Schoolcraft Ace Could Score & Much More
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 10, 2021
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Gabi Saxman’s Schoolcraft career will be remembered in part because she scored more than 1,000 points over four seasons.
But 5-foot-6 point guard made the MHSAA record book in two other categories, with 477 assists and 436 steals over those 96 games before graduating last spring.
She is continuing her career at Western Michigan University this winter, as her former teammates and high school basketball teams all over Michigan kick off their seasons this week.
Below is a look at recent additions to MHSAA record books in girls basketball, hockey and girls soccer. Click on the headings to view those record books in full.
Girls Basketball
Last Feb. 20 was unforgettable for Grass Lake and especially Gabrielle Lutchka. She set an MHSAA record for 3-pointers with 16 to finish the evening with 56 points, which ranks eighth all-time for single-game scoring. As a team, Grass Lake made the record book with 17 3-pointers that night against Manchester. Teammates Abrie Cabana also was added for an achievement last winter, finishing with a .880 free-throw percentage. Lutchka is a junior and Cabana a senior this school year.
Genesee senior Hayle March tied for 12th-most assists in a game Jan 23, 2020, when she dished 14 during her team’s 61-35 win over Mayville. She also had 12 points, five rebounds and five steals in the victory.
Kasey DeSmit played a significant part in Hudsonville’s 73-28 record from 2015-18, making the career record book in two categories. She sank 187 3-pointers and tallied 474 assists over those 101 games. She now plays at Hope College.
Gracie Nowak filled her senior season at Morrice last winter with a number of highlights, perhaps the biggest individually the 18 steals she totaled in a Jan. 17, 2020, win over Webberville. That total ranks as the fourth-highest for single-game steals in MHSAA history.
Kent City continued to dominate the 3-point shooting lists in 2019-20, with the team connecting on 16 in multiple games and a season-high 17 against Ravenna on March 2. Junior Jenna Harrison finished the season with 86 3-pointers over 24 games, and junior Kenzie Bowers had nine of her team’s 16 in a game against Hesperia. Bowers has signed with Illinois State.
Kelynn Kujat completed her Frankenmuth career last season among top 3-point shooters all-time, drilling 187 over four seasons and 89 games. She previously had made the record book with 66 3-pointers as a sophomore.
Nearly 40 years later, Teresa Hudak’s rebounding excellence has reached the record book. The Rogers City standout three times grabbed 26 or more rebounds in a game – with a high twice of 29. She had 342 rebounds as a junior in 1981 and then 385 as a senior the following fall, with the latter total ranking 11th all-time.
Hockey
Sean Hogan enjoyed an exciting start to calendar year 1995, making the MHSAA record book twice. He scored four goals in the first period of Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes’ 7-5 win over White Lake Lakeland on Jan. 14, and seven for the game in Our Lady’s 15-4 win over Algonac that Feb. 5. Hogan went on to play at Iona College and has coached multiple American Collegiate Hockey Association programs.
Girls Soccer
Nearly 25 years later, Marie Spaccarotella has made it into the record book for her 102 career goals over four seasons for Livonia Churchill from 1993-96. She went on to play forward at University of Michigan, starting 32 games and scoring 21 goals over four seasons.
PHOTO: Gabi Saxman brings the ball upcourt for Schoolcraft during a game last season. (Photo courtesy of JoeInsider.com.)
Scane's Scoring Provides Lofty Goal for Future Stars
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 11, 2021
Isabelle Scane finished her four-season varsity girls lacrosse career in 2018 with a pair of records that may not be challenged for some time.
The Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood standout scored 461 goals – 52 more than the next highest scorer on that list – and her 577 career points over 93 games are 54 more points than the rest of the list. She also finished with 116 career assists to rank eighth in that stat category.
Scane has continued her career at Northwestern and earned All-America honors as a sophomore.
Click to see the girls lacrosse record book in full, and see below for more recent additions for baseball, 8-player football and softball.
Baseball
Muskegon Mona Shores grad Austin Flowers capped his career in 2018 with a .390 batting average – and added significantly to his ability to get on base by being hit by pitches 21 times. That total ranks sixth for one season in MHSAA history.
8-player football
Colon’s quest to finish undefeated and win the 2019 Division 1 championship saw the Magi set an 8-player record with 91 touchdowns. Their 59 rushing touchdowns ranked third all-time, and they also made the list with the second-most interceptions for an 8-player season, with 20. Senior Austin Stoll was added for kicking 51 extra points over his 12 games.
Au Gres-Sims quarterback Caden Zeien can be found all over the passing record book for both 11 and 8-player football after a four-year career that saw him lead teams in both formats. He’s among career 11-player leaders with 430 completions, 748 attempts, 5,906 yards and 72 touchdowns over 28 games and the 2015-17 seasons. After his program switched to 8-player in 2018, Zeien capped his career making single-season lists with 2,125 yards and 36 touchdowns through the air over 12 games. Zeien is playing now at Alma College.
Portland St. Patrick’s run to the 8-player Division 2 championship game this season saw the Shamrocks score 85 touchdowns, second-most in 8-player history, led in part by 35 passing TDs by quarterback Connor Cross. Scoring tosses made up nearly 37 percent of his passes, and 18 of those scores were to senior Zach Spitzley, who caught 30 passes overall for the season but for 1,047 yards. Along with Cross’ scoring passes, Spitzley’s yards and receiving TDs made the record book as did his 1,721 yards and 24 touchdowns over three years playing offense and four on varsity overall. The Shamrocks also made the list four times for holding teams to five or fewer first downs in a game – tying the record by allowing two Sept. 27. Cross will be a senior this fall.
Mayville senior Jacob Miller capped his career last fall with a pair of 8-player record accomplishments, with 30 tackles for loss for the season and nine in a game against Genesee. Teammate Jeffrey Frost also was added to a career record list with the third-most touchdown receptions, 33 over 39 games and four seasons.
Bridgman earned the first entry for come-from-behind victory for 8-player on Oct. 23. The Bees came back from a late second-quarter 47-0 deficit to defeat Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 54-53 in overtime.
Clay Ayers became the first to be listed in the 8-player record book for both extra points in a game and consecutive during one game, making 10 of 10 in Adrian Lenawee Christian’s 78-14 playoff win over Mayville on Nov. 6. Ayers was a junior this season.
Softball
From 2013-19, Unionville-Sebewaing won three Division 4 championships and finished Division 3 runner-up twice – and with that run came a number of totals eligible for record book placement. Individually, 2019 grad Rylee Zimmer was added for 71 hits and 11 home runs that season, and 39 career doubles over three seasons. Katelyn Englehardt, a senior in 2018, was added for 22 doubles that season and 33 over three years on varsity, while now-senior Brynn Polega was added for 20 doubles in 2019 and 2014 grad Stephanie Neuman was added for 18 doubles her junior season. As a team, USA is listed 33 times for achievements over the years; the most impressive of those added recently might have been 421 runs scored over 42 games in 2013, 100 doubles (seventh most) over 40 games in 2018, 365 RBI (eighth most) over 42 games in 2013 and 30 shutouts (fifth most) over 41 games in 2014. Neuman went on to play at Ferris State, Zimmer plays volleyball at Saginaw Valley State and Polega will continue next season at Northwood.
PHOTO: Cranbrook Kingswood’s Isabelle Scane is introduced before the start of the 2018 Division 2 championship game.