The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Burchyett enjoys All-Star game experience
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: July 24, 2008
Saline wide receiver Sam Burchyett is headed to Grand Valley State this fall, looking to help the Lakers reclaim the national titles they won in 2005 and 2006.
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But before all of that, this past Saturday Burchyett had one unfinished piece of business to enjoy in his high school football career: the 2008 Michigan High School All-Star Football Game, held at Spartan Stadium on the campus of Michigan State.
Burchyett took the field for the West All-Stars and finished the day with two receptions for 19 yards as the East shut out the West 9-0 in a rain-soaked slugfest. But despite his offense's struggles, Burchyett said he was more than glad to have had the opportunity to play alongside the best players in Michigan.
"I couldn't think of a better way to cap off my high school career," he said afterward. "Only 88 guys in the state get to be a part of this, so it's about the highest honor you could have. It was a lot of fun and a good way to see how you measure up."
The best part of the All-Star experience — and the most surprising part, Burchyett said — was the depth of camaraderie that he and his West teammates built over the course of their week of preparation for the game.
"It's pretty easy to relate to each other," he said. "Being in the locker room, being in the tunnel before the game, there was a lot of emotion. We felt like a team. We wanted to win the game."
Burchyett had a familiar face coaching his West side in the person of Chelsea head coach Brad Bush. Bush and his staff oversaw three practices a day in the week ahead of the game in an effort to get their team ready.
"It's pretty crazy," Burchyett said of the preparation period. "There's a bunch of stuff to learn. You're trying to fit in what you'd have a month to learn at the start of the season into a week. Mentally, it's very challenging. You have to always be focused on what the coaches are teaching you."
Though he tied for the team lead with his two receptions and the 19 yards represented nearly a fifth of the West's entire 110-yard offensive output, Burchyett admitted he had hoped the preparation would have paid off with more scoring — and the win.
"We kind of assumed we'd be putting a lot of points up. We're All-Stars," he said. "But we kind of cancelled each other out. It's definitely a weird feeling, because all of us are strong players, but here everybody's strong so we're just average guys."
"I never thought it'd be 9-0," said Bush. "I really thought offensively we'd score some points. Our defense played great. It's frustrating. It's tough to get ready in six days, but they outplayed us. We were just a step away the whole game."
With the All-Star game (and his high school career) now behind him, Burchyett says he's ready to focus on doing whatever he can for his new team at GVSU.
"It's a good warmup for college football," he said of his All-Star experience. "I hadn't played since the season ended in November, so it was nice to put the pads back on and go catch the ball again. It's definitely a confidence boost going forward."
While schools are limited to a single player on the All-Star roster, Burchyett wasn't the only Saline graduate involved as Chelsea assistant coach and West receivers and tight ends coachGrant Fanning was a member of the SHS class of 1987. Fanning became only the second person to have both played and coached in the Michigan All-Star Game.
Other area players taking part included Chelsea defensive tackle Dean Roberts. Dexter outside linebacker Chris Marsh, Ypsilanti wide receiver Marvon Sanders, and Ann Arbor Pioneer offensive tackle Fadi Farha.
Staff Writer Jerry Hinnen can be reached at 429-7380 or jhinnen@heritage.com. Chelsea Standard Sports editor Don Richter also contributed to this article.
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