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.)
Turning Point Leads to Defining Moment as Cedar Springs Makes 1st Regional Final
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
October 23, 2025
CEDAR SPRINGS – The Cedar Springs boys soccer team was aiming to accomplish a program first Tuesday night.
The Red Hawks drew inspiration from an early-season setback to make school history.
Cedar Springs upset Fruitport 2-1 in a shootout to become the first boys soccer team to advance past the Regional Semifinals, and will face Traverse City St. Francis tonight for a Division 2 Regional title.
“Heart in my throat,” Red Hawks coach Chris Frilen said when talking about the emotions from Tuesday’s win. “We had played Fruitport earlier in the year and lost there, and it was a turning point for us because it was our first loss and it gave us a reality check.
“After the offseason, we thought we were great, and we are not losing, and then you get your butt kicked. So getting a chance to play them again on our field with high stakes ... that was a big win for sure.”
Cedar Springs (16-4-3) also reached the Regional Semifinals in 2023, but lost to eventual Division 2 champion Grand Rapids Christian.
After starting this fall with three wins, the Red Hawks were shut out by Fruitport 2-0 on Aug. 21.
“We lost earlier in the season to them. So we really wanted to beat them because it was a tough loss,” said senior striker Ian Steans, who tied the rematch five minutes into the second half with his 33rd goal of the season.
“That was a game we really wanted to win because no team had made it past the Regional Semifinals.”
In the shootout, athletic junior keeper Brody Klenk stopped two of Fruitport’s first three penalty kicks in dramatic fashion.
“We thought if we could get level with them then we can make this a real fight, and hats off to Fruitport,” Frilen said. “They just kept taking it to us, and we had to respond defensively. It was back and forth, but the guys were confident in the huddle going into the shootout.
“It was just really satisfying because one of our assistant coaches is an alum, and he was on a team that never made it past the Regional Semifinals and he almost broke down. I was right there with him. It was very emotional.”
The expectations for a successful season began during the summer after the team competed at the Western Michigan University team camp.
Cedar Springs finished unbeaten and showed signs of growth.
“The potential was there because we had a good group of guys, and I thought after that team camp that we could have something special,” Frilen said. “We did some goal-setting during the week, and they set their sights on Regionals as an achievable goal. And so for us, we thought we could do this, but it was one game at a time.”
Stearns is one of 10 seniors Frilen described as “the core of the team.” They also include captains Jacob Smith and Avery Umphrey, both solid defenders on the back line, and midfielder Austin Grice.
“We have a lot of confidence, and we can win in multiple ways,” Stearns said. “It isn't one person, it's the whole team working together and communicating. Going into the season, we expected to make it far. We wanted to win the conference and Districts and we didn't know if we would be here, but we are.”
Cedar Springs went through a short lull midway through the season when it lost three straight games.
The Red Hawks haven’t lost since.
“It was a rollercoaster for a while, but that was the moment we got quiet and talked it out,” Frilen said. “For us to go forward we said that we are much stronger when we are all together, and we all have to pull in the same direction.”
The Red Hawks will host against Traverse City St. Francis, which defeated East Grand Rapids 2-1 in the other Regional Semifinal.
The two teams squared off previously last month.
“It was a Saturday morning and they came down here and we won 1-0, but it wasn’t easy,” Frilen said. “You have to think they will have that on their minds, so we have to be watchful of that. Every game is different, and we know with the stakes as high as they are we are going to get their best. We have to be ready.”
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Cedar Springs’ Marcus McCarthy (20) considers his options offensively during a regular-season game against Traverse City St. Francis. (Middle) Ian Stearns pursues the ball. (Below) The Red Hawks take a team photo after securing the District title last week. (Photos courtesy of the Cedar Springs boys soccer program.)