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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].
Preview: Familiar Foes Meet Again in Ann Arbor for Boys Lacrosse Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 6, 2025
Tonight’s MHSAA Boys Lacrosse Finals will be rematches both of championship games past and meetings this regular season.
In Division 1 at 4 p.m., Detroit Catholic Central and Bloomfield Brother Rice will meet in a Final for the 11th time – and third time this season, with DCC winning 10-9 and 12-11 in overtime.
Following in Division 2, Detroit Country Day will face East Grand Rapids in a championship game for the third time and first since 2011 – with the Pioneers winning their faceoff this March 25, 10-9.
Both games will be played at University of Michigan Lacrosse Stadium, and below is a glance at all four contenders. Rankings as part of “best wins” are based on the Michigan Power Rating formula. Tickets cost $11 and are good for both games, and may be purchased online only at GoFan.
Both games will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv.
Division 1
BLOOMFIELD HILLS BROTHER RICE
Record/MPR: 18-5, No. 3
League finish: Second in Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Ajay Chawla, 12th season (191-48)
Championship history: 16 Division 1 titles, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 9-8 over No. 2 Rockford in Semifinal, 13-5 (Quarterfinal) and 9-4 over No. 9 Brighton, 15-6 over No. 11 Romeo in Regional Final, 9-6 over Division 2 No. 2 East Grand Rapids.
Players to watch: Theo Ley, sr. A; Hansen Polonkey, sr. A; Payton Fortino, sr. G.
Outlook: After missing the Division 1 championship game last spring for the first time since boys lacrosse became MHSAA-sponsored in 2005, Brother Rice is back in the season finale. Nine of the Warriors’ game this season were against out-of-state opponents, against whom Rice finished a combined 6-3. Ley made the all-state first team last season.
DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/MPR: 23-0, No. 1
League finish: First in Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Dave Wilson, 20th season (293-100)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2024 and 2018, nine runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 12-11 (OT) and 10-9 over No. 3 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 22-4 over No. 5 Grand Ledge in Semifinal, 18-0 over No. 6 Ann Arbor Pioneer in Regional Final, 18-8 over No. 2 Rockford, 20-0 over No. 11 Romeo, 11-5 over Division 2 No. 1 Detroit Country Day.
Players to watch: Lachlan Moffatt, sr. A; Luke Zajdel, sr. M; Connor Lukas, sr. M. Outlook: Much of the nucleus that carried DCC to its second Division 1 championship last season came back this spring, with Moffatt, Zajdel and Lukas all returning all-state first-team selections from a year ago, senior defenders Luke Taylor and Joey Ramirez back after making the second team and senior attack Francisco Williams a third-team all-stater in 2024. The Shamrocks have won 33 straight games dating back to May 7 of last season and breaking Brother Rice’s record of 29 consecutive victories during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. DCC’s four shutouts also have tied an MHSAA single-season record.
Division 2
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/MPR: 20-3, No. 1
League finish: Does not play in a conference.
Coach: Chris Garland, sixth season (100-25)
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 20-11 (Semifinal) and 18-6 over No. 7 Mattawan, 19-1 over No. 4 Temperance Bedford in Quarterfinal, 15-2 over No. 6 Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 19-9 over Division 1 No. 8 Seaholm, 14-3 over Division 1 No. 9 Brighton, 15-3 over Division 1 No. 4 South Lyon East, 17-8 over Division 1 No. 10 Hartland, 14-13 over Division 1 No. 2 Rockford, 13-11 over Division 1 No. 5 Grand Ledge.
Players to watch: Keke Yearego, jr. A (93 goals, 13 assists); Mason Gal, jr. A (55 goals, 19 assists); Luke Fisher, soph. A (46 goals, 7 assists); Kellen Curby, sr. G (5.7 goals-against average, .580 save %).
Outlook: Country Day will be playing in its fourth-straight championship game, this time carrying a 14-game winning streak and having won its first five playoff games by an average of nearly 14 goals per game. Yearego has set the program’s single-season goals record at the end of May and made the all-state second team last season, while senior mid Joe Norton (45 goals, 22 assists) made the first team in 2024 as did Curby and junior defender Andrew Gryzenia.
EAST GRAND RAPIDS
Record/MPR: 19-3, No. 2
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1
Coach: Kyle Osipoff, fourth season (61-19)
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2021), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 10-9 over No. 1 Detroit Country Day, 20-7 over No. 8 Dexter in Regional Final, 13-7 over No. 6 Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 14-3 over No. 3 Haslett, 21-7 over Division 1 No. 10 Hartland, 17-3 over Division 1 No. 9 Brighton, 20-8 over Division 1 No. 5 Grand Ledge.
Players to watch: Gavin Buck, sr. A (54 goals, 28 assists); Luke Starck, jr. D (4 goals, 3 assists); Bennett Winkel, sr. A (66 goals, 46 assists); Quinn Irwin, sr. G (6.19 goals-against average, .550 save %)
Outlook: East Grand Rapids has won Regional titles every season under Osipoff and is returning to the Finals for the first time since 2021. The Pioneers have won 11 straight games with its three losses by a combined six goals to Rockford, Brother Rice and Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.). Starck made the all-state first team last season, and Buck and Irwin made the second. Senior attack Oliver Owen (40 goals, 48 assists), junior attack Dylan Buck (40/12), junior mid Ethan Pfeiffle (39/11) and senior mid Owen Stropkai (24/16) are among others supplying significant offense.
PHOTO Detroit Country Day’s Keke Yearego (22) pursues into the midfield during last season’s Division 2 Final win over Ada Forest Hills Eastern.