MHSAA Historian Picks 10 to Remember
August 9, 2016
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
It sounded simple and fun, the theme for the MHSAA's spring issue of benchmarks: a history of MHSAA tournaments.
It certainly was the latter, but simple? Not so much.
There’s no way to do justice to nearly a century’s worth of history in some sports. Complicating matters was the abundance of information and photographs for some, and the scant amount of detailed data and images for others.
MHSAA historian Ron Pesch was given an equally challenging task: recount a “Top 10” list from his days covering various MHSAA Finals. He shares them here and, he adds, they are in no order of favorites.
The Shot: 1986 Class B Boys Basketball Final at Crisler Arena – Saginaw Buena Vista’s Chris Coles’ desperation shot, launched at the buzzer from well beyond half court, dropped through the hoop to give the Knights a 33-32 win over defending champion Flint Beecher in a rematch of the 1985 Class B title game. The shot was Coles’ first of the second half and his only points in the contest.
The Smurfs: 1986 Class A Football Final at the Pontiac Silverdome – The "Smurfs" – Muskegon Coach Dave Taylor's nickname for his small, quick swarming defensive linemen – limited heavily favored Sterling Heights Stevenson to four yards rushing and 73 yards of total offense in a 10-0 win. As a 1979 graduate of Muskegon High School, I was elated.
The Drive: 1989 Class B Football Final at the Pontiac Silverdome – I slid down from the press box into the stands at the Silverdome for the end of this one. With 2:20 remaining, the atmosphere was simply electric, as Farmington Hills Harrison’s lauded quarterback Mill Coleman took the reins with his team down 27-21 to DeWitt. The senior executed a flawless two-minute drill, guiding his team to the DeWitt 9 before scampering into the end zone for the tying points. Steve Hill added his fourth PAT for the lead, then secured the victory with an interception on the next series.
King Kool: 2005 Class B Boys Basketball Final, Breslin Center, East Lansing – David Kool was a flawless 20 for 20 from the free-throw line and scored 43 points as Grand Rapids South Christian downed Muskegon Heights 67-60.
The Parade: 2004 Individual Wrestling Finals, The Palace of Auburn Hills – In 2004, I traveled to Auburn Hills to watch the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals for the first time. The pageantry of the Grand March, the skills on display, the roar of the massive crowd, and the ensuing beauty and chaos of a wrestling extravaganza of this scale is truly a sight to see.
A Marathon: 2007 Division 3 Football Final, Ford Field, Detroit – East Grand Rapids and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s ended regulation tied 14-14, and this would turn into a five overtime battle that required an extra hour of play. No previous football playoff game, from Districts up, had ever gone beyond four overtimes. After exchanging field goals, touchdowns, extra points and two-point conversions, East Grand Rapids emerged with a 46-39 victory.
Tawana Towers: 1994 Class A Girls Basketball Final at Kellogg Arena, Battle Creek – Flint Northern, coached by Leteia Hughley and led by 6-4 freshman Tawana McDonald, defeated 1993 runner-up Detroit Martin Luther King, 46-32, for the Class A championship. McDonald batted down an MHSAA-record 10 shots, pulled down 13 rebounds and added five points and seven assists in a stellar performance.
Never Quit: 2008 Division 2 Football Semifinal, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing – Unbeaten, No. 1-ranked and heavily favored Muskegon trailed Davison by 22 late in the third quarter and 16 with less than five minutes to play. In perhaps the greatest comeback in playoff history, Muskegon recovered two onside kicks and scored 19 points in the final 4:31 to escape with a 38-35 victory and its third trip in five years to an MHSAA Final.
MHSAA Legends: 1998-2008 – For 10 years, the MHSAA showcased great teams from the past with their Legends of the Game series. From a historian’s perspective it was a chance to meet and learn more about folks I had often known only from the pages of microfilm. It was quite the treat to see years fall away as coaches, team managers and players reunited, in many cases for the first time after decades apart.
The MHSAA Record Books: Online, 1994 – One of my first efforts as state historian was to expand the record books beyond their primary focus on football, basketball, track & field and swimming & diving. With the arrival of the internet, an enhanced version of the record books was brought online. Coaches and fans were quick to respond with letters and e-mails, happily listing entries that had been “missed.” Soon, five category headings in a sport grew to 20, then to 50 and beyond.
Kids: 2004 Football Finals, Pontiac Silverdome – (OK, this is No. 11 ... consider it an extra point). For the first time, my sons joined me for my annual excursion to Metro Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day football weekend. They got to see the Silverdome before the move of the MHSAA Football Finals to beautiful Ford Field. Future Big Reds, they also got to see their future alma mater win another title.
PHOTOS: (Top) An MHSAA boys basketball tournament game is played at Olympia Stadium in Detroit. (Middle) Flint Northern's Tawana McDonald blocks a shot during the 1994 Class A Final.
Bay City John Glenn focused on Fun with Goals Accomplished, Legacy Secure
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
October 16, 2024
JT Breen and his Bay City John Glenn tennis teammates already have achieved all the goals they set for themselves this season.
The Bobcats won the Tri-Valley Conference title. They won the Bay County title. They even accomplished the goal that seemed most far-fetched at the time: Becoming the first John Glenn boys tennis team to qualify for the MHSAA Finals – they made the Lower Peninsula Division 3 field that will play Friday and Saturday at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
So now what?
“The goal for me (this weekend) is to play as many games as I can and have fun playing those games,” said Breen, a senior who plays No. 2 singles for John Glenn. “The legacy I want to leave is helping everyone know that the gift of playing tennis is a gift in and of itself. Having fun is the most important part of the game, and I think that’s something I’ve tried to cement into the younger players.”
John Glenn has had plenty of fun in what coach Kevin Miller called a “season dreams are made of,” and no matter the results at Cranbrook, that’s going to continue.
Not because the Bobcats don’t care about winning. But because having fun with one another on and off the court is just what they do.
“We just want to go out there and end our senior year for tennis on a good note,” said senior Nick Naylor, who plays No. 3 doubles with senior Will Gallagher. “We want to have fun with it, and not worry much about what happens. Honestly, I want to win, but it’s just amazing that we got here.”
Led by six seniors, John Glenn placed third at their Regional, also held at Cranbrook, to qualify for the Finals. Miller admitted he wasn’t sure if that would be enough to get his team to championship weekend, and the Bobcats left the tennis courts that day unsure. They had finished with 13 points, behind champion Cranbrook and Goodrich, and two points ahead of Auburn Hills Avondale, St. Clair and Clio.
It wasn’t until Lee Thompson of MLive contacted Miller for an interview later that night that he became aware. And for some Bobcats, it wasn’t until that story published that they knew.
“Our captain (Breen) said something about it in the middle of the season, and we kind of looked at him like, ‘Yeah right, keep dreaming,’” senior No. 4 singles player Lance Neigh said. “In the middle of the season, I didn’t think we were going to get there. Even now, it’s kind of surreal.”
Neigh joined the program as a sophomore, while four of his classmates – Breen, Owen LaCourt (No. 3 singles), Collin Meyer (No. 2 doubles) and Will Gallagher (No. 3 doubles) – are in their fourth year.
Senior number six, Nick Naylor, is in his first season and playing No. 3 doubles along with Gallagher. A three-year varsity baseball player, Naylor said he hadn’t picked up a racket in nearly five years before Gallagher convinced him to play. He’s taken to the game quickly, though, and he and Gallagher advanced to the Regional Final. While Miller and Breen marveled at Naylor’s ability to translate his baseball experience and athleticism to tennis, Naylor added that the chemistry he and Gallagher have from years of friendship also played a big role.
“We’re not afraid to call each other out or bring each other up,” he said. “We’re not afraid to talk to each other. We can have a good conversation when we’re down and get back up and forget about it.”
Sophomore Thomas Dwan is at No. 1 singles for the Bobcats, while junior David Ferrio and freshman Jack Pfifer are at No. 1 doubles. Sophomore Patrick Dwan plays No. 2 doubles with Meyer, and the No. 4 doubles team is made up of junior Dylan Werner and sophomore Corbin Sanborn.
So, while half the team will move on after this season, the well is far from dry for the Bobcats. Add in a group of 45 middle school players who have been practicing under the direction of Miller and several of his boys and girls varsity players, and the future is actually pretty bright.
“Honestly, I think it’s pretty inspiring,” Meyer said. “When I came in freshman year, we barely had enough for a varsity team. There’s so many people interested in playing tennis right now, I think it’s amazing. I’m happy to be able to help out and give them what I know.”
Their goals are accomplished, and they’re helping build the future of the program. You can see why this weekend, the Bobcats aren’t focused on results, but on enjoying every point they get to play.
“There’s not many more accolades these guys can do,” Miller said. “We’re going to go to states and do the best we can. But they’ve already left their legacy.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS (Top) The Bay City John Glenn boys tennis team shows off its newly-won Bay County championship trophy this season. (Middle) Seniors Nick Naylor and Will Gallagher have teamed up to form a Regional runner-up pair at No. 3 doubles. (Photos courtesy of the Bay City John Glenn boys tennis program.)