All in the Family: Trio Leads Orchard Lake St. Mary's To Title Win

DETROIT – The state championship was a game played many times over the years for Spencer McInnis, younger brother Parker McInnis and cousin Grant Niemeic.

The stage just wasn’t quite as big as Ford Field.

“They always dreamed of winning a state title,” Spencer and Parker’s dad, and Niemiec’s uncle, Pat McInnis said. “That’s all they used to ever talk about. They’d play in the backyard pretending to score a touchdown to win and take turns being a star.”

And that’s exactly what the three did on Saturday in the Division 3 title game for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in a 45-7 win over Mt. Pleasant.

Spencer had 213 yards and three touchdowns while Parker and Niemiec both had 96 yards and a touchdown apiece.

“That’s by far the best they’ve been,” Pat McInnis said.

Pat has been watching his sons and nephew play together since they were 7 years old. The trio played Little League together and decided early on that football was the sport for them. 

“They told me we they wanted to play football,” Pat said of his sons. “I didn’t push them to play.”

Niemiec followed in his own brothers’ footsteps. He is the youngest of three and watched both of his siblings play football for St. Mary’s. But on Saturday they watched him do something no in one the Niemiec family had ever accomplished.

“It’s the first (state championship) for the Niemiecs,” Grant’s mother, Mary Niemiec said. “So it means a lot.”

After the game, the three players were all emotional talking about the title win and being able to win as a family in the same backfield.

“This is something special,” Spencer McInnis said. “It’s something you’ll never forget until you die.”

His brother and cousin echoed those sentiments.

“You know when your looking back on it, not many people get this,” Parker said. “It’s a great feeling.” 

“Last night, we were all sitting around talking about the game," Niemiec said, smiling.

"Those guys are my brothers not my cousins. Today, it was a good one.”

It was Niemiec who actually started things for St. Mary’s. On the fourth play of the game, the junior ran it 48 yards for the Eaglets' first touchdown. Before the day was done, Spencer and Parker would each have long touchdown runs as well.

Spencer had a 69-yard run later in the first quarter and a 47-yard run in the second quarter. Not to be outdone, Parker had a 60-yard touchdown on St. Mary’s first play of the second half.

Spencer had been on the losing end of two straight Division 3 state title games. He was part of the Eaglets team that lost in the finals to East Grand Rapids in 2009 and 2010. Parker and Niemiec were both part of last year’s team. 

“It’s the culmination of every game,” mother Julie McInnis said. “They kept advancing forward. It’s the whole team camaraderie. They’re so close, and they have this whole goal, to get to Ford Field again, and victory.”

Parker and Niemiec aren’t done yet. As juniors, the two running backs will be back starting for St. Mary’s next year. 

“I think they could be better next year,” Pat McInnis said. “They’ve got some really talented kids coming up from junior varsity.”

Niemiec said he isn’t going to be content with just one state title.

“I’m excited to get back to work on Monday to work for another state championship,” Niemiec said. “I got the chance to win another win and I got to do it for my team and for St. Mary’s nation.”