Rivals Meet to Battle Childhood Cancer
October 5, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Nearly 2,000 fans filled the Okemos High School soccer stands Saturday, Sept. 26, to watch two of Michigan’s top high school teams face off in one of mid-Michigan’s most heated rivalry games – and also to help those rivals support research and treatment of childhood cancer.
This season’s “Compete for a Cause” game raised a record $25,000, with additional donations still rolling in this week. For their work in bringing awareness and funding to a cause close to both programs, the Mason and Okemos boys varsity soccer teams have been named the inaugural Applebee’s MHSAA Teams of the Month.
This was the fourth Compete for a Cause game, an event created by the Mason team and coaching staff during the 2012 season. The first two games featured Mason versus Eaton Rapids, with Mason then partnering with Okemos in last season’s “Compete” game that drew 1,400 fans and raised $11,000. Both the Bulldogs and Chiefs programs have ties to childhood cancer, and this season’s proceeds will be presented to the Michigan State University Pediatric Oncology Clinic and St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
Okemos installed portable lights for this season’s game, and players for both teams wore special jerseys bearing names on the back to honor loved ones who have been impacted by the disease.
“It was already a huge game to start with,” said Okemos senior Josh Duren, whose younger sister Paige is a cancer survivor. “And then you add a couple names to the back of shirts, and a bigger cause than just a game, and it’s amazing.”
The Chiefs claimed the victory on the field, 2-0. Mason is ranked No. 5 in the Lower Peninsula Division 2 coaches poll and formerly held the top spot, while Okemos has been ranked as high as No. 15 in Division 1.
Each month during the 2015-16 school year, Applebee’s will recognize a Michigan high school team or teams not only for performances on the field of play, but also in the classroom and community.
PHOTO: Mason and Okemos players walk to midfield during a pregame ceremony before their "Compete for a Cause" game Sept. 26. (Photo by John Johnson.)
Be the Referee: Soccer Overtime
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
June 3, 2025
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Soccer Overtime - Listen
In the postseason, games obviously can’t end in a tie.
Soccer – a sport famous for ties – settles a game tied at the end of regulation with two 10-minute overtime periods. There’s no golden goal or sudden victory – so if a game is still tied at the end of OT, it’s on to penalty kicks.
Each team selects five players from their rosters to participate, and the teams alternate kicks. The team that scores the most from their five kicks is the winner.
But what if we’re still tied at the end of five penalty kicks?
Then another set of five kickers is picked – none of the first five can be re-used – and it’s played sudden-victory style. The first team to score and stop their opponent is the winner.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
May 28: Track & Field False Starts & Restarts - Listen
May 21: Fixed Obstruction in Tennis - Listen
May 13: Golf Cart Path Roll - Listen
May 6: Illegal Softball Bats - Listen
April 30: Golf Relief - Listen
April 22: Soccer Scoring Area Penalty - Listen
April 15: Fair or Foul? - Listen
April 8: Girls Lacrosse New Stoppage Rule - Listen
April 1: Base Runner Interference - Listen
March 25: Pine Tar Usage - Listen
March 11: Basketball Replay - Listen
March 4: Gymnastics Deduction - Listen
Feb. 25: Competitive Cheer Inversion - Listen
Feb. 18: Ice Hockey Delay of Game - Listen
Feb. 11: Ski Helmets - Listen
Feb. 4: Wrestling In Bounds or Out? - Listen
Jan. 21: Block or Charge? - Listen
Jan. 14: Out of Bounds, In Play - Listen
Jan. 7: Wrestling Scoring - Listen
Dec. 17: Bowling Ball Rules - Listen
Dec. 10: Neck Laceration Protector - Listen
Dec. 3: Basketball Goaltending - Listen
Nov. 26: 11-Player Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 19: 8-Player vs. 11-Player Football - Listen
Nov. 12: Back Row Setter - Listen
Nov. 5: Football OT - Listen
Oct. 29: Officials Registration - Listen
Oct. 22: Volleyball Serve - Listen
Oct. 15: "You Make the Call" - Soccer Offside - Listen
Oct. 8: Roughing the Passer - Listen
Oct. 1: Abnormal Course Condition - Listen
Sept. 25: Tennis Nets - Listen
Sept. 18: Libero - Listen
Sept. 10: Cross Country Uniforms - Listen
Sept. 3: Soccer Handling - Listen
Aug. 24: Football Holding - Listen
PHOTO Ishpeming Westwood, Negaunee and Ishpeming High runners round the first curve during the boys 1,600 at the WIN Meet on May 6 in Ishpeming. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)