10 to Remember: 2012-13 Finals
June 27, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Championships are culminations of season-long journeys, concluding with the most exciting competitions of the year but steeped in back stories that make those crowning achievements mean so much more.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association awards 127 team championships each school year. Anyone picking 10 favorites could come up with at least 13 different lists.
So the list that follows likely won’t agree with many others. But here’s one person’s take on the 10 most incredible MHSAA Finals performances – focusing mostly on the final competition but with some back story built in – from the 2012-13 school year. (Click on headings for full stories.)
10. Special teams lead to special accomplishment for Brother Rice
Birmingham Brother Rice and Muskegon had combined for 12 MHSAA football championships entering the Finals. But in winning their eighth, the Warriors also accomplished a first in 44 seasons under coach Al Fracassa – their first back-to-back titles. They went ahead in the eventual 35-28 win on a cross-field lateral that turned into a 91-yard kickoff return with 2:13 to play.
9. Lakewood volleyball ends championship wait ...
Lake Odessa Lakewood coach Kellie Rowland has won 787 matches during her 15 seasons over two tenures leading the program, and frequently had brought the Vikings to the cusp of their first MHSAA title. They finally got it by defeating perennial power North Branch in three games in the Class B championship match.
8. ... and so does Bay City Western baseball
The Warriors earned coach Tim McDonald his first MHSAA championship game victory to go with 562 more wins over 21 seasons. Bay City Western won 1-0 in both the Semifinal and then Final over Brother Rice to secure its first baseball title and a 42-2 finish.
7. “Core 4” leave Mona Shores with four more
Seniors Hailey Hrynewich, Morgan Smith, Britni Gielow and Kelsey McKinley finished their high school careers as starters on four MHSAA championship teams, including the one that won the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final this school year by 41 strokes. Hrynewich and Smith both posted top-five individual finishes as Mona Shores shot a two-day 666 at their final championship tournament.
6. Grand Ledge gymnastics sets the bar
Number six on this list makes sense for the Comets, who won their sixth straight MHSAA team championship to set the all-time longest title streak in the sport. They did so with the fifth-highest score in MHSAA Finals history – 149.350 – and despite graduating the Division 1 all-around champion the spring before.
5. Seniors say good-bye at LP Division 1 Final
Grosse Pointe South’s Hannah Meier and West Bloomfield’s Erin Finn brought national acclaim to the Detroit suburbs over the last two years with dominating performances in track and cross country. They finished their careers at the LP Division 1 Track & Field Final, where Meier set all-MHSAA Finals records in the 800 and 1,600 and Finn set an all-Finals record in the 3,200. In the fall, Finn and Meier finished first and second, respectively, at the LP Division 1 Cross Country Final.
4. Fowlerville standout reaches the stars
Gladiators senior Adam Coon, once an aspiring astronaut now turned aspiring aerospace engineer, became the 17th wrestler in MHSAA history to win four individual Finals championships. And he became the first to do so at the two heaviest weights, earning his titles at 215 and 285 pounds. He graduated with a career record of 211-3 and a 194-match winning streak.
3. Swimming with speed in Saline
Saline also won its fourth straight MHSAA title, in Lower Peninsula Division 1, anchored by seniors David Boland, Josh Ehrman, Michael Bundas and Adam Whitener. Combined, they hold four Finals individual and two relay records, and Ehrman graduated with all-Finals records in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke. Those four also leave with the 200 medley relay all-Finals record – with their time of 1:30.01 good for third-best in the national record book.
2. Michell sits atop MHSAA medal count
Reed City’s Sami Michell is one of two girls in MHSAA history to win four events at a Track & Field Final – a feat she accomplished both this season and last. And she finished her career this month with 12 individual titles overall, two more than the previous Lower Peninsula record. She graduated with LP Division 3 Finals records in both hurdles races and the long jump, and her 300 hurdles time of 42.23 is an all-Finals record.
1. Football Finals end in overtime classic
The most exciting MHSAA Football Final likely was the last of Thanksgiving weekend – a 40-37 overtime win by Grand Rapids Christian over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s that gave the Eagles the Division 3 title. And at least on this list, it counts as the most exciting of all the buzzer-beating, one-point, by one millimeter endings to the MHSAA’s 127 Finals this school year.
The Saturday night crowd at Ford Field was treated to an incredible performance by Eagles receiver Drake Harris, who had eight catches for a record 243 yards and touchdown and was nearly unstoppable as Grand Rapids Christian drove down the stretch. Quarterback Alex VanDeVusse threw for 307 yards, fourth-most in MHSAA Finals history, as the frazzled nerves of fans, players and coaches alike hung on every play. St. Mary’s ran for 459 of the single-team Finals record 579 yards of total offense; the teams combined for another record of 1,033 total yards between them. And at the end, the game was decided on a 27-yard field goal by Joel Schipper, who had connected on a 28-yarder with four seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.
PHOTO:Saline swimmers take a celebratory dip after claiming their fourth straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship.
Molded by Early Losses, Cass Tech Closes Season by Taking Back D1 Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 30, 2024
DETROIT – The players and coaches on the Detroit Cass Tech football team heard the rumblings when they started this season 2-2.
They heard the calls for coach Marvin Rushing’s job. They heard the doubts sprouting up about their ability to compete for a Finals title.
Rather than let the noise break them apart, they used it to rally, and Saturday they put it all to bed with a 42-20 victory against Hudsonville in the Division 1 championship game at Ford Field.
“Everything we did was intentional – we purposely played Rockford to get ready for Dakota – we played those teams knowing we’d have games like this. We went to Ohio intentionally to get ready for all this, and every lesson we seemed to get better from,” Rushing said. “The biggest reason we’re here is our two losses. Those prepared us for today. It’s unfortunate that so many people don’t understand that great things can come sometimes from setbacks.”
The title was the fourth in program history for Cass Tech, and first since 2016, when it completed a remarkable run of three titles – and four Finals appearances – over six seasons.
“The day before check-in day, I chose to stay and play for my team and with my little brother James Johnson,” said senior receiver and defensive back Alex Graham, a Colorado commit who was at IMG Academy in Florida a year ago. “One of my goals my whole season was to win a state championship, and we got the job done. So, I’m real happy to do that.”
Graham had his usual stat-stuffing performance for the Technicians, who closed the season with 10 straight wins to finish 12-2. He had 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground, 57 yards on four catches through the air, and added six tackles, a forced fumble and an interception on defense.
His fellow wideout, Corey Sadler Jr., meanwhile, had six catches for 47 yards and two TDs.
“I have Batman and Batman,” Rushing said. “Some people say they have Batman and Robin, I have Batman and Batman.”
All those catches and yards came from the hand of freshman quarterback Donald Tabron II, who finished the night 15-of-20 for 176 yards and three TDs.
“It’s a great thing to have around me. It helps me play a balanced game on offense,” Tabron said. “We can run the ball, pass the ball. When you have guys like CJ and Alex, it kind of makes it easy for me as the quarterback. I know that no matter where I put the football, they’re going to make a play.”
Cass Tech dominated the first half, and by the time Hudsonville found its footing, the hole was too deep.
The Technicians scored on their first three possessions, driving 81 yards in nine plays on their first, and taking advantage of short fields on the second two, putting Hudsonville in a tough spot early in the second quarter.
Jaylen Spates scored the first touchdown on a five-yard run, while Sadler scored the next two on passes of 16 and six yards from Tabron. Sadler’s first score followed a short Hudsonville punt, while his second came after a Cass Tech fumble recovery deep in Hudsonville territory.
Tabron added a third TD pass late in the second quarter, hitting Will Sykes for a 19-yard score. That was also a short field, as Graham had intercepted a pass, setting Cass Tech up on the 19.
“We made some mistakes, and Cass Tech’s a really good football team,” Hudsonville coach Brent Sandee said. “They played really well, they’re very athletic. We had to play a clean game, and unfortunately we didn’t. But our kids battled the whole time and represented our school and our community real well. I’m really proud of us and the way we played. They’re great representatives of Hudsonville, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Cass Tech had a chance to add another score after recovering a fumble in Hudsonville territory with 1:10 to play in the first half, but the Hudsonville defense made a stand to keep the score 27-0.
That didn’t last long, though, as Graham scored on a 54-yard run two plays into the third quarter.
Hudsonville got on the board with a one-yard QB sneak for a touchdown by Griffin Baker. The score was set up by a 22-yard throwback to Baker from Braden VanLaecke.
The Eagles got some extra life when they recovered an onside kick following the score before exchanging turnovers near midfield – an interception for Cass Tech’s Derrick Jackson and a fumble recovery by Hudsonville’s Tyler Strick.
Bryce Fox cashed in for the Eagles, scoring on a 14-yard TD run to pull his team within three scores at 35-13 with 5:07 left in the third.
The Eagles threatened to make it even closer, getting down to the Cass Tech 6-yard line, but the Technicians’ defense held, forcing a turnover on downs.
By the time Hudsonville saw the ball again, it was trailing 42-13 – Cass Tech added a 24-yard TD run by De’Mari Hendrix – and there were fewer than four minutes remaining in the game.
Carson Dykstra ended the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown reception from Baker.
Baker finished 8-of-12 for 112 yards passing for the Eagles (12-2), with Dykstra catching four passes for 74 yards. Owen Haarsma led the Hudsonville ground game with 95 yards on 13 carries.
“I just feel like we have something special with this team, and it’s special for our community, too,” Hudsonville senior Jalen Oosting said. “I just think it’s an awesome story just to hear all the whispers, and all the talk and chatter at school. I just think it’s awesome it’s affected our community. I just loved being here with these guys.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Cass Tech’s Julian Taylor (23) works to break a Hudsonville tackle Saturday evening at Ford Field. (Middle) Dylon Pace (13) wraps up Eagles quarterback Griffin Baker. (Below) Cass Tech’s Logan Howell raises the championship trophy in the air as his teammates cheer around him. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)