Barons Gridiron Rewind

I was sad to learn Bloomfield Hills Andover discontinued its football program Tuesday.

In honor of the Barons passing, let's take a look back at the school's greatest year ever on the high school gridiron;

The 2004 campaign

Coached by Scott Suggs and led by players such as Brian Zematis (TE/LB), Kyle Hurtt (QB) and Leon Mimms (LB), Andover went a program-best 10-2, claiming the school's first and only district title in dramatic fashion, topping arch rival Bloomfield Hills Lahser 31-18 in a D3 district championship game.

Finishing 8-1 in the regular season, with their only loss coming to Auburn Hills Avondale in Week 2, the Barons beat St. Clair in the opening round of the playoffs 25-6, to capture the program's first-ever win in the postseason.

After downing St. Clair and Lahser, Andover lost 35-19 to St. John's in the regional finals.

Even though the Barons have won a paltry four games in four and a quarter seasons, dating back to 2008, the program was experiencing a renaissance in the late 1990s through the mid-2000s. Having never qualified for the playoffs before, Andover earned postseason bids for six straight years between 1999 and 2004, when the program peaked with its district banner-raising campaign.