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Grace-fully Setting MHSAA Records

September 9, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Saginaw Swan Valley’s Alex Grace opened the 2014 football season two weeks ago with what has become a typical performance – 195 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

The Vikings’ senior running back already tops one MHSAA record book list, and could sit atop a few more when this fall is done.

Grace set the MHSAA single-season rushing record in 2013 with 2,962 yards on only 295 carries – an average of 10 yards per carry. Adding in his 2,163 yards rushing as a sophomore, Grace entered this fall with 5,125 total – good for 15th on the career list, and he’s already jumped to 10th with 324 yards he’s gained in two games this fall.

Grace also scored 36 rushing touchdowns in 2013 – 12th most for one season – and with his 27 as a sophomore has 63 total. He’s committed to sign with Western Michigan University for after graduation.

Those are just some recent additions to the MHSAA record listings; read on for more, and click each heading below for the complete records listing for that sport. 

Football

  • Logan Huff’s incredible Friday night (Sept. 5) – six touchdowns in Johannesburg-Lewiston’s 75-14 win over Pellston – included a pair of interception returns for scores to make him the latest of 15 players to accomplish that feat. He also scored on two rushes, a reception and a punt return, will all six TDs coming during the first half.

Baseball

  • Zach Fish’s reputation as one of the top high school power hitters in MHSAA history got a boost with the addition of career numbers from his two seasons each at Kalamazoo Central (2008-09) and Richland Gull Lake (2010-11). Fish ranks second for most career home runs (47) and RBI (203) in MHSAA history, eighth for career runs scored (184) and fifth for hits (204). He also made the lists with three home runs and 10 RBI in a game against Portage Northern his senior season. Fish was named Big 12 Player of the Year this spring playing for Oklahoma State University, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round of the June Major League Baseball amateur draft, and just finished his first season as an outfielder with the franchise’s short-season rookie level team in Great Falls, Montana.

Boys Basketball

  • Wyoming West Michigan Lutheran 6-foot-4 forward Jeffrey Hilliard finished his high school career averaging a double-double – 19.8 points and 15.7 rebounds per game – and grabbed 314 boards total to make the MHSAA records in that single-season category. He just missed the single-game category, grabbing 29 in an 85-45 win over Holland Black River. He’ll continue his career at Concordia University-Ann Arbor.

Girls Basketball

  • Crystal Falls Forest Park’s Lexi Gussert finished her career in March with a Miss Basketball trophy and having carried the Trojans to the Class D Final at the Breslin Center. She also appears 14 times in the MHSAA girls hoops record book: most notably, she finished fourth in career scoring with 2,630 points, set the record as a senior for single-season 3-pointers (105) and finished second with 274 career 3-pointers, finished eighth as a senior on the single-season assist (193) list and is ninth on the career rebounds list with 1,108. She also tied for sixth with 104 varsity games played during her career, and will continue at Michigan State University.

Boys Lacrosse

  • Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern’s run to the Division 2 Semifinals this spring included outstanding offensive performances from a pair of field players and strong play in net by a junior goalie. Bob Pelton tallied the third-most assists in one season, 64, and finished with the eighth-most points, 110. Teammate Luke Malec also made the single-season points list with 89, and both made a number of single-game lists. Goalie Grant Lardieri posted three of the top nine single-game saves totals, topped by 23 against Detroit Catholic Central on May 17, and also has posted three of the top eight season saves totals – his 232 this spring were the third-most. He has 657 career saves – 62 from tying the MHSAA record – with a season left in his high school career.

  • Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard’s Matt Kolevar finished a solid career in 2010 with 57 goals and 38 assists – with his 95 points making that single-season list. He also made the career points list with 200, including 137 goals.

  • Connor Flynn graduated from Rockford in 2012 with 715 career saves in goal, which now ranks second in MHSAA history. He had 24 in a 2012 games against South Lyon, with that total tying for third-most in a game. He’s now playing at the University of Detroit Mercy.

Girls Soccer

  • Pontiac Notre Dame Prep’s Taylor Timko scored more than 30 goals twice and 124 during a four-year career that finished this spring. Her career goals rank 21st in MHSAA history, and her 176 total points (including 52 assists) rank 14th on that career list. Timko, who also was a track standout and the football team’s kicker and was crowned Homecoming queen last fall while in uniform, is starting for the University of Michigan women’s soccer team this fall.

Softball

  • Gladwin sophomore Lauren Mose achieved a top-10 spot in the MHSAA softball record listings, scoring 71 runs this spring – good to tie for eighth-most in one season. She also hit .496 in 137 at bats. Sophomore teammate Dayna Fennell made the MHSAA single-season doubles list with 16 and hit a team-best .514 in a team-high 138 at bats. 

PHOTO: Saginaw Swan Valley's Alex Grace (9) carries the ball during this season's opener against Saginaw Nouvel. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)

Scane Leads Cranes with Record Scoring

August 11, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Isabelle Scane has accomplished a career’s worth of lacrosse stardom at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood the last three years – and she still has a season to play.

The Cranes’ senior-to-be has been entered into the MHSAA record book with 360 career goals – nearly 100 more than anyone else – after scoring the second-most for one season (146) this spring in leading her team to its first Division 2 championship.

In addition, Scane’s 183 points total this spring rank third on that single-season list, and her 453 career points are also third and only eight off setting a record.

Teammate Sophia Milia was added to the records as well for her 87 goals this season, 60 assists and 147 points (seventh most all-time). Former teammates Grace Giampetroni has six record listings for her final two seasons, 2015 and 2016, and Ari Vespa was added for a pair of accomplishments in 2015.

Scane has committed to sign with Northwestern University, while Giampetroni played last season at High Point University in North Carolina and Vespa plays at University of Michigan. Milia also has another high school season to play.

Click the girls lacrosse heading below to see that record book in full, and check out more recent record additions in that sport plus boys basketball, boys and girls soccer and softball.

Boys Basketball

Corey Redman just missed making the single-season free throws list twice during his four-season Boyne City career from 2012-15. But he ended his run 14th on the career free throws list with 431 in 565 attempts (76 percent) over 90 games. Redman plays at Central Michigan University.

Former Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central standout Derek Dennis was added for making 224 3-pointers over his four-year career from 2006-09. Dennis went on to play baseball at University of Michigan and Davenport University.

Girls Lacrosse

Hartland finished 18-4 this spring in part on the scoring of junior Emily Beazley, who was added to the records for games of eight and seven goals, 83 overall and 112 points. Senior teammate Teagan Laier was added for seven goals in a game as well, and senior Meghan Economou made the single-season goalie saves list with 151. Economou has committed to continue playing at Calvin College, and Laier has signed with Northern Michigan University.

DeWitt continued its surge this spring, finishing 17-5 while adding a number of record book entries including 308 goals scored as a team and the first entry for most goals in a game – 26 in a win over Lansing Waverly. Jordan Markowski was added five times for eight assists and 12 points in that big win, plus 80 points this season, 257 for her career and 170 career goals from 2014-17. Rachel Madar was added for seven goals in a game, 78 this season and 215 for her career, plus 95 points this season and 260 over the last four. Sierra Dietz was added for 53 goals this season and 164 career goals and 204 career points over her four varsity seasons, and Julianna Harrison was added for 150 saves in goal this spring. Madar will continue her career at Kalamazoo College.

Boys Soccer

Comstock’s record goal-scoring season with 111 over 22 games last fall was led by senior Mubark Hasan, who in addition to contributing to the team’s single-season record book listing for goals also is listed for six goals in a game twice and for 59 goals by himself in 2016. Hasan also made the single-season points list with 73 total. Comstock finished 20-4 and won its Division 3 District.

Girls Soccer

A pair of standouts made the record book after helping Marshall to an 18-5-2 finish. Sophomore Kate Face was added for 32 goals over 25 games, while senior Lauren Day was added for 16 shutouts in goal. The team was added for 11 straight shutouts from May 3-June 3. Day will continue her career at Jackson College.

Softball

Livonia Franklin’s Brooke Garbarino has earned entries all over her school’s record book, and a few statewide as well. She made the single-season average list this spring hitting .646, and her 23 doubles tied for 10th most in one season. She also made the career doubles list with 58 over four seasons. She’ll continue her career at Jackson College.

Zeeland East also graduated a pair of record book-making standouts this spring. Audrey Kazda made the single-season doubles list with 23 in 2017, while teammate Sara Medendorp finished her four-year career with 20 home runs. Brooke Leonard also was added for 956 strikeouts from 2011-14.  

Blissfield seniors Kelsey Wyman and Brooke Henning provided one of the state’s top one-two punches over the last four seasons. Wyman has four record book entries including for 212 career runs (ranking 16th) and 242 career hits (ranking 15th). Henning leaves 11 record book entries; she tied for second with three home runs in one game against Brooklyn Columbia Central on May 2, tied for fourth with 18 home runs this season, ranks tied for fifth with 47 career home runs and comes in 10th with 197 career RBI. Teammate Jade Casanova also was added for six RBI in a game this spring, and past teammates LeeAnn Seidl (27 homers from 2013-16) and Kelsie Abbott (22 doubles in 2014, 53 over her four-year career) also were added. Henning will continue to play at Grand Valley State, while Wyman will play basketball at Ferris State. Seidl plays at University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Abbott played at Siena Heights. Additionally, Blissfield as a team earned three entries for home runs in a season, the highest being 40 this spring – which is tied for sixth most. 

PHOTO: Cranbrook Kingswood's Isabelle Scane (27) hoists the Division 2 championship trophy with her teammates after this spring's title game win.