Edwardsburg 'Family' Dreaming Big Again Building On History-Making Run
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
September 9, 2026
EDWARDSBURG – “Family” was Edwardsburg boys soccer's mantra last fall as the Eddies enjoyed a historic season.
Sean Jesse's team compiled the best record in school history at 17-2-1, while claiming an outright Wolverine Conference championship and raising a Division 2 District trophy before losing 4-1 in a Regional championship match to Hudsonville Unity Christian, the eventual Finals runner-up.
Even though a few key pieces are now gone who made last year's success possible, the bar still remains high at Edwardsburg.
Jesse's involvement with school’s soccer program goes back a long time. This autumn he’s begun his 15th year leading the boys and will serve his 16th campaign next spring as varsity girls coach.
The boys team has picked right back up where it left off last season with a 5-1-0 record so far this fall. Senior Brayden Fischer returns as the top scorer after totaling 22 goals and four assists last season.
"We lost some great players from last season, but we have lots of returners who can step up and fill those vacant positions and really help the team out," said Fischer, who has played soccer for 14 years and hopes to play baseball and study engineering at the college level. "Our goals this season are to become even closer as a team and to play better than we did the day before. Of course, we'd like to make it further than last year. Right now, we're just focused on growing as a group. I feel like my vision and physicality make me strong at the striker position. You have to be strong and be able to hold the team up. Last year's experience brought more of a family culture in soccer here."
Building a strong soccer culture hasn't happened overnight at Edwardsburg. It's been many years in the process.
"We've been kind of building towards this kind of family culture and atmosphere here at Edwardsburg for a while now. It's the result of having guys who are willing to put in a great deal of time outside of the regular season to become better players," Jesse said.
When he arrived at Edwardsburg, the program had at most five players who played club soccer during the offseason. Now he has 15 who are involved in the sport year-round.
"That makes a huge difference. When you have the fundamentals down, we can work more on the strategy of the game during the high school season," Jesse said.
Edwardsburg graduated a few key seniors in the spring, including star center back Austin Leak, but a majority of the roster a year ago was comprised of younger talent. Eight of the Eddies' 11 starters are back this fall.
"If we can replace Austin, we feel we could be every bit as dangerous as we were last year or even better," Jesse said.
Sophomore Conner Fischer, Brayden's younger brother, has stepped up big so far to fill that spot. The Eddies also lost standout wings from last year in Maverick Gates (10 goals) and Logan Stubblefield, but Jesse has found capable replacements.
"Maverick and Logan were our captains and great leaders for us. They were kids who could just go continually," Jesse said.
Staying humble will be a key ingredient this season.
"This group knows they are a good team. Right now, we are trying to find that balance between confidence and arrogance. I don't like to lose, but the early loss to St. Joseph might've been a good thing to happen to us this early," Jesse said. "It gives us motivation to keep working hard and get better."
With another year of experience under his players' belts, Jesse expects the Eddies to have a much stronger attack on the offensive end of the field. "We actually struggled to score at times last year. Brayden was our only player who was able to finish consistently," Jesse said.
Junior wing/forward Collin Tefft returns to the Eddies' 30-man roster after playing club soccer last fall.
"Collin is that dynamic and dangerous that every team we face is going to be afraid of him. Finding his way in our system is going to take a few games, but he'll get there," Jesse said.
Tefft has played soccer for 13 years, starting at age 3.
"Our guys want to pick up the intensity and work on getting better and not look back on any losses and learn from them. Our goal is to push forward and be better soccer players every day," said Tefft. "We have good chemistry and are always picking one another up. Those are big positives."
Senior Landon Goetz returns at holding midfielder and likes being able to control the tempo of the game and getting the ball to the playmakers up top. "Landon is our vocal leader. When he's on the pitch, we are a very stable group," Jesse said.
"I was an outside back for quite a few years. Once I got to high school, Coach Jesse converted me to my current position,” said Goetz, who plans to attend Michigan State University next year and study finance or marketing. “Two years ago as a freshman, I feel our team was a bit cocky. I think last year's success brought more of a humble atmosphere. That really helped push us to that District championship and to the Regional Finals.
"We're trying to remain close like a family again this season, but I think we're also more of a technical team ability-wise this time. That could help us go even further in this year's tournament. It's so early in the season. We have to just push one another each day in practice and build that connection. We're still trying to find that rhythm."
Returning for his third season as Edwardsburg's starting goalkeeper is junior Law Gates. He finished his sophomore season in goal with a 0.65 goals-against average and has made several saves already this fall, Jesse said.
Junior Aleck Rodriguez is a standout attacking midfielder and had four goals and 12 assists for the Eddies as a sophomore. "When Aleck is playing well, our whole team is doing well. A great deal of our attack goes through him," Jesse said.
Big contributions are also expected from senior outside back Chance Jacobs and junior Riley Szalai, who contributed six assists as a sophomore. "Chance is probably the most reliable player I've ever had here. He can play anywhere on the field and just doesn't make mistakes," Jesse said.
Jesse – previously a prep standout at Buchanan and a math instructor at Edwardsburg – understands how difficult it will be to duplicate the accomplishments of last year's squad. His team is the favorite on paper to win the Wolverine Conference, and Jesse expects the Eddies to battle St. Joseph for a District crown as well.
"It's always so tough because soccer is about different matchups. You might honestly be the better team in the state, and you come up against someone else who just matches up better against you,” he said. “Our goal is to win a state title, and I think we're good enough to do that. Obviously, things are going to have to fall into the right pattern for that to happen."
"Our Regional is a bit more manageable this year with some of the powers on the other side of the bracket. This is our year to attain some of these goals, but we will need a lot to fall in our favor too.”
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Edwardsburg soccer players warm up during a yoga and calisthenics session. (Middle) Senior Law Gates works on his ball control during a recent practice. (Below) Eddies boys soccer coach Sean Jesse, far right, poses for a photo with key returnees, from far left, Brayden Fischer, Landon Goetz and Collin Tefft. (Photos by Scott Hassinger.)
Preview: Boys Soccer Finals Guaranteed to Provide Unforgettable Finishes
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 31, 2025
A first-time champion guaranteed in Division 1.
The possibility of two teams finishing this fall undefeated.
A Division 3 team making the MHSAA Boys Soccer Finals despite entering the tournament unranked.
A potential repeat champion, and another contender seeking its first title this century.
The program with the most Finals wins looking to add one more, and a contender coming off defeating the top-ranked team now seeking to finish No. 1.
Those are just a few storylines heading into Saturday’s season-concluding matches at Grand Ledge High School.
Saturday’s first Final will be Division 4 at 10 a.m., followed by Division 3 at 12:30 p.m., Division 2 at 3:30 and Division 1 at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $11 and may be purchased online only at GoFan. All four Finals also will be broadcast and available with subscription on the NFHS Network.
Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 | Division 4
Below is a glance at all eight contenders, with statistics through Regionals:
Division 1
ANN ARBOR HURON
Record/rank: 17-1-3, No. 2
Michigan Power Rating: No. 4
Coach: Luis Gomez-Dominguez, seventh season (66-44-16)
League finish: Second in Southeastern Conference Red
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Kinley Poole, sr. F (12 goals, 10 assists); Malic Kasham, sr. F (13 goals, 4 assists); Philip Leucht, sr. M (7 goals, 3 assists); Matthew Pletcher, sr. GK (9 shutouts).
Outlook: Huron over the last two weeks has celebrated its first Regional championship and now first trip to the Finals, after navigating a tournament path that’s included wins over No. 13 Dearborn Edsel Ford and honorable mentions Troy Athens and Detroit U-D Jesuit. The River Rats have shut out their last three opponents and given up only seven goals all fall, with their lone loss 1-0 to Saline as the rivals split their season series. Pletcher made the all-state second team last season, and Poole and Leucht earned honorable mentions.
PORTAGE CENTRAL
Record/rank: 23-0-2, No. 1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: Tim Halloran, 12th season (175-57-28)
League finish: First in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Gunnar Thorhallsson, sr. GK (0.26 goals-against average, 17 shutouts); Max Bailey, sr. F (12 goals, 21 assists); Carter Seim, soph. M (11 goals, 11 assists); Marshall Neumann, sr. M (6 goals, 8 assists).
Outlook: Portage Central also won its first Regional title last week on the way to this first Finals appearance, and defeated No. 5 Clarkston in a Semifinal shootout to get here. But Halloran has plenty of experience coaching on the season’s last day, as he led Hackett Catholic Prep’s girls to three Division 4 titles and two runner-up finishes over a 14-year run ending in 2010. This is his second tenure with Central; he previously coached from 2008-14 and took over again in 2021. Thorhallsson has qualified for the MHSAA single-season shutouts list this fall and made the all-state third team last season. Bailey made the second team, and Neumann also made the third team in 2024. Seniors Gavan Sherman and Oliver Ruggiero also both had 10 goals entering the week.
Division 2
HUDSONVILLE UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 19-0-4, No. 2
Michigan Power Rating: No. 5
Coach: Ian Billin, fourth season (67-9-12)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Black
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2023), four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jackson Kamminga, sr. M/F (12 goals, 4 assists); Logan Lutke, sr. D/M (3 goals, 3 assists); Jack VanEyk, sr. M (15 goals, 12 assists); Alen Deppe, jr. GK (0.35 goals-against average).
Outlook: Unity is seeking its second Finals championship in three seasons and first in Division 2 since 2012 after most recently winning Division 3 in 2023. The Crusaders defeated honorable mentions Holland Christian and Holland High, No. 12 Mason, No. 6 Edwardsburg and then Cedar Springs to get here, and also downed No. 10 Grand Rapids South Christian during the regular season. Opponents have scored only eight goals against them. Kamminga made the all-state third team and Lutke earned an honorable mention last season.
WARREN DE LA SALLE COLLEGIATE
Record/rank: 20-4-2, No. 4
Michigan Power Rating: No. 15
Coach: Thaier Mukhtar, 37th season (616-147-99)
League finish: Third in Catholic High School League Central
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), one runner-up finish.
Players to watch: Dominic Baldarotta, jr. GK (0.65 goals-against average); Max Wyszczelski, sr. D (2 goals, 4 assists); Nikolai Zacharko, sr. M (10 goals, 15 assists); Andrew Corder, jr. F (38 goals, 15 assists).
Outlook: A year after winning their first championship since 2005, the Pilots are seeking their second in a row led by several players with big-game experience. Corder and Baldarotta made the all-state first team last season, Zacharko made the second team and Wyszczelski made the third. After finishing third in their league to Division 1 No. 11 Detroit Catholic Central and U-D Jesuit, De La Salle has outscored its six postseason opponents by a combined 31-2 – with shutouts of No. 9 Melvindale and No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood in its last two matches and a 6-1 win over No. 3 New Boston Huron in the Regional Semifinal.
Division 3
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 21-2-1, No. 2
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: Steve Bossert, 11th season (165-54-24)
League finish: Does not compete in a league.
Championship history: 15 MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Tino Haratsaris, sr. M (22 goals, 19 assists); Evan Stark, sr.; Micah Zacks, sr. F (15 goals, 14 assists); Mitchell Hamway, jr. GK (0.90 goals-against average).
Outlook: Country Day also most recently finished Division 3 runner-up two years ago and has its most wins in one season under Bossert, who now has led the team to three championship matches. The Yellowjackets’ only losses this season were to No. 4 Ann Arbor Greenhills and Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, and they defeated Division 3 Flint Powers Catholic and No. 7 Alma during the regular season before a tournament run that’s included victories over top-ranked Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, No. 6 Grosse Ile and Greenhills among others. Haratsaris made the all-state first team last season, and Stark and Zacks made the second team.
SOUTH HAVEN
Record/rank: 18-4-4, unranked
Michigan Power Rating: No. 14
Coach: Randy Bautista, first season (18-4-4)
League finish: Second in Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore
Championship history: Division 3 co-champion 2003, three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Noah Weaver, sr. F (17 goals, 8 assists); August Zoet, sr. F (24 goals, 4 assists); Levi DeLaRosa, sr. F/M (10 goals, 15 assists); Angel Barajas, jr. M (5 goals, 13 assists).
Outlook: South Haven has won 11 of its last 12 games on the way to making the Finals for the first time since finishing Division 3 runner-up in 2009. The path has been one of the toughest in any division. The Rams in the Semifinal handed No. 14 Fremont its only loss this season, and South Haven also defeated No. 15 Fennville, No. 8 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, No. 11 Grand Rapids Catholic Central and No. 12 Paw Paw over its last five games – all decided by one goal. The Fennville win avenged a 2-1 league title-deciding loss. Weaver earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
Division 4
GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT
Record/rank: 19-2-1, No. 6
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: David Dwaihy, 11th season (156-37-13)
League finish: First in Catholic High School League Intersectional 1
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Ravi Hines, sr. GK (0.40 goals-against average); Ollie Cooley, jr. M (6 goals, 10 assists); Brady Ancona, jr. M (12 goals, 14 assists); Brendan Logan, fr. F (13 goals, 5 assists).
Outlook: Liggett is making its first Finals trip since finishing Division 4 runner-up in 2019, and has four shutouts over its six tournament games despite navigating postseason matches with No. 12 Detroit Cristo Rey, No. 9 Allen Park Inter-City Baptist, honorable mention Hillsdale Academy, No. 8 Plymouth Christian Academy and No. 4 Lansing Christian. The Knights have improved seven wins from a year ago and tied their most under Dwaihy. They start only four seniors, with multiple underclassmen playing key roles.
LELAND
Record/rank: 15-8-2, No. 10
Michigan Power Rating: No. 11
Coach: Rob Sirrine, fifth season (78-34-6)
League finish: Tied for first in Northwest Conference
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2018.
Players to watch: Ravell Smith, sr. GK (0.72 goals-against average); Eli Ulbrich, sr. D (3 goals); Ignacio Creamer, sr. M (12 goals, 14 assists); Adrian Spencer, sr. M (16 goals, 3 assists).
Outlook: Leland has won three Regional titles over the last four seasons and broke through for its second championship match appearance with a 2-1 Semifinal win over top-ranked Grandville Calvin Christian. The Comets also defeated No. 3 North Muskegon in their Regional Final and clinched the District title with a shutout of Maple City Glen Lake, with which it shared the league championship. Smith made the all-state first team last season, Ulbrich and Creamer made the third team and Spencer earned an honorable mention. Senior forward Weston Burda had added another 15 goals and six assists heading into this week.
PHOTO Levi DeLaRosa celebrates during South Haven's 2-1 Semifinal win over Fremont on Wednesday. (Photo by Michigan Sports Photo.)