Mancelona's Derrer Delivers Nat'l Record

September 9, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Mancelona’s Dakota Derrer will enter her final high school softball season as an MHSAA and national record holder.

The senior shortstop has been added to the MHSAA record book for 20 triples she hit in 2012 as a sophomore, which bested the previous single-season high of 18 by LeAnn Covey of South Haven in 1993 and Alex Price of Beaverton, also during 2012.

Derrer's total also has been submitted to the National Federation of State High School Associations and when added will tie the 2003 total by Alabama’s Haley Wilkins for tops on the national record book list.

Derrer’s biggest hit as a sophomore might’ve actually been a single – she drove in the winning run in a 2-1 District Final win over Boyne City that gave Mancelona its first District title. The Ironmen didn’t advance this spring, but Derrer earned significant recognition with a Division 4 all-state honorable mention from the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association.

She also plays volleyball and on the Traverse City Bay Reps boys ice hockey team, a nine-school co-op headed by Traverse City St. Francis that includes players from smaller schools in the Traverse City area. 

See below for more recent additions to the MHSAA record books. (Click on the heading for each section below to view the full MHSAA record book for that sport.)

Softball

  • Erika Underwood’s quote in the May 31 edition of the Adrian Daily Telegram sums up her power-hitting approach well: “I don’t go up thinking about hitting a home run. If I do, I usually hit a pop-up. I think more about hitting line drives. Sometimes, I hit them right over the fence.” She hit 17 home runs this spring as a sophomore at Addison to tie for second all-time for one season, and also made the single-season triples list with 14 as freshman.
  • Burton Bentley’s Angel Campbell became the latest to hit home runs in consecutive at bats, doing so during the fourth and fifth innings of her team’s 4-3 win over Byron on April 25.
  • Olivet’s Renae Morton made the single-game strikeouts list for extra-inning games, tallying 24 in an 11-inning game against Dansville on April 27.

Boys Basketball

  • Kraatz is a well-known sports name in Allen Park, and Evan Kraatz is carrying on the high-achieving reputation at Inter-City Baptist. Kraatz, a senior, has multiple listings on the single-season steals (high of 93) and assists (high of 239) lists, and his career numbers of 243 steals and 585 assists also make those all-time lists with a season to play. Next up on the all-time career assists list, in third place, is his father Mark with 679 tallied at Inter-City Baptist from 1982-85. 
  • Kris Smith, a standout as a player at Morrice who has gone on to successfully coach the girls varsity team, had 257 steals during his three-year career from 1995-98. He had a high of 96 as a junior in 1996-97.
  • Fulton-Middleton’s Tyler Walden led the Pirates to the 2011 Class D Final with sharp 3-point shooting, and now ranks fourth all-time for career 3-pointers with 272 in 695 attempts for his career covering 2008-12. He also made the single-season list with 83 during the 2011 season, and teammate Corey Hungerford made the all-time career rebounding list with 798 during his four varsity seasons at Fowler and then Fulton.
  • Some of the most impressive totals from Leslie’s basketball history have been added: Chuck Finkbeiner’s 25 rebounds in a game during the 1968-69 season, Rod McMichael’s 335 rebounds total during 1967-68 and Derick Ward’s 188 assists in 1999-2000. 

Girls Basketball

  • Byron’s Calla Bartlett had multiple games over the last two seasons during which she attempted at least 20 free throws. And she sank nearly all of them. Bartlett made the single-game free throw lists for making 15 of 20 against Dryden during the 2011-12 season and then 16 of 21 on Jan. 30 of this winter. She finished with 29 and 24 points, respectively, in those two games.

Volleyball

  • Brittany Cherwinski of Johannesburg-Lewiston earned her second listing on the single-match aces list thanks to 10 over three games against Gaylord St. Mary last season. Teammate Julia Nieman made the single-match assists list with 45 over five games against Fife Lake Forest Area.

Girls Soccer

  • New Baltimore Anchor Bay’s Michelle Dear was added to all-time single-season scoring list for her 30 goals during the 2012 season. Her 30th came in a 4-1 District Final win over Macomb L’Anse Creuse North.

Football

  • Oxford’s Prescott Line put together one of the strongest offensive seasons for a running back in MHSAA history in 2011 with 2,457 rushing yards on 362 carries and 38 total touchdowns for 230 points; he ran for six touchdowns in one game. All are listed in the MHSAA football record book. He now plays at Southern Methodist University in Texas. 

PHOTO: Mancelona's Dakota Derrer will enter her senior season as an MHSAA record holder. (Photos courtesy of Derrer family.)

Edwardsburg 'O' Piles Up Yards, Points & Record Book Entries

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 7, 2021

Edwardsburg’s excellence over the last decade, especially on offense, has led to 56 additions to the MHSAA football team record book.

Most notably, the 2017 team has records for rushing attempts (678) and yards (5,490), both over 14 games, and the Eddies set the single-game rushing touchdown record with 10 against South Haven in 2018.

The 2018 team – which won the Division 4 championship – ranks second with 82 rushing touchdowns, over 14 games, and third with 5,232 rushing yards. The 2018 team also ranks second for total touchdowns with 97 and fifth for total yardage with 5,886, and finished with the sixth-most points scored, 705.

Read on for more recent football record book additions:

Football

On Sept. 6, 2019, Watervliet’s Don Smith became the sixth player in MHSAA 11-player history to return a fumble the length of the field for a touchdown. Smith, then a junior, picked up the fumble in the end zone on a Saugatuck running play and raced down the sideline for the score. Watervliet as a team also was added to the record lists for some of the state’s most productive offenses over the last half-decade – the 2015 team scored 590 points and averaged 53.6 per game, the 2016 team scored 524 and averaged 52.4 and the 2017 team scored 588 and averaged 49. The 2015 team’s scoring average ranks eighth all-time and came on 5,504 total yards. The 2017 team’s 5,935 total yards ranks fifth all-time. 

Royal Oak Shrine Catholic kicker Charles Mulcahy closed a successful career in 2019 on the career extra point list with 123 made in 133 attempts over his four seasons. He also was added for his 46 in 48 tries as a freshman in 2016.

Oscoda scored a school-record 70 points in a 2019 game against Coleman, and quarterback Brayden Mallak played a big part. The senior quarterback threw five touchdowns passes, all during the first half, to make the list for most touchdown tosses over a half. 

Clevelyn Jefferson played a big part in carrying Fulton to the 2007 Division 8 Final, rushing 269 times for 2,463 yards. The Pirates’ then-senior made the single-season rushing list as his team finished Division 8 runner-up.

Although his team fell 59-35 in its 2019 matchup against East Grand Rapids, Chase Bradman showed off his passing abilities completing 31 of 52 passes for 470 yards. The Grand Rapids South Christian senior made the record book with all three totals and also for his 194 completions, 333 attempts and 2,510 passing yards over 11 games that season. He is continuing at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Although Elk Rapids fell 49-33 to Harbor Springs in 2019, the Elks kept pace with the passing game as a pair of standouts reached the record book. Junior quarterback Gordie LaFontaine made the single-game completions list with 25, on 41 attempts, while senior Marlin Starkey made the single-game receptions list catching 13 passes.

Bloomfield Hills quarterback Tanner Slazinski capped his junior season in 2019 throwing five first-half touchdown passes in a 35-14 win over Rochester to make the list for most touchdown tosses in a half. Teammate Dominic Curti was added to the records for his nine extra points the week before in a 63-31 win over Troy. Slazinski will continue at Saginaw Valley State.

Jacob Jodway became the first Quincy individual to be included in the MHSAA football record book, added for his 229 yards receiving on six receptions in a 2014 loss to Jonesville. Jodway went on to play at Olivet College.

Holland Christian’s Jonathan Keizer joined the list of kickers who have connected on field goals of at least 52 yards, connecting from that distance during a 42-39 loss to Zeeland East in 2019. The senior also had a 36-yard field goal and three extra points in the game.

PHOTO: Edwardsburg’s 2018 championship team was among those that have earned entries for the Eddies in the MHSAA football record book.