Did you see that?
March 5, 2012
Check out our must-know scores and news from Feb. 27 - March 3.
(Click on links for coverage.)
Wrestling
We are the Champions, part 2: A group of 56 champions emerged from 896 MHSAA Individual Finals qualifiers -- including St. Johns senior Taylor Massa, who became the 16th in MHSAA history to win four individual championships and the fifth to do so while never losing a high school match. We reported both on Massa separately and on the top stories from our 13 other weight classes. (Second Half)
Competitive Cheer
New winners emerge: Southgate Anderson in Division 1 and Richmond in Division 3 won their first MHSAA cheer championships at the Grand Rapids Delta Plex; Richmond was runner-up in Division 3 last season, while Anderson improved from seventh in Division 1. Gibraltar Carlson and Michigan Center continued their recent successes by claiming the titles in Divisions 2 and 4, respectively. (Second Half D1) (Second Half D2-3-4)
Bowling
From no one to No. 1: Eight championships -- four team and four individual -- were awarded over the weekend. And for the most part, favorites prevailed. But the best stories from bowling might have been the Flat Rock girls and Mason boys, who defied expectations in emerging from unranked at the end of the regular season to win their Team Finals. (Second Half Girls Team) (Second Half Boys Team) (Second Half Girls Singles) (Second Half Boys Singles)
Girls Basketball
Unexpected East Lansing: The Trojans are regulars in the later rounds of the MHSAA Tournament. But among Lansing-area teams, Waverly was the biggest contender this winter and ranked No. 2 in Class A at the end of the regular season. But the Trojans extended a six-year postseason winning streak and avenged an early-season loss to the Warriors by winning Friday's District Final, 57-53. (Lansing State Journal)
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Flashback 100: Lalas Leaves High School Legacies on Ice & Pitch
October 4, 2024
Alexi Lalas was named the Mr. Soccer Award winner by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association in 1987 after his senior season at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood. He went on to have a storied career in the sport, playing for the U.S. men’s national team in the 1992 Olympics and the 1994 World Cup and professionally for a decade.
In high school, Lalas also was a part of two ice hockey MHSAA Finals-winning teams. He played on the 1987 and 1988 Cranbrook teams that won Class B-C-D championships as part of a run of four consecutive titles that began in 1985.
Lalas captained the 1988 team, which defeated Riverview Gabriel Richard 11-0 in the first round and Grand Rapids Catholic Central 8-0 in the Semifinals before winning the Final 5-2 over Sault Ste. Marie at Michigan Tech. In 1987, Cranbrook triumphed over Riverview Gabriel Richard 12-0 in round one, Forest Hills Central 8-0 in the Semifinals, and Hancock 6-3 in the Final at the I.M.A. Sports Arena in Flint.
On the pitch, Lalas also was the first American to play in Serie A, Italy’s top soccer division. He spent two seasons with Padova, scoring three goals in 44 appearances. Afterward, he transitioned to Major League Soccer (MLS), playing for the New England Revolution, New York/New Jersey MetroStars, Kansas City Wizards, and Los Angeles Galaxy before retiring after the 2003 season.
Today, Lalas is a soccer commentator for Fox Sports, having previously spent six years with ESPN in a similar role. He also hosts a soccer podcast called State of the Union.
Follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok for more weekly "Flashback 100" photo features and additional content celebrating our 100th anniversary.
Previous "Flashback 100" Features
Sept. 27: Tamer's History-Making Run Starts in Dexter, Continues to Paris - Read
Sept. 20: Todd Martin’s Road to Greatness Starts at East Lansing - Read
Sept. 13: James Earl Jones, Dickson High Hoops to Hollywood Legend - Read
Sept. 6: Pioneers' Unstoppable Streak Stretches 9 Seasons - Read
Aug. 30: Detroit dePorres Rushes to 1995 Class CC Football Championship - Read
PHOTOS At left, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood's Alexi Lalas poses for a photo in his soccer uniform; at right, Lalas plays for Cranbrook during his high school hockey career. (Middle) Lalas stands fifth from left with his 1987 Cranbrook soccer team. (Soccer photos courtesy of Alexi Lalas and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; hockey photo courtesy of Stouffer Photo/Observer & Eccentric Newspapers.)