(Have photos to go with this story? Email pics to Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com and dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com and also list the photo credit as well.)
MICHIGAN SOCCER NETWORK: MSN NEWS: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/msnnews
BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR | DIRECTOR OF NEWS
Michigan Soccer Network | Premier Media Group and affiliates
BUSINESS LINE: (248) 525-2349
CELL PHONE: (248) 884-1051
TW/X: @msn_stickradt @LocalSportsFans @MiSoccerNetwork
ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Plymouth Christian finished third in a deep Michigan Independent Athletic Conference-Blue Division this season, a conference with a ton of rich history dating back to the 1980s.
The Eagles hope to continue its pace against state-ranked teams after playing a touch schedule.
Plymouth Christian never trailed Division 4 fourth-ranked Detroit Cristo Rey Tuesday night, topping the Wolves 2-1 and handing Cristo Rey its first and only loss of the season in a regional semifinals clash at Royal Oak Shrine Catholic.
Caedmon Whipple, a two-time All-State performer for the Eagles, scored both goals to lift Plymouth Christian to the regional finals.
Whipple converted a penalty kick after beginning tripped up in the box, which forced a red card ejection to Cristo Rey and forcing the Wolves to play a man down.
Samuel Granados scored for Cristo Rey (14-1-1) but Whipple scored again in the second half to thrust the Eagles back into the lead.
Plymouth Christian, which improved to 13-5-3 overall, finished 6-2-2 in the MIAC-Blue and that league had four teams ranked or listed as honorable mention in the MIHSSCA polls. The Eagles have now outscored their opposition 64-31 with seven shutouts.
Detroit Cristo Rey finished up its best season in program history with a 14-1-1 overall record. The Wolves were CHSL-Intersectional 1 champions, CHSL-Cardinal Tournament champs and Division 4 district champions for the first time since the school opened back in 2008.
Cristo Rey outscored its opposition 61-16 this season with six clean sheets and were never kept off the scoreboard in any game this season.
ROYAL OAK SHRINE CATHOLIC 1, JACKSON CHRISTIAN 0: Shrine has lost just one game this season, and that came back on Oct. 1 against Detroit Cristo Rey (2-0) in the CHSL-Cardinal Tournament championship match.
The Knights have not lost since that rough day, where sickness caused several players to sit out some games at the end of September and beginning of October, including the loss to Cristo Rey.
Regional host Shrine, now 14-1-3 on the season behind a stellar 61-9 scoring edge and 10 shutouts, will play honorable mention Plymouth Christian at 7 p.m. Thursday night in the Division 4 regional finals.
In a game seemed destined for overtime, junior Caden Whitbeck scored the game’s only goal in the 78th minute to lift the Knights into the regional finals for just the second time.
Sean Murphy notched the clean sheet against Jackson Christian, the Knights’ 10th of the season. It marked the 15th game of the campaign where the opposition was held to one or no goals and lowered Shrine’s team goals-against-average down to a superb 0.50 for the season. The Knights have only conceded two goals in a game three times in 18 matches.
Shrine has outscored the opposition 12-0 in the postseason. The Knights are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games and hold a 36-5 scoring edge during that stretch.
Jackson Christian ended up 16-4-1 with perhaps its best overall season since finishing as the Class D state runner-up back in 1996 under the name Jackson Baptist. The Royals, the Independent Soccer League champions at 3-0-1 this year, held an impressive 91-23 scoring edge this season with eight shutouts but were kept off the scoreboard for the first time since a 0-0 draw against Hillsdale Academy back on Sept. 23.
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(Have a story suggestion for the Premier Media Group and the Michigan Soccer Network regarding club soccer, high school varsity, amateur soccer, collegiate soccer or professional soccer involving teams, players or coaches with Michigan ties, contact Communications Specialist/Web and Content Editor/Director of News Dan Stickradt via email at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com or dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com, or call 248-884-1051 or 248-525-2349. Dan Stickradt is a 31-year veteran of the Michigan Media circles and recently joined the staff full time in March of 2024. Want to schedule a broadcast game or live show, contact PMG/MSN Director of Broadcasting Jonathan Turner for availability and pricing at jonathan@michigansoccernetwork.com and jonathan@thepremiermediagrp.com.)
(MSN will compile a random sampling of game results from around the state each day. To send in results from high school varsity, club, amateur, pre-pro, semi-pro or professional soccer, email all pertinent details to Communications Specialist / Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com and dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com or submit information right on the correct link on the MSN website at https://www.michigansoccernetwork.com/reportascore. Please submit the competing teams, location and date of game, final score, overall and league records, goals, assists, goalkeepers and saves, standout defenders, players of the match, and any other pertinent details of the game. If there are courtesy action photos available, feel free to submit them at the above-listed emails.)
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(Have photos to go with this story? Email pics to Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com and dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com and also list photo credit as well.)
BOYS SOCCER: MSN SUPER 50 TEAMS POSITIONS 41-50: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/boys-soccer-super-50-teams-positions-41-50
BOYS SOCCER: MSN SUPER 50 TEAMS POSITIONS 31-40: https://www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/boys-soccer-msn-super-50-teams-positions-31-40
BOYS SOCCER: MSN SUPER 50 TEAMS POSITIONS 21-30: BOYS SOCCER: MSN Super 50 Teams Positions 21-30:
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