Suttons Bay's Periard Makes Defense an Opportunity for Offense

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 25, 2022

Hugh Periard did his share of scoring touchdowns in helping Suttons Bay back to the 8-Player Division 1 championship game last fall. And not just when his team was on offense.

Periard, a senior, has been added to the MHSAA record book twice for scoring achievements as a defender.

He tied the record for interception returns in a season with three, and also became the first to make the list of longest interception return touchdowns, bringing one back the length of the field Sept. 17 against Brethren. Periard finished his career with four interception returns for touchdowns total.

See below for more recent record book additions for 8-player football.

8-Player Football

Ethan Bowerman’s record-setting performance was among a few from Deckerville’s 82-48 win over Genesee on Sept. 10. Bowerman set an 8-player record with six touchdowns in the first quarter and tied for third with seven scores for the game. All seven were rushing, tying for third-most in a game on the ground. As a team, Deckerville had a record 637 rushing yards and 689 total yards, and also a record 11 rushing touchdowns. Bowerman is a senior.

Fennville earned a pair of records during an Oct. 2 win over Bloomingdale. Junior quarterback Ben Peterson tied the record for touchdown passes in a game, with seven, and the defense set a record with seven interceptions.

Kinde North Huron senior quarterback Will Case posted one of the highest-scoring seasons in MHSAA 8-player history in the fall, scoring 222 points with 33 touchdowns and 12 two-point conversions. He also made the single-season rushing touchdowns list with 31. Additionally, North Huron’s Tyler Knoblock has become the first listing for single-game interceptions, from his senior season in 2018. He was added for four in a win over New Haven Merritt Academy, and finished that season with 11 interceptions – one shy of the minimum to be listed in that category.

Jacob Nolan drilled all nine of his extra-point attempts during Rudyard’s 63-6 win over Cedarville/DeTour in the fall, making the list for consecutive extra points in a game. He’s a junior this school year and was one off tying the record.

Whittemore-Prescott’s 68-52 win over Atlanta on Oct. 21 produced nine record book entries. Senior Nick Smith achieved four, with seven touchdowns (all rushing), 48 carries and a record 490 rushing yards. The game also produced five team entries – for 120 total points between the two, and Whittemore-Prescott’s 613 total and rushing yards, 58 rushes and 11 rushing touchdowns. Senior Russell Wilson also was added for five sacks in a 48-28 win over Vermontville Maple Valley.

Kingston junior Michael DeRoseau set a new standard for sacks in an 8-player game Oct. 22. He had six in his team’s win over Burton Atherton.

Mendon quickly has found its footing in 8-player football after decades of 11-player success, and put up some memorable rushing accomplishments in the fall. The Hornets set an 8-player record with 668 rushing yards against Fennville on Sept. 10, and their 678 total yards that game rank second. They also made the single-game rushing touchdown list with eight that game and also eight the previous game against Bloomingdale. Mendon’s 3,671 rushing yards over 11 games rank fourth for a single season of 8-player.

A pair of Bridgman standouts earned record entries in crossing the goalline. Jayce Warren became the first to return a kickoff at least 95 yards, breaking off a 95-yarder against Marcellus on Oct. 22. Teammate Reid Haskins made the single-game rushing touchdowns list with six against Mendon on Sept. 17. Warren was a senior and Haskins a junior.

Wyatt Wesley completed an unforgettable four-year varsity career with three MHSAA records. He totaled 8-player records of 2,493 yards and 44 touchdowns, both rushing, in 11 games this past fall, and also set the career rushing TD record with 75 across 31 games. He also made the season (306) and career (528) points lists among several others. Senior teammate Alex Larner was added for five tackles for loss in a Sept. 10 game against Ashley. As a team, Morrice was added 10 more times, including for 4,218 rushing yards and 85 total touchdowns for the season, and its 75 rushing touchdowns set a record.

Adrian Lenawee Christian junior kicker Brady McKelvey put his name atop four extra point lists. He made all 10 of his attempts Sept. 10 against North Adams-Jerome to top the single-game and consecutive single-game extra point lists, and made a single-season record 59 – with a record of 52 straight.

PHOTO Suttons Bay’s Hugh Periard pulls away for a score during last season’s Division 1 Final against Adrian Lenawee Christian. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)

Bloomfield Hills' Semifinal Run Powered By Scoring Skill, Talent in Net

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 29, 2023

Bloomfield Hills advanced to the Division 1 Semifinals this spring with one of the highest-scoring lineups in MHSAA girls lacrosse history, and one of its most accomplished goalies.

The Black Hawks scored 325 goals – sixth-most on the list – in going 19-4. Ella Lucia, then a junior, posted 17 single-game record entries for goals, assists or points, finishing with 125 goals, 59 assists and 184 points and pushing her career numbers to 186 goals, 113 assists and 299 points over three seasons.

Teammate Ilana Watson, a senior this spring, was added eight times for single-game accomplishments and also for 71 goals, 64 assists and 135 points for the season and 102 assists and 205 points over her two-season career. Goalie Sydney Butler, now a senior, made the single-season saves list with 186 and the career list with 466 over her first three seasons. Marlee Watson, who also graduated in the spring, was added for seven goals in a game.

See below for more recent record book updates for girls lacrosse:

Girls Lacrosse

On April 25, 2022, Holland West Ottawa then-senior Ella Spooner scored 13 of her team’s 16 goals against Zeeland. Those 13 goals tied for fourth-most in one game and also placed her on the single-game points list. She is playing at Kalamazoo College.

Troy Athens’ Claire Balintfy piled up eight record book entries during her sophomore season in 2022. A goalie, she posted a career-high 22 saves to tie for eighth on the single-game list, on which she appears six more times. Her 231 saves over 18 games that season rank second on that list as well.

Lexie Springman took 12 shots and made eight in Portage’s 19-9 win over Grand Ledge on April 5. She was a senior at Portage Central and is continuing at Regis University in Colorado.

Haslett/Williamston’s Abby Russell opened her high school career March 22 with a record book-worthy performance. The Haslett now-sophomore made the single-game goals list with seven in her team’s 10-9 loss at Portage.

Okemos’ Bridget Cox was a sophomore during the 2021 season when she earned her first four record book entries. She made the single-game saves list three times with a high of 16, and totaled 157 saves over 18 games total.

Holly/Ortonville Brandon tallied three single-game entries this past season. Junior Dakota Pinson made the single-game goals list with 10 against Fenton/Linden on May 4. Junior teammate Lainey Lasky made the same list twice with seven goals both times, against Flushing on May 3 and Lake Fenton/Goodrich on May 16.

Through three seasons, Salem’s Mileena Cotter has earned 35 record book entries – including setting the single-game record with 18 goals April 6 against Saline. Her 123 goals over just 10 games this past season rank seventh, and her 257 goals over 30 career games rank ninth on that list. Her career-high 19 points on April 5 against Dexter rank second for points in a game. She’s committed to sign with Syracuse.

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep junior Emily Szalach earned a record book entry with her 11 goals against Warren Regina on May 15 during a 13-12 triple-overtime win. It was the first entry for NDP for girls lacrosse.

Lake Orion’s Quinn McElroy capped her three-season varsity career this spring with eight record book listings, including for 69 goals and 100 points over 16 games as a senior, and 172 goals and 224 points for her career. Teammate Morgan Vasquez made single-season lists with 66 goals and 81 points, as did Amelia Guccione with 50 goals. Ava Adkins joined McElroy and Vasquez with single-game qualifiers, hers for 15 saves in a game against Troy Athens on April 12. Vasquez is a senior and Guccione a junior this school year, and Adkins also graduated this spring. McElroy is playing at Grand Valley State.

A pair of Detroit Cass Tech senior standouts made single-game and season scoring lists this spring. Taylor Weston made the single-game goals list three times, with a high of eight, and for her 64 goals total over 15 games; she also earned a listing for her 53 goals as a junior in 2022. Teammate Kayla Carroll-Williams made the single-game list twice, both for scoring seven goals, and the single-season list for 62 goals over 15 games.

PHOTO Bloomfield Hills goalie Sydney Butler, center, prepares to stop a shot against Bloomfield Hills Marian on May 11. (Photo by Susan Adams Photography.)