Yay! (aka. High School Sports)

[EtchedInCold]

http://www.detnews.com/pix/2005/09/08/sports/s008-franklin1-0905y_09-08-2005_1G8CB6E.jpg
Chris Kelbert, in his fifth year as Livonia Franklin's coach, watches as defensive line coach George Lovich instructs Phil Reske.
Franklin is trying to make the state playoffs for the first time since 1975.



Franklin is off to surprise start
Patriots, who finished 2-7 in 2004, have begun 2-0 and are seeking first winning season since '97.

LIVONIA -- It seems that no matter what Livonia Franklin did or how good its players were, it lost.

No, the Patriots didn't lose every time they played. They just lost most of the time.

They have not had a winning season since 1997 and have not made the state playoffs since 1975.

But two games into this season, Franklin might be capable of reversing its fortunes.

Last week, Franklin (2-0) got past a major hurdle with a 53-28 victory over Livonia Stevenson (1-1) in a Western Lakes Association crossover. Stevenson was picked to finish first in the Lakes Division and Franklin to finish fourth in the Western Division. The game was played before 2,100 at Franklin, and the optimism at the school is greater than it has been in at least 10 years.

Coach Chris Kelbert is in his seventh season at Franklin and fifth as the head coach. It hasn't always been fun, especially last season, when Franklin finished 2-7 despite high expectations. But Kelbert remained confident that the program would do an about-face, especially with an offense that returned the entire backfield.

"We played a game we talked about," Kelbert said. "We put everything together. Our defense got four turnovers. There was a lot of excitement. This group was very successful at the lower levels. They understand what needs to be done.

"The Franklin-Stevenson game casts a negative shadow on our season if we lose."

Franklin generated 507 yards against Stevenson, including 396 rushing. The offense is led by senior quarterback Matt McCullough, who started the final six games last season. McCullough threw touchdown passes of 48 and 80 yards to tight end Jeremy Peer, making Stevenson pay for bringing up its free safety to stop Franklin's double wing-T offense.

"Our quarterback read it nicely," Kelbert said. "We took advantage of the things they were trying to do to stop the run."

Franklin opens the Western Division season Friday at home against Plymouth (2-0). Plymouth defeated Franklin, 35-32, last season because Franklin had trouble stopping an option offense.

http://www.detnews.com/pix/2005/09/08/sports/s008-franklin2-0905y_09-08-2005_1G8CB6J-2.jpg
Tight end Jeremy Peer had two touchdown
catches vs. Livonia Stevenson in a 53-28
victory last week.

[dionysusolympus]

One word: 'roids... :nod: :hide: :ninja3:

[EtchedInCold]

Just in case you couldn't all figure out, I played for Franklin, and Coach Kelbert, when I played football. So I'm happy.

[jazz]

Just in case you couldn't all figure out, I played for Franklin, and Coach Kelbert, when I played football. So I'm happy.
what position did you play? left out?

:lmao:

sorry, i had to use that one.

[EtchedInCold]

Kind of.
I was 4th string WR
4th string CB
and 4th string punter.

but 2 of our punters got hurt... I almost had to punt a couple of times.

[Agent]

since 75, damn that is sad.

[EtchedInCold]

We had good teams, though. We just had to play better ones. They were all close games, a lot of overtimes and 1- and 2-point losses.

[jazz]

since 75, damn that is sad.
my birth year. :faint:

[EtchedInCold]

One game I remember was against Dearborn. It was 0-0 after 4. Ended up losing 49-45 in the 7th overtime.

[Agent]

my birth year. :faint:
even sadder, i lie.

[EtchedInCold]

30 years later: Livonia Franklin coaches back in the playoffs

October 28, 2005

BY MICK McCABE
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr was addressing youngsters at the U-M football camp a couple summers ago when he noticed a camper wearing a Livonia Franklin T-shirt.

"Is Armand Vigna still coaching?" Carr asked the youngster.

"Yes he is," the camper replied. "And you never beat him."

The year was 1975 and Vigna had just become head coach at Franklin, succeeding George Lovich, who had taken over as athletic director after Walt Cosens died suddenly.

Since the Livonia schools did not permit administrators to be varsity head coaches, Lovich and Vigna switched roles. Lovich became Vigna's assistant.

"We still did everything the same," said Vigna. "We just traded places."

Franklin was coming off an unbeaten season in '74, and Carr had built an outstanding team in his third and final season at Westland Glenn.

"In 1975 we had a great team and it was the first year of the high school championships," Carr recalled. "They only took one team from each region. They had Tim Hollingsworth and Sam Williams, whose dad played for the Lions. We had a great game against them, but they beat us 20-13.

"We were always trying to get good enough to beat them, but we never did and they never let me forget it."

Here we are 30 years later and Vigna and Lovich are back coaching at Franklin, which is unbeaten and will host Detroit Henry Ford at 7 tonight in the first round of the Division 2 state playoffs.

This is Franklin's first state playoff game since 1975, when the Patriots won the first Class A state championship.

We're not insinuating that Vigna and Lovich are old, but they remember when Carr was a young whippersnapper.

"He was a great young coach," Vigna said. "We just had better players."

Vigna, 70, and Lovich, 67, are now defensive assistants for Chris Kelbert, who is in his fourth season as head coach.

"They start talking about the old days and 1975," Kelbert said, shaking his head. "I tell them I was born in 1975. It's fun to hear all the stories. Every situation that happens, they have a story for."

Vigna and Lovich are full of stories and they love to tell them, especially when they can poke fun at each other.

"I have a titanium hip and I had a four-way bypass heart surgery," Vigna said.

"I had gallbladder surgery and a five-way heart bypass," countered Lovich.

"Damn," said Vigna, "you beat me again."

Lovich became an assistant coach at Franklin in 1964 and head coach in '68. Vigna, a former assistant at Ravenna and Inkster Cherry Hill, moved to Franklin in '65 as a junior varsity coach. He joined the varsity team in '72 and became head man in '75.

"The kids we had in '75 were the most unbelievable players we've ever been around, emotionally and physically," said Lovich. "We were very close to that group. They were the most intelligent group we ever had. Two of them were over a 4.0" grade-point average "and 13 were over a 3.5. You told those kids something once and they got it."

Unlike today when 256 teams will compete for eight state championships, in 1975 the playoff field included only 16 teams playing for four state championships.

Back then, many unbeaten teams never even qualified for the playoffs.

"We ask them who they played in the playoffs and there were only two games," said Kelbert. "Now you've got to win five games to win a state championship."

Franklin's first playoff game came against Joe Hoskins' powerhouse Detroit Southwestern team that recorded five shutouts in winning the Detroit Public School League championship.

"I was at that game," Carr said. "Southwestern had Mike Marshall at quarterback. Joe pulled his team off the field. Joe was a competitive guy."

Hoskins fumed when his team was assessed a 15-yard penalty for a pass-interference call that occurred 12 yards downfield.

"He took his players off the field and we didn't know what was going on," Vigna said. "Our fans were upset. We had to calm them down."

Eventually the Southwestern players returned and Franklin won, 12-9, advancing to the first state championship game, which was played at Western Michigan.

"Our kids were so excited," Vigna said. "The first week we'd be doing exercises and they'd be chanting: 'Four left ... four left.' The next week it was: 'Two left ... two left.' "

Franklin won the state title by defeating Traverse City, 21-7, with a typical tough defensive performance.

"We had 13 bent face masks that day," Lovich said proudly.

Because the state playoffs were new, no one knew quite what to make of the accomplishment of winning the championship.

"We really didn't understand what it meant to win a state championship," said Vigna. "We had that leadership of certain kids. They rank right up there with the best we've ever had."

And Vigna and Lovich's players were always prepared for each opponent.

"Armand was one of the first guys to get into computer breakdowns," said Carr. "He was a real student of the game."

Livonia public schools offered computer programming classes to its faculty members and Vigna enrolled. He took what he learned and applied it to football.

"If we can get 150 to 200 plays and enter them into a computer, tendencies start popping out," Vigna said. "It was easier back in the '70s. A lot of teams were doing the same thing back then. Now we have to prepare for Canton's full house, Northville's spread, Wayne's pro-I, Plymouth's Houston veer and Walled Lake Western's ... I still don't know what that guy's doing."

Vigna retired in 1982 and Lovich stopped coaching in 1985. Vigna moved north and eventually became an assistant to Bob Brietzke at Rogers City. For the first time, he began working with the defense.

"We were undefeated in '97 and '98 and had nine shutouts," said Vigna. "I was defensive coordinator and I called George and told him: 'You rat! You picked the easier side of the ball.' "

Lovich responded: "I taught you well."

Vigna had so much fun coaching in Rogers City that he decided to volunteer at Franklin when he moved back to the area.

After two years, he was brought up to coach the offensive line. After last season he asked to become a defensive assistant and promised to get Lovich out of retirement.

Now Vigna and Lovich help defensive coordinator Kevin Biga prepare for opponents just as they did 30 years ago.

"It's a marriage between the old world and the new world," said Vigna. "All of these other coaches are younger than our youngest kids."

The marriage is working well. This is Franklin's first unbeaten season since 1974, and tonight the Patriots are in the playoffs against a team coached by the quarterback of the 1975 Southwestern team -- Mike Marshall.

"We started out hoping to have a good season," said Lovich. "We thought we'd be 8-1 or 7-2. We knew we had a good package."

It turns out Vigna and Lovich may have underestimated this team.

"Chris' goal was 9-0 from the very beginning," said Vigna. "He was the one who said it. We tell Chris, you really have to appreciate this. We tell him we're not going to do this every year."

But they are doing it this year and they are doing it like they did three decades ago when for three straight years they got the best of a coach who has gone on to win 100 games at the University of Michigan.

"I remember they really had a special friendship," Carr said. "They loved the players they coached. That's the one overriding memory I have. To this day I get cards from them when they see a player who might be a prospect.

"They were men of integrity. It was great fun to compete against them."

Even if he never beat them.

[PatrickBateman]

what position did you play? left out?

:lmao:

sorry, i had to use that one.
oh snappage

[EtchedInCold]

SUMMARY of that last post:

LLoyd Carr NEVER beat Armand Vigna (Franklin Coach) when he was a HS coach at Westland John Glenn.

[Joga]

:lock: :lock: :lock:

[EtchedInCold]

:lock: :lock: :lock:
wtf?

[Joga]

:shrug: Just felt like a "lock" moment.

I'm over it now, if it makes you feel any better.

[EtchedInCold]

this is an excellent thread. and it has to stay open until they lose, which they haven't.
if you want to lock something, lock this one (http://www.encircling.us/forums/showthread.php?t=2238)

[jazz]

this is an excellent thread. and it has to stay open until they lose, which they haven't.
if you want to lock something, lock this one (http://www.encircling.us/forums/showthread.php?t=2238)
done. :insecure:

[jazz]

http://www.detnews.com/pix/2005/09/08/sports/s008-franklin1-0905y_09-08-2005_1G8CB6E.jpg



Coach: "Don't you ever, EVER, let me catch you playing grabass with Rob Masters while the rest of the team is sweating. You heard me asshole?!"

Assistant: "Yeah, grabass."

[EtchedInCold]

Assistant is the one pointing the finger... guy on the left is Kelbert. Great coach.

[jazz]

then flip the roles around. :erm:

[EtchedInCold]

couldn't you have just edited?

[jazz]

couldn't you have just edited?
:no:

[jazz]

cool, i didn't know there was a hs team we played that adopted the "OSU look."

http://i32.tinypic.com/wjfnep.jpg

(intercepted pass, btw)

[Agent]

looks more like the lobos of new mexico

[jazz]

:shrug3: