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Hartland Star's Career Stands Among Best

July 16, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Amber Crouse finished her girls lacrosse career by helping Hartland to its third straight MHSAA Semifinal this spring after also playing a big part in her team’s run to a Division 1 runner-up finish in 2012.

Along the way this spring, Crouse set a single-game record with 14 assists, against Walled Lake Northern/Western, and had the second-most single-game assists in MHSAA history three days later against Waterford Kettering/Mott. Her 70 assists this season rank fifth on that list, with her 117 career assists also fifth on that list.

Teammate Amy Longe added the scoring punch to this season’s Semifinal run, scoring seven goals three times and 95 goals total – tying for seventh on the single-season goals list. Goalie Brooke Eicher had the fourth and fifth-most saves for one game, 21 and 19, respectively, both against Brighton, and finished with 176 saves to rank fourth on that single-season list.

Click to view the full girls lacrosse record book, and read on for more recent additions to the MHSAA’s listings.

Boys Basketball

  • Owendale-Gagetown’s Brett Stockton was one of the state’s top scorers during the final two years of his high school career that finished in 2013. One of his most special nights came on Feb. 1 of that year, when Stockton tied the MHSAA record with 25 free throws (in 29 attempts) in an 84-69 win over Kingston. Stockton finished that game with 50 points – including 24 with 20 free throws during the fourth quarter.

  • Mackinaw City’s Noah Morse capped his three-year varsity career this winter among MHSAA leaders in single-game, single-season and career steals. He twice had 12 steals in a game to tie for third-most, with his 115 steals this season tied for 10th on the single-season list and his 258 career steals – again, in only three seasons – ranking 11th.

Boys Lacrosse

  • Andrew Kransberger ended his career at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central this spring as one of the leading scorers in the MHSAA’s decade-long history in this sport. His 211 career goals, 156 career assists and 367 career points all rank second on those respective lists, although Kransberger didn’t join the starting lineup until his sophomore season. He also made the single-season lists for goals, assists or points a combined eight times.

  • Temperance Bedford goalie Alex Wallace saw his share of shots during the 2014 season, finishing with the second-most saves on record, 231. That included 23 (tied for fourth-most) in an April 17 loss to Ann Arbor Skyline.

Girls Soccer

  • Riverview’s Kirsten Chambers made the single-season assists list twice with 33 as a junior and 26 this spring as a senior, ranks third on the career list with 100 and also made the career goals (71), single-season points (54) and career points lists (171) during her outstanding four-year run. Her career points rank 15th.

  • Brooklyn Columbia Central’s Danielle Eastman capped her career with 54 points including 42 goals this spring, with both totals making MHSAA lists. She also made the career goals list with 104 over the last three seasons.

  • Frankenmuth keeper Claire Carter added to her 17 shutouts in 2012 with 17 more this season and finished her four-year varsity career with 54 – good for seventh-most on that list. She also had 14 shutouts as a junior in 2013.

Softball

  • Beaverton’s Alix Price finished her career in 2013 as a finalist for the statewide Miss Softball Award – and with a number of high-ranking career stat totals. Her 41 triples over four seasons rank second, with her career average of .537 ranking 10th and her 261 hits fourth. She also made career lists with 56 doubles and 211 runs.

  • Howard City Tri-County’s Brooke Dillon tied for 11th on the single-season triples list with 13 this spring, and also joined a large group with back-to-back home runs accomplishing that feat April 26 against Holland. Teammate Alexis Holappa made the single-game RBI list with six May 28 against Wyoming Godwin Heights.

PHOTO: Hartland’s Amber Crouse (right) finished her high school career among MHSAA leaders in assists and total points (Photo courtesy of Hartland High School.).

Long-range Skill Helps P-W Go Distance

July 29, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Pewamo-Westphalia girls basketball team this past winter won its first MHSAA Finals championship, in Division 3, based in part on record book-caliber 3-point shooting.

The Pirates finished 14th all-time with 183 3-pointers and also made the attempts list with 533 over 28 games. Ellie Droste, Rachel Huhn and Hannah Spitzley all had at least 42 3-pointers as the team finished 27-1.

A trio of other long-distance shooters also recently were added to the girls basketball record book – see more on those achievers below, plus recent additions in wrestling as well. Click the headings to see those record books in full.

Girls Basketball

Comstock’s Daisy Ansel capped her career this winter as one of the top long-distance shooters in MHSAA history. She made 78 more 3-pointers as a senior to finish her four-season career with 261 in 721 attempts (36 percent) over 86 games. She also was added to the records for scoring 45 points in a game twice, and just missed the career free-throw shooting list finishing with a career success rate of 79.9 percent. As a team, Comstock was added for 162 3-pointers, 524 attempts, and a 71.2 free-throw shooting percentage in finishing 17-5. Ansel will continue her career at Grand Valley State University.

Westland Universal Learning Academy junior Zahraa Cherkaoui added to her 2017 entry for 47 points in a game with 49 in a Feb. 5 69-42 win over Warren Michigan Math & Science Academy. She made 15 two-point field goals, five 3-pointers and 4-of-5 free-throw attempts.

Birch Run’s Sarah Miller has made a significant imprint in the record book through her junior season, with 140 steals as a sophomore in 2017-18 and then three entries for free-throw shooting this past winter. Miller’s 21 free throws against Carrollton on Feb. 2 tied for fourth most for one game, and her 17 in 17 attempts Dec. 18 against Alma are tied for fifth-most consecutive in one game. Her 176 free throws total (in 218 attempts) were 13th most for one season.

Rogers City’s Taylor Fleming was a three-sport standout over the last four years, and will continue in volleyball at Lake Superior State University. She left her mark in basketball with a pair of record book entries, for 28 rebounds in a game Dec. 27 against Posen and for 355 rebounds over 19 games total this winter. Her aunt Ashley Fleming also was added to the records for grabbing 1,194 rebounds from 2001-04 – that total ranking ninth all-time. She went on to play at Ferris State University.

Midland Dow’s run to the Division 1 Regional Finals was keyed by a pair of sharp-shooting guards finishing their high school careers. Molly Davis made 68 3-pointers this past season and Maizie Taylor connected on 65, including 11 in a Feb. 20 game against Flint Powers Catholic. Davis finished her four-season varsity career with 174 3-pointers and will continue at Central Michigan University, and Taylor will play at Northwood University. As a team, Midland Dow made 222 of 616 3-point attempts in finishing 23-2. The Chargers had 15 3-pointers twice – against Powers and also Dec. 11 against Howell – and the 222 for the season rank fourth all-time.

Wrestling

Clinton’s Noah Comar finished his two-time championship career this winter with a record of 219-8 and 151 pins over those 227 matches. Those career falls rank 16th all-time, and he also made the single-season list with 46 over 60 matches as a junior. Comar won the Division 4 championship at 125 this past winter and at 112 as a sophomore, and was 125 runner-up as a junior and 112 runner-up as a freshman. He will continue at University of Michigan.

Petoskey grad Kegan Arthur also was added for winning more than 200 matches during his career, which concluded in 2010. Arthur finished 201-31 with a career-high 54 victories as a senior, when he finished Division 2 runner-up at 135 pounds. He also came in fifth at 130 as a junior and was a four-time Finals qualifier. He went on to compete at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Gaylord junior Chayse LaJoie added an Individual Finals runner-up finish this past winter at 125 to championships previously won at 103 and 112, and made the MHSAA records with 16 technical falls in finishing 48-2.

Kyle Schaaf capped his Clare career this winter with a four-season varsity record of 194-23, with highs of 52 wins as both a sophomore and a junior. He finished fifth in Division 3 at 125 pounds as a senior and was a four-time Finals placer – he also was 119 runner-up as a junior, third at 119 as a sophomore and eighth at 112 as a freshman.

Mattawan sophomore Anthony Williamson opened his Individual District competition at 152 pounds this winter with a pin in just four seconds – edging two others by a second for the fastest fall at that weight in MHSAA history. Williamson went on to win his bracket and eventually take sixth place at his weight at the Division 2 Finals.

PHOTO: P-W’s Rachel Huhn fires a 3-point attempt during last season’s Division 3 championship game win over Flint Hamady.