Connor Imsland intercepted a pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to help Dearborn Divine Child secure a 21-14 win over Goodrich in the MHSAA District 4 regional final on Friday, Nov. 13. The interception, Imsland’s first varsity pick, came as he anticipated a screen pass based on his film study. He stepped in front of the throw at Goodrich’s 23-yard line, preserving a seven-point lead for Divine Child.
“It means a lot,” Imsland said after the game, marking his 18th birthday with the play. “I saw the backs come to me. That means we were getting a screen. I saw them coming, shed my block and got the interception. That is my first varsity interception.”
Divine Child improved to 11-1 and advanced to the Division 4 semifinals for the second straight year with the victory over previously unbeaten Goodrich, also 11-1. The two teams had shared the No. 1 ranking in their division during the season, making the matchup a close contest between evenly matched opponents.
Shortly after Imsland’s interception, Divine Child ran a trick play that turned into a 63-yard touchdown. On second-and-21 from their own 33-yard line, junior quarterback Drew Sheridan completed a hook and lateral. He caught Michael DiSalvo on a short hitch over the middle, who then pitched to Rayshawn Thomas. Thomas broke free for the score with 8:57 left in the game.
Coach Chris Laney acknowledged the growing popularity of the play across Michigan high school playoffs. “Everyone is getting into Ben Johnson’s playbook,” 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 with a touchdown drive capped by a fourth-down pass from quarterback Ty Eickhoff to Isaac Valley, who caught the ball one-handed. The Martians forced a three-and-out from Divine Child shortly afterward, but the Falcons’ defense made a critical pass breakup on the next drive, with Adam Garcia denying a completion.
Sheridan praised his team’s defense after the win. “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 Falcons’ defense repeatedly stopped Goodrich inside Divine Child territory. Joe Muscat made a fourth-down tackle behind the line on the goal line, and senior cornerback Giancarlo Vitti intercepted a tipped pass after linebacker Andre Davis deflected it. Vitti, who had missed time earlier in the season with a broken fibula, has been a key returner and defender for the Falcons. “I came here knowing I was going to make a play to help win this game for our team,” Vitti said. He has committed to Princeton.
Divine Child scored first on Finn Cameron’s rushing touchdown. DiSalvo added a second interception on a long pass that led to a field goal. Goodrich answered with a touchdown to make it 10-7 at halftime.
Imsland emphasized the defensive strategy in the second half. “It was all about winning on first down,” he said. “They’ve got three great running backs and [Burnett] is a dog. We had to stop them on first down, force them into second and third and long, because we feel like we have that advantage.”
Laney said the team is gaining momentum at the right moment. “This team is hitting its stride at the right time,” he said. Divine Child will face Birmingham Detroit Country Day in the semifinals next week, a repeat of last season’s matchup. “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.
