Stockbridge Pair Tally 53 Record Entries
December 13, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Stockbridge’s Mason Gee-Montgomery graduated this spring with 37 entries in the MHSAA football record book, while teammate and top receiver Kolby Canfield finished his high school career appearing 16 times for accomplishments they frequently collaborated on over the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Gee-Montgomery was recently added in part for his 303 passing attempts, 211 completions, 2,609 yards and 40 touchdown tosses as a senior. His career totals also were updated to reflect 866 attempts, 601 completions, 8,269 yards and 124 touchdown passes over three seasons and 30 games – with his seven touchdowns passes in a 2016 game against Leslie tying his MHSAA record and his career touchdown passes setting a new standard.
Canfield, meanwhile, had 93 receptions for 1,190 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior in 2016, and 201 receptions for 2,773 yards and 40 scores over his 23-game career. His 19 catches in a 2016 game against Parchment are an MHSAA record, and his 201 career catches rank second while his 40 career touchdown grabs are tied for fifth most. He and Gee-Montgomery also together helped tie an MHSAA team record with 23 straight pass completions in a 2015 game against Vermontville Maple Valley – Gee-Montgomery completed 22 passes during the string, with Canfield adding one more.
Gee-Montgomery recently completed his first season as a quarterback at Case Western Reserve in Ohio, while Canfield played this fall at Albion College.
Read on for more recent record book additions for football, boys basketball, boys soccer, volleyball and wrestling, and click on the sport headings to see those record books in full.
Boys Basketball
On Feb. 2, 1993, Fremont’s Adam Bowen made 12 of 17 3-point attempts to tie (what was at the time) the record for most 3-pointers in one game. His 12 3-pointers now sit tied for third on the list.
Hudsonville Unity Christian coach Scott Soodsma was added to the career wins list with a 527-251 boys record entering this season. Soodsma has coached Unity’s boys since 1992-93 and previously coached at McBain Northern Michigan Christian and in South Dakota. He also has a 105-36 girls basketball coaching record.
Football
Clinton Township Chippewa Valley shut down and shut out Utica 44-0 on Sept. 29, and in the process made the records by allowing only five first downs. The Big Reds finished 10-2 this fall.
A senior during the 1989 season, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett’s John Dodds had five sacks in a 55-0 win over Hamtramck on Oct. 27 of that fall. His sacks led to Hamtramck losing a combined 57 yards, and he also ran for a touchdown in that game.
Spencer Peterson tied the record for most touchdowns in a quarter with five in Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian’s 55-20 win over Hamtramck on Aug. 29, 2015. He also made the record book list with six rushing touchdowns total. Peterson is playing at Wheaton College.
Carsonville-Port Sanilac then-senior Justin Ritchie’s 30 carries for 464 yards and eight rushing touchdowns against Akron-Fairgrove on Sept. 9, 2016, gave him records for most rushing yards and touchdowns and overall touchdowns in an 8-player game. Carsonville-Port Sanilac as a team made the record list with 549 rushing yards and set a record with nine touchdowns on the ground in the 64-38 win.
Boys Soccer
Zack Shane capped his four-year varsity career at Fruitport with a number of accomplishments this fall, including a high of 43 goals that made the MHSAA record book. He’s also listed for 102 career goals, 139 career points, six goals in a game Sept. 5 against Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills and a goal seven seconds into a game against Greenville his junior season.
Volleyball
Saranac was among the top teams in a strong Central Michigan Athletic Conference that had two MHSAA Finals runners-up this fall, and senior Ally Couturier earned a pair of record entries as a top setter. She had 46 assists in a five-set loss to eventual Class D runner-up Fowler on Sept. 13, and then 45 assists in a four-set win over Pewamo-Westphalia.
Wrestling
Longtime Bangor coach Dennis Paquette was added to the career wins list with a 512-218-5 record since taking over the program during the 1991-92 season. Bangor’s 314 pins and 1,342 takedowns during the 2003-04 season also made record book lists; the team finished 33-7-1 that winter.
PHOTO: Stockbridge quarterback Mason Gee-Montgomery surveys the field during the 2015 season. (Photo by Brian Frazzini.)
Records Report: Gussert Joins the Elite
April 17, 2013
Crystal Falls Forest Park junior Lexi Gussert has been one of the state’s most dangerous scorers over the last two seasons.
It's a much-deserved reputation, considering the numbers she put up again this season.
Gussert's name has been added to the MHSAA record book three times for exceptional feats she achieved this winter. See those and more recent entries for girls and boys basketball, volleyball, wrestling, football and hockey in this week's "Records Report" – and click on the sport subtitle to go directly to the record book for that sport and directions to submit candidates.
Girls Basketball
- Crystal Falls Forest Park junior Lexi Gussert scored 50 points in a win over Rapid River on Jan. 24 and her 809 points this season were fifth-most in MHSAA girls hoops history. She also made 93 3-pointers – connecting on 47 percent of her attempts – to tie for the second-most treys for one season. She finished this winter with averages of 32.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
- Kent City topped by five the former MHSAA record for 3-pointers in a game when it connected on 23 in an 82-17 win over Wyoming Lee on Jan. 11. Kent City also set another MHSAA record in the process by attempting 81 attempts – the team had only five two-point field goals to go with its 23 treys, and six players made at least two long-range shots apiece. Kent City also ranked fourth as a team for one season with 595 attempted 3-point shots and eighth with 167 made. For the season, five players made 23 or more 3-pointers, with Justine Wolter leading with 40.
- Three Rochester Hills Stoney Creek sharp-shooters were added for 3-point or free-throw shooting. Gabby Yurik and Lauren Voss both made the single-game list with nine 3-pointers – Voss making 9 of 11 on Jan. 17 vs. Pontiac. Yurik graduated in 2012 with 234 3-pointers, good for fifth on the MHSAA career list. Rachyl Campbell made the free throw listings three times, including for her 364 career total of makes tallied from 2002-06 – good for 14th on that MHSAA list.
Boys Basketball
- According to a newspaper report filed during the 1970 season, Houghton’s Gary Lange and Champion’s Larry Laitala chased each other in pursuit of the Upper Peninsula scoring title that winter. A 60-point game from Lange in mid-January already was part of the MHSAA record book, but Laitala’s 65-point performance against Felch a week later, on Jan. 30, is a new addition and is tied for 10th all-time. Laitala made 25 field goals and 15 of 19 free-throw attempts as Champion won 114-71.
- Temperance Bedford senior Jackson Lamb finished his high school career ranked among the top 20 in three MHSAA categories. His 455 career free throws (in 770 attempts) rank 10th, his 889 rebounds tie for 16th and his 220 career blocked shots also rank 16th for that category. He also scored 1,901 points over his career – finishing with career averages of 22.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
- Lake Odessa Lakewood sophomore Colin O’Mara joined former Mr. Basketball Brad Redford of Frankenmuth among others near the top of the single-game 3-pointers list when O'Mara made 12 against Springport on Dec. 28. He tied Redford (twice) among others for third-most in one game and finished that night with 38 points total.
Hockey
- Calumet’s Brendan Jacques found the back of the net four times – including once on a power play – over the final 9:05 of his team’s Feb. 21 game against Marquette as Calumet came back from a 2-1 deficit to win 5-2. Jacques is one of three players in the MHSAA record book to score four or more goals in a period – Ed Lyon scored four for Flint Central in a period in 1979 and Ron Rolston had six in a period for Flint Powers Catholic in 1984.
Volleyball
- White Cloud senior setter Kaytlin Welch finished her four-year varsity career this fall with 3,178 assists, good for 13th on the MHSAA career list. She broke 900 for a season as both a sophomore and a junior, with 986 in 2010 her high total for one fall.
Football
- Coleman running back Tim Anderson joined five others tied for ninth in MHSAA history with six rushing touchdowns in one game when he accomplished the feat in a 56-0 win over Ashley on Sept. 29. Anderson ran 22 times for 215 yards in the game.
Wrestling
- Williamston’s Spencer Demand finished his high school career this winter with 118 escapes – good for 16th on the MHSAA list. Former teammate Paul Sawaya – a 2011 graduate – is tied for 17th with 112.
PHOTO: Crystal Falls Forest Park's Lexi Gussert (right) goes up for a shot during the 2012 Class D Semifinals at the Breslin Center.