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High 5s: 11/14/12

November 19, 2012

All three of this week's honorees have achieved some sort of first-time stardom this fall, either individually or as a team. And both Carli Snyder and Alex Grace will be back next fall to continue building on these accomplishments. 

Carli Snyder
Macomb Dakota junior
Volleyball

(UPDATED 11/19) Snyder, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, was an all-stater her first two seasons of high school. But she will be remembered even more for leading Macomb Dakota this fall to its first MHSAA championship in any girls sport. The Cougars defeated Temperance Bedford in three games in Saturday's Class A Final at Kellogg Arena. Snyder unofficially finished this season with 913 kills, good for seventh in the MHSAA record book since the beginning of the rally scoring era in 2004-05. Her 31 kills against Bedford were third-most for a Final during that time. Snyder already has committed to sign with the University of Florida next year. She likely will be among frontrunners for next fall's Miss Volleyball award. 

Title talk: "We wanted this thing so bad. Every girl on this team wanted it so badly. Megan (Manierski) was setting the ball perfectly. She made it very easy to get kills. ... Just talking about this moment, this gym, it makes you just want to play harder than you ever have."

Winning recipe: "We've been a competitive team in practice and in games all year, so I think that helped us at that moment (in three close Finals games) when we just didn't want to lose. We refused to lose. ... We support each other no matter what. And we hustled so hard."

Shake it up: "We have some secret handshakes with other people, but mine are very complex. I don't know how we went about that. Megan and mine is from "Parent Trap," and then Megan Downey and mine, we just made it up at team dinner. We make it a bit more complex than it needs to be, but it's fun. And it's a great thing to calm us down for a game when we've played a bad one before."

Had to be a Gator: "I like warm weather. I love the coaches. I actually called Florida for my recruiting phone call because I was kinda bored one day at home and I was like, 'I got a letter from them.' I fell in love with the coaching staff, and I told my mom that I needed to go on a visit down there. It's incredible, and when I went down there I was even more in love. Even on the phone, I knew this is where I would end up. It's just that feeling. You know when you get that feeling, and it's incredible."

Click to read more.

Alex Grace
Saginaw Swan Valley sophomore
Football

The Vikings' leading rusher is also one of the leading rushers in the state this season heading into Saturday's Division 4 Semifinal against Detroit Country Day. Grace has gained 2,091 yards plus run for 27 touchdowns, and needs only 109 yards and three more scores to make the MHSAA record book in both categories. He ran for 182 yards and three scores in the Vikings' Regional Final win over Croswell-Lexington. Grace took over as Swan Valley's running back this season after the graduation of his brother Johnathan, who rushed for 1,790 yards last season and now plays at Michigan Tech. Both brothers ran on Swan Valley's 400-meter relay that finished runner-up at the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Track and Field Final in the spring. Alex is 6-0 and 185 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.

I'd like to run like: "Even my brother. I like to look at myself as close to him. Professionally, (Minnesota Vikings back) Adrian Peterson. He's a tough runner, fast. He's strong."

Underdogs again: "The last game against Croswell, they were the No. 2 team and we were predicted to lose. But we came back and beat them. I use that underdog feeling to work harder each day."

Best brotherly advice: "Work hard, and if there are doubters, don't let them get you down."

Science and math: (My favorite classes are) biology and economics. They just come easy to me. I enjoy it."

Click to read more. 

Flint Beecher football

The Buccaneers, coached by former Michigan State and NFL standout Courtney Hawkins, were one of the final teams selected for the playoffs, at 5-4 after a 3-4 start. But Beecher advanced to this week's Division 7 Semifinal against Detroit Loyola by eliminating reigning champion Saginaw Nouvel, 19-15, in last week's Regional championship game. Beecher, now 8-4, has made the playoffs six straight years. The first of that run came in Hawkins' second as coach and after 12 straight losing seasons. 

Click to read more. 

Previous 2012-13 honorees:

Clakrston Everest Collegiate celebrates its repeat championship Saturday at The Meadows.

Clarkston Everest Follows Individual Standouts to Repeat Team Championship

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

June 8, 2024

ALLENDALE – Clarkston Everest Collegiate coach David Smith may be a bit biased, but he believed he had two of the top players in Division 4 on his roster entering the season.

Smith’s top performers delivered, and it paved the way to a repeat title.

Everest won the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Boys Golf Final with a two-day total of 664 Saturday at The Meadows at Grand Valley State.

The Mountaineers defeated runner-up Grandville Calvin Christian by eight strokes, while Hillsdale Academy (674) placed third. 

Everest junior Will Pennanen won the medalist honor after shooting a 148 total. He was the only golfer in the field to shoot in the 70s both days.

His teammate, junior Parker Stalcup, closed with a final round 74 to finish fourth at 157.

“We had two of our top guys from last year back and I thought were the best players in Division 4,” Smith said. “And I think they proved today that they are. They just shot good numbers when the pressure was on.

“Will has been chasing Parker, and they are best buddies. Parker pushes Will, and Will pushes Parker. This weekend Will had the better score, and last time it was Parker. They just cheer for each other and encourage and support each other, which makes them both a lot better.” 

Pennanen fired a 76 on Friday amid extremely windy conditions and followed that up with an even-par 72.

Everest and Hillsdale Academy golfers finish a hole.He edged runner-up Michael Houtteman, of Maple City Glen Lake, by three strokes.

 “It was crazy wind (Friday), and I was just trying to stay patient and make as many pars as possible,” Pennanen said. “Just keep the big numbers off the scorecard, just like today. I played well today. I left a few shots out there, but made a lot of birdies and chipped in for eagle.”

The eagle was the highlight of the day, taking place on the par-5, 14th hole.

“I’ve won tournaments before, but this one was really special to do with my team, too,” Pennanen said. “We have a lot of great players, and everyone has been stepping up and playing good. It was a team effort.”

Also contributing for Everest, which won’t graduate a starter, were juniors Mark Cross and Jimmy Schmitt and sophomores Nolan Alban and Dominic Walker.

“We played as a team today, and yesterday,” Stalcup said. “I don’t think at any point we thought we were going to lose this tournament.

“We gained two sophomores who didn’t play last year, so that was huge for our team. Obviously it’s always a cool experience to win the state finals, and we will come back next year stronger.”

Grandville Calvin Christian entered the final round in fifth place, but posted the best team total Saturday to jump into the second spot. The Squires shot a 322, which was 28 shots better than Day 1.

Sophomore Will Orme carded a final round 75 and finished with a 162, while junior Josh VanderWal had a 79 and closed with a 167.

“We say every stroke counts, and it certainly does,” Calvin Christian coach Herm Medema said. “We talked about it last night and this morning at our meetings that we are not that far away. First place was a little bit of a wish, but second place was very doable, and the guys never gave up.

“They kept at it, and it was a pleasure to see. They were more comfortable in their surroundings and a much looser group. They got after it and supported each other so well.”

The runner-up finish was the Squires’ best since they won the Lower Peninsula Class C Final in 1989.

Hillsdale Academy was led by Rykert Frisinger, who finished third individually at 155. 

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Clakrston Everest Collegiate celebrates its repeat championship Saturday at The Meadows. (Middle) Everest and Hillsdale Academy golfers finish a hole. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)