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.
Brown, Brines End Cadillac Careers Among School, State's All-Time Elite
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
July 28, 2023
Macy Brown in 2020 and Renee Brines in 2021 completed two of the most prolific careers for one of the state’s most consistently-successful programs at Cadillac.
Brown’s 962 kills in 2020 rank fourth for one season, and her 2,349 over four seasons and 553 games rank 11th on that career list. Brines 4,295 assists over 561 games and four seasons rank ninth, and she made aces lists with 119 as a senior and 324 for her career.
Brown is playing at University of New Haven in Connecticut, and Brines is playing at Northwood.
See below for more recent additions to the volleyball record book.
Volleyball
Evelyn Karamon made her career-high assists match count as a senior in 2021. She put up 48 in Allen Park Inter-City Baptist’s five-set win over Ubly in a Division 4 Quarterfinal as the team advanced to the Semifinals for the first time.
Corrie Wisser capped her Hopkins career last fall with a series of record book-worthy achievements, including two that made career lists. She was added for 3,184 assists and 400 aces both over four seasons and 479 games, and with the aces tying for 12th-most all-time. She also made the list twice for 10 aces in a match and twice for single-season aces including a high of 143 as a junior. She has signed with Ferris State.
Fenton’s Eva Long earned her first record book entry last fall with 12 aces in a three-set match against Holly on Sept. 15. She will be a sophomore this upcoming season.
Despite a tough five-set loss to Novi, Brighton’s Abby Mainka enjoyed a career night Sept. 13 when she had 32 kills to make the record book. She’ll be a senior this school year.
Three Rivers’ Miley Southland reached the record book in just her first season of high school. The then-freshman posted 47 assists in a five-set comeback win over Edwardsburg last Aug. 31.
Gianna Sager picked the perfect night for a record book-worthy performance during her junior season at Utica Ford, as she set 63 assists in a five-game 2021 District Semifinal win over Sterling Heights Stevenson. Those assists are tied for ninth for one match, and Ford went on to win its District title.
Recent Boyne City grad Morgan Deming capped her career last fall with two of the most impressive performances, with her 52 kills Nov. 2 against Kingsley third-most in MHSAA history and her 44 kills the next day against Cheboygan tied for seventh on the list. She also made the single-season kills list with 606 over 117 games. Teammate Ava Tarsi made the single-match assists list twice with 68 against Kingsley and 65 against Boyne City. Deming has signed with Lake Superior State, and Tarsi will be a senior this season.
Saginaw Swan Valley then-junior Marli Robinson also joined the single-match assists list, posting 46 in her team’s Division 2 Regional Semifinal against Frankenmuth on Nov. 8.
Nearly two decades later, Ashlee Mosley was added for two performances while a senior at North Adams Jerome in 2005-06. She made the single-match blocks list with 11 in a five-set match against Camden-Frontier, then finished her high school career with 17 against Adrian Lenawee Christian that March 4 in postseason play. The latter remain tied for fourth on the list.
Despite playing an abbreviated senior season in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions, Farmington Hills Mercy’s Julia Bishop finished that fall with a few more than 1,000 assists – and a four-season career total of 5,575 assists, good for third all-time and coming in 521 games despite playing only 95 as a senior. Bishop plays at Michigan State.
Mt. Morris’ run to the Division 2 Quarterfinals last fall was boosted in part by a strong 1-2 punch of setter Alisiya Boedecker and hitter Blair Wilson. Boedecker, then a sophomore, was added to the record book five times including with a high of 61 assists in a match against Clio, 1,389 assists over 159 games for the season and 2,595 assists for her career after just two years of high school. Wilson, then a senior, was added five times including for 17 aces in a three-set match (tied for 10th all-time), 42 kills in that Clio match (tied for 11th), 615 kills for the season and 2,128 for her four-year career. Additionally, then-freshman Destany Clymer was added for 140 aces last season and then-sophomore Callie Quackenbush for 121, as well as single-game ace totals.
Birch Run’s Kalliann Cook capped her four-year varsity career in the fall with 427 aces – 10th-most in MHSAA rally-scoring history. She made the single-season list with 121 as a freshman and 127 as a junior. She’s signed with Austin Peay State.
PHOTO Cadillac's Macy Brown (6) rises above the net during the 2020 Division 2 Semifinals.