Did you see that?
March 20, 2012
Check out our must-know scores and news from March 12-17.
(Click on links for coverage.)
Girls Basketball
Raise the trophies: Grand Haven in Class A, Goodrich in Class B, Morley-Stanwood in Class C and Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes in Class D did so at Breslin Center in the most exciting Finals in some time -- three of the four games came down to the final minutes. Check Second Half later this week for a Girls Basketball Finals in Review.
Boys Basketball
Pershing moves on: The Detroit Pershing vs. Detroit Martin Luther King series has been one of the best in the state this winter. King defeated Pershing in the PSL Tournament Final. But only one could emerge from last week's Class A Regional -- and this time it was Pershing with a 75-70 win. (Mlive.com)
Long time coming: Lake Orion won its first Regional title since 1925 (really), defeating Waterford Mot 48-42 in Class A. Really. (Oakland Press)
Fantastic finish: Flint Beecher moved on with a 38-36 overtime win over Detroit Consortium in a Class C Regional Final that wasn't decided until Antuan Burks drained a jumper with a second to play in the extra period. (Detroit Free Press)
Time for two: New Haven won its second boys basketball Regional title ever, and first since 1990, with a 59-57 overtime win over frequent power Saginaw Nouvel. (Macomb Daily)
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].
Running Finals Streak to 9, Lowell Keeps D2 Dominance in 'Family'
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 26, 2022
KALAMAZOO -- When asked about his team's unprecedented success, Lowell wrestling coach RJ Boudro admits that the recipe for success is not that hard.
It's all about family.
Boudro's Red Arrows won their ninth straight Division 2 championship, and 12th overall, by defeating Goodrich in the 46-16 in Saturday’s Final at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo.
"I have coached these guys since they have been knee-high," Boudro said. "I have been coaching at Lowell for 15 years; some of the guys on this team weren't even born when I started. It just starts getting more personable, and that is what coaching is really about. Making relationships, and relationships grow stronger. I love these kids, and I love their families – they support you a lot."
You could tell the closeness of this year's Lowell team all weekend in Kalamazoo, as the Red Arrows marched through Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in the Quarterfinal and then Gaylord in the Semifinal to set up a rematch with the Martians in the championship match.
Starting at the 189-pound weight class, Goodrich got on the scoreboard first with Cameron Macklem’s pin in 1 minute, 36 seconds.
Lowell got on the board thanks to one of its senior leaders, as Carter Blough – the top-ranked 215-pounder in Division 2 – won by technical fall, 22-7.
Lowell went on to win six of the next seven matches after Blough's impressive victory, setting the tone for another team title heading back home to Lowell.
"Last year we didn't have the energy, the people here, like we did this year," Blough said. "We didn't have that stage, but this year we had our crowd here, we secured the dual and we are super excited."
Last year, in the middle of the pandemic, Lowell beat Goodrich 59-7 for the championship. This year would be a bit tougher, but the Red Arrows continued to show the dominance in the division they have displayed over the past decade.
"Lowell is a good team. I don't know what else to say," said Goodrich coach Kenneth Sirignano, whose team ended its year with a 31-3 record. "They were better than us today, by quite a bit."
Sirignano said momentum swung on some tight matches throughout the Final.
"We lost three close matches, and we gave up bonus points," Sirignano said. "In those tight duals, you have to win the close ones and you can't give up bonus points."
Those three sway matches came at 112 pounds – an 8-7 win by Lowell's Landon Musgrave – at 125 with a 3-0 win by the Red Arrows’ Owen Segorski, and at 145 with a 3-0 win by Lowell's Jared Boone.
"Even during COVID we found a way to work around it and get better," Blough said. "That's how this team is – we always find a way to get better no matter what's in front of us."
Lowell, which finished this winter with a 23-3 record, will wrestle for a 10th-straight championship next season. No other team in the state, no matter the division, has won more than five consecutive titles.
"This is ridiculous," Boudro said. "It's hard to put into words."
PHOTOS (Top) Lowell celebrates Saturday’s Division 2 championship win over Goodrich, which ran its title streak to nine seasons. (Middle) Lowell and Goodrich wrestlers work to gain control during their match. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)