By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
No, basketball season didn’t start three months early, but any fan looking at the final score of South Christian’s football season-opener Friday against Grand Rapids Christian could’ve been forgiven if they thought a basketball game took place.
The two long-time rivals combined for 108 total points, with South Christian scoring a school record 66 points in a 66-42 win over Grand Rapids Christian.
To put it into perspective, South Christian and Ferndale combined for 82 points in last season’s Division 2 basketball state championship game.
South Christian quarterback Carson Vis missed last year’s basketball title game after suffering a pair of broken wrists during the state tournament, but the junior was at full strength on the football field Friday. Vis, making his first varsity start at quarterback, put up some dazzling numbers as he completed 12-of-14 passes for 326 yards and six touchdowns as well as running for 57 yards and a score.
“Carson was phenomenal,” South Christian coach Danny Brown said. “You couldn’t ask for a better performance for a kid that hadn’t started a varsity game before. I was very happy with the way he played.”
Vis and the Sailors came out hitting on all cylinders. Vis tossed a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes to Jake Vermaas giving the Sailors an early 12-0 lead. Vermaas then increased the lead to 18-0 as he returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter.
“Jake had a great game,” said Brown, whose Sailors won a fourth state championship last year. “He scored our first three touchdowns. He caught touchdown passes on our first two possessions and he returned a punt for a touchdown for our third touchdown. He is an all-world receiver for us.”
Vermaas finished the game with four receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns and also added an interception on defense.
James VanderArk also turned in a big game at receiver for the Sailors. VanderArk caught three passes for 114 yards and two scores. He caught a 21-yard touchdown pass form Vis in the second quarter that upped the South lead to 24-7. VanderArk also hauled in a 66-yard scoring strike late in the third quarter that put the Sailors up 50-21.
“We have a lot of good receivers,” Brown said. “We have a lot of good receivers and that can make it comfortable for our quarterback.”
Austin Tiesma and Tanner Raak also caught touchdown passes for the Sailors. Tiesma caught two passes for 53 yards during the game, while Raak caught one pass for 33 yards.
The depth at wide receiver is even more impressive considering Vis was one of South’s top receivers last season. With last year’s starting quarterback Jake DeHaan having graduated last spring, Vis was switched to quarterback, a position that is not unfamiliar for him.
“Carson played quarterback in our youth program and was the quarterback of the freshman team his freshman season,” Brown said. “Last year, Jake DeHaan was a third-year quarterback for us so we moved Carson to wide receiver. Carson was our backup quarterback late last year after our backup quarterback went down with an injury, but he didn’t get many reps at quarterback.”
The wrist breaks during basketball also delayed his transition to quarterback some in the off-season, but the Sailors expected him to be healthy and ready to go once camp started.
“The broken wrists were scary, but the way Carson attacked his rehab was phenomenal,” Brown said. “He was cleared to practice well early before camp. He recovered quickly and it was not a concern. The unique thing about Carson is he competes the year-round. With a lot of quarterbacks, you worry about their first varsity start, but with Carson it’s like another day at the office.”
Vis also showed his ability to provide impact plays with his feet as his seven-yard touchdown run before halftime put the Sailors up 36-14.
The two teams traded touchdowns back and forth during the second half. South Christian’s offense tacked on four touchdowns during the second half, while the Grand Rapids Christian offense also tallied four touchdowns.
South Christian running back Charles Schreur, who rushed for 71 yards, added a touchdown during the second half, while Coleson Fennema also ran in for a touchdown.
“There was a lot of scoring,” Brown said. “Both sides have a lot of explosive players. I thought we started out playing physical on defense and got them in some bad spots. To their (Grand Rapids Christian) credit, they came out with a couple of explosive plays in the second half. They also got into a good rhythm in the second half.
“It’s always good to start the season 1-0. I’m definitely happy for the kids. We played so well on offense and had some defensive lapses. As a head coach, you have to look at the big picture. At the end of the day we are excited to be 1-0.”
South Christian returns to action Friday when it hosts East Grand Rapids at East Kentwood Falcon Stadium.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back this week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
