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.)
Owosso Ace's Strikeout Total Stacks Up with State's All-Time Best
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 4, 2023
Owosso’s Macy Irelan earned 11 entries in the MHSAA record book over her three-year varsity career that came to a close last spring, most notably with her 1,157 strikeouts despite the 2020 season being canceled due to COVID-19.
Irelan’s career strikeouts were the second-most in the state since the pitching distance was lengthened three feet in 2011. She finished 31-7 last spring with a 1.43 ERA and 414 strikeouts in 229 2/3 innings in earning the Miss Softball Award for pitching.
She also hit .551 with 21 doubles last season, and her 55 career doubles over 117 games and three seasons made that category career list. She’s continuing her career at Kent State.
See below for more recent additions to the softball record book:
Softball
Unionville-Sebewaing’s dominating run to the 2021 Division 4 championship was filled with seven record book-worthy highlights, including many near the top of all-time lists. In going 40-3, the Patriots tied their season record for wins for the second time. Their 502 runs scored ranked third all-time, with their 493 hits tied for ninth, their 114 doubles second, their 49 home runs also tied for ninth, their 431 RBI also second and their 503 strikeouts thrown ranking third. Senior Brynn Polega completed her career with 13 record book entries despite her junior season being canceled because of COVID-19; she added listings for 71 runs, 79 hits, a third-best 28 doubles, 11 homers, 70 RBI, four perfect games pitching and 365 strikeouts, among others. Then-junior Laci Harris made lists with 77 runs, 83 hits, 22 doubles, 14 homers and 78 RBI, while then-junior Macy Reinhardt was added for 78 runs and then-freshman Gabriella Crumm was added for 16 doubles. Polega, Harris and Reinhardt also posted entries for single-game accomplishments. Polega is playing at Northwood and Harris at Madonna.
Big Rapids set a school record for wins in 2021 in finishing 34-7, a run which included a number of accomplishments that reached the record book. The Cardinals scored 439 runs – tied for 12th on that list – and also as a team were added for 428 hits, 82 doubles and 363 RBI, which tied for 10th all-time. Marissa Warren made the individual hits list with 71, while Hanna Smith earned an entry with 20 doubles and Rylie Haist followed with 19. Josie Cornell was added with 40 walks drawn. Warren, Smith and Haist were added for single-game accomplishments as well, as was Madison Affer from a 2019 game. Haist, Smith and Cornell are seniors this school year, and Warren is a junior. Smith has signed with Ferris State.
A pair of Bad Axe standouts earned record book entries in 2021 with their work at the plate. Haley Newland made the single-season doubles list with 19, and Brooke Messing was added for seven RBI in a game that saw her hit a grand slam and three-run homer. Newland graduated last spring and Messing is a senior this school year.
Montrose then-freshman Lainey Cannon made two record book lists with her performance April 25 against Montrose. She hit three home runs to make the single-game list in that category, and also made the single-game RBI list with eight.
Capac then-sophomore Madalyn Roberson made the record book three times with her performance May 9 against Brown City. She hit two home runs in back-to-back at bats, both during the fifth inning, and also drove in six runs for the game.
Spring Lake standouts now fill the record book after the addition of 55 individual and 23 team entries dating back to the 2000 season. Among listings ranking highest in their respective categories were Madelyn Nelson’s 81 runs in 2018, which tied for seventh all-time; Nelson’s 250 career runs from 2015-18) that rank seventh and Lauren Hellman’s 249 career runs also from 2015-18 that rank eighth on that list; Nelson’s 84 hits in 2018 that are tied for 12th-most all-time and her 264 career hits that rank 11th, Leah Vaughan’s 26 doubles in 2019 that rank seventh, Evie Lorimer’s 16 triples in 2011 that are tied for eighth and her 37 career triples from 2010-12 that are ranked fourth, Vaughan’s 23 career times being hit by pitch from 2016-19 which rank second, and Lorimer’s 92 stolen bases in 2012 that rank second (with all 92 coming consecutively to tie for fifth on that list) and 183 career steals that rank 11th. As a team, Spring Lake in 2017 ranked seventh all-time with 501 hits over 42 games, fourth with 109 doubles and eighth with 34 triples. The 2018 team ranks 11th with 441 runs scored over 41 games, 10th with 497 hits and tied for ninth with 100 doubles. Valerie Alter, Linsey Paggeot, Jenna Core, Molly Poole, Alicia Mumby, Leah Anton, Ann Marie Galloway and Rachael Adams also earned individual entries. Nelson went on to play at Grand Valley State, Vaughan plays at Aquinas College, Lorimer played at Central Michigan, Alter played at Jacksonville University (Fla.), Poole plays at Cornerstone University and Mumby played at Lansing Community College. Core plays volleyball at Hope College.
Freeland’s offense earned five record book entries during the team’s 26-12 season in 2022, including for 412 runs scored, 442 hits, 78 doubles, 336 RBI and a .400 team batting average. Three individuals also earned entries – sophomore Addie Steffen for a 20-game hitting streak and seven RBI in a game, junior Evelynn Rybicki for six RBI in a game and freshman Brynn Jaime for getting hit by a pitch twice in the same inning.
Chloe Parker hit .604 last spring and made the records with 20 doubles over 33 games for Niles Brandywine. She’s a junior this school year.
A series of record book entries were added for past and present Zeeland West standouts. Carly Sleeman was added for 73 runs, 75 hits, 27 doubles and 12 home runs in 2021 as a sophomore, while Lily Brower was added for 72 runs, 17 triples and 11 homers, plus 38 doubles and 29 triples over a four-year varsity career. Sleeman’s 27 doubles are tied for fifth-most in one season, and Brower’s 17 triples are tied for fourth on that list. Haley Hoogenraad was added for 70 hits and 17 doubles as a junior in 2015, 19 doubles as a senior, and 49 doubles and 24 triples over her four-year career from 2013-16. Kenzie Siersma was added for 17 doubles in 2017 and 54 over her career from 2016-19, while Courtney Sleeman made the season home runs list with 15 in 2015 and Sarah VanValkenburg made the career RBI list with 152 from 2014-17. Emily Brands was added for hitting consecutive home runs in the same inning, May 7 against Reese; she graduated this spring. Hoogenraad went on to play at University of Michigan, Courtney Sleeman played at Western Michigan, Siersma plays at West Virginia Tech, Brower played last season at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Carly Sleeman has signed with Central Michigan.
PHOTO Owosso’s Macy Irelan unloads a pitch during the 2021 Division 2 Final.