Connor Imsland marked his 18th birthday by making a defining play in Dearborn Divine Child’s 21-14 victory over previously undefeated Goodrich in the MHSAA Division 4 regional final on Friday, Nov. 13. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Imsland intercepted a screen pass at Goodrich’s 23-yard line, his first career varsity interception, halting a threatening drive and preserving Divine Child’s seven-point lead.
Imsland credited diligent film study during the week for anticipating the screen. “I saw the backs come to me,” he said. “That means we were getting a screen. I saw them coming, shed my block and got the interception.” His pick was Divine Child’s third interception of the night and a crucial defensive stand that helped the Falcons advance.
Divine Child’s defense consistently held firm against the Martians, who entered the game 11-0 and had shared the No. 1 ranking in the division with the Falcons throughout the season. Goodrich frequently pushed the ball into Divine Child territory, but the Falcons’ defense delivered key stops, including a fourth-down goal-line tackle by Joe Muscat and a diving interception by senior cornerback Giancarlo Vitti, who returned after missing time with a broken fibula.
Vitti’s interception came shortly after linebacker Andre Davis tipped a pass. “I came here knowing I was going to make a play to help win this game for our team,” said Vitti, a Princeton commit. His defensive contributions helped set up Finn Cameron’s rushing touchdown, which gave Divine Child the game’s first points.
The Falcons also capitalized on turnovers to build their lead. Michael DiSalvo secured an interception on a long pass that led to a field goal. Divine Child’s offense added a highlight later in the fourth quarter with a 63-yard touchdown on a hook and lateral trick play. Junior quarterback Drew Sheridan completed a short pass to DiSalvo, who pitched the ball to Rayshawn Thomas. Thomas then sprinted downfield to score with 8:57 left on the clock.
“Everyone is getting into Ben Johnson’s playbook,” Divine Child coach Chris Laney said. “We hit that one up the sideline. Rayshawn turned it upfield and it was a really great play all-around.”
Goodrich responded quickly, driving downfield to score on a fourth-down touchdown pass from quarterback Ty Eickhoff to Isaac Valley, who made an impressive one-handed catch. However, the Falcons’ defense stood strong, with Adam Garcia breaking up a critical pass on Goodrich’s final possession.
Sheridan praised the defense’s effort after the game. “Our defense played lights out today,” he said. “Goodrich has a really tough defense. Shoutout to [Martians] Drew Aagesen and Colton Burnett [who sacked Sheridan multiple times], they played really well. But we executed good enough to get the job done and move on to the semis.”
The victory advances Divine Child (11-1) to the Division 4 semifinals for the second consecutive year. They will face Birmingham Detroit Country Day next week, repeating last year’s semifinal matchup. Coach Laney expressed confidence in his team’s timing: “This team is hitting its stride at the right time. We know we are going to have another big one next week, but we are going to celebrate this first tonight.”
According to Yahoo Sports.
