Standouts Swat to New Blocks Records
May 5, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
By nature of sports, we usually celebrate those who score the most points.
But this basketball season allowed us to marvel at two of the best ever at keeping opponents from getting to the hoop.
Kalamazoo Central senior Asia Robeson became the leading shot-blocker in MHSAA girls basketball history this winter, finishing an incredible four-year career with 723. On the boys side, Muskegon junior Deyonta Davis set the MHSAA boys single-season record with 199 blocks in helping the Big Reds to their first Class A title since 1937.
The 6-foot-4 Robeson and former Grandville standout Alyssa DeHaan (718 blocks from 2002-05) are the only female players in MHSAA girls history to block more than 600 shots. Robeson’s 228 blocks as a junior rank third for one season and her 227 as a sophomore are fourth. She was a Miss Basketball Award finalist and will continue her career this fall at Auburn University.
Davis, a 6-9 center, had 16 blocks in a game twice and also made the single-season rebounds list with 380 – averaging 13.6 per game – and scored 15 points per game.
Click for the entire boys basketball record listing, and see below for more recent entries to the girls basketball and other sports’ listings.
Girls Basketball
- Novi Franklin Road Christian’s Kristen Massey finished her high school career this winter as one of the leading scorers in girls basketball history with 2,032 points – she’s one of 27 to score at least 2,000, and this total doesn't include the 190 she scored on the school’s varsity as an eighth grader. She’s also the most frequently successful free throw shooter, tying for the career free throw record of 697 (on 926 attempts; .752 percentage) after following her season record of 213 in 2012-13 with 209 more in 2013-14. She made 52 more as an eighth-grader, but again, those were not counted toward her high school career total.
Football
- Two Ottawa Lake Whiteford players were added for seasons filled with interception return touchdowns, but 20 years apart. Troy Goetz had four scoring returns in 1987 and sits second on that MHSAA list, with Josh DuPree among those tied for third after bringing three opponents’ passes all the way back in 2007.
- Former Almont kicker Peter Deppe moved into the second spot on career extra points with 159 (in 170 attempts) he drilled during a four-year varsity career from 2010-13. He also is on the single-season list with 63 in 65 attempts as a sophomore. He currently punts for Northern Illinois University.
- Hazel Park’s Tom Stephens returned a punt 96 yards for a touchdown against Warren Fitzgerald on Sept. 13, 1963, to tie him for eighth-longest in that category. His points contributed to Hazel Park’s 24-19 opening-night win.
Hockey
- Two of the longest games in MHSAA history were played this season. Joining the 103-plus minute Traverse City West win on Feb. 24 in the record book is a 91-minute, 15-second Grand Rapids Catholic Central win over Flint Powers Catholic in a Division 3 Quarterfinal on March 5. GRCC scored the go-ahead goal 15 seconds into the sixth overtime to clinch a 2-1 victory. The win came eight years and one day after GRCC beat Mattawan in six overtimes in what before this season stood as the fourth-longest game.
Boys Soccer
- Tyler Deese gave Corunna its winning goal in an 8-0 win over Portland on Sept. 17 only eight seconds into the first half – making it the second-fastest goal scored from the start of a game in MHSAA boys soccer history.
Softball
- Morgan Rombach opened May with a record-setting performance that earned her two lines in the home runs listings. The New Lothrop standout hit three home runs in a win over Burton Bentley, in her first, second and fourth at bats. She is one of 18 tied for second on the single-game home runs list and one of a larger group of players who have hit at least two in consecutive at bats. She also had a single in her third at bat of the game.
Volleyball
- Corunna freshman Meredith Norris kicked off her varsity career with plenty of points this fall. The 6-2 hitter made the MHSAA record book with 697 kills, 30th all-time for a single season, and also made the single-match list twice with 34 and 33 kills.
PHOTOS: Muskegon’s Deyonta Davis, far right, defends the rim during Muskegon’s Class A Final win over Bloomfield Hills. (Inset) Kalamazoo Central’s Asia Robeson blocks a shot. (Photos courtesy of HighSchoolSportsScene.com and Auburn University, respectively.)
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.)