Mona Shores Rides Air Show to Playoffs
April 16, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Muskegon Mona Shores made the MHSAA football playoffs for the first time in 2013, boosted by the highest-scoring offense in school history.
Two of the top contributors now appear on the MHSAA records lists as well, with more sure to come this fall for the one running the show.
Quarterback Tyree Jackson ranks on the MHSAA career lists with 328 completions, 611 attempts and 61 touchdown passes after three seasons and with one more to play; he threw 31 TD passes last season alone.
Receiver Asantay Brown, who will continue at Western Michigan University, finished his two-season varsity career in the fall with two listings on the single-game receiving yards list, plus the 19th-most receiving yards for a season (1,281) and 20th-most for a career (2,120). He also finished with 109 career receptions and 23 career touchdown catches.
(Former Mona Shores receiver Aaron Doriot also was added to the single-game receiving yardage list twice during this round of record book updates.)
See below for additional recent entries to the MHSAA football and other record listings, and click on the headlines to see all entries for those respective sports.
Football
- Lowell seniors Kyler Shurlow and Ben Bigham also capped their careers in the fall with big numbers through the air. Shurlow completed 140 of 250 passes for 2,501 yards and 28 touchdowns – and the latter three of those four statistics made MHSAA single-season lists. Bigham caught 53 passes for 1,043 yards and 10 scores; his season yardage made the list for receivers.
Baseball
- It’s never too late to submit for the record book: Grandville’s Terry Johnson finished his pitching career in 1979 and sits tied for the fourth-lowest career ERA of 0.78. He also made the single-season list as a senior with a 0.58 ERA. He finished a combined 16-1 over those two seasons.
- Brady Johnson made the single-season stolen bases list with 49 last season for Union City, and the single-game list with six against Athens. Twice after walks and a third time after an error, Johnson stole both second and third base. His team won 9-8.
Girls Basketball
- Ashley junior Meggan Andrews became one of only nine players in MHSAA history to grab 30 rebounds in a game, doing so Jan. 31 against Holt Lutheran. Andrews finished the 62-32 Bears victory with 27 points, 30 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
- East Jordan senior Tori Goodrich became one of 11 players to make nine 3-pointers in a game, doing so in a Class C District opener Feb. 24 against Mancelona. She finished with 27 points in leading her team to a 70-46 win.
Boys Basketball
- Dundee’s Aaron Anthony joined a group of shooters who have made at least 150 free throws in one season, sinking that many in 212 attempts for a success rate of nearly 71 percent. Total, he averaged 21.4 points per game this winter.
Hockey
- Two of the four longest games in MHSAA hockey history were added, and both included schools from the Traverse City area. The second longest, reported in detail on Second Half this winter, was a seven-overtime marathon lasting more than 103 minutes before Traverse City West edged Traverse City St. Francis (Bay Reps) 2-1. The fourth-longest game, stretching more than 90 minutes, was a five-overtime loss by Traverse City Central to Toledo St. John’s Jesuit of Ohio on Dec. 30, 2011.
Softball
- North Muskegon’s Taylor Fris, now a sophomore at Grand Valley State University, finished her high school career in 2012 on career lists with 34 doubles, 28 home runs and 164 RBI, and also made the single-season home run list with 12 as a senior. Her career home runs rank 13th on that list. Also, former teammate Corinne Witham, now at Alma College, finished her career in 2011 with 50 career doubles – 17th on that list.
Volleyball
- Madeline Rysztak was the leading hitter as Traverse City St. Francis finished 40-15-1 this fall, but also a top server, making the single-season aces list with 128.
PHOTO: Muskegon Mona Shores quarterback Tyree Jackson (3) unloads a pass toward receiver Asantay Brown (6) during a game last season. (Photo courtesy of Mona Shores High School).
Whiteford's Title Team Runs Into History
April 25, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Ottawa Lake Whiteford’s perfect season last fall concluded with its first MHSAA title.
The Division 8 champion also finished with a number of lasting record book accomplishments.
Whiteford set MHSAA 11-player records with 6,570 total yards and 5,167 rushing yards, and also set the record with 103 total touchdowns. The Bobcats also were added recently for a record 672 rushing attempts from 2016, when they finished Division 8 runners-up.
Read on for more recent additions to the MHSAA football record book, and click the heading to view those listings in full.
Football
Bloomfield Hills senior receiver Ty Slazinski made the record book with 14 catches twice during the early weeks of the 2017 season, but that was just the start. Slazinski set the single-game record for receptions with 22 in a 58-39 win over Oak Park on Oct. 20. Slazinski also made the record book with 224 yards receiving on Sept. 1 against West Bloomfield.
As Ionia completed the biggest comeback in MHSAA history Oct. 13, coming back from a 32-0 deficit at halftime to defeat McBain 41-40, John Meyer did his share to move the Bulldogs down the field. The senior quarterback completed 29 of 65 passes for 406 yards, making single-game lists in all three categories – the 65 attempts are tied for fifth-most in one game.
Suriya “Susu” Davenport Jr. quarterbacked Wyoming Godwin Heights to the playoffs as both a junior and then a senior last fall, making the MHSAA records with 2,414 yards and 25 touchdowns passing in 2016 and 2,173 yards passing last season. He also made the career passing yardage listing with 4,846 yards, with 259 more from his sophomore campaign. Teammate MarShawn Kneeland, a junior, was added to the records for 16 sacks and 26 tackles for loss this past season as well. Davenport will continue his career at Davenport University.
Reed City’s rush to its first Semifinal this past fall came in large part on the legs of junior Phillip Jones. His 266 total points ranked 11th for one season, and his 42 touchdowns tied for 11th. Jones also ran for 2,335 yards and 37 of those scores (tied for 11th-most rushing touchdowns), including six TDs in a game against Stanton Central Montcalm.
Milan’s Hunter Aeschbacker returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in his team’s 51-45 win over Carleton Airport on Oct. 13. The junior’s scoring sprints both came in the fourth quarter.
Dakota Knieper joined eight others who have recorded 99-yard rushing touchdowns, adding his against Hanover-Horton on Oct. 13. The Addison senior scored after an interception gave his team the ball inside its 1-yard line, and his sprint contributed to a 38-3 win that helped Addison clinch its first Cascades Conference title since 2008.
A trio of Homer quarterbacks from this decade were added in multiple categories. Alex White was added for 2,333 yards and 30 touchdown passes over 13 games in 2013, while Caleb Drumm was added for 2,400 yards and 33 TDs in 11 games in 2015 and Jordan Sherman was added for 2,237 yards and 30 TDs as well over 10 games this fall. White went on to play football and golf at Kalamazoo College.
Lawrence has been one of the top 8-player programs in Michigan since the sport began at the start of this decade, and a number of standouts were added for passing game accomplishments. Among throwers, Connor Murney now has the records for single-game (521) and single-season (3,236) passing yards, single-game (66) and single-season (276) passing attempts, single-game (40) and single-season (176) passing completions and he sits tied for the single-season passing touchdowns record of 45. Derek Gribler and Hunter Coombs also were added in multiple passing categories, Gribler most notably for 2,607 yards and 43 touchdowns in 2014 and Coombs for 2,179 yards and 33 TDs in 2015. Matthew Cammire, the go-to receiver in 2013 and 2014, moved to the top for career receiving yardage (2,832), career receptions (126) and career touchdowns (53) among other entries. Gribler and Jacob Alburtus also were added for single-game receiving accomplishments. Murney went on to play baseball at Olivet College, and Gribler plays baseball at Lake Michigan College.
Mayville senior Jackson Schenk earned the first entry for tackles for loss in the 8-player record book with 26 in the fall. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive end had six in a Sept. 22 win over Burton Madison Academy to make the single-game list as well.
PHOTO: Ottawa Lake Whiteford lines up for a snap during last fall’s Division 8 Final at Ford Field.