WMC Makes Record-Tying Finals Appearance Memorable for More with Shootout Win
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
November 7, 2026
GRAND LEDGE — Before this fall, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian goalie Kaden Peggar hadn’t played high school soccer because he was rostered with an MLS Next team.
But after some prodding from WMC friends and players he has known a majority of his life, Peggar decided to suit up for the high school team this year, and it was obvious to him what it produced.
“Memories upon memories upon memories,” Peggar said. “Full memories.”
The biggest memory might have been Saturday’s Division 4 Final, with Western Michigan Christian recording a 1-0 shootout win over Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett to claim its fourth title in five years.
Liggett was winning the shootout 3-2 after three rounds, which created some unforeseen angst for Peggar.
“I have a really good knack for (penalty kicks), and I feel like I can guess the side most of the time,” he said. “In the first three, I didn’t get it. I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ I got a little nervous. But I was like, ‘I have to get the next one.’”
Peggar did in the top half of the fourth round, and then senior teammate Tyson Annema scored in the bottom half of the fourth to tie the shootout at 3-3.
In the fifth round, Peggar made another save to give his team a chance to win.
“I decided to kind of go myself and go on my own instincts because in practice, I have a pretty high percentage guessing the right way when I go by myself as well,” Peggar said.
That set the stage for junior Carter MacKellar, who stepped up and delivered a goal to give Western Michigan Christian a clinching 4-3 advantage in the shootout after a scoreless regulation and overtime period.
“I always go to the left, and I practice that all season,” MacKellar said. “I just put it there, and that’s where it was going to go. It worked out good.”
For the Warriors, the championship completed a mission that started last year when it lost in a District Final to North Muskegon.
“They’ve been waiting for this moment ever since losing to North Muskegon last year in the District Finals,” Western Michigan Christian head coach Ben Buursma said. “So this was their mission, and we started as early as we could. These guys worked really hard to get it done.”
The Warriors claimed their 11th championship, and tied the MHSAA record for most Finals appearances with their 18th.
WMC, which earned a 5-0 Semifinal win over Kalamazoo Christian while Liggett won a shootout in its Semifinal against Clarkston Everest Collegiate, seemed to be the fresher team during the final 25 minutes, having much of the play on the Liggett side of the field.
Liggett generated some pressure during the first portion of overtime, but neither team had any great chance throughout the game.
Western Michigan Christian ended up with an 18-8 edge in shots, while corner kick opportunities were five apiece.
It was the second-straight year Liggett fell in the Division 4 title decider on a shootout, as they lost last year’s championship match to Leland in similar fashion.
PHOTOS (Top) Muskegon Western Michigan Christian’s Kaden Peggar dives to make a save during Saturday’s Division 4 shootout. (Middle) WMC’s Tyson Annema (9) controls possession as Liggett’s Owen Hermann defends. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
GR Catholic Central Clinches 1st Title
November 5, 2016
By Dan Stickradt
Special for Second Half
ROCHESTER HILLS — There’s a ton of pressure being ranked No. 1 in the state, a target for every opponent to try to knock off the perch.
There’s ample pressure just being ranked in the top 20 in one of the state’s four divisions.
Top-ranked Grand Rapids Catholic Central understood that fact entering the Division 3 postseason.
In a tournament where upsets were the norm, the Cougars kept their composure and made a run to the school’s first boys soccer MHSAA championship with a 1-0 victory Saturday over fourth-ranked Flint Powers Catholic in the Division 3 Final at Rochester Stoney Creek High School.
Catholic Central (19-1-4) defeated four ranked teams in its final four games of the postseason and outscored its six postseason opponents by a 21-4 margin.
“It was a challenge with so many good teams out there. But there were some life lessons about being No. 1 and playing like it. A lot of life lessons just about getting here,” smiled Catholic Central coach Brian Hughes. “I told them before the game that I didn’t really care if we won today or lost. They already won based on the (journey) to get here and the fact that we had to beat some really good teams to play in the state finals. They did it together. No one individual accomplished this.”
It marked the first-ever Finals appearance for Catholic Central, which took over the top spot in the Oct. 9 coaches association rankings and firmly held its position. The Cougars, who had never won a Regional before this season, solidified their lofty ranking on the season’s final day.
On the counterattack, Catholic Central broke the stalemate with 25:29 in the first half with its first shot attempt of the contest.
Junior forward Langston Cooper broke free down the right side before slipping a cross into the penalty box. Sophomore forward Jim O’Neal was in open space to one-time a shot from six yards out past Powers goalkeeper Brendan Tilden.
“I was in the right position. But to be honest it was all Langston. He did all the work down the side to get the cross over to the middle,” said O’Neal, who recorded just his sixth goal of the season. “It was unusual to score on our first shot, but we’ll take it any way we can get it.”
Defensively, Catholic Central stifled several of Powers Catholic’s attempts. Anchored by senior center back Josh Steffes, a Division I college prospect, and junior goalkeeper Noah Hughes, GRCC left the Chargers (17-4-3) completely frustrated and unsatisfied.
“We’ve had some good talent in the past — all the talent in the world. We just could never get it done before,” said Steffes. “We knew since the beginning of the season that this was possible.”
Catholic Central shut down the Powers Catholic foursome of Chase Knoblock, Bryan Lendzion, Steven Tuttle and Mason Smith, who came in with a combined 52 goals on the season. Powers had outscored its six previous postseason opponents by a commanding 27-2 margin with four shutouts in the playoffs and 11 total clean sheets on the season.
“We had a great run, but to be honest I don’t care if we were ranked fourth or 104th. I don’t think the guys are satisfied for just being here,” said Powers Catholic coach Tony Rowe. “We have a ton of juniors coming back, and I know they’ll remember what it feels like to lose this game.”
Powers Catholic came out and controlled play for most of the first half, with a shot by Knoblock only 20 seconds into the game which Hughes leapt high to snare. The Chargers just could not penetrate Catholic Central’s defense, which yielded just 20 goals over 24 games.
“I am proud of this group for what they accomplished the past few years,” continued Rowe. “The seniors set the tone. We’ve won league championships, Districts and Regionals over the past (four years). They did a good job of making it here. We had some chances. If we would have put one in early in the game, things might have been different. (Catholic Central) is a very good defensive team. (Their) tall kid, number 11 (Josh Steffes) had them very organized, and they had him shadowing our best offensive player the whole game.”
Hughes picked up six saves for his team’s 11th clean sheet in 24 games.
Tilden finished with six saves for Powers Catholic, including two where he had to punch aside consecutive shots in the second half by GRCC’s Fernando Garcia.
Both teams traded off 10 shots in the contest, with Catholic Central holding a 7-6 edge with shots directly on frame. There were no corner kicks in the game, although both teams had several long throw-ins into the penalty box.
All attempts were thwarted except O’Neal’s games-winning tally.
PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Fernando Garcia (7) works for possession against Flint Powers Catholic’s Dominic Ruth. (Middle) GRCC’s Langston Cooper (4) gets position while Trevor Purman defends.