Sonnenberg Scores With Best in 2 Sports

January 18, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Micah Sonnenberg capped his Brooklyn Columbia Central career this fall with 11 record book listings and as one of the most accomplished scorers in MHSAA boys soccer history.

A four-year varsity player, he scored a career-high 71 goals (over 25 games and with a high of eight goals in one game) this past season, the third-most goals for one season all-time, and finished tied for second on the career list with 172 goals. He also made the career assists list with 46 and tied for fourth on the career points list with 218 after adding 88 this season.

Sonnenberg also earned multiple entries as the football team's kicker the last two seasons. He made 52 extra points in the fall to finish on the career list as well with 82 in 87 attempts. 

See below for more recent MHSAA record book additions in boys soccer as well as baseball, girls basketball, boys tennis and volleyball, and click on the headings to view those record books in full.

Baseball

Montague’s Jacob Buchberger carved his place in the MHSAA record book with seven entries over 129 games and four varsity seasons from 2013-16. He was added for 66 hits as a senior, plus career totals of 198 hits (tied for 12th), 23 triples (third), 141 RBI and for a .493 batting average. Buchberger plays at Davenport University.

Ryan Hayes graduated from Traverse City West last spring having made the season ERA record list with a 0.91 as a sophomore in 2016 and the career list at 1.07 over 176 innings – and he just missed the season list at 0.48 as a junior with only 59 innings, one short of the minimum to be included. Hayes plays football at University of Michigan.

Girls Basketball

Holly senior Rebecca Fugate was added for two free-throw shooting accomplishments that took place over four days during her sophomore season. On Feb. 14, 2017, Fugate made 15 of 16 attempts against Flint Kearsley, and she made 16 of 19 against Fenton on Feb. 17. She finished with 28 and 33 points in those games, respectively. She will continue her career next season at Wayne State.

Alex Hunter scored more than 1,200 points during her four-season varsity career at Gaylord St. Mary that ended last winter, but her abilities to pass and defend landed her in the records. Hunter had 493 assists and 375 steals over 96 games. Her assists rank 17th on that list.  

Boys Soccer

Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central junior Zachary Cepo added 28 goals and 17 assists this fall to move up to 18th all-time with 174 career points and a season to play. The 17 assists also gave him a record-breaking 113 for his career – to go with his single-season records of 48 assists achieved as both a freshman and sophomore.

Tanner Mulder finished his four-season varsity career this fall for McBain Northern Michigan Christian on the all-time assists list with 45. Corey DeZeeuw also was added for 276 saves in net in 2004, including 32 in an overtime loss that fall to Bellaire.

Boys Tennis

Tyler Conrad cemented his status among the most accomplished singles players at Midland Dow and also statewide this fall. He finished his career 126-11 over four seasons with an MHSAA-record 52 wins by 6-0, 6-0 scores and with 30 tournament championships. The career wins are tied for fifth all-time, and the tournament titles rank fourth. Additionally, junior teammate Saketh Kamaraju opened this fall with 31 straight wins to make the record book, his only defeat coming at the MHSAA Finals. Conrad will continue his career at Hillsdale College.

Volleyball

Kendal Muxlow earned her place on the career kills list with 1,566 over the last four seasons for Brown City. Muxlow also made The Associated Press Class C all-state basketball second team last season.

A pair of Richland Gull Lake standouts were added for career records attained this fall. Senior Kenzy Corstange was added for 1,688 kills, while junior Lexie Beeke made the career assists list with 3,021 – and with another season to play. Corstange has signed to continue at Davenport University. 

PHOTO: Brooklyn Columbia Central's Micah Sonnenberg steps into a kick during football season. (Photo courtesy of the Columbia Central athletic department.)

Benzie Star Receives Record Recognition

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 30, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Despite missing the majority of his senior season in 2003 with an injury, John Plumstead graduated from Benzie Central the following spring among the top rushers and scorers in Michigan high school football history – and those accomplishments now are reflected in the MHSAA record book.

Plumstead ran for 5,595 yards over 40 games and four seasons, and also scored 72 touchdowns. The career rushing yardage still ranks 15th all-time. He went on to play linebacker for Army at West Point.

See below for more recent additions to the football record book, and click the heading to see the listings in full.

Football

Berrien Springs senior Faith Kittleson drilled all nine of her extra-point attempts in her team’s 63-0 win over Parchment on Oct. 4. While that missed the list for most extra points in one game, it made the list for most consecutive extra points made in one contest. Kittleson also has been a standout on the school’s girls soccer team.

Mattawan senior Noah Janssen became the sixth player to return at least two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game Sept. 28, when he scored on a pair against Portage Northern. Both run-backs also made the list for longest kickoff return touchdown, at 98 and 96 yards.

A pair of impressive defensive performances earned Breckenridge’s first football record book entries last fall. Sophomore Luke Saunders had four interceptions during a 49-0 win over Muskegon Heights Academy on Sept. 6, including tying a record with three in one quarter. Breckenridge as a team also was added for holding Coleman to only two first downs during a 56-0 victory Sept. 20.

Warren Fitzgerald sophomore Trey West showed in the fall he was capable of scoring offensively, defensively and on special teams – and his kickoff return prowess especially stood out. He became the latest to tie the record for longest kickoff return when he scored on a 99-yarder Oct. 25 against Port Huron Northern. He tied for second-most kickoff return touchdowns in one game with two against Warren Woods-Tower on Oct. 12, and also tied for second-most kickoff return TDs for a season with four total in 2019.

Eastpointe senior Davion Watkins also joined that list for longest kickoff return, bringing one back 99 yards against Warren Fitzgerald on Oct. 18.

Quarterback Vaughn VanTil led the way for Coopersville against Fruitport during a 62-50 win Oct. 12, 2018. The then-senior made the MHSAA record book in multiple categories with seven rushing touchdowns, and was part of 431 of the 607 total yards that earned Coopersville an entry in the team record book. The seven rushing touchdowns are tied for third-most on the rushing scoring list.

Pewamo-Westphalia has had a number of individual standouts in winning MHSAA Finals titles three of the last four seasons, and not to be forgotten was kicker Alec Thelen. He made the single-season extra point list twice with 55 in 2017 and 71 in 2018, and his 154 (in 171 attempts over 31 games from 2016-18) are tied for 10th most on the career list. He’s playing at Siena Heights University.

Griffin Milovanski kicked the last two seasons on Saugatuck’s varsity and finished on the career extra point list with 83 made in 86 attempts. He also made the single-season PAT list as a junior.

Ogemaw Heights advanced as far as the Regional Finals during the last decade, doing so in Division 4 in 2012. A powerful rushing offense led the way – and led to four record book entries. The Falcons were added for 4,220 rushing yards and 5,604 yards of total offense that fall, plus 631 total yards in a Week 9 win over Alpena and 74 rushing attempts in a District Final win over Remus Chippewa Hills.

PHOTO: Benzie Central running back John Plumstead turns the corner on the way to some of his 5,500 career rushing yards. (Photo courtesy of the Benzie Central Gridiron Club.)