Zeroes Land Kemp With Troy Athens' Heroes
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 17, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
For the second-straight season this fall, Troy Athens boys soccer goalkeeper Jason Kemp made the list for shutouts – this time totaling 15 on the way to leading his team to the Division 1 title.
Kemp also made the MHSAA career shutouts list finishing his three seasons on varsity with 32, the final 31 coming over the last two years (and 45 games) as the fulltime starter.
Troy Athens as a team was added to the single-season shutouts list as well thanks to Kemp’s 15 this fall.
Click to see the boys soccer record book in full, and check out more recent record book listings below for 8-player football, girls lacrosse, boys soccer and volleyball.
Burr Oak tied its best regular-season record this fall in 10 seasons of playing 8-player football, with a number of standouts leading the way to the 5-4 finish. Three made the record book – junior Matthew Greene with six fumble recoveries, junior Damion Ultz with four touchdown receptions in a Week 8 loss to Climax-Scotts, and senior Dustin Musall for five sacks in a Week 1 win over Big Rapids Crossroads.
Powers North Central handed Pickford its only loss this season 20-14 on Sept. 14 in part thanks to six interceptions, a new high for 8-player football. Ian Gorzinski led with three.
Pickford set an 8-player record with 10 rushing touchdowns in an 80-26 win Sept. 21 over Eben Junction Superior Central. Seven Pickford players ran for at least one score.
Bridgman senior Donnie Necas needed just four receptions Aug. 27 against North Adams-Jerome to make the record book for most receiving yards in a game. He gained 230 yards, including a long catch of 90, in the Bees’ 56-16 win.
Girls Lacrosse
Hartland’s trek to the Division 1 Semifinals this spring was keyed by a number of standouts, including three who put up numbers that made the record book. Elena Salazar built on an excellent sophomore season in 2017 with 106 goals, 41 assists and a total of 147 points, making the single-season lists in all three categories and also the career goals (181) and points (260) lists with a season to play. Now-junior Abigail Trosin also made all three single-season lists with 75 goals, 40 assists and 115 points, and now-senior Emma Donahue was added for 73 goals and 98 total points. As a team, Hartland scored 386 goals – good for third-most all-time – over 21 games. Donahue will continue her career after high school for University of Detroit Mercy, and Salazar has committed to Hope College.
Wixom St. Catherine’s Maeve Burke enjoyed a memorable, and busy, sophomore season in net this spring. She made the goalkeeper saves record lists five times, with highs of 19 saves in games against Walled Lake Northern and Royal Oak and 188 saves total over 17 games. Her top single-game saves performances tied for ninth on that list, while her season saves were eighth all-time.
Boys Soccer
Holland Christian lost only once this fall, in its Regional Final, and along the way tied the record for fewest goals given up in one season allowing just five. The Maroons also made record book lists with 17 shutouts and 11 straight; they didn’t allow a goal this season until their 12th game Sept. 25.
Volleyball
Angie Swiderek concluded a standout career at Cheboygan this fall, in the process earning an entry in the MHSAA record book with 30 kills over a three-set sweep of Grayling on Nov. 6. Additionally, her coach Kris Jewell was added after surpassing 500 career wins. Jewell began her varsity head coaching career at Utica Eisenhower during the 1998-99 winter season, leaving after one and then taking over Cheboygan in 2002-03. She has a 513-307-66 record after this fall’s 18-17-4 finish.
Karlee Plamondon and Randi Stone were aces for Ludington against Muskegon Heights Academy during a three-set sweep Sept. 18, 2018. Plamondon had the second-most aces in a game, 19, and her 21 for the match rank third all-time. Stone had 17 aces for the match, tying for ninth most. Stone was a senior last year, and Plamondon is a senior this fall.
Vermontville Maple Valley junior Keilyn Carpenter made the single-season kills list this fall with 690 over 121 sets, including 34 in a four-set win over Lansing Christian on Oct. 15. Both made the records lists; her 106 aces this fall fell just shy of qualifying in that category.
PHOTO: Troy Athens keeper Jason Kemp gathers the ball during this fall's Division 1 Final.
Benzie Star Receives Record Recognition
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 30, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Despite missing the majority of his senior season in 2003 with an injury, John Plumstead graduated from Benzie Central the following spring among the top rushers and scorers in Michigan high school football history – and those accomplishments now are reflected in the MHSAA record book.
Plumstead ran for 5,595 yards over 40 games and four seasons, and also scored 72 touchdowns. The career rushing yardage still ranks 15th all-time. He went on to play linebacker for Army at West Point.
See below for more recent additions to the football record book, and click the heading to see the listings in full.
Football
Berrien Springs senior Faith Kittleson drilled all nine of her extra-point attempts in her team’s 63-0 win over Parchment on Oct. 4. While that missed the list for most extra points in one game, it made the list for most consecutive extra points made in one contest. Kittleson also has been a standout on the school’s girls soccer team.
Mattawan senior Noah Janssen became the sixth player to return at least two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game Sept. 28, when he scored on a pair against Portage Northern. Both run-backs also made the list for longest kickoff return touchdown, at 98 and 96 yards.
A pair of impressive defensive performances earned Breckenridge’s first football record book entries last fall. Sophomore Luke Saunders had four interceptions during a 49-0 win over Muskegon Heights Academy on Sept. 6, including tying a record with three in one quarter. Breckenridge as a team also was added for holding Coleman to only two first downs during a 56-0 victory Sept. 20.
Warren Fitzgerald sophomore Trey West showed in the fall he was capable of scoring offensively, defensively and on special teams – and his kickoff return prowess especially stood out. He became the latest to tie the record for longest kickoff return when he scored on a 99-yarder Oct. 25 against Port Huron Northern. He tied for second-most kickoff return touchdowns in one game with two against Warren Woods-Tower on Oct. 12, and also tied for second-most kickoff return TDs for a season with four total in 2019.
Eastpointe senior Davion Watkins also joined that list for longest kickoff return, bringing one back 99 yards against Warren Fitzgerald on Oct. 18.
Quarterback Vaughn VanTil led the way for Coopersville against Fruitport during a 62-50 win Oct. 12, 2018. The then-senior made the MHSAA record book in multiple categories with seven rushing touchdowns, and was part of 431 of the 607 total yards that earned Coopersville an entry in the team record book. The seven rushing touchdowns are tied for third-most on the rushing scoring list.
Pewamo-Westphalia has had a number of individual standouts in winning MHSAA Finals titles three of the last four seasons, and not to be forgotten was kicker Alec Thelen. He made the single-season extra point list twice with 55 in 2017 and 71 in 2018, and his 154 (in 171 attempts over 31 games from 2016-18) are tied for 10th most on the career list. He’s playing at Siena Heights University.
Griffin Milovanski kicked the last two seasons on Saugatuck’s varsity and finished on the career extra point list with 83 made in 86 attempts. He also made the single-season PAT list as a junior.
Ogemaw Heights advanced as far as the Regional Finals during the last decade, doing so in Division 4 in 2012. A powerful rushing offense led the way – and led to four record book entries. The Falcons were added for 4,220 rushing yards and 5,604 yards of total offense that fall, plus 631 total yards in a Week 9 win over Alpena and 74 rushing attempts in a District Final win over Remus Chippewa Hills.
PHOTO: Benzie Central running back John Plumstead turns the corner on the way to some of his 5,500 career rushing yards. (Photo courtesy of the Benzie Central Gridiron Club.)