Another Title for Alessi, Brother Rice
June 7, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
TROY – Along with a fortunate few Saturday, Jason Alessi finished his senior year with a win – and an MHSAA title.
But there can’t be many over the last 90 years who have contributed to seven Finals championships.
The Birmingham Brother Rice senior capped an incredibly successful career by helping the Warriors to their 10th straight Division 1 title after also helping Brother Rice to its third straight Division 2 football championship in the fall.
This spring presented its own set of challenges for Alessi and the Warriors, who lost to an in-state opponent (eventual Division 2 champ Detroit Country Day) for the first time since 2002. But the end result proved typical of an Alessi-led team – Brother Rice dominated Detroit Catholic Central 23-7 in his final championship game.
“As an athlete, you always want to do more. After that one championship, you want the next. There’s always bigger and better things,” Alessi said. “I’ve been lucky enough to win seven overall and four in just lacrosse. Hopefully I can keep that going in my future.
“As a senior there’s always an amount of pressure to go out on top and win a state championship. And finally that’s off our shoulders, and we can say at Brother Rice that we were champions. Not too many people can say that across the state or country, but we’re fortunate that we can say that.”
Brother Rice and DCC had met twice before this season; the Warriors won 15-9 and then 12-8 in the Detroit Catholic League Division 1 championship game.
So it was a little bit shocking when Brother Rice (19-4) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after just nine minutes and led 16-3 at halftime.
Alessi, who tied an MHSAA Finals record with six goals in the 2013 championship game, scored Saturday’s first and finished this time with four goals and three assists. But sophomore Morgan Macko tied that record with six goals, to go with two assists, and junior John Lockwood and senior Joe Dudley both added three goals.
“Our guys came out pumped. When you get CC in the state championship game, that’s a huge rivalry on any day let alone a Saturday in June,” Brother Rice first-year coach Ajay Chawla said. “They had some great looks early, and I think they deflated CC pretty early. When you take the air out of a team like that, the rest of the game, you kind of own it.
“All of our guys played awesome today. Alessi’s … a guy who comes around once every 15, 20 years. You’ve gotta take advantage of him when you have him. He’s been awesome for us, and today he was a big-time leader for us.”
Brother Rice broke its 2007 MHSAA Finals record of 17 goals, and the teams together set a record with 30 goals in a championship game, three more than Country Day and East Grand Rapids combined to score in the 2005 Division 2 Final.
But that’s little consolation for the Shamrocks (15-6), who made their fourth championship game appearance in the MHSAA tournament’s 10-year history and first since falling to Brother Rice in 2010.
DCC defeated Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 15-14 in overtime in Wednesday’s Semifinal, and Shamrocks coach Dave Wilson felt that effort might’ve zapped a little bit of his team’s usually energy.
“The lockerroom didn’t feel good. The bus ride didn’t feel good. I just thought that there was a lack of energy that we had all year,” Wilson said. “I would have to say out of a 48-minute game, we had six to eight minutes of possession time. We’re the number one scoring team in the state at 15.6 goals per game; we had seven goals.
“Give Rice credit. They dominated the tempo of the game by keeping possession. And it’s a mathematical certainty that every time you give the other team the ball, eventually they are going to score and they’re going to score a lot.”
Senior Jack Van Acker scored three goals to lead the Shamrocks.
Alessi initially committed to play college lacrosse next season at the University of Michigan, but since has chosen to continue his football career at Yale University. He’s also in the MHSAA football record book for multiple kicking accomplishments and two kickoff returns – including a 91-yarder for a touchdown during the Warriors’ 2012 championship game win over Muskegon.
“In high school, I’ve had a bunch of great times, to say the least,” Alessi said. “A bunch of memories to look back on and tell my kids, and (making) all my friends. It’s unreal almost.
“The fans every Friday night, and then coming in for lacrosse. … I’ll sure miss it.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Birmingham Brother Rice players, including Morgan Macko (13) celebrate a goal Saturday. (Middle) Brother Rice’s Brian Cosgrove walls off Detroit Catholic Central’s Marc Longe.
Preview: Power-Packed Rematches to Decide 2022 Boys Lacrosse Champions
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 10, 2022
There can’t be many secrets left between opponents competing for MHSAA boys lacrosse championships Saturday.
The Division 1 Final is a rematch of last season’s title-deciding game, won by Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 14-9 over Hartland. Those two faced off again this spring with Brother Rice winning 15-11.
In Division 2, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Detroit Country Day have faced each other the last three regular seasons. The Rangers have won all three of those recent matchups, including 18-10 this March 30.
Below is a glance at all four teams playing at Howell Parker Middle School. Statistics are through Regional Finals unless noted. Rankings are based on the Michigan Power Rating formula used for postseason seeding. The Division 2 Final is set for 2 p.m., with Division 1 following at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $11 and are good for both games, and may be purchased online only at GoFan.
Both games will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv, with free audio broadcasts on the MHSAA Network.
Division 1
BLOOMFIELD HILLS BROTHER RICE
Record/ranking: 15-6, No. 1
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Coach: Ajay Chawla, ninth season (139-34)
Championship history: 15 Division 1 titles (most recent 2021), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 13-6 over No. 10 Grandville in Semifinal, 15-11 over No. 4 Hartland, 14-11 and 10-5 over No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central, 15-12 over Dublin Jerome (Ohio).
Players to watch: Ben Eck, jr. M (28 goals, 11 assists); Christian McNulty, jr. A (54 goals, 11 assists); Luke Washe, sr. M (34 goals, 6 assists); Sam Klein, jr. M (32 goals, 19 assists). (Statistics through 17 games.)
Outlook: Brother Rice is seeking its third-straight Division 1 championship (not counting the COVID-canceled 2020 season), and lost only one game in-state this spring, its regular-season finale against East Grand Rapids. The Warriors were 4-5 playing top out-of-state competition, but won their other 11 games against Michigan teams. Total, nine players had either double-digit goals or assists through 17 games; in addition to those listed above, freshman attack Hansen Polonkey (12 goals, 20 assists) also starts. Junior goalie Cam Sims helps key a defense that has given up five or fewer goals in eight games. Senior long stick midfielder Nate Schultz made the all-state second team last season.
HARTLAND
Record/ranking: 18-4, No. 4
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Coach: Nick Levanti, third season (39-5)
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2021.
Best wins: 8-7 over No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central in Semifinal, 18-8 over No. 9 Brighton, 18-7 over No. 6 Midland, 17-16 over Division 2 No. 2 Detroit Country Day.
Players to watch: Bo Lockwood, sr. A; Luke Bulloch, jr. D; Joey Mattord, jr. M; Sam Ralston, jr. D. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Hartland is making its second-straight Division 1 championship game appearance, with three of its losses by two goals apiece and its only in-state defeats among them to Brother Rice and Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central. Lockwood and Bulloch made the all-state first team last season; Lockwood’s career stats will have him listed all over the MHSAA and national record books after this season concludes. Mattord and Ralston made the all-state second team last season, and junior goalie Evan Phillips made the third team. The Eagles have five shutouts this season and didn’t give up a goal during their three Regional games. Total, they have held teams to five or fewer goals in 13 games.
Division 2
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/ranking: 19-2, No. 2
League finish: Does not play in a conference.
Coach: Chris Garland, third season (42-16)
Championship history: Three Division 2 championships (most recent 2014), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 12-10 (Semifinal) and 13-6 over No. 4 East Grand Rapids, 18-1 over No. 7 Okemos in Quarterfinal, 17-5 over No. 10 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood in Regional Final, 18-7 over Division 1 No. 10 Grandville, 18-5 over Division 1 No. 9 Brighton, 21-5 over Division 1 No. 8 Saline.
Players to watch: Parker Yearego, sr. A (89 goals, 47 assists); Caiden Ramos, soph. M (45 goals, 45 assists); Caden Dailey, soph. A/M (62 goals, 22 assists); Cormac Scane, fr. A (57 goals, 28 assists).
Outlook: Garland brought two decades of coaching experience to Country Day when he took over the program in 2019, and he’s brought the Yellowjackets from 10-10 that first season to a combined 32-6 over the last two. Country Day twice defeated East Grand Rapids, the only in-state team to defeat Brother Rice this season, and the Yellowjackets’ only losses were to Forest Hills Central and Hartland – the latter by just a goal. Yearego and senior defenders Ryan Lyngklip and Luke Grove (33 goals, 44 assists) all made the all-state first team last season, Grove at midfield, while Ramos made the second team. Junior Talon Garn and sophomores Will Thompson and Oliver Aaron all have at least 20 goals as well, and senior goalie Max Kunnath is giving up only 5.9 per game.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS CENTRAL
Record/ranking: 20-0, No. 1
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1
Coach: Andy Shira, fifth season (77-7)
Championship history: Four Division 2 titles (most recent 2019), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 20-7 (Semifinal) and 15-7 over No. 5 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 19-2 over No. 6 Portage Northern in Quarterfinal, 21-12 over No. 7 Okemos, 12-5 over No. 4 East Grand Rapids, 18-10 over No. 2 Detroit Country Day, 15-2 over No. 8 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 9-6 over Division 1 No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central, 16-3 over Division 1 No. 2 Clarkston, 10-8 over Division 1 No. 4 Hartland, 16-6 over Division 1 No. 9 Brighton, 10-9 over Division 1 No. 6 Midland.
Players to watch: John Tomscheck, sr. A (72 goals, 48 assists); Jonah McConnell, jr. A (75 goals, 20 assists); Miles Duiven, sr. A (30 goals, 1 assist); Crandall Quinn, jr. G (5.2 goals-against average, .690 save %).
Outlook: A scheduled game against Brother Rice was canceled, but Forest Hills Central has defeated the next three ranked teams in Division 1 in addition to six of seven teams ranked between Nos. 2-8 in Division 2. Tomscheck, Quinn and junior long stick midfielder Sam Sneider made the all-state first team last season. The defense has been incredible; only Country Day and Okemos scored double-digit goals on the Rangers. Five more Forest Hills Central players have scored double-digit goals, including sophomore Nolan Hartl (16, 18 assists), seniors Jack McNamara (14/12) and Nathan Sarjeant (11/9), and juniors Jake Koning (14/9) and Magnus Salmon (16/3).
PHOTO Brother Rice and Hartland face off during last season’s Division 1 Final.