Category Archives: Local Sports

JUST IN! WKTV Friday Night Highlights Basketball: FEB. 13



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org



Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

Godwin Heights turns back Calvin Christian 39-34 Friday in defensive struggle; earns sole possession of second place

Godwin Heights junior Isaiah Guyton (35) scored some key points along with playing strong defense in the game against Calvin Christian. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



Defense was the name of the game when Godwin Heights traveled to Grandville Calvin Christian for a key OK Silver clash Friday evening. In the end, the visiting Wolverines came up with the key defensive plays and just enough offense to secure a 39-34 win in a struggle that came down to the final seconds.

The win was a huge victory for Godwin Heights as it gave the Wolverines sole possession of second place in the conference and keeps them a half game behind league-leading Fruitport.

“Our pre-game talk was we have to hang our hats on the defensive side of the basketball,” said Godwin Heights Coach Bernard Varnesdeel. “That’s what we build off of and that’s what we are working for. Down the stretch that was the last message, we said we have to win on defense. Very proud of the effort coming back on the road to get a tough conference win.”

The contest was a defensive struggle from the opening tip. The host Squires took the early lead in the game and were up 11-8 at the end of the first quarter.

The Calvin Christian defense was especially stingy for an almost eight-minute stretch of the first and second quarters when it held Godwin Heights without a point. After a three-point bucket by Godwin’s David Rodriguez with just over three minutes to play in the first quarter, the Wolverines did not score again until Isaiah Guyton connected on a bucket at the 3:34 mark of the second quarter.

Calvin Christian led 17-12 at halftime

While the Wolverines had a lid on their basket, the Godwin defense picked up the slack and allowed Calvin just five points over the same eight-minutes stretch as the bucket by Guyton cut Calvin’s lead to 14-10. The two teams combined for just five points the rest of the first half as Calvin led 17-12 at halftime.

Wolverines score 13 points in the third

In the second half, the Godwin Heights offense began to cook in the third quarter. The Wolverines doubled their offensive output of the entire first half as they scored 13 points during the third quarter. Trailing 19-18 midway through the third quarter, the Wolverines took a lead for the first time in the game when Jaden Farmer drained a trey putting Godwin up 21-19. Farmer closed out the third quarter for the Wolverines by adding a three-point play the old-fashioned way as he scored on a drive to the bucket, drew a foul and tacked on the free throw giving Godwin a 25-21 lead heading into the final quarter.


Godwin Heights guard Jaden Farmer (2) led the Wolverines with nine points. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



“Before halftime, we were one for our last 26 from beyond the three-point line,” Varnesdeel said, “so we made a couple of them in the second half. We also made a couple of jump shots which were huge for us. I told the guys at halftime, keep taking them with confidence. We are going to get one or two of them sooner or later. Take them with confidence and be ready to knock them down. We had to get a big win.”

For Farmer and his teammates, the game meant a lot since Calvin Christian defeated the Wolverines 50-35 at Godwin in the first meeting between the two league rivals in early January.

“We just wanted to execute our plays,” Farmer said. “That was our main point as they beat us last time. We wanted to get back so we needed to play defense really well and execute.”

The game tightened up even more during the fourth quarter. Calvin Christian tied the game at 30-30 midway through the final quarter when Grant Morren came up with a four-point play. Morren drained a three and was fouled on the shot and then added the free-throw to eliminate what was a four-point Godwin lead.

Godwin gained the lead for good with 3:41 remaining in the game when Guyton scored a bucket in the paint putting the Wolverines up 34-32.

Up 35-34 with under two minutes left in the game, the Godwin defense again stepped up as the Wolverines kept the Squires off the scoreboard the remainder of the game.

“We work a lot on defense in practice,” Farmer said. “We watch a lot of film and work on executing on defense.”    

Godwin put the game on ice with four free throws in the final two minutes of the game, including a pair of free throws by Justin Chan with one second remaining on the clock.


Godwin Heights Justin Chan (12) sealed the win against Calvin Christian with a pair of free throws with one second remaining in the game. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



Godwin Heights parlayed balanced scoring in the defensive struggle with Farmer leading the offense with nine points. Chan and Lonnie Sanders added seven points apiece, Dere’on Brown added six pints, Guyton five points, Rodriguez four points and Zxavier Guzman three points.

Morren led Calvin Christian with 15 points, while Will Orme added eight.

Godwin Heights improved to 7-2 in the conference, 10-7 overall. The Wolverines host league-rival Belding in a makeup game on Monday and then travel to Fruitport on Tuesday to play the Trojans who are 8-2 in the league.

“We control our own destiny,” Varnesdeel said. “Fruitport is one game ahead, but we have to go to Fruitport. They beat us at home so we get a chance to at least tie with them. If we win out in the conference it will put us in a position to tie for the conference or win it out.” 

JUST IN! WKTV Friday Night Highlights Basketball: FEB. 6



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org



Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

South Christian defense amps up the pressure in win over Thornapple Kellogg in WKTV Game of the Week Tuesday

South Christian junior guard Sophia Prins led the Sailors with a game-high 23 points in the win against Thornapple Kellogg. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



Heading into Tuesday’s OK Gold game against Thornapple Kellogg, South Christian girls basketball Coach Erika Brown was looking for her team to take things up another level on the defensive end. The Sailors ended up doing that and more as South turned in a defensive gem in beating TK 55-25.

“There’s been things that we’ve been specifically working on in practice and we really wanted to put it into the game and see how we could adjust and make those adjustments,” Brown said. “We just need to clean up our defense and slides and positioning and some of our schemes on defense. Just really getting after knowing where we are together as a team in the movement part of it on defense.”

South Christian wasted little time in showing the dividends of the work it put in on defense during recent practices. The Sailor defense was aggressive and on point right from the opening tipoff against the Trojans. With the combination of stingy defense and balance on offense, South Christian took a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Sailor offense was paced in the opening quarter by juniors Lizzie Wolthuis and Sophia Prins who both connected on three-point shots.


South Christian’s Lizzie Wolthuis (3), who totaled 11 points, drives the baseline against Thornapple Kellogg. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



“We did get off to a good start,” Brown said. “That’s what we talk a lot about. Our team identifies as defense and transition, so we’ve been really working on those two things.” 

South Christian took its defense to another level in the second quarter. Turning up the defensive intensity even more, the Sailors kept TK off the scoreboard for the entire quarter while building a 25-7 halftime lead.

With a double-digit lead heading into the second half, the Sailors maintained their aggressiveness on the defensive end while sharpening their skills on the offensive side of the floor. South Christian outscored TK 17-11 during the third quarter as it built a 42-18 lead.

South Christian closed out the game by outscoring the Trojans 13-7 in the fourth quarter.

Prins led the way for South Christian with 23 points highlighted by 3 three-point baskets.

“Our point guard Sophia (Prins) had an amazing game,” Brown said. “She is our floor general and director. She is doing a lot better in her talking and getting people where they need to be. I was very proud of her tonight.” 

Wolthuis also drained a trio of treys finishing with 11 points. Sophomore Meredith Helmus added seven.


Overall, the Sailors were pleased with their offensive production, but like the defense, they see upside for improvement.

“We have some things we have to work on with offense,” Brown said. “We’ve been seeing more zone this year than we have in the past and zone offenses tend to get overlooked a little more than man, the quick-hit plays and all the things you really work on a lot. For what we’ve been working on for zone offense, I was happy and pleased with what we did tonight.” 


South Christian senior Kamryn Boonstra (10) looks for an opening against the Trojans defense. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



South Christian improved to 14-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference. The win also set the stage for Friday’s OK Gold showdown where the Sailors, ranked 13th in the state in Division 2, travel to Grand Rapids West Catholic to take on the Falcons, ranked fifth in the state in Division 2 and have a 7-0 record in the conference.

The win was the sixth in a row for the Sailors since they dropped a 62-49 decision to West Catholic in early January. South’s other loss was a 41-39 decision against Hudsonville in December.

With four seniors on the team along with two freshmen, two sophomores and the remaining players from the junior class, the Sailors have a mix of youth and veterans which makes for an enjoyable team to coach.

“We have a group of girls that just love each other,” Brown said. “It’s a little bit more than basketball to us. It’s about life and doing this journey together. Being there through the hard times, the good times, the struggles in school, on and off the court. We have a really, really good squad this year. They’ve really taken this to heart and making this a journey that’s going to be memorable.”  

Thornapple Kellogg fell to 2-5 in the league, 6-9 overall. The Trojans were led in scoring by freshman Taylor Lloyd, who drained a pair of treys and finished with 14 points.

JUST IN! WKTV Friday Night Highlights Basketball: Jan. 30



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org


Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

South Christian uses strong second half to turn back Catholic Central 50-40 Tuesday

South Christian’s Carson Vis (11) led with 24 points despite some strong defense from Catholic Central. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



Two of the premier teams in West Michigan high school basketball over the years collided once again when the South Christian Sailors cruised into the Grand Rapids Catholic Central gym Tuesday evening.



Thanks to a strong second half, the visiting Sailors came away with the victory in the latest chapter of their rivalry as they turned back the Cougars 50-40.

As they have many times, the two teams entered the game ranked in the state in Division 2. South Christian entered the game ranked 10th and Catholic Central 17th in the latest Michigan High School Athletic Association power rankings.

The game lived up to its billing and was a close struggle most of the way before South took charge late in the third quarter.

“It was a hard-fought game,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “It felt like a Big 10 game. It was hard to score. Both teams were well prepared. They (Catholic Central) had a good defensive scheme and I liked our defensive scheme and we just hit a couple more shots in the third quarter that kind of extended that lead and we just kind of held on.


“That’s a good team. Chris (Catholic Central Coach Chris Pearl) is doing a good job. They got us with some different coverages that we haven’t seen before and I thought we made some decent adjustments in the second half.”   

South took the early lead as the Sailors jumped out to a 10-2 advantage in the first quarter. Catholic, however, closed out the quarter strong as back-to-back three pointers by Brieland Watkins and Izaya Lathridge closed the gap to 10-9 at the end of the quarter.

The two squads traded the lead back and forth during the second quarter. Catholic Central took a 13-10 lead before South battled back to tie the game at 18. The Cougars finished out the first half on an upswing and took a 22-21 lead int halftime.

“Their ball-screen defense was giving us some trouble,” Johnson said. “They were really trapping and pushing Carson (Vis) out. We have to do a better job of getting the ball in the middle of the floor and getting the ball opposite. We will work on it. We will get better.”

Sailors’ 8-point run builds 37-28 lead

The game remained tight until late in the third quarter. Up 29-28, the Sailors finished the third quarter with an eight-point run to take a 37-28 lead. The key to the run was back-to-back three-pointers by Caleb Pleune and Carson Vis.


South Christian’s Caleb Pleune plays defense against Catholic Central’s Brieland Watkins. Pleune scored nine points for the Sailors. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



Playing with the lead, the Sailors were able to hold the Cougars at bay during the final quarter. South Christian also sealed the game at the foul line in the final quarter as 11 of South’s 13 points in the fourth quarter came at the charity stripe.

“Carson (Vis) is a tremendous, tremendous player,” said Catholic Central Coach Chris Pearl. “I think he did a good job of getting to the hoop and attacking. I think our guys got a little down. They saw a lot of the free throws and we started settling for a little bit of threes. We just have to get in that attack mindset.”   

Vis led South Christian’s offense with 24 points, and was especially effective at driving to the basket and drawing fouls nailing 14-of-18 at the free-throw line. Vis also knocked down a pair of three-point shots. Davis Kemper added 10 points, highlighted by knocking down 3 three-point shots. Pleune also drained a trio of treys as he finished with nine points.

“I appreciate the fans coming out,” Johnson said. “Winning on the road is always hard to do here. A win at Catholic, that’s a really good win for us.” 


South Christian’s Nolan Fackler (13) looks for an opening on the perimeter of the Catholic Central defense. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



Lathridge led the Cougars with 19 points, while Watkins added 13.

South Christian improved to 10-4 overall, and is 5-1 in the OK Gold, a game behind Northview.

“The season has been up and down,” Johnson said. “I still don’t think we’ve found our groove yet. We’re growing, but we still have a long way to go. I still don’t think we’ve played our best basketball.”

Catholic Central fell to 9-5 overall, but are first place in the OK White at 5-0.

“We’ve had a tremendous second half of the season and we are going to keep that going,” Pearl said. “We’re 5-0 in the conference and we have goals to accomplish. We’ve had eight straight conference championships and we are hoping to build off of that.”      

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

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.

JUST IN! WKTV Friday Night Highlights Basketball: Jan. 23



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org


Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area Boys and Girls high school basketball teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood areas, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

East Kentwood boys basketball team applying “10 times the effort”   

East Kentwood sophomore Jeremiah Cook (pictured) and Randy Chapman led the way for the Falcons with 20 points apiece. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



East Kentwood basketball Coach Mike Thomas stresses to his players the importance of playing 10 times harder than their opponents to get a win.


During Tuesday’s OK Red game at Holland West Ottawa, the young Falcons not only had to play 10 times harder than West Ottawa, but they had to keep up the pace for eight extra minutes as East Kentwood outlasted the Panthers 76-71 for a double-overtime victory.

“We just had to play 10 times harder,” Thomas said. “Every game that we play, every gym that we walk into, we have to work 10 times harder to get rewarded.”

That work ethic paid off for the Falcons who needed two overtimes to defeat West Ottawa. Kentwood also had to dig out of an early hole as West Ottawa took a 19-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

East Kentwood began battling back during the second quarter. The Falcons outscored West Ottawa 17-7 during the opening minutes of the second quarter. The Falcons eventually took the lead as a free throw by sophomore Drew Kenyi put Kentwood up 27-26. West Ottawa closed out the first half strong taking a 32-29 halftime lead.

The teams battled back and forth in the second half with neither getting more than a three-point lead during the third quarter.

The game remained that way during the fourth quarter. West Ottawa managed to take a three-point lead midway through the final quarter while the Falcons kept battling back and trimming the deficit to a single point.

With a minute left in regulation, East Kentwood tied the game at 62-all as sophomore Jeremiah Cook split a pair of free throws. Neither team was able to score a point in the final minute of regulation as West Ottawa suffered a turnover and East Kentwood missed its final shot attempt in the final 10 seconds.

In the first overtime, East Kentwood took a 66-62 lead as junior Randy Chapman scored a bucket and sophomore Major Barnes added a pair of free throws. The Falcons were up 68-64 with 1:20 left in the first overtime before West Ottawa rallied with four free throws in the final minute of the first overtime to tie the game at 68 and send the game into a second one.



East Kentwood sophomore Major Barnes (0) concentrates on his shot at the foul line. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



East Kentwood took the lead for good a minute into the second overtime when Chapman scored on a drive to the basket putting the Falcons up 71-69. After West Ottawa responded with a free throw, the Falcons reeled off four consecutive points to go up 75-70. A highlight-reel dunk by Cook with 35 seconds remaining sparked the final Kentwood run as the Falcons outscored West Ottawa 5-1 in the final 35 seconds of the game to secure the win.       

“The guys played hard,” Thomas said. “When we are away on the road in the OK Red we always have to play hard. Even when we are at home, it’s hard winning. Winning is always hard.”

With the win, East Kentwood improved to 7-4 overall for the season. The win also was the first OK Red win for the Falcons in three times.



East Kentwood junior guard Donovan Jones (1) applies pressure on defense against West Ottawa’s Makai Campos (0). (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



East Kentwood also has claimed some impressive wins in non-conference games early on in the season, including a 66-60 win against Detroit Renaissance, a 58-51 win against Hamtramck and a 65-56 win against Ann Arbor Pioneer.    

“The season has been going pretty good,” Thomas said. “We just have to keep playing 10 times harder; Especially in the OK Red. We have to be that much better every time we play. That’s something we are going to keep preaching to our young guys. Whether you play at home or away.”

The Falcons have a young squad this season with just one senior on the roster. All 76 of Kentwood’s points against West Ottawa were scored by non-seniors with 54 of the points coming from sophomores.

Cook and Chapman led the way for the Falcons as they both recorded 20 points. Barnes finished with 12 points followed by Kenyi and sophomore CJ Reynolds with eight apiece. 

JUST IN! WKTV Friday Night Highlights Basketball



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org


Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area Boys and Girls high school teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood areas, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

Tri-unity Christian off to hot start in Mark Keeler’s final year; Coach gets remarkable 700th win

Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler and wife Cheryl. (Courtesy, JV Boys Coach Dean Holzwarth)



By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



After winning their second state championship in three seasons, the Tri-unity Defenders are once again poised to make a run to the Breslin Center in the final year of Coach Mark Keeler’s storied career.

Coach Keeler has spent 38 years pacing the sidelines at Tri-unity in a remarkable career that includes six state championships, six state runner-up trophies, 15 Final Four appearances, 19 regional titles, 26 district titles and 22 conference championships.

Keeler recently achieved his 700th victory as a varsity coach, making him the fourth coach in state history to reach this milestone in boys’ basketball. Roy Johnston holds the record for the most wins in state history with 833 victories.

“I feel very blessed … so many awesome parents,
unbelievable players and great assistant coaches”


“I feel very blessed,” Keeler said. “I’ve had some great assistant coaches and coaches who have been involved and positive. I’m very excited to have achieved that, but I feel like its more of a school achievement than for just me as a coach. I’ve had so many awesome parents and so many unbelievable basketball players that have played for me. Those wins are more about those players than it is about me.”





Keeler started coaching at Tri-unity when the school was K-9 and that morphed into a varsity squad a few years later. Often having to rent gym space from Grandville schools until they could put bleachers in, Coach Keeler built the Tri-unity basketball program figuratively and literally from the ground up. 

In the early years, Tri-unity played in the West Michigan Liberty Conference made up of small Christian schools, traveling from Niles to Whitehall to Lansing. 

“I’ll never forget Niles First Assembly had a carpeted gym, I’ll never forget that,” Keeler chuckled. “Nobody locally wanted to play us because they never heard of us.”


Tri-unity Athletic Director Evan Przybysz said Keeler is the most humble winner he’s ever met.


“For all of the 700-plus wins that he will receive, the credit first goes to the Lord, and then to his players,” Przybysz explained. “He has instilled a system and a culture within his program that allows them to be successful year over year. To be one of four people in MHSAA history to reach the 700 win milestone is an achievement not only in success, but longevity. Especially all at the same school.


“We will certainly miss him when he retires at the end of the year, but are happy for him and Cheryl on the next stage of life they will be moving into. He has created a foundation that we will continue to build on, and we are confident in Brent Voorhees (his current assistant) who will take over as the head of the program.”

Former NBA player Chris Kaman from Tri-unity
One of his more notable players, superstar Chris Kaman, graduated from Tri-unity in 2000. Kaman played college ball at Central Michigan University and was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Clippers, but also played for the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and a couple other teams. 

The Defenders have started this season with a 7-2 record with wins against East Grand Rapids, Calvin Christian and Lee in their first conference game of the season.

Tri-unity took an 80-53 road victory against the two-time defending Alliance League champion Legends last Friday.

“It was a very good game,” Keeler said. “They hung tough. We kept about a 10-point lead throughout the early going, but they kept on fighting and they are very well coached. We eventually pulled away late, but they fought all the way through.”

6-foot-7 senior Joey Mellon led the way with 27 points and 18 rebounds (11 offensively) in a strong effort for the Defenders.

“Joey had an unbelievable game,” Keeler exclaimed. “The 11 offensive rebounds blows me away. He was just a machine.

“We shot about 50 percent, but there were a lot of shots taken. We missed 32 shots, but we had 20 offensive rebounds so really only missed 12 in my way of thinking.”

Senior Noah Silverton added 10 points and four assists, while Keaton Blanker filled the stat sheet with eight points and 11 rebounds.

“They are wonderful young men; they have been nothing but positive and encouraging to me as a coach.”

Godwin Heights basketball team continues to make progress, beats Comstock Park Tuesday

Godwin Heights senior Jamaan Hastings (0) led the Wolverines with 23 points in the win against Comstock Park. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)

By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org


Going into the season with just one senior on the roster, the Godwin Heights boys basketball team expected to encounter some growing pains. While the young Wolverine squad has encountered some rough patches in the early going, the team continues to show steady improvement as conference play swings into full gear.

With a roster loaded with talented juniors as well as a sophomore and a freshman, the Wolverines boast a squad that is poised to show dramatic improvement as the season rolls along. Godwin took another step in that direction Tuesday evening when it turned back OK Silver Conference rival Comstock Park 73-45. With the win, the Wolverines improved to 4-3 overall and 2-0 in league play.

“I felt like we played hard,” said Godwin Heights Coach Bernard Varnesdeel. “We have been figuring things out this season. We have a lot of talent. We have been figuring things out in terms of rotation, figuring out positions, and we have had some injuries and some other stuff that we have had to take care of. Once we got into the flow of the game, I felt that’s when we started to see our offense and defense improve. I was very proud of how unselfish we were tonight.” 

Godwin Heights took the early lead in the game with the Panthers and steadily built their advantage as the game progressed. The host Wolverines built a 15-9 lead at the end of the opening quarter. Godwin was paced in the opening quarter by junior big man Isaiah Guyton. The 6-foot-5 junior flashed his all-around skills on the offensive end of the floor by scoring eight points in the opening quarter to stake the Wolverines to an early lead.

Godwin continued to build the lead in the second quarter as they combined some strong, aggressive defense with efficiency on the offensive end of the floor. Jamaan Hastings, the lone senior on this year’s squad, paced the offense in the second quarter as he poured in seven points during the quarter as the Wolverines built a double-digit lead. Up 23-14 early in the quarter, Hastings helped key a 7-0 Wolverine scoring run that upped the Godwin advantage to 30-14. Heading into halftime the Wolverines led 34-23.

Coming out of halftime, Godwin picked up the intensity even more. The Wolverines took complete charge of the game by opening the second half with a 9-3 scoring run to take a 43-26 lead. Guyton led the charge on the offensive end of the floor as he scored the first seven points of the second half.

“I felt like we had a good game plan coming in,” Varnesdeel said. “Once we got settled in terms of taking care of some of those things in the game plan, I think we started to see some good things.”  

Comstock Park made a run near the end of the third quarter to cut the Godwin lead to 48-36 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Wolverines picked up the pace early in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice. The Godwin defense limited the Panthers to single digits in the final quarter while the Wolverine offense put up 25 points.

The win for Godwin was the second straight after falling to a Division 1 Clarkston team 46-33 at the Aquinas College Tournament prior to New Years. The win was also the fourth in the last five games for the improving Wolverines who have the talent on hand to post a big season.

“The season has been going good,” Varnesdeel said. “We had some things we had to work through early in the season. We had an injury and with a young team we had to get into the flow of the season.” 


 

Godwin Heights junior Isaiah Guyton (35) totaled 20 points as the Wolverines defeated Comstock Park 73-45 Tuesday. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


Guyton and Hastings paced the Wolverines in scoring with a combined 43 points as Hastings totaled 23 points and Guyton added 20. Juniors Jaden Farmer and Xzaevier Guzman added six points apiece while fellow juniors Ka’Res Harris, Steven Manzi and Carlos McIver and freshman Martellis Forest added three points each.

“We have a ton of potential,” Varnesdeel said. “We talked to the kids about this. Potential is arguably one of the most dangerous words in the dictionary. Because it can mean so much, so many great things, but then it’s tough to reach that potential sometimes. Potentially, we can be really, really good. If you got potential and you got players, you got talent, then you can always get it fixed.”   


Godwin Heights junior guard Xzaevier Guzman (3) applies pressure in the backcourt during the game with Comstock Park. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)

WKTV Friday Night Highlights is Back! Check out our first show of the basketball season



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org


Check out our first WKTV Friday Night Highlights show of the basketball season featuring many area Boys and Girls high school teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood areas, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching, and see you after the holidays!

Wyoming boys fall to Coopersville in defensive struggle Tuesday

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.      



Legends lose in OT to Muskegon Heights Tuesday; seeking first win

Lee Legends new Boys Basketball Coach Gerard Oray. (Photo Courtesy, Wyoming Lee High School)



By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



The start of the Lee Legends basketball season has been filled with overtime thrillers and valuable lessons. Still, the Legends are in search of their first win.

The early season schedule has had the Legends travel to crosstown rival Kelloggsville and D-1 East Kentwood. Lee also has hosted Grand Rapids Union, Forest Hills Eastern and Muskegon Heights.

The game at East Kentwood was a special one for Lee’s first-year coach and East Kentwood alumni Gerard Oray.

“EK was a great experience; it was a chance for our guys to experience playing in one of the biggest schools in Michigan,” Oray explained. “The atmosphere was exciting and not only being an alum, but currently working in the district, it was a great experience to be able to compete in that environment.”

The most recent game resulted in a 75-73 overtime loss to Muskegon Heights.

“It was a great atmosphere and a very exciting game to coach,” Oray said. “Experiencing multiple lead changes and overtime for the second time this year at home has taught this group of guys that we need to execute down the stretch to win ball games.”

Coach Oray emphasized to his team that the season can be divided into three phases: the non-conference schedule, the conference schedule and the playoffs.

“Our non-conference schedule is where we can experience all the lessons we need to grow and learn,” Oray said. “In Alliance League play, our goal is to take what we have experienced and continue the streak of conference championships. Finally, the postseason, in which we take all of our lessons from the first two phases and make a run at the state championship.”

Phase one has already showed areas for improvement, according to Oray. 

“Our areas of improvement are definitely limiting our turnovers and making free throws late in ball games,” Oray said. “0 and five has been a challenging journey for sure. We have a lot of new guys getting real varsity experience and figuring out their roles. What I have liked a lot about this group is their determination to get better and compete no matter the score; our guys play hard until the clock says zero.”

The Legends have not been without their share of bright spots in the early going. Braylon Huff, Jaden Potts and Troy Fox have been key contributors so far this season. 



Lee Legends Braylon Huff. (Photo Courtesy, Wyoming Lee High School)



“Braylon Huff has been phenomenal this season,” Oray exclaimed. “He’s taking on a big role offensively in the scoring column and defensively crashing the glass hard and defensively becoming a rim protector as well. Braylon is very coachable and spent a lot of time working on his game and competing at a high level.”

Huff filled the stat sheet against Muskegon Heights with 27 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots.



Lee Legends Troy Fox. (Photo Courtesy, Wyoming Lee High School)



“Troy Fox and Jaden Potts have been playing well for the Legends, helping out defensively and in the scoring column as well,” Oray added.

Fox and Potts have registered multiple double-digit scoring games so far this season. 



Lee Legends Jaden Potts. (Photo Courtesy, Wyoming Lee High School)



The Legends (0-5) look to get in the win column on the road against Kalamazoo Phoenix (2-1) Friday at 7 pm. 

Lee community celebrates beginning of Winter Sports Season 

Lee seniors stand proud during the Legends Madness winter sports kickoff on Friday, Nov. 22. (WKTV, Ty Marzean)



By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



The “FamiLee” motto of Lee High School is not just a catchy phrase without substance behind it, but a rallying cry of the Godfrey-Lee community.

Last Friday, that community came out to The Legends Madness event to celebrate the opening of the winter sports season at Lee. The Boys and Girls basketball, Cheer and Wrestling teams are set to start their seasons.



Lee Legends Madness Winter Sports Kickoff 2024. (WKTV, Ty Marzean)



Attendees enjoyed a live DJ, meet-and-greets with student-athletes, and games for students and parents, which included a mixed-team game between the girls and boys basketball teams. The Lee cheer team also performed for the crowd. 

Two new basketball coaches

This event also served as a new beginning for both basketball programs, as both boys and girls teams have new coaches coming into the season. 

First-year coach Kevin Hinton will lead the Lady Legends. Most recently, Hinton was the head of the youth basketball program at Wyoming High School. Hinton also coached at Rogers High School before merging with Wyoming Park. Hinton hopes to stir interest in the youth in the Godfrey-Lee district.

“We developed our youth program this summer,” Hinton said. “We had about 30 girls in our youth program, so we’re just going to start there and keep building.”

‘Win the day’

Hinton is excited for the future and what the current team can bring to set a foundation for that future. Coach Hinton has impressed on his team to focus on daily improvements and win the day.

“Just take it one day at a time, one step at a time,” Hinton said. “Right now we have eight girls in our varsity program. We had picture day yesterday so our goal was to win picture day, to be the most focused, to be the most organized for that day.”



The boys and girls joined together for a mixed game at the Lee Legends Madness event Friday, Nov. 22. (WKTV, Ty Marzean)



The back-to-back Alliance League champion boys team also has a new coach at the helm. Gerard Oray replaces Dom Shannon, who left for Ottawa Hills this past summer. Oray played basketball locally at East Kentwood and Grace Christian University, and coached JV at East Grand Rapids last season.

The new Legend coach aims to continue the streak of conference championships.

‘Continue the streak’

“I’m excited for this group of guys to continue the tradition and hopefully win three in a row,” said Oray, who has embraced the tight-knit community of Lee, comparing it to his time at Grace Christian University. “What I learned at GCU is you are who you are and your support is who you have in a small community.”

Marc Whitfield hard to replace; scored over 1,000 points

The Legends will try to replace Marc Whitfield, one of the most prolific players in school history. Whitfield won back-to-back Alliance League Player of the Year awards and scored over 1,000 points in his time at Lee.

Senior Troy Fox will operate as team captain and leader on the floor for the Legends.

Junior Jaden Potts and senior Anthony Blok move from the gridiron to the court for Coach Oray. Braylon Huff also will play a pivotal role on the team.

The Lady Legends will start their season on Monday, Dec. 3, at home against Allegan.

The boys team started the season on Monday night against long-time rival Kellogsville with a 69-59 loss. Fox led with 20 points and four steals. Martez Jackson contributed significantly, scoring 18 points along with three assists and three steals. Huff also had a strong performance, finishing with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Lee hosted Grand Rapids Union on Tuesday night in its home opener with a 72-66 overtime loss. Huff led the team with 17 points.

The Legends look to get in the win column when they host Forest Hills Eastern on Monday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.

East Kentwood quartet earns All-Region football honors 

Quarterback Kayd Coffman is one of four East Kentwood football players named to the Division 1 All-Region team by the MHSFCA (Michigan High School Football Coaches Association). Elijah Jones, Andrew Durr and James Jones also were chosen. See photos below. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



The East Kentwood football team turned in a productive season this fall and a quartet of Falcons reaped some rewards of that success by being named to the All-Region team.

Junior quarterback Kayd Coffman, senior running back Elijah Jones, senior offensive lineman Andrew Durr and senior defensive lineman James Jones were all named Division 1 All-Region players by the MHSFCA (Michigan High School Football Coaches Association).

Quarterback Kayd Coffman

Coffman, who is being recruited by numerous Division 1 programs and was recently offered a scholarship by Michigan State University, turned in a big season in his first year as Kentwood’s starting quarterback. Coffman completed 56.5% of his passes this season for 1,594 yards and 11 touchdowns against just two interceptions.

“Kayd only threw two interceptions this season,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “I thought Kayd got better as he got more comfortable with the offense. He has a live arm and deceptive speed. I was more impressed with his decision making.”

For Coffman, the honor was the result of plenty of hard work put in to help the Falcons have a strong season as a team.

“It is a very good accomplishment, but that is not the thing you go into the year chasing,” Coffman said. “It is part of the process of doing the right things over and over and over. I thought that the season went really, really well for me as a first-year starter.”

Coffman has another year left at Kentwood and he and his teammates are already beginning to prepare for year two under coach Spencer.

“That (preparing for next year) started the day after the loss to Hudsonville,” Coffman said. “We are all looking forward to next year and we are ready to go get it.”

Having a year of experience in the new system also will pay off next season.

“There is so much growth ahead for us”

“Learning the new system definitely had its speed bumps,” Coffman said. “It was challenging at times, but it’s a great system for me and our guys. We became more polished running the system as the year progressed and there is so much growth ahead for us.”    



East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



Running back Elijah Jones

While Coffman provided the Falcons with a threat through the air, Elijah Jones gave the Falcons a powerful force in the ground game. Jones rushed for 1,208 yards this season averaging 7.2 yards per carry. 

“After starting the season slow with injury, Elijah became one of the biggest pieces of the offense,” Spencer said. “He doesn’t go down often on first contact and has the speed to outrun you. Elijah is a smart and tough football player.”

Jones was pleased with the honor and the season the team turned in.

“It feels great and I’m grateful for the honor,” Jones said. “I give thanks to God along with my family and coaches and teammates for all of their support. As a team, we had a great season and got better every game we played. Obviously, it was heartbreaking to lose to Hudsonville, but I still think we had a great season. Personally, I think I had a good season, but I feel there is always room to grow.    

Jones, who also is attracting the attention of college recruiters, added 12 touchdowns this season.

“Hopefully, I will get the opportunity to play college football,” Jones said. “I’m still going through the process. Right now, I’ve been talking to Brown University of the Ivy League, Wayne State and Lawrence Tech.” 

Offensive lineman Andrew Durr

Paving the way for the offense was a strong offensive line this season led by Durr. Durr helped anchor the line where his versatility was a major strength to the unit.



East Kentwood offensive lineman Andrew Durr. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



“Andrew was key in the run game for us this year,” Spencer said, “which allowed us to rush for a little over 2,000 yards. He played every position on the offensive line and was our most consistent lineman.”

Thanks to his versatility, Durr lined up at right tackle, left guard and center during the season.

“My favorite position was center,” Durr said. “I thought I did a good job at center. I feel I helped solidify the middle of the line.”

Durr credited his coaches and teammates for helping him earn all-region honors.

“I’m incredibly thankful for everything my coaches and my teammates have done to get me this far,” Durr said. “This honor isn’t just about me. It’s about my team, my coaches and my family.

“Playing college football has always been a dream of mine for a long time and this recognition is another step towards making it a reality and it means a lot to know that the hard work I’ve put in is being recognized.”

Defensive lineman James Jones

On the other side of the ball, James Jones provided an anchor for the defensive line. Jones totaled 44 tackles for the Falcons including seven tackles for loss and a quarterback sack. 



East Kentwood defensive lineman James Jones, Jr. (Photo Courtesy, East Kentwood High School)



“James is a strong defender who is hard to move in the middle of the defense,” Spencer said. “He’s more than likely going to win his matchup one-on-one. Many teams we played had to double-team him.” 



South Christian claims third straight regional title; defense holds in 28-21 victory over Whitehall

Check out this great scramble and touchdown pass by South Christian’s Carson Vis. (Courtesy, David Kool)



By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



South Christian continued its hot streak through the playoffs on a quest to Ford Field with a 28-21 victory over Whitehall in a back-and-forth affair in a D-4 regional final. 

The Sailors’ senior quarterback and Western Michigan University basketball commit, Carson Vis, finished off the first scoring drive of the game with a 15-yard pass to Chuck DeHaan with 4:50 left in the opening frame. Whitehall closed out the first quarter with a 24-yard touchdown run to tie the game.



South Christian quarterback Carson Vis. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



The second quarter went scoreless until the last play of the half as Vis found receiver Tyler Brinks for a 20-yard TD pass to put the Sailors up 14-7 to close the first half. 

“We came in with the game plan of getting to the outside and hitting some short throws, but the field was slippery, so we had to adjust,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “The beauty of having someone like Carson and the receivers we have is you have the option to take what works. They were tough against the run and loaded the box. You still have to mix in the run, but you don’t have to bang your head against the wall. You take what they give you.”



South Christian wins another Division 4 Regional title. (Courtesy, David Kool)


Rowan DeKam scores on a fumble, adds 10 tackles

Whitehall scored on a two-yard plunge to tie the game at 8:58 in the third quarter. The South Christian defense then got on the board as they forced a fumble that was picked up by Rowan DeKam and taken 31 yards for the score, putting the Sailors up 21-14. DeKam led the Sailors with 10 tackles.


21-all to end the third

The third quarter ended in a 21-all tie as Whitehall put another touchdown on the board. The Sailor defense, however, took over from that point holding the Vikings scoreless in the final quarter.

“We got them in a situation where they had to throw with the clock running out,” Brown said. “That helps with a team that doesn’t like to throw the ball.”
 

Vis had 224 passing yards and two touchdowns and 56 yards on the ground. 

Owen Burgess led the team with six catches and 77 yards, while running back Kasjen VanSolkema scored a rushing touchdown.

The Sailors will now play in their third consecutive Division 4 semifinal game.

“It’s a credit to the kids to have the belief that even when things weren’t looking good that if we could just find a way to right the ship anyone can get hot at the right time and we have done that,” Brown explained. “Winning three regionals is awesome. As a competitor it’s fun to win, but doing it consistently is a lot harder. The fact that these kids keep believing and buying in, keep doing the things during the season and in the off-season, being great teammates. It’s a credit to the team and the assistant coaches to keep this going.”

South Christian will meet a Niles team that is riding an 11-game winning streak into its first trip to the semifinals in school history.

“They have had some success in recent years, but I think the approach is about us,” Brown said. “What do we have to do to put the best product on the field. It starts in practice and in the details. You have to respect your opponent. Any team you see at this point is a really good football team.”

South Christian (8-4) and Niles (11-1) face off in a Division 4 semifinal at 1 p.m. Saturday at Three Rivers High School.

Don’t miss WKTV’s 24th Annual Turkey Bowl featuring our local football Games of the Week

(Image Courtesy, pxhere.com)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org


Please join us for WKTV’s 24th Annual Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving Day!


Our WKTV truck has been busy all season long covering exciting high school football Games of the Week in the Wyoming/Kentwood viewing area.

If you missed a WKTV Football GOTW, or would like to see one for a second time, be sure to watch on Thanksgiving Day. Our 15-Hour Special, starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 28, highlights the best of our High School Football Games this season.
  

Relive the excitement right here on WKTV 25 Thanksgiving Day!

9 a.m.    Grand Rapids Sacred Heart @ Lee

11:30 a.m.    Wyoming @ South Christian

  1:40 p.m.    Hudsonville @ East Kentwood

  3:45 p.m.    Zeeland East @ South Christian 

  6:15 p.m.    Godwin Heights @ Kelloggsville 

  8:30 p.m.    Jenison @ East Kentwood

10:30 p.m.    Catholic Central @ South Christian


 

South Christian rallies to stun No. 1 Unity Christian 35-28 in district title game 

Carson Vis led the Sailors with a big game both passing and running. He connected on 12-of-16 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown and ran the ball 22 times for 127 yards and four TDs. (Courtesy, Murray Sports Photography)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



When playoff season arrives, South Christian seems to find a way to play its best football. That was the case again in the Division 4 district final at Grandville Friday as the Sailors turned in one of their best performances of the year by taking down top-ranked and unbeaten rival Unity Christian 35-28 to win the district title.

Trailing 16-7 at the end of the first quarter, the Sailors rallied to defeat Unity and earn a spot in this Friday’s regional title game at Whitehall. The Sailor comeback win also avenged a 50-21 loss to Unity Christian suffered in Week 7 of the regular season.

“We found a way to win it,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “I’m just excited for the kids to get a big program win like that. Obviously, they (Unity Christian) are ranked Number 1 and they have a great team. We knew it was going to be a tough one, but we stayed the course and the guys executed.”

Unity jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead in the game as quarterback Jackson DeHoop connected with Sean VanderZwaag on a 26-yard scoring play. DeHoop then ran in the two-point conversion.

South, however, matched that score midway through the first quarter. Sailor quarterback Carson Vis ran in for a touchdown from six-yards out and Wyatt Sall added the point after cutting the margin to 8-7.

“Offensively, we executed so much more efficiently this time,” Brown said. “I told the guys that they would score early and we would have to answer and we did.”

Unity led 16-7 to end the first quarter

Unity stretched the lead to 16-7 at the end of the first quarter when Isaac Stienstra ran in for a touchdown from six-yards out and Nolan Vis ran in the two-point conversion.

South had the answer for that score with a pair of touchdowns of its own in the second quarter. At the 9:07 mark of the second quarter Vis hooked up with Chuck DeHaan for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Sall added the point after cutting the margin to 16-14. South then surged ahead with two minutes remaining in the first half as Vis ran in for a touchdown from three-yards out. Sall added the extra point putting the Sailors up 21-16.

Unity up 22-21 at halftime

Unity, however, quickly responded, and with 1:23 remaining before halftime Nolan Vis ran in for a touchdown from a yard out putting the Crusaders up 22-21 heading into halftime.

South leads 29-22 in the third

The defenses took over for much of the third quarter before South Christian broke through with a touchdown late in the period. The was when Vis ran in for a touchdown from two-yards out putting the Sailors up 27-22 with 2:20 remaining in the quarter. Vis then connected with DeHaan on the two-point conversion giving the Sailors a 29-22 lead.

Unity Christian closed the gap at the 8:21 mark of the fourth quarter. That was when Max VanKoevering rumbled 13 yards for a touchdown cutting the margin to 29-28. The Crusaders then went for the two-point conversion and the lead before getting denied by the Sailor defense.



South Christian’s Caleb Wieneke (No. 3) and Nathan Potter (58) wrap up a Crusader. (Courtesy, Murray Sports Photography)



The Sailor defense overall did a solid job on the Unity offense. Not only did the South defense limit Unity to 22 less points than the previous matchup, but the Sailor defenders held Unity to its second-lowest point total of the entire season.

“We had some different personnel on defense from the last time we played them,” Brown said. “We also did a few things differently on defense. Ultimately, you can make changes, but the kids have to execute and they did a great job of executing the game plan.”  

South sealed the victory in the final seconds of the game. Vis ran for a touchdown from two-yards out making the final score 35-28 and sending the Sailors on to the regional final where they will face an 8-3 Whitehall team.

“I’m really excited about this group of guys,” Brown said. “The way they prepare is just awesome to see. After our win against Catholic Central in Week 9 you could definitely see a pep in their step at practice the last couple of weeks. The kids are laser-focused.”

Carson Vis had four TDs on the ground and one via air

Offensively, Vis led the Sailors with a big game both passing and running. Vis connected on 12-of-16 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown and ran the ball 22 times for 127 yards and four TDs.

“Carson was just phenomenal,” Brown said. “He is a big-time player and he made big-time plays for us. He has shown that for us time and time again.”



Owen Burgess led South Christian in receiving with five catches for 73 yards. (Courtesy, Murray Sports Photography)



Owen Burgess led the team in receiving with five catches for 73 yards. DeHaan caught three passes for 38 yards and a score, while Tyler Brinks caught a pair of passes for 48 yards and Bryce Kenyon caught two passes.

Rowan DeKam led South with 12 tackles

On defense, Rowan DeKam led the way with 12 total tackles, followed by Chuck DeHaan, seven and Caleb Wieneke, five. Brinks added an interception.



Rowan DeKam (No. 11) led the Sailors with 12 tackles. (Courtesy, Murray Sports Photography)

“Our defensive line also did a great job,” Brown said. “They did not make a ton of tackles, but what they did up front kept the Unity offensive linemen off of our linebackers. That was huge. Nathan Potter, Carson Joldersma, Ben Buiter, Cameryn Veltman, Greyson Hunderman, we had a rotation of guys that played their tails off. It’s not easy to do that against a big and powerful offensive line like Unity and those guys deserve a lot of credit.”

With the win, the Sailors improved to 7-4 for the season as they head to Whitehall to face a team they played in the regional finals two years ago.

“They have a great team,” Brown said. “They have some great athletes; they’re physical and they play hard. It will be a huge test for us.”

Like South, Whitehall has faced a rugged schedule this season with two of its three losses coming against Unity Christian and Zeeland West and the third against unbeaten and state-ranked Portland.  

South Christian beats Holland Christian 35-7 in playoff opener; faces undefeated Unity in District Finals Friday



By Ty Marzean

greer@wktv.org



When November rolls around, it’s time for high school football playoffs in Michigan. This also means that a familiar program is gearing up for a shot at the state title. 

South Christian has qualified for the MHSAA playoffs for the ninth consecutive year. The Sailors have reached the Division 4 finals in back-to-back years leading into the 2024 tournament.

This Sailor team took a different route on the drive to Ford Field, taking a 5-4 record into the playoffs. South Christian has only four losses the past two seasons combined while making the finals in both seasons and winning the state championship in 2022.

“We are young, so the biggest thing for this team is to try to figure out who we are,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “We started 4-0, we won a couple close games. Maybe we got a little bit ahead of ourselves, and who we were. The next four teams we played are all still in the playoffs, so they are good teams. We just had to take our lumps.


I’ll say the kids showed up at practice every week. Losing four games in a row in a season could go a different way, but they showed up every day still believing.”

Sailors forced five turnovers

South Christian advanced to the D-4 District Final with a 35-7 victory over Holland Christian Friday night. The Sailor defense turned in one of the best performances this season holding the Maroons to a season low in points and forcing five turnovers.

“We had to change up our scheme and personnel to see what makes this team click and it all came together,” Brown said. “Hopefully that’s a sign of good things to come.”

Sophomore Cody Jones recovered three fumbles on the night for South Christian.

“He’s a young guy with a high motor,” Brown said. “He’s getting comfortable with the speed of the game and what we want from him.”

Junior Ben Buiter intercepted two passes in the stellar defensive effort.

Senior quarterback Carson Vis once again led the Sailors offense, pacing the team with 123 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground and a passing touchdown.



South Christian quarterback Carson Vis. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



Sophomore running back Isaac Osterhaven also hit the century mark on the ground. 

“Issac had it going on; he seemed fast and was running physical,” Brown said.

South Christian (6-4) now meets a familiar foe in the District Final in undefeated OK Gold champion Unity Christian (10-0), who beat South Christian 50-21 in Week 7.

“Unity is big up front and has very physical running backs; they are very good at what they do,” Brown said. “We will have to be physical up front and not allow them to move us off the ball if we want to have success. They don’t turn the ball over, and they will gain some yards. We just have to have a bend and not break defense.”

South Christian kicks off with Unity Christian in a Division 4 District Final at 7 p.m. Friday at Grandville High School.

East Kentwood falls 25-23 in playoff thriller with Hudsonville on final play of game 



By Greg Chrapek

greer@wktv.org



The East Kentwood football team made it a memorable playoff appearance for themselves and new coach Tyrone Spencer.


Taking on OK Red Conference champion Hudsonville (9-1 overall), the Division 1 District Semifinal contest came down to the final play of the game when the Eagles kicked a field goal as time expired to escape with a 25-23 win.

“They (Hudsonville) got it off just as time expired,” Spencer said. “Our guys played great; they played fantastic. They played through a lot of adversity and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The game was close throughout, much different then the Week 5 game between the two OK Red heavyweights that Hudsonville won 35-6.

“The last time we played them we gave them some cheap stuff,” Spencer said. “They are 85 percent run and I told my defensive backs that they will probably throw about 10 passes. I told them they are going to have to defend those passes and not give up any big plays. We did a pretty good job of tackling and we didn’t give up any cheap plays down the field. Our guys were ready to play and in sync.”



East Kentwood football Coach Tyrone Spencer 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



Hudsonville took the early lead in the game when quarterback Griffin Baker scored on a short run putting the Eagles up 6-0 in the first quarter.  

East Kentwood shaved the lead in half in the second quarter when Jayden Garcia connected on a 32-yard field goal making the score 6-3.

The two teams then traded scores later in the second quarter. Hudsonville scored when Brady VanLaecke broke through a hole in the Falcon line and raced 37-yards for a touchdown putting the Eagles up 13-3.  

13-10 Hudsonville in the second quarter

East Kentwood responded with a drive led by their standout running back Elijah Jones, who capped it with a touchdown run and extra point from Garcia closing the gap to 13-10.

Late in the half, Hudsonville extended the lead to 16-10 on a field goal.



East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



Edmonds TD kickoff return called back before halftime

On the next play, the Falcons seemed to have turned the tide when Ahman Edmonds returned the kickoff for a touchdown. The score, however, was nullified from a penalty.

“At halftime we should’ve been leading as we returned the kickoff for a touchdown,” Spencer said. “There was a penalty called that didn’t even have an effect on the touchdown. That held us back a little.”

Eagles up 22-10 after Baker’s 51-yard run

Hudsonville added to its lead in the second half. Baker again provided the big play for the Eagles as he found an opening and took off for a 51-yard touchdown run. Hudsonville missed the two-point conversion leaving the Eagles with a 22-10 lead.

Jones gets Falcons within five on 80-yard TD run

Facing adversity again, East Kentwood showed it was not about to fold. Again, the Falcons turned to Jones, their explosive running back. This time Jones broke through a hole in the Hudsonville line and raced 80 yards for a touchdown. Garcia tacked on the extra point and the Falcons were within five at 22-17.



East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



Kayd Coffman strike to Murphy-Ware puts Falcons up in fourth

In the fourth quarter, Kentwood struck again. After a Hudsonville turnover, the Falcons went to the air. Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman dropped back and aired a pass out deep down the field to Christopher Murphy-Ware. Murphy-Ware caught the ball in stride and sped into the end zone completing the 51-yard scoring strike and putting the Falcons up 23-22.  

Ian Jenkin’s 34-yard field goal gives Hudsonville the win as time expired

With 1:31 remaining in the game, Hudsonville began a final drive at its own 39-yard line. The Eagles managed to move the ball into field-goal range and with the clock winding down, Ian Jenkins booted a 34-yard field goal as time expired giving Hudsonville the win.

With the loss, the Falcons ended the season with a 5-5 record.
   

“I’m really proud of the kids”

“I’m really proud of the kids,” Spencer said. “It would’ve been great to cap the season off with this win, but I think the life lessons the kids learned through football this year are more important. I’m really proud of them and how they competed all season. They came out and competed every day and battled through adversities. I’m really proud of our players, our coaches and everybody that is a part of this program.”

Spencer, in his first year as head coach of the Falcons, laid a solid foundation for the future.

“I feel the foundation has been laid,” Spencer said. “We had a lot of young sophomores and juniors who came into the year inexperienced and now they have a lot of experience. I think that will be beneficial for us. We also return seven starters on defense next year and four starters on offense. Any time you have 11 starters returning you should be a decent football team.”

Offensively, Jones led the Falcons this season with 1,208 yards rushing (7.2 per carry) and 12 touchdowns. Coffman led the team in passing with 56.5% completions for 1,594 yards and 11 touchdowns against just two interceptions.

A trio of Falcon receivers totaled over 400 yards receiving this season. Edmonds caught 29 passes for 479 yards and four touchdowns. Caiden Holt caught 22 passes for 476 yards and five touchdowns, while Murphy-Ware caught 32 passes for 451 yards and three touchdowns.

Defensively, Terence Kabanda led the way this season with 71 tackles, including four tackles for loss. Donavan Jones added 50 tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception. James Jones Jr. totaled 44 tackles including seven tackles for loss and a sack. Defensive linemen Syncere Hobson-Washington and Tyler Meeuwsen both totaled seven tackles for loss with Hobson-Washington adding two sacks and Meeuwsen one. Javani Overstreet and Major Barnes both finished with 31 tackles apiece. Lloyd Nelson finished with 25 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.           

Check out our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show from Week 9



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.


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. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.

East Kentwood, South Christian heading to MHSAA football playoffs 

(Logo Courtesy, MHSAA)



By Greg Chrapek

greer@wktv.org



Halloween is just around the corner and in high school football that means the state playoffs are also set to launch.

With the final week of the regular season in the books, a pair of local heavyweights, East Kentwood and South Christian, are both set to begin what they hope will be long playoff runs.


East Kentwood (5-4 overall) travels to Hudsonville (8-1) in the first round of the playoffs in Division 1 Region 1 at 7 p.m. Friday, while South Christian (5-4) hosts Holland Christian (6-3) at East Kentwood High School in Division 4 Region 1 at 7 p.m. Friday.

The Falcons finished the regular season with a 5-4 record after falling 45-27 to Rockford in the regular-season finale. The Falcons clinched a playoff berth with a 31-7 win against Jenison in Week 8.

The Falcons have made steady progress in their trek to the playoffs while playing a rugged schedule full of playoff teams.

“Our team has gained a lot of confidence the last couple of weeks,” said East Kentwood coach Tyrone Spencer. “I like where we are going right now and we are starting to hit our peak.”

The Falcons have a good mix of passing and running on offense and have been playing strong defense.

“I think we have done a good job of establishing the run and mixing in the pass,” Spencer said. “The last couple of weeks our defense has also been pretty stout, especially against Grand Haven and Jenison. Even the Grandville game our defense did a pretty good job at times containing that explosive offense.”


Offensively, the Falcons are led by quarterback Kayd Coffman and running back Elijah Jones. Jones rushed for 186 yards against Jenison after running for over 180 yards the week before against Grand Haven.



East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



On defense, the Falcons have been receiving solid play at all three levels.

“Our linebacker, Terence Kabanda, leads us in tackles,” Spencer said. “Our defensive line is a pretty stout group with Syncere Hobson-Washington, James Jones and Tyler Meeuwsen all doing a good job. Our sophomore safeties Donavan Jones and Major Barnes have done a good job of making plays.”

Kentwood is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022 after missing out on the playoffs last year.

South Christian makes playoffs with win over Catholic Central

South Christian kept its string of playoff appearances going with a big 26-20 win against Catholic Central in the Week 9 finale to guarantee a spot in the playoffs. The Sailors have qualified for the playoffs the past eight years, including winning the Division 4 state championship two years ago and reaching the Division 4 state title game last year.

The Sailors improved to 5-4 for the season with the win against the Cougars.

The Sailors clinched their playoff berth in thrilling fashion as they trailed Catholic Central 20-10 at halftime before rallying in the second half with a pair of touchdowns to win the game.

In the third quarter, Carson Vis tossed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Kenyon and then connected with Tyler Brinks on a two-point conversion pass to cut the deficit to 20-18.



South Christian quarterback Carson Vis committed to play basketball at Western Michigan University. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



In the fourth quarter, the Sailors took the lead when Vis hit Brinks for a one-yard scoring strike for the winning touchdown. Vis then connected with Brinks for the two-point conversion.

Vis completed 24-of-31 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns and ran the ball 18 times for 59 yards.

Chuck DeHaan led the receiving corps with four catches for 93 yards.

Like East Kentwood, South Christian has faced a rugged schedule loaded with playoff teams. The Sailors opened the season with four consecutive wins before falling the past four weeks to bring their record to .500.

South Christian entered the Catholic Central game with a high-powered offense led by quarterback Vis, who passed for 219 yards and a touchdown in last week’s loss against Zeeland West. Vis also rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown. Vis has a variety of targets to pass to including Brinks, who had six catches for 99 yards against West and Owen Burgess, who caught 13 passes for 81 yards and DeHaan, who caught four balls for 35 yards and a score.


The MHSAA Football Playoffs conclude with the 8-Player Finals on Nov. 23 at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome and 11-Player Finals to be played Nov. 29-30 at Ford Field.



Thornapple Kellogg beat Wyoming 49-12 Friday in season finale



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.

Rockford defeats host East Kentwood 45-27; both teams headed to Division 1 playoffs



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



Visiting Rockford knocked off East Kentwood 45-27 Friday. The Rams improved to 5-2 in the OK Red, 7-2 overall, while the Falcons fell to 4-3 in the Red, 5-4 overall.


Despite the loss to Rockford, the Falcons already had clinched a Division 1 playoff berth with their 31-7 win over Jenison last Friday. Rockford also is headed to the playoffs.


Stay tuned for the playoff brackets which drop Sunday night.

East Kentwood routs Jenison Friday, clinches playoff berth

East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman was 14-for-20 passing for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Jenison. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)

By Ty Marzean

greer@wktv.org



East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer is no stranger to the MHSAA playoffs. Having spent the last eight seasons at Detroit Martin Luther King, he made the playoffs each year. Now, in his first season leading the Falcons’ football program, he is set to return to the playoffs for a ninth consecutive year.

The Falcons (5-3) will return to the playoffs for the fifth time in the last eight seasons after cruising to a 31-7 victory over OK-Red rival Jenison (3-5) on WKTV’s Game of the Week Friday night. 



“We had a good showing,” Spencer said. “In the first half, we were rolling and doing some good things. I was really pleased with how we started the game and finished. I feel that we are peaking as a team.



“We were able to kind of have our way in the first half. Our offense was pretty good and the defense came up with some key stops. They (Jenison) are a gritty team. They have a real good running back that beat us on one long run, but overall I thought we did a really good job.”

EK senior running back Elijah Jones opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter and ended up with 185 rushing yards. Jones received an offer to play at Wayne State University earlier in the week.



East Kentwood senior running back Elijah Jones. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



Jenison matched that score with a touchdown run of its own when junior Brody Schuiteman went through the middle of the Falcons’ defensive line for a 62-yard touchdown. 

The Falcons’ defensive front wouldn’t allow much more after that play. Senior Syncere Hobson-Washington and junior James Jones disrupted the Wildcats offense all game long. Senior middle linebacker Terence Kabanda led the team with four solo tackles.
 

Junior quarterback Kayd Coffman led the Falcons offensive pass attack, going 14-for-20 for 201 yards and two passing touchdowns. His favorite receiver on the night was junior Ahman Edmonds, who caught five passes for 106 yards and scored a touchdown run. Senior receiver Charles Murphy-Ware tallied 92 yards on five catches, including a beautiful 36-yard touchdown grab. Junior Bam Nettelman hauled in the first touchdown pass from Coffman.



East Kentwood wide receiver Ahman Edmonds. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



East Kentwood will end the regular season hosting the Rockford Rams (6-2) in OK Red action at Falcons Stadium for their “Black Out Game” on Friday.

Check out our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show from Week 8

Every week, WKTV brings you Friday Night Highlights featuring most of the local high school football action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, including the latest conference standings and analysis from our football game announcers Ty Marzean and Ron Schultz.
Producers: Cris Greer and Davin Harsila, Director: Tom Conquest, Graphics and Videographer: Jake Westbrook



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. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.

Stay tuned for playoff brackets!

Grand Rapids Sacred Heart beat Lee 42-14 Friday



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



Sacred Heart beat Lee 42-14 Friday to stay undefeated at 8-0 this season. Lee dropped to 3-5 overall.


Lee travels to Calvin Christian next Friday.

Zeeland West beat South Christian 34-21 Friday



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



Zeeland West held off South Christian 34-21 to improve to 4-1 in the OK Gold, 7-1 overall, while the Sailors fell to 1-4 in the Gold, 4-4 overall.


South Christian quarterback Carson Vis was 25-for-37 for 219 yards with one interception and one touchdown. He led on the ground with 62 yards on 17 carries with one touchdown. Tyler Brinks had six catches for 99 yards, followed by Owen Burgess, 13 for 81 yards and Chuck DeHaan, four catches for 35 yards and one touchdown.

South Christian faces Catholic Central at East Grand Rapids High School for the last regular season game on Friday.


South Christian quarterback Carson Vis at last year’s Division 4 state finals. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

Check out our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show from Week 7




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. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.

WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked

Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood

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

Unity Christian knocks off South Christian 50-21 Friday; check out our WKTV Highlights inside



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



Hudsonville Unity Christian beat South Christian 50-21 Friday to remain atop the OK Gold at 4-0, 7-0 overall. The Sailors fell to 1-3 in the Gold, 4-3 overall.


South Christian hosts Zeeland West next Friday at Hudsonville High School.

Check out our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show from Week 6




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. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.

WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked

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)

Kelloggsville gets first win with 24-8 defeat of Benton Harbor



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



The Rockets got their first win of the season with a 24-8 defeat of visiting Benton Harbor Friday.


Kelloggsville hosts Godwin Heights next Friday for a big rivalry game.