South Christian quarterback Carson Vis delivered the game-winning touchdown to Noah Funk, a 23-yard play that gave the Sailors a fourth-straight District Title. (Video Courtesy, David Kool)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. That old adage was certainly the case for the South Christian football team Friday as the Sailors used a big defensive effort to turn back Forest Hills Eastern 22-14 to win a Division 4 district title.
It was the fourth consecutive district title the Sailors have won and sends South to the regional title game where it hosts Big Rapids next Friday at 7 p.m. at Byron Center High School.
“It was one of those games that went back-and-forth the whole way,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “Luckily, we had the ball one last time and put together a good drive to win it. They (Forest Hills Eastern) are a really good team and we knew it was going to be a close game. Our kids stepped up to the plate when they needed to.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game. Forest Hills Eastern knows their identity and does a good job. They have big, strong lines and can run the ball. We knew we had to work hard to contain them.”
South Christian Sailors are District champs again. (Courtesy, David Kool)
The Sailors had first-hand experience knowing what they were in for as South held off Eastern 32-29 in a tight game in week four of the regular season. While the two teams put a few less points on the scoreboard this time, the game was equally as tight and again came down to the end.
“I think this game was a little more cleaner brand of football,” Brown said. “Both defenses have improved since that game and it showed. This game was played a little more defensive minded and there were fewer big plays. It came down to whichever team made the big play at the end.”
Sailors grab 7-0 lead in first quarter
The game was a defensive grind for the first three quarters. The lone touchdown of the first half came in the opening quarter when South’s Charlie Schreur ran in for a touchdown from five-yards out. Drew Bruinsma kicked the point after giving the Sailors a 7-0 lead.
7-apiece in the third quarter
The next time a team reached the end zone was in the third quarter. That was when Eastern running back Will Morgan ran in for a touchdown from three-yards out. The Hawks then tied the game up with the point after.
South regained the lead early in the fourth quarter. The Sailors struck through the air when quarterback Carson Vis connected with wide receiver Jake Vermaas on a two-yard fade pattern. Bruinsma added the extra point putting South up 14-7.
Eastern knots it up at 14 in the fourth
Eastern tied the game back up later in the quarter. The Hawks used the passing game to tie the contest as quarterback Mark Fuehrer connected with Jake Heemstra for a 10-yard scoring strike and they added the point after to tie the game.
With two minutes remaining in the game, the Sailor offense again stepped up to the plate. With Vis spreading the ball around to his talented group of receivers, the Sailors marched the ball down the field. The Sailor passing game capped off the drive with Vis connecting with Noah Funk on a 23-yard passing play that provided the winning points.
“We made the most of our opportunities on offense,” Brown said. “Obviously, it was not our cleanest game on offense, but credit the guys for sticking with it. They found a way to win and advance.”
Carson Vis to Jake Vermaas never gets old
Offensively, the Sailors finished with 270 total yards. Vis completed 14-of-19 passes for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Vermaas caught seven passes for 83 yards, while Funk caught two balls for 33, Sam Weiss caught two passes for 27 yards and Austin Tiesma caught two balls for 18 yards.
Vis led the ground game with 50 yards rushing, while Schreur added 46 yards.
The South Christian defense limited Eastern to 251 yards of total offense. Eastern rushed for 172 yards and passed for 79 yards.
Ben Mulder led with five solo tackles and seven assists
South Christian senior linebacker Ben Mulder was one of the defensive leaders as he totaled `five solo tackles and seven assists.
“Ben is our middle linebacker and he had a nice game,” Brown said. “When your middle linebacker is making a lot of tackles it means that your defensive linemen are doing a real good job of occupying blockers and keeping blockers off your linebackers. We turned in an all-around great job defensively. Our defense has stepped up and played well the last two games. They are playing well together as a unit and doing a good job of chasing the football.
“Like I told the guys after the game, if you’re going to make a deep run in the playoffs you have to play good defensively. Our defense stepped up and did a really nice job.”
The Sailor defense also received strong efforts from Tiesma who totaled five tackles and seven assists, Tyler Brinks who added three tackles, two assists and a quarterback sack, Daniel Niewiek who had two tackles and four assists and Andrew Helmus who added a tackle and three assists.
The City of Kentwood and Great Lakes Disc are inviting disc golfers of all levels to the annual Fall Fling tournament and food drive Saturday, Nov. 11.
The best-shot doubles tournament begins with on-site registration at 9 a.m. at Old Farm Park, 2350 Embro Drive SE. The cost is $25 per person or $50 per team, plus a canned food donation for Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry.
“The City of Kentwood is pleased to again offer local disc golfers an opportunity to have fun, show off their skills and support our community at the Fall Fling,” said Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director. “We appreciate our partnership with Great Lakes Disc in helping to bring this popular event to Kentwood each year and are grateful for the continued generosity of our local disc golf community.”
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)
Pre-registration for the Fall Fling is encouraged online at kentwood.us/FallFlingDiscGolf. Players will meet at 9:45 a.m., and the first round of the tournament will begin at 10 a.m. Dune Buggy food truck will be on-site offering burgers, fries and beverages for sale.
“We really enjoy being a part of this tournament and spending a fall day with local disc golfers and other community members,” said Shea Abbgy, owner of Great Lakes Disc. “Our team is honored to join the City of Kentwood in co-hosting this event, which is a great example of our community’s active and giving spirit.”
Kentwood Little Free Pantry
The Kentwood Little Free Pantry initiative began in 2017 as a community service project in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. The pantry is open to all community members year-round and addresses an immediate and local need. It offers non-perishable food and personal care items. Anyone can utilize or donate to the pantry, no applications required, and no questions are asked.
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)
Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry is in immediate need of donations, and the City is encouraging local businesses, organizations and community members to get involved. The pantry has locations at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, and the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE, along with several other donation bins located throughout the City of Kentwood campus.
More information about the pantry, including hours and a suggested list of donations, is available at kentwood.us/LittleFreePantry.
The Division 4 playoffs began where the regular season left off: South Christian vs. Wayland at East Kentwood’s Falcon Stadium.
The rematch of the regular season finale, which saw both teams combine for nearly 1,000 yards and 89 total points, looked a lot different Friday night as South Christian controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to cruise to a 34-7 playoff victory.
South Christian struggled out of the gate
The Sailors elected to receive the opening kickoff and proceeded on a 15-play drive that saw junior quarterback Carson Vis struggle to pass the ball. Vis went 1-4 and took a sack before turning the ball over on downs.
Wayland started its first drive at the 25-yard line. On the second play, Wildcat running back Cameron Bogart burst out of the backfield and streaked down the sideline for a 74-yard touchdown run.
South Christian Coach Danny Brown had flashbacks of the week prior.
“That was not how we anticipated it starting,” said Brown, whose team improved to 7-3.”We envisioned coming out getting a defensive stop and scoring.
“We knew that if we could all come together and trust each other and do what we’re supposed to do, we would have a chance.”
Sailors grind it out on offense
Vis finished off a 14-play, 70-yard drive that took over seven minutes off the game clock with a 4-yard dart to Jake Vermaas that tied the game at 7.
Vis threw an interception to Wayland’s Kaharrie Pureifoy on the next drive.
South Christian grabs lead for good
The final drive of the first half was capped off by an 8-yard touchdown run by Vis to give South Christian a 14-7 lead at the half.
“All year, we have been scoring in a hurry; this game, we had to grind it out,” Brown explained.
A week after giving up 453 yards, South Christian stood stout and gave up the lone touchdown on the opening drive.
South Christian’s Cam VanSolkema. (WKTV/Ty Marzean)
“We took it personal”
Senior defensive lineman Cam VanSolkema has been an anchor on the Sailor defensive front since he’s been a freshman.
“I think the energy at practice changed the whole game,” VanSolkema said. “We all trust each other and love each other, and that was the topic we worked on during practice this week.
“We took it personal and we got it done on defense.”
South Christian controlled the second half as Vis went a perfect 6-for-6 with another touchdown pass to Vermaas while adding a second running score.
“He was a little off schedule to start the game,” Brown said. I don’t know if he was just excited. We went up to him and said settle down and get back to basics.”
Vis completed 11-of-16 passes for 188 yards and two scores, including an interception. He also ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
South Christian receiver Jake Vermaas earlier this year. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
His favorite target, Vermaas, had six catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
South Christian advanced to the district finals against Forest Hills Eastern next Friday.
Last meeting, the Sailors beat Forest Hills Eastern 32-29 in Week 4.
“They’re a good team up front they’ve got some really good linemen, and their backs run hard, so we’re going to have a challenge,” Brown explained. “We’re going to need another great week of practice like we had this week.”
The winner of that matchup faces the winner of Whitehall vs. Big Rapids on November 10 in the regional finals.
The Sailors hope to continue their winning playoff ways from last year, where they finished a perfect 14-0 season with a D-4 state title with a 28-0 win over Goodrich. It was South Christian’s fourth state championship in football.
Without question, two players that helped the Lee football team make a statement this season are sophomore Aidan Merriweather and junior Anthony Blok.
Merriweather caught 48 passes for over 900 yards with 14 touchdowns, and Blok threw for nearly 2,500 yards with a school record 29 touchdowns.
Lee QB Anthony Blok. (Courtesy, Shafi Subhan)
Those impressive stats helped the Legends secure their first winning season (5-4 overall) since 2006, and clear a path for their next step of growth.
The 2022 Legends gave up 60 points per game, while scoring 17 en route to an 0-9 season. The 2023 Legends improved on both metrics, scoring 38 points per game and giving up 32.
Though they were ineligible for the MHSAA 8-Man playoffs due to enrollment limits, the 2024 Legends look to build upon the gains they made this season, returning many key starters like Blok and Merriweather, among others.
“Aidan is an outgoing kid; he’s vocal … he leads by example,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall, in his second year. “He comes in and puts in the work and doesn’t complain.
“Without a doubt, he will be the vocal leader next year. Players tend to get behind him, especially when he’s assertive.
“Anthony is more of a quiet guy … when he needs to be vocal, he most certainly is,” Marshall said. “He takes charge on offense and makes sure everyone knows what to do. He audibles when need be; he makes the right play when we need him too.”
Merriweather, who began playing football around 9 or 10 years old, said a relative got him interested.
“My uncle inspired me to play football,” Merriweather explained. “He said that I had the potential to be the best.”
Lee WR Aidan Merriweather. (Courtesy, Shafi Subhan)
He went on to say the team’s season had to be “one of the best.”
“It was great to see the team get together in the summer practices, conditioning … and strengthen our brotherly bond,” said Merriweather, who also plays basketball. “It felt amazing going 5-4 this season because seeing all the hard work and dedication we put in this past summer pay off, making history for our school.”
As far as his stat-filled season, Merriweather said he’s “extremely proud” of himself.
“I pushed and worked hard for my team … our coaches pushed me to be the best version of myself. Being able to contribute and help this team grow means a lot to me. Overall, our team definitely deserved this praise and glory for all the hard work.”
Like Merriweather, Blok began football at an early age
“I started playing football around the age of 8 to 9,” explained Blok, who also plays basketball and runs track. “My dad used to coach our elementary football team, but I wasn’t old enough to have pads on, so I just practiced.
“I loved many sports, so football was just another one I was trying out, but along the way one of my coaches said I thought I would be a good quarterback, and that was always my favorite position when I was watching football.”
Blok said the Legends’ year was “amazing” coming off a winless season.
“It wasn’t just luck like some people thought,” Blok said. “We were putting in the work through the offseason to come in and make a statement. It felt great as a team and an accomplishment as a player to have that winning season.
“The next step for us is to turn it up even more and make a bigger statement next year. We need to get in sync as a team and get in the weight room.”
Lee QB Anthony Blok. (Courtesy, Shafi Subhan)
Blok said he was adopted at age 6 and his parents are his biggest supporters.
“They come to every game no matter how far, or cold it is,” he explained. “They inspire me to be my best and try hard at what I do.”
As far as his achievements on the field Blok said, “It was cool to know that I would be making a stamp at Lee High School. My coaches knew my strengths and weaknesses, so we improved those weaknesses and perfected my strengths.”
The Legends lose three graduating seniors: Clarence Lewis and defensive standouts Issac Delgado and Kameron Washington.
“Clarence was huge for us,” Marshall said. “He made plays when we needed him to. He was a vocal and emotional leader.”
Marshall also anticipates significant growth from freshmen Jayden Sanchez and Ziere Feast.
“I expect Jayden and Ziere to lead us on defense next year,” Marshall said of his young talent.
In their regular season, high-scoring finale, South Christian fell to Wayland 49-40 in a game where the teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense. The Sailors had 532 yards, while Wayland posted 453.
One week later, the teams will have to square off again, this time with everything on the line. The Sailors and Wildcats meet in the Division 4 playoff opener at 7 p.m. Friday at East Kentwood’s stadium.
“I would expect them to show up similar to last week,” South Christian Coach Danny Brown said. “It is win or go home time so we expect to get everyone’s best game.”
“We need to clean up some things and get our defensive unit to play 11 strong. We show moments of it, but we haven’t been consistent enough. We seem to lose trust in each other so that is the biggest thing to clean up. Once we lose trust big plays have happened against us.”
Last week against Wayland, South Christian relied on the passing arm of Carson Vis. The junior standout connected on 24-of-44 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns. Vis also provided a running threat with 117 yards and a pair of scores on eight carries.
“He is a great athlete and has really settled in at playing QB,” said Brown, whose team is 6-3 overall heading into the playoffs. “He has a great understanding of what we are tying to do and has done a great job of executing as the play develops. He can hurt teams with his legs and his arm which makes it tough for teams to game plan for.”
South Christian hopes to lean on quarterback Carson Vis. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
While South was passing the ball last week, Wayland countered with an effective running game that gobbled up huge chunks of yardage. Bryce Calkins led the ground game for Wayland with 121 yards on 21 carries and a pair of touchdowns. Wayland quarterback Brady Cassini also was effective running the ball as he rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries. And Kaharrie Pureifoy gave Wayland a three-pronged running attack with 70 yards on seven carries and a touchdown.
Jake Vermaas “best wide receiver in the state,” Brown says
Another big weapon for the Sailors is receiver Jake Vermaas, who had 16 catches for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns against Wayland.
“Jake is a great athlete and an even better competitor,” Brown said. “He has been the leader of this team and we seem to go as he goes. His game last week was a school record in catches and yards. He is one of the best wide receivers in the state in my opinion.”
South Christian receiver Jake Vermaas is the “leader of the team.” (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
The Sailors hope to continue their winning playoff ways from last year, where they finished a perfect 14-0 season with a D-4 state title 28-0 win over Goodrich. It was South Christian’s fourth state championship in football.
The 2022 edition of the Lee Legends gave up 60 points per game while scoring 17 en route to an 0-9 season.
The 2023 Legends improved on both metrics, scoring 38 ppg and giving up 32.
Lee football coach Lamar Marshall. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Second-year Coach Lamar Marshall stressed execution and growth from last season’s struggles in the off-season.
“Maturity, experience, and knowing how varsity football operates,” Coach Marshall said. “Every down is meaningful. Executing on all three phases of the game is crucial.”
On Friday night, the Legends secured their first winning season (5-4) since 2006 with a record-setting 62-0 win over Bloomingdale.
The Legends’ defense, led by defensive coordinator Damion Gregory, scored a school-record four touchdowns.
“My hats off to my defensive coordinator, Damion Gregory,” Marshall said. “He did an incredible job with that unit.”
Sophomore wide receiver Aidan Merriweather showed his defensive skills with two interceptions returned for a touchdown and a recovered fumble for a score.
Hybrid linebacker Jaden Potts also took an interception 75 yards for a touchdown.
The Legends set another record in the blowout win.
Quarterback Anthony Blok from an earlier game this season. (Courtesy, Shafi Subhan)
Lee QB Anthony Blok sets passing TD record in a season
Junior quarterback Anthony Blok went 4-for-7 for 154 yards and three passing touchdowns to set a Lee record for most passing touchdowns in a season with 29.
Senior running back Clarence Lewis finished his lone football season with 147 yards from scrimmage and two scores.
“Clarence was huge for us,” Marshall said. “He made plays when we needed him, too. He was a vocal and emotional leader.”
The Legends will lose three graduating seniors: Lewis and defensive standouts Issac Delgado and Kameron Washington.
The 2024 Legends will look to build upon the gains they made this season. Lee will return many key starters, including Blok and Merriweather, among others.
“Aidan set the confidence tone this December with his dedication to the weight room. He got stronger, and it motivated the team to follow suit.
“Without a doubt, he will be the vocal leader next year. Players tend to get behind him, especially when he’s assertive.”
Marshall also anticipates significant growth from freshmen Jaden Sanchez and Ziere Feast.
“I expect Jaden and Ziere to lead us on defense next year,” Marshall said of his young talent.
The Legends are ineligible for the MHSAA 8-Man playoffs due to enrollment limits and will finish the 2023 season with a 5-4 record.
South Christian opened the season playing in a high-scoring dual with Grand Rapids Christian, and Friday the Sailors ended the regular season in another barn-burner against Wayland. South, however, came up on the short end of the latest points bonanza as Wayland held off the Sailors 49-40.
The Sailors and Wayland combined for 89 points, a little less than South Christian and Grand Rapids Christian combined for in the regular-season opener when the two teams combined for 108 total points.
“It was a back-and-forth game the whole way,” said South Christian coach Danny Brown. “Credit Wayland, they were playing for their playoff lives. They gave us everything they had. They made the plays at the end that made the difference.”
Carson Vis led via air and ground
The two teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense as the Sailor offense totaled 532 yards and Wayland posted 453. Each squad reached those lofty numbers in different ways. South Christian relied on the passing arm of Carson Vis. The junior standout connected on 24-of-44 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns. Vis also provided a running threat with 117 yards and a pair of scores on eight carries.
Jake Vermaas had 16 catches for nearly 300 yards
South Christian wide receiver Jake Vermaas was the main target of Vis in the passing game as he put up some video-game type receiving numbers. Vermaas hauled in 16 passes for the game for 298 yards and three touchdowns.
“Offensively, on paper we did really good,” Brown said. “We did have some mistakes that hurt us. We had a couple of turnovers and a couple of other things did not work out so well.”
While South was moving the ball with the passing game, Wayland countered with an effective running game that gobbled up huge plots of yardage. Bryce Calkins led the ground game for Wayland, carrying the rock 21 times for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Wayland quarterback Brady Cassini also was effective running the ball as he rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries. Kaharrie Pureifoy gave Wayland a three-pronged running attack as he carried the ball seven times for 70 yards and a touchdown.
“They (Wayland) know who they are,” Brown said. “They have an identity. They have physical, hard-nosed kids. We tried some things to stop their inside ground game but they adjusted and went outside and hurt us. Their coaches did a great job adjusting and their kids do a great job of executing.”
The Bulk of the points came during the second and fourth quarters. Wayland was up 7-6 at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 21-yard run by Pureifoy, while South answered that score with an eight-yard scoring pass from Vis to Vermaas.
Both teams turned up the rpms on offense during the second quarter as they each reached the end zone twice. Wayland upped its lead to 14-6 on a six-yard touchdown run by Calkins. South answered with a 46-yard passing play from Vis to Vermaas that cut the lead to 14-12 when the Sailors missed the two-point conversion.
Sailors take first lead at 18-14
The Sailors then took their first lead of the game when Vis scored on a 67-yard touchdown run. The Sailors missed the two-point try leaving their lead at 18-14.
Wayland up 21-18 at halftime
Wayland then regained the lead before halftime when Hudson Biondo scored on a four-yard touchdown run giving Wayland a 21-18 advantage.
The two teams traded touchdowns during the third quarter. Wayland went up 28-18 as Cassini hit Calkins with a 19-yard touchdown pass. South then answered when Jackson Haik broke free on a 40-yard touchdown run that cut the deficit to 28-25 after the extra point by Drew Bruinsma.
Five TDs scored in the final quarter
The offensive fireworks picked up in the final quarter as the two teams combined for five more touchdowns. Wayland took control of the game with back-to-back touchdowns early in the final quarter to go up 42-25.
South cut the margin to 10 points when Vis connected with Vermaas on a 68-yard scoring strike with Bruinsma tacking on the extra point.
Wayland then upped the lead to 49-32 when Calkins ran in for a touchdown from four yards out.
South Christian closed out the scoring when Vis ran for a touchdown from 16-yards out. The Sailors then added a two-point conversion making the final margin 49-40.
With the win, Wayland improved to 6-3 for the season and nailed down a spot in the upcoming state playoffs.
South Christian fell to 6-3 win the win as it prepares for the state playoffs coming off a pair of losses.
“It’s a unique situation coming into the playoffs off a loss,” Brown said. “You can look at it one of two ways. It can motivate you or it can bring you down. I feel we are good enough to compete with anyone. It’s up to us and what team shows up. The beauty of the playoffs it that everyone starts 0-0. Coming into the playoffs with that mindset could make a difference as we will be playing for our lives.”
In the last game of the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020, the Wyoming Wolves beat the Holland Dutch 34-26.
Since that night in October 2020, the Wolves have won only one game.
Nearly two years later, on a rain-filled and chilly homecoming night, the Wolves again emerged victorious against the Holland Dutch 34-13 on Friday night.
Two plays into the opening drive, the Wolves lost junior quarterback Jay Johnson to an injury.
Wyoming running back Adrian Moore filled in for injured QB Jay Johnson early in the game.
As Johnson was helped off the field, he had a moment of embrace with junior quarterback Adrian Moore, who would take over at quarterback for the Wolves.
Moore would get Wyoming on the board first, scoring on a QB keeper from seven yards out early in the first quarter.
After a long punt by Holland’s Dylan Floes, the Wolves’ senior running back Donavyn Edwards took the first play 64 yards down the sideline to put Wyoming up 13-0.
The second quarter saw two long drives by the home team end in turnovers.
Mauricio Hernandez-Keys helped the defensive effort with an interception in the end zone late in the second quarter.
Wyoming led 13-0 at halftime
Junior running back Jack TerVeen came into Week 8 averaging 125 rushing yards over the last four games.
TerVeen had wide-open running lanes all night long on his way to another 100-yard game and punched the ball past the goal line three times.
Wyoming (1-7) ends the 2023 season at home next Friday hosting the Muskegon Big Reds (6-2).
Check out our WKTV highlights from the Defenders 8-0 win over Grandville Calvin Christian. Tri-unity is tied atop the the Southwest Michigan 8-Man Football League – Blue with New Buffalo at 3-1, 5-3 overall.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
GR Catholic Central clinched a share of the OK Gold with their win over South Christian. (WKTV/Jake Westbrook)
By Zach Fanko
WKTV Contributor
Host of Friday Night Highlights
On a rainy, windy night, OK Gold rivals Grand Rapids Catholic Central and South Christian collided with at least a share of the conference title on the line. The Cougars avenged last season’s 36-34 loss with a 21-12 victory over the Sailors Friday.
Catholic Central went ahead early on a Kellen Russell-Dixon 2-yard TD run with 8:17 left in the first quarter.
The Sailors returned the favor, as junior QB Carson Vis used his legs on a 34-yard TD scamper. The extra point was blocked as the Cougars clung to a 7-6 lead with 4:57 left in the 1st.
With weather playing a factor, both defenses dug in and held the offenses in check for the remainder of the half.
Russell-Dixon found paydirt once again, this time on a 59-yard run to increase Catholic Central’s lead to 14-6 at the 7:38 mark in the third quarter.
South Christian got back within two points as Vis found the end zone on the ground from a yard out. The ensuing two-point conversion attempt was stopped as the Sailors trailed 14-12 with 1:16 left in the third.
The Cougars all but iced the game on Russell-Dixon’s third TD run of the game with less than 8 minutes remaining to make it a two-possession game. The senior halfback had himself a night totaling 330 rushing yards on 32 carries and 3 TDs.
With the win, Catholic Central (7-1, 6-0 OK Gold) stays unbeaten in the conference and can clinch the outright conference title next week in their season finale at Ottawa Hills.
South Christian (6-2, 5-1 OK Gold) visits Wayland to close its regular season next Friday.
Check out our WKTV highlights from Caledonia’s 21-0 win over East Kentwood Friday.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
On a chilly, rain-filled Friday night, the Lee Legends were overpowered by their 8-player league foe from New Buffalo 72-28.
The Legends have used junior quarterback Anthony Blok and senior running back Clarence Lewis to spark their offense, which has averaged 41.3 points per game.
Injuries and inefficient play dampened the Lee offense Friday.
Lee played without star running back Clarence Lewis, who was out with an ankle injury.
“He’s the guy we go to when we need a play,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall of his senior running back.
Anthony Blok rushed for 95 yards and two scores
Junior quarterback Anthony Blok completed 33 percent of his passes in the losing effort, but used his ground game to run for 95 yards and two scores. He also threw two passing touchdowns.
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok earlier this season. (Courtesy, Shafi Subhan)
The Bison also held standout sophomore wide receiver Aiden Merriweather to 22 yards on the night.
“We couldn’t sustain drives,” Marshall said. “We didn’t execute well at all.”
The Legends played close in the first half. New Buffalo was up 20-14 at the end of two quarters.
“We committed a few penalties, and then we had to wait out a rain delay,” Marshall explained. “We couldn’t recover.”
Charles Davis was a bright spot for the Legends, finishing the night with 108 yards and a touchdown catch.
Lee receiver Charles Davis. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“We need to be consistent throughout the week,” Marshall said. “We need to make practice a little more physical next week.”
The Legends (4-3 overall, 1-3 in the Southwest Michigan 8-Man Football League – Blue) look to get back on track next week against host NorthPointe Christian (4-3).
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
On a wet, windy and chilly night, the South Christian football team kept its hopes for a conference championship by playing some old-fashioned football. Relying more on the ground game and playing some strong defense late in the game, the Sailors rallied to defeat Middleville Thornapple Kellogg 29-20 in the WKTV Game of the Week.
With the win, the Sailors remained undefeated in conference play and set up a showdown with Grand Rapids Catholic Central next Friday with the OK Gold Conference championship on the line.
Keeping their conference record clean was anything but easy for the Sailors as Middleville came in with a strong game plan and pushed South to the limit. Relying on their strong running game, the Trojans played to their strengths and gave South everything it could handle.
“We talked about it all week that they are better than their record,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “They are a physical team and they run their schemes well. Their fullback (Drake Snyder) is a heck of a player. It probably helped a little bit when he went out of the game, just for us to kind of dictate the line of scrimmage a little more.”
Middleville showed just how strong it is running the football when it mounted an 11-play, 73-yard scoring drive on the first possession of the game. Quarterback Grant Middleton capped the drive when he ran in for a touchdown from two-yards out halfway through the opening quarter.
South Christian tied the game late in the first quarter. With Middleville bottled up deep in its own territory, Jake Vermaas intercepted a Trojan pass giving South good field position inside the Middleville 20-yard line. A few plays later Drew Bruinsma took a pitch from South quarterback Carson Vis and rambled into the end zone from 14-yards out
Trojans up 14-7 at the half
Middleville regained the lead late in the first half. Again, the Trojans mounted a long drive. Covering 73 yards, the Trojans capped the scoring drive by going to the air as Middleton hooked up with Snyder for a seven-yard touchdown pass. Hayden Chatman added the point after giving Middleville a 14-7 halftime lead.
South responded to the score on the opening drive of the second half. Relying on their own ground game, the Sailors drove the ball down to the Middleville 7-yard line where Vis connected with Austin Tiesma for a touchdown pass cutting the margin to 14-13. South, however, missed the point after.
Trojans up 20-13 in the third
Middleville answered the South score with a scoring drive of its own on the next possession. Starting out at its own 45-yard line, the Trojans moved the ball 55 yards on nine plays. Brody Wiersma capped the scoring drive by running in from 24-yards out. Middleville, however, missed the extra point leaving the Trojans with a 20-13 lead.
South Christian goes ahead 21-20 in the fourth
Facing a touchdown deficit late in the third quarter, the South Christian offense again stepped up. Starting out on their own 35-yard line, the Sailors mounted an 11-play scoring drive that went into the fourth quarter. Mixing the pass and run, the Sailors drove down to the Middleville 4-yard line. At third down at the 4, Vis scrambled in the face of a Middleville pass rush and found Vermaas for a touchdown pass. Down by one point, the Sailors elected to go for the two-point conversion. South pulled a trick out of its bag on the play as Vermaas took the ball on a double reverse and completed a pass to Tyler Brinks in the corner of the end zone giving South a 21-20 lead.
With the lead, the Sailors put the game in the hands of its defense. Making adjustments throughout the game, the Sailor defenders slowed down the Middleville ground game. They forced the Trojans into a three-and-out and then turned Middleville over on downs late in the fourth quarter.
Sailors get insurance score late in the game
South added some insurance points late in the game. With 2:14 remaining, Vis ran in for a touchdown from eight-yards out. The Sailors then added another two-point conversion when Vis connected with James VanderArk on a pass play.
“This was a great team win,” Brown said. “I challenged the guys at halftime. I told them we have to make some positive plays. We had to make them (Middleville) doubt themselves and what they had going on. Our kids just stepped up in the second half.
“The kids got the stops we needed and the two-point conversion was a big play.”
With the win against Middleville keeping their record clean, the Sailors face Catholic Central in the showdown for the league title.
“We’re excited about the game,” Brown said. “It will be fun. We are both undefeated and they are obviously a very good program. It is one of those special games that the kids will remember 20 years from now.”
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
The Lee soccer team has won a second straight Alliance League championship and has been state-ranked in Division 3 this season. (Courtesy, Lee High School Soccer Team)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
The West Michigan area is home to some outstanding soccer programs that have played an elite level of soccer for years. At Lee High School, the Legends soccer team is working hard to add its name to the list of premier soccer teams in the area.
Since entering the Alliance League two years ago, the Legends have elevated their play on the field and have been contending for the league title. Two years ago, the Legends turned in the best record in conference play, but were ineligible for the league title as a first-year team. Last season Lee won the Alliance League title and this year the Legends finished first with a perfect league record of 8-0.
Lee finished the regular season with a record of 11-3-1. The Legends also have been garnering state-wide recognition as they were ranked 12th in Division 3 in the state rankings the last week of September.
Winning a second consecutive league title has been anything but easy for the Legends who graduated some key players from last year’s squad and also have been dealing with adversity this season.
“We have a younger team this year,” said Lee Coach Hugo Cano, in his third year coaching the team. “We have six seniors, but overall, we are a pretty young team. We have also gone through a lot of adversity both on and off the field. We really emphasized to the guys to play hard and stay strong mentally and they definitely show that resiliency and drive this year.
“The team unity is a strong point this year and going through the adversity has brought our players together.”
On the field, the team unity is evident as the Legends have won several close games and play strong defense. During league play this season the Legends have allowed just five goals. A major highlight victory for Lee came on September 21 when it defeated Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, the No. 2 ranked team in the state in Division 4 and a defending state champion, 2-1.
“That was our biggest win so far this season,” Cano said. “We played our most complete game of the season in that win. The team played together and it was an overall great team effort.”
Lee also tested itself against the best in the state in Division 3 when it played Hudsonville Unity Christian in a non-league game. Lee led Unity Christian 1-0 at the half in that game before Unity rallied in the second half to win the game.
The Lee soccer team huddles up with Coach Hugo Cano to talk strategy during a recent match. (Courtesy, Lee High School Soccer Team)
On offense, the Legends rely on a balanced attack. Junior Javier Zamora leads the team in scoring, while fellow junior Aundrey Hernandez is second on the team.
“Aundrey and Javier are our leading scorers but we have different players scoring from different positions,” Cano said. “Our goals are coming from different positions on the field.”
In the midfield, the Legends are paced by senior Alexis Rivera, who also has added a couple of goals and a couple of assists this season.
“Alexis’ soccer IQ, his vision on the field and his ability to read defenses is very crucial for us,” Cano said.
On the backline, the Lee defense is led by senior Carlos Herrera-Santos and senior Kevin Mencho. Sophomore backs Edwin Flores and Brian Herrera also have added to the depth on defense. The Legends also are strong in goal with senior goalkeeper Christian Diaz.
“Christian is a team captain,” Cano said. “He has a great understanding of the game and helps keep us very well organized in the back.”
Legends very deep
Overall, the Legends have a deep team with contributions coming from many players on the squad. Seniors Victor Huitron and Justin Gomez have provided key contributions. Senior Denison Vasquez has been a key multi-role player for the squad. Junior forward Gera Perez has provided strong play at forward. Junior Kevin Meza and sophomore Aaron Perez have added to the strong depth along with Nazareth Maldonado-Martinez, Ruvino Bautista-Perez and Jose Ayala.
The total-team effort will be needed when state tournament play opens as Lee competes at the rugged Covenant Christian Division 3 district. Lee opens district play October 12 against Kentwood Grand River Prep. The district also includes Unity, ranked No. 2 in the state and Godwin Heights, ranked 14th.
Aiming for Top 15 every year
“We’ve had a lot of positives the last three years as a program,” Cano said. “We want to get the program to where we can be a top 15 team in the state in Division 3 every year. We want to be a top contender in the conference and the district every year.
“I also want to thank coach Oliver and Coach Andrew for all the work they do and our Athletic Director Sarge (Andre Sargent) for all the support he gives our program. I also want to give a shout out to Erving#13.”
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
WKTV Game of the Week Remaining Schedule
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
South Christian’s Carson Vis completed 11-of-13 passes for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He added 28 yards rushing and two touchdown runs. (Courtesy, Louis Murray)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
South Christian continued to roll in the OK Gold Conference as the Sailors defeated Cedar Springs 45-23 to run its conference record to 4-0.
South Christian finished the game with 400 yards total offense. Quarterback Carson Vis was nearly flawless throwing the ball as he completed 11-of-13 passes for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jake Vermaas caught five passes for 98 yards and a score, while Noah Funk grabbed a pair of passes for 79 yards and a score. Sam Weiss caught two passes for 70 yards.
The Sailors struck early and often in the game as they scored more than 40 points for the third time in four conference games this season. South Christian scored the first points of the game on their opening possession when Vis connected with Funk on a 67-yard touchdown pass. Drew Bruinsma tacked on the point after giving the Sailors an early 7-0 lead.
South doubled the lead later in the opening quarter. This time the Sailors used the ground game to put points on the board as Jackson Haik broke loose for a 52-yard touchdown run. Bruinsma added the extra point for a 14-0 lead.
Cedar Springs got on the board with a 44-yard touchdown run from Dylan LaFontsee cutting the Sailor lead in half at 14-7.
The Sailor offense continued to churn out the points in the second quarter. Bruinsma began the scoring in the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal. Vis then ran for a touchdown from two yards out giving the Sailors a 24-7 lead after Bruinsma tacked on the extra point.
South Christian led 31-15 at halftime
The two teams wrapped up the first half exchanging touchdowns. Cedar Springs scored on a touchdown pass and added a two-point conversion. South Christian quickly answered that score when Jackson Haik returned the ensuing kickoff 93-yards for a touchdown giving South a 31-15 halftime lead.
South Christian’s Jake Vermaas caught five passes for 98 yards and a score, while Noah Funk caught a pair of passes for 79 yards and a score and Sam Weiss grabbed two passes for 70 yards. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
South Christian extended its lead to 38-15 in the third. The Sailor passing game provided the points when Vis hooked up with Vermaas on a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Cedar Springs added a score in the third quarter on a 22-yard touchdown run by Marek Oleneack. The Red Hawks tacked on the two-point conversion to cut the Sailor advantage to 38-23.
South Christian closed out the scoring in the fourth with a two-yard touchdown run by Vis.
On the ground, Haik carried the ball nine times for 94 yards and a touchdown. Vis added 28 yards rushing and two touchdown runs.
The Sailor defense was led by Benjamin Mulder who totaled 10 tackles and one tackle for loss. Luke DeJager added seven tackles, one quarterback sack and a pair of tackles for loss. Mitchell Lindhout and Austin Tiesma both added six tackles, while Tiesma added a sack and tackle for loss.
South Christian returns to action next Friday when it hosts Thornapple Kellogg for the WKTV Game of the Week before traveling to Catholic Central on Friday, Oct. 13 for the conference showdown with the league title possibly on the line.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok passed for 310 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for another. (Courtesy, Shafi Subhan)
By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
In front of a large crowd of alumni and fans, including 65 former homecoming kings and queens, the Lee Legends outscored Eau Claire 38-24 on Saturday afternoon in 8-player football.
Junior quarterback Anthony Blok once again led the explosive Lee offense, throwing for 310 yards and four touchdowns and adding another on the ground. He used his speed to extend multiple drives as well.
The Beavers strike first
Eau Claire opened the game with a score on its first drive to grab a quick 8-0 lead.
“We started off slow,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall, whose team improved to 4-2 overall, 1-2 in the Southwest Michigan 8-Man Football League – Blue. “They jumped out ahead of us early in the game.”
On the final play of the first quarter, Blok connected deep with sophomore Aiden Merriweather to get to the one-yard line. The Legends couldn’t capitalize as Blok’s pass was tipped and intercepted in the end zone.
The Legends used multiple defensive stops to stave off the Beavers in the second quarter.
“We were able to hold them until the offense could get going,” Marshall said.
Legends heat up near halftime
Lee’s Clarence Lewis in an earlier game this season. (Courtesy, Diego Jeronimo)
The offense showed signs of life near the end of the first half as Clarence Lewis ripped off big gains and capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to tie the game 8-8 going into halftime.
Lewis finished with 94 yards rushing, 85 yards receiving and two scores.
“He’s everything to us,” said Marshall, of his senior running back. “He’s our emotional and vocal leader. The guy we lean on when we need a play.”
Big second half for Lee
The Legends exploded for 30 points in the second half.
Sophomore Aiden Merriweather was the favorite target for Blok on the afternoon, reeling in five catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Charles Davis collected 74 yards and a touchdown.
Strong defensive stand to finish
The Legends needed a defensive stand late in the fourth quarter and stuffed the Beavers on a 4th and 1 with 1:31 left on the clock.
“The 4th and 1 stop was huge for us,” Marshall said. “I felt like we grew up in this game as a coaching staff and a team.”
The Legends travel to New Buffalo (4-2) next Friday.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
Godwin Heights junior quarterback Keion Beasley showed his arm strength and poise with touchdown passes of 53 and 46 yards. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
In a battle of winless teams, Godwin Heights used several big plays to cruise past Kelloggsville on homecoming night, 52-0, in the WKTV Game of the Week.
Penalties plagued the Rockets all game long, and it began on the opening kickoff as sophomore Nasyre Walker ran it back for a touchdown, but a holding penalty called it off.
The Wolverines would capitalize a few plays later with an interception by Miguel Ocampo, who also returned the opening kickoff of the second half 95 yards for a touchdown.
Senior Jeff Zelaya pounded one in for a seven-yard TD and later added a 28-yard touchdown on another run.
Godwin Heights running back Jeff Zelaya. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Godwin Heights used tandem running backs to wear down the Rockets’ defense. Zelaya was joined in the backfield by sophomore Kares Harris, who rumbled for over 100 yards in the game.
“We are real tough to stop when we have both of them in the backfield,” said Godwin Coach Brandon Kimble of his running back duo.
Kelloggsville senior quarterback Jeremie Tsoumou was under duress for most of the game, and had one interception returned 85 yards by Godwin’s Patrick Knight.
“He’s out there trying,” said Kelloggsville Coach Brandon Branch. “That happens when you put the ball in the air; sometimes the other team comes up with it. I can’t fault him for trying to make something happen.
“Our mantra is to be undefeated against adversity. When adversity strikes, we keep getting after it. I think we were undefeated against adversity today.”
Godwin Heights junior quarterback Keion Beasley showed his arm strength and poise with touchdown passes of 53 and 46 yards.
“He’s a first-year starter, and he’s been working hard,” Kimble said. “We have missed a lot of key players, so he’s had to grow up fast.”
Kimble emphasized perseverance on his team.
“If you lose your job and you’re a husband and have kids, are you going to stop fighting? Or are you going to keep fighting?”
To cap off homecoming night, newly crowned king Armani Dedrick got into the end zone on a five-yard touchdown run.
Godwin Heights (1-5) travels to OK-Silver leading Belding (5-1) next Friday. Kelloggsville (0-6) hosts Hopkins (1-5).
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
WKTV Game of the Week Remaining Schedule
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
TeamAgar, from left, Jeff, Johnny and Becki Agar, were guest speakers at Kentwood’s Adaptive Recreation Programs fundraiser The Vibe on Sept. 14. (Courtesy, DK Photography)
Guest speaker Johnny Agar held everyone’s complete attention when it was his turn to take the mic at The Vibe fundraiser for Kentwood’s Adaptive Recreation Programs.
“On the road of life there are many mountains to climb, valleys to get lost in and rocky roads to forge through,” said Agar to the very attentive audience on Sept. 14. “I see you all as signposts helping others to their own finish line.”
Born with cerebral palsy, and who doctors thought would never walk, Agar continued, “I fail all the time, but to me failure is just part of the process. If I let that stop me, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed every morning. Together, there’s no stopping what you can do.”
Check out our WKTV video of The Vibe fundraiser. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Agar and his parents Jeff and Becki delivered many positive, inspirational messages to the audience at The Vibe, Kentwood’s Adaptive Recreation Programs fundraiser at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.
From marathons to motivational speakers … media outlets to TV commercials
Johnny, who uses a wheelchair, and his dad Jeff have competed in more than 200 races in various states, including multiple marathons, half marathons, 25Ks and more than 30 triathlons. They’ve also competed in six Ironman races where Jeff pulled Johnny 2.4 miles in a kayak, rode 112 miles on a custom tandem bike and pushed Johnny in a racing jogger during the marathon portion. In September 2022, TeamAgar completed their first full-distance Ironman in Maryland, where Johnny walked across the finish line.
“Featured on ESPN, NBC Nightly News, CBS Mornings, Today, and other media outlets, TeamAgar delivers a powerful moving message of family, faith and extraordinary courage. Their tenacity and indelible spirit have caught the attention of Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps and the sports apparel company Under Armour — so much so that UA placed them in two commercials: One with Phelps and the other with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.” TeamAgar are also accomplished motivational keynote speakers and authors. (Source, johnnyagar.com)
(Courtesy, TeamAgar)
(Courtesy, TeamAgar)
(Courtesy, TeamAgar)
(Courtesy, TeamAgar)
After the fundraiser, Johnny and his parents shared more with WKTV.
“Does no good to have my failures bring me down”
“I like to take life one step at a time and just stay even-keeled because it doesn’t do me any good to have my failures bring me down,” Johnny explained. “The highs can sometimes look a little different for me having cerebral palsy because to an able-bodied person they may be “miniature wins” — like learning to do an everyday task such as opening a candy wrapper or brushing my teeth by myself – but to me they are huge victories. Most people can do those things without even thinking, but for me it takes a lot of effort and a lot of patience.
“From the day I was very young, my parents never put any limitations on me. My parents have always made sure to go the extra mile for me to make sure I have the best life possible despite my challenges. To watch them in action work so hard to help me fulfill my goals – while setting theirs aside – makes me understand how hard I need to work to let them know how thankful I am for them.”
Becki said when Johnny was born, his premature birth really turned their world upside down.
“He was our first child and as a young couple we never anticipated having any complications with his birth,” she explained. “So, when the doctors told us he had cerebral palsy and would probably never walk or talk, we were pretty jolted. Our reality had to be shifted. However, our faith had taught us to lean on God and not our own understanding. We knew God had a bigger and better plan than we could have ever imagined for Johnny, and we had to trust in that plan.
“One of the greatest things that came out of the news that Johnny had cerebral palsy was that it strengthened our resolve to raise Johnny as a typical child and to love him no matter what he could or couldn’t do. It strengthened our faith because it made us realize that we aren’t as in control as we like to think we are, and it brought our family closer together so we could work on raising this little boy to believe in his possibilities.”
“I am so proud of the man he has become”
“Now when I see Johnny encouraging others, turning his cerebral palsy into a positive rather than a negative, and using it to help encourage others and motivate others, it makes me want to burst with happiness. I am so proud of the man he has become. What a blessing it is to be able to watch your son change the trajectory of people’s lives in a positive way.”
When raising Johnny, they decided to not make any excuses for him.
“We wanted to treat him as if he had no disability,” Jeff explained. “We weren’t in denial as we saw his challenges every day first-hand, so there was no getting away from it. We knew it would be hard for him, but we also knew life was going to be hard for him. I think that mentality helped him to believe in himself and place no limits on himself.
“Johnny has always seen himself doing things that most would have said couldn’t be done given his disability. I am really proud of the fact that he didn’t listen to any of the naysayers and kept focused on his goals.”
Watching him speak to thousands the greatest gift
“Along with that, he keeps a sense of humor and learns to roll with the punches. Now, to watch him speak to thousands of people all over the country, to help encourage them with their challenges, is one of the greatest gifts to watch as his dad.”
Favorite TeamAgar moment?
“One of our favorite moments of all our races was crossing the finish line at Ironman Maryland,” Becki said. “We put so much time and effort into making moments like that happen. With it being our first to finish, it will always hold a special place in our hearts.”
Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley and his wife Susan watching the TeamAgar presentation at The Vibe fundraiser. (Courtesy, DK Photography)
Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said he was amazed with TeamAgar’s presentation and story.
“It’s just an amazing inspirational story that gives you the vision of what can be,” said Kepley, after Johnny and his parents spoke at The Vibe. “They just give that inspiration saying, ‘If we can do it, then you can, too.'”
Kepley had much to say about the Kentwood Adaptive Recreation program as well.
“I think it’s successful because of the people running it,” Kepley said. “They see a vision, they have a passion, and that passion manifests itself in a very special way. The staff takes it personally and that’s why it is special. That’s why it’s an incredible program and has a great reputation because of the staff, their heart, their vision and because of the empowerment that they give people who participate in the program.
“As a city, we take care of Kentwood residents, but the adaptive sports program is one of those things that goes much farther than our city limits. Because all of it is being sponsored by corporations, gifts or the fundraising, we’re able to swing the doors wide open to people wherever they’re coming from … Traverse City, Lansing, (even) Florida.”
The Vibe fundraiser “A big success”
“The event was a big success with 120 guests in attendance,” said Laura Barbrick, marketing and events coordinator for Kentwood Parks and Recreation. “We raised over $7,000 between the silent auction, live auction and giving wall. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our Adaptive Recreation programs.”
Money raised at this year’s event will help purchase new equipment for Kentwood’s many adaptive programs. These offerings include active sports such as archery, kayaking, rock climbing and water skiing as well as more relaxed activities like leisure club and social events.
Kentwood Recreation Program Coordinator Ann Przybysz. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Kentwood recreation program coordinator Ann Przybysz said the wonderful thing about the adaptive programs is you don’t have to be a Kentwood resident to participate.
“We have people from all over West Michigan that come to participate in our programs,” Przybysz said. “A lot of people have been wanting things to do in their free time; healthy leisure opportunities, making new friends, seeing new places and just having a good time in the community.
“We serve people of all different diagnoses and abilities. We have a lot of individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities like autism, Down syndrome and we also serve people who have physical disabilities as well, maybe a spinal cord injury or spina bifida, people using wheelchairs.”
What’s the most popular program?
“Many of our programs are popular, but one of our big ones recently has definitely been our adaptive bowling program,” Przybysz said. “It’s a really positive social program that we’ve seen grow a lot. Also, our water sports programs are popular … water skiing and kayaking. Our adaptive recreation programs have been going on for 30 years and are very well established with the City of Kentwood.”
The adaptive water sports programs are popular at Kentwood Parks and Recreation. (Courtesy, DK Photography)
The emotional draw for employees
“I love getting to know the participants and their families, and hearing their stories and what lights up their lives,” Przybysz explained. “I love that we get to be a part of that … I love being able to touch peoples lives.”
Katelyn Bush, Kentwood recreation program coordinator, said it has been exciting and an honor to watch it grow, add new sports and buy new equipment.
Katelyn Bush, recreation program coordinator. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“The people that come to our programs are from age five to well into their eighties; all ages and really all abilities. We have programs designed for all these different needs and it’s really fun to watch them succeed in whatever it is they’re doing.
“I think when you can find something that you’re passionate about and match it to a need in the world, that’s when you’ve truly made it. When you’re having fun doing your job and you’re serving others … that’s really satisfying and fun for me.”
The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department provides Michigan’s most comprehensive adaptive recreation programming alongside several community partners, including Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan, Hope Network, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and more. Programs also are made possible thanks to the help of a strong volunteer network.
Programs are open to individuals of all abilities in Kentwood and beyond. Learn more about Kentwood’s adaptive programs and current offerings at kentwood.us/adaptive.
On an unseasonably hot night, the Union Redhawks used five touchdown runs to pull away from Wyoming to grab a 47-23 win at the WKTV Game of the Week Friday.
Union started the scoring with a 60-yard strike from quarterback Ja’Quari Tyler to Christopher Murphy-Ware on its first drive.
Wyoming answered back with a long drive capped off by a two-yard touchdown run by Jack TerVeen, who missed last week’s game at Zeeland East with an ankle injury.
“He’s a blue-collar guy,” said Wyoming Coach Carlton Brewster of his running back.
Union running back Jesse Phillips led the charge for the Redhawks as he ran in four scores. Tyler ended the night with a pair of touchdown passes.
Wyoming (0-5) looks for its first win of the season as they travel to Mona Shores
Take a look inside at highlights from the Legends game with the Lakers, plus many more local clips. (Videographers: Hayden Passig, Eli Mutula, Jake Westbrook)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
The Lee Legends football team hooked up for a thriller with St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Friday in a contest that came down to the final play. That final play didn’t go Lee’s way, however, as the Lakers came away with a 38-36 victory.
“We had a chance to score from our 50 on fourth and six,” Lee Coach Lamar Marshall said. “They (Our Lady of the Lake) made a great play to stop us before the first down.”
Our Lady of the Lake took the initial lead in the game and managed to stay ahead of Lee the entire game.
“They were ahead the entire game,” Marshall said. “They onside kicked the opening kickoff and recovered it.”
Our Lady of the Lake stayed ahead of the Legends thanks to a big effort from their quarterback.
“Their quarterback was really solid,” Marshall said. “We did everything to stop him. We gang-tackled him and he just kept moving forward. He made plays when they absolutely needed it and ultimately scored the game-winning conversion late in the third quarter.”
Lee solid on offense
Lee stayed close to the Lakers thanks to a strong performance from its offense. The Legends, who entered the game averaging 43.5 points per game, put together a solid offensive effort. The onside kick by Our Lady of the Lake proved to be a big boost of momentum early.
“It’s an extremely disappointing loss,” Marshall said. “We felt like we had a great week of practice. The opening kickoff was huge for them. They were able to gain momentum early.”
Defensively, Lee faced a difficult challenge as the Laker offense came up big.
“I told my guys after the game, we have to put four quarters together,” Marshall said. “We have to get off the field on third down. We have to know the game plan and execute the game plan. All in all, I was happy with how we played.”
With the win, Our Lady of the Lake improved to 2-3 for the season. Lee fell to 3-2 overall after coming into the game off a 42-30 win against Grand Rapids Sacred Heart.
Lee returns to action next week against an Eau Claire team that has a 2-3 record. The Legends are looking to continue the steady improvement they are making this season in what should be a competitive contest.
“This was a learning experience for myself and my team,” Marshall said. “We’re still learning how to win, practice the right way and execute. I will say, we fought until the end. We played extremely hard even though we were down our starting corner (who was out with illness).”
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’re bringing you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlighting some top performers and their stats, posting final scores, and giving a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You don’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream.
WKTV Game of the Week Remaining Schedule
Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok accounted for five touchdowns; four in the air and one on the ground. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
The Lee Legends welcomed fans to their first home game of the season with a 42-30 victory over a program-building Sacred Heart team.
Junior quarterback Anthony Blok accounted for five touchdowns. He passed for 253 yards and four touchdowns and added 43 yards and a score on the ground.
“He’s getting guys to understand the offense,” Lee Coach Lamar Marshall said about his QB. “He gets guys in the right position.”
Senior running back Clarence Lewis had touchdown catches of 59 and 48 yards on the night en route to 143 yards from scrimmage.
Big night for Lee’s Charles Davis
The Legends produced two touchdowns from greater than 60 yards, both coming from junior wide receiver Charles Davis.
Davis wrangled in his only catch of the night on a 63-yard strike from Blok. Davis also took the second half kickoff 70 yards for a score.
First varsity game for Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart was participating in its first varsity football game in program history, as they played junior varsity teams the past two weeks in their inaugural season.
Falcons claw back
The Falcons were down 42-6 in their first foray into varsity life, but showed grit and determination to close the deficit to 12 at the final gun.
“We are grateful to have the opportunity to play this great game,” Sacred Heart Coach Joe Hyland said. “Lee was the very first school to agree to play us, and we look forward to building a fantastic competitive relationship with Lee.”
Sacred Heart started the scoring on their first drive of the game. Joseph Hyland threw a downfield bullet to a wide-open Patrick Fickell to make it 6-0.
42 unanswered points
Lee scored 42 unanswered points until the second-half outburst by Sacred Heart to make it 42-30.
Senior defensive lineman Isaac Delgado wreaked havoc on the defensive side of the ball all game long for the Legends, along with Jaden Potts and Jayden Pena.
“We have to do a better job finishing games,” Marshall said. “We have to work on tackling and rallying to the ball.”
The Legends (3-1) host St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake next Friday.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
It was a case of déjà vu all over again, but this time the ball bounced the right way for the South Christian football team in its OK Gold tussle Friday against Forest Hills Eastern as the Sailors came away with a 32-29 victory.
Two weeks ago, the Sailors came up on the wrong end of a Hail Mary pass play at the end of the game when East Grand Rapids tossed a 30-yard touchdown on the final play of the game for the win. In Friday’s game against Forest Hills Eastern, the contest again came down to the last play with Eastern attempting to win the game with a pass. This time, the Sailor secondary knocked the pass down preserving the win.
Final play goes South Christian way this time
“The game came down to another Hail Mary situation,” South Christian Coach Danny Brown said. “Before this year I’ve never coached a game where it came down to a Hail Mary pass at the end and this year, I’ve had two in three weeks. It was with five seconds to go at about the same spot on the field as the East Grand Rapids game. This time we made the play and knocked the ball down.”
The final defensive play put the capper on a game that saw the Sailor defense come up with a number of big plays and the offense continuing to put points on the scoreboard. The game also was a struggle throughout between an Eastern squad that came in with a 3-0 record and a 2-1 Sailor team.
“It was a great high school game between two very good teams,” Brown said. “Both teams played very well and competed hard all game. They (Eastern) were able to control the ball and put together some long drives and that put a strain on our defense.
“We were able to score in a hurry and that also put a strain on our defense. We made a few adjustments at halftime and I think our defense did a great job of executing in the second half.”
Eastern utilized its ground game to control the time of possession in the game. The Hawks also piled up 335 yards on the ground.
Both teams traded touchdowns in a first quarter that ended in a 14-all tie. Eastern scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, while the Sailors countered with a pair of touchdown passes from Carson Vis, who connected with Sam Weiss on a 67-yard touchdown pass for South’s first score. He then tossed a six-yard strike to Jackson Haik for the second Sailor touchdown.
South took a 20-14 lead early in the second quarter when Charlie Schreur broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run. Forest Hills Eastern then countered with a 13-yard touchdown run by Mark Fuehrer to go up 21-20.
Sailors led 26-21 at halftime
South regained the lead later in the second quarter when Vis hooked up with Jake Vermaas for a 67-yard touchdown pass that put the Sailors up 26-21 at halftime.
Forest Hills Eastern mounted another scoring drive in the third quarter. Mark Fuehrer capped the drive for the Hawks with a 13-yard touchdown run. Eastern also tacked on a two-point conversion to take a 29-26 lead.
South scored what proved to be the game-winning points later in the third quarter. That was when Vis capped the scoring drive with a 10-yard touchdown run giving the Sailors a 32-29 lead.
From there, the South Christian defense shut the door to the end zone on the Hawks. Ben Mulder led the defensive charge for South with nine tackles and one assist for the game, while Luke DeJager had five tackles and one assist. Tyler Brinks added a sack and Cam VanSolkema had a tackle for loss.
“Ben Mulder had a great game at inside linebacker for us,” Brown said. “Cam VanSolkema also had a real game on the defensive line. We ended up playing a lot of guys on defense during the game. It was probably the largest rotation of guys on defense since I’ve been here.
“It was a collective effort from our defense. Everybody was getting reps and everybody was making plays.”
South Christian senior Jake Vermaas caught four passes for 106 yards and a score. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Carson Vis completed 10-of-16 passes for 204 yards and three TDs
Offensively, the Sailors combined the passing of Vis with some big production from the ground game. Vis finished the game completing 10-of-16 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns. Vermaas caught four passes for 106 yards and a score. Vis also completed passes to Tanner Raak, Noah Funk, Haik, Weiss and Schreur as the Sailor passing game shared the wealth.
Schreur led the running game with 105 yards rushing on seven carries, while Vis added 69 yards rushing.
“It was great to see how ecstatic the kids were at the end,” Brown said. “They left it all out on the field. All you can ask is that the kids leave it all out on the field and they did that. I was happy for them to come out with the win.”
With the win, the Sailors improved to 3-1 for the season. They return to action next week when they head to Ottawa Hills for an OK Gold matchup.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream.
WKTV Game of the Week Truck Schedule
Friday, Sept. 22 (7 p.m.) Union at Wyoming
Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
Check out our WKTV highlights from host Tri-unity Christian’s 38-22 win over Our Lady of the Lake Catholic in 8-player football Friday.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
After a long summer break our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Check out the above video for highlights of all the local high school football games in Kentwood and Wyoming from Friday night. WKTV attended all the local games in our viewing area to get these clips just for you.
We were at Kenowa Hills vs. South Christian (the WKTV Game of the Week), East Kentwood at Hudsonville, Wyoming at Zeeland West, Kelloggsville at Comstock Park, Godwin Heights at Sparta and Lee at Tri-unity.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream.
WKTV Game of the Week Truck Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 31 (7 p.m.) Byron Center at East Kentwood
Friday, Sept. 8 (7 p.m.) Kenowa Hills at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Sept. 15 (7 p.m.) Grand Rapids Sacred Heart at Lee
Friday, Sept. 22 (7 p.m.) Union at Wyoming
Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
The Tri-Unity Defenders forced multiple turnovers and stood stout on a late fourth quarter drive to give Lee their first loss of the season in a 28-24 nail-biter on Friday night.
The Legends got off to an early 18-0 lead before the Defenders put up their first score shortly before halftime.
Lee controlled the Defender’s defense with the run game as Clarence Lewis rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Lewis also caught two balls for 80 yards.
A week after throwing a school-record seven touchdown passes, Legends quarterback Anthony Blok threw for 143 yards and one touchdown and added 77 and a score on the ground.
The key turning points in the game were two costly interceptions by Blok. The first one was caught by Tri-unity’s Zach Tuinstra as he dragged a host of Legends for a couple of yards afterward. Trey Rillema would add the second interception later on.
Tri-unity Coach Tim Heath noted though they came in with an 0-2 record, he has a good football team.
“We believe that we are a good football team,” Heath said. “We played a great Marcellus team and a NorthPointe Christian team that is almost four times our size. We just needed to keep the faith and execute. It was shaky at first, but a great night for our team.”
Quarterback Vergel Heath led the Defenders.
“It really starts with our QB Vergel Heath,” Coach Heath said. “He came out determined towards the end of the second quarter and started to run physically. This sparked us.”
The Defenders also used a fourth-quarter fumble to score what would be the game-winning touchdown. The touchdown drive was led by Defenders backup quarterback Clayton Rowlader as he relieved starter Heath after an injury.
Game ends with Defenders stopping Lee near goal line
The game’s final drive started at the Lee 27-yard line with over six minutes left. The Legends controlled the clock and got to the Defenders 8-yard line with less than a minute remaining to set up the game’s final play. On fourth-and-4, the Legends came up a yard short to end the game.
“Mistakes killed us tonight,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall. “Penalties, two interceptions, mental mistakes. Ball security and execution. We had a bad week of practice; a few guys were dinged up. We lost our starting safety Jaden Potts to a concussion.”
Coach Heath: “Hats off to Lee”
“They are greatly improved and played tough,” added Heath, who also coached at Lee from 2008-09. “They were great. We just made plays down the stretch.”
Tri-unity (1-2) hosts St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic next week, while the Legends (2-1) host Grand Rapids Sacred Heart in the WKTV Game of the Week.
The South Christian offense lines up against the Kenowa Hills defense during Friday’s OK Gold season opener. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
A week after suffering a stinging non-conference defeat to East Grand Rapids on the final play of the game, the South Christian Sailors opened OK Gold Conference play in a big way with a 49-28 victory against Kenowa Hills.
South Christian struck fast and struck big against the Knights with a dazzling display of offense. The Sailors wasted little time in shaking off any lingering effects of last Friday’s loss to East as Charlie Schreur returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown giving South a 7-0 lead just seconds into the game.
“I think the big thing was to just move on and get back to work,” South Christian Coach Danny Brown said. “We just had to get back to the basics. We had to focus on the things that we can control and move on from that game. This is a resilient group and they did everything we asked of them this week.”
Tied at 7 early
Although the Sailors grabbed the early lead, the young Kenowa Hills squad came to play and came at South the full 48 minutes. Kenowa tied the game midway through the first quarter when it capitalized on a South Christian turnover deep in Sailor territory to knot it at 7-7.
South quickly regained the lead on the next possession when quarterback Carson Vis hooked up with Jake Vermaas on a 17-yard scoring pass that capped a five-play, 60-yard drive.
Vis to Vermaas clicking
The Vis to Vermaas connection clicked the entire game. Vis, who entered the game completing 77 percent of his passing attempts, turned in another stellar performance as he completed 14-of-19 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns.
Vermaas, who entered the game with 10 receptions for 247 yards this season, added to that total by hauling in eight passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Together, the Vis to Vermaas connection has accounted for six touchdown passes through the first three games of the season.
“I think that it helps that they play a lot of sports together,” Brown said. “Whether it’s football or basketball, they compete in different sports together and they have formed a natural quarterback/wide receiver connection.”
While Vermaas has developed into the top target for Vis, the Sailor junior quarterback has plenty of other options to go to. Jackson Haik hauled in three passes for 113 yards against the Knights, while Noah Funk caught two balls for 43 yards and Sam Weiss two receptions for 31.
Sophomore quarterback Kayd Coffman also got in on the action as he completed two of his three passes for 51 yards.
On the ground, Schreur carried the ball six times for 38 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.
Up 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, South Christian added to its lead with a pair of second quarter touchdowns. Those scores came on 25 and seven-yard touchdown passes from Vis to Vermaas.
South stretched the lead to 35-7 midway through the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Scheur.
Kenowa cuts the margin
Kenowa battled back and answered with a pair of touchdowns of its own to cut the margin to 35-21 before Vis hooked up with Haik on an 80-yard touchdown pass giving the Sailors a 42-21 lead. The two teams then traded touchdowns in the final minutes of the game.
Cam VanSolkema leads defense
Defensively, South Christian senior defensive lineman Cam VanSolkema led with three tackles, three assisted tackles and two tackles for a loss.
The South Christian defense huddles up with coaches on the sidelines during Friday’s game against Kenowa Hills. Cam VanSolkema (77) led the Sailors on defense. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
“South Christian football is going on its 59th year or so and Cam is the first player to be a four-year varsity starter,” Brown said. “Obviously, he has a ton of experience. He put in a lot of hard work in the off-season. He is a really strong player and has great fundamentals and technique and knows how to play with his hands.”
The Sailors defense also received strong efforts from Tyler Brinks with five tackles, two assists, a sack and one tackle for loss, Ben Mulder, four tackles, four assists and one tackle for loss, Austin Tiesma, three tackles, three assists and one tackle for loss and Vermaas with an interception.
With the win, the Sailors improved to 2-1 for the season, and return to action next week when they head to 3-0 Forest Hills Eastern.
On a perfect evening for football, South Christian and East Grand Rapids hooked up for a classic that came down to the final play of the game.
The two long-time area football powerhouses gave fans more than their money’s worth in the contest before East Grand Rapids tallied a touchdown on the final play giving the Pioneers a 23-21 win.
“Obviously, it was not the outcome we wanted to have, but this was a heck of a high school football game,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “You had two very good football teams battle it out to the end. Both teams had guys making plays the entire game. It came down to the final play and East ended up making one more play than we did.”
South Christian quarterback Carson Vis breaks free during Friday’s game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
The deciding play of the game came on the final snap with two seconds remaining. That was when East Grand Rapids quarterback Carson Thornton dropped back to pass from the South Christian 30-yard line and lofted one to the corner of the goal line where Ian MacKeigan hauled in the ball in front of a pair of defenders and fell into the end zone just inside the pylon.
The touchdown capped off a five-play drive in the final 28 seconds that snatched the game away from the Sailors. East received the kickoff at their own 37-yard line and completed four short passes to move the ball down to South’s 30 and in position to win the game on the final play.
Sailors appeared headed for a win
South Christian appeared to have won the game when they scored a touchdown with 28 seconds left. Sailor quarterback Carson Vis put the Sailors up when he ran in from eight yards out giving South a 21-17 lead. The touchdown capped a thrilling four-play, 59-yard drive that began with just 55 seconds remaining in the game.
The highlight of the drive was a 33-yard pass from Vis to Jake Vermaas that gave the Sailors a first down at the East 17-yard line with 36 seconds remaining. South also needed to drive the ball without the benefit of a timeout as they depleted their timeouts on the previous drive when the Sailor defense forced East into a three-and-out.
South needed its defense to come up with the crucial stand after the East defense came up with a big stop of its own. That was when East defensive back Glenn Green intercepted a tipped pass at the Pioneer 18-yard line to short circuit a South Christian drive with 2:04 remaining in the game.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Brown said. “They could’ve given up, but they didn’t back down. They made that defensive stand and got the ball back for our offense. They stepped up and gave our offense a chance.”
EGR strikes first
East Grand Rapids scored the first points of the game late in the opening quarter when Will Cannon capped a 14-play, 54-yard drive when he kicked a 36-yard field goal.
South Christian countered those points on the ensuing drive. The Sailors drove 80 yards in nine plays for a score coming on a picture-perfect 34-yard pass play from Vis to Vermaas. Nick Logan tacked on the extra point giving the Sailors a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Those were the lone points of the first half as both defenses came up with big stops to end drives in the second quarter.
The South Christian defense lines up to defend against East Grand Rapids. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
The third quarter saw both teams score on lengthy touchdown drives. East received the kickoff in the third quarter and embarked on a 12-play, 65-yard drive that involved all running plays. Scott Millman capped the drive, that totaled six minutes and 45 seconds, by running in from six-yards out putting the Pioneers up 10-7.
South responded with a touchdown drive of their own. Starting on their own 22-yard line, the Sailors drove 78 yards in eight plays. Vis capped the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run giving the Sailors a 14-10 lead.
The East offense answered that score on the following possession. Again, relying on their running game, East drove 89 yards in nine plays. Millman again capped the drive as he barged into the end zone from two-yards out putting East up 17-14 with 7:38 remaining in the game after the point after and setting up the game for the dramatic ending.
“We are going to use this game to fuel us,” Brown said. “I told the guys not to let this loss define our season. We have to use this game to find out where we are a little light. East is a very good football team and we are going to have more close games this season.”
South Christian returns to action Friday when it hosts Kenowa Hills in the WKTV Game of the Week during the opening week of OK Gold Conference action.
Last week, Clarence Lewis led the Legends with a big five touchdown game. This week, quarterback Anthony Blok took it to the next level with a school record seven TD passes in a 58-34 win over Calvin Christian in Grandville High School’s stadium.
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Blok completed 15-of-25 passes for 419 yards in the win.
“He is a strong thrower, and has gotten a lot better this year,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall of his second-year captain. “With his throwing ability and his leadership, he has been our vocal leader on the offensive end. He has taken that and run with it.”
After going winless in 2022, the Legends are now on a different path at 2-0.
“They are locked in, they’re excited,” Marshall said. “They have bought into what me and my coaches have been preaching this year. It’s been beautiful.”
Marshall said his team was working on execution all week in practice leading up to the game.
“We were hammering executing all week and we executed great today,” Marshall said. “Offensively, it was one of the best games we’ve had since I’ve been here.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the guys today. They executed flawlessly.”
The teams traded scores in the first half and Lee took a 30-28 lead into halftime.
“In the first half we were back and forth, trading touchdowns, but we took control in the second half.”
Merriweather, Lewis and Davis
Wide receiver Aidan Merriweather scored four touchdowns (8 catches for 196 yards), while Lewis added two rushing and one receiving. Charles Davis had two receiving TDs as well (three catches for 160 yards).
Marshall said Lewis was his “glue guy.”
“He makes us stick together and is always encouraging the guys to be better the next play and forget about the last play. He doesn’t let them dwell on the last play. His senior leadership has been a bright spot.”
“The leadership from the players has been one of the brightest spots that we’ve had this year … keeping the spirits up and not yelling at each other and arguing when someone messes up. It’s a great thing to see the way they are all stepping up.”
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back Sept. 8!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Check out our WKTV highlights from East Kentwood’s game against Byron Center Thursday night.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back on Sept. 8!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
