Did you see that?
May 7, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Michigan high school athletes are accomplishing great things so quickly this spring, we're missing one every once in a while -- which is why we'll kick off this week's "Did you see that?" with a finish from 10 days ago that we found out more about last week.
Girls Track and Field
Moving up fast: The Grosse Pointe South 3,200-meter relay team of Haley Meier, Hannah Meier, Ersula Farrow and Kelsie Schwartz ran a blistering 8:59.69 to lead their team to a championship at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational on April 27. That's nearly six seconds faster than Rochester's all-MHSAA Finals record set in 2010. (Mlive Detroit)
Golf
This time, it’s FHC: Top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and No. 2 Muskegon Mona Shores are waging a back-and-forth battle not just to be called west Michigan’s top team, but the best in Division 1 overall. Forest Hills Central won the Ranger Invitational by seven strokes Saturday over Mona Shores. (Grand Rapids Press)
Ram tough: The Capital Area Activities Conference includes four teams ranked either in Division 2 or 3 – Division 2 No. 1 DeWitt, Division 2 No. 4 East Lansing, Division 3 No. 1 Jackson Lumen Christi and Division 3 No. 4 Lansing Catholic. But it was unranked Division 1 team Holt that claimed the CAAC Open by four strokes Friday. (Lansing State Journal)
Soccer
Streak over: Scoring two goals in each half Tuesday, Traverse City Central broke Petoskey’s 35-game Big North unbeaten streak with a 4-0 win over the still first-place Northmen. (Petoskey News)
Football
Changes coming in the PSL: School closings and mergers this June will significantly change the football landscape in the Detroit Public School League, home of reigning Division 1 champion Detroit Cass Tech. The formerly four-division league will switch to two divisions. Two schools are closing and two more are forming a new school. (Detroit News)
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].
Yearlong Motivation Drives Grand Rapids Christian to Latest Finals Win
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
November 4, 2023
GRAND LEDGE — Grand Rapids Christian’s journey to this season’s Division 2 title may have officially begun in August when practice started. But, in essence, the beginning of the season for the Eagles was October 2022.
That’s when Grand Rapids Christian, which won the Division 2 championship in 2021, lost in a District matchup to eventual state champion Holland Christian – and the fire for 2023 was officially lit.
“It was horrible,” Eagles senior Jackson Mindling said. “It was one of the worst feelings ever. I told myself that I didn’t want to feel that again, and I know everybody who was on the team last year felt the same way. We motivated each other.”
The Eagles completed their run at redemption, scoring three second-half goals to pull away for a 3-0 win over Mason on Saturday at Grand Ledge High School.
Grand Rapids Christian (18-5-2) captured its fourth Finals title in school history, joining the 2021, 1998 and 2001 squads as champions.
“These boys have been so scrappy through our run,” Grand Rapids Christian head coach Aric Dershem said. “This is nine games in a row (won) for us. We had to come back from some earlier losses. But they’ve come together so well. Such great heart and such love for each other.”
After a scoreless first half, Grand Rapids Christian took a 1-0 lead with 38:33 remaining on a goal by junior John Cassiday. Mindling fired a hard shot from the left side of the field that bounced off of the arms of Mason’s keeper in the box to Cassiday, who pounced on the rebound and put home a shot underneath the crossbar.
Just 2:45 later, the combination of Mindling and Cassiday struck again.
Mindling beat a defender to the ball near the sideline, dribbled toward the box and fed a pass right in front to Cassiday, who buried the chance into the wide-open net to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead with 35:48 to go.
Grand Rapids Christian put the game away with 5:59 remaining when freshman Liam Jansen was pulled down in the box and a penalty kick was awarded. Cassiday easily put away the chance for a hat trick and a 3-0 lead for the Eagles.
In its run to the title, Grand Rapids Christian didn’t take the easy route. The Eagles defeated No. 4 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in a District Final (3-1), No. 3 Fruitport in a Regional Final (1-0) and then top-ranked and 2022 Division 3 champion Holland Christian in a Semifinal (2-1).
“We had to respond in the second half,” Dershem said. “We let them take us out of our game a bit in the second half. We were able to start to control possession. That early goal really shifted momentum for us.”
Mason, which was seeking its fifth Finals title overall and first since 2015, finished 13-3-5.
“Grand Rapids Christian is a phenomenal team,” Mason head coach Jacob Derby said. “At all times they had the ability to strike, and to strike quick. Coming out of the half, I think our guys weren’t back in the rhythm of the game, and they were. They came and put in two real quick. That kind of forced our hand to play a different brand of soccer that maybe we hadn’t all year. Credit to them.”
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids Christian celebrates during Saturday’s Division 2 Final at Grand Ledge. (Middle) The Eagles’ Peter Borst gets some air while moving the ball downfield.