Edwardsburg 'O' Piles Up Yards, Points & Record Book Entries
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 7, 2021
Edwardsburg’s excellence over the last decade, especially on offense, has led to 56 additions to the MHSAA football team record book.
Most notably, the 2017 team has records for rushing attempts (678) and yards (5,490), both over 14 games, and the Eddies set the single-game rushing touchdown record with 10 against South Haven in 2018.
The 2018 team – which won the Division 4 championship – ranks second with 82 rushing touchdowns, over 14 games, and third with 5,232 rushing yards. The 2018 team also ranks second for total touchdowns with 97 and fifth for total yardage with 5,886, and finished with the sixth-most points scored, 705.
Read on for more recent football record book additions:
Football
On Sept. 6, 2019, Watervliet’s Don Smith became the sixth player in MHSAA 11-player history to return a fumble the length of the field for a touchdown. Smith, then a junior, picked up the fumble in the end zone on a Saugatuck running play and raced down the sideline for the score. Watervliet as a team also was added to the record lists for some of the state’s most productive offenses over the last half-decade – the 2015 team scored 590 points and averaged 53.6 per game, the 2016 team scored 524 and averaged 52.4 and the 2017 team scored 588 and averaged 49. The 2015 team’s scoring average ranks eighth all-time and came on 5,504 total yards. The 2017 team’s 5,935 total yards ranks fifth all-time.
Royal Oak Shrine Catholic kicker Charles Mulcahy closed a successful career in 2019 on the career extra point list with 123 made in 133 attempts over his four seasons. He also was added for his 46 in 48 tries as a freshman in 2016.
Oscoda scored a school-record 70 points in a 2019 game against Coleman, and quarterback Brayden Mallak played a big part. The senior quarterback threw five touchdowns passes, all during the first half, to make the list for most touchdown tosses over a half.
Clevelyn Jefferson played a big part in carrying Fulton to the 2007 Division 8 Final, rushing 269 times for 2,463 yards. The Pirates’ then-senior made the single-season rushing list as his team finished Division 8 runner-up.
Although his team fell 59-35 in its 2019 matchup against East Grand Rapids, Chase Bradman showed off his passing abilities completing 31 of 52 passes for 470 yards. The Grand Rapids South Christian senior made the record book with all three totals and also for his 194 completions, 333 attempts and 2,510 passing yards over 11 games that season. He is continuing at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Although Elk Rapids fell 49-33 to Harbor Springs in 2019, the Elks kept pace with the passing game as a pair of standouts reached the record book. Junior quarterback Gordie LaFontaine made the single-game completions list with 25, on 41 attempts, while senior Marlin Starkey made the single-game receptions list catching 13 passes.
Bloomfield Hills quarterback Tanner Slazinski capped his junior season in 2019 throwing five first-half touchdown passes in a 35-14 win over Rochester to make the list for most touchdown tosses in a half. Teammate Dominic Curti was added to the records for his nine extra points the week before in a 63-31 win over Troy. Slazinski will continue at Saginaw Valley State.
Jacob Jodway became the first Quincy individual to be included in the MHSAA football record book, added for his 229 yards receiving on six receptions in a 2014 loss to Jonesville. Jodway went on to play at Olivet College.
Holland Christian’s Jonathan Keizer joined the list of kickers who have connected on field goals of at least 52 yards, connecting from that distance during a 42-39 loss to Zeeland East in 2019. The senior also had a 36-yard field goal and three extra points in the game.
PHOTO: Edwardsburg’s 2018 championship team was among those that have earned entries for the Eddies in the MHSAA football record book.
Schoolcraft's Thompson Shatters Soccer Scoring, Total Points Records
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 8, 2022
Schoolcraft’s Hannah Thompson obliterated the girls soccer single-season goals record during the 2021 season that had stood since 2001.
Thompson, now a senior, scored 87 goals over 20 games as a junior, and also set the single-season points record with 93. She also is listed for 43 goals as a freshman and on the career list with 130 despite not being able to play as a sophomore because that season was canceled.
She will continue her career at Eastern Michigan.
See below for more recent record book additions in girls basketball, girls and boys soccer, softball and wrestling.
Girls Basketball
A pair of seniors capped their four-year varsity careers in 2021 by leading Kent City to its first Final and runner-up finish in Division 3. Kenzie Bowers graduated with five record book entries, including for 233 career 3-pointers (ranking 13th) and 426 career steals, both over 96 games. Jenna Harrison has four record book entries, with her 289 3-pointers over 96 games ranking second all-time on the career list. Bowers played this past season at Illinois State, and Harrison is continuing at Sienna Heights. Additionally, Kent City as a team made the 3-pointers attempted list multiple times with a high of 56 against Hesperia on March 1, 2021, and the 3-pointers made list with 18 (in 44 attempts) against Lakeview on Feb. 10, 2021. Total, the team attempted 730 last season (ranking sixth all-time) and made 235 (ranking fourth) despite playing only 22 games. The 125 points scored that day against Lakeview were the fifth-most in one game.
Girls Soccer
Despite her sophomore season being canceled due to COVID-19, Madalyn Freitas already is on the career goals scored list with a season to play at Clinton. Freitas had made the single-season scoring list as a freshman while at Tecumseh in 2019 and added 63 goals over 16 games for Clinton in 2021 for a career total of 125. She also had six assists last season to make the points list with 69 total.
Owosso’s Lily Usher made 286 saves over 15 games during the 2021 season, ranking third on the single-season saves list. She had a high of 35 that May 5 against Goodrich. She is a junior this season.
Boys Soccer
Benzie Central senior Kevin Hubbell scored 16 goals during a 17-0 win over Kingsley on Sept. 29, breaking the MHSAA record for goals in a game previously set in 2003.
Watervliet’s Brady Bornas was added for his six assists in a Sept. 8 win over Parchment. The total tied for fifth-most in one match. Bornas is a junior.
Softball
Lake Orion’s Tessa Nuss finished her four-season varsity career in 2019 with nine record book entries, including the record for consecutive stolen bases – she was never caught stealing in 122 attempts over her career. She hit a combined .587 for her career, ranking 11th, and she also was added for 253 career hits and 220 career runs. She’s continuing her career at Binghamton in New York.
Grass Lake’s Olivia Turner enjoyed a brilliant varsity debut last spring as a freshman, making the record book in three categories – with 23 doubles, 16 home runs and 92 RBI. The RBI total ranks fifth all-time on that list.
Schoolcraft 2021 grad Danielle Blyly made the career doubles list with 37 despite having her junior season of 2020 canceled due to COVID-19. She also made the single-season doubles list with 18 as a sophomore in 2019. She’s continuing her career at Indiana Wesleyan.
Wrestling
Samuel Rickman capped his Trenton career in 2020 as a two-time Finals placer and 200-match winner. He finished a combined 203-25 over four seasons, with a fourth place at 145 pounds in Division 2 as a senior and fifth at 135 as a junior. He’s wrestling at Alma College.
PHOTO Schoolcraft's Hannah Thompson (22) makes her move during last season's Division 4 Regional Semifinal against Kalamazoo Christian. (Photo courtesy of JoeInsider.com.)