Tag Archives: Grandville High School

East Kentwood boys use big second half to stop Grandville in OK Red showdown Friday

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

WKTV featured game coverage this week begins with state-ranked East Kentwood girls basketball

City of Kentwood, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Featured sports, , ,
The East Kentwood High School girls basketball team defended their home floor in this 2020 game recorded by WKTV. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org


This week WKTV Sports features two high school girls basketball match-ups beginning Tuesday, March 2, with an OK Conference Red match-up as Grandville visits East Kentwood, the state’s No. 4 ranked team in Division 1.

Later in the week, on Thursday, March 4, the WKTV crew will be at South Christian as Forest Hills Eastern visits for an OK Gold contest. The Sailors enter the week 6-1 in conference and 7-1 overall; FH Eastern is 3-5 and 3-6 overall.

 

The WKTV Featured Game sports crew includes volunteer announcers including, from a 2020 game at East Kentwood, Ron Schultz and Mark Bergsma. (WKTV)

The Tuesday contest will tip off at 7 p.m., and WKTV will record the game and replay it later Tuesday night, at 11 p.m., with more replays to be scheduled, and it will available on-demand later. (See details at end of story.)

The Grandville Bulldogs come into the game with 2-7 record (1-6 in OK Red) and coming off a 73-38 loss at Holland West Ottawa on Feb. 27.

The Falcons come into the game with a 6-1 record, all in conference, after a 54-43 road win at Grand Haven Feb. 27, and riding a 2-game winning streak following their only loss of the season, a 56-52 nail-biter at OK Red leader Hudsonville (7-0, 8-1 overall). The Falcons and the Eagles will have their rematch, at East Kentwood, on March 13.

According to information provided to WKTV by Eric Large, East Kentwood head girls basketball coach, the Falcons are a deep, experienced team with four seniors  nominated for McDonald’s All American:  Alexis McCully, Kaybriana Hallman, Madisyn Tillman and  Keliese Christopher.

Christopher is averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds a game; McCully is averaging 17 points and 8 assists; junior guard Deyonce Thompson is averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists; and Tilman is averaging 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Hallman is currently out due to an injury but, coach Large reports, she is ranked nationally (ESPN #46 in the country) and has signed to play at Xavier University next season. Tilmann will be playing at Eastern Michigan next season, and both Christopher and McCully have Division 1 offers.

To see the Grandville at East Kentwood basketball game on WKTV on-demand visit WKTVlive.com.

WKTV featured games will be on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, on various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of winter high school sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.

Snapshots: Wyoming, Kentwood things to do this weekend

Citizen Journalism, , ,

It was a beautiful bright autumn day, with air like cider and a sky so blue you could drown in it.

Diana Gabaldon, “Outlander”


By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Seventy-six trombones

Flutes, drums, and more will be filling the field at East Kentwood High School as the EKHS Falcon Marching Band Invitational, which takes place Saturday, Oct. 19. Twenty-six bands from across the state will be competing including bands from Kelloggsville and Wyoming. The event opens at 10:30 a.m., with awards being presented at 7 p.m.

Did someone say treats?

The City of Kentwood will be hosting its annual Trunk or Treat Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to noon. Held at the Kentwood Department of Public Works facility at 5068 Breton SE, kids can dress up in their favorite costume and collect treats from a number of decorated trunks. There also will be a bounce house, hayrides, and face painting. If you have time this evening, Encounter Church, 4620 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, will be hosting a Trunk or Treat from 6 – 8 p.m. Also, next Sunday, Oct. 27, Kentwood Baptist Church, 2875 52nd St. SE, will host its Trunk or Treat from 6 – 7 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.

Getting Crafty

The holiday craft shows are now up and running. This weekend, Grandville High School will be hosting its Fall Harvest Craft Show from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the high school, 4700 Canal Ave. SW. Breakfast and lunch offerings will be available. For a list of upcoming craft shows, click here.

Fun Fact: Cathelepistemian

Michigan was the first state to establish a university, which was called Cathelepistemian, which means university. It was established in 1817 in Detroit. The name was later changed in 1821 to the University of Michigan. The university moved to Ann Arbor in 1841.

‘Tis the season for holiday craft shows

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , ,
Grandville’s 2019 Fall Harvest Craft Show is Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Grandville High School. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Oct. 12

St. Mark Craft Show, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saint Mark Lutheran, 1934 52nd St. SE, Kentwood. 

Oct 19

2019 Fall Harvest Craft Show, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Grandville High School, 4700 Canal Ave. SW.

Oct. 26 

Annual Breton Woods Holiday Market, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Breton Woods, 2772 Pfeiffer Woods, Dr. SE, Kentwood.

Georgetown Bible Church’s 6th Annual Free Fall Craft Show, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Georgetown Bible Church, 4114 Baldwin St., Hudsonville.

Nov. 1 – 3

Holiday Craft Show, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Woodland Mall, 3195 28th St. SE.

Nov. 2

Rush Creek Craft Show, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Rush Creek Bible Church, 2334 76th SW, Byron Center.

Arts, Crafts, Bake Sale, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. St. Paul’s Anglican Catholic Church, 2560 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids.

Ribbons and Bows Holiday Arts and Crafts Show, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Christ Community Church, 2400 Forest Hill Ave SE, Grand Rapids. Admission : $3

Nov. 8 – 9

Beneath the Wreath, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday. The cultural Center at St. Nicholas, 2250 E. Parisi Ave. SE., Grand Rapids.

Nov. 9

Byron Center Craft Show, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Byron Center High School, 8500 Burlingame Ave. SW

Holiday Craft and Vendor Sale, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. South Grandville Christian Reformed Church, 4130 Wilson Ave. SW, Grandville.

Nov. 23

Home School Building 2019 Craft Show, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., 5625 Burlingame Ave. SW.

Nov. 30

Wyoming High School, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Wyoming High School, 1350 Prairie Pkwy.

Dec. 1

Let It Snow Craft and Vendor Show, noon – 4 p.m. American Legion Post 179, 2327 Ave. SW.

Dec. 7

2019 West Catholic High School Craft Show, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. West Catholic high School 1801 Bristol Ave. NW.

UICA’s Holiday Artist Market, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Steelcase Town Hall, 901 44th St. SE, Grand Rapids.

Dec. 13 – 14

Holiday Textiles Arts Market, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Aquinas College donnelly Center, 157 Woodward Ln SE, Grand Rapids. 

The Grand Rapids Chorus of Sweet Adelines brings in international winning quartet ‘Speed of Sound’

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, , , ,

By Colleen Pierson

WKTV Contributor

 

What does it take to be named the best female singing quartet in the world?  Witness for yourself as International Award winners “Speed of Sound” will be featured along with The Grand Rapids Chorus of Sweet Adelines.

 

The Harmony Quest performance takes place at Hudsonville Freshman Campus, 3370 Allen St., Hudsonville, on Saturday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. The night will be filled with extraordinary music, talents and humor.

 

Speed of Sound is a long-distance quartet, from all over the country, with more than 60 years of barbershop experience. They have been together for nearly five years and have achieved major accomplishments in the Sweet Adeline world.  In 2016, the group was crowned Queens of Harmony in Las Vegas!

 

They love singing cutting-edge arrangements.  But most of all, their wish is to spread their love for this art form called barbershop. It’s important to all four of them that they play a part in keeping barbershop alive and well for the coming generations.

 

The group is looking forward to traveling to West Michigan to share their talents.

 

“It will be so exciting to take the stage along with our sisters in harmony-The Grand Rapids Sweet Adelines,” said Carter Maysilles, baritone for Speed of Sound.  “We will all put on a fantastic show.”

 

Tickets for the Sept. 8 show are $20/general admission and $15/seniors/students. Group ticket prices also are available.

 

Go to www.grsa.netfor tickets/information or call (616)710-1765 for “will call” tickets.

 

Update: Change of venue/times for Christy Paganelli memorial ballgames

City of Wyoming, Health, Recreation, Sports, , ,

 

Jake Paganelli (at bat), like his brother before him, will be playing in a game that is very personal for the family. (Supplied)

 

Wyoming’s Christy Paganelli ballgames remember past, eye a better future

 

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

This Friday, an annual baseball and softball game will held between Wyoming and Grandville high schools, the sixth to honor the person and the spirit of Christy Paganelli, who lost a courageous 18-month battle with melanoma.

 

Christy Paganelli

But the game, and its message, is really so much more — the theme is “Play for Melanoma” but, according to Christy’s widowered husband Dino, the event recognizes all cancer awareness and prevention, and is committed to making sure everyone is aware that melanoma skin cancer can happen to anyone and how to prevent it.

 

“The importance of this is to just honor lost love ones and those currently fighting a battle with cancer — any cancer — but it’s melanoma that I am really aware of, and I want young people to be aware of the significance of prevention,” Paganelli said in an interview with WKTV. “I am really scared for this generation.”

 

The two games are scheduled for May 5 at Wyoming High School’s baseball and softball fields, with both games starting at 6 p.m.

 

The players will be wearing special “sponsored” jerseys in honor or in memory of someone. As a player is announced at the beginning of the game, that person’s story will be told.

 

The players will have special sponsored jerseys, each with a story to tell. (Supplied)

“Each player has a personal connection,” Paganelli said, who saw the connection firsthand with his and Christy’s sons, who play for Grandville. “Brady played in it last year and he was really humbled by the experience, to see the leadership their mom had and showed. And now Jake is on varsity and I know he will be humbled by it.”

 

Between innings, an American Cancer Society spokesperson will be reading facts on melanoma so everyone can be aware of the dangers of skin cancer and what the risk factors are. There will also be printed information available for attendees  to take with them.

 

“She (Christy) was really reserved, she would not really like all the hype” of the games, Paganelli said. “But she would have been in favor of getting the information out there. It is a community event that I am always amazed at, the stories you hear from the sponsors, and it always takes me back.”

 

All proceeds from this game go to melanoma education and research, as well as student awareness at Wyoming high. Separately funded, the Christy Paganelli Scholarship Fund at Aquinas College, where Christy attended and played softball, funds one or two student scholarships each year.

 

“Wyoming is a very special and caring community and we are thrilled to have everyone rally around this very personal cause.” Susan Brogger,  Community Manager of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Lakeshore Division and the American Cancer Society, said in a supplied statement.

 

Wyoming high continues tradition

 

The very special cause, and sometimes very personal cause, is not lost on the student athletes either, according to the two Wyoming coaches, softball coach Troy Mast and baseball coach Shawn Veenstra.

 

A banner donated by Grandville High School for the 2016 event with Christy’s daughter Katelyn, 10, shown. (Supplied)

“I believe the event is special for our athletes as they know the event is for a great cause and they get to represent more than just themselves and their school,” said Veenstra, who with Mast has coached the games for four years, since Wyoming Park and Rogers high schools merged. Before that Rogers hosted the games.

 

“They know they are playing, not only for cancer awareness, but also for the sponsor on their jersey,” Veenstra said. “A lot of times the kids are playing in honor of a family member or family friend who either has passed away or survived cancer.”

 

Christy Paganelli, from her high school playing days. (Supplied)

Christy Paganelli played multiple sports at Rogers in the late 1980s, and went on to Aquinas College. Christy and Dino Paganelli’s three children are students at Grandville.

 

Dino’s father, Carl Paganelli, who has recently had a recurrence of a cancer, will be the honorary home-team captain of the baseball team. The honorary home captain for the softball, Terrance Sommerdyke, is a melanoma survivor, Paganelli said.

 

Carl Paganelli is a long-time Wyoming resident and patriarch of a family that includes three sons who officiate in the NFL, including Dino.