By John Raffel
MaxPreps.com
It would seem natural that a community with the name of Homer would have a special relationship with baseball. That's been the case with Homer, Mich., which defeated Holton 3-2 last spring for the Division 4 baseball state title.
Homer was Division 4 state runner-up under coach Scott Salow in 2005 and won the title in 2004 with a 5-1 win in the title game over Shepherd.
Homer was 38-1 in winning its second state title last season. When it won the title in 2004, Homer was 38-0.
Salow is confident his team can make another run, but realizes it won't be easy.
"We graduated 12 seniors plus eight starters from last year's team," Salow said. "We're off to a 6-5 start. We're struggling so far."
But an impressive 3-2 victory earlier this week against Athens has Salow confident his team can turn things around.
Standout players for Homer include Brad Butler, a junior left-handed pitcher.
Homer featured co-Mr. Baseball players for Michigan last year in Dan Holcomb, a right handed pitcher now at Evansville, and Dale Comstubble, a freshman catcher at Central Michigan University.
Boys Track
Ypsilanti and coach Torin Moore shared the Division 2 boys state title with Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern last season, but this year, they would prefer winning it outright.
"We were top heavy with our seniors," Moore said. "The high jump, long jump and 400-meter run were our main keys. Discipline helped us win the championship."
Moore believes he has the depth necessary to win another title.
"It's possible," he said. "The 4x100 relay team is strong. So is the 4x400 relay. And we're strong in the open 200, the open 400, the 300 hurdles, the 100-meter dash and the shot put. We should be tough in the 800, too."
Moore has three returning runners on the 400-meter relay team with E.J. Wilson, Marvin Sanders, and Martez Dykes.
Softball
Harper Woods Regina has won three-straight Division I softball state championships and coach Diane Laffey is hoping she has her team bidding for a fourth-consecutive crown.
Laffey's team won the 2006 title with an 8-0 win over. Her top pitcher, Nicole Nemitz, is now at Michigan.
"We have five starters back from last year. Right now, we're 6-1," Laffey said. "We lost in the finals of a tournament. We have the ability to come from behind. We feel good about that. But we'll have to score some more runs."
Kristen Gulock, a senior, has emerged as the team's No. 1 pitcher after being No. 2 last year. Paige Shields and Tara LaMilza are the team's top two hitters.
Several teams pose a threat to Regina's bid for a four-peat.
"Clinton Township Chippewa Valley is who we lost to in the tournament," Laffey said. "Grosse Pointe North and Plymouth Canton will also be tough.
"We start a freshman and we also have a sophomore at second base," he said. "We'll only get better."
Girls Golf
Leon Braisted finally hit the jackpot with his Divison 2 golf team at Birmingham Seaholm, which won the state title in 2006. His squad was runner-up to Dexter in 2004 and 2005.
"Last year, leadership was the key. I've had the same girls for three years in a row. This year, I've got my top two girls coming back," he said, referring to senior Louisa Shu and sophomore Alexandra Lipa. "As a junior, she made super team All-State. Alexandra made All-State Division 2. She shot a 73 at the recent Grosse Ile Invitational while Louisa shot a 77, despite being ill at that time and not having picked up a club for seven days. But she knows she could have done better.
"But the Grosse Ile tournament showed us what everyone has. We have a serious chance of repeating for the state title."
But teams like Livonia Ladywood, Dexter, Forest Hills Central and Greenville will challenge his squad, he said.
"We have some of those teams coming to a tournament in Plymouth at the St. Johns golf couse," Braisted said. "I know my top two can play very well. I need the other three to four girls to get ready for the state tournament."
Girls Lacrosse
Okemos, located outside of Lansing, is looking to be a state lacrosse power this spring. Okemos had a 13-5 record last year before losing in the regional semifinals to Lansing Waverly.
Coach Kim Hagen is in her third year at Okemos and likes her team's prospects.
"We will be athletic," Hagen said. "We have lots of new faces added to a core group, which has been together now for two years. With the influx of talent from our strong middle school program plus lots of individual training in the offseason, the team really could lighten things up this spring. We will look forward to each playoff contest with higher expectations and plenty of enthusiasm."
Returning starters for Okemos include senior middlefielder Rachel Rideout, a third-year varsity player who is a two-time all-state star. Goalie Bre Stockall is only a sophomore.