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.
Brown Earns Place All Over Record Book
May 14, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Madison Heights Madison senior quarterback Austin Brown guided his team to its first MHSAA championship game since 2006 this past fall, and leaves behind 13 record book entries.
Among the most notable from 2018 were 238 points, 37 rushing touchdowns and 2,358 passing yards. For his four-season varsity career – which began with two seasons at Detroit Catholic Central – Brown made the records with 384 passing completions, 670 attempts, 6,909 yards (13th most) and 77 passing TDs (tied for 10th most).
Teammate Chauncey Ernest was added for 40 sacks over the last two seasons including 22 (sixth most) this past fall, while senior Caelon Eason was added for 15 sacks in the fall and 2018 graduate Deron Hood Jr. was added for 15 in 2017. As a team, Madison Heights Madison made lists with 548 points, 5,740 yards and 73 touchdowns.
Brown will play football and baseball at Grand Valley State, while Ernest will continue his football career at Saginaw Valley State and Hood plays at Hocking College in Ohio.
See below for more recent record book entries for football, girls basketball and softball, and click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.
Football
Over the last three seasons and 29 games, Chase Brown put up some of the most impressive passing numbers in MHSAA history. The Comstock Park senior finished his high school career with 22 record book entries, including for 7,283 career passing yards (11th most), 869 career attempts (seventh), 542 completions (sixth) and 64 career touchdown passes. He will continue his career at Hope College.
Sand Creek senior Alec Muck capped his high school career in the fall among the highest-scoring players in state history with 72 total touchdowns and 452 points – the TDs broken down to 59 rushing, three receiving, five on kickoff returns, two on punt returns and three on interceptions returns over 34 games and most of four seasons. He also earned entries with a 100-yard interception return score against Climax-Scotts on Aug. 30 and two kickoff return touchdowns in the same game against Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central on Oct. 26. He will continue his career at Central Michigan University.
Waterford Mott quarterback David McCullum and receiver Tariq Hardy made their way into the record book on the first day of the 2017 season, as McCullum completed a 99-yard scoring pass to Hardy to tie the longest all-time.
Morrice’s march to its first football championship this past fall was highlighted by a number of top performances. The Orioles set the 8-player record for rushing touchdowns in a season at 65, to go with their 2015 record for most overall touchdowns in a season, 84. Morrice also had the second-most rushing yards for one fall, 3,721, despite playing just 12 games (one win was a forfeit). Quarterback Hunter Nowak made the list for single-season points (254) and career points (496 from 2016-18), the career touchdowns list with 75 and set the career rushing touchdowns record as well as all 75 came on the ground. Jake Rivers made the records 12 times, including for 1,020 yards and 18 touchdowns receiving as a senior in 2015. He scored 296 points that fall on 46 touchdowns (second all-time) and 430 points over his three-season career (the first playing 11-player). He also sits alone on the list for career kickoff return touchdowns with five. Quarterback Jake Hart was added for 30 touchdown passes in 2015, including six in a game against Kinde-North Huron. Rivers plays at OIivet College.
Girls Basketball
Maxine Moore and Kaela Webb finished their Detroit Country Day careers in 2018 tied for 14th for career wins after helping their team to a combined 96-11 record over four seasons. Moore now plays at Western Michigan, and Webb is continuing at Providence.
Over the course of five days in 2014, Morrice’s Courtney Wolf made the record book twice for sinking 16 free throws – first against Byron on Feb. 11 and then against Dryden on Feb. 15. Hannah Rothney also was added for making 15 free throws in a 2006 game against Perry. Chelsea Wesley was added for 15 steals in a 2010 game against Ashley, while Krystal Hiveley was added for 391 career steals over three seasons at Morrice (but not including her 2006 steals at Grand Blanc). Ashley Rothney was added to the career blocks list with 328 over four seasons from 2003-06. Ashley and Hannah Rothney both went on to play basketball and University of Northwestern Ohio, Courtney Wolf played at Lansing Community College, Wesley played at Schoolcraft College and Hiveley went on to play softball at Mott Community College.
Kent City set multiple 3-point shooting records during its run this winter to the Division 3 Regional Finals. The Eagles made a record 25 in a win over Holton on Jan. 18 on the way to setting the season record of 263 3-pointers in 815 attempts over 24 games. Individually, Zara Weber was added for 10 in that game, tying for eighth most, 87 total for the season (also tied for eighth all-time) and 166 over her three-year career. Sophomore Jenna Harrison was added for 75 3-pointers this season.
Softball
Almont’s Breanna Cleland was added for 16 doubles in 37 games as a senior in 2015. She played the last three seasons at University of Findlay.
Morrice’s Jamie Wesley was best-known for her basketball career at Michigan State, but she also owns multiple entries in the softball record book – including the most recently-added for 28 triples during her career from 1991-94. A number of other Orioles also were added to the records, including Jadyn Wood for 18 doubles in 2015, Taylor Hewitt for 11 home runs in 2017 and nine players for driving in at least six runs in one game – Mikera Patterson, Krystal Hiveley, Lorraine McNeill, Lea Ann Fox, Hannah Rothney, Lisa Grinbergs, Shelly Shaw, Trudy Gutting and Pat Carr.
PHOTO: Madison Heights Madison's Austin Brown prepares to unload a pass during November's Division 7 Final against New Lothrop.