MHSAA Finals One Click Away on Xfinity
April 9, 2013
Single-event videos from winter MHSAA Championships in Individual Wrestling and Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming & Diving will become available soon on the MHSAA.tv website and for Comcast subscribers through Xfinity On Demand.
All of the individual events from the Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming & Diving Finals, and the title match in each weight class from the Individual Wrestling Finals in March will be available on both platforms, allowing viewers to focus on their favorite team or individual. Among the highlights of those videos are:
- Adam Coon of Fowlerville of St. Johns won his fourth MHSAA Individual Wrestling title; and Ben Whitford of St. Johns captured a fourth straight state association championship with his second Michigan crown after winning Illinois honors as a freshman and sophomore.
- Hartland teammates Austin Eicher and Jacob Gorial squaring off in the 130-pound Division 1 championship match at the Individual Wrestling Finals.
- Brothers Kanen at 103 pounds and Zehlin Storr at 135 pounds of Leslie finishing their respective seasons undefeated with titles at the Division 3 Individual Wrestling Finals.
- Josh Ehrman of Saline setting all-division records at the Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming & Diving Finals in the 200-Yard Individual Medley and the 100-Yard Breaststroke; and swimming a leg of a record-setting 200-Yard Medley Relay.
- A record-breaking photo finish victory for Holland over Ann Arbor Pioneer in the 200-Yard Medley Relay at the Division 2 Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming & Diving Finals.
In addition to the latest VOD selections, Xfinity on Demand viewers can catch MHSAA action in Girls and Boys Basketball, Girls Competitive Cheer, Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming and Ice Hockey. Here’s the complete list of events available in April on Xfinity on Demand:
Available Through April 18
Girls Competitive Cheer Finals – Full-length coverage of all four divisions
Available Through April 21
Ice Hockey Finals – Highlights of championship games in all three divisions
Girls Basketball Semifinals – Highlights of all eight semifinal contests
Available Through April 25
Division 3 Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming Finals – All events
Available Through April 28
Division 2 Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming Finals – All events
Available Through April 30
Boys Basketball Semifinals – Highlights of all eight semifinal contests
Division 1 Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming Finals – All events
Available through May 8
Division 3 & 4 Individual Wrestling Finals – Championship match in each weight class
Available April 12 through May 13
Division 1 & 2 Individual Wrestling Finals – Championship match in each weight class
Division 3 Final: Eaglets Fly Again
November 29, 2011
Five times since its most recent MHSAA football championship, Orchard Lake St. Mary returned to the championship game – and lost.
Saturday night there was no stopping the Eaglets – or their running attack – at the Division 3 Final at Ford Field.
St. Mary rushed for 478 yards – and after near-misses the last two seasons won its first championship since 2000 with a 45-7 win over top-ranked Mount Pleasant.
"I knew what it felt like to lose, so it gave me the fire and other teammates the fire to win,” St. Mary senior running back Spencer McInnis said. “It’s unexplainable. It’s awesome. It’s something I’ve wanted since I was a kid. I always knew I was going to go to St. Mary’s. It’s just a great feeling.”
The Eaglets (12-2) had fallen by eight and three to East Grand Rapids in the last two Finals, and in a five-overtime classic in 2007. They entered the playoffs ranked No. 4 by The Associated Press – but as champions of the Detroit Catholic League Central, which sent three teams to Ford Field this fall.
“It was great to win again,” said St. Mary coach George Porritt, who finished his 23rd season leading the program. “It’s a collective effort from these kids, and it’s been all year long.”
McInnis ran for 213 of the team’s 478 rushing yards, and took three of his 23 carries into the end zone. Junior brother Parker McInnis ran for 96 yards and a score, as did junior fullback Grant Niemiec. Senior James Ross added another running touchdown.
“We were in position to make some tackles, and it wasn’t a scheme thing or guys getting blocked. It’s just that their athletes made our guys miss, or we couldn’t tackle them,” Mount Pleasant coach Jason McIntyre said. “I’ve never seen backs that we couldn’t tackle one on one or two on one. A lot of teams will have one great back, and you can focus and rally there. But they had three and four.”
The Oilers’ usually-strong running game finished with just 122 yards, led by senior quarterback Ryan Elliott’s 40. He also had Mount Pleasant’s lone score. It was the team’s first Finals appearance – and only loss this fall as it finished 13-1.
Junior defensive back Cory Williams led the Oilers with nine tackles. Senior lineman Dylan Zerki led the Eaglets with 11, and Ross had 10.