Michel Finishes with Story to Tell
June 11, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Andrew Michel received the heart-breaking news only moments before leaving his golf team’s Regional on Friday to get ready for that night’s Brownstown-Woodhaven prom.
But missing making the MHSAA Finals by a stroke was not the first thing he shared with those who asked about his day at West Shore Golf and Country Club in Grosse Ile.
Instead, the graduating senior told of the 132-yard shot he dropped for a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th hole, his second ace but first in competition.
Michel finished with a season-best 76, missing the cut for this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final by a stroke despite firing another eagle during the final holes of his round.
“At the start of the day, I told myself don’t leave anything on the table. Go for it on every hole, make every shot and just have fun at your last tournament,” Michel said Tuesday afternoon as he readied for that night’s graduation ceremony. “Being a senior, I went for everything.”
The best part might’ve been how he came back from a disappointing previous hole.
Michel had just finished off a triple bogey on No. 11, and admitted he was down on himself. He stepped to the next tee with his pitching wedge, and “I didn’t really care what happened. I chose the club I like to hit on that hole, and in the air I was thinking it was really good,” he said.
The ball touched down on the green and spun back into the hole.
Michel also played golf and soccer at Brownstown-Woodhaven. He’ll attend Grand Valley State University in the fall, study engineering, and will try to walk-on the Lakers’ golf team.
“Deep down inside,” he said he’s disappointed he won’t be playing at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West on Friday. But he’s got a quite a highlight to take with him from his final high school round.
“It was very bittersweet. I really wanted to go to state,” Michel said. “But the hole-in-one balanced it out a bit.”
Eye on the official
Hopefully you caught our MHSAA benchmarks piece (also published on Second Half) on longtime official Lamont Simpson, who has worked not only MHSAA Finals but NCAA tournaments and is one of 32 officials in the WNBA. (Here’s the link in case you missed it.)
He also became that league’s first to wear the referee cam, debuting the new gear during a recent game between the Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever.
The camera provides plenty of ref’s-eye views. Click the video below to check it out.
Wheels of Steele
We’ve been watching the inspiring progress of Frankenmuth runner Bobby Steele especially over the last few years as his story became known across the Lower Peninsula.
Steele, who is visually impaired, has run cross country and track for the Eagles, thanks to the help of guides who ran with him to help him stay on course.
If you haven’t heard Steele’s awesome story, check out this 8-minute video. Not only did Steele run, but he cut roughly 12 minutes off his first cross country times over the course of his career.
Shamrocks Complete Long-Awaited Repeat Run
By
Tim Robinson
Special for MHSAA.com
March 27, 2021
PLYMOUTH – It took two years, but Detroit Catholic Central finally was able to conclude its repeat hockey championship run Saturday.
The Shamrocks (18-1) did so by beating first-time finalist Rockford 5-1 at USA Hockey Arena.
"This was truly a program win," said coach Brandon Kaleniecki, who led DCC to a title for the third time in his six years as Shamrocks coach. "We found a way through."
He wasn't just blowing smoke. The Catholic Central varsity was sidelined last week due to the coronavirus, but the junior varsity stepped up to the challenge beating Berkley and Troy before the varsity was cleared to return for the Quarterfinal.
The Shamrocks also swallowed the bitterness of the sudden end of last season due to the virus.
"We wanted to win it for last year's seniors," co-captain Brenden Cwiek said.
"I was on the team that won in 2019, and it was the most fun team I ever played on in hockey," co-captain Nick Borchardt said. "This year is like the end of the perfect story."
The ending got off to a good start, with DCC scoring twice on special teams
Brennan Sass got the scoring started with a power-play goal at the 7:43 mark. A little over a minute and a half later, William Shields stole a puck during a Rockford power play and scored a shorthanded goal to make it 2-0.
The Shamrocks scored two more in the second period, by Bret Beale and Ryan Wartuck to make it 4-0. Rockford's Carson Korte scored early in the third period to get the Rams back in range, but Kaden Hemme scored late in the third to put it away.
"I think we got a little too comfortable," Kaleniecki said of Korte's goal. "It was a good reminder of how we need to play.”
Rockford (15-6-1) became only the third school from the west side of the Lower Peninsula to reach the Division 1 Final, following Grandville (2015) and East Kentwood (2005).
"They're deep," Rockford coach C.J Pobur said. "There's not many public schools, if any, that can go four lines deep. We thought that 5-on-5 our group was ready to go, but their execution on special teams was exceptional tonight."
The Rams' run to Plymouth was fueled in part by a core of teammates who grew up playing together. Some of the players have been together nearly a decade. That cohesion, along with the addition of Korte and Owen DeVries this year from travel hockey, lifted Rockford to the best finish in school history.
Rockford and Division 2 runner-up Byron Center represented the west side of the state.
"I think it's a great area,” said Pobur, who like Kaleniecki is a Detroit Catholic Central graduate. "I think there's great hockey over there, but it's just not as big. You don't have as many big players. You might have two or three strong programs (on the west side), but they have 10 or 15 on the east side."
While they didn't get the result they hoped for, the Rams went home with heads held high.
"It wasn't a great result," DeVries said. " I think everyone in our locker room can say we gave it (our) all, and that's really all we ask for."
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Catholic Central celebrates its Division 1 championship Saturday at USA Hockey Arena. (Middle) DCC's Bret Beale (28) and Rockford's Owen DeVries work for possession. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)