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)
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.”
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.
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.
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.
East Kentwood quarterback Kayd Coffman was 14-for-20 passing for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Jenison. (Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
By Ty Marzean
greer@wktv.org
East Kentwood Coach Tyrone Spencer is no stranger to the MHSAA playoffs. Having spent the last eight seasons at Detroit Martin Luther King, he made the playoffs each year. Now, in his first season leading the Falcons’ football program, he is set to return to the playoffs for a ninth consecutive year.
The Falcons (5-3) will return to the playoffs for the fifth time in the last eight seasons after cruising to a 31-7 victory over OK-Red rival Jenison (3-5) on WKTV’s Game of the Week Friday night.
“We had a good showing,” Spencer said. “In the first half, we were rolling and doing some good things. I was really pleased with how we started the game and finished. I feel that we are peaking as a team.
“We were able to kind of have our way in the first half. Our offense was pretty good and the defense came up with some key stops. They (Jenison) are a gritty team. They have a real good running back that beat us on one long run, but overall I thought we did a really good job.”
EK senior running back Elijah Jones opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter and ended up with 185 rushing yards. Jones received an offer to play at Wayne State University earlier in the week.
East Kentwood senior running back Elijah Jones. (Photo Courtesy, Falcon News Network)
Jenison matched that score with a touchdown run of its own when junior Brody Schuiteman went through the middle of the Falcons’ defensive line for a 62-yard touchdown.
The Falcons’ defensive front wouldn’t allow much more after that play. Senior Syncere Hobson-Washington and junior James Jones disrupted the Wildcats offense all game long. Senior middle linebacker Terence Kabanda led the team with four solo tackles.
Junior quarterback Kayd Coffman led the Falcons offensive pass attack, going 14-for-20 for 201 yards and two passing touchdowns. His favorite receiver on the night was junior Ahman Edmonds, who caught five passes for 106 yards and scored a touchdown run. Senior receiver Charles Murphy-Ware tallied 92 yards on five catches, including a beautiful 36-yard touchdown grab. Junior Bam Nettelman hauled in the first touchdown pass from Coffman.
East Kentwood wide receiver Ahman Edmonds. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood will end the regular season hosting the Rockford Rams (6-2) in OK Red action at Falcons Stadium for their “Black Out Game” on Friday.
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.”
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 during basketball season, every week we’ll bring you most of the local high school football home stadium action from the Wyoming and Kentwood varsity teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute Friday Night Highlights show.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Truck Game of the Week covers one matchup per week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, an occasional field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
You can count on our very experienced, exciting game announcers for both football and basketball to guide you through your local team’s games. If you are interested in volunteering at WKTV Sports for our Truck or Studio productions, please email me at greer@wktv.org
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. You also can watch these games on our WKTV YouTube Channel.
WKTV Truck Game of the Week Sked
Friday, Sept. 20: Wyoming vs. South Christian (at East Kentwood)
Friday, Sept. 27: Hudsonville at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct. 4: Zeeland East vs. South Christian (at Byron Center)
Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville
Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)
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.
Close your eyes and imagine the sounds of shoulder pads popping, marching bands playing, stadium announcers calling touchdowns, fans loudly cheering.
Can you smell the hotdogs, pizza and popcorn floating through the air?
Imagine the youngsters playing catch behind the goalposts imitating their favorite player.
Sit tight. Local football games under the bright lights are just about here, which means our in-depth coverage of WKTV Truck Games of the Week, WKTV Journal web stories and our exciting Friday Night Highlights show will all be here shortly as well.
The first game of the season is Thursday, Aug. 29, and we’ll be there! Our WKTV Game of the Week is Sacred Heart at Lee at 7 p.m. Thursday. We also will get highlight clips from Hartland at East Kentwood, Mason County Central at Godwin Heights and Wyoming at Sparta on Thursday. On Friday, South Christian hosts Grand Rapids Christian at East Kentwood.
As always, WKTV plans to bring you another great season of local high school football coverage of your favorite area teams, including East Kentwood, Wyoming, Godwin Heights, Wyoming Lee, Kelloggsville and South Christian. Tri-unity Christian cancelled its season due to a lack of players.
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
Thursday, Aug. 29: Sacred Heart at Lee
Thursday, Sept. 5: Northview at Wyoming
Friday, Sept. 13: Belding at Kelloggsville
Friday, Sept. 20: Wyoming vs. South Christian (at East Kentwood)
Friday, Sept. 27: Hudsonville at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct. 4: Zeeland East vs. South Christian (at Byron Center)
Friday, Oct. 11: Godwin Heights at Kelloggsville
Friday, Oct. 18: Jenison at East Kentwood
Friday, Oct 25: Catholic Central vs. South Christian (at East Grand Rapids)
WKTV Friday Night Highlights coming soon!
Just like during 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.
As a bonus, we’ll occasionally have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and have them join us in studio for a live interview.
Look for our fast-paced local highlights show every Tuesday! Thanks for tuning in.
WKTV Journal Website
And don’t miss our large footprint of local high school football on the WKTV Journal website.
Continuing from last season, we’ll have a huge presence with local high school football and boys and girls basketball. Beyond our fantastic Game of the Week Truck coverage, every week our sports staff will post football game stories, features, roundups and final scores and stats on most teams in the Kentwood/Wyoming area on our Journal website. You can plan on our local football coverage! Thanks for tuning in.
Click HERE for your school’s season football schedule.
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.
East Kentwood pole vaulter Reece Emeott. (Courtesy, Nuha Hussein)
By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
Coming off a ninth-place finish in the Division 1 state finals, the East Kentwood boys track and field team will lean on some youngsters to top last year.
According to the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association, they are the team to beat this year ranked atop Division 1 in the state.
“We are working hard to maintain a standard of excellence,” said Track and Field Coach and Co-Athletic Director David Emeott. “We are very young, but I am confident over time we will get there.”
Pole vaulting a family affair
Pole vaulter sophomore Reece Emeott is playing a pivotal role in the youth movement in the Falcons Track and Field team. Reece is the son of Coach Emeott, and pole vaulting is a family affair in their household.
“I pole vaulted; his older brother and sister pole vault in college; he has been pole vaulting since birth,” Coach Emeott said.
Reece, ranked No. 1 in the state, cleared 13 feet at the finals last year as a freshman and has already cleared 14-6 this season.
“We are looking for big things from him,” Coach Emeott said. “We are hoping he will place very high in the state meet.”
Emeott also is maintaining a high level of excellence in the classroom.
“Reece is a 4.13 GPA student. He takes many AP classes, and his mom thinks he is very smart. Nice kid, needs to clean his room,” Emeott said proudly.
East Kentwood’s Malachi Mosely. (Courtesy, Nuha Hussein)
Malachi Mosely was the only underclassman on the 4×100 relay team that finished in the top 12 at the state event.
“Malachi has had to overcome some nagging injuries, but we think he is ready to go,” Emeott said. “He opened up with a 48.56 indoor 400, and this could be a big season for him.”
East Kentwood’s Evan Nikoles. (Courtesy, Nuha Hussein)
Junior Evan Nikoles has paced the competition in the 1600-meter race while shaving off 20 seconds from his best time during the 2023 season.
“Evan has done an amazing job in the distance events. He has been able to lead in most of his races and do whatever the team needs,” Emeott said.
Sophomore Jhavon Alexander has made his mark in the long jump for East Kentwood. Alexander placed first at the Aquinas HS Indoor Challenge, clearing 21-2. Alexander holds a personal record of 22-3, set on April 17 against West Ottawa.
East Kentwood long jumper and sprinter Jhavon Alexander. (Courtesy, Nuha Hussein)
“Jhavon has led us in the long jump and, as a sophomore, has been very competitive in the sprints. He is still young, but has a mature attitude and a huge heart,” Emeott said.
Building LEGOs as a child jump-started East Kentwood junior Eva Mei into the world of robotics.
“I became interested in robotics and these competitions because I was really into building LEGOs as a kid, and when FIRST LEGO League started at my elementary school I was really interested,” said Mei, a Project Lead on Red Storm Robotics 3875 team. “That eventually led me to joining FIRST Tech Challenge (middle school) and FIRST Robotics Competition (high school).
Eva Mei, project lead on Red Storm Robotics 3875 team. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
“I have learned how to cooperate as a team and be really communicative with others, as well as learn how to go through the engineering process of brainstorming, prototyping, setting priorities, and building a robot. I find it really cool to belong in a team that I could find a community in.”
Mei will compete with her team this weekend at East Kentwood’s eighth FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics qualifying tournament on Friday and Saturday, March 29 and 30 at the high school (6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Kentwood). The competition is free and open to the public.
“We expect 40 teams from across Michigan to compete, and 2,000 people to come to this fun, free, open to the public event,” said Wendy Ljungren, event coordinator of FIRST Robotics Competition and founder of Red Storm Robotics in 2010. “This year’s competition theme is CrescendoSM. Two alliances of three teams each compete against each other to shoot foam rings into an overhead bin or a smaller slot earning the alliance points. At the end of each match, the robots climb onto the stage chain to earn additional points.”
Opening ceremonies for Day 1 begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 29 and on Day 2 at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 30 at East Kentwood High School. The complete agenda and more details on the competition can be found here.
Back in 2015, Ljungren volunteered to start and lead the competition with a game called Recycle Rush. She has been the Red Storm coach from Day 1 up until last year, when Trista Vandervoord took over.
Now a team mentor for Red Storm, Ljungren has been in the aviation business for 40 years, working in high profile roles in engineering for GE Aviation and AiRXOS. After funding was cut at GE, she formed a company called Anzen Unmanned in 2021 with three others.
Photo from a previous FIRST competition. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
“Get more girls passionate about engineering”
“I got involved in robotics as the leader of GE women in technology group,” Ljungren said. “We wanted to get more girls passionate about engineering, so adopted the FIRST robotics program for not just Kentwood, but all schools in the area. Red Storm has grown to two high school FIRST Robotics Competition teams, eight middle school FIRST Tech Challenge, and 32 elementary FIRST Lego League teams.
“It is very satisfying to see the difference we have made in student’s lives.”
Similar to playing on a sports team?
“FIRST was started to encourage students, and parents, to be as excited about STEM as they are about sports,” Ljungren explained. “Unlike sports, most FIRST students can go professional.”
New head coach and longtime mentor Trista Vandervoord said the robotics model of FIRST directly emulates a sports model, with district competitions, regional championships and a world championship event celebrating the best of the best.
“Under the guidance of volunteer professional mentors, students create a robot from nothing in a short span of two to three months. Students practice skills in design, manufacturing, assembly, programming, marketing and teamwork to get the job done.”
Red Storm Robotics Coach Trista Vandervoord. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
The FIRST Robotics website states, “Combining the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. We call FIRST Robotics Competition the ultimate Sport for the Mind. High school student participants call it ‘the hardest fun you’ll ever have.’”
Vandervoord began as a volunteer mentor
Unlike Ljungren, Vandervoord had a career non-related to robotics.
“My education was in statistics and psychology, and I worked doing statistical reporting for an insurance company directly out of college until my children were born and I became a full-time at-home parent,” Vandervoord explained. “I started my involvement with Red Storm Robotics eight years ago as a volunteer mentor with my son’s middle school robotics team. I enjoyed it so much that when he moved on to the high school robotics team, I stayed with the middle school program volunteering as mentor, then eventually became program coordinator for that level.
“Two years ago, it became a mission of Red Storm Robotics and Kentwood Public Schools to grow the program across the district, and I proposed the position of Red Storm Robotics Program Coordinator K-12 (the role she’s currently in).
There are over 600 FIRST Robotics Competition
high school teamsin Michigan this year
Photo from a previous FIRST competition. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
From 75 to 350 members in just two years at EK
When Vandervoord began two years ago, there were 75 students involved across the district. This year, some 350 Kentwood Public School kids participated on a robotics team.
There are 56 Red Storm Robotics East Kentwood high school students participating in the East Kentwood Competition this weekend broken down into team teams:
East Kentwood’s two high school teams: Red Storm Rookies 9566 (left) and Red Storm Robotics 3875. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
Red Storm Robotics 3875: 10th through 12th grade students who specialize in an aspect of robotics which began 14 years ago. Led by Team Captain Nate, who manages the day-to-day aspects of the project and motivates the team to do its best under the guidance of Coach Alyssa Luna. Project Leads Eva, Ethan and Kailey are all experienced mechanical students who lead the design and building of different functions of the robot (intake, hopper, shooter, climber). Programming Captain Lindsay works with the programming subteam to make sure all programming tasks are completed. Marketing Captains Emma and Zander make sure their subteams complete all award submissions, prepare a presentation for judging, manage all branding and maintain the team’s relationship with their sponsors.
Red Storm Rookies 9566: A new team of 8th and 9th grade students who have just graduated from the middle school robotics program in the fall. They learn all aspects of robotics: design, prototype, build, wire, program and compete. Team Captain Leah works closely with Coach Nick Baribeau to organize the students and manage the workflow of the project.
Leah Bernstein, team captain of Red Storm Rookies
“I became interested after receiving an email from our school in seventh grade that brought many people to introduce our community to our robotics program,” said Leah Bernstein, East Kentwood ninth-grader. “I stayed in robotics through the years because I loved the community, everything I learned from robotics and the amazing experiences and opportunities I got through robotics.”
East Kentwood ninth-grader Leah Bernstein, team captain of Red Storm Rookies. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
“I have learned many things through Red Storm Robotics like basic programming and building, how to be a part of a team, how to communicate with adults and ask for help better, as team captain I also learned how to lead the team.”
Red Storm generally top 25% in the state
Vandervoord said Red Storm generally finds itself in the top 25% statewide.
“Red Storm students traditionally design, build and program robots that are well-equipped to play the season’s game,” she explained. “We are especially proud of our growing number of female participants; currently 44% of the participants on our high school teams are women.”
Vandervoord said Robotics is an excellent application of STEM skills, and attracts students with an interest in evaluating a problem, proposing solutions, trying the solutions and creating a final product to solve the problem.
“Our well-rounded students are involved in many extra-curriculars, including STEM-related clubs, but we are often delighted by the creative solutions that our artistic/musical students offer.”
College scholarships available as well
As far as college scholarships go, Vandervoord said they are definitely available in Michigan.
“Red Storm alumni have received scholarships to Kettering University, Grand Valley State University and scholarships through FIRST sponsors,” she explained.
East Kentwood senior Nate Moxey, team captain for Red Storm 3875
“I became interested in robotics at one of Red Storm Robotics’ many demos at a club showcase,” Moxey said. “They had a robot much larger than I expected driving around quickly, so it was exciting to watch. Joining the team became very enticing to me, so I signed up shortly after.”
EK senior Nate Moxey, team captain for Red Storm Robotics 3875. (Courtesy, East Kentwood Red Storm Robotics)
“By being on the Red Storm Robotics team, I have learned effective communication and cooperation skills, while also improving my time management. RSR imitates the industry in many key areas, so I feel more than ready to succeed in college and beyond. It is genuinely awesome to belong to Red Storm Robotics because it feels like its own family.”
Vandervoord talked about the growth of the students.
“I love to see the personal growth in each student as they develop STEM skills such as manufacturing, building and programming as well as interpersonal skills like leadership and teamwork,” Vandervoord explained. “I’ve seen students decide a career path because of their involvement with Red Storm Robotics. It is truly a blessing to do something I love.”
Next Round: State Championship at SVSU
Every team’s goal is to advance to the FIRST in Michigan State Championship on April 4-6 at Saginaw Valley State University. From there, the best teams move on to the World Championship from April 17-20 in Houston.
The Red Storm Robotics teams are sponsored locally by Dematic, GE Aerospace, Anzen Unmanned, Trane Technologies, Argosy, DTE Foundation, Members First Mortgage, NDIA Michigan STEM Sponsorship, Savant Automation, and Cascade Engineering.
East Kentwood senior Kanyla Tyler (2) passes the ball to a teammate during district action. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
Defense has been the trademark of the East Kentwood girls basketball team this season and that defense was on display in the district semifinal game against Hudsonville. Playing aggressive, intense defense from the opening tip, the Falcons earned a 50-33 win to advance to the district championship game Friday against Byron Center.
“Defense is what we are about,” said East Kentwood Coach Eric Large. “Our team is built on playing tough defense. We are gritty and very tenacious on defense. We work hard on defense and our defense produces baskets on the offensive end of the floor.”
The game was a low-scoring, defensive struggle right from the opening tip. Baskets were difficult to come by in the opening quarter as both teams managed just six points apiece. Senior Santana Eubanks led the way for the Falcons in the opening quarter as she scored all six of Kentwood’s points.
EK led 19-12 at halftime
Kentwood continued to apply strong defensive pressure in the second quarter. Again, the Falcon defense limited Hudsonville to six points in the quarter. The pressure defense also began to produce more turnovers that led to fast-break points on the offensive end for the Falcons. Led by senior Makayla Porter, who scored six points in the second quarter, East Kentwood totaled 13 points in the quarter to take a 19-12 lead into halftime.
The Falcons continued to play stingy defense in the second half. East Kentwood held Hudsonville without a point for almost half of the third. During that span the Falcons’ offense strung together seven straight points to build the lead to 26-12 and take control of the game.
Along with playing strong defense, East Kentwood did a strong job on the defensive boards. The Falcons routinely limited Hudsonville to just one shot on each possession as they dominated the defensive glass with their strong rebounding.
“I thought we did a really good job of rebounding,” Large said. “That is very important. We want to limit teams to just one shot per possession. I thought we rebounded the ball well.”
The Falcons’ offense also picked up the pace as the game went on. After scoring 13 points in the second quarter, they added 14 points in the third and led 33-19 going into the final quarter. A three-point shot from Sophia Wozniak got the Falcons going in the fourth quarter as they opened with a 7-2 scoring run to take a 40-21 lead and all but put the game on ice. The Falcons later went on a 5-0 scoring run to up the lead to 20 points at 45-25.
“Our defense got us going on offense,” Large said. “Once we were able to come down and make some layups, we got things going on offense. We just had to stay focused.”
East Kentwood featured a balanced attack on offense. Porter led the Falcons in scoring with 14 points, while Eubanks added 12. Wozniak added nine points, followed by Harmonie Belton with six.
East Kentwood senior Harmonie Belton (1) drives the lane during the Division 1 district semifinal against Hudsonville. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
East Kentwood gets 20th win of season
With the win, East Kentwood improved to 20-3 for the season. The 20-win mark is special for the Falcons and Coach Large.
“It is really special,” Large said. “The five seniors on the team, I’ve had them for three or four years on the varsity. They know exactly what I’m going to say every time. They’ve been with me all this time and they know what to expect.
“This team also has great leadership. Kanyla Tyler is our point guard and she does a great job of settling us down on offense.”
Ranked fifth in the state in Division 1, the Falcons next have the opportunity to claim the district title. East Kentwood faces a major hurdle in the district title game in a Byron Center squad that comes into the game with a 19-4 record. East Kentwood faced the Bulldogs in the season-opener in December and came away with a 58-52 win. Byron Center brings a nine-game winning streak into the contest, while East Kentwood is riding a five-game winning streak.
East Kentwood junior Jah Hatchett leads the Falcons from his point guard position. (Photo Courtesy, Cristian Salas-Salinas and Nuha Hussein)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
Playing against one of the most challenging schedules in the entire state, the East Kentwood boys basketball team has needed an “all hands on deck” approach. While the entire team has led the Falcons to an 11-6 record heading into the final couple weeks of the season, a trio of players are carving out outstanding seasons.
Senior Christian Humphrey-Rembert, junior Jah Hatchett and freshman CJ Reynolds are all turning in key contributions for a Falcon team that is also in second place in the rugged OK Red Conference.
East Kentwood’s Christian Humphrey-Rembert provides the Falcons with a steady source of points and rebounds. (Photo Courtesy, Cristian Salas-Salinas and Nuha Hussein)
Humphrey-Rembert, a 6-foot-8 junior wing, is a steady source of points and rebounds for the team. He’s averaging 14 points per game along with 8.5 rebounds and two blocked shots. He also has turned in numerous double-doubles in points and rebounds this season.
“Christian is a 6-foot-8 wing who is very athletic and can shoot the ball,” said East Kentwood Coach Mike Thomas. “He is playing at a pretty good level this season. His biggest improvement has been in his rebounding. His rebounding has been a difference maker for us this season.”
Along with being a standout on the basketball court, Humphrey-Rembert also is a standout in the classroom. With his combination of academics and athletic skills he is being recruited by a number of colleges including Wofford, the University of Chicago Illinois and Brown University.
“Academically, Christian is one of the top students in his class,” Thomas said. “He has a grade-point average of 3.7 or 3.8. He is also a great teammate. He is one of the first guys at practice and one of the last to leave. He is always helping me set up the gym and take down the gym. On his off days he’s always in the gym working on his shooting.”
Hatchett leads the team with 17 points per game
Hatchett also is a team leader in multiple categories. A 5-foot-10 junior point guard, Hatchett leads the team in scoring at 17 points per game. He also is dishing out five assists per game along with five rebounds and four steals per game.
“Like Christian, Jah plays a lot of minutes for us and does a lot for us,” Thomas said. “He is our go-to guy. He can get to the basket, shoot the three and is strong off ball screens. He can also break defenses down and make decisions in the lane.”
Although he has another season yet to play in high school, Hatchett is drawing the attention of college scouts. Currently he has offers from Ferris State, Northwood University and Wayne State and also is hearing from Central Michigan University and Northern Iowa.
“Jah is also good in the classroom and that work ethic shows on the basketball court as well,” Thomas said. “He puts in the hours and that shows in his production. He spends hours upon hours in the gym. As a junior, he is getting close to 1,000 career points and is about at 900 points right now.”
Freshman CJ Reynolds averaged 20 points per game on the junior varsity team. On the varsity squad, he averages 7.5 points, four rebounds and two assists per game. (Photo Courtesy, Cristian Salas-Salinas and Nuha Hussein)
Reynolds making an impact as a freshman
The Falcons also have a young and upcoming player in Reynolds who is making an impact as a freshman. A 6-foot-2 guard, Reynolds began the season on the junior varsity. Reynolds was seeing varsity action by taking advantage of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s fifth-quarter rule, where a junior-varsity player can play a limited number of quarters on the varsity team each week, and the experience has paid off as he recently was moved up to the varsity team permanently.
“CJ is a long and lanky player who is starting to make a name for himself,” Thomas said. “He started the season on the junior varsity, but his talent level is going through the roof.”
Reynolds was averaging 20 points per game on the junior varsity team. On the varsity squad, Reynolds is already averaging 7.5 points, four rebounds and two assists per game.
“CJ is a guy who can beat you off the dribble or shoot the three,” Thomas said. “He can score in a multitude of ways. He is also a strong defender. I think the sky is the limit for him and he is going to do great things in our program the next few years.”
Reynolds is part of an overall young Kentwood team that continues to grow and improve.
“We have a young team,” Thomas said. “We will only loose three seniors. This is just my second year here and we are still building the program. I have a great staff with coaches like Christian Craft and Scott Rawley. These guys are with me for the long haul and are into developing players.
“We have played a challenging schedule this year and that is by design. We want to play a challenging schedule and it’s a pleasure to see how our guys have been competing.”
Of the Falcons six losses this season, two have been in the conference and four have been in non-conference games. Among those non-conference losses have been games against East Lansing, the No.2 rated team in the state in Division 1 and River Rouge, an honorable-mention team in Division 1. The Falcons also have wins against Warren Lincoln, currently ranked No. 2 in the state in Division 2, and Birmingham Brother Rice, ranked ninth in the state in Division 1.
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.
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
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.
WKTV Game of the Week Remaining Schedule
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
Drum major Sofia Daniel directs the band during a school day rehearsal (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor
deborah@wktv.org
East Kentwood High School (EKHS) band directors Mike Gozzard and Sho Dembinski strive to make music a memorable and welcoming experience for each of their 200 students.
“Even if kids don’t continue in music after high school, we’re just trying to make their experience as good as possible while they’re here, making sure they know they are welcome and that they have fun,” said Dembinski.
A love of music instilled in the next generation
Students practice their show outside each day (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
The last two years have brought heartache and necessary adjustments to the EKHS band family.
In May 2022, Kentwood Bands lost their beloved director, Marshall Werling, to cancer. Through his time at EKHS, Werling passed on a lasting love of music to the students.
“Music has always been a very big part of my family, but also the teachers who have led me here,” said Sofia Daniel, drum major and junior at EKHS. “Especially Mr. Werling. He and Ms. [Natalie] Sears were a very big part of why I love music.”
Daniel went on to say that she has always had a positive experience with the EK band program, whether that experience came from new friends or a connection with a teacher.
Bringing a community together
Directors Gozzard and Dembinski continue to bring students of all backgrounds and activities together through the band program.
“The thing I like the most is that [the program] is diverse in the typical meaning of diverse, but also in other meanings,” said Dembinski. “For example, we have kids that do cheer, football, and do other clubs and robotics and things like that. It’s cool to see them come together and do one thing.”
Jennifer Pham enjoys all genres of music (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Daniel agrees, saying she enjoys being in a class where everyone likes music. “It’s a kind of family of people doing what you love as well,” said Daniel.
EKHS junior and flute/piccolo player Jennifer Pham says sharing her love of music is important to her.
“Music has always been a big part of my life,” said Pham. “I love listening to it in my free time, so the chance to be able to play something and share my love of music is something that I like.”
Pham participates in marching band, concert band, jazz band, and combo groups. Though flute is her main instrument, Pham recently learned bass for jazz band.
“I like that there are so many opportunities we are given,” said Pham. “Although you have to pick an instrument, just because you pick something now doesn’t mean that you can’t learn another one later.”
Pham says she will keep music in her life even if she does not choose it as a career path.
Finding the right niche
Raul Aquino-Gonzalez, trumpet player and EKHS senior, joined band because his brothers had also been in the program. But Aquino-Gonzalez didn’t feel a connection to music right away despite saying the atmosphere was inviting.
Aquino-Gonzalez plans to study jazz in college (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“Last year is when I really began to get into it, and I really started trying to get better,” said Aquino-Gonzalez. “I just loved it from then on.”
The catalyst for that change of heart?
“I joined jazz band, and I think that was the spark,” Aquino-Gonzalez said. “That’s when I would spend hours every day playing and trying to get better.”
Aquino-Gonzales recently formed a jazz group outside of school that performs for different events, including the school’s fall play.
A legacy of lasting relationships
While Dembinski and Gozzard work to ensure a certain level of proficiency in all students – and they see improvement in musicianship each year – Dembinski said the first week of band camp is his favorite part of every year.
A family atmosphere forms strong ties between students (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“My favorite time of year is the first week of band camp when all the freshmen come here for the first time,” said Dembinski. “We work a lot with the section leaders and the leadership, trying to make everyone feel welcome. We do a bunch of games during camp to make sure all sections of the band are one big family.”
Dembinski said that he sees close ties form between students, and knows many of them will last.
“There are a lot of lasting relationships,” Dembinski said. “I see it all the time. Most of my closest friends are friends from high school band or college band.”
A show all ages can enjoy
That sense of relationship is demonstrated in the Home title and theme of the EKHS 2023 marching band show.
There is still time to see the 2023 marching band performance (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Featuring artists from Michigan, the show incudes “Lose Yourself” and “Not Afraid” by Eminem, “Juice” by Lizzo, “Bring It On Home To Me” arranged by Roy Hargrove, and “I Wish” and “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder.
Dembinski said some college marching band shows have also recently featured a home theme.
“We liked the idea, we just wanted to put our own spin on it with the music we picked,” said Dembinski.
Picking music everyone enjoys, however, is not easy.
“If you pick new music, students like it but parents don’t,” said Dembinski. “If you pick ‘old music’ from the 70s and 80s, parents like that but students don’t. This show has a bit of both.
“I’ve heard band parents say they really like the Eminem section, and every time I leave class, students are playing Stevie Wonder,” Dembinski continued. “It surprised me a bit. But I think this show has something that everyone can jam out to.”
Dembinski encourages the community to attend the invitational and experience performances from schools all across Michigan.
“You get to see our band, but also a bunch of other sweet bands too,” said Dembinski. “It’s nice to see a bunch of different sized schools, different demographics and different show ideas.”
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.
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!
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!
East Kentwood graduate Judah Guerra hosts a podcast at WKTV called Great Lakes Music. Guerra is a jazz studies major at Michigan State University. (WKTV)
By Colleen Pierson
WKTV Contributor
A melomaniac is defined as a person who absolutely and enthusiastically loves music. Kentwood graduate Judah Guerra fits that definition wholeheartedly.
“Music is something I have been surrounded by for as long as I can remember,” he explained.
His Mom is a director of music, his father is a Latin percussionist and his siblings all have college music degrees. His grandmother is a talented singer and pianist.
“Currently, music has brought me connections to understanding the world and to people in a way that I plan on pursuing as far as I can,” he said emotionally.
Great Lakes Music host Judah Guerra (right) and guest Kevin Jones, a Michigan State University percussion instructor who has shared the stage or recorded with many musicians, including The Isley Brothers, Jermaine Jackson, Whitney Houston, Bebe and Cece Winans, Joey DeFrancesco, and many more. (WKTV/Cris Greer)
His music history started with flute lessons at the age of six. And then he joined the Grand Rapids Men and Boys Choir that year. Trombone came next in middle school followed by remarkable experiences at music camps. Thus began his love for jazz.
“I started playing electric bass in 8th grade because my dad had one and always to wanted me to play it. My junior year of high school I bought an upright bass because at that point I was coming to the point of my gigs where bass players weren’t handy,” he said of his love of the instrument.
In high school, Guerra participated in as many musical ensembles as possible. At Grand River Prep he was in the band, choir, jazz band, pep band, pit, and also had lead roles in musicals he participated in. He also played in college bands in the area, honor bands, Grand Youth Symphony, the St. Cecilia Jazz Orchestra and a band he started out of that orchestra called GR Groove. To say the least, he was very busy with music in high school.
During Guerra’s senior year he transferred to East Kentwood in order to be in-person during the pandemic.
Great Lakes Music podcast host Judah Guerra (left) and Nathan Walton, of Nathan Walton and the Remedy, and a former Golden Ticket winner on Season 3 of ABC’s American Idol. (WKTV)
“East Kentwood was extremely helpful in getting me to play at a higher level, and it was very inspiring to see my peers play because of the level they were at.“
Currently, Guerra is a jazz studies major at Michigan State University on a full scholarship. He studies bass and trombone with a world class faculty there, he noted.
“Michigan State has been an inspiring institution for me to continue my musical path.”
Great Lakes Music podcast at WKTV
Judah credits WKTV for giving him the opportunity to start a podcast named Great Lakes Music. He has always wanted to have a podcast ever since he started watching his heroes from far and wide talk when the world went online during the pandemic.
“I want Great Lakes Music to be able to highlight the musicians in Michigan at a high level, and to give people a sense of what talent is,” he enthused.
Great Lakes Music podcast host Judah Guerra interviews and jams with local musician Nathan Walton, of Nathan Walton and the Remedy, and a former Golden Ticket winner on Season 3 of ABC’s American Idol.
The podcast itself highlights a new artist every episode.
“It is a chance for the guests to tell their story, give advice, and comment on the music scene as it is,” he explained.
“WKTV has been extremely helpful with the podcast and getting my name out there. The whole staff is out of this world in terms of their talent and kindness; two traits that are very rare to find,” he concluded.
Great Lakes Music podcast host Judah Guerra interviews Joel Ferguson, former Verve Pipe band member.
As a child, it was Kevin Brewster’s mom that helped steer him toward the saxophone.
The 2021 East Kentwood grad said his mom, Audrey Reed, often listened to gospel, R&B and soul music such as Fred Hammond, John P. Kee, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire.
“I always wondered what the specific instrument I heard in those songs was until eventually I found out it was a saxophone which made me want to play it,” Brewster said. “I then began playing the saxophone at 11 years old.
“As far as I remember, growing up I was always into music, either if it was dancing, listening to music or singing. I grew up in the church which got me involved with playing the drums, saxophone and singing in the choir.”
Brewster, who just finished his second year of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, was recently in the WKTV studio with his quartet taping a television program called Jazz Works, which will air soon on our station.
The other members of the quartet are Max Gage on piano, Judah Guerra, bass and Brian Allen, drums.
The Kevin Brewster Quartet recently performed on the WKTV Jazz Works program. Front, Kevin Brewster; from left; Max Gage, piano; Judah Guerra, bass and Brian Allen, drums. (WKTV/Cris Greer)
East Kentwood and MSU connection
Guerra also graduated from EK High School, while Allen went to Grand Rapids Christian and Gage, Northview. All members study music at Michigan State University.
Brewster said they all met while in high school and began practicing together.
“We had one of our first gigs at a restaurant and I knew ever since then I wanted to keep playing with these guys,” Brewster explained. “We formally got together in 2021, and then we gigged throughout the summer our first year of college.”
The quartet has performed locally at the Grand Rapids Foodie Fest, GRNoir Jazz Club, GR Festival of the Arts and the Kentwood Winter Concert Series.
While at East Kentwood, Brewster performed in the marching band, wind ensemble and jazz ensemble I.
He’s counting on his high school and college experiences to guide him through his career.
“After I graduate college, my goal is to attend graduate school to pursue my masters in jazz performance while continuing to put out music and eventually become a recording artist. I also want to tour around the world as a band leader and/or sideman, and then soon become a college professor to teach jazz saxophone.”
The East Kentwood lacrosse team goes through drills prior to facing off against Vicksburg last Saturday. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
The East Kentwood boys lacrosse team has only been a varsity program since 2019 and during that short period of time the Falcons have made big strides and is experiencing plenty of success this season.
The Falcons took another step forward Saturday when they dropped a 7-6 decision to Vicksburg in a match that wasn’t decided until the final seconds.
In a match that featured two teams bringing in winning records to the contest, Vicksburg scored a goal with just 28 seconds remaining on the clock to earn the win.
“I thought the boys from both teams did an incredible job battling and playing lacrosse,” East Kentwood coach Keegan Neitzke said. “The stats from the game show how evenly matched both teams were. I was so proud of our players. These seniors played Vicksburg in 2021 and lost 18-1. To play to a 7-6 loss with the winning goal coming in the last 35 seconds shows the massive growth these kids have taken.
“Our defense and goalie played outstanding and the offense put the ball in the back of the net when we needed it, we just ran out of time at the end.”
Sophomore goalie Shawn Delano turned in a big game for the Falcons in net. Delano saved 9-of-16 shots on goal to finish with a 69 percent save percentage. That save percentage was higher than his season average of 62 percent.
“Shawn has two years of experience,” Neitzke said. “He has gotten better every game he has played.”
Delano received plenty of support from Falcon defenders Jaiden Woodson and Corey Hall. Hall caused three turnovers and came up with two ground balls during the match while Woodson caused one turnover and captured four ground balls.
Woodson has been a defensive leader all season for the Falcons.
“Jaiden is an athletic defender who uses his speed and footwork to create turnovers,” Neitzke said. “He has three years of experience and he will continue his playing career at Aquinas College next year.”
For the season, Woodson has totaled 46 ground balls and caused 28 turnovers.
The East Kentwood lacrosse team breaks a huddle during action from Saturday’s match against Vicksburg. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
Defense has been a strong point for the Falcons this season as only two teams have scored in double figures against the Kentwood defense.
Ben Cash and Harrison Stidolph led the Falcons on offense. Cash totaled four goals and two assists against Vicksburg, while Stidolph added a pair of goals.
“Ben is a high-energy competitor and is our go-to offensive weapon,” Neitzke said. “Harrison loves the game of lacrosse and is being recruited by the University of Michigan-Dearborn.”
For the season, Cash has 57 goals and 20 assists, while Stidolph has 24 goals and 11 assists.
EK offense has several high-scoring games
The East Kentwood offense has recorded a number of high-scoring outputs this season, including an 18-goal game against both Coopersville and Kalamazoo Central and games of 17 and 16 goals against Northview.
The Falcons also have been receiving strong play from midfielder Waseem Ayad and long-stick middle/attacker Isaiah Ramirez. Ayad has 78 ground balls, 28 assists and caused 22 turnovers this season, while Ramirez has 37 ground balls, created 11 turnovers, added 11 assists and four goals.
“Waseem is the point guard of the offense and a two-way player,” Neitzke said. “He has three years of experience.”
Isaiah is a do-it-all player. He played long-stick middle the last two seasons, but does attack and long-stick mid to help the team. He has three years of experience and will continue his career at Aquinas College next year.”
Seniors help rebuild
This year’s seniors have helped build back the program from the hit it took from the covid pandemic that decimated numbers in 2021.
“I had around 16 kids come out and most of them had zero lacrosse experience,” Neitzke said. “Fast forward to this season and most of the seniors only have two to three years of lacrosse experience. The team has bought in and put in the work to get better on and off the field. Our records have increased each of the last three seasons and we are still learning.
“We are a growing program that started with a youth program so we have made an effort to build and grow lacrosse in the community. 2023 is our first year with a junior-varsity lacrosse team and we have started a middle school speed ball league to offset the expense of lacrosse.”
East Kentwood (8-7) is looking to finish the season strong.
“We have four games left that we believe we can win if we play up to the East Kentwood lacrosse standard,” said Neitzke after the Vicksburg loss. “If we win the next four games, we will finish the season with the most wins in a season in program history. The program is moving in the right direction and we continue to grow the game of lacrosse in the Kentwood community. It’s an exciting time for East Kentwood lacrosse.”
NOTE: East Kentwood beat Coopersville 22-1 Tuesday, and now only needs three wins to finish with the most wins in a season in program history.
The East Kentwood Ice Arena played host to the first-ever East Kentwood Cornhole Invitational Saturday. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
East Kentwood High School was home to a first of its kind event in the state of Michigan on Saturday as over 40 students from elementary school through high school took part in the inaugural East Kentwood Cornhole Invitational.
Two rows of cornhole boards filled nearly the entire floor space of the Kentwood Ice Arena where the competition took place with students of all ages and skill levels tossing bags back and forth.
The event was sponsored by the Michigan Cornhole League and the Youth Cornhole Organization, two of the main organizations for cornhole in the state of Michigan. Joey Williamson, a member of the staff at the East Kentwood Ice Arena, coordinated the event that drew students from all across Michigan.
Competitors came from schools like Woodhaven and Anchor Bay on the east side of the state, Montabella, Chippewa Hills and Mason County Central from farther north of the Grand Rapids area along with local competitors from schools like Wayland, Caledonia, Grandville, Byron Center, St. John Vianney, Jenison and East Kentwood.
“This is the first tournament just for school kids in the state and we’re putting it on,” Williamson said. “This has been a dream of mine for about two years. I love the sport of cornhole. It is a great community sport and a great way to make friends. It’s an easy sport to play and almost anyone can play regardless of age or skill level.”
The sport of cornhole is still evolving, but is beginning to gain in popularity around the country with events even getting broadcast on national television including ESPN.
School kids from across the state competed at the East Kentwood Cornhole Invitational. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
Adrian College cornhole
One of the teams that competed on ESPN’s national broadcasts was the college cornhole team from Adrian College. Adrian College is the lone college in the United States that has a school-supported cornhole team and Coach Max Benedict was in attendance at the East Kentwood Invitational getting the word out about college cornhole and helping to grow the sport.
“I’d really like to see cornhole get into the high schools and become a school sport,” Benedict said. “That would help us have a pool of kids to draw from. It’s not like football or basketball where every school has a team. I like getting out to the schools and putting on exhibitions to show the schools they could get a cornhole program going.”
Unlike sports like football and hockey that require large amounts of money for equipment and ice time and other expenses, cornhole is an inexpensive sport that requires just a few boards and some bags.
A push for high school cornhole
Gregg Devitto, who runs Michigan High School Cornholehub.com also was in attendance at the Kentwood tournament. DeVitto is developing an organization that is working to get geographic clusters of high schools in regions across the state playing competitive cornhole.
“Our goal is to eventually have cornhole become a Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsored sport in a few years,” DeVitto said. “We are developing a cluster of schools in Lenawee County that will be playing cornhole and we are hoping for two or three other clusters across the state.”
If Saturday’s event at East Kentwood was any indication, the sport of cornhole is primed to grow quickly among school-age participants who enjoyed the tournament at the East Kentwood Ice Arena.
“I like the idea of the tournament,” said Jayden, a student from Grand Rapids. “No one else has a tournament like this. I like being able to compete against other kids and I know this will grow the game.”
Hudson, who has been playing for a year, also enjoyed the tournament.
“It’s pretty fun,” Hudson said. “It’s just great being able to get out and throw and have fun with the other kids.”
Having fun and meeting other kids is a big attraction to cornhole for youth as it is for adults who play in cornhole leagues across West Michigan as much for the social aspect of the sport as it is the competitive side, similar to a sport like bowling.
Professional player Daniela Luna on hand
“I started playing backyard cornhole about four years ago,” said Daniela Luna, who is a professional cornhole player and was on hand from the Youth Cornhole Organization helping to run the tournament. “We want to get more and more kids involved in the sport. It’s a sport anyone can play and have a lot of fun doing it.”
Luna was joined at the tournament by Joyce Mandala also from the Youth Cornhole Organization.
“We want to get more kids involved,” Mandala said. “In Detroit, Jarron Jackson, who is also part of our organization, has five schools playing cornhole. It gives the kids who don’t play basketball or football a sport that they can play. Not everyone is tall and can play basketball. Cornhole is a sport that anyone can play and they can play after leaving school. It’s a great sport and the kids just love it.”
Williamson believes that once the word gets out the sport of cornhole will only grow not just across the state, but also in the area.
“We are looking for cornhole to start out as a club sport in the schools,” Williamson said. “Someday it will become a varsity sport in the schools. We had kids of all ages here. A lot of the younger kids are really good and even beat the older kids.
“We set up the tournament where we have pool play and the winners of the pools went on to play the other pool winners. After pool play it was set up based on the records in the pools. The kids really had a good time with it.”
East Kentwood boys basketball Coach Mike Thomas knew right away he wanted to create a “gotta-get-it” mentality when he took over the team last fall.
“The only thing I know about last year is that they didn’t have a winning season, and I knew right away that I wanted to come in and kind of change that,” Thomas said. “I knew right away that I wanted to create a gotta-get-it mentality, and the meaning of a gotta-get-it mentality is to create a sense of urgency, to accomplish unforeseen goals without making any excuses along the way.
“We wanted to create some goals, create some expectations, and then teach them how to work for this year. And we started off early in the year back in the fall with a lot of training, running bleachers, conditioning, all of that stuff. And they didn’t quite realize or understand what it was for, but towards the end of the year, they could see and understand how all of that stuff helped us become successful this year.”
The East Kentwood basketball team celebrates with the district trophy after defeating Byron Center 62-45 in a district title game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
OK Red and District Champs
Thomas talked about taking first in the OK Red at 11-3 and finishing 18-7 overall with a district title as well, compared to 6-15 overall last year with a 6-8 conference record.
“Oh, this was huge for us,” Thomas said. “I think it’s a statement for where we’re trying to go as the foundation; we established that right away. And it’s unfortunate that we’re losing some seniors, but I told those seniors that whatever we do this year is the start of us accomplishing our ultimate goal and that’s to win a state title. Our seniors have done a really good job by creating a strong foundation of what it takes to be successful.
“They were able to set the stage for us moving forward winning the district and winning the conference title.”
Captain Marshaun Flakes: ‘Willing to do whatever’
“I was able to coach at some special places, special schools; I was able to coach some special players and Marshaun fits in the category of being one of my all time special players,” Thomas said. “He had a huge impact on winning. It’s just unfortunate that I was only able to coach him for one year. I’m going to miss him.
East Kentwood’s Marshaun Flakes. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“But you’re talking about a guy who has the power and the energy to control a community, control a school, control a team. When he wants it, we’re all going to get it, and he has a gotta-get-it mentality. He was our leading scorer and he did everything for us. He was Mr. Utility guy. He was willing to do whatever.”
Flakes led the Falcons with 21 points per game and averaged 7 rebounds, four assists and 2-1/2 steals a game as well. He was first team, all conference and Thomas said he’d be the Conference MVP if there was such an award.
“Based on what he did, he was able to turn this program around from sixth place to first place,” Thomas continued. “This guy just did everything.”
Captain Jah Hatchett: ‘Setting the tone’
Another player that played a big role was Jah Hatchett, who averaged 15 points, 4-1/2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1-1/2 steals per game. He also was first team, all conference as well.
East Kentwood sophomore guard Jah Hatchett sets up the offense during action in the district championship game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
“He’s going to go down as one of my all time special players,” Thomas said. “Here he is a sophomore, he’s just a baby. And he shows some great leadership skills. He was one of the guys that set the tone for us … for workouts, morning shoots, offseason workouts, he was always there.
“At one point in the season he was our leading scorer. And I think teams started to key on that. And that’s when Marshaun stepped up. When you have those two guys on the court at the same time great things are going to happen for you.
“Jah is going to be a very, very special player for East Kentwood.”
Hatchett said it felt good to win an OK Red and district title.
“Especially since we haven’t won conference in eight years,” Hatchett continued. “It feels good and then in districts, we did even better.
“The highlight of my season was coming together as a team and going on our little run up, seven-game winning streak.”
Hatchett began playing basketball at age five.
“When I was little, I was always a two-sport athlete, playing football and basketball. But I just found more interest in playing basketball.”
Sophomore point guard Darryl Thompkins
“We were very lucky to have him return back to Grand Rapids, as he did some really, really good things for us,” Thomas said. “He was our floor general. He got everybody involved. There were a couple games this year where he had double figures in assists. He also was first team all league.”
I take my hat off to those two sophomores (Hatchett and Thompkins) just simply because they had to compete against some really, really tough seniors and upperclassmen.”
Coach Thomas’s highlight of the season?
“I would say the highlight of the season was just being able to turn the program around in a short period of time, and just simply having fun mentoring young men. This is nothing but fun to me. Coaching is what I love to do. This is who I am.
“But you can also add winning the conference championship and district title as a highlight. But an even bigger highlight is just being able to see the community, the response of the community, the support of the community, especially within those last couple of games. You can kind of feel that they believe in what we’re trying to do.”
Along with Flakes, Thomas also talked about graduating Rasheed Watkins and Nate Cobbs.
“We’re losing Rasheed Watkins, who was a big time energy guy for us,” Thomas explained. “He started some games, came off the bench for us, but he was always ready when his number was called. He does some really good things for us, but we’ll also miss Nate Cobbs. He’s a football player, wrestler and track star. He’s going to play Division 2 football at Davenport University. He came off the bench and gave us a spark when we needed it, especially against Grandville. He was that big time, muscle guy for us to kind of contain some people and was always ready when his number was called.
“But, for next year, great things are gonna happen for us. We have Jah Hatchett and and Darryl Thompkins returning along with Christian Humphrey-Rembert.”
Terence, the Red Storm Robotics FRC Robot, is rolling into Kentwood’s home tournament on March 31 and April 1 to take on 37 other FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Teams’ robots for a chance to advance to the state tournament. In this Charged UpSM competition, the Red Storm Robotics team reimagines the future of sustainable energy and powers its ideas forward to victory.
Terence, the Red Storm Robotics’ robot. (Courtesy, Red Storm Robotics)
This is a free event for everyone starting at 10:30 am on Friday, March 31. WKTV Community television crews will be at East Kentwood both days providing television coverage of the FIRST Robotics competition. WKTV’s coverage will be available for broadcast on WKTV and streamed via WKTV’s on demand service in the month of April.
The public is encouraged to attend and cheer our Red Storm Robotics team, or their favorite local team, as they demonstrate “gracious professionalism” through their application of mechanical engineering, computer-aided design, electrical engineering, programming, systems integration, website building, animation, and fabrication/machining skills. Red Storm Robotics’ Terence utilizes autonomous and driver-assisted modes, optical sensors to help guide it to targets, an elevator arm with a mechanical cone-grabbing claw, and gyroscope-assisted balancing to help it perform in this year’s 2022-2023 competition. The KPS FRC Team #3875 is made up of approximately 40 high school students, four coaches, and four mentors from the Kentwood Public Schools and nearby communities.
Project-based, hands-on FIRST® programs introduce students to engineering and coding in an engaging, inclusive, and creative after-school environment where students work collaboratively to solve an annual robotics challenge centered around a yearly theme. Boosted by a million-strong global community of students, mentors, educators, volunteers, sponsors, and alumni in over 100 countries.
Jamell Hatchett covers Grandville’s Tyson Mann. Hatchett and Marshaun Flakes led the Falcons with 19 points each. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
If Friday’s result is any indication, opponents of East Kentwood might thick twice about coming out in a zone defense against the Falcons.
Thanks to some accurate outside shooting and timely drives to the basket, East Kentwood’s offense reached overdrive in the second half as the Falcons defeated Grandville 73-58 in an OK Red showdown of conference frontrunners.
“I thought this was a good game for us,” said East Kentwood Coach Mike Thomas. “Our guys struggle against a zone, but they showed tonight they are starting to figure the zone out. This is the largest amount of points we’ve scored against a zone in a long time.”
The 73 points the Falcons scored Friday was almost double the amount of points they scored a month ago when the Falcons dropped a 48-41 decision to Grandville on the road. The win also crowded things at the top of the OK Red as East Kentwood, Grandville, Grand Haven and Hudsonville are all tied for the top spot in the league with 7-3 conference records.
Huge second half for the Falcons
East Kentwood was especially productive against the Grandville zone defense in the second half. Trailing Grandville 32-27 at halftime, East Kentwood outscored the Bulldogs 46-26 in the second half.
East Kentwood stormed out of the locker room at the start of the second half to outscore Grandville 20-5 and take control of the game. Senior Marshaun Flakes led the charge in the second half as he scored Kentwood’s first seven points of the third quarter.
“This was big,” Flakes said. “The last time we played them (Grandville) we started slow. Tonight, we came out with a lot more energy and intensity. We really brought the energy in the second half.”
East Kentwood brought plenty of defensive energy to the floor in the second half. Steals on the defensive end led to some layups on the offensive end of the floor. Both Flakes and Jaden Bowman came up with big steals in the early going in the third quarter as the Falcons took the lead in the game.
“It’s always our defense that gets us going,” Thomas said. “Our defense has kept us in every game. We also made some defensive adjustments at halftime.”
East Kentwood lights up the treys
On the offensive side of the floor, the Falcons sliced apart the Grandville zone with a combination of accurate shooting from the perimeter and timely drives to the basket. East Kentwood connected on seven three-point shots during the game. Jamell Hatchett led the way from outside as he connected on three, three-point shots while Rasheed Watkins hit a pair of treys.
Balance also was a key for the East Kentwood offense. Hatchett and Flakes led the way for the Falcon offense as they both totaled 19 points. Darryl Thompkins poured in 15 points, while Watkins added 12.
East Kentwood’s Darryl Thompkins, Jr. takes the ball up the court. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
A standout on both ends of the court, Flakes also was instrumental in providing the Falcons with strong leadership, especially coming out in the second half facing a five-point deficit.
“Marshaun was unbelievable tonight,” Thomas said. “He is the leader of our team. I’ve been coaching for a while now and have had some great leaders. Like I told my wife, Marshaun is one of the top leaders I’ve ever had.”
That leadership was evident in the early stages of the fourth quarter when Grandville made an effort to get back into the game. Up 49-43 at the end of the third quarter, Grandville whittled the Kentwood lead to 51-47 before Flakes drained a pair of free throws to stem the tide.
Grandville managed to cut the Falcon lead to 53-49, but a three-point shot by Watkins started a 7-0 Falcon run that built their lead to 60-49 with five minutes left in the game. Grandville managed to cut the Kentwood margin to 60-52, but that was as close as the Bulldogs would get as Kentwood pulled away in the final few minutes of the game.
“This was a big win for us,” Flakes said. “This win will give us some momentum going into March.”
With the win, East Kentwood improved to 11-5 overall. The Falcons return to action Saturday when they travel to Benton Harbor to play Detroit Old Redford in the Wilson Chandler Shootout. The Falcons then travel to Grand Haven on Tuesday to face another team that is part of the logjam at the top of the conference standings before heading to Caledonia on Friday.
Grandville fell to 10-6 overall and 7-3 in the league. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Tyson Mann who finished with 31 points.
East Kentwood players Ardrace Morris and Christian Humphrey-Rembert (from left) try boxing out Rockford. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
In a long basketball season, there are certain games that can tip the balance between a good season and a great season.
The East Kentwood boys basketball team experienced just such a game Tuesday at OK Red rival Rockford when it erased a 13-point halftime deficit and defeated Rockford 51-49 on a last-second shot.
Sophomore Jah Hatchett gets winning bucket
Falcon sophomore Jah Hatchett provided the game-winning basket with three seconds remaining in the game as he rebounded an East Kentwood miss and layed it in for the winning points.
The bucket gave Kentwood a win that was special in more than one way. First, the Falcons bounced back in a big way from their first loss of the season the previous Saturday against Birmingham Brother Rice. Second, the Falcons managed to do it on the road in a hostile environment, and third, they erased a 13-point halftime deficit to accomplish the feat.
East Kentwood’s Marshaun Flakes helped turn things around against Rockford. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“Big Win” says Marshaun Flakes
“This was a big win for us,” said East Kentwood senior Marshaun Flakes, in his third season on varsity. “We haven’t defeated Rockford in a long time. It was also a big win to get after our loss to Brother Rice. It felt good to bounce back.”
Bounce back was what the Falcons needed to do after falling behind by as many as 18 points during the first half. Rockford came out hitting on all cylinders and the Rams led 18-6 at the end of the first quarter. Rockford continued to build on the lead in the second quarter as it feasted on Kentwood turnovers and converted open opportunities.
Big halftime lead for Rockford
At halftime, Rockford went into the locker room with a 30-13 lead, while East Kentwood went back to the drawing board.
The Falcons made some defensive adjustments at halftime and came out in the second half looking like a different team as they picked up the defensive pressure. Using a full-court, trapping press, the Falcons forced Rockford into numerous turnovers and it was Kentwood that turned the turnovers into easy buckets on the offensive end.
“We made a few adjustments to our zone,” said East Kentwood Coach Mike Thomas. “We increased the pressure and started attacking. On offense, once we hit a three our guys really started to feel confident. It was like the light was turned on once they saw that first three fall.”
Marshaun Flakes drained that first three ball of the second half and that trey led to a torrent of points during the third quarter. Down 34-16 in the early minutes of the second half, Kentwood went on a 9-0 run that trimmed the deficit to single digits following a bucket by Jyair Harris.
The Falcons kept applying the pressure on the defensive end producing steals and getting some big blocked shots from 6-foot-9 senior Christian Humphrey-Rembert. Humphrey-Rembert recently joined the team just before Christmas when he transferred back to East Kentwood from La Lumiere prep school in Indiana.
EK grabs the lead by one to end third
Trailing 40-33, East Kentwood finished the third quarter with an 8-0 run and took a 41-40 lead at the end of the quarter on a bucket from Hatchett.
The contest went back and forth during the final quarter with the score tied twice and the lead changing hands four times as both squads played at a slow pace. Kentwood went up 49-47 on a bucket by Flakes with 2:03 remaining before Rockford tied the game with a pair of free throws with 1:36 remaining. After the teams traded turnovers, East Kentwood held the ball for the last 30 seconds of the game before Hatchett put in the final points with three seconds left.
“We are like a new program,” Thomas said. “I’m a new coach and we have some new players and a new system and it’s taken an adjustment period. There were some crazy things happening, but our guys just kept fighting back and never quit. I’m proud of the way the guys kept battling and never quit.”
Hatchett led the Falcons in scoring with 14 points followed by Flakes with 13 and Darryl Thompkins with 10. Harris added six points while Landon Storms added three, Ardrace Morris, two points and Humphrey-Rembert, two points on a highlight-reel dunk during the fourth quarter.
With the win, East Kentwood improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the OK Red. The Falcons return to action Friday at Grandville and then play Detroit Henry Ford on Saturday at 1:45 p.m. at Ottawa Hills High School as part of the Martin Luther King Day Hoops Classic hosted by Ottawa Hills.
Joshua Hurt (left) at the MITCA Division 1 Meet. (Courtesy, Miles Postema)
By D.A. Reed
WKTV Contributor
East Kentwood senior Joshua Hurt isn’t satisfied with staying in one place — in more ways than one.
“Josh is an excellent athlete and student (3.72 GPA), but a better person,” said David Emeott, co-athletic director at East Kentwood High School and the boys track and field coach. “He is kind and caring and always considerate of his teammates … and is willing to do what it takes to improve.”
An All-State 110-meter hurdler the past two years and three-time All-Conference, Hurt is no stranger to hard work. And he doesn’t make excuses.
“I love how there are no excuses,” Hurt told WKTV. “Either you run well, or you don’t, and that’s on you.”
Hurt claimed his outdoor personal best at hurdling and first place in the event during the Charlie Janke Track & Field Invitational in April 2022, with a time of 14.66 during the 110 hurdles. He also placed fourth in the state (14.77) at the Division 1 finals, where his team finished third overall.
Changing it up
Though Hurt excels at hurdling, Emeott said the athlete decided to change things up by joining the cross country team this fall in order to gain an edge on his competitors.
“Before school started, I wasn’t planning to run cross country at all,” Hurt said. “But after my coach invited me to a pre-season meeting with the cross country team, I was persuaded by the possible endurance and mental gains as well as the leadership I could offer the team.”
EK senior Joshua Hurt running at the OK Red Conference meet in 2022. (Courtesy, Miles Postema)
Hurt chose to focus solely on cross country this fall even though he would have liked to compete in hurdling as well.
“It was safer for me to just focus on one thing at a time,” Hurt said.
Despite pulling a personal best at the Otsego Bulldog Invitational with a time of 22:31:3 for the 5,000-meter event, Hurt admitted the highlight of his season came from practices during the season. Specifically, their Roho workouts from an online fitness coaching platform.
Roho in Swahili means “spirit“ or “heart.” Kip Keino, a Kenyan Olympic distance runner, highlighted his Roho workouts in an interview, and how they gave him the ability to push past his physical and mental fatigue during the Olympics.
“We would have our hard workouts, such as our Roho workouts, probably the hardest workout of the season. While our bodies were in pain and we were fighting through this workout, everyone came together to support each other, and helped everyone push through,” Hurt said.
Starting young
“It all started when I was in elementary school, running in the mileage club where I would go run laps around our course every day during recess,” Hurt explained.
Those laps led Hurt to join the Kentwood Track Club, where he was able to try different track and field events for fun, and without pressure.
Hurt began taking hurdling seriously after a cousin who hurdled in college suggested he try it out. Hurt said he did try hurdling, but “wasn’t the best at it.”
The summer of that year, however, he began training with his current high school coach, Stephanie Stephenson, as well as a past East Kentwood hurdler who is now a University of Michigan hurdler.
“Through this experience, I found a love in the adrenaline rush of getting over these intimidating obstacles that the majority are scared of,” Hurt said.
The East Kentwood track and field team won a Division 1 regional championship and finished tied for third in state in 2022. (Courtesy, Miles Postema)
Growing and learning
Hurt has shown that he is always striving to develop his skills and is not afraid to take on challenges and try new things by becoming a leader as well as an accomplished athlete.
A member of the East Kentwood Athletic Leadership Council, Hurt also guides the track team in pre-season conditioning as well as speed and agility training.
That leadership rolls over into marching band as section leader for the drumline. Hurt also is active in the high school Symphonic Wind Ensemble as a percussionist.
Moving forward
Hurt says he loves hanging out with friends when he’s not training in athletics or practicing for band, and also loves learning new information about, and new skills in, the automotive industry.
“It is one of my main passions,” Hurt continued. “I love learning how the different parts work. I love looking at the basic, untouched cars on the road and envisioning the potential that it has to become my personalized art.”
Hurt is looking toward the future, planning to attend college and to continue running track and field. Though he’s had a few colleges approach him, interested in his various skills, Hurt has not yet committed to one school.
D. A. (Deborah) Reed is an award-winning author of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor from the Grand Rapids area. To find out more about D.A. Reed, visit her website: D.A. Reed Author
East Kentwood golfer Elise Fennell finished second in state in Division 1 at the MHSAA State Finals held Oct. 14 and 15 at the Bedford Valley Golf Course in Battle Creek.
Fennell finished one stroke behind state champion Kate Brody (Grand Blanc), who grabbed her second title in three years.
Brody took the top prize with a score of 73-72 (145), while Fennell placed second at 76-70 (146).
An inch short of a playoff
“I was so close to tying it up on the last hole to go into a playoff,” said Fennell, a junior who placed fourth and seventh, respectively, in the previous state finals. “I had a 12-to-15 foot putt for birdie, while Kate had a tap in for par and I left it an inch short.
“I am very happy overall to finish second. I played really well the whole event and did everything that I could. I was just trying to enjoy my last high school event of the year.”
Fennell said she will play in the Notah Begay Jr. Golf National Championship the first week of November in Louisiana and will then “take a month off to relax.”
East Kentwood golf standout Elise Fennell at the State Finals.(Courtesy, Mike Ketelaar)
East Kentwood Coach Mike Ketelaar said he couldn’t be happier for Fennell.
“I have been very blessed with memorable experiences throughout my own high school and college golf career, and these were easily my favorite days ever on a golf course watching Elise in her element,” Ketelaar said. “I have never been so proud of a student-athlete before.
“Elise is fearless on the golf course. When she made a clutch par putt on Hole 17, I had a gut feeling she was going to tap into another level and give everything she had to make a run at the current leader at that point, who she was playing with.
“She put together her A-game on the remaining four holes. It was truly special to watch her play those four concluding holes to near perfection.”
From left; Kate Brody, Grand Blanc, state champion in Division 1 (73-72 — 145); Elise Fennell, East Kentwood, second place (76-70 — 146) and Jessica Jolly, Rockford, tied for third with Grace Wang, Rochester Adams, not pictured (72-77 — 149). (Courtesy, Mike Ketelaar)
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.
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At age 9, East Kentwood golf standout Elise Fennell figured out she was talented.
“I was playing Jr. PGA with boys four years older than me and beating them,” said Fennell, a junior at EK and All-State golfer two years straight.
As a freshman, Fennell finished tied for fourth place at the Division 1 state finals with a score of 74, followed by a seventh-place finish last year with a two-round score of 148 (74-74).
Her determination shined through early on as well.
“My first few words as a baby were ‘no help,’ when I was around 6 months old,” said Fennell, whose favorite food is chicken quesadillas. “I also would always play different sports with my neighbors and would always try my absolute best to beat them.”
Watching golf with dad as a youngster
Fennell said her interest grew while watching golf on TV with her dad, Josh.
“I wanted to try it, so my dad bought me a three-club set,” explained Fennell, whose favorite movie is Shrek. “I was 6 when he bought the set and I got hooked a few months after that. I would hit, and if I didn’t pass my dad’s shot I would pick up and go to his ball.
“I learned how to swing the club just by watching on TV for the most part. I watched and learned from Tiger (Woods) the most.”
Her best golf accomplishment?
Winning the GAM (Golf Association of Michigan) 15 and Under Stroke Play in 2019.
EK golf standout Elise Fennell. (Courtesy, Josh Fennell)
“It was my first GAM win and my first big tournament win.”
EK Coach Mike Ketelaar said though her demeanor is “extremely calm, relaxed and sort of laissez-faire, Elise is the fiercest and most prepared competitor I have ever coached.
“She is truly a complete player,” continued Ketelaar, who’s coached the EK boys and girls golf teams for five years. “This season, she shot 69 twice and 70 twice, and in my opinion, she did not play her “A-game” on those occasions. I am excited to watch her continue striving towards her full potential.”
Her state finals expectations?
“To put up two very solid rounds at the state finals,” Fennell said. “Ideally, I would like to shoot somewhere around 69 or 70 for both rounds and see what happens.
East Kentwood golfer Elise Fennell was OK Red All Conference for a third-straight year. (Courtesy, Mike Ketelaar)
“I think I am very capable of winning this year, but I know there are some amazing players that’ll be there as well.”
Ketelaar said she is no different from most elite players.
“She wants to compete at the highest level, perform her best, and win the state finals as an individual.”
This year’s MHSAA State Finals are Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14 and 15 at the Bedford Valley Golf Course in Battle Creek.
Fennell, who has a GPA of 3.99, would like to play college golf and major in engineering, but is undecided where.
Fennell was OK Red All Conference for a third-straight year, and teammate Camryn Kolzow was honorable mention.
“Elise is undoubtedly the leader of EK’s team,” Ketelaar said. “Elise would probably not refer to herself as a leader, nor desire the role, as most elite high school athletes typically do. Elise leads by her example.
“Players on the team are very aware Elise is one of the best players in Michigan, and they pay attention to Elise and her game.”
East Kentwood players receive instruction from their coach during a previous game this season. (WKTV)
By Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributor
Points were at a premium in this match-up, as East Kentwood kept its playoff hopes alive with a 14-6 victory over West Ottawa.
Following a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons found the scoreboard as quarterback Casey Joppie connected with Nate Cobbs on a 14-yard scoring strike. East Kentwood clung to a slim 7-6 lead at the half.
With 3:53 left in the third quarter, running back Ben Cash punched it in from 2 yards out for a 14-6 advantage. The Falcons defense, led by linebacker Stellan Bowman with 15 tackles, held on to the lead with a scoreless final quarter.
Bowman also forced two fumbles, added a sack, as well as 78 rushing yards. East Kentwood Coach Tony Kimbrough had high praise for his star linebacker.
“He’s the best linebacker in the state,” Kimbrough said. “Show me another guy that plays with the passion he has for the game.
“Nobody loves the game more than he does and it’s infectious. Makes everyone around him better football players.”
The biggest takeaway for the Panthers tonight was the missed opportunities offensively, according to Coach Pat Collins.
“Had some short fields, but just couldn’t convert on those opportunities,” Collins said. “Got to examine what went wrong for us tonight.
“A lot of losing moments. A lot of winning moments, too. We will look at those and improve.”
Despite an inconsistent performance from the offense, Kimbrough was pleased to get back into the winning column.
“You take the wins any way you can get them in this league,” Kimbrough said. “A lot of talent in this league and the coaching is outstanding.”
With this crucial win, East Kentwood (4-3, 3-2 OK Red) turns its attention to a home date with Hudsonville (2-5, 2-3 OK Red) next Friday.
West Ottawa (3-4, 1-4 OK Red) travels to Caledonia for next Friday’s game.
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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.
