Troy Caps Undefeated Season with First Finals Championship Since 2003
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
November 7, 2026
GRAND LEDGE — For as many powerhouse teams as Troy has had in boys soccer over the years, it’s hard to believe that going into Saturday’s Division 1 Final, the Colts had won only one state championship.
Well, now make that two.
Troy claimed its first championship since 2003 and became the 20th undefeated champion in MHSAA boys soccer history as it rode two first-half goals to a 2-1 victory over Livonia Stevenson.
In the process, the Colts (19-0-2) completed an unbeaten season and impressive tournament run that saw them win all six of their playoff games in regulation and outscore opponents by a combined 22-7.
“First one in 23 years, and it was a big goal of ours at the beginning of the year,” Troy head coach Adam Spinks said. “To do it in unbelievable style, going undefeated, it was crazy.”
Troy opened the scoring just 5:46 into the game on a goal by senior Faris Ibrahim off a set piece. Senior Ryan Wind fired a free kick from about 40 yards out into the box, where Ibrahim got off a shot that went inside the far post.
“From the set pieces, we’ve been doing it all year,” Wind said. “Just trying to get the ball in the middle of the box. We’ve got two giants in there, so I was trying to get in there, help them muck it up and try to get the finish. I knew we had to start quick. We’ve been doing that all year. I knew if we got the first goal, we could control the rest of the game.”
With 16:36 remaining in the half, Troy took a 2-0 lead on a goal by sophomore and leading scorer Connor Hotts, who put home a loose ball in the box created on a flicked header by senior Cole Cusmano following a corner kick by senior Kevin Garay.
Stevenson got on the board with 13:05 remaining in the first half, making it 2-1 on a penalty kick goal by senior Niko Zhuli after a Stevenson player was taken down in the Troy box.
Troy definitely didn’t sit on its lead during the second half, continuing to provide pressure and possession on the Stevenson side of the field.
The Colts couldn’t get the third goal, but it ultimately didn’t matter because Stevenson couldn’t generate a serious threat for an equalizer.
Making its first championship game appearance since 2008, Stevenson fell short of winning a seventh title and first since 1996, but could rightfully bask in bringing pride back to a historically powerful program this fall.
“Two early (goals) and I think we were just kind of late waking up and reacting, which obviously at the end of the day is something that we can’t do,” Stevenson head coach Louis Sala said. “In terms of the fight after, I’m proud of the guys. I wish we could have gotten our line a little bit higher up the field as well as a little more hole to play. But it’s hard to come back from two.
“Give all credit to them. We got a goal back, but credit to Troy. They’re a really talented team. They’re hard to play against, and all the spoils to them. I’m super proud of my guys to be back here for the first time since 2008. I’m not sure any of them had been born yet.”
PHOTOS (Top) Troy celebrates its Division 1 championship Saturday night at Grand Ledge. (Middle) Troy’s Cole Cusmano (10) winds up for a shot attempt with Stevenson’s Kouta Cawood defending. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Lenawee Christian Nets 1st Title on Final Rush
November 7, 2020
By Perry A. Farrell
Special for Second Half
NOVI – Either Adrian Lenawee Christian or Grandville Calvin Christian was going to make history Saturday at the MHSAA Division 4 Final at Novi High School.
Both were primed to win a boys soccer title for the first time.
In dramatic fashion senior Francisco Cabrera made sure it would be Lenawee Christian, turning a great rush down the right sideline into a goal by senior Gabe Henley with 22 seconds left to stun Calvin Christian and give the Cougars a 2-1 victory.
Battling sore shins, Cabrera made it happen when his teammates needed it most by sending a pass into Henley to set up the go-ahead goal.
“I saw the left back make the runoff. I knew it was time,’’ said Cabrera. “Big players show up in big moments. I think I was lucky a teammate got on that one. I was going to try and look for a shot. I just put it out there, and a teammate came through. I have no words for when I saw the ball go in. Glory to God. We deserved this. The team and the school.’’
Henley scored both goals for the winners and kept an eye on Cabrera while he was making his run down the field.
“It was beautiful; his hustle along the outside,’’ said Henley. “Once I saw that he had beaten the defenders and I knew I was positioned backside … it laid out perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for anything better; right to my foot and be able to tap it in. I was hoping we could finish it there. We’ve played one time 110 minutes, and it’s just grueling. We just knew we could finish there.’’
Calvin Christian kept the pressure on in the early going and converted when Abraham VandenHoek directed a header into the net with 21 minutes, 2 seconds left in the first half on an assist from Andrew Heeringa to give the Squires a 1-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Lenawee Christian’s offense was being shut down by the Squires. In the first 25 minutes, the Cougars (16-2-1) had one shot on goal.
But 38 seconds into the second half, Henley fooled the Calvin Christian keeper and rolled in a shot to tie the score, 1-1. The goal was just the third allowed all season by the Squires.
“We really needed something to get going,’’ said Henley. “Anyone can score in the beginning, but we’ve kept our cool. We’ve been scored on, one of two goals, and we’ve come back. We were confident we could come back. We needed that.’’
“Let’s Go Blue’’ blared from the Lenawee Christian stands as the Cougars carried the momentum with time ticking away, although Calvin Christian just missed netting a second goal with five minutes to play.
“I felt like we played a little scared at the beginning,’’ said Lenawee Christian coach Nate Sharpe. “The halftime talk was you have to go out and play the way that got us here. You can’t be scared. They stepped up and did it for most of the half. We got an early one in that second half to bring it up. That gave them hope and belief that they could do it. Then it was just a battle back and forth in the midfield.
“We caught them on a transition at the end of the game. They were all up, the ball bounced up. We played it up to Franny (Cabrera); Franny beats them down the line and plays a great ball to Gabe.’’
The loss was the only one this fall for Calvin Christian, which finished 19-1-2.
“We play a lot better,” Squires coach Karel de Waal Malefyt said. “This was our first time here, and it showed.’’
Click for the full stat summary.
PHOTOS: (Top) Adrian Lenawee Christian's Scott Knoll (3) works to gain possession while Calvin Christian's Joseph Bos defends Saturday. (Middle) Evan Hendershot comes up with a save for the Cougars. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)