Class in Session: A History in Classification
July 24, 2017
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
This is the first part in a series on MHSAA tournament classification, past and present, that will be published over the next two weeks. This series originally ran in this spring's edition of MHSAA benchmarks.
Conversation and discussion at the March 2017 MHSAA Representative Council Meeting leaned heavily toward the subject of 8-Player Football and how to properly balance its tournament with the growing number of schools sponsoring the sport.
While the proposal to split the tournament into two divisions beginning with the 2017 school year was adopted, the MHSAA then faced questions such as when to set the divisions, how to determine qualifiers and where to host the championship games.
The topic continues to create a buzz in Class D schools across both peninsulas, and likely will do into the start of school this fall.
Likewise, the lone holdouts still conducting tournaments by class – MHSAA Boys and Girls Basketball and Girls Volleyball – took center stage at the May Council discussion, and following the 2017-18 school year, class is out for good. Both genders of basketball, and girls volleyball, will move to divisional formats thereafter.
There is much to be decided to be sure; but as those in education are well aware, history is the best teacher.
Fortunately for the sports in flux and for all sports under the governance of the MHSAA, the Association more or less wrote the book on the subject of sport classification. Following is a history lesson, with a little advanced division thrown in.
Class structure
Credited with being the first state with multiple tournament classifications, Michigan’s attention to trends and shifts in philosophy aimed at fair play and equal tournament opportunity can be traced from 80 years ago to the present.
In the earliest years of the MHSAA, there were four classifications for elections and tournaments – Classes A, B, C and D. Classes C and D had far more schools than Classes A and B. For example, 80 years ago (1937), there were only 58 schools in Class A, 94 schools in Class B, 297 schools in Class C and 253 schools in Class D.
Gradually through the years, as Michigan’s major cities spawned suburbs, there was a shift in the other direction to the point 30 years ago (1987) when school size became more balanced: 173 Class A schools, 178 Class B schools, 179 Class C schools and 182 Class D schools.
Up until 1987, the MHSAA published the dividing line between each classification, after which schools submitted their enrollments. Then, for 1988 and thereafter, the MHSAA adopted the plan of gathering all enrollments first and then placing 25 percent of the schools in each of four classes. This completed the equalization of the number of schools in each class for elections.
However, the change for 1988 did nothing to equalize the number of teams actually entered by each class in each sport. And unlike the early years of the Association when there were many more Class C and D teams than A and B teams, there were more Class A and B teams than C and D teams entering MHSAA tournaments decades later.
Moreover, the difference in number of teams entered in the different classifications for a sport continued to increase as many small schools, the fastest growing portion of the MHSAA's membership, sponsor only a few sports, or they sponsor no sports at all but enter into cooperative programs with other schools.
Because of these differences, Class A or B schools sometimes had to win twice as many games as Class C or D schools to reach the MHSAA Finals in a sport. At times, the larger classifications had District Tournaments, even rat-tail games, and/or a Quarterfinal game, and the smaller classifications did not. Most Class D Districts have had four teams (some only three), while Class A Districts often had seven or eight teams. In Regional levels of individual sports, the number of entries in the larger classification once greatly outnumbered those in the smaller classifications of the tournament for the same sport.
Over the years, these dividing lines between classes escalated gradually, as did the differences in enrollments of largest and small schools in each class. In 1937 the dividing lines were 700, 300 and 100 between Class A and B, B and C, and C and D, respectively. By 1987, the dividing lines were 1,129, 571 and 298, respectively, leading to the current method of collecting enrollments and then setting the classification.
With the pendulum swinging well past center by the late 1980s, coaches associations, MHSAA sport committees, tournament managers and school administrators began discussion and offered proposals to correct what many believed had become a flawed system of MHSAA tournament classification.
At the 1996 MHSAA Update Meetings, ¾ of 858 respondents to that year’s annual survey indicated they favored a system that would divide schools which actually sponsor each sport into two, three or four nearly equal divisions.
Problem solving
At its meeting May 4-6, 1997, the Representative Council defeated a motion that would have adopted in one action a coordinated plan of reclassification for all sports to equalize the number of schools in each tournament for each respective sport. Instead, the Council discussed and voted on each proposal that had been presented from sport committees.
This resulted in the Representative Council adopting four equal divisions for baseball and softball, four equal divisions for boys and girls tennis, four equal divisions for boys soccer and three equal divisions for girls soccer, effective with the 1997-98 school year. Helping in the decision was the success of the 1995-96 MHSAA Wrestling season, which saw the sport move to four divisions for its tournament structure
The Council delayed action on similar proposals for football and boys golf at that time to glean additional input. The same decision was made with respect to a proposal from the Ice Hockey Committee that would have split the Class A schools in two divisions and left the Class B/C/D Tournament unchanged.
“The gist of the move from classes to divisions was to equalize the path to championships for students of all schools, regardless of the size of those schools,” said MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts.
While the restructuring accomplished that goal for the majority of competitors, opposition exists now as it did then. The primary argument in opposition to the changes is that, in some sports, it increases the range between largest and smallest schools in the division for smallest schools, even as the range is usually reduced for other divisions.
Larger schools offered a counterpoint.
“The larger schools suggested that while they may have more students, they also attempt to sponsor more sports than the smaller schools, in some cases spreading the enrollment as thin as a much smaller school with fewer sports,” Roberts said.
“Even today, the idea of four equal divisions can be unpopular among some Class D schools which feel especially burdened by the equal division concept,” Roberts said. “There was enough opposition in 1997 that equal divisions were rejected for boys and girls basketball and girls volleyball, and some of that opposition remains.”
The numbers of schools sponsoring each MHSAA tournament are still close to the totals today, with the exception of soccer in both genders, which has enjoyed substantial increases. This spring, 466 girls teams were scheduled to compete in the MHSAA Soccer Tournament, while 473 boys teams will suit up this fall.
Since the beginning of MHSAA divisions in 1996 with wrestling, 147 additional team champions have been crowned and countless individuals have known the thrill of victory due to an extra level of Finals in various sports. Girls soccer has seen the most growth in opportunity, moving from two classes in 1987 to three divisions the following year, and then four divisions in 2000. Boys soccer had enjoyed four classes for two years prior to the new four-division format, and it was the sport of soccer that helped to create a caveat in the nearly equal division movement.
Lower Peninsula boys and girls swimming & diving expanded from two to three divisions in 2008, while boys and girls bowling are the most recent sports to enjoy increased tournament opportunity, adding a fourth division in 2010.
“Fairness is in the eye of the beholder. While having the same number of schools in each division is one kind of fairness, holding in check the enrollment range between the largest and smallest schools in Division 4 is another kind of fairness that is dear to a great number of people,” Roberts said. “Because more schools sponsor basketball and volleyball than other sports, Class D schools would have been least affected by the equal divisions concept in those sports; but that, and ‘tradition,’ did not dissuade the opponents in the 1990s.”
The shift to divisions not only paved the way for student-athletes, but also assisted administrators and schools hosting tournaments. MHSAA tournament mangers looked to equal divisions to more closely equalize the number of schools in District or Regional Tournaments and to better equalize the length of day required for these rounds of tournaments, both for management and participating teams and individuals.
Pinning down an answer
Wrestling became the first MHSAA Tournament to be conducted in nearly equal divisions when team and individual champions were crowned in Divisions 1, 2, 3 and 4 rather than Classes A, B, C/D for the 1996 winter championships.
The movement was well received, as schools saw more opportunity for success: four champions where there once were three at the District, Regional and Final levels, and a smaller range of enrollment between the smallest and largest school in all four tournaments, leading to the impetus for the Fall 1996 Update Meeting Survey of schools regarding similar movement in other sports.
Team champions that year were Holt (D1), Petoskey (D2), Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (D3) and Dundee (D4).
Getting their kicks
When the "equal divisions" concept was approved by the Representative Council for most MHSAA Tournaments for the 1997-98 school year, there was opposition from the smallest schools which, under the equal divisions, are forced to play against larger schools than reside in Class D. Compelling arguments were made – and still are – that an enrollment difference between schools with smaller enrollments (e.g., Class D) is more difficult to overcome in athletic competition than an even larger enrollment difference between schools with larger enrollments (e.g., Class A).
The opposition was most intense in soccer because of the number of students needed to field a team and the physical nature of the sport. As a result, from 2000-01 through 2010-11, soccer operated with a “20-percent modification.” This placed 20 percent of all schools that actually sponsored soccer in Division 4, and the remaining 80 percent were placed equally in Divisions 1, 2 and 3.
At the time the 20 percent modification was adopted, it was also established that soccer would return to four equal divisions when the largest Division 4 soccer school had an enrollment equal to or smaller than the mid point for Class C schools. That occurred in 2010.
Last class on the schedule
In the same volume of “history being the best teacher,” one can also find the adage, “times change.” While the division format was a welcome change in some sports, others were left to hold class without change.
In the sports of boys and girls basketball, and girls volleyball, the number of schools sponsoring the sports were so close to the overall membership of the MHSAA that divisions were not necessary; the enrollment breakdowns themselves were enough to delineate equal opportunity for tournament success.
That is no longer the case, according to MHSAA membership. The last move from classes to divisions occurred for the 2006-07 school year following Council action. Before this May, that is. Action at the most recent Representative Council meeting, May 2017, called for the shift to divisions for MHSAA Boys and Girls Basketball, and Girls Volleyball, beginning with the 2018-19 season.
“Because the MHSAA Volleyball Committee had requested this change several times a number of years ago, and because the Council felt the change inevitable, there should not be further delay,” Roberts said. “It is an important detail that the Class D maximum has dropped 50 students over the past decade so the objection that much larger schools would be competing in Division 4 isn’t very strong now.”
Using the 2017-18 enrollment figures, just eight Class C schools would be competing in Division 4 for boys basketball, 11 for girls basketball and 14 for girls volleyball.
Good things came of the previous most-recent switches in 2006-07. Competitive Cheer was re-classified from Class A, B and C-D into four equal divisions assisting in the rapid growth of sponsoring schools (approximately 80 schools per division). Alpine skiing was changed from Class A and B-C D to two equal divisions.
At that time, the MHSAA Basketball Committee had recommended to the Council the study of increased classifications, but status quo remained.
Back on the grid
As such, MHSAA Basketball and Volleyball remained the only holdovers of the MHSAA class structure. Discussion resurfaced periodically during the last two decades to bring those tournaments in line with the other MHSAA sports.
Regular-season football-playing schools are separated by class, then are reshuffled by divisions for the playoffs. Football, as we know, underwent a significant postseason facelift in the late 1990s.
While MHSAA Football also remained a class sport through 1998, it had expanded from four to eight classes from 1990-98, becoming the first MHSAA sport to crown more than four team champions. Member schools were asked to consider a pair of options in November of 1997. One called for eight equal divisions, and the second would leave Class D by itself as division 8, and split Class A, B and C schools into seven nearly equal divisions.
After much discussion, retooling, and crunching of formulas, the MHSAA unveiled its revised Football Playoff model that continues to roll today, nearly 20 years later. It was determined that 256 teams would qualify for the tournament based first on a minimum of six wins, then by Playoff Points determined by formula. From there, the field would be divided into eight divisions, with the field being filled out by a nearly equal number of five-win teams in each division as needed to reach 256.
Eight championships would indeed be enough, until football sponsorship among the MHSAA’s smallest schools – some with rich football traditions – began to trend downward. The MHSAA again went to the drawing board, examining the viability of 8-player football. After an experimental year in 2010 without a tournament, the 8-player game was playoff-ready for 2011, with a field of 16 qualifiers embarking on a four-week tournament.
Not only did the 8-player option restore recently canceled programs, but it also created teams in schools which previously had none, and convinced some 11-player schools that this new division was the best path to take.
What did this do for the Class D holdovers staying in the traditional 11-player game? Well, a couple of things, positive and negative. As two and three dozen Class D schools opted for the 8-player game, the remaining 11-player Class D schools at times found themselves in disrupted leagues and had to travel further to complete schedules. They also competed against larger teams in Division 8 of the 11-player MHSAA Football Playoffs.
However, the growth of the 8-player game among the smallest schools also resulted in more Class D schools qualifying for the MHSAA Football Playoffs than ever before. In 2012, an all-time high 44 percent of Class D schools sponsoring football qualified for either the 8-player tournament or Division 8 of the 11-player tournament. That compared to 42.2 percent of Class C schools, 44.9 percent of Class B schools and 41.6 percent of Class A schools which qualified for the 2012 playoffs.
Much is to be determined in the most recent chapter of MHSAA Tournament expansion as the 8-Player Football Playoffs welcome a second division. As the past illustrates, there will be pluses and minuses. History also shows that the MHSAA has received maximum input from its constituents, researched all possibilities, and will find solutions to questions still in the balance before an additional group of athletes hoists a new trophy in November.
Through the Years
A chronology of when which sports moved from Class to Division in the MHSAA.
1995-96: LP Wrestling
1997-98: Baseball, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Softball, LP Girls Tennis, LP Boys Tennis
1998-99: LP Boys Golf, LP Girls Golf
1999-2000: Ice Hockey, LP Boys Track & Field, LP Girls Track & Field
2000-01: LP Boys Cross Country, LP Girls Cross Country, UP Boys Cross Country, UP Girls Cross Country, UP Boys Golf, UP Girls Golf, UP Boys Tennis, UP Girls Tennis, UP Boys Track & Field, UP Girls Track & Field
2002-03: LP Girls Swimming & Diving, LP Boys Swimming & Diving
2005-06: Boys Bowling, Girls Bowling
2006-07: Girls Competitive Cheer, Boys Skiing, Girls Skiing
2018-19: Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Girls Volleyball
Note: Boys and Girls Lacrosse has been a divisional sport since it began in during the 2004-05 school year.
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys Semifinals Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 12, 2025
Michigan State University’s Breslin Center will once again provide opportunities for dream finishes for 16 teams concluding another MHSAA boys basketball season this weekend.
Mark Keeler has been involved in plenty. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian’s leader will retire this weekend as the third-winningest coach in MHSAA boys basketball history – and after his 16th trip to Finals weekend.
His Defenders are joined by Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Division 1 and Warren Lincoln in Division 2 as returning title winners seeking to finish repeat runs. Meanwhile, half of this weekend’s field will attempt to accomplish what Lincoln also did a year ago – end at Breslin as a champion for the first time.
Semifinals will be played Thursday and Friday, with all four championships games set for Saturday.
DIVISION 1 - Friday
East Lansing (26-1) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary's (20-6) - Noon
Wayne Memorial (24-3) vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth (22-5) - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 2 - Friday
Kingsford (22-3) vs. Romulus Summit Academy North (23-3) - 5:30 p.m.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (21-7) vs. Warren Lincoln (21-4) - 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 3 - Thursday
Ishpeming Westwood (22-5) vs. Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac (20-1) - Noon
Riverview Gabriel Richard (23-2) vs. Pewamo-Westphalia (24-3) - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 4 - Thursday
Crystal Falls Forest Park (25-2) vs. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (25-2) - 5:30 p.m.
Fowler (24-3) vs. Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (24-3) - 7:30 p.m.
Finals - Saturday
Division 1 - 12:15 p.m.
Division 2 - 6:45 p.m.
Division 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Division 4 - 10 a.m.
Tickets for this weekend’s games are $12 for both Semifinals and Finals and available via the Breslin Center ticket office; for information and links visit the Boys Basketball page.
All Semifinals will be broadcast and viewable with subscription on MHSAA.tv, and all four Finals will air live on FanDuel Sports Network. The Divisions 4 and 1 games will be broadcast on the FDSN primary channel, and the Divisions 3 and 2 games will be broadcast on FDSN Extra. Audio broadcasts of all Semifinals and Finals will be available free of charge from the MHSAA Network.
The Boys Basketball Semifinals & Finals are sponsored by Michigan Achievement Scholarship/MI Student Aid.
Here’s a look at the 16 semifinalists (with rankings by regular-season Michigan Power Ratings and statistics through Regional Finals):
Division 1
EAST LANSING
Record/rank: 26-1, No. 2
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference Blue
Coach: Ray Mitchell, seventh season (124-34)
Championship history: Class B champion 1958, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 72-49 over No. 11 Ann Arbor Huron in Quarterfinal, 77-42 over No. 45 Kalamazoo Central in Regional Final, 65-48 (District Final), 62-60 and 75-65 over No. 9 Lansing Waverly, 84-74 over No. 35 Detroit Renaissance, 69-68 over No. 1 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 69-54 over Division 2 No. 1 Warren Lincoln, 60-56 over Division 2 No. 6 Romulus Summit Academy North.
Players to watch: KJ Torbert, 6-3 jr. G (20.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Cameron Hutson, 6-6 sr. G (18.5 ppg, 49 3-pointers, 7.4 rpg,); Kingston Thomas, 6-5 soph. G (8.0 ppg).
Outlook: This will be the Trojans’ first trip to the Semifinals since 2008, and their only loss came in overtime 69-65 to Muskegon (20-3) on Dec. 21. The three players noted above are all sons of former Michigan State standouts (Kelvin Torbert, Andre Hutson and David Thomas, respectively) and have accounted for 61 percent of East Lansing’s 77 points per game this season, which have come against one of the strongest schedules in the state. Hutson and Torbert both made the all-state first team last season. Senior guard Jayce Branson adds another 7.8 points and two steals per game.
FLINT CARMAN-AINSWORTH
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 12
League finish: Fourth in Saginaw Valley League
Coach: Jay Witham, 12th season (204-69)
Championship history: Class A runner-up 2004 and 2003.
Best wins: 54-51 over No. 25 Byron Center in Quarterfinal, 64-56 over No. 9 Marquette in Regional Final, 64-60 (OT) over No. 3 Rockford in Regional Semifinal, 73-64 over No. 30 Saginaw United in District Final, 84-64 over No. 15 Port Huron Northern, 87-82 over No. 9 Lansing Waverly, 90-88 (3OT) over Division 2 No. 2 Flint Powers Catholic, 55-51 over Division 3 No. 9 Pewamo-Westphalia.
Players to watch: Donovan Hamlin, 6-5 sr. F (14.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.0 apg); MarQuinn Weston II, 5-10 sr. G (14.5 ppg, 41 3-pointers, 3.4 spg); Kendreyas White, 6-6 jr. F (7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg).
Outlook: Carman-Ainsworth’s first trip to the Semifinals since 2004 began to take shape after a stretch of four losses in five games during the second half of January. The Cavaliers have won 13 of 14 games since, and the District Final victory over Saginaw United avenged a 14-point regular-season defeat. Rafael Murphy Jr. (6.6 ppg) and Fred Thomas IV (6.2) are among four more players averaging at least 5.5 points per game – and Thomas drilled the game-winner in the Quarterfinal. Freshman guard Anthony Mull has been the team’s second-most productive 3-point shooter and is the son of another past Spartan, Anthony Mull, who is also a Cavaliers assistant coach.
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 20-6, No. 1
League finish: Third in Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Todd Covert, 10th season (170-60)
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 58-57 over No. 5 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 54-37 over No. 24 Waterford Mott in Regional Final, 72-41 over No. 20 Grand Blanc in Regional Semifinal, 76-73 over No. 35 Detroit Renaissance, 72-41 over No. 4 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 49-48 over No. 17 Grand Rapids Northview, 51-44 over No. 3 Rockford.
Players to watch: Trey McKenney, 6-5 sr. F (22.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg); Sharod Barnes, 6-2 sr. G (11.7 ppg, 4.2 apg); Jayden Savoury, 6-5 sr. F (9.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg).
Outlook: The Eaglets return to Breslin with three starters from last year’s championship run plus senior guard Isaiah Hines (9.7 ppg), a top sub who now starts. Leading the way, of course, is Mr. Basketball Award honoree McKenney, who was also last season’s Division 1 Player of the Year from The Associated Press and has signed with Michigan. He’s the program’s all-time leading scorer, but St. Mary’s still went 4-2 when he was out with an injury midseason – losing to East Lansing by only one point and Brother Rice by two during that stretch. Junior forward Luke Crighton adds another 6.3 ppg, and freshman guard Mateen Cleaves – also a son of a former MSU standout – provides 5.1 points off the bench.
WAYNE MEMORIAL
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 14
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association East
Coach: Steve Brooks, fourth season (60-48)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 70-44 over No. 10 Detroit Martin Luther King in Quarterfinal, 72-70 over No. 5 Detroit U-D Jesuit in Regional Final, 66-49 and 59-54 over No. 32 Belleville, 69-60 over No. 23 Traverse City West, 77-52 and 76-63 over No. 21 Dearborn.
Players to watch: Austin Tory, 6-7 sr. G/F/C (11.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg); Carlos Medlock Jr., 6-0 jr. G (24.9 ppg, 49 3-pointers, 6.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 3.0 spg); Jaylohn Allen, 6-2 jr. G (17.7 ppg, 58 3-pointers, 4.4 apg).
Outlook: After taking losses to Birmingham Groves (18-6) and St. Mary’s in December, Wayne has won 20 of its 21 games this calendar year and 16 by double digits. Brooks is 384-164 since becoming a varsity coach in 2001 and also took Inkster and Ypsilanti to Quarterfinals; he’s brought Wayne from 2-11 his first season to its first Semifinal since 1997. The third loss this winter was to Novi (19-5), by just two points in the KLAA championship game. Senior guard Jalahn McClellan (4.7 ppg, 29 3-pointers) is another player who must be accounted for on the perimeter.
Division 2
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 21-7, No. 25
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Coach: Chris Pearl, first season (21-7)
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2021, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 47-44 over No. 7 Grand Rapids South Christian in Regional Final, 44-35 over No. 4 Hudsonville Unity Christian in District Semifinal, 58-33 and 54-43 over No. 42 Grand Rapids Christian, 59-43 over No. 33 Marshall in Quarterfinal, 71-46 over No. 35 Allendale in District Final.
Players to watch: Izaya Larthridge, 6-5 jr. F (15.5 ppg, 61 3-pointers, 5.1 rpg); Jack Bowen, 6-6 sr. C (7.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg); Brieland Watkins, 6-2 jr. G (10.7 ppg).
Outlook: In addition to its championship in 2021, Grand Rapids Catholic Central finished Division 2 runner-up in 2022 and reached the Quarterfinals last season. They’ve continued to advance under Pearl, who played at Otsego and then collegiately at Sienna Heights, Grand Valley State and Davenport and served as a Catholic Central assistant for a year before taking over the program this winter. All but one of the Cougars’ losses came against opponents that won at least 16 games during the regular season, and the Unity and South Christian playoff victories avenged two of those defeats. Jordan McCoy adds another nine points and 3.6 assists per game.
KINGSFORD
Record/rank: 22-3, No. 3
League finish: Tied for first in Great Northern Conference
Coach: Ben Olsen, first season (22-3)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 48-46 over No. 10 Freeland in Quarterfinal, 72-60 over Division 1 No. 6 Marquette, 57-53 over Division 3 No. 7 Iron Mountain, 59-32 over Division 3 No. 11 Elk Rapids, 57-50 over Division 3 No. 18 Ishpeming Westwood, 56-39 over Division 4 No. 1 Crystal Falls Forst Park.
Players to watch: Owen Olkkonen, 6-3 jr. F (7.0 ppg, 33 3-pointers); Morgan Sleik, 6-4 sr. C (12.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg); Gavin Grondin, 5-11 sr. G (24.3 ppg, 79 3-pointers).
Outlook: Kingsford’s Regional titles last week and last season were the program’s first since 1992, and this will be its first trip to the Semifinals since 1965. The Flivvers avenged losses to Marquette and Iron Mountain along the way, sharing the GNC title with the former, and prior to the Freeland win the other four during the postseason were all by at least 18 points. Grondin earned an all-state honorable mention as a junior and has made nearly 39 percent of his shots from 3-point range. Olsen took over the program this season after previously coaching the boys and girls teams at Gwinn.
ROMULUS SUMMIT ACADEMY NORTH
Record/rank: 23-3, No. 6
League finish: First in Charter School Conference Gold
Coach: Derek Clark, first season (23-3)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 68-41 over No. 37 Lansing Sexton in Quarterfinal, 59-53 over No. 12 Adrian in Regional Final, 60-47 over No. 21 Detroit University Prep, 59-33 over No. 11 Detroit Old Redford, 62-40 over Division 1 No. 28 Birmingham Groves, 65-64 over Division 1 No. 35 Detroit Renaissance.
Players to watch: Amir Perryman, 5-10 sr. G (11.4 ppg, 3.5 apg); Chance Houser, 6-6 jr. F (14.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg); Jordan Fuller, 6-0 jr. G (13.1 ppg, 2.9 apg).
Outlook: Summit is returning to the Semifinals for the second time in three seasons, this time under Clark, who coached Detroit University Prep Art & Design to league and District titles over three seasons before taking over the Dragons. Their losses tell a good story as well; Summit lost to Walled Lake Central (18-5) by just six at the end of December, then by just four to East Lansing and two in overtime to University Prep in a league tournament semifinal. Senior forward Andrew Ashwood (10.7 ppg), junior guard Marquan White (7.5) and junior forward Demetri Campbell (5.6) also bolster the balanced offense.
WARREN LINCOLN
Record/rank: 21-4, No. 1
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Coach: Wydell Henry, seventh season (113-39)
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2024.
Best wins: 59-44 over No. 11 Detroit Old Redford in Regional Final, 66-65 over Division 1 No. 5 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 56-48 and 74-58 over Division 1 No. 15 Port Huron Northern, 56-51 over Division 1 No. 11 Ann Arbor Huron, 76-66 over Division 1 No. 13 Muskegon.
Players to watch: Geon Hutchins, 6-5 sr. G (16.5 ppg); Markus Blackwell, 6-2 sr. G (19.5 ppg, 2.5 apg); Da’Marion Bozeman, 6-5 sr. G (13.3 ppg).
Outlook: Bozeman, Markus Blackwell and senior guard Moses Blackwell (6.5 ppg) all started last season’s championship game, and 6-7 senior guard Christopher Morgan (11.7 ppg) was a top sub and starts now. Warren Lincoln played the second-toughest schedule in any division this regular season, as its opponents combined won 70 percent of their games. The Abes have won 17 straight after working through a string of defeats to Division 1 East Lansing, Byron Center, Brother Rice and Grand Rapids Northview over a six-game stretch in late December and early January. Markus Blackwell made the all-state first team last season.
Division 3
ARTS & TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY of PONTIAC
Record/rank: 20-1, No. 13
League finish: First in Charter School Conference Silver
Coach: Orlando Lovejoy, first season (20-1)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 74-44 over No. 50 Flint New Standard Academy in Quarterfinal, 82-61 over No. 49 Detroit Loyola in Regional Final, 84-43 over No. 46 Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 68-61 over Division 2 No. 11 Detroit Old Redford, 83-67 over Division 1 No. 38 River Rouge.
Players to watch: Lewis Lovejoy, 5-8 fr. G (17.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 8.4 apg, 3.4 spg, 2.3 bpg); De’Vontae Grandison, 6-4 jr. F (13.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 4.2 apg, 3.0 bpg); Terrance Hicks, 6-3 sr. G (15.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 spg, 1.0 bpg).
Outlook: ATAP finished 3-12 just two seasons ago and 8-7 last year but has taken a mighty step under Orlando Lovejoy. Losing only to nonleague Division 1 Hamtramck (15-9), the Lions won their division of the Charter School Conference and then reached the league tournament championship game (which was canceled) by getting past Old Redford – which was ATAP’s only single-digit win. The Lions have scored more than 80 points 12 times and 90 in three games. Senior guard Teyshaun Hicks adds another 11.9 points, six assists and one block per game.
ISHPEMING WESTWOOD
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 17
League finish: Second in Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East
Coach: Luke Gray, fifth season (75-37)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 48-40 over No. 16 McBain in Quarterfinal, 62-40 over No. 1 Maple City Glen Lake in Regional Final, 55-53 (District Final) and 61-56 over No. 7 Iron Mountain, 72-44 over Division 2 No. 36 Houghton.
Players to watch: Ethan Marta, 6-4 jr. G (27 ppg, 50 3-pointers, 5.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 3.5 spg); Tristan Miller, 6-1 sr. F (10.6 ppg, 31 3-pointers); Reid Frustaglio, 6-1 sr. F (9.6 ppg).
Outlook: Westwood is traveling to the Semifinals for the first time since 2003, making a jump from 14-10 a year ago and getting past West-PAC East champion Iron Mountain after a regular-season split in the midst of one of the most impressive tournament runs in any division. The losses came in spurts of three and two as Westwood lost a pair of Division 1 Marquette (22-4) and once to Kingsford, which is playing this weekend in Division 2. Westwood also lost a first meeting with Division 2 Negaunee (15-9) before winning the rematch. Marta entered the week making nearly 63 percent of his shots from the floor.
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 9
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Coach: Dominic Schneider, fifth season (98-21)
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2019, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 50-45 over No. 14 Schoolcraft in Quarterfinal, 46-39 over No. 23 North Muskegon in Regional Final, 56-39 over Division 1 No. 20 Grand Blanc, 59-48 and 51-49 over Division 4 No. 4 Fowler.
Players to watch: Grady Eklund, 6-3 jr. G (17.5 ppg, 45 3-pointers, 3.4 apg); Trent Piggott, 6-5 jr. G (8.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg); Dominic Weber, 6-2 sr. G (9.1 ppg, 66 3-pointers).
Outlook: Schneider has directed the Pirates to three league, five District and three Regional titles since taking over the program, and this will be their first trip to the Semifinals since the 2019 championship run. Eklund made the all-state first team last season and can fill the scoresheet when needed. In addition to defeating Division 1 Grand Blanc on Feb. 7, P-W also got looks at strong competition in losses to Division 1 Hudsonville and Flint Carman-Ainsworth and Division 2 Grand Rapids South Christian. The Hudsonville defeat Feb. 18 was P-W’s only loss over its last 19 games.
RIVERVIEW GABRIEL RICHARD
Record/rank: 23-2, No. 2
League finish: First in CHSL AA
Coach: Kris Daiek, 14th season (226-75)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 62-30 (Quarterfinal), 82-48 and 88-65 over No. 5 Jackson Lumen Christi, 77-53 over No. 35 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in Regional Final, 81-46 and 88-50 over Division 2 No. 46 Dearborn Divine Child, 79-58 over Division 1 No. 12 Flint Carman-Ainsworth.
Players to watch: Nick Sobush, 5-10 sr. G (19.7 ppg, 53 3-pointers); Luke Westerdale, 6-1 sr. G (16.8 ppg, 86 3-pointers, 3.8 apg); Charles Kage, 6-8 sr. F (11.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg).
Outlook: All five starters and the only sub who saw the floor in last season’s two-point Semifinal loss to Old Redford will be back this weekend, riding an 18-game winning streak and with their only two defeats this time to Division 1 Grand Blanc and Division 2 Flint Powers both in December. Sobush made the all-state first team last season. Senior 6-5 forward Drew Everingham (10.8 ppg, 46 3-pointers) is another returning starter and perimeter threat, and junior guard Derek Lesko (4.8 ppg) fills out that intact starting lineup from a year ago. Senior 6-4 forward Bryce White is adding another 7.3 points off the bench.
Division 4
ALLEN PARK INTER-CITY BAPTIST
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 6
League finish: First in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue
Coach: Mark Kraatz, 36th season (596-285)
Championship history: Class D champion 1985.
Best wins: 63-50 over No. 17 Kingston in Quarterfinal, 58-41 over No. 8 Clarkston Everest Collegiate in Regional Final, 70-50 (District Final), 64-63 and 56-43 over No. 32 Southfield Christian, 64-61 over Division 1 No. 46 Riverview.
Players to watch: Ethan Esse, 5-10 jr. G (22.3 ppg, 64 3-pointers, 4.6 apg); Carlos Jackson, 6-3 jr. F (11.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 5.0 apg); Mason Kowalski, 6-3 jr. F (9.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.4 apg).
Outlook: Esse and Jackson started on last season’s championship team, and Kowalski, senior guard Josh Hamilton, junior forward Asher Bettinger and sophomore guard Jack Dawson saw the most minutes off the bench and fill larger roles on this team. Esse made the all-state first team last season and has added another bucket to his scoring average while remaining a dangerous threat from 3-point range. Inter-City’s losses came to Division 1 Detroit Cass Tech (19-4) and Taylor and Division 2 Detroit Voyageur College Prep, and the Chargers earned several more wins against larger opponents.
CRYSTAL FALLS FOREST PARK
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 1
League finish: First in Skyline Central Conference small-schools division
Coach: Jason Price, fourth season (70-27)
Championship history: Class D runner-up 1995 and 1981; Crystal Falls, Amasa and Alpha high schools won a combined 14 titles with five runner-up finishes before consolidating into Forest Park in 1967.
Best wins: 45-43 over No. 14 Pickford in Quarterfinal, 58-35 (District Final), 66-44 and 65-54 over No. 5 Norway; 51-34 (Regional Semifinal), 69-58 and 47-36 over No. 18 Felch North Dickinson; 76-41 over No. 24 Ewen-Trout Creek, 62-56 over Division 3 No. 8 Munising.
Players to watch: Kevin Giuliani, 6-5 sr. F (14.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg); Vic Giuliani, 6-2 soph. F (22.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Gabe Quevedo, 5-7 sr. G (6.9 ppg, 36 3-pointers, 3.8 apg).
Outlook: Price has taken Forest Park from 7-9 the season before he took over to two straight Regional titles and now the program’s first trip to the Semifinals since 2004. The Trojans tested themselves in losses to Division 1 Marquette and Division 2 Kingsford and also picked up wins over Division 2 Escanaba and Division 3 Menominee. Forward Matt Showers (5.2 rpg) joins Kevin Giuliani and Quevedo in the starting lineup, but they are the only seniors and the top two subs are underclassmen in addition to Vic Giuliani and sophomore Dax Huuki (7.2 ppg) filling out the starting lineup. Sophomore guard Izaiah Tarter adds 8.1 points and 3.8 assists per game off the bench.
FOWLER
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 4
League finish: Second in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Coach: Kam Riley, sixth season (77-62)
Championship history: Class D champion 1952, runner-up 2002 and 1950.
Best wins: 66-27 over No. 19 Bellaire in Quarterfinal, 60-53 over No. 11 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in Regional Semifinal, 62-59 over No. 2 Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 58-46 (District Final), 53-40 and 59-37 over No. 23 Portland St. Patrick; 62-32 over No. 16 Fulton, 69-57 over Division 2 No. 33 Marshall.
Players to watch: Jacob Halfmann, sr. G (12.5 ppg, 41 3-pointers, 4.0 apg); Aaron Simon, sr. G (12.3 ppg, 65 3-pointers); Alex Halfmann, sr. F (11 ppg, 6.7 rpg). (Heights not submitted.)
Outlook: Fowler will play in its first Semifinal since 2002 after winning a District for the second-straight season. The Eagles opened this winter with a win over reigning champion Tri-unity Christian, and their only losses were twice to Pewamo-Westphalia – playing in Division 3 this weekend – and once to Division 2 Fruitport (17-6). Four seniors anchor the starting lineup including the three noted above and guard Asher Koenigsknecht, who adds 11.7 ppg and entered this week with 53 3-pointers. He, Jacob Halfmann and Simon all had connected on at least 38 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.
WYOMING TRI-UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 2
League finish: First in Alliance League
Coach: Mark Keeler, 38th season (719-218)
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 56-43 (Quarterfinal) and 58-44 over No. 9 Adrian Lenawee Christian, 80-45 over No. 15 Bellevue in Regional Final, 50-29 over No. 21 Marion, 50-34 over Division 3 No. 39 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, 62-42 over Division 3 No. 12 Beal City, 52-39 over Division 3 No. 14 Schoolcraft, 38-30 over Division 2 No. 5 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian.
Players to watch: Keaton Blanker, 5-11, sr. G (11.1 ppg, 4.2 apg); Noah Silverton, 6-3 sr. G/F (11.1 ppg); Joey Mellon, 6-7 sr. C (13 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.3 bpg).
Outlook: Tri-unity is not only attempting to send coach Mark Keeler into retirement with one more championship, but also get to Saturday’s Final for a fifth-straight season; the Defenders also won Division 4 in 2022 and finished runners-up most recently in 2021 and 2023. Blanker – who had 11 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in last year’s title game – is the only returning starter from that run although Mellon saw solid minutes off the bench. Sophomore forward Cody Osbun is another returning player who has moved into the starting lineup and averages 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Tri-unity’s only losses were to Fowler (noted above) and Division 2 Grand Rapids West Catholic, both in December.
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PHOTOS (Top) Crystal Falls Forest Park's Gabe Quevedo, dribbling, considers his next move during Tuesday's win over Pickford. (Middle) East Lansing's KJ Torbert drives to the basket during a regular-season victory over Lansing Waverly. (Forest Park photo by Cara Kamps. East Lansing/Waverly photo by John Johnson.)