A Grand Charge to the Semifinals
October 29, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Grand Blanc soccer coach Greg Kehler knew what needed to happen as the regular season was drawing to an end. He just hoped it would before time ran out on his senior-dominated team.
Exactly half the Bobcats’ games this fall had been decided by a goal. They scored only 32 during the 18-game regular season. Somehow, despite that lack of offense, Grand Blanc entered the District tournament two weeks ago 10-6-2 after finishing second in its division of the competitive Kensington Lakes Activities Association.
But as the playoffs began, Kehler was still waiting to see his players show the necessary edge to turn close calls into close wins. And time was running short – 17 of the team’s 25 players are seniors, and the next loss would be their last.
“What was really so frustrating with me is I’ve been with these guys, some for three years (and) one guy is a four-year guy. And it was almost like I was talking to them and telling them I can’t do this,” Kehler said. “We can talk. We can write up things all we want, change formations, run different plays. But it’s gotta come on the field. They’ve got to find a way to do that and get everyone on board.”
The seniors came through. Their teammates followed. The Bobcats have won five tournament games and will face Utica Ford on Wednesday for the opportunity to play in an MHSAA Final for the first time since finishing runner-up in Class A in 1987.
Grand Blanc (15-6-2) gets a Second Half High 5 amid a run that has to be considered at least a little unexpected. The Bobcats might have a bevy of seniors, but graduated Mr. Soccer Zach Carroll and all-state second teamer Yamann Sahlool this spring. They didn’t add to Carroll’s string of four league titles and probably wasn’t a favorite to reach the season’s final week.
But Kehler's group has found its collective scoring touch with 18 goals during the postseason, beginning with a 7-1 win over Flushing in their District opener.
The Bobcats haven’t been able to avoid close games since – the last four have been decided either by a goal or in overtime – but Grand Blanc has come out on top in each, including 5-3 over No. 4-ranked Rochester Hills Stoney Creek in a double overtime Regional Semifinal.
That's the biggest tournament win on paper, and especially considering the Bobcats had lost to Stoney Creek 4-0 earlier this fall. In the rematch, they trailed 3-1 and only forced overtime by scoring off a corner kick with less than a minute to play in regulation.
But it was how Grand Blanc finished the game before that set the tone for its continuing success.
The Bobcats trailed Lake Orion 2-0 in the District Final, then took a 3-2 lead before the Dragons tied it up again with less than 14 minutes to play. Grand Blanc junior Nick Berklich then knocked home the game-winner with just a minute left.
“A lot of things from that game carried over to Stoney Creek,” Kehler said. “When we lost 4-0, I thought we played well. But we had mental mistakes, and we were playing a different formation than now, and after that game we changed some things. We thought we were better than a four-goal difference against them.”
Kehler, in his 14th season coaching the varsity – and with more than 400 wins combined leading both the boys and girls programs – has never had a team quite like this one. Nearly half of his seniors played junior varsity last season, and he wanted to keep them all although his teams generally go only about 20 or 21 players.
Only five seniors start, but all contribute especially in practices made more competitive by the ability to put out a second team that can run an opponent’s formation and scheme and challenge the first teamers.
Although his defense is a little on the younger side (but with two two-year juniors), the offense is paced by four-year varsity standout Chris Sullivant and three-year player Dominic Mastromatteo. The latter scored four goals last week – three against Stoney Creek and the winner against Walled Lake Central.
Those two seniors also were part of some significant close calls before this fall. Last season ended with a 1-0 loss to Walled Lake Northern in a Regional Semifinal. The 2010 team fell to Sterling Heights Stevenson in a Semifinal shootout. Before those two entered high school, Grand Blanc also lost a 2008 Semifinal in overtime to Livonia Stevenson.
And even that 1987 loss, to East Lansing, was 2-1 in overtime.
But Kehler believes all of the recent close calls are paying off. These Bobcats have found that extra when it counted, an edge they’ll try to keep for two more games.
“I knew we’d be good, but we kinda struggled early. I was kinda questioning if we had what it took,” Kehler said. “Every year with the players you have coming back, you’re optimistic. But … I’m very pleased with how we responded to this season and how it unfolded.”
PHOTO: Grand Blanc’s Ali Mukhtar (11) works to control possession against Saginaw Heritage earlier this season. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com)
Powers Writes End to Championship Story
November 2, 2013
By Greg Chrapek
Special to Second Half
TROY – When it comes to storybook endings, Flint Powers Catholic coach Tony Rowe has overseen one that is hard to beat.
With a 4-8 record at one point this season, Rowe and his Chargers were just hoping to climb to the .500 mark, let alone end up in the Lower Peninsula Division 3 championship game.
Not only did the Chargers right the ship, but they advanced to the Final in Troy where they defeated reigning champion Grand Rapids South Christian 1-0 after surviving overtime and prevailing 8-7 in a sudden-death penalty-kick shootout.
“It’s just unbelievable,” Rowe said. “It is a story book. We were 4-8 at one point this season. I told one of my friends that it was like a (ESPN) 30 for 30 feature. We just got on a roll at the right time and kept on rolling.”
Powers also played some air-tight defense in the title match. It survived heavy pressure from South Christian in the second half and overtime periods to get the game into a shootout, where anything can happen and did.
After 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime sessions, the game went to a penalty kick best of five round. After both teams missed their first attempts, South Christian took a 1-0 lead on a made shot from Nick VanderHorst.
Powers then missed its second attempt and after two rounds trailed 1-0. Both teams scored in the next two rounds with Taylor Buist and Austin Clark scoring for South Christian and Alex Clark and Brad Tuttle scoring for Powers.
Heading into the fifth round, South Christian was up 3-2 and needed just one more made shot to end the match.
The Sailors, however, came up short on their fifth shot, and on its last attempt Christian Mansour scored for Powers to tie the goals at 3-3 and force the match into penalty kick sudden death. Both teams scored in the next four rounds and the shootout was tied 7-7 heading into the fifth sudden death round.
That’s when Powers goalkeeper Stephen Wilbur came up with a diving save.
“I just tried to stay composed when everything is going crazy,” Wilbur said. “I go into a corner and keep quiet and try to keep focused.”
Wilbur’s save set the table for Powers sophomore Erich Ruth to win the game. Ruth stepped up to the ball and delivered as he sent a shot into the net.
“When I stepped up to the ball, I kept my eyes on one post the whole time,” Ruth said. “Then I shot it the other way. I just tried to keep my composure.”
After Ruth’s shot went in the Chargers erupted on to the field, their storybook finish complete.
“It’s just crazy,” Wilbur said. “It’s a dream come true.”
A dream the Chargers had to feel was far off when they were 4-8.
“We just kept working all season,” said Powers senior captain Charlie Emmert. “We went to practice every day and kept working. I told the guys the state finals are November 2 so keep your parking passes until November first.”
The Chargers also put in plenty of work on penalty kicks during their practices.
“We practice penalty kicks every day,” Emmert said. “Everyone practices them at the end of practice. That walk feels like a mile with everyone watching you take the kick.”
Powers had a couple of scoring opportunities during the first half. On its first opportunity, South Christian goalie Zac Medendorp used all of his 6-foot-7 frame when he made a diving stop and knocked a shot away.
South Christian (21-2-3) gained the momentum in the second half and applied heavy pressure on the offensive end. With seven minutes remaining in regulation, the Sailors came within inches of a go-ahead goal when VanderHorst whistled a shot that hit the crossbar dead on but bounced away.
The Sailors also carried the play in the two overtime sessions. Powers found it difficult to get the ball past midfield while coming under constant pressure from the South Christian offense.
“That’s the way it is; soccer can be a pretty cruel game at times,” South Christian coach Jason Boersma said. “These guys did everything they could. I thought the first half was evenly matched, but I thought we carried the play in the second half. They (Powers) didn’t get the ball over midfield much at all. We pressured them, and pressured them and pressured them but we could just not get one in the back of the net.
“Our guys feel like they won the game but lost the shootout. Give credit to Powers, they have a fantastic team and a fantastic program.”
The Chargers also had a defense that would bend but not break and a spirit that was the same.
“We played with all heart,” Mansour said. “We just never quit.”
Powers ended the season 14-8-2. The title was its first since winning in 1996.
“We didn’t think it was impossible to get to state,” Rowe said. “Anytime you play, you want to get to the state finals. These guys were just awesome.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Flint Powers' Erich Ruth (8) unloads what will become the winning shot in the Chargers' 1-0 sudden-death shootout win. (Middle) Powers' Reed Macksood (22) works past a pair of South Christian defenders including David Hubbard (21). (Click to see more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)