2011 Wyandotte Team Earns League, District Title

By last week, most high school football practice fields in the state were silent and deserted.

At , however, the gridiron was full of life as the familiar sounds of pads crunching and coaches’ whistles echoed across the turf.

were one of only 64 teams still alive in Michigan as they prepared to take on last week in a regional final at home.

Unfortunately for Wyandotte, which earned its sixth consecutive postseason appearance in 2011, the third-round playoff game against King (9-3) was the end of line.

Despite the tough 33-0 defeat at the hands of the Crusaders, it was a season to remember as the Bears lost only two games and won the Downriver League title and a district championship.

“Our team’s effort was great,” said senior running back . “We’re only the third team in school history to win a district championship.” 

Road to the 2011 Downriver League Title

2011 kicked off with Roosevelt crushing at home, a Cardinals team many expected to complete for the league title.

“The big win over Melvindale set the tone for the rest of the season,” said Wyandotte coach Ron Adams.

Blowout victories against , and left the Bears unbeaten early with a 4-0 record.

A scare from on homecoming night almost blemished Wyandotte’s record, but the team pulled out a 21-20 win in overtime.

The next two weeks, Roosevelt came out and completely shut down a pair of tough opponents, beating , then .

Week 8 was a battle with at Roosevelt Stadium for the Downriver League title. The Jaguars were quickly overmatched and Wyandotte cruised to a 43-7 victory and a league championship.

Rivalry

Two new chapters were added to the between Wyandotte and Southgate Anderson.

To close out the regular season, the Bears were , their first defeat in league play in two years.

Revenge was sweet for Roosevelt two weeks later, when it dropped the Titans to capture the district title. 

Playoff Run/District Title

Postseason action began with the Bears hosting , a team making its first playoff appearance in school history.

A determined Lincoln team kept it close against Wyandotte, which was playing without senior running back , who was out with an illness. The Bears, however, prevailed with a 28-21 win and advanced to play Southgate for the district title.

At home again in the second round, Wyandotte and Southgate fought hard in a back and forth affair, but in the end the Bears hoisted the district championship trophy after a 28-21 win.

Roosevelt’s next opponent was Detroit Martin Luther King and it was a game hosted yet again by Wyandotte. The Crusaders, led by running back Dennis Norfleet, overpowered Roosevelt on both sides of the ball, ending the team’s season with a 33-0 defeat.

The Standouts

As was expected from the outset, Matt and Dunn both had a huge impact in 2011.

As a running back, Matt led the team in rushing with 744 yards and 14 touchdowns. From his linebacker position, he led the team in tackles with 124.

Dunn was right behind Matt in rushing with 700 yards and 11 touchdowns, but also had two touchdown receptions and added a score each on a kickoff and punt return. As a defensive back, Dunn’s three interceptions tied him for team lead in pickoffs with senior Edge Jelsemeno.

Junior receiver Devan Stewart led all receivers with 30 receptions for 527 yards and nine touchdowns.

Junior defensive lineman Kyle Campbell led the team in sacks with 11, while senior defensive lineman Tyler Hamilton was second with seven. 

Captain Leadership

Serving as team captains this season were seniors Hamilton, Dunn, Matt and Tony Parker.

“Our captains led us through everything,” said sophomore running back Kyle Matejko.

Carrying out the captain role, Parker said, involved guiding his teammates in the right direction through his own efforts and actions.

“I felt I did my job as a captain by leading by example on and off of the field and representing what the coaching staff wanted from us players,” Parker said.

Brothers on the Field

Aside from being on the same roster, junior quarterback Kevin Matejko and his brother, Kyle Matejko, often lined up together in the backfield.

Kevin handed off to Kyle 73 times in 2011 and completed four passes to him, one for a touchdown.

Being siblings on the same field together gives the two a chance to look out for each other, Kevin said.

“It's good to know you have your brother having your back-and I have his,” Kevin said.

Kyle finished the season third on the team in rushing yards with 403 and third in rushing touchdowns, with four.

Learning Virtues off the Field

Aside from teaching the Xs and Os of football, Adams also set out to help his players learn to become better young men.

A different was focused on each week, such as dependable, responsible or brave. Players then learned how to apply the concepts to their daily lives, as well as getting a chance to put them into action through community service.

This season marked the first time a virtue program was established, and Adams said it was successful in helping both the players and the coaches.

“We all learned from it,” Adams said. “We all became better people because of it.”

Outlook for Next Season

Twenty-two seniors have played their last game in a Wyandotte uniform and will need to be replaced next year.

Adams said the key to success next season is being able to come together and play as a team in the same manner the 2011 squad did.

“They’re going to have to re-create the chemistry of this team,” Adams said.

Offensively, some of the impact players coming back next season will be Kevin and Kyle Matejko, Stewart, junior running back Aaron Robinson and sophomore running back D’Aries Davis.

On defense, Campbell will line up again, as well as junior defensive lineman Tyler Winters, junior linebacker Aaron O’Meara and junior linebacker Vince Pizzo.

As for the 2011 season, Adams said everyone on the team should be proud of what they accomplished and it will always be something positive they can reflect on.

“There’s a lot to be thankful for,” Adams said. “It’s not very often that kids can look back and say they had 10 victories.”

2011 Downriver League Standings

For highlights of the Bears season this year, check out our Road to the Playoffs page.