Preview: 4 Titles, Perfection on the Line
November 6, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
At this point in the season, it’s a rarity that any team has not tasted defeat.
But Saturday’s Boys Soccer Finals feature two teams undefeated this fall – including one seeking its first MHSAA championship.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Burton Genesee Christian have not fallen in 2015 – and while Forest Hills Central has three ties, Genesee Christian has won 27 straight since falling in a Regional Semifinal a year ago. Forest Hills Central is seeking its first title in more than a decade; Genesee Christian is seeking its first title … period.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern also will play in its first Final, and Williamston also is seeking its first championship after finishing runner-up in Division 3 two of the last three seasons. Canton is hoping to repeat in Division 1 after surviving a Semifinal against Rochester Adams, the team it defeated in last year’s Division 1 Final.
Below is Saturday's schedule, followed by a look at each team in the hunt:
Division 1 at Brighton, 3 p.m.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (22-0-3) vs. Canton (21-5-3)
Division 2 at Comstock Park, 3 p.m.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (22-1-3) vs. Mason (23-3)
Division 3 at Comstock Park, Noon
Grand Rapids South Christian (19-3-3) vs. Williamston (19-5)
Division 4 at Brighton, Noon
Kalamazoo Hackett (20-4-1) vs. Genesee Christian (27-0)
All four Finals will be streamed live on MHSAA.TV and available on a subscription basis. A one-day pass costs $9.95 and allows access to all four games plus the Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals. A month pass costs $14.95 and allows fans to also watch live the Volleyball Semifinals and Finals and Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals, plus weekly coverage of the football playoffs. Radio broadcasts of the Soccer Finals will be available on MHSAAnetwork.com.
Click for links to brackets and scores. All statistics below are through Regional Finals.
DIVISION 1
CANTON
Record/rank: 21-5-3, No. 9
Coach: Mark Zemanski, third season (62-7-9)
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association South
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2014).
Players to watch: Hunter Olson, sr. F (25 goals, 12 assists); Jimmy Walkinshaw, sr. M (five goals, 10 assists); Josh Posuniak, sr. M (six goals, 10 assists).
Outlook: The reigning champion lost two of its first four games and two of its final five of the regular season; hence the lower-than-expected ranking. But the Chiefs defeated No. 8 Salem in the District Final and No. 3 Rochester Adams in the Semifinal, and enter Saturday with six senior starters try to finish with a win. Olsen was an all-state honorable mention as a junior, and senior midfielder Jason Ren scored the lone goal of the 2014 Final.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS CENTRAL
Record/rank: 22-0-3, No. 2
Coach: Blair Lincoln, fourth season (53-21-11)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2004.
Players to watch: Mohamed Haji, jr. F (17 goals, 17 assists); Anthony Bowie, sr. F (40 goals, 24 assists); Jake Ireland, sr. M (13 goals, 13 assists).
Outlook: The Rangers’ undefeated run has included tournament wins over No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central, No. 10 Portage Northern and No. 12 East Kentwood. They’ve improved substantially and annually under Lincoln, who formerly coached at Caledonia for a decade before taking over in 2012. Forest Hills Central was 5-12-2 that fall, but has improved its win total each year. Bowie’s 40 goals heading into the week are enough to make the MHSAA record book, and Haji earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
DIVISION 2
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS NORTHERN
Record/rank: 22-1-3, No. 2
Coach: Daniel Siminski, second season (38-3-5)
League finish: First in O-K Bronze
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Brayden Texer, soph. F (38 goals, 15 assists); Dante Compean, sr. GK (.930 save %).
Outlook: Forest Hills Northern’s run to its first MHSAA Final has included wins over No. 5 East Lansing, the reigning champion, plus No. 3 Mattawan, No. 14 Petoskey and No. 17 Grand Rapids Northview. The Huskies have given up one or zero goals in 20 of 27 games and spread the wealth offensively after Texer; no other player has more than nine goals, but five more have at least five apiece.
MASON
Record/rank: 23-3, No. 8
Coach: Nick Binder, ninth season (175-30-12)
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference Red
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 1997), one runner-up finish.
Players to watch: Leutrim Shefkiu, sr. M (26 goals, 15 assists); Holden Dippel, sr. D (14 goals, six assists); John Kingman, sr. D (seven goals, 26 assists).
Outlook: Mason occupied the top spot in the first three state coaches polls before a couple of tough losses to good teams. The Bulldogs haven’t given up a goal since their last defeat, a stretch of eight games including all six in the tournament. Shefkiu made the all-state first team as a junior and Dippel and Kingman earned honorable mentions and anchor a back line that has contributed to 18 shutouts total. Senior forward Christian Jordan (11 goals, seven assists) and junior defender Lirim Shefkiu (eight goals, 11 assists) also are key offensive contributors.
DIVISION 3
GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 19-3-3, No. 2
Coach: Jason Boersma, fifth season (88-20-13)
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2012), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Carter Selvius, sr. GK (0.59 goals-against average, 16 shutouts); Ty Brinks, sr. F (20 goals, eight assists); Austin Clark, sr. D.
Outlook: South Christian will be playing in its fifth Final over the last nine seasons, and also finished Division 3 champion in 2010 and runner-up in 2013 and 2007. Selvius, a third-team all-stater last season, is the final line of one of the state’s top defenses, with Clark – a first-team all-state midfielder a year ago – moving back to defend in front of him. Gladwin on Wednesday was the first tournament opponent to score on the Sailors. Senior Zach DeKock and sophomore Sam DeVries both had 15 goals heading into this week to augment the offense.
WILLIAMSTON
Record/rank: 19-5, No. 3
Coach: Brent Sorg, 11th season (151-89-21)
League finish: First in CAAC White.
Championship history: Division 3 runner-up in 2014 and 2012.
Players to watch: Brian Ganton, sr. F (17 goals, four assists); Josh Ward, sr. M (11 goals, five assists); Eric Oesterle, sr. D (one goal, one assist).
Outlook: The reigning runner-up Hornets will play in their third Final in four seasons and have had great success under Sorg; this season’s win total matches their high during his 11 and they’ve won five straight District titles. Oesterle made the all-state first team last season and Ward made the second, but they are two of a number of contributors who have helped Williamston outscore its opponents by a combined 72-20. Senior Jacob Chisholm added 11 assists from the midfield heading into this week.
DIVISION 4
BURTON GENESEE CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 27-0, No. 14
Coach: Doug Anderson, seventh season (108-41-10)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Cole Russell, jr. M (34 goals, five assists); Riley Buchalski, jr. F (18 goals, 21 assists); Caleb DuPree, jr. F (22 goals, 10 assists).
Outlook: Genesee Christian flew under the radar much of the season despite eliminating then-reigning champion Lansing Christian in a 2014 District Final. Among those to fall early were Division 3 No. 17 Frankenmuth; the Soldiers then cruised through the first four games of the tournament and then eliminated No. 9 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett and top-ranked Lansing Christian, again, to reach this weekend. Russell made the all-state first team last season and Buchalski made the second, and the team also gets a boost from a defense backed by junior keeper Zach Noecker (0.35 goals-against average, 18 shutouts).
KALAMAZOO HACKETT
Record/rank: 20-4-1, No. 7
Coach: Ian Troutman, first season (20-4-1)
League finish: Second in Southwestern Athletic Conference
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 1995).
Players to watch: Will Knoll, sr. F (24 goals, 17 assists); Max Keenan, fr. F (18 goals, seven assists); Kieran O’Brien, sr. M (10 goals, 14 assists).
Outlook: First-year coach Troutman, who formerly coached the junior varsity at Haslett and played at Byron Center, has Hackett in its first Final in more than a decade after the Irish fell in the Regional Final a year ago. Six seniors start, including the entire back line in front of junior keeper Matthew Carpenter. They have traveled a tough road over the last two weeks, beating No. 8 Grandville Calvin Christian and No. 10 Hartford to win the Regional and then downing No. 3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian in the Quarterfinal.
PHOTO: Grand Rapids South Christian sophomore Matthew Hubbard (13) works to gain control of the ball during a game against Lake Odessa Lakewood. (Photo courtesy of Grand Rapids South Christian.)
East Kentwood Soccer Provides Conlon Bridge Back to Health, Top Form
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
October 18, 2023
KENTWOOD – Six months ago, East Kentwood junior standout Brody Conlon couldn’t imagine sprinting down the soccer field and delivering a booming shot to the back of the net.
An unfortunate diagnosis had put his budding soccer career on pause.
In January, Conlon was told by doctors that he had ulcerative colitis. The disease prevented him from playing soccer or attending school for five months.
Conlon returned to the sport he loves this fall to help lead the Falcons to a successful season.
“If you told me six months ago that I was able to play 80 minutes, pretty much every game for a whole high school season, I honestly wouldn't believe you,” said Conlon, who recorded 11 goals and 22 assists.
“But high school soccer is so special and was definitely a great way to bring me back into the sport again after being out for such a long time.”
Last November Conlon, a nationally-ranked midfielder, was in Florida with his Midwest United Region II ODP team when he felt sick and his stomach was hurting during games.
He returned home to undergo testing, and after the diagnosis started on a drug protocol and heavy steroids.
Conlon basically was bedridden from January to May.
“I was definitely upset, and it was tough because I couldn't do things that I've always done like soccer and being at school every day. But I learned to cope with it pretty quick and embrace it, and I think I did pretty well getting out of it,” Conlon said. “I kept going through the day like it wasn’t affecting me as much as it was, and eventually I think my mind overcame it.
“The key was staying positive. Negativity builds up so you have to stay positive, even in the tougher moments. That’s when you have to pull through. There were days where I would start to feel better and then I would crash and burn again so it was tough because it was like a mind game, but eventually I got used to it.”
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which abnormal reactions of the immune system cause inflammation and ulcers on the inner lining of the large intestine. It can develop at any age, but the disease is more likely to develop in people between the ages of 15 and 30.
Conlon is the son of former East Kentwood coach and current Byron Center girls soccer coach John Conlon, who won 376 games guiding the Falcons from 2000-21.
“The whole last year has been a bit of a whirlwind,” John Conlon said. “Brody had been telling me for five months that he had a "disease" and it just wasn't diagnosed yet. When we were told by doctors that he had ulcerative colitis, it was a real shock to the system because we truly didn't know much about the disease.
“We were told it was in the same autoimmune class as Crohn's. To be honest, my wife Kelly and I had to read everything we could on it because we were unfamiliar. What stood out right away is that every patient responds differently to the protocols and drug protocols for the disease. He tends to have a pretty severe case.”
The experience took a toll on the family.
“What was hard for me was to see my son struggling physically, and as a parent I could only offer the advice that was given to us by physicians,” John Conlon continued. “In July, we started to see some improvement from the drug Rinvoq. We spoke with Luke Ruff (Brody’s MLS coach) who was amazing and fully agreed that high school would be a good bridge to get Brody back to where he needs to be.”
Brody Conlon showed little effect this fall as he shined while catapulting the Falcons to a 12-5-1 record.
East Kentwood’s season ended with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Byron Center in District play.
“I was definitely happy with how I played, battling two things at once with the pressure of having a good season then also the stomach stuff, but I think I did pretty well with that,” Brody Conlon said. “We had a great season, and soccer can be brutal. You have to be at your best every game, and the state tournament is where you have to be the best at.
“It was tough because no one likes losing, but I was able to play with the guys I’ve known forever so in the end the positives outweigh the negatives in this situation.”
Falcons assistant coach Carl Warfield, who began with the program under John Conlon and has continued the last two seasons with current head coach Giuseppe Barone, said they would pull Brody from games to give him breaks, but "I can count on one hand the number of times this season he asked for one during a game, and even then he wanted right back in to keep supporting the team.
"The days after games could be really tough on him," Warfield continued. "The pain would sometimes keep him from coming to school the day after a game. Brody really has been a study in courage and determination that anyone could draw inspiration from. He has maintained his grades and shown constant leadership all season while dealing with his disease."
Conlon also was dealing with the loss of a former East Kentwood standout who he idolized as a young kid.
Nermin Crnkic, who helped the Falcons win three Division 1 championships and played professionally, was found dead in his apartment in early July after a heart attack.
“That had a huge effect on me,” Conlon said. “I’ve grown up around Nermin, and he was my idol when I was growing up in soccer. It was definitely a huge blow to me, but it was motivation for me to play and play for him.
“I was number seven my freshman year, but after hearing the news I decided to take number 10 and play for Nermin this year.”
John Conlon is amazed by the way his son has handled his condition.
“Brody is as tough a young man as anyone I have been around,” he said. “He battles this disease every day and has handled it more maturely than I could have at the same age.
“I'm sure there are other athletes out there battling similar diseases or even more difficult situations. I think Brody's goal is to show the world that an obstacle will never stop him, and hopefully that inspires young players. It's the toughest thing I have ever dealt with as a parent, but Brody handles it with dignity and grace.”
Added Warfield: "I have coached a lot of players, but Brody’s determination to compete and not let his disease stop him from playing the game he loves so passionately is truly amazing. He has been an inspiration to every player on the team and (I) truly believe that his efforts and determination were a large part of our success this season."
Brody Conlon said the high school season “took a lot out of me,” but he’s expected to rejoin his club team at some point.
He remains optimistic about his future.
“It's one of those diseases that the doctor says I could have for the rest of my life, or it could just go away,” he said. “I’m just going to keep doing me and being me. Everyone has something that affects them, but you just have to keep pushing through it and better days will come. I’ve progressed a lot this year, and I believe I will keep improving.”
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) East Kentwood’s Brody Conlon (10) returned to the field this fall with his high school team. (Middle) Brody Conlon, far right, takes a photo with past East Kentwood star Nermin Crnkic, center, two summers ago. (Below) Conlon reached double-digit goals and assists this season. (Photos courtesy of the Conlon family.)