Hickey Joins Notable Coaching Crew as Adams Completes 2024 Soccer Sweep
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
November 14, 2024
When New Year’s Eve comes this year and the ball drops to welcome in 2025, Rochester Adams boys and girls soccer coach Josh Hickey might be hesitant to celebrate this year coming to an end.
It’s not that he won’t be excited for the new year. It’s just that it might be impossible to top 2024 from a coaching perspective.
In June, Hickey made history when he helped guide the Adams girls to the Division 1 championship with a 2-0 win over Hartland.
He joined the list of soccer coaches in state history who have led both boys and girls programs to Finals championships, a group that includes Barry Brodsky of Bloomfield Hills Marian/Brother Rice, Randy Heethuis of Hudsonville Unity Christian, Brian Guggemos of Okemos, Ken Johnson of Salem, Brian O’Leary of Novi, Tim Storch of Troy Athens and Clark Udell of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central.
“That’s good company to keep, that’s for sure,” Hickey said in praising those other coaches who have pulled off the feat.
Earlier this month, the Adams boys followed in the footsteps of their classmates from this spring, defeating Byron Center in the Division 1 Final, 2-0, to win the program’s second Division 1 title over the last three years. Adams downed Rockford in the 2022 Final, also by a 2-0 score.
Adams also won girls and boys Division 1 soccer titles during the same calendar year in 1999, but with those teams led by separate coaches.
Hickey said while each team had talent and players all came from great soccer backgrounds and families, the two championship runs were quite different.
“With the girls, I would imagine nobody picked us necessarily to go that far, especially at the beginning of the season,” he said. “Throughout the year, the girls were just super resilient. The expectation wasn’t there.”
It was a far different element once the fall started and the boys took the field, given there was a solid core of returnees and also five MLS Next academy players who decided to experience high school soccer for their senior year, including eventual Mr. Soccer Award winner Alex Rosin.
“With the boys, we had to battle through all those expectations,” Hickey said. “There is something with your mental toughness to see if the kids can even handle that pressure. They handled it better than I thought they would. It was never a concern or issue.
“The girls came in and just wanted a good year and then ended up having the most success they could ever imagine. The boys came in telling me they wanted to win the whole thing from day one.”
On Oct. 30 – when the Adams boys team defeated Saline in their Semifinal (2-1 in penalty kicks) – it just so happened to be the same day the girls team got its championship rings.
“Some of the girls came and showed us during lunch and throughout the day,” Rosin said. “It just gave us extra motivation. We had to win two more, and we successfully did. At the time, we wanted it so bad and we saw them wear the rings at school. It made us want it even more.”
For the record, Rosin said playing high school soccer — even if it was just for one year — was an experience he’ll never forget.
“Hickey played me at every position,” Rosin said. “It was a good experience to learn the game in a different way. Just kind of push myself and test myself every day. Different positions and trying to become the best player I can be.
“One thing I’ll take away is the memories and new bonds I made with my teammates. It was something incredible.”
Despite the boys season being over, Hickey said the transition to girls season will wait a bit. There is still the matter of the postseason banquet to attend to, as well as championship celebrations such as meeting the mayor of Rochester Hills and marching in the downtown Rochester Christmas parade.
But once the celebrations slow down and the holidays come to end, all attention will turn to the girls season and the run for a repeat next spring.
The Adams girls program has never won consecutive Finals titles, but should be well-equipped to give it a go.
“A lot of players come back from the starting group,” Hickey said. “We also had girls waiting in the wings waiting to play. We’re excited for it.”
While it will be difficult for Hickey and Adams soccer to say farewell to 2024, there clearly is a lot to look forward to for 2025 as well.
Keith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Rochester Adams soccer coach Josh Hickey shows the Division 1 championship trophy after his boys team defeated Byron Center on Nov. 2 at Grand Ledge High School. (Middle) Hickey, far left, takes his spot in the team photo after Adams’ girls won the Division 1 title in June at Michigan State’s DeMartin Stadium.
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.)