Category Archives: Sports

Search for next Wyoming high football coach begins as ‘Coach’ Sigler Jr. steps away

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Wyoming Public Schools Athletic Director Ted Hollern could not give a specific timeframe for replacing Wolves head varsity football coach Irv Sigler Jr. — who resigned his coaching position last week after four seasons — but there is a sense of urgency.

The Wolves need a head coach “as soon as possible,” Hollern said this week to WKTV. “We need him now.”

Sigler, who will continue as Dean of Students at Wyoming High School, spent four seasons coaching the Wolves as part of a 30-year coaching career including work at Cadillac (1993-1997), Grandville (1998-2004), Kell High School in Marietta, Ga., (2005-2007) and Jenison (2008-2012). Prior to coming to Wyoming, he served as the offensive coordinator at Hope College.

“I just decided this is a good time after 30 years of coaching,” Sigler said this week to WKTV. “There are some other things I’d like to do. I’m not completely done coaching but this is more of a pause. I love working at (Wyoming high) and look forward to it every day.”

And his work at Wyoming high is certainly appreciated by the Wolves community.

Wyoming High School AD Ted Hollern. (WKTV)

“Just want to say how grateful Wyoming Public Schools is for everything (Sigler) has done for our kids … and I know people out in the community do also,” Hollern said. “He has done a tremendous job, there is no question about it.”

As far as the process of hiring a new head football coach, Hollern said “right now, we are reaching out to our stakeholders, to get as much input as we possibly can. The kids, the parents, the coaches … to find out what they want in the leadership of our football program.”

Then they will post the job and start the interview and hiring process.

As Sigler steps away for the sidelines, for however long, he does so with appreciation for his four seasons leading the Wolves.

“I want to thank everyone in the Wyoming community, school district, teachers administration and especially the young men who’ve played in our program,” Sigler said in a reported statement last week. “Our coaching staff has served with honor and dignity — our assistant coaches are the finest people.

“It has been my honor to be a Wolf. I spent a lot of time in thought and prayer, and this is a good time to turn the page.”

Wyoming was 1-4 this 2020-21 season, and lost two weeks of games in the middle of the season due to pandemic issues. Earlier in 2020, Sigler was honored as the West Michigan Officials Association Coach of the Year in 2019.

“I feel very honored, but it is truly a reflection of our program, players and assistant coaches,” Sigler said to WKTV about the Coach of the Year honor. “It is more significant than any award I’ve received in coaching. … It means so much to me, because officials have the chance to see coaches at our best and our worst. To know that I’ve earned the respect of this group of men tells me that we are doing things right as a team and program.”

Sigler’s other coaching accomplishments include MHSAA Regional Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2003 while at Grandville, the MHSFCA Community Service Award in 2009. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Adrian College in 1990 and his Master of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan in 1992.

High school bowling spotlighted as WKTV Sports Connection talks with two local prep coaches

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East Kentwood High School boys bowling coach Ed Colburn, right, and girls bowling coach Todd Sellon visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection.

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, we go bowling.

One of the first winter sports given permission to resume competition following pauses by the state health department and the MHSAA is bowling, with many local teams beginning as early as this week. WKTV not only plans to bring you some prep bowling coverage but, before that, WKTV sports volunteer Bill Rinderknecht spent some time with the head coaches of East Kentwood High School’s boys and girls bowling teams, talking about their sport and their teams.

WKTV volunteer host Bill Rinderknecht on WKTV Sports Sports Connection. (WKTV)

Falcons head boys coach Ed Colburn and girls head coach Todd Sellon talk about how their athletes dealt with the pause in high school athletics due to the pandemic, then being allowed to resume practice but with restrictions, and now the quick turnaround to the beginning of competition. We also got a breakdown of some of the unique rules and format for the high school game, and also a look ahead to their upcoming season.

Coach Colburn and Sellon also discuss how it is not just football and basketball players getting college scholarships.

WKTV Journal Sports Connection brings its audience interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports, both on cable television and on our on-demand and YouTube channels. Readers can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting wktvjournal.org/sport.

WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

As state COVID-19 actions alter prep sports plans, again, MHSAA ‘disappointed’ for student-athletes

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Dr. Joneigh Khaldun of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, at a Jan. 22 news conference. (State of Michigan)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the governing body for high school sports in the state, has been dutifully working with the state health department and the governor’s office as rules and restrictions have repeatedly changed during the last 10 months.

And they will again work with the latest changes, announced Friday, Jan. 22, but they are expressing their “disappointment” both from their own scheduling and logistical standpoint, and from the expected impact on student-athletes across the state.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), in its latest directive, altered the allowed number of spectators at events such as this weekend’s prep football finals as well as delayed until at least Feb. 21 all contact sport’s full-contact practices and any possible beginning of those sports’ competitions.

Winter contact sports such as basketball, hockey, wrestling and competitive cheer currently are only allowed non-contract practice but they had been expecting to begin full-contact practice on Feb. 1 and completion later that week.

Mark Uyl, MHSAA executive director, from a previous Zoom meeting. (MHSAA)

“We found out about this decision at 9:30 a.m. (Jan. 22) like everyone else, and we will address it as quickly as possible after taking the weekend to collect more information,” Mark Uyl, MHSAA executive director, said in supplied material. “We did not anticipate this delay in winter contact practices and competition, and today’s announcement has created many new questions.

“Obviously, this is disappointing to thousands of athletes who have been training with their teams over the last week and watching teams in other states around Michigan play for the last two months.”

The latest state pandemic-related changes in rules and regulations also could have allowed more people to attend this weekend’s football finals — but news came too late for the MHSAA to alter established plans to meet now-altered MDHHS rules and regulations.

Also on Jan. 22, Gov. Whitmer and MDHHS announced that sports arenas with capacities of at least 10,000 spectators may allow up to 500 to attend events. But, the MHSAA later announced, “no additional tickets will be sold for today and Saturday’s 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field” due to the lack of sufficient notice.

“We have been planning these Finals for weeks to include immediate family, and unfortunately this isn’t a process we can adjust midstream,” Uyl said. “Distributing more tickets would put stress on those plans and Ford Field staffing, and force schools to make more hard decisions on who will be able to attend, but at the last second instead of with prior planning.”

With success of prep athlete COVID-19 rapid test program, some winter sports begin while basketball, others now have hope

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Local high school basketball is a huge step closer to hitting the floor. (Photo from previous year game televised by WKTV with East Kentwood High School’s boys basketball team at Wyoming.)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

When high school sports teams including football and volleyball were allowed to begin competition early this month after following extensive COVID-19 rapid testing protocols, not only were those sports given a chance to finish their season but winter sports including basketball could see a path ahead for their restart of practice and competition.

The antigen rapid test results — which showed more than a 99 percent non-infection rate among the student athletes as of last week — were seen as a success by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA).

And last week, both state officials and the MHSAA moved forward with plans to lift all restrictions on non-contact winter sports such as bowling and gymnastics, and began easing of restrictions even on contact sports, many local high school basketball teams began “non-contact” practices this last weekend and they are shooting for a beginning of February start to their seasons.

“We have shown with our remaining fall sports this month that our schools can participate safely, and we’re confident teams will continue to take all the appropriate precautions as we jump back into indoor winter activities,” MHSAA executive director Mark Uyl said last week in supplied material.

And the success of the rapid testing pilot program with the fall sports was a key factor in the continuing opening of high school athletics.

Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid test. (Abbott)

According to numbers supplied by the MDHHS on Friday, and of Jan. 15, the antigen test results (which included multiple tests of same individuals) there were 25,601 total tests with 25,533 negative (99.73 percent) and only 69 positive (0.27 percent).

“Overall, schools have deemed this testing pilot a success that has allowed close to 7,000 student-athletes and staff to safely compete in high school athletics,” Bob Wheaton, spokesperson for the MDHHS, said to WKTV Jan. 15. “More than 99 percent of the tests were negative, however, testing allowed the department to find dozens of positive COVID-19 cases among student-athletes.”

One local school which participated in the testing pilot program was the Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team, which was able to finish their season on the field on Jan. 9 after beginning testing beginning just after New Years Day.

“The MHSAA and the MDHHS have clearly outlined their expectations and have given very sound guidance on the process so we are ready to begin the testing,” South Christian athletic director David Kool said to WKTV at the time testing began.

And that success was good news to local basketball coaches, including Wyoming High School’s head boys basketball coach Thom Vander Klay.

“We are so excited to get back in the gym go to work,” Vander Klay said to WKTV. “We could only see them via remote media using zoom meetings. The kids could not use school facilities either so we are a bit behind. … (But) even with masks and non-contact we will make up a lot of time, being to install our fundamentals and schemes.”

Vander Klay also said that at this point he is not sure if his team will need to work within the same rapid testing protocol or not, but “regardless of what the mandates are as long as we can practice and work on our game we will have plenty to do” in preparation for a scheduled Feb. 4 opening against South Christian.

MHSAA acts as state health department eases restrictions

The MDHHS updated its epidemic order last week to allow re-opening of additional activities including indoor group exercise and non-contact sports — with non-contact practice for contact sports such as basketball also allowed. The new order will last until Jan. 31, according to the MDHHS statement.

Currently, basketball, hockey and wrestling are allowed to practice but not allowed to have competition, while other winter sport include girls gymnastics, girls and boys bowling, and girls and boys swimming and diving are allowed to begin competition.

 

Masks will be required of all participants of the three sports now allowed competition “except when they are actively participating in gymnastics and swimming & diving,” according to the MHSAA statement. Spectators will be limited to 100 persons in school gyms or 250 in stadiums and arenas, “per MDHHS orders” in place.

“We are glad to have three more sports join skiing in returning to full activity, but we understand the disappointment and frustration on the part of our athletes and coaches whose sports are not yet able to restart completely,” MHSAA’s Uyl said. “We will continue to adjust schedules to provide all of our winter teams as substantial an experience this season as possible, as part of our greater plan this school year to play all three seasons to conclusion.”

Additionally, spring sports teams and fall teams not participating in the MDHHS rapid testing pilot program may begin four-player workouts and resume conditioning but only with non-contact activities.

“We are reopening cautiously because caution is working to save lives,” MDHHS director Robert Gordon said in supplied material. “The new order allows group exercise and non-contact sports, always with masks and social distancing, because in the winter it’s not as easy to get out and exercise and physical activity is important for physical and mental health.”

Despite loss in resumed playoffs, South Christian football stands tall in finishing best season since 2014

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South Christian High School takes the field for a Jan. 9 regional final game at Edwardsburg. (Eric Walstra)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Clearly the Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team hoped and practiced for a better result than the 47-7 road loss at state-power Edwardsburg, Saturday, Jan. 9, after the state playoffs resumed following a six-week, state-mandated pause due to COVID-19 restrictions.

But Sailors head coach Danny Brown had nothing but praise for his team, which finished the season 8-2, their best season since 2014, and never backed down from the challenge of a night road game in freezing January temperatures against the Division 4 powerhouse Eddies (now 9-0).

Sailors head coach Danny Brown talks to his team during the Jan. 9 game. (Eric Walstra)

“Our team as a whole deserves a lot of praise,” Brown said to WKTV this week. “This has been a tough journey for these kids and they never wavered. They were always ready no matter what was thrown their way.”

And a lot was thrown their way, including the nearly two-month layoff, less than a week in pads to prepare for the game, and a rigid COVID-19 rapid testing protocol the team and staff had to pass. And that was before they took the field.

In the game, South Christian took the opening kickoff and drove to Edwardsburg 28, keyed by a 22-yard pass from senior Ty Rynbrandt to Trevor Hansen that got the ball to the Eddies’ 28. But the drive stalled, Edwardsburg took over, and the Eddies scored first. The Sailors answered later in the first quarter with a 7-play, 60-yard scoring drive finishing with Hanson’s 28 yard run and Nate Brinks’ PAT to make the score 8-7.

But Edwardsburg, and its prolific offense, proved just too much from there on out. For the game, the Eddies out-gained the Sailors in total yards 306-138, and the host team marched to their fourth Regional title in five seasons while continuing a streak of scoring at least 43 points in every game this season.

For the game, Sailors’ quarterback Rynbrandt was 11-of-26 for 96 yards while returning to the field after recovering from an injury in the November.

But finishing the season on the field was important to Rynbrandt, and to the rest of the South Christian team.

“I think it was important to get closure on the season,” Brown said. “There would of always been this thought of ‘what if’ if we weren’t allowed to continue. We always just wanted a chance to complete the season. The game didn’t goes as we hoped but at least we know we got to play in our last game of the season.”

Try as they might, South Christian could not stop the high-scoring Edwardsburg offense in the Jan. 9 game. (Eric Walstra)

Registration open as IRONMAN Triathlon plans return to Traverse City area in 2021

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Registration is now open for Michigan’s 2021 IRONMAN Triathlon. (Ironman Group 2018 Media Guide)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Registration is now open for the IRONMAN 70.3 Michigan Triathlon scheduled for Sept. 21 in Frankfort, Michigan. In December 2020, it was announced that the Traverse City area location will serve as a multi-year host venue for the 70.3-mile swim, bike and run event.

Traverse City hosted the 70.3 triathlon in 2019 and, according to the announcement, relocating the race to nearby Frankfort — on the coast of Lake Michigan — offered “the perfect setting” for 2021.

“Following in the success of the event in Traverse City a couple years ago, we’ve seen an incredible interest from athletes to visit and race in northern Michigan,” Keats McGonigal, of The IRONMAN Group., said in supplied material. “We are excited to continue to host an event in this beautiful region and … we feel that Frankfort and the surrounding areas will deliver an unparalleled race week experience while being the perfect destination for both athletes and their families alike.”

The inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Michigan triathlon will consist of a 1.2-mile swim in the protected water of the Frankfort Harbor. Once out of the water, athletes will transition to the bike for a 56-mile ride on sections of the M-22 scenic highway. Concluding their IRONMAN 70.3 journey, athletes will run 13.1 miles in Frankfort and surrounding areas. (Additional course details will be shared as soon as they are available at ironman.com/im703-michigan.)

General registration for IRONMAN 70.3 Michigan opened in December 2020. And athletes and spectators can find lodging opportunities at traversecity.com/ironman. For more information on Traverse City area attractions, visit traversecity.com, as well as ironman.com for details on the global event series.

“We can’t wait to welcome IRONMAN 70.3 back to northern Michigan,” Trevor Tkach, of Traverse City Tourism, which also represents Frankfort, said is supplied material. “Our organization is honored to continue to support the race and the athletes who train for this incredible feat. The new course will be an exciting change for athletes, and spectators will be able to enjoy exploring the beautiful town of Frankfort in addition to the surrounding Traverse City region.”

South Christian football returns to practice with extensive testing protocol requirements

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The South Christian High School football team returns to practice Wednesday, Dec. 30, after mandated COVOD-19 testing was completed. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

When Grand Rapids South Christian High School’s football team returned to the practice field Wednesday, in preparation for its hoped-for return to the Sailors’ Division 4 playoffs with a regional final game Jan. 9, 2021, coaches and players actually had two playbooks to follow.

One is the on-field playbook put together by head coach Danny Brown and his staff as they prepare the team for a road game against the Edwardsburg Eddies. The second is an even more extensive COVID-19 testing playbook which the team will have to follow to the letter to practice, let alone get back to competition.

Following extensive COVID-19 rapid testing instructions laid out by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service (MDHHS) and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) — including an 14-page “how to” of use for the BinaxNOW antigen tests by kit maker Abbott — the Sailors’ athletic department and school staff begin their first round of testing this week.

As with all fall sports teams preparing to return to action, if all players, coaches and personnel test negative through the first round of testing, they may proceed with full-contact practices as early as Dec. 31.

“Our players and coaches are looking forward to getting back on the field with another opportunity to finish our season,” South Christian athletic director David Kool said to WKTV. “We realize the only way we can accomplish this is by participating in the pilot testing program. The MHSAA and the MDHHS have clearly outlined their expectations and have given very sound guidance on the process so we are ready to begin the testing on Wednesday.”

The testing went well on Wednesday, Dec. 30, and the team began practice later in the day.

A graphic for Abbott BinaxNOW test. (Abbott)

Testing kits came this week

The MDHHS Testing Pilot Program for Organized Sports, which the Sailors are part of, involves the MDHHS, the MHSAA, all of the schools choosing to restart fall sports, and local health departments. It is available to student athletes in girls volleyball, girls swimming & diving, and football “who have already qualified or begun competing in MHSAA postseason championship games and meets within the regular Fall 2020 season,” the MHSAA states.

Also according to the MHSAA, the testing pilot program is “an opportunity for student athletes to finish out their seasons through rigorous COVID-19 antigen (rapid) testing. By agreeing to frequent rapid testing and other COVID-19 safety precautions, student athletes, coaches, and staff who are symptom-free and continue to test negative for COVID-19 can participate.”

In addition to providing a way for student athletes to complete their competitions, according to the MHSAA, if successful “this pilot provides an opportunity for public health and schools to assess an antigen testing strategy for students and staff, paving the way for a broader school testing protocol and the safe reopening of K-12 schools.”

“We’re excited about this opportunity for our remaining football playoff teams to return to play and thankful to the MDHHS for the opportunity to take part in this pilot program,” MHSAA’s Geoff Kimmerly said to WKTV. “Boxes of tests departed from our building Monday to give teams the opportunity to begin testing and full practice again Wednesday, and we are working with MDHHS to answer questions and provide training in administering these tests.

“This is the avenue forward for our teams wishing to complete the football season, and we’re confident the testing process will go smoothly and allow them to do so,” Kimmerly said.

And that “avenue forward,” just getting a chance to finish their season, is all that South Christian wants.

“January 9 (game day) is going to be a fun day for all involved,” Kool said. The hoped-for return to the field “has been a much anticipated day, and our athletes and coaches are going to be ready to go.”

Winter is moving in, time to hit the slopes

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West Michigan ski resorts are now open, but make sure to call ahead or check websites before heading out. (Supplied/Crystal Mountain)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The snow finally came to Michigan which means the ski season has officially started.

Many of the West Michigan ski slopes opened in mid-December and it may be hard to snag a lift ticket at some due to limited capacity. Also because of COVID guidelines, these resorts have social distancing guidelines to help those suiting up and heading down the slopes.

For most of the West Michigan ski resorts, face coverings will be required in the base area, lift lines, on chairlifts and indoors, except when seated at a table in a restaurant. (when in-dining is allowed again.) Note, there are limits to indoor capacities, so people’s base camp may become their cars to warm up. Some ski resorts have added fire pits and heaters.

Before heading to any ski resort, remember to check the resort’s website or social media page for up-to-date operating information and snow conditions.

Cannonsburg Ski Area

6800 Cannonsburg Rd NE, Grand Rapids

616-874-6711

www.cannonsburg.com

Hill action starts at 10 a.m. for most days, but check the resort’s website for specific operating hours. Tubing is not currently open.

The resort is working to assure everyone is having a fun, outdoor experience while staying safe. Staff receives health checks daily and wear a clean mask at all times. Centers for Disease Control guidelines are being followed for cleaning and sanitizing all public surfaces. Doors will be left open as much as possible to allow fresh air and food and drinks will be served from The Sweet Spot and Burgie’s Food Truck.

Michigan Luge Adventure Sports Park

462 Scenic Dr., Musekgon

1-877-879-5843

www.msports.org

The luge track, designed by three-time Olympian Frank Masley, is one of only four in the United States. Of course if going 30 mph down a luge track is not your thing, the park also has two acres of natural ice and a skating trail through the trees. There is also cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

Echo Valley

Tubing also is available at a number of the ski resorts.

8495 East H Ave., Kalamazoo

269-349-3291

www.echovalleyfun.com

Echo Valley will be open Saturdays and Sundays in January, February, and March when weather permits. The winter sports park features tobogganing and tubing. There is no age, height, or weight restrictions and tubes and toboggans are provided. The park only accepts cash and it is highly recommended that you call before coming out.

Shanty Creek Resort

5780 Shanty Creek Rd., Bellaire

231-533-3000

www.shantycreek.com

Shanty Creek already been busy with lift tickets sold out through Jan. 2. Of course the resort offers other options such as tubing, snowshoeing and dog sled rides. It is recommended that guests pre-purchase rentals and lift tickets which will provide for contactless interaction with staff.

Mt. Holiday Ski and Recreation Area

3100 Holiday Rd., Traverse City

231-938-2500

www.mt-holiday.com

Started in 1949, Mt. Holiday is a community nonprofit recreation area for skiers and snowboarders in the Traverse City area. Mt. Holiday is scheduled to open this weekend if weather permits. It offers tubing and skiing and its dining, which is carryout for now, is open.

Boyne Highlands

600 Highland Rd., Harbor Springs

888-436-2296

www.boynehighlands.com

Boyne Mountain Resort

1 Boyne Mountain Rd., Boyne

855-688-7024

www.boynemountain.com

Both the Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain offer day and designated night skiing. Boyne Highlands is open daily, usually form 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The resort also offers tubing, snow-go bikes, biplane adventures, and winter horseback rides. For both, it is highly recommended that guests purchase tickets online as window tickets will be limited.

Crystal Mountain Resort recommends getting your ski pass early and online. (Supplied/Crystal Mountain)

Crystal Mountain Resort

12500 Crystal Mountain Dr., Thompsonville

855-995-5146

www.crystalmountain.com

Crystal Mountain also has been busy with most of its lift tickets sold-out through this weekend. Due to how fast passes are selling, Crystal Mountain does recommend that guests purchase tickets early and online as window tickets may not be available the day of.

Treetops Resort

3962 Wilkinson Rd., Gaylord

989-732-6711

www.treetops.com

Gaylord averages about 140 inches of snow and four months of skiing each season, which means there is a good chance the hills at Treetops will be open. The resort also has dog sledding tours along with a host of summer activities. 

WKTV Sports Connection checks in with East Kentwood wrestling, hockey teams waiting for action

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East Kentwood High School wresting co-head coach Eric Foster visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection. (Falcons’ hockey head coach Phil Sweeney’s interview is later in this story.)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, as part of our continuing series of shows focused on different local high schools’ sports departments, we check in with the East Kentwood wrestling and hockey teams — both of which are dealing with pandemic-related restrictions and continued uncertainty.

Visiting the WKTV studios earlier this month were Falcon’s wresting co-head coach Eric Foster, and then hockey head coach Phil Sweeney. We talk with coach Foster and coach Sweeney about how their Falcon coaching staffs and teams are coping with the current pause in high school athletics, and about coaching in these unprecedented times.

But we also look ahead with hope, for lower COVID-19 numbers and the continuation of the current resumption of high school athletics — see a story on fall sports returning here — and we also get a peek from the coaches at their teams’ outlook for the 2020-21 season.

WKTV Journal Sports Connection, with this latest episode hosted by WKTV volunteer Cory Dalton, brings its audience interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports, both on cable television and on our on-demand and YouTube channels. Readers can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting wktvjournal.com/sports.

WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

After COVID-19 pause, South Christian football back on practice field prepping for Regional final

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South Christian High School had their football team’s playoff drive halted in mid-November, after this game with Hamilton. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

After a state-mandated five-week “pause” in the state high school football playoffs, the South Christian High School Sailors are back on the practice field today and preparing for a regional final game at Edwardsburg on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021.

With action by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) on Dec. 18, announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and resulting action by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) on that same day, football and two other high school fall sports are allowed to resume practice in preparation of finishing their seasons.

David Kool, South Christian athletic director, on the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection. (WKTV)

“I have had a virtual meeting with the team since the news was announced and they are very excited,” Danny Brown, South Christian head football coach, said to WKTV. “I think excitement might be an understatement. We are also thankful for the opportunity to get closure on our season. These kids have sacrificed a lot to get us to this point and it is awesome they will have the chance to see their season all the way to the end.”

The Sailors (8-1, and 3-0 in the playoffs), have not played since Nov. 13, when they defeated Hamilton in a regional semifinal, and are scheduled to travel to Edwardsburg (8-0) for the regional final.

The MDHSS and Gov. Whitmer in mid-November, responding to COVID-19 pandemic statistical surges, banned in-school education for high schools and, as a result, put football, volleyball and girls swimming and diving teams into hiatus as their fall tournaments were in process.

The November order also put a pause on winter sports practices and competitions, including girls and boys basketball. Last week’s changes of state health department and MHSAA directions does not allow for resumption of basketball and other winter sports at this time.

A key element in resuming winter sports will likely be how the fall sports competitions operate with new pandemic related “rapid testing” protocols.

According to a MHSAA statement on Dec. 18. “teams and individuals still participating in tournament play will be allowed to do so as part of an MDHHS pilot rapid testing program designed to gain insight and collect data on the spread of COVID-19 as the MDHHS plans to provide expanded rapid testing availability to schools in January.”

At this point, the details of that rapid testing protocol are yet to come from the MDHSS and the MHSAA.

David Kool, South Christian athletic director, on the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection. (WKTV)

“We don’t know the specifics yet of the pilot testing program that is going to be mandatory for our athletes but we look forward to complying with the MHSAA and MDHHS on this,” David Kool, South Christian athletic director said to WKTV. “We realize this is the only thing that gives the kids a chance to finish their season and we are really happy about that.”

The uncertainty is not diminishing the anticipation for the resumption of the Sailor’s state title drive, however.

“We are thrilled that the MHSAA announced the restart of the football playoffs,” Kool said. “Coach Brown, along with the rest of the staff and players, cannot wait to take the field on January 2nd at Edwardsburg. Amidst all of this chaos, this is a special opportunity that these kids will never forget and we are blessed to have another chance at finishing this season.”

And, after waiting more than a month not knowing if they would even get a change to get back on the field, coach Brown says his staff and team are ready for whatever comes.

“The testing part adds a whole new element to the situation but we are willing to do whatever it takes to get to the finish line,” Brown said.

Details of initial MHSAA restart plans

According both MHSAA Dec. 18 statement, football playoffs will begin Saturday, Jan. 2, with regional finals for 11-player teams and semifinals for 8-player teams. The 8-player championship games in both divisions and all 11-player semifinals will be played Saturday, Jan. 9. The football season will conclude with the 11-player finals in all divisions the weekend of Jan. 15-16. All semifinals in both 11 and 8-player will be played at home sites. Sites for championship games will be finalized and announced later.

In addition, the girls volleyball tournament will begin again with quarterfinals on Jan. 5, with semifinals and finals to be played Jan. 7-9 at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. Also, the girls swimming and diving finals with return with its three Lower Peninsula finals competed during the weekend of Jan. 15-16, with one division at each of three locations.

“All previous safety protocols remain in place, and no spectators will be allowed at the fall tournament events,” according to the MHSAA statement. And “all indoor Winter sports — which are not part of the pilot rapid testing program — remain on pause from the MDHHS until Jan. 16, although girls and boys alpine skiing season — competed outdoors and following safety protocols including all activity must be outdoors — will be allowed to begin practice Monday, Dec. 21.”

The MHSAA Representative Council is expected to meet Tuesday, Dec. 22, to discuss details for the rest of winter sports. And all Spring 2021 sports are expected to begin on time and play complete seasons concluding with their traditional MHSAA tournament dates in May and June.

When it comes to high school sports, state’s decision to allow resumption ‘guided by the data’

Area Education, Community Health, Education, Health, Sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection, , ,
South Christian High School had their football team’s playoff drive halted in mid-November, after this game with Hamilton. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

When it comes to COVID-19 related restrictions, or allowances, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer often says her and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ decisions are “guided by the data.”

So as high school athletic departments across the state, including those in the Kentwood and Wyoming area, await an expected modification by Gov. Whitmer and the MDHHS of the current “pause” in competition and most practices, WKTV asked about the data — the numbers.

The MDHHS and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) both responded, with numbers which might be viewed as telling a somewhat different story.

“There have been 42 outbreaks associated with athletics (K-12 schools, professional, collegiate, and commercial venues) in August and September,” according to a MDHHS statement prior to the Nov. 15 pause in athletics, along with indoor restaurant service and other COVID-19 related restrictions.

And “we do continuously track data on outbreaks, including outbreaks associated with high school sports, and we know that there continued to be high school sports associated outbreaks in (October and November),” Bob Wheaton, spokesperson for the MDHHS, said to WKTV this week.

But those “outbreaks” did not prevent high school sports teams across the state from safely completing the vast majority of scheduled contests, according to MHSAA numbers given to WKTV. Even in a sport considered by the state to be “high risk” — football — with nearly 600 teams playing on any given week the percentage of games not played due to COVID-19 outbreaks was never more than 4.1 percent and was under  3 percent five out of nine weeks of competition.

“Our schools, with athletic directors monitoring activities and trained coaches teaching their athletes best practices and holding them to high standards, have for the large part been able to keep their teams competing and free of infection this fall,”  MHSAA spokesperson Geoff Kimmerly said to WKTV this week. “We have maintained from the start of fall that schools are best equipped to provide athletics in the safest-possible environment, and we’re eager to restart our fall and winter seasons following the precautions that have been successful so far.”

(The complete data chart supplied my the MHSAA is at the end of this story.)

The MHSAA’s opinion on the effectiveness of high school sports programs’ COVID-19 safety efforts was echoed by David Kool, athletic director at South Christian High School, which had their football team’s so-far successful playoff drive halted in mid-November.

“Our staff and players have done a tremendous job navigating through this pandemic,” Kool said this week to WKTV. “The support and leadership from our coaches has been and will continue to be phenomenal. … We have followed the protocols and guidelines put on us to the best of our ability throughout the fall and now into the winter. We all realize that gives us the best chance for the student athletes to do what they love to do, which is to compete.”

MDHHS and athletics numbers

The MDHHS, in response to a questions about how much of a COVID-19 spreader problem high school sports has been this fall and early winter, referenced its late October update of its Interim Guidance for Contact Sports, which noted:

“There have been 42 outbreaks associated with athletics (K-12 schools, professional, collegiate, and commercial venues) in August and September of 2020. Outbreaks of this magnitude have the potential to affect more than just a sports team, but the community in which the players and coaches reside as well.”

The document also noted that contact sports are particularly concern, saying, “Given the available epidemiological data with concerning rising cases of COVID-19, contact sports such as football and wrestling pose a high risk of transmitting COVID-19 to athletes, coaches, and the general community, and should be avoided at this time.”

But under the mid-November order, while high school sports competitions and team practices were restricted, the MDHHS stated: “Gyms will remain open for individual exercise with strict safety measures in place. … (and) Professional and college sports meeting extraordinary standards for risk mitigation may continue without spectators, however all other organized sports must stop.”

And what’s next for high school athletics?

And what will drive Gov. Whitmer and the MDHHS’s decision to continue restrictions on, or allow resumption of, high school sports?

“As MDHHS’s order pausing gatherings for 3 weeks expires Dec. 8, we are reviewing the COVID-19 data and will make decisions on high school sports and other gatherings based on what that data shows us,” the MDHHS spokesperson said.

“We understand why the state health department paused activities for three weeks — we all have the same hopes for reducing COVID-19,” MHSAA’s Kimmerly said. “But we believe we have a good story to tell, and that we can continue to play a major role in keeping high school athletes safe while providing them a meaningful experience during this difficult time.”

And so local  high school athletic departments, coaches and athletes await the decision and guidance from the Governor, MDHHS and the MHSAA.

“Each and every day we are trying to do everything we can to give our student athletes as many opportunities as we can,” South Christian’s Kool said. “We are hopeful that we will be given the green light to continue with athletics on Wednesday, December 9 and look forward to being back in action.”

WKTV’s 20th Annual Turkey Bowl cable channel fest returns Thanksgiving Day

3-bottom, Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Entertainment, Sports, WKTV Featured sports,
The Wyoming high Wolves lineup in the Red Zone in a game against Zeeland West Sept. 18. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Despite COVID-19 restrictions on fans in the stands, WKTV’s sports coverage crew was busy this fall, as our high school football Featured Game crew was all over Wyoming and Kentwood to cover local football teams.

And as every year, high school sports fans can get their Turkey Day high school football fix this year as we broadcast 15 hours of games on our cable Channel 25.

The special starts at 9 a.m., highlights the best of our high school football games from the season. The schedule of games (with link to the games on WKTV’s On-Demand video internet channel, at WKTVLive.org ) is as follows:

9 a.m. — Zeeland West at Wyoming high.  On-Demand

11:05 a.m. — Grandville at East Kentwood. On-Demand

1:40 p.m. — Belding at Godwin. On-Demand

4:05 p.m. — Jenison at East Kentwood. On-Demand

6:30 p.m. — Catholic Central at South Christian. On-Demand

8:40 p.m. — MHSAA Playoff Hamilton at Godwin. On-Demand

10:35 p.m. — MHSAA Playoff Hamilton at South Christian. On-Demand

With our Thanksgiving Day football fest, WKTV’s fall sports season comes to an end, but we are already planning on winter coverage of basketball and more.

WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are give the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26).

For complete schedules of programs on WKTV channels, see our Weekly On-air Schedule.

WKTV Sports Connection checks in with Wyoming high basketball teams waiting for action

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Wyoming high boys basketball coach Tom Vander Klay visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection. (Wolves girls coach Troy Mast’s interview is later in this story.)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, as part of our continuing series of shows focused on different local high school and their sports departments, we check in with the Wyoming High School Wolves basketball teams — both of which were already dealing with pandemic-related restrictions even before the latest state and MHSAA orders.

Visiting the WKTV studios last week (and before this week’s Michigan High School Athletic Association additional temporary restrictions on practices and competitions) are two coaches who have long histories of coaching and coaching success in Wyoming Public Schools, head boys basketball coach Thom Vander Klay and head girls basketball coach Troy Mast.

Both Vander Klay — who had his outstanding 2019-20 team’s season cut short by COVID-19 early this year — and Mast talk with WKTV volunteers Mike Moll and Paul Kabelman about how their teams are handling COVID-19 restrictions, their opinions of the Wolves’ shift of conferences from the OK Gold to OK Green, and a preseason outlook for their 2020-21 teams.

But we also reached out to the coaches this week, on Nov. 17, to see what the latest round of restrictions mean to their programs.

“Currently, we are completely paused for 3 weeks with no team practices or in-person meetings allowed,” Mast said to WKTV. “This is putting our team further behind where we are normally at this time of year.

“However, our job is to be ready when we are allowed to get back to work. Our kids will be excited to get back into the gym ASAP and looking forward to competing against each other in practice in preparation for whatever schedule is put in front of us.”

The Wolves girls were scheduled to start competition Dec. 1 at home against Comstock Park, but that game has even cancelled, along with a home game Dec. 4 against Forest Hills Central and a road game Dec. 8 at South Christian. Dec. 8 also would have been the night of the Wolves boys team’s first game, which would have had the Sailors visiting Wyoming.

“At this point the boys will be able to start tryouts Dec. 8 unless the state tells us differently and/or extends its order. That would have been the date of our season opener against SC (South Christian),” Vander Klay said to WKTV. “So we will have tryouts, get our rosters set on each level and then prepare as quickly as possible for competition.

“Of course, we cannot scrimmage other teams before we play so that will be interesting as those preseason scrimmages reveal so much about the players and the team — and what the coach needs to work on. … My guess is that early game results will be much different than games at the end of the year.”


WKTV Journal Sports Connection, with this latest episode hosted by WKTV volunteer Cory Dalton, brings its audience interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports, both on cable television and on our on-demand and YouTube channels. Readers can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting wktvjournal.com/sports.

WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Local high school teams see title aspirations put on hold by MHSAA after new state pandemic order

Area Education, Community Health, Education, Health, Sports, WKTV Featured sports, ,

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) made clear this week that this week’s action to suspend the three remaining fall sports championship competitions was just that: a “suspension” and not a “cancellation.”

But by any definition, local high school athletic teams readying this week to continue their drives for state titles are at least on indefinite hold and at worst cancelled.

At East Kentwood High School, the girls swim team’s trip to the state swim finals this weekend is not going to happen. (See a WKTV video and story on the Falcons’s swim team here.)

And at South Christian, Coach Danny Brown’s football team will likely be idle for three weeks instead of playing a playoff game this week and getting shot at the 2020 Division 4 title.

“I feel terrible for the kids. They put so much into having a successful season and they keep getting knocked down,” Brown said to WKTV. “They are resilient and will get through this. My hope and prayer is we get to finish the season so these boys can get some closure on their season.”

Originally, the Sailors (8-1, including 3-0 in expanded playoff format games) were scheduled to play this Friday against Edwardsburg (8-0) in the regional finals, with the semifinals on Nov. 27 and the state finals scheduled for Dec. 4. (On Nov. 13, South Christian defeated Hamilton, 56-14, in the regional semifinals. WKTV was there with our featured game crew and the game is available on-demand at WKTVlive.org.)

Now South Christian will have to wait until later this week to find out plans from the MHSAA on the possible restart of the fall season championships after the current 3-week suspension of activities to comply with a new state orders.

On Nov. 15, the MHSAA announced it was suspending fall tournaments for girls volleyball, girls swimming & diving, and football, and all winter practices and competitions scheduled to begin over the next three weeks “per the emergency order to pause activity announced Sunday by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to limit the spread of COVID-19.”

“Our plan for all our fall tournaments is that they are suspended, they are not cancelled,” Mark Uyl, executive director of the MHSAA, said Monday, Nov. 16, in a Zoom press conference. “Our goal as we started off this new athletic year was that we were going to find a way to have three (high school sports) seasons in 2020 and 21. … Our goals and plans have not changed.”

A more extensive excerpt from a Monday press conference with Uyl is at the top of this story.
 

The MHSAA action not only suspends local teams’ title hopes, it is another delay in winter sports practices and competition — including boys and girls basketball. Full practices for basketball was scheduled to begin this week, with some girls teams taking to the court for games the first week of December.

Nothing could stop a great season for East Kentwood’s girls swim team, until latest MHSAA action

Area Education, City of Kentwood, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Faces, Sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection, ,

By Zach Cantalice, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

 

Before the latest Michigan High School Sports Association (MHSAA) action to suspend, but maybe not cancel, the state’s remaining high school sports championship schedule, East Kentwood High School’s girls swim coach thought her team had overcome all the COVID-19 turbulence this season.

And WKTV talked to Falcons head coach Monika Steffens via zoom last week about her team’s season as they prepared to send the relay team to the State Finals this week.
 

Coach Steffens — or as her team calls her, Coach Mo — told WKTV that the team’s season had been incredible through a difficult time, that her girls set personal best times in almost all of their races at the OK Conference tournament and, on top of that, sophomore standout Kalin Wiltrout broke a 22 year old team record for 100 freestyle.

“We were unsure when we would even practice and everyday these girls showed up, took everything we threw at them, and they still got around to swimming very fast,” Steffens said in the video interview.

Then came news over the weekend of the latest restrictions from the State of Michigan and the MHSAA, including suspension of the high school state swim meet as well as the volleyball and football tournaments.

“We had been warning the girls that this was a possibility for the past few weeks, but it still does not make facing the decision any easier,” Steffens said today, Nov. 16, to WKTV. “I am grateful that we were able to get through our conference meet and were given the chance to race hard throughout the past few months.

“Pushing back, or even cancelling, this season’s state meet does not take away from the hard work these ladies put in. Qualifying to compete is already a tremendous accomplishment. Putting the chance to beat a couple more team records on hold is hard to accept, but I know we will be back here again next season and I know we will do our best to race hard again when we are given the chance.”

WKTV’s local sports coverage is available at wktvjournal.com/sports. WKTV Journal Sports Connection is also available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also usually available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Trotin’ with turkeys: A quick look at 5k runs in Grand Rapids this month

City of Kentwood, Community Health, Health, Holidays, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Sports, Upcoming Events,
This year’s Turkey Trot opportunities will be fewer and will look a little different due to COVID-19 safety. But there are still some to be run. (WKTV)

By Zachary Cantalice, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

November is known for not only Thanksgiving but also for its Turkey Trot 5k runs. In a normal year, millions of Americans would participate in a seasonal 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) run. But this is the year of COVID-19 pandemic, public runs are few, some planned ones were cancelled, and there now is such a thing as a virtual run.

A quick cruise of the web found that the greater Grand Rapids area found this news.

On Nov. 14, Grand Rapids will host the Dirty Duel Trail Race. The Dirty Duel will take place on trails surrounding Robinette’s Apple House and Winery, 3142 4 Mile Road NE, with two tough trail courses to choose from. One trail is described as “a short and brutal 5k” and the other a “long and difficult 6k.” Pick your pain. One running magazine describes Dirty Duel as a “Top 15 fall race under 15 miles.”
 

For more information on the Dirty Duel Trail Race, visit dirtyduel.com/.

Nov. 15 was supposed to be day of the Grand Rapids Comic Con 5k. Unfortunately the comic con and its race had to be cancelled this year due to safety concerns surrounding the pandemic. This would have been the annual event’s first ever race.

For more information on the future Grand Rapids Comic Con 5k, visit here.
 

The 28th annual Grand Rapids Turkey Trot will be virtual this year! The race will take place between Nov. 19 and Nov. 26. Instead of running a set course, this year participants will make their own course for the run. Proceeds from the race still help to offset the cost of Grand Rapids Public Schools athletics “so that all students have the opportunity to participate,” we are told.

For more information on the virtual Grand Rapids Turkey Trot, visit here.

The final race in Grand Rapids this November will be the Twisted Turkey runs on Friday, Nov. 27. The race will offer 5k, 10k and 15k distances (with a 5k loop run either once, twice or three times). Each event will be limited top 90 people per run. Each event group will start 15 minutes apart as well to keep in line with social distancing restrictions. The race will take place at Ken-O-Sha Park in Kentwood, 1353 Van Auken St. SE, “across the beautiful hidden trails of the Plaster Creek” area.

For more information on the Twisted Turkey runs, visit here.

Goalkeeper Schepers’ clutch stops key South Christian semi-final shoot-out victory over Elk Rapids

Education, Recreation, Sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection,
South Christian High School boys soccer team earned a 2-1 victory over Elk Rapids Nov. 4, in a MHSAA Division 3 state semifinal match. (WKTV/Luke Schrock)

By Luke Schrock, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

South Christian High School boys soccer team earned a 2-1 victory over Elk Rapids Tuesday, Nov. 4, in a hard-fought MHSAA Division 3 state semifinal match at Cedar Springs high that was decided by a shootout.

The victory over the Elks (19-3-4) sends the Sailors (18-0-1) back to the state championship game for a rematch with Grosse Ile (19-1-1), the reigning state champions, set for noon Saturday at Novi. Last season, South Christian fell to the Red Devils in the finals, 2-1, in shootout.

In the game against Elk Rapids, both sides had chances early with two missed crosses for South Christian and a near headed goal by the Elks eventually leading to a foul in the box. Sailors senior Thom DeVries finally got his team on the board with a goal on a penalty kick in the 11th minute to put give the Sailors the early lead.

The South Christian fans also roared in the 14th minute as the injured senior Jeff Herrema entered the match with his first action since the district tournament final, where he created two penalty kicks but was eventually diagnosed with a separated shoulder.

The Elks had no answer in a back-and-forth affair until Elks senior Preston Ball found a pass wide open over the middle to tie the match in the 58th minute.

The first overtime almost gave Elk Rapids the lead when the stadium went quiet after a foul was called on South Christian in the box, giving Elk Rapid’s Mason Travis a penalty kick. The kick, however, was saved by South Christian keeper Nik Schepers.

Both sides worked, but at the end of overtime the score was tied at 1-1 and the shootout was set.

The shootout was back and forth in goals with the first pairing, Herrema and Elk Rapids Kadin Patterson, but the Elks couldn’t answer Thom DeVries’ make as Schepers saved his first ball and then shutdown Elk Rapids to secure the game. The Sailors won the shootout 3-1, to make the final score 2-1.
 

Head coach Jason Boersma loved the performance from his keeper, but poked him none-the-less after the game for giving up the regulation-time goal.

“Our keeper, I think he made up for it,” Boersma said WKTV. “He made three PK saves, which is just outlandish, and it’s what Nik does. He did it last year in this semi-final game against Ludington.”

And how did Scheper “do it”?

“I don’t even know how to describe how I guess penalties,” Schepers said, “I knew he was a right footer and he was shooting a lot from his right.”

Going back to the state championship also brings many emotions to Schepers — “I knew we were going to be back, it’s surreal,” he said.

Fall Fling: Kentwood to host annual disc golf tournament, food pantry collection

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Community Health, Food, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Sports, Upcoming Events, ,
A disc golf player in action from the 2019 Fall Fling event. (City of Kentwood)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The City of Kentwood announced this week that the city and Great Lakes Disc will again partner to offer the annual Fall Fling, a doubles disc golf tournament and food drive on Saturday, Nov. 14. Canned food donations at Fall Fling will restock Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry.

Community disc golfers of all skill levels are invited to participate in the event at Old Farm Park, 2350 Embro Drive SE. Participants will be required to wear a face covering and maintain physical distancing throughout the event as part of COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.

On-site registration will begin at 9 a.m. Pre-registration is available online at kentwood.us/fallflingdiscgolf. The cost is $40 per team, plus one canned food donation for the Little Free Pantry. Players will meet at 9:45 a.m. to begin the first round of the “best shot” doubles tournament. Patty Matters food truck will be on-site with food available for purchase.

“Fall Fling is a wonderful event for our community to come together to play disc golf for a great cause,” Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director, said in supplied material. “This tournament has restocked our community pantry with dozens of canned goods each year. We are grateful to local disc golfers for their ongoing generosity and participation.”

The City of Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry is in the Kentwood Activities Center. (City of Kentwood)

The Kentwood Little Free Pantry initiative began in 2017 as a community service project in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. The small food pantry is open year-round and designed to fill an immediate and local need. It offers non-perishable food and personal care items to anyone in need.

Great Lakes Disc is a big supporter of the pantry.

“When I first heard about the Little Free Pantry, I knew I wanted to find a way Great Lakes Disc could support it,” Shea Abbgy, owner of Great Lakes Disc, said in supplied material. “The Old Farm Fall Fling was what we came up with to connect the disc golf community with the Pantry.”

The demand for the Little Free Pantry has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the city announcement.

“Long before COVID-19, the demand for our pantry goods was growing steadily and the shelves were becoming empty on a weekly basis,” Romeo said. “We continue to need year-round support from individuals and organizations who are able to give financially or provide tangible donations, such as prepackaged non-perishable food and personal hygiene items.”

Located at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Anyone can utilize or donate to the pantry. No application is required and no questions are asked.

Those who want to donate food items to the pantry are reminded to check the expiration date on them.

For more information about the pantry, including a suggested list of donations, visit kentwood.us/littlefreepantry.

South Christian varsity girls golf ends season 3rd at state in Division 3

Sports, , ,
South Christian varsity golf team wrapped the season up in 4th place for State. (Supplied)

By Anna Johns
WKTV Intern

At first, the members of the South Christian varsity golf team were not sure if they would have a season. They did and this season has been one for the record books. The team has consistently placed first and second in competitions with a team currently ranked 7th in its class.

Top players have been junior Elle Bolkema and freshmen Ashley Thomasma.


“Both bring a competitive side,” coach Ben Cook said to WKTV. “They push each other and the entire team. They also play a lot of tournament golf in the summer which prepares them well for the season.”

Cook has been coaching golf at South Christian for six seasons. This year there have been many changes, mostly a result of COVID, which almost cancelled the season. Cook said through it all, he tried to keep things fun.
 

Recently the team placed first in regionals with 336 points and advanced to the State Championships. For the past six seasons they have made it to state and last year they placed 15th.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, the girls attended the Division 3 State Championships hosted at Michigan State University. The team placed third with 330 points and Thomasma was fourth overall on the leaderboard with 75 points.

“I’m very happy with how we played,” Cook said. “It’s our best team score ever.”

Cook noted the team’s goal was to place at least fifth at the championships and they are pleased with their outcome, with him adding “We had great timing and three kids had their personal best.” 

Though the season is now over the team says they are not disappointed with their outcome. They look forward to 2021 season and hope to come back stronger than ever before.

MHSAA confirms on-time start of prep basketball practice and season, but with restrictions on scrimmages

Area Education, City of Wyoming, Education, Recreation, Sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection, , ,
The Wyoming High School Wolves boys basketball team, from 2019-20 season. (Curtis Holt)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) recently confirmed that 2020-21 winter sports will begin on time, including boys and girls basketball being able to start conditioning sessions the first week of November, practices shortly thereafter, and games as early as late in the month.

But they also set out a series of “guidelines” for winter sports that schools must follow, including possibly preventing any basketball scrimmages prior to full-game action.

“A number of precautions have been put in place addressing competition limits, numbers of spectators allowed and wearing of face coverings, among a variety of topics,” according to an Oct. 23 statement from the MHSAA. “As with fall sports, scrimmages will not be allowed for winter sports.”

While there may be something gained by not allowing scrimmages, Wyoming High School boys basketball coach Thom Vander Klay said there is something lost.

Wyoming High School basketball coach Thom Vander Klay, coaching during the 2016-17 season. (WKTV)

“We are disappointed in the no scrimmage rule particularly with the fact that we are inexperienced and didn’t get our summer schedule in,” Vander Klay said about the impact on his Wolves program. “We have a lot to figure out regarding cuts and then roles on the team. … A lot of question marks that we can often have answered after scrimmages, and summer and fall games.”

For the Wolves, after-school conditioning will begin Nov. 2, with full practices starting Nov. 16, and its game schedule currently set to start Dec. 8 with a home game against Grand Rapids South Christian.

MHSAA guidelines for all sports, and a cautionary tale

The Representative Council of the MHSAA, during an Oct. 22 meeting, voted to have 2020-21 winter sports begin on time but stressed as series of guidelines “that schools must follow as they continue to work toward limiting the spread of COVID-19 while still providing opportunities for athletes to compete.”

There are sport-specific guidelines (posted on the MHSAA Website at mhsaa.com/sports), and a number of precautions put in place “addressing competition limits, numbers of spectators allowed and wearing of face coverings, among a variety of topics. The guidance also specifically addresses equipment and facilities” for each sport.

In general, according the MHSAA statement, scrimmages will not be allowed for winter sports to “limit mixing of communities outside of official competitions.” And the number of teams at regular-season competitions also will be limited, with a maximum of four schools/teams allowed in competitive cheer, gymnastics, swimming & diving and wrestling. Bowling and skiing competitions will be restricted to a maximum of 72 competitors at one event.

There are no school/team limits for basketball and ice hockey, according to the statement, “as only two teams are able to play each other at one time and those sports may play only one game per day — with fans leaving after their game is complete.”

Host sites must enforce spectator capacity limits on a game-by-game basis, and currently MHSAA guidelines allow two spectators per participant at all contests to begin the regular season. The guideline “could be reconsidered by the Council later in the winter season,” with a possibility of allowing more spectators later while still staying within possible Emergency Orders from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

As per MDHHS requirements, face coverings must be worn by athletes practicing and competing in basketball, competitive cheer, ice hockey and wrestling. But masks are not required for athletes practicing and competing in bowling, gymnastics, skiing and swimming & diving, which all allow for appropriate social distancing, but face coverings are required for those athletes when not involved in active participation.

“The Council believes it is safer to begin Winter practices on time, and keep athletes in school programs where safety precautions are always in effect,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said in supplied material. “With the vastly different circumstances faced by schools in different regions all over the state, an on-time start still allows schools to decide when they feel most comfortable beginning activity — and allows all of them to slowly ramp up their frequency of activity and numbers of spectators attending competitions.

“But let’s be clear,” Uyl said. “Our statewide COVID-19 numbers have to get better. In order for our schools to continue playing sports this winter, and in order for fans to be there to cheer them on, we must continue working to slow down this virus.”

South Christian boys soccer wins seventh regional title in the last 10 years

Area Education, Local Faces, Sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection,
WKTV sports intern Luke Schrock has been following the South Christian High school boys soccer team as the Sailors have advanced this postseason. Prior to the Oct. 29 game against Dowagiac team, he visited the team’s practice and talked with its head coach and one of the Sailors’ senior leaders.

By Luke Schrock, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

 

South Christian High School had no problem taking home a MHSAA soccer regional title  Thursday, Oct. 29, after a 5-1 win over the Dowagiac Chieftains.

The tournament host Sailors got to a quick start with a goal from senior Cole Huttenga and an own-goal scored by Dowagiac to give South Christian a 2-0 lead before the 25th minute.

Huttenga would score three total goals in the game to compliment an unassisted goal from sophomore Sam Medendorp in the 77th minute. Huttenga, however, credited his success to his teammates.

“My teammates were giving me great balls,” Huttenga said to WKTV, “The corner kicks were great and Levi (DeRuiter), with the really long throw ins, it’s such a weapon and it equates to like fifteen corner kicks.”

Dowagiac’s lone goal came in the 58th minute by Isaac Saavedra on the second of five offensive possessions for the second half.

Sailor head coach Jason Boersma, after the game, said he was proud to be able to continue the tradition of tournament success that he picked up in 2010.
 

“I kinda got to pick up and continue what had already been started,” Boersma said, “We set it as a goal, and as a program we decided that we were going to be the team that every year would be expected to be there (the state tournament) and to do that is a ton of fun.”

South Christian will travel to Cedar Springs on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m., to play the winner of Elk Rapids and Shelby, which is decided Saturday, Oct. 31.

The South Christian boy soccer team after its regional title game win. (Laura Knapp)

WKTV preview: Godwin Heights to host Hamilton in Wolverines first ever home playoff game

Area Education, City of Wyoming, Education, Local Faces, Sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection,

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

There are a lot of unusual aspects to Godwin Heights High School’s MHSAA football playoff opening game against Hamilton on Friday, not the least of which is that thanks to the luck of the draw the Wolverines will be hosting their first ever home playoff game.

But one thing which is no different from previous years is that Godwin and Hamilton will renew what Wolverine head coach Brandon Kimble says is not a “rivalry” game but certainly a tough game against a familiar foe.

“We are pretty familiar with Hamilton. We’ve been playing them the first game of the year for the last three years, this is our first year not playing them Week 1,” Kimble said to WKTV. “Very well coached program. Very tough. Kids come to play. We are excited. They are familiar with us, we are familiar with them. It is not a rivalry but it will be a good game.”

WKTV caught up with Coach Kimble, and senior defensive/offensive lineman Ru’Quan Buckley to talk about why the game is special to them and to their fans.

WKTV’s Featured Game crew will be at the 7 p.m. game and will rebroadcast the game later that night, and at other times, as well as making it available on-demand at WKTVlive.org.

Last week, Godwin Heights (2-4) at home defeated Comstock Park (1-5), 19-13, in 2 OT, on Oct. 23. Hamilton (also 2-4) lost Oct. 23 at home to Grand Rapids West Catholic, 35-7.

The Godwin vs. Hamilton game is a MHSAA Division 4, Region 14, District 27 matchup. According to the MHSAA, Godwin Heights won a host-field tie-breaker with Hamilton based on opponents’ winning percentage.

WKTV featured games will be on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.

All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.

WKTV intern Rachel Weber contributed to this story and video.

Fourth-ranked Sailors move on to regional boys soccer final after 3-1 victory

Sports,
The South Christian High School boys soccer team counts down the final seconds of a 3-1 win Oct. 27. (WKTV/Luke Schrock)

By Luke Schrock, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

After facing two straight ranked opponents in the district tournament, the South Christian High School boys soccer team (16-0-1) jumped out to a 2-0 first-half lead and finished a 3-1 win over the Grand Rapids Catholic Central Cougars (8-4-2) in a regional semifinal at South Christian Tuesday, Oct. 27.

The first Sailor goal came from senior Boston Knapp in the 17th minute, from a long shot outside the box off of a loose ball. South Christian dominated the possession game putting almost constant pressure on the Cougars. Eventually, senior Thom DeVries crossed to sophomore Derek Miedema, who was initially blocked before scoring off the rebound.

Sailors head coach Jason Boersma, after the game, said enjoyed the performance of Knapp, his leading scorer this season, as well as the continued work of fellow seniors Jeff Herrema and Thom DeVries.

“Boston’s a workhorse, he always has been,” Boersma said to WKTV. “He is our lead scorer this year. He kind of goes unnoticed because of the big names of Thom DeVries and Jeff (Herrema), but between those three they have 40 goals and about 25 assists.”

Knapp attributes his success to his teammates.

“It’s not necessarily because I’m the best player it’s because I am surrounded by amazing players that can send great through balls to me,” he said. “Overall, the experience with the team that is going to state has been amazing.”

Catholic Central didn’t have an answer for the Sailors until sophomore team captain Alan Lemus-Rodas assisted senior Philippe Tamba to make the score 3-1 in the 58th minute.

Tamba threatened a few times throughout the match, with two missed shots in the first half, a blocked cross and a blocked free kick in the second half. Catholic Central also slowly gained more possession time as the second half progressed but was only able to finish once with the Tamba goal.

The regional final is set for Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. with Dowagiac traveling back to regional host South Christian.

With local high school football MHSAA playoff match-ups set, WKTV crew will head to Godwin Heights

Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Entertainment, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Featured sports, ,
Godwin Heights goes for a two-point extra point conversion after junior quarterback Jeremiah Drake (1) punched in an early Wolverine touchdown in their Oct. 2 home game against Belding. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

After a weekend announcement by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), local Wyoming and Kentwood area teams know where they will be playing in this week’s opening round of an expanded and altered football playoff tournament.

East Kentwood, Wyoming high and Kelloggsville high schools will each be on the road late this week. But South Christian will host the Rockets at East Kentwood High School’s field and Godwin Heights will has also drawn a home game — which will be the WKTV Featured Game of the Week, with delayed broadcast of the game on our cable channels as well as later on-demand availability on WKTVlive.org.
 

Last week, Godwin Heights (2-4) at home defeated Comstock Park (1-5), 19-13, in 2 OT, on Oct. 23.  The Wolverines will host Hamilton (2-4) Friday, Oct. 30, with a 7 p.m. kickoff. Hamilton (also 2-4) lost Oct. 23 at home to Grand Rapids West Catholic, 35-7.

The Godwin vs. Hamilton game was announced Oct. 24 as a MHSAA Division 4, Region 14, District 27 matchup. According to the MHSAA, Godwin Heights won a host-field tie-breaker with Hamilton based on opponents’ winning percentage.

Also in Division 4, Region 14, District 27 matchup, Wyoming Kelloggsville (1-5) will play at Grand Rapids South Christian (5-1). Kelloggsville was idle last week but gained a forfeit win against Hopkins. The Sailors lost their first game of the shortened season, a 28-27 overtime thriller Oct. 23 to visiting Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (The game was last week’s WKTV Featured Game of the Week and is available on-demand at WKTVlive.org.)

All MHSAA playoff tickets will be sold online only via GoFan at https://gofan.co/ to “provide for a cashless and contactless purchasing process that also allows for contact tracing,” according to the MHSAA. Tickets for single-session Pre-District, District and Regional games are $6. Single-session Semifinal tickets are $8. A per-ticket convenience fee will be applied.

Other local teams’ playoff matchups

In MHSAA 11-player pairings also announced this weekend, in a Division 1, Region 1, District 1 matchup, East Kentwood (2-3) will be close to home at Hudsonville (4-2) on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The Falcons finished their 5-game regular season Oct. 16 with a 24-7 home-field win over Muskegon Reeths-Puiffer (2-3). East Kentwood was originally scheduled to play at Caledonia (1-4) on Oct. 23. Hudsonville was actually 4-1 in games played, but had to forfeit their Oct. 23 home game against Jenison.

In a Division 2, Region 5, District 9 matchup, Wyoming high (1-3) will travel to Muskegon Mona Shores (6-0) on Friday, Oct. 30. Wyoming, after two weeks off due to COVID-19 safety protocols, returned to the field Oct. 23 with a 34-26 win at Holland (0-6). The Wolves match-up with Mona Shores is actually a game against a newly aligned OK Conference Green opponent which was not played this year due to the late start of the season.
 

In Division 8, Wyoming Lee opted out of the tournament. Wyoming Lee (1-5, including a forfeit win and a forfeit loss) lost 22-12 at Potterville (3-3) on Oct. 23 to end the Legends’ season.

In 8-player football pairings, in a Division 2, Region 4 game, Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (2-4) will be at Burr Oak (5-1) on Oct. 31. The Defenders finished their regular season with a 54-53 overtime loss at Bridgman (5-1).

Details of MHSAA playoff format

The MHSAA announced Oct. 24 that the 2020 MHSAA Football Playoffs would begin Oct. 29-31 with District First Round games in the 11-Player Playoffs and Regional First Round Games in the 8-Player Playoffs.

According to the MHSAA statement, all 11-player teams were divided into eight divisions before play began. Because of the shortened 2020 regular season due to COVID-19, all 11-player teams were then divided into Districts of up to eight teams each, then paired into four regions.

Pairings for the first four weeks of the tournament are based on regular-season playoff point averages, with the highest-ranked team hosting, regardless of the distance between the two schools. For District First Round and Regional First Round play, the top-seeded team in each bracket will host the eighth-seeded team, the second-seeded team will host the seventh-seeded team, and so on.

District Semifinals for 11-player teams will occur on the weekend of Nov. 6-7, with District Finals the weekend of Nov. 13-14. Both rounds will be played at the site of the highest-ranked team remaining.

Regional Finals in the 11-Player Playoffs will take place Nov. 20-21, at the site of the highest-ranked team. Semifinal games in the 11-Player Playoffs will take place Nov. 27-28, pairing the winners of Region 1 vs. Region 2 and the winners of Region 3 vs. Region 4. Highest-ranked teams will host unless participating teams are 200 or more miles apart; in those cases the MHSAA will assign the game to a prearranged site “if one can be secured in a reasonable location.”
 

The 11-Player Finals will be played Dec. 4-5 at sites to be determined, and additional spectator information will be determined later as well.

South Christian boys win soccer district championship in overtime thriller

Area Education, Education, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Featured sports,
South Christian High School’s boys soccer team captured a district title at home on Oct. 22. (WKTV/Zach Cantalice)

By Luke Schrock, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

A foggy night housed a nail-biting district final between the South Christian Sailors and the Hudsonville Unity Christian Crusaders that ended in overtime, 3-2, on Oct. 22. Starting with the opening kickoff, both sides would go back and forth, with each recording the first goal about 10 minutes into the match.

South Christian head coach Jason Boersma praised senior Jeff Herrema for both goals in regulation, in the 10th and 73rd minutes, by causing fouls in the box leading to successful penalty kicks shot by fellow senior Thom DeVries.

“At the end of the day Jeff Herrema created both of those penalty kicks,” Boersma said to WKTV. “He was the one that got into the box and was making the moves to get into the goal. … Jeff is usually our penalty kicker.”
 

Herrema, however, suffered a shoulder injury after the second foul which lead to DeVries’ penalty kick.
 

Unity Christian didn’t go down quietly, however, first tying the score in the first half, 1-1, with a goal from junior Jaxson Krygsheld. Next, the Crusaders would strike again with a long shot by freshman Gavin Sage in the 74th minute to re-tie the match going into the final minutes — where a near miss would have given Unity Christian the district title.

In overtime, though, it was the sophomore Sam Medendorp who was the hero for the Sailors, as his goal was enough to the district title and send South Christian into a regional match-up with Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

“Winning is an expectation,” says Boersma on his South Christian team earning their seventh district championship.

But the Sailors coach had nothing but praise for Wyoming Lee and Unity Christian, two teams South Christian had to beat to move on to regionals.

“When you got a loaded district like we got this year, we got Wyoming Lee on one side who’s one of the top teams in the state, my heart hurts for them,” Boersma said. “They lost a game that I would call a district final.”

South Christian will take on Catholic Central on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at South Christian High School, with kick off at 7 p.m.

WKTV featured game: South Christian undefeated heading into ‘home away from home’ clash with Catholic Central

Area Education, City of Kentwood, Education, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Sports, WKTV Featured sports,

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In WKTV’s final high school football regular season Featured Game of the Week, the South Christian Sailors will bring a perfect record into a battle with also undefeated Grand Rapids Catholic Central. The game will be a “home away from hone” game at played East Kentwood High School.

South Christian (5-0) defeated Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg (2-3), 28-7, on the road on Oct. 16. Central Catholic is also 5-0, and tied with South Christian for the OK Gold Conference lead.

The game is important in several ways: an outright OK Gold title during this pandemic shortened season, seeding for the upcoming and expanded state playoffs, and, of course, that rivalry thing.

But for Sailors head coach Danny Brown the game is all about his senior leaders, and his team continuing to improve each week. And one of those senior leaders is quarterback Ty Rynbrandt. WKTV caught up with both before at a Wednesday practice.

WKTV’s Featured Game crew will be at the 7 p.m. game, and the game will be broadcast on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel. WKTV also livestream games where allowed on WKTV.org (click on Live).

WKTV also rebroadcasts games on the night of the game, and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.

All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.

Defense shines in South Christian’s 1-0 victory over Wyoming-Lee in district soccer action

Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Sports, WKTV Featured sports
The South Christian High School boys soccer team huddles with their coach prior to a game Oct. 20. (WKTV/Luke Schrock)

By Luke Schrock, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

The back line for South Christian High School Sailors didn’t allow the Wyoming-Lee Legends a single shot-on-goal the entire match during a 1-0 win in a boys soccer District 34 semifinal, Thursday, Oct. 20, at South Christian.

“My favorite part about them (his defense) is that they gave up zero shots,” South Christian head coach Jason Boersma said to WKTV. “I think they (Lee) got a corner kick, maybe two and no shots came out of those.”

Defense was the strength of both teams, in fact, as the only goal scored was by Sailors senior Jeff Herrema, who had an unassisted goal in the 23rd minute after a goal kick by the Legends and a Saliors header back to Herrema.

“My favorite part of Jeff Herrema is his grit. He is a workhorse,” Boersma said. “When you look at the goal he scored, it was pure effort to get through two defenders.”

The Legends best scoring opportunity was a block in front of the box where senior Nik Schepers would meet the Lee striker with a sliding collision. Outside of that play, Lee set up a couple of opportunities for sophomore Ismael Galvin.

Lee finishes their season at 10-3-1, including a 7-0 win over Hopkins in the Legends’ district tournament opener last week.

South Christian (14-0-1) looks to keep a zero in the loss column as they meet Unity Christian in the District final at South Christian Thursday, Oct. 22, with a 6 p.m. kickoff.

For more Wyoming and Kentwood area high school sports news, visit wktvjournal.org/sports.

WKTV featured game: Wyoming soccer drops tough state tournament opener at East Grand Rapids

Area Education, City of Wyoming, Education, Sports, WKTV Featured sports,
The Wyoming High School Wolves boys soccer team on the attack in the first half of the team’s game at East Grand Rapids Nov. 15. (WKTV)

By Luke Schrock, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

The state tournament has started for boys soccer and the first district matchup for the Wyoming High School Wolves was on the road Thursday, Oct. 15, at East Grand Rapids against the Pioneers, after a season when both teams posted highly improved records from last year.

The Wolves stayed close for most of the game, and had their chances to equal a 1-0 early lead for the Pioneers. But East Grand Rapids put the game out of reach with three late goals in a 4-0 win.

The game was covered by WKTV’s featured game team and is available on-demand at wktvlive.org.

The last time East Grand Rapids and Wyoming faced each other in the state tournament was in 2015, when East Grand Rapids defeated Wyoming 2-1 in Wyoming.

Wyoming, coached by Romer Carrasco, posted an 8-2 record in the COVID-19 shortened regular season but fell short of the OK Green finals with a loss to Muskegon Mona Shores, 4-3.
 

First-year head coach Mike Vollmer lead East Grand Rapids to an OK White conference championship by beating Grand Rapids Christian, 2-1, and finished their regular season campaign with a 10-3 record.

Taking a deeper look at South Christian’s cross country team

Area Education, Education, Sports,
The 2020 South Christian cross country team is currently ranked third in Region 13. (Supplied)

By Anna Johns
WKTV Intern


It has been a challenging season for both the South Christian boys and girls cross country teams, however; the teams are thriving and both are currently ranked third in Region 13.

“All of our seniors have done a phenomenal job of leading our team and have run faster this year than ever,” said head cross country coach Kori VanderKooi.

The varsity boys cross country team is currently led by seniors Sam Westra, Hendrik Nykamp and Ethan Luurtsema. This is only Luurtsema’s second year and he has a personal record of 17:14.8 in the varsity 5,000 meter run.

This year the boys have been running consistently at times close to 17 minutes and VanderKooi said she would love to see them lower their times. 

The seniors on the South Christian Varsity Boys Cross Country Team have done a phenomenal job this season according to Coach Kori VanderKooi. (Supplied)

“Our girls varsity team has shifted throughout the season, as we have a lot of depth, and a lot of solid, young runners,” VanderKooi said, adding that all of the girls are strong runners, especially sophomore Emily Langerak.

Langerak is the most consistent runner on the team and currently has a time of 20:50.2 in the varsity 5,000 meter run. 

Also on the varsity girls cross country team are senior Moriah Lanning and junior Abby Winkle. Winkle currently has a time of 20:26.8 in the 5,000 meters, making her fastest on the South Christian girls team. 

VanderKooi began coaching in 2011 for the South Christian Middle School Cross Country team and last year she moved up to coaching the varsity team. She had many of the runners on her team at the middle school.

“It’s a unique opportunity to see their development as runners over the span of so many years,” she said.

Recently, the team competed in the Bengal Invitational at Riverside Park on Oct. 9. The boys varsity team competed against nine other area schools and placed 7th. The girls competed against six other teams and scored 140 points. 

Next week, they will be determining the final roster to decide which runners will be heading to districts and regionals. Their next race will be the OK Gold Championships on Oct. 20 at Thornapple Kellogg High School.

Kentwood’s newest park set to host a ‘Halloween’ cross country 5K on Oct. 17

City of Kentwood, Going Local, Kids Activities, Recreation, Sports, Upcoming Events, , ,
A old sign, seen from 36th Street, at the area once called the Christian Athletic Complex but now a City of Kentwood park titled Covenant Park. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By Zachary Cantalice, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

The City of Kentwood will host ‘socially distant’ cross country running/walking race, the NN Mobile Solutions Halloween 5k, on Saturday, Oct. 17. The run will take place at Covenant Park and will be a fundraiser for improvements at the park.

Covenant Park is one of the newest parks in Kentwood and, according to race organizer Spencer McKellar, lead recreation program coordinator of the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, the event not only gives an opportunity to show off the new park but also creates a fun community event.

 “With Covid-19, we wanted to provide an outdoor event and with a cross country event that would provide a safe place for people to participate in while showcasing the new park,” McKellar said to WKTV.

Covenant Park is located at 3724 Shaffer Ave. SE, and was previously known as the Christian Athletic Complex. The park encompasses nearly 110 acres purchased early this year after an anonymous donor gave a substantial gift to the Kentwood Community Foundation for the purchase of the land, with the conditions it will be used by the City of Kentwood for park and recreational purposes, and be named Covenant Park.
 

The race will have guidelines to accompany the challenges Covid-19 has created. Sign up and waivers are all online so there will be no paperwork to fill out or for multiple people to come in contact with.

While during the race you will not have to wear a face mask, prior to and after the race a mask is required. The race will also have staggered starting times to separate groups. Groups will also be limited to a certain number of participants according to McKellar.

For more information and to sign up, visit runsignup.com.

East Kentwood, with offense revved up, looks for defensive improvement against Jenison

Area Education, City of Kentwood, Community Health, Education, Health, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Entertainment, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Journal Sports Connection,

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

With more fans allowed in the stands thanks to last week’s MHSAA decision on easing capacity limits at football games, East Kentwood High School will host Jenison this week in an important OK Conference Red contest.

WKTV’s Featured Game crew will be at the 7 p.m. game and will broadcast the game live on our cable television channels as well as live-steam it at WKTV.org.

The Falcons enter the contest with a 1-2 record in the shortened 6-game regular season, while the Jenison Wildcats are 2-1. While both teams will make the expanded playoff field this season under a yet-to-be fully defined Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) format, East Kentwood head coach Tony Kimbrough wants his team to get on a roll — both offensively and defensively.

WKTV caught up with Coach Kimbrough, and senior Chris Brown, to talk about the expanded playoffs and what’s happening on both sides of the ball for the Falcons.

WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, and we will livestream games where allowed on WKTV.org (click on Live).

WKTV will also rebroadcast the games on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.

All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.

Local reaction to MHSAA’s new fan capacity at indoor, outdoor athletic events

Community Health, Education, Recreation, Sports
There has not been many fans in the stands local high school football games this season. But more will be allowed starting this week. (WKTV)

By Luke Schrock, WKTV intern

ken@wktv.org

The Michigan High School Athletic Association last week updated its guidelines for athletic event attendance and gatherings sizes, approving an increase to 30 percent capacity for outdoor events and 20 percent capacity for indoor events, for football games it will be in effect for Friday, Oct. 9, games.

South Christian High School Athletic Director David Kool told WKTV this week that he is in support of the gradual increase in spectators at events.

“We are very excited that the MHSAA has outlined new spectator capacities for both indoor and outdoor sporting events starting on October 9,” Kool said. “Our community continues to follow all the guidelines in place as best as we can, and we look forward to having more spectators in attendance supporting our student athletes.

“We appreciate all of the work the MHSAA continues to put in to ensure the safety of all involved in athletic contests and this is a big step forward for all of us,” he said.

For outdoor events with no fixed seating, such as cross country or golf, the guideline is to have no more than 30 spectators per 1,000 square feet.
 

Despite the recent Michigan Supreme Court decision, guidelines for mask wearing and social distancing remains unchanged and is still highly encouraged at indoor and outdoor events.

For more information on other Wyoming and Kentwood high school athletic events, contact specific high school athletic departments.

Wyoming high suspends football operations due to positive COVID-19 tests

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Wyoming high coaches talk to their Wolves team from an early season game. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Wyoming Public Schools Superintendent Craig Hoekstra announced today, Oct. 6, the suspension of the Wyoming High School football program — both games and practices — through Oct. 18, after receiving notification of positive COVID-19 test results.

The team is expected to return to practice on Oct. 19, and will miss both junior varsity and varsity games against Muskegon Mona Shores (Oct. 8-9) and Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (Oct. 15-16).

The varsity team last played at Grand Rapids Union high on Friday, Oct. 2.

“Making a decision in the best interest of our students and staff was our primary focus,” Superintendent Hoekstra said in supplied material. “Given the number of individuals impacted it became necessary for us to suspend both Varsity and Junior Varsity football, practices and games, for the next two weeks.

“In making this decision, which is based on multiple factors, we relied on our partnership with the Kent County Health Department,” Hoekstra said.

According to the statement, “The welfare of our student-athletes is at the center of every decision we make regarding our ability to proceed forward. Thank you for your continued understanding, support, and trust in Wyoming Public Schools to keep our students and staff as safe as possible.”

For more information on Wyoming Public Schools visit wyomingps.org.

WKTV football Week 3 wrap for Wyoming, Kentwood games Oct. 2

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Recreation, Sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection,
Godwin Heights goes for a two-point extra point conversion after junior quarterback Jeremiah Drake (1) punched in an early Wolverine touchdown in their Oct. 2 home game against Belding. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

While Grand Rapids South Christian High School ran their record to 3-0, with a win over  Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (0-3), 41-24, both East Kentwood and Wyoming high’s offense kicked into high gear with the playoffs looming and three games remaining on the shortened 2020 regular-season schedule.

East Kentwood (1-2) rolled up 42 points in an easy road win at Grand Haven (0-3) as the Falcons defense held the Buccaneers to just 12 first-half points and running back Jeffery Perry rushed for 143 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns.

 

Also standing out on offense for East Kentwood was senior quarterback Brandon Miller, who passed for 146 yards on a 13-of-24 night, with one touchdown, while also adding 55 yards on the ground. Senior running back Drapher Cribb scored a rushing touchdown and senior Evan Milliken caught Miller’s touchdown pass. Senior Jaylen Smith added a defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery.

“We overcame some early mistakes on both sides of the ball,” East Kentwood head football coach Tony Kimbrough said to WKTV. “We played well in all phases of the game, especially in the second half. Jeffrey Perry was a big part of our success.”

East Kentwood’s next game is Oct. 9 at home against Jenison (2-1). And in a change to the WKTV Featured Game schedule, we will be covering the Falcons game live on cable television and live-streamed at WKTV.org (click on the Live button).

Wyoming Wolves score 57 points in heartbreaking loss

Wyoming high’s offensive was in high gear for the second straight week with a dominating ground game totaling more than 500 yards and six touchdowns. But the Wolves (0-3) fell just short in a shoot-out on the road at Grand Rapids Union (1-2), 59-57.

Wyoming high coaches talk to their Wolves team from an early season game. (WKTV)

Wyoming had two players go over 200 yards rushing, with senior Cameron Simon totaling 264 yards on 18 carries, and senior Jeremy Barber totaling 209 on 27 carries with four touchdowns. Junior Mateo Ledesma added 42 yards and two touchdowns. But Wyoming head coach Irvin Sigler said the key to his explosive offense is his senior laden offensive line.

“We had two backs over 200 yards rushing, and that is an amazing feat,” Sigler said to WKTV. “Our offensive line had a tremendous game … lineman Anthony Alvarado, Seth DeYoung, Sam DeYoung, Ronald Divers, Sawyer VanDyke, as well as fullbacks Guizzippi Jobse and Collin St. John, were stellar.”

Senior quarterback Matthew Berg was 11-of-19 passing with one touchdown, and senior Mahki Matthews led the receivers with three catches.

The Wolves will be at home, this week, Oct. 9, against defending state Class A champions Muskegon Mona Shores (3-0). And Sigler said his defense will need to be better this week and continue to get better as the playoffs approach.

“Defensively we struggled all night and did not tackle well,” Sigler said. “Our kids will work to improve and get better at all types of tackling this week.”

The rest of the local action

Grand Rapids South Christian (3-0) at home (playing at East Kentwood) defeated Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (0-3), 41-24. The Sailors’ next game is Oct. 9 at Cedar Springs (2-1).

At Godwin Heights, after an early touchdown by junior quarterback Jeremiah Drake and two-point extra point conversion, the Wolverines (1-2) lost at home to Belding (3-0), 26-8, in what was the Oct. 2 WKTV Featured Game. The game was broadcast on cable live and live-streamed, and will be available on-demand at WKTVlive.org later this week. The Wolverines next scheduled game, at Grandville Calvin Christian on Oct. 9, has been cancelled, so its next game is Oct. 16 at Hopkins (currently 3-0).

Kelloggsville (0-3) lost at home to Comstock Park (10-2), 56-14. The Rockets next game is Oct. 9 at Sparta (1-2).

Lee (1-2 with forfeit win) lost at home to Comstock (2-1), 58-8. In that game, Legends quarterback Imiliano Valdez connected with Takayon Smith for a 68-yard touchdown strike, as well as a 2-point conversion. The Legends next game, scheduled for Oct. 9 against Muskegon Orchard View (0-3), has been cancelled by Lee.

MHSAA changes state tennis tournament format for competing West Michigan schools

Education, Sports,
The boys tennis tournament will look a little different this fall due to COVID-19 related changes. But there will still be plenty of action. (MHSAA.com)

By Luke Schrock WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

The high school boys tennis season is being played in Michigan, but the state tournament will look different after the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) this month approved a one-year adjusted state tournament format with less venues and condensed dates.

Postseason play will begin with one-day team district tournaments being played on Oct. 7-10 at 16 sites per division with the team finals of Divisions 1-4 to be played Oct. 15-17. For the division’s finals, the first rounds will be played at four sites before the semi-finalists come together to play at one site.

The following week, Oct. 22-24, during a one-day tournament to crown a champion in all four divisions, 32 No. 1 singles players will face-off in bracketed play to decide the singles champions.

The MHSAA believes these changes will limit the number of teams playing at a single site to help prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.

For the latest information on the state tournament visit the MHSAA website at mhsaa.com.