Godwin Heights wide receiver Isziah Walker led the team with five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, and also had four tackles and an interception. (Photo: WKTV/Sam Rangel)
By Greg Chrapek Wyoming-Kentwood News Today Contributor greer@wktv.org
With the playoffs a little over two weeks away, the Godwin Heights football team continues to build momentum.
The Wolverines increased that momentum in a big way last Friday when they snapped a four-year winless streak against conference rival Belding and posted a 20-13 win. That win not only gave Godwin Heights its fifth for the year, but kept the Wolverines in second place in the OK Silver with just one league game remaining.
The game against Belding was a huge one for Godwin for a number of reasons. Not only was it homecoming and senior night, but the Black Knights of Belding came into the game averaging 38.7 points per contest on offense with a 5-1 record. Belding’s Wing-T offense has traditionally given the Wolverines problems as the Black Knights have averaged 46.4 points per game in the last five against Godwin.
Those numbers were of no consequence Friday night as the Wolverine defense held Belding to a season-low 13 points in a game that turned into a defensive struggle.
“I’m really proud of our team for preparing to play against a well-organized Wing-T team,” said Godwin Heights Coach Brandon Kimble. “It was homecoming and senior night, so there was a lot going on leading up to the game. Our boys didn’t let it distract them and were able to lock in and stay focused.”
The Wolverines also entered the game with a healthy squad after battling injuries early season. Despite those injuries, Godwin Heights won four of its first six games. Being at full strength against Belding, however, was a big plus.
“We have been dealing with injuries early in the season,” Kimble said, “so having everyone healthy played a big role. Our main focus was getting our offense rolling early and working to consistently score points. Our defense’s main goal was to limit the plays we know they traditionally run really well. Our defensive line and linebackers played amazing.”
That defensive front was led by the quartet of Josiah Cox- Guyton, Alijah Dickson, Ethan Spears and Jayden Ingram.
Another key for the Wolverines was their play in the second half. Over the past few seasons, Belding has pulled away in the second half, but that was not the case Friday.
“Defense played disciplined football”
“Each of the last few years our game has come down to the second half and they (Belding) have run away with the game each of the past few years,” Kimble said. “I told our defense that has to change and we do that by limiting them early. We worked extremely hard to get stronger in the weight room over the summer. Not just for this game, but the entire season. But you notice it the most when playing against run-heavy teams. Our defense played disciplined football, reading their keys on every play and then using our strength to control the line.”
Defensively, the Wolverines were paced by senior linebacker Hendry Arciniega, who totaled 11 tackles, one quarterback sack and a forced fumble, followed by Josiah Cox-Guyton, six tackles and a pair of tackles for loss; Isziah Walker, four tackles and an interception and Julius Hoskins, four tackles.
On the offensive side, quarterback Martellis Forest completed 9-of-12 passes for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Isziah Walker led the receiving corps with five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, while Martise Raphael had two receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown and Aidan Jackson caught one pass for 23 yards and a score. Julius Hoskins rushed 15 times for 89 yards.
Playoff push
With a 5-2 overall record, the Wolverines are closing in on a playoff berth. Godwin can nail it down and improve its playoff position with wins in the final two regular-season games. The Wolverines travel to Newaygo Friday to face a 2-5 Lions squad and then close out the season in Week 9 heading down Division Ave. to face rival Kelloggsville.
South Christian Football Coach Danny Brown talks to WKTV before the season. (WKTV/Sam Rangel)
By Greg Chrapek Wyoming-Kentwood News Today Contributor greer@wktv.org
Thanks to a total team effort, the South Christian football team defeated host Forest Hills Central 55-21 and moved one step closer to its first-ever league championship in the revamped OK Gold Conference.
The Sailors put up double digits in points in all four quarters of the game against Central as they improved their record to 4-0 in the conference, 6-1 overall. South Christian can clinch the outright league championship this Friday when it hosts Zeeland East.
“We are in our third year in the new version of the OK Gold and we have not won the conference yet,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “We set team goals at the beginning of the year. To get through fall camp, start the season 1-0 and from there to go 1-0 each week. We have bigger goals like winning a conference championship and getting into the post season.
“Friday night we are in position, if we win that game, to win our first conference championship in this version of the league and that’s exciting for the team and our fans. Anytime you can win some hardware it’s exciting.”
South Christian’s Austin Burgess. (Photo: WKTV/Sam Rangel)
South Christian gave its fans plenty of excitement in the win against Forest Hills Central as it jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the opening quarter. Austin Burgess tallied the first points in the game scoring on a one-yard run. Burgess scored again four minutes later as he ran in from four-yards out with Hudson Kerstetter’s second extra point of the night putting the Sailors up 14-0.
The Sailors went airborne for their third score of the first quarter. That was when quarterback Houston Wildeboer connected with Brody Shilts on a 26-yard touchdown pass to up the margin to 21-0 after Kerstetter’s point after.
Sailors led 28-0 in the second quarter, until Rangers strike twice before halftime
South extended the lead to 28-0 midway through the second quarter when Wildeboer ran in for a touchdown from six-yards out.
Forest Hills Central, however, was not about to raise the white flag. The Rangers actually cut the Sailor lead in half with a pair of touchdowns in the final 1:02 of the half. Central scored at the 1:02 mark on a three-year scoring strike from Kellen Paul to Daevin Hopson. Then, with two seconds remaining in the first half, Paul fired a 21-yard touchdown pass to Miles Pell.
The Rangers seemed to have momentum heading into halftime at that point, but the South Christian special teams had other things in mind. On the ensuring kickoff and the final play of the first half, South Christian’s Easton Raak returned the kick 84 yards for a touchdown to jolt Central’s comeback hopes and send the Sailors into halftime up 35-14.
“We started really fast and that helped to set the tone for the game,” Brown said. “We went up 28-0 until they finally scored to make it 28-7. We then threw an interception which was only our second turnover of the year. They (Central) scored with two seconds left, but then we ran the kickoff back. In the second half we challenged our kids to get the first stop and then score and then stop them again and they did a real good job of answering that challenge.”
South Christian tacked on 10 points during the third period. Kyle Nakliski scored the touchdown in the third quarter on a 21-yard run. Kerstetter added the extra point and then later in the third quarter Kerstetter connected on a 42-yard field goal putting the Sailors up 45-14 heading into the final quarter.
The Sailors added 10 points in the final quarter to close out the game. Kerstetter added a 39-yard field goal, while Ky Hunderman reeled off a 48-yard touchdown run to close out the scoring.
“I thought we really played a complete game,” Brown said. “I thought our defense played really, really well. They (Central) have an ability to create explosive plays and I was proud of the way our defense executed. They held them (Central) to less points than they have been averaging.”
South Christian displayed plenty of balance on offense as it totaled 262 yards on the ground and 143 yards via air. Quarterback Houston Wildeboer completed four-of-four passes for 83 yards and a score, while Austin Burgess connected on four-of-seven passes for 60 yards.
South Christian wide receiver Charlie Vermaas. (Photo: WKTV/Sam Rangel)
Charlie Vermaas led the receiving corps with four receptions for 65 yards while Brody Shilts caught a pair of passes for 30 yards and a score.
Brandon Lutke was South’s leading rusher, carrying the ball five times for 52 yards, followed by Hunderman, 48 yards and a touchdown, Kyle Nakliski, 39 yards and a score, Austin Burgess, 34 yards and two touchdowns and Jesse VanderGriend, 33 yards. Wildeboer rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown.
By Cris Greer Wyoming-Kentwood News Today Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out the new and exciting football clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights football show featuring Host Mike Moll and several games from Friday, Oct. 2.
Just like basketball season, every week we’ll bring you much of the local high school football home stadium action from the local varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Monday night! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball (Ty Marzean, Michael Farage, Greg Chrapek, Mike Moll) to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
Next WKTV Game of the Week: NorthPointe Christian at Kelloggsville, Friday, Oct. 9.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out the new and exciting football clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights football show featuring Host Mike Moll and several games from Friday, Sept. 25.
Just like basketball season, every week we’ll bring you much of the local high school football home stadium action from the local varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Monday night! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball (Ty Marzean, Michael Farage, Greg Chrapek, Mike Moll) to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
Next WKTV Game of the Week: Rockford at East Kentwood, Friday, Oct. 2.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out the new and exciting football clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights football show featuring Host Mike Moll and several games from Friday, Sept. 18.
Just like basketball season, every week we’ll bring you much of the local high school football home stadium action from the local varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Monday night! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball (Ty Marzean, Michael Farage, Greg Chrapek, Mike Moll) to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
Next WKTV Game of the Week: Forest Hills Central at Wyoming: Friday, Sept 25
By Greg Chrapek Wyoming-Kentwood News Today Contributor greer@wktv.org
For a season opener, they don’t come much more impressive than East Kentwood’s 55-0 win against Southfield A&T to open the 2026 high school football season.
The home crowd at East Kentwood was treated to an explosive display of offense, some dominating defensive play and excellent special-team play as the Falcons dominated the visitors from the Detroit area right from the opening kickoff.
On offense, the Falcons amassed 344 total yards, a figure kept in check by the fact that the entire second half was played with a running clock limiting the Kentwood offense to the number of plays it could run. Of those 344 total yards, 252 came via the ground and 92 yards came through the air.
“Overall, I thought it was pretty good,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “You know, I wanted to see how smooth we can operate and be efficient and do some of those things. I thought, for the most part, we did a pretty good job of that.”
The Falcons wasted little time in taking control of the game as they scored on their first four possessions and were up 28-0 at the end of the first quarter.
On Kentwood’s second offensive play of the game, senior running back Dallas Moody exploded for a 63-yard touchdown run to start the avalanche of points.
On the second possession, senior quarterback Colin O’Connor connected with Stephan Jones on a 13-yard touchdown pass. O’Connor later added a three-yard touchdown run after the special teams blocked a punt deep in Southfield territory. The Falcons then closed out the scoring in the first quarter with a special teams touchdown when Stephan Jones returned a punt 51 yards. Junior placekicker Jayden Garcia kicked one of his seven extra points on the night to stake the Falcons to the 28-0 lead.
“I liked our ability to run the ball,” Spencer said. “We were able to run the ball and make some big plays when we needed to in the running game. I thought we protected and blocked well, so you know those are things that we want to continue to build, but that was really important, so I liked that and I like the defense didn’t let up as well.”
During the second quarter, the Falcons limited Southfield’s offense to three, three-and-outs. The Falcon offense, meanwhile, tacked on two more touchdowns to go up 42-0 at the half. Moody scored his second touchdown of the game on a five-yard run early in the second quarter and then senior running back Ace Bryant closed out the second-quarter scoring with a one-yard touchdown run.
Southfield A&T at East Kentwood, Aug. 27, 2026. (Photo: WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood was dialed in right from the opening snap. The Falcon front constantly pressured the Warriors while the Kentwood secondary blanketed Southfield receivers and the linebackers cleaned up the rest as the defense set the tone for the game right from the start.
“Defense sets the tone this year”
“That was the plan,” Spencer said. “We know what we have defensively with the guys that we have coming back and I told them, we (the defense) set the tone this year. You know, last year, Kayd Coffman and Ahman Edwards and the offense set the tone, but this year, defense, we set the tone this year.”
With the running clock in play during the second half, the Falcons still managed to put two more touchdowns on the board. Backup quarterback Tyran Harris scored one touchdown on a 30-yard run, while junior running back Ja’Kari Lovelady closed out the scoring with a four-yard touchdown run.
Kentwood’s depth and balance at running back showed through in the final stats as Moody led the way with five carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Harris had five carries for 69 yards and a score, Lovelady added four carries for 33 yards and a touchdown, sophomore Davione Harvey, four carries for 25 yards, and Bryant, four carries for 19 yards and a touchdown.
In the passing game, O’Connor connected on six-of-eight passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. Harris, who played receiver in the first half, caught two passes for 47 yards, while Stephan Jones caught a pair of passes for 29 yards and a score.
D’Mari Love-Simmons led with eight tackles
Senior defensive lineman D’Mari Love-Simmons led with eight tackles, three for loss and one quarterback sack, while senior linebacker Chris Thompson added seven. Senior defensive end Alijah Bondon had six tackles with two tackles for loss and one sack, while senior defensive lineman Zymeire Dannah added three tackles for loss. Junior defensive backs Austin Nelson and Ezekiel Ferrell both intercepted a pass.
With the opening win to their credit, the Falcons face a huge Week Two test this Thursday when they travel to 1-0 Byron Center on Thursday to face a Bulldog team that defeated Hudsonville 41-20.
“This win was a good confidence boost for us,” Spencer said. “We go to Byron Center and we’ll work our butts off to try to get a win over there. I think the key is going to be our ability to take their best shot, They (Byron Center) are a physical team and it’s going to be a physical football game. When they throw their best shot, we are going to have to be able to withstand it and be able to punch back.”
Although it ended a day sooner than was the goal, the South Christian girls basketball team had plenty to be proud of during the 2025-26 basketball season.
Ranked among the top teams in the state of Michigan in Division 2 throughout the season, the Sailors put together a 27-0 record before falling six points short of eventual state champion Goodrich in the Division 2 state semifinals in what was a matchup of undefeated teams.
While the loss was disappointing, it could not overshadow all the team accomplished during the season.
“It was such a fun journey this season was,” said South Christian Coach Erika Brown. “From November to March, I watched a group of talented girls come together and grow into a very strong unit. They loved each other, fought for each other and held each other accountable. To go undefeated, until our semifinal matchup with Goodrich, was such a hard task to accomplish. It required near excellence day in and day out. This team, led by outstanding senior leaders, was up to the task. I am incredibly proud of this team.”
South Christian accomplished plenty during the season, including winning the rugged OK Gold Conference with a perfect record. Winning the conference title meant the Sailors had to twice turn back Grand Rapids West Catholic, a team that was also ranked in the top 10 in the state all season. South also had to turn back the Falcons in the Division 2 state quarterfinals to earn a spot in the final four.
Along with winning the conference, the Sailors posted some impressive non-conference wins. The highlight win came in the regular-season finale when South defeated Rockford, ranked No. 1 in the state in Division 1, 52-50. South was one of only two teams in the state that defeated Rockford as eventual Division 1 state champion Muskegon stopped the Rams twice. South Christian also earned a win against Division 1 top-20 team DeWitt during the season.
While the wins were impressive, what stuck out the most from the season for Brown was the relationships with the players.
“Being able to walk alongside my players for the past five months was what made this season special to me,” Brown said. “I could say the games that were exciting and close, where we came out victorious, but to be honest, what stuck out the most to me this season and what I will remember the most was team film sessions, locker room devotions and chats as a team, team dinners, the bus rides, the millions of emotions that came with such a high pressure season, and walking away from a long season feeling accomplished.”
Deep and versatile
The Sailors had a deep and versatile team this year. Leading the way for the squad were a quartet of players who earned all-conference honors.
South Christian’s Sophia Prins. (Photo Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
Sophia Prins led on both ends of the floor
Senior point guard Sophia Prins was a major catalyst for the squad. A captain and leader on both ends of the floor, Prins averaged 13.3 points per game with three assists while shooting 30% from three-point range. Prins also added 3.5 rebounds per game and two steals per contest.
South Christian’s Lizzie Wolthuis. (Photo Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
Lizzie Wolthuis a standout as well
Fellow senior Lizzie Wolthuis was also a team captain and another player who was a standout on both ends of the court. Wolthuis, a shooting guard, averaged 11.7 points per game as she had a 44% field-goal percentage and was 36.4 % from the three-point arc.
South Christian’s Meredith Helmus. (Photo Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
Meredith Helmus made 56% from the field
Junior Meredith Helmus saw time at both point guard and shooting guard. Helmus averaged 10 points per game on 56% shooting from the field and dished out 3.5 assists per game.
A defensive standout as well, Helmus pulled down 3.2 rebounds and added two steals per game while routinely guarding the best guard on the opposing team.
Abby Prins made 38.9% from the arc
South Christian’s Abby Prins. (Photo Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
Sophomore Abby Prins gave the team great versatility with her ability to play shooting guard or wing. Prins averaged 11.7 points per game, making 38.9% from three-point range and 77% from the free-throw line. Able to defend guards and post players, Prins also pulled down 4.4 rebounds per game, dished out three assists and added 1.7 steals per game.
Finishing her third year as coach of the Sailors after being an assistant the previous four years, Brown sees the Sailors continuing their success next season despite graduating some key players.
“The future looks bright,” Brown said. “We were young this season. We have big shoes to fill, but I believe the younger girls have learned so much from our senior leaders this season they will be prepared to come back strong. They will continue to grow and develop and I am excited to walk alongside them next season.”
Behind the scoring of Lizzie Wolthuis and Sophia Prins, with 18 apiece, South Christian grabbed a 67-38 win over host Otsego Wednesday in a Division 2 Regional championship.
The win gave the Sailors a perfect 26-0 record.
Each team had a basket early in the game, but then Otsego missed several layups, allowing South Christian to establish a significant lead with a 9-0 run, bringing the score to 12-2. Otsego’s lone senior, Audrey Lingbeek, responded with a three-pointer to close the quarter.
Seniors Wolthuis and Sophia Prins contributed five points each in the opening period.
The Sailors intensified their interior defense in the second quarter, forcing multiple turnovers and limiting Otsego’s opportunities for second-chance points. This defensive effort translated to increased scoring on offense.
Their defense was so strong the entire game that Otsego never had consecutive baskets without an answer from South in between them.
South Christian’s Avery Lutke had several key blocked shots. (WKTV/Pat Moll)
“We focus on that and have the saying that defense starts the offense and we like to play fast,” South Christian Coach Erika Brown said.
South Christian outscored Otsego 15-11 in the second quarter to take a 27-16 lead into the locker room. Otsego managed just four field goals and five free throws in the half, led by Lingbeek who scored nine points on three treys.
Sophia Prins maintained her strong performance with six additional points, totaling eleven, while sophomore Abby Prins contributed eight points in the quarter, including two three-pointers.
In the second half, South Christian extended its lead to 18 points, 39-21, before encountering foul trouble with players Lexi Vermaas, Meredith Helmus, Abby Prins and Isla Ogle receiving multiple fouls.
“That was surprising to me, and we know that it can happen again, but the team pulled together, overcame it, and learned from it,” Brown said.
Lexi Vermaas gets her hand on a pass from Otsego’s Mya Engbers.(WKTV/Pat Moll)
These fouls sent Otsego to the free-throw line, helping them close the gap to 46-30 after three quarters. Lizzie Wolthuis buried two more three-pointers in the quarter, bringing her point total to 12, while Sophia Prins added three and Abby Prins contributed five, resulting in totals of 14 and 13, respectively. Lingbeek drained her fourth three-pointer for Otsego, finishing with 12 points through three, while Mya Engbers added eight for a total of 10 points.
South Christian’s Wolthuis and Sophia Prins led with 18 apiece
In the final quarter, South Christian further demonstrated its strength, outscoring Otsego 21-8. Wolthuis recorded two additional three-pointers, ending with 18 points, tying Sophia Prins as top scorers. Abby Prins finished with 13 points.
The South Christian girls basketball team holds up its Division 2 Regional trophy. (WKTV/Pat Moll)
Lingbeek led Otsego with 14 points, followed by Engbers with 12.
South Christian next travels to Hudsonville Unity Christian for a D-2 quarterfinal matchup with OK Gold rival Grand Rapids West Catholic, who defeated Grand Rapids Catholic Central 64-31 in regional play. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 17. The teams met twice in the regular season, with South Christian securing victories both times: 73-62 at home and 50-44 away.
“As you get farther and farther in the tournament, you need to remain focused and disciplined,” Brown said. “You can not let things rattle you as things are not going to go your way all the time. At the end of the game, hopefully we are the last one standing.”
If the Sailors can win three more games, they will be the last ones standing at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center on Saturday, March 21, with a championship trophy in their hands.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out these new and exciting local Girls Basketball MHSAA Playoff clips from our latest Friday Night Highlights show.
Just like football season, every week we’ll bring you much of the local high school basketball home stadium action from your local varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting Friday Night Highlights show.
Bill Rohn — who served as a trial lawyer for 40 years at the Varnum law firm in Grand Rapids — calls himself a “newspaper junkie.“ Bill edited his high school and college newspapers. He also has covered sports for Midwestern newspapers such as The Grand Rapids Press, The South Bend Tribune, and The Niles Daily Star. He is a co-host of WKTV Friday Night Highlights. Bill holds a B.A. degree in Political Science from GVSU and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Whoever thought that one player can’t single-handedly beat five opponents probably missed the artistry of Northview’s Cam Ryans in Thursday’s regional basketball final against East Kentwood.
Ryans, a 6-4 senior and Mr. Basketball candidate was spectacular, nailing a three-point buzzer-beater to cap a 30-point performance as the Wildcats defeated the Falcons 52-50 before a sellout crowd Thursday at Caledonia.
Spectacular? Absolutely.
Just ask hundreds of Northview fans who stormed the court after Cam’s game winner. The victory sends the winners to a March 10 Division 1 quarterfinal matchup against Rockford.
Scoring only two points in the first half — after which Northview trailed 24-15 — Ryans owned the ball and personally outscored the Falcons 28-26 following intermission.
Ryans completed his masterpiece, grabbing an inbound pass with four seconds remaining, then dribbling twice before sinking a three-pointer from 10 feet beyond the free throw line as time expired.
Spectacular? 30 total points. 28 in the second half. 19 in the fourth quarter. And three steals in a game that Northview never led until a Ryans’ bucket put the winners ahead 49-48 with 28 seconds left. EK responded with a bucket by Andrew Kenyi to recapture the lead with 16 seconds remaining, setting the stage for Ryans’ game ending heroics.
It was a sold out crowd Thursday night at Caledonia as Northview beat East Kentwood 52-50 to win a Division 1 regional title. (WKTV/Bill Rohn)
So what did Northview’s sharpshooter, who has committed to play at Western Michigan University following graduation, think of his performance?
“I couldn’t let my teammates down,” Ryans said. “This is what I practice for and I put in long hours getting ready for that. Every day — day after day — I get ready for that. I dream of it.“
Noting Ryans’ low scoring during the first half, Wildcat Coach Brandoen Guyton evidently knew just what to say during the break.
“I just told him at halftime to go out there in the second half and ‘just be Cam,’ said Guyton in the middle of a celebrating mob following the final buzzer. “I told him to just be who he is. And that’s just what he did.”
Guyton also praised his team’s defense.
“We knew we needed defense to win it, and the kids came through in the second half,” Guyton explained. “Northview clogged the middle of the lane throughout the third and fourth quarters. The Wildcats also produced numerous turnovers, blunting a balanced EK scoring attack that led to Falcon leads of 19-10 after the first quarter, 24-15 at halftime, and 37-31 entering the final eight minutes.
EK’s early success was led by CJ Reynolds, Jeremiah Cook and Jaxon Tabor, whose combined 16 points led the Falcons’ first half effort.
East Kentwood’s Jaxon Tabor stretches for a rebound. (WKTV/Bill Rohn)
Ryans simply took over in the second half. Occasionally dishing off to teammates, he led the winners on a 13-2 scoring run in the middle of the third, cutting EK’s margin to 32-29 with 1:52 to play in the quarter.
East Kentwood hung onto its shrinking lead with solid guard play from CJ Reynolds and two buckets by 6-8 Andrew Kenyi, but Ryans was dominant in the fourth quarter, scoring again and again while also grabbing two steals to cut the Falcon lead to 46-43 with 90 seconds to play.
Northview got help on the scoreboard from Izzy Haitbu, with 10 points, plus five more from Brayden Williams.
East Kentwood, which finished a great season at 22-3, got 13 points from Reynolds, nine from Jeremiah Cook, and eight from Kenyi. The team had only one senior on its roster, so Coach Mike Thomas’ squad may be poised for another outstanding season next year.
The Falcons react to Northview buzzer-beater. (WKTV/Bill Rohn)
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out these new and exciting local Boys Basketball MHSAA Playoff clips from our latest Friday Night Highlights show.
Just like football season, every week we’ll bring you much of the local high school basketball home stadium action from your local varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Monday night! Thanks for tuning in.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out these new and exciting basketball clips from our latest Friday Night Highlights show.
Just like football season, every week we’ll bring you much of the local high school basketball home stadium action from your local varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Monday night! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out these new and exciting basketball clips from our latest Friday Night Highlights show.
Just like football season, every week we’ll bring you much of the local high school basketball home stadium action from your local varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Monday night! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out these new and exciting basketball clips from our latest Friday Night Highlights show.
Just like football season, every week we’ll bring you much of the local high school basketball home stadium action from your local varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Monday night! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out these new and exciting basketball clips from our latest Friday Night Highlights show.
Just like football season, every week we’ll bring you much of the local high school basketball home stadium action from your local varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Monday night! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
The Representative Council of the Michigan High School Athletic Association has approved an expansion of personal branding activities (PBA) – also commonly referred to as Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) – allowing student-athletes at MHSAA member schools, effective immediately, to potentially benefit from such opportunities.
The MHSAA previously allowed some PBA opportunities, including the abilities for student-athletes to conduct camps, clinics and private lessons. The expanded policy allows student-athletes to capitalize on PBA through several more options as long as those activities are individual opportunities for individual students – while not disrupting competitive equity that would result from the creations of group activities including collectives and other pay-for-play opportunities now the norm at the collegiate level.
The topic of PBA/NIL had been discussed at length with membership over the last three years during MHSAA Update meetings and various other conferences with schools and their administrators. The Council had debated the possibility of these rule changes since the Michigan Legislature proposed amending state law to allow for student-athletes’ use of NIL in 2023, and also after closely monitoring similar developments in surrounding states.
“We have said from the start of this conversation that the MHSAA could be comfortable with a policy that provides individual branding opportunities for individual student-athletes, and this rule change provides those while excluding the possibility of collectives, and boosters and school people getting involved in those activities,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “This is the essence of what NIL was supposed to allow in the first place, and we’re confident we’ve crafted language that allows true NIL opportunities without affecting competitive equity among our member schools.”
Additional activities allowed by the new PBA policy include social media endorsements and promotions, personal appearances, photo sessions or autograph signings; modeling, advertising, merchandise, sports cards or apparel sales; and the use of a student’s name, image or likeness in marketing materials.
PBA activities must be consistent with MHSAA rules and school policies. A student-athlete may not capitalize on PBA based on athletic performances, awards/recognition, team participation or competition outcomes. A student-athlete also may not involve school names, logos, mascots, trademarks or other obvious identifiers, uniforms or other intellectual property, and PBA activity may not occur during school attendance or any MHSAA event (including practice) and cannot take place on school property or be promoted on school media channels.
Schools, including coaches and other employees, are not allowed to solicit, arrange, negotiate or promote PBA activities on behalf of their student-athletes. Doing so may put that school’s MHSAA membership in jeopardy, in addition to rendering that student-athlete ineligible for MHSAA athletics.“
“The MHSAA will guard the competitive equity we have promoted for more than 100 years, and take with the utmost seriousness any attempts to break or blur this rule,” Uyl said. “We have provided clear language and sufficient guidance on what is allowed to assist our schools as they navigate this ever-changing landscape.”
PBA associated with products, services, individuals, companies or industries deemed inappropriate, unsafe or inconsistent with the values and goals of interscholastic athletics, as determined by the MHSAA – for example gaming or gambling, alcoholic beverages and banned substances – are also prohibited.
All PBA activities must be disclosed to the MHSAA within seven days of an opportunity or contract for disclosure and approval. Schools may choose to have stricter rules regarding PBA if they choose to do so.
For more details on what is and what is not allowed, and frequently asked questions about PBA in regards to MHSAA regulations, visit the MHSAA Name, Image, Likeness page at https://www.mhsaa.com/name-image-likeness.
The Representative Council is the legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five members are elected by member schools. Four members are appointed by the Council to facilitate representation of females and minorities, and the 19th position is occupied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.
Girls field hockey and boys volleyball make their debuts with MHSAA sponsorship during the 2025-26 school year. Field hockey will be played in the fall, while boys volleyball begins its first season in the spring.
There are 37 varsity teams expected to play during the inaugural field hockey season. There will be one playoff division, with the first MHSAA Regionals in this sport beginning Oct. 8 and the first championship awarded Oct. 25.
Practices are set to begin Monday, Aug. 11, for an anticipated 100,000 high school athletes at Michigan High School Athletic Association member schools.
The fall season includes the most played sports for both boys and girls; 36,210 football players and 19,679 girls volleyball players competed during the Fall 2024 season. Teams in those sports will be joined by competitors in girls and boys cross country, field hockey, Lower Peninsula girls golf, boys soccer, Lower Peninsula girls swimming & diving, Upper Peninsula girls tennis and Lower Peninsula boys tennis in beginning practice next week. Competition begins Aug. 15 for cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer and tennis, Aug. 20 for swimming & diving and volleyball, and Aug. 28 for varsity football.
Pilot program in Boys Tennis Finals To conclude their season, Lower Peninsula boys tennis teams will begin a pilot program showcasing Finals for all four divisions at the same location – Midland Tennis Center – over a two-week period. Division 4 will begin play with its two-day event Oct. 15-16, followed by Division 1 on Oct. 17-18, Division 2 on Oct. 22-23 and Division 3 played Oct. 24-25.
Also in Lower Peninsula boys tennis, and girls in the spring, a Finals qualification change will allow for teams that finish third at their Regionals to advance to the season-ending tournament as well, but only in postseason divisions where there are six Regionals – which will be all four boys divisions this fall.
Football Finals now 3 days The 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field will be played this fall over a three-day period, with Division 8, 4, 6 and 2 games on Friday, Nov. 28, and Division 7, 3, 5 and 1 games played Sunday, Nov. 30, to accommodate Michigan State’s game against Maryland on Nov. 29 at Ford Field.
Two more changes affecting football playoffs will be noticeable this fall. For the first time, 8-Player Semifinals will be played at neutral sites; previously the team with the highest playoff-point average continued to host during that round. Also, teams that forfeit games will no longer receive playoff-point average strength-of-schedule bonus points from those opponents to which they forfeited.
Boys soccer rule changes A pair of changes in boys soccer this fall will address sportsmanship. The first allows game officials to take action against a team’s head coach in addition to any cautions or ejections issues to players and personnel in that team’s bench area – making the head coach more accountable for behavior on the sideline. The second change allows for only the team captain to speak with an official during the breaks between periods (halftime and during overtime), unless another coach, player, etc., is summoned by the official – with the penalty a yellow card to the offending individual.
More game-action rule changes
In volleyball, multiple contacts by one player attempting to play the ball will now be allowed on second contact if the next contact is by a teammate on the same side of the net.
In swimming & diving, backstroke ledges will be permitted in pools that maintain a 6-foot water depth. If used in competition, identical ledges must be provided by the host team for all lanes, although individual swimmers are not required to use them.
Also in swimming & diving – during relay exchanges – second, third and fourth swimmers must have one foot stationary at the front edge of the deck. The remainder of their bodies may be in motion prior to the finish of the incoming swimmer.
In football, when a forward fumble goes out of bounds, the ball will now be spotted where the fumble occurred instead of where the ball crossed the sideline.
By Geoff Kimmerly MHSAA.com senior editor greer@wktv.org
A primary mission of the MHSAA’s 100-year anniversary has been to connect today’s athletes, administrators, coaches, game officials and spectators with their roles in the ever-growing story of school sports in Michigan.
Indeed, together, we are the MHSAA.
Over the last 10 months and with today’s 44th and final installment, our “Century of School Sports” series also has sought to tell a deeper and more detailed story of how the MHSAA has arrived at this moment. As our work becomes new with the start of every school year, and with every family experiencing educational athletics for the first time, it’s a story that must always be updated, expanded and retold.
But at the heart of most organizations is a fundamental statement. So to close this celebration, we below break down what is literally the “About” of the MHSAA – as we prepare to build on these values in adding to our story again and again during the century to come.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation …
Although the MHSAA has built a thriving relationship with the Michigan Department of Education over the last many decades – and, in fact, the state superintendent or designee has a non-voting position on the Representative Council – the MHSAA also has maintained its autonomy since its start and even before, as a legislative takeover attempt of the former Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Association led to the MHSAA’s formation in December 1924.
The MHSAA was first incorporated in 1972 and is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization. In the most basic terms, as a non-profit corporation the MHSAA must reinvest all revenue it receives back into its mission of administering school sports. Put another way, whatever money the MHSAA makes must be spent to conduct its tournament events and the several other educational, leadership, etc., programs the MHSAA provides for students, coaches, officials and others who contribute to educational athletics.
… of voluntary membership …
Through their boards of education, member schools voluntarily join the MHSAA each and every year, vowing by formal school board resolution to abide by and enforce the MHSAA’s rules for educational athletics. Membership is optional; schools may conduct a complete program of interscholastic athletics and may participate against MHSAA member schools in regular-season competition without joining the MHSAA. But the great majority of high schools in Michigan approve that membership annually.
… by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools …
Over the last several years, the MHSAA has counted about 750 high schools and 800 junior high or middle schools, or elementary schools with 6th-grader participation, among its membership. For 2024-25, those totals were 754 high schools, 777 junior high/middle schools and 63 elementary schools with participating sixth graders.
… which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition.
This drove the original formation of school sports associations across the nation going back to the late 1800s, including the Michigan State Teachers Association’s first inroad into athletic administration in 1895. The MHSAA Handbook, updated annually with rules and other changes voted upon by the Representative Council, is the rulebook for all MHSAA member schools – public and nonpublic – with rules for general topics like student eligibility but also specific to each sport to regulate scheduling and other intricacies.
No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA …
In maintaining that independence noted above, the MHSAA receives no funding from local, state or federal governments. The MHSAA’s income is derived primarily from ticket sales at postseason events, with smaller portions from sponsors and advertising, officials and coaches education registration fees – and again, with all money brought in by the MHSAA going back into those tournament events and programs to support students, athletic directors, coaches and officials.
… which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools.
These have long been points of pride for the MHSAA; membership remains and has been completely free since the mid-1940s, after the end of World War II, and member schools may enter MHSAA Tournaments for free.
Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments …
In adopting and upholding MHSAA rules as their own, school districts agree to promote a standard of competitive equity necessary to keep MHSAA Tournament events fair for all involved.
… which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.
Over the last 35 years, attendance at MHSAA Tournament events has reached at least 1.1 million spectators annually (not counting the COVID-affected 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years), with a high of 1.68 million during the 2005-06 school year. Attendance during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years began climbing again toward 1.5 million spectators, those last two years’ ticket totals ranking among the highest over the last 15.
School sports have a massive footprint in Michigan, which has a population just above 10 million residents. Sure, attendance figures likely count the same spectators several times – the same person might buy tickets for several rounds of several sports over the course of a school year – but a one-to-one comparison using athlete totals also is powerful.
Conservatively, Michigan has at least 160,000 high school athletes. Add in parents of those athletes, grandparents, other relatives with significant interest, and that’s a huge block – let’s say at least 5 percent of the state’s population have some current tie to the athletes playing at the local high school. That’s not even covering athletes at MHSAA junior highs and middle schools, coaches and athletic directors at all levels, and more than 8,000 game officials who make those contests possible. And our groups of athletes are rolling over at least every four years, meaning many tens of thousands more have had at least recent direct contact as participants in our programs.
The MHSAA always has provided opportunities to compete and win championships, but more importantly to learn life lessons gleaned from simply taking part in the process.
This work is important; its impact is significant. And just as our predecessors surely felt beginning this endeavor 100 years ago, we remain eager and enthused to play our part.
A leader on the basketball court as a high school and college standout, and then a leader in the classroom and at every level of educational administration over a 33-year career, Arnetta Thompson has been a staunch advocate for underrepresented groups in sports.
To recognize her work in creating opportunities for those groups, and all students, the Wyoming Godfrey-Lee Public Schools superintendent has been selected as the recipient of this year’s Nate Hampton Champion of Progress in Athletics Award by the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
The Hampton Award was created by the MHSAA’s Representative Council to honor Nate Hampton, who retired in 2021 after serving in education and educational athletics for 50 years, including the last 32 as an MHSAA assistant director. Honorees have championed the promotion and advancement of opportunities for women, minorities and other underrepresented groups within interscholastic athletics, while serving as an administrator, coach, official, educator or school sports leader in Michigan.
Thompson is the second recipient of the award, as Novi principal Nicole Carter received the inaugural honor last year. Thompson will receive the Hampton Award during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Division 1 Final on March 15 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
“I’m passionate about students – especially students that are not always the top of the class…”
“I just feel honored that I’m allowed to be in these spaces, to be selected as a principal or a superintendent, that people believe in me enough to believe I can help their students become better people and reach their goals,” Thompson said. “The rewarding part is seeing those students that you reconnect with or those you stay connected with and see what their paths in life become as a result of crossing paths with me.
“I’m passionate about students – especially students that are not always the top of the class, not the typical student – and helping guide them with the resources and with people that look like them and then opportunities to do some things they hadn’t done and didn’t even think they could do.”
Thompson is in her second school year as superintendent of Godfrey-Lee schools. She previously served 20 years in Grand Rapids Public Schools – as a teacher for six, then as an athletic director, assistant principal, instructional assistant principal and K-8 principal – and also served as an elementary curriculum specialist for Muskegon Public Schools and in multiple roles in the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System including as superintendent during the 2021-22 school year. She began her professional career as a teacher in Memphis City, Tenn., schools after graduating from Tennessee Tech University.
She is a two-time appointee to the MHSAA Representative Council – previously serving from 2009-13 and currently a two-year term.
“Arnetta Thompson’s work to empower her students and those who have worked for her and with her is simply inspiring,” said MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl. “She has brought compassion and vision to every district with which she’s served. The Hampton Award recognizes promotion and advancement of underrepresented groups within interscholastic athletics, and Arnetta has continuously provided leadership in that area including now during a second tenure on the MHSAA Representative Council.”
Thompson earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education biology from Tennessee Tech in 1990, and her master’s in education with a concentration in educational leadership from Western Michigan University in 2001. She went on to also earn an educational specialist degree from Grand Valley State University in 2011 and her doctorate in philosophy from Eastern Michigan University in 2017.
During six years teaching at Memphis City, Thompson also served as varsity head coach of the girls basketball, volleyball and track & field teams. Coming to Grand Rapids Public Schools in 1997, she served as a lead teacher at Grand Rapids Union’s alternative high school, then as athletic director and assistant principal at Grand Rapids Creston. She also served as an assistant girls basketball coach at Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills for one season and coached the Grand Rapids Central varsity for four.
Achieved 8 varsity letters at Ottawa Hills and played basketball at Tennessee Tech
Thompson earned eight varsity letters across three sports for Ottawa Hills before graduating in 1985, garnering all-state recognition in basketball and all-city in volleyball and also competing in track & field. She then played four seasons of basketball at Tennessee Tech, starting on the team that reached the NCAA Tournament in 1988-89. Thompson has been married to her husband Willie for more than 30 years. They have two daughters, Daenetta Joseph and Arnell Thompson.
By Cris Greer WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director greer@wktv.org
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.
Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.
With the high school basketball season heading into the home stretch, the Wyoming Wolves basketball team is shifting into high gear. The Wolves found another gear Friday evening when they traveled to West Catholic and came away with a 78-52 win.
The win was the eighth in the last 11 games for the Wolves, who began the season 0-3. While it took Wyoming a few games to get their footing, the Wolves have been steadily improving and have been putting up some impressive numbers both on offense and defense.
“I thought we did a lot of things really well,” said Wyoming Coach Thom Vander Klay. “The kids are coming around as far as picking up what we are trying to do. They are trusting their teammates. Early in the season we were beginning to gel and now we feel like we are starting to hit our stride and we feel like we are getting closer and closer to our potential.”
Wyoming came out firing on all cylinders during Friday’s game. The Wolves jumped out to a 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. They started the second quarter with a bang as Taeshon Wilson scored the first Wyoming points of the quarter with a crowd-pleasing breakaway dunk. Up 27-20 late in the quarter, the Wolves closed out the first half with an 11-0 scoring run to take a 38-20 lead into halftime.
Offense is one area where they’re showing steady progress this season. The 78 points the Wolves scored Friday was the second-highest team total of the season and they have scored 60-plus points in nine games so far. Wyoming likes to play at a fast pace and the Wolves did a solid job of running the floor against West Catholic scoring a high volume of points off the fast break.
“I think part of the getting up and down is the trust of our teammates,” Vander Klay said. “The fact that they will catch it, the fact that they will run the floor and the fact that they will finish, and if not then we will crash the glass. Our kids are starting to develop that team chemistry on offense.”
Warren Williams (10) scored nine points for Wyoming. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
After halftime, the Wolves opened up a 45-20 lead as the Wyoming defense held West Catholic without a point until the 4:59 mark of the third quarter.
Along with progress on offense, the Wolves have been making strides defensively and that was evident against West Catholic.
“I thought we played harder,” Vander Klay said. “We stopped what they were trying to do offensively. Especially with as many possessions as there are in our games, we have to work pretty hard on defense. We are working on that too.”
Wyoming led 59-39 at the end of the third and kept up the pace in the final quarter to end with a 26-point edge.
Brayden Williams led Wyoming with 16 points, while Josh Guevara and Taeshon Wilson added 11. Avonte Wiggins, Warren Williams and Jack Hogan added nine each.
Wyoming’s Avonte’ Wiggins (2) brings the ball past half court during the game at West Catholic. Wiggins scored nine points. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)
“All of our kids can play,” Vander Klay said. “The truth is, sometimes when a coach makes a sub, it might be just a tiniest little bit that one kid is a little better, but I can close my eyes and just point to somebody on the bench. We are very deep. We have a lot of good players, so when we sub, when the benches clear, that is usually to our advantage.”
With the win, Wyoming improved to 8-6 overall and 3-2 in the OK Gold. Wyoming returns to action Monday when it travels to play conference rival Grand Rapids Union. The Wolves then host Holland Christian on Tuesday for our WKTV Truck Game of the Week.
Nearly 100,000 Michigan high school student-athletes are anticipated to begin Fall 2024 practices on Monday, Aug. 12, across nine sports for which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors postseason tournaments.
The fall season includes the most played sports for both boys and girls; 35,174 football players and 19,119 girls volleyball players competed during the Fall 2023 season. Teams in those sports will be joined by competitors in girls and boys cross country, Lower Peninsula girls golf, boys soccer, Lower Peninsula girls swimming & diving, Upper Peninsula girls tennis and Lower Peninsula boys tennis in beginning practice next week.
Competition begins Aug. 16 for cross country, golf, soccer and tennis, Aug. 21 for swimming & diving and volleyball, and Aug. 29 for varsity football. Football teams at all levels must have 12 days of preseason practice – over a period of 16 calendar days – before their first game.
In girls volleyball this season, for the first time, the top two teams in each District bracket will be seeded based on Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) that take into account a team’s regular-season success and strength of schedule. Those two seeded teams will be determined the Sunday prior to the final week of the regular season and placed on opposite sides of their District brackets.
Boys soccer also will see a slight change to its seeding this fall, as the entire bracket will be seeded based on MPR, not just the top two teams as in previous seasons.
The 11-Player Football Finals schedule at Ford Field also will have a slightly different lineup and earlier start times. On both Friday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30, the first games of the day will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the final games of both days slated to start at 7 p.m. On Nov. 29, Division 8 at 9:30 a.m. will be followed by Division 4 at 12:30 p.m., Division 6 at 4 p.m. and Division 2 at 7 p.m. to conclude the day. On Nov. 30, Division 7 kicks off at 9:30 a.m., followed by Division 3 at 12:30 p.m., Division 5 at 4 p.m. and Division 1 at 7 p.m. to finish the weekend.
A few more game-action rule changes will be quickly noticeable to participants and spectators.
In football, uniforms now must have clear contrast between the colors of the jersey body and numbers; for example, white numbers with blue outline on a white jersey are no longer allowed. The visiting teams must wear white uniforms, and home teams must wear dark jerseys that clearly contrast with white.
In soccer, the eight-goal differential rule remains but with the addition of a running clock during the first half if the differential reaches eight.
In volleyball, line judges beginning this fall will switch sides of the court between sets.
The 2024 Fall campaign culminates with postseason tournaments beginning with the Upper Peninsula Girls Tennis Finals during the week of Sept. 30 and wrapping up with the 11-Player Football Finals on Nov. 29 and 30.
Participation in Michigan High School Athletic Association-sponsored sports rose for the third-straight school year in 2023-24 – this time by nearly one percent – and continued to do so despite another 2-percent decrease in school enrollment among the MHSAA’s 754 member high schools.
A total of 270,664 participants were counted across the 28 sports for which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments – a 0.97-percent increase from 2022-23, despite a 1.8-percent decrease in MHSAA member school enrollment. Boys participation rose 1.1 percent to 158,260, despite a 1.8 percent decrease in boys enrollment. Girls participation rose 0.7 percent to 112,377, while girls enrollment dipped 1.9 percent from the previous school year.
Boys total highest since 2018-19 school year at 158,260 participants
MHSAA participation totals count students once for each sport in which they participate, meaning students who are multiple-sport athletes are counted more than once. The boys participation total for 2023-24 was its highest since 2018-19, predating the sharp decrease brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020-21 school year.
Girls golf and lacrosse growing
Only 11 sports saw increases in participation during 2023-24 – compared to 18 sports that reported increases between 2021-22 and 2022-23. However, two sports set participation records this past school year. Girls golf reported 3,936 athletes, an increase of 6.2 percent from the previous year and that sport’s most since 2002-03. Girls lacrosse broke its record set in 2019-20 with 3,245 athletes, up nine-tenths of a percent from the previous year.
Large wrestling increase attributable to another jump in girls participation (39 percent)
Wrestling reported the largest increase in participation for the second-straight school year, this time by 12.8 percent with 11,814 athletes – and the rise again mostly attributable to the rapid growth in girls participation in the sport, which jumped another 39 percent with 1,216 wrestlers this past season. Girls tennis enjoyed the next largest participation jump, increasing 9.1 percent with 8,911 athletes, that sport’s most since 2018-19.
Both girls and boys track & field increased for the third-straight year, girls by 5.2 percent to 17,325 competitors and boys 2.9 percent to 23,888. Boys lacrosse (up 3.9 percent to 5,236 athletes) and boys golf (up 3.3 percent to 7,222) also joined their girls counterparts in those sports in trending upward.
Football remains most-played sport statewide at 35,174 participants
Boys soccer (up 5.1 percent to 13,953 athletes), girls competitive cheer (3.9 percent to 6,172) and football (11 and 8-player combined – 0.5 percent to 35,174) also showed increases. Football remains the most-played sport statewide with more than 11,000 more athletes than the next highest, boys track & field, and the 2023-24 football participation total was that sport’s highest since 2018-19. Boys basketball (20,199 participants), girls volleyball (19,119) and girls track & field ranked third through fifth, respectively, among the state’s most-played sports this past school year.
Although 17 sports saw lower participation in 2023-24 than the previous year, five experienced decreases smaller than the overall 1.8-percent loss in enrollment at member schools – boys ice hockey (-0.03 percent with just one fewer participant than in 2022-23), girls soccer (-0.3 percent), girls volleyball (-0.8 percent), boys tennis (-1.2 percent), boys cross country (-1.3 percent) and girls softball (-1.5 percent). Girls cross country just missed that line with only a 1.9-percent decrease from the previous year.
The participation figures are gathered annually from MHSAA member schools to submit to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for compiling of its national participation survey. Results of Michigan surveys from the 2000-01 school year to present may be viewed on the MHSAA Website – www.mhsaa.com – by clicking on Schools > Administrators > Sports Participation Listing.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association is accepting registrations online or by mail for game officials for the 2024-25 school year.
The MHSAA registered approximately 8,700 officials for the 2023-24 school year, an increase of nearly five percent over 2022-23 as the ranks continue to build back toward pre-COVID totals.
All officials who register may sign up for up to two sports as part of their registration. Officials also will receive membership in the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), which comes with a variety of educational and training resources and the NASO’s Shield liability insurance that will provide $6 million in coverage for officials while they are working both MHSAA and non-MHSAA events.
For new and returning officials, a $70 fee covers registration for up to two sports. Officials may register for additional sports at $16 per sport.
To avoid a $30 late fee, all fall sport registration applications must be received by Aug. 19, 2024. Winter sports registrations must be received by Nov. 18 to avoid the late fee, and spring sports registrations must be received by March 24, 2025.
Online registration can be accessed by clicking “Officials” on the home page of the MHSAA Website at https://www.mhsaa.com. More information about officials registration may be obtained by contacting the MHSAA by phone at 517-332-5046 or by e-mail at register@mhsaa.com
There is an officials’ registration test for first-time officials and officials who were not registered during the past school year, derived from the MHSAA Officials Guidebook. New officials and those who didn’t officiate during 2023-24 also must complete the online MHSAA Principles of Officiating course. Additional exams must be taken by those registering for football or basketball for the first time or those who were not registered for those sports during the previous school year. Links to the Officials Guidebook, Principles of Officiating presentation and the football and basketball mechanics manuals can be found by following the “New Officials” link on the Officials page of the MHSAA Website.
Officiating opportunities for students
There also are opportunities to officiate for students at least 14 years old and in grades 9-12 through the MHSAA Legacy Program. Juniors and seniors may officiate subvarsity contests, while freshmen and sophomores may officiate contests at the middle school/junior high levels. Mentor officials will work events with Legacy participants to provide guidance and support. Find information on the Legacy Program by clicking “Officials Registration” on the Officials page of the MHSAA Website and following the “Legacy Program” link.
The East Kentwood softball team opened state tournament action with a 2-0 win against conference-rival Grandville. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
While the season hasn’t gone entirely according to plan for the East Kentwood softball team, the Falcons have continued to battle and that persistence continues to pay off.
The Falcons, who have played around the .500 mark this season, have faced a rugged schedule and have had to deal with several key injuries. Despite the hurdles, East Kentwood has remained focused and competitive and picked up a big win to kick off the post-season by defeating O-K Red Conference rival Grandville 2-0 in the opening district game.
“We were very excited for the 2023 season with many returning players, although only three seniors,” said East Kentwood coach Owen Fletke. “We lost two of our senior starters (Landrie Fridsma and Taylor Barnes) the second week of the season. Two of our pitchers, Liz Davis and Jaycie Gasper, have been injured off and on all season. We’ve had a number of other injuries, like concussions and strains, that have really impacted our ability to have a consistent lineup with experienced players.
We’ve brought three freshmen up from our junior varsity team, two of whom (Riley Smith and Meredith Antonovich) are still on varsity. Overall, our record is now 16-19, not what we expected or anticipated, but we continue to fight and compete with the players we have.”
East Kentwood senior Landrie Fridsma will continue her career at Kalamazoo College. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
That competitive spirit was evident in the opening district game against a Grandville team that came into the post-season with a 23-12 record and defeated East Kentwood in two of the three league matchups this season.
East Kentwood was led this season by its trio of seniors. Aalana Kimble, who will be attending Saginaw Valley State University to continue her career as a student athlete, has been a leader of the Falcon offense and heads up the pitching staff.
“Aalana is the ace of our pitching staff and offensive leader on our team,” Fletke said. “She is a four-year varsity player and school record-holder in many categories.”
Fridsma is an offensive leader and second baseman who will be continuing her career at Kalamazoo College.
“Landrie partially tore a hamstring in week two and has just returned,” Fletke said. “She is a four-year starter and is our other offensive catalyst. She is our team captain and best power hitter.”
Like Fridsma, injuries have dashed the senior season for Barnes as well.
“Taylor tore her knee in the same game Landrie was injured in,” Fletke said. “Taylor was our starting leftfielder. Even though Taylor was not able to play, she was at every practice and game, cheering and coaching from the dugout. She provided us with incredible leadership.”
The junior class has stepped up and provided strong play throughout the season with several juniors playing key roles.
“We’ve received solid play from our juniors,” Fletke said. “Catcher Emily Visser, first baseman Kaleigh Higgs and third baseman Ashley Matejovitz have stepped up. Sophomore shortstop Kayla Finlaw has done a fine job there and freshman Natalie McCune has been a great surprise in the outfield and infield wherever she’s been needed.”
The Falcons have also received strong play from even more of their young players.
East Kentwood senior Aalana Kimble is a leader at the plate and in the pitching circle for the Falcons. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
“When healthy, junior pitcher Liz Davis has done a great job as has freshman pitcher Jaycie Gasper,” Fletke said. “We’ve also received great help from freshman Riley Smith, sophomore Josie Manning and junior Allie Cahill.”
Davis is another Falcon who will play college softball in the future as the junior pitcher has verbally committed to the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Along with solid play on the field, the Falcon softball players get the job done in the classroom. The team grade point average is 3.5.
Jacob Pewee won both the 100m and long jump in the Alliance League championship. (Courtesy, Grand River Prep)
By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org
As a youngster, Grand River Prep sprinter Jacob Pewee was told he was fast.
“As a kid, I was always fast,” said Pewee, a senior at GRP. “Many of my friends let me know that. In general, I just enjoy running as it is one of my favorite things to do so I decided to put my skills to the test by joining track and field.
“I wish I would have joined sooner because I would be a lot farther than I am now despite my current accomplishments.”
Most recently, Pewee was the conference champion in the 100m sprint (11.50 seconds and the long jump (18 feet, 7 inches). He also was third in conference in the 200m and a member of the 4x400m relay team that placed second in school history. The boys team finished third overall in the Alliance League.
Pewee broke the 100m school record (11.50, regional qualifier) and the 200 record at 23.86. He also ranks fourth in school history in the long jump and sixth in school history in the open 400m. Last season he won all-region honors in the long jump.
“The very first time I participated in track and field was in sixth grade when I was about 12 years old,” said Pewee, who played varsity basketball as a junior. “When I moved to Michigan from Iowa and entered high school I decided to get back into it my junior year and am currently doing it as a senior. I’ve been loving it ever since.
“One of my favorite events is the 100-meter dash. I enjoy putting in the work during practice and applying it by going all out on the track. It leaves little room for error and is highly competitive which I love. Running against people around my skill level not only humbles me, but also pushes me to greater heights because I’ve always believed I can do good no matter what.”
Pewee was accepted to attend Grand Valley State University, but is still deciding if he’ll run track there.
“Judging by my performance and how quickly I’m improving in such a short time I think it’s inevitable.”
GRP track and field Coach Seth Pronger spoke highly of his leader
“Jacob has always been one of my most energetic and hardworking athletes in my time here,” Pronger said. “He’s embraced his role as a team leader as someone who uplifts the team and centralizes his teammates’ focus not only through his words, but through his actions as well. He’s always humble and regardless of the result of his competitions, he fist bumps all of the competitors in his heat.
“Jacob has an infectiously positive energy that carries through the entire team. He has more than earned his teammates’ respect on a personal and athletic level. As talented of an athlete as he is, it’s his superlative character that makes him the perfect leader for this team.”
Pronger said he’s relentless in working towards his goals
“Jacob pushes his limits in practice and has an acute attention to detail to make sure he is performing at the highest level,” Pronger explained. “No matter how tired he is, he will always go all out and finish his races and workouts even stronger than he started them.
“At his current trajectory, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Jacob qualify for the state meet and continue to further extend his school records and decorated track career here at Grand River Prep.”
Get an early glimpse of our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show with these exciting clips and interviews from our Tuesday WKTV Game of the Week: Muskegon Catholic Central at Lee boys. The Legends beat visiting MCC 69-58 to stay atop the Alliance League at 5-0, 15-1 overall.
Be sure to watch the complete FNH show on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Comcast Channel 25 and ATT U-verse Channel 99.
After winning a state championship last season, Tri-unity tipped off 2022-23 with a 55-22 win over Muskegon Orchard View. (pxhere.com)
By Zach Fanko
WKTV Contributor
Despite a sluggish start offensively, Tri-unity Christian found its rhythm in the second half to pull away from Muskegon Orchard View 52-22 in its season opener Tuesday.
Without two returning key starters from a 2021-22 D-4 state championship, as well as last season’s leading scorer and Division 4 player of the year Brady Titus, the Defenders spread the scoring load out as Owen Rosendall led the way with 11 points.
“I really liked how we shared the ball tonight,” Tri-unity coach Mark Keeler said. “We have some really good players, but no dominant scorers yet like we had in Brady.”
Returning guard Jordan Vanklompenberg missed tonight’s game with a hamstring injury, as well as returning center Hanif James. The 6-foot-5 big man could miss up to six weeks with an injury sustained during football season.
Tri-unity (1-0) leaned on its defense in a low-scoring first half and led the Cardinals (0-1) 17-11 at the half.
With some adjustments made in the second half, the offense began to flow according to Keeler.
“We kind of forgot what we were doing on offense in that first half,” Keeler said. “We came out a bit more patient offensively in the second and I think once our kids settled in we were able to run our sets.”
Filling in for James, Trey Rillema added 10 rebounds and three blocks, one of which came on a chased-down rejection that Keeler described as “amazing effort.”
Sophomore guard Katon Blanker had an efficient night as well with nine points.
“Our trademark is defense and I think we were able to get them pressing a bit which led to some easy buckets,” Keeler said. “It’s always an adjustment when you have guys out and guys playing in new roles.”
WKTV Game of the Week on Friday
The Defenders host Northpointe Christian on Friday at 7 p.m. in WKTV’s Game of the Week presentation.
The South Christian girls basketball team before a game from last season. The Sailors fell to Grand Rapids Christian 48-39 on Tuesday. (WKTV)
By Zach Fanko
WKTV Contributor
After dropping its opener last week to Forest Hills Northern, the South Christian girls basketball team had the tall task of facing a tough Grand Rapids Christian squad on Tuesday night.
The Sailors hung around with the Eagles for four quarters, but ultimately a few defensive breakdowns and some untimely turnovers led to a 48-39 loss. Despite the loss, South Christian coach Kim Legge was pleased with the performance from her young team.
“We are making the progress that we have to make,” Legge said. “We are a young team that has freshmen and sophomores playing big minutes so we are still learning how to gel as a unit.”
One of those freshman was Lizzie Wolthuis who came off the bench to score a team-high 11 points for the Sailors. Lily Nitz and Ashley Raredon each accounted for five rebounds.
South Christian (0-2) trailed by just six at the break and fought to get within four points in the third quarter, but Katlyn LaRue’s game-high 15 points for Grand Rapids Christian (4-0) proved to be the difference.
The Sailors travel to Holland Christian on Thursday, while the Eagles have some time off before a Dec. 15 matchup with Bryon Center.
South Christian Quarterback Jake DeHaan has led the Sailors to 8-0 with one regular season game left. South Christian hopes to make a deep playoff run in Division 4, where they are currently ranked No. 2 in the state. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
By Geoff Kimmerly, MHSAA.com senior editor
Here is a list of Michigan High School Athletic Association football playing schools, displaying their win-loss records and playoff averages through the eighth week of the season.
Schools on this list are divided by division and ordered by playoff average. The top 32 teams by playoff average in each 11-player division and top 16 teams by playoff average in each 8-player division will qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs beginning Oct. 28. Divisions were determined prior to the start of the season, and the lists below include not only teams currently positioned to potentially qualify, but also the next eight teams in each division. (Forfeits confirmed for this week already have been added and are reflected in win-loss records and playoff points below.)
To review a list of all football playoff schools, individual school playoff point details and to report errors, visit the Football Playoff Point Summary page.
The announcement of the qualifiers and first-round pairings for both the 11 and 8-player playoffs will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, on the “Selection Sunday Show” on Bally Sports Detroit and its website. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show.
East Kentwood defeated Jenison 16-0 during the WKTV Game of the Week on Sept. 16. The Falcons are 5-3 heading into the final regular season game and are still alive in the Division 1 playoff hunt, ranked 24th out of the 32 teams that will qualify in that division. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)
1. Colon, 8-0, 36.625 2. Marion, 8-0, 34.857 3. Climax-Scotts, 7-1, 34.250 4. Powers North Central, 8-0, 33.958 5. Peck, 7-1, 32.375 6. Au Gres-Sims, 7-1, 31.625 6. Morrice, 7-1, 31.625 8. Crystal Falls Forest Park, 7-1, 30.458 9. Mendon, 6-2, 30.000 10. Posen, 7-1, 29.875 11. Gaylord St. Mary, 6-2, 28.929 12. Central Lake, 6-2, 28.500 13. Lake Linden-Hubbell, 5-3, 25.708 14. Cedarville, 5-3, 25.536 15. Camden-Frontier, 4-4, 25.250 16. Stephenson, 5-3, 24.958 17. Kinde North Huron, 5-3, 24.625 18. Bay City All Saints, 4-4, 23.000 19. Athens, 4-4, 22.625 20. Pittsford, 4-4, 22.250 21. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 4-4, 21.875 22. Mio, 3-5, 21.750 23. Atlanta, 3-5, 21.375 24. New Haven Merritt Academy, 4-4, 21.125
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.3 million spectators each year.
The South Christian boys soccer team captured the Division 3 state championship last year with a 3-1 win over Grosse Ile. (Courtesy)
By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor
It has been a roller-coaster ride of emotions for South Christian incoming senior Sam Bos and his soccer teammates the past few years.
In 2019, the Sailors lost to Grosse Ile 2-1 in a shootout in the Division 3 state championship game and then lost 1-0 in the 2020 finals to Grosse Ile as well.
“One of the worst feelings”
“Watching my brother Reese lose in the state finals and then losing myself was one of the worst feelings,” said Bos, who was a freshman when South Christian lost 2-1 in the finals. “Getting so close to winning a state championship and then losing in a pk shootout 1-0 was heartbreaking.”
And then, “A dream come true”
All that heartbreak quickly faded after the Sailors knocked off Grosse Ile 3-1 last fall in the state final, making it four titles since 2010, and finishing undefeated at 22-0-3 for the season.
“I personally was full of joy to finally win a state championship and couldn’t stop smiling for the next couple of days,” said Bos, who calls cheeseburgers and Oreo ice cream his favorite foods. “It was definitely a top moment of my high school memories so far.
“As a team, to score three goals was huge for us. With a new coaching staff, we had a blank slate and nothing to lose which gave us the courage to finally defeat Gross Ile.”
That new coach, Joel Vande Kopple, said he knew it was a special moment for the guys that lost to Grosse Ile the previous two years.
“Having lost the previous two years the mental expectations could be heavy,” said Vande Kopple, who previously coached at Lansing Christian for 15 years. “They needed to know that this year was a different year and the result would be different. Getting them to believe in themselves and one another was vital.
South Christian incoming senior Sam Bos holds his team’s D-3 state champion soccer trophy. (Courtesy)
“Team-wise, my favorite part was that the group bought into the idea that the collective was more important than the individual. We had a lot of talented players who were very deserving of individual awards, but rather than making that their focus, they decided to put the team first.”
Vande Kopple said Bos is a great disruptive force in the middle of the field.
“He plays a holding mid position and really shields our defensive line well by breaking up attacks, winning 50/50 balls, winning air balls and distributing well to start an attack,” Vande Kopple explained. “In addition, he scored some very important goals for us, most notably in our district final win and our first round of regionals, both of which were game winners against very talented teams.”
His interest in soccer all began at a young age.
“I have played it since I was born,” said Bos, who played AYSO growing up and then moved to club soccer around third grade. “Watching my older brother play soccer helped fuel my interest. Since then, I have always wanted to be the best in my family and that grew to me wanting to be the best on the field.
“Growing up with two brothers (Jerad and Reese) made me very competitive and I wanted to always win.”
Bos said Vande Kopple was a great addition to South Christian and brought amazing energy.
South Christian graduate Alex Leenstra helping his Sailors win the D-3 state championship last year. (Courtesy)
“We couldn’t have asked for a better coach,” said Bos, who also plays varsity basketball. “His passion for coaching soccer is outstanding and you can tell he truly loves the game and wants to win.
“I am looking forward to this upcoming season as we are returning a lot of seniors, but will also have a lot of young talent to hopefully help us go back to back.”
Wyoming Potter’s House Christian’s Lezawe Osterink (left) was a state champion in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at last spring’s Division 4 track and field finals, and was a member of the winning 3,200-meter relay with teammates Ian Palacios, Jackson Rodriguez and Logan Swiney. Osterink also won the D-4 boys cross country individual title last fall. The boys team placed third at the track and field finals and 12th in cross country. (Courtesy of MHSAA)
Participation in Michigan High School Athletic Association sports rebounded tremendously during the 2021-22 school year, despite a slight decline in enrollment among the MHSAA’s 750-member high schools.
Big decline during COVID-19
The onset of COVID-19 during the spring of 2020 was followed by a significant decline in participation in sports during 2020-21. However, participation for the most recent school year concluding last spring saw an increase of 6.6 percent from 2020-21 to a total of 260,542 participants across the 28 sports for which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments – even as statewide enrollment fell nearly 1 percent to 440,728 students this past school year.
Girls participation increased 6.8 percent to 109,128 athletes, while boys participation was up 6.5 percent at 151,414. The overall MHSAA participation totals count students once for each sport in which they participate, meaning students who are multiple-sport athletes are counted more than once.
“We’re excited to see participation beginning to rebound, and in a big way in a number of sports,” said Geoff Kimmerly, MHSAA communications director. “Something reaffirmed during the months of COVID-19 shutdowns and delays was the value of sports in our school communities, and we expect those participation numbers to continue to rise as more families feel comfortable and we continue to learn more and more about best practices for living and competing while the coronavirus remains with us.
“Something else to consider is how our participation has begun to bounce back even as enrollment in our member schools has continued to decline slightly. Michigan generally ranks higher in participation nationally than for student-aged population, and while we may not be at our pre-COVID levels yet, we do anticipate our numbers to keep growing during 2022-23.”
The Forest Hills Northern girls tennis team won the Division 2 state championship last spring. (Courtesy of MHSAA)
Track and field, boys skiing lead way
A total of 23 sports saw increases in participation during 2021-22 compared to 2020-21. Ten sports saw double-digit percentage increases, led by boys track & field (27.2 percent to 22,120 participants), girls track and field (22.4 percent to 15,594 participants), and boys skiing (22.4 percent to 1,001 participants).
Wrestling (17.1 percent) and boys bowling (16.2 percent) also saw double-digit increases, along with girls tennis (11.4 tennis), girls bowling (11.2 percent), girls competitive cheer (10.6 percent), boys golf (10.5 percent) and girls lacrosse (10 percent).
Girls boost wrestling numbers
Wrestling’s major boost came in part because of a nearly 300-percent increase in girls participants with 620 taking the mat for the first season of the MHSAA offering a girls championship division at its Individual Wrestling Finals.
Also enjoying increases in participation during 2021-22 from the previous year were girls golf (8.1 percent), girls skiing (7.6 percent), boys basketball (6.4 percent), girls soccer (6.3 percent), boys swimming and diving (6.1 percent), boys lacrosse (5.8 percent), softball (3.6 percent), girls basketball (3.1 percent), baseball (3 percent), boys tennis (2.8 percent), football (2.4 percent), girls volleyball (2 percent) and girls swimming and diving (1.2 percent).
Decreased participation
Five sports saw decreased participation in 2021-22, including boys soccer (0.21 percent with 28 fewer participants), girls cross country (1.4 percent), boys ice hockey (1.2 percent), boys cross country (3.9 percent) and girls gymnastics (4.6 percent).
Football highest participation
Football, with a combined 33,284 participants over the 11- and 8-player formats, remained the most-played sport during the 2021-22 school year. Boys track and field (22,120) and boys basketball (20,017) were next for total participants, followed by girls volleyball (18,798), the most popular girls sport, baseball (16,528) and girls track and field (15,594).
Golf and skiing enjoy high participation
While the majority of sports are still building back to their pre-COVID participation totals, golf and skiing posted some of their highest totals in some time. Boys golf (6,829) had its most participants since 2012-13, and girls golf (3,875) its highest total since 2003-04. The boys skiing total (1,001) was its highest since 2002-03, and the girls skiing total this past season (837) was the highest for that sport since 1998-99.
The participation figures are gathered annually from MHSAA member schools to submit to the National Federation of State High School Associations for compiling of its national participation survey. Results of Michigan surveys from the 2000-01 school year to present may be viewed on the MHSAA Website
WKTV’s featured game crew was at this 2019 baseball game between Wyoming and South Christian high schools — the last season the Wolves were able to take the field due to the cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 restrictions. (WKTV)
High school baseball and softball games in March routinely get rained, or snowed, out in West Michigan. But this year, even if delayed, they stand a chance to played — unlike last season, which was canceled as COVID-19 hit the scene.
So even before the announcement last week from the Michigan High School Athletic Association that spring sports practices and competitions would be delayed by a week, which is expected to have little impact on the Wyoming High School’s ball teams, the Wolves are mostly simply eager for their first live action in more than a year.
“With the delayed start being only one week, as well as the MHSAA allowing us to continue both four man workouts and conditioning workouts, I see no real impact,” Travis Stricklin, Wyoming head baseball coach, said to WKTV. Stricklin is entering his first year leading the Wolves onto the field. “If anything, it gives us an extra week with the kids to prepare and get ready for the start of our season.”
Kaitlin Failing, Wyoming head softball coach, agrees — but includes an additional reason the delay isn’t so bad.
“I think that the later start date is good considering basketball got pushed back,” Failing said to WKTV. “We share a lot of athletes with basketball and it would become pretty difficult to field teams if they are overlapping. We never really get games in the first couple of weeks anyways, so it doesn’t really matter to us that we are starting later.”
Both coaches, however, see last year’s hiatus from high school competition as being the real obstacle to be overcome by their 2021 teams and their entire programs.
“I think (losing) the entire season really affected our program and other programs in similar economic situations,” Failing said. “We tend to run a lot of opportunities for the girls within Wyoming to participate in softball through the school system, for 5th grade up. With the season being cancelled, our girls lost out on their only opportunity to participate in softball. … (Also) without being allowed to run clubs and clinics for all of our younger students, we are not able to get new students interested in playing or give our younger girls the opportunity to get better.”
Failing also pointed out that some high school programs had a high level of travel participation, with their athletes able to play throughout the summer and fall despite Michigan restrictions, “while a lot of our athletes haven’t played in over a year now … our athletes missed out on their only opportunities to play if they do not play travel” ball.
And, she pointed out, with the missing season, many student-athletes are choosing not to play this season “for a number of other reasons because of COVID.”
Much the same is true for the Wolves baseball program.
“Not having a season last year took a toll on our program for sure,” Stricklin said. “We feel that we are beginning to progress as a program, so losing a year due to the pandemic was definitely not easy.
“That being said, I am beyond proud of the way our kids handled it. Rather than getting upset and letting it keep them down, they simply asked when we could begin working out together again to try and get better for whenever we do actually get to play.”
Delay aside, a 2021 season is expected
The MHSAA announced Feb. 22 that its Representative Council had approved an “adjustment to the Spring 2021 schedule delaying the start of practices in those sports one week to March 22 and competition to March 26 “to accommodate a later end to Winter sports this season,” according to the statement.
“The calendar change should alleviate pressures on indoor facility usage and athletes changing seasons with Winter sports concluding up to two weeks later this school year after a delayed start due to COVID-19,” according to the MHSAA statement.
The MHSAA said it based its decision in part on feedback from a survey of MHSAA member high schools, which saw 74 percent favoring a delay in spring sports activity of at least one week. State coaches associations for spring sports also were consulted, and, according to the MHSAA statement “the great majority of Michigan schools are unable to begin consistent spring sports outdoor activity and competition until early April.”
All spring sports tournament dates remain as originally scheduled, however, with MHSAA finals in baseball, softball and girls soccer concluding the 2020-21 postseason June 19.
Previously, the MHSAA council approved an allowance for spring teams to meet for voluntary practices over 16 contact days in September and October, 2020. General conditioning with an unlimited number of students was allowed, with other out-of-season training (four-player workouts, open gyms/facilities) allowed to continue through March 21, with council having eliminated the preseason downtime restriction for Spring sports this year.
But those allowances did not necessarily benefit all schools, or programs, equally.
“We couldn’t really do much with the 16 days because we do not have enough athletes to scrimmage ourselves or run practices because our athletes all play other sports in the fall,” Failing said. “We held open fields but we knew we wouldn’t have a ton of participation because they were not available. I know other schools were able to get their teams together and scrimmage themselves.”
Wyoming and Kentwood high school athletic directors wasted no time when the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced last week that high school winter contact sports could begin full activities this week, and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) announced that member schools had the green light to being practice and competitions.
And while there is competitive basketball and hockey being scheduled and played this week, some on the first allowed day of Feb. 8, there are some almost COVID-19 Catch-22 restrictions and state health requirements — including many basketball teams required to wear masks on the court and wrestling teams being required to find rapid test options or not take to the mats.
David Kool, South Christian athletic director, on the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection. (2020/WKTV)
“There are still some unknowns with the testing requirements and the mask requirements,” David Kool, athletic director at Grand Rapids South Christian High School, said this week to WKTV. “The MHSAA is hoping to give us more clear guidelines … (this) week before the first games. As of now, we know that the kids have to wear masks while competing and that is what we will stick to until we are told differently.”
Wyoming high will also begin the basketball season with masks on their basketball players.
“Wyoming is planning on masks at this point,” Ted Hollern, Wolves athletic director, said to WKTV. “That is what we have agreed on.”
And Hollern pointed out that even if testing were to be available, there would be the issue of what is the opponent is doing — “Both teams would need to do the same thing,” he said.
South Christian’s Kool echoed his Wyoming counterpart.
“If there ends up being a rapid testing option and it is a level playing field for all, that is something we will consider and look into,” Kool said. “Our main concern is that if there is a testing program, it needs to be equitable for every school.”
Girls and boys basketball, competitive cheer, ice hockey and wrestling could begin contact practice on Feb. 8 — “with some precautions to continue limiting the spread of COVID-19,” according to an MHSAA statement late last week. And while basketball and hockey were able to begin competition this week, competitive cheer and wrestling will not be able to compete until Feb. 12 a the earliest.
Those four winter contact sports have been able to practice since Jan. 16, but only with non-contact activities. So local athletic directors are excited about the start, if still piecing together how they will meet requirements — and responding to other consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on high school sports.
Lee High School athletic director Jason Faasse. (Supplied)
We are “glad that our winter athletes, especially our seniors have an opportunity to compete,” Jason Faasse, Lee high school athletic director said to WKTV. “We are thankful that the research has been done by both the MDHHS and MHSAA to know what precautions are needed to help protect our athletes and their families.”
But Faasse’s optimism is balanced by the knowledge that this 2020-21 high school sports season is unlike any other.
“Many of our athletes have opted not to play this season for one reason or another,” Faasse said. “Some have concerns about playing contact sports during a pandemic, others have been working more hours with the uncertainties surrounding the season. The quick turn around (to allow winter contact sports) doesn’t help us promote the restart to help get more athletes on our teams.”
Ultimately, however, most schools including South Christian are just glad to have a chance to play, starting this week.
“The coaches and athletes have been doing everything they can to ensure they get a chance to compete this season and all they wanted was an opportunity,” Kool said. “The quick turnaround definitely adds to the craziness of this season. The biggest thing we looked at with our coaches was the simple fact that the kids want to play games and they are as ready as they ever will be.”
State and MHSAA testing requirements, and warnings
“All four Winter contact sports also must participate with some level of masking and/or rapid testing,” the MHSAA announced last week. “All testing will be coordinated between schools and MDHHS or their local health departments. … Participants are defined as athletes, coaches and other team personnel active in practice and competition.”
For competitive cheer, teams may compete without testing or face coverings, but must wear masks at all times outside of active competition or stunting/tumbling practice.
For ice hockey, all participants must wear face coverings at all times – during all practices and non-game activities, and during games. The same testing and mask removal option exists for hockey as for basketball.
For wrestling, testing will be required but competitors will not be required to wear face coverings.
The same masking and testing requirements will be in place for all junior high/middle school teams wishing to participate in the four winter contact sports.
However, the state department of health is allowing school athletics to go ahead with some reservations — with or without testing.
“We are pleased at our continued progress in Michigan that has allowed us to take this step forward in a phased approach,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS, said last week. “As a parent and former student-athlete myself, I get how important athletics are to our children’s physical and mental health.
“However, parents and athletes need to understand the risk involved with contact sports if they choose to participate. Sports that require frequent closeness between players make it more difficult to prevent disease transmission even when mitigation measures are in place, including masks. Even when not required, we urge teams to implement a testing program to protect athletes, coaches and their families.”
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, at a Jan. 22 news conference. (State of Michigan)
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the governing body for high school sports in the state, has been dutifully working with the state health department and the governor’s office as rules and restrictions have repeatedly changed during the last 10 months.
And they will again work with the latest changes, announced Friday, Jan. 22, but they are expressing their “disappointment” both from their own scheduling and logistical standpoint, and from the expected impact on student-athletes across the state.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), in its latest directive, altered the allowed number of spectators at events such as this weekend’s prep football finals as well as delayed until at least Feb. 21 all contact sport’s full-contact practices and any possible beginning of those sports’ competitions.
Winter contact sports such as basketball, hockey, wrestling and competitive cheer currently are only allowed non-contract practice but they had been expecting to begin full-contact practice on Feb. 1 and completion later that week.
Mark Uyl, MHSAA executive director, from a previous Zoom meeting. (MHSAA)
“We found out about this decision at 9:30 a.m. (Jan. 22) like everyone else, and we will address it as quickly as possible after taking the weekend to collect more information,” Mark Uyl, MHSAA executive director, said in supplied material. “We did not anticipate this delay in winter contact practices and competition, and today’s announcement has created many new questions.
“Obviously, this is disappointing to thousands of athletes who have been training with their teams over the last week and watching teams in other states around Michigan play for the last two months.”
The latest state pandemic-related changes in rules and regulations also could have allowed more people to attend this weekend’s football finals — but news came too late for the MHSAA to alter established plans to meet now-altered MDHHS rules and regulations.
Also on Jan. 22, Gov. Whitmer and MDHHS announced that sports arenas with capacities of at least 10,000 spectators may allow up to 500 to attend events. But, the MHSAA later announced, “no additional tickets will be sold for today and Saturday’s 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field” due to the lack of sufficient notice.
“We have been planning these Finals for weeks to include immediate family, and unfortunately this isn’t a process we can adjust midstream,” Uyl said. “Distributing more tickets would put stress on those plans and Ford Field staffing, and force schools to make more hard decisions on who will be able to attend, but at the last second instead of with prior planning.”
