Alcona Keeper McCoy Has Net Covered

April 22, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Only a sophomore, Conner McCoy is an MHSAA record holder after a busy fall patrolling the net for the Lincoln Alcona boys soccer team.

McCoy made 391 saves in goal last season, eclipsing the former record by a save while piling up his total over 24 games. He had a high of 26 against Fairview and at least 20 saves in nine games. Alcona finished 12-11-1 and reached its Division 4 District Final.

Click for the MHSAA boys soccer record book in full and the headings below for full records in those respective sports as we report recent additions for boys and girls basketball, football and girls and boys tennis.  


Boys Basketball

Kimball Landmark Academy's Cameron Koch made the MHSAA records for steals in a game, season and career this winter. He had 12 (along with 17 points and nine rebounds) in a game against Kimball New Life Christian on Jan. 26, 107 steals for the season and 242 over his four-season varsity career.


Girls Basketball

Niles Brandywine’s great run over this decade has been led by a number of strong individuals. Mackenzie Shelton was added for her 185 assists as a junior in 2011-12, which rank 10th all-time, and her 482 career assists that rank 14th. She also made the games played list with 102 over her four varsity seasons. Emily Erwin’s 85 3-pointers in 26 games this winter rank ninth, and her 262 3-pointers over four seasons rank fourth on the career list; Carlie Newman’s 211 3-pointers from 2009-12 are ninth on the career list. As a team, Niles Brandywine was added a number of times for 3-pointers made adn attempted, in games and for seasons, over the last four; its 746 attempts this winter rank second all-time for a team, and it’s 211 made 3-pointers were third-most. The Bobcats finished 24-3 and made the Class C Semifinals. Shelton plays at Calvin College, while Newman played at Spring Arbor and then Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla.


Football

Omar Salih finished his high school football career in the fall with 40 entries in the MHSAA football record book after playing the 2013 and 2015 seasons at Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy and 2014 at Detroit Cody. Among recent additions, Salih’s 615 passing yards against Marine City Cardinal Mooney on Sept. 19 of last season rank second to his record 674 in a game in 2013. His 4,173 passing yards in 10 games last season rank second all-time, while his 414 attempts ranked fourth, his 238 completions were third and his 45 passing touchdowns also were fourth. His career passing yards (8,484) also rank second in MHSAA history, with his 940 pass attempts third, his 474 completions seventh and his 88 passing touchdowns third. He will continue his career at Saginaw Valley State University. 

Wayland quarterback Tanner VanDyke became the second player from his program to make the MHSAA records in football after throwing for 2,047 yards as a senior in the fall. He’ll continue his career at Davenport University.

Matthew Meagher added a pair of kicking accomplishments to a previous for punting, making 56 of 57 extra-point tries for DeWitt in the fall and 97 of 106 over his two seasons on varsity; he previously made the listings for a 78-yard punt as a junior.

Martin Schau has been added for a 100-yard interception return for Climax-Scotts in its 42-14 loss to Constantine on Oct. 11, 1980. The Climax Crescent reported at the time that Schau caught the ball four yards deep in the end zone before returning it for a score.

Blake Dunn’s incredible junior season led to his inclusion for multiple categories as both a running back and a kicker, and another Saugatuck player now owns an MHSAA record. Dunn ran for 2,748 yards –12th most for one season – on only 234 carries (11.7 yards per carry) with 36 rushing touchdowns and 286 total points – which rank as fifth most and included 48 extra points. Graduated Saugatuck kicker Tanner Nutting made the single-season extra points list three of his four seasons with a high of 56 in 2011 – and finished his career in 2013 with a record 175 in 204 attempts. Dunn has committed to sign as a senior with Western Michigan University for baseball, while Nutting kicks now for Division II Malone University in Ohio.

Girls Tennis

All four Traverse City St. Francis singles players made championship matches at the 2015 Lower Peninsula Division 4 Final – and three also made the MHSAA record book for wins. No. 1 singles champion Amanda Bandrowski and No. 3 runner-up Natalie Burke are both listed at 33-1, and No. 4 runner-up Anne Bandrowski made the list at 32-2.

Boys Tennis

All eight flights of Traverse City St. Francis’ team that finished third in LP Division 4 in the fall made the record book for victories – in singles, Elliott Bandrowski (32-10), Nathan Sodini (33-10), Tyler Spigarelli (37-8) and Victor Casler (35-2). And in doubles, Jay Jones & Patrick Burke (33-5), Jackson Richmond & Nathan Tafelsky (39-2), Sean Navin (37-8), Jonathan Pax (36-9), Ryan Navin (39-5) and Joe Primeau (37-4). Jones also made the career doubles wins list with a four-season varsity record of 107-42, as did Tafelsky with a 99-28 record from 2012-15. 

PHOTO: Conner McCoy stops a shot for Lincoln Alcona last season. (Photo courtesy of the Lincoln Alcona boys soccer program.)

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.