Finals Playbacks Viewable on Comcast
July 10, 2013
More playbacks have been added for spring MHSAA Championships in baseball, lacrosse, girls soccer and softball to be shown on Comcast Channel 900 over the next few weeks, and highlights packages of all games are now available to Comcast subscribers on Xfinity On Demand.
Here is the updated schedule of playbacks for each game:
Baseball– Available on Xfinity VOD through August 20
Division 1 – Bay City Western vs. Birmingham Brother Rice -- July 13, 9:30 p.m.; August 1, 9:30 p.m.
Division 2 – Grand Rapids Christian vs. Richmond – July 10, 8 a.m.; July 14, 9 a.m.; August 3, 8 a.m.
Division 3 – Madison Heights Bishop Foley vs. Grandville Calvin Christian - July 17, 10:30 a.m.; July 21, Noon; August 3, 9:30 p.m.
Division 4 – Beal City vs. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett - July 17, 8 a.m.; June 20, 6 p.m.; July 31, 8 a.m.
Softball – Available on Xfinity VOD through August 23
Division 1 – Bay City Western vs. Mattawan - July 14, Noon; August 1, 7 p.m.
Division 2 – Saginaw Swan Valley vs. Linden – July 1, 9:30 p.m.; July 14, 6 p.m.; August 2, Noon
Division 3 – Unionville-Sebewaing vs. Dundee - July 16, 7 p.m.; July 24, 10:30 a.m.; August 3, 7 p.m.
Division 4 – Kalamazoo Christian vs. Ubly - July 16, 9:30 p.m.; July 21, 9 a.m.
Girls Soccer – Available on Xfinity VOD through August 23
Division 1 – Grandville vs. Troy - July 18, 7 p.m.; July 25, 9:30 p.m.
Division 2 – Richland Gull Lake vs. Bloomfield Hills Marian - July 18, 9:30 p.m.; July 23, 7 p.m.; July 27, 7 p.m.
Division 3 – Grand Rapids South Christian vs. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep - July 18, 9:30 p.m.; July 26, Noon; July 28, 6 p.m.
Division 4 – Grandville Calvin Christian vs. Clarkston Everest Collegiate/Waterford Our Lady - July 20, 8 a.m.; July 25, 7 p.m.; July 28, 9 a.m.
Boys Lacrosse – Available on Xfinity VOD through August 13
Division 1 – Birmingham Brother Rice vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern/Northern - July 10, 10;30 a.m.; July 20, 9:30 p.m.; July 27, 8 a.m.; July 30, 7 p.m.
Division 2 – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central vs. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood - July 12, Noon; July 20, 7 p.m.; July 27, 9:30 p.m.
Girls Lacrosse at Rockford – Available on Xfinity VOD through August 30
Division 1 – Rockford vs. Bloomfield United - July 13, 8 a.m.; July 30, 9:30 p.m.
Division 2 – East Grand Rapids vs. Livonia Ladywood - July 13, 7 p.m. ; July 31, 10:30 a.m.
DVDs of the finals in each running event from the 2013 MHSAA Track & Field Finals are now available for ordering through the PrepFilms.com Website. There is a separate DVD for each gender of each division in both peninsulas, and they are priced at $20 each.
Division 2 Final: 'Anything is Possible'
November 29, 2011
DETROIT – That was the motto of Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice’s football team this season.
And the Warriors had to believe it in order for Friday’s dream finish to become possible.
Brother Rice qualified for the Division 2 playoffs at 5-4 last month and after finishing just fourth in the Detroit Catholic League Central. But riding the legs of senior running back Devin Church, the Warriors finished this season with a 24-14 win over Lowell at Ford Field to earn their seventh MHSAA championship and first since 2005.
Church, who ran for more than 900 yards during the playoffs, piled up 244 and three touchdowns rushing in the Final.
“We did it to make Coach proud,” Church said. “We kept the tradition going.
“That’s everybody’s dream, to win a state title. To walk away with a ring, that’s a blessing.”
“Coach” is Al Fracassa, who finished his 43rd season by winning his 405th high school game. But this run provided a new experience for the longtime leader.
Playing in a conference that also includes Division 1 finalist Detroit Catholic Central, Division 3 finalist Orchard Lake St. Mary and playoff qualifier Warren DeLaSalle, the Warriors lost three league games by a combined four points. Brother Rice (10-4) picked up its fourth loss in Week 8 against Cincinnati LaSalle.
But wins over strong teams – Detroit Martin Luther King and Ann Arbor Pioneer among them – likely gave Brother Rice the playoff points boost it needed to get into the postseason.
“We were worried about making the playoffs again. You get down, but the kids, they taught me a lesson. They came out and they worked their tails off,” Fracassa said. “We had a motto before our season started. … Anything is possible. This motto really personifies this football team. Anything is possible, and they’re going to remember it the rest of their lives.”
Church – who will sign with Northern Illinois in February – ran the ball 33 times. His yards were the sixth-most in an MHSAA Final ever. And they were followed by some flattering comparisons from Lowell coach Noel Dean.
“I don’t want to belittle their team by making it about one player; they have a great team,” Dean said. “(Church) is a fantastic football player. One of the better ones I’ve seen. And I’ve coached against some pretty good running backs in my day. The Grady brothers and the Ducketts, I’ve seen some pretty good ones. He’s fantastic.”
Fracassa added: “He’s done that all year, for the last three years. This is not only his good game he played. He’s played good in every game he’s played.”
And while Church ran wild, the Warriors were able to contain Lowell all-state quarterback Gabe Dean, who was making his third straight appearance in the Division 2 Final. A senior now, he led the Red Arrows to a championship game win in 2009
Dean did throw for 190 yards and two touchdowns, but was able to get free for just 34 yards on the ground as Lowell (12-2) attempted to catch up, and catch Church, most of the afternoon.
“The veer offense, we learned how to shut it down this week in practice. And we did a great job in the game,” Brother Rice junior linebacker Jon Reschke said. “We got them out of the veer and into a shotgun formation, the spread offense, which they didn't want to be in, which helped us.”
Senior linebacker Mark Doman had a team-high 13 tackles for Brother Rice, and Reschke had 10. Junior linebacker Reed Stormzand had 20 to lead Lowell, followed by sophomore linebackers Garrett Stehley and Jake Stehley with 14 and 12, respectively.