Did you see that? (9/17-9/23)
September 25, 2012
The crowning of a new MHSAA soccer scoring champion and some statewide showdowns in golf and volleyball headline the best of the week that was Sept. 17-23.
Soccer
Chatfield fills it up: Senior Aaron Chatfield, a forward for Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian, scored both of his team's goals in a 7-2 loss Friday to Elk Lake, but in doing so set the MHSAA career scoring record. He now has 174 goals, two more than former record holder Soony Saad of Dearborn. (Petoskey News)
Golf
Cougars edge Bulldogs: Two-time reigning MHSAA Division 4 champion Lansing Catholic edged Brighton 327-336 at the East Lansing Invitational on Sept. 17 at Walnut Hills Country Club. There were nine ranked teams in the 17-team field. Brighton is ranked No. 2 in Division 1. Lansing Catholic's Jacqueline Setas shot a 70 to take the individual medalist honor, and two of her teammates tied for second.
Volleyball
Blue streak: Richland Gull Lake downed Portage Central in three sets to win the Portage Central Invitational's gold division and a tournament the featured four teams ranked in Class A plus reigning champion Rockford and reigning Class B champion Fruitport (in A this season). Gull Lake moved up to No. 2 in Class A from No. 4 after the weekend, and Portage Central is No. 6. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Tennis
Ludington on the move: The Orioles have moved up from No. 8 to No. 6 in the Division 4 rankings after downing formerly-No. 2 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett and No. 10 Almont at Saturday's Almont Invitational. (Mlive.com)
Cross Country
Flivver flies on: Kingsford's Dan Kulas claimed the individual championship at the Stephenson Invitational on Saturday in 16:58. He's won four straight races. (Iron Mountain Daily News)
Basketball
Pershing coach steps down: Detroit Pershing boys basketball coach A.W. Canada has resigned, but will remain with the program as an assistant. The Doughboys are regularly in contention in Class A, last winning the MHSAA title in 2009 after also making the Final in 2008. (Detroit News)
Story of the Week
Spring Lake setter lifts Lakers: It's been a little more than a year since Emily Blahnik's mother Brenda suffered a horrific fall that left her with a skull fracture, brain trauma and spinal cord injuries. But with her teammates and community in continuous support, Blahnik has remained a big part of Spring Lake's volleyball program. The Grand Haven Tribune has been covering this story throughout, and Nate Thompson provides us with this update. (Grand Haven Tribune)
Caledonia Girls Catch Rival Rockford to Clinch 1st Finals Championship
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2026
WATERFORD — Initially, you probably couldn’t have blamed the Caledonia girls bowling team from being a bit apprehensive about facing Rockford in the championship match at the Division 1 Finals at Thunderbowl Lanes.
“We’ve seen them at two tournaments this year, and there definitely was one last year as well,” Caledonia coach Prescott Holbrook said. “We’ve always lost to them in match play. It’s usually them No. 1 and us No. 2.”
Not this time, as Caledonia picked the perfect time to reverse positions with Rockford.
Caledonia captured its first Finals championship, sweeping a Rockford team that finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the state.
“The fact that we could come in here and knock it out in three is crazy,” Holbrook said. “This is way better than (losing at) all the little tournaments.”
Caledonia was the No. 4 seed out of the qualifying block and started match play with a 3-2 win over Oxford in the Quarterfinals, coming back from a 2-1 deficit.
In the Semifinals, Caledonia then swept No. 8 seed Livonia Churchill, which in the Quarterfinals had defeated the top seed out of the qualifying block, Macomb Dakota.
In the Final, Caledonia started off by beating Rockford 139-126 in the first game, then caught fire late in the second game to earn a 186-136 win and wrapped up the title with a 1471-35 triumph in the third game.
“This is the best feeling ever,” Caledonia senior Addison Luxford said. “To finally be able to click when it mattered most, it’s amazing. I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t be prouder of this team.”
Caledonia advanced out of the qualifying block at last year’s Finals, finishing 13th. Luxford said having three bowlers back from that squad seemed to pay dividends.
“For some of us to have that experience, it was a lot less intimidating,” she said. “We had that experience. I thought we were able to keep calm, and we were just consistent throughout the whole day.”
Rockford was seeking its first Finals team title and coming off a Semifinal appearance last season.
The Rams were the No. 2 seed out of qualifying, swept Davison in the Quarterfinals and then survived a Semifinal against White Lake Lakeland that was as close as can be.
Lakeland won the first game by one pin and the second game by three to take a 2-0 lead. Rockford won the third game by 25 pins and the fourth by 10 before outlasting Lakeland by four pins in the deciding game.
“They fought hard all day,” Rockford coach Jerry Tarabek said of his team. “Didn’t exactly have the qualifying round we hoped to have, but somehow ended up second. In the Finals, both teams felt the nerves. They just got over them a little bit quicker than we did.”