Moment: Foley Title Count Reaches Dozen

May 5, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Madison Heights Bishop Foley owns MHSAA girls soccer records with 17 Finals appearances and 12 championships.

The Ventures’ most recent in both categories came down to the final minutes and a memorable “moment” supplied by their skillful star forward.

Today’s recalls Erin Weide’s game-winning goal to get Foley past previously-undefeated Lansing Christian 2-1 in the 2011 Division 4 Final. Weide beat two defenders and fired a shot hard enough to be deflected and still find its way into the net with a little more than two minutes to play. She also had assisted on her team’s first goal of the contest.

Bishop Foley significantly outshot the Pilgrims on the day, 22-6, and Lansing Christian keeper Kayleigh Bytwerk remains tied for eighth-most saves in Finals history after making 13 that afternoon.

Weide went on to star at Adrian College, while Bytwerk played basketball and then switched to volleyball at Spring Arbor, becoming a standout in the latter.

Click for coverage of Bishop Foley’s 2011 championship win from the Oakland Press and watch Weide’s winner below from the MHSAA Network.

Be the Referee: Soccer Referee Jersey Colors

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

November 1, 2022

Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.

Below is this week's segment – Soccer Referee Jersey Colors - Listen

A soccer match is about to start between two teams – one wearing road white uniforms and one wearing its home blues. It’s pretty easy to spot the referee in the middle of the field wearing a bright yellow referee jersey.

But what if the home team is nicknamed the Yellow Jackets and they are also wearing bright yellow jerseys?

Soccer officials come prepared. They have a number of different colored jerseys, so they can wear something that contrasts with both teams. While yellow is the default color, they can very easily change into a distinctive uniform if needed – as red, blue, green and black are also acceptable colors. They may even choose to wear a color different from what the goalkeepers are wearing. The last thing a referee wants is to be mistaken for a player on the field.

Previous Editions:

Oct. 18: Cross Country Tie-Breaker - Listen
Oct. 11: Soccer Shootouts - Listen
Oct. 11: Safety in End ZoneListen
Oct. 4: Football Overtime Penalty - Listen
Sept. 27: Kickoff Goal - Listen
Sept. 20: Soccer Timing - Listen
Sept. 13: Volleyball Replays - Listen
Sept. 6: Switching Sides - Listen
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change
- Listen