By Cris Greer Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
WKTV Hosts Bob Serulla and Jordan Shimmell (former Golden Gloves champion) walk you through the Michigan Golden Gloves Championships from the West Michigan Finals through the State Finals at Aquinas College in this exciting Friday Night Highlights Golden Gloves edition PART 2.
Five-time Michigan Golden Gloves champion Junior Rios joins in on the play-by-play analysis as well.
PART 2 features the best bouts of the Championships, boxer interviews, and a look inside the MGGA (Michigan Golden Gloves Association) Boxing Gym. You’ll want to watch every bit of this boxing show.
Our WKTV Truck crew got great highlights of the Golden Gloves Championships just for you!
WKTV Hosts Bob Serulla (left) and Jordan Shimmell are joined by boxer Junior Rios.
By Cris Greer Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
WKTV Hosts and Boxing Announcers Bob Serulla and Jordan Shimmell walk you through the Michigan Golden Gloves Championships from the West Michigan Finals through the State Finals in this exciting Friday Night Highlights Golden Gloves edition PART 1.
PART 1 features the best bouts of the Championships, some boxer interviews, a look inside the La Casa Boxing Club, including a chat with owner Anbrocio Ledesma, and an interview with guest boxer Junior Rios. You’ll want to watch every bit of this show.
Our WKTV Truck crew got great highlights of the Golden Gloves Championships just for you. Part 2 will be available soon. Stay tuned!
Look for more great WKTV Golden Gloves coverage in the future!
Two years ago, East Kentwood High School graduate and current professional boxer Justin Lacey-Pierce was winding down his amateur career with a Michigan Golden Gloves state championship. Last Saturday evening at Aquinas College, a pair of East Kentwood graduates stepped up and carried on Lacey-Pierce’s Golden Gloves legacy by winning state championships at the 2025 Michigan Golden Gloves state championships.
Ontess Toliver-James and Aiden Baker of East Kentwood were two of the newly-minted state champions at the state finals that took place at the Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center on the campus of Aquinas College.
East Kentwood graduate Ontess Toliver-James (center, with trophy) celebrates his Golden Gloves win with coaches and staff from Blues Gym. 2025 (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
Toliver-James, boxing out of Blues Gym, located at 4248 Kalamazoo Ave. Se, won his title in the 176-pound Elite Novice Division. Coming out strong from the opening bell, Toliver-James took control of the bout with Zameer Rawls-Wallace as he peppered his opponent with body shots in the early going. The constant barrage of punches paid off in the second round when the referee stopped the contest. Toliver-James who reached the finals after winning his semifinal match the day before, came out with a little different plan for his title match.
“Yesterday I tired myself out,” Toliver-James said. “I was throwing too much so I slowed myself down and paced myself a little bit. I read my opponent and picked my punches.”
The win was his third in three bouts which is even more impressive considering that Toliver-James has only been training for boxing and picked up the sport just four weeks ago.
“I feel like anything is possible,” Toliver-James said. “I’m going to train hard and hopefully keep going along undefeated and get some more trophies under my belt.”
Toliver-James played football and basketball growing up, but just decided to start boxing a little over a month ago. He also knows about the Kentwood boxing legacy and especially about the accomplishments in the ring of Lacey-Pierce.
“I actually went to school with him (Lacey-Pierce)” Toliver-James said. “I was in school with him since elementary school. That’s actually another one of my motivations. I just recently saw a couple of posts of him on Facebook. Man, he’s doing good in the pros.”
In the next bout Kentwood’s second boxer, Aiden Baker, stepped into the ring and also brought home a state championship. Boxing in the 198-plus Elite Novice weight class, Baker defeated Santorie Jenkins of Team Boss when the referee stopped the contest in the third round.
East Kentwood graduate Aiden Baker won the 198-pound title at the Golden Gloves State Championships. 2025 (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
Baker, who won a West Michigan title last month, kept constant pressure on Jenkins from the opening bell and wore his opponent down with a steady barrage of punches. This year’s Golden Gloves was the first of his career for Baker who began boxing three years ago.
“I started training at MGGA (Michigan Golden Gloves Association gym, Grand Rapids) and they essentially built me from scratch,” Baker said. “My older brother taught me how to fight and then eventually I went into the gym. From there, I just started to fall in love with the sport and take it seriously.”
Floyd Mayweather Sr. sparks Siderio Mitchell to state title
A Grand Rapids boxer with a famous relative claimed one of those open division titles. Siderio Mitchell of MGGA Grand Rapids captured the 141-pound Open Division title with a decision against King Gildersleve of Flint Town Boxing Club. Displaying lightning hand quickness and excellent footwork, Mitchell won his first state title in a fashion that was sure to make his mentor Floyd Mayweather Sr. proud.
“I’d say a little bit of everything was working great for me tonight,” Mitchell said. “Shout out to coaches, shout out to my Uncle Floyd (Sr.), shout out to my family, they mean everything to me. My Uncle Floyd actually got me started in boxing.”
Comstock Park grad Emanuel Jimenez wins state title at 143 pounds
Toliver-James was not the only boxer out of Blues Gym that captured a state title. In the first bout of the evening, Emanuel Jimenez, a student at Comstock Park High School, won the 143-pound Junior Novice title when the referee stopped the contest in the second round against Carter Cobb of MGGA.
Jimenez, who just turned 18 years old, began training for the Golden Gloves six months ago at Blue Gym. A fan of Mexican boxing champion Canelo Alvarez, Jimenez fought in a style that would’ve made Alvarez proud as he came out aggressively throwing punches and didn’t stop until the referee stepped in during the second round. The match was the second of Jimenez’s young career as he won his first bout during Friday’s semifinals.
“To be honest I was very nervous,” Jimenez said, “but I just went out there and did my job. I did a better job of pacing myself in this bout. My first fight I just came out swinging, but this time I did a better job of pacing myself.”
Blues Gym head trainer Dino Newville congratulates Emanuel Jimenez on his Golden Gloves title. 2025 (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
Santiago wins state crown at 187-pound Elite Novice
Floyd Santiago of MGGA Grand Rapids won the 187-pound Elite Novice title in a walkover.
Also winning titles in the Elite Novice Division were Mohammad Aliyar of Kalamazoo United, who won the 143-pound Elite Novice title, Hussam Ammar of Saginaw Boxing club (165-pound Elite Novice champion), and United States Navy veteran Nathaniel Williams of AAA boxing club (154-pound Elite Novice title).
A pair of Grand Rapids-area boxers claimed state titles in the open division.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. sparks Siderio Mitchell to state title;
A Grand Rapids boxer with a famous relative claimed one of those open division titles. Siderio Mitchell of MGGA Grand Rapids captured the 141-pound Open Division title with a decision against King Gildersleve of Flint Town Boxing Club. Displaying lightning hand quickness and excellent footwork, Mitchell won his first state title in a fashion that was sure to make his mentor Floyd Mayweather Sr. proud.
“I’d say a little bit of everything was working great for me tonight,” Mitchell said. “Shout out to coaches, shout out to my Uncle Floyd (Sr.), shout out to my family, they mean everything to me. My Uncle Floyd actually got me started in boxing.”
Mercado wins state title at 121-pounds Elite Open; fifth state championship
Boxing out of the La Casa Boxing Club, Guillermo Mercado won the state title in the 121 Elite Open Division as he claimed a decision against Aarkeyse Higdon of Lansing Crown Boxing Club. The state title was the fifth for Mercado, who displayed plenty of heart and boxing ability in grinding out the win against a tough opponent in one of the most entertaining matches of the evening.
Kalamazoo’s Gentle Gibson wins second-consecutive state title
In the 132-pound Open Division, Gentle Gibson of Kalamazoo Boxing won a decision against Nicolas Alonzi of Flint Town Boxing Club. Gibson won his second consecutive state title in impressive fashion as he recorded a pair of standing-eight counts on his way to victory. The state title was the third overall for Gibson who finished in third place at last year’s national Golden Gloves tournament where all of this year’s champions are headed.
“He (Alonzi) was tough,” Gibson said. “I really thought I was going to stop him, but he could take a punch. He didn’t know I had power like that. I can box and I have power. I can do both and I’m still getting better.”
Four more Open Division state champions were also crowned. Evan Jackson of Kalamazoo Boxing won the title at 154 pounds. Kyree Wiggins of Flint Town boxing won at 165-pound Elite Open, while Joseph McDaye of Kalamazoo Westside Boxing club won at 175-pound Elite Open. In the final bout of the evening, Sardius Simmons won his sixth state championship in the 198-plus Elite Open in a classic matchup against Maurice Davis, who came in as a former state champion as well.
A total of five boxers in the Open Division were also crowned as uncontested Open champions. Those five champions, who will head to the Golden Gloves nationals, included Michael Chester of Saginaw Boxing Club at 176 pounds, Solomon Jagun of Gideon Boxing Club (187 pounds), Zoe Hicks of Lansing Team Glass (112-pound Elite Open Female Division), Sarah Batenburg of MGGA Grand Rapids (132-pound Elite Open Female Division), and Asha Lake of Team Glass (143-pound Elite Open Female Division).
Uncontested Novice champions included Jaquan Wilson of Lansing Crown boxing at 110-pounds, Daniel Espinoza of Gideon Boxing (121-pounds), Davone Jones of Crown Boxing (132 pounds), Monta Perkins of Kalamazoo Boxing (198-pounds), and in the female Novice Division Emily Martinez of Eli J Boxing (132-pounds), Tamika Lofton of Lansing Team Glass (143-pounds), and Johana Lugo of United Boxing Club (154-pounds).
When it comes to Golden Gloves boxing in the Wyoming and southern Kent County area, few people are as tuned into the sport as Anbrocio Ledesma.
A longtime boxing trainer in the Wyoming area who has taught many young boxers the fundamentals of the sport, Ledesma is currently expanding his teaching of the sport through his La Casa Boxing Club, located at 2241 84th St. in Byron Center.
Home to some of the most successful boxers in the Grand Rapids area, the gym is well represented at this weekend’s Michigan Golden Gloves State Finals that pits the champions and runners-up from the West side tournament up against the champions and runners-up from the East.
Aquinas College hosting Golden Gloves this weekend
The 2025 Michigan Golden Gloves State Championships are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3 at Aquinas College’s Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center in Grand Rapids. Doors open at 6 p.m. both days with boxing starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door.
Representing La Casa Boxing Club will be Guillermo Mercado and Junior Rios in the Elite Open Division, while Harrison Hevelhurst will box in the Elite Novice Division.
La Casa Boxing Club’s Junior Rios. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
A former Golden Gloves boxer himself, Ledesma began his coaching career in Wyoming at the Pride Boxing Club which was located just north of 28th St. in Wyoming.
“I got into training boxers in my mid 20’s,” Ledesma said. “I actually had a couple of older kids who just wanted just to train, not to compete. I started training them at home, then they had a couple cousins come over and it kind of snowballed into that. Then my wife’s uncle took on a gym in Wyoming, called Wyoming Pride, back in the early 2000’s. I found out about that and took on a coaching responsibility there for the better of seven to ten years.”
La Casa Boxing Club’s Guillermo Mercado. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
After the Pride gym closed, Ledesma began training boxers in a gym that he named the LaCasa Boxing Club, and that he put together in a garage next to his home.
“After Wyoming Pride closed down I stuck around for a little bit longer,” Ledesma said. “We ended up at another spot for a year and half, two years, but at that time I always trained some separate individual kids that wanted individual work at my house in my garage. The journey of my gym started back at my home. That’s why it’s called La Casa. Basically I started training a couple of my older kids.”
The next step in the evolution of La Casa Boxing came when he moved to the current location in Byron Center.
“I took on opening up this gym back in 2023 and that’s where I am now,” Ledesma said. “I’ve had this portion of my gym here in Byron Center for about two years now. Now we’re just here trying to build out here and target the outskirts of the Wyoming area and the Byron Center area.”
La Casa Boxing Club Owner Anbrocio Ledesma (right) and Coach Jackson. (Photo Courtesy, Jaylah Lewis)
Over the years, Ledesma has trained several boxers who have accomplished plenty during their amateur careers. Two of the most successful boxers that have trained under him are Rios and Mercado who are still adding to their legacies.
“Guillermo and Junior have been around the Golden Gloves for some years now,” Ledesma said. “They are past state champs who went on to the nationals several times. Coming through Wyoming Pride we had quite a few state champs as well. I’ve been around some really talented and dedicated fighters.”
La Casa Boxing Club Supplies. (Photo Courtesy, Jaylah Lewis)
This year the gym has a total of 6-10 boxers that come in and train regularly. The gym had three boxers enter the West Michigan Golden Gloves and all three qualified for the upcoming state finals.
With the gym is still relatively new to the Byron Center location, Ledesma has been working at getting the word out. Not only does the gym plan on increasing the numbers of boxers, but it also serves as a place for local youth to come and work out even if they have no desire to become competitive boxers.
“We’re in the midst right now of trying to reach out to the community,” Ledesma said. “We are waiting to hear back from the school systems and then just putting up signs and flyers around the community. Hopefully word of mouth can start spreading around and even if the kids don’t want to come here and compete, that’s not what we’re about. We’re just offering a different type of exercise. A different way they can vent their frustrations. Just kind of get out and breathe fresh air and exercise at the same time.”
Ledesma is looking for the gym to grow and expand as much as possible in its new locations.
“I’m hoping the gym evolves into where there is no limit for us,” Ledesma said. “They don’t have anything like this out here. I’m hoping that we get 10-to-12 fighters out of the gym next year. More importantly, I want it to be in the community and advertised as a boxing, fitness club. It’s not necessarily that you are going to join this gym and we are going to turn you into a boxer.”
Boxers from all across West Michigan descended into the Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center on the campus of Aquinas College for the 2025 West Michigan Golden Gloves Finals this past Saturday and a large crowd was treated to four hours of outstanding action.
A total of 16 bouts were on the card and nearly every one provided plenty of action as boxers fought it out for West Michigan titles and the opportunity to advance to the state finals at Aquinas College May 2 and 3.
Wyoming’s PK Boxing Gym sparkles
Locally, PK Boxing Gym of Wyoming enjoyed a productive night. PK Boxing had two boxers in the finals and the duo actually fought in back-to-back matches. In a pair of hard-fought matches, Sebastian Romo and Jose Jimenez-Gonzalez both came away winning decisions and West Michigan titles.
PK Boxing teammates Jose Jimenez-Gonzalez (third from left) and Sebastian Romo (fourth from left) celebrate with teammates and coaches following their wins at the West Michigan Golden Gloves Finals. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Boxing in the 127-pound Youth Novice Division, Romo defeated Teodocio Magana of the Crown Boxing Club of Lansing. The bout was an intense struggle from beginning to end.
“It was exciting”, said Romo, a student at Jenison High School. “I love everything about boxing. It was intense. It was a good fight. I thought it was a war and I had a good time.”
Romo has been boxing for three years, and this is his first time competing at Golden Gloves. He became interested in boxing while watching the sport with his family growing up.
“I was basically just watching a lot of fights at home with my dad and my family,” Romo said. “We watched a popular fighter, Canelo Alvarez, and after that I wanted to start boxing.”
In the following bout in the 147-pound Youth Novice Division, Jimenez-Gonzalez defeated Jeremiah Henry, also from Crown Boxing, in another close, hard-fought match.
A student at Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy, Jimenez-Gonzalez has been boxing for a short time and his match in the Golden Gloves was the first of his career.
“I was nervous at first, but once I got in there, I was ready for war,” Jimenez-Gonzalez said. “It was exciting. My body shots were working the best, mainly my uppercuts.”
Like his teammate, Jimenez-Gonzalez grew up watching boxing and especially Canelo Alvarez.
“As a youngster I used to watch a lot of fights”, Jimenez-Gonzalez said, “especially Canelo. My grandpa used to fight, too. He never made it pro, but I wanted to follow his lead.”
Winning their bouts back-to-back was extra special for the teammates.
“We talked about it a lot,” Romo said. “It was fun to do it back-to-back.”
Floyd Santiago back
While Romo and Jimenez-Gonzalez were a pair of younger boxers making an initial name for themselves, Floyd Santiago was an older boxer who was back in the action after a lengthy span away from the sport. Boxing out of the Michigan Golden Gloves Association (MGGA) gym in Grand Rapids, Santiago was back in the Golden Gloves for the first time in eight years. Santiago showed no signs of any rust after the long time away from boxing as he won the 187-pound Elite Novice title by stopping Matt Rogein of Jet Boxing from Okemos.
Floyd Santiago of MGGA Grand Rapids won the 187-pound Elite Novice title after an eight-year layoff from boxing. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Santiago displayed a relentless style piling up points and also recording a standing eight count in his victory. Getting the win after eight years of missing the sport was extra special for Santiago who thought about boxing the entire time.
“It feels great,” Santiago said. “Even through the eight years I had stopped boxing, I was doing body building, so I built up that discipline to be able to consistently do something every single day. But the whole time that I stopped boxing, I just regretted it. I love boxing so much. I regretted stopping. So now I’ve been back for six months, and I’ve been able to do this. It’s pretty great.”
In the Elite Open Division, another MGGA boxer, Siderio Mitchell (see below), came away with a championship. Boxing in the 143-pound Open Division weight class, Mitchell met a familiar face in the finals in his teammate from MGGA, Mike Guzman. In one of the most crowd-pleasing matches of the evening, Mitchell won a decision against his MGGA teammate in a bout that was full of action for all three rounds.
Siderio Mitchell of MGGA Grand Rapids defeated teammate Mike Guzman in the 143-pound Elite Open Division final. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
The two boxers were meeting for the first time in an actual match despite having sparred each other countless times at the MGGA gym.
“I probably have over a hundred rounds sparring with him,” Mitchell said. “He’s pretty good, that’s why I sparred him a lot. I told myself even though I sparred him this way, maybe I switch it up. I switched it up a few times in sparring, but tonight, I really need to switch it up.”
The plan worked out as Mitchell delivered his shots and avoided getting caught.
“I knew I couldn’t go out there and fight him the same way I did in sparring because he is going to expect that,” Mitchell said. “So when he was expecting to trade punches; boom, boom, boom, I hit him, then I got out the way. He wasn’t expecting that. Then the last 10 seconds, I know he’s a brawler. Last year I saw him brawling. He’s really good at that and he won most of those, but I made sure I hit and got out the way, finishing up my last 10 seconds doing laps around the ring and I won it. I did it.”
Another West Michigan title for Kalamazoo’s Gentle Gibson
The 132-pound Open Division final between Gentle Gibson of the Kalamazoo Boxing Club and Aarkeyse Higdon of Crown Boxing was another match that had the fans involved. Gibson, who won a state title last year, added a West Michigan title this year as he won in the second round on a referee stoppage.
The final two bouts in the Open Division also were won by boxers from the Kalamazoo Boxing Club. In the 154-pound weight class Evan Jackson defeated Alejandro Hernandez of Anahuac Boxing while in the 165-pound open final Jermont Reece defeated Joseph McDaye of Westside Boxing in Kalamazoo.
In the Elite Novice Division, Davone Jones of Crown Boxing beat Harrison Hevelhurst of LaCasa Boxing Club in the 132-pound weight class. At 143 pounds Mohammad Aliyar of United Boxing Club defeated Mekhi Know of Muskegon TCB. At 154-pouonds in the Elite Novice Division Carlito Aggers of Kalamazoo Boxing defeated Mateo Diaz of Sakwamdo Boxing Club of Holland. Ontess Toliver of Blue Gym in Grand Rapids beat Joe L. Johnson of Crown Boxing at 176 pounds.
In the 165-pound Elite Novice Division, Tommy Watts of TCB Boxing of Muskegon defeated Nate Dotson of Crown Boxing. In the 198-pound Elite Novice Division, Monta Perkins of Kalamazoo Boxing defeated D’Angelo Williams of Team Glass Boxing of Lansing, while in the 198-plus Elite Division, Aiden Baker of MGGA defeated Robert Lathan of Kalamazoo Boxing.
In the long Bantam Novice Division match of the evening, Ricardo Emiliano of Westside Boxing defeated Ethan Edmonds of Crown Boxing, and in the lone Junior Novice Division bout, Tayshon Whitfield of Crown Boxing beat Ronald Salvador of Eli J Boxing Club.
WKTV Host Joey Sutherlin walks you through the qualifying rounds of the recent FIRST Robotics Michigan District event at East Kentwood High School (PART 1).
Our WKTV crew got highlights of the following local teams: East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics and Red Storm Rookies, Wyoming Demons, Grandville RoboDawgs, Kelloggsville Astrobots, Godwin Heights Robosnacks, Grand River Prep Titans and the West Catholic Enigma Robotics.
We also interviewed many student leaders and coaches!
Also take a look at Part 2 of our WKTV Friday Night Highlights Robotics Edition. Let us know what you think of our coverage mimicking Friday Night Highlights football and basketball.
WKTV Host Joey Sutherlin walks you through the playoffs and finals of a recent FIRST Robotics Michigan District event at East Kentwood High School (PART 2).
Our WKTV crew got highlights of the following local teams: East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics and Red Storm Rookies, Wyoming Demons, Grandville RoboDawgs, Kelloggsville Astrobots, Godwin Heights Robosnacks, Grand River Prep Titans and the West Catholic Enigma Robotics.
We also interviewed many student leaders and coaches!
Also take a look at Part 1 of our WKTV Friday Night Highlights Robotics Edition. Let us know what you think of our coverage mimicking Friday Night Highlights football and basketball.
The South Christian Sailors girls basketball team found itself in a similar situation to last week’s regional title game, but unlike last week, a late comeback fell just a bucket short.
When a last-second layup attempt bounced off the rim with no time remaining on the clock, the Sailors saw a memorable state tournament run end with a 39-37 loss to Grand Rapids West Catholic in the Division 2 state quarterfinal game at Unity Christian.
Similar to the regional title game against Vicksburg, South Christian found itself facing a seven-point deficit with five minutes remaining. Just like the regional final, the Sailors mounted a furious comeback led by their defense. South Christian limited West Catholic to just two free throws in the final five minutes. Those free throws, however, proved just enough for West Catholic to hold off the determined Sailors.
“They don’t ever quit,” said South Christian Coach Erika Brown, about her player. “We just couldn’t connect on the offensive end like we usually do and it didn’t help missing our free throws tonight either. It was just one of those games where time just ran out on us.”
The game was a close, defensive struggle throughout. South Christian was up 9-7 at the end of the first quarter and took a 20-18 lead into halftime.
“We knew it was going to be a grind-out battle against a conference opponent,” said West Catholic Coach Derek Paiz. “We just wanted to come out here and execute on offense. I thought they (South Christian) did a really good job of switching between man and two-three zone. That kind of threw us off and held us below our season average.”
South Christian’s Lizzie Wolthuis (3) prepares to pass during the state quarterfinal game. (Photo Courtesy, Greg Chrapek)
Sailors up by three in the third until West Catholic run
The Sailors were up 28-25 midway through the third quarter before West Catholic went on a scoring spurt. The Falcons closed out the quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 33-28 lead into the fourth quarter.
West Catholic upped the lead to 37-30 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter before South Christian ramped up the intensity on the defensive side of the floor and began to create turnovers.
A bucket by Abby Prins cut the West lead to 37-32 with 3:54 remaining in the game. With 2:17 left, the Sailor defense forced another turnover, which led to a drive to the bucket by Sophia Prins. She was fouled and added the free throw to trim the Falcon lead to two.
With 1:44 remaining, West’s Elish Dykstra split a pair of free throws to put the Falcons up 38-35. South, however, trimmed the deficit to a single point with 57 seconds remaining in the game when Sophia Prins drained a pair of free throws.
The Sailor defense forced a turnover with 50 seconds remaining in the game, but came up empty on the ensuing possession. Abby Prins came up with a steal for the Sailors with 28 seconds remaining, but the Sailors lost possession with seven seconds remaining in the game.
Sailors’ last-second layup bounces out
West Catholic’s Anna Ignatoski split a pair of free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining giving the Sailors one final opportunity to tie or take the lead, but a last-second layup attempt bounced off the rim.
Sophia Prins South Christian with 12 points, followed by sophomore Meredith Helmus, 10 and freshman Natalie Wolthuis with five.
South Christian’s Kamryn Boonstra (10) and Meredith Helmus (14) prepare on defense during the state quarterfinal game. (Photo Courtesy, Greg Chrapek)
South Christian finished the season at 24-3, and shared the OK Gold with West Catholic, both teams at 11-1 in the conference.
“This season was pretty special,” Brown said. “With the group of girls that we have and coming off the season last year where we started that run at the end. We had some battles early in the season, but the run at the end just inspired us for this year. It’s one thing to sit down and talk about your dreams at the beginning of the season, but it’s another thing to actually work at the process of it and enjoy the process because it’s a long season.
“The girls bought into that this year and that alone speaks testament to how these girls are as individuals on and off the court. The whole journey was just fantastic.”
While the loss marked the end of the careers for South Christian seniors Kamryn Boonstra, Lily Nitz, Brianna Knott and Kaylee Quist, the bulk of the team is due back next season. The outcome was not what the Sailors wanted, but the state tournament run will propel the team into what should be another memorable season next winter.
“As a coach, when you look ahead that gets you excited about the future,” Brown explained. “Once this wears off, the hurt of this game wears off, it will sink into them that they made a run that was something special and they can make a comeback next year.”
The Falcons, who improved to 23-3, were led in scoring by senior Elisha Dykstra with 13 points.
The Tri-unity boys basketball team poses right after winning another Division 4 state championship. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler accepts the Division 4 state title boys basketball trophy from MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity’s Keaton Blanker lays one in during his team’s Division 4 state title win at MSU. Blanker led with 12 points. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity senior Noah Silverton on defense during his team’s Division 4 state title win. Silverton scored 11 points. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity fans cheer on their Division 4 state champs at the Breslin Center. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity’s Joey Mellon scored nine points in the championship game. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Joey Mellon had nine points and eight rebounds while nursing a knee injury in the championship game. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Clayton Rowlader hits a three during the championship game at MSU. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity’s Keaton Blanker quickly takes the ball down court during the title game at MSU. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity boys basketball team celebrates Division 4 state championship at school. (Photo Courtesy, Katlyn Keeler)
As the clock struck zero on his remarkable 38-year career coaching at Tri-unity Christian, Mark Keeler could finally let it all soak in at the Michigan State University Breslin Center Saturday as his Defenders captured back-to-back state championships for the first time in school history with a 49-32 win over Fowler.
Coach Keeler already has the court at Tri-unity named in his honor, but he stamped his legacy on the court at the Breslin Center. He concludes his career with a 20-10 record at the home of the Michigan State University Spartans.
“It’s surreal,” said Keeler, who’ll retire as one of Michigan’s most decorated high school basketball coaches. “I was really happy with the way they played.
“I was blessed by the Lord; nobody will convince me otherwise. For me, as a coach, we try to reflect Jesus in what we do. We are humans, so sometimes we lose it and don’t do the right things, but that doesn’t mean you don’t stop working at it; that’s the key: don’t quit.”
Keeler cemented at third statewide on all-time wins list Keeler concludes his career with a 721-218 record, placing him third on the all-time wins list. Additionally, he will finish with 13 appearances in the state finals, which ranks him second all-time, behind the legendary River Rouge Coach Lofton Greene, who holds the record with 17 appearances. Keeler retires with seven state championships.
Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler accepts the Division 4 state title boys basketball trophy from MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Defense has been the calling card for a Keeler-led team since the start, and it’s the type of play that led Tri-unity back to the state finals for the fifth consecutive time. The Defenders allowed only 39.4 points per game on their way to a 27-2 record this season.
“This is the best defensive team I’ve ever coached,” Keeler said.
The matchup against Fowler was a rematch of Tri-unity’s second game of the season on December 3, ending with a 62-59 Fowler win.
A strong 11-0 start
Tri-unity started strong, quickly jumping out to an 11-0 lead. It took Fowler until 3:27 remaining in the first quarter to score their first points of the game off a Jacob Halfmann trey. The Defenders rebounded well and limited the shots from the Eagles, but took only a five-point lead into the second quarter as the Eagles held firm on the defensive side and added another three-point shot by Aaron Simon to end the first at 11-6.
“I don’t think teams are ready for our defense at the beginning of games,” Keeler said.
Tri-unity answered back swiftly with a 13-0 run to start the second frame.
Tri-unity’s Keaton Blanker quickly takes the ball down court during the title game at MSU. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Keaton Blanker led the way with 12 points
Senior captain Keaton Blanker led the charge in that second quarter and for the game leading all scorers with 12 points, while adding five rebounds, five assists and four steals in the final game of a career that ended with three state championships.
“Our biggest emphasis was playing 32 minutes,” Blanker said. “We don’t stop fighting until that final buzzer, and we did that. I’m just so happy for all us players.”
Up by 18 in the second quarter
The Defenders led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter before Fowler scored seven unanswered points including their first ones in the paint with 2:05 remaining in the half.
Blanker ended the half with two free throws, giving Tri-unity a 28-16 halftime lead.
If the Defenders had a weakness on the season, it was the third quarter. In the regional final game against Kalamazoo Phoenix, Tri-unity fumbled an 18-point lead.
“We’ve had letups in the past, and it almost cost us against Kalamazoo Phoenix,” Keeler said. “Having those games helped us. I can point it out when we let up on defense and let them back in the game. But we didn’t let up and we played great defense all the way through.”
Fowler begins closing gap near the end
Fowler closed the gap to within nine points with 3:07 left in the game, but the Defenders managed to slow down the pace. With two minutes remaining, junior guard Clayton Rowlader made a three-pointer to extend their lead to 12. Thirty seconds later, Rowlader hit another three to seal the victory, allowing Keeler to let out a sigh of relief.
Fowler finished 5-26 from beyond the arc in a challenging shooting game, scoring only 16 points from the paint while shooting 27.7 percent from the field.
Senior center Joey Mellon had nine points and eight rebounds all while nursing a knee injury.
“I can’t say enough good things about that young man (Mellon); him and Keaton have been phenomenal leaders,” Keeler said. “I give them all the credit as captains. I had great senior leadership and when you have good senior leadership good things happen.”
Senior Noah Silverton added 11 points in his final game.
“What a great group of boys to coach my last year, they were very coachable, they were a great group.”
It all began in 1983 for Keeler
Keeler’s coaching career at Tri-unity began during the 1983-1984 season, when the program started with an eighth and ninth-grade team. Coach Keeler became a varsity coach for the first time during 1985-1986 season.
“That first year we got drilled a few times,” Keeler said with a laugh.
He took a two year break before returning to Tri-unity for the 1991 season and has led the program since.
Tri-unity Athletic Director Evan Przybysz had a front-row seat to many of Keeler’s years at Tri-unity. First, he was a water boy, then, a player winning a state championship, and finally, he worked side-by-side with Coach Keeler, first as an assistant coach and then as athletic director.
“Coach Keeler cared more about your spiritual journey…”
“He’s instilled a culture through the school where so many kids wanted to play basketball for him,” Przybysz said. “He would teach the game of basketball and implement his systems that have been so successful for many years, but ultimately, Coach Keeler cared more about your spiritual journey than your basketball journey.
“He wanted to make sure your relationship was right with the Lord, and that was his number one priority. Basketball gave him that ability and platform to pour into young men and help instill that foundation that when they left Tri-unity, they would become better husbands and fathers one day.”
After a legendary career, Coach Keeler is now ready to embrace retirement. He looks forward to cherishing precious moments with his wife, Cheryl.
“Now that we are retired, she’s stuck with me,” Keeler said. “We spend a lot of time together. I love it, we have a blast.”
Trailing by seven points midway through the fourth quarter of the Division 2 regional championship against Vicksburg, the South Christian girls basketball team was at a crossroads.
They needed to turn things around in a hurry if they were going to continue their state tournament run. The Sailors did just that, as they mounted a furious rally in the final minutes of the game to overtake Vicksburg and claim a regional crown with a 64-57 win.
The win sends them to next Tuesday’s Division 2 state quarterfinal game at Unity Christian where they face Grand Rapids West Catholic at 7 p.m.
South Christian Coach Erika Brown called a timeout during the fourth quarter to remind the team of what they needed to do to accomplish their goal of a regional title and to continue what has been a memorable tournament run.
“We called that timeout and I just said to the girls, this is what you’ve been preparing for all season and it comes down to the will to win,” Brown explained. “That’s what we had to concentrate on. We weren’t doing the little things all game long that we needed to so we needed to really focus on that.
That (Vicksburg) is a good team; a very, very good team. They are well coached and we needed to do everything spot on to give ourselves a chance.”
The Sailors responded to Brown’s words in a big way, trailing 53-46, South Christian closed out the game by outscoring Vicksburg 18-4. Junior guard Sophia Prins played a key role in the rally, coming up with a big steal and bucket to start the run. With 1:40 remaining in the game, Prins delivered a key assist as her pass to Lizzie Wolthuis led to a bucket that put the Sailors up 56-55.
South Christian’s Lizzie Wolthuis (3), who totaled 14 points, drives the baseline against Vicksburg. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Prins then had another key steal and drove the floor for a layup attempts. She was fouled on the play and then sank a pair of free throws upping the lead to 58-55 with 1:16 left.
“That is Sophia our point guard,” Brown said. “She is so physical on both ends of the floor. She is our general, our floor leader. When she gets going the rest of us just follow.”
Six consecutive points near the end to seal the win
Vicksburg cut the margin to 58-57 before the Sailors closed the game out with six consecutive points in the final minute of the game. Four of those points came from Prins, including a pair of key free throws.
“We got down by a little bit, but we just worked super hard and we didn’t give up,” Prins said. “We knew that the game wasn’t over. It was because we love each other and we stuck together.”
The two teams were no stranger to each other as the Sailors and Bulldogs met in the regional title game last season. Vicksburg came out ahead last year with a 49-34 win, and for the Sailors, winning the title this year against the Bulldogs was extra special.
“Last year we lost in regionals to Vicksburg so this was revenge,” Prins said. “We did everything we could to make it to quarterfinals next week. I knew to win this we would have to get deflections and steals and give them the least amount of offensive possessions as possible, and we did just that.”
The game was a back-and-forth struggle throughout. South Christian led 21-13 at the end of the first quarter and was up 36-30 at the half before Vicksburg battled back to take a 49-46 lead heading into the final quarter.
“We knew we were going to get a game of runs with them,” Brown said. “They (Vicksburg) are good three-point shooters and flashers to the hoop and that’s what they did.”
Prins led South Christian with 24 points, including 3, three-point buckets. In all, the Sailors connected on 12 three-point shots. Junior Lizzie Wolthuis converted four treys as part of her 14 points, while senior Lily Nitz scored all nine of her points on treys. Sophomore Meredith Helmus added seven points, followed by freshman Abby Prins with six.
“This title is so special,’ Brown said. “We talk a lot about being family and being connected and what will get you to that victory line is that. This is a special group of girls. From seniors down to our two freshmen on our team. The way our seniors have led this team with grace. Our freshmen have never skipped a beat.
“It’s been a really good journey. I’m so proud of these girls. The fight, the determination, the competitiveness. The outright love they have not only for the game, but for each other. It’s really special.”
Vicksburg, which finished the season with a 23-3 record, was paced in scoring by seniors Scarlett Hasner (26 points) and Makayla Allen (19). The pair was especially effective from long range as they combined for 9 three-point buckets.
South Christian, which improved to 24-2, advance to Tuesday’s quarterfinal to face OK Gold rival West Catholic (22-3). The two teams finished atop the conference at 11-1 each. West Catholic won the first meeting between the two rivals in January by a 62-49 margin, while South Christian won the rematch in February 58-51.
All season long, Tri-unity Christian has used a suffocating defense to get out to a sizable lead to start games. Their quarterfinal matchup against Adrian Lenawee Christian was no different.
The Defenders claimed a 32-12 lead after the first half en route to a 56-43 victory that sends them to the Breslin Center for their sixth consecutive final four appearance.
“This is the best defensive team I have coached,” said Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler, whose program will make its 16th appearance in the final four under his coaching. “I don’t think teams are ready for our defense, and it takes them a while before they can adjust. We’ve done that to a lot of teams where they can’t score against us. The tough part is we get those leads and then we start coasting and let them back in … we need to keep that intensity.”
Tri-unity held Adrian Lenawee Christian to a 26.9 shooting percentage and out rebounded them 36-27. The Defenders also excelled in the paint, outscoring the Cougars 34-8 from in close. Lenawee Christian was averaging 75 points per game throughout their playoff run.
“We played a really good game, we put them on their heels and they could never recover,” Keeler said.
Senior Noah Silverton was tasked with guarding the leading point scorer on the Cougars.
“Noah had to cover their best player; he did a wonderful job. He came in averaging 25 points per game and Noah held him to 17. He matched him step for step.”
Silverton also added 16 points on the offensive side of the floor.
Senior capitan Keaton Blanker once again showed why he is considered one of the best players in Division 4 in the state of Michigan. Blanker delivered in his third career quarterfinal game finishing the night with 11 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
“Keaton had an unbelievable game, he did great in the playoffs last year as well,” Keeler said.
Tri-unity’s Keaton Blanker from earlier this season. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Keeler credits his teams tough non-conference schedule as a huge advantage when it comes tournament time. Tri-unity played multiple Division 2 teams throughout the year, even beating Division 1 East Grand Rapids 61-58 earlier this season. Tri-unity also beat Sparta, who lost to local powerhouse Grand Rapids Catholic Central in its regional final D-2 matchup.
“It definitely helps us, you play tough teams it makes you tough,” Keeler explained.
Tri-unity now hopes to reach a fifth consecutive state championship game in Coach Keeler’s final season.
“I think the kids do care about that, they are a great group of boys, I don’t think I could say enough good things about them. They have been very coachable.”
The No. 1 ranked Defenders (25-2) face No. 2 Crystal Falls Forest Park (25-2) Thursday night at the Breslin Center in East Lansing at 5:30 pm. Crystal Falls edged Pickford 45-43 to advance.
The other Division 4 semifinal game is Fowler (24-3) vs, Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (24-3).
Tri-Unity Christian was pushed to the limit, but ultimately secured its 20th regional title with a 62-52 home-court win over Kalamazoo Phoenix Thursday night.
With a comfortable 35-17 lead at halftime, the Defenders hoped to cruise to an easy victory, but had to fend off a Kalamazoo Phoenix team that erased an 18-point deficit.
“There was no quit in them (Kalamazoo Phoenix),” said Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler. “We were up comfortably at halftime, and they came all the way back; they fought back, but then they ran out of gas. That will happen when you need to expend that much energy.”
Falcons get close with 22 in the third
The Falcons used a 22-point third quarter to cut the Tri-unity lead to one early in the fourth. Kalamazoo Phoenix was only down six with 3:30 left before the Defenders finally put them away.
“We didn’t shoot well so we had to win ugly,” Keeler explained. “We were 1-for-15 from the free point line and had 15 turnovers, but we responded by being more patient with our plays.”
Six-foot-seven senior center Joey Mellon led the Defenders with 18 points, adding six rebounds. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity sophomore Cody Osbun had 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity wins 20th regional title in school history. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity wins 20th regional title in school history. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Six-foot-seven senior center Joey Mellon paced the Defenders with 18 points, adding six rebounds. Sophomore Cody Osbun made his presence known with 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Tri-unity advances to its sixth consecutive quarterfinal game, a matchup with Adrian Lenawee Christian at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, at Gull Lake High School.
The two teams meet for the second time this season. Tri-unity notched a 58-44 win over them in the Schoolcraft Champions Classic on January 4, the beginning of a 19-game winning streak for the Defenders.
“We’ve met up with them a few times over the years,” Keeler said. “We played a great game against them right after the holiday. They were missing a few players so we expect an even closer game this time; they are a great shooting team.”
With seven sophomores and a freshman on the roster, the East Kentwood girls basketball team has a bright future. That future, however, is actually now as the young Falcons collected a major trophy when they defeated Caledonia 44-40 Friday to win the Division 1 district championship at Byron Center High School.
With the win, the Falcons improved to 13-12 for the season. East Kentwood advances to a regional semifinal game against Forest Hills Northern (22-2) at 7 p.m. Monday at Grandville High School.
Grit and hustle proved key for East Kentwood, and those elements were displayed on defense and the boards where the Falcons scored a number of points off offensive rebounds. They also displayed plenty of poise down the stretch as they connected on some key free throws in the final minutes.
“I think it was our grit that got us over the top,” said East Kentwood Coach Eric Large. “Our sophomores, Logan Richardson and Jazanaye Silva, and we have a freshman, Nevaeh Eubanks, they are so scrappy and gritty that I knew that we could dominate the boards.”
East Kentwood’s Jazanaye Silva secures a rebound in between a pair of Caledonia defenders. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood led 20-17 at the half
Eubanks and Silva came up big on the offensive glass late in the opening half as the Falcons scored some key buckets derived from offensive rebounds to take a 20-17 lead into halftime.
The Falcons kept up the strong work on the offensive boards in the opening minutes of the second half as buckets off rebounds by Sophie Cobb, Jaslynn Ward and Silva enabled the Falcons to open up a 26-21 lead.
East Kentwood’s Sophie Cobb looks for an open teammate during Friday’s district game. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Their lead grew to 29-21 later in the quarter before Caledonia trimmed it to 31-26 at the end of the third after a three ball by Myla Gortmaker and a bucket by Emily Stauffer.
East Kentwood extended the lead to 36-29 midway through the final quarter highlighted by a pair of buckets by Ward.
Caledonia, however, continued to battle back. The Fighting Scots cut the Falcon advantage to 36-34 with 2:29 remaining in the game when Olivia Foster drained a three ball.
Kentwood rebuilt the lead on a bucket by Richardson and then an offensive rebound putback by Silva gave the Falcons a 40-34 advantage with 1:04 left.
Caledonia refused to fold as Sauffer and Foster nailed treys in the final minute of the game. The Falcons, however, were able to stave the Fighting Scots off as sophomore guard Aries Branch connected on four of six free-throw attempts in the final 30 seconds of the game to secure the win.
“This is special because I have so many sophomores playing,” Large said. “My seniors have been hurt all year and I just got Ward back two weeks ago.”
Ward, who has been a consistent source of offense for the Falcons this season, finished the game with a team-high 14 points. Silva and Sophie Cobb both added nine points, followed by Branch with six.
“That’s good for them to get a trophy,” Large said. “We are so young with the sophomores and its good for the seniors to be able to advance and get some hardware. It’s good for the younger kids to understand what winning looks like.”
Playing a rugged schedule both in the conference and in non-league play also helped the young Falcons reach a point where they can bring home a district trophy. Along with playing state-ranked teams Rockford, Grand Haven and Hudsonville two times each during the conference schedule, the Falcons played non-league games against state-ranked teams like Belleville (23-1), South Christian (22-2) and Grand Rapids West Catholic (20-3).
“I schedule a rigorous schedule,” Large explained. “I think Rockford had the number one strength of schedule and we were number two. A lot of the losses that we took were against top ten teams. People look at our record and go ahhh, we can beat them, but no, we are coming to play hard basketball.”
Caledonia finished the season with an 18-6 record. Like the Falcons, the Fighting Scots have a young team with six freshmen and three sophomores on the roster. Two of the freshmen, Emily Stauffer and Olivia Foster, led the team in scoring against the Falcons as Stauffer had 14 points and Foster added 11. Gortmaker, also a freshman, added five points.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
The East Kentwood, South Christian and Zion Christian girls basketball teams all won their respective district championship games on Friday and advance to the regional semifinals.
In a Division 1 final at Byron Center, East Kentwood beat Caledonia 44-40 to advance to regional play. The Falcons (13-12 overall) face Forest Hills Northern (22-2 overall and OK White champions) at 7 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Grandville High School.
In Division 2, South Christian defeated Holland Christian 59-50 for its district title. The Sailors (22-2 and top of the OK Gold) will play Paw Paw (20-4) at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, at South Christian.
Meanwhile, Zion Christian won a Division 4 district championship Friday with a 33-28 win over local rival Tri-unity Christian. The Mountaineers (18-6) face St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran (10-14) at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Martin High School.
A scoring drought at the worst possible time proved to be the difference for the South Christian boys basketball team as the Sailors dropped a 47-44 decision to Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the semifinals of a Division 2 regional Tuesday at Grand Rapids Christian.
In a game that was close throughout, the Sailors were unable to buy a bucket in the final two minutes and 30 seconds of the struggle between the perennial Division 2 powerhouses.
“This game won’t define us”
“It was a great game,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “I thought it was two really, really physical tough teams. Give them (Catholic Central) a lot of credit. They made one more shot than we did and it ended up being the difference.
“This game won’t define us. It won’t define the season that we had. We won 20 games, the conference championship, a district championship, we beat some really, really good teams along the way. I’m really proud of my guys the way they kept fighting when the ball wasn’t going in for us.”
The fourth quarter looked promising for South Christian in the early going. The Sailors, who were up 32-31 at the beginning of the quarter, built the lead to 38-33 with five minutes remaining in the contest. South Christian senior standout Carson Vis led the Sailors in the early minutes of the final quarter as he pumped in six points during a 6-2 run.
Cougars post 8-0 run in the fourth
Catholic Central, however, responded in a big way led by junior Izaya Lathridge. The Cougars responded with an 8-0 run as Lathridge scored a bucket and then came back to drain a three-point shot that tied the game at 38-38 with 4:20 remaining in the game. Lathridge then struck again from long range as his three-pointer at the 3:19 mark found the bottom of the net and staked the Cougars to a 41-38 lead.
“The guys did a tremendous job,” said Catholic Central Coach Chris Pearl. “We were locked in as we knew they beat us by double digits January 28. The way our guys have fought, the ways these guys bonded together. Our effort, our fight, our togetherness is second to none.”
That trey ignited a run of threes by both teams. South Christian responded with a three of its own as Caleb Pleune sank a triple tying the game at 41-41 with 3:04 remaining.
Catholic then came back with a three ball from Jordan McCoy with 2:42 remaining that put the Cougars up 44-41. On South’s ensuing possession Davis Kemper rained in a trey to tie the game at 44-44 with 2:29 remaining.
South Christian’s Davis Kemper (35) looks for an open teammate. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
For the Sailors, those points would prove to be the final points they would score in the contest as the basket seemed to have a lid on it for the remainder of the game.
Catholic Central took the lead for good with 1:17 remaining in the game when McCoy drove baseline and scored what proved to be the game-winning points.
South missed a three-pointer on its next possession and with 30 seconds left the Sailors were denied again after turning Catholic Central over on defense and coming up empty on the offensive end.
After McCoy split a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining in the game, South had one final opportunity, but the Sailors missed a pair of free throws and a three-point attempt at the buzzer.
“The ball wasn’t falling for us tonight”
“The ball wasn’t falling for us tonight,” Johnson said. “We obviously didn’t play our best. Man, we missed a lot of layups, a lot of free throws. In a three-point game you can’t do that at this stage.”
Both teams experienced difficulties at the free-throw line in the tense game as South Christian finished the game converting six-of-13 free throws, while Catholic Central converted just two-of-six.
Catholic Central, which improved to 19-7 with the win, led the game 9-8 at the end of the first quarter. South Christian, which ended the season with a 20-5 record, surged ahead in the second quarter and led 24-19 at halftime before the lead was whittled down to 32-31 heading into the final quarter.
South Christian’s Nolan Fackler (13) looks to inbound the ball against Catholic Central. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Lathridge led Catholic Central with 14 points, including four treys. Collin Lott added 11 points, followed by Jordan McCoy and Jack Bowen with nine apiece.
Catholic Central drains 7 threes
For the game, the Cougars connected on seven three-point shots.
“Every day, these guys are in the gym,” Pearl said. “Whether its before school, after school, before practice or after practice. If you looked at our season shooting, it’s not the best. We average about five threes a game on 20ish attempts, but if you trust it, you have confidence, and that’s the biggest thing in shooting. It’s not the way you start, it’s the way you finish it.”
Vis led the way for South Christian with 19 points, followed by Ike Schrotenboer, 12 and Davis Kemper, five.
For the Sailors, the loss meant the end of the high school careers for a memorable eight-man senior class that included Vis, Schrotenboer, Kemper, Pleune, Fackler, Charlie DeHaan, Ty Brinks and Wyatt Sall.
“This class was really special,” Johnson said. “Eight seniors that I felt were all in, all year. They gave us a lot of stuff to be proud of. I’m really, really proud of them. I think some of the guys left their legacy and they will be remembered forever.
“This game can’t define us who we are as people, we just have to continue to be strong in our faith and just think about all the positives in life.”
Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler returned to the bench Tuesday night for a regional semifinal game against Bellevue after missing the district finals last Friday with the flu.
“The guys are clicking on all cylinders and my assistant coaches are amazing,” said Keeler, who’s seeking his 20th regional championship in his career. “They didn’t miss a beat. You spend all that time as a coach preparing them and it’s a matter of them walking it out and they are doing a great job of it.”
Tri-unity got off to a hot start in the first half with a 48-23 lead into halftime and went on to an impressive 80-45 win over the Broncos.
Junior Clayton Rowlader shot the ball effectively throughout the game, leading the Defenders with 13 points and grabbing five rebounds.
“He’s always been a good shooter, but sometimes kids have to learn how to shoot and be consistent,” Keeler said. “He’s grown so much; he is very coachable. He turns down shots that he can’t take his time with. Some kids that are good shooters don’t like playing defense, but he’s really bought in.”
Keaton Blanker had 12 points and six assists. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Seniors Noah Silverton and Keaton Blanker filled the stat sheet. Silverton was all over the floor scoring 12 points with six assists, four steals and five rebounds. Blanker also scored 12 points and added six assists.
The Defenders were dropping shots all game long in the 80-point effort, which equals their season-high point total.
Noah Silverton had 12 points, six assists, four steals and five rebounds. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
“We were popping them; Keaton hit a couple of threes early, and Noah hit a couple,” Keeler explained. “Even Marcus (Lokiden) came off the bench and hit a few as well.”
Tri-unity (23-2), ranked No. 2 in Division 4, hosts Kalamazoo Phoenix (19-4) in the regional finals at 7 p.m. Thursday. This is a rematch from last year’s regional finals, where the Defenders secured a decisive 73-37 victory.
“They are a good team; it will be a challenging game,” Keeler said. “They have some talented and explosive players, we have to stop their penetration and make them earn their buckets from the outside.”
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Division 1, District 8 at East Kentwood
First Round: Ottawa Hills/East Kentwood 6 p.m. Monday, March 3 District Semifinal: Winner faces Wyoming 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5
Division 2, District 44 at Kelloggsville
First Round: Aviation Academy/Kelloggsville 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 3 Winner faces Catholic Central in Semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5 Godwin Heights/Grand River Prep 7 p.m. Monday, March 3 Winner faces Grand Rapids Christian in Semifinal at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5
Division 4, District 113 at Zion Christian
District Semifinal at Zion Christian: Tri-unity Christian/Sacred Heart 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5 Muskegon Catholic Central/Zion Christian 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5 District Final at Zion Christian: 7 p.m. Friday, March 7
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
The Tri-unity Christian boys basketball team advanced to the regionals with a district final win Friday night, beating Zion Christian 66-35 to claim yet another district title for legendary Coach Mark Keeler.
This time, however, Tri-unity had to play without Coach Keeler, who was out due to illness. Assistant Coach Brent Voorhees guided the team to victory.
“Last week showed the maturity of our senior group,” Voorhees said. “With our head coach being out with sickness, our seniors stepped up from a leadership standpoint and made sure we came out focused. Our game plan on Friday was to bring intensity on defense, aggressiveness on offense, and get great energy from our bench. We accomplished all three things and the boys played well.
“Seniors Keaton Blanker and Noah Silverton led the way offensively with 17 each. Both were able to get penetration and finish through contact, and we got some early production from senior captain Joey Mellon as well. Joey had to come out late in the first quarter with foul trouble, and sophomore Cody Osbun picked up the slack on the defensive end in Joey’s absence. We also had a huge dunk from senior Joseph Peters in the first quarter that gave our team a lot of energy to jump out to an early lead.”
Mellon added eight points and Osbun had 10 rebounds.
The Defenders host Bellevue on Tuesday, March 4, at 5:30 p.m. in a Division 4 regional semifinal.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.
Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.
It took a quarter for the young East Kentwood basketball team to get acclimated to the state tournament, but once the youthful Falcons got up to speed, they flew off with a 60-43 win against Wyoming in the semifinals of the Division 1 district tournament at Wyoming.
The win sets up a district final between East Kentwood and Byron Center at 7 p.m. Friday at Wyoming.
Few varsity teams in the area are as young as East Kentwood, as the Falcons start four sophomores and a junior. They also bring three to four more sophomores off the bench in their typical rotation.
“We started off pretty slow, but that is to be expected as this team is pretty much all sophomores and this was their first district basketball appearance,” said East Kentwood Coach Michael Thomas. “The crowd was large and very loud and I think that surprised our guys a little. It forced us into some turnovers and unusual plays, but by the second quarter the guys became used to it.”
The opening quarter was a tight, defensive struggle with East Kentwood leading 12-9 after eight minutes.
East Kentwood took control of the contest in the second quarter. The Falcons offense began to heat up behind the offensive skills of junior Randy Chapman, who led all scorers with 26 points. The Falcons outscored Wyoming 19-8 during the second quarter and Chapman led the way with 13 of Kentwood’s 19 points during the second stanza.
“RJ just kind of took over,” Thomas said. “He really went to work in the second quarter. He is our one guy that has that state tournament experience as he has played in two district championship games before and it showed.”
The big second quarter by Chapman helped the Falcons take a 31-17 lead into halftime.
Wolves pick up pace in third
Wyoming picked up the pace on the offensive end of the floor during the third quarter. The Wolves scored 16 points during the third led by Warren Williams, who scored seven that quarter, and Avonte’ Wiggins and Taeshon Wilson both added four.
East Kentwood also scored 16 points during the quarter as the Falcons took a 47-33 lead into the final quarter.
Along with the offensive exploits from Chapman, the Falcons received strong play along the front line from 6-foot-9 sophomore Drew Kenyi.
East Kentwood’s Drew Kenyi. (Greg Chrapek, WKTV)
“Andrew played really well,” Thomas said. “He finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds. He was huge for us and scored on a lot of putbacks. He finished well around the basket.”
The Falcons also received a solid game up front from 6-foot-5 sophomore Sammy Makung.
“Sammy scored six points for us and also had 10 rebounds,” Thomas said. “He really helped us out on the boards. Those two big fellas really came up huge for us. They did a really good job of helping limit Wyoming to one shot (per possession).”
East Kentwood tightened the defense during the final quarter as the Falcons outscored Wyoming 13-10 to come away with the 60-43 win.
A big factor in the young East Kentwood team being able to adjust to the big stage of the state tournament was the difficult schedule during the season. The Falcons played just three teams with a non-winning record the entire season. East Kentwood also played six teams ranked in the top 15 in Division 1 of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Power Ratings. That included two games apiece against No. 3 Rockford and No. 7 Hudsonville in conference play.
In non-league play the Falcons played No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice, No. 6 Detroit U-of-D Jesuit, No. 9 Detroit Martin Luther King and No. 15 Port Huron Northern. The Falcons also played Saginaw United, who has a 17-5 record and Center Line at 16-6.
“I think what helped us was our strength of schedule,” Thomas said. “We played the No. 2 strongest schedule in the state. After Orchard Lake St. Mary, we were No. 2 in the entire state in strength of schedule, and we went 11-11 against that schedule. We were also competitive in those games. I’d say there was only one time that we got run out of the gym and the rest were pretty close games. To finish with an 11-11 record against that type of schedule starting four sophomores and a junior is impressive. I’m proud of these guys and how well they competed against some of the best teams in the state.”
With the win, East Kentwood improved to 12-11 for the season. Along with 26 points from Chapman and 14 from Kenyi, the Falcons received eight points from CJ Reynolds, six from Makung, three points from Major Barnes, two from Dau Dau and one point from Jeremiah Cook.
Wyoming’s Avonte’ Wiggins led the Wolves with 14 points. (Greg Chrapek, WKTV)
Wyoming finished the season with a 12-12 overall record. The Wolves were led in scoring by senior Avonte’ Wiggins who finished with 14 points. Senior Taeshon Wilson added 11 points followed by senior Warren Williams with seven points. Jack Hogan added three points while Elijah McGee, Brayden Williams and Brad Lewis added two points apiece with Qua’vari Palmer and Zy’erre Debose adding one point each.
The current Tri-unity Christian team and some former players join together at Coach Mark Keeler’s final home game of his career. (Courtesy, Tri-unity Christian/Katlyn Keeler)
As the final whistle blew last Friday at Tri-unity Christian’s home court, which bears the name of legendary Coach Mark Keeler, the gym was filled with former players and community members who honored him after an impressive 38-year career at the school.
“It’s bittersweet, after doing this for 40 years it’s done,” said Keeler, who now has 714 career wins, third on the all-time MHSAA list. “It was a little overwhelming … it was so much fun seeing some former players come out, and I got many text messages from those that couldn’t make it.”
WKTV Friday Night Highlights host Ty Marzean interviews Coach Mark Keeler.
Tri-unity notched their 15th consecutive win on Senior Night with a 57-25 victory over Potter’s House. All eight of the Defenders seniors played significant minutes in their last regular season game in front of the home crowd.
Senior forward Noah Silverton led the team with 13 points, and 6-foot-7 center Joey Mellon filled the stat sheet with 10 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots. Hudson Ghent added nine points, while Keaton Blanker scored eight.
Seniors Tyler Laansma, Joseph Peters, Hezekiah Nobel, and Marcus Lokiden, as well as student manager Sean Gibbons, all contributed.
‘It was nice because we knew this was a game we could get everybody in,” Keeler explained.
The Defenders maintained their strong defensive performance, leading 31-11 at halftime and allowing only 14 more points in the second half.
“Our goal was to keep them under 30,” Keeler said. “They all played defense really well. Sometimes late in those types of game the players tend to want to relax on defense, but they played well throughout. We have had some games this year where that wasn’t the case, but they have improved greatly this year.”
With the regular season now complete, the Defenders can concentrate on defending their Division 4 state championship from last year. Tri-unity aims to compete in its fourth consecutive state finals game.
Tri-unity was due to play the winner of the Holland Calvary vs. Covert game, but Covert dropped out of the tournament.
“We still have a tournament to coach, the team is excited. We are going to get after it and hopefully we can play in that final game of the tournament,” Keeler said.
Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity (20-2) faces Holland Calvary (7-5) at Martin High School on Wednesday at 5:30 pm.
The winner of that game will play the winner of Zion Christian vs. Martin on Friday night at Martin High School for the District 113 title.
Keeler will now have to follow the advice he used to give his seniors about leaving it all out on the court.
“I would always tell the seniors, this is a whole lot more important to you because I’ll be coming back, you’re not. I can’t say that anymore.”
Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler chatting with a ref. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.
Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.
A fast start proved to be the difference for the South Christian boys basketball team in its showdown with Northview as a big first quarter propelled the Sailors to a 73-68 win in a clash of the top two teams in the OK Gold.
Northview entered the game with a perfect conference record and needed a win to wrap up the conference title. The Wildcats were in position to win the Gold outright after defeating South Christian earlier thanks to a last-second buzzer beater. Not only are the two teams the front runners in the conference, but both squads entered the game ranked in the state with Northview coming in at 17th in Division 1 in the latest MHSAA power rankings, while South Christian entered the game ranked eighth in Division 2.
Playing on its home floor, South Christian wasted little time in getting its home fans fired up as it jumped out to an 18-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
“We had a great start which was huge for us,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “We hit some shots early and got a lot of momentum going and we were able to get the crowd into it.”
Vis sinks 11 points in first quarter, including 3 treys
Senior standout Carson Vis was a big part of South Christian’s fast start. Vis totaled 11 points in the opening quarter, including draining three treys.
“Carson had a huge first quarter for us,” Johnson said. “He hit some big shots for us. Ike Schrotenboer also had a big first quarter as he made some big layups for us.”
Northview clawed back into the game during the second quarter as the Wildcats trimmed the South Christian lead to 37-33 by halftime.
Foul trouble played a role in Northview cutting into the Sailor lead. While the Sailors had some players in foul trouble, several players came into the game and provided some quality minutes. One of those players was sophomore Austin Burgess.
“Austin came off the bench and hit some big shots for us,” Johnson said. “Ike Schrotenboer also continued to play really well for us inside. He finished the game with 13 points and all of those points came in the first half.”
South Christian center Ike Schrotenboer totaled 13 points and seven rebounds against Northview.
(WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
South opened up some breathing room during the second half as the Sailors built a 56-47 lead to end the third quarter.
Northview made a final push during the final quarter as foul trouble continued to hamper the Sailors. South, however, was able to hold off the Wildcats and claim the victory.
“We had some turnovers and we continued to battle foul trouble in the fourth quarter,” Johnson said. “I’m proud of the way the kids battled and hung in there. We had some big rebounds and played some good defense in the fourth quarter.
“We also hit some key free throws at the end. We had a great crowd and it was a great high school basketball game. I’m really proud of our guys.”
Vis led the Sailors with 28 points, while Schrotenboer turned in 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Burgess added 13 points and Davis Kemper totaled 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Davis Kemper tallied 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
South Christian going for share of OK Gold Friday
The Sailors improved to 10-1 in the conference, while Northview finished conference play at 11-1. South Christian has a chance to clinch a share of the league title when it hosts Wayland on Senior Night Friday.
“Wayland is going to be ready to play,” Johnson said. “We have to be focused and come out ready to play. It will definitely be special to win the conference. For us, it’s always a goal to win the conference, but we are going to have to come out with a lot of clarity and be ready to play.”
Overall, South Christian improved to 17-4 for the season. After starting with a 1-3 record, the Sailors have won 16 of their last 17 games.
“We’ve played a tough schedule,” Johnson said. “I’ve seen a lot of growth in this team during the season and the guys play with a lot of grit. They have continued to get better and better throughout the season.”
After wrapping up the regular season Friday, the Sailors and the rest of the teams in the state begin the state tournament next week.
South Christian is hosting a Division 2 regional next week. The Sailors have a bye in the first round and open district action by playing the winner of the Kelloggsville/West Michigan Aviation Academy game in a semifinal next Wednesday.
As the boys basketball regular season nears the end, the Tri-unity Defenders are in the midst of an impressive 13-game winning streak after a pair of wins Friday and Saturday.
The Defenders secured their 23rd conference championship under longtime Coach Mark Keeler with a 60-30 victory over West Michigan Aviation Academy Friday, winning the Alliance League for the first time since 2022.
“I can’t tell you how much fun I’m having with this being my last year and with this group of young men,” said Keeler, who has earned six state championships, six state runner-up trophies, 15 Final Four appearances, 19 regional titles, 26 district titles and 23 conference championships. “They are so coachable. I’ve been very proud of the maturity level of the team this year. They have done a great job keeping their focus during the season.”
Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler and wife Cheryl after getting his 700th win. He now has 712 wins, which puts him at third place in the MHSAA state record book. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
The Defenders are led by senior captains Joey Mellon and Keaton Blanker, who both played key roles on last year’s State championship team.
“Joey and Keaton are my leaders,” Keeler said. “They were a part of the 8-man rotation I had last year. They really have bought in this year and are great team guys. Senior leadership has a lot to do with how far your team can advance.”
Tri-unity senior captains Joey Mellon (pictured) and Keaton Blanker have led the Defenders this season. Mellon had 25 points and 12 rebounds in a Saturday win over Beal City. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity used great defense and rebounding to claim a 32-7 advantage after the first half on Friday night.
“When you play defense like that it allows you to build a lead,” Keeler explained. “I stress to them how important it is to put their identity in something and they have done a phenomenal job on defense this year.”
The Defenders have lived up to their name as they have allowed only 39 points per game during their 13-game winning streak.
“I don’t think we could play any better defense than what we did on Friday,” Keeler said. “We have been able to do that against some of the teams we’ve played. We also look at rebounding, we did a great job with offensive rebounds. Everyone wants to shoot the three in today’s game. We want to hurry them so it’s a lower percentage shot and rebound well.”
Tri-unity senior captains Keaton Blanker (pictured) and Joey Mellon have led the Defenders this year. Blanker had 12 points, six assists and four steals in a Saturday win over Beal City. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Mellon and Blanker are not the only seniors making plays for the Defenders. Senior forwards Noah Silverton and Marcus Lokiden have played meaningful minutes at a high level for Keeler’s crew.
Silverton scored 13 points against Aviation Academy, while Lokiden added 10 points and three steals.
“Noah is really helping us this year, and Marcus sparks us, he plays much taller than he is and is a great shooter.”
Tri-unity’s Marcus Lokiden. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity also participated in the Alliance Invite at Kuyper College, where they faced Beal City, ranked No.12 in Division 4.
Joey Mellon was the standout performer for the team, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in their 62-42 victory over Beal City. Keaton Blanker also had a strong game, contributing 12 points, six assists, and four steals. Noah Silverton added 10 points and four steals.
Tri-unity concludes the regular season with an away game against Muskegon West Michigan Christian on Tuesday night, and returns home for Senior Night Friday against Alliance League rival Potter’s House, marking the final home game of Coach Keeler’s career.
“I think there will be some emotion for this old ball coach, I can’t say enough for this community, it’s been a joy to be a part of it.”
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.
Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.
Trailing by nine points midway through the third quarter of its OK Silver basketball showdown with Fruitport Tuesday, Godwin Heights was in need of an energy boost, especially considering the Wolverines were playing their fourth game in five days.
That boost came from lone senior Jamaan Hastings in a big, big way. Hastings drained back-to-back treys from downtown that provided the spark for a come-from-behind 58-51 win giving the Wolverines sole possession of first place in the conference.
“I knew we needed this win,” Hastings said. “I’ve been out for a couple of weeks so I knew I had to step up for my team and make a couple of plays. This was a very big win. We knew we needed to come in here with energy and intensity in order to win. For our confidence, this was a much-needed win.”
The treys by Hastings ignited a 17-4 run by the Wolverines that turned a 34-25 deficit midway through the third quarter into a 42-38 lead by the end of the quarter in a game that had a huge impact on who will win the conference title.
“It’s nice having him back, being able to provide some of that scoring punch” said Godwin Heights Coach Bernard Varnesdeel. “The message was, they (Fruitport) are a good team. I told them you got to understand this is a game of runs. They are a good team. This is championship Tuesday and you better suck it up and claw back and get in the game and we did.
“I’m very happy for Jamaan. He’s been out a few games, but he comes back and has a big game. Jamaan is a kid who lines up every day and works his tail off.”
Up by four points heading into the final quarter, the Wolverines turned to their defense to take command of the game. That defense, anchored by post player Isaiah Guyton, who blocked three Fruitport shots during the fourth quarter, held the Trojans scoreless for the first 4 minutes and 30 seconds of the final quarter.
“Isaiah has those Inspector Gadget arms, they just keep going sometimes,” Varnesdeel said. “Being able to get a piece of those shots, and that’s why we try to teach them to keep your hands up, you never know what you are going to get.”
The Godwin defense was evident all over the floor as Godwin’s perimeter defenders forced turnovers on the perimeter.
“In practice all we do is work on defense,” Hastings said. “We knew the scouting report. Our coach had us very prepared and we knew what to do to shut them down.”
Godwin Heights junior Dere’on Brown (1) sets up the offense against Fruitport. Brown scored 16 points in the win. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
Godwin’s 7-0 run to start final quarter huge
While Godwin kept the Trojans off the scoreboard, the Wolverines expanded the lead to double digits. A three-point shot by Dere’on Brown was the highlight of a 7-0 run to start the final quarter that enabled Godwin to take a 48-38 lead.
Fruitport cut the Wolverine lead to six points with two minutes remaining, but that was as close as the Trojans would get other than trimming the margin to 56-51 with 12 seconds left in the game before Brown slammed the door shut with a pair of free throws with three seconds left in the game.
Godwin Heights improved to 9-2 in the league, while Fruitport fell a game behind with an 8-3 mark. Both teams have three league games left.
The win also evened the ledger for Godwin against Fruitport as the Trojans edged the Wolverines 56-54 in their first meeting of the season last month at Godwin.
Like the previous meeting between the two teams, the contest was close right from the opening tip-off.
Godwin Heights grabbed the early lead at 14-7 in the first quarter as Hastings ignited the offense with a pair of treys, while Brown also added a triple that quarter.
Godwin Heights post player Lonnie Sanders (24) eyes a rebound during Tuesday’s OK Silver showdown at Fruitport. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
Fruitport led 24-22 at the half and 34-25 in the third
Fruitport turned the tables in the second quarter as the Trojans outscored Godwin 17-8 to take a 24-22 lead into halftime.
Fruitport kept the pressure up in the early minutes of the second half by outscoring the Wolverines 10-3 to build a 34-25 lead in the opening minutes of the second half.
The offensive lull by the visiting Wolverines may have been the effects of Godwin playing its fourth game in five days. After defeating Calvin Christian last Friday, the Wolverines traveled to Portage Northern and suffered a 48-44 loss to a 16-3 Berrien Springs team. After a day off Sunday, Godwin defeated visiting Belding 55-23 Monday in a makeup game.
To counter any fatigue, the Wolverines relied on a total-team effort against Fruitport. Every player who was dressed for the game against Fruitport played during the opening half.
“That was two real good teams going back and forth,” Varnesdeel said. “I feel like our depth really, really saved us, and it wasn’t so much the second half, but in the first half we played all 12 kids and all 12 of them contributed in some way, shape or form which gave us a huge, huge lift in the second half.”
The Wolverines, who return to action this Friday against neighborhood rival Kelloggsville, were led on offense by Hastings with 17 points, while Brown added 16. Jaden Farmer also hit double figures with 10 points and Guyton added eight.
With three games remaining in the season, Godwin is in position to win back-to-back league titles.
“Super proud of the boys,” Varnesdeel said. “Super proud of the community. There were a lot of people in the community here supporting us and cheering us on.”
Godwin Heights junior Isaiah Guyton (35) scored some key points along with playing strong defense in the game against Calvin Christian. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Defense was the name of the game when Godwin Heights traveled to Grandville Calvin Christian for a key OK Silver clash Friday evening. In the end, the visiting Wolverines came up with the key defensive plays and just enough offense to secure a 39-34 win in a struggle that came down to the final seconds.
The win was a huge victory for Godwin Heights as it gave the Wolverines sole possession of second place in the conference and keeps them a half game behind league-leading Fruitport.
“Our pre-game talk was we have to hang our hats on the defensive side of the basketball,” said Godwin Heights Coach Bernard Varnesdeel. “That’s what we build off of and that’s what we are working for. Down the stretch that was the last message, we said we have to win on defense. Very proud of the effort coming back on the road to get a tough conference win.”
The contest was a defensive struggle from the opening tip. The host Squires took the early lead in the game and were up 11-8 at the end of the first quarter.
The Calvin Christian defense was especially stingy for an almost eight-minute stretch of the first and second quarters when it held Godwin Heights without a point. After a three-point bucket by Godwin’s David Rodriguez with just over three minutes to play in the first quarter, the Wolverines did not score again until Isaiah Guyton connected on a bucket at the 3:34 mark of the second quarter.
Calvin Christian led 17-12 at halftime
While the Wolverines had a lid on their basket, the Godwin defense picked up the slack and allowed Calvin just five points over the same eight-minutes stretch as the bucket by Guyton cut Calvin’s lead to 14-10. The two teams combined for just five points the rest of the first half as Calvin led 17-12 at halftime.
Wolverines score 13 points in the third
In the second half, the Godwin Heights offense began to cook in the third quarter. The Wolverines doubled their offensive output of the entire first half as they scored 13 points during the third quarter. Trailing 19-18 midway through the third quarter, the Wolverines took a lead for the first time in the game when Jaden Farmer drained a trey putting Godwin up 21-19. Farmer closed out the third quarter for the Wolverines by adding a three-point play the old-fashioned way as he scored on a drive to the bucket, drew a foul and tacked on the free throw giving Godwin a 25-21 lead heading into the final quarter.
Godwin Heights guard Jaden Farmer (2) led the Wolverines with nine points. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“Before halftime, we were one for our last 26 from beyond the three-point line,” Varnesdeel said, “so we made a couple of them in the second half. We also made a couple of jump shots which were huge for us. I told the guys at halftime, keep taking them with confidence. We are going to get one or two of them sooner or later. Take them with confidence and be ready to knock them down. We had to get a big win.”
For Farmer and his teammates, the game meant a lot since Calvin Christian defeated the Wolverines 50-35 at Godwin in the first meeting between the two league rivals in early January.
“We just wanted to execute our plays,” Farmer said. “That was our main point as they beat us last time. We wanted to get back so we needed to play defense really well and execute.”
The game tightened up even more during the fourth quarter. Calvin Christian tied the game at 30-30 midway through the final quarter when Grant Morren came up with a four-point play. Morren drained a three and was fouled on the shot and then added the free-throw to eliminate what was a four-point Godwin lead.
Godwin gained the lead for good with 3:41 remaining in the game when Guyton scored a bucket in the paint putting the Wolverines up 34-32.
Up 35-34 with under two minutes left in the game, the Godwin defense again stepped up as the Wolverines kept the Squires off the scoreboard the remainder of the game.
“We work a lot on defense in practice,” Farmer said. “We watch a lot of film and work on executing on defense.”
Godwin put the game on ice with four free throws in the final two minutes of the game, including a pair of free throws by Justin Chan with one second remaining on the clock.
Godwin Heights Justin Chan (12) sealed the win against Calvin Christian with a pair of free throws with one second remaining in the game. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Godwin Heights parlayed balanced scoring in the defensive struggle with Farmer leading the offense with nine points. Chan and Lonnie Sanders added seven points apiece, Dere’on Brown added six pints, Guyton five points, Rodriguez four points and Zxavier Guzman three points.
Morren led Calvin Christian with 15 points, while Will Orme added eight.
Godwin Heights improved to 7-2 in the conference, 10-7 overall. The Wolverines host league-rival Belding in a makeup game on Monday and then travel to Fruitport on Tuesday to play the Trojans who are 8-2 in the league.
“We control our own destiny,” Varnesdeel said. “Fruitport is one game ahead, but we have to go to Fruitport. They beat us at home so we get a chance to at least tie with them. If we win out in the conference it will put us in a position to tie for the conference or win it out.”
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.
Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.
Heading into Tuesday’s OK Gold game against Thornapple Kellogg, South Christian girls basketball Coach Erika Brown was looking for her team to take things up another level on the defensive end. The Sailors ended up doing that and more as South turned in a defensive gem in beating TK 55-25.
“There’s been things that we’ve been specifically working on in practice and we really wanted to put it into the game and see how we could adjust and make those adjustments,” Brown said. “We just need to clean up our defense and slides and positioning and some of our schemes on defense. Just really getting after knowing where we are together as a team in the movement part of it on defense.”
South Christian wasted little time in showing the dividends of the work it put in on defense during recent practices. The Sailor defense was aggressive and on point right from the opening tipoff against the Trojans. With the combination of stingy defense and balance on offense, South Christian took a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Sailor offense was paced in the opening quarter by juniors Lizzie Wolthuis and Sophia Prins who both connected on three-point shots.
South Christian’s Lizzie Wolthuis (3), who totaled 11 points, drives the baseline against Thornapple Kellogg. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“We did get off to a good start,” Brown said. “That’s what we talk a lot about. Our team identifies as defense and transition, so we’ve been really working on those two things.”
South Christian took its defense to another level in the second quarter. Turning up the defensive intensity even more, the Sailors kept TK off the scoreboard for the entire quarter while building a 25-7 halftime lead.
With a double-digit lead heading into the second half, the Sailors maintained their aggressiveness on the defensive end while sharpening their skills on the offensive side of the floor. South Christian outscored TK 17-11 during the third quarter as it built a 42-18 lead.
South Christian closed out the game by outscoring the Trojans 13-7 in the fourth quarter.
Prins led the way for South Christian with 23 points highlighted by 3 three-point baskets.
“Our point guard Sophia (Prins) had an amazing game,” Brown said. “She is our floor general and director. She is doing a lot better in her talking and getting people where they need to be. I was very proud of her tonight.”
Wolthuis also drained a trio of treys finishing with 11 points. Sophomore Meredith Helmus added seven.
Overall, the Sailors were pleased with their offensive production, but like the defense, they see upside for improvement.
“We have some things we have to work on with offense,” Brown said. “We’ve been seeing more zone this year than we have in the past and zone offenses tend to get overlooked a little more than man, the quick-hit plays and all the things you really work on a lot. For what we’ve been working on for zone offense, I was happy and pleased with what we did tonight.”
South Christian senior Kamryn Boonstra (10) looks for an opening against the Trojans defense. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
South Christian improved to 14-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference. The win also set the stage for Friday’s OK Gold showdown where the Sailors, ranked 13th in the state in Division 2, travel to Grand Rapids West Catholic to take on the Falcons, ranked fifth in the state in Division 2 and have a 7-0 record in the conference.
The win was the sixth in a row for the Sailors since they dropped a 62-49 decision to West Catholic in early January. South’s other loss was a 41-39 decision against Hudsonville in December.
With four seniors on the team along with two freshmen, two sophomores and the remaining players from the junior class, the Sailors have a mix of youth and veterans which makes for an enjoyable team to coach.
“We have a group of girls that just love each other,” Brown said. “It’s a little bit more than basketball to us. It’s about life and doing this journey together. Being there through the hard times, the good times, the struggles in school, on and off the court. We have a really, really good squad this year. They’ve really taken this to heart and making this a journey that’s going to be memorable.”
Thornapple Kellogg fell to 2-5 in the league, 6-9 overall. The Trojans were led in scoring by freshman Taylor Lloyd, who drained a pair of treys and finished with 14 points.
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.
Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.
Two of the premier teams in West Michigan high school basketball over the years collided once again when the South Christian Sailors cruised into the Grand Rapids Catholic Central gym Tuesday evening.
Thanks to a strong second half, the visiting Sailors came away with the victory in the latest chapter of their rivalry as they turned back the Cougars 50-40.
As they have many times, the two teams entered the game ranked in the state in Division 2. South Christian entered the game ranked 10th and Catholic Central 17th in the latest Michigan High School Athletic Association power rankings.
The game lived up to its billing and was a close struggle most of the way before South took charge late in the third quarter.
“It was a hard-fought game,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “It felt like a Big 10 game. It was hard to score. Both teams were well prepared. They (Catholic Central) had a good defensive scheme and I liked our defensive scheme and we just hit a couple more shots in the third quarter that kind of extended that lead and we just kind of held on.
“That’s a good team. Chris (Catholic Central Coach Chris Pearl) is doing a good job. They got us with some different coverages that we haven’t seen before and I thought we made some decent adjustments in the second half.”
South took the early lead as the Sailors jumped out to a 10-2 advantage in the first quarter. Catholic, however, closed out the quarter strong as back-to-back three pointers by Brieland Watkins and Izaya Lathridge closed the gap to 10-9 at the end of the quarter.
The two squads traded the lead back and forth during the second quarter. Catholic Central took a 13-10 lead before South battled back to tie the game at 18. The Cougars finished out the first half on an upswing and took a 22-21 lead int halftime.
“Their ball-screen defense was giving us some trouble,” Johnson said. “They were really trapping and pushing Carson (Vis) out. We have to do a better job of getting the ball in the middle of the floor and getting the ball opposite. We will work on it. We will get better.”
Sailors’ 8-point run builds 37-28 lead
The game remained tight until late in the third quarter. Up 29-28, the Sailors finished the third quarter with an eight-point run to take a 37-28 lead. The key to the run was back-to-back three-pointers by Caleb Pleune and Carson Vis.
South Christian’s Caleb Pleune plays defense against Catholic Central’s Brieland Watkins. Pleune scored nine points for the Sailors. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
Playing with the lead, the Sailors were able to hold the Cougars at bay during the final quarter. South Christian also sealed the game at the foul line in the final quarter as 11 of South’s 13 points in the fourth quarter came at the charity stripe.
“Carson (Vis) is a tremendous, tremendous player,” said Catholic Central Coach Chris Pearl. “I think he did a good job of getting to the hoop and attacking. I think our guys got a little down. They saw a lot of the free throws and we started settling for a little bit of threes. We just have to get in that attack mindset.”
Vis led South Christian’s offense with 24 points, and was especially effective at driving to the basket and drawing fouls nailing 14-of-18 at the free-throw line. Vis also knocked down a pair of three-point shots. Davis Kemper added 10 points, highlighted by knocking down 3 three-point shots. Pleune also drained a trio of treys as he finished with nine points.
“I appreciate the fans coming out,” Johnson said. “Winning on the road is always hard to do here. A win at Catholic, that’s a really good win for us.”
South Christian’s Nolan Fackler (13) looks for an opening on the perimeter of the Catholic Central defense. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
Lathridge led the Cougars with 19 points, while Watkins added 13.
South Christian improved to 10-4 overall, and is 5-1 in the OK Gold, a game behind Northview.
“The season has been up and down,” Johnson said. “I still don’t think we’ve found our groove yet. We’re growing, but we still have a long way to go. I still don’t think we’ve played our best basketball.”
Catholic Central fell to 9-5 overall, but are first place in the OK White at 5-0.
“We’ve had a tremendous second half of the season and we are going to keep that going,” Pearl said. “We’re 5-0 in the conference and we have goals to accomplish. We’ve had eight straight conference championships and we are hoping to build off of that.”
With the high school basketball season heading into the home stretch, the Wyoming Wolves basketball team is shifting into high gear. The Wolves found another gear Friday evening when they traveled to West Catholic and came away with a 78-52 win.
The win was the eighth in the last 11 games for the Wolves, who began the season 0-3. While it took Wyoming a few games to get their footing, the Wolves have been steadily improving and have been putting up some impressive numbers both on offense and defense.
“I thought we did a lot of things really well,” said Wyoming Coach Thom Vander Klay. “The kids are coming around as far as picking up what we are trying to do. They are trusting their teammates. Early in the season we were beginning to gel and now we feel like we are starting to hit our stride and we feel like we are getting closer and closer to our potential.”
Wyoming came out firing on all cylinders during Friday’s game. The Wolves jumped out to a 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. They started the second quarter with a bang as Taeshon Wilson scored the first Wyoming points of the quarter with a crowd-pleasing breakaway dunk. Up 27-20 late in the quarter, the Wolves closed out the first half with an 11-0 scoring run to take a 38-20 lead into halftime.
Offense is one area where they’re showing steady progress this season. The 78 points the Wolves scored Friday was the second-highest team total of the season and they have scored 60-plus points in nine games so far. Wyoming likes to play at a fast pace and the Wolves did a solid job of running the floor against West Catholic scoring a high volume of points off the fast break.
“I think part of the getting up and down is the trust of our teammates,” Vander Klay said. “The fact that they will catch it, the fact that they will run the floor and the fact that they will finish, and if not then we will crash the glass. Our kids are starting to develop that team chemistry on offense.”
Warren Williams (10) scored nine points for Wyoming. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
After halftime, the Wolves opened up a 45-20 lead as the Wyoming defense held West Catholic without a point until the 4:59 mark of the third quarter.
Along with progress on offense, the Wolves have been making strides defensively and that was evident against West Catholic.
“I thought we played harder,” Vander Klay said. “We stopped what they were trying to do offensively. Especially with as many possessions as there are in our games, we have to work pretty hard on defense. We are working on that too.”
Wyoming led 59-39 at the end of the third and kept up the pace in the final quarter to end with a 26-point edge.
Brayden Williams led Wyoming with 16 points, while Josh Guevara and Taeshon Wilson added 11. Avonte Wiggins, Warren Williams and Jack Hogan added nine each.
Wyoming’s Avonte’ Wiggins (2) brings the ball past half court during the game at West Catholic. Wiggins scored nine points. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
“All of our kids can play,” Vander Klay said. “The truth is, sometimes when a coach makes a sub, it might be just a tiniest little bit that one kid is a little better, but I can close my eyes and just point to somebody on the bench. We are very deep. We have a lot of good players, so when we sub, when the benches clear, that is usually to our advantage.”
With the win, Wyoming improved to 8-6 overall and 3-2 in the OK Gold. Wyoming returns to action Monday when it travels to play conference rival Grand Rapids Union. The Wolves then host Holland Christian on Tuesday for our WKTV Truck Game of the Week.
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area Boys and Girls high school basketball teams in action.
Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood areas, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.
East Kentwood basketball Coach Mike Thomas stresses to his players the importance of playing 10 times harder than their opponents to get a win.
During Tuesday’s OK Red game at Holland West Ottawa, the young Falcons not only had to play 10 times harder than West Ottawa, but they had to keep up the pace for eight extra minutes as East Kentwood outlasted the Panthers 76-71 for a double-overtime victory.
“We just had to play 10 times harder,” Thomas said. “Every game that we play, every gym that we walk into, we have to work 10 times harder to get rewarded.”
That work ethic paid off for the Falcons who needed two overtimes to defeat West Ottawa. Kentwood also had to dig out of an early hole as West Ottawa took a 19-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.
East Kentwood began battling back during the second quarter. The Falcons outscored West Ottawa 17-7 during the opening minutes of the second quarter. The Falcons eventually took the lead as a free throw by sophomore Drew Kenyi put Kentwood up 27-26. West Ottawa closed out the first half strong taking a 32-29 halftime lead.
The teams battled back and forth in the second half with neither getting more than a three-point lead during the third quarter.
The game remained that way during the fourth quarter. West Ottawa managed to take a three-point lead midway through the final quarter while the Falcons kept battling back and trimming the deficit to a single point.
With a minute left in regulation, East Kentwood tied the game at 62-all as sophomore Jeremiah Cook split a pair of free throws. Neither team was able to score a point in the final minute of regulation as West Ottawa suffered a turnover and East Kentwood missed its final shot attempt in the final 10 seconds.
In the first overtime, East Kentwood took a 66-62 lead as junior Randy Chapman scored a bucket and sophomore Major Barnes added a pair of free throws. The Falcons were up 68-64 with 1:20 left in the first overtime before West Ottawa rallied with four free throws in the final minute of the first overtime to tie the game at 68 and send the game into a second one.
East Kentwood sophomore Major Barnes (0) concentrates on his shot at the foul line. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood took the lead for good a minute into the second overtime when Chapman scored on a drive to the basket putting the Falcons up 71-69. After West Ottawa responded with a free throw, the Falcons reeled off four consecutive points to go up 75-70. A highlight-reel dunk by Cook with 35 seconds remaining sparked the final Kentwood run as the Falcons outscored West Ottawa 5-1 in the final 35 seconds of the game to secure the win.
“The guys played hard,” Thomas said. “When we are away on the road in the OK Red we always have to play hard. Even when we are at home, it’s hard winning. Winning is always hard.”
With the win, East Kentwood improved to 7-4 overall for the season. The win also was the first OK Red win for the Falcons in three times.
East Kentwood junior guard Donovan Jones (1) applies pressure on defense against West Ottawa’s Makai Campos (0). (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood also has claimed some impressive wins in non-conference games early on in the season, including a 66-60 win against Detroit Renaissance, a 58-51 win against Hamtramck and a 65-56 win against Ann Arbor Pioneer.
“The season has been going pretty good,” Thomas said. “We just have to keep playing 10 times harder; Especially in the OK Red. We have to be that much better every time we play. That’s something we are going to keep preaching to our young guys. Whether you play at home or away.”
The Falcons have a young squad this season with just one senior on the roster. All 76 of Kentwood’s points against West Ottawa were scored by non-seniors with 54 of the points coming from sophomores.
Cook and Chapman led the way for the Falcons as they both recorded 20 points. Barnes finished with 12 points followed by Kenyi and sophomore CJ Reynolds with eight apiece.
