Preview: Leagues of Champions, Part II
June 9, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Familiarity is the name of the games to be played Saturday at Howell’s Parker Middle School.
For the second straight season, both MHSAA Boys Lacrosse Finals will feature rematches of league rivals.
Detroit Catholic League rivals Birmingham Brother Rice and Detroit Catholic Central will face off at 2 p.m. in the Division 1 championship game for the third straight season. Ottawa-Kent Conference foes East Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central will play at 4:30 p.m. for the Division 2 title for the second straight year and after facing off twice already this spring.
Both Finals will be broadcast on MHSAA.tv, available with subscription, with audio available on MHSAANetwork.com. Click for more information, including all tournament results.
Below is a look at all four contenders, with player statistics through Regional Finals.
Division 1
BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE
Record/rank: 19-4, No. 1 at end of regular-season
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic High School League A
Coach: Ajay Chawla, fourth season (74-14)
Championship history: 12 MHSAA championships (most recent 2016).
Best wins: 8-6 over No. 4 Rockford in a Semifinal, 15-14 and 15-10 over No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central, 17-1 and 25-6 over Division 2 No. 6 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 17-1 over Division 2 No. 3 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 14-7 over Division 2 No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle, 15-5 over Division 2 No. 4 Detroit Country Day, 14-9 over Division 2 No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 10-9 over Victor, N.Y.
Players to watch: Erik Schmidt, sr. A (27 goals, 12 assists); Daniel Reaume, sr. M (38 goals, 22 assists); Jack Kelly, sr. M (70 goals, 25 assists); Nick Dudley, sr. A (44 goals, 11 assists).
Outlook: Brother Rice continues to be the only Division 1 champion in the history of boys lacrosse as an MHSAA-sponsored sport. But it’s had to survive a few close calls this spring and will need to be at its best in this next rematch with DCC. All four losses were to out-of-state teams, but the win over Victor was especially significant – it broke Victor’s 50-game winning streak, which reportedly was the longest active streak nationally. Schmidt, Reaume, Kelly and senior defenseman Carson Cochran all were all-staters last season.
DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 14-5, No. 2 at end of regular season
League finish: Second in Detroit Catholic High School League A
Coach: Dave Wilson, 12th season (164-76)
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up six times (most recent 2016).
Best wins: 12-11 (OT) over No. 3 Hartland in a Semifinal, 14-5 over No. 6 Troy Athens in a Regional Final, 13-10 over No. 5 Northville in a Regional Semifinal, 14-8 over Division 2 No. 6 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 16-5 over Division 2 No. 4 Detroit Country Day, 15-9 over Division 2 No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle, 15-10 and 14-11 over Division 2 No. 3 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
Players to watch: Peter Thompson, jr. A; Brennan Kamish, sr. M; Hunter Braun, sr. G. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: DCC will play in its fourth straight Final, again trying to break Brother Rice’s grip on Division 1, but got within one and five goals in their two earlier meetings this season. Braun made the all-state second team last season – Thompson and Kamish made the first team – and DCC has held opponents to single-digit goals in 11 games this spring. Its in-state losses were twice to the Warriors and once to Division 2 top-ranked East Grand Rapids, by two goals early this season.
Division 2
EAST GRAND RAPIDS
Record/rank: 17-1, No. 1 at end of regular season
League finish: First in O-K Conference Tier 1
Coach: Rick DeBlasio, fifth season (69-26)
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 17-7 (Semifinal) and 21-4 over No. 3 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 16-6 over No. 7 Vicksburg in a Regional Semifinal, 15-13 and 16-9 over No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 13-8 and 16-4 over No. 9 Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 14-8 over No. 5 Detroit Country Day, 17-15 over Division 1 No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central, 16-7 over Division 1 No. 7 Brighton.
Players to watch: Hub Hejna, sr. A (82 goals, 56 assists); Ben Keller, sr. A (48 goals, 22 assists); Luke Elder, sr. A (54 goals, 11 assists); Nick Milanowski, jr G (8.65 goals-against average).
Outlook: The Pioneers are hoping to avenge last season’s 10-6 championship game loss to Forest Hills Central after sweeping their rival during the regular season. A one-goal loss to Division 1 No. 4 Rockford is all that’s kept East Grand Rapids from a perfect run this spring. Hejna, Keller and Milanowski all made the all-state first team last season, and senior mid Joe Bolea (17 goals, 12 assists) made the second team.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS CENTRAL
Record/rank: 15-6, No. 2 at end of regular season
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1
Coach: Patrick Clay, first season (15-6)
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2016), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 11-10 OT (Semifinal) and 16-6 over No. 5 Detroit Country Day, 18-7 over No. 9 Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 21-8 over No. 3 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 17-10 and 13-10 over Division 1 No. 4 Rockford, 19-12 over Division 1 No. 5 Northville.
Players to watch: Bryce Clay, jr. A (93 goals, 61 assists); Tanner Hallock, sr. A (41 goals, 44 assists); Drew Bailey, sr. A (45 goals, 25 assists); Nick Carter, sr. D.
Outlook: Patrick Clay took over the program this season and inherited eight returning first-team all-staters: Bryce Clay, Bailey, Clark, senior Tate Bond, junior Patrick English, sophomore Logan Wedder, senior Jake Prinz and senior Jack Uecker. Hallock also was a top scorer on last season’s team – and with all of that talent and experience, the Rangers can’t be overlooked in this Final despite two and seven-goal losses to East Grand Rapids during the regular season.
PHOTO: East Grand Rapids’ Hub Hejna works to elude a Forest Hills Central defender during last season’s Division 2 Final.
EGR Denies Country Day Repeat Attempt, Delivers 1st Finals Title Under Past Standout
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
June 6, 2025
ANN ARBOR – In 2007, Kyle Osipoff couldn’t have imagined a much better feeling than winning a Division 2 boys lacrosse championship as a senior for East Grand Rapids.
On Friday night, Osipoff may have topped that feeling when he coached the Pioneers to their first championship since 2021, with a 15-10 win over Detroit Country Day at the University of Michigan.
“I won here. I graduated in 2007, so to be part of this (as a coach), is an honor,” Osipoff said of the title, his first as a head coach, and seventh for the program. “To win one with these boys is probably one of the cooler experiences I’ve had in my life. I’m grateful. I’m happy.”
East Grand Rapids (20-3) never trailed in the contest, as it was able to get out to a 4-1 lead in the first quarter thanks to three goals from senior attacker Gavin Buck.
“We knew that we had to come out hot, and that is exactly what we did,” Buck said. “The team was in it from the very get-go, and we just wanted this thing.”
East Grand Rapids was able to control play most of the first half, thanks largely to its success with faceoffs. Junior Kaden Goossens won all 11 faceoffs in the opening half.
“The biggest difference for us was the faceoff X,” Osipoff said. “Getting scored on, or scoring goals, knowing you have the opportunity to get the ball back every time is huge. Kayden Goosens did a phenomenal job for us, and he is a major part of why we got that win tonight.”
The possession battle prevented Detroit Country Day (20-4) from finding an offensive groove in the opening half. The Yellowjackets were held to just two goals over the first 24 minutes and trailed 7-2 at the break.
“We just couldn’t get into a rhythm,” Country Day coach Chris Garland said. “They won faceoffs and took the air out of the ball, and we just couldn’t get it back. (EGR) scored some really good goals early, and we got in a hole that we just couldn’t get out of.”
Country Day got more offensive production in the second half, but each time the Yellowjackets seemed to build some steam, East Grand Rapids had an answer.
Senior Bennett Winkel came through with a pair of goals in response to DCD scores in the third quarter, and sparked a three-goal rally to give the Pioneers a 13-5 advantage entering the fourth.
Country Day would string together three straight goals midway through the final quarter, but the Pioneers kept winning faceoffs to prevent the Yellowjackets from making a serious run at the lead. Goosens finished the game winning 26 of the 29 faceoffs held.
“I worked hard all season and I wanted to give my team the best chance to win, and that was by getting them the ball,” Goosens said of his play. “I think I did a pretty good job of it tonight.”
Buck finished with a match-high four goals for EGR, while Winkel added three.
“We are going to miss them. They are two seniors in Gavin Buck and Bennett Winkel that, when we are in a tough spot and need a goal, we can count on those guys,” Osipoff said.
Dylan Buck also scored three goals for the Pioneers, while Oliver Owen scored twice, and Owen Stropkai tallied five assists.
Country Day was led by Keaton Yearego, Luke Fisher, and Rhys Kenney, who each scored twice. Joseph North had one goal and two assists.
The Yellowjackets reached the D2 Final for the fourth-consecutive season, a credit to Garland, who is stepping away from the program after six seasons at the helm. Garland is moving to Baltimore, Md., and leaves Country Day with a 100-26 record, including the 2024 Division 2 championship.
“I think things are in better shape, and I am really proud of what we have accomplished here,” Garland said of his time with the Yellowjackets. “I have to thank the parents, the coaches, and the kids for all they gave. I will really miss the kids and the school, but I know the next coach will do a great job.”
PHOTOS (Top) East Grand Rapids coach Kyle Osipoff presents the championship trophy to his team Friday night at U-M. (Middle) EGR and Country Day players collide while in pursuit of a loose ball.