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.)
Century of School Sports: State's Storytellers Share Spring Memories
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 8, 2025
With the start of spring sports, the MHSAA’s “Century of School Sports” celebration has begun its final lap.
Every week we’ve told at least a few stories from these last 100 years – and today, we present our third and final installment of favorite sports memories from statewide media, our historian and MHSAA staff.
Below are their most unforgettable moments from spring.
Homer Sets Standard with 56-Game Baseball Winning Streak
Ron Pesch, MHSAA historian
Recognizing the contrasting challenges that face teams in various eras to set or break records, it was great fun to track Homer's successful attempt to match, then exceed Grand Haven's 43-year-old record, then chase a national record for consecutive baseball victories.
There's something about the small-town excitement knitted into such a chase. Grand Haven set the mark back before an MHSAA-sponsored state tournament commenced in 1971. Inherently built into such an accomplishment is an evolving roster that spans multiple seasons, when a single season featured only 20 to 30 or so games. (Only one Buccaneer player was part of all the Buccaneers' 56-straight victories.)
Because of the postseason, Homer's annual slate featured more games, but came with the additional challenge of squaring off against more talented teams as the playoffs progressed. Homer's record-setting win came during a homefield doubleheader against Reading during the 2005 regular season – ironically against the school which gave the Trojans their last loss in the 2003 Regional Semifinal. Victorious in both games that day against Reading, Homer extended the run through 75-consecutive contests – a national record, since topped – that ended in June with a 7-6 loss to Saginaw Nouvel in the MHSAA Division 3 Final.
Truly an Unforgettable Classic
Tim Staudt, WILX (Lansing), in 54th year of broadcasting
The one memory from the spring season that immediately jumps to mind is the 2006 Diamond Classic final between Homer and Grand Ledge. Grand Ledge would come back to win the game 7-6 with players from the Lansing Lugnuts in the dugout watching to see how the game was going to end.
This was one more remarkable Grand Ledge baseball achievement under coach Pat O’Keefe. It would be Homer’s only loss of the 2006 season, as they went 38-1 and won the Division 4 championship, a year after winning a then-national record 75 straight games.
Career Crosses Paths with State’s 2 Winningest on Baseball Diamond
Brian Calloway, Lansing State Journal
In two media markets I have worked in in the state, I’ve had the privilege to cover two of the state’s most decorated baseball coaches in Blissfield’s Larry Tuttle and Grand Ledge’s Pat O’Keefe, who are both members of the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame.
I worked in Adrian when Larry Tuttle joined the 1,000-win club in June of 2008. After moving to the Lansing market, I got to document the final portion of O’Keefe’s special career that he ended as the all-time wins leader before eventually being passed by Tuttle.
Legendary Softball Team Ends Legendary Run
Geoff Kimmerly, MHSAA Communications Director and formerly of Lansing State Journal
I stepped into the Lansing State Journal fulltime lineup in January 2000 amid the senior years of two of the greatest athletes in local and statewide high school sports history – Lansing Waverly’s Marcus Taylor, who led his team to the Class A basketball title that March, and Okemos’ Jessica Beech, who had pitched her softball team to the Division 1 championship in 1999 and remains the most accomplished three-sport athlete in mid-Michigan history.
Dating back to that title run, Beech had earned an MHSAA-record 57 straight pitching victories heading into a Division 1 Regional Semifinal on June 10, 2000, at Lansing Everett. Up next was undefeated Portage Northern. Beech struck out 11 hitters against the team Okemos coach Dan Stolz called “the best his team has faced the past two seasons.” But Northern prevailed 2-0, with sophomore Anna Ollgaard throwing a one-hitter, and went on to finish the season 41-0 and Division 1 champion for the first of three consecutive seasons. The Huskies’ 52-game winning streak started that spring remains the second-longest in MHSAA softball history.
Lectka Becomes Unstoppable in Leaving Livonia Franklin Legacy
Brad Emons, Detroit Free Press (formerly of Observer & Eccentric newspapers)
After falling to Mount Clemens L’Anse Creuse North in the 1985 championship game, 5-0, Livonia Franklin redeemed itself by beating Waterford Kettering, 1-0, in the 1986 Class A Softball Final for its first state title as senior pitcher Tracy Lectka’s threw a no-hitter at Lansing’s Ranney Park.
Lectka tossed back-to-back shutouts, including a 2-0 Semifinal win over South Lyon in a two-day continuation game halted by darkness where Lectka pitched all 20 innings to secure the victory.
Glen Lake’s Superwoman Finishes with Another Historic Run
Mick McCabe, Detroit Free Press since 1970
Heading into the 1992 Class D track & field state championships at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, Maple City Glen Lake’s Marnie Peplinski had to balance the emotions of being confident without being overconfident.
She looked at the performances of the other girls in the Finals and compared them to her efforts. “I knew they were not going to make up two or three seconds in that one day unless they were Superwoman.”
Well, Superwoman did show up at the Finals that day, but she was wearing a Glen Lake uniform.
That day, her final day of being a Michigan high school athlete, Peplinski became the first girl in state history to win four state titles in consecutive years, helping Glen Lake to its second-straight team title. She set Finals records when she won the 100 hurdles (15.06 seconds) and 300 hurdles (44.80). She also won the long jump (17 feet, 5 inches) and was part of the winning 1,600 relay team (4:03.90). She also had won all of those events as a junior, and as a sophomore she won the 300 hurdles, the long jump and the 1,600 relay, which she was a part of as a freshman as well.
The day capped a brilliant high school career for Peplinski, who also earned first-team all-state honors in basketball and volleyball. She went on to compete in track & field and basketball at Central Michigan University.
Brother Rice Sets Standard in Boys Lacrosse
Perry Farrell, MHSAA.com and formerly of Detroit Free Press
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice's run in lacrosse was a showcase of dominance as they started a stretch that saw them win 13 of the first 14 Division 1 championships starting in 2005.
Watch the 2017 Division 1 Final, which Brother Rice won over Detroit Catholic Central 8-7, on the NFHS Network, and see highlights below from that game from State Champs! Sports Network.
Beal City Provides Celebration to Remember
Greg Miller, formerly of 9&10 News (Cadillac)
The 2023 season for Beal City baseball was a special one that ended with a Division 4 championship celebration on the field at McLane Stadium in East Lansing. A year prior, the Aggies, who had been top-ranked nearly the entire season, fell short in the championship game, and they were back seeking redemption.
In a tightly-fought battle in the title game against Plymouth Christian Academy, Beal City answered after surrendering the game's first run in the fourth inning, tying the game in the bottom half of the frame. They then took the lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Star pitcher Cayden Smith, after hitting his pitch limit with one out in the seventh, moved to shortstop and was able to catch the final out of the game, performing a celebratory backflip on the infield grass before being mobbed by his teammates in one of the coolest celebration moments I ever witnessed.
Watch the 2023 Division 4 Final on the NFHS Network.
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
April 2: Sharp Leadership Synonymous with MHSAA Success - Read
March 25: Athletic Directors Indispensable to Mission of School Sports - Read
March 18: 2025 Finals Begin Next Half-Century of Girls Hoops Championships - Read
March 11: Boys Basketball's Best 1st to Earn MHSAA Finals Titles - Read
March 5: Everything We Do Begins with Participation - Read
Feb. 25: Slogans & Logos Remain Unforgettable Parts of MHSAA History - Read
Feb. 19: MHSAA Tickets Continue to Provide Fan-Friendly Value - Read
Feb. 11: We Recognize Those Who Make Our Games Go - Read
Feb. 4: WISL Conference Continues to Inspire Aspiring Leaders - Read
Jan. 28: Michigan's National Impact Begins at NFHS' Start - Read
Jan. 21: Awards Celebrate Well-Rounded Educational Experience - Read
Jan. 14: Predecessors Laid Foundation for MHSAA's Formation - Read
Jan. 9: MHSAA Blazes Trail Into Cyberspace - Read
Dec. 31: State's Storytellers Share Winter Memories - Read
Dec. 17: MHSAA Over Time - Read
Dec. 10: On This Day, December 13, We Will Celebrate - Read
Dec. 3: MHSAA Work Guided by Representative Council - Read
Nov. 26: Finals Provide Future Pros Early Ford Field Glory - Read
Nov. 19: Connection at Heart of Coaches Advancement Program - Read
Nov. 12: Good Sports are Winners Then, Now & Always - Read
Nov. 5: MHSAA's Home Sweet Home - Read
Oct. 29: MHSAA Summits Draw Thousands to Promote Sportsmanship - Read
Oct. 23: Cross Country Finals Among MHSAA's Longest Running - Read
Oct. 15: State's Storytellers Share Fall Memories - Read
Oct. 8: Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics - Read
Oct. 1: Michigan Sends 10 to National Hall of Fame - Read
Sept. 25: MHSAA Record Books Filled with 1000s of Achievements - Read
Sept. 18: Why Does the MHSAA Have These Rules? - Read
Sept. 10: Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year - Read
Sept. 4: Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28: Let the Celebration Begin - Read
PHOTOS (Top) From left: Homer's Josh Collmenter throws a pitch during the 2004 Finals, Maple City Glen Lake's Marnie Peplinski long jumps in 1992, the Brother Rice boys lacrosse team celebrates its 2019 championship, and the Portage Northern softball team takes a photo after finishing an undefeated 2000 season. (2) The Lansing State Journal sports section details Grand Ledge's comeback to defeat Homer at the Diamond Classic in Lansing. (3) Livonia Franklin's softball team takes a team photo after finishing its 1986 Class A title run. (4) Cayden Smith's backflip kicks off Beal City's 2023 championship celebration. (MHSAA file photos.)