Northern Michigan notebook
Football
l Atlanta quarterback Garrett Badgero is still flying under the radar at the state level, but opponents in the North Star League are painfully aware of just how good the senior is.
On September 14, Badgero tossed for 489 yards and seven touchdowns against Hale. The Huskies (3-2) are hoping to get to five wins in their eight-game schedule to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1997.
l Traverse City West and Traverse City Central are sitting atop the the Big North Conference, both with perfect 3-0 league records. West picked up a big 40-11 win over Cadillac on September 21, with Central’s big win coming over Petoskey 40-0 on September 14. The Trojans and Titans meet up September 28 in what could determine the conference championship.
lWhittemore-Prescott is just a win away from its third straight Huron Shores Conference title after topping Alcona 41-16 on September 21. Travis MacDonald ran for a career high 171 yards and two touchdowns and Jens Gillings threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals are 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the HSC, with winless Tawas Area left to play. Despite the loss, the Tigers (3-2, 1-1), who play just an eight-game schedule, are just two wins away from their first playoff appearance since 2000 and play struggling Oscoda and Buena Vista later in the season.
Volleyball
l The Posen volleyball team continued to show it’s a contender in this year’s North Star League race, topping host Atlanta 25-17, 25-16, and 25-6. Korynn Hincka led the Vikings with six kills and three aces, and Ashley Meyers added four kills and three aces. Posen still has to meet up with two-time defending champion Mio.
l Tawas Area has had its way in the Huron Shores Conference since the league formed in 2010. Now in its third season, the Braves have already topped Whittemore-Prescott and an improved Oscoda team, with a young Alcona squad still on the league schedule.
l Host Traverse City St. Francis topped Charlevoix 25-22, 25-23, and 25-22 on September 20 to stay a perfect 5-0 in the Lake Michigan Conference and improve to 23-4-3 overall. Bridget Bussell finished with 20 kills, three aces, and four blocks in the match for the fifth-ranked in class ‘C’ Gladiators.
Soccer
l The one-time Northeast Michigan Conference powerhouse Tawas Area has surprisingly struggled in league play since joining the Huron Shores Conference, but midway through league play this year, the Braves have yet to give up a goal. So far the Braves have topped Whittemore-Prescott 10-0, Oscoda (two-time defending champs) 3-0, and Alcona 1-0.
l Northern Michigan Christian Academy’s Aaron Chatfield tied the career goal record with his 172th career score on September 19 with a five-goal performance in a 6-1 win over Cheboygan. Dearborn’s Soony Saad has held the record since 2009 and Chatfield’s older brother Nathan is second with 170.
Cross country
l Jack Pine Conference cross country powerhouse Clare took the early lead in this year’s title bid, winning both boys’ and girls’ races at home on September 19. Pioneer runner Hunter Nivison won the boys’ race with a time of 17:05, and his teammate Lucas Combs came in second at 17:19. Farwell senior Brandon Frank took third with a time of 17:24.
Lady Pioneer Victoria Harper won the girls’ race with a time of 19:49, with teammate Lindsay Winter coming in second at 20:12. Harrison’s Brooke Colville came in third at 21:13.
Girl’s golf
l Traverse City Central picked up a win in its own golf invitational on September 21. Central topped second place West by 28 strokes to win the 11-team event at the Traverse City Country Club. Courtney Dye won the event with an 82, and West’s Taylor Kehone came in second with an 87.