He was born Leland Stanford MacPhail in Cass City, Michigan. He acquired the name, Larry, when he was officiating Big Ten football games and he was listed in a program as Lawrence. His friends shortened it to Larry and it stuck. His father, C.W. MacPhail, was the founder of the p ...Read More...

Ruben Gomez was one of the most loved and respected coaches and teachers in Mason County. He coached track and cross country for 37 years at Mason County Eastern and Ludington high schools where his team won many league titles. “One year in high school, I had Mr. Gomez for shop ...Read More...

The versatile Jamie Melchert earned all-conference honors in softball four times, in basketball and in volleyball twice. She was also all-area in volleyball twice and in softball twice.  Felled by a serious injury, Melchert dropped out of school, taking a rare ‘red-shirt’ ye ...Read More...

Kyle Cameron is the 2007 Mason County Central Senior Athlete Award winner and the school’s Senior Academic Athlete Award winner owns a 3.86 grade point average.  In basketball, he was all-conference and all-area in 2006 and 2007 and received all-state mention in 2007.  He was ...Read More...

A four-time all-conference player in softball, Stefanie Morong holds every pitching record in Central’s record book. She was also a two-time all-area selection and was all-league in basketball in 2005 and all-league, all-area and an all-state honorable mention in volleyball in ...Read More...

In the early 1970s when girls' athletics in Michigan were just getting their legs, Free Soil's Helen Shereda was off and flying. With her long arms and legs flapping, she flew like a giant, unstoppable bird across the basketball courts and softball diamonds of West Michigan. At 6 ...Read More...

Joe Kowatch was an outstanding athlete. Born in Ionia, he attended Ionia High School where he participated in football, basketball, baseball and track. He excelled in football as a halfback. Joe's older brother, John, played fullback and his younger brother, Al, was also a halfba ...Read More...

On an unseasonably cold day in the spring of 1979, Mason County Central girls track and field coach Gerry Genter thought it would speed things along if the two-mile races for boys and girls were combined in their dual meet with North Muskegon. "Their (athletic director) came up t ...Read More...

A two-time all-state basketball player at Ludington High, Mike Larsen set records for the most points scored in a career (1,336) and in a game (45). He also set records for rebounds in a career (1,097), a season (460) and a game (30). Mike led the Orioles to a 19-4 finish and a b ...Read More...

The oldest of three baseball-playing brothers from Free Soil who competed for Central Michigan University, Steve Papes earned All-America honors in 1970, when he was the most valuable player and captain on a 36-4 Chippewa squad. "A great deal of the success we had this season was ...Read More...