Category Archives: Sports

Lee Boys win first outright conference title since 1980

(Image courtesy, Lee High School)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


An 89-68 win Tuesday over Grand River Prep gave the Lee boys their first outright conference championship in 43 years … well before Coach Dominic Shannon was born.

“This is special,” Shannon said. “Our first outright conference championship since 1980 — I was born in 1986.”

A huge turnaround

Lee now sits atop the Alliance League at 7-0 and is 17-1 overall. Last year, the Legends were 2-6 in the league and 5-16 overall.

Shannon said he noticed last fall that the team had potential, and “with some grooming, could be good.”

“With a strong start to the season and the togetherness the boys began showing early in the season, our conversation as coaches began to shift to something great and something special,” Shannon explained. “We began the conversation of ‘leaving the mark,’ and now their team will forever be remembered.”

As far as the Legends win over GRP, Shannon talked about his unselfish team that has improved each game.

“We finished the game with 23 assists … we share the ball and enjoy sharing the ball, making it easy to coach,” he said. “Joe Russau and Marc Whitfield receive the majority of the press, rightfully so, but they would tell you just like I know that the team is a team. There have been a few games this year where we have five student-athletes in double figures and that’s a credit to our unselfishness.



Lee’s Ny’Zhem Marshall rushes to the hoop against the Titans. (WKTV/Alex Bernhardt)



“Ny’Zhem Marshall stands at 6-4 and nearly averages a double-double for us. Clarence Lewis is one of the best on-ball defenders in the state — Jr Metcalf is a talented freshman point guard with much potential and Leto Mena, with his willingness to stay ready and provide great energy for the team each night.”

Shannon said the coaches entered the season expecting to continue shifting the culture of the athletic environment at Lee High School.

“Me working in the school district is also having an impact as it’s allowing relationships to grow,” he explained. “By shifting the culture, we set expectations and hold each other accountable; student-athletes and coaching staff. Last year, our team didn’t perform in regards to our record, but I do believe the foundation was laid for the basketball program.

“I really credit my college coaching experience for my preparation of myself and of the coaching staff. We all perform well and it makes my job easy as the head coach. Capturing the outright conference title is huge and will drive us into March as we build towards the Breslin Center. We want to ride this momentum and continue our rebuild of the program.


“We want to be around for a while and plan to be around for a while.”

South Christian boys hand Catholic Central first league loss in six years

Carson Vis led the Sailors with 24 points. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

In their first meeting last month at Grand Rapids Catholic Central, the South Christian boys basketball team had the lead for much of the game, but couldn’t close the deal.

In the rematch at South Christian Tuesday evening, South Christian took the lead early and never looked back as the Sailors handed Catholic Central its first conference loss since 2017 with an 82-54 win.

“It was an unbelievable defensive effort,” South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson said. “Our defense set the tone. We came out and played some tough man-to-man defense the entire game. We also made some shots early and that always helps.”

As they did in January at Catholic, the Sailors jumped out to an early lead. They scored the first five points of the game and led 8-2 in the early going. At the end of the first quarter the Sailors were up 17-12.

“They (South Christian) were a lot more physical and were the tougher team tonight,” Catholic Central Coach TJ Meerman said. “Things were not going our way and our defense was not like it has been.”

Sailors enjoy 10-0 run before halftime

Catholic Central was within three points in the early going in the second quarter when the Sailors began to heat up on the offensive end of the floor and ratcheted things down on the defensive end. Up 25-22, South Christian closed out the first half by outscoring Catholic Central 10-0 to take a 35-22 lead into the locker room.

Senior Sam Medendorp highlighted the run with a dunk that fired up an already pumped-up Sailor home crowd. Medendorp then capped the scoring just before halftime with an offensive rebound and putback that put the Sailors up by 13.

“This win is huge,” Medendorp said. “This is something I’ve wanted my entire high school career. We’ve come so close before. In my sophomore year we lost to them at the buzzer in the district and earlier this year at their place we lost by two after leading most of the game. This time we got on them early and never let up. This feels so good.”

South Christian came out in the second half and continued to keep the pressure on the Cougars both offensively and defensively. South went up 39-24 early in the third. Catholic Central cut the South lead to 47-34 later in the quarter, but the Sailors finished that quarter strong, and took a 55-36 advantage into the fourth.



Carson Vis takes a jumper over the outstretched hands of a Catholic Central defender. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Carson Vis scored 24 for Sailors

South Christian sophomore Carson Vis, who led the Sailors in scoring with 24 points, helped lead the way in the third.

“This feels so good,” Vis said. “We played together as a team and didn’t let up the entire game. We rebounded really well and played some great defense. We knew they had something like a 77 game conference winning streak, but we worked so hard for this. We really wanted it.”

South Christian continued to build the lead in the final quarter as it was determined to not let the Cougars back into the game. South stretched the lead to 61-38 early in the fourth. The Sailors then outscored Catholic 14-6 to close out the game.

“They (Catholic Central) are an unbelievable team,” Johnson said. “They’ve won state championships, so we knew we had to play our best. We just wanted another shot at them after losing that first one. We’ve come so far as a team since the beginning of the season.


“We got out to a slow start with the football team playing for the state championship, but we’ve been coming together since then. We’re playing really well right now and if we stay humble and keep playing for each other we can get even better.”

 

Along with 24 from Vis, South Christian received 22 points from Jake Vermaas. Jake DeHaan added 14 points followed by Medendorp with 10.



Jake Vermaas, who scored 22 points, looks for an opening. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



With the win, South Christian improved to 12-1 in the OK Gold, 17-3 overall. The Sailors return to action Friday when they host Cedar Springs and then close out the regular season next Tuesday when they host East Kentwood.

Kaden Brown led Catholic Central with 27 points, while Durrel Brooks added 17. The Cougars fell to 12-1 in the Gold, 14-6 overall.             

Tuesday night basketball scores and team leaders, Feb. 21

(Courtesy, pxhere.com)




By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


Tuesday, Feb. 21 Boys Basketball

Lee 89, Grand River Prep 68

South Christian 82, Catholic Central 54

(SC: Carson Vis, 24 points; Jake Vermaas, 22. CC: Kaden Brown, 27 points)

Wyoming 50, Zeeland West 48

(WY: Quintin Williams, 13 points, 4 assists, 4 steals; Alyjah Chandler, 12 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals)

Tri-unity 57, Pewamo-Westphalia 52

(TU: Keaton Blanker, 21 points, 6 assists; Jordan VanKlompenberg, 15 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds; Roy Fogg, 10 points)

Potter’s House 76, Fruitport Calvary Christian 37

(PH: Quincy Winkle, 17 points; Malachi VerWys, 15)

West Ottawa at East Kentwood

Godwin Heights at Sparta

Calvin Christian at Kelloggsville

Zion Christian at Wellspring Prep

Tuesday, Feb. 21 Girls Basketball

Potter’s House 55, Fruitport Calvary Christian 32

Calvin Christian 57, Kelloggsville 30

Catholic Central 53, South Christian 50

Zeeland West 48, Wyoming 40

Black River 58, WMA 34

Sparta 51, Godwin Heights 39

West Ottawa 53, East Kentwood 50

Grand River Prep 70, Lee 32

Zion Christian at Wellspring Prep

Watch our latest WKTV Friday Night Highlights Show HERE, Feb. 17!



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Take a look at our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights, February 17!

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

Thanks for watching, and see you next Friday!

Wyoming girls come up short in WKTV Friday Game of the Week with Muskegon

Shakya Anderson led Wyoming with 15 points, followed by Ratliff with 11. (Courtesy, Wyoming High School)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

While the Wyoming girls basketball team came up short in a 50-44 loss Friday against league rival Muskegon, the game was another positive step forward for a Wolves team that is making substantial progress this season.

Last season, Wyoming finished with a 4-18 record. With two regular-season games left on the schedule, the Wolves are just one win away from tripling last year’s win total.

“We have been making tremendous progress,” said first-year Wyoming coach Jesse Vasquez. “These girls have been working hard every single day. They want to get better. They are a great group to coach and it’s great to see the love they have for each other and the love they have for the team.”

Vasquez also said the Wolves hate to lose, and that was evident during Friday’s game with Muskegon. Despite trailing by 13 points to Muskegon at halftime, the Wolves were not about to give in and battled the Lady Reds to the final seconds.

“Overall, we had a great second half,” Vasquez said. “Muskegon did a real good job of taking away our inside game in the first half. During the second half we concentrated on getting the ball inside. When we get the ball inside good things happen.”

Trailing 25-12 at the half, Wyoming began to chip away at the Muskegon lead during the second half. Senior Aaliyiah Ratliff hit a pair of three-point shots to loosen up the Muskegon defense and get some momentum going for Wyoming early in the third quarter.



Wyoming’s Aaliyah Ratliff scored 11 points. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Down 34-21 halfway through the third quarter, the Wolves went on a 6-0 run to cut the Muskegon lead to 34-27 by the end of the quarter. Shakya Anderson scored all six of the points as she was able to get the ball in the paint. Anderson closed out the scoring with a traditional three-point play after getting fouled on a basket in the lane with 1:32 remaining in the quarter.

Wolves end game with a 14-5 run

Muskegon turned up the pressure in the early minutes of the final quarter and was able to rebuild the lead to double digits. Wyoming, however, refused to fold and rallied in the final four minutes of the game. Trailing 45-30 with less than four minutes to go, the Wolves closed out the game by going on a 14-5 run. Ratliff again started the run with a trey. The Wolves then pounded the ball inside to Anderson and La’Anna Griffin with the duo combining to score nine of Wyoming’s final 11 points.

“They (Wyoming) hung in there,” said Muskegon Coach Bernard Loudermill. “My girls did a real good job of containing them early and we continued to be patient on offense.”

Muskegon was led on offense by freshman guard Mariah Sain who finished with 19 points while fellow freshman Aaliyah Winston added nine points for the Lady Reds who improved to 13-7 overall and 10-2 in the conference.

“At the end of the day, it feels good to get a tough conference win like this,” Loudermill said. “It’s always good when you can get a win on the road, especially at a tough place like Wyoming.”

Anderson led Wyoming with 15 points, followed by Ratliff, 11; and Griffin, seven. Anderson and Griffin also led the Wolves in rebounding with seven apiece.

Vasquez also was pleased with how the Wolves played defensively against a Muskegon team that features plenty of talented offensive players.

“Defense has been our M.O. all year,” Vasquez said. “As long as I’m the coach here that is going to be how it is. We are going to play tough defense. Offensively, I think we moved the ball well, especially in the second half. In the first half I thought there was a little too much dribbling.”



Wyoming Coach Jesse Vasquez talks to his team. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



‘The future looks bright’

While the Wolves were disappointed with the loss, the overall experience gave the team more reason to be optimistic about the future, especially with just two seniors on the roster.

“The future looks bright,” Vasquez said. “When me and my assistant Cody (Browneye) took over we knew the cupboard was not bare, it was fully stocked. We just had to coach them up. We are very excited about how the season is going and how the future looks.”


Wyoming closes out the regular season next week with a pair of games. The Wolves are at Zeeland West on Tuesday and return to Zeeland on Friday to take on Zeeland East.        

Friday night basketball scores and team leaders, Feb. 17

Lee’s Joe Russau led the Legends with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks in an 83-63 win Friday over Fruitport Calvary Christian. (Courtesy, Lee High School)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org

Friday, Feb. 17 Boys Basketball

West Michigan Aviation 75, Wellspring Prep 38

(WMA: Joseph May, 19 points, 17 in the first half; Ethan Dyksterhouse, 18 points, 13 rebounds)

Tri-unity 68, Zion Christian 32

Lee 83, Fruitport Calvary Christian 63

(LEE: Joe Russau, 26 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks; Marc Whitfield, 18 points; Ny’Zhem Marshall and Troy Fox, 12 points apiece)

Muskegon 74, Wyoming 50

(WY: Quintin Williams, 27 points, including 9 Threes)

Potter’s House at Muskegon Catholic Central 7 pm

South Christian 72, Wayland 34

(SC: Carson Vis, 16 points; Jake Vermaas, 14)

Belding at Kelloggsville 7:30 pm

East Kentwood at Caledonia 7:30 pm

Godwin Heights at Hopkins 7:30 pm

Friday, Feb. 17 Girls Basketball

Muskegon at Wyoming 7 pm WKTV Friday Game of the Week

Muskegon Catholic Central at Potter’s House 5:30 pm

West Michigan Aviation 50, Wellspring Prep 18

(WMA: Audrey Mileski and Ava Bazuin, 15 points apiece; Amber Hilbrands, 7 points)

East Kentwood at Caledonia 6 pm

Belding at Kelloggsville 6 pm

Godwin Heights at Hopkins 6 pm

Lee at Fruitport Calvary Christian 6 pm

Wayland 47, South Christian 39

(SC: Lizzie Wolthuis, 12 points; Lily Nitz, 10. WAY: M. Terry and H. Laker, 15 apiece)

Zion Christian at Battle Creek Calhoun Christian 6 pm

Take a sneak peek at this week’s Friday Night Highlights show, Feb. 17



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Get an early glimpse of our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show with these exciting clips and interviews from our Tuesday WKTV Game of the Week: Muskegon Catholic Central at Lee boys. The Legends beat visiting MCC 69-58 to stay atop the Alliance League at 5-0, 15-1 overall.

Be sure to watch the complete FNH show on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Comcast Channel 25 and ATT U-verse Channel 99.

Lee’s Marc Whitfield scores 34 in win over Muskegon Catholic Central; undefeated atop Alliance

Marc Whitfield lit up the court in the win. (Courtesy, Lee High School)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Lee junior Marc Whitfield had 34 points and six assists to help the Legends beat visiting Muskegon Catholic Central 69-58 Tuesday.

The win kept Lee securely atop the Alliance League at 5-0 (15-1 overall), followed by West Michigan Aviation at 5-2, 10-6.

Ny’Zhem Marshall added 14 points and 3 blocks, while Joe Russau had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

“Marc plays the game with much passion and leads on the court with his actions,” said Lee Coach Dominic Shannon. “Against MCC Marc really willed our team to a conference win by remaining aggressive offensively.

“All season Marc has been productive with scoring and creating for others. We’re at our best when he can get into the open court and create.”

Shannon, however, said his team didn’t play its best basketball against Muskegon Catholic Central, at least in the first half.

“Many defensive blunders as MCC shot and made several open 3-point attempts in the first half, leading to a 27-27 score at halftime,” Shannon explained. “Our message to the boys at halftime was clear, respond and let’s play our style of basketball. Minutes into the third quarter we were active, creating fast breaks with our defense and were up 10 points very quickly.

“I think we responded to the adversity well … a few things to clean up in practice this week as we head to Fruitport Calvary on Friday.”

Other players stepping up

Shannon talked about other players pitching in for the Legends.



(Courtesy, Lee High School)



“At 6-3, Joe Russau has been a constant force inside and out as he has been relentless on the glass, blocking shots and showing the versatility in his game,” Shannon said. “Ny’Zhem Marshall has grown much this season and is gaining confidence at the right time. At 6-4, He’s been knocking down his outside shots at a good rate as of late and aiding Joe with protecting the paint. He has a lot of upside and is excited he’ll be returning next year. Excited for his future development.

“We think Clarence Lewis is one of the top on-ball defenders in the state of Michigan. Each night we give him the assignment of guarding the team’s best perimeter offensive player. Now, it may be hard to shut someone down, but Clarence does give tremendous effort each night to do so and make the other team’s best player earn his respect.”

‘Sights set on the Breslin Center’

Lee has definitely turned things around this year. Last season, the Legends finished 2-6 in the Alliance, 5-16 overall.

“Considering the previous state of the basketball program here at Lee, it feels good but the job isn’t done so we are not yet satisfied,” Shannon said. “The last conference championship for Lee was in 1980, and we’re a couple games from an outright conference crown. We control our destiny.

“The first priority is to secure the conference and then put on our dancing shoes as we head into March. The last state championship was 1960, and honestly we have our sights set on the Breslin Center.”

East Kentwood overcomes early deficit to stay atop OK Red

Darryl Thompkins Jr. (pictured from an earlier game) and Marshaun Flakes led East Kentwood with 12 points apiece. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor


It wasn’t the start the East Kentwood basketball team had in mind when it traveled to Grand Haven Tuesday night, but the ending was exactly what the Falcons were looking for in the matchup of two of the four teams that entered the evening tied atop the OK Red standings.

After trailing 10-0, East Kentwood battled back to claim a 53-47 win on the road and end the night sharing the top spot in the conference with Hudsonville.

“Grand Haven jumped out on us pretty good,” said East Kentwood Coach Mike Thomas. “We came out flat and they took advantage of it.”

East Kentwood weathered the early storm of the Buccaneers and began to right the ship as the first quarter progressed. By the end of the first eight minutes the Falcons managed to whittle the deficit to 17-10.

Treys turn the game for East Kentwood

“We made a few substitutions and we started hitting some shots,” Thomas said. “Christian Humphrey came off the bench and hit 3 three-point shots and Landon Storms hit two more threes. We did a good job of getting back into the game.”


Landon Storms (pictured from a previous game) joins in on the threes. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



East Kentwood continued to wrestle away control of the game during the second quarter. With the offense beginning to cook and the Falcon defense turning up the pressure, East Kentwood tied the game at 21 at the end of the first half.

East Kentwood’s defense was led by senior Marshaun Flakes, who was given the defensive task of slowing down Grand Haven standout Harrison Sorrelle. Sorrelle came into the game with a string of 20-point plus scoring efforts to his credit.

“Marshaun did an unbelievable job of shutting down Sorrelle,” Thomas said. “He is one of the leading scorers in the league and Marshaun held him to eight points. That was a huge part of our success in the second half.”

East Kentwood took over the lead in the game during the third quarter, and heading into the final eight minutes of the game the Falcons were up 35-32.






Grand Haven battled back during the final quarter and cut the lead to two points before the Falcons pulled away at the end.

“Grand Haven is a very, very tough team,” Thomas said. “They are a tough team to put away and we have to tip our hats off to them. We had to hit some timely free throws at the end and come up with some timely defensive stops and steals.”

East Kentwood used a balanced effort on the offensive end of the floor to key the win. The Falcons were led in scoring by Darryl Thompkins Jr. and Flakes who both scored 12 points. Humphrey added 11 points followed by Storms with eight.

Christian Humphrey’s return big

The return to the lineup of Humphrey, a 6-foot-8 senior, provided the Falcons with a big boost in the conference road showdown. Humphrey had missed the previous three weeks with an ankle injury that he suffered against Caledonia.

With the win, East Kentwood improved to 8-3 in the OK Red and 13-5 overall. The win also was the fourth in a row by the Falcons who continue to build momentum as the state tournament draws closer.

Momentum good for state tourney

“It’s perfect timing,” Thomas said. “Our goal is to have everything going by the time we get to March. “We are trying to create momentum going into March. We have a four-game winning streak and we want to keep adding to it and building momentum.



“It’s all about getting ready for March and playing our best basketball in the tournament. The guys are buying in and they believe we can do something special in the tournament.”

Falcons knotted atop Red with Hudsonville

East Kentwood’s win at Grand Haven combined with Hudsonville’s win against Grandville Tuesday evening leaves the Falcons and Hudsonville tied for the top spot in the OK Red with 8-3 conference records. Both teams have two more conference games remaining before they close out the conference season playing each other at East Kentwood on Friday, Feb. 24.

“We play Hudsonville on that final Friday,” Thomas said, “and if we take care of business, it can all come down to that game.”

East Kentwood returns to action Friday when it travels to Caledonia. The Falcons then host West Ottawa next Tuesday with the showdown against Hudsonville scheduled three days later.  

Tuesday night basketball scores and team leaders, Feb. 14

Aaliyah Ratliff led Wyoming with 18 points in the Wolves 55-15 win over Holland. (Courtesy Wyoming High School)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


Tuesday, Feb. 14 Boys Basketball

Lee 69, Muskegon Catholic Central 58 WKTV Tuesday Game of the Week

Potter’s House 69, Zion Christian 29

(PH: Malachi VerWys, 17 points)

Tri-unity 63, West Michigan Aviation 38

(TU: Owen Rosendall, 18 points; Jordan Vanklompenberg. WMA: Joseph May, 15 points; Luke Riebel, 11 points; Ethan Dyksterhouse, 8 points, 7 rebounds)

East Kentwood 53, Grand Haven 47

(EK: Darryl Thompkins Jr. and Marshaun Flakes, 12 points apiece; Christian Humphrey, 11 points, including 3 treys) 

South Christian 87, Kenowa Hills 34

(SC: Sam Medendorp, 28 points, a career high)

Wyoming 58, Holland 49

(WY: Maxi Morales, 15 points, 7 rebounds; Quintin Williams, 14 points)

Grand River Prep 65, Fruitport Calvary Christian 64

(GRP: LJ Cambric, 21 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks; Jaydon Weddle, 18 points, 5 rebounds; Julian Hardy, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists)

Godwin Heights 50, Belding 35

Kelloggsville at Hopkins

Tuesday, Feb. 14 Girls Basketball

Wyoming 55, Holland 15

(WY: Aaliyah Ratliff, 18 points; LaAnna Griffin, 10 points, 12 rebounds; Shakya Anderson, 8 points, 8 rebounds off the bench)

Potter’s House 39, Zion Christian 32

Grand River Prep 60, Fruitport Calvary Christian 55

Muskegon Catholic Central 40, Lee 21

Hopkins 53, Kelloggsville 31

Belding 65, Godwin Heights 56

South Christian 43, Kenowa Hills 30

East Kentwood 40, Grand Haven 39

Watch our latest WKTV Friday Night Highlights Show HERE, Feb. 10!



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Take a look at our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights, February 10!



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



Thanks for watching, and see you next Friday!

East Kentwood boys use big second half to stop Grandville in OK Red showdown Friday

Jamell Hatchett covers Grandville’s Tyson Mann. Hatchett and Marshaun Flakes led the Falcons with 19 points each. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



If Friday’s result is any indication, opponents of East Kentwood might thick twice about coming out in a zone defense against the Falcons.

Thanks to some accurate outside shooting and timely drives to the basket, East Kentwood’s offense reached overdrive in the second half as the Falcons defeated Grandville 73-58 in an OK Red showdown of conference frontrunners.

“I thought this was a good game for us,” said East Kentwood Coach Mike Thomas. “Our guys struggle against a zone, but they showed tonight they are starting to figure the zone out. This is the largest amount of points we’ve scored against a zone in a long time.”

The 73 points the Falcons scored Friday was almost double the amount of points they scored a month ago when the Falcons dropped a 48-41 decision to Grandville on the road. The win also crowded things at the top of the OK Red as East Kentwood, Grandville, Grand Haven and Hudsonville are all tied for the top spot in the league with 7-3 conference records.

Huge second half for the Falcons

East Kentwood was especially productive against the Grandville zone defense in the second half. Trailing Grandville 32-27 at halftime, East Kentwood outscored the Bulldogs 46-26 in the second half.

East Kentwood stormed out of the locker room at the start of the second half to outscore Grandville 20-5 and take control of the game. Senior Marshaun Flakes led the charge in the second half as he scored Kentwood’s first seven points of the third quarter.

“This was big,” Flakes said. “The last time we played them (Grandville) we started slow. Tonight, we came out with a lot more energy and intensity. We really brought the energy in the second half.”

East Kentwood brought plenty of defensive energy to the floor in the second half. Steals on the defensive end led to some layups on the offensive end of the floor. Both Flakes and Jaden Bowman came up with big steals in the early going in the third quarter as the Falcons took the lead in the game.

“It’s always our defense that gets us going,” Thomas said. “Our defense has kept us in every game. We also made some defensive adjustments at halftime.”

East Kentwood lights up the treys

On the offensive side of the floor, the Falcons sliced apart the Grandville zone with a combination of accurate shooting from the perimeter and timely drives to the basket. East Kentwood connected on seven three-point shots during the game. Jamell Hatchett led the way from outside as he connected on three, three-point shots while Rasheed Watkins hit a pair of treys.

Balance also was a key for the East Kentwood offense. Hatchett and Flakes led the way for the Falcon offense as they both totaled 19 points. Darryl Thompkins poured in 15 points, while Watkins added 12.



East Kentwood’s Darryl Thompkins, Jr. takes the ball up the court. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



A standout on both ends of the court, Flakes also was instrumental in providing the Falcons with strong leadership, especially coming out in the second half facing a five-point deficit.

“Marshaun was unbelievable tonight,” Thomas said. “He is the leader of our team. I’ve been coaching for a while now and have had some great leaders. Like I told my wife, Marshaun is one of the top leaders I’ve ever had.”

That leadership was evident in the early stages of the fourth quarter when Grandville made an effort to get back into the game. Up 49-43 at the end of the third quarter, Grandville whittled the Kentwood lead to 51-47  before Flakes drained a pair of free throws to stem the tide.



Grandville managed to cut the Falcon lead to 53-49, but a three-point shot by Watkins started a 7-0 Falcon run that built their lead to 60-49 with five minutes left in the game. Grandville managed to cut the Kentwood margin to 60-52, but that was as close as the Bulldogs would get as Kentwood pulled away in the final few minutes of the game.

“This was a big win for us,” Flakes said. “This win will give us some momentum going into March.”

With the win, East Kentwood improved to 11-5 overall. The Falcons return to action Saturday when they travel to Benton Harbor to play Detroit Old Redford in the Wilson Chandler Shootout. The Falcons then travel to Grand Haven on Tuesday to face another team that is part of the logjam at the top of the conference standings before heading to Caledonia on Friday.

Grandville fell to 10-6 overall and 7-3 in the league. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Tyson Mann who finished with 31 points.

Friday night basketball scores and team leaders, Feb. 10

(Courtesy, Lee High School)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


Friday, Feb. 10 Boys Basketball

East Kentwood 73, Grandville 58 WKTV Game of the Week

Lee 62, Tri-unity Christian 59

(LEE: Marc Whitfield, 21 points; Joe Russau, 19, 7 rebounds; Clarence Lewis, 11 points)

Reeths-Puffer 79, Wyoming 63

(WY: Avonte Wiggins, 23 points; Alyjah Chandler, 18)

WMA at Zion Christian

Grand River Prep at Saranac

Potter’s House at Covenant Christian

Calvin Christian at Godwin Heights

Kelloggsville at Sparta

Thornapple Kellogg at South Christian

Friday, Feb. 10 Girls Basketball

East Kentwood 63, Grandville 44 WKTV Game of the Week

Zion Christian 56, West Michigan Aviation 51

(ZC: Josie Doezema, 19 points; Sam Deutschmann, 12.; Madi DeRuiter, 10. WMA: Ava Bazuin, 22 points; Audrey Mileski, 21)

South Christian 59, Thornapple Kellogg 29

(SC: Lizzie Wolthuis, 17 points; Ashley Raredon, 11. TK: Jordan Pranger, 11)

Calvin Christian at Godwin Heights

Kelloggsville at Sparta

Wyoming at Reeths-Puffer

Grand River Prep at Saranac

Potter’s House at Covenant Christian

Take a sneak peek at our Friday Night Highlights show



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Get an early glimpse of our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show with these exciting clips and interviews from our Tuesday Game of the Week: Mona Shores at Wyoming Boys. The Wolves beat visiting Mona Shores 71-58.



Be sure to watch the complete FNH show on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Comcast Channel 25 and ATT U-verse Channel 99.

Eighth Annual Freeze Fest disc golf tourney (Feb. 18) sponsored by Kentwood and Great Lakes Disc

A photo from a previous Freeze Fest tournament. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org


The City of Kentwood and Great Lakes Disc are partnering to host the eighth annual Freeze Fest doubles disc golf tournament and food drive on Saturday, Feb. 18.

Disc golfers of all skill levels are invited to join the best-shot doubles competition at Old Farm Park, 2350 Embro Dr. SE from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All proceeds will go to support Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry.

On-site registration begins at 9 a.m. and the first round of the tournament starts at 10 a.m. Pre-registration is encouraged online at kentwood.us/FreezeFest. The cost is $25 per person or $50 per team and one canned food donation.

 

A photo from a previous Freeze Fest tournament. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



“It has been exciting to watch Freeze Fest and our other disc golf events continue to grow each year,” said Lori Gresnick, Kentwood recreation program coordinator. “We continue to be amazed by and are grateful for the generosity of the disc golf community.”

The Kentwood Little Free Pantry initiative began in 2017 as a community service project in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. The small food pantry is open to all community members year-round and is designed to fill an immediate and local need. It offers nonperishable food and personal care items. Anyone can utilize or donate to the pantry. No application is required and no questions are asked.

“The annual Freeze Fest gives the disc golf community a great opportunity to enjoy the game during the off season while also supporting the local community,” said Shea Abbgy, owner of Great Lakes Disc. “This is one of our favorite events of the year and we’re proud to continue partnering with the City of Kentwood on this tournament.”



(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



The demand for Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, has steadily increased since its opening. To help meet the growing need, the City of Kentwood opened a second pantry location in 2021 at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. More information is available at kentwood.us/LittleFreePantry.

South Christian Boys knock off Ottawa Hills 73-51 Tuesday

Sam Medendorp led the Sailors with 20 points in the win. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



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

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

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



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



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

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

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



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

Lee boys keep rolling with win over Saranac Tuesday

(Courtesy, Lee High School)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


With an 81-47 win over Saranac Tuesday, the Lee boys basketball team kept a near-perfect season moving along.

The Legends improved to 13-1 overall, their only loss coming on January 16 by one point to Charlotte (45-44). Quite a turnaround from last season, where they finished 5-16 overall, 2-6 in the Alliance.

“Overall, our team played great versus Saranac,” said Lee Coach Dominic Shannon. “Energy was appropriate, effort was strong and we have improved each game since taking our only loss of the season.

“Clarence Lewis really set the tone early in the game defensively, and by the end of the game, tied the steals record with seven steals, which was set a few weeks ago by our freshman point guard Jr. Metcalf.”

Junior guard Marc Whitfield led Lee with 20 points and 10 assists, followed by Joe Russau with 19 points.

“Marc is very elusive in the open court and great at finding his teammates,” Shannon explained. “He’s our best playmaker on the team. Marc has been close a couple times to 10 assists, but last night notched his first double-double of the season in a team win over Saranac, which I was the varsity head coach at for two years.”



Lee huddles during a win over Potter’s House Christian last Friday. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Shannon said his team’s defense has been the anchor.

“Our wing/front court players, Ny’Zhem Marshall, Joe Russau and Keontae Taylor, have really been a huge disruption in the paint by altering shots and starting the break,” Shannon said. “We’re dangerous once we get out and run the court. As we head into March, as coaches we want to keep practice competitive and energetic.

“With the season stretching across a few months, it can be tough at times to keep energy and effort high, but I think our staff has managed to do a great job of keeping the boys engaged.”

Sitting atop the Alliance League at 3-0, Shannon talked about his team’s opportunities.

“We are in control of our destiny with a huge conference game this Friday at home versus Tri-unity Christian,” Shannon said. “Our goals are set high for this team, but our immediate goal is to win the Alliance crown, and it must be done defensively.”

NorthPointe Christian overcomes early deficit to upend Godwin Heights

Jakhary Towns led the Wolverines with 23 points. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



Godwin Heights came out of the gate fast during Tuesday’s OK Silver showdown against NorthPointe Christian, but it was the visiting Mustangs that came away with a 69-67 win in a game that came down to the final seconds.

“You have to give the credit to NorthPointe,” said Godwin Heights Coach Tyler Whittemore. “They are a well-coached team and their kids played hard. They made some key shots and battled the entire game.”

Godwin Heights grabbed the early advantage in the game thanks to some outstanding defense and shot making on the offensive side of the floor. Godwin built a double-digit lead by the middle of the first quarter. The Wolverines were up 18-8 before NorthPointe Christian cut the margin in half by the end of the opening quarter.

The Wolverines kept control of the lead in the early going of the second quarter with a three-point shot by Jaylen Martin putting the Wolverines up 26-19 with 4:34 remaining in the half.

All tied up at the half

NorthPointe Christian, however, would not back down and a six-point Mustang run trimmed Godwin’s lead to a single point. By halftime, NorthPointe caught the Wolverines and the two teams went into the locker rooms tied at 34-34.

“We have a team full of seniors,” said NorthPointe Christian Coach Justin Yoder. “We start four seniors so we have a lot of experience. I told the guys no matter if we are up by 10 or down by 10, we have to stay the course. We have to execute on offense and play good defense.”

From halftime on, the game became a back-and-forth struggle, with neither team able to get more than a four-point lead in the third quarter or a five-point advantage in the fourth.

NorthPointe led 51-50 at the end of the third quarter before Godwin Heights surged ahead in the early minutes of the fourth. NPC led 65-63 with a minute remaining in the game when the Mustangs received a big play from Deangelo Person. He drove to the basket and scored and was also fouled on the play. Person added the free throw putting NorthPointe up 68-63.

Jamarion Collins trey tightens it up at the end

Godwin replied with a final run of its own. After a free throw by Jamarion Collins, the Wolverine defense came up with a stop and on the next possession Collins drained a three-point shot cutting the margin to 68-67 with 15 seconds remaining.

With eight seconds left in the game, NorthPointe’s Mitchell White split a pair of free throws that put the Mustangs up 69-67. Godwin had an opportunity to tie the game in the final seconds, but a pair of missed free throws and a missed putback at the buzzer enabled NorthPointe to come away with the win.

“We had a shot at the end and that is all you can ask for,” Whittemore said. “They (NorthPointe) made the shots. That’s a really good team and we’ve battled back and forth with them all year.”

Godwin gets earlier win

Godwin Heights defeated NPC 84-72 when the two teams previously met January 10 at NorthPointe.

“Godwin is a really good team,” Yoder said. “We changed up our defense this time. We went to a 3-2 zone the whole game and tried to mix it up. It was a game of runs and I’m super-proud of my boys. This was a big win for us.”

Jakhary Towns scores 23

Jakhary Towns led Godwin with 23 points, followed by Collins and Damarie Thompson, 10 apiece and Marco Rodriguez, nine.

NorthPointe was led by Kayden Bird with 27 points and Person, 17.

With the loss, Godwin Heights fell to 10-4 overall and 6-3 in the league. The Wolverines return to action Friday when they host Calvin Christian and then host Belding next Tuesday.

Tuesday night basketball scores and team leaders, Feb. 7

Marc Whitfield leads Lee with 20 points and 10 assists in an 81-47 win over Saranac Tuesday. (Courtesy, Lee High School)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org

Tuesday, Feb. 7 Boys Basketball

Wyoming 71, Mona Shores 58 WKTV Game of the Week 

(WY: Warren Williams, 17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals; Avonte Wiggins, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists)

Lee 81, Saranac 47

(LEE: Marc Whitfield, 20 points, 10 assists; Joe Russau, 19 points)

Tri-unity Christian 71, Ravenna 39

(TU: Jordan VanKlompenberg and Keaton Blanker, 14 points apiece. Blanker also had 5 assists and 4 steals; Trey Rillema and Akais Giplaye, 6 rebounds each)

Potter’s House 78, Wellspring Prep 43

(PH: Quincy Winkle, 19 points)

South Christian 73, Ottawa Hills 51

(SC: Sam Medendorp, 20 points; Jake DeHaan, 17 points. OH: Craig Hureskin 17 points)

West Michigan Aviation 63, North Muskegon 55

(WMA: Luke Riebel, 22 points; Joseph May, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers; Ethan Dyksterhouse led with 9 rebounds)

NorthPointe Christian 69, Godwin Heights 67

Zion Christian, Grand River Prep

Rockford at East Kentwood

Kelloggsville at Comstock Park


West Michigan Aviation’s Luke Riebel scored 22 points to help the Aviators beat North Muskegon 63-55 on Tuesday. (Courtesy, Ethan Hewitt)

Tuesday, Feb. 7 Girls Basketball

Zion Christian 66, Grand River Prep 24

(ZC: Sam Deutschmann, 15 points; Madi DeRuiter, 14. GRP: Nkia Rodriguez, 10 points)

South Christian 57, Ottawa Hills 10

(SC: Ashley Raredon and Ashley Thomasma, 13 points apiece; Lizzie Wolthuis, 12)

Wyoming 44, Mona Shores 39

(WY: Aaliyah Ratliff, 12 points; LaAnna Griffin, 10 points, 14 rebounds)

Godwin Heights at NorthPointe Christian

Wellspring Prep at Potter’s House

Comstock Park at Kelloggsville

East Kentwood at Rockford

Potter’s House girls use big offense to beat Lee Friday

Isabelle Baez had a team-high 16 points for Potter’s House Christian Friday. (Courtesy, Jake Szetela: Riparea Videography)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor


The Potter’s House girls basketball team was hitting on all cylinders on offense as it defeated Lee 60-13 in an Alliance League game Friday.

The Pumas took a 14-4 lead at the end of the first quarter and upped the advantage to 35-6 at halftime. They continued to put points on the board in the second half, building a 50-9 lead to end the third.

Isabelle Baez led the way for Potter’s House with 16 points, while Anyieth Nhial scored 10. The Puma’s improved to 12-4 overall, 4-0 in the Alliance League, while Lee fell to 2-14, 1-2.

Watch our latest WKTV Friday Night Highlights Show HERE, and don’t miss our Feb. 10 show!

WKTV Friday Night Highlights, Feb. 3 2023



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Take a look at our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights, February 3!



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



Coming soon, we’ll have coaches and players stop by our studio after their games to chat on the show.


Thanks for watching, and see you next Friday!


Lee holds on to defeat Potter’s House in Alliance League thriller Friday

Lee huddles during a win over Potter’s House Christian Friday. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



The calendar may have said it was the first Friday in February, but the action inside the gym at Potter’s House felt totally like March.


In a game that was played in a state tournament-like atmosphere and in front of a packed crowd, the Lee Legends boys team held on to edge Potter’s House Christian 56-53.

Lee led the game from start to finish, but the victory was a hard-earned one as the Legends needed to withstand a spirited comeback by Potter’s House during the fourth quarter.

“I’m very, very proud with the way we faced adversity today,” Lee Coach Dominic Shannon said. “You have to take your hats off to Potter’s House. They played a great game, but I’m so proud of the way our guys responded to the adversity and playing on the road in a tough gym like they did.”

Lee seemed to have control of the game early in the fourth quarter as the Legends led 41-32 with six minutes remaining in the game. That lead, however, was anything but safe as the Pumas fed off the energy of their home crowd and battled back during the final six minutes of the game. Lee also lost senior Keontae Taylor midway through the final quarter when he fouled out with the Legends holding a seven-point lead.

Potter’s House cut the lead to 49-48 with 1:21 remaining in the game. That was when Silas Ondersma came up with a steal that led to a bucket by Aaron Leedy making the contest a one-point game. That bucket also capped a six-point Puma run.

Lee, however, refused to surrender the lead. A free throw by Marc Whitfield with 1:16 remaining and a subsequent offensive rebound and putback by Joe Russau built Lee’s lead back to four points.

After a free throw by Ezequiel Araujo drew Potter’s House to 52-49, Ny’Zhem Marshall scored with 43 seconds remaining to put Lee up 54-49. Lee was not in the clear, however, as Quincy Winkle drained a trey with 36 seconds left cutting the lead to 54-52.

After Lee missed a pair of free throws, Potter’s House drew to within one point when Araujo split a pair of free throws with 23 seconds remaining.

Right down to the wire

Lee upped the lead to 56-53 when Whitfield connected on a pair of free throws and then a steal by Lee’s Clarence Lewis with three seconds remaining sealed the win.


Lee sophomore Troy Fox came off the bench to help the Legends win. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



“We lost a key player when Keontae fouled out,” Shannon said, “but like the old saying goes, `next man up’. Troy Fox, a sophomore, came off the bench and he really came through for us. It was a great team effort with everyone contributing.”

Lee knew they were facing a difficult road test and in the early minutes of the game the Legends did what they could to take the crowd out of the game. Lee scored the first nine points of the game and held Potter’s House scoreless until the 4:05 mark of the first quarter.

“Our plan was to get out to an early lead and take the crowd out of the game,” Shannon said. “Getting that early lead helped to settle our nerves and give us some confidence.”

Lee led 17-8 at the end of the first quarter and took a 26-20 lead into halftime. The Legends continued to keep that working margin in the second half as they led 36-29 at the end of the third quarter.

Despite trailing the entire game, Potter’s House never felt out of the contest and gave the Legends all they could handle.

Fell behind early

“We fell down into a hole early,” Potter’s House Coach Kevin Kuipers said. “I think we had a little too much adrenaline early and we missed some shots. The last month or so we’ve been playing pretty good. We’ve focused on staying together and never quitting. Never giving up.



“I liked the way we kept battling back tonight. I’m proud of the ways these guys played. We still had a chance at the end and that is all you can ask for.”


The Pumas getting ready to defend Lee. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)


With the win, Lee improved to 12-1 overall and 3-0 in the Alliance League. The Legends, whose only defeat this season was a 45-44 loss to Charlotte, return to action Tuesday at Saranac and then host Tri-unity on Friday.


Whitfield led Lee in scoring with 16 points, followed by Lewis with 13. Marshall added nine points, while Russau had eight.

Potter’s House fell to 6-8 overall and 2-2 in the conference. The Pumas return to action Tuesday when they host Wellspring Prep and then travel to Covenant Christian next Friday.


Winkle led the Pumas with 21 points and Leedy added 12.

Friday night basketball scores and team leaders, Feb. 3

(pxhere.com)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org

Friday, Feb. 3 Boys Basketball

South Christian 73, Forest Hills Eastern 61 WKTV Game of the Week

(Jake DeHaan, 25 points; Sam Medendorp, 17)

Lee 56, Potter’s House 53

(Lee: March Whitfield, 16 points; Clarence Lewis 13 points, 7 boards)

Jenison 47, East Kentwood 43

Tri-Unity Christian 71, Grand River Prep 48

(TU: Roy Fogg, 20 points, 9 rebounds; Jordan VanKlompenberg, 12 points; Akais Giplaye, 9 rebounds)

Wyoming 72, Union 67

(Alyjah Chandler, 20 points, 6 rebounds; Maxi Morales, 13 points; Avonte Wiggins, 12 points)

Muskegon Catholic Central at WMA

Battle Creek Calhoun Christian at Zion Christian

Godwin Heights at Comstock Park

NPC at Kelloggsville

Friday, Feb. 3 Girls Basketball

South Christian 46, Forest Hills Eastern 42 WKTV Game of the Week

(SC: Sophia Prins, 12 points; Ashley Thomasma 11. FHE: Grace Doherty 13 points)

East Kentwood 53, Jenison 24

Wyoming 54, Union 43 Girls

(WY: Michaela Moore, 14 points; Aaliyah Ratliff, 13)

Lee at Potter’s House 

Muskegon Catholic Central at WMA

Zion Christian 56, Battle Creek Calhoun Christian 25

(ZC: Jayda Steenbergen and Brie Alsum, 10 points apiece. Josie Doezema, nine)

NPC at Kelloggsville

Godwin Heights at Comstock Park

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

South Christian plays some tight defense in a win over Caledonia Tuesday. (WKTV/Alex Bernhardt)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



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

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

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

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

Ashley Thomasma’s trey turns the game

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

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

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

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

Potter’s House girls keep the wins coming, beat Orchard View 52-14 Tuesday

Anyieth Nhial had eight points, seven boards and three assists for Potter’s House Tuesday. (Courtesy, Jake Szetela: Riparea Videography)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



The Potter’s House Christian girls basketball team won its seventh game in a row with a 52-14 win over Muskegon Orchard View Tuesday.

Coach Jake Hoogstrate said after a slow start to the game, his team got it rolling in the second quarter and “really turned it on in the third.”

“We wanted to pressure aggressively defensively and that finally started to turn into offense as the game went on,” Hoogstrate explained. “We had a season-high 16 assists in the game and really shared the ball well. Ten players scored in the game, also a season high.”

Isabelle Baez led the Pumas in scoring, in limited minutes, with 10 points and Anyieth Nhial added eight points, seven rebounds and three assists. Jordan Clark scored 6 points in her varsity debut, while Serenity Clark and Ivy Andreas each added five points. 

The Pumas are now 11-4 overall, 2-0 in the Alliance League.

“This group has been an absolute joy to coach,” Hoogstrate said. “We started the season with a challenging schedule and really learned a lot about who we were and what we were capable of. This team enjoys being around one another and isn’t afraid of a challenge.

“We brought a lot of players back from last year and have some great upperclassmen leading the team. They have bought in and established a great culture for our program. We have a lot of great opportunities ahead of us and we look forward to making the most of them the rest of the way.” 

Godwin Heights relies on defense in non-league win against Tri-unity Christian

Jakhary Towns shoots a free throw in a win over Tri-unity Christian Tuesday. Towns led the Wolverines with 17 points, all in the first half. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor


Timely defense and a balanced offense proved key for Godwin Heights as the Wolverines outlasted visiting Tri-unity Christian 76-62 in a non-league game Tuesday.

Godwin Heights came out playing pressure defense from the opening tip. That defensive pressure not only took its toll on the Tri-unity offense, but it led to layups on the other end of the floor enabling the Wolverines to eventually take control of the game.

Junior guard Jace Reid-Anderson was one of the leaders of the defense as he came up with some key steals to go along with applying solid pressure on the Tri-unity guard.

“I’ve been working on my defense a lot more,” Reid-Anderson said. “What we do on the defensive side of the floor helps us get our offense going.”

Along with his efforts on defense, Reid-Anderson contributed on the offensive side of the floor with 10 points, including a breakaway dunk in the final minutes of the game. The Wolverines, who led 66-58 with 3:27 remaining in the game, ended the game with a flurry as they outscored Tri-unity 10-4 to close it out.

Wolverines playing with ‘high intensity’

“I thought our intensity was very high early in the game,” Godwin Heights Coach Tyler Whittemore said. “Our best offense comes off our defense and I thought at times we did a nice job. I thought we also passed the ball well at times and got some high percentage shots.”

The game was a back and forth contest in the early going with Tri-unity leading 13-12 at the end of the first quarter. The Defenders were up 23-21 midway through the second quarter when Godwin went on a run to take the upper hand. The Wolverines strung together eight straight points to go up 29-23 and never surrendered the lead.

Godwin led 36-31 at halftime and upped the lead to 40-31 early in the second half.

‘Difficult to defend’

“I was disappointed with the way we played defense,” Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler said. “They are a very nice team. They are very quick. We tried to prepare for their quickness, but they were just difficult to defend. They also played some good defense against us.”


Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler talks to his team during a time out. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Godwin Heights led 54-46 at the end of the third quarter. The two teams traded buckets for most of the final quarter before the Wolverines went on the final run to put the game away in the final minutes.

Four players hit double figures for Godwin

Godwin, which had four players score in double figures, was led on offense by senior guard Jakhary Towns, who finished with 17 points, all in the first half.

“I thought we played with some good intensity on defense,” Towns said. “I also thought we did a nice job of moving the ball on offense. This was a big win for us, especially with us getting back into conference play on Friday.”

Senior Damarie Thompson also turned in a strong game for the Wolverines. Along with a strong defensive effort, Thompson scored 15 points.

“Every win is a big win,” Thompson said. “They were state champs last year so this was a big win for us. I thought we played ok, but we could’ve played a little better on the defensive end.”

Godwin also received 14 points from Marcos Rodriguez, eight from Jamarion Collins, six from Rashaad Dorsey and three apiece from Tre’Vonte Buckley and Jaylen Martin.

“I thought our guys off the bench did a really good job,” Whittemore said. “They brought a lot of energy into the game. They also did a good job of playing defense.” 

With the win, Godwin Heights improved to 9-3 overall and 6-1 in the OK Blue conference, a half game in back of Calvin Christian. The Wolverines return to action Friday at Comstock Park and then host NorthPointe Christian next Tuesday.

Tri-unity fell to 9-4 overall and are 2-1 in the Alliance League. The Defenders host Grand River Prep on Friday and then host Ravenna next Tuesday.

Roy Fogg led Tri-Unity with 18 points, while Jordan VanKlompenberg had 16. Akais Giplaye also reached double figures with 12 points, followed by Keaton Blanker, six.

Fogg led Tri-unity in rebounding with 10 boards, while Giplaye added eight.

Tuesday night basketball scores and team leaders, Jan. 31



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org

Tuesday, Jan. 31 Boys Basketball

Godwin Heights 76, Tri-unity Christian 62 WKTV Game of the Week

Wyoming 73, Holland Christian 60

(WY: Maxi Morales, 24 points, 6 rebounds; Alyjah Chandler, 20 points 5 rebounds, 7 assists)

Potter’s House Christian 59, Muskegon Orchard View 27

(PH: Malachi VerWys, 16 points; Quincy Winkle, 10)

Wellspring Prep at Grand River Prep

Muskegon Catholic Central at Zion Christian

West Michigan Aviation at Fruitport Calvary Christian

Tuesday, Jan. 31 Girls Basketball

Grand River Prep 56, Wellspring Prep 14

Potter’s House Christian 52, Muskegon Orchard View 14

Zion Christian 50, Muskegon Catholic Central 27

(ZC: Jayda Steenbergen, 13 points; Audra Kaptein, 12)

South Christian 44, Caledonia 36

(SC: Ashley Thomasma, 15 points; Ashley Raredon, 13 points, 11 rebounds and Lizzie Wolthuis, 11 points. CAL: Gracie Gortmaker, 18 points.) 

Fruitport Calvary Christian 53, West Michigan Aviation 38

Wyoming free throws help Wolves grab win over Zeeland East Friday in WKTV Game of the Week

Alyjah Chandler (No. 10) and Quintin Williams (not pictured) scored 23 points apiece in the win. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

Wyoming built a big lead against Zeeland East playing with plenty of fire and intensity, but in the end, it was their ability to stay cool as ice at the free-throw line that put away an 82-78 win in OK Green action Friday evening.

With the Wolves clinging to a three-point lead with 29 seconds remaining in the game, senior Alyjah Chandler drained a pair of free throws to give Wyoming an 80-75 lead. After Zeeland East responded with an old-school, three-point play, Avonte’ Wiggins put the game on ice for Wyoming by dropping two more free throws that hit nothing but net with five seconds remaining in the game.

“I just tried to stay calm in that situation,” said Chandler, who also scored a team-high 23 points. “We had some close games early in the season so I just tried to stay composed and hit those free throws.”

Momentum was on Zeeland’s side late in the game as the Chix battled back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter and tied the game with a pair of free throws of their own with 2:14 remaining in the game.

Adding more momentum to the Zeeland comeback was when Wyoming senior guard Quintin Williams was called for his fifth foul with 2:28 remaining in the game after coming back in a minute earlier. Williams tied Chandler for high-scoring honors for the Wolves with 23 points and his defense also was a big part of Wyoming’s early success.

Wyoming subs come through

While the Wolves lost Williams, their subs off the bench came in and stepped up, stemming the tide of the Zeeland comeback.

“Our bench guys came in and did a nice job,” Wyoming Coach Thom Vander Klay said. “We have a good rotation and those guys really stepped up for us down the stretch.”

Wyoming benefited from a total-team effort right from the opening tip. Playing aggressive defense and pushing the ball on offense, the Wolves dictated the tempo of the game as they took a 17-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Wyoming kept its foot on the gas during the second quarter as the lead grew to 31-18 before Zeeland East charged back at the end of the first half. Relying on its one-two combination of sophomore wing B.J. Walker and junior center Layne Risdon, East cut the Wyoming lead to 36-30 at halftime.

Walker proved to be a steady source of points the entire game for Zeeland as he finished with 33 points, while Risdon scored 19 points as he utilized his height advantage in the paint.

“Every game we try to start with a lot of pressure,” Chandler said. “We try to use our speed to our advantage and I thought we did a pretty good job of that tonight.”

Wyoming continued to utilize its quickness in the third quarter as it quickly built its lead back to double digits. Steals by Williams led to fast-break buckets on the other end of the floor as the Wolves built a 45-32 lead early in the third quarter. The Wolves were up 55-43 midway through the third before East began to chip away at the Wyoming lead and foul trouble began to hamper the Wolves.

“We tried to dictate the pace of the game like we always do,” Vander Klay said. “When we couldn’t that’s when they made their run. Having Quintin in foul trouble really stung us, too. There sophomore, number two, (Walker) took over and he’s a really nice player and their big guy (Risdon) was a load for us to handle, but we stayed calm and hit our free throws at the end.”

Williams also scores 23 for Wyoming

Along with 23 points from Chandler and Williams, the Wolves received 13 points from Wiggins, eight points apiece from Warren Williams and Maxi Morales and seven points from Gage Behrenbrinker.

With the win, Wyoming improved to 4-8 overall, 3-4 in the conference, while Zeeland West fell to 10-4 overall, 5-3 in the league.

Wyoming returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Holland Christian and then travels to Grand Rapids Union next Friday.

          

Ratliff scores season-high 30 points to lead Wyoming girls Friday



(Courtesy, Wyoming High School)




By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor


Wyoming senior Aaliyah Ratliff poured in a season-best 30 points to help lead the way for the Wyoming girls basketball team as they overcame a slow start to defeat Zeeland East 55-33.

After falling behind 12-2 to start the game, Wyoming went on a 12-0 run to end the first quarter and get back in the game.

“It was a big win for us coming off two tough losses to Muskegon and Zeeland West,” Wyoming Coach Jesse Vasquez said. “To bounce back against a good Zeeland East team gives us a real shot of momentum going into next week.”

The sizzling shooting from Ratliff also provided a big boost of momentum during Friday’s game. Ratliff connected on five three-point shots in a row during a span in the third and fourth quarter that turned the game around.

“She had a couple of 20-point games this season,” Vasquez said. “She averages about 13 points per game, but she shows in practice every day that she has the ability to make tough shots. She got in a rhythm in the third quarter where everything was falling.”

The Wyoming offense also received a boost from Maddie Longoria, who finished with 10 points for the game including a pair of three-point shots.

With the win, Wyoming improved to 8-7 overall, 3-4 in the conference.

“I thought our girls did a real good job of responding to adversity,” Vasquez said. “The girls did a really good job of staying together and staying the course and ended up pulling it out.”

Nine new members inducted into Wyoming Hall of Fame at WKTV Game of the Week Friday

(WKTV)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



The Wyoming Hall of Fame introduced nine new members in between the girls and boys basketball games against Zeeland East on Friday,

The new members include Pam and Jim Brower, long-time Wyoming Public Schools Boosters who volunteered at multiple athletic events.

K’Brio Kimble, one of the all-time best basketball players at Wyoming Park who finished with 1,252 career points.

Emily Holt Wallace, one of the best all-around athletes to come out of Wyoming, who lettered in five different sports.

Orlando Villarreal, A multi-sport athlete at Wyoming Park who was a standout on some of the best baseball teams in Wyoming Park history.

Whitney Hudson Sharkey, a three-sport athlete who was a two-time, all-state softball player and led the Rogers softball team to the 2005 state championship.

Shawn Veenstra, a three-sport athlete at Wyoming Park who was a member of the 1994 state semifinal basketball team and was one of the best baseball players in school history.

Justin Vasquez, a three-sport athlete who was one of the best swimmers in school history and holds career records in baseball for strikeouts and wins.

Jeff Klomparens, a three-sport athlete at Rogers who stood out in football, wrestling and baseball.            

Watch our latest WKTV Friday Night Highlights Show, Jan. 27




By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


Take a look at our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights, January 27!

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

Coming soon, we’ll have coaches and players stop by our studio after their games to chat on the show.

Thanks for watching, and see you next Friday!

Friday night basketball scores and team leaders, Jan. 27





By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Friday, Jan. 27 Boys Basketball

Wyoming 82, Zeeland East 78 (WKTV Game of the Week)

(WY: Alyjah Chandler, 23 points, 6 steals; Quintin Williams, 23 points, 7 assists, 7 steals)

Lee 90, Wellspring Prep 44

(LEE: Marc Whitfield, 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals; Jr. Metcalf, 19 points, 7 assists)

Potter’s House Christian 41, Tri-Unity Christian 39

Grand River Prep at West Michigan Aviation Boys 7 pm

Hudsonville 54, East Kentwood 45

Godwin Heights 81, Kelloggsville Boys 48

South Christian 59, Cedar Springs 36

(Carson Vis, 16 points, Sam Medendorp, 9)

Fruitport Calvary Christian at Zion Christian Boys 7:30 pm

Friday, Jan. 27 Girls Basketball

Wyoming 55, Zeeland East 33 (WKTV Game of the Week)

West Michigan Aviation 43, Grand River Prep 31

Zion Christian 49, Fruitport Calvary Christian 20

(ZC: Josie Doezema, 17 points; Jayda Steenbergen, 12 points)

East Kentwood at Hudsonville Girls 6 pm

Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville Girls 6 pm

South Christian 63, Cedar Springs

Hart vs. Potter’s House Christian Girls (AT Cornerstone Showcase) 7 pm 

Wellspring Prep at Lee Girls 7 pm

South Christian girls beat Catholic Central 65-64 in OT thriller

South Christian’s Ashley Thomasma led the Sailors with 20 points, including six 3-pointers. (Courtesy, South Christian)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



South Christian Coach Kim Legge summed up her team’s 65-64 OT victory over Grand Rapids Catholic Central Tuesday with three words.

“What a game.”

Down by two points in regulation with five seconds remaining, South Christian’s Lily Nitz sank two free throws to tie the game at 56 apiece.

The Cougars, however, weren’t quite ready for overtime.

After the free throws, they inbounded the ball and took it downcourt for a chance to win. Catholic Central made a layup at the buzzer, but it was called off sending the game into overtime.

Off to overtime

“In overtime, both teams went back and forth with scoring,” explained Legge. “With 1:30 on the clock it was once again all tied up at 62. We hit 4-of-8 field goals and they had 2 out of 5, but also had 3-for-6 on free throws.

“We always have a lot of respect for Catholic Central. Going into the game we knew we would have to put together four solid quarters in order to compete. We have been learning from each game we play and seem to build on those experiences. Our team has talked a lot about consistency and composure in the past few weeks and the team really leaned into that last night.”

Legge talked about Catholic Central’s inside/outside game.

“Grace McKinney and Emily VanTimmeren are both extremely talented and have great moves in the paint,” Legge said. “They also have kids that can shoot the ball so we worked a lot on our closeouts in order to be ready for their shooters.”

VanTimmerman led the Cougars with 20 points.

Ashley Raredon had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Sailors. (Courtesy, South Christian)



“We are a team that also has an inside and outside game with Ashley Raredon inside and shooters like Ashley Thomasma and Lizzie Wolthuis to name a few.,” Legge explained. “We shot extremely well in the first quarter connecting on 4-of-5 3-pointers.”

Thomasma led South Christian with 20 points, including six 3-pointers. Her biggest trey of the night came with 1:13 left in overtime from the corner on an assist from Raredon to give the Sailors a three-point lead.

Raredon had 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Sophia Prins added 13 points and six boards.  

   

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

South Christian’s Jake Vermaas takes the ball downcourt. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Conributor

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

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

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

A quick start for the Sailors

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

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


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

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

Cougars score 11 in a row

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

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

Sailors get 10 straight

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

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

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

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


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

Down to the wire

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



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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday basketball scores and team leaders, Jan. 24

(pxhere.com)


By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


Tuesday, Jan. 24 Boys Basketball

Tri-Unity Christian 51, Schoolcraft 46

(TU: Owen Rosendall, Roy Fogg, 12 points apiece; Akais Giplaye, 11 points, 7 rebounds; Keaton Blanker, 11 points, including the last 4 free throws to clinch the game) 

Potter’s House Christian 73, West Michigan Aviation 57

(PH: Quincy Winkle, 32 points; Aaron Leedy, 16)

Wyoming 79, Zeeland West 41

(WY: Alyjah Chandler, 14 points; Avonte Wiggins, 9)

Catholic Central 71, South Christian 67

Zion Christian 67, Martin 31

East Kentwood at West Ottawa

Benton Harbor Countryside Academy at Lee

Sparta at Godwin Heights

Kelloggsville at Grandville Calvin Christian

Tuesday, Jan. 24 Girls Basketball

South Christian 65, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 64 OT

(SC: Ashley Thomasma, 20 points; Ashley Raredon, 16. CC: Emily VanTimmeren, 20)

East Kentwood 59, West Ottawa 40 Girls 7 pm (WKTV GAME OF THE WEEK)

Zeeland West 55, Wyoming 41

Zion Christian 44, Kent City Algoma Christian 41

(ZC: Madi DeRuiter, 15 points, Josie Doezema, 11. AC: Izzy Lockwood, 15 points; Kassie Moore, 10.)

Godwin Heights 70, Sparta 53

(GH: Imani Taylor, 20 points; Mikasia Witherspoon, 19, including 4 3-pointers. SP: Averi Poet, 13 points.)

Grandville Calvin Christian 56, Kelloggsville 11


Friday, Jan. 20 Boys Basketball

East Kentwood 56, Caledonia 41

Muskegon 84, Wyoming 52

(WY: Alyjah Chandler, 16 points, 4 rebounds; Maxi Morales, 10 points, 6 rebounds)

Lee 74, Zion Christian 41

Godwin Heights 66, Hopkins 58

Kelloggsville 60, Belding 42

South Christian 81, Wayland 54

(SC: Jake Vermaas, 27 points; Carson Vis, 19)

Grand Rapids Covenant Christian 46, Tri-unity 35 

Grand River Prep 69, Muskegon Catholic Central 57

Friday, Jan. 20 Girls Basketball

East Kentwood 65, Caledonia 43

Zion Christian 46, Lee 10

(ZC: Josie Doezema, Jayda Steenbergen, Sam Deutschmann, Brie Alsum, 8 points apiece; LEE: Autumn Johnson, Imonie Davis, 3 points apiece)

Hopkins 68, Godwin Heights 49

(GH: Mikasia Kayter Witherspoon, season-high 19 points; Kashari Babb, 11; Imani Taylor, 10 points. HOPKINS: Matty Weber, 24 points)

Grand River Prep 52, Muskegon Catholic Central 48

(Kennedie Crawford, 25 points, including four 3-pointers; Abby Rivera-Sosa, 19 points)

Belding 52, Kelloggsville 17

Muskegon 70, Wyoming 61

South Christian 54, Wayland 48