Lumen Christi

By Jeff Steers JTV Sports (June 16, 2024 7:30 AM ET) During a 20-minute span, Lumen Christi Catholic High School goalie Izzy Ermatinger played the best soccer of her life. She made a save with 12 seconds remaining in the second overtime against Kalamazoo Christian to keep the Titans tied at 1-all. Ermatinger was the first to kick a shootout goal – despite being a goalie – and calmly made it look easy. Finally, she stopped three-of-four shootout attempts from Kalamazoo Christian giving the Titans a 2-1 win and its first state title in girls’ Division 4 soccer. Ermatinger plans to attend Central Michigan University next fall and not continue to play soccer – at least college soccer. If Friday is her last memory of competitive soccer, what a way to go out. “That is something that I always thought about … and it came true today,” Ermatinger said of winning a state title for her school. After stopping the third of four shootout attempts by KCHS, the senior – now graduate – from Lumen Christi failed to realize the game was over. The Titans had converted on three-of-four shootout goals to earn the win. “I really did not know…

Baseball D-3 State Final Watervliet 9, Lumen Christi 1: The Titans ran out of comebacks in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 state baseball finals against Watervliet. Lumen Christi committed five errors in the loss, but the future looks bright according to Coach Phil Clifford. “We have a nice mix of players coming back … should be loaded for the next few seasons.” Lumen Christi ends the season with a 30-11 record. Nathan Hinkley knocked in the only run for LCCHS with a single in the fourth inning. Brodie Gregory and Jack Fitzpatrick each collected two hits for Lumen Christi. Caleb Jewell scattered seven hits on the mound for Watervliet and struck out six batters – including the final three in the seventh inning. The Panthers finished the season with a 31-7 record and its first state title in baseball. Enjoy your summer! JTV

Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports. Lumen Christi Wins Div. 4 State Soccer Championship Division 4 soccer final Lumen Christi 2, Kalamazoo Christian 1 (Shootout): Lumen Christi scored four minutes into the contest then had to wait nearly 100 game minutes to score again. Codi Ruge scored her 17th goal of the season at the 36:08 mark of the first half on an assist by Paityn Petitto. The Titans led 1-0 at halftime of the Division 4 state final at Demartin Field at Michigan State University. Kalamazoo came out determined in the second half and scored two minutes into the contest to tie the match. Neither team scored the remainder of the second half or the two, 10-minute overtime periods. The two teams went into a shootout with Lumen Christi scoring goals by Izzy Ermatinger, Paige Lefere, and Petitto. Ermatinger stopped three of four shots by Kalamazoo Christian to stymie the Comets. It is the first state title in girls’ soccer for Lumen Christi having been runners-up in 2000 in D-4. It is the first state title for Coach Blake Newman-Gillig who has a 43-31-4 record in four seasons of coaching. The Titans finished the season with a 14-7 record…

Photos, story by Jeff Steers JTV Sports  (June 13, 2024 3:14 PM ET) Supporters and players on the Lumen Christi Catholic High School baseball team are wearing a T-shirt saying, “Find a Way.” They found a way Thursday in the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Division-3 state baseball semifinals. All the way to the state final. Lumen Christi scored three times in the bottom of the seventh inning earning a 3-2 win over Charlevoix in the D-3 semifinal at Dayton McLane Baseball Stadium on the campus of Michigan State University. The Titans face Watervliet Saturday in the D-3 state final at MSU beginning at 9 a.m. Lumen Christi was stymied by Charlevoix pitcher Bryce Johnson through six innings with only three hits. But the Titans took advantage of two errors by Charlevoix in their final at bat to pull out the win. Timmy Crowley was hit by pitch to open the inning for the Titans and a single by Jack Fitzpatrick put two runners on base. But the rally was slowed as a bounce out and strikeout gave LC runners on first and third. Brody Gregory and Kash Kalahar reached on errors to tie the game at 2-all. Benny Gaston…