Concord High School Fall Sports Results

1. Concord High SchoolFall Sports Results 2011

2. The Mascot

3. Football 2011 season preview: Concord has just 15 players, so staying healthy is critical • 2010 SEASON RECORD: 3-6, 2-5 (t-5th) in Big Eight • Coach: Joe Williamson (3rd season, 9-10 at Concord) • big eight titles: 0 (league member since 1973) • MOST RECENT league title: 1964 (Cascades) • All-time playoff record: 3-3 • Longest playoff run: 2001, Division 7 semifinals The offense With a new quarterback and a rebuilt offensive line, Concord’s offense might take a while to gel. • The quarterback: Taking over will be either Jesse Brigham (5-10, 150, jr.) or Tyler Burch (5-7, 160, jr.). Brigham was the junior varsity quarterback last season but was hindered by an arm injury in the preseason. Whoever is not at quarterback will line up at wide receiver. “Both are shifty, savvy kind of guys who make good decisions, and that’s what we ask,” coach Joe Williamson said. • The one to watch: TE Jesse Wilson (6-2, 210, jr.) started at tackle last season but will use his athleticism to give the Yellow Jackets another offensive weapon on the end. • Other returning starters: RB/WR Drew Philson (6-0, 160, jr.) enters his third varsity season and is the top returning rusher, RB/WR Matt DeHaven (5-10, 165, jr.) moves from tight end, C Rayce Randall (5-9, 175, sr.). • Key newcomers: WR Chevy Burk (6-0, 160, soph.), T Jarrod Hoath (6-2, 210, soph.), G Zach Thompson (5-11, 160, jr.), G Trevor Kalman (5-10, 170, sr.), T Mackenzie Anderson (6-3, 180, soph.), WR Kyle Todd (6-1, 150, jr.).

4. Football 2011 season preview--continued The defense Last year’s top two tacklers are gone, but Concord expects to build on last year, when the Yellow Jackets allowed their fewest points in four seasons. “We have the best situation defensively in my three years,” Williamson said. “The kids understand what we’re trying to do.” The Yellow Jackets are not blessed with size but hope to disrupt teams with their speed. “It’s about passion and flying around, and our guys have taken to that,” Williamson said. “Defensively, our guys are solid. The only question is our numbers.” • The one to watch: LB DeHaven moves from the secondary, where he has been on the varsity since his freshman year. He was one of Concord’s top five tacklers last year. • Other returning starters: DB Philson has played linebacker the last two years but moves into the secondary, LB Wilson switches positions after being third on the team in tackles last year as a defensive back, DL Randall missed about half the season with injuries. • Key newcomers: DB Burch, DB Brigham, DB Burk, DL Hoath, LB Thompson, DL Kalman, DL/LB Anderson, DB Todd. Last season Concord followed up a playoff season in 2009 with a 3-6 mark in 2010. Last season, the Yellow Jackets lost three games by 10 or fewer points. Concord’s three victories came against teams (Hanover-Horton, Quincy, Athens) that combined to go 4-23. The Yellow Jackets are 9-10 in two seasons under coach Joe Williamson after going just 1-35 the four years prior. Our outlook Concord enters the season with 15 players, including two seniors. That doesn’t mean the expectations are low, but the Yellow Jackets will have to be injury-free to stay competitive as they build for the future.

5. Concord volleyball falls in close three-game match to five-time defending state champion St. Philip August 20, 2011 The Concord High School volleyball team started its season Saturday with a strong showing against one of the state’s best. Concord took Battle Creek St. Philip to three games before being edged in a quarterfinal match of the St. Philip Invitational. St. Philip, which has played in the Class D state championship match for 10 consecutive years and won the last five, nipped Concord 25-14, 23-25, 15-13. “It was a great match,” Concord coach Kathy Lehman said. “St. Philip is tough.” Maycee Brigham and Andrea Brigham had 25 kills apiece on the day for Concord, which was 1-0-2 in pool play. Andrea Brigham served five aces, and Maycee Brigham made 35 digs.

6. Concord boys cross country runner Spencer Nousain breaks course record at Pittsford invitational August 23, 2011 Pittsford Early Bird Invitational: Spencer Nousain broke the course record with a time of 16:14 as Concord had all five scorers in the top 10 to easily win the seven-team meet with 25 points. Nousain shaved four seconds off the previous best time at Pittsford. “He has been working on this since we were there last year,” Concord coach David Jordon said. “That was his focus, and when he got to the last half-mile, he made a big push for it.” Teammates Parker Saenz and Sam Comden were third and fifth, respectively. Brad Briner finished seventh for third-place Jonesville, and Stephan Biggs was second for fourth-place Addison.

7. Concord girls cross country places six runners in top 10 to win Pittsford invitational August 23, 2011 Pittsford Early Bird Invitational:Sydnee Hubbard’s meet-winning time of 21:57 led six top-10 runners for Concord as the Yellow Jackets ran away with the seven-team meet with 21 points. Courtney Clark was third, ShaylaNeelis was fourth and TeshaNousain fifth for Concord. Hannah Poling finished seventh for fourth-place Addison.

8. SMAA Jamboree @ Stockbridge - Girls Golf (8/24/11) Team Scores • Parma Western 200 • Onsted 208 • Brooklyn Columbia Central 220 • Stockbridge 232 • Concord 254 • Hillsdale 301 • Webberville 0

9. Hanover-Horton makes one score stand in season-opening victory over Concord August 26, 2011 The Hanover-Horton High School football team put together one sustained drive Friday and did it at an opportune time. The drive didn’t produce any points, but the Comets ran off the final 7:18 of the game to secure a 6-0 season-opening victory over Concord. Ryan Wollpert caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Clark Vinton in the second quarter, and Hanover-Horton made it stand up. It was the first time since 1975 the Comets won a game with six points. Hanover-Horton marched from its 11-yard line to Concord’s 24 on the game-ending 12-play drive. Before that, Hanover-Horton had 108 yards of offense and four first downs. “We had moments where we moved the ball well and other moments where we couldn’t do a darned thing,” Hanover-Horton coach Tom Gumper said. “I thought we’d be able to handle them up front. They’re a lot more physical than I had planned on.” Concord totaled 152 yards, including just 48 on the ground. “We hoped to be able to run the football better than we did,” Concord coach Joe Williamson said. “They did a good job blowing us up up front.” Concord was somewhat effective with a short passing game, new quarterback Jesse Brigham completing 11 of 26 for 104 yards. But Tyler Hull and Michael Archer came up with interceptions deep in Hanover-Horton territory in the third quarter. “They’re a veteran team, and they’re bigger than us,” Williamson said. “I’m very pleased with our defensive effort. If you told me we would hold them to six points, I’d say we’d win. “We should have been able to get a few in the end zone. But we’re a young team not used to that pressure. We’ll learn from it and get ready for Springport (next week).” Vinton hit Wollpert in stride over the middle for the touchdown pass early in the second quarter. “They were jumping routes on us a couple times,” Gumper said of the play. “We caught them in their outside set. It was just the right call at the right time against the defense they had.” Concord ran 34 plays to Hanover-Horton’s 16 in the first half. The Yellow Jackets drove to the 3-yard line late in the half but had an incomplete fourth-down pass in the end zone. Late in the third quarter, Concord had a first down at the Hanover-Horton 13 when Archer picked off a pass at the 5 and returned it to the Concord 33. Hanover-Horton converted three third downs on its game-ending drive. The biggest of those was the first, when Concord appeared to have the Comets stopped at the 15 but was called for pass interference. “They played their hearts out,” Williamson said of his 15-man squad. “We have a whole season left to go, and we plan to make some noise in the Big Eight.”

11. Concord Girls Golf finishes 6th at Hanover-Horton Invitational August 29th, 2011 Cascades Golf CourseTeam Scores • Hanover-Horton 373 • Napoleon 384 • Parma Western 418 • Onsted 438 • Jackson 439 • Concord 465 • Brooklyn Columbia Central 467 • Vandercook Lake 477 • Grass Lake 505 • Hillsdale 620

12. Concord Boys Dominate Albion XC Invitational • August 31, 2011 Team Scores • Concord 54 • Eaton Rapids 101 • Albion 109 • Napoleon 112 • Fremont 130 • Marshall 153 • Hanover-Horton 158 • Manchester 160 • Union City 162 • Springport 413 • Lansing Christian 428

13. Concord Girls Finish 5th at Albion Invitational August 31, 2011 • Hanover-Horton 60 • Marshall 98 • Manchester 111 • Napoleon 114 • Concord 123 • Eaton Rapids 126 • Lansing Christian 145 • Fremont 202 • Union City 303 • Springport 326

14. Western High School girls golf wins second SMAA Jamboree of the season, Concord finishes 2nd. August 31st, 2011 White Oaks Golf Club Team Scores Parma Western 202 Concord 205 Brooklyn Columbia Central 216 Onsted 219 Stockbridge 226 Webberville 282 Hillsdale 300 SMAA Jamboree: Western posted 202 at White Oaks Golf Course to win its second consecutive league meet. Jessica Coleman shot 48 for the Panthers, followed by Henley Nowicki with a 49. Concord’s Cassidy Maule was the medalist with a score of 44, leading the Yellow Jackets to a second-place finish at 205. Brittney Stilson added a 48 for Concord.

15. Springport football outgains Concord 285-109 in rushing yards to improve to 2-0 on season September 01, 2011 Springport 34, Concord 12 Keith Nebelung scored two first-quarter touchdowns, including an 81-yard run, to help Springport remain unbeaten at 2-0 on the season. Nebelung, a senior, also scored on a 20-yard in the first quarter as the Spartans rolled out to a 28-0 lead late in the third quarter. Kyle Frizzel and Matt Bates both scored rushing touchdowns as Springport outgained Concord 285-109 in rushing yards. “I thought we had a good game plan going in, and we knew after the first game what guys needed to be in what position,” said Springport coach Matt Schwartzkopf, whose team narrowly beat Vandercook Lake 14-7 last week. “We really just continued all week how we left off in the second half.” Jesse Brigham scored on a 1-yard run for Concord in the third quarter and connected on a 4-yard pass to Tyler Burch for the Yellow Jackets’ two touchdowns. Nebelung finished with 129 yards rushing and completed his only pass attempt to Collin Hawes for 57 yards. He also intercepted a pass by Brigham, who finished with 107 yards passing for Concord (0-2).

17. Concord streaks to finals of JCC Invitational volleyball tournament before falling to Adrian in final September 10, 2011 Concord won six straight matches before bowing to Adrian in the championship match. Andrea Brigham had 51 of Concord’s 165 kills in the tournament. KacyHersha was next with 32 kills, and Emily Sahagian had a team-leading 13 aces. Maycee Brigham led the charges in the back row with 76 digs for the Yellow Jackets (10-4-2). Adrian won the championship match 25-23, 20-25, 18-16. “We were down 13-9 in the third game before putting together a good run,” Concord coach Kathy Lehman said. “Sydney Martines served for five points and had two aces during our comeback, and Maycee Brigham had some big kills.” Concord led 14-13 in the third game of the championship match.

18. Western girls golf makes it four straight victories in SMAA jamborees September 14, 2011 Alyssa Joseph earned medalist honors on Wednesday at Concord Hills Golf Course and helped Western win its fourth straight Southern Michigan Activities Association jamboree. With two more jamborees and the league’s 18-hole final event still to come, Western has 28 points in the league standings to Onsted’s second-place 22. Joseph’s 48 and Jessica Coleman’s 55 led the Panthers to a team score of 221, 14 strokes ahead of Onsted. Cassandra Belen’s 54 helped Columbia Central to a third-place 238. Cassidy Maule shot a 58 to pace fourth-place Concord.

20. Short-handed Concord football falls to undefeated Union City on road September 16, 2011 Union City 41, Concord 12 Zach Thompson scored a pair of late touchdowns for Concord, which trailed 27-0 at halftime. Jesse Brigham completed 13 of his 28 pass attempts for 136 yards but had a pair of interceptions. Concord (0-4, 0-3), which dressed 13 players, had five turnovers. “To give a team like that extra possessions, that takes away 10 to 15 extra play opportunities, and you didn’t do anything with that,” Concord coach Joe Williamson said. Despite being out-manned by nearly 20 players, Williamson said his team fared well against an undefeated opponent. “I have to give the kids a lot of credit,” he said. “They didn’t give up against a pretty good team.”

21. Concord volleyball sweeps Quincy to improve to 2-0 in Big Eight Conference September 20, 2011 •Concord def. Quincy 25-8, 25-15, 25-18 Andrea Brigham and Kacy Hersha had seven kills apiece, and Maycee Brigham and Emily Sahagian each served five aces as Concord moved to 2-0 in the Big Eight Conference.

22. Concord volleyball drops match to Ann Arbor Skyline September 22, 2011 Ann Arbor Skyline def. Concord 25-20, 25-22, 25-21 Maycee Brigham led the Yellow Jackets with 11 digs and three aces.

23. Homer football gets four touchdown passes from Lincoln Hackworth to Ricky Richardson in win over Concord September 23, 2011 Homer 35, Concord 20 Lincoln Hackworth threw four touchdown passes to Ricky Richardson, including three consecutive first-half scores. Hackworth finished with 203 passing yards on 12-for-21 throwing. Richardson had 179 receiving yards. Brooks Bowser led Homer (3-2, 2-2 Big Eight) with 125 rushing yards, and Hackworth added 70 yards and ran in another. Jesse Brigham opened the scoring with a 1-yard run in the first quarter for Concord (0-5, 0-4). “I was impressed with them,” Homer coach Joe Brya said. “Concord never let up. I was pleased with our guys. We overcame the initial blow but came back and answered well.” Brigham also threw a scoring pass to Drew Philson, who had 115 receiving yards in the game. Matt Thompson had the other score for the Yellow Jackets on a 7-yard run.

24. Concord volleyball wins County Invitational championship September 24, 2011 During a break in the County Invitational volleyball tournament, Concord High School coach Kathy Lehman spoke to her team about tradition. Lehman is well-versed in Concord’s storied legacy, which the Yellow Jackets added to Saturday with their record 10th County Invitational championship at Spring Arbor University. Second-seeded Concord dumped top-seeded Lumen Christi 25-15, 25-19 in the finals. Lumen Christi, trying to tie Concord’s record with a ninth county title, instead saw its title drought extended to 16 years. “We really wanted it,” Concord junior Maycee Brigham said. “After coming close last year (losing in the finals), we wanted to win it this year. It’s one of the tournaments we look forward to.” It was the fifth county title as a coach for Lehman, who also played on Concord’s first County Invitational and state championship team in 1986. Although they went unbeaten in three pool play matches, Lehman wasn’t sure the Yellow Jackets were sharp enough to claim the title. “We were a little flat in the morning,” she said. “We talked about tradition, about entering the court with a winning mentality, and against Jackson High (in the semifinals) and Lumen Christi, we did that.” Maycee Brigham, who along with Andrea Brigham led a balanced Concord attack with six kills apiece in the title match, agreed the Yellow Jackets were at their best in that one. “In pool play we weren’t as good as that,” Brigham said. “We’ve been talking about finishing the day, working all the way through, and we finally did it,” Lehman said. “That’s all that matters is how you’re playing at the end. Just like the season.” Concord defeated third-seeded Jackson 25-17, 25-21 while Lumen Christi topped No. 6 seed Grass Lake 25-4, 25-18 in the semifinals. Grass Lake knocked off No. 4 seed and defending champion Columbia Central 25-23, 23-25, 15-8 in the quarterfinals. Concord put Lumen Christi on its heels right away by scoring the first four points, two on aces by Maycee Brigham, and stayed in control the rest of the first game. The Yellow Jackets served five aces in that game and four more in the second game. Lumen Christi had one ace in the match and missed five serves to Concord’s one. Back-to-back aces by Julayne Brigham and another by Sydney Martines helped Concord turn a 10-6 deficit into a 14-12 lead in the second game, and Lumen Christi never pulled even. “We’ve worked a lot on being a strong serving team,” Maycee Brigham said. “We’ve gotten better about thinking about where the weakness is on the court,” Lehman said of Concord’s serving. Kacy Hersha made 34 kills, Andrea Brigham had 30 and Maycee Brigham 27 on the day for Concord, which was the second team in the tournament’s 36-year history to win the title without having a member on the all-tournament team selected by the coaches.

25. Concord boys cross country wins its 21st consecutive Big Eight jamboree September 27, 2011 In the first boys Big Eight Conference jamboree, Spencer Nousain led Concord its 21st consecutive jamboree win as he finished first with a time of 16:22. Concord finished with 28 points to easily outdistance runner-up Jonesville. Sam Comden (fourth), Parker Saenz (sixth), Jesse Hersha (eighth) and Jacob Hall (ninth) all finished in the top 10 for Concord. Jonesville was led by Brad Briner, who was third in 17:20, and Kage Johnson, who was 10th in 17:51.

26. Homer girls cross country ends Concord's 13-jamboree win streak in Big Eight Conference September 27, 2011 Concord High School girls cross country coach David Jordon thought Homer had a talented team this year. The Trojans showed him Tuesday just how right he was. Homer broke Concord’s 13-jamboree win streak in the Big Eight Conference after placing four runners in the top five to win the first league meet of the season. Amanda Reagle and Jessica Reagle finished first and second, respectively, with times of 20 minutes, 21 seconds and 20:48. Homer scored 33 points to Concord’s 41 as the teams combined for seven of the top nine positions. Bailey Manis (fourth) and Johnica March (fifth) placed in the top five for Homer. “We knew it would be a challenge,” Jordon said. “We knew they would be a tough team and somebody who would contend for the Big Eight this year.” Sydnee Hubbard finished third for the Yellow Jackets, who have won the last three league titles. Courtney Clark (sixth) and Jessica Saldana (ninth) were in the top 10 for Concord.

27. Concord volleyball stays perfect in Big Eight with sweep against Union City September 27, 2011 Concord def. Union City 25-14, 25-11, 25-15: Andrea Brigham had 12 kills and Sydney Martines had seven aces and three blocks for Concord (19-6-2, 3-0 Big Eight).

28. Concord volleyball sweeps rival Hanover-Horton September 29, 2011 Concord def. Hanover-Horton 25-13, 25-17, 25-11 Andrea Brigham finished with 13 kills and three aces as the Yellow Jackets improved to 20-6-2. Alyssa Fausneaucht had six kills and Katie St. John made 14 digs for the Comets (8-15-4).

29. Concord football shuts out Jonesville for first victory of season September 30, 2011 Concord 16, Jonesville 0 Concord won its first game of the season despite gaining only 193 yards of total offense. “The kids played with a belief they haven’t had all year,” Concord coach Joe Williamson said. “The first five games, they were waiting to see how good the other team was.” Leading 8-0 in the fourth quarter, Jesse Brigham hooked up with Chevy Burk for a 61-yard touchdown pass when two Jonesville defenders collided with each other on the play. Brigham scored Concord’s first touchdown on a 4-yard run in the second quarter. Concord (1-5, 1-4 Big Eight) got a key stop late in the first half, when Drew Philson prevented a touchdown by stripping the ball from a Jonesville ball carrier as the Comets (1-5, 1-4) were on the 1-yard line. “Defensively, we did a great job of making plays,” Williamson said. “Once they got near the goal line, our kids really toughened up.”

30. Lumen Christi girls cross country wins Division 3-4 race at Haslett Invitational October 01, 2011 Lumen Christi put four runners in the top 10 and won the Haslett Invitational Division 3-4 race with 33 points. Mickey Ludlow of Lumen Christi won the race in 19:28, with Stockbridge’s Lindsay Poll second in 19:46. “(Ludlow) ran a smart race,” Lumen Christi coach Mike Woolsey said. “She worked the middle to take the lead the last half of the race.” Caitlin Clark was third and Leanne Leuthard took fifth for Lumen Christi, with Sydnee Hubbard fourth for Concord. Stockbridge was second with 53 points, and Concord took third with 70. 

31. Concord boys cross country wins Division 3-4 race at Haslett Invitational October 01, 2011 Concord, ranked No. 1 in Division 4 by MichiganCrossCountry.com, lived up to its ranking by placing first in the eight-team Division 3-4 meet at the Haslett Invitational. Spencer Nousain of Concord was first in 16:07. Rounding out the top five were Stephan Biggs of Addison (16:12), Parker Saenz of Concord (16:55), Kyle Losey of Stockbridge (17:01) and Alec Armstrong of Stockbridge (17:08). Concord, with five of the top eight finishers, scored 25 points. Hemlock was a distant second with 63, while Stockbridge was third with 67 and Lumen Christi fourth with 88. Karl Berkemeier was Lumen Christi’s top finisher, taking ninth in 17:24. In Division 1-2, Northwest finished ninth out of 18 teams. Pat Spitler was the Mounties’ top finisher in 29th in 17:51.

32. Concord Volleyball wins second straight tournament October 01, 2011 Hillsdale Invitational Concord dropped one game in five matches on the way to its second straight tournament title. Concord topped Hillsdale 25-9, 25-11 in the finals after a 25-17, 25-23 victory over Hillsdale Academy in the semifinals. Andrea Brigham had 30 kills and 31 digs, Maycee Brigham had 18 kills, nine aces and 45 digs, and Sydney Martines had 20 kills and 12 aces on her birthday for Concord. “(Martines) had a really good match in the final,” Concord coach Kathy Lehman said.

33. Western girls golf finishes second in final 18-hole league meet, captures SMAA championship October 04, 2011 SMAA Tournament: Alyssa Joseph shot 95 at Lakeland Hills Golf Course to lead Western to a second-place finish at the season-ending league tournament. The Panthers earned the league championship by winning five of the six league jamborees throughout the season. Western shot 426 in the final meet, falling 12 strokes short of Onsted’s 414. Concord finished with 454 to take third at the league meet, and Columbia Central was fourth with 479. Joseph was one of only four golfers to break 100 and finished four strokes behind Onsted’s Majerle Slater’s medalist-winning 91. Lauren Sutter shot 97 for Stockbridge.

34. Concord Volleyball sweeps away Homer, stays on collision course with three-time league champ Athens October 04, 2011 Concord def. Homer 25-9, 25-11, 25-12: Concord remained on a collision course with three-time defending champion Athens in the Big Eight Conference. The two teams are 4-0 in league matches with two more to play before they meet in the regular-season finale. Kacy Hersha had eight kills and Sydney Martines served six aces for Concord.

35. Girls Golf Regionals Team Scores • Jackson Lumen Christi 356 • Hillsdale Academy 384 • Hanover-Horton 393 • Napoleon 399 • East Jackson 418 • Williamston 422 • Onsted 422 • Vandercook Lake 453 • Concord 467 • Brooklyn Columbia Central 471 • Grass Lake 485 • Addison 536 • Hudson 561 • Michigan Center 999

36. Concord football shut out in loss to Reading, which clinches playoff berth with victory October 07, 2011 Reading 59, Concord 0 Reading jumped out to a 34-0 hafltime lead and clinched a playoff berth by improving to 6-1 overall, 5-1 in the Big Eight Conference. The Rangers held the Yellow Jackets to 112 total yards of offense, with Jesse Brigham accounting for 98 of those yards through the air. Zach Thompson had 16 rushing yards to pace Concord (1-6, 1-5), which was in the red zone twice in the first quarter and failed to score. “To get that close twice and walk away without any points, it takes it out of you,” Concord coach Joe Wiliamson said.

38. Concord girls cross country fifth at Portage October 08, 2011 Sydnee Hubbard took 17th in 20:19 to lead Concord to fifth place as the top five ranked teams in Division 4 finished in that order in the Portage Invitational. The Yellow Jackets scored 170 points and finished two points behind fourth-place Saugatuck. “It was a great day for us as a team,” Concord coach David Jordan said. “Our goal was to beat Saugatuck, and we were right there.”

39. Concord boys cross country lives up to No. 1 ranking with victory in Division 4 at Portage October 08, 2011 The Portage Invitational cross country meet gathers most of the state’s top teams and lets them know where they stand a month before the state meet. For the Concord High School boys and Lumen Christi and Hanover-Horton girls, the news was good Saturday. Concord’s boys lived up to their No. 1 state ranking by winning the Division 4 race. Spencer Nousain won the Division 4 boys race in 15:52 despite recently battling illness, and teammate Jesse Hersha was ninth in 16:50 to lead Concord to first place with 73 points. Second-ranked Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart was second with 97. “We eased up a little on (Nousain’s) training for the last week and a half, trying to get him feeling better from being sick but also feeling better for the regional and state meets,” Concord coach David Jordon said. Eight of the 10 ranked teams were in the race. “If anything, it increases our confidence going ahead,” Jordon said.

40. Concord volleyball beats Jonesville to remain tied for Big Eight Conference lead October 11, 2011 Concord def. Jonesville 25-15, 25-14, 25-9:Kacy Hersha had 12 kills and six blocks as Concord remained tied for the Big Eight Conference lead. The Yellow Jackets (31-7-3, 5-0 Big Eight) trailed 15-11 in the first game before Megan Redman served out the game, including four of her six aces on the night.

41. Concord boys cross country places four runners in top five to easily win Big Eight jamboree October 11, 2011 Concord ran away with the race, scoring 23 points, while Quincy was a distant second with 78. Concord’s Spencer Nousain finished first in 16:47, followed by teammates Jacob Hull in third in 17:24, Jesse Hersha fourth in 17:29 and Sam Comden fifth in 17:35. Brad Briner was sixth for Jonesville at 17:41.

42. Concord Volleyball beats Lenawee Christian October 13, 2011 Concord def. Lenawee Christian 25-19, 29-27, 25-20 A hobbled Andrea Brigham led Concord (32-7-3) with 11 kills, and Sydney Martines added nine kills with three aces. Brigham’s status was uncertain because of an ankle injury suffered in the Yellow Jackets’ last match. “Everyone stepped up around Andrea,” Concord coach Kathy Lehman said.

43. Concord football loses after Athens turns two fumbles into touchdowns in final four minutes October 14, 2011 Athens 26, Concord 20 Concord dropped a tough one by losing two fumbles that led to Athens touchdowns in the final four minutes. The Yellow Jackets led 20-12 and had the ball before Athens stripped it and ran it back to the 10-yard line, leading to a touchdown making it 20-18. Concord stopped the two-point conversion attempt to keep the lead, but the Yellow Jackets fumbled again, and Athens scored the game-winning touchdown on a pass with 30 seconds left. “We had our best defensive backs on it, and they made the play,” Concord coach Joe Williamson said. Trailing 6-0 in the third quarter, Concord drove to the Athens 3 but couldn’t score. From there, Athens recovered its own fumble and took it 97 yards for a touchdown.Concord answered with a 65-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Matt DeHaven and then touchdowns by Tyler Burch and Drew Philson in the fourth quarter to take the 20-12 lead. Philson was Concord’s first 100-yard rusher this season with 13 carries for 100 yards, and he caught seven passes for 55 yards. Both teams are 1-7 overall and finished 1-6 in the Big Eight Conference.

44. Top-ranked Concord boys cross country wins Div. 3-4 race at Sturgis Invitational October 15, 2011 Concord topped a five-team field in the Division 3-4 race at the Sturgis Invitational by placing three runners in the top 10. Concord, the state’s No. 1 team in Division 4, scored 41 points to Lumen Christi’s 51 and Hillsdale’s 64. Spencer Nousain of Concord won the race in 16:12, with teammates Jesse Hersha fourth and Jacob Hall seventh. Hillsdale’s Zach Hardway was second, 19 seconds behind Nousain, and Jonesville’s Brad Briner took third. Karl Berkemeier was fifth and Charlie Ludlow sixth for Lumen Christi.

45. Concord volleyball beats Reading to set up big match with Athens next Tuesday October 18, 2011 Concord def. Reading 25-17, 25-16, 25-14 Concord remained tied with Athens atop the Big Eight Conference. Both teams are 6-0 heading into their match next Tuesday at Concord, with the conference tournament to follow to determine the league champion. Kacy Hersha had nine kills and Andrea Brigham had six for Concord. Emily Sahagian led Concord (33-7-3) with 12 digs, while Maycee Brigham added 11 to go along with four aces. Sydney Martines also served four aces.

46. Concord boys cross country wins sixth consecutive Big Eight Conference championship October 18, 2011 Concord’s boys won their sixth consecutive championship as senior Spencer Nousain earned the Most Valuable Runner award. Nousain won all four Big Eight jamborees this season. Concord’s boys extended their run of Big Eight jamboree wins to 24 as they won their sixth consecutive conference title. The Yellow Jackets scored 22 points in the final jamboree to easily out-distance runner-up Jonesville with 80. Concord finished the four-jamboree season with 96 points, while Jonesville was second with 308. The last time a Concord runner did not finish first at a Big Eight jamboree was in 2007, Kyle Stacks’ sophomore year. Since then, either Stacks or Nousain has won each meet. Nousain won Tuesday’s meet in 16:16, followed by freshman Jesse Hersha at 16:31. Junior Parker Saenz was fourth in 16:46, and freshman Jacob Hall was sixth in 16:50. Five of Concord’s runners were all-conference, including Sam Comden, who sat out Tuesday’s race. “It’s been an amazing season,” Nousain said. “I’ll be honest, I never thought we were going to be this good, and it’s such a great surprise, especially since this is my last year.” Brad Briner was fifth in 16:48 and Kage Johnson 11th in 17:27 for Jonesville.

47. Concord volleyball wipes out defending Big Eight champion Athens in three to pave road to league title October 25, 2011 If there is going to be any drama in the battle for the Big Eight Conference volleyball championship, it will have to wait until Saturday. There was none to be found Tuesday at Concord High School in a showdown for first place. Concord made sure of that, controlling the match virtually from start to finish in a 25-11, 25-11, 25-21 dismantling of Athens. Concord finished the Big Eight regular season with a 7-0 record, while three-time defending champion Athens went 6-1. The regular season and conference tournament Saturday at Homer each count half toward the final standings. That means Concord, which did not drop a game in winning its seven Big Eight matches, would clinch at least a share of the championship by making it to the tournament finals. That would end a three-year title drought — Concord’s longest since winning the first of its 22 Big Eight titles in 1981. “ This was the major goal for the girls from the beginning of the year,” Concord coach Kathy Lehman said. “They didn’t care about districts or anything else. Their goal was to win the Big Eight.” That, of course, is subject to review, and the Yellow Jackets could be expected to reset their sights if they continue to play at the level they are. “It’s a stepping stone,” Concord middle hitter Kacy Hersha said. Hersha was one of three seniors honored before their final home match. “You couldn’t ask for anything better,” Hersha said. “We’ve always lost to Athens, so we just said we’re going to win. We had a pep assembly, and that picked our spirits up. That was everything we needed.” Hersha made seven kills and a team-high three block kills to spearhead Concord’s block that had Athens’ hitters frustrated most of the night. Concord was sharp in every phase of the game, outserving Athens, pounding kills and placing tips with far fewer errors than the Indians. “We passed well,” Lehman said. “If we pass, we can set and hit, and we did a great job of passing.” Andrea Brigham had 12 kills and Maycee Brigham eight as Concord totaled 35 kills to 16 for Athens. “We’ve talked about entering the game with an aggressive attitude and maintaining it,” Lehman said. “We’ve been doing that better and better all season. These girls are aggressive by nature.” The only time Concord trailed in the first two games was 1-0 in the second game. The Yellow Jackets scored the first six points of the match and led the first game 14-2. The second game was more of the same, as Concord took an 8-1 lead and never saw the margin get below six points. Maycee Brigham’s seven-point service run put Concord ahead 20-12 in the third game. Trailing 22-13, Athens made its only charge of the night to pull within 23-21 before missing a serve, and Concord finished it with one more block.