March 2020 Issue of Varsity Monthly Thumb Magazine

FREE 

PROUD TO COVER HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS IN THE THUMB 

March 2020 | Volume 8 Issue 3 

FREE 

FINISH 

STRONG 

VIEW FREE ONLINE AT WWW.VARSITYMONTHLYTHUMB.COM PURCHASE PRINTS AT WWW.MISPORTSPHOTOS.COM CONTACT US AT 989-673-5826 March 2020 1

2 March 2020 CONTACT US AT 989-673-5826 VIEW FREE ONLINE AT WWW.VARSITYMONTHLYTHUMB.COM PURCHASE PRINTS AT WWW.MISPORTSPHOTOS.COM

Owner Jason Parmenter 

Magazine Design Alissa Klee 

Photo Editor Kaitlin Gunsell 

Office Manager Brenda Tomlinson 

Regularly Contributing Photographers 

Kaitlin Gunsell - Kaitlin’s Klicks 

Thomas Vogt - Quad N Productions 

Gary Koelzer - Gary Koelzer Photography 

Jason Parmenter - Quad N Productions 

Find our photos for sale at: 

www.misportsphotos.com 

View online at 

www.varsitymonthlythumb.com 

Varsity Monthly Thumb has no liability for 

content, representations in advertisements, 

and articles may not express the opinion 

of the editors/publishers/owners. It is the 

buyer’s sole responsibility to clarify any and 

all advertising representations. Any burden of 

proof rests solely on the advertisers. 

Varsity Monthly Thumb reserves the right 

to edit or refuse any advertising or articles 

submitted for publication. We do not assume 

any liability for errors, but will correct it in 

next issue or a credit will be negotiated. 

Designs by Varsity Monthly Thumb are the 

property of Varsity Monthly Thumb. 

Articles, editorials opinions in Varsity 

Monthly Thumb do not necessarily reflect the 

opinions of the staff of Varsity Monthly Thumb 

or the publishers. 

Copyright by Quad N Productions, LLC. All 

or part of Varsity Monthly Thumb, including 

photographs, stories and logos, cannot be 

reprinted without permission. 

Varsity Monthly Thumb is published 12 

times a year by Quad N Productions, LLC, 189 

N State St., Caro, MI 48723 

Phone: 989-673-5826 

••••••••••••••••• 

Would you like to distribute 

Varsity Monthly Thumb 

at your business? 

Just e-mail us at 

Brenda@varsitymonthlythumb.com 

••••••••••••••••• 

Inside 

What’s 

7 Brown City 

8 Caro 

10 Millington 

12 Cass City 

14 Frankenmuth 

16 Reese 

18 Sandusky 

20 Cros-Lex 

21 North Branch 

22 Bad Axe 

24 Vassar 

25 Ubly 

26 Caro 

28 Cass City 

30 Caseville 

31 Owen-Gage 

32 North Huron 

33 Harbor Beach 

34 Lakers 

36 Deckerville 

37 Peck 

38 Marlette 

40 Cros-Lex 

42 USA 

44 CPS 

45 Akron-Farigrove 

46 Kingston 

47 Mayville 

48 North Branch 

50 Bad Axe 

52 Caro 

54 Sandusky 

55 Vassar 

56 Frankenmuth 

58 Port Huron Northern 

60 John Glenn High School 

61 Bay City All Saints 

62 Arthur Hill 

Winter Sports 

COVER IMAGE: Tyson Steinman, Lakers 

Varsity Wrestling, Wins match on 2-15-20. 

Photo By: Kaitlin Gunsell 

Basketball tends to be the most 

popular winter sport, but we continue 

to be amazed at how many area 

athletes participate in a variety of 

other winter sports. This issue we 

worked hard to cover the athletes from 

our area that are involved in Wrestling, 

Bowling, Swim, Competitive Cheer, 

Pompons, Dance Teams, Gymnastics, 

and Powerlifting. All of these sports 

seem to be growing in popularity in our 

coverage area, and if you haven’t been to 

one of these types of competitions, you 

really need to go and experience it in 

person. Thank you to all of the coaches, 

parents, and athletes that helped us to 

be able to cover these sports this past 

month, and a huge thank you to our 

advertisers that allow us to continue to 

showcase our area athletes!

VG’s GROCERY 

PLAYERS OF THE MONTH 

Winners are selected for their athletic accomplishments, leadership roles, and 

community impact as the Players of the Month. Not only are the players of the 

month featured in the magazine and recieve a Player of the Month T-Shirt, VG’s also 

provide’s each athlete with a $25 gift card! 

GRACE 

MIDDLETON 

MAYVILLE 

WRESTLING 

JOSH SMITH 

THUMB AREA 

LEGION-SANDUSKY 

HOCKEY 

MAYVILLE SENIOR GRACE MIDDLETON HAS 

BEEN AROUND THE SPORT OF WRESTLING FOR 

A GOOD PORTION OF HER LIFE. 

“Grace was actually our team’s statistician,” said Wildcats 

wrestling coach Mark Cooper. “She wrestled on our team up 

through junior high and was a member of our youth wrestling 

club since she was a young girl. She is on our basketball team 

this year and worked out with us the month prior to the girls 

wrestling state finals. She has been around wrestling for a long 

time, as her brother Luke was a standout on our team and was 

wrestling in high school when Grace was on our youth and junior 

high teams.” 

Middleton’s dedication to the sport paid off this year, as she 

earned a runner-up finish at the Michigan Wrestling Association 

Girls State Finals this past month, in the 184-pound weight class. 

Middleton earned a pin in the opening round over Alexis Gerth 

of Kenowa Hills, and then earned another pin in the quarterfinals 

against Olivia Nims of Webberville. 

She defeated Avery Drake of Monroe in the semifinals, before 

finally falling in the finals against Kailyn Garrett of South Lyon. 

As a junior, Middleton earned a sixth-place finish at the MWA 

Girls Wrestling State Finals. 

According to Cooper, Middleton is just as important to Mayville 

on the mat as she is off the mat. 

“Grace is a pretty incredible student athlete,” he said. “She has 

a 4.08 grade point average and scored an amazing 1370 on her 

SAT and may be headed to the Naval Academy this fall. She is a 

role model for students and athletes and has worked very hard 

to improve on her skills on the mat and in the class room.” 

Middleton, who is the valedictorian for the class of 2020 at 

Mayville, is also a member of the girls basketball team. 

“She sometimes approaches the basketball court the same way 

she approaches the wrestling mat,” Cooper joked. “She can pick 

up fouls pretty quick!” 

IN JUST THE SECOND SEASON OF EXISTENCE, 

THE EASTERN THUMB AREA LEGION HOCKEY 

TEAM MADE MAJOR STRIDES AS A PROGRAM. 

One of the major reasons for being able to do so was goaltender 

Josh Smith. “He was very important for us this year,” said Legion 

head coach Larry Camp. “He was excellent. He’s only a tenth 

grader this year, but he did a great job. He got better and better, 

he improved from last year, and he works hard. He was our only 

goalie, so we needed him to be good and he delivered.” 

The Eastern Thumb Area Legion hockey team, a co-op between 

Croswell-Lexington, Deckerville, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port, Marlette, 

Sandusky and Ubly, was started last season, and finished with a 

2-16-1 overall record. 

Smith split time in net with another goaltender during that 

season. This year, he emerged as the starting goalie, leading the 

team to nine victories, a seven-win improvement. 

“He’s been a good goaltender for us from day one,” Camp said. 

“We knew all along that he’s a hard worker, that he wanted to 

do well and he really has done great things for us, especially this 

year.” Camp noted that one of Smith’s best performances of the 

season actually came in a 4-2 loss to Mt. Pleasant. 

As an Independent team, the Legion must face much bigger 

schools, including Mt. Pleasant. 

Camp said that Smith faced nearly 80 shots on goal in the 

contest. Smith, who goes to Sandusky, has two years remaining 

with the Legion, and Camp hopes he continues to be a building 

block for the program. 

“He’s going to be extremely important for us,” Camp said. “Here in 

the Thumb, we don’t have an overabundance of hockey players to 

begin with and goalies are even more rare. So, having Josh, we’ve 

been very fortunate.” 



ADVERTISER OF THE MONTH 

Varsity Monthly Thumb is pleased to announce The Harvest Coffeehouse as our Advertiser of the Month. 

The Harvest has two locations, Frankenmuth since June of 2013, and Caro since November of 2016. Owned 

and operated by Shannon Brown, both locations offer specialty coffees and coffee based drinks, such as 

espresso, cappuccinos, mochas, breve, and lattes. In addition, the Caro location offers premium subs, salads, 

paninis, breakfast sandwiches, bottomless pancakes & sweets as well as a selection of craft beer, bourbon and 

wine. The Caro location also is a great site to host your business or personal event with a generous outdoor 

area. Both locations now offer a selection of Gluten-Free and keto muffin options. Our friends at The Harvest 

enjoy getting involved with their communities, hosting “Free Friday Movie Nights” in Frankenmuth, making 

donations to charities and looking for opportunities to serve. It is this same desire for community involvement 

that motivates The Harvest to advertise in Varsity Monthly Thumb magazine. Please help us thank The Harvest 

Coffeehouse for being a faithful advertiser, stop in for a cup of coffee or a specialty drink. 

$1.00 off 

EXPIRATION 

YOUR ORDER, ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER PER TRANSACTION. 

DATE APRIL 15, 2020 


BROWN 

CITY 

WRESTLING 

1-15-20 BROWN CITY TRI 

Photography by Thomas Vogt 


CARO 

BOWLING 

1-16-20 CASS CITY AT CARO 



Alissa Klee Design 

Graphic Design & Marketing Specialist 

alissakleedesign | almaeklee@gmail.com 


MILLINGTON 

WRESTLING 

1-4-20 SANDUSKY WRESTLING INVITATIONAL 




CASS CITY 

WRESTLING 

12-18-19 MAYVILLE QUAD 

Photography by Kaitlin Gunsell 


Reggie Ignash 

covers Michigan 

Auto, Home, Life, Business, 

Farm and more 

(989) 872-4432 

6505 Main St., Cass City 

rignash@fbinsmi.com 

ReggieIgnashAgency.com 


FRANKENMUTH 

WRESTLING 

12-14-19 FRANKENMUTH TOURNAMENT 




REESE 

BOWLING 

1-9-20 NORTH HURON INVITE 




SANDUSKY 

WRESTLING 

1-4-20 SANDUSKY INVITE 



Proudly Supporting 

Our Redskins! 

307 Sanilac Rd. 

(810) 648-3030 


CROS-LEX 

POWERLIFTING 

2-1-20 REGIONAL 

Photography by Gary Koelzer 


NORTH 

BRANCH 

POWERLIFTING 

2-1-20 REGIONAL 

Photography by Gary Koelzer 


BAD AXE 

WRESTLING 

1-15-20 BROWN CITY TRI 




VASSAR 

GYMNASTICS 

1-7-20 VASSAR INVITE 

Photography by Jason Parmenter 


UBLY 

WRESTLING 

2-15-20 DISTRICTS AT NEW LOTHROP 


A MORTGAGE MADE FOR YOU 

No matter what phase of life you’re in, Northstar Bank 

has a mortgage to meet your needs. 

• Home purchase 

• Home refinance 

• Construction loans 

Speak with one of our mortgage lenders today! 

Loans are subject to credit approval. 

Equal Housing Lender. Member FDIC 


CARO 

WRESTLING 

12-14-19 CARO TOURNAMENT 


Kristina M. Chapelo 

Ph: 989-553-2428 Fax: 989-672-6052 

Associate Broker, Real Estate One-Caro 

kristinachapelo@realestateone.net 

361 N State St, #4, Caro, MI 48723 


25 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL, COURTEOUS SERVICE 


CASS CITY 

GYMNASTICS 

1-7-20 VASSAR INVITE 




CASEVILLE 

GIRLS BASKETBALL 

2-10-20 CASEVILLE AT OWEN-GAGE 



OWENGAGE 


2-10-20 CASEVILLE AT OWEN-GAGE 



NORTH 

HURON 

BOWLING 

2-8-20 SINGLES AT SANDUSKY 



HARBOR 

BEACH 

BOWLING 

2-6-20 BOYS POSITION 


Orthopedic Services 

Dr. Branislav Behan 

Harbor Beach Medical Clinic 

(989)479-3291 

Services Include: 

• Joint Injury • Fracture Care • Joint Revisions 

• Joint Replacements • Arthroscopic Procedures 

• Hand Surgery • Robotic-Assisted Knee Surgery 

Your Safe Harbor for Great Healthcare! 


LAKERS 

WRESTLING 





DECKERVILLE 


2-10-20 DECKERVILLE AT PECK 



PECK 


2-10-20 DECKERVILLE AT PECK 



MARLETTE 

WRESTLING 




PURCHASE PRINTS AT 

MISPORTSPHOTOS.COM 


CROS-LEX 

COMPETETIVE CHEER 

1-29-20 BWAC TOURNAMENT 




USA 

BOWLING 



Your local agent insures your 

and more 

David Soper 

1701 W. Caro Road 

Caro 

989-673-5588 

dsoper@fbinsmi.com 

DavidWSoperAgency.com 



CARSONVILLE 

PORT SANILAC 

BOWLING 




AKRON- 

FAIRGROVE 


AKRON-FAIRGROVE AT OWENGAGE 



KINGSTON 

CHEER 

1-3 BROWN CITY AT KINGSTON 



MAYVILLE 

WRESTLING 




NORTH 

BRANCH 


1-29-20 BWAC TOURNAMENT 



Best Wishes Teams! 

Proud Community Supporter 


BAD AXE 

BOWLING 

1-9-20 NORTH HURON INVITE 




CARO 

SWIM 

2-28-20 ISC PRELIMS AT SVSU 


Your local agent insures your 

and more 

David Soper 

1701 W. Caro Road 

Caro 

989-673-5588 

dsoper@fbinsmi.com 

DavidWSoperAgency.com 



SANDUSKY 


1-9-20 GTC MEET AT VASSAR 



VASSAR 


1-9-20 GTC MEET AT VASSAR 



FRANKENMUTH 

COMPETITIVE CHEER 

2-12-20 SWAN VALLEY INVITE 




PORT HURON 

NORTHERN 

GYMNASTICS 

2-5-20 CASS CITY AT PHN 




JOHN 

GLENN 

BOYS BASKETBALL 

1-28-20 ARTHUR HILL AT JOHN GLENN 



BAY CITY 

ALL SAINTS 

POMPON 

2-25-20 AT ALL SAINTS CENTRAL 



ARTHUR HILL 

WRESTLING 

2-12-20 AT HERITAGE

March 2020 Issue of Varsity Monthly Thumb Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?