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.)
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- Girls Tennis
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- Boys Cross Country
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- Girls Golf
- MHSAA News
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.