Birmingham United lacrosse ‘excited about the future’ after step-forward season

BIRMINGHAM — If they weren’t on everyone’s radar prior to this season, they are now.

Carrying one of the toughest schedules in the state this season, Birmingham United boys lacrosse not only improved its win total but did it against the best competition around.

Birmingham United, a co-op of Birmingham Seaholm and Birmingham Groves, started the season 7-1 collecting wins against Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, South Lyon East and Clarkston, who Birmigham lost to a year prior.

The second half of the season saw the Bulldogs go toe-to-toe with 2023 Division 1 state champions Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, which won 16 state championships since 2005, and 2024 state champions Detroit Country Day (D2) and Detroit Catholic Central (D1). You can throw Ada Forest Hills Eastern, who won 16 games this year, and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern into the mix as well.

Through the gauntlet, Birmingham United emerged 9-6 in regular season play and poised for a run in the state tournament.

“I definitely think that we had some games this year that proved our work was paying off and we could beat those top teams in the state,” senior Spencer Garrett said. “Although the score wasn’t in our favor, there were things in many of those games that we learned and were able to put to use as the season continued.”

The Bulldogs made quick work of Detroit Cass Tech in a 25-0 win and followed it up with a convincing 15-7 win over a Livonia Stevenson team, which is always in the double-digit win column, to set up a regional championship matchup with Brother Rice May 29.

Brother Rice would get the better end of Birmingham United by a final score of 15-3, ending its season for the third time in four years, but the gap may be closing in for the emerging Bulldogs.

“They’re (Brother Rice) not getting all the best athletes anymore and the best lacrosse players,” Birmingham United head coach Nick Stensen said. “They’re starting to come to us. I don’t know why, but it probably has to do with the facilities, the athletic department, our staff, our youth investment we’re making in the youth programs to keep kids instead of having them go away. We keep that up and good things are going to keep happening.”

The Birmingham Bulldogs Youth Lacrosse Program prides itself on developing and engaging with elementary and middle school lacrosse players in efforts to keep young athletes engaged in the sport and prepared for the high school level.

With camps year round and Birmingham United holding a strong relationship with the program, young Bulldogs are able to play at the high school facilities and work closely with high school players in the lacrosse program serving as coaches.

“I got to take part in coaching some of the youth teams right away,” junior Brett Feldamaier said. “I’ve had a great experience so far being able to see what the future looks like and just be able to teach the game of lacrosse to the younger kids.”

“I had played in the youth program since I was in third grade and coached in it for the last two years,” Garrett said. It is an awesome opportunity to help out in the youth program and have the two-way support as a result. Our high school team practiced with them and prepared them for varsity lacrosse, and the youth players came to our games and cheered us on. It’s always fun to look up and see them in the stands.”

Another key component to continuing a culture and upward trend of a program is an effective leadership group, and the Bulldogs had an embarrassment of riches.

It doesn’t get much better than a senior core led by James Chinonis, Jace Lugar, Cooper Jurkovich, Ethan Jeffrey, Dylan Gottesman, Connell Hughes, Nate Henderson, Jonny Lewand, Coen Nystrom, Sebastian Henry and Garrett

The all-State accolades added up for the senior group as Garrett (2nd team midfield), Chinonis (3rd team defense), Henry (HM defense) and Jeffrey (HM goalie) all earned selections. Garrett posted 33 goals and 22 assists while Chinonis, Henry and Jeffrey anchored a Bulldogs defense that allowed only eight goals per game.

“They were the first group, I would say, that I had enough time invested in them where they understood exactly what the expectation of them was, and they couldn’t have done better,” Stensen said. “They were a phenomenal senior class from a leadership standpoint, from a ‘this is my role’ standpoint and understanding what I need to do on and off the field, the way they performed in the classroom and on the field, and just the excitement to come to practice. They couldn’t have been better role models for our very talented freshman class to learn from and look up to, and that rubs off on the juniors and sophomores too.”

Birmingham United returns the bulk of its scoring department behind Feldmaier, a University of Michigan commit, and his younger brother, Brody Feldmaier, a freshman this season.

The Feldmaiers accounted for 99 of Birmingham United’s 231 goals this season, with Brett tallying 63 of his own with 34 assists en route to a second team all-State selection on attack.

“He’s (Brett Feldmaier) an all-American in any book,” Stensen said. “He’s one of the best players by far in the state.”

The Bulldogs will also return firepower on the scoring side courtesy of junior Frank Hill, who notched 19 goals and 28 assists this year while the defensive group hopes to see players eager to step up and fill the void of Chinonis and Henry.

With another year of success under its belt and a solid core returning, expect Birmingham United to be a threat in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state tournament.

“We’re in a really good place,” Stensen said. “We’re excited about the future. Now we have a program that is more running itself versus having to have so much hands-on involvement. Now it’s the right people who are in the right places, and they’re trusted to do their role.”