10 to Remember: Winter 2014-15
April 2, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
As one might imagine, six straight weekends of MHSAA Finals produce enough highlights to distract us from our seemingly endless Michigan winters.
As explained to preface “10 to Remember” many times before, all championships are lifetime memories for those who achieved them. Those listed below are just one person’s thoughts on which moments from this season will continue to be discussed most in the seasons to come.
10. Brother Rice Rides Team Effort to Repeat
Birmingham Brother Rice repeated as Lower Peninsula Division 1 swimming and diving champion, and did so by winning by more than 100 points for the second consecutive season. But what made this Warriors finish so impressive was that it didn’t include a single individual championship – they won the opening and closing relays of the meet and took seven second-place individual finishes along the way.
9. Kearsley Sweeps Bowling Championships … Again
Flint Kearsley varsity bowlers are guaranteed one other title this season – MHSAA champions. Both the girls and boys teams won team titles in Division 2, just as they had in 2014. The Kearsley girls again defeated Bay City Western in the championship match, this time by a mere 30 pins, 1,242-1,212. The Kearsley boys also earned their title by defeating Bay City Western, and by only seven pins – 1,351-1,344.
8. Rockford/Sparta Owns the Weekend
Rockford hosted the MHSAA Gymnastics Finals, making the cliché “bringing home the title” a short trip – twice. The Rams, a co-op with Sparta, won the team competition by 1.750 points over reigning champion Canton; Rockford’s only other MHSAA gymnastics championship also was the first in any sport in school history, in the Lower Peninsula in 1989. Juniors Madi Myers and Morgan Korf led the effort with the third and fourth-highest all-around scores of the Team Final – and Korf came back the next day with a stunning move to take the Division 1 individual championship. She had finished 18th in Division 1 as a sophomore.
7. Breckenridge Returns to Cheer Elite
In its second season back as a competitive program, Breckenridge added to its stature as one of the most powerful competitive cheer programs in MHSAA history by claiming the Division 4 championship by nearly 24 points over runner-up Pewamo-Westphalia. Breckenridge has won eight MHSAA titles in cheer, but didn’t have a team for six seasons because of low participation until bringing back the program for 2013-14.
6. Cowboys Lasso First Basketball Title
First Detroit Western International won its first Detroit Public School League championship since 1922. Then it made its first MHSAA Semifinals since 1974. The Cowboys capped this season with its first MHSAA Final victory, a nail-biter 62-59 over Saginaw Arthur Hill in Class A. Western also defeated Detroit Catholic League A-B champion Detroit U-D Jesuit in the Semifinal, and finished the season 26-0.
No team traveled farther to the MHSAA Basketball Finals than the Calumet girls – and it can be argued that no team came from farther away in expectation to become an MHSAA champion. The unranked Copper Kings traveled more than 500 miles to arrive at the Breslin Center, then defeated top-ranked Laingsburg in a Class C Semifinal and perennial power Flint Hamady in the championship game to claim its first MHSAA title in the sport.
4. Skatzka, Olson Become Latest of the Greatest
Richmond’s Devin Skatzka and Davison’s Lincoln Olson pushed the list of MHSAA four-time individual champions to 21 by finishing their careers with big victories. Olson actually was the 20th, winning his match at 135 pounds by technical fall in Division 1. Skatzka then became No. 21 with four MHSAA titles, with a technical fall in the 160-pound match in Division 3.
3. Brighton Claims First Title in Final Match
Few Finals in any sport this winter carried the drama of Brighton’s 31-25 win over Hartland in Division 1 wrestling. Bulldogs 112-pounder Lee Grabowski entered the final match carrying his team’s three-point lead but facing the scenario that if he lost even by decision, and the team score went to 28-28, Brighton would lose the tie-breaker. Oh, and Grabowski was facing an opponent he’d lost to twice in league competition earlier in the winter. Grabowski won a 4-2 decision this time, and Brighton won its first team title.
2. Godwin Heights, Powers North Central Cap 3-Season Surges
Wyoming Godwin Heights and Powers North Central made the MHSAA record book by adding to a pair of the most successful three-season runs in boys basketball history – and capping them with championships. Godwin Heights won its first MHSAA title, downing Detroit Henry Ford 85-68 in the Class B Final, to finish the last three seasons a combined 74-5. North Central, meanwhile, downed Morenci 67-47 in Class D to win its first title since 1984 and cap a three-season 75-5 run.
1. Record Comeback Sends Saints Home as Champs
St. Ignace trailed undefeated Pittsford by 20 points two minutes into the Class D Final when it launched a comeback equaled by only one other team in MHSAA girls basketball history. The Saints tied the score with 35 seconds to play in regulation and continued the rally in the extra period to claim a 64-60 title-clinching victory. Detroit Cass Tech, in the 1987 Class A Final, also had come back from 20 down in the third quarter to win. The championship was St. Ignace’s fifth in girls basketball.
PHOTO: St. Ignace basketball players celebrate after the Saints tied the largest comeback in MHSAA Finals history on the way to claiming the Class D title. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Girls Report Week 9
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 9, 2026
It’s league championship time this girls basketball season, and with less than a month until District play begins and some interesting clusters of games coming up thanks to winter-weather postponements, there will be at least a few wild finishes over the next few weeks.
Our report below includes news on a few teams that already have clinched, mentions of more that are closing in, and explanations of at least two pairs of contenders likely to decide their league titles while seeing each other twice over just a matter of days.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Midland 38, Grand Haven 36 In the midst of a deadlocked Saginaw Valley League North race, co-leader Midland (13-4) took on another Division 1 contender in Grand Haven (13-2).
2. Birmingham Groves 73, Detroit Edison 62 This win over an annual power just adds to an incredible turnaround for Groves (13-2), which won six games last season and is guaranteed its first winning record since 2017-18.
3. Clarkston 52, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 45 This pulled the Wolves (12-5) even with Stoney Creek (12-2) atop the Oakland Activities Association Red standings, and these two face off again tonight.
4. Jackson Lumen Christi 55, Farmington Hills Mercy 49 The Titans (14-2) moved into the Catholic High School League Bishop final with this win over the Marlins (11-4).
5. Grand Rapids South Christian 50, Grand Rapids West Catholic 44 The Sailors (16-0) continued to pull away in an Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold where West Catholic (12-4) is one of three more teams with at least 10 wins.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Howell (17-1) The Highlanders have already clinched the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title with three league games left to play. The title is Howell’s second in three seasons, and the dominance has extended through its nonleague schedule with the only loss to Rockford (13-1) at Cornerstone University in December. Many statewide eyes will be turned toward the KLAA overall championship game Feb. 26 and the Highlanders’ anticipated matchup with reigning Division 1 champion Belleville.
Utica Eisenhower (12-2) The Eagles can clinch a share of the Macomb Area Conference Red title with a win against Port Huron on Tuesday, and they are a combined 34-5 over the last two seasons having also shared the league title a year ago. Eisenhower has loaded up tough nonleague competition and no doubt benefitted even from losses to Goodrich and Detroit Renaissance – with a chance to head into the postseason on a roll with a trip to Flint Powers Catholic for the regular-season finale.
DIVISION 2
Big Rapids (10-3) The Cardinals have won 20 straight Central State Activities Association games and lead the Red after the first cycle through the schedule and after winning the title a year ago. They defeated CSAA White leader Morley Stanwood 57-53 and have lost to Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, Spring Lake and Mount Pleasant – which are either undefeated or contending for league titles. Matchups with Saginaw Heritage and Kent City on back-to-back days next week will be a valuable challenge.
Otsego (12-1) The Bulldogs are a one-point overtime December loss to Richland Gull Lake from perfection, and that’s while playing a schedule that’s included two wins over Sturgis (13-2) and one apiece against Marshall (10-5), Plainwell (10-3) and Saturday over Niles Brandywine (15-1). Otsego looks ready to climb after winning 12-14 games each of the last three seasons and has jumped from No. 15 to No. 4 in statewide Division 2 MPR over the last two weeks.
DIVISION 3
Cass City (12-3) The Red Hawks have won 10 of their last 11 and have a half-game lead on Caro in the Greater Thumb Conference White with Thursday’s matchup with the Tigers potentially for first place alone in the league. Cass City already handed Caro one of its two losses and Deckerville one of its two defeats, with wins over Sanford Meridian and Unionville-Sebewaing also especially of note. Two of the Red Hawks’ losses were back-to-back to Hemlock (15-1) and Kingston (15-0), but Cass City will have a similar opportunity against Sandusky (14-1) in the regular-season finale.
Morley Stanwood (12-2) As noted above, Morley Stanwood leads the CSAA White, with those losses nonleague to Big Rapids and Fremont (11-3). Both came during a string of four straight games against opponents now with double-digit wins, and Morley Stanwood also defeated Kent City and Mio during that string. The Kent City win was by a 64-62 score, and the rematch is set for Feb. 20. The team needs just one more win to equal last season’s total.
DIVISION 4
Au Gres-Sims (14-1) The Wolverines jumped 11 spots to No. 6 in statewide Division 4 MPR this week thanks in part to a 55-37 win over Hale (10-3) after they defeated Hale by just a point in overtime in their first meeting Jan. 8. Au Gres-Sims and Mio are the only undefeated teams left in North Star League Little Dipper play and meet Tuesday for the first time this season and then again Friday. The Wolverines’ only loss came to Tawas (11-2) in their season opener, by just four points.
Ishpeming (12-2) The Hematites are a half-game back of first-place Negaunee and a half-game ahead of Houghton atop the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference standings – and although it didn’t count toward the league title race, Ishpeming avenged its WestPAC loss Friday by downing the previously-undefeated Miners 51-39. The Hematites did that after falling to Gladstone 53-49 in overtime only three nights before. Baraga (14-2) and Munising (12-3) should be two more challenging opponents before Ishpeming finishes the regular season with Houghton (11-4).
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – Grass Lake (15-1) at Michigan Center (14-2) – There are a handful of Cascades Conference games left, but the East championship should come down to this matchup after Grass Lake won the first meeting 61-55.
Tuesday – Wayne Memorial (14-1) at Belleville (16-0) – The Tigers can clinch a share of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East championship with a win over the rival Zebras, who have lost only to Belleville.
Tuesday – Hanover-Horton (13-2) at Brooklyn Columbia Central (13-2) – These two are tied for first in the Cascades Conference West and will meet again Feb. 17.
Wednesday – New Lothrop (13-1) at Ovid-Elsie (12-2) – New Lothrop has a half-game lead on Ovid-Elsie in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference after winning their Jan. 5 meeting 47-34.
Friday – Jackson Lumen Christi (14-2) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (15-2) at Oakland – The champions of the Catholic High School League Central-East and Central-West, respectively, will meet for the Bishop Tournament title.
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PHOTOS (Top) Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy’s Symone Brandt (1) drives during a 51-43 loss to Mio on Friday. (Middle) Houghton's Kate Filpus cuts between Marquette's Kylie Smith (25) and Hayley Taylor (22) and takes a shot. (SASA/Mio photo by Kolleth Photo. Houghton/Marquette photo by Cara Kamps.)