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Belles Rings Loudly in Freshman Season

May 15, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Kayla Belles had a memorable freshman season this winter for the Ithaca girls basketball team. And her performance against Sanford-Meridian on March 4 is one she’ll never forget.

Belles, a 6-foot-3 center, grabbed 36 rebounds to go with 25 points and six blocked shots in the Yellowjackets’ 75-28 victory. Her rebounds tied for second-most grabbed in one game in MHSAA girls basketball history and most in a game since 1997.

She averaged 14.7 points and 13.3 rebounds per game during the regular season, per a Lansing State Journal report, and helped her team to its first District title since 2000. Ithaca finished 21-3, falling to eventual Class C semifinalist Saginaw Nouvel 69-66 in their Regional Semifinal.

Click the “Girls Basketball” heading below to see that sport’s record listings in full, and read on for more of this week’s record additions.

Baseball

  • A handful of names from Saline’s successful recent history were added to an already strong representation. Brad Guenther was included for his 21 doubles in 2009, 66 hits total that season and 13 career triples from 2007-09. Garrett Gordon and Korey Gainey both made the single-season triples list with seven apiece in 2011 and 2009, respectively, and Jordan Walker was added for his 20 times hit by pitch in 2001 and 40 total over a two-season career that ended that spring. Bobby Korecky, already listed for multiple hitting categories, was added with a 0.99 ERA in 1998 and 1.50 from 1995-98, and Joe Finnerty was added for a 1.34 ERA from 1998-2000. Eric Ichesco made the career batting average list hitting .461 from 1998-2001. Saline as a team was added for a number of single-season accomplishments as well, most notably its .403 average in 2009.

Boys Basketball

  • Dennis Starkey earned his milestone 500th victory this season in leading Petoskey to a 16-6 finish. He started his varsity coaching career at Boyne City during the 1982-83 season, then coached three at Vanderbilt before starting his Petoskey tenure in 1986-87. He has a career record of 502-247.  

  • Dundee senior Aaron Anthony capped his high school career with a second entry for free throws made, following up his 150 as a junior with 156 (in 191 attempts – 82 percent success) this winter. The 6-foot-2 Anthony also averaged 20.9 points, six rebounds and 3.3 assists per game and scored the 1,000th point of his career. 

  • Wilson Nah Tah Wahsh achieved three record-book listings for 3-pointers, making 18 in a 74-20 win over Paradise Whitefish on Jan. 23 after making 15 in an 81-42 win over Burt Township Grand Marais on Jan. 13. Whitefish also made four in that second game, with 22 between the teams making the list for 3-pointers made by two teams combined. In both games, Nah Tah Wahsh had more 3-pointers than 2-point field goals. Justin Larson made nine of the 15 and eight of the 18 to lead the team in both games.

Girls Basketball

  • Hailey Leidel scored 29 points in a 65-47 win for Brownstown-Woodhaven over Southgate Anderson on Jan. 23, including 15 free throws to make the single-game list in that category. She attempted 17 overall and made all 10 she took in scoring 14 points total during the second quarter.

Football

  • Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy quarterback Marcus Lester became the 11th in MHSAA history to throw for at least 500 yards in a game when he connected on 33 of 65 passes for 541 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-28 win over Dearborn Heights Star International on Sept. 26. The yardage and attempts both tied for fourth-most for one game.

Hockey

  • Flint Kearsley’s Shawn Larsen earned two entries with high-scoring first periods this season. He scored four goals in the first period against Grand Rapids Union/Ottawa Hills on Dec. 20, then four again in the first period against Fenton/Linden on Jan. 7. He also just missed the single-game scoring list, which has a minimum of eight goals; he had seven against Union/Ottawa Hills on Jan. 17.



Softball

  • A pair of Reese standouts both were added for hitting 16 doubles last spring – Cassidy Reif and Carlee Selle. Selle, a sophomore this season, hit .475 for 2014, and senior Reif hit .431 in her final high school campaign last spring. 

  • Abby Krzywiecki smacked two home runs – including a grand slam – and a double to drive in eight of her team’s runs in Farmington Hills Mercy’s 14-4 victory over Livonia Ladywood on April 21. Her total tied for seventh-most RBI in one game.

PHOTO: Ithaca’s Kayla Belles prepares to make a move toward the basket during a game this season. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)

Howardsville Star Joins Hoops Legends

July 31, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Dylan Jergens put up numbers this past boys basketball season – and over his four-season career – that may not be matched for many years to come.

He finished at Marcellus Howardsville Christian with 21 record book entries; his most notable was an all-time best 971 points over 24 games this past winter – at a 40.5 ppg average that ranks second all-time – to break by two points the record set by Hastings’ Mark Brown during the 1984-85 season. Jergens graduated with 2,782 points over 94 games to rank third on the career scoring list, trailing only Brown with 2,789 points and record-holder Jay Smith, who scored 2,841 for Mio before graduating in 1979.

Jergens, who will continue his career at Central Michigan University, scored a quarter-high of 25 points and also made the season scoring list as a junior with 805. His 98 3-pointers as a senior were tied for seventh most, with his 320 career 3-pointers second for that category. He also had 183 free throws made this winter, good for 14th most for one season, and his 536 career free throws rank fifth all-time. He made the career assists list with 477 and the career steals list with 318, which ranks eighth.

See below for more recent record book additions in boys basketball, baseball, girls lacrosse, football and girls soccer, and click on the headings to see those record books in full.

Baseball

Adrian Williams was a four-year standout for Detroit Southeastern from 1992-95, and his 52 career doubles rank eighth all-time. Williams also was a standout pitcher and helped Southeastern to the Class A Quarterfinals in 1993.

Boys Basketball

Iron Mountain junior Marcus Johnson became one of six players in MHSAA boys hoops history to top 100 3-pointers in a season this winter, draining 102 of 216 attempts (47.2 percent) to tie for fourth most all-time. He also moved up the career list with 216 3-pointers over his first three high school seasons.

Ann Arbor Skyline’s Ryan Wade closed his career this winter with one of the top 3-point shooting performances all-time. The senior made 97 3-pointers on 295 attempts and reached the career list as well with 189 in 580 attempts over 68 games and three seasons. He will continue his career at College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts.

Hartford improved seven wins this season to finish 18-4 in part on sharp 3-point shooting. The Indians made the single-season team 3-pointers list with 197 and with Bangor tied for ninth most between two teams in one game as they combined to make 23 (Hartford connecting on 14) in Hartford’s 85-57 win Jan. 25. Brandon Galvan just missed making the single-season individual 3-pointers list, drilling 78 over 21 games.

Bellevue went a combined 87-11 over the last four seasons with Wyatt Waterbury and Gino Costello helping pace the defensive effort with record list totals of 347 and 250 steals, respectively. Waterbury made the single-season steals list three times with a high of 95 as a sophomore, and his total ranks fifth on the career list. He also made the career 3-pointers list with 206. Additionally, Evan Bloch was added for 11 steals in a game against Waldron on Dec. 11, 2011.

Zac Clark closed his Britton Deerfield career this winter with more than 1,000 points and on the career rebounds list with 811 over four seasons and 71 games (and despite playing just six games as a freshman). He will continue his career at Concordia-Ann Arbor.

Football

Freeland’s then-junior Jayce Bourcier blasted a 77-yard punt during his team’s 35-18 win over Carrollton on Oct. 13, 2017. The punt flew nearly 60 yards in the air and ranks 10th for distance all-time.

Jake Burger capped his three-year varsity career last fall all over the Pittsford record book. He also earned lines in the MHSAA record book with 4,310 career passing yards and six passing touchdowns in a playoff loss Oct. 26 against eventual Division 8 champion Reading. He will continue his career at Hillsdale College.

Girls Lacrosse

Emma Murphy and Grace Wilson earned Midland Dow’s first girls lacrosse record book entries for offense this spring with single-game accomplishments. Wilson, a sophomore, had five assists during a 21-0 win over Grand Blanc on April 23. Murphy, a freshman, scored 11 goals during a 19-9 win over Lake Orion on May 3. Murphy’s goals tied for seventh most in one game.

Girls Soccer

Delton Kellogg won its first District title this spring with help from a pair of standout juniors who also earned record book accolades. Holly McManus scored 50 goals – including seven in one game – and also made the single-season list with 58 total points. She’s also on the career goals list with 83 over 45 games and parts of three seasons. Amber Mabie also is a three-year varsity player, and she was added for 25 assists this spring.

Marshall’s Kate Face was added for scoring 88 goals over her four-season career that finished this spring. She previously had made the single-season scoring list with 32 goals as a sophomore. She will continue her career at Indiana State University.

Danae Moriarty made the records with 45 goals, 23 assists and 68 points total during her junior season this spring for Plymouth Christian Academy, and the goals pushed her onto the career list as well with 82 over three seasons. She will not be playing as a senior, instead spending the school year as an exchange student in Germany.

Kayla Beebe capped her career this spring by leading Kalamazoo Christian to its third straight Division 4 runner-up finish, scoring 37 goals to end her four varsity seasons with 103. She will continue her career at Calvin University.

Tecumseh freshman Madalyn Freitas started her high school career with one of the most memorable individual performances in MHSAA history. She scored 62 goals, fifth most all-time, and finished with 76 points, tying for sixth most during one season.

PHOTO: Howardsville Christian’s Dylan Jergens gets to the basket during a 2018 Quarterfinal against Hillsdale Academy. (Photo courtesy of JoeInsider.com.)