Leland Star Set for Big Senior Season

May 1, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Junior Ella Siddall has accomplished plenty over her first three seasons of volleyball at Leland – and has an opportunity to finish among the state’s all-time greats.

A setter, Siddall already is tied for 16th on the MHSAA record book career assists list with 3,427 over the last three seasons, and she’s on the career aces list with 274 after a single-season qualifying 119 this past fall.

Siddall set her team to the Class D championship in 2015 and the Semifinals in 2016.

See below for more recent record book additions in baseball, boys basketball, boys soccer, volleyball and wrestling. Click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.

Baseball

Blake Dunn capped his career last spring among career leaders in a number of statistics – despite playing only one game as a senior after tearing a knee ligament at the end of March 2017. He made career lists in four categories, setting a record with a .561 batting average over 100 games and four seasons, with his 53 career doubles tying for fifth-most and his 128 stolen bases tying for 11th. His 58 stolen bases as a junior in 2016 ranked 10th, and he also added a pair of 20-double seasons and a 1.61 career ERA. Teammate Carsie Walker was added for a 1.62 career ERA over 200+ innings and four seasons. Dunn is continuing his career at Western Michigan University, and Walker is playing for Jackson College.

Maple City Glen Lake’s presence in the record book grew with a number of entries, highlighted by 25 straight wins from 2013-15 and 10 career shutouts from 2013-16 for pitcher Zach Cooper. Thomas Waning was added for five career no-hitters from 2011-14, and Matt Schweikart for 21 straight pitching wins from 2015-16. Jared Jackson and Jacob Penny both were added for 23 career hit-by-pitches from 2014-17, with Travis Moore added for being hit three times in one game in 2015 and Nick Apsey for three HBP in a 2017 contest. Josh Jacklin was added for hitting three home runs in a 2008 game. As a team, Glen Lake was added for being hit by 69 pitches in 40 games last season, and also was added six times for at least 11 stolen bases in a game – with its 18 against Elk Rapids in 2011 tied for third-most in one contest. Jackson is continuing his career at Lansing Community College and Penny is playing at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Ravenna senior Brian Thompson capped his three-season varsity career last spring with a 0.71 ERA – making the single-season list in the category. He also made the career ERA list with a 0.96 over 130 2/3 innings pitched over the last two seasons and one game as a sophomore.

Kirk Myers was added for tossing six shutouts for Frankfort as a junior during the 2017 season. As a team, Frankfort also was added for 17 shutouts total in finishing 34-1 and winning a Division 4 District title.

Boys Basketball

Luke Toliver showed his shooting prowess a number of times during his Paw Paw career. One of the most memorable came Dec. 22 against South Haven, when he made an MHSAA record 29 free throws (in 32 attempts) during an 88-83 triple-overtime win. Toliver finished with 45 points in the victory.

Elk Rapids senior Brett Graham scored 22 points during the fourth quarter of his team’s Class D District opener against Benzie Central on March 5, 1990, bringing the Elks back from 12 down for a 77-69 win. Graham now is Elk Rapids’ coach after previously leading the varsities at Kalkaska and Traverse City West.

Boys Soccer

Chris Keenan played on the first two varsity teams in Richland Gull Lake history in 1982 and 1983, starring with a combined 99 goals and 73 assists. Both career totals made the MHSAA records as did his 172 career points. He had 86 points both seasons (47 goals/39 assists and then 52 goals/34 assists, respectively) and those single-season goals, assists and points also earned entries. Keenan went on to play at Indiana University and San Diego State, then professionally for multiple clubs.

Volleyball

Maria Mallon finished her New Baltimore Anchor Bay career ranked third in MHSAA history for kills with 3,110, after her 1,030 in the fall placed second since the beginning of rally scoring in 2004-05. She made the single-match kills list 19 times, including for a high of 47 against Romeo in a 2015 match. She also made the single-season aces list twice, with a high of 159, and had 12 aces in a match twice. Senior Justine Stewart was added for assists in a match seven times over the last two seasons, with a high of 61 against Farmington Hills Mercy on Nov. 14. She also was added for 1,413 assists this fall. Mallon will continue her career at University of Cincinnati.

Wrestling

Dustin Gross finished his career at Dearborn Heights Annapolis with a 217-13 record that made the MHSAA list for wins, as did his single-season victories of 59 and 58 the last two, respectively. He finished as an Individual Finals runner-up the last three seasons and has signed with Central Michigan University. Freshman teammate Josh Hettrick just missed the single-season wins list at 55-3 but did have 43 pins over his 58 matches.

PHOTO: Leland’s Ella Siddall sets for a teammate during a 2016 Class D Semifinal match at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.

Anchor Bay Flies Fences at Record Pace

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

August 23, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

New Baltimore Anchor Bay’s softball team this spring proved to be the most powerful in MHSAA history.

The Tars hit 63 home runs, edging Howell by one as both broke the record of 59 formerly set by Romeo in 2015.

Taylor Keighley led the power surge with 21 home runs, tying for sixth most in one season, and Amanda Schick made the records list with 10 homers as six Anchor Bay players hit at least six apiece.

This spring’s team also made the record book for 408 hits, 66 doubles and 279 RBI in finishing 23-11. The 2018 team is listed for 417 hits, 84 doubles, 44 home runs, 276 RBI and a .403 average, with Aleah Marra making individual lists with 19 doubles and 11 homers as the team went 29-7. She is playing at Rutgers University.

Keighley will be a senior this fall, and Schick, now a junior, reportedly has committed to sign with Bowling Green for after she graduates in 2021.

Read on for more recent record book additions in softball plus baseball, football, boys lacrosse, boys soccer and wrestling, and click on the headings below to see those record books in full.

Baseball

Alex Rose’s memorable senior season this spring for Stockbridge included a run at a state record – he hit 23 doubles, tying for fifth most for one season in MHSAA history. Teammate Daniel Ballagh also was added to the records for being hit by 34 pitches over his 104-game, four-season career.

Football

Josh Czarnota quarterbacked Fenton to a combined 27-7 record from 2015-17, with a number of his season and career achievements making the records. Czarnota put up his biggest numbers as a junior, completing 167 of 270 passes for 2,344 yards and 27 touchdowns. His career numbers of 391 completions, 652 attempts, 6,210 yards and 72 touchdowns over 34 games also are listed, the touchdowns ranking 17th all-time. He threw for 427 yards in a 2016 win over Ortonville Brandon, when teammate Chanse Setzke had 266 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air. In addition to making the record book for those individual feats, Setzke is listed for receiving yards (1,235) and touchdowns (15) as a senior in 2017 and for 114 receptions, 1,943 yards and 21 touchdowns over 23 games during his two-season varsity career. Czarnota is playing at Grand Valley State University.

Lake Odessa Lakewood’s Kaden Heins created plenty of excitement as a senior during the 2017 season, making the record book for a 100-yard interception return touchdown against Charlotte on Oct. 13 and returning kickoffs for touchdowns against Belding, Stockbridge, Leslie and Ionia. The four kickoff return touchdowns in one season are tied for second most on that list.

Macomb L’Anse Creuse North fell just shy of defeating Utica Eisenhower on Sept. 11, 2015, but a pair of LCN players enjoyed memorable moments. Quarterback Branden Taylor set an MHSAA record with 44 pass completions, tying for fourth all-time with 68 attempts and making the single-game yardage list with 446. Jake Mitrak hauled in 18 passes to tie for third most in one game. Mitrak played a season at Northern Michigan University.

Boys Lacrosse

Cameron Breining finished his Chelsea four-year varsity career this spring with 17 record book entries and as one of the top scorers all-time. He made the single-game goals list eight times, including tying for the fourth most twice with 11 in 2019 games against both DeWitt and Ypsilanti Lincoln. He scored 66 goals as a junior and 61 as a senior, and his 201 career goals rank 11th all-time. He also made the career points list with 231 and a high of 12 in that game against Lincoln this spring.

Boys Soccer

Genesee Christian won back-to-back Division 4 championships during the 2015-16 seasons, and along the way also set one of the most impressive records for success. From its 2015 opener through its fifth game of the 2016 season, Genesee Christian won 33 straight games – two more than previous record-holder Grosse Ile put together during the 2002-03 seasons. Genesee Christian’s streak was ended in a 2-1 loss to Fenton on Sept. 1, 2016.

Softball

Hemlock’s Madison Martinez has posted the second listing for back-to-back home runs from the 2019 season, hitting hers during the fourth and fifth innings of a 12-0 win over St. Charles on April 22. Martinez was a sophomore last season.

Wrestling

Two of Birch Run’s Breece brothers earned their ways into the record book with accomplishments during the 2017-18 season. Mason Breece finished his high school career with a record of 213-24, making the career wins list, while then-sophomore Macintyre Breece went 58-5 to make the single-season wins group. Mason won the Division 3 title at 140 pounds that season and wrestles at Central Michigan University, and Macintyre was Division 3 runner-up at 125 last season as a junior.

PHOTO: New Baltimore Anchor Bay teammates welcome Jenna Cantalupo home after her home run during May’s District game against Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse. (Photo courtesy of State Champs Sports Network.)