Tag Archives: MHSAA Basketball

Tri-unity Christian avenges early loss, sends Coach Keeler out on top with yet another state title

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, WKTV Featured sports, , , ,
  • The Tri-unity boys basketball team poses right after winning another Division 4 state championship. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler accepts the Division 4 state title boys basketball trophy from MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity’s Keaton Blanker lays one in during his team’s Division 4 state title win at MSU. Blanker led with 12 points. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity senior Noah Silverton on defense during his team’s Division 4 state title win. Silverton scored 11 points. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity fans cheer on their Division 4 state champs at the Breslin Center. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity’s Joey Mellon scored nine points in the championship game. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Joey Mellon had nine points and eight rebounds while nursing a knee injury in the championship game. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Clayton Rowlader hits a three during the championship game at MSU. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity’s Keaton Blanker quickly takes the ball down court during the title game at MSU. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity boys basketball team celebrates Division 4 state championship at school. (Photo Courtesy, Katlyn Keeler)



By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



As the clock struck zero on his remarkable 38-year career coaching at Tri-unity Christian, Mark Keeler could finally let it all soak in at the Michigan State University Breslin Center Saturday as his Defenders captured back-to-back state championships for the first time in school history with a 49-32 win over Fowler. 

Coach Keeler already has the court at Tri-unity named in his honor, but he stamped his legacy on the court at the Breslin Center. He concludes his career with a 20-10 record at the home of the Michigan State University Spartans.

“It’s surreal,” said Keeler, who’ll retire as one of Michigan’s most decorated high school basketball coaches. “I was really happy with the way they played.

“I was blessed by the Lord; nobody will convince me otherwise. For me, as a coach, we try to reflect Jesus in what we do. We are humans, so sometimes we lose it and don’t do the right things, but that doesn’t mean you don’t stop working at it; that’s the key: don’t quit.”


Keeler cemented at third statewide on all-time wins list
Keeler concludes his career with a 721-218 record, placing him third on the all-time wins list. Additionally, he will finish with 13 appearances in the state finals, which ranks him second all-time, behind the legendary River Rouge Coach Lofton Greene, who holds the record with 17 appearances. Keeler retires with seven state championships. 



Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler accepts the Division 4 state title boys basketball trophy from MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



Defense has been the calling card for a Keeler-led team since the start, and it’s the type of play that led Tri-unity back to the state finals for the fifth consecutive time. The Defenders allowed only 39.4 points per game on their way to a 27-2 record this season.

“This is the best defensive team I’ve ever coached,” Keeler said.

 The matchup against Fowler was a rematch of Tri-unity’s second game of the season on December 3, ending with a 62-59 Fowler win.

 

A strong 11-0 start

Tri-unity started strong, quickly jumping out to an 11-0 lead. It took Fowler until 3:27 remaining in the first quarter to score their first points of the game off a Jacob Halfmann trey. The Defenders rebounded well and limited the shots from the Eagles, but took only a five-point lead into the second quarter as the Eagles held firm on the defensive side and added another three-point shot by Aaron Simon to end the first at 11-6.

“I don’t think teams are ready for our defense at the beginning of games,” Keeler said. 

Tri-unity answered back swiftly with a 13-0 run to start the second frame. 



Tri-unity’s Keaton Blanker quickly takes the ball down court during the title game at MSU. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



Keaton Blanker led the way with 12 points

Senior captain Keaton Blanker led the charge in that second quarter and for the game leading all scorers with 12 points, while adding five rebounds, five assists and four steals in the final game of a career that ended with three state championships. 

“Our biggest emphasis was playing 32 minutes,” Blanker said. “We don’t stop fighting until that final buzzer, and we did that. I’m just so happy for all us players.”

Up by 18 in the second quarter

The Defenders led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter before Fowler scored seven unanswered points including their first ones in the paint with 2:05 remaining in the half. 

Blanker ended the half with two free throws, giving Tri-unity a 28-16 halftime lead.

If the Defenders had a weakness on the season, it was the third quarter. In the regional final game against Kalamazoo Phoenix, Tri-unity fumbled an 18-point lead.
 

“We’ve had letups in the past, and it almost cost us against Kalamazoo Phoenix,” Keeler said. “Having those games helped us. I can point it out when we let up on defense and let them back in the game. But we didn’t let up and we played great defense all the way through.”

Fowler begins closing gap near the end

Fowler closed the gap to within nine points with 3:07 left in the game, but the Defenders managed to slow down the pace. With two minutes remaining, junior guard Clayton Rowlader made a three-pointer to extend their lead to 12. Thirty seconds later, Rowlader hit another three to seal the victory, allowing Keeler to let out a sigh of relief.

Fowler finished 5-26 from beyond the arc in a challenging shooting game, scoring only 16 points from the paint while shooting 27.7 percent from the field. 

Senior center Joey Mellon had nine points and eight rebounds all while nursing a knee injury.

“I can’t say enough good things about that young man (Mellon); him and Keaton have been phenomenal leaders,” Keeler said. “I give them all the credit as captains. I had great senior leadership and when you have good senior leadership good things happen.”

Senior Noah Silverton added 11 points in his final game.

“What a great group of boys to coach my last year, they were very coachable, they were a great group.” 

It all began in 1983 for Keeler

Keeler’s coaching career at Tri-unity began during the 1983-1984 season, when the program started with an eighth and ninth-grade team. Coach Keeler became a varsity coach for the first time during 1985-1986 season. 

“That first year we got drilled a few times,” Keeler said with a laugh. 

He took a two year break before returning to Tri-unity for the 1991 season and has led the program since. 

Tri-unity Athletic Director Evan Przybysz had a front-row seat to many of Keeler’s years at Tri-unity. First, he was a water boy, then, a player winning a state championship, and finally, he worked side-by-side with Coach Keeler, first as an assistant coach and then as athletic director. 

“Coach Keeler cared more about your spiritual journey…”

“He’s instilled a culture through the school where so many kids wanted to play basketball for him,” Przybysz said. “He would teach the game of basketball and implement his systems that have been so successful for many years, but ultimately, Coach Keeler cared more about your spiritual journey than your basketball journey.


“He wanted to make sure your relationship was right with the Lord, and that was his number one priority. Basketball gave him that ability and platform to pour into young men and help instill that foundation that when they left Tri-unity, they would become better husbands and fathers one day.”

After a legendary career, Coach Keeler is now ready to embrace retirement. He looks forward to cherishing precious moments with his wife, Cheryl. 

“Now that we are retired, she’s stuck with me,” Keeler said. “We spend a lot of time together. I love it, we have a blast.”

Tri-unity Christian boys outlast Kalamazoo Phoenix for 20th regional title Friday

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Tri-unity wins 20th regional title Friday night. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


Tri-Unity Christian was pushed to the limit, but ultimately secured its 20th regional title with a 62-52 home-court win over Kalamazoo Phoenix Thursday night.

With a comfortable 35-17 lead at halftime, the Defenders hoped to cruise to an easy victory, but had to fend off a Kalamazoo Phoenix team that erased an 18-point deficit. 

“There was no quit in them (Kalamazoo Phoenix),” said Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler. “We were up comfortably at halftime, and they came all the way back; they fought back, but then they ran out of gas. That will happen when you need to expend that much energy.”

Falcons get close with 22 in the third

The Falcons used a 22-point third quarter to cut the Tri-unity lead to one early in the fourth. Kalamazoo Phoenix was only down six with 3:30 left before the Defenders finally put them away. 

“We didn’t shoot well so we had to win ugly,” Keeler explained. “We were 1-for-15 from the free point line and had 15 turnovers, but we responded by being more patient with our plays.”


  • Six-foot-seven senior center Joey Mellon led the Defenders with 18 points, adding six rebounds. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity sophomore Cody Osbun had 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity wins 20th regional title in school history. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity wins 20th regional title in school history. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)




Six-foot-seven senior center Joey Mellon paced the Defenders with 18 points, adding six rebounds. Sophomore Cody Osbun made his presence known with 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Tri-unity advances to its sixth consecutive quarterfinal game, a matchup with Adrian Lenawee Christian at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, at Gull Lake High School.

The two teams meet for the second time this season. Tri-unity notched a 58-44 win over them in the Schoolcraft Champions Classic on January 4, the beginning of a 19-game winning streak for the Defenders. 

“We’ve met up with them a few times over the years,” Keeler said. “We played a great game against them right after the holiday. They were missing a few players so we expect an even closer game this time; they are a great shooting team.”

Young East Kentwood team secures district title with win over Caledonia Friday

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , ,
East Kentwood poses with a district trophy. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


With seven sophomores and a freshman on the roster, the East Kentwood girls basketball team has a bright future. That future, however, is actually now as the young Falcons collected a major trophy when they defeated Caledonia 44-40 Friday to win the Division 1 district championship at Byron Center High School.

With the win, the Falcons improved to 13-12 for the season. East Kentwood advances to a regional semifinal game against Forest Hills Northern (22-2) at 7 p.m. Monday at Grandville High School.

Grit and hustle proved key for East Kentwood, and those elements were displayed on defense and the boards where the Falcons scored a number of points off offensive rebounds. They also displayed plenty of poise down the stretch as they connected on some key free throws in the final minutes.

“I think it was our grit that got us over the top,” said East Kentwood Coach Eric Large. “Our sophomores, Logan Richardson and Jazanaye Silva, and we have a freshman, Nevaeh Eubanks, they are so scrappy and gritty that I knew that we could dominate the boards.”



East Kentwood’s Jazanaye Silva secures a rebound in between a pair of Caledonia defenders.
(WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


East Kentwood led 20-17 at the half

Eubanks and Silva came up big on the offensive glass late in the opening half as the Falcons scored some key buckets derived from offensive rebounds to take a 20-17 lead into halftime.

The Falcons kept up the strong work on the offensive boards in the opening minutes of the second half as buckets off rebounds by Sophie Cobb, Jaslynn Ward and Silva enabled the Falcons to open up a 26-21 lead.



East Kentwood’s Sophie Cobb looks for an open teammate during Friday’s district game. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)

Their lead grew to 29-21 later in the quarter before Caledonia trimmed it to 31-26 at the end of the third after a three ball by Myla Gortmaker and a bucket by Emily Stauffer.

East Kentwood extended the lead to 36-29 midway through the final quarter highlighted by a pair of buckets by Ward.

Caledonia, however, continued to battle back. The Fighting Scots cut the Falcon advantage to 36-34 with 2:29 remaining in the game when Olivia Foster drained a three ball.

Kentwood rebuilt the lead on a bucket by Richardson and then an offensive rebound putback by Silva gave the Falcons a 40-34 advantage with 1:04 left.

Caledonia refused to fold as Sauffer and Foster nailed treys in the final minute of the game. The Falcons, however, were able to stave the Fighting Scots off as sophomore guard Aries Branch connected on four of six free-throw attempts in the final 30 seconds of the game to secure the win.

“This is special because I have so many sophomores playing,” Large said. “My seniors have been hurt all year and I just got Ward back two weeks ago.”

Ward, who has been a consistent source of offense for the Falcons this season, finished the game with a team-high 14 points. Silva and Sophie Cobb both added nine points, followed by Branch with six.

“That’s good for them to get a trophy,” Large said. “We are so young with the sophomores and its good for the seniors to be able to advance and get some hardware. It’s good for the younger kids to understand what winning looks like.”

Playing a rugged schedule both in the conference and in non-league play also helped the young Falcons reach a point where they can bring home a district trophy. Along with playing state-ranked teams Rockford, Grand Haven and Hudsonville two times each during the conference schedule, the Falcons played non-league games against state-ranked teams like Belleville (23-1), South Christian (22-2) and Grand Rapids West Catholic (20-3).

“I schedule a rigorous schedule,” Large explained. “I think Rockford had the number one strength of schedule and we were number two. A lot of the losses that we took were against top ten teams. People look at our record and go ahhh, we can beat them, but no, we are coming to play hard basketball.”

Caledonia finished the season with an 18-6 record. Like the Falcons, the Fighting Scots have a young team with six freshmen and three sophomores on the roster. Two of the freshmen, Emily Stauffer and Olivia Foster, led the team in scoring against the Falcons as Stauffer had 14 points and Foster added 11. Gortmaker, also a freshman, added five points.

East Kentwood, South Christian, Zion Christian girls basketball teams take district titles Friday

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , , ,
(Photo Courtesy, pxhere.com)



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org


The East Kentwood, South Christian and Zion Christian girls basketball teams all won their respective district championship games on Friday and advance to the regional semifinals.


In a Division 1 final at Byron Center, East Kentwood beat Caledonia 44-40 to advance to regional play. The Falcons (13-12 overall) face Forest Hills Northern (22-2 overall and OK White champions) at 7 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Grandville High School.


In Division 2, South Christian defeated Holland Christian 59-50 for its district title. The Sailors (22-2 and top of the OK Gold) will play Paw Paw (20-4) at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, at South Christian.


Meanwhile, Zion Christian won a Division 4 district championship Friday with a 33-28 win over local rival Tri-unity Christian. The Mountaineers (18-6) face St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran (10-14) at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Martin High School.


Catholic Central edges South Christian in regional basketball thriller Tuesday

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, WKTV Featured sports, , , ,
Carson Vis (11) led South Christian with 19 points in the regional semifinal against Catholic Central. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



A scoring drought at the worst possible time proved to be the difference for the South Christian boys basketball team as the Sailors dropped a 47-44 decision to Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the semifinals of a Division 2 regional Tuesday at Grand Rapids Christian.

In a game that was close throughout, the Sailors were unable to buy a bucket in the final two minutes and 30 seconds of the struggle between the perennial Division 2 powerhouses.

“This game won’t define us”

“It was a great game,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “I thought it was two really, really physical tough teams. Give them (Catholic Central) a lot of credit. They made one more shot than we did and it ended up being the difference.

“This game won’t define us. It won’t define the season that we had. We won 20 games, the conference championship, a district championship, we beat some really, really good teams along the way. I’m really proud of my guys the way they kept fighting when the ball wasn’t going in for us.”   

The fourth quarter looked promising for South Christian in the early going. The Sailors, who were up 32-31 at the beginning of the quarter, built the lead to 38-33 with five minutes remaining in the contest. South Christian senior standout Carson Vis led the Sailors in the early minutes of the final quarter as he pumped in six points during a 6-2 run.

Cougars post 8-0 run in the fourth

Catholic Central, however, responded in a big way led by junior Izaya Lathridge. The Cougars responded with an 8-0 run as Lathridge scored a bucket and then came back to drain a three-point shot that tied the game at 38-38 with 4:20 remaining in the game. Lathridge then struck again from long range as his three-pointer at the 3:19 mark found the bottom of the net and staked the Cougars to a 41-38 lead.

“The guys did a tremendous job,” said Catholic Central Coach Chris Pearl. “We were locked in as we knew they beat us by double digits January 28. The way our guys have fought, the ways these guys bonded together. Our effort, our fight, our togetherness is second to none.” 

That trey ignited a run of threes by both teams. South Christian responded with a three of its own as Caleb Pleune sank a triple tying the game at 41-41 with 3:04 remaining.

Catholic then came back with a three ball from Jordan McCoy with 2:42 remaining that put the Cougars up 44-41. On South’s ensuing possession Davis Kemper rained in a trey to tie the game at 44-44 with 2:29 remaining.



South Christian’s Davis Kemper (35) looks for an open teammate. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



For the Sailors, those points would prove to be the final points they would score in the contest as the basket seemed to have a lid on it for the remainder of the game.

Catholic Central took the lead for good with 1:17 remaining in the game when McCoy drove baseline and scored what proved to be the game-winning points.

South missed a three-pointer on its next possession and with 30 seconds left the Sailors were denied again after turning Catholic Central over on defense and coming up empty on the offensive end.

After McCoy split a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining in the game, South had one final opportunity, but the Sailors missed a pair of free throws and a three-point attempt at the buzzer.

“The ball wasn’t falling for us tonight”

“The ball wasn’t falling for us tonight,” Johnson said. “We obviously didn’t play our best. Man, we missed a lot of layups, a lot of free throws. In a three-point game you can’t do that at this stage.”

Both teams experienced difficulties at the free-throw line in the tense game as South Christian finished the game converting six-of-13 free throws, while Catholic Central converted just two-of-six.

Catholic Central, which improved to 19-7 with the win, led the game 9-8 at the end of the first quarter. South Christian, which ended the season with a 20-5 record, surged ahead in the second quarter and led 24-19 at halftime before the lead was whittled down to 32-31 heading into the final quarter.



South Christian’s Nolan Fackler (13) looks to inbound the ball against Catholic Central. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



Lathridge led Catholic Central with 14 points, including four treys. Collin Lott added 11 points, followed by Jordan McCoy and Jack Bowen with nine apiece.

Catholic Central drains 7 threes

For the game, the Cougars connected on seven three-point shots.

“Every day, these guys are in the gym,” Pearl said. “Whether its before school, after school, before practice or after practice. If you looked at our season shooting, it’s not the best. We average about five threes a game on 20ish attempts, but if you trust it, you have confidence, and that’s the biggest thing in shooting. It’s not the way you start, it’s the way you finish it.”

Vis led the way for South Christian with 19 points, followed by Ike Schrotenboer, 12 and Davis Kemper, five.

For the Sailors, the loss meant the end of the high school careers for a memorable eight-man senior class that included Vis, Schrotenboer, Kemper, Pleune, Fackler, Charlie DeHaan, Ty Brinks and Wyatt Sall.

“This class was really special,” Johnson said. “Eight seniors that I felt were all in, all year. They gave us a lot of stuff to be proud of. I’m really, really proud of them. I think some of the guys left their legacy and they will be remembered forever.


“This game can’t define us who we are as people, we just have to continue to be strong in our faith and just think about all the positives in life.”  

MHSAA Girls Basketball Tournament

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan,
(Courtesy, pxhere.com)



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org


Division 1, District 8 at East Kentwood

First Round:
Ottawa Hills/East Kentwood 6 p.m. Monday, March 3
District Semifinal:
Winner faces Wyoming 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5

Division 2, District 44 at Kelloggsville

First Round:
Aviation Academy/Kelloggsville 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 3
Winner faces Catholic Central in Semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5
Godwin Heights/Grand River Prep 7 p.m. Monday, March 3
Winner faces Grand Rapids Christian in Semifinal at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5

Division 4, District 113 at Zion Christian

District Semifinal at Zion Christian:
Tri-unity Christian/Sacred Heart 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5
Muskegon Catholic Central/Zion Christian 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5
District Final at Zion Christian:
7 p.m. Friday, March 7

Tri-unity boys advance to basketball regionals; more game photos inside!

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , ,
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Boys Basketball District Championship 2025. (Photos Courtesy, Becky Rillema)


By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org


The Tri-unity Christian boys basketball team advanced to the regionals with a district final win Friday night, beating Zion Christian 66-35 to claim yet another district title for legendary Coach Mark Keeler.

This time, however, Tri-unity had to play without Coach Keeler, who was out due to illness. Assistant Coach Brent Voorhees guided the team to victory.

“Last week showed the maturity of our senior group,” Voorhees said. “With our head coach being out with sickness, our seniors stepped up from a leadership standpoint and made sure we came out focused. Our game plan on Friday was to bring intensity on defense, aggressiveness on offense, and get great energy from our bench. We accomplished all three things and the boys played well.


“Seniors Keaton Blanker and Noah Silverton led the way offensively with 17 each. Both were able to get penetration and finish through contact, and we got some early production from senior captain Joey Mellon as well. Joey had to come out late in the first quarter with foul trouble, and sophomore Cody Osbun picked up the slack on the defensive end in Joey’s absence.  We also had a huge dunk from senior Joseph Peters in the first quarter that gave our team a lot of energy to jump out to an early lead.”


Mellon added eight points and Osbun had 10 rebounds.


The Defenders host Bellevue on Tuesday, March 4, at 5:30 p.m. in a Division 4 regional semifinal.



South Christian boys advance in basketball playoffs; check out our WKTV highlight reel!

Citizen Journalism, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , ,



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org



South Christian knocked off visiting Grand Rapids Christian 73-50 last Friday to win another Division 2 district championship.



The Sailors face Grand Rapids Catholic Central at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, in their regional semifinal at Grand Rapids Christian.



South Christian boys basketball District Championship team 2025. (Courtesy, David Kool)




Check this out! Our latest WKTV Friday Night Highlights: FEB. 27

Local Sports, Sports, , ,



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org


Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

East Kentwood overcomes slow start to outlast Wyoming in district basketball semifinal

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , ,
East Kentwood’s Randy Chapman led with 26 points. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)




By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



It took a quarter for the young East Kentwood basketball team to get acclimated to the state tournament, but once the youthful Falcons got up to speed, they flew off with a 60-43 win against Wyoming in the semifinals of the Division 1 district tournament at Wyoming.


The win sets up a district final between East Kentwood and Byron Center at 7 p.m. Friday at Wyoming.

Few varsity teams in the area are as young as East Kentwood, as the Falcons start four sophomores and a junior. They also bring three to four more sophomores off the bench in their typical rotation. 

“We started off pretty slow, but that is to be expected as this team is pretty much all sophomores and this was their first district basketball appearance,” said East Kentwood Coach Michael Thomas. “The crowd was large and very loud and I think that surprised our guys a little. It forced us into some turnovers and unusual plays, but by the second quarter the guys became used to it.”

The opening quarter was a tight, defensive struggle with East Kentwood leading 12-9 after eight minutes.

East Kentwood took control of the contest in the second quarter. The Falcons offense began to heat up behind the offensive skills of junior Randy Chapman, who led all scorers with 26 points. The Falcons outscored Wyoming 19-8 during the second quarter and Chapman led the way with 13 of Kentwood’s 19 points during the second stanza.

“RJ just kind of took over,” Thomas said. “He really went to work in the second quarter. He is our one guy that has that state tournament experience as he has played in two district championship games before and it showed.”

The big second quarter by Chapman helped the Falcons take a 31-17 lead into halftime. 

Wolves pick up pace in third

Wyoming picked up the pace on the offensive end of the floor during the third quarter. The Wolves scored 16 points during the third led by Warren Williams, who scored seven that quarter, and Avonte’ Wiggins and Taeshon Wilson both added four.

East Kentwood also scored 16 points during the quarter as the Falcons took a 47-33 lead into the final quarter.

Along with the offensive exploits from Chapman, the Falcons received strong play along the front line from 6-foot-9 sophomore Drew Kenyi.


East Kentwood’s Drew Kenyi. (Greg Chrapek, WKTV)



“Andrew played really well,” Thomas said. “He finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds. He was huge for us and scored on a lot of putbacks. He finished well around the basket.”

The Falcons also received a solid game up front from 6-foot-5 sophomore Sammy Makung.

“Sammy scored six points for us and also had 10 rebounds,” Thomas said. “He really helped us out on the boards. Those two big fellas really came up huge for us. They did a really good job of helping limit Wyoming to one shot (per possession).”

East Kentwood tightened the defense during the final quarter as the Falcons outscored Wyoming 13-10 to come away with the 60-43 win.

A big factor in the young East Kentwood team being able to adjust to the big stage of the state tournament was the difficult schedule during the season. The Falcons played just three teams with a non-winning record the entire season. East Kentwood also played six teams ranked in the top 15 in Division 1 of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Power Ratings. That included two games apiece against No. 3 Rockford and No. 7 Hudsonville in conference play.


In non-league play the Falcons played No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice, No. 6 Detroit U-of-D Jesuit, No. 9 Detroit Martin Luther King and No. 15 Port Huron Northern. The Falcons also played Saginaw United, who has a 17-5 record and Center Line at 16-6.

“I think what helped us was our strength of schedule,” Thomas said. “We played the No. 2 strongest schedule in the state. After Orchard Lake St. Mary, we were No. 2 in the entire state in strength of schedule, and we went 11-11 against that schedule. We were also competitive in those games. I’d say there was only one time that we got run out of the gym and the rest were pretty close games. To finish with an 11-11 record against that type of schedule starting four sophomores and a junior is impressive. I’m proud of these guys and how well they competed against some of the best teams in the state.”

With the win, East Kentwood improved to 12-11 for the season. Along with 26 points from Chapman and 14 from Kenyi, the Falcons received eight points from CJ Reynolds, six from Makung, three points from Major Barnes, two from Dau Dau and one point from Jeremiah Cook.


Wyoming’s Avonte’ Wiggins led the Wolves with 14 points. (Greg Chrapek, WKTV)

Wyoming finished the season with a 12-12 overall record. The Wolves were led in scoring by senior Avonte’ Wiggins who finished with 14 points. Senior Taeshon Wilson added 11 points followed by senior Warren Williams with seven points. Jack Hogan added three points while Elijah McGee, Brayden Williams and Brad Lewis added two points apiece with Qua’vari Palmer and Zy’erre Debose adding one point each. 

Tri-unity honors legendary Coach Mark Keeler in final home game last Friday

Citizen Journalism, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , ,
The current Tri-unity Christian team and some former players join together at Coach Mark Keeler’s final home game of his career. (Courtesy, Tri-unity Christian/Katlyn Keeler)



By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


As the final whistle blew last Friday at Tri-unity Christian’s home court, which bears the name of legendary Coach Mark Keeler, the gym was filled with former players and community members who honored him after an impressive 38-year career at the school. 

“It’s bittersweet, after doing this for 40 years it’s done,” said Keeler, who now has 714 career wins, third on the all-time MHSAA list. “It was a little overwhelming … it was so much fun seeing some former players come out, and I got many text messages from those that couldn’t make it.”



WKTV Friday Night Highlights host Ty Marzean interviews Coach Mark Keeler.



Tri-unity notched their 15th consecutive win on Senior Night with a 57-25 victory over Potter’s House. All eight of the Defenders seniors played significant minutes in their last regular season game in front of the home crowd.

Senior forward Noah Silverton led the team with 13 points, and 6-foot-7 center Joey Mellon filled the stat sheet with 10 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots. Hudson Ghent added nine points, while Keaton Blanker scored eight. 



Tri-unity Christian’s Joey Mellon. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



Seniors Tyler Laansma, Joseph Peters, Hezekiah Nobel, and Marcus Lokiden, as well as student manager Sean Gibbons, all contributed.

‘It was nice because we knew this was a game we could get everybody in,” Keeler explained. 

The Defenders maintained their strong defensive performance, leading 31-11 at halftime and allowing only 14 more points in the second half.

“Our goal was to keep them under 30,” Keeler said. “They all played defense really well. Sometimes late in those types of game the players tend to want to relax on defense, but they played well throughout. We have had some games this year where that wasn’t the case, but they have improved greatly this year.”



Tri-unity Christian’s Keaton Blanker. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)


With the regular season now complete, the Defenders can concentrate on defending their Division 4 state championship from last year. Tri-unity aims to compete in its fourth consecutive state finals game.

Tri-unity was due to play the winner of the Holland Calvary vs. Covert game, but Covert dropped out of the tournament.

“We still have a tournament to coach, the team is excited. We are going to get after it and hopefully we can play in that final game of the tournament,” Keeler said.



Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



Tri-unity (20-2) faces Holland Calvary (7-5) at Martin High School on Wednesday at 5:30 pm.

 The winner of that game will play the winner of Zion Christian vs. Martin on Friday night at Martin High School for the District 113 title. 

Keeler will now have to follow the advice he used to give his seniors about leaving it all out on the court.

“I would always tell the seniors, this is a whole lot more important to you because I’ll be coming back, you’re not. I can’t say that anymore.”



Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler chatting with a ref. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)

Check this out! Our latest WKTV Friday Night Highlights: FEB. 20

1-featured, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , , ,



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org


Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

Strong start key for South Christian in OK Gold showdown

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, WKTV Featured sports, , ,
Carson Vis led the way for South Christian with 28 points. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



A fast start proved to be the difference for the South Christian boys basketball team in its showdown with Northview as a big first quarter propelled the Sailors to a 73-68 win in a clash of the top two teams in the OK Gold.

Northview entered the game with a perfect conference record and needed a win to wrap up the conference title. The Wildcats were in position to win the Gold outright after defeating South Christian earlier thanks to a last-second buzzer beater. Not only are the two teams the front runners in the conference, but both squads entered the game ranked in the state with Northview coming in at 17th in Division 1 in the latest MHSAA power rankings, while South Christian entered the game ranked eighth in Division 2.

Playing on its home floor, South Christian wasted little time in getting its home fans fired up as it jumped out to an 18-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

“We had a great start which was huge for us,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “We hit some shots early and got a lot of momentum going and we were able to get the crowd into it.”

Vis sinks 11 points in first quarter, including 3 treys

Senior standout Carson Vis was a big part of South Christian’s fast start. Vis totaled 11 points in the opening quarter, including draining three treys.

“Carson had a huge first quarter for us,” Johnson said. “He hit some big shots for us. Ike Schrotenboer also had a big first quarter as he made some big layups for us.”

Northview clawed back into the game during the second quarter as the Wildcats trimmed the South Christian lead to 37-33 by halftime.

Foul trouble played a role in Northview cutting into the Sailor lead. While the Sailors had some players in foul trouble, several players came into the game and provided some quality minutes. One of those players was sophomore Austin Burgess.

“Austin came off the bench and hit some big shots for us,” Johnson said. “Ike Schrotenboer also continued to play really well for us inside. He finished the game with 13 points and all of those points came in the first half.”



South Christian center Ike Schrotenboer totaled 13 points and seven rebounds against Northview. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



South opened up some breathing room during the second half as the Sailors built a 56-47 lead to end the third quarter.

Northview made a final push during the final quarter as foul trouble continued to hamper the Sailors. South, however, was able to hold off the Wildcats and claim the victory.

“We had some turnovers and we continued to battle foul trouble in the fourth quarter,” Johnson said. “I’m proud of the way the kids battled and hung in there. We had some big rebounds and played some good defense in the fourth quarter.


“We also hit some key free throws at the end. We had a great crowd and it was a great high school basketball game. I’m really proud of our guys.”

Vis led the Sailors with 28 points, while Schrotenboer turned in 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Burgess added 13 points and Davis Kemper totaled 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.



Davis Kemper tallied 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)

South Christian going for share of OK Gold Friday

The Sailors improved to 10-1 in the conference, while Northview finished conference play at 11-1. South Christian has a chance to clinch a share of the league title when it hosts Wayland on Senior Night Friday.

“Wayland is going to be ready to play,” Johnson said. “We have to be focused and come out ready to play. It will definitely be special to win the conference. For us, it’s always a goal to win the conference, but we are going to have to come out with a lot of clarity and be ready to play.”

Overall, South Christian improved to 17-4 for the season. After starting with a 1-3 record, the Sailors have won 16 of their last 17 games.

“We’ve played a tough schedule,” Johnson said. “I’ve seen a lot of growth in this team during the season and the guys play with a lot of grit. They have continued to get better and better throughout the season.”

After wrapping up the regular season Friday, the Sailors and the rest of the teams in the state begin the state tournament next week.

South Christian is hosting a Division 2 regional next week. The Sailors have a bye in the first round and open district action by playing the winner of the Kelloggsville/West Michigan Aviation Academy game in a semifinal next Wednesday.    

Tri-unity extends hot streak, 13 in a row, clinches another league title in Coach Keeler’s last season

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , ,
Tri-unity beat Aviation Academy 60-30 Friday to clinch yet another league title. (WKTV Friday Night Highlights/2-14-25/Jaylah Lewis)



By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



As the boys basketball regular season nears the end, the Tri-unity Defenders are in the midst of an impressive 13-game winning streak after a pair of wins Friday and Saturday. 

The Defenders secured their 23rd conference championship under longtime Coach Mark Keeler with a 60-30 victory over West Michigan Aviation Academy Friday, winning the Alliance League for the first time since 2022. 

“I can’t tell you how much fun I’m having with this being my last year and with this group of young men,” said Keeler, who has earned six state championships, six state runner-up trophies, 15 Final Four appearances, 19 regional titles, 26 district titles and 23 conference championships. “They are so coachable. I’ve been very proud of the maturity level of the team this year. They have done a great job keeping their focus during the season.”



Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler and wife Cheryl after getting his 700th win. He now has 712 wins, which puts him at third place in the MHSAA state record book. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



The Defenders are led by senior captains Joey Mellon and Keaton Blanker, who both played key roles on last year’s State championship team.


“Joey and Keaton are my leaders,” Keeler said. “They were a part of the 8-man rotation I had last year. They really have bought in this year and are great team guys. Senior leadership has a lot to do with how far your team can advance.”




Tri-unity senior captains Joey Mellon (pictured) and Keaton Blanker have led the Defenders this season. Mellon had 25 points and 12 rebounds in a Saturday win over Beal City. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



Tri-unity used great defense and rebounding to claim a 32-7 advantage after the first half on Friday night.

“When you play defense like that it allows you to build a lead,” Keeler explained. “I stress to them how important it is to put their identity in something and they have done a phenomenal job on defense this year.”

The Defenders have lived up to their name as they have allowed only 39 points per game during their 13-game winning streak.

“I don’t think we could play any better defense than what we did on Friday,” Keeler said. “We have been able to do that against some of the teams we’ve played. We also look at rebounding, we did a great job with offensive rebounds. Everyone wants to shoot the three in today’s game. We want to hurry them so it’s a lower percentage shot and rebound well.”



Tri-unity senior captains Keaton Blanker (pictured) and Joey Mellon have led the Defenders this year. Blanker had 25 points and 12 rebounds in a Saturday win over Beal City. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
Tri-unity senior captains Keaton Blanker (pictured) and Joey Mellon have led the Defenders this year. Blanker had 12 points, six assists and four steals in a Saturday win over Beal City. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



Mellon and Blanker are not the only seniors making plays for the Defenders. Senior forwards Noah Silverton and Marcus Lokiden have played meaningful minutes at a high level for Keeler’s crew. 

Silverton scored 13 points against Aviation Academy, while Lokiden added 10 points and three steals. 

“Noah is really helping us this year, and Marcus sparks us, he plays much taller than he is and is a great shooter.”



Tri-unity’s Noah Silverton. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)

Tri-unity’s Marcus Lokiden. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



Tri-unity also participated in the Alliance Invite at Kuyper College, where they faced Beal City, ranked No.12 in Division 4.

Joey Mellon was the standout performer for the team, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in their 62-42 victory over Beal City. Keaton Blanker also had a strong game, contributing 12 points, six assists, and four steals. Noah Silverton added 10 points and four steals.

Tri-unity concludes the regular season with an away game against Muskegon West Michigan Christian on Tuesday night, and returns home for Senior Night Friday against Alliance League rival Potter’s House, marking the final home game of Coach Keeler’s career.

“I think there will be some emotion for this old ball coach, I can’t say enough for this community, it’s been a joy to be a part of it.”

JUST IN! WKTV Friday Night Highlights Basketball: FEB. 13

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



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org


Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

Godwin Heights turns back Calvin Christian 39-34 Friday in defensive struggle; earns sole possession of second place

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , , , ,
Godwin Heights junior Isaiah Guyton (35) scored some key points along with playing strong defense in the game against Calvin Christian. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



Defense was the name of the game when Godwin Heights traveled to Grandville Calvin Christian for a key OK Silver clash Friday evening. In the end, the visiting Wolverines came up with the key defensive plays and just enough offense to secure a 39-34 win in a struggle that came down to the final seconds.

The win was a huge victory for Godwin Heights as it gave the Wolverines sole possession of second place in the conference and keeps them a half game behind league-leading Fruitport.

“Our pre-game talk was we have to hang our hats on the defensive side of the basketball,” said Godwin Heights Coach Bernard Varnesdeel. “That’s what we build off of and that’s what we are working for. Down the stretch that was the last message, we said we have to win on defense. Very proud of the effort coming back on the road to get a tough conference win.”

The contest was a defensive struggle from the opening tip. The host Squires took the early lead in the game and were up 11-8 at the end of the first quarter.

The Calvin Christian defense was especially stingy for an almost eight-minute stretch of the first and second quarters when it held Godwin Heights without a point. After a three-point bucket by Godwin’s David Rodriguez with just over three minutes to play in the first quarter, the Wolverines did not score again until Isaiah Guyton connected on a bucket at the 3:34 mark of the second quarter.

Calvin Christian led 17-12 at halftime

While the Wolverines had a lid on their basket, the Godwin defense picked up the slack and allowed Calvin just five points over the same eight-minutes stretch as the bucket by Guyton cut Calvin’s lead to 14-10. The two teams combined for just five points the rest of the first half as Calvin led 17-12 at halftime.

Wolverines score 13 points in the third

In the second half, the Godwin Heights offense began to cook in the third quarter. The Wolverines doubled their offensive output of the entire first half as they scored 13 points during the third quarter. Trailing 19-18 midway through the third quarter, the Wolverines took a lead for the first time in the game when Jaden Farmer drained a trey putting Godwin up 21-19. Farmer closed out the third quarter for the Wolverines by adding a three-point play the old-fashioned way as he scored on a drive to the bucket, drew a foul and tacked on the free throw giving Godwin a 25-21 lead heading into the final quarter.


Godwin Heights guard Jaden Farmer (2) led the Wolverines with nine points. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



“Before halftime, we were one for our last 26 from beyond the three-point line,” Varnesdeel said, “so we made a couple of them in the second half. We also made a couple of jump shots which were huge for us. I told the guys at halftime, keep taking them with confidence. We are going to get one or two of them sooner or later. Take them with confidence and be ready to knock them down. We had to get a big win.”

For Farmer and his teammates, the game meant a lot since Calvin Christian defeated the Wolverines 50-35 at Godwin in the first meeting between the two league rivals in early January.

“We just wanted to execute our plays,” Farmer said. “That was our main point as they beat us last time. We wanted to get back so we needed to play defense really well and execute.”

The game tightened up even more during the fourth quarter. Calvin Christian tied the game at 30-30 midway through the final quarter when Grant Morren came up with a four-point play. Morren drained a three and was fouled on the shot and then added the free-throw to eliminate what was a four-point Godwin lead.

Godwin gained the lead for good with 3:41 remaining in the game when Guyton scored a bucket in the paint putting the Wolverines up 34-32.

Up 35-34 with under two minutes left in the game, the Godwin defense again stepped up as the Wolverines kept the Squires off the scoreboard the remainder of the game.

“We work a lot on defense in practice,” Farmer said. “We watch a lot of film and work on executing on defense.”    

Godwin put the game on ice with four free throws in the final two minutes of the game, including a pair of free throws by Justin Chan with one second remaining on the clock.


Godwin Heights Justin Chan (12) sealed the win against Calvin Christian with a pair of free throws with one second remaining in the game. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



Godwin Heights parlayed balanced scoring in the defensive struggle with Farmer leading the offense with nine points. Chan and Lonnie Sanders added seven points apiece, Dere’on Brown added six pints, Guyton five points, Rodriguez four points and Zxavier Guzman three points.

Morren led Calvin Christian with 15 points, while Will Orme added eight.

Godwin Heights improved to 7-2 in the conference, 10-7 overall. The Wolverines host league-rival Belding in a makeup game on Monday and then travel to Fruitport on Tuesday to play the Trojans who are 8-2 in the league.

“We control our own destiny,” Varnesdeel said. “Fruitport is one game ahead, but we have to go to Fruitport. They beat us at home so we get a chance to at least tie with them. If we win out in the conference it will put us in a position to tie for the conference or win it out.” 

JUST IN! WKTV Friday Night Highlights Basketball: FEB. 6

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



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org


Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

South Christian defense amps up the pressure in win over Thornapple Kellogg in WKTV Game of the Week Tuesday

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South Christian junior guard Sophia Prins led the Sailors with a game-high 23 points in the win against Thornapple Kellogg. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



Heading into Tuesday’s OK Gold game against Thornapple Kellogg, South Christian girls basketball Coach Erika Brown was looking for her team to take things up another level on the defensive end. The Sailors ended up doing that and more as South turned in a defensive gem in beating TK 55-25.

“There’s been things that we’ve been specifically working on in practice and we really wanted to put it into the game and see how we could adjust and make those adjustments,” Brown said. “We just need to clean up our defense and slides and positioning and some of our schemes on defense. Just really getting after knowing where we are together as a team in the movement part of it on defense.”

South Christian wasted little time in showing the dividends of the work it put in on defense during recent practices. The Sailor defense was aggressive and on point right from the opening tipoff against the Trojans. With the combination of stingy defense and balance on offense, South Christian took a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Sailor offense was paced in the opening quarter by juniors Lizzie Wolthuis and Sophia Prins who both connected on three-point shots.


South Christian’s Lizzie Wolthuis (3), who totaled 11 points, drives the baseline against Thornapple Kellogg. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



“We did get off to a good start,” Brown said. “That’s what we talk a lot about. Our team identifies as defense and transition, so we’ve been really working on those two things.” 

South Christian took its defense to another level in the second quarter. Turning up the defensive intensity even more, the Sailors kept TK off the scoreboard for the entire quarter while building a 25-7 halftime lead.

With a double-digit lead heading into the second half, the Sailors maintained their aggressiveness on the defensive end while sharpening their skills on the offensive side of the floor. South Christian outscored TK 17-11 during the third quarter as it built a 42-18 lead.

South Christian closed out the game by outscoring the Trojans 13-7 in the fourth quarter.

Prins led the way for South Christian with 23 points highlighted by 3 three-point baskets.

“Our point guard Sophia (Prins) had an amazing game,” Brown said. “She is our floor general and director. She is doing a lot better in her talking and getting people where they need to be. I was very proud of her tonight.” 

Wolthuis also drained a trio of treys finishing with 11 points. Sophomore Meredith Helmus added seven.


Overall, the Sailors were pleased with their offensive production, but like the defense, they see upside for improvement.

“We have some things we have to work on with offense,” Brown said. “We’ve been seeing more zone this year than we have in the past and zone offenses tend to get overlooked a little more than man, the quick-hit plays and all the things you really work on a lot. For what we’ve been working on for zone offense, I was happy and pleased with what we did tonight.” 


South Christian senior Kamryn Boonstra (10) looks for an opening against the Trojans defense. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



South Christian improved to 14-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference. The win also set the stage for Friday’s OK Gold showdown where the Sailors, ranked 13th in the state in Division 2, travel to Grand Rapids West Catholic to take on the Falcons, ranked fifth in the state in Division 2 and have a 7-0 record in the conference.

The win was the sixth in a row for the Sailors since they dropped a 62-49 decision to West Catholic in early January. South’s other loss was a 41-39 decision against Hudsonville in December.

With four seniors on the team along with two freshmen, two sophomores and the remaining players from the junior class, the Sailors have a mix of youth and veterans which makes for an enjoyable team to coach.

“We have a group of girls that just love each other,” Brown said. “It’s a little bit more than basketball to us. It’s about life and doing this journey together. Being there through the hard times, the good times, the struggles in school, on and off the court. We have a really, really good squad this year. They’ve really taken this to heart and making this a journey that’s going to be memorable.”  

Thornapple Kellogg fell to 2-5 in the league, 6-9 overall. The Trojans were led in scoring by freshman Taylor Lloyd, who drained a pair of treys and finished with 14 points.

JUST IN! WKTV Friday Night Highlights Basketball: Jan. 30

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



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org


Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area boys and girls high school basketball teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

Wyoming boys basketball rolls to 78-52 victory at West Catholic

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , , , , ,
Brayden Williams (4) led Wyoming with 16 points in the win. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org


With the high school basketball season heading into the home stretch, the Wyoming Wolves basketball team is shifting into high gear. The Wolves found another gear Friday evening when they traveled to West Catholic and came away with a 78-52 win.

The win was the eighth in the last 11 games for the Wolves, who began the season 0-3. While it took Wyoming a few games to get their footing, the Wolves have been steadily improving and have been putting up some impressive numbers both on offense and defense.

“I thought we did a lot of things really well,” said Wyoming Coach Thom Vander Klay. “The kids are coming around as far as picking up what we are trying to do. They are trusting their teammates. Early in the season we were beginning to gel and now we feel like we are starting to hit our stride and we feel like we are getting closer and closer to our potential.”

Wyoming came out firing on all cylinders during Friday’s game. The Wolves jumped out to a 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. They started the second quarter with a bang as Taeshon Wilson scored the first Wyoming points of the quarter with a crowd-pleasing breakaway dunk. Up 27-20 late in the quarter, the Wolves closed out the first half with an 11-0 scoring run to take a 38-20 lead into halftime.

Offense is one area where they’re showing steady progress this season. The 78 points the Wolves scored Friday was the second-highest team total of the season and they have scored 60-plus points in nine games so far. Wyoming likes to play at a fast pace and the Wolves did a solid job of running the floor against West Catholic scoring a high volume of points off the fast break.

“I think part of the getting up and down is the trust of our teammates,” Vander Klay said. “The fact that they will catch it, the fact that they will run the floor and the fact that they will finish, and if not then we will crash the glass. Our kids are starting to develop that team chemistry on offense.”


Warren Williams (10) scored nine points for Wyoming. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)


After halftime, the Wolves opened up a 45-20 lead as the Wyoming defense held West Catholic without a point until the 4:59 mark of the third quarter.

Along with progress on offense, the Wolves have been making strides defensively and that was evident against West Catholic.

“I thought we played harder,” Vander Klay said. “We stopped what they were trying to do offensively. Especially with as many possessions as there are in our games, we have to work pretty hard on defense. We are working on that too.”  

Wyoming led 59-39 at the end of the third and kept up the pace in the final quarter to end with a 26-point edge.

Brayden Williams led Wyoming with 16 points, while Josh Guevara and Taeshon Wilson added 11. Avonte Wiggins, Warren Williams and Jack Hogan added nine each.



Wyoming’s Avonte’ Wiggins (2) brings the ball past half court during the game at West Catholic. Wiggins scored nine points. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



“All of our kids can play,” Vander Klay said. “The truth is, sometimes when a coach makes a sub, it might be just a tiniest little bit that one kid is a little better, but I can close my eyes and just point to somebody on the bench. We are very deep. We have a lot of good players, so when we sub, when the benches clear, that is usually to our advantage.”

With the win, Wyoming improved to 8-6 overall and 3-2 in the OK Gold. Wyoming returns to action Monday when it travels to play conference rival Grand Rapids Union. The Wolves then host Holland Christian on Tuesday for our WKTV Truck Game of the Week.

JUST IN! WKTV Friday Night Highlights Basketball: Jan. 23

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



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org


Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area Boys and Girls high school basketball teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood areas, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

JUST IN! WKTV Friday Night Highlights Basketball

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, , , , ,



By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org


Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights featuring many area Boys and Girls high school teams in action.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood areas, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings.



Thanks for watching!

Tri-unity Christian off to hot start in Mark Keeler’s final year; Coach gets remarkable 700th win

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler and wife Cheryl. (Courtesy, JV Boys Coach Dean Holzwarth)



By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



After winning their second state championship in three seasons, the Tri-unity Defenders are once again poised to make a run to the Breslin Center in the final year of Coach Mark Keeler’s storied career.

Coach Keeler has spent 38 years pacing the sidelines at Tri-unity in a remarkable career that includes six state championships, six state runner-up trophies, 15 Final Four appearances, 19 regional titles, 26 district titles and 22 conference championships.

Keeler recently achieved his 700th victory as a varsity coach, making him the fourth coach in state history to reach this milestone in boys’ basketball. Roy Johnston holds the record for the most wins in state history with 833 victories.

“I feel very blessed … so many awesome parents,
unbelievable players and great assistant coaches”


“I feel very blessed,” Keeler said. “I’ve had some great assistant coaches and coaches who have been involved and positive. I’m very excited to have achieved that, but I feel like its more of a school achievement than for just me as a coach. I’ve had so many awesome parents and so many unbelievable basketball players that have played for me. Those wins are more about those players than it is about me.”



  • Former NBA player Chris Kaman with Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler and team pumping players up. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler and team. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler and team pose with trophy. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler and team get recognized by Wyoming City Council. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler instructs the team. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler holds up one of his team’s many trophies. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)
  • Tri-unity Christian Coach Mark Keeler. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



Keeler started coaching at Tri-unity when the school was K-9 and that morphed into a varsity squad a few years later. Often having to rent gym space from Grandville schools until they could put bleachers in, Coach Keeler built the Tri-unity basketball program figuratively and literally from the ground up. 

In the early years, Tri-unity played in the West Michigan Liberty Conference made up of small Christian schools, traveling from Niles to Whitehall to Lansing. 

“I’ll never forget Niles First Assembly had a carpeted gym, I’ll never forget that,” Keeler chuckled. “Nobody locally wanted to play us because they never heard of us.”


Tri-unity Athletic Director Evan Przybysz said Keeler is the most humble winner he’s ever met.


“For all of the 700-plus wins that he will receive, the credit first goes to the Lord, and then to his players,” Przybysz explained. “He has instilled a system and a culture within his program that allows them to be successful year over year. To be one of four people in MHSAA history to reach the 700 win milestone is an achievement not only in success, but longevity. Especially all at the same school.


“We will certainly miss him when he retires at the end of the year, but are happy for him and Cheryl on the next stage of life they will be moving into. He has created a foundation that we will continue to build on, and we are confident in Brent Voorhees (his current assistant) who will take over as the head of the program.”

Former NBA player Chris Kaman from Tri-unity
One of his more notable players, superstar Chris Kaman, graduated from Tri-unity in 2000. Kaman played college ball at Central Michigan University and was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Clippers, but also played for the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and a couple other teams. 

The Defenders have started this season with a 7-2 record with wins against East Grand Rapids, Calvin Christian and Lee in their first conference game of the season.

Tri-unity took an 80-53 road victory against the two-time defending Alliance League champion Legends last Friday.

“It was a very good game,” Keeler said. “They hung tough. We kept about a 10-point lead throughout the early going, but they kept on fighting and they are very well coached. We eventually pulled away late, but they fought all the way through.”

6-foot-7 senior Joey Mellon led the way with 27 points and 18 rebounds (11 offensively) in a strong effort for the Defenders.

“Joey had an unbelievable game,” Keeler exclaimed. “The 11 offensive rebounds blows me away. He was just a machine.

“We shot about 50 percent, but there were a lot of shots taken. We missed 32 shots, but we had 20 offensive rebounds so really only missed 12 in my way of thinking.”

Senior Noah Silverton added 10 points and four assists, while Keaton Blanker filled the stat sheet with eight points and 11 rebounds.

“They are wonderful young men; they have been nothing but positive and encouraging to me as a coach.”

Wyoming boys fall to Coopersville in defensive struggle Tuesday

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , , , ,
Wyoming senior Avonte’ Wiggins (2) lines up a three-point shot during Tuesday’s game at Coopersville. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



Heading into the new basketball season, the Wyoming boys basketball team was counting on shooting as being a strong point for the team. Like the weather, however, the Wolves have gone through some chilly spells at times in the early going.

Coopersville (2-0) beat visiting Wyoming 49-40 Tuesday. The Wolves fell to 0-3.

“I thought we did a lot of things really well,” said Wyoming Coach Thom Vander Klay. “I thought we executed pretty well. We’re a little concerned with our turnovers and our shooting percentage, but I thought that our guys worked hard for some second shots. We got some looks that we wanted and they didn’t go in and it kind of snowballed almost on us.


“I think we really do have some pretty good shooters, you wouldn’t guess it tonight, but give credit to Coopersville of course on that and their zone defense.” 

Wyoming took the early lead in the game as the Wolves outscored Coopersville 12-8 in the first quarter. Senior Taeshon Wilson led the way for the Wolves early with a pair of first-quarter buckets.

Coopersville took a 17-16 lead midway through the second quarter and built a five-point lead before Wyoming closed the gap to 23-20 at halftime on a bucket by Wilson.

After halftime, the Wyoming offense was in the deep freeze for almost a full quarter. Coopersville upped its lead to 27-20 before a bucket by Wyoming’s Brayden Williams put the first points on the board for the Wolves at the 4:08 mark of the third quarter.

Coopersville outscored Wyoming 9-3 to close out the third quarter, taking a 36-25 lead into the final quarter.

Wolves claw back

The Wolves, however, began to heat up on the offensive end of the floor during the opening minutes of the fourth quarter as they began to mount a comeback. Trailing 42-29, Brayden Williams hit a three-point shot with 4:56 remaining in the game. That trey sparked a 9-0 Wyoming scoring run that cut the Coopersville lead to 42-38 when Avonte’ Wiggins scored with 3:21 remaining in the game.

Coopersville upped the lead to 44-38 on a bucket by Judah Bartels, but Wyoming cut the margin back to four points when Joshua Guevara scored on an offensive rebound putback with 2:23 remaining in the game.

The Wolves looked to have created a turnover that would’ve put them in position to make the game a one-possession contest, but the call on the play went Coopersville’s way. The Broncos then closed the door by scoring the final five points of the game.

Wyoming finished with balanced scoring as Brayden Williams led with nine points. Guevara added seven points, while Warren Williams, Brad Lewis and Wilson each finished with six.

The Wolves, who went 6-17 last season, have a core of veterans back from last year headed up by seniors Avonte’ Wiggins and Warren Williams and sophomore Brayden Williams, who is back after missing much of last season with a knee injury.



Senior Warren Williams splits a pair of Coopersville defenders as he drives to the basket. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



Coopersville (2-0) was paced by Brooks Hadden with 15 points and Bartels with 12. 

With the loss, Wyoming fell to 0-3 for the season. The Wolves opened the season with a 56-54 loss to Caledonia and then dropped a 61-47 decision to Grand Rapids Christian.

“The execution is going to be OK,” Vander Klay said. “It’s going to be the matter, in our heads, can we put the ball in the basket, so I think this is a lot of mental for us.

“I’m proud of our effort tonight and we did a lot of good things. Just not enough to beat Coopersville. We just have to get better to win some games.”


Wyoming’s Tarren Calvert (1) brings the ball down the floor against Coopersville. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


Wyoming returns to action Friday when it travels to East Grand Rapids and then returns home to host Kelloggsville next Tuesday and Zeeland West the following evening.

Wyoming also is preparing to compete in a new division in the OK Conference this season. Instead of playing many schools along the lakeshore like they have the past few seasons, the Wolves are playing in the OK Gold this season. The Gold also is different from the OK Gold that the football team played in during the fall as football is the only sport in the OK Conference that has its own unique divisions.


During basketball season, Wyoming will play a more localized schedule with Northview, Grand Rapids Union, Grand Rapids West Catholic, Middleville, Wayland and South Christian, all members of the new-look OK Gold.      



South Christian girls basketball team saves best for last with thrilling tournament run

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports, ,
South Christian girls pose with their district championship trophy. (Photo Courtesy, David Kool)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



It was a season of ups and downs for the South Christian girls basketball team, but the final couple weeks of ups made the season one to remember for the Sailors.

After finishing the regular season with a 12-10 overall record, 7-7 in the OK Gold, the Sailors went on a thrilling state tournament run that included a district championship and berth in the regional finals.

Heading into the final game of the regular season, South Christian’s record stood at 11-10, the Sailors, however, wrapped up the regular season with a big boost as they defeated a 16-6 Wyoming team 56-55.

That win propelled the Sailors into the state tournament with some momentum. Hosting the district tournament, South Christian took advantage of that momentum by defeating Wayland 48-38 in the district semifinals. The Sailors then won the district title in thrilling fashion with a 78-67 win in double overtime against Holland Christian.


Holland Christian grabbed a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter in the district title game and led by four at halftime. The Sailors eventually took a 37-36 lead at the end of the third quarter before the game went into double overtime. The two squads scored six points apiece in the first overtime before South Christian dominated the second one outscoring Holland Christian 14-3.    

Sailors claw back after 13-2 deficit in regional opener

South kept the momentum going at the regional opener at Hopkins with a 47-40 win against Otsego. The Sailors displayed plenty of determination in the win against Otsego as they rallied from behind. South Christian trailed 13-2 at the end of the first quarter before clamping down on defense and picking up the pace on offense.

The season came to an end for the Sailors, however, in the regional final where they dropped a 49-34 decision to Vicksburg.


South Christian Coach Erika Brown (Courtesy, South Christian)

“Winning the district title and competing in a regional final game this season was so special for this group of young ladies,” said South Christian Coach Erika Brown, in her first season as head coach.



“Their hard work, love for each other and the game, and the deep belief they could win was what carried them through, plus our strong defensive mentality. I am incredibly proud of them and what they were determined to accomplish through the many ups and downs this season gave us.”



Defense key to success

The Sailors, who finished the season with a 15-11 overall record, built their team on defense and that defense was a key to success down the stretch.

“Our defense defined us this season,” Brown said. “When we connected and got after it on defense, our offense would ignite.”



Sophia Prins. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
Lizzie Wolthuis. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

South Christian received key contributions from every member of the team this season. South was led by a solid backcourt that featured guards Sophia Prins and Lizzie Wolthuis.

“Sophia was our starting point guard,” Brown said. “She directed the way and gave us composure and confidence on both ends of the floor.





“Lizzie was our starting shooting guard. She would ignite our offense with her ability to hit threes and drive to the hoop. She also was a strong rebounder and defensive presence.”

The backcourt also was balanced by the versatile skills of the fellow starters.


“Ashley Thomasma was our senior captain who has strong defensive and passing abilities,” Brown said. “Kami Boonstra was our strong driver and shooter and was great at getting defensive deflections. Lily Nitz was our junior captain who was our most versatile player guarding the other team’s top players.”


South Christian captain Ashley Thomasma (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
South Christian captain Lily Nitz (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



The Sailors also received numerous contributions from players not in the starting lineup throughout the season.

“So many of our players brought such unique talent to our team this year,” Brown said. “We were blessed and fortunate to have so many pieces to the puzzle.” 

While lifting a district title trophy was special, it was the process involved that really sticks out for Brown.

“What I will remember the most about the team and the tournament run was the smiles and watching the girls’ hearts grow and the belief in their eyes widen,” Brown said. “I am so grateful for my wonderful coaching staff, supportive parents and a group of young ladies that bought in and made this such a fun journey this season.


“I will forever remember this team and my first year as head coach.”

Tri-unity boys win second state championship in three years with dominant win over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart Saturday at MSU

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, ,
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By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema



The Breslin Center feels like home to the Tri-unity Defenders. The team has played in four consecutive state finals, this time avenging a two-point loss from last season.

“Last year, we played not to lose,” legendary Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler said. “That was one of the emphases I had. We need to play to win the game, not to play afraid that we are going to lose. It seems like it’s the same thing, but it’s not. It’s huge, and you don’t play up to your potential if you focus on the negative.


We made sure this year that we focused on the positive.”

The Defenders (24-5) reached that potential, winning their second Division 4 state title in three seasons in convincing fashion 79-59 over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart Saturday at Michigan State University.

“It was a very emotional game,” Keeler said. “I had to say goodbye to so many young men I truly love and respect. I’m going to miss all of them. I’m going to miss their camaraderie, their unselfishness, and they truly enjoy each other. Those are fun things to have on your team.”

VanKlompenberg and Rosendall will graduate with two state titles

Senior captains Jordan VanKlompenberg and Owen Rosendall were the catalysts for the Defenders. Both play a vital role in the suffocating Tri-unity defense while being the motor for the offense. The seniors end their high school careers winning two state finals in four attempts.

“Jordan and Owen are my two captains; I can not say enough about those two,” Keeler explained. “They have to guard the two best opposing players every game. It was that way again today. They were amazing. I’m really happy with them.”



Senior captains Owen Rosendall (left) and Jodan VanKlompenberg. (Photo Courtesy Becky Rillema)



VanKlompenberg led with 19 points, Rosendall added 14

VanKlompenberg led the Defenders with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Rosendall added 14 points and six rebounds. 

“The state title means everything,” Rosendall said. “It’s the all-time goal for everyone’s season. This year was special because it was our last game. It was a bittersweet ending, but I couldn’t be more proud of our team. This team means everything; we treat each other like brothers. Our chemistry on the court is above average compared to other teams; it feels like we know where everyone is on the court all the time.”

Tight first quarter

Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart played strong out of the gate and controlled the early portion of the first quarter, leading 8-4 midway through it.

 Grady Pieratt led the Saints with 21 points, while Noah Zeien added 14.

“Noah is tough and a very nice player, but his size hurt him against us because we could contest his shots,” Keeler explained.

VanKlompenberg hit a three-point shot with 3:33 left in the first to put Tri-unity up 11-10, and they wouldn’t look back after that.

The NCAA three-point line can confuse the players trying to adjust to the different layout of the Breslin Center court.

“I told them to stand on the line,” said Keeler, whose team was 7-17 from the three-point line. “We did a lot better job taking better shots and knocking them down.” 

All five starters in double-digit scoring

The entire starting five for Tri-unity scored double-digit points. Akais Giplaye scored 11 points, followed by Keaton Blanker, a second-straight double-double with 11 points and 12 assists and Wes Kaman added 10 points.

“Good balance; they shared the ball,” Keeler explained. “That’s what I love about it. I don’t think my guys have a selfish bone in their bodies. All they want to do is help the team win.”

 

The 6-4 Giplaye has been a constant force in the defensive paint for the Defenders. Keeler said Giplaye is made for this defensive scheme.



Akais Giplaye goes up for a shot. (Photo Courtesy Becky Rillema)



“It means a lot coming from Coach Keeler,” Giplaye said. “He’s been winning for a long time. Having a coach who helps us become young men and encourages us to reflect Christ on the court, I’m honored to have him as a coach.



“It takes commitment, determination, dedication, discipline, and hard work. We’ve been through the wars, the ups and downs, but we kept moving forward, and through the end, we won a trophy. It’s a memory that will never be forgotten.”

Tri-unity uses depth and free throws to earn fourth-straight state finals appearance

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, ,
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By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

(Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)

The Tri-unity Christian boys basketball team used its depth and signature defense to wear down St. Ignace in a back-and-forth matchup in a Division 4 semifinal Thursday at the Breslin Center.

In a game that saw 11 lead change, including multiple ones in the fourth quarter, the Defenders hit late free throws to ice the game, advancing to a fourth-straight Division 4 state championship with a 60-53 win over St. Ignace in East Lansing.

“We are very blessed; it would be a great finish to this year”

“It’s surreal, it’s hard to believe,” said Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler, whose team has a chance to win two state championships in three years. “We are very blessed. It would be a great finish to this year. These guys have worked so hard and made sacrifices to play tough, nasty defense.”


Two Tri-unity seniors, Jordan VanKlompenberg and Owen Rosendall, will play in their fourth state final game. Both played as freshmen on the 2020-21 Division 4 state runner-up team. 

St. Ignace senior Jonny Ingalls continued his torrid pace throughout the 2024 postseason. The future Northern Michigan University Wildcat scored 14 of the Saints’ 16 first-quarter points, and the Saints held a three-point lead after one frame in the semifinal.

Ingalls averaged 30 points in the postseason and ended the final game of his high school career with 31 points, four assists, and two steals.

“He was unbelievable,” Keeler said. “He had a little bit more than what we would have liked. I figured he would have around 20-25 points. He’s a great player.” 

Tri-unity was pressing early in the game, making several unforced errors unfamiliar to the disciplined Defenders.

“I was a little disappointed in how we played early on, but sometimes you have to win games like that,” Keeler explained. “We turned the ball over and started the game off trying to hit NBA threes.”

St. Ignace led 26-25 at the half

The score was almost even at the half; St. Ignace was up 26-25 after 16 minutes of play.  

After the break, the Defenders’ depth was felt. St. Ignace would only shoot 31.8% from the field for the remainder of the game and a lowly 40% from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

“I thought we played good enough defense to stay in the game,” Keeler said. “I felt that we would eventually turn things around. I told the guys that if we keep pressing the ball down the court and play tough defense, we could wear them down. They didn’t have a lot of depth; they got worn out.”

Keaton Blanker led with 19 points, including 10 free throws and 10 boards

Junior guard Keaton Blanker continued his productive playoff run with a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Blanker hit 10 of 11 free throws; two of which put the game out of reach with less than 30 seconds remaining.



Keaton Blanker led with 19 points, 10 rebounds. (Photo Courtesy Becky Rillema)


Wes Kaman grabs 14 points, 6 boards

The Defenders have a new hero every game. In the semifinal game, Wes Kaman would take his turn to showcase his offensive skills, scoring 14 points and adding six rebounds.

“That’s what helps make our team so tough; you never know who will step up. They came out the second half with more discipline and knocked down some easier wide-open threes as well,” Keeler said.


Wesley Kaman takes a jumper. (Photo Courtesy Becky Rillema)



Giplaye and Rillema with 13 rebounds

Akais Giplaye and Trey Rillema provided a rock-solid presence in the paint for the Defenders. Giplaye snatched eight boards, while Rillema grabbed five in limited playing time. 


“Akais is just a rock for us inside; you are not going to take the ball away from him,” Keeler said. “Trey had five rebounds but didn’t play much in the second half.”

 Ingalls cooled off significantly for the Saints in the second half, missing multiple shots from beyond the arc and the free-throw line.

“I thought he got tired,” Keeler explained. “We rotate and have guys rested. I thought we played great defense. We did everything we could to contain him, and he got tired in the second half, and we took advantage of that.


“I told the boys at halftime that a good team will beat one player no matter how good he is, and he got tired. That was the difference in the game. He can shoot; he just didn’t shoot as well in the second half.”

The Defenders play a familiar foe in the finals, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart. The two teams met in early December, Tri-unity won that game 71-41.

“We played them in the third game of the year,” Keeler said. “They don’t have a lot of depth either, so our desire will be to push the ball on them and wear them down. They have three really good guards, and they do a solid job.”

Tri-unity (23-5) will face Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (26-2) in the Division 4 finals at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Breslin Center. The game will be aired live on Bally Sports Detroit. 

Check out this cool photo gallery by Becky Rillema; Defenders heading back to Division 4 state semifinals

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,

All photos courtesy of Becky Rillema

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Another defensive gem leads Tri-unity to fifth-straight state semifinal appearance; VanKlompenberg hits seven treys

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, ,
Senior Jordan VanKlompenberg led the Defenders with 17 points (all three-pointers ) in the win. (Photo Courtesy Becky Rillema)



By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

Tri-unity Christian held another defensive clinic in its run to the Breslin Center.


The Defenders allowed seven combined points in the second and third quarters as they advanced to a fifth-consecutive Division 4 state semifinal appearance with a 65-29 victory over St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic on Tuesday night. 

The Defenders have turned up the heat defensively since the start of the playoffs, allowing just 38.4 points per game after giving up 43.2 points during the regular season. 

“It was amazing, wasn’t it,” said Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler about his team’s defense. “They are so coachable; they gave their very best. Whatever they do, they give their very best effort.”


VanKlompenberg hot from beyond the arc

Senior guard Jordan VanKlompenberg led the way offensively, connecting on a team-high seven three-point shots, which accounted for all of his team-high 21 points. He also had four assists and four rebounds. 

“Jordan also guarded their best player, and he did a phenomenal job defensively holding him to only six points,” Keeler said. 


Game closest after one quarter

The first quarter ended with Tri-unity ahead 19-12 and marked the closest the game would be. 

“They were fresh,” Keeler said. “We pushed the ball up and tried to make it a running game. They didn’t have a lot of depth, so we wanted to wear them out.”

Tri-unity tightened their defense against the Lakers’ offense, allowing only 17 points over the next three quarters.



Junior Keaton Blanker (4) filled the stat sheet. (Photo Courtesy Becky Rillema)


Sensational junior guard Keaton Blanker again filled the stat sheet for the Defenders, capping off the quarterfinal game with 13 points, seven steals, four assists and four rebounds. 

“That’s Keaton; it’s what he does,” Keeler said. “He does it all. He’s a great young man and a great player. I’m excited to see his growth.

“They kept playing a zone, and we tried to get it inside, but they forced it outside, so we had an opportunity to score a lot of points. We also had several offensive rebounds.”



Akais Giplaye (20) goes high for a rebound. (Photo Courtesy Becky Rillema)


Giplaye, Rillema and Mellon control the boards

Tri-unity used its trio of big men to control the boards. Akais Giplaye, Trey Rillema and Joey Mellon brought down six rebounds each.

“Akais is always amazing on the boards,” Keeler said. “He got into foul trouble early and only scored two points; he fits so well into our defense, runs the baseline, and dominates the boards. I’m pleased with the way they play defense. I think the whole team played great defense.”



Tri-unity (22-5) faces St. Ignace (21-6) in the D-4 state semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Breslin Center at MSU for the chance to play for a state championship. 

St. Ignace beat Crystal Falls Forest Park 68-51 on Tuesday night. St. Ignace lost in the quarterfinals last season to Traverse City St. Francis.

“They are a good team, and we have to come ready to play, but we are a good team too,” Keeler explained. “I’m confident how we play defense will keep us in games.

“I’m very confident in my team; six of our guys have been here before. I’m excited about the possibilities; we still need to come to play, though.”

Check out our latest WKTV Friday Night Highlights show (March 1) featuring many cool clips

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



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director

greer@wktv.org



Check out our latest Friday Night Highlights show of the basketball season featuring many area high school teams in action the week of Feb. 26 through March 1.



Every week, we’ll bring you several high school boys and girls basketball clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood areas, highlight some top performers and give a snapshot of the latest conference standings. We also have the local boys district results and regional matchups and the girls district brackets inside.



Thanks for watching!

Tri-unity Christian boys one step closer to another state title with fifth straight district championship

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, , ,
(WKTV/Ty Marzean)



By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor



The Tri-unity Christian boys basketball team checked off the first box in its quest for a fourth-straight state championship appearance on Friday night by capturing its fifth-straight Division 4 district title against Alliance League foe and host Zion Christian. 


The Defenders used a suffocating defense and overbearing offense in a 78-40 win over the Mountaineers.



Tri-unity used a 15-5 first quarter to set the pace for the remainder of the contest.


“I’m so happy about our defense,” said Coach Mark Keeler, who’s won the state championship five times with the Defenders.”

 

“Zion has improved so much over the years; if we didn’t show up and play hard, it could have been a different story.”



Jordan VanKlompenberg led with 20 points, while Akais Giplaye and Trey Rillema combined for 19 rebounds. (Photo from a previous game courtesy, Becky Rillema)



The Defenders kept the pressure on Zion as the first half ended with a 36-17 lead for Tri-unity.

“If you hold a team to 17 points in the first half, there are not many games you will not win playing that kind of defense,” Keeler said.

Giplaye and Rillema combined for 19 boards

Tri-unity big men Akais Giplaye and Trey Rillema set the defensive tone under the boards as they collected 19 rebounds as a duo.

Rillema finished the game with four points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots, while Giplaye had eight points and 10 rebounds.

“Akais is so amazing; he plays taller than he is.” Keeler explained. “I watch him go against guys 6-8, and he holds his own. He’s such an awesome young man; I think the world of him.

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“This entire team is special. I love this team and how they act out on the court.”

Zion Christian came out of the half with four quick points as the Defenders struggled to gain footing in the third quarter. 

“I think we came in with the wrong attitude in the second half,” Keeler said. “I told them they had to change their focus. If they want to keep playing, you must start playing defense. We struggled throughout the third quarter because of it. Fortunately, in the fourth quarter, we reset ourselves and played great defense.”

Defenders kept Zion to seven in fourth

Tri-unity clamped down defensively, allowing only seven fourth-quarter points. 

“They played their hearts out and never stopped hustling; I love that about them,” Keeler said. “We just kept after them. I thought we did a great job.”

VanKlompenberg led with 20 points

Tri-unity senior guard Jordan VanKlompenberg led the Defenders with 20 points and added four assists and six rebounds. Lincoln Eerdmans connected on a team-high three buckets from beyond the arc, ending with 13 points. Owen Rosendall added 14 points and four rebounds. 

The Defenders find themselves in familiar territory heading into the regional round.

“I told them we have two more trophies to win, a regional and a state,” Keeler said. “It would be a dream come true.

“Every year is new, and you can’t go on what you did last season. You have to go out with a new group of boys and play the best they can. I enjoy watching them play. I’m proud of my guys, their hard work, and their intensity.”

Tri-unity (19-5) advances to the Regional 29 Semifinals against host Fowler (17-7) on Tuesday, March 5 at 7 p.m.

Lee boys basketball team adds big district victory to league title

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
After winning the Alliance League championship with a perfect 8-0 record, the Lee Legends opened play in the state tournament with a thrilling win against West Catholic. (Courtesy, Wyoming Lee)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



After winning the Alliance League championship with a perfect league record this season, the Lee basketball team opened the state tournament with a thrilling 49-48 win against West Catholic in the Division 2 district semifinal game Wednesday at the West Catholic district.

In a low-scoring, defensive struggle, the Legends persevered at the end to come away with the win that improved their record to 17-5 for the season. Lee now goes on to Friday’s district title game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central as the Legends go after their first district title since 1995.

“It was a great team win,” said Lee Coach Dominic Shannon. “I’m proud of our effort and proud of our energy. It was a tight game to the end. It was a back-and-forth game from the start to the finish. The biggest lead of the game was eight by us early in the game and at halftime we were up by two at 19-17.”

West Catholic came out playing a zone defense and looked to slow down the pace of the game against the Legends.

“They (West Catholic) tried to slow the game down,” Shannon said. “The opportunities that we did have to run we capitalized on. It was a fun game with great energy and I’m happy we were able to pull it out.”

Lee played a rugged non-conference schedule this season that included games against schools like East Kentwood, Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix and Forest Hills Eastern, and that experience proved valuable in the district.

“The reason we played such a tough schedule is for moments like this,” Shannon said. “Our schedule prepared us for a game like this.”



Lee senior Ny’Zhem Marshall led with 17 points and 14 rebounds. (Courtesy, Wyoming Lee)



Marshall led the Legends with 17 points and 14 boards

Ny’Zhem Marshall led Lee with 17 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots. Nate Johnson added 11 points.

“Nate hit one of the biggest shots of the game for us,” Shannon said. “We were down 45-42 in the fourth quarter. Marc Whitfield drove to the basket and the defense collapsed on him. Nate is one of our best three-point shooters and Marc recognized that and kicked the ball out to him on the wing and Nate knocked the shot down to tie the game.”

 

Conference crown two-straight years

The district win comes after the Legends wrapped up a regular season that saw them win a conference title for the second consecutive year and with a perfect league mark for the second straight season.

“I’m so proud of our boys for capturing back-to-back conference championships for multiple reasons,” Shannon said. “One, the boys made history at Lee with back-to-back conference championships for the first time since 1971 and 1972.”

A key to success for the Legends this year is the way the team prepares for each game.

“The key to capturing our conference was trusting our preparation,” Shannon said. “Even though our conference is untraditional with teams only playing each other once, we were able to get film and have a gameplan based on what was shown on film. There were games when we were off, but we also have a strong bench and at times we were able to insert someone from the bench to provide a boost.



Specifically, I can recall the Wellspring game as we were down heading into the fourth quarter. The coaching staff made an adjustment as a starter was having an uncharacteristically off-game and essentially the adjustment aided with the win.”

Lee also did a solid job of handling the adversity it faced during the season.

“We started the season 0-3 and finished 15-5 overall,” Shannon said, “not to mention we dealt with many injuries this year and we are actually full strength in the postseason.”

On the court, the Legends count on strong defense as a major team strong point.

“A strong component of our team is our ability to defend baseline to baseline, regardless of who’s defending,” Shannon said. “We have great versatility in our defense this year and we really pressure the ball which has led to great success. We like to be able to make guards uncomfortable when starting their offense to disrupt rhythm and timing.” 



Lee senior Marc Whitfield leading the Legends this year. (Courtesy, Wyoming Lee)


Marc Whitfield leading the team

Leading the way for the legends this season is Marc Whitfield. The reigning conference player of the year, Whitfield averages 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals per game while shooting 40 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Whitfield has five 30-point games this season with a season-high 35 points in the win against Grand River Prep.

Ny’Zhem Marshall all-around production

Ny’Zhem Marshall provides all-around production averaging 11 points, eight rebounds, four blocked shots and two assists per game while shooting 50% from beyond the three-point line. Marshall also recorded five games with seven blocked shots.

Clarence Lewis, who guarded the opposing team’s best player this season, added eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals per game and recorded a season-high of six steals in one game. Nathan Johnson averaged nine points and three rebounds per game while shooting 40% from the three-point line. Johnson also scored a season-high 22 points in two games this season. 

South Christian takes advantage of fast start to take out Godwin Heights in D2 district opener Monday

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, West Michigan, ,
South Christian junior standout Carson Vis scored 29 points in the tournament opener against Godwin Heights. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)




By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor


Taking on a red-hot Godwin Heights squad the opening night of the state tournament, the South Christian boys basketball team left nothing to chance as they struck early and often on its way to a 62-43 win in the Division 2 district at Unity Christian.

Godwin Heights, fresh off winning the OK Silver Conference championship, entered the game on an eight-game winning streak. With plenty of momentum and confidence, the Wolverines were on a mission to keep rolling. The Sailors, however, had other plans. South ramped up the defense, kept the ball in junior standout Carson Vis’ hands and shot out to a 12-2 lead midway through the first quarter. By the end of the opening quarter that lead stood at 21-5 and the Sailors had the upper hand for the remainder of the game.

“Although it’s not March yet we consider it March,” Vis said, “because in March we try to be at our best. We wanted to come out and try and set the tone tonight. We wanted to come out and lock things down on defense. Our goal was to hold them under 30 points. Obviously, we didn’t do that, but we came away with the win.”

Carson Vis led South Christian with 29 points

While the Sailors were busy holding Godwin to five points in the first quarter, Vis was also busy filling up the basket on the other side of the floor. Vis totaled 13 points in the first quarter and added eight more of his game-high 29 points in the second quarter.

Sailors up 34-16 at halftime

South continued to play stingy defense in the second quarter as it limited the Wolverines to 11 points in that stanza. The Sailors also built the lead to 18 points at halftime as they entered the break with a 34-16 lead.

South also accomplished the feat without the benefit of standout senior guard Jake Vermaas who missed the game but will be back for Wednesday’s district semifinal showdown with Unity Christian.

“I’m real proud of our guys,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “We had to play without Jake Vermaas, but he will be ready to go on Wednesday. Carson did a real nice job of stepping up. He was scoring in a variety of ways for us. He was scoring inside and outside. Guys got him the ball and he made the shots.”

Vis also brought the Sailor crowd to their feet with a highlight-reel dunk during the third quarter that put the Sailors up 46-30.

The Sailors also received a strong scoring effort from senior Sam Weiss who also reached double figures in scoring with 10 points.

“I was happy with how Sam stepped up,” Johnson said. “He played the point and played with a lot of energy on both ends of the floor. I was very proud of him.”


South Christian senior Sam Weiss, who scored 10 points, prepares to drive to the basket. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)


The Sailors also handled the ball effectively against Godwin’s swarming defensive pressure.

“We prepared for that pressure,” Vis said. “We knew what was coming so we actually started preparing for it last week. A lot of teams consider our ball handling a weakness so we wanted to show people that we can handle the pressure.”

South scored a number of points in transition after navigating the Wolverines’ defensive pressure.

Along with the double-digit offensive efforts of Vis and Weiss, the Sailors received eight points from Caleb Pleune, seven from Davis Kemper.

With the win, the Sailors improved to 18-5 for the season and will face Unity Christian, 18-4, in one semifinal game Wednesday.



Godwin Heights was led by senior Jacari Jones with nine points.  (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)


Godwin Heights ended the season with a 16-6 record. The Wolverines were led in scoring by sophomore Isaiah Guyton who finished with 11 points. Senior Jacari Jones added nine points and fellow senior Jace Reid-Anderson added eight.    


Godwin Heights senior Jace Reid-Anderson (11) tries to split a pair of South Christian defenders on his drive to the basket. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)


MHSAA Girls Basketball Tournament: Vicksburg defeated South Christian 49-34 in Regional 12 Final

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




By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


South Christian (15-11) lost to Vicksburg 49-34 in the Regional 12 final Wednesday night. Check out the complete story on South Christian’s great tournament run here.


DIVISION 1

DISTRICT 7 at Grandville

First Round: Hudsonville 50, Wyoming 43

Semifinal: East Kentwood 50, Hudsonville 33
DISTRICT FINAL: Byron Center 47, East Kentwood 44

DIVISION 2

DISTRICT 43 at Hudsonville Unity Christian

First Round: Kelloggsville 43, Wyoming Lee 27

Semifinal: Unity Christian 58, Kelloggsville 10

Semifinal: Allendale 46, Godwin Heights 29


DISTRICT 44 at Forest Hills Eastern

First Round: Grand Rapids Christian 55, West Michigan Aviation 11


DISTRICT 45 at South Christian

First Round: Hamilton 64, Grand River Prep 9

Semifinal: South Christian 48, Wayland 38
DISTRICT FINAL: South Christian 78, Holland Christian 67 (2 OT)
REGIONAL 12:
SEMIFINAL: South Christian 47, Otsego 40

Semifinal: South Christian 48, Wayland 38
DISTRICT FINAL: South Christian 78, Holland Christian 67 (2 OT)
REGIONAL 12:
SEMIFINAL: South Christian 47, Otsego 40
FINAL: Vicksburg 49, South Christian 34


DIVISION 3

DISTRICT 75 at Saugatuck

First Round: Potter’s House 39, Calvin Christian 36

Semifinal: Saugatuck 50, Potter’s House Christian 36

DIVISION 4

DISTRICT 114 at Fruitport Calvary Christian

Semifinal: Sacred Heart 40, Tri-unity Christian 33

DISTRICT 115 at Lawrence

Semifinal: Martin 39, Zion Christian 34

MHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament: Tri-unity boys win second state championship in three years

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, West Michigan, , ,




By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org

DIVISION 1

REGIONAL 2 SEMIFINAL AT EAST KENTWOOD: Forest Hills Central 54, East Kentwood 42

District 7 at Byron Center
DISTRICT FINAL: East Kentwood 55, Byron Center 45

DIVISION 2

District 43 at West Catholic
SEMIFINALS:
Grand Rapids Catholic Central 75, Allendale 56
Lee 49, West Catholic 48
(LEE: Ny’Zhem Marshall, 17 points, 6 blocks, 14 rebounds; Nathan Johnson, 11 points)
DISTRICT FINAL: Catholic Central 63, Wyoming Lee 56


District 44 at Ionia
First Round: Forest Hills Eastern 56, West Michigan Aviation 36


District 45 at Hudsonville Unity Christian
First Round:
Grand River Prep 78, Kelloggsville 60
South Christian 62, Godwin Heights 43
Semifinals:
Grand Rapids Christian 84, Grand River Prep 49
South Christian 70, Unity Christian 62
DISTRICT FINAL: Grand Rapids Christian 52, South Christian 49

DIVISION 3

District 75 at Calvin Christian
First Round: Calvin Christian 68, Potter’s House Christian 66 (OT)

DIVISION 4

STATE FINAL:
Tri-unity Christian 79, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 59

REGIONAL 29 SEMIFINAL AT FOWLER: Tri-unity Christian 46, Fowler 39
REGIONAL FINAL: Tri-unity Christian 73, Kalamazoo Phoenix 37
District 114 at Zion Christian
DISTRICT FINAL: Tri-unity Christian 78, Zion Christian 40