</h6> <h6>Bryce Cheney, New Lothrop</h6> <h6>Casey Donahue, OL, St. Francis</h6> <h6>Joey Donahue, DL, St. Francis</h6> <h6>Charlie Peterse, QB, St. Francis</h6> <h6>Owen Mueller, RB, St. Francis</h6> <h6>Aiden Schmuckal, RB, St. Francis</h6> <h6>Josh Groves, LB, St. Francis</h6> <em><strong>Keys To The Game</strong></em> New Lothrop’s [player_tooltip player_id="29808" first="Will" last="Muron"] has been on a mission this postseason, dominating the opposition from both sides of the ball. In the semifinal, Muron tallied 340 total yards. His impact was felt in every facet of the game as he rushed for 145 yards, caught three passes for 93 yards, and had an interception on defense and a team-high eight tackles. The Hornets also feature All-State defensive end Cam Orr who doubles as their hard-nosed quarterback. If Orr gets the New Lothrop offense in a rhythm, St. Francis will be in an uphill battle. St. Francis’ Aiden Schmuckal is one of the more versatile two-way players in Division 7, as he’s proved to be a workhorse in the backfield, along with fellow back Owen Mueller, and a lynchpin on the defensive end for St. Francis. If the Gladiators can find consistent success with its run game, I think St. Francis can turn this into a grind-it-out game. However, New Lothrop has proved it can win games in a multitude of ways, which is why I’m picking them to take home the state championship on Friday. <em><strong>Prediction: </strong>New Lothrop 35, St. Francis 21</em>