Tag Archives: South Christian football

South Christian football falls three yards short of state title repeat at Ford Field; Harper Woods 33, Sailors 27

Entertainment News, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Carson Vis tosses a 12-yard TD pass to Noah Funk to close the Harper Woods lead to 33-27 with under five minutes left in the game. (Courtesy, David Kool)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



The South Christian football team may not have returned home with the state championship trophy, but its fans will never forget the effort the Sailors gave in the Division 4 state championship.

Despite falling behind early and trailing the entire way, the Sailors never looked to tap out, and in the end came just three yards from winning a second consecutive state championship before falling short 33-27 to Harper Woods in the Division 4 Final at Ford Field in Detroit.

Harper Woods jumped out to a 14-0 lead and led 27-7 midway through the third quarter, but couldn’t put the Sailors away until the final play when they stopped South Christian on fourth down at the Harper Woods three with three seconds remaining in the game.

“It was a heck of a high school football game,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “It was one of those games between two great teams that came down to the final play. They (Harper Woods) took control of the game early and we could’ve folded, but the kids just kept fighting. Ultimately, we found a way to get back in the game and had a chance at the end, but it just didn’t come through.”

Carson Vis with a memorable, state-finals record performance

While the Sailors were stopped short on the final play of the game, the comeback was one South Christian fans will never forget. Junior quarterback Carson Vis was a big part of that comeback as he turned in a memorable performance. Vis completed 30-of-44 passes for a new state-finals record of 441 yards passing along with two touchdowns.

“Carson set finals records for completions and passing yards,” Brown said. “He came through the same way he has all year. The bigger the game the better he played. We ended up putting a lot on him. He threw 44 passes. Even when things were breaking down, he made plays and tried to will us to the win.”

Not only did Vis make plays with his arm, but he used his legs when they needed them. Vis finished the game rushing the ball 17 times for 72 yards and a touchdown.

Memorable game for Jake Vermaas as well; 10 passes for 196 yards

South Christian needed all the offense that Vis could generate as the Sailors were in a 14-0 hole at the end of the first quarter. The Sailors closed the gap to 14-7 early in the second quarter when Vis capped a 90-yard scoring drive by hooking up with Jake Vermaas on a 39-yard touchdown pass. Vermaas, like Vis, turned in a memorable day as he caught 10 passes for 196 yards. Drew Bruinsma added the extra point cutting the deficit to 14-7.

The Sailor receiving crew also had big efforts from Austin Tiesma and Noah Funk. Tiesma caught eight passes for 120 yards, while Funk caught five passes for 61 yards. Sailor running back Charlie Schreur caught five passes for 41 yards. 

Harper Woods grabs 27-7 lead in third quarter

Harper Woods, however, upped its lead to 20-7 late in the second quarter and then expanded the lead to 27-7 with a touchdown midway through the third quarter.



South Christian quarterback hands off to Charlie Schreur who scampers into the end zone for a 1-yd touchdown to cut the Harper Woods lead to 27-14 in the third quarter. (Courtesy, David Kool)



The 20-point deficit, however, did nothing to curtail the Sailors’ resolve as South Christian continued to battle back. South Christian answered that score with a seven-play, 67-yard scoring drive of its own. Running back Charlie Schreur capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run and the extra point from Bruinsma cut the deficit to 27-14.

South cuts Harper Woods lead to 27-20 in the fourth

The South Christian defense then came up with a big stop and the Sailor offense mounted another scoring drive. This time Vis capped a seven-play, 80-yard march with a 22-yard touchdown run closing the gap to 27-20 early in the fourth quarter.

“We found some things offensively that worked,” Brown said. “Our motion created some plays for us and we were able to sustain some drives. Early in the game we wanted to run to set up the pass but after they went up 14-0, we had to make some adjustments. We had to turn to our passing game and try to extend the game to make it a longer game. We tried to create some things with our passing game.



“Our defense also stepped up and made some stops. I can’t say enough about our kids. They never quit and kept fighting the entire game.”

Harper Woods added a touchdown midway through the final quarter to make the score 33-20.

Sailors keep roaring back

South, however, continued to battle. The Sailors answered that score with a seven-play, 64-yard scoring drive of their own. Vis capped the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Noah Funk and the extra point from Bruinsma cut the margin to 33-27 with 4:52 remaining in the game.

In a similar situation that South Christian faced earlier in the season, in the Week 2 game against East Grand Rapids, the Sailor defense again came up big with another defensive stand to get the ball back for the offense with 2:45 remaining in the game.

Starting on their own 15-yard line, the Sailors marched the ball down the field to the Harper Woods three-yard line with three seconds remaining in the game. In the end, the Harper Woods defense made the final stand as a heavy pass rush forced Vis into making a hurried throw while being tackled that fell just short of the goal line.

“This game was a reflection of our season,” Brown said. “At the beginning of the year there was the hype of us being the returning state champions, but a lot of people didn’t think we would get that far again. We had an up and down season with three losses and two at the end. No one thought our kids would do it, but every Monday they would show up at practice rip roaring and ready to go.


“They were always ready to go at practice and kept improving throughout the year. They kept believing in each other and loving each other like brothers and when you are able to do that you can accomplish anything.”

South finished the season with a 10-4 overall record after winning district and regional championships along the way.

Defensively, Tanner Raak led the Sailors with 11 tackles including one tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Tiesma finished with nine tackles, while Vermaas and Tyler Brinks added seven apiece. Vermaas and Brinks each also had one tackle for loss. Luke DeJager and Colin Vugteveen both recorded a sack with DeJager totaling four tackles and Vugteveen, three. Daniel Niewiek and Rowan DeKam both added five tackles while Ben Mulder had four tackles and a pass breakup.    

“I’m super proud of our kids and our coaching staff,” Brown said. “Our coaching staff had to do a lot of things in that game to keep us in it. Being down 14-0 and 27-7, everyone had to make adjustments on the fly. At the end of the day the kids executed and we were in a position to win.


“We fell just short, but that happens sometimes. It’s a lesson I hope they can take with them through life. To keep believing and leave it all on the field.”



Sailors stop Portland in state semis; going for back-to-back titles Saturday at Ford Field

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South Christian quarterback Carson Vis connects with Jake Vermaas on a 19-yard touchdown. (Video Courtesy, David Kool)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



The South Christian football team has turned in some solid defense during this year’s state playoffs, but their effort in the state semifinal game against Portland Saturday was arguably the best of the entire season.

The Sailors defense picked an opportune time to turn in the big effort as the 21-6 win against Portland sends them to Ford Field and a berth in the Division 4 state finals at 1 p.m. Saturday against Harper Woods.

“I’m excited for the kids,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “It’s a credit to their perseverance. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs this season and we seem to be clicking at the right time. I’m excited for the coaches who have put in a lot of time game-planning this season.


“I’m also excited for our community. It’s great to see our community come together for such a memorable community event.”

The South Christian defense played its part right from the beginning of the game. After the Sailors fumbled the opening kickoff, their defense stepped to the plate and kept Portland out of the end zone.

“Our defense stepped up right from the start,” Brown said. “Fumbling the opening kickoff is not the best way to start, but our defense came out and stopped them. That set the tone for the rest of the game. We were very disciplined on defense and had a ton of guys flying to the football.


“Their (Portland’s) lone touchdown came on a long touchdown run off a reverse. Outside of the one long run I thought we limited them pretty good.”


Carson Vis puts the Sailors on the scoreboard in the first quarter with a 5-yard run. (Video Courtesy, David Kool)




Carson Vis gets the first score

South Christian took the initial lead of the game in the first quarter. That was when quarterback Carson Vis capped a scoring drive with a five-yard touchdown run. Drew Bruinsma tacked on the extra point giving South a 7-0 lead.

Portland’s only score comes in the first quarter

Portland scored its lone touchdown on a 66-yard reverse later in the quarter cutting the South lead to 7-6.

South Christian added a touchdown in the second quarter. The Sailors cashed in on the scoring drive when Vis hooked up with Jake Vermaas on a 19-yard touchdown pass. Bruinsma added the point after increasing the Sailor lead to 14-6.

Final TD in the third comes on a 54-yard run by Vis

South Christian padded the lead in the third quarter. Vis provided the points as he reeled off a 54-yard touchdown run. Bruinsma tacked on the final point of the game giving South a 21-6 lead and leaving the game in the hands of the Sailor defense.

Noah Funk “unbelievable” on defense

Noah Funk led the Sailor defense as he totaled six tackles, eight assisted tackles and an interception.

“Noah had an unbelievable game on defense,” Brown said. “He was coming down hill from his safety position and making a ton of tackles. His impact was felt on the field. He was hitting hard and making plays against the run and making plays against the pass.”

Vermaas with three tackles, two assists and an interception

The Sailor defense also received solid efforts from Vermaas, who totaled three tackles, two assists and an interception, Daniel Niewiek, two tackles, six assists, including a quarterback sack, Tanner Raak, two tackles and two assists, and Andrew Baartman, two tackles, two assists, including two sacks.



Vermaas (photo from earlier this season) caught four passes for 63 yards and a touchdown, and had three tackles, two assists and an interception against Portland. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



Portland had 232 total yards; 162 rushing and 70 yards passing.

South Christian totaled 248 yards; 132 through the air and 116 rushing.

Vis completed 7-of-13 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Vermaas caught four passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. Vis and Charles Schreur both rushed for 60 yards.

“Offensively, we did enough to win the game,” Brown said. “Our offense did enough to win the game and at the end of that day that is all that matters in the playoffs. You just want to win and move on to the next game.”

Brown credited the Portland defense with a big effort of its own.

“It was not our best offensive effort, but part of that is the defense we faced,” Brown said. “They are very physical on defense. They played tough defense throughout the season. They were very tuned in to what we do and they did a good job of slowing our offense down.”

Portland wrapped up the season with a 12-1 record.

South improved to 10-3 for the season. The Sailors face a Harper Woods team in the championship game that also sports a 10-3 record. Like South, the record is deceiving as Harper Woods played a schedule that was loaded with Division 1 and Division 2 schools.


One of Harper Woods’ losses was a 34-28 defeat to a Southfield A & T team that is playing in the Division 1 championship game. Harper Woods also dropped a 28-6 decision to Division 1 Lake Orion who finished the season with a 10-1 record. Harper Woods defeated a Division 1 Clarkston team 34-7, who reached the regional finals after defeating Lake Orion 38-37 for the district title.      

South Christian uses fast start to beat Big Rapids 55-35 for regional title; “Probably best half we’ve played all year,” said Coach Brown

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South Christian quarterback Carson Vis connected with Jake Vermaas on the first touchdown of a 55-35 regional championship win over Big Rapids Friday. (Video Courtesy, David Kool)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor


While there was some rain in the area Friday night, there was definitely some lightning in the Byron Center area. That lightning was provided by the South Christian football team as the Sailors put on a dazzling outburst of points in the first quarter of the regional title game against Big Rapids.

South Christian scored an amazing 41 points in the first quarter en route to a 55-35 win over Big Rapids. The Sailors advanced to the Division 4 regional semifinal next Saturday where they face undefeated Portland at 1 p.m. at Forest Hills Eastern High School.


South Christian chalks up another regional crown. (Photo Courtesy, David Kool)



Familiar fashion; Vis to Vermaas

The points in the regional title game came fast and furious with the Sailors striking with big plays on both sides of the line. South scored their first two touchdowns of the games in familiar fashion. Sailor quarterback Carson Vis hooked up with wide receiver Jake Vermaas on touchdown passes of seven and 13 yards. Drew Bruinsma added both extra points giving the Sailors an early 14-0 advantage.



Jake Vermaas earlier this season. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

“We came out with guns a blazing,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “It was a good one. It was probably our best half of football that we’ve played all year. Offensively and defensively, we were just clicking. Defensively we were flying to the football and offensively, we were making big plays. It was a game that was a lot of fun to be a part of.”  

South takes early 21-0 lead

South used a big play via the ground game to up the lead to 21-0 as Charles Schreur broke loose for a 25-yard touchdown run.

Big Rapids answered with a big play of its own as Cardinal quarterback Riley Vennix tossed a 65-yard touchdown pass cutting the deficit to 21-7.

Sailors up 41-7 to end the first quarter

South closed out the first quarter with three consecutive touchdowns to go up 41-7.

Vis tossed a 20-yard touchdown to Noah Funk for the fourth touchdown of the quarter and Schreur added a two-yard TD run. The Sailor defense provided the final points of the opening quarter when Vermaas intercepted a Cardinal pass and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown.



South Christian QB Carson Vis in an earlier game this season. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



While the Sailors seemed to do everything right in the opening half, it was the preparation in practices the past few weeks that produced the results on the field.

“Our practices have been so good the past few weeks,” Brown said. “Everyone is so dialed in. We’ve changed some things in practice and the energy at practice is absolutely great. Once you get in the playoffs there is more of a do or die mentality. We won a couple of games and the confidence is really high.”

While the first quarter produced a total of 48 points, the second quarter was a total offensive lull as neither team was able to light up the scoreboard.

The two teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter. South scored on a nine-yard touchdown run by Schreur while Big Rapids countered with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Vennix.

Vennix, who passed for 222 yards in the Big Rapids’ district title win against Whitehall, turned in an even more productive game against South Christian. Vennix finished the game completing 22-of-35 passes for 358 yards and five touchdowns. Vennix tossed three of those touchdowns in the fourth quarter when the Cardinals outscored South 21-7 to make the final score 55-35.

“They (Big Rapids) are a real good football team,” Brown said. “We were fortunate in the first half that we were able to get up on them. They have a lot of firepower and they are able to put up points.”

South played everyone on the roster for most of the second half with everyone on the team getting extended minutes.

“That was the fun thing about it,” Brown said. “We were able to play everyone in the second half. Anytime you are able to do that and give everyone playing time in a regional game is pretty special. We were able to play everyone and it was a total team effort.”

South Christian sophomore Kayd Coffman closed out the scoring for South with a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Balance was the key for the South Christian offense. The Sailors finished with 241 passing yards and 237 yards rushing. Vis led the way in the air as he completed 12-of-19 passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns. Schreur led the Sailor ground game as he carried the ball 17 times for 103 yards and three touchdowns. Coffman added 68 yards rushing on six carries.

On defense, the Sailors received a big game from senior Tanner Raak. Raak totaled five tackles and one assist along with a pass interception. Ben Mulder added three tackles and an assist, while junior outside linebacker Tyler Brinks added three tackles including two tackles for loss. Funk also had one tackle, three assists and a tackle for loss.     




South Christian focused on Big Rapids Friday with regional championship on the line

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South Christian wide receiver Jake Vermaas has 79 catches for 1,395 yards and 17 touchdowns. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)




By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



After playing a pair of familiar conference rivals to open the playoffs, the South Christian football team is busy focusing on an unfamiliar opponent it will face in Friday’s regional title game that will be played at Byron Center High School.

South Christian, which improved to 8-3 for the season after defeating Forest Hills Eastern 22-14 in the district title game, takes on a 10-1 Big Rapids Cardinals team in Friday’s regional title match slated for 7 p.m. at Byron Center.

Champions of the Central State Activities Conference Gold Division, Big Rapids has been on a roll since opening the season with a 34-13 loss to Paw Paw. The Cardinals flew through the conference season with an unbeaten record. Big Rapids is continuing the winning streak in the playoffs where it defeated Spring Lake 27-20 in the first round before stopping undefeated Whitehall 28-27 in last week’s regional final.

The 10 wins by Big Rapids are the most since the 2003 squad that turned in a 10-3 record before falling in the state semifinals. Big Rapids has an offense that is averaging 34.7 points per game, while the defense is allowing 14.5 points per game. 

Big Rapids is similar to South Christian in that the Cardinals are led by a talented dual-threat quarterback. Senior QB Riley Vennix is coming off a big game against Whitehall where he completed 24-of-35 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns. Vennix also ran the ball 11 times for 27 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. Vennix also is a mainstay on defense and provided a game-saving play on special teams at the end of the district title game when he blocked a 32-yard Whitehall field goal attempt on the final play of the game.   

“Their quarterback is really good,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “He is very elusive and is a dual-threat type of player. They know who they are as a team and their kids play hard. They have a group of good athletes and it should be a fun game.”

Big Rapids has a pair of talented receivers in the passing game in senior Kaleb Dubowski and junior Garret Foster. Foster hauled in nine passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns while Dubowski added seven catches for 56 yards and a touchdown against Whitehall.

“They have the ability to run the ball and they also have the ability to throw it,” Brown said. “Defensively, they bring a lot of pressure. They put opposing offenses on edge. We definitely have our work cut out for us.”

Leaning on V Squared: Vis and Vermaas

South counters with an outstanding offense of its own led by junior quarterback Carson Vis, who has completed 127-of-199 passes for 2,244 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. Wide receiver Jake Vermaas is putting up big receiving totals with 79 catches for 1,395 yards and 17 touchdowns.



South Christian quarterback Carson Vis. (Courtesy, Louis Murray)

After closing out the regular season with losses to Catholic Central and Wayland, the Sailors have regained their footing with the two playoff wins. A big part of that success has been the improvement of the defense.

“I think our biggest growth has been our defense,” Brown said. “Our focus has been on defense the last three weeks and they have shown improvement. To keep advancing in the playoffs we have to continue to improve on defense. The key for us is to slow down their offense.”

Athletic Director David Kool says they’re excited and grateful

With a district title in hand, the Sailors are excited about the opportunity to add a regional title and keep the tournament run going. That excitement is spilling over into the school, according to Athletic Director David Kool.

“We are very excited as a school and a community to be playing on Friday nights still,” Kool said. “We are very proud of our athletes and coaches for all of the work they have put in to be in this position again this year. We are also very grateful for another opportunity to make a deep run in football. We know this does not happen all the time so we are enjoying the moment and celebrating with this group of kids, but we also are striving for more.


“This is a group of kids and coaches who have put in tons of work and believe in what we are doing at South Christian so we could not be more proud of them. Everyone believes in each other and special things can happen when you put the other things aside and play for your brother and that is what we do.”

While making a return trip to Ford Field to defend their state title is the ultimate goal, the Sailors are solely focused on the next obstacle in their way.

“Our philosophy is to focus on that week’s opponent,” Brown said. “We bury the outside noise. Obviously, we had a great season last season, but that is no indication on how you will do this season. We put the focus on what we can do now. We have to focus on working hard today to improve.”  



Defense proves key as South Christian tops Forest Hills Eastern to win fourth-straight district title

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South Christian quarterback Carson Vis delivered the game-winning touchdown to Noah Funk, a 23-yard play that gave the Sailors a fourth-straight District Title. (Video Courtesy, David Kool)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. That old adage was certainly the case for the South Christian football team Friday as the Sailors used a big defensive effort to turn back Forest Hills Eastern 22-14 to win a Division 4 district title.

It was the fourth consecutive district title the Sailors have won and sends South to the regional title game where it hosts Big Rapids next Friday at 7 p.m. at Byron Center High School.

“It was one of those games that went back-and-forth the whole way,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “Luckily, we had the ball one last time and put together a good drive to win it. They (Forest Hills Eastern) are a really good team and we knew it was going to be a close game. Our kids stepped up to the plate when they needed to.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game. Forest Hills Eastern knows their identity and does a good job. They have big, strong lines and can run the ball. We knew we had to work hard to contain them.”



South Christian Sailors are District champs again. (Courtesy, David Kool)



The Sailors had first-hand experience knowing what they were in for as South held off Eastern 32-29 in a tight game in week four of the regular season. While the two teams put a few less points on the scoreboard this time, the game was equally as tight and again came down to the end.

“I think this game was a little more cleaner brand of football,” Brown said. “Both defenses have improved since that game and it showed. This game was played a little more defensive minded and there were fewer big plays. It came down to whichever team made the big play at the end.”

Sailors grab 7-0 lead in first quarter

The game was a defensive grind for the first three quarters. The lone touchdown of the first half came in the opening quarter when South’s Charlie Schreur ran in for a touchdown from five-yards out. Drew Bruinsma kicked the point after giving the Sailors a 7-0 lead.

7-apiece in the third quarter

The next time a team reached the end zone was in the third quarter. That was when Eastern running back Will Morgan ran in for a touchdown from three-yards out. The Hawks then tied the game up with the point after.

South regained the lead early in the fourth quarter. The Sailors struck through the air when quarterback Carson Vis connected with wide receiver Jake Vermaas on a two-yard fade pattern. Bruinsma added the extra point putting South up 14-7.

Eastern knots it up at 14 in the fourth

Eastern tied the game back up later in the quarter. The Hawks used the passing game to tie the contest as quarterback Mark Fuehrer connected with Jake Heemstra for a 10-yard scoring strike and they added the point after to tie the game.

With two minutes remaining in the game, the Sailor offense again stepped up to the plate. With Vis spreading the ball around to his talented group of receivers, the Sailors marched the ball down the field. The Sailor passing game capped off the drive with Vis connecting with Noah Funk on a 23-yard passing play that provided the winning points.

“We made the most of our opportunities on offense,” Brown said. “Obviously, it was not our cleanest game on offense, but credit the guys for sticking with it. They found a way to win and advance.”

Carson Vis to Jake Vermaas never gets old

Offensively, the Sailors finished with 270 total yards. Vis completed 14-of-19 passes for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Vermaas caught seven passes for 83 yards, while Funk caught two balls for 33, Sam Weiss caught two passes for 27 yards and Austin Tiesma caught two balls for 18 yards.

Vis led the ground game with 50 yards rushing, while Schreur added 46 yards.

The South Christian defense limited Eastern to 251 yards of total offense. Eastern rushed for 172 yards and passed for 79 yards.

Ben Mulder led with five solo tackles and seven assists

South Christian senior linebacker Ben Mulder was one of the defensive leaders as he totaled `five solo tackles and seven assists.

“Ben is our middle linebacker and he had a nice game,” Brown said. “When your middle linebacker is making a lot of tackles it means that your defensive linemen are doing a real good job of occupying blockers and keeping blockers off your linebackers. We turned in an all-around great job defensively. Our defense has stepped up and played well the last two games. They are playing well together as a unit and doing a good job of chasing the football.

“Like I told the guys after the game, if you’re going to make a deep run in the playoffs you have to play good defensively. Our defense stepped up and did a really nice job.”

The Sailor defense also received strong efforts from Tiesma who totaled five tackles and seven assists, Tyler Brinks who added three tackles, two assists and a quarterback sack, Daniel Niewiek who had two tackles and four assists and Andrew Helmus who added a tackle and three assists.  



South Christian Sailors tame Wildcats’ offense in opening round Friday

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(Jake Westbrook/WKTV)




By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor


The Division 4 playoffs began where the regular season left off: South Christian vs. Wayland at East Kentwood’s Falcon Stadium.

The rematch of the regular season finale, which saw both teams combine for nearly 1,000 yards and 89 total points, looked a lot different Friday night as South Christian controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to cruise to a 34-7 playoff victory. 

South Christian struggled out of the gate

The Sailors elected to receive the opening kickoff and proceeded on a 15-play drive that saw junior quarterback Carson Vis struggle to pass the ball. Vis went 1-4 and took a sack before turning the ball over on downs.

Wayland started its first drive at the 25-yard line. On the second play, Wildcat running back Cameron Bogart burst out of the backfield and streaked down the sideline for a 74-yard touchdown run. 

South Christian Coach Danny Brown had flashbacks of the week prior.

“That was not how we anticipated it starting,” said Brown, whose team improved to 7-3.”We envisioned coming out getting a defensive stop and scoring.

“We knew that if we could all come together and trust each other and do what we’re supposed to do, we would have a chance.”

Sailors grind it out on offense

Vis finished off a 14-play, 70-yard drive that took over seven minutes off the game clock with a 4-yard dart to Jake Vermaas that tied the game at 7. 

Vis threw an interception to Wayland’s Kaharrie Pureifoy on the next drive. 

South Christian grabs lead for good

The final drive of the first half was capped off by an 8-yard touchdown run by Vis to give South Christian a 14-7 lead at the half.

“All year, we have been scoring in a hurry; this game, we had to grind it out,” Brown explained.

A week after giving up 453 yards, South Christian stood stout and gave up the lone touchdown on the opening drive. 


South Christian’s Cam VanSolkema. (WKTV/Ty Marzean)



“We took it personal”

Senior defensive lineman Cam VanSolkema has been an anchor on the Sailor defensive front since he’s been a freshman. 

“I think the energy at practice changed the whole game,” VanSolkema said. “We all trust each other and love each other, and that was the topic we worked on during practice this week.

“We took it personal and we got it done on defense.”

South Christian controlled the second half as Vis went a perfect 6-for-6 with another touchdown pass to Vermaas while adding a second running score.

“He was a little off schedule to start the game,” Brown said. I don’t know if he was just excited. We went up to him and said settle down and get back to basics.”
 

Vis completed 11-of-16 passes for 188 yards and two scores, including an interception. He also ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns.



South Christian receiver Jake Vermaas earlier this year. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



His favorite target, Vermaas, had six catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns. 

South Christian advanced to the district finals against Forest Hills Eastern next Friday. 

Last meeting, the Sailors beat Forest Hills Eastern 32-29 in Week 4. 

“They’re a good team up front they’ve got some really good linemen, and their backs run hard, so we’re going to have a challenge,” Brown explained. “We’re going to need another great week of practice like we had this week.”

The winner of that matchup faces the winner of Whitehall vs. Big Rapids on November 10 in the regional finals. 

The Sailors hope to continue their winning playoff ways from last year, where they finished a perfect 14-0 season with a D-4 state title with a 28-0 win over Goodrich. It was South Christian’s fourth state championship in football.


South Christian expects tough rematch with Wayland in D-4 playoff opener Friday at East Kentwood; hoping second time’s the charm

City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, ,
South Christian prepares to take the field. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org



In their regular season, high-scoring finale, South Christian fell to Wayland 49-40 in a game where the teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense. The Sailors had 532 yards, while Wayland posted 453.

One week later, the teams will have to square off again, this time with everything on the line. The Sailors and Wildcats meet in the Division 4 playoff opener at 7 p.m. Friday at East Kentwood’s stadium.

“I would expect them to show up similar to last week,” South Christian Coach Danny Brown said. “It is win or go home time so we expect to get everyone’s best game.”

“We need to clean up some things and get our defensive unit to play 11 strong. We show moments of it, but we haven’t been consistent enough. We seem to lose trust in each other so that is the biggest thing to clean up. Once we lose trust big plays have happened against us.”

Last week against Wayland, South Christian relied on the passing arm of Carson Vis. The junior standout connected on 24-of-44 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns. Vis also provided a running threat with 117 yards and a pair of scores on eight carries.

“He is a great athlete and has really settled in at playing QB,” said Brown, whose team is 6-3 overall heading into the playoffs. “He has a great understanding of what we are tying to do and has done a great job of executing as the play develops. He can hurt teams with his legs and his arm which makes it tough for teams to game plan for.”


South Christian hopes to lean on quarterback Carson Vis. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



While South was passing the ball last week, Wayland countered with an effective running game that gobbled up huge chunks of yardage. Bryce Calkins led the ground game for Wayland with 121 yards on 21 carries and a pair of touchdowns. Wayland quarterback Brady Cassini also was effective running the ball as he rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries. And Kaharrie Pureifoy gave Wayland a three-pronged running attack with 70 yards on seven carries and a touchdown.

Jake Vermaas “best wide receiver in the state,” Brown says

Another big weapon for the Sailors is receiver Jake Vermaas, who had 16 catches for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns against Wayland.

“Jake is a great athlete and an even better competitor,” Brown said. “He has been the leader of this team and we seem to go as he goes. His game last week was a school record in catches and yards. He is one of the best wide receivers in the state in my opinion.”


South Christian receiver Jake Vermaas is the “leader of the team.” (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



The Sailors hope to continue their winning playoff ways from last year, where they finished a perfect 14-0 season with a D-4 state title 28-0 win over Goodrich. It was South Christian’s fourth state championship in football.

South Christian comes up short against Wayland in regular-season finale; prepares for playoffs

City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
(Image Courtesy of South Christian)




By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor



South Christian opened the season playing in a high-scoring dual with Grand Rapids Christian, and Friday the Sailors ended the regular season in another barn-burner against Wayland. South, however, came up on the short end of the latest points bonanza as Wayland held off the Sailors 49-40.

The Sailors and Wayland combined for 89 points, a little less than South Christian and Grand Rapids Christian combined for in the regular-season opener when the two teams combined for 108 total points.

“It was a back-and-forth game the whole way,” said South Christian coach Danny Brown. “Credit Wayland, they were playing for their playoff lives. They gave us everything they had. They made the plays at the end that made the difference.”

Carson Vis led via air and ground

The two teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense as the Sailor offense totaled 532 yards and Wayland posted 453. Each squad reached those lofty numbers in different ways. South Christian relied on the passing arm of Carson Vis. The junior standout connected on 24-of-44 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns. Vis also provided a running threat with 117 yards and a pair of scores on eight carries.

Jake Vermaas had 16 catches for nearly 300 yards

South Christian wide receiver Jake Vermaas was the main target of Vis in the passing game as he put up some video-game type receiving numbers. Vermaas hauled in 16 passes for the game for 298 yards and three touchdowns.

“Offensively, on paper we did really good,” Brown said. “We did have some mistakes that hurt us. We had a couple of turnovers and a couple of other things did not work out so well.”

While South was moving the ball with the passing game, Wayland countered with an effective running game that gobbled up huge plots of yardage. Bryce Calkins led the ground game for Wayland, carrying the rock 21 times for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Wayland quarterback Brady Cassini also was effective running the ball as he rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries. Kaharrie Pureifoy gave Wayland a three-pronged running attack as he carried the ball seven times for 70 yards and a touchdown.

“They (Wayland) know who they are,” Brown said. “They have an identity. They have physical, hard-nosed kids. We tried some things to stop their inside ground game but they adjusted and went outside and hurt us. Their coaches did a great job adjusting and their kids do a great job of executing.”

The Bulk of the points came during the second and fourth quarters. Wayland was up 7-6 at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 21-yard run by Pureifoy, while South answered that score with an eight-yard scoring pass from Vis to Vermaas.

Both teams turned up the rpms on offense during the second quarter as they each reached the end zone twice. Wayland upped its lead to 14-6 on a six-yard touchdown run by Calkins. South answered with a 46-yard passing play from Vis to Vermaas that cut the lead to 14-12 when the Sailors missed the two-point conversion.

Sailors take first lead at 18-14

The Sailors then took their first lead of the game when Vis scored on a 67-yard touchdown run. The Sailors missed the two-point try leaving their lead at 18-14.

Wayland up 21-18 at halftime

Wayland then regained the lead before halftime when Hudson Biondo scored on a four-yard touchdown run giving Wayland a 21-18 advantage.

The two teams traded touchdowns during the third quarter. Wayland went up 28-18 as Cassini hit Calkins with a 19-yard touchdown pass. South then answered when Jackson Haik broke free on a 40-yard touchdown run that cut the deficit to 28-25 after the extra point by Drew Bruinsma.

Five TDs scored in the final quarter

The offensive fireworks picked up in the final quarter as the two teams combined for five more touchdowns. Wayland took control of the game with back-to-back touchdowns early in the final quarter to go up 42-25.

South cut the margin to 10 points when Vis connected with Vermaas on a 68-yard scoring strike with Bruinsma tacking on the extra point.

Wayland then upped the lead to 49-32 when Calkins ran in for a touchdown from four yards out.

South Christian closed out the scoring when Vis ran for a touchdown from 16-yards out. The Sailors then added a two-point conversion making the final margin 49-40.   

With the win, Wayland improved to 6-3 for the season and nailed down a spot in the upcoming state playoffs.

South Christian fell to 6-3 win the win as it prepares for the state playoffs coming off a pair of losses.

“It’s a unique situation coming into the playoffs off a loss,” Brown said. “You can look at it one of two ways. It can motivate you or it can bring you down. I feel we are good enough to compete with anyone. It’s up to us and what team shows up. The beauty of the playoffs it that everyone starts 0-0. Coming into the playoffs with that mindset could make a difference as we will be playing for our lives.”     



Tri-unity edges host Calvin Christian 8-0 Friday

City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, , ,


By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Check out our WKTV highlights from the Defenders 8-0 win over Grandville Calvin Christian. Tri-unity is tied atop the the Southwest Michigan 8-Man Football League – Blue with New Buffalo at 3-1, 5-3 overall.

WKTV Game of the Week

Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.


Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.



Kellen Russell-Dixon runs for 330 yards, Catholic Central clinches share of OK Gold

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Entertainment News, Sports, , , , ,
GR Catholic Central clinched a share of the OK Gold with their win over South Christian. (WKTV/Jake Westbrook)



By Zach Fanko

WKTV Contributor

Host of Friday Night Highlights



On a rainy, windy night, OK Gold rivals Grand Rapids Catholic Central and South Christian collided with at least a share of the conference title on the line. The Cougars avenged last season’s 36-34 loss with a 21-12 victory over the Sailors Friday.



Catholic Central went ahead early on a Kellen Russell-Dixon 2-yard TD run with 8:17 left in the first quarter.



The Sailors returned the favor, as junior QB Carson Vis used his legs on a 34-yard TD scamper. The extra point was blocked as the Cougars clung to a 7-6 lead with 4:57 left in the 1st.



With weather playing a factor, both defenses dug in and held the offenses in check for the remainder of the half.



Russell-Dixon found paydirt once again, this time on a 59-yard run to increase Catholic Central’s lead to 14-6 at the 7:38 mark in the third quarter.



South Christian got back within two points as Vis found the end zone on the ground from a yard out. The ensuing two-point conversion attempt was stopped as the Sailors trailed 14-12 with 1:16 left in the third.



The Cougars all but iced the game on Russell-Dixon’s third TD run of the game with less than 8 minutes remaining to make it a two-possession game. The senior halfback had himself a night totaling 330 rushing yards on 32 carries and 3 TDs.



With the win, Catholic Central (7-1, 6-0 OK Gold) stays unbeaten in the conference and can clinch the outright conference title next week in their season finale at Ottawa Hills.



South Christian (6-2, 5-1 OK Gold) visits Wayland to close its regular season next Friday.

South Christian holds off upset-minded Middleville 29-20 in WKTV Game of the Week

City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, , ,
(Image Courtesy of South Christian)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

On a wet, windy and chilly night, the South Christian football team kept its hopes for a conference championship by playing some old-fashioned football. Relying more on the ground game and playing some strong defense late in the game, the Sailors rallied to defeat Middleville Thornapple Kellogg 29-20 in the WKTV Game of the Week.

With the win, the Sailors remained undefeated in conference play and set up a showdown with Grand Rapids Catholic Central next Friday with the OK Gold Conference championship on the line.

Keeping their conference record clean was anything but easy for the Sailors as Middleville came in with a strong game plan and pushed South to the limit. Relying on their strong running game, the Trojans played to their strengths and gave South everything it could handle.

“We talked about it all week that they are better than their record,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “They are a physical team and they run their schemes well. Their fullback (Drake Snyder) is a heck of a player. It probably helped a little bit when he went out of the game, just for us to kind of dictate the line of scrimmage a little more.”

Middleville showed just how strong it is running the football when it mounted an 11-play, 73-yard scoring drive on the first possession of the game. Quarterback Grant Middleton capped the drive when he ran in for a touchdown from two-yards out halfway through the opening quarter.

South Christian tied the game late in the first quarter. With Middleville bottled up deep in its own territory, Jake Vermaas intercepted a Trojan pass giving South good field position inside the Middleville 20-yard line. A few plays later Drew Bruinsma took a pitch from South quarterback Carson Vis and rambled into the end zone from 14-yards out

Trojans up 14-7 at the half

Middleville regained the lead late in the first half. Again, the Trojans mounted a long drive. Covering 73 yards, the Trojans capped the scoring drive by going to the air as Middleton hooked up with Snyder for a seven-yard touchdown pass. Hayden Chatman added the point after giving Middleville a 14-7 halftime lead.

South responded to the score on the opening drive of the second half. Relying on their own ground game, the Sailors drove the ball down to the Middleville 7-yard line where Vis connected with Austin Tiesma for a touchdown pass cutting the margin to 14-13. South, however, missed the point after.

Trojans up 20-13 in the third

Middleville answered the South score with a scoring drive of its own on the next possession. Starting out at its own 45-yard line, the Trojans moved the ball 55 yards on nine plays. Brody Wiersma capped the scoring drive by running in from 24-yards out. Middleville, however, missed the extra point leaving the Trojans with a 20-13 lead.

South Christian goes ahead 21-20 in the fourth

Facing a touchdown deficit late in the third quarter, the South Christian offense again stepped up. Starting out on their own 35-yard line, the Sailors mounted an 11-play scoring drive that went into the fourth quarter. Mixing the pass and run, the Sailors drove down to the Middleville 4-yard line. At third down at the 4, Vis scrambled in the face of a Middleville pass rush and found Vermaas for a touchdown pass. Down by one point, the Sailors elected to go for the two-point conversion. South pulled a trick out of its bag on the play as Vermaas took the ball on a double reverse and completed a pass to Tyler Brinks in the corner of the end zone giving South a 21-20 lead.

With the lead, the Sailors put the game in the hands of its defense. Making adjustments throughout the game, the Sailor defenders slowed down the Middleville ground game. They forced the Trojans into a three-and-out and then turned Middleville over on downs late in the fourth quarter.

Sailors get insurance score late in the game

South added some insurance points late in the game. With 2:14 remaining, Vis ran in for a touchdown from eight-yards out. The Sailors then added another two-point conversion when Vis connected with James VanderArk on a pass play.

“This was a great team win,” Brown said. “I challenged the guys at halftime. I told them we have to make some positive plays. We had to make them (Middleville) doubt themselves and what they had going on. Our kids just stepped up in the second half.


“The kids got the stops we needed and the two-point conversion was a big play.”

With the win against Middleville keeping their record clean, the Sailors face Catholic Central in the showdown for the league title.

“We’re excited about the game,” Brown said. “It will be fun. We are both undefeated and they are obviously a very good program. It is one of those special games that the kids will remember 20 years from now.”    



WKTV Game of the Week

Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.

Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.

South Christian prevails in battle of OK Gold football unbeatens; check out the video

City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, , ,



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



It was a case of déjà vu all over again, but this time the ball bounced the right way for the South Christian football team in its OK Gold tussle Friday against Forest Hills Eastern as the Sailors came away with a 32-29 victory.

Two weeks ago, the Sailors came up on the wrong end of a Hail Mary pass play at the end of the game when East Grand Rapids tossed a 30-yard touchdown on the final play of the game for the win. In Friday’s game against Forest Hills Eastern, the contest again came down to the last play with Eastern attempting to win the game with a pass. This time, the Sailor secondary knocked the pass down preserving the win.

Final play goes South Christian way this time

“The game came down to another Hail Mary situation,” South Christian Coach Danny Brown said. “Before this year I’ve never coached a game where it came down to a Hail Mary pass at the end and this year, I’ve had two in three weeks. It was with five seconds to go at about the same spot on the field as the East Grand Rapids game. This time we made the play and knocked the ball down.”

The final defensive play put the capper on a game that saw the Sailor defense come up with a number of big plays and the offense continuing to put points on the scoreboard. The game also was a struggle throughout between an Eastern squad that came in with a 3-0 record and a 2-1 Sailor team.

“It was a great high school game between two very good teams,” Brown said. “Both teams played very well and competed hard all game. They (Eastern) were able to control the ball and put together some long drives and that put a strain on our defense.


“We were able to score in a hurry and that also put a strain on our defense. We made a few adjustments at halftime and I think our defense did a great job of executing in the second half.”   

Eastern utilized its ground game to control the time of possession in the game. The Hawks also piled up 335 yards on the ground.

Both teams traded touchdowns in a first quarter that ended in a 14-all tie. Eastern scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, while the Sailors countered with a pair of touchdown passes from Carson Vis, who connected with Sam Weiss on a 67-yard touchdown pass for South’s first score. He then tossed a six-yard strike to Jackson Haik for the second Sailor touchdown.

South took a 20-14 lead early in the second quarter when Charlie Schreur broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run. Forest Hills Eastern then countered with a 13-yard touchdown run by Mark Fuehrer to go up 21-20.

Sailors led 26-21 at halftime

South regained the lead later in the second quarter when Vis hooked up with Jake Vermaas for a 67-yard touchdown pass that put the Sailors up 26-21 at halftime.

Forest Hills Eastern mounted another scoring drive in the third quarter. Mark Fuehrer capped the drive for the Hawks with a 13-yard touchdown run. Eastern also tacked on a two-point conversion to take a 29-26 lead.

South scored what proved to be the game-winning points later in the third quarter. That was when Vis capped the scoring drive with a 10-yard touchdown run giving the Sailors a 32-29 lead.

From there, the South Christian defense shut the door to the end zone on the Hawks. Ben Mulder led the defensive charge for South with nine tackles and one assist for the game, while Luke DeJager had five tackles and one assist. Tyler Brinks added a sack and Cam VanSolkema had a tackle for loss.

“Ben Mulder had a great game at inside linebacker for us,” Brown said. “Cam VanSolkema also had a real game on the defensive line. We ended up playing a lot of guys on defense during the game. It was probably the largest rotation of guys on defense since I’ve been here.


“It was a collective effort from our defense. Everybody was getting reps and everybody was making plays.”



South Christian senior Jake Vermaas caught four passes for 106 yards and a score. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)


Carson Vis completed 10-of-16 passes for 204 yards and three TDs

Offensively, the Sailors combined the passing of Vis with some big production from the ground game. Vis finished the game completing 10-of-16 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns. Vermaas caught four passes for 106 yards and a score. Vis also completed passes to Tanner Raak, Noah Funk, Haik, Weiss and Schreur as the Sailor passing game shared the wealth.

Schreur led the running game with 105 yards rushing on seven carries, while Vis added 69 yards rushing.

“It was great to see how ecstatic the kids were at the end,” Brown said. “They left it all out on the field. All you can ask is that the kids leave it all out on the field and they did that. I was happy for them to come out with the win.”     
      

With the win, the Sailors improved to 3-1 for the season. They return to action next week when they head to Ottawa Hills for an OK Gold matchup.  

 

WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!

Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.

As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well. 

You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!

South Christian offense rolls in conference opener against Kenowa Hills in WKTV Game of the Week

City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, , ,
The South Christian offense lines up against the Kenowa Hills defense during Friday’s OK Gold season opener. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



A week after suffering a stinging non-conference defeat to East Grand Rapids on the final play of the game, the South Christian Sailors opened OK Gold Conference play in a big way with a 49-28 victory against Kenowa Hills.

South Christian struck fast and struck big against the Knights with a dazzling display of offense. The Sailors wasted little time in shaking off any lingering effects of last Friday’s loss to East as Charlie Schreur returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown giving South a 7-0 lead just seconds into the game.

“I think the big thing was to just move on and get back to work,” South Christian Coach Danny Brown said. “We just had to get back to the basics. We had to focus on the things that we can control and move on from that game. This is a resilient group and they did everything we asked of them this week.”

Tied at 7 early

Although the Sailors grabbed the early lead, the young Kenowa Hills squad came to play and came at South the full 48 minutes. Kenowa tied the game midway through the first quarter when it capitalized on a South Christian turnover deep in Sailor territory to knot it at 7-7.

South quickly regained the lead on the next possession when quarterback Carson Vis hooked up with Jake Vermaas on a 17-yard scoring pass that capped a five-play, 60-yard drive.

Vis to Vermaas clicking

The Vis to Vermaas connection clicked the entire game. Vis, who entered the game completing 77 percent of his passing attempts, turned in another stellar performance as he completed 14-of-19 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns.

Vermaas, who entered the game with 10 receptions for 247 yards this season, added to that total by hauling in eight passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Together, the Vis to Vermaas connection has accounted for six touchdown passes through the first three games of the season.

“I think that it helps that they play a lot of sports together,” Brown said. “Whether it’s football or basketball, they compete in different sports together and they have formed a natural quarterback/wide receiver connection.”

While Vermaas has developed into the top target for Vis, the Sailor junior quarterback has plenty of other options to go to. Jackson Haik hauled in three passes for 113 yards against the Knights, while Noah Funk caught two balls for 43 yards and Sam Weiss two receptions for 31.

Sophomore quarterback Kayd Coffman also got in on the action as he completed two of his three passes for 51 yards.

On the ground, Schreur carried the ball six times for 38 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.

Up 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, South Christian added to its lead with a pair of second quarter touchdowns. Those scores came on 25 and seven-yard touchdown passes from Vis to Vermaas.

South stretched the lead to 35-7 midway through the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Scheur.

Kenowa cuts the margin

Kenowa battled back and answered with a pair of touchdowns of its own to cut the margin to 35-21 before Vis hooked up with Haik on an 80-yard touchdown pass giving the Sailors a 42-21 lead. The two teams then traded touchdowns in the final minutes of the game.

Cam VanSolkema leads defense

Defensively, South Christian senior defensive lineman Cam VanSolkema led with three tackles, three assisted tackles and two tackles for a loss.



The South Christian defense huddles up with coaches on the sidelines during Friday’s game against Kenowa Hills. Cam VanSolkema (77) led the Sailors on defense. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



“South Christian football is going on its 59th year or so and Cam is the first player to be a four-year varsity starter,” Brown said. “Obviously, he has a ton of experience. He put in a lot of hard work in the off-season. He is a really strong player and has great fundamentals and technique and knows how to play with his hands.”

The Sailors defense also received strong efforts from Tyler Brinks with five tackles, two assists, a sack and one tackle for loss, Ben Mulder, four tackles, four assists and one tackle for loss, Austin Tiesma, three tackles, three assists and one tackle for loss and Vermaas with an interception.

With the win, the Sailors improved to 2-1 for the season, and return to action next week when they head to 3-0 Forest Hills Eastern.   

South Christian falls to East Grand Rapids 23-21 on last play in thriller Friday

City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, West Michigan, , ,



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor


On a perfect evening for football, South Christian and East Grand Rapids hooked up for a classic that came down to the final play of the game.


The two long-time area football powerhouses gave fans more than their money’s worth in the contest before East Grand Rapids tallied a touchdown on the final play giving the Pioneers a 23-21 win.

“Obviously, it was not the outcome we wanted to have, but this was a heck of a high school football game,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “You had two very good football teams battle it out to the end. Both teams had guys making plays the entire game. It came down to the final play and East ended up making one more play than we did.”


South Christian quarterback Carson Vis breaks free during Friday’s game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



The deciding play of the game came on the final snap with two seconds remaining. That was when East Grand Rapids quarterback Carson Thornton dropped back to pass from the South Christian 30-yard line and lofted one to the corner of the goal line where Ian MacKeigan hauled in the ball in front of a pair of defenders and fell into the end zone just inside the pylon.


The touchdown capped off a five-play drive in the final 28 seconds that snatched the game away from the Sailors. East received the kickoff at their own 37-yard line and completed four short passes to move the ball down to South’s 30 and in position to win the game on the final play.

Sailors appeared headed for a win

South Christian appeared to have won the game when they scored a touchdown with 28 seconds left. Sailor quarterback Carson Vis put the Sailors up when he ran in from eight yards out giving South a 21-17 lead. The touchdown capped a thrilling four-play, 59-yard drive that began with just 55 seconds remaining in the game.



The highlight of the drive was a 33-yard pass from Vis to Jake Vermaas that gave the Sailors a first down at the East 17-yard line with 36 seconds remaining. South also needed to drive the ball without the benefit of a timeout as they depleted their timeouts on the previous drive when the Sailor defense forced East into a three-and-out.     

South needed its defense to come up with the crucial stand after the East defense came up with a big stop of its own. That was when East defensive back Glenn Green intercepted a tipped pass at the Pioneer 18-yard line to short circuit a South Christian drive with 2:04 remaining in the game.

“I’m proud of our guys,” Brown said. “They could’ve given up, but they didn’t back down. They made that defensive stand and got the ball back for our offense. They stepped up and gave our offense a chance.”

EGR strikes first

East Grand Rapids scored the first points of the game late in the opening quarter when Will Cannon capped a 14-play, 54-yard drive when he kicked a 36-yard field goal.

South Christian countered those points on the ensuing drive. The Sailors drove 80 yards in nine plays for a score coming on a picture-perfect 34-yard pass play from Vis to Vermaas. Nick Logan tacked on the extra point giving the Sailors a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter.

Those were the lone points of the first half as both defenses came up with big stops to end drives in the second quarter.


The South Christian defense lines up to defend against East Grand Rapids. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)


The third quarter saw both teams score on lengthy touchdown drives. East received the kickoff in the third quarter and embarked on a 12-play, 65-yard drive that involved all running plays. Scott Millman capped the drive, that totaled six minutes and 45 seconds, by running in from six-yards out putting the Pioneers up 10-7.


South responded with a touchdown drive of their own. Starting on their own 22-yard line, the Sailors drove 78 yards in eight plays. Vis capped the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run giving the Sailors a 14-10 lead.

The East offense answered that score on the following possession. Again, relying on their running game, East drove 89 yards in nine plays. Millman again capped the drive as he barged into the end zone from two-yards out putting East up 17-14 with 7:38 remaining in the game after the point after and setting up the game for the dramatic ending.

“We are going to use this game to fuel us,” Brown said. “I told the guys not to let this loss define our season. We have to use this game to find out where we are a little light. East is a very good football team and we are going to have more close games this season.”

South Christian returns to action Friday when it hosts Kenowa Hills in the WKTV Game of the Week during the opening week of OK Gold Conference action.  

South Christian erupts for school-record 66 points in season-opener; Carson Vis tosses 6 TDs, runs one

City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, ,
(Image Courtesy of South Christian)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

No, basketball season didn’t start three months early, but any fan looking at the final score of South Christian’s football season-opener Friday against Grand Rapids Christian could’ve been forgiven if they thought a basketball game took place.

The two long-time rivals combined for 108 total points, with South Christian scoring a school record 66 points in a 66-42 win over Grand Rapids Christian.

To put it into perspective, South Christian and Ferndale combined for 82 points in last season’s Division 2 basketball state championship game.

South Christian quarterback Carson Vis missed last year’s basketball title game after suffering a pair of broken wrists during the state tournament, but the junior was at full strength on the football field Friday. Vis, making his first varsity start at quarterback, put up some dazzling numbers as he completed 12-of-14 passes for 326 yards and six touchdowns as well as running for 57 yards and a score.


South Christian quarterback Carson Vis. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

“Carson was phenomenal,” South Christian coach Danny Brown said. “You couldn’t ask for a better performance for a kid that hadn’t started a varsity game before. I was very happy with the way he played.”

Vis and the Sailors came out hitting on all cylinders. Vis tossed a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes to Jake Vermaas giving the Sailors an early 12-0 lead. Vermaas then increased the lead to 18-0 as he returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter.





“Jake had a great game,” said Brown, whose Sailors won a fourth state championship last year. “He scored our first three touchdowns. He caught touchdown passes on our first two possessions and he returned a punt for a touchdown for our third touchdown. He is an all-world receiver for us.”

Vermaas finished the game with four receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns and also added an interception on defense.

James VanderArk also turned in a big game at receiver for the Sailors. VanderArk caught three passes for 114 yards and two scores. He caught a 21-yard touchdown pass form Vis in the second quarter that upped the South lead to 24-7. VanderArk also hauled in a 66-yard scoring strike late in the third quarter that put the Sailors up 50-21.

“We have a lot of good receivers,” Brown said. “We have a lot of good receivers and that can make it comfortable for our quarterback.”

Austin Tiesma and Tanner Raak also caught touchdown passes for the Sailors. Tiesma caught two passes for 53 yards during the game, while Raak caught one pass for 33 yards.


South Christian wide receiver Jake Vermaas. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)



The depth at wide receiver is even more impressive considering Vis was one of South’s top receivers last season. With last year’s starting quarterback Jake DeHaan having graduated last spring, Vis was switched to quarterback, a position that is not unfamiliar for him.

“Carson played quarterback in our youth program and was the quarterback of the freshman team his freshman season,” Brown said. “Last year, Jake DeHaan was a third-year quarterback for us so we moved Carson to wide receiver. Carson was our backup quarterback late last year after our backup quarterback went down with an injury, but he didn’t get many reps at quarterback.”

The wrist breaks during basketball also delayed his transition to quarterback some in the off-season, but the Sailors expected him to be healthy and ready to go once camp started.

“The broken wrists were scary, but the way Carson attacked his rehab was phenomenal,” Brown said. “He was cleared to practice well early before camp. He recovered quickly and it was not a concern. The unique thing about Carson is he competes the year-round. With a lot of quarterbacks, you worry about their first varsity start, but with Carson it’s like another day at the office.”

Vis also showed his ability to provide impact plays with his feet as his seven-yard touchdown run before halftime put the Sailors up 36-14.

The two teams traded touchdowns back and forth during the second half. South Christian’s offense tacked on four touchdowns during the second half, while the Grand Rapids Christian offense also tallied four touchdowns.

South Christian running back Charles Schreur, who rushed for 71 yards, added a touchdown during the second half, while Coleson Fennema also ran in for a touchdown.

“There was a lot of scoring,” Brown said. “Both sides have a lot of explosive players. I thought we started out playing physical on defense and got them in some bad spots. To their (Grand Rapids Christian) credit, they came out with a couple of explosive plays in the second half. They also got into a good rhythm in the second half.

“It’s always good to start the season 1-0. I’m definitely happy for the kids. We played so well on offense and had some defensive lapses. As a head coach, you have to look at the big picture. At the end of the day we are excited to be 1-0.”


South Christian returns to action Friday when it hosts East Grand Rapids at East Kentwood Falcon Stadium.


WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back this week!

Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.

As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well. 

You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!

South Christian football looks ahead after state title run in 2022

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, ,
WKTV was out at South Christian’s football practice last week. Take a look. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)



By Zach Fanko

WKTV Contributor



Complacency was the key word that South Christian Coach Danny Brown and several players used during the first week of practice of the 2023 season. Something that this team is aiming to avoid after a perfect season ending in a 28-0 Division 4 state title win over Goodrich, the program’s fourth state championship and first since 2014.



Last year’s team had 22 seniors, including All-State QB Jake DeHaan, WR Seth Ritsma, OL Cam Post, and RB/K Nate Brinks. This year’s team has plenty of seniors as well, including WR/DB Jake Vermaas, who missed the majority of the regular season due to a broken collarbone, but came back during the playoff run. Vermaas capped off the year with a stellar game at Ford Field with over 150 receiving yards and a Pick-6.


Senior WR/DB Jake Vermaas looks to take a new role as a leader. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)



Vermaas talked about his new role as a senior leader on this team.



“The biggest difference for me and some of my teammates has been stepping into that leadership role,” Vermaas said. “That has been an adjustment for some guys and it is going well.



“For us we don’t really want to change a whole lot because we were pretty successful last year.”



South Christian poses with the MHSAA Division 4 state championship trophy last year at Ford Field, where they finished a perfect 14-0 season. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)



Three-way competition under center

DeHaan, who committed to the University of Toledo as a walk-on, utilized both his arm and legs on his way to a Division 4 All-State selection. The Sailors have three potential quarterbacks competing for the starting gig with senior Noah Funk (transfer from Grand Rapids Christian), junior Carson Vis (played WR last season), and sophomore Kayd Coffman who started on the JV team as a freshman last year.



“The goal is to get through these first two weeks of camp and then we have a scrimmage, and then hopefully someone has created some separation,” said Brown, whose Sailors were undefeated at 14-0 last season.



“If no one has then we reevaluate, but that is the goal.”



Passing the torch up front

Another senior looking to pick up where last year’s seniors left off is OL/DL Camren VanSolkema, who was an All-Region selection in Division 4 last season. VanSolkema is one of the players up front hoping to fill the void left by current Ferris State lineman Cam Post.



“This is my fourth year on varsity and I’ve always been an underclassmen,” VanSolkema said. “But now I can follow in the older guys’ footsteps and take care of the younger guys.”



South Christian opens the season August 25 on the road against Grand Rapids Christian.


WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!

Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.

As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well. 

You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!

South Christian completes perfect season with D-4 state title at Ford Field

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,



By Zach Fanko

WKTV Contributor


The 2022 South Christian Sailors cemented their legacy Friday night at Ford Field, as they finished a perfect 14-0 season and brought home the school’s fourth state championship en route to a 28-0 victory over Goodrich.

The Sailors defense was up to the task of shutting down a Martians offense that had scored 40 or more points in four of their last five games.

The South Christian football team celebrates with the MHSAA state championship trophy Friday night at Ford Field. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)



South Christian held Goodrich to just 57 total yards in the first half, as the Sailors built a 14-0 lead on two Jake DeHaan touchdown passes.

The first of which came at the 9:48 mark, as Nate Brinks capped off the scoring drive with a 3-yard TD reception.

Another South Christian touchdown came with 5:48 left in the half, as DeHaan found Carson Vis for a 23-yard strike to extend the lead.

Sailors QB Jake DeHaan tosses to Nate Brinks for a touchdown in the D-4 state final Friday night. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)



Despite four turnovers by the Sailors, including a fumble by South Christian on its first play, Goodrich was unable to take advantage.

Sailors coach Danny Brown was pleased to see his defense complete the shutout on the big stage after flirting with shutouts throughout the season.

“We’ve had a heck of a defensive year, probably one of the best we’ve ever had,” Brown said. “We just don’t talk about it because of the numbers being put up by the offense.”

South Christian QB Jake DeHaan evades Goodrich defenders on his way to a touchdown. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)


With the game still hanging in the balance, South Christian all but put it out of reach on a DeHaan 59-yard touchdown run to push the Sailors lead to 21-0 with just 5:53 left in the fourth quarter.

The All-State signal caller finished his final game as a Sailor with 220 yards on 14 of 18 passing with three total TDs, in addition to 94 yards on the ground.



A few minutes later, South Christian’s Jake Vermaas put to rest any chance of a miracle comeback with a 23-yard Pick 6 for the game’s final score.


Vermaas also starred on offense, making big catch after big catch for the Sailors and finished with a game-high seven receptions for 143 yards.

South Christian’s Jake Vermaas intercepts a Goodrich pass and returns it for a Sailors TD late in Friday’s D-4 state final. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)



When the clock finally hit triple zeros, the celebration was on at Ford Field for South Christian as DeHaan reflected on a season he will not soon forget.



“You don’t even know what to feel and you don’t even know how to put it into words,” DeHaan said. “We believed it and we proved that we could do it.”



With the state championship clinched, Brown put his feelings into words on a mission accomplished.

South Christian’s Jake Vermaas had a game-high 143 receiving yards to lead the Sailors in Friday’s D-4 state final. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)




“Going into the season, we knew we’d be pretty good,” Brown said. “But you never anticipate 14-0 and winning a state championship.

“All you’re looking at is the game ahead of you, the day ahead of you and you just replicate that success over and over again. The fact that happened over however many games and practices is amazing.”

South Christian heading to Ford Field after 26-20 semifinal win

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Sailors QB Jake DeHaan connects with Seth Ritsema for a 21-yard touchdown in Saturday’s D-4 semifinal win over Edwardsburg. (Courtesy, David Kool)



By Zach Fanko

WKTV Contributor

Looking to advance to its first state final since 2014, South Christian seized control on the game’s first play with a 51-yard touchdown run by senior QB Jake DeHaan.

“Jake made a great read on the play,” Sailors coach Danny Brown said. “We got some good blocks at the next level and Jake found the open field.”

The Sailors never relinquished that lead, jumping ahead 20-0 in the first half, before holding onto a 26-20 Division 4 semifinal victory over Edwardsburg Saturday afternoon at Harper Creek High School in Battle Creek.

DeHaan accounted for all four South Christian touchdowns, with two through the air and two more on the ground.

The Sailors signal caller connected with Seth Ritsema on a 21-yard scoring strike to extend their lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter. DeHaan later found Carson Vis for a 40-yard touchdown to make it a two-score game in the fourth after the Eddies got within 20-14.

In total, DeHaan amassed over 200 total yards with 118 passing yards and another 91 rushing yards.

DeHaan rushes for a score in South Christian’s D-4 semifinal win over Edwardsburg. (Courtesy, David Kool)

Despite rushing for 267 yards and possessing the ball for 34 minutes of game time, Edwardsburg’s offense was shut out for most of the first half until a 2-yard TD run by Brett Allen with no time left in the half.

Allen ran for 122 yards to lead Edwardsburg’s rushing attack. Brenden Seabolt and Brendan Madison also added rushing scores.

Ford Field bound

Next stop is Friday at Ford Field in Detroit for the D-4 State title game. Brown put into words what it felt like as the final seconds ticked off.

“It was very emotional and I just thought of all the hard work our kids put in throughout the off season and this season.

“Really put into perspective what an opportunity it is to play for a state title.”

Unbeaten South Christian (13-0) will face a Goodrich (12-1) program playing in its first-ever state championship game. The Martians defeated Riverview 51-26 in their semifinal game on Saturday.

“We cannot wait to see the South Christian community come out in full force on Friday night in Detroit,” South Christian Athletic Director David Kool said. “Playing in this game is going to be a memory that all involved will never forget.”

Every MHSAA state championship game will be aired live on Bally Sports Detroit, including the Division 4 State Final being played Friday, November 25 at 7:30 p.m. Check out MHSAA.com for the complete schedule of games.

Several Kentwood-Wyoming area football players named to MHSFCA All-Region teams

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, , , , ,
South Christian QB Jake DeHaan highlights the MHSFCA All-Region selections in the Kentwood-Wyoming area. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

By Zach Fanko

WKTV Contributor


The Michigan High School Football Coaches Association released their All-Region teams for the 2022 season as voted on by members of the MHSFCA.

Here are the following selections for players in the Kentwood-Wyoming area:

Division 1, Region 1

Stellan Bowman, JR, LB, East Kentwood


Division 4, Region 1

Camerson VanSolkema, JR, OL, South Christian

Carson Vis, SO, WR, South Christian

Seth Ritsema, SR, WR/TE, South Christian

Jake DeHaan, SR, QB, South Christian

Cam Post, SR, LB, South Christian

Nate Brinks, SR, Specialist, South Christian

Division 5, Region 2

Will Howard II, SR, DL, Wyoming-Kelloggsville


As you can see, South Christian was well represented in Division 4 with six total selections. The undefeated Sailors are preparing for their state semifinal matchup with Edwardsburg on Saturday.

East Kentwood’s Stellan Bowman, who played both halfback and linebacker this season, represented the Falcons on the All-Region team. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)



Stellan Bowman had a standout season at linebacker for the Falcons as East Kentwood made a return to the playoffs. Coach Tony Kimbrough mentioned Bowman as one of the returning players that the Falcons will rely on in 2023.




In Division 5, Kelloggsville senior Will Howard II was named to the All-Region team as a defensive lineman.

South Christian faces familiar playoff foe in Edwardsburg

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
South Christian poses with the regional championship trophy after last Friday’s win over Whitehall. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



South Christian finds itself in a Division 4 semifinal game against familiar foe Edwardsburg this weekend for a chance to play in the state championship at Ford Field.

Last year, the Eddies (11-1) beat South Christian 28-14 in a regional final. This will be three times in three years the Sailors play Edwardsburg in the playoffs, and they’re hoping the third time’s the charm.

South Christian advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 2014, the last time the Sailors won a state title. 

Right after South Christian (12-0) knocked off Whitehall 28-21 to grab a regional championship last Friday, Coach Danny Brown said Edwardsburg is “obviously good and plays hard.”

“It will be a fun game and I’m sure the kids will be jacked up for it.”

Division 4 Semifinals

1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19 at Battle Creek Harper Creek

Edwardsburg (11-1) vs. South Christian (12-0)

The third time was definitely the charm last Friday as the Sailors advanced out of the regionals after three straight years trying. 

Quarterback Jake DeHaan finished the game with four total TDs (three passing) and had 148 yards through the air and 88 on the ground. 

Carson Vis led with three receptions for 46 yards, while Nate Brinks had four receptions for 18 yards and two touchdowns. Seth Ritsema added a receiving TD.

DeHaan and Austin Tiesma led with seven tackles apiece. 

Check out South Christian’s game-winning touchdown against Whitehall. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)

South Christian advances to D-4 semifinals; now 12-0

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Check out South Christian’s game-winning touchdown. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)


By Zach Fanko

WKTV Contributor

South Christian senior quarterback Jake DeHaan found Nate Brinks on a swing pass at the goal line for the game-winning touchdown with only 54 seconds left in a 28-21 regional final victory over Whitehall.

With both teams unbeaten at 11-0 coming into the matchup, as well as being the top two ranked teams in Division 4 according to the playoff points standings, the game certainly lived up to its billing.

Both defenses dominated the first half, giving up just a touchdown each as the game was deadlocked at 7-7 at halftime.

The Sailors broke the tie at the 6:40 mark in the third quarter on a crafty shovel pass by DeHaan to Brinks from 15 yards out to seize a 14-7 lead.

However, the Vikings fought back with TD runs by Jackson Cook and Nate Bolley to jump ahead 21-14 with 9:41 remaining in the game.

Less than three minutes later, DeHaan connected with one of his favorite targets in Seth Ritsema for a 16-yard score and knotted the game at 21-all.

South Christian QB Jake DeHaan connects with Seth Ritsema for a touchdown in Friday’s regional final. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)



Overall, DeHaan finished the game with four total TDs, 148 yards passing and 88 on the ground.

Forced to punt from inside their own territory on its next drive, Whitehall made the first major mistake of the night as a poor punt gave South Christian excellent field position to either run down the clock and attempt a game-winning field goal or score the go-ahead touchdown.


Sailors coach Danny Brown discussed the thought process on their final drive.

“Really, all we were thinking was how do we limit the time if they do get the ball and make them use up their timeouts,” Brown said. “Our kids did great and we made enough plays to make that happen.

“Once you get down there and close enough you have to score if the opportunity is there.”

All about redemption

For the Sailors, tonight’s game was about redemption after falling in the regional final each of the past two seasons. Brown described the feeling after the game as amazing.

South Christian poses with the regional championship trophy after Friday’s win. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)




“This was the third year in a row for us in the regional final and we wanted to get over that hump, and we did, so it is great.”


South Christian advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 2014, the last time the Sailors won a state title.






The opponent will be a familiar one as the Sailors face Edwardsburg (11-1) for the third-straight season in the playoffs. The Eddies knocked South Christian out in the regional final a year ago.

“I’m going to enjoy this one for the next 24 hours,” Brown said. “They’re obviously good and they play hard.

“It will be a fun game and I’m sure the kids will be jacked up for it.”


The semifinal matchup is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 with the game time and place to be determined.

The Sailors enter the field pumped up before the big game. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)

South Christian tangles with undefeated Whitehall in D-4 Regional Final Friday

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan,
South Christian knocked off Unity Christian 35-20 last Friday to grab another district title. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



After getting a third-straight district championship last week with a 35-20 win over Unity Christian, South Christian faces undefeated Whitehall in a regional final Friday night at East Kentwood.

Both teams enter the contest with perfect 11-0 records and will have to perform at their best levels to advance to the state semifinals. Last Friday, Whitehall beat Fruitport 51-26.

“We expect when you get to this point in the season you gotta play good teams,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown, after their win over Unity Christian. “If you’re chasing a state championship you want to beat good teams to get there.

“I know they have some athletes and are pretty big up front. It should be fun.”

Senior quarterback Jake DeHaan had five touchdowns against Unity, including 209 yards passing and 155 on the ground.

“You need your best players to shine in these moments,” Brown said. “Any big game we’ve had, he’s done it.”

Last year, the Sailors lost 28-14 to Edwardsburg in a regional final.

Look for our story after the game

Check out our story right after the Sailors’ big game, including highlight videos and pictures on late Friday night on the WKTV Journal.

South Christian Quarterback Jake DeHaan earlier this season. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

South Christian advances to third-straight D-4 regional final

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
South Christian QB Jake DeHaan rushes for a touchdown during Friday’s district final. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)

By Zach Fanko

WKTV Contributor

Led by senior do-it-all quarterback Jake DeHaan, South Christian triumphed over Hudsonville Unity Christian 35-20 to claim its third-consecutive Division 4 district title Friday night.

The Sailors wasted no time on the game’s opening drive as DeHaan connected with junior wide receiver Nate Brinks on a 15-yard scoring strike to seize a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.

The Crusaders responded with a drive of their own as Mitch Tibbe found the end zone on a 6-yard quarterback-keeper, followed by a 2-point conversion to jump ahead 8-7 at the 2:10 mark in the opening quarter.

Both teams traded touchdowns on their next drives, knotting the game at 14-14 with 7:34 left in the half.

With halftime approaching, South Christian continued to move the ball against Unity Christian’s defense as DeHaan ran in a touchdown from 2 yards out to give the Sailors a 21-14 advantage at the half.

Following a scoreless third quarter, South Christian grabbed its first double-digit lead of the night on another DeHann TD run, one of his three rushing scores in the game.

Carson Vis makes a leaping grab in between several Unity Christian defenders. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)



Sailors coach Danny Brown commended his defense for the way they played in the second half.

“We knew they were going to come out swinging and it was one of those games where you have to dig deep,” Brown said. “I think our defense really stepped up in the second half and it ended up making the difference.”

The Crusaders tried to mount a comeback as Tibbe found his tight end Carl Bylsma for a 10-yard touchdown to make it 28-20 with 6:18 left.

However, a DeHann 37-yard touchdown run sealed the victory for the Sailors with 1:59 left. The senior signal-caller added five more touchdowns for an impressive 42 total touchdowns on the season.

DeHaan finished the game with 209 yards passing, as well as 155 yards on the ground.

“You need your best players to shine in these moments,” Brown said. “Any big game we’ve had he’s done it.”

South Christian celebrates with the district title trophy.(WKTV/Zach Fanko)



South Christian (11-0) returns to the D-4 regional final for the third-straight season. A year ago, the Sailors lost a battle with Edwardsburg 28-14.

This year, they will host another team with an unblemished record at 11-0. Whitehall, coming off a 51-26 win over Fruitport, stands in the way of a trip to the state semifinals.




The Sailors are seeking their first state title since 2014. The two undefeated squads battle next Friday at 7 p.m. at Falcon Stadium.

“We expect when you get to this point in the season you gotta play good teams,” Brown said. “If you’re chasing a state championship you want to beat good teams to get there.

“I haven’t watched much film on them. I know they have some athletes and are pretty big up front. It should be fun. We get another week to prepare and there’s nothing better than that.”

South Christian playing for a D-4 district championship against Unity Christian Friday

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,

South Christian Quarterback Jake DeHaan earlier this season. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



South Christian hopes to stay perfect at 11-0 and grab a Division 4 district title in the process in Week 2 of the MHSAA playoffs.

The Sailors (10-0) will have to go through Hudsonville Unity Christian (6-4) to get the job done at 7 p.m. Friday in Falcon Stadium.

In their playoff opener last Friday, South Christian beat Grand Rapids Christian 42-7 at East Kentwood, while Unity Christian defeated Forest Hills Eastern 46-20.

Once again, quarterback Jake DeHaan led the way for the Sailors with four touchdowns through the air and one on the ground, completing 12 of 18 passes for 216 yards and 84 rushing.

 South Christian Coach Danny Brown said it best after their win over the Eagles.

“You need your best players to play the greatest when the lights are the brightest,” said Brown, of DeHaan. “He definitely answered the bell tonight; it was another stellar performance by Jake.”

DeHaan has posted some incredible numbers this season, totaling 37 touchdowns; 26 through the air and 11 on the ground.

Seth Ritsema led with six receptions for 125 yards and three TDs against GR Christian, while Carson Vis caught the other TD. Nate Brinks had 9 carries for 74 yards and one TD.



Check out these highlights from South Christian’s 42-7 playoff win over Grand Rapids Christian last Friday. (WKTV/Bill Rinderknecht)

South Christian stays perfect at 10-0 with 42-7 win over Grand Rapids Christian in playoff opener

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Check out the highlights from South Christian’s 42-7 win over Grand Rapids South Christian in a Division 4 playoff opener Friday. (WKTV/Bill Rinderknecht)



By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



South Christian Coach Danny Brown said it best after his team beat Grand Rapids Christian 42-7 in a Division 4 playoff opener Friday night at East Kentwood.

“You need your best players to play the greatest when the lights are the brightest,” said Brown, of his standout quarterback Jake DeHaan. “He definitely answered the bell tonight; it was another stellar performance by Jake.

“I think at this point in the season you need your best players to step it up when the pressure’s on.”


South Christian Quarterback Jake DeHaan earlier this season. He has a total of 37 touchdowns this year; 26 through the air and 11 on the ground. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



Once again, DeHaan led the way for the Sailors with four touchdowns through the air and one on the ground, completing 12 of 18 passes for 216 yards and rushing for 84.

“You have to credit our receivers,” Brown said. “Our guys were just making moves and getting open and Jake was putting it in there. I think they were really putting a ton of focus on stopping Carson Vis, so other people were open and Seth (Ritsema) was the winner of that.”

Ritsema led with six receptions for 125 yards and three TDs, while Vis caught the other TD. Nate Brinks had 9 carries for 74 yards and one TD.

Coach Brown said his OK Gold champs have done a great job of settling into games quickly this year.

“Every game, we have played really well right from the beginning,” Brown said. “To be 10-0, you have to be talented.”


South Christian knocked off Grand Rapids Christian 42-7 in a Divison 4 district semifinal playoff game Friday. (WKTV/Mike Farage)



Grand Rapids Christian Co-Coach Rueben Riley said it came down to South Christian executing and being more physical and the score indicated that.

“We continue to build a culture of love, tenacity, pride and purpose, and hopefully it shows in the wins and losses column, but right now we’re just making sure that our culture is strong so these young men know that the things they learn in football will take them wherever they want to go and be bigger than football.”

Quarterback Alek Wickstrom led the Eagles in passing with 14 of 22 for 135 yards and one INT, while Noah Funk completed 3 of 6 passes for 92 yards and one TD to Dono Thames. Grand Rapids Christian finished the season at 3-7 overall.

South Christian (10-0) faces Hudsonville Unity Christian (6-4) in a Division 4 district final next week.

South Christian, East Kentwood preparing for football playoffs; see other area teams that advanced as well

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Jenison lines up against a tough East Kentwood defense during a WKTV Game of the Week in September. The Falcons beat Jenison 16-0. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)



By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Two teams in our WKTV viewing area, South Christian and East Kentwood, are playoff bound and in action on Friday night.

East Kentwood (5-4 overall, 4-3 in the OK Red) travels to Rockford for a 7 p.m. Friday game in Division 1. Rockford is tied for second in the state in D-1 with Macomb Dakota and boasts a 9-0 overall record. The Rams finished atop the OK Red at 7-0.

EK Coach Tony Kimbrough said he’s very proud of what his team accomplished with the strength of their conference and schedule.


In a 34-21 loss to Grandville last Friday, East Kentwood quarterback Ben Cash had 141 yards in the air and 93 on the ground. Stellan Bowman led with 17 tackles.

Getting back to the playoffs was a goal for the Falcons after a 2-7 season in 2021.

South Christian the team to beat

South Christian, No.1 in the state in Division 4, hosts Grand Rapids Christian (3-6 overall) at 7 p.m. Friday at East Kentwood.

The Sailors won the OK Gold Conference this year at 7-0, finishing one game ahead of rival Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Their last undefeated regular season was in 2004.

Check out our story on South Christian quarterback Jake DeHaan, who posted some incredible numbers this season, at wktvjournal.org

DeHaan has a total of 32 touchdowns this year; 22 through the air and 10 on the ground. He has completed 129 of 184 passes for 1,883 yards with six interceptions, and leads the team in rushing with 710 yards on 109 carries.



South Christian Quarterback Jake DeHaan. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



“Statistically, he is having one of the best seasons any QB has ever had at South,” said Coach Danny Brown, in his fourth year as coach. “His leadership and drive to be great is the thing that has impressed me the most.”

As far as the playoffs go, Brown said their goal is pretty simple; “We want to win a state championship.”

WKTV is sending a cameraman and reporter to both games to get highlights and interviews with coaches and players. Look for our stories late Friday night and Saturday morning on wktvjournal.org

Other Grand Rapids Area playoff teams

Division 1

Grandville (7-2) at Caledonia (8-1, sixth in state) (at East Kentwood) 1 p.m. Saturday


Division 2

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (6-3) at Forest Hills Central (9-0, fourth in the state) 7 p.m. Friday

Portage Northern (6-3) at Byron Center (7-2) 7 p.m. Friday


Division 3

East Grand Rapids (4-5) at St. Joseph (8-1) 7 p.m. Friday
Lowell (6-3) at Zeeland West (8-1) 7 p.m. Friday

Sparta (6-3) at Muskegon (7-2) 7 p.m. Friday

Cedar Springs (5-4) at Coopersville (6-3) 7 p.m. Friday


Division 4

Forest Hills Eastern (6-3) at Hudsonville Unity Christian (5-4) 7 p.m. Friday


Division 5

Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (5-4) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (8-1) 7 pm. Friday


Division 6

Watervliet (6-3) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (8-1) 7 p.m. Friday

South Christian stays perfect at 9-0 with 56-22 win over FHE; Jake DeHaan tallies 8 TDs

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, ,
South Christian senior Seth Ritsema grabs one of his two receiving touchdowns. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)



By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



With a 56-22 win over host Forest Hills Eastern Friday, South Christian continued checking off the boxes of its flawless football season.

Going undefeated at 9-0 during the regular season campaign, check. The Sailors last went undefeated in the regular season in 2004.

Winning the OK Gold conference outright, check. The Sailors finished 7-0 atop the conference, one game ahead of rival Grand Rapids Catholic Central, and the first time since 2014.

Reaching the playoffs again, check. And this time as the No.1 seed in Division 4 earning three-straight home games. Last year the Sailors reached a D-4 regional final.

“Until you’re a part of something like this season it’s really hard to explain,” South Christian Coach Danny Brown said. “Before the game we knew we had a chance to accomplish something to talk about the rest of our lives.

“It was a pretty special night with a pretty special group. You want to be playing your best football at the end of the season and this was our best, but now we’re starting a whole new season at 0-0.

South Christian Quarterback Jake DeHaan earlier this season. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

South Christian quarterback Jake DeHaan had a “career night,” according to Brown. DeHaan had eight touchdowns agains Forest Hills Eastern, six through the air and two on the ground.

He completed 21 of 28 passes for 348 yards with no interceptions and rushed 12 times for 87 yards.


On DeHaan’s shoulders, the Sailors jumped out to a 21-0 lead to end the first quarter and a 42-7 halftime margin.

“The first half offensively and defensively we were just clicking on all cylinders,” said Brown, whose team had 580 yards overall. “It was crazy, unbelievable execution tonight. Hands down it was our best offensive game of the year.”

Carson Vis had 10 receptions for 169 yards and four TDs, while Seth Ritsema caught three passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Ritsema also led with five tackles, while Cam VanSolkema and Austin Tiesma added four apiece.

Forest Hills Eastern quarterback Brendan Thompson completed 8 of 20 passes for 230 yards and one TD to Jake Heemstra (80 yards).

Bryson Kuzdzal led the Hawks with 9 rushes for 47 yards and two TDs.

Hawks playoff bound as well

Forest Hills Eastern dropped to 6-3 overall, 4-3 in the Gold, but is most likely playoff bound in Division 4.

“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.” (MHSAA.)

Quarterback Jake DeHaan and the Sailors on offense against Forest Hills Eastern. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)


WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

South Christian beats Kenowa Hills 37-7; needs one more win for a perfect 9-0 regular season

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
South Christian Quarterback Jake DeHaan rushes the ball earlier this season. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



The wins keep coming and the pressure keeps mounting for the South Christian football team, which knocked off Kenowa Hills 37-7 Friday to stay undefeated at 8-0.

The Sailors have a chance to go undefeated in the regular season for the first time since 2004 with a win at Forest Hills Eastern next Friday, and hope to stand alone atop the OK Gold for the first time since 2014.

They are currently 6-0 in the conference, one win ahead of Grand Rapids Catholic Central with a 36-34 win over them earlier this year.

“An undefeated regular season would be really cool,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown, whose team reached a Division 4 regional final last year. “We’re playing a really good Forest Hills Eastern (4-2, 6-2 overall) team that is well coached with good players next Friday.

“We want to roll into the playoffs on a good note.”

Jake DeHaan stands tall again

Once again, quarterback Jake DeHaan led the way for the Sailors, completing 15 of 23 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown throw to Carson Vis. DeHaan added 51 yards on the ground with two more TDs.

“He threw the ball really well,” Brown said. “He was taking what the defense was giving him. We ran a lot of swing passes to our running backs, and our receivers did an awesome job of blocking downfield this week.”

(Image Courtesy of South Christian)

Cayden Dykema led the Sailors with 6 tackles, while Sawyer TenHaaf added 5.

“We played really good on defense tonight,” Brown said. “We were flying around everywhere and good at the point of attack. We did a good job of putting pressure on the quarterback and made it tough on them.


“The kids seem to answer the bell every week.”


Nate Brinks “all over the place”

Brown said Nate Brinks had a great game as well, rushing 10 times for 50 yards and a TD and five receptions for 72 yards, plus handling all the kicking duties.

“He kicked a field goal and nearly puts every kickoff into the end zone,” Brown said. “He had a lot of touches today; was all over the place.”

Seth Ritsema had four catches for 99 yards.

Kenowa Hills Coach Rory Zegunis said the Sailors are very impressive.

“They are as advertised, that’s for sure,” said Zegunis, whose team fell to 1-7 overall. “I was super impressed with their defense. They are big, strong and fast. It’s hard to find a place to attack them.

“And offensively, the quarterback is so dynamic. He can throw, he can run, he’s just a smart kid back there and is dangerous.

“With a team like that, I was overall happy with how our defense played. We just couldn’t do anything on offense.”

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

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South Christian edges Catholic Central 36-34 in battle of unbeatens, ends Cougars’ 42-game winning streak

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,



By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

South Christian ended Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s 42-game winning streak with a 36-34 roller-coaster victory on its home turf at East Kentwood’s Falcon Stadium.

If you’re a high school football fan, this game had everything you want.

It was a battle of two No.-1 ranked teams in the state; South Christian sits atop the state in Division 4, while Grand Rapids Catholic Central is on top in Division 5.

Both teams were unbeaten at 5-0 entering the contest, and Catholic Central had a 42-game winning streak on the line, all the way back to the 2019 season. To top it off, the Cougars have won five state titles in the last six years.

South Christian quarterback Jake DeHaan led his team by scoring four different ways: rushing, passing, receiving and a Pick 6.

“He was Superman for us tonight; he was unbelievable,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown, whose Sailors improved to 6-0 overall. “We’re glad he’s on our side. You count on your great players to step up in big moments and he did.

“He said, ‘Coach, put the ball in my hands, I want to win it for us tonight. What a heck of a performance.”

South Christian quarterback Jake DeHaan helped the Sailors beat Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)

DeHaan completed 19 of 28 passes for 168 yards and one TD and had 19 carries for 181 yards and another TD.

Catholic Central quarterback Connor Wolf completed 26 of 42 passes for 335 yards and three TDs and had 17 carries for 105 yards and two TDs.

South Christian led 7-6 at the half and the game was knotted at 14 to end the third quarter, and then the real roller coaster ride began in the fourth in a back and forth battle.

After trading touchdowns to reach 21-all, South Christian’s Jackson Haik returned a kickoff 93 yards to give the Sailors a 28-21 lead with 4:59 remaining.

The Cougars punched another score in on the ground from nine yards out with 1:52 left in the game. After a blocked kick, South Christian led 28-27.

The fans enjoyed the game between two top-ranked unbeaten teams in South Christian and Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)



DeHaan scored on an 83-yard run with 1:30 remaining to give the Sailors a 36-27 lead, but Catholic Central had one more drive in them as Wolf threw a 27-yard TD pass to J. Williams to end the scoring.



“I feel exhausted, but I have a little energy because we won,” Brown said. “It was a fun game to be a part of.

“We still have three more games and want to win our conference; you have to keep your focus. It was a great program win against an unbelievable football team, but it can’t just be about beating Catholic Central. We have other things we have to chase.”

Seth Ritsema led South Christian with seven tackles and had a 32-yard TD catch as well.

 

South Christian quarterback Jake DeHaan lines up behind his team in the third quarter. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

South Christian stays undefeated with 43-2 win over Thornapple Kellogg Friday

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, ,
Quarterback Jake DeHaan threw three touchdown passes and ran one in for the Sailors. (WKTV)



By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

South Christian continued rolling this season, this time with a 43-2 victory over host Thornapple Kellogg on Friday.

The Sailors scored 23 points in the second quarter to grab a commanding 30-0 halftime lead.

“We scored a lot of points in a hurry in the second quarter to grab that lead,” said South Christian coach Danny Brown, whose Sailors improved to 5-0 overall.

Senior quarterback Jake DeHaan passed for three touchdowns and rushed for one in the win.


“He was just throwing the ball right on the money tonight,” Brown said. “He was reading the mismatches we had and just putting the ball where it needed to be.

“You could see it this week in practice; he was throwing the ball great all week. Jake has been very efficient this year.”

DeHaan completed 12 of 15 passes for 174 yards. Carson Vis had nine receptions for 117 yards and three touchdowns. Both Nate Brinks and Sam Baar had one TD apiece.

“We’re really good up front and have some strong kids and controlled the line of scrimmage,” Brown said. “Our defense set us up to have a lot of short fields and we just executed in those situations.”

Strong “D”

The Sailors held TK to 33 yards passing and 107 rushing.

“Our defense was really good,” Brown added.

Cam Post led South Christian with seven tackles, followed by Cayden Dykema, six and Sawyer TenHaaf, four.

Cam Post led South Christian with seven tackles, while Cayden Dykema chipped in six. (WKTV)



TK Coach Jeff Dock said he was expecting a tough game from the Sailors.

“They were undefeated coming in so we knew they were going be a great opponent,” said Dock, whose team fell to 2-3 overall. “Coach Brown does a great job with his team.





“They’re really big upfront and their skill kids are big and they’re super athletic. And their quarterback is very quick and accurate.”

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

South Christian brothers strike early in team’s 28-6 win over Cedar Springs

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, ,
South Christian QB Jake DeHaan completed 8 of 15 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns and rushed three times for 78 yards. (WKTV)

By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

One minute into the game, senior quarterback Jake DeHaan threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to sophomore brother Charlie DeHaan to give South Christian the early lead in a 28-6 win over Cedar Springs Friday.

DeHaan completed 8 of 15 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns and had three rushes for 78 yards.

It was his brother Charlie’s first TD as a wide receiver on varsity for the Sailors. DeHaan filled in for the injured Jake Vermaas.

Despite South Christian’s big play to start the game, coach Danny Brown said his team didn’t get the explosive plays it had in the first three weeks.

“It was kind of a grind-it-out game for us,” said Brown, whose Sailors improved to 4-0 overall. “We had to execute at a high level. I’m just really proud of the kids. It was a hard fought battle.”

“Senior Nate Brinks really carried us in the run game,” continued Brown, whose running back had 15 carries for 102 yards and two TDs. “Our offense was humming along in the first half. We were converting and making plays.”

The Sailors led 21-6 at halftime.

Brown had much to say about Cedar Springs performance.

“They are probably one of the best 0-4 teams in the state,” Brown said. “They’ve played a lot of really good teams. Hands down, they have a phenomenal football program and good coaches.

“We knew it was going to be a fight. We just made enough plays and played phenomenal defense.”

Senior Cayden Dykema led South Christian with 13 tackles, followed by junior Ben Mulder, 6.5, and senior Cam Post, 6.

“Cayden is unbelievable on defense,” Brown said. “He was all over the place.”

Senior Cayden Dykema led South Christian with 13 tackles in the victory. (WKTV)



WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

South Christian improves to 3-0 with 51-12 win over Ottawa Hills

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
The Sailors beat Ottawa Hills 51-12 Friday at East Kentwood’s stadium. (WKTV/Ty Marzean)

By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor



A solid ground game combined with sparkling special teams play kept South Christian undefeated with a 51-12 win over Ottawa Hills Friday at East Kentwood’s stadium.

“Special teams definitely played a big outcome in the game; that was what sparked our scoring,” said South Christian coach Danny Brown, whose team improved to 3-0 overall, 1-0 in the OK Gold. “The special teams made a difference.

“We started the game with a kickoff return by Charlie Schreur, so that was huge.”

A quick score

Schreur ran 70 yards to pay dirt to give the Sailors a 7-0 lead immediately. Schreur scored two TDs in the win.

Soon after, South Christian’s Cam VanSolkema blocked a punt that Ben Mulder recovered in the end zone for a TD.

(Image courtesy of South Christian)

The Sailors tallied 356 yards in total offense as senior Nate Brinks led with 62 yards rushing and two TDs.

Quarterback Jake DeHaan was 12 of 17 for 177 yards passing.

Brown was very happy with his team’s defensive performance.

“Our defense was great; flying to the ball,” he said. “They played well at the line of scrimmage, getting a lot of guys to the ball.”

Ottawa Hills coach Christian Verley said South Christian is solid and technically sound, but his special teams broke down.

“If we don’t give up 25 points on special teams it’s a different game; that is unacceptable,” said Verley, whose team fell to 0-3 overall. “If we can clean up those things it’s really a solid game.”

Ottawa Hills junior quarterback Tyreez Buchanan was 5 for 12 for 36 yards passing and one TD and rushed 12 times for 68 yards. Junior Willie Duke had 36 yards receiving.

Send us your live game photos

We are always looking for great football game photos to post with our WKTV Journal stories on Friday nights. Please email your cool game night football pix to greer@wktv.org 

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

Familiar foe, another road challenge faces South Christian football after district championship

3-bottom, Area Education, Education, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Featured sports,
The Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team’s rushing attack was in stride Nov. 5 at Hastings as the Sailors totaled 386 total yards in a 38-14 road win. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team rolled back into the state Division 4 Regional title game this week after running past host Hastings, 38-14, in a District championship game last week.

The Nov. 5 win, which is available in replay on WKTV video platforms, was the second playoff win for the Sailors (now 8-3 overall) after an equally impressive 52-7 road win at Plainfield in Week 1.

Awaiting for South Christian this week is familiar foe Edwardsburg, on the road of course, which has been equally impressive in the playoffs with a 58-0 win over Paw Paw followed by 50-0 win over Three Rivers as the Eddies remained unbeaten at 11-0.

And while the game at Edwardsburg is an encore of last year’s Regional final, when the Sailors’ season ended with a 47-7 road loss, South Christian head coach Danny Brown said he knows the importance of the game but does not see it as having any extra meaning.

Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team gained its second straight District championship trophy with a 38-14 road win at Hastings Nov. 5. (WKTV)

“I think it adds another level of excitement to play the team that ended your season the year before but it shouldn’t be our driving force,” Brown said to WKTV. “We need to prepare for Edwardsburg no different than we do any other team we play. We are just excited to get another opportunity to compete.”

And compete the Sailors have in the three seasons after Brown took over for Mark Tamminga following the 2018-19 season. In Brown’s first season, South Christian went 6-5 overall and lost in the district final; last year — in a pandemic-impacted, start-and-stop season — the Sailors went 8-1 before their loss at Edwardsburg.

“I think the big difference between the two years is the fact we get to play the game right away,” Brown said of his team’s rematch with the Eddies. “We had a lot of momentum last year and then the season was suspended. We had a month off before we played them. They did a better job of keeping their kids engaged during the down time and it showed when we played them.”

But, Brown also said, this year’s Sailors are not the same team as last year’s Sailors.

“Defensively we are bigger and stronger upfront which is something we will need against their high powered rushing attack,” he said. “We are more balanced from an offensive perspective.”

And while Brown has said he wants his team to be balanced when it comes to offense, the South Christian rushing attack was in full glory last week against Hastings.

Sailors break open a 14-14 game in 2nd quarter

Coming into South Christian’s game at Hastings, coach Brown told WKTV of his affinity for a balanced attack being borrowed from Urban Meyer, one-time Ohio State University and current NFL head coach, and how this Sailors team has that balance.

 “Urban Meyer used to say, when he was coaching a game, … he wanted 200 and 200 hundred. 200 passing and 200 rushing yards, and we are pretty close to that,” Brown said.

His team did not play to script against Hastings, however, as the Sailors had 43 rushing attempts, gained 18 first downs and scored five touchdown on the ground en route to 302 total rushing yards. Junior quarterback Jake DeHaan led the rushing attack with 116 years on 13 carries with one touchdown, while junior Nate Brinks totaled 102 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns and senior Chandler VanSolkema added 78 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries.

The passing attack was effective when used, however, with DeHaan going 8-of-12 for 87 passing yards and one touchdown, that one going to senior Ashton Fennema on a 26-yard strike. Senior Jace DeMann led the team in receptions with four for 33 yards.

Sailors kicker Brinks scored eight points on one field gold and five points after touchdown.

On defense, DeMann and junior Cameron Post each had 6.5 tackles, while senior Clayton DeKam had six and senior Colton Schreur had five, as Hastings was held to 14 points, all in the first half, and 204 total yards on offense.

WKTV game replays available

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

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

South Christian, Kelloggsville score wins in WKTV’s Week 6 update of local teams’ prep football seasons

Area Education, Education, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Featured sports, ,

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

As the 2021 high school football season winds down, results of Week 6 had Grand Rapids South Christian High School (4-2 overall) still in-line for a state playoff berth at the end of the month — and the Sailors’ 49-12 win over Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills was WKTV’s Featured Game of the week with Wyoming and Kentwood cable television and on-demand replays available.

But the does not mean there are not games of importance coming up for local teams down the stretch.

First, Kelloggsville has won two in a row after last week’s 34-24 non-conference road win at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, and records won’t really matter as Kelloggsville and Godwin Heights play their traditional crosstown rivalry this week — and WKTV will be there. (And both still could get to five wins and have a shot at the playoffs.)

Then, Wyoming high will be at home next week as the school hosts Grand Rapids Union and also a special celebration for the school’s new stadium being named in honor of Jack VerDuin, who rolled up a 243-118-6 record with the Wyoming Park Vikings before the school merged with Wyoming Rogers to become Wyoming high in 2012.

This week’s WKTV Feature Game will be the Friday, Oct. 8, Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights clash, and on Friday, Oct. 15, WKTV will be at Wyoming high for the game and the ceremony.

The final week of the regular season, on Friday, Oct. 22, WKTV will select a game of most importance to local fans and local team in pursuit of the playoffs the week after.

Past WKTV Featured Games from this season available on-demand include the Aug. 26 Forest HIlls Northern at Wyoming High game, the Sept. 1 NorthPointe at Lee 8-man game, the Sept. 10 Middleville T-K at South Christian game (played at East Kentwood), and East Kentwood’s home win over West Otttawa on Sept. 24 — and now last week’s South Christian win over Kenowa Hills.

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

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

Team-by-team update

East Kentwood

The East Kentwood Falcons —1-5, 1-3 in OK Conference Red action after last week’s 6-42 road loss at Hudsonville (3-3, 3-1) — will again be on the road this week, playing at Grandville (3-3, 2-2).

After last week’s action, Caledonia (6-0 overall) and Rockford (6-0) are both 4-0 in OK Red standings.

Remaining on the Falcon’s schedule after Grandville on Oct. 8, East Kentwood will be at home hosting Grand Haven (currently 3-3, 2-2) on Oct. 15, then closing out the regular season at Jension (currently 0-4, 1-5) on Oct. 22.

Wyoming high

The Wyoming Wolves (0-6) last week traveled to OK Conference Green foe Zeeland West (3-2, 2-2 in conference) and lost 6-72. Wyoming will be on the road again this week at Zeeland East (4-2, 3-1) on Oct. 8.

After last week’s action, Muskegon (5-1) and Muskegon Mona Shores (5-1) are each 4-0 in OK Green action. The Wolves are 0-4 in conference.

After this week’s game, The Wolves will be at home for the final time this season facing Grand Rapids Union (currently 3-3, 1-3) on Oct. 15, and then close out the season at Mona Shores on Oct. 22.

Grand Rapids South Christian

The South Christian Sailors (4-2, 3-1 in OK Conference Gold) will be at home (at East Kentwood) in Week 7 hosting Ada Forest Hills Eastern (3-2, 2-2) in OK Gold action.

After last week’s action, Grand Rapids Central Catholic (6-0) and Cedar Springs (5-1) are both 4-0 in OK Gold action, with the Sailors one game behind. South Christian played and lost to Catholic Central on Sept. 17, but still have a home game against Cedar Springs to be played to close the regular season Oct. 22.

After this week’s game against Ada Forest Hills Eastern on Oct. 8, the Sailors travel to Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (2-3, 1-2) on Oct. 15, then finish the regular season against Cedar Springs.

Godwin Heights

The Godwin Heights Wolverines (2-3), after a week off from action, returned to the field and OK Conference Silver acton last week but lost a road game at Sparta (4-2, 2-1 in conference), 14-29, on Oct. 1.

After last week’s action, OK Silver standings have Comstock Park (6-0) as the only undefeated in OK Silver action at 4-0, with Hopkins (3-3) at 3-1 in conference. Godwin is 0-3 in conference.

The week, the Wolverines will host cross-town and conference rival Kelloggsville, then travel to Belding (currently 4-2, 2-2 in conference) on Oct.15, before finishing the season at home against Grandville Calvin Christian (1-5, 0-3) on Oct. 22.

Kelloggsville

The Kelloggsville Rockets (2-4) have now seen their offense in high gear for three straight weeks, the last two being wins, as they followed up a 70-22 road win at Calvin Christian in OK Conference Silver action with the road win at Father Gabriel Richard.

After last week’s action, OK Silver standings have Comstock Park (6-0) as the only undefeated in OK Silver action at 4-0, with Hopkins (3-3) at 3-1 in conference. Kelloggsville is 1-2 in conference.

Kelloggsville after this week’s game at Godwin Heights (2-3, 0-3), will be at Comstock Park on Oct. 15, and then at home to face Sparta (3-2, 1-1) on Oct. 22.

Lee (8-man football)

The Lee Legends are playing a non-conference 8-man schedule which includes both 8-man varsity and junior varsity games.

South Christian hosts familiar foe Middleville in WKTV’s Feature Game

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Education, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Featured sports,
Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team at practice before the Middleville Thornapple Kellogg game Sept. 10. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

As Grand Rapids South Christian High School prepares to play its first OK Conference Gold game of the season, head football coach Danny Brown just wants his 1-1 Sailors to continue to improve when they host Middleville Thornapple Kellogg.

And despite Middleville coming in with a 0-2 record, including a forfeit loss last week due to COVID-19 concerns, coach Brown knows his team will have a challenge as they seek improvement and to be “paying our best at the end” of the season.

“Middleville always plays hard. We know they are going to play hard,” Coach Brown said this week to WKTV. “Last year we beat them 28-7, but we had to fight, and scratch for everything we got. I would not expect this week to be any different.

Grand Rapids South Christian High School head football coach Danny Brown. (WKTV)

“I think, for us, I just want us to get better week in and week out. We do not want to play our best football in week two or week three. We want to be paying our best at the end. As long as we continue to progress and we keep playing, we can continue to do what we have been doing and get better.”

WKTV will cover the South Christian vs. Middleville game as we  continue our 2021-22 Featured Game coverage season. This week’s game will be at East Kentwood with kick off at 7 p.m.

“We are feeling good about where we are at,” Coach Brown said, reviewing the Sailors’ 27-7 win at Grand Rapids Christian followed by a 21-30 loss at home to East Grand Rapids Sept. 3. “We felt like we got better last week, it just didn’t come to fruition at the end of the game. In the first half last week, we played good outside of one minute. We were up 7-0 with one minute to go. … All of a sudden it went from 7-0 to 13-7.”

Overall, coach Brown said, his team has been physical but needs to create and stop  “explosive plays” more often, and it needs to get healthy.

Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team at practice before the Middleville Thornapple Kellogg game Sept. 10. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

“I think physically, we are good. We are physical. We are playing hard. So, as far as the football piece, we’re doing very well,” he said. “Offensively, we have to start creating some explosive plays. We have to limit, with our defenses, their explosive plays. I think if we can get those two things figured out, I like where we are headed.”

In pointing out some of his key players, he also pointed out the team’s early season injury issues that are working themselves out.

“Jake DeHaan (junior quarterback) has maybe started a little slow, but obviously he is big part of what we do,” coach Brown said. “Jace DeMann (senior cornerback and wide receiver) … “He’s already scored a touchdown on an interception … We are going to get him in on some offensive stuff because he is just a really good player.”

He also pointed out Colton Schreur, a senior linebacker and wide receiver, and Cameron (Cam) Post, a junior offensive lineman and linebacker as players to watch — “They are both inside linebackers and play offense as well. They have been out with injuries. … If we can get healthy, that’s a big thing. We are missing some guys but when we can get healthy we should be in a good spot.”

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

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