Preview: League Rematches Reloaded
June 10, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
No. 1 will take on No. 2 in both MHSAA Boys Lacrosse Finals on Saturday at Howell’s Parker Middle School.
It just so happens that both championship games will pit opponents who already have faced each other twice this season with league titles on the line.
Brother Rice downed Detroit Catholic Central 11-5 and 14-7 in Detroit Catholic League A play, and they’ll face off once more in the Division 1 Final at 4:30 p.m. Starting the day at 2 p.m. in Division 2 will be Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and East Grand Rapids, with the Rangers looking to add a third win to their 15-9 and 14-13 victories in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier I play this spring.
Both Finals will be broadcast on MHSAA.tv, available with subscription, with audio available on MHSAANetwork.com. Click for more information, including all tournament results.
Below is a look at all four contenders, with player statistics through Regional Finals.
Division 1
BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE
Record/rank: 19-2, No. 1 at end of regular-season
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic High School League A
Coach: Ajay Chawla, third season (57-10)
Championship history: 11 MHSAA championships (most recent 2015).
Best wins: 9-6 over No. 6 Clarkston in Regional Final, 16-3 over No. 9 Midland in Regional Semifinal, 11-5 and 14-7 over No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central, 8-3 over No. 3 Detroit Country Day, 13-9 over Division 2 No. 2 East Grand Rapids.
Players to watch: Morgan Macko, sr. A (70 goals, 55 assists); Riley North, sr. A (49 goals, 38 assists); Jack Kelly, jr. M (47 goals, 16 assists).
Outlook: Brother Rice has played through a couple closer games than perhaps usual this spring – but is again the heavy favorite as it seeks to continue its sweep of every Division 1 title since the tournament was started more than a decade ago. The only losses this spring were twice to Indiana powerhouse Culver Military Academy, and the Warriors took on and beat some of the best from Ohio and Illinois as well. Macko is finishing off one of the most productive runs in MHSAA lacrosse history and also starred the last two seasons.
DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 17-4, No. 2 at end of regular season
League finish: Second in Detroit Catholic High School League A
Coach: Dave Wilson, 11th season (149-71)
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up five times (most recent 2015).
Best wins: 13-5 over No. 3 Detroit County Day in the Semifinal, 13-5 over No. 7 Brighton, 16-10 over Division 2 No. 2 East Grand Rapids, 17-10 over Division 2 No. 3 Okemos.
Players to watch: Rocco Mularoni, sr. A; Justin Baker, sr. A; Brennan Kamish, jr. M (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: DCC will play in its third straight Final trying to break the hold of rival Brother Rice on Division 1. Seven seniors start for a team with plenty of big-game experience; midfielder Alex Jarzembowski is another veteran standout among many. Similar to Brother Rice, DCC also played strong programs from other states and Ontario. The Shamrocks have shown the ability to lock down top teams; they held opponents to fewer than 10 goals in all but six games and have given up only 11 goals total over four postseason games.
Division 2
EAST GRAND RAPIDS
Record/rank: 15-5, No. 2 at end of regular season
League finish: Second in O-K Conference Tier 1
Coach: Rick DeBlasio, fourth season (first of second tenure; 48-13 overall)
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 16-15 (2OT) over No. 3 Okemos in the Semifinal, 9-3 and 9-3 (Regional Final) over No. 4 Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 8-6 over No. 5 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 6-4 and 9-7 over Division 1 No. 5 Rockford, 15-5 over Division 1 No. 3 Detroit Country Day, 16-5 over Division 1 No. 10 Ann Arbor Pioneer.
Players to watch: Hub Hejna, jr. A (67 goals, 30 assists); Matt Solberg, sr. A (43 goals, 49 assists); Ben Keller, jr. A (46 goals, 15 assists).
Outlook: East Grand Rapids will play in its first championship game since finishing runner-up in 2011, and has taken on plenty of strong teams to prepare. The losses came to Brother Rice, Detroit Catholic Central, twice to Forest Hills Central and to Okemos in the season opener – and the Pioneers avenged that loss Wednesday. Those four teams are the only ones to score more than seven goals on the Pioneers this season. DeBlasio formerly coached the team from 2002-04.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS CENTRAL
Record/rank: 19-2, No. 1 at end of regular season
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1
Coach: Jake Seiler, second season (36-5)
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2012), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 15-9 and 14-13 over No. 2 East Grand Rapids, 17-8 over No. 3 Okemos, 20-8 over Division 1 No. 5 Rockford.
Players to watch: Bryce Clay, soph. D (95 goals, 53 assists); Tanner Hallock, jr. A (51 goals, 34 assists); Max Kuiper, sr. A (38 goals, 28 assists).
Outlook: Second-year coach Seiler has Forest Hills Central back in a Final for the first time since finishing runner-up in 2013 and after having lost this season only to Country Day in double overtime and Culver. Although Clay is the most productive scorer, there’s lots of balance with six Rangers tallying at least 20 goals heading into the week – and plenty of help in goal as senior Kadin Schermers and freshman Jack Nolan have combined to give up six goals per game this spring.
PHOTO: Brother Rice's Cole Hyde moves the ball upfield during last season's Division 1 Final against Detroit Catholic Central.
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.)