SPORTS

VARSITY SOCCER
Six Elks awarded soccer all-state honors 

The Elk Rapids varsity soccer team had a successful season end much earlier than anyone expected, falling in a shootout during the opening game of district competition, but the number of post season honors bestowed on the 2023 Elk players still reflects the strength of the school soccer program. A total of six Elks came away with all-state honors this year, led by seniors Koa West and Cooper Moore both earning Division 3 Second Team All-State recognition. West was selected as a keeper, taking care of the net for 20 games this season, tallying 61 saves and allowing just 16 goals. Moore was chosen as a defender, his solid defensive play was instrumental in disrupting the opposition offense and preventing scoring opportunities, and Moore also managed a goal with two assists this season.
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West and Moore, both all-state honorable mention last season as juniors, were among 18 players chosen for second team all-state honors. Four Elks earned Division 3 All-State Honorable Mention, senior Alex Smith and junior Noah Hilley as midfielders along with sophomores Jayden Hresko playing forward and Carter Denoyer as a defender. Hilley was the lone all-state repeater among the four after earning third team all-state last season as a sophomore.

These six Elks, West, Moore, Smith, Hilley, Hresko and Denoyer, all were selected First Team All-Region and First Team All-District, the required path leading to earning all-state honors. West was the first overall selection for region and district honors, Moore was the second region defender chosen and the first defender selected in districts.

The Elks had a total of 14 players selected All-District, joining the six all-state players were seniors Owen Spencer and Zeke Keaton, juniors Will Vanderhiede and Alex Barber joined by a freshmen quartet of Jake Garrow, Tyler Standfest, Drew Plum and Dalton Timmer.

In the final Lake Michigan Conference post-season awards, the Elks had five players earn All-Conference honors in Hresko, Denoyer, Hilley, Moore and West. There were four LMC All-Conference Honorable mention Elks made up of Smith, Barber, Timmer and Jake Garrow.

The Elks were led in scoring by Hresko with 20 goals this season, followed by Smith with nine goals, Standfest scored eight and Hilley added seven. As a team the Elks found the back of the net 59 times with 12 different players adding to the goals scored total. The Elks had a team total of 44 assists, led by Hilley with 12.

“It is a testament to the program and our players to go into the post season honors meetings and have so many of our players discussed even though we ended the season so soon in districts. We had a good record and won the conference, and our program has a consistent, solid reputation,” said Elk varsity soccer coach Nate Plum. “This is a real tribute to how hard our players work each season, the players who might earn an award but also the players who play hard and contribute each game but might not receive postseason recognition.”

The Elks will lose eight seniors to graduation but return a solid nucleus of young players who have plenty of varsity experience. “We will miss our seniors, we always do. I hope they keep in contact with the program. I enjoy having previous players come back every season to watch or assist,” Plum said.

“Next year we have a great mix of young players returning who really contributed this season. We have guys from the JV team who are ready to move up, and we will have varsity players returning who might not have played a lot of minutes this year but have learned while being on the sidelines and are ready to step up to fill the positions of graduating players. I’m looking forward to see what we can do next season, especially with the scheduling challenges that being in the new conference will bring,”

Elk Rapids had an overall record of 17-3-2 for the 2023. They won the final Lake Michigan Conference title with a conference record of 8-0-2, this LMC crown was the seventh straight for the Elk Rapids soccer program.

Congratulations to the Elk soccer coaches, the senior players and the entire team on an exciting season on the pitch, with more varsity soccer excitement still to come! Go Elks!

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL
Volleyballers earn post-season honors 

The Lake Michigan Conference released the all-conference volleyball team on Monday afternoon with four Elk Rapids players making the list.

Fourteen players were awarded first team all-conference, chosen from the eight schools that make up the LMC: Elk Rapids, Boyne City, Grayling, Charlevoix, East Jordan, St. Francis, Harbor Springs and Kalkaska. There were 10 players total chosen for honorable mention recognition.

Two Elks earned First Team All-Conference, senior Morgan Bergquist and junior Caroline Best. This was the second straight first team conference honor for Bergquist and the first for Best.

A pair of Elks came away with All-Conference Honorable Mention honors in senior Violet Sumerix, her second straight conference honorable mention honor, and junior Gaby Morton, earning her first post-season recognition.

The Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association (MIVCA) released the All-Region honors with two Elk Rapids players receiving recognition, juniors Mattea Ball and Caroline Best. Ball led the Elks with 396 digs and tied second in aces served with 34. Best was first on the team with 266 kills, second in digs tallying 207, third in aces served with 31 and fourth with 18 blocks.

The Elks earned the MIVCA Team Academic All-State award with a combined GPA of 3.88, well above the minimum required GPA of 3.30.

Elk Rapids will lose just two players to graduation from this season, bringing back a solid core of experienced volleyballers ready to make some noise in the first season of Northern Shores Conference play!

VARSITY HOCKEY
Lucas scores twice in Reps season opener 

Although the high school fall sports season is still wrapping up, the winter sports teams are beginning tryouts and practices and in the case of hockey have started playing games.

The Bay Reps boys hockey team opened the 2023-24 season schedule hosting Cranbrook Kingswood at Centre Ice last Friday and came away with a 3-2 win.

After a scoreless first period the Reps got on the scoreboard first with Lars Millar (SF) finding the back of the net just under three minutes into the second period. The Reps increased the lead to 2-0 after a goal from Elk Rapids Grant Lucas, with assists going to Elk Rapids Thomas Boynton-Fischer and Ethan Coleman (SB). Cranbrook would score with just under five minutes left to play in the second, trimming the score to 2-1 Reps after two periods of play.

The Reps would take back the lead for good early in the third period as Rowan Blain (TCC) sent a quick pass to Lucas in front of the Cranbrook goal, the Elk senior buried the puck for his second goal of the game and gave the Reps the 3-1 advantage. Cranbrook added a final goal late in the game, but the Reps held on to preserve the 3-2 season opening victory.

Elk Rapids freshman Tyler Boynton-Fisher started his first game as the Rep goalie, earning the win while tallying 20 saves.

The Bay Reps (1-0) will be in Big Rapids this Friday and Saturday for a Thanksgiving Tournament held at Ferris State University’s Ewigleben Arena.
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Look for the Elk Rapids winter sports team previews including the Bay Reps coming soon in the Elk Rapids News.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 
Post-season publication honors explained 

Several Elk Rapids fall sports teams have finished the season and handed out post season awards that have not yet been published.
Both the Northern Michigan Football Conference (NMFC) and Lake Michigan Conference (LMC) prohibit the release of All-Conference teams until the last team in the conference has been eliminated from the state playoffs. 

The volleyball post season honors were released for publication this week after St. Francis lost in the Division 3 state championship match on Saturday. In football, Kingsley will be playing for the Division 6 state title on Saturday, and although the Stags are not in the Leaders Division with the Elks, they are part of the NMFC, playing in the Legends Division.

The Elk Rapids News will always print post-season awards for the Elk Rapids teams and athletes as soon as possible. Go Elks!