Northville Rises from Low-Scoring Pack to Finish with 1st Finals Victory

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

June 10, 2023

ALLENDALE – A mere six shots separated the top three teams at Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Boys Golf Final.

Out of the competitive tussle emerged a first-time champion.

Northville captured the program’s first Finals title after fending off its two closest competitors.

The Mustangs shot a two-day total of 605 to clip runner-up Rochester Adams (607) and third-place Brighton (609).

Adams’ junior Peter Roehl won the individual title after closing with a final-round 68.

“This program has never won a team state title in golf so this team, yesterday and today, just battled and battled and battled,” Mustangs coach Matt Lewicki said. “It’s been one of the toughest state finals we’ve ever seen from a competition standpoint top to bottom, so for these guys to prevail, it's incredible.”

Four seniors catapulted Northville to the win, led by Mason Sokolowski with a third-place finish.

Adams’ Peter Roehl tracks a shot during his medalist weekend.Sokolowski fired a 144 (70-74), while teammate Greg Braun shot a pair of 74s and finished 11th overall.

“This is crazy, our first boys golf championship,” Sokolowski said. “Everyone had each other’s back, and we were having fun out there in our last high school tournament.

“We’ve been going back and forth all year (with Brighton), and today was about smart golf. No big numbers and not getting ahead of ourselves. We just battled on a really tough course.”

The unsung hero for Northville was senior Thomas Forsythe, who hadn’t competed during the last two weeks due to the team’s talent and depth and had to go through qualifying for the opportunity to play. 

“He wasn’t expecting to play in this tournament and he came out and really contributed and really helped the team,” Lewicki said. “He came in and had a counting score yesterday and nailed it down today. He came through a gauntlet of qualifying to get in this tournament, and it was incredible for him and the rest of our seniors.”

Forsythe shot a 156 (77-79), while senior Ryan Gallagher added a 157 (79-78).

“I’m overwhelmed,” said an emotional Forsythe. “I had to qualify to get into this, and now we’re state champions. We have some good players on this team, and I’m happy that I could help and get this done.

“We just took it one shot at a time and managed to pull through. I’m happy for all the seniors, and this is the first one in school history. It’s a big deal and means a lot.”

Northville and Brighton entered the final round knotted at 300.

“The mindset today was to have fun, and the reason they were here was because they worked their butts off to get here,” Lewicki said. “Just stay calm and stay confident. Don’t get too high or too low.” 

Adams trailed by nine strokes entering Saturday, but posted the best final-round score (298) to jump into second place.

Senior Justin Oviatt finished eighth overall with a 147 (74-73).

“These kids had a great year, and I think we had 10 first or second-place finishes,” Highlanders coach Matt Zavadil said. “Overall they had a great year, and to finish it off with runner-up is pretty good.”

East Lansing’s Drew Miller follows one of his approaches.Roehl shot a 72 on the first day, but stormed to the top of the leaderboard with stellar play and finished Saturday with a tournament-low 3-under-par round.

He bested runner-up Drew Miller of East Lansing, who shot a 143 (74-69).

“I was just trying to make par on every hole,” Roehl said. “I knew scores might be a little lower, but I didn’t really look at the leaderboard and just played the golf course hole by hole. It worked out in the end.”

Roehl drained a 20-foot eagle putt on the fourth hole.

“That kickstarted my round,” he said. “I cooled off a little bit but finished strong. It feels good to win, but it stings to come up short as a team.”

Two Brighton players, seniors Winston Lerch and Andrew Daily, finished among the top 10 individuals.

Click for full results.   

PHOTOS (Top) Mason Sokolowski putts during Northville’s title-clinching round Saturday. (Middle) Adams’ Peter Roehl tracks a shot during his medalist weekend. (Below) East Lansing’s Drew Miller follows one of his approaches. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)

Performance of the Week: Flint Powers Catholic's Robert Burns

May 13, 2022

Flint Powers Catholic golfRobert Burns  Flint Powers Catholic
Golf  Junior

Burns took on one of the best-known courses in the state May 2, and left with one of the most impressive rounds in Michigan high school golf this season. He shot a 4-under 68 at Warwick Hills & Country Club to win the Grand Blanc Invitational by seven strokes, carding only 24 putts on the course that formerly served as the longtime home of the PGA Tour’s Buick Open. His Chargers team, ranked No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 at the start of this week, finished runner-up at the event to LPD1 No. 8 Northville.

After his freshman high school season was wiped out by COVID-19, Burns finished third at his Regional and then tied for fifth at the LPD2 Final last season on the way to making the all-state team in his division. He’s averaging 74.9 strokes for 18-hole rounds this spring, and most recently tied for medalist at Monday’s Charger Invitational with a 1-over 73 at Flint Golf Club.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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2021-22 Honorees

May 6: Bo Lockwood, Hartland lacrosse - Report
April 28:
Nonah Waldron, Oak Park track & field - Report
April 21:
Theryn Hallock, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central soccer - Report
April 14: 
Kaitlyn Pallozzi, Farmington Hills Mercy softball - Report
April 7:
Mason Docks, Williamston basketball - Report
March 24:
Mya Petticord, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep basketball - Report
March 16:
Charley Bayer, East Grand Rapids diving - Report
March 9:
Ja'Marcus Smith, Detroit Mumford wrestling - Report
March 2:
David Schaberg, Holt bowling - Report
Feb. 24:
Adelaide McRoberts, Kingsford swimming - Report
Feb. 17:
Christopher Kavanaugh, Petoskey hockey - Report
Feb. 10:
Ira Jenkins, Whitehall wrestling - Report

Feb. 3: Emma Stewart, Salem gymnastics - Report
Jan. 28:
Tyler Ray, Pinckney swimming - Report
Jan. 21:
Elle Craven, Traverse City Central skiing - Report
Jan. 14:
Nevaeh Williams, Mount Clemens basketball - Report
Dec. 2:
Lucas Dunn, Chelsea football - Report
Nov. 25:
Riley Nugent, Plainwell swimming - Report
Nov. 18:
Harper Murray, Ann Arbor Skyline volleyball - Report
Nov. 11:
Abby VanderKooi, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian cross country - Report
Nov. 4:
Arianne Olson, Holland West Ottawa cross country - Report
Oct. 28:
Jack Guggemos, Okemos soccer - Report
Oct. 21:
Sachiv Kumar, Northville tennis - Report
Oct. 14:
Kate Brody, Grand Blanc golf - Report
Oct. 7:
Lilly Nelson, Negaunee tennis - Report
Sept. 30:
Stella Chapman, Ann Arbor Pioneer swimming - Report
Sept. 23:
Riley Hough, Hartland cross country - Report
Sept. 16:
Josie Bloom, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Report

(PHOTOS courtesy of the Flint Powers Catholic boys golf program.)