Record Feats Key Dakota's Historic Run
January 4, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Macomb Dakota’s historic finish to last softball season came on the bats and arm of some history-making players who are among the latest entries into MHSAA record books.
The Cougars won their first Regional title and played in their first MHSAA Final (losing in the Division 1 championship game to Farmington Hills Mercy), and finished with a record of 38-3 – the 38 wins among notable team accomplishments that made record lists. The 2016 team’s 458 hits ranked 14th for one season in MHSAA history, while its 99 doubles were third-most and its 32 home runs were tied for 12th-most in a season. (Also, the 2015 team ranked 15th on the home runs list with 30 in 37 games.)
Individually, sophomore Corbin Hison was added for 17 doubles, while senior Kelcie LaTour was added to the single-season home runs list with 11 for the second straight spring. Junior pitcher Kendahl Dunford finished 35-3 to make the single-season pitching wins list, and LaTour also graduated on the career home runs list with 29. She’s now playing at Grand Valley State University.
See below for more recent additions to record books for baseball, girls and boys basketball, football, boys soccer and wrestling. Click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.
Baseball
Homer’s Brock Ridgeway finished his four-year varsity career last spring on MHSAA career lists for runs scored (163), hits (184), RBI (142) and being hit by pitches (47) after being hit by 18 pitches this past season and three times in one April game. The 47 career HBP is tied for third-most all-time, and he also just missed the career pitching wins list with 32. Homer as a team last spring made season lists with a .354 batting average and 53 HBPs. Ridgeway is a freshman on the Central Michigan University baseball team.
Girls Basketball
Margo Brown’s perimeter shooting was a big part of St. Ignace’s dominance through the first half of this decade, and she entered the record book for 11 3-pointers – tied for third-most in a game – against Rudyard on 17 attempts on Jan. 20, 2015. She now plays at Ferris State University.
Boys Basketball
Jordan Weber knocked down 73 3-pointers last season for East Jordan to finish his four-year varsity career with 278 – fifth-most in MHSAA history. He made nearly 34 percent of his 818 career attempts and averaged 17.1 points per game total as a senior.
Football
A pair of Gaylord athletes were entered for impressive scores more than 30 years ago. Kurt Kakaviska made the records for his 90-yard punt return touchdown against Petoskey in 1982, while Mark Johnston was added for two interception return touchdowns in one quarter in a 1986 game, also against Petoskey. Johnston actually scored a third defensive touchdown in that same third quarter, on a fumble recovery. Kakaviska went on to play at Northern Michigan University.
Haslett kicker Luke Ezzo capped a three-season career this fall among career leaders in field goals with 19 in 26 attempts over 27 games. Ezzo also made the single-season field goals list as a junior with nine in 11 tries over 10 games.
Boys Soccer
Over eight days this fall, Micah Sonnenberg posted two of the highest-scoring games in MHSAA history. The Brooklyn Columbia Central sophomore netted six goals against Clinton on Oct. 6, then scored seven – tied for fifth-most in one game – against Jonesville on Oct. 13.
Softball
A pair of Reese hitters were added for batting prowess. Emily Schrader made the single-season hits list with 72 in 2010, while Monica Hagen – already on the single-season list with 73 in 2014 – was added to the career hits list with 209 over 132 games from 2011-14. Schrader went on to play at Delta College.
Wrestling
Jake Bohn finished his East Kentwood career in 2008 setting the single-season takedown record with 526 – and now also has been added for setting the career takedown record of 1,365 over 216 matches and four varsity seasons. Bohn went on to wrestle at George Mason University.
Comstock Park standout Ryan McCarthy has been added for his 209-29 record over four seasons from 2000-03. He was the first from his school to eclipse the 200-win career milestone.
PHOTO: Macomb Dakota’s Kelcie LaTour takes a swing during last season’s Division 1 Final against Farmington Hills Mercy.
Suttons Bay's Periard Makes Defense an Opportunity for Offense
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 25, 2022
Hugh Periard did his share of scoring touchdowns in helping Suttons Bay back to the 8-Player Division 1 championship game last fall. And not just when his team was on offense.
Periard, a senior, has been added to the MHSAA record book twice for scoring achievements as a defender.
He tied the record for interception returns in a season with three, and also became the first to make the list of longest interception return touchdowns, bringing one back the length of the field Sept. 17 against Brethren. Periard finished his career with four interception returns for touchdowns total.
See below for more recent record book additions for 8-player football.
8-Player Football
Ethan Bowerman’s record-setting performance was among a few from Deckerville’s 82-48 win over Genesee on Sept. 10. Bowerman set an 8-player record with six touchdowns in the first quarter and tied for third with seven scores for the game. All seven were rushing, tying for third-most in a game on the ground. As a team, Deckerville had a record 637 rushing yards and 689 total yards, and also a record 11 rushing touchdowns. Bowerman is a senior.
Fennville earned a pair of records during an Oct. 2 win over Bloomingdale. Junior quarterback Ben Peterson tied the record for touchdown passes in a game, with seven, and the defense set a record with seven interceptions.
Kinde North Huron senior quarterback Will Case posted one of the highest-scoring seasons in MHSAA 8-player history in the fall, scoring 222 points with 33 touchdowns and 12 two-point conversions. He also made the single-season rushing touchdowns list with 31. Additionally, North Huron’s Tyler Knoblock has become the first listing for single-game interceptions, from his senior season in 2018. He was added for four in a win over New Haven Merritt Academy, and finished that season with 11 interceptions – one shy of the minimum to be listed in that category.
Jacob Nolan drilled all nine of his extra-point attempts during Rudyard’s 63-6 win over Cedarville/DeTour in the fall, making the list for consecutive extra points in a game. He’s a junior this school year and was one off tying the record.
Whittemore-Prescott’s 68-52 win over Atlanta on Oct. 21 produced nine record book entries. Senior Nick Smith achieved four, with seven touchdowns (all rushing), 48 carries and a record 490 rushing yards. The game also produced five team entries – for 120 total points between the two, and Whittemore-Prescott’s 613 total and rushing yards, 58 rushes and 11 rushing touchdowns. Senior Russell Wilson also was added for five sacks in a 48-28 win over Vermontville Maple Valley.
Kingston junior Michael DeRoseau set a new standard for sacks in an 8-player game Oct. 22. He had six in his team’s win over Burton Atherton.
Mendon quickly has found its footing in 8-player football after decades of 11-player success, and put up some memorable rushing accomplishments in the fall. The Hornets set an 8-player record with 668 rushing yards against Fennville on Sept. 10, and their 678 total yards that game rank second. They also made the single-game rushing touchdown list with eight that game and also eight the previous game against Bloomingdale. Mendon’s 3,671 rushing yards over 11 games rank fourth for a single season of 8-player.
A pair of Bridgman standouts earned record entries in crossing the goalline. Jayce Warren became the first to return a kickoff at least 95 yards, breaking off a 95-yarder against Marcellus on Oct. 22. Teammate Reid Haskins made the single-game rushing touchdowns list with six against Mendon on Sept. 17. Warren was a senior and Haskins a junior.
Wyatt Wesley completed an unforgettable four-year varsity career with three MHSAA records. He totaled 8-player records of 2,493 yards and 44 touchdowns, both rushing, in 11 games this past fall, and also set the career rushing TD record with 75 across 31 games. He also made the season (306) and career (528) points lists among several others. Senior teammate Alex Larner was added for five tackles for loss in a Sept. 10 game against Ashley. As a team, Morrice was added 10 more times, including for 4,218 rushing yards and 85 total touchdowns for the season, and its 75 rushing touchdowns set a record.
Adrian Lenawee Christian junior kicker Brady McKelvey put his name atop four extra point lists. He made all 10 of his attempts Sept. 10 against North Adams-Jerome to top the single-game and consecutive single-game extra point lists, and made a single-season record 59 – with a record of 52 straight.
PHOTO Suttons Bay’s Hugh Periard pulls away for a score during last season’s Division 1 Final against Adrian Lenawee Christian. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)