Thank You from Second Half
January 25, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Next week will mark the one-year birthday of Second Half, our place to tell your high school sports stories.
And I thank you for helping us to such a great start.
We knew what we hoped to accomplish starting this site a year ago, but we've learned quite a bit during a relatively short time. Although we continue to pursue the mission of being home of the state’s best high school stories and a daily stop for fans, we’ll continue to experiment to figure out what you'd most like to see and how best we can continue to pass along the great things happening in MHSAA athletics.
A few things to call to your attention as we move ahead:
- First and foremost, we strive to tell your stories – hoping to hit every sport and all regions of our state – and have some intriguing ones coming up as we get into the second half of the winter season. Stay tuned.
- Second Half is the home for the “Battle of the Fans II.” We have visits to Buchanan and Vandercook Lake next week, followed by Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard and Zeeland East the week after. We’ll announce the winner Feb. 22. All will be found here first.
- We've revamped our video page (see menu across the top of this screen) and will be adding more videos more regularly in the year to come.
- After a brief hiatus, we’ll next week bring back “High 5s” featuring two athletes and a team that have done great things this season.
- What you’re reading now is the first of a weekly “First Pitch” blog that will allow us to post more of the quick hits we run across in our regular travels. Make sure to continue checking out the twice-weekly blog by Executive Director Jack Roberts, as well as the Viewpoints and SAC Sound-Offs supplied regularly by our friends from the Michigan State University Institute for the Study of Youth Sports and the members of our Student Advisory Council, respectively.
- We began providing in-depth statewide coverage – both previewing and then postgame reporting – of our Finals in every sport this fall, and hope to become your first and fastest source for the stories behind our championships.
We’re always looking for ideas both for stories or any other features you’d like to see – and feel free to send them directly to me at [email protected].
And again, thank you again for coming to our site today. We look forward to seeing you more in the year to come.
Adams Leans on Finals Experience in Claiming 3rd-Straight Championship
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 4, 2022
GRAND RAPIDS – The Rochester Adams competitive cheer team had a veteran group of athletes who had been there, and done that.
The nine seniors departed the program on top by bringing home one last championship.
The Highlanders captured the Division 1 Final on Friday at the Delta Plex after a highly-competitive run at the title among all eight teams.
The margin of separation between them was less than nine points, but it was Rochester Adams emerging victorious as the Highlanders completed a rare three-peat.
“It just takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but there were 16 girls who have been here since the beginning of our first state title and they've just learned the ropes and they know what it takes,” Adams coach Brooke Miller said. “They just put their whole heart and soul out there today, and it really paid off.”
The Highlanders finished with a three-round total of 793.74 to edge runner-up and 2019 champion Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (791.36).
“I can't put it into words because everything has been leading up to this moment, and we've gotten so close together,” said senior Sabrina Lee, who’s been on varsity all four years.
“It just really means everything to ourselves, this third one, and we just really needed to prove it to ourselves and we finally did. I’m proud of what we put on that mat.”
The two-time reigning champions staked their claim early and snared the lead with their best Round 1 of the season.
“Round 1 was our peak, and we absolutely nailed it,” Miller said.
They followed with another top score in Round 2 (232.94) before entering the third round with a mere one-point lead over Rochester.
“Another great Round 2, and then we felt like we were ready to hit Round 3,” Miller said. “We had a couple of things that weren’t our absolute best, but we were so proud of ourselves for that.
“We had four girls who have been here all four years and some three years, and that leadership and experience were just absolutely valuable to our success today.”
Rochester Adams became the third school in Division 1 history to win three consecutive Finals titles, joining Rochester (which has done so multiple times) and Southgate Anderson.
“This has been a dream come true for us and only a few teams have ever done a three-peat,” senior Elizabeth Doran said. “To do it with my best friends and to make history for our school and to be a part of these teams has been incredible. I’m so sad to leave all of this.”
Stoney Creek secured its highest finish since winning its first championship in 2019.
“It’s a great honor,” Cougars coach Tricia Williams said. “There are a lot of great teams in our state and eight phenomenal teams here today. We just came out and wanted to put our three best rounds on the mat, and I think we did that. Coming out as runner-up feels fantastic.”
The Cougars jumped into second spot courtesy of a flawless third round effort. They tallied the highest Round 3 score of the night with an impressive 321.90.
“All the rounds were important, but we wanted to hit the third round and make sure we felt that feeling of being a team on that mat,” Williams said. “They were on fire, and there was not one deduction in that round. They hit it amazingly well, and I think our score showed that.”
PHOTOS (Top) Rochester Adams competes on the way to winning its third-straight Division 1 title Friday at the Delta Plex. (Middle) Rochester Hills Stoney Creek celebrates its runner-up finish. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)