Paying Tribute with Diamond Donation
May 14, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Rochester Adams and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood baseball players and coaches both had loved ones on their minds when they took the field at Comerica Park earlier this month.
And they paid tribute to those loved ones over their hearts and across the backs of their jerseys.
Together, the teams raised more than $3,500 for the Coaches vs. Cancer research initiative.
Instead of its usual brown and yellow, Adams wore jerseys of light blue with a green ribbon as the middle “A” in its name across the front in honor of those suffering with lymphoma, including 2011 graduate and former standout Matt Williams.
Cranbrook-Kingswood wore dark blue jerseys with a pink ribbon as the “A” in Cranbrook and with lime green writing on the back as the Cranes remembered longtime coach Jack Sanders, who died in 2012 after also battling lymphoma.
Sanders’ was among names adorning the backs of jerseys, along with other cancer victims the players and coaches knew.
Adams won the May 1 game, 18-3. Click to read more from the Oakland Press’ Keith Dunlap, who leading up to the game detailed both Williams’ fight and Sanders’ longtime contributions.
Net finder
Lake Fenton’s Jordan Newman will finish her high school soccer career later this spring as the top goal-scorer in MHSAA girls soccer history.
The Blue Devils’ senior forward broke the career record on April 28, scoring her 169th goal against Perry to pass the mark set by Newaygo’s Jaleen Dingledine from 2004-07. Newman also is a four-year varsity player.
Click to read more on her record run from the Flint Journal's Eric Woodyard.
5 K, 1 IP
The MHSAA doesn't keep a record for most strikeouts in an inning. But if it did, there’s a great chance Brighton’s Garrett Russell would top the list.
Against Ann Arbor Pioneer on April 5, Russell struck out five batters in an inning.
Yes, five.
Here’s how:
Russell struck out the first two batters of the inning swinging, leaving one out to get. He then struck out that third batter as well, but that batter reached first base because the third strike turned into a wild pitch.
The fourth batter of the inning was the only one to not strike out – he walked, putting runners on first and second base with two outs. Those runners advanced to second and third base, respectively, on a wild pitch thrown to the fifth batter of the inning.
That fifth batter then struck out swinging (which made it four strikeouts in the inning), but that third strike turned into a passed ball – and that batter ended up on first base, loading them for the sixth hitter of the inning.
But Russell found enough for one more K, striking out that sixth hitter swinging on a 2-2 pitch.
His line for the inning: 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 bases on balls, 5 strikeouts.
Brighton went on to sweep the doubleheader 12-4 and 11-1.
Family ties
Basketball clearly runs in a pair of families who have come through Corunna High School.
This winter, brothers M.J. and Mikhail Myles both scored their 1,000th career points – M.J., a senior, on Jan. 3 and Mikhail, a junior, in the team’s District Semifinal on March 5.
On Feb. 18, senior Payton Birchmeier became the fifth player in girls program history to score her 1,000th point – despite scoring only four points as a freshman before suffering a season-ending knee injury in her first high school game. She became the first Corunna girl to score 1,000 since her sister Megan finished accomplishing the feat in 2010.
Payton Birchmeier went on to play her final three seasons also on varsity, and M.J. Myles also was a four-year varsity player. Mykhail Myles has played three on varsity with next season still to play. The Myles' stepsister Klarissa Bell this winter finished an outstanding career at Michigan State University and won the Miss Basketball Award as a senior at East Lansing High School in 2010, and stepbrother Devlin Bell also was a Trojans standout.
PHOTOS: (Top) Rochester Adams players congratulate each other during their May 1 game at Comerica Park. (Middle) The Adams' first baseman and a Cranbrook-Kingswood base runner await the next pitch. (Photos courtesy of Rochester Adams baseball.)
Preview: From 119 to 8 Set to Compete at Inaugural MHSAA Boys Volleyball Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 4, 2026
Two years of tournament planning and several more of coaches association organization and support have brought us to the first MHSAA Boys Volleyball Finals weekend at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
This first year of MHSAA sponsorship saw 119 tournament-eligible teams compete, with the final eight to play for championships in Divisions 1 and 2.
This weekend’s schedule:
Semifinals – Friday
Division 1
Grand Haven vs. Macomb Dakota, 4:30 p.m.
Lake Orion vs. Northville, 6:30 p.m.
Division 2
Grand Rapids South Christian vs. Walled Lake Central, Noon
Lowell vs. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 2 p.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1, 2:30 p.m.
Division 2, Noon
Tickets cost $11 for both Friday’s Semifinals and Saturday’s Finals, and one ticket is good for all matches that day. All six matches also will be broadcast on MHSAA.tv. Find more information, including how to purchase tickets, on the Boys Volleyball page.
Below is a glance at all four contenders in each division. (Statistics are through Regional Finals.)
Division 1
GRAND HAVEN
Record/rank: 39-1, No. 1
Coach: Jim VanTol
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Rainbow III
Players to watch: Maddox Krugler, 6-3 jr. OH (336 kills, .328 hitting %, 40 aces); Caleb Cryst, 6-1 sr. S (672 assists, 101 kills); Alfredo Ellis, 6-3 jr. OPP (252 kills, .302 hitting %61 blocks, 128 digs).
Finals forecast: The Buccaneers have more than made good on expectations they’d be a contender this spring, defeating No. 2 Jenison, No. 4 Hudsonville and honorable mentions Rockford and Zeeland during this tournament run, with the loss to Jenison in their regular-season finale. That defeat came without Cryst, who was injured at the time but is back and won the inaugural Mr. Volleyball Award from the coaches association. Grand Haven finished as a state runner-up the last three seasons before MHSAA sponsorship of the sport began this spring. Sophomore 6-2 outside hitter John Cryst also contributes in several ways, tying for the team lead in aces (44), ranking second in assists (182) and digs (192) and third in kills (222) entering the week.
LAKE ORION
Record/rank: 22-0, No. 10
Coach: Tony Scavarda
League finish: First in Oakland Activities Association Red
Players to watch: Jan Ludvik, 6-2 sr. OH (406 kills, .345 hitting %, 45 aces, 258 digs); Owen Dyer, 5-10 jr. S (306 assists), Kuba Wolski, 5-11 sr. OH (225 kills, 40 aces).
Finals forecast: The Dragons – state semifinalists a year ago – have lost only five sets this season and defeated No. 5 Farmington in four to advance to this weekend. Lake Orion also swept honorable mention North Farmington in their only meeting this season. Ludvik and Wolski are the team’s leading hitters but only senior starters.
MACOMB DAKOTA
Record/rank: 20-9-3, unranked
Coach: Alec Arena
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Players to watch: Samuel Yang, 5-5 sr. S (383 assists, 118 digs); Matthew Lefever, 6-0 sr. OH (213 kills, 45 aces); Nathan Allport, 6-1 soph. OH (212 kills, 41 aces).
Finals forecast: Dakota is 11-2-2 since April 30 and lost only two sets over four postseason matches on the way to Battle Creek. Senior 6-foot-6 middle Andrew Thamarus is another top hitter and led the team with 55 blocks entering the week, with 6-5 right-side Joseph Trachsel right behind with 50.
NORTHVILLE
Record/rank: 32-7-1, No. 8
Coach: Nyia Setla
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association
Players to watch: Julian Janisse, 6-1 sr. RS (325 kills, 54 aces, 43 blocks, 196 digs); Jude Butler-Shriner, 5-11 sr. S (713 kills, 54 aces, 181 digs); Yuta Kikumori, 5-7 sr. OH (194 kills, 45 aces, 190 digs).
Finals forecast: Northville advanced to this weekend with a win over No. 9 Hartland, the only team to deal the Mustangs a KLAA loss this season – although Northville had previously avenged that defeat during the league tournament as well. The Mustangs also avenged a regular-season loss to No. 3 Saline in the Regional Final. Junior outside hitter Subhash Tej Buchu (141 kills entering this week) and 6-3 senior middle Adam Piao (112 kills) give Northville two more significant hitting options.
Division 2
AUBURN HILLS OAKLAND CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 11-2, unranked
Coach: Alex Redford
League finish: Does not compete in a conference.
Players to watch: Andrew Redford, sr. MB (104 kills, .385 hitting %, 141 digs); Efraim Lopes, soph. S/RS (151 assists); Micah Redford, soph. OH (57 aces, 168 digs). (Heights not provided.)
Finals forecast: Oakland Christian has lost only two sets over four postseason matches and fell this season only to Division 1 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek and Clarkston. Micah Redford also is the team’s second leading hitter, and junior Luke Reyes (139 assists entering this week) joins Lopes in a two-setter system.
GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 27-13-2, No. 6
Coach: Mya Udell
League finish: Third in O-K Conference Rainbow II
Players to watch: Noah Jager, sr. MB (234 kills, 61 blocks); Ezra Miller, sr. S (633 assists, 173 digs); Noah Klump, sr. OH (229 kills, 220 digs). (Heights not provided.)
Finals forecast: South Christian advanced to these first Semifinals in part with a five-set Regional Final win over No. 8 Holland Christian and a four-setter over No. 4 St. Joseph in the Quarterfinal. All six starters plus the team’s libero are seniors, with outside hitter Jack Borish also over 200 kills this season and Brock Hoekwater with 390 digs entering the week.
LOWELL
Record/rank: 25-6, No. 1
Coach: Drew Davidson
League finish: First in River Cities Alliance
Players to watch: Max Davidson, 6-2 sr. S/OH (328 kills, .333 hitting %, 473 assists); Josh Wolters, 6-4 jr. M (299 kills, .300 hitting %, 44 aces, 218 digs); Issac Kissinger, 5-10 fr. S/RS (175 kills, 224 assists).
Finals forecast: Lowell won four straight state championships before this first MHSAA-sponsored season, and swept No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian, Midland, No. 9 Mount Pleasant and honorable mention Greenville during this tournament run. The only losses this spring came three times to Grand Haven and once apiece to Jenison, Grand Rapids Christian and Holland Christian. Junior right-side Lincoln Pollema and freshman outside hitter Jaeger Smith also have topped 100 kills.
WALLED LAKE CENTRAL
Record/rank: 24-19, unranked
Coach: Miguel Strauss
League finish: Third in Lakes Valley Conference
Players to watch: Jerry Hempfield, 6-0 sr. OH/S; Kai Waynick, 6-1 soph. S/OH. (Statistics not submitted.)
Finals forecast: Central defeated honorable mention Warren Woods Tower entering the postseason and then swept all four of its tournament matches – with the Regional Semifinal win over rival Walled Lake Western including two sets decided by two points apiece as those two evened their season series at 3-3. Hempfield is one of only two seniors.
PHOTO Grand Haven’s Caleb Cryst (7) sets his team’s offense during a 3-0 Division 1 Quarterfinal win over Hudsonville on Wednesday. (Photo by Trevor McCue/Grand Haven Tribune).