Lancers Creuse with Record Hitting
August 17, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A pair of powerful hitters led Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse into the MHSAA softball record book this spring in a number of offensive categories – and with a junior slugger is on the verge of another milestone with a season to play.
As a team, the Lancers had 384 hits, 79 doubles, 49 home runs and 274 RBI over 37 games – the home runs tied for third most all-time. Junior Brooke Nadolny continued her chase of MHSAA single-season and career home run records – her 26 homers this season tied 26 by Schoolcraft’s Lydia Goble, also this spring, to set the single-season record, and Nadolny’s three homers in consecutive at bats against Grosse Pointe South on April 26 tied for third on that list. She’s up to 54 home runs after her first three seasons and will enter next spring needing just one more to tie the career record in that category.
Meanwhile, senior teammate Sammi Mills – who will continue her career next season at Central Michigan University – was added for 227 career hits, 20 doubles this season and 61 for career, and 22 career home runs.
Nadolny also ranks on the career doubles list with 39 and was added for 15 strikeouts pitching in a five-inning game against Roseville on June 1. Sophomore Cynthia Galvan was added for back-to-back home runs in her final at bat against Roseville and first against St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, both June 1, and Abby Rusek, a 2015 graduate, was added for 19 doubles in 2014.
Click to see the softball record book in full, and read on for more recent record book additions in girls and boys basketball, football, boys lacrosse, boys soccer and volleyball.
Girls Basketball
Grand Haven’s run to consecutive Class A championships in 2012 and 2013 were part of an overall three-season run of 81-2 – made possible by a talented roster including a pair of record-smashing standouts. Abby Cole was a Miss Basketball Award finalist as a senior in 2013 and graduated with 11 entries among the individual record book lists – her 17 blocks in a 2012-13 game against Holland Christian are tied for fourth most in a game, her 233 that season rank third on that list and her 536 over four seasons (but playing only three varsity games as a freshman) are fifth most for a career. Alex Law, a four-season player who finished in 2012, earned entries for 65 3-pointers as a senior, 207 for her career, an .882 free-throw percentage (tied for seventh highest) as a sophomore and a career .845 (third highest) free-throw percentage over 98 games. Cole went on to play volleyball at University of Michigan, and Law played basketball at Davenport University. As a team, Grand Haven owns the eighth-longest winning streak of all-time at 57 games, from Dec. 30, 2011, through Jan. 3, 2014.
Boys Basketball
Indian River Inland Lakes clinched a Class C District title on March 9 with a 70-60 victory over Harbor Springs – aided by making 35 of 39 free-throw attempts. Those 35 free throws made rank 15th for most by one team in a single game.
Malik Ellison gave the crowd at Flint Beecher one more thrill in his final home game Feb. 28, 2017, setting a Flint-area record with 63 points in a 108-104 loss to New Haven. Ellison’s total is tied for 14th on the single-game scoring list. He plays now at Eastern Michigan University.
Football
Grosse Pointe South kicker Cameron Shook contributed to an all-state campaign last season with a 54-yard field goal Aug. 31 against Utica. He is continuing his football career this fall for Navy.
Boys Lacrosse
Tecumseh’s first trip to the MHSAA Quarterfinals – and a 20-1 record – understandably were keyed by a number of contributors offensively and in goal. The Indians set an MHSAA team record with 366 goals as Dylan Day scored 104, second all-time, with his 163 total points ranking third. Senior Drake Ringer had 125 points, 11th most all-time, including 72 assists (second) with a record 11 assists in a win over Temperance Bedford on May 14. Dylan Day’s 59 assists rank sixth and freshman Blake Day’s 54 assists sit 10th on that single-season list. With a season to play, Day sits second on the career lists for goals (252) and overall points (383). Junior goalie Kobe Jennings also added to his list of record book entries, including with four more shutouts to tie his record set in 2017. His eight career shutouts over two seasons also is a record.
Brothers Garnet Potter and Reece Potter led Hartland’s offensive efforts the last two seasons in record book fashion. Garnet was added for 64 goals and 97 points as a senior in 2017, and Reese was added for 57 assists and 115 points this spring as a junior in addition to 80 points in 2017 as a sophomore. Reece’s assists this spring rank seventh all-time. Hartland scored 317 goals in 2018 and 337 in 2017.
Then-senior Joey Billette scored a career-high nine goals April 16, 2015, in Bay City Western’s 14-2 win over Saginaw Heritage. That total remains tied for seventh on the single-game scoring list.
Boys Soccer
Aidan Day set an Alpena record and made the MHSAA list as well with six goals (and an assist) in his team’s 8-0 win over Oscoda last Aug. 28. Day is a senior this fall.
Volleyball
Kayla Sauers’ back-to-back record-book setting performances helped Lake Odessa Lakewood into the Class B championship match last November. Sauers, then a senior, had 60 assists in a five-game Quarterfinal match win over Niles – those 60 tied for 10th most in a match since the start of rally scoring in 2004-05. She then followed with 47 assists in a four-game Semifinal win over Livonia Ladywood. She’s continuing her career at Cornerstone University.
PHOTO: L’Anse Creuse’s Sammi Mills begins her move toward the plate. (Photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers.)
Hartland's Skomial Sits Atop Scoring List
February 10, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
No girls lacrosse player in Michigan high school history has found the net more than Hartland’s Ryan Skomial.
The 2013 grad has been entered into the MHSAA record book for 276 goals over 79 games and four varsity seasons, the highest career scoring total since girls lacrosse became an MHSAA-sponsored sport in 2005. She has 15 record book entries in all, including for fifth-most career assists (133) and third-most career points (409). She’s gone on to play at Grand Valley State University.
Click to see the girls lacrosse record book in full and read on for more recent entries in baseball, boys basketball, football, boys soccer, softball and volleyball.
Baseball
Portland St. Patrick has had plenty of success over the last decade, including making the Division 4 Semifinals last spring, and its small-ball skills led to some record book entries over the last two seasons. The Shamrocks were hit by 64 pitches over 30 games last season, seventh-most for one spring. They also were entered into the records for four games with at least 12 stolen bases over the last two seasons, 191 steals total in 2015 (tied for fifth-most) and 178 steals in 2016. Graham Smith was hit by 24 pitches last season, tying for second-most in one spring, and his 36 hit-by-pitches over the last three seasons rank 14th on the career list with one more season to play. In addition, ace pitcher Travis Moyer was added for his 0.69 ERA in 2015, 1.08 last spring and 0.91 over his two-season varsity career; his career ERA ranks 10th. He’s playing at Alma College.
Boys Basketball
Kent Ingles has coached continuously for since the 1975-76 season, earning some of his 540 career wins at three stops. He was 540-334 entering this winter, his 15th at Big Rapids, after previously coaching at Greenville and his first two seasons at Cedar Springs. Big Rapids made the Class B Semifinals in 2015-16.
Brandon Allen finished his four-season varsity career at Haslett last winter among MHSAA career leaders in made 3-pointers and free throws. His 218 3-pointers over 87 games are tied for 14th most, and he also made 332 free throws in 434 attempts connecting on 76 percent of his career tries. He’s playing at Western Michigan University.
Football
Dearborn Fordson sophomore Abraham Jaafar returned a kickoff as far as possible in his team’s 28-23 loss to Dearborn on Oct. 14. Jaafar received the kick just in front of the goalline and raced 99 yards for a touchdown to tie the MHSAA record for longest return.
Iron River West Iron County sophomore Dawson Bongi matched Jaafar’s accomplishment – on the same night, but a peninsula away. Bongi also returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in his team’s 34-7 win over Hancock.
Sterling Heights quarterback Marc Colucci has been entered eight times for passing during his varsity career from 2004-06. In addition to a pair of single-game entries, Colucci was 181 for 297 passing for 2,228 yards as a senior and 390 for 716 for 5,311 yards passing during his career.
Boys Soccer
Josh Nowak capped his Tecumseh career in the fall earning a second entry in the MHSAA records. In addition to the 30 assists he totaled in 2014 as a sophomore, Nowak finished with a career total of 63 over four seasons, to go with 55 career goals.
Softball
Howell shortstop Amy Jarrett capped her career last spring by tying for the 14th -most hits in one season, with 71. She playing this spring at University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Volleyball
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior setter Brianna Tilton was at her best in one of her team’s biggest matches this season. She had 51 assists in a five-set win over Lowell on Oct. 25 that helped her team win the Ottawa-Kent Conference White championship.
PHOTO: Hartland's Ryan Skomial targets the net during a game against Westland Huron Valley in 2011. (Photo courtesy of Hartland girls lacrosse.)