10 to Remember: Fall 2014
December 12, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This fall saw the start of numerous championship legacies all over the Michigan, the continuation of a few more and the end of one that likely will be recalled for decades to come.
All championship runs are memorable for those fortunate enough to achieve them. But because of historical reference, dramatic impact or in rare cases national significance, some stay in our discussions a little bit longer.
Below is one person’s thoughts on the most memorable finishes from this fall’s MHSAA Finals.
10. Novi, East Kentwood Rise to the Top
Among a number of first-time champions this fall, the Novi boys tennis team and East Kentwood girls golf team celebrated taking final steps after some recent close misses. Novi had finished second at the 2013 Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final, by a point, as Ann Arbor Huron won its third straight title. The Wildcats clinched their first ever this season, by eight points, while the East Kentwood golfers finished 22 strokes better than their LP Division 1 field after finishing 10th and sixth the last two seasons, respectively. Senior Emily White capped her high school career with a 51-foot putt to win the individual title.
9. Saline Clinches on Final Swim
The Saline girls swimming and diving team trailed reigning champion Farmington Hills Mercy by a half-point entering the final event of the LP Division 1 Final. But the Hornets outpaced Mercy by three seconds in the 400-yard freestyle relay to move ahead and claim the team championship by 5.5 points. Saline had finished runner-up to Mercy by 20 points in 2013.
8. St. Mary’s Football Keeps Promise
From an incredible story point of view, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 7-0 win over Muskegon in the Division 3 Football Final was easily the most memorable of the fall. Showing immense courage, Eaglets running back Brandon Adams took the field only two days after his mother died after fighting cancer. He scored the game’s lone points midway through the first quarter.
7. Kestrels Give Coach Best Retirement Gift
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central’s Diane Tuller coached teams to 595 wins over 17 seasons – and in her final match took the Kestrels to their fifth MHSAA championship. St. Mary downed Schoolcraft in four sets despite dropping the first to claim its third Class C title in five seasons. The Kestrels became the eighth team to win at least five MHSAA titles, claiming all five under Tuller’s guidance.
6. Concord’s Hersha Joins Elite Company
Only 14 runners in MHSAA boys cross country history have won at least three individual championships. Concord’s Jason Hersha became the latest, claiming the LP Division 4 title in 15:23.0, the second-fastest time in LP Division 4 Finals history. He became only the third to win three boys titles since team and individual qualifiers began running the same race in 1996; he also finished first as a sophomore and junior.
5. Canton Never Loses on Division 1 March
Just one on-target kick can change a soccer game. That makes Canton’s undefeated run to this season’s Division 1 boys championship even more impressive. Finishing without a loss in any sport is something – but the Chiefs defeated Rochester Adams 1-0 in the Final to end 24-0-3 and as the 13th undefeated champion in MHSAA boys soccer history. Canton posted 16 shutouts this fall.
4. Spring Lake Surges to First Championship
Despite trailing annual power Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood by six strokes after the first round, Spring Lake rolled through the second at the LP Division 3 Girls Golf Final to best the field by a final margin of 18 strokes and claim the school’s first MHSAA golf championship. The achievement was a crowning one for the program started by George Bitner, who has coached at the school since 1968 and fielded his first girls team in 1980.
3. Fisher Finishes Among Fastest in MHSAA History
Grand Blanc senior Grant Fisher finished his high school career with a second straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship – and the third-fastest time since the Finals moved to Michigan International Speedway 19 seasons ago. Fisher finished in 14:52.5, 1.5 seconds off the second-fastest time in MHSAA Finals history since 5K (3.1 miles) became the distance in 1980. The only runners who have come in faster than Fisher went on to the Olympics (Dathan Ritzenhein) and top American finishes (twice) at the Boston Marathon (Jason Hartmann).
2. St. Philip Stands Alone with 9 Straight Titles
Battle Creek St. Philip continued its near-decade dominance of Class D, but this time with another historical twist. The Tigers downed Leland in four sets in this season’s Final to win their ninth straight MHSAA championship – setting a record for consecutive titles after formerly being tied with the Marysville teams from 1997-2004. St. Philip entered the postseason ranked No. 3 in D but defeated both No. 2 Mendon and the top-ranked Comets during the final week.
1. Monroe St. Mary Ends Ithaca’s Record Run
Much of the credit for this topping the list goes to Ithaca, which brought a 69-game winning streak into the Division 6 Football Final. The streak was the longest active streak nationally among 11-player football teams, and a win would've allowed the Yellowjackets next fall an opportunity to break the MHSAA winning streak record of 72. But St. Mary controlled the clock with a workmanlike running game and held an Ithaca offense averaging 43 points to nearly a quarter of that in winning 22-12.
PHOTO: The East Kentwood girls golf team raised its first MHSAA Finals championship trophy this October. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Dundee's Kluce Finishes Undefeated Ford Field Run as 4-Time Champ
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2024
DETROIT – It’s not often a previous three-time champion finds himself as an underdog going into a state final.
However, Dundee’s Kade Kluce was up against top-seeded Drew Hansen of Gladstone in the Division 3 126-pound title match Saturday at Ford Field.
Kluce just reminded himself that he has never lost at the venue, and ended up grinding out a 2-1 tiebreaker victory over Hansen to claim his fourth title.
“I like to tell myself in my head that I am a three-time state champ and I can do this. I can do anything, nobody is beating me (at Ford Field),” Kluce said after the match.
Both scored an escape point in the second and third periods, respectively. The final came down to the tiebreaker rounds after neither scored in overtime.
Kluce (30-9) managed to wiggle out an escape in the closing seconds of the first tiebreaker round. He then just needed to stay on top of Hansen (46-2) for 30 seconds, which he did.
“Mentally I was starting to break, but I really put it through my head that I needed these 30 seconds. I needed to keep him down. I’d have been disappointed the rest of my life if I had given that up; that’s what kept me going,” Kluce said.
With the victory, Kluce became the 37th wrestler in MHSAA history to win four Individual Finals titles. He did so winning in four weight classes – 103 in 2021, 112 in 2022, 120 in 2023 and this time at 126.
On top of that, Kluce became the sixth wrestler in MHSAA history to win four individual titles and four team wrestling titles. He is one of four Dundee wrestlers on that exclusive list.
“It feels great. You really can’t explain it,” Kluce said of making history. “I feel like I’m on top of the world right now. There’s no feeling like it.”
Kluce won one of six champions for Dundee on the night.
106
Champion: Mason Katschor, Dundee, Fr. (46-6)
Major Decision, 11-2, over Kaleb Reece, Frankenmuth, Jr. (47-2)
Katschor has watched plenty of Finals from the stands at Ford Field. On Saturday, he finally got the chance to compete under the spotlight, and he didn’t disappoint.
Katschor scored four takedowns to pick up an 11-1 victory.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Katschor said of competing for a Finals title. “It felt really good out there. I felt like I could go out and do anything. I definitely want to do this again.”
113
Champion: Talan Parsons, Ovid-Elsie, Sr. (45-1)
Decision, 8-4, over Haydn Nutt, Dundee, Soph. (37-8)
Parsons has plenty of experience at Ford Field. As a two-time runner-up and a 2022 champion at 103 pounds, the senior wanted to go out on top once again.
Standing in his way was the 2023 106-pound champion.
Nutt opened the match with a 3-0 lead in the second period, but Parsons managed to capitalize on a scramble and secure near fall points to go up 5-3. Parsons wouldn’t trail again.
“He’s a tough kid, but I have worked on scrambling my entire life,” Parsons said of the turning point. “I went out there, sat the corner, got a leg in. I’ve practiced that for years, it seems like. I’ve practiced that exact scenario in practice, and it paid off. To be able to execute, and go out with a state title, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
120
Champion: Dale Gant, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Soph. (44-2)
Decision, 6-3, over Braden Broderick, Dundee, Soph. (16-2)
Gant is two-for-two.
The Catholic Central sophomore earned his second championship Saturday, adding to his 113-pound title won in 2023.
“A lot of people look up to you (as a state champion), and there’s pressure with that, but I just tried to work hard and make the people that have supported me proud,” Gant said.
Saturday’s match saw Gant win thanks to three takedowns and staying off his back.
“It was about letting the match come to me and not force anything,” Gant added. “I just had to stay calm and stay composed and be ready for anything that came my way.”
132
Champion: Cameron Chinavare, Dundee, Sr. (39-2)
Decision, 3-2, over Connor Younts, Clinton, Sr. (55-3)
Chinavare recorded his third championship, but had to grind out this final. He scored a takedown in the first period and then a quick escape in the second to go up 3-0.
However, Younts earned an escape in the third and got another point on a hands-to-the-face violation by Chinavare.
Still, the Dundee senior made sure he closed out his prep career on top, avoiding any late takedown attempts.
“There’s always a lot of pressure when you come here as a defending state champion, but I just managed to overcome it and wrestle my match,” Chinavare said. “I’ve got some of the best teammates to train with that push me every day, so I am prepared for a tough match.
138
Champion: Michael Wilson, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Jr. (18-0)
Decision, 5-4, over Buddy Leonard, Alma, Jr. (43-2)
Wilson wasn’t even sure if he’d make it to Ford Field at times this season.
The Grand Rapids Catholic Central junior dealt with some serious injuries, keeping him from getting to wrestle for a large part of the year. But his persistence and resilience showed Saturday.
“I’ve worked my butt off to get to this moment, and I’ve had to go through a lot of adversity to get here,” Wilson said. “I lost part of my finger at the beginning of this year, I’ve got a sprained LCL, but to me it was all about mindset. I kept my head up and kept working hard, and it feels great to get that championship. I really feel like I have earned it.”
Wilson scored a pair of takedowns in the first period that proved to be the difference.
144
Champion: Blake Cosby, Dundee, Soph. (44-1)
Decision, 7-0, over Jonathan Krebs, Lakewood, Sr. (39-3)
A runner-up as a freshman, Cosby wasn’t going to let that happen again Saturday.
“That loss last year drove me crazy, so I made sure I put the work in this year,” Cosby said. “It feels really good to win this year. I really challenged myself this season, and I think I knew what to expect this time around.”
Cosby scored takedowns in each period and added an escape in the second. From there he was able to keep Krebs on the ground and prevent a comeback.
150
Champion: Trey Parker, Dundee, Sr. (34-13)
Ultimate Tie-Breaker, 3-2, over Donny Beaufait, Dundee, Soph. (40-9)
Parker suffered a tiebreaker loss to teammate Beaufait in the Regional when he wasn’t able to escape him in the extra frame. The two found themselves in the same position with the Finals title on the line.
Parker needed an escape with 13 seconds remaining, and he managed to get it. Then, in the ultimate tie-breaker, Parker won the toss and elected to start on the bottom, where he managed another escape to win.
“We were in the same position (at Regionals) and I made sure that if I ever got caught in that same position again, I would fix it,” Parker said. “It feels great. It feels amazing. I can’t really describe it.”
Parker’s late escape shifted the momentum.
“I just had to get out. I couldn’t look at the time. It was one move at a time and just get out,” Parker said. “It was more mental than anything. I believed I could get out, and I did it.”
157
Champion: Kole Katschor, Dundee, Jr. (45-6)
Decision, 5-1, over Jeremy Griffith, Yale, Sr. (46-4)
As a previous Finals champion, Katschor was mentally prepared for what he had to do to win a second title.
The junior turned up the pressure after a scoreless first period, scoring takedowns in both of the final two to secure a 5-1 victory.
Katschor won the 150-pound title as a sophomore.
“My nerves weren’t too high, because I have been in this position before. I thought I wrestled all right. I thought I could have opened it up more and got more offense in, but overall it feels great to win the title again,” Katschor said. “My hard work has been paying off.”
165
Champion: Tyler Schofield, Olivet, Sr. (57-0)
Decision, 8-3, over Lee Braun, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Sr. (42-5)
Schofield was heavily motivated after finishing runner-up at 157 pounds last winter.
The senior did everything he could to be prepared for Saturday, and it showed as he capped off an unbeaten season.
“I didn’t like the outcome last year, so I knew coming into this year that I had something to prove,” Schofield said. “I worked my butt off this summer and this winter, and it paid off. I was extremely confident coming into the match. I know that if I wrestle my match, there’s nobody that can beat me.”
Schofield led throughout the match and had a takedown in each period.
175
Champion: Gavin Craner, Whitehall, Jr. (54-0)
Major Decision, 10-2, over Bryce Randolph, Clinton, Soph. (54-3)
It was a new year and a new look for Craner.
After finishing runner-up at 175 pounds in 2023 for Belding, Craner returned to Ford Field on Saturday looking to capture that same title, this time for Whitehall.
Craner put on a strong performance, scoring five takedowns on his way to a 10-2 win.
“I’ve been (at Ford Field) and it can be scary, but you just have to keep your composure,” Craner said. “I’ve worked really hard to be strong on my feet. That’s where most of the match takes place. If you get takedowns, you win matches.”
190
Champion: Cole O’Boyle, Alma, Sr. (48-0)
Decision, 3-1, over Stephen Petersen, Hillsdale, Sr. (41-5)
O’Boyle kept his strategy for the 190-pound final pretty simple.
“All I needed was a takedown, and I knew I’d win that match,” he said.
That proved to be true.
O’Boyle scored a takedown in the second period after trailing 1-0, giving him a 2-1 advantage that he wouldn’t relinquish. O’Boyle added an escape point in the third for insurance to cap off an unbeaten season.
“I’ve been working hard all year, grinding. I owe this all to my coaches. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do this,” O’Boyle said. “It means so much to me (to go undefeated). To have this all come together in my senior year, it means the world.”
215
Champion: Jack Ward, Belding, Sr. (54-2)
Decision, 2-1, over Elizin Rouse, Kingsford, Sr. (35-2)
After seeing a one-point lead slip away in the closing seconds of a 2023 semifinal, Ward was determined to not let that happen again.
Up 2-1 going into the third period, Ward rode out Rouse for two minutes to secure his first championship, defeating the reigning 215-pound champ in the process.
“Last year I was up one in the semifinals, and I lost it. I thought that was my chance to win a state title. It was heartbreaking, but that heartbreak really made me better,” Ward said. “It’s come full circle. Last year I was in so much pain. This year, it’s just a dream.”
Ward got a takedown in the second period, but Rouse was able to escape. That’s when Ward knew he’d have to dig deep in the third and stay on top.
“Our team really stresses your lungs and being in shape. I knew going into this match, nobody can go six minutes with me. I knew it was going to be a grind. I knew what the task was ahead of me. I just grinded it out and won,” Ward said.
285
Champion: Bennett VandenBerg, Constantine, Sr. (54-0)
Decision, 3-0, over Wyatt Spalo, Reed City, Jr. (46-4)
The disappointment of a runner-up finish in 2023 stuck with VandenBerg for a full year.
But he was finally able to let go of that moment Saturday as he grinded out a 3-0 win.
“I worked my butt off all year. Throughout the summer, throughout the fall, all the winter, just to get to this point. It’s the best feeling in the entire world. I can’t describe it,” VandenBerg said. “It’s like going from -100 to 100. There’s no way to explain it.”
One of the biggest hurdles for VandenBerg on Saturday was his head gear. Early in the match, he couldn’t keep it on his head, even attempting to go to a second set. However, he shook it off and managed a third-period takedown to secure the win.
“My one focus was just win the match. I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way. It was a minor issue, but I made sure I pulled through,” VandenBerg said.
PHOTOS (Top) Kade Kluce’s arm is raised in victory after clinching his fourth Individual Finals championship Saturday. (Middle) Alma’s Cole O’Boyle, right, works for an opening against Hillsdale’s Stephen Petersen. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)