East Kentwood made sure there would be no last-second heroics by Hudsonville in Saturday’s Division 1 regional title game as the Falcons put up 31 second-half points while the Kentwood defense kept the Eagles off the scoreboard resulting in a 52-28 win.
The win secured Kentwood’s first regional championship since 2014 and sends the Falcons into this Saturday’s Division 1 state semifinal game against Detroit Catholic Central. The semifinal game is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Jackson High School.
The win against Hudsonville took away the sour taste the Falcons felt last time they visited Hudsonville. That was when the Eagles stunned the Falcons 43-42 with a last-second touchdown pass in Week 7. That win helped Hudsonville capture the OK Red title. Since then, Kentwood has strung together five consecutive wins and is now in the Division 1 final four.
“It was definitely about redemption,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “Being able to do it when it matters which it was now. Our goal was always to win the OK Red and they got us on that one. Our goal is also to win a state championship and this is part of that.”
Eagles up at halftime, then EK gets 24 points in the fourth quarter
Like that previous meeting between the two teams, the points were flowing in the game. The two teams traded touchdowns during the first half, with Hudsonville up 28-21 at halftime. Unlike the first meeting, however, the second half belonged totally to the Falcons. Of the 31 points that East Kentwood scored in the second half, 24 of them came in the fourth quarter.
The Kentwood offense has been piling up huge numbers in the playoffs and that trend continued in the regional title game. After totaling 555 yards against Grand Ledge in the first round and 619 over Howell in the district title game, the Falcons produced 570 yards of offense against Hudsonville.
EK quarterback and MSU commit Kayd Coffman has a big game against Hudsonville. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
EK quarterback Kayd Coffman tallies 482 yards total offense
Falcon senior QB Kayd Coffman was a big part of that offensive production, tallying 482 yards and five touchdowns. He completed 21-of-32 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns, and ran the ball 12 times for 210 yards and three touchdowns.
Coffman used his legs to produce the first touchdown of the game, breaking loose for a 65-yard score midway through the first quarter, giving the Falcons a 7-0 lead after the extra point kick by Jayden Garcia.
The host Eagles, however, stormed back to take a 14-7 lead later in the opening quarter. The Eagles scored their first touchdown on a three-yard run by Owen Haarsma. The Eagles then surged ahead when they blocked a Kentwood punt and turned it into a touchdown on a five-yard run.
East Kentwood tied the game late in the opening quarter when the Falcons covered 65 yards in four plays. A 59-yard run by Coffman highlighted the drive which was capped by a two-yard touchdown plunge by James Jones Jr.
Hudsonville regained the lead with a pair of touchdowns midway through the second quarter. The first Eagle score came on a 38-yard pass from Brady Van Laecke to Luke Heyboer. The Eagles defense then came up with a turnover on Kentwood’s next possession. That turnover was quickly turned into points as Van Laecke scored on a two-yard touchdown run giving the Eagles a 28-14 lead.
East Kentwood trimmed the deficit to seven points on the next possession. The Falcon passing game produced the score as Coffman hooked up with Stephan Jones on a 67-yard touchdown pass that cut the margin to 28-21 with 3:40 remaining before halftime.
The Falcons tied the game on the first possession of the second half, driving 68 yards in eight plays. Senior running back Davien Nettleman closed out the drive with an 18-yard run up the middle of the Eagle defense.
Scored knotted early in the fourth
The score remained tied until early in the fourth quarter when Garcia connected on a 37-yard field goal giving the Falcons a 31-28 lead.
On Hudsonville’s next possession, the Eagles rolled the dice on a fourth-and-five from their own 29-yard line. The Falcon defense, however, came up with a big stop. Two plays later Coffman took off on an 18-yard touchdown run up the middle putting the Falcons up 38-28.
The Falcons then pulled away as Major Barnes came up with a big interception on Hudsonville’s next possession. Two-plays later Coffman took off on a 50-yard touchdown run putting the Falcons up 45-28. The Falcons then added a final touchdown late in the game when Coffman hit Stephan Jones with a 37-yard touchdown pass.
Stephan Jones led with 175 yards on eight catches
Jones was the receiving standout of the game for the Falcons as he finished with 175 yards on eight catches with a pair of touchdowns. Kendrick Mayhue added six receptions for 36 yards, while Nettleman caught three for 31 yards and Ahman Edmonds, three passes for 19.
Nettleman added 55 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Donavan Jones led the Falcons with six tackles and three assists, followed by Dallas Moody, Major Barnes and James Jones Jr., with four tackles each and Benedi Kanda, three tackles and a pair of assists.
EK defensive back Donavan Jones. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)
“Our guys competed well,” Spencer said. “I thought our coaches installed a great game plan and the players executed at a high level. We are excited to prepare for Detroit Catholic Central in the semifinals. We also want to thank our parents and community for their support.”
The Falcons, who improved to 10-2 overall, now face a Detroit Catholic Central team that has a 12-0 record. The Falcons and Shamrocks share a common opponent in Grand Ledge. Catholic Central defeated Grand Ledge 36-14 in Week 8, while Kentwood defeated Grand Ledge 49-15 in the first round of the playoffs.
Michigan State University well represented next game
Michigan State football fans will have a particularly keen interest in the game as not only is Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman an MSU recruit, but so is Catholic Central standout receiver Samson Gash.
The number 49 has been the target number the last three weeks for the East Kentwood football team and reaching 49 points in Saturday’s 49-41 win against Howell delivered the Falcons their first district championship since 2014.
A week after beating Grand Ledge 49-15 in the Division 1 district opener and piling up 555 yards of total offense, the Kentwood offense produced 619 yards of total offense as it scored on every possession during the game except for one which ended in a missed field goal attempt.
With the win, the Falcons improved to 9-2 for the season and will play for the regional championship Saturday at Hudsonville at 1 p.m. The game will be a rematch of the Week 7 thriller at Hudsonville that the host Eagles won 43-42 with a touchdown as the clock expired.
The game against Howell may have lacked a dramatic ending, but the Falcons provided their many fans who made the long drive to Howell with plenty to cheer about.
East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman had an impressive game completing 16-of-22 passes for 372 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for 96 yards on nine carries. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Quarterback Kayd Coffman on fire
Any Michigan State football fans in attendance wanting to get a look at their quarterback recruit for next season, Falcon senior Kayd Coffman, were also treated to plenty of highlight-reel plays. Coffman finished the game completing 16-of-22 passes for 372 yards and five touchdowns. Coffman also showcased his running skills as he added 96 yards rushing on nine carries.
Ahman Edmonds caught 11 passes for 271 yards and 3 TDs
East Kentwood senior wide receiver Ahman Edmonds also gave college recruiters plenty of highlights to digest as he caught 11 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Edmonds was a constant thorn in the side of the Howell defense with his ability to get open and pile up yards after the catch with his combination of speed, quickness and elusiveness.
Kentwood’s first touchdown, however, came from fellow senior wide receiver Owen Van Der Veen. That was when he capped a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive by hauling in a Coffman pass from 30-yards out. Jayden Garcia tacked on the extra point to tie the game as Howell scored on its first possession.
Falcons get 3 TDs in around 4 minutes in second quarter
The game remained tied until midway through the second quarter when the Falcon offense erupted for three touchdowns in a span of just over four minutes.
The first of those three scores came with 4:13 remaining before halftime when senior running back Jesse Phillips ran in from three-yards out. The touchdown capped a six-play, 78-yard scoring drive that was highlighted by a 33-yard scamper by Coffman.
Howell tied the game at 14-14 as it marched 80 yards for a score in five plays.
The deadlock, however, was short lived as the Coffman to Edmonds combination began to cook on the next drive. After a seven-yard pass to Edmonds on first down, Coffman connected with his game-breaking wideout on a 73-yard scoring strike that put the Falcons up 21-14 with 1:30 remaining before halftime after Garcia’s point after.
On Howell’s next possession, the East Kentwood defense provided a game-breaking play, that was when junior defensive back Donavan Jones forced a fumble that was recovered by sophomore defensive back Austin Nelson at the Howell 43-yard line.
With 43 seconds remaining before halftime, the Falcons cashed that turnover into points. With time winding down in the half, Coffman scrambled and kept the play alive long enough to fire a strike from 16-yards out to Edmonds who had worked himself open in the corner of the end zone. Garcia added the extra point to send the Falcons into halftime with a 28-14 lead.
“We have a dynamic offense and an opportunistic defense,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “We have a lot of playmakers on offense who create a lot of opportunities.”
East Kentwood gained control of the game in the opening moments of the second half. Receiving the second-half kickoff, the Falcons needed just two plays to break the game open. On a second-and-three from their own 20-yard line, the Coffman to Edmonds combination struck for the third time. This time Coffman threw a perfect pass that hit Edmonds in stride. Edmonds then turned on the jets and raced 80 yards to the end zone staking the Falcons to a 35-14 lead.
Howell, however, refused to fold. The Highlanders, who entered the game with a 9-1 record, responded by driving 76 yards for a touchdown to cut the Falcon lead to 35-21 as quarterback Preston Barb tossed a four-yard touchdown pass to Christian Farren.
Kentwood regained the three-touchdown advantage on the next drive. The Falcons were a little more methodical on the next scoring drive going 80 yards in 10 plays with Coffman hitting junior wide receiver Bryce Barnes with a 36-yard touchdown pass to put the Falcons up 42-21 with 2:24 remaining in the third.
Howell came right back on its next possession to cut the margin to 42-28. The Highlanders again scored via the pass as Barb tossed a 54-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Kish.
The points kept piling up as the game entered the final quarter. Kentwood’s final touchdown of the game came at the 10:55 mark of the fourth. The Falcons went deep into the playbook for the final score. Coffman dropped back to pass and threw a backwards pass to running back Davien “Bam” Nettleman, who then showcased his arm by lofting a pass to Stephan Jones who raced in for a 30-yard touchdown. Garcia tacked on the point after giving the Falcons a 49-28 lead.
Howell, came back again, as the Highlanders drove 80 yards for a touchdown in 14 plays on their next possession as they utilized their ground game. Howell then recovered an onside kick with just over five minutes remaining in the game. Seven plays later the Highlanders scored again to make the score 49-41 with 4:09 remaining in the game and make things interesting. The Highlanders attempted another onside kick, but this time the Falcons recovered. The East Kentwood ground game then ground out three first downs to chew up the final time remaining on the clock and earn a trip to the state quarterfinals for the first time since the 2014 team reached the state semifinals.
“This is a special group of seniors,” Spencer said. “They are very resilient. As freshmen they won just one game and on the junior varsity they did not have a win. Now, they are 9-2 and headed to the regional finals. The character they have shown this year is special. We’ve been through this before in tight situations. To be able to get it done is awesome. It’s like the perfect ending to the chapter.”
Along with Edmonds, who finished with 271 receiving yards, Stephan Jones added two catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. Jesse Phillips rushed the ball 10 times for 83 yards and a score. Nettleman ran for 21 yards on six carries along with throwing the 30-yard touchdown pass.
East Kentwood junior defensive back Donavan Jones had eight tackles and five assists, while senior linebacker Malachi Daly had eight tackles and three assists.. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
On defense, the Falcons swarmed to the football as junior defensive back Donavan Jones had eight tackles and five assists, while senior linebacker Malachi Daly had eight tackles and three assists. Junior defensive back Major Barnes had four tackles and five assists, followed by senior defensive back Jaziel Negron, four tackles; junior linebacker Alijah Bondon, three tackles and four assists; senior defensive tackle James Jones. three tackles and two assists; junior defensive back Dallas Moody, two tackles and three assists and junior linebacker Christopher Thompson II; two tackles and three assists.
It was a showdown for first place in the OK Red Friday when East Kentwood traveled to Hudsonville. The contest lived up to all the hype and then some as the Eagles edged the Falcons 43-42 in a game that came down to the final play.
That final play was a 26-yard touchdown pass from Hudsonville quarterback Brady Van Laecke to Andrew Meerman who caught the pass in the back of the end zone after it was deflected with the final seconds ticking off the clock. The Eagles tacked on the extra point to secure the deciding point and come away with the win and keep their record perfect at 7-0 for the season, 5-0 in the league.
The climactic final play capped a stunning six-play, 70-yard scoring drive in the final 31 seconds of the game that gave the Eagles an amazing come-from-behind win after East Kentwood surged ahead with a late-game drive of its own that culminated with a touchdown with 31 seconds remaining in the game.
“It was a great game between two great teams,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “I thought our guys played well. It all came down to a couple of plays. Both teams had guys making plays and for them they made the final play when the clock ran out.”
What looked to be the game-winning drive
Trailing 36-35 with 5:52 remaining in the game, East Kentwood mounted what looked to be the game-winning drive. Starting out on its own 20 after Hudsonville had taken the lead on a two-yard touchdown, EK moved the ball 80 yards in 15 plays. The drive was a pressure-packed excursion as the Falcons twice kept the drive going by taking a page out of Detroit Lions Coach Dan Campbell’s playbook and going for a first down on fourth down. The first successful fourth-down play was when the Falcons faced a fourth-and-three on their own 27-yard line. Falcon running back Davien “Bam” Nettleman kept the drive alive with a five-yard run. Later in the drive, the Falcons faced a fourth-and-12 situation on their own 40 with less than two minutes remaining in the game.
With their backs to the wall, Falcon quarterback Kayd Coffman found Ahman Edmonds open and Edmonds turned on the jets for a 14-yard gain to keep the drive alive. With 45 seconds remaining in the game, Coffman again hooked up with Edmonds for a key pass play, this time the play netted the Falcons 38 yards and gave Kentwood a first-and-goal on the Hudsonville two-yard line. After a one-yard run on first down, the Falcons took the lead when Coffman scored on a quarterback sneak giving the Falcons a 42-36 lead after Jayden Garcia tacked on the extra point.
East Kentwood Quarterback Kayd Coffman passed for 188 yards and three scores. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
“I was really proud of the way the guys kept battling,” Spencer said. “To be on the road and come back like they did.”
Spencer also was pleased with how the Falcons started the game. Getting out to a fast start was a goal of the Falcons entering the game and that was exactly what Kentwood did.
Kayd Coffman keeper starts up the scoring
On the first possession of the game, Kentwood forced Hudsonville into a three-and-out deep in Eagle territory. After taking possession of the ball at the Hudsonville 45-yard line, the Falcons needed just four plays to score the first points of the game as Coffman took off 33-yards down the middle of the field to score on a quarterback keeper.
Eagles score right away as well
Hudsonville answered that score with a six-play, 80-yard scoring drive of its own.
East Kentwood regained the lead on the next possession. This time the Falcons drove 70 yards in seven plays with Coffman finishing the drive by hooking up with Stephan Jones on a 26-yard touchdown pass giving the Falcons a 13-7 lead.
Falcons grab 20-7 lead in first quarter
East Kentwood upped the lead to 20-7 late in the opening quarter. That score was set up by a fumble recovery by Dmari Love-Simmons at the Hudsonville 22-yard line. The Falcons cashed in on the turnover when three plays later Coffman again hooked up with Jones, this time on a 16-yard scoring strike.
“Our offense really got off to a fast start,” Spencer said. “We took advantage of some things that they were giving us. Their defense did a good job of stabilizing things in the third quarter.”
Hudsonville answered that score with an eight-yard touchdown pass by Van Laecke with 9:46 remaining in the first half cutting the Falcon lead to 20-13.
The two teams closed out the first half by trading touchdowns. Coffman snuck over from one-yard out for the Kentwood touchdown while Van Laecke threw a touchdown pass from 15-yards out with 20 seconds remaining in the first half cutting the Kentwood lead to 27-21.
Hudsonville took its first lead of the game in the third quarter, when the Eagles drove 65 yards for a score in six plays with Van Laecke tossing a 29-yard pass on fourth down. Hudsonville added a two-point conversion to go up 29-27.
The East Kentwood defense rose to the occasion on the next two Hudsonville drives and forced a pair of three-and-outs.
“Our defense kept us in it when Hudsonville stopped our offense in the third quarter,” Spencer said.
Falcons regain lead early in fourth
Early in the fourth quarter the Falcons regained the lead, driving 48 yards in seven plays with Coffman connecting with Owen Van De Veen on a 22-yard touchdown pass. Coffman then connected with Edmonds on a pass play on the two-point conversion putting the Falcons up 35-29 with 11 minutes remaining in the game.
Hudsonville answered that score with a methodical 68-yard, 14-play march that ended with a touchdown that put the Eagles up 36-35 with 5:52 remaining in the game setting the stage for the late-game dramatics.
With the loss, East Kentwood fell to 5-2 overall, 3-2 in the conference. The Falcons return to action this Friday at Grandville.
“At the end of the day, a game like this prepares us for the playoffs,” Spencer said. “The regular season is important, but we want to end the season playing at Ford Field and these kinds of games prepare us for that.”
The East Kentwood offense was paced by Coffman who passed for 188 yards and three scores. Jones caught seven passes for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Edmonds hauled in eight passes for 50 yards and Van Der Veen caught two passes for 32 yards and a score. Coffman added 58 yards rushing and three scores while Jesse Phillips ran for 42 yards.
It could be a hotel, car, a park, shelter or campground … or doubled up with another family or couch surfing at a friend’s house. That’s where many students and their families reside.
The number of Kentwood Public Schools students qualifying for services was 359 last year district-wide in grades K-12. The numbers have increased since COVID and Sarah Weir, Student Services Liaison for KPS, estimates around 10 percent of students could qualify for services.
When students in Kentwood register for school and don’t have a permanent address, Weir steps in to help. As the Student Services Liaison, she follows the federal McKinney-Vento Act that mandates services to students experiencing homelessness. The law allows students to stay in their “school of origin” by providing transportation, educational support and help with other needs. Weir has served in this role for 10 years.
Sarah Weir, KPS Student Services Liaison. (Photo Courtesy, Kentwood Public Schools)
“We end up connecting with the family and find out a little bit more about the situation and help them get to school,” Weir said. Kentwood Public Schools provides transportation to school, and helps them with school related items and field trips.
A budget of $6,000
Weir works with a budget of about $6,000. Although no food items are provided, Weir directs them to local food pantries and Kentwood’s monthly food truck.
“I can provide hygiene items, shampoo, conditioner and things like that,” Weir said. She can also provide winter coats and boots thanks to local businesses and the Knights of Columbus who help out.
“If they participate in an extracurricular activity we cover that, from sports gear to band fees, and art supplies,” Weir said.
Supply room for KPS students/families in need. (Photo Courtesy, Kentwood Public Schools)
Student Challenges
Although it’s not always evident about a student’s living situation, these students face challenges.
“Most people don’t realize the student is unhoused. I haven’t had instances of students being treated differently,” Weir said. “There’s plenty of situations. You could be asked to leave at any time.”
She believes the biggest barrier for students is not getting a good night’s sleep.
“Sharing a room with strangers, moving often, sleeping on the floor are all reasons students are not getting the rest they should,” Weir said.
She noted that it’s hard for students to stay focused on a math equation if they are hungry, or don’t feel safe.
Dropout rate high
Unfortunately, the dropout rate is high with unhoused students. Kentwood Public Schools does offer an online program.
“It (online) has to make sense for them. I think in-person is an easier way to learn for more people,” said Weir, who has seen some success stories including a family who left her caseload after seven years. They just got housing and Weir is keeping her fingers crossed that they can keep it.
The greatest challenge and most rewarding parts of her job go together.
“I love that we are able to make the school day easy for students and families,” Weir explained. “We can get them here, feed them, provide great instruction and care for them while their parents work on a tough situation. We can give the family about seven hours of peace each day.”
Systemic Issue
Weir said the problems related to a housing crisis are much bigger than the school day.
“Systemic policy changes such as livable wages are needed to make an impact on the housing crisis,” Weir explained. “I have families who can afford rent, but because they have a bad credit score, they don’t get the chance to get in anywhere. It would be great if landlords were willing to consider other evidence besides a credit score number.”
Weir also serves on the Kentwood Planning Commission that is looking at housing in the area.
“We really need to focus on paying people livable wages. We don’t have any kind of cap on how much housing costs.”
In a battle between two of the premier Division 1 high school football heavyweights in West Michigan, the Rockford Rams made a few more big plays than East Kentwood and that proved to be the difference as the Rams grabbed a 21-14 OK Red win.
Defense and the running game played big parts in the showdown as Rockford handed the Falcons their first loss of the season.
“I thought it wasn’t one of our best games,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “I felt that the effort was there. We fought hard, but we definitely made a lot of mistakes that we could’ve prevented. We had a lot of opportunities on our end that we did not take advantage of. We could’ve played a lot better overall, especially on defense.”
Neither team was able to put any points on the scoreboard during the opening quarter of the game.
Rockford on offense during the Rams 21-14 home victory over East Kentwood Friday. (Photo Courtesy, Eli Reed)
Rams strike first
Rockford broke the scoring drought in the second quarter, when it scored on a 19-yard touchdown run to go up 7-0 with 10:35 remaining in the first half after the extra point kick.
The score remained that way until late in the first half when both teams scored in the final minute of the half.
East Kentwood tied the game when quarterback Kayd Coffman capped a drive by running in for a touchdown from four-yards out. Jayden Garcia kicked the extra point to tie the game at 7-7 with 49 seconds remaining in the first half.
East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman sets the offense during the Falcons 21-14 loss to Rockford Friday. (Photo Courtesy, Eli Reed)
Those 49 seconds, however, proved to be enough time for Rockford to regain the lead before halftime.
Starting on their own 25-yard line, Rockford quickly moved down field on a 15-yard run by quarterback Braylen Daniels and a 38-yard pass play from Daniels to Jax Eichbauer. Daniels then finished the drive connecting with Jackson Cummings on a 22-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds remaining in the half. Rockford added the point after to take a 14-7 lead into halftime.
Both defenses tightened up during the third quarter as neither team put any points on the scoreboard.
Midway through the fourth quarter, East Kentwood drove down to the Rockford one-yard line, but on a fourth down and goal from the one, the Ram defense came up big and kept the Falcons out of the end one.
East Kentwood fans filled the visitor stands during their 21-14 loss to Rockford Friday. (Photo Courtesy, Eli Reed)
Rockford turned to its ground game and went on a long drive of its own. The Rams eventually scored as Luke Ahern ran across the goal line with 5:04 remaining in the game, giving Rockford a 21-7 lead.
East Kentwood, however, refused to fold and cut the deficit to 21-14 with 3:48 remaining in the game. Coffman broke free for a 39-yard touchdown run.
That was as close as the Falcons would get as Rockford put the game on ice with its running game.
“We missed some shots we had,” Spencer said. “We had three fourth-and-ones that we missed and we have got to get those. Against good teams you are not going to get too many opportunities and you have to take advantage of them when you get them.”
East Kentwood and Rockford battled it out Friday night. (Photo Courtesy, Eli Reed)
East Kentwood finished with 358 total yards; 231 on the ground and 127 through the air.
Coffman led the way for the Falcons with 101 yards on seven carries and two touchdowns. He also completed 13-of-28 passes for 127 yards.
Jesse Phillips added 59 yards rushing on 12 carries, while Nasir Williams added 51 rushing on 13 carries.
Ahman Edmonds led the Falcons with nine catches for 90 yards, followed by Owen Van Der Veen, three for 33 yards.
Malachi Daly with seven tackles
Malachi Daly led the Falcons with seven tackles, followed by Major Barnes, five tackles and an interception, Donavan Jones, three tackles, an interception and a tackle for loss and Jaziel Negron, four tackles, including a tackle for loss.
“Defensively, we did create three turnovers so we did do some good things on defense,” Spencer said. “We did miss some alignments on defense so we have some things to work on defensively.”
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 3-1 overall, 1-1 in the conference. They return to action Friday when they host Caledonia (2-2 overall, 0-2 in conference play) with losses to Hudsonville and Grandville.
“We are excited about this week,” Spencer said. “I think we match up well with Caledonia. Like everybody else in the OK Red, there are no gimmees. You have to come ready to play and ready to play hard. We can’t have misalignments and miscues. We have to be ready to play our best on offense, defense and special teams.”
The East Kentwood football team opened OK Red Conference play in a big way Friday as it totaled over 500 yards of offense in a 54-7 win against Jenison.
The offense came from a multitude of sources as 261 yards came via the ground game and 240 yards from passing as the 54-point scoring output was the biggest offensive outburst by the Falcons since they scored 63 points in a 2019 win against West Ottawa.
East Kentwood football Coach Tyrone Spencer. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“I liked the way we executed the game plan,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “We want to be able to keep teams off balance with our offense and we were able to do that. I also think we were able to wear Jenison down. They had some guys that were going both ways and I think we were able to wear them down as the game went on.”
Coming into the season the Falcons planned to run the ball and use a running back by committee approach. That plan is being carried out as the Falcons again shared the wealth in the ground game. A total of four Falcons eclipsed 40 yards rushing for the game with three rushing for over 60 yards. Kentwood junior Ace Bryant led with 68 yards on four carries, followed by Ahman Edmonds, one carry for 62 yards, Jacarvion Johnson, two for 60 and a touchdown and Nasir “Nas” Williams ran seven times for 40 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Davien “Bam” Nettleman added 12 yards on three carries and scored a touchdown, while sophomore Tyran Harris, five yards on one carry and a TD.
“Our running back by committee has been working out nice,” Spencer said. “The guys are progressing well. We have guys that do certain things well and they are making the most of their opportunities.”
East Kentwood Quarterback Kayd Coffman. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
QB Kayd Coffman in high gear
Senior quarterback Kayd Coffman also clicked into high gear against the Wildcats, completing 15-of-20 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns.
Ahman Edmonds led the way in receiving with 114 yards on six catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. For the game, Edmonds totaled 176 yards of total offense. That kind of production is not going unnoticed by college recruiters as Tiffin University offered Edmonds a scholarship following Friday’s game.
Like the running backs, the Falcons shared the wealth in the receiving department. Junior wide receiver Stephan Jones caught four passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Junior wideout Bryce Barnes caught three passes for 43 yards, while senior tight end Kendrick Mayhue caught a pair of passes for 26 yards and sophomore receiver Caiden Cox caught a pass for 10 yards.
The Jenison defense proved to be a tough nut to crack during the early potion of the game as the contest was scoreless at the end of the opening quarter. The Kentwood offense began to percolate in the second quarter with four touchdowns to take a 26-7 halftime lead. Nas Williams scored the first Kentwood touchdown on a three-yard run and Jayden Garcia tacked on the extra point.
Jenison tied the game thanks to a long touchdown run. The Falcon offense then took over, reeling off three consecutive touchdowns. The Falcons took the lead for good when Coffman hooked up with Stephan Jones on an 18-yard scoring strike. The Falcons closed out the first-half with a two-yard touchdown run from Williams and a one-yard scoring run by Bam Nettleman.
East Kentwood put the game on ice with four touchdowns in the third quarter. The outburst began with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Coffman to Edmonds. Coffman then hooked up with Jones on a 14-yard scoring strike. The Falcons closed out the scoring with a five-yard touchdown run by Tyran Harris and a 59-yard touchdown run by Jacarvion Johnson.
Strong EK defense as well
Along with the offensive explosion, the East Kentwood defense came up with an impressive effort. Factor out the 77-yard touchdown run, and the East Kentwood defense surrendered 116 yards of total offense for the game. Subtracting the touchdown run, the Falcon defense allowed Jenison 2.4 yards per play.
Defensive back Donavan Jones led with four tackles and two assists. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)
“Overall, I thought our defense turned in a really good performance,” Spencer said. “They created some turnovers and got some big stops. I thought we controlled their passing game, and other than the one big run we controlled their running game.”
The Falcon defense turned in a total-team effort against the Wildcats. Junior defensive back Donavan Jones led with four tackles and two assists, followed by Senior Benedi Kanda, two tackles for loss, Malachi Daly and Austin Bobo also added a tackle for loss. The Falcon defense also intercepted three Jenison passes with Dallas Thomas-Moody, Jaziel Negron and Major Barnes all recording picks. Senior defensive lineman James Jones Jr. racked up four assists, while Barnes and Baxter Johnson added three.
With the win, East Kentwood improved to 3-0 overall, 1-0 in the OK Red. The Falcons return to action this Friday with a big conference road trip to Rockford to face the 2-1 Rams, who opened conference play with a 42-24 win at Grand Haven.
For the second week in a row, the East Kentwood football team found its high gear on offense. Led by a potent passing game and a productive ground attack, the Falcon offense found the end zone six times as it defeated Byron Center 43-14 in their first home game of the season.
East Kentwood scored three touchdowns in each half as it opened up a 21-0 halftime lead and put the game away with 22 second-half points.
The Kentwood offense eclipsed the 40-point mark for the second straight week and was led by senior quarterback Kayd Coffman, who completed 17-of-24 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns. Coffman tossed four TD passes in Kentwood’s 43-8 win at Southfield A&T in the season opener. Ahman Edmonds led the Falcons with five catches for 108 yards, while Nasir Williams led in rushing with 80 yards on 12 carries.
East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman passed for three touchdowns in the win after tossing four TD passes in the season opener. He completed 17-of-24 passes for 299 yards in the win over Byron Center. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
Quarterback Kayd Coffman “locked in”
In his second season as the starting quarterback, Coffman has taken his game to the next level.
“I think Kayd has responded well this season,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “Last year at this time he was splitting reps with a senior. Now he is confident, has the position all his own, is committed to a university (Michigan State) so that confidence skyrockets. He has done a phenomenal job with his leadership. He stays locked in and he is an awesome benefit to us.”
Coffman completed all four of his passes on the opening drive of the game as he moved the Falcons 79 yards downfield in seven plays for a touchdown. He capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Owen Van Der Veen. Jayden Garcia tacked on the point after.
After the Kentwood defense forced Byron Center into a three-and-out on its first possession of the game, the offense embarked on a second long touchdown drive. Starting on its own 36-yard line, the Falcons drove the ball 64 yards in 13 plays. Coffman capped the drive with arguably the throw of the game as he fired a laser to junior Stephan Jones at the corner of the end zone on a third-and-goal play from the Bulldog 22-yard line. The Falcons overcame four penalties on the drive including a pair of delay of game penalties near the Bulldog goal line.
Byron Center responded on its next possession by driving down to the East Kentwood 19-yard line where the Falcon defenders came up with a big fourth-down stop.
Overall, the Falcon defense turned in a solid effort allowing Byron Center a pair of second-half touchdowns.
East Kentwood defense “played well”
I thought they played well,” Spencer said. “I thought they executed their assignments well. We tried to take away what they do. They are a tough, physical football team and we wanted to take some things away and we did and we forced them to do some other things that they don’t necessarily do a lot.
Kentwood tacked on a third touchdown with just 59 seconds remaining in the first half as Coffman connected with Davien Nettleman on a 15-yard scoring strike.
The touchdown pass was caught by a third different Falcon receiver highlighting the depth and talent of the team’s receiving corps.
East Kentwood’s Kayd Coffman sets the offense against Byron Center in a 43-14 win Sept. 6, 2025. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
“They are all great guys,” Coffman said. “They are just so good. We get a ball in space and they can go make a play. That is very reassuring for me and helps me sleep at night.”
One of the Kentwood playmakers is senior Ahman Edmonds, who not only makes plays in the passing game, but also can provide impact plays as a runner and kick returner.
East Kentwood’s Ahman Edmonds returns a kickoff in a 43-14 win over Byron Center on Sept. 6, 2025. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
“Our offense is definitely deep,” Edmonds said. “We’ve got a lot of good receivers. This offense is fun to play in. Me being a smaller guy they can put me out or in the backfield and I can show everything so it’s definitely a good advantage. My eyes blow up because I know that Kayd can make a big throw and I can make a big catch.”
Byron Center scored its first points of the game on the opening drive of the second half as Will Baubach hauled in a 38-yard touchdown pass.
Kentwood answered with a touchdown on the next possession. A 43-yard pass play from Coffman to Edmonds was the highlight of the drive that was capped by a four-year touchdown run by senior running back Jesse Phillips.
Kentwood upped the lead to 35-7 late in the third quarter when senior running back Nasir Williams ran in for a touchdown from a yard out.
The two teams closed out the game by trading touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Cam Payne scored Byron Center’s touchdown on a two-yard run. Williams scored East Kentwood’s final touchdown on a one-yard run.
Coffman completed 17-of-24 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns. Edmonds led the Falcons in receiving with five catches for 108 yards, followed by Nettleman, three catches for 52 yards, Van Der Veen, three for 50 yards, Jones, three for 49, and Kendrick Mayhue, two catches for 26 yards. Williams led the Falcon running game with 80 yards on 12 carries, while Nettleman added 49 yards on seven carries and Phillips, 20 on six carries.
Chris Thompson led the way with six tackles, followed by Dallas Thomas-Moody and Malachi Daly, five apiece, Donovan Jones added five tackles and one tackle for loss, James Jones Jr., four tackles and a tackle for loss and Jaziel Negron added four tackles.
With the win, Kentwood improved to 2-0 for the season and returns to action next Friday when it travels to Jenison to face the 2-0 Wildcats in opening-week action in the OK Red Conference.
While the Falcons are pleased with the start, they know the season is long and there is plenty of room for improvement.
“I think there is always room for improvement,” Spencer said. It’s part of rebuilding a program. We did overcome some penalties and we did overcome some mistakes so it shows a lot of the character of our guys and the kind of mental toughness that they have. There are some things we have to clean up.
“I told them it wasn’t the cleanest game, but I was satisfied with the effort. I thought we had great enthusiasm.”
After turning in a winning season and putting up a big effort in the state playoffs, the East Kentwood football team is poised to take things to another level this season.
East Kentwood featured a new look last season as Coach Tyrone Spencer took over the program. Season one was full of progress as not only did the Falcons turn in a winning regular season record at 5-4, but they made the playoffs after a one-year absence. In the opening round of the playoffs the Falcons had a tough 25-23 loss to Hudsonville on the road that came down to the final seconds against an Eagle team that went on to the Division 1 state championship game. East Kentwood also posted a winning record at 4-3 in the ultra-rugged OK Red Conference.
This year, with plenty of talent returning, the Falcons are looking for even more success.
“Things are looking pretty good right now,” Spencer said. “I like where are team is at right now.”
On the offensive side, the Falcons return one of the premier quarterbacks in the state in senior Kayd Coffman (6-2, 200). Coffman turned in a big season in his first year of starting last fall and parlayed that with a big offseason into a scholarship from Michigan State.
“Kayd is looking pretty good,” Spencer said. “He had a great offseason and a great camp.”
Coffman will have a familiar face to throw the ball to in senior Ahman Edmonds (5-8, 165). Edmonds was the Falcons’ leading receiver last season and is ready to take his game to the next level. The Falcon receiver corps also welcomes back senior Owen Van Der Veen, who battled injuries last season and junior Stephan Jones (5-9, 150).
Kendrick Mayhue, East Kentwood linebacker. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)
The Falcons also have a target at tight end in senior Kendrick Mayhue (6-3, 215), who also is a strong blocker at the H-back/tight end spot.
At running back the Falcons boast plenty of depth and talent. Seniors Jesse Phillips (6-1, 195), Nas Williams (5-8, 170) and Davien Nettleman give the ground game plenty of options.
“We don’t have a main guy yet,” Spencer said. “We will have a running back by committee until someone steps up.”
Offensive Line
Up front, the Falcons return a pair of starters to the offensive line. Senior Charlie Nichols (5-9, 270) returns at center, while Jabari O’Bryant (5-9, 255) also is a returning starter. A pair of seniors who logged plenty of playing time up front also return in guard/tackles Isaiah Wilson and tackle Xavier Williams. The Falcons feature plenty of depth along the offensive line with seniors Shantheis Moody and Hector Zuniga (6-2, 350) and juniors Chris Lovelady and Leland Croskey.
“I think our offense is in a great place,” Spencer said. “I like our passing game and it depends on whichever back steps up. Up front, we are not as big as last year, but we have guys who can move and have good experience.”
Falcons Defense
The Falcon defense also is looking strong heading into the new season. A total of seven starters return to the defense along with several more players who gained substantial experience last season.
Up front, the defensive line is anchored by returning all-conference senior James Jones (5-11, 270), while Junior Tyler Meeuwsen (6-1, 245) is a returning starter up front.
“Our three-man front is looking pretty stout,” Spencer said.
The Falcons do have to replace some starters at the linebacker spots, but the team has plenty of talented players set to step up.
Chris Thompson, East Kentwood linebacker. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)
Qua’Shaun Julian, East Kentwood linebacker. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)
Benedi Kanda, East Kentwood linebacker. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)
Senior Malachi Daly (5-10, 180) and junior Chris Thompson (6-0, 210) are primed to make an impact as is senior Austin Bobo (5-10, 195) at inside linebacker.
The outside linebackers also will have some new starters. Senior Qua’Shaun Julian (5-11, 200) and junior Alijah Bondon are looking to lead the way along with senior Benedi Kanda (5-10, 180), who’ll play a hybrid safety/outside linebacker position.
Donavan Jones, East Kentwood defensive back. (Greg Chrapek/WKTV Contributor)
The defensive backfield also looks like a major strong point. Junior Donavan Jones (5-10, 180) is a returning starter who can play either cornerback or safety. Senior Jaziel Negron was a part-time starter last year and is looking to take over a safety position.
Sophomore Austin Nelson (5-11, 166) is at cornerback along with junior Dallas Moody. Junior Major Barnes (5-10, 150) also is back.
“I like what our defensive backs are looking like,” Spencer said. “I think we should be a lot better on defense this year.”
East Kentwood opens the season on Friday when it travels to Southfield to take on Southfield Arts & Technology. The Falcons then return home on Sept. 5 against a Byron Center team that reached the Division 2 state title game last year. They open up OK Red Conference play Sept. 12 at Jenison.
“I think this team can accomplish anything it wants to,” Spencer said. “We have to stay healthy and continue to improve, if we can do that we have as good a shot as anybody to win the conference. In our league you have to come to play every week and if we come to every game ready to play, I like our chances.”
East Kentwood Red Storm Rookies Coach Nick Baribeau’s team recently showed off its talents at an FIM District Competition hosted by East Kentwood. (WKTV/Cris Greer)
When it comes to robotics, few schools in the state can match the size and talent of the robotics program at Kentwood Public Schools.
Like their athletic teams, the East Kentwood robotics program has large numbers of participants, and like the athletic squads, those students start at an early age.
While East Kentwood has large high school and middle school teams, the numbers are strong all the way down to the kindergartens in the district where prospective students get their first exposure to robotics through interaction with LEGOs.
The East Kentwood high school squads displayed just how talented they are at the recent FIRST In Michigan (FIM) district championship on March 29 and 30 at their gymnasium. The varsity team, Red Storm Robotics 3875, finished second overall out of 40 teams at the district tournament. They captained the team and were aligned with the Wyoming Demons Robotics and Gull Lake Twisted Devils.
East Kentwood’s Red Storm Rookies 9566 also performed well at the varsity event qualifying for the finals.
“Things went really well for us,” said East Kentwood Red Storm Rookies Coach Nick Baribeau. “We were able to become alliance captains and won our first game against Alliance 2. I’m really proud of the way my kids performed.”
The Rookies are comprised entirely of freshmen and eighth graders. Many of those students became involved in robotics at an early age in the Kentwood school system and by the time they joined the rookie team they had acquired numerous skills that can be utilized on a robotics team.
They have turned in a solid season placing second at their first tournament and fourth at their second one.
A big part of the success of the East Kentwood robotics teams is the total effort put in by coaches, mentors and the students who log countless hours learning and honing a variety of math, science and technical skills.
I make sure that we have viable programs all the way up,” said Red Storm Robotics Coach and Program Coordinator Trista VanderVoord. “I get volunteers to coach the teams. A lot of our coaches from kindergarten through 12th grade are parent volunteers. Once we get into middle school and high school, we have some more technical mentors because that requires that kind of technical level.”
East Kentwood High School’s Red Storm Robotics 3875 robot that competed in the recent district competition.
Kids in the Kentwood school system can begin gaining technical skills in kindergarten working with LEGO robotics kits. Once they enter elementary school they can join school robotics teams. All 10 elementary schools in the East Kentwood school district have robotics teams.
“Kindergarten through third grade have their own mixed team,” VanderVoord said. “Then fourth and fifth grade is the next level. Then middle school, sixth through eighth grade, is a jump up and at that stage they are dealing with metal robots and their robots are 18 inches by 18 inches cubed, so they are dealing with bigger robots. And then the high school level is mammoth 125-pound robots.”
East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics Coach Trista VanderVoord.
Large program with 331 participants, 91 on a waiting list
The Red Storm program has 331 kids from K-12 with 91 on a waiting list due to needing more coaches. A total of 30 students are on the varsity team and 34 students on the Red Storm Rookies.
The robotics’ year-round calendar
Like the sports teams, robotics has competitions where the students can put their skills to the test. The competition season begins the first week of January when the teams get their challenge and begin building their robot and preparing for the first competition that usually takes place six weeks after starting to construct the robots. The competition season lasts for five weeks after the six-week building season. During the offseason, the students have summertime skill building, and then meet weekly in the fall to work on more skills.
The building of the robot requires advanced skills that prepare the students for real-life work in technical fields.
“The students do prototypes, they do the testing on all of their stuff,” VanderVoord said. “They actually put all their stuff in CAD (Computer Aided Design), so they make a virtual 3-D. They use the CAD to use our CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine to cut pieces out to use on the robot. It’s a huge process and it’s really like industry. That’s how things are built. It follows the same process just on a very short time frame.”
Just like a sport; robotics is a big commitment
The students on the team also put in plenty of time working on their robots and their skills. During the season the varsity team meets four nights a week from 6 to 9 p.m., and then on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., a total of 17 hours per week.
Students also learn to specialize in specific skills in the years leading up to being on the varsity team much like athletic teams. Students learn skills in electrical, programming, mechanical and marketing and once they reach the varsity team they specialize in a particular skill.
Like the varsity team, the eighth grade/freshmen team also takes advantage of specialization to enjoy success.
“We have our team separated into several sub groups,” Baribeau said. “We have groups that focus on pit, fixing up the robot and repairing and replacing parts. We have a group that is devoted to just drive. We have a team devoted to building and manufacturing the parts. We even have a marketing crew.
“Allowing the students to experience all the different parts and then choose to specialize has really allowed the students to specialize.”
15th anniversary of the Kentwood Public Schools Robotics Program
This is the 15-year anniversary for the Kentwood Robotics Program.
“It’s a very cool model,” VanderVoord said of the robotics teams. “It sets them up for careers, and they can explore careers.”
A sleepover at a friend’s house opened up an entire new world for East Kentwood sophomore Cadence Geemes.
Her friend asked if she’d like to come with her to robotics and she said, “Sure … and it just sparked my curiosity. I’ve always loved tinkering and robotics is just the place for it.”
Geemes is a project lead of the mechanical group on the East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics Team 3875. As Project Lead of the robot, she’s responsible for teaching and directing other students as the primary builders of robot mechanisms.
Red Storm Robotics Coach Trista VanderVoord said though Cadence is at the beginning of her journey in robotics, she’s “pretty good at teaching one-on-one with students and is very interested in learning.
“Her placement into a leadership role as a 10th grader is impressive.”
Geemes will compete with her team at East Kentwood’s ninth FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition on Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30 at the high school (6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Kentwood).
“We expect 40 teams from across Michigan to compete and 2,000 people to come to this fun, free, open to the public event,” said Wendy Ljungren, event coordinator of FIRST Robotics Competition and founder of Red Storm Robotics in 2010. “In the 2025 game REEFSCAPE, two alliances of three robots each compete to score coral (tubes) on their reef, harvest algae (balls) from the reef, and attach to the barge before time runs out.”
Opening ceremonies for Day 1 begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 29 and on Day 2 at 9 a.m. Sunday, March 30 at East Kentwood High School. The complete agenda and more details on the competition can be found HERE. For a one-page game overview click HERE.
Always on her mind
Geemes talked about her love for robotics and how it never leaves her brain.
Cadence Geemes, Red Storm Robotics Team 3875 Project Lead. (Photo Courtesy, Trista VanderVoord)
“I’m always thinking about robotics,” she explained. “It’s a fun spot to be in. It’s taught me how to problem solve and think around the problem and go from different angles.
As for teaching people as a Project Lead, “I do enjoy guiding people. At first it was a little difficult because a lot of my friends are around the same age group as me. So, it’s weird them saying, ‘Why is my friend bossing me around?’ But I do enjoy having a leadership role, and I like checking things off and assigning people jobs.”
A bowler and tennis player, Geemes compares robotics to team sports.
“I would say it’s like you’re on a sports team because you’re so included and you do everything as a team together,” Geemes said. “At the same time they’re different because robotics is known as the sport of the mind and other sports are physical.
“I just love robotics so much because I love working with my hands and it makes me think, and I love to solve things and just figure things out.”
A mission to increase females in STEM
VanderVoord and Ljungren are on a constant mission to increase female participation in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.
East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics Founder Wendy Ljungren and Coach Trista VanderVoord. (WKTV/Cris Greer)
Red Storm Robotics consists of 55% female leadership, which is a good number compared to the global average that women comprise only 29% of the STEM workforce, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2023 by the World Economic Forum.
Though the numbers are slowly rising, 40% of girls with a 4.0 GPA don’t think they are smart enough for their dream career and 28% avoid classes with low female enrollment, according to a 2024 survey of 17,502 girls through ROX and Battelle. Rox is the national nonprofit authority on girls that conducts large-scale national research with girls and delivers evidence-based programs in schools nationwide and equips adults to better support and empower girls.
“On our high school team, the 10th through 12th graders, there are 30 kids with nine student leaders they have selected and five out of the nine are female leaders, which is excellent,” VanderVoord said with a smile. “That comes from many years of developing a culture where female participation is encouraged and Wendy is an excellent example for these girls in this program. She has the strong engineering background and is the perfect example of being a woman in this industry with the kinds of things she’s gone through to get where she’s gotten.
“She’s got a very successful business and she teaches them a lot of things beyond how you build a robot. She teaches them how to exist as a female engineer in this world.”
Geemes said sometimes you just see all guys, and, “you’re like, ‘Why am I the only one here?’ So if you see more females around you, you’re like, ‘Oh, I belong here. I can do this,’ like, that’s empowering.”
VanderVoord said she didn’t start her career in anything related to robotics.
“My education was in statistics and psychology, and I worked doing statistical reporting for an insurance company directly out of college until my kids were born and became a stay-at-home mom,” VanderVoord explained. “When I was going through college, I had absolutely no idea about robotics. This didn’t exist at Kentwood when I was in school.
“The goal was always that I was going to stay home with my kids, and then as my son was growing up he was interested in just about everything,” she continued. “And one of his interests, he saw a demo of robotics at his middle school and he said, ‘This sounds really cool,’ and I said, ‘Great, you and your dad can go do that robotics thing,’ and so that first year they did.”
The following year, however, her husband asked for help and VanderVoord jumped in and fell in love.
“I saw the growth in the kids and it wouldn’t have mattered to me if it was basket weaving or robotics.”
East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics Team 3875 robot that will compete in the upcoming competition. (WKTV/Cris Greer)
East Kentwood’s growth of robotics
“That first season was just a few kids and started by GE Aerospace and Wendy Ljungren in 2010,” VanderVoord explained. “The very next semester they started a high school level program.”
25 participants to start
VanderVoord said they had no supplies to start with and had to raise money, and had a teacher that came in to coach and a team of about 25 kids, “which was amazing that they got that much interest.”
And then 75
When VanderVoord took over as program coordinator, there were approximately 75 kids in the middle and high school program. However, COVID had just happened, and many of the kids didn’t rejoin.
“So we were starting very, very low then and one of my first objectives was to get robotics into the elementary schools in this district. We’re opening our 11th elementary school program this year. And I also needed to increase the number of girls in the program.”
A growth surge to 240, and now 330 and counting
“I was thrilled and that includes recruiting coaches for every single team, a lot more parents, some of them are staff … so the entire district at this point knows about this program.”
VanderVoord has now helped grow the program to 330 participants with a waiting list of 91, which exists because of a lack of coaches.
Ljungren on breaking the glass ceiling; “A long way to go”
“When I started it was at a facility with probably 350 engineers, and I was the first female at that time,” explained Ljungren, who’s been in the aviation business for more than 40 years in high profile roles in engineering for GE Aviation and AiRXOS, and recently formed a company called Anzen Unmanned. “It took years before there were many of us, and even now if you look at the number of women that are in engineering it’s pretty pathetic. The number of engineering graduates is getting better, but it still has a long way to go.”
It all began with recruiting more females in STEM
“Around 15 years ago, I was at GE Aviation leading the women in technology group and we were looking at how to get girls to take the math and science classes because they were not taking them to become engineers or scientists or going into those fields,” she explained. “That’s where we got started with FIRST Robotics LEGO League, then we were asked to start the high school team that spring, and now it’s our 15-year anniversary all because of trying to get girls excited about STEM.”
Ljungren talks about her passion for student led teams and giving them all the education and skillsets in technology, communication and teamwork that they can, and stresses how it’s for both females and males, “Because both sexes need all the help and maturing they can get … and opportunities to develop and grow.”
What sparked Ljungren’s career?
“I was always very good at math and relatively logical,” she explained. “I always had that skill, but I was thinking lawyer or architecture, and then my parents were very smart. They basically took me to see architecture and at that time women were just drafters, they didn’t do real serious architecture work … and my parents had me talk to both those professions. I really didn’t know much about engineering, but my favorite math teacher, my mom, highly encouraged me.
“And then I took engineering classes, was good at it, and I’m in the aerospace business and I really love the satisfaction of seeing airplanes that I help develop fly, and I’m very proud that I have not had any accidents with them.”
Senior Eva Mei
Building LEGOs as a child jump-started East Kentwood senior Project Lead Eva Mei into robotics.
“I’ve always been interested in robotics and any engineering related things since elementary school,” said Mei, who leads a team of three people on a certain aspect of the robot. “It started out with my elementary school having a program for Legos, like block coding, and it started from there. In middle school I got to explore in a lot of different fields from the programming to the designing to the actual hands-on manufacturing.
“I really enjoyed building a product … starting from scratch, working especially with other people to all create something that we’re proud of.”
Eva Mei, Red Storm Robotics Team 3875 Project Lead, has received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for the past three years for her impact on the community through Red Storm Robotics’ volunteer activities. (Photo Courtesy, Trista VanderVoord)
VanderVoord said Mei is a very strong, mechanical minded person that wants to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University. Mei has received a merit scholarship for $25,000.
“Eva’s been involved in the program since middle school, and has consistently grown year to year,” VanderVoord said. “She volunteers over a hundred hours a year to share FIRST Robotics with our school district and the community and has received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for the past three years for her impact on the community through Red Storm Robotics’ volunteer activities.”
Mei compares robotics with a sports team
“We’re all kind of rooting for each other and we want obviously to see ourselves win, but we also have to rely on each other as teammates,” Mei said. “I really enjoy passing my experiences along and my knowledge along to my other teammates so that in the future, when they are seniors, they can continue to pass that knowledge.”
Kudos to the teachers
“I have a lot of respect for Wendy, especially as a woman in STEM who started from way back when the balance was not as high as it is now,” she explained. “And even I still in this day and age struggle with some of the disparities that happen, and for them to be able to persevere through that, I have a lot of respect for them when they do that.
“With Miss V, she’s been leading our team for a pretty long time, and with her initiatives was able to break through in 2022 with boosting our stats of the percentage of women to men in robotics and STEM.”
Her plans are not only to major in mechanical engineering in college, but also to help improve the percentages of females in STEM fields.
“Right now, I’m looking into the automotive industry, but I really want to be able to succeed in a career, in a way, also as a woman,” Mei explained. “To be able to continue to extend the reach of STEM towards women, and not just reaching towards women more with STEM, but also creating a better environment and relationship between men and women within the field.
“I think robotics has allowed me to understand exactly what I want to do because it’s allowed me to experiment a lot with different aspects of engineering … but then in some aspect, it’s also allowed me to open my eyes into leadership, how to lead a team, how to manage different projects, and then has allowed me to see more of that balance between women and men in the STEM fields.
“I think that has made me push even more to want the field and the experience for women to be even better.”
With seven sophomores and a freshman on the roster, the East Kentwood girls basketball team has a bright future. That future, however, is actually now as the young Falcons collected a major trophy when they defeated Caledonia 44-40 Friday to win the Division 1 district championship at Byron Center High School.
With the win, the Falcons improved to 13-12 for the season. East Kentwood advances to a regional semifinal game against Forest Hills Northern (22-2) at 7 p.m. Monday at Grandville High School.
Grit and hustle proved key for East Kentwood, and those elements were displayed on defense and the boards where the Falcons scored a number of points off offensive rebounds. They also displayed plenty of poise down the stretch as they connected on some key free throws in the final minutes.
“I think it was our grit that got us over the top,” said East Kentwood Coach Eric Large. “Our sophomores, Logan Richardson and Jazanaye Silva, and we have a freshman, Nevaeh Eubanks, they are so scrappy and gritty that I knew that we could dominate the boards.”
East Kentwood’s Jazanaye Silva secures a rebound in between a pair of Caledonia defenders. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood led 20-17 at the half
Eubanks and Silva came up big on the offensive glass late in the opening half as the Falcons scored some key buckets derived from offensive rebounds to take a 20-17 lead into halftime.
The Falcons kept up the strong work on the offensive boards in the opening minutes of the second half as buckets off rebounds by Sophie Cobb, Jaslynn Ward and Silva enabled the Falcons to open up a 26-21 lead.
East Kentwood’s Sophie Cobb looks for an open teammate during Friday’s district game. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Their lead grew to 29-21 later in the quarter before Caledonia trimmed it to 31-26 at the end of the third after a three ball by Myla Gortmaker and a bucket by Emily Stauffer.
East Kentwood extended the lead to 36-29 midway through the final quarter highlighted by a pair of buckets by Ward.
Caledonia, however, continued to battle back. The Fighting Scots cut the Falcon advantage to 36-34 with 2:29 remaining in the game when Olivia Foster drained a three ball.
Kentwood rebuilt the lead on a bucket by Richardson and then an offensive rebound putback by Silva gave the Falcons a 40-34 advantage with 1:04 left.
Caledonia refused to fold as Sauffer and Foster nailed treys in the final minute of the game. The Falcons, however, were able to stave the Fighting Scots off as sophomore guard Aries Branch connected on four of six free-throw attempts in the final 30 seconds of the game to secure the win.
“This is special because I have so many sophomores playing,” Large said. “My seniors have been hurt all year and I just got Ward back two weeks ago.”
Ward, who has been a consistent source of offense for the Falcons this season, finished the game with a team-high 14 points. Silva and Sophie Cobb both added nine points, followed by Branch with six.
“That’s good for them to get a trophy,” Large said. “We are so young with the sophomores and its good for the seniors to be able to advance and get some hardware. It’s good for the younger kids to understand what winning looks like.”
Playing a rugged schedule both in the conference and in non-league play also helped the young Falcons reach a point where they can bring home a district trophy. Along with playing state-ranked teams Rockford, Grand Haven and Hudsonville two times each during the conference schedule, the Falcons played non-league games against state-ranked teams like Belleville (23-1), South Christian (22-2) and Grand Rapids West Catholic (20-3).
“I schedule a rigorous schedule,” Large explained. “I think Rockford had the number one strength of schedule and we were number two. A lot of the losses that we took were against top ten teams. People look at our record and go ahhh, we can beat them, but no, we are coming to play hard basketball.”
Caledonia finished the season with an 18-6 record. Like the Falcons, the Fighting Scots have a young team with six freshmen and three sophomores on the roster. Two of the freshmen, Emily Stauffer and Olivia Foster, led the team in scoring against the Falcons as Stauffer had 14 points and Foster added 11. Gortmaker, also a freshman, added five points.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
The East Kentwood, South Christian and Zion Christian girls basketball teams all won their respective district championship games on Friday and advance to the regional semifinals.
In a Division 1 final at Byron Center, East Kentwood beat Caledonia 44-40 to advance to regional play. The Falcons (13-12 overall) face Forest Hills Northern (22-2 overall and OK White champions) at 7 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Grandville High School.
In Division 2, South Christian defeated Holland Christian 59-50 for its district title. The Sailors (22-2 and top of the OK Gold) will play Paw Paw (20-4) at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, at South Christian.
Meanwhile, Zion Christian won a Division 4 district championship Friday with a 33-28 win over local rival Tri-unity Christian. The Mountaineers (18-6) face St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran (10-14) at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Martin High School.
East Kentwood basketball Coach Mike Thomas stresses to his players the importance of playing 10 times harder than their opponents to get a win.
During Tuesday’s OK Red game at Holland West Ottawa, the young Falcons not only had to play 10 times harder than West Ottawa, but they had to keep up the pace for eight extra minutes as East Kentwood outlasted the Panthers 76-71 for a double-overtime victory.
“We just had to play 10 times harder,” Thomas said. “Every game that we play, every gym that we walk into, we have to work 10 times harder to get rewarded.”
That work ethic paid off for the Falcons who needed two overtimes to defeat West Ottawa. Kentwood also had to dig out of an early hole as West Ottawa took a 19-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.
East Kentwood began battling back during the second quarter. The Falcons outscored West Ottawa 17-7 during the opening minutes of the second quarter. The Falcons eventually took the lead as a free throw by sophomore Drew Kenyi put Kentwood up 27-26. West Ottawa closed out the first half strong taking a 32-29 halftime lead.
The teams battled back and forth in the second half with neither getting more than a three-point lead during the third quarter.
The game remained that way during the fourth quarter. West Ottawa managed to take a three-point lead midway through the final quarter while the Falcons kept battling back and trimming the deficit to a single point.
With a minute left in regulation, East Kentwood tied the game at 62-all as sophomore Jeremiah Cook split a pair of free throws. Neither team was able to score a point in the final minute of regulation as West Ottawa suffered a turnover and East Kentwood missed its final shot attempt in the final 10 seconds.
In the first overtime, East Kentwood took a 66-62 lead as junior Randy Chapman scored a bucket and sophomore Major Barnes added a pair of free throws. The Falcons were up 68-64 with 1:20 left in the first overtime before West Ottawa rallied with four free throws in the final minute of the first overtime to tie the game at 68 and send the game into a second one.
East Kentwood sophomore Major Barnes (0) concentrates on his shot at the foul line. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood took the lead for good a minute into the second overtime when Chapman scored on a drive to the basket putting the Falcons up 71-69. After West Ottawa responded with a free throw, the Falcons reeled off four consecutive points to go up 75-70. A highlight-reel dunk by Cook with 35 seconds remaining sparked the final Kentwood run as the Falcons outscored West Ottawa 5-1 in the final 35 seconds of the game to secure the win.
“The guys played hard,” Thomas said. “When we are away on the road in the OK Red we always have to play hard. Even when we are at home, it’s hard winning. Winning is always hard.”
With the win, East Kentwood improved to 7-4 overall for the season. The win also was the first OK Red win for the Falcons in three times.
East Kentwood junior guard Donovan Jones (1) applies pressure on defense against West Ottawa’s Makai Campos (0). (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood also has claimed some impressive wins in non-conference games early on in the season, including a 66-60 win against Detroit Renaissance, a 58-51 win against Hamtramck and a 65-56 win against Ann Arbor Pioneer.
“The season has been going pretty good,” Thomas said. “We just have to keep playing 10 times harder; Especially in the OK Red. We have to be that much better every time we play. That’s something we are going to keep preaching to our young guys. Whether you play at home or away.”
The Falcons have a young squad this season with just one senior on the roster. All 76 of Kentwood’s points against West Ottawa were scored by non-seniors with 54 of the points coming from sophomores.
Cook and Chapman led the way for the Falcons as they both recorded 20 points. Barnes finished with 12 points followed by Kenyi and sophomore CJ Reynolds with eight apiece.
Quarterback Kayd Coffman is one of four East Kentwood football players named to the Division 1 All-Region team by the MHSFCA (Michigan High School Football Coaches Association). Elijah Jones, Andrew Durr and James Jones also were chosen. See photos below. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
The East Kentwood football team turned in a productive season this fall and a quartet of Falcons reaped some rewards of that success by being named to the All-Region team.
Junior quarterback Kayd Coffman, senior running back Elijah Jones, senior offensive lineman Andrew Durr and senior defensive lineman James Jones were all named Division 1 All-Region players by the MHSFCA (Michigan High School Football Coaches Association).
Quarterback Kayd Coffman
Coffman, who is being recruited by numerous Division 1 programs and was recently offered a scholarship by Michigan State University, turned in a big season in his first year as Kentwood’s starting quarterback. Coffman completed 56.5% of his passes this season for 1,594 yards and 11 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
“Kayd only threw two interceptions this season,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “I thought Kayd got better as he got more comfortable with the offense. He has a live arm and deceptive speed. I was more impressed with his decision making.”
For Coffman, the honor was the result of plenty of hard work put in to help the Falcons have a strong season as a team.
“It is a very good accomplishment, but that is not the thing you go into the year chasing,” Coffman said. “It is part of the process of doing the right things over and over and over. I thought that the season went really, really well for me as a first-year starter.”
Coffman has another year left at Kentwood and he and his teammates are already beginning to prepare for year two under coach Spencer.
“That (preparing for next year) started the day after the loss to Hudsonville,” Coffman said. “We are all looking forward to next year and we are ready to go get it.”
Having a year of experience in the new system also will pay off next season.
“There is so much growth ahead for us”
“Learning the new system definitely had its speed bumps,” Coffman said. “It was challenging at times, but it’s a great system for me and our guys. We became more polished running the system as the year progressed and there is so much growth ahead for us.”
East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
Running back Elijah Jones
While Coffman provided the Falcons with a threat through the air, Elijah Jones gave the Falcons a powerful force in the ground game. Jones rushed for 1,208 yards this season averaging 7.2 yards per carry.
“After starting the season slow with injury, Elijah became one of the biggest pieces of the offense,” Spencer said. “He doesn’t go down often on first contact and has the speed to outrun you. Elijah is a smart and tough football player.”
Jones was pleased with the honor and the season the team turned in.
“It feels great and I’m grateful for the honor,” Jones said. “I give thanks to God along with my family and coaches and teammates for all of their support. As a team, we had a great season and got better every game we played. Obviously, it was heartbreaking to lose to Hudsonville, but I still think we had a great season. Personally, I think I had a good season, but I feel there is always room to grow.
Jones, who also is attracting the attention of college recruiters, added 12 touchdowns this season.
“Hopefully, I will get the opportunity to play college football,” Jones said. “I’m still going through the process. Right now, I’ve been talking to Brown University of the Ivy League, Wayne State and Lawrence Tech.”
Offensive lineman Andrew Durr
Paving the way for the offense was a strong offensive line this season led by Durr. Durr helped anchor the line where his versatility was a major strength to the unit.
East Kentwood offensive lineman Andrew Durr. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
“Andrew was key in the run game for us this year,” Spencer said, “which allowed us to rush for a little over 2,000 yards. He played every position on the offensive line and was our most consistent lineman.”
Thanks to his versatility, Durr lined up at right tackle, left guard and center during the season.
“My favorite position was center,” Durr said. “I thought I did a good job at center. I feel I helped solidify the middle of the line.”
Durr credited his coaches and teammates for helping him earn all-region honors.
“I’m incredibly thankful for everything my coaches and my teammates have done to get me this far,” Durr said. “This honor isn’t just about me. It’s about my team, my coaches and my family.
“Playing college football has always been a dream of mine for a long time and this recognition is another step towards making it a reality and it means a lot to know that the hard work I’ve put in is being recognized.”
Defensive lineman James Jones
On the other side of the ball, James Jones provided an anchor for the defensive line. Jones totaled 44 tackles for the Falcons including seven tackles for loss and a quarterback sack.
East Kentwood defensive lineman James Jones, Jr. (Photo Courtesy, East Kentwood High School)
“James is a strong defender who is hard to move in the middle of the defense,” Spencer said. “He’s more than likely going to win his matchup one-on-one. Many teams we played had to double-team him.”
The East Kentwood football team made it a memorable playoff appearance for themselves and new coach Tyrone Spencer.
Taking on OK Red Conference champion Hudsonville (9-1 overall), the Division 1 District Semifinal contest came down to the final play of the game when the Eagles kicked a field goal as time expired to escape with a 25-23 win.
“They (Hudsonville) got it off just as time expired,” Spencer said. “Our guys played great; they played fantastic. They played through a lot of adversity and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
The game was close throughout, much different then the Week 5 game between the two OK Red heavyweights that Hudsonville won 35-6.
“The last time we played them we gave them some cheap stuff,” Spencer said. “They are 85 percent run and I told my defensive backs that they will probably throw about 10 passes. I told them they are going to have to defend those passes and not give up any big plays. We did a pretty good job of tackling and we didn’t give up any cheap plays down the field. Our guys were ready to play and in sync.”
East Kentwood football Coach Tyrone Spencer 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Hudsonville took the early lead in the game when quarterback Griffin Baker scored on a short run putting the Eagles up 6-0 in the first quarter.
East Kentwood shaved the lead in half in the second quarter when Jayden Garcia connected on a 32-yard field goal making the score 6-3.
The two teams then traded scores later in the second quarter. Hudsonville scored when Brady VanLaecke broke through a hole in the Falcon line and raced 37-yards for a touchdown putting the Eagles up 13-3.
13-10 Hudsonville in the second quarter
East Kentwood responded with a drive led by their standout running back Elijah Jones, who capped it with a touchdown run and extra point from Garcia closing the gap to 13-10.
Late in the half, Hudsonville extended the lead to 16-10 on a field goal.
East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
Edmonds TD kickoff return called back before halftime
On the next play, the Falcons seemed to have turned the tide when Ahman Edmonds returned the kickoff for a touchdown. The score, however, was nullified from a penalty.
“At halftime we should’ve been leading as we returned the kickoff for a touchdown,” Spencer said. “There was a penalty called that didn’t even have an effect on the touchdown. That held us back a little.”
Eagles up 22-10 after Baker’s 51-yard run
Hudsonville added to its lead in the second half. Baker again provided the big play for the Eagles as he found an opening and took off for a 51-yard touchdown run. Hudsonville missed the two-point conversion leaving the Eagles with a 22-10 lead.
Jones gets Falcons within five on 80-yard TD run
Facing adversity again, East Kentwood showed it was not about to fold. Again, the Falcons turned to Jones, their explosive running back. This time Jones broke through a hole in the Hudsonville line and raced 80 yards for a touchdown. Garcia tacked on the extra point and the Falcons were within five at 22-17.
East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
Kayd Coffman strike to Murphy-Ware puts Falcons up in fourth
In the fourth quarter, Kentwood struck again. After a Hudsonville turnover, the Falcons went to the air. Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman dropped back and aired a pass out deep down the field to Christopher Murphy-Ware. Murphy-Ware caught the ball in stride and sped into the end zone completing the 51-yard scoring strike and putting the Falcons up 23-22.
Ian Jenkin’s 34-yard field goal gives Hudsonville the win as time expired
With 1:31 remaining in the game, Hudsonville began a final drive at its own 39-yard line. The Eagles managed to move the ball into field-goal range and with the clock winding down, Ian Jenkins booted a 34-yard field goal as time expired giving Hudsonville the win.
With the loss, the Falcons ended the season with a 5-5 record.
“I’m really proud of the kids”
“I’m really proud of the kids,” Spencer said. “It would’ve been great to cap the season off with this win, but I think the life lessons the kids learned through football this year are more important. I’m really proud of them and how they competed all season. They came out and competed every day and battled through adversities. I’m really proud of our players, our coaches and everybody that is a part of this program.”
Spencer, in his first year as head coach of the Falcons, laid a solid foundation for the future.
“I feel the foundation has been laid,” Spencer said. “We had a lot of young sophomores and juniors who came into the year inexperienced and now they have a lot of experience. I think that will be beneficial for us. We also return seven starters on defense next year and four starters on offense. Any time you have 11 starters returning you should be a decent football team.”
Offensively, Jones led the Falcons this season with 1,208 yards rushing (7.2 per carry) and 12 touchdowns. Coffman led the team in passing with 56.5% completions for 1,594 yards and 11 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
A trio of Falcon receivers totaled over 400 yards receiving this season. Edmonds caught 29 passes for 479 yards and four touchdowns. Caiden Holt caught 22 passes for 476 yards and five touchdowns, while Murphy-Ware caught 32 passes for 451 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Terence Kabanda led the way this season with 71 tackles, including four tackles for loss. Donavan Jones added 50 tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception. James Jones Jr. totaled 44 tackles including seven tackles for loss and a sack. Defensive linemen Syncere Hobson-Washington and Tyler Meeuwsen both totaled seven tackles for loss with Hobson-Washington adding two sacks and Meeuwsen one. Javani Overstreet and Major Barnes both finished with 31 tackles apiece. Lloyd Nelson finished with 25 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
Halloween is just around the corner and in high school football that means the state playoffs are also set to launch.
With the final week of the regular season in the books, a pair of local heavyweights, East Kentwood and South Christian, are both set to begin what they hope will be long playoff runs.
East Kentwood (5-4 overall) travels to Hudsonville (8-1) in the first round of the playoffs in Division 1 Region 1 at 7 p.m. Friday, while South Christian (5-4) hosts Holland Christian (6-3) at East Kentwood High School in Division 4 Region 1 at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Falcons finished the regular season with a 5-4 record after falling 45-27 to Rockford in the regular-season finale. The Falcons clinched a playoff berth with a 31-7 win against Jenison in Week 8.
The Falcons have made steady progress in their trek to the playoffs while playing a rugged schedule full of playoff teams.
“Our team has gained a lot of confidence the last couple of weeks,” said East Kentwood coach Tyrone Spencer. “I like where we are going right now and we are starting to hit our peak.”
The Falcons have a good mix of passing and running on offense and have been playing strong defense.
“I think we have done a good job of establishing the run and mixing in the pass,” Spencer said. “The last couple of weeks our defense has also been pretty stout, especially against Grand Haven and Jenison. Even the Grandville game our defense did a pretty good job at times containing that explosive offense.”
Offensively, the Falcons are led by quarterback Kayd Coffman and running back Elijah Jones. Jones rushed for 186 yards against Jenison after running for over 180 yards the week before against Grand Haven.
East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
On defense, the Falcons have been receiving solid play at all three levels.
“Our linebacker, Terence Kabanda, leads us in tackles,” Spencer said. “Our defensive line is a pretty stout group with Syncere Hobson-Washington, James Jones and Tyler Meeuwsen all doing a good job. Our sophomore safeties Donavan Jones and Major Barnes have done a good job of making plays.”
Kentwood is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022 after missing out on the playoffs last year.
South Christian makes playoffs with win over Catholic Central
South Christian kept its string of playoff appearances going with a big 26-20 win against Catholic Central in the Week 9 finale to guarantee a spot in the playoffs. The Sailors have qualified for the playoffs the past eight years, including winning the Division 4 state championship two years ago and reaching the Division 4 state title game last year.
The Sailors improved to 5-4 for the season with the win against the Cougars.
The Sailors clinched their playoff berth in thrilling fashion as they trailed Catholic Central 20-10 at halftime before rallying in the second half with a pair of touchdowns to win the game.
In the third quarter, Carson Vis tossed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Kenyon and then connected with Tyler Brinks on a two-point conversion pass to cut the deficit to 20-18.
South Christian quarterback Carson Vis committed to play basketball at Western Michigan University. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
In the fourth quarter, the Sailors took the lead when Vis hit Brinks for a one-yard scoring strike for the winning touchdown. Vis then connected with Brinks for the two-point conversion.
Vis completed 24-of-31 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns and ran the ball 18 times for 59 yards.
Chuck DeHaan led the receiving corps with four catches for 93 yards.
Like East Kentwood, South Christian has faced a rugged schedule loaded with playoff teams. The Sailors opened the season with four consecutive wins before falling the past four weeks to bring their record to .500.
South Christian entered the Catholic Central game with a high-powered offense led by quarterback Vis, who passed for 219 yards and a touchdown in last week’s loss against Zeeland West. Vis also rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown. Vis has a variety of targets to pass to including Brinks, who had six catches for 99 yards against West and Owen Burgess, who caught 13 passes for 81 yards and DeHaan, who caught four balls for 35 yards and a score.
The MHSAA Football Playoffs conclude with the 8-Player Finals on Nov. 23 at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome and 11-Player Finals to be played Nov. 29-30 at Ford Field.
Visiting Rockford knocked off East Kentwood 45-27 Friday. The Rams improved to 5-2 in the OK Red, 7-2 overall, while the Falcons fell to 4-3 in the Red, 5-4 overall.
Despite the loss to Rockford, the Falcons already had clinched a Division 1 playoff berth with their 31-7 win over Jenison last Friday. Rockford also is headed to the playoffs.
Stay tuned for the playoff brackets which drop Sunday night.
East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman was 14-for-20 passing for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Jenison. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
By Ty Marzean
greer@wktv.org
East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer is no stranger to the MHSAA playoffs. Having spent the last eight seasons at Detroit Martin Luther King, he made the playoffs each year. Now, in his first season leading the Falcons’ football program, he is set to return to the playoffs for a ninth consecutive year.
The Falcons (5-3) will return to the playoffs for the fifth time in the last eight seasons after cruising to a 31-7 victory over OK-Red rival Jenison (3-5) on WKTV’s Game of the Week Friday night.
“We had a good showing,” Spencer said. “In the first half, we were rolling and doing some good things. I was really pleased with how we started the game and finished. I feel that we are peaking as a team.
“We were able to kind of have our way in the first half. Our offense was pretty good and the defense came up with some key stops. They (Jenison) are a gritty team. They have a real good running back that beat us on one long run, but overall I thought we did a really good job.”
EK senior running back Elijah Jones opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter and ended up with 185 rushing yards. Jones received an offer to play at Wayne State University earlier in the week.
East Kentwood senior running back Elijah Jones. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
Jenison matched that score with a touchdown run of its own when junior Brody Schuiteman went through the middle of the Falcons’ defensive line for a 62-yard touchdown.
The Falcons’ defensive front wouldn’t allow much more after that play. Senior Syncere Hobson-Washington and junior James Jones disrupted the Wildcats offense all game long. Senior middle linebacker Terence Kabanda led the team with four solo tackles.
Junior quarterback Kayd Coffman led the Falcons offensive pass attack, going 14-for-20 for 201 yards and two passing touchdowns. His favorite receiver on the night was junior Ahman Edmonds, who caught five passes for 106 yards and scored a touchdown run. Senior receiver Charles Murphy-Ware tallied 92 yards on five catches, including a beautiful 36-yard touchdown grab. Junior Bam Nettelman hauled in the first touchdown pass from Coffman.
East Kentwood wide receiver Ahman Edmonds. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood will end the regular season hosting the Rockford Rams (6-2) in OK Red action at Falcons Stadium for their “Black Out Game” on Friday.
Led by a big effort from its defense, the East Kentwood football team defeated host West Ottawa to remain undefeated in the OK Red and set up a showdown with Hudsonville Friday at Falcon Stadium.
With the defense coming up with several big stops and the offense stepping up with big plays when needed, the Falcons came away with a 21-7 win at West Ottawa. The win improved East Kentwood’s record to 3-1 overall, 2-0 in the OK Red. The win also sets up a showdown with Hudsonville, also 2-0 in the conference, this Friday at 7 p.m. at Falcon Stadium.
“This was already going to be a big game for us,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “We already had it circled on the schedule. Now it is even a bigger game for the fact that they beat Rockford.”
Sets up showdown of OK Red unbeatens Friday
Hudsonville remained unbeaten in the conference last Friday when they handed previously undefeated Rockford a 28-21 defeat at Hudsonville setting up the showdown between the conference unbeatens this week.
East Kentwood kept its conference record perfect with a strong all-around effort at West Ottawa.
“It was a really great team win for us,” Spencer said. “Our defense made the stops when we needed them too. We had a lot of big fourth-down stops when we had to make them. For us, the way we play, we do not want to give up the big play on defense. We will let a team dink and dunk, but we do not want to give up the big play.”
East Kentwood took the initial lead in the game in the first quarter. The Falcons struck through the air for their first score when quarterback Kayd Coffman connected with Ahman Edmunds on a 35-yard touchdown pass. Jayden Garcia kicked the first of three extra points during the game giving the Falcons a 7-0 lead.
East Kentwood doubled the lead in the second quarter. The Falcons again struck through the air for their score, with the second touchdown coming on a 35-yard passing play from Coffman to Caiden Holt. Garcia tacked on the extra point putting the Falcons up 14-0.
East Kentwood wide receiver Caiden Holt caught a pair of passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
West Ottawa scored its lone touchdown of the game later in the second quarter on a three-yard pass play cutting the Falcon lead to 14-7.
East Kentwood scored the final points of the game during the third quarter. The Falcons final touchdown came on a one-yard touchdown run by Jesse Phillips.
From there, the Falcons turned the game over to the defense.
“Our defense made some big plays down the stretch,” Spencer said. “The defense made a big stop on a fourth and goal that if they (West Ottawa) made it would’ve made it a one-score game. Donavan Jones also had a big interception and we had some more fourth-down stops.”
Terrence Kabanda and Donavan Jones 7 tackles apiece
The Falcon defense was led by Terrence Kabanda who totaled seven tackles and a tackle for loss. Along with his interception, Jones also racked up seven tackles and two assisted tackles. Silas Mitchell added five tackles and an assist, followed by Tyler Meeuwsen, five tackles and one for a loss, Major Barnes, four tackles and two assists, and James Jones had a pair of tackles for loss.
On offense, the Falcons received a big game from Coffman who completed 10-of-16 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Caiden Holt caught a pair of passes for 65 yards and a touchdown while Ahman Edmonds caught two passes for 58 yards and a score and Chris Ware hauled in six passes for 64 yards. Elijah Jones led the Falcons in rushing with 99 yards on 11 carries.
Elijah Jones led the Falcons with 99 yards rushing on 11 carries. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
“We had a balanced effort on offense,” Spencer said. “Kayd threw two touchdowns and Elijah Jones ran for 99 yards so we were able to have a good, balanced attack.”
The Falcons will count on another balanced effort in Friday’s contest with Hudsonville.
“We know they are well coached and play smash-mouth football,” Spencer said. “We have to be really locked in and be prepared to do a great job. We had a great effort against West Ottawa and got the win but we have to keep building.”
Check out the exciting clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights show of the season featuring many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
Just like during basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked
Friday, Sept. 20: Wyoming vs. South Christian (at East Kentwood)
Friday, Sept. 27: Hudsonville at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct. 4: Zeeland East vs. South Christian (at Byron Center)
Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville
Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)
Along with teaching the X’s and O’s of football, new East Kentwood football coach Tyrone Spencer is also teaching the mental part of the game to his squad. The Falcons took another step in that mental course last Friday when defeating Caledonia 41-35 in the OK Red season opener.
The visiting Falcons stormed out of the gate fast and then had to fend off a furious Caledonia rally to come away with the win and improve to 2-1 for the season.
The fast start for the Falcons was a reversal of the Week 2 game against Byron Center where Kentwood fell behind by a large margin in the first half.
“I thought the guys played well,” Spencer said. “I think a real big thing was that the guys fought through adversity. We jumped out to a 34-0 lead and then Caledonia scored on a pick six. They came back and cut it to 34-28, but then our guys ended up making the plays at the end of the game that they needed to make.”
East Kentwood made plenty of plays in the opening half as it raced out to a 34-0 lead. Falcon running back Elijah Jones started the scoring as he reeled off a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The lead grew to 13-0 when Falcon quarterback Drew Burton connected with Caiden Holt on a 21-yard touchdown pass with Jayden Garcia tacking on the extra point kick. The lead expanded to 20-0 later in the first quarter when Kayd Coffman, who shares the quarterback duties with Burton, scored on a one-yard touchdown run with Garcia converting the extra point.
East Kentwood’s Elijah Jones led the way with 201 yards rushing on 22 carries and three touchdowns against Caledonia. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
“We use both Drew and Kayd,” Spencer said. “They have both been great leaders for us. Kayd did some really nice things out there and Drew also did a nice job and threw a touchdown pass.”
The Falcons added two more touchdowns in the second quarter to grow the lead to 34-0. Coffman tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to Holt, while Jones scored his second touchdown of the game on a three-yard run. Garcia added both extra points.
Caledonia’s comeback
Caledonia began to mount a comeback late in the second quarter when Leighton Fink intercepted a Falcon pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.
The Fighting Scots continued the comeback in the second half with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns. Caledonia quarterback Brody Betser connected with Parker Little on a 29-yard scoring strike to make the score 34-14 after the extra point by Brody Siler. Betser then connected with Reed Vogeler on a touchdown pass cutting the Kentwood lead to 34-21.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Fighting Scots trimmed the deficit to six points as Betser ran for a touchdown from six-yards out and Siler tacked on the point after.
Kentwood, however, stemmed the tide later in the quarter when Jones ran in for his third touchdown of the game from a yard out. Garcia tacked on the point after putting the Falcons up 41-28.
Caledonia added one final touchdown on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Betser to Lincoln Senti with Siler tacking on the point after making the final score 41-35.
East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman completed 8-of-13 passes for 142 yards with one TD pass and one rushing. Andrew Burton threw one TD with 21 yards passing. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
“I thought this game was a great lesson for the guys,” Spencer said. “They have to learn how to win and this was a great lesson. I also talked to them about how important it is to get an early lead. To have early success and build on that momentum and we were able to do that with Elijah’s early 60-yard touchdown run. I also thought our coaches did a great job with the game plan.”
The Falcons showed good balance on offense for the game. Coffman completed 8-of-13 passes for 142 yards, while Burton added 21 yards passing. Jones led the way in the ground game with 22 carries for 201 yards with three touchdowns.
Holt led the way in the receiving department with six catches for 143 yards.
East Kentwood receiver Caiden Holt. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
Kabanda led EK with seven tackles
Terrence Kabanda led the Falcons with seven tackles, while Tyler Meeuwsen added five tackles and one tackle for loss. Steph Jones had an interception for EK.
“This was a huge game for us,” Spencer said. “Caledonia is a good team; it was our first conference and it was a road game. It felt really good to get this win. We have West Ottawa and Hudsonville coming up and we want to keep improving and getting more confidence.”
The Falcons travel to West Ottawa this Friday and then return home on Sept. 27 to host Hudsonville.
Close your eyes and imagine the sounds of shoulder pads popping, marching bands playing, stadium announcers calling touchdowns, fans loudly cheering.
Can you smell the hotdogs, pizza and popcorn floating through the air?
Imagine the youngsters playing catch behind the goalposts imitating their favorite player.
Sit tight. Local football games under the bright lights are just about here, which means our in-depth coverage of WKTV Truck Games of the Week, WKTV Journal web stories and our exciting Friday Night Highlights show will all be here shortly as well.
The first game of the season is Thursday, Aug. 29, and we’ll be there! Our WKTV Game of the Week is Sacred Heart at Lee at 7 p.m. Thursday. We also will get highlight clips from Hartland at East Kentwood, Mason County Central at Godwin Heights and Wyoming at Sparta on Thursday. On Friday, South Christian hosts Grand Rapids Christian at East Kentwood.
As always, WKTV plans to bring you another great season of local high school football coverage of your favorite area teams, including East Kentwood, Wyoming, Godwin Heights, Wyoming Lee, Kelloggsville and South Christian. Tri-unity Christian cancelled its season due to a lack of players.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked
Thursday, Aug. 29: Sacred Heart at Lee
Thursday, Sept. 5: Northview at Wyoming
Friday, Sept. 13: Belding at Kelloggsville
Friday, Sept. 20: Wyoming vs. South Christian (at East Kentwood)
Friday, Sept. 27: Hudsonville at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct. 4: Zeeland East vs. South Christian (at Byron Center)
Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville
Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)
WKTV Friday Night Highlights coming soon!
Just like during basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.
As a bonus, we’ll occasionally have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and have them join us in studio for a live interview.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Journal Website
And don’t miss our large footprint of local high school football on the WKTV Journal website.
Continuing from last season, we’ll have a huge presence with local high school football and boys and girls basketball. Beyond our fantastic Game of the Week Truck coverage, every week our sports staff will post football game stories, features, roundups and final scores and stats on most teams in the Kentwood/Wyoming area on our Journal website. You can plan on our local football coverage! Thanks for tuning in.
Click HERE for your school’s season football schedule.
There is plenty of excitement around the East Kentwood football team as fall practice gets underway as a new chapter begins for the Falcon program.
East Kentwood has a new coach this season with the arrival of Tyrone Spencer, who coached at perennial state powerhouse Detroit Martin Luther King High School the past eight years. During that time, the Crusaders were a staple of the high school playoffs including winning back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022.
Spencer and his coaches and players are busy preparing for the upcoming season that begins Aug. 30 when the Falcons host Hartland.
So far, Spencer likes what he sees in this Falcon team that returns several key players.
“I’m excited about the work the guys put in,” Spencer said. “I’m excited about getting back to work and getting after it this year playing in the OK Red. I think it’s going to be fun.”
East Kentwood graduated several key players from last year’s squad that turned in a 3-6 overall record, but a number of talented veterans are back.
Running back Elijah Jones is one of the Falcons the team is happy to have returning. Jones is a 5-foot-11, 193-pound senior who rushed for 1,000 yards last season. A team leader as well as a productive running back, Jones likes the effort he is seeing from his teammates at practice and sees effort as being a strong point of this year’s team.
East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones, 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“Effort, especially. 100 percent every play,” Jones said. “Making sure we get hard work. Everybody to the ball on defense and offense executing the plays. Just hard work and effort.”
At quarterback, the Falcons have a pair of talented passers in the mix. Senior Drew Burton (6-2, 200) is back after being injured last season, while junior Kayd Coffman (6-2, 180) is a talented transfer from South Christian.
“Quarterback is looking really good,” Spencer said. “We got two really good guys. We got Drew Burton back from injury. He was going to be the starter last year before he got hurt. We also have Kayd Coffman who transferred from South Christian. Both of those guys have been outstanding, really great leaders. We plan on playing both of them and whoever has the hot hand will keep going, but we plan on playing both of those guys.”
Senior Caiden Holt and junior Ahman Edmonds are a pair of players that will log major minutes on both sides of the line at receiver on offense and in the secondary on defense. Holt and Edmonds are veteran receivers that will be a big part of Kentwood’s passing game.
A senior slotback, Holt likes the look of this year’s team.
East Kentwood senior slotback Caiden Holt, 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“We are definitely looking better than last year,” Holt said. “I feel like especially early, summer season, we’re way more going after it. Trying harder in practice. New offenses, we’re learning them, we’re going quick. We’re getting the defenses down and we are ready for this year.”
Edmonds also is a slotback on offense and lines up at cornerback on defense. Edmonds likes the attitude of the team and how that meshes with their new coach.
“I feel like we are hungry,” Edmonds said. “We got a lot of young dogs coming to work. We have a great coach coming in and helping us all be great.”
East Kentwood slotback/cornerback Ahman Edmonds, 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
One of the strong points of this year’s team looks to be the offensive line where four big, strong and experienced starters return. Junior center Charlie Nichols (5-9, 265) returns to the middle of the line. Senior Nouha Diaite (6-2, 260) is stationed at a tackle, while seniors Andrew Durr (6-2, 300) and Matthias Granderson (6-2, 305) will line up at either tackle or guard.
Several of the Falcons who start on offense will also log major minutes on defense. The Falcon defense also is counting on linebacker Terrence Kabanda, outside linebacker Silas Mitchell (6-2, 195) and sophomore safety Donovon Jones (5-8, 185) to be among the leaders. Kabanda is one of the few returning starters on defense. Mitchell is a talented young player who also is coming back from injury, while Jones is a young player who the Falcons considered moving up to the varsity last season as a freshman.
While the Falcons are young on defense, they have plenty of talented players who are hungry to win.
East Kentwood outside linebacker Silas Mitchell, 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“The defense is coming around,” Mitchell said. “We’re young, but we have a bunch of studs that are coming up. We’re ready to compete. We’re very hungry. We want to make up for last year.”
Like the offense, the defensive line is shaping up as a strong point for the Falcons. Along with Diaite, Granderson and Durr, the defensive front will be led by senior Syncere Hobson-Washington (6-2, 285), a transfer from Grand Rapids Union who adds more size and strength to the defensive front.
The enthusiasm surrounding the program is evident by the turnout of players for the beginning of practice. The Falcons look to have around 60 players on the varsity team along with 30 on the JV and 45 on the freshman squad.
“We have a strong, cohesive group,” Spencer said. “These guys have been playing together since the seventh grade so I just think them being able to be unified, be together is going to be our strong suit.
The Falcons open the new season on Friday, Aug. 29 when they host Hartland at 7 p.m. Kentwood travels to Byron Center on Sept. 6 and then opens OK Red play on Sept. 13 at Caledonia.
East Kentwood pole vaulter Reece Emeott. (Courtesy, Nuha Hussein)
By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
Coming off a ninth-place finish in the Division 1 state finals, the East Kentwood boys track and field team will lean on some youngsters to top last year.
According to the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association, they are the team to beat this year ranked atop Division 1 in the state.
“We are working hard to maintain a standard of excellence,” said Track and Field Coach and Co-Athletic Director David Emeott. “We are very young, but I am confident over time we will get there.”
Pole vaulting a family affair
Pole vaulter sophomore Reece Emeott is playing a pivotal role in the youth movement in the Falcons Track and Field team. Reece is the son of Coach Emeott, and pole vaulting is a family affair in their household.
“I pole vaulted; his older brother and sister pole vault in college; he has been pole vaulting since birth,” Coach Emeott said.
Reece, ranked No. 1 in the state, cleared 13 feet at the finals last year as a freshman and has already cleared 14-6 this season.
“We are looking for big things from him,” Coach Emeott said. “We are hoping he will place very high in the state meet.”
Emeott also is maintaining a high level of excellence in the classroom.
“Reece is a 4.13 GPA student. He takes many AP classes, and his mom thinks he is very smart. Nice kid, needs to clean his room,” Emeott said proudly.
East Kentwood’s Malachi Mosely. (Courtesy, Nuha Hussein)
Malachi Mosely was the only underclassman on the 4×100 relay team that finished in the top 12 at the state event.
“Malachi has had to overcome some nagging injuries, but we think he is ready to go,” Emeott said. “He opened up with a 48.56 indoor 400, and this could be a big season for him.”
East Kentwood’s Evan Nikoles. (Courtesy, Nuha Hussein)
Junior Evan Nikoles has paced the competition in the 1600-meter race while shaving off 20 seconds from his best time during the 2023 season.
“Evan has done an amazing job in the distance events. He has been able to lead in most of his races and do whatever the team needs,” Emeott said.
Sophomore Jhavon Alexander has made his mark in the long jump for East Kentwood. Alexander placed first at the Aquinas HS Indoor Challenge, clearing 21-2. Alexander holds a personal record of 22-3, set on April 17 against West Ottawa.
East Kentwood long jumper and sprinter Jhavon Alexander. (Courtesy, Nuha Hussein)
“Jhavon has led us in the long jump and, as a sophomore, has been very competitive in the sprints. He is still young, but has a mature attitude and a huge heart,” Emeott said.
Building LEGOs as a child jump-started East Kentwood junior Eva Mei into the world of robotics.
“I became interested in robotics and these competitions because I was really into building LEGOs as a kid, and when FIRST LEGO League started at my elementary school I was really interested,” said Mei, a Project Lead on Red Storm Robotics 3875 team. “That eventually led me to joining FIRST Tech Challenge (middle school) and FIRST Robotics Competition (high school).
Eva Mei, project lead on Red Storm Robotics 3875 team. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
“I have learned how to cooperate as a team and be really communicative with others, as well as learn how to go through the engineering process of brainstorming, prototyping, setting priorities, and building a robot. I find it really cool to belong in a team that I could find a community in.”
Mei will compete with her team this weekend at East Kentwood’s eighth FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics qualifying tournament on Friday and Saturday, March 29 and 30 at the high school (6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Kentwood). The competition is free and open to the public.
“We expect 40 teams from across Michigan to compete, and 2,000 people to come to this fun, free, open to the public event,” said Wendy Ljungren, event coordinator of FIRST Robotics Competition and founder of Red Storm Robotics in 2010. “This year’s competition theme is CrescendoSM. Two alliances of three teams each compete against each other to shoot foam rings into an overhead bin or a smaller slot earning the alliance points. At the end of each match, the robots climb onto the stage chain to earn additional points.”
Opening ceremonies for Day 1 begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 29 and on Day 2 at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 30 at East Kentwood High School. The complete agenda and more details on the competition can be found here.
Back in 2015, Ljungren volunteered to start and lead the competition with a game called Recycle Rush. She has been the Red Storm coach from Day 1 up until last year, when Trista Vandervoord took over.
Now a team mentor for Red Storm, Ljungren has been in the aviation business for 40 years, working in high profile roles in engineering for GE Aviation and AiRXOS. After funding was cut at GE, she formed a company called Anzen Unmanned in 2021 with three others.
Photo from a previous FIRST competition. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
“Get more girls passionate about engineering”
“I got involved in robotics as the leader of GE women in technology group,” Ljungren said. “We wanted to get more girls passionate about engineering, so adopted the FIRST robotics program for not just Kentwood, but all schools in the area. Red Storm has grown to two high school FIRST Robotics Competition teams, eight middle school FIRST Tech Challenge, and 32 elementary FIRST Lego League teams.
“It is very satisfying to see the difference we have made in student’s lives.”
Similar to playing on a sports team?
“FIRST was started to encourage students, and parents, to be as excited about STEM as they are about sports,” Ljungren explained. “Unlike sports, most FIRST students can go professional.”
New head coach and longtime mentor Trista Vandervoord said the robotics model of FIRST directly emulates a sports model, with district competitions, regional championships and a world championship event celebrating the best of the best.
“Under the guidance of volunteer professional mentors, students create a robot from nothing in a short span of two to three months. Students practice skills in design, manufacturing, assembly, programming, marketing and teamwork to get the job done.”
Red Storm Robotics Coach Trista Vandervoord. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
The FIRST Robotics website states, “Combining the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. We call FIRST Robotics Competition the ultimate Sport for the Mind. High school student participants call it ‘the hardest fun you’ll ever have.’”
Vandervoord began as a volunteer mentor
Unlike Ljungren, Vandervoord had a career non-related to robotics.
“My education was in statistics and psychology, and I worked doing statistical reporting for an insurance company directly out of college until my children were born and I became a full-time at-home parent,” Vandervoord explained. “I started my involvement with Red Storm Robotics eight years ago as a volunteer mentor with my son’s middle school robotics team. I enjoyed it so much that when he moved on to the high school robotics team, I stayed with the middle school program volunteering as mentor, then eventually became program coordinator for that level.
“Two years ago, it became a mission of Red Storm Robotics and Kentwood Public Schools to grow the program across the district, and I proposed the position of Red Storm Robotics Program Coordinator K-12 (the role she’s currently in).
There are over 600 FIRST Robotics Competition
high school teamsin Michigan this year
Photo from a previous FIRST competition. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
From 75 to 350 members in just two years at EK
When Vandervoord began two years ago, there were 75 students involved across the district. This year, some 350 Kentwood Public School kids participated on a robotics team.
There are 56 Red Storm Robotics East Kentwood high school students participating in the East Kentwood Competition this weekend broken down into team teams:
East Kentwood’s two high school teams: Red Storm Rookies 9566 (left) and Red Storm Robotics 3875. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
Red Storm Robotics 3875: 10th through 12th grade students who specialize in an aspect of robotics which began 14 years ago. Led by Team Captain Nate, who manages the day-to-day aspects of the project and motivates the team to do its best under the guidance of Coach Alyssa Luna. Project Leads Eva, Ethan and Kailey are all experienced mechanical students who lead the design and building of different functions of the robot (intake, hopper, shooter, climber). Programming Captain Lindsay works with the programming subteam to make sure all programming tasks are completed. Marketing Captains Emma and Zander make sure their subteams complete all award submissions, prepare a presentation for judging, manage all branding and maintain the team’s relationship with their sponsors.
Red Storm Rookies 9566: A new team of 8th and 9th grade students who have just graduated from the middle school robotics program in the fall. They learn all aspects of robotics: design, prototype, build, wire, program and compete. Team Captain Leah works closely with Coach Nick Baribeau to organize the students and manage the workflow of the project.
Leah Bernstein, team captain of Red Storm Rookies
“I became interested after receiving an email from our school in seventh grade that brought many people to introduce our community to our robotics program,” said Leah Bernstein, East Kentwood ninth-grader. “I stayed in robotics through the years because I loved the community, everything I learned from robotics and the amazing experiences and opportunities I got through robotics.”
East Kentwood ninth-grader Leah Bernstein, team captain of Red Storm Rookies. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
“I have learned many things through Red Storm Robotics like basic programming and building, how to be a part of a team, how to communicate with adults and ask for help better, as team captain I also learned how to lead the team.”
Red Storm generally top 25% in the state
Vandervoord said Red Storm generally finds itself in the top 25% statewide.
“Red Storm students traditionally design, build and program robots that are well-equipped to play the season’s game,” she explained. “We are especially proud of our growing number of female participants; currently 44% of the participants on our high school teams are women.”
Vandervoord said Robotics is an excellent application of STEM skills, and attracts students with an interest in evaluating a problem, proposing solutions, trying the solutions and creating a final product to solve the problem.
“Our well-rounded students are involved in many extra-curriculars, including STEM-related clubs, but we are often delighted by the creative solutions that our artistic/musical students offer.”
College scholarships available as well
As far as college scholarships go, Vandervoord said they are definitely available in Michigan.
“Red Storm alumni have received scholarships to Kettering University, Grand Valley State University and scholarships through FIRST sponsors,” she explained.
East Kentwood senior Nate Moxey, team captain for Red Storm 3875
“I became interested in robotics at one of Red Storm Robotics’ many demos at a club showcase,” Moxey said. “They had a robot much larger than I expected driving around quickly, so it was exciting to watch. Joining the team became very enticing to me, so I signed up shortly after.”
EK senior Nate Moxey, team captain for Red Storm Robotics 3875. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
“By being on the Red Storm Robotics team, I have learned effective communication and cooperation skills, while also improving my time management. RSR imitates the industry in many key areas, so I feel more than ready to succeed in college and beyond. It is genuinely awesome to belong to Red Storm Robotics because it feels like its own family.”
Vandervoord talked about the growth of the students.
“I love to see the personal growth in each student as they develop STEM skills such as manufacturing, building and programming as well as interpersonal skills like leadership and teamwork,” Vandervoord explained. “I’ve seen students decide a career path because of their involvement with Red Storm Robotics. It is truly a blessing to do something I love.”
Next Round: State Championship at SVSU
Every team’s goal is to advance to the FIRST in Michigan State Championship on April 4-6 at Saginaw Valley State University. From there, the best teams move on to the World Championship from April 17-20 in Houston.
The Red Storm Robotics teams are sponsored locally by Dematic, GE Aerospace, Anzen Unmanned, Trane Technologies, Argosy, DTE Foundation, Members First Mortgage, NDIA Michigan STEM Sponsorship, Savant Automation, and Cascade Engineering.
East Kentwood senior Kanyla Tyler (2) passes the ball to a teammate during district action. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
Defense has been the trademark of the East Kentwood girls basketball team this season and that defense was on display in the district semifinal game against Hudsonville. Playing aggressive, intense defense from the opening tip, the Falcons earned a 50-33 win to advance to the district championship game Friday against Byron Center.
“Defense is what we are about,” said East Kentwood Coach Eric Large. “Our team is built on playing tough defense. We are gritty and very tenacious on defense. We work hard on defense and our defense produces baskets on the offensive end of the floor.”
The game was a low-scoring, defensive struggle right from the opening tip. Baskets were difficult to come by in the opening quarter as both teams managed just six points apiece. Senior Santana Eubanks led the way for the Falcons in the opening quarter as she scored all six of Kentwood’s points.
EK led 19-12 at halftime
Kentwood continued to apply strong defensive pressure in the second quarter. Again, the Falcon defense limited Hudsonville to six points in the quarter. The pressure defense also began to produce more turnovers that led to fast-break points on the offensive end for the Falcons. Led by senior Makayla Porter, who scored six points in the second quarter, East Kentwood totaled 13 points in the quarter to take a 19-12 lead into halftime.
The Falcons continued to play stingy defense in the second half. East Kentwood held Hudsonville without a point for almost half of the third. During that span the Falcons’ offense strung together seven straight points to build the lead to 26-12 and take control of the game.
Along with playing strong defense, East Kentwood did a strong job on the defensive boards. The Falcons routinely limited Hudsonville to just one shot on each possession as they dominated the defensive glass with their strong rebounding.
“I thought we did a really good job of rebounding,” Large said. “That is very important. We want to limit teams to just one shot per possession. I thought we rebounded the ball well.”
The Falcons’ offense also picked up the pace as the game went on. After scoring 13 points in the second quarter, they added 14 points in the third and led 33-19 going into the final quarter. A three-point shot from Sophia Wozniak got the Falcons going in the fourth quarter as they opened with a 7-2 scoring run to take a 40-21 lead and all but put the game on ice. The Falcons later went on a 5-0 scoring run to up the lead to 20 points at 45-25.
“Our defense got us going on offense,” Large said. “Once we were able to come down and make some layups, we got things going on offense. We just had to stay focused.”
East Kentwood featured a balanced attack on offense. Porter led the Falcons in scoring with 14 points, while Eubanks added 12. Wozniak added nine points, followed by Harmonie Belton with six.
East Kentwood senior Harmonie Belton (1) drives the lane during the Division 1 district semifinal against Hudsonville. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood gets 20th win of season
With the win, East Kentwood improved to 20-3 for the season. The 20-win mark is special for the Falcons and Coach Large.
“It is really special,” Large said. “The five seniors on the team, I’ve had them for three or four years on the varsity. They know exactly what I’m going to say every time. They’ve been with me all this time and they know what to expect.
“This team also has great leadership. Kanyla Tyler is our point guard and she does a great job of settling us down on offense.”
Ranked fifth in the state in Division 1, the Falcons next have the opportunity to claim the district title. East Kentwood faces a major hurdle in the district title game in a Byron Center squad that comes into the game with a 19-4 record. East Kentwood faced the Bulldogs in the season-opener in December and came away with a 58-52 win. Byron Center brings a nine-game winning streak into the contest, while East Kentwood is riding a five-game winning streak.
East Kentwood junior Jah Hatchett leads the Falcons from his point guard position. (Photo Courtesy, Cristian Salas-Salinas and Nuha Hussein)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
Playing against one of the most challenging schedules in the entire state, the East Kentwood boys basketball team has needed an “all hands on deck” approach. While the entire team has led the Falcons to an 11-6 record heading into the final couple weeks of the season, a trio of players are carving out outstanding seasons.
Senior Christian Humphrey-Rembert, junior Jah Hatchett and freshman CJ Reynolds are all turning in key contributions for a Falcon team that is also in second place in the rugged OK Red Conference.
East Kentwood’s Christian Humphrey-Rembert provides the Falcons with a steady source of points and rebounds. (Photo Courtesy, Cristian Salas-Salinas and Nuha Hussein)
Humphrey-Rembert, a 6-foot-8 junior wing, is a steady source of points and rebounds for the team. He’s averaging 14 points per game along with 8.5 rebounds and two blocked shots. He also has turned in numerous double-doubles in points and rebounds this season.
“Christian is a 6-foot-8 wing who is very athletic and can shoot the ball,” said East Kentwood Coach Mike Thomas. “He is playing at a pretty good level this season. His biggest improvement has been in his rebounding. His rebounding has been a difference maker for us this season.”
Along with being a standout on the basketball court, Humphrey-Rembert also is a standout in the classroom. With his combination of academics and athletic skills he is being recruited by a number of colleges including Wofford, the University of Chicago Illinois and Brown University.
“Academically, Christian is one of the top students in his class,” Thomas said. “He has a grade-point average of 3.7 or 3.8. He is also a great teammate. He is one of the first guys at practice and one of the last to leave. He is always helping me set up the gym and take down the gym. On his off days he’s always in the gym working on his shooting.”
Hatchett leads the team with 17 points per game
Hatchett also is a team leader in multiple categories. A 5-foot-10 junior point guard, Hatchett leads the team in scoring at 17 points per game. He also is dishing out five assists per game along with five rebounds and four steals per game.
“Like Christian, Jah plays a lot of minutes for us and does a lot for us,” Thomas said. “He is our go-to guy. He can get to the basket, shoot the three and is strong off ball screens. He can also break defenses down and make decisions in the lane.”
Although he has another season yet to play in high school, Hatchett is drawing the attention of college scouts. Currently he has offers from Ferris State, Northwood University and Wayne State and also is hearing from Central Michigan University and Northern Iowa.
“Jah is also good in the classroom and that work ethic shows on the basketball court as well,” Thomas said. “He puts in the hours and that shows in his production. He spends hours upon hours in the gym. As a junior, he is getting close to 1,000 career points and is about at 900 points right now.”
Freshman CJ Reynolds averaged 20 points per game on the junior varsity team. On the varsity squad, he averages 7.5 points, four rebounds and two assists per game. (Photo Courtesy, Cristian Salas-Salinas and Nuha Hussein)
Reynolds making an impact as a freshman
The Falcons also have a young and upcoming player in Reynolds who is making an impact as a freshman. A 6-foot-2 guard, Reynolds began the season on the junior varsity. Reynolds was seeing varsity action by taking advantage of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s fifth-quarter rule, where a junior-varsity player can play a limited number of quarters on the varsity team each week, and the experience has paid off as he recently was moved up to the varsity team permanently.
“CJ is a long and lanky player who is starting to make a name for himself,” Thomas said. “He started the season on the junior varsity, but his talent level is going through the roof.”
Reynolds was averaging 20 points per game on the junior varsity team. On the varsity squad, Reynolds is already averaging 7.5 points, four rebounds and two assists per game.
“CJ is a guy who can beat you off the dribble or shoot the three,” Thomas said. “He can score in a multitude of ways. He is also a strong defender. I think the sky is the limit for him and he is going to do great things in our program the next few years.”
Reynolds is part of an overall young Kentwood team that continues to grow and improve.
“We have a young team,” Thomas said. “We will only loose three seniors. This is just my second year here and we are still building the program. I have a great staff with coaches like Christian Craft and Scott Rawley. These guys are with me for the long haul and are into developing players.
“We have played a challenging schedule this year and that is by design. We want to play a challenging schedule and it’s a pleasure to see how our guys have been competing.”
Of the Falcons six losses this season, two have been in the conference and four have been in non-conference games. Among those non-conference losses have been games against East Lansing, the No.2 rated team in the state in Division 1 and River Rouge, an honorable-mention team in Division 1. The Falcons also have wins against Warren Lincoln, currently ranked No. 2 in the state in Division 2, and Birmingham Brother Rice, ranked ninth in the state in Division 1.
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.
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
Drum major Sofia Daniel directs the band during a school day rehearsal (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor
deborah@wktv.org
East Kentwood High School (EKHS) band directors Mike Gozzard and Sho Dembinski strive to make music a memorable and welcoming experience for each of their 200 students.
“Even if kids don’t continue in music after high school, we’re just trying to make their experience as good as possible while they’re here, making sure they know they are welcome and that they have fun,” said Dembinski.
A love of music instilled in the next generation
Students practice their show outside each day (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
The last two years have brought heartache and necessary adjustments to the EKHS band family.
In May 2022, Kentwood Bands lost their beloved director, Marshall Werling, to cancer. Through his time at EKHS, Werling passed on a lasting love of music to the students.
“Music has always been a very big part of my family, but also the teachers who have led me here,” said Sofia Daniel, drum major and junior at EKHS. “Especially Mr. Werling. He and Ms. [Natalie] Sears were a very big part of why I love music.”
Daniel went on to say that she has always had a positive experience with the EK band program, whether that experience came from new friends or a connection with a teacher.
Bringing a community together
Directors Gozzard and Dembinski continue to bring students of all backgrounds and activities together through the band program.
“The thing I like the most is that [the program] is diverse in the typical meaning of diverse, but also in other meanings,” said Dembinski. “For example, we have kids that do cheer, football, and do other clubs and robotics and things like that. It’s cool to see them come together and do one thing.”
Jennifer Pham enjoys all genres of music (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Daniel agrees, saying she enjoys being in a class where everyone likes music. “It’s a kind of family of people doing what you love as well,” said Daniel.
EKHS junior and flute/piccolo player Jennifer Pham says sharing her love of music is important to her.
“Music has always been a big part of my life,” said Pham. “I love listening to it in my free time, so the chance to be able to play something and share my love of music is something that I like.”
Pham participates in marching band, concert band, jazz band, and combo groups. Though flute is her main instrument, Pham recently learned bass for jazz band.
“I like that there are so many opportunities we are given,” said Pham. “Although you have to pick an instrument, just because you pick something now doesn’t mean that you can’t learn another one later.”
Pham says she will keep music in her life even if she does not choose it as a career path.
Finding the right niche
Raul Aquino-Gonzalez, trumpet player and EKHS senior, joined band because his brothers had also been in the program. But Aquino-Gonzalez didn’t feel a connection to music right away despite saying the atmosphere was inviting.
Aquino-Gonzalez plans to study jazz in college (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“Last year is when I really began to get into it, and I really started trying to get better,” said Aquino-Gonzalez. “I just loved it from then on.”
The catalyst for that change of heart?
“I joined jazz band, and I think that was the spark,” Aquino-Gonzalez said. “That’s when I would spend hours every day playing and trying to get better.”
Aquino-Gonzales recently formed a jazz group outside of school that performs for different events, including the school’s fall play.
A legacy of lasting relationships
While Dembinski and Gozzard work to ensure a certain level of proficiency in all students – and they see improvement in musicianship each year – Dembinski said the first week of band camp is his favorite part of every year.
A family atmosphere forms strong ties between students (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“My favorite time of year is the first week of band camp when all the freshmen come here for the first time,” said Dembinski. “We work a lot with the section leaders and the leadership, trying to make everyone feel welcome. We do a bunch of games during camp to make sure all sections of the band are one big family.”
Dembinski said that he sees close ties form between students, and knows many of them will last.
“There are a lot of lasting relationships,” Dembinski said. “I see it all the time. Most of my closest friends are friends from high school band or college band.”
A show all ages can enjoy
That sense of relationship is demonstrated in the Home title and theme of the EKHS 2023 marching band show.
There is still time to see the 2023 marching band performance (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Featuring artists from Michigan, the show incudes “Lose Yourself” and “Not Afraid” by Eminem, “Juice” by Lizzo, “Bring It On Home To Me” arranged by Roy Hargrove, and “I Wish” and “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder.
Dembinski said some college marching band shows have also recently featured a home theme.
“We liked the idea, we just wanted to put our own spin on it with the music we picked,” said Dembinski.
Picking music everyone enjoys, however, is not easy.
“If you pick new music, students like it but parents don’t,” said Dembinski. “If you pick ‘old music’ from the 70s and 80s, parents like that but students don’t. This show has a bit of both.
“I’ve heard band parents say they really like the Eminem section, and every time I leave class, students are playing Stevie Wonder,” Dembinski continued. “It surprised me a bit. But I think this show has something that everyone can jam out to.”
Dembinski encourages the community to attend the invitational and experience performances from schools all across Michigan.
“You get to see our band, but also a bunch of other sweet bands too,” said Dembinski. “It’s nice to see a bunch of different sized schools, different demographics and different show ideas.”
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 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!
With a blend of talented veterans and promising young players, the East Kentwood football team is primed to contend for the top spot in the OK Red, annually one of the strongest football conferences in the state.
East Kentwood has a deep and experienced squad with plenty of depth along both lines, the backfield and the skill positions. Many of the veterans were part of last year’s squad that turned in a 5-5 overall record and qualified for the state playoffs. All five of Kentwood’s losses came against teams that qualified for the playoffs including two against Rockford and defeats against Caledonia and Muskegon who both reached state championship games last season.
“I think we should be very competitive this season,” said East Kentwood coach Tony Kimbrough. “We have a good returning class of seniors, a good group of juniors and a couple of talented sophomores who will contribute this year. We’re looking pretty good. I think we can be in every game and have the opportunity to win but we will need to stay healthy.”
Senior QB Casey Joppie. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Offensively, the Falcons welcome back senior quarterback Casey Joppie (6-foot-1, 195 pounds). A three-year varsity player, Joppie has a strong arm and makes good decisions with the ball.
“Casey has started for us the last four years,” Kimbrough said. “He definitely can throw it and put the ball in tight quarters. He makes good decisions with the ball and does not turn it over.”
When Joppie puts the ball in the air he has a talented cast of options to throw to. Shamar White is a returning starter at wide receiver while Kendrick Nou is another senior veteran. Senior standout Stellan Bowman will see action at H-back while senior Jaret Tate and sophomore Aaron Cobb are a pair of talents at tight end.
“We are pretty loaded at the receiver spots,” Kimbrough said. “We also have a host of talented underclassmen who have good size and speed.”
The Falcons also have plenty of options at running back. Seniors Elisee Kanda and Savontes Scott and junior Elijah Jones offer a blend of speed and size running the ball.
Rylan and Matthias Granderson handle the left side of the offensive line.(WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Paving the way for the Falcons is a big and talented group of offensive linemen. Sophomore center Charlie Nichols was brought up to the varsity as a freshman and started the last four games for the Falcons. Nichols has made so much progress that he is a team captain in just his sophomore season. The left side of the line is handled by the Granderson brothers. Senior Rylan Granderson (6-3, 310) lines up at left tackle with junior Matthias Granderson (6-2, 264) stationed at left guard. At right guard, the Falcons have junior Andrew Durr and Kalib Sanders with Justin Negron stepping in at right tackle.
“We have a solid rotation of seven guys up front,” Kimbrough said. “We have some returning players and a host of juniors that will play a role. We can play up to eight guys on the offensive line and that depth is a great thing to have.”
With the depth they have, look for the Falcons to run a balanced offense with the ability to run or throw the ball with equal success to keep opposing defenses off balance.
East Kentwood senior Stellan Bowman, LB. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
On defense, the Falcons have several starters returning. Senior Stellan Bowman (6-1, 220) anchors the defense from his linebacking position. A returning all-state player, Bowman committed to the University of Ohio during the summer. Bowman leads a solid group of linebackers that include Cobb and Nouha Diaite.
Lining up in front of the linebackers is a deep and strong group of defensive linemen. The Falcons plan to rotate six or seven defensive linemen to keep a fresh group on the field. Among the defensive linemen to watch for are nose tackle Mike Zua, junior Devaughtae Greely (6-1, 255), junior Shawn DeLano, Kalib Sanders and Rylan Granderson.
The Falcons also boast plenty of talent in the defensive backfield. Kanda returns at a cornerback position with White lining up at the field cornerback spot. A pair of starters graduated at the safety positions so the Falcons will have some new but talented starters. Juniors Gabe Wolf and James Johnson bring a solid skill set to the field at the safety spots.
“We’re pretty excited about the defensive side of the field,” Kimbrough said.
East Kentwood senior Elisee Kanda, CB. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
The Falcons open the season Thursday when they travel to Hartland. Kentwood then squares off against Byron Center for the first WKTV Game of the Week before beginning conference play in Week Three.
“Our schedule is loaded every year,” Kimbrough said.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
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!
