Richmond Remains No. 1 in D3
March 2, 2013
By Dean Holzwarth
Special to Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – Every time the Richmond competitive cheer team exited the mat after each round of the MHSAA Division 3 Final, its faithful supporters in the stands at the DeltaPlex showered down a rousing chant: “Back-to-Back”
The Blue Devils were more than willing to fulfill their fans' desire.
Richmond became the first Division 3 team to repeat after edging Pontiac Notre Dame Prep on Saturday for the title.
The Blue Devils, who won the program's first Division 3 crown last season following a runner-up finish in 2011, posted a three-round score of 768.64, while the Fighting Irish finished fewer than three points back at 765.84.
“Last year was special because it was the first one. But to do it back-to-back is really hard, and it has never been done in our division,” Richmond coach Kelli Matthes said. “And that's been our goal all year, and their theme has been to do what has never been done before. They came in today, and they just owned it from beginning to end.
“Sure we had some bumps and bruises along the way, and things weren't completely perfect today. But they did what they needed to do and they came out on top.”
Richmond's Joanna Fenwick, one of seven seniors on the team, said the Blue Devils had doubts after placing runners-up in Districts.
“It was a really rough year because we were District runner-up, and we lost faith, and then we went to Regionals and nailed it,” she said. “I love my team so much, and I couldn't ask for a better coach. This is the best feeling in the world, especially as a senior.”
The Blue Devils, who won the Blue Water Area Conference, set the tone early with a strong Round 1 and scored a 232.2 to grab the lead.
They extended their advantage to seven points after an impressive Round 2.
“I thought the first round was absolutely amazing and breathtaking, and the second round was really strong for us,” Matthes said. “Our signature move, the heel stretch, was a little shaky, but they bounced back from that and nailed their back tuck.
“The third round they needed to go out and do what they needed to do because it was up to everybody else to catch us.”
Notre Dame Prep made a late charge with a phenomenal Round 3 performance that resulted in a Finals-high score of 316.1.
The Fighting Irish's creative and energetic round helped them leapfrog Grosse Ile and secure their first MHSAA runner-up finish.
“Our third round cheer is the one we are most proud of,” Notre Dame Prep co-coach Beth Campbell said. “The team loves to perform it, and it is a crowd pleaser. Every time we do that cheer, the girls light up, and the best thing we have going for us is that round. It's a wonderful feeling.”
Notre Dame Prep entered the Finals as the top-ranked team in Division 3, while Richmond was No. 2.
“We beat them a couple times this year, and it was a neck-and-neck battle all season long,” Campbell said. “Tonight, it was their day, but we're going to come back fighting just as hard next year.”
Ironically, Matthes was Campbell's high school cheer coach at Lake Orion.
“I couldn't be prouder of her being one of my old kids, and it is really neat for the two of us to be standing here with trophies in our hands,” Matthes said. “It's cool to see what she is doing right now.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Richmond cheers during its Round 3 at Saturday's Division 3 Final in Grand Rapids. (Middle) Runner-up Pontiac Notre Dame cheers during its Round 1. (Bottom) Richmond poses with the championship trophy for the second-straight season. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Stoney Creek Edges Rival Rochester to Earn 1st Finals Repeat in Any Sport
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
February 28, 2025
MOUNT PLEASANT – Rochester High was “the team” for most of this season in competitive cheer.
But at the end, an extremely young Rochester Hills Stoney Creek team matured and improved just enough to prevail by a razor-thin margin in front of a loud and raucous crowd Friday at the Division 1 Competitive Cheer Final at Central Michigan University’s McGuirk Arena.
The Cougars had only three seniors on a 30-athlete roster, but the youngsters handled the pressure of the big stage to win with 792.38 points, edging Rochester (792.06) by a mere 32 hundredths of a point.
“That’s why I don’t look at scores, because I know it’s going to be pretty much a tie between the three of us every round,” said Stoney Creek coach Tricia Williams, referring also to the third powerhouse team from the city, Rochester Adams.
“I just focus on trying to get every last tenth of a point that we can.”
The pressure was intense Friday as Stoney Creek had to go last in Round 3, after near-flawless performances from both Rochester and Adams, which meant that even a slight bobble or mistake would drop the Cougars out of the top spot.
Instead, the young team delivered an inspired performance of its own to win for the second consecutive year – the first back-to-back Finals championships for Stoney Creek in any sport.
“We loved going last in Round 3,” explained Williams. “These kids don’t mind that at all. These kids can handle the pressure.”
Adams placed third with 788.62 points, followed by Hartland (786.06) and Brighton (785.12).
Rochester, which had 10 seniors, won the Oakland Activities Association Red and District titles, before Stoney Creek surged past them at both Regionals and the Finals.
Rochester third-year coach Samantha Dean, whose Falcons had to go first in Round 3, thought her team’s powerhouse performance in the final round was enough for the title.
“We went for it this year with our creativity and challenging the girls, and I think our Round 3 was definitely the most difficult today,” said Dean. “We were able to execute it to perfection.”
Rochester was looking to get back to the top spot after winning in 2023. Adams, which placed third, had placed either first or second for the past seven years in a row.
Sarah Adams – one of three seniors for the Cougars and the emotional leader of the team – was overcome with pride after going out as a back-to-back champion.
“These girls mean everything to me,” said Adams, wiping away tears. “There’s so much that goes into what you see out there. We stay in our bubble and push each other and encourage each other.”
She also acknowledged that having Rochester and Adams in the same District – all three schools are within four miles of each other – is a daily motivation.
“It’s such a blessing for us to have each other,” explained Adams. “It’s a huge rivalry, but it draws the best out of all of us.”
The other seniors for the Cougars were Sienna Wills and Grace Perrera. Junior Natalie Marco was a returning honorable mention all-stater.
PHOTOS (Top) Rochester Hills Stoney Creek competes during Friday's Division 1 Final at McGuirk Arena. (Middle) Rochester High competes on the way to finishing runner-up.