By BUTCH HARMON
Youth is the key for the Grand Ledge boy’s soccer team this season.
Sophomore Luke Menne leads the squad on the offensive end of the field as he scored six goals and added seven assists through the first half of the season.
“We are a young team that has played very well at times and struggled to find consistency,” said Grand Ledge coach Scott Dane. Though we are competitive in every game, we struggle to score goals and put too much pressure on our defense.”
The defense is backstopped by junior Shawn Carr in goal. Carr made all-conference last season and also received all-district honors.
Senior Cody Marek has also given the team strong play at center back and scored six goals in the first half of the season.
Dane is looking for his young squad to hit its peak at the end of the season.
“I still believe that the ceiling for the team is very high,” Dane said. “We have to rely on our work ethic more than our overall skill. When we execute a game plan we feel confident in our ability to stay competitive in any game.”
Lansing Catholic Central’s Jack Swain had a game to remember against Corunna. Swain broke a school record for pass interception return (74 yards) and an all-time record of 118 yards (two interceptions) on pass interception returns. Swain also scored four touchdowns on offense against Corunna as he rushed for 105 yards and totaled 279 total yards of offense.
The Ionia football team is in the midst of a turnaround under second-year head coach Mike Holes. With their 20-17 win over Fowlerville in week four the Bulldogs earned their first CAAC league win since defeating Eaton Rapids in the final week of the 2010 season. The victory evened Ionia’s overall record at 2-2 and equaled last year’s win total.
The Lansing Everett football team is enjoying a big revival this year. The Vikings began the season with four straight wins including key wins over DeWitt and Holt. Defense has been a big key for the Vikings led by senior defensive back Jaleel Canty, linebacker James Mills and lineman Anthony White. Mills is a tackling machine who rang up 17 tackles in the Holt win while White recorded three sacks in the Holt win. Canty is a versatile performer who also excels at wide receiver and as a kick returner. Piloting the offense is junior quarterback Lucas Barner.
The Grand Ledge girl’s swim team is off to a fast start this season. Seniors Ashley Lopez and Marisol Dempsey have led the way along with Grace Haggerty and diver Lauren Painter. Junior Taylor Stenson has also provided some big wins for the team.
The DeWitt and Haslett boy’s soccer teams are battling it out for supremacy in the CAAC Red again. Both teams have bee ranked in the top ten in the state in Division 2. In their early-season showdown DeWitt came back from a one-goal deficit to hand Haslett its first loss of the season 2-1 and take the inside track to the league title.
Williamston soccer player Amanda Dimmer received some good news when she was re-named to the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program 1996 Michigan Pool Team. One of the top soccer players in the state, Dimmer is a midfielder who earned all-conference honors last spring for the Hornets.
The Portland boy’s tennis team grabbed the upper hand in the CAAC White when it defeated Williamston 7-1 in the clash of tennis powers. Williamston’s lone win was a big one, however, as senior Michael Sienko defeated Portland’s Chance Conley in a rematch of last year’s Division 4 state championship match. Conley defeated Sienko for the state title last year but Sienko picked up the win in three sets in this year’s dual.
DeWitt sophomore Shelby Waterson is off to a fast start in the cross-country season. Waterson took first place in the first three invitationals she ran in this season including first at the Laingsburg Invitational, the Jackson Community College Fall Classic and the Bath Invitational.
Through the first four weeks of the high school football season a total of six CAAC teams had 4-0 records. In the CAAC Blue both East Lansing and Everett were 4-0. Grand Ledge was close behind at 3-1. The three teams are set up for a three-week slate of games against each other beginning Sept. 28 when East Lansing plays Everett. The follow week Everett takes on Grand Ledge while Oct. 12 will have East Lansing playing Grand Ledge.
The CAAC Red has a pair of 4-0 teams. Mason and Jackson Lumen Christi opened the season with four consecutive wins. Offense has been the name of the game for Lumen Christi as the Titans are averaging 43 points per game. The Bulldogs and Titans are set to meet Sept. 28.
In the CAAC White Portland opened the season with a 4-0 record. Defense has been the story for Portland which is allowing just over a touchdown per game. Both Williamston and Lansing Catholic Central are close behind at 3-1.