By BUTCH HARMON
The soccer season was an exciting one around mid-Michigan, but maybe nowhere was it more exciting than in Grand Blanc.
The Bobcats made it a habit of playing close matches all season, and that trend continued in the state tournament. Grand Blanc won a pair of one-goal matches in the district tournament, a one-goal match and an overtime match in the regionals, and then reached the Division 1 state title match, where it dropped a 1-0 decision to East Kentwood.
Playing in tight games was nothing new for Grand Blanc, as the Bobcats were involved in 13 one-goal games this season enroute to a 16-7-2 overall record.
In the district tournament, Grand Blanc defeated Flushing 7-1 in the opener, then edged Oxford 1-0, and finally turned back Lake Orion 4-3 in the district title match.
In the regional tournament, Grand Blanc opened with a thrilling 5-3 win against Rochester Stoney Creek. The Bobcats then won the regional title with a 1-0 shutout of Walled Lake Central.
Grand Blanc had a little more breathing room in the state semifinal, where it defeated Henry Ford II 2-0.
In the state title match against Kentwood, the Bobcats fell behind 1-0 early and were unable to break through for the game-tying goal.
“The way the season started, to get to the finals is a great accomplishment,” coach Greg Kehler said. “We’ve been in a lot of one-goal battles this year, and we just came out on the wrong end of this one. The way we battled all year, I think they’ll be happy. To get to the finals is a great accomplishment.”
The state final appearance was the second for Grand Blanc, as it also reached the final in 1987.
Williamston also dropped a one-goal game in the state final, as it fell 1-0 to Grand Rapids South Christian in Division 3.
Like Grand Blanc, Williamston had to win a number of close games to reach the state final. In the regional, the Hornets edged Freeland 3-2 before defeating Frankenmuth 2-0 in the title game.
Williamston punched its ticket for the championship match when it outlasted Elk Rapids 2-1 in overtime in the state semifinal.
“It was a tremendous run from this group,” coach Brent Sorg said. “It was neat to see, and it was something special to be a part of. The guys will remember this for a lifetime. It’s a life-long memory.”
In Division 2, both Mason and East Lansing enjoyed thrilling tournament runs. Mason dominated the district tournament at Western High School, as it won its three games by a combined score of 11-1. The Bulldogs then went on to the regional at Vicksburg, where they defeated Mattawan 1-0 in the semifinal before falling to Dexter 2-0 in the regional final.
East Lansing had a much rougher district row to hoe. The Trojans opened the tournament by edging rival DeWitt 1-0 in overtime. After defeating Hastlett 6-0 in the semifinal, the Trojans held off Lansing Eastern 2-1 in a district final thriller. East Lansing opened up regional play at Fenton with a 4-0 win against Lapeer East before dropping a 1-0 overtime decision to Petoskey in the regional title game.
In Division 4, both Lansing Christian and Genesee Christian were defeated by eventual state champion, Frontier International Academy. Lansing Christian lost a 1-0 decision in the regional final, while Genesee Christian fell 2-0 in the state semifinal.