Today in the MHSAA: 11/18/16
November 18, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Four volleyball teams secured matches on the final day of the season, and a champion football coach will be coming back from retirement to start a new era next fall.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Volleyball
Class C: Reigning champion and No. 2-ranked Bronson swept honorable mention Calumet – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Class C: No. 6 Brown City will play in its first championship match after edging Adrian Madison in five sets – Port Huron Times Herald
Class B: Reigning runner-up and No. 3-ranked North Branch will play for the title again after coming back to beat No. 5 Buchanan 3-2 – Flint Journal
Class B: Top-ranked Lake Odessa Lakewood will play in the championship match for the third time in five seasons after downing No. 7 Cadillac 3-1 – Grand Rapids Press
Football
Former Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central coach Jack Giarmo, who led the Falcons to the Division 6 title in 2014, has been hired at Gibraltar Carlson – Monroe Evening News
2021 Experience Helps 2022 Tri-unity Earn Return to D4 Final
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 24, 2022
EAST LANSING – Sometimes, there’s just no substitute for experience.
Such was the case in Thursday’s second Division 4 Boys Basketball Semifinal between Wyoming Tri-unity Christian and Genesee Christian at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.
While Tri-unity Christian was in the Semifinals for a second-straight year and fourth time in the last seven years, Genesee Christian was playing on the stage for the first time.
Tri-unity Christian’s familiarity with Breslin and overall skill won out, as the Defenders reached another championship game with a 77-33 win.
The Defenders (20-6) will attempt to win their first Finals title since 2011 at 10 a.m. Saturday when they play Ewen-Trout Creek.
“If you haven’t been there, it can be pretty intimidating,” Tri-unity coach Mark Keeler said of playing in a final four game. “Last year, we came here. It helped us for this year.”
The big quarter for Tri-unity Christian was the second, as the Defenders went on a 12-0 run to start the quarter and take a 26-12 lead with 5:54 remaining until halftime.
Tri-unity Christian ended up outscoring Genesee Christian in the second quarter, 25-7, to take a 39-19 lead at the break.
The Defenders continued to grow their lead in the third quarter, going on an 8-0 run to move ahead 53-23 with 1:11 remaining in the third.
The game featured a matchup of two of the state’s top point guards in Division 4, Tri-unity Christian senior Brady Titus and Genesee Christian junior Trenton Boike.
Titus entered the game averaging just under 30 points a game, while Boike was averaging over 23 points a contest.
Titus finished with a game-high 21 points on 9 of 17 shooting for the Defenders, while Boike had seven points for the Soldiers (21-5).
Now, Titus and the Defenders can try and earn some redemption after a loss to Detroit Douglass in last year’s championship game.
“Last year was tough,” Titus said. “We came up short. But I think it will impact the want to win. That’s really what it is. Just having the drive to win the next game.”
Tri-unity Christian shot 58.3 percent from the field for the game and outrebounded Genesee Christian by a 41-19 margin.
Junior Tyler Chapman led Genesee Christian with 10 points.
Despite the loss, it was obviously a memorable and historic season for Genesee Christian.
“For the guys, I felt so proud of them,” Genesee Christian coach Dan Chapman said. “With COVID and everything the last couple of years, we kind of looked forward to this group. To do it with all the seniors that I’ve coached since fifth grade, it was everything you’ve dreamed of.”
More good news for the Soldiers is that Boike and Chapman will headline a nice crop of juniors that will be back next year.
“Just the experience part will help a lot,” Boike said. “It will help us next year when we get back here.”
PHOTOS (Top) Tri-unity Christian’s Brady Titus (25) works to get up a shot over Genesee Christian’s Jonah Derderian (24) during Thursday’s Semifinal. (Middle) Teammates watch in anticipation as the Defenders’ Stephen Bouslog (24) attempts a 3-pointer. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)