HILLSDALE COUNTY — Every championship season creates moments that players, coaches and fans remember for years. From dramatic district-title victories and deep tournament runs to program-defining state championships, Hillsdale County teams delivered no shortage of memorable performances during the 2025-26 high school sports calendar year.
To celebrate those accomplishments, the Hillsdale Daily News has selected its favorite team championship moments from the past year of MHSAA sanctioned sports. One team was chosen for each MHSAA sport, with the exception of one tie and programs that had both a boys and girls team champion. Readers may vote for their favorite championship moments from the 2025-26 calendar year of sports.
Voting will remain open through Friday, July 31. Readers may vote multiple times for their favorite championship team. As with all online polls, voting activity will be monitored, including for foreign IP addresses. The poll closes at 11:59 p.m. (EST).
Here is a look back at the teams that made this year’s list. The winners of the poll will be crowned the reader choice favorite team championship moment of 2025-26.
Fall Sports
(Tie) Camden-Frontier and Hillsdale Academy Volleyball
Between Hillsdale Academy’s state quarterfinal run and Camden-Frontier’s thrilling district championship victory, volleyball fans in southern Hillsdale County had plenty to celebrate.
Led by first-team all-area and all-league standout Zailey Conroy, Camden-Frontier defeated rival Reading in a five-set battle to capture the Division 4, District 117 championship. Conroy delivered one of her best performances of the season with six aces, 15 assists and 16 digs. The match featured momentum swings throughout before coach Dawn Follis and the RedHawks secured the title in one of the county’s most memorable postseason contests.
Hillsdale Academy once again proved it belongs among the area’s premier volleyball programs. Coach Katherine Huffman’s Colts defeated state-ranked Concord in four sets to claim the Division 4, District 118 championship and continue the program’s impressive postseason tradition. Daily News Volleyball Co-MVPs Liz Creger and Liz Andaloro helped lead the Colts to both an SCAA East title and another district crown.
The district championship opened the door to an even bigger postseason run. Hillsdale Academy survived a dramatic five-set regional semifinal against state-ranked Adrian Lenawee Christian before advancing to the regional final against Lansing Christian. The Colts swept Lansing Christian in three sets to earn the program’s first state quarterfinal appearance since 2013.
Creger recorded 21 kills and four blocks in the regional championship match, while Andaloro added 40 assists. Although the Colts were later eliminated by eventual state runner-up Mendon, the postseason run stands as one of the program’s best achievements in more than a decade.
Pittsford Football
Pittsford football added another championship season to its long history of success in 2025.
Led by SCAA East captain and Daily News 8-player football Co-MVP Jacob Drawe, the Wildcats claimed a second consecutive conference championship. Pittsford secured the title with a thrilling 52-44 victory over runner-up Waldron in one of the year’s most entertaining games.
Coach Mike Burger’s Wildcats finished 8-3 overall and advanced to the regional semifinal round of the playoffs before falling to Britton Deerfield.
The season also produced numerous individual honors. Drawe and Hunter Peiffer earned SCAA Dream Team recognition, while eight additional Wildcats received all-league honors. Both Drawe and Peiffer were named all-region by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association.
Drawe was also named all-state and finished as the runner-up for Daily News Offensive Player of the Year. He accounted for 33 touchdowns and accumulated more than 2,000 combined passing and rushing yards. Brendan Nave and Ethan Pickford received honorable mention recognition in the Daily News postseason awards, helping make Pittsford one of the county’s most decorated teams of the year.
Hillsdale Academy Boys Soccer
Fueled by an experienced senior class and a challenging schedule, Hillsdale Academy continued its postseason success under coach Neal Brady.
The Colts captured a sixth consecutive district championship behind seniors Dawson Scharer, Adam Alvarez, Connor Hill and Gabe McArthur. Their district run included victories over Will Carleton Academy, Jackson Lumen Christi and Jackson Christian, with the championship game ending in a dramatic 4-3 victory.
Despite finishing 13-7-2 overall, Hillsdale Academy entered the postseason battle-tested after facing several strong opponents throughout the season. That experience paid off during tournament play and helped the Colts advance to the regional semifinals.
The postseason run ended with a narrow 1-0 loss to eventual state runner-up University Liggett, but the season still produced numerous honors. Justin Busby earned Division 4 all-state second-team recognition, McArthur was selected to the third team, and Alvarez, Scharer and Danny Rodriguez received honorable mention honors.
Hillsdale Academy Boys and Girls Cross Country
Few teams dominated as consistently as Hillsdale Academy’s cross country programs.
Led by all-state standouts Evelyn Meyer and Grayson Rorick, both the boys and girls teams captured conference and regional championships. The Colts’ success was built on depth, experience and strong performances throughout the postseason.
At regionals, Rorick, Luke Molenkamp, Timothy Gaebler and Peter Winn all finished among the top five for the boys team, with Rorick winning the individual regional championship.
For the girls, Meyer finished regional runner-up while Allie Miller also earned top-five honors. Eliza Roberts and Elizabeth Caspar added top-10 finishes.
The boys team capped off its season with a third-place finish at the state finals, while the girls earned a state runner-up trophy, giving Hillsdale Academy two of the county’s most successful teams of the fall season.
Winter Sports
Hillsdale Academy Girls Basketball
After an undefeated SCAA East championship season, Hillsdale Academy continued its success deep into the postseason.
Coach Jennifer Clark’s Colts won district victories over North Adams-Jerome and Reading, defeating the Rangers 39-22 in the championship game. Hillsdale Academy followed that performance with a convincing 59-30 regional semifinal victory over Lawrence.
The Colts combined balanced scoring with outstanding defense throughout the season. Seniors Liz Creger and Darby Horsfall helped lead a veteran roster that produced one of the program’s strongest seasons of the decade and advanced to a regional championship game appearance.
Jonesville Boys Basketball
No team delivered more postseason drama during the winter than Jonesville boys basketball.
Coach Jeff Turner’s Comets entered tournament play after winning 10 of their final 12 regular-season games and quickly proved they were capable of a deep run.
Jonesville defeated Hudson 89-84 in a memorable triple-overtime district semifinal before knocking off Quincy 51-46 in the district championship game. The victories were among the most entertaining postseason contests of the school year.
The Comets were led by all-state standout Caleb Blonde, who enjoyed a career season and earned Cascades Conference Dream Team honors. Jonesville eventually fell in another close battle against Ecorse in the regional semifinals, but its postseason run remains one of the most memorable of the winter season.
Jonesville Boys and Girls Bowling
Coach Matt Molinaro’s Jonesville bowling programs dominated from start to finish.
Both teams went undefeated in Cascades Conference play and claimed league championships before entering the postseason ranked among the top Division 4 teams in Michigan. Senior Marshall Baker captured an individual conference championship and helped lead the boys team throughout the year.
Jonesville’s boys and girls teams each won regional championships and advanced to the state finals. The boys eventually reached the state semifinals, while the girls were led by all-state sophomore Morgan Dilyard.
The combination of conference titles, regional championships and state-final appearances made Jonesville bowling one of the county’s premier success stories of the winter season.
Reading Wrestling
Reading wrestling finally reached a team milestone that had narrowly escaped the program for years.
The Rangers had enjoyed considerable individual success, producing all-state wrestlers, state finalists and even a state champion in recent seasons. A team district championship, however, remained elusive.
That changed in 2026 when Reading captured a Division 4 district title. The Rangers defeated Jonesville 36-27 in an exciting semifinal dual before dominating Homer 60-16 in the championship match.
Isaac Westfall led the team’s effort. He earned district, regional and conference championships before advancing to the Division 4 state finals at 215 pounds, helping anchor one of the program’s most successful team seasons in nearly a decade.
Spring Sports
Hillsdale Academy Boys and Girls Track and Field
Hillsdale Academy track and field delivered one of the greatest accomplishments in county athletics history.
Coach Mike Roberts guided the Colts boys team to its first MHSAA team state championship, a milestone achievement for a program already known for sustained excellence. Hillsdale Academy scored 46 points to win the Division 4 state title over Eau Claire and Shrine.
Combined with conference, regional and MITCA team state championships, the season stands as arguably the best in program history.
Dawson Scharer led the way by winning state championships in both hurdle events and helping anchor the Colts’ 4×400 relay team. His final race helped secure the team title and capped a remarkable season.
The girls team was nearly as successful, winning conference, regional and MITCA team state championships while earning six individual all-state honors and two relay all-state honors. Junior Lucy Cote highlighted the season with all-state performances in the hurdles and as part of the 4×400 relay.
Hillsdale Academy Boys Golf
It was a challenging start to the season but coach Rolla Frisinger’s Hillsdale Academy boys golf team was able to seal both a SCAA conference championship and a regional title the same week of the spring sports season. It’s a younger Colts team than in previous seasons, but the Colts managed to break through to another state finals trip thanks in part to junior Edward Keaster’s career-best day that won him an individual regional title. He birdied three par-fours on his way to winning the title. The Colts finished out the year with a top 10 team finish at state on the campus of Michigan State University, and the team returns many of those golfers this next spring.
Jonesville Baseball
Jonesville baseball produced our favorite postseason run of the 2025-26 calendar year.
The Comets entered the playoffs as a solid team, but few expected them to come within one victory of a state quarterfinal berth. Jonesville opened tournament play with a tense 1-0 victory over Quincy before defeating Hanover-Horton 8-3 in the district championship game.
Pitching from Marshall Baker and Carson Young fueled the postseason success.
The run continued with a dramatic 9-8 extra-inning victory over state-ranked Centreville in the regional semifinals. Young delivered a walk-off single that scored Baker and sent the Comets to the regional championship game.
Jonesville’s season ended with a competitive 4-2 loss to Detroit Edison in the regional final, but the postseason journey became one of the year’s most unforgettable stories.
Reading Softball
With a new coach, a young roster and only one senior, Reading softball experienced its share of challenges during the regular season. Once the postseason arrived, however, the Rangers looked every bit like the championship program they have become.
Reading captured an unprecedented fifth consecutive district championship by defeating Camden-Frontier 12-2 in five innings in the Division 4, District 118 title game.
Junior Leah Headley led the Rangers and earned all-league, all-area Dream Team and Spring MVP nominee honors for her performances in the circle.
Reading’s underclassmen-led squad looks to be in good hands under coach Morgan Aemisegger, and we are expecting Reading to be back on the championship list at the end of the upcoming 2026-27 calendar year of prep sports in Hillsdale County.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Our favorite Hillsdale County team champions of 2025-26, voting poll
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News | USA TODAY Network
