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Records Report: Duo Among All-Time Best

December 19, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Birmingham Brother Rice’s Alex Malzone and Grant Perry finished up careers this fall that leave them among the most accomplished pass catch duo in MHSAA history. 

Malzone, the quarterback, was added recently to 12 MHSAA record book listings; he was 29 of 42 for 419 yards in an 28-20 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s on Oct. 3 and finished this season 211 of 325 for 2,998 yards and 38 touchdowns (the touchdowns tying for eighth-most for one season). Malzone played only one game and didn’t attempt a pass on varsity as a freshman, but over the following three seasons completed 428 of 641 attempts for 6,254 yards and 69 touchdowns – his touchdowns again tied for eighth over a career. 

Perry set an MHSAA record with 105 receptions in 12 games this fall, finishing with 1,727 yards and 20 touchdowns including 14 catches for 247 yards in that Oct. 3 victory. He played two games without a catch as a freshman, but over his final three seasons caught 176 passes for 2,771 yards and 27 touchdowns. His catches and yards both rank among the top five in MHSAA history. 

Malzone has committed to sign with the University of Michigan and Perry with Northwestern University.

See below for more recent additions to MHSAA record books. Click each heading to view that record book in full. 

Baseball

  • Longtime Shepherd coach Jack Nartker was added as one of 21 who have led teams to at least 600 wins, with a 605-257-6 record since taking over in 1990. The Bluejays finished 23-13-1 this spring.

Football

  • In addition to Malzone and Perry, former Warriors standout Tony Gioutsos was added for five sacks in a game against Sterling Heights Stevenson in 1999. He went on to play at Western Michigan University.

  • Pewamo-Westphalia’s Colin Smith became the latest of four to tie an MHSAA record with a 99-yard kickoff return, bringing his back for a score against Detroit Loyola in their Division 7 Semifinal on Nov. 22.

  

Ice Hockey

  • It took some digging in a scrapbook, but Calumet’s Korey Rowe, Marc Pomroy and their teammates have been credited with setting (now since tied) the record for fastest two goals by the same team in an MHSAA game. In a 4-0 win over Hancock on Jan. 23, 1993, Rowe scored at 4:36 in the third period, with Pomroy putting a shot under the cross bar six seconds later. Rowe scored again five minutes later.

Boys Soccer

  • Tecumseh sophomore Josh Nowak became the first from his school to be listed in the MHSAA soccer record book after tallying 30 assists this fall to go with 15 goals. His assist total is tied for 16th for one season.

  • Saline’s defensive prowess the last two seasons was key in its pair of District titles and run to the Division 1 Semifinals this fall. The Hornets set an MHSAA record giving up only five goals (in 21 games) in 2013, and had 18 shutouts that season. They followed up with 14 shutouts this season, all by keeper Noah Taritas.

  • Plymouth Christian’s Lucas Albrecht capped his career with 88 goals, including 48 this fall in leading the Eagles to 14-5-1 record and appearance in their Division 4 District Final. Albrecht also had 15 assists to make the total points single-season list with 63.

Girls Soccer

  • Saline’s girls team also kept the majority of its opponents out of the net in 2014, with 18 shutouts in 25 games on the way to playing in a Division 1 Regional Final. Keeper Sofia Sweier had 16 shutouts in 21 games and has committed to play at Grand Valley State University after graduation this spring.

Softball

  • Wyoming Lee’s Amanda Emelander had one of the most powerful hitting days in MHSAA history May 21 against Hastings. She hit home runs in five straight at bats over the doubleheader, the last homer a grand slam as Lee claimed a share of the O-K Silver championship. Emelander finished the afternoon with 12 RBI, including eight in the second game, and got both pitching wins. She will play next season at Spring Arbor University.

  • Midland Bullock Creek catcher Maison Kalina capped her stellar high school career with seven entries in the MHSAA record book, including 82 hits this spring to tie for seventh-most in one season. She graduated with 231 hits, 50 doubles and 158 RBI over her four-year career that saw her hit .483 in 469 at bats. She’s continuing her career at Central Michigan University. 

PHOTO: Birmingham Brother Rice's Alex Malzone, carrying the ball during the 2013 Division 2 Final at Ford Field, ended his career among MHSAA elite in a number of passing categories. 

Mendon volleyball

Smith's Record-Caliber Swing Lifts Mendon to Multiple Titles

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

August 12, 2021

Anna Smith’s four-year varsity career capped in November included helping Mendon to back-to-back Division 4 championships in 2018 and 2019, and she finished last season among the top hitters in MHSAA history.

Smith graduated with 2,234 kills to rank 18th all-time since the start of rally scoring. She has eight record book entries total, also including for a career-high 740 kills as a junior, a tied-for-second 24 aces in a match last fall, and a career total of 398 aces to rank 13th on that list.

She’s continuing her career at College of Charleston (S.C.).

Click to see the volleyball record book in full, and read on for more recent record book updates in baseball, football and girls lacrosse.

Baseball

Saugatuck’s baseball success over the last three seasons has been tied in part to its work on the base paths – with its total steals in 2018, 2019 and 2021 all making the record book. Saugatuck’s 222 steals in 248 attempts in 2018 remain the second-most steals for one season, while its 182 steals in 2019 rank 10th and its 166 steals this spring were tied for 22nd-most.

11-player Football

Belleville senior quarterback Christian Dhue-Reid became the first to be added to the football record book for the 2020 season after throwing for seven touchdown passes – including six during the first half – of his team’s win over Dearborn Fordson last Sept. 25. The first-half TD passes tied for sixth-most in a half, and the seven total tied for eighth-most in a game.

Mitchell Middleton showed his powerful leg in Middleville Thornapple Kellogg's Sept. 17, 2019, win over Wyoming. The then-senior booted a 52-yard field goal to make the list for longest.

DeWitt’s championship run last season included a number of record book performances, on both sides of the ball. Then-junior quarterback Tyler Holtz made the records for 2,396 passing yards over 12 games, and for a single-game high of 405, and also for 35 passing touchdowns. Senior Tommy McIntosh was added for 245 yards and four touchdowns in the same game, against Grand Ledge, and Nathaniel Deppin was added for a 96-yard kickoff return in that same game. The Panthers as a team made the touchdown list with 70, and also for giving up only 80 points over the season. Additionally, senior Brandon Soltis finished his two-year varsity career with 78 extra points and also was added for his 45 as a junior. A number of others were added for accomplishments over the last four seasons, including Blake Gatfield, Noah Koenigsknecht, Alan Smith, Jack Horan, Carson Hayes and Luke Bresser. Koenigsknecht and Bresser play for Northwood.

Then-junior Nick Kay earned his first record book entry last Sept. 25 with a 52-yard field goal for Walled Lake Central against Troy. Also added was past quarterback Nick Krumm, who scored eight total touchdowns (six rushing) during a 2013 game against Waterford Mott. Krumm was a junior that season; he went on to play at Michigan State.

North Muskegon then-senior Brendan Moat navigated some tough weather in his team’s 2019 playoff loss to Pewamo-Westphalia to drill a 74-yard punt, tying for 17th longest in MHSAA history. Moat is playing currently at Kalamazoo College.

Despite a shortened 2020 season, Brady Hessbrook finished his four-season Ithaca career with record-book highlights. He made the single-season passing yards list with 2,002 over eight games, and the career list with 4,091 over 37 games total. He made the lists for passing touchdowns in one half and a single game with six against Michigan Lutheran Seminary on Oct. 9, on the way to making the single-season passing TD list with 30 and career list with 51. Hessbrook is continuing his career at Wayne State.

Livonia Stevenson senior Caden Woodall put together one of the most impressive rushing seasons in state history over just eight games last fall. On just 186 carries, Woodall ran for 2,228 yards and 34 touchdowns, making single-season lists for both. He scored six touchdowns in a game twice and totaled more than 200 yards rushing in seven straight games. He’s continuing his career at Harvard.

Girls Lacrosse

Three Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central players earned single-game entries during the 2021 season. Sophomore Gabriella Hendricks was added for eight goals in a May 19 game against East Grand Rapids, seven goals on May 14 against Ann Arbor Skyline and five assists on May 10 against Grandville. Sophomore Shannon Murphy also had seven goals in that Skyline game and seven against Grand Rapids Christian on May 20, and sophomore Delaney Smith had five assists against Holland West Ottawa on March 29.

PHOTO: Mendon’s Anna Smith follows through on a kill attempt during the 2019 Division 4 championship match against Leland.