Dakota Cougars get due with second straight Division 1 state championship
Mike Giannone admitted that Macomb Dakota has moved to a different level after winning its second straight state Division 1 championship, a 41-21 thumping of Livonia Stevenson at Ford Field on Nov. 24.
"We got to that special level, and I'll tell you what, it was a great feeling going 14-0," Giannone said. "I think (our reputation) moved a little bit outside the county now. People aren't asking if it's South or North Dakota.
"They know it's Macomb Dakota when it comes to football, and it's enjoyable when people recognize the school's name. It's a great school. We have a lot of good things going on at Dakota."
Ten years ago, when he started coaching at Dakota, Giannone didn't have enough helmets for the junior varsity and freshman team. And when he requested to order more, he got some flack from administrators.
Times have changed.
Dakota had 87 players available for the championship game and about another 125 players on the freshman and junior varsity teams.
"We had two freshman teams," said senior wide receiver/safety Kyle DeMaster, who is mulling scholarship offers from Ball State and Eastern Michigan. "I think they both went 8-1 and our junior varsity team went 8-1. I think the future looks good for the program."
To a person, the Cougars all point to the coaching staff for their success.
"We have great coaches," said star defensive back Rodney Hush. "Against Stevenson, we knew everything they were going to run. Our coaches go over the same things day-in and day-out. We're so prepared that there's nothing out there that catches us off-guard.
"Coach Giannone has talked up the program. He's a great coach and he knows exactly what he's talking about. I've never doubted him, and I'm never going to doubt him. Coach (Greg) Baur had us so prepared for the championship game. We knew what they were going to run on every play.
Last season Dakota's big star was quarterback James Stallons, who is now a freshman at the University of Wisconsin.
This year, Gianonne turned to a first-year starter at quarterback in senior Mitch Lovett, and made sure he kept the ball in the hands of Hush and DeMaster, who tied two state championship records in the title game. He had three touchdown catches and scored 24 points.
"This is so great for the program," said DeMaster. "If you looked out at the crowd, we had thousands of fans here supporting us. You go home and you see people and they say 'Oh yeah, I was there.' I love it."
Dakota figured to be good despite the loss of James Stallons, so the onus was on Lovett to handle the offense.
"I had some doubts about him for awhile," said Gianonne. "I put him through a lot. We told him to play within himself."
Overcoming four interceptions and a fumble against Novi Detroit Catholic Central in the semifinals, Lovett had the greatest game by a quarterback in state championship history, completing 16 of 23 passes for 301 yards and five touchdowns.
Mill (The Thrill) Coleman, a former standout and high school legend at Farmington Hills Harrison, walked up to Lovett after the game and congratulated him.
"I was like, 'Wow,' " Lovett said.
Defensively, the Cougars allowed just 14 points in the second quarter all season, including a touchdown in the second quarter against Stevenson.
"I thought we could play the defense we played all season long," Giannone said. "I thought we could have some success offensively. We thought we could get some matchups we could take advantage of. Our offensive coordinator, Brad Morris, put together a great game plan and our guys completed the passes we threw and got big first downs."
Defensively, DeMaster and Hush roam the secondary, but the man in the middle of the line, Charles Martin, stifled the Spartans' running game.
Martin is a 6-2, 240-pound senior who chose to go to Macomb Dakota over Detroit King. Since King won a state championship this year as well, Martin could have found himself celebrating with the Crusaders.
"I thought about that," Martin said before Dakota's championship game.
"I came out here my freshman year, and I would've went to King. The guys accepted me right away. They treated me like a brother from Day 1, and I wouldn't trade being here."
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