Notre Dame Prep Sets Pace Early, Holds On Late to Finish 1st Title Run
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 2, 2024
GRAND LEDGE – For 10 years, Rob Suffredini has been chasing the ultimate goal of a boys soccer Finals title with Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.
After the Fighting Irish achieved that Saturday with a wild 3-2 victory against Elk Rapids in the Division 3 championship match, he was thrilled, but also left wondering what to do next.
“I’m still kind of trying to process all this,” Suffredini said. “We chased it, we caught it, now what? There’s no practice tomorrow, there’s no team to get ready for. It’s a sense of relief, especially how this game ended.”
The Irish jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead and held on down the stretch to claim the first title in program history. They had made one trip to the Finals previously, finishing as Division 3 runners-up in 2000.
“It’s awesome to make history for my school,” said NDP senior forward Will Lanham, who had one goal and one assist. “It just means a lot, especially with all of my peers, the whole school, the athletic director and everybody (here). It’s great to finally win it for the school.”
Notre Dame Prep finished the season 23-2 despite playing one of the toughest schedules in the state. It’s a final record that even surprised Suffredini, but the competitive slate achieved exactly what he’d hoped.
“I really think that schedule, those level opponents and the pace of play that we played, (the Elks) weren’t really ready for it until they got acclimated,” Suffredini said. “Then they started getting into the game, but at that point we were up by three goals, thankfully.”
NDP made its presence felt early in the game, testing Elk Rapids keeper Jacob McManus from distance on a pair of shots during the opening 10 minutes.
The second shot, a rocket from junior midfielder Jack Kilpatrick, was brushed well wide by McManus, but Daniel Lebanion was able to get it under control on the left wing and send a cross toward the front of the goal where Ben Liparoto was able to deflect it into the goal and give his team a 1-0 lead with 31:33 to play in the first half.
Lanham doubled the lead 10 minutes later, taking a pass from Lebanion, splitting a pair of defenders outside the box before finding his footing and going to the far post for his 29th goal of the season.
Late in the first half, Lanham would get his 15th assist of the year, sending a cross into the box that Liparoto rose to meet with a well-placed header with 5:52 remaining
“We went out there, we gave everything we had,” Lanham said. “We have a rule: First 10 minutes, give it everything you’ve got in the game – intensity high – and we got three goals in the first half. We just came out flying.”
The gap in level of play early was also evident to Elk Rapids coach Nate Plum.
“We got to see for the first time the true talent on that other team,” Plum said. “It’s one thing to see it on video, it’s another thing to see – they don’t click off, so you have to give it to the other team.”
The Elks did find their footing late, though, and managed to make the Irish sweat over the final 10 minutes.
“We talked a lot about heart and grit in the locker room, that’s kind of what’s gotten us to this point,” Plum said. “I think you saw the heart come through, at the end. I wish we could take back a couple of those things, and I think our boys would say the same. A lot of emotion goes into this game. I’m proud of the way we finished; we never gave up.”
Elk Rapids got on the board with 10:06 to play, as Tyler Standfest scored on a flick header over Tomassino Offer who had come off his line to handle the free kick. The service came from Noah Bogard, who lofted his kick toward the penalty spot from about 45 yards out.
That was followed by steady Elk Rapids pressure, as it looked to draw level. The Elks nearly pulled to within a goal with six minutes remaining, when a header from Carter Denoyer went just wide.
Tempers flared not long after, with an Elk Rapids player shown a red card for a post-whistle foul on an NDP player who had just received a yellow. A second Elks player then was shown a second yellow, ending the match for him with 4:47 to play.
Even with nine players, the Elks were able to pull within one score with 32 seconds remaining on a goal from Jayden Hresko, which was assisted by Standfest.
“High school sports, man, and sports in general,” Suffredini said. “I give them a lot of credit. It just took a spark. It was unnerving. Those four minutes couldn’t go any slower, in my opinion.”
PHOTOS (Top) Notre Dame Prep’s Benjamin Liparoto (2) heads a shot past the last lines of Elk Rapids’ defense for the first goal of the Division 3 Final on Saturday. (Middle) NDP’s Will Lanham (10) works to gain possession against Elk Rapids’ Jonah DenHerder and Jake Garrow (14). (Below) The Elks’ Tyler Standfest heads a shot that gets past Fighting Irish keeper Tomassino Offer. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Star Seniors Emerge Amid Tragic Losses to Lead Manistee on Historic Playoff Run
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
November 7, 2025
This fall’s high school boys soccer season is in the books, and Manistee advanced to the Division 3 Regional Finals for the first time since 2008 with Max Scharp and James Jados leading the way.
Coach Brandon Prince is prepared to never have players like Scharp and Jados again. The senior duo was a once-in-a-lifetime combination.
But there was so much more to their stories.
“I think it says a lot about the characters of Max and James to keep doing what they did and also says a lot about the support groups they have behind them,” said Prince, who completed his 14th season at Manistee. “They never showed hardship from what they were experiencing outside. They just kept the focus on the team and what the team goals were.”
Scharp scored the District championship game’s only goal as the day marked the four-year anniversary of the death of his mother, Jessica. She lost a seven-year battle with breast cancer when Scharp was an eighth grader and older brother Jacob a freshman in the midst of helping Manistee make a run to the Regional Semifinals.
“I wanted to keep going in all kinds of ways — it was pretty emotional, and it kind of inspired me,” said Max Scharp, who suffered an ankle sprain in two spots as the Mariners earned a 4-3 shootout win over Standish-Sterling in the Regional Semifinal on Oct. 21. “She always liked to watch me play soccer.”
Scharp had 23 goals and 17 assists this season and was named to the all-West Michigan Conference first team and third-team all-state by the state coaches association.
He pointed to the sky after he scored the winning goal in the District Final win over Montague. Scharp then scored two goals in the Regional Semifinal as Jados, an all-conference center back, scored the deciding shootout goal advancing the Mariners to the Regional Final in Clare – where their season ended with a 4-1 loss to then-undefeated Fremont.
Jados almost didn’t have a high school soccer career. He played as a youth but had no intention of joining the Mariners until he was encouraged to play by assistant coach Wendy Adamski.
This season, as the Mariners were about to host rival Ludington on Sept. 10, Jados lost his home, two dogs and cat in a fire. He vividly recalls watching the house burn with Prince alongside him.
“We were sitting up in front of the house and it was still burning, but Coach showed up for me and I knew I had to show up for the guys,” Jados said. “I told him I'd be there and got a ride over there. I told Coach I had to take care of business at home."
The Mariners took a 1-0 lead on Ludington but eventually fell 3-1. The team wasn’t told about the fire until after the game was over.
“I ran down to see him and his family before the game, and I was talking to James and his dad and I said, ‘Don't worry about us, we'll take it from here, but if you need something, you let us know,” Prince recalled of the conversation at the disaster site. “I remember, and here's the emotion in that moment, he kind of pulled my arm and he says, ‘I'll see you in a minute. We've got something to do.’”
Jados played all 80 minutes that day.
“James was dealing with the circumstances that you know, a 17-year-old young man probably shouldn't have to, but he did, and he did it with such maturity and composure,” Prince said. “I think that says a lot about James.”
Jados and Scharp were two of five seniors on the Mariners squad that finished 12-9-1 and featured a sophomore goalkeeper. Lane Piper, who finished the year with 155 saves. The senior leadership was key to the Mariners’ success as they also saw 15 freshmen, one sophomore and a couple of juniors come out for soccer in August.
Prince said he knew from the beginning of the season that Manistee would find success. He noted he’s had great players and great squads in the past, but this year’s team was unique. The team’s goal was to go as far as possible – together.
“We put the team first and the program first, and they never stopped believing that they could be doing something special,” Prince said. “And, you know, being in this sport as long as I have, I can honestly tell you these kids were special in a way that I don't think I've seen on other teams.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) At left, Manistee’s James Jados (5) looks to his team’s bench after scoring the game-clinching goal in the Mariners’ Regional Semifinal win. At right, Max Scharp (10) celebrates his goal in the victory. (Middle) Manistee coach Brandon Prince, far right, talks to his team. Scharp is to his immediate right. (Photos courtesy of the Traverse City Record-Eagle.)