Athens Football's Season Ends at 4-5

Athens football's season is over. Coach Tom Cook said before the finale that Athens needed a win over Berkley and some help from other results to reach the playoffs. Athens won 45-14 to finish 4-5, but is not in the playoff field the MHSAA released Sunday, Oct. 25.

The record

Athens finished the regular season 4-5 overall and 2-2 in the Oakland Activities Association White. It lost its first three games, to Waterford Mott, Oxford and Clarkston, by a combined 117-36, then won four of its last six, two of them by shutout. It closed with a 45-14 win over Berkley at home Friday, Oct. 23.

• Thursday, Aug. 27: lost to Waterford Mott 27-19 at home
• Thursday, Sept. 3: lost to Oxford 49-17 at home
• Friday, Sept. 11: lost at Clarkston 41-0
• Friday, Sept. 18: won at Troy 35-0
• Friday, Sept. 25: lost to Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 49-10 at home
• Friday, Oct. 2: beat Bloomfield Hills 53-14 at home
• Friday, Oct. 9: lost at Rochester 34-14
• Friday, Oct. 16: won at Auburn Hills Avondale 35-0
• Friday, Oct. 23: beat Berkley 45-14 at home

The sources disagree on the Avondale score. The season game list, from the MHSAA, and the Detroit Free Press have it 35-0; MaxPreps has it 28-0. MaxPreps also lists the opening opponent as Warren Mott; the game list and Cook say Waterford Mott.

Cook said the schedule was probably one of the toughest in the state. After the Clarkston game, he said, it ranked as the second-toughest in Michigan, though it had fallen since. "We've had times where we looked pretty good, and then other times where we've looked like we struggle," he said.

Source: Athens coach Tom Cook, Oct. 22; season game list and OAA White standings, via Locals Thrive; MaxPreps; Detroit Free Press

A school record

Senior running back Macklin Ciurla scored six touchdowns in the 53-14 win over Bloomfield Hills on Friday, Oct. 2, which Cook said is the school record for touchdowns in a game. MaxPreps credits Ciurla with 183 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on 10 carries that night, plus a touchdown catch and an interception. The Detroit Free Press nominated him for its Athlete of the Week.

Cook said Ciurla leads the team in several categories, including yards from scrimmage, is one of its leading receivers and has thrown touchdown passes.

Source: Athens coach Tom Cook, Oct. 22; MaxPreps; Detroit Free Press

The captains

Athens has six captains: seniors Macklin Ciurla, Jack Bouren, William Goetz, Daniel Williamson, Alex Prisciandaro and Thomas Cook III. Cook said the team has relied on them to keep its energy and attitude up, including after losses the team expected to go the other way.

"The kids have been outstanding this year as far as attitude and work ethic," Cook said, "even after some tough losses, going back and working hard to try to get a win next week."

He credited the senior class with keeping the team centered, and named junior John Monhaut as a player who has done a nice job on the field.

Source: Athens coach Tom Cook, Oct. 22; team roster

On the field

Cook said quarterback Jack Bouren has played well. The offensive line, led by Daniel Williamson and William Goetz, has been outstanding in certain games, he said.

On defense, Cook named ends Jacob Watson and Connor Calven, and Goetz at tackle, who he said has kept the linebackers clean in most games. Thomas Cook III has led the team in tackles all season, Cook said.

In an email later on Oct. 22, Cook added that Athens's kicker is ranked among the top 100 kickers in the nation and tied the school record for longest field goal this season.

Source: Athens coach Tom Cook, Oct. 22; team roster

Missing pieces

Senior Brian Pierce Jr. would have been a projected starter on both sides of the ball and missed the first eight games, Cook said in an interview the day before the Berkley game. "That would have been a game changer for us," he said. Cook said Pierce hoped to play his first game against Berkley.

Prisciandaro, a captain who goes by AP, was hurt in a scrimmage and had played in about three games by Oct. 22, Cook said; he had returned. Junior Charlie Egelski had not played this season because of injury, Cook said.

Source: Athens coach Tom Cook, Oct. 22; team roster

The playoffs

Making the playoffs was one of the team's main goals this season, Cook said. Before the finale, he said Athens had to beat Berkley and needed other results to go its way, and that the strength of its schedule kept it in the running. "That was a big goal of ours, and I'd be thrilled for these guys if they could achieve it," he said. Athens has made the playoffs six times, Cook said, one of them in 2020, when every team qualified.

Athens beat Berkley 45-14. The 11-player field the MHSAA released Sunday, Oct. 25, does not include Athens. The MHSAA takes the top 32 teams in each division, based on playoff-point average.

Six of Athens's nine opponents are in the field: Waterford Mott, Oxford, Clarkston, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, Bloomfield Hills and Rochester. Bloomfield Hills, which Athens beat 53-14 on Oct. 2, qualified at 5-4 and opens at Clarkston. Avondale, Troy and Berkley are not in the field.

Source: Athens coach Tom Cook, Oct. 22; season game list, via Locals Thrive; MHSAA playoff pairings, Oct. 25