Tag Archives: South Christian High School

South Christian girls basketball team saves best for last with thrilling tournament run

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, ,
South Christian girls pose with their district championship trophy. (Photo Courtesy, David Kool)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



It was a season of ups and downs for the South Christian girls basketball team, but the final couple weeks of ups made the season one to remember for the Sailors.

After finishing the regular season with a 12-10 overall record, 7-7 in the OK Gold, the Sailors went on a thrilling state tournament run that included a district championship and berth in the regional finals.

Heading into the final game of the regular season, South Christian’s record stood at 11-10, the Sailors, however, wrapped up the regular season with a big boost as they defeated a 16-6 Wyoming team 56-55.

That win propelled the Sailors into the state tournament with some momentum. Hosting the district tournament, South Christian took advantage of that momentum by defeating Wayland 48-38 in the district semifinals. The Sailors then won the district title in thrilling fashion with a 78-67 win in double overtime against Holland Christian.


Holland Christian grabbed a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter in the district title game and led by four at halftime. The Sailors eventually took a 37-36 lead at the end of the third quarter before the game went into double overtime. The two squads scored six points apiece in the first overtime before South Christian dominated the second one outscoring Holland Christian 14-3.    

Sailors claw back after 13-2 deficit in regional opener

South kept the momentum going at the regional opener at Hopkins with a 47-40 win against Otsego. The Sailors displayed plenty of determination in the win against Otsego as they rallied from behind. South Christian trailed 13-2 at the end of the first quarter before clamping down on defense and picking up the pace on offense.

The season came to an end for the Sailors, however, in the regional final where they dropped a 49-34 decision to Vicksburg.


South Christian Coach Erika Brown (Courtesy, South Christian)

“Winning the district title and competing in a regional final game this season was so special for this group of young ladies,” said South Christian Coach Erika Brown, in her first season as head coach.



“Their hard work, love for each other and the game, and the deep belief they could win was what carried them through, plus our strong defensive mentality. I am incredibly proud of them and what they were determined to accomplish through the many ups and downs this season gave us.”



Defense key to success

The Sailors, who finished the season with a 15-11 overall record, built their team on defense and that defense was a key to success down the stretch.

“Our defense defined us this season,” Brown said. “When we connected and got after it on defense, our offense would ignite.”



Sophia Prins. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
Lizzie Wolthuis. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

South Christian received key contributions from every member of the team this season. South was led by a solid backcourt that featured guards Sophia Prins and Lizzie Wolthuis.

“Sophia was our starting point guard,” Brown said. “She directed the way and gave us composure and confidence on both ends of the floor.





“Lizzie was our starting shooting guard. She would ignite our offense with her ability to hit threes and drive to the hoop. She also was a strong rebounder and defensive presence.”

The backcourt also was balanced by the versatile skills of the fellow starters.


“Ashley Thomasma was our senior captain who has strong defensive and passing abilities,” Brown said. “Kami Boonstra was our strong driver and shooter and was great at getting defensive deflections. Lily Nitz was our junior captain who was our most versatile player guarding the other team’s top players.”


South Christian captain Ashley Thomasma (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
South Christian captain Lily Nitz (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



The Sailors also received numerous contributions from players not in the starting lineup throughout the season.

“So many of our players brought such unique talent to our team this year,” Brown said. “We were blessed and fortunate to have so many pieces to the puzzle.” 

While lifting a district title trophy was special, it was the process involved that really sticks out for Brown.

“What I will remember the most about the team and the tournament run was the smiles and watching the girls’ hearts grow and the belief in their eyes widen,” Brown said. “I am so grateful for my wonderful coaching staff, supportive parents and a group of young ladies that bought in and made this such a fun journey this season.


“I will forever remember this team and my first year as head coach.”

South Christian takes early lead, turns back Holland Christian in home opener Friday 64-40

Entertainment News, Sports, West Michigan, ,
South Christian’s Isaac Schrotenboer (32) battles for possession of the ball during Friday’s game with Holland Christian. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor


It was the first home game of the season for the South Christian boys basketball team and if Friday’s game is any indication, Sailor fans are going to be in for a fun season.

The Sailors, who reached the Division 2 state championship game last March, displayed plenty of strong defense and a potent offense as they jumped out to an early lead and went on to defeat Holland Christian 64-40.

With some key players returning from last year’s squad and a host of players looking to step up and play larger roles, the Sailors have a squad built to make an impact both in the area and on the state level.

“This is a new group with a lot of new players in new roles,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “We have two very good guards coming back so guard play is going to be a key for us.”

Duo Vis and Vermaas a threat on court as well

The guard tandem of senior Jake Vermaas and junior Carson Vis is a familiar duo to South Christian fans. Not only did the duo turn in outstanding seasons last fall, but they were a big part of South Christian’s run to the Division 4 state football finals with Vis as the quarterback and Vermaas at wide receiver.

“Vermaas and Vis are going to lead us,” Johnson said. “They are both outstanding players, but it is going to take a while for them to get their legs after a long football season. A big key for us is we are going to have to rebound well and get extra possessions.”

Vermaas and Vis seem to be shaking off the rust of a long football season well. Vis led all scorers with 21 points against Holland Christian, while Vermaas added 17 points including a pair of deep three-point shots during the fourth quarter. Vis also displayed his big-play skills on defense and dunked an offensive rebound home in the first half.

South Christian came out of the gate playing some stingy defense in the game. The Sailors defense held Holland Christian without a point for the first three minutes and 17 seconds of the game and the visiting Maroons did not record a field goal until the 2:46 mark of the opening quarter.


South Christian’s Caleb Pleune (20), Jake Vermaas (0) and Sam Weiss (23) set up to defend Holland Christian Friday. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



“They (Holland Christian) got some decent shots, but the ball would not fall for them,” Johnson said. “I felt we played a pretty good game. We got out to a hot start. We got out in transition and got some easy buckets and that helped.”

Sailors up 32-12 at halftime

South Christian was up 13-4 at the end of the first quarter. The Sailors kept their foot on the gas in the second quarter as they scored the first nine points of the quarter to take a 22-4 lead. By halftime the Sailors were up 32-12.

The Sailors maintained the double-digit lead in the second half. South led 46-27 at the end of the third quarter and were up by 27 points late in the final quarter.


South Christian’s Sam Weiss (23) and Carson Vis (11) talk strategy during Friday’s game with Holland Christian. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



With four seniors on the roster, the Sailors are a relatively young team. Along with Vermaas, fellow senior Sam Weiss also saw extensive playing time last season. Tanner Raak, a 6-foot-5 forward and guard Drew Bruinsma round out the seniors on the Sailor roster. Raak and Weiss both finished the Holland Christian game with two points apiece.

The remainder of the lineup consists of juniors, who’ll be stepping into key roles for the team this season.

Up front, Isaac Schrotenboer and Davis Kemper are a pair of 6-foot-6 juniors that are being counted on to provide rebounding, defense in the post and offense in the paint. Schrotenboer finished the game with 10 points, while Kemper added six. The duo also turned in strong efforts on the boards and blocking shots.

Junior Nolan Fackler added four points, while 6-foot-5 junior Ty Brinks added two.

“We have some size in Kemper and Schrotenboer,” Johnson said. “Kemper was injured last year and Schrotenboer was on the junior varsity. Weiss gained a lot of experience last year and started in the title game. We are going to need them to step up and provide some rebounding for us this year. Weiss is also a good shooter.”

The Sailors also are counting on 6-foot-3 junior Caleb Pleune at forward and Raak.

“Pleune will be a key player for us,” Johnson said. “He is a real good shooter. Raak is another guy we are counting on to rebound and he is really solid defensively.”

Nice start for new South Christian girls basketball Coach Erika Brown; replaces 28-year veteran Kim Legge

City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports,
New South Christian Girls Basketball Coach Erika Brown (Courtesy, South Christian)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



It’s not an easy task replacing a 28-year veteran coach who has experienced great success.



That’s what Erika Brown is tasked to do as the new coach of the South Christian girls basketball team, replacing Kim Legge.



“I am excited to continue building off the success Coach Legge established over her many years of coaching,” said Brown, who was the varsity assistant for the Sailors for three years and coach at Grandville and Davision for four years. ” I am honored to take the lead here at South. Coaching at South gives me the opportunity to share my faith and help encourage young ladies to be the best versions of themselves.



“Teaching them the game of basketball is the icing on the cake.”



Brown kicked off her new role with a 56-40 win over Grand Rapids Christian last Tuesday.



“I am proud of our hard work on Tuesday night,” said Brown, whose husband Danny is South Christian’s football coach. “Grand Rapids Christian has been a tough opener over the years. I felt we played well and I was happy with our energy and effort. We talk a lot about our effort, attitude and our connection with each other. These are things we can control and we put lots of emphasis on them.



“Our leading scorers for the night were Sophia Prins (19 points) and Lizzie Wolthuis (15 points). Sophia is our floor general, and as our point guard she is the extension of the coach on the floor. She embraces this role with everything she has. Lizzie is our shooting guard. When she finds her rhythm we roll with it and great things happen.”


“It’s pretty special to have two players who began their high school career together on varsity, continuing to be great teammates and leaders in their own unique ways.”



The team captains are senior Ashley Thomasma and junior Lily Nitz.  


South Christian captain Lily Nitz (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



Brown takes over a Sailor team that finished second in the Gold at 10-4, 16-8 overall.



“Our goal this year is to get better each week, to compete at our best each game and to embrace the process and journey we are on together.”




South Christian captain Ashey Thomasma (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)







South Christian Athletic Director David Kool had much to say about Coach Brown and former Coach Legge.



“We are so excited to have someone the caliber of Coach Brown taking over our program,” Kool said. “She has been involved with the program over the last couple of years as an assistant so her familiarity with the girls and our community is top-notch. She brings past experience as a varsity head coach at different programs and a vast array of knowledge in the basketball realm. Coach Brown is a relational coach who’s life mission is to love kids and show them the hands and feet of Jesus every day. She is going to make our girls better as players and human beings and that is very exciting for us.



“Coach Legge is and will continue to be missed. We are very grateful and appreciative of her leadership of our program over the years. She not only won a lot of games, but more importantly, made an impact on so many girls over her 28 years at South Christian. She was a relationship person and a Jesus follower first who did things the right way and her time will always be remembered fondly here. We wish her and her family nothing but success in the next phase of her life.”

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

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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

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

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




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.  



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.



South Christian rolls to OK Gold Conference win against Cedar Springs; 400 total yards for Sailors

City of Kentwood, Entertainment News, Sports, , , ,
South Christian’s Carson Vis completed 11-of-13 passes for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He added 28 yards rushing and two touchdown runs. (Courtesy, Louis Murray)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor


South Christian continued to roll in the OK Gold Conference as the Sailors defeated Cedar Springs 45-23 to run its conference record to 4-0.

South Christian finished the game with 400 yards total offense. Quarterback Carson Vis was nearly flawless throwing the ball as he completed 11-of-13 passes for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jake Vermaas caught five passes for 98 yards and a score, while Noah Funk grabbed a pair of passes for 79 yards and a score. Sam Weiss caught two passes for 70 yards.

The Sailors struck early and often in the game as they scored more than 40 points for the third time in four conference games this season. South Christian scored the first points of the game on their opening possession when Vis connected with Funk on a 67-yard touchdown pass. Drew Bruinsma tacked on the point after giving the Sailors an early 7-0 lead.

South doubled the lead later in the opening quarter. This time the Sailors used the ground game to put points on the board as Jackson Haik broke loose for a 52-yard touchdown run. Bruinsma added the extra point for a 14-0 lead.

Cedar Springs got on the board with a 44-yard touchdown run from Dylan LaFontsee cutting the Sailor lead in half at 14-7.

The Sailor offense continued to churn out the points in the second quarter. Bruinsma began the scoring in the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal. Vis then ran for a touchdown from two yards out giving the Sailors a 24-7 lead after Bruinsma tacked on the extra point.

South Christian led 31-15 at halftime

The two teams wrapped up the first half exchanging touchdowns. Cedar Springs scored on a touchdown pass and added a two-point conversion. South Christian quickly answered that score when Jackson Haik returned the ensuing kickoff 93-yards for a touchdown giving South a 31-15 halftime lead.


South Christian’s Jake Vermaas caught five passes for 98 yards and a score, while Noah Funk caught a pair of passes for 79 yards and a score and Sam Weiss grabbed two passes for 70 yards. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)

South Christian extended its lead to 38-15 in the third. The Sailor passing game provided the points when Vis hooked up with Vermaas on a 15-yard touchdown pass.

Cedar Springs added a score in the third quarter on a 22-yard touchdown run by Marek Oleneack. The Red Hawks tacked on the two-point conversion to cut the Sailor advantage to 38-23.

South Christian closed out the scoring in the fourth with a two-yard touchdown run by Vis.

On the ground, Haik carried the ball nine times for 94 yards and a touchdown. Vis added 28 yards rushing and two touchdown runs.

The Sailor defense was led by Benjamin Mulder who totaled 10 tackles and one tackle for loss. Luke DeJager added seven tackles, one quarterback sack and a pair of tackles for loss. Mitchell Lindhout and Austin Tiesma both added six tackles, while Tiesma added a sack and tackle for loss.


South Christian returns to action next Friday when it hosts Thornapple Kellogg for the WKTV Game of the Week before traveling to Catholic Central on Friday, Oct. 13 for the conference showdown with the league title possibly on the line.



WKTV Game of the Week

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

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

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 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 falls to Ferndale in Division 2 state championship game

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
The Sailors pose with their runner-up trophy after losing to Ferndale 44-38 in the Division 2 state final Saturday at the Breslin Center. (Courtesy, South Christian)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



A storybook basketball season for the South Christian Sailors was one quarter short of a perfect ending as Ferndale forged ahead in the fourth quarter and held on for a 44-38 win in the Division 2 state championship game Saturday at the Breslin Center at Michigan State University.

The Sailors, who were looking to accomplish the rare feat of winning a football and basketball state championship in the same school year, were tied 28-28 with Ferndale heading into the final quarter. Ferndale, however, began the final quarter with an 8-2 scoring run and hung on to that margin to claim its first state basketball title since 1966.

“I’m real proud of these guys,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “It’s been an incredible season. We had a late start because of winning the football championship and we started off 1-2. We played and beat some really good teams this year. That is what made this run so special. I couldn’t be prouder of this team and they need to walk away with their heads held high.”

Conference, regional and district titles

The Sailors won conference, district and regional titles this season and finished with a 25-4 record despite battling through major injuries. South Christian lost senior Jaxon Rynbrandt to a season-ending injury early in the season and then standout sophomore Carson Vis was lost after getting injured in the regional title game.



Those injuries impacted South’s depth, depth that could’ve come in handy in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s state final, especially after winning a tough overtime game against Romulus Summit Academy North in the late-night state semifinal game the night before.

“Obviously, we are not as deep without Carson,” Johnson said, “and it caught up with us. Playing the overtime game the night before and having no prep time and playing without Carson, it was a tough stretch. I’m proud of these guys. They left everything they had on the court.



“They played some great defense tonight. We just didn’t make enough shots.”

‘Great defense’ all championship week

The Sailors played great defense the entire championship week. After holding Unity Christian to 38 points in the quarterfinal win, the Sailors held Romulus Summit Academy to 35 points in a game that went to overtime in the 40-35 win in the state semifinals and then allowed 44 points to Ferndale in the state finals.

South Christian limited Ferndale to 37 percent shooting from the field in the title game and nearly 32 percent shooting from three-point range. Ferndale, however, got hot at the opportune time as it connected on six of its 10 shots (60 percent) in the fourth quarter.

South Christian shot 33.3 percent for the game, but hit on just 2-of-19 shots from three-point range.

“They (Ferndale) are a good team,” Johnson said. “They pressured us on defense and created some turnovers that hurt us. We just didn’t get the shots to fall and that hurt us.”

South Christian outrebounded Ferndale 29-26 for the game. Both teams also pulled down six offensive rebounds.

South Christian held 16-14 edge at the half

Ferndale took the early lead in the game at 8-4 to end the first quarter. South Christian turned the tables in the second quarter by outscoring Ferndale 12-6 to take a 16-14 lead into halftime. Ferndale then outscored South 14-12 in the third as the game was tied heading into the final quarter.

Jake DeHaan and Jake Vermaas led in scoring

Senior Jake DeHaan and junior Jake Vermaas led the Sailors with 14 points apiece. Senior Sam Medendorp added seven points, while senior Nate Brinks added three. Vermaas dished out five assists, while DeHaan had three and Medendorp, two.



Medendorp led the Sailors on the boards with seven, including two offensive rebounds. Vermaas and DeHaan both added five rebounds. Medendorp turned in a big defensive game with four blocked shots and a steal, while Vermaas added two steals.

Five Sailors end high school careers

The state title game marked the end of the high school basketball careers for seniors Cam Post, Brinks, DeHaan, Medendorp and Rynbrandt.

“The seniors are going to be hard to replace,” Johnson said. “I’m going to really miss these guys. It’s hard to see the seniors walk away. This group of seniors was a really close group and we will miss them.



“We do have some good young guys coming up. We will have some good players to build around next year.”

South Christian uses big second half to defeat Hamilton en route to regional title; 14th straight win

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
South Christian’s Jake Vermaas led with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists in the win. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

It took a while for the South Christian basketball team to take  control of the Division 2 regional title game at Vicksburg Wednesday evening, but when they did the Sailors left no doubt that the trophy was theirs.

Thanks to a strong close to the first half and a big second half, South Christian defeated Hamilton 82-47 to claim its first regional championship since 2019.

“It was an emotional game,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “It was a great crowd and a great atmosphere. We started out a little slow, but then Nate Brinks hit a big three to put us up by 11 points at the half. Then we came out strong in the second half and scored 33 points in the third quarter.”

The game was tight in the early going with South leading 16-10 at the end of the first quarter. The Sailors maintained the single-digit margin in the second quarter before the three by Brinks sent South Christian into halftime with a 33-21 lead and riding a surge of momentum.


Jake DeHaan scored scored 24 points. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

“They (Hamilton) are a really good team,” Johnson said. “They are really physical and play really good help defense. They came out and were playing super aggressive. At halftime we made some adjustments and it paid off big in the third quarter.”

South Christian got on an offensive roll during the third quarter. The Sailors totaled 33 points in the third and built the lead to 66-35 heading into the final quarter.




Vermaas and DeHaan light up the third

“Jake Vermaas and Jake DeHaan were outstanding in the third quarter,” Johnson said. “They provided a big spark to our offense by hitting threes and scoring inside. Our defense was also a lot better. Our man-to-man defense took it up a notch in the second half and did a good job of slowing their offense down.”

South closed out the game by outscoring Hamilton 16-12 in the fourth quarter.

Vermaas led the way on offense for the Sailors with 28 points while DeHaan followed with 24 points. Vermaas turned in a solid all-around effort as he added seven rebounds and seven assists.

As a team, South blistered the nets by connecting on eight-of-17 three-point shots (47%) and connected on 31-of-49 (63%) field goals for the game. The Sailors also converted 12-of-13 free throws (92%) and outrebounded the Hawkeyes 31-14. Sam Medendorp led the Sailors in rebounding with eight rebounds.

“It was a great team win,” Johnson said. “I’m super happy for our school, our community and our coaches. We’ve been on a good run during the tournament. We’ve had our challenges but the guys have played some really good defense. They are sharing the ball on offense, diving on the floor for loose balls and taking charges.”

Strong regional showing

The win capped a strong regional showing that began with a 72-33 win over Niles in the regional semifinals. South turned in a sizzling shooting game against Niles as it connected on 10 three-point shots (56%) and shot 61 percent overall from the floor. The Sailors also outrebounded Niles 32-15 led by Vermaas with nine rebounds. Brinks led a balanced scoring attack with 14 points, followed by Carson Vis with 11 and Vermaas, 10. Vermaas also led on the boards with nine rebounds.

Sailors face Hudsonville Unity Christian in state quarterfinals

With their first regional title since 2019 secured, the Sailors head to the Division 2 state quarterfinals where they face long-time rival Unity Christian. The regional game is set for next Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Calvin University. Ironically, the last time South Christian played in the state quarterfinals was in 2019 against the same Unity Christian Crusaders in a game that also took place at Calvin.

“It will be a lot of fun for sure,” Johnson said. “It will be a great crowd. They have a great team and are very well coached. We played them in December and we won a close one.”

South Christian defeated host Unity Christian 58-50 on Dec. 16.

14 straight wins

The Sailors bring a 23-3 record into the quarterfinal matchup. They have won 14 straight games since a loss at Grand Rapids Catholic Central on Jan. 24.

Unity Christian advanced to the state quarterfinals by defeating Grand Rapids Christian 58-56 in the regional championship game it hosted. Unity Christian brings an 18-9 record into the quarterfinals and has a five-game winning streak highlighted by a tournament win against Grand Rapids Catholic Central.     

South Christian Boys knock off Ottawa Hills 73-51 Tuesday

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Sam Medendorp led the Sailors with 20 points in the win. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



After a 73-51 win over Ottawa Hills Tuesday, South Christian boys Coach Taylor Johnson was happy with how his Sailors handled the pressure.

“It was a great matchup with a team that can give you a lot of problems with their style of play,” said Johnson, whose Sailors improved to 13-3 overall, 8-1 (second place) in the OK Gold. “It took time, but once we got settled in I liked how we played together and passed through the pressure.

“It was an important game for us and we knew it would not be easy. Coach King does a nice job and we had to keep fighting. We made a big push late into the third quarter that really helped us pull away in the fourth.”



Jake DeHaan scored 17 points for the Sailors. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



Sam Medendorp led the Sailors with 20 points, while Jake DeHaan added 17.

“Sam was so important for us and played great,” Johnson said. “His defensive presence is unlike anyone else in the league; he impacts the game on both sides of the ball. He showed off his athleticism last night with over five blocks and four dunks. It was fun to watch.

“DeHaan just continues to flourish of lately, finding his rhythm being able to hit the three and drive it to two feet and find ways to create angles and score. He also had some huge off rebounds for us that sparked important second chance points.”



Ottawa Hills fell to 10-7 overall, 6-3 in the Gold.

South Christian knocks off Caledonia 44-36 in girls hoops Tuesday

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
South Christian plays some tight defense in a win over Caledonia Tuesday. (WKTV/Alex Bernhardt)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



After trailing 10-1 to start the game, South Christian clawed back to eventually grab a 44-36 win over visiting Caledonia Tuesday.

At halftime, the game was tied at 21 and knotted at 28 to end the third quarter.

“The game went back and forth with both teams just really digging in on defense and struggling to get much going on offense,” said South Christian Coach Kim Legge, whose team is 10-5 overall, 5-2 in the OK Gold.

Caledonia led 36-35 with 3:30 left in the game and then the momentum was all South Christian.

Ashley Thomasma’s trey turns the game

“Ashley Thomasma hit a big three that put us up two points,” Legge said. “Our defense would hold strong from that point on holding Caledonia scoreless the rest of the way.”

Thomasma led the Sailors with 15 points, followed by Ashley Raredon, 13 points and 11 rebounds and Lizzie Wolthuis, 11. 

Caledonia’s Gracie Gortmaker finished the game with 18 of the team’s 36 points.

“It was a great non conference matchup against a crosstown school,” Legge said. “Both teams worked extremely hard to keep the other team out of their rhythm.  A lot of the players from both teams know each other so that always makes for a fun matchup.     

Catholic Central boys outlast South Christian 71-67 in Gold heavyweight matchup

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
South Christian’s Jake Vermaas takes the ball downcourt. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Conributor

South Christian had Grand Rapids Catholic Central on the ropes during Tuesday’s OK Gold showdown of state-ranked powers, but the Sailors were unable to land the knockout shot and the host Cougars rallied to pull out a 71-67 win.

First place in the conference was on the line as South Christian sailed into the Catholic Central gym and the two teams gave the packed house what they came to see. South Christian, ranked 13th in the state in Division 2, led for the bulk of the game, but the host Cougars, ranked 18th in the state in Division 2, remained persistent throughout and overcame South down the stretch.

“It’s hard to keep them (Catholic Central) down,” South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson said. “They keep coming and coming. I felt we played with good intensity and our defensive focus was there, but they (Catholic Central) got some big rebounds down the stretch and the ball just didn’t bounce our way at the end.”

A quick start for the Sailors

South Christian jumped out to an early 9-2 lead in the game and was up 18-12 at the end of the first quarter.

Carson Vis led South Christian with 31 points. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)


Sophomore standout Carson Vis was a big part of the Sailor offense in the early going and throughout the game. Scoring from the perimeter and on drives to the basket, Vis led the Sailors with 31 points in the game.

“He’s a special kid,” Johnson said. “He loves the game so much. He is such a special player and he is going to be special here for quite some time.” 

Cougars score 11 in a row

Catholic Central reeled off 11 consecutive points to open the second quarter and take a 23-18 lead, but the Sailors righted the ship and regained a 37-32 lead at halftime.

While the Sailor offense was led by Vis, the Catholic Central offense has a pair of standout players that can fill the hoop in a hurry in junior Durral Brooks and senior Kaden Brown. Brown, who will be playing his college ball at Wright State next season, led all scorers with 32 points while Brooks, who has been offered by Michigan State, added 21 points.

Sailors get 10 straight

South Christian went on a 10-0 run early in the third quarter to go up 47-35, but Catholic Central would not go away. The Cougars chipped away at the lead and cut the deficit to 57-50 at the end of the third quarter.

“It was back and forth,” Catholic Central Coach TJ Meerman said. “It was definitely a game of runs by both teams. They are an excellent team and a tough team.”

South was up 61-55 midway through the final quarter when the Cougars mounted a final big push. Catholic Central went on a 13-2 run to go up 68-63 with a minute remaining in the game.

“Our guys pride themselves on toughness,” Meerman said. “They played with a lot of pride down the stretch. There was a timeout when we were down by 10 or 11 and all the guys in the huddle were saying to stay the course. Just stay the course.


“It was a credit to our junior and senior leadership. The guys stayed the course and knew they would pull it out.”

Down to the wire

South continued to battle in the final minute of the game and a three-point shot by Jake Vermaas trimmed the Cougar lead to 68-66 with 47 seconds remaining in the game. Brown split a pair of free throws with 18 seconds remaining to put the Cougars up by two points.



With four seconds remaining in the game, Vis was fouled on a three-point shot. Vis connected on one of the free throws before Catholic Central pulled down a rebound. Brown was subsequently fouled and drained a pair of free throws with 3.7 seconds left to give the Cougars the final three-point margin.

“They went on that third-quarter run and that hurt us,” Johnson said. “I think it was a 15-6 run and we missed some easy shots. We showed that we can compete with anyone. We’ve played a tough schedule and we proved we can compete with anyone.”

Along with 31 points from Vis, South Christian received 19 points from Vermaas, nine points from Jacob DeHaan and four points from Sam Medendorp.

With the loss, South Christian falls to 9-3 overall and 5-1 in the OK Gold. South Christian returns to action Friday at Cedar Springs.

Catholic Central improved to 8-3 overall and 6-0 in the conference. The Cougars return to action Friday at Kenowa Hills.

OK Gold champion South Christian girls basketball team hoping for another run

City of Kentwood, Sports,
(pxhere.com)


By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Coming off an 18-4 season last year, the South Christian girls basketball team will lean on two returning starters and some young talent to be in the mix again for another conference crown.

“I anticipate the OK Gold being a competitive conference as usual and only time will tell how things pan out,” said Coach Kim Legge, whose Sailors tied with Catholic Central atop the OK Gold at 13-1. “I am extremely excited about our future as I see us growing each and every day.

“We are gauging our progress one day at a time, but we love the progress these girls have made already.”

Senior leader Ashley Raredon. (Courtesy, South Christian)

Senior Ashley Raredon and junior Ashley Thomasma are the two returning starters.

“Ashley (Raredon) played big minutes for us last season and has stepped right back into that role, but with some added leadership skills,” said Legge, whose Sailors are off to a quick 4-2 start. “Ashley (Thomasma) has and will be a big contributor for us. The two of them have played together for two years now and work really well together.”

Junior Joelle Alferink, who saw limited minutes last season, “knows our system now after being on varsity,” Legge continued. “We have also added sophomore Lily Nitz and two freshmen, Sophia Prins and Lizzie Wolthuis to the regular rotation at this time.

“They all are capable shooters and can work the inside outside game well with Ashley Raredon.”


Legge said her players can really push each other in practice.

“They get after it and that is going to make us stronger as the season progresses.”

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.

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 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 stays undefeated by edging Wayland 21-14, Jake DeHaan gets three TDs

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, ,
South Christian quarterback Jake DeHaan had one touchdown in the air and two on the ground for the Sailors. (WKTV)



By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



With Wayland more than doubling the offensive minutes of South Christian, Sailors’ coach Danny Brown was happy to get the win and fight through some adversity in a 21-14 home victory and stay undefeated.

“Wins are hard to come by, and sometimes you don’t win the way you want to,” said Brown, whose team improved to 7-0 overall, 5-0 in the conference. “It was nice to be able to handle that adversity tonight and come out and find a way to win when things aren’t going your way.

“For us, it’s a learning moment to understand that when you get a big win like last week, the target gets bigger on your back.”

Last week, South Christian ended Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s 42-game winning streak with a 36-34 roller-coaster victory.

(Image Courtesy of South Christian)

This time, they edged Wayland, which definitely controlled the clock with 34 minutes on offense, compared to 14 for the Sailors.

“They ate up a ton of the clock,” Brown said. “They were physical, and their running back ran really well. A ton of credit to Wayland. They were really tough.

“Their main offensive scheme tonight was a little bit different than what we were used to. Once we kind of settled in then we made it a little bit tougher on them, and thankfully our kids found a way to pull it out.”

Wayland tied the game at 7-all right before halftime on a Maverick Daley TD run, and then went ahead 14-7 on a run by Dustin Loomans after an 8-minute drive in the third quarter.

South Christian scored about 1-1/2 minutes later to knot the game up at 14 on a Jake DeHaan 13-yard run, and then sealed the game at 21-14 on another DeHaan run, this time from 43 yards out.

DeHaan completed 9 of 16 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown. He also had 14 carries for 135 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.

South Christian stopped a Wayland drive with an interception in the fourth quarter, and held off the Wildcats the rest of the way.

“The fourth quarter wasn’t perfect, but we got them to turn the ball over,” Brown said.

Cam Post led South Christian with 9.5 tackles, while Cayden Dykema had 8.5.

Big game for Maverick Daley

Wayland’s Maverick Daley had 29 carries for 141 yards and one touchdown.

“He is kind of the glue behind our offense,” said Wayland Coach Tim Gibson, whose team fell to 4-3 overall, 2-3 in the OK Gold. “He gets better the more carries he gets. He had a great game.”

Wayland’s Elijah Dollarhide and Hudson Biondo had four tackles apiece.

Gibson said if his team could play sound defense against the Sailors, then they would hang in there, and they did just that.

“I’m proud of the way our kids played; I like our team quite a bit,” Gibson continued. “They played hard tonight and did a lot of great things on the football field. We just didn’t do quite enough.

“In the end, they just made a couple more plays than we did. They’re a very good football team.”

Last Friday, South Christian beat Catholic Central 36-34. (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 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.

South Christian rolls again, this time 35-6 over home team East Grand Rapids

Citizen Journalism, Sports, West Michigan, ,
South Christian quarterback Jake DeHaan had another great night, throwing four touchdowns in the first half of the Sailors win over East Grand Rapids. (WKTV)



By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

Coming off a solid 42-7 opening-season win last week over Grand Rapids Christian, visiting South Christian kept it rolling with a strong 35-6 showing over East Grand Rapids Thursday.

Senior quarterback Jake DeHaan lit it up again with four touchdown passes, all in the first half, to give his team the momentum heading into halftime at 28-6.

He completed 16 of 20 passes for 314 yards and rushed 16 times for 91 yards. Last week, he threw four touchdown passes and ran for two.

Big second quarter for South Christian

South Christian coach Danny Brown said DeHaan helped the Sailors put the game out of reach in the second quarter by tallying 21 points.

“I think from a physical standpoint, we played the game the right way,” said Brown, whose Sailors improved to 2-0. “We were physical and fast. It was just one of those games where everything seemed to be clicking for us.

“The coaches were on fire with play calls and the kids were executing. That makes for a fun night.”

(Image courtesy of South Christian)

South Christian senior Brady Nitz had four catches for 108 yards and two TDs.

“Brady has taken the bull by the horns and has stepped up,” said Brown, whose receiver filled in for injured senior Tanner Buwalda. “The kid’s a hard worker and has earned everything he’s gotten.”

“If Brady’s not catching touchdowns he’s blocking like crazy.”

Brown said his defense was phenomenal.

Ben Mulder led with 5.5 tackles, while Cam Post added five.

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.

Strength training key in South Christian’s 42-7 win over Grand Rapids Christian

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
South Christian practices before opening the 2022 season. (WKTV)

By Cris Greer, WKTV Contributing Writer

greer@wktv.org


Thanks to strength class instructor Curt Copeland, South Christian beefed up in the offseason and started strong with a 42-7 win over Grand Rapids Christian Friday night in its opener.

“We’ve put a big emphasis in the weight room and the kids have bought in,” said South Christian coach Danny Brown, giving props to former Athletic Director Copeland, now a physical education teacher. “Football is pretty physical.

“I think our defensive front was very physical and made it hard for them to run the ball. We limited the big plays and we were able to cover well. Our pursuit was great.”

(Image courtesy of South Christian)

An interception by Junior Austin Tiesma on the first play of the game quickly set the tone for the Sailors.

South Christian led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and 28-7 at the half to take control.

“I think we’re blessed to have a few kids in their third year of varsity,” said Brown, whose Sailors were 8-4 overall last year with a deep playoff run in Division 4. “We lean on their experience.”

Jake DeHaan throws four TDs and runs two

Senior quarterback Jake DeHaan threw four touchdown passes and ran for two to lead South Christian’s offense. He threw for 255 yards and ran for 40.

“He’s a really good quarterback and a heck of a football player,” Brown said.

Sophomore receiver Carson Vis scored three touchdowns on 95 yards, while senior Jake Cashen led with six tackles.

“It’s a fun group of kids that love to compete,” Brown said.

South Christian capitalized on Eagles’ mistakes

Grand Rapids Christian coach Rueben Riley said the Sailors capitalized on his team’s mistakes.

“We threw a pick the very first play of the game inside the 30 and it was a very short field to travel,” Riley said. “They jumped out 14-0 on us pretty fast and we just couldn’t get out of our own way. They’re a very well-coached, sound and disciplined team. Hats off to South for having one heck of a game plan.

“South definitely paid attention to the weight room. You’ll see that team make a deep run in the playoffs.”

Junior Isaiah Caviness got the lone score for the Eagles on a run.

South Christian travels to East Grand Rapids on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.

“You know what you’re getting with East; they’re physical” Brown said. “We haven’t beat them in a long time, they kind of have our number.”

For all the area scores, click here

In basketball tournament-like atmosphere, South Christian girls make a defensive statement with win over Catholic Central

3-bottom, Area Education, Education, Going Local, Local Faces, Sports, WKTV Featured sports, , ,
  • The Grand Rapids South Christian girls basketball team at the start of the Feb. 9 home game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids South Christian senior Sydney Vis gains a gain a ceremonial game ball for her passing the 1,000 point mark as a Sailor in a brief pre-game ceremony Feb. 9. With her is head coach Kim Legge and athletic director David Kool. (WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids South Christian senior Sydney Vis in a Feb. 9 game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids South Christian’s girls basketball team breaks huddle in a Feb. 9 home game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids South Christian junior Ashley Raredon in a Feb. 9 game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids South Christian head coach Kim Legge “coaching up” her team in a Feb. 9 game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids South Christian’s girls basketball team celebrates a win in a Feb. 9 home game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org



The Grand Rapids South Christian High School girls basketball team had a statement win Feb. 9 at home over OK Conference Gold rival Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 42-39 — several statements were made, in fact.

The Sailors are not only peaking as tournament time approaches, but with the first order of business gaining a least a share of the OK Gold title. The team also has established that they are a defensive force to be reckoned with.

Grand Rapids South Christian senior Sydney Vis in a Feb. 9 game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)

And, South Christian head coach Kim Legge is quick to say, the team is more than just Sailors super senior Sydney Vis. But her star player is one not afraid to take the ball when her team needs points and the “green light” from her coach to do so.

“You couldn’t ask for more than that,” Legge said to WKTV after Vis and the team secured its biggest win of the year. “When you have someone that everybody looks to, and someone who is as good as she is … she has been here (on varsity) for four years, and I am comfortable with her. She knows me well and I know her well. She knows what she has the green light to do.”

Vis, who will be playing at the college level next year at Hope College, finished the night with 18 points, with eight of them coming from the foul line as she repeatedly challenged the Cougar defense to stop her. That point total adds to Vis’ totals in a Sailors’ uniform, which saw her pass the 1,000-point mark in late January (and gain a ceremonial game ball in a brief pre-game ceremony Feb. 9).

Legge also agreed with the “tournament atmosphere” of the game against Catholic Central, which beat South Christian early in the season. Both teams are now 8-1 in conference but the Sailors are 12-3 overall while the Cougars are 11-4.

“We knew it would be a tough game, two really good teams … and we lost to them the last time,” Legge said. “Even with the crowd tonight, it had a tournament atmosphere.”

Defensive identity, other players contributing

The game against Catholic Central also showed two of South Christian’s strengths — a defensive mindset and the ability to share the scoring more and more as the season goes on. Both of which will help when the tournament starts at the end of the month.

The first quarter found points tough to get, as it ended with the Cougars holding a 13-12 lead, with Vis scoring eight of her team’s 12 points in the quarter.

The low scoring, forced primarily by strong defenses on both sides, continued in the second quarter, which ended with the Cougars still in the lead, at 20-18, but the Sailors staying close thanks in a large part to the work of junior Ashley Raredon.

The scoring picked up in the third quarter as the Sailors finally took the lead late in the period off baskets by Vis and Raredon, and entered the final period up 30-29.

South Christian never lost the lead in the fourth, but Catholic Central stayed close, never trailing by more than 3 points in a back-and-forth contest.

In the end, the Sailors missed some opportunities to put the game away at the foul line, but their defense never faltered to close out a 42-39 win.

Raredon scored 15 points for South Christian, while sophomore Sailor Ashley Thomasma added five. Senior Cougar Ella Mondroski led Catholic Central with 17 points, while junior Sydney Schoenborn added eight.

For the season, Sailors Vis is averaging 19-plus points per game, Thomasma is at about 9 ppg. and Raredon is at 7.5 ppg. — but coming on strong as the season goes on.

“We have had different games with different girls stepping up, it is not always just Sydney,” Legge said. “It makes it difficult for other teams to scout us … and it is getting to a point where we trust each other more. That’s good for us.”

Scoring balance aside — or at least punishing teams which focus too much on Vis, defense has become the “mentality” of the Sailors.

Legge said her teams usually find their personality as the season goes on, in the “second third of the season,” she said. And this season, they decided their personality would be defense.

South Christian will next play Friday, Feb. 11, at home against another tough opponent, Wayland (9-6, 6-3 in OK), which won the OK Gold in the 2020-21 pandemic-altered season, and also knocked the Sailors out of the tournament in second round, in OT.

South Christian boys are district champions after a high-energy game against GR Christian

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Grand Rapids South Christian High School hosted a boys basketball district final on March 27 between the host Sailors and the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles. (WKTV/Ellington Smith)

By Ellington Smith, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

Despite an unfilled gymnasium at Grand Rapids South Christian High School, due to pandemic restrictions, the atmosphere and energy was high with fans on both sides in a district final March 27 between two consensus top 30 teams in the state, the host Sailors and the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles.

In the end, the Sailors weathered a hectic fourth quarter and sent their fans home happy with a 62-54 win and a Division 2, District 44 championship. Christian ends the year at 9-3.

South Christian head Coach Jeff Meengs was proud of the team’s composure in the tight game, especially in the fourth quarter, and was specifically proud of his seniors.

“They weathered a lot, (against an athletic Eagles team), and dealt with the pressure,” Meengs said to WKTV. They “kept their composure, and kept making plays.”

The Sailors (17-2) now have a tall task ahead of them as they advance to the Division 2 Region 11 tournament — also on South Christian’s home floor — starting on Tuesday, March 30, at 5 p.m., against rival Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

South Christian only two losses on the year were to Catholic Central by a combined margin of five points.

The fans on both sides were limited (due to COVID-19 restrictions) but loud as Grand Rapids South Christian hosted a boys basketball district final on March 27 between the Sailors and the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles. (WKTV/Ellington Smith)

District final was back and forth game

In the District final game, both teams set out to be evenly matched, with both only having two losses going into this contest, but the Eagles were without their star, University of Michigan commit Kobe Bufkin, which completely changed the outlook of their team.

Despite Bufkin’s absence, early on both teams were consistently trading baskets back and forth with offensive rebounds and getting out in transition being two early keys to success that saw South Chrisitan jump out to an early lead due to the height advantage they possessed with senior forwards Elliot Grashiuis and Connor Dykema.

As a result, the first quarter ended with South Christian leading 18-13 in a very high action game with the refs letting them play. It was not all positive for the Sailors as their lead guard Isaac Northouse picked up an early knee injury, and was out for the remainder of the game.

In the second quarter, South Christian was able to gain separation jumping out to a double-digit lead due to stifling defense that left Christian’s offense stagnant.

Much of the Eagles’ offense has been singularly isolation focused as they are used to McDonald’s All American Bufkin leading them. Due to Bufkin’s absence, senior Donovan Brown Boyd carried much of the load of the offense, scoring and making plays for his teammates.  The half ended with South Christian up 34-23, dominating on both ends of the floor creating turnovers and generating good looks with Dykema leading all scorers with nine points.
 

The third quarter began with much of the same as the Sailors are able to jump out to an 18-point lead, their biggest of the game. However, the game was clearly not over as Christian was able to cut the lead to nine later in the quarter due to timely buckets from Brown Boyd leading his team with 21 points. Brown Boyd picked it up defensively as well with 2 blocks in one possession.

But the Sailors were still comfortably in the lead with a score of 47-36 at the conclusion of the third quarter.

For much of the fourth quarter the score stayed at about a 10-point spread in a sequence dominated by fouls and turnovers on both sides.

The game’s momentum then picked up when the Eagles came out in a press that generated turnovers in consecutive possessions and were able to cut the lead to five.

However, Sailors were able to regain their composure and take command of the game as with about 40 seconds to go South Christian went to the line repeatedly to keep its separation and successfully closing out the game with free throws and offensive rebounds resulting in a final score of 62-54.

For the game, the Sailors had a very balanced attack with three players in double figures, as guard Jacob Dehaan led the team in scoring with 18 points, followed by Dykema and Sam Meengs, each with 12 points.

After the game coach Meengs spoke on the fluidity of the Sailors’ offense.
 

“We had an inside presence with Connor, especially in the first half, that forces (the defense) to worry about that, and that set up some nice outside shooting,” he said. “And we hit them.”

WKTV prep playoff coverage: South Christian, Tri-unity Christian in boys district finals

Education, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Journal Sports Connection, , ,
A Grand Rapids South Christian boys basketball graphic for this week’s district semifinal game. (South Christian Athletics Facebook)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The shortened 2020-21 boys high school basketball season came to an end this week for several local teams in state district tournaments, but the Grand Rapids South Christian Sailors are in the finals of their Division 2 tournament, and the Wyoming Tri-unity Christian Defenders are in the finals of their Division 4 tournament.

Both teams will be on their home floors for games Saturday, March 27.

South Christian (16-2, with two wins in the district tournament) will take on Grand Rapids Christian (9-2) at 6 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division 2 Region 11 tournament — also on the Sailors’ home floor — starting on March 30.

Tri-unity Christian (9-2, with one win in the district tournament) will take on Martin (6-6-1) at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division 4 Region 29 tournament at Niles starting on March 30.

South Christian, in early district play, defeated Kelloggsville (2-8 to end the season), by a score of 66-20, in opening round action March 23. The Sailors then handed Godwin Heights (10-1) its only loss of the season, by the score of 79-49, in the semifinals March 25.

Tri-unity, in early district play, defeated West Michigan Lutheran, 83-22, in semifinals play on March 25.

Other local district results

In the Division 1 tournament at East Grand Rapids, Wyoming high won an opening round game March 23 against Byron Center, 54-53, but then lost in the semifinals March 25 to host East Grand Rapids, 54-52. The Wolves finished the season at 7-9 overall.

In other Division 1 tournament action, East Kentwood lost to Caledonia, 53-49, on March 23, to end the season at 3-12. (WKTV was there and a report is available here.)

In other Division 2 action at South Christian, West Michigan Aviation Academy lost to Grand Rapids Christian, 74-48, on March 25, to end their season at 12-6.

In Division 3 action at Fennville, Wyoming Potters House Christian lost to Calvin Christian, 38-37, on March 23, and ended their season at 5-5.

WKTV sports covers Forest Hills Eastern at South Christian girls basketball this week

Area Education, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Sports, WKTV Featured sports,
The South Christian High School girls basketball team, from at 2020 game. (WKTV)

By Ellington Smith

ken@wktv.org

To end this week’s Featured Game schedule, WKTV is covering an OK Gold Conference matchup between Ada Forest Hills Eastern and Grand Rapids South Christian girls varsity basketball teams, scheduled for Thursday, March 4, at South Christian High School.

The contest will tip off at 7 p.m., and WKTV will record the game and replay it Friday night, at 11 p.m., with more replays to be scheduled, and make it available on-demand later. (See details at bottom of story.) The WKTV sports crew was also at East Kentwood for a March 2 game this week, and it is available on-demand.

The South Christian Sailors come into the game with a record of 7-2 (6-2 in OK Gold), but coming off a 43-49 loss to Middleville Thornapple Kellogg. With the exception of their two losses, they have dominated the game on the defensive side of the floor causing almost 20 turnovers each game.

The leading scorers for the Sailors are junior Sydney Vis, followed by senior Josie Vink.
 

The Forest Hills Eastern Hawks currently sit at 4-6 (4-5 in OK Gold) coming off a 38-33 victory against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. After an 0-4 start the Hawks have started to pick up a rhythm.

Both of these teams have shown improvements from the previous 2019-20 season.

The Lady Sailors were 10-10 last year, and will likely surpass their win total in this pandemic-delayed year. Last season they did win their district and eventually lose in the regional semifinal, so they are hoping to transform their district title into a regional one this year.

The Hawks struggled last season with a 2-18 record, and they were defeated in the district opener by Grand Rapids Christian. So, they have already improved on this record this year.

South Christian has already defeated FH Eastern once this year by a score of 50-23. However, the Sailors were one of two victories the Hawks claimed last season.

To see the Forest Hills Eastern vs South Christian girls basketball on WKTV on-demand visit WKTVlive.com.

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

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

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

By Luke Schrock, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

Knapp attributes his success to his teammates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Anna Johns
WKTV Intern


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WKTV Journal Sports Connection debuts with past, present, future of South Christian athletics

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Going Local, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection, ,

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

WKTV Sports has debuted a new sports show focused on local high school sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection. On its inaugural episode, WKTV volunteer sports announcer Cory Dalton is joined by fellow announcers Greg Yoder and Mike Moll, and together they catch us up on the past, present and future of Grand Rapids South Christian athletics.

ON the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, WKTV’s Greg Yoder talks with Curt Copeland, left, currently a teacher and coach at South Christian but, prior to that, he was the school’s athletic director for seven years. (WKTV)

First up, Yoder talks with Curt Copeland, currently a teacher and coach at South Christian but, prior to that, as the school’s athletic director for seven years, he guided the Sailors athletic program to on-field success as well the challenges of change — including moving into a new high school building and athletic facilities.

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

Then Moll, WKTV’s volunteer sports director, talks with David Kool, the new South Christian athletic director, about his history at the school — and the 2006 graduate has quite a history, having led the Sailors to two state championships on the basketball court.

On the WKTV set, Kool talked his goals, the challenges of high school sports in time of COVID-19, and when the Sailors football team might be playing on their own home field.

The inaugural episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection is hosted by WKTV volunteer sports announcer Cory Dalton. (WKTV)

“This fall, we’ll be bringing you interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports,” Dalton said about being one of the hosts and interviewers on WKTV Journal Sports Connection. “And remember, you can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting WKTVjournal.com/sports.”

WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTV.viebit.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 (For dates and times on Channel 25, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also usually available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

South Christian opens girls basketball district play with win over Grand River Prep

Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Education, Sports, WKTV Featured sports,
South Christian High School girls basketball, game preview graphic. (From South Christian Facebook page)

By Mike Moll, WKTV Sports Director
sports@wktv.org

The Michigan High School Athletic Association tipped off March Madness girls-style Monday, as district play opened throughout the state. A pair of WKTV’s local teams met at South Christian where the Sailors entertained the Titans from Grand River Prep.


When the final buzzer was heard, the Sailors advanced to Wednesday night’s semi-final matchup after their 49-28 victory.


The game plan for the Titans was to get the ball low and they were able to do that multiple times early, but the shots were simply not falling for center Shaelyn Robinson nor guard Gabby Koon.

The first points were scored on a pair of free throws early in the game by Robinson and, after a tying basket and a made free throw by South Christian, the floor leader for Grand River Prep, senior Shaniah Jones, who would later leave the game with a shoulder injury, scored her only two points on the night to give Grand River Prep a 4–3 lead.

The Sailors then began their dominance and would continue it through the end of the third quarter as they would outscore the Titans 8-0 during the remainder of the first, 13-2 in the second to take a 24-6 lead at the break, and then 14-6 in the third quarter to have the game well in control, 38-12 heading into the final stanza.

Grand River Prep came to life in the final quarter from long distance as Abigail Rivera-Sosa, Jasmyn Koon, Kiara Walter, and Tiarra Weddle all connected to help the Titans outscore the Sailors 16-11 to close the game. Jasmyn Koon led the Titans with 6 points on the night as they had nine different scorers, but the Sailors had 11 players score, including fourth-quarter 3-pointers by both Taylor Newhof and Josie Vink.

The Sailors were consistent the entire game on both ends of the floor, between their rotation of players and how they scored when playing together by putting up between 11 and 14 points in each quarter.

Sophomore Sydney Vis was the game’s leading scorer with 11, all in the first three quarters, followed by Maria Schrotenboer with 8, and Kinsey Brinkert with 6.


Coach Josh Bouma’s Titans finish the season at 10-7, while Kim Legge’s Sailors improve to 11-10, and will face 7-13 West Michigan Aviation in the second game of Wednesday’s double header.


The other side of the district bracket will pit 13-8 Wayland, after their 56-40 win over 12-9 Hopkins on Monday, against O-K Silver champion Kelloggsville and their 16-4 record. The two winners will meet in the championship game Friday at 7 p.m., also at South Christian.

South Christian, Godwin Heights boys open hoop season with new faces but (maybe) last season in mind

Area Education, Education, Local Entertainment, Sports, WKTV Featured sports, ,
Action from a 2018-19 season playoff game between Godwin Heights and South Christian. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

Both the South Christian Sailors and the Godwin Heights Wolverines will open their 2019-20 season this week following successful 2018-19 campaigns, but with 0-0 records and a lot of new faces on the court.

And, by a quirk of scheduling, the two coaches may well remember the last time the two met: an opening round state playoff game last season when the Sailors sent the Wolverines home after a fine season and South Christian began a deep playoff ride.

The rematch between two defending OK Conference champions will be Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., in a WKTV Sports Featured Game, which will be recorded and available on cable television and on-demand. The game is also a special Salute to Soldiers game with two veterans honored in pre-game ceremonies.

Godwin Athletic Director told WKTV that the two special guests to be honored will be Ken McKenney, a 72-year-old U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, and Pete Zimmer, a 92-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who served during World War II.

Host Godwin Heights, out of the OK Silver, was 15-6 overall in 2018-19, 12-0 in conference and Silver champion. Coach Tyler Whittemore’s team lost 47-45 in opening round playoff game at South Christian.

South Christian, out of OK Gold, was 22-4 in 2018-19, 11-1 in conference and Gold champion. The Sailors won five playoff games before falling to Hudsonville Unity Christian in the state quarterfinals. Coach Jeff Meengs is 56-37 in four seasons at the school.

But the Sailors lost eight seniors, five who started, and only have two players back from that team: senior guard Tyler Buwalda and junior big man (6-foot-7) Connor Dykema. Both were a part of the team’s 8-man playing rotation last season, and both averaged about 4.5 points per game last year. Juniors Sam Meengs, Elliott Grashuis and Tyler Rynbrandt “will also play a lot,” Meengs told WKTV, while other seniors on roster will “contribute and have significant playing time.”

“While we do not have much experience, we do have good players that have had success at the freshman and JV levels the past few years,” Meengs said. (For a WKTV video interview with Coach Meengs, visit here.)

Godwin coach Whittemore, whose team also lost much through graduation, has averaged 20-plus wins in each of the last five seasons with the usual changing of players. So the Wolverines may just be reloaded again.
Coach Whittemore told WKTV that his expected starters will be seniors Cleveland (CJ) Baskin, Terrance (TJ) Moore and Savi Morris-Miller, as well as junior Jamontae Burrell and sophomore Jordan Norman.

Other players expected to contribute include junior RuQuan Buckley, freshman Jakhary Towns, and seniors Shadon Ewing and Milton Brown.

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

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

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