Preview: Get to Know These Contenders
June 8, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A sense of familiarity surrounds all four of this weekend’s MHSAA Lower Peninsula Golf Finals.
In Division 1, Detroit Catholic Central is the reigning champion and again looks incredibly strong, while in Division 3 Lansing Catholic has won three straight and will play to become the 12th team to win four consecutive titles.
The familiarity at Divisions 2 and 4 is more about teams knowing each other well; in Division 2, the top three ranked teams also played in the same Regional last week, while in Division 4 two of the top three hail from the Muskegon area.
Below are some expected team and individual favorites at each Final. First-round play tees off at 9 a.m. Friday, with the final round beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday. Click for a full list of Finals qualifiers and Regional results.
LP Division 1 at The Meadows at Grand Valley State University
Top-ranked: 1. Detroit Catholic Central, 2. Grosse Pointe South, 3. Grand Blanc.
Detroit Catholic Central ran away with last year’s title at Ferris State but might be even more unstoppable this weekend. Another sub-300 performance would seem to put the Shamrocks out front, but there’s a strong field ready to pounce if presented the opportunity; nine other finalists shot 308-316 at their Regionals, and Plymouth put up a 283 at its District at Fox Hills.
Detroit Catholic Central: Three Shamrocks finished among the top eight individually at the 2015 Final as DCC won the team title by 31 strokes, and all three are back – senior Max Palmer (tied for eighth) and juniors James Piot (tied for eighth) and Ben Smith (third). They shot a 283 to win their District at Chemung Hills in Howell and a 295 to win the Regional at Hartland, taking at least three of the top four individual places at both.
Grosse Pointe South: The Blue Devils shot a 290 to win their District at St. Clair Shores Golf Club and a solid 310 to finish second to Warren DeLaSalle at the Regional at The Orchards in Washington Township. Sophomores Evan Theros and Patrick Sullivan tied for third at the Regional and played rounds for last season’s team that finished sixth at the Division 1 Final. Juniors Jon Teddy Schoof and David Scupholm and senior Jon Theros also played in last year’s Final, giving South one of the most veteran lineups this weekend.
Grand Blanc: The Bobcats didn’t even make last season’s Final, but have stormed back and traded shots with No. 6 Midland the last two rounds, finishing second to the Chemics in the District but beating them by five strokes to win their Regional at Boulder Pointe in Oxford. Sophomore Zach Hopkins tied for individual runner-up at the Regional as three players finished among the top nine (with ties). The two players who didn’t break the top 10 were among the top eight (with ties) at the District.
Other individuals of note: Reigning champion Andrew Walker of Battle Creek Lakeview returns to lead a group including six of last season’s top 10 and two of the top three. The Spartans senior won his District at El Dorado in Mason with a 72 and shot the same score to win the Regional at Cedar Springs’ Cedar Chase. Flushing senior Joe Montpas tied with Smith for third last year, only three strokes back, and he won his District at Grand Traverse Resort with a 73 and his Regional at Boulder Pointe with a 69. Northville’s Jimmy Dales was 10th individually in 2015 as only a freshman, and Plymouth junior Jack Boczar made headlines last month with a winning 64 at his District.
LP Division 2 at Battle Creek’s Bedford Valley
The three top-ranked teams finished the Regional within four strokes of each other at Pohlcat in Mount Pleasant (Forest Hills Eastern at 312, Forest Hills Northern at 314 and St. Johns at 316). But Forest Hills Northern was the only one to play as a team at last year’s Final, although Forest Hills Eastern was runner-up only two seasons ago.
Top-ranked: 1. Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 2. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 3. St. Johns.
Ada Forest Hills Eastern: The Hawks actually had to bounce back to win the Regional after finishing second to Forest Hills Northern at their District at Thornapple Pointe in Grand Rapids. Senior Zach Robbins tied for third at the District and then second at the Regional, where he was joined by sixth-place senior Marc Gerst in the top 10 against a strong field. Both played on the 2014 Finals runner-up team, and Robbins tied for fourth individually that year and sixth last season when he qualified alone.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern: The Huskies finished third last season, nine strokes back of champion DeWitt, and return a number of veterans. Senior Spencer Schab tied for 10th individually in 2015 and has finished among the top 20 at both the District and Regional, with senior Phil Lodzinski standing out most by winning the Regional and finishing second at the District. Seniors Brian McHale and Chase Lebster also both played at last season’s Final, and Lebster was third at the District two weeks ago. Forest Hills Northern is seeking its first Finals title since 1983.
St. Johns: The Redwings are playing for their first championship, and first top-two finish since 1961 – and might have a two-year window with four juniors and a sophomore in the starting lineup. Junior Eric Nunn missed the top 10 at last year’s Final by four strokes playing as an individual qualifier, and he was one of three placing among the top six (plus ties) at the Regional. Junior Zach Rosendale tied for second at the Regional and won his District at Pine River in Alma, where four St. Johns players finished among the top six (with ties).
Other individuals of note: Robbins and Schab are joined by two others who finished among the top 10 a year ago – Otsego junior Tyler Rayman, who tied for fourth, and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood junior Devin Deogun, who also tied for sixth. Deogun shot a 67 at his Regional to finish low among four who broke 70 in all of Division 2. Pontiac Notre Dame junior Jackson Stowe (68), East Lansing senior Ian Carroll (68) and Trojans junior Tony Fuentes (69) were the others.
LP Division 3 at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers East
Top-ranked: 1. Lansing Catholic, 2. Jackson Lumen Christi, 3. Frankenmuth.
Lansing Catholic has won the last three Division 3 championships, after Jackson Lumen Christi won four straight from 2009-12. Lumen Christi also finished runner-up in 2013 and 2014. So it’s easy to understand why those two are the favorites again – although there are a few more that definitely have shown the ability to impact this tournament.
Lansing Catholic: The Cougars’ winning 305 at its Regional at Twin Brooks in Chesaning was 13 strokes lower than any other Regional score in Division 3 and 17 strokes better than a field that included No. 4 Tawas and No. 13 Freeland. Lansing Catholic’s 309 to win the District at Glebrier in Perry beat the field by 42 strokes. Senior Owen Rush was third at the 2015 Final and won last week’s Regional with a 69 and the District with a 72; sophomore Ethan O’Farrell and senior Viani Magaswaran both posted top–seven finishes at both preliminary levels as well, and junior Peter Kramer tied for second at the District.
Jackson Lumen Christi: The Titans finished third last season without putting a player among the individual top 10; only senior Will Double is back from last season’s starting five, and he’s joined by another group of solid players capable of making a move. All five finished among the top six at the District, led by junior and champion Luke Girodat, and Double was runner-up at the Regional as all five tied for 16th or higher.
Frankenmuth: The Eagles went from unranked to contender status after shooting a 318 – the second-lowest of any Division 3 team at Regionals – to win by 14 at Atlas Valley in Grand Blanc. Frankenmuth put two among the top 10 at their District but three among the top four at their Regional – junior Chase Singer was runner-up and senior Sam Struble and junior Daniel Wagner tied for fourth.
Other individuals of note: Only four of last season’s top 10 are back, including Lansing Catholic’s Rush. But that group also includes Macomb Lutheran North senior and individual qualifier Scott Sparks, who won the Division 3 individual title as a sophomore in 2014 before tying for sixth a year ago. Freeland senior Ben Balen also is back after tying for sixth, and Portland senior Rhet Schrauben was fourth last season and third as a sophomore.
LP Division 4 at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers West
Top-ranked: 1. North Muskegon, 2. Kalamazoo Christian, 3. Muskegon Catholic Central.
After finishing only two strokes behind Suttons Bay last season, North Muskegon is top-ranked heading into the weekend and seeking its first championship since 1997. But Muskegon Catholic Central has joined the conversation by finishing only 11 strokes back of North Muskegon at their District and two back at the Regional. Kalamazoo Christian has never won an MHSAA title in this sport and was eighth a year ago among a tightly-packed field, but won its District by 15 and its Regional by 30 over the last two weeks.
North Muskegon: The Norsemen tied for second last season despite its low scorer, now-senior Will Mierz, coming in only ninth. That consistency among the group has continued to pay off with four of last season’s top five back and three of the four finishing tied for seventh or better at the Regional at The Emerald in St. Johns. Junior Brendan Harris was runner-up at the Regional with a 70, while junior Gannon Moss led four among the top eight (with ties) with a third-place 75 at the District at Stonegate in Muskegon.
Kalamazoo Christian: Four of the top five from last season’s eighth-place finisher are back this weekend, including sophomores Colin Sikkenga and John Cramer. Sikkenga tied for seventh at last season’s Final and won the Regional last week at Thornapple Creek with Cramer coming in eighth and seniors Taylor Resh and Jared Wenke placing sixth and seventh, respectively. All five Kalamazoo Christian players finished among the top 13 (with ties) at a District at Milham Park in Kalamazoo against a field that also included No. 7 Kalamazoo Hackett and No. 10 Concord.
Muskegon Catholic Central: Like Frankenmuth in Division 3, MCC also went from unranked to contender with a strong postseason so far. The Crusaders did finish just two strokes back of North Muskegon at the Regional with junior Collin Powers finishing first overall and two others coming in among the top seven, and Powers also took first at the District. He was fifth at the 2015 Final and this time will be one of four current players who were in the lineup as MCC finished ninth as a team.
Other individuals of note: Seven of last season’s top 10 are back, with Jackson Christian senior individual qualifier Noah Schneider the highest returning placer after coming in third and four strokes off the lead. East Jordan junior individual qualifier Logan Smith tied with Powers for fifth last season, with Concord now-senior Jacob Butterfield seventh and Clarkston Everest Collegiate now-senior Tyler Rozwadowski 10th. Schneider and Rozwadowski shot 73s to tie for the third-lowest Regional score in Division 4 last week, behind only Powers’ 68 and Harris’ 70.
NOTE: West Bloomfield Frankel Jewish Academy will play its Division 4 rounds Thursday and Friday.
PHOTO: Lansing Catholic’s Owen Rush watches a shot during the first day of the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final last season; he ended up third overall as the Cougars won their third straight team title. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Redwings Bring Longtime Coach 1st Title
June 11, 2016
By Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
BATTLE CREEK – St. Johns made its longtime boys golf coach Paul Sternburgh look like a prophet Saturday afternoon.
Sternburgh, in his 36th season coaching the Redwings, had said his team would be as good as its third through fifth players played in the MHSAA Division 2 boys golf tournament at Bedford Valley Golf Course.
With solid play from all five, St. Johns broke 300 both Friday and Saturday and totaled 597 (298-299) to edge runner-up East Lansing (601) and third-place DeWitt (611). The Redwings came into the postseason ranked No. 3 in LP Division 2, and finished third at the Regional to No. 1 Ada Forest Hills Eastern and No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central – which tied for fourth this weekend.
It is the first MHSAA Finals championship in boys golf for St. Johns, which should have everybody back next year as it played four juniors and a sophomore this weekend.
“If you look at the progression we made, I would have said getting here was our goal this year, and then maybe make the top five,” Sternburgh said. “Our top two guys did what they do. I told the guys that what our third, fourth and fifth guys do will make or break our season. They made it for sure.”
Led by Nate Brown, the team’s No. 5 player, those three combined for six rounds of 82 or better, including three that broke 80.
“Brown was just phenomenal,” Sternburgh said. “He shot 79-76, and he’s averaging about 83. He just stayed the course and kept it in play. He came through. Even our No. 4 guy shot 81-82, and his score didn’t count. That’s pretty good when you throw those scores out.”
Brown, a junior, had three birdies Saturday in his 2-over 76.
“I started out rough, but halfway through I just sort of settled in and it all went from there,” Brown said. “On the sixth hole – a par 3 – I hit my tee shot onto the front of the green, and I sank a 40-footer for a birdie, and after that, I think I was even through the next 12 holes.
“I knew we had a chance to win the state title, but it didn’t really sink in until we had the lead on the second day. What I did was unexpected, but I knew what I was capable of; I just hadn’t shown it all year.”
Brown said the key to his success was consistency.
“I probably hit 12 fairways with my driver both days,” he said. “My driver really came in handy, and I made a lot of putts. I had a good feeling coming into this weekend. We all did. I’m living the dream right now.”
The top two were solid as usual. Eric Nunn led the team with 69-70 for a 5-under 139 total, and Zach Rosendale added 71-73 for an even-par 144 total. Nunn lost in a playoff for the individual title with Devin Deogun of Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
Nunn had a great finish that landed him in a playoff for the individual title.
“I saw him on the course at one point, and he was two down,” Sternburgh said. “Then he said, ‘I’m going to tie this guy.’ After he made the turn, he told me, ‘Coach, I just flipped this guy. I’m two up.’ Then he birdied the last two holes.”
The playoff began on the par-5, 508-yard 16th hole. After a subpar tee shot, Nunn landed his third shot on the fringe of the green, while Deogun was in a bunker just short of the green with his second shot.
“My bunker game is pretty good, so I looked at it like just any other bunker shot,” Deogun said. “I was in the same bunker earlier, so I felt like I had some recollection of what I could do. I was a little bit farther in the bunker, but it was still a similar shot.”
Deogun, who shot 69-70 for a 5-under 139 total, landed his bunker shot about 3 feet from the pin. Nunn three-putted from the fringe for bogey, and Deogun sank his birdie putt for the championship.
“When he missed, I felt I could have just tapped it in there,” said Deogun, a junior who has committed to Michigan State University. “My length is really beneficial for me. I can take advantage of a lot of short par 4s and par 5s, and I’ve worked on my short game a lot with my coach, and it paid off.”
For Nunn, the disappointment of losing in the playoff did nothing to blemish his joy in winning the team title. He had the biggest smile of everyone as they gathered to accept the championship trophy.
“I was really happy after we won, and then I said I have more work to do,” he said. “Unfortunately I lost, but congrats to Devin, great playing. It is what it is. I didn’t hit the best shot off the tee, and I didn’t hit the best shot out of the bunker, but I’m still really happy.
“It feels great. I’m so proud of our guys. We’ve worked really hard for this. It’s been a long time coming for Coach Sternburgh, he’s been in it for 36 years, and we’re glad we finally got him one.”
Rosendale, who made the MHSAA Finals as an individual two years ago, is half of the solid one-two punch at the top of the St. Johns lineup. Nunn competed last year as an individual, and the two team leaders shared some advice with their teammates prior to the tournament.
“We’ve been here, so we know how to handle the pressure, and we just told them to drink water and stay hydrated, take deep breaths and just treat this like any other tournament,” Rosendale said. “Our five man came up clutch.”
Juniors Brown and Jack Bouck and sophomore Zeke Ely had never played in the MHSAA Finals prior to this year. It appears the advice was taken.
“We were a little nervous coming in, so we met on the first day and said there is nothing to be nervous about,” Bouck said. “If we played our game, our scores would show it, and after the first tee, I just started playing golf, and we got it done.”
The lack of big-tournament experience for the third through fifth players was a concern to Sternburgh.
“Eric and Zach had played a lot of high-level tournaments, so I wasn’t concerned about him,” he said. “Nate almost couldn’t talk, he was so nervous. I was nursing the last few guys along. You always have to be part counselor. If they made a bad shot, they’re pouting, and you have to lift them back up again.”
Ely, the lone sophomore, shot 81-82 for a 163 total. Although his scores were not needed because of the overall team depth, they provided great insurance in case one of the other players faltered.
“We were fully confident in our abilities, and we knew we had a chance coming in,” he said. “We just needed to put two good scores together.”
Rosendale said he was pleased to be a part of the team that delivered the first Finals championship to Coach Sternburgh.
“I’m really proud of our coach and excited for him, and we finally got him one,” Rosendale said.
Sternburgh, a retired middle school English teacher, said after that next year will be his final year as the St. Johns boys golf coach.
“I’m going to retire with these guys,” he said. “This hasn’t sunk in yet, just the reality of it. It is amazing because this is such an amazing group of young men to be with. They have been with me through some really tough times. I lost my wife two years ago, and they were just great through it all.
“It’s kind of like the cherry on the top, like you are building an ice-cream float. This is the cherry. This is all the years of really, really amazing golfers and young men who have come through the program.
“For me, doing it this long, the wins and losses aren’t as important as the relationships that we have formed. But to get our banner up in the gym, and our names will be up there, and that will be very special.”
PHOTO: (Top) St. Johns' Zeke Ely watches a shot during Saturday's second round at Bedford Valley. (Middle) Eric Nunn putts on the way to helping the Redwings to the Division 2 title. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)