Article - High School Sports Scene

Jeff Chaney

Sports Scene

Caleb Reinhart never shies away from contact.

That’s what makes the 5’9″, 195-pound senior running back on the Montrose football team so good.

“When I hit people, it pumps up the team and makes us play a little harder,” Reinhart said. “I like hitting people, it’s fun. I just like playing football.”

Reinhart has run over and around nine defenses this year to the tune of over 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns, distinguishing him as one of the top backs in the state.

He has helped lead the Rams to an 8-1 record and a Genesee Area Conference championship after an exciting 22-21 win over Lake Fenton in week nine.

His father, Montrose coach Dennis Reinhart, loves having him on his team. “Everyone knows he is going to carry the ball for us, yet he still comes up with these stats,” Coach Reinhart said. “His success is a combination of good line play and his running style. Obviously our line has done a good job of getting him holes, but Caleb does a great job of [yards after contact.] We’ve watched film on him, and the yards he gets after contact are amazing.”

Caleb attributes his style of running to a strong work ethic in the weight room and in the off-season. A powerlifter at the school, he squats 575 pounds, benches 335, and power cleans 245.

“Power lifting has helped a lot,” he said. “It has helped improve my speed and strength. And I do yoga after lifting, and that has helped my body with flexibility and to stay pretty much injury free.”

Caleb will try to power the Rams to a Division 6 state championship this year. They host Vassar in week one of the playoffs.

“Last year we lost to Ithaca in the district finals,” he said. “I think this year we can make it to Ford Field. We have a lot of talent on this team; we just need to stay away from injuries.”

Injuries hurt Montrose last year. “We had a very good team, but we had Ithaca in districts, and we had six starters out for that game,” Coach Reinhart said. “And three of those were on the offensive line. So going into this, you need to stay healthy, but sometimes that’s tough.

“Division 6 is going to be tough again this year,” he added. “We have a tough district, and it won’t get easier after that. If we do get by our district, then we’ll probably have to play an Ithaca or a Montague.”

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Jeff Chaney

Sports Scene

The Midland football team accomplished something this year that it had not done since the 2003 season – finish the regular season with a 9-0 record.

Along the way, the Chemics won their first Saginaw Valley Association championship in five years.

“Anytime you can go 9-0, it’s an outstanding accomplishment,” coach Eric Methner said. “We play some good competition in our league, so this is rewarding.

“Winning our league is no easy task,” he added. “I think three of the last four years we were 8-1, and that one loss kept us from winning it, so it’s nice to get over the hump.”

The Chemics got over that hump thanks to an efficient offense led by quarterback Alec Johnson, who has thrown over 1,000 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only three interceptions.

Also thanks to a stout defense, which is led by a very athletic defensive line of Steven Elmer, Brady Harbron, Terrence Thomas, and Tyler Sauve.

For all that Midland has done this year, the Chemics will get to host at least two Division 2 playoff games, starting when they host Marquette October 27 at 1 p.m.

The Redmen come into the game with a 5-3 record.

“I don’t know a whole lot about them,” Methner said. “They are in the UP and play a mixed schedule – they play some smaller schools. I looked a little bit at some video, and they appear to be a ground-oriented team. They are a downhill football team.”

That may not matter come game time.

“We are playing great defensively,” Methner said. “It’s been a great season so far.”

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Rockford made a rare appearance at the Division 1 girls’ golf state finals the weekend of October 19-20, and Rams’ coach Scott Kruisenga enjoyed every second of it, despite his team placing last in the 15-team field.

Plymouth won the Division 1 tournament at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers East Golf Course by shooting 18-hole totals of 331 and 328. Rockford was 15th at 401 and 369 for 770.

It’s only the third time in school history that Rockford has made it to the state finals. The other appearances were in 1978 and 2007. This season, Rockford was second in the O-K Red.

Individually for the Rams, Tori Sobkowik had the best score, 184, following rounds of 100 and 84. Aimee Hite was second at 94 and 97 for 191, Halle Dymowski shot 100 and 97 for 197, Abbi Anthony shot 107 and 94 for 201, and Kayla McFadden shot 112 and 94 for 206.

Holt finished 13th at 761. Pader Her shot 77 and 75 for 152 total, followed by Katie Harmer with 198, Jenna Whitson with 198, and Alexxis VanPelt with 216.

Okemos had a strong third-place finish in the two-day Division 2 tournament conducted at The Meadows at Grand Valley State University. Mona Shores scored 341 and 325, and Okemos carded scores of 358 and 351. East Lansing was eighth at 373 and 370 for 743 total, and Greenville was 10th at 763 with scores of 382 and 381.

Elle Nichols had solid rounds for Okemos, scoring 81 and 77 for 158 total. Katy Hollis carded scores of 91 and 91 for 182, followed by Sydney Williams with 94 and 91 for 185. Jessica Kim had a 93 as the No. 5 player the first day, and Marie Lazar had 93 and 95 for 188.

For East Lansing, Kristyn Crippen shot 82 and 76 for 158, followed by Marie Fata with 99 and 93 for 192, Molly Ring with 95 and 98 for 193, Claire Fossum with 101 and 103 for 204, and Amber Leyrer with 97 and 110 for 207.

Greenville finished with 382 and 381 for 763 total. Britta Bernth led the team with scores of 87 and 81 for 168. Jessica Bohner had 93 and 92 for 185, Lauryn Day 100 and 98 for 198, Karli Didion 102 and 117 for 219, and Amanda Kerschen 114 and 110 for 224.

The Division 3 finals were held at Bedford Valley Golf Course in Battle Creek. Lakewood came in 10th, scoring 393 and 380 for 773. Big Rapids was 13th at 427 and 412 for 839, and Cedar Springs was 15th at 457 and 429 for 886.

Emily Barker carded 92 and 89 for 181 to lead Lakewood, followed by Olivia Barker with 96 and 96 for 192, Victoria Hager at 103 and 97 for 200, Kennedy Hilley at 102 and 100 for 202, and Bryonna Barton at 110 and 98 for 208.

Elizabeth Hosking led Big Rapids with 103 and 96 for 199, while Molly Schofield was at 110 and 101 for 211, Haley McKenna and Alexis Dawkins at 106 and 106 for 212, Melanie Weis at 108 and 109 for 217, and Andrea Cassidy at 113 and 124 for 237.

Cedar Springs was led by Conner White at 108 and 100 for 208, Bre White at 108 and 104 for 212, Marisa Morales at 119 and 103 for 222, Jessica Ingerson at 122 and 122 for 244, and Chelsa Hull at 123 and 129 for 252.

Taylor Kral of Tri County qualified as an individual and shot 91 and 92 for 183.

In Division 4, Lansing Catholic won with 685. Freeland was seventh at 431 and 411 for 842, while Frankenmuth was ninth at 416 and 435 for 851. Farwell, with only three players, didn’t qualify for a score.

Tara Padgett had 105 and 97 for 202 to lead Freeland, followed by Katie Morrissey at 98 and 108 for 206, Janna Brown at 113 and 99 for 212, Mollie Daly at 119 and 107 for 226, and Tori Argyle at 115 and 120 for 235.

Kaitlyn Watkins shot 77 and 85 for 162 to lead Frankenmuth, while Shayna Schenider had 101 and 106 for 207, and Abby Vaughn a 123 and a 120 for 243. For Farwell, Bria Colosky shot 88 and 88 for 176, and Sammie Baldwin shot 110 and 106 for 216. Shubba Vedula played individually for Sacred Heart Academy and shot 107 and 128 for 235.

A new feature at the state finals was allowing coaches to confer with their players on the course except for on the greens.

I like the rule change,” said Lakewood’s Carl Kutch. “I have seen only positive results from it this season. It is particularly helpful when reviewing rules options such as an unplayable lie or talking briefly about a trouble shot situation. I think it actually speeds up play and it helps kids learn better course management.

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Lansing Catholic did it again: another Division 4 state golf title.

Led by Jacqueline Setas, the Cougars accomplished what most people expected them to, after having another dominant season on the course.

In the Division 4 state tournament October 19-20 at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers West, Lansing Catholic shot rounds of 344 and 341 for 685 total, finishing well ahead of second place Hackett Catholic Central, which had 749.

Setas was edged out for medalist honors. She had rounds of 78 and 75 but lost to Aya Johnson of Muskegon Catholic Central in the first playoff hole.

“I thought I performed solid. A 78 the first day is not a great number for me,” Setas said. “But 75 I thought was a great comeback.

“Conditions Friday were brutal. It was cold, windy, and rainy. That may have affected my score a little bit. But I should have played better for sure.”

Setas said her short game was strong over the weekend.

“Friday, my first seven holes, I hit one green. I got up and down five times. That was the most crucial part of my game, especially with the conditions Friday. Saturday my game, it was probably putting. I made a big putt on 16 for birdie to get one last birdie before 17 and 18.”

She admitted being somewhat disappointed that she did not take first place as an individual.

“Losing in the playoffs didn’t sit well with me,” Setas said. “But Aya is a great player. She’s a good friend. That made everything a lot better, I think.”

In the regionals, Setas lost to Kaitlyn Watkins of Frankenmuth, who shot a 162 at the state meet.

For Lansing Catholic, Setas was followed by Janie Fineis, a senior who shot 82 and 80 for 162; Danielle Crilley, a senior who shot 78 and 85 for 163; Mary Beth Maddalena at 106 and 106 for 212; and Lauren Burnett at 119 and 101 for 220.

“I think this year was definitely the best,” Setas said. “Last year, we had four players who could be in the 70s. This year we had three. We needed a good score from our No. 4 or 5. That was crucial. That made it more special.

“I thought we performed well. We actually beat our scores from last year. Overall, our performance was really good. ”

The only school that beat Lansing Catholic during the season was Plymouth, which wound up taking the Division 1 title.

A year ago in the state tournament, Lansing Catholic had rounds of 329 and 324 for 653. They won the title easily, with Powers Catholic shooting rounds of 352 and 364 for 716.

Setas and Crilley tied for third last season with totals of 160. Fineis was also on the team and shot a 172.

Setas will play basketball in the winter but get back to golf in the spring and play tournaments in the summer.

“I’ll be trying to narrow down the school or colleges to go to,” she said.

Setas is looking ahead to 2013 with hopes the Cougars can take home another title.

“It’s a possibility,” she said “We have to get our crucial No. 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 next year. We can do it for sure, but everyone will have to work hard.”

Mary Schafer has been the coach of all three state-title teams. “It’s hard to compare the three, it’s like comparing your three children,” she smiled. “I think this week, because we were ranked first the whole year; last year everyone was thinking about it. It put more pressure on you. Everyone knows when we got to a tournament that they almost expect us to win. Winning one is not easy, winning two is harder, and winning three is even harder.

“It was very satisfying. My two seniors, along with Jacqueline, had a huge season. She’ll be back.”

Maddalena and Brunett are also returning.

“I hope the kids will play this summer,” Schafer said. “What helped is that my top three played in a lot of summer tournaments.”

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Ithaca roared to an 9-0 regular season and is taking aim at a third straight state title, backed by talent that includes some three-year players looking for a three-peat.

Coach Terry Hessbrook has five three-year players who were on the 2010 and 2011 state title teams – Jacob Barnes, Josh Capen, Tyler Gibson, Markes Gadlen, and Bradley Martin.

They’ve all seen starting action three straight seasons.

Barnes and Gibson are linebackers, Capen and Martin are two-way linemen, and Gadlin is a wide receiver.

Gibson and Barnes “are both very physical kids; they give us a tremendous amount of speed on the outside,” Hessbrook said. “Capen and Martin are probably two of the toughest kids I’ve ever coached. They’re tremendous football players, in great condition and play hard every play.”

Gibson plays outside linebacker on the team. He started until he hurt his knee as a sophomore. He’s started every game since his junior year.

“My role at linebacker hasn’t changed much, but as a leader, I guess it’s changed,” Gibson said. “I’m there to lead the troops and get them ready.”

As a linebacker, “I’m pretty quick to the ball,” Gibson said. “I’m usually one of the first or second guys there most of the time if it goes to the side. I think quickness is one of my strengths.”

The Yellowjackets have won 37 straight and are five wins shy of three perfect 14-0 seasons.

The key has been “our team chemistry,” Gibson commented. “We’re all friends and work well together. We played good as a team. That’s a main reason. We also have talent.”

It’s obviously been plenty of fun going 37-0. “The most fun this year is trying to win with our senior class. Hopefully we can go all the way,” Gibson said. “This year has been a lot of fun.”

Martin agrees. He was asked what his reaction would have been in 2010 if he was told Ithaca would win two state titles, go 14-0 each of those two seasons, and be 9-0 and gearing for a third straight crown his senior season.

“I would have said, ‘I don’t know about that.’ I never would have expected it,” he replied. “It’s been our hard work and dedication every day, even working in the summer.”

Martin said he’s not sure if this is his best season. “On defense, I’m improving a lot more than last year. I’ve gotten stronger,” he said. “On offense, I think I’m around the same.”

But Martin echoed a thought from the others that his game intelligence has improved. “I knew the plays more, people asked me what the plays are. It used to be the other way around, when I had to ask people what to do. I’ve improved a lot this year compared to the last few years.”

With a 37-game winning streak, the veteran players have extensive confidence.

“But when it comes to the playoffs we change that attitude and take it one game at a time,” Martin said. “We just play our best.”

All five players have enjoyed every minute of the undefeated streak.

“It’s been great,” Martin said. “I don’t know what to say. We’ve enjoyed it a lot. We’ll never forget it.”

And Hessbrook won’t soon forget his five special third-year players.

He calls Gadlin “ ‘Mr. Excitement.’ He plays on our offense but is a true special team player,” Hessbrook said. “We like to keep him back on returns. When he gets the ball in his hands, he has the potential to always go the distance.”

But, Hessbrook adds with a smile, “he’s had some of the most exciting 8- or 9-yard runs you’ve seen, going on each side of the field. He’s a very exciting player to watch. He’s our slot receiver on offense.”

All five have impressed Hessbrook with their progression since starting as sophomores.

“You bring kids up as sophomores because you have gaps to fill,” Hessbrook said. “You fill them with sophomores. As you bring up sophomores, you do that so they can be dominating players as seniors. They’ve all become dominating seniors at their positions.”

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By BUTCH HARMON

CLASS A

The Kalamazoo area is traditionally home to some of the finest volleyball teams in the state, and this year is no different. Gull Lake, located northeast of Kalamazoo in Richland, is loaded with talent and led by setter Katie Schau, who is headed to the University of Minnesota. Gull Lake also has a talented middle hitter in Leah Perri, who is headed to Clemson University of the ACC. Mattawan is another Kalamazoo-area powerhouse, and it is led by 6’5″ middle hitter Allie Havers, who is a Miss Basketball candidate. Look for one of these Kalamazoo-area teams to win the state title in Division 1.

TOP TEAMS STATEWIDE

Gull Lake

Macomb Dakota

Clarkston

Mattawan

TOP LOCAL TEAMS

Midland

Davison

Flushing

TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH STATEWIDE

Abby Cole, Grand Haven

Katie Schau, Gull Lake

Leah Perri, Gull Lake

TOP LOCAL PLAYERS

Tori Blake, Midland

Taylor Robertson, Midland

Michaela Ryan, Davison

LOCAL ANGLE

With the potent one-two punch of Tori Blake and Taylor Robertson, the Midland Chemics are the premier Division 1 team in mid-Michigan. Midland, coming out of the Bay City Central district, is poised for a deep tournament run. Flushing and Davison also have quality squads. Flushing will have to get past St. Johns and Owosso in its own district, while Davison is the favorite in the Carman-Ainsworth district.

CLASS B

A number of familiar faces will be aiming to win the Class B state title this season. Lakewood, North Branch, and Forest Hills Northern annually have solid teams, and this season is no exception. Lakewood comes into the tournament ranked No. 1 in the state, and the Vikings have a number of impressive wins under their belt, including a big tournament win against Class A powerhouse Mattawan. A wildcard to watch is a talented Whitehall team from the shores of Lake Michigan north of Muskegon.

TOP TEAMS STATEWIDE

Lakewood

North Branch

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern

Whitehall

TOP LOCAL TEAMS

Lakewood

Wayland Union

Portland

TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH STATEWIDE

Autumn Christenson, Whitehall

Hope Rillema, Whitehall

Ally Kiekover, Forest Hills Eastern

TOP LOCAL PLAYERS

Tori Jankoska, Freeland

Nicole Green, Portland

Monica Skrabut, Garber

LOCAL ANGLE

By far the toughest local district is at Wayland Union. The host Wildcats are a top-10 team in Class B, while the No. 1 team in the state, Lakewood, will also be in the Wayland district. Throw in a competitive Portland team that has faced Lakewood in conference play this season, and you have a powerful district. Freeland hosts it own district and is poised for a long tournament run of its own.

CLASS C

Few teams in Class C match the talent and depth that Monroe St. Mary’s possesses. Led by returning all-stater Alexis Thompson, St. Mary’s will be tough to beat. In southern Michigan, Concord has a talented squad, led by the sister duo of Andrea and Maycee Brigham, who are as productive as any pair in the state.

TOP TEAMS STATEWIDE

Monroe St. Mary’s

Manchester

Concord

TOP LOCAL TEAMS

Morley Stanwood

St. Louis

Pewamo-Westphalia

TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH STATEWIDE

Alexis Thompson, Monroe St. Mary’s

Andrea Brigham, Concord

Maycee Brigham, Concord

TOP LOCAL PLAYERS

Kayla Rosman, Morley-Stanwood

Brooke Tubbs, St. Louis

Madison Smith, Pewamo-Westphalia

Allison Martin, Pewamo-Westphalia

LOCAL ANGLE

Pewamo-Westphalia has been one of the premier volleyball teams in Mid-Michigan this fall. The Pirates have dominated the CMAC this season with Madison Smith playing big at the net and Allison Martin quarterbacking the offense. The Pirates are primed for a long post-season run but will have a difficult hurdle to clear in Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian at the Blanchard-Montabella district. The Sharks of St. Louis have been ranked in the top ten in the state this season led by the talented Brooke Tubbs. While Morley-Stanwood was hit hard by graduation the Blackhawks have reloaded in a big way and will have a big say in whoever wins the state title.

CLASS D

Battle Creek St. Phillip has been the New York Yankees of Class D volleyball in the state of Michigan over the years and this year is no different. St. Phillip has a team that competes against the top Class A and B volleyball teams in southwest Michigan and this fall it is again at the top of the Class D polls and is the team to beat for the state title. Senior Amanda McKinzie is one of the premier players in the state and the 6-0 outside hitter will be taking her talents to Virginia Tech next season after trying to lead St. Phillip to the state title.

TOP TEAMS STATEWIDE

Battle Creek St. Phillip

Mendon

Leland

TOP LOCAL TEAMS

Beal City

Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart

Fulton-Middleton

TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH STATEWIDE

Amanda McKinzie, Battle Creek St. Phillip

Amanda Lovell, Mendon

Maggie Osono, Leland

TOP LOCAL PLAYERS

Monica David, Beal City

Jade Kennedy, Beal City

Ashlee Davis, Fulton-Middleton

LOCAL ANGLE

Beal City has one of the youngest coaches in the state in 20-year old Kelly David who was an Aggie standout just a few years ago. Kelly’s younger sister Monica is helping Kelly make her foray into coaching a success with some solid play on the court. The Aggies are ranked among the top five in the state and are poised for a long tournament run. Fulton-Middleton has had a solid season in the CMAC and could also make a nice tournament run.

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They’re the Clare cousins, Mitch Greenacre and Patrick Hughes. They were both in the football program in 2009 when the Pioneers went to the state title game at Ford Field.

They were on the field for their senior season as the Pioneers, after an 0-2 start, won seven in a row to take the Jack Pine Conference title.

Greenacre plays left guard and middle linebacker for the Pioneers and has started both ways since his sophomore season. He was on junior varsity as a freshman.

“I think that we’re playing pretty well,” he said. “We’ve been playing good as a team lately. I can get better, of course. You can always get better. I feel like we’re playing good football and I’m playing good.”

Greenacre indicated that defense is his best position. “My role is to be a leader and getting everyone to where they’re supposed to be and getting the defense and everybody fired up to play,” he said.

He has been leading the team in tackles with about 92 after the first eight games. Last year, he had 145 tackles. Making his reads and having strong tackling ability have been assets for him. He has also had some interceptions this year.

“It’s not really a young defense; we’ve had seven of 11 back from last year’s defense, but not all those kids came back and started,” Greenacre said. “Our interior linemen and linebackers are experienced, and we know what we’re doing. We’re doing our jobs and getting turnovers.”

The offensive line duties for Greenacre “have kind of been the same, being a leader and making sure everyone knows what we’re doing,” he said. “We’re an experienced line back from last year.”

The offense has been able to sustain long drives in recent games, Greenacre noted. “We’re not changing as much, we’re more of a run team this year,” he added.

His football career is winding down, and Greenacre can safely say he ‘s had a “great experience” with Clare football.

“It’s fortunate to play for coaches that know what they’re doing and are able to win,” he said. “Not a lot of teams are able to go through what we have. In my three years, we’ve lost only six games.”

They’ve also won the Jack Pine all three years.

Hughes plays offensive left tackle and defensive tackle. He moved up for playoffs his freshman year when the Pioneers went to the state finals and played at Ford Field. He’s been a three-year starter both ways.

“I think I’ve improved a lot from last year,” Hughes said. “From camps I went to over the summer, I’ve gotten way better. I’m quicker and I’ve gotten much stronger. I’m way smarter on the field.”

Hughes said he’s a better offensive lineman than he is a defender. Evenn so, he was all-Jack Pine Conference tackle on both sides of the ball last year and honorable mention as a sophomore.

“This season, the first two games, the team wasn’t working together,” Hughes said. “We weren’t united as one yet. We’ve won [seven] straight in the Jack Pine. We’re working together. If we keep up the work we have been doing, we could go as far as we want to.”

Hughes, also a shot putter and discus thrower on the track team, won’t ever forget the 2009 title game.

“Running through the tunnel on the field, it was so loud; I remember it was like it was yesterday,” he said. “Everyone in Clare County, I swear, was there.”

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It’s been a memorable football season so far for Hemlock, and coach Bruce Bendix is hoping it will become even more memorable during the playoff season.

Hemlock opened the season with a loss to Frankenmuth 28-14 and then reeled off eight straight victories.

The Huskies had 35-0, 43-18, 42-14, and 38-6 routs over Shepherd, Bullock Creek, Chesaning, and Alma.

Then it got tougher, with wins of 19-7 over Swan Valley and 21-7 over Freeland. The Huskies would end the Tri-Valley Conference Central division season at 7-0 with a 42-7 topping of Ovid-Elsie, and they closed the regular season with a 42-0 defeat of St. Charles.

“We qualified for the playoffs and won the first conference championship at the school since 1977,” Bendix said. “We’re feeling pretty good. We had a very good nucleus of our senior class returning. But the TVC Central is very competitive. We have seven teams that have been to the state finals or semifinals within the past decade or so. We were expecting to have a good season.”

We’re playing outstanding defense,” Bendix said. “That’s probably the most noticeable thing about our team. We’re stopping everything. The last four games [prior to the shutout of St. Charles,] we’re giving up only one touchdown per game. Our starting defense in seven games has allowed seven touchdowns and have scored five touchdowns plus a safety.”

Defensive standouts include senior middle linebacker and co-captain Reese Engel, the team’s leading tackler, and senior defensive end Aaron Matthias. He’s 6’7″, 231, and runs very well.”

Offensively, third-year quarterback Chase Wiechmann leads the way.

“He missed three games with an injury but is back playing very well,” Bendix said. “When he came back, we played the three toughest teams in our league in a row and we beat them.”

Dylan Honsinger leads a balanced rushing attack.

Hemlock won the district title last season, and “last year was the first year Hemlock won a playoff game,” said Bendix. “We were Division 5 last year and will probably be 6 this year. We’re the smallest team in the TVC Central.”

There’s some speculation that Hemlock could eventually see two-time state champion Ithaca in the postseason.

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Jeff Huxley has been coaching the Alma girls swim team for 33 years, and he has come up with another outstanding team this season.

“Our emphasis is always on good performances at the conference and state meet,” Huxley said. “In order to give us the best chance, we pretty much train through the regular season. The goal for us in any normal meet would be career best times, but also state meet qualifying times.”

Alma is 3-3 in the conference this season. All of the Panther meets are quads.

“The emphasis is putting kids in races where they have the best chance of reaching personal goals. That doesn’t always work out best in terms of scoring,” Huxley said. “But again, the emphasis is on swimming well at the end of the season Everyone is OK with that, I’m sure.”

The conference and state final meets are in the state finals.

At state, “we have pretty close to 25 top 10 finishes including four wins,” Huxley said.

Among the qualifiers for this year’s state finals are Lilly Vandemark, Kaleigh Kovac, Laura Lowe, Ashton Wentworth, Kate Duffy, and Natalie Walsh. Walsh swims the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays; Duffy swims the 200-yard medley relay; and Wentworth swims the 200-yard medley, the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays, and the 100-yard backstroke. Lowe qualified in the 200-yard medley relay, the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays, and the 100-yard backstroke; Kovac qualified in the 50-, 100-, and 200-yard freestyles; the 200-yard medley; and the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays. Vandemark swims the 50-, 100-, and 200-yard freestyles; the 200-yard individual medley; the 100-yard butterfly; the 100-yard backstroke; the 200-yard medley relay; and the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays.

“This is pretty close to normal,” Huxley said, referring to the number of state qualifiers Alma has sent in a single season. “We can get another one in, six or seven is a normal group.”

Alma competes in Division 3 and would like to finish the year “inside the top 10,” Huxley said. “The emphasis is to swim to make the kids happy. This year I think we could be happy and still not get inside the top 10. I think we’ll score in lot of events, but we won’t score high enough in those events to accumulate a lot of points.”

In a recent tri-meet, Alma lost to Heritage 106-72 but beat Mount Pleasant 118-39. Lowe, Duffy, Vandemark, and Kovac won the 200-yard medley relay in 2:00.39 and Wentworth won the 200-yard intermediate in 2:23.83. Kovac also won the 100-yard freestyle in 56.5 seconds.

Vandemark won the 100-yard backstroke in 1:06.40. Vandermark, Kovac, Walsh, and Grace Lafoon were first in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 4:00.92.

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By BUTCH HARMON

Led by a skilled offensive line and a stingy defense, the Fowler Eagles are back in the state playoffs for the fourth year in a row and for the 21st time in the last 23 years.

This season, the Eagles are looking to duplicate the success of last year’s team that advanced to the Division 8 state title game, where it fell to Mendon.

The Eagles opened this season against Mendon and dropped a 27-7 decision. After that, the Eagles reeled off eight straight wins and ended the regular season with a 21-7 win over Manchester, a playoff-bound team out of the Class C Cascades Conference.

Improvement has been the name of the game for the Eagles, who have shown plenty of it since the opener against Mendon.

“We have seen improvement each and every week,” coach Craig Koenigsknecht said. “We had a lot of nerves and a lot of jitters in that game against Mendon. It was the opener, and Mendon is a good team. It was an excellent team to play right out of the gate.”

After allowing 27 points in the opener against Mendon, the Fowler defense only allowed 67 points total in the remaining eight games of the regular season.

Offensively, the Eagles have a strong ground game, led by Tyler Koenigsknecht. Koenigsknecht rushed for 233 yards in the win against Manchester and has over 1,300 yards rushing this season. The Eagles have a balanced ground game, though, as both Napoleon Watts and Austin Feldpausch have rushed for over 500 yards.

“As a whole, our team defense has been real strong,” coach Koenigsknecht said. “Our offensive line has also done an excellent job for us.”

The Eagles offensive line is comprised of Travis Shafer, Cameron Bongard, John Schafer, Kevin Koenigsknecht, Quinn Myers, Chandler Campbell, and Jacob Schmitt. Strong offensive line play has been a staple at Fowler and is a big reason for the success the Eagles have experienced every fall.

Leadership has also been a key element in Fowler’s string of playoff appearances. “The leadership is a big key,” Koenigsknecht said. “Our kids are very unselfish and follow well. We also don’t have to be a senior-dominated team. The kids don’t care if it’s a freshman or a sophomore playing a certain position. They don’t care if it helps get us to where we want to go. They all push each other. They push each other in the off-season and it all adds up to success in the regular season.”

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Reinhart carrying load for Montrose

Chemics end regular season 9-0

Golfers compete at state finals

Lansing Catholic makes it three straight titles

Ithaca’s five three-year players bid for a three-peat

Volleyball state tournament preview

Clare cousins lead way for football team

Hemlock celebrates first league title since 1977

Alma swim coach enjoys another strong season

Fowler football team back in familiar spot in the playoffs