Soccer Districts Kick Off on MHSAA TV

October 13, 2020

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

The first round of District play in the 2020 MHSAA Lower Peninsula Boys Soccer Tournament highlights another full week of activity on the NFHS Network and MHSAA.tv.

Games this week begin Wednesday (Oct. 14).Here’s the schedule:

Wednesday – Oct. 13
Grosse Pointe North  vs. Detroit Cass Tech  - 4 PM
Macomb 'Anse Creuse North  vs. Port Huron  - 4 PM
Garden City  vs. Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy  - 5 PM
Lake Orion  vs. Utica Eisenhower  - 5 PM
Birmingham Seaholm  vs. Birmingham Groves  - 5:30 PM
Reed City  vs. Hart  - 5:30 PM
Brownstown Woodhaven  vs. Taylor Preparatory  - 6 PM
Fenton  vs. Davison  - 6 PM
Northville  vs. Walled Lake Western  - 6 PM
South Lyon East  vs. Milan  - 6 PM
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore  vs. St. Clair Shores South Lake  - 6 PM
St. Joseph  vs. Sturgis  - 6 PM
Waterford Mott  vs. Utica  - 6 PM
East Lansing  vs. Swartz Creek  - 7 PM
Hemlock  vs. Saginaw Swan Valley  - 7 PM
Saline  vs. Belleville  - 7 PM
 
Thursday – Oct. 15
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  vs. Madison Heights Lamphere  - 4 PM
Manchester  vs. Ann Arbor Greenhills - 5 PM
East Grand Rapids  vs. Wyoming  - 6 PM
Grand Blanc  vs. Lapeer  - 6 PM
Grand Rapids South Christian  vs. Grand Rapids Covenant Christian  - 6 PM
Novi  vs. Brighton  - 6 PM
Petoskey  vs. Bay City Western  - 6 PM
Clare  vs. Pinconning  - 7 PM
Comstock Park  vs. Portland  - 7 PM
Bloomfield Hills  vs. Troy  - 7:30 PM
 
Friday - Oct. 16
Vicksburg  vs. Niles  - 6 PM
 
During the coming week, nearly 700 events at all levels in a variety of sports will be available on the NFHS Network/MHSAA.tv. Monthly subscriptions are $10.99. 
Click for a complete list of upcoming games, and for a complete list of on-demand games


Fans also can type their school name into the search field on the MHSAA.tv page to search for events. Varsity games being streamed also have links from the MHSAA Website’s Score Center, and from the schedules on individual school pagesClicking on the green TV set icon listed next to an event will take you directly to a game. You can also watch on Roku enabled devices.

Here is a list of football and girls volleyball varsity events taking place over the coming week on the NFHS Network/MHSAA.tv (Home team generally listed first):


Football


Friday - Oct. 16
Dearborn Heights Robichaud  vs. Dearborn Heights  Annapolis - 4:30 PM
Lowell  vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern  - 6:55 PM
Brownstown Woodhaven  vs. Trenton  - 7 PM
Caro  vs. Cass City  - 7 PM
Chesaning  vs. Byron - 7 PM
Clare  vs. Harrison - 7 PM
Comstock Park  vs. Sparta  - 7 PM
Corunna  vs. Lake Fenton  - 7 PM
Dearborn Divine Child  vs. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  - 7 PM
Detroit Catholic Central  vs. River Rouge  - 7 PM
Frankenmuth  vs. Birch Run  - 7 PM
Grand Rapids Catholic Central  vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern  - 7 PM
Grosse Pointe North  vs. Warren Woods-Tower  - 7 PM
Holt  vs. Portage Northern  - 7 PM
Hopkins  vs. Wyoming Godwin Heights - 7 PM
Houghton  vs. Negaunee  - 7 PM
Howell  vs. Brighton  - 7 PM
Kingsley vs. Sault Ste. Marie - 7 PM
Lake Orion  vs. Farmington  - 7 PM
Livonia Clarenceville  vs. Oakland Christian  - 7 PM
Manchester  vs. Michigan Center  - 7 PM
Maple Valley  vs. Webberville  - 7 PM
Marquette vs. Escanaba  - 7 PM
Mason  vs. Lansing Catholic  - 7 PM
Mayville  vs. International Academy of Flint - 7 PM
Millington  vs. Hemlock  - 7 PM
Montrose  vs. Otisville LakeVille - 7 PM
New Lothrop  vs. Durand - 7 PM
Niles  vs. Buchanan  - 7 PM
Northville  vs. Novi  - 7 PM
Ortonville Brandon  vs. Clio  - 7 PM
Ovid-Elsie  vs. Mt Morris  - 7 PM
Peck vs. North Huron  - 7 PM
Petoskey  vs. TBA - 7 PM
Plainwell  vs. Three Rivers  - 7 PM
Portage Central  vs. Battle Creek Central  - 7 PM
Rockford vs. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer  - 7 PM
Saline  vs. Ann Arbor Skyline  - 7 PM
South Lyon  vs. Highland Milford  - 7 PM
South Lyon East  vs. Waterford Kettering  - 7 PM
St Johns  vs. Fowlerville  - 7 PM
St Johns  vs. Fowlerville  - 7 PM
St. Joseph  vs. Richland Gull Lake  - 7 PM
Stevensville Lakeshore  vs. Battle Creek Lakeview - 7 PM
Stockbridge vs. Wyoming Lee  - 7 PM
Suttons Bay  vs. Mesick  - 7 PM
Traverse City West  vs. Cadillac  - 7 PM
Troy  vs. Pontiac  - 7 PM
Walled Lake Western  vs. Walled Lake Northern  - 7 PM
White Lake Lakeland  vs. Walled Lake Central  - 7 PM
Whitmore Lake  vs. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest  - 7 PM
Norway  vs. Manistique  - 8 PM
 
Saturday - Oct. 17
Traverse City St. Francis  vs. Ogemaw Heights  Oct 17, 2020 - 1 PM
 

Girls Volleyball

 
Tuesday - Oct. 13
Dearborn Heights Robichaud  vs. Hamtramck   - 4 PM
Multi-team Event @ Dollar Bay  - 4:20 PM
East Lansing  vs. TBA  - 5 PM
Galesburg-Augusta  vs. Martin   - 5 PM
Holt  vs. TBA  - 5 PM
Bay City John Glenn vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill   - 5:30 PM
Grand Rapids Christian  vs. East Grand Rapids   - 6 PM
Mayville  vs. Caseville   - 6 PM
Plainwell  vs. Hopkins   - 6 PM
Romulus Summit Academy North  vs. Dearborn Henry Ford Academy  - 6 PM
Sturgis  vs. Vicksburg   - 6 PM
Vermontville Maple Valley  vs. Stockbridge  - 6 PM
Madison Heights Lamphere  vs. Warren Mott   - 6 PM
Hartland  vs. Canton   - 6:15 PM
Mt Morris  vs. Otisville LakeVille  - 6:15 PM
Brighton  vs. Howell   - 6:30 PM
Chesaning  vs. Montrose   - 6:30 PM
Erie-Mason  vs. Ottawa Lake Whiteford   - 6:30 PM
Grand Blanc  vs. Midland Dow   - 6:30 PM
Grand Rapids South Christian  vs. Thornapple Kellogg   - 6:30 PM
Macomb L'Anse Creuse North  vs. Utica Eisenhower   - 6:30 PM
Maple City Glen Lake  vs. Frankfort   - 6:30 PM
Negaunee  vs. Calumet   - 6:30 PM
New Lothrop  vs. Ovid-Elsie   - 6:30 PM
Novi  vs. Northville   - 6:30 PM
South Lyon  vs. South Lyon East   - 6:30 PM
Southfield Christian  vs. Plymouth Christian Academy  - 6:30 PM
Walled Lake Northern  vs. Highland Milford   - 6:30 PM
Whitmore Lake  vs. Allen Park Inter-City Baptist   - 6:30 PM
Harbor Beach vs. Sandusky   - 6:45 PM
Bear Lake  vs. Marion   - 7 PM
Bloomfield Woodhaven  vs. Dearborn Edsel Ford   - 7 PM
Brethren  vs. Manistee Catholic Central - 7 PM
Garden City  vs. Riverview - 7 PM
Grandville  vs. Hudsonville   - 7 PM
Kingsley vs. Leland   - 7 PM
Pentwater  vs. Baldwin - 7 PM
Rockford  vs. Grand Haven   - 7 PM
Waterford Our Lady vs. Warren Regina   - 7 PM
West Bloomfield  vs. Berkley   - 7 PM
Caro  vs. Vassar   - 7:30 PM
Cass City vs. TBA   - 7:30 PM
Dryden  vs. Akron-Fairgrove   - 7:30 PM
 
Wednesday - Oct. 14
Flushing  vs. Linden   - 5:15 PM
Holly  vs. Fenton   - 5:15 PM
Grosse Pointe North  vs. Marysville   - 6:30 PM
Petoskey  vs. Gaylord   - 6:30 PM
St. Joseph  vs. Richland Gull Lake   - 6:30 PM
Wayland Union  vs. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills   - 6:30 PM
Traverse City West  vs. Alpena   - 6:45 PM
Bay City John Glenn vs. Birch Run   - 7 PM
Bridgeport  vs. Saginaw Swan Valley   - 7 PM
Cadillac  vs. Traverse City Central   - 7 PM
Morley Stanwood  vs. White Cloud   - 7 PM
Waterford Our Lady vs. Riverview Gabriel Richard - 7 PM
Dearborn Divine Child  vs. Wixom St. Catherine - 7:15 PM
Clare  vs. Farwell  - 7:30 PM
Harrison vs. Gladwin   - 7:30 PM
Hemlock  vs. Millington   - 7:30 PM
 
Thursday - Oct. 15
New Lothrop  vs. Beal City   - 5:30 PM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Clio   - 5:30 PM
Armada  vs. Yale   - 6 PM
DeWitt  vs. St Johns   - 6 PM
Fowlerville  vs. Mason   - 6 PM
Mayville  vs. Kingston   - 6 PM
Plainwell  vs. Three Rivers   - 6 PM
Wayland Union  vs. Wyoming   - 6 PM
Williamston  vs. Lansing Waverly   - 6 PM
Warren Woods-Tower  vs. St. Clair Shores Lakeview   - 6:15 PM
Dollar Bay  vs. L'Anse   - 6:20 PM
Blanchard Montabella  vs. Remus Chippewa Hills   - 6:30 PM
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  vs. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic   - 6:30 PM
Flint Powers Catholic  vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth   - 6:30 PM
Galesburg-Augusta  vs. Saugatuck   - 6:30 PM
Grand Blanc  vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill   - 6:30 PM
Highland Milford  vs. Walled Lake Central   - 6:30 PM
Ishpeming  vs. Hancock   - 6:30 PM
Kalamazoo Christian  vs. Lawton   - 6:30 PM
Macomb L'Anse Creuse North  vs. Romeo   - 6:30 PM
Manchester  vs. Michigan Center   - 6:30 PM
Marcellus  vs. Three Oaks River Valley   - 6:30 PM
Southfield Christian  vs. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest   - 6:30 PM
White Lake Lakeland  vs. Walled Lake Northern   - 6:30 PM
Whitmore Lake  vs. Westland Huron Valley Lutheran   - 6:30 PM
Calumet  vs. Ishpeming Westwood   - 6:45 PM
Harbor Beach vs. Cass City   - 6:45 PM
Bear Lake  vs. Onekama   - 7 PM
Brownstown Woodhaven  vs. Taylor Preparatory   - 7 PM
Escanaba  vs. Sault Ste. Marie   - 7 PM
Grandville  vs. Caledonia   - 7 PM
Hopkins  vs. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian  - 7 PM
Marquette vs. Houghton   - 7 PM
Plymouth Christian Academy vs. Oakland Christian   - 7 PM
Rockford  vs. East Kentwood   - 7 PM
Troy Athens vs. Utica   - 7 PM
Kingsford  vs. Gladstone   - 7:15 PM
Bad Axe  vs. Vassar   - 7:30 PM
Caro  vs. Reese   - 7:30 PM
Dryden  vs. Peck  - 7:30 PM
Pellston  vs. Johannesburg-Lewiston   - 7:30 PM
Unionville Sebewaing  vs. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker   - 7:30 PM
 
Friday - Oct. 16
Bloomfield Hills Marian  vs. Dearborn Divine Child   - 7:15 PM
Wixom St. Catherine vs. Farmington Hills Mercy   - 7:15 PM
 
Saturday - Oct. 17
Bad Axe  vs. TBA  - 8:30 AM
Fenton vs. TBA – Part 1   - 8:30 AM
Linden  vs. TBA  - 8:30 AM
Multi-team Event @ St. Joseph  - 8:30 AM
Chesaning  vs. TBA  - 9 AM
Flushing  vs. Grand Blanc   - 9 AM
Howell  vs. TBA  - 9 AM
South Lyon East  vs. TBA  - 9 AM
Cadillac  vs. Grandville   - 10 AM
New Lothrop  vs. TBA  - 10 AM
West Bloomfield  vs. Rochester Adams   - 12:30 PM
Grand Rapids Christian  vs. Farmington Hills Mercy   - 1 PM
Houghton vs. TBA   - 3 PM
Niles  vs. TBA  - 5 PM
West Bloomfield  vs. TBA   - 7 PM
 
Monday - Oct. 19
Multi-team Event @ Petoskey  - 5 PM
Negaunee  vs. Ishpeming Westwood   - 5 PM
Flushing  vs. Flint Kearsley   - 5:15 PM
Holly  vs. Linden   - 5:15 PM
Dollar Bay  vs. Ewen-Trout Creek   - 6:20 PM
Brighton  vs. Novi   - 6:30 PM
Galesburg-Augusta  vs. Kalamazoo Christian   - 6:30 PM
South Lyon  vs. Highland Milford   - 6:30 PM
South Lyon East  vs. Waterford Mott   - 6:30 PM
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian vs. Warren Fitzgerald   - 6:30 PM
Walled Lake Northern  vs. Waterford Kettering   - 6:30 PM
Calumet  vs. Houghton   - 6:45 PM
Frankenmuth  vs. Essexville Garber   - 7 PM
Hemlock  vs. St. Louis   - 7 PM
Bay City John Glenn  vs. Bay City All Saints - 7 PM
Marcellus  vs. Lawrence   - 7 PM
Livonia Clarenceville  vs. Clawson   - 7:30 PM
 
Tuesday - Oct. 20
Marcellus  vs. TBA  - 5 PM
Southfield Christian  vs. Brighton Charyl Stockwell  - 5:30 PM
St Ignace  vs. Brimley   - 5:45 PM
DeWitt  vs. Williamston   - 6 PM
East Lansing  vs. Lansing Waverly   - 6 PM
Kinde North Huron  vs. Carsonville-Port Sanilac   - 6 PM
Mason  vs. Haslett   - 6 PM
Mayville  vs. Dryden   - 6 PM
Norway  vs. Carney-Nadeau   - 6 PM
Peck vs. Genesee   - 6 PM
Vermontville Maple Valley  vs. Lansing Christian   - 6 PM
Munising  vs. Rapid River   - 6 PM
Chesaning  vs. New Lothrop   - 6:15 PM
Mt Morris  vs. Byron - 6:15 PM
New Lothrop  vs. Chesaning   - 6:15 PM
Otisville LakeVille vs. Ovid-Elsie   - 6:15 PM
St Johns  vs. Haslett   - 6:20 PM
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore  vs. St. Clair   - 6:30 PM
Blanchard Montabella  vs. Vestaburg   - 6:30 PM
Frankfort  vs. Suttons Bay   - 6:30 PM
Highland Milford  vs. TBA  - 6:30 PM
Howell  vs. Salem   - 6:30 PM
Negaunee  vs. Hancock   - 6:30 PM
Northville  vs. Hartland   - 6:30 PM
Watervliet  vs. Lawton   - 6:30 PM
Whitmore Lake  vs. Novi Christian Academy  - 6:30 PM
Garden City  vs. Dearborn Heights Annapolis   - 7 PM
Gladstone  vs. Marquette - 7 PM
Grand Rapids South Christian  vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern   - 7 PM
Hopkins  vs. Comstock Park   - 7 PM
Kingsley  vs. Buckley   - 7 PM
Macomb Lutheran North  vs. Yale   - 7 PM
Plymouth Christian Academy vs. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest   - 7 PM
Saginaw Heritage  vs. Grand Blanc   - 7 PM
St. Charles  vs. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart - 7 PM
Troy Athens  vs. Madison Heights Bishop Foley   - 7 PM
Kingsford  vs. Escanaba   - 7:15 PM
Cass City  vs. Caro   - 7:30 PM
 
Now in its 12th year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot – The NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution – is used by schools wishing to live stream games, but lacking the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 a month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. A portion of every subscription sold by an SBP school goes to benefit its program. 

A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.


Century of School Sports: State's Storytellers Share Spring Memories

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

April 8, 2025

With the start of spring sports, the MHSAA’s “Century of School Sports” celebration has begun its final lap.

Every week we’ve told at least a few stories from these last 100 years – and today, we present our third and final installment of favorite sports memories from statewide media, our historian and MHSAA staff.

Below are their most unforgettable moments from spring.

Homer Sets Standard with 56-Game Baseball Winning Streak

Ron Pesch, MHSAA historian

Recognizing the contrasting challenges that face teams in various eras to set or break records, it was great fun to track Homer's successful attempt to match, then exceed Grand Haven's 43-year-old record, then chase a national record for consecutive baseball victories.

There's something about the small-town excitement knitted into such a chase. Grand Haven set the mark back before an MHSAA-sponsored state tournament commenced in 1971. Inherently built into such an accomplishment is an evolving roster that spans multiple seasons, when a single season featured only 20 to 30 or so games. (Only one Buccaneer player was part of all the Buccaneers' 56-straight victories.)

Because of the postseason, Homer's annual slate featured more games, but came with the additional challenge of squaring off against more talented teams as the playoffs progressed. Homer's record-setting win came during a homefield doubleheader against Reading during the 2005 regular season – ironically against the school which gave the Trojans their last loss in the 2003 Regional Semifinal. Victorious in both games that day against Reading, Homer extended the run through 75-consecutive contests – a national record, since topped – that ended in June with a 7-6 loss to Saginaw Nouvel in the MHSAA Division 3 Final.

The Lansing State Journal sports section details Grand Ledge's comeback to defeat Homer at the Diamond Classic in Lansing.Truly an Unforgettable Classic

Tim Staudt, WILX (Lansing), in 54th year of broadcasting

The one memory from the spring season that immediately jumps to mind is the 2006 Diamond Classic final between Homer and Grand Ledge. Grand Ledge would come back to win the game 7-6 with players from the Lansing Lugnuts in the dugout watching to see how the game was going to end.

This was one more remarkable Grand Ledge baseball achievement under coach Pat O’Keefe. It would be Homer’s only loss of the 2006 season, as they went 38-1 and won the Division 4 championship, a year after winning a then-national record 75 straight games.

Career Crosses Paths with State’s 2 Winningest on Baseball Diamond

Brian Calloway, Lansing State Journal

In two media markets I have worked in in the state, I’ve had the privilege to cover two of the state’s most decorated baseball coaches in Blissfield’s Larry Tuttle and Grand Ledge’s Pat O’Keefe, who are both members of the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame.

I worked in Adrian when Larry Tuttle joined the 1,000-win club in June of 2008. After moving to the Lansing market, I got to document the final portion of O’Keefe’s special career that he ended as the all-time wins leader before eventually being passed by Tuttle.

Legendary Softball Team Ends Legendary Run

Geoff Kimmerly, MHSAA Communications Director and formerly of Lansing State Journal

I stepped into the Lansing State Journal fulltime lineup in January 2000 amid the senior years of two of the greatest athletes in local and statewide high school sports history – Lansing Waverly’s Marcus Taylor, who led his team to the Class A basketball title that March, and Okemos’ Jessica Beech, who had pitched her softball team to the Division 1 championship in 1999 and remains the most accomplished three-sport athlete in mid-Michigan history.

Dating back to that title run, Beech had earned an MHSAA-record 57 straight pitching victories heading into a Division 1 Regional Semifinal on June 10, 2000, at Lansing Everett. Up next was undefeated Portage Northern. Beech struck out 11 hitters against the team Okemos coach Dan Stolz called “the best his team has faced the past two seasons.” But Northern prevailed 2-0, with sophomore Anna Ollgaard throwing a one-hitter, and went on to finish the season 41-0 and Division 1 champion for the first of three consecutive seasons. The Huskies’ 52-game winning streak started that spring remains the second-longest in MHSAA softball history.

Livonia Franklin's softball team takes a team photo after finishing its 1986 Class A title run. Lectka Becomes Unstoppable in Leaving Livonia Franklin Legacy

Brad Emons, Detroit Free Press (formerly of Observer & Eccentric newspapers)

After falling to Mount Clemens L’Anse Creuse North in the 1985 championship game, 5-0, Livonia Franklin redeemed itself by beating Waterford Kettering, 1-0, in the 1986 Class A Softball Final for its first state title as senior pitcher Tracy Lectka’s threw a no-hitter at Lansing’s Ranney Park.

Lectka tossed back-to-back shutouts, including a 2-0 Semifinal win over South Lyon in a two-day continuation game halted by darkness where Lectka pitched all 20 innings to secure the victory.

Glen Lake’s Superwoman Finishes with Another Historic Run

Mick McCabe, Detroit Free Press since 1970

Heading into the 1992 Class D track & field state championships at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, Maple City Glen Lake’s Marnie Peplinski had to balance the emotions of being confident without being overconfident.

She looked at the performances of the other girls in the Finals and compared them to her efforts. “I knew they were not going to make up two or three seconds in that one day unless they were Superwoman.”

Well, Superwoman did show up at the Finals that day, but she was wearing a Glen Lake uniform.

That day, her final day of being a Michigan high school athlete, Peplinski became the first girl in state history to win four state titles in consecutive years, helping Glen Lake to its second-straight team title. She set Finals records when she won the 100 hurdles (15.06 seconds) and 300 hurdles (44.80). She also won the long jump (17 feet, 5 inches) and was part of the winning 1,600 relay team (4:03.90). She also had won all of those events as a junior, and as a sophomore she won the 300 hurdles, the long jump and the 1,600 relay, which she was a part of as a freshman as well.

The day capped a brilliant high school career for Peplinski, who also earned first-team all-state honors in basketball and volleyball. She went on to compete in track & field and basketball at Central Michigan University.

Brother Rice Sets Standard in Boys Lacrosse

Perry Farrell, MHSAA.com and formerly of Detroit Free Press

Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice's run in lacrosse was a showcase of dominance as they started a stretch that saw them win 13 of the first 14 Division 1 championships starting in 2005.

Watch the 2017 Division 1 Final, which Brother Rice won over Detroit Catholic Central 8-7, on the NFHS Network, and see highlights below from that game from State Champs! Sports Network.  

Beal City Provides Celebration to Remember

Greg Miller, formerly of 9&10 News (Cadillac)

The 2023 season for Beal City baseball was a special one that ended with a Division 4 championship celebration on the field at McLane Stadium in East Lansing. A year prior, the Aggies, who had been top-ranked nearly the entire season, fell short in the championship game, and they were back seeking redemption.

Cayden Smith's backflip was a memorable detail from Beal City's 2023 championship celebration.In a tightly-fought battle in the title game against Plymouth Christian Academy, Beal City answered after surrendering the game's first run in the fourth inning, tying the game in the bottom half of the frame. They then took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. 

Star pitcher Cayden Smith, after hitting his pitch limit with one out in the seventh, moved to shortstop and was able to catch the final out of the game, performing a celebratory backflip on the infield grass before being mobbed by his teammates in one of the coolest celebration moments I ever witnessed.

Watch the 2023 Division 4 Final on the NFHS Network.

Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights

April 2: Sharp Leadership Synonymous with MHSAA Success - Read
March 25:
Athletic Directors Indispensable to Mission of School Sports - Read
March 18:
2025 Finals Begin Next Half-Century of Girls Hoops Championships - Read
March 11:
Boys Basketball's Best 1st to Earn MHSAA Finals Titles - Read
March 5:
Everything We Do Begins with Participation - Read
Feb. 25:
Slogans & Logos Remain Unforgettable Parts of MHSAA History - Read
Feb. 19:
MHSAA Tickets Continue to Provide Fan-Friendly Value - Read
Feb. 11:
We Recognize Those Who Make Our Games Go - Read
Feb. 4:
WISL Conference Continues to Inspire Aspiring Leaders - Read
Jan. 28:
Michigan's National Impact Begins at NFHS' Start - Read
Jan. 21:
Awards Celebrate Well-Rounded Educational Experience - Read
Jan. 14:
Predecessors Laid Foundation for MHSAA's Formation - Read
Jan. 9:
MHSAA Blazes Trail Into Cyberspace - Read
Dec. 31: 
State's Storytellers Share Winter Memories - Read
Dec. 17: 
MHSAA Over Time - Read
Dec. 10:
On This Day, December 13, We Will Celebrate - Read
Dec. 3:
MHSAA Work Guided by Representative Council - Read
Nov. 26: 
Finals Provide Future Pros Early Ford Field Glory - Read
Nov. 19:
Connection at Heart of Coaches Advancement Program - Read
Nov. 12:
Good Sports are Winners Then, Now & Always - Read
Nov. 5:
MHSAA's Home Sweet Home - Read
Oct. 29:
MHSAA Summits Draw Thousands to Promote Sportsmanship - Read
Oct. 23:
Cross Country Finals Among MHSAA's Longest Running - Read
Oct. 15:
State's Storytellers Share Fall Memories - Read
Oct. 8:
Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics - Read
Oct. 1:
Michigan Sends 10 to National Hall of Fame - Read
Sept. 25: MHSAA Record Books Filled with 1000s of Achievements - Read
Sept. 18:
Why Does the MHSAA Have These Rules? - Read
Sept. 10: 
Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year - Read
Sept. 4:
Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28:
Let the Celebration Begin - Read

PHOTOS (Top) From left: Homer's Josh Collmenter throws a pitch during the 2004 Finals, Maple City Glen Lake's Marnie Peplinski long jumps in 1992, the Brother Rice boys lacrosse team celebrates its 2019 championship, and the Portage Northern softball team takes a photo after finishing an undefeated 2000 season. (2) The Lansing State Journal sports section details Grand Ledge's comeback to defeat Homer at the Diamond Classic in Lansing. (3) Livonia Franklin's softball team takes a team photo after finishing its 1986 Class A title run. (4) Cayden Smith's backflip kicks off Beal City's 2023 championship celebration. (MHSAA file photos.)