Base by Base, St Patrick Circles Them All
December 7, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Portland St. Patrick’s run to the Division 4 baseball title this spring was fueled by its ability to manufacture runs – and some of those statistical performances will be remembered among the best achieved in MHSAA history.
As a team, Portland St. Patrick was hit by 46 pitches over 38 games and also stole 170 bases to make those team record book lists. Senior Brendan Schrauben – who is continuing his career at Alma College – capped his four-season varsity career with 168 runs scored, and Graham Smith finished his with 46 hit-by-pitches – good to tie for sixth on that list.
See below for more recent record book entries in baseball, football, girls lacrosse and softball, and click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.
Baseball
Homer’s 36-6 finish in 2017 was the result of a number of record book-worthy performances. Offensively, the Trojans hit .359 with 380 runs scored, 88 doubles and 310 RBI, which all made team lists, plus their pitchers totaled 308 strikeouts. Now-senior Kyle Klepper was added for hitting two home runs in the first inning against Manchester on May 13, and Joe Roth – also now a senior – was added for a 1.69 career ERA over 132 2/3 innings pitched the last two seasons. Coach Scott Salow was added to the coaching wins list; he’s 507-152 having coached Taylor Light & Life in 1993 and 1994 and at Homer since 2001.
Football
Hudson’s 2000 team finished 9-3 on the strength of a rushing attack that now sits atop the season rushing attempts (601) and yardage (4,196) lists. Three running backs rushed for at least 1,000 yards for the Tigers. Hudson ran for a season-high 476 yards against Dundee and for at least 440 yards in two more games.
Richmond’s Anthony Tavano got on the single-game receiving touchdowns list with four thrown from quarterback Chase Churchill in a 57-7 win over Armada on Sept. 1, 2016. Tavano played this season at University of Mount Union in Ohio.
Muskegon Catholic Central’s Tommy Scott made a series of scoring lists in helping the Crusaders to a perfect season in 2014. Scott scored 216 points on 36 touchdowns, including 34 rushing touchdowns. All three totals made MHSAA record lists, and his 99-yard kickoff return against Munising in the Division 8 championship game tied the longest in MHSAA history. In addition, teammate Nate Jones was added for returning two interceptions for touchdowns in the first quarter of a 2015 playoff win over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart. Muskegon Catholic Central as a team was added for scoring 651 points in 2014 and 612 in 2016, both over 14 games. Scott is playing at Saginaw Valley State, and Jones is playing at Hillsdale College.
Bath’s Zach Parry and Gavin Parry became the latest to tie the record for longest pass play when Zach connected with Gavin on a 99-yard touchdown toss on Sept. 29 against Dansville. However, the Aggies won the game 20-12.
Girls Lacrosse
A trio of Dexter players were added for their accomplishments this spring. Junior Skylar Waddington was added three times for 11 goals in a game against Ann Arbor Skyline on May 4, 86 goals total over 16 games and 97 points as well this spring. Junior Marin Waddington also was added for goals this spring, tallying 50 in 16 games, and sophomore Bruna Meister was added for making 17 saves against Saline on May 10.
Softball
Fenton’s Logan Carter capped her career this spring on career lists with 50 doubles, 32 home runs and 172 RBI over the last four seasons. She also earned eight more entries for single-game multiple home runs, single-game RBI and twice for home runs in a season – with a high of 15 in 33 games this past spring. Carter, a catcher, is continuing her career at Western Michigan University.
A potent Lowell offense made the team record book lists with 67 doubles, 33 triples and 278 RBI this past spring as the team went 24-14. Then-junior Mackenzie North was added for 16 of those doubles, plus for home runs in an inning and consecutively when she hit a pair in the first inning against Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills on April 24 – and she also drove in six RBI that game. Teammate and then-sophomore Madison Jordan became the first to be listed in the MHSAA records for triples in a game with four against Ottawa Hills on April 18, and she also was added for six RBI in an inning and 11 overall in that game, plus for six RBI in the April 24 win and for 16 triples overall last season. Her season triples rank eighth on that list. North has signed to continue her career after next season at Jackson College.
PHOTO: Portland St. Patrick’s Brendan Schrauben rounds third base during last season’s Division 4 championship game against Hudson.
Hartland's Skomial Sits Atop Scoring List
February 10, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
No girls lacrosse player in Michigan high school history has found the net more than Hartland’s Ryan Skomial.
The 2013 grad has been entered into the MHSAA record book for 276 goals over 79 games and four varsity seasons, the highest career scoring total since girls lacrosse became an MHSAA-sponsored sport in 2005. She has 15 record book entries in all, including for fifth-most career assists (133) and third-most career points (409). She’s gone on to play at Grand Valley State University.
Click to see the girls lacrosse record book in full and read on for more recent entries in baseball, boys basketball, football, boys soccer, softball and volleyball.
Baseball
Portland St. Patrick has had plenty of success over the last decade, including making the Division 4 Semifinals last spring, and its small-ball skills led to some record book entries over the last two seasons. The Shamrocks were hit by 64 pitches over 30 games last season, seventh-most for one spring. They also were entered into the records for four games with at least 12 stolen bases over the last two seasons, 191 steals total in 2015 (tied for fifth-most) and 178 steals in 2016. Graham Smith was hit by 24 pitches last season, tying for second-most in one spring, and his 36 hit-by-pitches over the last three seasons rank 14th on the career list with one more season to play. In addition, ace pitcher Travis Moyer was added for his 0.69 ERA in 2015, 1.08 last spring and 0.91 over his two-season varsity career; his career ERA ranks 10th. He’s playing at Alma College.
Boys Basketball
Kent Ingles has coached continuously for since the 1975-76 season, earning some of his 540 career wins at three stops. He was 540-334 entering this winter, his 15th at Big Rapids, after previously coaching at Greenville and his first two seasons at Cedar Springs. Big Rapids made the Class B Semifinals in 2015-16.
Brandon Allen finished his four-season varsity career at Haslett last winter among MHSAA career leaders in made 3-pointers and free throws. His 218 3-pointers over 87 games are tied for 14th most, and he also made 332 free throws in 434 attempts connecting on 76 percent of his career tries. He’s playing at Western Michigan University.
Football
Dearborn Fordson sophomore Abraham Jaafar returned a kickoff as far as possible in his team’s 28-23 loss to Dearborn on Oct. 14. Jaafar received the kick just in front of the goalline and raced 99 yards for a touchdown to tie the MHSAA record for longest return.
Iron River West Iron County sophomore Dawson Bongi matched Jaafar’s accomplishment – on the same night, but a peninsula away. Bongi also returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in his team’s 34-7 win over Hancock.
Sterling Heights quarterback Marc Colucci has been entered eight times for passing during his varsity career from 2004-06. In addition to a pair of single-game entries, Colucci was 181 for 297 passing for 2,228 yards as a senior and 390 for 716 for 5,311 yards passing during his career.
Boys Soccer
Josh Nowak capped his Tecumseh career in the fall earning a second entry in the MHSAA records. In addition to the 30 assists he totaled in 2014 as a sophomore, Nowak finished with a career total of 63 over four seasons, to go with 55 career goals.
Softball
Howell shortstop Amy Jarrett capped her career last spring by tying for the 14th -most hits in one season, with 71. She playing this spring at University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Volleyball
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior setter Brianna Tilton was at her best in one of her team’s biggest matches this season. She had 51 assists in a five-set win over Lowell on Oct. 25 that helped her team win the Ottawa-Kent Conference White championship.
PHOTO: Hartland's Ryan Skomial targets the net during a game against Westland Huron Valley in 2011. (Photo courtesy of Hartland girls lacrosse.)