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.)
Second-Half Surge Nets Western Michigan Christian's 9th Finals Victory
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
November 4, 2023
GRAND LEDGE – Muskegon Western Michigan Christian was seeking its ninth MHSAA Finals boys soccer title Saturday at Grand Ledge High School.
The scoring floodgates opened in the second half, and the Warriors prevailed 3-0 over Madison Heights Bishop Foley to earn a second-straight Division 4 championship and finish this fall 21-2-3.
After a scoreless first half, senior Charlie Buursma took a pass from Cole DeJonge and trickled it into the net at the 35 minute, 43 second mark of the second half for the game’s first score. It was DeJonge’s 23rd assist of the season and the biggest.
Tekalegn Vlasma tacked on his 25th goal of the season to make it 2-0 at the 27:03 mark with an assist from Buursma. Three minutes later, Vlasma scored his second of the championship with an assist from Buursma to make it 3-0.
“We were really prepared; Coach had us ready,’’ Vlasma said. “They came out and dominated. Second half coach got us mentally prepared. Nothing really changed like we did against Leland in the last game. (On the first goal) the keeper was out and I put it in. After Charlie scored, we knew they couldn’t get one. They hadn’t had a chance all half. We knew if we got one that was it. The second one we got the ball out wide and tapped it in. It was really simple.
“The one goal we gave up in the tournament was a scrappy goal. I just shows how dominant we were in the tournament.’’
The Warriors came into the championship with an impressive resume. They had won Division 4 titles in 2022, 2019, 2010, 2007, 2004 and 2003, tied Detroit Country Day in Class C-D in 1998 and claimed the Class D championship in 1995. They also had finished runners-up six times.
Only Detroit Country Day with 15 titles has more than the Warriors.
Bishop Foley (18-4-1) won a Finals title in 1988 and was a runner-up in 1985.
Each had great scoring chances late in the first half but Bishop Foley goalkeeper Greg Altman and Warriors goalie Daniel Minasian were up to the challenge as the first half ended scoreless.
“I just started taking it down the line in the second half,’’ said Buursma. “The first half I was going up the middle and cutting in trying to find my teammates. Taking it down the line seemed to be the right thing to do. The first goal T (Vlasma) scored it; (he) cut in the middle on his second goal. The first goal I was just running across. He had two goals in the state finals. Incredible.
“This feels great. Everything I’ve been working for in four years as a varsity player. I just loved knowing when my last game was going to be. There would be no loss in the Districts or Regional.’’
When Ben Buursma took over, the program was in transition. Four years later there are two more Division 4 titles.
“We were in a rebuild,’’ said the coach. “We were intentional about changing the culture and made sure we had high-quality guys, high-character guys that were there to play the game. It took three years to get into it, and now we’re enjoying the fruits of that.’’
PHOTOS (Top) Muskegon Western Michigan Christian’s Tekalegn Vlasma (15) celebrates one of his two goals during Saturday’s Division 4 Final at Grand Ledge. (Middle) WMC’s Caleb McKay (14) works to gain possession.