By BUTCH HARMON
*The Grand Ledge football team won its first five games and is off to its best start since 2011, when it started 6-0.
The Comets offense has been sizzling this fall, as Grand Ledge has scored 34 or more points in all five wins. Sophomore quarterback Nolan Bird has passed for over 500 yards this season, while Malek Adams has proven to be his go-to receiver.
The Grand Ledge football team honored servicemen who lost their lives in duty at the Fallen Heroes Game on Sept. 18. Grand Ledge held a memorial honoring fallen troops after the game. Each player stepped forward, honoring a fallen hero whose surname he wore on the back of his jersey.
*Senior quarterback Jake Tahaney is off to a strong start with the Haslett football team. Through the first five games of the season, Tahaney has passed for 945 yards. Nate Magnusson is one of Tahaney’s favorite targets, and the Vikings won three of their first five games this season.
*Holt senior running back Trent Stone continues to pile up yardage for the Rams, who are challenging Grand Ledge for the top spot in the CAAC Blue. Through the first five games of the season, Stone has rushed for 923 yards. His season-high game was 264 yards against Lansing Eastern. For his career, Stone has over 2,500 rushing yards.
*The Mason football team opened the season by surviving a brutal schedule that included key league games with DeWitt and St. Johns. Mason is 3-2 at the halfway mark and is primed for a big finishing run behind the play of standout quarterback Jarrett VanHavel and wide receiver Nick Vondra. VanHavel passed for 262 yards in Mason’s key win against Haslett.
*The Williamston football team opened the season with four wins in its first five games. Senior quarterback Jake Westphal has piloted a balanced Williamston attack that includes running back Montana Reagen and wide receivers Dan Ostrander and Blair Johnson.
*The Okemos girls golf team is set for another big season. It is ranked fourth in the state in Division 2 and is looking to win a fifth-straight CAAC Blue Conference title.
Okemos is led by seniors Jessica Kim, Kaylie Anderson, and Macy Dahnke, who were three of the top golfers in the conference last year.
*The Mason girls golf team picked up a big win when it edged St. Johns in a key CAAC Red match. The 170 score by Mason set a new school record. Audrey Wassner, a returning all-conference golfer, led the way for Mason, as she fired a 39. Delaney Bond followed with a 41, Claudia Vondra a 44, and Callie Williams a 46.
*The Lansing Catholic girls golf team is also poised for a big season. Last fall, the Cougars tied Portland for top honors in the CAAC White. Junior Abigail Meder, a returning all-state golfer, leads the way for Lansing Catholic. Medel also earned all-conference honors, as did senior Elaina Walling, juniors Keighen Morley and Isabelle Johns, and sophomore Grace Castle.
*The Mason soccer team climbed to number one in the state in Division 1 earlier this season. The Bulldogs are poised for another big season, after falling in last year’s state semifinal round to East Lansing.
Mason is led by a trio of returning all-state players in senior defenders Holden Dippel and John Kingman and senior midfielder Leutrim Shefkiu. It has captured 13 straight CAAC Red titles and is a strong favorite to win a 14th this year.
*The East Lansing soccer team is picking up where it left off last year. The Trojans began the season with a 7-1-1 record and are again one of the premier teams in mid Michigan.
*A number of area volleyball players are ranked among the best in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches Association Under Armour All-American Watch List. Okemos middle blocker Daria Richards, Okemos middle blocker and outside hitter Rachel Thomas, Holt outside hitter Brooke Peiffer, and Laingsburg’s Caitlyn Kane are seniors on the list. Juniors on the list include Adair Cutler and Paige Porter from Lansing Christian, Alyssa Elsea from St. Johns, Meredith Norris from Corunna, and Gabie Shellenberger from Lakewood.
*The Okemos boys cross country team is turning in a solid season. Okemos finished sixth out of 23 teams in the big school division at the Jackson Invitational. Sophomore Paul McKinley led the way for Okemos, as he placed 10th overall in a time of 16:15. Sophomore Saano Murembya placed 19th, while senior Elliot Kadrofske placed 20th.
*The Williamston boys cross country team finished third in its division at Jackson. Senior Nathan Maurer led the way for the Hornets, as he placed seventh individually with a time of 16:51.