Jahfetson Makes History from 3-Point Range in Taking Baraga to 2023 Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 23, 2024
Baraga’s Corina Jahfetson graduated in 2023 as one of the most accomplished 3-point shooters in MHSAA history and coming off one of the most impressive single seasons from beyond the arc.
Her 103 3-pointers as a senior over 29 games were the second-most for one season and included eight in a Quarterfinal win over Mackinaw City – the second-most in an MHSAA Quarterfinal, Semifinal or Final.
She finished with 236 3-pointers over 96 games and four seasons, ranking 12th on that career list, and Baraga finished the season as Division 4 runner-up. She’s continuing her career at Northern Michigan.
See below for more recent additions to the MHSAA girls basketball record book, and click the heading to view the record book in full.
Girls Basketball
Alma junior Bailey Walkington earned her school’s first single-season individual record book entry for girls basketball in 2022-23. She made the steals list with 143 over 23 games.
Dalton DeBoer became the latest Midland Dow long-range shooting ace to make the records after she drained 70 of 206 3-point attempts over 24 games in 2022-23. DeBoer is a junior this school year.
Durand senior Jordyn Lawrence earned her school’s first girls basketball individual record book entry with 15 steals in her team’s 44-31 win over Flint Kearsley on Dec. 2, 2022. She’s continuing at Mid-Michigan College.
Leah French finished her Engadine career in 2023 with a series of game, season and career record book entries detailing her scoring and defensive skills. She earned single-game listings for 54 points and 19 free throws against St. Ignace on Feb. 6, 2023, and nine 3-pointers against Manistique that Jan. 9. She made the single-season list with 81 3-pointers, 177 free throws and 168 steals over 25 games as a senior. And she made the career lists with 171 3-pointers, 354 free throws and 405 steals over 85 games and four seasons. She’s continuing her career at Aquinas College.
Arieonna Ware earned Battle Creek Central's first girls basketball record book entry with 51 points in a Feb. 11, 2020, win over Portage Northern. She actually finished with a triple-double, adding 12 rebounds and 12 steals. Ware also was added for 47 points in a March 6, 2019, District game against Sturgis.
Mesick senior Kayla McCoy made the MHSAA record in 2022-23 as a junior, totaling 144 steals over 23 games. It was Mesick’s first individual entry in the girls basketball record book.
Coldwater’s Carlee Crabtree made a career-high 52 3-pointers during her senior season of 2019-20 on the way to making the MHSAA career list for long-distance shots with 163, in 469 attempts, over four seasons and 88 games total. She went on to play at Central Michigan and Hope College.
Battle Creek Pennfield’s Kaylee Glidden capped her three-year varsity career in 2023 among the most accurate free-throw shooters in MHSAA history – and also among top 3-point aces. She made 90.6 percent of her free-throw attempts as a senior, good for fifth-highest percentage all-time for one season, and her 84.4-percent success rate ranks fourth on the career list. She also made the single-season 3-pointers list with 67 that winter and the career list with 168. She continued at Kellogg Community College and has committed to Great Lakes Christian College.
Larissa Huffman made a pair of career lists upon completing her four-year varsity career in 2023 at Mackinaw City. She was added for 468 assists and 411 steals, both over 92 games, and she’s continuing her career at St. Norbert (Wis.). Additionally, Mackinaw City was added to the single-game field goals list as a team for making at least 39 in a game six times over the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, with a high of 45.
Lansing Christian earned a listing on the team 3-pointers list when it sank 14 on 32 attempts against Webberville on Jan. 20, 2023. Seven players drained at least one of the long-distance shots.
Grayling’s 66-49 win over Houghton Lake on Dec. 19 included one of the most impressive defensive performances of all-time as senior Makayla Watkins had 19 steals – tying for third-most in one game.
Brooklyn Columbia Central’s Zoandria Bamm grabbed 28 rebounds during a Feb. 14, 2023, game against Clinton to make the single-game list in that category and on the way to finishing her senior season with 380 rebounds over 25 games – tying for 13th most on that list. She’s playing at Jackson College.
Riley Abney became the first player to be listed for points scored in a quarter of a girls basketball game when she sank 21 of her 36 total during the fourth quarter of a 64-47 loss to Linden on Jan. 16. The Ortonville Brandon senior has committed to be a preferred walk-on at Oakland.
A pair of Paw Paw standouts earned single-game accomplishments within three days of each other in January. On Jan. 26 against Sturgis, junior AJ Rickli grabbed 31 rebounds, tied for seventh-most for one game. On Jan. 29 against Three Rivers, sophomore Stella Shaefer made the single-game assists list with 14.
Keira Maki joined the single-game points list on Feb. 22 when she scored 47 in Escanaba’s 64-49 win over Sault Ste. Marie. The senior will continue at Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
PHOTO Baraga’s Corina Jahfetson (22) brings the ball upcourt during the 2023 Division 4 Final against Glen Lake at Breslin Center.
Arbor Prep Back on Track After Early Injury, Inexperience Fueled Slow Start
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
March 11, 2025
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
It’s March, and Ypsilanti Arbor Prep will play for a Division 3 Regional championship Wednesday. Nothing unusual about that. What is unusual is the journey for the Gators, who are above .500 for the first time since opening the season with a victory.
At 13-12, head coach Scott Stine said this is not the season he expected.
“The season hasn’t gone the way I probably envisioned it,” said Stine. “I knew we would probably take a step back.”
It was tough to not.
In 2023-24, the Gators won 25 games while playing one the toughest schedules in the state for any division. They beat Niles Brandywine in the Division 3 championship game, collecting the third girls basketball Finals title in school history.
In the first preseason scrimmage this winter, Autumn Pernell torn an ACL. She was one of three seniors on the roster, and Stine anticipated her being the team’s best player.
“If we had Autumn (now), I think we’d probably be one of the favorites to win a state championship,” Stine said. “We played the vast majority of the year without two of our three seniors.”
Stine has had incredible success at Arbor Prep, which is situated in rural Ypsilanti Township, several miles from Ann Arbor and off US-23, not far from Rolling Hills County Park. In eight seasons, Stine is 154-46. Getting to the Semifinals is an annual ritual for Stine.
This year, that didn’t look likely.
After opening the season with a win, the Gators went through two four-game losing streaks.
The Gators were 3-8 at one point. The schedule was not kind, either. Stine, who is an assistant principal and athletic director, had assembled the usual difficult slate for his team to face.
“I think most years we probably play the toughest schedule in the state. I’d say this year we are top five,” he said. “We’ve been challenged. I’ve told the girls for the last couple of weeks that at this point, there is no one that is going to throw something at us that we haven’t seen. Or, no player that we will (face) is better than anyone we have seen. We’ve seen it all.”
That schedule is paying off. But with such an inexperienced team, Stine has had to do a lot more teaching this season.
“This year has taken us back to almost year one of the school when we had just freshman,” Stine said. “Our expectations haven’t changed. How we do things haven’t changed. We have a way that we go about things in terms of effort and play the game the right way. We still go about our practice with the same principles.”
On cue, as March drew closer, however, things began to click.
“Something started to click that last week of the regular season,” Stine said. “I have three sophomores who have improved greatly. They are giving us valuable minutes now, and that’s because they played early on more than I ever thought they probably would have.”
Those sophomores are Jalaya Banks, Madison Dirra and Annecia Clark. Banks and Dirra are starters while Clark has adapted to her role coming off the bench.
Senior Eliza Bush is the Gators’ point guard. She’s a four-year varsity player with the most experience on the team.
“She’s part of the reason why we turned it around,” Stine said. “She has always been a pass-first, set everybody up. This year, we need her to be more offensive-minded. That’s something we’ve been preaching to her all year. She’s really stepped up her game.”
Junior Angela Meggisson is the Gators’ top scorer and rebounder, averaging a double-double. She also leads the team in steals and blocked shots.
“We rely on her playmaking,” Stine said. “She’s got a knack for putting the ball in the basket. She’s in that mold of some of the kids we’ve had in the past. She’s a tremendous athlete who does everything.”
Standing in the way of the Gators reaching the Quarterfinals is 22-2 Blissfield, a team Arbor Prep has become familiar with in recent years.
“Blissfield is definitely the favorite,” Stine said. “They have a great program. I respect them tremendously. He’s a great coach and they play the right way. They have more experience than us, and they are used to winning.”
Blissfield head coach Ryan Gilbert expects a battle.
“They are as well-coached as any team in the state,” he said.
Blissfield knocked Arbor Prep out of the MHSAA Tournament a couple of seasons ago.
“It’s a challenge,” Stine said. “We have three kids who are back from two years ago when they beat us in the Regional Final. We’ll probably talk about that before we play them this time.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a news and sports reporter at the Adrian Daily Telegram and the Monroe News for 30 years, including 10 years as city editor in Monroe. He's written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. He is now publisher and editor of The Blissfield Advance, a weekly newspaper. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Arbor Prep girls basketball coach Scott Stine, pointing, directs his defense during last season’s Division 3 championship game. (Middle) Angela Meggisson (2) handles the ball in the post for the Gators. (Below) Eliza Bush (12) considers her next pass during her team’s win over Niles Brandywine.