2019 FALL SPORTS AN INSIDE LOOK AT MANISTEE COUNTY’S PREP TEAMS
A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE
2 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019
BEAR LAKE JV/VARSITY VOLLEYBALL Home games in Bold JV games start at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Aug. 29 Sept. 5 Sept. 7 Sept. 12 Sept. 17 Sept. 19 Sept. 21 Sept. 24 Sept. 26 Oct. 1 Oct. 3 Oct. 5 Oct. 8 Oct. 10 Oct. 12 Oct. 17 Oct. 21 Oct. 22 Oct. 24
Bear Lake Invite (Varsity only) 9 a.m. at Mason County Eastern 7:15 p.m. at Brethren Invite (JV only) 9 a.m. Mesick 7 p.m. at Walkerville 7 p.m. Pentwater 7 p.m. Bear Lake Invite (JV only) 9 a.m. at Manistee Catholic Central 7 p.m. Brethren 7 p.m. at Big Rapids Crossroads 7 p.m. Baldwin 7 p.m. Brethren Invite (Varsity only) TBA at Marion 7 p.m. at Onekama (5:30 p.m. JV start) 7 p.m. WMD Meet at Brethren (Varsity only) 9 a.m. Buckley 7 p.m. Grand Traverse Academy 7 p.m. at Shelby (5:30 p.m. JV start) 6:30 p.m. at Frankfort 7 p.m.
Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Marissa Frisbie, Hailey Omar, Liliana Brown and Zoey Sutton. Back row: Emma Reynolds, Makayla Omar, Mariah McLouth and Shaely Waller.
Lakers look to build off last year’s success By Kyle KotecKi SportS Writer Bear Lake volleyball hopes to build off of last year’s successful season that saw the Lakers make it to a Division 4 district final. “(Last season) went very well
compared to what the Laker volleyball program is used to,” said Bear Lake head coach Marla Evans. “The district final was where we ended, but getting to the district final was a first for them in a long time. We were happy with
that, and the regular season as well.” After the Lakers topped Manistee Catholic Central in a district semifinal, Bear Lake fell to Onekama by scores of 25-14, 25-8 and 25-8. SEE BEAR LAKE VOLLEYBALL PAGE 18
Bear Lake High School Manistee, MI
Auto Service Center 414 Parkdale • Manistee
723-8329
the small school with the big reputation 7748 Cody St. • Bear Lake
864-3133
Mary Sturdevant, Agent
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. 306 E. Parkdale Ave. • Manistee •
723-9905
www.marysturdevant.com
75 Maple Street • Manistee • 723-3592
manisteenews.com
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 3
Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: manager Mariah Groll, Fabian Aguilar, Tate Aultman, Quentin Ruiz, Michael Ross, Cole Merrill, Treyjin Waller, Gabriel Aguilar and head coach John Prokes. Back row: assistant coach Jim Nowak, assistant coach Kamryn Farfsing, Bryce Harless, Colin Sanderson, Clark May, Andre Brown, Dalton Myers, Tehran Freeman, Ethan Groll, Jared Sexton and Jordan Belcher. Not pictured: Leroy Limon, Connor McPherson, assistant coach Sam Mullet and assistant coach Michael Belinsky.
Lakers eye strides in third season as a program By Kyle KotecKi SportS Writer
Bear Lake football is entering just the third season in program history. The Lakers have amassed a 4-14 record through two seasons, but Bear Lake head coach John Prokes said simply having a football team is a victory in and of itself. “We still have a team and we still have guys who want to
play football — that’s success in my book,” he said. “We’re not at the point where we’ve got players who have been playing tackle football since elementary school. Half the team has never played before, but they want to play and they like playing the game. They’re taking advantage of the opportunity to play football — that’s the main thing.” Of course, the Lakers aren’t
content with merely suiting up and taking the field. Bear Lake hopes to win some games this season. The team will look to three players who have been with the program since its inception to make plays and give the Lakers a chance to win. “Andre Brown, Dalton Myers and Clark May — those guys played with us the first year when we started our football SEE BEAR LAKE FOOTBALL PAGE 18
Personal Plumbing, Inc.
BEAR LAKE FOOTBALL Home games in Bold • Played at Brethren
Aug. 29
at Suttons Bay
7 p.m.
Sept. 6
Baldwin
5 p.m.
Sept. 13
at Manistee Catholic Central
7 p.m.
Sept. 20
Marion
5 p.m.
Sept. 27
at Big Rapids Crossroads
7 p.m.
Oct. 4
at Brethren
7 p.m.
Oct. 11
at Bellaire
7 p.m.
Oct. 18
Mesick
7 p.m.
Oct. 25
Vestab urg
723-9840
231.889.5898
2 Bridge Street Manistee
Complete Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Services
Serving Manistee County & Surrounding Areas for Over 23 Years.
Ron Brown & Sons, Inc. 17443 Pleasanton Hwy. • Bear Lake
864-2275
7737 Lake St. Bear Lake
Blythe O’Donnell, D.D.S. Thomas Berard, D.D.S.
HIGH-TECH DENTAL
864-2661
812 Cypress St. • Manistee
723-6512
Sievert’s
3539 Oak. St. Arcadia
Maple Syrup 889-5560
7: 30 p.m.
MORTON SALT
180 Sixth St. • Manistee, MI
mortonsalt.com
Bear Lake MANISTEE 723-7292 Commercial & Industrial Trucking • Operating Authority / Fully Insured Gravel Trains • Demo Trailers • Lowboy Service
4 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019
BEAR LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL/VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY Home meets in Bold
Aug. 24
at Benz ie Central
8:30 a.m.
Aug. 29
at Benz ie Central
5:30 p.m.
Sept. 11 W MD Jamb ore
4 : 4 5 p.m.
Sept. 14 at L udington Invite
8 a.m.
Sept. 18 WMD Jamboree at Mesick
Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Sam Corey, Victoria Hall, Alexia Rineer and Bren Lopez. Back row, from et e isen h , etM th, a e i s, nte ent e an ai a ine . t i t e e a e e , Angel Klein and Marcus Langeland.
Lakers young, but carry some experience By Kyle KotecKi SportS Writer
4:45 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Evart
10 a.m.
Sept. 25 WMD Jamboree at Marion
4:45 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Shepard Invite
12:20 p.m.
Oct. 5
at P ortage Invite
9 a.m. (Varsity only)
Oct. 9
WMD Jamboree at Walkerville
Oct. 26
R egionals
4:45 p.m.
9: 30 a.m. (Varsity only)
Bear Lake cross country returns the bulk of the boys team that qualified for the state finals last year. Head coach Tony Shrum believes the team has what it takes to make it back to the Michigan International Speedway this season. “We had a good year last
sophomore. At this point, we don’t have a single freshman. “I think they’ve got high expectations, but it’s going to be a work-in-progress year.” The Lakers finished second at the regional meet last year and took 24th at the state finals. Hunter Bentley is expected to lead the charge and the rest of SEE BEAR LAKE CROSS COUNTRY PAGE 19
Meat • Deli • Bakery 1 1 7 4 0 Ch i p p e w a Hw y . B e ar Lak e Mon.-Sat. 9-6 • Closed Sun.
CARL’S EXCAVATING, INC. Full Service Earth Work
Sand • Gravel • Top Soil • Mulch • Stone • Land Clearing • Wood Chipping
864-4640
723-6357
KNIZACKY INSURANCE AGENCY 356 River St. • Manistee
Mon. - Thurs. 11 am - 12 am Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 2 am Sun. Noon till Midnight 132 Monroe St. • Manistee
231-299-3022
year,” Shrum said. “I think this year is going to be somewhat similar. We lost two really good seniors to graduation, unfortunately, but we bring back the majority of our core group from last year. We’ve got some experience coming back, but we’re still young. We have one senior on the team. We’re pretty junior-heavy and we have one
Matt Knizacky
231-398-3000
FarmBureauInsurance.com mknizac@fbinsmi.com
Michigan’s Insurance Company
Visit us for all of your Hardware & Building Projects!
Honor Onekama 10635 Main St. 4847 Main Street Honor, MI Onekama Ph:231-325-4551 Ph:231-889-3456 Toll Free: Toll Free: 877-872-8540 800-444-6396 Fax:231-325-2115 Fax:231-889-3633 www.honorbldgsupply.com
75 Maple Street • Manistee • 723-3592
manisteenews.com
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 5
BRETHREN JV/VARSITY VOLLEYBALL Home games in Bold JV games start at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Pictured (from left to right): Halle Richardson, Eleni Guenther, Lauren Guenthardt, Megan Cordes and Summer Young. Not pictured: Kaia Richardson, Kelly Timmons and Alandria Agster.
Bobcats eye growth, togetherness this season By Kyle KotecKi SportS Writer First-year coach Moriah Miltgen will be taking the reins of Brethren volleyball this season and says the Bobcats have a great combination of experience and youth. “I’d say it’s a good mixture,” she said. “As of right now, I have eight, maybe nine girls on the team, and five of them are returning. A couple of
them are new to the school district and they have played on a varsity team before. I’d say we’re a good mix.” Miltgren is replacing Jody Powell, who coached the Bobcats for three seasons. She said the players already have great chemistry and have been very welcoming to her as their new coach. “The girls work very well together,” she said. “They’re
all eager to start with me and start fresh. I’m new to coaching and I’m new to coaching the girls, so I think that’s a big thing. Their connections together and how they work with me and each other is really great.” Senior Megan Cordes will be an asset to Brethren due to her leadership and versatility. “I’ve seen a big step up in her SEE BRETHREN VOLLEYBALL PAGE 18
Aug. 29 Sept. 3 Sept. 5 Sept. 7 Sept. 12 Sept. 17 Sept. 19 Sept. 21 Sept. 24 Sept. 26 Oct. 1 Oct. 3 Oct. 5 Oct. 8 Oct. 12 Oct. 16 Oct. 21 Oct. 23
at Bear L ake Invite (Varsity only) 9 a.m. F rankf ort and Manton (tri meet) 7 p.m. Mesick 7 p.m. Brethren Invite (JV only) TBA at P entw ater 7 p.m. at Mason County Eastern 6:30 p.m. at Big Rapids Crossroads (5:30 JV start)6:30 p.m. at Bear L ake Invite (JV only) 9 a.m. Marion 7 p.m. at Bear L ake 7 p.m. Baldwin 7 p.m. W alkerville 7 p.m. Brethren Invite (Varsity only) TBA at Manistee Catholic Central 7 p.m. W MD Tournament TBA at Onekama 7 p.m. at C Chris an 3 start 3 p.m. at Evart 7 p.m.
Blythe O’Donnell, D.D.S. Thomas Berard, D.D.S.
Mary Sturdevant, Agent
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. 306 E. Parkdale Ave. • Manistee •
MORTON SALT
180 Sixth St. • Manistee, MI
mortonsalt.com
723-9905 HIGH-TECH
www.marysturdevant.com
DENTAL
812 Cypress St. • Manistee
723-6512
18372 Hoxeyville Rd • Dublin
859-4188
Where you can buy a head of lettuce, a pipe wrench, homemade jerky & hunting gear all at the same place!
Manistee, MI
6 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019
i t e e t t i ht exis a , ane st t , i is e, pictured: Theresa Young, Gavin Rudlaff, A.J. Beldo and Troy Macurio.
BRETHREN CROSS COUNTRY at Benz ie
TBA
Sept. 7
at Buckley Invite
TBA
Sept. 11
at Bear L ake
4:15 p.m.
By Kyle KotecKi SportS Writer
Sept. 18
at Mesick
4:15 p.m.
Sept. 25
at Marion
4:15 p.m.
Oct. 5
at P ine River Invite
Oct. 9
at Walkerville
Oct. 26
Regionals at Benz ie
Brethren cross country may not be posting team scores consistently this season, but the Bobcats have some talented runners who could end up competing in the state final. Such was the case last year, as well, with team scores being few and far between but Alexis Tracy making the trip to the Michigan International Speedway for state final meet.
l e s m o S
4:15 p.m. TBA
Brethren head coach Kyle Griffin is hoping the Bobcats will have five runners for both the boys and girls so they can post some team scores this season and experience success as a team in the West Michigan D League. “On the boys side, we’re looking like we might flirt with it every now and then this year,” he said. “We have two for sure, one who I think is going to run — he’s been to a few practices but he’s kind of off and on right
14261 Nine Mile Rd Kaleva
Lumber Co.
5405 W. Wallace Road • Ludington
843-1826 or 1-877-440-6400
e
i n.
t
now — and we have a couple of football players who want to try and do both. We could be hitting five with the boys every now and then. “Girls, we’re sitting at three full-time,” Griffin continued. “I always cross my fingers that we get a good runner or two from an exchange student. I’m hoping there.” Tracy, a junior, is working toward a third consecutive trip SEE BRETHREN CROSS COUNTRY PAGE 23
MANISTEE 723-7292
362-3103
EASY LIVING FLOORING
a h
Bobcats low on numbers but set sights high
Aug. 24
TBA
stin iss in an
Commercial & Industrial Trucking • Operating Authority / Fully Insured Gravel Trains • Demo Trailers • Lowboy Service
Mon. - Thurs. 11 am - 12 am Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 2 am Sun. Noon till Midnight 132 Monroe St. • Manistee
231-299-3022
Brethren High School Small School...Big Family!
4400 N. High Bridge Rd. • Brethren
477-5353
BEST OF LUCK BOBCATS!
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 7
Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: assistant coach Craig Stapley, Diego Peterson, Skylar Wojciechowski, Kenny King, Troy Macurio, Jake Schuch, Nate King, Mason Stapley, A.J. Beldo and assistant coach Richard Mobley. Back row: head coach J.J. Randall, Michael King, David Picard, Noah Bradford, Anthony Beccaria, Kaden Podbilski, Garrett Fraly, Conner Trowbridge and assistant coach Jim Wojciechowski.
Bobcats look to build on success of last season By Kyle KotecKi SportS Writer
Brethren football had a season to be remembered last year, as the Bobcats went 6-0 in West Michigan D League play en route to a league championship, competed in the playoffs for just the third time in program history and recorded their first postseason victory since 1990. Brethren head coach J.J. Randall looks to carry the momentum from last year’s success into the upcoming
season and believes his players have been working hard in the offseason with sights set on a return to the postseason. “Last year’s seniors definitely laid a foundation for our younger athletes to follow, football-wise,” Randall said. “We had a great offseason this year. We had a lot of kids participating in the weight room throughout the whole offseason. Hopefully, last year motivated our kids to be better this year.”
Senior Troy Macurio will be back under center for the Bobcats and Brethren has a lot of athleticism at the skill positions this season. “Troy Macurio is our quarterback and he’ll be a key component for us this year,” Randall said. “He’s a good athlete and he put on some muscle. He’s one of the strongest kids on our team. Diego Peterson is a good athlete. He’s a quick running back. Kenny King, a sophomore, SEE BRETHREN FOOTBALL PAGE 20
BRETHREN FOOTBALL Home games in Bold
Aug. 30
at Forest Area
7 p.m.
Sept. 6
Manistee C atholic C entral
7 p.m.
Sept. 13
Marion
7 p.m.
Sept. 20
Big R apids C rossroads
7 p.m.
Sept. 27
at Suttons Bay
7 p.m.
Oct. 4
Bear Lake
7 p.m.
Oct. 11
at Mesick
7 p.m.
Oct. 1
at Bald in
7 p.m.
Oct. 25
Gaylord St. Mary
7 p.m.
CARL’S EXCAVATING, INC.
723-9840 2 Bridge Street Manistee
Full Service Earth Work
3945 Bosschem Rd. • Wellston, MI 49689
231-859-4170
Auto Service Center Custom Homes • Log Homes Additions • Remodeling
414 Parkdale • Manistee
723-8329
Sand • Gravel • Top Soil • Mulch • Stone • Land Clearing • Wood Chipping
723-6357
CALVIN LUTZ FARMS 889-5594
Sweet Corn Now Available
8 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019
MANISTEE CATHOLIC CENTRAL FOOTBALL
Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Eddie Dutkavich, Josue Hernandez, Mateo Barnett, Lee Pizana and Patrick Maddox. Back row: Scott Hauswirth, David Kosla, Sameric Hasse, Bryant Dozier, Kyle McLinden, Justin Stickney and Adam Pierce.
Home games in Bold
Aug. 29 Gaylord St. Mary
7 p.m.
Sept. 6
7 p.m.
at Brethren
Sept. 13 Bear Lake
7 p.m.
Sept. 20 at Mesick
7 p.m.
Sept. 27 Baldwin (H C )
7 p.m.
Oct. 5
at P ortland St. P atrick
7 p.m.
Oct. 11
Marion
7 p.m.
Oct. 18
Big R apids C rossroads
7 p.m.
Oct. 25
at Bellevue
7 p.m.
Sabers seeking another stride, a return to playoffs By Dylan Savela SportS eDitor Manistee Catholic Central has been seeking a return to glory as its playoff drought approaches a decade now, but if the trend of the past few seasons is any indication, the 2019 campaign might just be the breakthrough the Sabers are after. “With this group, we’re
looking to keep improving,” said MCC coach Jake Szymanski. “The last three years, we’ve been able to do a lot of good things. Switching over to 8-man, people may have thought it was kind of us weening out of football all together, but we’ve been able to sustain some good seasons and have been on the uprise the last couple. “We were a few plays short
Mary Sturdevant, Agent
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. 306 E. Parkdale Ave. • Manistee •
723-9905
www.marysturdevant.com
Will Logging & Trucking
SFI & Master Logger Certified
Inc.
231 723-6080
Blythe O’Donnell, D.D.S. Thomas Berard, D.D.S.
HIGH-TECH DENTAL
KNIZACKY INSURANCE AGENCY 356 River St. • Manistee
“Your Source for Proper Land Management”
812 Cypress St. • Manistee
723-6512
Matt Knizacky
231-398-3000
FarmBureauInsurance.com mknizac@fbinsmi.com
MORTON SALT
180 Sixth St. • Manistee, MI
mortonsalt.com
Michigan’s Insurance Company
last year of probably making the playoffs,” he added, “so that’s definitely the goal as a team: make it back. It’s been awhile.” The Sabers last appeared in the postseason in the fall of 2010, when the team competed in 11-player football. Since, MCC has been through some growing pains while slowly but surely regaining its footSEE MCC FOOTBALL PAGE 21
Manistee Catholic Central Schools
Divine Mercy Parish
“Christ Centered Excellence in Education”
1200 US-31 South • Manistee
723-2529
A Storage Inn 8x10 to 10x30 Storage Units Available
74 Arthur St. • Manistee
723-9362
Paul Adamski, Owner
Manistee, MI
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 9
Sabers return bulk of team, look for further strides
MANISTEE CATHOLIC CENTRAL JV/VARSITY VOLLEYBALL
By Dylan Savela SportS eDitor
Laura Martz is entering her first season as coach of the Manistee Catholic Central volleyball team, but she has plenty of history with the Sabers. Martz, a 2011 MCC graduate, was a player for the team not a decade ago, and now she’s looking forward to leading in a different capacity. “This is where I played and where I graduated from, so I’m back home,” Martz said. “It feels good.” Martz inherits a team that fell short in a Division 4 district semifinal match against cross-county rival Bear Lake last season. And while the Sabers are without foreign exchange student Lisa Giani — a key contributor from last year — they’ll have plenty of familiar faces this fall. “We have three returning seniors,” Martz said of Natalie McLinden, Riley Feliczak and Nicole Kaminski, “so I’m
Home games in Bold JV games start at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Aug. 23
at McBain MC n ita onal arsity only 3 p.m.
Sept. 5
Big R apids C rossroads
7 p.m.
Sept. 12 at Bald in
7 p.m.
Sept. 17 Mesick
7 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Marion
7 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Bear a e n ita onal
Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Natalie McLinden, Rylee Feliczak and Nicole Kaminski. Back row: Josie Ziehm, Elena Pizana, Mallory Meikle, Kaya Watkins and Rachel Callesen.
looking for a lot from them this season. “It should be a good year for them,” she added. “All three
are strong players who bring a lot of skill to the court, so SEE MCC VOLLEYBALL PAGE 21
only
Sept. 24
Bear Lake
7 p.m.
Sept. 2
at ent ater
7 p.m.
Sept. 3
at rand ra erse Academy
7 p.m.
Oct. 1
at
7 p.m.
Oct. 3
Mason C ounty E astern
7 p.m.
Oct. 8
Brethren
7 p.m.
Oct. 1
at aylord St. Mary
3
start
3 p.m.
Oct. 19
at BRCA n ita onal
arsity only
9 a.m.
al er ille
18372 Hoxeyville Rd • Dublin
MANISTEE 723-7292
859-4188
Where you can buy a head of lettuce, a pipe wrench, homemade jerky & hunting gear all at the same place!
Mon. - Thurs. 11 am - 12 am Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 2 am Sun. Noon till Midnight 132 Monroe St. • Manistee
231-299-3022
M
2 Bridge Street Manistee
CARL’S EXCAVATING, INC.
EXCAVATION & MARINE CONSTRUCTION
Sand • Gravel • Top Soil • Mulch • Stone • Land Clearing • Wood Chipping
RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL 4786 Red Apple Rd. • Manistee • 723-7244
icro Service I nc. 1364 Timber Ridge Dr. Manistee 7 2 3 -9 9 2 6 Go Sabers!
Commercial & Industrial Trucking • Operating Authority / Fully Insured Gravel Trains • Demo Trailers • Lowboy Service
723-9840
Swidorski Bros LLC
9 a.m.
Full Service Earth Work
723-6357
331 First St. • Manistee
231-723-8373
3945 Bosschem Rd. • Wellston, MI 49689
231-859-4170
Auto Service Center 414 Parkdale • Manistee
723-8329
Edward P. Hybza, D.C.
331 4th Street, Manistee •
231-723-7743
10 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019 Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Sara Danison, McKenzie Kins and Trista Arnold. Back row: coach Bridget Warnke, Brooke Calvert, Emalyn Nelson, Ari Kamaloski, Marial Rahn and assistant coach Chad Murray. Not pictured: Sara Thompson, Emily Dawson, Olivia Vasquez, Casey Lapoint, Danni Miles, Taylor Murray and Lily Sandstedt.
Numbers are up as Chips look to fill some shoes By Dylan Savela SportS eDitor While the Manistee girls golf team moves on without its top two players of the past couple seasons, the Chippewas have an influx of candidates to choose from to fill their shoes. “We’ve got 14 total who came out this year, which is awe-
Aug. 20 Aug. 21 Aug. 23 Aug. 26 Aug. 28 Sept. 6 Sept. 9 Sept. 11 Sept. 16 Sept. 18 Sept. 23 Sept. 2 Sept. 30 Oct. 1 Oct. 3 Oct. 7 Oct. 18 or 19
some,” said Manistee coach Bridget Warnke. “When I first took over the program, I had six. So, numbers are definitely up.” Warnke will be charged with finding golfers to fill the void left by last year’s seniors, Katie Huber and Tiffany Elo, the latter of whom has moved to play the sport collegiately at
MANISTEE GIRLS GOLF Home meets in Bold at Montague at Chippew a H ills at Fruitport at Fremont W hitehall and Leland TC St. F rancis and C lare at TC West (Interlochen) at L udington at Whitehall Lakes- 8 meet at Big Rapids at . Michigan Chris an at Fremont Montague at L eland Big R apids Regionals
4 p.m. 9 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 9 a.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3: 30 p.m. 9 a.m. 3 3 p.m. 4 p.m. 4 p.m. 4 p.m. 1 p.m. TBA
Northern Michigan University. Huber and Elo each carded a team-low 95 in last fall’s Division 4 regional round, tying them for 10th overall individually. The Chippewas as a whole totaled 421 at the Grayling Country Club to finish seventh in the regional and short of advancement to the state finals. “Tiffany and Katie were my two seniors and the top two players for the last few seasons,” Warnke said. “But this year I’m bringing back five seniors, a junior, three sophomores and some new girls too.” The Chippewas will return Trista Arnold and Lily Sandstedt, both of whom rounded out the scoring squad in last year’s regional round. “I expect Trista and Lily to be up there in our scoring again,” Warnke said. “We also bring back Sara Thompson, who had a rough season last year, but she’s gotten some professional lessons and her swing has really improved a ton. She’s
hitting the ball better and is smiling more, which is good. “Ari Kamaloski’s got a nice swing and Marial Rahn is very consistent too,” she added. “I’m very optimistic that we’ve got girls to fill some shoes.” Manistee also has some budding players, just now learning the game, which is also a plus for the future. Warnke, along with assistant coach Chad Murray, have been impressed with their improvement in the early going. “The first few practices have been great,” Warnke said. “I’ve seen girls who have never played golf before hitting the ball 100 to 150 yards. I’m very optimistic about the growth we’re going to see in the season. “There’s a wide variety of ability this early in the season, and I see a lot of growth already,” she said. “Some of those younger girls might even come up and fill in where I need them.” The Chippewas won their conference last season, albeit
Mary Sturdevant, Agent
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. 306 E. Parkdale Ave. • Manistee •
723-9905
www.marysturdevant.com
among two other teams, but Warnke expects more of a test this fall. “It might be a little more of a challenge this year, but they’re confident and I think they’ll rise to the occasion too,” she said. At season’s end, Manistee will be one of 13 teams in a Division 4 regional at the Eagle Glen Golf Course in Farwell. “Our regional is always changing,” Warnke said, “but I expect them to be playing well by then. “I try to schedule at least a couple Traverse City invitationals (during the regular season) so they get a taste of that tough competition.” And she’s told the team that the most strokes are saved with a solid short game. “They know their score is made or broken from 100 yards in, so that’s our focus this year,” Warnke said. “But overall, our team dynamic is really good right now. They’re helping each other and they’re learning from each other.”
Haglund’s
Floor Covering Inc. 308 Parkdale Ave. Manistee
7 2 3 -9 4 1 5
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 11 Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Jack Holtgren, Evan Dalke, Luke Kooy, Will Elbers, Adam Vaas, Jarod Wright and Dominic Valencia. Back row: manager Grayson Prince, Nick Applegarth, Dylan Johnson, Grant Schlaff, Drew Schlaff, Mason Adamski, Gavin Weaver, Caleb Adamski, Ben Schlaff, AJ Anderson and coach Brandon Prince.
Chips reload, set sights high By Dylan Savela SportS eDitor The Manistee boys soccer team has some sizable cleats to fill, but the task won’t seem as tall together. This year, the Chippewas will be without 2019 graduate Anselmo Sarabia, a two time All-Stater who accounted for 61 goals and 55 assists in his prep career before committing to play at the collegiate level with Davenport University. “Anselmo is a once in a lifetime player for a coach,” said Manistee coach Brandon Prince. “You hope to get one every year, but to be fair to his abilities and his impact on the game wherever we put him, that’s tough to lose. And I don’t think you ever replace it. “Ultimately, we’re going to do it as 11 guys on the pitch,” he said. “We’ll find our identity and succeed with it.” Manistee isn’t a senior-laden team by any means, but it does return experience at the
HIGH-TECH DENTAL
varsity level. “We’re returning seven starters that started in that district semifinal game last year,” Prince said. “A lot of them were sophomores, so now they’re starting the year as juniors with experience already, which is always a good thing.” As one of just three seniors, Will Elbers has emerged as the team’s leader, and will look to do so by example. “Will’s a four-year player for us, and it’s his time now,” Prince said. “He’s been in the backdrop, doing his job well, but it’s his team now and he’s ready to take on that leadership role and show the younger guys the speed and intensity that you have to play with at this level.” The Chippewas also have a budding goalkeeper they can trust in junior Drew Schlaff. “Drew put together an amazing stat sheet last year for being a sophomore goalie and first year on varsity,” Prince said. “He had six or seven
shutouts, 140 some saves; that’s his spot. He knows he’s got to keep raising that bar for himself, and he’s ready for it. And it’ll be exciting to watch him get another two years back there.” Prince believes his team’s biggest strength is its collective knowledge of the game. “With the guys returning, I think one of our strengths is composure,” he said. “They’ve all played in our conference, so they’ve played quality teams. And I hope that translates to having a good IQ of the game. “We have some youth, but they are experienced youth,” he said. “We should be able to play smarter despite not having some of those big bodies other teams have. And I’ve never had a team that’s not in shape. “We’ve always been able to run with everybody for 80 minutes. It’s just what we do SEE MANISTEE SOCCER PAGE 19
MANISTEE BOYS SOCCER Home games in Bold
Aug. 17
at Oakridge
9 a.m.
Aug. 19
Glen Lake
5 p.m.
Aug. 22
TC C entral
6 p.m.
Aug. 28
at K ingsley
5 p.m.
Aug. 29
at Benz ie Central
5 p.m.
Sept. 3
at C Chris an
Sept. 5
W. Michigan Christian
6 p.m.
Sept. 6
Big R apids C rossroads
6 p.m.
Sept. 10
Orchard View
6 p.m.
Sept. 12
Big R apids
6 p.m.
Sept. 1
at
Sept. 17
Muskegon C atholic
Sept. 19
at udington
4 p.m.
Sept. 23
at Shel y
3 p.m.
Sept. 2
at Orchard ie
4 p.m.
Sept. 3
at Suttons Bay
p.m.
Oct. 3
at Mus egon Catholic
p.m.
Oct. 8
Ludington
Blythe O’Donnell, D.D.S. Thomas Berard, D.D.S.
208 Parkdale Ave. Manistee
812 Cypress St. • Manistee
723-6528
723-6512
On Beautiful Lake Michigan at First St. Beach
723-6528
101 S. Lakeshore Dr. • Manistee
723-2667
. Michigan Chris an
Manistee, MI
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
180 Sixth St. • Manistee, MI
MANISTEE
1-800-968-4647
4 p.m.
MORTON SALT
mortonsalt.com 1-800-968-4647
723-6528
4 p.m.
TIRE SERVICE 723-9941
74 Division St. • Manistee
Tires • Alignments • Oil Changes Brakes • Farm & Commercial Tires Certified Mechanics on site for all your alignment and suspension repair needs.
12 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019 Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: coach Hilary Edmondson, Brynn O’Donnell, Olivia Smith, Kendahl Wright, Solana Postma, Taylor Murray, Sara Thompson, Jenna Fortier, Addy Witkowski, Allie Thomas and Courtney Haag. Back row: coach Eric Thuemmel, Olivia Holtgren, Noelle Fink, Brian Spruce, Tug Thuemmel, Jarod Wright, Luke Herberger, Branden Belt, Dylan Madsen, Jacob Lindeman, Austin Benetiz, Jordan Fink, Adam Fennell, Caiden Cudney, Carter Kissell, Declan McCann, Trent Beaudrie, Claire Scott, Darren Guzikowski, Danni Miles and coach James Fink. Not pictured: Bishop Davis, Ransom Hoein e , i tt e in e , Sa Mosher and Seth Thompson.
Numbers up for Manistee cross country; goals set accordingly for season By Dylan Savela SportS eDitor Last season was one of growth for the Manistee cross country team, which for the first time in nearly a decade didn’t have a
representative at the state finals. The Chippewas, however, are thirsty to get back on track this fall and have an influx of athletes ready to take on that mission.
MANISTEE CROSS COUNTRY Home meets in Bold
Aug. 24 Aug. 29 Sept. 5 Sept. 14 Sept. 19 Sept. 24 Sept. 28 Oct. 1 Oct. 10 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 26 o .2
at Benz ie Central at Benz ie Central at Mason County Central at L udington at K ingsley C onf erence Jamb oree at Shepherd at . Michigan Chris an C hris Grab owski Memorial at L udington at Mason County Eastern Regionals at Benz ie Central State nals at M nterna onal Speed
VANDERWAL SPRATTO &RICHARDS, P.C.
8:30 a.m. 6 p.m. 4:15 p.m. 9 a.m. 4:15 p.m. 4 : 30 p.m. 9:40 a.m. 4 3 p.m. 4 : 15 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 4:15 p.m. TBA ay BA
“Nobody made state last year for the first time in about eight years, so they’re definitely hungry and want to go,” said coach Eric Thuemmel. “And I think we’ve got a pretty good shot, with a few individuals and teamwise as well. It’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility.” Thuemmel is in his first year back as varsity coach, after stepping away to head the middle school program for the past several years. In the early going, he’s certainly pleased with the turnout and enthusiasm for the sport at the varsity level. “We’ve got good numbers, which is a great problem to have,” he said of nearly 35 harriers signed up to run. “There’s a lot of good talent here to choose from to put together a varsity seven. We only have five seniors, so it’s a lot of underclassmen; a lot of sophomores and a good number of freshmen. “We’re young, but these guys
have been running for a while,” Thuemmel added. “Pretty much the whole team is experienced runners, if not in high school, middle school. In fact the middle school boys have been Lakes 8 middle school Conference champs the last three years. “They’ve got some experience and they’re used to winning. They expect to win, and so I expect good things too.” From the core of returners, Thuemmel expects to see several individual strides. “Ransom Hoeflinger, he’s looked good all summer long and had a great track season,” he said of the junior on the boys team. “He’s got great work ethic, so as long as he stays healthy, I’d say he’s got a good chance at state finals. Declan McCann and Caiden Cudney are both returning from all-conference seasons last year too. “For the girls, Olivia Holtgren is looking pretty strong to start
the year and Noelle Fink is quite an experienced runner who’s been right at the top for us for quite a while,” he added. “So those two I expect to be good team leaders. “After the front group of returners, we really have some solid athletes, so it will be interesting to see how it shakes out. It’s definitely not written down yet who’s going to be where. There’s a lot of promising signs.” And if it all comes together come October, Thuemmel expects a return to the grand stage. “On paper, we’re going to match up pretty strong in the conference and regional, both guys and girls,” he said. “There’s a shot at state finals. I know it’s real early to say, but it’s possible and it’s definitely a goal.”
MANISTEE 723-7292
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS Serving Our Clients for Over 50 Years
475 Water St. • Manistee • 723-6275 www.vsrcpas.com
Commercial & Industrial Trucking • Operating Authority / Fully Insured Gravel Trains • Demo Trailers • Lowboy Service
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 13 Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Torin Sheptock, Joey Kott, Matthew Blevins, Jesus Reyna-Cruz, Fletcher Carpenter and Keegan Bonzheim. Middle row: Roger Lind, Paul Smith, Luke Kooy, Blake Mikula, Keith Barke, Keelan Eskridge and Anthone Smith. Back row: Eric Smith, Spencer Johnson, Billy Henkel, Brady Mikula, Nick Weaver, Keaton Ensley and Landen Powers. Not pictured: Jayden Thompson, Garrett Fredricks, Raymond Smith, Nehemiah Case and John Glover.
Chips reload after unprecedented season By Dylan Savela SportS eDitor
The memories of Manistee’s magical run through last year’s regular season will be lasting. Nine wins, zero losses: a feat unprecedented for the program. The Chippewas’ additional accomplishments were historic as well: the school record for points scored in a single season and the first outright conference title in nearly 60 years. The 2018 campaign was no doubt one for the books, but seasons are chapters in high school football, and for the Chippewas it’s on to the next one. While the cast of characters has certainly undergone some change, the standards by which they play will be steady.
“The things that last year’s team did were memorable,” said Manistee coach Troy Bytwork, “and as I’ve said before: that 9-0 season is something that will stick with that group forever. “But this team here has a lot of potential,” he added. “They (weight) lifted their tails off this summer, because they wanted to get at it. You don’t want to get to varsity and lay an egg after watching the team in front of you do what they did. ... It’s pressure, but it’s good pressure.” Manistee moves on without 16 seniors — now graduates — from last year’s roster, including the bulk of its offensive production on the stat sheets. Among the cleats to fill are those left by quarterback Trevor Johns, running
back Bryson Jensen — both All-State honorable mentions a season ago — running back Jack Sandstedt and linebacker Logan Buren, to name a few. “Trevor is gone, he’s playing now for Michigan Tech; Jack is gone, he’s running (track and field) at Davenport; and Bryson Jensen is wrestling down in Nebraska,” Bytwork said. “There’s a handful of other guys too: from Logan Buren, who will be one of the toughest kids to replace, to essentially four spots on that offensive line. “A lot of guys are gone, but we replace them with some pretty good athletes.” The Chippewas aren’t starting completely from scratch by any means, either. A handful of key contributors to last year’s squad are return-
132 Monroe St. • Manistee
Matt ni a k
231-398-3000
FarmBureauInsurance.com mknizac@fbinsmi.com
Brady Mikula, who will be a three-year starter now as a SEE MANISTEE FOOTBALL PAGE 20
MANISTEE FOOTBALL Home games in Bold
Aug. 29
Mason C ounty C entral
7 p.m.
Sept.
at
7 p.m.
Sept. 13
Ludington
7 p.m.
Sept. 20
Muskegon H eights
7 p.m.
Sept. 27
at Orchard ie
7 p.m.
Oct. 5
Gab riel R ichard
2 p.m.
Oct. 11
at Mus egon Catholic
7 p.m.
Oct. 1
at utheran igh orth
7 p.m.
Oct. 2
at orth ointe Chris an
7 p.m.
KNIZACKY INSURANCE AGENCY 356 River St. • Manistee
Mon. - Thurs. 11 am - 12 am Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 2 am Sun. Noon till Midnight
231-299-3022
ing this fall with invaluable experience. “We bring back (lineman)
Michigan’s Insurance Company
hittemore rescott
LAKESHORE CONSTRUCTION 1 Lakeshore
. • Manistee
690-1336
14 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019
MANISTEE GIRLS SWIMMING Home meets in Bold
Aug. 24 Aug. 29 Sept. 3 Sept. 5 Sept. 12 Sept. 14 Sept. 19 Sept. 21 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 8 Oct. 10 Oct. 12 Oct. 15 Oct. 19 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 N ov. 8 - 9 N ov. 12 N ov. 14 N ov. 22- 23
at L udington at N orthview at H amilton Mona Shores C adillac at Spring L ake at Fremont at H olland at L udington Traverse C ity F remont C adillac M SCA Meet at psilan Ludington at Traverse City Ludington at East G rand Rapids C oastal C onf erence meet at Z eeland (shave meet) Dive Regionals at EG R State Finals at Eastern MI
723-9840 2 Bridge Street Manistee
9 a.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 11 a.m. 6 p.m. 10 a.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 1 a.m. 6 p.m. 10 a.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. N oon 5 p.m. 5 p.m. N oon
Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Maygan Vasquez, Tatum Jensen and Lauren Mezeske. Middle row: Megan Huber, Madelynn Verheek, Grace Danison and Caitlynn Davis. Back row: Madalyn Fox, Lauren Mendians, Reanna Sutter and Brooklynn Blair. Not pictured: Nancy Neumann, Lillie Schmutzler, Cali Ronning, Kyla White, Hope Erlandson, Izzy Barton and Ginger Hiipakka.
Manistee eyes strong conference showing, state qualifying times By Dylan Savela SportS eDitor Graduates depart, returners take on leadership roles, and freshmen get their feet wet. The ebb and flow of varsity sports is the same, and so too are the goals of the Manistee girls swimming/diving team. Compete, improve and punch some tickets to the state finals. “We want to fill out all our spots if we can, so we don’t leave any points behind,” said Manistee coach Corey Van Fleet. “And our goals are to swim the best we can in the
conference meet, and have a relay team or two, and some kids, qualify for the state meet. “For us this year, that would be great.” Last year the Chippewas accomplished those goals, finishing third in the Coastal Swim Conference championships and qualifying a slew of swimmers to the Division 3 state finals. Manistee’s Lauren Mendians competed in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke at the state meet, finishing 18th and 34th, respectively. Mendians also joined Anna
Lee, Ginger Hiipakka and Jaelyn Thomas in the 200and 400-yard freestyle relays at the finals, finishing 23rd and 26th. From that state qualifying crew, the Chippewas return Mendians, a junior, as well as Hiipakka, a senior. Van Fleet also expects sophomore Maddie Fox and senior Megan Huber to have breakout performances as well, after traveling to the state meet as alternates a season ago. “Of course Lauren Mendians SEE GIRLS SWIMMING PAGE 22
Swidorski Bros
CARL’S EXCAVATING, INC.
EXCAVATION & MARINE CONSTRUCTION
Sand • Gravel • Top Soil • Mulch • Stone • Land Clearing • Wood Chipping
LLC
RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL 4786 Red Apple Rd. • Manistee • 723-7244
Full Service Earth Work
723-6357
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 15
MANISTEE JV/VARSITY VOLLEYBALL Home games in Bold JV games start at 5 : 3 0 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Madelyn Schmutzler, Haylee Pepera, Lillian Hasenbank and Paris Reeser. Back row: Morgan Ju, Anna Jankwietz, Logan Wayward, Lyndsey Kelley and Emily Gardner.
Chips eye improvement under first-year coach By Dylan Savela SportS eDitor Kevin Schmutzler motions to the gym walls before volleyball practice and points out something striking. “I hate to say it, but you look around the gym at all these banners, and there’s one missing,” he said. “There’s not a single volleyball banner. ... We’re hoping to change that.” Schmutzler, who has coached Manistee football and basketball in various capacities in the past, has taken the reins of the Chippewas’ volleyball
program, and looks to help lead the varsity team to a higher level. “It’s been a few years since I put a whistle on, but it’s been a fun change,” the first-year coach said. “My daughter said, ‘you used to coach the boys, when are you going to coach us?’ I had these girls in middle school basketball years ago, so I thought it would be fun to get back in to (coaching). “I did my homework and spent the summer learning more about the game of volleyball,” Schmutzler said. “I took the girls to the Central
Auto Service Center 414 Parkdale • Manistee
723-8329
Michigan camp at Onekama, and was really pleased with how they improved in just a couple days there. ... It’s been a great start.” Manistee has struggled of late when it comes to the winloss column, being bounced in its district opener last year and extending a drought of post season success. Schmutzler said, however, that he’s pleased with his squad’s enthusiasm and will to improve. “These girls are hungry and they want to do well,” he said. “They want to be their best, SEE MANISTEE VOLLEYBALL PAGE 22
Sept. 3 Sept. 5 Sept. 7 Sept. 12 Sept. 14 Sept. 17 Sept. 19 Sept. 21 Sept. 24 Sept. 2 Sept. 2 Oct. 1 ct. Oct. 12 Oct. 15 Oct. 1 Oct. 19 Oct. 2 Oct. 28
Ron Brown & Sons, Inc. 17443 Pleasanton Hwy. • Bear Lake
864-2275
at G len L ake 7 p.m. at Benz ie Central 7 p.m. at K ingsley (Varsity only) 9 a.m. at C Chris an p.m. start p.m. at eland only 3 a.m. at udington 3 p.m. Onekama 6: 30 p.m. at Onekama (Varsity only) 9 a.m. Muskegon H eights 7 p.m. at ran ort 7 p.m. at Ben ie Central only 9 a.m. at Muskegon Catholic 7 p.m. W. Michigan Christian p.m. at Suttons Bay arsity only 3 a.m. Orchard View 7 p.m. at ent ater p.m. start 7 p.m. at Chippe a ills only 9 a.m. at Mus egon Catholic arsity only 1 a.m. Mason C ounty E astern 6: 30 p.m.
312 RIVER ST. • MANISTEE
887-4188
www.bluefishkitchenbar.com
16 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019 Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Aaron Powers, Austin Harper, Lucas Mauntler, Matthew Mallison, Dalron Gray, Wade Sedlar and Taylor Bennett. Back row: assistant coach Jason Torrey, Jose Lugo, Jonah Gilbert, Johnny Neph, Ben Falk, Dean Sturgeon, head coach John Neph and assistant coach Justin Sedelmaier.
ONEKAMA FOOTBALL Home games in Bold
Aug. 29
at Marion
7 p.m.
Sept. 6
at Central L ake
7 p.m.
Sept. 14
at Bellaire
1 p.m.
Sept. 20
F if e Lake F orest Area
7 p.m.
Sept. 27
Vermontville Maple Valley
7 p.m.
Oct. 12
at P ortland St. P atrick
7 p.m.
Oct. 1
at Suttons Bay
7 p.m.
Oct. 25
Baldwin
7 p.m.
Onekama still hungry after last year’s ‘dream season’ By Kyle KotecKi SportS Writer Last year, Onekama football had its most successful season in program history as the Portagers made it all the way to the 8-player Division 2 state championship game. Onekama head coach John Neph said it was a wild ride and will be something that will stick with everyone who
was a part of it for the rest of their lives. “The 2018 season was extremely memorable,” he said. “I think it will go down as one of the best seasons in both the players’ and coaches’ lives. ... The community support, the great job our players did of taking on all those challenges and getting up to the Superior Dome — it was awesome. It was a dream season and
I think everybody involved would agree with that.” The Portagers lost some of last year’s key contributors to graduation, but bring back a number of athletes who played an integral part in Onekama’s march to the state final. “We’re very senior-laden this year,” Neph said. “We have nine seniors and four juniors. SEE ONEKAMA FOOTBALL PAGE 22
Blythe O’Donnell, D.D.S. Thomas Berard, D.D.S.
Mary Sturdevant, Agent
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. 306 E. Parkdale Ave. • Manistee •
MORTON SALT
180 Sixth St. • Manistee, MI
723-9905 HIGH-TECH
www.marysturdevant.com
DENTAL
812 Cypress St. • Manistee
723-6512
Personal Plumbing, Inc. Manistee, MI
mortonsalt.com
231.889.5898
Complete Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Services
Serving Manistee County & Surrounding Areas for Over 23 Years.
MANISTEE 723-7292 Commercial & Industrial Trucking • Operating Authority / Fully Insured Gravel Trains • Demo Trailers • Lowboy Service
Mon. - Thurs. 11 am - 12 am Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 2 am Sun. Noon till Midnight 132 Monroe St. • Manistee
231-299-3022
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 17
ONEKAMA JV/VARSITY VOLLEYBALL Home games in Bold JV games start at 5 : 3 0 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Pictured (from left to right) in the front row: Ashley McGrady, Hanna Hughes, Ella Acton, Ajah Fink and Jenna Bromley. Back row: Coach Linda Elo, Sara Bromley, Kaylin Sam, Kristin Bonecutter, Sophie Wisniski, Colleen McCarthy, Mairin McCarthy and Sydnee Hrachovina.
Portagers return bulk of championship team By Kyle KotecKi SportS Writer Onekama volleyball brings back the bulk of the roster that brought home the Portagers’ first district title in 15 years last
season. According to Onekama head coach Linda Elo, the team is looking to another strong season. “We won districts last year,” she said. “It was monumental to the program after a 15-year
Onekama Consolidated Schools
A School Committed to Excellence 5016 Main St. • Onekama • 889-4251
GO PORTAGERS!
Historic Inn Est. 1903 8567 Portage Point Dr. • Onekama
231-889-7500
www.portagepointresort.com
Auto Service Center 414 Parkdale • Manistee
723-8329
drought. We had a 34-12-1 record, which is a great record going into regionals. Really proud of that record. We won several tournaments and came in second in one of them. We SEE ONEKAMA VOLLEYBALL PAGE 23
Aug. 24 Aug. 27 Aug. 29 Sept. 10 Sept. 14 Sept. 17 Sept. 19 Sept. 21 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 5 Oct. 8 Oct. 10 Oct. 12 Oct. 15 Oct. 16 Oct. 19 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Oct. 31
723-9840 2 Bridge Street Manistee
PORTAGE WIRE SYSTEMS, INC. Best of Luck Portagers!
Ron Brown & Sons, Inc. 17443 Pleasanton Hwy. • Bear Lake
864-2275
at White Cloud Invite(JV only) 9 a.m. at Frankfort Invite (Varsity only) 9 a.m. at Frankfort Invite (JV only) 9 a.m. Glen Lake 6: 30 p.m. at Manton Invite (Varsity only) 9 a.m. Benz ie C entral 6: 30 p.m. at Manistee 6:30 p.m. Onekama Invite (Varsity only) 9 a.m. at Suttons Bay 3 p.m. at K ingsley 6:30 p.m. at Shelby Invite (Varsity only) 8:30 a.m. Leland 6: 30 p.m. Bear Lake 6: 30 p.m. at Suttons Bay n ite arsity only 9 a.m. Buckley 6: 30 p.m. Brethren 6: 30 p.m. at BRCA n ite arsity only 9 a.m. at Frankfort 6:30 p.m. at Mason County Central (Varsity tri meet) 5:30 p.m. at H art 6:30 p.m.
CARL’S EXCAVATING, INC. Full Service Earth Work
Sand • Gravel • Top Soil • Mulch • Stone • Land Clearing • Wood Chipping
723-6357
West Coast Farm Service Zetor • Branson • Vermeer • Country Clipper 7768 Chippewa Hwy. • Kaleva Mon. - Fri. 8 - 6 • Sat. 8 - Noon
889-3530
Sievert’s
3539 Oak. St. Arcadia
Maple Syrup 889-5560
18 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019
BEAR LAKE VOLLEYBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
Bear Lake finished .500 in the West Michigan D League and also took home a second-place trophy at the Brethren Invite last year. “Obviously, after last year, the girls kind of got a taste of what it is to be kind of successful,” Evans said. “... Our goals are kind of the same this year: they’d like to do well in postseason play, they’d like to get a trophy at one of our tournaments and they’d like
to finish .500 or better in the D League.” Bear Lake’s success will be a team effort this season, and every player on the roster is capable of making big plays when called upon, Evans said. “Shaely Waller, Mariah McLouth, Hailey Omar and Lili Brown,” Evans said when asked for potential key contributors to the Lakers. “All of them are seniors. Lili is going to be at libero this year.
I think that’s going to be a key position for her. We brought up Makayla Omar and Emma Reynolds, and they have a lot to contribute to the team, too. And Zoey is our setter. She’s been our reserve setter all these years, so she brings a lot of experience to that position. “I think each player brings something important to the table and I don’t think we could do it without any one of them.”
Bear Lake has a mixture of experience and youth, with seniors, two sophomores and a freshman on the squad. Evans expects the Lakers to be strong up front due in large part to the veterans of the squad. “Our seniors who are returning all do very well at the net,” she said. “I think our attacking will be solid and everything else is coming along.”
work in progress, but, progress is being made. “Based on our practices, they’re learning quickly, they’re improving, they’re working hard and they’re enjoying playing the game — that’s kind of the main thing right now,” Prokes said. “We still have enough guys to come out and play and enough interest there. It wasn’t a one and done thing. ... The interest is there, and based on the number of kids who can potentially play, we’ve got a good percentage playing. That’s a good thing.” With the program still in its infancy, Prokes does not
measure success by wins and losses. The main goal for the Lakers right now is to stay healthy, have fun and develop a football tradition that will last for years to come. “Success for me would be finishing the season with the guys who played in our first scrimmage when we first started playing,” Prokes said. “... For any coach or football program, your goal is to keep your kids healthy and playing from start to finish. If I were to say what our goal was, I would say let the kids stay healthy and have a good time playing this game.”
BEAR LAKE FOOTBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
program,” Prokes said. “... We were leaning on them when they played that year. ... I’m going to lean on those guys, not only for their leadership role but their ability on the field, as well.” The Lakers don’t have a lot of size, particularly with the loss of last year’s Michigan High School Football Coaches Association first-team All-State lineman Zach Belinsky to
graduation, so Bear Lake will have to rely on its speed. “We’ve got some good speed,” Prokes said. “We’ve got some good athletes. We’re going to try to use that to our advantage — that’s the best we have. We don’t have a lot of size. We don’t have a lot of beef, so we have to try to be slicker than them, outmaneuver them and outrun them.” Bear Lake is certainly still a
MANISTEE BOYS JV SOCCER Home games in Bold
Aug. 20
at TC Bulldogs
5 p.m.
Aug. 22
TC C entral
4 p.m.
Aug. 27
Pentwater
4 p.m.
Aug. 28
Shelb y
3 p.m.
Sept. 3
at C Chris an
p.m.
Sept. 5
W. Michigan Christian
p.m.
Sept. 10
Orchard View
4 p.m.
Sept. 12
Big R apids
4 p.m.
Sept. 1
at
Sept. 19
at udington
Sept. 23
BRETHREN JV FOOTBALL Home games in Bold
Aug. 29
at Suttons Bay
p.m.
Sept.
at ellston
p.m.
Sept. 12
at Marion
p.m.
p.m.
Sept. 19
at Mesic
p.m.
at Shelby
4 p.m.
Sept. 6
S
Sept. 26
at Orchard View
4 p.m.
Oct. 1
TC Bulldogs
5 p.m.
Oct. 3
at One ama
Oct. 3
at ent ater
Oct. 8
Ludington
. Michigan Chris an
p.m.
p.m. 4 p.m.
ct. Oct. 24
ns a
Mesic at aylord St. Mary
6 p.m. p.m. 6 p.m. p.m.
BRETHREN VOLLEYBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
leadership already,” Miltgren said. “She’s a flexible player. If I need her to play one position, the next day she could play another for me. Also, she’s been on varsity all four years of her high school experience. She’s one I’m really relying on to lead the other girls.” Kaia Richardson will be counted on to keep the team gelling throughout the rigors of the season. “Another one is Kaia Richardson,” Miltgren said. “She just kind of has this calming aura to her. She’s a very good communicator and she gets along with all the girls.” The Bobcats’ season ended last year in a Division 4 district semifinal with a 25-15, 25-15, 25-15 loss to eventual district champion Onekama. Miltgren said the Bobcats’ main goal is to improve throughout the season and grow together. “I’d say a big goal is for us to build from their experience and rebuild the team,” Miltgren said. “Like I said, I’m new to them, they’re new to me and I’m new to coaching altogether. We’re a really balanced team, but we’re just lacking in height.”
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 19
BEAR LAKE CROSS COUNTRY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
MANISTEE SOCCER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
in those 80 minutes that we have to focus on.” Prince said a tough and competitive Lakes 8 Conference should bode well for Manistee’s development, preparing them for the ultimate goal: a lengthy postseason run. “We have such a powerful conference, and I feel blessed to be in it,” Prince said, citing Orchard View, West Michigan Christian and Ludington as perennial challenges. “Ultimately we’d like to win it, so we want to keep our name right in that group as a respectable team to play.” Prince didn’t shy away from setting his sights high for his team either. “I’ve said this ever since I started (coaching the varsity): as a high school program, I think the reality of it is every team would like to host a state title trophy. ... That’s what every high school coach is looking for, so I would say that’s our first and foremost goal. “After that, there are individual and team goals that we have, but if we just set the bar at district title, that’s not enough,” he said. “Because if you win it, you’d want to win the next one and the next one. So, we’d hate to shortchange ourselves without naming the big one. “I think that’s what ultimately every team should be playing for.”
the Lakers will be pushing each other every race. “Hunter was our top runner last year,” Shrum said. “He’s got some high goals for himself. He put in quite a few miles this summer, so I expect him to be our front runner. He should be a contender for a top-five finish at the regional meet. “Behind him, it’s going to be kind of a who runs where every day,” Shrum continued. “I think Robbie McLouth is going to show some big improvement from his sophomore year — it’s his second year running. Sam Corey, Jake Griffis, Tai Babinec — I mean, other than our two graduating guys, our next seven guys are all back.” Bear Lake fell short of a West Michigan D League title last season and the Lakers hope they can take care of business this year. “First and foremost, our goal is to win the conference,” Shrum said. “That’s something we fell short of last year. That’s something they’re really gunning for this year. And then we want to get back to the state finals. I think top three at the regional meet is well within our sights.” The Bear Lake girls struggled to field enough runners to post team scores last season. This year, though the Lakers are young, Shrum hopes the girls
will be able to field five runners. “We did not have a full team last year,” he said. “Hopefully, we do this year. This is a really hard part of the year for us. Attendance is not what I would like it to be. Kids are still working and doing things.” Alexia Rineer and Victoria Hall are freshman, but Shrum expects solid performances from them. The girls may not have much experience, but he believes they show a lot of promise and looks forward to seeing them progress throughout the season. “Our two consistent girls who have been here are Alex and Victoria, and they’re both freshmen,” he said. “At this point, we’ll have one girl who ran on the team last year. The other four we’ll have coming out are all either coming back to cross country after a few years off after middle school, or new to the sport completely. But that’s exciting because I think there’s a lot of potential in that group of girls. “Hopefully we add a few more,” Shrum continued. “We’re always looking for more people to show up and be a part of our program.” Shrum is unsure of what to expect from the young Lakers, and is not sure they will be able to post team scores consistently, he’s not ruling out a strong
MANISTEE JV FOOTBALL Home games in Bold
Aug. 28
at Mason County Central
Sept.
at
Sept. 12
at L udington
Sept. 19
at etos ey
Oct. 10
Muskegon C atholic
Oct. 17
at len a e
Oct. 24
N orth Muskegon
hittemore rescott
6:30 p.m. 4 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 4 p.m. 6: 30 p.m.
showing at regionals, either. “For these incoming girls, it’s the first time running a 5K for almost all of them,” he said. “... I think there’s potential there, and if we can get a fifth runner
to come out and contribute, you never know — they could be a state qualifying team. I really think they have that potential, but it’s going to take finding a fifth runner to do it. We’ll see.”
ONEKAMA JV FOOTBALL Home games in Bold
Aug. 29
at Marion
4 p.m.
Sept. 12
Mesick
6 p.m.
Sept. 25
at G aylord St. Mary
6 p.m.
Oct. 3
Brethren
4 p.m.
S
6 p.m.
ct.
ns a
ONEKAMA MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL Home games in Bold
Sept. 16
at G len L ake
4:30 p.m.
Sept. 18
at Benz ie Central
4:30 p.m.
Sept.
S
Sept. 26
at G rand Traverse Academy
ns a
Sept.
ings e
Oct. 2
at L eland
Oct.
at Suttons Bay n ite
Oct. 7
at Buckley
ct.
rethren
ct.
ran
p.m. 4:30 p.m. p.m.
rt
p.m.
Oct. 16
at Bear L ake
6: 30 p.m.
Oct. 19
at ran ort tri meet
4:30 p.m. 9 a.m. 4:30 p.m. p.m. 5
p.m.
5:30 p.m. BA
20 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019
BRETHREN FOOTBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
is a really quick athlete. He was pretty good for us in the playoffs, as well. “Jacob Schuch is another sophomore,” Randall continued. “He’s athletic and pretty fast. And another one of our senior ends is Mason Stapley. He will be another key component who’s very athletic, as well.” Brethren should fair well in the trenches, too, and the lineman should be able to open holes for the backs and give Macurio enough time to find the open receiver. “Our offensive line came back with some size,” Randall said. “Noah Bradford moves in as a sophomore, Anthony Beccaria is a junior, Garrett
Fraley is back as a senior and we have some decent ends this year. Those guys have a little bit of experience and a little confidence, as well.” The Bobcats recorded their first playoff win since 1990 with a 42-26 win over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in an 8-player Division 2 regional semifinal. Brethren fell to Onekama 52-0 in the regional final and the Portagers went on to reach the state championship game, where they fell to Rapid River 3018. Brethren will have a deep bench this season which can only benefit the Bobcats as they navigate the rigors of a football season.
“We have 16 kids on the varsity team right now, and those are numbers we can work with,” Randall said. “We have plenty of athletes.” The Bobcats will be taking things one day at a time and hope to be playing their best ball towards the end of the season and making another playoff push. “Game by game. Practice by practice. Build, build, build, build,” Randall said. “We’ll keep on trying to get better each day and try to find something to work on with each individual and as a team. Every day we’ll try to find that little detail — keep trying to get closer and closer to perfecting that.”
quarterbacks to do so, following Johns and 2017 graduate Tai Allen. “Keelan started for us on JV (last year) and had a great offseason,” Bytwork said. “He’s a football kid. He plays football and power lifts year round, and his numbers have seen incredible growth. “He’s got a few inches and a few pounds on Trevor, to say the least,” he added. “He throws the ball pretty well and he’s pretty fast. He’s not as quick as Trevor or as fast as Tai, but he’s quick and fast enough. He’s almost a combination of those two kids in a weird way.” Bytwork believes Eskridge will have the surrounding personnel in place to succeed as well. “We’ve got a couple things to figure out, but I think we’ll be pretty strong up front,” he said. “And I think we still have some good speed to run our stuff effectively. “We’ve just got to build some confidence and see how we respond in situations that present some adversity,” Bytwork added. “Do we respond together or do we
fracture? You’ll only know that when you’re in a game. Last year, one of that group’s strengths was staying together in those tough situations.” The Chippewas will certainly get tested along the way. “Our schedule is pretty formidable, especially when you get deep into it,” Bytwork said on the season as a whole. “We head down to Macomb to play Lutheran North (on Oct. 18); Gabriel Richard comes up here (on Oct. 5) and they went three games into the playoffs last year; and obviously we’ve got our conference schedule too. I’m guessing Muskegon Catholic (who is scheduled for
Oct. 11) isn’t too happy they didn’t win the conference last year, so I’m sure they’re vying for it and talking about it this season. And of course Ludington (scheduled for Sept. 13) is one we look to early and often. “That group last year did a whole bunch of things that no other team had done ... which is awesome, and I want these guys to break those records again, and go on to play (deep into the playoffs) in November, which no Manistee team has done. But while those goals are great, we’ve got to make sure we’re good to go on Game 1.”
MANISTEE FOOTBALL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
junior. His potential is out of this world,” Bytwork said. “Keith Barke is back as a starting right tackle; Fletcher Carpenter’s back as a receiver; and Blake Mikula (returns and) had 600 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, (including) a couple kickoff returns for touchdowns. “So, there’s definitely some guys back, but most of those spots are going to be filled by juniors coming up from the
JV.” The team’s 14 juniors may not have a ton of varsity experience collectively, but they’re certainly accustomed to winning, most coming from a junior varsity team that suffered just one defeat over the course of last season. Leading the up-and-coming core is quarterback Keelan Eskridge, who will head the Chippewas’ veer offense, as the next in a line of speedy
MANISTEE MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY Home meets in Bold
Sept. 5
at Mason County Central
Sept. 14
at L udington
Sept. 19
at K ingsley
Sept. 21
at Chippew a H ills
11 a.m.
Sept. 24
League Jamb oree
4 : 30 p.m.
Oct. 1
at
4 3 p.m.
Oct. 10
C hris Grab owski Memorial
5 : 15 p.m.
Oct. 1
at udington
4 3 p.m.
Oct. 22
at Mason County Eastern
4:15 p.m.
. Michigan Chris an
5:15 p.m. 9 a.m. 4:15 p.m.
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 21
“Their enthusiasm is high, so hopefully it will continue throughout the season.” - LAURA MARTZ COACH
MCC VOLLEYBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
we’re hoping they can lead this team.” Martz, who coached Manistee High School’s varsity team a season ago, has been getting acclimated with the Sabers in the early going. “At the beginning, I wanted to figure out what they knew and where they needed to grow,” she said. “Because this is a new team, and I didn’t get to watch them a ton last year, I wanted to find out what they thought they needed to work on and then focus on those things. “I know they had a pretty good record last year,” she said, “But they told me coverage on the floor was lacking a little bit last year, so we’ve worked on that a lot: shifting and moving, stuff like that.” The Sabers are also learning from Martz. “We wanted to put in a new rotation and they caught on very quickly,” she said. “They’re eager and excited to put it into effect on the court. And that’s a good strength that we have going for us: their willingness to change, learn and adapt. “Their enthusiasm is high, so hopefully it will continue throughout the season.” MCC will field eight players on varsity, and their goal is simple: succeed together. “Our first practice, we sat down and created a good list of goals, both personal goals and team goals,” Martz said. “Some team goals are to get as far as they did last year and more. We definitely want to win a few more games, but mainly we’re looking to be a strong team together.”
MCC FOOTBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
ing as an 8-player program. Win totals have increased for the team by one the past four seasons, improving from just two victories in 2015, to three in 2016, four in 2017 and five last fall. In last year’s regular season finale, Manistee Catholic was just a few plays short of likely earning that elusive playoff berth, but ultimately fell to Posen, 32-26. If the Sabers want to get over that hump this fall, however, they’ll have to do it without some key contributors to last year’s squad. “A lot of people would say we’re losing quite a bit from last year,” Szymanski said, citing graduates Preston Picardat (quarterback), Brayden Perkins (receiver) and John Slivka (center). “We had a great group of seniors — and we are losing a lot of our offense — but we feel we have a good enough group coming back to fill those spots and carry on some of the things we’ve started to instill in the four years that I’ve been here.” Szymanski said the Sabers will look for big things in the backfield from returning running backs Mateo Barnett and Justin Stickney, both MCC juniors. “Mateo’s quite the athlete and has a lot of speed,” Szymanski said, “and Justin, if he comes back healthy (from an injury sustained last season), he’ll be a good battering ram
for us.” MCC will be charged with filling Picardat’s spot under center, which appears to have several candidates. “We’ve kind of got a threeway battle between Kyle McLinden, Mateo Barnett and Lee Pizana,” Szymanski said. “Lee’s a freshman but he’s got a good arm; Kyle’s a guy who’s going to be a sophomore and knows the offense, and Mateo’s a quick back who’s got a bit of an arm, so having him back there as a dual threat is a positive. “For those three, they’ll probably need to know two or three other positions. And they’ll have to be well conditioned.” The Sabers’ weapons in the backfield should be able to maximize their potential, considering the size of the Sabers’ line, Szymanski said. “Our three seniors are all from Mason County Eastern,” he said, citing the program’s co-op. “Josue Hernandez, Sameric Hasse and Bryant Dozier — they’ll be the bulk of the line. “They’re each approaching 300 pounds, but they’ve all got quick feet and are good at pushing people up front,” he added. “So our offensive and defensive lines should be massive. I don’t know too many teams around that will be as big and physical up front, so that should definitely be one of our strong suits.”
The Sabers were in the hunt for a West Michigan D League title a season ago, but ultimately fell short of champion and cross-county rival Brethren. Szymanski expects the league championship to be anyone’s to win this season as well. “I think the conference is up for grabs again, like it is every year,” he said. “Every team loses guys and brings new guys in, it’s just about how the
kids develop in the offseason and the amount of work they put in at practice. “Brethren’s going to be tough as usual. Bear Lake’s getting better. Marion is always a tough, hard-nosed team. ... We’re definitely going to compete for it. “We’re always hopeful for a successful season. With the athletes coming back and the line we have, this could be something special.”
MANISTEE MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL
BRETHREN MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Home games in Bold
Home games in Bold
Sept. 12
at L udington
4:30 p.m.
Sept. 11
at Marion
6 p.m.
Sept. 19
at Muskegon H eights
4:30 p.m.
Sept. 18
Mesick
6 p.m.
Sept. 26
Orchard View
4 : 30 p.m.
Sept. 25
at Baldw in
6 p.m.
Oct. 3
Pine R iver
5 : 30 p.m.
Oct. 2
Marion
6 p.m.
Oct. 10
Muskegon C atholic
4 : 30 p.m.
Oct. 9
at Mesick
6 p.m.
Oct. 16
at Mason County Central
Oct. 16
Baldwin
6 p.m.
4 p.m.
22 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019
GIRLS SWIMMING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
is a state qualifier for her first two years, and will be again this year,” Van Fleet said, “and we think she’ll bring a couple more with her. Maddie Fox will show up. Megan Huber will show up, and I expect Maddie Verheek will swim very well this year too.” Manistee also has a young crop of talent this season, as six freshmen join the lineup.
“We have some young kids coming in who will fill out the ranks a little bit,” Van Fleet said. “They’re all solid incoming freshmen. There isn’t a star in the bunch at this point, but they all will be by the time we’re done with them. “They’ve been in the junior high program, so they understand how it works and they’re ready to go.”
The Coastal Swim Conference will have a slightly different dynamic as well, with Cadillac joining the ranks. “They’re just getting started (with a girls swim program),” Van Fleet said, “but it will make for a little more depth in the conference. “The personnel coming back for Ludington is strong. The personnel from Traverse City
is strong,” he added. “Fremont is struggling a little bit, but they had some good junior high kids, so they may be better than what anyone is expecting “For us, we’ll see how fast and how far these young kids can swim, and I’m expect they’ll learn and progress fast enough. ... I think we’re going to be sound.”
“None of those (skill) guys can do anything unless we get the blocking up front,” Neph said. “Austin Harper, Ben Falk, Dalron Gray, Matthew Mallison — those guys are going to lead the way up front for us. We’ve got to have great blocking. We’re going to be playing against some great defenses and those guys really have their work cut out for them. “Nobody benefits unless everybody does their job,” he continued. “We’re pretty excited about the skill guys we have and hopefully we can get enough blocking up front to spring them loose.” Onekama hopes to keep
improving throughout the season and get back to the playoffs. Once there, as the Portagers demonstrated last year, anything can happen. “The goal is to get better so that by the end of the season we’re playing our best football,” Neph said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us. Our goals would be to win as many games as we can, get to the playoffs and then see what happens. “We have a tough, tough schedule — conference and non-conference — and we have to be ready,” he continued. “I think the guys have accepted the challenge and are looking forward to it.”
ONEKAMA FOOTBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16
We’re a very senior-heavy team and those guys have been encouraging each other and getting as much out of each other as they can.” The Portagers went 7-2 in the regular season last year to earn a trip to the playoffs. Onekama topped Marion, Brethren and Portland Saint Patrick en route to the state final, where the Portagers fell 30-18 to Rapid River. Onekama has plenty of talent in the skill positions and will look to get its players into the open field where they can use their athleticism to make plays. “Taylor Bennett and Luke Mauntler are both really
terrific guys in the backfield,” Neph said. “They can both play quarterback, they can block, they can run and they can catch the ball. We’re going to try to make sure we’re using the skills of those two in our play calling. “Wade Sedlar is a tight end for us and he’s made some great catches in the past,” Neph continued. “We’re going to try to get him involved. Aaron Powers is another guy who is fast. He had a couple big games for us last year.” Of course, all the talented ball-carriers in the world will not help without a solid performance in the trenches by the Portager linemen.
MANISTEE MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
MANISTEE CATHOLIC CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
Home games in Bold
Sept. 16
at Muskegon H eights
4 p.m.
5 : 30 p.m.
Sept. 18
at Muskegon Catholic
4 p.m.
Sept. 11 at Baldw in
5:30 p.m.
Sept. 23
Orchard View
4 p.m.
Sept. 16 Mesick
5 : 30 p.m.
Sept. 25
Traverse C ity
4 p.m.
Sept. 18 at Marion
5:30 p.m.
Sept. 30
Ludington
4 p.m.
Sept. 23 at Bear L ake
5:30 p.m.
Oct. 2
Muskegon H eights
4 p.m.
Sept. 25 at P entw ater
5:30 p.m.
Oct. 7
Muskegon C atholic
4 p.m.
Sept. 30 at Walkerville
5:30 p.m.
Oct. 9
at Orchard View
4 p.m.
Oct. 2
Mason C ounty E astern
5 : 30 p.m.
Oct. 10
Benz ie C entral
4 p.m.
Oct. 7
Brethren
5 : 30 p.m.
Oct. 14
C adillac
Oct. 12
WMD Championship at Baldw in
Oct. 16
at L udington
Home games in Bold
Sept. 9
Big R apids C rossroads
9 a.m.
4 : 30 p.m. 4 p.m.
MANISTEE VOLLEYBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
and I told them on Day 1 that even if we don’t lead the league in talent, we’re going to lead the league in effort. “If we can look better every single day, every single rep, that’s what we’re after.” As the Chippewas look to make strides this year, they’ll do so with a couple veteran leaders: seniors Lyndsey Kelley and Morgan Ju. “Lyndsey’s a really good setter and Morgan’s come a long way in the past two years in being a hitter,” Schmutzler said. “They’re really leveraging their leadership, on and off the court. They love the game and we hope they can leave a legacy behind them by the end of this year. “The other individuals who have been playing for years are pretty strong too,” he said. “The back row players are hungry and getting better, and they’ll have opportunity to set and hit too.” Overall, Schmutzler said the team’s theme this year will be playing the game the right way. “We talked about doing things right, and winning is a byproduct of doing things right,” he said. “That’s where we’re starting. “We’re not going to measure it in the win-loss column right away,” he added. “We just want to get better and better. “And I think we might surprise some people.”
Fall Sports 2019 • News Advocate | 23
BRETHREN ONEKAMA VOLLEYBALL C 17 CROSS COUNTRY are hoping to do an absolute all-conference honors last ONTINUED FROM PAGE
repeat of that this year. season, finishing with a 90% “We basically lost two key serving rate and averaging 6.29 to the state final. players, but otherwise we have assists per set. Acton received “Alexis is going to hold down everyone starting again this all-conference honorable the fort,” Griffin said. “She’s year.” mention last year, averaging gunning for another conference Onekama topped Bear Lake 4.67 digs per set and boasting championship, but her real goals in a Division 4 district final by an 89% passing rate and 91% are at the state level. She wants scores of 25-14, 25-8 and 25-8 serving rate. to get down in the top 30. She’s before falling in the regional Onekama finished third in the putting in the miles this year. semifinal 25-21, 25-17 and 25NWC last year. She went to a camp down at After a great season last year, Grand Valley and got to run with 19 to Mount Pleasant Sacred the Portagers were not content some of the best girls in the state Heart. Elo expects big things from to rest on their laurels. The down there. the squads’ seniors, who have players spent time this summer “... She got some real good the skills and experience to coaching down there, so she’s honing their craft and should make a huge impact on the looking like she can get herself be able to hit the ground runcourt. down into the 20s and make a ning when play starts. Colleen McCarthy will be push for All-State.” “The girls had a great preseaspearheading the Portagers’ Senior Justin Kissling had a son,” Elo said. “They worked efforts. The senior was named disappointing showing at last hard. They were diligent about first-team All-Northwest year’s regional meet and has doing some tournaments. We Conference and earned Allbeen working hard in hopes of got to play some really tough State honorable mention last qualifying for the state final. teams to kind of up the ante for season, averaging 4.57 kills per “On the boys’ side, Justin has us a little bit on competing.” set with a 3.12 hitting percent been doing the same thing,” Elo wants the players to play and a 92% serving rate. She Griffin said. “He went down to hard and work together and also averaged 2.8 digs per set. Michigan State this summer for a believes if they do that, everyMcCarthy currently sits at 907 camp there. He’s been putting in thing else will fall into place. kills and is set to crush the just as many miles as (Tracy), I “My goal this year is that they 1,000-kill milestone. think. He’s looking like he should compete very well and that they “Colleen McCarthy is our outbe able to flirt with those low 18s are great teammates,” she said. side hitter,” Elo said. “She was or high 17s and get himself down All-State honorable mention “They are great teammates to MIS this year, as well.” for each other right now and last year. Hanna Hughes is Brethren has welcomed some they’re a team with great cohean excellent setter for us. Ella newcomers to the squad and sion — they gel. They’re a great Acton in the back row as libero Griffin said the main goal with is an excellent back-row passer. group of girls. I’m very proud younger runners is quite simple: Sydnee Hrachovina is one of of them. Just really looking improvement. forward to all that momentum our middle blockers.” “Some of the younger ones we going into our season.” Hughes took second-team have coming out who are trying it out for the first time, we’d like to see them get comfortable,” he said. “They’re all setting some Home games in Bold individual goals right now — Sept. 9 at Mason County Eastern 5:30 p.m. whether it’s breaking 30 or it’s breaking 25. That’s the lovely Sept. 11 Mesick 5 : 30 p.m. thing with cross country: You Sept. 16 at Walkerville 5:30 p.m. don’t have to be the kid who goes to state to have a good season. Sept. 18 Pentwater 5 : 30 p.m. We’re working on those goals for Sept. 23 at Manistee Catholic Central 5:30 p.m. each of them individually.” Sept. 25 at Frankfort 5 p.m. Griffin anticipates a bump in participation in the coming Sept. 30 at Big Rapids Crossroads 5:30 p.m. years, if numbers at the middle Oct. 2 Baldwin 5 : 30 p.m. school level are any indication. “We’re kind of building up in Oct. 7 at Marion 5:30 p.m. middle school right now,” Griffin Oct. 12 WMD Tournament at TBA 9 a.m. said. “Right now I think our midOct. 14 Grand Traverse Academy 5 : 30 p.m. dle school team is as big if not bigger than the high school team. Oct. 16 Onekama 5 : 30 p.m. That’s nice to see for the future.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
BEAR LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
BRETHREN MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL Home games in Bold
Sept. 9
Mesick
5 : 30 p.m.
Sept. 11
at P entw ater
5:30 p.m.
Sept. 17
at Mason County Eastern
5:30 p.m.
Sept. 19
at Big Rapids Crossroads
5:30 p.m.
Sept. 21
Brethren Invite
Sept. 23
Marion
Sept. 25
at Frankfort/ Bear L ake (tri meet) 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 30
Baldwin
5 : 30 p.m.
Oct. 3
W alkerville
5 : 30 p.m.
Oct. 7
at Manistee Catholic Central
5:30 p.m.
Oct. 9
at Onekama
5:30 p.m.
Oct. 12
WMD Tournament at Baldw in
TBA 5 : 30 p.m.
TBA
24 | News Advocate • Fall Sports 2019
Best of Luck Athletes!
SUPPORTING LOCAL ATHLETES & TEAMS!
330 Washington St. • Manistee
723-9700
2 2 1 Parkdale A ve. M anistee
7 2 3 -6 2 3 9
Good Luck Boys & Girls!
From Our Team to Your Team