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Bloomfield Hills Today
By the People, for the People
Country Day holds off Hess' former team for 9-7 win over Cranbrook
Detroit Country Day boys lacrosse coach JD Hess faced his former team, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, in a close matchup.
Apr. 10, 2026 at 2:40am
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A cubist interpretation of the intense action and competitive spirit of a high school lacrosse matchup between two of Michigan's top programs.Bloomfield Hills TodayIn a matchup between Detroit Country Day and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, Country Day coach JD Hess faced his former team. Cranbrook led at halftime, but Country Day regrouped in the second half to pick up a 9-7 victory. The win improves Country Day's record to 4-0 on the season, with wins over top programs like Detroit Catholic Central and East Grand Rapids.
Why it matters
This game was a homecoming of sorts for Country Day coach JD Hess, who previously coached the Cranbrook program from 2021-2025. The matchup between Hess' current and former teams provided an intriguing storyline, as Cranbrook looked to upset the defending state champions.
The details
Cranbrook came out strong, taking a 3-1 lead after the first quarter. Country Day responded with three straight goals to take a 4-3 lead, but Cranbrook answered with two goals from Gabe Phelps to take a 5-4 lead into halftime. In the third quarter, Country Day found its groove, scoring five of the six goals to take control of the game. Senior goalie Michael Curis made 11 saves to preserve the victory for Country Day.
- On Thursday night, April 9, 2026, the game was played at The Oval at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood.
The players
JD Hess
The first-year head coach of the Detroit Country Day boys lacrosse team, who previously coached the Cranbrook program from 2021-2025.
Chris Shevins
The new head coach of the Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood boys lacrosse team, taking over for Hess.
Michael Curis
The senior goalie for Detroit Country Day, who made 11 saves to preserve the victory.
Rhys Kenney
The Detroit Country Day player who led the offensive push in the third quarter, scoring two goals.
Gabe Phelps
The Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood player who scored two goals to give his team the lead in the second quarter.
What they’re saying
“First things first, shout out to Cranbrook. Their boys played awesome, played hard, which was to be expected. They have an awesome new coach. They have a lot of good players, and they came out ready to go, and we didn't.”
— JD Hess, Detroit Country Day Head Coach
“They played as a team, and that's the most important thing. They're believing in each other. They're not feeling as if they need to do everything themselves. They're believing in the systems. They're believing that the way we're going to be successful is through executing as a unit offensively, defensively, faceoff, special teams, and that's why we had as much success as we had today.”
— Chris Shevins, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood Head Coach
“I think it was ultimately our guys just making the plays in the second half that they needed to make. We had a couple of minor changes here and there, but ultimately our guys that we needed to step up, stepped up.”
— JD Hess, Detroit Country Day Head Coach
“He's been waiting for his time. He's a senior and this is his first year starting. He was sitting behind a really good goalie that is at Ohio State now. Mike has taken full advantage of the opportunity that's been given to him. He stole us this game tonight, and we're really lucky to have him, because he's a great keeper.”
— JD Hess, Detroit Country Day Head Coach
“This program is rich with tradition. It's rich with passion and a love for lacrosse. I think what's exciting is that the whole community is coming together, from the youth feeder programs all the way through middle school and high school, and we're all believing in the fact that, yes, while Cranbrook is known as an academic institution, our student athletes can also flip the switch and be great competitors after hours.”
— Chris Shevins, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood Head Coach
What’s next
The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.
The takeaway
This game highlighted the strong rivalry between two of Michigan's top high school lacrosse programs, as well as the coaching transition at Cranbrook. While Country Day emerged victorious, Cranbrook's performance showed they remain a force to be reckoned with and will be a team to watch as they look to return to championship contention.
