By BUTCH HARMON
The Swartz Creek football team enjoyed a big season this fall, and one of the key players on that team has decided where he will continue his football career. Jaylen Schoenfield, who played quarterback and defensive back for the Dragons, will be playing football at Grand Valley State University next year. Schoenfield passed for 2,793 yards and threw 30 touchdown passes this year for the Dragons. He is expected to play defensive back at Grand Valley. Grand Valley has had a pipeline to the Flint area and especially defensive players. Former Carman-Ainsworth defensive back Brandon Carr played cornerback for the Lakers and is now a starting cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys, while former Carmen-Ainsworth linebacker Dan Skuta, who also played for Grand Valley, is a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Schoenfield is not the only Swartz Creek athlete who will be playing at the collegiate level next year. JD Tisdale, a standout on the Dragon basketball team, has signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Bowling Green State University of the Mid-American Conference.
Fenton lineman Nick Chappell will be joining Schoenfield in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) next season, as he has committed to Hillsdale College.
The Flint Metro League annually has some of the strongest girls’ basketball teams in mid-Michigan, and this year is no exception. A month into the season, the Clio Mustangs have proven to be one of the premier teams in the Metro. The Mustangs opened the season by winning five of their first six games. Senior point guard Breanna Pennington leads the Mustangs and is one of several talented seniors in the lineup. A four-year varsity player, Pennington was a first-team, all-Metro player last year. Senior forward Allison Kitchen also earned first-team, all-Metro honors last season, while junior forward Cara Horst earned second-team, all-Metro honors.
Clio opened the season in thrilling fashion, when it defeated Flint Northwestern and its senior standout Sparkle Taylor in overtime. Taylor scored 21 points in the game, but the Mustangs received a 21-point, eight-rebound performance from Kitchen and won the game in overtime. Clio also defeated Fenton 59-58 in a key Metro game. Kitchen scored 24 points in that game, while senior Tristan Bishop added 18 points. Clio turned in a 13-3 record in the Metro last season and in 2010-11 the Mustangs won the Metro League title.
The Fenton girls basketball team has overcome a slow start to play its way into the thick of the Metro League chase. Junior point guard Hannah Evo and junior Krista Kinney lead the way for the Tigers along with Cassandra Rueschlein and sophomore Payton Maxheimer. Fenton reeled off four straight wins after dropping an early-season showdown to Clio.
In boys’ basketball, Fenton and Swartz Creek have started the season strong. Fenton jumped into the driver’s seat in the league title chase after it defeated Swartz Creek 70-60. The Dragons have one of the premier players in the league in JD Tisdale.
On the wrestling mats, the Holly Bronchos look to be the power in the Metro once again. Holly has won back-to-back regional titles and has a strong core of wrestlers back this season, led by two-time state champion Anthony Gonzalez at 135 pounds. Mason Cleaver (130) was a state runner-up last season, while Zack Jones (140) is a returning state placer.
Metro League bowlers are off to a fast start this season. Cal Wykes of Swartz Creek has turned in one of the highest games in the season’s early going as he rolled a 280. The Dragons have also recorded two of the highest Baker games of the early season.
In girls’ bowling, Hannah Ploof of Kearsley recorded one of the high two-game series of the early season when she posted a 459. The Kearsley girls have also posted a number of impressive Baker game scores.