Football

Perhaps no person is as synonymous as the voice of Ludington football and basketball as Rod Beckman. For 40 years, Beckman was the play-by-play voice of both programs on the airwaves of WKLA and for a year of basketball at WMOM. And when he wasn't delivering sports on the air, he continued to play in a sport where he excelled — baseball and softball. He was a member of the Custer VFW teams long ...Read More...

Don Stokely keeps a watchful eye of the baseball diamond at the corner of Gaylord and Lowell streets. That diamond bears his name after he oversaw the Ludington baseball program for 33 years. Stokely compiled a record of 452 wins and 288 losses and saw his teams win 11 league titles, six district titles and one regional crown. He was a regional coach of the year in 2001 and was the Class A & B Mus ...Read More...

Payton Tyndall accumulated six letters during his high school career in cross country, basketball, baseball and football. In basketball, he earned honors from the West Michigan Conference, all-district from the coaches and all-area from the Ludington Daily News. In baseball, Tyndall was all-conference honorable mention and all-district. Tyndall has spent time with 4-H, in the Mason County Reform C ...Read More...

Brandon Melchert lettered three times in both baseball and football and twice in basketball. In football, he was the team’s co-captain and most valuable defensive player. As a junior, he was first team All-West Michigan Conference, all-district and all-area in baseball, earning the team’s Most Valuable Player Award. He also earned All-WMC Scholar Athlete honors in each of his varsity se ...Read More...

A 1963 graduate of Mason County Eastern, Rich Leonard was one of that school's finest all-around athletes. He was the leading scorer and rebounder during one of Eastern's most successful runs in basketball. He was also an outstanding athlete in track and field, baseball, and football. Growing up on a farm in Fountain, Leonard grew into a 6-foot, 3-inch, 220-pound slugger who is arguably the finest ...Read More...

Jay Stielstra participated in track and field, football and basketball in all four years of his high school career. In track and field, he long-jumped 22 feet, 9 5/8 inches, setting a school and Mason County record that still stands. It is the oldest county record still standing. In 1950, Stielstra was the Class B state champion in the 180-yard hurdles with a time of 20.9 seconds. In 1951, he fini ...Read More...

Bob Organ earned all-state honors in 1989 and 1990 in football and was a member of the Detroit News Blue-Chip team signifying the best 11 players in Michigan. He was also listed as one of the top 100 prep players in the nation by Street & Smith magazine. His junior year he caught 13 passes for 215 yards and five touchdowns and Ludington, which was 9-1, was champion of the Seaway Conference. Th ...Read More...

A three sport athlete, Weston Squires showed great leadership skills in his high school career as he was selected to be Team Captain in all three sports. He earned varsity letters in football (2 years), basketball (2 years), and track (4 years). In football, Weston earned all-conference honors as a tight-end and was an all-conference scholar athlete in both football and basketball. Weston truly ex ...Read More...

Noah Dobrzelewski brought leadership to the field and the pool in his years at Ludington High School as he competed in football, swimming and diving and track and field. Dobrzelewski swam for four seasons for Ludington, earning the Coaches' Award in his ninth grade year and following that with Most Valuable Swimmer honors his sophomore through senior years. Dobrzelewski also earned honorable me ...Read More...

Long before Dr. Howard Hoffman became a prominent physician in Ludington, Hoffman was a standout athlete at Ludington and then at the University of Michigan. He played three seasons for Ludington High School's football team and was the captain for two of those. He also ran track for Ludington. At Michigan, though, is where Hoffman had an incredible run. He was on the university's track team with h ...Read More...