Get Prepped for a Fantastic Finale
May 24, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We love this time of year. And not just because school is nearly out for summer.
There’s little argument that the week ahead is the most exciting of each MHSAA school year. And you’ll want to set your bookmarks for MHSAA.com and Second Half for updated results and coverage not just next week – but through the rest of this spring season.
The MHSAA.com Score Center is our home for scores from all District softball, baseball and soccer games, which begin Tuesday. You also can view real-time brackets for every District by going to the “Sports” page for each, and updated brackets for lacrosse by visiting our girls and boys pages for that sport as well.
In the Lower Peninsula, we’ll have same day or next morning results as golf Districts are played, and first-day results from next weekend’s Girls Tennis Finals on May 31 – followed by final results at the conclusion of play June 1. We’ll post Finals results for Upper Peninsula golf and tennis as we receive them Wednesday and Thursday, and then results for all seven Lower and Upper Peninsula Track and Field Finals as they come in June 1.
But results are only the start. As we have during the fall and winter, Second Half will provide coverage including photos from every MHSAA Final – beginning with Wednesday’s Upper Peninsula Girls and Boys Golf and Boys Tennis Finals. Keep an eye on Second Half throughout the week, or follow the Second Half feed on the cover page of MHSAA.com.
Transfer rule clarification
We released Monday the actions our Representative Council took earlier this month at its Spring Meeting, including an addition to the athletics-related portion of our transfer rule. Based on some questions we’ve received and read, here’s some further explanation of what will be installed for 2014-15:
The longer period of ineligibility for athletes who transfer because of athletics is not new. This has previously existed for cases in which a school could prove that it lost a student to another school purely for sports-related reasons.
What’s new is what must be proven and by whom for the longer ineligibility period to take effect. Now, a school that lost a student does not have to file a report with the MHSAA for the case to be considered. As long as one of a set of offending activities can be verified – including practicing, competing or training with a member of the new school’s coaching staff during summer or non-school sports activities or seasons – that student will have to sit 180 days instead of the usual period of roughly a semester. The 15 exemptions that allow a student to be eligible immediately – like making a full move to a new district or a student’s school closing – may still apply.
So, to conclude: The longer athletics-related ineligibility period is not new, just how athletics-related transfers are considered and reported. Click to read the full release.
Kickoff is coming
And that means we’re collecting varsity football schedules.
In fact, we have most of them thanks to our athletic directors, their secretaries, coaches and many others who chip in to help us keep complete and accurate information throughout the season.
But there are still plenty of steps in getting ready for August – and a huge one is locking down correct leagues for our teams this season, especially as schools continue to switch things up.
Check out your school’s schedule page by click on the “Schools” button in the menu bar at the top of MHSAA.com and searching for your school. Once on the school page, click the blue “Boys” button next to football. The schedule will appear in the middle of the page, with standings to the left.
See an error in a schedule or the standings? Email me at [email protected]. I thank you in advance.
Kramer’s words of wisdom
Long before Roy Kramer served as athletic director at Vanderbilt University, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference and creator of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) for Division I college football, he coached multiple sports at East Lansing High School.
He recently was named winner of this year’s Duffy Daugherty Award, given in honor of the former Michigan State University coach to a valued coach or contributor to college football. The award, presented in East Lansing, is among those recognized by the College Football Hall of Fame.
Kramer finished his acceptance speech with a stirring endorsement of the sport that brought the crowd of more than 300 to its feet. If you’re a fan, former or current player or coach, see below.
PHOTO: Athletes race toward the finish of a relay during this spring's Alma College Invitational. (Click to see more at HighSchoolsSportsScene.com.)
Preview: Last Season's Runners-Up Returning, Seeking to Take Final Step
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 5, 2026
Last season's MHSAA Boys Lacrosse Finals runners-up will attempt to finish as this season's champions Saturday at Howell Parker.
But a pair of West Michigan hopefuls will be seeking to break up those celebrations.
Detroit Country Day, last season's second-place team in Division 2, will face Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central for this year's title at 11 a.m. Detroit Catholic Central, last season's Division 1 runner-up, will then take on first-time finalist Hudsonville in the Division 1 championship game at 2 p.m.
Tickets cost $11 and are good for both games, and may be purchased online only at GoFan. Both games also will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv.
Below is a glance at all four contenders. Rankings as part of “best wins” are based on the Michigan Power Rating formula.
Division 1
DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/MPR: 16-5, No. 2
League finish: First in Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Dave Wilson, 20th season (309-106)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2024 and 2018, 10 runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 13-7 (Semifinal) and 14-4 over No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 15-4 over No. 10 Brighton in Quarterfinal, 13-3 over No. 8 Ann Arbor Pioneer in Regional Final, 11-9 over No. 1 Rockford, 10-9 over Division 2 No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
Players to watch: Ryan Dye, sr. A; Travis Wasen, sr. G; Asher Miscovich. (Statistics not provided.)
Outlook: Detroit Catholic Central’s only in-state losses this season were to Division 2 finalist Detroit Country Day in the season opener and Brother Rice in the CHSL Bishop Tournament championship game, and the Shamrocks avenged the latter Wednesday to finish that season series with a 2-1 edge. This will be DCC’s fourth-straight championship game appearance, with last year’s runner-up finish coming on a 9-8 overtime loss to Rice. Dye made the all-state second team last season.
HUDSONVILLE
Record/MPR: 21-1, No. 3
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 2
Coach: Gunnar Elder, fifth season (66-30)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 11-3 over No. 4 Grand Ledge in Semifinal, 11-8 over No. 7 Hartland in Regional Final, 10-8 over No. 1 Rockford in Regional Semifinal, 14-12 over No. 10 Brighton, 11-10 over Division 2 No. 4 East Grand Rapids, 12-11 over Division 2 No. 10 Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 10-4 over Division 2 No. 3 Caledonia.
Players to watch: Will Zuiderveen, sr. A (93 goals, 28 assists); Carson Campbell, soph. A (65 goals, 26 assists); Andrew McAleece, sr. A (40 goals, 29 assists); Andrew Hersberger, sr. G (6.09 goals-against average, .530 save %).
Outlook: After winning a third-straight league title, Hudsonville has taken another significant step this season reaching the Finals for the first time. Elder has been to this stage before – he was a three-time all-stater at East Grand Rapids and part of the 2011 Division 2 runner-up team. Zuiderveen made the Division 1 all-state first team last season and has paced an offense that also had received 29 goals from senior Lawsyn Weber, 24 from senior Zaidan Dykstra and 15 from junior Mason Weber entering the week. The lone loss came March 25 to Rockford, 18-5, and the Eagles avenged it in the Regional Semifinal.
Division 2
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/MPR: 19-1, No. 1
League finish: Does not play in a conference.
Coach: JD Hess, first season (19-1)
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 16-8 (Regional Final) and 9-7 over No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 17-3 over No. 9 Okemos, 16-5 over No. 3 Caledonia, 13-7 over No. 4 East Grand Rapids, 17-8 over No. 18 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 15-4 over Division 1 No. 10 Brighton, 13-11 over Division 1 No. 1 Rockford, 16-6 over Division 1 No. 4 Grand Ledge, 16-9 over Division 1 No. 7 Hartland, 12-8 over Division 1 No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central.
Players to watch: Keaton Yearego, sr. A (68 goals, 60 assists); Mason Gal, sr. A (68 goals, 49 assists); Rhys Kenney, jr. A (74 goals, 59 assists); Bonner Upshaw, sr. D.
Outlook: Country Day ended a step shy of a repeat title a year ago, falling to East Grand Rapids 15-10 in the Final, but has returned for a fifth-straight championship game appearance with the majority of its top offensive players from last season. Yearego and Gal made the all-state first team last season, as did Upshaw on defense and senior Zain Halabi at SSDM. Hess took over the program after leading Cranbrook Kingswood the last five seasons. Country Day’s lone loss came to Carmel, Ind., 10-8.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS CENTRAL
Record/MPR: 11-11, No. 18
League finish: Fifth in O-K Tier 1
Coach: Andy Shira, ninth season (123-45)
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2023), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 14-13 over No. 4 East Grand Rapids in Semifinal, 11-5 over No. 3 Caledonia in Quarterfinal, 11-10 (OT) over No. 10 Ada Forest Hills Eastern in Regional Final, 18-9 over No. 9 Okemos, 15-2 over Division 1 No. 10 Brighton.
Players to watch: Henry McNamara, sr. M (35 goals, 22 assists); Blake Teliczan, jr. M (48 goals, 23 assists); Michael Timmer, jr. G (8.78 goals-against average, .560 save %); Luke Nuo, jr. D.
Outlook: Forest Hills Central is in the midst of a stunning run after losing 10 of its first 12 games this season. The Rangers have avenged two of those defeats, to Forest Hills Eastern and East Grand Rapids, during the postseason and will attempt to do the same Saturday after falling to Country Day 17-8 on April 14. Teliczan made the all-state second team last season, McNamara and Nuo made the third team and junior Lars Dupuie earned honorable mention at FOGO. Juniors Finn Brunink (29 goals), Brody Nieuwkoop and Andrew Karas (both 22 goals) also have averaged a goal or more per game.
(Photo by Michigan Sports Photo.)