Category Archives: Local Sports

Former WKTV personality, Berlin Raceway legend George Keen inducted into Berlin Hall of Fame

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George Keen, left, and Ralph Baker on “The Racing Show,” taped by WKTV for decades. (WKTV)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


If ever there was a jack of all trades at Berlin Raceway, the late George Keen was just that man.

Keen, who passed away in 2021, was a big part of the racing scene at Berlin Raceway for some five decades beginning in the 1960s. During his time at the raceway, he was a driver, car owner and car sponsor. Keen also promoted racing in West Michigan as a radio racing announcer, an announcer of Berlin racing on a website and also hosted a popular racing show on WKTV that was a staple for over 20 years. 

All of that work was recently recognized with the announcement that Keen would be inducted into the Berlin Raceway Hall of Fame. He will be honored in January at Berlin Raceway’s annual banquet and a Hall of Fame plaque will be unveiled and added to the Berlin Raceway Hall of Fame next season.

“George did everything that you could possibly do at the track,” said veteran track announcer Matt McKenzie, who worked with Keen on the livestreaming Track Pass network that broadcast Berlin racing over the internet. “I am actually writing the write-up for his Hall of Fame plaque and it will be a challenge to get everything he accomplished in five sentences. George had his hand in so many things.”

A career that began in the Sixties

“George did everything in racing,” McKenzie said. “He owned race cars, he drove race cars, he sponsored other drivers, he was a radio broadcaster at the track and he started a racing show at WKTV. He even built a two-seat racing car so fans could ride around the track with their favorite driver.”

Later in his career, Keen provided another valuable service to drivers at Berlin with his mobile tool shed which was basically a concession for tools that pit crews and mechanics could turn to in a pinch.

“George was very entrepreneurial,” McKenzie said. “He knew how to sell about anything.” 

Keen also knew how to give back and promote the sport he loved. He was a radio announcer for Berlin racing and also hit the streets to sell advertising for the broadcasts. In the early 1990s, Keen added television to his media portfolio with his racing show on WKTV.


George Keen hosting his popular “Racing Show” on WKTV. (WKTV)


A long pit stop at WKTV

“George turned “The Racing Show” from its first airing in 1993 until 2010, into a staple for West Michigan racing fans through the winter months,” said Tom Norton, executive director and general manager of WKTV. “His was the only individual TV show here who’s TV viewers had a well-attended winter party. With George and his team during those years, it was wonderful.”

Racing was not the only sport that Keen was involved in on the television end at WKTV. He also was part of the station’s annual coverage of the Golden Gloves.


George Keen also was involved with hosting various programs during the popular 28th Street Metro-Cruise like WKTV’s Dream Wheels. (WKTV)



A “shining star” at WKTV

“George was one of the shining stars of WKTV for decades,” Norton said. “George was a great television host, called many a sporting event for us, and of course, hosted “The Racing Show” for so many years. We truly miss George’s energy and spirit.”

As online broadcasting began to take hold, Keen also was ready to adapt to that as he teamed with McKenzie on NBC’s Track Pass each Saturday night to announce Berlin racing via the internet.

With his interest in so many activities surrounding racing, it was only natural that Keen would amass a wealth of contacts.

“George knew everybody”

“George knew everybody,” McKenzie said. “You could name any type of business in West Michigan and George knew someone in that business. If you needed something in audio, paint, tires, pizza, whatever, George knew people in that business. If you ever needed anything all you had to do was get a hold of George and he would make a call and get you in touch with whatever you needed. George was just a great guy.”

Keen also had a hand in the Berlin Hall of Fame that he’s going to be inducted into.

“George always wanted the Hall of Fame to be improved,” McKenzie said. “The hall of fame plaques used to be on a back wall next to the bathrooms. George wanted them moved to a bigger area and have an area built for them. He was working on getting that before he passed away. After he passed, I helped make sure that a new Hall of Fame area was built.”

With his induction into the Berlin Hall of Fame, the jack of all trades at Berlin Raceway is now a permanent fixture at the track.  

East Kentwood opens conference play with offensive explosion at Jenison; Falcons total 500 yards

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By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org

The East Kentwood football team opened OK Red Conference play in a big way Friday as it totaled over 500 yards of offense in a 54-7 win against Jenison. 

The offense came from a multitude of sources as 261 yards came via the ground game and 240 yards from passing as the 54-point scoring output was the biggest offensive outburst by the Falcons since they scored 63 points in a 2019 win against West Ottawa.

East Kentwood football Coach Tyrone Spencer. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


“I liked the way we executed the game plan,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “We want to be able to keep teams off balance with our offense and we were able to do that. I also think we were able to wear Jenison down. They had some guys that were going both ways and I think we were able to wear them down as the game went on.”

Coming into the season the Falcons planned to run the ball and use a running back by committee approach. That plan is being carried out as the Falcons again shared the wealth in the ground game. A total of four Falcons eclipsed 40 yards rushing for the game with three rushing for over 60 yards. Kentwood junior Ace Bryant led with 68 yards on four carries, followed by Ahman Edmonds, one carry for 62 yards, Jacarvion Johnson, two for 60 and a touchdown and Nasir “Nas” Williams ran seven times for 40 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Davien “Bam” Nettleman added 12 yards on three carries and scored a touchdown, while sophomore Tyran Harris, five yards on one carry and a TD.

“Our running back by committee has been working out nice,” Spencer said. “The guys are progressing well. We have guys that do certain things well and they are making the most of their opportunities.”


East Kentwood Quarterback Kayd Coffman. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)


QB Kayd Coffman in high gear

Senior quarterback Kayd Coffman also clicked into high gear against the Wildcats, completing 15-of-20 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns. 

Ahman Edmonds led the way in receiving with 114 yards on six catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. For the game, Edmonds totaled 176 yards of total offense. That kind of production is not going unnoticed by college recruiters as Tiffin University offered Edmonds a scholarship following Friday’s game.

Like the running backs, the Falcons shared the wealth in the receiving department. Junior wide receiver Stephan Jones caught four passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Junior wideout Bryce Barnes caught three passes for 43 yards, while senior tight end Kendrick Mayhue caught a pair of passes for 26 yards and sophomore receiver Caiden Cox caught a pass for 10 yards.

The Jenison defense proved to be a tough nut to crack during the early potion of the game as the contest was scoreless at the end of the opening quarter. The Kentwood offense began to percolate in the second quarter with four touchdowns to take a 26-7 halftime lead. Nas Williams scored the first Kentwood touchdown on a three-yard run and Jayden Garcia tacked on the extra point. 

Jenison tied the game thanks to a long touchdown run. The Falcon offense then took over, reeling off three consecutive touchdowns. The Falcons took the lead for good when Coffman hooked up with Stephan Jones on an 18-yard scoring strike. The Falcons closed out the first-half with a two-yard touchdown run from Williams and a one-yard scoring run by Bam Nettleman.

East Kentwood put the game on ice with four touchdowns in the third quarter. The outburst began with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Coffman to Edmonds. Coffman then hooked up with Jones on a 14-yard scoring strike. The Falcons closed out the scoring with a five-yard touchdown run by Tyran Harris and a 59-yard touchdown run by Jacarvion Johnson.

Strong EK defense as well

Along with the offensive explosion, the East Kentwood defense came up with an impressive effort. Factor out the 77-yard touchdown run, and the East Kentwood defense surrendered 116 yards of total offense for the game. Subtracting the touchdown run, the Falcon defense allowed Jenison 2.4 yards per play.

Defensive back Donavan Jones led with four tackles and two assists. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)

“Overall, I thought our defense turned in a really good performance,” Spencer said. “They created some turnovers and got some big stops. I thought we controlled their passing game, and other than the one big run we controlled their running game.”

The Falcon defense turned in a total-team effort against the Wildcats. Junior defensive back Donavan Jones led with four tackles and two assists, followed by Senior Benedi Kanda, two tackles for loss, Malachi Daly and Austin Bobo also added a tackle for loss. The Falcon defense also intercepted three Jenison passes with Dallas Thomas-Moody, Jaziel Negron and Major Barnes all recording picks. Senior defensive lineman James Jones Jr. racked up four assists, while Barnes and Baxter Johnson added three.

With the win, East Kentwood improved to 3-0 overall, 1-0 in the OK Red. The Falcons return to action this Friday with a big conference road trip to Rockford to face the 2-1 Rams, who opened conference play with a 42-24 win at Grand Haven.

Check out our first WKTV Friday Night Highlights show of the season!

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org


Check out the exciting clips above from our first Friday Night Highlights show of the season featuring many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.


Just like during basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.

Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Monday night! Thanks for tuning in.



WKTV Game of the Week

Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.

You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org

Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.

Kelloggsville football team begins season 2-0 under new coaching staff; beats Perry 48-28 Friday

City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports,
(WKTV)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


A new era is dawning for Kelloggsville football and the Rockets have made it a successful launch in the first two weeks.

The new look starts with Justin Dennett, who stepped in as the new Coach. The early results are proving positive as the Rockets defeated Grant 43-14 to open the season, and beat Perry 48-28 Friday.

“We started out pretty good,” Dennett said of the opening day win. “We received the opening kickoff and went down and scored. Then on Grant’s first possession they fumbled. We were up 22-6 at halftime and then scored a few more times early in the second half. We got off to a good start and were able to maintain it.”

Quarterback Cameron Dunbar posts three TDs against Grant

Offensively, the Rockets were led by senior quarterback Cameron Dunbar (5-11, 185 pounds) who completed 7-of-10 passes for 82 yards and rushed the ball 12 times for 176 yards and three touchdowns.

Running back Keyontae Gibson logs 157 yards and three TDs in opener

Running back Keyontae Gibson added 157 yards on 14 carries and scored three touchdowns. Gibson also caught a pair of passes for 27 yards. Danyel White (5-11, 165) added two receptions for 25 yards.

A core of seniors led the way for Kelloggsville on the offensive side of the ball starting with Dunbar at the quarterback position.

“Cameron is a tremendous athlete,” Dennett said. “He is our fastest and strongest athlete. He really fits the offense that we want to run. He is a dynamic kid and a good leader for us.”

Gibson, White and senior Isaak Kowal (5-11, 180) provide plenty of options in the running and passing game.

“Keyontae had a breakout game for us,” Dennett said. “He is a really dynamic kid. He is fast and strong and broke a few long runs. Danyel is one of our fastest kids and has good hands. He is also a good blocker which is good for our offense. Isaak is a senior running back who is a good, tough runner and a good blocker.”

Up front, senior Zane Hendricks (5-10, 200) and Prince Bakara (5-6, 210) anchor the offensive line where they provide plenty of senior leadership for a young group of linemen.

The Rockets also turned in a productive game on the defensive side of the football in their opener.

“Defensively, I wasn’t sure how it would go in Week One,” Dennett said. “The defense played really well and forced four turnovers. They (Grant) only scored once on our first-team defense. I was pleasantly surprised with our defense. We have a lot of good athletes on defense. We still have to fine-tune some things and clean some things up, but for Week One it was a really good effort.”

With a small roster, the Rockets rely on several players to log minutes on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball.

Dunbar and White head up the defensive secondary. Kowal and Gibson lead the way at inside linebacker. Bakara and Hendricks anchor the defensive front.

The defense also is receiving contributions from senior Nasyre Walker (5-9, 170), who plays a hybrid outside linebacker/safety position, senior Jaquardre Montes (5-10, 160), inside linebacker, and Qubec Griffin, defensive back and receiver on offense.

Dennett brings plenty of head coaching experience to Kelloggsville. A native of Byron Center, Dennett was the Coach at Montague the past four seasons.

“We have a good group of seniors,” Dennett said. “They were all pretty committed over the summer. We have a lot of potential, but we need to focus on the little things.”

“We definitely had a good start,” Dennett said. “Our main focus right now is to grow our numbers. Hopefully we can grow them and have a junior varsity team. I was really happy with Week One and hope to build on it.”

East Kentwood offense finds high gear in non-league win against Byron Center

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports, , ,



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org

For the second week in a row, the East Kentwood football team found its high gear on offense. Led by a potent passing game and a productive ground attack, the Falcon offense found the end zone six times as it defeated Byron Center 43-14 in their first home game of the season.

East Kentwood scored three touchdowns in each half as it opened up a 21-0 halftime lead and put the game away with 22 second-half points.

The Kentwood offense eclipsed the 40-point mark for the second straight week and was led by senior quarterback Kayd Coffman, who completed 17-of-24 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns. Coffman tossed four TD passes in Kentwood’s 43-8 win at Southfield A&T in the season opener. Ahman Edmonds led the Falcons with five catches for 108 yards, while Nasir Williams led in rushing with 80 yards on 12 carries.


East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman passed for three touchdowns in the win after tossing four TD passes in the season opener. He completed 17-of-24 passes for 299 yards in the win over Byron Center. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)


Quarterback Kayd Coffman “locked in”

In his second season as the starting quarterback, Coffman has taken his game to the next level.

“I think Kayd has responded well this season,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “Last year at this time he was splitting reps with a senior. Now he is confident, has the position all his own, is committed to a university (Michigan State) so that confidence skyrockets. He has done a phenomenal job with his leadership. He stays locked in and he is an awesome benefit to us.”

Coffman completed all four of his passes on the opening drive of the game as he moved the Falcons 79 yards downfield in seven plays for a touchdown. He capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Owen Van Der Veen. Jayden Garcia tacked on the point after.

After the Kentwood defense forced Byron Center into a three-and-out on its first possession of the game, the offense embarked on a second long touchdown drive. Starting on its own 36-yard line, the Falcons drove the ball 64 yards in 13 plays. Coffman capped the drive with arguably the throw of the game as he fired a laser to junior Stephan Jones at the corner of the end zone on a third-and-goal play from the Bulldog 22-yard line. The Falcons overcame four penalties on the drive including a pair of delay of game penalties near the Bulldog goal line.

Byron Center responded on its next possession by driving down to the East Kentwood 19-yard line where the Falcon defenders came up with a big fourth-down stop.  

Overall, the Falcon defense turned in a solid effort allowing Byron Center a pair of second-half touchdowns.

East Kentwood defense “played well”

I thought they played well,” Spencer said. “I thought they executed their assignments well. We tried to take away what they do. They are a tough, physical football team and we wanted to take some things away and we did and we forced them to do some other things that they don’t necessarily do a lot.

Kentwood tacked on a third touchdown with just 59 seconds remaining in the first half as Coffman connected with Davien Nettleman on a 15-yard scoring strike.

The touchdown pass was caught by a third different Falcon receiver highlighting the depth and talent of the team’s receiving corps.


East Kentwood’s Kayd Coffman sets the offense against Byron Center in a 43-14 win Sept. 6, 2025. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



“They are all great guys,” Coffman said. “They are just so good. We get a ball in space and they can go make a play. That is very reassuring for me and helps me sleep at night.”

One of the Kentwood playmakers is senior Ahman Edmonds, who not only makes plays in the passing game, but also can provide impact plays as a runner and kick returner.


East Kentwood’s Ahman Edmonds returns a kickoff in a 43-14 win over Byron Center on Sept. 6, 2025. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)


“Our offense is definitely deep,” Edmonds said. “We’ve got a lot of good receivers. This offense is fun to play in. Me being a smaller guy they can put me out or in the backfield and I can show everything so it’s definitely a good advantage. My eyes blow up because I know that Kayd can make a big throw and I can make a big catch.”

Byron Center scored its first points of the game on the opening drive of the second half as Will Baubach hauled in a 38-yard touchdown pass.

Kentwood answered with a touchdown on the next possession. A 43-yard pass play from Coffman to Edmonds was the highlight of the drive that was capped by a four-year touchdown run by senior running back Jesse Phillips.

Kentwood upped the lead to 35-7 late in the third quarter when senior running back Nasir Williams ran in for a touchdown from a yard out.

The two teams closed out the game by trading touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Cam Payne scored Byron Center’s touchdown on a two-yard run. Williams scored East Kentwood’s final touchdown on a one-yard run.


Coffman completed 17-of-24 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns. Edmonds led the Falcons in receiving with five catches for 108 yards, followed by Nettleman, three catches for 52 yards, Van Der Veen, three for 50 yards, Jones, three for 49, and Kendrick Mayhue, two catches for 26 yards. Williams led the Falcon running game with 80 yards on 12 carries, while Nettleman added 49 yards on seven carries and Phillips, 20 on six carries.

Chris Thompson led the way with six tackles, followed by Dallas Thomas-Moody and Malachi Daly, five apiece, Donovan Jones added five tackles and one tackle for loss, James Jones Jr., four tackles and a tackle for loss and Jaziel Negron added four tackles.

With the win, Kentwood improved to 2-0 for the season and returns to action next Friday when it travels to Jenison to face the 2-0 Wildcats in opening-week action in the OK Red Conference.

While the Falcons are pleased with the start, they know the season is long and there is plenty of room for improvement.

“I think there is always room for improvement,” Spencer said. It’s part of rebuilding a program. We did overcome some penalties and we did overcome some mistakes so it shows a lot of the character of our guys and the kind of mental toughness that they have. There are some things we have to clean up.


“I told them it wasn’t the cleanest game, but I was satisfied with the effort. I thought we had great enthusiasm.”  

South Christian opens season with 27-13 win at Grand Rapids Christian 

Citizen Journalism, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , , ,
South Christian quarterback Austin Burgess completed 11-of-14 passes for 234 yards and a pair of TDs. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


The South Christian football team kicked off the season in a big way on the road with a 27-13 win over long-time rival Grand Rapids Christian.

The Sailors utilized a total team effort as the offense displayed plenty of balance, while the defense slowed down a potent Grand Rapids Christian offense.

South Christian also benefitted from a quick start with a pair of touchdowns in the opening quarter, while keeping the host Eagles scoreless.

South’s Austin Burgess scampers 17 for first TD of game

South put the first points on the scoreboard at the 7:30 mark of the first quarter. That was when junior quarterback Austin Burgess, making his first-ever varsity start at quarterback, scampered in from 17-yards out to give the Sailors a 6-0 lead.

Owen Burgess reels in 41-yard TD pass for South Christian. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)

They extended that lead to 13-0 with 22 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. This time South went to the air to score as Austin Burgess hooked up with Owen Burgess on a 41-yard touchdown pass. Austin Burgess kicked the point after.

“We had a real nice first drive,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown, “and then we got a stop on defense and scored again. The quick start definitely helped settle down those first-game nerves. At that point we started to run the ball more and control it and play some good defense. Anytime they did something we were able to answer. I’m proud of how the kids stayed the course and played a full four quarters.”

Eagles get on the board in second quarter

The two teams traded scores in the second quarter. Grand Rapids Christian scored its first points when Charlie King ran in for a score from seven-yards out. King added the extra point cutting the deficit to 13-7.

The Sailors answered that score with 4:36 remaining in the first half when the Burgess-to-Burgess connection clicked again, this time from 24 yards out to increase their lead to 19-7.


Easton Raak, South Christian. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)

After a scoreless third quarter, South Christian broke the game open in the fourth. Easton Raak scored the final Sailor touchdown with a 14-yard run. The Sailors tacked on a two-point conversion as Austin Burgess connected with Charles Vermass on a pass.

Grand Rapids Christian closed out the scoring with a touchdown with 1:23 left in the game to make the final score 27-14

.

Offensively, the Sailors totaled 426 yards. Burgess completed 11-of-14 passes for 234 yards and a pair of touchdowns.




“Austin did a real good job of executing the game plan,” Brown said. “I was really happy for him in his first start as a junior. It was a little nerve-racking for him making his first varsity start, but he settled in and did everything we asked of him.”

Owen Burgess led the Sailors with five catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns.


South Christian’s Jesse Van De Griend led on the ground with 53 yards on 10 carries. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)

Overall, South ran the ball 40 times, while passing 14. Jesse Van De Griend led the South ground game with 53 yards on 10 carries, followed by Raak, 50 yards on five carries, Kyle Naklizki, 41 yards on eight carries and Isaac Osterhaven, 25 yards on nine carries.

“I thought our running backs did a really good job,” Brown said. “They each had about the same amount of rushes. They all added a different dynamic and I was very happy with that. Football is a physical game and 40 rushes is a lot for one back so being able to spread it out among three guys is a benefit.”

In all, four different Sailors ran the ball at least five times and six different Sailors caught at least one pass.

The team effort extended to the defensive side of the ball where the Sailors limited Grand Rapids Christian to 262 total yards with 179 coming through the air, 83 via the rush.

“I was really happy with our defense,” Brown said. “We were very physical and I thought we made them one-dimensional. We held them to under 90 yards rushing and that enabled us to do some things to disrupt their passing game.”

Brown credited the defensive line for their effort in stopping the Eagles’ ground game.


Caleb Wieneke led the Sailors with five tackles and three assists. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)


“Collectively, our front four played really, really well,” Brown said. “As a unit they blew up the running game and were able to get at the quarterback. Our inside linebacker, Caleb Wieneke, had a nice game. He was our leading tackler and forced a fumble.”

Wieneke totaled five tackles and three assists, followed by Cody Jones with two tackles, three assists and 1.5 tackles for loss, Ben Buiter, one tackle, three assists, one tackle for loss, Noah Klump, four tackles, two tackles for loss and Kasjen VanSolkema, two tackles, one assist and 0.5 tackles for loss.

 South returns to action Friday hosting East Grand Rapids at Byron Center Stadium.

East Kentwood football team poised to hit next level behind MSU commit Kayd Coffman

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
East Kentwood quarterback and MSU commit Kayd Coffman prepares for his senior year. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


After turning in a winning season and putting up a big effort in the state playoffs, the East Kentwood football team is poised to take things to another level this season.

East Kentwood featured a new look last season as Coach Tyrone Spencer took over the program. Season one was full of progress as not only did the Falcons turn in a winning regular season record at 5-4, but they made the playoffs after a one-year absence. In the opening round of the playoffs the Falcons had a tough 25-23 loss to Hudsonville on the road that came down to the final seconds against an Eagle team that went on to the Division 1 state championship game. East Kentwood also posted a winning record at 4-3 in the ultra-rugged OK Red Conference.

This year, with plenty of talent returning, the Falcons are looking for even more success.

“Things are looking pretty good right now,” Spencer said. “I like where are team is at right now.”

On the offensive side, the Falcons return one of the premier quarterbacks in the state in senior Kayd Coffman (6-2, 200). Coffman turned in a big season in his first year of starting last fall and parlayed that with a big offseason into a scholarship from Michigan State.

“Kayd is looking pretty good,” Spencer said. “He had a great offseason and a great camp.”

Coffman will have a familiar face to throw the ball to in senior Ahman Edmonds (5-8, 165). Edmonds was the Falcons’ leading receiver last season and is ready to take his game to the next level. The Falcon receiver corps also welcomes back senior Owen Van Der Veen, who battled injuries last season and junior Stephan Jones (5-9, 150).


Kendrick Mayhue, East Kentwood linebacker. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)



The Falcons also have a target at tight end in senior Kendrick Mayhue (6-3, 215), who also is a strong blocker at the H-back/tight end spot.

At running back the Falcons boast plenty of depth and talent. Seniors Jesse Phillips (6-1, 195), Nas Williams (5-8, 170) and Davien Nettleman give the ground game plenty of options.

“We don’t have a main guy yet,” Spencer said. “We will have a running back by committee until someone steps up.”



Offensive Line

Up front, the Falcons return a pair of starters to the offensive line. Senior Charlie Nichols (5-9, 270) returns at center, while Jabari O’Bryant (5-9, 255) also is a returning starter. A pair of seniors who logged plenty of playing time up front also return in guard/tackles Isaiah Wilson and tackle Xavier Williams. The Falcons feature plenty of depth along the offensive line with seniors Shantheis Moody and Hector Zuniga (6-2, 350) and juniors Chris Lovelady and Leland Croskey.

“I think our offense is in a great place,” Spencer said. “I like our passing game and it depends on whichever back steps up. Up front, we are not as big as last year, but we have guys who can move and have good experience.”

Falcons Defense

The Falcon defense also is looking strong heading into the new season. A total of seven starters return to the defense along with several more players who gained substantial experience last season.

Up front, the defensive line is anchored by returning all-conference senior James Jones (5-11, 270), while Junior Tyler Meeuwsen (6-1, 245) is a returning starter up front.

“Our three-man front is looking pretty stout,” Spencer said.

The Falcons do have to replace some starters at the linebacker spots, but the team has plenty of talented players set to step up.


Chris Thompson, East Kentwood linebacker. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)
Qua’Shaun Julian, East Kentwood linebacker. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)
Benedi Kanda, East Kentwood linebacker. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)













Senior Malachi Daly (5-10, 180) and junior Chris Thompson (6-0, 210) are primed to make an impact as is senior Austin Bobo (5-10, 195) at inside linebacker.

The outside linebackers also will have some new starters. Senior Qua’Shaun Julian (5-11, 200) and junior Alijah Bondon are looking to lead the way along with senior Benedi Kanda (5-10, 180), who’ll play a hybrid safety/outside linebacker position.


Donavan Jones, East Kentwood defensive back. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)

The defensive backfield also looks like a major strong point. Junior Donavan Jones (5-10, 180) is a returning starter who can play either cornerback or safety. Senior Jaziel Negron was a part-time starter last year and is looking to take over a safety position.


Sophomore Austin Nelson (5-11, 166) is at cornerback along with junior Dallas Moody. Junior Major Barnes (5-10, 150) also is back.

“I like what our defensive backs are looking like,” Spencer said. “I think we should be a lot better on defense this year.”





East Kentwood opens the season on Friday when it travels to Southfield to take on Southfield Arts & Technology. The Falcons then return home on Sept. 5 against a Byron Center team that reached the Division 2 state title game last year. They open up OK Red Conference play Sept. 12 at Jenison.

“I think this team can accomplish anything it wants to,” Spencer said. “We have to stay healthy and continue to improve, if we can do that we have as good a shot as anybody to win the conference. In our league you have to come to play every week and if we come to every game ready to play, I like our chances.”        

Lee Legends call audible: Return to 8-man football for 2025 season

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Going Local, Kent County, Local Faces, Local Sports, Our Cities, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
The Lee Legends varsity football team prepares for its first game of the 2025-26 season (Ty Marzean/WKTV Contributor)


By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org


Godfrey-Lee’s varsity football program has not played a full season of 11-man football since 2019.

This off-season, Coach Lamar Marshall and his team prepared for a return to the traditional format. Due to low roster numbers, however, the Legends will once again compete in the MHSAA 8-man football division for the fourth-straight year.

“Unfortunately, we lost some players to transfer,” said Marshall, in his fourth year, whose Legends ended the 2024 season with a 4-5 record. “So we ended up making the decision to come back to the 8-man game.

“It will be business as usual to prepare for the season, and I’m excited for what’s coming up.”

Key players and dual roles

The 2025 Legends will boast an even number of seniors and lowerclassmen. Among the returning seniors is the wide receiver trio of Jaden Potts, Manny Ramos and Aidan Merriweather.

The trio accounted for 95 catches, 909 yards, and nine touchdowns from the graduated Anthony Blok.

Jaden Potts, Lee Legends (Courtesy, Ty Marzean)
Jayden Sanchez, Lee Legends (Courtesy, Ty Marzean)
Daeden Lopez, Lee Legends (Courtesy, Ty Marzean)
Aidan Merriweather, Lee Legends (Courtesy, Ty Marzean)
Manny Ramos, Lee Legends (Courtesy, Ty Marzean)
Joseph Marshall, Lee Legends (Courtesy, Ty Marzean)


Potts will find himself all over the field as he is a stout force on the defensive side of the ball as well.

“Jaden Potts is our offensive captain, our defensive captain. He gets us into position on defense, and offensively – if you need a key play – he can come up big,” Marshall said.

Merriweather also will play a dual role for the Legends. The dexterous wideout collected 25 tackles last season and also will play running back on offense.

“He’s going to be our gadget guy,” Marshall said. “He’s coming off a foot injury from track, so he’s knocking the rust off, but he’s going to be a monster for us this year.”

Junior Jayden Sanchez will convert to quarterback from running back, where he led the Legends in rushing with 622 yards and seven touchdowns, pinballing his way to 10 yards per carry.

The Lee Legends varsity football team prepares for its first game of the 2025-26 season (Ty Marzean/WKTV Contributor)

“He’s a load to bring down,” Marshall said of his new signal caller. “He played quarterback under me in middle school, so he’s been in the system for a long time.”

The offensive line will be anchored by a pair of four-year varsity starters, 6-4 guard Darnell Burton and 220-lb. center Daeden Lopez.

Legends Schedule

The Legends will kick off the 2025 season with a pair of home games, hosting Baldwin on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. and Sacred Heart Academy on Friday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. in the WKTV Game of the Week.

After a trip to the state semis, South Christian Sailors looking to keep momentum going

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
South Christian quarterback Austin Burgess has big shoes to fill taking over for standout Carson Vis, who signed to play basketball at Western Michigan University. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org

After a tough regular season grind, the South Christian team played some of its best football of the season in the playoffs last fall. This year, with plenty of veteran players returning, the Sailors are poised to build on that momentum.

The Sailors, who have been on a roll as a program the past several years, turned in a 5-4 regular-season record last fall playing in a new-look OK Gold Conference that featured powerhouses like Zeeland West, Forest Hills Central and Unity Christian. That gauntlet of a schedule paid dividends come playoff time as the Sailors reeled off three straight wins before falling to Niles in the Division 4 state semifinals to finish the season with an 8-5 overall record.

With a solid core of players returning from last year’s squad, South Christian is poised for another exciting season.

“We’re excited about the season,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “Obviously, camp was a grind. It was a lot of football, but I thought it went well and the team grew a lot together. We’re excited to see how everything comes together.”

The Sailors will have a different look on the offensive side of the ball this year as two-year starting quarterback Carson Vis has moved on to Western Michigan University where he’ll play basketball this winter.

Taking over the quarterback duties this season is junior Austin Burgess (6-0, 175) who is looking to carry on the Sailor tradition of developing strong dual-threat quarterbacks.

“Austin is a good leader and has a calming presence,” Brown said. “When he plays free and is having fun out there it’s contagious. He has a good command of the offense. He can throw and run, and that dual-threat ability is a good asset to have on offense.”

Burgess will have a big-time receiver to throw the ball to in senior wide receiver Owen Burgess (6-1, 180), a returning all-state performer.

“Owen is a good route runner,” Brown said. “He also has real good hands. He had a good year for us last year and we’re looking for him to have another really good year.”

Behind Burgess are several receivers looking to step up this season who also give the team outstanding depth at the position.

Isaac Osterhaven, South Christian running back. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)

Depth also is a strong point at running back where a trio of ball carriers are in the mix for carries this season. Juniors Isaac Osterhaven (6-0, 195) and Jesse Van De Griend (5-9, 150) and sophomore Kyle Naklizki (5-9, 185) give the Sailors plenty of options.

“This is a year where we are really deep at running back,” Brown said. “We have three guys that can run well. The backfield will be a shared responsibility. It’s going to be nice to spread the ball around and ride these guys.”

South also is deep along the offensive front where several veterans are also back to anchor the line.

Returning at left tackle is junior Jackson Rynalda (6-3, 210), who started last season. Back at right guard is junior Greyson Hunderman (6-0, 205) while senior right tackle Carson Joldersma (6-6, 250) also started some games a year ago.



Rounding out the offensive line is senior left guard Grant Jansen (6-1, 175), who earned some starts last year along with junior center Joseph Gritter (6-0, 195).

“We’re excited about our offensive line group,” Brown said. “They have quite a bit of varsity experience and have played in some big games.”

A key for the Sailors on the offensive side of the ball is establishing the ground game.

“For us the big thing is establishing the running game,” Brown said. “Running the ball will be important for us to create success and to set up the pass.”

On the defensive side the Sailors also return plenty of experience.


Ben Buiter, South Christian defensive line. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)


Up front, senior Ben Buiter (6-2, 205) is a returning starter that’ll help anchor the defensive line.



Junior defensive lineman Nathan Potter (6-3, 250) also is a returning starter and will make the Sailors tough to run against.



Junior defensive end Gavin Bouma (6-3, 190) also is back after playing in every game a year ago.


“We are going to count on good years from those three guys,” Brown said.






At linebacker, the Sailors return senior Kasjen VanSolkema (5-11, 182) and senior Caleb Wieneke (6-3, 205). Wieneke was a starter last fall and is moving to inside linebacker this season.


Senior Noah Klump (6-0, 155), who started at safety last year, will play a hybrid safety/linebacker position this season.



Noah Klump, South Christian safety/linebacker. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)



In the secondary, the Sailors return a pair of starters in junior Mark DeJong (6-1, 175) and Owen Burgess. Sophomore Brody Shilts (6-1, 170) is a returning starter who has a year of experience to draw on. Fellow sophomore Ben Jackson (6-0, 175) was moved up to the varsity for the playoffs last season and also will see playing time in the secondary.

“Defensively we’ve had a scheme change that we have been working on in the offseason,” Brown said. “The kids have taken well to it. The nice thing about this defense is that we have some guys who played meaningful minutes last season and we have some guys ready to step in and provide depth. I’m excited about our defense this season.”


Owen Burgess, South Christian secondary. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)


As usual, the Sailors face a rugged schedule not only in the conference, but out of the conference. South Christian opens at Grand Rapids Christian on Friday in the WKTV Game of the Week and then takes on East Grand Rapids in Week 2.


The conference schedule again includes defending Division 3 state champion Zeeland West along with playoff teams like Forest Hills Central, Unity Christian and Zeeland East. The Sailors close out the regular season against Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

“It’s a tough league,” Brown said. “There are a lot of really good football teams in the OK Gold. There are teams that have had a ton of success and a ton of playoff success. It is definitely in my opinion one of the toughest conferences around.”       

MHSAA News: Girls field hockey and boys volleyball make high school sports debut; boys tennis Finals update

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
(Image Courtesy, MHSAA)



By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor


Girls field hockey and boys volleyball make their debuts with MHSAA sponsorship during the 2025-26 school year. Field hockey will be played in the fall, while boys volleyball begins its first season in the spring.


There are 37 varsity teams expected to play during the inaugural field hockey season. There will be one playoff division, with the first MHSAA Regionals in this sport beginning Oct. 8 and the first championship awarded Oct. 25.


Practices are set to begin Monday, Aug. 11, for an anticipated 100,000 high school athletes at Michigan High School Athletic Association member schools.

The fall season includes the most played sports for both boys and girls; 36,210 football players and 19,679 girls volleyball players competed during the Fall 2024 season. Teams in those sports will be joined by competitors in girls and boys cross country, field hockey, Lower Peninsula girls golf, boys soccer, Lower Peninsula girls swimming & diving, Upper Peninsula girls tennis and Lower Peninsula boys tennis in beginning practice next week. Competition begins Aug. 15 for cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer and tennis, Aug. 20 for swimming & diving and volleyball, and Aug. 28 for varsity football. 

Pilot program in Boys Tennis Finals
To conclude their season, Lower Peninsula boys tennis teams will begin a pilot program showcasing Finals for all four divisions at the same location – Midland Tennis Center – over a two-week period. Division 4 will begin play with its two-day event Oct. 15-16, followed by Division 1 on Oct. 17-18, Division 2 on Oct. 22-23 and Division 3 played Oct. 24-25.

Also in Lower Peninsula boys tennis, and girls in the spring, a Finals qualification change will allow for teams that finish third at their Regionals to advance to the season-ending tournament as well, but only in postseason divisions where there are six Regionals – which will be all four boys divisions this fall.

Football Finals now 3 days
The 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field will be played this fall over a three-day period, with Division 8, 4, 6 and 2 games on Friday, Nov. 28, and Division 7, 3, 5 and 1 games played Sunday, Nov. 30, to accommodate Michigan State’s game against Maryland on Nov. 29 at Ford Field.

Two more changes affecting football playoffs will be noticeable this fall. For the first time, 8-Player Semifinals will be played at neutral sites; previously the team with the highest playoff-point average continued to host during that round. Also, teams that forfeit games will no longer receive playoff-point average strength-of-schedule bonus points from those opponents to which they forfeited.

Boys soccer rule changes
A pair of changes in boys soccer this fall will address sportsmanship. The first allows game officials to take action against a team’s head coach in addition to any cautions or ejections issues to players and personnel in that team’s bench area – making the head coach more accountable for behavior on the sideline. The second change allows for only the team captain to speak with an official during the breaks between periods (halftime and during overtime), unless another coach, player, etc., is summoned by the official – with the penalty a yellow card to the offending individual.

More game-action rule changes  

  • In volleyball, multiple contacts by one player attempting to play the ball will now be allowed on second contact if the next contact is by a teammate on the same side of the net. 
  • In swimming & diving, backstroke ledges will be permitted in pools that maintain a 6-foot water depth. If used in competition, identical ledges must be provided by the host team for all lanes, although individual swimmers are not required to use them. 
  • Also in swimming & diving – during relay exchanges – second, third and fourth swimmers must have one foot stationary at the front edge of the deck. The remainder of their bodies may be in motion prior to the finish of the incoming swimmer.
  •  In football, when a forward fumble goes out of bounds, the ball will now be spotted where the fumble occurred instead of where the ball crossed the sideline.

Memories abound as fighters from Pride Boxing Club in Grand Rapids gather for reunion

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Golden Gloves, Kent County, Local Business, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Former heavyweight champion Buster Mathis Jr. poses in front of some of the numerous press clippings of Pride boxing at the reunion. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


Memories came flowing back in waves Saturday as former boxers from the Pride Boxing Gym gathered together for a first-time reunion in Byron Center.

Grand Rapids has a long and rich amateur boxing history and the former Pride Gym, which was located near the corner of Division and Burton streets in Grand Rapids, was one of the shining stars of the amateur boxing scene in West Michigan during the 1980s and 90s.

The names and the accomplishments were the things of legend in the amateur boxing realm. Among the boxers, many of them who went on to successful professional boxing careers that trained at the Pride Gym were the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr., Buster Mathis Jr., Juan Padin, Kevin Childrey, Tony Quintana, Sugar Ray Collins, Brian Blakely, Kevin “KP” Porter and a host of others.

Many of those boxers were on hand for a reunion and picnic Saturday. The stories were numerous and the laughs and smiles flowed as over 25 former Pride boxers took part.

Burr Elzinga of Wyoming was one of those boxers who brought home one of many Golden Gloves state championships during the storied run of the Pride gym that began in 1985 and continued until it closed in 2000.

“It was a great facility that provided so much benefit for a whole lot of young people who needed it,” Elzinga said. “It helped so many kids. It was really a beautiful place and we are all very thankful for it.”

The reunion was organized by the two men who got Pride Gym up and running in the mid 80’s, Bob Serulla and Bruce Kielty.



Founders Bruce Kielty (left) and Bob Serulla reminisce at the Pride Boxing Club reunion. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Ionia State Prison ring purchased for one dollar

“Bruce and I opened the gym 40 years ago,” said Serulla, who’s also a boxing announcer and co-host for WKTV’s Golden Gloves programming. “We talked about opening a gym and we met with Buster Mathis Sr. We talked to him about opening the gym and having him train young men. We finally found a location, but we didn’t even have a ring. The Ionia State Prison had a boxing program way back and we found out they still had their old ring. We contacted the prison about seeing if they would donate the ring and they said that we could buy it for $1. It was an old Everlast ring, but it was perfect for us and we got the gym going.”

Kielty also fondly recalled the beginnings of the gym.

“It was quite a dream of ours,” Kielty said. “We brought in Buster Mathis Sr. to be our head coach and we also had Phil McConahy who was another great coach. We had a very successful 10-12-year run.”

In Buster Mathis Sr., the Pride Gym had a name that was sure to get the attention of young boxing prospects in West Michigan. One of the finest heavyweights in the 1960s and 70s, Buster Mathis Sr. fought the great Muhammad Ali as well as other notables Smokin’ Joe Frazier, Jerry Quarry and Ron Lyle.

Trainer Buster Mathis Sr. helped grow the Pride Gym

With a trainer like Buster Mathis Sr. working with the boxers, the Pride Gym grew rapidly and produced a wealth of boxing talent.

Mathis Sr. was not the only high-level trainer at Pride as Johnny Butler also trained boxers. Butler, an amateur national champion in 1958, who is over 90-years old now, was also on hand for the reunion Saturday.

Boxers came from all over the country to reunite

The former Pride boxers came from all across the country for the reunion that first started sending out invitations a few years ago.

“We have boxers coming in from California, Montana, Alabama, Florida, Atlanta, you name it,” Serulla said. “It is a heck of a group. Almost everyone was able to make it in.”

Kielty also was thrilled to see the reunion come to fruition.

“This reunion is also very special,” Kielty said. “We have former boxers living all over the country and this reunion was another dream come true. We started sending invitations out three years ago. Boxing is a unique fraternity and this was something we really wanted to do.”  

 

Juan Padin (left) and Brian Blakely were two of the original boxers at the Pride Boxing Club. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Juan Padin and Brian Blakely first to join Pride

The first two boxers who joined Pride in the beginning, Juan Padin and Brian Blakely, became the backbone of the team and both became captains.

“It started with Juan Padin and me, we were the first two,” Blakely said. “I started when I was 14-years old. We would be going to different shows and doing really well and people were starting to ask ‘who is Pride’. No one knew who we were, but before long people began to know. There were a lot of good people in Pride. We had really good coaches who gave us a lot of attention.”

Blakely and Padin won a number of state titles during their boxing days at Pride and also went on to compete for national championships.

Blakely eventually turned professional and actually made his professional debut in November of 1990 in a boxing show at the Welsh Auditorium in downtown Grand Rapids that featured the last match of Floyd Mayweather Sr.



The former boxers of the Pride Boxing Club get together for a group photo at the first-ever reunion of the gym. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)

The new Pride Gym was a perfect spot for Padin to begin his boxing career. The then 16-year old Padin had just moved to Grand Rapids from Brooklyn, New York.

“I just moved to Grand Rapids and didn’t know anyone,” Padin said. “I just went into the gym one day after it first opened and I kept coming back. It was a great gym. One thing about Pride fighters is that they got us in shape. You never had to worry about a Pride fighter running out of gas.”

Padin made the trip to Grand Rapids from Birmingham, Ala., where he now lives.

“This reunion is just great,” Padin said. “I haven’t seen a lot of these guys in a long time. This is just awesome to see all my old teammates and coaches. It’s a lot of great memories. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”

Former champion Buster Mathis Jr. excelled at Pride Gym

The reunion also was special to Buster Mathis Jr., who grew into a champion amateur and professional boxer under the tutelage of his father and the team at Pride.


“I learned a lot of life lessons from my father,” Mathis Jr. said. “Boxing helped me in a lot of different areas in my life. The lessons I learned from boxing helped me to do a lot of other things later in my life.”

Taking up boxing as a 14-year old not only changed his life, but also changed the younger Mathis’ body.

“I weighed 280 pounds when I first came to the gym and started boxing,” Mathis Jr. said. “My dad trained me for a whole year and when I was a 15-year old I was down to 180 pounds. When I eventually fought Tyson as a pro I was at 225 pounds.”

After a highly successful amateur career, Mathis Jr. became a professional where he won 21 of 26 bouts and also won a USBA heavyweight championship. Mathis Jr. not only fought Mike Tyson, but also former world heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe.

For Mathis Jr., like the rest of the Pride boxers, the team atmosphere at the gym was one of the highlights of being a boxer at Pride.

“Everybody sparred with everybody,” Mathis Jr. said. “The atmosphere in the gym was just phenomenal. It was basically more like a family type of thing.”

Buster Mathis Sr. passed away in 1995 just prior to his son’s bout with Tyson. If the senior Mathis was alive today, Buster Jr. had no doubt where his dad would’ve been on Saturday.

“He would probably be at the gym right now training someone,” Mathis Jr. said. “The one thing my dad really liked was taking some young kid and making that kid into a champion. He loved working with and developing kids and teaching them to become a fighter.”

Kevin “KP” Porter, Leon Spinks, Michael Dokes to name a few more

Mathis Jr. was not the only successful heavyweight boxer to come out of Pride. Kevin “KP” Porter also had a long and successful pro career in the heavyweight division. During his professional career Porter defeated former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks and also fought some of the bigger-name heavyweights of the era like Andrew Golota, Greg Page, Michael Dokes and former Olympic champion Henry Tillman.

The reunion also fanned the flames of some of the boxers wanting to see a Pride comeback.

“I want to bring Pride back,” said Sugar Ray Collins. “I’d like to bring it back and have amateurs, pros and MMA fighters. I’d love to see it come back.”

Wyoming’s Brian Campbell looks for third consecutive track title at Berlin Raceway 

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Wyoming Super Late Model driver Brian Campbell at Berlin Raceway. (WKTV Photo by Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


The weather has been hot and the laps have been even hotter this summer in the Super Late Model division at Berlin Raceway, where Wyoming’s Brian Campbell is looking to win a third consecutive track championship this season.

A 25-year racing veteran at Berlin, Campbell is part of a large group of drivers who are in hot pursuit of the Super Late Model title at Berlin. Heading into this weekend’s race, Campbell is in second place, 41 points behind leader Austin Hull of Belmont, who’s in first place with 948 points.

“It’s been closer this year than it has been in the past,” Campbell said. “There are a lot of good drivers this year like Austin Hull, Terry Senneker and Tyler Rycenga.”

Campbell, who’s closing in on 100 career wins, has experienced some highs and lows in what has been a competitive first half of the season at Berlin.

“I’ve had my ups and downs this year,” Campbell said. “I’ve led the points, been second in points, been third in points. It’s been a rollercoaster of a season.”

Terry Senneker of Wayland is third in points, 12 behind Campbell in third place with 895. Tyler Lupton of Clarkston is fourth with 888, Joe Bush of Hastings, fifth at 837, Andrew Scheid of Sparta, sixth with 834, Dylan Stovall of Wayland, seventh at 820, Tyler Rycenga of Allendale, eighth with 772, Evan Szotko of Coopersville, ninth at 743 and Ken Wobma of Rockford rounds out the Top 10 in the Super Late Model Division with 639 points.

Christmas in July

This week three of the main divisions will be racing at Berlin Raceway’s Christmas in July event. Along with the Super Late Models, the Sportsman and 4-cylinders will be taking to the track along with a VROA race.

In the 4-cylinder division, Justin Roelofs of Ravenna is in first place with 1,220 points. Chase Roelofs of Allendale is in second place with 1,107 points, while Hunter Wiersma of Coopersville, third at 1,094 points in what is another competitive division. Dave Avink is in fourth place with 940 points, while Blake Huitema of Grandville, at 934 points and rookie Tyler Westveld of Marne, sixth with 895 points.

In the Sportsman division, Josh Frye of Coopersville is in first place with 946 points, followed by Ryan Holtzlander of Muskegon, 901 points, Brian Thome of Kent City, 886, Kevin Ford of Coopersville, 881 and Korey Ensing of Hudsonville, 864 in fifth place. Brian Tillema of Hastings is sixth with 861 points, Tom Thomas of Grandville, seventh, 793 points, Scott Baker of Grand Rapids, eighth at 778, Corey Holtzlander of Grant, ninth, 761 and Allen Davis of Wyoming rounds out the Top 10 with 702 points.

Campbell is looking to make up some ground on Hull in the Super Late Model race. Racing is a family affair for Campbell, whose father Fred began his racing career at Berlin in 1975.



Far right, Wyoming Super Late Model driver Brian Campbell and crew inspect his car at Berlin Raceway. (WKTV Photo by Greg Chrapek)


All in the Family

“My dad got me into it,” Campbell said. “My dad started in 1975 so I grew up here and in surrounding race tracks in the Midwest with my dad. I graduated college and started racing when I was 21. I helped my dad and followed my dad around and worked with him all the way through grade school, high school and college, and finally got a race car when I was 21.”

Campbell is a veteran in the Super Late Model division and other than his rookie season that’s the only division he has raced in during his career.



Super Late Model driver Brian Campbell’s car. (WKTV Photo by Greg Chrapek)


A number of highlights

Campbell’s career has been a successful one with a number of highlights.

“I’ve got four track championships out here,” Campbell said. “I’ve got wins at Bristol, I’ve got wins at Nashville, I’ve got wins at Milwaukee Mile, a couple of different traveling championships, so I’ve been fairly successful around the Midwest.”

A big part of that success has been Campbell’s team that consists of his father Fred, Henry Rosendall, Henry Fellows and Kevin DeGood.

“They run the show,” Campbell said. “I just drive.”

A home track advantage for Campbell

Campbell especially enjoys his home track at Berlin Raceway. This Saturday, July 26, he invites fans to get to the track early.

“Fans should get here early because there is going to be an autograph session on the front stretch,” Campbell said. “That will be fun for the kids to come down and get autographs. The whole front section will be packed with fans, and then from there it will be a good night of racing.”

The autograph session begins at 6 p.m. before the races. Racing starts at 6:30 p.m. The band Sounds Familiar will perform for fans live after the races.        

MHSAA: A century of school sports

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, ,
(Logo Courtesy, MHSAA)



By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
greer@wktv.org


A primary mission of the MHSAA’s 100-year anniversary has been to connect today’s athletes, administrators, coaches, game officials and spectators with their roles in the ever-growing story of school sports in Michigan.

Indeed, together, we are the MHSAA.

Over the last 10 months and with today’s 44th and final installment, our “Century of School Sports” series also has sought to tell a deeper and more detailed story of how the MHSAA has arrived at this moment. As our work becomes new with the start of every school year, and with every family experiencing educational athletics for the first time, it’s a story that must always be updated, expanded and retold.

But at the heart of most organizations is a fundamental statement. So to close this celebration, we below break down what is literally the “About” of the MHSAA – as we prepare to build on these values in adding to our story again and again during the century to come.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation …

Although the MHSAA has built a thriving relationship with the Michigan Department of Education over the last many decades – and, in fact, the state superintendent or designee has a non-voting position on the Representative Council – the MHSAA also has maintained its autonomy since its start and even before, as a legislative takeover attempt of the former Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Association led to the MHSAA’s formation in December 1924.

The MHSAA was first incorporated in 1972 and is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization. In the most basic terms, as a non-profit corporation the MHSAA must reinvest all revenue it receives back into its mission of administering school sports. Put another way, whatever money the MHSAA makes must be spent to conduct its tournament events and the several other educational, leadership, etc., programs the MHSAA provides for students, coaches, officials and others who contribute to educational athletics.

… of voluntary membership …

Through their boards of education, member schools voluntarily join the MHSAA each and every year, vowing by formal school board resolution to abide by and enforce the MHSAA’s rules for educational athletics. Membership is optional; schools may conduct a complete program of interscholastic athletics and may participate against MHSAA member schools in regular-season competition without joining the MHSAA. But the great majority of high schools in Michigan approve that membership annually.

… by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools …

Over the last several years, the MHSAA has counted about 750 high schools and 800 junior high or middle schools, or elementary schools with 6th-grader participation, among its membership. For 2024-25, those totals were 754 high schools, 777 junior high/middle schools and 63 elementary schools with participating sixth graders.

… which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition.

This drove the original formation of school sports associations across the nation going back to the late 1800s, including the Michigan State Teachers Association’s first inroad into athletic administration in 1895. The MHSAA Handbook, updated annually with rules and other changes voted upon by the Representative Council, is the rulebook for all MHSAA member schools – public and nonpublic – with rules for general topics like student eligibility but also specific to each sport to regulate scheduling and other intricacies.

No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA …

In maintaining that independence noted above, the MHSAA receives no funding from local, state or federal governments. The MHSAA’s income is derived primarily from ticket sales at postseason events, with smaller portions from sponsors and advertising, officials and coaches education registration fees – and again, with all money brought in by the MHSAA going back into those tournament events and programs to support students, athletic directors, coaches and officials.

… which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools.

These have long been points of pride for the MHSAA; membership remains and has been completely free since the mid-1940s, after the end of World War II, and member schools may enter MHSAA Tournaments for free.

Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments …

In adopting and upholding MHSAA rules as their own, school districts agree to promote a standard of competitive equity necessary to keep MHSAA Tournament events fair for all involved.

… which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.

Over the last 35 years, attendance at MHSAA Tournament events has reached at least 1.1 million spectators annually (not counting the COVID-affected 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years), with a high of 1.68 million during the 2005-06 school year. Attendance during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years began climbing again toward 1.5 million spectators, those last two years’ ticket totals ranking among the highest over the last 15.

School sports have a massive footprint in Michigan, which has a population just above 10 million residents. Sure, attendance figures likely count the same spectators several times – the same person might buy tickets for several rounds of several sports over the course of a school year – but a one-to-one comparison using athlete totals also is powerful.

Conservatively, Michigan has at least 160,000 high school athletes. Add in parents of those athletes, grandparents, other relatives with significant interest, and that’s a huge block – let’s say at least 5 percent of the state’s population have some current tie to the athletes playing at the local high school. That’s not even covering athletes at MHSAA junior highs and middle schools, coaches and athletic directors at all levels, and more than 8,000 game officials who make those contests possible. And our groups of athletes are rolling over at least every four years, meaning many tens of thousands more have had at least recent direct contact as participants in our programs.

The MHSAA always has provided opportunities to compete and win championships, but more importantly to learn life lessons gleaned from simply taking part in the process.  

This work is important; its impact is significant. And just as our predecessors surely felt beginning this endeavor 100 years ago, we remain eager and enthused to play our part.

Flights to Detroit Lions away games available through Delta at Ford International Airport

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Entertainment, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, Travel, West Michigan, , , ,
Delta Airlines. (Photo Courtesy, Delta Airlines)


By WKTV Staff
greer@wktv.org


Detroit Lions fans will now be able to attend select away games thanks to new nonstop flights through Delta Air Lines at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

The airline announced today it will offer roundtrip tickets to five Lions away games, as well as one University of Michigan away game. Lions season tickets are sold out for 2025-2026 and single tickets are extremely limited, so the move will allow fans to more easily see their beloved team at stadiums across the country.

“We’re excited to offer these flights to fans for what we hope will be another winning season of Lions football,” Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority President and CEO Tory Richardson said. “With home games at Ford Field in high demand, our partners at Delta are making it easier than ever for West Michiganders to catch the Lions in action at five exciting away game destinations. Delta has also added a special opportunity for Wolverines to see their team at an early game in Oklahoma.

“We appreciate Delta’s continued investment in our community and can’t wait to touch down across the country for the Detroit Lions.”

Tickets are on sale at Delta.com for the full lineup, including: 

  • University of Michigan at Oklahoma, departing Sept. 5 returning Sept. 7
  • Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens, departing Sept. 22 returning Sept. 23
  • Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs, departing Oct. 11 returning Oct. 13
  • Detroit Lions at Washington Commanders, departing Nov. 8 returning Nov. 10
  • Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles, departing Nov. 15 returning Nov. 17
  • Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams, departing Dec. 12 returning Dec. 15

“From kickoff to the final down, Delta is making it easier than ever for Detroit fans to get in on the action – with new, nonstop routes in Grand Rapids and extra capacity for key games,” said Amy Martin – Vice President North America Network Planning. “We know our Michigan customers love their teams, so we have timed these flights to make it faster and easier to get them to the games that matter most.”


Delta recently expanded its connectivity at the Ford International Airport with nonstop service to Orlando International Airport (MCO) starting December 2025. It currently has four additional nonstop flights from the Ford International Airport, connecting travelers to hundreds of destinations across the world.


As the leading global airline, Delta served more than 200 million passengers in 2024 and was recently ranked the No. 1 airline on JUST Capital and CNBC.

NEWLY RELEASED: WKTV’s Friday Night Highlights Golden Gloves action PART 2

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,


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!


Take a look at Part 1 of our WKTV FNH Golden Gloves Edition HERE.


Look for more great WKTV Golden Gloves coverage in the future!

WKTV’s Friday Night Highlights Golden Gloves action; PART 1

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, ,
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!

Floyd Mayweather Sr. sparks Siderio Mitchell to first Golden Gloves state title Saturday; East Kentwood boxers keep winning tradition alive

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Golden Gloves, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
Siderio Mitchell, mentored by Floyd Mayweather Sr., captured his first Golden Gloves state championship. 2025 (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org

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).  

Local boxing coach knows Golden Gloves inside and out: Take a peek at his La Casa Boxing Club

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
La Casa Boxing Club Owner and Coach Anbrocio Ledesma. (Photo Courtesy, Jaylah Lewis)



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


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.”   

Golden Gloves produces plenty of high-level bouts

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , , , ,



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


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. 

Don’t miss WKTV’s Friday Night Highlights Robotics edition featuring many local teams in action! Day 1

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Kentwood Public Schools, Kids Activities, Local Sports, Tech Trends, West Michigan, , , , , , ,



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org



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.


More great robotics coverage to come!

Part 2: Don’t miss WKTV’s Friday Night Highlights Robotics edition featuring many local teams in action!

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Kentwood Public Schools, Kids Activities, Local Sports, Tech Trends, West Michigan, , , , , , ,



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org


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.


More great robotics coverage to come!

South Christian girls fall short in state quarterfinal thriller against West Catholic, 39-37

Citizen Journalism, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



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.

Tri-unity Christian avenges early loss, sends Coach Keeler out on top with yet another state title

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, WKTV Featured sports, , , ,
  • 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)



By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



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.”

South Christian uses late rally to defeat Vicksburg for D2 regional title

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, ,
The South Christian girls basketball team with the regional championship trophy. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


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.  

Tri-unity uses early lead to reach sixth straight final four in Keeler’s last season 

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, ,
Tri-unity’s Noah Silverton led with 16 points in the Adrian Lenawee Christian win. (Photo from earlier this season, Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



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 boys outlast Kalamazoo Phoenix for 20th regional title Friday

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Tri-unity wins 20th regional title Friday night. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


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.”

Young East Kentwood team secures district title with win over Caledonia Friday

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , ,
East Kentwood poses with a district trophy. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


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.

East Kentwood, South Christian, Zion Christian girls basketball teams take district titles Friday

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , , ,
(Photo Courtesy, pxhere.com)



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.


Catholic Central edges South Christian in regional basketball thriller Tuesday

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, WKTV Featured sports, , , ,
Carson Vis (11) led South Christian with 19 points in the regional semifinal against Catholic Central. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



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 advances to regional final with convincing win over Bellevue 

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan
Junior Clayton Rowlader led the Defenders with 13 points and five rebounds. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


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.”

MHSAA Girls Basketball Tournament

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan,
(Courtesy, pxhere.com)



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 boys advance to basketball regionals; more game photos inside!

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , ,
  • 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.



South Christian boys advance in basketball playoffs; check out our WKTV highlight reel!

Citizen Journalism, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , ,



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org



South Christian knocked off visiting Grand Rapids Christian 73-50 last Friday to win another Division 2 district championship.



The Sailors face Grand Rapids Catholic Central at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, in their regional semifinal at Grand Rapids Christian.



South Christian boys basketball District Championship team 2025. (Courtesy, David Kool)




Check this out! Our latest WKTV Friday Night Highlights: FEB. 27

Local Sports, Sports, , ,



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.



Thanks for watching!

East Kentwood overcomes slow start to outlast Wyoming in district basketball semifinal

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , ,
East Kentwood’s Randy Chapman led with 26 points. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)




By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



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.