On a chilly, rain-filled Friday night, the Lee Legends were overpowered by their 8-player league foe from New Buffalo 72-28.
The Legends have used junior quarterback Anthony Blok and senior running back Clarence Lewis to spark their offense, which has averaged 41.3 points per game.
Injuries and inefficient play dampened the Lee offense Friday.
Lee played without star running back Clarence Lewis, who was out with an ankle injury.
“He’s the guy we go to when we need a play,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall of his senior running back.
Anthony Blok rushed for 95 yards and two scores
Junior quarterback Anthony Blok completed 33 percent of his passes in the losing effort, but used his ground game to run for 95 yards and two scores. He also threw two passing touchdowns.
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok earlier this season. (Courtesy, Shafi Subhan)
The Bison also held standout sophomore wide receiver Aiden Merriweather to 22 yards on the night.
“We couldn’t sustain drives,” Marshall said. “We didn’t execute well at all.”
The Legends played close in the first half. New Buffalo was up 20-14 at the end of two quarters.
“We committed a few penalties, and then we had to wait out a rain delay,” Marshall explained. “We couldn’t recover.”
Charles Davis was a bright spot for the Legends, finishing the night with 108 yards and a touchdown catch.
Lee receiver Charles Davis. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“We need to be consistent throughout the week,” Marshall said. “We need to make practice a little more physical next week.”
The Legends (4-3 overall, 1-3 in the Southwest Michigan 8-Man Football League – Blue) look to get back on track next week against host NorthPointe Christian (4-3).
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
On a wet, windy and chilly night, the South Christian football team kept its hopes for a conference championship by playing some old-fashioned football. Relying more on the ground game and playing some strong defense late in the game, the Sailors rallied to defeat Middleville Thornapple Kellogg 29-20 in the WKTV Game of the Week.
With the win, the Sailors remained undefeated in conference play and set up a showdown with Grand Rapids Catholic Central next Friday with the OK Gold Conference championship on the line.
Keeping their conference record clean was anything but easy for the Sailors as Middleville came in with a strong game plan and pushed South to the limit. Relying on their strong running game, the Trojans played to their strengths and gave South everything it could handle.
“We talked about it all week that they are better than their record,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “They are a physical team and they run their schemes well. Their fullback (Drake Snyder) is a heck of a player. It probably helped a little bit when he went out of the game, just for us to kind of dictate the line of scrimmage a little more.”
Middleville showed just how strong it is running the football when it mounted an 11-play, 73-yard scoring drive on the first possession of the game. Quarterback Grant Middleton capped the drive when he ran in for a touchdown from two-yards out halfway through the opening quarter.
South Christian tied the game late in the first quarter. With Middleville bottled up deep in its own territory, Jake Vermaas intercepted a Trojan pass giving South good field position inside the Middleville 20-yard line. A few plays later Drew Bruinsma took a pitch from South quarterback Carson Vis and rambled into the end zone from 14-yards out
Trojans up 14-7 at the half
Middleville regained the lead late in the first half. Again, the Trojans mounted a long drive. Covering 73 yards, the Trojans capped the scoring drive by going to the air as Middleton hooked up with Snyder for a seven-yard touchdown pass. Hayden Chatman added the point after giving Middleville a 14-7 halftime lead.
South responded to the score on the opening drive of the second half. Relying on their own ground game, the Sailors drove the ball down to the Middleville 7-yard line where Vis connected with Austin Tiesma for a touchdown pass cutting the margin to 14-13. South, however, missed the point after.
Trojans up 20-13 in the third
Middleville answered the South score with a scoring drive of its own on the next possession. Starting out at its own 45-yard line, the Trojans moved the ball 55 yards on nine plays. Brody Wiersma capped the scoring drive by running in from 24-yards out. Middleville, however, missed the extra point leaving the Trojans with a 20-13 lead.
South Christian goes ahead 21-20 in the fourth
Facing a touchdown deficit late in the third quarter, the South Christian offense again stepped up. Starting out on their own 35-yard line, the Sailors mounted an 11-play scoring drive that went into the fourth quarter. Mixing the pass and run, the Sailors drove down to the Middleville 4-yard line. At third down at the 4, Vis scrambled in the face of a Middleville pass rush and found Vermaas for a touchdown pass. Down by one point, the Sailors elected to go for the two-point conversion. South pulled a trick out of its bag on the play as Vermaas took the ball on a double reverse and completed a pass to Tyler Brinks in the corner of the end zone giving South a 21-20 lead.
With the lead, the Sailors put the game in the hands of its defense. Making adjustments throughout the game, the Sailor defenders slowed down the Middleville ground game. They forced the Trojans into a three-and-out and then turned Middleville over on downs late in the fourth quarter.
Sailors get insurance score late in the game
South added some insurance points late in the game. With 2:14 remaining, Vis ran in for a touchdown from eight-yards out. The Sailors then added another two-point conversion when Vis connected with James VanderArk on a pass play.
“This was a great team win,” Brown said. “I challenged the guys at halftime. I told them we have to make some positive plays. We had to make them (Middleville) doubt themselves and what they had going on. Our kids just stepped up in the second half.
“The kids got the stops we needed and the two-point conversion was a big play.”
With the win against Middleville keeping their record clean, the Sailors face Catholic Central in the showdown for the league title.
“We’re excited about the game,” Brown said. “It will be fun. We are both undefeated and they are obviously a very good program. It is one of those special games that the kids will remember 20 years from now.”
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
WKTV Game of the Week Remaining Schedule
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
South Christian’s Carson Vis completed 11-of-13 passes for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He added 28 yards rushing and two touchdown runs. (Courtesy, Louis Murray)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
South Christian continued to roll in the OK Gold Conference as the Sailors defeated Cedar Springs 45-23 to run its conference record to 4-0.
South Christian finished the game with 400 yards total offense. Quarterback Carson Vis was nearly flawless throwing the ball as he completed 11-of-13 passes for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jake Vermaas caught five passes for 98 yards and a score, while Noah Funk grabbed a pair of passes for 79 yards and a score. Sam Weiss caught two passes for 70 yards.
The Sailors struck early and often in the game as they scored more than 40 points for the third time in four conference games this season. South Christian scored the first points of the game on their opening possession when Vis connected with Funk on a 67-yard touchdown pass. Drew Bruinsma tacked on the point after giving the Sailors an early 7-0 lead.
South doubled the lead later in the opening quarter. This time the Sailors used the ground game to put points on the board as Jackson Haik broke loose for a 52-yard touchdown run. Bruinsma added the extra point for a 14-0 lead.
Cedar Springs got on the board with a 44-yard touchdown run from Dylan LaFontsee cutting the Sailor lead in half at 14-7.
The Sailor offense continued to churn out the points in the second quarter. Bruinsma began the scoring in the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal. Vis then ran for a touchdown from two yards out giving the Sailors a 24-7 lead after Bruinsma tacked on the extra point.
South Christian led 31-15 at halftime
The two teams wrapped up the first half exchanging touchdowns. Cedar Springs scored on a touchdown pass and added a two-point conversion. South Christian quickly answered that score when Jackson Haik returned the ensuing kickoff 93-yards for a touchdown giving South a 31-15 halftime lead.
South Christian’s Jake Vermaas caught five passes for 98 yards and a score, while Noah Funk caught a pair of passes for 79 yards and a score and Sam Weiss grabbed two passes for 70 yards. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
South Christian extended its lead to 38-15 in the third. The Sailor passing game provided the points when Vis hooked up with Vermaas on a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Cedar Springs added a score in the third quarter on a 22-yard touchdown run by Marek Oleneack. The Red Hawks tacked on the two-point conversion to cut the Sailor advantage to 38-23.
South Christian closed out the scoring in the fourth with a two-yard touchdown run by Vis.
On the ground, Haik carried the ball nine times for 94 yards and a touchdown. Vis added 28 yards rushing and two touchdown runs.
The Sailor defense was led by Benjamin Mulder who totaled 10 tackles and one tackle for loss. Luke DeJager added seven tackles, one quarterback sack and a pair of tackles for loss. Mitchell Lindhout and Austin Tiesma both added six tackles, while Tiesma added a sack and tackle for loss.
South Christian returns to action next Friday when it hosts Thornapple Kellogg for the WKTV Game of the Week before traveling to Catholic Central on Friday, Oct. 13 for the conference showdown with the league title possibly on the line.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok passed for 310 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for another. (Courtesy, Shafi Subhan)
By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
In front of a large crowd of alumni and fans, including 65 former homecoming kings and queens, the Lee Legends outscored Eau Claire 38-24 on Saturday afternoon in 8-player football.
Junior quarterback Anthony Blok once again led the explosive Lee offense, throwing for 310 yards and four touchdowns and adding another on the ground. He used his speed to extend multiple drives as well.
The Beavers strike first
Eau Claire opened the game with a score on its first drive to grab a quick 8-0 lead.
“We started off slow,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall, whose team improved to 4-2 overall, 1-2 in the Southwest Michigan 8-Man Football League – Blue. “They jumped out ahead of us early in the game.”
On the final play of the first quarter, Blok connected deep with sophomore Aiden Merriweather to get to the one-yard line. The Legends couldn’t capitalize as Blok’s pass was tipped and intercepted in the end zone.
The Legends used multiple defensive stops to stave off the Beavers in the second quarter.
“We were able to hold them until the offense could get going,” Marshall said.
Legends heat up near halftime
Lee’s Clarence Lewis in an earlier game this season. (Courtesy, Diego Jeronimo)
The offense showed signs of life near the end of the first half as Clarence Lewis ripped off big gains and capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to tie the game 8-8 going into halftime.
Lewis finished with 94 yards rushing, 85 yards receiving and two scores.
“He’s everything to us,” said Marshall, of his senior running back. “He’s our emotional and vocal leader. The guy we lean on when we need a play.”
Big second half for Lee
The Legends exploded for 30 points in the second half.
Sophomore Aiden Merriweather was the favorite target for Blok on the afternoon, reeling in five catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Charles Davis collected 74 yards and a touchdown.
Strong defensive stand to finish
The Legends needed a defensive stand late in the fourth quarter and stuffed the Beavers on a 4th and 1 with 1:31 left on the clock.
“The 4th and 1 stop was huge for us,” Marshall said. “I felt like we grew up in this game as a coaching staff and a team.”
The Legends travel to New Buffalo (4-2) next Friday.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. To watch the WKTV Game of the Week online, visit WKTVVideos on Youtube.
WKTV Game of the Week Remaining Schedule
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream.
WKTV Game of the Week Remaining Schedule
Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
Check out our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights above, for clips of many of the local high school football teams in Kentwood and Wyoming.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream.
WKTV Game of the Week Truck Schedule
Friday, Sept. 22 (7 p.m.) Union at Wyoming
Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
After a long summer break our WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back!
Check out the above video for highlights of all the local high school football games in Kentwood and Wyoming from Friday night. WKTV attended all the local games in our viewing area to get these clips just for you.
We were at Kenowa Hills vs. South Christian (the WKTV Game of the Week), East Kentwood at Hudsonville, Wyoming at Zeeland West, Kelloggsville at Comstock Park, Godwin Heights at Sparta and Lee at Tri-unity.
WKTV Game of the Week
Year after year, our high-tech WKTV Game of the Week truck films one game each week, which includes two play-by-play announcers, a field announcer and various camera angles with slow motion replays to capture all those great plays for your viewing pleasure.
Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream.
WKTV Game of the Week Truck Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 31 (7 p.m.) Byron Center at East Kentwood
Friday, Sept. 8 (7 p.m.) Kenowa Hills at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Sept. 15 (7 p.m.) Grand Rapids Sacred Heart at Lee
Friday, Sept. 22 (7 p.m.) Union at Wyoming
Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights
Friday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.) TK at South Christian (EK Falcon Stadium)
Friday, Oct. 13 (7 p.m.) Holland at Wyoming
Friday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.) West Ottawa at East Kentwood
The Tri-Unity Defenders forced multiple turnovers and stood stout on a late fourth quarter drive to give Lee their first loss of the season in a 28-24 nail-biter on Friday night.
The Legends got off to an early 18-0 lead before the Defenders put up their first score shortly before halftime.
Lee controlled the Defender’s defense with the run game as Clarence Lewis rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Lewis also caught two balls for 80 yards.
A week after throwing a school-record seven touchdown passes, Legends quarterback Anthony Blok threw for 143 yards and one touchdown and added 77 and a score on the ground.
The key turning points in the game were two costly interceptions by Blok. The first one was caught by Tri-unity’s Zach Tuinstra as he dragged a host of Legends for a couple of yards afterward. Trey Rillema would add the second interception later on.
Tri-unity Coach Tim Heath noted though they came in with an 0-2 record, he has a good football team.
“We believe that we are a good football team,” Heath said. “We played a great Marcellus team and a NorthPointe Christian team that is almost four times our size. We just needed to keep the faith and execute. It was shaky at first, but a great night for our team.”
Quarterback Vergel Heath led the Defenders.
“It really starts with our QB Vergel Heath,” Coach Heath said. “He came out determined towards the end of the second quarter and started to run physically. This sparked us.”
The Defenders also used a fourth-quarter fumble to score what would be the game-winning touchdown. The touchdown drive was led by Defenders backup quarterback Clayton Rowlader as he relieved starter Heath after an injury.
Game ends with Defenders stopping Lee near goal line
The game’s final drive started at the Lee 27-yard line with over six minutes left. The Legends controlled the clock and got to the Defenders 8-yard line with less than a minute remaining to set up the game’s final play. On fourth-and-4, the Legends came up a yard short to end the game.
“Mistakes killed us tonight,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall. “Penalties, two interceptions, mental mistakes. Ball security and execution. We had a bad week of practice; a few guys were dinged up. We lost our starting safety Jaden Potts to a concussion.”
Coach Heath: “Hats off to Lee”
“They are greatly improved and played tough,” added Heath, who also coached at Lee from 2008-09. “They were great. We just made plays down the stretch.”
Tri-unity (1-2) hosts St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic next week, while the Legends (2-1) host Grand Rapids Sacred Heart in the WKTV Game of the Week.
The South Christian offense lines up against the Kenowa Hills defense during Friday’s OK Gold season opener. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
A week after suffering a stinging non-conference defeat to East Grand Rapids on the final play of the game, the South Christian Sailors opened OK Gold Conference play in a big way with a 49-28 victory against Kenowa Hills.
South Christian struck fast and struck big against the Knights with a dazzling display of offense. The Sailors wasted little time in shaking off any lingering effects of last Friday’s loss to East as Charlie Schreur returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown giving South a 7-0 lead just seconds into the game.
“I think the big thing was to just move on and get back to work,” South Christian Coach Danny Brown said. “We just had to get back to the basics. We had to focus on the things that we can control and move on from that game. This is a resilient group and they did everything we asked of them this week.”
Tied at 7 early
Although the Sailors grabbed the early lead, the young Kenowa Hills squad came to play and came at South the full 48 minutes. Kenowa tied the game midway through the first quarter when it capitalized on a South Christian turnover deep in Sailor territory to knot it at 7-7.
South quickly regained the lead on the next possession when quarterback Carson Vis hooked up with Jake Vermaas on a 17-yard scoring pass that capped a five-play, 60-yard drive.
Vis to Vermaas clicking
The Vis to Vermaas connection clicked the entire game. Vis, who entered the game completing 77 percent of his passing attempts, turned in another stellar performance as he completed 14-of-19 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns.
Vermaas, who entered the game with 10 receptions for 247 yards this season, added to that total by hauling in eight passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Together, the Vis to Vermaas connection has accounted for six touchdown passes through the first three games of the season.
“I think that it helps that they play a lot of sports together,” Brown said. “Whether it’s football or basketball, they compete in different sports together and they have formed a natural quarterback/wide receiver connection.”
While Vermaas has developed into the top target for Vis, the Sailor junior quarterback has plenty of other options to go to. Jackson Haik hauled in three passes for 113 yards against the Knights, while Noah Funk caught two balls for 43 yards and Sam Weiss two receptions for 31.
Sophomore quarterback Kayd Coffman also got in on the action as he completed two of his three passes for 51 yards.
On the ground, Schreur carried the ball six times for 38 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.
Up 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, South Christian added to its lead with a pair of second quarter touchdowns. Those scores came on 25 and seven-yard touchdown passes from Vis to Vermaas.
South stretched the lead to 35-7 midway through the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Scheur.
Kenowa cuts the margin
Kenowa battled back and answered with a pair of touchdowns of its own to cut the margin to 35-21 before Vis hooked up with Haik on an 80-yard touchdown pass giving the Sailors a 42-21 lead. The two teams then traded touchdowns in the final minutes of the game.
Cam VanSolkema leads defense
Defensively, South Christian senior defensive lineman Cam VanSolkema led with three tackles, three assisted tackles and two tackles for a loss.
The South Christian defense huddles up with coaches on the sidelines during Friday’s game against Kenowa Hills. Cam VanSolkema (77) led the Sailors on defense. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
“South Christian football is going on its 59th year or so and Cam is the first player to be a four-year varsity starter,” Brown said. “Obviously, he has a ton of experience. He put in a lot of hard work in the off-season. He is a really strong player and has great fundamentals and technique and knows how to play with his hands.”
The Sailors defense also received strong efforts from Tyler Brinks with five tackles, two assists, a sack and one tackle for loss, Ben Mulder, four tackles, four assists and one tackle for loss, Austin Tiesma, three tackles, three assists and one tackle for loss and Vermaas with an interception.
With the win, the Sailors improved to 2-1 for the season, and return to action next week when they head to 3-0 Forest Hills Eastern.
On a perfect evening for football, South Christian and East Grand Rapids hooked up for a classic that came down to the final play of the game.
The two long-time area football powerhouses gave fans more than their money’s worth in the contest before East Grand Rapids tallied a touchdown on the final play giving the Pioneers a 23-21 win.
“Obviously, it was not the outcome we wanted to have, but this was a heck of a high school football game,” said South Christian Coach Danny Brown. “You had two very good football teams battle it out to the end. Both teams had guys making plays the entire game. It came down to the final play and East ended up making one more play than we did.”
South Christian quarterback Carson Vis breaks free during Friday’s game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
The deciding play of the game came on the final snap with two seconds remaining. That was when East Grand Rapids quarterback Carson Thornton dropped back to pass from the South Christian 30-yard line and lofted one to the corner of the goal line where Ian MacKeigan hauled in the ball in front of a pair of defenders and fell into the end zone just inside the pylon.
The touchdown capped off a five-play drive in the final 28 seconds that snatched the game away from the Sailors. East received the kickoff at their own 37-yard line and completed four short passes to move the ball down to South’s 30 and in position to win the game on the final play.
Sailors appeared headed for a win
South Christian appeared to have won the game when they scored a touchdown with 28 seconds left. Sailor quarterback Carson Vis put the Sailors up when he ran in from eight yards out giving South a 21-17 lead. The touchdown capped a thrilling four-play, 59-yard drive that began with just 55 seconds remaining in the game.
The highlight of the drive was a 33-yard pass from Vis to Jake Vermaas that gave the Sailors a first down at the East 17-yard line with 36 seconds remaining. South also needed to drive the ball without the benefit of a timeout as they depleted their timeouts on the previous drive when the Sailor defense forced East into a three-and-out.
South needed its defense to come up with the crucial stand after the East defense came up with a big stop of its own. That was when East defensive back Glenn Green intercepted a tipped pass at the Pioneer 18-yard line to short circuit a South Christian drive with 2:04 remaining in the game.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Brown said. “They could’ve given up, but they didn’t back down. They made that defensive stand and got the ball back for our offense. They stepped up and gave our offense a chance.”
EGR strikes first
East Grand Rapids scored the first points of the game late in the opening quarter when Will Cannon capped a 14-play, 54-yard drive when he kicked a 36-yard field goal.
South Christian countered those points on the ensuing drive. The Sailors drove 80 yards in nine plays for a score coming on a picture-perfect 34-yard pass play from Vis to Vermaas. Nick Logan tacked on the extra point giving the Sailors a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Those were the lone points of the first half as both defenses came up with big stops to end drives in the second quarter.
The South Christian defense lines up to defend against East Grand Rapids. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)
The third quarter saw both teams score on lengthy touchdown drives. East received the kickoff in the third quarter and embarked on a 12-play, 65-yard drive that involved all running plays. Scott Millman capped the drive, that totaled six minutes and 45 seconds, by running in from six-yards out putting the Pioneers up 10-7.
South responded with a touchdown drive of their own. Starting on their own 22-yard line, the Sailors drove 78 yards in eight plays. Vis capped the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run giving the Sailors a 14-10 lead.
The East offense answered that score on the following possession. Again, relying on their running game, East drove 89 yards in nine plays. Millman again capped the drive as he barged into the end zone from two-yards out putting East up 17-14 with 7:38 remaining in the game after the point after and setting up the game for the dramatic ending.
“We are going to use this game to fuel us,” Brown said. “I told the guys not to let this loss define our season. We have to use this game to find out where we are a little light. East is a very good football team and we are going to have more close games this season.”
South Christian returns to action Friday when it hosts Kenowa Hills in the WKTV Game of the Week during the opening week of OK Gold Conference action.
Last week, Clarence Lewis led the Legends with a big five touchdown game. This week, quarterback Anthony Blok took it to the next level with a school record seven TD passes in a 58-34 win over Calvin Christian in Grandville High School’s stadium.
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Blok completed 15-of-25 passes for 419 yards in the win.
“He is a strong thrower, and has gotten a lot better this year,” said Lee Coach Lamar Marshall of his second-year captain. “With his throwing ability and his leadership, he has been our vocal leader on the offensive end. He has taken that and run with it.”
After going winless in 2022, the Legends are now on a different path at 2-0.
“They are locked in, they’re excited,” Marshall said. “They have bought into what me and my coaches have been preaching this year. It’s been beautiful.”
Marshall said his team was working on execution all week in practice leading up to the game.
“We were hammering executing all week and we executed great today,” Marshall said. “Offensively, it was one of the best games we’ve had since I’ve been here.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the guys today. They executed flawlessly.”
The teams traded scores in the first half and Lee took a 30-28 lead into halftime.
“In the first half we were back and forth, trading touchdowns, but we took control in the second half.”
Merriweather, Lewis and Davis
Wide receiver Aidan Merriweather scored four touchdowns (8 catches for 196 yards), while Lewis added two rushing and one receiving. Charles Davis had two receiving TDs as well (three catches for 160 yards).
Marshall said Lewis was his “glue guy.”
“He makes us stick together and is always encouraging the guys to be better the next play and forget about the last play. He doesn’t let them dwell on the last play. His senior leadership has been a bright spot.”
“The leadership from the players has been one of the brightest spots that we’ve had this year … keeping the spirits up and not yelling at each other and arguing when someone messes up. It’s a great thing to see the way they are all stepping up.”
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back Sept. 8!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Check out our WKTV highlights from East Kentwood’s game against Byron Center Thursday night.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back on Sept. 8!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Check out our WKTV highlights from Godwin Heights game against Orchard View Thursday night.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back on Sept. 8!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
The Rockets quick start on Thursday night was extinguished by Laingsburg as the visiting Wolfpack left with a 35-7 victory.
Kelloggsville senior QB Jeremie Tsoumou broke several tackles on an electrifying 50-yard TD run on the game’s opening drive.
Senior QB Jeremie Tsoumou scored on a 50-yard TD run. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“Couldn’t have asked for a better start,” Kelloggsville Coach Brandon Branch said. “Our guys fought hard throughout the game.”
The Rockets were 1-8 a season ago and are off to an 0-2 start this season. Despite the tough start to the season, Branch sees improvement in both the effort and overall depth of their program.
“Last year, I feel like during a game like this we might have packed it in,” Branch said. “But our guys refused to back down and kept fighting.
“We had our opportunities tonight and I don’t believe the final score was indicative of how we played.”
Kelloggsville kicks off the OK Silver portion of its schedule as they head to Comstock Park next Friday to face the Panthers.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back on Sept. 8!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
No, basketball season didn’t start three months early, but any fan looking at the final score of South Christian’s football season-opener Friday against Grand Rapids Christian could’ve been forgiven if they thought a basketball game took place.
The two long-time rivals combined for 108 total points, with South Christian scoring a school record 66 points in a 66-42 win over Grand Rapids Christian.
To put it into perspective, South Christian and Ferndale combined for 82 points in last season’s Division 2 basketball state championship game.
South Christian quarterback Carson Vis missed last year’s basketball title game after suffering a pair of broken wrists during the state tournament, but the junior was at full strength on the football field Friday. Vis, making his first varsity start at quarterback, put up some dazzling numbers as he completed 12-of-14 passes for 326 yards and six touchdowns as well as running for 57 yards and a score.
South Christian quarterback Carson Vis. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
“Carson was phenomenal,” South Christian coach Danny Brown said. “You couldn’t ask for a better performance for a kid that hadn’t started a varsity game before. I was very happy with the way he played.”
Vis and the Sailors came out hitting on all cylinders. Vis tossed a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes to Jake Vermaas giving the Sailors an early 12-0 lead. Vermaas then increased the lead to 18-0 as he returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter.
“Jake had a great game,” said Brown, whose Sailors won a fourth state championship last year. “He scored our first three touchdowns. He caught touchdown passes on our first two possessions and he returned a punt for a touchdown for our third touchdown. He is an all-world receiver for us.”
Vermaas finished the game with four receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns and also added an interception on defense.
James VanderArk also turned in a big game at receiver for the Sailors. VanderArk caught three passes for 114 yards and two scores. He caught a 21-yard touchdown pass form Vis in the second quarter that upped the South lead to 24-7. VanderArk also hauled in a 66-yard scoring strike late in the third quarter that put the Sailors up 50-21.
“We have a lot of good receivers,” Brown said. “We have a lot of good receivers and that can make it comfortable for our quarterback.”
Austin Tiesma and Tanner Raak also caught touchdown passes for the Sailors. Tiesma caught two passes for 53 yards during the game, while Raak caught one pass for 33 yards.
South Christian wide receiver Jake Vermaas. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
The depth at wide receiver is even more impressive considering Vis was one of South’s top receivers last season. With last year’s starting quarterback Jake DeHaan having graduated last spring, Vis was switched to quarterback, a position that is not unfamiliar for him.
“Carson played quarterback in our youth program and was the quarterback of the freshman team his freshman season,” Brown said. “Last year, Jake DeHaan was a third-year quarterback for us so we moved Carson to wide receiver. Carson was our backup quarterback late last year after our backup quarterback went down with an injury, but he didn’t get many reps at quarterback.”
The wrist breaks during basketball also delayed his transition to quarterback some in the off-season, but the Sailors expected him to be healthy and ready to go once camp started.
“The broken wrists were scary, but the way Carson attacked his rehab was phenomenal,” Brown said. “He was cleared to practice well early before camp. He recovered quickly and it was not a concern. The unique thing about Carson is he competes the year-round. With a lot of quarterbacks, you worry about their first varsity start, but with Carson it’s like another day at the office.”
Vis also showed his ability to provide impact plays with his feet as his seven-yard touchdown run before halftime put the Sailors up 36-14.
The two teams traded touchdowns back and forth during the second half. South Christian’s offense tacked on four touchdowns during the second half, while the Grand Rapids Christian offense also tallied four touchdowns.
South Christian running back Charles Schreur, who rushed for 71 yards, added a touchdown during the second half, while Coleson Fennema also ran in for a touchdown.
“There was a lot of scoring,” Brown said. “Both sides have a lot of explosive players. I thought we started out playing physical on defense and got them in some bad spots. To their (Grand Rapids Christian) credit, they came out with a couple of explosive plays in the second half. They also got into a good rhythm in the second half.
“It’s always good to start the season 1-0. I’m definitely happy for the kids. We played so well on offense and had some defensive lapses. As a head coach, you have to look at the big picture. At the end of the day we are excited to be 1-0.”
South Christian returns to action Friday when it hosts East Grand Rapids at East Kentwood Falcon Stadium.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back this week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Rylan and Matthias Granderson handle the left side of the offensive line. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
By Zach Fanko
WKTV Contributor
The opening kickoff of the season didn’t go according to plan for East Kentwood, as Hartland returned it all the way back for a touchdown putting the Falcons in an early 7-0 hole on Thursday.
Definitely not how EK wanted to start their season, but the team remained focused and poised according to East Kentwood Coach Tony Kimbrough.
“I turned to our sideline and told the team it’s just one score,” Kimbrough said. “When something like that happens you have two options, let it bring you down or have it bring us together.
“To our credit we remained poised and confident in the game plan.”
East Kentwood quarterback Casey Joppie. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Senior QB Casey Joppie, in his third season as the starter, led the Falcons right back down the field to even the game at seven apiece.
EK’s defense was stout throughout, allowing just a field goal the rest of the half as the Falcons enjoyed a 28-10 advantage at halftime. Senior LB/RB Stellan Bowman, who previously committed to the University of Ohio, is expected to have a big year after earning All-State honors a season ago.
“He’s a big part of what we do defensively,” Kimbrough said. “His experience and never-ending motor is a huge asset for us.”
With severe weather effecting most of the state on Thursday, the EK-Hartland matchup was not immune to the storms rolling through Michigan as the game was postponed in the third quarter and later declared final in favor of the Falcons 35-10.
“There was a chance to finish the game, but we came to a mutual decision that it was best to call it a game,” Kimbrough said. “Very pleased with our team’s effort to open the season.”
East Kentwood (1-0) will have a stiffer challenge next week as they host Byron Center (1-0) in WKTV’s Game of the Week on Thursday Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs downed Battle Creek Central 55-14 in their opener. Byron Center finished the 2022 season at 7-3 and qualified for the state playoffs.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back this week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
As the temperatures and heat indexes rise over the next 24 hours, many local high schools are debating whether to change starting times for their football season openers on Thursday, and even changing the dates to Friday.
Kelloggsville Athletic Director Carl Roscoe just notified WKTV that the Rockets have changed their Thursday game time from 7 to 8 p.m. Kelloggsville hosts Grant in their season opener.
East Kentwood Co-Athletic Director David Emeott said the Falcons have moved their freshman game to 7 p.m. tonight, followed by JV. The games will use a running clock with only a five-minute halftime.
South Christian Athletic Director David Kool said there JV game has been moved to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Caledonia.
Heat indexes are over 100 degrees in many areas of Grand Rapids today and are forecast to be that high again Thursday afternoon, according to The Weather Channel.
Check out the below guidelines on heat and heat indexes from the MHSAA website.
Managing heat and humidity policy
Thirty minutes prior to the start of an activity, and again 60 minutes after the start of that activity, take temperature and humidity readings at the site of the activity. Using a digital sling psychrometer is recommended. Record the readings in writing and maintain the information in files of school administration. Each school is to designate whose duties these are: generally the athletic director, head coach or certified athletic trainer.
Factor the temperature and humidity into a Heat Index Calculator and Chart to determine the Heat Index. If a digital sling psychrometer is being used, the calculation is automatic.
If the Heat Index is below 95 degrees:
All Sports
Provide ample amounts of water. This means that water should always be available and athletes should be able to take in as much water as they desire.
Optional water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration.
Ice-down towels for cooling.
Watch/monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.
If the Heat Index is 95 degrees to 99 degrees:
All Sports
Provide ample amounts of water. This means that water should always be available and athletes should be able to take in as much water as they desire.
Optional water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration.
Ice-down towels for cooling.
Watch/monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.
Contact sports and activities with additional equipment:
Helmets and other possible equipment removed while not involved in contact.
Reduce time of outside activity. Consider postponing practice to later in the day.
Recheck temperature and humidity every 30 minutes to monitor for increased Heat Index.
If the Heat Index is above 99 degrees to 104 degrees:
All Sports
Provide ample amounts of water. This means that water should always be available and athletes should be able to take in as much water as they desire.
Mandatory water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration.
Ice-down towels for cooling.
Watch/monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.
Alter uniform by removing items if possible.
Allow for changes to dry T-shirts and shorts.
Reduce time of outside activity as well as indoor activity if air conditioning is unavailable.
Postpone practice to later in the day.
Contact sports and activities with additional equipment
Helmets and other possible equipment removed if not involved in contact or necessary for safety.
If necessary for safety, suspend activity.
Recheck temperature and humidity every 30 minutes to monitor for increased Heat Index.
If the Heat Index is above 104 degrees:
All Sports
Stop all outside activity in practice and/or play, and stop all inside activity if air conditioning is unavailable.
Note: When the temperature is below 80 degrees there is no combination of heat and humidity that will result in need to curtail activity.
With a blend of talented veterans and promising young players, the East Kentwood football team is primed to contend for the top spot in the OK Red, annually one of the strongest football conferences in the state.
East Kentwood has a deep and experienced squad with plenty of depth along both lines, the backfield and the skill positions. Many of the veterans were part of last year’s squad that turned in a 5-5 overall record and qualified for the state playoffs. All five of Kentwood’s losses came against teams that qualified for the playoffs including two against Rockford and defeats against Caledonia and Muskegon who both reached state championship games last season.
“I think we should be very competitive this season,” said East Kentwood coach Tony Kimbrough. “We have a good returning class of seniors, a good group of juniors and a couple of talented sophomores who will contribute this year. We’re looking pretty good. I think we can be in every game and have the opportunity to win but we will need to stay healthy.”
Senior QB Casey Joppie. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Offensively, the Falcons welcome back senior quarterback Casey Joppie (6-foot-1, 195 pounds). A three-year varsity player, Joppie has a strong arm and makes good decisions with the ball.
“Casey has started for us the last four years,” Kimbrough said. “He definitely can throw it and put the ball in tight quarters. He makes good decisions with the ball and does not turn it over.”
When Joppie puts the ball in the air he has a talented cast of options to throw to. Shamar White is a returning starter at wide receiver while Kendrick Nou is another senior veteran. Senior standout Stellan Bowman will see action at H-back while senior Jaret Tate and sophomore Aaron Cobb are a pair of talents at tight end.
“We are pretty loaded at the receiver spots,” Kimbrough said. “We also have a host of talented underclassmen who have good size and speed.”
The Falcons also have plenty of options at running back. Seniors Elisee Kanda and Savontes Scott and junior Elijah Jones offer a blend of speed and size running the ball.
Rylan and Matthias Granderson handle the left side of the offensive line.(WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Paving the way for the Falcons is a big and talented group of offensive linemen. Sophomore center Charlie Nichols was brought up to the varsity as a freshman and started the last four games for the Falcons. Nichols has made so much progress that he is a team captain in just his sophomore season. The left side of the line is handled by the Granderson brothers. Senior Rylan Granderson (6-3, 310) lines up at left tackle with junior Matthias Granderson (6-2, 264) stationed at left guard. At right guard, the Falcons have junior Andrew Durr and Kalib Sanders with Justin Negron stepping in at right tackle.
“We have a solid rotation of seven guys up front,” Kimbrough said. “We have some returning players and a host of juniors that will play a role. We can play up to eight guys on the offensive line and that depth is a great thing to have.”
With the depth they have, look for the Falcons to run a balanced offense with the ability to run or throw the ball with equal success to keep opposing defenses off balance.
East Kentwood senior Stellan Bowman, LB. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
On defense, the Falcons have several starters returning. Senior Stellan Bowman (6-1, 220) anchors the defense from his linebacking position. A returning all-state player, Bowman committed to the University of Ohio during the summer. Bowman leads a solid group of linebackers that include Cobb and Nouha Diaite.
Lining up in front of the linebackers is a deep and strong group of defensive linemen. The Falcons plan to rotate six or seven defensive linemen to keep a fresh group on the field. Among the defensive linemen to watch for are nose tackle Mike Zua, junior Devaughtae Greely (6-1, 255), junior Shawn DeLano, Kalib Sanders and Rylan Granderson.
The Falcons also boast plenty of talent in the defensive backfield. Kanda returns at a cornerback position with White lining up at the field cornerback spot. A pair of starters graduated at the safety positions so the Falcons will have some new but talented starters. Juniors Gabe Wolf and James Johnson bring a solid skill set to the field at the safety spots.
“We’re pretty excited about the defensive side of the field,” Kimbrough said.
East Kentwood senior Elisee Kanda, CB. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
The Falcons open the season Thursday when they travel to Hartland. Kentwood then squares off against Byron Center for the first WKTV Game of the Week before beginning conference play in Week Three.
“Our schedule is loaded every year,” Kimbrough said.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Counting on results from a great summer session plus depth at the linemen position, Kelloggsville Coach Brandon Branch is planning on moving the program forward this season.
“I expect our program to take some steps forward this season,” said Branch, whose Rockets finished 1-5 in the OK Silver and 1-8 overall last year. “We have had excellent summer participation and will see the results of that effort.
“We have a large group of linemen, the largest by number we have ever had. Depth at a position creates competition which will lead to a tough O-Line and D-Line.”
Kelloggsville Season Opener: At home against Grant on Thursday, Aug. 24 (7 p.m.)
“I am expecting a hard-fought game against Grant,” Branch said. “We have been preparing for them all summer so I don’t think our guys will be surprised by anything Grant will throw at us.
“My guys will be tough and fight to the end. It’s going to be a great start to our season.”
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Godwin Heights Coach Brandon Kimble said he felt last year could have been a six – or seven-win season for the football team if they executed down the stretch.
“We are focused on execution and finishing all four quarters,” said Kimble, whose team finished 3-3 in the OK Silver last season, 4-5 overall. “We lost a couple close games last year.
Keion Beasley. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Jace Reid-Anderson. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“We were really banged up during the Calvin game finishing the year, so we are excited to be back healthy.”
Keion Beasley is tapped to fill the shoes of standout quarterback Jamarion Collins, who graduated last year.
“We are really excited to have Keion take over and lead us at the QB position,” Kimble said.
Jace Reid-Anderson returns and “will be a key piece at WR/DB.”
Other Key Players
“Miguel Ocampo will be top of the list of players we are expecting to have a great year at DB and WR,” Kimble said. “Jeff Zelaya is a returning All-Conference RB that will lead the way for us on the ground. Tellios Moore is another skill position we expect to have a great year.”
Jeff Zelaya. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“Up front, Patrick Knight, Diego Revolorio, Johlahn Thomas and Antione Jones are the guys that will lead us offensively and defensively.”
Godwin Heights Season Opener: At Mason County Central on Thursday, Aug. 24 (7 p.m.)
“We are excited to travel to Mason County and battle a tough-run, heavy team,” Kimble said. “This will be a game that will be won in the trenches. The team that is able to establish the line of scrimmage will win the game.”
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
Though the Lee Legends finished their first full season in the Southwestern Michigan 8-Man Football League (Tier 2) with an 0-6 record, they enter the 2023 season with a wealth of experience and understanding of the game.
The Legends return everyone but one player, graduate Elijah Beckwith. Worth noting, the team grew in numbers from 19 to 25 over last year.
In his second season leading the team, Lee Coach Lamar Marshall is excited to build off the experience they gained last year.
Lee quarterback Anthony Blok. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“They understand the game a lot better,” said Marshall, whose team finished 0-9 overall last season. “During chalk talk, they even correct me sometimes.”
Marshall has stressed the importance of execution to his players.
“If we don’t execute, we will be our own worst enemy this year.”
Junior Anthony Blok returns as the quarterback of the Legends, but has freshman Jayden Sanchez nipping at his heels.
“Anthony will bring a lot to our run game, and his deep ball is pretty good and has gotten even better during off-season workouts,” said Marshall, who had many positive thoughts about his freshman quarterback as well. “Jayden Sanchez is going to be the future of Lee football. He’s smart and can manage our short passing game.
Lee Football Coach Lamar Marshall. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
“This quarterback battle has made them both a lot better.”
Sanchez isn’t the only newcomer to the Legends roster.
Fresh from the basketball team
Two of the new faces are from the basketball court. Clarence Lewis and Jaden Potts move to the gridiron after helping the Legends basketball team secure their first conference title in 43 years last winter.
Lewis jumps into his new role as the starting running back, while Potts makes his impact felt on the defensive side of the ball.
Marshall and defensive coordinator Damion Gregory have created a hybrid safety/linebacker position for Potts called the “Rebel” position.
“He can tackle with the best … he’s very smart, one of the smartest kids I have ever coached,” Marshall said. “He can play in the box and coverage both very well.”
Senior cornerback Kam’ron Washington and sophomore wide receiver Aiden Merriweather return to a Legends team that wants to continue the culture change at Lee.
“We are ready to change who we are as a school, change the way people see us,” Washington said.
The Lee Legends kick off the 2023 season on August 24 at Baldwin.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
WKTV was out at South Christian’s football practice last week. Take a look. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
By Zach Fanko
WKTV Contributor
Complacency was the key word that South Christian Coach Danny Brown and several players used during the first week of practice of the 2023 season. Something that this team is aiming to avoid after a perfect season ending in a 28-0 Division 4 state title win over Goodrich, the program’s fourth state championship and first since 2014.
Last year’s team had 22 seniors, including All-State QB Jake DeHaan, WR Seth Ritsma, OL Cam Post, and RB/K Nate Brinks. This year’s team has plenty of seniors as well, including WR/DB Jake Vermaas, who missed the majority of the regular season due to a broken collarbone, but came back during the playoff run. Vermaas capped off the year with a stellar game at Ford Field with over 150 receiving yards and a Pick-6.
Senior WR/DB Jake Vermaas looks to take a new role as a leader. (WKTV/Hayden Passig)
Vermaas talked about his new role as a senior leader on this team.
“The biggest difference for me and some of my teammates has been stepping into that leadership role,” Vermaas said. “That has been an adjustment for some guys and it is going well.
“For us we don’t really want to change a whole lot because we were pretty successful last year.”
South Christian poses with the MHSAA Division 4 state championship trophy last year at Ford Field, where they finished a perfect 14-0 season. (WKTV/Zach Fanko)
Three-way competition under center
DeHaan, who committed to the University of Toledo as a walk-on, utilized both his arm and legs on his way to a Division 4 All-State selection. The Sailors have three potential quarterbacks competing for the starting gig with senior Noah Funk (transfer from Grand Rapids Christian), junior Carson Vis (played WR last season), and sophomore Kayd Coffman who started on the JV team as a freshman last year.
“The goal is to get through these first two weeks of camp and then we have a scrimmage, and then hopefully someone has created some separation,” said Brown, whose Sailors were undefeated at 14-0 last season.
“If no one has then we reevaluate, but that is the goal.”
Passing the torch up front
Another senior looking to pick up where last year’s seniors left off is OL/DL Camren VanSolkema, who was an All-Region selection in Division 4 last season. VanSolkema is one of the players up front hoping to fill the void left by current Ferris State lineman Cam Post.
“This is my fourth year on varsity and I’ve always been an underclassmen,” VanSolkema said. “But now I can follow in the older guys’ footsteps and take care of the younger guys.”
South Christian opens the season August 25 on the road against Grand Rapids Christian.
WKTV Friday Night Highlights show is back next week!
Just like we did during basketball season, every Friday we’ll bring you many great high school football clips from the Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, highlight some top performers and their stats, give final scores, and show a snapshot of the latest conference standings in an exciting 30-minute program.
As a bonus, we’ll have a reporter on the field at the Game of the Week to interview coaches and players for the show and occasionally have them come into our studio for a live interview as well.
You won’t want to miss all our great local coverage. Thanks for tuning in!
