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.)
Ubly Offense, Kicker Pile Up Record Book Listings During Championship Run
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 12, 2024
Ubly finished a combined 27-1 over the last two seasons, following up a Division 8 runner-up run in 2022 with its first MHSAA Finals championship this past November. And the Bearcats stacked plenty of record book performances along the way.
Individually, senior Brett Mueller made the single-season extra point list again this past season with 76 in 81 tries, and he set the MHSAA career record with 220 extra points over 232 attempts, 40 games and three seasons. He has signed with Saginaw Valley State.
As a team, Ubly was added to the record book 13 times for achievements over the last two years, most notably in the rushing game. The Bearcats topped 5,200 total yards both seasons, and also made the rush yardage list twice including with a sixth-best 5,148 in 2022. Their 90 touchdowns in 2022 rank seventh all-time, and their 85 this past fall tied for 13th, and they tied the record with 10 rushing touchdowns in a 2022 win over Reese and set another record with 84 rushing touchdowns total that season.
See below for more recent record book additions in 11-player football, and click the heading to see the record book in full:
11-Player Football
Dundee’s Ben Miller has a pair of basketball record book entries, and he’s also been added in football for scoring seven touchdowns in his team’s 72-36 win over Erie Mason on Oct. 20, 2017. A senior that season, he ran for five scores and caught two touchdowns passes.
Nearly four decades later, Howard City Tri County’s Mike Wagoner has reached the record book for his work on defense in 1985. A junior that season, Wagoner returned three interceptions for touchdowns – 65, 55 and 35 yards – which would have been second on the list at the time and remains tied for third-most for one season.
Jaxon Lippert tops the list of 21 who have returned kickoffs 99 yards. Lippert, now a senior at Walled Lake Western, joined the list against Davison during his junior season.
A handful of records from Warren De La Salle Collegiate’s recent run of Ford Field teams and also one from decades ago were added. Jake Badalamenti was added three times for kickoff returns between 96-99 yards, one as a junior in 2016 and two as a senior the following fall, and Marty Wyzlic was added for his 95-yarder in 1976. Mason Muragin is the new leader for tackles for loss in a career with 71 over three seasons, and he also was added to the single-season list with 31 as a junior in 2021, as was Will Beasley for 38 as a junior in 2020. Wayne Wright was added for his 16 sacks over nine games as a senior in 1984, and Josh Cox was added for his 100-yard interception return as a senior in 2012. Muragin plays at Illinois, Beesley plays at Princeton, Cox played at Central Michigan, and Badalamenti played baseball at Wayne State.
Pinckney junior Nolan Carruthers caught 16 passes during a 13-7 loss to Jackson on Sept. 15, good to tie for ninth-most in one game and breaking the Livingston County record of 14 by Hartland’s Greg Matthyssen in 2007 – a listing that also was added.
Ethan Wissner did some major lifting, or rather carrying, during Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker’s 28-14 District Final win over Montrose in 2022. The then-senior ran 42 times to make the record book, for 289 yards and three touchdowns. He’s continuing at Siena Heights.
Senior quarterback Andrew Schuster and junior receiver DeShaun Lanier formed a game-changing pass-catch combo this past season for Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, with Schuster finishing his career with nine record book listings and Lanier totaling six with a season to play. Schuster most notably was added for 212 completions on 301 attempts for 2,766 yards and 28 touchdowns this season, and 321 completions and 4,199 career yards over two years and 22 games. Lanier was added in part for 73 receptions for 1,132 yards and 15 TDs this fall. Junior kicker Juliano Haddad also earned impressive mentions with 10 field goals and 50 extra points – and he’ll carry a streak of 35 straight extra points into next fall. Schuster has committed to Grand Valley State.
Fulton’s Evan Barton has been added to the single-game touchdowns list after catching four scoring passes Sept. 8, 2017, against Potterville. He was a senior that season.
Saginaw Heritage’s Braylon Isom completed his career this past fall as arguably the most accomplished receiver in MHSAA history. His name is listed in the record book eight times, with career records of 3,837 receiving yards and 52 touchdowns over 34 games and four seasons, and with a single-season record 26 touchdowns this past fall over 12 games. His 91 career receptions rank fifth, and he’s also listed for 82 catches and 1,617 yards (seventh-most) as a senior and 1,428 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior. He will continue at Miami (Ohio).
Evart’s 24-8 run over the last three seasons has been its most successful of the MHSAA playoff era, and senior quarterback Preston Wallace has played an enormous part. He finished his 33-game career in the fall – he came up for one game as a freshman – on record book lists twice for single-season passing yards and touchdowns and on career lists for 662 attempts, 421 completions, 6,955 yards and 88 passing touchdowns over those 32 games and three seasons. The yardage ranks 15th all-time, and the touchdowns are tied for sixth-most for one career.
The 2005 Midland Bullock Creek team was added for scoring 547 points over 12 games. The Lancers finished 11-1, their only loss in a Division 5 Regional Final.
PHOTO Ubly's Seth Maurer (30) carries the ball during the Division 8 championship win over Ottawa Lake Whiteford in November.