Tag Archives: East Kentwood football

East Kentwood quartet earns All-Region football honors 

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
Quarterback Kayd Coffman is one of four East Kentwood football players named to the Division 1 All-Region team by the MHSFCA (Michigan High School Football Coaches Association). Elijah Jones, Andrew Durr and James Jones also were chosen. See photos below. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



The East Kentwood football team turned in a productive season this fall and a quartet of Falcons reaped some rewards of that success by being named to the All-Region team.

Junior quarterback Kayd Coffman, senior running back Elijah Jones, senior offensive lineman Andrew Durr and senior defensive lineman James Jones were all named Division 1 All-Region players by the MHSFCA (Michigan High School Football Coaches Association).

Quarterback Kayd Coffman

Coffman, who is being recruited by numerous Division 1 programs and was recently offered a scholarship by Michigan State University, turned in a big season in his first year as Kentwood’s starting quarterback. Coffman completed 56.5% of his passes this season for 1,594 yards and 11 touchdowns against just two interceptions.

“Kayd only threw two interceptions this season,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “I thought Kayd got better as he got more comfortable with the offense. He has a live arm and deceptive speed. I was more impressed with his decision making.”

For Coffman, the honor was the result of plenty of hard work put in to help the Falcons have a strong season as a team.

“It is a very good accomplishment, but that is not the thing you go into the year chasing,” Coffman said. “It is part of the process of doing the right things over and over and over. I thought that the season went really, really well for me as a first-year starter.”

Coffman has another year left at Kentwood and he and his teammates are already beginning to prepare for year two under coach Spencer.

“That (preparing for next year) started the day after the loss to Hudsonville,” Coffman said. “We are all looking forward to next year and we are ready to go get it.”

Having a year of experience in the new system also will pay off next season.

“There is so much growth ahead for us”

“Learning the new system definitely had its speed bumps,” Coffman said. “It was challenging at times, but it’s a great system for me and our guys. We became more polished running the system as the year progressed and there is so much growth ahead for us.”    



East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



Running back Elijah Jones

While Coffman provided the Falcons with a threat through the air, Elijah Jones gave the Falcons a powerful force in the ground game. Jones rushed for 1,208 yards this season averaging 7.2 yards per carry. 

“After starting the season slow with injury, Elijah became one of the biggest pieces of the offense,” Spencer said. “He doesn’t go down often on first contact and has the speed to outrun you. Elijah is a smart and tough football player.”

Jones was pleased with the honor and the season the team turned in.

“It feels great and I’m grateful for the honor,” Jones said. “I give thanks to God along with my family and coaches and teammates for all of their support. As a team, we had a great season and got better every game we played. Obviously, it was heartbreaking to lose to Hudsonville, but I still think we had a great season. Personally, I think I had a good season, but I feel there is always room to grow.    

Jones, who also is attracting the attention of college recruiters, added 12 touchdowns this season.

“Hopefully, I will get the opportunity to play college football,” Jones said. “I’m still going through the process. Right now, I’ve been talking to Brown University of the Ivy League, Wayne State and Lawrence Tech.” 

Offensive lineman Andrew Durr

Paving the way for the offense was a strong offensive line this season led by Durr. Durr helped anchor the line where his versatility was a major strength to the unit.



East Kentwood offensive lineman Andrew Durr. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



“Andrew was key in the run game for us this year,” Spencer said, “which allowed us to rush for a little over 2,000 yards. He played every position on the offensive line and was our most consistent lineman.”

Thanks to his versatility, Durr lined up at right tackle, left guard and center during the season.

“My favorite position was center,” Durr said. “I thought I did a good job at center. I feel I helped solidify the middle of the line.”

Durr credited his coaches and teammates for helping him earn all-region honors.

“I’m incredibly thankful for everything my coaches and my teammates have done to get me this far,” Durr said. “This honor isn’t just about me. It’s about my team, my coaches and my family.

“Playing college football has always been a dream of mine for a long time and this recognition is another step towards making it a reality and it means a lot to know that the hard work I’ve put in is being recognized.”

Defensive lineman James Jones

On the other side of the ball, James Jones provided an anchor for the defensive line. Jones totaled 44 tackles for the Falcons including seven tackles for loss and a quarterback sack. 



East Kentwood defensive lineman James Jones, Jr. (Photo Courtesy, East Kentwood High School)



“James is a strong defender who is hard to move in the middle of the defense,” Spencer said. “He’s more than likely going to win his matchup one-on-one. Many teams we played had to double-team him.” 



East Kentwood falls 25-23 in playoff thriller with Hudsonville on final play of game 

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , , ,


By Greg Chrapek

greer@wktv.org



The East Kentwood football team made it a memorable playoff appearance for themselves and new coach Tyrone Spencer.


Taking on OK Red Conference champion Hudsonville (9-1 overall), the Division 1 District Semifinal contest came down to the final play of the game when the Eagles kicked a field goal as time expired to escape with a 25-23 win.

“They (Hudsonville) got it off just as time expired,” Spencer said. “Our guys played great; they played fantastic. They played through a lot of adversity and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The game was close throughout, much different then the Week 5 game between the two OK Red heavyweights that Hudsonville won 35-6.

“The last time we played them we gave them some cheap stuff,” Spencer said. “They are 85 percent run and I told my defensive backs that they will probably throw about 10 passes. I told them they are going to have to defend those passes and not give up any big plays. We did a pretty good job of tackling and we didn’t give up any cheap plays down the field. Our guys were ready to play and in sync.”



East Kentwood football Coach Tyrone Spencer 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



Hudsonville took the early lead in the game when quarterback Griffin Baker scored on a short run putting the Eagles up 6-0 in the first quarter.  

East Kentwood shaved the lead in half in the second quarter when Jayden Garcia connected on a 32-yard field goal making the score 6-3.

The two teams then traded scores later in the second quarter. Hudsonville scored when Brady VanLaecke broke through a hole in the Falcon line and raced 37-yards for a touchdown putting the Eagles up 13-3.  

13-10 Hudsonville in the second quarter

East Kentwood responded with a drive led by their standout running back Elijah Jones, who capped it with a touchdown run and extra point from Garcia closing the gap to 13-10.

Late in the half, Hudsonville extended the lead to 16-10 on a field goal.



East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



Edmonds TD kickoff return called back before halftime

On the next play, the Falcons seemed to have turned the tide when Ahman Edmonds returned the kickoff for a touchdown. The score, however, was nullified from a penalty.

“At halftime we should’ve been leading as we returned the kickoff for a touchdown,” Spencer said. “There was a penalty called that didn’t even have an effect on the touchdown. That held us back a little.”

Eagles up 22-10 after Baker’s 51-yard run

Hudsonville added to its lead in the second half. Baker again provided the big play for the Eagles as he found an opening and took off for a 51-yard touchdown run. Hudsonville missed the two-point conversion leaving the Eagles with a 22-10 lead.

Jones gets Falcons within five on 80-yard TD run

Facing adversity again, East Kentwood showed it was not about to fold. Again, the Falcons turned to Jones, their explosive running back. This time Jones broke through a hole in the Hudsonville line and raced 80 yards for a touchdown. Garcia tacked on the extra point and the Falcons were within five at 22-17.



East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



Kayd Coffman strike to Murphy-Ware puts Falcons up in fourth

In the fourth quarter, Kentwood struck again. After a Hudsonville turnover, the Falcons went to the air. Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman dropped back and aired a pass out deep down the field to Christopher Murphy-Ware. Murphy-Ware caught the ball in stride and sped into the end zone completing the 51-yard scoring strike and putting the Falcons up 23-22.  

Ian Jenkin’s 34-yard field goal gives Hudsonville the win as time expired

With 1:31 remaining in the game, Hudsonville began a final drive at its own 39-yard line. The Eagles managed to move the ball into field-goal range and with the clock winding down, Ian Jenkins booted a 34-yard field goal as time expired giving Hudsonville the win.

With the loss, the Falcons ended the season with a 5-5 record.
   

“I’m really proud of the kids”

“I’m really proud of the kids,” Spencer said. “It would’ve been great to cap the season off with this win, but I think the life lessons the kids learned through football this year are more important. I’m really proud of them and how they competed all season. They came out and competed every day and battled through adversities. I’m really proud of our players, our coaches and everybody that is a part of this program.”

Spencer, in his first year as head coach of the Falcons, laid a solid foundation for the future.

“I feel the foundation has been laid,” Spencer said. “We had a lot of young sophomores and juniors who came into the year inexperienced and now they have a lot of experience. I think that will be beneficial for us. We also return seven starters on defense next year and four starters on offense. Any time you have 11 starters returning you should be a decent football team.”

Offensively, Jones led the Falcons this season with 1,208 yards rushing (7.2 per carry) and 12 touchdowns. Coffman led the team in passing with 56.5% completions for 1,594 yards and 11 touchdowns against just two interceptions.

A trio of Falcon receivers totaled over 400 yards receiving this season. Edmonds caught 29 passes for 479 yards and four touchdowns. Caiden Holt caught 22 passes for 476 yards and five touchdowns, while Murphy-Ware caught 32 passes for 451 yards and three touchdowns.

Defensively, Terence Kabanda led the way this season with 71 tackles, including four tackles for loss. Donavan Jones added 50 tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception. James Jones Jr. totaled 44 tackles including seven tackles for loss and a sack. Defensive linemen Syncere Hobson-Washington and Tyler Meeuwsen both totaled seven tackles for loss with Hobson-Washington adding two sacks and Meeuwsen one. Javani Overstreet and Major Barnes both finished with 31 tackles apiece. Lloyd Nelson finished with 25 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.           

East Kentwood, South Christian heading to MHSAA football playoffs 

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , , , ,
(Logo Courtesy, MHSAA)



By Greg Chrapek

greer@wktv.org



Halloween is just around the corner and in high school football that means the state playoffs are also set to launch.

With the final week of the regular season in the books, a pair of local heavyweights, East Kentwood and South Christian, are both set to begin what they hope will be long playoff runs.


East Kentwood (5-4 overall) travels to Hudsonville (8-1) in the first round of the playoffs in Division 1 Region 1 at 7 p.m. Friday, while South Christian (5-4) hosts Holland Christian (6-3) at East Kentwood High School in Division 4 Region 1 at 7 p.m. Friday.

The Falcons finished the regular season with a 5-4 record after falling 45-27 to Rockford in the regular-season finale. The Falcons clinched a playoff berth with a 31-7 win against Jenison in Week 8.

The Falcons have made steady progress in their trek to the playoffs while playing a rugged schedule full of playoff teams.

“Our team has gained a lot of confidence the last couple of weeks,” said East Kentwood coach Tyrone Spencer. “I like where we are going right now and we are starting to hit our peak.”

The Falcons have a good mix of passing and running on offense and have been playing strong defense.

“I think we have done a good job of establishing the run and mixing in the pass,” Spencer said. “The last couple of weeks our defense has also been pretty stout, especially against Grand Haven and Jenison. Even the Grandville game our defense did a pretty good job at times containing that explosive offense.”


Offensively, the Falcons are led by quarterback Kayd Coffman and running back Elijah Jones. Jones rushed for 186 yards against Jenison after running for over 180 yards the week before against Grand Haven.



East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



On defense, the Falcons have been receiving solid play at all three levels.

“Our linebacker, Terence Kabanda, leads us in tackles,” Spencer said. “Our defensive line is a pretty stout group with Syncere Hobson-Washington, James Jones and Tyler Meeuwsen all doing a good job. Our sophomore safeties Donavan Jones and Major Barnes have done a good job of making plays.”

Kentwood is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022 after missing out on the playoffs last year.

South Christian makes playoffs with win over Catholic Central

South Christian kept its string of playoff appearances going with a big 26-20 win against Catholic Central in the Week 9 finale to guarantee a spot in the playoffs. The Sailors have qualified for the playoffs the past eight years, including winning the Division 4 state championship two years ago and reaching the Division 4 state title game last year.

The Sailors improved to 5-4 for the season with the win against the Cougars.

The Sailors clinched their playoff berth in thrilling fashion as they trailed Catholic Central 20-10 at halftime before rallying in the second half with a pair of touchdowns to win the game.

In the third quarter, Carson Vis tossed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Kenyon and then connected with Tyler Brinks on a two-point conversion pass to cut the deficit to 20-18.



South Christian quarterback Carson Vis committed to play basketball at Western Michigan University. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



In the fourth quarter, the Sailors took the lead when Vis hit Brinks for a one-yard scoring strike for the winning touchdown. Vis then connected with Brinks for the two-point conversion.

Vis completed 24-of-31 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns and ran the ball 18 times for 59 yards.

Chuck DeHaan led the receiving corps with four catches for 93 yards.

Like East Kentwood, South Christian has faced a rugged schedule loaded with playoff teams. The Sailors opened the season with four consecutive wins before falling the past four weeks to bring their record to .500.

South Christian entered the Catholic Central game with a high-powered offense led by quarterback Vis, who passed for 219 yards and a touchdown in last week’s loss against Zeeland West. Vis also rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown. Vis has a variety of targets to pass to including Brinks, who had six catches for 99 yards against West and Owen Burgess, who caught 13 passes for 81 yards and DeHaan, who caught four balls for 35 yards and a score.


The MHSAA Football Playoffs conclude with the 8-Player Finals on Nov. 23 at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome and 11-Player Finals to be played Nov. 29-30 at Ford Field.



Rockford defeats host East Kentwood 45-27; both teams headed to Division 1 playoffs

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



Visiting Rockford knocked off East Kentwood 45-27 Friday. The Rams improved to 5-2 in the OK Red, 7-2 overall, while the Falcons fell to 4-3 in the Red, 5-4 overall.


Despite the loss to Rockford, the Falcons already had clinched a Division 1 playoff berth with their 31-7 win over Jenison last Friday. Rockford also is headed to the playoffs.


Stay tuned for the playoff brackets which drop Sunday night.

Check out our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show from Week 6

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By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org


Check out the exciting clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights show of the season featuring many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.


Just like basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.


Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.


WKTV Game of the Week

Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.

You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org


Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.

WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked

Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville

Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood

Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)

Grandville edges East Kentwood 33-25; check out our WKTV highlights

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By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



Grandville beat East Kentwood 33-25 Friday to improve to 3-1 in the OK Red, 3-3 overall. East Kentwood fell to 2-2 in the Red, 3-3 overall.


The Falcons travel to Grand Haven next Friday, while Grandville travels to Hudsonville.

Check out our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show from Week 5

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , , , , , ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org


Check out the exciting clips above from our latest Friday Night Highlights show of the season featuring many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.


Just like basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.


Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.


WKTV Game of the Week

Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.

You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org


Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.

WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked

Friday, Oct. 4: Zeeland East vs. South Christian (at Byron Center)

Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville

Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood

Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)

Defense leads the way as Falcons turn back West Ottawa, set up showdown with Hudsonville 

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman completed 10-of-16 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



Led by a big effort from its defense, the East Kentwood football team defeated host West Ottawa to remain undefeated in the OK Red and set up a showdown with Hudsonville Friday at Falcon Stadium.



With the defense coming up with several big stops and the offense stepping up with big plays when needed, the Falcons came away with a 21-7 win at West Ottawa. The win improved East Kentwood’s record to 3-1 overall, 2-0 in the OK Red. The win also sets up a showdown with Hudsonville, also 2-0 in the conference, this Friday at 7 p.m. at Falcon Stadium.

“This was already going to be a big game for us,” said East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer. “We already had it circled on the schedule. Now it is even a bigger game for the fact that they beat Rockford.”

Sets up showdown of OK Red unbeatens Friday

Hudsonville remained unbeaten in the conference last Friday when they handed previously undefeated Rockford a 28-21 defeat at Hudsonville setting up the showdown between the conference unbeatens this week.

East Kentwood kept its conference record perfect with a strong all-around effort at West Ottawa.

“It was a really great team win for us,” Spencer said. “Our defense made the stops when we needed them too. We had a lot of big fourth-down stops when we had to make them. For us, the way we play, we do not want to give up the big play on defense. We will let a team dink and dunk, but we do not want to give up the big play.”

East Kentwood took the initial lead in the game in the first quarter. The Falcons struck through the air for their first score when quarterback Kayd Coffman connected with Ahman Edmunds on a 35-yard touchdown pass. Jayden Garcia kicked the first of three extra points during the game giving the Falcons a 7-0 lead.

East Kentwood doubled the lead in the second quarter. The Falcons again struck through the air for their score, with the second touchdown coming on a 35-yard passing play from Coffman to Caiden Holt. Garcia tacked on the extra point putting the Falcons up 14-0.



East Kentwood wide receiver Caiden Holt caught a pair of passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



West Ottawa scored its lone touchdown of the game later in the second quarter on a three-yard pass play cutting the Falcon lead to 14-7.

East Kentwood scored the final points of the game during the third quarter. The Falcons final touchdown came on a one-yard touchdown run by Jesse Phillips.

From there, the Falcons turned the game over to the defense.

“Our defense made some big plays down the stretch,” Spencer said. “The defense made a big stop on a fourth and goal that if they (West Ottawa) made it would’ve made it a one-score game. Donavan Jones also had a big interception and we had some more fourth-down stops.”

Terrence Kabanda and Donavan Jones 7 tackles apiece

The Falcon defense was led by Terrence Kabanda who totaled seven tackles and a tackle for loss. Along with his interception, Jones also racked up seven tackles and two assisted tackles. Silas Mitchell added five tackles and an assist, followed by Tyler Meeuwsen, five tackles and one for a loss, Major Barnes, four tackles and two assists, and James Jones had a pair of tackles for loss.


On offense, the Falcons received a big game from Coffman who completed 10-of-16 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Caiden Holt caught a pair of passes for 65 yards and a touchdown while Ahman Edmonds caught two passes for 58 yards and a score and Chris Ware hauled in six passes for 64 yards. Elijah Jones led the Falcons in rushing with 99 yards on 11 carries.



Elijah Jones led the Falcons with 99 yards rushing on 11 carries. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



“We had a balanced effort on offense,” Spencer said. “Kayd threw two touchdowns and Elijah Jones ran for 99 yards so we were able to have a good, balanced attack.”

The Falcons will count on another balanced effort in Friday’s contest with Hudsonville.

“We know they are well coached and play smash-mouth football,” Spencer said. “We have to be really locked in and be prepared to do a great job. We had a great effort against West Ottawa and got the win but we have to keep building.”      

East Kentwood football team learns lesson in winning in 41-35 victory over Caledonia

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
WKTV Friday Night Highlights Video (Katie Bogema)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



Along with teaching the X’s and O’s of football, new East Kentwood football coach Tyrone Spencer is also teaching the mental part of the game to his squad. The Falcons took another step in that mental course last Friday when defeating Caledonia 41-35 in the OK Red season opener.



The visiting Falcons stormed out of the gate fast and then had to fend off a furious Caledonia rally to come away with the win and improve to 2-1 for the season.

The fast start for the Falcons was a reversal of the Week 2 game against Byron Center where Kentwood fell behind by a large margin in the first half.

“I thought the guys played well,” Spencer said. “I think a real big thing was that the guys fought through adversity. We jumped out to a 34-0 lead and then Caledonia scored on a pick six. They came back and cut it to 34-28, but then our guys ended up making the plays at the end of the game that they needed to make.”

East Kentwood made plenty of plays in the opening half as it raced out to a 34-0 lead. Falcon running back Elijah Jones started the scoring as he reeled off a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The lead grew to 13-0 when Falcon quarterback Drew Burton connected with Caiden Holt on a 21-yard touchdown pass with Jayden Garcia tacking on the extra point kick. The lead expanded to 20-0 later in the first quarter when Kayd Coffman, who shares the quarterback duties with Burton, scored on a one-yard touchdown run with Garcia converting the extra point.



East Kentwood’s Elijah Jones led the way with 201 yards rushing on 22 carries and three touchdowns against Caledonia. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



“We use both Drew and Kayd,” Spencer said. “They have both been great leaders for us. Kayd did some really nice things out there and Drew also did a nice job and threw a touchdown pass.”

The Falcons added two more touchdowns in the second quarter to grow the lead to 34-0. Coffman tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to Holt, while Jones scored his second touchdown of the game on a three-yard run. Garcia added both extra points.

Caledonia’s comeback

Caledonia began to mount a comeback late in the second quarter when Leighton Fink intercepted a Falcon pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.

The Fighting Scots continued the comeback in the second half with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns. Caledonia quarterback Brody Betser connected with Parker Little on a 29-yard scoring strike to make the score 34-14 after the extra point by Brody Siler. Betser then connected with Reed Vogeler on a touchdown pass cutting the Kentwood lead to 34-21.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Fighting Scots trimmed the deficit to six points as Betser ran for a touchdown from six-yards out and Siler tacked on the point after.

Kentwood, however, stemmed the tide later in the quarter when Jones ran in for his third touchdown of the game from a yard out. Garcia tacked on the point after putting the Falcons up 41-28.

Caledonia added one final touchdown on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Betser to Lincoln Senti with Siler tacking on the point after making the final score 41-35.



East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman completed 8-of-13 passes for 142 yards with one TD pass and one rushing. Andrew Burton threw one TD with 21 yards passing. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



“I thought this game was a great lesson for the guys,” Spencer said. “They have to learn how to win and this was a great lesson. I also talked to them about how important it is to get an early lead. To have early success and build on that momentum and we were able to do that with Elijah’s early 60-yard touchdown run. I also thought our coaches did a great job with the game plan.”

The Falcons showed good balance on offense for the game. Coffman completed 8-of-13 passes for 142 yards, while Burton added 21 yards passing. Jones led the way in the ground game with 22 carries for 201 yards with three touchdowns.

Holt led the way in the receiving department with six catches for 143 yards.



East Kentwood receiver Caiden Holt. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)



Kabanda led EK with seven tackles

Terrence Kabanda led the Falcons with seven tackles, while Tyler Meeuwsen added five tackles and one tackle for loss. Steph Jones had an interception for EK.

“This was a huge game for us,” Spencer said. “Caledonia is a good team; it was our first conference and it was a road game. It felt really good to get this win. We have West Ottawa and Hudsonville coming up and we want to keep improving and getting more confidence.”

The Falcons travel to West Ottawa this Friday and then return home on Sept. 27 to host Hudsonville.

East Kentwood holds off Caledonia 41-35 Friday; check out our WKTV highlights

City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org


East Kentwood grabbed a large 34-6 halftime lead and held off Caledonia 41-35 Friday to improve to 2-1 overall, 1-0 in the OK Red.


Caledonia dropped to 2-1 overall, 0-1 in the OK Red.

East Kentwood travels to West Ottawa (0-3) Friday.

East Kentwood turns the page this season with new coach

City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, ,
East Kentwood’s new football Coach Tyrone Spencer, 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



There is plenty of excitement around the East Kentwood football team as fall practice gets underway as a new chapter begins for the Falcon program.

East Kentwood has a new coach this season with the arrival of Tyrone Spencer, who coached at perennial state powerhouse Detroit Martin Luther King High School the past eight years. During that time, the Crusaders were a staple of the high school playoffs including winning back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022.




Spencer and his coaches and players are busy preparing for the upcoming season that begins Aug. 30 when the Falcons host Hartland.

So far, Spencer likes what he sees in this Falcon team that returns several key players.

“I’m excited about the work the guys put in,” Spencer said. “I’m excited about getting back to work and getting after it this year playing in the OK Red. I think it’s going to be fun.”

East Kentwood graduated several key players from last year’s squad that turned in a 3-6 overall record, but a number of talented veterans are back.

Running back Elijah Jones is one of the Falcons the team is happy to have returning. Jones is a 5-foot-11, 193-pound senior who rushed for 1,000 yards last season. A team leader as well as a productive running back, Jones likes the effort he is seeing from his teammates at practice and sees effort as being a strong point of this year’s team. 



East Kentwood running back Elijah Jones, 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



“Effort, especially. 100 percent every play,” Jones said. “Making sure we get hard work. Everybody to the ball on defense and offense executing the plays. Just hard work and effort.”

At quarterback, the Falcons have a pair of talented passers in the mix. Senior Drew Burton (6-2, 200) is back after being injured last season, while junior Kayd Coffman (6-2, 180) is a talented transfer from South Christian.

“Quarterback is looking really good,” Spencer said. “We got two really good guys. We got Drew Burton back from injury. He was going to be the starter last year before he got hurt. We also have Kayd Coffman who transferred from South Christian. Both of those guys have been outstanding, really great leaders. We plan on playing both of them and whoever has the hot hand will keep going, but we plan on playing both of those guys.”    

Senior Caiden Holt and junior Ahman Edmonds are a pair of players that will log major minutes on both sides of the line at receiver on offense and in the secondary on defense. Holt and Edmonds are veteran receivers that will be a big part of Kentwood’s passing game.

A senior slotback, Holt likes the look of this year’s team.



East Kentwood senior slotback Caiden Holt, 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



“We are definitely looking better than last year,” Holt said. “I feel like especially early, summer season, we’re way more going after it. Trying harder in practice. New offenses, we’re learning them, we’re going quick. We’re getting the defenses down and we are ready for this year.” 

Edmonds also is a slotback on offense and lines up at cornerback on defense. Edmonds likes the attitude of the team and how that meshes with their new coach.

“I feel like we are hungry,” Edmonds said. “We got a lot of young dogs coming to work. We have a great coach coming in and helping us all be great.”



East Kentwood slotback/cornerback Ahman Edmonds, 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



One of the strong points of this year’s team looks to be the offensive line where four big, strong and experienced starters return. Junior center Charlie Nichols (5-9, 265) returns to the middle of the line. Senior Nouha Diaite (6-2, 260) is stationed at a tackle, while seniors Andrew Durr (6-2, 300) and Matthias Granderson (6-2, 305) will line up at either tackle or guard.

Several of the Falcons who start on offense will also log major minutes on defense. The Falcon defense also is counting on linebacker Terrence Kabanda, outside linebacker Silas Mitchell (6-2, 195) and sophomore safety Donovon Jones (5-8, 185) to be among the leaders. Kabanda is one of the few returning starters on defense. Mitchell is a talented young player who also is coming back from injury, while Jones is a young player who the Falcons considered moving up to the varsity last season as a freshman.

While the Falcons are young on defense, they have plenty of talented players who are hungry to win.



East Kentwood outside linebacker Silas Mitchell, 2024. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



“The defense is coming around,” Mitchell said. “We’re young, but we have a bunch of studs that are coming up. We’re ready to compete. We’re very hungry. We want to make up for last year.”

Like the offense, the defensive line is shaping up as a strong point for the Falcons. Along with Diaite, Granderson and Durr, the defensive front will be led by senior Syncere Hobson-Washington (6-2, 285), a transfer from Grand Rapids Union who adds more size and strength to the defensive front. 

The enthusiasm surrounding the program is evident by the turnout of players for the beginning of practice. The Falcons look to have around 60 players on the varsity team along with 30 on the JV and 45 on the freshman squad.

“We have a strong, cohesive group,” Spencer said. “These guys have been playing together since the seventh grade so I just think them being able to be unified, be together is going to be our strong suit.   

The Falcons open the new season on Friday, Aug. 29 when they host Hartland at 7 p.m. Kentwood travels to Byron Center on Sept. 6 and then opens OK Red play on Sept. 13 at Caledonia.        

   

Caledonia defeated East Kentwood 21-0 Friday; Check out our WKTV game highlights inside

City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports, , ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Check out our WKTV highlights from Caledonia’s 21-0 win over East Kentwood Friday.


WKTV Game of the Week

Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.

Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.

East Kentwood beat host Jenison 31-17 Friday; check out our highlights

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports, , , ,
(WKTV/Hayden Passig)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Check out our WKTV highlights from East Kentwood’s 31-17 road victory over Jenison above.

And take a look at our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show as well from Sept. 29!



WKTV Game of the Week

Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.

Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.

Byron Center knocked off East Kentwood 33-16

City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports, ,
(WKTV/Hayden Passig)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Check out our WKTV highlights from East Kentwood’s game against Byron Center Thursday night.



WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back on Sept. 8!

Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.

As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well. 

You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!

East Kentwood downs Hartland 35-10 in weather-shortened opener

1-featured, City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports, ,
Rylan and Matthias Granderson handle the left side of the offensive line. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)


By Zach Fanko

WKTV Contributor


The opening kickoff of the season didn’t go according to plan for East Kentwood, as Hartland returned it all the way back for a touchdown putting the Falcons in an early 7-0 hole on Thursday.

Definitely not how EK wanted to start their season, but the team remained focused and poised according to East Kentwood Coach Tony Kimbrough.

“I turned to our sideline and told the team it’s just one score,” Kimbrough said. “When something like that happens you have two options, let it bring you down or have it bring us together.

“To our credit we remained poised and confident in the game plan.”


East Kentwood quarterback Casey Joppie. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)

Senior QB Casey Joppie, in his third season as the starter, led the Falcons right back down the field to even the game at seven apiece.



EK’s defense was stout throughout, allowing just a field goal the rest of the half as the Falcons enjoyed a 28-10 advantage at halftime. Senior LB/RB Stellan Bowman, who previously committed to the University of Ohio, is expected to have a big year after earning All-State honors a season ago.







“He’s a big part of what we do defensively,” Kimbrough said. “His experience and never-ending motor is a huge asset for us.”


With severe weather effecting most of the state on Thursday, the EK-Hartland matchup was not immune to the storms rolling through Michigan as the game was postponed in the third quarter and later declared final in favor of the Falcons 35-10.



“There was a chance to finish the game, but we came to a mutual decision that it was best to call it a game,” Kimbrough said. “Very pleased with our team’s effort to open the season.”



East Kentwood (1-0) will have a stiffer challenge next week as they host Byron Center (1-0) in WKTV’s Game of the Week on Thursday Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.



The Bulldogs downed Battle Creek Central 55-14 in their opener. Byron Center finished the 2022 season at 7-3 and qualified for the state playoffs.

WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back this week!

Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.

As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well. 

You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!

Veteran East Kentwood football team primed to contend for OK Red title

City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



With a blend of talented veterans and promising young players, the East Kentwood football team is primed to contend for the top spot in the OK Red, annually one of the strongest football conferences in the state.

East Kentwood has a deep and experienced squad with plenty of depth along both lines, the backfield and the skill positions. Many of the veterans were part of last year’s squad that turned in a 5-5 overall record and qualified for the state playoffs. All five of Kentwood’s losses came against teams that qualified for the playoffs including two against Rockford and defeats against Caledonia and Muskegon who both reached state championship games last season.

“I think we should be very competitive this season,” said East Kentwood coach Tony Kimbrough. “We have a good returning class of seniors, a good group of juniors and a couple of talented sophomores who will contribute this year. We’re looking pretty good. I think we can be in every game and have the opportunity to win but we will need to stay healthy.”


Senior QB Casey Joppie. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)


Offensively, the Falcons welcome back senior quarterback Casey Joppie (6-foot-1, 195 pounds). A three-year varsity player, Joppie has a strong arm and makes good decisions with the ball.


“Casey has started for us the last four years,” Kimbrough said. “He definitely can throw it and put the ball in tight quarters. He makes good decisions with the ball and does not turn it over.”





When Joppie puts the ball in the air he has a talented cast of options to throw to. Shamar White is a returning starter at wide receiver while Kendrick Nou is another senior veteran. Senior standout Stellan Bowman will see action at H-back while senior Jaret Tate and sophomore Aaron Cobb are a pair of talents at tight end.


“We are pretty loaded at the receiver spots,” Kimbrough said. “We also have a host of talented underclassmen who have good size and speed.”


The Falcons also have plenty of options at running back. Seniors Elisee Kanda and Savontes Scott and junior Elijah Jones offer a blend of speed and size running the ball.


Rylan and Matthias Granderson handle the left side of the offensive line.(WKTV/Hayden Passig)


Paving the way for the Falcons is a big and talented group of offensive linemen. Sophomore center Charlie Nichols was brought up to the varsity as a freshman and started the last four games for the Falcons. Nichols has made so much progress that he is a team captain in just his sophomore season. The left side of the line is handled by the Granderson brothers. Senior Rylan Granderson (6-3, 310) lines up at left tackle with junior Matthias Granderson (6-2, 264) stationed at left guard. At right guard, the Falcons have junior Andrew Durr and Kalib Sanders with Justin Negron stepping in at right tackle.

“We have a solid rotation of seven guys up front,” Kimbrough said. “We have some returning players and a host of juniors that will play a role. We can play up to eight guys on the offensive line and that depth is a great thing to have.”

With the depth they have, look for the Falcons to run a balanced offense with the ability to run or throw the ball with equal success to keep opposing defenses off balance.

East Kentwood senior Stellan Bowman, LB. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)

On defense, the Falcons have several starters returning. Senior Stellan Bowman (6-1, 220) anchors the defense from his linebacking position. A returning all-state player, Bowman committed to the University of Ohio during the summer. Bowman leads a solid group of linebackers that include Cobb and Nouha Diaite. 


Lining up in front of the linebackers is a deep and strong group of defensive linemen. The Falcons plan to rotate six or seven defensive linemen to keep a fresh group on the field. Among the defensive linemen to watch for are nose tackle Mike Zua, junior Devaughtae Greely (6-1, 255), junior Shawn DeLano, Kalib Sanders and Rylan Granderson.



The Falcons also boast plenty of talent in the defensive backfield. Kanda returns at a cornerback position with White lining up at the field cornerback spot. A pair of starters graduated at the safety positions so the Falcons will have some new but talented starters. Juniors Gabe Wolf and James Johnson bring a solid skill set to the field at the safety spots.

“We’re pretty excited about the defensive side of the field,” Kimbrough said.


East Kentwood senior Elisee Kanda, CB. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)


The Falcons open the season Thursday when they travel to Hartland. Kentwood then squares off against Byron Center for the first WKTV Game of the Week before beginning conference play in Week Three.

“Our schedule is loaded every year,” Kimbrough said.  





WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!

Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.

As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well. 

You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!

Several Kentwood-Wyoming area football players named to MHSFCA All-Region teams

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, , , , ,
South Christian QB Jake DeHaan highlights the MHSFCA All-Region selections in the Kentwood-Wyoming area. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

By Zach Fanko

WKTV Contributor


The Michigan High School Football Coaches Association released their All-Region teams for the 2022 season as voted on by members of the MHSFCA.

Here are the following selections for players in the Kentwood-Wyoming area:

Division 1, Region 1

Stellan Bowman, JR, LB, East Kentwood


Division 4, Region 1

Camerson VanSolkema, JR, OL, South Christian

Carson Vis, SO, WR, South Christian

Seth Ritsema, SR, WR/TE, South Christian

Jake DeHaan, SR, QB, South Christian

Cam Post, SR, LB, South Christian

Nate Brinks, SR, Specialist, South Christian

Division 5, Region 2

Will Howard II, SR, DL, Wyoming-Kelloggsville


As you can see, South Christian was well represented in Division 4 with six total selections. The undefeated Sailors are preparing for their state semifinal matchup with Edwardsburg on Saturday.

East Kentwood’s Stellan Bowman, who played both halfback and linebacker this season, represented the Falcons on the All-Region team. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)



Stellan Bowman had a standout season at linebacker for the Falcons as East Kentwood made a return to the playoffs. Coach Tony Kimbrough mentioned Bowman as one of the returning players that the Falcons will rely on in 2023.




In Division 5, Kelloggsville senior Will Howard II was named to the All-Region team as a defensive lineman.

Rockford advances to district final with 50-14 win over East Kentwood

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, ,
Check out these great highlights of the Rockford/East Kentwood Division 1 playoff opener Friday. Rockford defeated East Kentwood 50-14. (WKTV/Hunter Veltema)



By Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributor

Momentum swings in football can be fickle and East Kentwood experienced that firsthand tonight as Rockford ran away from the Falcons for a 50-14 Division 1 district semifinal victory.

Things got off to a rough start for East Kentwood as a sack and fumble on the game’s first play led to a Mac VandenHout touchdown on a quarterback keeper from 2-yards out to put the Rams ahead 7-0 at the 11:02 mark.

The Falcons responded with a drive of their own as QB Ben Cash found his receiver J’Kari Couch twice, once on a nice deep ball to setup Elisee Kanda for one of his two TDs tonight to even the game at 7-7 with 6:04 left in the first quarter.

Rockford didn’t waste any time getting back into scoring position as Alex McLean returned the ensuing kickoff all the way back to the East Kentwood 13-yard-line.

Two plays later, VandenHout connected with Ethan Lyon for the 11-yard score and a 14-7 lead.

The East Kentwood offense lines up against Rockford’s defense during Friday night’s Division 1 district semifinal. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)

Following a Rams’ field goal, the Falcons trailed 17-7 before Couch had another big catch inside the 10-yard line.

Kanda finished off the drive with a 1-yard TD run to bring the score to 17-14 with 1:57 left in the opening stanza.

On the next drive, East Kentwood seized possession on a 4th-and-goal stop at the 1-yard-line by Kanda with 8 minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Then disaster struck as Cash had trouble with a shotgun snap and lost the ball out of the back of the end zone for a Rockford safety to make it 19-14.

The Rams took advantage of the swing in momentum as senior QB VandenHout capped off a 70-yard drive with a 1-yard keeper for the score.

VandenHout later connected with McLean, who outran the entire Falcons’ defense for a 49-yard TD and a 33-14 advantage at halftime.

McLean finished the game with seven receptions for 98 yards and three total TDs, while VandenHout scored five TDs (two on the ground) as Rockford (10-0) advances to next week’s district final against the winner of Caledonia and Grandville.

Despite the loss, East Kentwood (5-5) Coach Tony Kimbrough says his team has a lot to be proud of after qualifying for the playoffs. The Falcons finished 2-7 in 2021.

“Proud of our seniors and the way they turned it around,” Kimbrough said. “They put in the work, they led us, they did all the right things in the offseason.

“I told them not to let this define them, because we did some great things this year.”

The future is bright for East Kentwood football according to Kimbrough, who is challenging his younger players to take it to the next level in the offseason.

“Our seniors had a great message for our underclassmen,” Kimbrough said. “Hopefully, they take it to heart and work twice as hard in the weight room, speed and agility, all the things I’m going to ask of them.

“We’ve got some talented kids coming up from JV and we should be really good on the offensive and defensive line.”

South Christian, East Kentwood preparing for football playoffs; see other area teams that advanced as well

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Jenison lines up against a tough East Kentwood defense during a WKTV Game of the Week in September. The Falcons beat Jenison 16-0. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)



By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Two teams in our WKTV viewing area, South Christian and East Kentwood, are playoff bound and in action on Friday night.

East Kentwood (5-4 overall, 4-3 in the OK Red) travels to Rockford for a 7 p.m. Friday game in Division 1. Rockford is tied for second in the state in D-1 with Macomb Dakota and boasts a 9-0 overall record. The Rams finished atop the OK Red at 7-0.

EK Coach Tony Kimbrough said he’s very proud of what his team accomplished with the strength of their conference and schedule.


In a 34-21 loss to Grandville last Friday, East Kentwood quarterback Ben Cash had 141 yards in the air and 93 on the ground. Stellan Bowman led with 17 tackles.

Getting back to the playoffs was a goal for the Falcons after a 2-7 season in 2021.

South Christian the team to beat

South Christian, No.1 in the state in Division 4, hosts Grand Rapids Christian (3-6 overall) at 7 p.m. Friday at East Kentwood.

The Sailors won the OK Gold Conference this year at 7-0, finishing one game ahead of rival Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Their last undefeated regular season was in 2004.

Check out our story on South Christian quarterback Jake DeHaan, who posted some incredible numbers this season, at wktvjournal.org

DeHaan has a total of 32 touchdowns this year; 22 through the air and 10 on the ground. He has completed 129 of 184 passes for 1,883 yards with six interceptions, and leads the team in rushing with 710 yards on 109 carries.



South Christian Quarterback Jake DeHaan. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



“Statistically, he is having one of the best seasons any QB has ever had at South,” said Coach Danny Brown, in his fourth year as coach. “His leadership and drive to be great is the thing that has impressed me the most.”

As far as the playoffs go, Brown said their goal is pretty simple; “We want to win a state championship.”

WKTV is sending a cameraman and reporter to both games to get highlights and interviews with coaches and players. Look for our stories late Friday night and Saturday morning on wktvjournal.org

Other Grand Rapids Area playoff teams

Division 1

Grandville (7-2) at Caledonia (8-1, sixth in state) (at East Kentwood) 1 p.m. Saturday


Division 2

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (6-3) at Forest Hills Central (9-0, fourth in the state) 7 p.m. Friday

Portage Northern (6-3) at Byron Center (7-2) 7 p.m. Friday


Division 3

East Grand Rapids (4-5) at St. Joseph (8-1) 7 p.m. Friday
Lowell (6-3) at Zeeland West (8-1) 7 p.m. Friday

Sparta (6-3) at Muskegon (7-2) 7 p.m. Friday

Cedar Springs (5-4) at Coopersville (6-3) 7 p.m. Friday


Division 4

Forest Hills Eastern (6-3) at Hudsonville Unity Christian (5-4) 7 p.m. Friday


Division 5

Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (5-4) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (8-1) 7 pm. Friday


Division 6

Watervliet (6-3) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (8-1) 7 p.m. Friday

Grandville defense stifles East Kentwood in 34-21 win in WKTV Game of the Week

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Grandville topped East Kentwood in a battle of two playoff-bound teams on Friday. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)

By Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributor

With both teams firmly in the Division 1 playoffs heading into the regular season finale, Grandville’s defense stood tall in the second half to deliver a 34-21 victory over East Kentwood at Falcon Stadium Friday night.

The Falcons jumped ahead 7-6 on an Elisee Kanda 5-yard TD run in the first quarter and later tied up the game at 14-14 with a 22-yard strike from QB Ben Cash to J’Kari Couch at the 6:56 mark in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs later seized a 20-14 lead before halftime and never relinquished it with 24 consecutive points.

Self-inflicted mistakes played a major part in the loss for East Kentwood, according to Coach Tony Kimbrough.

“We were trying to do too much offensively tonight,” Kimbrough said. “Have to be able to execute the little things and unfortunately we put ourselves into third and long quite a bit.”

Cash led the Falcons with 141 yards through the air, as well as 93 yards on the ground. Stellan Bowman led the defense with 17 tackles.

East Kentwood looks to be back in the playoffs after a 2-7 season in 2021. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)



Despite the loss, East Kentwood (5-4, 4-3 OK Red) looks to have all but clinched a playoff spot, according to the MHSAA playoff points standings and a rematch with Grandville (7-2, 5-2 OK Red) is a strong possibility.

“That seems to be the most likely from what I’ve heard,” Kimbrough said when asked about the possible rematch with Grandville. “We’re going to look at the film of tonight and fix those mistakes.”

Getting back to the playoffs was a goal for the Falcons after a 2-7 season in 2021.

“To win five games with the strength of our conference and schedule, I’m very proud of what this team has accomplished.”

“The announcement of the qualifiers and first-round pairings for both the 11 and 8-player playoffs will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, on the “Selection Sunday Show” on Bally Sports Detroit and its website. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show,” according to the MHSAA.

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

East Kentwood earns crucial 29-20 win over Hudsonville; keeps playoff hopes alive

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , ,

By Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributor

Needing a win to improve its playoff chances, East Kentwood pulled away late in the fourth quarter to put away Hudsonville 29-20 at Falcon Stadium.

The Falcons jumped ahead 6-0 in the first quarter on an Elisee Kandee touchdown run that was set up by a J’Kari Couch 40-yard run.

Kandee returned to the end zone once again in the first half, this time on defense with a Pick-6. East Kentwood carried a 22-14 advantage at the half.

Despite being in a solid position to qualify for the 32-team playoff field (the Falcons are ranked No. 23 in playoff points for Division 1 according to MHSAA.com), East Kentwood coach Tony Kimbrough spoke about the importance of playing with a sense of urgency.

The crowd at Falcon Stadium takes in a game between East Kentwood and Hudsonville. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)

“We feel like we control our own destiny in terms of the playoffs,” Kimbrough said. “We treated tonight’s game as a playoff game and I think our effort reflected that.”



The Eagles pulled within two in the third quarter on a Trey Carr touchdown pass, his second TD of the night.



However, the Falcons responded with a touchdown of their own as QB Ben Cash kept it himself for a 14-yard scamper to push the EK lead to 29-20 with 9:20 left the final stanza. A fumble on a punt return would later seal Hudsonville’s fate.

The Falcons defense lines up against Hudsonville’s offensive unit. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)

“Didn’t play our best football tonight,” Hudsonville coach Brent Sandee said. “Had some turnovers and penalties at key moments in the game.



“The effort was certainly there, but we lacked the execution at times tonight.”




Cash finished with 119 yards through the air with a passing TD, as well as 38 rushing yards and a score. Kandee added 56 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, linebacker Stellan Bowman finished the game with 12 tackles.



East Kentwood (5-3, 4-2 OK Red) now looks ahead to its senior night game next Friday with Grandville (6-2, 4-2 OK Red), as both teams jockey for playoff positioning.



Hudsonville (2-6, 2-4 OK Red) hosts Grand Haven (1-7, 0-6 OK Red) next Friday.

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

No. 2 Caledonia shuts out East Kentwood 29-0

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
East Kentwood falls to 3-3 on the season following tonight’s 29-0 loss to Caledonia. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)



By Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributing Writer

After falling to No.-4 ranked Rockford a week ago, East Kentwood received another stiff test with a visit to No. 2 Caledonia as the Fighting Scots remained undefeated with a 29-0 shutout.

Playing in front of a full house of standing-room-only fans, many of whom were in town for Calapalooza as well as the homecoming game, Caledonia coach Derek Pennington said his team felt the support from the community.

“It really was electric tonight,” Pennington said. “Standing room only and I’m just really proud of the way this community comes together to support our team.”

The Falcons fought hard defensively and contained a Caledonia offensive attack that had averaged 48.2 points per game in their five previous games. The physicality of East Kentwood’s defense stood out to Pennington.

“That defense was the best we have seen all season,” Pennington said. “Just a very physical defense and we hurt ourselves by not finishing a couple drives.”

Division 1 offers for Townsend

The Scots leaned on running back Brock Townsend, who accounted for over 200 yards on the ground. The junior halfback has Division 1 offers from Central Michigan, Toledo and Western Michigan.

For East Kentwood, it was a game of missed opportunities, according to Coach Tony Kimbrough.

“We moved the ball, but couldn’t sustain or finish our drives tonight,” Kimbrough said. “Had some key drops as well as some penalties stall some drives.”

With the loss tonight the Falcons drop to 3-3 (2-2 OK Red) as they look to regroup and make a push for the playoffs. Next up for the Falcons is West Ottawa.

“We probably just played the two toughest teams on our schedule,” Kimbrough said. “But in this conference you can’t overlook anyone and it doesn’t get any easier.”


Unbeaten Caledonia (6-0, 4-0 OK Red) travels to Grand Haven for next week’s game.

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

Rockford remains unbeaten after 41-20 win over East Kentwood

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,

By Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributing Writer



With its game last week against Grand Haven forfeited, Rockford made use of extra time in preparation for East Kentwood in a 41-20 victory over the Falcons.



The Rams clung to a 7-0 lead after one quarter and were still ahead 14-7 when disaster struck East Kentwood before halftime in the form of a special teams mistake. The Falcons lined up for a punt late in the first half, but instead were unable to get the punt off and failed to convert on fourth down.



“You can’t give up short field and especially to one of the best teams in the state,” East Kentwood coach Tony Kimbrough said. “You do that and they will make you pay for it.”



The Falcons did indeed pay for their mistake as Rockford converted the short field into a touchdown and a 20-7 lead at the break.

East Kentwood players receive instruction from their coach during Friday night’s game against Rockford. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)



Using a combination of exotic blitzes and different fronts, the Rams defense was able to shut down East Kentwood’s offense in the second half and build a decisive lead.

“Defensively we were solid all night long,” Rockford coach Brent Cummings said. “Pretty proud of our defensive line and linebackers. We wanted to attack their size with our team speed.”



It is often said that football is a “game of inches” and for East Kentwood it was the “little things” that prevented them from winning tonight, according to Kimbrough.



“We were battling early on and it was very close,” Kimbrough said. “You make a little mistake here and there and it can really make the difference. We have to be more technically sound.”



Ben Cash led the Falcons offensively with 74 rushing yards and a touchdown, as well as Elisee Kanda with 54 rushing yards and two scores. Stellan Bowman had 12 tackles and two sacks on defense.



East Kentwood (3-2, 2-1 OK Red) faces another stiff test as it travels to unbeaten Caledonia (5-0, 3-0 OK Red) next Friday. Meanwhile, Rockford (5-0, 3-0) clashes with Grandville (4-1, 2-1 OK Red).

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

East Kentwood relies on defense in 16-0 shutout of Jenison in WKTV Game of the Week

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, ,

By Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributing Writer

East Kentwood’s defense delivered another shutout, its second in as many games, as the Falcons halted Jenison’s offense in a 16-0 homecoming victory.

The Falcons clung to a 3-0 lead for most of the first half before Stellan Bowman broke through for a rushing score with just 54 seconds left in the half to put East Kentwood up 10-0 at the break.



Bowman had a stellar game on both sides of the ball with 96 total yards and a rushing score, as well as 15 tackles and a sack on defense.

Quarterback Casey Joppie connected with J’Kari Couch on a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach, finishing with 189 yards through the air on 13 of 28 passing.



Falcons coach Tony Kimbrough praised the defense after the game.

“Our defense won us that game tonight,” Kimbrough said. “We never got clicking on offense and give Jenison credit. Their game plan was to take away our run game and make our quarterback beat them.

“I thought our quarterback played well and we didn’t help him out, but our defense made plays when we needed it.”

East Kentwood players huddle around their coaches during a break in the action. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)



Other contributors on defense for East Kentwood included Braylon Cox with 10 tackles and a forced fumble, as well as Elisee Kanda with 6 tackles and 2 forced fumbles (1 fumble recovery). Jamari Ross and Mekhi Copes each had an interception.




Despite the inconsistencies on offense, the Falcons improved to 3-1 (2-0 OK Red) on the season with a matchup with undefeated Rockford (3-0, 1-0 OK Red) looming.

“Big one next week, we’re going to see what we’re made of,” Kimbrough said. “Any time East Kentwood and Rockford get together it’s going to be a battle.”

With a close loss to Muskegon (3-1, 2-0 OK Green) and a win over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (2-2) on their resume, East Kentwood is hoping those experiences will help them in this crucial stretch of games.

“We’re battle-tested and 2-7 (last year’s record) is our motivation,” Kimbrough said. “All offseason has been about improving on that record and through four games we have already surpassed that.”

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

Out and About: From the Press Box

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East Kentwood beat Jenison 16-0 in last week’s WKTV Game of the Week. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)

WKTV is in full swing of football season. Last Friday, our team of writers covered five games, including East Kentwood. Check out the WKTV sports coverage at the WKTVJournal.org

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

East Kentwood shuts out Grand Haven 42-0 in OK Red action

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Wide receiver Razah Townsend had 45 receiving yards and a touchdown in a 42-0 win over Grand Haven. (WKTV)

By: Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributing Writer

After losing a tight game with Muskegon in Week 1, East Kentwood bounced back with two consecutive wins after an impressive 42-0 victory over Grand Haven on Friday night.

Dominant defense puts clamps on Bucs offense

The Falcons put a stranglehold on Grand Haven’s offensive unit with just 55 total yards allowed. The Buccaneers had just two first downs. East Kentwood coach Tony Kimbrough explained the importance of preventing the big play opportunities.

“It starts with our defensive coordinator, coach [Houston] Glass does a great job of scheming teams,” Kimbrough said. “We watched the film and saw big play after big play. So we went into this game saying we need to eliminate some of those.”

“We were able to contain their quarterback who really is quick and electric, but you’re not going to outrun us side to side.

Bowman enjoying success at new position

Halfback Stellan Bowman saw plenty of green grass in front of him all night, running for 194 yards on just 9 carries and 4 touchdowns. Bowman, who also plays linebacker for the Falcons, made the switch to running back this off season after Kimbrough watched him play rugby last spring.

“I didn’t know he could run like that until I went to a rugby game,” Kimbrough said. “Nobody could tackle him and I went up to him after the game and said you’re playing running back next year.”

Other standouts for East Kentwood on offense included wide receiver Razah Townsend with 45 receiving yards and a touchdown, as well as quarterback Casey Joppie who had 133 yards and a touchdown on 9 of 17 passing.

Homecoming next week for East Kentwood

East Kentwood (2-1, 1-0 OK Red) welcomes Jenison (1-2, 0-1 OK Red) to Falcon Stadium for a homecoming game next Friday. Meanwhile Grand Haven (1-2, 0-1 OK Red) takes on undefeated Rockford (3-0).

Send us your live game photos

We are always looking for great football game photos to post with our WKTV Journal stories on Friday nights. Please email your cool game night football pix to greer@admin

WKTV Game of the Week

Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.

East Kentwood Falcons looking for week-to-week improvement after tough start to season

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East Kentwood High School head coach Anthony Kimbrough, shown at practice with his Falcons team, talks about the good and bad of a tough early-season schedule. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The 2021 high school football season did not start the way East Kentwood High School head coach Anthony Kimbrough and his Falcons team expected — going 0-4 as the team prepared this week to host Holland West Ottawa in a OK Conference Red game.

The Falcons did have a brutal early season schedule, by choice and by chance, with a home loss to state power Muskegon followed by road losses at another state power in Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice and then at Rockford (4-0), before falling to Caledonia (4-0) on Sept. 17, the last two in OK Conference Red action.

Rockford is No. 1 in Division 1 the first AP state football rankings. Caledonia is #3 in Division 2, Brother Rice No. 1 in Division 3, and Muskegon (3-1) is— everyone knows — always ranked by year’s end.

“We are just trying to improve every day: basic fundamentals, little things,” Coach Kimbrough said to WKTV this week. “We went into the season knowing our first three opponents were big-time programs … but we are tying to stay positive … just getting the kids to believe in themselves. We are working hard and hopefully it will pay off this Friday.”

And about that brutal season-opening schedule?

East Kentwood football senior Jakeilon Heard (33) awaits his turn at a Falcons practice. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

“It is a combination of some people just don’t want to play us, so you are stuck playing the Muskegons and the Brother Rices of the world,” Kimbrough said. “But I do want our kids to understand that if you are going to win a state championship, you are going to have to beat those types of programs.

“It was a challenge going in. … (But) I never imagined us going 0-4. It’s been tough. But I have to give credit to our players and our coaches, they’ve stayed positive. We have a long season ahead and we have five games to get better.”

This week’s game, starting at 7 p.m., is not only this week’s WKTV Featured Game of the Week, with cable television and on-demand replays available, but will also be East Kentwood’s Homecoming Game.

Leaning on senior leaders

Coach Kimbrough said despite the rough beginning to the season, parts of the Falcon machine and several players are performing well on the field.

East Kentwood head football coach Anthony Kimbrough likes the positive attitude of his seniors, despite an 0-4 start to the season, including senior Bobby Durr (68) pumping up teammates as they start a practice. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

“I got to start with (senior) Jeffery Perry, our running back. He probably had his best game of the year against Caledonia. He rushed for 93 yards. He ran hard,” Kimbrough said. “And we have offensive linemen that have really played well. Bobby Durr, he’s a senior. He’s stayed positive and he’s a captain on the team.”

“My quarterback (Casey Joppie). He’s a sophomore. He’s taken some licks and got back up. He’s very coachable … very proud of him. And there has been guys on the defensive side who have played well — I could name a bunch.”

And coach also credits many of his seniors, playing or not, as helping to keep the team focused on the past and future winning ways of East Kentwood.

“Jalon Fuller, one of our safeties, he’s played well. Brian Dinh, possibly an all-conference kid, cornerback. He’s played well,” he said. “Those guys just lead by example. Play hard in practice. Staying positive. … I think our underclassman are appreciative of what out seniors bring.”

Along the other seniors are Joe Stille, Reginald Brown, Carlo Russel-Dumani, Dakota Stephens, Felice Messina, Devontae Savage, Shawn White, Jakeilon Heard, Jack Izenbart, Mehki Baker, Anthony Nelson, Alonte’ Brandon, Shawn Dumani, Levi Robinson, Bryson Woods, Patrick MacDonald, Jake Tate and Zachary Vanoverloop. 

Where, when to catch WKTV’s feature games

WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.

All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.

East Kentwood, with offense revved up, looks for defensive improvement against Jenison

Area Education, City of Kentwood, Community Health, Education, Health, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Entertainment, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Journal Sports Connection,

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

With more fans allowed in the stands thanks to last week’s MHSAA decision on easing capacity limits at football games, East Kentwood High School will host Jenison this week in an important OK Conference Red contest.

WKTV’s Featured Game crew will be at the 7 p.m. game and will broadcast the game live on our cable television channels as well as live-steam it at WKTV.org.

The Falcons enter the contest with a 1-2 record in the shortened 6-game regular season, while the Jenison Wildcats are 2-1. While both teams will make the expanded playoff field this season under a yet-to-be fully defined Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) format, East Kentwood head coach Tony Kimbrough wants his team to get on a roll — both offensively and defensively.

WKTV caught up with Coach Kimbrough, and senior Chris Brown, to talk about the expanded playoffs and what’s happening on both sides of the ball for the Falcons.

WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, and we will livestream games where allowed on WKTV.org (click on Live).

WKTV will also rebroadcast the games 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.

Local players make AP All-State 2018 football teams, gain honorable mention

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A scene from East Kentwood High School’s playoff win over Brighton on Oct. 27. (WKTV/Micah Cho)

By Drew Dargavell, WKTV Sports Intern
ken@wktv.org

This past football season lead to four local high school players earning the title of first team AP All-State in the state of Michigan. East Kentwood, somewhat unsurprisingly, lead the way with three of those All-Staters coming from their team after a tremendous season from the Division 1-2 Falcons finishing the season 9-2.

These players include senior running back Kionte Blakely, senior offensive tackle Logan Brown, and senior defensive tackle Mazi Smith.

The fourth local first team AP All-State comes from Division 3-4 South Christian: senior offensive tackle Spencer Holstege.

Of the four players named, three have earned scholarships to play for Big Ten teams.

Brown, the 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive tackle from East Kentwood has committed to play football at the University of Wisconsin next season. Brown started to impress recruiters his Junior season with his size and athleticism as he is rated as a four star recruit and the top overall recruit in the state of Michigan according to ESPN’s recruiting database and is number 28 overall in the nation. ESPN also has him listed as the 7th best player at his position in the country. According to ESPN, Brown is listed as the top-overall recruit for the University of Wisconsin. Brown was featured in the 2019 All-American Bowl on Jan. 6, which gathered some of the top high school talent around the nation to compete in an exhibition.

Another top recruit ranked in ESPN’s Top 300 is the 6-foot-3, 320-pound defensive tackle Mazi Smith from East Kentwood. Smith was a key part of East Kentwood’s success this season. According to ESPN Smith is ranked as the 38th best recruit in the country and number three overall in the state. Smith will be staying in state and has committed to University of Michigan. ESPN has Smith ranked as number two at his position in the nation and is U of M’s second highest recruit. Smith was also featured in the 2019 Under Armor All-American football game on Jan. 3, which is similar to the All-American Bowl, and which gathers some of the best high school players in the country for an exhibition.

The third All-State from East Kentwood is their work-horse, 5-foot-6, running back Kionte Blakely. Blakely was the Falcons main weapon on offense as he rushed for 1,698 yards and 28 touchdowns. He finished first place in M-Live’s online poll for Grand Rapids Press Player of the Year (local area’s best player), garnering over 63,000 votes out of 145,516 total votes.

Last but not least is the senior offensive tackle from South Christian, Spencer Holstege.

Holstege has committed to play football at Purdue University next season. According to ESPN, Holstege is rated as the number 25 recruit in the state of Michigan. Holstege was the key player for the South Christian team as he played both the offensive and defensive lines as needed.

Other local players who gained honorable mention on the AP All-State teams were senior linebacker Rusheon Bash, for Division 1-2 Wyoming; senior receiver Peyton Vis, for Grand Rapids South Christian; and senior lineman Marshawn Kneeland, for Division 3-4 Wyoming Godwin Heights.

From the 8-man football division, Wyoming Tri-unity placed two senior players, Benson Heath and Brayden Ophoff, on the All-State team. Heath rushed for 993 yards and 12 touchdowns during the regular season and added 710 yards and five scores as a receiver. He had 31 tackles for loss and three interceptions on defense. Ophoff played in the defensive secondary and totaled 82 tackles and three interceptions during the regular season. At quarterback, he was 51 of 72 passing for 1,666 yards and 22 TDs and added 1,070 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

For a complete list of AP All-State Players see apnews.com .

Did we miss anybody? Contact WKTV at ken@wktv.org .

East Kentwood narrowly tops Brighton, moves on to Saline for second-round playoff game

Area Education, City of Kentwood, Kentwood Public Schools, Sports, WKTV Featured sports,

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

By Micah Cho, WKTV Sports Intern

ken@wktv.org

 

East Kentwood, now 9-1, is traveling to Saline for the second round of the Division 1 state football playoffs with a narrow victory over Brighton last Saturday.

 

The Falcons were able to put 426 yards on the offensive stat sheet. A big contributor to the total yardage is senior wide receiver Stephan Bracey.

 

“We didn’t really click in the first half,” said Bracey. “We just thought about the bigger prize and executed the best we could.”

 

And clicked they did. With a juggled pass from quarterback Kyle Dent, Bracey ran for 81 yards in the second quarter which helped contribute to his 108 receiving yards for the game.

 

Trailing most of the first half, the Falcons were able to tie the game late in the second quarter, 28-28. That’s when East Kentwood head coach Anthony Kimbrough was able to readjust his game plan.

 

East Kentwood head coach Anthony Kimbrough. (WKTV)

“They showed us some things we hadn’t seen in the (defensive) secondary,” said Kimbrough of Brighton’s passing attack.

 

With Brighton trailing 31-28 with 20 seconds left on the clock, a 41-yard field goal from Brighton could have tied the game up and sent it into over time. But after three consecutive timeouts, Brighton missed a field goal that would have extended play.

 

“I was just praying that he missed,” said Kimbrough. “It was a great battle on both sides. You hate for someone to come out as a loser but were fortunate to move on. … But give Brighton credit. They’re a well-coached football team.”

 

However, at the end of the game, Kimbrough did have some tough love for his players. Falcon quarterback Dent threw for 188 yards. but with three interceptions, and Bracey was a total of -16 yards rushing.

 

“We can’t play the way we played today and beat Saline, we just can’t,” said Kimbrough. “We have to have our best. We have to play like the team we’ve been all year.”

 

MaxPreps, a CBS affiliated website dedicated to high school sports, has East Kentwood football ranked 7th in Michigan with Saline behind at 18th.

 

Just like Brighton, the Falcons have never faced Saline. With an unfamiliar opponent, anything can happen. But for now, Bracey and his teammates are thankful.

 

“We’re just truly blessed for what happened,” said Bracey.

 

East Kentwood will be on the road Saturday facing the Saline Hornets, a team that also went 8-1 in the regular season. Saline beat Kalamazoo Central last weekend.

 

You can check out the MaxPreps state rankings here.

 

Four Wyoming, Kentwood teams preparing to make deep playoff runs

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kentwood Public Schools, Recreation, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Featured sports, , ,

 

By Micah Cho, WKTV Sports Intern

ken@wktv.org

 

Four area teams are going to the playoffs this year, including Tri-unity Christian, South Christian, Godwin Heights and East Kentwood. Although the first round of the playoffs can be a door to something bigger, all four coaches are taking a “back-to-basics” approach this week.

 

“We’re just trying to keep things consistent,” Godwin Heights head coach Brandan Kimble, echoing his fellow coaches, said to WKTV.

 

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Kimble and his team are taking on the South Christian Sailors Friday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m., at East Kentwood High School. Godwin Heights finished the regular season 6-3, while Mark Tamminga’s South Christian Sailors gained the playoffs as an at-large team with a 5-4 record.

 

For Kimble, this week comes with excitement and uncertainty. The Wolverines started off the season 1-3, but as players became more comfortable with their coach and started buying into the system, Kimble says that’s when things started to take off. Now their hoping their kids can keep with the system a little longer.

 

“We’re just trying to keep things consistent,” said Kimble. “We’re just going to change a few things so they can understand the importance of the week, tweak some things and then add a little bit more intensity to practice.”

 

Curt Copeland, assistant coach and athletic director for South Christian, is trying to help head coach Mark Tamminga win their first playoff game since 2014, the year they won their last championship.

 

“We’re trying to retrain our kids and get them back to understanding what it takes to make a deep run and it starts with the first week of the playoffs,” said Copeland.

 

All you need to know about the Wolverines vs. Sailors matchup

 

Also at East Kentwood High School this weekend is East Kentwood’s opening round playoff game. The Falcons (8-1) will be hosting Brighton High School. Located towards Eastern Michigan, the Bulldogs went 7-2, with their only loses coming twice to Belleville.

 

East Kentwood won their final game last week against Rockford, giving them the OK-Red title. And head coach Anthony Kimbrough couldn’t be more excited for his kids.

 

“I coach because of them,” said Kimbrough. “I come out everyday seeing these kids wanting to get better. One of our goals was to be OK-Red champs, and beating Rockford Friday, for that to come true is tremendous for our program.”

 

In 8-man playoff action, head coach Tim Heath and his Tri-unity team have gone 9-0 this season, beating No. 2 ranked Colon in Week 9. They will be hosting Webberville at Grandville Middle School,m also Friday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. Colon finished their season 4-5, another at-large team sneaking into the playoffs.

 

Coach Heath doesn’t plan on changing anything in preparation of his Defenders. For his undefeated team, Heath’s mantra for this week is “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

 

“We don’t do anything different,” said Heath. “… The same preparation that goes into every game we’re taking into this game.”

 

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This week’s WKTV Featured Game and other sports events are cable broadcast either live, immediately after the event and/or in rebroadcast, on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse Community 99.

 

WKTV’s featured football games are rebroadcast on the night of the game (Thursday or Friday) at 11 p.m. and Saturday starting at 11 a.m. See WKTVjournal.org/sports for complete schedules.