Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time to head to the hardcourt. Here on ninety
six won the game with the only weekly high schools
basketball show in West Michigan.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Packed up high to claimant down the left sideline with
the dribble. That's Levi Stewart over the hat and good
looking a free docks and got it. Dial it up
another trip o'brooks hatt and he's their leading scorer coming
in at twelve points per game. Kicking right side WI pitch.
That's Addison leaving at short and a y pitch. Don't
flying through with a rebound and off the window with
a ballow Marsers went up, lots of contact, got it stripped.
(00:29):
Here comes bond bought in transition for a bread a
Carol the allio slam. That might be your teens. Family
Stores highlight of the game. Pretty basketball there that's going
to afford a CC timeout.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
This is the LMCU Basketball Blitz presented by Lake Michigan
Credit Union and also brought to you by J and
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(01:05):
kent Wood and Holland, MKD Funeral Homes and Meyer. We
open up the.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Show talking a little district preview action and also highlighting
some other teams that you need to catch that are
battling for conference and division championships. Here on this week
six edition of the LMCU Basketball Blitz. Here we are
in the middle of February, and one of the stories
that we've been telling you about, but now we're gonna
take it full circle is Greenville boys basketball and now
(01:34):
in the River City's Alliance. Just one loss on the season.
They are eight and one in conference play, eighteen and
one overall, and their head coaches third season joins us
right now in the Montel Construction Coaches Corner, Joel Visser
and Joel, it's a welcome home for you right growing
up in Rockford and you were a part of that
two thousand and three state championship team that Rams fans
remember under head coach Steve Marley.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
I sure was thanks for having me. Yeah, it's been
a while, but that was a special group, that's for sure.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Coach eighteen and one, it's been an unbelievable year for
you guys, But just talking about through the year now
at the programming, it seems like you guys are taking
a step forward every year. Fourteen wins. Last year you
battled injuries, and here you sit eighteen and one. How
much of last year with so many young guys playing
key roles has carried over and at your success this season.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Like last year was just just a crazy year and
dealing with kind of anything early on that can go
wrong did. But now it's kind of played some dividends
for us because we were so young that we were
forced to kind of grow up in a hurry, and
we were putting some guys in the game that probably
would not have been getting quality you know, varsity time,
(02:41):
so to speak, and we're trying to find an identity.
But our kids were so unselfish. I'd never seen us
move the ball that well and reverse the floor, and
we just kind of became a more patient and a
better basketball team with time because we just we didn't
care who did the scoring, and we were like a
pretty balanced attack and we shot it pretty good, and
we started to find that identity. Is the season just
went on.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
You know, it's funny too, is a place like Greenville.
I know they've struggled a little bit with the football
program and you know, getting into the Okay Conference because
it was different out there. But as you know, they've
got great sports fans, they love to follow. They're kind
of their own little entity, if you will. So I imagined
watching this boys basketball team, and I saw the group
that came over when I was watching you at Cornerstone
during the holiday tournament. It's got to be exciting to
(03:23):
pack that gym, have your kids come out, and the
yellow jacket fans fired up because they remember the angles days.
I mean they remember they're a pretty proud basketball program school.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Well the only game in town and the thing that's
made it great. And you know, I certainly didn't have
a crystal ball or no a lot of this stuff,
but familiar with the area, Like I was excited just
to have an opportunity to you know, move home and
get something started. But we've been down for so long,
like this town and the city is and I tell
the guys all the time, they're dying to get behind
you guys. And there was an article early on about
(03:53):
you know, Greenville and No Man's Land, and we had
a couple guys that you got to get out to
see that can play a little bit with Michael Linquist,
Braiden Latimer, and we've kind of really just embraced that
like blue collar mentality. We play as fast as we
can play. We're trying to put the ball in the bucket,
you know, after a make or dead ball within eight
to ten seconds. And I mean we're picking up and
pressing and playing nine guys out of a rotation, and
(04:15):
we've just kind of morphed into this identity.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
We're talking with Joel Visser, head Boys Basketbach the Greenville
yellow Jackets. This team is eighteen to one as we
head into the stretch run of the season, and Coach,
I want to talk a little bit about your style
of play you just touched on. I mean, you're just
not very big. I mean so much credit to Zeke
Robinett who's basically playing the five for you at six
foot one. How have you guys taken the fact that
you're not very big and like made it an advantage
because that's what I've seen. I mean, you guys just
(04:39):
play fast, you play hard, and it's worked so well.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
We do and we last year started sending all five
guys to the rim offensive rebounding and we call it
tag rebounding, so we send everybody, and you know, whoever
you kind of run into trying to get the ball
then becomes your man going the other way. So we're
switching a lot and then picking up that. Last year
was huge for us because we rebounded on the offensive
(05:02):
class so like forty. So we're finding easier buckets. And
when you're small, you just you got to find ways
to get extra possessions, like we have a goal to take,
you know, attempt three charges of game, get on the
floor when the fifty fifties, Like, we're not big, so
we have to be nitty gritty, and I think our
kids have embraced that. By pressing, we get a couple
more kids into the game that have roles. And I've
(05:24):
played that type of role in two thousand and three,
so I think I really appreciate those kids more than
more than anyone.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
You mentioned No Man's Land and we talked about Okay conference.
You were one of those schools Greenville was that moved
into the River City's Alliance, and I want to ask
you about that because I grew up in rock for
my whole life. And I remember the Try River and
all those and I mean those are natural rivalries, Kenawa Hill,
Cedar Springs, you know, Sparta and so to see that.
Have you guys enjoyed that, as you said at top
(05:53):
right now in basketball? And do the fans enjoy because
a lot of you know, long old timers that have
grown up with Greenville basketball, Like I mentioned, those were
the schools you were playing.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, it's it has been a great move for us.
And I don't say that just because we're having a
good season. It's been a great move for us because
and kudos to our principal and our superintendents and of
those other schools for saying it's the Oka is great,
but it's not for everyone, and for us to go
to like the Black and we're going to be with
Muskegon and Reese Puffer and you're making an hour and
(06:24):
twenty minute drive pass and all these schools that are
similar to us, and so they just branched off and
it's great top to bottom. I mean, it's it's good basketball.
Is it the Oka Red or the Okay White? No?
Probably not top to bottom, we know that, but it's
just a better fit for our community and in the
other communities as well, and it's gone really well well.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Coach, we're talking about we're getting ready for the district
turn when we want to talk to you about it. Obviously,
you're in one of the most difficult districts you could
imagine in Division one. You're eighteen and one, you have
a six seventeen MPR, which is very good, and you
are currently slated to be the three seed because you're
in the same district with Rockford and Miskeigan. So just
tell me your thoughts on the district and just how
you're gonna get your team ready to play when it
(07:08):
comes time for It's not March, it'll be February, but
for the district tournament.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, we haven't had too many of those conversations yet.
The RCA and winning that has kind of been our
goal all year. And then we've talked about playing our
best basketball at the end of February and just getting
a little bit better, one percent better every day and
then we just got to go play. But like at
that point, if we're playing good basketball, we can compete
and play with anyone, and I think our kids believe
(07:34):
that too. But we're gonna have to be really good.
I mean that district is Mona Shores and Cedar, Rockford,
Moskege and Buffer ourselves. It's a lot of good basketball.
I mean, if you can get out of that district,
you can do anything you want. I mean you can
beat and play with anybody. So that's just got to
be our mindset to just go play our basketball. We
(07:56):
don't have to do anything different. We're just gonna have
to refound it well, take care of it, and get
after it. But I don't think the pace of play
is going to surprise us because we've been trying to
play that fast. So we just got to go play well.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Greenville boys basketball coach joined us in one of our
three Montel Construction Coaches corners tonight. Joel Visser and Joel
you mentioned you've spent some time down in Ohio coach
there and then came back. We always love asking coaches
different questions, whether it should we have a shot clock,
should we do this or that? As you've come back,
have you been impressed with the talent individually as well
(08:28):
as team and the coaching that has gone on here
in West Michigan. I mean, it was pretty good when
you left and you went through it with coach Marley,
but I just look at like Jason just said, that
district is just ridiculous with the talent it has.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yeah, it's grand Rabbits has great basketball. I mean, we
really do. I was in the Plato and Date area
and I was in the track coaching with all the
parochial schools that have now combined with the Detroit schools,
it was one of the best conferences there is. And
there's really not a fall off when you come here
to play well coached, there's great players, it's it's a
(09:04):
very similar dynamic coach.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
You know.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
We touched on the fact that you get the Greenville
has struggled a little bit and you guys are you know,
having an amazing run. I look at your program and
I think it's built for the long haul.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
You touched on your juniors and Michael Linquist and Braden Latimer,
they're they're juniors, right, And I look at a guy
who's fifth quartering for you and Emmett will Height, and
I see a ton of potential. Like, do you feel
like you are in a position here to be good
for a long time?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
I do. I think that, you know, we have a
couple of guards in the eighth grade class. I like,
the seventh grade class is pretty deep. And then our
current juniors, you know, are doing our scoring. And you know,
our seniors are doing an unbelievable job of leading or
just strong character. People playing roles BA heights distributes, get
some spots on the floor and our other guys just
(09:49):
make plays around him. But like, our juniors have ability
to score. If they can take on, you know, the
character of our seniors and continue to grow, I think
we've got a shot to be really good.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
So Coach, as we tape this and airing on Thursday,
you have at Sparta tomorrow night. That's not going to
be easy. You've got Cedar Springs coming up. I mean,
you talked about it how important this would be. You've
got a one game lead over Allendale right now in
the River City's Alliance. What do you guys need to
do to shore up and finish this thing?
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Yeah, well, losing last Tuesday at Allendale, I mean was
a wake up call. I think for our kids, we're
starting to get a little comfortable, we're starting to get
a little complacent and where we're at, and we found
out the hard way that if you don't come ready
to play every single night. Anybody out there can be
I mean Sparta can score Cedar. I know for a
facts as well. Coach. I played for one of the coaches,
(10:38):
so I know that they're teaching their kids to do
great things. They play extremely hard. We have to show
up and take care of business and play well.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
I tell you what, Coach, it's been a great story.
Glad to see it a place like Greenville, and you've
done a heck of a job. We wish you the
best of luck. I know it's not going to be
easy down the stretch, finishing things off in the R
and CAEA and then you've got the district to look
forward to. But thank you so much for taking the
time and congratuate relations to you and the Yellowjackets.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I appreciate it. Thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
We mentioned tonight of this week six edition of the
LMSU Basketball but it's a little bit different as far
as we're not doing our top ten rankings this week.
We're doing kind of a district preview, going back and
forth between the boys and girls and covering some programs
with some coaches that maybe we haven't touched on this year.
That are having phenomenal years. And that leads us right
into the introduction of Kyle Phelps. He is the head
(11:41):
girls basketball coach and Holland Christian is second season before
that freshman And if that name rings a bellt like
it does to me for a long time high school
hoops fan in Grand Rapids area, his dad is Mickey
Phelps and played for Mickey Phelps back the day for
Holland Christian. I remember him going way back. Kyle, this
is where I'm aging myself when he was the coach
working the sidelines at East Kent with with some phenomenal
(12:04):
players and teams like oh, I don't know, let's start
with Loy Vaught, right, that.
Speaker 6 (12:07):
Was a pretty good one.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Well, we appreciated Kyle for you, Jake and time and
joining us here on the program tonight. And like I said,
I mean, girls basketball is phenomenal. We always struggle with
our top ten who were going to put in there,
but we've had you guys in there for quite a while.
At fourteen and two overall seven and one in the
OK Black. Talk about your team a little bit in
the success you guys have had led by cam Vandenbosch,
(12:31):
who's headed LEO next year.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Yeah, we have a pretty special team. We knew. I
have two daughters on this team, so I've grown up
with these girls since they were in third and fourth grade,
and we knew back then that this was a special
group as seniors and juniors, very very athletic, tall, strong, fast.
(12:54):
So we've kind of grown up, you know, the parents,
we're all kind of friends, and we've watched these girls
evolve over the years, and we knew when they were
juniors and seniors that they were going to be special
and it's turned out to be pretty cool and they're
doing a nice job.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Coach.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
The first thing that jumps out to me when I
look at your team is the height. I mean, you
have three players six foot or taller and then you
got Adelie Nihoff who's five to eleven.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Really good.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
I mean, and these aren't just like statue type post players.
I mean these are athletic tall players. Like, how have
you used this to your advantage this year to be
fourteen to two?
Speaker 6 (13:24):
Yeah, I got four or five girls that can go
in the post at any time and do some damage.
With that said, all but maybe one can come out
and shoot to three My six ' one junior. She's
not really a three point shooter, but the rest can
come out and he hit the three. So you know,
we have fun in practice and in games and working
(13:46):
different girls down low and exposing mismatches throughout the game.
So it's a nice problem to have.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
You know, we were talking off the year and I
agree with you, and we've started covering girls basketball now
with our Game of the Week broadcast. I think this
is season four and right around the time that you've
seen the explosion with Kitlyn Clark and what's happening with
the WNBA. But we were talking about how girls basketball
at the high school level and the youth level has
just exploded as far as what these girls can do
(14:16):
and their skill set by the time they even play
maybe freshman basketball. Right, you've certainly seen that firsthand.
Speaker 6 (14:22):
Yeah, you got these girls that are playing. You know,
cam Vandenbosch plays year round. A lot of our girls
play year round and they come in during the summer
and they're doing they can do things that I couldn't
do as a high school player. They're ball handling skills
are absolutely amazing. They just love the game. And I
tell you, you go to a good high school girls
(14:45):
basketball game. It's right up there with the boys. So
it's fun. And yeah, Caitlyn Clark is really exposed. I
think more people, more fans to the game. On any
Friday night, we're packed right before the boys game. Fun,
it is a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
We're talking with Hollow Christian girls basketball coach Kyle Phelps
his team trying to close in on an Okay Black
Conference championship. Coach, I want to talk to you a
little bit more about Cam Vandabosh obviously going to be
a Division one player next year. I just really enjoy
her game because she's not necessarily scoring twenty or twenty
five points all the time. She impacts the game in
so many ways. How do you describe her game?
Speaker 6 (15:22):
Cam is on a team with other girls that can score.
She could score twenty five or thirty if she wanted to,
or if we needed her to, But we don't need
her to. We have very very balanced scoring every night.
I got seven eight players that could score fifteen on
any given night. But Cam can play the one through
the five and at a high level if we need
her bringing up the ball. Right now, our starting point
(15:43):
guard is out with an injury for the last couple
of years or the last couple of weeks. So she's
playing the one, but when our point guard comes back,
Cam will play the two, the three, the four, or
the five and just does that at a high level.
She's definitely she's a weapon, A good weapon.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
To have coach.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
As we're taping this early in the week, you have
spring Lake Friday nights being tomorrow night, and that's on
the road. Always a good program within the division. And
then I love what you did. And there's different philosophies
on this, but coaches, you know, either want to challenge
themselves with a great non conference matchup right before district
(16:21):
starts or or not. And you did with Hudsonville at
Hudsonville on the twenty seventh. How excited are your girls
to look at that matchup? I know they want to
take care of business the okay Black, but boy, the
way Hudsonville's playing right now, there might not be a
hotter team in West Misking besides Rockford.
Speaker 6 (16:37):
Well, so I love well. First of all, the facility
where we get to play at is just awesome. So
we did that last year with West to Ottawa and
the way I go into that game, and in the
Hudsonville game, if we win, that gives us some momentum
going into districts. And if we lose, you know what's
that's okay, we can push reset. We know we lost
(16:58):
to a really good team. That happened last year with
West Dotaw and Gabby Reynold. It was a really good game.
We lost, Okay, we learned from it and then we
pushed reset and we got ready for districts. So yeah,
looking forward to Hutsonville. That'll be a good one.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Before you get there, of course, you're trying to close
out this SOK Black Conference championship.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
You have a two game lead.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
I mean, yet you've won league loss, which I think
is incredible when you consider the quality of opponents. I mean,
teams two through six in this league are all really
good and capable of winning on any given night. Just
how difficult is this league and how proud are your
team to be in the position you are in.
Speaker 6 (17:34):
Yeah, our one loss to Zealand West, I mean they
came out and we knew it was going to be
a fight, and we went down sixteen to nothing. They
just punched us in the gut. Any you said it
really well, any one of those teams can win at
any given night. And even Hamilton they're not having maybe
the best win, you know, season, but they have one
(17:55):
of the best scorers in the conference, and Caitlin Durink,
she can have twenty five or thirty and beat you
on her own any given night. And when we're at
the top, you know everyone's coming after us, so we
have to be prepared.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Cal I don't have to remind you about South Christian
in that game last year, maybe one of the better
girls basketball games that you'll see. But you look at
as we preview your Division two district, you know how
tough it's going to be at Hopkins. You guys are
in there South Christian, who handed you one of your
two losses, and the regular season is in there. Whalon
is in there with the Lakers sisters, I mean, and
(18:29):
then if you throw into Hamilton, like you mentioned, this
is going to be a loaded district.
Speaker 6 (18:33):
Yeah, we're you know, I've been watching that right now.
South on top and we got the number two seed.
But you know Whalen. Whalen plays played us tough, They
played South tough, and you know Hamilton on any given night,
you know they can beat you, and then it's at
Hopkins and Hopkins again doesn't have maybe the best record,
but I know from when I played when if you
(18:54):
got home court advantage, anything's possible. So that district's tough.
It's tough, and those will be some good basketball games.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
This is the first year of seating the entire district.
I'm guessing you like that. Just does that change anything
in terms of the way you get ready for it,
or your schedule or how do you feel about seating
the entire district for the first time.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
Yeah, no, it is what it is. That's out of
my control. That's fine. You know, when we lost to
Zealand West a couple of weeks ago, I sat the
team down and said, you know, this is good for
us from here on out. I don't care who we
play in districts. I don't care if we start with South,
we start with Whalen, it doesn't matter. We have to
take care of business and let all that other stuff
(19:35):
fall into place that we can't help. So, yeah, it's fine.
I like it.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Well, I got to ask you this. We love to
get a little deeper with the coaches and get personal
with a couple of our questions and I just I
look at you. I think it's so cool they get
a chance to coach at your alma mater, coach where
your dad really kind of put Holland Christian basketball on
the map for the boys. But I mean, the girls
are just as good, and they've shown that the last
few years. And yet you also mentioned another dynamic that
(20:03):
is working for you but can be difficult is you've
got daughters on the team, and you've got I'm sure
players on this team that feel like daughters because of
how close they've been. Uh, how do you ever step
back and say, wow, this is pretty cool. This is
quite a position.
Speaker 6 (20:18):
I have, you know, yes, And I have to remind myself,
like just to step back and enjoy this, because in
three or four weeks, this is going to be done.
And my senior daughter, who I've been coaching and watching play,
she's she's going to be done with high school. And
and that's just not my daughter, that's my daughter's friends
who I've grown up with, Curious Smith's lived down the road.
(20:39):
I've been We've been playing you know, softball, soccer, volleyball,
all these girls since they've been in second and third grade.
So it I have to I have to enjoy this.
I you know, I wrote something about the whole team
the other day for you know, getting ready for senior night,
and you know, I teared up because you know, these
girls and their parents and their families have been part
(20:59):
of this for so long and now you know, less
than a year, they're going to all kind of go
their separate ways. But yeah, coaching my daughters, that's you know,
that's it's fun. It's it can be challenging, but I'm
enjoying it. I am enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I love it, coach. I love that answer sincerely, because
I think sometimes in high school sports we lose perspective
of what it's all about. And you had a chance
to have your memories with your buddies that I know
you'll cherish and now as a dad, you see it.
But it's their memories, right, And so sometimes we don't
want to we don't want to necessarily understand that as parents,
but we have to and step back because we had
(21:36):
our moments. And so great to hear that you're enjoying that,
and we wish you the best down the stretch. It's
been a great season. We look forward to covering you
guys in the tournament.
Speaker 6 (21:45):
I appreciate it. Thank you very much. Keep up the
good work and keep exposing the girls basketball. It's good,
it's fun to watch.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
This is the LMCU Basketball Blitz on your home for
high school Hoops and West Mishe Michigan's home for sports.
Ninety six to one the game WMAXFM, Holland Grand Rapids.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Welcome back to our special edition the MCU Basketball Blitz.
We're doing some previews of districts, both girls and boys,
with some different coaches on it. We haven't talked to
him as far as on the show yet this year, Jason,
we are proud to welcome in. We call him the dean,
the tom Izzo, if you will, of high school coach
in West Michigan. Scott SODSMA Community Christian Boys is joined us. Coach.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
How are you doing real well? Can't complain about anything well?
Speaker 2 (22:33):
And now we have the seating all the way through,
so we're going to get into that because you're in
a tough district as you know at Grand Eperts Catholic
Central in Division two. But before we do that, coach,
I got a chance. Jay did not to see you
the other night, Nice went over Byron Center I know
they didn't have their big but it was one of
those games that you were looking forward to to kind
of challenge your team down the stretch. You're in control
in the Okay Black Division with just a couple of
(22:55):
weeks left. How are you feeling about your team? Because
when I saw him that night, I really love the defense.
I love the length and the size, and you were
getting a lot of different contributions from a lot of
different players.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
Yeah, it's been that way. We're a team. When you
scout us, I don't think you say, well, okay, we
got to focus on him or we have to focus
on him, because it seems to be a different player
every night steps up, which has been a really nice
thing for our kids. You know, we maybe don't have
that kid that's going to go out and get you know,
twenty a night or anything. In fact, I think our
(23:25):
leading scorer is averaging eleven points on the whole entire year,
So it's it is a good thing. I seek to
be balanced like that, and you know, and we do
live off our defense. I mean, there's no doubt about that.
We really work hard at being putting pressure on the
ball and trying to take them out of their normal
rhythm of things they like to do.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Coach, I'm looking at your roster and I'm thinking that
whoever put it together must have just forgot to go
back and update the grades. They just put eleven in
there and then didn't go back. And you're all juniors
and you got three seniors, so an incredibly young team.
Obviously a lot of these juniors were sophomores a year
ago on the varsity for you. But just two part
question one, how important have those three seniors been and
how have these young guys matured as you've won twelve.
Speaker 5 (24:05):
In a row. Yeah, we have three really good seniors.
We have one, uh two of them that come off
the bench. One is a bigger name with Chapman, you know,
he was he went through his injury process, so he's
just a great kid. And we had a kid by
the name of Lanstra two who probably he did not
play at all last year. In fact, I wasn't sure
he'd even played this year, and he has just been
(24:26):
a really pleasant surprise. Just a great kid, works really
really hard, knows what his limitations are and plays with
you know, within those and has been a really great addition.
Somebody that I did not expect. And then of course
Maxican Coovering, who was a starter on our team last year,
an All Conference player, has had, you know, just a
different kind of a role this year again because it's
(24:48):
a very complimentary role. All of our kids are complimentary players,
and he's fit that. But yeah, the juniors too have
stepped up. You know, that year of experience has really
helped him. But we're are, yeah, very young, that's for
but like you said, they have a year under their
belt even though they're all cast in a little different
roles with the loss of some of our seniors that
we had prior to that, because a lot of our
(25:09):
scoring graduated, so these kids have had to step up
and do some of that.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
As we tape right now with coach eighteen and one
overall nine and oh atop the OK Black Division perfect
there with just a few games left, and you know,
I know there's different philosophies, coach, because you've played a
lot of games steady when you get down to this
final week or two before districts and you've got a
loaded district at Catholic Central with Covenant Christian coming up
to Division two. But how do you feel about these
(25:36):
I know, tom Izzo loves practice, right, so he loves
gaps between games. Is that kind of your philosophy when
you schedule the last couple of weeks or not.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
Yeah, you know me, I'm on a grinder. I'm an
old guy, so I like to grind it out a
little bit, probably more than my kids really ever appreciate,
because yeah, it's who I am. I love practice, I
love to prepare. Yeah, we are actually going to take
a day off to mile since we don't play, which
we like. I always try to schedule an open date
and we're going to go do a service project together
and probably go out to eat afterwards and stuff. So
(26:06):
those are the kind of things that we get to
do at the end of the year, which I really
like that break. And it's hard for an old guy
like me to give him a break without having a
break in the actual game itself. So that works out
really well. And I believe big in that that you know, practice, practice, practice,
and that's kind of been my philosophy for a lot
of years. And we'll probably do, you know, do the
(26:27):
same thing as we go into the disc is get
ready for a loaded one.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
We're talking with Uni Christian Boys head basketball coach Scott
Soszma in the Coach's Corner.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Coach, you won twelve straight games. You have three left.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
I mean theoretically you can lose two of those and
still win the conference championship. You have a three game lead.
My question to you is how much do you believe
in momentum and does it How much of a lift
would it be to go into the tournament with a
fifteen game winning street because that important to you guys.
Speaker 5 (26:53):
You know, for me, not so much, but maybe for
our kids. I like momentum going in. I want to
be playing at our best. You know, if we would
happen to drop a game, you know, the old thing goes.
Sometimes you want to learn first and right now versus
learn when all of a sudden is one and done so.
But yeah, we're not going into any game thinking we
(27:15):
want to lose, that's for sure. But yeah, you know,
sometimes those things aren't always the worst. But hopefully that
doesn't happen. We don't have to deal with that one.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
This coach is Corner segment with Scott. So's my munity,
Christian on the boys side, being brought to you by
Montanunk Construction. My home team can be your home team.
Visit them at the West Michigan Home and Garden Show
coming up the end of the month February twenty seventh
through March second at Voss Place, or also find them
online at Montel Construction dot com. Well, part of what
we're doing coaches, you know, as we're down the stretch
here is previewing the different district tournaments with different coaches.
(27:46):
You're in Division two, You're going to be at the
Grand Rapids Catholic Central District, So Catholic Central comes in.
You don't have South Christian or Christian with you like
we've seen in the past. You also have Comany Christian
who moved up from Division IREI to Division two. And
with the eating going on with this year's tournament all
the way through right now, you're sitting at looking like
the number two seed coming to Christian ahead of you
(28:08):
in the seating, which is kind of instreme. But then
you have Catholic Central at three, and it's important to
get that number one seed in these districts. I mean,
that's what ever wants because you can avoid those two
three matchups in the semis.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Right.
Speaker 5 (28:19):
Yeah, that's unfortunate because it's pretty much I think signed
Sealds and delivered that we are going to be the
number two seed going in now. So it is what
it is. You have to deal with it. And it
looks like, you know, Catholic Central is going to be three,
so we're going to probably end up playing them on
that Wednesday night and it's going to be a tough one.
I know that as good a year as we've had, yeah,
(28:42):
it can. The district is loaded, I mean any one
of those. You know, the other team that's in there
is obviously coming to Christian but Allendale two has just
knocked off Greenville the other night, so they're no slouch
by any means either. So those will be the top
four seeds, So it'll be interesting to see how it
all pans out.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
Coach I love to get coaches philosoph on this. A
coach I respect a lot many years ago told me
the hardest game to win was that first district tournament
game to sit and not wait and know you're going
to play a team that did play. Do you see
that as an advantage to play Monday night as opposed to,
you know, get to buy and wait to Wednesday? Just
how do you view that can.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
I answer that question on Thursday or yeah, it's yeah,
it is what it is. You know what. I've been
on both sides where I'd played the early game, and
I thought sometimes that was an advantage. Sometimes I didn't
think it was an advantage. You know, who knows. I mean,
we're not going to use not playing on that Monday
night as any excuse not to show up and play
(29:39):
the best that we can on Wednesday. But yeah, it's hard.
It's hard to say, and I think it varies from
team to team and year to year. So yeah, well
that's kind of wait and.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
See your assessment. Honestly, Scott, I love talking about this
with you year in a year out, because you know,
rosters change, obviously, team dynamics change, and you're good about
adjusting to what you have with your coaching staff. But
when I look at it this year and watching that
Byron Center game, I saw length, I saw athleticism, I
saw experience, I saw depth. You're always a good rebounding team,
(30:09):
challenging and protecting the rim with your bigs. I mean,
what do you see as spots that you want to
polish up or work on that maybe you're not to
where the Scott SOLDIESMA level is or this team because
you've got a lot of different weapons, a lot of
different attributes to the squad.
Speaker 5 (30:23):
Yeah, I think, you know, I think defensively, we're you know,
probably right at where we need to be. I think
we have a good team defense concept and our kids
have really bought into the fact that we are going
to win with our defense. Offensively, I would I guess
one of the biggest things is we want to sharpen
up is our ball, moving our ball, reversal, getting us
(30:43):
into some situations of one on one where we can
take it to the basket, create some opportunities for someone else,
or actually finish at the hoop. So probably that is
the biggest thing going in that we've been working on,
is trying to get that flow offensively. Again, like I said,
we don't have a you know, Carson vis or someone
like that that you just give the ball to and say, okay,
(31:04):
go get us twenty tonight. We've got to do it
as a team, which is fine, that's not a problem,
but it takes a little bit more oil to get
all that to work.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
Good coach, Interesting, we look at that you haven't had
many close games since early in there. You had a
lot early in the year, So I guess my question
to you is off of that. With so many different
guys and maybe not the number one go to guy,
tie game, final seconds of a district game, you've got
the ball, who were you drawn the playoff for?
Speaker 2 (31:31):
I mean, do you know right now where you sit
what that answer is?
Speaker 5 (31:34):
Nope, I don't. I'm not that smart to figure that out.
So I let my players dictate who does it. And
I think we do that on purpose right now because
I don't really want to, and I think the game
would dictate it who's doing well. And that's I guess
the plus of not having that kid. It can be
any one of the five kids that are on the
floor can be that kid that might have to take
(31:55):
that winning shot or that tying shot. So and I
don't think that's all bad. Yeah, I like to have
someone like carsonif oh, yeah, I'd probably take a player
like him. But yeah, But at the same time, I
like my kids. I like the decisions they're making, and
we basically have said that to our kids. We leave
it in their hands. We work on stuff in practice,
and then we trust that they're going to make the
(32:16):
right decisions when it comes to game time.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Well, considering it looks like there's a pretty good potential
you're going to play Catholic Central in the district semifinal.
I just would like to give you my advice to
make it Jake Chapman, because I'll never forget two years
ago as sophomore when he beat Catholic Central in the
district semifinal.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
I got nights.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
That was quite a game, wasn't it. I mean, we
were a little under manned in that game and we
were able to pull that one out. So that was
that was one exciting match when you figure that you
had a couple of mister basketballs playing on another team
over there then and we had our little guys showed up.
So that's why we're not We're going to go in
there with some confidence that we can do the best
weekend and that was one of the better games that
(32:52):
I've been a part of.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
I know, we got a couple of weeks left the
regular season, but it's looking good. Like Jay said, as
far as the Oka Black Division Crown for you guys
and other phenomenal season, best of luck coach, we enjoyed
covering here against Byron Center we hope to see on
the road of the Brezident Center soon.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
Okay, thank you, thanks again, guys. We appreciate everything you do.
You guys are awesome, so keep it up.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Well, we've got a little bit of an abbreviated edition
of the LMCU Basketball Blitz for this week. Six Grand
Affets Rise Volleyball coming up with their pregame show at
six forty five. But we hope you enjoyed the conversations
we had with three different area coaches tonight, and also
we're gonna end with our uptown cheapskate Players of the
Week before we do that. Though one programming note, we
(33:40):
will not be on the air next week with a
show on Thursday because I am going to be on vacation.
We are going to make that show up those we'll
have eight full editions like we normally do of the
LMCU Basketball Blitz. It'll be March sixth and Jay and
I will have it live leading into our boys regional
final coverage that night, which is a seven o'clock tip,
so from six to seve leading into that, and obviously
(34:01):
we'll be focusing on the road to the Breslin Center,
which we think on both sides. Is gonna be outstanding, Jay,
especially at the district and regional level.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
If the regular seasons in the indication, I mean, these
games are gonna be unexpected. I think we'll have some
unexpected results.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
All right, let's go into our Uptown Cheapskate Players of
the Week. It's brought to you by Uptown Cheapskate with
locations in Granville, Kentwood, and Holland to serve you Uptown Cheapskate.
They Bobby loved yesterday. Sell what you want today, clean
out your closet during cash for your clothes. Plus you
can become an Uptown insider and get monthly deals at
uptown cheapskate dot com. Jay, I'll let you go first
on the Lakeshore with our girls, Honorey.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
So for the Lakeshore girls, we're gonna go with Hudsonville.
Senior point guard Josie to Smid committed to Hope College
next year. She had twenty five points. Last Fridays, Hudsonville
went in one at Grand Haven, which remember the Bucks
only had two losses coming in they were both to Rockford.
Hudsonville was surging. That was their seventh straight win at
the time, and Josie just smissed an outstanding floor general.
(34:58):
She was outstanding in that game. She's been really good
for them all year and they are trying to trend
towards that district tournament, which of course they're in a
really good district as well when you talk about the
likes of Kenawa Hills in Granville.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
So that'll be a fun one to watch following and
her sister's footstep that the smit family can play some
hoops as her sister went to Hope as well to
play for that outstanding program on the boys side for
our Lake Shore Player of the Week courtesy of Uptown
Chiefs Kate. How about Keaton Hendricks. Now, if you don't
know the story, Jay Zealand West Boys after that run
to the Brosen Center last year, have really struggled this year.
(35:29):
They lost a lot of seniors off of that team.
But they picked up their first win of the season
last Saturday, and it was over Portland, a very good
basketball team and Keaton Hendricks not on the grid aroon
this time on the hardcourt, twenty nine points to lead
the way.
Speaker 4 (35:43):
Yeah Hendricks, of course, mister State championship game with the
six touchdowns in there went over to Detroit Martins as
a king to win the state title. But how about
the fact that Zealand west Owens seventeen at the time,
beats fifteen to one Portland just shows you the strength
of the Oka Blacks specifically but the Okay Conference and
Jake Lencioni had a deep three at the buzzer to
win that game. Boy, you know that had to feel
good for David Klein and crew after what's been a
(36:04):
tough season.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Absolutely, Now let's bring it into the Grand Rapids Area
with two more honorees. I'll go first on the girls side.
You mentioned her last week and then she had another
big performance against Lowell in a win for the RedHawks
of the Cedar Springs. On the girls side fifty two
to thirty three, we're talking Faith Conlson with seventeen points.
Congratulations are up, down, cheapskate. Grand Rapids Area player of
(36:26):
the Week.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
And much like Hudsonville, Cedar Springs is another team trending
and they're looking at a conference championship now in first
place in the RCA with a couple of games to play.
Faith has been outstanding as a junior they jump out
on Lowell sixteen to nothing in that game end up
winning fifty two to thirty three. So the RedHawks playing
good balls. They head to that Division one district which
includes Rockford. Of course come March.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
And you have a birthday boy, I think for the
boys side. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (36:48):
How about Hudson Hornback for North Point Christian six y
sixth junior. He's a big fella, but he hit six
threes Friday night when they beat Fruitport. Remember Fruitport is
in first place in the ok Silver. He had t
twenty nine points on his birthday, six threes from six
foot six Hudson Hornback and North Point Christian knocks off
fruit Port by three.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Nice win Okay Silver Division play for North Point Christian. Well,
that's going to wrap up this edition. Grand Rapids Rise
Volleyball is coming your way next with Dan Hasty and
the crew. For all of our coaches that joined us tonight,
thank you so much. He's Jasonutting, I'm Brett Bikita. We'll
see you in two weeks on a Thursday night, six
to seven right here with the LMCU basketball Blitz on
(37:28):
ninety six to one the game.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
This has been another edition of the LMCU Basketball Blitz
presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union and also brought to
you by Jay and H Family Stores, Vanderlown Home Improvement,
Kids Food Basket, Trinity Health, Sporting You, Wing, Doozy Hauls,
Jepson Physical Therapy, Discount, Door, Straight Line Fence, Rapid Radios, Uptown,
(37:51):
Chief Skate Stores in Granville, kent Wood and Holland MKD, Girol,
Holmes and Meyer. Be sure to join us next Thursday
night starting at six or another edition of the LMCU
Basketball Blitz. And just a reminder, if you miss an
episode or want to hear one of our Game of
the Week broadcasts, go to the Trinity Health Michigan High
School Basketball page at ninety six onethgame dot com and
(38:13):
search under the podcast section you're listening to West Michigan's
home for sports. Ninety six won the game
It's time to head to the hardcourt. Here on ninety
six won the game with the only weekly high schools
basketball show in West Michigan.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Packed up high to claimant down the left sideline with
the dribble. That's Levi Stewart over the hat and good
looking a free docks and got it. Dial it up
another trip o'brooks hatt and he's their leading scorer coming
in at twelve points per game. Kicking right side WI pitch.
That's Addison leaving at short and a y pitch. Don't
flying through with a rebound and off the window with
a ballow Marsers went up, lots of contact, got it stripped.
(00:29):
Here comes bond bought in transition for a bread a
Carol the allio slam. That might be your teens. Family
Stores highlight of the game. Pretty basketball there that's going
to afford a CC timeout.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
This is the LMCU Basketball Blitz presented by Lake Michigan
Credit Union and also brought to you by J and
H Family Stores, Vandor Lon Holme Improvement, Kids Food Basket,
Trinity Health, Sporting You Wing, Doozy Hals, Jepson Physical Therapy, Discount, Door,
Straight Line Fence, Repid Radios, Uptown Cheapskates stores in Grenville,
(01:05):
kent Wood and Holland, MKD Funeral Homes and Meyer. We
open up the.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Show talking a little district preview action and also highlighting
some other teams that you need to catch that are
battling for conference and division championships. Here on this week
six edition of the LMCU Basketball Blitz. Here we are
in the middle of February, and one of the stories
that we've been telling you about, but now we're gonna
take it full circle is Greenville boys basketball and now
(01:34):
in the River City's Alliance. Just one loss on the season.
They are eight and one in conference play, eighteen and
one overall, and their head coaches third season joins us
right now in the Montel Construction Coaches Corner, Joel Visser
and Joel, it's a welcome home for you right growing
up in Rockford and you were a part of that
two thousand and three state championship team that Rams fans
remember under head coach Steve Marley.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
I sure was thanks for having me. Yeah, it's been
a while, but that was a special group, that's for sure.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Coach eighteen and one, it's been an unbelievable year for
you guys, But just talking about through the year now
at the programming, it seems like you guys are taking
a step forward every year. Fourteen wins. Last year you
battled injuries, and here you sit eighteen and one. How
much of last year with so many young guys playing
key roles has carried over and at your success this season.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Like last year was just just a crazy year and
dealing with kind of anything early on that can go
wrong did. But now it's kind of played some dividends
for us because we were so young that we were
forced to kind of grow up in a hurry, and
we were putting some guys in the game that probably
would not have been getting quality you know, varsity time,
(02:41):
so to speak, and we're trying to find an identity.
But our kids were so unselfish. I'd never seen us
move the ball that well and reverse the floor, and
we just kind of became a more patient and a
better basketball team with time because we just we didn't
care who did the scoring, and we were like a
pretty balanced attack and we shot it pretty good, and
we started to find that identity. Is the season just
went on.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
You know, it's funny too, is a place like Greenville.
I know they've struggled a little bit with the football
program and you know, getting into the Okay Conference because
it was different out there. But as you know, they've
got great sports fans, they love to follow. They're kind
of their own little entity, if you will. So I imagined
watching this boys basketball team, and I saw the group
that came over when I was watching you at Cornerstone
during the holiday tournament. It's got to be exciting to
(03:23):
pack that gym, have your kids come out, and the
yellow jacket fans fired up because they remember the angles days.
I mean they remember they're a pretty proud basketball program school.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Well the only game in town and the thing that's
made it great. And you know, I certainly didn't have
a crystal ball or no a lot of this stuff,
but familiar with the area, Like I was excited just
to have an opportunity to you know, move home and
get something started. But we've been down for so long,
like this town and the city is and I tell
the guys all the time, they're dying to get behind
you guys. And there was an article early on about
(03:53):
you know, Greenville and No Man's Land, and we had
a couple guys that you got to get out to
see that can play a little bit with Michael Linquist,
Braiden Latimer, and we've kind of really just embraced that
like blue collar mentality. We play as fast as we
can play. We're trying to put the ball in the bucket,
you know, after a make or dead ball within eight
to ten seconds. And I mean we're picking up and
pressing and playing nine guys out of a rotation, and
(04:15):
we've just kind of morphed into this identity.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
We're talking with Joel Visser, head Boys Basketbach the Greenville
yellow Jackets. This team is eighteen to one as we
head into the stretch run of the season, and Coach,
I want to talk a little bit about your style
of play you just touched on. I mean, you're just
not very big. I mean so much credit to Zeke
Robinett who's basically playing the five for you at six
foot one. How have you guys taken the fact that
you're not very big and like made it an advantage
because that's what I've seen. I mean, you guys just
(04:39):
play fast, you play hard, and it's worked so well.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
We do and we last year started sending all five
guys to the rim offensive rebounding and we call it
tag rebounding, so we send everybody, and you know, whoever
you kind of run into trying to get the ball
then becomes your man going the other way. So we're
switching a lot and then picking up that. Last year
was huge for us because we rebounded on the offensive
(05:02):
class so like forty. So we're finding easier buckets. And
when you're small, you just you got to find ways
to get extra possessions, like we have a goal to take,
you know, attempt three charges of game, get on the
floor when the fifty fifties, Like, we're not big, so
we have to be nitty gritty, and I think our
kids have embraced that. By pressing, we get a couple
more kids into the game that have roles. And I've
(05:24):
played that type of role in two thousand and three,
so I think I really appreciate those kids more than
more than anyone.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
You mentioned No Man's Land and we talked about Okay conference.
You were one of those schools Greenville was that moved
into the River City's Alliance, and I want to ask
you about that because I grew up in rock for
my whole life. And I remember the Try River and
all those and I mean those are natural rivalries, Kenawa Hill,
Cedar Springs, you know, Sparta and so to see that.
Have you guys enjoyed that, as you said at top
(05:53):
right now in basketball? And do the fans enjoy because
a lot of you know, long old timers that have
grown up with Greenville basketball, Like I mentioned, those were
the schools you were playing.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, it's it has been a great move for us.
And I don't say that just because we're having a
good season. It's been a great move for us because
and kudos to our principal and our superintendents and of
those other schools for saying it's the Oka is great,
but it's not for everyone, and for us to go
to like the Black and we're going to be with
Muskegon and Reese Puffer and you're making an hour and
(06:24):
twenty minute drive pass and all these schools that are
similar to us, and so they just branched off and
it's great top to bottom. I mean, it's it's good basketball.
Is it the Oka Red or the Okay White? No?
Probably not top to bottom, we know that, but it's
just a better fit for our community and in the
other communities as well, and it's gone really well well.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Coach, we're talking about we're getting ready for the district
turn when we want to talk to you about it. Obviously,
you're in one of the most difficult districts you could
imagine in Division one. You're eighteen and one, you have
a six seventeen MPR, which is very good, and you
are currently slated to be the three seed because you're
in the same district with Rockford and Miskeigan. So just
tell me your thoughts on the district and just how
you're gonna get your team ready to play when it
(07:08):
comes time for It's not March, it'll be February, but
for the district tournament.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, we haven't had too many of those conversations yet.
The RCA and winning that has kind of been our
goal all year. And then we've talked about playing our
best basketball at the end of February and just getting
a little bit better, one percent better every day and
then we just got to go play. But like at
that point, if we're playing good basketball, we can compete
and play with anyone, and I think our kids believe
(07:34):
that too. But we're gonna have to be really good.
I mean that district is Mona Shores and Cedar, Rockford,
Moskege and Buffer ourselves. It's a lot of good basketball.
I mean, if you can get out of that district,
you can do anything you want. I mean you can
beat and play with anybody. So that's just got to
be our mindset to just go play our basketball. We
(07:56):
don't have to do anything different. We're just gonna have
to refound it well, take care of it, and get
after it. But I don't think the pace of play
is going to surprise us because we've been trying to
play that fast. So we just got to go play well.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Greenville boys basketball coach joined us in one of our
three Montel Construction Coaches corners tonight. Joel Visser and Joel
you mentioned you've spent some time down in Ohio coach
there and then came back. We always love asking coaches
different questions, whether it should we have a shot clock,
should we do this or that? As you've come back,
have you been impressed with the talent individually as well
(08:28):
as team and the coaching that has gone on here
in West Michigan. I mean, it was pretty good when
you left and you went through it with coach Marley,
but I just look at like Jason just said, that
district is just ridiculous with the talent it has.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yeah, it's grand Rabbits has great basketball. I mean, we
really do. I was in the Plato and Date area
and I was in the track coaching with all the
parochial schools that have now combined with the Detroit schools,
it was one of the best conferences there is. And
there's really not a fall off when you come here
to play well coached, there's great players, it's it's a
(09:04):
very similar dynamic coach.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
You know.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
We touched on the fact that you get the Greenville
has struggled a little bit and you guys are you know,
having an amazing run. I look at your program and
I think it's built for the long haul.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
You touched on your juniors and Michael Linquist and Braden Latimer,
they're they're juniors, right, And I look at a guy
who's fifth quartering for you and Emmett will Height, and
I see a ton of potential. Like, do you feel
like you are in a position here to be good
for a long time?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
I do. I think that, you know, we have a
couple of guards in the eighth grade class. I like,
the seventh grade class is pretty deep. And then our
current juniors, you know, are doing our scoring. And you know,
our seniors are doing an unbelievable job of leading or
just strong character. People playing roles BA heights distributes, get
some spots on the floor and our other guys just
(09:49):
make plays around him. But like, our juniors have ability
to score. If they can take on, you know, the
character of our seniors and continue to grow, I think
we've got a shot to be really good.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
So Coach, as we tape this and airing on Thursday,
you have at Sparta tomorrow night. That's not going to
be easy. You've got Cedar Springs coming up. I mean,
you talked about it how important this would be. You've
got a one game lead over Allendale right now in
the River City's Alliance. What do you guys need to
do to shore up and finish this thing?
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Yeah, well, losing last Tuesday at Allendale, I mean was
a wake up call. I think for our kids, we're
starting to get a little comfortable, we're starting to get
a little complacent and where we're at, and we found
out the hard way that if you don't come ready
to play every single night. Anybody out there can be
I mean Sparta can score Cedar. I know for a
facts as well. Coach. I played for one of the coaches,
(10:38):
so I know that they're teaching their kids to do
great things. They play extremely hard. We have to show
up and take care of business and play well.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
I tell you what, Coach, it's been a great story.
Glad to see it a place like Greenville, and you've
done a heck of a job. We wish you the
best of luck. I know it's not going to be
easy down the stretch, finishing things off in the R
and CAEA and then you've got the district to look
forward to. But thank you so much for taking the
time and congratuate relations to you and the Yellowjackets.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I appreciate it. Thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
We mentioned tonight of this week six edition of the
LMSU Basketball but it's a little bit different as far
as we're not doing our top ten rankings this week.
We're doing kind of a district preview, going back and
forth between the boys and girls and covering some programs
with some coaches that maybe we haven't touched on this year.
That are having phenomenal years. And that leads us right
into the introduction of Kyle Phelps. He is the head
(11:41):
girls basketball coach and Holland Christian is second season before
that freshman And if that name rings a bellt like
it does to me for a long time high school
hoops fan in Grand Rapids area, his dad is Mickey
Phelps and played for Mickey Phelps back the day for
Holland Christian. I remember him going way back. Kyle, this
is where I'm aging myself when he was the coach
working the sidelines at East Kent with with some phenomenal
(12:04):
players and teams like oh, I don't know, let's start
with Loy Vaught, right, that.
Speaker 6 (12:07):
Was a pretty good one.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Well, we appreciated Kyle for you, Jake and time and
joining us here on the program tonight. And like I said,
I mean, girls basketball is phenomenal. We always struggle with
our top ten who were going to put in there,
but we've had you guys in there for quite a while.
At fourteen and two overall seven and one in the
OK Black. Talk about your team a little bit in
the success you guys have had led by cam Vandenbosch,
(12:31):
who's headed LEO next year.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Yeah, we have a pretty special team. We knew. I
have two daughters on this team, so I've grown up
with these girls since they were in third and fourth grade,
and we knew back then that this was a special
group as seniors and juniors, very very athletic, tall, strong, fast.
(12:54):
So we've kind of grown up, you know, the parents,
we're all kind of friends, and we've watched these girls
evolve over the years, and we knew when they were
juniors and seniors that they were going to be special
and it's turned out to be pretty cool and they're
doing a nice job.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Coach.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
The first thing that jumps out to me when I
look at your team is the height. I mean, you
have three players six foot or taller and then you
got Adelie Nihoff who's five to eleven.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Really good.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
I mean, and these aren't just like statue type post players.
I mean these are athletic tall players. Like, how have
you used this to your advantage this year to be
fourteen to two?
Speaker 6 (13:24):
Yeah, I got four or five girls that can go
in the post at any time and do some damage.
With that said, all but maybe one can come out
and shoot to three My six ' one junior. She's
not really a three point shooter, but the rest can
come out and he hit the three. So you know,
we have fun in practice and in games and working
(13:46):
different girls down low and exposing mismatches throughout the game.
So it's a nice problem to have.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
You know, we were talking off the year and I
agree with you, and we've started covering girls basketball now
with our Game of the Week broadcast. I think this
is season four and right around the time that you've
seen the explosion with Kitlyn Clark and what's happening with
the WNBA. But we were talking about how girls basketball
at the high school level and the youth level has
just exploded as far as what these girls can do
(14:16):
and their skill set by the time they even play
maybe freshman basketball. Right, you've certainly seen that firsthand.
Speaker 6 (14:22):
Yeah, you got these girls that are playing. You know,
cam Vandenbosch plays year round. A lot of our girls
play year round and they come in during the summer
and they're doing they can do things that I couldn't
do as a high school player. They're ball handling skills
are absolutely amazing. They just love the game. And I
tell you, you go to a good high school girls
(14:45):
basketball game. It's right up there with the boys. So
it's fun. And yeah, Caitlyn Clark is really exposed. I
think more people, more fans to the game. On any
Friday night, we're packed right before the boys game. Fun,
it is a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
We're talking with Hollow Christian girls basketball coach Kyle Phelps
his team trying to close in on an Okay Black
Conference championship. Coach, I want to talk to you a
little bit more about Cam Vandabosh obviously going to be
a Division one player next year. I just really enjoy
her game because she's not necessarily scoring twenty or twenty
five points all the time. She impacts the game in
so many ways. How do you describe her game?
Speaker 6 (15:22):
Cam is on a team with other girls that can score.
She could score twenty five or thirty if she wanted to,
or if we needed her to, But we don't need
her to. We have very very balanced scoring every night.
I got seven eight players that could score fifteen on
any given night. But Cam can play the one through
the five and at a high level if we need
her bringing up the ball. Right now, our starting point
(15:43):
guard is out with an injury for the last couple
of years or the last couple of weeks. So she's
playing the one, but when our point guard comes back,
Cam will play the two, the three, the four, or
the five and just does that at a high level.
She's definitely she's a weapon, A good weapon.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
To have coach.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
As we're taping this early in the week, you have
spring Lake Friday nights being tomorrow night, and that's on
the road. Always a good program within the division. And
then I love what you did. And there's different philosophies
on this, but coaches, you know, either want to challenge
themselves with a great non conference matchup right before district
(16:21):
starts or or not. And you did with Hudsonville at
Hudsonville on the twenty seventh. How excited are your girls
to look at that matchup? I know they want to
take care of business the okay Black, but boy, the
way Hudsonville's playing right now, there might not be a
hotter team in West Misking besides Rockford.
Speaker 6 (16:37):
Well, so I love well. First of all, the facility
where we get to play at is just awesome. So
we did that last year with West to Ottawa and
the way I go into that game, and in the
Hudsonville game, if we win, that gives us some momentum
going into districts. And if we lose, you know what's
that's okay, we can push reset. We know we lost
(16:58):
to a really good team. That happened last year with
West Dotaw and Gabby Reynold. It was a really good game.
We lost, Okay, we learned from it and then we
pushed reset and we got ready for districts. So yeah,
looking forward to Hutsonville. That'll be a good one.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Before you get there, of course, you're trying to close
out this SOK Black Conference championship.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
You have a two game lead.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
I mean, yet you've won league loss, which I think
is incredible when you consider the quality of opponents. I mean,
teams two through six in this league are all really
good and capable of winning on any given night. Just
how difficult is this league and how proud are your
team to be in the position you are in.
Speaker 6 (17:34):
Yeah, our one loss to Zealand West, I mean they
came out and we knew it was going to be
a fight, and we went down sixteen to nothing. They
just punched us in the gut. Any you said it
really well, any one of those teams can win at
any given night. And even Hamilton they're not having maybe
the best win, you know, season, but they have one
(17:55):
of the best scorers in the conference, and Caitlin Durink,
she can have twenty five or thirty and beat you
on her own any given night. And when we're at
the top, you know everyone's coming after us, so we
have to be prepared.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Cal I don't have to remind you about South Christian
in that game last year, maybe one of the better
girls basketball games that you'll see. But you look at
as we preview your Division two district, you know how
tough it's going to be at Hopkins. You guys are
in there South Christian, who handed you one of your
two losses, and the regular season is in there. Whalon
is in there with the Lakers sisters, I mean, and
(18:29):
then if you throw into Hamilton, like you mentioned, this
is going to be a loaded district.
Speaker 6 (18:33):
Yeah, we're you know, I've been watching that right now.
South on top and we got the number two seed.
But you know Whalen. Whalen plays played us tough, They
played South tough, and you know Hamilton on any given night,
you know they can beat you, and then it's at
Hopkins and Hopkins again doesn't have maybe the best record,
but I know from when I played when if you
(18:54):
got home court advantage, anything's possible. So that district's tough.
It's tough, and those will be some good basketball games.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
This is the first year of seating the entire district.
I'm guessing you like that. Just does that change anything
in terms of the way you get ready for it,
or your schedule or how do you feel about seating
the entire district for the first time.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
Yeah, no, it is what it is. That's out of
my control. That's fine. You know, when we lost to
Zealand West a couple of weeks ago, I sat the
team down and said, you know, this is good for
us from here on out. I don't care who we
play in districts. I don't care if we start with South,
we start with Whalen, it doesn't matter. We have to
take care of business and let all that other stuff
(19:35):
fall into place that we can't help. So, yeah, it's fine.
I like it.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Well, I got to ask you this. We love to
get a little deeper with the coaches and get personal
with a couple of our questions and I just I
look at you. I think it's so cool they get
a chance to coach at your alma mater, coach where
your dad really kind of put Holland Christian basketball on
the map for the boys. But I mean, the girls
are just as good, and they've shown that the last
few years. And yet you also mentioned another dynamic that
(20:03):
is working for you but can be difficult is you've
got daughters on the team, and you've got I'm sure
players on this team that feel like daughters because of
how close they've been. Uh, how do you ever step
back and say, wow, this is pretty cool. This is
quite a position.
Speaker 6 (20:18):
I have, you know, yes, And I have to remind myself,
like just to step back and enjoy this, because in
three or four weeks, this is going to be done.
And my senior daughter, who I've been coaching and watching play,
she's she's going to be done with high school. And
and that's just not my daughter, that's my daughter's friends
who I've grown up with, Curious Smith's lived down the road.
(20:39):
I've been We've been playing you know, softball, soccer, volleyball,
all these girls since they've been in second and third grade.
So it I have to I have to enjoy this.
I you know, I wrote something about the whole team
the other day for you know, getting ready for senior night,
and you know, I teared up because you know, these
girls and their parents and their families have been part
(20:59):
of this for so long and now you know, less
than a year, they're going to all kind of go
their separate ways. But yeah, coaching my daughters, that's you know,
that's it's fun. It's it can be challenging, but I'm
enjoying it. I am enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I love it, coach. I love that answer sincerely, because
I think sometimes in high school sports we lose perspective
of what it's all about. And you had a chance
to have your memories with your buddies that I know
you'll cherish and now as a dad, you see it.
But it's their memories, right, And so sometimes we don't
want to we don't want to necessarily understand that as parents,
but we have to and step back because we had
(21:36):
our moments. And so great to hear that you're enjoying that,
and we wish you the best down the stretch. It's
been a great season. We look forward to covering you
guys in the tournament.
Speaker 6 (21:45):
I appreciate it. Thank you very much. Keep up the
good work and keep exposing the girls basketball. It's good,
it's fun to watch.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
This is the LMCU Basketball Blitz on your home for
high school Hoops and West Mishe Michigan's home for sports.
Ninety six to one the game WMAXFM, Holland Grand Rapids.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Welcome back to our special edition the MCU Basketball Blitz.
We're doing some previews of districts, both girls and boys,
with some different coaches on it. We haven't talked to
him as far as on the show yet this year, Jason,
we are proud to welcome in. We call him the dean,
the tom Izzo, if you will, of high school coach
in West Michigan. Scott SODSMA Community Christian Boys is joined us. Coach.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
How are you doing real well? Can't complain about anything well?
Speaker 2 (22:33):
And now we have the seating all the way through,
so we're going to get into that because you're in
a tough district as you know at Grand Eperts Catholic
Central in Division two. But before we do that, coach,
I got a chance. Jay did not to see you
the other night, Nice went over Byron Center I know
they didn't have their big but it was one of
those games that you were looking forward to to kind
of challenge your team down the stretch. You're in control
in the Okay Black Division with just a couple of
(22:55):
weeks left. How are you feeling about your team? Because
when I saw him that night, I really love the defense.
I love the length and the size, and you were
getting a lot of different contributions from a lot of
different players.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
Yeah, it's been that way. We're a team. When you
scout us, I don't think you say, well, okay, we
got to focus on him or we have to focus
on him, because it seems to be a different player
every night steps up, which has been a really nice
thing for our kids. You know, we maybe don't have
that kid that's going to go out and get you know,
twenty a night or anything. In fact, I think our
(23:25):
leading scorer is averaging eleven points on the whole entire year,
So it's it is a good thing. I seek to
be balanced like that, and you know, and we do
live off our defense. I mean, there's no doubt about that.
We really work hard at being putting pressure on the
ball and trying to take them out of their normal
rhythm of things they like to do.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Coach, I'm looking at your roster and I'm thinking that
whoever put it together must have just forgot to go
back and update the grades. They just put eleven in
there and then didn't go back. And you're all juniors
and you got three seniors, so an incredibly young team.
Obviously a lot of these juniors were sophomores a year
ago on the varsity for you. But just two part
question one, how important have those three seniors been and
how have these young guys matured as you've won twelve.
Speaker 5 (24:05):
In a row. Yeah, we have three really good seniors.
We have one, uh two of them that come off
the bench. One is a bigger name with Chapman, you know,
he was he went through his injury process, so he's
just a great kid. And we had a kid by
the name of Lanstra two who probably he did not
play at all last year. In fact, I wasn't sure
he'd even played this year, and he has just been
(24:26):
a really pleasant surprise. Just a great kid, works really
really hard, knows what his limitations are and plays with
you know, within those and has been a really great addition.
Somebody that I did not expect. And then of course
Maxican Coovering, who was a starter on our team last year,
an All Conference player, has had, you know, just a
different kind of a role this year again because it's
(24:48):
a very complimentary role. All of our kids are complimentary players,
and he's fit that. But yeah, the juniors too have
stepped up. You know, that year of experience has really
helped him. But we're are, yeah, very young, that's for
but like you said, they have a year under their
belt even though they're all cast in a little different
roles with the loss of some of our seniors that
we had prior to that, because a lot of our
(25:09):
scoring graduated, so these kids have had to step up
and do some of that.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
As we tape right now with coach eighteen and one
overall nine and oh atop the OK Black Division perfect
there with just a few games left, and you know,
I know there's different philosophies, coach, because you've played a
lot of games steady when you get down to this
final week or two before districts and you've got a
loaded district at Catholic Central with Covenant Christian coming up
to Division two. But how do you feel about these
(25:36):
I know, tom Izzo loves practice, right, so he loves
gaps between games. Is that kind of your philosophy when
you schedule the last couple of weeks or not.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
Yeah, you know me, I'm on a grinder. I'm an
old guy, so I like to grind it out a
little bit, probably more than my kids really ever appreciate,
because yeah, it's who I am. I love practice, I
love to prepare. Yeah, we are actually going to take
a day off to mile since we don't play, which
we like. I always try to schedule an open date
and we're going to go do a service project together
and probably go out to eat afterwards and stuff. So
(26:06):
those are the kind of things that we get to
do at the end of the year, which I really
like that break. And it's hard for an old guy
like me to give him a break without having a
break in the actual game itself. So that works out
really well. And I believe big in that that you know, practice, practice, practice,
and that's kind of been my philosophy for a lot
of years. And we'll probably do, you know, do the
(26:27):
same thing as we go into the disc is get
ready for a loaded one.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
We're talking with Uni Christian Boys head basketball coach Scott
Soszma in the Coach's Corner.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Coach, you won twelve straight games. You have three left.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
I mean theoretically you can lose two of those and
still win the conference championship. You have a three game lead.
My question to you is how much do you believe
in momentum and does it How much of a lift
would it be to go into the tournament with a
fifteen game winning street because that important to you guys.
Speaker 5 (26:53):
You know, for me, not so much, but maybe for
our kids. I like momentum going in. I want to
be playing at our best. You know, if we would
happen to drop a game, you know, the old thing goes.
Sometimes you want to learn first and right now versus
learn when all of a sudden is one and done so.
But yeah, we're not going into any game thinking we
(27:15):
want to lose, that's for sure. But yeah, you know,
sometimes those things aren't always the worst. But hopefully that
doesn't happen. We don't have to deal with that one.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
This coach is Corner segment with Scott. So's my munity,
Christian on the boys side, being brought to you by
Montanunk Construction. My home team can be your home team.
Visit them at the West Michigan Home and Garden Show
coming up the end of the month February twenty seventh
through March second at Voss Place, or also find them
online at Montel Construction dot com. Well, part of what
we're doing coaches, you know, as we're down the stretch
here is previewing the different district tournaments with different coaches.
(27:46):
You're in Division two, You're going to be at the
Grand Rapids Catholic Central District, So Catholic Central comes in.
You don't have South Christian or Christian with you like
we've seen in the past. You also have Comany Christian
who moved up from Division IREI to Division two. And
with the eating going on with this year's tournament all
the way through right now, you're sitting at looking like
the number two seed coming to Christian ahead of you
(28:08):
in the seating, which is kind of instreme. But then
you have Catholic Central at three, and it's important to
get that number one seed in these districts. I mean,
that's what ever wants because you can avoid those two
three matchups in the semis.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Right.
Speaker 5 (28:19):
Yeah, that's unfortunate because it's pretty much I think signed
Sealds and delivered that we are going to be the
number two seed going in now. So it is what
it is. You have to deal with it. And it
looks like, you know, Catholic Central is going to be three,
so we're going to probably end up playing them on
that Wednesday night and it's going to be a tough one.
I know that as good a year as we've had, yeah,
(28:42):
it can. The district is loaded, I mean any one
of those. You know, the other team that's in there
is obviously coming to Christian but Allendale two has just
knocked off Greenville the other night, so they're no slouch
by any means either. So those will be the top
four seeds, So it'll be interesting to see how it
all pans out.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
Coach I love to get coaches philosoph on this. A
coach I respect a lot many years ago told me
the hardest game to win was that first district tournament
game to sit and not wait and know you're going
to play a team that did play. Do you see
that as an advantage to play Monday night as opposed to,
you know, get to buy and wait to Wednesday? Just
how do you view that can.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
I answer that question on Thursday or yeah, it's yeah,
it is what it is. You know what. I've been
on both sides where I'd played the early game, and
I thought sometimes that was an advantage. Sometimes I didn't
think it was an advantage. You know, who knows. I mean,
we're not going to use not playing on that Monday
night as any excuse not to show up and play
(29:39):
the best that we can on Wednesday. But yeah, it's hard.
It's hard to say, and I think it varies from
team to team and year to year. So yeah, well
that's kind of wait and.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
See your assessment. Honestly, Scott, I love talking about this
with you year in a year out, because you know,
rosters change, obviously, team dynamics change, and you're good about
adjusting to what you have with your coaching staff. But
when I look at it this year and watching that
Byron Center game, I saw length, I saw athleticism, I
saw experience, I saw depth. You're always a good rebounding team,
(30:09):
challenging and protecting the rim with your bigs. I mean,
what do you see as spots that you want to
polish up or work on that maybe you're not to
where the Scott SOLDIESMA level is or this team because
you've got a lot of different weapons, a lot of
different attributes to the squad.
Speaker 5 (30:23):
Yeah, I think, you know, I think defensively, we're you know,
probably right at where we need to be. I think
we have a good team defense concept and our kids
have really bought into the fact that we are going
to win with our defense. Offensively, I would I guess
one of the biggest things is we want to sharpen
up is our ball, moving our ball, reversal, getting us
(30:43):
into some situations of one on one where we can
take it to the basket, create some opportunities for someone else,
or actually finish at the hoop. So probably that is
the biggest thing going in that we've been working on,
is trying to get that flow offensively. Again, like I said,
we don't have a you know, Carson vis or someone
like that that you just give the ball to and say, okay,
(31:04):
go get us twenty tonight. We've got to do it
as a team, which is fine, that's not a problem,
but it takes a little bit more oil to get
all that to work.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
Good coach, Interesting, we look at that you haven't had
many close games since early in there. You had a
lot early in the year, So I guess my question
to you is off of that. With so many different
guys and maybe not the number one go to guy,
tie game, final seconds of a district game, you've got
the ball, who were you drawn the playoff for?
Speaker 2 (31:31):
I mean, do you know right now where you sit
what that answer is?
Speaker 5 (31:34):
Nope, I don't. I'm not that smart to figure that out.
So I let my players dictate who does it. And
I think we do that on purpose right now because
I don't really want to, and I think the game
would dictate it who's doing well. And that's I guess
the plus of not having that kid. It can be
any one of the five kids that are on the
floor can be that kid that might have to take
(31:55):
that winning shot or that tying shot. So and I
don't think that's all bad. Yeah, I like to have
someone like carsonif oh, yeah, I'd probably take a player
like him. But yeah, But at the same time, I
like my kids. I like the decisions they're making, and
we basically have said that to our kids. We leave
it in their hands. We work on stuff in practice,
and then we trust that they're going to make the
(32:16):
right decisions when it comes to game time.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Well, considering it looks like there's a pretty good potential
you're going to play Catholic Central in the district semifinal.
I just would like to give you my advice to
make it Jake Chapman, because I'll never forget two years
ago as sophomore when he beat Catholic Central in the
district semifinal.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
I got nights.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
That was quite a game, wasn't it. I mean, we
were a little under manned in that game and we
were able to pull that one out. So that was
that was one exciting match when you figure that you
had a couple of mister basketballs playing on another team
over there then and we had our little guys showed up.
So that's why we're not We're going to go in
there with some confidence that we can do the best
weekend and that was one of the better games that
(32:52):
I've been a part of.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
I know, we got a couple of weeks left the
regular season, but it's looking good. Like Jay said, as
far as the Oka Black Division Crown for you guys
and other phenomenal season, best of luck coach, we enjoyed
covering here against Byron Center we hope to see on
the road of the Brezident Center soon.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
Okay, thank you, thanks again, guys. We appreciate everything you do.
You guys are awesome, so keep it up.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Well, we've got a little bit of an abbreviated edition
of the LMCU Basketball Blitz for this week. Six Grand
Affets Rise Volleyball coming up with their pregame show at
six forty five. But we hope you enjoyed the conversations
we had with three different area coaches tonight, and also
we're gonna end with our uptown cheapskate Players of the
Week before we do that. Though one programming note, we
(33:40):
will not be on the air next week with a
show on Thursday because I am going to be on vacation.
We are going to make that show up those we'll
have eight full editions like we normally do of the
LMCU Basketball Blitz. It'll be March sixth and Jay and
I will have it live leading into our boys regional
final coverage that night, which is a seven o'clock tip,
so from six to seve leading into that, and obviously
(34:01):
we'll be focusing on the road to the Breslin Center,
which we think on both sides. Is gonna be outstanding, Jay,
especially at the district and regional level.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
If the regular seasons in the indication, I mean, these
games are gonna be unexpected. I think we'll have some
unexpected results.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
All right, let's go into our Uptown Cheapskate Players of
the Week. It's brought to you by Uptown Cheapskate with
locations in Granville, Kentwood, and Holland to serve you Uptown Cheapskate.
They Bobby loved yesterday. Sell what you want today, clean
out your closet during cash for your clothes. Plus you
can become an Uptown insider and get monthly deals at
uptown cheapskate dot com. Jay, I'll let you go first
on the Lakeshore with our girls, Honorey.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
So for the Lakeshore girls, we're gonna go with Hudsonville.
Senior point guard Josie to Smid committed to Hope College
next year. She had twenty five points. Last Fridays, Hudsonville
went in one at Grand Haven, which remember the Bucks
only had two losses coming in they were both to Rockford.
Hudsonville was surging. That was their seventh straight win at
the time, and Josie just smissed an outstanding floor general.
(34:58):
She was outstanding in that game. She's been really good
for them all year and they are trying to trend
towards that district tournament, which of course they're in a
really good district as well when you talk about the
likes of Kenawa Hills in Granville.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
So that'll be a fun one to watch following and
her sister's footstep that the smit family can play some
hoops as her sister went to Hope as well to
play for that outstanding program on the boys side for
our Lake Shore Player of the Week courtesy of Uptown
Chiefs Kate. How about Keaton Hendricks. Now, if you don't
know the story, Jay Zealand West Boys after that run
to the Brosen Center last year, have really struggled this year.
(35:29):
They lost a lot of seniors off of that team.
But they picked up their first win of the season
last Saturday, and it was over Portland, a very good
basketball team and Keaton Hendricks not on the grid aroon
this time on the hardcourt, twenty nine points to lead
the way.
Speaker 4 (35:43):
Yeah Hendricks, of course, mister State championship game with the
six touchdowns in there went over to Detroit Martins as
a king to win the state title. But how about
the fact that Zealand west Owens seventeen at the time,
beats fifteen to one Portland just shows you the strength
of the Oka Blacks specifically but the Okay Conference and
Jake Lencioni had a deep three at the buzzer to
win that game. Boy, you know that had to feel
good for David Klein and crew after what's been a
(36:04):
tough season.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Absolutely, Now let's bring it into the Grand Rapids Area
with two more honorees. I'll go first on the girls side.
You mentioned her last week and then she had another
big performance against Lowell in a win for the RedHawks
of the Cedar Springs. On the girls side fifty two
to thirty three, we're talking Faith Conlson with seventeen points.
Congratulations are up, down, cheapskate. Grand Rapids Area player of
(36:26):
the Week.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
And much like Hudsonville, Cedar Springs is another team trending
and they're looking at a conference championship now in first
place in the RCA with a couple of games to play.
Faith has been outstanding as a junior they jump out
on Lowell sixteen to nothing in that game end up
winning fifty two to thirty three. So the RedHawks playing
good balls. They head to that Division one district which
includes Rockford. Of course come March.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
And you have a birthday boy, I think for the
boys side. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (36:48):
How about Hudson Hornback for North Point Christian six y
sixth junior. He's a big fella, but he hit six
threes Friday night when they beat Fruitport. Remember Fruitport is
in first place in the ok Silver. He had t
twenty nine points on his birthday, six threes from six
foot six Hudson Hornback and North Point Christian knocks off
fruit Port by three.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Nice win Okay Silver Division play for North Point Christian. Well,
that's going to wrap up this edition. Grand Rapids Rise
Volleyball is coming your way next with Dan Hasty and
the crew. For all of our coaches that joined us tonight,
thank you so much. He's Jasonutting, I'm Brett Bikita. We'll
see you in two weeks on a Thursday night, six
to seven right here with the LMCU basketball Blitz on
(37:28):
ninety six to one the game.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
This has been another edition of the LMCU Basketball Blitz
presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union and also brought to
you by Jay and H Family Stores, Vanderlown Home Improvement,
Kids Food Basket, Trinity Health, Sporting You, Wing, Doozy Hauls,
Jepson Physical Therapy, Discount, Door, Straight Line Fence, Rapid Radios, Uptown,
(37:51):
Chief Skate Stores in Granville, kent Wood and Holland MKD, Girol,
Holmes and Meyer. Be sure to join us next Thursday
night starting at six or another edition of the LMCU
Basketball Blitz. And just a reminder, if you miss an
episode or want to hear one of our Game of
the Week broadcasts, go to the Trinity Health Michigan High
School Basketball page at ninety six onethgame dot com and
(38:13):
search under the podcast section you're listening to West Michigan's
home for sports. Ninety six won the game
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