2017: Year of Record-Setting Kickers
May 4, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Every school year sees its share of MHSAA all-time achievements challenged.
But few have taken the football record book by storm like a trio of talented kickers did this past fall.
Northville senior Jake Moody capped a record-setting four-year career at Northville with 11 record book entries – including an MHSAA all-time best 39 career field goals in 53 tries over 36 games the last four seasons. Ithaca senior kicker Adam Culp capped his career in the fall with 76 more extra points (in 79 tries) to finish with a record 181 career extra points in 198 attempts over three seasons. And Muskegon junior Carlos Hernandez-Sias broke the single season extra point record with 91 makes in 97 attempts in helping the Big Reds to the Division 3 championship.
In addition to his career field goal record, Moody also tied for second-longest field goal with a 58-yarder against Grand Blanc on Sept. 29, and had 57 and 55-yarders as well to make the top six on that list. His four field goals in a Sept. 22 game against Plymouth are tied for second most in one game, and his 14 as a junior are tied for seventh most in a season. He also made the career extra point list with 105 in 113 tries, including 33 straight over the end of his junior season and beginning of his senior campaign. Moody will continue as a preferred walk-on at University of Michigan with the opportunity to earn a scholarship.
Culp, who came up to varsity for part of his freshman season and took over the kicking the following fall, also made the career field goal list with 20. He handled the kicking in Ithaca’s 2015 Division 6 championship win and last season’s runner-up finish, and intends to walk on at Michigan as well.
See below for more recent additions to the MHSAA football record book, and click on the heading to check out the records in full.
Football
Tariq Reid finished a four-year varsity career at Burton Atherton (two seasons) and then Davison with 5,775 rushing yards, 12th most in MHSAA history. His 74 career rushing touchdowns rank 11th, and he also made lists for overall season (37 in 2016) and career touchdowns (76) and season (222 in 2016) and career points (480). Reid will continue his career at Grand Valley State University.
Quarterback Michael Lynn III was added for 333 career completions, 584 career attempts and 5,207 career passing yards while at Lansing Catholic the last two seasons and Lansing Sexton in 2014 and 2015. He will continue his career at Concordia University-Ann Arbor. Lansing Catholic as a team was added for a number of performances, notably for allowing only two first downs in a game twice and a low of 79 first downs during the 1983 season and for gaining 6,172 total yards with 85 touchdowns in 2011. Also, Pat Dean was added for a 71-yard punt against Charlotte in 2001, Dave Ghannon was added for a 98-yard kickoff return in 1998 versus Jackson Northwest and Larry Bauer was added for his 100-yard interception return for Lansing St. Mary against Nashville in 1962. Dean went on to play baseball at Eastern Michigan University.
Tommy Schuster threw 26 touchdown passes in leading Clinton Township Chippewa Valley to a 10-2 record this past fall. A junior, he completed 62.5 percent of his passes total for 1,925 yards.
Three high-scoring Canton players from the last 15 seasons were entered into the records, including a pair of impressive running backs. Deshon McClendon scored 204 points on 34 touchdowns in 2005 to make the single-season scoring list, and Markus Sanders had 2,495 yards rushing in 2015 and 6,197 yards with 70 touchdowns over his career stretching 2014-16. Colin O’Shaughnessey, who also played linebacker, made the records with 61 extra points in 62 tries in 2005 and 154 extra points in 166 attempts from 2004-06. McClendon went on to play at St. Joseph’s College (Ind.).
Tre’von Avery and London Hardy were added for tying the longest pass play in MHSAA history, as Avery tossed a 99-yard touchdown pass to Hardy in Grand Blanc’s 61-14 win over Highland Milford on Sept. 12, 2014. Avery went on to play at Wayne State University.
A number of top passers from Holland Christian’s frequently potent offense were added for accomplishments over the last decade. Hayden Bakker, Wilson Wirebaugh, Caleb VanderLugt and A.J. Westendorp were added in various categories, the most recent accomplishments being junior Wirebaugh’s five touchdown passes in a half last fall against Ada Forest Hills Eastern and also against Hudsonville Unity Christian, when he tossed all five during the second quarter. Holland Christian also became the first to be listed for touchdowns in a game, with 12 against Wyoming Rogers in 2008, and was added for multiple games with at least 600 total yards and 6,196 total yards and 91 total touchdowns for the 2008 season. Bakker is playing at Albion College, VanderLugt went on to Adrian College and Westendorp played at Central Michigan University.
North Farmington’s Dylan Gordon was added for tying the longest rushing play in MHSAA history with his 99-yarder against Greenville last Aug. 26. Gordon was a senior this past season.
Senior Riley Johnson helped lead Coopersville to a 6-4 finish and back to the playoffs for the first time since 2008 last fall, throwing for 2,162 yards. That total made the MHSAA records, as did his 169 completions and 302 attempts. Senior Connor Hilton was his top target and made the single-season receptions list with 65.
Ithaca teammate Joey Bentley was added for 2,145 yards and 31 touchdowns passing, and he made career lists with 4,272 yards and 51 TDs through the air. As a team, Ithaca extended its regular-season winning streak to 73 straight since 2009, and its 643 points this fall ranked on the single-season scoring list. Bentley will continue his career at Hillsdale College.
In addition to Hernandez’ extra point record, Muskegon's Demetrio Lopez was added for making 72 extra points in 78 tries in 2016. Quarterback La’darius Jefferson made the rushing touchdowns list with 33 in 2017, and junior Ali’Vonta Wallace was added for 26 tackles for loss. Jefferson will continue his career this fall at Michigan State and Lopez plays soccer at Muskegon Community College. Muskegon as a team also was added for 6,325 yards and 96 total touchdowns this past fall including 5,120 yards and 75 scores running the ball, and 681 points scored (48.6 per game) while gaining 5,689 yards and scoring 89 touchdowns in 2016. Three times over the last two seasons the Big Reds ran for a record eight touchdowns in one game, and they also own the record for twice giving up only one first down in games, doing so both times last season. Muskegon remains the winningest football program in MHSAA history at 833-278-43.
PHOTOS: (Top) Northville’s Jake Moody follows through on a kick last season. (Middle) Ithaca’s Adam Culp, left, and Muskegon’s Carlos Hernandez-Sias were part of Ford Field trips for their respective teams. (Top photo courtesy of the Moody family.)
K-Christian Aces Take Places in Records
August 22, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Kalamazoo Christian girls tennis team capped off this spring with a sixth-place team finish at the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals – led by a pair of singles players who enjoyed plenty of significant victories during their high school careers.
Seniors Lizzie Bauss and Audrey Bouma finished Finals flights runners-up at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively. Earlier in the season, Bouma (No. 2) experienced her first loss since 2013 after building the second-longest winning streak, of 78 straight matches, in MHSAA girls tennis history. She also made the record book as one of only a handful of standouts who won at least three Finals championships – she earned her titles at No. 3 singles as a freshman and sophomore and No. 2 as a junior. Bouma also graduated with 56 wins by a score of 6-0, 6-0.
Bauss, the No. 1 singles player this fall, made the record book with 31 matches won 6-0, 6-0. Bauss will continue her career at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Click to see where both rank in the MHSAA girls tennis record book and read on for more recent additions in girls basketball, girls soccer and softball. (Click the sport headings to see those record books in full.)
Girls Basketball
It’s never too late to update our records. Carrollton’s 1992 Class C champion team was added this week for combining with Merrill to score 164 points in a game (Carrollton won 118-46); the Cavaliers made an MHSAA-record 52 field goals in that game and also were added for 16 3-pointers in a 106-41 win over Bay City All Saints in 1993. The 164 points tied for seventh most in one game and the 16 3-pointers tied for sixth most.
Leland’s Eva Grobbel grabbed 20 or more rebounds three times during the 2015-16 season, including a personal-best and record book-making 25 on Jan. 4. Grobbel will play volleyball this fall at Alpena Community College.
Girls Soccer
Libby Munoz’ ascension to MHSAA all-time leading scorer was reported frequently this spring, and now it’s official. With the addition of the Leland star’s 64 goals this past season, she finished her high school career with 228 to break the previous record by 33. Munoz also finished this spring with 79 points total – and her career with 298, eight more than previous points record holder Laura Heyboer of Hudsonville Unity Christian. Munoz will continue her career at Kalamazoo College.
Hannah Davis became one of 11 players in MHSAA history to score 50 goals in a season when she netted that many in 26 games for Big Rapids this spring. She also had 43 goals in 2015 as a junior and graduated with 113 goals in 71 career varsity games. She will continue her career at Taylor University in Indiana.
Lansing Catholic’s Shannon Crilley finished up a fine career this spring as her school’s all-time leading goal-scorer – and her 71 goals over four seasons also make the MHSAA list. She played all four seasons on varsity and scored a personal season high of 28 as a junior.
Softball
Belding’s Greta Wilker – a member of the MHSAA Student Advisory Council – finished her career this spring on three MHSAA career records lists, for 20 home runs, a .538 batting average and 170 runs scored in 115 games over four seasons on varsity. Two more Belding standouts also were added to the records: pitcher Kyleigh Linebaugh for 35 wins – and 35 consecutive – in 2010 and 100 pitching wins total from 2009-12, and Brooke Linebaugh for six RBI in a game against Hastings on May 17, 2014. Wilker will continue her career at Emory University in Georgia, while Kyleigh Linebaugh played collegiately at Davenport University.
Gladwin’s Dayna Fennell capped her career this spring among Michigan’s top power hitters of all-time, knocking 19 home runs to place second on the single-season list and with 32 over her four-season varsity career to tie for 12th most. Teammate Lauren Mose also made the record book for the third time, with 73 hits this spring. Both were seniors. Fennell will continue her career this fall at Delta College.
Midland’s first trip to the MHSAA Semifinals since 1988 this spring included a number of impressive team-wide statistical accomplishments, keyed by a pair of standout juniors. The Chemics finished 36-8 to make the MHSAA list for most wins and had 454 hits, 104 doubles and 328 RBI – with the doubles second-most by a team in a single season. Junior pitcher Maya Kipfmiller hit .664, with her 83 hits this spring tying for seventh most in a season and her 23 doubles tying for eighth. She also had 20 strikeouts over seven innings in a game against Flint Carman-Ainsworth on May 19. Julia Gross, the junior shortstop, had 19 doubles this season and hit back-to-back home runs against Goodrich on May 24. Both Kipfmiller and Gross also made the career doubles list with a season to play. Kipmiller already has committed to continue her career at Boston University.
Okemos’ Sally Patterson, a freshman this spring, also struck out 20 in a seven-inning game. She made the list in a 9-2 Chiefs win over Haslett on April 26, striking out the side in two innings.
PHOTO: Kalamazoo Christian's Audrey Bouma (left) and Lizzie Bauss connect on swings this season. (Photos courtesy of Kalamazoo Christian High School.)