De La Salle falls to Muskegon 33-21 in state finals

DETROIT — Warren De La Salle has made making the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 state finals game look like an ordinary task the past seven seasons, reaching the finals six times, including four straight times with their appearance this year.

The two-time defending state champions returned to Ford Field on Nov. 25 for the MHSAA Division 2 state championship game against Muskegon, a team De La Salle (11-3) bested 40-28 in Week 2 of this year, but it was Muskegon (12-2) with the upper hand this time around.

“This has been a rough year in the fact that I think the expectations sometimes outlive the opportunity,” De La Salle coach Dan Rohn, a Muskegon native, said. “I think people just expect us to be here every year, and this takes a lot of work. These guys are in the weight room in January, and we need to celebrate that, and our community needs to enjoy it. There’s no promises or guarantees we’re ever going to be back here, so we got to relish the moment and take advantage of those opportunities.”

Muskegon senior quarterback M’Khi Guy threw for 159 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 247 yards and two touchdowns as Muskegon bested the Pilots 33-21.

De La Salle stormed out the gate with a 21-7 lead at the half behind two rushing touchdowns from junior quarterback Sante Gasperoni and a 55-yard touchdown pass from Gasperoni to sophomore wideout Damion King IV, but it was all Muskegon from there.

Guy, who opened the scoring for Muskegon on an 80-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter, evaded the De La Salle defense for a 52-yard touchdown run. Guy would then connect with senior wideout Destin Piggee for a 94-yard touchdown pass to tie it 21-21 with 7:11 left in the third quarter.

“He’s (Guy is) an amazing football player, and we knew that,” Rohn said. “We seen him Week 2, and he’s been making plays for a long time. I have a great relationship with the family over there, and that kid, he’s special.”

Muskegon’s offense was operating better than just about any school in the state entering the state finals, and they put their foot on the gas when it mattered most.

“We wanted to play and showcase Muskegon football, and I knew De La Salle was going to bring everything they had,” Muskegon coach Shane Fairfield said. “Hats off to them because that first half, the defense for them was lights out.”

Guy would find senior wideout Da’Carion Taylor for a 23-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter, and senior running back Jakob Price would put the finishing touches on the win with a 12-yard touchdown run early in the fourth.

De La Salle entered Muskegon with just over eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and trailing 33-21, but the Muskegon defense forced a turnover on downs at their own 26-yard line.

“Second half, we just didn’t play well offensively,” Rohn said. “We put our defense out on the field way too much, and then our guys started guessing a little bit and started missing some run fits. When you give up 90-yard touchdowns in a game like this, it’s going to be a struggle.”

Gasperoni finished with 249 yards passing and a touchdown along with 50 yards and two scores on the ground.

Gasperoni had a tall task of taking over the role University of Cincinnati freshman quarterback Brady Drogosh excelled in as a two-time state champion at De La Salle, but Gasperoni held his own and shined for the Pilots this season.

“I learned a lot of really building with the team and trying to be a leader, especially that I’m the quarterback, and just getting the bond together, seeing the mistakes, and seeing the defenses and stuff like that,” Gasperoni said. “It’s really just throughout the weeks and games progressing that really helped out a lot.”

As Rohn said, there’s no promises when it comes to punching your ticket to the state finals, but De La Salle’s young squad this season will have another year under its belt as they head into the 2024 campaign ready to return to Ford Field.

If this season left any indication, it’s that De La Salle is shaping up to have a strong squad next season with the core of its offense and defense returning.

“I promise you we’ll be back,” Rohn said. “This group is young, this group is hungry, and we’re coming back here fighting.”