LAMPHERE’S PLAYOFF WIN DROUGHT IS OVER
Madison Heights Lamphere head coach Art Maisano could hardly wait to get into the locker room after his team’s 43- 0 victory over Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood Friday night in its Division 4 playoff opener.
He had a little celebrating to do with his team. And a little celebrating to do with his coaching staff.
A defensive coach himself, Maisano saw his Rams force seven Cranbrook turnovers — six via interceptions — while scoring 28 points off those turnovers en route to the lopsided victory.
The first- year head coach credited his assistants, including James Causey, and likened his relationship with the coach to that of former Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio and his then defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi — who oversaw a dominant Spartan defense back in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
“Coach Causey does a great job,” Maizano said. “I told him, ‘ I’m Mark Dantonio and you’re Pat Narduzzi. We’re going to run the ball, eat the clock up and play great defense.’ And the boys have been buying into it.”
That’s exactly how the Rams got the job done Friday night. Their first three touchdowns came on the ground, with junior Drew Webster getting things started with a 5-yard run with 5:04 left in the first quarter. Junior quarterback Nick Krstich would add a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs late in the second quarter. The second came just four plays after junior Tristan Gist intercepted a pass in Cranbrook territory. It helped extend the Rams’ lead to 20- 0.
Lamphere’s defense really stepped it up in the second half. Senior Jake Malak had a pair of interceptions in the third quarter and senior Seth Ernest and Gist each had a pick- six in the fourth quarter to help put the game away.
Junior Nico Hernandez scored on a 32-yard run to open the fourth quarter and Malak connected on a 35-yard field goal to end the first half to account for Lamphere’s other points. It was the fifth shutout of the year for the Rams (7- 0 overall).
“We knew that we were going to have to bring our A-game if we were to have a chance at this,” said Cranbrook head coach Steve Graf. “A couple of turnovers early got us off track and it didn’t help us to lose our best player Bryce Hall (to injury), on both the offensive and defensive side of the
ball. It was a tough night, but (Lamphere) is a good football team.”
Cranbrook’s lone bright spot was an interception by sophomore Alex Yolles in the third quarter.
Lamphere’s last appearance in the state playoffs ended with a 35- 0 loss to Cranbrook back in 2017. Its last playoff win was in 2009.
The Rams will now face
Harper Woods Chandler Park (4-3) next week in the district semifinals. This is the best start Lamphere has had since 1984, when the program opened the season 8- 0. Maisano credits his players for buying into the program.
“The kids have really bought into it,” he said. “It’s about the team. Everyone had to learn multiple positions. Some are playing in spots that they really didn’t want to play in, but to make the team better, they’ve played those positions.”