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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.

Bubacz Sets Whiteford Up for Success

October 22, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Ottawa Lake-Whiteford senior Jessica Bubacz has helped the Bobcats to three straight Tri-County Conference championships and 41 straight league victories, after Whiteford’s wins Tuesday against Clinton.

This fall has been a continuation of her strong play as a junior that sees her now listed in the MHSAA record book in two assists categories – including as the co-record holder for assists in a match.

Bubacz had 65 assists in a 3-2 win over Clinton on Oct. 22, 2013, good to tie for the single-match record during the rally scoring era, which began during the 2004-05 season. She finished 2013 with 1,460 assists, fourth-most for one season since the start of rally scoring.

She’s continued with 810 assists over 86 games so far this fall, an average of 9.4 per game. She had 80 assists over seven sets Tuesday. Whiteford, a Class C team, is 29-7-1 overall.

For more on Whiteford and all things Tri-County Conference, click for the league’s blog by historian and journalist Doug Donnelly. Also, click to view the MHSAA volleyball record book in full, and see more recent submissions to other sports’ listings below (click each sport heading for that record book).  

Girls Basketball

  • Madison Heights Bishop Foley coach Dave Joseph has joined the list of coaches with at least 300 victories, with a 322-271 record dating to 1987. He coached at Pontiac and Oakland Catholic from 1987-93, then at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep from 1994-2003 and has coached Bishop Foley since 2005, including to a 15-9 finish in 2013-14.

Football

  • Don Robinson capped Genesee’s 1983 season and his three-year varsity career with three touchdowns in a 33-19 win over Flint Academy. His final score came on a 95-yard kickoff return, one of now 11 of that distance or longer listed in the MHSAA football records.

  • Brendon Fitch put up “video-game numbers” as the Flint Journal reported Sept. 14, 2013, of his previous evening’s performance. Fitch threw for a then-record 603 yards, completing 26 of 41 passes, as Swartz Creek edged Flint Kearsley 77-61. Six of those completions went for touchdowns. Fitch died unexpectedly Dec. 10.

  • Dylan Walker and Jeff Mainhardt entered the record book at the end of September as one of six pairs on record to complete a 99-yard pass – Walker to Mainhardt for a touchdown in Fraser’s 42-25 win over New Baltimore Anchor Bay. Walker threw for 242 yards for the game.

Boys Lacrosse

  • Jason Alessi’s senior season was one of the finest in the MHSAA’s decade-long history of boys lacrosse. The Birmingham Brother Rice standout finished with 85 goals – tied for third most in MHSAA history for one season – to go with 46 assists, and his 131 points rank third for one season. Also a standout kicker and defensive back during the fall, Alessi is playing his first season of football at Yale University.

Softball

  • Wayland’s run to the Division 2 Semifinals this spring featured outstanding performances from a number of contributors – including one of the best run-producers in MHSAA history. Shortstop Sierra Mutschler not only scored 71 runs (tied for ninth for one season) but drove in 86, fourth most for one season. Her 81 hits also were ninth-most in that category. She finished her four-year varsity career with 229 RBI, second-most all-time, 184 runs, 51 doubles and 30 home runs (tied for 14th). Teammate Britt McLain scored 80 runs this season, second-most in MHSAA history, and Mallory Teunissen made the season pitching wins list with 35. Other Wayland standouts past and present added to record lists included Autumn Anderson, Samantha Merren, Macy Merchant, Hailey Houck, Abby Phillips, Nina DeCesare, Becca Phillips, Kaitlin Graczyk and Heidi Warmelink, whose 78 shutouts from 2007-10 tied for fifth-most on that list.

  • Hudsonville Unity Christian’s Madeline DeGroot had a game for the record books – literally – against Byron Center on May 1. She hit three home runs, including a pair in consecutive at bats, and drove in seven runs total in her team’s 14-6 victory. The team’s leadoff hitter, she also had a single to finish 4 for 4.



Boys Tennis

  • Kalamazoo Loy Norrix’s Jake Gumbleton didn’t lose a match over his final three seasons before graduating this spring, an MHSAA-record string of 84 straight wins. He played No. 2 singles almost exclusively and finished with a 96-4 high school career record, slotting again last season in the second spot behind eventual Mr. Tennis winner Davis Crocker. The previous consecutive wins record was 80.

Wrestling

  • Longtime Gaylord coach Jeff LaJoie has been added to the growing list of wrestling coaches with at least 500 match wins. LaJoie, who took over the program for 1993-94, took a season off and then returned for 1995-96, has a 519-125-2 record after leading Gaylord to a 30-2 finish last winter.

PHOTO: Ottawa Lake Whiteford's Jessica Bubacz (10) finishes a block during her team's victories Tuesday against Clinton. (Photo courtesy of Tri-County Conference blog by Doug Donnelly.)