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April 23, 2012
Check out our must-know scores and news from April 16-21.
(Click on links for coverage.)
Soccer
Golden goal: In a meeting of top-four teams in Division 1, No. 3 Northville downed reigning MHSAA champion Novi 1-0 on Thursday. The Wildcats actually have won the last two Division 1 championships – but dropped from No. 4 to No. 5 in this week’s state coaches rankings. (Mlive Detroit)
Telling tie: Williamston and Hudsonville Unity Christian met in both the 2008 and 2010 Division 3 Finals, with Unity Christian winning both games. But the Hornets managed a 1-1 tie against the Crusaders in a home game Friday night. Unity Christian is ranked No. 2 and Williamston No. 3. (Lansing State Journal)
Softball
Streak broken: Stevensville Lakeshore came close to breaking Mattawan’s impressive two-season run at last weekend’s Portage Invitational. The Lancers didn’t end Mattawan’s 38-game winning streak Saturday at the Wildcat Invitational – that credit goes to Portage Central – but did down Mattawan 4-3 in eight innings in the tournament championship game. Mattawan is ranked No. 1 in Division 1 and Lakeshore is No. 1 in Division 2. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Tennis
Power play: Three of the top five teams in Division 3 competed at Saturday’s Allegan Invitational, with Division 3 No. 1 Detroit Country Day tying No. 3-ranked East Grand Rapids for first place. Host Allegan, ranked No. 5 in Division 3, came in third. (Grand Rapids Press)
Bowling
Winners crowned: The Michigan Interscholastic High School Bowling Coaches Association and Detroit Free Press named Wyoming Kelloggsville’s Jessica Lubbers and Davison’s Tylor Greene the Miss and Mr. Bowling winners for this season. Greene won his second MHSAA individual championship this season, while Lubbers – the 2010 champ in Division 3 – finished runner-up at the Final to teammate Chelsey Purdum. (Detroit Free Press)
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Utica United Completes Championship Run with Narrow Final Victory
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
February 28, 2025
ALLEN PARK – A first-time participant in the MHSAA Division 1 Boys Bowling Final at Thunderbowl Lanes, football powerhouse Belleville attempted to add a championship trophy in a different sport.
But Utica United did not allow that to happen Friday.
The Utica team – a cooperative made up of bowlers from Eisenhower and Utica High – was more consistent and prevailed 3-1, winning the deciding game 174-169.
The lineup of Zachary Kukuk, Evan Cicotte, Marco Mazza, Kingston Corpuz and Dylan Harnden proved too much.
“To win a singles and now a team title is great,’’ said Harnden, last year’s Division 1 Singles Final winner. “I thought the guys bowled great today. We knew all the teams here were good. We knew Belleville was going to be good and Wayne Memorial.
“We stayed focused. Being a senior makes this extra special.’’
Belleville dominated Livonia Churchill in the semifinal, advancing to the with a sweep. It took Utica United five games to dispose of Wayne Memorial.
Utica then opened the final with a 212-203 win to take Game 1 and kept the pressure on with a 216-182 victory in game 2.
“The fresh oil in the finals was a challenge, but we stayed consistent,’’ Mazza said.
The Tigers finally broke through in Game 3, prevailing 223-213. But Utica then finished the match with the narrow victory in Game 4.
Coach Phil Roberts completed his 15th and last season leading the Tigers.
“I’ll be 81 before the start of next season, so it’s time,’’ he said.
Grandville edged Davison 3,715 to 3,714 during qualifying to claim the top seed heading into match play. Utica was third at 3,707 and Belleville fourth at 3,486.
Grandville’s bracket run was short-lived. After winning the first game of their first match, the Bulldogs dropped the final three and were eliminated by Livonia Churchill.
Davison also fell in its bracket opener, losing the first two games to Wayne Memorial, rallying to tie the match but then losing the decider.
Utica stopped Jenison, 3-2, in another quarterfinal to set up a showdown with Wayne Memorial. Belleville defeated Hudsonville 3-1, setting up a semifinal with Churchill.