Tag Archives: MHSAA Boys Basketball

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

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  • 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 uses early lead to reach sixth straight final four in Keeler’s last season 

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, ,
Tri-unity’s Noah Silverton led with 16 points in the Adrian Lenawee Christian win. (Photo from earlier this season, Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



All season long, Tri-unity Christian has used a suffocating defense to get out to a sizable lead to start games. Their quarterfinal matchup against Adrian Lenawee Christian was no different.


The Defenders claimed a 32-12 lead after the first half en route to a 56-43 victory that sends them to the Breslin Center for their sixth consecutive final four appearance. 

“This is the best defensive team I have coached,” said Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler, whose program will make its 16th appearance in the final four under his coaching. “I don’t think teams are ready for our defense, and it takes them a while before they can adjust. We’ve done that to a lot of teams where they can’t score against us. The tough part is we get those leads and then we start coasting and let them back in … we need to keep that intensity.”

Tri-unity held Adrian Lenawee Christian to a 26.9 shooting percentage and out rebounded them 36-27. The Defenders also excelled in the paint, outscoring the Cougars 34-8 from in close. Lenawee Christian was averaging 75 points per game throughout their playoff run. 

“We played a really good game, we put them on their heels and they could never recover,” Keeler said.

Senior Noah Silverton was tasked with guarding the leading point scorer on the Cougars. 

“Noah had to cover their best player; he did a wonderful job. He came in averaging 25 points per game and Noah held him to 17. He matched him step for step.”

Silverton also added 16 points on the offensive side of the floor. 

Senior capitan Keaton Blanker once again showed why he is considered one of the best players in Division 4 in the state of Michigan. Blanker delivered in his third career quarterfinal game finishing the night with 11 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals.

“Keaton had an unbelievable game, he did great in the playoffs last year as well,” Keeler said.



Tri-unity’s Keaton Blanker from earlier this season. (Courtesy, Becky Rillema)



Keeler credits his teams tough non-conference schedule as a huge advantage when it comes tournament time. Tri-unity played multiple Division 2 teams throughout the year, even beating Division 1 East Grand Rapids 61-58 earlier this season. Tri-unity also beat Sparta, who lost to local powerhouse Grand Rapids Catholic Central in its regional final D-2 matchup. 

“It definitely helps us, you play tough teams it makes you tough,” Keeler explained.

Tri-unity now hopes to reach a fifth consecutive state championship game in Coach Keeler’s final season. 

“I think the kids do care about that, they are a great group of boys, I don’t think I could say enough good things about them. They have been very coachable.”

The No. 1 ranked Defenders (25-2) face No. 2 Crystal Falls Forest Park (25-2) Thursday night at the Breslin Center in East Lansing at 5:30 pm. Crystal Falls edged Pickford 45-43 to advance. 

The other Division 4 semifinal game is Fowler (24-3) vs, Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (24-3). 

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

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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.”

Catholic Central edges South Christian in regional basketball thriller Tuesday

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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.”  

Tri-unity boys advance to basketball regional final; host Kalamazoo Phoenix Thursday!

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, West Michigan, ,





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



The Tri-unity Christian boys basketball team beat Bellevue 80-45 to advance to a regional final.



The Defenders host Kalamazoo Phoenix at 7 p.m. Thursday.



Clayton Rowlader led Tri-unity with 13 points and five rebounds in the win over Bellevue, followed by Keaton Blanker, 12 points, six assists; Noah Silverton, 12 points, six assists, four steals, five rebounds and Joey Mellon, 10 points, five rebounds.



Tri-unity’s Noah Silverton (photo earlier this season) had 12 points, six assists, four steals and five rebounds in the win over Bellevue. (Photo Courtesy, Becky Rillema)

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!

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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)




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

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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.



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Godwin Heights rallies in second half to earn road win at Fruitport and Top Spot in the Silver

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



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


Trailing by nine points midway through the third quarter of its OK Silver basketball showdown with Fruitport Tuesday, Godwin Heights was in need of an energy boost, especially considering the Wolverines were playing their fourth game in five days.


That boost came from lone senior Jamaan Hastings in a big, big way. Hastings drained back-to-back treys from downtown that provided the spark for a come-from-behind 58-51 win giving the Wolverines sole possession of first place in the conference.

“I knew we needed this win,” Hastings said. “I’ve been out for a couple of weeks so I knew I had to step up for my team and make a couple of plays. This was a very big win. We knew we needed to come in here with energy and intensity in order to win. For our confidence, this was a much-needed win.”
 

The treys by Hastings ignited a 17-4 run by the Wolverines that turned a 34-25 deficit midway through the third quarter into a 42-38 lead by the end of the quarter in a game that had a huge impact on who will win the conference title.

“It’s nice having him back, being able to provide some of that scoring punch” said Godwin Heights Coach Bernard Varnesdeel. “The message was, they (Fruitport) are a good team. I told them you got to understand this is a game of runs. They are a good team. This is championship Tuesday and you better suck it up and claw back and get in the game and we did.


“I’m very happy for Jamaan. He’s been out a few games, but he comes back and has a big game. Jamaan is a kid who lines up every day and works his tail off.”

Up by four points heading into the final quarter, the Wolverines turned to their defense to take command of the game. That defense, anchored by post player Isaiah Guyton, who blocked three Fruitport shots during the fourth quarter, held the Trojans scoreless for the first 4 minutes and 30 seconds of the final quarter.

“Isaiah has those Inspector Gadget arms, they just keep going sometimes,” Varnesdeel said. “Being able to get a piece of those shots, and that’s why we try to teach them to keep your hands up, you never know what you are going to get.”

The Godwin defense was evident all over the floor as Godwin’s perimeter defenders forced turnovers on the perimeter.

“In practice all we do is work on defense,” Hastings said. “We knew the scouting report. Our coach had us very prepared and we knew what to do to shut them down.”  


 

Godwin Heights junior Dere’on Brown (1) sets up the offense against Fruitport. Brown scored 16 points in the win. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)


Godwin’s 7-0 run to start final quarter huge

While Godwin kept the Trojans off the scoreboard, the Wolverines expanded the lead to double digits. A three-point shot by Dere’on Brown was the highlight of a 7-0 run to start the final quarter that enabled Godwin to take a 48-38 lead.

Fruitport cut the Wolverine lead to six points with two minutes remaining, but that was as close as the Trojans would get other than trimming the margin to 56-51 with 12 seconds left in the game before Brown slammed the door shut with a pair of free throws with three seconds left in the game.

Godwin Heights improved to 9-2 in the league, while Fruitport fell a game behind with an 8-3 mark. Both teams have three league games left.

The win also evened the ledger for Godwin against Fruitport as the Trojans edged the Wolverines 56-54 in their first meeting of the season last month at Godwin.

Like the previous meeting between the two teams, the contest was close right from the opening tip-off.

Godwin Heights grabbed the early lead at 14-7 in the first quarter as Hastings ignited the offense with a pair of treys, while Brown also added a triple that quarter.



Godwin Heights post player Lonnie Sanders (24) eyes a rebound during Tuesday’s OK Silver showdown at Fruitport. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



Fruitport led 24-22 at the half and 34-25 in the third

Fruitport turned the tables in the second quarter as the Trojans outscored Godwin 17-8 to take a 24-22 lead into halftime.

Fruitport kept the pressure up in the early minutes of the second half by outscoring the Wolverines 10-3 to build a 34-25 lead in the opening minutes of the second half.

The offensive lull by the visiting Wolverines may have been the effects of Godwin playing its fourth game in five days. After defeating Calvin Christian last Friday, the Wolverines traveled to Portage Northern and suffered a 48-44 loss to a 16-3 Berrien Springs team. After a day off Sunday, Godwin defeated visiting Belding 55-23 Monday in a makeup game.

To counter any fatigue, the Wolverines relied on a total-team effort against Fruitport. Every player who was dressed for the game against Fruitport played during the opening half.

“That was two real good teams going back and forth,” Varnesdeel said. “I feel like our depth really, really saved us, and it wasn’t so much the second half, but in the first half we played all 12 kids and all 12 of them contributed in some way, shape or form which gave us a huge, huge lift in the second half.”

The Wolverines, who return to action this Friday against neighborhood rival Kelloggsville, were led on offense by Hastings with 17 points, while Brown added 16. Jaden Farmer also hit double figures with 10 points and Guyton added eight.

With three games remaining in the season, Godwin is in position to win back-to-back league titles.

“Super proud of the boys,” Varnesdeel said. “Super proud of the community. There were a lot of people in the community here supporting us and cheering us on.”

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!

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!

South Christian uses strong second half to turn back Catholic Central 50-40 Tuesday

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, , , ,
South Christian’s Carson Vis (11) led with 24 points despite some strong defense from Catholic Central. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



Two of the premier teams in West Michigan high school basketball over the years collided once again when the South Christian Sailors cruised into the Grand Rapids Catholic Central gym Tuesday evening.



Thanks to a strong second half, the visiting Sailors came away with the victory in the latest chapter of their rivalry as they turned back the Cougars 50-40.

As they have many times, the two teams entered the game ranked in the state in Division 2. South Christian entered the game ranked 10th and Catholic Central 17th in the latest Michigan High School Athletic Association power rankings.

The game lived up to its billing and was a close struggle most of the way before South took charge late in the third quarter.

“It was a hard-fought game,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “It felt like a Big 10 game. It was hard to score. Both teams were well prepared. They (Catholic Central) had a good defensive scheme and I liked our defensive scheme and we just hit a couple more shots in the third quarter that kind of extended that lead and we just kind of held on.


“That’s a good team. Chris (Catholic Central Coach Chris Pearl) is doing a good job. They got us with some different coverages that we haven’t seen before and I thought we made some decent adjustments in the second half.”   

South took the early lead as the Sailors jumped out to a 10-2 advantage in the first quarter. Catholic, however, closed out the quarter strong as back-to-back three pointers by Brieland Watkins and Izaya Lathridge closed the gap to 10-9 at the end of the quarter.

The two squads traded the lead back and forth during the second quarter. Catholic Central took a 13-10 lead before South battled back to tie the game at 18. The Cougars finished out the first half on an upswing and took a 22-21 lead int halftime.

“Their ball-screen defense was giving us some trouble,” Johnson said. “They were really trapping and pushing Carson (Vis) out. We have to do a better job of getting the ball in the middle of the floor and getting the ball opposite. We will work on it. We will get better.”

Sailors’ 8-point run builds 37-28 lead

The game remained tight until late in the third quarter. Up 29-28, the Sailors finished the third quarter with an eight-point run to take a 37-28 lead. The key to the run was back-to-back three-pointers by Caleb Pleune and Carson Vis.


South Christian’s Caleb Pleune plays defense against Catholic Central’s Brieland Watkins. Pleune scored nine points for the Sailors. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



Playing with the lead, the Sailors were able to hold the Cougars at bay during the final quarter. South Christian also sealed the game at the foul line in the final quarter as 11 of South’s 13 points in the fourth quarter came at the charity stripe.

“Carson (Vis) is a tremendous, tremendous player,” said Catholic Central Coach Chris Pearl. “I think he did a good job of getting to the hoop and attacking. I think our guys got a little down. They saw a lot of the free throws and we started settling for a little bit of threes. We just have to get in that attack mindset.”   

Vis led South Christian’s offense with 24 points, and was especially effective at driving to the basket and drawing fouls nailing 14-of-18 at the free-throw line. Vis also knocked down a pair of three-point shots. Davis Kemper added 10 points, highlighted by knocking down 3 three-point shots. Pleune also drained a trio of treys as he finished with nine points.

“I appreciate the fans coming out,” Johnson said. “Winning on the road is always hard to do here. A win at Catholic, that’s a really good win for us.” 


South Christian’s Nolan Fackler (13) looks for an opening on the perimeter of the Catholic Central defense. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



Lathridge led the Cougars with 19 points, while Watkins added 13.

South Christian improved to 10-4 overall, and is 5-1 in the OK Gold, a game behind Northview.

“The season has been up and down,” Johnson said. “I still don’t think we’ve found our groove yet. We’re growing, but we still have a long way to go. I still don’t think we’ve played our best basketball.”

Catholic Central fell to 9-5 overall, but are first place in the OK White at 5-0.

“We’ve had a tremendous second half of the season and we are going to keep that going,” Pearl said. “We’re 5-0 in the conference and we have goals to accomplish. We’ve had eight straight conference championships and we are hoping to build off of that.”      

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.

East Kentwood boys basketball team applying “10 times the effort”   

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,
East Kentwood sophomore Jeremiah Cook (pictured) and Randy Chapman led the way for the Falcons with 20 points apiece. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org



East Kentwood basketball Coach Mike Thomas stresses to his players the importance of playing 10 times harder than their opponents to get a win.


During Tuesday’s OK Red game at Holland West Ottawa, the young Falcons not only had to play 10 times harder than West Ottawa, but they had to keep up the pace for eight extra minutes as East Kentwood outlasted the Panthers 76-71 for a double-overtime victory.

“We just had to play 10 times harder,” Thomas said. “Every game that we play, every gym that we walk into, we have to work 10 times harder to get rewarded.”

That work ethic paid off for the Falcons who needed two overtimes to defeat West Ottawa. Kentwood also had to dig out of an early hole as West Ottawa took a 19-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

East Kentwood began battling back during the second quarter. The Falcons outscored West Ottawa 17-7 during the opening minutes of the second quarter. The Falcons eventually took the lead as a free throw by sophomore Drew Kenyi put Kentwood up 27-26. West Ottawa closed out the first half strong taking a 32-29 halftime lead.

The teams battled back and forth in the second half with neither getting more than a three-point lead during the third quarter.

The game remained that way during the fourth quarter. West Ottawa managed to take a three-point lead midway through the final quarter while the Falcons kept battling back and trimming the deficit to a single point.

With a minute left in regulation, East Kentwood tied the game at 62-all as sophomore Jeremiah Cook split a pair of free throws. Neither team was able to score a point in the final minute of regulation as West Ottawa suffered a turnover and East Kentwood missed its final shot attempt in the final 10 seconds.

In the first overtime, East Kentwood took a 66-62 lead as junior Randy Chapman scored a bucket and sophomore Major Barnes added a pair of free throws. The Falcons were up 68-64 with 1:20 left in the first overtime before West Ottawa rallied with four free throws in the final minute of the first overtime to tie the game at 68 and send the game into a second one.



East Kentwood sophomore Major Barnes (0) concentrates on his shot at the foul line. (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



East Kentwood took the lead for good a minute into the second overtime when Chapman scored on a drive to the basket putting the Falcons up 71-69. After West Ottawa responded with a free throw, the Falcons reeled off four consecutive points to go up 75-70. A highlight-reel dunk by Cook with 35 seconds remaining sparked the final Kentwood run as the Falcons outscored West Ottawa 5-1 in the final 35 seconds of the game to secure the win.       

“The guys played hard,” Thomas said. “When we are away on the road in the OK Red we always have to play hard. Even when we are at home, it’s hard winning. Winning is always hard.”

With the win, East Kentwood improved to 7-4 overall for the season. The win also was the first OK Red win for the Falcons in three times.



East Kentwood junior guard Donovan Jones (1) applies pressure on defense against West Ottawa’s Makai Campos (0). (WKTV Greg Chrapek)



East Kentwood also has claimed some impressive wins in non-conference games early on in the season, including a 66-60 win against Detroit Renaissance, a 58-51 win against Hamtramck and a 65-56 win against Ann Arbor Pioneer.    

“The season has been going pretty good,” Thomas said. “We just have to keep playing 10 times harder; Especially in the OK Red. We have to be that much better every time we play. That’s something we are going to keep preaching to our young guys. Whether you play at home or away.”

The Falcons have a young squad this season with just one senior on the roster. All 76 of Kentwood’s points against West Ottawa were scored by non-seniors with 54 of the points coming from sophomores.

Cook and Chapman led the way for the Falcons as they both recorded 20 points. Barnes finished with 12 points followed by Kenyi and sophomore CJ Reynolds with eight apiece. 

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.”

Godwin Heights basketball team continues to make progress, beats Comstock Park Tuesday

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Godwin Heights senior Jamaan Hastings (0) led the Wolverines with 23 points in the win against Comstock Park. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)

By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

greer@wktv.org


Going into the season with just one senior on the roster, the Godwin Heights boys basketball team expected to encounter some growing pains. While the young Wolverine squad has encountered some rough patches in the early going, the team continues to show steady improvement as conference play swings into full gear.

With a roster loaded with talented juniors as well as a sophomore and a freshman, the Wolverines boast a squad that is poised to show dramatic improvement as the season rolls along. Godwin took another step in that direction Tuesday evening when it turned back OK Silver Conference rival Comstock Park 73-45. With the win, the Wolverines improved to 4-3 overall and 2-0 in league play.

“I felt like we played hard,” said Godwin Heights Coach Bernard Varnesdeel. “We have been figuring things out this season. We have a lot of talent. We have been figuring things out in terms of rotation, figuring out positions, and we have had some injuries and some other stuff that we have had to take care of. Once we got into the flow of the game, I felt that’s when we started to see our offense and defense improve. I was very proud of how unselfish we were tonight.” 

Godwin Heights took the early lead in the game with the Panthers and steadily built their advantage as the game progressed. The host Wolverines built a 15-9 lead at the end of the opening quarter. Godwin was paced in the opening quarter by junior big man Isaiah Guyton. The 6-foot-5 junior flashed his all-around skills on the offensive end of the floor by scoring eight points in the opening quarter to stake the Wolverines to an early lead.

Godwin continued to build the lead in the second quarter as they combined some strong, aggressive defense with efficiency on the offensive end of the floor. Jamaan Hastings, the lone senior on this year’s squad, paced the offense in the second quarter as he poured in seven points during the quarter as the Wolverines built a double-digit lead. Up 23-14 early in the quarter, Hastings helped key a 7-0 Wolverine scoring run that upped the Godwin advantage to 30-14. Heading into halftime the Wolverines led 34-23.

Coming out of halftime, Godwin picked up the intensity even more. The Wolverines took complete charge of the game by opening the second half with a 9-3 scoring run to take a 43-26 lead. Guyton led the charge on the offensive end of the floor as he scored the first seven points of the second half.

“I felt like we had a good game plan coming in,” Varnesdeel said. “Once we got settled in terms of taking care of some of those things in the game plan, I think we started to see some good things.”  

Comstock Park made a run near the end of the third quarter to cut the Godwin lead to 48-36 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Wolverines picked up the pace early in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice. The Godwin defense limited the Panthers to single digits in the final quarter while the Wolverine offense put up 25 points.

The win for Godwin was the second straight after falling to a Division 1 Clarkston team 46-33 at the Aquinas College Tournament prior to New Years. The win was also the fourth in the last five games for the improving Wolverines who have the talent on hand to post a big season.

“The season has been going good,” Varnesdeel said. “We had some things we had to work through early in the season. We had an injury and with a young team we had to get into the flow of the season.” 


 

Godwin Heights junior Isaiah Guyton (35) totaled 20 points as the Wolverines defeated Comstock Park 73-45 Tuesday. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


Guyton and Hastings paced the Wolverines in scoring with a combined 43 points as Hastings totaled 23 points and Guyton added 20. Juniors Jaden Farmer and Xzaevier Guzman added six points apiece while fellow juniors Ka’Res Harris, Steven Manzi and Carlos McIver and freshman Martellis Forest added three points each.

“We have a ton of potential,” Varnesdeel said. “We talked to the kids about this. Potential is arguably one of the most dangerous words in the dictionary. Because it can mean so much, so many great things, but then it’s tough to reach that potential sometimes. Potentially, we can be really, really good. If you got potential and you got players, you got talent, then you can always get it fixed.”   


Godwin Heights junior guard Xzaevier Guzman (3) applies pressure in the backcourt during the game with Comstock Park. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)

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.      



Take a look at this Tri-unity Christian Photo Gallery from the Defenders regional championship win Thursday

City of Wyoming, Local Sports, Sports, , ,
  • (Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)
  • (Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)
  • (Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)
  • (Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)
  • (Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)
  • (Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)
  • (Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)
  • (Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)
  • (Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)
  • (Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor


Tri-unity Christian beat Kalamazoo Phoenix 73-37 Thursday to win a Division 4 regional title. Jordan VanKlompenberg led with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. The Defenders advance to the state quarterfinals vs. St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12 at Portage Northern.