By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
Dowagiac's Brett Scanlon captured the 2006 Michigan NFL-Pepsi Punt, Pass &Kick Detroit Lions Team Championship on Sunday.
Scanlon won the boys' 10-11 year-old division at the 20th annual state finals held at Ford Field in Detroit.
A total of 40 finalists from throughout the state in four age divisions competed in the finals. The finalists came from 160 local competitions held during September. The winners of the local competitions then took part in one of 13 sectionals.
Scanlon competed in the Kalamazoo sectional. The scores from all 13 regionals were then compared and the top 20 boys and 20 girls advanced to the team finals.
Scanlon won with a total of 229-feet, 5-inches. His kick of 86-5 was the longest of the day in his age bracket.
Dalin Martin of Elwell finished second with a district of 216-11. Jason Houle of Plymouth was third (213-3), Kenner Broullire of Manistique was fourth (201-5) and Ryan McClelland of Brighton was fifth (177-8).
Scanlon isn't the first Dowagiac resident to compete in the state finals.
The last time Dowagiac was represented was in 2001 when Jamie Simpson took part. Simpson still holds the record for the longest pass in the boys' 10-11 division at 138-3.
Southwestern lower Michigan is no stranger to have a state PPK champion.
Current Buchanan sophomore Jayme O'Bryant is a four-time state titlist. O'Bryant won championships in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2005. She was never chosen to advance to the national finals, however.
O'Bryant is tied with Sturgis' Rachel Denison for the most state final appearances with six. O'Bryant also reached the state finals in 2001, 1999 and 1998.
Bangor's Tammy Bowie was a national finalist in 1988 in the 13-year-old division.