ROCK REVIVAL: Salem earns 1st playoff berth since 2017
Salem players celebrate after Nye Turner’s (12) pick six against Livonia Stevenson.
Not long ago, Salem was the team its opponents loved to schedule for their homecoming game.
Not anymore.
On Friday night at Livonia Stevenson, the resurgent Rocks struck early (a pick-six by senior linebacker Nye Turner three minutes in) and late (a 41-yard TD from senior QB Luke Creighton to Turner in the game’s waning moments) to throttle the host Spartans, 34-6, and earn their first MHSAA post-season berth since 2017 with a 5-4 record.
The pivotal plays by Turner were bookends to a thoroughly dominating performance that won’t be forgotten soon by the Salem faithful in attendance.
Undersized, big-hearted players
These undersized, big-hearted warriors have restored pride and respect to a program that accumulated a record of 8-53 from 2018 to 2024 — and they’ve done it by focusing on every play like their season depended on it.
The best representative of Salem’s turnaround may be senior linebacker Landon Garrett (the coach’s son), who stands about 5-foot-9 and weighs in the vicinity of 160, but plays like he equal in height and weight to the Detroit Lions Jack Campbell.
“This team is sick of being put down by everybody,” third-year head coach Landon Garrett proclaimed in the joyful post-game moments just beyond Stevenson’s south end zone. “We’re not going to be another check mark on our opponents’ maps.”
Salem will learn its playoff opponent at a team get-together Sunday afternoon when the MHSAA’s post-season brackets are revealed at 5 p.m. on the NFHS Network.
Top-rated opponent on deck
Snooze2you.com, which is routinely prolific in its playoff bracket predictions, projects Salem will be traveling to Saline for a first round game on Halloween night. The website predicts the Saline-Salem winner would play the victor of a Belleville-Northville matchup.
“Our goal now is to get to the next Monday, to keep practicing,” Garrett said. “We have no power over who we play. We’re just focused on how we play.”
Salem’s offense was engineered by Creighton, who has torched teams throughout this magical season with his arm and sensational stable of receivers (Turner, Caleb Chinzadza and Drew Eisenbeis, to name three).
On Friday, Creighton conquered the Spartans with his legs, running 25 times for 180 yards and three rushing TDs.
“They took the pass away from Luke, so he beat them with his legs,” Garrett said. “We take what the other teams give us.”
In-game adjustment pays off
Garrett also praised senior defensive lineman Curtis Crittenden II, who was shifted to nose guard by Garrett six minutes into Friday’s game to make best use of his quickness and strength.
The adjustment worked as Crittenden created chaos in the trenches.
Senior Kyle Candito also shined for Salem as did freshman Payton Miles, who had an interception and was a mainstay in helping frustrate Stevenson’s potent offense.
Miles was in early elementary school the last time the Rocks qualified for the post-season.
Together forever, or so it seems
A compelling side note to the Rocks’ revival: Garrett has been coaching “eight or nine” of his current Salem players since second grade when he was a coach for the Canton Lions junior football league team.
“The chemistry all those guys have, playing together all these years has helped,” Garrett emphasized. “It’s important, too, that they know me well and what I expect of them.”
He expects 100% effort — and they’ve delivered.
After all, scoreboards and playoff brackets don’t lie.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
