Preview: Classic Clashes and Broken Records Expected
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 5, 2021
The attention that will be paid to one of the Lower Peninsula Boys Track & Field Finals on Saturday will go past usual interest in just a local school or single division.
Many eyes will be turned to the Division 1 meet, featuring among many Ann Arbor Skyline senior Hobbs Kessler, who has made national news over the last few weeks by setting the national high school record in the 1,500 (3:34.36) and qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the event.
But he’ll be facing some familiar competition in his distance races at East Kentwood – including Hartland junior Riley Hough, who edged Kessler by two seconds in the Division 1 cross country final this past fall.
Their matchup is just one of many stories worth tuning in for this weekend. Events at all four sites begin at 10 a.m. (EDT) and tickets to attend can be purchased online only at GoFan. The meets also will be broadcast on MHSAA.tv and viewable with subscription. Click to watch each division: LPD1 | LPD2 | LPD3 | LPD4.
Below is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all four divisions.
Division 1 at East Kentwood
Top Regional scores: Macomb Dakota 160, Traverse City West 145½, Northville 136, Novi 136.
Team forecast: East Kentwood won the last three championships before COVID, with Ann Arbor Pioneer finishing runner-up in both 2018 and 2019. Dakota is an interesting possibility this time with qualifiers throughout the meet. Fenton has top-three seeds in six events, and Zeeland West is another team with scoring opportunities in a variety of events.
Trey Gardette, Ann Arbor Huron: The senior sprint star has taken amazing strides over the last two years and may be on the verge of an unforgettable finish to his high school career. Gardette’s top-seed 10.5 in the 100 is a blink faster than the LPD1 Finals record of 10.53, and he’s second-seeded in the 200 and also will run on the 400 relay.
Riley Hough, Hartland: The I-96 corridor has been the center of distance running this school year, and Hough hopes to follow his Division 1 cross country championship in the fall with titles in the 1,600 and 3,200. He’s seeded first in the former with a 4:13.93.
Hobbs Kessler, Ann Arbor Skyline: He’s slated to run the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 and on the top-seeded 3,200 relay (7:53.30) Saturday. He won all three of those open races at his Regional, and so while he isn’t top-seeded in any that likely means little as he could drop major time.
Tamaal Myers II, Detroit Cass Tech: The Technicians standout junior has the top 110 hurdles seed time (14.06) by nearly a second and is tied for the top seed time in the 300 (39.32). He’ll also run the 400 and on the 1,600 relay.
Brandon Miller, Fenton: He finished fifth in the 200 as a sophomore in 2019, but he can take a massive leap Saturday as his top seed time in that race (21.25) is five hundredths of a second off the meet record. He’s also the second seed in the 100 with a seed time of 10.60 that is seven hundredths of a second off that meet record. And he’ll also run on contending 400 and 800 relays.
Division 2 at Zeeland
Top Regional scores: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 216½, Dearborn Divine Child 186, Frankenmuth 164.
Team forecast: Four teams have won this championship over the last four seasons. Flint Powers Catholic is a possibility to make it five as it runs for its first team title led by sprint standouts and relays. Frankenmuth with top qualifiers in the sprints, relays and field events is another to watch in what lines up to be a low-scoring team race. A total of 10 schools won championships in this division over the previous 11 seasons before 2020 was canceled.
Ryan Brenner, Frankenmuth: The senior Eagles hurdler is the top seed in the 300 with a time of 40.1 and also will run on the top-seeded 1,600 relay (3:28.44) and high jump.
Jamal Hailey, Berrien Springs: The standout junior sprinter has the top seed time in the 100 (11.04) and the third-fastest in the 200, and he’ll also run on the second-seeded 400 relay.
Austin Hamlin, Flint Powers Catholic: The Chargers sophomore would play a major role in any team title pursuit, entering with the top seed in the 200 (22.5), third-fastest in the 100 and as part of the top-seeded 400 relay (43.3) and fourth-seeded 800 relay. That 400 relay time is a second off the meet record.
Alex Mansfield, Monroe Jefferson: The junior thrower is another who has made a major move over the last two years. He enters Saturday with the top seed in the shot put (56-3) by two feet and the top seed in the discus (163-11) by nearly 10.
Luke Stowasser, Edwardsburg: The junior Eddies jumper also is top-seeded in both of his events, with a 22-6½ in the long jump and 6-10 in the high jump. That high jump is six inches better than the field and two off the meet record. He was the high jump runner-up as a freshman.
Division 3 at Jenison
Top Regional scores: Grass Lake 132, Caro 129, Pewamo-Westphalia 126 1/3.
Team forecast: Grass Lake will be pursuing its first team title since 1970 and has six top-four seeds leading the way. Figuring the next few contenders is difficult with points looking to be spread among a number of teams.
Brennan Bargesser, Grass Lake: A drive for the team championship would include significant points from Bargesser, who is seeded first in the 200 (21.98) and 400 (49.34) and second in the 100 for his final high school meet. He’ll also run on the top-seeded 400 relay (44.14) – that seed time is one second off the meet record.
Hunter Jones, Benzie Central: The sophomore standout has two Division 3 cross country championships to his credit and will make his Track Finals debut as the top seed in the 3,200 (9:37.42) and a likely contender in the 1,600 and 800 as well.
Josh Jones, Harrison: He’ll close his high school career running the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, with his 1,600 seed time (4:19.84) topping that event list.
Brenden Quackenbush, Chesaning: He’s set to establish himself in both throws at this level Saturday, with the top seed in the discus (143-0) by nearly two feet and the third seed in the shot put.
Derrick Voltz, Carrollton: A qualifier in the 100 as a freshman in 2019, he could cap his junior season as a two-event champion. He’s seeded first in the long jump (23-2) by nearly a foot with that leap only five inches off the meet record. He’s also the top seed in the 100 (11.11) just ahead of Bargesser.
Division 4 at Hudsonville
Top Regional scores: Lutheran Westland 171, Reading 170, Carson City-Crystal 147.
Team forecast: Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep was the back-to-back champion before COVID, and Saugatuck was the Division 3 runner-up in 2019 but is back in Division 4. Saugatuck won’t run a relay this weekend but has favorites in the hurdles and distance events, and Breckenridge’s strengths in the sprints and relays should make it a team title contender as well as it seeks its first championship.
Coleman Clark, Carson City-Crystal: The lone returning champion in this division won the 3,200 as a sophomore in 2019 and will run that race along with the 800 and 1,600 and as part of the top-seeded 3,200 relay (8:19.40).
Benny Diaz, Saugatuck: The junior sprint/hurdles standout could make a run at four individual titles Saturday or next season. He’s the top seed in both hurdles races this time (15.01 in the 110 and 40.59 in the 300), and the fourth seed in the 200 and seventh in the 100. He was third in Division 3 in the 300 as a freshman.
Zane Forist, Carson City-Crystal: He was the runner-up in the discus and eighth in the shot put as a freshman two years ago, and he’s aiming for much more this time. His top-seed throws of 196-8 and 64-4, respectively, would both set LPD4 championship meet records – both by roughly six feet.
Nik Pettinga, Saugatuck: A top distance runner in cross country the last few seasons, he is looking to finish as a champion in his last high school meet and enters as the top seed in the 1,600 (4:26.99) and second seed (to junior teammate Max Sharnas) in the 3,200.
Charlie Steinhaus, Breckenridge: The speedy senior would help lead any charge for a team championship, entering as the top seed in the 100 (11.01) and second in the 200. He’ll also run on the top-seeded 400 relay (44.51) and second-seeded 800 relay.
PHOTO: Carrollton’s Derrick Voltz, right, breaks across the finish line during the 100-meter preliminaries at his Division 3 Regional at Shepherd last month. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Resilient Shelby Turning Struggles Into Strength During 1st Playoff Run in 12 years
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
November 6, 2025
SHELBY – Not many football teams could sustain back-to-back heartbreaking losses to end the regular season – compounded with losing their senior starting quarterback to a broken hand during the first of those defeats – and still go on a playoff run.
But not many football programs have endured half the adversity Shelby has over the past 10 years.
“Show me a place of struggle, and I’ll show you a place of strength,” said fifth-year Shelby coach Phil Fortier, who started as an assistant in 2009 at the Oceana County school, located near the towering Silver Lake Sand Dunes.
“We struggle with a lot of things here at Shelby, but there is a resilience. These kids don’t quit, and they are used to bouncing back.”
Shelby (6-4) shook off season-ending road losses at Mason County Central and Muskegon Orchard View with an impressive, 20-2 road victory at LeRoy Pine River in last weekend’s Division 7 District Semifinal – the school’s first playoff win in 12 years.
The Tigers will travel a little farther north this Friday to Harrison (8-2), seeking their first District championship since advancing to the Semifinals in 2012 and 2013.
What has transpired with Shelby football since that high-water mark is a case study in what can happen at a small, rural school when things start snowballing in the wrong direction. The Tigers have not won more than three games over the past 11 years, with five winless seasons.
When Fortier stepped up to the head coaching job in 2021, he had his eyes on a dynamic group of middle schoolers who could turn things around.
Among that special group are senior Isaac Garcia and junior Jaylin Henderson, who have led the Tigers’ turnaround season by sharing the crucial quarterback spot in the veer-option offense.
While a two-quarterback system is not unique, one that is split exactly 50-50 certainly is rare. Garcia and Henderson both have attempted 67 passes and completed 35 of them, with Henderson having a slight edge in passing yardage (624 to 620) and Garcia the edge in touchdown passes (6 to 4).
Garcia has leadership skills galore – he is the one his teammates look to in times of trouble, and he is also extremely accurate in the short-passing game.
Henderson, an MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals qualifier last winter at 157 pounds, has athletic ability coming out of his ears, according to Fortier. He can throw a deadly deep ball on one play, then run over a linebacker on the next.
“I have been watching Tony Annese up at Ferris using all types of different quarterbacks in this offense,” said Fortier, who works closely with offensive coordinator Forrest Courtright. “Here we are with these two super-talented kids who bring different skills to the position, so why not use them both?”
In addition, Garcia was serving as a mentor for his talented, but younger, teammate.
“Isaac has really helped me a lot with my reads,” explained Henderson, who is second on the team with 95 carries for 617 yards and 10 touchdowns. “He gives me feedback and helps me to get better every week.”
The system was working beautifully, as Shelby raced to a 5-2 start, highlighted by a 28-18 win over rival Hart and a 44-8 manhandling of Muskegon Catholic Central.
Then came the first half of the Week 8 game at Mason County Central, when Garcia’s right (throwing) hand got crunched against a helmet on a kickoff, resulting in a broken metacarpal bone.
Just like that, the training wheels were off for Henderson, who is now Shelby’s all-the-time QB and has responded with his legs against Orchard View (19 carries for 144 yards and two TDs) and his arm against Pine River (8-of-14 passing for 155 yards and one TD).
It helps that the Tigers have a pair of 6-3 wide receivers in Trevor Weiss and Evan Waller, dangerous slot receiver DayDay Garcia and the constant threat of junior fullback and leading rusher Brody Fessenden (140 carries for 786 yards and 11 TDs).
“At this point in the season, our chemistry is really good,” said Henderson. “I trust all of our receivers. If I give them a chance, they will make the catch.”
Meanwhile, Garcia has been fitted with a club to protect his right hand and is back starting at safety, where he came up with a huge sack on third down and a pass deflection on fourth down to stop a late Pine River drive during last week’s playoff opener.
His return to the field has energized and motivated his teammates, who are watching their leader refuse to let even a broken throwing hand stop him in his senior year.
“At first, when the injury happened, I was very sad and depressed and didn’t want to leave my room,” said Garcia, a three-sport athlete who also competes in basketball and track.
“Then when they told me that I could play with a club, that brought my mood way up. It’s kind of like our team, we’re not gonna let anything stop us.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Jaylin Henderson celebrates a Shelby touchdown during the Tigers' 28-18 win over rival Hart in Week 3. (Middle) Isaac Garcia waits for the snap as running back Brody Fessenden stands ready. (Below) Garcia and coach Phil Fortier celebrate with the "Blood, Sweat & Tears" trophy after Shelby's win over Hart. (Photos courtesy of the Shelby football program.)