Please join us for WKTV’s 24th Annual Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving Day!
Our WKTV truck has been busy all season long covering exciting high school football Games of the Week in the Wyoming/Kentwood viewing area.
If you missed a WKTV Football GOTW, or would like to see one for a second time, be sure to watch on Thanksgiving Day. Our 15-Hour Special, starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 28, highlights the best of our High School Football Games this season.
Relive the excitement right here on WKTV 25 Thanksgiving Day!
Check out the exciting clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights show of the season featuring many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
Just like basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked
Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville
Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)
Check out the exciting clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights show of the season featuring many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
Just like basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked
Friday, Oct. 4: Zeeland East vs. South Christian (at Byron Center)
Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville
Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)
Check out the exciting clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights show of the season featuring many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
Just like basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked
Friday, Sept. 27: Hudsonville at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct. 4: Zeeland East vs. South Christian (at Byron Center)
Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville
Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)
Greg Yoder, host of WKTV Friday Night Highlights, prepares for the weekly show (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
The WKTV Friday Night Highlights show features many area high school teams in action during the basketball and football seasons.
Every Friday, we bring you several high school boys and girls sports clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood areas, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.
Every Friday game will be aired that night on WKTV Comcast 25 at 11 p.m. The games will repeat Saturday at 11 a.m.
Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on WKTV Comcast 25 at 11 p.m. The games will repeat on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Tri-unity and Godfrey-Lee lit up the scoreboard on Friday night, as the Defenders scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to pull away for a 50-30 win.
The Legends, seeking their first win of the season, trailed 24-16 at the half and later found themselves down 38-30 before a kickoff return touchdown pushed the Tri-unity lead to double digits for good.
“Had a chance to go up in the first half,” Lee coach Lamar Marshall said. “Ended up throwing an interception into the end zone.
“A couple of drive killers were really the difference in the game.”
Braiden Luurtsema scores one of his three rushing touchdowns. (WKTV)
Braiden Luurtsema and Vergel Heath combined for five rushing touchdowns for the Defenders.
Lee celebrated senior night for its lone senior Elijah Beckwith, who gave the Legends a stirring speech before the game.
“We decided to do something different and let Elijah give the pre-game speech,” Marshall said. “He really lit a fire under our team and they played hard the entire game.”
Beckwith also scored a 65-yard receiving touchdown where he proceeded to break multiple tackles on the way to the end zone.
Anthony Blok added two passing touchdowns and a rushing one to lead Lee.
Tri-unity (4-4) closes the season at home against Gobles.
Lee (0-8) hosts Fennville in its season finale.
WKTV Game of the Week
Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.
Needing a win to improve its playoff chances, East Kentwood pulled away late in the fourth quarter to put away Hudsonville 29-20 at Falcon Stadium.
The Falcons jumped ahead 6-0 in the first quarter on an Elisee Kandee touchdown run that was set up by a J’Kari Couch 40-yard run.
Kandee returned to the end zone once again in the first half, this time on defense with a Pick-6. East Kentwood carried a 22-14 advantage at the half.
Despite being in a solid position to qualify for the 32-team playoff field (the Falcons are ranked No. 23 in playoff points for Division 1 according to MHSAA.com), East Kentwood coach Tony Kimbrough spoke about the importance of playing with a sense of urgency.
The crowd at Falcon Stadium takes in a game between East Kentwood and Hudsonville. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)
“We feel like we control our own destiny in terms of the playoffs,” Kimbrough said. “We treated tonight’s game as a playoff game and I think our effort reflected that.”
The Eagles pulled within two in the third quarter on a Trey Carr touchdown pass, his second TD of the night.
However, the Falcons responded with a touchdown of their own as QB Ben Cash kept it himself for a 14-yard scamper to push the EK lead to 29-20 with 9:20 left the final stanza. A fumble on a punt return would later seal Hudsonville’s fate.
The Falcons defense lines up against Hudsonville’s offensive unit. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)
“Didn’t play our best football tonight,” Hudsonville coach Brent Sandee said. “Had some turnovers and penalties at key moments in the game.
“The effort was certainly there, but we lacked the execution at times tonight.”
Cash finished with 119 yards through the air with a passing TD, as well as 38 rushing yards and a score. Kandee added 56 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, linebacker Stellan Bowman finished the game with 12 tackles.
East Kentwood (5-3, 4-2 OK Red) now looks ahead to its senior night game next Friday with Grandville (6-2, 4-2 OK Red), as both teams jockey for playoff positioning.
Hudsonville (2-6, 2-4 OK Red) hosts Grand Haven (1-7, 0-6 OK Red) next Friday.
WKTV Game of the Week
Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.
Get ready for high school football. The season opens this week on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 25 and 26 for your home teams in Wyoming and Kentwood. (pxhere.com)
By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor
WKTV is bringing you another great season of high school football, starting with our season-opening truck coverage of Ionia at Kelloggsville on Thursday, Sept. 1.
Our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck will film one game each week, which will include two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for our broadcast.
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. (See schedule below) If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD. Broadcasts also are available on Video on Demand at a later date.
The Wyoming Wolves travel to Forest Hills Northern on Thursday, Aug. 25. Game time is 7 p.m. For your team’s football schedule visit here
We are planning a much greater presence this year with high school football. Yes, even bigger than before if you can believe that. Every week, our sports staff will post football game stories and roundups covering each varsity high school team in our viewing area in Kentwood and Wyoming.
We plan to give you the stats and highlights of each game in our stories … explaining the details of how your team marched to victory.
Look for you school’s game story or roundup on our WKTV Journal website each week.
Support your team in every way by going to the games, cheering them on, watching the featured Game of the Week on WKTV and visiting the WKTV Journal for the exciting game stories.
WKTV Game of the Week Truck Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 1 Ionia at Kelloggsville
Friday, Sept. 9 Ottawa Hills vs. South Christian (at EK)
Friday, Sept. 16 Jenison at East Kentwood
Friday, Sept. 23 Reeths-Puffer at Wyoming
Friday, Sept. 30 TBD
Friday, Oct. 7 TBD
Friday, Oct. 14 Tri-unity at Godfrey-Lee
Friday, Oct. 21 TBD
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.
Your football team’s season schedule
For your home team’s complete football schedule click here
For more information on WKTV and what we offer, visit here
Local husband and wife business owners Daimond Dixon and Regina Russell-Dixon have landed a big win with their training company.
Alpha Human Performance, located at 3233 Eastern Ave., has been named the official Preferred Sport Performance Training Partner for the Midwest United Football Club. That’s the football that’s commonly known as soccer.
Alpha Human Performance co-owner Daimond Dixon stands alongside portraits of visiting athletes. (Philip Janowski)
Alpha Human Performance (Alpha for short) trains athletes from a variety of sports, including American football, basketball, softball, swimming and volleyball.
“We are excited to get the opportunity to help so many soccer players reach their potential,” said Daimond, who was a walk-on member of the University of Miami 1991 national championship football team. “Our programs use various methods of training along with cutting edge technology while focusing on our Four Pillars: Mindset, Training, Performance and Recovery.”
As Director of Operations, Daimond is responsible for training and Alpha’s fitness programs. Regina, a GVSU grad with a business degree, runs the administrative and business side of the company. The couple met in Michigan and has been together for nearly 20 years.
“Going into business with my wife was great; she’s very smart,” said Daimond, who played more than a decade of minor league football for several Midwest teams. “She set up the entire business side. I know training, I know performance. I’ve done it for two-and-a-half decades.
“So, we came together and crafted out an ideal formula for how we can take the training and actually make it into a business.”
Daimond began his training career in 1995, and since then has worked with teams and individuals at every level from high school to the professionals. Today, Alpha collaborates with local businesses such as Athleta, Clean Juice and Xtreme Cryo.
Becoming a Preferred Sport Performance Training Partner means offering direct training to Midwest United Football Club members. Alpha has become the standard for how Midwest United trains its athletes, and Midwest’s teams will be coming to Alpha to train.
Athletes train in Alpha Human Performance’s open turf area. (Philip Janowski)
Midwest United, which began in 1990 under the moniker GRASA (Grand Rapids Area Soccer Association), was the first youth select soccer club in Grand Rapids. The initial registration was 60 players from around the area and it was from these humble beginnings that it has evolved into one of the Midwest’s top clubs.
Alpha’s 6,500 square foot facility includes several options and opportunities for training. A Full Strength area includes up-to-date strength training and conditioning equipment. The open turf area is dedicated to movement-based training and sports performance. Upstairs is the recovery lounge, providing the latest tools for rest from the rigors of training and performance.
Motivation and mindset are key parts of Alpha’s training. Alpha works with a journaling program called Win the Mental Game, a journal for athletes. Mindset involves building a competitive mindset, and being aware moment-by-moment during a game.
“It’s all about intrinsic motivation,” Daimond summarized. Alpha isn’t about traditional training where athletes are constantly given orders on what to do next. Athletes should be motivated to pursue better and better personal performance by their own energy.
Alpha Human Performance co-owner Daimond Dixon (lower right) trains athletes at his facility on 3233 Eastern Ave. (Philip Janowski)
Notable local athletes that Alpha has trained include NBA players Xavier Tillman of Michigan State and the Memphis Grizzlies, as well as Duane Washington Jr. of Ohio State and the Indiana Pacers. American Football player Mike Brown of the Minnesota Vikings has worked with Alpha, and in volleyball Aubrey O’Gorman of Michigan State.
Alpha offers programs for non-athletes as well, in Adult Performance Programs. Classes are similar to those that the pros follow, with an easier start, of course.
“It’s about human performance,” Daimond said. “Push, pull, rotate, squat, lunge. We train in things which every single person needs. Before you’re an athlete, you’re a human. We all do the same things.”
Daimond noted that he trained a lot of area trainers when they were kids.
“My wife says I should get a shirt that says ‘I trained your trainers’.”
For more information on Alpha, log on to alpha-hp.com
Wyoming high’s Alyjah Chandler shoots over Caledonia’s Nic Bender in the Wolves 80-61 win over Caledonia in District tournament action. (WKTV/Pat Moll)
By Mike Moll, WKTV Volunteer Sports Director
Caledonia hosted the Michigan High School Division 1 boys basketball District tournament this week and they welcomed Thom VanderKlay and his Wyoming Wolves Wednesday night in semifinal action.
The Fighting Scots won the opening tip to start the game and the first quarter 13-8, but the Wolves took control after that, hitting 14 3-pointers on the night, and prevailed in the end by a score of 80-61 to improve to 14-7 on the year.
They will play East Grand Rapids for the championship Friday night, after the Pioneers defeated Byron Center, 53-52, to improve to 11-10 on the season. (For complete local district action, see a WKTV update here.)
Wyoming high’s Gene Atkins shoots for 3-pointer in the Wolves 80-61 win over Caledonia in District tournament action. (WKTV/Pat Moll)
The Wolves opened the scoring with the first 4 points before Caledonia got on the board with a free throw by senior Liam Mulnix with just over 6 minutes remaining. After another Wyoming basket by their own senior, and leading scorer, Ramere Draper, the Scots would score the next 12 to go up 13-6. Wyoming’s Jordan Love would score the final 2 points to cut the deficit to 5 just before the buzzer.
Nick Henry led the way for Caledonia coach Phil Visser’s team with 6 and Mason McKenzie chipped in 4. In addition to Draper’s 2, the Wolves had 4 points from Jaleil Holt.
The momentum gained from Love’s late basket continued to start the second quarter as Wyoming went on a 14-0 run of their own as the Wolves offense started to gel as the taller Scots would stay in their zone defense, only to have Draper, Holt, and Alyjah Chandler combine for 5 triples in the quarter.
That helped the Wolves take a lead, and control of the game, that they would not relinquish.
After a Henry basket for the Scots, Holt was fouled attempting a 3-point shot and would make all three free throws to make the score 23-15. Caledonia’s Elijah Holt would cut that lead down to just 5 with a triple of his own, but the Wolves would quickly respond with another 11-0 run to take a 16-point lead into the locker room, 34-18.
Draper, aided by his three triples, would finish with 15 points at the half. Holt was close behind with 12, while the Scots were led by Henry with 8. Wyoming outscored Caledonia 26-5 in the quarter.
The third quarter was a repeat of the second, even though Caledonia would double their first-half total with 18 points, Wyoming would put up 31 to increase the lead to 29 at the buzzer, 65-36.
Wyoming high’s Ramere Draper shoots over Caledonia’s Mason McKenzie to connect on one of his seven triples on the night in the Wolves 80-61 win over Caledonia in District tournament action., (WKTV/Pat Moll)
After exchanging points early in the final stanza, the Wolves would again run off 12 consecutive points to stretch the lead to 52-25. Caledonia senior Gavin Hurst came off the bench to score 8 points in the quarter, but his team again had no answers for Draper, who connected on another four 3-pointers giving him seven makes on the night, 14 points in the quarter, and a game-high 29 to close it out. He had help from Qua’dir Hatchett who chipped in 9 points after being shut out in the first half.
The final quarter was just a formality, but the Scots would continue their fight and were able to outscore VanderKlay’s Wolves 25-15, as he had subbed most of his key players by early in the quarter. Caledonia, again led by Hurst with 8 more points in the quarter, and 7 by Mulnix, while the victors were led by Hatchett and Jameson Lamrouex, each with 5 points.
The leaders on the night for the Wolves were Draper with 29, Holt with 15 and Hatchett with 14, while the Scots were led by Hurst with 16, Mulnix with 11 and Henry with 10.
The Wolves combined for 14 triples on the night while Caledonia had 5. Unofficially, Caledonia had 25 turnovers for the game and Wyoming took advantage of them by scoring 28 points off them, while Wyoming had 13 turnovers of their own, but only gave up 4 points off them. Caledonia concludes their season at 11-11.
The Wyoming High School and Grand Rapids South Christian boys basketball teams won semifinal games in their MHSAA District tournaments Wednesday, March 9, and advanced to district title games Friday in tournaments being played at Kelloggsville and Caledonia high schools.
Wyoming Tri-unity Christian also advanced in a tournament at Climax-Scotts high. Godwin Heights, West Michigan Aviation Academy and Wyoming Potter’s House Christian each saw good seasons come to an end in semifinal action.
Action at Kelloggsville
In the D2 Boys District 44 tournament at Kelloggsville, South Christian (now 16-5 on the season) defeated Grand Rapids West Michigan Aviation Academy, 73-35, as the Aviators fine season came to an end with a 15-7 overall record.
In the other semifinal game at Kelloggsville, Grand Rapids Christian (17-4) defeated Godwin Heights, 73-50, as the Wolverines also ended a winning season with a 10-9 record.
South Christian and Grand Rapids Christian will play for the District 44 title at Kelloggsville Friday, March 11, with the game scheduled for 7 p.m. The winner will advance to the D2 Regional 11 at Ada Forest Hills Eastern, with opening round play set for Monday, March 14.
Action at Caledonia
At the D1 Boys District 12 tournament at Caledonia, the Wyoming high Wolves (14-7) defeated the host Fighting Scots (11-11), 80-61, in semifinal action and will now face East Grand Rapids (11-10), which defeated Byron Center (6-16), 53-52. The District 12 title game will be at Caledonia, Friday, with tipoff at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to the D1 Regional 3 at Grand Haven, with opening round play set for Monday, March 14.
Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (15-6) advanced Wednesday in semifinal play in the D4 Boys District 114 Tournament at Climax-Scotts with a 58-44 win over Kalamazoo Phoenix (10-6). The Defenders will now play Martin (7-15) in the District 114 title game at Climax-Scotts, Friday, with tipoff at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to the D4 Regional 29 at New Buffalo, with opening round play set for Monday, March 14.
In the D3 Boys District 76 Tournament at Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, Wyoming Potter’s House’s season came to an end with a fine 15-7 record after the Pumas gave the host Chargers (17-3) all they could handle in a 67-62 overtime loss.
WKTV sports coverage and on-demand
WKTV recorded several regular season Featured Games which will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All 2021-22 Featured Games, both football and basketball, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand at wktvlive.com.
As the Wyoming High School Wolves and Grand Rapids South Christian boys basketball teams waited to start action in two of several MHSAA District tournaments being played around the area, several local teams were in action Monday, March 7, including at Kelloggsville high where the host Rockets and neighborhood rival Godwin Heights battled for the third time this season in D2 Boys District 44 opening round action.
After splitting two OK Conference Silver contests during the regular season — both tight, highly competitive games — Godwin (10-8 overall) defeated Kelloggsville (12-9), 87-78, to take the season series 2-1, and advanced to the semifinals, Wednesday, March 9, at Kelloggsville, against Grand Rapids Christian (16-4). The game will have a 7 p.m. tip-off.
In other action in the D2 Boys District 44 at Kelloggsville, Grand Rapids West Michigan Aviation Academy (15-6) defeated Kentwood Grand River Prep (6-9), 66-51, to advance to a March 9 semifinal game against South Christian (15-5), which had bye in the opening round. The game will have a tip-off of 5:30 p.m.
In other action involving local teams, East Kentwood opened play Monday in the D1 Boys District 12 tournament, hosted by Caledonia but with this game being played on the Falcons home floor. The game, against neighborhood rival Byron Center, was a close contest but the Bulldogs (6-15) ended the Falcons season with a 54-53 win. East Kentwood finished with a 6-15 record.
Byron Center will now play East Grand Rapids (10-10) in semifinal action at Caledonia Wednesday, March 9, with tip-off at 7 p.m. Wyoming high (13-7), playing in the same District 12 tournament but with an opening round bye, will play at 5:30 p.m., against host Caledonia (11-10), which won a 55-48 opening round game over Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills.
Wyoming Potter’s House (15-6), playing the D3 Boys District 76 Tournament at Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, advanced to a Wednesday semifinal game with a 56-24 opening round win over Saugatuck (8-13) on Monday. The Pumas will now play the host Chargers (16-3), which had an opening round bye, in a semifinal game March 9 at 5:30 p.m.
Wyoming Lee (5-15) saw their season come to an end Monday in the D2 Boys District 43 Tournament at Grand Rapids West Catholic, with a 68-16 loss to the host Falcons (16-5).
Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (14-6) will play in the D4 Boys District 114 Tournament at Climax-Scotts, with a semifinal game scheduled for Wednesday, March 9, against Kalamazoo Phoenix (10-5).
WKTV sports coverage and on-demand
WKTV recorded several regular season Featured Games which will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All 2021-22 Featured Games, both football and basketball, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand at wktvlive.com.
The 2021-22 high school basketball post-season is in full swing with three local girls teams heading into MHSAA District tournament finals Friday, March 4, and all the local boys teams set to open District play next week.
In the only girls District tournament on a Wyoming-Kentwood high school home floor, the East Kentwood High School girls (12-9 overall) look to continue their post-season run against Byron Center (18-2) in the D1 Girls District 12 finals at East Kentwood. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m.
The Falcons girls, who closed the regular season winning of 10 of 13 games after a slow start, rolled past Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, 81-14, to open District action Feb. 28; then defeated Caledonia, 50-36, on March 2. Byron Center enters the District finals 18-2 and with an OK Conference White title after a 14-0 conference season.
In other District finals action involving local teams, Grand Rapids South Christian (18-3) will challenge Grand Rapids Christian (15-6) in the D2 Girls District 44 finals at Grand Rapids Christian, while Wyoming Potter’s House (16-5) will play Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (11-8) in the D3 Girls District 76 finals at Fennville. Both tip-off at 7 p.m.
To get both the District finals, the Sailors girls defeated Wyoming Kelloggsville (7-15 final overall record), 54-27, on March 2. (For a WKTV feature on South Christian visit here.)
The Pumas of Wyoming Potter’s House girls, in early District games, first defeated Holland Black River, 50-25, on Feb. 28, and then defeated Saugatuck, 44-33, on March 2.
Boys Districts begin with big games at Kelloggsville
Kelloggsville High School will be the place to be in the local area for boys District play, beginning with opening night action Monday, March 7, as OK Conference Silver foes Wyoming Godwin Heights (9-7 overall, with a “stay sharp” game schedule for March 3) and Kelloggsville (12-8) play the deciding third game in their 2021-22 season in D2 Boys District 44 opening round action with tip off at 5:30 p.m. (See a WKTV feature on the two teams here.)
Kelloggsville high boys basketball team senior Damario Montgomery during a game Feb. 25 at Kelloggsville. (WKTV)
The District 44 tournament at Kelloggsville is loaded with quality local teams as well. In addition to the Wolverines and the Rockets, Grand Rapids West Michigan Aviation Academy (13-6) will open play on March 7 at 7 p.m. against Kentwood Grand River Prep (6-8). Then, set to start play Wednesday, March 9, Grand Rapids Christian (15-4) will play the winner of the first opening round game, while Grand Rapids South Christian (15-5) await the winner of the second opening round game. The finals will be Friday, March 11, at Kelloggsville at 7 p.m.
Two local teams, Wyoming high and East Kentwood, will be in action at Caledonia in the D1 Boys District 12 tournament. The Falcons (6-14) will open play Monday, March 7, against Byron Center (5-14). The Wolves (13-6 overall, with a “stay sharp” game at home against Benton Harbor March 3) get a first-round bye and are set to play the winner of Monday’s game between Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills and host Caledonia on Wednesday, March 9, at 5:30 p.m.
Wyoming Lee (4-13 overall with at least one game scheduled this week at the Battle Creek Academy Tigers Tournament) will play in the D2 Boys District 43 Tournament at Grand Rapids West Catholic, starting opening night, Monday, March 7, against the host school at 5:30 p.m.
Wyoming Potter’s House (14-5 overall, with a “stay sharp” game at North Muskegon March 3) will play at the D3 Boys District 76 Tournament at Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, starting with an opening round game Monday, March 7, at 5:30 p.m. against Saugatuck (8-11).
And Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (14-5, with a “stay sharp” game scheduled at Grandville Calvin Christian March 3) will play in the D4 Boys District 114 Tournament at Climax-Scotts, with a semifinal game scheduled for Wednesday, March 9, against Kalamazoo Phoenix (10-5).
WKTV featured games covered throughout the season, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand at wktvlive.com. You can also follow all WKTV sports programing at wktk.org/sports.
For many local basketball teams not fighting for a conference title in the last week of the season, the OK Conference Silver boys basketball finale between Godwin Heights High School and Kelloggsville high might have meant little as both ended winning regular seasons and readied themselves for their MHSAA district tournament.
But the Friday, Feb. 25, clash between the visiting Wolverines and the host Rockets — a neighborhood rivalry if there every was one — was not a game without meaning.
Godwin Heights entered the game comfortably in third place in the always tough OK Silver (at 8-3, 9-6 overall) but Kelloggsville also entered in the upper half of the conference standings with a very similar record (8-5 in OK, 11-7 overall). But one of those losses was a 73-67 defeat at Godwin on Jan. 28.
Kelloggsville high boys basketball team senior Cameron Mosley Jr. on the defense during a game Feb. 25 at Kelloggsville. (WKTV)
In Friday’s game, the Rockets gained a measure of revenge against the Wolverines, taking a highly competitive, back-and-forth contest that wasn’t settled until the final horn, 76-74. But both coaches agree that their neighborhood rivalry is good for both schools, both teams and really good to prepare each for the coming tournament.
“I think the neighborhood rivalry is an excellent thing,” Kelloggsville head coach Troy Ricketson said. “I graduated from Kelloggsville in 2009, I have played in this rivalry, so I have experienced firsthand the excitement it brings to the communities. The players know each other and have grown up together in some cases. Every time the two schools play in any sport, it brings a big crowd.”
Godwin head coach Tyler Whittemore agreed, and said he knows his team will always get tested when they play the Rockets.
The Godwin Heights high boys basketball team breaks huddle during a game Feb. 25 at Kelloggsville. (WKTV)
“We have always got Kelloggsville’s best games against us and we can tell that the intensity is increased,” Whittemore said. “It’s important that we understand the intensity in the rivalry so that we play as hard as we can each possession — no plays off.”
Whittemore also said that in games like the Feb. 25 visit to Kelloggsville, his team needed to be poised and stay “true to all of the things we’ve taught them throughout the season and move the basketball fast on offense without turning the ball over.”
But, speaking before the game, Whittemore also said he team could not “get out-worked (because) Kelloggsville talent will be able to put up lots of points quick.”
And that may well have been a key factor in last week’s contest — a Rockets offensive explosion to open the game and the fact that the Wolverines had to constantly play from behind.
Kelloggsville jumps out, then holds on
In the Feb. 25 win, the Rockets — and senior Corey Patton-Ivy — came out to make a early statement and jumped to a 28-16 lead after one quarter, with Patton-Ivy scoring 11 points including a three. Demoni Gamble, Brendon Tuinstra and Harry Knowling also hit from long range in the quarter.
But Godwin’s Jakhary Towns and Jabari Crump-Moore answered the call in the second quarter, scoring nine points each, as the Wolverines battled back to make is close at the half, 39-36.
The second half was a back and forth affair as Kelloggsville extended their lead to eight points after three quarters, 58-50.
Kelloggsville high boys basketball team senior Damario Montgomery during a game Feb. 25 at Kelloggsville. (WKTV)
But the Rockets then had to weather a determined Wolverine attack in the fourth quarter, when Godwin’s offense came alive with 28 points. But Kelloggsville made enough free throws in the final period — nine of them — and eventually survived to even the series at one game apiece with a 76-74 win.
For the game, Patton-Ivy led the Rockets with 21 points, while big-man Caleb Balsitis added 14 points, including six in the final period, and Marc Whitfield Jr. and Tuinstra added nine points each.
Godwin received a great game from Towns, who led all scorers with 26 points, followed by Jeremiah Drake’s 16 points and Crump-Moore’s 15.
Tough schedule needed to be ready for tournament
Irregardless of the outcome of the Friday game, both coaches say their senior-led teams have benefited from their tough OK conference schedule, and their overall non-conference schedule, to prepare them for next week.
The Kelloggsville high boys basketball team huddles during a game Feb. 25 at Kelloggsville. (WKTV)
“When we were trying to create the schedule for this season, we wanted to make sure we were playing competition that was going to challenge us and make us better,” Rockets coach Ricketson said. “We have had some success and have also been humbled throughout. I think that has definitely prepared us for what we will see come district time.”
Throughout the season, the Rockets have been led by senior Demario Montgomery and sophomore Marc Whitfield Jr., both of whom have been averaging more than 10 points-per-game, but also getting great leadership, good rebounding and 7-to-8 ppg. from seniors Patton-Ivy and Balsitis, and junior Tuinstra. Other seniors on the team include Demoni Gamble, Kevin Gaddis Jr., Harry Knowling, Jaevyon Turnbull and Cameron Mosley Jr.
Wolverines coach Whittemore also thinks the tough schedule during a sometimes up-and-down season has helped his team grow.
“This season has been tough and a great learning experience for our players,” Whittemore said. “Most of our games have been very close, on both sides of the winning, and each game has pushed our players to improve and work hard in practice.”
Godwin, too, is a team lead by seniors but with a high-scoring underclassman.
Junior Towns, now in his 3rd year playing varsity, is averaging 20 ppg., and, according to his coach, “is our best offensive player.” But senior Drake — he of the “high-motor and intensity” his coach says, averages about 14 ppg. and 7 rebounds per game. And fellow senior Jordan Norman, a “very good shooter from the outside” who can “guard the opposing teams guards or big guys,” averages 13 ppg. and 5 rebounds.
Other senior leaders include Mark Dolo, Crump-Moore, Kaleil Harris, and Javeon Lyons. While junior Jamarion Collins has been a force on the defensive end.
“Playing Godwin Heights basketball comes with some pressure and the understanding (that) due to the program’s history of success, even before I became the coach, that we will get every team’s best effort. We embrace that and has raised the level of all of the players we have in the program and we are hoping to peak at our performance now that the tournament is approaching.”
District 44 tournament preview
Both Godwin (now 9-7 overall) and Kelloggsville (now 12-7 overall) will play non-conference “stay-sharp” game this week — strangely enough, both against Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (14-3 overall) — with the Rockets at home March 1 at 7 p.m., and the Wolverines at home March 3 at 7:15 p.m.
But things get real in a big way Monday, March 7 as the two look to keep their seasons alive in their Division 2 District 44 tournament, with games scheduled March 7, 9 and 11, and which includes Grand Rapids Christian (15-4 overall), Grand Rapids South Christian (14-5 overall) and Grand Rapids West Michigan Aviation Academy (12-6 overall), as well a Kentwood Grand River Preparatory Academy (6-8 overall).
The good news for both is that the tournament will be in their neighborhood — at Kelloggsville. The bad news is that the Godwin and Kelloggsville will play the 2021-22 series-deciding game on opening night, at 5:30 p.m.
“Our district is a gauntlet, but I am excited to have it on our home floor,” coach Ricketson said before last week’s game. “I feel like we are playing some of our best basketball, and like the confidence these guys are showing.”
The WKTV Feature Game coverage crew will pay a visit to Lee High School Friday, Feb. 18, as both the boys and girls teams will be in action in an evening which will also be the athletic department’s Hall of Fame night. (See a preview story on the Lee high Hall of Fame night here.)
While the truck crew will be at Lee, we will also have cameras at Wyoming high on Feb. 18, as the Wolves athletic department also holds its Hall of Fame night at the halftime of a girls basketball game and as part of a special community night celebration. (See a preview story on the Wyoming high Hall of Fame night here.)
The Wyoming Lee games, when Byron Center Zion Christian comes to the Legends home court for an Alliance League doubleheader, will feature a girls basketball game at 5:30 p.m., and boys game at 7 p.m.
The WKTV Feature Game coverage crew will wrap up the 2021-22 basketball regular season with planned coverage of East Kenwood boys basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 22, against Caledonia, and then a boys and girls basketball doubleheader Friday, Feb. 25, when Wyoming Tri-unity Christian visits Wyoming Potter’s House Christian.
A look-in at Wyoming/Kentwood area basketball
The Grand Rapids South Christian girls won a big game Wednesday, Feb. 9, 42-39, over visiting Grand Rapids Catholic Central — and then avoided a letdown on Friday, Feb. 11, with a home win over Wayland, 51-38 — to run their record to 13-3 overall and take control in the OK Conference Gold conference race with a 9-1 record. (The Cougars are also 9-1, but are 12-4 overall). (For a game story and a WKTV video, visit here.)
The Wyoming high boys (9-6, 6-4 OK) won an early week contest last week, defeating Holland, 81-36, at home Feb. 8, before falling to state powerhouse and OK Green leader Muskegon on Feb. 11. (For an on-demand recording of the Wyoming-Holland game, visit here.)
The South Christian boys (10-5, 7-3 OK) went 2-1 last week in a stretch of three-straight OK Conference Gold road contests, bouncing back from a Feb. 8 loss at GR Central Catholic to score wins over Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, 59-45, on Feb. 9, and then defeating Wayland, 71-44, on Feb. 11.
The West Michigan Aviation Academy boys (10-4 overall) saw their six-game win streak come to an end in their only game last week, a 57-50 loss to Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, on Feb. 8. The two teams are still at the top of the Alliance League standings, however, as Wyoming Potter’s House Christian (10-4) leads the league title chase at 5-0, with Tri-unity at 4-0, and the Aviators at 5-1. In addition to the win over WM Aviation Academy, Tri-unity also defeated Byron Center Zion Christian, 72-31, on Feb. 11.
WKTV coverage and schedule/scores
Complete local basketball schedules as well as up-to-date scores of previous night’s games are also available at wktvjournal.org/sports-schedules-scores. (You can also just just bookmark WKTVjournal.org on your phone or other device and click on the blue banner at the bottom of the screen.)
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of basketball and other winter prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
The Grand Rapids South Christian girls basketball team at the start of the Feb. 9 home game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
Grand Rapids South Christian senior Sydney Vis gains a gain a ceremonial game ball for her passing the 1,000 point mark as a Sailor in a brief pre-game ceremony Feb. 9. With her is head coach Kim Legge and athletic director David Kool. (WKTV)
Grand Rapids South Christian senior Sydney Vis in a Feb. 9 game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
Grand Rapids South Christian’s girls basketball team breaks huddle in a Feb. 9 home game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
Grand Rapids South Christian junior Ashley Raredon in a Feb. 9 game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
Grand Rapids South Christian head coach Kim Legge “coaching up” her team in a Feb. 9 game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
Grand Rapids South Christian’s girls basketball team celebrates a win in a Feb. 9 home game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
The Grand Rapids South Christian High School girls basketball team had a statement win Feb. 9 at home over OK Conference Gold rival Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 42-39 — several statements were made, in fact.
The Sailors are not only peaking as tournament time approaches, but with the first order of business gaining a least a share of the OK Gold title. The team also has established that they are a defensive force to be reckoned with.
Grand Rapids South Christian senior Sydney Vis in a Feb. 9 game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (WKTV)
And, South Christian head coach Kim Legge is quick to say, the team is more than just Sailors super senior Sydney Vis. But her star player is one not afraid to take the ball when her team needs points and the “green light” from her coach to do so.
“You couldn’t ask for more than that,” Legge said to WKTV after Vis and the team secured its biggest win of the year. “When you have someone that everybody looks to, and someone who is as good as she is … she has been here (on varsity) for four years, and I am comfortable with her. She knows me well and I know her well. She knows what she has the green light to do.”
Vis, who will be playing at the college level next year at Hope College, finished the night with 18 points, with eight of them coming from the foul line as she repeatedly challenged the Cougar defense to stop her. That point total adds to Vis’ totals in a Sailors’ uniform, which saw her pass the 1,000-point mark in late January (and gain a ceremonial game ball in a brief pre-game ceremony Feb. 9).
Legge also agreed with the “tournament atmosphere” of the game against Catholic Central, which beat South Christian early in the season. Both teams are now 8-1 in conference but the Sailors are 12-3 overall while the Cougars are 11-4.
“We knew it would be a tough game, two really good teams … and we lost to them the last time,” Legge said. “Even with the crowd tonight, it had a tournament atmosphere.”
Defensive identity, other players contributing
The game against Catholic Central also showed two of South Christian’s strengths — a defensive mindset and the ability to share the scoring more and more as the season goes on. Both of which will help when the tournament starts at the end of the month.
The first quarter found points tough to get, as it ended with the Cougars holding a 13-12 lead, with Vis scoring eight of her team’s 12 points in the quarter.
The low scoring, forced primarily by strong defenses on both sides, continued in the second quarter, which ended with the Cougars still in the lead, at 20-18, but the Sailors staying close thanks in a large part to the work of junior Ashley Raredon.
The scoring picked up in the third quarter as the Sailors finally took the lead late in the period off baskets by Vis and Raredon, and entered the final period up 30-29.
South Christian never lost the lead in the fourth, but Catholic Central stayed close, never trailing by more than 3 points in a back-and-forth contest.
In the end, the Sailors missed some opportunities to put the game away at the foul line, but their defense never faltered to close out a 42-39 win.
Raredon scored 15 points for South Christian, while sophomore Sailor Ashley Thomasma added five. Senior Cougar Ella Mondroski led Catholic Central with 17 points, while junior Sydney Schoenborn added eight.
For the season, Sailors Vis is averaging 19-plus points per game, Thomasma is at about 9 ppg. and Raredon is at 7.5 ppg. — but coming on strong as the season goes on.
“We have had different games with different girls stepping up, it is not always just Sydney,” Legge said. “It makes it difficult for other teams to scout us … and it is getting to a point where we trust each other more. That’s good for us.”
Scoring balance aside — or at least punishing teams which focus too much on Vis, defense has become the “mentality” of the Sailors.
Legge said her teams usually find their personality as the season goes on, in the “second third of the season,” she said. And this season, they decided their personality would be defense.
South Christian will next play Friday, Feb. 11, at home against another tough opponent, Wayland (9-6, 6-3 in OK), which won the OK Gold in the 2020-21 pandemic-altered season, and also knocked the Sailors out of the tournament in second round, in OT.
Wyoming High School boys basketball in action Jan. 21 against Zeeland East. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff
The basketball season is winding down for local Kentwood and Wyoming area high school teams, with key conference games and tournament seeding at stake. So the WKTV Featured Game coverage crew will pay a visit to Wyoming High School Tuesday, Feb. 8, as the Wolves boys basketball team continues its push to the postseason with a home game against Holland.
Replays will be available the night of the game (and later as scheduled on our cable channels) on WKTV.org and hit the “Watch Live” button, and later on-demand at WKTVlive.org.
Wyoming enters the game 9-5 overall and 5-3 (and tied for second in the standings) in OK Conference Green. The Wolves won their only game last week, at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (8-6, 5-3 OK), 58-53, and avenged an early season loss. Holland will enter the contest with a 4-9, 2-6 OK record, but won twice last week in conference action. (For a recent WKTV Sports report on the Wyoming Wolves boys basketball team, visit here.)
A look-in at Wyoming/Kentwood area basketball
The Grand Rapids South Christian girls continue on their roll of now six-straight wins and enter the week 11-3 overall and 7-1 in OK Gold games after another convincing win last week at Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg, 41-31. The Sailors only conference loss came at OK conference leader Grand Rapids Central Catholic (currently 11-3, 8-0 OK), with the rematch coming this week, Wednesday, Feb. 9, on the Sailors’ home court.
The South Christian boys also won last week, over Middleville TK, 76-55, to push their record to 8-4 overall and 5-2 in OK Conference Gold. The Sailors play at OK Gold leader Grand Rapids Catholic Central (13-1, 8-0 OK) this week, on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
The West Michigan Aviation Academy boys won twice last week, over Saugatuck and Wyoming Lee in non-Alliance League action, and now have won six straight to push their record 10-3 overall and 5-0 to lead the Alliance League. But the Aviators face a league showdown this week with the Wyoming Tri-unity Christian boys team which will enter the Tuesday, Feb. 8, game at 7-4, 2-0 in the Alliance.
WKTV coverage and schedule/scores
Complete local basketball schedules as well as up-to-date scores of previous night’s games are also available at wktvjournal.org/sports-schedules-scores. (You can also just just bookmark WKTVjournal.org on your phone or other device and click on the blue banner at the bottom of the screen.)
The tentative WKTV Feature Game schedule for February is as follows:
Friday, Feb. 18, boys and girls basketball, Zion Christian at Wyo. Lee (HOF night)
Tuesday, Feb. 22, boys basketball, Caledonia at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 25, boys and girls basketball, Tri-unity Christian at Potter’s House
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of basketball and other winter prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
Wyoming High School boys basketball coach Thom Vander Klay and the team at a Jan. 31 practice as the Wolves prepare for the second half of their OK Conference Green schedule … and the state tournament. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The Wyoming High School boys basketball team finished their non-conference schedule with three-straight wins and then went 4-3 in the first half of their grueling OK Conference Green schedule, including a road loss to state power Muskegon.
So as the Wolves (7-5 overall, third in OK conference standings) prepared this week for the beginning of the second half of the OK Green schedule with a road game at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer — 8-4, 5-2 in conference including a hard-fought win over Wyoming on Jan. 7 — Wolves head coach Thom Vander Klay might be pretty happy with where his team stands.
And maybe not …
Wyoming High School boys basketball in action Jan. 21 against Zeeland East. (WKTV)
“Sitting in third was not the objective,” Coach Vander Klay said to WKTV. “We are definitely looking to become more consistent to compete in the (state) tournament. … We look to work to be the best team we can be, which may mean more victories in the second round and in the tournament.”
Despite a pandemic-altered 2020-21 season last year, the Wolves were in top form at tournament time, with a home win over Byron Center and then a tough, 54-52, road loss at East Grand Rapids to finish 7-9 overall.
In the 2019-20 season, the team’s last year in the OK Gold, the Wolves finished 11-1 in conference and 20-2 overall including two wins in the playoffs — before the pandemic stopped the season in the middle of what could have been a deep playoff run.
Now in the Wolves second year in the OK Green, Vander Klay does not see the move as giving his team in tougher schedule, it is just those long roadtrips — to Muskegon and Zeeland — that are a challenge.
Wyoming High School boys basketball coach Thom Vander Klay watches over a Jan. 31 practice as the Wolves prepare for an upcoming game. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“Not sure the Green is better than the Gold,” Vander Klay said. “We switch leagues every few years so it has been difficult to get rivals but we are getting to know these teams and what they try and do.
“The hardest part is the travel. We seem to have many schools we can play but we are going to the Lakeshore Tuesdays and Fridays.”
In the second half of the OK conference schedule, the Wolves will host four of the seven games, including hosting two teams Wyoming lost to on the road in the first round, Muskegon (currently 10-0, 7-0 OK) on Feb. 11 and Grand Rapids Union on Feb. 22.
Junior dominated team, with senior leaders
Coach Vander Klay said while the Wolves’ current team has only four seniors, seven juniors and no underclassmen, he is feels the squad is “doing really well”, especially senior leaders Ramere Draper (19.5 points per game average), Jaleel Holt (13.3 ppg.) and Jordan Love (9.4 ppg.)
Wyoming High School boys basketball player Quintin Williams prepares for the second half of a Jan. 21 against Zeeland East. (WKTV)
Draper was first team all conference last year, and Love was honorable mention.
One of the juniors making a big impact in the stat sheet with double-figure scoring is Qua’dir Hatchett (10.6 ppg.). But Alyjah Chandler, Bernie Varnesdeel, Eugene Atkins and Quintin Williams are also key contributors.
Andrew Tran is the other senior, while other juniors include Jaden LaFleur and Jameson Lamrouex.
WKTV Featured Game winter coverage of local Kentwood and Wyoming area high school usually focuses on basketball, but each season we pay a visit or two to East Kentwood High School to catch up on the Falcons hockey team — so this week, Wednesday, Feb. 2, will have have our cameras at the Mainstee vs. East Kentwood match.
WKTV will cover high school hockey this week. (WKTV)
The hockey match, set for puck drop at 4 p.m., will find the Falcons playing a non-OK Conference Red foe from up north in the second half a home-and-home series. Manistee defeated East Kentwood on Jan. 28.
Then, on Friday, Feb. 4, WKTV will be at Wyoming Potter’s House Christian for an Alliance League basketball doubleheader as the Pumas host Grand River Prep, with the girls playing at 5:30 p.m., and the boys playing at 7 p.m.
In the girls game, Potter’s House will enter the game 7-5 overall and 1-0 in league, including a win Jan. 28 over Lee and a cancelled game against Grand Rapids Wellspring Prep originally scheduled for Feb. 1. Grand River Prep enters the week at 0-5 and 0-2 in Alliance, but has two early-week games on the schedule before visiting Potter’s House.
In the boys game, Potter’s House enters the week at 6-4, 1-0 in Alliance games, following a win over Lee Jan. 28. The Pumas are scheduled to play Wellspring Prep on Feb. 1. Grand River Prep will enter the week with a 3-6, 2-4 league record.
A look-in at Wyoming/Kentwood area basketball
The Grand Rapids South Christian girls continue on their roll of now five-straight wins and enter the week 10-3 overall and 6-1 in OK Gold games after convincing wins last week at Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (63-32) and at home over Cedar Springs (52-22). The Sailors only conference loss coming at OK conference leader Grand Rapids Central Catholic (currently 10-3, 7-0 OK), with the rematch coming Feb. 9 on the Sailors’ home court.
The South Christian boys also won twice last week, over Ottawa Hill (69-51) and Cedar Springs (76-49) to push their record to 7-4 overall and 4-2 in OK Conference Gold. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (12-1, 7-0 OK) and Forest Hills Eastern9-3, 6-1 OK) currently lead the conference and are the two teams to have beaten the Sailors; but rematches with both are looming in February.
The Wyoming boys team (7-5) split OK games last week, with a 73-50 home win over Muskegon Mona Shores on Jan. 28, to stay near the top of the OK Conference Green standings at 4-3. This week, in a rescheduled game Feb. 3, the Wolves get a chance to avenge an early-season OK loss to Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (8-3, 5-2 OK).
The East Kentwood girls (4-7, 4-3 OK Conference Red) won early last week, 55-51 over Caledonia, to push their winning streak to four games and then gave state power Rockford (11-2, 7-0 OK) all it could handle in a 66-63 overtime loss on Jan 28.
The West Michigan Aviation Academy boys won twice last week, and now have won four straight and six of seven, to push their record 8-3 overall and 5-0 to take over the lead in Alliance League action.
The Wyoming Tri-unity Christian boys team won for the fight time in six games, pushing their overall record to 6-4, with a 78-52 win over Godwin Heights on Saturday, Jan. 29. In the game, it was reported on other media that senior Brady Titus set a school record for the Defenders by scoring 44 points.
WKTV coverage and schedule/scores
Complete local basketball schedules as well as up-to-date scores of previous night’s games are also available at wktvjournal.org/sports-schedules-scores. (You can also just just bookmark WKTVjournal.org on your phone or other device and click on the blue banner at the bottom of the screen.)
The tentative WKTV Feature Game schedule for February is as follows:
Tuesday, Feb. 8, boys basketball, Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Feb. 11, boys hockey, Petoskey at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 18, boys and girls basketball, Zion Christian at Wyo. Lee (HOF night)
Tuesday, Feb. 22, boys basketball, Caledonia at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 25, boys and girls basketball, Tri-unity Christian at Potter’s House
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of basketball and other winter prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
The West Michigan Aviation Academy boys basketball is not just a one-man — or one family — show, but the first two names on the roster are senior Joey Riebel and sophomore Luke Riebel, and the Aviators are led by first-year head coach (and father) Austin Riebel.
And as the Aviators have jumped out to a 6-3-1 (with the 1 being a cancelation/postponement), and 3-0 in Alliance League play, it is clear that the family and friends plan may well be working to perfection.
“Both of the boys” are starters and key players, Coach Riebel said to WKTV. “Luke is our leading scorer right now, averaging about 15 (points) a game right now. He’s got a gift and the gift is he can really shoot the ball.”
Joey, “my oldest, is our point guard. He plays a ton. He makes us go. … He is our third leading scores … averages six assists a game and only three turnovers a game, which is great for us.”
First-year head coach Austin Riebel and his Michigan Aviation Academy boys basketball at practice. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
But the team is more than just the Riebel boys, and coach Riebel was quick to mention junior 6-foot-6 big man Ethan Dyksterhouse. He is the team’s second leading scorer, averaging about 14 per game with nine rebounds per game. “He has great size inside.”
Coach Riebel also pointed out another big man in the Aviators rotation, 6-7 senior Jonas Bont, as well as senior Zakaria Mohamed, two of the team’s senior captains.
“Zakaria is a great shooter,” he said. “And Jonas does a lot of the intangible things for us … he is a great offensive rebounder.”
The other varsity players on the squad are seniors Eliot McNutt, Gabe Wade and Karsten Kotchenruther; juniors Nolen Sperring Heath Tamlyn and Ian Brown; and sophomore Braeden Mowry.
Michigan Aviation Academy boys basketball team, with head coach Austin Riebel, at practice. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“They get along really well, we have a great group of guys,” coach Riebel said. “And we actually have a fourth senior captain, Hayden Leenheer. He kind of leads our reserve squad.”
Coach Riebel is assisted by coach Joey Saladino.
But there is not doubt that the Riebels are the heart of this seasons’ Aviators.
And while it is a great experience to coach his sons, coach Riebel says, it might not always be that way for for his sons/players.
“It is pretty special to coach, not one but two of my boys,” coach Riebel said, but “we talked about it ad nauseam even before I decided to do this. … There are definitely hard times, being the dad and the coach, but we worked thorough it.”
Coaching background
While coach Riebel is new to the West Michigan Aviation head coaching job, he is not new to the program or to coaching in West Michigan.
Michigan Aviation Academy boys basketball team, with head coach Austin Riebel, at practice. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
He has 23 years of experience coaching high school basketball in West Michigan, including serving as assistant coach on the Aviators varsity team for the previous three years under Tyler Whitcomb, who left the program for an athletic director position.
The Aviators were 12-6 in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, which ended with a playoff lost at Grand Rapids Christian.
“I have three sons playing basketball and, with two of them here, that’s why I came here” as an assistant coach, Riebel said. And now, (taking the Aviation Academy head coaching job) “is what works for me. … it just made sense.”
Before coming to the Ford Airport school, Riebel coached at Godwin Heights high, where he taught for 17 years, and spent 10 years in various coaching positions at Forest Hills Central, where he played prep ball and graduated.
He attended Hope College, played a little basketball there, and earned a degree. Now, he is vice-president of TrueSuccess — which, according to its website, “provides research-based educational tools that simultaneously equip kids with behavior and literacy skills that are essential to unleash potential” — and is in his second year as director of the West Michigan Lakers, an AAU travel boys basketball team.
WKTV Featured Game coverage of local Kentwood and Wyoming area high school basketball continues this week with one game Tuesday night, as the South Christian High boys host Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, and a boys/girls doubleheader of action on Friday as Kelloggsville visits Godwin Heights.
The early week game Jan. 25 will find the Sailors (5-4 overall) looking to go over .500 in OK Conference Gold standings — both teams are 2-2 in early conference action, but the Bengals are 2-6-1 overall. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
The Friday night featured games are a backyard rivalry as Kelloggsville and Godwin Heights clash with the boys game set to start at 6 p.m. and the girls at 7:30 p.m.
In the boys game, the Rockets will enter the week with a 7-3 record, 4-1 in the OK Conference Silver, while the Wolverines enter 2-3, 1-2 in OK Silver (with the team having several canceled and postponed games shortening their schedule.)
On Tuesday, Godwin will be at Sparta (5-4, 2-3 OK), while Kelloggsville will be at home to face conference leader Grandville Calvin Christian (6-3, 5-0 OK).
In the girls game Friday, the host Wolverines begin the week at 4-5 and 1-4 OK, while the Rockets enter at 3-5 and 0-2 OK. On Tuesday, Godwin will be at home to face OK Silver leader Sparta (7-1, 3-0 OK), while Kelloggsville will be at Calvin Christian (3-6, 2-2).
A look around the Wyoming and Kentwood area courts
The East Kentwood girls team, after starting the season 0-6, have reeled off three straight wins including two last week, to push their OK Conference Red record to 3-1. After an early week game at home to Caledonia (5-6, 0-5) on Jan. 25, the Falcons will face state power Rockford (10-1, 4-1 OK) on Jan. 28.
The Wyoming boys team swept the OK Green Zeeland schools last week to push their record to 6-4, 3-2 in conference games. This week the Wolves will be at Grand Rapids Union (3-6-1 and 2-4 OK) on Jan 25 and then host Muskegon Mona Shores (5-6, 2-3 OK) on Jan. 28. Also, the Wyoming girls (4-7 overall) gained their first OK win last week, over Zeeland East.
The Grand Rapids South Christian girls won twice last week and enter the week 8-3 overall record and 4-1 in OK Gold games — with their only conference loss coming at league leader Grand Rapids Central Catholic (8-3, 5-0). The rematch with Central Catholic will be Feb. 9 on the Sailors’ home court.
The West Michigan Aviation Academy boys won twice last week to push their record 6-3 overall and 3-0 in Alliance League action. The Aviators have a huge league game this week for league leadership when Fruitport Calvary Christian (7-1, 1-0 Alliance) comes got the airport on Jan. 25.
WKTV coverage and schedule/scores
Complete local basketball schedules as well as up-to-date scores of previous night’s games are also available at wktvjournal.org/sports-schedules-scores. (You can also just just bookmark WKTVjournal.org on your phone or other device and click on the blue banner at the bottom of the screen.)
The tentative WKTV Feature Game schedule for February is as follows:
Wednesday, Feb. 2, boys hockey, Manistee at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 4, boys and girls basketball, Grand River prep at Potter’s House
Tuesday, Feb. 8, boys basketball, Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Feb. 11, boys hockey, Petoskey at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 18, boys and girls basketball, Zion Christian at Wyo. Lee (HOF night)
Tuesday, Feb. 22, boys basketball, Caledonia at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 25, boys and girls basketball, Tri-unity Christian at Potter’s House
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of basketball and other winter prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
The West Michigan Aviation Academy girls basketball team’s Jan. 19 home game against Holland Black River might be seen as a microcosm of the current struggles of a very young team with talent yet to take flight.
The Aviators, now 0-8 overall on the season (0-2 in Alliance League), played scrappy defense and were right in the game well into the second half before a few tough shots were made by the visiting Rats, a few easy shots were missed by the Aviators, and some missed opportunities from the foul line led to a 39-32 loss.
West Michigan Aviation Academy action during a game Jan. 19. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The good news is that 1st-year head coach Jasmine Hall has a plan for her young team — a combined JV/varsity team this season with only one senior (who was out ill against Black River), five juniors and eight underclassmen in uniform.
“This year we have eight freshman and sophomores, we are pretty young, and my idea here is to keep them together, to let them get the experience,” Hall said. “This way, next year, I hope to put my more developed players onto a varsity team and then get a JV team with a few returning players, more kids coming into the program and the freshmen coming up.”
And coach Hall has a reputation and avocation of “developing” young basketball talent.
After starting out on the basketball sidelines at Grand Rapids Central High School as a statistician, she has been an assistant coach at many levels. She coached youth and school teams, spent two years coaching at Davenport College (now University), and mot recently coached both basketball and track in Grand Rapids Public Schools.
She holds degrees from Davenport, including an MBA, and is currently head coach and owner of the West Michigan Elite Stars, a women’s development basketball team which will be playing under the WABA league.
West Michigan Aviation Academy 1st-year head coach Jasmine Hall, with Aviators freshman standout Sofia Vandenhoek (11) and junior leader Caden Schifini (10) during a timeout of a game Jan. 19. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
A few of Hall’s current Aviator players are already making their mark on the Hall’s team, and setting themselves up as players to build a program around.
“Over the next couple, three years, one of them is definitely going to be Sofia (Vandenhoek, a freshman), she’s an all-around athlete — she’s six feet tall, she can shoot the ball, she can play inside and outside,” Hall said. “I have high expectations for her.”
Another freshman coach Hall is looking forward to developing is Lucy Lawrence — “She is a great ball handler.” And coach sees the ability of one or more of her juniors to step up and be team leaders in their senior years; they include Alondra Herrera, Ava Bazuin, Audrey Mileski, Caden Schifini and Addison Turk.
The only senior in the program is Kendal Springborn. The other sophomores and freshmen are Alayna Atkinson, Presley David, Amber Hilbrands, Meredith Jarchow, Abbie Ruis and Abigail Toonder. Coach Hall is assisted by Marco Vogel.
WKTV Featured Game coverage of local Kentwood and Wyoming area high school basketball continues this week with a key OK Conference Green boys basketball game as Zeeland East visits Wyoming high Friday, Jan. 21, for a 7 p.m. contest.
The Wolves enter the week with a 4-4 overall record, 1-2 in OK action, after a road loss to traditional power Muskegon (6-0, 3-0 OK) on Jan. 14. Prior to that game, Wyoming had won four of five games including a conference road win at Holland and tight loss to Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (5-2, 2-1 OK).
Early this week, on Jan. 18, Wyoming will host Zeeland West (5-2, 2-1) as both teams try to stay near the top of the conference standings. Zeeland East enters the week with a 1-5, 0-3 OK record, and will play an early-week game hosting Grand Rapids Union (1-5-1, 1-3 OK).
A look around the Wyoming and Kentwood area courts
The Grand Rapids South Christian boys (5-3) enter the week in a three-way tie at the top of the OK Gold standings with a 2-1 record, with the other two teams being Forest Hills Eastern and Ottawa Hills. The Sailors will play both of the teams this week, including a home game against Ottawa Hills on Friday.
The South Christian girls enter the week with a 6-3 overall record and are also 2-1 in early season OK games.
The Kelloggsville boys (5-3 overall) enter the week in the middle of the OK Silver race with a 2-1 conference record including two road wins last week at Comstock Park and at Sparta.
The Godwin Heights girls enter the week at 4-3 overall, 1-2 in OK Silver standings, with road games this week against two teams behind them in the conference: Belding and Hopkins.
The West Michigan Aviation Academy boys enter the week 5-3 overall and 1-0 in Alliance League action, tied with the Wyoming Tri-unity Christian boys (4-2 overall) and also 1-0 in Alliance.
WKTV coverage and schedule/scores
Complete local basketball schedules as well as up-to-date scores of previous night’s games are also available at wktvjournal.org/sports-schedules-scores. (You can also just just bookmark WKTVjournal.org on your phone or other device and click on the blue banner at the bottom of the screen.)
The tentative WKTV Feature Game schedule for the remainder of January and February is as follows:
Tuesday, Jan. 25, boys basketball, Ottawa Hills at South Christian
Friday, Jan. 28, boys and girls basketball, Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Wednesday, Feb. 2, boys hockey, Manistee at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 4, boys and girls basketball, Grand River prep at Potter’s House
Tuesday, Feb. 8, boys basketball, Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Feb. 11, boys hockey, Petoskey at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 18, boys and girls basketball, Zion Christian at Wyo. Lee (HOF night)
Tuesday, Feb. 22, boys basketball, Caledonia at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 25, boys and girls basketball, Tri-unity Christian at Potter’s House
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of basketball and other winter prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
WKTV Featured Game coverage of local Kentwood and Wyoming area high school basketball will offer up three games this week, beginning with the Wyoming Potter’s House girls hosting Ravenna on Tuesday, Jan. 4, and a boys and girls basketball doubleheader on Friday, Jan. 7, at Kelloggsville when NorthPointe Christian visits.
WKTV was originally scheduled to cover a game at East Kentwood, with the girls team hosting Muskegon, on Jan. 4. But the non-conference game has been cancelled due to a pandemic safety issue.
The Potter’s House Pumas girls enter the week 2-4 in early season play, including a 43-36 win at Cedar Springs on Dec. 21 in their last game, while Ravenna enters 2-3.
On Friday, and opening the team’s OK Conference Silver schedule, the Kelloggsville boys will begin the doubleheader with a 6 p.m. tip-off. Starting the week, the Rockets are 3-2 and the in early season action, with NorthPointe at 1-4.
The Kelloggsville girls will tip-off their OK Silver schedule at about 7:30 p.m., and enter the week with a 2-3 record before a scheduled Tuesday, Jan. 4 home game against Covenant Christian. The NorthPointe girls come to Kelloggsville with a 5-0 record.
Complete local basketball schedules as well as up-to-date scores of previous night’s games are also available at wktvjournal.org/sports-schedules-scores. (You can also just just bookmark WKTVjournal.org on your phone or other device and click on the blue banner at the bottom of the screen.)
The tentative WKTV Feature Game schedule for the remainder of January and February is as follows:
Tuesday, Jan. 11, girls basketball, Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Jan. 14, boys and girls basketball, Calvin Christian at Godwin Heights.
Friday, Jan. 21, boys basketball, Zeeland East at Wyoming
Tuesday, Jan. 25, boys basketball, Ottawa Hills at South Christian
Friday, Jan. 28, boys and girls basketball, Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Wednesday, Feb. 2, boys hockey, Manistee at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 4, boys and girls basketball, Grand River prep at Potter’s House
Tuesday, Feb. 8, boys basketball, Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Feb. 11, boys hockey, Petoskey at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 18, boys and girls basketball, Zion Christian at Wyo. Lee (HOF night)
Tuesday, Feb. 22, boys basketball, Caledonia at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 25, boys and girls basketball, Tri-unity Christian at Potter’s House
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of basketball and other winter prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
It is unclear if letter jackets are still in style at high schools but, if they are, East Kentwood High School’s top esports players earned their letters recently as the Falcons won the Esports State Championship in League of Legends at Eastern Michigan University, beating Northville High School.
The title is the latest success story for the school’s new esports teams and players, who compete in the emerging competitions of electronic sports, also called competitive video gaming. Some of the games they compete in include Super Smash Bros, League of Legends, Valorant, Fortnite, and Rocket League.
State esports title team from East Kentwood High School League of Legends team, from left, are Kha Di Le, Andrew Hua, Tony Truong, Jacob Le, Anna Ngo and Brandon Le . (Supplied)
The early December League of Legends matches were streamed on Twitch by PlayVS, with professional “shoutcasters” calling out the games.
East Kentwood’s League of Legends team members include Kha Di Le, Andrew Hua, Tony Truong, Jacob Le, Anna Ngo and Brandon Le.
The League of Legends team are the top players in the school, but coach Bill Dixon told WKTV that he and his fellow coaches expect as many as 100 students to compete at some level this school year.
“Only one of these kids is in athletics, so for the rest, Esports gives them an opportunity to connect with their school with something other than academics,” Dixon said.
A history of support and success
“Esports started for East Kentwood High School about 4 years ago,” Dixon said. “A group of four teachers and administrators (Dixon, Justin Michalowski, Chad Songer and Geoff Westman) decided to offer this opportunity to our students. The rationale was there is an underserved student population that needed an outlet to compete for their school outside of the traditional athletic model.
“We wanted to keep the important elements of athletics: eligibility standards, practices, team building and try outs. What separates Esports from traditional sports is that 90 percent of our student population are playing these games and have a chance to participate.”
The East Kentwood High School esports team, at right, in action. (Supplied)
The school’s esports program has produced back-to-back championships in both Valorant and League of Legends levels, and compete in state leagues such as PlayVS, Michigan High School Esports Federation (MIHSEF) and Michigan High School Esports League (MHSEL).
“We have several Kentwood graduates that are competing at the collegiate level at schools like Michigan State (University), University of Michigan, and Grand Valley (State University),” Dixon said.
And, Dixon said in a previous announcement, at the recent League of Legends event, “I was also approached by three different college Esports coaches (Grand Valley, Oakland University and Davenport) that are trying to recruit our kids, offering scholarships.”
Dixon added that the East Kentwood program was “fortunate early on to get support, funding and vision from our principal, Omar Bakri.”
Since it’s beginning, the team has competed in more than 10 different competitions, “sometimes on a national/online format and sometimes with in person competitions,” he said. And East Kentwood has also hosted five events bringing in over a dozen different local high schools.
Bringing home the hardware — State esports title team from East Kentwood High School League of Legends team show off their medals. (Supplied)
“We’ve been fortunate to have excellent teams of great, committed students who have produced back to back championships in both Valorant and League of Legends,” Dixon said.
The East Kentwood program, in cooperation with the West Michigan Sports Commission, also helped run the “Rift Clash”, a League of Legends tournament, which was held live locally in 2019 and online in 2020. That tournament had 15 colleges and 1 high school — the host Falcons — competing. East Kentwood was able to beat several colleges and advanced to the semi-finals in 2020, before falling to MSU, the eventual winner of the tournament.
That team roster included Anna Ngo, Terry Pham, Ben Pham, Daniel Nguyen, Tony Truong and Scott Luu.
The is no denying Wyoming Lee High School boys basketball team’s first-year head coach Dominic Shannon and his coaching staff have work in front of them to lead the Legends program out of some tough days.
But he has youth and talent on his side, both on and off the court. And he has his thin varsity team and still-building program buying into what he is teaching on and off the court.
“This program has been under construction for the past so many years, and just looking at the banners (on the gym wall) there has not been much activity. … we do have a lot of work to do,” Shannon said to WKTV at a recent practice. “But, at the same time, that is motivating us.”
What is also motivating the team is the communication, the trust, that is developing between a young team and a young coaching staff — Shannon is 35 years old and top assistant Landon Mitchner is 38.
“With us being younger, the relatability is there. The conversation is there. There is trust there,” Shannon said. “That is a buy-in strategy for coaches … they will understand the importance of what we say. I think our ages are a huge factor here.”
Another factor working in the favor of the Legends (or “Leyendas” in Spanish, a dominate second language in the district) is that while the varsity team is thin, with seven or eight players depending on injuries, there is talent on varsity and on the larger JV team.
And there, too, much of it is young.
Wyoming Lee High School boys basketball head coach Dominic Shannon at a team practice. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“We have a very low count this year, but instead of discouraging us it has been pushing us,” Shannon said “We have some young talent”, specifically senior captain Dominic Burrell, junior Keontae Taylor and freshman Troy Fox — who was also named captain of the team.
Taylor is “the most athletic kid I have coached so far. … He is our fuel to the engine. … He is offensively gifted … When he goes, the team goes. … Honestly, I think he is an all state caliber talent.”
Burrell is a big man, with a rebounder’s body and a way with words — “His presence on the defensive end has been felt in all three games. He’s been an anchor for us. Communicating, making sure guys are in the right place. And he is a rebounding machine.”
And Fox is “a very young floor general. He’s a freshman but he is also very physical, we love his presence on the defense.”
“When those three guys are firing on all cylinders, we will be competitive.”
And the leadership the three bring is in practice as well as in games.
“We are raw on the edges but at the same time we have been growing with this leadership that has been flowing through the team,” Shannon said. “These young men set the table every single day in practice. They embody everything we are asking of the student athlete in regards to the classroom, being a leader, and they are also carrying it over, using their voice on the court.”
The team is only three games into Shannon’s leadership, but after a 0-4 record last year in a pandemic-ravaged season and a 4-17 record the year before, the Legends (1-2 overall) gained their first win of the young season just before the holiday break — 55-48 at Wellspring Prep.
The Legends will return to action Jan. 4, at home against Holton, and are playing a partial independent and partial Alliance League schedule (the league the school is moving to). Lee will also be the WKTV Featured game Friday, Feb. 18, as part of a girls and boys doubleheader against Byron Center Zion Christian (also Hall of Fame night).
“The win before break, I think it is good for the program,” Shannon said. “That win, the energy it generated, has carried over to practice.”
Coach Shannon: player, coach, mentor
Coach Shannon’s journey to Lee is really a return to Grand Rapids.
He graduated from East Kentwood High School in the early 2000s, and in 2010 he graduated from Saginaw Valley State University, where he played one year of college basketball.
He was a graduate assistant at Salem University and has coaching experience at the high school level, two years at Saranac and one as a varsity assistant at Forest Hills Central.
In addition to his coaching gig at Lee, Shannon is program director of All-In Sports, a sports training program with travel basketball teams.
And his background, Shannon said, made him understand that leading the Legends program is more than simply what happens on the court.
“The main thing, outside of the Xs and Os, outside the game, we want to make sure we are feeding the young man, preparing them for real life,” Shannon said of his and his assistant’s work. “The basketball, the Xs and Os, competing, that is what we are here for. (But) the main component of this basketball team, for me and my coaches, is making sure that we are challenging these young men to be better young men every single day.”
WKTV Featured Game coverage of local Kentwood and Wyoming area high school basketball will offer up three games this week, with Wyoming high girls hosting South Christian on Tuesday, Dec. 14, and a boys and girls basketball doubleheader on Friday, Dec. 17, at South Christian when Unity Christian visits.
The South Christian girls enter the week with a 2-1 early-season record, all non-conference, including a 37-34 home win over Holland Christian Dec. 10. The Wolves girls will enter with an identical 2-1 non-conference record, including a 45-43 win over Northview, also on Dec. 10.
After this week’s games, the WKTV crew will then take the holiday season off, as do most local teams, but return in full force in January 2022.
Complete local basketball schedules as well as up-to-date scores of previous night’s games are also available at wktvjournal.org/sports-schedules-scores. (You can also just just bookmark WKTVjournal.org on your phone or other device and click on the blue banner at the bottom of the screen.)
The tentative January and February WKTV Feature Game schedule is as follows:
Friday, Jan. 14, Boys and girls basketball, Calvin Christian at Godwin Heights.
Friday, Jan. 21, Boys basketball, Zeeland East at Wyoming
Tuesday, Jan. 25, Boys basketball, Ottawa Hills at South Christian
Friday, Jan. 28, Boys and girls basketball, Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Wednesday, Feb. 2, Boys hockey, Manistee at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 4, Boys and girls basketball, Grand River prep at Potter’s House
Tuesday, Feb. 8, Boys basketball, Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Feb. 11, Boys hockey, Petoskey at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 18, Boys and girls basketball, Zion Christian at Wyo. Lee (HOF night)
Tuesday, Feb. 22, Boys basketball, Caledonia at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 25, Boys and Girls Basketball, Tri-unity Christian at Potter’s House
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of basketball and other winter prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
Robert Roelofs may be new the boys varsity head coaching position at East Kentwood High School, but he is no stranger to the boys program, having served as the junior varsity coach since 2015, and no stranger to Falcons basketball fans having led the girls varsity team in the early 2000s.
So he knows the school, he knows the fan base and, maybe most importantly, he knows the players on the varsity squad having coached many of them earlier. All of those things, plus a more normal off-season for the program, should help the Falcons rebound from a rough 2020-21 season.
“Obviously you have a pretty good idea of their skill sets, their strengths and weaknesses,” Roelofs said to WKTV as his varsity (and junior varsity) teams practiced recently. “It’s pretty advantageous for me to know the kids … I know them and they know me.”
Roelofs takes over the men’s program from Jeff Anama. The Falcons were 3-12 in last year’s pandemic impacted 2020-21 season.
The team opens its season Saturday, Dec. 11 vs. Lansing Sexton at Battle of I-96 at Ottawa Hills High School.
East Kentwood High School varsity boys basketball head coach Robert Roelofs at a varsity and junior varsity practice Dec. 3. (WKTV)
“We lost four starters from last year’s team, the one starter back is Marshaun Flakes,” Roelofs said. “He started for us as a sophomore, he played for me as a freshman on the JV team … very good basketball savvy. Competitor. Long, athletic kid.”
“We have a couple returning kids. Timmy (Leutrim) Sahitolli. Jack Scrimshaw, who played limited minutes last year. Timmy never played for me, but Jack played for me as a sophomore and had a good year. (Scrimshaw is a) good shooter, long kid. Timmy is kind of a workhorse, strong kid.”
“We have some kids from last year’s JV team,” Roelofs added. “Razah Townsend, 6-(foot)-3, about 225 (pounds) and strong, a linebacker type kid. We will look to him for some production in the post. Some guards who are coming through. Feng Logan, he played a little bit on the varsity, athletic, a quick guard.”
New coach has history of success
Roelofs is a graduate of Creston High School, and later Aquinas College. (He also has higher degrees from Central Michigan and Grand Valley State universities.)
He coached at West Catholic and Ravenna high schools in the 1980s, then was at Northview in the 1990s, where he had success with first the varsity girls and then the varsity boys teams.
He has been a social studies teacher and coach at East Kentwood since 1997, where he led the girls varsity team from 1999-2004, when his Falcons went 80-33 and made a trip to the final four one season. He got back onto the Falcons sideline again when he took over the junior varsity team in 2015.
Having run the East Kentwood girls varsity team for five years, and the varsity boys and girls programs at Northview, Roelofs experience in running a “program” and not just running a team will also help his transition to varsity this year.
“There is a lot of administrative things that you are responsible for when you are the head coach. It’s one of the things that has come back into my mind here, the last two weeks,” he said. “Young coaches ask that questions all the time — they are pretty good at the ‘Xs’ and ‘Os’ stuff but they do not understand the administrative stuff. Transportation, schedules, parent communication. All that stuff that goes on in the periphery that you are not really tuned into as a JV coach. It is a huge advantage.”
And is there any difference in coaching girls and boys basketball? Maybe just a little.
“The game is the same — it is organically the same game, right?” he said. “But from a standpoint of motivational techniques, there is definitely some changes (to the boys game). Some of them you have pat on the back and some of them you need a little kick in the butt. (But) I don’t really see the need to change anything in terms of the game.”
Bouncing back from an pandemic-altered season
The varsity program struggled a bit last year, a very unusual year due to the pandemic. But Roelofs thinks a more normal off-season will greatly benefit the Falcons.
“The bad thing about the team last year really goes back into the offseason,” he said. “Most of the kids could not participate in AAU. We were very limited in what we could do relative to offseason workouts. Their individual prep, individual skill level, wasn’t there. There was a very limited preseason, they didn’t scrimmage anybody. It was almost like an AAU season — you jump right into the season and start playing.”
“In terms of the carryover to this year, we had a different preparation process. We had a summer program. We had a fall league we played in. There really wasn’t much of a carryover. … It maybe is impacting our younger players, they missed about a year in their development.”
And with only three games on the schedule before the end of the year, and the beginning of OK Conference Red play on Jan. 7, early on Roelofs is looking as much for improvement as wins.
“We don’t say we want to win X amount of games, that comes as a byproduct of maturation, of good luck sometimes,” he said. “We are just going to try to put a good group of kids together. Make sure they play hard, to play together. … That’s what we are looking for. If you do all those things, you win your fair share of games.”
WKTV Featured Game coverage of local Kentwood and Wyoming area high school basketball — and an occasional prep hockey game — will kick into a full-court press in January 2022 when conference play starts.
But the crew will be out and about for a few pre-holiday-wbreak games beginning this week with girls basketball when Godwin Heights High School visits Wyoming Lee on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m., then boys basketball when West Michigan Aviation Academy hosts Grand River Prep on Friday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m.
Two other December games are on the WKTV Feature Game schedule, including the Wyoming high girls hosting South Christian on Tuesday, Dec. 14, and a boys and girls basketball doubleheader on Friday, Dec. 17, at South Christian when Unity Christian visits.
Complete local basketball schedules as well as up-to-date scores of previous night’s games are also available at wktvjournal.org/sports-schedules-scores. (You can also just just bookmark WKTVjournal.org on your phone or other device and click on the blue banner at the bottom of the screen.)
The tentative January and February WKTV Feature Game schedule is as follows:
Always looking for volunteers in front of and behind the cameras, WKTV Featured Game sports crew includes volunteer announcers, from a 2020 game at East Kentwood, Ron Schultz and Mark Bergsma. (WKTV)
Friday, Jan. 7 , Boys and girls basketball, NorthPointe Christian at Kelloggsville
Tuesday, Jan. 11, Girls basketball, Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Jan. 14, Boys and girls basketball, Calvin Christian at Godwin Heights.
Friday, Jan. 21, Boys basketball, Zeeland East at Wyoming
Tuesday, Jan. 25, Boys basketball, Ottawa Hills at South Christian
Friday, Jan. 28, Boys and girls basketball, Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Wednesday, Feb. 2, Boys hockey, Manistee at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 4, Boys and girls basketball, Grand River prep at Potter’s House
Tuesday, Feb. 8, Boys basketball, Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Feb. 11, Boys hockey, Petoskey at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 18, Boys and girls basketball, Zion Christian at Wyo. Lee (HOF night)
Tuesday, Feb. 22, Boys basketball, Caledonia at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 25, Boys and Girls Basketball, Tri-unity Christian at Potter’s House
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of basketball and other winter prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
WKTV’s sports coverage crew was back at work big-time this fall, following a shortened season in 2020 due to the pandemic, as our high school football Featured Game coverage was all over Wyoming and Kentwood — and even make a road trip to Hastings for a playoff game.
And as they can every year, high school sports fans can get their Turkey Day football fix this year as we broadcast 15 hours of football on our cable Channel 25.
The special day of games start at 9 a.m., and highlights the best of our high school football games from the season. The schedule of games (with link to the games on WKTV’s On-Demand video internet channel, at WKTVLive.org ) is as follows:
9 a.m. — Forest Hills Northern at Wyoming High. On-demand
11:15 a.m. — Middleville at South Christian. On-demand
1:25 p.m. — West Ottawa at East Kentwood. On-demand
4:10 p.m. — Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights. On-demand
WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government cChannel, where local government meetings and events are shown. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are give the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26).
The Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team’s rushing attack was in stride Nov. 5 at Hastings as the Sailors totaled 386 total yards in a 38-14 road win. (WKTV)
The Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team rolled back into the state Division 4 Regional title game this week after running past host Hastings, 38-14, in a District championship game last week.
The Nov. 5 win, which is available in replay on WKTV video platforms, was the second playoff win for the Sailors (now 8-3 overall) after an equally impressive 52-7 road win at Plainfield in Week 1.
Awaiting for South Christian this week is familiar foe Edwardsburg, on the road of course, which has been equally impressive in the playoffs with a 58-0 win over Paw Paw followed by 50-0 win over Three Rivers as the Eddies remained unbeaten at 11-0.
And while the game at Edwardsburg is an encore of last year’s Regional final, when the Sailors’ season ended with a 47-7 road loss, South Christian head coach Danny Brown said he knows the importance of the game but does not see it as having any extra meaning.
Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team gained its second straight District championship trophy with a 38-14 road win at Hastings Nov. 5. (WKTV)
“I think it adds another level of excitement to play the team that ended your season the year before but it shouldn’t be our driving force,” Brown said to WKTV. “We need to prepare for Edwardsburg no different than we do any other team we play. We are just excited to get another opportunity to compete.”
And compete the Sailors have in the three seasons after Brown took over for Mark Tamminga following the 2018-19 season. In Brown’s first season, South Christian went 6-5 overall and lost in the district final; last year — in a pandemic-impacted, start-and-stop season — the Sailors went 8-1 before their loss at Edwardsburg.
“I think the big difference between the two years is the fact we get to play the game right away,” Brown said of his team’s rematch with the Eddies. “We had a lot of momentum last year and then the season was suspended. We had a month off before we played them. They did a better job of keeping their kids engaged during the down time and it showed when we played them.”
But, Brown also said, this year’s Sailors are not the same team as last year’s Sailors.
“Defensively we are bigger and stronger upfront which is something we will need against their high powered rushing attack,” he said. “We are more balanced from an offensive perspective.”
And while Brown has said he wants his team to be balanced when it comes to offense, the South Christian rushing attack was in full glory last week against Hastings.
Sailors break open a 14-14 game in 2nd quarter
Coming into South Christian’s game at Hastings, coach Brown told WKTV of his affinity for a balanced attack being borrowed from Urban Meyer, one-time Ohio State University and current NFL head coach, and how this Sailors team has that balance.
“Urban Meyer used to say, when he was coaching a game, … he wanted 200 and 200 hundred. 200 passing and 200 rushing yards, and we are pretty close to that,” Brown said.
His team did not play to script against Hastings, however, as the Sailors had 43 rushing attempts, gained 18 first downs and scored five touchdown on the ground en route to 302 total rushing yards. Junior quarterback Jake DeHaan led the rushing attack with 116 years on 13 carries with one touchdown, while junior Nate Brinks totaled 102 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns and senior Chandler VanSolkema added 78 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries.
The passing attack was effective when used, however, with DeHaan going 8-of-12 for 87 passing yards and one touchdown, that one going to senior Ashton Fennema on a 26-yard strike. Senior Jace DeMann led the team in receptions with four for 33 yards.
Sailors kicker Brinks scored eight points on one field gold and five points after touchdown.
On defense, DeMann and junior Cameron Post each had 6.5 tackles, while senior Clayton DeKam had six and senior Colton Schreur had five, as Hastings was held to 14 points, all in the first half, and 204 total yards on offense.
WKTV game replays available
WKTV featured games are on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
South Christian High School senior leader Jace DeMann talks to WKTV about how he and his team deal with the Sailors playing all their games on the road. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team has, in some ways, an offense built for a November playoff game, and they are certainly of the mindset that playing on the road is just another bus trip to their next game.
The Sailors followed up a 6-3 regular season with an impressive 52-7 road win at Plainfield (also 6-3 in the regular season) in Week 1Division 4 District semifinal state playoff game.
Such a scenario often means a home game in the second round, but South Christian will be on the road again this week, at Interstate 8 Athletic Conference champion Hastings (9-1 after a 56-18 opening round win over Charlotte) — a game which will be the WKTV Featured Game of the week with both cable television and on-demand replays available.
Of course, going on the road is nothing new for head coach Danny Brown or Sailors senior leader Jace DeMann, as the team currently plays their home games at East Kentwood High School as South Christian fully builds out their new campus in Byron Center.
Grand Rapids South Christian High School’s home football field does not have the Sailors’ logo on it and still requires a bus to get there — for the time being, it is at East Kentwood High School. (WKTV)
“Obviously, we’d love to have our own field and home field advantage,” Brown said to WKTV this week as he team practiced — at Kelloggsville High School’s field. “We get home crowds, when we play at East Kentwood, but it is not like having all our true fans. … But what it (playing on the road) really helps us to do is just focus on the moment at hand.
“It really doesn’t matter if we are traveling or not, because as you say, we are getting on the bus to play our home games. I think, for us, I am big on preaching that week, that game. Let’s only worry about the task at hand. I think that little bus ride, no matter where we are going, helps dial that in. It’s never about the travel, or who we are playing. It’s about us, and I think that kind of bus ride, going wherever, kind of sums that whole philosophy up.”
DeMann, also talking to WKTV this week, said in some ways the bus trip is valuable as a moment of personal reflection in anticipation of playing a game he loves to play.
“Leaving the campus it’s pretty normal … it’s a normal bus ride, but when we get there, we do a quiet time. Just think about what your roll is for the game. What you have got do in the game to prepare yourself,” DeMann said.
“We are definitely not intimated by it (playing on the road), once we get between the white lines it’s just playing the game we love, football. Every week we put our passion into it … It is just the next game up. … It’s just another week of football.”
Resilient defense and balanced offense
South Christian High School head coach Danny Brown talks to WKTV about his team’s ability to both run and pass the ball on offense — and why that is even more important in a early November playoff game. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Two things have been clear this season for the South Christian football team: the have a bend-but-don’t-break defense and, for a team that has averaged almost 36 points a game this season, the Sailors are not a high-powered passing attack — unless they need to be.
First that defense, which allowed an average of 17.7 points per game so far but which Coach Brown says has improved as the year has gone on.
“Even though we are giving up 17 (points per game), we feel we weren’t as good as we needed to be,” Brown said. “The biggest thing for us is we have a couple of really good playmakers up front. We’ve struggled at times just a little bit, but we’ve been good enough that we kind of have the ‘bend but don’t break.’ Teams are getting yards on us, but we are just not letting them score. … It’s impressive that we are not letting teams in” the end zone.
And, Brown says, he likes to see his team having a balanced attack — which they do, rushing for 2,192 yards, averaging 219 per game, with 37 touchdowns, while passing for 1,727 yards, averaging 172.7 per game, with 12 touchdowns.
Part of that affinity for a balanced attack is borrowed from Urban Meyer (one-time Ohio State University and current NFL head coach) and part is Coach Brown knowing that his team can adapt to changing defenses and changing weather.
“I think the beauty of this team is that depending on the team, the scheme we are playing against, we have the ability to either run or throw … it is huge that we are not heavy one way or another, especially being in the spread (offense),” Brown said. “Urban Meyer used to say, when he was coaching a game, … he wanted 200 and 200 hundred. 200 passing and 200 rushing yards, and we are pretty close to that.”
And “for us, as the playoffs roll, we continue to win, with the cold weather, being able to run is a huge asset. Just because you never know what the weather is going to dictate.”
Where and when to see WKTV coverage
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
