CADILLAC — Many thought this would be the year for the Leland Comets. But they had to slay the dragon that ended their last two seasons if a state championship was going to be a part of Leland’s fairytale ending.
Unfortunately for the talented group of Comets, the dragon won again as Muskegon Western Michigan Christian took down Leland by a 2-0 final in the Division 4 regional championship final at Cadillac High School on Thursday.
“That’s the thing that’s going to sting because this is probably the best team we’ve ever had,” Leland head coach Sirrine said. “We already beat those guys (WMC) at the beginning of the year, so that’s frustrating. But they won it, and I have a sneaking suspicion that they’re going to go all the way and win it again. Whoever won this game, that’s who I thought would win the state finals.”
Leland (18-3-1) already had a victory this season over two-time defending state champion WMC (13-7-3) coming into Thursday’s action, winning 4-2 on Sept. 14. The Comets also came in as winners of three straight in the postseason, outscoring their opponents 24-0 in three mercy wins.
“We were going in confident but not overconfident,” Sirrine said. “We split with them two years ago when they won. We won and then they won. We need to switch that so they win the first game and we win this one.”
WMC took a 1-0 lead with 9:23 remaining in the first half on a Tekalegn Vlasma goal. The Comets remained calm, knowing there was a lot of game left to be played, but Leland remained a goal down at the break.
“It was a good battle on both sides,” Sirrine said. “We were talking beforehand about whoever scores first has a good chance of winning, and that’s kind of what happened. But I’m just super proud of our boys.”
Physical play throughout the night led to several yellow cards on both sides, and a yellow on Leland’s Talan Graham set up a free kick for WMC that led to a Cole DeJonge score with 31:07 remaining in the contest.
Both sides played aggressively for a better part of the remaining half hour of game time, trading runs back and forth before WMC switched to full defensive mode with a little more than four minutes left. The Comets took advantage of the change in tactic and put pressure on WMC in the final two minutes. A Leland goal that would have cut the deficit in half with 1:32 to play was disallowed after officials ruled WMC goalkeeper Daniel Minasian had yet to put the ball in play.
“We had multiple opportunities in the first half and pretty much the entire second half where we just took it to ‘em. We just couldn’t get the ball in the net,” Sirrine said. “But I’m really happy with these guys’ effort. They never quit, and that’s all you can ask as a coach.”
WMC managed to run down the final 30 seconds, ending the Comets’ season shy of their goal of a state championship.
“Once you get into this stage of the season, anything can happen — and you kind of know that,” Sirrine said.
Trey Roman, one of six senior Comets, told the underclassmen in the postgame huddle that while his high school soccer career might be over, Leland can still accomplish great things in 2025 and beyond.
“Yeah sure, it sucks losing to the same team three years in a row, but I’ve grown a lot and it’s made me a better player and made the team better,” Roman said. “I’m always going to be a part of this brotherhood. It hurts, but it builds me as a person, as a stronger individual — not just on the pitch but off it, too.”
That attitude just goes to show the character of this Leland team, Sirrine said.
“We’re getting emails and texts from teachers saying what great people these guys are, especially the seniors,” Sirrine said. “They’re mentors for the little kids at the school, and that is something we can carry on. There’s probably a bunch of them up in the stands still cheering us on.”
Sirrine had nothing but glowing things to say about Roman and his fellow seniors Liam Waskiewicz, Colby Conner, Landon Allen, Max Waldrup and Jael Gutierrez.
“These guys have been here all four years, so it’s going to be hard to say ‘goodbye’ to a great group of seniors,” Sirrine said. “But we’ve got good players coming up, and I’m sure they’ll be back to help coach. That seems to be a trend around here.”
Roman said he will always be glad to have been a part of the 2024 Leland Comets.
“It was special,” he said. “No team I’ve ever been a part of has been like the one we had this year. I’ll hold onto this forever.”