Gorzinski tops AP's 8-player, All-State football team

Luke Gorzinski spends his Friday nights as a football hero.

And his Saturday mornings as Grandpa’s helper.

Both require some darn hard work. But the Powers North Central quarterback doesn’t know any other way after growing up a Gorzinski.

“You don’t get a choice with Grandpa. He doesn’t know how to not be sleeping and not be working,” said Leo Gorzinski Jr., the North Central coach who doubles as Luke’s dad and Leo Gorzinski Sr.’s right-hand man. “And if my dad’s in the woods, you’re going to get a call.

“That’s how we all were taught – everybody should be forced to bale hay and pick rocks and pile wood.”

That home-grown work ethic helped make Luke Gorzinski a straight-A student, a three-time state champion quarterback and, now, a two-time Associated Press Player of the Year for eight-player football in Michigan.

He headlines the Associated Press All-State Team, as selected by a panel of sports writers from across the state. Gorzinski helped power North Central to its third straight eight-player Division 2 state championship and extend its winning streak to 37 games.

The three-time first-team All-Stater capped his prep career in dazzling fashion. He finished 79 of 123 passing for 1,508 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing 82 times for 1,216 yards and 21 scores – accounting for 2,724 yards and 44 TDs. Beyond that, he’s the kind of leader who always walks the walk.

“His biggest fear is letting his team down or watching his buddies struggle,” Leo Gorzinski said. “He’s going to do whatever he can to lift them up.

“He understands the program, he understands the goals and he throws himself into it. He works harder than anybody to make this team a winner.”

Nobody has won more, as the four-year varsity performer posted a 47-1 career record. With the chance to help North Central become the first eight-player program to deliver a state championship threepeat, he never wavered – despite hobbling around the Superior Dome field with a leg injury from the previous week.

“He only had one leg for the championship game, and he couldn’t run,” Leo Gorzinski said. “So he threw the ball 25 times and tore them apart.

“He just seems to see the whole field. We had 15 or 16 different players who scored a touchdown and that was related to Luke’s playmaking ability. He spreads the ball around and gets all of his teammates involved.”

Luke also excelled at defensive back, a position the Division II recruit could play at the collegiate level. He nabbed six interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. He was voted Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the Great Lakes West.

“With his speed and intelligence, he covers so much ground,” Leo Gorzinski said. “He studies film and knows what they’re going to do. You’re not going to beat him twice.”

When he’s not shining as the top eight-player football performer in the state, Luke is hard at work in the family’s outdoor business, Gorzinski Forest Products, where Grandpa Leo sets a high standard for all of his employees.

“Everybody has to help,” Leo Gorzinski Jr. said. “And the best thing for the kids is to make them a Pile-It. Cut the wood and pile it. So Luke has done plenty of that.”

The senior has reaped the benefits of that work ethic, and has multiple championship trophies and multiple Player of the Year awards to prove it.

Here’s a look at the rest of the Associated Press All-State first team for eight-player football in Michigan for 2022.

QB – JOEL TACK, MERRILL

An elusive runner and on-target passer, he engineered his team to a state runner-up finish. The 5-10, 170 senior average over 11 yards per carry, going for 1,846 yards and 27 touchdowns on 165 rushes while completing 74 of 122 passes for 1,518 yards and 26 TDs.

RB – CALEB LENTNER, PECK

The workhorse running back powered his team to its first conference crown in eight years, putting up rare numbers along the way. The 5-8, 190 senior battered his way to an eight-player record 2,694 yards and 38 touchdowns on 236 carries. He delivered a 401-yard game and an eight-TD performance. He also got it done at linebacker with 103 tackles.

RB – BRUCE THELEN, FULTON

A whirlwind of a runner, the Pirates kept the ball in his hands and big things happened. The senior rolled up 2,615 yards and 39 TDs on 243 carries. He also passed for 15 touchdowns on just 42 attempts and added two receiving scores. He nabbed seven interceptions as a playmaking defensive back as well.

WR – JUSTIN WICKEY, COLON

The repeat first-team All-Stater rewrote the MHSAA record book, shattering eight-player standards with 93 receptions for 1,745 yards and 34 touchdowns through the air. The 5-10, 170 senior established state records with 18 catches in a game as well as 162 receptions, 3,343 receiving yards and 58 receiving TDs in a career.

WR – MEKHI WINGFIELD, CONCORD

Were it not for Wickey, it would be Wingfield’s name atop all the state receiving records. The 6-3, 190 junior was unstoppable when the ball was in the air. He hauled in 76 receptions for 1,035 yards and 16 touchdowns on the year. He has 139 catches and 26 TDs in his career with another season ahead of him.

L – MAX NASON, POWERS NORTH CENTRAL

The three-year varsity performer gets things started for the vaunted North Central offense at center. His skill with directional snaps, traps and pulls set him apart. The 6-foot-1, 265-pound junior has not lost a game in his career with the three-time undefeated champions.

L – TUCKER LAFLER, COLON

A two-time first-team All-Stater, he dominated on the defensive line once again. The 6-2, 180 senior absolutely blew up gameplans, breaking his own eight-player state record with 37.5 tackles for loss. He corralled 15 sacks and 138 tackles on the year.

L – STEVEN VANCONANT, PECK

The 6-3, 170 senior seemed to set up shop in the opponent’s backfield with his dominant defensive line play. He registered 36 tackles for loss, including a state-record 12 in one game. He added to the havoc with seven batted passes and five forced fumbles while notching 109 tackles. He also was an impact player on offense with eight touchdowns as an end.

L – MASON TOTZKE, ONTONAGON

The Upper Peninsula Lineman of the Year, he was a run-stuffing machine at the heart of the attack. The senior nose tackle put up big numbers for that position with 76 tackles, 2 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. The three-time, first-team all-conference standout also exceled on the offensive line.

LB – COLLIN DAVIS, ADRIAN LENAWEE CHRISTIAN

The repeat first-team All-State performer was a disruptive force for the Cougars. The 6-2, 210 senior collected an eye-popping 87 solo tackles and 68 assists and showed a knack for the big play, notching 14 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and four forced fumbles. He also caught 36 passes for 794 yards and 12 tackles on offense and was perfect as a long snapper.

LB – DILLON RAAB, POWERS NORTH CENTRAL

A standout wrestler who uses that same leverage to his advantage on the football field, he was the heart of the North Central defense that allowed 5.2 points per game. The 5-9, 170 senior tallied 59 tackles with 13.5 for loss in the regular season and scored three defensive touchdowns. He doubled as a big-play running back, rushing for 474 yards and seven TDs on 40 carries and turning 16 receptions into 305 yards and four scores.

DB – DENVER COTY, MERRILL

One of the most successful thieves in the state, he snared nine interceptions as a game-changing defensive back. He also rung up 96 tackles for the state runner-up. The 6-2, 175-pound senior did damage offensively with 24 receptions for 415 yards and seven TDs to go with 480 yards and seven scores on the ground.

DB – JAMARI HUGHES, GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE

A fast and physical playmaker in the defensive secondary, he was able to shut down every team’s top receiver. The 6-1 ,185 junior registered 43 solo tackles and 15 assists. He was a game-changer with six interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The conference’s defensive MVP, he also scored six touchdowns on offense and two on kick returns.

ATH – KARTER RIBBLE, MARTIN

The lightning-quick senior was a big play waiting to happen for the state champions. A versatile athlete who played all over the field, he rushed for 300 yards and five TDs and converted 15 catches into 352 yards and seven scores. The 5-10, 180 senior had three returns for touchdowns and was a skilled kicker, booming a 43-yard field goal.

ATH – J.R. HILDEBRAND, MARTIN

The senior stars on both sides of the ball for the state champion Clippers. He put up eye-popping numbers at quarterback, passing for 1,234 yards and 25 TDs and rushing 114 times for 1,518 yards and 25 touchdowns. The 6-foot, 180-pound senior led the team with 90 tackles in the regular season, notching four sacks and seven tackles for loss.

K – BRADY McKELVEY, ADRIAN LENAWEE CHRISTIAN

The senior was as close to automatic as they come, drilling 62 of 63 extra-point kicks through the uprights. The 5-10, 165 senior also booted a pair of field goals and knocked five kickoffs into the end zone. He averaged 46 yards per kickoff.

P – CORDELL JONES-McNALLY, MARCELLUS

The returning first-team All-Stater came up big again. Heading to the University of Michigan as a preferred walk-on, he averaging 43 yards per punt and had two downed inside the 10. He also kicked 30 of 35 PATs and made three field goals. The 5-8, 165 senior was a weapon on the kickoff, booming 36 touchbacks.

COACH – BRAD BLAUVELT, MARTIN

The fifth-year head coach directed the Clippers to the Division 1 state title. His squad posted an 11-2 mark, with its only losses coming to undefeated teams that were too big to qualify for the eight-player playoffs. He guided his alma mater to a fourth consecutive Southwestern Michigan 8-Player Football League crown and a third straight final four berth. He sports a 46-10 record at the helm.

2022 ASSOCIATED PRESS

EIGHT-PLAYER FOOTBALL

ALL-STATE TEAM

Player of the Year: Luke Gorzinski, Powers North Central

Coach of the Year: Brad Blauvelt, Martin

FIRST TEAM

QB – Luke Gorzinski, Powers North Central

QB – Joel Tack, Merrill

RB – Caleb Lentner, Peck

RB – Bruce Thelen, Fulton

WR – Justin Wickey, Colon

WR – Mekhi Wingfield, Concord

L – Max Nason, Powers North Central

L – Tucker Lafler, Colon

L – Steven VanConant, Peck

L – Mason Totzke, Ontonagon

LB – Collin Davis, Adrian Lenawee Christian

LB – Dillon Raab, Powers North Central

DB – Denver Coty, Merrill

DB – Jamari Hughes, Grand Rapids NorthPointe

ATH – Karter Ribble, Martin

ATH – J.R. Hildebrand, Martin

K – Brady McKelvey, Adrian Lenawee Christian

P – Cordell Jones-McNally, Marcellus

SECOND TEAM

QB – Simon Vinson, Colon

QB – Reid Haskins, Bridgman

RB – Jack McCaw, Mendon

RB – Josiah Peramaki, Munising

WR – Ryan Wolfgang, Breckenridge

WR – Gage Long, Mio

L – Riley Murk, Munising

L – Jordan Messenger, Powers North Central

L – Cameron Raftery, Merrill

L – Gibson Adema, Grand Rapids NorthPointe

LB – Collin Sitts, Breckenridge

LB – Devon Groleau, Stephenson

DB – Kane Nebel, Munising

DB – Sam Jager, Martin

ATH – Mason Salisbury, Marion

ATH – Keagan Bender, Au Gres

ATH – Michael Nunn, Farwell

K – Jacob Nolan, Rudyard

Coach: Leo Gorzinski, Powers North Central

HONORABLE MENTION

QB – DeAngelo Persons, Grand Rapids NorthPointe

RB – Dillon Croff, Gaylord St. Mary; Sam McKissack, Crystal Falls Forest Park; Isaac Paul, Rogers City, Colton Eckler, Mesick

WR – Bryce Buzzo, Ontonagon; Miguel Pedroza, Litchfield; Kaleb Walker, Merrill; Jake Willey, Inland Lakes

L – Alex Pranger, Grand Rapids NorthPointe

LB – Jacob Mattson, Munising; Drew McGowan, Morrice; Hayden Johnston, Alcona; Shawn Bramer, Suttons Bay; Luke Dengler, Bay City All Saints

DB – Sam Mayer, Inland Lakes; Lee Pizana, Manistee Catholic Central; Owen Corlis, Kingston; Logan Drummond, Ashley; Aiden Bickel, Rudyard; Jaxon Laubscher, Breckenridge; Luke Schinker, Mendon

ATH – Braden Prielipp, Marion; Matthew Rahilly, Newberry

P – Jacob Sheets, Battle Creek St. Philip

Coach: Aren Cooper, Brown City; Isaac Gregory, Breckenridge; Chad Grundy, Marion; Travis Waddell, Farwell

Voting panel: Paul Adams, Huron County View; James Cook, Traverse City Record Eagle; Doug Donnelly, Adrian Daily Telegram; Dan Hardenbrook, Newberry News; Jason Juno, Ironwood Daily Globe; Patrick Nothaft, Kalamazoo Gazette; Lee Thompson, Bay City Times; Marc Vieau, Cadillac Evening News; Brandon Watson, Sturgis Journal

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Gorzinski tops AP's 8-player, All-State football team