After overcoming some obstacles this season, the East Kentwood varsity dance team rose to the top with many awards and honors.
Soon before their national championships in February in Orlando, the students learned their flight was overbooked and it was time for Plan B. With no other options, the team drove 18 hours to Florida to make it just in time for the semifinals and compete with the nation’s best teams in the 2022 Dance Team Union National Championship.
Both the jazz and hip hop teams reached the finals, and earned 15th and fourth place, respectively.
Coach Kat Albertson (far left) and her East Kentwood varsity dance team proudly show off their two trophies at the 2022 Dance Team Union National Championship in February in Orlando. (courtesy)
“It was a great feeling to be recognized among the best teams in the country,” said EK coach Kat Albertson, who coached the Falcons for four years and is now pursuing coaching at the collegiate level. “Luckily, this was the most hard-working and determined group of student-athletes I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching. They were all so eager to prove to themselves, and to their school, that not only is the dance team at East Kentwood one of the best in Michigan, but also that dance team is a sport.
“We had incredible success this past year due to the team’s hard work, dedication and the positive team culture we built together. We were undefeated in hip hop this year, won the grand champion award at every local competition (registered the highest scoring dance in the entire competition), and won two regional championships for the first time in program history.”
Albertson said her team captain, junior Saniya Harvey, is an “exceptional dancer and leader.”
Check out the dance team’s performance at the national championship by clicking here.
“We lost five incredible seniors in 2021 and only had five returning members for the new year,” continued Albertson, whose assistant coach was EK dance alum Brooklyn Smithers, a freshman at GVSU. “We were uncertain if we’d be able to have ample time to create a family-like bond with so many new members, get our technique where it needed to be, and to reach the level of excellence that our past teams had been able to do.
“It’s taken a really long time for us to get the recognition that we deserve, and I think that has truly been the most fulfilling thing that we’ve seen come out of this year.”
Davary Anthony, the first-year varsity head coach of the Wyoming High School girls basketball team, knew the time and place was right for him to leave behind his longtime ties to Comstock Park basketball and take over the Wolves program.
First, it just seemed like the time for the challenge. Then there was the fact that he knew several players on the Wolves team from coaching them at the local AAU level.
But the biggest thing, maybe, was that from the moment he took the job he felt he and his family were welcomed into the Wyoming girls basketball “family.”
Wyoming High School girls basketball head coach Davary Anthony. (WKTV).
“Once I started here, I started to go to a lot of the youth games during the summertime. It is amazing how big Wyoming travels for basketball for their youth, especially for their girls,” Anthony said to WKTV at a recent practice. “The parents are loud. It is a family atmosphere. Everybody is hanging out, everybody is doing things together. They have even brought in my family as if it were their own.”
And it certainly seemed like a family affair at practice as Anthony’s Wolves prepared for their season opener — Nov. 30, at home versus Benton Harbor — as Coach’s daughters stood with their father and Wyoming assistant coach Taylor Johnson during drills.
Coach’s history includes AAU ties
While the “family feel” was one of many reasons, coach Anthony said, Wyoming high was the right place and early this year to be the right time for a career change.
Anthony graduated from Comstock Park high in 2009, and started coaching Comstock Park middle school boys the next year as part of varsity boys basketball head coach Scott Berry’s program.
Anthony was also head varsity coach of the boys team for one season at West Michigan Academy of Environment Science, before returning to Comstock Park. But maybe more importantly, he also coached girls basketball at the AAU level (16-under) with the West Michigan Drive.
It was at the AAU level that he got to know several players from Wyoming high — and that relationship worked well for him when then Wolves girls head coach Troy Mast stepped away after six seasons at the helm ending with a pandemic-impacted 2020-21 season when Wyoming finished 10-7 overall.
“I just felt like it was fate, that everything happens for reason,” Anthony said about the opening. “I as coaching a young girl on the (Wyoming) varsity team, Aaliyah Ratliff, she’s on my AAU team. I saw a post and was thinking ‘I should apply’ and she said the same thing. … I ended up getting the job and I felt like it is a prefect fit for me.”
And that familiarity with some of the players through AAU — junior Ratliff, sophomore Isabelle Castro, and especially seniors Michelle McGee, Mikayla Marzean and Avery Jirous — will also pay off on the court, Anthony said.
“Anytime you can have instant chemistry, everything kind of works out better,” Anthony said. “I’ve watched these girls. They’ve watched me. … Everything just connected. It made the move over here pretty much easy.”
Coaching style comes from mentors
When it comes to the kind of team he wants to put on the court, the way his team and program will be thought of, coach Anthony said “We are very aggressive … I like to push the tempo … I like to challenge my players to learn more than just the simple things of the game.”
He learned coaching basketball, and running a basketball program, from several mentors he has played for, coached with, or worked with.
“First off, Coach Scott Berry (when was at Comstock Park but is now at Sparta) … he got me into this thing,” Anthony said. “At the end of high school, I didn’t think this was something I was going to do … but he did.”
He also worked with coach Colleen Lamoreaux-Tate, who was successful at Catholic Central before moving to the college ranks — “She was an awesome person. She taught me a lot of Xs and Os. She showed me that practice is where you get better and not just the games.”
Anthony also credits Larry Copeland, the director of West Michigan Drive, for giving him “a lot of the insights into the administrative part of the business and the industry of basketball … making me a better coach that way.”
On this latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, we talk with new Grand Rapids Community College head mens basketball coach Joe Fox — a coach with experience assisting on local college teams, a family where coaching basketball runs deep, and a passion for helping student athletes succeed on and off the court.
This summer, Fox was appointed GRCC head coach after serving as an assistant coach — twice — at the downtown Grand Rapids school, as well as at Calvin University and Lansing Community College. He also has been involved with the popular Gus Macker basketball tournament.
And, while it might be cliche, but coaching runs in Fox’s family as his father, Gary Fox, and grandfather, George Fox, both coached high school basketball in Michigan for 25 years. George Fox, in fact, won a state championship with Magic Johnson at Lansing’s Everett high in 1977.
It is Joe Fox’s goals for student-athlete success — in the classroom, on the court, and in life — where Fox says will be a focus of his Raiders program.
Success “on and off the field is a huge thing, not just at the community college level but all colleges,” Fox said to WKTV. “Student athletes, in general, tend to think of themselves through an athletic lens, first and foremost. It’s a big part of their identity, as students. It’s big part of their time. So we are really intentional about making sure they have the academic support they need as well.”
In the WKTV Sports Connection interview, Coach Fox also talked in detail about his experience, his coaching family, and not only what his 2021-22 team will look like but where his program recruiting focus will be.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is a WKTV produced program dedicated to bringing you interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports. You can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting WKTVJournal.org/sports. But we also have a volunteer sports crew, both in studio and with our coverage truck. For more information email ken@WKTV.org.
This WKTV Journal sports coverage of high school athletic events and other sports is available at WKTVlive.org. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Grand Rapids Community College athletic director Lauren Ferullo, the first female AD in these schools history, visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection to catch us up on her history and the school’s athletic programs. (WKTV)
On this latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, we talk junior college sports conferences, preparing students for success both in athletics and in life, and the impact on female athletics of Title lX. With us is Grand Rapids Community College athletic director Lauren Ferullo, the first female AD in these schools history.
As part of a wide ranging discussion on GRCC sports with WKTV sports volunteer Greg Yoder, AD Ferullo points out that female athletic directors are more and more common these days — if still a small minority — but she still take great pride in being a role modern for young women on the playing field in the field of athletic leadership.
“It definitely matters to me because I am one of few. I actually looked up the statistics today and about 15 percent of (of college athletic directors) … are female. And then it is about 13 percent at the community college level,” Ferullo said to WKTV. “So I am one of very few and I take that very seriously.
“I think I can be a role model for female athletes, I am a product of Title lX. I had those opportunities. I was able to play sports growing up. I was afforded those opportunities and now I am an athletic director.”
The federal act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, in brief, prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. One result was a vast expansion of college athletic scholarships being given to females.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is a WKTV produced program dedicated to bringing you interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports. You can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting WKTVJournal.org/sports. But we also have a volunteer sports crew, both in studio and with our coverage truck. For more information email ken@WKTV.org.
This WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of high school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.org. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
The Wyoming Wolves used four straight bunt singles, bracketed by swing-away singles, to score four 4th-inning runs in what ended as a 4-3 win over Mona Shores on May 11. (WKTV)
Wyoming High School head baseball coach Travis Stricklin, in a pre-season interview on WKTV Journal Sports Connection, said his team would likely need to “play small ball” in many games this season to be successful.
In a WKTV Sports Featured Game Tuesday, May 11, when the Wolves baseball team hosted Muskegon Mona Shores for the first game of double-header, Coach Stricklin’s team played small ball to perfection as they overcame a 2-0 Sailors lead by stringing together four straight bunt singles, bracketed by swing-away singles, to score four runs in what ended as a 4-3 win in seven innings.
WKTV is always looking for community volunteers to help coverage of local high school sports — in print on WKTVjournal.org, as part of our in-studio crew for our twice-a-month WKTV Journal Sports Connection program, and as part of our Featured Game truck game coverage crew. Training is provided and for more information email ken@wktv.org.
Where and when to see featured games
Featured games are broadcast the night of the contest and then at least once later in the week.
Sophomore Wolves pitcher Bryce Bosovich went seven innings for the win against Mona Shores May 11. (WKTV)
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 Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.org.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.
East Kentwood High School girls track coach Stephanie Stephenson visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection to catch us up on the past and present of the Falcons girls team and program. (WKTV)
On this episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, we talk East Kentwood girls track and field, and why last year’s “season the wasn’t” was so hard on the team and its coach, Falcons head coach Stephanie Stephenson.
Coach Stephenson talks about fielding teams in this time of pandemic protocols, what impact last year’s lost season has had on her program — while still praising her 2020 seniors for how they handled it — and we find out which Falcons are poised to have big seasons this year.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is a WKTV produced program dedicated to bringing you interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports. You can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting WKTVJournal.org/sports. But we also have a volunteer sports crew, both in studio and with our coverage truck. For more information email ken@WKTV.org.
This WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of high school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.org. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
East Kentwood High School boys track coach Dave Emeott visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection to catch us up on the past and present of the Falcons boys team and program. (WKTV)
On this latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, we talk East Kentwood track and field, and some unusual hurdles all local track teams face, with boys track coach Dave Emeott.
WKTV sports intern Ellington Smith talks with the longtime — and very successful Falcons track coach — about fielding title-contending teams in this time of pandemic protocols, what impact last year’s lost season has had on his program and athletes, and we find out which Falcons are poised to have big seasons this year.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is a WKTV produced program dedicated to bringing you interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports. You can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting WKTVJournal.org/sports. But we also have a volunteer sports crew, both in studio and with our coverage truck. For more information email ken@WKTV.org.
This WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of high school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.org. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
New Wyoming High School head football coach Carlton Brewster II visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection to catch us up on his return to the Wolves sidelines. (WKTV)
On this latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, a changing of the guard — and program leader — on the Wyoming High School football field.
Wyoming High School head football coach Carlton Brewster II. (WKTV)
When Irv Sigler Jr. resigned his position of head football coach at Wyoming high after this season, Wolves athletic director Ted Hollern said he needed to find a replacement quickly. But more importantly, he needed to find the right guy, quickly. In early March, Wyoming found “the right guy” — Carlton Brewster II, who most recently was head football coach at Kalamazoo Central High School but is no stranger to the Wyoming Wolves football sidelines.
With WKTV sports volunteer Mark Bergsma, Coach Brewster visits WKTV Journal Sports Connection to talk about his journey back to Wyoming, his work as a student mentor as well as a coach — Brewster will also work as Dean of Students at the high school — and what he envisions as the football program he wants to build.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is a WKTV produced program dedicated to bringing you interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports. You can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting WKTVJournal.org/sports. But we also have a volunteer sports crew, both in studio and with our coverage truck. For more information email ken@WKTV.org.
This WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of high school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.org. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Matt Diener, State Director of the Michigan Fellowship of Christian Athletes, believes that if 2020 and the pandemic have “taught nothing else, it’s that the human spirit is more capable and enduring than we ever imagined.” And he has many stories to prove his point.
And one of the stories that has and continues to encourage and grow hope in others is that of Major League Baseball legend — and one of life’s ‘overcomers’ — Darryl Strawberry.
So it is fitting that the Kent County Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ annual FCA Pro Athlete Event (formerly known as the Pro Athlete Breakfast), scheduled for Saturday, April 10, at Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, will include a talk by Strawberry.
This event, free and open to all members of the community, will be used to create awareness of ministry outreach and to raise funds to support programs and activities associated with the Kent County FCA, according to a FCA statement.
“We are excited for attendees to hear the powerful story of how God has worked in Darryl’s life, and to highlight the ministry of FCA that has been serving the local sports community for over 65 years,” Diener said in supplied material.
Strawberry is a former 8-time MLB National League All-Star status, with four World Series Titles, a National League home run leader, and was 1983 National League Rookie of the Year.
While incredibly successful in his career, Strawberry’s personal life was plagued with addictions, abuse, divorces, cancer, jail-time, and other issues. Strawberry, however, is widely known to have found redemption and restoration in Jesus Christ, and “lives to share the wisdom and grace of his experience with others,” according to the statement.
This event will also feature several local leaders within the Michigan FCA organization to share their experience with the ministry, as well as their vision and hope for future growth.
FCA is the largest Christian sports organization in America and focuses on serving local communities by engaging, equipping, and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ.
Since 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ.
The Rev. Billy Graham once said, “A coach will impact more people in one year than the average person will in an entire lifetime.”
The FCA and Calvary Church “have worked hard to ensure proper distancing and a safe environment” under current COVID protocols. Since seating is limited, online registration is highly encouraged. To register online visit michiganfca.org/proathlete.
Wyoming High School head softball coach Kaitlin Failing visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection to catch us up on her team and the Wolves program. (WKTV)
On this latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, as part of our coverage of local high school athletics, we talk spring sports — specifically Wyoming Wolves softball.
When the MHSAA announced a week’s delay in the beginning of practice and the scheduling of games for the state’s softball teams, Wyoming high head softball coach Kaitlin Failing wasn’t too concerned about the delay. It was last year’s lost season that was of more concern … a year lost not only to her players but to the Wolves program.
In late March, just before the start of the season, Coach Failing sat down with WKTV’s Mike Moll to talk about her program, the new normal for high school sports still impacted by the pandemic, but also her optimistic outlook about her team and what it might look like this season.
Wyoming high head softball Coach Kaitlin Failing’s WKTV Journal Sports Connection interview with WKTV’s Mike Moll is just one part of our video, online/print and game coverage of local high school athletics. And we are always looking for community volunteers to join the team. (WKTV)
WKTV Journal Sports Connection brings its audience interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports, on-line, on cable television, and on our on-demand and YouTube channels. Readers can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting wktvjournal.com/sports.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of high school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Wyoming High School head baseball coach Travis Stricklin visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection to catch us up on his team and the Wolves program. (WKTV)
On this latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, as part of our coverage of local high school athletics, we talk spring sports — yes, the weather may delay prep baseball and softball this season, as usual, but at least there is likely to be some action on Wyoming and Kentwood diamonds this year.
Last year, high school spring sports was washed away by the pandemic.
Wyoming high head baseball coach Travis Stricklin. (WKTV)
In late March, just before the start of the 2021 spring sports season, WKTV sports volunteer Paul Kabelman sat down with Wyoming high head baseball coach Travis Stricklin to talk about the lost season for the Wolves last year, and how it is just another obstacle for his team to overcome.
Coach Stricklin also talks about the new normal for high school sports still impacted by the pandemic, and — of course — what his team might look like this season. (Hint: they like “small ball”!)
WKTV Journal Sports Connection brings its audience interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports, on-line, on cable television, and on our on-demand and YouTube channels. Readers can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting wktvjournal.com/sports.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of high school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Grand Rapids South Christian High School hosted a boys basketball district final on March 27 between the host Sailors and the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles. (WKTV/Ellington Smith)
Despite an unfilled gymnasium at Grand Rapids South Christian High School, due to pandemic restrictions, the atmosphere and energy was high with fans on both sides in a district final March 27 between two consensus top 30 teams in the state, the host Sailors and the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles.
In the end, the Sailors weathered a hectic fourth quarter and sent their fans home happy with a 62-54 win and a Division 2, District 44 championship. Christian ends the year at 9-3.
South Christian head Coach Jeff Meengs was proud of the team’s composure in the tight game, especially in the fourth quarter, and was specifically proud of his seniors.
“They weathered a lot, (against an athletic Eagles team), and dealt with the pressure,” Meengs said to WKTV. They “kept their composure, and kept making plays.”
The Sailors (17-2) now have a tall task ahead of them as they advance to the Division 2 Region 11 tournament — also on South Christian’s home floor — starting on Tuesday, March 30, at 5 p.m., against rival Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
South Christian only two losses on the year were to Catholic Central by a combined margin of five points.
The fans on both sides were limited (due to COVID-19 restrictions) but loud as Grand Rapids South Christian hosted a boys basketball district final on March 27 between the Sailors and the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles. (WKTV/Ellington Smith)
District final was back and forth game
In the District final game, both teams set out to be evenly matched, with both only having two losses going into this contest, but the Eagles were without their star, University of Michigan commit Kobe Bufkin, which completely changed the outlook of their team.
Despite Bufkin’s absence, early on both teams were consistently trading baskets back and forth with offensive rebounds and getting out in transition being two early keys to success that saw South Chrisitan jump out to an early lead due to the height advantage they possessed with senior forwards Elliot Grashiuis and Connor Dykema.
As a result, the first quarter ended with South Christian leading 18-13 in a very high action game with the refs letting them play. It was not all positive for the Sailors as their lead guard Isaac Northouse picked up an early knee injury, and was out for the remainder of the game.
In the second quarter, South Christian was able to gain separation jumping out to a double-digit lead due to stifling defense that left Christian’s offense stagnant.
Much of the Eagles’ offense has been singularly isolation focused as they are used to McDonald’s All American Bufkin leading them. Due to Bufkin’s absence, senior Donovan Brown Boyd carried much of the load of the offense, scoring and making plays for his teammates. The half ended with South Christian up 34-23, dominating on both ends of the floor creating turnovers and generating good looks with Dykema leading all scorers with nine points.
The third quarter began with much of the same as the Sailors are able to jump out to an 18-point lead, their biggest of the game. However, the game was clearly not over as Christian was able to cut the lead to nine later in the quarter due to timely buckets from Brown Boyd leading his team with 21 points. Brown Boyd picked it up defensively as well with 2 blocks in one possession.
But the Sailors were still comfortably in the lead with a score of 47-36 at the conclusion of the third quarter.
For much of the fourth quarter the score stayed at about a 10-point spread in a sequence dominated by fouls and turnovers on both sides.
The game’s momentum then picked up when the Eagles came out in a press that generated turnovers in consecutive possessions and were able to cut the lead to five.
However, Sailors were able to regain their composure and take command of the game as with about 40 seconds to go South Christian went to the line repeatedly to keep its separation and successfully closing out the game with free throws and offensive rebounds resulting in a final score of 62-54.
For the game, the Sailors had a very balanced attack with three players in double figures, as guard Jacob Dehaan led the team in scoring with 18 points, followed by Dykema and Sam Meengs, each with 12 points.
After the game coach Meengs spoke on the fluidity of the Sailors’ offense.
“We had an inside presence with Connor, especially in the first half, that forces (the defense) to worry about that, and that set up some nice outside shooting,” he said. “And we hit them.”
The shortened 2020-21 boys high school basketball season came to an end this week for several local teams in state district tournaments, but the Grand Rapids South Christian Sailors are in the finals of their Division 2 tournament, and the Wyoming Tri-unity Christian Defenders are in the finals of their Division 4 tournament.
Both teams will be on their home floors for games Saturday, March 27.
South Christian (16-2, with two wins in the district tournament) will take on Grand Rapids Christian (9-2) at 6 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division 2 Region 11 tournament — also on the Sailors’ home floor — starting on March 30.
Tri-unity Christian (9-2, with one win in the district tournament) will take on Martin (6-6-1) at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division 4 Region 29 tournament at Niles starting on March 30.
South Christian, in early district play, defeated Kelloggsville (2-8 to end the season), by a score of 66-20, in opening round action March 23. The Sailors then handed Godwin Heights (10-1) its only loss of the season, by the score of 79-49, in the semifinals March 25.
Tri-unity, in early district play, defeated West Michigan Lutheran, 83-22, in semifinals play on March 25.
Other local district results
In the Division 1 tournament at East Grand Rapids, Wyoming high won an opening round game March 23 against Byron Center, 54-53, but then lost in the semifinals March 25 to host East Grand Rapids, 54-52. The Wolves finished the season at 7-9 overall.
In other Division 1 tournament action, East Kentwood lost to Caledonia, 53-49, on March 23, to end the season at 3-12. (WKTV was there and a report is available here.)
In other Division 2 action at South Christian, West Michigan Aviation Academy lost to Grand Rapids Christian, 74-48, on March 25, to end their season at 12-6.
In Division 3 action at Fennville, Wyoming Potters House Christian lost to Calvin Christian, 38-37, on March 23, and ended their season at 5-5.
After a hectic week of local teams battling in state girls basketball district tournaments, the East Kentwood Falcons are in the finals of the Division 1 tournament at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg High School, while the South Christian Sailors are in the finals of the Division 2 tournament in Wayland. Both finals will be Friday, March 26.
East Kentwood (13-3, with two wins in the tournament) will face off against East Grand Rapids (12-2) at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division 1 Region 3 tournament at Holland West Ottawa starting on Monday, March 29.
South Christian (11-4, with one win in the tournament) will take on host Wayland (9-2) at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division 2 Region 12 tournament at Edwardsburg, also starting on March 29.
In this week’s early district play, East Kentwood defeated host Middleville, 69-44, on Monday, March 22, and then defeated Byron Center, 41-34, in semifinal action Wednesday, March 24.
South Christian, also in early district play, had a bye and then defeated Kentwood Grand River Preparatory Academy, 71-15, in the semifinals March 24.
Other local district results
In the Division 1 tournament at Middleville, Wyoming high lost an opening round game to Byron Center, 63-41, as the Wolves ended their season at 10-7.
In the Division 2 tournament at Godwin Heights, Kelloggsville defeated the host Wolverines (5-6 overall) in opening round action by the score of 41-39. The Rockets then lost in the semifinals to Grand Rapids Catholic, 44-36, to finish their season with a 5-8 record.
In the Division 2 tournament at Wayland, West Michigan Aviation Academy defeated Hopkins, 53-42, before falling to Wayland, 57-22, in the semifinals to finish their season at 12-6.
In the Division 3 tournament at Covenant Christian High School, Wyoming Potter’s House lost to Grandville Calvin Christian, 49-39, in semifinal action and ended the season at 9-5 overall.
In the Division 4 tournament at Martin, Tri-unity Christian lost to host Martin, 49-41 in semifinal action and ended their season at 5-10.
Godfrey-Lee School District athletic director Jason Faasse visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection to catch us up on his Lee High School Legends news. (WKTV)
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, as part of our coverage of local high school athletics, Godfrey-Lee School District athletic director Jason Faasse visited our studios to catch us up on Lee High School sports.
And what’s new with the Legends includes a planned athletic conference change coming in 2021-22, some long-awaited continuity in their coaching staff, and — oh, ya — there is that infrastructure bond measure that was passed last year and what it will mean for the Lee teams and programs.
And, like all schools across Michigan, there have been impacts of COVID-19.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection brings its audience interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports, both on cable television and on our on-demand and YouTube channels. Readers can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting wktvjournal.com/sports.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Carlton Brewster II, shown in the colors of Kalamazoo Central High School, will be wearing a different color when he takes the field as Wyoming High School football head coach. (Coach Brewster’s Twitter Page)
Wyoming Pubic Schools announced this week that Carlton Brewster II, who most recently was head football coach at Kalamazoo Central High School but is no stranger to the Wyoming Wolves football sidelines, has been named Wyoming high head football coach as well as the school’s Dean of Students.
Brewster takes over the Wyoming program from Irv Sigler Jr., who resigned his coaching position in January after four years leading the Wolves.
Brewster, at Kalamazoo Central, also served as “Character Development Coach” and WPS superintendent Craig Hoekstra stressed that the new coach brings knowledge and skills both on and off the playing field.
“After a thorough interview process, we are confident his knowledge and experience makes him the right person to lead our team,” Hoekstra said in supplied material. “Brewster knows what it takes to be a successful student-athlete both on and off the field and he brings to Wyoming an impressive plan to grow and develop our football program.”
After graduating from and playing football at Grand Rapids’ Creston High School, Brewster played football at the college and professional levels, and coached at three Wyoming-area highs schools — Wyoming high, Lee and Godwin Heights — before his stint at Kalamazoo Central. Coach Brewster and his wife, Cassondra, live in Wyoming with their five children: Aniyah, Kevin, Teonna, Zara and Carlton III.
And being back in the community where he lives and where much of his coaching history was made is important to “Coach Brewster”.
“I have been living in Wyoming for the past 10 years and coaching at Wyoming High School has been a dream of mine,” Brewster said in supplied material. “I look forward to serving our community and students.”
Wyoming Public Schools Athletic Director Ted Hollern not only knows Coach Brewster well but has high expectations for the football program under its new coach.
“Coach Brewster is a great addition to the Wyoming High School staff and athletic department,” Hollern said in supplied material. “He brings excitement, experience, and a tremendous work ethic. I know our student athletes will be prepared and have fun while competing against teams in the O.K. Conference.”
A wealth of experience and success
After playing at Creston high, Brewster was a standout wide receiver at Ferris State University, ranking high in the Bulldogs record book for wide receivers with 234 receptions for a total of 3,184 yards. Also at Ferris State, he earned his Bachelor of Integrative Studies of Arts and Science in 2010, and then his Masters in Educational Leadership from Grand Valley State University in 2013.
Following his tenure playing for the Bulldogs, Brewster spent two years in the NFL as a wide receiver and punt returner for the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. Later he also played semi-pro ball for the Grand Rapids Rampage, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz and Chicago Rush.
Once his playing career had finished, Brewster moved to the sidelines to coach.
His first stops were as wide receiver coach at Creston High School, Ottawa Hills High School, Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Forest Hills Eastern.
In 2014, Brewster served as the Wyoming high offensive coordinator. That season, Wolves quarterback Brendan Berg threw for 2,001 yards and wide receiver Michael Williams was named 1st Team All Conference.
Brewster was then named head coach at Godfrey Lee Public School’s Wyoming Lee High School in 2015. He then spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons as the head coach at Godwin Heights, where his teams went 5-5 and then 7-3. In 2018, Brewster was named head coach at Kalamazoo Central, and in three years his team complied an 11-15 overall record, including the COVID-19 disrupted 2020 season.
St. Patrick’s Day runs were a common-place thing in March before 2020 … and COVID-19. Hopefully things will change in 2021, including having a local Shamrock run. (Creative Commons/from a Baltimore run in 2019)
The local running club RunGR has had to cancel many events over the last year, but they are planning to keep their St. Patrick’s Day tradition “running” with a 5K run this year as part of the RunGR Shamrock Shenanigans 5K on March 20.
With the safety of participants in mind, the RunGR Shamrock Shenanigans 5K will be using both Millennium and Meadows Parks in Grand Rapids to spread the course and participants out. They also have created registration by 5-minute time blocks, with each block having a registration cap to limit the number of people gather before and after the race, as well on the course itself.
There is also created a virtual participation option for those who may not able to join be present at the starting line.
According to the group’s website, RunGR’s mission is to “bring running to the Grand Rapids community in a way that enables our members to live healthier and happier lives by providing the structure, organization, support, training, guidance, and friendships necessary to push themselves to new limits and achieve their running goals.”
This year’s run will also be a benefit for Riding for Ryan, a program which promotes the safety of young bike riders through visibility and awareness.
“Riding for Ryan’s goal is to provide free bicycle safety flags to kids to help keep them safe as they enjoy one of the most cherished and memorable activities,” according to the RunGR promotional material. “As the temperatures warm-up, it is a good time to make sure kids are visible to cars and other cyclists while enjoying their bikes.”
RunGR’s goal is to raise more than $1,000, and A+ Family Medicine has committed to matching the first $350 of donations.
WKTV’s featured game crew was at this 2019 baseball game between Wyoming and South Christian high schools — the last season the Wolves were able to take the field due to the cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 restrictions. (WKTV)
High school baseball and softball games in March routinely get rained, or snowed, out in West Michigan. But this year, even if delayed, they stand a chance to played — unlike last season, which was canceled as COVID-19 hit the scene.
So even before the announcement last week from the Michigan High School Athletic Association that spring sports practices and competitions would be delayed by a week, which is expected to have little impact on the Wyoming High School’s ball teams, the Wolves are mostly simply eager for their first live action in more than a year.
“With the delayed start being only one week, as well as the MHSAA allowing us to continue both four man workouts and conditioning workouts, I see no real impact,” Travis Stricklin, Wyoming head baseball coach, said to WKTV. Stricklin is entering his first year leading the Wolves onto the field. “If anything, it gives us an extra week with the kids to prepare and get ready for the start of our season.”
Kaitlin Failing, Wyoming head softball coach, agrees — but includes an additional reason the delay isn’t so bad.
“I think that the later start date is good considering basketball got pushed back,” Failing said to WKTV. “We share a lot of athletes with basketball and it would become pretty difficult to field teams if they are overlapping. We never really get games in the first couple of weeks anyways, so it doesn’t really matter to us that we are starting later.”
Both coaches, however, see last year’s hiatus from high school competition as being the real obstacle to be overcome by their 2021 teams and their entire programs.
“I think (losing) the entire season really affected our program and other programs in similar economic situations,” Failing said. “We tend to run a lot of opportunities for the girls within Wyoming to participate in softball through the school system, for 5th grade up. With the season being cancelled, our girls lost out on their only opportunity to participate in softball. … (Also) without being allowed to run clubs and clinics for all of our younger students, we are not able to get new students interested in playing or give our younger girls the opportunity to get better.”
Failing also pointed out that some high school programs had a high level of travel participation, with their athletes able to play throughout the summer and fall despite Michigan restrictions, “while a lot of our athletes haven’t played in over a year now … our athletes missed out on their only opportunities to play if they do not play travel” ball.
And, she pointed out, with the missing season, many student-athletes are choosing not to play this season “for a number of other reasons because of COVID.”
Much the same is true for the Wolves baseball program.
“Not having a season last year took a toll on our program for sure,” Stricklin said. “We feel that we are beginning to progress as a program, so losing a year due to the pandemic was definitely not easy.
“That being said, I am beyond proud of the way our kids handled it. Rather than getting upset and letting it keep them down, they simply asked when we could begin working out together again to try and get better for whenever we do actually get to play.”
Delay aside, a 2021 season is expected
The MHSAA announced Feb. 22 that its Representative Council had approved an “adjustment to the Spring 2021 schedule delaying the start of practices in those sports one week to March 22 and competition to March 26 “to accommodate a later end to Winter sports this season,” according to the statement.
“The calendar change should alleviate pressures on indoor facility usage and athletes changing seasons with Winter sports concluding up to two weeks later this school year after a delayed start due to COVID-19,” according to the MHSAA statement.
The MHSAA said it based its decision in part on feedback from a survey of MHSAA member high schools, which saw 74 percent favoring a delay in spring sports activity of at least one week. State coaches associations for spring sports also were consulted, and, according to the MHSAA statement “the great majority of Michigan schools are unable to begin consistent spring sports outdoor activity and competition until early April.”
All spring sports tournament dates remain as originally scheduled, however, with MHSAA finals in baseball, softball and girls soccer concluding the 2020-21 postseason June 19.
Previously, the MHSAA council approved an allowance for spring teams to meet for voluntary practices over 16 contact days in September and October, 2020. General conditioning with an unlimited number of students was allowed, with other out-of-season training (four-player workouts, open gyms/facilities) allowed to continue through March 21, with council having eliminated the preseason downtime restriction for Spring sports this year.
But those allowances did not necessarily benefit all schools, or programs, equally.
“We couldn’t really do much with the 16 days because we do not have enough athletes to scrimmage ourselves or run practices because our athletes all play other sports in the fall,” Failing said. “We held open fields but we knew we wouldn’t have a ton of participation because they were not available. I know other schools were able to get their teams together and scrimmage themselves.”
Wyoming and Kentwood high school athletic directors wasted no time when the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced last week that high school winter contact sports could begin full activities this week, and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) announced that member schools had the green light to being practice and competitions.
And while there is competitive basketball and hockey being scheduled and played this week, some on the first allowed day of Feb. 8, there are some almost COVID-19 Catch-22 restrictions and state health requirements — including many basketball teams required to wear masks on the court and wrestling teams being required to find rapid test options or not take to the mats.
David Kool, South Christian athletic director, on the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection. (2020/WKTV)
“There are still some unknowns with the testing requirements and the mask requirements,” David Kool, athletic director at Grand Rapids South Christian High School, said this week to WKTV. “The MHSAA is hoping to give us more clear guidelines … (this) week before the first games. As of now, we know that the kids have to wear masks while competing and that is what we will stick to until we are told differently.”
Wyoming high will also begin the basketball season with masks on their basketball players.
“Wyoming is planning on masks at this point,” Ted Hollern, Wolves athletic director, said to WKTV. “That is what we have agreed on.”
And Hollern pointed out that even if testing were to be available, there would be the issue of what is the opponent is doing — “Both teams would need to do the same thing,” he said.
South Christian’s Kool echoed his Wyoming counterpart.
“If there ends up being a rapid testing option and it is a level playing field for all, that is something we will consider and look into,” Kool said. “Our main concern is that if there is a testing program, it needs to be equitable for every school.”
Girls and boys basketball, competitive cheer, ice hockey and wrestling could begin contact practice on Feb. 8 — “with some precautions to continue limiting the spread of COVID-19,” according to an MHSAA statement late last week. And while basketball and hockey were able to begin competition this week, competitive cheer and wrestling will not be able to compete until Feb. 12 a the earliest.
Those four winter contact sports have been able to practice since Jan. 16, but only with non-contact activities. So local athletic directors are excited about the start, if still piecing together how they will meet requirements — and responding to other consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on high school sports.
Lee High School athletic director Jason Faasse. (Supplied)
We are “glad that our winter athletes, especially our seniors have an opportunity to compete,” Jason Faasse, Lee high school athletic director said to WKTV. “We are thankful that the research has been done by both the MDHHS and MHSAA to know what precautions are needed to help protect our athletes and their families.”
But Faasse’s optimism is balanced by the knowledge that this 2020-21 high school sports season is unlike any other.
“Many of our athletes have opted not to play this season for one reason or another,” Faasse said. “Some have concerns about playing contact sports during a pandemic, others have been working more hours with the uncertainties surrounding the season. The quick turn around (to allow winter contact sports) doesn’t help us promote the restart to help get more athletes on our teams.”
Ultimately, however, most schools including South Christian are just glad to have a chance to play, starting this week.
“The coaches and athletes have been doing everything they can to ensure they get a chance to compete this season and all they wanted was an opportunity,” Kool said. “The quick turnaround definitely adds to the craziness of this season. The biggest thing we looked at with our coaches was the simple fact that the kids want to play games and they are as ready as they ever will be.”
State and MHSAA testing requirements, and warnings
“All four Winter contact sports also must participate with some level of masking and/or rapid testing,” the MHSAA announced last week. “All testing will be coordinated between schools and MDHHS or their local health departments. … Participants are defined as athletes, coaches and other team personnel active in practice and competition.”
For competitive cheer, teams may compete without testing or face coverings, but must wear masks at all times outside of active competition or stunting/tumbling practice.
For ice hockey, all participants must wear face coverings at all times – during all practices and non-game activities, and during games. The same testing and mask removal option exists for hockey as for basketball.
For wrestling, testing will be required but competitors will not be required to wear face coverings.
The same masking and testing requirements will be in place for all junior high/middle school teams wishing to participate in the four winter contact sports.
However, the state department of health is allowing school athletics to go ahead with some reservations — with or without testing.
“We are pleased at our continued progress in Michigan that has allowed us to take this step forward in a phased approach,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS, said last week. “As a parent and former student-athlete myself, I get how important athletics are to our children’s physical and mental health.
“However, parents and athletes need to understand the risk involved with contact sports if they choose to participate. Sports that require frequent closeness between players make it more difficult to prevent disease transmission even when mitigation measures are in place, including masks. Even when not required, we urge teams to implement a testing program to protect athletes, coaches and their families.”
Within hours of Gov. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announcing that high school winter contact sports could begin full activities next week, the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) announced that member schools had the green light to being practice and competitions.
But there will be restrictions.
Girls and boys basketball, competitive cheer, ice hockey and wrestling can begin contact practice on Monday, Feb. 8 — “with some precautions to continue limiting the spread of COVID-19,” according to a MHSAA statement. Competition in those four sports can also begin, with basketball and hockey able to also start play Feb. 8, and cheer and wrestling able to compete starting Feb. 12.
Those four winter contact sports have been able to practice since Jan. 16, but only with non-contact activities.
“All four Winter contact sports also must participate with some level of masking and/or rapid testing,” according to the MHSAA statement. “All testing will be coordinated between schools and MDHHS or their local health departments. … Participants are defined as athletes, coaches and other team personnel active in practice and competition.”
For the Governor and the state health department, the action continues a gradual expansion of allowed activities driven by increasingly lower numbers of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, at a large January news conference. (State of Michigan)
“We are pleased at our continued progress in Michigan that has allowed us to take this step forward in a phased approach,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS, said in supplied material. “As a parent and former student-athlete myself, I get how important athletics are to our children’s physical and mental health.
“However, parents and athletes need to understand the risk involved with contact sports if they choose to participate. Sports that require frequent closeness between players make it more difficult to prevent disease transmission even when mitigation measures are in place, including masks. Even when not required, we urge teams to implement a testing program to protect athletes, coaches and their families.”
Sport by sport details
The MHSAA statement gives some detail on the masking and testing requirements, as well as competition limits, for the various winter contact sports.
WKTV’s coverage of high school basketball could be returning soon as local teams can begin play as early as Feb. 8. (WKTV)
For girls and boys basketball, all participants must wear face coverings at all times – during all practices and non-game activities, and during games. There will initially be a competition limit of up to three games per week. However, a testing requirement “may allow participants to remove masks while in active participation on the floor if they test negative that game day.”
More details of the testing option “will be provided to schools when confirmed,” according to the MHSAA.
For competitive cheer, teams may compete without testing or face coverings, but must wear masks at all times outside of active competition or stunting/tumbling practice. And teams may participate in 12 days of competition, not counting MHSAA tournament events.
For ice hockey, all participants must wear face coverings at all times – during all practices and non-game activities, and during games. The competition limit will allow teams play up to three games per week, but “teams also may play two games on one non-school day twice; during those two weeks, teams are allowed up to four games Monday through Sunday.” The same testing and mask removal option exists for hockey as for basketball.
For wrestling, testing will be required but competitors will not be required to wear face coverings.Teams may compete two days per week, with no more than four teams at a site, “with each individual (wrestler) competing in up to three matches per day,” according to the MHSAA.
The same masking and testing requirements will be in place for all junior high/middle school teams wishing to participate in the four winter contact sports.
The updated MDHHS epidemic order allowing for the resumption of winter contact sports remains in effect through March 29. at this point in time.
Positive results led to change
“We continue to make progress in reducing cases and hospitalizations, helping protect our families and frontline workers and saving lives,” Gov. Whitmer said in supplied material. “Michigan continues to be a national leader in fighting this virus, and we must continue using a fact-based approach so we can return to a strong economy and normal day-to-day activities.”
According to the MDHHS statement, the state “has been closely monitoring three metrics for stabilization or declines over the past several weeks, and Michigan continues to see improvements” in the following areas:
Hospital capacity dedicated to COVID-19 patients has been in 10-week decline, with current capacity at 6.6 percent for beds with COVID-19 patients. The number peaked at 19.6 percent on Dec. 4, 2020.
Overall case rates are currently at 159 cases per million after peaking at 740 cases per million on Nov. 14. The rate has been in solid decline for 24 days.
The positivity rate is currently at 4.9 percent and declining — the last time positivity was as low was mid-October.
The Tri-unity Christian boys basketball (shown here in a 2019 practice) is one of the many local sports teams currently unable to hold full-contact practices or compete. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Anybody hoping for the rapid resumption of high school winter contact sports such as basketball and wrestling — athletes, coaches, parents and fans — after the successful state-approved fall sports rapid testing pilot program, are going to be disappointed.
Despite the touted success of the recent testing of football and volleyball players engaged in contact sports, in a dual effort of both the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), the testing protocol will not be used for winter sports. And, so, current plans are that it will be at least Feb. 21 before prep basketball, hockey, wrestling and competitive cheer can begin competition.
“The purpose of the pilot (program) was always to ease the pathway to expanded use of antigen testing to support school reopening, which is the state’s priority given limited testing resources,” Bob Wheaton, MDHHS public information officer, said to WKTV this week.
The MHSAA “also have said all along that MDHHS told us testing would never be an option for winter sports,” Geoff Kimmerly, MHSAA assistant director for communications, said to WKTV. But the state governing body for high school sports still touts the success of the program and advocates for the beginning of winter contact sports, even without rapid testing.
The South Christian High School football team returns to practice Wednesday, Dec. 30, after mandated COVOD-19 testing was completed. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“This past weekend the MHSAA concluded its remaining Fall tournaments with 11-Player Football Finals,” a Jan. 27 statement from the MHSAA reads. “Earlier this month, Girls Volleyball, Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving and 8-Player Football Finals were competed to conclude those seasons.
“All four were allowed to complete their seasons because those teams took part in the MDHHS rapid testing pilot program. Results of that program were overwhelmingly positive. A total of 5,376 individuals (athletes, coaches, team personnel, cheerleaders, etc.) were tested, and 57 — or 1 percent — tested positive at some point in the pilot. Nearly 30,000 rapid antigen tests were administered — and 99.8 percent were negative.”
(According to the statement, the statistics were through Jan. 19, and were provided to the MHSAA by the MDHHS.)
And MHSAA leadership clearly believes not allowing Michigan athletes to return to the basketball courts and wrestling mats is unfair and could be putting the athletes at a greater risk of COVID-19 infection.
“Each week, we see hundreds of examples of children and families competing in non-school competition, both in-state and out-of-state,” Mark Uyl, MHSAA executive director , said in the Jan. 27 statement. “This not only is in violation of current MDHHS orders, but sending all of these families into different states will only become an impediment to getting students back in school full time.
“But we can contribute to students returning to in-person learning by allowing MHSAA member schools to begin full activities, participating locally and against more local competition, and under the guidance of trained, professional educators,” Uyl said.
State’s goal is safe communities and schools, first
“Counties around the country have faced outbreaks of COVID-19 associated with sports teams,” MDHHS’s Wheaton said to WKTV. “In Michigan, there were 42 outbreaks associated with athletics (K-12 schools, professional, collegiate, and commercial venues) in August and September 2020 before restrictions on contact sports were implemented … Outbreaks of this magnitude have the potential to affect not just a sports team, but the community in which the players and coaches reside as well.”
Competitive cheerleading is just one of several high school winter sports on hold at this time. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Sports that require “frequent closeness between players” — including basketball and wrestling — make it more difficult to prevent disease transmission, according to the MDHHS. And the risk of COVID-19 transmission is increased by the number of individuals a player physically interacts with, as well as the intensity and duration of that interaction.
“The arrival of the new B.1.1.1.7 variant also means even more caution must be taken so we avoid the rapid rise in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths that other countries that have seen this variant have experienced,” Wheaton said.
“Even with mitigation measures in place, such as wearing of masks, disease transmission cannot be completely prevented when players are in prolonged or intense contact,” Wheaton continued. “These risks are even greater for indoor contact sports where there is not natural ventilation to mitigate the close proximity of participants. Teams that can implement robust public health measures may be able to decrease risk, but risk remains elevated.”
And when asked about when contact sports might be able to begin in 2021, Wheaton said that is at unknown at this time — for several reasons, including the lack of resources to implement a more widespread rapid testing program.
“Contact sports can be more safely played at this time when teams undertake significant infection control steps that include testing participants at least three times a week on alternating days, ensuring no social contact outside of school and the team, and supervision by medical staff,” Wheaton said. “It is not easy to meet these standards, and typically requires institutional support from a college or university, or professional sports organization, to have sufficient resources and infrastructure to comply.
In the fall sports pilot program, about 200 schools that allowed several thousand high school athletes to safely complete their fall volleyball, football, and swimming and diving championships under these protocols, according to the MDHHS. But the enhanced testing during this pilot uncovered dozens of positive cases that could have otherwise spread to the rest of the team and their communities.
“We will continue to carefully watch the data to assess what other activities can be permitted,” Wheaton said in conclusion.
And the MHSAA will be ready when — and if — the state allows winter contact sports to begin.
“We have said from the start of the 2020-21 school year that we would do everything possible to have three seasons, and play all three to completion,” Uyl has previously said. “Our strong advocacy for all sports and seasons — and especially winter sports —continues every day.”
Wyoming Public Schools Athletic Director Ted Hollern could not give a specific timeframe for replacing Wolves head varsity football coach Irv Sigler Jr. — who resigned his coaching position last week after four seasons — but there is a sense of urgency.
The Wolves need a head coach “as soon as possible,” Hollern said this week to WKTV. “We need him now.”
Sigler, who will continue as Dean of Students at Wyoming High School, spent four seasons coaching the Wolves as part of a 30-year coaching career including work at Cadillac (1993-1997), Grandville (1998-2004), Kell High School in Marietta, Ga., (2005-2007) and Jenison (2008-2012). Prior to coming to Wyoming, he served as the offensive coordinator at Hope College.
“I just decided this is a good time after 30 years of coaching,” Sigler said this week to WKTV. “There are some other things I’d like to do. I’m not completely done coaching but this is more of a pause. I love working at (Wyoming high) and look forward to it every day.”
And his work at Wyoming high is certainly appreciated by the Wolves community.
Wyoming High School AD Ted Hollern. (WKTV)
“Just want to say how grateful Wyoming Public Schools is for everything (Sigler) has done for our kids … and I know people out in the community do also,” Hollern said. “He has done a tremendous job, there is no question about it.”
As far as the process of hiring a new head football coach, Hollern said “right now, we are reaching out to our stakeholders, to get as much input as we possibly can. The kids, the parents, the coaches … to find out what they want in the leadership of our football program.”
Then they will post the job and start the interview and hiring process.
As Sigler steps away for the sidelines, for however long, he does so with appreciation for his four seasons leading the Wolves.
“I want to thank everyone in the Wyoming community, school district, teachers administration and especially the young men who’ve played in our program,” Sigler said in a reported statement last week. “Our coaching staff has served with honor and dignity — our assistant coaches are the finest people.
“It has been my honor to be a Wolf. I spent a lot of time in thought and prayer, and this is a good time to turn the page.”
Wyoming was 1-4 this 2020-21 season, and lost two weeks of games in the middle of the season due to pandemic issues. Earlier in 2020, Sigler was honored as the West Michigan Officials Association Coach of the Year in 2019.
“I feel very honored, but it is truly a reflection of our program, players and assistant coaches,” Sigler said to WKTV about the Coach of the Year honor. “It is more significant than any award I’ve received in coaching. … It means so much to me, because officials have the chance to see coaches at our best and our worst. To know that I’ve earned the respect of this group of men tells me that we are doing things right as a team and program.”
Sigler’s other coaching accomplishments include MHSAA Regional Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2003 while at Grandville, the MHSFCA Community Service Award in 2009. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Adrian College in 1990 and his Master of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan in 1992.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, we go bowling.
One of the first winter sports given permission to resume competition following pauses by the state health department and the MHSAA is bowling, with many local teams beginning as early as this week. WKTV not only plans to bring you some prep bowling coverage but, before that, WKTV sports volunteer Bill Rinderknecht spent some time with the head coaches of East Kentwood High School’s boys and girls bowling teams, talking about their sport and their teams.
WKTV volunteer host Bill Rinderknecht on WKTV Sports Sports Connection. (WKTV)
Falcons head boys coach Ed Colburn and girls head coach Todd Sellon talk about how their athletes dealt with the pause in high school athletics due to the pandemic, then being allowed to resume practice but with restrictions, and now the quick turnaround to the beginning of competition. We also got a breakdown of some of the unique rules and format for the high school game, and also a look ahead to their upcoming season.
Coach Colburn and Sellon also discuss how it is not just football and basketball players getting college scholarships.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection brings its audience interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports, both on cable television and on our on-demand and YouTube channels. Readers can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting wktvjournal.org/sport.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, at a Jan. 22 news conference. (State of Michigan)
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the governing body for high school sports in the state, has been dutifully working with the state health department and the governor’s office as rules and restrictions have repeatedly changed during the last 10 months.
And they will again work with the latest changes, announced Friday, Jan. 22, but they are expressing their “disappointment” both from their own scheduling and logistical standpoint, and from the expected impact on student-athletes across the state.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), in its latest directive, altered the allowed number of spectators at events such as this weekend’s prep football finals as well as delayed until at least Feb. 21 all contact sport’s full-contact practices and any possible beginning of those sports’ competitions.
Winter contact sports such as basketball, hockey, wrestling and competitive cheer currently are only allowed non-contract practice but they had been expecting to begin full-contact practice on Feb. 1 and completion later that week.
Mark Uyl, MHSAA executive director, from a previous Zoom meeting. (MHSAA)
“We found out about this decision at 9:30 a.m. (Jan. 22) like everyone else, and we will address it as quickly as possible after taking the weekend to collect more information,” Mark Uyl, MHSAA executive director, said in supplied material. “We did not anticipate this delay in winter contact practices and competition, and today’s announcement has created many new questions.
“Obviously, this is disappointing to thousands of athletes who have been training with their teams over the last week and watching teams in other states around Michigan play for the last two months.”
The latest state pandemic-related changes in rules and regulations also could have allowed more people to attend this weekend’s football finals — but news came too late for the MHSAA to alter established plans to meet now-altered MDHHS rules and regulations.
Also on Jan. 22, Gov. Whitmer and MDHHS announced that sports arenas with capacities of at least 10,000 spectators may allow up to 500 to attend events. But, the MHSAA later announced, “no additional tickets will be sold for today and Saturday’s 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field” due to the lack of sufficient notice.
“We have been planning these Finals for weeks to include immediate family, and unfortunately this isn’t a process we can adjust midstream,” Uyl said. “Distributing more tickets would put stress on those plans and Ford Field staffing, and force schools to make more hard decisions on who will be able to attend, but at the last second instead of with prior planning.”
Local high school basketball is a huge step closer to hitting the floor. (Photo from previous year game televised by WKTV with East Kentwood High School’s boys basketball team at Wyoming.)
When high school sports teams including football and volleyball were allowed to begin competition early this month after following extensive COVID-19 rapid testing protocols, not only were those sports given a chance to finish their season but winter sports including basketball could see a path ahead for their restart of practice and competition.
The antigen rapid test results — which showed more than a 99 percent non-infection rate among the student athletes as of last week — were seen as a success by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA).
And last week, both state officials and the MHSAA moved forward with plans to lift all restrictions on non-contact winter sports such as bowling and gymnastics, and began easing of restrictions even on contact sports, many local high school basketball teams began “non-contact” practices this last weekend and they are shooting for a beginning of February start to their seasons.
“We have shown with our remaining fall sports this month that our schools can participate safely, and we’re confident teams will continue to take all the appropriate precautions as we jump back into indoor winter activities,” MHSAA executive director Mark Uyl said last week in supplied material.
And the success of the rapid testing pilot program with the fall sports was a key factor in the continuing opening of high school athletics.
Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid test. (Abbott)
According to numbers supplied by the MDHHS on Friday, and of Jan. 15, the antigen test results (which included multiple tests of same individuals) there were 25,601 total tests with 25,533 negative (99.73 percent) and only 69 positive (0.27 percent).
“Overall, schools have deemed this testing pilot a success that has allowed close to 7,000 student-athletes and staff to safely compete in high school athletics,” Bob Wheaton, spokesperson for the MDHHS, said to WKTV Jan. 15. “More than 99 percent of the tests were negative, however, testing allowed the department to find dozens of positive COVID-19 cases among student-athletes.”
One local school which participated in the testing pilot program was the Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team, which was able to finish their season on the field on Jan. 9 after beginning testing beginning just after New Years Day.
“The MHSAA and the MDHHS have clearly outlined their expectations and have given very sound guidance on the process so we are ready to begin the testing,” South Christian athletic director David Kool said to WKTV at the time testing began.
And that success was good news to local basketball coaches, including Wyoming High School’s head boys basketball coach Thom Vander Klay.
“We are so excited to get back in the gym go to work,” Vander Klay said to WKTV. “We could only see them via remote media using zoom meetings. The kids could not use school facilities either so we are a bit behind. … (But) even with masks and non-contact we will make up a lot of time, being to install our fundamentals and schemes.”
Vander Klay also said that at this point he is not sure if his team will need to work within the same rapid testing protocol or not, but “regardless of what the mandates are as long as we can practice and work on our game we will have plenty to do” in preparation for a scheduled Feb. 4 opening against South Christian.
MHSAA acts as state health department eases restrictions
The MDHHS updated its epidemic order last week to allow re-opening of additional activities including indoor group exercise and non-contact sports — with non-contact practice for contact sports such as basketball also allowed. The new order will last until Jan. 31, according to the MDHHS statement.
Currently, basketball, hockey and wrestling are allowed to practice but not allowed to have competition, while other winter sport include girls gymnastics, girls and boys bowling, and girls and boys swimming and diving are allowed to begin competition.
Masks will be required of all participants of the three sports now allowed competition “except when they are actively participating in gymnastics and swimming & diving,” according to the MHSAA statement. Spectators will be limited to 100 persons in school gyms or 250 in stadiums and arenas, “per MDHHS orders” in place.
“We are glad to have three more sports join skiing in returning to full activity, but we understand the disappointment and frustration on the part of our athletes and coaches whose sports are not yet able to restart completely,” MHSAA’s Uyl said. “We will continue to adjust schedules to provide all of our winter teams as substantial an experience this season as possible, as part of our greater plan this school year to play all three seasons to conclusion.”
Additionally, spring sports teams and fall teams not participating in the MDHHS rapid testing pilot program may begin four-player workouts and resume conditioning but only with non-contact activities.
“We are reopening cautiously because caution is working to save lives,” MDHHS director Robert Gordon said in supplied material. “The new order allows group exercise and non-contact sports, always with masks and social distancing, because in the winter it’s not as easy to get out and exercise and physical activity is important for physical and mental health.”
Clearly the Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team hoped and practiced for a better result than the 47-7 road loss at state-power Edwardsburg, Saturday, Jan. 9, after the state playoffs resumed following a six-week, state-mandated pause due to COVID-19 restrictions.
But Sailors head coach Danny Brown had nothing but praise for his team, which finished the season 8-2, their best season since 2014, and never backed down from the challenge of a night road game in freezing January temperatures against the Division 4 powerhouse Eddies (now 9-0).
Sailors head coach Danny Brown talks to his team during the Jan. 9 game. (Eric Walstra)
“Our team as a whole deserves a lot of praise,” Brown said to WKTV this week. “This has been a tough journey for these kids and they never wavered. They were always ready no matter what was thrown their way.”
And a lot was thrown their way, including the nearly two-month layoff, less than a week in pads to prepare for the game, and a rigid COVID-19 rapid testing protocol the team and staff had to pass. And that was before they took the field.
In the game, South Christian took the opening kickoff and drove to Edwardsburg 28, keyed by a 22-yard pass from senior Ty Rynbrandt to Trevor Hansen that got the ball to the Eddies’ 28. But the drive stalled, Edwardsburg took over, and the Eddies scored first. The Sailors answered later in the first quarter with a 7-play, 60-yard scoring drive finishing with Hanson’s 28 yard run and Nate Brinks’ PAT to make the score 8-7.
But Edwardsburg, and its prolific offense, proved just too much from there on out. For the game, the Eddies out-gained the Sailors in total yards 306-138, and the host team marched to their fourth Regional title in five seasons while continuing a streak of scoring at least 43 points in every game this season.
For the game, Sailors’ quarterback Rynbrandt was 11-of-26 for 96 yards while returning to the field after recovering from an injury in the November.
But finishing the season on the field was important to Rynbrandt, and to the rest of the South Christian team.
“I think it was important to get closure on the season,” Brown said. “There would of always been this thought of ‘what if’ if we weren’t allowed to continue. We always just wanted a chance to complete the season. The game didn’t goes as we hoped but at least we know we got to play in our last game of the season.”
Try as they might, South Christian could not stop the high-scoring Edwardsburg offense in the Jan. 9 game. (Eric Walstra)
The South Christian High School football team returns to practice Wednesday, Dec. 30, after mandated COVOD-19 testing was completed. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
When Grand Rapids South Christian High School’s football team returned to the practice field Wednesday, in preparation for its hoped-for return to the Sailors’ Division 4 playoffs with a regional final game Jan. 9, 2021, coaches and players actually had two playbooks to follow.
One is the on-field playbook put together by head coach Danny Brown and his staff as they prepare the team for a road game against the Edwardsburg Eddies. The second is an even more extensive COVID-19 testing playbook which the team will have to follow to the letter to practice, let alone get back to competition.
Following extensive COVID-19 rapid testing instructions laid out by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service (MDHHS) and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) — including an 14-page “how to” of use for the BinaxNOW antigen tests by kit maker Abbott — the Sailors’ athletic department and school staff begin their first round of testing this week.
As with all fall sports teams preparing to return to action, if all players, coaches and personnel test negative through the first round of testing, they may proceed with full-contact practices as early as Dec. 31.
“Our players and coaches are looking forward to getting back on the field with another opportunity to finish our season,” South Christian athletic director David Kool said to WKTV. “We realize the only way we can accomplish this is by participating in the pilot testing program. The MHSAA and the MDHHS have clearly outlined their expectations and have given very sound guidance on the process so we are ready to begin the testing on Wednesday.”
The testing went well on Wednesday, Dec. 30, and the team began practice later in the day.
A graphic for Abbott BinaxNOW test. (Abbott)
Testing kits came this week
The MDHHS Testing Pilot Program for Organized Sports, which the Sailors are part of, involves the MDHHS, the MHSAA, all of the schools choosing to restart fall sports, and local health departments. It is available to student athletes in girls volleyball, girls swimming & diving, and football “who have already qualified or begun competing in MHSAA postseason championship games and meets within the regular Fall 2020 season,” the MHSAA states.
Also according to the MHSAA, the testing pilot program is “an opportunity for student athletes to finish out their seasons through rigorous COVID-19 antigen (rapid) testing. By agreeing to frequent rapid testing and other COVID-19 safety precautions, student athletes, coaches, and staff who are symptom-free and continue to test negative for COVID-19 can participate.”
In addition to providing a way for student athletes to complete their competitions, according to the MHSAA, if successful “this pilot provides an opportunity for public health and schools to assess an antigen testing strategy for students and staff, paving the way for a broader school testing protocol and the safe reopening of K-12 schools.”
“We’re excited about this opportunity for our remaining football playoff teams to return to play and thankful to the MDHHS for the opportunity to take part in this pilot program,” MHSAA’s Geoff Kimmerly said to WKTV. “Boxes of tests departed from our building Monday to give teams the opportunity to begin testing and full practice again Wednesday, and we are working with MDHHS to answer questions and provide training in administering these tests.
“This is the avenue forward for our teams wishing to complete the football season, and we’re confident the testing process will go smoothly and allow them to do so,” Kimmerly said.
And that “avenue forward,” just getting a chance to finish their season, is all that South Christian wants.
“January 9 (game day) is going to be a fun day for all involved,” Kool said. The hoped-for return to the field “has been a much anticipated day, and our athletes and coaches are going to be ready to go.”
East Kentwood High School wresting co-head coach Eric Foster visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection. (Falcons’ hockey head coach Phil Sweeney’s interview is later in this story.)
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, as part of our continuing series of shows focused on different local high schools’ sports departments, we check in with the East Kentwood wrestling and hockey teams — both of which are dealing with pandemic-related restrictions and continued uncertainty.
Visiting the WKTV studios earlier this month were Falcon’s wresting co-head coach Eric Foster, and then hockey head coach Phil Sweeney. We talk with coach Foster and coach Sweeney about how their Falcon coaching staffs and teams are coping with the current pause in high school athletics, and about coaching in these unprecedented times.
But we also look ahead with hope, for lower COVID-19 numbers and the continuation of the current resumption of high school athletics — see a story on fall sports returning here — and we also get a peek from the coaches at their teams’ outlook for the 2020-21 season.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection, with this latest episode hosted by WKTV volunteer Cory Dalton, brings its audience interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports, both on cable television and on our on-demand and YouTube channels. Readers can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting wktvjournal.com/sports.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
When it comes to COVID-19 related restrictions, or allowances, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer often says her and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ decisions are “guided by the data.”
So as high school athletic departments across the state, including those in the Kentwood and Wyoming area, await an expected modification by Gov. Whitmer and the MDHHS of the current “pause” in competition and most practices, WKTV asked about the data — the numbers.
The MDHHS and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) both responded, with numbers which might be viewed as telling a somewhat different story.
“There have been 42 outbreaks associated with athletics (K-12 schools, professional, collegiate, and commercial venues) in August and September,” according to a MDHHS statement prior to the Nov. 15 pause in athletics, along with indoor restaurant service and other COVID-19 related restrictions.
And “we do continuously track data on outbreaks, including outbreaks associated with high school sports, and we know that there continued to be high school sports associated outbreaks in (October and November),” Bob Wheaton, spokesperson for the MDHHS, said to WKTV this week.
But those “outbreaks” did not prevent high school sports teams across the state from safely completing the vast majority of scheduled contests, according to MHSAA numbers given to WKTV. Even in a sport considered by the state to be “high risk” — football — with nearly 600 teams playing on any given week the percentage of games not played due to COVID-19 outbreaks was never more than 4.1 percent and was under 3 percent five out of nine weeks of competition.
“Our schools, with athletic directors monitoring activities and trained coaches teaching their athletes best practices and holding them to high standards, have for the large part been able to keep their teams competing and free of infection this fall,” MHSAA spokesperson Geoff Kimmerly said to WKTV this week. “We have maintained from the start of fall that schools are best equipped to provide athletics in the safest-possible environment, and we’re eager to restart our fall and winter seasons following the precautions that have been successful so far.”
(The complete data chart supplied my the MHSAA is at the end of this story.)
The MHSAA’s opinion on the effectiveness of high school sports programs’ COVID-19 safety efforts was echoed by David Kool, athletic director at South Christian High School, which had their football team’s so-far successful playoff drive halted in mid-November.
“Our staff and players have done a tremendous job navigating through this pandemic,” Kool said this week to WKTV. “The support and leadership from our coaches has been and will continue to be phenomenal. … We have followed the protocols and guidelines put on us to the best of our ability throughout the fall and now into the winter. We all realize that gives us the best chance for the student athletes to do what they love to do, which is to compete.”
MDHHS and athletics numbers
The MDHHS, in response to a questions about how much of a COVID-19 spreader problem high school sports has been this fall and early winter, referenced its late October update of its Interim Guidance for Contact Sports, which noted:
“There have been 42 outbreaks associated with athletics (K-12 schools, professional, collegiate, and commercial venues) in August and September of 2020. Outbreaks of this magnitude have the potential to affect more than just a sports team, but the community in which the players and coaches reside as well.”
The document also noted that contact sports are particularly concern, saying, “Given the available epidemiological data with concerning rising cases of COVID-19, contact sports such as football and wrestling pose a high risk of transmitting COVID-19 to athletes, coaches, and the general community, and should be avoided at this time.”
But under the mid-November order, while high school sports competitions and team practices were restricted, the MDHHS stated: “Gyms will remain open for individual exercise with strict safety measures in place. … (and) Professional and college sports meeting extraordinary standards for risk mitigation may continue without spectators, however all other organized sports must stop.”
And what’s next for high school athletics?
And what will drive Gov. Whitmer and the MDHHS’s decision to continue restrictions on, or allow resumption of, high school sports?
“As MDHHS’s order pausing gatherings for 3 weeks expires Dec. 8, we are reviewing the COVID-19 data and will make decisions on high school sports and other gatherings based on what that data shows us,” the MDHHS spokesperson said.
“We understand why the state health department paused activities for three weeks — we all have the same hopes for reducing COVID-19,” MHSAA’s Kimmerly said. “But we believe we have a good story to tell, and that we can continue to play a major role in keeping high school athletes safe while providing them a meaningful experience during this difficult time.”
And so local high school athletic departments, coaches and athletes await the decision and guidance from the Governor, MDHHS and the MHSAA.
“Each and every day we are trying to do everything we can to give our student athletes as many opportunities as we can,” South Christian’s Kool said. “We are hopeful that we will be given the green light to continue with athletics on Wednesday, December 9 and look forward to being back in action.”
Wyoming high boys basketball coach Tom Vander Klay visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection. (Wolves girls coach Troy Mast’s interview is later in this story.)
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, as part of our continuing series of shows focused on different local high school and their sports departments, we check in with the Wyoming High School Wolves basketball teams — both of which were already dealing with pandemic-related restrictions even before the latest state and MHSAA orders.
Visiting the WKTV studios last week (and before this week’s Michigan High School Athletic Association additional temporary restrictions on practices and competitions) are two coaches who have long histories of coaching and coaching success in Wyoming Public Schools, head boys basketball coach Thom Vander Klay and head girls basketball coach Troy Mast.
Both Vander Klay — who had his outstanding 2019-20 team’s season cut short by COVID-19 early this year — and Mast talk with WKTV volunteers Mike Moll and Paul Kabelman about how their teams are handling COVID-19 restrictions, their opinions of the Wolves’ shift of conferences from the OK Gold to OK Green, and a preseason outlook for their 2020-21 teams.
But we also reached out to the coaches this week, on Nov. 17, to see what the latest round of restrictions mean to their programs.
“Currently, we are completely paused for 3 weeks with no team practices or in-person meetings allowed,” Mast said to WKTV. “This is putting our team further behind where we are normally at this time of year.
“However, our job is to be ready when we are allowed to get back to work. Our kids will be excited to get back into the gym ASAP and looking forward to competing against each other in practice in preparation for whatever schedule is put in front of us.”
The Wolves girls were scheduled to start competition Dec. 1 at home against Comstock Park, but that game has even cancelled, along with a home game Dec. 4 against Forest Hills Central and a road game Dec. 8 at South Christian. Dec. 8 also would have been the night of the Wolves boys team’s first game, which would have had the Sailors visiting Wyoming.
“At this point the boys will be able to start tryouts Dec. 8 unless the state tells us differently and/or extends its order. That would have been the date of our season opener against SC (South Christian),” Vander Klay said to WKTV. “So we will have tryouts, get our rosters set on each level and then prepare as quickly as possible for competition.
“Of course, we cannot scrimmage other teams before we play so that will be interesting as those preseason scrimmages reveal so much about the players and the team — and what the coach needs to work on. … My guess is that early game results will be much different than games at the end of the year.”
WKTV Journal Sports Connection, with this latest episode hosted by WKTV volunteer Cory Dalton, brings its audience interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports, both on cable television and on our on-demand and YouTube channels. Readers can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting wktvjournal.com/sports.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Before the latest Michigan High School Sports Association (MHSAA) action to suspend, but maybe not cancel, the state’s remaining high school sports championship schedule, East Kentwood High School’s girls swim coach thought her team had overcome all the COVID-19 turbulence this season.
And WKTV talked to Falcons head coach Monika Steffens via zoom last week about her team’s season as they prepared to send the relay team to the State Finals this week.
Coach Steffens — or as her team calls her, Coach Mo — told WKTV that the team’s season had been incredible through a difficult time, that her girls set personal best times in almost all of their races at the OK Conference tournament and, on top of that, sophomore standout Kalin Wiltrout broke a 22 year old team record for 100 freestyle.
“We were unsure when we would even practice and everyday these girls showed up, took everything we threw at them, and they still got around to swimming very fast,” Steffens said in the video interview.
Then came news over the weekend of the latest restrictions from the State of Michigan and the MHSAA, including suspension of the high school state swim meet as well as the volleyball and football tournaments.
“We had been warning the girls that this was a possibility for the past few weeks, but it still does not make facing the decision any easier,” Steffens said today, Nov. 16, to WKTV. “I am grateful that we were able to get through our conference meet and were given the chance to race hard throughout the past few months.
“Pushing back, or even cancelling, this season’s state meet does not take away from the hard work these ladies put in. Qualifying to compete is already a tremendous accomplishment. Putting the chance to beat a couple more team records on hold is hard to accept, but I know we will be back here again next season and I know we will do our best to race hard again when we are given the chance.”
WKTV’s local sports coverage is available at wktvjournal.com/sports. WKTV Journal Sports Connection is also available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also usually available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
South Christian High School boys soccer team earned a 2-1 victory over Elk Rapids Nov. 4, in a MHSAA Division 3 state semifinal match. (WKTV/Luke Schrock)
South Christian High School boys soccer team earned a 2-1 victory over Elk Rapids Tuesday, Nov. 4, in a hard-fought MHSAA Division 3 state semifinal match at Cedar Springs high that was decided by a shootout.
The victory over the Elks (19-3-4) sends the Sailors (18-0-1) back to the state championship game for a rematch with Grosse Ile (19-1-1), the reigning state champions, set for noon Saturday at Novi. Last season, South Christian fell to the Red Devils in the finals, 2-1, in shootout.
In the game against Elk Rapids, both sides had chances early with two missed crosses for South Christian and a near headed goal by the Elks eventually leading to a foul in the box. Sailors senior Thom DeVries finally got his team on the board with a goal on a penalty kick in the 11th minute to put give the Sailors the early lead.
The South Christian fans also roared in the 14th minute as the injured senior Jeff Herrema entered the match with his first action since the district tournament final, where he created two penalty kicks but was eventually diagnosed with a separated shoulder.
The Elks had no answer in a back-and-forth affair until Elks senior Preston Ball found a pass wide open over the middle to tie the match in the 58th minute.
The first overtime almost gave Elk Rapids the lead when the stadium went quiet after a foul was called on South Christian in the box, giving Elk Rapid’s Mason Travis a penalty kick. The kick, however, was saved by South Christian keeper Nik Schepers.
Both sides worked, but at the end of overtime the score was tied at 1-1 and the shootout was set.
The shootout was back and forth in goals with the first pairing, Herrema and Elk Rapids Kadin Patterson, but the Elks couldn’t answer Thom DeVries’ make as Schepers saved his first ball and then shutdown Elk Rapids to secure the game. The Sailors won the shootout 3-1, to make the final score 2-1.
Head coach Jason Boersma loved the performance from his keeper, but poked him none-the-less after the game for giving up the regulation-time goal.
“Our keeper, I think he made up for it,” Boersma said WKTV. “He made three PK saves, which is just outlandish, and it’s what Nik does. He did it last year in this semi-final game against Ludington.”
And how did Scheper “do it”?
“I don’t even know how to describe how I guess penalties,” Schepers said, “I knew he was a right footer and he was shooting a lot from his right.”
Going back to the state championship also brings many emotions to Schepers — “I knew we were going to be back, it’s surreal,” he said.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) recently confirmed that 2020-21 winter sports will begin on time, including boys and girls basketball being able to start conditioning sessions the first week of November, practices shortly thereafter, and games as early as late in the month.
But they also set out a series of “guidelines” for winter sports that schools must follow, including possibly preventing any basketball scrimmages prior to full-game action.
“A number of precautions have been put in place addressing competition limits, numbers of spectators allowed and wearing of face coverings, among a variety of topics,” according to an Oct. 23 statement from the MHSAA. “As with fall sports, scrimmages will not be allowed for winter sports.”
While there may be something gained by not allowing scrimmages, Wyoming High School boys basketball coach Thom Vander Klay said there is something lost.
Wyoming High School basketball coach Thom Vander Klay, coaching during the 2016-17 season. (WKTV)
“We are disappointed in the no scrimmage rule particularly with the fact that we are inexperienced and didn’t get our summer schedule in,” Vander Klay said about the impact on his Wolves program. “We have a lot to figure out regarding cuts and then roles on the team. … A lot of question marks that we can often have answered after scrimmages, and summer and fall games.”
For the Wolves, after-school conditioning will begin Nov. 2, with full practices starting Nov. 16, and its game schedule currently set to start Dec. 8 with a home game against Grand Rapids South Christian.
MHSAA guidelines for all sports, and a cautionary tale
The Representative Council of the MHSAA, during an Oct. 22 meeting, voted to have 2020-21 winter sports begin on time but stressed as series of guidelines “that schools must follow as they continue to work toward limiting the spread of COVID-19 while still providing opportunities for athletes to compete.”
There are sport-specific guidelines (posted on the MHSAA Website at mhsaa.com/sports), and a number of precautions put in place “addressing competition limits, numbers of spectators allowed and wearing of face coverings, among a variety of topics. The guidance also specifically addresses equipment and facilities” for each sport.
In general, according the MHSAA statement, scrimmages will not be allowed for winter sports to “limit mixing of communities outside of official competitions.” And the number of teams at regular-season competitions also will be limited, with a maximum of four schools/teams allowed in competitive cheer, gymnastics, swimming & diving and wrestling. Bowling and skiing competitions will be restricted to a maximum of 72 competitors at one event.
There are no school/team limits for basketball and ice hockey, according to the statement, “as only two teams are able to play each other at one time and those sports may play only one game per day — with fans leaving after their game is complete.”
Host sites must enforce spectator capacity limits on a game-by-game basis, and currently MHSAA guidelines allow two spectators per participant at all contests to begin the regular season. The guideline “could be reconsidered by the Council later in the winter season,” with a possibility of allowing more spectators later while still staying within possible Emergency Orders from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).
As per MDHHS requirements, face coverings must be worn by athletes practicing and competing in basketball, competitive cheer, ice hockey and wrestling. But masks are not required for athletes practicing and competing in bowling, gymnastics, skiing and swimming & diving, which all allow for appropriate social distancing, but face coverings are required for those athletes when not involved in active participation.
“The Council believes it is safer to begin Winter practices on time, and keep athletes in school programs where safety precautions are always in effect,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said in supplied material. “With the vastly different circumstances faced by schools in different regions all over the state, an on-time start still allows schools to decide when they feel most comfortable beginning activity — and allows all of them to slowly ramp up their frequency of activity and numbers of spectators attending competitions.
“But let’s be clear,” Uyl said. “Our statewide COVID-19 numbers have to get better. In order for our schools to continue playing sports this winter, and in order for fans to be there to cheer them on, we must continue working to slow down this virus.”
WKTV sports intern Luke Schrock has been following the South Christian High school boys soccer team as the Sailors have advanced this postseason. Prior to the Oct. 29 game against Dowagiac team, he visited the team’s practice and talked with its head coach and one of the Sailors’ senior leaders.
South Christian High School had no problem taking home a MHSAA soccer regional title Thursday, Oct. 29, after a 5-1 win over the Dowagiac Chieftains.
The tournament host Sailors got to a quick start with a goal from senior Cole Huttenga and an own-goal scored by Dowagiac to give South Christian a 2-0 lead before the 25th minute.
Huttenga would score three total goals in the game to compliment an unassisted goal from sophomore Sam Medendorp in the 77th minute. Huttenga, however, credited his success to his teammates.
“My teammates were giving me great balls,” Huttenga said to WKTV, “The corner kicks were great and Levi (DeRuiter), with the really long throw ins, it’s such a weapon and it equates to like fifteen corner kicks.”
Dowagiac’s lone goal came in the 58th minute by Isaac Saavedra on the second of five offensive possessions for the second half.
Sailor head coach Jason Boersma, after the game, said he was proud to be able to continue the tradition of tournament success that he picked up in 2010.
“I kinda got to pick up and continue what had already been started,” Boersma said, “We set it as a goal, and as a program we decided that we were going to be the team that every year would be expected to be there (the state tournament) and to do that is a ton of fun.”
South Christian will travel to Cedar Springs on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m., to play the winner of Elk Rapids and Shelby, which is decided Saturday, Oct. 31.
The South Christian boy soccer team after its regional title game win. (Laura Knapp)
There are a lot of unusual aspects to Godwin Heights High School’s MHSAA football playoff opening game against Hamilton on Friday, not the least of which is that thanks to the luck of the draw the Wolverines will be hosting their first ever home playoff game.
But one thing which is no different from previous years is that Godwin and Hamilton will renew what Wolverine head coach Brandon Kimble says is not a “rivalry” game but certainly a tough game against a familiar foe.
“We are pretty familiar with Hamilton. We’ve been playing them the first game of the year for the last three years, this is our first year not playing them Week 1,” Kimble said to WKTV. “Very well coached program. Very tough. Kids come to play. We are excited. They are familiar with us, we are familiar with them. It is not a rivalry but it will be a good game.”
WKTV caught up with Coach Kimble, and senior defensive/offensive lineman Ru’Quan Buckley to talk about why the game is special to them and to their fans.
WKTV’s Featured Game crew will be at the 7 p.m. game and will rebroadcast the game later that night, and at other times, as well as making it available on-demand at WKTVlive.org.
Last week, Godwin Heights (2-4) at home defeated Comstock Park (1-5), 19-13, in 2 OT, on Oct. 23. Hamilton (also 2-4) lost Oct. 23 at home to Grand Rapids West Catholic, 35-7.
The Godwin vs. Hamilton game is a MHSAA Division 4, Region 14, District 27 matchup. According to the MHSAA, Godwin Heights won a host-field tie-breaker with Hamilton based on opponents’ winning percentage.
WKTV featured games will be on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel 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.
WKTV intern Rachel Weber contributed to this story and video.
