Preview: Perfect Time to Peak
November 4, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Four of eight finalists at Saturday's MHSAA Boys Soccer Finals are playing to take home the champion's trophy for the first time in their programs' histories.
And considering that none of seven teams that play in leagues won them this fall, claiming the highest title will be even more special.
Burton Genesee Christian is the reigning Division 4 champion and does not play in a league. The other seven finalists finished anywhere from second to fourth in their respective conferences, preparing to peak at the most opportune time and then making the most of the last three weeks.
Saturday's Finals kick off at noon and 3 p.m., with Division 4 followed by Division 1 at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek and Division 3 followed by Division 2 at Comstock Park. All will be broadcast live 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.
DIVISION 1
EAST KENTWOOD
Record/rank: 15-3-5, No. 19
Coach: John Conlon, 17th season (308-52-37)
League finish: Third in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Championship history: Four Division 1 titles (most recent 2012).
Players to watch: Haris Dzafic, jr. GK (0.50 goals-against average, 13 shutouts); Adis Guric, jr. F (10 goals, 9 assists); Narcis Sprecic, sr. F (11 goals, 7 assists).
Outlook: East Kentwood has risen from three seasons without District titles to make its fifth Division 1 Final over the last decade – and in grand fashion, eliminating among others No. 4 Rockford, No. 20 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, No. 16 Traverse City West and No. 14 Novi on the way. The Falcons have won 12 of their last 13, and 10 by shutout during that run, while avenging two losses to Rockford by beating the Rams 1-0 in the District Final. Junior forward Adrian Diaz had 11 goals as well entering the week, and senior midfielder Jeo Garcia had nine goals and eight assists.
TROY ATHENS
Record/rank: 19-4-2, No. 6
Coach: Todd Heugh, sixth season (96-21-16)
League finish: Third in Oakland Activities Association Red
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 1997), one runner-up finish.
Players to watch: Mason Maziasz, sr. GK (0.53 goals-against average, 15 shutouts); Shamik Patel, sr. M (8 goals, 10 assists); Sami Sami, jr. F (12 goals, 4 assists).
Outlook: Athens is making its deepest run under Heugh, who played on the 1989 Class A championship team and led Rochester to the Division 1 title in 2002 while boys coach at that school from 2000-05. The Redhawks entered the postseason with two straight losses but have outscored six playoff opponents by a combined 18-4 – and avenged an earlier loss to Rochester with a 2-1 Semifinal win. Junior forward Cole Valentine adds another scoring option up front, entering this week with nine goals and four assists.
DIVISION 2
DEARBORN DIVINE CHILD
Record/rank: 12-7-4, unranked
Coach: Dean Kowalski, second season (27-15-5)
League finish: Fourth in Detroit Catholic League AA
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Shane Ciucci, sr. F (9 goals, 9 assists); Justin Stack, sr. M (8 goals, 5 assists); Evan Mazurek, jr. GK (1.25 goals-against average, 8 shutouts).
Outlook: Divine Child was riding an 0-4-2 stretch into this postseason, but stormed back to make the Finals for the first time with five shutouts in six games, including 2-0 over No. 13 Dexter in the Regional Semifinal. Ciucci earned an all-state honorable mention as a junior and is one of 11 seniors including eight who start. Seven players had scored at least three goals heading into this week, including also seniors Alex Higgins (seven) and Noah Cieglo (six). Kowalski took over the program last season after a decade as an assistant.
MATTAWAN
Record/rank: 21-4-2, No. 11
Coach: Kirt Brown, 11th season (149-75-23)
League finish: Third in Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Jarrett Hageman, soph. F (27 goals, 5 assists); Evan Marquess, jr. F (5 goals, 11 assists); Casey Kirkbride, sr. GK (0.68 goals-against average, 12 shutouts).
Outlook: Mattawan made the Semifinals last season but graduated 11 seniors from that team, and yet has taken the next step for the first time. The Wildcats also have won at least 20 games for the second straight season under Brown, despite playing in a league including Division 1 No. 2 Portage Northern and No. 18 Portage Central – and suffering three of their four losses this fall to those two teams. Mattawan has won eight straight, a streak that started with a 1-0 win over No. 7 Coldwater and during the tournament has included shutouts of No. 16 Stevensville Lakeshore, No. 8 Holland and No. 1 East Lansing and also a win over No. 12 Marshall.
DIVISION 3
FLINT POWERS CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 17-3-3, No. 4
Coach: Tony Rowe, fifth season (81-23-10)
League finish: Second in Saginaw Valley League
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2013).
Players to watch: Chase Knoblock, sr. F (10 goals, 13 assists); Andrew Simon, jr. M (6 goals, 15 assists); Steven Tuttle, sr. M (12 goals, 11 assists).
Outlook: After leading the Chargers to the Division 3 title in his second season in 2013, alum Tony Rowe has them back in the Final after a run that has included wins over No. 7 Clawson and No. 13 Lansing Catholic. Powers has outscored its six postseason opponents by a combined 27-2 and is on a 14-game unbeaten streak. Knoblock and Simon earned all-state honorable mentions last season but have plenty of scoring help in addition to Tuttle; junior forward Bryan Lendzion led with 17 goals entering this week, and junior midfielder Mason Smith had scored 13.
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 20-1-4, No. 1
Coach: Brian Hughes, seventh season (record N/A)
League finish: Second in O-K Blue.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Langston Cooper, jr. (12 goals, 4 assists); Fernando Garcia, sr. (21 goals, 12 assists); Alec Winden, jr. (18 goals, 18 assists).
Outlook: Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s first run to an MHSAA Final also has included the first District and Regional titles in program history. The team’s only loss this fall was to Division 2 No. 2 Spring Lake, and the playoff run has included wins over No. 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian, No. 8 Paw Paw and No. 12 Charlevoix. In addition to the high scorers above, senior midfielder Josh Steffes is a key contributor; he made the all-state second team last season.
DIVISION 4
BURTON GENESEE CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 22-2-1, No. 6
Coach: Doug Anderson, eighth season (131-43-11)
League finish: Does not play in a conference.
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2015.
Players to watch: Cole Russell, sr. M (21 goals, 16 assists); Zach Noecker, sr. GK (0.63 goals-against average, 15 shutouts), Caleb DuPree, sr. F (27 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: Going back to last season’s perfect run, Genesee Christian won 33 straight games including the first five of this fall, and has now won nine straight while also challenging itself in losses to much larger Fenton and Lake Fenton. The Soldiers haven’t given up a goal in the postseason, outscoring six opponents by a combined 24-0, with the latest shutout over No. 3 Ann Arbor Greenhills. Noecker, Russell and senior midfielder Riley Buchalski (5 goals, 5 assists) made the all-state first team last season, and DuPree made the second team.
MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 13-8-4, unranked
Coach: Bill Moulatsiotis, sixth season (72-49-7)
League finish: Tied for third in Lakes 8 Conference
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2008.
Players to watch: Jose Zambrano, jr. F; Connor O’Neill, sr. GK; Jose Mojica, jr. M. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Muskegon Catholic Central has been one of the surprises of the tournament, downing No. 4 North Muskegon, No. 9 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian and No. 18 Kalamazoo Hackett after falling to North Muskegon and Covenant Christian during the regular season. But Zambrano was an all-state second-team pick last season and O’Neill and Mojica were honorable mentions, so the upsets can’t be entirely shocking. The Crusaders have won 10 of their last 13 games.
PHOTO: Genesee Christian's Caleb DuPree (left) works to maintain control of the ball during last season's Division 4 Final win over Kalamazoo Hackett.
Preview: Surprise-Filled Tournament Set to Culminate with Memorable Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 4, 2022
Every MHSAA Tournament in every sport surprises us with some of the unexpected. Soccer this fall certainly has provided a few unanticipated moments to remember.
Saturday’s four Finals feature a team making its first championship game appearance, a second also seeking its first title and a third seeking its first this century, plus a Division 4 championship match pitting unranked contenders.
Division 1 - Comstock Park - Noon
Rochester Adams vs Rockford
Division 2 - Novi - Noon
Richland Gull Lake vs Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Division 3 - Comstock Park - 3 p.m.
Holland Christian vs Grosse Ile
Division 4 - Novi - 3 pm
Muskegon Western Michigan Christian vs Ann Arbor Greenhills
Tickets cost $11 and may be purchased online only at GoFan. All four Finals will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv.
Below is a glance at all eight teams taking the field, with statistics through Regionals:
Division 1
ROCHESTER ADAMS
Record/rank: 16-1-6, No. 8
Michigan Power Rating: No. 8
Coach: Josh Hickey, 14th season (157-87-55)
League finish: Fourth in Oakland Activities Association Red
Championship history: Division 1 champion 1999, two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jackson Craft, jr. F (21 goals, 10 assists), Luke Rosin, sr. D (14 goals, 16 assists), Nick Hopkins, jr. D (2 goals, 2 assists), John Coon, jr. GK (0.64 goals-against average, 12 shutouts).
Outlook: Adams is returning to the Finals for the first time since finishing Division 1 runner-up in 2014, and defeated top-ranked Troy and No. 10 Salem along the way. The Troy win avenged Adams’ only loss, and the Highlanders also had draws against No. 5 Troy Athens, No. 6 Clarkston and No. 7 Berkley in league play. Striker Connor Patritto is one of six senior starters and had added eight goals and three assists entering the week, while junior midfielder Colton Janes added six goals and 11 assists.
ROCKFORD
Record/rank: 22-0-1, No. 3
Michigan Power Rating: No. 3
Coach: Tim Boelman, second season (33-6-4)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Tegan Gumbs, soph. GK (0.53 goals-against average); Benjamin Battreal, sr. F (9 goals, 11 assists); Aidan Flanders, fr. F (6 goals, 8 assists); Andrew Bultman, sr. F (16 goals, 11 assists).
Outlook: The Rams are an early-September draw against No. 12 Grand Haven from a perfect record, and their run to their first Final has included wins over the Buccaneers and No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central. They’ve allowed only one goal over six postseason games, to Portage Central in the Regional Final. Senior midfielder Zenon Fedorowych had added six goals and six assists entering the week. Boelman has coached at every level of the program since first joining the staff in 2008.
Division 2
BLOOMFIELD HILLS CRANBROOK KINGSWOOD
Record/rank: 15-1-3, No. 3
Michigan Power Rating: No. 12
Coach: Chad O’Kulich, 27th season (320-71-37)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League AA
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2014.
Players to watch: Nathan Hooker, sr. M (10 goals, 8 assists); Bora Akgun, sr. GK (0.72 goals-against average). Evan Evans, sr. M (13 goals, 10 assists); Cameron Hannah, jr. M (13 goals, 5 assists).
Outlook: Cranbrook has returned to the Semifinals four times since its last championship, most recently in 2020 before taking the next step this season and returning to the Final. Hooker made the all-state third team last season and Akgun earned an honorable mention, and they with Evans and defenders Ian Chang and John Lee are senior starters. The Cranes have shut out four postseason opponents, including No. 10 Riverview in the Semifinal, and their only loss of the fall came in overtime to Division 1 No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central.
RICHLAND GULL LAKE
Record/rank: 21-3, No. 1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: Jeff Corstange, first season (21-3)
League finish: First in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2020), one runner-up finish.
Players to watch: Jasek Zielaskowski, sr. M/F (22 goals, 7 assists), Ryker Corstange, jr. F/M (19 goals, 25 assists), Tariku Klipsch, sr. M (15 goals, 7 assists), Zavier Thomas, jr. F (12 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: After closing the regular season with a pair of losses, Gull Lake has defeated No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, No. 8 Parma Western and No. 9 DeWitt on the way to this weekend. Jeff Corstange took over the Gull Lake boys program this fall after previously leading the girls varsity to three Division 2 championships and a 153-20-6 record over eight seasons. Ryker Corstange earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and junior keeper Evan Kaiser made the third team. Kaiser and junior Braden Minehart have nearly split time this season and combined for 14 shutouts.
Division 3
GROSSE ILE
Record/rank: 14-7, No. 14
Michigan Power Rating: No. 18
Coach: Jon Evans, seventh season (150-15-10)
League finish: Second in Huron League.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2020), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Drake Rossi, sr. M (16 goals, 12 assists), Joe Molnar, sr. M (12 goals, 5 assists); Cannon Kawadri, sr. D (5 goals, 6 assists); Hayden Watson, sr. D (2 goals, 1 assist).
Outlook: Grosse Ile will be playing in its fifth-straight Division 3 Final, having won titles in 2019 and 2020 and finished runner-up in 2018 and last season. Only 8-7 at the start of the playoffs, the Red Devils have defeated No. 13 Milan and No. 2 Detroit Country Day during this run and saw Troy, Riverview and Elk Rapids as part of a strong regular-season schedule. Kawadri made the all-state first team last season, and Watson made the third.
HOLLAND CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 19-1-3, No. 6
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: Dave DeBoer, 10th season (157-30-22)
League finish: First in O-K Blue
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2003).
Players to watch: Daniel Morgan, sr. GK (0.31 goals-against average,15 shutouts); Kyle Cannon, sr. F (16 goals, 3 assists); Lucas Freriks, sr. F (10 goals, 12 assists); Michael Pierce, sr. F (8 goals, 3 assists).
Outlook: The Maroons have navigated a postseason path that’s included wins over top-ranked Grand Rapids Catholic Central, No. 9 Elk Rapids and No. 15 Fennville. That lone loss came in the team’s third game of the season, against Grand Rapids South Christian, which entered the postseason No. 3 in Division 3. Morgan made the all-state second team last year and has given up seven goals this fall while playing all but two games.
Division 4
ANN ARBOR GREENHILLS
Record/rank: 8-6-4, unranked
Michigan Power Rating: No. 39
Coach: Lucian Popescu, 13th season (161-100-26)
League finish: Fifth in Detroit Catholic League AA
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2017, four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Lachlan Rae, jr. M (5 goals, 4 assists); Michael Zheng, jr. F (15 goals, 5 assists); Jay Vigan, sr. M (4 goals, 11 assists); Adrian Bardwell, sr. D.
Outlook: Greenhills came out of a league that includes Division 2 finalist Cranbrook, and the Gryphons played mostly larger teams before entering the postseason at 3-6-4. That preparation clearly has paid off as Greenhills has yet to give up a goal over five playoff games, with wins over No. 11 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, No. 6 Plymouth Christian Academy and No. 3 Lansing Christian along the way. Bardwell earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and sophomore Etienne Rouillard has a 1.2 goals-against average in net.
MUSKEGON WESTERN MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 15-8-2, unranked
Michigan Power Rating: No. 11
Coach: Ben Buursma, third season (37-23-6)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Seven MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), six runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Gavin Riksen, sr. F (18 goals, 5 assists); Charlie Buursma, jr. M (8 goals, 11 assists); Ashton Leffring, sr. F (22 goals, 18 assists); Cole DeJonge, soph. M (6 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: Western Michigan Christian rebounded from a 2-5 start to get to 10-8-2 by the end of the regular season, and then reached its 14th Final despite losing a top midfielder to injury during the run. The Warriors have won eight straight games, avenging losses to No. 13 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian and Leland during the playoffs and defeating top-ranked Hartford in a Regional Final. Leffring made the all-state second team last season.
PHOTOS (Top) Gull Lake's Jasek Zielaskowski gains possession during his team's Semifinal win Wednesday. (Middle) Greenhills' Raj Tiller gets a foot on the ball during a Gryphons' win over Monroe St. Mary. (Top photo courtesy of The Open Shutter Photo/Cindy Corstange. Middle photo by Lei Zheng.)