Bridgman Bats Earn Homes in History
July 25, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A pair of Bridgman underclassmen helped the Bees to their first MHSAA team record book listing for softball this spring, while also earning individual entries as well.
Sophomore Sydney Payne had seven RBI during a win over Benton Harbor, and freshman Madelyn Oman had six in a win over New Buffalo as Bridgman made the team RBI record list with 275 over 39 games. Payne and Oman’s record entries also were firsts for the school on the sport’s individual lists.
The Bees finished 25-14 this season and advanced to their Division 3 District Final.
Click the heading below to see where they rank in the softball record book as a whole and also for more recent record additions in that sport and baseball.
Baseball
Canton became the 21st team to make the all-time best ERA list for clearing 1.70, posting a 1.69 in going 34-6 this spring. Seth Marano led the way with a 0.66 ERA in going 7-1, while Dean Dawson and Turner Donlin also were 7-1 on the mound.
Pellston senior Maxwell Cleaver entered a May 15 game against Boyne Falls and hit a home run, and then hit home runs in his first two at bats May 17 against Newberry. His three straight homers made the list for most in consecutive at bats.
Holt tied for 12th in MHSAA history with a 1.48 team ERA this spring in finishing 30-8. The Rams were led by senior Jesse Heikkinen (who will play at Michigan State and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers), who finished 8-1 with a 0.97 ERA.
Potterville’s Sam Traver finished his four-season career in 2015 among all-time leaders in wins, ERA and strikeouts. For his career he was added for 34 victories (against 14 losses), a 1.16 ERA, 531 strikeouts over 311 2/3 innings pitched and 11 shutouts – the strikeouts rank seventh on that list and the shutouts tied for 10th most. He also was added for ERAs of 0.28 in 2015 and 0.82 in 2014, 178 strikeouts in 2015 and six shutouts that season. He recently finished his second season at Grand Rapids Community College.
Softball
Madison Jones finished her Romeo career this spring among the MHSAA’s all-time great power hitters, adding 15 home runs to individual records listings of 18 in 2015 and 11 last year. She finished with 47 home runs, tied for fifth most all-time, and also tied for second with 10 RBI in a game this season against Howell. She also earned listings for a .528 career average and 170 career RBI. She’ll continue her career at Oakland University.
Audrey Petoskey also finished off a four-season slugging career this spring, coming in seventh all-time with 43 home runs for Milford. She added 13 this season and also was listed for 10 in 2016 and 12 in 2015, plus for hitting back-to-back home runs three times during her career. Petoskey will continue her career at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee.
Lauren Kanai and Alex Herold helped Ada Forest Hills Eastern to a 28-10 record this season especially with their bats. Kanai was added for 10 home runs and 20 doubles, while Herold was added for 72 hits, 21 doubles and a 20-game hitting streak. Herold also made the doubles career list with 34, while Kanai made career lists with 52 doubles, 155 RBI and 202 hits. Kanai will continue her career at Taylor University in Indiana.
Howell posted one of the strongest offensive seasons in MHSAA history in 2017, and a number of record book entries have followed. The Highlanders finished 38-3, scoring 466 runs (fourth all-time) with 513 hits (third), 102 doubles (third), 38 triples (fourth), 388 RBI (third) and a team .441 batting average (sixth all-time). Veronica Pezzoni capped her three-season varsity career making single-season lists with 67 runs, 76 hits and 15 triples and career lists with 187 runs, 207 hits, 25 triples, a .542 batting average and for streaks of 84 straight stolen bases and hits in 38 consecutive games. Teammate Emma Johnson earned entries this spring with 69 runs and 71 hits and career listings for 172 runs and 34 doubles over her four-year career. Maddie Gillett (23) and AJ Militello (16) were added to the single-season doubles list for their work this spring. Pezzoni will continue at University of Tennesee-Martin, while Johnson will play at Hillsdale College.
Byron earned a number of record book listings for offensive production this spring, scoring 406 runs with 437 hits, 95 doubles, 293 RBI and with a .437 batting average. Junior Alexis Andrews finished her season on a 31-game hitting streak and hit 10 home runs, while sophomore Greta L’Esperance enjoyed a 28-game streak and batted .691 while scoring 74 runs. Parker Viele hit 18 doubles this season and finished her four-year career with 911 strikeouts; she’ll continue at Lake Erie College in Ohio.
PHOTOS: Sydney Payne (left) and Madelyn Oman both made the single-game RBI list in helping Bridgman to a team record book listing. (Photos courtesy of Bridgman High School.)
Stockbridge Pair Tally 53 Record Entries
December 13, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Stockbridge’s Mason Gee-Montgomery graduated this spring with 37 entries in the MHSAA football record book, while teammate and top receiver Kolby Canfield finished his high school career appearing 16 times for accomplishments they frequently collaborated on over the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Gee-Montgomery was recently added in part for his 303 passing attempts, 211 completions, 2,609 yards and 40 touchdown tosses as a senior. His career totals also were updated to reflect 866 attempts, 601 completions, 8,269 yards and 124 touchdown passes over three seasons and 30 games – with his seven touchdowns passes in a 2016 game against Leslie tying his MHSAA record and his career touchdown passes setting a new standard.
Canfield, meanwhile, had 93 receptions for 1,190 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior in 2016, and 201 receptions for 2,773 yards and 40 scores over his 23-game career. His 19 catches in a 2016 game against Parchment are an MHSAA record, and his 201 career catches rank second while his 40 career touchdown grabs are tied for fifth most. He and Gee-Montgomery also together helped tie an MHSAA team record with 23 straight pass completions in a 2015 game against Vermontville Maple Valley – Gee-Montgomery completed 22 passes during the string, with Canfield adding one more.
Gee-Montgomery recently completed his first season as a quarterback at Case Western Reserve in Ohio, while Canfield played this fall at Albion College.
Read on for more recent record book additions for football, boys basketball, boys soccer, volleyball and wrestling, and click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.
Boys Basketball
On Feb. 2, 1993, Fremont’s Adam Bowen made 12 of 17 3-point attempts to tie (what was at the time) the record for most 3-pointers in one game. His 12 3-pointers now sit tied for third on the list.
Hudsonville Unity Christian coach Scott Soodsma was added to the career wins list with a 527-251 boys record entering this season. Soodsma has coached Unity’s boys since 1992-93 and previously coached at McBain Northern Michigan Christian and in South Dakota. He also has a 105-36 girls basketball coaching record.
Football
Clinton Township Chippewa Valley shut down and shut out Utica 44-0 on Sept. 29, and in the process made the records by allowing only five first downs. The Big Reds finished 10-2 this fall.
A senior during the 1989 season, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett’s John Dodds had five sacks in a 55-0 win over Hamtramck on Oct. 27 of that fall. His sacks led to Hamtramck losing a combined 57 yards, and he also ran for a touchdown in that game.
Spencer Peterson tied the record for most touchdowns in a quarter with five in Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian’s 55-20 win over Hamtramck on Aug. 29, 2015. He also made the record book list with six rushing touchdowns total. Peterson is playing at Wheaton College.
Carsonville-Port Sanilac then-senior Justin Ritchie’s 30 carries for 464 yards and eight rushing touchdowns against Akron-Fairgrove on Sept. 9, 2016, gave him records for most rushing yards and touchdowns and overall touchdowns in an 8-player game. Carsonville-Port Sanilac as a team made the record list with 549 rushing yards and set a record with nine touchdowns on the ground in the 64-38 win.
Boys Soccer
Zack Shane capped his four-year varsity career at Fruitport with a number of accomplishments this fall, including a high of 43 goals that made the MHSAA record book. He’s also listed for 102 career goals, 139 career points, six goals in a game Sept. 5 against Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills and a goal seven seconds into a game against Greenville his junior season.
Volleyball
Saranac was among the top teams in a strong Central Michigan Athletic Conference that had two MHSAA Finals runners-up this fall, and senior Ally Couturier earned a pair of record entries as a top setter. She had 46 assists in a five-set loss to eventual Class D runner-up Fowler on Sept. 13, and then 45 assists in a four-set win over Pewamo-Westphalia.
Wrestling
Longtime Bangor coach Dennis Paquette was added to the career wins list with a 512-218-5 record since taking over the program during the 1991-92 season. Bangor’s 314 pins and 1,342 takedowns during the 2003-04 season also made record book lists; the team finished 33-7-1 that winter.
PHOTO: Stockbridge quarterback Mason Gee-Montgomery surveys the field during the 2015 season. (Photo by Brian Frazzini.)