Oakland County’s streak of having at least one girls soccer state champion came to an end this season. The streak lasted 20 years. The last time a county team failed to win a state title was 1987 when Plymouth Salem won the Class A title and Saginaw Eisenhower won the Class B title. No county team even reached the finals that season. The following year was also the first year a county team won a girls soccer state title. The MHSAA started offering girls soccer in 1983 and the county failed to win a title during the first five years with Madison Heights Bishp Foley capturing the county’s first state title in 1988 when the Ventures won the Class B crown.

This season two county teams reached the finals with Bloomfield Hills Lahser falling in a shootout to Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in the Division 2 title game and Madison Heights Bishop Foley losing 1-0 to Kalamazoo Christian.

I don’t think a streak like this will happen again because 20 years is a long time. Of course there are more state titles to go around these days than there was when the streak started, but there is also a lot more talented teams outside the county than there used to be. The streak probably didn’t mean much to any of the players, but I was sad to see it end. Hopefully it won’t be more than a one-year drought.

Here is a list of the county’s state champions during the 20 year streak.

2007 — Novi - Division 1
2006 — Novi - Division 1
2005 — Novi - Division 1
2004 — Birmingham Marian - Division 2; Detroit Country Day – Division 3
2003 — Troy – Division 1; Birmingham Marian – Division 2; Madison Heights Bishop Foely – Division 3
2002 — Madison Heights Bishop Foley – Division 3
2001 —Madison Heights Bishop Foley – Division 2; Clawson – Division 4
2000 — Troy Athens – Division 1; Detroit Country Day – Division 4
1999 — Rochester Adams – Division 1; Madison Heights Bishop Foley – Division 2; Detroit Country Day – Division 3
1998 — Birmingham Groves – Division 2; Madison Heights Bishop Foley – Division 3
1997 — Madison Heights Bishop Foley – Class B
1996 — Detroit Country Day – Class B
1995 — Birmingham Seaholm – Class A; Madison Heights Bishop Foley Class B
1994 — Troy – Class A; Madison Heights Bishop Foley Class B
1993 — Troy Athens – Class A; Madison Heights Bishop Foley Class B
1992 — Rochester Adas Class A
1991 — Troy Athens Class A; Detroit Country Day Class B
1990 — Madison Heights Bishop Foley Class B
1989 — Troy Athens
1988 — Madison Heights Bishop Foley Class B