Better Than Perfection: Brown Follows Team Runner-Up Finish with Singles Championship
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2026
ALLEN PARK — Grandville senior Ethan Brown has bowled five perfect games during his young life, incredible given bowling just one might be the highlight of many people’s careers.
It’s hard to believe Brown could do something that felt even better than all five of those perfect games combined. But he did just that Monday at the Division 1 Singles Bowling Finals.
Brown closed out his high school career by winning his first individual championship, finishing it off with a 419-384 victory over Salem junior Andrew Fsadni in the deciding match.
When asked if the title felt better than all those perfect games, Brown flashed a wide smile.
“A lot better,” he said.
Brown and the rest of his Grandville teammates went to bed Sunday night a little down after suffering a loss in the team championship match to Dearborn Unified. However, Brown quickly refocused and said getting far as a team paid big dividends for him during the individual tournament.
“Coming in here yesterday gave me a great idea of what to do today,” he said. “I really think yesterday helped me prepare for today. You just have to keep a level head. The more you keep your head clear, the better.”
Brown was trailing in the early frames of the championship match but caught fire from there, bowling five straight strikes to take a 30-pin lead into the second game.
Following an open frame early in the second, Brown got hot again, rolling six straight strikes to create a deficit too large for Fsadni to overcome.
“At first, my ball wasn’t really coming back,” Brown said. “I talked to my coach, and we made an adjustment. Thankfully it was the right one. We just moved more right and tried to keep it a little inside to try and control that pocket and move that 10 (pin) out.”
Grandville head coach Nick Watkins said Brown was an important bowler on Grandville’s Division 1 championship team two years ago and has been relied on as the anchor bowler for most of this year.
“A heck of a bowler who was believing in himself,” Watkins said. “This year, he stepped up in his leadership role as a senior and helped out the team. He taught himself a lot more. I just couldn’t say any better words about a kid to have on the team.”
Brown was the No. 9 seed out of the qualifying block and started his run with a narrow 380-374 win over St. Clair Shores Lakeview freshman Drew Dimuzio in the round of 16.
Brown then ran into a familiar foe in the quarterfinals, junior teammate Cash Pulcifer, who was the top seed out of the qualifying block.
Brown earned a 469-418 victory.
“We told them, ‘Whoever wins better go win this one,’” Watkins said. “He did exactly his job.”
Brown went on to earn a 437-423 win over Detroit U-D Jesuit senior Emory Stone in the semifinals.
For Fsadni, it marked a second-straight trip to match play after losing in the quarterfinals last year.
“I brought one of my urethane (balls) out, and I don’t normally throw it a lot,” Fsadni said. “But it looked great in practice, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m just going to bring it in here.’
“I had a great day. This was my goal all along was to be top two. Beat last year, because I have one more year to beat the last two years.”
The only sad part for Fsadni was that his team had six seniors whom he looked up to throughout his high school career. Next year, he’ll be the senior everyone seeks to follow.
“I’d never be here if it wasn’t for my team,” he said. “My goal (next year) is to get the underclassmen to find love for this sport.”
Seeded No. 2 out of the qualifying block, Fsadni first earned a 489-383 win over Muskegon Mona Shores senior Skyler Bosch in the round of 16. He then earned a 427-390 win over Troy Athens freshman Noah Magoian in the quarterfinals and a 405-388 triumph over Grand Blanc senior Lucas Knowles in the semifinals.
Division 4 Champions Add to Trophy Cases
By
Tim Robinson
Special for MHSAA.com
March 6, 2020
LANSING – Jeff Wyers is a rare coach who has reached the pinnacle as a coach and player.
Wyers, who was on the Grass Lake baseball team that won the Class D title in 1988, led the Warriors to the Division 4 boys team bowling title Friday.
“These kids don’t just bowl,” he said. “They hang out and have fun as friends. It brings you out as better bowlers and better athletes. We had great unity when I was in high school with the kids I played with. I think it goes a long way.”
Grass Lake won its second MHSAA Finals title by rolling past Farwell in the championship match, 1,257-1,104. The title was the program's first since 2011.
The Eagles got there by beating Rogers City by more than 300 pins in the semifinals, which worried Wyers when the Warriors got off to a slow start in the final.
“We bowled 153-158 in the Baker games, and they weren’t far behind us at that point,” Wyers said. “We average 203 in Baker, so 150-something is way below our par and I thought, wow, they could jump back in at any minute and we could be in trouble.”
But in the regular game, four of the five Grass Lake bowlers bowled 178 or better, while only one Farwell bowler rolled above 166.
Leading the way was Bradley Ramsey, who rolled a 221 the week after being left off the roster for Regional Singles.
“Bradley was lights-out all the way through,” Wyers said. “We have a seven-man team, and when you go to states you can only enter six. For him to step up the way he did was phenomenal.”
Jack Stapleton added a 216 for the Warriors.
The Division 4 title made up for a disappointing singles showing at the Regional.
“We got two in, but we were shooting for five, so we weren’t enthused,” Wyers said.
Wyers completed his second year coaching the Warriors after taking over just before the 2018-19 season began.
Bronson girls coach Tammy Smith, meanwhile, coached the Vikings to their second consecutive title in her first year running the team. She did also lead them to the championship in 2019 as an assistant, guiding the girls while the boys bowled simultaneously in their Final.
This title was the girls' second in four years as a program.
“The key for this team is they just stay together and everyone keeps each other up,” Smith said. “Everyone plays a part.”
Seniors Harlee Davis and Dakota Smith, along with junior Aubrey Weinberg, played key roles in Bronson’s back-to-back titles.
The Bronson boys fell just short in their bid for a three-peat, finishing ninth, 17 pins out of a spot in the bracket.
As a program, girls and boys together, Bronson has won four Finals titles over nine overall seasons; the boys team just completed its fifth.
The Vikings girls prevailed over a Kent City team, 1,095-974, that had four freshmen and a sophomore competing in the championship round.
“I’m just happy we made it through this far,” Smith said. “Hopefully the girls do well (Saturday, at the Singles Finals), and we bring home another title.”
Asked if it might be tougher on the coach than the bowlers in a championship round, Smith laughed.
“Sometimes, yes,” Smith said. “We’re always wishing they do well, knowing we can’t help them out other than being encouraging.”
Click for full girls results and full boys results.