Drogosh & De La Salle Cap 3rd-Straight Finals Trip as Repeat D2 Champs
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
November 25, 2022
DETROIT – Two years ago, Brady Drogosh started at quarterback for Warren De La Salle Collegiate as a skinny, nervous sophomore in the MHSAA Division 2 championship game against Muskegon Mona Shores.
The University of Cincinnati commit and his Pilots classmates have come a long way since then. They’ve grown by leaps and bounds.
Drogosh & Co. walked out of Ford Field on Friday with a second-straight Division 2 championship after a 52-13 defeat of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central.
“I know a bunch of us walked off the field saying, ‘We don’t ever want to feel like this again,’” Drogosh said of the 25-19 Finals loss to Mona Shores in 2020, “and now we’ve gone back-to-back years going off as winners. I think mental preparation is a big part of it.”
De La Salle (13-1) captured its fifth Finals championship overall, and also fifth over the last nine years – the Pilots also seized titles in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2021. In March, De La Salle claimed the Division 1 boys basketball championship to make it three big trophies in two major sports over a 13-month span. Drogosh was among the football players also on the basketball team.
He exhibited major growth from his sophomore to senior seasons on the big stage of Ford Field.
Two years ago against Mona Shores, Drogosh was 5-of-11 passing for 59 yards with no touchdowns, and he ran five times for 13 yards with one score. Last season, in a 41-14 Finals win over Traverse City Central, Drogosh was 14-of-19 passing for 142 yards with three TDs and no picks, plus he ran 19 times for a game-best 173 yards and one TD.
On Friday against Forest Hills Central, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound dual-threat QB was nearly flawless in the passing game. He completed 21 of 23 passes for 249 yards and two TDs with no interceptions. He was nearly unstoppable on the ground, too, piling up a game-high 152 yards and three scores on 15 carries.
Forest Hills Central (13-1) was making its first Football Finals appearance since 1994, when the Rangers lost 17-13 to Farmington Hills Harrison in the Class A title game at the Pontiac Silverdome.
“I coach the defense, and we just couldn’t slow down the quarterback,” Rangers coach Tim Rogers said about Drogosh. “Why he’s not recruited by Alabama, I don’t know. He’s a darn good quarterback. He can make all the throws, he runs really well, he obviously checks a lot of things at the line of scrimmage. Man, he’s an excellent football player.”
As Rogers and his team found on film study and then even more so in person, De La Salle’s very large roster boasts several excellent players.
One of them, senior wideout Triston Nichols, played on a torn ACL and scored on a 9-yard pass from Drogosh to give the Pilots a 35-0 lead near the midway point of the second quarter.
De La Salle scored barely two minutes into the game on a Drogosh 3-yard run. The Pilots led 21-0 after one quarter and 38-13 at halftime. They put up two more TDs in the third quarter to go up 52-13 and start the running clock.
The majority of Drogosh’s numbers were accumulated during the first half.
The prolific point total was nothing new to De La Salle, which shattered its program’s single-season scoring record with 614 points. That eclipsed the 562 points amassed by last year’s team. The Pilots threatened the MHSAA Finals record of 56 points, but a drive to the Rangers’ 1 by the reserves was snuffed out by a high shotgun snap.
In five playoff games, De La Salle outscored opponents by a combined 223-42 margin.
“Coming in with this group three years ago, I asked a lot out of them and they stood up tall and they accepted every challenge we gave them,” said Dan Rohn, who took over as De La Salle’s head coach in 2020 when Drogosh and his fellow seniors were much less experienced.
“They might walk out of De La Salle, which has had some tremendous football teams and tremendous groups, as maybe the most decorated and successful class of football players. I know I couldn’t be more proud to be part of that.”
Rohn previously guided Grand Rapids West Catholic to four Finals titles between 2010 and 2015.
De La Salle senior defensive end Mason Muragin, who is committed to the University of Illinois, knew what to expect when Rohn took over at De La Salle.
“Three years, three state championship appearances, two wins – I think he’s really building a dynasty here and it’s an honor to play for him,” Muragin said.
De La Salle outgained Forest Hills Central in total offense, 476-151. Junior Rhett Roeser scored two rushing TDs for the Pilots, while senior Jack Yanachik hauled in a scoring pass from Drogosh. Junior Landon Ryska kicked a 25-yard field goal and went 7-for-7 on PATs.
For Forest Hills Central, senior Justin Osterhouse completed 4 of 14 passes for 84 yards with two TDs and one interception. He connected with juniors Roman Brummel and Ty Hudkins for second-quarter scoring tosses.
“We got outplayed in all facets of the game. That’s a really good football team. We looked long and hard to find weaknesses on De La Salle’s team – we couldn’t find it on film,” Rogers said.
Forest Hills Central played a number of close games this season, most recently a 20-17 double-overtime victory over Dexter in a snowy Semifinal.
The conditions were much different inside Ford Field, but De La Salle proved too much for the Rangers.
“A lot of people doubted us and before the year no one really knew what to expect because we graduated a lot of seniors (30 from the 2021 team), but this is the toughest team I’ve ever played on and the most courageous guys and it just means a lot to get here,” said Hudkins, who paced the Rangers defensively with a game-high 12 tackles and a fumble recovery.
De La Salle’s lone loss this season came in Week 4 against Catholic League rival Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in a wild 43-42 game.
The Pilots learned from that defeat, just like Drogosh and his teammates grew from the disappointing Finals loss two years ago.
“Me and one of the other captains, Dante Pancotto, who’s an offensive lineman, we watched the sophomore state championship game on YouTube and it really just shows the growth of how (far) we’ve come in three years,” Drogosh said.
“I think it’s all about the mental preparation. I think we were mentally challenged our sophomore year with COVID and everything, and I think we bounced back a lot our junior year and got even better this year.”
PHOTOS (Top) De La Salle’s Brady Drogosh (12) attempts to find an opening during his team’s Division 2 championship win Saturday. (Middle) The Pilots’ Triston Nichols (25) hauls in a scoring pass. (Below) Drogosh steps into a throw with FHC’s Nolan Hartl (21) in pursuit. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Bronson Football Raising Bar with Growth in Numbers, Growing String of Successes
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
October 6, 2026
BRONSON – Tony Myers remembers the excitement he felt 17 years ago when, as a player, his Bronson football team won a Division 6 District championship.
Years later, Myers, now in his third year as the Vikings' head coach, has fans in this small community located in Branch County buzzing with enthusiasm as Bronson seeks a third-straight playoff berth and upper-tier finish in the Big 8 Conference.
Bronson, 4-2, has big games left on its schedule over the final three weeks of the regular season against league foes Quincy, Reading and East Jackson.
But its lone blemishes came to Division 8 ninth-ranked Springport 35-14 in the season opener and a 22-14 loss a couple weeks later to Union City. The Vikings own an impressive 14-0 win over Division 5 Buchanan in a nonleague battle.
Bronson hasn't won a District since Myers' playing days. The Vikings lost 20-12 to Hanover Horton in a Division 7 District Final last season and fell in a District Semifinal to Schoolcraft 28-14 in 2024.
For several years the program struggled before finally seeing an increase in numbers and players putting in the work during the offseason to make significant changes.
"Our coaching staff has instilled that belief that Bronson can be successful in football. I always talk to the kids about integrity, discipline, honor and those things that aren't mentioned too much outside of football. Men of integrity expect to be believed, and if they aren't then they prove people wrong over time," said Myers, whose wife Kate is a 2012 Bronson graduate; together they have a 7-year-old son Korbin and 5-year-old daughter Charlie June Myers.
He and his coaching staff brought a system and have been successful implementing it across the program. There are solid numbers at the junior varsity and middle school levels.
"It's really exciting to see the growth of this program. We have a new weight room and growth in numbers. Everything has just been really positive, and the community has been very supportive,” said Myers, who is serving as a substitute teacher in Bronson's school district while pursuing an education degree. “There is a huge crowd that follows us, which is great with the situation we're facing this season with no home games."
Due to stadium and field renovations, Bronson has been playing its home games this season at Sturgis, Coldwater and Union City high schools. Thanks to a successful millage vote, renovations to Bronson's stadium are now underway. A new track is being installed, and the field will be re-sodded, along with the addition of new lighting, new goal posts and future plans for upgrades of the press box and seating.
Bronson's defensive unit has forced 14 turnovers in six games. Going into last week's against Maple Valley, the Vikings' hadn't given up a single point during a second half.
Offensively, the Vikings have rolled up 2,428 yards of total offense, with 1,565 rushing yards and 863 passing. Bronson is averaging 30.8 points per game.
"We have a goal for our offense to achieve 5,000 total yards by the end of the season. We've been pretty balanced both passing and running the football," Myers said.
Bronson's backfield is led by the senior duo of Reid Stukey and Ben Stevens.
Stukey, a 5-foot-9, 165-pounder, leads his team in rushing with 97 carries for 809 yards and four touchdowns.
"Our mantra is exactly with Coach Myers preaches in practice, hard work and discipline. These guys all show up every day and ready to work. That's what makes you successful,” Stukey said. “The culture we've built calms my nerves. I'm not nervous about any roles I perform on the field. We want to win titles and play for one another.”
Stevens is the team's second-leading ground gainer with 55 carries for 562 yards and eight TDs. He's also caught 12 passes for 183 yards and two TDs.
"Ben is electric and knows how to read blocks. He's patient and waits until that pulling guard comes around, and after he leads into that linebacker he shoots out of the gap and is off to the races," Myers said.
Stevens, a slot back and tailback, also plays cornerback and safety.
"My leadership and explosiveness, I feel, are two of my biggest strengths. I try to get everyone pumped up after we make a big play and celebrate," Stevens said.
Starting quarterback Owen Losinski separated his shoulder two weeks ago, forcing Myers to move Stukey behind center. Stukey is 9-of-16 passing for 126 yards and two TDs since taking over as signal caller. Losinski is expected back on the field later this week.
"Reid has done a nice job stepping in at quarterback. He provides great leadership and picked things right up and has been able to run our offense effectively," Myers said.
Bronson's most imposing figure on the field is junior offensive tackle and defensive end Kyle Hyska (6-2, 290).
"We have a great deal of size up front with good chemistry within the entire team. Our guys are playing well as a unit and getting better each week,” Hyska said. “We just have to have trust that the guy next to us is doing his job at a high level. I like that with my positions that I get to run through people with controlled aggression.”
Hyska has received a Division I scholarship offer from Harvard.
"Kyle couldn't even squat 185 pounds as a freshman, but he's since grown into his body and increased his strength. He has dreams of playing at the college level and has the right body size, work ethic and mindset to do so," Myers said.
Leading Bronson defensively is senior middle linebacker Caleb Harvey (6-1, 185) with 45 tackles, including nine for loss of yardage and two QB sacks.
"Caleb is one of our toughest kids. He doesn't brag on himself, but he's an absolute animal at linebacker,” Myers said. “He is a great leader, makes quick reads and is always in the backfield making lots of tackles and just gets everyone focused.”
Harvey takes a lot of pride in the Vikings' defense.
"Most of the guys on the team have been playing together since our days in rocket football. At my position I really get to see the field and make big plays. I enjoy leading our defense. We just all need to be in unison to reach our goals," Harvey said.
Thirteen members of Bronson's team went to a summer football camp at Trine University.
"These kids are hungry, but they understand that nothing is given to you in life. We've really tried to ingrain to this group that if there's something you want, that you have to work hard and go after it,” Myers said. “People are going to have their opinions and be critical of you. No one builds statues of critics, so we tell the kids not to let the naysayers hold them down. I'm so thankful our senior group bought into what we're doing at such a young age because now all our underclassmen are seeing they can be successful as well.”
Ultimately, the Vikings want to add some hardware to the school trophy case once the postseason rolls around.
"These kids have talked about getting some trophies to put in their memory bank," Myers said.
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Bronson senior tailback Ben Stevens (2) works to break a tackle against Buchanan on Sept. 25. (Middle) Bronson players (from left) Kyle Hyska, Reid Stukey, Caleb Harvey and Ben Stevens pose for a photo with head coach Tony Myers after a practice. (Below) Reid Stukey (20) tackles a Buchanan receiver following a reception. (Photos by Scott Hassinger.)