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.
Preview: Prepare for Unpredictable as Contenders Abound for LP Boys Titles
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 30, 2025
There’s at least one common possibility among the four MHSAA Lower Peninsula Boys Track & Field Finals to be competed Saturday in the Grand Rapids area.
All four could be closely contested with points spread across several contenders and single standouts setting the pace for the eventual champions.
That’s just one prognosis for this season’s championship meets, which are tougher to forecast than usual based on expectations for returning contenders and several others who have impressed this spring.
All four LP Finals will begin with pole vault and long jump beginning at 9 a.m., followed by race semifinals and the 3,200 relay at 10 a.m. and the rest of the running finals starting at noon. Tickets cost $11 and are available digitally only via GoFan.
MHSAA.tv will live-stream all four meets beginning at 10 a.m., viewable with subscription. Check out the Boys Track & Field page for meet information for all four sites and lists of all qualifiers. Those described as "seeded" below have received those seeds based on Regional performances or meeting early qualification standards.
Below is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all four divisions:
Division 1 at East Kentwood
Team forecast: Kalamazoo Central’s first team title last spring since 1965 gave Division 1 its fifth different champion over the last five seasons. Belleville could rely on its sprint and hurdles power to become the sixth in six seasons as it pursues a first Finals title. Northville, with strength in the distance events, also is a first-time title possibility, especially if this meet sees scoring spread among several contenders.
Jeremy Dixon, Kalamazoo Central senior: After leading last year’s team title charge with an individual title in the 100, runner-up finish in the 200 and running on two scoring relays, he’ll return as the top seed in the 100 (10.56) and set to run the 200 and as part of two relays again.
Reece Emeott, East Kentwood junior: Last season’s pole vault champion by nine inches is the top seed in that event (15-8) by five.
Schmar Gamble, Belleville junior: He’s back after winning the 110 hurdles and just missing scoring in the 100 dash last season, this time seeded second in the 110 hurdles (13.69) and running the 100 dash and on two relays including the top-seeded 800 (1:26.01).
Quincy Isaac, Canton senior: The two-time reigning long jump champion is top-seeded in that event (25-2¼) by more than two feet and also fourth-seeded in the 100 and expected to run on a relay.
Will (Jaiden) Smith, Belleville senior: He finished fourth in the 110 hurdles, second in the 300 hurdles, just missed scoring in the 200 and contributed to a scoring 800 relay last season, but could enjoy an even mightier final high school meet. He’s seeded first in the 110 (13.53) and 300 (36.94), second in the 200 (21.11) and will run on a relay.
Division 2 at Hamilton
Team forecast: Berrien Springs and Corunna have taken turns winning the last three championships, the Shamrocks winning last year’s with Corunna finishing runner-up. While Berrien Springs looks like a possibility again especially in a wide-open meet, there are others with opportunities. River Rouge scored just one point at last year’s Finals, but could win four events. Parma Western has potential scorers across several after tying for fifth last season.
Declin Doroh, Stevensville Lakeshore sophomore: The reigning high jump champion is back as a sophomore with the top seed (6-10) and also could run on his team’s 800 relay.
Kaden Griffiths, Stevensville Lakeshore sophomore: He won long jump and ran on two relays as a freshman, and also is back as a top seed – by more than a foot in the long jump (23-7¾). He’ll also run the 400.
Adam Huff, Wayland senior: He back to throw the discus after winning that event and finishing 10th in the shot put a year ago.
Sam Vesperman, Grosse Ile senior: He’s won the pole vault the last two seasons and is seeded third (14-0) this weekend.
Conan Weeks, Clare junior: He won the long jump last season in Division 3 and will make a run at Division 2 titles in that event and seeded second in the 300 hurdles (39.83) while also running on two relays.
DJ Wood, Battle Creek Harper Creek junior: After qualifying for the 110 hurdles last season, he’s expected to make a move on multiple titles seeded first in that race (14.28) and the 300 hurdles (39.27) and running on two relays.
Division 3 at Kent City
Team forecast: Nine schools have won this division once over the last nine seasons, with Pewamo-Wesphalia first and Clare (now in Division 2) second a year ago. The Pirates should be in the mix again and might be the favorites. But Chesaning should be right there and Traverse City St. Francis with its distance crew has a chance to contend in a lower-scoring meet.
Mason Mayne, Lawton senior: Last season’s champion in the discus and runner-up in the shot put is seeded first in both at 185-6 and 61-3, respectively.
Tayden Redding, Warren Michigan Collegiate junior: He won the high jump, placed sixth in the 110 hurdles and just missed scoring in the 300 hurdles last season and is back competing in all three including as the top high jump seed (6-8).
Cicarella Santino, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett senior: He finished fourth in the 100 and second in the 200 last season and is top-seeded in both (10.62 and 21.66, respectively) and second-seeded in the 400 (49.78).
Trevor Smith, Pewamo-Westphalia senior: The reigning champion in the 100 and fifth-place finisher in the 200 last year is seeded second in the 100 (10.71) and 200 (21.89) this time and will run on two top-three seeded relays.
Tryce Tokar, Ovid-Elsie senior: He’ll pursue his fourth pole vault championship and is seeded first (15-0) by nearly half a foot. He’ll also run on three relays including the top-seeded 800 (1:30.35).
Max Ward, Elk Rapids senior: He’ll seek to repeat in the 300 hurdles as the top seed (38.74) and also is fifth-seeded in the 110 hurdles after finishing third in that race last season.
Division 4 at Hudsonville Baldwin Middle School
Team forecast: Fowler broke Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep’s two-year hold on the title last year with its first since 1988 and could follow its hurdles and relay contenders to a repeat. But Southfield Christian (11th last season) could be dominant in the sprints and Riverview Gabriel Richard (12th) has relay power. Hackett’s distance standouts could make this close as well as they look to jump back up from third a year ago.
Marek Butkiewicz, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep junior: He won the 3,200, was second in the 1,600 and ran on the winning 3,200 relay last season. He’s seeded first in the 1,600 (4:18.18) and 3,200 (9:16.90) and also will run the 800 and as part of the top-seeded 3,200 relay (8:08.46).
Brady Feldpausch, Fowler senior: He played a massive role in the Eagles’ team title last year with a win in the 110 hurdles, runner-up finish in the 300 and competing on two championship relays. He’s seeded first in the 110 (14.47), second in the 300 (38.98) and could again run on two relays including the top-seeded 1,600 (3:24.42).
Oliver Long, Morrice junior: The reigning shot put champion is seeded first (56-6¼) by nearly six feet and also will throw the discus and run on a relay.
Brock Morris, Southfield Christian senior: He was fifth in the 400 and ran on two top-six relays last season, and this weekend he could lead a team title pursuit seeded first in the 200 (22.17) and 400 (48.65) and running on the top-seeded 800 (1:29.86) and second-seeded 1,600 (3:27.68) relays.
Bradley Richards, Muskegon Catholic Central/Fruitport Calvary Christian senior: The 2023 champion in the high jump – and runner-up last season – is back for Calvary Christian as part of this cooperative program with MCC and seeded first (6-7).
PHOTO From left, University Liggett’s Cicarella Santino, Pewamo-Westphalia’s Trevor Smith and Dearborn Advanced Tech’s Cobey Cureton run a 100-meter preliminary race at the LPD3 Finals last season. All three will return this weekend. (Photo by Jamie McNinch/RunMichigan.com.)