After coming up short in the Division Three final against Detroit King a year ago, Muskegon made the jump to Division Two, and they would run into the defending champions of Division Two in the State Finals this year. Muskegon would play spoiler as they came from behind and beat De La Salle 33-21 to win their first state title since 2017.
De La Salle
Falling Apart Late
De La Salle would take a 21-7 lead into the half, but that lead wasn’t safe. Muskegon would come out of the Locker Room and punch De La Salle. They would score twice within the first five minutes of the second half, and De La Salle went spiraling. Two punts and two fumbles by De La Salle in the second half did them in, and they couldn’t recover after a fumble deep in Muskegon’s territory in the third quarter.
Sante Gasperoni
While De La Salle lost this one, it wasn’t for the lack of heart or try from Junior Quarterback Sante Gasperoni. The Quarterback played his heart out and showed that he is the true next man up for De La Salle. Gasperoni had three first-half touchdowns, two rushing and one passing. He put points up and kept his team calm as they were trying to fight back in this one. He is only a junior, so he has one more shot at a state title in his senior year, and this experience will only help him going into next season.
Muskegon
Come From Behind Kids
Heading into the half, it was all De La Salle. Muskegon had 123 yards, most of which came on an 80-yard touchdown run from M’Khi Guy, but outside of that, they punted each of their other five drives in the first half. At halftime, the Athletic Director, Keith Guy, according to Coach Shane Fairfield, came in and gave a speech, which got the team going. Muskegon would then score on their first four drives of the second half and hold De La Salle scoreless. Muskegon would go on to have 338 yards in the second half of the game and score 26 unanswered en route to their first state title since 2017.
M’Khi is the Guy
M’Khi Guy was the driving force in Muskegon’s championship game. Guy would play a factor in four of the team’s five touchdowns. He would run for 215 yards, two touchdowns, and 4 for 6 passing for another 159 and two touchdowns. On defense, Guy added three tackles for his squad, showing that he can play both sides of the ball. There won’t be long for Guy to enjoy his football title as he will now turn his attention to the basketball court, where he will try to help guide his team back to a second consecutive finals appearance.