Good Luck to the Boys Soccer Team in the District Championship game today! Game at Ogemaw Hts. 4:30pm!
SOCCER: STANDISH OUTDUELS DUKES
There were two good stories brewing when Standish-Sterling hosted Essexville Garber in the Division 3 district semifinal.
But one of them would have to come to a close.
With a 5-2 victory, Standish-Sterling added to its historic season with a berth in the district title game. After claiming their first Jack Pine Conference title, the Panthers now vie for their first district crown when they face host Ogemaw Heights at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
“We knew from last week that we needed to step up our defensive pressure, and the boys were able to respond,” said Standish coach Doug Dahn, whose team lost to Garber 2-1 just eight days earlier. “There were a lot of smiling faces after the game.”
RELATED: Bay City area soccer scores, pairings, history
The loss ended a feel-good run for Garber (6-13-1). After enduring a challenging season, the Dukes found their groove down the stretch to rattle off three consecutive wins, including the program’s first postseason victory since 2020.
But the Dukes couldn’t pull off the win on this day, despite frantic efforts. Garber got goals from Mikel Collado and Jorge Perez Delgado to draw within 3-2 with under 10 minutes to play. The Dukes sold out in a bid to get the equalizer, but that left the net open for Standish-Sterling’s Jacek Barwinski to score two late-game goals and ice the win.
The Panthers (13-4) got goals from Ben Briggs, Arthur Viera Carvalho and Landon Nixon to turn an early 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. Carvalho had two assists in the win while Nixon and Carson Koin each added one.
There were two good stories brewing when Standish-Sterling hosted Essexville Garber in the Division 3 district semifinal.
But one of them would have to come to a close.
With a 5-2 victory, Standish-Sterling added to its historic season with a berth in the district title game. After claiming their first Jack Pine Conference title, the Panthers now vie for their first district crown when they face host Ogemaw Heights at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
“We knew from last week that we needed to step up our defensive pressure, and the boys were able to respond,” said Standish coach Doug Dahn, whose team lost to Garber 2-1 just eight days earlier. “There were a lot of smiling faces after the game.”
RELATED: Bay City area soccer scores, pairings, history
The loss ended a feel-good run for Garber (6-13-1). After enduring a challenging season, the Dukes found their groove down the stretch to rattle off three consecutive wins, including the program’s first postseason victory since 2020.
But the Dukes couldn’t pull off the win on this day, despite frantic efforts. Garber got goals from Mikel Collado and Jorge Perez Delgado to draw within 3-2 with under 10 minutes to play. The Dukes sold out in a bid to get the equalizer, but that left the net open for Standish-Sterling’s Jacek Barwinski to score two late-game goals and ice the win.
The Panthers (13-4) got goals from Ben Briggs, Arthur Viera Carvalho and Landon Nixon to turn an early 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. Carvalho had two assists in the win while Nixon and Carson Koin each added one.
Congratulations to Joel Bellor on being voted the MLIVE Athlete of The Week!
Joel Bellor had no qualms being the backup quarterback.
As long as it didn’t entail him standing on the sideline with clipboard in hand.
Bellor is a hard-nosed defensive tackle and a hard-blocking tight end. And, yes, he’s also the second-string QB for the Standish-Sterling football team.
So when his number was called to step in under center, he did so with the understanding that he would continue to play full-throttle.
“One thing I don’t worry about with him, he’s going to give 110 percent all the time,” Standish coach Marty Malcolm said.
Bellor took the reins of the offense and guided the Panthers to their highest-scoring game of the season in a 48-22 loss to Clare. That sprung the senior to MLive Bay City Player of the Week honors. Bellor drew 74.3 percent of the 8,337 ballots cast in the online poll, besting runner-up Jack Blades of Beaverton.
In a season where many things have gone wrong, Bellor’s performance was a definite positive. Malcolm said senior starter Malachi Schaenzer had done all he could at the QB spot, but it was time for the Panthers to shake things up at 0-6. Schaenzer shifted to wingback early in the Week 6 matchup with Clare and Bellor moved from end to quarterback.
And Bellor kept the pedal to the metal in his new position.
“He plays with everything he can give you,” Malcolm said. “He plays extremely tough, plays extremely hard and with a lot of emotion.
“He felt like he needed to take the game in his hands. When I told him we were making the switch, he jumped at the chance.”
Bellor brought a spark to the attack, rushing for 135 yards on seven carries. Most notably, he broke loose for touchdown runs of 58 and 77 yards.
Standing at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Bellor now holds the unique status as defensive tackle/quarterback. A signal caller on the JV team two years ago, he carved his varsity niche in the trenches. But he always retained those QB skills.
“He’s got a smokin’ gun of an arm,” Malcolm said. “He almost throws the ball too hard. It might not always be accurate, but he can throw the ball 60 yards.”
Bellor gets his chance to show that when Standish-Sterling hosts first-place Ogemaw Heights at 7 p.m. tonight in their Jack Pine Conference-1 showdown.
Joel Bellor had no qualms being the backup quarterback.
As long as it didn’t entail him standing on the sideline with clipboard in hand.
Bellor is a hard-nosed defensive tackle and a hard-blocking tight end. And, yes, he’s also the second-string QB for the Standish-Sterling football team.
So when his number was called to step in under center, he did so with the understanding that he would continue to play full-throttle.
“One thing I don’t worry about with him, he’s going to give 110 percent all the time,” Standish coach Marty Malcolm said.
Bellor took the reins of the offense and guided the Panthers to their highest-scoring game of the season in a 48-22 loss to Clare. That sprung the senior to MLive Bay City Player of the Week honors. Bellor drew 74.3 percent of the 8,337 ballots cast in the online poll, besting runner-up Jack Blades of Beaverton.
In a season where many things have gone wrong, Bellor’s performance was a definite positive. Malcolm said senior starter Malachi Schaenzer had done all he could at the QB spot, but it was time for the Panthers to shake things up at 0-6. Schaenzer shifted to wingback early in the Week 6 matchup with Clare and Bellor moved from end to quarterback.
And Bellor kept the pedal to the metal in his new position.
“He plays with everything he can give you,” Malcolm said. “He plays extremely tough, plays extremely hard and with a lot of emotion.
“He felt like he needed to take the game in his hands. When I told him we were making the switch, he jumped at the chance.”
Bellor brought a spark to the attack, rushing for 135 yards on seven carries. Most notably, he broke loose for touchdown runs of 58 and 77 yards.
Standing at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Bellor now holds the unique status as defensive tackle/quarterback. A signal caller on the JV team two years ago, he carved his varsity niche in the trenches. But he always retained those QB skills.
“He’s got a smokin’ gun of an arm,” Malcolm said. “He almost throws the ball too hard. It might not always be accurate, but he can throw the ball 60 yards.”
Bellor gets his chance to show that when Standish-Sterling hosts first-place Ogemaw Heights at 7 p.m. tonight in their Jack Pine Conference-1 showdown.
GOLF: STANDISH STANDOUT STATE-BOUND
Standish-Sterling will be represented at the state finals after Anna Briggs posted a runner-up finish at the Division 3 regional at Pine River.
Briggs shot 86 to tie for second and advance to the finals. The Panthers (392) finished fifth in the team standings with Emma Proctor at 92, Kennedy Kuberski 98 and Keeley Peace 116.
Essexville Garber (433) placed 12th behind Marissa Espinoza and Gracie Socier at 99, Marlee Garwick 106 and Aubree Gross 129.Congratulations to Anna Briggs on qualifying for the D3 MHSAA Girls Golf State Finals! Fantastic accomplishment Anna!
SSC Cheerleaders supporting breast cancer awareness during our Pink Out game at Clare.
Standish-Sterling vs Garber
The Standish-Sterling Central girls’ swim team put on an impressive performance in their dual meet against Essexville Garber.
Standish-Sterling opened the meet with a victory in the 200 Yard Medley Relay, as the team of Ayla Donahue, Sophie Fox, Makiya Bellor, and Cloee Markle.
In individual events, Reese Johnson claimed gold in the 200 Freestyle, while Jordan Mielke dominated the 200 IM. Mielke later doubled up with another first-place finish in the grueling 500 Freestyle
Freshman standout Makiya Bellor captured the 100 Butterfly and led the Panthers’ with a win in the 50 Freestyle.
Other strong finishes included:
• Ayla Donahue – 2nd place in the 100 Butterfly and 1st in the 100 Backstroke
• Cloee Markle – 2nd in the 100 Freestyle
• Sophie Fox – 2nd in the 100 Breaststroke
• Reese Johnson – 3rd in the 100 Breaststroke
The Panthers’ relay squads also delivered key points. The team of Bellor, Markle, Donahue, and Mielke won the 200 Freestyle Relay. While the 400 Freestyle Relay team of Kendall Bartlett, Reagan Satkowiak, Reese Johnson, and Sophie Fox placed second.
Congratulations to the SSC Boys Soccer Team! Jack Pine Conference Champions! They defeated Ogemaw 3-2 to earn the title! Great Job to team and coaches!
Pink out game tonight for Volleyball. come on out and support our girls! all donations will be donated to the Pardee Cancer Center. JV/freshman start at 5:30, Varsity to follow at 7pm. We will have raffle baskets, 50/50, and pink T-shirts for sale tonight at the game.
GLADWIN 35, STANDISH-STERLING 0
Gladwin is getting its feet on the ground.
And the Flying G’s look ready to make a run.
Gladwin seems to have put an 0-3 start behind it, routing Standish-Sterling 35-0 for its second straight impressive victory in Jack Pine Conference-1 action.
“Our offensive line played a really physical and tough brand of football. And the defense was lights-out all night,” Gladwin coach Marc Jarstfer said. “We’re getting better and better each week and starting to put things together.”
RELATED: Bay City area football scores for Week 5
Bronson Bigham ignited the attack, returning a punt 70 yards for a touchdown to start the scoring. Quarterback Colton Pfenninger proved tough, completing 5 of 11 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown while rushing 11 times for 97 yards and a score.
Bigham, who snared two interceptions on defense, also hauled in four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown offensively. Preston Willert and M.J. McDonald added rushing TDs for the Flying G’s (2-3, 2-1).
Keton Blackmer and Jeff Zeitz each tallied eight tackles for Gladwin, which was in control at 29-0 at the half.
Standish-Sterling (0-5, 0-3) continued its struggles with its second shutout loss of the season. Malachi Schaenzer was 19 of 30 passing for 110 yards for the Panthers, hitting Joel Bellor 10 times for 64 yards and Vance Stokoszynski five times for 36 yards.
Rylee Blanchard fronted the Standish defense with nine tackles while Jay Roper notched seven and Noah Gratopp and Bellor had six apiece.
Gladwin is getting its feet on the ground.
And the Flying G’s look ready to make a run.
Gladwin seems to have put an 0-3 start behind it, routing Standish-Sterling 35-0 for its second straight impressive victory in Jack Pine Conference-1 action.
“Our offensive line played a really physical and tough brand of football. And the defense was lights-out all night,” Gladwin coach Marc Jarstfer said. “We’re getting better and better each week and starting to put things together.”
RELATED: Bay City area football scores for Week 5
Bronson Bigham ignited the attack, returning a punt 70 yards for a touchdown to start the scoring. Quarterback Colton Pfenninger proved tough, completing 5 of 11 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown while rushing 11 times for 97 yards and a score.
Bigham, who snared two interceptions on defense, also hauled in four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown offensively. Preston Willert and M.J. McDonald added rushing TDs for the Flying G’s (2-3, 2-1).
Keton Blackmer and Jeff Zeitz each tallied eight tackles for Gladwin, which was in control at 29-0 at the half.
Standish-Sterling (0-5, 0-3) continued its struggles with its second shutout loss of the season. Malachi Schaenzer was 19 of 30 passing for 110 yards for the Panthers, hitting Joel Bellor 10 times for 64 yards and Vance Stokoszynski five times for 36 yards.
Rylee Blanchard fronted the Standish defense with nine tackles while Jay Roper notched seven and Noah Gratopp and Bellor had six apiece.
Standish-Sterling Central Win over Alma 09/23/2024:
The Standish-Sterling Central Panthers returned to dual meet competition Tuesday to face off against Alma. The Lady Panthers came out on top with a 94-67 win. It was nice to see the girls come off a big invitational and come back to swim some best times.
The 200 Medley Relay Team of Ayla Donahue, Sophie Fox, Makiya Bellor, and Cloee Markle placed first. The 200 Freestyle Relay Team of Sophie Fox, Reagan Satkowiak, Kendall Barlett, and Reese Johnson grabbed a first place finish. The 400 Freestyle Relay Team of Makiya Bellor, Jordan Mielke, Cloee Markle, and Ayla Donahue also closed the meet with a first place finish.
Thank you,
Mady Ahleman
SSC Swimming & Diving
Head Coach
The Standish-Sterling Central Panthers returned to dual meet competition Tuesday to face off against Alma. The Lady Panthers came out on top with a 94-67 win. It was nice to see the girls come off a big invitational and come back to swim some best times.
The 200 Medley Relay Team of Ayla Donahue, Sophie Fox, Makiya Bellor, and Cloee Markle placed first. The 200 Freestyle Relay Team of Sophie Fox, Reagan Satkowiak, Kendall Barlett, and Reese Johnson grabbed a first place finish. The 400 Freestyle Relay Team of Makiya Bellor, Jordan Mielke, Cloee Markle, and Ayla Donahue also closed the meet with a first place finish.
Thank you,
Mady Ahleman
SSC Swimming & Diving
Head Coach
MS FB playing at Bridgeport High School:
4691 Bear Cat Blvd, Bridgeport, MI 48722
GoFan: https://gofan.co/app/school/MI4084
4691 Bear Cat Blvd, Bridgeport, MI 48722
GoFan: https://gofan.co/app/school/MI4084
The SSC Boys X Country Team placed 3rd at the Trent Carter Invite on Saturday. Trace Fisher placed 14th to lead the Panther runners. Great job team and coaches!
The SSC Girls X Country Team won the Trent Carter Invite on Saturday. Davylynn Christie placed 4th, while Laura Spyker finished 11th. Congratulations to team and coaches!
MILLINGTON 53, STANDISH-STERLING 14
Standish-Sterling got blitzed by defending Division 7 state champion Millington 53-14 in a non-league clash.
The Panthers (0-2) trailed 39-0 at halftime and didn’t dent the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. Seth Yocom scored on a 6-yard run and Malachi Schaenzer got in the end zone from 11 yards out for Standish.
Standish-Sterling got blitzed by defending Division 7 state champion Millington 53-14 in a non-league clash.
The Panthers (0-2) trailed 39-0 at halftime and didn’t dent the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. Seth Yocom scored on a 6-yard run and Malachi Schaenzer got in the end zone from 11 yards out for Standish.
Congratulations to CARSON KOIN, STANDISH-STERLING-MLIVE Athlete of the Week Nomination!
The Standish-Sterling boys soccer team is off to a productive start and Koin is the engine behind it. The senior captain has served as a jack-of-all-trades impact player during his team’s 5-1 run. “Carson is incredibly versatile in that he can play nearly every position on the field well,” coach Doug Dahn said. “He is also a great leader and has an excellent understanding of the game.” Koin has delivered 13 assists in six games.
The Standish-Sterling boys soccer team is off to a productive start and Koin is the engine behind it. The senior captain has served as a jack-of-all-trades impact player during his team’s 5-1 run. “Carson is incredibly versatile in that he can play nearly every position on the field well,” coach Doug Dahn said. “He is also a great leader and has an excellent understanding of the game.” Koin has delivered 13 assists in six games.
Congratulations to MIKAYA BELLOR, STANDISH-STERLING-MLIVE Athlete of the Week Nomination!
It didn’t take Bellor long to make a splash with the Standish-Sterling girls swimming program. Just a freshman, she made her debut a memorable one with a Top 10 showing at the Bobcat Pentathlon. “Mikaya is always excited about practice,” coach Mady Ahleman said. “She does anything and everything I tell her without complaining and is very positive to all her teammates.” Bellor placed ninth out of more than 100 competitors.
It didn’t take Bellor long to make a splash with the Standish-Sterling girls swimming program. Just a freshman, she made her debut a memorable one with a Top 10 showing at the Bobcat Pentathlon. “Mikaya is always excited about practice,” coach Mady Ahleman said. “She does anything and everything I tell her without complaining and is very positive to all her teammates.” Bellor placed ninth out of more than 100 competitors.
STANDISH TOUGHS OUT THE RAIN
Standish-Sterling refused to let a steady rain dampen its spark.
The Panthers maintained their fire for an 8-0 victory over Shepherd in Jack Pine Conference action.
“The team has set some big goals for the year,” coach Doug Dahn said. “To accomplish those, you have to be able to play at a high level regardless of the conditions.”
Standish-Sterling (6-1, 4-0) punctuated the win with a rare goalkeeper assist from Lucas Verdusco, who boomed a long punt to set up a Carson Koin goal. Verdusco and Izak Waldie combined for the shutout in net.
Levi Cameron and Landon Nixon each scored two goals while Koin, Ben Briggs, Ian Emans and Eli Steckert added one apiece. Koin and Briggs tallied three assists apiece while Jacek Barwinski joined Verdusco with one.
Standish-Sterling refused to let a steady rain dampen its spark.
The Panthers maintained their fire for an 8-0 victory over Shepherd in Jack Pine Conference action.
“The team has set some big goals for the year,” coach Doug Dahn said. “To accomplish those, you have to be able to play at a high level regardless of the conditions.”
Standish-Sterling (6-1, 4-0) punctuated the win with a rare goalkeeper assist from Lucas Verdusco, who boomed a long punt to set up a Carson Koin goal. Verdusco and Izak Waldie combined for the shutout in net.
Levi Cameron and Landon Nixon each scored two goals while Koin, Ben Briggs, Ian Emans and Eli Steckert added one apiece. Koin and Briggs tallied three assists apiece while Jacek Barwinski joined Verdusco with one.
The SSC Girls X Country Team took 1st place in the SSC Rifle River Invite!
The SSC Girls took the top 3 spots: 1st-Davylynn Christie 2nd-Luci Waldie 3rd-Laura Spyker! Emily Schramm-7th and Christina Pake 8th rounded out the top 10!
Congratulations to all the SSC Girls and Coaches!
The SSC Girls took the top 3 spots: 1st-Davylynn Christie 2nd-Luci Waldie 3rd-Laura Spyker! Emily Schramm-7th and Christina Pake 8th rounded out the top 10!
Congratulations to all the SSC Girls and Coaches!
The SSC Boys X Country Team took 1st place in The SSC Rifle River Invite!
Trace Fisher-5th and Logan Brown-6th paced the Panthers, while Keagan Soule finished 9th to round out the top 10! Congratulations to all of the boys and coaches!
Trace Fisher-5th and Logan Brown-6th paced the Panthers, while Keagan Soule finished 9th to round out the top 10! Congratulations to all of the boys and coaches!
CHESANING 13, STANDISH-STERLING 12
Extra points loomed extra large for Standish-Sterling.
The Panthers saw two PAT kicks get blocked by Chesaning, proving to be outcome-swinging plays in a 13-12 loss.
“We lost a tough one,” Standish coach Marty Malcolm said.
Standish-Sterling seemed to have things working, scoring two first-quarter touchdowns on a Rylee Blanchard run and a Malachi Schaenzer pass to Vance Stokoszynski. But Chesaning denied both PATs – and the Panthers would be stuck on 12 points the rest of the game.
Chesaning scored twice in the second quarter for the 13-12 lead before the game turned into a defensive standoff.
Schaenzer finished 8 of 10 passing for 117 yards, hitting Stokoszynski three times for 66 yards and the score. Blanchard rushed 15 times for 78 yards and a TD.
Blanchard and Jay Roper each tallied 11 tackles to front the defense while Joe Bellor added six tackles and Noah Gratopp five.