Tag Archives: Wyoming High School

Wyoming High School students recognized for outstanding character at Alpha Wolf 11 assembly; star QB Trinidad Chambliss speaks 

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Wyoming High School held its Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character assembly on May 1, 2026. Pictured are this year’s honorees. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org

It was a celebration of character last Friday at Wyoming High School as the school community came together for the Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character assembly.

The Wyoming High School Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character assembly takes place twice a year, in the fall and spring, and recognizes students in all four grades for kindness, compassion and leadership. Two students in each class are chosen by their fellow students and staff to receive the awards at a school-wide assembly.


A Wyoming High School Alpha Wolf 11 is defined as any of the 1,200 students who try and make a conscientious effort to make others feel they are valued for the right reasons, in the best way possible. It is a recognition of not how good someone is at some things like grades, sports or extracurricular activities, but it’s strictly on how the student treats others.


This spring’s Alpha Wolf 11 Champion of Character honorees include, from the freshmen class, Axel Arevalo Baires and Shaynie Williams, sophomores Jessica Arellano-Cisneros and Jackson Bisard, juniors Uriel Diaz and Yaretzi Martinez-Maldonado and seniors Gegni Yaretzi-Martinez and Salena Truong.



Wyoming High School held its Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character assembly on May 1, 2026. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



“Alpha Wolf 11 is one of our points of pride in Wyoming,” said Wyoming Public Schools Superintendent Craig Hoekstra, “because it’s about being a good human being. It’s not about being a 4.0 student or being the star athlete. Certainly, all of that’s important and we celebrate that too, but this is a celebration of just being a great person, and how staff pours into our kids and how kids treat each other certainly in our school, but then we’re preparing them to be a great human being beyond high school as well.


“So as they go off into the work force, into the military or off to college, it’s how they treat others and make situations better by their involvement and their actions and their decisions.” 

This spring’s Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character assembly was a little extra special. Not only did the event include a special guest speaker in University of Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, but it was also the 11th year of the program that began in 2016. Chambliss also was inducted as an honorary Alpha Wolf 11. 



Ole Miss quarterback and Forest Hills Northern graduate Trinidad Chambliss speaks at Wyoming High School’s Alpha Wolf 11 celebration. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)


The Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character program has its roots modeled after a similar program that began at Grandville High School. The Grandville program is named the Ryan Fischer Be an 11 program. It was named after former Grandville student and three-sport athlete Ryan Fisher who died suddenly of a heart condition in 2014.

The 11 stands for students going above and beyond being a 10. To encourage students to do the little things in character, encouraging them to go above and beyond the standard 10 level of performance to become an 11. Fischer exemplified those qualities as a student at Grandville and was the inspiration for the award. During Friday’s assembly at Wyoming a tribute video of Fischer was played. The video included the moving story that WOOD TV Sports Director Jack Doles produced about the life and legacy of Fischer that aired in 2014. Fischer’s parents also were on hand for the Alpha Wolf 11 assembly and were recognized.


Two teachers also were honored as Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character at the event; Morgann Sacks and Jacob Newhouse. 

“It’s a big celebration and it’s great to see the community coming back together,” Hoekstra said, “because where it’s a Wyoming Public Schools initiative it goes far beyond the city of Wyoming because there’s been many partners and supporters of this program that have truly poured into our kids and our staff here.” 

Check out our WKTV Friday Night Highlights Robotics edition featuring the FIRST Robotics Michigan District event at East Kentwood

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , , , , ,



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org


WKTV Host and Managing Editor Cris Greer walks you through this Friday Night Highlights Robotics show from the recent FIRST Robotics Michigan District event at East Kentwood High School.


Our WKTV crew got DAY 2 highlights from the competition of the following local teams: East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics, Wyoming Demons and Godwin Heights Robosnacks, and filmed most of the best-of-three Championship Matches between the BLUE ALLIANCE: Wyoming Demons, Freeland Middle/High and North Branch and the RED ALLIANCE: Livingston Christian Schools, Bridgman and Comstock.


We also interviewed Wyoming Demons’ Coach Amy Oostdyk and senior Jeff Oostdyk, whose team was part of the Blue Alliance that placed second in the tournament.


Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, June 23

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , , , ,
(Courtesy photo)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS June Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, June 23 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held TUESDAY, May 27 due to holiday weekend

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , , ,
WHS May Mobile Food Pantry will be held Tuesday, May 27 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. due to the holiday weekend (Courtesy photo)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS May Mobile Food Pantry will be held Tuesday, May 27 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. due to the holiday weekend.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, April 28

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , , ,



By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS April Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, April 28 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, March 31

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Kent County, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, , ,


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS March Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, March 31 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, Feb. 24

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, CURBSIDE PICKUP, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , , ,


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS February Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, Feb. 24 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here

Wyoming boys basketball rolls to 78-52 victory at West Catholic

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , , , , ,
Brayden Williams (4) led Wyoming with 16 points in the win. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org


With the high school basketball season heading into the home stretch, the Wyoming Wolves basketball team is shifting into high gear. The Wolves found another gear Friday evening when they traveled to West Catholic and came away with a 78-52 win.

The win was the eighth in the last 11 games for the Wolves, who began the season 0-3. While it took Wyoming a few games to get their footing, the Wolves have been steadily improving and have been putting up some impressive numbers both on offense and defense.

“I thought we did a lot of things really well,” said Wyoming Coach Thom Vander Klay. “The kids are coming around as far as picking up what we are trying to do. They are trusting their teammates. Early in the season we were beginning to gel and now we feel like we are starting to hit our stride and we feel like we are getting closer and closer to our potential.”

Wyoming came out firing on all cylinders during Friday’s game. The Wolves jumped out to a 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. They started the second quarter with a bang as Taeshon Wilson scored the first Wyoming points of the quarter with a crowd-pleasing breakaway dunk. Up 27-20 late in the quarter, the Wolves closed out the first half with an 11-0 scoring run to take a 38-20 lead into halftime.

Offense is one area where they’re showing steady progress this season. The 78 points the Wolves scored Friday was the second-highest team total of the season and they have scored 60-plus points in nine games so far. Wyoming likes to play at a fast pace and the Wolves did a solid job of running the floor against West Catholic scoring a high volume of points off the fast break.

“I think part of the getting up and down is the trust of our teammates,” Vander Klay said. “The fact that they will catch it, the fact that they will run the floor and the fact that they will finish, and if not then we will crash the glass. Our kids are starting to develop that team chemistry on offense.”


Warren Williams (10) scored nine points for Wyoming. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)


After halftime, the Wolves opened up a 45-20 lead as the Wyoming defense held West Catholic without a point until the 4:59 mark of the third quarter.

Along with progress on offense, the Wolves have been making strides defensively and that was evident against West Catholic.

“I thought we played harder,” Vander Klay said. “We stopped what they were trying to do offensively. Especially with as many possessions as there are in our games, we have to work pretty hard on defense. We are working on that too.”  

Wyoming led 59-39 at the end of the third and kept up the pace in the final quarter to end with a 26-point edge.

Brayden Williams led Wyoming with 16 points, while Josh Guevara and Taeshon Wilson added 11. Avonte Wiggins, Warren Williams and Jack Hogan added nine each.



Wyoming’s Avonte’ Wiggins (2) brings the ball past half court during the game at West Catholic. Wiggins scored nine points. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



“All of our kids can play,” Vander Klay said. “The truth is, sometimes when a coach makes a sub, it might be just a tiniest little bit that one kid is a little better, but I can close my eyes and just point to somebody on the bench. We are very deep. We have a lot of good players, so when we sub, when the benches clear, that is usually to our advantage.”

With the win, Wyoming improved to 8-6 overall and 3-2 in the OK Gold. Wyoming returns to action Monday when it travels to play conference rival Grand Rapids Union. The Wolves then host Holland Christian on Tuesday for our WKTV Truck Game of the Week.

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, Jan. 27

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , , ,


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS January Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, Jan. 27 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming boys fall to Coopersville in defensive struggle Tuesday

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , , , ,
Wyoming senior Avonte’ Wiggins (2) lines up a three-point shot during Tuesday’s game at Coopersville. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



Heading into the new basketball season, the Wyoming boys basketball team was counting on shooting as being a strong point for the team. Like the weather, however, the Wolves have gone through some chilly spells at times in the early going.

Coopersville (2-0) beat visiting Wyoming 49-40 Tuesday. The Wolves fell to 0-3.

“I thought we did a lot of things really well,” said Wyoming Coach Thom Vander Klay. “I thought we executed pretty well. We’re a little concerned with our turnovers and our shooting percentage, but I thought that our guys worked hard for some second shots. We got some looks that we wanted and they didn’t go in and it kind of snowballed almost on us.


“I think we really do have some pretty good shooters, you wouldn’t guess it tonight, but give credit to Coopersville of course on that and their zone defense.” 

Wyoming took the early lead in the game as the Wolves outscored Coopersville 12-8 in the first quarter. Senior Taeshon Wilson led the way for the Wolves early with a pair of first-quarter buckets.

Coopersville took a 17-16 lead midway through the second quarter and built a five-point lead before Wyoming closed the gap to 23-20 at halftime on a bucket by Wilson.

After halftime, the Wyoming offense was in the deep freeze for almost a full quarter. Coopersville upped its lead to 27-20 before a bucket by Wyoming’s Brayden Williams put the first points on the board for the Wolves at the 4:08 mark of the third quarter.

Coopersville outscored Wyoming 9-3 to close out the third quarter, taking a 36-25 lead into the final quarter.

Wolves claw back

The Wolves, however, began to heat up on the offensive end of the floor during the opening minutes of the fourth quarter as they began to mount a comeback. Trailing 42-29, Brayden Williams hit a three-point shot with 4:56 remaining in the game. That trey sparked a 9-0 Wyoming scoring run that cut the Coopersville lead to 42-38 when Avonte’ Wiggins scored with 3:21 remaining in the game.

Coopersville upped the lead to 44-38 on a bucket by Judah Bartels, but Wyoming cut the margin back to four points when Joshua Guevara scored on an offensive rebound putback with 2:23 remaining in the game.

The Wolves looked to have created a turnover that would’ve put them in position to make the game a one-possession contest, but the call on the play went Coopersville’s way. The Broncos then closed the door by scoring the final five points of the game.

Wyoming finished with balanced scoring as Brayden Williams led with nine points. Guevara added seven points, while Warren Williams, Brad Lewis and Wilson each finished with six.

The Wolves, who went 6-17 last season, have a core of veterans back from last year headed up by seniors Avonte’ Wiggins and Warren Williams and sophomore Brayden Williams, who is back after missing much of last season with a knee injury.



Senior Warren Williams splits a pair of Coopersville defenders as he drives to the basket. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



Coopersville (2-0) was paced by Brooks Hadden with 15 points and Bartels with 12. 

With the loss, Wyoming fell to 0-3 for the season. The Wolves opened the season with a 56-54 loss to Caledonia and then dropped a 61-47 decision to Grand Rapids Christian.

“The execution is going to be OK,” Vander Klay said. “It’s going to be the matter, in our heads, can we put the ball in the basket, so I think this is a lot of mental for us.

“I’m proud of our effort tonight and we did a lot of good things. Just not enough to beat Coopersville. We just have to get better to win some games.”


Wyoming’s Tarren Calvert (1) brings the ball down the floor against Coopersville. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


Wyoming returns to action Friday when it travels to East Grand Rapids and then returns home to host Kelloggsville next Tuesday and Zeeland West the following evening.

Wyoming also is preparing to compete in a new division in the OK Conference this season. Instead of playing many schools along the lakeshore like they have the past few seasons, the Wolves are playing in the OK Gold this season. The Gold also is different from the OK Gold that the football team played in during the fall as football is the only sport in the OK Conference that has its own unique divisions.


During basketball season, Wyoming will play a more localized schedule with Northview, Grand Rapids Union, Grand Rapids West Catholic, Middleville, Wayland and South Christian, all members of the new-look OK Gold.      



Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, Nov. 25

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, , , , ,


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS November Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, Nov. 25 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Thornapple Kellogg beat Wyoming 49-12 Friday in season finale

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



Thornapple Kellogg defeated Wyoming 49-12 in the last regular season game Friday. TK improves to 1-4 in the OK Black, 3-6 overall, while Wyoming finished the season at 1-8 overall, 0-5 in the OK Gold.

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, Oct. 21

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, , , , ,


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS October Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, Oct. 21 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Host Zeeland West beats Wyoming 38-7

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



Zeeland West improved to 3-1 in the OK Gold, 6-1 overall, Wyoming fell to 0-4, 1-6 overall.


The Wolves host Forest Hills Central next Friday.

West Michigan Robotics teams to host annual Grand Rapids Girls Robotics Competition Oct. 12 at Wyoming High School

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, design, Education, Going Local, Kent County, Kids Activities, Recreation, Tech Trends, Upcoming Events, , , , , , ,
Wyoming High School will host the annual Grand Rapids Girls Robotics Competition on Saturday, Oct. 12 (Courtesy, GRGRC 2023)


By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming High School will host the annual Grand Rapids Girls Robotics Competition (GRGRC) on Saturday, Oct. 12.

This high school level robotics competition will showcase 18 Michigan teams battling in complex two-minute matches against highly skilled competitors in last season’s game, Crescendo.

Highlighting women in tech

GRGRC is a FIRST Robotics off-season event (Courtesy, GRGRC 2022)

The GRGRC is a FIRST Robotics off-season event. Michigan boasts the most FIRST Robotics teams in action, and the competition will be energized.

During this unique event female team members will be the primary drivers, operators and pit crew members of their team’s robot.

“I’ve really looked forward to the Girls Tournament every year since I’ve known about it,” said Emma Bustraan, #4967 That ONE Team – Our Next Engineers. “It’s kind of a neat experience, because there’s something special about being responsible for how you end up placing.

Female team members operate their team’s robots (Courtesy, GRGRC 2023)

“It’s a cool feeling to have the joystick in your hands and knowing that, if you break the robot, you have to fix it.”

The GRGRC will begin with a Ladies in Tech panel at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12.

This panel is a great opportunity to connect and learn from female STEM leaders in our community.

The robotics competition begins with opening ceremonies at 8:45 a.m., concluding with the awards ceremony at 4:30 p.m.

Family-friendly and FREE

Mark your calendars for this family-friendly event and to learn more about STEM and FIRST Robotics. All events are FREE, open to the public and will be held at Wyoming High School, 1350 Prairie Parkway SW.

Learn more!

(Courtesy photo)

Learn more about GRGRC here or by email at GrandRapidsGirlsRobotics@gmail.com.

GRGRC is hosted by Demons Robotics #858 from Wyoming High School, Red Storm Robotics #3875 from East Kentwood High School, Red Storm Rookies #9566 from East Kentwood Freshman Campus, and community team That ONE Team #4967.

Stay up-to-date on competition details on the GRGRC Facebook page.

Check out our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show from Week 4

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , , , , , ,




By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org


Check out the exciting clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights show of the season featuring many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.


Just like basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.

Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.


WKTV Game of the Week

Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.

You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org

Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.

WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked

Friday, Sept. 27: Hudsonville at East Kentwood

Friday, Oct. 4: Zeeland East vs. South Christian (at Byron Center)

Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville

Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood

Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)

Check out our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show from Week 3

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , , , , , , ,
Check out our latest edition of Friday Night Highlights with Ron Schultz (left) and Ty Marzean.



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org


Check out the exciting clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights show of the season featuring many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.


Just like during basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.

Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.


WKTV Game of the Week

Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.

You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org

Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.

WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked

Friday, Sept. 20: Wyoming vs. South Christian (at East Kentwood)

Friday, Sept. 27: Hudsonville at East Kentwood

Friday, Oct. 4: Zeeland East vs. South Christian (at Byron Center)

Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville

Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood

Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, Sept. 23

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , , ,



By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS September Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, Sept. 23 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Coming soon to this space: Lots of local high school football action!

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , , , , , , ,




By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



Close your eyes and imagine the sounds of shoulder pads popping, marching bands playing, stadium announcers calling touchdowns, fans loudly cheering. 

Can you smell the hotdogs, pizza and popcorn floating through the air?

Imagine the youngsters playing catch behind the goalposts imitating their favorite player.

Sit tight. Local football games under the bright lights are just about here, which means our in-depth coverage of WKTV Truck Games of the Week, WKTV Journal web stories and our exciting Friday Night Highlights show will all be here shortly as well.

The first game of the season is Thursday, Aug. 29, and we’ll be there! Our WKTV Game of the Week is Sacred Heart at Lee at 7 p.m. Thursday. We also will get highlight clips from Hartland at East Kentwood, Mason County Central at Godwin Heights and Wyoming at Sparta on Thursday. On Friday, South Christian hosts Grand Rapids Christian at East Kentwood.

As always, WKTV plans to bring you another great season of local high school football coverage of your favorite area teams, including East Kentwood, Wyoming, Godwin Heights, Wyoming Lee, Kelloggsville and South Christian. Tri-unity Christian cancelled its season due to a lack of players.


WKTV Game of the Week

Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.

You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org

Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.

WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked

  • Thursday, Aug. 29: Sacred Heart at Lee
  • Thursday, Sept. 5: Northview at Wyoming
  • Friday, Sept. 13: Belding at Kelloggsville
  • Friday, Sept. 20: Wyoming vs. South Christian (at East Kentwood)
  • Friday, Sept. 27: Hudsonville at East Kentwood
  • Friday, Oct. 4: Zeeland East vs. South Christian (at Byron Center)
  • Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville
  • Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood
  • Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)


WKTV Friday Night Highlights coming soon!

Just like during basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.

As a bonus, we’ll occasionally have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and have them join us in studio for a live interview.

Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.


WKTV Journal Website

And don’t miss our large footprint of local high school football on the WKTV Journal website.

Continuing from last season, we’ll have a huge presence with local high school football and boys and girls basketball. Beyond our fantastic Game of the Week Truck coverage, every week our sports staff will post football game stories, features, roundups and final scores and stats on most teams in the Kentwood/Wyoming area on our Journal website. You can plan on our local football coverage! Thanks for tuning in.



Click HERE for your school’s season football schedule.

Wyoming football team will lean on seniors entering a new conference 

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, ,



By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



The slate is wiped clean, and optimism fills the air as a new season begins at Wyoming High School.


The Wolves, who went 1-6 in conference play, exited the OK-Green and formed the new OK-Gold with Forest Hills Central (D-3 state champion last year), Unity Christian and perennial state title contender South Christian, along with Zeeland East and West.

Wyoming finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 1-8 under fourth-year Coach Carlton Brewster. The Ferris State University product will look to get his squad on track for the 2024 campaign. 

“It will be a very competitive league with Forest Hills Central and South Christian,” Brewster said. “We have our hands full, but we are looking forward to getting better daily.”

The Wolves return quarterback Jay Johnson and bruising running back Jack Terveen to an offense that averaged 12.4 points per game. 

Terveen averaged 6.5 yards per carry and looks to build off of his junior season which was marred by an early injury. 

Terveen will be led by his offensive line anchored by senior duo CJ Anderson and Jackson Lamrouex.

Johnson only attempted 17 passes last season as he split time with Antwan Brown Jr., but also will use his legs in the run-first Wolves offense.

“These seniors are the heart of this team,” Brewster explained. “We also have others that are looking to step up.”

Junior Moses Brown looks to form a one-two punch with Terveen in the Wolves backfield. Senior receiver Julian Toscano also will be a key to the offense.

“Our goal is to focus on the everyday grind to get better each day,” Brewster said. “We need to focus on the small things. We’ve been getting better daily.”

Wyoming travels to Sparta for its season opener Thursday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. 

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, Aug. 26

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , ,



By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS August Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, Aug. 26 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, July 22

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , ,



By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org




Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS July Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, July 22 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Monday, June 24

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , , , ,



By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS June Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, June 24 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Tuesday, May 28

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , ,



By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS May Mobile Food Pantry will be held Tuesday, May 28 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming senior Kalani Stowe reaches 600-strikeout record

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Wyoming pitcher Kalani Stowe throwing her 600th strikeout in a win over Comstock Park last week. (Courtesy Marty Marzean)



By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor



Wyoming Wolves record-breaking senior Kalani Stowe caught the eye of Coach Kaitlin Failing when she was still in elementary school.

“We have been working with Kalani since the summer before her fifth-grade year,” Failing said. “She came to our camp and began pitching with us that summer in our open pitching times.”

Stowe became the first softball pitcher in Wyoming history to eclipse the 600-strikeout mark this past Thursday against Comstock Park. Stowe mowed down the Panthers with a 19-K performance, giving up four hits in a complete game as the Wolves scored a 10-2 victory.

Coach Failing admires the work ethic and determination put forth by her senior hurler. Stowe has been a work in progress since walking through the doors as a fifth grader.

“She has excelled on the softball field since we first knew her,” Failing said. 

“She didn’t start pitching during the travel ball season until the summer after her 8th grade year. We knew she was going to be good because of her ability to snap the ball and go all out. She just needed the opportunity to pitch in games.”

Stowe made an impact on the varsity roster as a freshman, collecting 156 strikeouts in 89 innings of work in her first season.

“She worked extremely hard to be ready to pitch varsity with very little experience on the mound leading up to her first high school season,” Failing said.

“She came to weekly lessons to work on controlling her movement pitches and increasing her spin rate. What sets her apart is her spin rate and her ability to spin the ball and make it move with her movement pitches. For her, it was learning to control her natural ability to spin the ball and make the ball do what she wanted it to do for each pitch.”

The Wolves took part in the Northview tournament this past weekend, and Stowe added to her impressive record by throwing a five-inning, no-hitter against Spring Lake in a 7-0 win. She also tossed another three innings against Kenowa Hills in the Wolves’ 11-0 victory over the Knights, taking her career mark to 637 strikeouts.

With 14 games remaining on the Wolves’ schedule, the 700 club is well within reach for Stowe, who has committed to play at Grand Rapids Community College.

“It was very exciting to see her surpass this record because of all the hard work she has put in for years to get to this point,” Failing said. “But we are also excited to see how high she can go this season and see if she can make it over 700 as well.”

A .600 batting average and 14 stolen bases as well

Stowe doesn’t only dominate in the pitcher’s circle; she is also Wyoming’s most productive hitter. The switch hitter carries a .600 batting average and has stolen 14 bases on the season.

“She is a great hitter as well and really a great player in any position on the field,” Failing said. “When she isn’t pitching for us, she is usually catching. She is a natural right-hand hitter, but also slaps left-handed. She is extremely fast and can outrun most balls she puts into play from the left side and hits with power from the right side.”

Stowe is not the only four-year varsity player in the Wolves’ lineup.



Wyoming center fielder Maddy Lee. (Courtesy, Wyoming Wolves)



Maddy Lee has been patrolling center field since her freshman year. Lee has a .569 on-base percentage and has worked 21 walks this season.

“She has been our varsity starting center fielder and has been solid out there all four years,” Failing said. “She covers a lot of ground and is a leader on the field for us.”

Junior catcher Kellsie Dieterle also is an important piece of the puzzle for Wyoming. Failing emphasized the need for a strong option at catcher that can allow Stowe more innings in the pitcher’s circle.



Wyoming junior catcher Kellsie Dieterle. (Courtesy, Wyoming Wolves)



“She is a girl that we taught how to catch last season because we knew we needed a catcher for Kalani,” Failing said. “She has performed beyond our expectations back there. She has only allowed three passed balls on the season and thrown out one of the five steal attempts. There are not many teams that even attempt to steal on her.”



Wyoming senior shortstop Isabelle Castro. (Courtesy, Wyoming Wolves)



Senior shortstop Isabelle Castro is another key player for Wyoming. Castro currently holds a .404 batting average and has committed to play at Muskegon Community College.

“She moved from third base to shortstop for us this season and has done a great job,” Failing said. “She is a big bat in our lineup and is always hitting the ball hard.”

Failing’s Wolves hold an 11-8 record heading into the second half of the season and will look to her seniors to lead the way against a tough upcoming schedule.

“We have a very strong core with a few young players that have stepped up for us this season,” Failing explained. “We are looking to see the growth each player makes and how our team can continue to work together against some tough competition.”

Wyoming travels to Muskegon Reeths-Puffer and Covenant Christian for two doubleheaders this week. 

Wyoming baseball uses strong pitching effort, timely hitting to defeat Union Tuesday in WKTV Truck Game

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, ,
Wyoming pitcher Jack Terveen totaled 11 strikeouts and gave up only one hit in the Wolves’ 6-1 win over Grand Rapids Union. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

Thanks to some solid pitching by Jack Terveen and a balanced hitting attack, a young Wyoming baseball team continued to show progress this season with a 6-1 win over Grand Rapids Union in WKTV’s Tuesday Night Truck Game.

The win was the fourth of the season for the Wolves who faced a difficult schedule to start as they played some of the top teams in West Michigan like Zeeland West and Zeeland East.

Terveen gets 11 strikeouts in one-hitter

Pitching was a big key in the win for the Wolves as Terveen allowed one hit and one run over six innings. Terveen also racked up 11 strikeouts during his six innings of work as he hit his spots and changed speeds to keep the Union hitters off balance. Markis Cadreau came on in relief in the seventh inning to nail down the win for the Wolves as he retired the Red Hawks in order with one strikeout.



Wyoming players converse on the mound during the OK Green Conference win against Grand Rapids Union Tuesday. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)

A balanced hitting attack

Offensively, Wyoming enjoyed a balanced attack at the plate. The Wolves pounded out 12 hits in the game with all but one batter in the order recording at least one hit during the game.

Wyoming scored single runs in the second and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. The Wolves then doubled the lead with two runs in the fourth inning and added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth after Union scored its lone run in the top of the sixth.

Elijah Halbower led the Wyoming offense as he collected a pair of hits and drove in a run. Branson Abdella also added two hits and walked while stealing a pair of bases. Jackson Reed had two hits, scored a run, stole a base and had an RBI. Donny Petree Jr. also had a pair of hits, stole a base and drove in a run. 

The Wolves also displayed some solid defense in turning a double play and committing no errors during the game.

Wyoming won a pair of games April 20 en route to winning the championship at the King of Wyoming Tournament, defeating Lee 14-3 in the semifinals and stopping Kelloggsville 22-0 in the championship game.

“We have a really young team,” said Wyoming coach Donny Petree Sr. “We lost 13 seniors from last year’s team so we are rebuilding this year. We played really well this past weekend in the King of Wyoming Tournament. We had some good pitching and we hit the ball really well.”

Terveen was one of the Wyoming pitchers who stood out at the tournament as he tossed a three-hitter in one of the wins.

Petree Jr. leads team with a .406 batting average

The Wyoming offense was paced by Donny Petree Jr. The junior infielder collected six hits and drove in four runs during the tournament. Petree Jr. came into the Union game leading the Wolves in hitting with a .406 batting average. Sandwiched between the tournament and the Union game was a strong game against Caledonia where Petree Jr. went three-for-four with three doubles.

Terveen also has been one of Wyoming’s top hitters as he entered the Union game with a .323 batting average.

Petree Jr. and Terveen are both juniors and team leaders for the Wolves, who have been showing progress as the season heads into May. The Wolves also are getting strong contributions from senior shortstop Seth Moore, junior catcher Diego Romero and Halbower in centerfield. Petree Jr., Romero and Halbower also are team captains.

A pair of juniors, first baseman Chase Simon and Reed, left field, are also stepping up this season as is sophomore second baseman De’Avion Miller.

Even more young players contributed in the tournament win. Sophomore Isaac Johnson and freshman Josue Pagon along with Miller and Cadreau, a sophomore, helped with the tournament wins.

“Faced really good teams right out of the gate”

“We won our first game of the season then lost nine in a row,” Petree Sr. said. “We faced Zeeland East and Zeeland West early and they are state-ranked teams. We lost one of those games 5-2 and we played a good game against them. We’ve played well, we’ve just went against some really good teams right out of the gate.”

Petree Sr. is also receiving plenty of help from his coaching staff.

“Our assistant coaches, Chano Buentello, Rob Kogler and Nico Rodriguez are doing a great job,” Petree Sr. said. “We have a young team, but we are getting better all the time.”

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held April 29

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Going Local, Hard News, Health, Kent County, Local Food, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , ,



By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS March Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, April 29 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held March 25

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Food, Kent County, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , ,


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS March Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, March 25 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wyoming-High-School-Mobile-Food-Pantry-Courtesy-WPS-1024x597.jpg
WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)


Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Wyoming basketball coach Thom Vander Klay reaches milestone 400th win; “Wyoming is an important piece of who I am”

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, ,
Wyoming Boys Basketball Coach Thom Vander Klay has won more than 400 games from that position on the sideline. (Photo Courtesy, Curtis Holt)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

While a student at Wyoming Park High School during the early 80s, Wyoming boys basketball coach Thom Vander Klay was influenced by a virtual who’s who of Wyoming Park coaches. It should have been no surprise that some 40 years later Vander Klay reached a coaching milestone when he won the 400th game of his head coaching career.

The only coach the Wolves have ever had for boys basketball and the former coach at Wyoming Park before it merged with Wyoming Rogers to form Wyoming High School, Vander Klay won game No. 400 when the Wolves defeated Holland Christian 51-49 on Jan. 30 this season. He was then recognized for the achievement during Wyoming’s victory against Grand Rapids Union on Feb. 9.

Wyoming Park grad and three-sport athlete

A 1982 graduate of Wyoming Park, Vander Klay was a three-sport athlete for the Vikings playing football, basketball and running track before heading off to Hope College where he played football and basketball.

Vander Klay credits his former coaches at Wyoming Park for getting him started down the path of coaching.

“We just had some fantastic coaches at Park,” Vander Klay said. “We had Jack Verduin for football and Rich Renzema for basketball and Frank Grimm was the track coach. Ron Engels was the baseball coach forever and Dick Locke was another outstanding coach. Those were some really, really good coaches in high school and I knew that I was going to pursue that.”


Coach Vander Klay hoists his team’s 2022 district trophy. (Photo Courtesy, Curtis Holt)


After graduating from Hope College in 1986, Vander Klay returned to Park where he began his coaching and teaching career. His first coaching jobs were with the junior varsity football and basketball teams at Wyoming Park.

“I was really a football guy and I planned to eventually coach the football team,” Vander Klay said, “but coach Verduin kept going and going and then our varsity Coach Kelly McEwen retired so I took over the basketball team in 1995. I worked under Coach Verduin in the fall and Coach McEwen in the winter and I learned tons of knowledge from both of them.”

Vander Klay parlayed that wealth of knowledge into a legacy of success at both Wyoming Park and later at Wyoming when Park and Rogers merged 12 years ago.


Coach Vander Klay talks to his team in 2019. (Photo Courtesy, Andris B. Visokis)


Whether at Park or Wyoming, the style of play has been very consistent.

“We usually have the same type of style,” Vander Klay said. “Our players are usually quite small, but they play quite fast. We have to play fast, shoot well and play hard. We play pressure defense and play up-tempo on offense. We play very fast on both sides of the court.”

During his coaching career Vander Klay has experienced plenty of highlights. A couple, however, stand out after all the years.

1998 team and Mr. Basketball Drew Neitzel stand out

“The run we had in 1998 when we came out of nowhere to win the league is one team that stands out,” Vander Klay said. “Of course, the teams that had Drew Neitzel, who won Mr. Basketball in 2004, stand out. That team was the only team to sell out the Breslin Arena when we played against Detroit Renaissance in the state semifinals.”

Those teams were not alone, however, in making memories that stand out.

“So many teams and players and moments to remember”

“There were so many teams and so many players and moments that you remember,” Vander Klay said. “It’s not only the successful teams either. I remember so many kids and teams. Looking back on all the kids you coach and the success they eventually have as adults. Those memories last with you. The relationships are what make it special. Also, our coaching staff. We have had such a consistent coaching staff throughout the years. The assistant coaches I’ve had have made it so easy for me as a head coach.”


Coach Thom Vander Klay and WKTV Sports Director Cris Greer share a laugh at a recent interview. (Photo Courtesy, Olivia Potter)



The memories flooded back for Vander Klay during the ceremony commemorating his 400th win during the union game.

“It was so nice when they had the little ceremony at the game,” Vander Klay said. “Seeing the former teams and the former players and receiving the plaque. It was surprising and fun. The 400 wins is a longevity thing. I’ve coached a long time so you are going to pick up some wins.

“Wyoming is really important to me. I grew up here and live here, my kids went here, my grandson went here. Wyoming is an important piece of who I am. In so many ways it’s what I was called to do.”

Go big or go home: Wyoming High School art students decorate the halls in tape

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Education, Going Local, Kent County, Local Faces, Voices, West Michigan, , , , , , ,
Daira (left) and Deborah with their 3D tape art creation (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


3D images created with only tape can be found in the halls of WHS (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Students have painted Wyoming High School’s halls – with tape.

WHS Art 3 students recently studied a contemporary artist who uses tape to create large-scale optical illusions. Inspired by this work, students collaborated to create six unique designs that would give a 2D space a 3D appearance.

Students worked in pairs and used two kinds of tape as a creative medium to explore the idea of space.

“It’s good to have them collaborate, it’s good to have them work in a different space and on a different scale,” WHS art teacher Liz Duffield told WKTV. “We use different things, different materials, so they recognize art is not just drawing and painting, that we have a lot more in the art world.”

Painting…with tape?

Tape art emerged in the 1960s as an alternate urban art form that uses only adhesive tape as a medium. The work of tape artists has garnered a great deal of media interest over the last decade.

That interest is partly due to the advantages of “painting” with tape versus aerosol cans.

The tape art installations cover the walls from the floor to the ceiling (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

No longer needing protective measures, such as masks, to guard against dangerous vapors is a convenience as well as a health benefit to tape artists.

Adhesive tapes can be applied quickly and easily to materials such as stone, wood, glass, aluminum and more. The tape can also be removed without leaving residue.

Strange, interesting, unique…all of the above?

“It was an interesting concept,” said Jordan, WHS junior. “I never would have thought of this for an art project, putting tape on walls. That sounds strange; it was abstract.”

Jovanny, WHS senior and Jordan’s collaborative partner on the project, agreed. “It was really fun. We’re always doing painting or drawing, and I think this was a unique experience, using tape and creating art with it.”

Jovanny (left) and Jordan with their tape art installation (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Though both students agreed the 3D project was not the easiest, both enjoyed the challenge of designing and executing the art.

“We just went with the flow, and this is how it turned out,” said Jovanny, gesturing to an image of their art installation on his computer.

Jovanny also enjoyed the collaborative aspect of the project.

“I liked how we collaborated together because usually we don’t collaborate often in this class,” Jovanny said, adding that creating an art piece with another student – and having it turn out well – produced a sense of accomplishment.

Jordan, who typically creates 2D drawings on a much smaller scale, admitted that while she enjoyed the 3D project, she has no plans to repeat it.

“One time is enough,” Jordan said with a laugh.

An opportunity to share and inspire

Collaborative partners Daira and Deborah, both WHS seniors, enjoyed the opportunity to share their art with the entire school.

Daira (left) and Deborah with their 3D tape art creation (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

“I liked it because a lot of students can see [it],” said Deborah. “I had three or four students ask me, What class is this? What are you doing this for? I think it catches students’ attention, and that is good if they want to take art.”

Daira said that, though she typically enjoys painting, she had fun working on the tape art.

“I don’t think it was that difficult because you have just straight lines,” said Daira. “The difficult part was making them look even.

“I would want to do something like this again and experience more than just painting. Art is more than just painting and drawing.”

Deborah would also like to try tape art again, but the WHS senior is thinking…bigger. A bigger canvas and a larger audience.

“Somewhere downtown, somewhere where everybody can see it,” said Deborah.

Art as an outlet

That creative expression is what draws both Daira and Deborah to art in general.

Art teacher Liz Duffield periodically walks by and checks to make sure the tape remains secure (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

“I like that you can express your creativity,” said Deborah. “Instead of like every other class where you just write and read, in this class you can actually express it more in colors and lines and shapes.”

“Expressing your feelings too,” Daira added. “Art has a lot of feelings and emotions that you can show. If you are not good in English and writing, you can express it in art.”

Allowing students the opportunity for that expression is important to Duffield – though she admits that she never expected to become a teacher.

“I always knew that I loved art and being creative, design and things like that,” said Duffield. “I never actually thought I wanted to be a teacher, and then I started volunteering in a classroom–and I loved it.”

Value in variety

While the medium of watercolors is Duffield’s personal favorite to work in, she believes in the value of all art forms.

“I think it’s really important to expose my students to many different kinds of art,” Duffield said.

Wyoming girls basketball team comes up big at crunch time in 47-43 win over Mona Shores in WKTV’s Tuesday Game of the Week

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, West Michigan, ,
Wyoming’s La’Anna Griffin steps to the line against Mona Shores. Griffin and Shakya Anderson led the Wolves with 12 points apiece. (WKTV Tuesday Game of the Week)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

No matter the score or the situation, the Wyoming girls basketball team can never be counted out of a game.

The never-give-up attitude of the Wolves was never more evident than Tuesday when they hosted Mona Shores. Trailing for most of the second half, the Wolves continued to battle and eventually a late flurry propelled Wyoming to a 47-43 win.

“It was just a great team effort,” said Wyoming Coach Jesse Vasquez. “These girls just never quit. They never give up. They play with a lot of grit and toughness. They are hard to count out.”

Mona Shores tried numerous times to pull away from the Wolves in the second half, but could never put Wyoming away. Mona Shores was up 24-20 at halftime and led 34-31 at the end of the third quarter.

Wolves kept battling back

Twice during the fourth quarter the Sailors were up by five points and threatening to pull away, but the Wolves continued to battle back.



Wyoming’s Tamia Gayles prepares to shoot three free throws after getting fouled outside the arc. (WKTV Tuesday Game of the Week)


With less than a minute to go in the game, Mona Shores was up 43-40. The Wolves, however, came up with a big defensive stop and sophomore Tamia Gayles was fouled on a three-point shot on the offensive end of the floor. Gayles connected on the first two free throws, but missed the third attempt. Wyoming senior Ta’tyan Hardiman was there to pick her teammate up as she gathered in the rebound and then converted it for a basket putting the Wolves up 44-43 with 42 seconds remaining.



Wyoming’s Ta’tyana Hardiman gets the rebound off a missed free throw and scores to put the Wolves ahead 44-43 over Mona Shores. (WKTV Tuesday Game of the Week)



The Wyoming defense then came up big again forcing a Mona Shores turnover with 27 seconds remaining in the game. Mona Shores eventually fouled the Wolves and sent Gayles back to the free-throw line with 17 seconds remaining in the game. Gayles then drained both free throws giving the Wolves a three-point lead.

On the ensuing Mona Shores possession, the Sailors were fouled and went to the free-throw line, but missed both shots. Hardiman then split a pair of free throws for Wyoming with five seconds remaining to secure the win.

A total team effort

Like they have all season, Wyoming relied on a total team effort to earn the win. The Wolves had a balanced effort on offense as senior La’Anna Griffin and junior Shakya Anderson led the Wolves with 12 points apiece. Gayles added nine points, followed by sophomore Michaela Moore with seven points, sophomore Myah Nabors, four, and Hardiman, three.

“Sophomore starters relied on a lot”

“We start three sophomores and we rely on them a lot,” Vasquez said. “Michaela Moore, Myah Nabors and Tamia Gayles are young players, but they step up for us each and every night. Like all of our players they keep scrapping and never give up. We also have some great assistant coaches and they do a great job of coaching our players all the way up.”

The Wolves also received a big effort from Anderson. One of several key players who come in and provide big contributions off the bench, Anderson not only scored in double figures in points on offense, but also provided strong rebounding and defense.

“Shakya is a scrappy player,” Vasquez said. “She came off the bench and did a great job for us. We have a pretty deep team. We have a lot of players who can do a number of things for us. Anything can happen with the arsenal of players that we have.”

With the win, Wyoming improved to 14-4 overall and 9-2 in the OK Green Conference. The Wolves are tied for second place in the conference with Zeeland West, two games behind Muskegon who’s in first place at 11-0.

“All the credit goes to the kids,” Vasquez said. “They played very hard. They just kept fighting back. We still have a couple more weeks left and the state tournament left so we have a lot to play for still.” 

Wyoming mobile food pantry to be held Feb. 26

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Going Local, Kent County, Local Food, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, ,



By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry to host a Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS February Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, Feb. 26 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.

WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)

Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Resources

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

Mona Shores knocks off host Wyoming 75-53 Wednesday 

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, ,
Opening tipoff of Wyoming and Mona Shores Wednesday. (WKTV/Ty Marzean)



By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor



In a game postponed due to bad weather Tuesday, Mona Shores grabbed their second OK Green win in a row with a 75-53 victory over host Wyoming on Wednesday night.

Wyoming’s Gage Behrenbrinker won the opening tipoff, but the Sailors quickly picked the pocket and converted a three-point shot before 10 seconds left the clock.

The rest of the first quarter was a back-and-forth matchup, with Mona Shores on top 17-11 after one quarter.

“When I think early in the game, we had missed layups and free throws,” said Wyoming veteran Coach Thom Vander Klay, whose team fell to 4-7 overall. “We went 1-6 from the line in the first quarter, and those are wasted opportunities,”

“The shots just didn’t hit”

Mona Shores (8-3 overall) enjoyed a 17-point lead at the half on the back of an off-shooting night for the Wolves. Wyoming shot 6-29 from three-point range on the night. 

“It’s frustrating for everybody; we have some guys that have worked pretty hard on knocking shots down,” Vander Klay explained. “I thought our spacing was good. I thought we made good decisions with the ball and made easy passes; the shots just didn’t hit.”

The Wolves tried to claw their way back in the third quarter as they outscored Mona Shores 25-23 to get within striking distance.

“We cut it down to 13 points in the third, but then they would come back and answer,” Vander Klay said. “We couldn’t chop it down.”

The Sailors took advantage of the missed opportunities by the Wolves and created points on the other end.

“Part of that is Mona Shores’ defense, and they took advantage and finished those shots off in the paint. They had a lot of good looks.”

Mona Shores scored a quick four points early in the fourth and coasted to the final score and 22-point victory.

“That’s when it set in, if we didn’t start lighting it up, we were done, and we didn’t light it up,” said Vander Klay of the quick points by the Sailors.

Mona Shores finished the game with four players in double digits, led by junior forward Jonathan Pittman with 16 points.


Wyoming senior Avonte’ Wiggins led all scorers with 18 points. (Photo from a previous game.)

Wiggins led all scorers with 18

Wyoming senior guard Avonte’ Wiggins led all scorers with 18 points and cleaned up six rebounds.
 

“He was trying to do what we were telling him,” said Vander Klay of his leader. “He was trying to take it inside. He had eight free throws in the third quarter, and that helped us some. Mona Shores had to start playing some defense.”

Wolves’ senior Donavyn Edwards collected 13 points.

“Donny plays so hard; he’s a menace on defense,” Vander Klay said. “He’s pretty banged up right now; he came out from football and hasn’t really recovered from all the nicks and bruises and twists and pulls.”


Wyoming’s Donavyn Edwards shoots a three. (WKTV/Ty Marzean)

Wyoming High School to host community mobile food pantry Monday, Jan. 22 for those in need

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, CURBSIDE PICKUP, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , , , , , , , ,



By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


(Courtesy, FeedWM)

Food insecurity impacts over 261,000 people in West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula alone. Wyoming High School (WHS) has teamed up with Feeding America West Michigan to provide free nourishing food for those in need.

There are a variety of reasons food insecurity exists, and anyone can experience a period of that insecurity and need.

“We are seeing the need for food amongst our families increase,” said Joy Pratt, Wyoming School Community Coordinator. “This past fall, we were able to feed 110-120 families monthly, but sadly, had to turn families away as we ran out of food.”

Working together to eradicate hunger

Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) has partnered with Feeding America Mobile Pantry for several years, rotating locations between elementary school buildings.

For the last few months, WHS has become a consistent host site, and will continue to host the Mobile Pantry once a month.

*WHS January Mobile Food Pantry will be held Monday, Jan. 22 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

WPS is working to help meet a basic need in the community (FeedWM)

“Moving the Mobile Food Pantry to the high school has allowed us to serve more families, cause less disruption to neighborhood traffic, as well as sort and package food inside the building versus outside in the elements,” said Pratt.

With some families financially stretched to the breaking point, picking up 40-50 lbs. of food for free has a far-reaching impact. WPS has seen that impact firsthand.

“What we know to be true is that if we want our kids to learn, their basic needs have to be met first,” said Pratt. “Kids who are worried about not having enough food at home typically don’t learn as well as kids who don’t have that worry.

If something as simple as WPS/WHS hosting a monthly Mobile Food Pantry can alleviate that worry, even a little bit, it’s a no-brainer.”

What to expect

Though the selection of food varies each month, there are always a variety of fresh and frozen items available at the Mobile Pantry. Some examples include: yogurt, cheese, milk, almonds, grapes, bananas, potatoes, rice, beans, macaroni, baked goods, apples, onions, carrots, ham, bread, bagels, cereal, granola, strawberries, and cream cheese.

The Mobile Pantry is drive-thru style, and families are asked to remain in their vehicles for safety.

WHS Mobile Food Pantry Map (Courtesy, WPS)

Cars enter at the main entrance to WHS (1350 Prairie Parkway). Volunteers will direct traffic in the parking lot to help with efficiency.

Once in line, a volunteer will approach each car to record the name, address, number of people in the household, and the reason the food is needed for each family. Once a car has reached the front of the line, volunteers will load a box of food into the trunk.

Make an impact – volunteer!

Just a few hours of time can make a substantial impact (FeedWM)

Community volunteers are always welcome and can sign up for January and February Mobile Pantries using the following links: January 2024 / February 2024

Those wishing to volunteer can also reach out to:

Joy Pratt – prattj@wyomingps.org

Anna Rivera – riveraa2@wyomingps.org

Sarai Gamez – gamezs@wyomingps.org

“Just giving three hours a month of their time has a significant impact on 170 families in their community,” said Pratt. “When you consider the time you give, and weigh it against the impact you make, volunteering to help at the Mobile Food Pantry is a worthwhile endeavor.

“If we all give a little, we can make big things happen.”

Resources – learn more!

To learn more about Feeding America West Michigan and the services they offer, click here.

For the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry schedule, click here.

East Grand Rapids uses late run to hold off Wyoming in our WKTV Friday Game of the Week

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
(WKTV)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor


A fourth-quarter run proved to be the difference as the East Grand Rapids boys basketball team turned back Wyoming 67-52 in a non-league game at Wyoming in our WKTV Friday Game of the Week.

The setback prevented Wyoming from breaking into the win column this season. The Wolves started the new season facing a strong string of opponents. Wyoming fell to Unity Christian and Coopersville in the first two contests and then dropped a five-point decision to Grand Rapids Christian in a game the Wolves led heading into the final minute.

Tied 32-all at the half with EGR

The game with East was much closer than the final score. Wyoming led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter and the contest was tied 32-32 at halftime.

East Grand Rapids pulled ahead of the host Wolves in the third quarter and headed into the final stanza with a 48-41 lead. Wyoming tied the game in the final quarter before East pulled away late with the bulk of its points coming at the free-throw line in the final minutes.

“It was a fairly close game, but we had to put them on the free-throw line at the end,” said Wyoming Coach Thom VanderKlay. “Defensively we broke down quite a bit in the second half. Our field-goal percentage was also not very good. The shots we took were decent and we did get 15 offensive rebounds so we had some second chances, but we just could not put the ball in the basket.”

Wyoming finished the game shooting 27% from the field and also had 16 turnovers. The Wolves did a solid job on the boards with 37 rebounds while the defense created seven turnovers.



Wyoming junior Avonte’ Wiggins from last year. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Avonte’ Wiggins led Wyoming in scoring with 22 points and Brayden Williams added 10. Wiggins also led the Wolves with eight rebounds.

Shooting woes have been the main drawback for the Wolves this season.

“Coming into the season I expected us to be a pretty good shooting team,” VanderKlay said. “We can spread the floor and do a pretty good job of running the floor. On defense we work hard and can run pretty well and can create a fast pace.”

The Wolves also have more experience this season with several players returning from last year including a trio of returning starters.

Wyoming returns three senior starters in Warren Williams, Donavyn Edwards and Gage Behrenbrinker. Rounding out the starting lineup are freshman Brayden Williams and Wiggins, a junior.

Wyoming also is a deep team this season with 12 players on the roster who are all capable of contributing.

Wyoming also returns seniors Maxi Morales, Buster Cross and Chris Jackson along with senior Brendan Nesbary, who is new to the team. Rounding out the squad are juniors Zy Debose, Tarren Calvert and Duane Droughn.

“We have some good depth this season,” VanderKlay said “Any of the guys on our roster can step in and play well. All 12 of them can play.”

That depth will come in handy during the long 22-game season especially when OK Green Conference play begins. As usual, the league will be solid from top to bottom.

“Zeeland West, Reeths-Puffer and Muskegon are all very good teams,” VanderKlay said. “Mona Shores also looks much improved. I also think we can be in the mix. We’ve had our moments this season, we just have to be more consistent.”