February 2023 Issue of Varsity Monthly Thumb Magazine

FREE 

PROUD TO COVER HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS IN THE THUMB 

February 2023 | Volume 11 Issue 2 

FREE 

Check out more 

photos here: 

DRIVE

Owner Jason Parmenter 

Magazine Design Alyssa Buhl 

Photo Editor Kaitlin Gunsell 

Office Manager Brenda Tomlinson 

Regularly Contributing Photographers 

Kaitlin Gunsell - Kaitlin’s Klicks 

Jason Parmenter - Quad N Productions 

Paul Adams - Quad N Productions 

Mallory Hughes - Quad N Productions 

Jeff Caverly - Jeff Caverly Photography 

Find our photos for sale at: 

www.misportsphotos.com 

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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 

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Caro 

Lakers 

Cass City 

Sandusky 

Deckerville 

Kingston 

Ubly 

Cass City 

Harbor Beach 

Vassar 

Bad Axe 

Caro 

Cass City 

Cros-Lex 

North Branch 

Marlette 

CPS 

Caseville 

Mayville 

North Huron 

Reese 

Millington 

USA 

Owen-Gage 

Akron-Fairgrove 

Brown City 

Peck 

Caro 

Frankenmuth 

DRIVE 

Congratulations coach Al DeMott! 

Al set the record for most wins all-time in 

Michigan High School Athletic Association girls 

basketball history, with 798. 

The next week, he and his players reached 

the 800 win mark! 

COVER IMAGE: 

1-17-23 Saylor Cuthrell drives against Caro. 

Photo by Jason Parmenter 

Coming out of Christmas Break, it was full 

steam ahead with our photographers out 

covering events almost every night. 

Athletes and coaches are focused and 

driving forward towards improving each 

game, and slowly starting to think about 

the postseason. We are fortunate enough 

to have a group of passionate individuals 

that enjoy covering games, editing photos, 

creating special collages/posters/projects 

for families, assembling the magazine, and 

working with our advertisers every month. 

We are still looking for additional advertisers 

so that we can continue covering our local 

athletes, and please be sure to thank our 

current advertisers as you visit their 

businesses. 

www.misportsphotos.com

PLAYERS OF THE MONTH 

Athletes are selected as the Players of the Month for their athletic 

accomplishments, leadership roles, and community impact. 

HUNTER 

KROHN 

LAKERS 

BASKETBALL 

CHELSEA 

ROACH 

CASS CITY 

WRESTLING 

ELKTON-PIGEON-BAY PORT’S HUNTER KROHN IS 

MAKING THE MOST OUT OF HIS SENIOR SEASON. 

THE 6-FOOT-8 STANDOUT IS AVERAGING A DOUBLE- 

DOUBLE, BUT HIS IMPORTANCE TO THE LAKERS 

GOES FAR BEYOND STATISTICS. 

“Obviously, his size is important, but he’s playing big 

right now,” said EPBP coach Bill McLellan Jr. “When he 

plays big, he’s special. He can stroke the ball, but he 

has to establish himself inside before we can do those 

special things with him.” 

While being a dominating presence in the post, Krohn 

can shoot it from the outside and even handle the ball 

in a pinch. Through the first half of the season, he was 

averaging at least one 3-pointer made per game. 

“He could always shoot it, but we wanted to make 

sure he understood that he was an inside player before 

we let him shoot it,” McLellan said. “He’s had that part 

of his game. With the group we have this year, we can 

showcase it a little more.” 

Being the biggest player on the 

court also makes him a target for 

the opposing team. “The reality is, 

because he’s bigger than everyone 

else he gets beat up every night,” 

McLellan said. “He just plays 

through it and plays hard through 

it and finishes. He deserves the 

accolades for being that mentally 

and physically tough.” 

The message from McLellan this 

year to Krohn has been simple. “He 

attacks the basket much more,” McLellan said. “Before, 

he would go up for a basket and fade away. Now, he’s 

going through people, which is getting him to the line.” 

He added: “Hunter has worked on his game 

individually; he just loves basketball. Our biggest 

conversation is playing big, playing physical, playing 

strong.” 

LAST SEASON, CASS CITY WRESTLER CHELSEA 

ROACH BECAME THE FIRST FRESHMAN IN 

PROGRAM HISTORY TO QUALIFY FOR THE STATE 

TOURNAMENT. ROACH PLACED SIXTH IN THE 

FIRST EVER MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC 

ASSOCIATION GIRLS STATE TOURNAMENT. 

Red Hawk coach Adam Dorland is hoping for another 

first before her career is over – a state championship. 

“Her mindset is to keep improving 

and not be stagnant,” said Dorland. 

“That’s going to come by being 

dedicated and working hard in 

practice.” 

With the girls state wrestling 

tournament being a new event, 

Dorland admits to making the 

mistake of not entering Roach into 

any girls tournaments last season. 

It resulted in Roach being the lowest 

seed in the qualifying tournament. 

But she made it through and 

eventually found her way onto the 

podium. 

This season, Roach placed runner-up in the Mio 

Thunderbolt Girls Tournament. Mostly though, Roach 

wrestles against boys and takes some losses, but 

doesn’t let it affect her approach to the sport. 

She was slowed down a bit by a December elbow injury, 

but Dorland believes she is fully back and ready to win 

another medal at the state tournament. 

“Winning a state championship is a goal of hers,” he 

said. “She has a very good work ethic. She has a lot of 

out of season stuff she wants to participate in. Her focus 

is on wrestling. If we want to take it to the next level, we 

have to wrestle all year round. It’s on her radar and she 

has the capability to do it.” 

ARTICLES BY PAUL ADAMS 

4 February 2023 CONTACT US AT 989-673-5826 VIEW FREE ONLINE AT WWW.VARSITYMONTHLYTHUMB.COM PURCHASE PRINTS AT WWW.MISPORTSPHOTOS.COM 

VIEW FREE ONLINE AT WWW.VARSITYMONTHLYTHUMB.COM PURCHASE PRINTS AT WWW.MISPORTSPHOTOS.COM CONTACT US AT 989-673-5826 February 2023 5

CARO 

BASKETBALL 

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Photography by Jason Parmenter 

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Photography by Mallory Hughes 




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WRESTLING 

1-14-23 WAYNE BRADY INVITATIONAL 

Photography by Kaitlin Gunsell & Paul Adams 

GYMNASTICS 

12-21-22 VASSAR AT CASS CITY 

Photography by Kaitlin Gunsell & Jason Parmenter 



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Photography by Paul Adams 

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VASSAR 

GYMNASTICS 

12-21-22 VASSAR AT CASS CITY 

Photography by Kaitlin Gunsell & Jason Parmenter 



BAD AXE 

WRESTLING 

1-14-23 WAYNE BRADY INVITATIONAL 

Photography by Kaitlin Gunsell & Paul Adams 



CARO 

CASS CITY 

BOWLING 

1-3-23 BAD AXE INVITE 


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Photography by Jason Parmenter & Kaitlin Gunsell 



CROS-LEX 

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BRANCH 

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11-20-23 IMLAY CITY AT NORTH BRANCH 




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Concussion Program 

& Post-Concussion 

Rehabilitation 

Reported Symptoms 

Headache • 

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Neck Pain • 

When In Doubt 

Sit 

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Athletes Suspected of suffering a concussion 

should be removed from play immediately and 

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48 February 2023 CONTACT US AT 989-673-5826 VIEW FREE ONLINE AT WWW.VARSITYMONTHLYTHUMB.COM PURCHASE PRINTS AT WWW.MISPORTSPHOTOS.COM

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