By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor\u00a0<\/p>\n
DETROIT \u2013 An arduous playoff road over the last five weeks pushed Reading up against some of the most established football programs in Michigan high school history.<\/p>\n
Pre-District opponent Mendon is tied for 10th with 12 MHSAA Finals football titles. Semifinal foe Fowler has won seven championships. Those two, Cassopolis and Adrian Lenawee Christian all were state-ranked during the regular season. Friday\u2019s championship game opponent Beal City was not, but is tied for the most playoff appearances in MHSAA history with 35 over the 45-year history of the tournament.<\/p>\n
Reading made its 25th playoff appearance this fall, an impressive feat on its own. But by winning a second straight Division 8 championship \u2013 after last year\u2019s first in school history \u2013 the Rangers launched their program into that group of the most revered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They concluded this chapter with a 33-6 win over the Aggies on Friday at Ford Field, extending an incredible run while allowing a star-studded senior class to leave its personal imprint on what Reading has accomplished.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI really think we left a mark in the playoff book,\u201d Rangers senior Hunter Midtgard said. \u201cJust because we came through last year, we had a really good team, and then we came through this year and we wanted to prove a point that this was our team and we wanted to leave a legacy. We just wanted to finish the job.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reading finished this fall 13-1, winning 13 straight after a 14-0 opening loss to Pewamo-Westphalia, which will play Saturday for a third Division 7 title in four years. The Rangers are 27-1 over the last two seasons.<\/p>\n
Not that the senior class needed motivation after making a major contribution to last season\u2019s title run. But coach Rick Bailey emphasized that those seniors shouldn\u2019t feel like reigning champions, and instead pursue making their own impact \u2013 and the P-W loss threw kindling on that message.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe worked hard over the summer, but that first loss \u2026 kinda lit a fire in us and told us what it took to make it back here, so we really wanted it,\u201d Reading senior lineman Nick Affholter said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso, I thought it was great, because it was our team this year,\u201d said senior linebacker\/tight end \u2013 and Nick\u2019s twin \u2013 Ben Affholter. \u201cWe got to be seniors and we got to be leaders, and that drove us to win it as our team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s matchup with the Aggies (12-2) was set up to be strength on strength \u2013 especially considering the two starting quarterbacks together combined for only about 1,500 yards passing this fall.<\/p>\n
The game stayed within a score until midway through the third quarter, when Reading began to show it was stronger in the long run.<\/p>\n
The Rangers scored the final 19 points, all on runs, and outgained Beal City on the ground 260-42. Reading also had 10.5 tackles for loss, with Ben Affholter leading with 4.5.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/191129_D8_2H2.jpg\")
Beal City senior quarterback Jack Schafer was able to counter with 115 yards and a touchdown passing, completing five of nine attempts. But Rangers junior Porter Mauk also made the most of his six attempts, connecting on scoring passes for his team\u2019s first two touchdowns.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think their up front gave us fits,\u201d Beal City coach Brad Gross said. \u201cNumber 44 in the middle (Ben Affholter) obviously was stunting, and we didn\u2019t do a very good job of picking him up. But I\u2019m sure that kid is an all-state football player. \u2026 They\u2019re big, bigger than we are, and also a lot faster than you think they are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reading finished the season having given up 103 points, or 7.4 per game. Lenawee Christian (21) was the only team to score more than 18. Ben Affholter finished with 10 tackles total Friday, and brother Nick had eight. The Rangers recovered two fumbles and snagged an interception.<\/p>\n
Senior Elijah Strine ran for 73 yards and a touchdown and Midtgard added 68 yards and a score on the ground and a 40-yard touchdown reception. Senior Jayson Scoville caught an 18-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring with 3:21 left in the first quarter. Sophomore Matthew Stewart added a 12-yard touchdown run with 13 seconds to play.<\/p>\n
Schafer connected with junior T.J. Maxon on a 56-yard touchdown pass two minutes into the second quarter for Beal City\u2019s lone points. Senior linebacker Seth Schafer had 14 tackles and junior linebacker Ethan Locke had 10.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Aggies made their eighth appearance in an MHSAA Final, and first since 2013. They had finished below .500 the last two seasons, including 2-7 a year ago, before mounting arguably the strongest comeback in the state this fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they fit right in there with the best (in school history),\u201d said Gross, who quarterbacked the 1994 team to the Class D title. \u201cI can\u2019t ask for anything more from these guys, starting from last year at the end of the year. It didn\u2019t start in June; it started last year, in November. These kids made a commitment to be there and get things done, and that\u2019s what they did.\u201d<\/p>\n