BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR
Twitter: @MiSoccerNetwork
LANSING, Mich. – Back on top again.
The Byron Center West Michigan Home School Heat recently captured the Michigan Home School Boys Soccer State Cup behind a dominating weekend at the Lansing-based Hope Sports Complex. It marks the first state title since 2019 and fourth overall.
The Heat outscored its two Pool A opponents 19-0 and outscored its four opponents on the weekend by a commanding 26-1 margin back on Oct. 20-21 as part of their impressive run of postseason tournaments.
The West Michigan Heat posted a pair of shutouts in pool play, topping both the Traverse City Home School Bulldogs (15-0) and Canton Homeschool United (4-0) to advance to the semifinals Oct. 21 as the top seed.
In the state semifinals, the Heat defeated the Kalamazoo Home School Cougars (4-1) before they posted a third clean sheet of the weekend in the state championship match – this time a 3-0 victory over the Lansing Area Home School Dragons.
In the third-place match, the Brighton East Michigan Home School Panthers defeated the Kalamazoo Home School Cougars (1-0).
Less than 10 years into its existence as a varsity boys soccer program for home-school student athletes in thGrand Rapids area, the Heat have been consistently one of the best programs in the state of Michigan – and beyond.
The West Michigan Heat have claimed state titles in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023, while the Heat also have state runner-up showings in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
No game or individual statistics from the tournament were released to the Michigan Soccer Ne
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POOL PLAY RESULTS:
Byron Center West Michigan Home School Heat 15, Traverse City Home School Bulldogs 0
Byron Center West Michigan Home School Heat 4, Canton Homeschool United 0
Kalamazoo Home School Cougars 2, Romeo Summit Home School Mountaineers 0
Lansing Area Home School Dragons 5, Flint Chase Home School Conquerors 0
Brighton East Michigan Home School Panthers 1, Romeo Summit Home School Mountaineers 0
Canton Homeschool United 7, Traverse City Home School Bulldogs 0
Lapeer Faith Home School Falcons 2, Flint Chase Home School Conquerors 1
Brighton East Michigan Home School Panthers 2, Kalamazoo Home School Cougars 0
Lansing Area Home School Dragons 4, Lapeer Faith Home School Falcons 0
STATE SEMIFINALS:
Byron Center West Michigan Home School Heat 4, Kalamazoo Home School Cougars 1
Lansing Area Home School Dragons 2, Brighton East Michigan Home School Panthers 1
STATE FINALS:
Byron Center West Michigan Home School Heat 3, Lansing Area Home School Dragons 0
THIRD-PLACE GAME:
Brighton East Michigan Home School Panthers 1, Kalamazoo Home School Cougars 0
FIFTH-PLACE GAME:
Romeo Summit Home School Mountaineers 1, Canton Homeschool United 0
SEVENTH-PLACE GAME:
Lapeer Faith Home School Falcons 1, Traverse City Home School Bulldogs 0
OTHER CONSOLATION ROUND MATCHES:
Flint Chase Home School Conquerors 8, Traverse City Home School Bulldogs
Romeo Summit Home School Mountaineers 7, Flint Chase Home School Conquerors 1
Canton Homeschool United 2, Lapeer Faith Home School Falcons 0
COMPETITING HOME SCHOOLS:
Brighton East Michigan Home School Panthers
Byron Center West Michigan Home School Heat
Canton Homeschool United
Flint Chase Home School Conquerors
Kalamazoo Home School Cougars
Lansing Area Home School Dragons
Lapeer Faith Home School Falcons
Romeo Summit Home School Mountaineers
Traverse City Home School Bulldogs
DID NOT COMPETE:
Hudsonville Home School Hornets
Lapeer Home School Lakers
MIDWEST TOURNAMENT: West Michigan Heat prevails
FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- The West Michigan Heat finished 3-0-0 on Oct. 27-28 to win the Midwest Home School Fall Boys Soccer Tournament at Kraeger Park, Ky.
In the finals, the Heat defeated Chillicothe (Ohio) Landmark Christian Home School, 3-1.
In the third-place game, the Lansing Area Home School Dragons toppled Romeo Summit Home School
NATIONAL HOMESCHOOL NATIONAL TOURNAMENT-FALL BOYS SOCCER: West Michigan Heat national runners-up
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Byron Center West Michigan Heat advanced to the national championship game at Camp Jordan Park in Chattanooga but ran out of steam.
The Heat finished 2-1-1 at the National Home School Fall Boys Soccer Championships to finish as the national runner-up.
It marks the sixth straight year a Michigan-based team reached the national finals.
The Heat opened up with a 5-0 shutout of the Indianapolis (Ind.) Indy Warriors FC and followed that up with a 1-1 draw against Cary (N.C.) Southwest Wake Wolves to conclude pool play.
In the Gold National Semifinals, West Michigan tamed the Concord (N.C.) Greater Carbarrus Athletic Association Home School Stallions 5-2 before falling in the finals with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Raleigh (N.C.) New Life Camp Storm.
In all, the West Michigan Heat held a 12-6 scoring edge with one shutout at the fall boys soccer national tournament.
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