Eventually, the sun will shine ...
April 25, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We all believe that, right?
Rain – and snow for some – has been the buzzword of this spring sports season. Just about every newspaper is writing about it and every athletic director, coach, player and parent is dreading it on a now-daily basis.
But eventually, we expect the weather to clear up and teams to play catch-up. To that end, there are limitations teams in some sports face when attempting to make up their games – but also opportunities to take advantage of while trying to fill out their regular-season schedules.
- Girls soccer and girls and boys lacrosse teams may play only three games during a week, Monday through Sunday. A weekend tournament – which generally includes 2 to 3 shortened games – counts as only one in this equation.
- Baseball and softball teams can play as many games as they want in a week, but no more than two on a school day – and baseball pitchers must not pitch for two days following their 30th out in a week.
- For tennis, an individual may not play more than three matches in one day – unless she or he is playing in a league championship tournament featuring more than eight schools for which a fourth match would decide the championship. That player also could not have played more than six sets that day heading into that fourth and final match.
- Golf and Track and Field do not have weekly contest limitations. Track and field athletes can compete in only four events per day.
As expected, a number of teams – especially for baseball and softball – are scheduling to smash in as many contests as possible into the next four weeks. Postseason play for tennis and lacrosse begins May 16 – three weeks from today.
But teams do have options.
One rarely used but anticipated to be used more this spring is an opportunity to continue playing regular-season contests through the final day of the MHSAA tournament in that sport. For example, a baseball team can continue making up games through June 15, the day of the MHSAA Finals in Battle Creek. A tennis team can play regular-season matches through June 1, etc.
Also, the MHSAA Executive Committee approved Thursday to allow for this spring two additional multi-team tournament dates for soccer and lacrosse, which will give those teams an opportunity to get in a few more games. That means soccer teams will be allowed to play in four multi-team tournaments instead of two, boys lacrosse four instead of two and girls lacrosse five instead of three.
Teams will have to do some juggling, no doubt, and all other tournament stipulations still apply (games generally are shortened so more can be played, etc.). But with a little creativity, teams could at least get in a few of their make-up games in this way.
Also, the Executive Committee approved a motion to waive the four-contest MHSAA tournament entry requirement for all Upper Peninsula schools in all sports this spring. As of the weekend, snow still covered parts of the U.P.
Gaps shrinking
Much has been discussed about minimums for all four MHSAA classes for 2013-14, and how they are the lowest student totals in at least a decade.
It’s true. The floor in Class A is 893 (down from 911 this school year), Class B starts at 429 (down from 449), Class C at 207 (down from 217) and Class D at 206 (down from 216).
However, there is a better way to crunch the numbers: Consider the shrinking gaps between the largest and smallest schools in each class.
For 2013-14, the gap in Class A is 1,888 students – 261 students fewer than 2007-08 and nearly 900 students fewer than in 2005-06. The gaps between largest and smallest in Classes B, C and D also are trending smaller – which means each class actually includes schools more similar in size, instead of a perceived other way around.
SAC 2013-14 on the way
We’re thankful for a valuable group of students who help us throughout the school year – our 16-member Student Advisory Council, made up of eight seniors and eight juniors from all over the state who are charged with providing feedback on issues impacting educational athletics from a student’s perspective, while also assisting at MHSAA championships and with special projects like the “Battle of the Fans.”
Selecting the next class to join is a highlight of every spring – but hardly an easy process.
A six-member selection committee, myself included, considered 62 sophomore applicants today from all over the Lower and Upper Peninsulas, representing all four of our classes and nearly every sport we sponsor.
Every candidate is impressive for a variety of reasons. That’s what makes this difficult – we could pick any number of combinations to make up our new SAC class, and no doubt leaders galore will emerge from another impressive group.
But there are only eight spots on the council. And we’ll announce who received them later next week.
PHOTO: A golfer attempts to keep warm during a round on a dreary day earlier this season. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Lowell Runs Team Title Streak to 12, Moves Closer to All-Sports Record
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
February 22, 2025
KALAMAZOO – Jackson Blum and his Lowell teammates have bigger goals than winning a Division 2 Team Wrestling Finals title each year.
But as the Red Arrows chase those goals down, they keep winning titles, too.
“We want to accomplish our goal, and in the end our goal is not to win a state championship. It’s to become a better person and a better wrestler,” Blum said. “Team state titles, they can come along with that, but in the end we just want to better ourselves as people and as wrestlers – so if winning a team state title is a product of that, that’s awesome.”
Lowell defeated Fowlerville 52-14 on Saturday at Wings Event Center to capture its 12th-straight Division 2 Finals championship.
That not only extends its MHSAA record for consecutive wrestling titles, but moves one step closer to the record for all sports in Lower Peninsula or statewide competition – 15, set by the East Grand Rapids boys swimming & diving team from 1948-62.
A 13th title next year would tie the Red Arrows with Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice boys lacrosse, which accomplished that feat from 2005-2017.
Fowlerville was the seventh program Lowell has defeated in the Finals during the streak.
“We put God first, we do that across the coaching staff, and it just gives us a purpose,” Lowell coach RJ Boudro said. “We know why we do this. We don’t do this to win a state championship; we do this to be better wrestlers. We do that off the mat, on the mat, in the classroom, and we hold ourselves accountable that way, and everything takes care of itself. It really doesn’t feel like there’s pressure, because we can’t lose. We go out there and try to wrestle hard. If we wrestle our hardest and do everything we were coached to do, how can you lose? Usually, if you do all those things, we end up here.”
Carson Blum opened the dual with a pinfall at 113 pounds, setting a familiar tone for the Red Arrows (30-4), who built a 46-0 lead through the first nine matches.
Brock Foster put the Gladiators (35-5) on the board with a major decision at 175 pounds, but by that time, the Lowell lead was already insurmountable.
“We’re used to wrestling with momentum on our side, and we did not get any momentum,” Fowlerville coach Dan Coon said. “We could not get any traction. They do a nice job. They work them hard over there, they see a tough schedule. They did a nice job.”
The opening run included pins from Carter Cichocki (132) and Jackson Blum (138), followed by a string of four straight technical falls from Logan Dawson (144), Trevor Boone (150), Seth Harvey (157) and Owen Segorski (165).
Jarrett Smith (120) and Cole Cichocki (126) each won by major decision during the run.
“A lot of firepower, and it’s just hard to beat a team with that much firepower,” Boudro said. “It’s hard to really compare, but this was such an enjoyable season. It’s hard to say that I’ve ever enjoyed a season more than this. It’s the leadership – these kids love God, they love our team, they love our program, they love our community, they buy into our core values – it’s just special.”
Casey Engle (190) and John Carter McKay (106) each won by decision for the Arrows, who are far from done, as they will send 11 boys and two girls to the upcoming Individual Finals, Feb. 28 and March 1 at Ford Field in Detroit.
Among those qualifiers are four reigning champions, including Jackson Blum who will be in search of his fourth, and Segorski who will be wrestling for his third.
“I’m super grateful,” Jackson Blum said. “My coaches, my teammates, they’ve always been there for me. We’re a family. Every day I just kind of think about how cool it is to be a part of this program and this community. I look up in the stands and there’s hundreds of people here to support us, it’s just awesome.”
While Lowell walking away from Kalamazoo with a title was expected, Fowlerville making a run to the Final was less so. The Gladiators were the No. 7 seed and upset Freeland in the Quarterfinals on Friday before knocking off New Boston Huron on Saturday in the Semifinals.
“We surprised a couple people this weekend, so we’re good,” Coon said. “I feel real good about it. It’s unfortunate that we had to see Lowell in the Finals, but there’s a lot of other teams that would have done a whole lot worse than we did. I’m good with that.”
Liam and Layne O’Neil did provide some good memories for the Gladiators at the end of the title match, as Liam won by fall at 285 and Layne won a major decision at 215.
Click for the weekend's Division 2 meet summaries.
PHOTOS (Top) Lowell's Owen Segorski, right, locks up his opponent during Saturday's Division 2 Final. (Middle) Fowlerville's Layne O'Neil, left, works toward a win at 215 pounds. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)