Today is Saturday, Nov. 8, the 312th day of 2025. There are 53 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Nov. 8, 2000, a statewide recount began in Florida, which emerged as critical in deciding the winner of the 2000 presidential election between Republican George W. Bush and Democratic Vice President Al Gore. The recount would officially end on Dec. 12 upon orders from the U.S. Supreme Court, delivering Florida’s electoral votes and the presidency to Bush.

Also on this date:

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln won reelection as he defeated Democratic challenger George B. McClellan.

In 1889, Montana was admitted to the Union as the 41st state.

In 1923, Adolf Hitler launched his first attempt at seizing power in Germany with a failed coup in Munich that came to be known as the “Beer-Hall Putsch.”

In 1942, the Allies launched Operation Torch in World War II as U.S. and British forces landed in French North Africa.

In 1950, during the Korean War, the first air-to-air combat between jet warplanes took place as U.S. Air Force Lt. Russell J. Brown shot down a North Korean MiG-15.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy won the U.S. presidential election over Vice President Richard M. Nixon.

In 1974, a federal judge in Cleveland, citing insufficient evidence, dismissed charges against eight Ohio National Guardsmen accused of violating the civil rights of students killed or wounded in the 1970 Kent State shootings.

In 2012, Jared Lee Loughner was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the January 2011 shootings in Tucson, Arizona, that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, slammed into the central Philippines, leaving more than 7,300 people dead or missing, flattening villages and displacing more than 5 million.

In 2016, Republican Donald Trump was elected America’s 45th president, defeating Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in an astonishing victory for a celebrity businessman and political novice.

In 2018, tens of thousands of people fled a fast-moving wildfire in Northern California that would become the state’s deadliest ever, killing 86 people and nearly destroying the community of Paradise.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Racing Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. is 83.
• Singer Bonnie Raitt is 76.
• TV personality Mary Hart is 75.
• Actor Alfre Woodard is 73.
• inger-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones is 71.
• Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro is 71.
• Filmmaker Richard Curtis is 69.
• Chef and TV personality Gordon Ramsay is 59.
• Actor Courtney Thorne-Smith is 58.
• Actor Parker Posey is 57.
• Actor Gretchen Mol is 53.
• News anchor David Muir is 52.
• Actor Matthew Rhys is 51.
• Actor Tara Reid is 50.
• TV personality Jack Osbourne is 40.
• Actor Jessica Lowndes is 37.
• Baseball player Giancarlo Stanton is 36.
• R&B singer SZA is 36.

The Tigers have two more postseason award winners.

Left fielder Riley Greene and utility man Zach McKinstry won American League Silver Sluggers Awards on Friday night. The awards go to the best hitter at each position and are voted on by MLB managers and coaches.

Greene hit .258 with 36 homers, 111 RBI and 31 doubles. His slugging percentage was .493 and his OPS was .806. Greene set career-highs in homers and RBI in his fourth MLB season.

McKinstry had 23 doubles, 12 homers and a .259 batting average. His OPS was .771 and his WAR was 2.8 – both career bests.

Both Greene and McKinstry made the AL All-Star team at midseason.

Last week the Tigers’ Dillon Dingler won the AL Gold Glove Award for catcher. The Cy Young will be awarded next week and Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is one of three finalists. Skubal won the Cy Young in 2024.

The National League Silver Slugger winners were announced Thursday night.

AL winners

C – Cal Raleigh, Seattle

1B – Nick Kurtz, Athletics

2B – Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York

3B – Jose Ramirez, Cleveland

SS – Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City

OF – Riley Greene, Detroit

OF – Aaron Judge, New York

OF – Byron Buxton, Minnesota

DH – George Springer, Toronto

UT – Zach McKinstry, Detroit

NL winners

C – Hunter Goodman, Colorado

1B – Pete Alonso, New York

2B – Ketel Marte, Arizona

3B – Manny Machado, San Diego

SS – Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona

OF – Juan Soto, New York

OF – Corbin Carroll, Arizona

OF – Kyle Tucker, Chicago

DH – Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles

UT – Alec Burleson, St. Louis

BIRMINGHAM – Oftentimes, high school football playoffs games can be decided on a couple of key plays.

Birmingham Groves picked up two major plays Friday night and a lot of little ones in recording a 36-22 Division 2 district finals triumph over visiting Warren Cousino.

Jeremiah Whitley had an 85-yard rushing touchdown and Dominic Taylor added a 62-yard pick-six to go along with a sack and eight tackles in leading the Falcons to their sixth district title in program history.

It was Taylor’s interception returned to the endzone that broke the camel’s back, as Cousino was trying to put together a game-tying drive. 

“So basically we have been going over that all week about there passes. We have a great scout team – the whole team played great defense. And I just baited him (the quarterback) on that interception,” said Taylor, one of just three returning starters this season. “I just stayed there in the middle, caught the ball here, brought the ball to my chest and took it to the house. That was a game-changer.

“We might have lost a lot of guys that graduated. But our seniors have been together since we were sophomores and we had to realize the great guys leave – great classes leave and we knew we had to step up as seniors,” added Taylor. “We’ve been playing football long enough to step up. We want to make a name for ourselves and we wanted to win another district championship and go even further this season.”

After starting 2-3, the Falcons (8-3) have now won six straight games.

Veteran Groves coach Brendan Flaherty saw his young team really start to mature by mid-season and the Falcons have taken flight this year into the regional finals.

“Judah Skobie got that huge block (on the long) touchdown run by Whitley and Dominic had that interception returned for a touchdown. You talk about guys making big plays,” smiled Flaherty. “This was a tight football game and we knew they had some players. They are a great team. It’s the second round of the playoffs and there’s no weak teams at this stage. They’re all good teams now. Cousino tested our mettle a little bit and they are well-coached and I have a ton of respect for what they’ve been able to do.

“But our guys have matured a lot this season. We did start 2-3,” continued Flaherty. “I just think that these guys mostly had new roles this season and it took some time. But we made plays tonight that we might not have early in the season. We had those two long scores, had some nice drives, tipped some passes (in the secondary) and just did a lot of the little things it takes to win a great football game.”

Groves racked up 350 total yards in the slugfest Friday – 310 on the ground and 40 through the air – and had three rushing touchdowns, one passing touchdown and one interception for another score in downing the high-powered Patriots, who came in averaging 33.1 points a game.

The Falcons never trailed and advanced to the regional finals for the second straight year and sixth time since 2016. Groves – which won regional championships in 2016, 2018, 2022 and 2024 – will visit fellow powerhouse Detroit King for the regional title next weekend.

Groves went ahead for good when Whitley scored on a 6-yard run with 6:12 left in the third for a 29-22 advantage in the tight game.

With Cousino (7-4) driving as part of a 12-play series, it was Taylor who leapt in front of a Cousino receiver while quarterback Brick Sandridge was being hit and picked off the pass before racing 62 yards for the score and a commanding 36-22 lead with 1:46 still left in the third quarter.

The Groves defense made that 14-point lead stand down the stretch, as Cousino had its last two drives stall out on downs.

Cousino finished its best season in several years with a 7-4 record and a berth in the district finals. Coach Brandon Genette and his staff have quickly turned the program around with a respectable 24-16 record over four seasons (2022-2025).

Before then, Cousino finished 0-9 during the 2021 season and actually forfeited their last four games and scored just 42 points that season.

“The seniors were freshman when we started the rebuild and they stuck around to help us make the district finals this year,” said Gennette. “The previous four years before I got here, Cousino was just 3-31 in that time span. I can’t thank these seniors enough, really all four senior classes, for relaying our foundation and helping us become a very competitive team again. It’s been a long time.

“We lost to a very good Groves team with a lot of tradition. They were a play away from getting to the state finals last season and they are always making runs it seems,” added Gennette. “We knew this would be a tight game and I think it just boiled down to them making a couple of more plays than we did tonight. Hats off to them.”

On just the second play from scrimmage, Whitley broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and also picked up a huge block from Scobie and raced 85 yards for the score and a 7-0 advantage, as Groves never trailed in the game.

After Cousino countered with a swift four-play drive capped by Daniel Carter’s 38-yard touchdown sprint, Groves went ahead again on its next drive.

The Falcons jolted ahead 15-7 with 6:10 still left in the first quarter when quarterback LeVelle Shannon hit Joshua Hammonds on a 15-yard strike down the middle and Whitley scored on the ensuing two-point conversion run.

The conversion was set up by an offsides call against Cousino.

The Patriots did claw to with 15-14 with 2:15 left in the first stanza when Sandridge scored on a 1-yard plunge.

Groves again took the lead when Whitley scored on a 5-yard touchdown sweep around left with 10:02 remaining in the second quarter and Gage Watters drilled his second extra point for the 22-14 halftime lead.

Cousino finally evened the score in the third quarter after a nine-play drive ended with Sandridge connecting with Julian Hayes with a 15-yard scoring toss where Hayes displayed his best version of shake and bake around a pair of defenders along the left since to tie the game at 22-22 with 9:42 remaining in the third frame.

That would be the last time the Patriots would score this season, as Cousino finished with a 353-212 scoring edge this season – the third time in four seasons the Patriots reached the postseason after years of misery.

Whitley finished with 25 carries for 238 yards and his three rushing touchdowns. Shannon finished 3-of-7 for 40 yards passing with six carries for 25 yards on the ground and his one touchdown run.

Hammonds had two catches for 35 yards and also recorded six tackles and two sacks for the Falcons. Taylor added a pass breakup to aid his strong night. Connor Eldredge and Kam Smith both chipped in with four tackles apiece for Groves.

Cousino still racked up 340 total yards on the night. LJ Hayes had eight catches for 101 yards and Sandridge was 17-for-36 passing for 204 yards, but his receivers dropped five passes and the Groves defense did a great job breaking up several passing plays in the secondary. Carter had 19 carries for 127 yards to lead Cousino’s running game.

ROCHESTER HILLS — Senior quarterback Ryland Watters threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as Rochester Adams dispatched Stoney Creek 43-18 in Friday’s district finals.

“We worked hard for this one. We knew it was a battle, especially last game,” Watters said. “It feels great to be Rochester champions, beating them twice. They’re a great football team, and beating Rochester (High) twice as well is a great feeling.”

Early on, the Cougars’ offense was moving the ball. Stoney Creek took the opening kick off and drove 53 yards in 14 plays before coming up short on fourth-and-goal.

Adams, by comparison, needed only three plays to score. Watters hit Matt Toeppner on a screen pass to the short side, and Toeppner picked up a couple of blocks, racing down the left sideline for a 93-yard touchdown. A 2-point conversion gave Adams an 8-0 lead, and the Highlanders would never trail.

Stoney Creek finished its next drive, a 12-play possession capped by a 13-yard TD pass from Brandon Gergics to Jake Lantzy that made the score 8-6.

But Adams would roll after that. The Highlanders kept hitting big plays, including a 57-yard touchdown from Watters to Cameron Dawood on their next possession that made it 14-6. That was the first of three touchdown catches on the night for Dawood.

“That was the game plan going in,” Adams head coach Tony Patritto said. “They were trying to guess what we were doing and taking some gambles, and we made some good checks and made some really nice plays.”

 

Adams finished the game with 15 plays going for 10 or more yards. Meanwhile, the longest play for Stoney Creek covered just 14 yards until the Cougars finally hit for several big gains on their final drive. By that time, though, the visitors were down 43-12. Once the Highlanders got dialed in on defense, Stoney Creek’s offense ground to a halt. After running 26 plays on their first two drives and gaining 118 yards, the Cougars generated just one first down on their next six trips.

“We just didn’t make enough plays tonight, and that was the frustrating part for us. We had a couple of good drives early on to put the ball close to the end zone and just couldn’t capitalize on it,” Cougars head coach Rick Powell said.

Photos of Rochester Adams vs. Stoney Creek in a D1 district football championship

With the win, Adams improves to 9-2 and will take a six-game winning streak into next week’s regional matchup against Romeo. The Highlanders and Bulldogs met on opening night with Adams winning 39-7. But after dropping its first two games, Romeo has now won eight of its last nine contests, including a 56-0 destruction of Macomb Dakota on Friday.

“Romeo is just crushing people,” Patritto said. “We’re going to have to be at our very best to beat them. They’ve got to come here, but the first game means nothing. They have us on film, we have them on film, so it’s really just about execution now.” He added that, “High school football is a momentum sport, and it’s really what the kids believe in. Our kids are starting to believe in themselves a little bit more, and I think that’s the difference.”

Stoney Creek finishes 7-4 in Year 2 under Powell.

“We’re just trying to take it one step at a time,” Powell said. “Last year, we made the playoffs and lost to these guys in similar fashion. This year, we challenged our seniors. What were our seniors going to do? What would they make for the program and for the team? And they really stepped up. Our motto and our goal was '1% better,' and if you look at the season overall, as a whole, we got 1% better as a program, and the seniors did it all. They lead the way. They were true to who they were, and I thank them for everything they did."

The Cougars will graduate 24 seniors, but also return many key pieces from this year’s team.

Rochester Adams defeated Stoney Creek 43-18 to win the D1 district title on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 at Adams. The Highlanders host Romeo next week in regionals.

CLARKSTON — When Clarkston was forced to settle for a 42-yard field goal from Aidan O’Neill in the last 10 seconds of the first half, it seemed consequential considering Grand Blanc’s offense was also thriving up to that point.

That turned out to not be the case.

The Wolves’ offense continued to feed many mouths Friday night, which ended in hoisting a D1 district championship following their 44-22 win over the No. 4 Bobcats.

It’s a stark contrast to the Wolves’ 41-0 loss in the district final last year to Rochester Adams, who then beat the Bobcats 21-14 in regionals.

“Last season was tough, and we had a horrible game (against Adams), not gonna lie,” Wolves senior Griffin Boman said. “But this just shows where we can be and we’re gonna try to make it to Ford Field.”

Though Boman and his brother, Lukas, tend to get plenty of due praise for their offensive accomplishments, the spotlight was big enough for many others in Friday’s triumph, which never saw the sixth-ranked Wolves punt.

Signs of a shootout began when Clarkston junior quarterback Alex Waszczenko spun out of a tackle and dove across the pylon on a 17-yard touchdown run with 8:49 on the clock in the opening quarter. Within the next 1:50, a tipped pass from Grand Blanc senior quarterback Jake Morrow fell into the hands of Angelo Chapman for a 60-yard gain, then Jeremiah Coleman’s 24-yard completion down the left sideline tied the game, 7-7.

The Wolves quickly chunked down the field in response, and Waszczenko, who had three receivers lined up right, opted to go over the middle to Hank Hornung. It resulted in a 27-yard touchdown, the first of a few significant plays by Clarkston’s senior receiver.

Morrow, who threw for over 300 yards in the loss, orchestrated the Bobcats down the field on their next drive, but Griffin Boman got his hands on a fumble recovery when Grand Blanc was approaching the end zone and ran it back roughly half the length of the field to the Bobcats’ 27-yard line. Clarkston handed the ball to Griffin on fourth-and-2 for a 4-yard gain, and several plays later he turned a 12-yard run around the left edge, making it 20-7 with 8:01 to go in the second quarter after Grand Blanc blocked the extra point.

Aided by a 41-yard completion to Micah Kemp and a roughing the passer penalty against the Wolves, Morrow finished off Grand Blanc’s next possession with a 1-yard keeper that cut the lead back to one score with 3:41 remaining in the first half, which preceded Clarkston’s drive that resulted in the field goal that made it 23-14.

After halftime, a sack by Gabe Mansour and a penalty against the Bobcats on their drive to start meant their punt only pushed Clarkston back to start at the Bobcats’ 42-yard line. Griffin Boman converted on fourth-and-2 from the 34 for a 12-yard gain, and on the next play Waszczenko went untouched on a run into the end zone that made it 30-14 less than five minutes into the third.

“I see what I can on the field,” said Waszczenko when asked how much of his rushing production was by design. “When we’ve got reads, I take what I can and I can use my legs. It helps our offense a little bit, having us three in the backfield, me and (the Bomans).”

Despite a sack by Hunter Kauth early in the corresponding drive by Grand Blanc, Morrow ended up throwing a 28-yard TD pass to Kemp, and then connected on a crossing route with an open Caseton Sendry for the 2-point conversion that made it 30-22 with 2:40 left in the penultimate quarter.

It only stayed a one-score contest for 19 seconds, however, as Hornung took an end-around 70 yards to the house.

“Honestly, it was great,” Hornung said. “I got great blocks. Without Cam (Love) and that block (from him), I wouldn’t have been able to get down there.”

Photos of No. 6 Clarkston vs. No. 4 Grand Blanc in a D1 district football championship

The Bobcats looked as if they might bite back yet again when their first play of the next drive resulted in a 44-yard catch by Kemp to continue his big night, but after a 14-yard catch by Daylin Taylor that got it to the Wolves' 3-yard line, Clarkston's defense stiffened. Kauth broke up a pass intended for Kemp, then Love was in on coverage on the fourth-down attempt in the corner of the end zone for Sendry, handing the ball back to Clarkston just 13 seconds into the fourth.

Clarkston then effectively put the game to bed with a 74-yard completion on third-and-6 to Hornung and a 3-yard rushing TD by Griffin Boman the next play for the game's final score with 7:25 remaining.

In desperation mode but also in Wolves' territory, Morrow went deep on third-and-15, but Love picked it off and ran it back roughly 30 yards with 5:36 left in the game. Clarkston got all the way down inside the 10-yard line and likely could've tacked on another TD, but instead knelt the rest of the time away, the only possession in which the Wolves didn't score on all night.

"(A shootout) was definitely a possibility, especially the way that the game started," Clarkston head coach Justin Pintar said. "I just thought the offense did a great job. The offensive line gave our guys opportunities to run the  ball, and when our playmakers got the ball in space they showed what they could do. I thought Alex played an outstanding game running and throwing the ball. He showed what he's capable of doing. Our offense started the season really well -- maybe had a little bit of a lull in the middle -- but I think we've played great football on that side of the ball the last couple months."

Previously unbeaten Grand Blanc finishes the season with a record now identical to the Wolves (10-1), who remain in their own backyard for next week's regional game against No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central. The Shamrocks beat Hartland 45-7 in their district final.

TROY – Down a set and facing a 24-20 deficit in the second set of its Division 1 district final with Birmingham Marian, it’s like a light went off in the head of Bloomfield Hills senior Kayla Nwabueze on Friday night.

She had to remind herself that she was the best player on the floor and it was time for her to prove it. And prove it she did.

Nwabueze would spark a 6-point rally with four kills to push the Black Hawks to a 26-24 win in the second set and completely shift the momentum of the game.

From there, the Black Hawks took the next two sets behind a match-high 29 kills from their Miss Volleyball finalist, as No. 2 Bloomfield Hills topped No. 4 Marian 18-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-21 at Troy Athens High School.

“I was just telling myself that this could possibly be my last game, and I need to just go out hard, and I need to go out with the bang,” Nwabueze said of her mindset to close the second that. “My mental space just changed.”

Bloomfield Hills (39-6-1) didn’t hide its strategy once it started to work. They set Nwabueze everywhere on the floor and challenged the Mustangs to stop her.

“I think everybody saw that Kayla got a little bit hot. I think the setter found the hot hitter for sure,” Bloomfield Hills coach Brian Kim said. “We were fortunate to be able to come back in that second set and then just ride that momentum into sets three and four.”

Nwabueze, a Harvard commit, put down another eight kills in the third set, then nine in the fourth to wrap up the match. Her final two kills came from the back row to push the Black Hawks to a 24-21 advantage.

“She is by far the best hitter in the state. Honestly, she’s the best hitter I’ve ever seen in the state,” Marian coach Mayssa Cook said of Nwabueze. “In all the years I’ve coached, nobody, in my opinion, that we’ve ever played, even touches her as far as talent goes.”

Marian (44-6) started fast, taking a 5-1 lead in the first and never trailed to pick up a 25-18 win. In the second set, the Mustangs would lead 8-1, but eight service errors in the frame opened the door for Bloomfield Hills to rally, which it did.

“It didn’t help that we missed eight serves. In the second set, we missed eight serves. We had a seven-point lead twice. We were still up 24-20 and missing those serves at critical moments got (Nwabueze) to the front row quickly,” Cook said.

Nwabueze felt the momentum shift after that second set, as it seemed to put the Mustangs on their heels, while her teammates started to play with more confidence.

“I definitely did,” Nwabueze said on if she felt the momentum changed after the second set. “I was really happy that my team started riding behind me, and our whole energy just flipped.”

It wasn’t just Nwabueze’s play on the court that helped turn the tide. She was the first to speak in each huddle, and she was coaching up her teammates following the first set, telling them to remain confident. To Kim, that just defines why she’s more than just an on-court leader.

“Her leadership really shows, and everybody on the team, I think even spectators, everybody can see what kind of leader that she really is,” Kim said of Nwabueze. “As hard as she plays, everybody else follows her lead. So, she’s really something special.”

When the match concluded, Nwabueze and her teammates collapsed to the floor in joy. When the district trophy was handed out to Kim, he immediately walked it toward his senior star.

“It was definitely a feeling of relief that we didn’t have to keep fighting anymore,” Nwabueze said of seeing the final point. “We didn’t have to take it further than we needed to, and that we got the job done.”

Aiding Nwabueze and the Black Hawks in the win was junior setter Brynn Wilcox, who recorded 43 assists. Freshman Emily Nwabueze, the sister of Kayla, added seven kills while sophomore Allison Stakoe had four.

Photo gallery from the D1 volleyball district final between Bloomfield Hills and Marian

Marian was led by senior setter Allie Davison, who had 34 assists and five aces. Junior Sophia Smith recorded 15 kills, while sophomore Quinn Nelson had 10 kills with four aces.

The Mustangs will graduate four from their 2025 roster, but will return a loaded roster once again for the 2026 season.

“Wanting it is one thing, showing it is another thing,” Cook said of her team. “I know we wanted it. We've worked hard all season. We've been a top-five, maybe even top-four, team all season. It sucks that we saw them in districts, for sure, because we are better than a team that loses in districts. But ultimately, you have to show up and play who is in front of you. Bloomfield Hills brought their A+ game against us.”

The Black Hawks will now head to Marian next week for regional play. They open up with a regional semifinal against Grosse Pointe South at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

“There are a lot of players on the team that had to step up in different moments. So, every player on the team contributed throughout the season,” Kim said. “We’re excited to see how this season goes.”

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the parking lot of Chandler Park Academy during a high school football playoff game Friday night, Harper Woods police said.

It shooting happened around 9:30 p.m., minutes before the game ended for Harper Woods High School and Chandler Park Academy. A large fight broke out before the shooting, police said.

Authorities say the shooting happened despite there being a large law enforcement presence at the game that included Harper Woods police, the Wayne County Sheriffs Office and Michigan State Police.

The 17-year-old victim, a Warren resident, was shot in the lower torso. His injuries are not life threatening, police said.

He was treated at the scene by the Harper Woods Fire Department before being taken to the hospital by ambulance.

As of Friday night, there was no suspect in custody. Police did not immediately provide suspect information.

Grand Blanc’s offense was formidable, but Clarkston’s was even better in the Wolves’ 44-22 district title win Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 in Clarkston.

Bloomfield Hills defeated Birmingham Marian 18-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-21 in a Division 1 district volleyball final at Troy Athens High School on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.

Nwabueze wills Bloomfield Hills to 4-set district championship win over Marian

ORCHARD LAKE — Championship mettle and experience certainly took over for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s on Friday in a high school football rematch against Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice.

Leading by one late in the first half against a Brother Rice team that beat St. Mary’s on its field just three weeks ago, St. Mary’s scored four unanswered touchdowns to win a Division 2 district final, 35-14.

The defending Division 2 champions advanced to meet Midland Dow in a regional final next week at Dow.

“I thought our boys were excited for the moment and I think experience helps,” St. Mary’s head coach Jermaine Gonzales said. “I told them all week that we’ve been in the playoffs before. This is not new to us. Just to stay the course and when there is adversity, don’t panic.”

Brother Rice, which earned a 43-31 win at St. Mary’s on Oct. 17, bounced back this year after some uncharacteristic down years.

A roster dominated by freshman and sophomore standouts, Brother Rice grew up a lot in the second half of the season after a 2-4 start, winning four straight to make the playoffs and signaling a possible return to the program’s glory days with all its young talent.

“Shout to Orchard Lake, they did a great job today and had a great game plan,” Brother Rice head coach Aaron Marshall said. “But our future is bright. I’m proud of our boys. We’ll get back in the lab and get better.”

On this night though, St. Mary’s was too much after most of the first half was pretty much even.

With 3:29 left in the first half, St. Mary’s went up 14-6 on a 54-yard touchdown pass from Jabin Gonzales to Lorenzo Barber, who got loose on the sideline and outraced the defense to the end zone.

Brother Rice received the second-half kickoff, but St. Mary’s forced a three-and-out deep in Brother Rice territory and got the ball back at the Brother Rice 45.

Two plays later, Gonzales and Barber hooked up for a 36-yard touchdown pass that gave St. Mary’s a 21-6 lead with 9:50 left in the third quarter.

After forcing another Brother Rice punt and taking over at the Brother Rice 31, St. Mary’s went up 28-6 with 5:47 left in the third on a 2-yard touchdown run by Barber on fourth-and-goal.

Following an interception by Luke Jackson, St. Mary’s went up 35-6 on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Gonzales to Chad Willis with 4:42 to go in the third quarter.

“We focused the whole week this week,” Barber said. “Got in the film room and saw what we did three weeks ago and the mistakes. We just took advantage of what they gave us and made the most of it, that’s all.”

Brother Rice ended the St. Mary’s run with 2:51 remaining on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Drake Martin to Christian Marshall and a successful 2-point conversion.

St. Mary’s opened the scoring with 7:43 remaining in the first quarter, taking a 7-0 lead on a five-yard touchdown run by Camari Patterson.

The score was set up by a 17-yard scramble on fourth-and-14 to the Brother Rice eight by quarterback Gonzales.

The drive was set up by a 53-yard kickoff return to open the game by Barber.

Brother Rice put together a drive and cut the St. Mary’s lead to 7-6 with 6:47 left in the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal by Deondre Hill out of a wildcat formation.

Following a penalty on St. Mary’s that moved the ball to the 1-yard line, Brother Rice decided to go for the 2-point conversion, but St. Mary’s defensive end Ryan Harrington batted down a pass to thwart the conversion attempt.

A Macomb County nonprofit is in serious need of donations to continue keeping people out of the cold this winter.

WAVE Project has served people in need throughout metro Detroit since 2018.

Watch Demetrios Sanders' video report below: Wave Project seeks urgent funding to continue serving hundreds experiencing homelessness

The organization operates an overnight winter shelter at Trinity Christian Community Center in Warren, providing a crucial lifeline for hundreds experiencing homelessness.

"There are literally hundreds of people in our communities, not just Wayne County but Macomb County and Oakland County, experiencing some form of homelessness," said Todd Gordon, co-founder and executive director of WAVE Project. "They're folks that have nowhere to go and unfortunately in a lot of communities, there aren't a lot of resources. So literally we'll have a line at our door at like 6 p.m. some nights."

Last winter, WAVE Project provided more than 6,300 stays at the shelter, giving people comfort and hot meals they may not find elsewhere. The organization offers more than just a place to sleep.

"A lot of people don't want to talk to them or be around them and what they need is somebody to give them a hug, to sit down and have dinner with them," said Sheila Chauvin, project manager for the Macomb County Winter Shelter.

With some of their partners unable to contribute as they have before, the shelter is in need of assistance to keep their mission going.

"Well, we're going to be very heartbroken if we can't be open, along with all the people that need us," Chauvin said.

Starting at the end of December, the goal is to keep the shelter open seven days a week for 12 weeks. To make this possible, WAVE Project is hoping to raise $68,000 over 23 days.

"Our budget consists of having security on site to make sure volunteers, staff members and guests are safe. We have to pay for the utilities in this old building. People wouldn't believe what it actually costs to keep this place warm," Gordon said.

Without the funding, it could alter how long the shelter will stay open.

"If we have $41,000, we're going to operate for a month. We're going to do it as best we can," Gordon said.

Whether it's $10 or thousands, every penny counts toward keeping the shelter operational.

"It is very important to us and all the people in our community that are unhoused that they have somewhere to go," Chauvin said.

WAVE Project also offers mobile showers and distributes clothing to individuals who need assistance.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Flight anxiety is reaching new levels as an emergency order by the FAA mandated reductions due to the government shutdown.

Flights at 40 major airports are on the chopping block, starting Friday.

"It is not a science it is an art that we're trying to deploy to try and keep people safe in the airspace," said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Delta, United, and American Airlines have waived fees for travelers who want to cancel or change their upcoming flights, a move that allows for some flexibility, according to aviation expert Chris Dane.

"Even for folks like in basic economy where they're non-refundable, they're allowing them to be refunded during this period. So the airlines are acting responsibly," Dane said.

The CEO of budget airline Frontier warned passengers should buy a backup ticket if headed to a wedding, funeral, or other must-attend event.

RELATED STORY | These 40 airports are reportedly among those facing cuts due to government shutdown

The FAA has ordered flight reductions to start at 4%, which will impact hundreds of flights.

That proportion is supposed to rise to 6% on Tuesday, 8% on Thursday and 10% by the end of next week.

Even with recent upgrades to TSA technology to make air travel smoother for customers, Sec. Duffy on Friday said the decision stems from systemic issues in air traffic control.

"We have more complaints from pilots about stress from air traffic controllers and more complaints about the lack of responsiveness from controllers," he said.

Duffy largely blames Democrats for the shutdown but Dane argues the shortage of air traffic controllers is not political.

"It doesn't matter what party you're affiliated with, you're both traveling and everybody's upset," he said.

There were nearly 1,500 cancellations and more than 5,600 flight delays in the U.S. on Friday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. As of Friday evening, the site forecast some 845 cancelations on Saturday.

The FBI has now arrested a sixth suspect in an alleged terror plot, including three men from Dearborn. According to court documents, the men considered Ferndale and Cedar Point as potential targets and scoped out those locations.

Authorities said the latest arrest occurred in Washington state. A 48-page complaint names Saed Ali Mirreh, who allegedly planned to flee the U.S. when he learned his alleged co-conspirators in Dearborn were arrested.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: Alleged Halloween terror plot investigation expanding

Tomas-Kaan Jimenez Guzel is also named in that complaint. Guzel lives in New Jersey where the case was filed.

The two men and another man from New Jersey, Milo Sedarat, allegedly communicated with individuals in Dearborn about planning and carrying out an ISIS-inspired attack.

7 News Detroit sat down with University of Michigan professor Javed Ali who served on the front lines of counterterrorism.

"This happens every day. Its been going on for 20-plus years and even before 9/11. The number of these counterterrorism investigations that the FBI leads on a daily basis or overseeing or managing, Ali said. Were talking about into the thousands on a daily basis, and thats just here in the United States."

He said he had a 16-year career with the FBI, U.S. Homeland Security and the Defense Intelligence Agency, monitoring and thwarting attacks from Al Quaeda and ISIS.

Ali said radicalization and the fight against it is never-ending. He said the tools and methods used to recruit people are nothing.

One of the challenges in the intelligence community and law enforcement perspective is how do folks actually know that this threat-related activity is actually happening? the professor explained.

Previous coverage: Federal judge in Detroit denies bond in terror plot case Federal judge denies bond in terror plot case

He said sometimes, investigators get lucky and then dig deeper. But sometimes, someone participating in those dark, extremist discussions becomes concerned and decide to back out. They then tip off law enforcement.

The court filings show the defendants used encrypted messages to communicate, but FBI confidential informants were somehow part of those discussions. Ali said often, there's no definitive threshold for investigators between monitoring and taking action.

These are all really tough questions. How long are you willing to wait and watch and knowing that people have moved beyond talking about things and developing capacities before you can then build a criminal case that youre going to have to present in evidence in a court of law to then try to prosecute people for? he said.

The defense attorneys will fall back on the argument (that) these are young kids and they were just, this is just campfire chitchat and yes, they were angry, but its not illegal to be radicalized or even look at Al Qaeda or ISIS propaganda here."

"But I think it was sort of those overt, sort of materials steps they took to include getting the guns and planning for some type of attack and then using the words pumpkin day, that I think is when the threshold got crossed."

Previous coverage: More men arrested in alleged Halloween terror plot, FBI investigates at Cedar Point 3 more men arrested in alleged Halloween terror plot, FBI investigates at Cedar Point

The case involving the three defendants from Dearborn continues on Monday morning with their detention hearings.

Two of the nation's biggest operators of private immigrant detention centers are announcing major revenue growth.

One of those companies is GEO Group, with 6,000 beds at their immigration detention centers around the country. This includes Delaney Hall in New Jersey, where a congresswoman's clash with ICE agents led to her arrest in the spring.

GEO Group's third quarter update shows revenues increasing 13%, fueled by contracts with ICE, helping to give investors a banner 2025.

"This represents the largest amount of new business that we have won in a single year in our company's history," said George Zoley, CEO of GEO Group.

RELATED STORY | Immigrant arrests create 'unprecedented growth opportunities' for private jails

The other major operator of private jails is CoreCivic. Earlier this year Scripps News visited a CoreCivic jail in Kansas that is ramping up operations to eventually begin housing immigrants.

But the company has other detention centers already open, leading to a jump in revenue of 18% last quarter. The company's earnings have sharply increased since 2020.

With the Trump administation aiming to detain thousands more immigrants, both companies see room to bring in even more money from the deportation push.

"When you look at the growth that we're expecting for 2026 it's one of the fastest growth years, year over year, that we've experienced in a very long time as a company," said Patrick Swindle, President of CoreCivic.

Still, stocks in both companies actually dropped, as investors perhaps questioned how much they rely on ICE to grow their bottom lines in the future.

A 15-year-old Carleton high school football player is recovering from a rare, life-threatening kidney injury after a tackle during a game last month, and it was the opposing team's athletic trainer who likely saved his life.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report: Teen recovering from near-death experience on the football field

The injury occurred when Brayden McClish, a running back for Airport High School's JV football team, came down on the ball, and another player landed on top of him, causing internal bleeding during a game on October 23.

"I just remember I was hyped going into the gameand I remember I was running the ball over and over and over. I had so much adrenaline," McClish said. "I just remember seeing him grab my jersey, seeing the ground, and me not getting back up."

Landon Lalonde, Avondale High School's athletic trainer, quickly recognized the severity of McClish's condition and took immediate action.

"So he kind of had two people's weight come down on top of the ball, and he was having pain in his abdomen and ribs on the left side," Lalonde said.

Lalonde evaluated McClish and immediately identified signs of internal bleeding, rushing him to get medical attention.

"We got Brayden onto the cart, took him around to the visitor's side, and told his mom, 'He has to go to the hospital right now, it cannot wait,'" Lalonde said.

The quick response proved crucial. Medical professionals told McClish that arriving 20 minutes later could have been fatal.

According to his kidney doctor, the injury is extremely rare. Out of thousands of children across the county, doctors typically see only about five similar cases per year.

"It was probably the scariest thing I've ever been through in my whole entire life. Thinking that your child could possibly not be here," said Ashley McClish, Brayden's mother.

Currently, one of McClish's kidneys is functioning normally while the other is operating at 25% capacity. His parents say the community's support has been overwhelming during this difficult time.

"We would be able to get through it without them. The phone calls, the texts, the messages, the all of it, the visits. They've just been so supportive. I mean, people that we aren't even close to, reaching out to say, 'If you need anything, we're here.' It's just very touching," said Jeff McClish, Brayden's father.

Despite the severity of his injury, the young athlete remains determined to return to the sport he loves.

"Oh yes, I see myself playing again. Give me that year to recover, and I'll be back on that field," McClish said.

Football continues to provide comfort during his recovery.

"And I've been falling asleep with my football...It's like my little teddy bear. It's my little teddy bear, I just hold it," McClish said.

After two weeks in the hospital, McClish is expected to return home this weekend. His parents say a full recovery could take up to a year, but they're grateful he's healing and heading home.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

A freighter has run aground in the Detroit River on Friday.

The Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin, a Canadian cargo ship that's 740 feet, is stuck near the Renaissance Center.

Watch drone video of the ship below: Drone video shows freighter stuck in Detroit River

According to tracking records, the ship was headed to Quebec City.

"There have been no reports of injuries, pollution or impact to the marine transportation system," the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.

The Coast Guard said there was low visibility Friday night. There are plans to assess re-floating the ship Saturday morning.

About 4% of flights were canceled at Detroit Metro Airport on Friday as the Federal Aviation Administration announced it is reducing flight capacity due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Watch Tiarra Braddock's video reports: Flight cancellations hit Detroit Metro amid government shutdown Travel troubles grow nationwide and at Detroit Metro Airport

The FAA is cutting flights to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who have not been paid since the shutdown began and to maintain safety for travelers. A shortage of controllers has developed over the past month.

I spent the day at Metro Airport checking in with travelers about their concerns amid the uncertainty.

"This is our first trip with the kids, so hearing that flights might be closed today was stressful," said Kara Lougheed, a traveler from Rochester who is heading to Disney World in Orlando with her children.

Lougheed said she's more worried about her return flight from Florida.

"I like being in control, and it's out of our control, so we are just going to get there and see what happens," she said.

Detroit resident Jennifer Velker, who travels frequently for her medical sales job, expressed concerns about work-related delays.

"I travel with a large team of 52 all over the country, and my whole team was pretty worried that we would have some delays or cancellations," Velker said.

"We are on a strict timeline when it comes to work, can't exactly be late to the hospitals," she added.

The president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a statement on Friday that controllers are working under intense conditions.

"Many controllers work mandatory overtime, up to 6 days a week and 10 hours a day. While their intense schedules leave little room to take on second jobs, some find themselves considering gig work to pay their bills," the statement read.

Some travelers are taking proactive measures. Janet Firestone moved her flight from Metro Airport to Charleston, South Carolina, by one day.

"I got an alert from Delta that they're may be changes with flights, and I was supposed to fly out tomorrow, so I talked to the agent, and they suggested I fly out today to beat the craziness that may happen," Firestone said.

A Delta spokesperson said the airline intends to notify passengers at least one day in advance if their flights are canceled. Travelers are advised to check their flight status before coming to the airport.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Students at Flat Rock Community Schools are organizing a food drive to help families facing food insecurity as uncertainty around SNAP benefits continues to grow.

Watch Carli Petrus's video report: Flat Rock students organize food drive amid growing SNAP benefit uncertainty

The student-run initiative partners with the non-profit Helping Hands of Community Lutheran Church to collect canned and boxed food items for families in need throughout the community.

"It's hard to raise your kids or come to school when you don't know when your next meal is," said Drew Wilde, principal of Flat Rock Community High School.

Wilde said the need has never been greater, as concerns about SNAP benefits persist.

"If they don't have their benefits, you know, they're only going to get a portion of them, then that means that families are going to have to make some very serious sacrifices, and if we're able to alleviate some of that for them, that's what we'll do as a community," Wilde said.

RELATED STORY: Clinton Twp. teacher's food pantry helps students during SNAP benefit crisis Clinton Twp. teacher's food pantry helps students during SNAP benefit crisis

Students have turned the food drive into a friendly competition between schools. Bobcean Elementary and the high school have teamed up as "Team Evergreen," while the middle school and Barnes Elementary form "Team Meadows."

"What we're doing is we're actually pairing the schools up as teams, so we're having Bobcean Elementary and the high school team up as 'Team Evergreen', and then we're head-to-head with 'Team Meadows', which is the middle school and Barnes Elementary. We're going to see who can raise the most food for our community," said 12th grader Megan, a student organizer.

Fifth-grader Trevor, a student council member on Team Meadows, created posters with classmates to encourage donations.

"I'm a student council member and I made a poster about this with my other classmate to encourage people to donate," Trevor said.

For 12th-grader Alexia on Team Evergreen, the cause hits close to home through a friend's experience.

"She was talking about how she was struggling, her family was struggling personally because they can't afford food, and how this food drive is potentially going to help them to put food on the table. They have a large family; they have more than just two of them; they need food," Alexia said.

Alexia explained that many families face uncertainty about their food supply, especially during the holiday season.

"They don't know when the end of their food supply may come so some people may have SNAP benefits, still left and those might just go away like they might just run out of them or they might have money right now but because of the holiday season, because of Thanksgiving, they might not have money to afford food later on and that's what this food drive is mainly for," Alexia said.

The food drive runs through November 14. Community members can drop off non-perishable food items at the schools' main offices.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.