The Clinton Township Chippewa Valley quarterback had just been body-slammed to the Ford Field turf by a Clarkston lineman as the Big Reds protected a one-touchdown lead in the third quarter of the Division 1 final.

But the hard hit didn’t affect his play.

On the next snap, Schuster threw a 30-yard pass to David Ellis that set up the Big Reds’ final touchdown in a 31-30 victory.

“That was probably the hardest I have been hit all year,” Schuster said. “The next play we had a two-side option screen, and I saw David and got rid of it.”

Schuster didn’t miss in the game against the 2017 state champions.

The 6-foot senior set an accuracy record for all divisions by completing 13 of 13 passes, and he finished with 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Big Reds capped a 14-0 season with the second state championship in program history.

“He did a great job,” Clarkston coach Kurt Richardson said.

For the season, Schuster completed 120 of 172 passes for 1,826 yards and 26 touchdowns with only one interception.

Schuster’s season-long consistency and excellence in the final led to him being voted by a panel of sports writers The Associated Press Division 1-2 Player of the Year.

“All the kid does is win,” Chippewa Valley coach Scott Merchant said. “We’re not a team that throws the ball 40 times a game. We don’t play for stats. He could have had 3,000 yards passing if we wanted to, but I don’t believe in that as a coach.”

Schuster had several weapons at his disposal, and two of them joined him on the AP All-State team.

Receiver David Ellis, an Indiana recruit who returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown in the championship game and had 44 receptions for the season, was voted to the squad.

So was linebacker Marcel Lewis, a Michigan State recruit who also played tight end.

Unlike his All-State teammates, Schuster didn’t have an offer from a Division I or Division II college when the Big Reds were crowned champions.

“In terms of a high school quarterback and a college quarterback, if somebody wants a winner, that doesn’t throw the ball to the other team, and he’s going to run your offense to a T, he’s just that,” Merchant said.

Schuster took the lack of recruiting buzz in stride.

“I just try and go out there and play my game,” he said. “I don’t let any of that affect how I play on the field. That stuff will take care of itself.”

Schuster was joined on the All-State team by quarterback Caden Broersma of Muskegon Mona Shores.

Other receivers selected were Julian Barnett of Belleville, James Gilbert of Muskegon Mona Shores and Tre Mosley of West Bloomfield.

Running backs tapped were Jaren Mangham of Detroit Cass Tech, Steven Walker of Canton, Tyler Amos of Portage Northern and Kionte Blakely of East Kentwood.

Linemen named were Devontae Dobbs of Belleville, Damon Payne of Belleville, Darius Robinson of Canton, Justin Rogers of Oak Park, Rocco Spindler of Clarkston, Logan Brown of East Kentwood, Mazi Smith of East Kentwood and Braiden MacGregor of Port Huron Northern.

Linebackers who joined Lewis were Lance Dixon of West Bloomfield, Cornell Wheeler of West Bloomfield and Jacob Dobbs of Warren De La Salle.

Joshua DeBerry of Warren De La Salle, Kyron McKinnie-Harper of Detroit Cass Tech and Andre Seldon of Belleville were named at defensive back.

Specialist Christian Gordon of Midland, kicker Tristan Mattson of Clarkston and punter Connor Blake of Grand Ledge completed the team.

Phil Jacobs of Dexter was voted the All-State coach.

——

Michigan AP Division 1-2 Football

All-State List

By The Associated Press

The 2018 Division 1-2 Associated Press All-State football team, selected by a panel of 11 Michigan sports writers:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Tommy Schuster, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, Sr.

FIRST-TEAM ALL-STATE

QUARTERBACKS

Caden Broersma, Muskegon Mona Shores, Jr.

Tommy Schuster, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, Sr.

RUNNING BACKS

Jaren Mangham, Detroit Cass Tech, Sr.

Steven Walker, Canton, Sr.

Tyler Amos, Portage Northern, Jr.

Kionte Blakely, East Kentwood, Sr.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Julian Barnett, Belleville, Sr.

James Gilbert, Muskegon Mona Shores, Sr.

Tre Mosley, West Bloomfield, Sr.

David Ellis, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, Sr.

LINEMEN

Devontae Dobbs, Belleville, Sr.

Damon Payne, Belleville, So.

Darius Robinson, Canton, Sr.

Justin Rogers, Oak Park, Jr.

Rocco Spindler, Clarkston, So.

Logan Brown, East Kentwood, Sr.

Mazi Smith, East Kentwood, Sr.

Braiden MacGregor, Port Huron Northern, Jr.

LINEBACKERS

Lance Dixon, West Bloomfield, Sr.

Cornell Wheeler, West Bloomfield, Jr.

Jacob Dobbs, Warren De La Salle, Sr.

Marcel Lewis, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, Sr.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Kyron McKinnie-Harper, Detroit Cass Tech, Sr.

Andre Seldon, Belleville, Jr.

Joshua DeBerry, Warren De La Salle, Sr.

SPECIALIST

Christian Gordon, Midland, Sr.

KICKER

Tristan Mattson, Clarkston, Sr.

PUNTER

Connor Blake, Grand Ledge, Jr.

COACH

Phil Jacobs, Dexter

SECOND-TEAM ALL-STATE

(nominees receiving two or more votes from the voting panel)

QUARTERBACKS

Christian Dhue-Reid, Belleville, So.

RUNNING BACKS

Abraham Jaafar, Dearborn Fordson, Sr.

Damonte McCurdy, Birmingham Groves, Sr.

Christian Brown, Temperance Bedford, Jr.

Exziar Edwards, Jackson, Sr.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Abdur Rahmann Yaseen, Walled Lake Western, Jr.

Antwan Ficklen, Dexter, Jr.

LINEMEN

Tate Mackenzie, Ypsilanti Lincoln, Jr.

Dondi Price, Oak Park, Jr.

Spencer Brown, Walled Lake Western, Sr.

Carson Currie, Lapeer, Sr.

Danny Motowski, Warren De La Sallle, Sr.

LINEBACKERS

Hayes Brooks, Monroe, Sr.

Phoenix Dickson, Lapeer, Jr.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Enzo Jennings, Oak Park, Jr.

Tate Hallock, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, Sr.

SPECIALIST

Sincer’e Dent, Muskegon Mona Shores, Sr.

PUNTER

Tylor McCoon, Traverse City Central, So.

HONORABLE MENTION

QUARTERBACKS

Will Jontz, Brighton; Colin Parachek, Dexter; Anthony Romphf, Southfield A&T; Dwan Mathis, Oak Park; Sam Johnson, Walled Lake Western; Kyle Nott, Jenison; Isaac Van Dyke, West Ottawa; Dustin Fletcher, Flint Carman-Ainsworth; Cannon Hall, Davison; Tobin Schwannecke, Traverse City Central; RaeQuan Beal, Detroit Renaissance; Shane Astrike, Midland Dow.

RUNNING BACKS

Lew Nichols, Detroit Cass Tech; Phillip Stewart, Oak Park; Brendan Munday, Saline; Trevon Davis, Ypsilanti Lincoln; Jared Banks, Monroe; Caleb Bronkema, Caledonia; Max Murphy, Swartz Creek; Logan Guthrie, Alpena; Theo Ellis, Port Huron Northern; Robbie Tracy, White Lake-Lakeland.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Brandon Murphy, Saline; Nathan Eades, Howell; Trey Searles, Traverse City Central.

LINEMEN

Jalen Hunt, Belleville; James Ester, Cass Tech; Garrett Dellinger, Clarkston; Devin Baldwin, Southfield A&T; Brad Wisniewski, Saline; Brock Jordan, Okemos; Ty Potter, Hudsonville; Connor Krauss, Grandville; Isaac Miller, West Ottawa; Cade Klimczak. Rockford; Will Sollie, Lapeer; Justin Schlaack, Swartz Creek; Damond Duncan, St. Clair Shores Lakeview; Jack Sherwin, Traverse City Central; Max Longman, Portage Central; Jack Haverdink, Portage Northern; Devond Dobbins, Kalamazoo Central; Maurice Powell, Port Huron Northern; Sam Hine, Midland; Kyle Arnoldi, Walled Lake Northern; Max Saylor, Birmingham Brother Rice; Jacob Edelman, Birmingham Groves; Lucas Hendershot, Detroit Catholic Central; Cole Mitchell, Rochester Adams; Cam White, Midland.

LINEBACKERS

Devin Nicholson, Cass Tech; Miles Dearing, Grosse Pointe South; Dayone Smith, Detroit Western; Rusheon Bash, Wyoming; Micah Cretsinger, Jackson; Cole Riddle, Brighton; Jacob Wahlberg, Muskegon Mona Shores; Leonard Henry, Grand Blanc; Logan Pasco, Davison; Odin Soffredine, Traverse City West; Xavier Davis, Kalamazoo Central; Michael Fletcher, Flint Carman-Ainsworth.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Jalen Graham, Cass Tech; Avery Grenier, Livonia Churchill; Scott Rosati, Grosse Pointe South; Khalil Dawsey, Birmingham Groves; Josh Luther, Clarkston; Ray Russo, Jenison; Anthony Tyus, Portage Northern.

SPECIALIST

Aaron West, Grand Ledge; Robert Army, Detroit Renaissance; Nick Sierocki, Midland Dow; MJ Griffin, Saline.

KICKER

John Castillo, Wyandotte

COACH

Eric Methner, Midland; Matt Koziak, Muskegon Mona Shores; Brian Lemons, Brighton; Jeff Henson, South Lyon; Kurt Richardson, Clarkston; Jim DeWald, Birmingham Seaholm.