Rivaling for a Cause
January 25, 2013
It’s impossible to include all the perspective we gain from every “Battle of the Fans” visit.
But this anecdote, although it didn't make Tuesday’s story about our Frankenmuth trip, tells of another great example for what student cheering sections can accomplish.
Frankenmuth and Millington are heated rivals, to say the least, separated by 13 miles and made more competitive by plenty of championship-deciding matchups over the years.
But for their boys basketball game Jan. 10 at Frankenmuth, student section leaders from both schools almost completely on their own set up the game as a cancer awareness night, complete with Frankenmuth students in black shirts and Millington’s wearing pink.
The idea was the brainchild of a of Frankenmuth section leader, who then received help from a local bank and contacted Millington to get the ball rolling.
Battle of the Fans has shown us the obvious – these student sections need strong leaders – but also the special things they can accomplish with additional initiative.
“Never Forgotten”
Two more rivals, Fennville and Saugatuck, met late last month for their second “Never Forgotten” boys and girls basketball games with proceeds going to the Wes Leonard Heart Team for the purchase of AEDs.
Players wore jerseys with names on the backs of friends and family members who had died, and those jerseys were then given to family members after the games. Officials Ace Cover, Chris Dennie and Kyle Bowen also donated their game checks to the Heart Team, as did the winner of that night’s 50-50 raffle.
Leonard died from sudden cardiac arrest after making the game-winning shot in a basketball game March 3, 2011. The two schools played their first “Never Forgotten” games last season.
More support for less specialization
I’m asked once a year at least about sport specialization – that is, athletes focusing on just one sport, often from an early age, and if it pays off some way down the road.
Most of my evidence to support my belief in the well-rounded athlete has been anecdotal, based on conversations with people at the high school and college levels over the years. But a British study published this fall in the Journal of Sport Sciences by University of Birmingham researchers provides some interesting empirical findings.
The study of 1,006 people from the United Kingdom showed that those who participated in three sports at ages 11, 13 and 15 were “significantly more likely to compete at a national rather than club standard” between ages 16-18 than those who had practiced only one sport.
In other words, the study found that those who played more sports at earlier ages played at a higher level during their high school-age years, which seems to contradict the one-sport focus philosophy.
Click for more perspective on the study from Chris Kennedy, the Superintendent of Schools in West Vancouver, British Columbia.
PHOTO: The boys and girls teams for Fennville and Saugatuck pose together after their "Never Forgotten" games Dec. 21 at Fennville High. (Photo courtesy of Al LaShell.)
Holland Christian's Morgan Finishes Unforgettable Career in Net
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 18, 2023
In guiding Holland Christian to the Division 3 championship last fall, senior keeper Daniel Morgan capped a three-year varsity career among the most accomplished in state history at his position.
He posted 16 shutouts in 22 games last season – including six straight at one point – and finished with 34 for his career. Holland Christian actually had 10 straight shutouts from Sept. 19 through Oct. 20, 2022, and 18 total over 24 games, giving up only seven goals for the season.
See below for more recent record book updates in boys soccer.
Boys Soccer
Henry Plumstead became the first Maple City Glen Lake player to be added to the record book, thanks to a stellar 2020 season. He was added for both 47 goals and 67 points over 20 games. He’s a sophomore now playing at Kalamazoo College.
Adrian Lenawee Christian’s Zach Riordan completed his four-year varsity career in 2019 among the highest-scoring players in MHSAA history. His 181 career goals continue to rank second, and he’s also listed for 61 as a junior and 52 as a senior. He’s also on the points lists for 79 as a junior, 61 as a senior and 221 over his career.
Senior season was filled with highlights for Okemos’ Jack Guggemos, as he helped his team to the 2021 Division 1 championship and won the Mr. Soccer Award. He’s also entered into the MHSAA record book for his 46 goals and 62 total points over 24 games. Okemos’ run to the championship included a streak of 40 straight games without a loss that began with the team going 20-0-4 that season and 12-0-4 to start the fall of 2022. Okemos was a combined 32-0-8 during the stretch. Additionally, Brian Guggemos was added for his 306 win over 21 seasons of coaching. He retired after last season with a 306-85-47 record. Jack Guggemos is continuing his playing career at Michigan State.
Mason Garcia’s major performance for Shelby last Aug. 22 netted him a spot among the highest-scoring players in MHSAA history. His seven goals in a win over Newaygo tied him for 10th-most in one game. He was a senior last fall.
Two of the most notable seasons in Macomb Lutheran North history were added for their defensive achievements. The 1987 team had 16 shutouts in 23 games on the way to winning the Class B title, while the 2002 team also had 16 shutouts over 21 games on the way to winning a District championship.
Wyoming Lee’s league championship season last fall also included the program’s first entry in the record book. Lee didn’t allow a goal from Sept. 12-Oct. 6, a stretch of 10 games that tied for the ninth-longest shutout streak all-time.
Berkley finished a combined 38-6-3 over the last two seasons, and defensive strength certainly played a part. The Bears started the 2021 season with seven straight shutouts and the 2022 season with eight shutouts in a row, both making the record book. They also earned entries with 17 shutouts and giving up only 10 goals total last season over 24 games.
Muskegon Oakridge then-junior Arturo Romero created statewide buzz at the start of last season when he put together hat tricks (three or more goals) in seven straight games from Aug. 20-Sept. 7. He had a high of six goals in a game and finished the season with 40 goals over 22 games total.
Josh Pugh finished his career at Marshall last fall with a pair of entries for ace goal-scoring. He made the single-game list with six Oct. 12 against Charlotte, and he tallied 110 goals over 81 games and four seasons.
Longtime St. Joseph coach Steve Lohrke also was added to the all-time wins list in this sport. He put together a 313-155-24 record leading the Bears from 1985-2008.
Austin Townsend tied Alpena’s single-game goals record and made the MHSAA record book with six in his team’s win over Oscoda on Sept. 28, 2022. He was a senior.
Fruitport’s Justin Laus finished up his career last fall on the career shutouts list with 25 total over 75 games and four varsity seasons. He became the second from his school to make the individual record book for boys soccer.
PHOTO Holland Christian keeper Daniel Morgan, center, pulls in the ball in front of his net during his team’s Division 3 Final win over Grosse Ile.