Brothers Shine as Baseball Aces

April 2, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Remus Chippewa Hills baseball was in good hands over the last six seasons – those of brothers Erik and Jake Tarbell.

The pair combined to go 76-15 on the mound with 774 strikeouts from the start of Erik’s career in 2008 to the close of Jake’s last spring.

Total, Erik Tarbell finished 37-7 with a 1.68 ERA and 371 strikeouts from 2008-11, while Jake Tarbell finished 39-8 with a 1.61 ERA and 403 strikeouts from 2010-13. Erik now plays for NAIA Union College in Kentucky, while Jake is beginning his first season with Delta College.

Their career marks plus a pair of individual accomplishments were among those added to MHSAA record book listings Wednesday. Read on for more, including some top softball hitters, a 2,000-point basketball scorer, and another who frequently found the goal – with a soccer ball.  

Baseball

  • Saline’s three straight Division 1 runner-up seasons from 2008-10 included a number of strong performances from three-year varsity players Mark Weist and Al Zeiher. Weist in 2010 tied for the second-most hits in one season, with 78, and eighth-most doubles with 22. He also hit eight triples and .595 for the spring, finishing his career with a .492 average – to make record listings for all five categories. Zeiher pitched to a 0.45 ERA that season and 1.01 ERA over his three – his career ERA ranks ninth on that list. Saline as a team hit 93 doubles (tied for sixth), 22 triples (second) and carried a .385 average. Also, Gage Hammond was added to the record book for his nine triples in 2012.
  • A trio of Gobles standouts finished their careers in 2013 with totals that made the MHSAA record lists. Seth Johnson finished his four-year varsity run with a .488 career average, 164 runs, 45 doubles, 25 home runs and 167 RBI. Teammate Cam Hansen also made the career runs list with 167, and Ty Rock made the career shutouts list with 10.

Girls Basketball

  • Alissa Herlan finished a four-year varsity career at Coldwater in 2012 with 173 3-pointers – good for 16th on the career list. She connected on 67 as a senior to make the single-season list as well.

Boys Basketball

  • There have been 35 players who have scored at least 2,000 points during their careers, and Spencer Krannitz is the latest to be added to the list. The 2012 North Muskegon graduate scored 2,008 points from 2009-12. He now plays at Central Michigan University.
  • The Dec. 4, 2012, game between East Jordan and Mancelona was one for the record books – literally – as the teams combined for 21 3-pointers and East Jordan alone made 17 in an 82-70 victory. East Jordan’s Joe Manville was the game’s top sharp-shooter with six 3-pointers, all coming over the final three quarters.
  • Chesaning’s Josh Kunik found the basket frequently from all over the floor during his high school career that ended in 2013. But he was especially dangerous from the free-throw line as a senior, making 89 of 98 attempts from the stripe for a .908 percentage – good for sixth all-time for a single season.

Boys Soccer

  • Leland’s Dylan Jolliffe led his team on its second trip to the MHSAA Division 4 Semifinals in 2012, scoring 65 goals that season – good for fourth-most in MHSAA history. He scored 40 as a junior, also making that single-season list, and finished his career with 145 to tie for sixth on the career list. He currently plays at Kalamazoo College.

Softball

  • Tawas’ Ivy Schaaf finished her varsity career in 2013 with 34 doubles, 20 home runs and 197 runs scored during her four seasons, including 10 home runs as a junior. All made MHSAA record listings, with the 197 runs ranking 18th. Teammates Jordyn Look and Amber Yates also made the lists with 18 doubles in a season and 39 career doubles, respectively. Tawas as a team was added for 385 hits, 80 doubles and 250 RBI, all from last spring. Schaaf is playing at Western Michigan University this season.
  • Swartz Creek’s Hayley Cruthers finished her career last season with a number of season and career totals ranking among the top 20 in MHSAA history in their respective categories. Among them was a 35-game hitting streak that tied for second longest, 256 career hits (fifth), 212 career runs (11th), 72 career doubles (tied for second) and 31 career home runs (11th). She’s playing at Ball State University this season. Swartz Creek as a team hit 77 doubles last season to make that list.

PHOTO: Remus Chippewa Hills' Jake Tarbell prepares to unleash a pitch during his team's Quarterfinal game against Mount Pleasant in 2013. (Click to see more from High School Sports Scene.)

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.)