East Lansing Soccer Surges Into Next Era
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 31, 2018
EAST LANSING – Nick Archer’s name adorns the field where senior Kai Francisco wore a T-shirt from the “Nick Archer Soccer Camp” and teammate Paul Carney recalled some of the old coach’s corny sayings during Monday’s East Lansing boys soccer practice.
Archer may have stepped away this spring after a championship-filled 41-year career. But the mystique he cultivated remains strong – celebrating the coach who started the Trojans’ boys and girls programs and won nearly 1,000 games combined between the two teams, while falling now to his former assistants and players to carry the tradition on.
But of course, after Archer announced his retirement in April, the questions began.
“A lot of people have been talking about his leaving, just thinking it’s a lot different around here,” said Francisco, a captain with Carney this fall. “But it’s not really any different. We just doing the same stuff we did last year, trying to get back to the state championship.”
The Trojans made that chase a lot over the last four decades, and especially at the end of Archer’s tenure. They finished Division 2 runner-up last season, won back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014, made a Regional Final in 2015 and a Semifinal in 2016. All told on the boys side, Archer led the team to a 660-177-75 record and five Division 2 or Class A titles from 1977-2017.
But Francisco’s answer is accurate for the post-Archer era so far – East Lansing is 4-0 after Thursday’s 2-1 win over Williamston.
A lot of the contributors are new. Last season’s team graduated 11 seniors, including eight starters. But Francisco, Carney and Olivier Richmond also started last year’s Final and senior Mohamed Babale made the all-state third team. Junior Robert Nystrom was another key sub now taking on a starting role.
The post-Archer continuity is found especially in the coaching staff. Longtime junior varsity coach Jeff Lyon was promoted to take over the varsity, and longtime Archer assistant Henry Rojas is running the JV this fall – both have been part of the program for more than 15 seasons. Lyon’s assistants JP Navarro (class of 2013) and Julian Birge (2012) both played for the Trojans, as did freshman coaches Zack Curtis (2006) and John Pizanis (2003). (All four were high school standouts, and Pizanis, Curtis and Birge went on to play collegiately.)
“I think when somebody asks, ‘What’s it like to replace a legend?’ no one here is going to place Nick Archer,” Lyon said. “And that’s not because his name’s on the stadium or because he’s won close to 1,000 games between the boys and the girls.
“It’s because of his impression on soccer. As somebody who stood next to him for half his career, you see why he did the things that he did.”
Program building
Lyon still has the card with Nick Archer’s phone number that led him to East Lansing High School 21 years ago.
A standout at Cheboygan – he was part of the program’s first winning team as a junior in 1993 – Lyon was taking longtime Michigan State University men’s coach Joe Baum’s coaching soccer class while a junior at MSU in 1997. Lyon told Baum of his interest in coaching – and Baum sent Lyon to one of his teammates from the Spartans’ 1967 and 1968 national championship teams, Nick Archer.
Lyon co-coached East Lansing’s freshman team the following fall, and later started in Archer’s girls soccer program with the freshman in 2000. He got a teaching job at East Lansing as he continued to coach, but went back to Cheboygan after he was laid off from teaching in 2003. Lyon helped out two years at his alma mater, then returned to East Lansing to teach again and coached the junior varsities in both soccer programs. He took over the Trojans’ girls varsity in 2012 (Archer had stepped down after 2009) and continues to lead that program as well.
“He has been an integral part of the East Lansing program's success over the past 20 years. Jeff has exhibited servant leadership to not only the soccer program at East Lansing, but also the school and community during his tenure,” said Petoskey coach Zach Jonker, whose boys teams have faced East Lansing in Regionals four of the last seven years. “His loyalty is also what helps to make him such a great friend, teacher, and coach. He had many opportunities to go create his own successful program over the years, but he embraced developing the younger players in the E.L. program and understood the importance of creating a positive freshmen and JV experience for the program's long-term success.
“I am sure Jeff will put his imprint on the program now that he is at the varsity level, but he is savvy enough to keep many of aspects of the program that evolved over time with Arch as the foundation of their future success.”
Jonker’s perspective is unique, with the frequency his teams have faced East Lansing in must-win games over the last decade, but also because he’s known Lyon “basically since birth.” They grew up playing together in Cheboygan until Jonker moved to Petoskey at age 14, and then they played each other as high school opponents. They also coached club soccer together for a short time, and like Lyon, Jonker followed a legendary coach in Scott Batchelor in taking over Petoskey’s programs.
Lyon indeed isn’t trying to fix something that isn’t broken. In keeping with an Archer philosophy, the Trojans will continue to not cut at the freshman and junior varsity levels. There are lots of little things that will continue on as well, like the “breakfast club” for players who don’t pass the 2-mile running test during tryouts and come in early every day after until they do (or until the season begins).
But there are positive differences as well. For one, Lyon has taught or coached all but one of the varsity players on his team previously – most had him in class for either history or government – while Archer had retired from teaching in 2011. And he’s created more avenues for players to have input. Before the season started, he and the seniors met to discuss expectations and allow the players an opportunity to contribute ideas. He also met with each player individually. “He’s trying to see (through) our eyes on the field, and see our perspectives,” Nystrom said.
“If anything, I think it puts us all on the same page,” Lyon said. “To the teaching piece, you have to ask questions to understand where the process is.”
Right direction
It’s in a great place as August turns to September.
Francisco has two goals and three assists over the four games, while freshman Ameer Shetiah and junior Cade Moreno both have scored twice. The Trojans, with Carney and sophomore Will Knapp among returnees in the back, have yet to give up more than one goal in a game.
Lyon noted that although many of his players lack varsity experience, the roster as a whole has played a lot of soccer at various levels growing up – and from a skill standpoint, this group might have more than the team a year ago.
And then there’s Lyon and his staff and the value of familiarity. “He's familiar to the program. He knows how Archer coached,” Carney said. “The transition isn't super hard because we all know each other.”
“Hamburger” – that’s what Archer called a player during tryouts two years ago, after said player fired a shot clear over the goal. Carney laughed about that one this week.
There surely will be times this fall too when he and his teammates will draw one some of the Archer effect that helped a team that finished only fourth in its league a year ago come within one more win of a third MHSAA championship in five seasons.
“I think the expectation is to go all the way every year. Because of last year, what we did, and what Archer has done in this decade,” Francisco said. “Last year and this year people doubted us still. People really don't think we're going to finish that high in the conference or anything like that.
“But we know what we're going to do.”
Geoff Kimmerly joined the MHSAA as its Media & Content Coordinator in Sept. 2011 after 12 years as Prep Sports Editor of the Lansing State Journal. He has served as Editor of Second Half since its creation in Jan. 2012. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Livingston, Ionia, Clinton, Shiawassee, Gratiot, Isabella, Clare and Montcalm counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) East Lansing players scrimmage during Tuesday’s practice at Archer Stadium. (Middle) Coach Jeff Lyon instructs the Trojans on the practice plan, and below, Nick Archer raises the team’s 2014 championship trophy. (Below) The entrance to the East Lansing Soccer Complex bears Archer’s name and the program’s accomplishments under his leadership.
Preview: Pursuing the Ultimate Prize
November 1, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Saturday’s MHSAA Boys Soccer Finals will provide opportunities for four teams to finish their seasons with the ultimate win, and all of the contenders have had their shares of success over the years.
But two teams are playing to call themselves champions for the first time – and a number of others for the first time in a while.
Division 2 is guaranteed to produce a first-time title winner, with Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern and Melvindale facing off. Troy Athens and Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett are recognized powers in boys soccer, but they’ll both be playing for their first Finals championships since the 1990s. And it’s been more than a decade since either Traverse City West or Grosse Ile have taken home the big trophy.
Saturday’s schedule:
NOVI
Division 2: Melvindale vs. Forest Hills Northern, noon
Division 4: University Liggett vs. Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, 3 p.m.
COMSTOCK PARK
Division 1: Troy Athens vs. Traverse City West, noon
Division 3: Grosse Ile vs Grand Rapids South Christian, 3 p.m.
All of Saturday’s Finals will be broadcast live and viewable with subscription on MHSAA.tv, with audio available on MHSAANetwork.com. See below for glances at all eight finalists, and come back to Second Half later Saturday for coverage of all four championship games. (The Michigan Power Rating noted below is derived from a team's success and strength of schedule and was used to seed the top two teams in every District at the start of the postseason.)
Division 1
TRAVERSE CITY WEST
Record/rank: 18-4-2, unranked
Michigan Power Rating: No. 4
Coach: Matt Griesinger, fifth season (79-21-11)
League finish: First in Big North Conference
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2006.
Players to watch: Caleb Kinney, sr. M/F (16 goals/4 assists); Tony Gallegos, jr. F (10 goals/11 assists); Colin Blackport, soph. M/F (9 goals/10 assists); Blade Kalbfleisch, jr. GK (1.12 goals-against average).
Outlook: It’s fair to say West surprised some people by getting to the season’s final day – the Titans are unranked, after all – but don’t expect the same lack of attention next season as only three starters this weekend are seniors. West had early losses to Portage Central, Midland Dow, top-ranked Okemos and Lakewood St. Edward of Ohio, but is since riding a 13-0-1 run that’s included avenging that Okemos loss with a 1-0 win in the Regional Final and adding a 3-2 overtime win over No. 3 Novi in the Semifinal. Sophomore Josh Hirschenberger also had scored eight goals heading into this week as seven players had at least nine points on the season.
TROY ATHENS
Record/rank: 22-2-1, No. 2
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: Todd Heugh, ninth season (154-29-18)
League finish: First in Oakland Activities Association Red
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 1997), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jason Kemp, sr. GK (0.47 goals-against average/15 shutouts); TJ Renaud, jr. F (13 goals/4 assists); Davis DiGiovanni, sr. F (18 goals/7 assists); Andri Myftari, sr. M (13 goals/10 assists).
Outlook: After suffering its only loss of 2018 in the District Final, Athens has pushed through to its first championship game since finishing Division 1 runner-up in 2016. Along the way, the Red Hawks have eliminated No. 8 Berkley and No. 9 Troy and despite entering the playoffs coming off two straight losses. Kemp made the all-state first team last season, and Renaud made the third team. Sophomore forward Ryan Gruca had added another 10 assists entering this week.
Division 2
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS NORTHERN
Record/rank: 22-0-1, No. 2
Michigan Power Rating: No. 3
Coach: Daniel Siminski, sixth season (116-11-13)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2018 and 2015.
Players to watch: Aidan O’Connor, sr. D (11 goals/4 assists); Jonathan Kliewer, sr. G (0.27 goals-against average/.900 save percentage); Will Patrick, sr. D (1 goal/12 assists), Andrew Kremer, sr. F (14 goals/6 assists).
Outlook: Forest Hills Northern is 45-1-2 over the last two seasons, that lone defeat in a shootout against Detroit Country Day in last season’s Division 2 Final. This is the program’s third 20-win season over the last five, and a number of veterans are hoping to finish their careers with one more victory. O’Connor made the all-state first team last season, while Kliewer made the second and Patrick earned honorable mention. Sophomore Seth Scharich (10 goals/3 assists) and senior Ludwig Tilly (11 goals/5 assists) joined Kremer and O’Connor with double-digit goals heading into this week, and total 10 players had double-digit points. FHN has defeated No. 4 Mattawan, No. 5 Byron Center and No. 15 Gaylord during this run.
MELVINDALE
Record/rank: 16-3-2, unranked
Michigan Power Rating: No. 28
Coach: Tomas Belba, first season (16-3-2)
League finish: Second in Western Wayne Athletic Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Alhusain Yahya, sr. M (23 goals); Fouad Noman, jr. F/M (23 goals); Alhasan Yahya sr. D/M (3 goals/27 assists); Carlos Huerta sr. M (9 goals/13 assists).
Outlook: Melvindale has advanced from its first Semifinal appearance into its first MHSAA championship game in this sport, with a Regional Final win over No. 12 Parma Western among highlights from the tournament run. The Cardinals have outscored their six postseason opponents by a combined 21-5 and not given up more than one goal in any playoff game. Senior Julian Castillo has played 95 percent of the minutes in net this fall and is giving up just one goal per game with a .942 save percentage. Belba previously served as the junior varsity coach before taking over the program this fall.
Division 3
GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 21-4-2, No. 4
Michigan Power Rating: No. 7
Coach: Jason Boersma, ninth season (149-42-22)
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jeff Herrema, jr. F (22 goals/12 assists); Reese Bos, sr. M (1 goal/9 assists); Nik Schepers, jr. GK (0.80 goals-against average/11 shutouts); Thom DeVries, jr. M/F (13 goals/4 assists).
Outlook: South Christian will play for its fourth title this decade led by a number of players who should be around to start the next one – after the juniors mentioned above, junior Boston Knapp was the next leading scorer with seven goals and five assists entering this week. The Sailors’ best win surely came in the Regional Final over top-ranked Holland Christian, which had beaten South 4-0 in August. Herrema made the all-state second team last season, when South was eliminated from the tournament by the eventual Division 3 champion (Hudsonville Unity Christian) for the fourth time this decade.
GROSSE ILE
Record/rank: 23-2-1, No. 3
Michigan Power Rating: No. 3
Coach: Jon Evans, fourth season (92-6-5)
League finish: First in Huron League
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2002, runner-up 2018.
Players to watch: Max Aston, sr. M; Joe Duke, sr. M; Tony Bogataj, sr. D, Alex DeSana, sr. D. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Grosse Ile has reached the Semifinals four of the last six seasons and will attempt to take the final step after falling 3-1 in overtime to Unity Christian in last year’s Division 3 championship game. The Red Devils downed No. 7 Ann Father Gabriel Richard and No. 8 Macomb Lutheran North on their way back to the Finals, and the only defeats this season were tournament shootout losses to Detroit Country Day and Leland. Aston earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
Division 4
GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT
Record/rank: 18-2-1, No. 2
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: David Dwaihy, fifth season (64-21-7)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Intersectional 1
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Stewart Smith, jr. F (20 goals/7 assists); Nolan Ondersma, sr. M (8 goals/18 assists); Sheikh Manneh, jr. F (21 goals/12 assists); Matthew Summers, sr. M (12 goals/14 assists).
Outlook: Liggett was one of the state’s first small-school soccer powers during the 1980s, and the Knights are back seeking their first title in two decades after Wednesday’s Semifinal was the team’s first since 2009. They’ve been building toward this run, with this fall’s league and District titles both their third at those levels under Dwaihy. Liggett eliminated No. 8 Adrian Lenawee Christian, No. 10 Royal Oak Shrine Catholic and No. 11 Bloomfield Hills Roeper during this playoffs. Smith made the all-state first team, and Ondersma earned an honorable mention last season.
MUSKEGON WESTERN MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 18-2-3, No. 4
Michigan Power Rating: No. 6
Coach: David Hulings, 15th season (251-72-18)
League finish: First in Lakes 8 Conference
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2010), six runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Brandon Fles, sr. D (16 goals/6 assists); Charlie Alfree, sr. F (17 goals/3 assists); Jameson Goorman, sr. GK (0.59 goals-against average/13 shutouts); Isaac VanHoeven, sr. F/M (9 goals/6 assists).
Outlook: Western Michigan Christian also was a force during the 1980s and again during the first decade of the 2000s, and the Warriors will play for their seventh title after emerging from arguably the toughest tournament path these last three weeks. Their last three wins came against No. 3 North Muskegon, top-ranked Grandville Calvin Christian and then No. 5 Dansville, respectively. WMC has given up just one goal over six tournament games and also shut out No. 6 Leland during the week leading up to the playoffs. Fles made the all-state first team last season, Alfree the second team and Goorman the third.
PHOTO: Grosse Ile’s Tony Bogataj (15) works to get a foot on the ball during Wednesday’s Division 3 Semifinal win over Macomb Lutheran North. (Photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers.)