P-W's Smith Breaks Away for Records
April 1, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Jared Smith has a season to play for the Pewamo-Westphalia football team.
But he had an incredible season to remember as a junior last fall in literally carrying the Pirates’ offense to Ford Field.
Smith set MHSAA records with 3,250 yards rushing (on 315 carries; 10.3 yards per carry), total touchdowns in a season with 53 and rushing touchdowns in a season as all 53 came on the ground. His 22 2-point conversions helped give him a season total of 364 points, good for second on the MHSAA list for that category. He also earned a records entry with six rushing touchdowns in a playoff win over Carson City-Crystal on Oct. 30.
The 6-foot, 195-pound running back also ran for more than 2,100 yards as a sophomore and should push into the career rushing leaders by the time this fall is complete – especially if P-W replicates its team finish of 2015, when it was runner-up in Division 7 after a 22-16 loss to Ishpeming in the MHSAA Final.
See below for more recent record entries for football, boys soccer, softball and volleyball, and click each sport heading to see that record book in full.
Football
Of 186 passes Jondell Jones completed for Bangor over 28 high school games the last four seasons, 57 went for touchdowns including a high of 21 in eight games as a sophomore. Jones started the final two games of his freshman season and then through senior year last fall.
Quarterback Tony Poljan and receiver Tony Palmer played leading roles in Lansing Catholic’s combined record of 30-8 over the last three seasons and trip to the Division 5 championship game in 2014. Poljan finished his career in the fall placing in the MHSAA records with 390 completions, 682 attempts, 6,179 yards and 59 touchdowns passing over mostly three seasons as quarterback. Palmer ranked with 134 receptions, 2,036 yards and 21 touchdowns receiving over his three seasons. Poljan will play next at Central Michigan University, and Palmer has signed with Northern Michigan University. Also added for Lansing Catholic was Jack Swain for a 99-yard scoring run against Albion in 2010, and Demond Winston, Bob Fata and Brent Nakfoor for tackles for losses during seasons in the mid-1980s. Winston went on to play for Vanderbilt and then the New Orleans Saints, while Fata played collegiately at Michigan State.
Boys Soccer
Simon Roennecke was limited to only nine games in the fall for Birmingham Roeper. But he still tallied 29 goals and two assists to join the career goals list with 98 and move up the career assists (56) and points (154) lists with a season to play. His 154 career points are tied for 17th-most in MHSAA history.
Softball
Midland’s softball team made the doubles listing with 64 in 2015 on the way to a Regional title, and Maya Kipfmiller led the way with 17 doubles to make the individual record book. Kipfmiller was a sophomore last season, hitting .504 as an outfielder and first baseman and pitching to a 1.17 ERA according to a report by the Saginaw News.
Katie Kish finished a fine four-year varsity career for Grosse Pointe South last spring ranking 13th in MHSAA history with a career batting average of .547. She hit .605 as a senior, with her 66 stolen bases tying for 10th in one season, her 78 hits tying for 14th and her 208 career hits and 39 career doubles also making records lists. She’s continuing her softball career at Hillsdale College.
Coleman’s run to a Division 4 Quarterfinal last season saw the Comets score nearly 10 runs per game – 408 total, led by junior Carley Starnes’ 68. Both totals made MHSAA records lists, as did Cassidy Tucker’s seven RBI in a 20-5 win over Merrill. Coleman finished the season 33-8.
Volleyball
Meredith Norris bettered one of her MHSAA records and continued climbing toward a few others, while Corunna teammate Skylar Napier also put list-worthy touches on her high school career in the fall. Norris’ 56 kills against Goodrich on Nov. 7 set an MHSAA record by three over the 53 kills she had against Goodrich nearly a year to the day prior. Norris also made the single-season kills list for the third time with 836 and ranks seventh on the career kills list with 2,287 and a season to play. Napier finished on the career assists list with 2,912 over three seasons and on the single-match assists list three times including with a last-season high 52 in that Goodrich match.
South Lyon’s Hannah Barton tied for the sixth-most assists during the rally scoring era in a Nov. 10 match against Farmington Hills Mercy. She had 59 over five games, only eight shy of the record, in her team's 3-2 loss.
Saginaw Swan Valley’s run to a record 58 wins and a Class B Regional Final berth in the fall was keyed by a number of strong individual performances. Lauren Huebner made the MHSAA records with 32 kills in a three-game match against Chesaning, 813 kills for the season and 2,109 for her four-year varsity career; the single-season kills rank 15th and the career kills 10th during the rally scoring era. Senior Larissa Crook is listed with 16 aces in a match against Saginaw, 51 assists in a four-game match against Belding, and 129 aces and 1,439 assists both for one season last fall – her assists rank 11th on that list. Senior Noelle Champagne also made the single-match aces list with 15 against Saginaw.
PHOTO: Pewamo-Westphalia's Jared Smith looks for an opening during last season's Division 7 Final against Ishpeming at Ford Field.
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.