An Incredible Team…An Incredible Bond

Some championships are measured by trophies.

Others are measured by courage.

The 2026 Division 4 State Championship won by the Charlevoix Boys Golf Team will forever be remembered for both.

One year after a devastating vehicle accident changed the lives of players, coaches, and families, the Rayders completed one of the most inspiring journeys in Michigan high school sports history. What began with uncertainty, surgeries, rehabilitation, and prayers from across the state ended with a state championship trophy resting on a table surrounded by teammates who had endured more than most athletes will face in a lifetime.

As Michigan Golf Live gathered at the home of Head Coach Doug Drenth shortly after the championship victory, the celebration was still underway. Pizza boxes lined the table, smiles filled the room, and the state championship trophy sat nearby as a reminder of just how far this team had come.

But to understand the significance of the title, you have to remember where the journey began.

A Community Shaken

In April of 2025, members of the Charlevoix golf program were involved in a serious vehicle accident that sent several players and coaches to the hospital with significant injuries.

The physical toll was severe. The emotional toll was even greater.

Questions quickly emerged that no athlete, parent, or coach ever wants to face. Would players recover? Would they golf again? Would Coach Drenth return? Could the team ever be the same?

For weeks and months, recovery became the focus.

Golf suddenly seemed insignificant.

Yet throughout Northern Michigan and across the state’s golf community, something remarkable happened. Communities rallied. Golf teams from around Michigan offered support. Social media filled with encouragement. Prayer chains spread. Yard signs appeared throughout Charlevoix.

The message was simple: Charlevoix Strong.

For senior Joe Gaffney, the outpouring of support remains one of the defining memories from the recovery process.

“I remember sitting in the hospital bed and seeing all the support from the community and all the videos people made,” Gaffney recalled. “Even golf teams around the state were holding up signs. I remember sitting there and crying looking at all of that.”

The support became fuel. The encouragement became motivation.

And eventually, recovery became possibility.

The Long Road Back

Every member of the team experienced the aftermath differently.

Some faced broken bones. Others battled internal injuries.

Many spent significant time in hospitals and rehabilitation.

For Coach Drenth, there was never a question about whether he would continue leading the program.

“I’ve known these guys for years,” he said. “Some of them since they were born. There was no chance I was going to let last season be a wash.”

That determination spread throughout the program as players set goals and focused on milestones.

They celebrated small victories that most people never notice—walking without pain, swinging a club again, returning to practice, competing in tournaments.

For some, simply stepping back onto a golf course felt like a victory.

Former player Emmitt Bergmann, who suffered significant internal injuries, returned to competition after only two practice rounds.

Others weren’t sure what their future would look like physically.

Junior Maxwell Drenth continues to deal with limitations from injuries suffered in the crash.

“I still don’t have full range of motion,” he explained. “It still affects my swing to this day. I’m just grateful to be able to keep playing.”

That gratitude became a defining characteristic of the team.

Golf was no longer just a game. It was a gift.

More Than a Team

Championship teams often describe themselves as family.

For Charlevoix, that phrase became reality.

Senior Bryce Voss explained how years spent together had forged relationships that went beyond competition.

“You get so close spending so much time with everybody that they almost become family to you,” Voss said.

The accident strengthened those bonds. Players weren’t simply teammates anymore.

They became survivors together.

The shared experience created a connection that Coach Drenth believes will last forever.

“They went through something horrible and came out and showed what’s possible,” he said. “Everybody in this room has a connection that’s beyond normal connections.”

That connection became one of the team’s greatest strengths.

While other teams relied solely on talent, Charlevoix had something deeper.

They had perspective.

Believing Again

Historically, Charlevoix has fielded strong golf teams.

Making the state tournament became an expectation. Winning it, however, was another matter.

The Rayders had never truly been close to capturing a state title…but this team was different.

Throughout the season, players and coaches quietly believed they had a chance.

As tournaments passed and scores improved, confidence grew.

Senior Bryce Voss battled back from injury and found his form.

Joe Gaffney posted the best round of his life at the state finals, firing a 76.

Freshmen stepped into important roles as veterans provided leadership.

Most importantly, everyone stayed healthy.

The dream that seemed impossible one year earlier suddenly became attainable.

Delivering on the Biggest Stage

When the state championship arrived at Forest Akers, Charlevoix was ready.

The Rayders started making birdies.

The lead began to grow.

Two shots became six.

Six became double digits.

By the closing stretch, the scoreboard revealed what many could hardly believe.

Charlevoix was pulling away from the field.

Not by one shot. Not by two shots.

By seventeen.

The Rayders dominated one of the strongest fields in the state and secured the first state championship of this remarkable journey.

For Voss, the moment became even sweeter after a competitor jokingly told him that Charlevoix would have to completely collapse to lose.

The Rayders never flinched.

They finished the job.

And when the final putt dropped, history was made.

A Championship That Means More

Sports often provide moments that transcend wins and losses.

This was one of those moments.

The state championship trophy represents excellence.

But it also represents resilience.

It symbolizes every physical therapy session.

Every difficult conversation.

Every prayer.

Every moment of doubt.

Every teammate encouraging another teammate.

Every parent who wondered what the future held.

And every member of a community that refused to stop believing.

As Coach Drenth reflected on the journey, he couldn’t help but think about where everyone was just one year earlier.

“We’ve come so far,” he said. “There’s so much good and hope that can happen.”

Then he delivered the line that perfectly captures what this championship means.

“We’re state champions forever.”

He’s right.

Years from now, many of these players will forget individual scores and tournament statistics.

But they’ll never forget this journey.

They’ll never forget the teammates beside them.

They’ll never forget the support of Charlevoix.

And they’ll never forget turning one of the darkest chapters in program history into one of the most inspiring stories Michigan high school sports has ever seen.

The Charlevoix Rayders didn’t simply win a state championship.

They reminded all of us what courage looks like.

And that’s a title no one can ever take away.