COLUMN: BOYS SOCCER: Final Four games provide some intriguing matchups
BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
The wild world of the boys soccer state tournament will conclude this week. After 2.5 weeks of close affairs, overtimes, shootouts, upsets and shockers in the revamped tournament which featured partially-seeded districts, the MHSAA has dwindled down to its Final Four in each of the state’s four divisions.
Additionally, the Michigan Association of Christian Schools has its state finals set for Saturday in its two divisions. This is the first time that both governing bodies will play their finals on the same weekend, as the MACS usually concludes one or two weeks before the MHSAA ends its tournament.
Below is a sneak peak of the upcoming games:
MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL
ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
DIVISION 1
TROY ATHENS (21-2-1) VS. PLYMOUTH SALEM (15-6-4) (6 p.m. at Troy High School): Athens, which was undefeated last season and ranked No. 1 only to be upset in the district finals by Utica Ford, is on a mission this season. The No. 2-ranked Red Hawks, finally healthy, have yielded only two goals in a game three times over two seasons (18 goals allowed in that two-year span) while its team athleticism and speed simply wears the opposition down. Athens has outscored the tournament opposition 14-2 and 73-11 overall for the year with 15 shutouts (31 shutouts over two seasons). Salem also played a brutally-tough schedule and finished third in the gauntlet of the KLAA-West Division but is unranked. The Rocks are a victim of their schedule yet have warmed up in time to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2013. The Rocks have outscored its postseason foes 13-4 and had to defeat Ann Arbor Pioneer 2-1 a shootout in the regional final Saturday night. The Rocks have a vaunted junior class and has played the schedule to pull off the upset of a nationally-ranked team (Athens is 47th).
PICK: Troy Athens 3, Salem 1
TRAVERSE CITY WEST (17-4-2) VS. NOVI (20-1-2)(6 p.m. at Holt High School): Traverse City West is in the semifinals for the first time since 2013 and Novi the first time since 2016. Like the other semifinal matchup, all four teams in Division 1 have long resumes of success in soccer and should provide for an interesting matchup. Despite winning the Big North Conference title for the 18th time in 21 years and 10th straight, the Titans never did crack the top 15 rankings. West upset top-ranked Okemos in the regional finals 1-0 after losing to the Chieftains 6-0 back on Aug. 26. Novi last won a title in boys soccer back in 1998, but have claimed six titles in the past 15 years in girls soccer. The Wildcats have been a top-15 staple in recent years and finally got over its tournament hex with Novi Detroit Catholic Central, which had knocked out the Wildcats seven times in the past decade. Novi has weapons and balance galore.
PICK: Novi 3, Traverse City West 2
DIVISION 2
MELVINDALE (15-3-2) VS. FENTON (16-5-1) (6 p.m. at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep): Two teams that have been quite competitive for several years finally meet up in the semifinals for the first time. Melvindale scheduled plenty of top-20 programs over the course of the season but fell out of top 15 earlier in the season. Two of Melvindale’s three losses were against teams that reached the D-1 regional finals, including Troy Athens. Ditto for Fenton in terms of scheduling. The Tigers finished 10-1 in the expanded Flint Metro League this year but lost to state-ranked Linden twice in the regular season only to avenge the Eagles in the district finals (21-). Fenton also holds a 16-5 tournament edge and upended defending champ Detroit Country Day in the regional finals after losing 4-0 to the Yellowjackets in the opening weekend DCD tournament.
PICK: Melvindale 2, Fenton 1 (SO)
MATTAWAN (19-3-3) VS. GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS NORTHERN (21-0-1) (6 p.m. at Holland High School): This is perhaps the most intriguing matchup since both teams have been ranked in the top five all season. The SWAC runner-up, fourth-ranked Mattawan is the 2016 state champ and a perennial favorite. The Wildcats own a 90-19 scoring differential with 11 shutouts, and outscored its tournament opposition 26-1. Second-ranked Forest Hills Northern opened up the season with a 0-0 draw against D-1 state-ranked Caledonia and have won 21 straight games. The Huskies finished as the state runner-up in 2015 and 2018, including a shootout loss last season to Detroit Country Day. FHN’s girls program has also lost in the finals four straight years. The Huskies have posted 15 shutouts and the OK White Division champs have a 100-9 scoring edge over its competition.
PICK: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 2, Mattawan 1
DIVISION 3
GROSSE ILE (22-2-1) VS. MACOMB LUTHERAN NORTH (15-3-1) (6 p.m. at Howell Parker Middle School): Third-ranked Grosse Ile, last year’s state runner-up, is seeking its first title since 2002. The Red Devils have perhaps the state’s most vaunted offense, chalking up a134-13 scoring edge with 16 shutouts. The telling tale is that both losses came against ranked teams in early-season tournaments, and both of those losses came in shootouts, the last back on Sept. 7. Lutheran North, finally healthy after some early-season injuries, is ranked eighth and playing very well. The Mustangs have only been to finals twice and last won a title back in 1987. North owns a 18-3 scoring edge in the tournament with three shutouts.
PICK: Grosse Ile 2, Macomb Lutheran North 1 (2OT)
LUDINGTON (13-9-3) VS. GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN (20-4-2) (6 p.m. at Cedar Springs High School): Fourth-ranked South Christian has bounced around the top 15 this season and is 3-2 all-time in state title games dating back to 2007. South holds a 21-3 scoring edge in the tournament and benefited from several upsets in their path to open the doors. The Sailors also upset top-ranked Holland Christian 2-1 in the regional finals and handed the Maroons their only loss. Ludington, a state runner-up in 2017, was an enigma this season, entering the tournament unranked and with a 9-9-3 record. The Orioles own back-to-back upset wins in the regional rounds and have held an 8-0 scoring edge in the postseason with five shutouts. All nine of Ludington’s clean sheets have come in the second half of the season.
PICK: Grand Rapids South Christian 3, Ludington 1
DIVISION 4
GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY-LIGGETT (17-2-1) VS. CLARKSTON EVEREST COLLEGIATE (15-3-1) (7 p.m. at Troy Athens): Liggett has been ranked in the top two all season and is 4-3 all-time in state finals. The Knights are going after their first title since 1999 and have four future college players on their roster. Liggett has also played a tough schedule. Unranked Everest Collegiate captured its first district and regional titles and is enjoying its best season in school history. The Mountaineers won just one game five years ago but have climbed the ladder. It ends tonight short of the summit.
PICK: Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett 3, Clarkston Everest Collegiate 1
DANSVILLE (24-2-1) VS. MUSKEGON WESTERN MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN (17-2-3) (6 p.m. at East Kentwood Crestwood Middle School): This is the dream season for Dansville, which is in the semifinals for the first time following a year where it loaded up its schedule and outscored the opposition 92-17. The Aggies have also pitched 16 shutouts, including clean sheets over back-to-back top 10 teams in the regionals. Western Michigan Christian is 6-7 all-time in state title matches and one of the state’s most respected small-school programs. This team holds a 73-14 scoring edge with 12 shutouts. A classic in the making?
PICK: Dansville 4, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian 3 (2OT)
MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS—STATE FINALS
DIVISION I
WATERFORD OAKDALE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (12-3-1) VS. MIDLAND CALVARY BAPTIST (13-3-1) (1 p.m. Saturday at Saginaw Swan Valley): Both of these teams have stories to tell. Midland Calvary, the MACS-I state runner-up via a shootout loss last season, only lost three players to graduation and returned eight starters. The top-ranked Kings also competed in the MHSAA Division 4 tournament for a first time, climbing to No. 15 in the D-4 rankings and losing 1-0 to Roscommon in the district finals. Oakdale Christian was the MACS-II state champion last season and didn’t graduate a single player. The Patriots bumped up to D-I enrollment-wise and have enjoyed a fine season.
PICK: Midland Calvary Baptist 3, Waterford Oakdale Christian Academy 1
DIVISION II
VASSAR JUNIATA CHRISTIAN VS. WIXOM CHRISTIAN (11 a.m. Saturday at Saginaw Swan Valley): Wixom Christian is going after its first title since the 1990s and Juanita is trying to enjoy another chance after losing to Oakdale 2-0 in last year’s title game. Wixom Christian is the top-seeded team for a reason, rolling past Waterford Lakecrest Baptist in the quarterfinals (9-1) and Lake Orion Baptist in the state semifinals (5-1).
PICK: Wixom Christian 5, Vassar Juniata Christian 1
(Dan Stickradt is a 26-year veteran freelance sportswriter in Michigan. He can be reached via email at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com. Follow on Twitter @LocalSportsFans)
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