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 But because of historical reference, dramatic impact or in rare cases national significance, some stay in our discussions a little bit longer.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.)
Block Party: 2025 Girls Volleyball District Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 3, 2025
Nearly 700 high school varsity volleyball teams will begin their marches toward MHSAA championships over the next three days, beginning a final three-week run that will conclude Nov. 22 at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
District tournaments start tonight with 178 matches. Links to interactive brackets for all four divisions plus information on purchasing tickets is available on the Girls Volleyball page, and a list version of tonight’s slate is posted on the Scores page – with green TV icons linked to broadcasts on the NFHS Network.
Below is a look at a few last regular-season results of note and glances at three Districts in each division that especially pop off the page. Records, results and schedules below are those posted for teams on MHSAA.com, and rankings reflect polls posted by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Kingsley d. Traverse City St. Francis (25-20, 25-21) This was the most notable result from the annual ABCD quad, as Kingsley (50-4-1) is ranked No. 3 in Division 3 and St. Francis is No. 8 (28-16-0).
2. Coldwater d. Mendon (2-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 15-3) The Cardinals (22-17-5) head into Division 1 District play off avenging a loss from 11 days prior to the Division 4 top-ranked Hornets (32-6-1).
3. Marshall d. Edwardsburg (25-23, 25-21, 15-25, 25-15) Honorable mention Marshall (31-11-5) got a nice boost heading into Division 2 District play, adding a second win this season over the No. 9 Eddies (28-8-0).
4. Adrian Madison d. Concord (23-25, 26-24, 25-15) The Trojans (34-14-2) came back after losing the first set to add a second win this season (plus a draw) against the Division 4 No. 6 Yellow Jackets (26-10-3).
5. Lowell d. Battle Creek Harper Creek (25-14, 25-15) The Division 1 No. 8 Red Arrows (35-8-3) also swept Mattawan and Caledonia at their regular-season ending quad, but with this matchup with the Division 2 honorable mention Beavers (27-21-1) perhaps most notable from the final tune-up.
Districts at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold, and top two seeds at each are noted.
DIVISION 1
Cadillac
#1 Cadillac (34-7-1), #2 Mount Pleasant (26-9-1), Midland (25-8-4), Midland Dow (21-13-5), Bay City Western (20-16-4).
All five of these teams have winning records, with Big North Conference co-champion Cadillac holding down the top seed and potentially looking for a chance to avenge after seeing last season end against Mount Pleasant in a District Semifinal. Those two met only once this regular season, a 2-1 Mount Pleasant win at the Flint Powers Catholic Tournament. The Oilers also won their division of the Saginaw Valley League and went a combined 6-0 against the other three SVL teams in this week’s field.
Northville
#1 South Lyon East (37-7-1), #2 South Lyon (33-9-0), Northville (19-13-0), Salem (12-11-0), Canton (7-17-0), Plymouth (8-26-0).
South Lyon East has won its last 11 matches, is the only team in the state to defeat top-ranked Rockford, has a pair of wins over rival South Lyon and defeated Northville in their lone meeting as well. But South Lyon will certainly be prepared to challenge its rival one more time and has won nine of its last 10 matches with a victory over Clarkston during that run. And don’t count out Northville – last season’s Division 1 champion – which has seen several of the state’s best and did defeat East in last year’s District Final.
Troy Athens
#1 Bloomfield Hills Marian (43-5-0), #2 Bloomfield Hills (37-6-1), Troy Athens (21-6-1), Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood (10-11-3), Birmingham Seaholm (12-22-2), Troy (1-29-0).
Marian and Bloomfield Hills High have hovered among the top-ranked teams in the state all season, with the Black Hawks holding a 2-1 match advantage as Marian won their first meeting Sept. 4 but Bloomfield Hills claimed the next two including in a three-set comeback Oct. 25. Marian made the Division 1 Semifinals last season and has won District championships nine straight seasons. Host Athens has enjoyed a notable six-win jump from a year ago and won 11 of its last 12 matches.
DIVISION 2
Adrian
#1 Tecumseh (51-2-0), #2 Adrian Madison (34-14-2), Chelsea (32-11-2), Brooklyn Columbia Central (23-16-0), Adrian (15-21-1), Michigan Center (14-23-2).
Last season’s Division 2 runner-up Tecumseh has certainly earned its way to the top seed this week with its only losses this season to Division 3 top-ranked Roscommon and Division 1 No. 6 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern. Tecumseh also has two wins apiece over Chelsea, Columbia Central, Adrian and Madison, and Chelsea and Madison could meet Wednesday to set up one last rematch. Madison defeated Chelsea in three sets during the Sept. 20 Onsted Tournament.
Caro
#1 North Branch (32-8-0), #2 Imlay City (33-9-0), Yale (23-24-1), Croswell-Lexington (25-24-0), Caro (1-20-0).
A District Final matchup between North Branch and Imlay City would be the third meeting in three weeks between the Blue Water Area Conference rivals, with North Branch winning during the league schedule Oct. 21 and again in the league tournament four days later, both in three-set sweeps. The Broncos are ranked No. 2 and Imlay City No. 7 statewide in Division 2, and if they meet once more it will be with North Branch’s 20-year District title streak on the line.
Saginaw Swan Valley
#1 Essexville Garber (39-13-3), #2 Saginaw Swan Valley (22-13-1), Freeland (24-15-2), Carrollton (31-2-2), Bay City John Glenn (10-18-1), Bridgeport (1-13-0).
Garber is the top seed after reaching the Division 2 Semifinals a year ago and taking Tecumseh to a fifth set in Battle Creek. But no matter which opponent the Dukes might face if they reach the District Final this week, they’ll surely be cautious. Garber defeated Swan Valley in four sets two weeks ago, but fell to Freeland in five in their league meeting Sept. 24. And Carrollton definitely is intriguing with its only losses to Division 3 No. 9 Saginaw Valley Lutheran and a strong Breckenridge team.4
DIVISION 3
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker
#1 Cass City (22-8-2), #2 Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (19-14-3), Bad Axe (26-14-0), Unionville-Sebewaing (16-15-4), Harbor Beach (15-17-3).
Although Cass City is a combined 7-0 this season against Laker, Bad Axe and USA, there is potential for some shaking up in this bracket as those opponents all are familiar with each other. Cass City won two matches against Laker, both in four sets, and Laker has two wins in three matches against Bad Axe, both victories coming in five sets. Laker and Bad Axe could meet Wednesday with another opportunity to see Cass City on the line – but Harbor Beach and USA have made enough noise during the season to make this unpredictable.
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central
#1 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (20-4-1), #2 Clinton (31-5-1), Ottawa Lake Whiteford (20-12-0), Erie Mason (13-13-3), Blissfield (8-28-1), Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (7-9-1).
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central is the reigning Division 3 champion and again has seen its share of top competition from multiple divisions. The Kestrels are coming off a loss to league rival Flat Rock, and Clinton – which made the Regional Finals a year ago – will try to jump into the mix with 11 wins over its last 13 matches and losses as well to some of the best in Divisions 2 and 4 including Tecumseh and Mendon. Whiteford also recently tested itself against several larger opponents, going 3-3 at the Belleville Invitational on Oct. 18.
Morley Stanwood
#1 Morley Stanwood (26-12-0), #2 Kent City (31-7-2), White Cloud (16-16-0), Lakeview (14-13-3), Blanchard Montabella (3-26-1).
Host Morley Stanwood and Kent City met three times during the regular season, splitting league matchups with Kent City winning the first, Morley Stanwood the second, but then Kent City coming back to win the third at the Central State Activities Association Tournament – and after losing the first set. That turnaround may provide Kent City with nice momentum if they meet again, although the Eagles did go 2-2 in matches last week. White Cloud lost twice to both this fall, but did take a set off Kent City in their second meeting Oct. 14.
DIVISION 4
Non-Traditional (top line of bracket hosts)
#1 Hancock (24-4-2), #2 Lake Linden-Hubbell (24-5-0), Baraga (21-10-0), Dollar Bay (19-11-0), Chassell (13-11-0), L’Anse (8-19-0).
Hancock burst back on the scene by making last season’s Division 4 Semifinals, and while it would be easy to look ahead to a potential Regional matchup next week with Crystal Falls Forest Park, the Bulldogs have to be cautious this week to make that happen. They’ve seen Lake Linden-Hubbell twice, winning both times in four sets, and Baraga and Dollar Bay have impressed as well – Baraga nearly flipping its record from a year ago. Lake Linden-Hubbell closed the regular season with a sweep of Dollar Bay, but Dollar Bay won their previous meeting in five and should present quite a challenge if it advances to Wednesday.
Bear Lake
#1 Onekama (32-9-3), #2 Suttons Bay (23-2-0), Leland (12-27-1), Frankfort (15-17-2), Bear Lake (16-23-0), Lake Leelanau St. Mary (4-26-3).
Onekama is a combined 11-2-1 over its last 14 matches and 5-0 this season against teams in this bracket as the Portagers seek a sixth-straight District title. They played Suttons Bay to a five-set win on Sept. 25, taking the first two and losing the next pair before winning the decider. Suttons Bay’s only other loss this season came to Division 3 contender Traverse city St. Francis, and the Norsemen defeated both possible Wednesday opponents Leland and St. Mary in a quad Oct. 23.
Hillsdale Will Carleton Academy
#1 Hillsdale Academy (21-11-1), #2 Concord (26-10-3), Hillsdale Will Carleton Academy (18-7-3), Pittsford (13-12-0).
The bracket also is filled with teams with winning records, with Hillsdale Academy an honorable mention and Concord ranked No. 6 in the most recent coaches poll. Hillsdale Academy has lost four of its last six matches, but those defeats came to Division 2 or 3 teams, or top-ranked Mendon, and Colts have wins in lone matches against Concord and Pittsford. Concord went 2-2 to close the regular season, but also with losses to Division 2 and 3 teams. Will Carleton and Pittsford have split a pair of meetings over the last three weeks.
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Country Day hosts Hartland on Oct. 9. (Middle) Bath faces Brooklyn Columbia Central during the Mason Invitational on Sept. 13. (Country Day/Hartland photo by TCP-Photography. Bath/Ovid-Elsie photo by Click by Christine McCallister.)