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Standouts Finish on Record Kicks

April 11, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Never underestimate the value of a talented kicker on a high school football team.

This season’s MHSAA Finals showed again just how much that unheralded player can contribute to a championship effort.

Birmingham Brother Rice senior Jason Alessi helped his team win its third straight Division 2 championship, tying the MHSAA single-season record with 16 field goals – on 18 attempts – and finishing second on the career list with 32 on 37 tries. He also made all 59 of his extra point attempts this fall and finished his career with 135 extra points total – good for sixth on that career list – including 122 straight, which is the second-longest streak of makes.

In Division 8, Muskegon Catholic Central junior Griffin Seymour helped his team to a championship season as well. He finished on a 72-straight extra point streak (fourth longest), with his 75 extra points total tied for the sixth-most for one season.

Theirs are among recent additions to the MHSAA online record books. Read on for details on more in football, baseball, boys basketball and volleyball. 

Football

  • Brother Rice quarterback Alex Malzone made single-season lists for completing 190 of 281 passes for 2,782 yards and 25 touchdowns, and receiver Corey Lacanaria made single-season (65 catches/1,111 yards) and career (115/1,883 from 2011-13) lists in those categories. Defensive end Jack Dunaway made the single-season sacks list with 15, and Alessi also joined a list of 10 who have returned a kick at least 95 yards for a touchdown, doing so from that distance against Toledo St. John’s Jesuit on Sept. 6. (Former Warriors Anthony Jackson, Joey Henry and Devin Church also were added to the longest kick return touchdown list). 

  • It took more than 50 years to find its way into the MHSAA record books, but Bob Bentley’s 99-yard kickoff return touchdown for Corunna against Elsie on Oct. 5, 1962, has been added and is the oldest listing for this record-setting distance.

  • A number of Holland Christian offensive standouts were added in a variety of categories. Among highlights: Quarterback Ross Schreur was added to four single-season lists after completing 195 of 319 passes for 2,752 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2012, and Caleb VanderLugt was added after throwing six touchdown passes against Holland last season. Schreur also completed 32 of 45 passes against Zeeland West in a 2012 game for 497 yards – eighth on the single-game passing list. Kyle Steigenga had seasons with 18 and 17 touchdown receptions, and finished his career with those 35 scores in addition to 112 catches (and 2,048 yards) total.

  • Grayling is on a run for five straight playoff appearances with three straight seasons of nine wins, and much of that success can attributed to a high-powered passing attack. Quarterback Jake Swander was added for his 2012, 2013 and career totals in four categories – he finished his career last fall with 392 completions in 720 attempts for 5,281 yards and 51 touchdown passes in two seasons. Zane Tobin completed 194 of 365 attempts for 2,664 yards and 28 TDs in 2011, and Zach Wolcott threw for 2,404 yards in 2009. Tyler McClanahan finished his three-year receiving career with 160 catches for 2,378 yards and 25 touchdowns, and Cody Myers had 144 catches for 2,140 yards from 2008-10.

Baseball

  • Hale’s Kaydon Reimer is on his way to finishing his career this spring as one of the most hit batsmen in MHSAA history. He entered this season tied for 15th on the career hit-by-pitch list with 30. He made the single-season list in 2013 after getting hit by 15 pitches.

  • Jackson High School ran like almost no team has before in MHSAA history, totaling the third-most stolen bases, 196, in 2013. The Vikings were led by Trevor Polewka, who had 46 steals to make the individual single-season list.

Boys Basketball

  • Ann Arbor Rudolf Steiner and Adrian Lenawee Christian combined to make the second-most 3-pointers in a game in MHSAA history – 27 – on Feb. 24, 2012. Rudolf Steiner connected on 13 of its 17 3-point tries, and Lenawee Christian connected on 14 of 24 from behind the arc in going on to win the game 91-62.

Volleyball

  • Teagan Reeves will graduate this spring as one of the top blockers in MHSAA history. The Three Rivers senior followed up her 236 blocks as a junior (third-most for a season during the rally scoring era) with 177 this fall. She finished with 622 blocks, third most on the rally-scoring career list.

  • Onaway’s Mariah Ehrke will graduate as well this spring with multiple entries for kills. She made the single-season list with 592 this fall and finished on the career list with 1,419 over four seasons. Teammate Devin Bristley added 132 aces this fall to finish her three-season career with 310.

PHOTOS: Birmingham Brother Rice’s Jason Alessi (left) and Muskegon Catholic Central’s Griffin Seymour put up some of the most impressive kicking performances in MHSAA history in 2013. (Click to see more from High School Sports Scene.)

Records Report: Pioneer 1st in Lacrosse

December 7, 2012

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

While we try to keep up with record book submissions all year long, the month of December is a key time for catch-up as fall sports are recently done and spring sports are just getting going before schools take a few weeks off.

Here are some of our most recent submissions, with plenty more updates to come over the next few weeks. Click on each sport to go to that MHSAA record book. 

Boys Lacrosse

  • The boys lacrosse record book is in its infancy. But Ann Arbor Pioneer is the early leader for most goals scored and fewest given up during one season. The Pioneers outscored opponents 213-67 on the way to finishing Division 1 runner-up this spring. They twice scored 20 or more goals, and also shut out two opponents.
  • Two Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central teammates are listed for single-game accomplishments from last season: Jeffrey Osment scored eight goals during an 18-6 win over Romulus on May 5, and Brandon Tata made 20 saves during a 14-4 win over Ypsilanti Lincoln on May 14.

Football

  • J.J. McGrath has built a career comparable to those of the best kickers in MHSAA history. He’s now listed in the record book for three field goals of longer than 50 yards – a 52 yarder last season as a junior, a 57-yarder this season on opening night and a 54-yarder a week later in Macomb Lutheran North’s second game.
  • Greenville kicker Caleb Wolfe registered on the career list with 95 extra points over his four-year varsity career. He made 31 straight at one point, and with a season-high of 47 as a sophomore.
  • Warren Michigan Collegiate’s 2011 team made the team record listings in two categories, including setting the record with 33 interceptions over 12 games. Nine players contributed to that total. The Cougars also scored 532 points while finishing 11-1. 

Softball

  • Beth Michalski drove in seven runs in Warren Fitzgerald’s 29-5 win over Southfield Lathrup on March 28 of this spring. She was 3 for 4 with all three hits being doubles, and scored four runs herself.
  • Lowell’s Morgan Groom struck out the first 10 batters she faced on the way to 17 total in a six-inning game against Hudsonville Unity Christian on April 12, 2011. She also struck out 20 twice in seven-inning games this spring.

Soccer

  • While younger brother Aaron Chatfield broke the MHSAA career goals record this season, older brother Paul also finished his Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian career with some impressive numbers – 109 goals, 82 assists and 191 points – which all rank in the MHSAA record book. He graduated this spring.

Wrestling

  • Dearborn Heights Annapolis grad Justis Cummins has been added to the 200-win club with a record of 207-30 during his career from 2006-10.

Baseball

  • On May 6, 1999, Owosso senior Andrew Brooks hit two home runs against Durand – both in the seventh inning. He joins a list of 24 who have hit two round-trippers in an inning. 

PHOTO: Ann Arbor Pioneer attack Eric Loveless (right) and midfielder Erik Barroso (22) celebrate a goal during last season's Division 1 Final at Birmingham Seaholm.