Leland Gets Defensive to Score 1st Title
November 3, 2018
By Jeff Chaney
Special for Second Half
COMSTOCK PARK – All season long, the Leland boys soccer team has been an offensive force.
Heading into Saturday's MHSAA Division 4 title game at Comstock Park High School, the Comets had scored 158 goals over 27 games, and out-scored their opponents by 139.
But against reigning champion Ann Arbor Greenhills, Leland needed to show off some solid defense – and play under a little more pressure.
The Comets did just that, winning the program's first MHSAA Finals boys soccer title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ann Arbor Greenhills.
"We had a few teams in the past that we thought may make a run, but nothing compared to this group.," said Leland coach Joe Burda, whose team ended the year with a 24-1-3 record. "We have soccer players everywhere, and these guys wanted this so bad ever since July. As a coaching staff we are so proud of them. They set their goal, and they did it."
The did just that by controlling tempo with solid defense, passing and an offensive attack that was quieted Saturday but showed Gryphons coach Lucian Popescu why his team was facing Leland in its return to the championship match.
"They pushed harder, especially 10 minutes after the game started," said Popescu, whose team ended with an 11-9-3 record. "I thought there were times we were able to match them, but the tempo was higher on their end."
Leland scored the only goal six minutes and 54 seconds into the first half, when junior midfielder Jesus Calderon-Balcazar sent through a nice unassisted one-touch finish.
The Comets had several chances after that, most coming off the explosive play of senior captain and forward Cobe Lund. But they were held out of net the rest of the way.
Leland out-shot the Gryphons 12-5.
"We were only one goal up, but that is all you need to win the game," said Lund, who ended his impressive senior season with 42 goals and 18 assists. "It is scary being up only one goal, but we held on and we got the win."
And got that win in front of a good majority of the town of Leland, which made the trip south to cheer on the Comets.
"This was the goal ever since boot camp," Lund said. "I remember I gave a speech-type thing then. I said we have to work harder and get our fitness up, because I wanted to win state. This was the season basically, and we made history and I am so happy. We worked so hard for this."
Ann Arbor Greenhills keeper Leo Fried had a busy day in net for the Gryphons, and played extremely well with 10 saves.
Leland goalie Gavin Miller also was solid, stopping three Ann Arbor Greenhills shots
"I thought we came out a little timid at first, but then we started attacking," Burda said. "Our boys want to play on the ground and play possessive, and they controlled the offense and they controlled the game. They were chasing us the whole second half. It was obvious desperation, but I think our boys kept their composure and we really stepped it up in the last 20 minutes. We just passed the ball around and kept the ball at our feet.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Leland hoists its first boys soccer Finals championship trophy Saturday at Comstock Park. (Middle) Greenhills keeper Leo Fried snags a Leland header before it reaches his net.
Hickey Joins Notable Coaching Crew as Adams Completes 2024 Soccer Sweep
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
November 14, 2024
When New Year’s Eve comes this year and the ball drops to welcome in 2025, Rochester Adams boys and girls soccer coach Josh Hickey might be hesitant to celebrate this year coming to an end.
It’s not that he won’t be excited for the new year. It’s just that it might be impossible to top 2024 from a coaching perspective.
In June, Hickey made history when he helped guide the Adams girls to the Division 1 championship with a 2-0 win over Hartland.
He joined the list of soccer coaches in state history who have led both boys and girls programs to Finals championships, a group that includes Barry Brodsky of Bloomfield Hills Marian/Brother Rice, Randy Heethuis of Hudsonville Unity Christian, Brian Guggemos of Okemos, Ken Johnson of Salem, Brian O’Leary of Novi, Tim Storch of Troy Athens and Clark Udell of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central.
“That’s good company to keep, that’s for sure,” Hickey said in praising those other coaches who have pulled off the feat.
Earlier this month, the Adams boys followed in the footsteps of their classmates from this spring, defeating Byron Center in the Division 1 Final, 2-0, to win the program’s second Division 1 title over the last three years. Adams downed Rockford in the 2022 Final, also by a 2-0 score.
Adams also won girls and boys Division 1 soccer titles during the same calendar year in 1999, but with those teams led by separate coaches.
Hickey said while each team had talent and players all came from great soccer backgrounds and families, the two championship runs were quite different.
“With the girls, I would imagine nobody picked us necessarily to go that far, especially at the beginning of the season,” he said. “Throughout the year, the girls were just super resilient. The expectation wasn’t there.”
It was a far different element once the fall started and the boys took the field, given there was a solid core of returnees and also five MLS Next academy players who decided to experience high school soccer for their senior year, including eventual Mr. Soccer Award winner Alex Rosin.
“With the boys, we had to battle through all those expectations,” Hickey said. “There is something with your mental toughness to see if the kids can even handle that pressure. They handled it better than I thought they would. It was never a concern or issue.
“The girls came in and just wanted a good year and then ended up having the most success they could ever imagine. The boys came in telling me they wanted to win the whole thing from day one.”
On Oct. 30 – when the Adams boys team defeated Saline in their Semifinal (2-1 in penalty kicks) – it just so happened to be the same day the girls team got its championship rings.
“Some of the girls came and showed us during lunch and throughout the day,” Rosin said. “It just gave us extra motivation. We had to win two more, and we successfully did. At the time, we wanted it so bad and we saw them wear the rings at school. It made us want it even more.”
For the record, Rosin said playing high school soccer — even if it was just for one year — was an experience he’ll never forget.
“Hickey played me at every position,” Rosin said. “It was a good experience to learn the game in a different way. Just kind of push myself and test myself every day. Different positions and trying to become the best player I can be.
“One thing I’ll take away is the memories and new bonds I made with my teammates. It was something incredible.”
Despite the boys season being over, Hickey said the transition to girls season will wait a bit. There is still the matter of the postseason banquet to attend to, as well as championship celebrations such as meeting the mayor of Rochester Hills and marching in the downtown Rochester Christmas parade.
But once the celebrations slow down and the holidays come to end, all attention will turn to the girls season and the run for a repeat next spring.
The Adams girls program has never won consecutive Finals titles, but should be well-equipped to give it a go.
“A lot of players come back from the starting group,” Hickey said. “We also had girls waiting in the wings waiting to play. We’re excited for it.”
While it will be difficult for Hickey and Adams soccer to say farewell to 2024, there clearly is a lot to look forward to for 2025 as well.
Keith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Rochester Adams soccer coach Josh Hickey shows the Division 1 championship trophy after his boys team defeated Byron Center on Nov. 2 at Grand Ledge High School. (Middle) Hickey, far left, takes his spot in the team photo after Adams’ girls won the Division 1 title in June at Michigan State’s DeMartin Stadium.