Plenty Propels Chassell Championship Chase
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
November 1, 2018
CHASSELL — Small school. Big tradition.
That’s pretty much the way it is at Chassell High School, which captured both the girls and boys Upper Peninsula Division 3 cross country championships Oct 20 at Munising.
Both teams won for the fourth time in five years, with the girls retaining their title and the boys edging 2017 champ Brimley by seven points (47-54)
“These folks brought it against some strong competition,” said sixth-year coach Marco Guidotti. “This team is grateful to race against such strong competition from all over the U.P. They’re grateful for family, friends and teammates that support them through it all. It’s nothing short of a privilege to have the opportunity to coach athletes of such character with steady support systems around each and every one.”
Guidotti and four seniors had a chance to reflect on this season and the program’s success Tuesday afternoon.
“It felt great for all of us, especially us seniors,” said Abraham Gockenbach. “We lost to Gogebic and Houghton this year, but we didn’t get crushed. We knew if we could compete with them, we’d be in the race (at Munising). Getting the championship trophy after a season of hard work was rewarding.”
Kurtis Kytta said competing with D-1 runner-up Houghton and D-2 runner-up Gogebic (Wakefield-Marenisco/Bessemer) helped prepare the Panthers for the Finals.
“The Finals kind of leveled the playing field because we were able to compete with schools our size,” he added. “Our (Copper Mountain) conference has been real hard the past couple years, and it pushed us to work harder. When we first started (in 2014), we never thought this would happen. We knew we had to keep working hard.”
Lela Rautiola remembers taking top individual honors as a sophomore two years ago. Cedarville, however, was crowned team D-3 champion.
“We were real close to Cedarville,” she said. “I walked away from that with mixed feelings. I was happy that I won, but disappointed the team didn’t win. I think that motivated the whole team.
“It feels pretty awesome to win it. This year we lost to Hancock in the first meet (Jeffers Invitational at Atlantic Mine on Aug. 28). It was a little disappointing at first, but it made us want to work a little harder. Then, we were runner-up to Marquette at Presque Isle (Park) in the next meet (in Marquette), which pumped us up a little.”
Jenna Pietila fondly recalled the Panthers winning the Houghton Invitational on Oct. 4.
“That was our last meet with Houghton and Hancock this year, and it kind of set the tone,” she said. “Knowing we could compete with them gave us a good feeling going into the conference meet and Finals.
“I remember when I was in eighth grade, we had no idea what to expect in the Finals (at Marquette) and we won it. It was total excitement. We weren’t expecting that to happen. We didn’t know what we were in for coming in.”
Competition had been tight among Chassell, Houghton and Hancock all of this season.
"We’re really grateful to be in position to compete that well against bigger schools,” said Guidotti. “We have an area with great coaches who show a lot of devotion to their programs. We started with a handful of guys and two girls. Now, it stretches down from the senior class through sixth grade. Being good teammates and leaders are things we put a pretty big premium on. It’s all for one and one for all.”
Guidotti also is grateful for the support the team has received.
“The support we’ve had is remarkable, and I think it’s undoubtedly linked to the team’s desire to keep proving that hard work pays off,” he said. “Every fall, my wife Sarah picks up the slack to keep our family running smooth at home, all while teaching and remaining such a positive influence on these athletes and the rest of the incredible Chassell family. It’s the only way I can devote the time I do to the team.
“Runners’ families open their homes and host team dinners to help them bond and eat well before races, and our local VFW opened its doors for a tremendous meal toward the end of the season.”
The Panthers also were treated to a meal the evening before the Finals.
“We went to Mr. Guidotti’s in-laws in Marquette and had spaghetti, bread and fruit,” said Pietila. “Then, we stayed overnight in Munising and did a lot of team bonding. It’s fun to be together as a team. The bus rides got pretty interesting, and we tried to have fun at practice. The whole season was fun.”
The Panthers then received a hero’s welcome upon their return from the Finals.
“Parents and fans organized the most wonderful welcome-home celebrations for the team with firefighters giving their time to lead us back to the school from the (Houghton-Baraga) county line,” said Guidotti. “Our community has expressed unwavering support to let us know they have our back. Chassell is a small town, but it sure feels big with the school and community support we’ve experienced.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Chassell's Lela Rautiola (263) leads the pack on its first pass by the crowd at the U.P. Division 3 Final at Pictured Rocks Golf Course in Munising last month. (Middle) The Chassell boys and girls teams hold up their newest championship trophies. (Below) Chassell's Ben Tuomi (486) edges Ishpeming's Jordan Longtine (931) at the Tracy Strom Memorial Invitational held in Ishpeming earlier this fall. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)
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Field Hockey Debut, Tennis Finals Change Among Most Notable as Fall Practices Set to Begin
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 8, 2025
The addition of girls field hockey as a sponsored postseason championship sport and a revised schedule for Lower Peninsula Boys Tennis Finals are the most significant changes to fall sports as practices are set to begin Monday, Aug. 11, for an anticipated 100,000 high school athletes at Michigan High School Athletic Association member schools.
The fall season includes the most played sports for both boys and girls; 36,210 football players and 19,679 girls volleyball players competed during the Fall 2024 season. Teams in those sports will be joined by competitors in girls and boys cross country, field hockey, Lower Peninsula girls golf, boys soccer, Lower Peninsula girls swimming & diving, Upper Peninsula girls tennis and Lower Peninsula boys tennis in beginning practice next week. Competition begins Aug. 15 for cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer and tennis, Aug. 20 for swimming & diving and volleyball, and Aug. 28 for varsity football.
Field hockey is one of two sports set to make its debut with MHSAA sponsorship during the 2025-26 school year; boys volleyball will play its first season with MHSAA sponsorship in the spring.
There are 37 varsity teams expected to play during the inaugural field hockey season. There will be one playoff division, with the first MHSAA Regionals in this sport beginning Oct. 8 and the first championship awarded Oct. 25.
To conclude their season, Lower Peninsula boys tennis teams will begin a pilot program showcasing Finals for all four divisions at the same location – Midland Tennis Center – over a two-week period. Division 4 will begin play with its two-day event Oct. 15-16, followed by Division 1 on Oct. 17-18, Division 2 on Oct. 22-23 and Division 3 played Oct. 24-25.
Also in Lower Peninsula boys tennis, and girls in the spring, a Finals qualification change will allow for teams that finish third at their Regionals to advance to the season-ending tournament as well, but only in postseason divisions where there are six Regionals – which will be all four boys divisions this fall.
The 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field will be played this fall over a three-day period, with Division 8, 4, 6 and 2 games on Friday, Nov. 28, and Division 7, 3, 5 and 1 games played Sunday, Nov. 30, to accommodate Michigan State’s game against Maryland on Nov. 29 at Ford Field.
Two more changes affecting football playoffs will be noticeable this fall. For the first time, 8-Player Semifinals will be played at neutral sites; previously the team with the highest playoff-point average continued to host during that round. Also, teams that forfeit games will no longer receive playoff-point average strength-of-schedule bonus points from those opponents to which they forfeited.
A pair of changes in boys soccer this fall will address sportsmanship. The first allows game officials to take action against a team’s head coach in addition to any cautions or ejections issues to players and personnel in that team’s bench area – making the head coach more accountable for behavior on the sideline. The second change allows for only the team captain to speak with an official during the breaks between periods (halftime and during overtime), unless another coach, player, etc., is summoned by the official – with the penalty a yellow card to the offending individual.
A few more game-action rules changes will be quickly noticeable to participants and spectators.
- In volleyball, multiple contacts by one player attempting to play the ball will now be allowed on second contact if the next contact is by a teammate on the same side of the net.
- In swimming & diving, backstroke ledges will be permitted in pools that maintain a 6-foot water depth. If used in competition, identical ledges must be provided by the host team for all lanes, although individual swimmers are not required to use them.
- Also in swimming & diving – during relay exchanges – second, third and fourth swimmers must have one foot stationary at the front edge of the deck. The remainder of their bodies may be in motion prior to the finish of the incoming swimmer.
- In football, when a forward fumble goes out of bounds, the ball will now be spotted where the fumble occurred instead of where the ball crossed the sideline.
The 2025 Fall campaign culminates with postseason tournaments beginning with the Upper Peninsula Girls Tennis Finals during the week of Sept. 29 and wrapping up with the 11-Player Football Finals on Nov. 28 and 30. Here is a complete list of fall tournament dates:
Cross Country
U.P. Finals – Oct. 18
L.P. Regionals – Oct. 24 or 25
L.P. Finals – Nov. 1
Field Hockey
Regionals – Oct. 8-21
Semifinals – Oct. 22 or 23
Final – Oct. 25
11-Player Football
Selection Sunday – Oct. 26
District Semifinals – Oct. 31 or Nov. 1
District Finals – Nov. 7 or 8
Regional Finals – Nov. 14 or 15
Semifinals – Nov. 22
Finals – Nov. 28 and 30
8-Player Football
Selection Sunday – Oct. 26
Regional Semifinals – Oct. 31 or Nov. 1
Regional Finals – Nov. 7 or 8
Semifinals – Nov. 15
Finals – Nov. 22
L.P. Girls Golf
Regionals – Oct. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11
Finals – Oct. 17-18
Boys Soccer
Districts – Oct. 8-18
Regionals – Oct. 21-25
Semifinals – Oct. 29
Finals – Nov. 1
L.P. Girls Swimming & Diving
Diving Regionals – Nov. 13
Swimming/Diving Finals – Nov. 21-22
Tennis
U.P. Girls Finals – Oct. 1, 2, 3, or 4
L.P. Boys Regionals – Oct. 8, 9, 10, or 11
L.P. Boys Finals – Oct. 15-16 (Division 4), Oct. 17-18 (Division 1), Oct 22-23 (Division 2), and Oct. 24-25 (Division 3)
Girls Volleyball
Districts – Nov. 3-8
Regionals – Nov. 11 & 13
Quarterfinals – Nov. 18
Semifinals – Nov. 20-21
Finals – Nov. 22
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.