Roeper soccer team grabs school's 1st state title in any sport

Bloomfield Hills school is known for academic success

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. – Being the best, at least in the classroom, is the norm for this group of guys.

"We had a team dinner after school and when I walked into the room they were eating. I figured I'd find them yucking it up," varsity soccer coach Ed Sack said. "But now, instead they were all doing their homework and helping each other."

On the field, the Roeper School has had its successes in its 75 years in existence, but no team has ever been the best in the state, in any sport.

Until now.  

"It's really special that we can bring the community together with this championship," senior forward Max Whipple said. "Since we won it, we've had people from way back contacting us. We've energized the community has a whole."

The school's boys varsity soccer team recently won the Division Four State Championship by beating Grand Rapids Christian Covenant.

They now had the title, the hardware and hard work to prove it.  

"It's great knowing we can come in be thought of as the ‘smart kids' and that we don't have any place on the field," senior sweeper Michael Matthews said. "We worked hard a proved we belonged on the field."

The really cool thing is, it's school policy to allow any student, regardless of ability to play any sport they choose. In essence, they have a ‘no-cut' policy which means everyone gets a chance to play. 

"It's extremely unique," Sack said. "Every student put in the same work, experienced the same things. The reward for the players who didn't play all that much, is they gained all those team-building skills."

As the coach put it, his 19 players, pursue excellence in the classroom and on the field. That's a win-win for the Roughriders from Roeper.


About the Author:

Jamie anchors sports coverage on Local 4 News Saturdays at 6 & 11 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m., in addition to hosting Sports Final Edition.