Preview: Contenders Converge on Athens
June 5, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Three teams playing in Saturday’s MHSAA Boys Lacrosse Finals at Troy Athens are familiar with the setting – they played on the same field for the same prize only a year ago.
Birmingham Brother Rice has won all 10 Division 1 titles in MHSAA history, and Detroit Catholic Central was runner-up in 2014. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood is seeking its second Division 2 title in three seasons after finishing runner-up last spring – and faces an opponent, Okemos, that will enjoy competing on the season’s final day for the first time.
The Division 1 Final begins at 2 p.m., followed by the Division 2 Final at 4:30. Click for more information including all results from this season's tournament. Both finals also will be streamed live on MHSAA.TV, viewable with subscription, and broadcast on MHSAANetwork.com.
Here's a brief look at the four teams vying for titles (player statistics do not include Semifinals):
Division 1
BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE
Record/rank: 18-4, No. 1 at end of regular-season
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic High School League A
Coach: Ajay Chawla, second season (37-8)
Championship history: 10 MHSAA championships (most recent 2014).
Best wins: 14-7 over No. 9 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern in the Semifinal, 14-3 (Regional Final) and 17-3 over No. 6 Birmingham United, 7-4 and 15-8 over No. 7 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 11-4 and 14-10 over No. 2 Detroit Country Day, 14-6 over No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central.
Players to watch: Ross Reason, jr. G (6.90 goals-against average); Brendon Kennedy, sr. A (29 goals, 12 assists); Morgan Macko, jr. A/M (56 goals, 46 assists); John Lockwood, sr. A (54 goals, 47 assists); Riley North, jr. A (31 goals, 11 assists).
Outlook: The Warriors have continued to dominate Michigan boys lacrosse, going undefeated in-state with the only losses. They fell to one of Indiana’s top teams (Culver Military Academy) three times and a Canadian power (Toronto Hill Academy) while also beating one of Ohio’s best in Upper Arlington and Indiana’s top-ranked team, Carmel. All seven all-staters from last season are gone, but more of the best from 2014 have continued to carry the program – Lockwood and Macko were among the team’s top scorers last season and combined for nine of the team’s 23 goals in last spring’s championship game win over DCC.
DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 14-5, No. 3 at end of regular season
League finish: Second in Detroit Catholic High School League A
Coach: Dave Wilson, 10th season (131-62)
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2014, 2010, 2007 and 2006.
Best wins: 14-13 over No. 2 Detroit Country Day in the Semifinal, 14-13 over No. 4 Brighton, 13-6 (Regional Final), and 7-4 over No. 7 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 20-9 over No. 9 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 19-12 over No. 5 Troy, 11-8 over No. 10 Ann Arbor Skyline.
Players to watch: Zach Crawford, sr. A; Andrew Caris, jr. LSM; Alex Jarzembowski, jr. M; Rocco Mularoni, jr. A (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: DCC is back in the Final for the second straight season after edging Country Day, last season’s Division 2 champion, in the Semifinal. This team has a bit of a different look – there are only eight seniors, and only four start. In addition to wins listed above, the Shamrocks also were 3-1 against Division 2 teams that finished the regular season ranked among the top four, losing only to top-ranked Forest Hills Central (9-7 in DCC’s first game this season). They’re on a roll with eight straight wins – including six over ranked opponents – since falling to Brother Rice 14-6 in their only meeting this season.
Division 2
BLOOMFIELD HILLS CRANBROOK KINGSWOOD
Record/rank: 13-9, No. 4 at end of regular season
League finish: Fourth in Detroit Catholic High School League A
Coach: Mat Wilson, fourth season (55-31)
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2013 and 2006, runner-up in 2014 and 2007.
Best wins: 8-7 (OT) over No. 1 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in the Semifinal, 11-5 over No. 6 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 13-12 over Division 1 No. 2 Detroit Country Day.
Players to watch: Johnny Wagner, sr. M; Bennett Faliski, sr. M; Peter Augier, sr. M; Michael Langdon, sr. D; Jack Blumberg, sr. D. (Statistics not submitted.).
Outlook: Cranbrook Kingswood is back in the Final for the third straight season and despite graduating a pair of standout offensive players after finishing runner-up last spring. Wagner is finishing a career that already has him entered in the MHSAA records listings three times, and he with the other four players mentioned above all earned all-state honors in 2014. The Cranes started 2-7 but faced both Division 1 finalists and top teams from Ohio; they are 11-2 since and have given up only 16 goals total over four tournament games.
OKEMOS
Record/rank: 17-2, No. 2 at end of regular season
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference
Coach: Shawn Grady, 13th season (156-77)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 14-10 (Semifinal) and 12-9 over No. 3 East Grand Rapids, 12-10 over Division 1 No. 4 Brighton.
Players to watch: Blake Grewal Turner, sr. A (60 goals, 21 assists); Cole Jamieson, sr. M (27 goals, 18 assists); Bennett Sherman, jr. A (56 goals, 31 assists); Cameron Stelljes, sr. G (5.20 goals-against average); Sam Horton, sr. D.
Outlook: The Chieftains have been building toward this first-time Finals appearance, improving their win total four straight seasons and with a group that went 15-2 in 2014 with five all-staters that are back this spring. Okemos’ only losses this season were to two of the best in Division 1 – by two goals to No. 9 Forest Hills Northern in the opener and then by only one goal to No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central in the regular-season finale. Those were two of only four opponents who scored more than seven goals on the Chieftains this season.
PHOTO: Okemos' Blake Grewal Turner works to get past a DeWitt defender during a victory this season. (Photo courtesy of Alan Holben Photography.)
D2 Final Features Defense, But Forest Hills Central Breaks Away
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
June 11, 2022
HOWELL – Both sides knew what to expect in Saturday’s Division 2 Boys Lacrosse Final at Howell Parker Middle School after having faced each other early this regular season.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central entered the rematch undefeated behind the sterling goaltending of Crandall Quinn, a junior already committed to the University of Michigan.
Quinn sparked the defense and Jonah McConnell’s four goals paced the offense as the Rangers prevailed 11-8 over Detroit Country Day, after also winning the first March 30 matchup 18-10.
Forest Hills Central secured its fifth Division 2 title, while the Yellowjackets were playing for a potential third.
“We came out a little bit slow,’’ said Rangers coach Andy Shira. “We had some lapses, not moving our feet. We gave them a little too much space to get their hands free and reach back to shoot. It was a good adjustment by our defense coordinator Andrew Clay. Simple things that got us here.
“Crandall is one of the best players in the state of Michigan. He’s deserving of the accolades he has gotten. He was an All-American last year as a sophomore (and) was phenomenal. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got it this year and next year. He stood on his toes.
Trailing throughout the first half, the Rangers did take a 7-6 halftime lead as two stingy defenses kept the game close.
Country Day’s Caden Daley tied the game at 7-7 with 6 minutes, 24 seconds to play in the third quarter. But Forest Hills Central regained the lead on Jake Koning’s first goal of the game.
Nathan Sarjeant give the Rangers their largest lead of the game at 9-7 on a goal late in the third. Country Day’s Talon Garn made it a one-goal game with 8:46 to play, but Miles Duiven scored his second of the game moments later to make it 10-8 FHC.
McConnell scored his fourth goal of the game to give the eventual winners an 11-8 cushion with 5:08 to play.
“We knew they were going to focus on John (Tomsheck) a lot,” Shira said. “Jonah plays well off John. We knew that would free him up.”
“Because they were playing tight on John, it left me wide open,” McConnell said, “so I was able to get open and the midfielders were working their butt off.’’
Country Day was held to two goals during the second half.
“I have a great defensive unit,’’ said Quinn. “They did everything they could to win this game. We came out a little soft at first, and we realized that’s not the game we play. During halftime we had a big speech about it, and we came out and showed who we are.’’
Sophomore midfielder Caiden Ramos got Country Day on the board 90 seconds into the action for a 1-0 lead. Parker Yearego made it 2-0 seconds later.
At the 7:52 mark, Yearego added his second goal of the game to make it 3-0 as Shira was forced to call a timeout. It was Yearego’s 96th goal of the season.
A minute later, sophomore Nolan Hartl got the Rangers on the board to make it 3-1.
A lengthy attack by Forest Hills Central produced a goal by McConnell to trim the deficit to 3-2 at the end of a physical first quarter.
Luke Grove notched his first goal of the game early in the second quarter to make it 4-2. Duiven made it a one-goal game again with his first goal with 7:35 to play in the half.
Forest Hills Central tied it up on Sam Sneider’s goal with 6:14 left. It wasn’t tied for long as Yearego scored his third of the game 10 seconds later to make it 5-4. But the Rangers’ Magnus Salmon twisted and turned until he got free to tie the game at 5-5 less than a minute after that.
Country Day’s Garn scored his first of the championship to give the Yellowjackets a 6-5 lead with 3:14 remaining in the second quarter. McConnell responded 11 seconds later with his second to tie it, 6-6. A minute later, McConnell gave the Rangers their first lead of the game with his third goal to end the first-half scoring.
“I want to give them the credit,’’ said Country Day coach Chris Garland. “It’s a well-coached team, and Andy does a great job with is kids. There’s no one to blame, but it just didn’t go our way today.’’
PHOTOS (Top) Forest Hills Central and Country Day players contend for the ball Saturday, including the Yellowjackets’ Ryan Lyngklip (11). (Middle) The Rangers’ Jonah McConnell (2) chases down the ball with Country Day’s Will Thompson (60) right behind him. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)