Take a look inside at highlights from the Legends game with the Lakers, plus many more local clips. (Videographers: Hayden Passig, Eli Mutula, Jake Westbrook)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
The Lee Legends football team hooked up for a thriller with St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Friday in a contest that came down to the final play. That final play didn’t go Lee’s way, however, as the Lakers came away with a 38-36 victory.
“We had a chance to score from our 50 on fourth and six,” Lee Coach Lamar Marshall said. “They (Our Lady of the Lake) made a great play to stop us before the first down.”
Our Lady of the Lake took the initial lead in the game and managed to stay ahead of Lee the entire game.
“They were ahead the entire game,” Marshall said. “They onside kicked the opening kickoff and recovered it.”
Our Lady of the Lake stayed ahead of the Legends thanks to a big effort from their quarterback.
“Their quarterback was really solid,” Marshall said. “We did everything to stop him. We gang-tackled him and he just kept moving forward. He made plays when they absolutely needed it and ultimately scored the game-winning conversion late in the third quarter.”
Lee solid on offense
Lee stayed close to the Lakers thanks to a strong performance from its offense. The Legends, who entered the game averaging 43.5 points per game, put together a solid offensive effort. The onside kick by Our Lady of the Lake proved to be a big boost of momentum early.
“It’s an extremely disappointing loss,” Marshall said. “We felt like we had a great week of practice. The opening kickoff was huge for them. They were able to gain momentum early.”
Defensively, Lee faced a difficult challenge as the Laker offense came up big.
“I told my guys after the game, we have to put four quarters together,” Marshall said. “We have to get off the field on third down. We have to know the game plan and execute the game plan. All in all, I was happy with how we played.”
With the win, Our Lady of the Lake improved to 2-3 for the season. Lee fell to 3-2 overall after coming into the game off a 42-30 win against Grand Rapids Sacred Heart.
Lee returns to action next week against an Eau Claire team that has a 2-3 record. The Legends are looking to continue the steady improvement they are making this season in what should be a competitive contest.
“This was a learning experience for myself and my team,” Marshall said. “We’re still learning how to win, practice the right way and execute. I will say, we fought until the end. We played extremely hard even though we were down our starting corner (who was out with illness).”
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’re bringing you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlighting some top performers and their stats, posting final scores, and giving a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You don’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream.
WKTV Game of the Week Remaining Schedule
Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok accounted for five touchdowns; four in the air and one on the ground. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
The Lee Legends welcomed fans to their first home game of the season with a 42-30 victory over a program-building Sacred Heart team.
Junior quarterback Anthony Blok accounted for five touchdowns. He passed for 253 yards and four touchdowns and added 43 yards and a score on the ground.
“He’s getting guys to understand the offense,” Lee Coach Lamar Marshall said about his QB. “He gets guys in the right position.”
Senior running back Clarence Lewis had touchdown catches of 59 and 48 yards on the night en route to 143 yards from scrimmage.
Big night for Lee’s Charles Davis
The Legends produced two touchdowns from greater than 60 yards, both coming from junior wide receiver Charles Davis.
Davis wrangled in his only catch of the night on a 63-yard strike from Blok. Davis also took the second half kickoff 70 yards for a score.
First varsity game for Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart was participating in its first varsity football game in program history, as they played junior varsity teams the past two weeks in their inaugural season.
Falcons claw back
The Falcons were down 42-6 in their first foray into varsity life, but showed grit and determination to close the deficit to 12 at the final gun.
“We are grateful to have the opportunity to play this great game,” Sacred Heart Coach Joe Hyland said. “Lee was the very first school to agree to play us, and we look forward to building a fantastic competitive relationship with Lee.”
Sacred Heart started the scoring on their first drive of the game. Joseph Hyland threw a downfield bullet to a wide-open Patrick Fickell to make it 6-0.
42 unanswered points
Lee scored 42 unanswered points until the second-half outburst by Sacred Heart to make it 42-30.
Senior defensive lineman Isaac Delgado wreaked havoc on the defensive side of the ball all game long for the Legends, along with Jaden Potts and Jayden Pena.
“We have to do a better job finishing games,” Marshall said. “We have to work on tackling and rallying to the ball.”
The Legends (3-1) host St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake next Friday.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
It was a case of déjà vu all over again, but this time the ball bounced the right way for the South Christian football team in its OK Gold tussle Friday against Forest Hills Eastern as the Sailors came away with a 32-29 victory.
Two weeks ago, the Sailors came up on the wrong end of a Hail Mary pass play at the end of the game when East Grand Rapids tossed a 30-yard touchdown on the final play of the game for the win. In Friday’s game against Forest Hills Eastern, the contest again came down to the last play with Eastern attempting to win the game with a pass. This time, the Sailor secondary knocked the pass down preserving the win.
Final play goes South Christian way this time
“The game came down to another Hail Mary situation,” South Christian Coach Danny Brown said. “Before this year I’ve never coached a game where it came down to a Hail Mary pass at the end and this year, I’ve had two in three weeks. It was with five seconds to go at about the same spot on the field as the East Grand Rapids game. This time we made the play and knocked the ball down.”
The final defensive play put the capper on a game that saw the Sailor defense come up with a number of big plays and the offense continuing to put points on the scoreboard. The game also was a struggle throughout between an Eastern squad that came in with a 3-0 record and a 2-1 Sailor team.
“It was a great high school game between two very good teams,” Brown said. “Both teams played very well and competed hard all game. They (Eastern) were able to control the ball and put together some long drives and that put a strain on our defense.
“We were able to score in a hurry and that also put a strain on our defense. We made a few adjustments at halftime and I think our defense did a great job of executing in the second half.”
Eastern utilized its ground game to control the time of possession in the game. The Hawks also piled up 335 yards on the ground.
Both teams traded touchdowns in a first quarter that ended in a 14-all tie. Eastern scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, while the Sailors countered with a pair of touchdown passes from Carson Vis, who connected with Sam Weiss on a 67-yard touchdown pass for South’s first score. He then tossed a six-yard strike to Jackson Haik for the second Sailor touchdown.
South took a 20-14 lead early in the second quarter when Charlie Schreur broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run. Forest Hills Eastern then countered with a 13-yard touchdown run by Mark Fuehrer to go up 21-20.
Sailors led 26-21 at halftime
South regained the lead later in the second quarter when Vis hooked up with Jake Vermaas for a 67-yard touchdown pass that put the Sailors up 26-21 at halftime.
Forest Hills Eastern mounted another scoring drive in the third quarter. Mark Fuehrer capped the drive for the Hawks with a 13-yard touchdown run. Eastern also tacked on a two-point conversion to take a 29-26 lead.
South scored what proved to be the game-winning points later in the third quarter. That was when Vis capped the scoring drive with a 10-yard touchdown run giving the Sailors a 32-29 lead.
From there, the South Christian defense shut the door to the end zone on the Hawks. Ben Mulder led the defensive charge for South with nine tackles and one assist for the game, while Luke DeJager had five tackles and one assist. Tyler Brinks added a sack and Cam VanSolkema had a tackle for loss.
“Ben Mulder had a great game at inside linebacker for us,” Brown said. “Cam VanSolkema also had a real game on the defensive line. We ended up playing a lot of guys on defense during the game. It was probably the largest rotation of guys on defense since I’ve been here.
“It was a collective effort from our defense. Everybody was getting reps and everybody was making plays.”
South Christian senior Jake Vermaas caught four passes for 106 yards and a score. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Carson Vis completed 10-of-16 passes for 204 yards and three TDs
Offensively, the Sailors combined the passing of Vis with some big production from the ground game. Vis finished the game completing 10-of-16 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns. Vermaas caught four passes for 106 yards and a score. Vis also completed passes to Tanner Raak, Noah Funk, Haik, Weiss and Schreur as the Sailor passing game shared the wealth.
Schreur led the running game with 105 yards rushing on seven carries, while Vis added 69 yards rushing.
“It was great to see how ecstatic the kids were at the end,” Brown said. “They left it all out on the field. All you can ask is that the kids leave it all out on the field and they did that. I was happy for them to come out with the win.”
With the win, the Sailors improved to 3-1 for the season. They return to action next week when they head to Ottawa Hills for an OK Gold matchup.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream.
WKTV Game of the Week Truck Schedule
Friday, Sept. 22 (7 p.m.) Union at Wyoming
Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
Check out our WKTV highlights from host Tri-unity Christian’s 38-22 win over Our Lady of the Lake Catholic in 8-player football Friday.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
After a long summer break our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Check out the above video for highlights of all the local high school football games in Kentwood and Wyoming from Friday night. WKTV attended all the local games in our viewing area to get these clips just for you.
We were at Kenowa Hills vs. South Christian (the WKTV Game of the Week), East Kentwood at Hudsonville, Wyoming at Zeeland West, Kelloggsville at Comstock Park, Godwin Heights at Sparta and Lee at Tri-unity.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream.
WKTV Game of the Week Truck Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 31 (7 p.m.) Byron Center at East Kentwood
Friday, Sept. 8 (7 p.m.) Kenowa Hills at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Sept. 15 (7 p.m.) Grand Rapids Sacred Heart at Lee
Friday, Sept. 22 (7 p.m.) Union at Wyoming
Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
The Tri-Unity Defenders forced multiple turnovers and stood stout on a late fourth quarter drive to give Lee their first loss of the season in a 28-24 nail-biter on Friday night.
The Legends got off to an early 18-0 lead before the Defenders put up their first score shortly before halftime.
Lee controlled the Defender’s defense with the run game as Clarence Lewis rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Lewis also caught two balls for 80 yards.
A week after throwing a school-record seven touchdown passes, Legends quarterback Anthony Blok threw for 143 yards and one touchdown and added 77 and a score on the ground.
The key turning points in the game were two costly interceptions by Blok. The first one was caught by Tri-unity’s Zach Tuinstra as he dragged a host of Legends for a couple of yards afterward. Trey Rillema would add the second interception later on.
Tri-unity Coach Tim Heath noted though they came in with an 0-2 record, he has a good football team.
“We believe that we are a good football team,” Heath said. “We played a great Marcellus team and a NorthPointe Christian team that is almost four times our size. We just needed to keep the faith and execute. It was shaky at first, but a great night for our team.”
Quarterback Vergel Heath led the Defenders.
“It really starts with our QB Vergel Heath,” Coach Heath said. “He came out determined towards the end of the second quarter and started to run physically. This sparked us.”
The Defenders also used a fourth-quarter fumble to score what would be the game-winning touchdown. The touchdown drive was led by Defenders backup quarterback Clayton Rowlader as he relieved starter Heath after an injury.
Game ends with Defenders stopping Lee near goal line
The game’s final drive started at the Lee 27-yard line with over six minutes left. The Legends controlled the clock and got to the Defenders 8-yard line with less than a minute remaining to set up the game’s final play. On fourth-and-4, the Legends came up a yard short to end the game.
“Mistakes killed us tonight,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall. “Penalties, two interceptions, mental mistakes. Ball security and execution. We had a bad week of practice; a few guys were dinged up. We lost our starting safety Jaden Potts to a concussion.”
Coach Heath: “Hats off to Lee”
“They are greatly improved and played tough,” added Heath, who also coached at Lee from 2008-09. “They were great. We just made plays down the stretch.”
Tri-unity (1-2) hosts St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic next week, while the Legends (2-1) host Grand Rapids Sacred Heart in the WKTV Game of the Week.
The South Christian offense lines up against the Kenowa Hills defense during Friday’s OK Gold season opener. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
A week after suffering a stinging non-conference defeat to East Grand Rapids on the final play of the game, the South Christian Sailors opened OK Gold Conference play in a big way with a 49-28 victory against Kenowa Hills.
South Christian struck fast and struck big against the Knights with a dazzling display of offense. The Sailors wasted little time in shaking off any lingering effects of last Friday’s loss to East as Charlie Schreur returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown giving South a 7-0 lead just seconds into the game.
“I think the big thing was to just move on and get back to work,” South Christian Coach Danny Brown said. “We just had to get back to the basics. We had to focus on the things that we can control and move on from that game. This is a resilient group and they did everything we asked of them this week.”
Tied at 7 early
Although the Sailors grabbed the early lead, the young Kenowa Hills squad came to play and came at South the full 48 minutes. Kenowa tied the game midway through the first quarter when it capitalized on a South Christian turnover deep in Sailor territory to knot it at 7-7.
South quickly regained the lead on the next possession when quarterback Carson Vis hooked up with Jake Vermaas on a 17-yard scoring pass that capped a five-play, 60-yard drive.
Vis to Vermaas clicking
The Vis to Vermaas connection clicked the entire game. Vis, who entered the game completing 77 percent of his passing attempts, turned in another stellar performance as he completed 14-of-19 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns.
Vermaas, who entered the game with 10 receptions for 247 yards this season, added to that total by hauling in eight passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Together, the Vis to Vermaas connection has accounted for six touchdown passes through the first three games of the season.
“I think that it helps that they play a lot of sports together,” Brown said. “Whether it’s football or basketball, they compete in different sports together and they have formed a natural quarterback/wide receiver connection.”
While Vermaas has developed into the top target for Vis, the Sailor junior quarterback has plenty of other options to go to. Jackson Haik hauled in three passes for 113 yards against the Knights, while Noah Funk caught two balls for 43 yards and Sam Weiss two receptions for 31.
Sophomore quarterback Kayd Coffman also got in on the action as he completed two of his three passes for 51 yards.
On the ground, Schreur carried the ball six times for 38 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.
Up 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, South Christian added to its lead with a pair of second quarter touchdowns. Those scores came on 25 and seven-yard touchdown passes from Vis to Vermaas.
South stretched the lead to 35-7 midway through the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Scheur.
Kenowa cuts the margin
Kenowa battled back and answered with a pair of touchdowns of its own to cut the margin to 35-21 before Vis hooked up with Haik on an 80-yard touchdown pass giving the Sailors a 42-21 lead. The two teams then traded touchdowns in the final minutes of the game.
Cam VanSolkema leads defense
Defensively, South Christian senior defensive lineman Cam VanSolkema led with three tackles, three assisted tackles and two tackles for a loss.
The South Christian defense huddles up with coaches on the sidelines during Friday’s game against Kenowa Hills. Cam VanSolkema (77) led the Sailors on defense. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
“South Christian football is going on its 59th year or so and Cam is the first player to be a four-year varsity starter,” Brown said. “Obviously, he has a ton of experience. He put in a lot of hard work in the off-season. He is a really strong player and has great fundamentals and technique and knows how to play with his hands.”
The Sailors defense also received strong efforts from Tyler Brinks with five tackles, two assists, a sack and one tackle for loss, Ben Mulder, four tackles, four assists and one tackle for loss, Austin Tiesma, three tackles, three assists and one tackle for loss and Vermaas with an interception.
With the win, the Sailors improved to 2-1 for the season, and return to action next week when they head to 3-0 Forest Hills Eastern.
On a perfect evening for football, South Christian and East Grand Rapids hooked up for a classic that came down to the final play of the game.
The two long-time area football powerhouses gave fans more than their money’s worth in the contest before East Grand Rapids tallied a touchdown on the final play giving the Pioneers a 23-21 win.
“Obviously, it was not the outcome we wanted to have, but this was a heck of a high school football game,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “You had two very good football teams battle it out to the end. Both teams had guys making plays the entire game. It came down to the final play and East ended up making one more play than we did.”
South Christian quarterback Carson Vis breaks free during Friday’s game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
The deciding play of the game came on the final snap with two seconds remaining. That was when East Grand Rapids quarterback Carson Thornton dropped back to pass from the South Christian 30-yard line and lofted one to the corner of the goal line where Ian MacKeigan hauled in the ball in front of a pair of defenders and fell into the end zone just inside the pylon.
The touchdown capped off a five-play drive in the final 28 seconds that snatched the game away from the Sailors. East received the kickoff at their own 37-yard line and completed four short passes to move the ball down to South’s 30 and in position to win the game on the final play.
Sailors appeared headed for a win
South Christian appeared to have won the game when they scored a touchdown with 28 seconds left. Sailor quarterback Carson Vis put the Sailors up when he ran in from eight yards out giving South a 21-17 lead. The touchdown capped a thrilling four-play, 59-yard drive that began with just 55 seconds remaining in the game.
The highlight of the drive was a 33-yard pass from Vis to Jake Vermaas that gave the Sailors a first down at the East 17-yard line with 36 seconds remaining. South also needed to drive the ball without the benefit of a timeout as they depleted their timeouts on the previous drive when the Sailor defense forced East into a three-and-out.
South needed its defense to come up with the crucial stand after the East defense came up with a big stop of its own. That was when East defensive back Glenn Green intercepted a tipped pass at the Pioneer 18-yard line to short circuit a South Christian drive with 2:04 remaining in the game.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Brown said. “They could’ve given up, but they didn’t back down. They made that defensive stand and got the ball back for our offense. They stepped up and gave our offense a chance.”
EGR strikes first
East Grand Rapids scored the first points of the game late in the opening quarter when Will Cannon capped a 14-play, 54-yard drive when he kicked a 36-yard field goal.
South Christian countered those points on the ensuing drive. The Sailors drove 80 yards in nine plays for a score coming on a picture-perfect 34-yard pass play from Vis to Vermaas. Nick Logan tacked on the extra point giving the Sailors a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Those were the lone points of the first half as both defenses came up with big stops to end drives in the second quarter.
The South Christian defense lines up to defend against East Grand Rapids. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
The third quarter saw both teams score on lengthy touchdown drives. East received the kickoff in the third quarter and embarked on a 12-play, 65-yard drive that involved all running plays. Scott Millman capped the drive, that totaled six minutes and 45 seconds, by running in from six-yards out putting the Pioneers up 10-7.
South responded with a touchdown drive of their own. Starting on their own 22-yard line, the Sailors drove 78 yards in eight plays. Vis capped the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run giving the Sailors a 14-10 lead.
The East offense answered that score on the following possession. Again, relying on their running game, East drove 89 yards in nine plays. Millman again capped the drive as he barged into the end zone from two-yards out putting East up 17-14 with 7:38 remaining in the game after the point after and setting up the game for the dramatic ending.
“We are going to use this game to fuel us,” Brown said. “I told the guys not to let this loss define our season. We have to use this game to find out where we are a little light. East is a very good football team and we are going to have more close games this season.”
South Christian returns to action Friday when it hosts Kenowa Hills in the WKTV Game of the Week during the opening week of OK Gold Conference action.
Last week, Clarence Lewis led the Legends with a big five touchdown game. This week, quarterback Anthony Blok took it to the next level with a school record seven TD passes in a 58-34 win over Calvin Christian in Grandville High School’s stadium.
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Blok completed 15-of-25 passes for 419 yards in the win.
“He is a strong thrower, and has gotten a lot better this year,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall of his second-year captain. “With his throwing ability and his leadership, he has been our vocal leader on the offensive end. He has taken that and run with it.”
After going winless in 2022, the Legends are now on a different path at 2-0.
“They are locked in, they’re excited,” Marshall said. “They have bought into what me and my coaches have been preaching this year. It’s been beautiful.”
Marshall said his team was working on execution all week in practice leading up to the game.
“We were hammering executing all week and we executed great today,” Marshall said. “Offensively, it was one of the best games we’ve had since I’ve been here.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the guys today. They executed flawlessly.”
The teams traded scores in the first half and Lee took a 30-28 lead into halftime.
“In the first half we were back and forth, trading touchdowns, but we took control in the second half.”
Merriweather, Lewis and Davis
Wide receiver Aidan Merriweather scored four touchdowns (8 catches for 196 yards), while Lewis added two rushing and one receiving. Charles Davis had two receiving TDs as well (three catches for 160 yards).
Marshall said Lewis was his “glue guy.”
“He makes us stick together and is always encouraging the guys to be better the next play and forget about the last play. He doesn’t let them dwell on the last play. His senior leadership has been a bright spot.”
“The leadership from the players has been one of the brightest spots that we’ve had this year … keeping the spirits up and not yelling at each other and arguing when someone messes up. It’s a great thing to see the way they are all stepping up.”
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back Sept. 8!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Check out our WKTV highlights from East Kentwood’s game against Byron Center Thursday night.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back on Sept. 8!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Check out our WKTV highlights from Godwin Heights game against Orchard View Thursday night.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back on Sept. 8!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
The Rockets quick start on Thursday night was extinguished by Laingsburg as the visiting Wolfpack left with a 35-7 victory.
Kelloggsville senior QB Jeremie Tsoumou broke several tackles on an electrifying 50-yard TD run on the game’s opening drive.
Senior QB Jeremie Tsoumou scored on a 50-yard TD run. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“Couldn’t have asked for a better start,” Kelloggsville Coach Brandon Branch said. “Our guys fought hard throughout the game.”
The Rockets were 1-8 a season ago and are off to an 0-2 start this season. Despite the tough start to the season, Branch sees improvement in both the effort and overall depth of their program.
“Last year, I feel like during a game like this we might have packed it in,” Branch said. “But our guys refused to back down and kept fighting.
“We had our opportunities tonight and I don’t believe the final score was indicative of how we played.”
Kelloggsville kicks off the OK Silver portion of its schedule as they head to Comstock Park next Friday to face the Panthers.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back on Sept. 8!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
No, basketball season didn’t start three months early, but any fan looking at the final score of South Christian’s football season-opener Friday against Grand Rapids Christian could’ve been forgiven if they thought a basketball game took place.
The two long-time rivals combined for 108 total points, with South Christian scoring a school record 66 points in a 66-42 win over Grand Rapids Christian.
To put it into perspective, South Christian and Ferndale combined for 82 points in last season’s Division 2 basketball state championship game.
South Christian quarterback Carson Vis missed last year’s basketball title game after suffering a pair of broken wrists during the state tournament, but the junior was at full strength on the football field Friday. Vis, making his first varsity start at quarterback, put up some dazzling numbers as he completed 12-of-14 passes for 326 yards and six touchdowns as well as running for 57 yards and a score.
South Christian quarterback Carson Vis. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
“Carson was phenomenal,” South Christian coach Danny Brown said. “You couldn’t ask for a better performance for a kid that hadn’t started a varsity game before. I was very happy with the way he played.”
Vis and the Sailors came out hitting on all cylinders. Vis tossed a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes to Jake Vermaas giving the Sailors an early 12-0 lead. Vermaas then increased the lead to 18-0 as he returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter.
“Jake had a great game,” said Brown, whose Sailors won a fourth state championship last year. “He scored our first three touchdowns. He caught touchdown passes on our first two possessions and he returned a punt for a touchdown for our third touchdown. He is an all-world receiver for us.”
Vermaas finished the game with four receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns and also added an interception on defense.
James VanderArk also turned in a big game at receiver for the Sailors. VanderArk caught three passes for 114 yards and two scores. He caught a 21-yard touchdown pass form Vis in the second quarter that upped the South lead to 24-7. VanderArk also hauled in a 66-yard scoring strike late in the third quarter that put the Sailors up 50-21.
“We have a lot of good receivers,” Brown said. “We have a lot of good receivers and that can make it comfortable for our quarterback.”
Austin Tiesma and Tanner Raak also caught touchdown passes for the Sailors. Tiesma caught two passes for 53 yards during the game, while Raak caught one pass for 33 yards.
South Christian wide receiver Jake Vermaas. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
The depth at wide receiver is even more impressive considering Vis was one of South’s top receivers last season. With last year’s starting quarterback Jake DeHaan having graduated last spring, Vis was switched to quarterback, a position that is not unfamiliar for him.
“Carson played quarterback in our youth program and was the quarterback of the freshman team his freshman season,” Brown said. “Last year, Jake DeHaan was a third-year quarterback for us so we moved Carson to wide receiver. Carson was our backup quarterback late last year after our backup quarterback went down with an injury, but he didn’t get many reps at quarterback.”
The wrist breaks during basketball also delayed his transition to quarterback some in the off-season, but the Sailors expected him to be healthy and ready to go once camp started.
“The broken wrists were scary, but the way Carson attacked his rehab was phenomenal,” Brown said. “He was cleared to practice well early before camp. He recovered quickly and it was not a concern. The unique thing about Carson is he competes the year-round. With a lot of quarterbacks, you worry about their first varsity start, but with Carson it’s like another day at the office.”
Vis also showed his ability to provide impact plays with his feet as his seven-yard touchdown run before halftime put the Sailors up 36-14.
The two teams traded touchdowns back and forth during the second half. South Christian’s offense tacked on four touchdowns during the second half, while the Grand Rapids Christian offense also tallied four touchdowns.
South Christian running back Charles Schreur, who rushed for 71 yards, added a touchdown during the second half, while Coleson Fennema also ran in for a touchdown.
“There was a lot of scoring,” Brown said. “Both sides have a lot of explosive players. I thought we started out playing physical on defense and got them in some bad spots. To their (Grand Rapids Christian) credit, they came out with a couple of explosive plays in the second half. They also got into a good rhythm in the second half.
“It’s always good to start the season 1-0. I’m definitely happy for the kids. We played so well on offense and had some defensive lapses. As a head coach, you have to look at the big picture. At the end of the day we are excited to be 1-0.”
South Christian returns to action Friday when it hosts East Grand Rapids at East Kentwood Falcon Stadium.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back this week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Rylan and Matthias Granderson handle the left side of the offensive line. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
By Zach Fanko
WKTV Contributor
The opening kickoff of the season didn’t go according to plan for East Kentwood, as Hartland returned it all the way back for a touchdown putting the Falcons in an early 7-0 hole on Thursday.
Definitely not how EK wanted to start their season, but the team remained focused and poised according to East Kentwood Coach Tony Kimbrough.
“I turned to our sideline and told the team it’s just one score,” Kimbrough said. “When something like that happens you have two options, let it bring you down or have it bring us together.
“To our credit we remained poised and confident in the game plan.”
East Kentwood quarterback Casey Joppie. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Senior QB Casey Joppie, in his third season as the starter, led the Falcons right back down the field to even the game at seven apiece.
EK’s defense was stout throughout, allowing just a field goal the rest of the half as the Falcons enjoyed a 28-10 advantage at halftime. Senior LB/RB Stellan Bowman, who previously committed to the University of Ohio, is expected to have a big year after earning All-State honors a season ago.
“He’s a big part of what we do defensively,” Kimbrough said. “His experience and never-ending motor is a huge asset for us.”
With severe weather effecting most of the state on Thursday, the EK-Hartland matchup was not immune to the storms rolling through Michigan as the game was postponed in the third quarter and later declared final in favor of the Falcons 35-10.
“There was a chance to finish the game, but we came to a mutual decision that it was best to call it a game,” Kimbrough said. “Very pleased with our team’s effort to open the season.”
East Kentwood (1-0) will have a stiffer challenge next week as they host Byron Center (1-0) in WKTV’s Game of the Week on Thursday Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs downed Battle Creek Central 55-14 in their opener. Byron Center finished the 2022 season at 7-3 and qualified for the state playoffs.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back this week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
After going winless in 2022, the Lee Legends turned their hard luck experience into immediate results as they exploded in the season opener with a 50-0 win over host Baldwin Thursday.
And they did so on the shoulders of basketball star turned running back Clarence Lewis, who rushed for 110 yards and five touchdowns on 12 carries in his first career start for the Legends.
“I’m excited for my guys,” said Coach Lamar Marshall, who explained it was the first football win for most of his players. “I told them it’s because of the hard work they put in during the off-season.
“We executed extremely well. Still have a few things to clean up, but overall happy with the way we played.”
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Junior quarterback Anthony Blok went 6 for 6 passing for 140 yards and two touchdown passes.
Blok connected with sophomore Aiden Merriweather on both of those touchdowns, as Merriweather collected three catches for 70 yards along with the two scores. Charles Davis contributed with three grabs for 70 yards on the night.
“Our experience showed tonight,” said Marshall, whose team finished 0-9 last season. “Our leaders corrected the mistakes. We muffed a punt towards the end of the first quarter that kind of was a momentum killer, but the leadership and experience made up for it.”
The Legends brought back a wealth of experience from last season, losing only one player while adding two from the basketball court.
Jaden Potts used his skills from the hardwood to impact the Legends’ defense from the hybrid “Rebel” position. Potts collected 10 tackles on the night, helping Lee secure their first shutout since September 1, 2017. Henry Kennedy added 10 tackles.
Marshall said he’ll let his team enjoy this victory, but come Monday’s practice he will refocus his team.
“The goal for the week is to be 1-0. Prepare well, know your job, do your job and have fun.”
The Legends look to start 2-0 as they travel to Calvin Christian next Thursday for a 7 p.m. kick-off.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
As the temperatures and heat indexes rise over the next 24 hours, many local high schools are debating whether to change starting times for their football season openers on Thursday, and even changing the dates to Friday.
Kelloggsville Athletic Director Carl Roscoe just notified WKTV that the Rockets have changed their Thursday game time from 7 to 8 p.m. Kelloggsville hosts Grant in their season opener.
East Kentwood Co-Athletic Director David Emeott said the Falcons have moved their freshman game to 7 p.m. tonight, followed by JV. The games will use a running clock with only a five-minute halftime.
South Christian Athletic Director David Kool said there JV game has been moved to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Caledonia.
Heat indexes are over 100 degrees in many areas of Grand Rapids today and are forecast to be that high again Thursday afternoon, according to The Weather Channel.
Check out the below guidelines on heat and heat indexes from the MHSAA website.
Managing heat and humidity policy
Thirty minutes prior to the start of an activity, and again 60 minutes after the start of that activity, take temperature and humidity readings at the site of the activity. Using a digital sling psychrometer is recommended. Record the readings in writing and maintain the information in files of school administration. Each school is to designate whose duties these are: generally the athletic director, head coach or certified athletic trainer.
Factor the temperature and humidity into a Heat Index Calculator and Chart to determine the Heat Index. If a digital sling psychrometer is being used, the calculation is automatic.
If the Heat Index is below 95 degrees:
All Sports
Provide ample amounts of water. This means that water should always be available and athletes should be able to take in as much water as they desire.
Optional water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration.
Ice-down towels for cooling.
Watch/monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.
If the Heat Index is 95 degrees to 99 degrees:
All Sports
Provide ample amounts of water. This means that water should always be available and athletes should be able to take in as much water as they desire.
Optional water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration.
Ice-down towels for cooling.
Watch/monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.
Contact sports and activities with additional equipment:
Helmets and other possible equipment removed while not involved in contact.
Reduce time of outside activity. Consider postponing practice to later in the day.
Recheck temperature and humidity every 30 minutes to monitor for increased Heat Index.
If the Heat Index is above 99 degrees to 104 degrees:
All Sports
Provide ample amounts of water. This means that water should always be available and athletes should be able to take in as much water as they desire.
Mandatory water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration.
Ice-down towels for cooling.
Watch/monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.
Alter uniform by removing items if possible.
Allow for changes to dry T-shirts and shorts.
Reduce time of outside activity as well as indoor activity if air conditioning is unavailable.
Postpone practice to later in the day.
Contact sports and activities with additional equipment
Helmets and other possible equipment removed if not involved in contact or necessary for safety.
If necessary for safety, suspend activity.
Recheck temperature and humidity every 30 minutes to monitor for increased Heat Index.
If the Heat Index is above 104 degrees:
All Sports
Stop all outside activity in practice and/or play, and stop all inside activity if air conditioning is unavailable.
Note: When the temperature is below 80 degrees there is no combination of heat and humidity that will result in need to curtail activity.
With a blend of talented veterans and promising young players, the East Kentwood football team is primed to contend for the top spot in the OK Red, annually one of the strongest football conferences in the state.
East Kentwood has a deep and experienced squad with plenty of depth along both lines, the backfield and the skill positions. Many of the veterans were part of last year’s squad that turned in a 5-5 overall record and qualified for the state playoffs. All five of Kentwood’s losses came against teams that qualified for the playoffs including two against Rockford and defeats against Caledonia and Muskegon who both reached state championship games last season.
“I think we should be very competitive this season,” said East Kentwood coach Tony Kimbrough. “We have a good returning class of seniors, a good group of juniors and a couple of talented sophomores who will contribute this year. We’re looking pretty good. I think we can be in every game and have the opportunity to win but we will need to stay healthy.”
Senior QB Casey Joppie. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Offensively, the Falcons welcome back senior quarterback Casey Joppie (6-foot-1, 195 pounds). A three-year varsity player, Joppie has a strong arm and makes good decisions with the ball.
“Casey has started for us the last four years,” Kimbrough said. “He definitely can throw it and put the ball in tight quarters. He makes good decisions with the ball and does not turn it over.”
When Joppie puts the ball in the air he has a talented cast of options to throw to. Shamar White is a returning starter at wide receiver while Kendrick Nou is another senior veteran. Senior standout Stellan Bowman will see action at H-back while senior Jaret Tate and sophomore Aaron Cobb are a pair of talents at tight end.
“We are pretty loaded at the receiver spots,” Kimbrough said. “We also have a host of talented underclassmen who have good size and speed.”
The Falcons also have plenty of options at running back. Seniors Elisee Kanda and Savontes Scott and junior Elijah Jones offer a blend of speed and size running the ball.
Rylan and Matthias Granderson handle the left side of the offensive line.(WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Paving the way for the Falcons is a big and talented group of offensive linemen. Sophomore center Charlie Nichols was brought up to the varsity as a freshman and started the last four games for the Falcons. Nichols has made so much progress that he is a team captain in just his sophomore season. The left side of the line is handled by the Granderson brothers. Senior Rylan Granderson (6-3, 310) lines up at left tackle with junior Matthias Granderson (6-2, 264) stationed at left guard. At right guard, the Falcons have junior Andrew Durr and Kalib Sanders with Justin Negron stepping in at right tackle.
“We have a solid rotation of seven guys up front,” Kimbrough said. “We have some returning players and a host of juniors that will play a role. We can play up to eight guys on the offensive line and that depth is a great thing to have.”
With the depth they have, look for the Falcons to run a balanced offense with the ability to run or throw the ball with equal success to keep opposing defenses off balance.
East Kentwood senior Stellan Bowman, LB. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
On defense, the Falcons have several starters returning. Senior Stellan Bowman (6-1, 220) anchors the defense from his linebacking position. A returning all-state player, Bowman committed to the University of Ohio during the summer. Bowman leads a solid group of linebackers that include Cobb and Nouha Diaite.
Lining up in front of the linebackers is a deep and strong group of defensive linemen. The Falcons plan to rotate six or seven defensive linemen to keep a fresh group on the field. Among the defensive linemen to watch for are nose tackle Mike Zua, junior Devaughtae Greely (6-1, 255), junior Shawn DeLano, Kalib Sanders and Rylan Granderson.
The Falcons also boast plenty of talent in the defensive backfield. Kanda returns at a cornerback position with White lining up at the field cornerback spot. A pair of starters graduated at the safety positions so the Falcons will have some new but talented starters. Juniors Gabe Wolf and James Johnson bring a solid skill set to the field at the safety spots.
“We’re pretty excited about the defensive side of the field,” Kimbrough said.
East Kentwood senior Elisee Kanda, CB. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
The Falcons open the season Thursday when they travel to Hartland. Kentwood then squares off against Byron Center for the first WKTV Game of the Week before beginning conference play in Week Three.
“Our schedule is loaded every year,” Kimbrough said.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Counting on results from a great summer session plus depth at the linemen position, Kelloggsville Coach Brandon Branch is planning on moving the program forward this season.
“I expect our program to take some steps forward this season,” said Branch, whose Rockets finished 1-5 in the OK Silver and 1-8 overall last year. “We have had excellent summer participation and will see the results of that effort.
“We have a large group of linemen, the largest by number we have ever had. Depth at a position creates competition which will lead to a tough O-Line and D-Line.”
Kelloggsville Season Opener: At home against Grant on Thursday, Aug. 24 (7 p.m.)
“I am expecting a hard-fought game against Grant,” Branch said. “We have been preparing for them all summer so I don’t think our guys will be surprised by anything Grant will throw at us.
“My guys will be tough and fight to the end. It’s going to be a great start to our season.”
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Godwin Heights Coach Brandon Kimble said he felt last year could have been a six – or seven-win season for the football team if they executed down the stretch.
“We are focused on execution and finishing all four quarters,” said Kimble, whose team finished 3-3 in the OK Silver last season, 4-5 overall. “We lost a couple close games last year.
Keion Beasley. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Jace Reid-Anderson. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“We were really banged up during the Calvin game finishing the year, so we are excited to be back healthy.”
Keion Beasley is tapped to fill the shoes of standout quarterback Jamarion Collins, who graduated last year.
“We are really excited to have Keion take over and lead us at the QB position,” Kimble said.
Jace Reid-Anderson returns and “will be a key piece at WR/DB.”
Other Key Players
“Miguel Ocampo will be top of the list of players we are expecting to have a great year at DB and WR,” Kimble said. “Jeff Zelaya is a returning All-Conference RB that will lead the way for us on the ground. Tellios Moore is another skill position we expect to have a great year.”
Jeff Zelaya. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“Up front, Patrick Knight, Diego Revolorio, Johlahn Thomas and Antione Jones are the guys that will lead us offensively and defensively.”
Godwin Heights Season Opener: At Mason County Central on Thursday, Aug. 24 (7 p.m.)
“We are excited to travel to Mason County and battle a tough-run, heavy team,” Kimble said. “This will be a game that will be won in the trenches. The team that is able to establish the line of scrimmage will win the game.”
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
The Wyoming football team is entering year three under Coach Carlton Brewster, and with plenty of experience on hand, the Wolves are primed to take the next step in the growth process.
When Brewster took over the team three years ago one of his goals was to build around the freshman class. Those freshmen are now juniors and primed to make an impact on the field.
Wyoming Football Coach Carlton Brewster. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“One of the first things I tried to do when I got here was to grab a hold of the freshman class and try and mold it,” said Brewster, whose Wolves finished 0-9 last season.
“They say when you are trying to change the culture of a team it usually takes five to seven years.
“Our goal was to do it in three or four years. Now, those freshmen are juniors and they are a very mature group of juniors as most of them played on the varsity last year.”
Brewster also is more comfortable with the team heading into his third year.
“Last year was a learning experience for everybody,” Brewster said. “Some things that I thought would work for us didn’t. We had to figure things out along the journey. We had some success, but overall, it was a learning experience and we learned a lot of things.”
Jay Johnson (pictured) and Antwan Brown Jr. are promising quarterbacks for the Wolves. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
On offense this season the Wolves have a pair of promising quarterbacks leading the way. Junior Jay Johnson is a strong runner while sophomore Antwan Brown Jr. brings a strong arm to the position.
“Both guys are young, first-time varsity quarterbacks and that is a process in itself,” Brewster said. “They are both looking pretty good, but it will definitely take some time for them to get used to varsity football.”
While the quarterbacks gain experience the Wolves can rely on a deep cast of running backs to shoulder the load. Senior Nasir Purnell and juniors Adrian Moore, Kason Merchant and Sharrod Mitchell will all contribute and give the team good depth at running back.
Wyoming RB/CB Adrian Moore. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Wyoming also has a solid group of pass catchers. Senior Donavyn Edwards is a talented veteran receiver that leads the way.
Adrian Moore will see time at the slot back position while juniors Julian Toscano and Jack Terveen are a pair off promising tight ends that can catch the ball.
The Wolves run a spread offense that will rely on the running game to set up the passing game.
Paving the way for the backs is an experienced offensive line. Senior Zhari Horton anchors the line at center flanked by junior guards Charles Anderson (6-0, 270 pounds) and Joseph Awator. The Wolves have a pair of big, talented tackles in juniors Jackson Lamrouex (6-3, 280) and Jharimiah Harris (6-0, 275).
Wyoming OL/DL Jackson Lamrouex. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“We have some experience on offense and we know who we are now,” Brewster said. “We want to run the ball on the edge and out-physical teams on the edge and then open up the inside.”
On the defensive side of the ball the Wolves have plenty of experience and depth, especially along the defensive line. Darius Scott (5-9, 230), Terveen (6-1, 235) and Lamrouex anchor the defensive front.
At linebacker, the Wolves have Merchant and Mitchell at inside linebacker with sophomore Tae White and Johnson at outside linebacker.
The secondary looks solid with senior Mauricio Hernandez and Moore at cornerback along with Pernell and Edwards at the safety positions.
“Our defensive line should be pretty good,” Brewster said. “Our secondary also looks like a strong point. We had six sophomores start on defense last year so we were pretty young.”
Senior RB/S Nasir Purnell. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Wyoming also has decent depth with around 30 players on the team this season.
“Our numbers are decent,” Brewster said. “It’s one of those things where we have to keep chopping wood. We have to keep moving forward.”
Wyoming opens the season Thursday, Aug. 24 when it hosts Forest Hills Northern.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Though the Lee Legends finished their first full season in the Southwestern Michigan 8-Man Football League (Tier 2) with an 0-6 record, they enter the 2023 season with a wealth of experience and understanding of the game.
The Legends return everyone but one player, graduate Elijah Beckwith. Worth noting, the team grew in numbers from 19 to 25 over last year.
In his second season leading the team, Lee Coach Lamar Marshall is excited to build off the experience they gained last year.
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“They understand the game a lot better,” said Marshall, whose team finished 0-9 overall last season. “During chalk talk, they even correct me sometimes.”
Marshall has stressed the importance of execution to his players.
“If we don’t execute, we will be our own worst enemy this year.”
Junior Anthony Blok returns as the quarterback of the Legends, but has freshman Jayden Sanchez nipping at his heels.
“Anthony will bring a lot to our run game, and his deep ball is pretty good and has gotten even better during off-season workouts,” said Marshall, who had many positive thoughts about his freshman quarterback as well. “Jayden Sanchez is going to be the future of Lee football. He’s smart and can manage our short passing game.
Lee Football Coach Lamar Marshall. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“This quarterback battle has made them both a lot better.”
Sanchez isn’t the only newcomer to the Legends roster.
Fresh from the basketball team
Two of the new faces are from the basketball court. Clarence Lewis and Jaden Potts move to the gridiron after helping the Legends basketball team secure their first conference title in 43 years last winter.
Lewis jumps into his new role as the starting running back, while Potts makes his impact felt on the defensive side of the ball.
Marshall and defensive coordinator Damion Gregory have created a hybrid safety/linebacker position for Potts called the “Rebel” position.
“He can tackle with the best … he’s very smart, one of the smartest kids I have ever coached,” Marshall said. “He can play in the box and coverage both very well.”
Senior cornerback Kam’ron Washington and sophomore wide receiver Aiden Merriweather return to a Legends team that wants to continue the culture change at Lee.
“We are ready to change who we are as a school, change the way people see us,” Washington said.
The Lee Legends kick off the 2023 season on August 24 at Baldwin.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
WKTV was out at South Christian’s football practice last week. Take a look. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
By Zach Fanko
WKTV Contributor
Complacency was the key word that South Christian Coach Danny Brown and several players used during the first week of practice of the 2023 season. Something that this team is aiming to avoid after a perfect season ending in a 28-0 Division 4 state title win over Goodrich, the program’s fourth state championship and first since 2014.
Last year’s team had 22 seniors, including All-State QB Jake DeHaan, WR Seth Ritsma, OL Cam Post, and RB/K Nate Brinks. This year’s team has plenty of seniors as well, including WR/DB Jake Vermaas, who missed the majority of the regular season due to a broken collarbone, but came back during the playoff run. Vermaas capped off the year with a stellar game at Ford Field with over 150 receiving yards and a Pick-6.
Senior WR/DB Jake Vermaas looks to take a new role as a leader. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Vermaas talked about his new role as a senior leader on this team.
“The biggest difference for me and some of my teammates has been stepping into that leadership role,” Vermaas said. “That has been an adjustment for some guys and it is going well.
“For us we don’t really want to change a whole lot because we were pretty successful last year.”
South Christian poses with the MHSAA Division 4 state championship trophy last year at Ford Field, where they finished a perfect 14-0 season. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)
Three-way competition under center
DeHaan, who committed to the University of Toledo as a walk-on, utilized both his arm and legs on his way to a Division 4 All-State selection. The Sailors have three potential quarterbacks competing for the starting gig with senior Noah Funk (transfer from Grand Rapids Christian), junior Carson Vis (played WR last season), and sophomore Kayd Coffman who started on the JV team as a freshman last year.
“The goal is to get through these first two weeks of camp and then we have a scrimmage, and then hopefully someone has created some separation,” said Brown, whose Sailors were undefeated at 14-0 last season.
“If no one has then we reevaluate, but that is the goal.”
Passing the torch up front
Another senior looking to pick up where last year’s seniors left off is OL/DL Camren VanSolkema, who was an All-Region selection in Division 4 last season. VanSolkema is one of the players up front hoping to fill the void left by current Ferris State lineman Cam Post.
“This is my fourth year on varsity and I’ve always been an underclassmen,” VanSolkema said. “But now I can follow in the older guys’ footsteps and take care of the younger guys.”
South Christian opens the season August 25 on the road against Grand Rapids Christian.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
The WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is coming soon, along with our in-depth Journal coverage of the Wyoming and Kentwood area football teams. Our FNH host will walk you through highlights from most of the local games every single Friday night throughout the season and into the playoffs.
By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org
With the first week of high school football practice in the books, games under the lights are just about here. This means our in-depth coverage of WKTV Games of the Week, Journal web stories and our exciting Friday Night Highlights show will all be here shortly as well.
We plan to bring you another great season of local high school football, covering your favorite teams from Wyoming and Kentwood, including East Kentwood, Wyoming, Godwin Heights, Lee, Kelloggsville, South Christian and Tri-unity.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. See GOW sked below.
WKTV Journal Website
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. 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.
We plan to give you the stats and highlights in our game stories … explaining the details of how your team marched to victory.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show coming soon!
Friday Night Highlights will be back soon. Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
WKTV Game of the Week Truck Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 31 (7 p.m.) Byron Center at East Kentwood
Friday, Sept. 8 (7 p.m.) Kenowa Hills at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Sept. 15 (7 p.m.) Grand Rapids Sacred Heart at Lee
Friday, Sept. 22 (7 p.m.) Union at Wyoming
Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
Sheri Toth, Stacy Potter, and Amy Stiles enjoy a round of golf at Maple Hill Golf Course (Courtesy, Deborah Reed, WKTV)
League golfers Sheri Toth, Stacy Potter and Amy Stiles enjoy an evening out at Maple Hill Golf.
Located at 5555 Ivanrest Ave. SW in Grandville, Maple Hill Golf has a variety of options for golfers of all experience levels. An 18-hole course, driving range, simulators, fitting center, and golf repair are all amenities to be found at this local venue.
Soccer players enjoy playing on the newer grass surface at Veterans Memorial Park where soccer games also take place under the lights. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
When it comes to soccer, the city of Kentwood has been and still is a hotbed for the world’s sport. From youth leagues to the varsity teams at East Kentwood High School, Kentwood has a long tradition of soccer excellence.
The popularity of soccer also is evident among mature soccer players. Many adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s continue playing the game they enjoy for fun in one of the soccer leagues that Kentwood Parks and Rec offers.
The recreation soccer leagues have been going strong for over 20 years. There are currently four leagues taking place in the summer with a total of 23 teams. The leagues include a co-ed recreation league, a co-ed competitive league and men’s and women’s leagues. All the leagues have strong numbers this year and have been popular with area soccer players for years.
“The soccer leagues are a real nice option for adults who enjoy soccer in the greater Kentwood area,” said soccer program director Spence McKellar. “We’ve had the leagues for over 20 years and they are well established.”
The leagues play at three primary locations. Matches take place at Kellogg Woods Park, Pinewood Park as well as Veterans Memorial Park which is home to several matches during the week. The soccer field at Veterans Memorial Park is especially popular as it is a lighted field and has matches going well into the evening from the start of the season in the spring to the summer/fall league that concludes in October.
Referee Dale Sanborn talks with team captains before a recent match in the Kentwood Recreation Department’s soccer leagues. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
Dale Sanborn has been around the league for 20 years and has experienced the league in a couple of ways. Sanborn began playing in the league in 2003 and continued as a player until retiring in 2020. Sanborn also began to referee in the league in 2008 and is currently still a referee.
“The leagues are very popular,” Sanborn said. “We’ve had a pretty steady number of teams throughout the years and we have a lot of teams during the fall. I think we are the only league around that has an outdoor league in the fall. We also have a new grass field at Veterans Park along with the lights and that is a big draw.”
The leagues are open to players of all ages and soccer background. Along with many former high school and college players, the league has players with limited soccer experience and backgrounds who just want to play to have fun and meet other soccer enthusiasts.
Alex Pastor has been playing in the league for five years and is a goalkeeper.
“The league is fun,” Pastor said. “I joined five years ago and I’m on my current team after learning that they needed a goaltender. The league is a great way to meet new people and have fun. Even if you are brand new to the sport you can play and have fun.”
The Kentwood leagues draw soccer players from all over West Michigan. Chuck Wroblewski is a former high school soccer player from Wayland who currently plays in the league.
“It’s super fun,” Wroblewski said. “I’ve been playing in the league for five years and every year it is something that I look forward to. Playing with players you know and meeting new players, the league gives you a sense of community and that’s another reason I enjoy the league. There is a real community feeling to the league.”
Soccer players of all ages and soccer experience enjoy playing the game they enjoy in the Kentwood Recreation Department’s soccer leagues. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
The number of teams has remained steady and the recreation department is looking to grow the league as well. There also are two seasons of leagues. The first season, a spring/summer league, begins in May and goes through July while a second season starts in early August and goes through October. The availability of lights at Veterans Memorial Park makes having the fall league possible when the days become shorter in the fall.
Signups are already being taken for the fall leagues. There will again be women’s, men’s and co-op leagues taking place in the fall. For more information on the upcoming fall leagues interested players can check out the Kentwood Parks and Recreation website.
Members of The Creamsicles celebrate a win, their first of the season, in a recent game. (Courtesy, Miriam Dietsche)
By K.D. Norris
WKTV Contributor
For the teams and players in the Kentwood Parks and Rec Summer Co-Ed Adult Softball League, it is all about having fun with friends and families.
But, a home run trot and a win or two can be fun as well.
“We definitely have a few competitive players, but at the end of the day everyone is just there to have fun, be social, and get their bodies moving,” said Miriam Dietsche, team manager of The Creamsicles. “It’s our first year playing together, and we don’t have a great record … but I have been extremely impressed by how positive our team has stayed, and we are always hyped up for games.”
Kyler Marble gets high fives after a home run for The Creamsicles. He leads the team in homers this season with two grand slams. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
They were especially “hyped up” on a recent Tuesday night when the team won its first game of the season playing at Kentwood’s Kellogg Woods Park, a 14-6 win on June 13. (For schedule and standings of the Tuesday league and all of the City of Kentwood’s sponsored sports, visit here.)
“Our team is made up of mine and my boyfriend’s family, and a few friends,” Dietsche said. “Most of our team knew of each other before the season started, but over the past few weeks we have all grown a lot closer.
“We have a pretty interesting mix of people who have played softball competitively for a while, and people who had never swung a bat until a couple months ago. I decided to put the team together because I personally have played since high school and love the sport.”
The team’s sponsor is XYZ Motors — “My brother, also on the team, works for them and they were gracious enough to buy our shirts for us,” she added.
Kentwood’s Kellogg Woods Park hosts games
As part of its year-round, wide-ranging recreational offerings, Kentwood Parks and Recreation maintains several baseball and softball fields spread around its park system, also including fields at Home Acres, Northeast and Pinewood parks.
It also oversees other community activities associated with the fields.
“Our adult recreational softball offerings have been a popular option for decades that have created many lasting memories,” said Spencer McKellar, Kentwood Parks and Recreation deputy director. “In recent years we’ve hosted practices, youth clinics, sanctioned middle school games, as well as our adult recreational leagues all on our fields which is a great example of how our playing surfaces are intended to be a community resource for all ages and ability levels.”
Alicia Fields, a summer worker at the Kentwood Parks and Recreation department, handles the scoreboard — and gets in a little coursework reading — during a recent game. The city hires part-time and summer workers for many parks and recreation activities. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
On a recent Tuesday evening, not only was the Kellogg Woods main field prepped for the league games by the city, but a summer-hire city employee handled the scoreboard and a longtime player handled the umpiring duties.
“I’ve been playing softball every year for 32 years,” said Robert Vanderhart, who umpires the Tuesday night league. “I’ve umpired slow pitch softball for four-to-five years now, but I’ve been an umpire of all levels of baseball for close to 20.”
For Vanderhart, umpiring adult softball also is a way to continue being part of the “rec softball” community as well.
Robert Vanderhart umpires the Kentwood Tuesday night league and has played, coached and umpired softball and baseball for many years. (Courtesy Photo)
“I’m now umpiring for players who have played with me before and also for me when I coached youth ball 15 plus years ago,” he said. “And when I can, I like to help players develop … it’s the coach part in me.”
And over the years, Vanderhart says the fun part of the game is always shared with the competitive part of the game.
“Winning isn’t that important, but having fun and being competitive is,” he said. “If every game you play is very one sided it’s no fun for everyone … (and) if you could play and lose a good, close game or win by forfeit what would you rather do? I’d play.”
About Kentwood parks, softball league
For more information about City of Kentwood’s Parks and Recreation programs visit here. For location and amenities of the city’s parks, visit here.
A team launching from the launch pad during the 2022 Fall Fling disc golf tournament and fundraiser. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)
By K.D. Norris
WKTV Contributor
In the past couple decades, the community sport of disc golf has literally and figuratively taken flight in West Michigan, and it could be argued that some of the best courses to play begin with launch pads in the Kentwood Parks and Recreation system.
While the city may be mostly known for its innovative, off-season events — the annual Fall Fling and the mid-winter Freeze Fest — one of the areas premier disc golf businesses has nothing but praise for the city’s year-round courses and its commitment to the recreational sport; past, present and future.
Commemorative discs from the 2022 Fall Fling disc golf tournament and fundraiser. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)
“West Michigan was an early adopter of disc golf and has been a hotbed for the sport since the creator of disc golf, Ed Headrick, founded the Professional Disc Golf Association in 1976,” said Shea Abbgy, owner of Great Lakes Disc. “For the first 30 years of the sport, growth in its popularity was steady but minimal. Starting in the the early 2000s, the PDGA started seeing steady annual growth.”
And that growth was only slightly slowed by the COVID pandemic.
“During Covid, players in areas with disc golf courses installed found that you could practice social distancing while playing and an enormous amount of new players found the sport,” said Abbgy, a long-time partner with the City of Kentwood’s disc golf program whose business opened in 2015 and is located at 4321 Kalamazoo Ave., near the corner of 44th Street.
Kentwood has welcomed the expanded popularity and demand.
City courses improved, new course planned Laura Barbrick, Kentwood Parks and Recreation Market and Events Coordinator, said the city is committed to many community sports and disc golf is certainly one of them.
“We’ve offered youth disc golf lessons and skills clinics in the past and will continue to add new programs in the future to grow the sport with our residents,” Barbrick said. “We also host two disc golf tournaments each year in partnership with Great Lakes Disc … (Abbgy) helps coordinate our tournaments, has helped plan and design our disc golf courses, and is well connected with the disc golf community.”
Not only are there two full-time disc golf courses operated by the city, at Old Farm Park and Jaycee Park, but both have been or will be improved by last year’s voter approval of a parks millage.
And plans are for a third course at Covenant Park, where there is currently only winter “pop-up” disc golf play.
“Kentwood will soon be breaking ground on Phase III of renovations at Jaycee Park which include upgraded baskets, tee pads and signs for the disc golf course,” Abbgy said. “Part of the (millage funded) proposal for Covenant Park was a disc golf course for the property which would be Kentwood’s third disc golf course in their parks system and lay the ground for larger disc golf events to come to Kentwood.”
A disc golfer in action from the 2019 Fall Fling event. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)
Two annual events support Kentwood Little Free Pantry In partnership with Great Lakes Disc, the city hosts two disc golf tournaments, the Fall Fling at Old Farm Park, planned for November, and Freeze Fest, planned for February 2024.
According to Abbgy, the city and his company will be hosting the ninth annual Freeze Fest at Jaycee Park, scheduled for Feb. 17.
“The success of the Freeze Fest led us to add a second annual event, the Farm Fall Fling at Old Farm Park, in 2018,” he said. “This Nov. 11 we will be hosting the sixth annual Farm Fall Fling at Old Farm Park. Both events are food drives for Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry.”
While both events can be as much a weather challenge as a course challenge, both typically host 120-140 players at each event, and have seen over 180 players some years, he said.
But on any given weekday, or weekend, players and flying discs are flying in a first- come, first-served style course play.
About Kentwood Parks, Great Lakes Disc For more information about the Kentwood Parks and Recreation programs visit here. For location of the city’s Disc Golf parks with disc golf courses, visit here. For more information about Great Lakes Disc, visit here.
The East Kentwood softball team opened state tournament action with a 2-0 win against conference-rival Grandville. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
While the season hasn’t gone entirely according to plan for the East Kentwood softball team, the Falcons have continued to battle and that persistence continues to pay off.
The Falcons, who have played around the .500 mark this season, have faced a rugged schedule and have had to deal with several key injuries. Despite the hurdles, East Kentwood has remained focused and competitive and picked up a big win to kick off the post-season by defeating O-K Red Conference rival Grandville 2-0 in the opening district game.
“We were very excited for the 2023 season with many returning players, although only three seniors,” said East Kentwood coach Owen Fletke. “We lost two of our senior starters (Landrie Fridsma and Taylor Barnes) the second week of the season. Two of our pitchers, Liz Davis and Jaycie Gasper, have been injured off and on all season. We’ve had a number of other injuries, like concussions and strains, that have really impacted our ability to have a consistent lineup with experienced players.
We’ve brought three freshmen up from our junior varsity team, two of whom (Riley Smith and Meredith Antonovich) are still on varsity. Overall, our record is now 16-19, not what we expected or anticipated, but we continue to fight and compete with the players we have.”
East Kentwood senior Landrie Fridsma will continue her career at Kalamazoo College. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
That competitive spirit was evident in the opening district game against a Grandville team that came into the post-season with a 23-12 record and defeated East Kentwood in two of the three league matchups this season.
East Kentwood was led this season by its trio of seniors. Aalana Kimble, who will be attending Saginaw Valley State University to continue her career as a student athlete, has been a leader of the Falcon offense and heads up the pitching staff.
“Aalana is the ace of our pitching staff and offensive leader on our team,” Fletke said. “She is a four-year varsity player and school record-holder in many categories.”
Fridsma is an offensive leader and second baseman who will be continuing her career at Kalamazoo College.
“Landrie partially tore a hamstring in week two and has just returned,” Fletke said. “She is a four-year starter and is our other offensive catalyst. She is our team captain and best power hitter.”
Like Fridsma, injuries have dashed the senior season for Barnes as well.
“Taylor tore her knee in the same game Landrie was injured in,” Fletke said. “Taylor was our starting leftfielder. Even though Taylor was not able to play, she was at every practice and game, cheering and coaching from the dugout. She provided us with incredible leadership.”
The junior class has stepped up and provided strong play throughout the season with several juniors playing key roles.
“We’ve received solid play from our juniors,” Fletke said. “Catcher Emily Visser, first baseman Kaleigh Higgs and third baseman Ashley Matejovitz have stepped up. Sophomore shortstop Kayla Finlaw has done a fine job there and freshman Natalie McCune has been a great surprise in the outfield and infield wherever she’s been needed.”
The Falcons have also received strong play from even more of their young players.
East Kentwood senior Aalana Kimble is a leader at the plate and in the pitching circle for the Falcons. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
“When healthy, junior pitcher Liz Davis has done a great job as has freshman pitcher Jaycie Gasper,” Fletke said. “We’ve also received great help from freshman Riley Smith, sophomore Josie Manning and junior Allie Cahill.”
Davis is another Falcon who will play college softball in the future as the junior pitcher has verbally committed to the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Along with solid play on the field, the Falcon softball players get the job done in the classroom. The team grade point average is 3.5.
Jacob Pewee won both the 100m and long jump in the Alliance League championship. (Courtesy, Grand River Prep)
By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org
As a youngster, Grand River Prep sprinter Jacob Pewee was told he was fast.
“As a kid, I was always fast,” said Pewee, a senior at GRP. “Many of my friends let me know that. In general, I just enjoy running as it is one of my favorite things to do so I decided to put my skills to the test by joining track and field.
“I wish I would have joined sooner because I would be a lot farther than I am now despite my current accomplishments.”
Most recently, Pewee was the conference champion in the 100m sprint (11.50 seconds and the long jump (18 feet, 7 inches). He also was third in conference in the 200m and a member of the 4x400m relay team that placed second in school history. The boys team finished third overall in the Alliance League.
Pewee broke the 100m school record (11.50, regional qualifier) and the 200 record at 23.86. He also ranks fourth in school history in the long jump and sixth in school history in the open 400m. Last season he won all-region honors in the long jump.
“The very first time I participated in track and field was in sixth grade when I was about 12 years old,” said Pewee, who played varsity basketball as a junior. “When I moved to Michigan from Iowa and entered high school I decided to get back into it my junior year and am currently doing it as a senior. I’ve been loving it ever since.
“One of my favorite events is the 100-meter dash. I enjoy putting in the work during practice and applying it by going all out on the track. It leaves little room for error and is highly competitive which I love. Running against people around my skill level not only humbles me, but also pushes me to greater heights because I’ve always believed I can do good no matter what.”
Pewee was accepted to attend Grand Valley State University, but is still deciding if he’ll run track there.
“Judging by my performance and how quickly I’m improving in such a short time I think it’s inevitable.”
GRP track and field Coach Seth Pronger spoke highly of his leader
“Jacob has always been one of my most energetic and hardworking athletes in my time here,” Pronger said. “He’s embraced his role as a team leader as someone who uplifts the team and centralizes his teammates’ focus not only through his words, but through his actions as well. He’s always humble and regardless of the result of his competitions, he fist bumps all of the competitors in his heat.
“Jacob has an infectiously positive energy that carries through the entire team. He has more than earned his teammates’ respect on a personal and athletic level. As talented of an athlete as he is, it’s his superlative character that makes him the perfect leader for this team.”
Pronger said he’s relentless in working towards his goals
“Jacob pushes his limits in practice and has an acute attention to detail to make sure he is performing at the highest level,” Pronger explained. “No matter how tired he is, he will always go all out and finish his races and workouts even stronger than he started them.
“At his current trajectory, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Jacob qualify for the state meet and continue to further extend his school records and decorated track career here at Grand River Prep.”
The East Kentwood lacrosse team goes through drills prior to facing off against Vicksburg last Saturday. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
The East Kentwood boys lacrosse team has only been a varsity program since 2019 and during that short period of time the Falcons have made big strides and is experiencing plenty of success this season.
The Falcons took another step forward Saturday when they dropped a 7-6 decision to Vicksburg in a match that wasn’t decided until the final seconds.
In a match that featured two teams bringing in winning records to the contest, Vicksburg scored a goal with just 28 seconds remaining on the clock to earn the win.
“I thought the boys from both teams did an incredible job battling and playing lacrosse,” East Kentwood coach Keegan Neitzke said. “The stats from the game show how evenly matched both teams were. I was so proud of our players. These seniors played Vicksburg in 2021 and lost 18-1. To play to a 7-6 loss with the winning goal coming in the last 35 seconds shows the massive growth these kids have taken.
“Our defense and goalie played outstanding and the offense put the ball in the back of the net when we needed it, we just ran out of time at the end.”
Sophomore goalie Shawn Delano turned in a big game for the Falcons in net. Delano saved 9-of-16 shots on goal to finish with a 69 percent save percentage. That save percentage was higher than his season average of 62 percent.
“Shawn has two years of experience,” Neitzke said. “He has gotten better every game he has played.”
Delano received plenty of support from Falcon defenders Jaiden Woodson and Corey Hall. Hall caused three turnovers and came up with two ground balls during the match while Woodson caused one turnover and captured four ground balls.
Woodson has been a defensive leader all season for the Falcons.
“Jaiden is an athletic defender who uses his speed and footwork to create turnovers,” Neitzke said. “He has three years of experience and he will continue his playing career at Aquinas College next year.”
For the season, Woodson has totaled 46 ground balls and caused 28 turnovers.
The East Kentwood lacrosse team breaks a huddle during action from Saturday’s match against Vicksburg. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
Defense has been a strong point for the Falcons this season as only two teams have scored in double figures against the Kentwood defense.
Ben Cash and Harrison Stidolph led the Falcons on offense. Cash totaled four goals and two assists against Vicksburg, while Stidolph added a pair of goals.
“Ben is a high-energy competitor and is our go-to offensive weapon,” Neitzke said. “Harrison loves the game of lacrosse and is being recruited by the University of Michigan-Dearborn.”
For the season, Cash has 57 goals and 20 assists, while Stidolph has 24 goals and 11 assists.
EK offense has several high-scoring games
The East Kentwood offense has recorded a number of high-scoring outputs this season, including an 18-goal game against both Coopersville and Kalamazoo Central and games of 17 and 16 goals against Northview.
The Falcons also have been receiving strong play from midfielder Waseem Ayad and long-stick middle/attacker Isaiah Ramirez. Ayad has 78 ground balls, 28 assists and caused 22 turnovers this season, while Ramirez has 37 ground balls, created 11 turnovers, added 11 assists and four goals.
“Waseem is the point guard of the offense and a two-way player,” Neitzke said. “He has three years of experience.”
Isaiah is a do-it-all player. He played long-stick middle the last two seasons, but does attack and long-stick mid to help the team. He has three years of experience and will continue his career at Aquinas College next year.”
Seniors help rebuild
This year’s seniors have helped build back the program from the hit it took from the covid pandemic that decimated numbers in 2021.
“I had around 16 kids come out and most of them had zero lacrosse experience,” Neitzke said. “Fast forward to this season and most of the seniors only have two to three years of lacrosse experience. The team has bought in and put in the work to get better on and off the field. Our records have increased each of the last three seasons and we are still learning.
“We are a growing program that started with a youth program so we have made an effort to build and grow lacrosse in the community. 2023 is our first year with a junior-varsity lacrosse team and we have started a middle school speed ball league to offset the expense of lacrosse.”
East Kentwood (8-7) is looking to finish the season strong.
“We have four games left that we believe we can win if we play up to the East Kentwood lacrosse standard,” said Neitzke after the Vicksburg loss. “If we win the next four games, we will finish the season with the most wins in a season in program history. The program is moving in the right direction and we continue to grow the game of lacrosse in the Kentwood community. It’s an exciting time for East Kentwood lacrosse.”
NOTE: East Kentwood beat Coopersville 22-1 Tuesday, and now only needs three wins to finish with the most wins in a season in program history.
The East Kentwood Ice Arena played host to the first-ever East Kentwood Cornhole Invitational Saturday. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
East Kentwood High School was home to a first of its kind event in the state of Michigan on Saturday as over 40 students from elementary school through high school took part in the inaugural East Kentwood Cornhole Invitational.
Two rows of cornhole boards filled nearly the entire floor space of the Kentwood Ice Arena where the competition took place with students of all ages and skill levels tossing bags back and forth.
The event was sponsored by the Michigan Cornhole League and the Youth Cornhole Organization, two of the main organizations for cornhole in the state of Michigan. Joey Williamson, a member of the staff at the East Kentwood Ice Arena, coordinated the event that drew students from all across Michigan.
Competitors came from schools like Woodhaven and Anchor Bay on the east side of the state, Montabella, Chippewa Hills and Mason County Central from farther north of the Grand Rapids area along with local competitors from schools like Wayland, Caledonia, Grandville, Byron Center, St. John Vianney, Jenison and East Kentwood.
“This is the first tournament just for school kids in the state and we’re putting it on,” Williamson said. “This has been a dream of mine for about two years. I love the sport of cornhole. It is a great community sport and a great way to make friends. It’s an easy sport to play and almost anyone can play regardless of age or skill level.”
The sport of cornhole is still evolving, but is beginning to gain in popularity around the country with events even getting broadcast on national television including ESPN.
School kids from across the state competed at the East Kentwood Cornhole Invitational. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Adrian College cornhole
One of the teams that competed on ESPN’s national broadcasts was the college cornhole team from Adrian College. Adrian College is the lone college in the United States that has a school-supported cornhole team and Coach Max Benedict was in attendance at the East Kentwood Invitational getting the word out about college cornhole and helping to grow the sport.
“I’d really like to see cornhole get into the high schools and become a school sport,” Benedict said. “That would help us have a pool of kids to draw from. It’s not like football or basketball where every school has a team. I like getting out to the schools and putting on exhibitions to show the schools they could get a cornhole program going.”
Unlike sports like football and hockey that require large amounts of money for equipment and ice time and other expenses, cornhole is an inexpensive sport that requires just a few boards and some bags.
A push for high school cornhole
Gregg Devitto, who runs Michigan High School Cornholehub.com also was in attendance at the Kentwood tournament. DeVitto is developing an organization that is working to get geographic clusters of high schools in regions across the state playing competitive cornhole.
“Our goal is to eventually have cornhole become a Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsored sport in a few years,” DeVitto said. “We are developing a cluster of schools in Lenawee County that will be playing cornhole and we are hoping for two or three other clusters across the state.”
If Saturday’s event at East Kentwood was any indication, the sport of cornhole is primed to grow quickly among school-age participants who enjoyed the tournament at the East Kentwood Ice Arena.
“I like the idea of the tournament,” said Jayden, a student from Grand Rapids. “No one else has a tournament like this. I like being able to compete against other kids and I know this will grow the game.”
Hudson, who has been playing for a year, also enjoyed the tournament.
“It’s pretty fun,” Hudson said. “It’s just great being able to get out and throw and have fun with the other kids.”
Having fun and meeting other kids is a big attraction to cornhole for youth as it is for adults who play in cornhole leagues across West Michigan as much for the social aspect of the sport as it is the competitive side, similar to a sport like bowling.
Professional player Daniela Luna on hand
“I started playing backyard cornhole about four years ago,” said Daniela Luna, who is a professional cornhole player and was on hand from the Youth Cornhole Organization helping to run the tournament. “We want to get more and more kids involved in the sport. It’s a sport anyone can play and have a lot of fun doing it.”
Luna was joined at the tournament by Joyce Mandala also from the Youth Cornhole Organization.
“We want to get more kids involved,” Mandala said. “In Detroit, Jarron Jackson, who is also part of our organization, has five schools playing cornhole. It gives the kids who don’t play basketball or football a sport that they can play. Not everyone is tall and can play basketball. Cornhole is a sport that anyone can play and they can play after leaving school. It’s a great sport and the kids just love it.”
Williamson believes that once the word gets out the sport of cornhole will only grow not just across the state, but also in the area.
“We are looking for cornhole to start out as a club sport in the schools,” Williamson said. “Someday it will become a varsity sport in the schools. We had kids of all ages here. A lot of the younger kids are really good and even beat the older kids.
“We set up the tournament where we have pool play and the winners of the pools went on to play the other pool winners. After pool play it was set up based on the records in the pools. The kids really had a good time with it.”
Justin Lacey-Pierce (left) looks for an opening during his match against Jason Jackson in the 165-pound Elite Open class final at the Michigan Golden Gloves state finals Saturday at West Catholic. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
East Kentwood graduate Justin Lacey-Pierce led the list of area boxers who brought home state titles at the 2023 Michigan Golden Gloves state championship finals on Saturday evening at West Catholic High School.
Lacey-Pierce, a 2017 grad of East Kentwood, turned in a solid performance as he won a decision against Jason Jackson of the Holland Westside Boxing Club in the 165-pound Elite Open division final. Lacey-Pierce, who defeated Jackson in last week’s West Michigan Golden Gloves finals, took charge of the bout from the opening bell and carried the action throughout the match.
Lacey-Pierce, like all the other champions from the state finals, now heads to the Golden Gloves of America National Tournament from May 8-14 in Philadelphia.
“Winning the state title feels ok, but what I really want is the national championship,” Lacey-Pierce said. “I’ve won a national championship before and what I want is to win a Golden Gloves national championship. That is my main goal.”
Lacey-Pierce cleared the next hurdle in reaching that goal by taking care of business against Jackson which gave him his second Golden Gloves state title of his career.
“It was a rematch of last week,” Lacey-Pierce said. “It was pretty much the same thing again. He (Jackson) is a very tough fighter. He’s durable and tough. I just tried to keep jabbing and sneak in some body shots and try to wear him out.”
Junior Rios gets fifth state title
While Lacey-Pierce won his second state title, former Wyoming Pride Boxing Club boxer Aneudy “Junior” Rios won his fifth state title. Like Lacey-Pierce, Rios fought a familiar foe in the title match as he squared off against Gentle Gibson of Kalamazoo who he defeated in last week’s West Michigan state finals in the 132-pound open division. Like the previous fight, Rios relied on his speed and quickness to carry him to the decision.
Junior Rios (right) squares off against Gentle Gibson of Kalamazoo in the 132-pound Elite Open class at the Michigan Golden Gloves state finals. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“He (Gibson) was going for the knockout,” Rios said. “I used my quickness against him. I have quicker hands and quicker feet and I used that to my advantage. His gameplan was to land a knockout punch. It was definitely a good fight. He tried to knock me out but I knew I could outbox him.”
Winning a fifth state title meant plenty to Rios who plans to turn professional after making a run at qualifying for the 2024 Olympics.
“This feels great,” Rios said. “I have dreamed about this moment and to come out on top really means a lot to me. I’m looking forward to the national tournament and I feel right now I’m in better shape that I’ve ever been in during all the years of going to nationals. I feel way quicker, have way more experience and have a way better boxing IQ.”
Mo Mercado 125-pound open division champ
Like his training partner Rios, Guillermo “Mo” Mercado is another multi-time state champion and faced a rematch in his title bout in the 125-pound open division. Like he did the week prior, Mercado utilized his outstanding boxing skills to win a decision against Jason Wells.
Guillermo Mercado (left) looks to set up his shot during his match against Jason Wells in the 125-pound Elite Open class final at the Michigan Golden Gloves state finals. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“I went into the match trying to stay focused and to get the job done,” Mercado said. “I knew that I could outbox him and that was my plan. He tried some different things but I just stayed composed and outboxed him.”
The state title meant plenty to Mercado who also plans to turn professional after the Golen Gloves.
“This is a tremendous feeling,” Mercado said. “I put my heart on the line for this one. I’ve went through a lot of adversity to get this one and this really means a lot to me.”
Catholic Central grad Ulysses Campos wins at 147 pounds
Ulysses Campos, a 2018 graduate of Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School is another area boxer who was looking to add to his collection of state titles before turning pro later this year. Campos won a decision against Tyrone Welch of Saginaw in the finals at 147 pounds. The title was the sixth Golden Gloves title for Campos and the fourth Golden Gloves state championship on his resume.
“I won my first Golden Gloves title when I was 16-years old,” said the 23-year old Campos, who also was part of a state championship soccer team while at Catholic Central. “This one is pretty special. It is my last one and I knew it was going to be a tough one. My opponent is really tough and I knew it was going to be a big challenge.”
Bryan Caceres wins fourth state title
Bryan Caceres rounded out the area open champions. Caceres, who won a fourth state title for his career, needed to avenge a loss from last week’s West Michigan finals to earn his title. In a match that was just as hard-fought as last week’s title match at 139 pounds, Caceres won a decision against Marcos Saucedo Jr. of Holland. Like the other area open division boxers, Caceres is also planning on turning professional later this year.
Also claiming open-division titles were Nicholas Young of Flint at 156 pounds, KeiShawn Partee of Muskegon, 176 pounds, Solomon Jagun of Lansing, 203 pounds, and Shaquan Cox of Flint, 203-plus division.
Sarah Batenburg takes 146-pound title in the female division
There also were three uncontested open division champions all in the female division. Sarah Batenburg of Hudsonville won at 146 pounds, Zoe Hicks of Lansing won at 110 pounds and Kimberly Green of Lansing was the 178 pounds-plus champion.
In novice action, Michael Guzman of Grand Rapids won the 132-pound novice title with a decision against Gage Stafford of Flint.
“It feels good,” Guzman said. “I’ve loved fighting in the Golden Gloves this year. It’s a great feeling to be the last man standing.”
Guzman’s twin brother Mike Guzman just missed a state title of his own as he dropped a close decision to Brant Bowlin of Lansing at 139 pounds.
In the 147-pound novice division, Alejandro Hernandez of the Anahuac Boxing Club, located in southwest Grand Rapids, won a decision against Stephen Ramirez. The bout was a rematch of last week’s West Michigan finals contest and Hernandez used a similar formula to get the win.
“(He) Ramirez was not as aggressive as last week,” Hernandez said. “Like I did last week, I just tried to outbox him. Winning the state title feel so good. It feels good to see all my hard work pay off.”
At 203 pounds, Zachary Brayton of Traverse City Significant Strikes won a decision against Austin Connors of the Kalamazoo Boxing Club in a rematch of their fight last week. Brayton, who improved his record to 7-0 over the weekend, also was named the Outstanding Novice Boxer for this year’s state finals.
Also winning state titles in the novice division were Van Davis (125 pounds) of Muskegon, Brant Bowling (139) of Lansing, Ndeye Diouf (female-146 pounds) of Flint and Monjuan Walker (156) of Flint. Uncontested novice champions included Sulliman Aamer (112) of Holland, Abel Vilchis-Mendoza (176) of Muskegon and Cody Leonard (203-plus) of Muskegon.
