Article - High School Sports Scene

BUTCH HARMON
Sports Scene
It’s Labor Day weekend and week two of the high school football season and plenty of exciting action in on the schedule for Thursday and Friday. Here is a look at some of the matchups that stand out for area football fans in the greater Mid-Michigan area and beyond.
THURSDAY
Portland (1-0) at DeWitt (1-0): Last year Portland stunned DeWitt 21-14 in a thriller in Portland. Both teams opened the season with impressive wins last week setting up what should be the marquee matchup of the weekend in DeWitt.
Muskegon Mona Shore (1-0) at Rockford (1-0): Both perennial state heavyweights are coming off impressive opening week wins with Rockford defeating East Grand Rapids 48-7 and Mona Shores defeating Manitowoc (Wis.) Lincoln 48-20.
Montrose (1-0) at Durand (1-0): It’s an early-season showdown in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference as both teams are coming off big opening-night wins.
Standish-Sterling (1-0) at Ithaca (1-0): Like points? If so, Ithaca will be the place to be Friday night as both teams scored exactly 60 points in their season openers.
Lansing Sexton (1-0) at Lansing Waverly (1-0): Waverly is 1-0 for the first time since 2006 after stunning Lansing Catholic last week. Sexton is 1-0 for the first time since 2017.
Birch Run (1-0) at Bay City John Glenn (1-0): The winner of this game will emerge as a contender in the Tri-Valley Central after each opened the season with strong performances.
Charlotte (1-0) at Owosso (1-0): Charlotte is coming off a solid win against a solid Olivet team in week one while Owosso scored 42 points against Wyoming Kelloggsville in its opener.
Williamston (1-0) at Lansing Catholic (0-1): A huge momentum game for these two teams before opening conference play next week.
Laingsburg (0-1) at Pewamo-Westphalia (0-1): CMAC action kicks off in a big way as these league powers tee it up.
FRIDAY
Midland (1-0) at Mt. Pleasant (1-0): Two tradition rivals get after it in the first league game of the season. This is one of the highlight games of the week.
Detroit Catholic Central (0-1) at Davison (1-0): Davison toppled D1 power Clarkston last week. Can they take down the tradition Detroit Catholic League powerhouse this week?
Lapeer (1-0) at Traverse City Central (1-0): The addition of the Traverse City schools makes the Saginaw Valley North as strong as any league in the state.
Muskegon (1-0) at Warren De La Salle (1-0): Worth the trip to Warren to see two of the state’s best collide. Some polls have De La Salle ranked No. 1 in the entire state.

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Dow Varsity played against Beal City tonight and won in 3 sets. 25-17, 25-21. 25-13. The girls came out hot in the first and last set. They were passing, serving, and attacking very well. Klaire Caldwell then took over and led the team with 13 kills. Jessica Erickson added 7 kills. Defensively, Luci Fabiano added 17 digs all while Alex Price was running the offense and earned 30 assists.

Overall Dow is 4-3. Varsity Volleyball travels to Garber tomorrow for a Quad.

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BUTCH HARMON
Sports Scene
The Caledonia football team showed why it is ranked among the top teams in the state in Division 1 this season as it blanked Holt 35-0 in its home opener.
Caledonia scored three touchdowns in the second quarter and added two more touchdowns in the third quarter to put the game away. The Fighting Scots totaled 362 yards of total offense and limited Holt to 109 yards of total offense.
Caledonia was led by veteran quarterback Mason McKenzie. McKenzie, who helped Caledonia to a 10-win season and a district title last year, passed for 77 yards and a touchdown and added 49 yards rushing and two touchdowns to pace the offense. Junior running back Brock Townsend, a three-year varsity player, added 102 yards rushing and a touchdown while Blake Herron rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Kaden DeHorn caught three passes for 43 yards and a score.
The Caledonia defense was led by Derek Pennington who totaled two solo tackles, five assists and 3.5 tackles for loss and Tyler Burd who added two solo tackles, five assists, a half sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Caledonia returns to action this week against North Farmington while Holt takes on a 1-0 Mason squad.

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BUTCH HARMON
Sports Scene
The 2022 high school football season opened up this weekend and several Mid-Michigan teams looked to be already in mid-season form as they turned in some impressive efforts
Following is a roundup of some of the top efforts by area teams from week one of the new season.
GROUND GAME KEYS DEWITT WIN IN BIG HOUSE
The ground game took center stage for DeWitt as the Panthers opened the new season with a 21-14 win against Haslett in the opening game of the season Thursday afternoon at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
The DeWitt rushing game produced 225 yards on the ground led by Blake Haller who rushed for 103 yards and sophomore Abram Larner who added 69 yards rushing. Haller and Larner also provided rushing touchdowns in the win.
The DeWitt defense provided the third touchdown of the game as Johnathan Warner returned a Haslett fumble 32 yards for a touchdown. The DeWitt defense also did a solid job in keeping the Haslett offense in check as the Panther defense limited Haslett to 48 net yards.
Sophomore quarterback Aspen Keyes was efficient in his varsity debut as he completed 12-of-18 passes for 99 yards.
Special teams was key for Haslett as both Viking touchdowns came on kick returns. Nakai Amachtee returned the opening kickoff of the game 95 yards for a touchdown and later returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter that tied the game at 14-14.
DeWitt looks to improve to 2-0 this Thursday when it hosts undefeated Portland on the new turf at Memorial Stadium in DeWitt.
MT. PLEASANT OPENS WITH BIG WIN
The Mt. Pleasant Oilers opened the season with an impressive performance with a 42-7 win against Kalamazoo Central.
Senior Scooter Polk displayed big-play form as he returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and added a 23-yard touchdown run. Returning all-state running back Max Humphrey carried the ball 15 times for 81 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. Junior quarterback Logan Borodychuk completed 12-of-18 passes for 135 yards.
The Oiler defense came up big as it limited Kalamazoo to 152 yards of total offense.
ITHACA OFFENSE SHINES IN OPENER
It was a big evening in Ithaca as the Yellowjackets broke in their new football field with a 60-39 win against Homer.
Ithaca senior quarterback Bronson Bupp put on a dazzling display as he completed 11-of-16 passes for 175 yards and touchdown passes to Ethan Hull and Ryley White. Bupp also rushed for 152 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns. Noah Risner and Charlie Martyn added rushing touchdowns for the Yellowjackets.
LANSING WAVERLY STUNS LANSING CATHOLIC
Lansing Waverly delivered one of the big stunners of the opening week as they defeated defending Division 6 state champion Lansing Catholic 18-7.
Waverly quarterback Ronnie Spencer led the offense as he completed nine-of-12 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a touchdown. Running back Jahi Wood added 87 yards rushing and a touchdown while receiver Mar’Tavion Robinson caught three passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
BIG PLAYS LEAD SHEPHERD PAST ALMA
Big plays on defense and in the special teams proved key for Shepherd as the Bluejays defeated Alma 28-14 and spoiled a huge game by Alma quarterback Sam Rosales.
Defense and special teams accounted for three of Shepherd’s touchdowns. Mitchell Walters returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown and also recovered a mishandled Alma punt in the endzone for a touchdown. Ashton Luckhardt returned a kickoff 70 yard for a Shepherd touchdown while Isaiah Reihl added a three-yard touchdown run.
Those big plays countered a big passing night by Rosales. Rosales completed 26-of-48 passes for 338 yards. Cade Sutherlund hauled in 10 passes for 135 yards while Sam Couch caught five passes for 87 yards as Alma totaled 355 yards to 135 total yards by Shepherd.
BEAL CITY RALLIES FOR WIN
Beal City scored 16 fourth-quarter points to overtake Ravenna for a 22-21 win.
With 20 seconds remaining in the game, Aggie quarterback Jack Fussman hit Carter Fussman with a 14-yard touchdown pass to bring the Aggies to within one. Beal City then tacked on the two-point conversion for the win as Fussman passed to Cayden Smith for the winning points.
Fussman finished the game with 98 passing yards and 61 rushing yards to lead the offense.
GRAND LEDGE OFFENSE ERUPTS IN OPENER
The Grand Ledge offense was in high gear as the Comets opened the season with a 34-7 win against Coldwater in the season opener.
Mason Stocker and Shawn Foster combined to pass for 153 yards and two touchdown passes while also rushing for 111 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Noah McCartney added 50 yards rushing and one touchdown. Teddy Williams led the pass catchers with two receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown while Andrew Konieczny caught a 55-yard touchdown pass.
Williams led the defense with four sole tackles, two assists, one sack and one tackle for a loss while Aiden Chamblee added seven solo tackles and one tackle for loss.
MIDLAND TOP CADILLAC IN OPENER
Midland opened the season with a 27-21 win against Cadillac.
Quarterback Jason Davenport paced the air game by completing six passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Midland running back Jalen Brown carried the ball 20 times for 134 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Gabe Malace caught a 47-yard touchdown pass while Hudson Gerstacker caught a 17-yard scoring strike.
PORTLAND ST. PATRICK ROLLS IN OPENER
Portland St. Patrick displayed one of the most producitive offenses in 8-man football in a 50-0 win against Vestaburg.
St. Patrick quarterback Bradyn Simon led the offense as he completed 12-of-15 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a score. Payton Russman rushed for 71 yards and a score while catching three passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Simon was a leader on defense with seven tackles, three assists and two tackles for loss while Riley Messer had four tackles, one assist and two tackles for loss.
BRECKENRIDGE WINS 8-MAN DEBUT
Breckenridge opened the new season playing 8-man football for the first time in school history and came away with a 40-36 win against Fulton-Middleton.
Quarterback Jaxon Laubscher led the offense as he passed for 200 yards and rushed for 86 yards. Ryan Wolfgang caught eight passes including a 76-yard touchdown pass. Collin Sitts scored the game-winning touchdown late in the third quarter and added the two-point conversion for the Huskies. Sitts was also a defensive standout with 12 tackles and three tackles for loss.

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@GLADWIN
Championship game score: Clare 3, Ludington 2
Clare was able to win the close ones and that ability to win close games helped the Pioneers win the Division 2 district title at Gladwin.
Clare opened district play with a thrilling 1-0 win in eight innings against Big Rapids in the pre-district game. Ryan Louch came in to score the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth inning while Clare’s pitching and defense held Big Rapids in check the entire game.
Clare defeated Gladwin 7-3 in the regional semifinal game before edging Ludington 3-2 in the title game. A sacrifice fly by Al Warner provided the game-winning run.
With the win, Clare heads to the Gladwin regional where it will play Bay City John Glenn in the regional semifinal on Wednesday.

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DIVISION 4
@BEAL CITY
Championship game score: Beal City 19, Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart 1
Host Beal City showed why it is ranked number-one in the state in Division 4 as it posted a pair of impressive wins enroute to taking the district title. The Aggies opened up district play with a 18-0 win against Coleman in the semifinals. Seniors Kaiden Andrews and Brayden Haynes and sophomore Jack Fussman led the Aggie offense. Brendan Martin picked up the win on the mound as he recorded 11 strikeouts.
Beal City then defeated Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart in the finals. Andrews, Fussman, Hunter Miles and Josh Wilson led the offense while Cayden Smith picked up the win as he struck out four.
Beal City entered the playoffs on a roll after completing the Highland Conference season with a perfect 14-0 record by sweeping a doubleheader from Lake City by scores of 20-1 and 17-2.
Beal City heads to the regional at Frankfort where it will face Bear Lake (16-9) in the regional semifinals on Wednesday.

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@EATON RAPIDS
Championship game score: Charlotte 2, Eaton Rapids 1
Charlotte defeated Eaton Rapids, ranked 10th in the state in Division 2, to win its first district baseball championship since 2009.
The Orioles received a huge game on the mound from Jadyn Smuts who pitched a complete game to earn the win. Smuts struck out five batters while scattering four hits and allowing no earned runs in the win. Zeb Surdenik delivered the key hit for Charlotte in the fifth inning. That was when he hammered a double to deep center field that plated both Aiden Laverty and Eann Spotts with the lone Oriole runs of the game. Charlotte earned a berth in the district title game by defeating Lansing Sexton16-1 in the district semifinals.
Charlotte heads to the Eaton Rapids regional on Wednesday where it will play Olivet in the regional semifinals.

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@SAGINAW HERITAGE
Championship game score: Midland 3 Bay City Western 0
The Midland Chemics won their first district title since 2018 as they blanked Bay City Western 3-0 in the district title game. Lance Kloha picked up the win for Midland as he pitched into the seventh inning scattering six hits and walking one while striking out six. Nate Palmateer picked up the save for the Chemics who improved to 29-10 for the season. Kloha helped his own cause on offense as he provided the big hit with a two-run double. Midland reached the finals by defeating Saginaw Heritage 4-3 in eight innings in the semifinals. Palmateer picked up the win in relief. Palmateer provided the key hit in the game as his sacrifice fly in the eighth inning drove home the game-winning run. Midland moves on to the regional where it will face Traverse City Central in Wednesday’s regional semifinal game.

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@GRAND LEDGE
Championship game score: Holt 4, Grand Ledge 3
The Holt Rams came from behind to defeat Grand Ledge in the district championship game and earn the district title. Trailing 3-1in the sixth inning, Matthew Barger hit a two-run home run to tie the game for Holt. Later in the inning Eddie McDonald Jr. singled to drive in Logan Wilder with the go-ahead run. Holt pitcher Jacob Walter closed the door on the mound giving the Rams the 4-3 win and the district title. Holt reached the finals by defeating DeWitt 4-0 in the semifinals. Ayden VanEnkevort led the way for the Rams as he pitched six and two-thirds inning of shutout ball and also went two-for-four with an RBI at the plate.

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The Ithaca Varsity Softball team was in the district tournament on Saturday, June 4th and won it.

Game 1: Ithaca 11, Lakeview 1

Coach Shelby Shankel: “We had a solid offense in this game, pulling in 15 hits on the game. The offense was led by Megan Mankey and Faith Fisher each with 3 hits. Following behind were Ivy Davenport, Lauryn Humphrey, and Emmalee Shankel each with 2 hits, while Alyssa McPherson and Madison Carman each added 1. Big hits were Mankey’s center field shot in the second inning, and Fisher, Humphrey, Davenport and Mankey’s doubles.

“Kennedi Ryan sealed the win on the mound, pitching all 6 innings, only allowing 1 run, striking out 6 and walking 1.”

Game 2: Ithaca 8, Central Montcalm 4

Coach Shankel: “In the championship game we faced Central Montcalm. The Jackets came out once again with a strong offense, tallying 9 hits on the game. The offense was led by Emmalee Shankel with 3 hits (including a triple). Alyssa McPherson added 2 hits, while Kennedi Ryan, Ivy Davenport, Megan Mankey, and Myah Maurer all added 1.

“The defense was led by Ivy Davenport’s strong pitching in the circle. Davenport threw all 7 innings striking out 7, and allowing 0 earned runs. There were at least 2 times where Central Montcalm had bases loaded and Davenport was able to pull off strike outs to end the inning. Davenport threw a strikeout to end the game and seal the deal for the Jackets.

“The Jackets played well offensively and defensively all day.

“The Jackets have not won a District Title since 2013.”

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Plenty of outstanding matchups on the slate for week 2 of high school football

Midland Dow volleyball team defeats Beal City

Caledonia vs Holt football week one

High school football week one roundup

Clare wins close games enroute to district baseball title

Beal City baseball team rolls to district title

Charlotte baseball wins first district title since 2009

Midland baseball wins first district title since 2018

Holt baseball team wins district title

Ithaca softball team enjoys title