Preview: Soccer Finals Filled with Past History Makers, Potential Record Setters

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 6, 2026

This is nearly guaranteed to end up the most storied MHSAA Boys Soccer Finals since the sport’s inaugural season of tournament play in 1982.

Speaking of, two of the three champions from that first season will play Saturday at Grand Ledge to complete this latest campaign – Livonia Stevenson in Division 1 and Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett in Division 4. 

Stevenson is one of the most accomplished programs in MHSAA history, and it will play for the Division 1 title against Troy – which it defeated for its most recent championship in 1996.

Troy, St. Joseph and Liggett, meanwhile, will attempt to join 19 others as undefeated champions. St. Joseph and Liggett, in fact, can become just the third and fourth (and first since 2015) to go an entire season without a loss or tie. 

Warren De La Salle Collegiate in Division 2 is playing to become the fourth team to win three Finals in a row, but must take on a Bears team seeking to win its first. 

Elk Rapids and Williamston in Division 3 will face off in a rematch after Elk Rapids won their first meeting 2-0 on Aug. 29. Elk Rapids is riding one of the longest shutout streaks in MHSAA history, and Williamston has been the tournament’s most incredible surprise after entering the postseason with a sub-.500 record. 

And finally, certainly not to be forgotten, we have Muskegon Western Michigan Christian – Liggett’s opponent in Division 4 – set to tie Detroit Country Day for the MHSAA record with an 18th appearance in an MHSAA Final. The Warriors have won 10, good for second-most all-time.

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 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

LIVONIA STEVENSON
Record/rank: 16-4-4, unranked
Michigan Power Rating: No. 26
Coach: Louis Sala, first season (16-4-4)
League finish: First in Lakes Valley Conference Lakes and overall
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 1996, five runner-up finishes). 
Players to watch: Luca Allevato, sr. GK (0.59 goals-against average, 12 shutouts); Dominic Allevato, sr. F (13 goals, 4 assists); Niko Zhuli, sr. M (5 goals, 7 assists); Rocky Everts, jr. F (11 goals, 2 assists). 
Outlook: Even with Stevenson headed to its first Final since 2008, the Spartans still rank third all-time in championship match appearances and tied for fifth for number of titles won. They defeated No. 12 Hartland during this tournament run and total have allowed only three goals over six postseason games. Stevenson started the season 2-3-2 but has lost only once since Sept. 10, and the Regional title also was a first since 2008. Sala was an all-stater at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and then played at Northern Illinois and Michigan State.

TROY
Record/rank: 18-0-2, No. 1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: Adam Spinks, fourth season (55-14-4)
League finish: First in Oakland Activities Association Red
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2003, Class A runner-up 1996. 
Players to watch: Kevin Garay, sr. M (11 goals, 6 assists); Connor Hotts, soph. F (19 goals, 14 assists); Ryan Wind, sr. M (4 goals, 12 assists); Mateo Coronado, sr. F (10 goals, 4 assists). 
Outlook: Troy has reached this weekend after winning a third-straight District title and then its first Regional championship since 2017. The draws came against rival Troy Athens and No. 8 Birmingham Seaholm, and the Colts went on to defeat Seaholm three weeks later in a District Final. Troy also defeated Utica Eisenhower in a Regional Final and No. 6 Salem in Wednesday’s Semifinal. Senior midfielder Cole Cusmano has been another key contributor with six goals and eight assists heading into Wednesday, and junior keeper Will Horvath has shutouts in 10 of the team’s 20 games.

Division 2

ST. JOSEPH
Record/rank: 23-0, No. 1 
Michigan Power Rating: No. 4
Coach: John Brown, 14th season (196-78-26)
League finish: First in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Class B runner-up 1992. 
Players to watch: Jacob Gonzales, sr. GK (0.14 goals-against average, 19 shutouts); Remy Kelm, sr. M (16 goals, 8 assists); Evan Searles, sr. M (13 goals, 12 assists); Evan Hudak, sr. M (14 goals, 21 assists). 
Outlook: St. Joseph is seeking its first championship after winning its first Regional title since 1992, and will go down in history for a few more reasons regardless of Saturday’s result. The Bears have given up four goals this fall, which right now is tied for fewest allowed in one season all-time, and their 20 shutouts are tied for fifth on that list. St. Joseph hasn’t allowed a goal in its last 12 games, a streak that is tied for sixth-longest in MHSAA history. Gonzales ranks similarly on the individual record book lists for keepers. The Bears also reached 100 goals for the season Wednesday in a 6-0 win over No. 5 Holland. 

WARREN DE LA SALLE COLLEGIATE
Record/rank: 20-3-4, No. 6
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: Thaier Mukhtar, 38th season (636-150-103)
League finish: Second in Catholic High School League Central
Championship history: Seven MHSAA titles (most recent 2025), one runner-up finish.
Players to watch: Andrew Corder, sr. F (28 goals, 10 assists); Antonio Cardella, sr. M (14 goals, 4 assists); Settimo Leone, sr. M (7 goals, 14 assists); Dominic Baldarotta, sr. GK (0.56 goals-against average, 12 shutouts). 
Outlook: An eighth championship would send De La Salle into third alone for most titles won in MHSAA history. Corder and Baldarotta have been major contributors during all three recent runs, both making the all-state first team the last two seasons. Corder also has emerged as a favorite for the Mr. Soccer Award this fall, and junior Gavin Baldarotta made the all-state second team in 2025. The Pilots’ only in-state losses were to Marquette and No. 9 Detroit U-D Jesuit, and after also tying the Cubs during the regular season De La Salle defeated them in overtime in a Regional Semifinal. Mukhtar, who also coached six seasons at Fraser, is the state’s winningest in boys soccer with an overall 728-173-129 record. 

Division 3

ELK RAPIDS 
Record/rank: 23-1-3, No. 1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: Nate Plum, 19th season (315-120-40)
League finish: First in Northern Shores Conference
Championship history: Division 4 champion 1997 and 1998, four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jake Garrow, sr. D (3 goals, 4 assists); Mason Hilley, sr. F (19 goals, 15 assists); Drew Plum, sr. M (13 goals, 13 assists); Tyler Standfest, sr. M (28 goals, 14 assists).
Outlook: Nate Plum brought Elk Rapids back to the Finals in 2024 for the first time since 1998, and after falling to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 3-2 that day the Elks will attempt to finish the season with their first title in nearly three decades. Keyed in part by senior keepers Corbin Bogard and Caden Schlicker, they’ve given up only six goals over 27 games, and their shutout streak of 14 is the third-longest all-time. Standfest made the all-state first team last season, while Garrow and Drew Plum made the second team and Hilley made the third. Juniors Blake Springstead (12) and Noah Liggett (10) also entered the week with double-digit goals. 

WILLIAMSTON
Record/rank: 12-8-4, unranked
Michigan Power Rating: No. 25
Coach: Ian Kurth, fifth season (55-43-9)
League finish: Fourth in Capital Area Activities Conference Red
Championship history: Division 3 runner-up 2012, 2014 and 2015. 
Players to watch: Noah Bazil, jr. F (8 goals); Yasser Daik, sr. F (7 goals, 8 assists); Lincoln Rockafellow, sr. D (2 goals, 12 assists); Beckam Harbert, sr. K (1.47 goals-against average, 10 shutouts). 
Outlook: Williamston has been on a remarkable run. The Hornets went 1-6-3 from the end of August – starting with the loss to Elk  Rapids – through the first day of October, but have since won their last eight games with their last four over No. 11 Eaton Rapids, No. 15 Saginaw Swan Valley, No. 3 Flint Powers Catholic and No. 14 Grosse Ile. Williamston has outscored its six postseason opponents by a combined 17-3 margin on the way to a third District title over the last four seasons and second Regional championship over the last three years. 

Division 4

GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT
Record/rank: 21-0, No. 1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: David Dwaihy, 12th season (177-38-13)
League finish: First in CHSL Intersectional #1
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), five runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Liam Gady, soph. F (15 goals, 11 assists); Brady Ancona, sr. F (19 goals, 12 assists); Oliver Cooley, sr. M (18 goals, 10 assists); Brenden Logan, soph. F (16 goals, 8 assists). 
Outlook: Last season’s runner-up is back after falling to Leland in a shootout a year ago, and the Knights earned this opportunity with a shootout win over No. 14 Clarkston Everest Collegiate on Wednesday. Liggett otherwise hasn’t given up a goal in four postseason games and has 11 shutouts total. The Knights defeated No. 9 Allen Park Inter-City Baptist and No. 8 Hillsdale Academy during their Regional run. Cooley made the all-state first team last season, and Ancona made the third. Five more players entered the week with at least 10 points, including senior Landon Wysocki (6 goals/10 assists) and sophomore Will Lynn (4/10). 

MUSKEGON WESTERN MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 20-1-3, No. 2
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: Ben Buursma, seventh season (106-39-17)
League finish: Does not play in a conference.
Championship history: 10 MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), seven runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Braedon Hoffman, sr. F/M (14 goals, 9 assists); Tyson Annema, sr. M (14 goals, 3 assists); Hudson Fair, sr. M/F (9 goals, 19 assists); Carter Heimiller, sr. M (13 goals, 17 assists). 
Outlook: Western Michigan Christian has the second-most championships in state history in this sport and will attempt to win its fourth in five seasons after falling in its District Final a year ago. The Warriors avenged that loss in defeating No. 10 North Muskegon in this season’s District Final, and their only defeat this fall came to Division 2 No. 5 Holland. WMC also downed No. 6 Leland and No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian during this playoff run. Heimiller made the all-state first team last season, Hudson and Annema made the second, and Hoffman and senior defender Seth Moorhead (8 goals/3 assists) earned honorable mentions in 2025.

PHOTO Livonia Stevenson's Jack Bowen (10) pushes play upfield during his team's 2-0 Regional Semifinal win over Hartland. (Photo by Adam Sheehan.)

Preview: Finals Provide 1st & 2nd Chances

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 6, 2020

This Michigan high school boys soccer season started with unpredictability because of COVID-19. It will end Saturday with opportunities – some enjoyed for the first time, others as second chances.

The Division 4 Final is guaranteed to produce a first-time champion, as Adrian Lenawee Christian and Grandville Calvin Christian are both first-time finalists. Division 2 is similar – DeWitt is seeking its first title, and Richland Gull Lake is seeking its first outright after earning a pair of shared championships more than two decades ago.

And then there are the second chances. In Division 3, Grosse Ile and Grand Rapids South Christian will meet on the season’s final day for the second-straight year; Grosse Ile claimed a 2-1 shootout win in 2019. In Division 1, Detroit Catholic Central and Traverse City West both are seeking the second championships in their programs’ histories – West after finishing second in Division 1 in 2019.

Here’s Saturday’s schedule:

NOVI
Division 3: Grosse Ile vs. Grand Rapids South Christian, noon
Division 4: Adrian Lenawee Christian vs. Grandville Calvin Christian, 3 p.m.

COMSTOCK PARK
Division 1: Traverse City West vs. Detroit Catholic Central, noon
Division 2: DeWitt vs. Richland Gull Lake, 3 p.m.

All of Saturday’s Finals will be broadcast live and viewable with subscription on MHSAA.tv, with audio available on MHSAANetwork.com. See below for glances at all eight finalists, and come back to Second Half later Saturday for coverage of all four championship games. (The Michigan Power Rating noted below is derived from a team's success and strength of schedule and was used to seed Districts at the start of the postseason. The MPRs listed were where teams ranked at the start of District play.)

Division 1

DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record: 12-0-3 
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: Gene Pulice, ninth season (121-27-23)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2017.
Players to watch: Clay Moscovic, sr. F (7 goals, 2 assists); Jack Leuker, sr. M (5 goals, 6 assists); Ali Jaffer, soph. F (8 goals, 5 assists); John Browning, sr. GK (0.47 goals-against average, 6 shutouts).
Outlook: The Shamrocks are back at the Finals for the second time in four seasons to cap a run that’s included wins over No. 3 Mattawan and No. 6 Warren De La Salle Collegiate, one of three opponents that dealt them a draw during the regular season. (The others were No. 15 Fenton and No. 5 Troy Athens.) Moscovic made the all-state third team and junior midfielder Vincent Stockton (five goals, one assist this fall) earned an honorable mention in 2019.

TRAVERSE CITY WEST
Record: 22-1-2
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: Matt Griesinger, sixth season (191-23-13)
League finish: First in Big North Conference
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2006, runner-up 2019.  
Players to watch: Blade Kalbfleisch, sr. GK (1.08 goals-against average, 7 shutouts); Gavin Michael, sr. F (24 goals, 10 assists); Colin Blackport, jr. M (19 goals, 29 assists); Tony Gallegos, sr. F (18 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: West is seeking to take the final step after falling to Troy Athens in last season’s Division 1 Final, and the Titans defeated Athens in Wednesday’s Semifinal to get that chance. West hasn’t lost since falling to De La Salle in its opener, and outscored its five postseason opponents by a combined 20-2. Gallegos made the all-state second team last season and Kalbfleisch earned an honorable mention. Senior Kaden Ales (8 goals/11 assists) and juniors John Hirschenberger (11/9) and Cooper Davis (8/7) fill out a high-scoring midfield.

Division 2

DEWITT
Record: 13-4-2 
Michigan Power Rating: No. 6
Coach: Joe Ishraidi, sixth season (70-45-14)
League finish: Third in Capital Area Activities Conference Blue
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final. 
Players to watch: Patrick Woodbury, sr. GK (1.18 goals-against average, 6 shutouts); Landon Hungerford, sr. M (24 goals, 9 assists); Zach Stephan, sr. F (9 goals, 15 assists); Victor Toune, sr. M (8 goals, 14 assists).
Outlook: Ishraidi, a former DeWitt standout during the first decade of the 2000s, has the annually-competitive Panthers heading into their first championship game. DeWitt dipped to 11-12-2 just two seasons ago but is 27-8-6 since, with wins this playoff run over No. 14 Dearborn Divine Child and No. 5 Riverview. Hungerford made the all-state first team, Toune the second and Woodbury earned honorable mention in 2019.

RICHLAND GULL LAKE
Record: 15-2-1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 3
Coach: Matt Streitel, fifth season (68-27-7)
League finish: Tied for first in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Class B co-champion in 1993 and 1988, runner-up in 1983. 
Players to watch: AJ Boucher, jr. M (3 goals, 19 assists); Eron Sylejmani, sr. M (21 goals, 15 assists); Tyler Corstange, jr. F (15 goals, 6 assists); Braden Minehart, fr. GK (0.22 goals-against average, 8 shutouts).
Outlook: Streitel has had the program building to this point, following up last season’s 17-1-1 finish with second-straight league and third-consecutive Regional championships – and a 2-0 win over DeWitt on Sept. 26. The Blue Devils defeated top-ranked Holland and avenged a loss to No. 12 St. Joseph during this playoff run. Sylejmani made the all-state second team last season, and Boucher made the third team.

Division 3

GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN
Record: 18-0-1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 4
Coach: Jason Boersma, 10th season (166-42-24)
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), three runner-up finishes.  
Players to watch: Jeff Herrema, sr. F (11 goals/14 assists); Nik Schepers, sr. GK (0.57 goals-against average); Thom DeVries, sr. M (12 goals/6 assists); Boston Knapp, sr. F (15 goals, 5 assists).
Outlook: The majority of last season’s top players are this season’s standouts again, with Herrema a returning all-state first teamer and Schepers having earned an honorable mention in 2019. Herrema isn’t expected to start; he reportedly suffered a shoulder injury two weeks ago. The Sailors haven’t lost again since falling in last year’s Final, with that lone draw this season with Division 1 Caledonia. South Christian downed No. 5 Wyoming Lee and No. 7 Hudsonville Unity Christian early this postseason and advanced to Saturday with a shootout win over No. 1 Elk Rapids. Junior Levi DeRuiter (3 goals/13 assists) is another cog helping to make the offense go.

GROSSE ILE
Record: 19-1-1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: Jon Evans, fifth season (114-6-9)
League finish: Second in Huron League
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2019 and 2002, runner-up 2018.
Players to watch: Clayton Lafayette, jr. M (4 goals, 16 assists); Bosh Tanyi, sr. M (45 goals, 8 assists); Drew Cardinal, soph. F (7 goals, 11 assists); Hayden Watson, soph. GK (0.30 goals-against average, 15 shutouts).
Outlook: Despite graduating eight players who earned all-state recognition last season, Grosse Ile is right back where it ended 2019. Tanyi is the offensive force after earning an all-state honorable mention in 2019, with four teammates putting up double-digit assists including as well freshman midfielder Ali Khaled (2 goals/14 assists) and junior midfielder Jon Duke (2/12). The Red Devils’ lone loss was to Division 2 No. 5 Riverview – the teams split this fall – and they tied Elk Rapids early. Grosse Ile has outscored its five playoff opponents by a combined 26-1.

Division 4

ADRIAN LENAWEE CHRISTIAN
Record: 15-2-1 
Michigan Power Rating: No. 6
Coach: Nate Sharpe, fifth season (91-34-3)
League finish: First in Independent Soccer League
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final. 
Players to watch: Francisco Cabrera, sr. M (9 goals, 9 assists); Gabe Henley, sr. F (14 goals, 8 assists); Evan Hendershot, sr. GK (0.88 goals-against average, 7 shutouts); Brennan Griffith, sr. M (24 goals, 14 assists). 
Outlook: Lenawee Christian went over 20 wins for the second time in three seasons and has advanced to the Finals for the first time, with notable postseason wins over No. 12 Hillsdale Academy and top-ranked Plymouth Christian Academy. Sharpe does have experience at this level of the tournament; he led Hudsonville Freedom Baptist to the Division 4 title in 2009 and has more than 200 career coaching wins. Hendershot made the all-state second team last season, junior midfielder Jacob McKelvey (4 goals, 3 assists) made the third and Cabrera earned an honorable mention.

GRANDVILLE CALVIN CHRISTIAN
Record: 19-0-2 
Michigan Power Rating: No. 9 
Coach: Karel de Waal Malefyt, 11th season (146-60-24)
League finish: First in O-K Silver
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Ethan DeJager, sr. GK (0.10 goals-against average, 18 shutouts); Lukas Lindhout, sr. F (20 goals, 11 assists); Jake DeYoung, sr. F (13 goals, 7 assists); Jack Hollebeek, jr. F (13 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: Calvin Christian is in the midst of a two-year surge that has seen it go a combined 39-2-3 with a pair of league and District titles. The Squires defeated No. 10 Wyoming Potter’s House Christian and No. 14 Leland during this first-time Finals run, and downed its five playoff opponents by a combined 24-1. The regular-season draws came to Division 3 No. 5 Wyoming Lee and Division 1 Hudsonville. DeYoung earned an all-state honorable mention last season. Junior midfielder Nolan Karel (7 goals, 14 assists) and senior midfielder Luke Yonker (2 goals, 17 assists) have been leading distributors.

PHOTO: Traverse City West's Tony Gallegos (13) works to get past a Troy Athens defender during the 2019 Division 1 Final.