Forest Park Runs to 8-Player Records
May 14, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Crystal Falls Forest Park ran away, literally, with its first 8-player football championship this past fall.
The Trojans set the MHSAA 8-player records for 5,327 total yards, 77 total touchdowns, 686 rushing attempts, 4,350 rushing yards and 65 rushing touchdowns on the way to claiming the 8-player Division 2 title. Forest Park also played just 12 games, with an open date during the regular season.
Individually, senior Connor Bortolini was added for a record 54 carries, 402 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns and seven total touchdowns against Powers North Central on Sept. 1. Senior teammate Peter Ropiak was added for five tackles for a loss against Eben Junction Superior Central on Sept. 15 and a record 28 total in just nine games for the season. Sophomore Noah Gilner earned the record for tackles for loss in a game with seven against Phillips, Wis., on Sept. 22.
Bortolini will continue his career this fall at Finlandia University.
See below for more recent record book additions in football, plus baseball, girls and boys basketball and boys lacrosse. Click on the headings to view those record books in full.
Baseball
Grand Ledge was added for 420 hits, 87 doubles, 337 RBI, a .389 average and 1.62 ERA as a team in 2017, over 41 games. Senior Wyatt Rush was added for 0.69 ERA over 70 2/3 innings pitched; he now plays for Lansing Community College.
Jesus Becerra did not get a hit during his record-book worthy performance last season. But the Stephenson now-senior did reach four times on errors against Peshtigo, Wis., and turned those opportunities into seven stolen bases – tying for second most steals in one game in MHSAA history.
After giving up two singles to start a May 9 game against Warren Fitzgerald, Madison Heights Madison junior pitcher Austin Brown struck out 20 of the next 21 hitters. He’s tied for seventh most strikeouts in a seven-inning game.
Girls Basketball
Sophomore Kelynn Kujat made 66 3-pointers this past season to set a Frankenmuth record. She scored a team-leading 332 points for the Eagles.
Boys Basketball
Clinton Township Clintondale’s Richard Washington was added to the single-season steals list with 111 over 21 games this winter. The junior also averaged 20.3 points per game and made 63 3-pointers.
Football
Hunter Spence capped a two-season varsity career at Comstock Park in the fall with six record book entries, with his 18 catches against Grand Rapids Catholic Central on Oct. 6 tied for third-most in one game. Spence finished with 136 catches and 1,948 receiving yards over the past two seasons. Senior Logan Serba was added for 245 yards receiving and four touchdowns in one game against Belding. Junior quarterback Chase Brown is up to 18 entries in the record book after two seasons and with one more to play – he ranks on career lists already with 592 passing attempts, 373 completions and 5,126 yards. Senior kicker Nathan Hughes also was added for making 56 extra points in 58 attempts this past season. Hughes will play baseball after graduation at Aquinas College.
Jacob Witt finished his career in the fall with 12 entries in the 8-player record book while playing for Ewen-Trout Creek in 2016 and then a co-op of E-TC and Ontonagon last season. Witt added 31 receptions for 759 yards and 14 touchdowns to finish with two-season career totals of 102 catches, 2,457 yards and 39 scores. Witt will play basketball next season at Michigan Tech University.
Eben Junction Superior Central added to its list of accomplishments in the 8-player record book, including for 643 total yards and 635 rushing against Felch North Dickinson on Oct. 6. The Cougars’ latest listings also include 72 rushing attempts against Rapid River on Aug. 31 and 3,301 total rushing yards last season. Junior Beau Rondeau was added for 41 carries and six rushing touchdowns against Rapid River.
Boys Lacrosse
Howell senior Jack Radzville scored more than half of his team’s goals in a 20-15 loss to Brighton on April 19, tallying nine to tie for sixth most in one game in MHSAA history. He added two assists, and his 11 points total also made that single-game list.
PHOTO: Crystal Falls Forest Park's Connor Bortolini high fives a teammate after scoring during last season's 8-player Division 2 Final at the Superior Dome. (Photo by John Johnson.)
Iron Mountain Pair Climb Into Michigan's All-Time Hoops Elite
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 10, 2021
Johnson and Wonders led the Mountaineers to the Division 3 Final in 2019, and Wonders brought them back this past season. Iron Mountain also was 21-1 when the 2019-20 season ended early because of COVID-19.
Wonders, who graduated this spring, closed his career with 2,286 points, 13th most in MHSAA history. He twice made the record book for points scored in one quarter and against Ironwood on Feb. 18 also tied the state record with seven 3-pointers in the first quarter. He averaged 26 ppg over 88 games and four seasons and is continuing his career at Southern Illinois.
Johnson, a senior in 2020, led Iron Mountain to a combined 91-8 record with four seasons worth of contributions now reflected in the MHSAA record book, where he’s listed eight times. He made the career scoring list with 2,076 points, he’s seventh on the career 3-pointers list with 285, tied for seventh on the career free throws list with 518 and also made the career steals list with 248. His career free throw shooting percentage of .812 ranks 11th. Johnson played this past season at Bay College.
See below for more recent record book additions for boys and girls basketball, boys lacrosse, volleyball and wrestling.
Boys Basketball
Joe Liedel’s senior season was cut short by COVID-19 in 2020 before he could make a run at the MHSAA’s career 3-point record. But the Erie Mason standout still be recalled among the state’s top shooters – short and long-range – of all-time. Liedel’s 2,202 career points sit 16th on that list, while his 334 3-pointers are second for a career and just six shy of the record. He’s also on the career free throws list with 342 (85 percent success), and he connected on 88 percent of his attempts from the line as a senior. Liedel also made the career steals list with 243. He’s continuing at Detroit Mercy.
Adrian Lenawee Christian drilled 17 3-pointers in a 75-28 win over Battle Creek Academy on Feb. 13 of this past season. Gavin Sluss let the effort with seven.
It took 46 years to make it in to the record book, but Detroit Denby’s Vincent Rush has been credited for 21 assists against Detroit Osborn on Jan. 24, 1975. His total at the time would have been the record and stood for two seasons.
Benzie Central earned a record book entry with 16 3-pointers in its March 11 win over Onekama. Benzie connected on 43 percent of its tries (16 for 37) in the 83-42 victory.
Senior Carter Foerster helped Lake Fenton to a District Semifinal win over Chesaning on March 25 with 34 points total – including 22 during the third quarter to make the single-quarter scoring list. He will play college football at Lawrence Tech.
Girls Basketball
Sarah Marvin made her most powerful impact on high school sports as a Finals record setter in both shot put and discus again this past spring. But her four-season basketball career was similarly memorable as she finished with six MHSAA record book listings. Most recently added were career entries for 400 made free throws, 462 assists and 1,017 rebounds, all over 84 games. Marvin will continue her track & field throwing career at Michigan.
Boys Lacrosse
Ted Campbell and Drew Zyskowski were among those who played major roles as East Grand Rapids finished this spring as Division 2 champion. Zyskowski, a sophomore, was added to the record book with 44 assists and 85 points, while Campbell made the single-season goals list with 65 during his senior campaign.
Volleyball
A junior hitter and sophomore setter led Cadillac to a successful 2019, as the team finished 41-10-2. Macy Brown made the records with 831 kills over 132 games, while setter Renee Brines made the single-season assists list with 1,344. Brown is a freshman at University of New Haven (Conn.), and Brines will sign with Northwood.
Wrestling
Chayse LaJoie wrestled in four Division 2 individual championship matches over four seasons for Gaylord and won two Finals titles, and he was added to the record book for his 197 wins (with only four losses) before graduating in 2000. He had 18 technical falls as a senior and concluded his career with 60, both also making the records.
PHOTOS: Marcus Johnson, left, and Foster Wonders were standouts on Iron Mountain’s 2019 team and throughout their varsity careers.