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 But because of historical reference, dramatic impact or in rare cases national significance, some stay in our discussions a little bit longer.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.)
Century of School Sports: Top Performers Tell Us What High School Sports Mean to Them
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 17, 2025
As we move into the final installments of our MHSAA 100th-anniversary "Century of School Sports" celebration, we present a project we've been working on this entire school year -- an opportunity for some of the state's highest achievers from 2025-26 to explain how school sports have played an important role in their lives.
Following is a collection of answers from athletes we recognized with our "Performance of the Week" over the last 11 months, as we asked all of them: "What has participating in high school sports meant to you?"
@mhsaasports What do high school sports mean to you? Student-athletes like you share their take on high school sports. Stay tuned as we share our #HighSchoolSportsMeanToMe series starting in July🔥🚨📢 #MHSAA ♬ Inspirational - neozilla
Be sure to check out the MHSAA's TikTok channel starting on July 8 to see more answers to the question "What does high school sports mean to you?" Search the hashtag #HighSchoolSportsMeantoMe.
Video transcription:
Asher Clark – Bay City John Glenn: [00:00:00] Every time I step on the field, I get to wear the name of my high school on my jersey, which is an honor.
Aubrey Hillard - Rochester: [00:00:05] It's basically shaped me into the person I am today. It's brought me closer to some of my favorite people, like with my team and my coaches.
Chloe Qin – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood: [00:00:11] It like helps you figure out how to manage your time better and how to, like, cooperate on a team and how to, like, push yourself past your limits.
Izzy Horvath – Bangor: [00:00:23] It's also a stress reliever for me, playing with my friends.
Kate Simon – East Grand Rapids: [00:00:26] I love competing and pushing myself, and they've taught me how to set goals and stay focused and work hard.
Katie Spicer – Fowler: [00:00:32] To me, high school sports are kind of like an escape from reality, and they brought me friendships that I'll have forever and memories that I'll hold on for my whole life.
Alex Graham – Detroit Cass Tech: [00:00:40] You build real good, strong relationships with the coaches, and even after football they'll be there for you and everything.
Asher Clark – Bay City John Glenn: [00:00:46] It's very unique in that you're playing with kids who are older than you that you can learn from, and kids that are younger than you, who you can pass on your knowledge to.
Brock Morris – Southfield Christian: [00:00:54] Being an athlete has taught me discipline, mental toughness, and it's taught me how to push past my limits. I've learned how to lose. I've learned how to win. I've learned how to lead my team through all of that and support my teammates through all of that.
Hunter Lemmon - Fraser: [00:01:06] There's a lot of people that like, I don't know if I ever would have talked to them, and they're like my best friends to this day.
Maggie Buurma - Fowlerville: [00:01:12] The team atmosphere that you get out of high school sports is not really comparable to anything else I've ever experienced. Whether I won or I lost, they were there for me the next day. They didn't base my worth off of my wins and losses.
McRecco McFadden III – Burton Bentley: [00:01:26] It's definitely a learning experience to watch yourself grow. Throughout this whole experience, it made me who I am, if I'm being honest.
Olivia Flynn – Harbor Springs: [00:01:32] Being on a team has had a huge impact on my confidence. It's bringing and embracing the leadership roles on and off the court. And then, just like I said, playing with girls from all different backgrounds, just being together to accomplish one goal, it's so fun and I love it.
Wyatt Spalo – Reed City: [00:01:47] It's become my home away from home in a sense. High school sports has definitely been like a key factor in not only who I've become today, but like, also how I've grown.
Victoria Garces – Midland Dow: [00:01:57] Every school day, no matter if it's good or bad, you always have your practice after school. And it's just such a fun way to see all your friends and then also get to focus on something that you love.
Shaelyn Perry – South Lyon United: [00:02:08] And all those lessons are so applicable in other areas of my life, and they've enabled me to be successful in other areas of my life, and it opens up so many other doors and other relationships that without it, I wouldn't have.
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
June 10: 'The Mitten' Becomes Sought-After Symbol of MHSAA Greatness - Read
June 3: MHSAA's Move to TV, Now Internet, 60 Years Old & Growing - Read
May 27: Upper Peninsula Helps Make Michigan's School Sports Story Unique - Read
May 20: From Nearly A to Z, Schools Repped by 221 Nicknames - Read
May 13: These Record-Setters were Nearly Impossible to Defeat - Read
May 6: 200+ Representatives Fill All-Time Council Roster - Read
April 29: MHSAA Programs Prioritize Health & Safety - Read
April 23: Patches Signify Registered Officials' Role in MHSAA Story - Read
April 16: Student Advisory Council Gives Voice to Athletes - Read
April 9: State's Storytellers Share Spring Memories - Read
April 2: Sharp Leadership Synonymous with MHSAA Success - Read
March 25: Athletic Directors Indispensable to Mission of School Sports - Read
March 18: 2025 Finals Begin Next Half-Century of Girls Hoops Championships - Read
March 11: Boys Basketball's Best 1st to Earn MHSAA Finals Titles - Read
March 5: Everything We Do Begins with Participation - Read
Feb. 25: Slogans & Logos Remain Unforgettable Parts of MHSAA History - Read
Feb. 19: MHSAA Tickets Continue to Provide Fan-Friendly Value - Read
Feb. 11: We Recognize Those Who Make Our Games Go - Read
Feb. 4: WISL Conference Continues to Inspire Aspiring Leaders - Read
Jan. 28: Michigan's National Impact Begins at NFHS' Start - Read
Jan. 21: Awards Celebrate Well-Rounded Educational Experience - Read
Jan. 14: Predecessors Laid Foundation for MHSAA's Formation - Read
Jan. 9: MHSAA Blazes Trail Into Cyberspace - Read
Dec. 31: State's Storytellers Share Winter Memories - Read
Dec. 17: MHSAA Over Time - Read
Dec. 10: On This Day, December 13, We Will Celebrate - Read
Dec. 3: MHSAA Work Guided by Representative Council - Read
Nov. 26: Finals Provide Future Pros Early Ford Field Glory - Read
Nov. 19: Connection at Heart of Coaches Advancement Program - Read
Nov. 12: Good Sports are Winners Then, Now & Always - Read
Nov. 5: MHSAA's Home Sweet Home - Read
Oct. 29: MHSAA Summits Draw Thousands to Promote Sportsmanship - Read
Oct. 23: Cross Country Finals Among MHSAA's Longest Running - Read
Oct. 15: State's Storytellers Share Fall Memories - Read
Oct. 8: Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics - Read
Oct. 1: Michigan Sends 10 to National Hall of Fame - Read
Sept. 25: MHSAA Record Books Filled with 1000s of Achievements - Read
Sept. 18: Why Does the MHSAA Have These Rules? - Read
Sept. 10: Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year - Read
Sept. 4: Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28: Let the Celebration Begin - Read