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.)

Big-Play Power Produces Memorable Moments for Chippewa Valley

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

June 8, 2021

Big-play talent has been a major contributor to Clinton Township Chippewa Valley’s all-around football success the last many seasons – and a pair of highlight reel producers were among latest additions to the MHSAA 11-player record book.

Soon-to-be senior Cephus Harris III this past fall became one of the latest of 13 to return a kickoff 99 yards, doing so during his team’s 21-20 loss to Utica Eisenhower on Oct. 16. He also ran for a 48-yard score in the game.

Additionally, David Ellis was added for a 99-yard run in a 2018 win over Dearborn Fordson. He is playing currently at Indiana and is one of 12 listed on the 99-yard run list.

Also for Chippewa Valley, Stefan Clairborne (seven in 2014) and Jacob Rybicki (five in 2016) were added to the blocked extra point/field goal attempt list. Clairborne plays at Western Michigan, and Rybicki plays at Northwood.

Click to see the 11-player football record book in full, and read below for more recent additions.

11-Player Football

Erie Mason receiver Tanner Herrera tied for the eighth-most receptions in one game Oct. 18 when he pulled in 16 for 188 yards in a 38-24 loss to Dundee. Herrera will be a senior this fall.

A number of records were added from Frankenmuth’s success over the last 60 years, both as a team and individually. Among them, then-junior Mike Holzei was added for six rushing touchdowns in a 1990 win over Caro, and then-senior Hunter Schluckebier for two kickoff return touchdowns in a 2017 game against Almont. Kevin Heinzman was added for kicking 47 extra points in 56 attempts as a senior also in 2017, and then-seniors Pat Walderzak and Justin Meyer were added for 31 and 25 tackles for loss, respectively, in 1997. As a team, Frankenmuth totaled 716 yards in a 1983 win over Midland Bullock Creek to rank second on that all-time list, and scored 71 touchdowns as a team in 2005. The Eagles also were added a number of times for fewest first downs allowed in a season, including 33 in eight games in 1965. Walderzak went on to compete in track & field at Central Michigan.

Longtime coach Bob Buckel was added to the career coaching wins list after concluding his career 214-114 after the 2015 season. Buckel led Birch Run from 1983-90, Flushing from 1991-2009, Otisville-LakeVille Memorial in 2010 and then Flint Powers Catholic from 2011-15. Under his guidance, Powers won the Division 5 championship in 2011.

Lansing Catholic’s 2019 Division 5 championship season included record-book accomplishments from a pair of standouts. Senior Zach Gillespie made the records with 2,698 yards and 27 touchdowns passing, and also a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against Grand Rapids West Catholic in Week 2. Then-sophomore kicker Jonah Richards was added for making 72 extra points (in 75 attempts) including all nine against Eaton Rapids in a Week 3 win, plus 62 straight. Gillespie is continuing at Michigan State.

Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central’s Trey Conner is one of 18 players who have intercepted four or more passes in a game. He made the list with four against Kalamazoo Christian on Sept. 30, 2005.

Coleman’s Spencer Pnacek has joined the list of stat-stacking passers with 323 completions in 681 attempts for 4,499 yards over 32 games from 2015-18 – all three totals making career lists. He also made the single-game passing list with 464 yards in a 2017 contest. Teammate Jason Beckner was added for his 1,902 career receiving yards over 27 games from 2015-17.

A week after Chippewa Valley’s Harris, Belding senior Kyle Prosser became the 13th with a 99-yard kickoff return, bringing his back against Eaton Rapids during a 46-3 win.

Reed City won’t soon forget its 70-40 win over Newaygo on Oct. 9. Not only did it make the list for games that saw two teams combine for the most points (with the losing team scoring at least 40), but Reed City gained 646 yards all rushing to make both the total offense and single-game rushing yards lists. Reed City also made the single-game rushing attempts list with 67 and touchdowns list with eight.

The pass/catch combo of quarterback Carson Roose and receiver Ryan Jones put up some massive single-game numbers for Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett during the fall. Roose made the single-game passing yardage list three times, the completion list twice and attempts list once – with his 536 yards against Carson City-Crystal on Oct. 17 ranking ninth all-time. His seven touchdown passes against Mount Clemens on Sept. 26 tied for eighth-most in one game. Jones caught 18 passes for 234 yards against Carson City-Crystal – the receptions tying for third on that single-game list. Roose is a junior and Jones a sophomore this school year.

PHOTO: David Ellis is hoisted into the air by a teammate after scoring on a 94-yard kickoff return during Chippewa Valley’s 2018 Division 1 championship game win over Clarkston at Ford Field.