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A look back at the Battle Creek Enquirer’s top stories in local sports in 2024

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A look back at the Battle Creek Enquirer’s top stories in local sports in 2024

Harper Creek, Lakeview and St. Philip had a lot to celebrate in high school sports in 2024

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BATTLE CREEK – There was a lot to cheer about in the past year, from local high schools having historic seasons to individuals making the sports world take notice.

The 2024 year in sports in Battle Creek was memorable in a lot of ways. As we look ahead to a new year, we take you back at the top moments and stories in the Enquirer in the past 12 months.

Here’s a look back at 2024 in the world of local sports:

Banner Season for Harper Creek

Harper Creek had a year where it put two banners up in the high school gym, including a Final Four appearance in volleyball and the boys track team winning the first team state championship for the school.

Harper Creek volleyball coach Terra King helped her team to a No. 3 state ranking at the end of the regular season as Harper Creek advanced to the state semifinals in Division 2 with a 52-5 final record. During the 2024 campaign, she navigated the Beavers’ challenging schedule as the No. 1 team in the state for several weeks as her club reached their goal of making it to the Final Four for the first time as a school since Harper Creek advanced that far in back-to-back seasons in 2014-15. Playing at Kellogg Arena, in front of a big crowd of Harper Creek boosters, an emotional Beavers team lost in the Final Four to No. 2-ranked Detroit Country Day.

“I told them there is no shame in crying. They are not getting something they worked hard for and really wanted and with that comes the tears,” King said. “At the end of the day, only one team is left standing. So this is, sadly, part of the process. It’s the worst part of the process. It will take some time, but eventually they will look back and, this will always sting, but they will get to the point where they should be proud of what they have done.”

Harper Creek won the first state title in a traditional team sport in school history as well – as the boys track team took first place at the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association state championships at Berrien Springs High School during the spring season. Since the first graduating class at Harper Creek in 1960, the Beavers have never won a team state title in a varsity sport. In the MITCA Division 2 Team State Finals, that all changed with Harper Creek winning the title by two points, finishing with 1,590 team points. Parma Western finished second with 1,588.

The school celebrated with an impromptu celebration right after the meet. With an escort of fire trucks, with lights and sirens, the Harper Creek boys track team bus came into the school parking lot late Friday night and was greeted by hundreds of Beaver boosters ready to celebrate an accomplishment not seen before at the school. This fall, Harper Creek put its first state championship banner in the rafters of its gym and the members of the boys track team received commemorative state championship rings.

“This is crazy. We made history today. It feels good,” Harper Creek boys track coach Larry Quick said.

More Seasons To Remember

Breaking it down by season, there was even more to celebrate for the city schools in Battle Creek.

When the year started, last winter, basketball was top of mind.

● The Lakeview boys basketball team won the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division for first time since 2011 and also won the first district title in boys basketball at the school since 1993.

● The Pennfield boys hoop team, despite a sub-.500 record in the regular season, surprised everyone as it had a big postseason and won a district title in Division 2.

● In boys swimming, Lakeview won the all-city swimming and diving championship for a 33rd straight time. The Spartans continued their banner season as it extended its 30-0 dual record winning streak and finished with a third straight league title.

Come spring, teams continued to impress.

● The St. Philip/Calhoun Christian co-op girls soccer team won the first district title in that sport in school history.

● The Harper Creek baseball team finished ranked No. 11 in the state in Division 2. Along the way, the Beavers won the all-city tourney, finished first in the Interstate 8 Conference and won the programs first district title in baseball since 2017.

● The Lakeview softball team won the all-city tourney and won the program’s first district title in softball since 1998.

This fall, the highlights kept coming.

● Harper Creek’s football team went 8-1 in the regular season and won the program’s first Interstate 8 Conference championship since 2017.

● The Lakeview volleyball team made history by advancing to the state quarterfinals for the first time in more than 20 years, winning a district and regional title along the way.

State Championship Efforts

Harper Creek freshman Devan Garcia was trying to do something no wrestler from a Battle Creek city school had done in almost 20 years – win a state title.

And on the big stage at Ford Field, that’s exactly what he did.

Garcia became the first Harper Creek wrestler since 1998 to win a state championship and the first grappler from a Battle Creek city school to accomplish the feat since 2006 in action at the 2024 MHSAA state individual wrestling finals at Ford Field.

“This means a lot. I love everybody here, I love my coaches, I love being at Harper Creek,” Garcia said. “I am glad I was able to bring it home for Harper Creek.”

Garcia defeated Cristian Haslem of St. Clair in the state championship final at 113 pounds by a 12-4 decision. Garcia finishes his freshman year at 47-1 and as state champ.

On another big stage, the cross country finals at Michigan International Speedway, an area runner had one of the best performances seen by anyone in the county in recent years.

Marshall’s Jack Bidwell had the best performance ever for a Redhawk runner, as the senior had a race to remember at the state finals. Bidwell finished second overall at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 cross country state championships on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. It is the best finish ever for a Marshall cross country runner at the state meet.

“I was really happy with the way I ran today,” Bidwell said. “Nobody at Marshall has ever finished first or second at the state meet, so to do this today, I am happy with that.”

Bidwell, who holds the school record in cross country at Marshall, ran a 14:57.3 to finish as runner-up. TJ Hansen of Freeland was first overall at 14:50.5. Both runners have times in the top 50 in the country in high school cross country this season.

Other area teams making an impact at the state championship level:

● The Gull Lake baseball team earned a spot in the Division 2 Final Four at Michigan State University, losing in the state semifinals. Along the way, the Blue Devils won a district title and regional crown.

● The Climax-Scotts/Martin co-op wrestling team advanced to the MHSAA state team finals at Wings Stadium for the second year in a row. Climax-Scotts/Martin featured two wrestlers who won state titles in Logan Gilbert and Haylen Buell.

State-wide Recognition

For only the second time ever at Harper Creek, one of its athletes was nominated for the Miss Volleyball Award. Harper Creek’s Cassidy Pratley was named as a top 10 finalist for he Miss Volleyball Award – the most prestigious single award given to a high school volleyball player in the state of Michigan.

“It’s exciting,” said Harper Creek volleyball coach Terra King. “It’s huge for the program to have a Miss Volleyball candidate. But, it’s even better because of the kind of player she is and how she represents our program. She is selfless, a good team player. I am very happy to see her get these kinds of accolades. She deserves it.”

Pratley, who fell short of winning the award, was an all-state player this season and signed to play collegiate volleyball at Western Michigan University.

Unique Stories

In a story that received a lot of attention, 80-year-old Jim Kellay harvested a 130-inch buck with a crossbow. The former Pennfield firefighter and retired National Guardsman talked about shooting the deer last January.

“I got one that size, or maybe even bigger, back in the 80s. But it’s been awhile since I shot one like that. I have been hunting my whole life, and I haven’t seen many like that,” Kellay, Sr. said. “The guys I have lunch with asked me about it. I show them the picture. I say, ‘It’s not a monster… but it’s pretty good for a guy my age’, and I leave it at that.”

And, gaining ‘world’ news, Battle Creek’s Charles Solano put his name in the Guinness Book of World Records. Solano, owner of the five Biggby Coffee shops in the Battle Creek area, started on a May morning at his Biggby Coffee location on Hill Brady Road, looking to break the world record for most chin ups in a 12-hour period, which is 4,649 and set in 2016. Along the way, he was hoping to break the record for chin ups in eight hours as well, which is 3,751. Solano broke both records – 5,107 for 12 hours; 3,755 for eight hours.

Welcomes/Farewells

Brian Watkins, a longtime coach in the Battle Creek Central boys basketball program, passed away in February after a long battle with cancer. A BCC graduate, Watkins had long been one of the pillars of the Battle Creek Central basketball program, andthe junior varsity basketball coach for that school for more than two decades.

“Brian Watkins was a staple in the BCC basketball program,” BCC Athletic Director Lorin Granger said. “He was well respected by all his players and his colleagues. He will be greatly missed. His commitment to the kids of Battle Creek can’t be matched. He did it as long as his health would allow him to. I have great respect for him.”

Two of the marquee positions in local sports made changes in the past year.

Robbie Hattan was named the new boys varsity basketball coach for Pennfield prior to this season. Hattan is also the varsity football coach, taking that job just last season. Hattan had coached women’s basketball at the collegiate level at Glen Oaks Community College, but this is his first high school varsity boys basketball position.

Michigan High School Football Coaches Hall of Famer Scott Farley took over the top football job at Marshall in the fall. Farley, 59, was inducted into the MHSFCA Hall of Fame in 2016 following stints at Hartland, Leslie and Jackson. He has been a head coach for 29 seasons and took over struggling programs at Leslie and Jackson, turning both around and producing the best season in school history.

And a couple of longtime coaches said goodbye.

For more than a quarter of a century, Becky Pryor has been leading the Lakeview girls track team as its head coach. For 22 of those years, running stride for stride with her as an assistant coach, has been Heather Sawyer.

Following the last lap of the track season in the spring, it was an end of an era as both coaches stepped down together – ending one of the longest coaching partnerships in any sport among the city high schools.

Pryor has had an impressive run as the head girls track coach at Lakeview for 27 years as well as being the head coach of the girls cross country team in the fall for the same period. Last year, in the fall, Sawyer announced she was also stepping down as the longtime volleyball coach at Lakeview after leading that program for 22 seasons.

Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @billbroderick

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