That’s a wrap.
Our fourth year in business has come to a close, and what a great year it was.
A total of 101 schools won one or more of the 127 team championships awarded by the Michigan High School Athletic Association during the 2012-13 school year – with six programs winning the first MHSAA team titles in any sport for their respective schools.
The Manchester girls basketball, Northwest girls bowling, Portland football, Harbor Beach football, Deckerville football, and Hamtramck Frontier International boys soccer teams brought home the first MHSAA team championships in their schools’ histories.
Not to mention that Ithaca walked away with its third straight Division 6 football crown, while remaining undefeated during that same stretch. The Yellowjackets will enter the 2013 season riding a 42-game winning streak while looking for another state championship. This could be another magical year for Ithaca.
Of those 127 championships, a total of 33 teams won their first MHSAA titles. A total of 46 champions were repeat winners from 2011-12, and 23 of those won for at least the third straight season. The Brother Rice boys lacrosse team has the longest title streak with nine seasons, while the St. Philip Catholic volleyball team has won six straight titles for the second-longest streak overall and longest among girls’ programs.
Cranbrook-Kingswood claimed the most championships of any school, four, by winning in Division 2 boys’ lacrosse, Lower Peninsula Division 3 girls’ swimming and diving, Lower Peninsula Division 3 girls’ tennis, and Division 3 ice hockey. Four schools won three titles apiece: Grand Rapids Christian, Grand Rapids South Christian, Marquette, and St. Ignace LaSalle.
Sixteen of the MHSAA’s 28 championship tournaments are unified, meaining the involve teams from both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, while separate competitions to determine titlists in each Peninsula are conducted in the remaining sports.
While it’s satisfying to look back, its always nice to look forward. Football season is less than two months away. Wow! Time does fly when you are having fun.