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.
Cranbrook Completes 4-Peat; Farner, Smith & Higgins Double Up Again
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 14, 2026
HOLLAND – Liam Smith never takes winning for granted.
Not even after the Otsego senior added two final championships to an impressive swim resume at Saturday's Lower Peninsula Division 3 Swimming & Diving Finals at the Holland Aquatics Center.
Smith won the 200-yard individual medley (1:47.38) and the 100 butterfly (47.80) to run his four-year run of individual Finals titles to seven.
It wouldn't be a stretch to wonder if all the championships would seem to blend together in Smith's mind, but nothing could be farther from the truth, he said. Being an annual target for other swimmers combined with not wanting to let teammates down have left Smith, headed to the University of Florida next season, savoring all of his four butterfly and three individual medley championships.
"That's part of it," Smith said of shrugging off being the competitor others are chasing. "When you're at the top everyone wants to beat you, and that's okay. But all those early-morning practices, the late ones and working in the summer and offseason, that all comes with sacrifice. If you want to be good, you face that sacrifice. It all pays off."
While Smith finished off his individual career with a bang, so did Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, which collected its fourth-straight team title by amassing 261 points. Holland Christian was second with 214 points, East Grand Rapids third with 196, Spring Lake fourth with 165 and DeWitt fifth with 141 points.
Much like Smith who believes each Finals win is a different story, Cranbrook Kingswood coach Paul Ellis said each of his last four teams has been different. The current team has only two swimmers – A.J. Farner and Blake Schwab – who've been on all four teams. This Cranes team graduated seven seniors from a year ago, is a bit on the younger side, and also will lose seven seniors from the roster.
"I was a little worried (Friday), but we set ourselves up for today," he said. "Our seniors four years ago were an example to our younger swimmers, and now our seniors this year were, too. They set an example for others. All the teams have been very different in personality, talent, preparation and how they conduct themselves.
"All teams have their ups and downs, but keeping your focus and honing in are everything and they did that right."
Farner had a big meet for the Cranes, winning the 200 free (1:39.12) and 100 breaststroke (55.83). Headed to Georgetown next season, he has been swimming since he was 8. He said each of his first places has presented different challenges, ranging from being a challenger to having to defend titles.
"Maybe a little because of experience and performing for the team and coach," he said. "At the end of the day you're excited. The main goal is to win so you help the team. That's always the main focus."
Cranbrook Kingswood's 200 medley relay team also took a first (1:33.13).
One of the most interesting stories from the Finals came from Adrian senior Kade Opsal, who broke his wrist in a soccer accident last fall, underwent surgery, and wound up missing the first third of this season. He finally returned and proceeded to go unbeaten in the 100 backstroke, including capturing that event (49.20) on Saturday. He had finished second and ninth in that event as a junior and sophomore, respectively.
"I didn't know how it was going to work out, only that I was hungry after last year," said Opsal, who is headed to Ball State next season. "I just laid down the hammer, and now here I am. I was heartbroken. I took 16 weeks off and didn't even know if I'd swim again."
Detroit Country Day's Jack Higgins was a double winner in the 50 free (28.79) and 100 free (45.72). The two firsts meant Higgins finished his career with eight top-four finishes in those events, including four firsts, over his four years. Higgins, who will not continue swimming at the college level but focus on pursuing a business career, said he won't necessarily remember his career entirely for its successes.
"I met so many people who became my friends, but now I have a new purpose," he said. "As my career comes to an end, I think of the people I've met through swimming. It's been a journey, for both the team and myself. I suppose I'll look back in 20 years and say I was a state champ and helped my team."
Holland Christian diver Charlie DeHaan won that event with a score of 537.60. The junior has previously finished seventh as a freshman and third a year ago.
"I like to say just go out there and lace 'em up regardless of how I feel," he said. "Even when you don't feel like it, you put the time in. It's got to be a clear focus. Whether you try once, twice or three times – even if you don't want to be there – you tell yourself you can do it."
The other Finals champs Saturday were Plainwell's Sam Harper in the 500 free (4:32.14), Holland Christian's 400 free relay team (3:08.77) and Spring Lake's 200 free relay (1:26.03).
PHOTOS (Top) Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood stands on the podium Saturday with its latest team championship trophy. (Middle) Swimmers launch during the start of a race. (Below) Hamilton’s Jayden Bierschbach competes in diving. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)