Did you see that?
May 29, 2012
The last full week of May usually represents the calm before the storm, at least relatively speaking, that is the MHSAA Spring Finals.
Although the weekend is generally one of the calmest of the season, the week was again filled with local championships, plus the start of lacrosse Regional play.
Here’s our look at some of the highlights from May 21-26:
Track and Field
All Tech in the PSL: Detroit Cass Tech’s girls and boys teams swept the Detroit Public School League championships Thursday, finishing ahead of Renaissance atop the standings in both meets. The girls are the reigning MHSAA Division 1 runner-up and led by senior Kyra Jefferson, who will run at the University of Florida next season. The boys team has hints of the team that won the MHSAA Division 1 football championship in the fall – this team also is coached by Thomas Wilcher, and quarterback Jayru Campbell was among those who shined. (Detroit News)
Still Hornets, with a side of Cougars: In a matchup of two of the best in Michigan from Divisions 2 and 3, the Williamston boys and girls again won Capital Area Activities Conference White championship meet titles -- with Lansing Catholic's boys then splitting the overall league title with Williamston. The Hornets boys are ranked No. 3 in Division 2 and the Cougars are No. 1 in Division 3. Williamston and Lansing Catholic's girls are both ranked No. 5 in their respective divisions. (Lansing State Journal)
Soccer
Okemos claims Gold: The Lansing area boasts top-four ranked teams in all four divisions, and two met for the CAAC Gold Cup championship Thursday – with Division 1 No. 2 Okemos downing Division 2 No. 4 DeWitt 3-1. The CAAC Cup pulls teams from each of its four divisions into a series of tournaments, based on league standings, with the top teams from each division playing for the Golf Cup. To advance to the championship game, DeWitt downed Division 3 No. 3 Williamston in a semifinal, while Okemos beat Division 2 honorable mention Mason. (Lansing State Journal)
Lacrosse
Final countdown: Girls and boys teams statewide began Regionals, with those finishing up this weekend. Of the few early games, the most significant might’ve been in Division 2 girls, where No. 9 Farmington Hills Mercy defeated Ann Arbor Skyline 18-6. (Observor & Eccentric)
Golf
Best by the Bay: For the first time in 18 seasons, Essexville-Garber won the Bay County Invitational, which matches teams from the Bay City area including larger Bay City Central and Western. (Bay City Times)
Fennville
Wes remembered: When Fennville’s Class of 2012 walked Thursday, Wes Leonard was with them. This year’s commencement included a remembrance of the standout, who died on March 3, 2011, as a junior, of cardiac arrest moments after hitting the game-winning shot for his basketball team. Classmate and close friend Selena Beltran-Pena walked with an additional cap, for Leonard, with accompanied by Leonard’s younger brother Mitchell. (Holland Sentinel)
Editor's note: Did we miss something? Comment below and tell us about it. Is there an event coming up that we should make sure to note? Comment or e-mail [email protected].
Edison Ends 2023-24 Winter Season Back at Breslin, Back on Top
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 23, 2024
EAST LANSING – Detroit Edison wanted the opportunity to gain redemption in its return to Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.
The Pioneers needed stout defense during the final quarter Saturday to accomplish that goal.
Edison held Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard to only three fourth-quarter points on its way to a 41-33 win in Saturday’s Division 2 title game.
The Pioneers (23-3) won the program’s fifth Finals championship over the last 10 years and handed the Irish their only loss of the season.
“We set a goal, and that was to go back here and win,” said Edison coach Monique Brown, whose team lost in a Regional Final last year after winning Division 2 in 2022.
“I gave them a theme this year, and it was leadership. We had six seniors, and they bought into everything we were doing. To see them fight through adversity at the end of the game was great. We made a run, and we fought through. We wanted to be smiling at the end of the year, and we are.”
Edison led 22-17 at the half and still maintained a slight edge going into the fourth quarter when Myana Cooksey dropped in a short baseline jumper to make it 34-30.
The Irish trimmed Edison’s lead to one (34-33) when Cora Williams scored inside and converted the and-one with 4:49 left.
But the Pioneers held the Irish scoreless the rest of the game.
“There was a little squabble that happened, and I think it woke us up and gave us a kickstart,” Brown said. “I told them it wasn’t a boxing match, it was a basketball game and we had to score the ball and play good defense.
“We do so many defensive drills, and we started something the last two weeks where we play defense for a whole minute. If you want to win you have to play defense and make sure they don’t get good shots.”
Senior Isis Johnson-Musah led the Pioneers with 16 points and five rebounds, while Cooksey finished with nine points and six boards.
“To come in here in my first year and help them win their fifth (championship) means a lot,” Johnson-Musah said. “We were just trying to play good defense and not foul (in the fourth quarter). And no 3-pointers because we saw what they did (Friday night). We tried to not let that happen.”
FGR (28-1) was seeking a perfect season and the program’s first Finals win since 1993 in Class D. The Irish advanced to Saturday on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in Friday’s Semifinal against Grand Rapids West Catholic.
However, a tough shooting night this time proved to be the Irish’s downfall as they were 12 of 38 from the field and 1 of 12 from beyond the 3-point arc. FGR also was just 8 of 14 from the free throw line.
“Sometimes you don’t have that rhythm, and it was just one of those days,” Irish coach Tim Cain said. “Our shot wasn’t falling, and when they went to four guards it got us out of our comfort zone defensively. We thought we could dominate down low, but we got into foul trouble. They played well, and Isis made a lot of plays.
“The special part of the season is the players and the relationships. We won a lot of games, and I will miss my seniors.”
Junior Charlotte Miller, who made the game-winning shot Friday, led FGR with 12 points and five rebounds.
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Edison’s Isis Johnson-Musah gets to the basket Saturday with FGR’s Bethie Benz (12) defending. (Middle) The Pioneers’ Myana Cooksey, left, drives the lane. (Below) Edison’s Devin Hagemann, left, considers her options with FGR’s Vanessa Rodriguez guarding her. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)