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.)
Mendon 8-Player Championship Game Run Paced by Record-Setting Rushing
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 26, 2023
Mendon’s run to the Division 2 Final last fall included some of the strongest rushing performances over the history of 8-player football.
The Hornets ran for 4,317 yards, second-most all-time, on the second-most attempts (520) and with a record-setting 682 yards Oct. 14 against Marcellus. Mendon also set the record for total offense with 692 total in that game, and made the single-season touchdowns list with 76 including 66 rushing (also second on that list).
Junior Jack McCaw made the single-season scoring list with 212 points, most coming on 29 touchdowns, and Evan Lukeman made the single-game rushing list with 401 yards against Marcellus. Mendon’s defense also earned praise, twice making the fewest-first-downs-allowed list with a low of three.
See below for more recent additions to the 8-player portion of the football record book:
8-Player Football
Athens’ Landon Bennett earned a pair of record book entries after reaching the end zone seven times during his team’s 72-0 win over Burr Oak on Sept. 8. His seven scores are tied for third-most in 8-player history and included three rushing, three on punt returns and one on an interception return. The three punt return touchdowns are a record. Bennett is a junior.
On the night Powers North Central broke its 8-player record for consecutive wins, claiming its 28th straight, senior Luke Gorzinski tied Jets great Jason Whitens for the record for interception touchdowns in a game with two, scoring on returns during the second and fourth quarters. Gorzinski has signed with Michigan Tech, and North Central’s winning streak is 37 games and counting.
A pair of Atlanta offensive playmakers and a top defensive lineman earned a total of seven entries in the record book for achievements last fall. Senior quarterback Tyler Currie threw for 30 touchdowns over eight games, and also made the records for six touchdowns and 419 passing yards against Whittemore-Prescott on Sept. 23; the passing yards are second-most for one 8-player game. Sophomore Landon Galea was added for 263 yards and five of those touchdowns against the Cardinals, and also for 1,418 yards receiving and 23 touchdowns over nine games. Junior teammate Tucker Kendrick made the tackles for loss list with five against Hillman on Oct. 6.
Adrian Lenawee Christian senior Brady McKelvey became the first to make the career extra points list in 8-player football this past fall. He bettered his previous single-season record making 64 of 66 extra-point attempts over 11 games and finishing his two-year varsity career with 123 extra points in 127 tries.
Sam McKissack reached the record book showcasing multiple skills for Crystal Falls Forest Park during the 2021 season – twice for rushing attempts in a game including with a record 59 against Ontonagon that Sept. 10, and then with a record 70-yard punt Oct. 30, 2021, against Lake Linden-Hubbell. Teammate Devon Basirico also made the record book with six fumble recoveries over 11 games that season. As a team, Forest Park was added twice for single-game rushing attempts – including 73 total in that Ontonagon game – and for 424 rushes over 11 games for the season. McKissack and Basirico are seniors this spring.
Nikolaus Lewis tied for eighth-most rushing touchdowns in an 8-player game when he reached the end zone six times for Carsonville-Port Sanilac in its win over Caseville on Oct. 7. He’s a senior this spring.
Bridgman has won 24 straight games over the last three seasons, and an exceptional offense – and exceptional offensive star – have played major roles. The Bees were added for 658 total yards in a win over Lawrence last season, that total ranking third all-time, and also 613 yards in a win over Eau Claire. Those included totals of 575 and 547 rushing yards, respectively, and Bridgman was added for 3,598 rushing yards (sixth on the list), 59 rushing touchdowns (fourth) and 76 total touchdowns (seventh). Senior Reid Haskins capped his four-year, 32-game varsity career with 13 record book entries, including for 254 points last season over nine games (tied for fifth all-time) and a record 620 career points, 41 touchdowns last season (fifth) and a record 95 for his career, 2,344 rushing yards last season (third) and a record 5,206 for his career, and 41 rushing touchdowns last season (third) and a record 94 for his career. Senior teammate Tanner Peters made the records three times including for 50 extra points last season (fourth) and 99 over 26 games and three seasons (second on the career list).
Mio's Austin Fox rewrote the 8-player passing record book this past fall, with his 621 yards in a game against Whittemore-Prescott setting a single-game record as he totaled four of the five-highest passing yardage totals. He also set a record with 3,516 over nine games for the season, another record with 289 passing attempts over those nine games and a third record for nine touchdown passes in that game against the Cardinals. His 41 touchdown passes total rank fourth. Teammates Gage Long and Nathan Hurst also earned several record book entries on the receiving end of those passes. Long’s 297 receiving yards against Whittemore-Prescott were tied for third most, and Hurst’s 266 against Alcona rank eighth. Long set a single-season record with 1,739 receiving yards, with Hurst sixth all-time at 1,321, and Long’s 14 receptions against the Cardinals and 70 for the season also rank second on those respective lists. Hurst set a record for longest 8-player kickoff return with a 99-yarder against St. Helen Charlton Heston. All three are seniors.
Peck was one of the first MHSAA 8-player champions, claiming the title in 2013, and Cody Abrego one of the state’s first 8-player stars. The Pirates were added to the MHSAA record book 52 times, and Abrego 14 times individually. Among the most notable entries for the 2015 graduate were for 462 points scored over his two-season career (ranking sixth all-time), 74 career touchdowns (sixth), 2,202 rushing yards in 2013 (fifth) and 35 rushing touchdowns in 2013 (sixth). Current senior Caleb Lentner was one of the stars statewide this past season, and he was added eight times including for 50 points scored in a game (ranking second), 272 points for a season last fall (fifth), eight touchdowns in a game (tied for second), 42 touchdowns in a season (fifth), an 8-player record of 2,694 rushing yards from last season, and 38 rushing touchdowns also last fall (fourth). Others to make the individual lists were Nathan Robar, Caleb Dudley, Steven VanConant, Kyle Abrego and Nathan Neihaus, Dudley for a record 20 career interceptions over two seasons and VanConant for a record 12 tackles for loss in a 2022 game and 36 tackles for loss for the season last fall. The Pirates also are all over the 8-player team record book, including for a record 97 touchdowns in 2013, a record 5,895 yards of total offense that season, 528 carries, 4,346 rushing yards and 73 rushing touchdowns in 2013 (all ranking second); and 24 interceptions in 2014, which ranks second on that list.
Senior quarterback JR Hildebrand was one of the most dynamic players in 8-player football in the fall in leading Martin to the Division 1 title. He had one of his most exciting nights in a playoff opener against Tekonsha, making the single-game touchdown pass list with six in a 68-6 victory.
PHOTO Mendon’s Jack McCaw (21) eludes a tackle during the 8-Player Division 2 Final in November at Northern Michigan University. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)