10 to Remember: Winter 2012-13
April 4, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This winter in Michigan will be remembered by some as lasting seemingly forever. But at least we had plenty to enjoy over the five weeks from the end of February through March.
Below are 10 stories from this winter's Finals that we're likely to recall for years to come. They aren't necessarily the 10 most exciting moments, but rather 10 stories of particular significance covering every sport the MHSAA sponsors during this mostly-indoor season.
A few that just missed the list: Livonia Stevenson winning that hockey town's first hockey title, St. Ignace's first perfect girls basketball finish, Flint Beecher's last-second success in the Class C Boys Basketball Final, East Grand Rapids' four-point win in Division 3 swimming and diving and the emergence of Troy's Christina Shabet as the MHSAA's top gymnast.
There are plenty of others we could mention as well. Feel free to post about them after checking out our 10.
Saline Seniors Leave Mark
One of the most impressive swimming and diving classes in MHSAA history finished its high school career March 9 in Holland the same way it began four seasons ago. Saline won its fourth-straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship anchored by seniors David Boland, Josh Ehrman, Michael Bundas and Adam Whitener, who combined hold four Division 1 Finals individual and two relay records. Ehrman finished his prep career with the all-class/division records in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke, and those four hold the all-class/division record in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:30.01 – good also for third in the national record book. Click to read more.
Fowlerville’s Coon Finishes with 4
Only 16 others had accomplished what Fowlerville’s Adam Coon achieved to finish his MHSAA wrestling career. And none had done so wrestling at the heaviest weights. On March 2 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Coon became the 17th athlete to win four MHSAA wrestling individual titles by picking up his second at 285 pounds after also winning two at 215. He finished his career with a record of 211-3 and won 194 straight matches dating to his freshman season. Click to read more.
Comets Shine for 6th Consecutive Gymnastics Win
Despite graduating the Division 1 all-around champion (again) and facing a talented Canton team (again), Grand Ledge won the team title again – for the sixth-straight time, the longest streak in MHSAA gymnastics history. On March 8 at Canton High School, the Comets scored 149.350 points – fifth-most in MHSAA Finals history. What are the chances for seven in a row? They’ll have a strong start: junior Presley Allison won the Division 2 all-around title the next day, and freshman Rachel Hogan won the Division 1 floor competition. Click to read more.
Hudson Completes Drive for 5
The Tigers won three of the final four matches to edge Hesperia 32-24 in the Division 4 Team Wrestling Final on Feb. 23 at Kellogg Arena and earn their fifth-straight MHSAA title – tying the 2002-06 Davison teams for the longest such streak since the Team Finals began in 1988. Hudson was loaded with 11 Individual Finals qualifiers, including three who went on to win their weights the following weekend. Click to read more.
This Time, It’s Romulus’ Turn
Romulus advanced to Boys Basketball Finals weekend at Breslin Center for the fourth time in six seasons, and on March 23 left with its first MHSAA championship since 1986. The Eagles had just fallen short a number of times during the recent run, but controlled from the tip in downing Detroit Southeastern 61-49 to claim the Class A title. Romulus finished this season 27-1. Click to read more.
Grand Haven Wins Repeat Class A Final
Only a few things about Grand Haven were the same this season as in 2011-12, including one significant advantage – 6-foot-5 center Abby Cole. After putting up 23 points, 19 rebounds and 12 blocks in a Semifinal win over Westland John Glenn, she tallied 11 points, seven rebounds and eight blocks in a 60-54 overtime win over Grosse Pointe South on March 16 at the Breslin Center to give the Buccaneers two straight Class A title wins – both over the Blue Devils. Click to read more.
Puck Stops Here as Brighton Marches On
The Bulldogs claimed their second-straight Division 1 hockey championship March 9 at Compuware Arena with what has become a characteristic defensive stand, this time in a 2-1 win over 10-time champ Detroit Catholic Central. Brighton goalie James Milletics stopped 37 of 38 shots against him, and his team finished a 12-game winning streak during which it gave up only 12 goals total. Click to read more.
No Stopping Carlson’s Cheer Dynasty
All four MHSAA cheer champions March 2-3 at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex were repeat winners from 2012, but Carlson faced an intriguing set of circumstances. Although coach Danielle Jokela basically had served as a co-coach with Christine Wilson through four titles over the previous five seasons, this was her first time leading the team solo with Wilson now coaching Brighton. And the Marauders pulled out a third-straight title despite losing all-stater Annie Hajec to an injury during the Regional the weekend before. Click to read more.
Trojans Skiers Second No Longer
Traverse City Central’s girls skiing team had finished MHSAA runner-up five straight seasons before hoisting its first championship trophy since 2005 on Feb. 25 at Boyne Mountain. The Trojans finished with 81 points, 11 better than runner-up Walled Lake Central. Shannon Weaver was the individual runner-up in both the slalom and giant slalom to lead the effort. Click to read more.
Vandercook Lake Wins Battle of Bowling Powers
After facing each other and splitting the last two Division 4 titles, it seemed fate that Vandercook Lake and Sandusky should meet again in the 10th year of the MHSAA tournament on March 1 at Sunnybrook Golf and Bowl. The teams were separated by only six pins with three frames to roll before Vandercook Lake pulled away for a 1,322-1,166 win. The Jayhawks' Malloree Ambs won the individual title the next day. Click to read more.
New Leader, Another Championship Result as Country Day Takes Back Title
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
June 6, 2026
HOWELL – Detroit Country Day is the Division 2 boys lacrosse champion for the fifth time in program history.
Also for the fifth time, the Yellowjackets won the title with a different coach.
JD Hess stepped into the role in 2026 after DCD had reached at least the Semifinals the last four seasons, and won it all in 2024.
On Saturday, Hess’ Yellowjackets overcame a four-goal deficit to rally and beat Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 14-12, at Howell Parker.
“It feels great. I walked into an unbelievable situation with this team,” Hess said. “Senior heavy, bunch of studs, lots of talent, but I think the difference that showed today was our character and the way that we rally and play for each other. It feels great. I’m trying to enjoy this moment, watching these guys celebrate. I’m super happy for them. These guys worked really hard and deserve this.”
Trailing 9-5 midway through the second quarter, Country Day (20-1) would net the last two goals of the half on scores from seniors Keaton Yearego and Addison Davis.
Those goals ultimately helped spark a six-goal rally that started in the third quarter and ran into the fourth to put the game in Country Day’s favor.
“We have been a really good third-quarter team all season, so in the locker room we were pretty composed and calm,” Hess said. “We decided this is where we live, we live in the third quarter. Then, we started winning faceoffs and we got a couple stops on defense. Our defense showed up big time in the second half, and we felt like if we could get the ball to our offense, they were going to put it in the back of the net.”
Another senior, Luke Fisher, came up with the two goals that tied the score at 11-11 and seemed to shift all the momentum over to the Yellowjackets.
“I’m just so blessed,” Fisher said. “I’ve been playing with these guys since I was a little kid and they have always had my back. I just wanted to help us pull through as a team in that moment.”
From there, junior Rhys Kenney and senior Preston Cook gave DCD the lead for good in the fourth quarter. Both finished with a team-high three goals.
“Those are two of our studs,” Hess said of Cook and Kenney. “They mean a lot to us. Preston Cook has really come on at the end of the season. He’s had an incredible playoff run. Reese has been, if not the best player, one of the best players in the state all season. That’s what we expect from those two guys.”
The game was tied on five occasions during the first half before the Rangers (11-12) broke open the score as part of a five-goal rally over four minutes of play. Blake Teliczan put FHC up 6-5 while Elliott Fricano scored twice during the run to make it 9-5.
“We had seen Country Day had been off to a few slow starts the last few games, so we wanted to punch them in the mouth early and try to get up on them and hold on to that lead,” Forest Hills Central coach Andy Shira said.
Teliczan had five goals and an assist for the Rangers, while Finn Brunink and Fricano each scored three times.
The Rangers nearly capped off a remarkable turnaround this season. FHC started 2-10, with a 17-8 loss to Country Day and 19-5 loss to East Grand Rapids. The Rangers then rallied to win nine of their next 10, including avenging the defeat to EGR in the Semifinal, 14-13.
“This team’s never given up at any point throughout the year. We had a rough start, but the kids really stayed together and did everything we have been preaching since January. When you’re (2-10), it’s easy to fold, but these kids and the amount of passion they have, their accountability, and the effort they put in was tremendous. We just came up short at the end of it.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Country Day’s Micah Zacks (10) considers his options on offense during his team’s Division 2 championship win Saturday. (Middle) The Yellowjackets’ Rhys Kenney rips a shot. (Below) Forest Hills Central’s Blake Teliczan (8) and Elliott Fricano (24) celebrate a moment. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)