Did you see that? (May 20-26)
May 28, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Last week for many was one for getting in the final regular-season games and competitions of this spring – and for the most fortunate, a week for winning the first of what they hope will be many championships.
Here's our look at some of the most notable headlines from those seven days. Click on the links for full coverage.
Good Read of the Week
Spangler wins 500: Whether it be painting out the baselines an hour before game time or showing up to turn off the sprinklers in the middle of the night, Randy Spangler’s been doing it all as Coldwater’s baseball coach over the last 25 years – and Gary Baker explains what has gone into becoming a 500-win baseball coach. (Coldwater Daily Reporter)
Girls Soccer
Cadillac celebrates first title: Cadillac and Traverse City West are co-champions of the Big North Conference this spring. But Cadillac’s share is its first BNC title. (Cadillac News)
Softball
Another memorable first: Croswell-Lexington clinched its first Blue Water Area Conference title Tuesday and ended the night's doubleheader sweep with a perfect league record as well. (Port Huron Times-Herald)
Boys Lacrosse
Holland Christian moves on: The ranked Maroons got a scare from Mattawan in their Division 2 Regional game Thursday, but scored eight second-half goals to continue on. (Grand Rapids Press)
Track and Field
Cass Tech, Renaissance clinch PSL titles: The Cass Tech boys and Renaissance girls won big to finish the regular season at the Detroit Public School League’s championship meet. (Detroit News)
Seminary coach finishes: Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary boys track and field coach Robert Schroer will retire from coaching after this weekend’s Division 4 Final – and 40 years running his program. (Saginaw News)
Girls Golf
Houghton sweeps league final: The West Peninsula Athletic Conference individual championship went to a three-person playoff before Megan Kelly needed just one hole to claim the title. She helped key Houghton’s team championship as well, and Houghton’s boys also won their West PAC tournament. (Houghton Mining Gazette)
Baseball
Bath wins big: In something of a stunner at the 52-year Capital Area Diamond Classic, Bath defeated Holt 9-1 in a quarterfinal Friday night behind the 11-strikeout performance of pitcher Ryan Orr. Only twice before in the tournament’s history had a Class C or D school won a game. (Lansing State Journal)
Division 7 Final: Blue Streak
November 29, 2011
DETROIT – Only a few drives into the MHSAA Division 7 Final, Bennett Lewis came to Saginaw Nouvel coach Mike Boyd with a request.
Give me the ball until Pewamo-Westphalia stops me.
Never happened. The senior running back ran for five touchdowns, and his Panthers scored 56 points – both to set or tie MHSAA Finals records.
And both were accomplished over just two quarters as Nouvel cruised to a 56-26 win and its third football championship.
“I can’t say enough how proud I am of my teammates, especially the offensive line. We’ve been playing together a long time and they really executed in the first half,” Lewis said. “Their defense is one of the defenses we can run our offense against really well. We just executed and made big plays. ”
This championship goes with Nouvel’s back-to-back Division 6 titles in 2006 and 2007, and the Panthers finished 13-0 to match their perfect record in 2006. Pewamo-Westphalia made its first appearance in an MHSAA Football Final and finished 13-1.
The Panthers had scored 63 and 62 points, respectively, during the first two rounds of the postseason. And as Boyd said after, he had an offense built for speedy strikes – especially at an inside venue like Ford Field.
Nouvel blew past the previous MHSAA Finals record of 42 points in one half set by both Farmington Hills Harrison in 2000 and Jackson Lumen Christi in 2001.
“Maybe our third drive, Bennett came off the field and came right up to me and said, ‘I want the football. Until they stop me, give me the football,’” Nouvel coach Mike Boyd said. “I said, ‘Absolutely.’
“Great competitors, great leaders. Just a great group.”
Lewis, the Associated Press’ Division 7-8 Player of the Year this fall, ran 15 times for 200 yards – all in the first half – to push his season rushing total to 2,077. The five touchdowns gave him 36 rushing for the fall. Senior quarterback Joseph Buchalski was 7 for 10 passing for 196 yards and three scores. He also ran five times for 50 yards – again, all in the first half.
“That’s the best team I’ve ever played. The fastest. (And) I don’t hesitate to say Bennett Lewis is the best player I’ve ever played,” P-W senior quarterback/cornerback Justin Thelen said. “We fought, and I’m proud of that. But they had us on our heels right away.”
Thelen was 10 for 21 passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns, and senior Alex Thelen ran 16 times for 77 yards and a score. It was a tough end to a courageous run by the Pirates, who suffered through the death of classmate and baseball teammate Brendon Nurenberg in a car crash earlier this month, but battled through with his memory an additional motivator.
“He was just a fun guy. The guys loved being around him. And the guys rallied around that,” P-W coach Brad Weber said. “They did it for Brendon for the most part. They knew he would have fun, so they did too.”