9.17.18

South Haven dominates Paw Paw in league match; Struggles against Plainwell

Change is good.

That's what South Haven volleyball team discovered when Coach Megan Washegesic adjusted the team's lineup, Thursday.

The adjustments apparently paid off. The Rams won their first Wolverine Conference match of the season with a 3-1 victory over Paw Paw.

“We changed our lineup quite a bit Wednesday at practice,” Washegesic said. “I decided to try Jordyn Holland at setter and moved Ella O'Sullivan to right-side hitter. I also swapped Gracie Ellis' and Grace Lyon's position, moving Grace to hit outside and Gracie at libero. I think it worked well and with more time, we will figure things out and fine-tune a few things.”

South Haven won the first two sets, 25-17 and 25-10, before dropping the third one, 25-20. But, the Rams regrouped and sealed the win with a 26-21 finish in the final match.

“All our players got some court time,” Washegesic said. “Jada Cowell subbed in for Yazmine Hall in set four and had an overpass come right to her for an easy dump-kill to terminate the match. In the transition from setter to hitter, Ella had a great serve-receive game and had several good looks at attacks”.

On offense, Grace Lyons led South Haven with 5 kills, followed by Mallory Dorow and O'Sullivan, with 4, each. Holland racked up 12 assists.

Earlier in the week, the Rams faced an uphill battle against Plainwell, Tuesday. The Rams lost in four sets, 3-1 to the Trojans.

“We did not have a solid outing against Plainwell,” Washegesic said. “They ran a quicker offense and were very scrappy defensively.”

The Rams lost the first set 25-16, but came back to win the second one, 25-22. They worked hard in the third set to win, but narrowly lost, 25-23. Plainwell captured the win in the fourth set, 25-15.

“We had a hard time terminating the ball when we had opportunities,” Washegesic said. “We were out of position often which led to errors on our side. We had difficulty working together and staying positive and took ourselves out of the match.”

Dorow led the Rams in kills with 9. Grace Lyon earned 21 digs, and O'Sullivan had 19 assists.

South Haven libero Grace Lyons  earns 1 of her 21 digs during Tuesday's conference match against Plainwell. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Cardinals cross-country teams sweep Decatur invite

Bloomingdale's cross-country teams proved they were the ones to beat after capturing first place at the Decatur Invitational, Saturday, Sept. 8.

The Cardinals boys and girls teams competed against eight other teams in the competition. Both Joe Furlan and Kallie Harrison crossed the finish line first in their respective races. Furlan ran in 17:47, while Harrison's time was 20:44.

Aside from Furlan and Harrison, other Bloomingdale runners that earned medals were Carlos Garcia, Tyler Starbuck, Tim Douglas, Cody Gallimore, Ron Umbenhour, David Garcia, Nelly Gonzalez, Aimee Sustaita, Marta Douglas, Lisa Hutchins and Olaisa Moss.

Team results

Boys: 1. Bloomingdale, 33; 2. River Valley, 67; 3. Lawrence, 70; 4. Hartford, 86; 5. Cassopolis, 100. No team score: Decatur, Lawton, Martin, South Bend Career Academy.

Girls: 1. Bloomingdale, 28; 2. Hartford, 34; 3. Lawton, 63; 4. Cassopolis, 110; 5. Decatur, 140. No team score: Lawrence, Martin, River Valley, South Bend Career Academy.

Top 15 individual results for Bloomingdale:

Boys: 1. Joe Furlan, 17:47; 3. Carlos Garcia, 18:47; 6. Tyler Starbuck, 19:23; 11. Tim Douglas, 20:03; 12. Cody Gallimore, 20:18; 14. Ron Umbenhour, 20:31.

Girls: 1. Kallie Harrison, 20:44; 2. Nelly Gonzalez, 21:16; 3. Aimee Sustaita, 21:24; 13. Marta Douglas 24:31; 15. Liza Hutchins, 24:34.

Rams still in the hunt for their first victory

South Haven's football team traveled to Paw Paw, Friday, looking for its first victory of the season, but the Redskins denied them.

Scoring early and often in the first half propelled Paw Paw to a 41-20 victory over the Rams.

The Redskins got on the scoreboard early in the first quarter when Curt Carr crossed the end zone twice to put the score at 14-0 going into the second quarter.

Nolen Beck then scored the Redskins' third TD which was followed up by another touchdown from Carson Barnhardt who caught a 20-yard pass and ran it into the end zone to put the score at 27-0.

The Rams, however, refused to give in. With 2:23 remaining on the clock in the first half, Jaylin Fox scored South Haven's first touchdown of the game on a 21-yard play-action pass from quarterback Brenden Williamson, who took the helm in Friday's game after quarterback Chris Soristo suffered an arm injury in the previous week's game against Plainwell. Sam Dubuisson kicked the extra point for the Rams to put the score at 27-7.

But Paw Paw wasn't finished scoring. The first half ended when Carr took the ball on a 15-yard run into the end zone to end the half with a 34-7 score in favor of the Redskins.

In the second half, the Rams settled down and were able to limit Paw Paw on offense and positioned themselves to score two more touchdowns. Fox's second TD came in the third quarter on a 12-yard play action pass, while Williamson ran the ball into the end zone for the final score, which came with two minutes remaining in the game.

“The kids played hard.  We have suffered a lot injuries but I’m proud of our effort tonight,” South Haven Coach Troy Ayotte said following the game.

The Rams racked up 265 yards in the game compared to Paw Paw's 485 yards.

Fox led South Haven's offense, catching six passes from Williamson to rack up 11 yards and two touchdowns.

Williamson completed 12 of 23 passing attempts for 141 yards. He also rushed for 72 yards and earned one TD.

On defense, Kial Ferguson led with 12 tackles. Jared Hentschel had 10, Fox, 7, and DeMetri Taft, 6.

South Haven boys run past Paw Paw Redskins

South Haven boys track team picked up another Wolverine Conference victory, Tuesday, defeating Paw Paw 21-35.

Four runners paced the Rams with Brian Thompson finishing second with a time of 19:25; Carson Rooker, third, 19:26; Vance Locker, fourth, 19:51; and Joe Nelson, fifth, 20:03. Other top 10 finishers for South Haven were Chandler Carey, seventh, 20:24; and David Gonzalez, tenth, 21:07.

“The boys team competed well on a tough, hilly course; They all worked together to race and push themselves to the win,” South Haven Coach Lindsay Haqq said.

The South Haven girls came up short against the Redskins, losing 22-33.

Marnie Frost led the Rams with a third-place finish and time of 22:23. She was followed right behind by teammate Katie Schooley, who came in fourth, with a time of 23:05. Other top 10 runners for South Haven were Hayden Rooker, seventh, 24:40; Cate Frost, ninth, 25:06; and Ana Gonzalez, tenth, 26:40.

“Cate Frost had surgery this past winter due to an injury she sustained during the basketball season and this was her first race back,” Haqq said. “She has been working hard all spring and summer to be able to race this season with the team. We are so glad she is back strong.”

Rams come up short at volleyball tournament

South Haven made it to the semi-final round of the Watervliet volleyball tournament, Saturday, Sept. 8, before bowing out with a loss to Constantine.

The loss put them in a tie for third place along with Decatur. Bangor also competed in the tournament and finished tied for ninth place.

The Rams started the say in pool play with Decatur and Lake Michigan and then faced Constantine in a pool crossover match.

South Haven defeated both Decatur and LMC in two sets and then took on Constantine.

After the first two matches unfortunately we had to wait two-and-a-half hours to play our last pool play match,” Rams Coach Megan Washegesic said. “We started out a little slow.” Constantine won the first set, 25-15, but South Haven redoubled its efforts and won the second one, 25-23.

“Playing Constantine was a lot of fun,” she said. “It was a good challenging match, showing us we have the resilience to overcome deficits and not break down.”

After pool play, the top eight teams were seeded into a single elimination bracket. South Haven was seeded third and faced the Decatur Raiders again.

“Decatur was ready this time around and gave us a run for our money.” Washegesic said. But the Rams hung tough.

“We came from behind in both sets, winning 25-23 and 25-21 and advanced to the semifinals,” Washegesic said. “Again we faced Constantine. I really looked forward to playing them again. We just didn’t have the stamina to play our game.

The Rams ended up losing 25-19, 25-14 to settle for the third-place tie.

Statistics wise, the Rams nailed 30 service aces and accumulated 15 blocks at the net.

Ella O’Sullivan had 68 assists. Mallory Dorow led the team with 28 kills. Connie Phillips contributed 15, Gracie Ellis 13, and Yazmine Hall 11.

The Vikings had tough day at the tournament.

“We faced several unforeseen challenges including illness and a key player injury early in the day that forced the team to revamp both its offensive and defensive systems,” Bangor coach Doug Jones said.

Bangor lost to Brandywine, Lawton, Michigan Lutheran, and Paw Paw before defeating Lake Michigan Catholic 2-1 securing a tie for ninth place. 

Rams golfers finish third at league jamboree

After finishing sixth and seventh at two Wolverine Conference jamborees early last week, the Rams finally shot their way to a third-place finish, Wednesday, at the league jamboree at Indian Lake golf course in Dowagiac.

“The light finally went on today in our girls golf jamboree,” South Haven coach Barry Shanley said after the match. “The youth are maturing. The girls had great fun, too.”

Sturgis picked up its sixth league jamboree victory of the season with a team score of 196. They were followed by the host team Dowagiac with 205 and South Haven with 212 strokes.

Heidi Hines of Three Rivers medaled with a 41.

The Rams were led by Sydney Barnes, who shot a 48 and placed fifth overall. She was followed by Makenzie Marr who came in 12th place with 52. Abby Bocock shot 55 and Jina Patel, 57.

In earlier league jamborees, South Haven placed sixth, Monday, at the Allegan meet at Cheshire Hills golf course, and seventh, Sept. 4, at the Three Rivers meet at Sauganash golf course.

At the Allegan match, Plainwell won with 191 strokes followed by Sturgis with 196 and Dowagiac with 216.

Claire Awe of Plainwell medaled with 41. Bocock led South Haven's golfers with a 55. She was followed by Patel and Makenzie Marr, who both shot a 57. Barnes rounded out South Haven's scoring with a 58.

At Three Rivers, Sturgis won with 195 strokes, followed by Dowagiac with 211 and Three Rivers, 212.

Carli Sanford of Sturgis was the medalist, shooting a 42. Marr paced South Haven, finishing in an eighth-place tie with 51 strokes. She was followed by Barnes, who finished 15 with 55. Bocock shot a 59 and Patel, 61.

Bangor kickers defeat Wildcats

Bangor's soccer team picked up its first Southwest 10 conference victory last week by shutting out the Marcellus Wildcats, 8-0.

Senior Joe Gallegos scored a hat trick, while senior and captain Jose Marin and senior Cesar Leon scored two goals, each. Alvaro Martinez, a junior, scored the team's other goal. Assisting with goals were senior and captain Ivan Mejia and senior Mateo Rodriguez, who each had one assist.

In earlier soccer action, the Vikings made it to the semi-final match of the Bloomingdale soccer tournament, Sept. 8, before falling to the Covert Bulldogs, 1-0.

The goal was a gifted mistake from our defense and goalie,” Bangor Coach Antonio Robles said. “That was enough for them to beat us. We tried to tie the game but we just couldn't and time ran out.”

The Vikings made it to the semi-final round by defeating Kalamazoo Cougars, 2-0.

Bangor runner wins Battle Creek Lakeview invite

Bangor's Alvaro Martinez captured first place, Saturday, Sept. 8, in the Division 2 race at Battle Creek Lakeview's cross-country invitational.

Martinez ran the race in 16:53.38.

Bangor did not have enough runners to field a team in the boys race, however, the girls did and ended up finishing fourth out of six teams.

Hastings won the boys race with 25 points. They were followed by Quincy, second, 70 points; Bronson, third, 79; Battle Creek Pennfield, fourth, 85; and St. Philip Catholic Center, fifth, 87.

Hastings also won the girls race with 42 points. Battle Creek Pennfield came in second with 67 points; Vermontville Maple Valley, third, 75; Bangor, fourth, 81; Quincy, fifth, 106; and St. Philip Catholic Center, sixth, 120.

Individual results for Bangor follow:

Boys: 1. Alvaro Martinez, 16:53.58; 11. Zach Trainor, 18:16.99; 21. Aurelio Melgarejo, 19:32.97

Girls: 10. Brisa Sanchez-Valdez, 23:03.27; 14. Laisha Ramierz, 23:22.82; 15. Emily Hernandez, 23:33.71; 24. Logan Slone, 24:30.78; 30. Marlen Barajas, 25:09.38





9.10.18

Otsego's ground game too much for Rams

For the first time this season, South Haven took the lead in a football game, but Otsego's ground game soon stopped the Rams from earning their first victory of the season, Friday, at Ratcliffe Field.

The Bulldogs ended up racking up 313 rushing yards and 119 passing yards to win the contest 40-26.

Despite the loss, Rams Coach Troy Ayotte sees improvement in his team, which struggled with turnovers in its first two games of the season.

“I thought we played better because we took care of the ball, only 1 turnover in the game,” Ayotte said. “We played with great effort and stayed together as a team.”

Otsego got on the scoreboard seven minutes into the contest after marching down the field 80 yards to lead 7-0.

But the Rams were determined to come back when Jaylin Fox took the ball to the 37-yard line on the kick off return to put his team in a good offensive position. Brenden Williamson put South Haven closer to the goal with a 25-yard run to give the Rams a first down.

Quarterback Charles Soristo then threw a 22-yard pass to Fox who ran in the endzone for the first of his three touchdowns. A conversion score by Brendan Petty gave the Rams an 8-7 lead.

But the end-of-the-first-quarter lead for South Haven soon changed in the second stanza when Bulldogs quarterback Will Eldred threw a 7-yard pass to Jaxen Callaway who ran into the endzone for his team's second touchdown of the game to put the score at 13-8.

The Bulldogs then scored another touchdown, courtesy of tight end Owen Watson, to put the score at 20-8. With 4 minutes remaining in the first half they then scored another touchdown to stretch their lead to 26-8.

South Haven wasn't giving in however. On the kick-off return, Petty caught the ball and ran it all the way to the two-yard line. A two-yard run to pay dirt gave the Rams their second TD of the evening and put the score at 26-14.

Although the Rams trailed at the end of the half, it marked the first time this season that they did not accumulate any turnovers – a problem that helped contribute to their first two losses of the season.

In the second half, Otsego stretched their lead to 33-20 before the Rams scored their third and final touchdown. It came from a pass from Williamson (who replaced an injured Soristo) to Fox to put the score at 33-26 with three minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Rams had a chance to tie the game, but the Bulldogs sealed their victory when Eldred got the ball and ran 23 yards into the end zone for his team's final touchdown.

Brendon Petty led the Rams' ground game with 90 rushing yards, followed by Brenden Williamson with 27. Fox caught the ball five times for 92 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Williamson picked up 43 yards on two passes.

Soristo connected 9 of 14 passing attempts, before exiting the game with an arm injury. Williamson was 4 for 10.

On defense, Fox racked up 13 tackles, Jared Hentschel, 9, Marcus Guinn, 7, and Kial Ferguson, 6, with a quarterback sack.

In the photo above, South Haven's Jaylin Fox runs past a group of defenders toward the end zone for his second touchdown of the game, Friday, against Otsego. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Rams hosts first dual meet of the season

South Haven's cross-country teams hosted their first dual Wolverine conference meet of the season, Tuesday against Three Rivers.

The Rams' boys team won 21-34, while the girls narrowly lost, 27-28.

“It was a tough day with temperatures and humidity in the upper 90s,” South Haven Coach Lindsay Haqq said. “As official Ron Waldvogel said, 'we are in survival mode.'”

In the boys race, South Haven senior Joe Nelson paced the team, winning his first cross country race, ever, with a time of 19:00.

“He said in the last mile of the race he could see that with each uphill, the leader of the race was slowing down,” Haqq said. “He knew he could close the gap to take the overall win to lead the team to victory.”

Nelson was followed by a trio of teammates - Carson Rooker, who came in third with a time of 19:28; Brian Thompson, who placed fourth with a time of 19:42; and Vance Locker, fifth, with a time of 20:03. Maddox Uckele came in eighth with a time of 21:29; Carsten Ansinn, 13, 25:15; and Phillip Kerber, 17th, 35:50.

In the girls race, South Haven earned another first-place finish when Katie Schooley crossed the finish line in 21:51 to earn her first cross-country race, ever.

Teammate Marnie Frost finished fourth with a time of 22:25; Summer Corke followed in fifth with a time of 24:05; Rachel Weiss, eighth, 25:48; Jordan Taylor, 10th, 26:14; Karlie Woodall, 15th, 28:15; Kalin Hartmann, 16th, 29:01; Hayley Rose, 18th, 30:33; Samantha Vandenberk, 19th, 30:43; and Kayla Young, 20th, 30:51.

In the Aug. 26 edition of the Tribune. the team finishes for the St. Joseph cross-country invitational the official team results on athletic.net were incorrectly listed. The meet was divided into races for freshmen and sophomores and juniors and seniors. As a result, for South Haven, the senior and junior girls finished fourth; the girls freshmen and sophomores, 10^th; and the boys freshmen and sophomores came in 11^th place.

A tough time at the net in a different gym

South Haven stretched its Wolverine Conference match, Thursday, to five sets against Otsego, but in the end, the Bulldogs won 3-2.

“We fought hard and played some of the best ball we've played thus far,” Rams Coach Megan Washegesic said. “The team is starting to build the trust we need to keep growing.”

The Rams hosted the match in an unfamiliar setting – Lincoln Elementary School gym – due to the reconstruction of the gym floor at the high school.

“Practicing in a smaller gym than we are playing matches in tends to have an effect at the start of a match since it is a different look than what we are used to,” Washegesic said.

The different setting may have had an effect on the Rams in the first set.

“We committed 10 service errors in set one which gave Otsego several free points we weren't able to recover from,” Washegesic said.

As a result, the Bulldogs won the first set by the narrow margin of 25-23.

In the second and third sets, however, South Haven regrouped, winning both, 25-11 and 25-19.

“Sets two and three definitely swung the Rams way,” Washegesic said. “Our serving was tougher, putting Otsego out of system several times. We serve received well in those two sets, making our setter's job easier, resulting in good attack attempts at the net.

But the final two sets of the game belonged to the Bulldogs, who won 25-16 and 15-10.

“We lost the momentum and made a few errors that we just couldn't recover from mentally,” Washegesic said.

Grace Lyons led the Rams on defense with 27 digs. Ella O'Sullivan had 29 assists. Mallory Dorow led the team on offense with 12 kills, Gracie Ellis had 7, Jordyn Holland, 6, and Yazmine Hall and Connie Phillips each chipped in with 4.

Bangor kickers come back from loss to defeat Indians

Bangor's soccer team earned a 3-1 victory over Saugatuck, Thursday, after suffering a 2-1 loss to Cassopolis Ross Beatty, Wednesday.

“We had a good performance against Saugatuck,” Vikings Coach Antonio Robles said. Both teams were tied at 1-1 in the first half, with Bangor going on to lead 2-1 in the second for the win.

Scoring for Bangor were senior Oscar Leon, freshman Jonathan Nivea and sophomore Rolando Muñoz. Jose Gallegos picked up an assist.

The game was a little different against Cassopolis.

“Even though our players tried their best it wasn't enough to beat Cass. They outplayed and it reflected on the score,” Robles said.

Leon scored the Vikings' lone goal in the game.

Viking netters open season with a victory over Allegan

Bangor's volleyball team opened its regular season, last week, with a non-conference victory over Allegan.

The Vikings won the match in four sets, 3-1.

“The contest was characterized by long rallies and constant shifts in momentum,” Bangor Coach Doug Jones said. “In the end, our defense proved to be the difference by keeping many of the Tigers' front-row attacks in play.”

Viking outside hitters Grace Gleason and Audrey Hay each had 8 kills. Keke McGee earned 7 kills, while Hay collected 14 digs.







9.4.18

Early turnovers prove costly for Rams

By BEN SPENCER
HP Sports Writer

Early turnovers dropped South Haven’s football team into an early hole on Friday night at Ratcliffe Field. The Rams would never find enough momentum to recover in a 62-0 Wolverine Conference loss to visiting Plainwell. South Haven turned it over three times in the opening quarter, giving way to a 32-point deficit.
“That’s two weeks in a row we had bad things happen to us at the beginning of the game, and it kind of affected us a little bit,” said South Haven coach Troy Ayotte.
South Haven (0-2 Wolverine, 0-2) struggled to stop Plainwell’s diversified rushing attack, as the Trojans (1-1, 1-1) racked up 371 yards on 45 carries from 10 different players.
Austin Williams led the Trojans with 102 yards on nine carries and four touchdowns.
Devon Augusteli added 62 yards on 11 carries and a score, and Tucker Curry also scored for  Plainwell.
Noah Bradshaw, Rylan Betts and Jakob Layton also rushed for over 40 yards apiece.
The Rams rushed for just 27 yards on 20 carries, and were out-gained in net yardage 390-123.
“It's tough when they’re spreading the ball around,” noted Ayotte. “It’s hard to key in on a guy. At points, they had the ability to give it to those kids whenever they wanted to.”
Plainwell scored early and often, finding the end zone on its first drive on a 6-yard run up the middle by Williams after the Trojans recovered an onside kick on the opening kickoff.
South Haven would throw back-to-back interceptions that the Trojans returned for scores, one by Betts for 30 yards and another from Williams from 45 to give Plainwell a 24-0 lead.
After a Rams punt, Williams would add another rushing score, this time from just a yard out, after the Trojans marched down field to open up the 32-0 margin.
South Haven quarterback Charles Soristo struggled early for the Rams, but settled in after two early picks to make some nice plays for the Rams.
He finished 3 for 12 for 96 yards, with all three completions coming to senior receiver Jaylin Fox.
“He made a couple bad reads. The first one wasn’t really on him. We ran the wrong route,” Ayotte said of Soristo. “And a couple of the other ones, you get down in those goal line distances and it’s not going to work.”
The Rams will host Otsego next week, and Ayotte said the team plans on working to regroup in practice to gear up for another home conference game.
“We’ve just got to get better,” he said. “We have to come together as a team. That’s hard for a team to go through, a game like that, but we’ve got to get together as a team.”
In other football games, both Bangor and Bloomingdale suffered lopsided defeats.
Centreville beat the Cardinals, 50-0, while the Vikings lost to Hartford, 52-0.
“We we’re defeated by a very well-coached and disciplined team, said Cardinals coach Rich Roth. "We’ll regroup and focus on next week.”

PHOTO: Brendan Petty of South Haven is brought down by two Plainwell defenders during Friday night's home opener. (Photo by Tom Renner)

South Haven hosts Rustbuster invitational

Despite a severe storm that caused damage to trees at Warner Camp last Wednesday, South Haven's cross-country team was still able to host the Southwest Michigan Rustbuster Invitational Thursday.

The invitational attracted both large and small high schools throughout West and Southwest Michigan. There also was a race for middle school teams.

The Rams girls high school team finished fourth out of seven teams and was led by Katie Schooley, who finished in eighth place with a time of 21:20.318. Hayden Rooker also medaled by earning a 17th place finish with a time of 22:28.967.

The boys team didn't have enough members to compete as a team due to several conflicts with other school activities, including marching band. Carson Rooker led South Haven's boys competitors, finishing in 33^rd place with a time of 18:54.571.

Bangor also competed in the Rustbuster invite. The girls came in sixth place and were paced by Brisa Sanchez-Valdez, who finished 31^st with a time of 23:40.905. The boys didn't have enough athletes to field a team. Alvaro Martinez led the Vikings boys by coming in third place with a time of 16:55.718.

A total of 104 runners competed in the boys race, while 74 runners took part in the girls race.

Boys team scores:

1. Sparta, 38; 2. Portage Northern, 45; 3. Berrien Springs, 80; 4. Jenison, 86; 5. Delton-Kellogg, 136; 6. Paw Paw, 157; 7. Benton Harbor, 205.

Boys individual scores

South Haven: 33. Carson Rooker, 18:54.571; 35. Vance Locker, 19:03.651; 36. Chandler Carey, 19:09.238.

Bangor: 3. Alvaro Martinez, 16:55.718; 34. Zach Trainor, 19:02.688; 68. Aurelio Melgarejo, 20:50.444.

Girls team scores:

1. Portage Northern, 27; 2. Paw Paw, 58; 3. Sparta, 77; 4. South Haven, 111; 5. Berrien Springs, 119; 6. Bangor, 157; 7. Delton-Kellogg, 170

Girls individual scores

South Haven: 8. Katie Schooley, 21:20.318; 17. Hayden Rooker, 22:28.967; 22. Summer Corke, 22:48.190; 43. Ana Gonzalez, 24:35.577; 50. Jordan Taylor, 25:20.209.

Bangor: 31. Brisa Sanchez-Valdez, 23:40.905; 42. Emily Hernandez, 24:23.698; 53. Logan Slone, 25:46.928; 56. Marlen Barajas, 26:31.718.

Middle school results:

Baseline Middle School: Andrew Loikits finished ninth; Ben Meyer, 12^th and Talon Pirsein, 14^th. All earned medals in the race which attracted 88 runners. For the girls, Lilliana Hernandez finished 33^rd and Hannah DeVries, 36^th. Ninety-four girls competed in the girls race.

Bangor Middle School: Fernando Munoz finished 16^th. For the girls, Lilliana Alcauter finished 24^{th and} Sandra Barajas, 38th

PHOTO: South Haven's Chandler Carey competes in the Southwest Michigan Rustbuster Invitational at Warner Camp in Grand Junction. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Viking kickers suffer two league losses

Bangor started Southwest 10 conference play last Monday on a disappointing note with a 5-3 loss to cross-town rival Bloomingdale.

The Vikings trailed the Cardinals 3-2 in the first half and could only muster a third goal in the second, to Bloomingdale's 2.

Sophomore Rolando Muñoz scored two of Bangor's goals, while freshman Jonathan Nieva kicked in the third one.

“It wasn't our worst performance, but we could've played better,” said Bangor coach Antonio Robles.

The Vikings then traveled to Hartford, Wednesday, to play one of the Southwest 10 league's toughest opponents.

The Indians proved they were indeed tough, shutting out Bangor, 6-0.

“We knew is was going to be a hard game as Hartford is always a tough competitor,” Robles said. “Hartford has dominated the conference for years and going up against a 27-player roster was a 12-player roster didn't make it any easier.”

Despite the loss, Robles said his young team did the best they could.

“As a coach it is always hard to lose a game, but I'm proud of the boys. This games will help us get better.”

South Haven shuts out Three Rivers in tennis match

South Haven's varsity tennis team picked up another victory, Monday, against Three Rivers in a Wolverine Conference matchup.

The Rams won easily, 8-0.

“They (Three Rivers) had only seven players so they had to forfeit three spots,” Rams Coach Kevin Powell said.

In the contested matches, singles players Alex Rummel, Garrett Smith and Austin Hunt of South Haven, all won their contests, while the doubles teams of Chandler Carry and Cameron Denbow and Brenan Diekema and Ahryn Bodfish won their matches.

Results follow:

Singles

1. Alex Rummel, SH, d. Isaac Adams, 6-0, 6-0

2. Garrett Smith, SH, d. Colby Hartzell, 6-1, 6-1

3. Austin Hunt, SH, d. David Green, 6-2, 6-1

4. Will Hastad won by forfeit

Doubles

1. Chandler Carry and Cameron Denbow, SH, d. Logan Ziesmer and Bradley Kervin, 6-1, 6-0

2. Brenan Diekema and Ahryn Bodfish, SH, d. Dan Waltz and Riley Lewis, 6-4, 6-4

3. Danny Riston and Tyler Ferrell, SH, won by forfeit

4. Evan Coles and Linus Resek, SH, won by forfeit

Rams netters lose close match to Sturgis

South Haven's varsity volleyball team began the Wolverine Conference season, Monday, with a closely contested battle against Sturgis, who went on to win the match in four sets.

“It was quite the back-and-forth match between the two teams,” said Rams Coach Megan Washegesic. “Sturgis would score a few points in a row and we would side out and proceed to score several of our own points.”

South Haven narrowly lost the opening set, 25-23 but bounced back to win the second, 25-21. The Trojans then won the last two sets, again by narrow scoring margins of 25-22 and 25-23.

Mallory Dorow led the Rams in kills with 12, while Connie Phillips chipped in 8. Ella O'Sullivan racked up 29 assists, while Grace Lyons led the defensively with 13 digs.

South Haven golfers compete in two jamborees at Lake Doster

South Haven's golf team finished fifth and sixth, respectively, at two Wolverine Conference jamborees last week.

Both jamborees took place Thursday at Lake Doster Golf Club. Otsego hosted the first one, which was on the front nine, while the second, hosted by Plainwell, was played on the back nine.

Conference leader Sturgis won both jamborees. The Rams finished fifth in the first jamboree, and settled for sixth in the second one.

Sydney Barnes paced the Rams in the first jamboree, finishing 13^th with 55 strokes. She was followed by Makenzie Marr, who tied for 15^th with a 56. Jina Patel came in 20^th with 60, while Abby Bocock was 27^th with 65 strokes.

Barnes again led the Rams in the second jamboree. She shot a 56, good enough for 12^th place. Patel came in 15^th with 58; and was followed by Marr, who finished 21^st with a 60; and Bocock, 31^st, with a 65.

Heidi Hines of Three Rivers was the medalist for the first jamboree, shooting a 44; while Rebecca Franklin of Dowagiac and Hines co-medaled in the second match, with 43 strokes, each.



8.27.18

Rams compete in St. Joe invite

South Haven's cross-country teams got a wet start to the season last week when they competed in the St. Joseph Invitational at Riverview Park in St. Joe.

The boys team settled for 14th place out of 16 teams while the girls came in 13th. The finishes may have been a little disappointing, but Coach Lindsay Haqq said the team is off to a decent start.

“Overall, I am very pleased with everyone's performances at the start of our cross-country season, especially over muddy and mushy terrain from heavy rain earlier in the day.”

The invitational was divided into freshmen-sophomore and junior-senior races for both boys and girls. Combined scores from both races determined overall winners.

So, in the girls varsity race, South Haven finished fourth, while the freshmen-sophomore Rams came in 10th. In the boys races, South Haven came in 11th place in the freshman-sophomore race, according to the race results recorded on Athletic.net.

Saugatuck was the overall winner of the combined boys races with 21 points, while Portage Northern came in first place in the girls combined races with a score of 20.

Three runners from South Haven earned medals – Marnie Frost, Carson Rooker and Katie Schooley.

Rooker, who is a freshman, came in 12th place in the boys freshman-sophomore race with a time of 19:25. “Carson was running very strong for his first-ever high school race,” Haqq said.

Schooley finished in 13th place with a tie of 21:54, while Frost finished right behind her in 14th place with a time of 22:03 in the junior-senior race.

Other top finishers for South Haven were Brian Thompson who finished with a time of 19:41 in the boys junior-senior race, while Summer Corke ran in the girls freshman-sophomore race and finished with a time of 25:15.

South Haven will now turn its attention to hosting the Southwest Michigan RustBuster Invitational, Thursday, Aug. 30 at Warner Camp, in Grand Junction.

“Over 10 schools are expected to attend and we are excited to get back to work with the first race now under our belt,” Haqq said.

Races will begin at 5 p.m. Both middle school and high school cross-country teams will compete in the invitational.

St. Joseph Invitational team results:

Combined boys results

1. Saugatuck 21; 2. Portage Northern 37; 3. Holland 39; 4. Berrien Springs 41; 5. Kalamazoo Central 54; 6. Battle Creek Lakeview 58; 7. (tie) St. Joseph, Lakeshore 61; 9.(tie) GR South Christian, Mattawan 64; 11. Holland Black River 75; 12. Sturgis 84; 13. Kalamazoo Christian 88; 14. South Haven 89; 15. Vicksburg 101; 16. Kalamazoo Hackett 119.

Combined girls results

1. Portage Northern 20; 2. Holland 34; 3. Saugatuck 44; 4. Battle Creek Lakeview 52; 5. GR South Christian 54; 6. Holland Black River 56; 7. Mattawan 58; 8. Vicksburg 65; 9. St. Joseph 67; 10. Berrien Springs 70; 11.(tie) Kalamazoo Central, Sturgis 76; 13. South Haven 79; 14. Lakeshore 89; 15. Kalamazoo Christian 96; 16. Kalamazoo Hackett 105.

PHOTO: From left: South Haven runners Marnie Frost, Carson Rooker and Katie Schooley all earned medals at the St. Joseph Invitational.

South Haven netters start season with a victory

The start of the tennis season looked a little daunting for South Haven's varsity boys team. Longtime tennis coach Randy Bartels retired in August, which left the team without a head coach for a couple of weeks.

But, former boys tennis coach Kevin Powell agreed to take the helm to steady the team's course.

“I was very happy to take the position and keep the program going,” he said.

But he faced some challenges.

“We had five days of potential practices and two days of actual practices leading up to the first match,” said Power, regarding last Monday's competition with New Buffalo-Bridgman, which the Rams won.

He admitted he didn't know much about the team's capabilities due to seeing them practice twice before the first match. So he was grateful for help from Bartels and two assistants who had worked with him – Steve Small and Walter Pascal.

“With Steve, Walt and Randy we were able to get a lineup,” Powell said. “They all gave me a lot of insight.”

Powell said it's too soon to predict how the Rams will do, but he said he's got a good group of players.

“What I've been seeing I like,” he said. “Their fundamentals are strong.”

In their first match of the season against the combined team of New Buffalo and Bridgman, the Rams won 5-2 with singles players Alex Rummel and Garrett Smith winning their matches, along with the doubles teams of Chandler-Carey and Cameron Denbow, Lars Larson and Brennan Diekema, and Danny Riston and Tyler Ferrell.

South Haven 5

New Buffalo-Bridgman 2

Singles

1. Alex Rummel, SH d. Caleb Kroeze, 8-6

2. Garrett Smith, SH d. Blake Newton, 8-3

3. Michael Mark, NB, d. Austin Hunt, 7-6

4. Double forfeit

Doubles

1. Chandler Carey and Cameron Denbow, SH, d. Caleb Barker and Sam Polym, 6-5

2. Lars Larson and Brenan Ciekema, SH, d. Trey Heyn and Trevor Mulick, 8-2

3. Danny Riston and Tyler Ferrell, SH, d. Emma Barker and Ellie Kroeze, 8-0

4. Ethan Moser and Adam Knigga, NB, d. Ethan Cole and Linus Resek, 9-8.

PHOTO: Cameron Denbow of South Haven returns a serve in last Monday's match against New Buffalo-Bridgman. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Ram golfers finish 4th at season's 1st jamboree

South Haven's golf team got their Wolverine Conference season underway last week by hosting the first jamboree of the season and picking up a fourth-place finish.

Sturgis won the contest with 194; Plainwell was second with 209; Dowagiac third with 215 and South Haven fourth with 223. Otsego came in fifth with 225; Allegan, sixth, 234; Vicksburg, seventh, 260; and Three Rivers, eighth with 281 strokes.

Makenzie Marr led the Rams, finishing 50, good enough for ninth place out of the top 10 golfers. She was followed by Sydney Barnes with 53, Abby Bocock, with a 59; and Jina Patel, 61.

Heidi Hines of Three Rivers was the medalist for the jamboree, shooting a 42.

The Rams traveled to Sturgis, Wednesday, for the second league jamboree and settled for sixth place.

Once again, Sturgis won the contest. Plainwell finished second; Three Rivers, third; Dowagiac fourth; Otsego, fifth; South Haven, sixth; Allegan, seventh and Vicksburg, eighth.

The Rams struggled in scoring. Marr led South Haven, shooting a 59; Bocock followed with a 62; Barnes, 67; and Patel, 68.

Claire Awe of Plainwell was the medalist, scoring 45.

Rams hope to rebound after loss to Sturgis

South Haven got off to a rough start to the 2018 season after a 54-6 loss, Thursday, to Sturgis, but the team is putting the defeat behind and concentrating on the rest of its schedule.
Sturgis got on the scoreboard early in the game with two touchdowns to put the score at 13-0. With just a few seconds left in the first quarter, South Haven quarterback passed the ball to wide receiver Jaylin Fox who ran into the end zone to put the score at 13-6.
But the rest of the game belonged to Sturgis, who silenced both the Rams' offense and defense, racking up 371 rushing yards en route to the lopsided win.
“The story of the night was offensive turnovers deep in our own territory and inconsistent execution of our offense,” Rams Coach Troy Ayotte said. “Defensively we had our backs to the wall defending a short field. We still struggled at times with our assignments.”
Soristo completed 7 of 20 passes for 164 yards and one touchdown. Fox racked up 132 yards on five carries. He also had eight tackles.
“Jaylin Fox had a great night catching the ball at wide receiver,” Ayotte said.
On defense, the Rams' Drake McFadden tackled 8 players and sacked Sturgis quarterback Zach Chapman. Kial Ferguson had eight tackles and John Ellis, 7.
Despite the loss, Ayotte and the team are putting the defeat behind and concentrating on the rest of its schedule.
“This team can play a lot better if we can reduce our unforced mistakes,” Ayotte said.



Bloomingdale runners settle for second place at invitational' Bangor's Martinez wins boys race

By AARON CRIDER

HP Sports Writer

BRIDGMAN — Bridgman’s boys and girls cross country teams got off to a great season start by sweeping their home invitational at Lake Township Park on Wednesday.

The Bees took an easy win in the boys race with 42 points, well ahead of runner-up Bloomingdale’s 87.

In the girls race, Bridgman edged out Bloomingdale with 34 points. The Cardinals took second 38.

“I thought everyone ran well,” Bridgman coach Spencer Carr said. “We had a lot of runners step up and run over the summer and it’s paid off. There is no secret to cross country, if you want to be good you have to run all summer long. These guys surprised me with their times. Hopefully, as the season moves on we will keep improving.”

Bangor’s Alvaro Martinez won the boys race with a time of 17:16.2. New Buffalo’s Liam Driscoli captured a second-place finish with 17:54.7 and Watervliet’s Walker Barz was third at 18:17.4.

Top finishers for Bridgman were Luke Blesy, who finished fourth at 18:20.4, Connor Blesy (seventh) at 18:39.7, Spencer Noll (12th) 19:14.2, Chipper Steffey (16th) 19:55.8 and AJ Hackett (18th) at 19:57.4.

Karsyn Stewart led the Bees in the girls race, finishing third at 21:56.1.

River Valley’s Jessie Rieth won the race with a time of 20:36.7 and Bloomingdale’s Kallie Harrison was second at 21:15.4.

Other top Cardinal finishers include Nelly Gonzalez (fourth) 22:01.7, Aimee Sustaita (fifth) 22:26.9, Liza Hutchins (12th) 24:22.5 and Olaisa Moss (21st) 24:51.2.

“I was pleased,” Bloomingdale coach Alan Boblik said. “I knew we were going to have a good girls team coming back. They put in a lot of work over the summer and we wanted to be competitive. It is nice to run some fast times early in the season. It’s nice to start with that momentum early, and hopefully we can keep it going the rest of the season.”

Carr was equally pleased with his girls team.

“We have 11 girls and they all ran well today,” he said. “Our first runner, Karsyn, she ran really well. She was our No. 1 runner last year as a freshman, and we expected her to come in and run well and she did that.”

Boys Team scores — 1. Bridgman 42, 2. Bloomingdale 87, 3. Gobles 88, 4. (tie) Bangor, Watervliet 89, 6. River Valley 117, 7. Hartford 166. DNF: New Buffalo, Lake Michigan Catholic, Buchanan, Cassopolis, Eau Claire, Decatur.

Top 25 finishers

1. Alvaro Martinez 17:16.2 (Ban), 2. 11 Liam Driscoll 17:54.7 (NB), 3. 9 Walker Barz 18:17.4 (Buch), 4. 10 Luke Blesy 18:20.4 (Brid), 5. 10 Joe Furlan 18:23.4 (Blom), 6. 11 Gus Hinch 18:25.4 (Wat), 7. 12 Connor Blesy 18:39.7 (Brid), 8. 12 Carter Finch 18:53.4 (Ban), 9. 12 Spencer Noll 19:14.2 (Brid), 10. 11 Zach Trainor 19:19.1 (Ban), 11. 11 Kelsey Brown 19:26.4 (Buch), 12. 11 Tyler Starbuck 19:37.9 (Blom), 13. 11 Justin Chilla 19:40.6 (Gob), 14. 11 Logan Payne 19:47.3 (RV), 15. 12 Josh Paladi 19:47.4 (Gob), 16. 11 Chipper Steffey 19:55.8 (Brid), 17. 10 Gavyn Rogers 19:57.1 (RV), 18. 10 AJ Hackett 19:57.4 (Brid), 19. 10 Kade Van Niel 19:57.9 (Wat), 20. 9 Nile Devers 20:01.1 (Gob), 21. 11 Joey Lemkuhl 20:03.3 (Hart), 22. 12 Jarod Volstorf 20:10.7 (RV), 23. 11 Ron Umbenhour 20:11.4 (Blom), 24. 12 Ross Thorpe 20:11.7 (Gob), 25. 11 Alex Isbrecht 20:24.7 (Wat).

Girls

Team scores — 1. Bridgman 34, 2. Bloomingdale 38, 3. Hartford 59, 4. Bangor 107, 5. Buchanan 131, 6. Cassopolis 167, 7. Decatur 204. DNF: New Buffalo, Lake Michigan Catholic, Eau Claire, Gobles.

Top 25 finishers

1. 12 Jessie Rieth 20:36.7 (RV), 2. 10 Kallie Harrison 21:15.4 (Blom), 3. 10 Karsyn Stewart 21:56.1 (Brid), 4. 12 Nelly Gonzalez 22:01.7 (Blom), 5. 10 Aimee Sustaita 22:26.9 (Blom), 6. 11 Mikaela Owen 22:41.6 (Brid), 7. 12 Kaitlin Essig 22:52.9 (Brid), 8. 12 Mackenzie Brinsfield 22:53.1 (Hart), 9. 11 Adrianna Morseau 22:58.4 (Hart), 10. 12 Laisha Ramirez 23:25.9 (Ban), 11. 12 Savanna Tate 23:35.3 (Brid), 12. 11 Grace Stockdale 23:49.4 (Cath), 13. 12 Emily Lopez 24:18.4 (Gob), 14. 9 Jane Kaspar 24:19.2 (Brid), 15. 12 Liza Hutchins 24:22.5 (Blom), 16. 12 Marisol Robles 24:24.6 (Hart), 17. 12 MacKenzie Warren 24:26.3 (Brid), 18. 10 Jamie Smith 24:36.0 (Hart), 19. 11 Brianna Morseau 24:45.7 (Hart), 20. 11 Jovana Naranjo 24:48.4 (Hart), 21. 10 Olaisa Moss 24:51.2 (Blom), 22. 10 Emily Hernandez 24:51.2 (Ban), 23. 12 Cielo Overton 25:04.7 (EC), 24. 9 Allison Lauri 25:18.8 (Bry), 25. 10 Abby Vitale 25:22.2 (NB).

PHOTO: Bangor's Alvaro Martinez runs to a first-place finish in the boys race of the Bridgman Invitationa. (Photo by Don Campbell of the Herald-Palladium)



8.20.18

The Rams started the 2018 season last week by hosting a tri-match at Hawkshead Links. Harper Creek won with a 143. South Haven followed with 148 and Sturgis finished at 157. “I am very excited about the potential of this group of girls,” South Haven Coach Barry Shanley said. The Rams' five starters are junior Makenzie Marr, sophomores Jina Patel and Abby Bocock and freshmen Sydney Barnes and Kendra Burrows. The photo, above, shows Makenzie Marr.

7-16.18

Klose signs new pact with UFC

South Haven’s Drakkar Klose is looking forward to his next fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), after defeating Lando Vannata at the UFC 226 in Las Vegas.

Klose, 30, earned a 30-27 unanimous decision over Vannata, July 7, at the T-Mobile Arena to improve his UFC lightweight record to 3-1, and his professional record to 9-1-1 overall.

Klose won the match by using a combination of leg kicks and elbows to slow Vannata (1-3-1, 9-1-1), and used his wrestling abilities to keep him pinned against the cage.

“I think this is an awesome matchup,” Klose said in an interview with the Herald-Palladium prior to the competition. “(Vannata) has four fights in the UFC with three Fight of the Night (bonuses). He’s there to fight, not run, and will look to put the pain on me.”

Klose hung tough though, won the match, and now has a new four-fight deal with the UFC.

A 2007 graduate of South Haven High School and all-state wrestler for the Rams, Klose began his mixed martial arts professional career in 2014 and then signed with the UFC in 2016.

“I started fighting after college wrestling,” he told the UFC. “I just love to compete.”

As an amateur mixed martial arts lightweight wrestler he compiled a perfect 7-0 record before going pro.

His first match with the UFC occurred in January 2017 against fellow newcomer Devin Powell. Klose won the match and then went on to face Mark Diakiese in July 2017. He won the fight by a split decision. With a perfect 2-0 record Klose came home to Michigan for his third UFC bout and lost to David Teymur in December of 2017.

It was a huge disappointment for Klose.

When longtime cage announcer Bruce Buffer read off the judges’ scores (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after the Teymur fight, Klose told the Palladium he felt he lost more than just a fight. He had lost perspective.

“I wasn’t focused on myself,” Klose said. “I felt like I was trying to please others. I (started to) make my circle smaller. I kind of stayed out of the gym, did my own little thing. After taking that loss I went on a little vision quest.”

While on that quest, he discovered that one of the keys missing to his game was mental fortitude.

“A lot of fighting is 90 percent mental,” he said. “I think my mental game is a lot stronger now. Looking back at Teymur, I wish I kept my composure more. I wish I didn’t let people see my frustration.

“The way you act with your body, some people don’t like that. But I’ve always been a passionate guy. When I’m no longer passionate, I got to call it quits.”

Klose is far from calling it quits after his latest victory.

He’s an expecting father of a son and as fatherhood draws nearer he has a new perspective when it comes to fighting and training.

“Every fight is important. I’m fighting for something else, I’m fighting for him,” Klose told the Palladium. “I’m fighting to support him, I can’t just do whatever I want. I got to put food on the table for him and put on a good show.

“That’s the only thing that matters. As long as I go in and give it my all, that’s all that matters. I don’t want any regrets.”



7.2.18

Bangor kickers head to LMC

Bangor soccer standouts Olivia Moore (right) and Samantha Zordan signed letters of intent to play soccer in the fall for Lake Michigan College. LMC coach Jeremy Woolery is standing behind the girls.

6.25.18

Rams' Kreiger named All-State pitcher

More congratulations are in order for South Haven's Division 2 state runner-up softball team.

This past week, pitcher Hayley Kreiger earned All-State honors, while teammates Anna Bocock and Torie Loikits received honorable mention.

“They were all three huge contributors during our season,” Rams Coach Wilma Wilson said. “We were fortunate to have different people come through in games all season.”

During her final season with the Rams, Kreiger had a 2.01 ERA with 232 strikeouts in 32 starts. She also led the Rams' hitting with a .526 average.

In the state title game against No. 3 Escanaba, Kreiger struck out nine batters and had a single, one of only three hits the Rams got during the game, which ended 5-0 in Escanaba's favor.

Kreiger plans to attend Division II Davenport University in the fall where she has been recruited to play on both the volleyball and softball teams.

In addition to All-State honors, both Kreiger and first-base player Bocock were named All-Conference first team in the Wolverine league, while outfielder Grace Ellis and designated player Torie Loikits were named to the second team. Third base player Frances Lyons received honorable mention.

All-district players included Kreiger, Bocock, Loikits, Frances Lyons, outfielder Jordyn Holland and catcher AJ Jeffries.

All-region honors went to Bocock, Kreiger, Loikits and Frances Lyons.

“What a year,” Wilson said regarding the 2018 season in which the Rams traveled all the way to the state finals, a fete a South Haven softball team has been unable to achieve since 1979.

“There were so many great wins versus top teams. Knocking out Lakeshore in the regional finals and defeating undefeated Spring Lake in the quarter-finals were my favorites. I liked how our kids pulled together down the stretch and got on the same wave about keeping our season going. We got to the last game. I'm so proud of them all.”

The Rams (32-9) may have had to settle for runner-up honors, but the team's quest to land a spot in the state finals was a hard-fought one.

After ending up in third place in the Wolverine Conference, South Haven regrouped in post-season play to defeat Paw Paw in the district finals.

They then advanced to regionals where they easily won over Olivet, 18-5, in the semi-finals. But the Rams had to get past nemesis Stevensville Lakeshore in the finals – a fete South Haven had never been able to accomplish in the past.

The determined Rams battled on to knock off the No. 1 ranked Lancers 4-3 to advance to the state quarterfinals where they faced No. 2 ranked Spring Lake and its impressive 30-0 record. But, the underdogs came through once again and won 5-4.

That brought the Rams to the semi-final contest where they dominated Dearborn Divine Child in a mercy-rule 14-0 finish.

PHOTO: South Haven pitcher Hayley Kreiger gets ready to pitch the ball in a doubleheader against  South Christian in May. (file photo by Tom Renner)

Rams receive Wolverine Conference honors

Several South Haven baseball players were recognized by the Wolverine Conference.
Andy Klavins made it to the first team all-conference, while the team's other pitcher, McCauy Marr received honorable mention.
Klavins plans to play baseball for Adrian College next season, while Marr will be playing for Lake Michigan College.

Soccer honors
Katherine Schooley was named second team all-conference for South Haven's girls soccer team, while teammate Blanca Gonzalez was named honorable mention.

PHOTO: Andy Klavins is shown pitching in a game earlier this year. (file photo by Tom Renner)

6.18.18

South Haven's softball season came to an end Saturday after the Rams settled for runner-up honors in the Division 2 state championship game against Escanaba. The Eskymos (yes, that's how they spell their mascot's name) won 5-0. The Rams played five post-season games in one week in their pursuit of a state title. In the photo, above, South Haven softball team and coaches pose for a photo after receiving the Division 2 state runner-up trophy. (Photo by Tom Renner)

A season to remember

Rams earn state runner-up honors

By BECKY KARK
Editor and general manager

South Haven's wild post-season ride came to an end Saturday literally at the hands of Escanaba's Gabrianna Salo.
Salo fanned 11 Rams batters in the first four innings to aid the Eskymos to a 5-0 shutout victory over South Haven in the Division 2 state championship game.
Salo's dominance on the mound limited the Rams to just three hits in the entire game. The hits came from Hayley Kreiger, Hannah Mines and AJ Jeffries. Kreiger, who took the loss for  South Haven, struck out nine batters and only had one walk.
The Rams (32-9) may have had to settle for runner-up honors, but the team's quest to land a spot in the state finals was a hard-fought one.
After ending up in third place in the Wolverine Conference, South Haven regrouped in district play to defeat Paw Paw in the finals.
They then advanced to regionals where they easily won over Olivet, 18-5, in the semi-finals. But the Rams had to get past nemesis Stevensville Lakeshore in the finals – a fete South Haven had never been able to accomplish in the past.
The determined Rams battled on to knock off the No. 1 ranked Lancers 4-3 to advance to Tuesday's state quarterfinals where they faced No. 1 ranked Spring Lake and its impressive 30-0 record. But, the underdogs came through once again and won 5-4.
That brought the Rams to the semi-final contest, Thursday, where they dominated Dearborn Divine Child in a mercy-rule 14-0 finish.

State quarterfinals

South Haven defeated Spring Lake, 5-4, Tuesday, in the Division 2 state-quarterfinals at Hope College to advance to Thursday's state semi-finals in East Lansing against Dearborn Divine Child.
Spring Lake was 40-0 entering the game and owned a 4-0 lead midway thru the third inning. South Haven got one run back on a solo homerun by Frances Lyons. Then in the fourth inning Anna Bocock hit a grand slam homerun to put South Haven ahead 5-4. Pitcher Hayley Kreiger shut down Spring Lake the rest of the way behind several outstanding defensive plays by her teammates.
South Haven last advanced to the state semi-finals in 1982.

State semifinals

South Haven remained Ram tough, Thursday, in their quest to be state champions in Division 2 softball.
The Rams mercy ruled Dearborn Divine Child, 14-0, with the game ending after five innings.
South Haven's offense was spot on. The Rams scored four runs in the first inning, tallied one in the second and added three in the third. Six runs in the fourth caused the mercy rule to take effect.
Haley Mines batted 3-4 with three RBIs on a bases-loaded double in the first inning. Kreiger added three RBIs off a bases-loaded fourth-inning triple.
The Rams' defense was equally as effective at stopping Dearborn from scoring.
Pitcher Hayley Kreiger allowed just one hit, while third base player Frances Lyons fielded three grounders for three outs in the first inning.
This year marks the first time since 1979 that the Rams will be competing for a state title.
It also marks the first time that veteran coach Wilma Wilson will lead a South Haven team to a state championship game.
In the past 29 years as coach for the Rams, Wilson has compiled a 708-346 record.

6.11.18

South Haven freshman hits winning homer in regional upset of top-ranked Lakeshore

By AL AREND

HP Sports Correspondent

STEVENSVILLE — South Haven freshman Jordyn Holland’s first career home run is one she’ll never forget. Neither will long-time Rams softball coach Wilma Wilson.

Holland belted a 2-run homer over the left field fence in the top of eighth inning to power South Haven to a 4-3 upset victory over top-rated Lakeshore in the Division 2 regional championship. It was coach Wilson’s first-ever regional crown in 29 years at the Rams’ helm.

“That was a big hit, obviously a game changer,” a delighted Wilson said after being doused with the water cooler by her team. “We made a few hitting adjustments late in the game as (the home plate umpire) had a very tight strike zone early on.”

“I hit a fastball,” noted Holland of her two-run blast. “I didn’t know if it was going over the fence or not, because I’ve never hit a homer before.”

The loss was a bitter pill for veteran Lakeshore coach Denny Dock to swallow, as his team left 15 runners on base, including nine in scoring position. They slapped 12 hits off winning pitcher Hayley Kreiger.

“We had numerous chances to win that game,” stated Dock. “We had chance after chance after chance to win that game. It’s one of those ones you’d like to forget. We’re sure going to miss our six seniors, but they’ve had a great run. We made two outs that caromed off their fielder’s glove and went right to another infielder for a force out that thwarted two potential rallies.”

Also, in the bottom of the first, with the bases loaded and one out, Nadia Amicarelli hit a soft fly ball to short left-center that the outfielder dove for and appeared to drop, but the base umpire ruled she caught it. Meghan Younger, who had wandered off second thinking it was a hit, was doubled up to end the rally.

“That was a confusing call that went our way,” admitted Wilson, whose Rams will take a 30-8 record into quarterfinal play at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Hope College against Spring Lake.

The Lancers took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Gabby Rothrock. The score stayed that way until the top of the sixth, when the Rams tied it on a two-run single by winning pitcher Hayley Kreiger, who tossed two complete games for South Haven. Holland’s blast in the top of the eighth gave the Rams a 4-2 lead, and the Lancers plated one run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Younger but couldn’t muster any more. Lakeshore also left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.

“She’s our workhorse in the circle,” praised Wilson of Kreiger’s ability to pitch out of jams. “Plus she delivered that clutch, two-out, tworun single in the sixth that knotted the game against Lakeshore.”

Lakeshore ace Taylor Simon was near-perfect for five innings, fanning seven and walking one while tossing hitless ball. She tossed a two-hit shutout, striking out 12 in the Lancers’ 7-0 regional semifinal win over No. 5 rated Three Rivers, the Wolverine Conference champs. But after throwing three straight tournament shutouts, South Haven finally became the first tournament team to score on her, plating two in the sixth and two more in the eighth. “She certainly pitched well enough to win, but we just couldn’t come up with the clutch hit when we needed it,” added Dock, whose squad bows out at 30-12.

South Haven won its regional semifinal 18-5 over Olivet in a game called after six innings due to the 10run mercy rule. The Rams banged out 18 hits in the win, including three apiece by Kreiger, who had five RBI, and Haley Mines, who knocked in three. Kreiger socked a two-run homer.

In Lakeshore’s semifinal win over Three Rivers, the Lancers scored four unearned runs in the top of the second thanks to three Wilcats errors and were never headed after that. Nadia Amicarelli slapped three singles and Becca Spenner socked a double and single in the Lancers 10-hit attack. The game was delayed 77 minutes due to two lightning strikes.

PHOTO: South Haven celebrates after defeating Lakeshore 4-3 in eight innings during a Division 2 regional championship Saturday. (Photo by Don Campbell)

Marr heads to LMC to play baseball

Another South Haven High School athlete will be headed to college in the fall to play sports at the collegiate level.

McCauy Marr has signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the Lake Michigan College Redhawks.

Marr, who pitches and plays infield for the Rams, is the son of Jim and Angela Marr.

South Haven baseball coach Dave McWhinnie wasn't surprised that LMC offered Marr a scholarship and a chance to play on their team.

“McCauy has been a workhorse,” McWhinnie said. “He came up to the varsity level as a sophomore. He's a reliable pitcher and we know we'll get a good game from him. He's also an all-around infield player.” When he's not pitching, Marr can be found behind the plate catching, or playing at first or third base.

Marr said he looked at other schools but chose LMC because it's close to home.

He plans to stay at LMC for two years and then transfer to a four-year college to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.


PHOTO: McCauy Marr (seated, second from left) is shown just prior to signing a letter of intent to play baseball for Lake Michigan College next year. Also seated from left are Jim Marr, McCauy's dad;  LMC Athletic Director Melissa Grau; and Angela Marr, McCauy's mom. Standing from left are South Haven baseball coach Dave McWhinnie and Assistant Coach Jason Montgomery.

6.4.18

Track and field athletes earn all-state honors

Four track and field athletes from the South Haven area brought home all-state honors after competing in the MHSAA state finals, Saturday.

Brett Robertson of Bangor captured two all-state medals in the Division 3 meet. He earned fifth place in the 110-meter hurdles with a personal record time of 15.35 and ran to a fourth-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 40.25.

“I don't have enough superlatives for Brett,” Bangor coach Ron Markel said, adding he will miss the graduating senior. “A team full of Brett's desire and work ethic would hang a lot of banners and numbers.”

In his years running for Bangor's track team, Robertson was a four-time regional champion, three-time conference champ and earned all-state honors three times.

For the Bangor girls, Audrey Hay came away with all-state honors, after placing fifth in the long jump with a leap of 16-05.75.

All-state honors in Division 3 also went to Jeremy Birmele of Bloomingdale, who vaulted 13-feet to a fourth-place finish in the pole vault competition.

The fourth area athlete to come home with an all-state medal was senior Paisley Sipes of South Haven. She came in fourth place in the 3200-meter run with a time of 11:04.96 in the Division 2 state finals in Zeeland.

Several other track and field athletes competed in the state finals as well. Here are their results:

Division 2

Girls

Pole vault: Ellie Frost, South Haven, 11th place, 10-0.

Shot put: Constance Phillips, South Haven, 25th place, 30-02.5

Boys

4x800 relay: South Haven (Brian Thompson, Jackson Schooley, Justin Postma, Joe Nelson) 30th place, 8:34.57

Division 3

Girls

400-meter dash: Aimee Sustaita, Bloomingdale, 16th place, 1:02.94

800-meter run: Kallie Harrison, Bloomingdale, 17th place, 2:31.01

1600-meter run: Kallie Harrison, Bloomingdale, 18th place, 5:30.83

4x800 relay: Bloomingdale (Aimee Sustaita, Kallie Harrison, Nelly Gonzalez, Olaisa Moss), 15th place, 10:25.99

Boys

1600-meter run: Alvaro Martinez, Bangor, 12^th place, 4:38

PHOTO: Paisley Sipes of South Haven competes in the 3200-meter run at the Division 2 state meet in Zeeland. Sipes earned fourth place and all-state honors (the top 8 finishers in each event are named all-state). (Photo by Tom Renner)

South Haven softball team earns district championship

South Haven's softball team coasted to a 5-1 victory over Paw Paw, Saturday, to capture a Division 2 district championship.

The Rams will now move on to the regional competition this weekend where they will compete against Olivet at Stevensville Lakeshore. The winner of that game will face the winner of the Lakeshore-Three Rivers contest for the regional championship.

South Haven's softball team made it to the Division 2 district finals, Saturday, at Allegan, after defeating Wolverine Conference rival, Otsego, 2-0.

“We won a hard-fought game,” Rams assistant coach Mike Sweet said.

South Haven earned both of its runs in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Grace Ellis and an RBI single by Torie Loikits.

Pitcher Hayley Kreiger held the Bulldogs to just three hits.

The victory put the Rams in the finals where they faced Paw Paw, who defeated Plainwell in the other district semi-final contest.

South Haven's softball team ended regular season play, May 25, by defeating Sturgis, 6-1 and 15-0, to finish with a 14-4 record and third place in the Wolverine Conference.

In game 1 the Rams only had 3 hits but it was enough to produce six runs. Haley Mines and Jordyn Holland had singles, and Hayley Kreiger, who was the winning pitcher, had a home run. Between games the seniors along with their parents were recognized. Playing their last games at home were Frances Lyons, Anna Bocock, Hayley Kreiger and Hannah and Haley Mines.

In the nightcap, the Lady Rams had 15 hits to go with the team's 15 runs. Bocock and Kreiger each had 3 hits with one of Krieger’s being a home run. Getting two hits were Frances Lyons and Torie Loikits. Others with 1 hit were: Jordyn Holland, AJ Jeffries, Haley Mines, Mallory Dorow and Holli Dannenberg.

Prior to playing against Sturgis, South Haven stayed busy at the end of May playing against non-conference teams and competing in the Otsego Invitational where the Rams earned runner-up honors.

“The Otsego Invitational had a ton of talent spread throughout the brackets; however, the Lady Rams still made it to the tournament finals before losing to the Wolverine Conference champion Three Rivers,” South Haven assistant coach Mike Sweet said.

Getting to the finals, the Lady Rams beat Grand Rapids South Christian 15-4 followed by a 10-5 win over Otsego. In the finals the Three Rivers Wildcats proved too much by shutting out South Haven 10-0. Against South Christian, South Haven's leading hitters were Hannah Mines and Frances Lyons with 3 hits each. Jordyn Holland, Hayley Kreiger, AJ Jeffries, Torie Loitkits and Mallory Dorow all had hits with Dorow’s being a home run. Kreiger was the winning pitcher.

In the victory over Otsego, the Lady Rams had to go extra innings, but a 5-run eighth inning broke open the game and sealed the win. Getting two hits apiece for South Haven were AJ Jeffries, Hannah Mines, Jordyn Holland and Hayley Kreiger. One of Kreiger’s hits was a home run. Others with single hits were Frances Lyons, Anna Bocock, Mallory Dorow and Torie Loikits. Kreiger again picked up the win from the mound.

Following the tournament, the Lady Rams returned home to win 5 of 6 games on their own home field.

On May 22 South Haven defeated the Lady Sailors from Grand Rapids South Christian by the scores of 7-0 and 12-1. In game 1 South Haven broke open a tight game with a 4-run sixth inning. Getting two hits apiece for South Haven were Hayley Kreiger (both doubles), Holli Dannenberg and AJ Jeffries. One of Jeffries’s hits was her first varsity homerun. Others with hits were Jordyn Holland (triple), Frances Lyons, Anna Bocock (double), Grace Lyons and Torie Loikits (double). Kreiger was the winning pitcher holding the Lady Sailors to 5 hits.

In game 2 the Lady Rams banged out 14 hits spread out through the line-up. Anna Bocock led the way with a 4-hit game with her hit in the 6th inning being a mercy rule walk-off grand slam homerun. Jordy Holland contributed with 3 hits with two of those being doubles. Other Rams with hits were Macy Jenks, Courtney Kelly, AJ Jeffries, Grace Ellis (triple), Torie Loikits, Holli Dannenberg (double) and Haley Mines. Kreiger was again the winning pitcher, holding South Christian to 3 hits.

Two days later the Lady Rams hosted the Lady Panthers from Watervliet. Both games were very close with each game decided in the last inning. The Lady Rams won the opener, 5-4, in nine innings. Game 2 saw the Lady Rams lose 4-3 in another nailbiter. In the opener , AJ Jeffries and Jordyn Holland each had 2 hits apiece. Hayley Kreiger, Anna Bocock, Haley Mines and Torie Loikits each had a hit. Hayley Kreiger was the winning pitcher. In the nightcap, the Lady Rams only had 5 hits with Kreiger getting 3 of them. Jordyn Holland and Haley Mines had the team’s other two hits.

The Rams closed out their busy May 21-25 week, with two victories over Sturgis to push their overall regular season record to 26-8.

PHOTO: South Haven softball team gathers around home plate to greet AJ Jeffires after she hit a two-run homerun in the first game of a double-header against South Christian, May 22. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Black River overpowers Bangor in district finals

Bangor's soccer team made it to the Division 4 district final Saturday before falling to Holland Black River High School, 5-1.

The Vikings started the post-season tournament in Hartford by defeating Covert 10-2 in the opener on Monday. The Bulldogs scored their two goals in the first half, but then it was all Bangor.

“We started out sluggish and lethargic,” Bangor coach Dennis Yunke said. “We did not hit our stride really until the second half.”

That's when Madi McGuire and Laisha Ramirez kicked into gear, literally, with each scoring a hat trick by the end of the match.

Madi McGuire continued her torrid scoring pace with a hat trick as did Laisha Ramirez working her way back with a hat trick and an assist.  Noemi Arevalo,  Maritza Barajas, Sam Zordan and Jackie Mandujano also tallied for the Lady Vikings.   The defense stiffened in the second half to hold the Bulldogs scoreless.

Yunke gave the young Bulldog team a lot of credit.

“They are a young, struggling program with a school that has a low student population.  The soccer community knows that and I give them credit for taking the field.  I have been in that position in the early years of our program and its tough.  Their players have a good attitude, and with some time they will improve.”

The Vikings went on to face Saugatuck in the semi-final match, Thursday and won 3-2.

“Saugatuck has always played us tough,” Yunke said. “We have been fortunate to win almost all of our contests against them but it has never been easy.”

Thursday's match proved no different for the two teams. The Indians jumped out to a 1-0 lead.

“Our defense failed to clear,” Yunke said. “Anytime that ball stays in the penalty area for more than 5 seconds you flirt with disaster.”

But Bangor's offense came alive with McGuire kick a high shot from 18 yards out that went into the far post high corner to put the score at 1-1.

The Indians responded with a corner kick that ended up going into the net.

“We handled it by responding with an alert steal and goal by Laisha Ramirez playing up top who jumped on a weak goal kick and took it in for a score,” Yunke said.

The score remained tied throughout the second half.

“With 4 minutes to go in the game the Bangor coaches did not want overtime,” Yunke said. “Players were hot and tired and luck too often plays a part in overtime and shoot-outs.”

With 1:10 left on theclock, Sam Zordan launched a cross shot from the left side that went into the net to put the score at 3-2, and a win for the Vikings.

Yunke gave a lot of credit to keeper Noemi Arevalo.

“Noemi made several key saves to keep the Lady Vikings in the game.   Noemi had a brilliant game in the net and was the MVP of the game.”

The victory advanced Bangor to the finals on Saturday where they faced Holland Black River. 

PHOTO: Laisha Ramirez of Bangor and Megan Shanahan of Saugatuck race for the ball in the first half of Thursday's district soccer game at Hartford High School.

(Photo by John Madill)





5.28.18

Track teams compete for league titles

Bloomingdale's boys track team cruised to a runner-up finish in the Southwest 10 conference championship meet , Tuesday, while Bangor settled for fifth place.

In the girls race, Bangor finished third and Bloomingdale, fifth.

Results from the meet follow:

Team results

Boys: 1. Mendon, 111; 2. Bloomingdale, 100; 3. Marcellus, 96; 4. Centreville, 84; 5. Bangor, 73; 6. Hartford, 65; 7. Eau Claire, 42; 8. White Pigeon, 32; 9. Decatur, 31; 10. Cassopolis Ross Beatty, 21.

Girls: 1. Centreville, 162.5; 2. Marcellus, 123.5; 3. Bangor, 80; 4. Cassopolis Ross Beatty, 77; 5. Bloomingdale, 67; 6. Hartford, 45; 7. Decatur, 40; 8. White Pigeon, 29; 9. Mendon, 24; 10. Eau Claire, 8.

Individual results

Boys

100 meters: 1. Michael Ellis, Bloomingdale, 11.54; 5. Karl Butler, Bloomingdale, 12.08

200 meters: 3. Karl Butler, Bloomingdale, 24.63; 5. Brett Robertson, Bangor, 24.97

400 meters: 2. Jeremy Birmele, Bloomingdale, 53.88; 8. Alex Arias, Bloomingdale, 57.63; 12. Carson Fisher, Bloomingdale, 1:00.02; 13. Jose Marin, Bangor, 1:00.78; 14. Colby Petranek, Bangor, 1:00.80; 17. Vincent Almazan, Bangor, 1:03.50

800 meters: 1. Alvaro Martinez, Bangor, 2:06.86; 3. Carter Finch, Bangor, 2:12.63; 5. Joe Furlan, Bloomingdale, 2:14.57; 7. Benedikt Stehr, Bloomingdale, 2:18.12; 8. Gabriel Perez, Bloomingdale, 2:18.88; 12. Zach Trainor, Bangor, 2:24.82

1600 meters: 1. Alvaro Martinez, Bangor, 4:45.61; 5. Carter Finch, Bangor, 4:58.80; 6. Joe Fulan, Bloomingdale, 4:59.32; 9. Benjamin Greiner, Bangor, 5:08.24; 11. Gustavo Silva, Bloomingdale, 5:25.95; 12. Mavrick Manning, Bloomingdale, 5:29.07

3200 meters: 4. Benjamin Greiner, Bangor, 11:07.43; 7. Carlos Garcia, Bloomingdale, 11:25.57; 9. Vincent Almazan, Bangor, 11:50.44; 10. Mavrick Manning, Bloomingdale, 11:52.26; 16. Gustavo Silva, Bloomingdale, 12:45.80

110 hurdles: 1. Brett Robertson, Bangor, 15.37; 7. Doug Spates, Bloomingdale, 18.86; 8. Joel Butler, Bloomingdale, 20.32

300 hurdles: 1. Brett Robertson, Bangor, 39.27; 7. Doug Spates, Bloomingdale, 46.59; 9. Joel Butler, Bloomingdale, 48.78; 13. Julian Reyes, Bloomingdale, 49.77

4x100 relay: 6. Bloomingdale (Alex Arias, Joel Butler, Rodrigo Salazar, Julian Reyes) 50.38

4x200 relay: 1. Bloomingdale (Jeremy Birmele, Karl Butler, Joel Butler, Michael Ellis) 1:36.53

4x400 relay: 3. Bangor (Jesus Aragon, Keoni Tedford, Brett Robertson, Alvaro Martinez) 3:42.55; 4. Bloomingdale (Jeremy Birmele, Alex Arias, Michael Ellis, Joe Furlan) 3:43.04

4x800 relay: 2. Bangor (Jesus Aragon, Carter Finch, Alvaro Martinez, Zach Trainor) 8:50.87; 3. Bloomingdale (Benedikt Stehr, Gabriel Perez, Carlos Garcia, Joe Furlan) 8:53.57

Shot put: 10. Marcos Gonzalez, Bloomingdale, 36-02; 13. Jaedon Jones, Bangor, 34-04; 22. Brian Jackson, Bloomingdale, 29-07; 23. Jordan Colpetzer, Bloomingdale, 28-09; 23. Dirk Brunt, Bangor, 28-09; 25. Perry Sirk, Bangor, 27-10

Discus: 5. Marcos Gonzalez, Bloomingdale, 111-00; 10. Jaedon Jones, Bangor, 99-09; 18. Jesus Diaz, Bangor, 85-01; 21. Caleb Erb, Bangor, 73-10; 24. Jordan Colpetzer, Bloomigndale, 64-01; 25. Brian Jackson, Bloomingdale; 55-05

High jump: 9. Colby Petranek, Bangor, 5-03; 9. Doug Spates, Bloomingdale, 5-03; 9. Zion Taft, Bangor, 5-03; 12. Tony Westerhoff, Bloomingdale, 5-0

Pole vault: 1. Brian Paquette, Bloomingdale, 11-00; 2. Jeremy Birmele, Bloomingdale, 11-00; 6. Pierce Manning, Bloomingdale, 9-0; 9. Jose Marin, Bangor, 8-0

Long jump: 4. Karl Butler, Bloomingdale, 19-07.25; 9. Colby Petranek, Bangor, 16-05.25; 12. Zion Taft, Bangor, 15-05; 14. JD Dickerson, Bloomingdale, 12:06.25

Girls

100 meters: 3. Victoria London, Bangor, 14.06; 7. Jamie Allen, Bangor, 14.60; 8. Lesly Salazar, Bloomingdale, 14.75

200 meters: 2. Audrey Hay, Bangor, 28.10; 6. Victoria London, Bangor, 29.88; 8. Lesly Salazar, Bloomingdale, 20.61

400 meters: 2. Aimee Sustaita, Bloomingdale, 1:04.29; 13. Logan Slone, Bangor, 1:17.27

800 meters: 2. Kallie Harrison, Bloomingdale, 2:30.23; 6. Alex Vorva, Bangor, 2:46.78; 15. Blanca Martinez, Bangor, 3:11.03

1600 meters: 2. Kallie Harrison, Bloomingdale, 5:32.98; 4. Nelly Gonzalez, Bloomingdale, 5:50.20; 9. Liza Hutchins, Bloomingdale, 6:15.93

3200 meters: 1. Nelly Gonzalez, Bloomingdale, 12:40.13; 6. Liza Hutchins, Bloomingdale, 13:37.55; 6. Liza Hutchins, Bloomingdale, 13:37.55; 7. Logan Slone, Bangor, 14:13.29; 8. Olaisa Moss, Bloomingdale, 14:29.84

100 meter hurdles: 2. Marlen Barajas, Bangor, 18.21

300 meter hurdles: 2. Marlen Barajas, Bangor, 52.04; 11. Maranda McNally, Bloomingdale, 1:01.23; 12. Icsel Marin-Gomez, Bloomingdale, 1:02.83; 13. Nicole Weinert, Bloomingdale, 1:07.76

4x100 relay: 7. Bangor (Karyssa Gallegos, Epiphany Parker, Blanca Martinez, Alex Vorva) 59.94; 9. Bloomingdale (Savannah Ashbrook, Maria Herrera, Kelsey Wertz, Lesly Salazar) 1:00.46

4x200 relay: 3. Bangor (Jamie Allen, Marlen Barajas, Audrey Hay, Victoria London) 1:54.57; 6. Bloomingdale (Savannah Ashbrook, Maria Herrera, Lesly Salazar, Kelsey Wertz) 2:09.09

4x400 relay: 2. Bangor (Marlen Barajas, Karyssa Gallegos, Alex Vorva, Audrey Hay) 4:28.02; 5. Bloomingdale (Aimee Sustaita, Nelly Gonzalez, Izzy Kelly, Kallie Harrison) 4:59.11

4x800 relay: 1. Bloomingdale (Aimee Sustaita, Nelly Gonzalez, Olaisa Moss, Kallie Harrison) 10:30.05

Shot put: 6. Epiphany Parker, Bangor, 30-11; 8. Madison Kueny, Bangor, 29-10; 16. Wendy Herrera, Bloomingdale, 25-03; 17. Mychaila Verstrate, Bangor, 24-07; 24. Alina Bostan, Bloomingdale, 20-03

Discus: 1. Madison Kueny, Bangor, 102-09; 9. Epiphany Parker, Bangor, 81-07; 11. Wendy Herrera, Bloomingdale, 80-05; 15. Mychaila Verstrate, Bangor, 69-05; 23. Alina Bostan, Bloomingdale, 52-09

High jump: 4. Olaisa Moss, Bloomingdale, 4-06; 9. Maranda McNally, Bloomingdale, 4-03

Long jump: 1. Audrey Hay, Bangor, 15-07

Wolverine Conference meet

Team results

Boys: 1. Otsego, 134; 2. Plainwell and Vicksburg (tie) 98; 4. Edwardsburg, 68; 5. Sturgis and Allegan (tie) 53; 7. Three Rivers, 42; 8. Paw Paw, 40; 9. South Haven, 39; 10. Dowagiac Union, 31

Girls: 1. Otsego, 124.5; 2. Edwardsburg, 89.5; 3. Vicksburg, 89; 4. Three Rivers, 76.5; 5. Allegan, 71; 6. Paw Paw, 53; 7. Plainwell, 52; 8. South Haven, 45; 9. Sturgis, 32.5; 10. Dowagiac Union, 28

Individual results for South Haven

Boys

100 meters: 1. Andre Cobbs, South Haven, 11.31

200 meters: 1. Andre Cobbs, South Haven, 22.97

400 meters: 6. Chris Kerber, South Haven, 53.85; 8. Brian Thompson, South Haven, 54.54; 12. Chris Rainey, South Haven, 55.88

1600 meters: 20. Joe Nelson, South Haven, 5:12.84; 23. Maddoxx Uckele, South Haven, 5:31.45

3200 meters: 5. Jackson Schooley, South Haven, 10:15.73; 16. Joe Nelson, South Haven, 11:36.39; 21. Maddoxx Uckele, South Haven, 12:20.32

4x400 relay: 2. South Haven (Chris Kerber, Brian Thompson, Justin Postma, Craig Thompson) 3:40.11

Shot put: 16. Arvarious Farmer, South Haven, 36-02

Discus: 6. Arvarious Farmer, South Haven, 111-09

Long jump: 15. Chris Kerber, South Haven, 15-10.75

Girls

400 meters: 5. Marnie Frost, South Haven, 1:05.63; 8. Leah Bennett, South Haven, 1:07.00

1600 meters: 1. Paisley Sipes, South Haven, 5:13.62

300 meter hurdles: 11. Liv Rickett, South Haven, 54.72

4x100 relay: 5. South Haven (Summer Corke, Yazmine Hall, Jordan Taylor, Constance Phillips) 54.11

4x200 relay: 5. South Haven (Summer Corke, Leah Bennett, Yazmine Hall, Constance Phillips) 1:55.93

4x400 relay: 4. South Haven (Marnie Frost, Yazmine Hall, Leah Bennett, Jordan Taylor) 4:25.54

Shot put: 7. Ameerah Burton, South Haven, 29-05

Discus: 9. Ameerah Burton, South Haven, 78-08.5

High jump: 3. Yazmine Hall, South Haven, 4-09

Pole vault: 1. Ellie Frost, South Haven, 8-06



PHOTO: Bangor's Brett Robertson and Eau Claire's Cameron Jones run neck and neck in the hurdles event Tuesday at  the Southwest 10 Conference track meet at Hartford High School. Jones edged out Robertson in this early heat and went on to capture first place in the finals. (Photo by John Madill)

5.21.18

Area track team athletes qualify for state meet

Area track teams will be sending individuals to the state meet after they qualified at the regional competitions, Friday.

In the Division 2 contest at Sturgis, South Haven's girls team will be sending four members to the state meet. Paisley Sipes won both the 3200- and 1600-meter runs; Ellie Prost placed first in the pole vault; while Yazmine Hall and Constance Phillips settled for runner-up honors in the high jump and shot put, respectively.

On the boys side, Brian Thompson, Justin Postma, Jackson Schooley and Craig Thompson will head to the state meet after placing first in the 4x800-meter relay.

As a team, the Lady Rams placed sixth out of 13 teams, while the boys finished 11th.

While South Haven competed in the Division 2 regional, Bangor and Bloomingdale traveled to Comstock for the Division 3 meet.

In the girls race, Bloomingdale's Kallie Harrison ran to a first-place finish in the 1600-meter run and second in the 800-meter run to qualify for state. Other top finishers for Bloomingdale were Aimee Sustaita, who placed third in the 400-meter run; Nellie Gonzalez, who finished third in the 3200-meter run and the 4x800-meter relay team of Sustaita, Harrison, Gonzalez and Olaisa Moss), who ran to a first-place finish.

Bangor's Audrey Hay will be headed to state after placing first in the long jump, and will be joined by Madison Kueny, who earned third place in the discus.

For the boys, Bloomingdale's Michael Ellis placed third in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes; Bangor's Alvaro Martinez was runner-up in the 1600-meter run; Bangor's Brett Robertson won both the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdle races; and Bloomingdale's Jeremy Birmele came in second in the pole vault event.

Division 2 results for South Haven

Girls

400-meter dash: 6. Katie Schooley, 1:06.06

800-meter run: 10. Marnie Frost, 2:35.88

1600-meter run: 1. Paisley Sipes, 5:15.56; 14. Rachel Weiss, 6:41.21

3200-meter run: 1. Paisley Sipes, 11:26.85

300-meter hurdles: 12. Liv Ricket, 56.01

4x400 meter relay: 1. South Haven, (Katie Schooley, Leah Bennett, Jordan Taylor, Marnie Frost)

High jump: 2. Yazmine Hall, 5-03

Pole vault: 1. Ellie Frost, 9-09

Shot put: 2. Constance Phillips, 33-04; 8. Ameerah Burton, 28-10

Discus: 7. Ameerah Burton, 85-02

Boys

100-meter dash: 5. Andre Cobbs, 11.39

400-meter dash: 10. Brian Thompson, 56.06; 12. Chris Kerber, 56.49

800-meter run: 6. Craig Thompson, 2:11.60

1600-meter run: 14. Joe Nelson, 5:05.27

3200-meter run: 5. Jackson Schooley, 10:33.30; 16. Maddoxx Uckele, 11:26.29

4x400 meter-relay: 7. South Haven, (Brian Thompson, Chris Kerber, Justin Postma, Craig Thompson) 3:47.68

4x800 meter relay: 1. South Haven, (Brian Thompson, Justin Postma, Jackson Schooley, Craig Thompson)

Discus: 7. Arvarious Farmer, 110-06

Team results:

Girls

1. Edwardsburg, 106; 2. Three Rivers, 83.5; 3. Vicksburg, 78; 4. Otsego, 74; 5. Allegan, 61; 6. South Haven, 55; 7. Plainwell, 48.5; 8. Paw Paw, 36; 8. Stevensville Lakeshore, 29; 10. Sturgis,

27.5; 11. Niles, 23, Dowagiac Union, 23 (tie); 12. Benton Harbor, 17.5

Mens

1. Niles, 112; 2. Benton Harbor, 87.5; 3. Otsego, 70; 4. Plainwell, 65.5; 5. Edwardsburg, 60; 6. Stevensville Lakeshore, 49; 7. Vicksburg, 46.5; 8. Allegan, 45.5; 9. Sturgis, 37; 10. Paw Paw, 33; 11. South Haven, 25; 12. Dowagiac Union, 15; 13. Three Rivers, 7.

Division 3 individual results for Bangor and Bloomingdale

Girls

100-meter dash: 8. Victoria London, Bangor, 14.21

400-meter run: 3. Aimee Sustaita, Bloomingdale, 1:02.20; 15. Maria Herrera, Bloomingdale, 1:13.90;

800-meter run: 2. Kallie Harrison, Bloomingdale, 2:30.38; 7. Alex Vorva, Bangor, 2:42.58; 10. Aimee Sustaita, Bloomingdale, 2:44.82; 25. Blanca Martinez, Bangor, 3:08.65

1600-meter run: 1. Kallie Harrison, Bloomingdale, 5:27.74; 5. Nelly Gonzalez, Bloomingdale,

5:54.50; 9. Logan Slone, Bangor, 6:18.54

3200-meter run: 3. Nellie Gonzalez, Bloomingdale, 12:16.92; 7. Olaisa Moss, Bloomingdale, 13:38.54; 8. Logan Slone, Bangor, 13:52.52

100-meter hurdles: 8. Marlen Barajas, Bangor, 18.04

300-meter hurdles: 4. Marlen Barajas, Bangor, 53.29; 14. Maranda McNalley, Bloomingdale; 1:01.88; 16. Icsel Marin-Gomez, Bloomingdale, 1:02.88

4x100-meter relay: 13. Bloomingdale (Savannah Ashbrook, Kelsey Wertz, Lesly Salazar, Maria Herrera) 1:01.00

4x200-meter relay: 8. Bangor (Marlen Barajas, Jamie Allen, Audrey Hay, Victoria London) 1:55.77; 13. Bloomingdale (Lesly Salazar, Savannah Ashbrook, Izzy Kelly, Maria Herrera) 2:09.27

4x400-meter relay: 6. Bangor (Jamie Allen, Victoria, London, Audrey Hay, Marlen Barajas) 4:39.25

4x800-meter relay 1. Bloomingdale (Aimee Sustaita, Kallie Harrison, Nelly Gonzalez, Olaisa Moss) 10:32.40

Long jump 1. Audrey Hay, Bangor, 16-00

Shot put: 9. Epiphany Parker, Bangor, 29-06; 10. Madison Keuny, Bangor, 31-00.50; 20. Wendy Herrera, Bloomingdale, 23-07; 28. Angel Murray, Bloomingdale, 21-08

Discus: 3. Madison Kueny, Bangor, 101-06; 11. Epiphany Parker, Bangor, 85-01; 20. Wendy Herrera, Bloomingdale, 67-06; 30. Angel Murray, Bloomingdale, 43-03

Boys

100-meter dash: 3. Michael Ellis, Bloomingdale, 11.42

200-meter dash: 3. Michael Ellis, Bloomingdale, 23.31

400-meter run: 7. Jeremy Birmele, Bloomingdale; 54.62; 13. Alex Arias, Bloomingdale, 56.64; 20. Jesus Aragon, Bangor, 59.67; 22. Colby Petranek, Bangor, 1:00.47

800-meter run: 9. Albaro Martinez, Bangor, 2:08.80; 10. Carter Finch, 2:13.54; 14. Gabriel Perez, Bloomingdale, 2:14.69

1600-meter run: 2. Alvaro Martinez, Bangor, 4:41.41; 7. Carter Finch, Bangor, 4:53.93; 12. Joe Furlan, Bloomingdale, 5:00.21; 21. Gustavo Silva, Bloomingdale, 5:19.97

3200-meter run: 8. Benjamin Greiner, Bangor, 10:52.76; 9. Carlos Garcia, Bloomingdale, 11:02.57; 11. Mavrick Manning, Bloomingdale, 11:32.40

100-meter hurdles: 1. Brett Robertson, Bangor, 15.48; 7. Joel Butler, Bloomingdale, 18.55

300-meter hurdles: 1. Brett Robertson, Bangor, 40.00; 9. Joel Butler, Bloomingdale, 45.86; 13. Rodrigo Salazar, Bloomingdale, 46.79

4x400-meter relay: 7. Bangor (Jesus Aragon, Alvaro Martinez, Connor McDaniel, Brett Robertson) 3:46.49; 9. Bloomingdale (Jeremy Birmele, Alex Arias, Michael Ellis, Joe Furlan), 3:48.17

4x800-meter relay: 5. Bloomingdale (Joe Furlan, Benedikt Stehr, Carlos Garcia, Gabriel Perez), 8:55.04

Pole vault: 2. Jeremy Birmele, Bloomingdale, 12-09; 6. Pierce Manning, Bloomingdale, 10-03

Long jump 10. Keoni Tedford, Bangor, 18-02; 21. Colby Petranek, Bangor, 16-04.

Shot put: 16. Marcos Gonzalez, Bloomingdale, 36-09; 20. Jaedon Jones, 34-06; 24. Jordan Colpetzer, Bloomingdale, 33-01.50

Discus: 9. Jaedon Jones, Bangor, 110-09; 19. Marcos Gonzalez, Bloomingdale, 100-11; 24. Jordan Colpetzer, Bloomingdale, 83-03

PHOTOS: Ellie Frost, a freshman at South Haven High School, won first place in the pole vault event at the Division 2 regional, Friday, at Sturgis. In the photo, above, she is shown competing at an earlier meet this season. (file photo by John Madill)

Bangor's Audrey Hay won first place in the long jump at the Division 3 regional at Comstock on Friday. In the photo, above, she is shown competing at an earlier meet this season. (file photo by John Madill)

Lady Rams shut out Allegan in doubleheader

Senior Hayley Kreiger and sophomore Torie Loikits each tossed 1-hit shutouts against the Tigers, Tuesday, May 15. The Rams shut out the Tigers in both games, 15-0, 14-0.

Kreiger dominated from the mound in game 1 holding the Lady Tigers to a lone single in her one-hit pitching effort which upped her season record to 16-2. The Ram bats were on full display as well with 11 players crossing the plate at least once.

South Haven had 10 hits with four of those being extra base hits. The Lady Rams also had their running shoes on with 8 stolen bases spread out amongst six different players. Batting around in the second inning and scoring 7 runs proved to be too much for the Lady Tigers to overcome.

South Haven, in addition to its explosive second inning also added a 3-run first inning and a 5-run fourth inning to close out scoring in the 15-0 mercy rule game.

Frances Lyons led the Rams with 3 singles, 3 runs and 2 stolen bases. AJ Jeffries had a single, double and 2 RBI’s. Kreiger and Mallory Dorow each tripled and knocked in 2 runs apiece. Courtney Kelly and Holli Dannenberg each knocked in a pair of runs with Dannenberg’s coming from a double. Hannah Mines singled in a run.

In the nightcap, Loikits followed up HKreiger’s first game shutout with a gem of her own. Loikits also held the Lady Tigers to just a single first-inning hit and had 8 strikeouts in the 5-inning mercy rule win. The Rams bats remained hot from game one as the team banged out 13 hits in the 14-0 win. The Rams again had a 3-run first inning followed by a 3-run second inning, adding 2 runs in the third and finished its scoring with a big fourth inning, scoring 6 runs. Kreiger who is batting .597 on the season, singled, doubled twice, and knocked in 4 runs. Anna Bocock knocked in 3 runs with a pair of hits. Jordyn Holland and Frances Lyons also singled twice. Loikits added a double, while Jeffries, Grace Lyons and Kelly all singled.

The Rams will be playing at home in three contests this week. They'll face Watervliet, Thursday and Sturgis, Friday.



SH golfers to host regional tournament

South Haven golfers will be playing on a familiar course when the Division 2 regional tournament gets underway next week.

The tournament will be played at Hawkshead Links, Wednesday, May 30.

Eighteen teams from throughout West Michigan will be competing for a chance to advance to the state finals.

The teams include Allegan, Allendale, Byron Center, East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Grand Rapids Christian, Hamilton, Hastings, Holland, Holland Christian, Ionia, Middleville-Thornapple Kellogg, Otsego, Plainwell, South Haven, Wayland Union, Zeeland East and Zeeland West.

South Haven ended its regular season last week, finishing sixth, overall, in the Wolverine Conference. Edwardsburg was named league champs after winning 7 league jamborees and coming in second in three others.

Rams tennis team defeats Coloma

South Haven's tennis team picked up another victory this past Tuesday, to improve their overall record to 5-4.

The Rams hosted Coloma and dominated the match, 7-1.

South Haven players who won their matches follow:

Singles: Allie Parmley, No. 1 singles; Kyla Toney, No. 2 singles; Elise Postma, No. 3 singles; and Makenzie Marr, No. 4 singles.

Doubles: Jessee Ford and Stephanie Rosas, No. 1 doubles; Julie Rosas and Jasmine Mileham, No. 3 doubles; and Karmyn Molina and Jordan Rosillo, No. 4 doubles.

Controlling the ball

South Haven's Katie Schooley maneuvers away from a Vicksburg defender during Wednesday's Wolverine Conference soccer match at Ratcliffe Field in South Haven. Schooley kicked in two goals early in the contest, but the Bulldogs ended up winning by mercy rule. "The second goal was sensational a long throw into the box by Claire Herrera, to Katie who headed it into the goal," Rams Coach Steve Brzezinski said.  The girls continue to compete and give it their all, but the lack of depth on the squad is a handicap against these very good and deep Wolverine conference teams." (Photo by Tom Renner)

Vikings win doubleheader

Bangor's Kaitlyn Kite swings away in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Benton Harbor. The Vikings ended up winning both games, by scores of 14-4 and 14-9. The Vikings' Taylor Kieszkowski pitched the first game while Keeonna McGee pitched the nightcap. (Photo by John Madill)

5.14.18

Bulldogs prove too much for South Haven

South Haven's baseball team struggled, Tuesday, in a doubleheader against Otsego, losing both games, 3-0, 12-6.

In the opener the Rams outhit the Bulldogs 7-6, but couldn't manage to cross homeplate. South Haven pitcher Andy Klavins hit a double; AJ Guthrie racked up two hits; and Steven Hochstetler, Mitch Murk, Chandler Carey and Kegan Copenhagen each singled.

Klavins took the loss for the Rams, striking out three batters.

In the nightcap, South Haven got on the score board first with two runs and scored two more in the second. But the Bulldogs tied the score with four runs of their own. They then went on to score five in the third to take the lead 9-4. The Rams scored runs in the fourth and sixth inning, but the Bulldogs went on to score three more runs to win 12-6.

On offense Harrison Gargus had two hits; Hochstetler one; Marr, one; Mitch Murk, one; and Carey, a double and single. Hochstetler and Guthrie each had an RBI.

Nick Gildea, Murk and Aaron Boyer took turns pitching for the Rams, with Gildea taking the loss.

PHOTO: The Rams' Steven Hochstetler dives safely back to first base on a pickoff attempt during Tuesday's doubleheader against Otsego. Bulldog first-base player Owen Watson is shown trying to put the tag on Hochstetler. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Lady Rams take two from Otsego Bulldogs

South Haven's softball team racked up 22 hits, Tuesday, to sweep a double header from Wolverine Conference rival Otsego, 7-1, 9-1.

“The Lady Rams had one of their better hitting nights, working hard at hitting the ball where it was pitched which often times is to the opposite field,” Assistant Coach Dave Gumpert said.

In game one South Haven started the scoring in their half of the second inning with a lead-off walk by AJ Jeffries who came home on an RBI double off the bat of Torie Loikits.

The Lady Rams again added a single run in the bottom of the third with winning pitcher Hayley Kreiger leading the inning off with a single and promptly stealing second base, according to Rams Assistant Coach Mike Sweet. Hannah Mines then hit an RBI single to bring Kreiger home. South Haven added a run in the fourth inning on a couple of Otsego errors and put two more runs on the board in both the fifth and sixth innings. Mines knocked in three more runs with a pair of singles and Kreiger and Jeffries also added key hits.

Kreiger held Otsego to a single bloop hit while striking out 10 Lady Bulldogs.

In the nightcap, he 17-3 Lady Rams started quickly in with a three-run first inning. Lead-off hitter Jordyn Holland walked followed by a single by Frances Lyons. Kreiger then brought Holland home with a sacrifice fly. Hannah Mines knocked in Lyons with a fielder’s choice. AJ Jeffries singled and after a wild pitch trotted home on an RBI single off the bat of Mallory Dorow. The Rams added a single run in the second inning with Lyons getting an RBI single.

In the third inning, Mines and Dorow each singled and scored. The fourth inning was much like the third as Lyons singled and scored, and Kreiger scored after hitting a double.

The Rams' final run came in the sixth inning when Mines, who had a total of six RBI’s on the day, knocked in Lyons who had her fourth hit of the game.

“Other key plays in the game was a perfectly executed suicide squeeze bunt off the bat of Grace Lyons,” Sweet said. “Grace Ellis and Macy Jenks also added singles to the Rams' cause. “

Kreiger was the winning pitcher, upping her pitching record to 15-2.

The Rams stand in second place in the Wolverine Conference with a record of 10-2. The Lady Rams will face the current first-place team in the conference, Three Rivers, Friday at Three Rivers. The Wildcats are undefeated in the conference with a record of 12-0.



SH grad named MAC West Player of the Week 

Along with racking up hits for Western Michigan University's softball team, Marlee Wilson is racking up awards.

This past week, the South Haven High School graduate was named Player of the Week for the Mid-American Conference West Division and was chosen as the conference's Female Scholar Athlete of the Week.

Wilson, a redshirt senior for the Broncos, batted .571 over five games last week, helping WMU upset nationally No. 14 ranked Michigan on the road and win the Mid-American Conference series against Eastern Michigan.

Wilson went 8-for-14 at the plate with one home run, one double, four runs scored and four RBIs, according to a WMU news release.

Defensively she had a perfect (1.000) fielding percentage at first base. Wilson collected two hits, including a home run and drove in three in the Broncos' 8-2 upset on the road at Michigan on Tuesday, as the Broncos handed U-M it first home loss of the season. Entering the game, the Wolverines had outscored opponents 92-5 in home contests and held a 12-0 record at Alumni Field. Overall for the year, Michigan had allowed just two earned runs. U-M had also entered the game leading the nation with a 1.09 staff ERA.

Wilson came back on Wednesday and batted 3-for-3 at Detroit in the Broncos' final non-conference game of the season. Wilson closed out the weekend batting .479 in the three-game series against Eastern Michigan, going 3-for-7 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.

Wilson graduated from WMU in the summer of 2017, summa cum laude, with an undergrad degree in University Studies, while maintaining a 3.97 GPA. Currently she is working towards her master’s degree in sports management, and holds a perfect 4.0 GPA. She hopes to become a graduate assistant softball coach at a program this fall and continue to study sport management or sport psychology. Her career goal is to become a collegiate softball coach.

PHOTO: Western Michigan University softball player Marlee Wilson is showing hitting the ball in a game earlier this year. Wilson, who graduated from South Haven High School was named Player of the Week for the Mid-American Conference West Division and  was also chosen as the conference's Female Scholar Athlete of the Week. (Photo courtesy of Western Michigan University athletics)

Two hat tricks lead Vikings to victory

Bangor kickers defeated Cassopolis last Monday, 6-1, propelled by hat tricks from Laisha Ramirez and Maddi McGuire.

“I do believe it is the first time we have had two players with three goals each in the same game in our nine-year history,” Vikings Coach Dennis Yunke said. “It could have been two four-goal performances as both girls missed opportunities.”

Yunke also gave kudos to his team's defense.

“Samantha Zordan ran a smothering defense and Noemi Arevalo had 8 saves,” he said. “This was a solid performance by the gang of 13.  We are a very young team with 17 out of 22 being freshmen and sophomores and they are improving.”

The Vikings continued their winning ways by defeating Brandywine, 5-1, Wednesday.

Bangor scored one goal in the first half and four in the second half, while Brandywine scored one goal in the first half.

“Madi McGuire followed up her hat trick on Monday with her second hat trick against the Cougars on this weather shortened night,” Yunke said.

The inclement weather forced the game to end early.

“Two 30-minute lightning delays and a third one pending convinced Brandywine and Bangor the weather would end the game with Bangor firmly in control with 9:41 left on the clock,” Yunke said.

Ramirez scored two goals on assists from Maritza Barajas, and could possibly have earned another point for the Vikings if it hadn't been for the bad weather, according to Yunke.

“The bad weather thwarted Ramirez’s second hat trick of the week,” he said. “The defense again played tough holding the Cougars to five shots.”

Rain doesn't stop Wolverine league golfers

Rain forced the cancellation of most Wolverine Conference games and meets on Friday, but golfers braved the inclement weather to compete in their final conference golf jamboree of the season at Hampshire Country Club.

Edwardsburg won the event marking the seventh time in ten outings that they've took first place. South Haven came in eighth out of the 10 teams.

Team results follow: 1. Edwardsburg, 161; 2. Plainwell, 171; 3. Allegan, 178; 4. Three Rivers, 180; 5. Paw Paw, 181; 6. Dowagiac, 187; 7. Sturgis, 190; 8. South Haven, 193; 9. Vicksburg, 204; 10. Otsego, 215.

Earlier last week, the Rams competed in a league jamboree in Sturgis and did better, finishing sixth. Again, the Eddie won the match, with Satchel Pierce of Edwardsburg shooting a 36 to earn medalist honors.

Team results follow: 1. Edwardsburg, 166; 2. Paw Paw, 173; 3. Three Rivers, 178; 4. Plainwell, 180; 5. Sturgis, 184; 6. South Haven, 192; 7. Allegan, 194; 8. Dowagiac, 195; 9. Vicksburg, 204; 10. Otsego (did not finish).





South Haven buzzes past Bees

South Haven's soccer team shut out Bridgman, 4-0, May 4, in a non-conference match, but went on to lose games to Paw Paw and Edwardsburg last w eek.

Against the Bees, Tania Villegas scored two goals, and Katherine Schooley and Jina Patel each scored one.

“The defense was excellent all night, giving Bridgman very few good scoring opportunities,” Rams Coach Steve Brzezinski said.

Conference teams, however, proved too much for South Haven. The Redskins defeated the Rams, Monday, 6-2, while the Eddies also picked up a win at South Haven's expense, 5-2, on Wednesday.



5.7.18

Vikings, Rams place 2nd in Bangor invitational

Bangor's boys track team and South Haven's girls track team both captured second-place victories in the Bangor Invitational, Friday.

Seven track teams competed in the annual competition. Bloomingdale finished third and South Haven, fourth, in the boys competition; while in the girls contest, Bangor came in fourth and Bloomingdale, sixth.

Team results

Boys: 1. Otsego, 165; 2. Bangor, 122; 3. Bloomingdale, 99; 4. South Haven, 74.5; 5. Lawton, Kalamazoo Christian (tie) 70; 6. Hartford, 38.5.

Girls: 1. Otsego, 179; 2. South Haven, 104; 3. Lawton, 100; 4. Bangor, 81; 5. Kalamazoo Christian, 69; 6. Bloomingdale, 65; 7. Hartford, 31.

Individual boys results for local teams:

100 meters: 1. Michael Ellis, 11.20, Bloomingdale; 2. Andre Cobbs, 11.45, South Haven; 3. Chris Steward, 11.65; Bangor; 6. Evan Siler, 12.14, Bangor.

200 meters: 1. Andre Cobbs, 23.49, South Haven; 2. Karl Butler, 23.69, Bloomingdale; 4. Chris Kerber, 25.13, South Haven.

400 meters: 2. Jeremy Birmele, 54.10, Bloomingdale; 3. Chris Kerber, 54.72, South Haven; 5. Brian Thompson, 54.93, South Haven; 6. Jesus Aragon, 55.74, Bangor; 8. Alex Arias, 57.86, Bloomingdale; 10. Jose Marin, 59.49, Bangor; 11. Carson Fisher, 1:00.04, Bloomingdale.

800 meters: 2. Alvaro Martinez, 2:08.20, Bangor; 5. Carter Finch, 2:12.34, Bangor; 6. Benedikt Stehr, 2:14.68, Bloomingdale; 8. Joe Furlan, 2:16.03, Bloomingdale; 9. Brian Thompson, 2:16.47, South Haven; 14. Joe Nelson, 2:26.35, South Haven; 16. Colby Petranek, 2:32.53, Bangor; 18. Osvado Ruiz, 2:37.46, South Haven; 19. Rodrigo Salazar, 2:54.44, Bloomingdale.

1600 meters: 2. Alvaro Martinez, 4:50.64, Bangor; 4. Carter Finch, 5:00.50, Bangor; 5. Joe Furlan, 5:04.05, Bloomingdale; 7. Joe Nelson, 5:13.64, South Haven; 11. Gustavo Silva, 5:21.92, Bloomingdale; 12. Mavrick Manning, 5:28.38, Bloomingdale; 14. Maddoxx Uckele, 5:53.25, South Haven.

3200 meters: 1. Jackson Schooley, 10:15.19, South Haven; 2. Benjamin Greiner, 11:00.45, Bangor; 5. Carlos Garcia, 11:07.52, Bloomingdale; 9. Maddoxx Uckele, 11:38.85, South Haven; 10. Mavrick Manning, 11:41.90, Bloomingdale; 15. Zach Disbrow, 12:49.88, Bloomingdale.

110 hurdles: 1. Brett Robertson, 15.46, Bangor; 5. Melvin Jeffries, 18.63, Bangor; 6. Doug Spates, 18.65, Bloomingdale; 7. Joel Butler, 18.67, Bloomingdale.

300 hurdles: 1. Brett Robertson, 40.37, Bangor; 7. Justin Postma, 47.01, South Haven; 8. Melvin Jeffries, 47.91, Bangor; 9. Doug Spates, 48.17, Bloomingdale; 13. Rodrigo Salazar, 51.29, Blomingdale; 14. Hunter Devries, 51.38, South Haven; 15. Joel Butler, 53.61, Bloomingdale.

4x100 relay: 2. Bangor (Evan Siler, Melvin Jeffries, Chris Steward, Robert Taylor), 47.14; 5. Bloomingdale (Thaddeus Vernon, Joel Butler, Karl Butler, Michael Ellis), 48.13.

4x200 relay: 1. Bloomingdale (Jeremy Birmele, Joel Butler, Karl Butler, Michael Ellis) 1:35.51; 3. Bangor (Jesus Aragon, Keoni Tedford, Brett Robertson, Chris Steward), 1:39.51.

4x400 relay: 2. Bangor (Alvaro Martinez, Carter Finch, Jesus Aragon, Brett Robertson) 3:40.80; 4. South Haven (Justin Postma, Brian Thompson, Chris Kerber, Craig Thompson) 3:42.34; 5. Bloomingdale (Benedikt Stehr, Joe Furlan, Michaell Ellis, Jeremy Birmele) 3:44.63.

4x800 relay: 1. South Haven (Justin Postma, Brian Thompson, Jackson Schooley, Craig Thompson) 8:37.45; 2. Bangor (Carter Finch, Jesus Aragon, Zach Trainor, Alvaro Martinez) 8:47.70; 5. Bloomingdale (Benedikt Stehr, Gabriel Perez, Carlos Garcia, Joe Furlan) 9:05.53.

Shot put: 4. Arvarious Farmer, 39-09, South Haven; 6. Getsemani Vargas, 37-09, Bangor; 11. Marcos Gonzalez, 33-01, Bloomingdale; 12. Jaedon Jones, 30-11, Bangor; 13. Jordan Colpetzer, 29-03, Bloomingdale; 14. Dirk Brunt, 28-10, Bangor; 15. Brian Jackson, 28-08, Bloomingdale; 16. Colin Rouse, 24-10, South Haven.

Discus: 3. Getsemani Vargas, 119-11, Bangor; 4. Arvarious Farmer, 117-04, South Haven; 5. Marcos Gonzalez, 111-00, Bloomingdale; 6. Jaedon Jones, 105-01, Bangor; 12. Jesus Diaz, 93-09, Bangor; 14. Colin Rouse, 75-06.50, South Haven; 15. Zander Willett, 74-06, South Haven; 16. Jordan Colpetzer, 61-00, Bloomingdale; 17. Brody Whitecotton, 48-09, Bloomingdale.

High jump: 5. Colby Petranek and Melvin Jeffires (tie) 5-03, Bangor; 5. Brian Paquette and Doug Spates (tie) 5-03, Bloomingdale; 10. Carsten Ansinn, South Haven, and Zion Taft, Bangor (tie), 5-03.

Pole vault: 1. Jeremy Birmele, 11-00, Bloomingdale; 4. Brian Paquette, 9-06, Bloomingdale; 6. Justin Postma, 9-00, South Haven.

Long jump: 1. Karl Butler, 19-06.50, Bloomingdale; 3. Keoni Tedford, 18-05.50, Bangor; 9. Alex Arias, 15-3.50, Bloomingdale; 11. Zion Taft, 14-07.50, Bangor; 12. Hunter Devries, 14-04, South Haven.

Girls individual results for local teams:

100 meters: 1. Constance Phillips, 13.84, South Haven; 3. Victoria London, 13.93, Bangor; 5. Jordan Taylor, 14.03, South Haven.

200 meters: 1. Constance Phillips, 28.61, South Haven; 3. Audrey Hay, 28.77, Bangor; 4. Victoria London, 29.14, Bangor; 7. Leah Bennett, 29.87, South Haven.

400 meters: 1. Aimee Sustaita, 1:03.77, Bloomingdale; 4. Nelly Gonzalez, 1:08.40, Bloomingdale; 5. Taleah Lowe, 1:11.21, South Haven.

800 meters: 1. Marnie Frost, 2:30.80, South Haven; 3. Kallie Harrison, 2:34.34, Bloomingdale; 5. Blanca Gonzalez, 2:38.85, South Haven; 7. Aimee Sustaita, 2:41.17, Bloomingdale; 9. Alex Vorva, 2:45.21, Bangor; 11. Logan Slone, 2:54.81, Bangor; 13. Blanca Martinez, 3:13.65, Bangor; 14. Amalia Gonzalez, 3:20.62, Bloomingdale; 15. Aliyah Pena, 3:57.23, South Haven.

1600 meters: 3. Kallie Harrison, 5:41.92, Bloomingdale; 7. Logan Slone, 6:27.66, Bangor; 8. Blanca Martinez, 7:35.34, Bangor.

3200 meters: 2. Nelly Gonzalez, 12:54.08, Bloomingdale; 5. Olaisa Moss, 13:39.01, Bloomingdale.

100 hurdles: 4. Marlen Barajas, 18.20, Bangor; 7. Liv Rickett, 18.50, South Haven.

300 hurdles: 2. Marlen Barajas, 51.34, Bangor; 9. Icsel Marin-Gomez, 1:00.27, Bloomingdale; 11. Elly Moore, 1:01.95, South Haven; 13. Maranda McNally, 1:04.69, Bloomingdale; 14. Mattie Moss, 1:05.39, Bloomingdale.

4x100 relay: 2. South Haven (Abby Bocock, Summer Corke, Yazmine Hall, Liv Rickett) 55.83; 5. Bloomingdale (Savannah Ashbrook, Lesly Salazar, Maria Herrera, Kelsey Wertz) 1:00.37; 6. Bangor (Blanca Martinez, Epiphany Parker, Madison Kueny, Mychaila Verstrate) 1:00.83.

4x200 relay: 2. Bangor (Victoria London, Marlen Barajas, Audrey Hay, Jamie Allen) 1:56.95; 4. South Haven (Yazmine Hall, Leah Bennett, Summer Corke, Constance Phillips) 2:00.80; 6. Bloomingdale (Lesly Salazar, Savannah Ashbrook, Maria Herrera, Kelsey Wertz) 2:09.80.

4x400 relay: 2. South Haven (Marnie Frost, Jordan Taylor, Taleah Lowe, Leah Bennett) 4:27.09; 4. Bangor (Jamie Allen, Marlen Barajas, Blanca Martinez, Alex Vorva) 4:36.78; 5. Bloomingdale (Aimee Sustaita, Nelly Gonzalez, Izzy Kelly, Kallie Harrison) 4:46.44.

4x800 relay: 2. Bloomingdale (Aimee Sustaita, Nelly Gonzalez, Olaisa Moss, Kallie Harrison) 10:23.59.

Shot put: 2. Constance Phillips, 32-02.50, South Haven; 3. Epiphany Parker, 32-01, Bangor; 6. Madison Kueny, 30-01, Bangor; 8. Ameerah Burton, 27-00, South Haven; 9. Mychaila Verstrate, 26-02.50, Bangor; 10. Wendy Herrera, 26-01, Bloomingdale; 13. Angel Murray, 21-09, Bloomingdale.

Discus: 2. Madison Kueny, 111-09.50, Bangor; 3. Ameerah Burton, 84-00, South Haven; 5. Epiphany Parker, 81-01, Bangor; 8. Mychaila Verstrate, 74-02, Bangor; 10. Wendy Herrera, 60-05, Bloomingdale; 11. Alondra Llerena, 59-00.50, South Haven; 13. Angel Murray, 47-09, Bloomingdale.

High jump: 2. Yazmine Hall, 5-00, South Haven; 4. Marnie Frost, 4-06, South Haven; 7. Izzy Kelly, 4:03, Bloomingdale.

Pole vault: 1. Ellie Frost, 9-00, South Haven.

Long jump: 1. Audrey Hay, 15-08, Bangor; 6. Izzy Kelly, 13-09, Bloomingdale; 9. Abby Bocock, 12-01, South Haven; 10. Elly Moore, 9-02, South Haven.

PHOTO: Bloomingdale's Isabella Kelly takes part in the long jump competition Friday at Bangor High School. (Photo by John Madill)

After defeating Rockford, Rams suffer first conference loss of the season to Vicksburg

After defeating Rockford, Monday, in a non-conference double-header, South Haven's softball team suffered a disappointing setback, Friday, losing both ends of a doubleheader to Vicksburg, in a Wolverine Conference matchup.

The Lady Bulldogs ended up winning, 5-2, 8-2

The Rams started last week undefeated in the conference with a record of 8-0 and were tied with Three Rivers, which had an identical record of 8-0. But Three Rivers took two games from Allegan, Thursday, in a doubleheader to improve their record to a perfect 10-0, while the Rams suffered the two losses to Vicksburg, Friday. As a result, the Rams, for now, are in second place in the league. They won't face Three Rivers until May 18.

Against Rockford, the Rams won by scores of 3-2, 3-1.

In the opener, the Rams fell behind easily when Rockford earned single runs in the first and third innings of the five-inning game to take a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning.

But the Lady Rams from South Haven weren't ready to give up.

“At the top of the fourth inning, with two outs, South Haven took the lead 3-2 with four hits in a row. Frances Lyons singled, Hayley Kreiger homered to tie the game, Anna Bocock singled and came all the way home on a double from Haley Mines,” Assistant Coach Mike Sweet said.

Starting pitcher Kreiger held Rockford scoreless the last two innings of the game to preserve the win.

South Haven only had five hits in the game, four of which came in the fourth inning. Jordyn Holland added a single in the fourth for the Rams.

The nightcap was also another five-inning game.

South Haven opened the scoring in the first inning putting a single run on the board. Leadoff hitter Holland led off with a single and came home on clean-up hitter Bocock’s sacrifice fly. The game stayed 1-0 until the Rams from Rockford tied it up with a run in their half of the fourth inning. The Lady Rams who agreed to be visitors for game two went ahead with 2 runs in the top of the fifth inning. Kreiger led off the 5th inning with a walk followed by a single by Bocock. Both runners scored by an RBI single off the bat of Hannah Mines followed by a sacrifice RBI off the bat of Mallory Dorow.

Kreiger again was the winning pitcher to up her personal win-lost record to 13-0. The following Rams earned hits in game two: Holland had 2 singles, while Anna Bocock, Hannah Mines, Mallory Dorow and Grace Lyons, each singled.



PHOTO: South Haven's Jordyn Holland beats the throw and successfully steals second base during the doubleheader against Rockford, April 30. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Andre Cobbs captures first place in the 100-meter dash during a track meet against Otsego and Sturgis, May 2. Cobbs finished with a time of 11.53. (Photo by Tom Renner)

4.23.18

Bangor falls short of nightcap comeback

Bangor's softball team dropped both halves of a doubleheader against Hartford, Thursday, but not without giving the Indians a good fight.

Hartford dominated the opener, racking up 22 runs in the first two innings to position themselves for a mercy-rule win. Bangor managed five runs in the third, but the game ended in the Indians favor, 22-5.

The nightcap was a different story, however.

The Vikings' batters came out swinging and scored three runs in the first inning, but Hartford answered with three of their own in the second to tie the score 3-3.

The Indians upped the score to 5-3 at the end of the fourth inning and while Bangor answered with a run in the fifth, Hartford ended up leading 8-4 going into the sixth inning.

That's when the Vikings regrouped and tied the score 8-8 leading up to the final stanza where they came up shy a run and suffered a disappointing 12-11 loss.

PHOTO: Bangor's Taylor Kieszkowski pitches in the second inning of  the opening game of a doubleheader, Thursday,  at Hartford. The Indians ended up winning both Southwest 10 Conference games. (Photo by John Madill)

Bangor runners off to a good start in Southwest 10 conference

Last week was a washout for most area track teams, as teams were forced to reschedule meets due to inclement weather.

But, with warmer temperatures expected this week, runners will be pounding the pavement once again.

Bangor will be looking to improve its record in the Southwest 10 conference when it competes against Saugatuck, Wednesday.

In earlier season action, Bangor boys track team improved its Southwest 10 Conference record to a perfect 4-0, April 11, after defeating Decatur and Centreville in a triangular meet.

The Vikings boys and girls teams then traveled to Battle Creek Lakeview Invitational, April 13, where they competed against larger schools, like Battle Creek Central, Portage Central and St. Joseph.

As a team, the Vikings boys team finished 10th, while the girls came in ninth place.

“The temperature dipped a lot lower than originally anticipated,” Bangor Coach Ron Markel said. “However, we still had a good showing in many events against mostly Class A schools. Brett Robertson ran a personal best in the 110 hurdles in 15.61 seconds to take second, missing out on first place by less than a tenth of a second. He also won the 300 hurdles.”

For the Lady Vikings, Audrey Hay came in first place in the long jump with a leap of 14-08, while Madison Kueny took third in the discus event with a throw of 96-02.

Bangor's individual results from the meet follow:

Boys

100 meters: 8. Chris Steward, 12.13

400 meters: 15. Keoni Tedford, 58.52; 19. Colby Petranek, 1:01.46

800 meters: 5. Alvaro Martinez, 2:11.68

1,600 meters:15. Carter Finch, 5:08.30

110-meter hurdles: 2. Brett Robertson, 15.61

300-meter hurdles: 1. Brett Robertson, 41.03; 8. Melvin Jeffries, 46.48; 24. Zach Trainor, 51.98

4x100 relay: 8. Bangor (Melvin Jeffries, Connor McDaniel, Chris Steward, Evan Siler) 47.57

4x800 relay: 8. Bangor (Jesus Aragon, Carter Finch, Lisandro Magana, Alvaro Martinez) 9:07.46

Shot put: 12. Getsmani Vargas, 38-01; 31. Jaedon Jones, 30-03; 32. Caleb Erb, 28-03

Discus: 7. Getsmani Vargas, 114-03; 27. Jesus Diaz, 77-05; 28. Jaedon Jones, 72-07

High jump: 12. Zion Taft, 5-04; 12. Melvin Jeffries, 5-04

Long jump: 15. Zion Taft, 17-03; 20. Keoni Tedford, 16-09.5; 20. Evan Siler, 16-09.5.

Girls results

800 meters: 16. Alicia Barajas, 3:00.89; 18. Logan Slone, 3:01.74; 22. Alex Vorva, 3:09.77

1600 meters: 16. Logan Slone, 6:29.87; 20. Alicia Barajas, 6:41.98

100-meter hurdles: 6. Marlen Barajas, 18.41

300-meter hurdles: 8. Marlen Barajas, 56.42

4x100 relay: 8. Bangor (Alex Vorva, Audrey Hay, Marlen Barajas, Victoria London) 57.24

4x200 relay: 9. Bangor (Alex Vorva, Audrey Hay, Marlen Barajas, Victoria London) 2:00.75

Shot put: 7. Katlyn Sanchez, 30-09.5; 8. Epiphany Parker, 30-09; 12 Madison Kueny, 29-01.5

Discus: 3. Madison Kueny, 96-02; 9. Katlyn Sanchez, 82-08.5; 26. Mychaila Verstrate, 59-01

Long jump: 1. Audrey Hay, 14-08

Rams' home runs reign over Lady Chieftains

South Haven sluggers hit four homers in one inning, alone

South Haven slugged 5 home runs, with 4 coming in a 10-run, fourth inning to defeat Dowagiac in the opening game of a doubleheader Thursday.

The power-hitting Lady Rams mercy ruled the Lady Chieftains in both games, coasting to a 15-0 first- game win, followed up with a 20-4 second-game pounding.

“Coach Wilma Wilson in her coaching career has never had a team hit 5 home runs in a single game or an amazing 4 in one inning,” South Haven's assistant coach Mike Sweet said. “Already this

young season the Lady Rams have 5 different players who have hit home runs.”

In the opener, the undefeated Rams scattered 13 hits on the Lady Chieftain's home field.

Senior shortstop Hannah Mines had 2 home runs and 3 RBIs. Junior outfielder Grace Ellis hit her first career home run and also added a double and 3 RBIs. Sophomore utility player Mallory Dorow smacked a a double and home run and racked up 2 RBI’s, while senior Hayley Kreiger added a home run, a single and 2 RBIs.

Amongst the excitement of the home runs in the opening game, Kreiger spun her second no-hitter of the season as Dowagiac only had one runner reach base due to a first-inning error by the Rams. Other Rams with hits in game one were senior Frances Lyons, a double and RBI; sophomore Holli Dannenberg, a single, double and RBI; senior Anna Bocock, a single; and junior Courtney Kelly, a single.

In the nightcap, the Lady Rams turned 8 hits into 20 runs as the Lady Chieftains booted the ball around with 8 errors to help South Haven earn another victory. Second-game hitters for the Rams were Courtney Kelly with 2 doubles, 2 runs and an RBI; Frances Lyons with a single, 2 runs and 3 RBIs; Holli Dannenberg with a double, run and 2 RBIs; Hayley Kreiger, a double, 2 runs and 3 RBIs; junior Macy Jenks an RBI single; sophomore catcher AJ Jeffries, an RBI single; and Grace Ellis, an RBI double and 3 runs scored. Freshman Jordyn Holland also added 3 runs for the Lady Rams.

Kreiger was again the winning pitcher with sophomore Torie Loikits pitching the last two innings.

The Rams improved their overall record to 7-0 and will travel to Paw Paw, Tuesday; host Edwardsburg Friday; and finish the week, Saturday, by participating in the annual Gull Lake Tournament at Bailey Park in Battle Creek.



South Haven's Dorow moves up to Class A baseball

By HP STAFF

South Haven’s Ryan Dorow spent the majority of last summer playing in the Arizona Rookie League as part of the AZL Rangers after being drafted in the 30th round of the 2017 MLB draft.

The Rangers prospect appeared in 40 games in that league with a .296 batting average. He had 17 RBIs and scored 17 runs in his 125 at-bat appearances.

It was a good start for a young professional baseball career, but things got better just before the season closed as Dorow moved up to the South Atlantic League to play for the Hickory Crawdads in Class A ball.

Dorow has returned to the Crawdads this year where he’s currently playing second base, moving from shortstop last year and in his college career. In his 13 at-bats over four games, he’s averaging .385 with five hits and two RBIs.

The move is a big step in the right direction for Dorow as the Crawdads play a full 140-game season from April through September.

The team has been an affiliate of the Texas Rangers since 2009. It is based out of Hickory, North Carolina.

South Haven netters rack up third victory

South Haven's varsity tennis team came home Thursday with its third victory of the season.

The Rams competed against Plainwell and won 5-3.

South Haven players who won their matches were Allie Parmley, first singles; Kyla Toney, second singles; Makenzie Marr, fourth singles; Alexis Ridley and Stephanie Rosas, first doubles; and Julie Rosas and Jasmine Mileham, third doubles.

The Rams record, overall, improved to 3-1.

South Haven's Jina Patel (right) and Cassie Herman (5) of Sturgis race for control of the ball during last week's Wolverine Conference soccer match at Ratcliffe Field. Sturgis ended up winning the match, 1-0. (Photo by Tom Renner)

4.16.18

Rams defeat Chieftains and Tigers in league meet

South Haven girls settle for 1-1 finish

Craig Thompson and Andre Cobb helped pace South Haven's men's track team to two victories over Dowagiac and Allegan, Thursday, in a Wolverine Conference quad meet at Ratcliffe Field.

Cobb won both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, while Thompson captured first place in the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs.

Other Rams who won their events were Marcus Guinn, shot-put; Arvarious Farmer, discus; and Vance Locker, pole vault.

As a team, the Rams defeated the Chieftains, 77-55, and the Tigers, 74-62. Otsego, which also competed in the meet, defeated both Allegan (94-53) and Dowagiac (101-35).

The Lady Rams ended up settling for a 1-1 split in their contests against Dowagiac and Allegan. South Haven easily defeated the Chieftains, 89-41, but narrowly lost to the Tigers, 69-68. Otsego captured two victories over Allegan (90-47) and Dowagiac (116-16).

South Haven girls who captured first place in their events follow: Ellie Frost, 400-meter run; Paisley Sipes, 3,200-meter run and pole vault; and Constance Phillips, shot put.

"We had great performances from several of our upperclass leaders such as Craig Thompson, Jackson Schooley, Chris Kerber,  Marnie Frost, Andre Cobb, Yazmine Hall, Constance Phillips, Paisley Sipes, Marcus Guinn and Arvarious Farmer,” Rams track coach Gary Haga said.

“Many of our up-and-coming freshmen and sophomores also made surprising outstanding efforts in this meet including Ellie Frost, Vance Locker, Ameerah Burton, Chris Rainey, Carsten Ansinn and Brian Thompson."

South Haven boys team's record is now 3-0 in the conference, while the girls' league record is 2-1.

"All of our team is pulling together to make the Rams track team a strong program. As we continue to rebuild the program I am extremely proud of the integrity and pride 98 percent of our kids are displaying,” Haga said. “These are hard workers who are very coachable."

PHOTO: Paisley Sipes of South Haven clears the bar in the pole vault event during Thursday's meet. Sipes won the competition with a 8-6 vault.

Boys results for South Haven (top 15)

• 100 meters: 1. Andre Cobb, 11.63; 8. Daniel Villegas, 12.46;
• 200 meters: 1. Andre Cobb, 24.38; 3. Chris Kerber, 25.12; 7. Daniel Villegas, 25.86; 8. Carsten Ansinn, 25.86
• 400 meters: 3. Brian Thompson, 55.98; 5. Chris Kerber, 57.35; 7. Chris Rainey, 58.27; 11. Daniel Villegas, 59.06
• 800 meters: 1. Craig Thompson, 2:05.15; 5. Brian Thompson, 2:19.42; 9. Peter Filbrandt, 2:37.51; 15. Osvado Ruiz, 2:53.81
• 1600 meters: 1. Craig Thompson, 4:49.50; 3. Jackson Schooley, 4:54.33; 8. Maddoxx Uckele, 5:42.28; 14. Nehemiah Smith, 6:38.98
• 3200 meters: 2. Craig Thompson, 10:31.43; 4. Jackson Schooley, 10:54.88; 8. Maddoxx Uckele, 12:17.24
• 110-meter hurdles: 3. Alan Cobb, 20.07; 7. Zander Willett, 21.90; 10. Travis Jordan, 23.72
• 300-meter hurdles: 5. Zander Willett, 52.45; 8. Travis Jordan, 54.40
• 4x400 relay: 2. SH (Craig Thompson, Brian Thompson, Chris Rainey, Chris Kerber), 3:48.09; 6. SH (Daniel Villegas, Nehemiah Smith, Zander Willett, Travis Jordan) 4:38.16
• 4x800 relay: 5. SH (Maddoxx Uckele, Peter Filbrandt, Travis Jordan, Nehemiah Smith) 10:55.77
• Shot put: 1. Marcus Guinn, 38-04; 3. Arvarious Farmer, 37-03
• Discus: 1. Arvarious Farmer, 105-03; 4. Marcus Guinn, 100-08; 12. Vance Locker, 77-03
• High jump: 5. Carsten Ansinn, 5-06
• Pole vault: 1. Vance Locker, 9-00
• Long jump: 9. Chris Rainey, 16-04.5

Women's results for South Haven (top 15)

• 100 meters: 8. Constance Phillips, 14.21; 14. Summer Corke, 14.91
• 200 meters: 2. Constance Phillips, 29.39; 7. Yazmine Hall, 31.25; 8. Leah Bennett, 31.53; 10. Summer Corke, 31.69
• 400 meters: 1. Ellie Frost, 1:05.63; 2. Marnie Frost, 1:06.53; 8. Leah Bennett, 1:13.70; 10. Rachel Weiss, 1:14.80; 11. Taleah Lowe, 1:15.87
• 800 meters: 3. Marnie Frost, 2:43.46; 5. Jordan Taylor, 2:59.24; 7. Rachel Weiss, 3:06.35; 9. Blanca Gonzalez, 3:13.17; 13. Noemi Gonzalez, 3:43.81
• 1600 meters: 2. Paisley Sipes, 5:23.88; 7. Ana Gonzalez, 6:55.74
• 3200 meters: 1. Paisley Sipes, 11:55.15
• 100-meter hurdles: 5. Liv Rickett, 19.94
• 300-meter hurdles: 4. Liv Rickett, 58.06; 10. Elly Moore, 1:05.52; 14. Jasmine Coleman, 1:36.55
• 4x100 relay: 4. SH (Jordan Taylor, Yazmine Hall, Summer Corke, Constance Phillips) 56.62
• 4x200 relay: 2. SH (Yazmine Hall, Leah Bennett, Jordan Taylor, Ellie Frost) 1:59.54
• 4x400 relay: 2. SH (Ellie Frost, Rachel Weiss, Leah Bennett, Marnie Frost) 4:47.50
• 4x800 relay: 3. SH (Rachel Weiss, Noemi Gonzalez, Hayden Rooker, Taleah Lowe) 12:37.87
• Shot put: 1. Constance Phillips, 30-03; 4. Ameerah Burton, 24-02; 8. Erica McKind, 22-06; 12. Jasmine Coleman, 20-08
• Discus: 3. Ameerah Burton, 64-09; 10. Erica McKind, 53-06; 14. Alondra Llerena, 50-07; 15. Jasmine Coleman, 45-05
• High jump: 3. Marnie Frost, 4-06; 5. Jordan Taylor, 4-03
• Pole vault: 1. Paisley Sipes, 8-06; 2. Ellie Frost, 8-00

Rams start league play with 2 victories

South Haven's varsity softball team stayed undefeated by sweeping a double header from Plainwell Thursday, 9-2, 15-0 to up its early-season record to 5-0.

In the opener, the Lady Rams scored all their runs in the second and third innings with 7 hits, aided by 4 errors from Plainwell's defense. Anna Bocock had 2 singles and 2 RBI’, Hannah Mines had 2 singles and 1 RBI, Grace Ellis and Haley Mines each had a single and 1 RBI and Holli Dannenberg added a single.

Pitcher Hayley Kreiger took the win for South Haven, striking out 11 Lady Trojans.

In the nightcap, nine South Haven players collected hits as South Haven scored 15 runs in 4

innings, coasting to mercy-rule victory.

With the wind blowing in throughout the contest, the game was highlighted by third-inning home runs by Kreiger and sophomore Mallory Dorow.

“Kreiger’s long home run to left center was one of the longest homers I’ve ever seen hit at

the Rams' home field,” South Haven Assistant Coach Mike Sweet said. Kreiger added 2 singles 3 RBIs and 2 runs to go along with her home run.

Other batters aiding to the Rams victory included Frances Lyons with 2 singles, 2 runs and 1

RBI; Ellis with a single and 1 RBI; Hannah Mines, a single, 1 RBI and 2 runs; Haley Mines, a single, 1 RBI and 1 run, Anna Bocock, a single and a run; Holli Dannenberg, a single, 2 RBI’s, and 1 run and Torie Loikits, a single, a double, 2 RBIs and 2 runs.

Loikits, who pitched the game, held the Lady Trojans to just a single hit.

The Rams are now 2-0 in the Wolverine Conference and travel Thursday to play against league opponent Dowagiac.

PHOTO: South Haven's Hannah Mines slides safely to third base, Thursday, during the nightcap game of a double header with Plainwell. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Lady Rams shut out Dowagiac in tennis match

South Haven's varsity tennis team picked up its second victory of the season by shutting out Dowagiac, 8-0.

The following players won their matches:

Singles: Allie Parmley, first singles; Kyla Toney, second singles; Elise Postma, third singles; Makenzie Marr, fourth singles.

Doubles: Alexis Ridley and Stephanie Rosas, first doubles; Juana Morrison and Megan Abbot, second doubles; Julie Rosas and Aurora Hosier, third doubles; Jasmine Mileham and Karmyn Molina, fourth doubles.

The Rams' record improved to 2-0 with the victory over the Chieftains.

Moving in

Tania Villegas of South Haven (2) battles Hartford's Jasmine Solis for the ball in the first half of Thursday's soccer game at Hartford. The two teams tied 2-2 in the non-conference matchup. Villegas and Katie Schooley each scored a goal for the Rams. South Haven Haven had 30 shots for the game 20 on goal. Hartford had 10 shots on goal. The Rams are 1-1-1 for the season. They next face Sturgis at home, Wednesday. (Photo by John Madill)





Bangor loses close contest to Coloma

Bangor stayed neck and neck with Coloma in the second-half of a non-conference soccer match last week, but came up short-handed 3-2.

The Comets dominated the beginning of the game and got on the scoreboard first.

“Coloma came on strong at the beginning of each half and defensively we did not clear the ball and it hurt us both times.  Shortly after the second half began we found ourselves down 2-0,” Bangor coach Dennis Yunke said.

The Vikings though began to bounce back with goals from Maritza Barajas and Yareli Betancourt to tie the game.

But the Comets weren't ready to give up, and scored the winning goal late in the game.

Katelyn Johnson, Mackenzie Ecker and Grace Gaglardo scored goals for Coloma.

Bangor will host Hartford, Wednesday, at 6 p.m.



3.26.18

Rams open season with two victories

The South Haven softball team began its 2018 season with a hot start even though the temperatures outside were in the 30s.  

With 10-15 mph winds and temperatures hovering in the high 30s the Lady Rams traveled to Hartford, Wednesday for the season's opening double header.

The Rams shut out the Lady Indians in game 1 with senior pitcher Hayley Kreiger spinning a perfect game in three innings in the Rams' 15-0 mercy victory. In the nightcap, sophomore pitcher Torie Loitkits pitched the Rams to a 12-2 win, in another mercy rule win in 5 innings.

The varsity coaching staff of Mike Sweet, Dave Gumpert and Wilma Wilson Have high hopes for this year’s squad and were pleased with the team's first outing.

The Lady Rams start the season with high expectations as they have 8 returning starters taking the field.  They did not disappoint as the returnees banged out 22 hits in the double header.

In game 1 the Rams put up 6 runs in the first inning and never looked back cruising to their first victory of the season.  Game 1 saw the following players start their season on a positive note.  Senior third base player and all-around athlete Frances Lyons had a single with 2 runs scored.  2017 All-Region pitcher and All-State candidate Kreiger not only hand-cuffed the Indians with her perfect game she also smacked a single, triple and scored 3 runs and 2 RBI’s. Senior shortstop Hannah Mines had a single, 2 runs and 2 RBIs.  Twin sister, senior 2nd base player Haley Mines had a single, double, 2 Runs and 2 RBIs.  Senior Anna Bocock had 2 singles, 2 runs and an RBI.  Junior Grace Lyons, who went a perfect 5-for-5, had 2 singles, a triple, 1 run and 3 RBIs, while junior outfielder Grace Ellis added a single with 2 RbIs.

In game 2 the Lady Rams again didn’t waste any time getting on the score board putting up 3 runs in the first inning.  With their bats continuing to stay hot, the Lady Rams tallied 4 runs in the 3rd and 5th innings to close out the Lady Indians in 5 innings.

Frances Lyons again had a single with 1 run scored.  game1 winning pitcher Kreiger kept her hot bat going by adding a single, 2 doubles, and 2 Runs along with an RBI. Hannah Mines singled, tripled, and scored 2 runs along with 2 RBIs.  Haley Mines doubled, scored 2 runs and added 2 RBI’s.  Sophomore Torie Loikits contributed an RBI single.  Sophomore Mallory Dorow added a single and 2 runs scored.  Finally, Grace Lyons finished her perfect night at the plate with a double, triple, 2 runs and 2 RBIs.

The Rams travel next to St. Joseph, Wednesday, to play a game that starts at 4:30 p.m. before heading into spring break.

PHOTO: South Haven pitcher Hayley Kreiger is shown last year pitching at a game in South Haven. Kreiger pitched perfect game, Wednesday, in a doubleheader with Hartford. (File photo by Tom Renner).



3.19.18

Ready to soar with the Eagles

South Haven athlete signs on with Eastern Michigan University

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

No pain, no gain.

That's a phrase South Haven High School senior athlete Craig Thompson knows all too well. He's going to continue keeping it in mind when he heads to Eastern Michigan University to run for both their cross-country and track teams.

Thompson, the son of Brian and Christine Thompson, signed a national letter of intent, this past Monday, to compete with the Eagles, starting in the fall of this year.

“EMU is among the best cross country and track and field programs in the United States,” said Rams cross-country and track coach Lindsay Haqq. “I went to EMU and ran cross country and track and field there as well. So this makes this all a little extra special.”

Eastern's thinclads and other runners are definitely competitive. In February, the university's men's track and field team won its 15^th Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship, while the cross-country team won its eighth consecutive MAC team title in 2017.

According to Haqq, Thompson could prove to be an asset for the Eagle.

“I've coached Craig for four years,” she said. “He has qualified for the state champion in cross country for three years. He has qualified for the state championship in track and field his sophomore and junior years and his goal is to qualify this year.”

But, recurring tibial stress fractures nearly threatened Thompson from running for the Rams.

The first one occurred after he captured all-state honors in track his sophomore year. As he functioned his focus on competing on the cross-country team his junior year, he suffered his first stress fracture. Through training and perseverance he overcame it to qualify for the state finals later that season. He also ended up qualifying for the state meet in track as a junior.

But this past fall, the stress fractures returned during his senior year on the cross-country team, sidelining him for five weeks. In true, fashion, Thompson overcame the obstacle and qualified for state, once again.

“He did what was required to heal and to come back strong,” Haqq said. “Craig never once gave up through it all.  In fact it is because of working through the setback and frustration of having an injury that has made him even stronger yet as an individual and as a competitor.”

But, Thompson, Haqq and Thompson's parents wondered why the stress fractures kept returning.

“(We) deeply looked into what was causing a recurring stress fracture multiple times in similar spots,” Haqq said. “After much research we discovered a small biomedical inefficiency through functional movement testing, which has now been corrected.  Craig and I continually pay close attention to this with a strength and conditioning program tailored specifically to meet his needs.”

When Thompson isn't running cross-country or track, he swims for the Rams varsity swim team, where he plays a key role on the 400-yard freestyle relay team, which qualified for the state meet earlier this month.

PHOTO: Craig Thompson's family and his high school coach look on as he signs a national letter of intent to be part of Eastern Michigan University's cross-country and track and field teams in the fall. From left are Coach Lindsay Haqq,  dad Brian Thompson, Craig Thompson, mom  Christine Thompson and brother Brian Thompson.



Three Rams earn all-league honors

Frances Lyons battles back from injuries to receive award

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Three members of South Haven's boys and girls varsity basketball teams were recently honored by the Wolverine Conference.

Both Caleb Ford and Frances Lyons earned all-conference second team honors, while Caskadara Smith received honorable mention.

Ford, a senior, averaged 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 4 assists per game this year. His athleticism earned him the Rams' Most Value Player award.

“Caleb was our 'Mister Everything,'” South Haven Coach Larry Ash said. “He would always have to guard the other team's best player, no matter how big or tall. Caleb did something this year that I have never had a player do – in two games this year he almost had a triple double that he missed by one assist, and then in our district against Buchanan he got a triple double – 11 assists, 12 rebounds and 16 points.”

Smith, also a senior, averaged 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists per game this year. He, too, was named the Rams' Most Valuable Player and also received the team's Best Defense award.

“Caskadara was our leading scorer,” Ash said. “He played the shooting guard and the point guard. Both Caskadara and Caleb are seniors and they leave some very hard shoes to fill.”

Lyons is also a senior and despite being injured this year, she managed to receive all-conference recognition for the third year in a row.

“Frances has been a true leader for this team and has gained respect from many of our coaches in the Wolverine Conference,” said Lady Rams basketball coach Joey Holland.

This year was a tough one for Lyons. She suffered a leg injury in the fourth game of the season. She had to miss playing in 11 games as a result. But she remained determined.

“Frances worked hard to get back and play in our Winterfest and senior night games,” Holland said. “She scored the winning basket with time running out to win the game on senior night.”

Lyons' on-court abilities were evidenced once she was able to resume playing for the Rams toward the tail-end of the season.

“Though Frances missed most of the season she finished the last three games averaging 13.5 points per game,” Holland said. In the 10 games she played throughout the season, Lyons racked up 73 points, 46 rebounds, 24 assists and 23 steals.

PHOTO: Frances Lyons is shown with  South Haven girls basketball coach Joey Holland after receiving all-conference 2nd team honors.

3.12.18

South Haven suffers loss to Benton Harbor in district final

Rams make it to final after defeating Buchanan

By BEN SANDERS

HP Sports Writer

BERRIEN SPRINGS — Benton Harbor dominated the first quarter of Friday’s Class B boys basketball district championship game against South Haven. The rest of the game didn’t go as smoothly for the Tigers, but their early 20-point cushion was more than enough as they won 76-57 to claim their fourth district championship in five seasons.

“It’s a blessing,” Benton Harbor coach Corey Sterling said. “I take this job very seriously, I work very hard at it. Everything that our team gets, they deserve because they work so hard. Everything the coaching staff gets, we work hard. We’re proud to say four districts in five years.”

Benton Harbor (22-1) advances to the regional semifinal against Hudsonville Unity Christian at 8 p.m. Monday at Coloma.

Carlos Johnson led Benton Harbor with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Devan Nichols added 17 points.

South Haven (10-12) came out in a zone defense, and though it was effective for much of the game, early on Benton Harbor took advantage of the outside shooting opportunities. Both Johnson and Nichols made two first-quarter 3-pointers as Benton Harbor jumped out to a 20-4 lead.

“Against the zone, we struggled a couple times this year,” Nichols said. “It’s been hard for us to get going in the zone. That was our focus tonight – make shots, get it going early so it’s not as hard in the end.”

Benton Harbor was up 27-7 early in the second quarter, but South Haven responded with an 8-0 run, and by halftime had cut the Tiger lead to 36-26.

Caskadara Smith trimmed the lead to seven with a 3-pointer to open the third quarter, but that was as close as the Rams would get. Smith led South Haven with 18 points, and Caleb Ford had 15 points and seven rebounds.

“The game is full of runs,” Sterling said. “We knew South Haven would make a run. They’re a better team than when we played them last year. It’s do or die, so we’re going to get everybody’s best shot. But I like the way we responded to adversity.”

Shawn Hopkins added 14 points and 12 rebounds for Benton Harbor, and TJ Jones scored 12. The Tigers outrebounded South Haven 52-35.

Benton Harbor led 54-41 after three quarters, then pulled away in the fourth, leading by as many as 24 points. Nichols made the highlight play of the game early in the fourth with a reverse dunk on a breakaway.

“Our goal was to keep it to 10 or less,” South Haven coach Larry Ash said. “And then maybe in the fourth quarter a miracle would happen. You know, the ‘Miracle on Ice,’ we wanted the ‘Miracle in Berrien Springs.’ They turned it up in the fourth quarter, there was nothing we could do.

“I hope they get to state, I hope they win state. Then we can always say we lost to the No. 1 team in the state. I’m proud of my guys, I’m really proud of them. They fought.”

South Haven made it to the district final after easily defeating Buchanan, 80-56, Wednesday, in the semi-final game.

PHOTO: South Haven's Andre Cobbs drives past Buchanan's Carter Jeffries during a Class B district semifinal Wednesday night at Berrien Springs High School. (HP photo by Don Campbell)

Bangor wrestler earns all-state honors

Moving up a weight class this year apparently suited Bangor wrestler Daniel Villalobos just fine. After earning all-state honors last year at 103 pounds, he returned to the finals this year to be named all-state in the 112-weight division.

Villalobos, a senior, decisioned Andrew Webster of Merlotte, 9-7, at the Division 4 state finals, March 3, to finish in fifth place, two places higher than he earned in 2017.

Villalobos entered the state finals with a 28-8 record. He first wrestled Coleton Fredrickson of Mancelona and won a major decision, 20-9, to compete against Webster. Villalobos won the match 7-5 to make it to the championship semi-final where he was pinned in 2:52 by Reese Fry, who went on to win first place. After competing against Fry, Villalobos entered the consolation bracket where he competed against Christian Zimmerman of Lutheran Westland in the semi-final round. He then wrestled Webster once again, and won, 9-7, for the fifth-place finish.

PHOTO: Bangor wrestler Daniel Villalobos is shown at the Division 4 state finals with opponent Andrew Webster of Merlotte, who he decisioned 9-7 to win fifth place and all-state honors. (Contributed photo)



Two Cardinals wrestlers earn all-state honors

Two Bloomingdale athletes earned all-state honors after competing at the Michigan High School Athletic Association state tournament, March 2-3.

Carlos Garcia and Brian Paquette both placed seventh in the Class D division of the tourney to be named all-state wrestlers.

Garcia, who entered the tournament with a 41-5 record, competed in the 103 weight class and decisioned Caleb Nolf of Leroy-Pine River Area, 8-1, in the consolation bracket to earn seventh place, while Paquette decisioned Blake Belaire of Manchester, 8-1 to also earn seventh.

Paquette was making his third trip to the state finals, and went 3-2 this year. “Brian's blood round match was very exciting,” Bloomingdale Coach Dennis Paquette said. “He was down 7-1 at one point and down 8-2 to start the third period before pulling out a takedown in the final 10 seconds for a stunning come-from-behind victory.”

Coach Paquette, who is Brian's dad, also lauded Garcia's performance on the mat.

“Carlos improved all season to get to this tournament. After his first match (against Dallas Pibbles of Hudson) he had a look of determination and kept his intensity up. He certainly deserved his moment on the podium.”

At the state finals, 16 wrestlers were featured in each weight category. The top 8 wrestlers earned all-state honors.

PHOTO: Brian Paquette is shown after winning seventh place in the state wrestling tournament. (Contributed photo)



3.5.18

Rams swimmers qualify for state meet

South Haven's varsity swim team may only have 10 members but nearly half of them will be headed to the Division 2 state competition, March 9-10 at Oakland University.

Jackson Schooley, Justin Postma, Vance Locker and Craig Thompson qualified for a trip to the MHSAA state meet after achieving qualifying times at the SCC conference meet, Feb. 23, in Allegan.

“We had major time drops,” South Haven coach Thomas Capps said. “I'm so happy with this. When you have a team of 10 swimmer and you have four that are state worthy, it's an accomplishment. I'm proud of the boys.”

Schooley qualified to compete in the 500-yard freestyle race after finishing the race in 5:09.19 and placing fifth at the conference meet.

“He found his kick,” Capps said.

Postma qualified for state in two races – the 200 IM and the 100 backstroke. At the conference meet he came in fourth place in the 200 IM with a time of 2:05.25 and finished third in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 58.46.

“He broke the school record with his time of 58.46,” Capps said. “He took down an eight-year record from Nick Wilson. Justin had been wanting that record and he beat it by .01.”

The Rams' 400-yard freestyle relay team of Locker, Schooley, Craig Thompson and Postma also qualified for the state meet, with a fifth-place finish and time of 3:29.96.

“(The 400-yard freestyle relay) from South Haven has not qualified for the state meet in 18 years,” Capps said, “longer than some of these athletes have been alive.”

South Haven didn't do so well as a team at the conference meet, settling for a seventh-place finish.

Marshall won the meet with 650 points. They were followed by Otsego with 419; Alma, 270; Harper Creek, 267.5; Plainwell, 256.5; Allegan, 207; South Haven, 132; and Sturgis, 114.

Vicksburg wins Wolverine cross-over game; Rams looking forward to post-season play

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven varsity basketball coach Larry Ash has a theory about the role third quarters play in the outcome of a game.

“We talk about how the first three minutes of the third quarter determines the outcome of a game,” he said.

If that's the case, those crucial thee minutes played a huge role in the Rams' 66-59 loss to Vicksburg in Thursday's Wolverine Conference cross-over game.

The Rams were up 33-26 in the first half thanks in part to 10 points by Caleb Ford and 8 points from Zander Russell (two of which were three pointers).

But in the third quarter the Bulldogs showed they had some bite to their bark. They played well under the boards, outrebounding South Haven and sinking in 26 points, while limiting the Rams to 18.

“We got lazy in the third quarter. We got into foul trouble, allowed too many turnovers,” Ash said.

The Bulldogs started the crucial third quarter coming on strong on both offense and defense. With four minutes left in the third they finally caught up to South Haven, tying the score 38-38. Both teams traded baskets and fouls throughout the rest of the third quarter, keeping the score close, but the Bulldogs' strategy of forcing the Rams to take outside shots and limiting them from making effective passes and shots allowed Vicksburg to take a slim 52-51 lead going into the final quarter of play.

And that's when the Bulldogs began to dominate the court. They led by as much as 11 points entering the last four minutes of play. With 2:10 left on the clock and Vicksburg leading 62-54, Caskadara Smith got the fast break and drove to the basket scoring two points to help build momentum for the Rams, but it was quickly dashed when Vicksburg's center, Kyle Rose, was fouled and sank two free throws. Smith came on strong again hitting a three-pointer to put the Rams within five points of tying the score. But in the final minute of play, the Rams' shooting was off and the Bulldogs went on to win.

Smith led the Rams in scoring with 24 points. He was followed by Caleb Ford with 20 points.

South Haven (9-11) ended up in fourth place in the Wolverine North Division and seventh place, overall, in the conference.

The Rams will now enter post-season play Wednesday when they face the winner of the Berrien Springs-Buchanan game in the Class B district competition at Berrien Springs.

The other competitors in the district include Niles, Coloma and Benton Harbor. Both Benton Harbor and Coloma are ranked in the top 10 Class B basketball teams in Michigan by the Detroit Free Press. Coloma has an 18-2 record, while Benton Harbor has a 19-1 record.

“Districts are always fun,” Ash said. “But, we've got to regroup and do some things.”

PHOTO: South Haven's Jayline Fox goes up for two points during Thursday's Wolverine Conference vross-over game against Vicksburg. (Photo by Becky Kark)

Lady Rams bow out of district semi-final

By BEN SANDERS

HP Sports Writer

BERRIEN SPRINGS — Host Berrien Springs ended South Haven varsity girls basketball team's chance to advance in post-season play.

The Shamrocks used a strong defensive effort to keep South Haven contained during the District semi-final game this past Wednesday.

The Shamrocks won the contest 42-35 to advance to the District finals against Niles.

“That’s really been our identity all year,” Berrien Springs coach William Eichberg said. “We talked about it before the game, we talked about it at halftime, that’s where we’re going to win the game is on the defensive side. The girls got fired up and they did what they needed to to pull it out at the end.”

South Haven led 13-10 after one quarter and stayed close most of the way.

Berrien Springs took control with a 7-0 run to start the fourth that made it 34-22. Shamrocks point guard Kyrah Sanders had three assists during that stretch.

“She has the ability to create offense when it’s not there,” Eichberg said. “Sometimes it’s a little out of control, but she’s learning to play within what she’s capable of. It’s nice to know there’s a player on the team that, when things kind of stall down, she can create.”

Sanders finished with 12 points to lead the Shamrocks and Hillary Dortch added 11.

Frances Lyons scored 11 points to lead South Haven, and Constance Phillips had nine points and 12 rebounds.

Lyons missed much of the season due to a torn PCL for a Rams team that dealt with numerous injuries.

“She’s only been back for about four games, and she wanted to finish her senior year strong,” South Haven coach Joey Holland said. “I told her the way she’s been playing, the way she leaves it out on the court, she has.

“These girls worked so hard together, and they didn’t use the injuries we had as an excuse.”

BERRIEN SPRINGS 42

SOUTH HAVEN 35

BERRIEN SPRINGS

Hillary Dortch 4 1-3 11, Zariya Suggs 2 1-3 5, Narpreet Singh 3 3-4 9, Kyrah Sanders 5 2-7 12, Iliana Mun 1 2-4 5. Totals: 15 9-21 42.

SOUTH HAVEN

Jordyn Holland 3 0-2 7, Grace Lyons 1 1-2 3, Frances Lyons 4 3-6 11, Constance Phillips 3 3-5 9, Alexis Jeffries 1 0-0 2, Dayviona Jones 1 1-2 3. Totals: 13 8-17 35.

B. Springs 10 14 3 15 — 42 S. Haven 13 5 4 13 — 35 3-point goals — Berrien Springs 3 (Dortch 2, Mun), South Haven 1 (Holland). Total fouls — Berrien Springs 15, South Haven 13. Fouled out — none. Technical fouls — none. Rebounds — Berrien Springs 33 (Suggs 8), South Haven 36 (Phillips 11). Records — Berrien Springs 9-13, South Haven 6-15.





2.26.18

Bangor wrestler eyes state finals

A Bangor wrestler, who has racked up a career record of 133 victories and 47 losses earned another accolade by qualifying for the Division 4 MHSAA state meet.

Senior Daniel Villalobos earned the right to compete in this weekend's meet by placing second in the 112-pound weight class at the regional tournament, Feb. 17, at Carson City-Crystal High School.

His coach, Ben Munoz, said he is proud of Villalobos.

“Daniel has placed in every tournament this year,” Munoz said. “He was the Southwest 10 Conference champ where he defeated Bruno Martinez from White Pigeon. At district he was runner-up...to Jesse Brumm of Maple Valley.”

Ironically, Villalobos ended up facing Brumm once again in the regional final, which Brumm won in a 14-1 major decision.

Villalobos's trek to the regional championship round started when he competed against Hunter Flanery of Hesperia. Villalobos pinned his opponent in 2:53. He then fced Gunnar Eyer of Carson City-Crystal and earned a 16-3 major decision to advance to the championship match.

PHOTO: Bangor wrestler Daniel Villalobos is shown with a poster in December celebrating his 100th victory. He now ha racked up 133 victories and has qualified for the Division 4 state finals in the 112-pound weight class. (File photo by John Madill)



Headed to state

Trio of Bloomingdale  wrestlers earn a trip to MHSAA state tournament

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Three Bloomingdale wrestlers will be headed to the Division 4 state wrestling finals, March 2-3, at Ford Fieldhouse in Detroit.

Julian Reyes, Carlos Garcia and Brian Paquette earned a berth in the state finals after placing at the regional tournament, Feb. 17, at Carson City-Crystal High School.

Paquette (135) and Garcia (103) both placed second in the regional, while Reyes came in fourth place.

The top four finishers in each weight class at the regional meet qualify for the state finals.

Cardinals coach Dennis Paquette was pleased with his three wrestlers that made it through the regionals.

"I'm very proud of these three young men,” Paquette said. “The 135-pound weight class was extremely tough. Brian had to bring his 'A' game with him and he did just that.  Carlos was also forced to wrestle at a high level in an effort to qualify for the finals.  Julian has been improving a great deal over the past six weeks and the practice time paid off.  The hard work that we put in during December and January made success in February possible.”

This year marks the third time that Brian Paquette will qualify for the state finals, while Garcia and Reyes will be making their first trip there.

“Paquette and Garcia both had hard-fought victories in the semifinal round,” Coach Paquette said, “while Reyes battled back through the consolation bracket to qualify for the state finals.”

Reyes first competed against Josh Steffes of Belmont and won 9-8 in the 125 pound weight division. He then faced Kris Tobin of Homer and lost after being pinned in 5:29. The loss put him in the consolation bracket where he competed against Carson Young of Martin and won in a 7-4 decision. That victory put him in the consolation finals where he settled for fourth place after being decisioned 4-1 by Korbin Klaus of Hesperia.

Paquette's journey to second place in the 135 weight class began with his opening match against Logan Pearson of Hesperia. Paquette ended up winning after pinning Pearson in 3:41 to advance to the second match against Ryan Downs of St. Louis. Paquette won that round with a 12-4 major decision to advance to the championship finals where he was defeated by Thomas Potter of Springport in a 17-2 technical fall.

Bloomingdale's other runner-up, Carlos Garcia, competed in the 103 weight class and defeated his first opponent, Korbyn Ingraham of Belmont, in a 15-1 major decision. He then faced Springport's Robert Paterson and pinned him in 3:02 to advance to the championship finals where he lost to Nolan Datema of Carson City-Crystal in a 8-2 decision.

The three Bloomingdale wrestlers weren't the only ones from the team that earned awards at the regional tournament. Their coach, Dennis Paquette, was named Regional Coach of the Year by the Michigan Wrestling Association. The association chooses coaches of the year at each of the regional wrestling tournaments. At the conclusion of the state finals, the association will then choose a state coach of the year from the list of regional honorees.

TOP PHOTO: From left, Bloomingdale wrestlers Carlos Garcia, Brian Paquette and  Julian Reyes are shown at the Division 4 regional tournament where all three placed in their weight divisions to compete at the state finals, March 2-3. In the other photo, Bloomingdale Wrestling Coach Dennis Paquette is shown with the Regional Coach of the Year award he won at the regional meet.

Rams defeat Trojans, lose to Benton Harbor

By AARON CRIDER

HP Sports Writer

South Haven earned a decisive 72-55 Wolverine Conference victory over Plainwell, Friday, after suffering a loss to Benton Harbor, Tuesday. The Rams will compete against Vicksburg this Thursday, in the Wolverine Conference cross-over game. The game will take place at approximately 7:15 p.m. at South Haven High School.

The Class B fourth-ranked Tigers swarmed the Rams on both ends of the ball and rolled to an easy 73-36 victory on Tuesday.

“Tonight, we got our swag back,” Benton Harbor coach Corey Sterling said. “Once we start playing we are a dangerous team. We had a lot of fun tonight.”

South Haven (8-10) struggled to get rebounds against the much taller and quicker Tigers. Benton Harbor (18-1) nearly doubled up on the boards, 56-29. And with their speed, they managed to force the Rams into 28 turnovers, leading to a 28-8 halftime advantage. 

“We picked it up on the defensive end,” Sterling said. ‘We held them to 5, 8 points (in the first half) – low scoring numbers – and I knew eventually our scoring would pick up.”

Shawn Hopkins led the way in the first half scoring 11 of his 13 points, and had a near double-double with eight rebounds.

Carlos Johnson took  awhile to get going with baskets, but dominated the rebounding battle throughout the night. A big fourth quarter helped carry the sophomore standout to a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Forward Caskadara Smith led the way for South Haven, nearly getting his own double-double by scoring 15 points and grabbing seven boards.

The Tigers cemented their win with a 21-5 run in the fourth quarter, going up 61-27. Sterling pulled his starters shortly after, and Benton Harbor continued to score.

“We got so much depth we have fresh bodies (coming off the bench) that are skilled,” Sterling said. “That increases the lead more and gets us more comfortable heading toward the playoffs.”

The Rams came into the game after defeating Allegan, 60-43, Feb. 16, in a Wolverine Conference matchup. They won easily over the Tigers, but knew Benton Harbor would be much tougher.

“ I knew we had to play a perfect game to beat them,” South Haven Coach Larry Ash said. “The thing about playing Benton Harbor you know you have to lift your game to another level because they bring that out of you. We set our goals very high and they are attainable goals. If we are going to get to our goals we have to play teams like Benton Harbor.”

Despite the lopsided loss, Ash was proud of his team.

“I was very pleased about our effort,” he said. “This was fun and the crowd was fun. This is what high school basketball is all about. The goal we set early in the year is to play Benton Harbor twice this year, so we hope we can see them again.”

PHOTO: South Haven's Caleb Ford looks for an opening to pass the ball during Tuesday's non-conference game against Benton Harbor. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Lady Rams end regular season with loss to Chieftains

Despite 18 points from Frances Lyons, South Haven's girls basketball team ended its regular season Thursday with a tough loss to Dowagiac in the Wolverine Conference cross-over game.

The Chieftains, who entered the game with a 5-14 record, defeated the Rams, 48-41.

South Haven built up an early 8-5 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Dowagiac surged ahead in the second, outscoring the Rams 17-14, to tie the game, 22-22 at the half.

The Chieftains ended up taking the lead at the end of the third, 36-33 and clinched the victory in the final minutes of play.

Frances Lyons was the leading scorer for the game with 18 points. She was followed by teammates Constance Phillips with 7 and Jordyn Holland, Grace Lyons, and Yazmine Hall, each with 4 points.

The Rams will enter post-season play this week when the play in the district tournament in Niles. The Rams, who received a bye, will enter the semi-final round Wednesday to play the winner of Monday's Berrien Springs-Benton Harbor game. Berrien Springs is entering the district competition with a 7-12 record while Benton Harbor has a 2-13 record. The Rams' record currently stands at 5-14, according to the MHSAA.

In the Niles' district tournament's other bracket, Coloma (12-7) earned a bye to take on the winner of the Niles (7-12) and Buchanan (11-7) game.

Lady Vikings defeat Bloomingdale

An early lead helped Bangor girls basketball team defeat cross-town rival, Bloomingdale, Feb. 16.

The Vikings won the Southwest 10 Conference matchup 47-36.

“Aggressive on both ends of the court, we took an early lead,” Coach Bree Lennox. “Defense is always key for this team, but taking and making great shots guaranteed an exciting victory.”

Madison McGuire led the Vikings with 16 points and 10 steals followed by Jamie Allen and Keeonna McGee with 12 points, each.







2.19.18

A game-changing moment for the Rams

Frances Lyons makes game-winning play for SH girls; boys rout Watervliet in home basketball sweep

By AARON CRIDER

HP Sports Writer

In her last home game as a Ram, South Haven’s Frances Lyons possibly made the biggest play of her high school career.

With just 9.7 seconds remaining, the senior forward stole an inbound pass from Watervliet’s Zoe Smith and ran down court for a 38-36 game-winning layup as time expired in Tuesday’s non-conference matchup.

“It was a nerve-racking win,” South Haven coach Joey Holland said. “We told them Watervliet is a tough team and you need to want it all four quarters, you can’t back down. We just kept on the attack.“

South Haven’s boys team made it a sweep by beating Watervliet 48-35 in the second game.

Lyons’ play was but one of three key plays South Haven (5-11) made to comeback from a six-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Trailing 32-28 late in the fourth, Alexis Jefferies made a key steal with a basket to make it a 32-30 game. Smith made one of her two free throws after being fouled by Jordyn Holland, but Jefferies repeated her earlier sequence and kept the Rams within one point.

“We knew they were struggling in the fourth quarter with handling (our) pressure,” Holland said. “The girls begged to keep pressing. I just reminded them we have to convert on the steal. Those were key. We got those quick steals and converted them. I was impressed with how well they kept their composure. I think the pressure got to Watervliet.”

Watervliet (10-6) managed to stay ahead a while longer with Smith scoring a basket from an assist by Jaelyn Pitre.

Constance Phillips cut the lead with her own basket, but Kara Liles bumped Watervliet ahead 36-34 after making a free throw.

Phillips tied the game 36-36 with a basket, and South Haven managed to hold on long enough as Smith missed a pair of free throws before Lyons scored the winning basket.

“The seniors out there have seen that kind of pressure before,” Watervliet coach Jason Forrester said. “They need to learn how to play through contact and knock down free throws.

“Free throws are killing us. You got to make them, that’s the difference, if you make them you win comfortably. We practice them everyday, we’ve got to figure out a way to play under pressure and finish games. They kind of backed down instead of attacking. We will have to figure it out.”

Phillips and Jefferies led South Haven with 11 points apiece. Phillips also had seven rebounds and three steals, and Jefferies added five steals of her own.

Grace Lyons added eight of her own while sister Frances had six with four steals.

Smith had a game-high 13 points for the Panthers with three rebounds and three steals.

Holland said that he was most impressed with his team’s attitude.

“Earlier in the season it was easy for us to be down eight points and put our heads down,” he said. “I was very proud of the seniors pulling everyone back and say ‘We are not out of this game.’ I’m proud of how they went out. I was happy we got to finish with all three seniors on the court.”

In the boys portion, South Haven (7-9) kept the pressure on Watervliet (8-8) throughout the entire game.

The Rams opened quickly with small forward Caskadara Smith netting three 3s in the first quarter.

South Haven continued to keep the offensive pressure going for a 25-20 halftime lead.

Caleb Ford then picked up where Smith had left off, helping the Rams with a 12-3 run in the fourth quarter and leading the defensive efforts for a 28-27 rebounding edge. He also helped force the Panthers to commit 22 turnovers.

“Our defense took over tonight,” South Haven coach Larry Ash said. “Our speed was quicker than theirs. We are on a little winning streak, and we are taking it one game at a time. We are just trying to keep going.”

Smith finished the night with a team-high nine points. Ford added eight and had six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Griffin Rooker also scored eight points and had five rebounds.

Garrett Matthews led the way for Watervliet, scoring 11 points to go along with his four rebounds.

“Their ball pressure and intensity on defense stifled us on offense,” Watervliet coach Chris Prom said. “That been the story of our season, a little ball pressure and we don’t handle it well. I think we need to work on blocking out and rebounding. For our size, we didn’t rebound very well and they capitalized on that tonight. We are tying to get better at being tougher very game. We just want to finish the season strong.”

South Haven 38, Watervliet 36

WATERVLIET (36)

Ariana Rowe 2 4-4 8, Taylor Shafer 0 3-4 3, Celina Klimkiewicz 0 2-2 2, Zoe Smith 5 2-7 13, Jaelyn Pitre 1 0-0 2, Kara Liles 0 1-2 1, Madalyn Hutchins 2 2-2 7. Totals: 10 13-21 36.

SOUTH HAVEN (38)

Grace Lyons 3 0-0 8, Frances Lyons 3 0-0 6, Naomi Gill 0 1-2 1, Constance Phillips 5 1-3 11, Alexis Jefferies 3 5-5 11, Dayviona Jones 0 1-2 1. Totals: 14 8-12 38.

Watervliet 7 8 11 10 — 36

South Haven 9 7 4 18 — 38

3-point goals — South Haven 2 (G. Lyons), Watervliet 2. Rebounds — South Haven 30 (Phillips 7, Gill 5, Yazmine Hall 5), Watervliet 30 (Shafer 8, Rowe 6, Pitre 5). Steals — South Haven 20 (Phillips 5, F. Lyons 4), Watervliet 6 (Smith 3). Total fouls — South Haven 18, Watervliet 7. Fouled out — none. Technical fouls — none. Records — South Haven 5-11, Watervliet 10-6.

South Haven 48, Watervliet 35

WATERVLIET (35)

Jakob Aldrich 1 0-0 3, Ryan Chisek 1 0-0 2, Garrett Matthews 3 2-2 11, Tristin Schultz 1 0-0 2, Sheldon Tobar 2 4-6 8, Dan Cluster 4 1-1 9. Totals: 12 7-9 35.

SOUTH HAVEN (48)

Caskadara Smith 3 0-0 9, Anthony White 1 0-0 2, Kial Ferguson 1 2-2 4, Caleb Ford 2 4-4 8, Alex Brantley 2 0-0 4, Alan Cobbs 2 0-0 4, Andre Cobbs 1 2-2 4, Griffin Rooker 3 0-1 8, Zander Russell 2 0-0 5. Totals: 17 8-9 48.

Watervliet 11 9 8 7 — 35

South Haven 16 9 11 12 — 48

3-point goals — South Haven 6 (Smith 3, Rooker 2), Watervliet 4 (Matthews 3). Rebounds — South Haven 28 (Ford 6, Rooker 5, Ferguson 5), Watervliet 27 (Tobar 6, Cluster 6). Steals — South Haven 12 (Ford 4), Watervliet 8. Total fouls — South Haven 10, Watervliet 10. Fouled out — none. Technical fouls — none.

PHOTO: South haven's Frances Lyons and Watervliet's Zoe Smith race after a loose ball during the second half of Tuesday's non-conference game. (Photo by Don Campbell of the Herald-Palladium)

South Haven boys bowling team finishes third in league; girls, fifth

South Haven's boys bowling team has struggled all year.

They finished seventh in the Wolverine Conference at the conclusion of the regular season, but that changed Friday when they competed in the league tournament to end up finishing third overall in the conference behind Sturgis and Three Rivers.

“All six of those boys bowled well, it was a great day,” said Rams Coach Barry Skuza.

The Lady Rams didn't fare quite so well. They entered the tournament without bowler Makayla Moore and settled for a fifth-place finish, identical to their placement in the league at the end of the regular season.

Both Moore and Lacie Nash were honored at the tournament for capturing all-conference second team honors. Moore averaged 147 during the season, while Nash carried a 146 average.

Team standings at the conference championship follow:

Boys: 1. Sturgis; 2. Three Rivers; 3. South Haven; 4. Allegan; 5. Paw Paw; 6. Otsego; 7. Vicksburg.

Girls: 1. Sturgis; 2. Three Rivers; 3. Otsego; 4. Paw Paw; 5. South Haven; 6. Allegan; 7. Vicksburg

PHOTO: South Haven girls team bowlers Makayla Moore (left) and Lacie Nash earned all-conference second team honors, Friday, during the Wolverine Conference tournament at Lakeside Lanes in South Haven. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Cardinals earn runner-up honors at team regional

Bloomingdale wrestling team's dream season came to an end Wednesday when they lost to a more seasoned Springport team in the regional final, 57-17.

“This was very bittersweet for us as a team,” said Cardinals Coach Dennis Paquette. “We finish the season with a 22-6 record, a district championship and conference and regional runner-up placings. I think these accomplishments surpass any expectations that we had coming into the season. I'm very proud of the efforts of everyone on the team.”

The Cardinals started the regional competition at Springport by facing Watervliet and won 42-26.

Bloomingdale wrestlers who won their matches included Caleb Durian (145), Thaddeus Vernon (152), Zane Walantyn (160), Thomas Campbell (171), Matthew Streeter (112), Julian Reyes (119) and Brian Paquette (135).

The Cardinals then faced Springport, which was favored to win, in the regional final. Picking up wins for Bangor were Thomas Campbell (171), Carlos Garcia (103), Oracio Sustaita (125) and Brian Paquette (135).

“Thomas Campbell, Mathew Streeter and Julian Reyes had some big victories for us tonight,” Paquette said after the regional. “Senior captain, Brian Paquette earned his 150th and 151st career victories.”

Six Cardinals wrestlers advance to individual regionals

A half-dozen Bloomingdale wrestlers earned a trip to the Division 4 individual regional competition this past Saturday after placing at the district tournament, Saturday, Feb. 10, in Bloomingdale.

Cardinals wrestler Carlos Garcia claimed a district championship in the 103 weight class after decisioning Trevor Pelton of Watervliet, 6-2, while Brian Paquette came in second place in the championship round.

“Carlos Garcia won the district championship by wrestling very aggressively all day long,” Coach Paquette said. “He was able to avenge one of his only losses on the year to a tough kid from Watervliet.  Brian Paquette advanced to the finals at 135 pounds with an exciting win over Clayton Marshal of Watervliet. 

Other Cardinals wrestlers who did well at the tournament included Julian Reyes and Thaddeus Vernon, who placed third; and Caleb Durian and Noah Perez, who settled for fourth place.

“Caleb Durian continues to impress at 140 pounds,” Coach Paquette said. “Julian Reyes placed third with some very hard-fought battles as he continues to show improvement this season. Thaddeus Vernon won his consolation final match with a pin at the end of a tough battle and Noah Perez qualified for the regional in his first year of wrestling."

Individual district results

Championship

215 — Matt Melcher (Watervliet) d. Aaron Ludwig (Springport) 4-1; 103 — Carlos Garcia (Bloomingdale) d. Trevor Pelton (Watervliet) 6-2; 112 — Jesse Brumm (Maple Valley) d. Daniel Villalobos (Bangor) 5-2; 135 — Hunter Bowersox (Athens) d. Brian Paquette (Bloomingdale) 5-3; 160 — Franklin Ulrich (Maple Valley) by forfeit over Anthony Wade (Watervliet).

Consolation matches

189 — Greg McPike (Gobles) p. Noah Perez (Bloomingdale) 2:19; 103 — Robert Paterson (Springport) p. Jared Foerster (Hartford) 2:01; 119 — Evan Siler (Bangor) d. Alex Isbrecht (Watervliet) 9-4; 125 — Julian Reyes (Bloomingdale) p. Rodrigo Barron (Tekonsha/Marshall Academy) 4:13; 135 — Thomas Potter (Springport) d. Klayton Marshall (Watervliet) 5-4; 140 — Landon Webb (Homer) md. Caleb Durian (Bloomingdale) 11-2; 145 — Devin Strong (Springport) p. Chris Schuman (Lawrence) 2:37; 152 — Thaddeus Vernon (Bloomingdale) p. Dylan Lynch (Watervliet) 4:58.

Lady Rams pick up another league victory

South Haven girls basketball team captured another close victory, Friday, over Allegan, 40-37.

The game started slow for both teams for the first 3 minutes but Allegan's offense got moving and scored several shots to take a 6-0 lead. Not to be outdone, Rams senior guard Frances Lyons hit a trey to get South Haven on the score board, but the Rams trailed the Tigers 7-4 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was about the same way as the first - not a lot of scoring - but both teams played solid defense ending with a halftime score of 14-9, in favor of Allegan.

“We told the girls at the half that is was time to turn up the pressure and get aggressive. We were playing fine but just way too passive, Rams Coach Joey Holland said. “I couldn’t complain too much because we were playing good defense and weren’t turning the ball over. We just needed to turn it up on offense.”

The third quarter the Rams came out shooting, scoring 11 points with junior guard Grace Lyons knocking down the first 2 points and a 3 pointer, followed up by freshman point guard Jordyn Holland knocking down 2 more 3 pointers to tie the game.

In the fourth quarter though it was Grace Lyons leading the charge for the Rams, knocking down three treys to give the Rams a small lead, and a pair of final second free throws by Holland helped solidify a win.

Grace Lyons led the Rams offense with 17 points. She was followed by Holland with 9 and Frances Lyons with 7.

“I was very proud of how hard the girls pushed in the second half. The girls were determined to get a win tonight and they did just that. This was a huge conference win for us and gives us tonight and keeps our momentum going as we enter our crossover game next week and district play the following week.” Coach Holland said.

Lady Vikings pick up a win over Marcellus

Bangor girls varsity basketball team picked up a much-needed Southwest 10 Conference victory, Tuesday, over Marcellus.

The Vikings had lost to the Wildcats earlier this season by just three points.

“Our girls determined it would not happen again,” said Bangor Coach Shiron Williams. “They came out fighting from the start with stellar communication on defense and patience on offense.”

The efforts paid off. Bangor took an early lead and never gave it up, winning, 28-18.

Epiphany Parker led Bangor's offense with 9 points, and was followed by Keeonna McGee with 7 points.





2.12.18

Cardinals wrestlers make school history

Team wins school's first-ever district wrestling championship

Bloomingdale's wrestling team accomplished something that a Cardinal grappling squad has never done before in school history — the 2018 team won a district championship.

The Cardinals accomplished their fete Thursday at the Division 4 district tournament in Martin. Bloomingdale faced Galesburg-Augusta in the semi-finals and won easily 71-6 to then compete against Martin-Climax Scotts in the final and clinch the championship, 52-25.

“We juggled our line-up to create a number of favorable matchups in the finals,” said head Coach Dennis Paquette. “I felt our kids wrestled very well. This was a real team effort from the kids and the coaching staff. It was fun to see how excited the kids were after we won.”

Nine Cardinals wrestlers won both of their matches — Carlos Garcia, Mathew Streeter, Oracio Sustaita, Jeremy Birmele, Brian Paquette, Caleb Durian, Thaddeus Vernon, Thomas Campbell and Brian Jackson.

Bloomingdale will now head to the regional competition, Feb. 14, in Springport where they will face Watervliet.

Rams take the bite out of the 'Dogs in OT

Three-peat, as in three victories in a row, was on the mind of South Haven's varsity basketball team when it clinched another Wolverine Conference win, Tuesday, over Vicksburg in overtime. The victory comes after the Rams defeated both Paw Paw and Holland two weeks ago.

Getting past the Bulldogs proved tough for South Haven. Vicksburg outscored the Rams 11-5 in the first quarter and 13-9 in the second to take a 24-14 lead going into the locker room at the half.

“Sometimes you have to set your leaders or starters down to make a point and that's what I did in the first half,” South Haven Coach Larry Ash said. “The second group came in and brought some intensity and picked us up and I started that same group in the third quarter.

The strategy paid off with the Rams clipping Vicksburg 13-11 in the third quarter to start building some momentum.

“In that length of time,” Ash said, referring to the end of the second quarter and throughout the third, “Juan Paz hit three 3-pointers to get us going. Then we went back to our speed group and really picked up the pressure full court.”

Caleb Ford took the reins for the Rams in the second half to end up finishing the night with 22 points. Ten of those points were scored at the charity stripe. He also dished out 5 assists and nabbed 3 steals.

“”He is our leader and when he is sharing the basketball and getting everyone to feed off of him on offense and defense, good things usually happen,” Ash said.

The Rams ended up catching up to Vicksburg in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points and limiting the Bulldogs to 6 to tie the game at the buzzer, 41-41.

South Haven kept outplaying Vicksburg in overtime, outscoring them 14-8 to win the contest.

“In overtime, Andre Cobbs scored 7 points with one 3-pointer and was 4-for-4 from the free throw line,” Ash said.

Ash also credited other players for their teamwork.

“We almost had four players in double digits,” he said. “We had two players, Andre Cobbs and Juan Paz, with 9, and Caskadara Smith with 10.

PHOTO: South Haven's Caskadara Smith goes up for a layup during Tuesday's Wolverine Conference game against Vicksburg. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Bangor grapplers bow out of district tourney

By AARON CRIDER

HP Sports Writer

WATERVLIET — With more wrestlers and more experience, Watervliet was crowned the Division 4 district champion Thursday night.

By defeating defending district champ Bangor 48-27 in the semifinal and then routing Lawrence 60-18, the Panthers won their first title since 2014. 

Watervliet will face Bloomingdale in a regional semifinal match on Feb. 14 at Springport

“It’s pretty nice,” Watervliet coach Joe Isbrecht said about winning the district crown. “It wasn’t as big a turnout for all the teams, but it still feels nice to win.”

Lawrence won a close contest against Hartford, defeating the Indians 27-21 to advance to the final round. 

The Panthers (17-11) have all but two weight classes filled, 119 and 145 pounds, but that didn’t matter much against Lawrence (3-11), which void seven weight classes. 

“The seven guys (on the team) are the ones that want to stick around, and those are the kids we want to have,” Lawrence coach Jon Petrasek said. “All the credit to Watervliet. The Isbrecht brothers are good coaches. Hopefully we will get them next year.”

Watervliet took an early 18-0 lead over the Tigers, opening with a void win at 171 pounds. Logan Swigart then pinned Bailey Page at 3:01 of their 189 bout and Matt Melcher earned a fall over Justin George at 215. 

Heavyweight Damacio Camarillo scored a fall for Lawrence, pinning Cole Hunt. 

Treveor Pelton started things back up for the Panthers earning a fall against William Cartwright at 112, but the Tigers scored a quick six points when Zack Nezamis pinned Dillon Clemmons at 119. 

The Panthers got an early chance to exact some revenge against Bangor (5-9) after losing in the district final last season. Without key wrestlers Elijah Griffioen (171), Seth Fog (189) and Joseph Arkauskas (215) in the lineup, the Vikings were forced into three additional voids on an already thin roster.  

Watervliet had a quick 12-0 lead to start the match, scoring with a void win at 189 and a pinfall by Melcher over Ke`arius Jennings at 285. The Panthers made it 18-0 with Trevor Pelton getting a bye at 103. 

Daniel Villalobos cut the lead to 18-6 pinning Dillon Clemmons at 112. Evan Siler won by void at 119 to make it 18-12, but Alex Isbrecht created some distance after pinning Jose Gallegos at 125. 

“(Bangor) didn’t bring what we thought they were going to bring,” Isbrecht said. “(But) we had kids make weight like we needed them to do and they wrestled well. It feels really good (to get a win).”

Bangor’s Colby Petranek scored a winfall over Kroben Camp at 130, yet Klayton Marshall responded with a pin over Rolando Munoz at 140. 

Josh Zordan was the last Viking to score, defeating Isaiah Yazel in an 8-5 decision. 

“We sat some kids out with injury or the flu,” Bangor coach Ben Munoz said. “(Losing) Joseph, Elijah and Seth, those were big weights we forfeited tonight. We (also) lost matches we should have won, I let them know that. 

“I thought we still had a pretty good chance with the kids that we had. It just didn’t go our way.”

Isbrecht said he’s been seeing consistent improvement all season long. He hopes that will continue as the team heads into the regional semifinal. 

“We’ve gone over (of being aware of where you are) on the mat, and they are starting to win. “We are going to go out and fight hard at the regional. We know it’s going to be tough, we are the underdog.”

Championship

Watervliet 60, Lawrence 18

Contested matches

112 — Trevor Pelton (WV) p. William Cartwright :29; 119 — Zack Nezamis (L) p. Dillon Clemmons 3:51; 152 — Isaiah Yazel (WV) p. Bryce Lucas 1:25; 189 — Logan Swigart (WV) p. Bailey Page 3:01; 215 — Matt Melcher (WV) p. Justin George 2:25; 285 — Damacio Camarillo (L) p. Cole Hunt 4:28. 

Semifinals

Watervliet 48, Bangor 27

Contested matches 

112 — Daniel Villalobos (B) p. Dillon Clemmons 3:55; 125 — Alex Isbrecht (WV) p. Jose Gallegos 4:25; 130 — Colby Petranek (B) p. Korben Camp 1:40; 140 — Klayton Marshall (WV) p. Rolando Munoz 2:41; 152 — Josh Zordan (B) d. Isaiah Yazel 8-5; 285 — Matt Melcher (WV) p. Ke’arius Jennings 1:12. 

Lawrence 27, Hartford 21

Contested matches

112 — Trenton Hicks (H) p. William Cartwright 2:31; 189 — James Terry (H) d. Bailey Page 7-5; 215 — Justin George (L) p. Alanzo Garcia 5:18; 285 — Damacio Camarillo (L) d. Noah Wade 3-2. 

Records — Watervliet 17-11, Bangor 5-9, Lawrence 3-11, Hartford 3-12-1. 

Rams make it to district finals

Coloma ends up winning to advance to regional

By BEN SANDERS

HP Sports Writer

BERRIEN SPRINGS — Coloma cruised to its second straight Division 3 wrestling district championship Thursday, defeating South Haven 54-19 in the title match.

“It’s always good to win something for the kids and for the school,” Coloma coach Kenny Ashley said. “It feels good.”

Coloma reached the final with a 54-27 win over Benton Harbor. South Haven won its semifinal 33-25 over Berrien Springs.

Coloma (14-16) advances to face Dowagiac in next Wednesday’s regional at Lake Odessa Lakewood.

“Going into regionals, we’re going to have to stay off our back if we want a shot at winning,” Ashley said. “There’s going to be a lot of tough teams there. I know (Dowagiac is) wrestling tough right now and they’re looking good.”

Ashley singled out Ian Ishmael (135), Cody Reese (140), Jamane Smith (189) and Cole Alsup (285) as his team’s top wrestlers. All four won both their matches by either pinfall or forfeit.

The Comets also had two pins each from Noah Mort (130) and Alec DeLaTorre (145). Michael Case (152) had a pin and a forfeit win.

Though South Haven and Benton Harbor both struggled against the Comets, the two had encouraging seasons as they look to rebuild their programs.

The Rams had back-to-back technical fall victories against Coloma by Trevor Winkel (112) and Drake Stolt (119). Other winners were Jackson Calvert (171) and Preston Calvert (215)

“We’re pretty excited with the direction we’re headed,” South Haven coach Brad Adamson said. “Last year we had four kids out. This year at least we’ve increased those numbers. We’re still very young, we’re made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores. We’re looking pretty good going into next year.”

South Haven’s semifinal win over Berrien Springs included just three contested matches. The Rams’ lone winner was Hunter Lynch (140). The highlight was a back-and-forth battle at 119, where the Shamrocks’ Chequannis Eddie defeated South Haven’s Drake Stolt 20-18.

Benton Harbor (9-15) had first-minute pinfall wins from Farrall Boyd (119) and Richard Holmes (215). Marlon Bowman also won at 125.

“We had a couple freshmen and first-years wrestle tough today,” Benton Harbor coach Ryan Berry said. “Unfortunately we didn’t get the ‘W’, but the kids have been working hard all year long so it’s hard not to get your hopes up. Coloma was the favorite, but the kids went out there and wrestled their toughest.”

Berry was pleased with the team’s progress in his first season as coach, including the nine dual wins.

“It’s been a really long time since Benton Harbor’s won a dual,” Berry said. “Half the battle is getting kids into the lineup. We were able to accomplish that this year.”

Championship

Coloma 54, South Haven 19

130 — Noah Mort (C) p. Jaden Hollis 1:33; 135 — Ian Ishmael (C) by forfeit; 140 — Cody Reese (C) by forfeit; 145 — Alec DeLaTorre (C) p. Hunter Lynch 1:08; 152 — Michael Case (C) by forfeit; 160 — Aaron Pounders (C) by forfeit; 171 — Jackson Calvert (SH) p. Brandon Sutherland 3:32;

189 — Jamane Smith (C) by forfeit; 215 — Preston Calvert (SH) d. Kalib Whutzke 7-6; 285 — Cole Alsup (C) p. Marcus Gwen 2:47; 103 — double forfeit; 112 — Trevor Winkel (SH) tf. Blane Sutherland 17-1; 119 — Drake Stolt (SH) tf. Robert Stinnett 15-0; 125 — Shane Champion (C) p. Dryden Stanbrook 3:03. 

Semifinals

Coloma 54, Benton Harbor 27

125 — Marlon Bowman (BH) d. Shane Champion 12-5; 130 — Noah Mort (C) p. Quontarius Kyles 4:29; 135 — Ian Ishmael (C) by forfeit; 140 — Cody Reese (C) p. D’Myron Guidry 2:21; 145 — Alec DeLaTorre (C) p. Myron Bowman 3:42; 152 — Michael Case (C) p. Derrick Creamer 3:51; 160 — Joe Gunn (BH) by forfeit;

171 — Brandon Sutherland (C) p. James McGee 2:17; 189 — Jamane Smith (C) p. Avontae Young 1:59; 215 — Richard Holmes (BH) p. Kalib Whurzke :26; 285 — Cole Alsup (C) p. Wrennie Davis 1:16; 103 — Josh Lewis (BH) by forfeit; 112 — Blane Sutherland (C) by forfeit; 119 — Farrall Boyd (BH) p. Robert Stinnett :22.

Records — Coloma 14-16, Benton Harbor 9-15.

South Haven 33, Berrien Springs 25

Contested matches only

119 — Chequannis Eddie (B) d. Drake Stolt 20-18; 140 — Hunter Lynch (SH) d. Nate Britenfield 12-8; 189 — Mike Mazigian (B) md. Preston Calvert 11-0.

PHOTO: Coloma's Shane Champion defeats South Haven's Dryden Stanbrook during a 125-pound Division 3 team district final Thursday night at Berrien Springs High School. (Photo by Don Campbell)







2.5.18

Rams gain momentum with victories over Holland and Paw Paw

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven gave the Winterfest home crowd something to cheer about Friday when they picked up a Wolverine Conference victory by defeating Paw Paw, 69-58.

The win came on the heels of the Rams' non-league victory, Tuesday, over the Holland Dutch, 61-48.

South Haven's win improves the team's North Division record to 2-2, but Coach Larry Ash said the season is far from over.

“We've gotta go forward,” he said. “We can't just settle for beating Paw Paw. We've got Districts to look forward to.”

South Haven lost no time Friday getting on the scoreboard. Propelled by two treys and a two-pointer by Caskadara Smith and 6 points from teammate Alex Brantley, the Rams left the Redskins behind 16-6 at the end of the first quarter.

But Paw Paw wasn't about to give up. Standing at 6-5, center Karsen Barnhart and teammate Luke Toliver stalled South Haven's offense under the basket, while Jakob Rickli poured in seven points to help boost the Redskins 16-6 over South Haven to come up with a 22-22 tie game at the end of the first half.

“We talked about Toliver and Barnhart (Paw Paw's leading scorers) before the game and wanted to worry them as much as possible, and they were trying to stop Caleb (Ford) and Caskadara,” Ash said.

After halftime, the Rams found their rhythm and the basket and went on to score 24 points in the third quarter and pushed it further, with 23 more in the fourth.

Smith led South Haven's offense with 23 points, followed by Jaylin Fox with 16 and Ford with 10.

SOUTH HAVEN 61

HOLLAND 48

South Haven picked up a much-need victory, Tuesday, after suffering two Wolverine Conference losses the prior week.

The Rams defeated the Holland Dutch, 61-48 in the non-league matchup.

“I don't have to tell you how bad we needed this win,” Ash said.

Holland took the lead early in the contest to finish the first quarter 11-7. But the Rams came roaring back in the next eight minutes of play to outscore the Dutch 12-13 to go into the locker room up 28-24 at the end of the first half.

“We made some changes with the lineup and put Caleb (Ford) at the point and think, 'pass first.'”

Ford, who is one of South Haven's leading players, ended the evening with 16 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds.

“We needed him to think of the team first and let the game come to him, and he did.”

While South Haven rethought its lineup during the first half, the Dutch rethought their strategy in the second and kept the score close, racking up 11 points in the third to the Rams' 12 to put the score to 40-35, in favor of the Rams.

Holland managed to pull within two points of South Haven's lead with five minutes left to play in the game, but the Rams kept their momentum going. They ended up adding 21 points to their lead to win the contest by a 13-point margin.

“We looked like a team,” Ash said. “you could see guys moving and looking for the ball and our energy level was up. We still need to lift our game up another level on the defense and rebounds.”

PHOTOS: In the top photo, South Haven's Caleb Ford (12) goes up for two points against defensive pressure from Paw Paw's Nick Schley during Friday's Wolverine Conference game. (Photo by Becky Kark). In the other photo. South Haven sophomore Zander Russell goes up for a layup during Tuesday's non-conference game against Holland. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Girls results

The Lady Rams suffered a tough loss, Friday, to Paw Paw, 32-27, after dropping another conference game, Monday, to Three Rivers, 47-28.

Paw Paw led 15-12 at the end of the first half. Both teams scored 6 points, each, in the third, leading to the decisive final stanza when the Redskins pushed their lead to five to win the contest.

“I was very happy with our defense,” said Rams Coach Joseph Holland. “But we struggled to make baskets. I think some of the girls let it get to them. They (Paw Paw) kept giving us open shots.”

Cate Frost led the Rams on offense with 8 points, followed by Yasmine Hall with 7.

In the Three Rivers game, Alexis Jeffries led the Rams with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. She was followed by Grace Lyons with 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal and 1 assist.

In the Three Rivers contest, the Wildcats jumped to an early 23-6 lead by the end of the first quarter and never looked back. The only quarter the Rams managed to outscore Three Rivers occurred during the final stanza of play when South Haven earned 9 points, while limiting Three Rivers to 3.

“The first quarter is what hurt us,” Holland said. “I don't think the girls expected Three Rivers to come out so aggressively. The second half we played a lot more aggressively.

“The girls do a great job with ball movement and sharing the ball but there comes a time in a game someone needs to step up and take over and right now we are waiting for that to happen. We try to prepare them for that but with the injuries we have right now I think we are still looking for that one person to lead us. With Frances Lyons being out pretty much most of our season and Cate Frost going down last week to a concussion its been a struggle to really find who we are. With that being said we have brought up freshman point guard Jordyn Holland. Jordyn has great ball handling skills and sees the court very well. She will definitely bring another threat on offense and defense to this team that will make us better.”

Jeffries led the Rams with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Grace Lyons followed with 5 points, 1 rebound, a steal and 1 assist.

Bridgman outlasts South Haven swimmers

By BEN SANDERS

HP Sports Writer

BRIDGMAN — Bridgman was able to give its swimmers some different opportunities in Thursday’s 116-61 boys swimming victory over South Haven.

“There were some good times today, but we did put kids in some different events,” said Bridgman assistant coach Jeff Knowlton, who was filling in for coach Janet Beemer, who is on vacation. “We could afford to swim different swimmers outside of their normal events, and allow some of our exhibition swimmers to get some varsity swims in.”

Connor Blesy had a strong individual showing for Bridgman. He won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:06.87, and was second in the 500 freestyle at 5:45.75 — an improvement of more than seven seconds on his previous best time.

“He keeps dropping time like crazy in that event, getting stronger every time he swims it,” Knowlton said. “Seven seconds in a 500 is a pretty good drop.”

Other individual winners for Bridgman included Alex Tellez in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.88), Parker Roach in the 100 butterfly (1:02.59), and Mason Parsons in the 100 freestyle (1:01.77).

Danny Roeder won the diving event with a score of 185.10. It was his fourth dual meet victory of the season, qualifying him for the regional competition for a fourth straight season.

The Bees improved to 3-4 in dual meets with the win.

“We’re definitely doing better than we did last year,” Knowlton said. “We’re getting closer to teams that we have lost to in the past.”

Justin Postma was an individual standout for South Haven (1-5), winning both the 200 individual medley (2:14.63) and 100 backstroke (1:01.85). Postma was also the last to leave the pool, continuing to swim well after the meet had ended.

“Justin has been training really hard,” South Haven coach Thomas Capps said. “He’s one that’s really on top of every practice. If he misses something, he’s going to our wellness center and making it up.”

Other individual winners for the Rams were Vance Locker, whose time of 25.24 in the 50 freestyle just barely edged Bridgman’s Justin Kaspar (25.27); and Jackson Schooley, who won the 500 freestyle in 5:20.44. Schooley was also second in diving at 176.45.

South Haven was hindered by its smaller roster, something Capps hopes to address in the near future.

“That’s one of my biggest goals is to be able to grow South Haven swimming,” Capps said. “My freshman year, which was almost 10 years ago, we had 44 kids on the team. Now we’re at 13. We’re really looking to expand and grow.” 

Bridgman 116, South Haven 61

200 medley relay — Bridgman (Brandon Burks, Parker Roach, Tyler Beckman, Justin Beckrow) 1:51.26; 200 freestyle — Connor Blesy (B) 2:06.87; 200 IM — Justin Postma (SH) 2:14.63; 50 freestyle — Vance Locker (SH) 25.24; diving — Danny Roeder (B) 185.10; 100 butterfly — Parker Roach (B) 1:02.59; 100 freestyle — Mason Parsons (B) 1:01.77; 500 freestyle — Jackson Schooley (SH) 5:20.44; 200 free relay — Bridgman (Johnathan Plisow, Jacob Kaspar, Justin Beckrow, Brandon Burks) 1:42.79; 100 backstroke — Justin Postma (SH) 1:01.85; 100 breaststroke — Alex Tellez (B) 1:16.88; 400 free relay — South Haven (Joe Nelson, Jackson Schooley, Vance Locker, Justin Postma) 3:50.01.

Records — Bridgman 3-4, South Haven 1-5.

SH bowlers rein in Vicksburg's record

As of last Monday morning Vicksburg's boys bowling team had only lost one match in the Wolverine Conference. But by the end of the day, the Bulldogs collected their second loss, courtesy of South Haven.

The Rams,who have been struggling all season, were looking for their second league victory, and got it, 19-11.

“Vicksburg's a good team,” South Haven Coach Barry Skuza said. “They were 5-1 going into the match. Their coach wasn't too happy. We clobbered them.”

The Rams out-bowled Vicksburg in the regular matches with a combined score of 1,745-1,697. Garrett Heath rolled a 374 two-game series. He was followed by Grant Frabe with 365; Nick Martina with 363 and Caleb Heinze with 337.

The Rams then were faced with the baker games. They took the first one 208-201, thanks to Frabe rolling three strikes in a row in the 10^th frame, but South Haven lost the second, 206-192.

“That was still close,” Skuza said, regarding the second baker game. But it didn't matter. The Rams still had enough points to win the match, overall.

South Haven's record in the conference improved to 2-5.

Girls results

The Lady Rams handed Vicksburg its straight ninth loss of the season, Monday, by winning 25-5. The Rams knocked down 153 more pins than the Lady Bulldogs to win the regular two-game series 1,351-1,196. They also easily won the baker games, 160-115, 158-99.

South Haven's Makayla Moore led the team's scoring, bowling a 342 two-game series. Lacie Nash followed that up with a 276 two-game series, while freshman Kassidee Root bowled a 187 to add to her team's points.

South Haven's conference record improved to 3-4.

Bloomingdale hands Beavers another loss

Bloomingdale's boys basketball team cruised past Eau Claire, Tuesday, in a Southwest 10 Conference matchup, with Karl Butler leading the way.

Butler's 33 points helped the Cardinals defeat the struggling Beavers 67-37.

Bloomingdale captured an early lead with Eau Claire trailing 19-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Cardinals extended their lead to 38-19 by halftime.

The Beavers bounced back somewhat in the third quarter to outscore the Cardinals 15-10, but then hit a scoring drought in the final stanza, only scoring 3 points.

Helping Butler in scoring were Michael Ellis with 8 points and Tyler Campbell with 7.

Eleven Bloomingdale players scored points in the contest.

The Cardinals' record improved to 8-2 in the conference, while Eau Claire's record dropped to 0-11.

Third-quarter scoring spurt puts Raiders past Bangor

Bangor's girls basketball team lost a close Southwest 10 conference game Tuesday to Decatur, 42-37. The game was a back-and-forth battle for points with both teams tied 19-19 at the end of the first half.

The third quarter made the difference for the Raiders who outscored the Vikings 15-10 and held onto a 34-29 lead going into the final eight minutes of play.

But Bangor couldn't catch up. Both teams scored 8 points, apiece, in the fourth quarter to end the game 42-37 in the Raiders' favor.

Keeonna McGee led the Vikings with 10 points. She was followed by Elisabeth Jackson with 9, and Jamie Allen and Madison McGuire with 7 points, each.

Bangor's record fell to 4-8 in the conference, while Decatur improved to 7-5.







1.29.18

After three years in the making, Rams ski team hits the slopes

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

It's not easy competing against teams with 20 skiers, but South Haven's four-man ski team manages to hold its own.

Debuting this year as an MHSAA sanctioned team that can compete at the regional and state level, South Haven's Alpine Ski Team consists of freshmen twins Harrison and Garrett Smith, junior Sam Dubuisson and senior Elliot Marovec.

“A couple of kids have raced as independents over the past few years, but this summer Al Dubuisson (the team's coach) asked if I would write a letter to the MHSAA authorizing the formation of a club team,” said South Haven Athletic Director Adam Verseput. “The ski team is a club, which means we do not fund it in any way, but it does race for South Haven High School in MHSAA competitions.  

The Rams compete in the Southwest Michigan Ski Conference and put their skills to the test each Wednesday at Bittersweet Ski Resort in Otsego. Their season began Jan. 10, and after three competitions they're ranked fourth in the league, which consists of teams from Caledonia, Portage, Kalamazoo Central, Loy Norrix and Mattawan. There are also skiers that compete as independents from schools that don't have enough skiers to field a team.

“It's a tough sport,” Rams Ski Team Coach Al Dubuisson said. “The team is going up against 50-60 competitors each week. Between the first five finishers there's a half-second time difference. That's how tight the times are.”

The Rams are being paced this year by Sam Dubuisson, who came in second place last Wednesday on the giant slalom course and eighth on the slalom course.

During the league competitions, skiers compete twice, each in the giant slalom race and then the slalom race. Their times are then combined together to determine what place they finish.

“You have to be mentally and physically fit to compete,” Al Dubuisson said. “If you make one little mistake it costs you the whole run.”

South Haven's ski team has been in the making for the past three years. It started when Sam Dubuisson was just a freshman.

Sam recruited two other skiers, Parker Jensen and Joe Nelson, to form the first Rams ski team, however, to compete at regional and state tournaments, the young team had to have at least four members. However, they could still compete in the conference.

“The first year, Sam was 22nd out of 50 skiers in our league,” Al Dubuisson said. “His sophomore year he was 18th out of 42 in the league.”

So far this year, he is ranked number 2 in the league in the giant slalom competition out of 60 skiers.

Sam and his dad, who competed on Ferris State University's ski team when he was a student there, have been skiing together for a number of years. They traveled to northern Michigan's ski resorts, and the mountains in Colorado, Utah and California.

“He started skiing at age 6,” Al said of his son. “Last year, Sam and I skied 80 days, 14 of those days out West.”

Other members of the Rams ski team also polish up their skills at other ski resorts. “Elliott, the Smith boys, they're all doing well,” Al Dubuisson said. “The Smith boys go up to Crystal Mountain and race with a (travel) league there.”

The Rams have two more league competitions left on their regular season schedule — Jan. 30 and Feb. 7, both at Bittersweet. Then they head to Caberfae ski resort near Cadillac, Feb. 12, to compete in the regional competition.

“We're really looking forward to regionals,” Al Dubuisson said.

League results for South Haven

Jan. 10

Giant Slalom: Sam Dubuisson, 3^rd, combined time of 43.64; Harrison Smith, 23^rd, 49.79; Garrett Smith, 30^th, 52.99; Elliot Marovec, 39^th, 55.52

Jan. 17

Giant Slalom: Dubuisson, 2^nd, 43.77; Harrison Smith, 19^th, 48.41; Marovec, 33^rd, 52.36; Garrett Smith, 34^th, 53.10

Slalom: Dubuisson, 20^th, 120.76; Harrison Smith, 22nrd, 121.87; Marovec, 33^rd, 141.06

Jan. 24

Giant Slalom: Dubuisson, 2^nd, 42.40; Harrison Smith, 20^th, 47.03; Garrett Smith, 35^th, 51.06; Marovec, 36^th, 51.08

Slalom: Dubuisson, 8^th, 101.65; Harrison Smith, 24^th, 114.08; Garrett Smith, 27^th, 116.28; Marovec, 38^th, 123.04

PHOTO: South Haven skier Sam Dubuisson competes in the giant slalom race, Wednesday, at Bittersweet Ski Resort in Otsego. Dubuisson placed second. (Contributed photo)

Rams' defense stalls against Plainwell

PLAINWELL — When it comes to applying defensive pressure, South Haven tries to stop opponents from scoring more than 50 points in a game. But that didn't happen Tuesday against Wolverine Conference opponent Plainwell.

The Trojans ended up scoring 61 points and limiting South Haven to 49 to win the contest.

“This game was big because we were on a two-game win streak and we needed to go into someone else's house and make a statement and we didn't do that,” Rams Coach Larry Ash said.

“We knew their main two scorers were (Evan) Finch and (Luke) Morrell and our goal was to make everything hard for them,” Ash said.

But despite the pressure on the two leading Trojan players, they still ended up scoring 41 of Plainwell's points. Finch finished the night with 23 points, while Morrell followed with 18.

“I was not pleased with our team's defense. We gave up way too many layups,” Ash said. “We work a lot on our defense and our goal is to keep teams under 50 points and we are not doing that.”

Plainwell jumped to an early lead, outscoring the Rams 8-4 in the first quarter and extended their lead to 29-19 in the second quarter to end the first half.

The Rams regrouped after half time and outscored the Trojans, 17-13, but Plainwell answered back in the final quarter, outscoring South Haven 19-13 to win the contest.

Caskadara Smith led South Haven in scoring with 14 points. He was followed by Caleb Ford and Juan Paz, who each scored 12 points.

South Haven girls varsity basketball team ran up against stiff competition from Plainwell this past Tuesday in a Wolverine Conference game. The Trojans limited the Rams to just a half-dozen points, in the  31-6 outcome. In the photo, above, South Haven's Naomi Gill (10) dribbles past Plainwell's Kathryn Farho. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Lady Rams bowlers suffer loss to Paw Paw

South Haven's girls bowling team hoped last week to end its fourth-place tie with Paw Paw in the Wolverine Conference, but the Redskins had other ideas and defeated the Rams, 22-8.

Both the Rams and Redskins had 2-3 records entering Monday's match.

The Redskins jumped to an early lead in the first series, racking up 723 points, compared to the Rams' 513. South Haven did much better in the second game of the two-game series, defeating the Redskins 667-666. However, it wasn't enough points to stop Paw Paw, which ended up winning both baker games, 133-95, 145-141.

Lacie Nash led the Rams bowlers, rolling a 301 two-game series. She was followed by MaKayla Moore with a 271 and Teagan Burson with 239.

In earlier bowling action, South Haven defeated Brandywine's varsity team, 19.5-11.5, Saturday, Jan. 20, in a non-league match.

The Rams knocked over the pins in the first regular game, outscoring Brandywine, 728-663; lost the second one, 657-632, but ended up winning the two-game series, 1,360-1,320.

The Rams extended their lead by winning the first baker game, 160-122, and tied with Brandywine 115 in the second game.

Moore paced the Rams with a two-game series of 379. She was followed by Burson, who rolled a 253 series.

Boys results

South Haven's boys team continued to struggle last week, losing to Paw Paw and Brandywine.

Against the Redskins, the Rams lost 18-12, Monday.

The regular two-game series remained close with the Redskins winning the first one 760-703. But South Haven out-bowled them in the second game, winning 723-695. The final tally for the seres favored the Redskins, who won 1,455-1,406.

The Rams got a second chance at the Redskins during the baker games, winning the first one 14-1127, but Paw Paw came back to win the second game, 189-146.

Grant Frabe led the Rams with a 313 two-game series. He was followed by Caleb Heinze with 297, Nick Martina with 282 and Andrew Guthrie with 276.

Brandywine proved to be a tough team to beat, Saturday, Jan. 20. The Bobcats won the non-league contest, 24-6.

They outscored the Rams 1,830-1,655 in the two-game series and went on to win the baker games, 198-179, 160-129.

Frabe again led South Haven bowlers, rolling a 375 two-game series. He was followed by Andrew Guthrie with 329 points and Garrett Heath, 316.

Vikings wrestlers place at Marcellus tourney

Two Bangor wrestlers earned first place finishes in the Marcellus Wildcat's invitational, Jan. 20. Daniel Villalobos claimed the championship in the 119-pound weight class, while Mario Garcia wrestled to first place in the 140-pound division. Four other Vikings wrestlers also placed in the 14-team tournament. Ke'Arius Jennings came in third place, Dylan Little, fourth; Evan Siler, fifth; and Seth Fogg, sixth. Overall, Bangor placed ninth in the invitational, which was sponsored by Modern Woodmen of America.







1.22.18

Rams basketball teams send Allegan home with two losses

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Score treys, score them often. That's what South Haven boys basketball team did to jump out to an early lead that Allegan would never recover from during Friday night's Wolverine Conference matchup. The Rams won easily, 62-32. The South Haven girls team also won in a nail-biting 33-32 victory.

Jaylin Fox got the game rolling for the Rams in the opening minute of play when he hit a trey from outside the perimeter to put South Haven on the scoreboard first, 3-0. Sophomore Zander Russell then showed his prowess, scoring a field goal and followed up with two three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Juan Paz shot another trey to help the Rams to a 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

But, South Haven's biggest obstacle in the first quarter was Allegan forward Caleb DeKryger. At 6-6, he led the Tigers, scoring 7 of their 10 points.

“That's what we were worried about. We knew Caleb was their best player,” said Rams Coach Larry Ash. “We wanted to make it as hard as possible for him.”

The Rams did, and they also made it hard for the rest of Allegan's team. By the end of the first half, South Haven extended its lead to 37-20.

“We knew if we could take Caleb out and play with energy we could do it,” Ash said. “I challenged everyone in practice, if you don't show energy you won't play.”

The Rams followed his advice. With their man-to-man defense, they pressured the Tigers into taking forced shots and turning over the ball into South Haven players' hands.

As the Rams wore down Allegan they were able to move inside to make their shots. By the end of the third quarter, South Haven was up 46-30. The Rams went on to score 16 more points in the final stanza to win the contest.

Paz and Zander led the Rams' scoring with 11 points, each. Fox followed with 8. In all, 10 South Haven players scored points in the contest.

Girls results

The Lady Rams kept the crowd on the edge of their seats with a 33-32 win over the Tigers. The game's outcome came down to the final seconds. With South Haven down 32-31, Connie Phillips got the ball to put the Rams up 33-32.

“The entire game went back and fourth, but we primarily controlled the first half going into halftime with a 16-12 lead,” Rams Coach Joey Holland said. “The girls were very patient and didn't try to rush and it paid off because for the first time we played a half and only had five turnovers.”

But the second half was another story. Allegan switched to a man-to-man defense and began to wear South Haven down. South Haven, though, still managed to hold onto a 26-20 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Tigers continued to pressure the Rams and took a five-point lead. But two treys by South Haven's Cate Frost put the Rams back into the game, however, Allegan ended up with a one-point lead going into the final seconds of the game.

After a time out the Rams got an inbound pass and Phillips scored. She was also fouled in doing so. After she missed the shot, Allegan had one last chance to get a shot off but South Haven's Grace Lyons blocked it.

“It was a hard fought game,” Holland said. “We have always told the girls that free throws can win or lose a game. Tonight we were 81 percent from the line. That was key for us tonight.”

Phillips and Frost led the Rams. Phillips had 10 points, 10 rebounds and 1 steal. Frost had 10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals and 1 assist. Yazmine Hall had 6 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist and a block.

PHOTOS: (top photo) South Haven's Juan Paz drives to the basket during Friday's game against Allegan. (Photo above), South Haven's Grace Lyons maneuvers past an Allegan defender during Friday's game. (Photos by Becky Kark)

South Haven swimmers face tough competition

South Haven's swim team lost its meet against Harper Creek Tuesday, 117-63, but Rams Coach Thomas Capps was still pleased with the results from several individual swimmers.

“Jackson Schooley had the most significant time drop of 14-plus seconds in the 500 freestyle,” said Capps, who also was pleased with the times of Vance Locker and Joe Nelson in the 100-yard butterfly.

Locker finished with a time of 1:06.43 and Nelson with a time of 1:17.69 to place third and fourth, respectively.

“Both have been working in the pool and it shows,” Capps said.

The Rams were overpowered by the depth of Harper Creek's team, but they still managed to win several events in the swim meet.

South Haven's 200-yard medley relay team of Justin Postma, Brian Thompson, Vance Locker and Craig Thompson placed first with a time of 1:59.11; Postma swam to first-place finish in the 200 yard IM, finishing in 2:16.28; Jackson Schooley won first place in diving with 177.85 points; and Postma finished first in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:04.75.

Results of the meet for South Haven follow:

• 200-yard medley relay: 1. South Haven (Justin Postma, Brian Thompson, Vance Locker, Craig Thompson) 1:59.11; 3. South Haven (Brandon Jonatzke, Elian Garcia, Joe Nelson, Nick Gildea), 2:24.04
• 200-yard freestyle: 4. Vance Locker, 2:12.43; 5. Brandon Jonatzke, 2:35.00
• 200-yard IM: 1. Justin Postma, 2:16.28; 6. Joe Nelson, 2:56.53
• 50-yard freestyle: 4. Elian Garcia, 32.61; 5. Jauquin Flores, 39.50
• One-meter diving: 1. Jackson Schooley, 177.85; 3. Nick Gildea, 118.00
• 100-yard butterfly: 3. Vance Locker, 1:06.43; 4. Joe Nelson, 1:17.69
• 100-yard freestyle: 3. Craig Thompson, 59.73; 5. Jauquin Flores, 1:27.29
• 500-yard freestyle: 2. Jackson Schooley, 5:19.04
• 200-yard freestyle relay: 2. South Haven (Vance Locker, Craig Thompson, Brian Thompson, Jackson Schooley) 1:45.88
• 100-yard backstroke: 1. Justin Postma, 1:04.75
• 100-yard breaststroke: 3. Brian Thompson, 1:21.50; 5. Brandon Jonatzke, 1:38.53
• 400-yard freestyle relay: 2. South Haven (Jackson Schooley, Craig Thompson, Joe Nelson, Justin Postma) 3:57.55; 5. South Haven (Brandon Jonatzke, Elian Garcia, Nick Gildea, Brian Thompson) 5:15.56

PHOTO: South Haven's Jackson Schooley is shown competing in the one-meter diving event during Tuesday's meet with Harper Creek. Schooley won the event with a score of 177.85. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Rams bowlers defeat Allegan, Brandywine

Bowling at their own alley suited South Haven girls bowling team just fine as they picked up two victories against Brandywine and Allegan, Jan. 13 at Lakeside Entertainment Center.

“The girls did real well,” Rams Coach Barry Skuza said.

The Lady Rams started the day facing Allegan, winning easily by the overall score of 28-2. South Have won the regular two-series matches, 1,431-1,246 and the baker matches 196-107, 150-107.

Khylee Marr led the Rams, bowling a 335 two-game series, while Lacie Nash bowled a 326.

The next match with Brandywine went even better for the Rams, who won by the overall score of 29-1.

South Haven the regular matches 1,208-1,114 and the baker matches, 167-127, 127-98.

Makayla Moore led the scoring for the Rams with a 333 two-game series, while Lacie Nash bowled a 285 two-game series.

The South Haven boys didn't fare quite as well against the Tigers and the Bobcats.

Against Allegan, the Rams lost 18-12. The Tigers won the regular matches 1,705-1,598 and one of the baker games 190-159, while the Rams won the other one, 168-166.

Caleb Heinze had a good day, bowling a 415 two-game series. He was followed by Nick Martina with a 327, Garrett Heath with 301 and Grant Frabe with 294.

The Rams then lost by an identical 18-12 score to Brandywine.

The Bobcats won the two-game series 1,560-1,407, as well as the baker games, 168-154, 150-135.

Heinze again led the Rams in scoring with a 383 two-games series. He was followed by Frabe with a 331, Martina with a 303, and Cameron Denbow, 280.

PHOTO: South Haven's Khylee Marr competes in Friday's match against Three Rivers. The Rams lost the match. (Photo by Tom Renner).

Lady Vikings earn back-to-back victories

After a disappointing loss to cross-town rival Bloomingdale, Bangor's varsity girls basketball team bounced back last week to capture back-to-back victories over River Valley and White Pigeon.

Against White Pigeon, Tuesday, the Vikings came out strong in the first quarter but by halftime were down by 11, according to coaches Bree Lennox and Shiron Williams.

Unwilling to give up, Bangor regrouped in the second half and decreased the scoring gap, finally inching ahead with only a few minutes left in the game. Both teams played hard, but it was Bangor that ended up winning, 39-38.

Madison McGuire led the Vikings' offense with 17 points, while Epiphany Parker contributed 10 points.

On Monday, the Vikings hosted River Valley and won easily, 43-27.

The first half was an evenly matched back-and-forth battle, but the Vikings kicked it up a notch and exploded in the second half, according to Lennox and Williams. Bangor dominated with aggressive defense and team-wide scoring efforts.

Keeonna McGee led the Vikings in scoring with 9 points. She was followed by Jamie Allen and Elisabeth Jackson, who each scored 8 points. McGuire was hot on defense w ith 14 steals. She also dished out 5 assists and scored 7 points.

In the Jan. 12 matchup with the Cardinals, Bangor appeared to have the edge, holding Bloomingdale scoreless in the first quarter. But the tide turned.

“We seemed to dominate on both sides of the court and had more than enough open shots,” Williams said. But the shots weren't going through the hoop.

Bloomingdale ended up winning, 44-30.

Epiphany Parker scored 10 points and had 10 rebounds for Bangor. Teammate Jamie Allen chipped in 7 points.





1.15.18

Patience pays off for Lady Rams

South Haven defeats Dowagiac, 40-32

Waiting for the right time to make a basket paid off for South Haven, which picked up its first home victory of the season, Tuesday, against Dowagiac.

The Lady Rams defeated the Chieftains, 40-32, but it wasn't an easy contest for South Haven.

Dowagiac commanded a 14-10 lead in the first quarter.

“Both teams came out playing very tight, solid defense,” South Haven Coach Joey Holland said. “Though we managed to get to the free-throw line several times we struggled with our free throws but we were till able to keep the score close.”

In the second quarter, the Rams changed their strategy and began to put pressure on Dowagiac with a full-court press. The strategy worked as South Haven was able to force turnovers, limit the Chieftains to just two points, and go into the locker room at halftime with a 22-16 lead.

“I was very happy with how the girls were playing in the first half, we were being very patient and waiting to get a good shot,” Holland said. “Even though we struggled to make our free throws, we did a good job putting the Chieftains in foul trouble.”

Dowagiac came out for the second quarter outscoring the Rams 9-5 in the third quarter, but South Haven continued to wear down the Chieftains with their full-court press, and maintained a slim 27-25 lead.

By the time the fourth quarter came around, the Rams took control of the ball and led Dowagiac 13-7, to win the contest, 40-32.

“In the fourth quarter we were able to come away with some big baskets and key free throws late in the game to hold onto the lead,” Holland said. “I was very proud of the girls today. It was a hard-fought game but the girls stayed at it throughout, and even when things didn’t go our way they didn't put their heads down and quit.”

Grace Lyons paced the Rams' with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. Cate Frost scored 12 points and had 4 rebounds, 3 assist and 2 steals. Alexis Jeffries scored 7 points and had 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists. Yazmine Hall had 15 rebounds, while Connie Phillips, pulled down 12 rebounds.

In the JV game, the Rams also won, defeating the Chieftains, 63-29. “It was great to see the girls get our first home win of the season,” Rams JV Coach Ben Jury said. “It was a close game at halftime and the girls came out and won the third quarter, 21-2. Seven of our 9 players scored tonight and all of them played a big role in a good win.”

PHOTO: Dowagiac's Kazmere Williams (left) tries to get the ball away from South Haven's Alley Woodall during Tuesday's game. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Rams clip Eddies, 52-51, for Wolverine Conference victory

A 21-point scoring spree by Edwardsburg in the third quarter of Friday's game didn't look good for South Haven. But the Rams surged ahead in the fourth quarter to clip the Eddies, 52-51.

“This was a good team win for us,” South Haven Coach Larry Ash said. “We talked about everyone playing their role and they did that today.”

The Rams ended the first quarter of play one point ahead, 12-11 and maintained their lead in the second quarter for a 21-17 score to end the first half.

But the third quarter was all Edwardsburg who outscored South Haven 21-13 to take the lead, 38-34.

The Rams weren't giving up, however.

“Our best player Caleb Ford was not there so it was important that we prove a point to ourselves that we can do great things if we believe in each other,” Ash said. “We asked before the game, 'who do you trust to hold your rope, who will not let you fall?'”

The Rams took their coach's advice and outscored the Eddies 18-13 in the final stanza to win the game.

Caskadara Smith led South Haven's offense with 16 points. He was followed by Griffin Rooker with 10 points and Jaylin Fox and Andre Cobbs, each with 7 points.

SH swimmers win early, win often in victory over Sturgis

The heat was on early for South Haven swim team's meet against Sturgis, Tuesday.

In the opening race, the Rams' 200-yard medley relay team of Jackson Schooley, Vance Locker, Craig Thompson and Justin Postma tied with Sturgis, 2:00.78.

“That was definitely what amped up the boys and the fans,” said Rams coach Thomas Capps. South Haven kept the momentum going to outpace the Trojans, 98-82, for a conference victory.

The Rams won the 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard IM, 50-yard freestyle, diving, 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke and the 400-yard freestyle relay.

“Each and every swimmer was excited and happy to have a competitive team to go against, and it showed in their races, Capps said. “There were guys in events they had never swam, but it was where I needed them to be. We pulled through with it all working out even better than I had anticipated.”

Capps was especially pleased with the performance of the swimmers in the 200-hundred freestyle. Jackson Schooley won the race, while Brandon Jonatzki and Elian Garcia finished second and third, respectively.

“Taking one, two and three in the 200-hundred freestyle really set the tone of the meet,” Capps said.

He also lauded Joe Nelson, who placed second in the 500 freestyle, and Justin Postma, who won the 100-yard backstroke.

“He had never swam it before,” Capps said, referring to Nelson. “He led for awhile until a close race at the end. Still a proud coaching moment and great experience for him. Justin Postma took control and led the team in the 100 backstroke with a 1:03.”

Results for South Haven follow:

• 200-yard medley relay: 1. South Haven (Jackson Schooley, Vance Locker, Craig Thompson, Justin Postma) 2:00.78. 3. South Haven (Brandon Jonatske, Joe Nelson, Brian Thompson and Nick Gildea) 2:21.30.
• 200-yard freestyle: 1. Jackson Schooley, 2:02.97; 2. Brandon Jonatzki, 2:40.69; 3. Elian Garcia, 2:50.58.
• 200-yard IM: 1. Justin Postma, 2:16.62; 2. Vance Locker, 2:25.36
• 50-yard freestyle: 1. Joe Nelson, 28.07; 3. Nick Gildea, 31.11; 6. Joaquin Flores, 44.26
• One-meter diving: 1. Jackson Schooley, 181.50; 4. Nick Gildea, 93.15
• 100-yard butterfly: 2. Vance Locker, 1:10.00; 3. Craig Thompson, 1:21.36
• 100-yard freestyle: 1. Brian Thompson, 1:06.19; 4. Elian Garcia, 1:13.38; 6. Oliver Rosendo Hernandez, 1:26.17
• 500-yard freestyle: 2. Joe Nelson, 7:00.48; 3. Brandon Jonatzke, 7:11.20
• 200-yard freestyle relay: 2. South Haven (Oliver Rosendo Hernandez, Nick Gildea, Elian Garcia, Brian Thompson) 2:13.70
• 100-yard backstroke: 1. Justin Postma, 1:03.81; 4. Oliver Rosendo Hernandez, 1:58.47
• 100-yard breaststroke: 2. Brian Thompson, 1:22.70; 4. Craig Thompson, 1:24.43
• 400-yard freestyle relay: 1. South Haven (Jackson Schooley, Vance Locker, Craig Thompson, Justin Postma) 3:57.09; 3. South Haven (Elian Garcia, Brandon Jonatzke, Joe Nelson, Jauquin Flores) 5:25.04

SH baseball player sets his sights on Adrian

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

A year ago, Andy Klavins' dream of playing college baseball nearly turned into a nightmare when he tore a major knee ligament while playing basketball for South Haven's varsity team.

“He was forced to miss his junior year of baseball,” South Haven Athletic Director Adam Verseput said.

But Klavins, who is now a senior, remained determined to make his dream come true and it did this past week when he signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Adrian College.

“Adrian was one of three teams I talked to,” Klavins said. “Upon visiting there I liked the culture and baseball program they run.”

Adrian won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association's conference tournament last year, marking the fifth time the Bulldogs have done so. The team has also made 11 trips to the NCAA Division III tournament.

South Haven baseball coach Dave McWhinnie said he's glad to see Klavins heading to Adrian.

“He's played varsity baseball since he was a freshman,” McWhinnie said. “He's one of the best players we've had. It's was tough when he couldn't play his junior year. Usually a player's junior year is when they (college scouts) want to see you play.”

Luckily for Klavins, he excelled his sophomore year as a baseball player, earning all-conference honors and leading the Rams to a district championship over Lakeshore. During that game, Klavins pitched a complete 2-0 game shutout, striking out two and walking five.

“He's a solid infielder,” McWhinnie said. “He plays third base, but the mound is where he makes his mark,” McWhinnie said. “He's got good velocity.” Klavins also does good on offense. “He hits the ball hard. He's got a lot of strength,” McWhinnie went on to say.

Recovering from his injury hasn't been easy, Klavins admitted.

“I'm training in Grand Rapids twice a week,” he said. “It's a lot of driving.”

When he isn't training, Klavins hits the books to maintain his 4.0 grade point average.

He's also active in quite a few extra-curricular activities at school. He is a member of the National Honor Society, student council, concert band and marching band. A week ago, he earned the honor of being crowned Mr. South Haven in the Miss and Mr. South Haven pageant.

While he's looking forward to playing on Adrian's baseball team, Klavins also intends to study hard to earn a degree in accounting or business management.

PHOTO: South Haven High School senior Andy Klavins (sitting, left) gets ready to sign a letter of intent to play baseball at Adrian College in the fall. Sitting next to him is his twin sister, Laila. Standing from left are Rams baseball coach Dave McWhinnie, and Klavins, parents,  Marcy and Andy Klavins.



Four B'dale wrestlers win medals at tourney

BLOOMINGDALE — The weather was cold and snowy but it was “on with the show” for Bloomingdale's wrestling team, which hosted its annual invitational Saturday, Jan. 6.

Thirteen teams from Southwest Michigan competed in the tournament, with Mattawan finishing first and Holland, second.

The host Cardinals placed fifth, with three first-place winners and a second-place winner.

Carlos Garcia, Brian Paquette and Thomas Campbell won their weight divisions, while Thaddeus Vernon settled for runner-up in his weight class.

Garcia received two byes in the 103-pound weight class. He then faced John Gordan of Holland and pinned him in 1:52. He then competed against Dylan Little of Bangor and pinned him in 2:28 and in the finals pinned Cameron Williams of Kalamazoo Central in 1:44.

Paquette also received two byes in the 135-pound weight class. His first opponent was Dylan Potter of Bangor, who he pinned in 32 second. Next was Junior Garcia of South Haven who lost 20-3. In the finals, Paquette decisioned Garret Mohney of Mattawan, 9-2.

Campbell competed against four opponents and won all of his matches. He pinned Kellen Quinn of Constantine in 1:54 and Elijah Griffioen of Bangor in 31 seconds. He then faced Constantine's Isaac Hall and defeated him 5-4; and in the finals decisioned Jaeger Schippa of Holland, 6.5

Vernon started out his matches with two byes. He then earned a 14-6 major decision over Dowagiac's Lamberto Paredes. Vernon lost to Roy Britney of Loy Norris in a 11-7 decision, but came back to defeat Tyson Ford of Mattawan, 7-2.

Bloomingdale's Brody Whitecotton went 3-1 in the tournament, but because he lost his first match he ended up in seventh place in the 215 weight class. Scott Greene of Pennfield pinned Whitecotton in 3:32 in the opening match. But Whitecotton regrouped and pinned both Peyton Long of Paw Paw and Clayton Tonkin of Constantine in 2:53 and 58 seconds, respectively. In his final match of the day he decisioned Braxton Schroeder of River Valley, 3-2.

Bloomingdale Mathew Streeter also compiled a winning record during the tournament, going 2-1 in the 112 weight class,, but because he lost his first match, he too, finished seventh overall. Streeter lost his first match to Dylan Elmore of Dowagiac, who pinned the Cardinal wrestler in 4:56. Streeter went on to pin Gavin Smith of Decatur in 18 seconds and Avion Ruiz of Dowagiac in 35 seconds.

“We wrestled well as a team and continue to improve,” Bloomingdale Coach Dennis Paquette said. “We have our eyes set on the post-season tournament. I'm very pleased with the performance of Brian Paquette, Carlos Garcia and Thomas Campbell. This was the first championship for Campbell and it is well deserved. Thaddeus Vernon is continuing to improve.”

Team results from the meet follow: 1. Mattawan, 225.5 points; 2. Holland, 195.5; 3. Constantine, 183.5; 4. Kalamazoo Central, 177; 5. Bloomingdale, 119.5; 6. Dowagiac, 114.5; 7. Bangor, 111; 8. Battle Creek Pennfield, 105.5; 9. Loy Norrix, 104; 10. South Haven, 74; 11. Decatur, 71.5; 12. River Valley, 67; 13. Paw Paw, 41.





1.8.18

Lady Rams defeat Benton Harbor, lose to Holland in holiday tournament

By TRIBUNE STAFF

South Haven's varsity girls basketball team braved the elements and traveled north to Holland over Christmas break to compete in the annual winter holiday tournament at Holland High School.

The Rams first faced the host team and lost 48-26, but bounced back to defeat Benton Harbor, 37-31.

Rams Coach Joey Holland described the Dutch as a strong team.

“This was a tough game for us,” Holland said. We were already sitting with low numbers and Holland definitely had a size advantage from the beginning. With three girls on the roster standing over 6 foot we knew that was going to be a tough match.

Holland said the Rams were slow on offense, but he was happy with the intensity the team showed throughout the contest.

“I also was very happy with our free-throw percentage,” he said. “Although we struggled shooting from the field we did get to the line quite a bit -21 times - and shot 70 percent from the free-throw line. The best we have shot all season.

Grace Lyons led the Rams with 6 points, 12 rebounds and a steal. Connie Phillips also scored 6 points and nabbed 11 rebounds and one steal.

Against Benton Harbor, the Rams had to come from behind to win after a scoring slump early in the game.

The Tigers led 10-3 at the end of the first quarter, however in the second quarter Cate Frost helped lead the Rams on a scoring spree by knocking down a quick three pointer.

“After that it seemed to spark a charge for us. We went on a 15-2 scoring run and were up at the half 20-17,” Holland said.

The second half was a see-saw battle for points between the two teams, however South Haven managed to go on an 8-point run. Coupled with strong rebounding in the fourth quarter, the Rams ended up winning the game.

“It was finally nice to get another win under our belt,” Holland said. “We struggled throughout the tournament with making open shots, but the girls never gave up on their effort and intensity which was one thing that we talked about over the last couple days. It’s easy to get frustrated and lose intensity when you’re not making shots, but the girls kept pushing and it was nice to see their hard work pay off.”

Lyons led South Haven with 10 points, 13 rebounds, 5 steals and a block.

Coloma boys basketball able to hold off Rams

By HP STAFF

COLOMA — For the first time this season Coloma’s boys basketball team was held to under 70 points.

The Comets faced a tough test against South Haven’s defense, but did just enough to hold on for a 62-55 home victory during the Christmas holiday break.

“I felt we did well keeping our composure when things got chippy and when they made a run at the end hitting four 3-pointers to tie the game,” Coloma coach Paul Marfia said. “They broke us down and we will live and learn. I knew this would be a good, early test for us.”

The Comets (5-0) are averaging 74.6 points per game so far. Junior standout Zach Goodline continues to lead Coloma, and scored 23 points for the Comets.

Phillip Caldwell and Robbie Schroder also scored big, with Caldwell netting 13 points. Schroder earned a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

South Haven (1-5) is still struggling with size and experience. However, small forward Caskadara Smith continues to carry the Rams.

He scored a game-high 25 points. Caleb Ford added 12 and Zander Russell contributed 11 points.

“South Haven has to be one of the best 1-4 teams in the state,” Marfia said. “We have to be one of the worse 5-0 teams. I really like my team and how much we have grown, (but) we have a long ways to go. (We) are going to do it together, take a couple days off and come back on Tuesday to get better.”



12.18.17

Rams outscored by Otsego in second half for 74-53 loss

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

The first half of Friday's Wolverine Conference game against Otsego favored South Haven, but the second half belonged to the Bulldogs – specifically forward Lucas Zak.

Zak poured in 21 points to push Otsego 21 points past the Rams, for a 74-53 victory.

He also had some help from teammates Jaxson Callway, who scored 17 points, and Addison Atwater who chipped in 13 points.

“We're a real young team. We've got some work to do,” said South Haven coach Larry Ash, after the game.

South Haven started the game well, jumping to a 5-0 lead in the first few minutes of the contest thanks to baskets from Caleb Ford and Jaylin Fox, who also scored a free throw.

But then Zak started to display his ability at driving inside the paint and finding the hoop. He ended up scoring eight points in the first quarter alone, but the Rams, through excellent rebounding from Ford, Fox and Andre Cobbs, helped South Haven maintain a 16-14 lead going into the second quarter.

Both teams kept up their aggressive half-court press in the second quarter, with South Haven forcing turnovers to stay ahead 30-28 at the end of the half.

But the tables turned for the Rams in the third quarter.

Four points from Zak and a trey from teammate William Eldred pushed Otsego into the lead 39-34 early in the third quarter. South Haven's Fox responded with a two-pointer, but the Bulldogs advanced their lead to 47-36. Two shots from the Rams' Kial Ferguson in the closing minute of the first half put the score at 47-40 in favor of the Bulldogs.

Otsego then extended its lead scoring 27 points in the final stanza of the game.

South Haven's defense managed to keep Otsego out of the paint during the second half, but that's when the Bulldogs' offense heated up on the outside connecting for six treys in the second half.

“Our defense got stuck,” Ash said. “We weren't rotating (on offense) like we should have been doing. We missed layups. You can't do that and win a game.”

Despite the loss, Ash said he sees a promising future for his team.

“I'm glad to see the energy,” he said.

Ford led South Haven in scoring with 10 points. He was followed by Alan Cobbs with 9 and Andre Cobbs with 8 points.

In the girls game, without one of its key players, Frances Lyons, South Haven lost to the Bulldogs, 55-27. Lyons, a four-year starter, suffered a knee injury last week in the game against Sturgis.

PHOTO: South Haven's Griffin Rooker looks for an opening so that he can pass the ball during Friday night's game against Otsego. Also shown is teammate Jaylin Fox (right). (Photo by Tom Renner)

South Haven wrestlers suffer tough losses to Three Rivers, Sturgis

The Rams faced stiff competition, Wednesday, in their first Wolverine Conference match of the season.

South Haven hosted a quad meet at home, and competed against Three Rivers and Sturgis, losing to the Wildcats, 45-27, and to the Trojans, 52-15.

Results follow:

Three Rivers 45

South Haven 27

112 — Lucas Jenkins, TR, p. Trevor Winkel, 1:24

119 — Drake Stolt, SH p. Josh Starnes, 1:54

125 — Karlie Woodall, SH, won by void

130 — Jaden Hollis, SH, p. Austin Phillips, 1:29

135 — Javon Brown, TR, p. Dryden Stainbrook, :30

140 — Chris Morrill, TR, won by Void

145 — Dewayne Johnson, TR, pinned Hunter Lynch, :48

152 — Colby Hasse, TR, won by void

160 — Demetri Zobro-Taft, SH, d. Matt Cough 7-3

171 — Michael Draper, TR, d. Jackson Calvert,11-8

189 — Zach Foman, TR, won by void

215 — Tyler Moore, TR, p. Jared Hentschel, 4:40

Hwt. — Marcus Guinn (SH) won by Void

Sturgis 52

South Haven 15

112 — Trevor Winkel, SH, d. Troy Fries,3-2

119 — Tory Fries, S, d. Karlie Woodall, 7-4

125 — Kenny Garcia, S, p. Drake Stolt, 4:46

130 — Cody Barton, S, p. Jaden Hollis, 1:00

135 — Trey Lovelace, S, p. Dryden Stainbrook,1:42

140 — Hunter Lynch, SH, won by void

145 — Jeremy Munoz, S, won by void

152 — Nick Yunker, S, won by void

160 — Angel Gomez, S, major. d., Demetri Zobro-Taft, 14-3

171 — Jackson Calvert, SH, p. Tre Fuller, 2:46

189 — Dylan Priest, S, won by void

215 — Zach Colgan, S, pinned Jared Hentschel, 2:51

Hwt — Alexis Nievez, S, major d. Marcus Guinn, 13-2

PHOTO: South Haven freshman Jaden Hollis gets ready to pin Austin Phillips of Three Rivers in the first period of Wednesday's match. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Trojans no match for South Haven bowlers

A half-dozen freshmen joined South Haven's varsity bowling teams this season, Coach Barry Skuza didn't know how much he could expect from them.

But those freshmen are proving their mettle.

“I'm tickled to death with the freshmen,” Skuza said. “They listen. They play as a team. They're really helping out.”

The freshmen aren't the high scorers for the Rams quite yet, but they helped both the Rams' boys and girls teams to a victory over Plainwell, Monday.

The six freshmen are Jaden Moore, Jessica Heath, Kassidee Root, Teagan Burson, Andrew Guthrie and Cameron Denbow. The remaining Rams plays are sophomores Kylee Marr, Makayla Moore and Garrett Heath; junior Caleb Heinze; and seniors Grant Frabe, Nick Martina, CiCi Wall and Lacie Nash.

Girls results

The Rams won easily over the Trojans with an overall score of 23-7.

South Haven won the regular two-game matches 701-458 and 640-525. Plainwell edged the Rams in the first baker game, 115-113, but the Rams bounced back and took the second baker game, 145-83.

Makayla Moore led the Rams with a 343 two-game series. Lacie Nash followed with 336.

Boys results

South Haven boys easily won their match 26.5-3.5.

The Rams won the regular two-game match, 805-743 and 692-645. They also won the baker games, 158-124 and 146-144.

The Rams were led in scoring by Nick Martina with a 329 two-game series; Grant Frabe, 315; and Andrew Guthrie, 289.



Dueling in Bangor

Bloomingdale's Carlos Garcia (top) wrestles Dylan Little of Bangor in the 103-pound weight class at the annual Bangor Duels, Dec. 9. Garcia went on to pin Little. It was Little's only loss of the day. He ended up finishing the day with a 3-1 record. The Vikings wrestled four teams. They were defeated by Bloomingdale, 60-24, and narrowly lost to Battle Creek Pennfield, 44-42. They won against Eau Claire, 60-18 and Portage Central, 48-35. “We started a little slow in our first match but as the day went on we got things going,” said Bangor Coach Ben Munoz. “We have a very young team so I was very pleased with our performance overall. Bangor wrestlers who went 3-1 in the tournament were Little, Evan Siler, Jose Gallegos, Mario Garcia, Josh Zordan and Ke'arius Jennings. (Photo by John Madill)



12.11.17

Contributed photo

South Haven varsity wrestling team and its coaches are shown after competing in the Galesburg-Augusta invitational, Dec. 9. From left are Head Coach Brad Adamson, Marcus Guinn, Jared Hentschel, Jackson Calvert, Jaden Hollis, Drake Stoldt, Karlie Woodall, Trevor Winkel and Assistant Coach Adam Bastow.

SH wrestlers place 2nd at invitational

South Haven wrestlers earned runner-up honors this past Saturday at the Galesburg-Augusta invitational.

Seven Southwestern Michigan teams competed in the invite, with Kalamazoo Loy Norrix placing first. Third place went to host Galesburg Augusta, Other teams at the tournament were Lakeside Academy, Battle Creek Center, Three Oaks River Valley and Hartford.

For South Haven, both Trevor Winkel (112) and Jackson Calvert (171) won their weight divisions. Four of their teammates came in second – Karlie Woodall (119), Jaden Hollis (125), Jared Hentschel (215) and Marcus Guinn, (Hwt). Drake Stoldt finished third (119), while Hunter Lynch came in fourth in the 140 weight class.





Bangor's Keeonna McGee keeps the ball away from Jamiee Johnson of Cassopolis while Sophia Fiala is held back by Bangor's Marlen Barajas during Tuesday's Southwest 10 conference game. The Vikings went on to defeat the Rangers 44-40. According to Vikings Coach Shiron Williams, Bangor trailed the Rangers early in the game but rallied to close the scoring gap to just one point by halftime. The Vikings secured the lead in the second half and worked hard to keep it. Elisabeth Jackson and Epiphany Parker led the Vikings' scoring effort with 13 and 10 points, respectively. The Vikings traveled to Hartford, Friday, and lost to the Indians, 34-21. They are now 1-1 in conference play.  (Photo by John Madill.

Turnovers, failed shots stymie Lady Rams' efforts

South Haven's lady hoopsters suffered two tough losses on the road last week after defeating Bridgman in the season opener.

The losses came from Gobles, who defeated the Rams 56-40, Tuesday, and Plainwell, who handed South Haven its first Wolverine Conference loss of the season, Friday, Dec. 1, with a 50-22 victory.

But the season's still young for the Rams, according to South Haven Coach Joey Holland.

“The girls are definitely learning and starting to understand the offense and the system quicker than expected,” Holland said following the loss to the Tigers. “We just need to continue to be patient and not try to force things that aren’t there. These girls will definitely get it by midseason and once everything is clicking the way we want there will be a lot of opportunity for a lot of scoring at all positions.”

Gobles 56

South Haven 40

South Haven held tough on defense at the start of the non-conference game, but two three-point shots toward the end of the first quarter gave the Tigers a 12-8 edge over the Rams.

The Rams started the second stanza well, but two quick turnovers from Gobles put them in the position to take increase their lead to 26-19.

“I was really happy with the looks that we were getting at the basket and the job that our girls were doing to move the ball around to give us opportunities to score,” Holland said. “We just missed too many easy buckets. and in close games we need to make those baskets.”

With both teams looking for a win, the third quarter started out with aggressive play in the paint for both South Haven and Gobles. The Rams did well on defense but continued to struggle offensively. The Tigers ended the quarter outshooting South Haven 18-13 to lead 44-32.

“Several times South Haven pulled the game within four points but by the end of the quarter, Gobles was able to pull away further ending the quarter on an 8-0 run,” Holland said.

The Rams responded with a 6-0 scoring run of their own in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough to give them a win.

“To be honest I wasn’t too disappointed and our performance tonight,” Holland said. “Though we did at times struggle on defense I think missing some of the easy baskets throughout the night was starting to wear down on the girls. The girls did a great job offensively with making adjustments to the defense that was being given throughout the game. We made a lot of the right passes and we made a lot of the right decisions that we seemed to struggle with in the previous game (against Plainwell).”

Grace Lyons led South Haven with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists and a block. Her sister, Frances, scored 10 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out 7 assists and had two steals. Cate Frost scored 9 points, and had 1 rebound, steal and assist.

Plainwell 50

South Haven 22

Turnovers and missed baskets led to the Rams' first conference loss of the season.

Third first-quarter turnovers gave the Trojans a 19-7 lead and they didn't look back from there. By the end of the first half they stretched their lead by 20 points to 29-9.

“Besides the 25 first-half turnovers, we really struggled with their defense and the open shots we got we just couldn't get to fall,” Holland said. “Plainwell is a good team and you can't turn the ball over that many times and expect to give yourself a chance.”

The Rams started the second half with a quick 6-0 run, but the Trojans proved too tough on defense and offense.

“The lady Rams fought hard in the fourth quarter but were unable to make a run to close the gap by the end of the game,” Holland said.

Grace Lyons was limited to 8 points. She also had 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Cate Frost followed with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks and 2 assists; while France Lyons scored 5 points and had 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Rebuilding efforts paying off for Rams wrestling team

Last year, South Haven's varsity wrestling team ended the season with just three members. This year's looking much better for the team and second-year coach Brad Adamson.

The Rams picked up their first victory of the new season, Wednesday, 32-24 over Fennville.

“Last year was a tough one as we worked to rebuild,” Adamson said. “It was my first year as head coach, although I had been the assistant for several years prior.  We finished the season last year with 3 guys, so we are extremely excited to have 15 this year.  When everyone is healthy and eligible, we should have a full team, except a 103 pounder.”

Rebuilding the team in one year has kept Adamson and his coaching staff busy.

“We spent time this off-season recruiting kids, working with football and other programs to get athletes in the wrestling room.  We also have held some open workouts,” Adamson said.

During one of the workouts, South Haven alumni wrestler Drakkar Klose, who is now a UFC fighter, provided the wrestlers with some tips.

“He has used his platform to help us recruit new wrestlers,” Adamson said.

While rebuilding the team, Adamson has spent time building up the coaching staff, as well.

“We have a very experienced coaching staff, including some successful South Haven alumni wrestlers - Adam Bastow, Ruben Zuniga and Chris Woodall,” he said.

“Our doors are always open to new kids, specifically a 103-pound wrestler right now.” 

South Haven 32

Fennville 24

112 - Trevor Winkel, SH, won by void

119 - Karlie Woodall, SH, p. Jose Madrid, 1:15

125 - Drake Stoldt, SH, won by void

130 - Jaden Hollis, SH, d. Jonathan Mendoza, 19-7

140 - Hunter Lynch, SH, d. Mike Fuller,14-6

145 - Mauricio Bedolla, F, won by void

160 - Noah Rowder, F, d. Demetri Zebro-Taft, 9-6

171 - jackson Calvert, SH, p. Uzi Delgado, :41

189 - Nick Fries, F, p. Michael Rios, 1:30

215 - Eric Hernandez, F, pinned Jared Hentschel, 3:27

Hwt - Roberto Sifuentes, F, d. Marcus Guinn, 4-2, in overtime

South Haven bowlers defeat Bobcats; Suffer loss to Niles

South Haven's boys and girls varsity bowling team bowled a split in pair of opening season matches against Niles and Brandywine.

Both Rams teams defeated Brandywine, Dec. 2, but lost to Niles.

Girls results

The Lady Rams won easily over the Bobcats, with an overall score of 22-8.

South Haven bowled a two-game series of 1,187, outscoring their competitors by 108 pins. The Rams also won the baker games, 137-90 and 141-103.

Lacie Nash led the Rams with a 335 two-game series. She was followed by MaKayla Moore, 265; and Kylee Marr, 235.

“Lacie had a good game,” Rams Coach Barry Skuza said.

The Lady Rams are a young team this year, Skuza went on to say. “We've got four new girls,” he said.

The Rams' youthfulness showed in the Niles match. The Lions won the two-game series 1,371-1,045 and the two baker games, 193-99, 157-122.

Nash led the Rams with a 254 two-game series, while Moore bowled a 254. Kylee Marr scored 187 and CiCi Wall racked up 180 points.

Boys results

South Haven defeated Brandywine by an overall score of 28.5-1.5. The Rams won the two-game series 1,463-1,189 and the baker games, 124-116, 118-114.

Caleb Heinze led the Rams with a 325 two-game series. He was followed by Cameron Denbow, 299; Grant Frabe, 294; and Garrett Heath, 286.

The Niles match was much closer with the Rams narrowly losing the two-game series, 1,495-1,401. They also lost the Baker games (scores were not available.)

Individually, Heinze edged teammate Frabe by one pin to lead the Rams with a 312 two-game series. Frabe settled for 311. Nick Martina rolled a 301 two-game series while Denbow scored 231.

Bangor sends Lutheran Titans home with a loss

Bangor boys basketball team started the season right, Tuesday, with a victory over St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran.

The Titans took advantage in the first quarter, jumping ahead to a 12-8 lead.

“The Vikings struggled trying to find their game,” Vikings Coach Dwayne Johnson said.

Bangor regrouped in the second quarter, outscoring Michigan Lutheran 14-9 to end the first half leading by a basket, 23-21.

Lutheran took over the reins on offense again in the third quarter and out-hustled the Vikings 18-12 to take the lead, 39-35.

“We hustled very hard defensively, however, offensively we struggled at times,” Johnson said.

But the fourth quarter was all Bangor, whose players scored 18 point and limited the Titans to just 6 points to win the non-conference game, 52-45.

“Once the offense began clicking, we were very hard to stop,” said Johnson, who also credited the defensive efforts of Connor McDaniels and Chris Steward.

“Both played a major role on the defensive end guarding their top players,” Johnson said.

Marshall Weber and Hunter Graham led the Vikings' offense with 19 and 18 points, respectively.

“We did very well in playing together and sharing the ball,” Johnson said. “Much improvements are still needed such as boxing out. I look forward to what the team will bring next.”

Bangor's JV team also won 43-27 over Lutheran.



11.20.17

South Haven runner sets course for WMU

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Earning All-State honors in track and cross-country has become old school for South Haven High School senior Paisley Sipes. But next year she'll be taking her athletic prowess to the next level at a new school – Western Michigan University.

With her parents, cross-country coach and teammate looking on, Sipes signed a national letter of intent, Tuesday, to run for the Division 1 Broncos' cross-country and track teams.

Sipes said Hope College tried to recruit her to run on their teams, but she liked Western better.

“I went to their (WMU's) camp over the summer. I really liked the coach and the girls on the team were really nice,” Sipes said.

South Haven Coach Lindsay Haqq said she is proud of Sipes' advancement to the collegiate level.

“Paisley has worked so hard,” Haqq said. “I'll be excited to go to her meets at Western.”

Sipes became a member of South Haven's cross-country team this year after transferring from Division 3 Saugatuck. But she definitely made her mark. She placed second at the Division 2 regional race and earned All-State honors with her ninth-place finish at the Division 2 state meet, setting a new school record with a time of 18.31.2.

“Paisley has been a great role model,” Haqq said. “Even though she was new, a lot of the girls looked up to her.”

Sipes was no slouch competing for the Saugatuck Indians. She earned all-state honors in cross-country her freshman, sophomore and junior years. She ran equally well in track. During her freshman and sophomore years, she was named all-state in both the two-mile run and 4x800 relay. She earned all-state honors again her junior year as a member of the 4x800 relay team.

Ironically, her best performance at a state competition in cross-country came this year, while running for the Division 2 Rams. As a freshman she placed 15^th when Saugatuck was a Division 4 team. Her sophomore year she came in 8^th in the Division 4 state finals. Her junior year, Saugatuck moved up to Division 3 and Paisley finished 21^st, while this year as a Division 2 competitor, Sipes raced to a ninth-place finish.

“I think being in a bigger division pushes you to do better,” she said. “There's so many more people.”

Sipes' interest in running was kindled during elementary school.

“I like running a lot more than most people,” she admitted. “I've ben running since I was in fifth grade. It started with Girls on the Run (a program that encourages girls to build their confidence while practicing to run a 5K race). Sipes went on to run for Saugatuck's middle school and high school teams.

When her family moved to South Haven earlier this year, she traded in her Indians mascot.

Despite being new and the only senior on the Rams' girls cross-country team, Sipes said she was welcomed.

“They were really nice. I felt very at home right from the start,” she said.

PHOTO: South Haven High School senior Paisley Sipes ((second from left) is shown signing a national letter of intent to run for Western Michigan University's cross-country and track teams next year. Looking on are Sipes' parents (from left)  Laura Trevino, George Sipes and South Haven cross-country and track coach Lindsay Haqq watch. (Photo by Becky Kark)

Southwest 10 picks all-league teams for fall sports

By HP Staff

The Southwest 10 Conference has selected its all-conference teams for the fall season.

Football first-team selections on offense included Bloomingdale’s Karl Butler, Decatur’s Erik Mroczek, Jakob Southworth and Anthony Hicks, and Hartford’s Moses Beraza, Robert Ledesma, Luke Manning and Danny Resendez.

Making the first team on defense were Bloomingdale’s Thomas Campbell, Tony Westerhoff and Maleke Nunn, Decatur’s Jared Checkley, Andrew Maes and Brad Mroczek, and Hartford’s Cory Arnold.

Second-team picks on offense included Bangor’s Richard Malhum, Bloomingdale’s Caleb Hosier and Mike Ellis, and Hartford’s Aaron Sinclair, Garrod Johnson and Garrett Brandt. Defensive second-team selections were Bangor’s Mike Pobuda, Eau Claire’s Cody Greenway and Hartford’s Noah Wade.

Chosen to the volleyball first team were Bangor’s Madison McGuire and Jamie Allen, and Decatur’s Rebekah Ashley and Danielle Confer. The second team included Bangor’s Epiphany Parker and Decatur’s Megan Allett.

Hartford put five players on the boys soccer first team: William Martinez, Isai Ordonez, Nick Pultz, Joel Soto and goalkeeper Rudy Martinez. Also on the first team were Bangor’s Jesus Aragon and Ernesto Nieva, and Bloomingdale’s Noah Perez and Tim Warden.

Second-team soccer picks included Bangor’s Jose Gallegos and Ivan Mejia, Eau Claire-Countryside’s Mauricio Andres, Hartford’s Roy Rodriguez and Lalo Jimenez, and Bloomingdale goalkeeper Gabriel Perez.

Earning first-team honors in boys cross country were Bangor’s Benjamin Greiner, Alvaro Martinez, Carter Finch and Brett Robertson, Bloomingdale’s Joe Furlan and Ron Umbenhour, and Eau Claire’s Terrence Young.

The second team included Bloomingdale’s Tim Douglas and Matt Streeter, Eau Claire’s Andrew Bell and Josue Lopez, and Hartford’s Francisco Loera, Blair McKeeken and Trey Ackerman.

Making the girls cross country first team were Bloomingdale’s Kallie Harrison, Nelly Gonzalez, Liza Hutchins and Aimee Sustaita, Bangor’s Karyssa Gallegos, Regan Slone, Christine Van Nuys and Laisha Ramirez, Decatur’s Veronica Bell and Hartford’s Adrianna Morseau and Brianna Morseau.

On the second team were Bangor’s Marlen Barajas and Emily Hernandez, Bloomingdale’s Olaisa Moss, Eau Claire’s Ericka Lopez, and Hartford’s Marisol Robles, Angela Saldana and Abigail Lopez.



11.13.17

South Haven swimmers gear up for state meet

Rams finish regular season with 5-4 record

South Haven's varsity girls swim team didn't have their own pool to practice in this season, but they managed to swim past that obstacle to finish with a winning record and a chance to send one diver to the regional meet and six swimmers to the state meet.

Extensive renovations to the pool, which are now complete, forced the team to practice at Bronson Wellness Center and other pool facilities, but the Lady Rams and Coach Amy Gruber Crews kept their eye on their goals.

The Rams finished the regular season with a 4-3 record in the Southwestern and Central Michigan swim conference, and an overall record of 5-4. Diver Olivia Price earned a trip to the regional meet this past Thursday, after she placed eighth at the conference meet, Nov. 4 and swimmers Caroline Meyer, Ellie Frost, Elise Postma, Skylar Garber, Leah Bennett and Sierra Garber will be headed to the MHSAA Division 3 state meet, Nov. 17-18, at Eastern Michigan University.

Meyer will be competing in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, Frost in the 50-yard freestyle, and Postma in the 100-yard breaststroke. Joining them in both the 200 relay races will be Skylar Garber, Leah Bennett and Sierra Garber.

“We have had a great season considering being displaced from our own six-lane competition pool,” Crews said. “And we're also grateful for a community with a Wellness Center to help us to continue our goals.”

Conference meet

South Haven's girls swim team finished in the middle of the pack at the SCC Conference Meet.

The Rams earned fourth-place out of eight teams at the SCC meet, Nov. 3-4, led by two first-place finishes from freshman Ellie Frost. Frost came in first place in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle races, while teammate Carolyn Meyer earned second place in the 50-yard freestyle and third place in the 100-yard freestyle events.

Team results: Marshall, 456; 2. Plainwell, 452; 3. Harper Creek, 396; 4. South Haven, 243; 5. Allegan, 228; 6. Otsego, 202; 7. Sturgis, 195; 8. Alma, 138.

Individual finals results for South Haven:

• 200-yard medley relay: 3. (Sierra Garber, Elise Postma, Ellie Frost, Caroline Meyer) 1:57.53; 12. (Paeton Hayes, Liz Johnson, Courtney Kelly, Skylar Garber), 2:12.41
• 200-yard IM: 8. Elise Postma, 2:29.00; 15. Allison Cadwell, 2:49.54; 16. Paeton Hayes, 2:51.38.
• 50-yard freestyle: 1. Ellie Frost, 24.21; 2. Caroline Meyer, 24.92; 16. Skylar Garber, 28.57.
• 1-Meter diving: 8. Olive Price; 13. Emma Simon. 14. Paulette Mielke.
• 100-yard butterfly: 13. Leah Bennett, 1:14.05.
• 100-yard freestyle: 1. Ellie Frost, 53.21; 3. Caroline Meyer, 54.95; 16. Sierra Garber, 1:01.24.
• 200-yard freestyle relay: 3. (Caroline Meyer, Elise Postma, Skylar Garber, Ellie Frost) 1:43.29; 9. (Leah Bennett, Allison Cadwell, Liz Ritenburgh, Courtney Kelly) 1:55.96.
• 100-yard backstroke: 12. Paeton Hayes, 1:11.77; 14. Sierra Garber, 1:12.70.
• 100-yard breaststroke: 5. Elise Postma, 1:12.29; 16. Liz Johnson, 1:23.33.
• 400-yard freestyle relay: 11. (Leah Bennett, Liv Ritenburgh, Kaia Hayes, Sierra Garber), 4:14.93; 14. (Paeton Hayes, Jenna Dee, Allison Uckele, Courtney Kelly) 4:28.08.

PHOTO: Ellie Frost (left) and Caroline Meyer are all smiles after finishing first and second in the 50-yard freestyle race at the conferece tournament, Nov. 4. Both Frost and Meyer will be competing at the Division 3 state meet this weekend at Eastern Michigan University. (Contributed photo)

Two is better than one

Rams' Hayley Kreiger to play volleyball and softball at Davenport

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Most high school athletes consider themselves lucky if a college recruits them for one sport.

South Haven's Hayley Kreiger is somewhat unique in that she has been recruited for two.

Kreiger signed papers last week to play volleyball and softball for Davenport College, a Division II school in Grand Rapids.

She said she chose Davenport because her brother, Mitch, went there, and because the school offered her the option of playing both sports.

“The two coaches (Megan Lenhart and McCall Salmon) were very supportive of it,” Kreiger said. “I don't have a favorite sports between volleyball and softball, that's why I'm doing both. I'm definitely going to have my hands full.”

Davenport moved up to Division II last year and is now competing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, along with such teams as Ferris State University, Wayne State University and Grand Valley State University.

As Kreiger signed the papers in front of her high school coaches and family, her dad, Brian Kreiger, looked on proudly and said, “I guess you're a Panther now.”

In the meantime, Hayley will remain a Ram, who two weeks ago helped South Haven's volleyball team win its first Wolverine Conference championship in 32 years.

“Hayley has been a four-year varsity player,” said South Haven volleyball coach Brandi Dietz. “I coached her when she was a junior and now a senior. She has become more and more instrumental to the team.”

Kreiger stands tall at the net and is a formidable force to be reckoned with by other teams.

“She has had more than 1,000 kills,” Dietz remarked, about Kreiger's four years as a varsity player. Kreiger's athletic prowess, this year, has led to her being named to the all-conference, all-district and all-region volleyball teams.

She's equally as impressive on the Rams softball team as the starting pitcher and one of team's best hitters, according to Coach Wilma Wilson.

“A lot of what we do revolves around her,” Wilson said. “She an outstanding athlete all the way around.”

Last year, Kreiger racked up a .548 batting average and led the Rams in hits, singles and doubles, helping her to earn all-conference, all-district and all-region honors.

PHOTO: Hayley Kreiger, South Haven High School senior, signs papers last week to play volleyball and softball at Davenport University next year. Sitting from left are Rams volleyball coach Brandi Dietz, Kreiger, and Rams softball coach Wilma Wilson. Standing from left are Hayley's dad, Brian Kreiger, her brother, Mitch, and her mom, Linda Kreiger.



11.6.17

South Haven's Paisley Sipes earns All-State honors

Four area cross-country teams make it to state finals

South Haven's Paisley Sipes earned All-State honors Saturday at the Michigan High School Athletic Association's state meet at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

Sipes placed ninth with a time of 18:31.2 to win the award. (The top 30 finishers receive All-State honors).

As a team the Lady Rams finished 17th out of 28 teams that made it to the Division 2 finals. This year marked the first time that a girls cross-country team from South Haven qualified for the state meet. The girls did so after finishing third at the Division 2 regional meet, Oct. 28, in Buchanan.

Three other area cross-country teams that qualified for the state meet, also made it to Saturday's finals.

Bloomingdale girls team finished 17th in the Division 3 finals, while Bangor girls came in 21st. Bangor's boys team placed 25th.

Bangor boys coach Brian Price and girls coach Ben Munoz were pleased with their teams' performances at the state meet.

“There were 150 plus teams in Division 3 and 29 qualified for the finals,” Price said.

Munoz remarked that the 21st place that the girls earned is the best a girls' team from Bangor has achieved at a state meet.

“That is the best place a team has placed since we've gone into divisions,” he said.

Here are individual results from the state finals:

Girls

South Haven: 9. Paisley Sipes, 18:31.2; 97. Katie Schooley, 20:01.4; 104. Holli Dannenberg, 20:03.8; 136. Marnie Frost, 20:30.0; 203. Hayden Rooker, 21:28.4.

Bloomingdale: 45. Nelly Gonzalez, 20:00.2; 58. Kallie Harrison, 20:14.6; 154. Aimee Sustaita, 21:39.1; 186. Liza Hutchins, 22:23.0; 201. Olaisa Moss, 22:53.5.

Bangor: 86. Karyssa Gallegos, 20:36.9; 107. Logan Slone, 20:55.1; 163. Regan Slone, 21:54.4; 195. Laisha Ramirez, 22:31.7; 200. Christine VanNuys, 22:46.6.

Boys

Bangor: 74. Alvaro Martinez, 17:16.6; 135. Benjamin Greiner, 17:49.3; 147. Carter Finch, 17:58.4; 167. Brett Robertson, 18:17.1; 245. Aurelio Malgarejo, 20:09.4.

PHOTO: Paisley Sipes of South Haven is shown getting ready to cross the finish line at the Division 2 regional meet in Buchanan, Oct. 28th. She finished second in that race. (File photo by Don Campbell of the Herald-Palladium)

South Haven swimmers place fourth in conference meet

South Haven's girls swim team finished in the middle of the pack at the SCC Conference Meet.

The Rams earned fourth-place out of eight teams at Saturday's final,s led by two first-place finishes from freshman Ellie Frost. Frost came in first place in both the 50-yard freestyle 100-yard freestyle races, while teammate Carolyn Meyer earned second place in the 50-yard freestyle and third place in the 100-yard freestyle events.

Team results: Marshall, 456; 2. Plainwell, 452; 3. Harper Creek, 396; 4. South Haven, 243; 5. Allegan, 228; 6. Otsego, 202; 7. Sturgis, 195; 8. Alma, 138.

Individual finals results for South Haven:

• 200-yard medley relay: 3. (Sierra Garber, Elise Postma, Ellie Frost, Caroline Meyer) 1:57.53; 12. (Paeton Hayes, Liz Johnson, Courtney Kelly, Skylar Garber), 2:12.41
• 200-yard IM: 8. Elise Postma, 2:29.00; 15. Allison Cadwell, 2:49.54; 16. Paeton Hayes, 2:51.38.
• 50-yard freestyle: 1. Ellie Frost, 24.21; 2. Caroline Meyer, 24.92; 16. Skylar Garber, 28.57.
• 1-Meter diving: 8. Olive Price; 13. Emma Simon. 14. Paulette Mielke.
• 100-yard butterfly: 13. Leah Bennett, 1:14.05.
• 100-yard freestyle: 1. Ellie Frost, 53.21; 3. Caroline Meyer, 54.95; 16. Sierra Garber, 1:01.24.
• 200-yard freestyle relay: 3. (Caroline Meyer, Elise Postma, Skylar Garber, Ellie Frost) 1:43.29; 9. (Leah Bennett, Allison Cadwell, Liz Ritenburgh, Courtney Kelly) 1:55.96.
• 100-yard backstroke: 12. Paeton Hayes, 1:11.77; 14. Sierra Garber, 1:12.70.
• 100-yard breaststroke: 5. Elise Postma, 1:12.29; 16. Liz Johnson, 1:23.33.
• 400-yard freestyle relay: 11. (Leah Bennett, Liv Ritenburgh, Kaia Hayes, Sierra Garber), 4:14.93; 14. (Paeton Hayes, Jenna Dee, Allison Uckele, Courtney Kelly) 4:28.08.



10.30 17

Wolverine Conference champs

For the first time in 32 years South Haven's volleyball team captured a conference championship.

The Rams did so Saturday at the Wolverine Conference tournament. South Haven entered the tournament with a perfect 9-0 dual match record and made it to the tournament finals where they faced Vicksburg. The Rams lost in four sets, however, they still won the conference, overall, because of their dual season record and because Vicksburg, which had entered the tournament in third place, defeated second-place Edwardsburg. (Contributed photo)



Thin clads thick-skinned at chilly regional meet

Teams from South Haven, Bangor and Bloomingdale qualify for state finals

By BEN SPENCER

HP Sports Writer

BUCHANAN — South Haven’s girls cross country team has been running towards its first state finals appearance in school history all season.

The Rams placed third at Saturday’s Division 2 regional at RedBud MX and will get the opportunity to compete at Michigan International Speedway for the first time in next Saturday’s state finals.

“It was a tough course with tough, crazy weather,” said South Haven coach Lindsay Haqq. “They all raced hard and they carried out what we were working for for not just months, but a couple years.

“It’s been our goal for a couple years now to make it (to state) and they executed, so it was a good day.”

Despite the cold, rain and wind, South Haven was able to score enough points to qualify. The Rams finished with 106, just five points behind second-place Zeeland West.

Holland Christian won easily with 75 behind an overall victory by Kayla Windemuller, who finished in 18:27.

The Rams were led by Paisley Sipes, a transfer from Saugatuck who didn’t start racing for South Haven until Sept. 26. Sipes crossed in second place behind Windemuller in 19:27.

“She ran a great race,” said Haqq on Sipes’ race. “She’s been killing it in practice so I knew that today she was going to be able to run with those girls (out front).”

Haqq said that, while she is happy her team qualified, she still believes the Rams might have a little more in them for Saturday’s trip to MIS. 

“I’m happy that we made it,” she said. “We haven’t really gotten to run in weather like this, so there’s more to come for state based on what they’ve been doing in practice.”

Niles’ Kaylee Thompson placed 11th and qualified individually.

In the Division 3 boys race, Berrien Springs placed second to qualify as a team.

The Shamrocks netted 57, but couldn’t quite do enough to catch six-time defending regional champion and Division 3 No. 3 Saugatuck, who finished with just 34 points.

“Saugatuck is really good,” said Berrien Springs coach Charles Richards. “We gave them everything we had. We wanted five underneath the top 25. We were five in the top 28. We wanted four in the top 10, and I think we had four in the top 18, so we ran as close to the dream race as possible and they still got us.”

Saugatuck’s Nik Pettinga (16:55) and Corey Gorgas (17:17) finished one and two for the Indians. Sean Valentine’s 17:35 was good enough for third for Berrien Springs, and Ashton Sheline (17:45) and Evan Griffiths (17:55) also finished in the top 10 for the Shamrocks.

Bangor placed third with 89 points behind Alvaro Martinez’s 10th-place finish.

Gus Hinch of Watervliet was able to qualify individually, crossing in 11th place with a time of 18:13.

Richards said that his team will be ready for the state finals and is hoping to cross all five runners in personal-best times.

“The plan is to go to MIS, and we’re going to treat it like a 5k track race,” said Richards. “It’s probably the flattest course we run on. The guys know that. They’re going to attack it from pretty much the mile-and-a-half mark on. We’re going to try to run all five personal best times and we’d love to be in the top 10 (teams).”

The Shamrocks finished 27th in last year’s state finals.

Saugatuck also won the girls Division 3 race with 21 points behind first and second place finsihes by Thea Johnson (20:02) and Natalie Martinson (20:44). Bloomingdale was a distant second with 72, and Bangor scored 91 to finish third.

Bloomingdale’s Kallie Harrison and Nelly Gonzalez placed third and fourth overall in 20:59 and 21:00 to lead the Cardinals.

Bangor’s Karyssa Gallegos was the Vikings’ top finisher. She crossed in 13th.

Erin Moore qualified individually for Berrien Springs, placing seventh with a time of 21:10.

Dowagiac’s Shawn Little (17:09) placed fifth in the Division 2 boys race to qualify individually. He and South Haven’s Craig Thompson (17:35) were the only local runners to qualify in Division 2.

Division 2

Girls

Team scores — 1. Holland Christian 75, 2. Zeeland West 101, 3. South Haven 106, 4. Hopkins 152, 5. Zeeland East 153, 6. Three Rivers 195, 7. Niles 197, 8. Hamilton 201, 9. Edwardsburg 210, 10. Sturgis 212, 11. Coldwater 238, 12. Lakeshore 248, 13. Paw Paw 259, 14. Allegan 342.

Individual winner — Kayla Windemuller (HC) 18:27.4.

South Haven — 2. Paisley Sipes, 19:27.4, 19. Katie Schooley, 21:29.9; 21. Cate Frost 21:33.3, 23. Holli Dannenburg 21:39.6, 41. Marnie Frost 22:20.9. 

Niles — 11. Kaylee Thompson 20:31.3, 18. Kayla Trueblood 21:13.2, 47. Erin Thomas 22:31.3, 60. Taylor Haboush 23:10.1, 61. Cassie Klingerman 23:10.1.

Lakeshore — 24. Erin Lafrenz 21:40.4, 45. Emily Ogata 22:27.8, 49. Cassie Pallett 22:35.8, 62. Mary Ollis 23:11.1, 68. Abby Baker 23:38.5.

Boys

Team scores — 1. Zeeland West 53, 2. Zeeland East 59, 3. Allegan 157, 4. Coldwater 158, 5. Hamilton 172, 6. South Haven 176, 7. Holland Christian 195, 8. Niles 203, 9. Lakeshore 222, 10. Hopkins 224, 11. Sturgis 242, 12. Paw Paw 276, 13. Edwardsburg 284, 14. Three Rivers 367. Dowagiac DNF.

Individual winner — Shuaib Aljabaly (C) 16:13.6.

South Haven — 12. Craig Thompson 17:35.7, 16. Jackson Schooley 18:00.9, 44. Maddoxx Uckele, 19:27.6, 48. Brian Thompson 19:36.4, 61. Joe Nelson 20:05.7.

Niles — 29. Adam Shepherd 18:48.7, 30. Devin Tomlinson 18:50.1, 36. Weston Eager 19:08.3, 49. Hunter Greenman 19:36.4, 64. Bryant Echeveirra 20:10.5. 

Lakeshore —  17. Cooper Clark 18:02.7, 38. Charlie Ogata 19:10.4, 51. Bailey DeLaTorre 19:39.8, 55. Grant Rose 19:48.9, 66. Pete McAllister 20:19.4.

Division 3

Girls

Team scores — 1. Saugatuck 21, 2. Bloomingdale 72, 3. Bangor 91, 4. Parchment 117, 5. Hartford 141, 6. Schoolcraft 191, 7. Lawton 193, 8. Constantine 193, 9. Coloma 207, 10. Buchanan 262, 11. Comstock 298. Watervliet, Brandywine, Berrien Springs, Fennville, Galesburg-Augusta DNF.

Individual winner — Thea Johnson (Saug) 20:02.2.



10.24.17

Lady Cardinals, Vikings clinch cross-country conference titles

Bangor boys cross-country team and Bloomingdale girls cross-country team had something to cheer about Wednesday after capturing the Southwest 10 conference championship.

The Vikings and Cardinals clinched the titles after winning their third straight Southwest 10 jamboree, Wednesday, in Centreville, while the Bangor girls team settled for runner-up honors in the league.

Boys results

At the third and final jamboree of the season in Centreville, The Vikings came in first place out of 10 teams in the newly formed conference, while Bloomingdale came in third.

With 80 runners competing in the jamboree, Bangor runners packed together with four runners placing in the top 10. Alvaro Martinez paced the Vikings with a second-place finish, recording a time of 17:13.59, while Benjamin Greiner was close on his heals finishing third in 17:20.01. Carter Finch came in sixth with a time of 17:36.53, while Brett Robertson came in seventh with a time of 17:54.61.

Joe Furlan of Bloomingdale also placed in the top 10 with an eighth-place finish and time of 17:55.63. Teammates Ron Umbenhour finished 12th with a time of 18:54.09, Tim Douglas, 14th, 19:00.44; and Matt Streeter, 15th, 19:00.89.

Bloomingdale coach Alan Bobalik was pleased with the team's accomplishments this year.

"The boys team has come so far this season, from wondering if we would have enough runners to score as a team to finishing eighth at the first conference jamboree, to finishing third in the last two is an incredible accomplishment. The leadership and the willingness of the guys to work incredibly hard has been a driving force behind their improvement."

Bloomingdale settled for fourth place, overall, in the conference. Joe Furlan and Ron Umbenhour earned all-conference first-team honors while Tim Douglas and Matt Streeter were all-conference honorable mention.

The first-place Vikings placed several members on the all-conference team. Ben Greiner was named overall conference individual champion, while Carter Finch, Alvaro Martinez and Brett Robertson also landed spots on the all-conference first team.

Here are the boys team results from the third conference jamboree: 1. Bangor 50; 2. Mendon 63; 3. Bloomingdale 83; 4. White Pigeon, 109; 5. Centreville, 118; 6. Eau Claire, 143; 7. Marcellus, 166; 8. Hartford, 191; 9. Cassopolis Ross Beatty, 266; 10. Decatur, 276.

Girls results

Nelly Gonzalez and Kallie Harrison helped lead the Cardinals to a first-place finish in the Southwest 10, marking the first time that Bloomingdale has won a conference championship in cross-country. Competing against 72 other runners, Gonzalez won the third league jamboree, Wednesday, with a time of 20:06.37, while Harrison came in second with a 20:13.58 finish. The Cardinals' other top 10 finisher was Liza Hutchins, who came in tenth with a time of 22:08.83. Other Cardinal individual results for the top 20 finishes in the race follow: Aimee Sustaita, 11th, 22:13.40; Olaisa Moss, 19th, 23:00.15.

In addition to earning Bloomingdale's first-ever cross-country conference championship, the girls team also placed several members on the all-conference team. Kallie Harrison and Nelly Gonzalez were named co-captains, while Liza Hutchins and Aimee Sustaita were named to the first team. Olaisa Moss received honorable mention recognition.

Winning the league championship capped a great season for the Cardinal girls, according to Bobalik. Not only did they win the conference trophy, they also came in first place at the Teske Hartford Invitational, the Decatur Raider Invitational and the Bangor Invitational.

"This has been a great group of girls to work with," Bobalik said. "All season long they have had great attitudes, they have supported each others' success, and pushed each other to get better and stay focused on their team goals. This (league) championship was the culmination of several months of hard work."

Bobalik and Tina Bertuca both coach the Cardinals cross country teams.

Bangor, which came in second, was paced by Karyssa Gallegos' seventh-place finish and time of 21:35.37. Teammate Regan Slone also finished in the top 10 with a 9th place finish and time of 21:54.08. Other Bangor results follow: Laisha Ramirez, 14th 22:40.66; Christine VanNuys, 17th, 22:47.58; and Logan Slone, 20th, 23:04.14.

Here are the team results: 1. Bloomingdale, 43; 2. Bangor 67; 3. Hartford, 80; 4. Centreville, 80; 5. Marcellus, 145; 6. Decatur, 177; 7. Cassopolis Ross Beatty, 179; 8. White Pigeon, 223; 9. Eau Claire, 242; 10. Mendon, 264.

10.16.17

A step closer to league championship

South Haven's volleyball team is beginning to eye a perfect season in the Wolverine Conference  after defeating Dowagiac in three sets, Thursday.
The victory improves the Rams' conference record to 8-0.  Their last remaining league match will occur Thursday when they travel to Allegan, which so far has not won a match all season in the conference.
The Rams haven't won a conference title since 1984. The match against Allegan will conclude the dual match season in the conference. Then the Wolverine teams will compete in the conference tournament, Saturday, Oct. 28, which counts for half the seasonal title.

PHOTO: South Haven's Sarah Brush (13) spikes the ball over the net during Thursday's match with Dowagiac. (Photo by Tom Renner)

More Rams swimmers qualify for MHSAA state competition

The fall season is shaping up well for South Haven's varsity girls swim team.

Four more of its members have qualified for the Division 3 state meet after competing in a conference quadrangular, Oct. 7, in Allegan.

“We had a great quad meet,” said Rams coach Amy Crews.

The medley relay team of Sierra Garber, Elise Postma, Ellie Frost and Caroline Meyer finished their race with a state-qualifying time of 1:57.95. Meyer went on to qualify for the state meet in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.43 and the100-freestyle with a time of 56.20, while Postma picked up additional kudos by qualifying for the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association state meet by finishing the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:15.34.

The Rams competed against Alma in the quad meet and won 113-57 to pick up their fourth victory of the season.

Results for South Haven follow:

• One-meter diving: 1. Olivia Price, 151.65; 2. Paulette Mielke, 148.10; 3. Emma Simon, 132.5
• 200-medley relay: 1. 1:57.95, (Sierra Garber, Elise Postma, Ellie Frost, Caroline Meyer); 2. 2:20.21 (Hayes, Johnson, Bennett, Skylar Garber)
• 200 freestyle: 2. Elise Postma, 2:34.38; 3. Paeton Hayes, 2:52.47
• 200 IM: 2. Elise Postma, 2:34.38; 3. Paeton Hayes, 2:52.47
• 50 freestyle: 1. Ellie Frost, 25.09; 2. Caroline Meyer, 25.43; 4. Skylar Garber, 28.09
• 100 butterfly: 1. Ellie Frost, 1:04.16; 3. Jenna Dee, 1:24.98; 4. Aurora Hoiser, 1:55.33
• 100 freestyle: 1. Caroline Meyer, 56.20; 3. Kaia Hayes, 1:05.59; 5. Sydney Todd, 1:12.67
• 500 freestyle: 2. Liv Ritenburgh, 6:34.57; 3. Allison Uckele, 6:47.63
• 200 relay: 1. 1.47.01 (Meyer, Postma, Garber, Frost) 3. 2:05.41 (Bennett, Todd, Dee, Ritenburgh)
• 100 backstroke: 1. Sierra Garber, 1:12.40; 2. Paeton Hayes, 1:15.76
• 100 breaststroke: 1. Elise Postma, 1:15.34; 3. Liz Jonson, 1:27.84; 4. Courtney Kelly, 1:30.46
• 400 relay: 2. 4:22.94 (Garber, Bennett, Ritenburgh, Garber) 3. 4:38.77 (Dee, Todd, Hayes, Cole)

PHOTO: South Haven's medley relay team is shown after qualifying for state competition with a 1:57.95 finish at a conference quad meet, Oct. 7, in Allegan. From left are Sierra Garber, Elise Postma, Ellie Frost and Caroline Meyer. 

South Haven golfer headed to state finals

South Haven senior Carley Mielke accomplished something last week that few Rams varsity golfers have been able do – she has qualified for the Division 3 state finals.

Mielke accomplished the fete by coming in third place at the regional competition, Wednesday, at Island Hills Golf Club, near Centreville.

“Carley came in third overall out of 50 players,” Rams coach Barry Shanley. Mielke shot an impressive 89, only four strokes behind medalist Erin Taylor of Three Rivers. “She (Mielke) was one of only three players to shoot in the 80s for the day,” Shanley went on to say.

This year marks the first time in the seven years Shanley has been coaching golf at South Haven that a player has advanced to the state finals. The last Rams female golfer to advance was Courtney Gumpert a decade ago.

Mielke has been leading the Rams all season, averaging 46.8 shots per match. She ended up placing fourth in the Wolverine Conference, which earned her all-conference honors.

“Carley's has been a story of an amazing rise and transformation as a player over her high school career,” Shanley said. “Her freshman year she averaged 68 for 9 holes. Then her sophomore year 56, junior year 50.6 and this season her average is 46.8. It really started with her understanding of how cool golf is, which has led to her love for the game, which resulted in an intense devotion to being the best she could be.”

The state finals will take place Friday and Saturday at Forest Akers East on the Michigan State University campus.

PHOTO: Carley Mielke (Photo by Tom Renner)

South Haven thin clads earn runner-up honors at conference jamboree

South Haven's girls cross-country team settled for runner-up honors, Tuesday, in the Wolverine Conference jamboree.

Otsego, which hosted the five-team meet, won by defeating South Haven, Edwardsburg, Sturgis and Allegan.

“The meet was scored as a dual meet,” Rams coach Lindsey Haqq said.

South Haven defeated Edwardsburg, 27-30; Sturgis, 26-29 and Allegan, 16-47, and lost to the Bulldogs, 42-17.

The loss to Otsego marked South Haven's first conference loss of the season.

But, Haqq said she's proud of the team's record, so far, and is looking forward to the conference championship, which South Haven will host at 4 p.m, Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Warner Camp in Grand Junction.

“The girls ran very well to now have a season record of 8 wins and 1 loss in the Wolverine Conference,” she said.

At Tuesday's jamboree, Holli Dannenberg led the Rams with a season-best time of 19:53. She was followed by Katie Schooley, 20:40, PR; Marnie Frost, 20:41, season best time: Cate Frost, 21:44; Hayden Rooker, 22:36, PR; Ana Gonzalez, 22:57, season-best time; Karlie Woodall, 23:10, PR; and Summer Corke, 23:58, PR.

Last week's jamboree marked the end of the dual meet conference season. The results of the conference championship will determine the league winner. Right now, Otsego is in first place followed by the Rams.

Boys results

The Rams boys team, which is currently ranked third in the Wolverine Conference with a 7-2 record, raced to a second-place finish at the league jamboree, Tuesday.

“The boys ran smart and tough to overtake Edwardsburg, Sturgis and Allegan, but fell short to Otsego,” Haqq said.

The Rams defeated the Eddies, 22-33; the Tigers, 24-31; and Sturgis, 24-31. Just as in the girls race, the Bulldogs proved they were the team to beat, with the South Haven boys losing, 33-22.

Craig Thompson led South Haven's thin clads with a personal record time of 16:36. He was followed by Jackson Schooley, 16:47; Brian Thompson, 18:43; Joe Nelson, 18:59, season best time; and Madoxx Uckele, 19:30, PR.

Bangor netters win invitational

Bangor's volleyball team defeated Marcellus 2-1 in the finals of the Bloomingdale Invitational to take home the championship trophy, Oct. 7. The victory marked the second year in a row the Vikings won the invitational.
In the finals game, Bangor lost the first set, 26-24, but came back to win the next two sets 25-13, 15-11.
Bangor finished 6-0 in pool play and went on to defeat Bloomingdale's JV team and Michigan Lutheran to advance to the finals.
Jamie Allen led the Vikings in hitting by putting down 29 kills. Keonna McGee added 19 kills while Madison McGuire chipped in with 12. The Bangor squad was strong at the net collecting 29 blocks, led by Madison McGuire’s 10 and Jamie Allen’s 8.

SH hosts district soccer opener

South Haven's soccer team will be gearing up for post-season play Monday when they begin round one of the Division 3 district competition by hosting Countryside Academy at Ratcliffe Field. The game begins at 5:30 p.m. The Rams ended their regular season last week with a loss  to Allegan, 6-0, and a 1-1  tie with Dowagiac. South Haven finished seventh in the Wolverine Conference with a 3-4-2 record.




Vikings defeat Lawrence, Gobles

The Vikings soccer team played their last two games of the regular season last  week, defeating Lawrence and Gobles by the identical scores of 9-1. The victories improved Bangor's regular season record to 9-6. The Vikings will begin district play this week at New Buffalo High School where they will face Bridgman, Monday, in the opening round. The winner of that match will face the winner of the New Buffalo-Covert game in the semi-finals.

Ram tough

South Haven's Jalen Smith eludes a Dowagiac defender during Friday night's Wolverine Conference game at Ratcliffe Field. The Chieftains won  54-14. Griffin Rooker and Joe McFarland scored the Rams' two touchdowns. Rico Crowley kicked the extra points. In other football action, Bloomingdale defeated cross-town rival Bangor, 35-6, in a Southwest 10 contest. Michael Ellis scored two touchdowns for the Cardinals. Karl Butler, Joel Butler and Tyler Campbell also scored a touchdown, each, for Bloomingdale. (Photo by Tom Renner)





10.9.17

Rams in sole possession of 1st place in Wolverine Conference

South Haven's varsity volleyball team is nearing a milestone it hasn't achieved since 1980 — a Wolverine Conference championship.

The Rams came one bit closer, Thursday, defeating Vicksburg in five, hard-fought sets.

It was a match of the unbeatens. South Haven came into the match with a perfect 6-0 record, while the Bulldogs were unblemished at 5-0.

The Rams won the first set, 25-18, but lost the next two 25-16, 25-21. That set up an either win or lose situation for South Haven. The team came through and won the fourth set 25-19 and the game-winning fifth set in overtime, 17-15.

The victory puts the Rams in first place in the conference with a 7-0 record. Vicksburg and Edwardsburg follow with only one loss each – both at the hands of South Haven.

The Rams final two conference matches of the season will occur Oct. 12 when they host Dowagiac, and Oct. 19, when they travel to Allegan. South Haven has a good shot at defeating both teams, who trail the conference standings. The Chieftains' record is 1-5, while the Tigers remain winless.

The conference championship, however, won't be decided until Oct. 28 at the league tournament at Vicksburg. The champion will be determined by the results of dual meets and the conference tourney.

PHOTO: South Haven varsity volleyball players celebrate after defeating Vicksburg, Thursday, in five sets. (Photo by Tom Renner).

Cardinals pick up a victory; Rams, Bangor suffer losses

Bloomingdale battled it out with White Pigeon and managed to hold on, Friday, for a 24-17 victory.

The Cardinals got on the scoreboard first with a touchdown and field goal in the first quarter, but White Pigeon found pay dirt in the second with a TD of their own to end the first half 9-6 in Bloomingdale's favor.

The score tightened in the third 16-14, bringing up the crucial fourth quarter where the Cardinals came through with a touchdown and conversion to win the game.

Quarterback Caleb Hosier scored a touchdown for Bloomingdale, while Michael Ellis and Joel Butler scored once, each.

Tony Westerhoff led on defense with 13 tackles. Brian Paquette and Thomas Campbell had 10 tackles each, Joel Butler had 7 tackles and one sack, and Brent Henslee had one sack.

Bloomingdale's record improves to 3-4.

Bangor suffered another tough loss, this time to Marcellus, 58-7. Vicksburg came to South Haven, Friday, and rained on the Rams' homecoming with a 50-0 victory. Jackson Schooley and Naomi Gill were crowned homecoming king and queen.

PHOTO: South Haven defensive players Griffin Rooker and Jalen Smith bring down a Vicksburg running back during Friday Night's game. (Photo by Tom Renner)

South Haven girls cross team remains undefeated in Wolverine conference

South Haven's boys cross-country team suffered its first Wolverine Conference loss of the season last week at the feet of Vicksburg, however, the Lady Rams still remain undefeated in the league.

Paisley Sipes won the girls race with a time of 19:07, setting a new school record for South Haven, and pacing the Rams to a 19-36 finish over the Lady Bulldogs.

She was followed by Holli Dannenberg who finished second with a season best of 20:28. Marnie Frost came in fourth, followed by Katie Schooley in fifth place. Cate Frost placed seventh and she was followed by Hayden Rooker with a season best of 23:23. Ana Gonzalez finished 13th with a season best of 23:35 and Karlie Woodall finished 14th overall. Summer Corke placed 15th with a time of 25:31 a personal record for her.

“It was a great race and there were many personal records and season bests,” South Haven Coach Lindsey Haqq said.

The Rams boys team fell just short of being Vicksburg, 25-34.

Jackson Schooley won the race for South Haven with a personal record finish of 16:45. He was followed by Craig Thompson, who came in second with a season best time 16:53. Brian Thompson finished eighth with a personal best of 18:38. Joe Nelson came in 10th with a season best of 19:21. He was followed by River Fitch in 12th with a season best of 19:32. Madoxx Uckele placed 14th with a personal record of 19:40. He was followed by Justin Postma who finished 15th.

“Overall, the boys ran and competed hard with many season and personal records,” Haqq said.

South Haven swimmers' depth too much for Allegan

South Haven's varsity girls swim team picked up its third victory of the season by defeating Allegan 111-69, Tuesday, in a Wolverine Conference meet.

Although the final score didn't show it, the meet remained close during the first several events, with the Rams narrowly leading 32-30.

“It was a close meet after four events,” South Haven Coach Amy Crews said. “The ladies kicked it in gear to capture five first places in the remaining seven events.”

Victories went to the Rams' medley relay of Sierra Garber, Elise Postma, Ellie Frost and Caroline Meyer; Ellie Frost in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly; Paulette Mielke in diving; the freestyle relay team of Meyer, Postma, Skylar Garber and Frost: Meyer in the 100 breaststroke; and the 400 freestyle relay team of Skylar Garber, Leah Bennett, Sierra Garber and Liv Ritenburgh.

“We put forth a great team effort because the depth of our team was too much for the Tigers,” Crews said.

Earning second place for the Rams were Ritenburgh in the 200 and 500 freestyle; Postma in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke; Alison Cadwell in diving; Meyer in the 100 freestyle; Paeton Hayes in the 100 backstroke and Bennett in the 100 butterfly.

Other South Haven swim results follow: Courtney Kelly, third in the 200 IM and fourth in the 500 freestyle; Allison Uckele, third in the 500 freestyle; Skylar Garber, third in the 50 freestyle; Sierra Garber, third in the 100 backstroke; Jenna Dee, fourth in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly; Kaia Hayes, fourth in the 100 breaststroke; the medley relay team of Sydney Todd, Liz Johnson, Alison Cadwell and Jade Hasson, third place; and the 200 freestyle relay team of Bennett, Kai Hayes, Hasson and Ritenburgh, third place.

Crews gave additional kudos to Meyer, who qualified for the MISCA state meet in the 100 freestyle and Frost, who qualified, again, for both the MISCA and MHSAA state meet in the 50 freestyle.

PHOTO: Elise Postma of South Haven competes in the 100-yard breaststroke race during Wednesday's meet with Allegan. (Photo by Lana Williams)

Bangor harriers finish first at SW10 jamboree; Cardinals win girls race

Bangor boys cross country team ran to a first-place finish, Wednesday, in the second Southwest 10 Jamboree of the season.

“This leaves us with a commanding lead in the league standings,” Vikings Coach Brian Price said.

Four Bangor runners finished in the top 10 of the 10-team race.

Ben Greiner paced the Vikings with a second-place finish and time of 17:20. Alvaro Martinez came in third with a time of 17:21, while Carter Finch followed in fourth place with a time of 17:224. The other top 10 runner for the Vikings was Brett Robertson, who placed seventh with a time of 18:05. Other Bangor runners who competed included Zach Trainor, 26th, 19:45; and Aurelio Melgarajo. Hunter Saffell and Dylan Little each ran personal best times of 23:01 and 24:42, respectively.

Bloomingdale did well in the meet, picking up a third-place finish. Joe Furlan earned eighth place with a time of 18:08.42; Tim Douglas, 14th, 19:05.15; Ron Umbenhour, 16th, 19:08.4; Matt Streeter, 23rd, 19:29.67; Trace Wixom, 28th, 19:53.72; and Alex Houdek, 44th, 21:18.96.

Team results follow: 1. Bangor, 42; 2. Mendon, 52; 3. Bloomingdale, third, 89; 4. Centreville, 123; 5. Marcellus, 132; 6. White Pigeon, 137; 7. Eau Claire, 169; 8. Hartford, 182; 9. Cassopolis Ross Beatty, 258; 10. Decatur, 259.

Girls results

Nelly Gonzalez and Kallie Harrison led Bloomingdale to a first-place finish at the Southwest 10 jamboree, while Bangor settled for second.

Gonzalez won the race, narrowly edging Harrison by one second. Gonzalez's time was 20:27.72, while Harrison's was 20:28.34.

Teammate Liza Hutchins was the third Cardinal runner to finish in the Top 10. She came in 10th place with a time of 21:47.40. Other individual results for Bloomingdale follow: Aimee Sustaita, 14th, 22:05.63; Olaisa Moss, 17th, 22:34.84; and Maria Herrera, 39th, 25:50.90.

The Lady Vikings narrowly lost to the Cardinals by 8 points. Karyssa Gallegos led Bangor with a time of 21:08.60 which earned her sixth place. Regan Slone came in seventh with a time of 21:13.89; Logan Slone, 11th, 22:02.19; Christine VanNuys, 12th, 22:03.23; Laisha Ramirez, 16th, 22:25.20; Marlen Barajas, 18th, 22:44.27; Emily Hernandez, 22nd, 23:13.14; Alexis Barajas, 24th, 24:10.80; Marilin Carrillo, 40th, 26:11.80; Diana Villalobos, 48th, 27:25.54.

Team results follow: 1. Bloomingdale, 44; 2. Bangor, 52; 3. Hartford, 85; 4. Centreville, 91; 5. Marcellus, 134; 6. Cassopolis Ross Beatty, 166; 7. Decatur, 179; 8. White Pigeon, 228; 9. Mendon, 257; 10. Eau Claire, 297.

PHOTO: Members of Bangor's varsity cross-country team are shown after placing second at the Otsego Invitational, Sept. 30. From left are Alvaro Martinez, Zach Trainor, Carter Finch, Ben Greiner, Brett Robertson and Dylan Little.

Bangor ties for third place in SW10 after edging the Cardinals

Bangor's varsity soccer team moved up to a third-place tie with Bloomingdale in the Southwest 10 Conference after narrowly defeating the Cardinals, 1-0, this past Monday.

“This was a must-win for us,” Vikings coach Antonio Robles said. “With Bloomingdale's record of 5-4 and our record of 4-5 we were both running candidates for the third-place slot in our conference. We had suffered a loss to the Cardinals early this season so we were hoping to redeem ourselves.”

Sophomore Jesus Aragon scored the lone goal of the match in the first half, and the Vikings held on to win.

“With a strong defense and a few great blocks from our goalie, we emerged victorious,” Robles said.

The Vikings picked up another win Thursday, when they defeated Parchment, 2-1, in a non-conference game at home.

The Panthers got on the scoreboard first and led at the end of the first half, 1-0.

“After talking during half-time we understood what we had to do to come back,” Robles said.

Freshman Rolando Munoz energized Bangor's offense with a goal scored off a free kick, while sophomore Eloy Saucedo earned Bangor's second goal to win the match.

In earlier matches, the Vikings defeated Marcellus, 4-2, Sept. 25, and New Buffalo, 8-1, Sept. 28.

Jose Gallegos got his first hat-trick of the season against Marcellus, scoring three goals, while Eloy Saucedo had one.

A handful of Vikings kicked in goals against the Bison. Ernesto Nieva, Saucedo and Aragon each scored two goals, while Ivan Mejia and Guillermo Franco each scored one.





Vikings defeat Bloomingdale, Marcellus in 3 sets

Excellent serving by Bangor volleyball players led to a victory, Tuesday, against Marcellus, who was defeated in three straight sets.

“Our servers kept the Marcellus passers off balance throughout the contest,” said Vikings coach Doug Jones. “The quickness of our transition offense has improved in recent weeks as the team starts preparing for the Southwest 10 Conference tournament and districts.

Epiphany Parker led Bangor's offense with 10 of the 21 aces the team scored. Jamie Allen had 13 kills and led the team in digs with 11. Madi McGuire racked up 21 assists, three aces and what Jones called “a monster block” to help the Vikings win the third set. Grace Gleason contributed to the team's effort with 5 aces and 3 blocks.

Thursday, Bangor picked up another three-set victory, this time over Southwest 10 Conference rival, Bloomingdale.

“The Lady Vikings' offense was effective and efficient led by Epiphany Parker's 9 kills and 6 service aces,” Jones said. Also helping Bangor to victory were Jamie Allen with 5 kills and 7 digs and Madison McGuire with 21 assists, 3 kills and 4 aces.

“The Bangor student section provided all the loud support and excitement necessary to urge the team on to win in three straight sets,” Jones said.

South Haven golfers place 2nd in their division at invitational

By AARON CRIDER

HP Sports Writer

The numbers are heading in the right direction for St. Joseph’s girls golf team.

The Bears won the South Haven Invitational at HawksHead Links with a score of 338, out-distancing their closest competitors, Hackett and Lakeshore, by a combined 52 strokes.

“This is our best score here in the last 3 years,” said St. Joseph coach Ryan Walters. “Individually we are improving with each season. Our team scores have stayed the same the last few years, but I’m really happy with our performance. Everyone stepped up, and we shot our second best score of the year.”

Hackett finished runner-up with 349 and Lakeshore took third with 379.

Cailey Rooker was medalist, finishing the day with 76. Katie Schmidt shot an 83 and Maddie Wright ended the day with 85.

The invitational was divided into two divisions. St. Joseph, Lakeshore and Hackett's A team were in the Purple Division, while South Haven, Niles, Hackett B and St. Joseph B teams were placed in the Gold Division.

Host South Haven settled for second place in its division with Carley Mielke finishing in first place by 8 strokes.

The competition was tough, South Haven Coach Barry Shanley remarked.

“The only school smaller than us was Hackett, but they are rich in families who play a lot of golf and their team is ranked No. 1 in Division 4. Carley Mielke was the Medalist in our division with an 88, and Dani Bidol came in fifth with a 102.  So we had two in the Top Five.”

Hackett won the Gold Division with 411 strokes. South Haven ended the day with a 420, St. Joseph's B team came in third with 437 and Niles, fourth, with 443 strokes.





10.2.17

Lady Rams capture first place at Red Bud invitational

South Haven girls cross-country team proved they are one of the leading Class B teams in Southwest Michigan after winning the Red Bud Invitational, Sept. 23.

The Rams competed against 12 other teams in hot, humid, 90-degree conditions, including Zeeland East, Edwardsburg, Lakeshore, Berrien Springs and Niles.

Racing against those teams and competing at the Red Bud Motocross was advantageous for South Haven's runners, according to Coach Lindsey Haqq.

“The Red Bud Motocross venue in Buchanan is home to our regional cross country course,” Haqq said. “Getting out and racing on this course early in the season was beneficial because it is quite hilly and challenging.”

The invitational also pitted the Rams against other good Southwest Michigan cross teams.

“There were some big teams here that are in our region that we're going to race on this course for regionals that we really need to get after,” Haqq said. “It's hot, it's a hard course, but they stuck to the plan and stuck to running their race.”

Sophomore Holli Dannenberg led the Rams, finishing in third place with a time of 21:03. She was followed by Katie Schooley, ninth, 21:52; Marnie Frost, 11^th, 22:05; and Cate Frost, 13^th, 22:13.

“It's really nice that they can work together in races,” said Haqq of her top four finishers' performances. “They push together and obviously that carries on into training. They just help support each other and race hard together.”

Other Lady Rams who competed in the race included Hayden Rooker, 39^th; Ana Gonzalez, 46^th; Karlie Woodall, 60^th; Summer Corke, 100^th and Jordan Taylor, 109^th.

Team results follow: 1. South Haven 74; Zeeland East 88; 3. Edwardsburg 95; 4. Niles 95; 5. Lakeshore 141; 6. Hopkins 146; 7. Bridgman 190; 8. Galesburg-Augusta 210; 9. Coloma 248; 10. Constantine 260; 11. Berrien Springs 260; 12. Buchanan 334; 13. Brandywine 375. Dowagiac, Fennville DNF.

Boys results

The Rams boys cross team earned third place in the Red Bud Invite.

“The team raced well on a hot day,” Haqq said.

South Haven competed against 14 other schools in the race, which was won by Berrien Springs.

The Rams' Jackson Schooley placed fourth with a time of 17:26. Craig Thompson also finished in the top 10, placing sixth with a time of 17:36. Teammates Justin Postma came in 23^rd, Brian Thompson 33^rd, Joe Nelson 34^th, River Fitch 58^th and Nick Vandenberk 83^rd.

Team results follow: 1. Berrien Springs 60; 2. Zeeland East 72; 3. South Haven 84; 4. Constantine 110; 5. Niles 134; 6. Lakeshore 144; 7. Edwardsburg 155; 8. Hopkins 187; 9. Coloma 229; 10. Galesburg-Augusta 272; Bridgman, Buchanan, Dowagiac, Fennville and Brandywine DNF.

— Ben Spencer, HP sports writer, contributed to this article

PHOTO: South Haven's cross team is shown from left: Summer Corke, Hayden Rooker, Katie Schooley, Holli Dannenberg, Cate Frost, Marnie Frost, Jordan Taylor and Paisley Sipes. They are holding Ana Gonzalez.

Bangor boys, B'dale girls bring home trophies from invite

BANGOR — Hot, humid 90-degree temperatures challenged runners at the Bangor Cross Country Invitational, Sept. 23, but the Viking and Bloomingdale harriers were up for it.

Bangor's boys team captured first place in Division 1, the girls ran to a second-place finish, while the Cardinals' girls team finished first in Division 2.

“It was great work under very challenging conditions,” said Bangor boys coach Brian Price.

Fourteen teams competed in two divisions at the invitational.

“Carter Finch led the Viking thin clads capturing his first invitational individual title with a time of 17:31,” Price said. Teammate Alvaro Martinez finished third in 17:51; Ben Greiner was 10th with a time of 18:32;, Brett Robertson, 11th, 18:33; and Zach Trainor 32nd with a personal best time of 20:15.

Team results for Division 1 boys race follow: 1. Bangor, 57; 2. Hastings, 62; 3. Allegan, 67; 4. Plainwell, 77; 5. Parchment, 90; 6. Paw Paw 141.

In Division 2, Bloomingdale came in fourth place behind Mendon, Gobles and Watervliet.

Joe Furlan led the Cardinals, finishing in ninth place with a time of 19:37. He was followed by Tim Douglas, 11^th, 19:44; Ron Umbanhour, 15th, 20:05; Trace Wixom, 18^th, 20:42; and Alex Houdek, 33^rd, 23:19.

Team results for Division 2 follow: 1. Mendon 42; 2. Gobles 53; 3.Watervliet 62; 4. Bloomingdale 86; 5. River Valley 115; 6. Hartford 148; 7. Eau Claire; 8. Lawrence; 9. Lake Michigan Catholic, DNF.

Girls results

The Lady Vikings settled for runner-up honors behind winner Plainwell in the Division 1 race.

“The girls cross team had a great performance,” Bangor coach Ben Munoz said.

Regan Slone led the Vikings with a fifth-place finish and time of 22:27. She was followed by Karyssa Gallegos, eighth, 22:39; Logan Slone, ninth, 22:44; Laisha Ramirez, 16^th, 23:11 and Christine VanNuys, 17^th, 23:15.

“Christine had a great performance by running a season best,” Munoz said. “Also, Karyssa and Logan ran their second-best time.”

Team results in Division 1 follow: 1. Plainwell 27; 2. Bangor 55.3; 3. Parchment, 91; 4. Paw Paw 103; 5. Allegan 114.6; 6. Hastings 130.

In the Division 2 race, the Lady Cardinals ran to a first-place finish with Kallie Harrison finishing first with a time of 21:20. Teammate Nelly Gonzalez was right behind her coming in second with a time of 21:35. Aimee Sustaita came in sixth-place with a time of 23:24; Liza Hutchins, seventh, 23:58; and Olaisa Moss, 10^th, 24:39.

Team results follow: 1. Bloomingdale 26; 2. Hartford 41; 3. Gobles 53; 4. Eau Claire; 5. Lawrence; 6. River Valley; 7. Watervliet, DNF.

A tough night for area football teams

South Haven area football teams are still trying to find their footing against their opponents.

All three teams – Bloomingdale, Bangor and South Haven, lost Friday night.

The Cardinals were defeated by Decatur, 38-14. Despite big rushing totals by Thaddeus Vernon and Michael Ellis, Bloomingdale couldn't overcome a 32-point first-half deficit against Decatur in a Southwest 10 game.

Vernon carried the ball 18 times for 90 yards, scoring a touchdown. Ellis had seven carries for 92. Carl Butler scored a TD on a 42-yard fumble recovery. Thomas Campbell led the Cardinals' defense with 13 tackles and an interception. Tony Westerhoff had 12 tackles, while Vernon had 8 tackles.

Bangor faced Eau Claire at home and lost narrowly, 6-0, while South Haven was defeated by Three Rivers, 54-0.

PHOTO: Bangor's Brett Robertson isn't thwarted by a stiff arm as he tackles Eau Claire running back Cody Greenway in the first half of Friday night's game at Viking Stadium. Eau Claire narrowly won the Southwest 10 matchup, 6-0. (Photo by John Madill)

South Haven has busy week on the tennis court

South Haven netters are going to pick up where they left off against Buchanan in a match that was called due to darkness.

The Rams were leading 4-2 when officials postponed the the last two doubles matches.

“The match will be completed this coming Wednesday with the completion of the second and fourth doubles matches,” South Haven Coach Randy Bartels said.

Bartels was pleased with what he saw so far in the non-league contest with the Buccaneers.

No. 1 singles player Joel Rummel and No. 3 singles player Garrett Smith both defeated their opponents in two sets, each, while the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles teams won their matches in two sets, each.

“Joel Rummel got another win by dominating his opponent,” Bartels said. “Freshman Garrett Smith had a great win toppling his opponent in two sets. His lateral movement was the best of his season so far. That was great to see.”

The two doubles teams that got a chance to finish their matches, also earned kudos from the coach.

“Our first doubles team of Trevor Vincent and Chandler Carey overcame some illness and timid play to pull out a two set win,“ Bartels said. “It was great to see them win a match that they could have lost. Our third doubles team of Austin Hunt and Brenan Diekema played a dominating match beating their opponents in two quick sets.”

Things didn't go so well when the Rams faced Wolverine Conference opponents Otsego and Allegan.

Against Otsego, Sept. 20, the Rams lost 6-2. Joel Rummel won at No. 1 singles, while No. 4 singles player Cameron Denbow won by default. Despite the loss, Bartels said several matches went well.

“Joel played an excellent match against an awkward opponent,” Bartels said. ”Alex Rummel, battling a cough and chest congestion, as well as the heat and humidity, put up a magnificent battle. At fourth doubles, two of our freshmen, Lars Larsen and Jaden Hollis, battled mightily in a comeback effort that fell just short.

The match against powerhouse Allegan went even more poorly, with the Tigers winning 8-0.

“The Tigers dominated and showed why they are the class of the Wolverine Conference.”

The Rams faced Paw Paw and Zeeland West last week, and lost both matches, 8-0, 7-1. Against Zeeland West, the number two team of Alex Diaz and William Hasted won their match, 6-4, 4-6, 10-7.

However, the Rams regrouped, Thursday and tied with Bridgman/New Buffalo, 4-4. Joel Rummel won the No. 1 singles match, while the second doubles teams of Alex Diaz and William Hasted, Austin Hunt and Brenan Diekema, and Lars Larsen and Jaden Hollis, won their matches.

PHOTO: South Haven's No. 1 doubles team of Chandler Carey (hitting the ball) and Trevor Vincent compete against Paw Paw in last MOnday's Wolverine Conferene match. (Photo by Tom Renner)

SOUTH HAVEN 4

BUCHANAN 2

Singles

1. Joel Rummel, SH, d. Jaxson Rehmel, 6-0, 6-1

2. Kaleb Pritchard, B, d. Alex Rummel, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4

3. Garrett Smith, SH, d. Robby Ray, 7-6, 6-3

4. Hunter Riggins, B, d. Cam Denbow, 6-0, 6-1

Doubles

1. Trevor Vincent and Chandler Carey, SH, d. Sarah Bianchi and Brighton Lee, 7-6, 6-3

2. NOT DONE

3. Austin Hunt and Brenan Diekema, SH, d. Ezekiel Furst and Cassie Hale-Nichols, 6-0, 6-3

4. NOT DONE

OTSEGO 6

SOUTH HAVEN 2

Singles

1. Joel Rummel, SH, d. Mike Blanchard, 6-3, 6-1

2. Igoaz Clemens, O, d. Alex Rummel, 7-5, 6-1

3. Nolan Love, O, d. Garrett Smith, 6-0, 6-4

4. 4. Cameron Denbow, SH, wins by default

Doubles

1. Nate Ossino and Nash Smith, O, d. Trevor Vincent and Chandler Carey, 6-3, 7-5

2. Caleb Korringa and Robby Kallewaard, O, d. Alex Diaz and William Hasted, 6-0, 6-1

3. Luc McPherson and Daelan Burd, O, d. Austin Hunt and Brenan Diekema, 6-2, 6-3

4. Eli Saucedo and Cole Rogers, O, d. Lars Larsen and Jaden Hollis, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4

ALLEGAN 8

SOUTH HAVEN 0

Singles

1. Brandon Day, A, d. Joel Rummel, 6-0, 6-2

2. Kody Harrington, A, d. Alex Rummel, 6-0, 6-0

3. Zeke Carter, A, d. Garrett Smith, 6-1, 6-0

4. Tim Lyon, A, d. Cam Denbow, 6-0, 6-0

Doubles

1. Alex Babbitt and Zach Sisson, A, d. Trevor Vincent and Chandler Carey, 6-0, 6-1

2. Zach Lang and Lukas Vlietstra, A, d. Alex Diaz and William Hasted, 6-0, 6-0

3. Owen Clearwater and Korbin Sisson, A, d. Austin Hunt and Brennan Diekema, 6-0, 6-0

4. Noah Festerling and Austin Corbett, A, d. Lars Larsen and Jaden Hollis, 6-0, 6-0

South Haven golfers end regular season

South Haven golfers settled for another fifth-place finish at a league jamboree.

Vicksburg hosted the final jamboree of the season for the Wolverine Conference last week at States golf course.

Conference leader Sturgis won the match with a score of 182. They were followed by Allegan, 206; Otsego, 212, Three Rivers, 216; and South Haven, 218. Plainwell came in sixth, Dowagiac sevent and Vicksburg eighth.

Carley Mielke led the Rams with a 47. She was followed closely behind by Makenzie Marr, who shot a 49.

The medalist for the meet was Three Rivers' Erin Taylor who scored a 38. Both Mielke and Marr placed in the top 10 at the jamboree. Mielke tied for seventh, while Marr tied for 10th.

Last week's jamboree concluded the regular season for the Rams,. They now will compete in the 18-hole conference tournament, Wednesday, at Cheshire Hills golf course. Currently, the Rams are in sixth place in the conference. Mielke is ranked fourth out of the league's top 10 golfers with an average of 46.25.

Carley is a shoe-in for 1st Team All Conference, although it won't officially be true until after the conference tournament,” South Haven golf coach Barry Shanley said.  “She's been in fourth place out of 49 players virtually the whole season.  Colleges are looking at her and it's exciting.”

South Haven goalkeeper Graham Ruppert reaches out his hand to stop a goal from happening during last Monday's Wolverine Conference match against Paw Paw. The Rams tied with the Redskins, 1-1. On Wednesday, South Haven picked up a conference victory against Edwardsburg, 4-2. (photo by Tom Renner)



9.25.17

Rams remain perfect in Wolverine Conference

South Haven settled the battle of the unbeatens, Thursday, by defeating Edwardsburg to take sole position of first place in the Wolverine Conference.

Both the Rams and Eddies, who are ranked honorable mention for top Class B teams in the state, came into Thursday's showdown with 4-0 records.

At first, it looked like the match would belong to the Eddies who won the first two sets, 25-21, 25-15. “We struggled in set one and two,” said South Haven coach Brandi Dietz. But the Rams weren't ready to concede defeat. They roared back in the next three sets, winning 25-13, 25-21 and 16-14 to win the closely fought contest.

“Hayley Kreiger had 37 kill, 22 service points and 7 aces, Sarah Brush had 10 kills, and Mallory Dorow did an amazing job at the net with the offense as well as getting the block up,” Dietz said. “Grace Lyons had 18 digs against a great offensive team. Olivia Ellis had 20 service points with 4 Aces and Frances Lyons did a great job of mixing up the offense with 56 assists.”

PHOTO: South Haven's Mallory Dorow spikes the ball over the net during a match earlier this month against Paw Paw. (File photo by Tom Renner)

South Haven swims past St. Joe, Sturgis

South Haven swimmers may not have their own pool to practice in or hold home meets, but that's not stopping them from winning on the road.

The Lady Rams picked up two victories last week against Sturgis and St. Joseph. The Rams plan to be practicing at their own pool by Oct. 20, when reconstruction of the pool room is complete.

In Thursday's meet against the Bears, South Haven won eight of 12 events to edge their opponent, 100-86.

Ellie Frost won the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle, Caroline Meyer won the 50-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle and Elise Postma won the 200-yard IM and 100-yard breaststroke. Also earning first-place finishes for the Rams were the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay teams.

Tuesday, the Rams faced Sturgis and won six of the races to finish, 109-77, overall. Frost won the 200-yard IM and 100-yard butterfly, Meyer won the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke, and the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley relay teams won their races.

Results for the top three places in each meet follow:

South Haven 100

St. Joseph 86

200-yard medley relay: 1. South Haven (Sierra Garber, Elisa Postma, Elie Frost, Caroine Meyer), 2:02.90; 2. St. Joseph; 3. St. Joseph

200-yard freestyle: 1. Frost, SH, 2:120.30; 2. Liv Ritenburgh, SH, 2:25.40; 3. Esther Kraus, SJ, 2:26.29

200-yard IM: 1. Postma, SH, 2:33.54; 2. Nadia Judge, SJ, 2:35.33; 3. Nora Judge, SJ, 2:43.11

50-yard freestyle: 1. Meyer, SH, 26.24; 2. Kelsey Oberer, SJ, 28.76; 3. Skylar Garber, SH, 28.96

One-meter diving: 1. Laina Young, SJ, 235.45; 2. Kyleigh Meier, SJ, 201.45; 3. Olivia Price, SH, 161.95

100-yard butterfly: 1. Sylvia Park, SJ, 1:10.05; 2. Norah Judge, SJ, 1:14.15; 3. Leah Bennett, SH, 1:15.73

100-yard freestyle: 1. Frost, SH, 56.56; 2. Sierra Garber, SH, 1:04.92; 3. Keley Oberer, SJ, 1:05.05

500-yard freestyle: 1. Meyer, SH, 6:15.17; 2. Kaelyn Yeager, SJ, 6:36.34; 3. Courtney Kelly, SH, 6:56.02

200-yard freestyle relay: 1. South Haven (Frost, Skylar Garber, Postma, Meyer) 1:50.64; 2. St. Joseph; 3. South Haven (Ritenburgh, Jade Haason, Kaia Hayer, Bennett) 2:02.54

100-yard backstroke: 2. Nadia Judge, SJ, 1:09.48; 2. Esther Kraus, SJ, 1:13.72; 3. Cici Strickler, SJ, 1:14.91

100-yard breaststroke: 1. Postma, SH, 1:17.12; 2. Sylvia Park, SJ, 1:12.07; 3. Ritenburgh, SH, 1:28.14

400-yard freestyle relay: 1. St. Joseph; 2. South Haven (Bennett, Kelly, Skylar Garber, Sierra Garber) 4:31.78; 3. South Haven (Jenna Dee, Hayes, Paeton Hayes, Ritenburgh) 4:39.29

South Haven 109

Sturgis 77

200-yard medley relay: 1. South Haven (Sierra Garber, Meyer, Bennett, Frost) 2:05.66; 2. Sturgis, 2:16.52; 3. South Haven (Paeton Hayes, Kaia Hayes, Kelly, Skylar Garber) 2:23.74

200-yard freestyle: 1. Abi Larimer, S, 2:11.97; 2. Postma, SH, 2:20.58; 3. Ritenburgh, SH, 2:25.94

200-yard IM: 1. Frost, SH, 2:28.42; 2. Tessa Rochrig, S, 2:33.66; 3. Kelly, SH, 2:51.98

50-yard freestyle: 1. Meyer, SH, 26.78; 2. Laci Gottschalk, S, 28.53; 3. Skylar Garber, SH, 29.04

One-meter diving: 1. Olivia Robertson, S, 182.25; 2. Price, SH, 165/35; 3. Isabelle Mizner, S, 135.15

100-yard butterfly: 1. Frost, SH, 1:06.47; 2. McKenzie Cain, S, 1:11.37; 3. Dee, SH, 1:24.42

100-yard freestyle: 1. Gottschalk, S, 1:02.75; 2. Skylar Garber, SH, 1:05.15; 3. Bennett, SH, 1:05.97

500-yard freestyle: 1. Larimer, S, 5:46.11; 2. Postma, SH, 6:17.99; 3. Kelly, SH, 6:55.61

200-yard freestyle relay: 1. South Haven (Meyer, Ritenburgh, Skylar Garber, Postma) 1:54.01; 2. South Haven (Frost, Sierra Garber, Kaia Hayes, Bennett) 1:57.54; 3. Sturgis, 1:58.20

100-yard backstroke: 1. Roehrig, S, 1:09.47; 2. Cain, S, 1:14.51; 3. Paeton Hayes, SH, 1:16.38

100-yard breaststroke: 1. Meyer, SH, 1:17.40; 2. Gottschalk, S, 1:18.44; 3. Emma Mizner, S, 1:26.26

400-yard freestyle relay: 1. Sturgis, 4:23.56; 2. South Haven (Dee, Kelly, Ritenburgh, Postma) 4:37.31; 3. South Haven (Hasson, Sydney Todd, Paeton Hayes, Allison Uckele) 5:00.61

Bangor wins Southwest 10 Jamboree

Bloomingdale runs to first-place finish in girls race

BANGOR — Bangor boys cross-country team captured first place, Wednesday, at the Southwest 10 jamboree, while Bloomingdale won the girls race.

“This finish puts us at the top of the conference standings,” Vikings coach Brian Price said.

Bangor scored 47 points, oudistancing second-place Mendon by 13 points. Centreville finished third with 107; Eau Claire, fourth, 113; Hartford, fifth, 121; White Pigeon, fourth, 132; Marcellus, seventh, 144; Bloomingdale, eighth, 155; and Cassopolis Ross Beatty, 262.

A trio of Vikings runners placed in the top five – Benjamin Greiner finished second with a time of 18:00.82; Carter Finch, third, 18:13.33; and Alvaro Martinez, fourth, 18:14.22.

Teammate Bret Robertson came in seventh with a time of 18:40.91.

Joe Furlan was Bloomingdale's top runner. He finished eighth with a time of 18:58.81, while Ron Umbenhour came in 20^th place with a time of 20:53.18.

Girls results

Kallie Harrison of Bloomingdale helped lead her team to a first-place finish at Wednesday's jamboree.

Harrison won the race with a time of 21:26.99. Teammate Nelly Gonzalez came in third with a time of 22:03.47.

Bangor's team also did well in the race, settling for a second-place finish. The team results follow: Bloomingdale, first, 48; Bangor, second, 55; Centreville, third, 75; Hartford, fourth, 90; Marcellus, fifth, 135; Cassopolis Ross Beatty, sixth, 164; Decatur, seventh, 179; White Pigeon, eighth, 201.

Eleven Bangor and Bloomingdale runners placed in the top 20 in the jamboree.

Their results follow:

Bangor: Regan Slone, eighth, 23:20.96; Karyssa Gallegos, tenth, 23:50.17; Logan Slone, 11^th, 23:55.95; Christine VanNuys, 12^th, 24:00.68; Laisha Ramirez, 14^th 24:14.58; Marlen Barajas, 17^th, 24:37.11.

Bloomingdale: Kallie Harrison, first, 21:26.99; Nelly Gonzalez, third, 22:03.47; Liza Hutchins, 13^th, 24:12.41; Aime Sustaita, 15^th, 24:31.55; Olaisa Moss, 16^th, 24:34.67.

South Haven harriers pick up another league win

South Haven's cross-country teams grouped in a pack and wouldn't let Dowagiac in edgewise, Tuesday, to pick up another Wolverine Conference victory.

The Lady Rams, finished 15-46 and grabbed the first eight places in their race, while the boys finished in second through eighth place in their race for a final score of 43-20.

Rams sophomore Holli Dannenberg placed first. She was followed by Katie Schooley, second; Marnie Frost, third; Cate Frost, fourth; Hayden Rooker, fifth; Ana Gozalez, sixth; Krlie Woodall, seventh and Summer Corke, eighth. Teammate Jordan Taylor settled for 13th place.

In the boys race, South Haven's Jackson Schooley finished second; followed by Craig Thompson, third; Justin Postma, fourth; Brian Thompson, fifth; River Fitch, sixth; Joe Nelson, seventh and Maddox Uckele, eighth.

 Tough night for Rams

South Haven wide receiver Brendon Petty tries to run through a group of Edwardsburg defenders during Friday's Wolverine Conference game at Ratcliffe Field. The Eddies, one of the powerhouse teams in the conference, defeated the Rams 76-6. The two teams played under difficult weather conditions. The temperature for the end of September was unseasonably warm, hovering in the low 90s. (Photo by Tom Renner)

SH tennis team leading Buchanan as darkness postpones match

South Haven netters are going to pick up where they left off against Buchanan in a match that was called last Thursday due to darkness.

The Rams were leading 4-2 when officials postponed the the last two doubles matches.

“The match will be completed this coming Wednesday with the completion of the second and fourth doubles matches,” South Haven Coach Randy Bartels said.

Bartels was pleased with what he saw so far in the non-league contest with the Buccaneers.

No. 1 singles player Joel Rummel and No. 3 singles player Garrett Smith both defeated their opponents in two sets, each, while the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles teams won their matches in two sets, each.

“Joel Rummel got another win by dominating his opponent,” Bartels said. “Freshman Garrett Smith had a great win toppling his opponent in two sets. His lateral movement was the best of his season so far. That was great to see.”

The two doubles teams that got a chance to finish their matches, also earned kudos from the coach.

“Our first doubles team of Trevor Vincent and Chandler Carey overcame some illness and timid play to pull out a two set win,“ Bartels said. “It was great to see them win a match that they could have lost. Our third doubles team of Austin Hunt and Brenan Diekema played a dominating match beating their opponents in two quick sets.”

Things didn't go so well earlier in the week when the Rams faced Wolverine Conference opponents Otsego and Allegan.

Against Otsego, Sept. 20, the Rams lost 6-2. Joel Rummel won at No. 1 singles, while No. 4 singles player Cameron Denbow won by default. Despite the loss, Bartels said several matches went well.

“Joel played an excellent match against an awkward opponent,” Bartels said. ”Alex Rummel, battling a cough and chest congestion, as well as the heat and humidity, put up a magnificent battle. At fourth doubles, two of our freshmen, Lars Larsen and Jaden Hollis, battled mightily in a comeback effort that fell just short.

The match against powerhouse Allegan went even more poorly, with the Tigers winning 8-0.

“The Tigers dominated and showed why they are the class of the Wolverine Conference.”

SOUTH HAVEN 4

BUCHANAN 2

Singles

1. Joel Rummel, SH, d. Jaxson Rehmel, 6-0, 6-1

2. Kaleb Pritchard, B, d. Alex Rummel, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4

3. Garrett Smith, SH, d. Robby Ray, 7-6, 6-3

4. Hunter Riggins, B, d. Cam Denbow, 6-0, 6-1

Doubles

1. Trevor Vincent and Chandler Carey, SH, d. Sarah Bianchi and Brighton Lee, 7-6, 6-3

2. NOT DONE

3. Austin Hunt and Brenan Diekema, SH, d. Ezekiel Furst and Cassie Hale-Nichols, 6-0, 6-3

4. NOT DONE

OTSEGO 6

SOUTH HAVEN 2

Singles

1. Joel Rummel, SH, d. Mike Blanchard, 6-3, 6-1

2. Igoaz Clemens, O, d. Alex Rummel, 7-5, 6-1

3. Nolan Love, O, d. Garrett Smith, 6-0, 6-4

4. 4. Cameron Denbow, SH, wins by default

Doubles

1. Nate Ossino and Nash Smith, O, d. Trevor Vincent and Chandler Carey, 6-3, 7-5

2. Caleb Korringa and Robby Kallewaard, O, d. Alex Diaz and William Hastad, 6-0, 6-1

3. Luc McPherson and Daelan Burd, O, d. Austin Hunt and Brenan Diekema, 6-2, 6-3

4. Eli Saucedo and Cole Rogers, O, d. Lars Larsen and Jaden Hollis, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4

ALLEGAN 8

SOUTH HAVEN 0

Singles

1. Brandon Day, A, d. Joel Rummel, 6-0, 6-2

2. Kody Harrington, A, d. Alex Rummel, 6-0, 6-0

3. Zeke Carter, A, d. Garrett Smith, 6-1, 6-0

4. Tim Lyon, A, d. Cam Denbow, 6-0, 6-0

Doubles

1. Alex Babbitt and Zach Sisson, A, d. Trevor Vincent and Chandler Carey, 6-0, 6-1

2. Zach Lang and Lukas Vlietstra, A, d. Alex Diaz and William Hastad, 6-0, 6-0

3. Owen Clearwater and Korbin Sisson, A, d. Austin Hunt and Brennan Diekema, 6-0, 6-0

4. Noah Festerling and Austin Corbett, A, d. Lars Larsen and Jaden Hollis, 6-0, 6-0





9.18.17

Area teams face stiff competition on the gridiron

South Haven area football teams came up nearly empty handed Friday night when it came to putting points on the scoreboard.

Wolverine Conference powerhouse Paw Paw came to South Haven and handed the host team a 49-0 loss. Bangor also got upended by Mendon, 61-0.

Bloomingdale managed to get points on the scoreboard during the first quarter of its game against Cassopolis, leading 13-8. But that would be the end of it as the Rangers came roaring back to win the game, 48-13.

Bloomingdale quarterback Caleb Hosier suffered an injury late in the first quarter but passed for 112 yards. He connected twice to Tyler Campbell who scored the Cardinals' two touchdowns.

Teammate Thaddeus Vernon racked up 72 yards on 13 carries.

Tony Westerhoff led the Cardinals on defense with 10 tackles. Tyler Campbell and Thomas Campbell each had 7 tackles, while Vernon had 6.

PHOTO: South Haven's Jaylin Fox (32) tries to run up the middle while avoiding a tackle from Paw Paw's Sean McConnell (72) during Friday night's Wolverine Conference game at Ratcliffe Field. (Photo by Becky Kark)

Rams defeat Paw Paw; up league record to 4-0

One, two, three appeared to be South Haven volleyball team's mantra, Thursday, after the swept Paw Paw in three sets – 25-23, 25-14, 25-16.

With the victory, the Rams remain undefeated in the Wolverine Conference, 4-0.

“The girls struggled to control their game in set one but were able to pull off the win,” South Haven varsity coach Brandi Dietz said. “In the second and third sets they handled the game pretty well.”

Hayley Kreiger had 18 kills, Sarah Brush 6 kills and Mallory Dorow, 4. Frances Lyons racked up 33 assists and Grace Lyons had 19 digs.

“It was great team effort at all three levels.

Thursday marked the first time this year the Rams competed in their own gym. For the past several weeks they've played home games at Baseline Middle School's gym because the high school gym has been undergoing extensive renovations.

Thursday the new gym was unveiled, complete with a new floor, bleachers, windows, lighting, new paint and equipment.

“The varsity team played in front of a packed house,” Dietz said. “A big thanks to the community for coming out and supporting the girls. The gym was full of support and the energy was high.”

To make the victory in the new gym even sweeter, South Haven freshmen and sophomore teams also won their matches.

“It was great team effort at all three levels,” Dietz said.

The varsity girls team record is now 13-3.

PHOTO: South Haven volleyball players Connie Phillips (12) and Hayley Kreiger (11) try to block a ball spiked by Paw Paw's Brianna Conklin (2) during Thursday's Wolverine Conference match at South Haven High School. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Redskins no match for Rams

By TRIBUNE STAFF

South Haven proved it was the team to beat Tuesday, when they hosted Paw Paw in a Wolverine Conference cross-country meet at Warner Camp in Grand Junction.
The Rams' boys team swept the first five finishes of their race, while the girls placed three runners in the top five.
Jackson Schooley paced the Rams, finishing first. He was followed by Craig Thompson, second; Justin Postma, third; Brian Thompson, fourth; and Joe Nelson fifth; giving South Haven a perfect score of 15-43.
South Haven also won the girls' race, 22-37.  Paw Paw's Molly Thompson won, but close on her heels was Holly Dannenberg of South Haven, who finished second. Teammates Katie Schooley finished third, Kate Frost, fourth; Marnie Frost, sixth; and Karlie Woodall seventh.


PHOTO: Paw Paw runner Molly Thompson leads Tuesday's Wolverine Conference cross-country race with four South Haven runners Katie Schooley, Holly Dannenberg, Marnie Frost and Kate Frost right behind her. (Photo by Tom Renner)

South Haven freshman already qualifies for state meet

Ellie Frost may be the lone freshman on South Haven's varsity swim team this year, but she's certainly making her mark.

In the first two meets of the season, Frost has managed to qualify in two events for the Michigan High School Athletic Association state meet.

“She qualified for the 50 freestyle with a 25.66 at the Marshall meet on Thursday and in the 100 freestyle with a 55.74 at the Plainwell meet on Tuesday,” Rams coach Amy Gruber Crews said.

But Frost isn't the only South Haven swimmer who's excelling in the pool.

Junior Caroline Meyer has qualified for the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association meet in the 50 freestyle with a 26.00 time, while the 200 freestyle relay teams of Meyer, Frost, sophomores Leah Bennett, Sierra Garber and Elise Postma, and senior Skylar Garber, have qualified for MISCA three times this season.

The swimmers have made those accomplishments despite not having their own pool to practice in.

The pool is being reconstructed as part of the $27 million upgrade of the high school. It won't be reopened until Oct. 20. But Crews and the team are taking the inconvenience in stride.

“We are a seasoned team and have adjusted very well,” Crews said.

Swimmers travel to the neighboring Bronson Wellness Center to practice in their pool, while divers make sure to arrive ahead of time to meets to get practice time in before competition begins.

South Haven results from last week's swim meets follow (top three places):

Plainwell 116

South Haven 70

200-yard medley relay: 2. South Haven (Ellie Frost, Leah Bennett, Elisa Postma, Caroline Meyer) 2:02.85; 3. South Haven (Paeton Hayes, Kaia Hayes, Courtney Kelly, Skylar Garber) 2:24.38

200-yard freestyle: 1. Ellie Frost, SH, 2:15.89

200-yard IM: 1. Elise Postma, SH, 2:36.53

50-yard freestyle: 1. Caroline Meyer, SH, 26.0;

One-meter diving: 3. Paulette Mielke, SH, 133.35

100-yard freestyle: 3. Ellie Frost, SH, 55.74

200-yard freestyle relay: 2. South Haven (Caroline Meyer, Elise Postma, Skylar Garber, Ellie Frost) 1:47.48; 3. South Haven (Sierra Garber, Li Ritenburgh, Jade Hasson, Leah Bennett) 2:00.30

100-yard breaststroke: 3. Elise Postma, SH, 1:18.93

400-yard freestyle relay: 3. South Haven (Leah Bennett, Sierra Garber, Skylar Garber, Courtney Kelly) 4:34.01

Marshall 111

South Haven 77

200-yard medley: 2. South Haven (Sierra Garber, Elise Postma, Ellie Frost, Caroline Meyer) 2:02.86

50-yard freestyle: 2. Ellie Frost, SH, 25.66

One-meter diving: 2. Olivia Price, SH, 147.30

100-yard butterfly: 3. Ellie Frost, 1:08.48

100-yard freestyle: 2. Caroline Meyer, 58.4

200-yard free relay: 2. South Haven (Caroline Meyer, Elise Postma, Leah Bennett, Ellie Frost) 1:48.56; 3. South Haven (Skylar Garber, Kaia Hayes, Liv Ritenburgh, Allison Cadwell) 2:01.92

100-yard breaststroke: 1. Caroline Meyer, SH, 1:16.38; 2. Liz Johnson, SH, 1:29.05; Skylar Garber, SH, 1:32.75

400-yard free relay: 1. South Haven (Courtney Kelly, Liv Ritenburgh, Sierra Garber, Leah Bennett) 4:35.01; 2. South Haven (Jade Hasson, Jenna Dee, Allison Cadwell, Allison Uckele) 4:51.66; 3. South Haven (Sydney Todd, Aurora Hoiser, Emily Stinson, Paeton Hayes) 5:25.99

WFA All-American football player returns to alma mater to coach boys team

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

BANGOR — There's a new gridiron coach at Bangor Middle School.

It's Coach Grzybowski. Or as the players call her - Coach Tiffany.

And she's no pushover.

“She tough,” said player Hunter Mann.

Other players agreed.

Grzybowski, a 2008 graduate of Bangor High School, began her duties as assistant football coach several weeks ago along with Head Coach Edward Cone.

“I'm glad to have her as a coach,” Cone said. “She lends experience to the team.”

While Cone spends time working with the quarterback and receivers, Grzybowski does what she's best at – coaching the offensive and defensive lines.

Christian Alcaraz, who plays center, said he likes her coaching expertise.

“She helps you a lot,” he said after Tuesday's practice. “She helped me with snapping the ball better and getting at a lower stance.”

Grzybowski is no stranger to offensive and defensive line positions.

She has spent the past eight years playing football for the West Michigan Mayhem, a Kalamazoo-based semi-professional women's team that is a member of the Women's Football Alliance, which consists of 67 teams throughout the United States.

“Her passion for the sport and experience are two reasons I wanted her to coach here,” Bangor Athletic Director Mary Spade said.

Currently ranked second D2 offensive tackle in the Women's Football Alliance, Grzybowski has showed her versatility as a player over the years.

In 2016 she earned All-American second team honors as center. This year she again was named All-American second team, but as a left offensive tackle.

“I managed to become All-American after four games at left tackle, I'm very proud of that,” Grzybowski said. But her proudest moment came when coaches and players chose her as team captain two years in a row.

“That was quite an honor,” Grzybowski said.

Her success with the Mayhem and Women's Football Alliance prompted her to try out for Team USA's women's football squad earlier this year. She didn't make the team, but the Russian team invited her to play for them in their annual Russian Cup competition. She opted to pass on the opportunity, however, and returned to her job working for a security company in Kalamazoo and her alma mater.

“This is where football started for me,” Grzybowski said. “I wanted to come back and work with the kids and give something back.”

Grzybowski was quite active in sports and other activities while attending Bangor High School.

“I played softball and volleyball for two years and was in theater and marching band,” she recalled.

But she also was a member of Bangor's JV football team.

“My step-brother played for Decatur,” she said. “I used to get jealous watching him play.”

So Grzybowski tried out for and became a member of the Vikings team and actually played against her brother's team.

“Decatur won so he got bragging rights,” she said, laughing.

But the loss didn't deter Grzybowski's growing interest in football.

“I liked tackle football,” she said. “I like the team atmosphere. I like the way it's a safe outlet for aggression. It teaches you to work together as a team. Everybody's job is important. It teaches good life skills.”

The fact that football is still mainly considered a male sport isn't lost on Grzybowski, but she noted that it is becoming more common and acceptable for women to take part in the sport and excel.

She pointed out the two middle school girls and high school girl from Bangor who are playing on Viking teams. “Sam Zordan is the varsity team's kicker,” Grzybowski said.

However, it is still rare for women to be football coaches at the middle and high school level.

“This is the first time a female has coached at Bangor while I have been the athletic director,” Spade said. “I am also not aware of any other female coaches coaching football in the Southwest 10 at this time.”

That distinction makes Grzybowski proud of her accomplishments and the accomplishments of other women who enjoy football and hope to make a career of it.

“There's a female coach in the NFL that used to play quarterback in our league (Women's Football Alliance),” Grzybowski said. “I've met several female coaches from the NFL. It's amazing to see how far women have come in football. I want to be part of the way for women to move forward.”



Cardinals win soccer tourney; Bangor places third

By TRIBUNE STAFF

BLOOMINGDALE — The championship game of the Bloomingdale Soccer Invitational wasn't exactly the “Thrilla in Manila,” but the Cardinal fans would beg to differ as they watched their hometown team defeat Comstock in a sudden death shootout.

Bloomingdale's Coach, Mark Case, couldn't have been happier for his team and gave a lot of credit to goalie Gabriel Perez.

“Without his sure hands and quick work in the goal blocking shots in all three games and a tense shootout, we would not have been able to get the victories,” Case said.

Noah Perez got the Cardinals energized in the first round of Saturday's tournament by pulling off a hat trick to defeat Covert, 3-1.

Bloomingdale then moved on to round two to face cross-town rival Bangor, who defeated Gobles, 7-1 in the first round.

“We had a hard time against Bangor,” Case said.

The Cardinals got on the scoreboard first with a goal from Noah Perez. Bangor came back in the second half and tied the score, but Perez wasn't finished. He kicked in the final goal to end the game, 2-1.

“We played a great game, unfortunately we were not victorious,” Vikings coach Antonio Robles said. “There were countless opportunities to change the outcome of the game... Regardless of the scoreboard, the boys played an incredible game.”

The victory put Bloomingdale in the championship game where they faced Comstock, who defeated Michigan Lutheran 3-0 in the semi-finals.

The game ended in a 2-2 tie, with Joel Bobadilla and Kalub Harris each scoring for the Cardinals.

Because of the tie, the game advanced to a shootout.

“After the first round, the score was still tied so we went to a second round,” Case said.

But the second round still ended in a tie prompting a sudden death shootout where Noah Perez found the back of the net to put Bloomingdale ahead 3-2 to win the championship.

Seven teams competed in the tournament. Team results follow: 1. Bloomingdale, 3-0; 2. Comstock, 2-1; 3. Bangor, 1-1; 4. Covert, 1-1; 5. Marcellus, 1-1; 6. Michigan Lutheran, 0-2; 7. Gobles, 0-2.

Bangor netters notch two conference victories

Bangor's varsity volleyball team started conference play with two victories last week.

The Vikings faced new Southwest 10 Conference opponent Cassopolis, Monday, and won in five sets.

“The event turned out to be a real barn burner with the contest not decided until the fifth and final set,” said Bangor Coach Doug Jones.

Bangor lost the first set 25-18, but regrouped to take the second in overtime, 27-25, and the third, 25-20.

The Rangers weren't giving up, however. They rallied in the fourth set, which also went into overtime, and won 29-27. That led to the final game, which the Lady Vikings won decisively, 14-10.

Jamie Allen led Bangor in kills with 21. Other team leaders were Madison McGuire with 3 aces and 40 assists; Epiphany Parker with 22 digs; and Grace Gleason with 6 blocks.

On Thursday, the Vikings hosted Hartford and won 3-1.

The team was led by Epiphany Parker's 12 kills and 8 aces.

“The Bangor netters' productive serving, offensive variety, and solid defense were decisive throughout the contest,” Jones said.



Viking kickers defeat Marcellus, Eau Claire

Bangor's soccer team kicked their way to two Southwest 10 conference victories this past week.

On Monday, the Vikings played Marcellus and won easily, 8-3. They then faced Eau Claire Wednesday, upending the Beavers, 7-0.

“Once again, they brought their A-game,” Bangor coach Antonio Robles said.

(Individual statistics were not available).

South Haven 1

Bridgman 1

The Rams and Bees settled for a 1-1 tie, Thursday, in a non-conference match.

The game was tied 1-1 at the end of the first half, but neither team could muster a goal after that.

Brian Calderon scored the Rams' goal, while Drew Dow knocked in Bridgman's.

The Rams led in shots on goal with 12, while the Bees had 4.

Rams having a tough time on the links

South Haven golfers settled for a fifth-place finish at their sixth Wolverine Conference jamboree of the season, Monday, at Cheshire Hills.

League leader Sturgis won the contest. Allegan came in second; Dowagiac, third; Three Rivers, fourth; and South Haven, fifth. Otsego, Plainwell and Vicksburg rounded out the rest of the teams, finishing sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.

The Rams' senior captain Carley Mielke had a great day on the links, shooting a career-low score of 41, which earned her second place out of 38 players.

“The rest of the girls had one of those days that a very young team is going to have once in a while,” Rams Coach Barry Shanley said. “I do give our two freshmen – Abby Bocock and Jina Patel - a lot of credit for getting off to near horrendous starts the first few holes...but rallying.  Dani Bidol had to stop playing because of a recurring back problem, which hurt also.”

Wednesday's jamboree at Indiana Lake Hills in Dowagiac didn't go so well for the Rams, who finished eighth behind the other seven conference teams.

Sturgis again won the contest, followed by Three Rivers and Allegan, who finished second and third respectively. Vicksburg was fourth; Otsego, fifth; Dowagiac, sixth; Plainwell, seventh; and South Haven, eighth.

“We were off to a great start,” Shanley said. “Carley was even par for her first few holes, and did shoot a third best career score of 43. But our inexperience really showed and we wasted more strokes than I can count.

“Not one word was spoken in the van on the way home...35 minutes.  Not a word. I think that it meant so much to the players, which is a good indication they will do better from here on out.”

Mielke led the Rams with 43 strokes. She was followed by Makenzie Marr with 54 and Abby Bocock with 59.

Overall, the Rams are ranked at sixth place in the conference after seven jamborees.

Team standings follow: 1. Sturgis; 2. Allegan; 3. Three Rivers; 4. Dowagiac; 5. Otsego; 6. South Haven; 7. Plainwell; 8. Vicksburg.

Individual standings follow: 1. Erin Taylor, Three Rivers; 2. Katie Horn, Sturgis; 3. Rebecca Franklin, Dowagiac; 4. Carley Mielke, South Haven; 5. Rachel Webb, Sturgis; 6. Heidi Hines, Three Rivers; 7. Claire Awe, Plainwell; 8. Carli Sanford, Sturgis; 9. Rylie Miller, Sturgis; 10. Greta Whitaker, Dowagiac.





9.11.17

Vikings use their heads in defeating Saugatuck

Bangor's soccer team managed to pull out a 3-2 non-conference victory over Saugatuck, Thursday after losing to Cassopolis, Wednesday.

“The boys did great,” said Bangor Coach Antonio Robles, regarding the win over the Indians. “They took the 'W' in their 'house.'”

The score was tied at 2-2 at the end of the first half, but the Vikings pulled ahead in the second and retained the 3-2 lead until the end of play.

Senior Ernesto Nieva scored two goals for Bangor, while Jesus Aragon kicked in another one. Jose Gallegos provided two assists, and Aragon, one.

Wednesday was a different story for Bangor. Four goals in the first half propelled Cassopolis to a 6-3 victory in the Southwest 10 conference match.

“Unfortunately, inexperience showed on the field in the first half,” Robles said. “Three freshmen in the lineup, only one starting senior and the lack of subs made an impact on the result.”

Although the Vikings' offense stalled in the first half, they regrouped in the second to score three goals.

“The second half was much better, but it was not enough for the Vikings to make a full recovery on earlier mistakes,” Robles said.

Nieva scored two goals, while Gallegos scored the other one for Bangor. Ivan Mejia made two assists.

Despite the loss, Robles said his young team is doing better than at the start of the season.

“I still feel our boys are doing their best on the field and improving after every game.”

PHOTO: Jose Gallegos of Bangor (heading the ball) and Saugatuck's Samuel Larsen duel for the ball in the first half of Thursday's game at Viking stadium. (Photo by John Madill)

South Haven netters settle for a tie with Niles Brandywine

By TRIBUNE STAFF

South Haven's varsity tennis team settled for a 4-4 tie against Niles Brandywine, Tuesday, in a non-conference match.

The Rams' No. 1 singles player, Joel Rummel won his match, while three of South Haven's doubles teams ended up with victories, as well.

South Haven Coach Randy Bartels was pleased with his team's performance.

“Joel Rummel played smart, consistent tennis in beating his opponent for a second time this year after beating him in the Niles tournament,” Bartels said. He also commented on the victories of the three doubles teams.

First doubles Chandler Carey and Trevor Vincent finished strong in the third set after a contentious second set,” Bartels said. “It was a tense and exciting match as the afternoon wore on, and a satisfying win. Second doubles Brenan Diekema and Austin Hunt started strong and finished strong for their win, and a first-time third doubles team of William Hastad and Alex Diaz got the Rams' fourth win. They will be an even stronger team as the season progresses.”

The Rams started the season with a loss to the combined team of New Buffalo and Bridgman, but came back to beat Wolverine Conference opponent Three Rivers a week later.

Against the Wildcats, Aug. 28, the Rams won 5-3, partly because Three Rivers had to forfeit three of their doubles matches due to lack of players.

“Joel Rummel, first singles, played an almost flawless match in dominating his opponent who had beaten him the two previous years,” said South Haven Coach Randy Bartels. “Chandler Carey and Trevor Vincent, at first doubles, easily handled their opponents.”

The Rams had a tougher time, Aug. 21, against Bridgman/New Buffalo, who easily won the non-conference contest, 6-2.

“We lost some close matches on a hot and humid day,” Bartels said. “The team match was a lot closer than the final score shows. Our beginning players in the lower doubles got our two wins.”

PHOTO: South Haven No. 2 singles tennis player Alex Rummel is shown returning the ball during Thursday's match against Niles Brandywine. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Results from the matches follow:

Bridgman/New Buffalo 6

South Haven 2

Singles

1. Nick Boyd, BNB, d. Joel Rummel, 6-3, 7-6

2. Tim Dunkel, BNB, d. Alex Rummel, 6-0, 6-1

3. Caleb Kroeze, BNB, d. Garrett Smith, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3

4. Jackson Schmaltz, BNB, d. Cam Denbow, 6-1, 6-3

Doubles

1. Andrew Thomas and Caleb Barker, BNB, d. Trevor Vincent and William Hastad, 6-0, 6-3

2. Sam Polym and Sean Gordon, BNB, d. Brennan Diekema and Austin Hunt, 7-5, 3-6, 10-7

3. Jaden Hollis and Preston Calvert, SH, d. Andrew Pierce and Chase Strother, 6-2, 6-1

4. Jackson Calvert and Cam Callaghan, SH, d. Danny Lam and Ethan Moser, 8-4.

South Haven 5

Three Rivers 3

Singles

1. Joel Rummel, SH, d. Tyler Seifert, 6-0, 6-3

2. Jacob Turner, TR, d. Alex Rummel, 6-2, 6-1

3. Calvin Trammel, TR, d. Garrett Smith, 6-1, 6-1

4. Tim Linek, TR, d. Cameron Denbow, 6-1, 6-2

Doubles

1. Trevor Vincent and Chandler Carey, SH, d. Dhrvil Patel and Colby Hartzell, 6-2, 6-1

2. Brenan Diekema and Austin Hunt, SH, win by default

3. Alex Diaz and William Hastad, SH, win by default

4. Jaden Hollis and Lars Larson, SH, win by default

South Haven 4

Niles Brandywine 4

Singles

1. Joel Rummel, SH, d. Caleb Cole, 6-4, 6-4

2. Matt Stewart, NB, d. Alex Rummel, 6-2, 6-2

3. Austin Carter, NB, defeat Cameron Denbow, 6-2, 6-2

4. Derrick Miller, NB, d. Cameron Denbow, 6-2, 6-2

Doubles

1. Chandler Carey and Trevor Vincent, SH, d. Kevin Conrad and John Johnson, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

2. Austin Hunt and Brenan Diekema, SH, d. Madison Bailey and Kyle Mesecar, 6-1, 6-4

3. William Hasted and Alex Diaz, SH, d. Jacob Fox and Alexcia Mastiarz, 6-4, 6-0

4. Lars Larson and Jaden Hollis, SH, d. Matt Cox and Josh Salamun (score not available)

South Haven scoring rally comes up short

FARAH GREEN

For the Tribune

So close and yet so far.

That was the story for South Haven's football team, which suffered a heart-breaking 21-20 Wolverine Conference loss to Otsego, Friday.

The Rams got on the scoreboard first when Angel Pena scored don a 1-yard run near the 110-minute mark in the first quarter. South Haven maintained the lead until the second quarter when the Bulldogs scored three touchdowns to put the score at 21-7.

Zak Lucas first scored on a 24-yard pass from Will Eldred (field goal by Owen Grile was good), followed by an 11-yard connection from Eldred to David Rininger for the the second TD. Colin Hunt then linked up with Eldred on a 32-yard pass to score a final touchdown with 38 seconds remaining in the half.


But South Haven wasn't about to give up. During the third quarter, Charles Soristo ran in one yard to score, putting a win in reach for the Rams. In the final period, Pena scored again for South Haven on a one yard run with 14 seconds remaining in the contest. South Haven tried for the conversion, but was unsuccessful.

South Haven's volleyball team made coach Brandi Dietz happy by picking up another conference victory.

Tuesday's win over Otsego marks the third victory in a row for the Lady Rams, who defeated Wolverine Conference teams Plainwell and Sturgis earlier in the season.

“Once again the ladies gave a great team effort as every one of the girls saw playing time,” Dietz said.

South Haven defeated the Bulldogs in three straight sets, 25-14, 25-14 and 25-15.

“The Rams served tough which made it hard for the Bulldogs to stay in the game,” Dietz said.

Hayley Kreiger had 22 points with 7 aces, while Mallory Dorow added another 21 points with 5 aces. Kreiger led the team with 20 kills while Sarah Brush and Dorow added another 5, each.

“Frances Lyons did a great job mixing up the sets and collecting 34 assists,” Dietz said. “On defense, the Rams' passing was spot on. Grace Lyons had 21 digs. The girls continue to work hard everyday and look forward to their next competition.”

South Haven's next conference match will be Thursday against Paw Paw.

South Haven volleyball team defeats Otsego

The Rams The Lady Rams volleyball team came home from Otsego with another conference win Thursday night. The Rams outplayed the Bulldogs 25-14, 25-14 and 25-15. Once again the ladies gave a great team effort as every one of the girls saw playing time. The Rams served tough which made it hard for the Bulldogs to stay in the game. Hayley Kreiger had 22 points with 7 Aces while Mallory Dorow added another 21 points with 5 Aces. Hayley Kreiger led the team with 20 kills while Sarah Brush and Mallory Dorow added another 5 each. Frances Lyons did a great job mixing up the sets and collecting another 34 assists. On defense, the Rams’ passing was spot on, and Grace Lyons had 21 digs. The girls continue to work hard everyday and look forward to their next competition.

Rams run past Three Rivers in conference meet

Both South Haven's cross-country teams captured their first Wolverine Conference victory of the season, Tuesday, defeating Three Rivers at Meyer Broadway Park.

“We are off to a great start to the season,” Rams coach Lindsay Haqq remarked.

The Rams Jackson Schooley finished first in the boys race, while Holli Dannenburg won the girls race.

“The boys ran a tough race on a challenging course,” Haqq said. The Rams finished the race 22-33. Individually, Justin Postma came in second; Brian Thompson, fifth; River Fitch, sixth; and Maddoxx Uckele, eighth.

In the girls race, the Rams won 20-36.

Individually, Marnie Frost placed second; Katie Schooley, fourth; Cate Frost, fifth; Hayden Rooker, eighth; and Ana Gonzalez, 10^th.

The Rams will host their first meet of the season, Tuesday, at Warner Camp in Grand Junction, where they will compete against Paw Paw. The girls race begins at 5 p.m. and will be followed by the boys race at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Ram golfers place fourth in conference jamboree

South Haven's golf team settled for fourth place at the Wolverine Conference Jamboree at Sauganash golf course, Thursday.

Sturgis, which is leading the league, came away with first place; host Three Rivers came in second with 203; and Dowagiac, third, with 212. South Haven had 219; Allegan, 225; Otsego, 237; Vicksburg, 264, while Plainwell didn't finish.

Makenzie Marr led the Rams, shooting a 51. She was followed by Carley Mielke, 53; Abby Bocock, 55; and Jina Patel, 50.

“Makenzie, a sophomore, shot 51 – 12 strokes or so below her average,” said Rams Coach Barry Shanley. I couldn't be happier for our two freshmen — Abby Bocock and Jina Patel — who are amazing in their progress.”

Mielke continues to be one of the top 10 golfers in the league. After five jamborees she is in fourth place with a 47.8 average per outing.

Bloomingdale captures second win in a row

Michael Ellis' 289 yards and five touchdowns helped Bloomingdale win easily over Eau Claire, 61-13, Friday,

It marked the Cardinals' second victory in a row.

Bloomingdale got an early lead scoring 34 points in the first quarter, alone. By the end of the first half they were leading 47-0. The Cardinals picked up two more touchdowns in the second half to seal the win.

Eau Claire finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 points.

The Cardinals' Karl Butler rushed for 36 yards and a touchdown, while Caleb Hosier had 44 yards for another touchdown.

Bloomingdale's record in the Southwest 10 conference improves to 2-1. Eau Claire's record fell to 0-3.

South Haven's Lorenzo Moreno (5) tries to keep control of the ball against defensive pressure from Jose Madrid of Fennville during a match, Sept. 5. Fennville won the non-conference match, 3-1. The Rams' only score came from team captain Isaac DeLaRosa. (Photo by Tom Renner)



9.5.17

Rams, Vikings offense stalls in week 2

Cardinals capture first season win

By TRIBUNE STAFF

While South Haven and Bangor football teams continue to struggle, Bloomingdale picked up its first victory of the season.

Bloomingdale improved its record in the new Southwest 10 conference with a 20-16 victory over Centreville, Thursday.

“The victory was a much needed part of our rebuilding process,” said Cardinals Coach Richard Roth. “That part was playing in and winning a close contest. Our young men battled all night, believed they could win and literally took the victory away.”

Bloomingdale sealed the win with less than two minutes to play in the fourth quarter when Tony Westerhoff caused a fumble. Karl Butler scooped up the ball and raced 55 yards for the final touchdown of the game.

Centreville led for much of the game, but in the second half, Bloomingdale's Brian Paquette sparked his team's offense.

“Brian brought us out in the second half and literally pounded his way down field,” Roth said. “He punched in our second touchdown from 2 yards out and brought us within striking distance. The momentum he shifted for us was his biggest help.”

The Cardinals' other touchdown came from Tyler Campbell.

Bloomingdale's quarterback, Caleb Hosier, finished the night 5-for-12 passing for 82 yards, while Thaddeus Vernon racked up 74 rushing yards in 11 carries. Paquette had 9 carries for 34 yards and also led the Cardinals on defense with 16 tackles.

Westerhoff had 12 tackles, Thomas Campbell, 11, and Butler, 8.

Bangor 7

Hartford 60

Hartford's Robert Ledesma was the go-to guy, Thursday, leading his team to a lopsided 60-7 victory over Bangor.

Ledesma rushed 17 times for 151 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Gorrod Johnston completed 8-of-10 passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns and rushed six times for 31 yards.

The Indians (2-0 in the Southwest 10) got off to a quick start, scoring three touchdowns and a safety in the first quarter and adding three more touchdowns in the second for a 41-7 halftime lead.

Bangor, (0-2 in the conference) scored its lone touchdown off a 56-yard pass in the first quarter.

Plainwell 57

South Haven 6

Plainwell's huge first quarter put a win well out of reach for South Haven in Thursday's Wolverine Conference game. The Trojans came out on top in a  57-6 finish.

Plainwell scored 35 points in the first period, after a collection of touchdown runs from Alexander Brown (11 yards), Ben Gernaat (16 yards), Austin Williams (8 yards), and Nicholas Lindsey ( 1 yard). Matt Root also connected with Brown on a 58-yard pass to score a fifth touchdown for the Trojans in the first period.

Plainwell's Brown scored his third touchdown at 9:51 into the second quarter on a 12-yard run, while teammate Ryan Betts scored on a six-yard run at 7:30 remaining.

After halftime, Plainwell scored again on a safety. South Haven scored its only touchdown in the final period after Charles Soristo connected with Brendan Petty on a 64-yard pass.

Next on the schedule for South Haven is Vicksburg on Friday at the Bulldogs' stadium.

— Farah Green contributed to this report

Lady Rams notch two league victories

By FARAH GREEN

For the Tribune

The Lady Rams are starting off the volleyball season right, racking up two conference victories last week to improve their record to 6-2.

The Rams battled Sturgis Monday, winning in four sets. They then went on to defeat Plainwell, Wednesday, in three sets.

Against Sturgis, the Rams won the first game, 25-23, but then dropped game two, 25-16, before coming back to take the final two games, 25-23 and 25-18.

“It was a great team effort,” said South Haven coach Brandi Dietz.

Grace Lyons led the South Haven defense with 31 digs and was the leading server with nine points and four aces. Her sister, Frances Lyons was the game's most unselfish player with 33 assists, and Hayley Kreiger slammed 21 kills to lead the Rams' offense.

The Rams picked up another league victory, Wednesday, defeating the Trojans in three straight sets – 25-14, 25-14, 25-9.

“The Lady Rams put all the pieces of the game together for an impressive performance,” Dietz said. “The ladies have been working very hard on defense and passing, which allowed them to run their offense effectively.”

Frances Lyons displayed her setting prowess, amassing 39 assists, while Mallory Dorow finished with 10 kills and 15 points for South Haven.  Sarah Brush added 7 more kills for the Rams' offense, while Kreiger tallied 12 points.

Grace Lyons led the defensive effort with 16 digs.

South Haven faces Otsego on Thursday before traveling to Watervliet for an invitational.

PHOTO: Olivia Ellis (3) of South Haven spikes the ball during last week's game against Sturgis. (Photo by Tom Renner)

South Haven golfers fall to 5th place in Wolverine conference

After competing in four Wolverine Conference jamborees, South Haven's girls golf team is now in fifth place, overall.

The Rams had a long day Wednesday at Lake Doster golf course course, taking part in two back-to-back jamborees, hosted by Otsego and later in the morning, Plainwell. The Rams had a tough time in the first outing, placing sixth out of 8 league teams.

Sturgis won with 195 points. They were followed by Otsego, 225; Allegan, 226; Three Rivers, 233; Dowagiac, 240; South Haven, 244; Plainwell, 250; and Vicksburg, 263.

Carley Mielke led the Rams with a score of 49. Abby Bocock finished with 62 strokes; Makenzie Marr, 63; Jina Patel, 70; and Sarah Helm, 70.

The Rams improved their standing in the second jamboree, finishing fifth. Once again, Sturgis won with 181 strokes. Otsego came in second with 224; Dowagiac, third, 228; Allegan, fourth, 234; South Haven, fifth, 242; Plainwell, sixth, 244; Three Rivers, seventh, 244; and Vicksburg, eighth, 259.

Once again, Mielke led South Haven's team with 49. She was followed by Abby Bocock, 64; Makenzie Marr, 66; Jina Patel, 67; and Sarah Helm, 69.

With four jamborees complete, Mielke is ranked number 4 in the conference, averaging 46.5 strokes per outing.

Erin Taylor of Three Rivers is the conference leader, averaging 44 strokes.

Cardinals stay ahead of Vikings in league soccer match

By TRIBUNE STAFF

Bangor's soccer team probably felt like it was getting kicked around this past week after suffering two losses to cross-town rival Bloomingdale and Hartford.

The Vikings traveled to Bloomingdale, Monday, where they came up short, 5-2, against a determined Cardinals squad.

“Unfortunately, for the Vikings, it wasn't our day,” said Bangor coach Antonio Robles. “A few mistakes and a continuous struggle of a low roster were evident. The boys just couldn't find the net and come out with the win.”

Both teams are similar in composition – many are Latinos – and most of them know each other.

“We've had very close games against Bangor in the last three years,” said Bloomingdale Coach Mark Case. “Two of the last three went to a shoot-out...They (members of the two teams) know each others' weaknesses and strengths.”

But Monday's match didn't come down to the wire.

The Cardinals' first goal came from Kalub Harris, who scored in the seventh minute of play.

But Bloomingdale's second goal didn't come until late in the first half, when Noah Perez kicked the ball in the net.

After halftime, the Cardinals notched their third score with a hard shot by Rodrigo Salazar, who was assisted by Harris.

The Vikings' offense then came alive when Ernesto Nieva found the goal in the 12th minute of the second half, but Harris answered back three minutes later with his second goal of the game.

The Vikings' second goal came on a penalty kick from Nieva who kicked the ball in the back of the net, but the Cardinal offense wasn't quite finished. Salazar notched his second goal to push the final score to 5-2.

Bangor's second game was Wednesday against a strong Hartford team that shut out the Vikings, 5-0.

We knew our game versus Hartford was going to be a struggle,” Robles said. It would be one of our hardest games this season, but we still wanted to give it our best and come out with a good result. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. We managed to keep up with them for 60 minutes of the game, but we got careless with 20 minutes left in the first half. This match showed us how good we can be, but also, how careless we can get. Even though we lost, I saw a big improvement from the previous game.”







8.28.17

Rams falter in opening game of the season

By FARAH GREEN

For the Tribune

A strong first quarter attack helped Sturgis topple South Haven, 41-12, Thursday, in a Wolverine conference football season opener.

The Trojans racked up 506 offensive yards in the contest, highlighted by a 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Avery Cleveland to Brecken Stewart and a 38-yard touchdown run from Korbin Whitcomb in the first quarter.

Sturgis led by 21-6 at the start of the second quarter. The Rams' touchdown came from freshman Brendan Petty. Petty scored again for the Rams in the second quarter, however the Trojan’s Cleveland hit Stewart with a 35-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 43-yard touchdown run from Tre Fuller to give Sturgis a 35-12 lead by halftime.

The Trojan defense disallowed South Haven to score in the second half, and Whitcomb scored a one-yard touchdown with 46 seconds remaining in the contest. Fuller then made good on three extra points.

South Haven's momentum was stalled throughout the contest by several turnovers, including two interceptions and three fumbles, while accumulating 268 offensive yards.

Despite the less-than-stellar start against Sturgis, South Haven has experience on its side this season being the fourth consecutive season under the direction of coach Troy Ayotte.

The Rams finished with a record of 4-5 last year.

The Rams return nine starters from last season including Marcus Guinn and Richard Souder who will share time between guard and defensive end positions, and Jalen Smith as linebacker. Smith led in tackles last season and is joined by Tyce Covey, also at outside linebacker. Jordan Hinz starts at tackle, and Angel Pena moves to running back and outside linebacker for the Rams.

Griffin Rooker plays wide receiver and corner, while Josh Rainer returns as center and defensive end.

South Haven travels to Plainwell on Thursday for the next contest.

PHOTO: South Haven senior Angel Pena out-sprints Sturgis defender Jacob Carpenter during Friday's game at Ratcliffe Field in South Haven. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Bangor debuts in new conference; Cassopolis proves too much for young Vikings

By FARAH GREEN

For the Tribune

Cassopolis shut out Bangor in Friday's non-conference football season opener, 49-0. The game marks the debut of the new athletic conference, Southwest 10, which was implemented this fall.

On Friday, the Rangers dropped 28 points in  the first period and 21 points in the fourth to  seal the landslide victory, while a small Bangor team struggled to gain footing.

Although Friday’s game had a rocky start to the season, Bangor hopes to improve from last season's 0-9 record with the direction of new coach, Travis Farris.

Farris was head coach at Martin from 2013-15 and was an assistant coach for Bangor last year, and hopes to build up numbers and longevity for the program.

The Vikings return just six players from last season's team including seniors Evan Siler, Brett Robertson, and Mario Garcia.  Robertson and Siler play safety on defense, and Garcia plays linebacker position, while Senior Richard Malhum plays center and defensive end.

Junior Shawn Cox returns as the starting quarterback and freshman newcomer Lupe Reyna, plays linebacker and safety.

Cassopolis and Mendon are expected to be the top teams in the new Southwest 10 Conference which includes former SAC schools Hartford, Eau Claire, Decatur, Bloomingdale, Marcellus, and Bangor along with former BCS schools Centreville, Mendon, White Pigeon, and Cassopolis.

The two remaining SAC teams - Lawrence and Martin- have moved to the Lakeshore division, thus eliminating the Central Division of the SAC. The SAC Lakeshore division now includes seven teams, while the SAC Valley division remains unchanged.

The BCS blue division has been eliminated with the departure of its four remaining teams, as New Buffalo has moved to the White division and Bronson has joined the Big Eight Conference. Covert also joins the BCS White, making it a total of 8 teams in the division.

The football divisions are arranged differently as opposed to the other sports, however the new SAC and BCS have two divisions each.

As for Bangor and Bloomingdale, time will tell how the new conference will settle this football season.

Bangor travels to Hartford on Friday, continuing Southwest 10 action.

PHOTO: Bangor quarterback Shawn Cox is about to be tackled by Dylan Green of Cassopolis in the first half of Friday night's season opener at Viking stadium. (Photo by John Madill)

South Haven girls take 2nd at St. Joe Invitational

By FARAH GREEN

For the Tribune

ST. JOSEPH — South Haven sophomores Holli Dannenburg and Katie Schooley powered their way to second and fourth places in the freshman-sophomore race to help South Haven place second overall, at Tuesday's St. Joseph Invitational cross country meet.

Dannenburg and Schooley scored six points in the freshman-sophomore race while twins Cate and Marie Frost's scored 25 points for the South Haven effort (12. Cate Frost 20:52, 13. Marnie Frost 21:02.)

Ana Gonzalez also finished strong for the Rams with a time of 24:04, followed by  Karlie Woodall (24:13), Hayden Rooker (24:44), Summer Corke (28:45),  and Jordan Taylor (30:49).

Portage Northern won the girl's meet overall with 24 points, followed by South Haven with 31, St. Joseph 34, Battle Creek Lakeview 45, and Otsego with 49 to round out the top five teams.

"This is a very strong young team that continues to work hard each and everyday. This cross country season is going to be exciting," said South Haven coach Lindsay Haqq.

In the boys meet, Otsego won with 17 points, followed by Kalamazoo Central with 27, Portage Northern in third with 43, St. Joseph with 43, and Battle Creek Lakeview placed fifth with 44 points.

Joe Nelson led the Rams in the junior and senior race with a time of 19:52 for 28th place, while River Fitch placed 29th at 19:53. In the freshman and sophomore race, Brian Thompson finished 21st at 20:42, and Maddox Uckele finished at 30th place in 21:25.

The South Haven cross country teams will compete on Tuesday, September 5th at Three Rivers for the next contest.

Boys

Team scores — 1. Otsego 17, 2. Kalamazoo Central 27, 3. Portage Northern 43, 4. St. Joseph 43, 5. Battle Creek Lakeview 44, 6. Grand Rapids South Christian 45, 7. Berrien Springs 48, 8. Holland 52, 9. Vicksburg 66, 10. Holland Black River 72, 11. Lakeshore 81, 12. Mattawan 100, 13. Kalamazoo Christian 102, 14. Kalamazoo Hackett 103, 15. Sturgis 105, 16. South Haven 108.

Girls

Team scores — 1. Portage Northern 24, 2. South Haven 31, 3. St. Joseph 34, 4. Battle Creek Lakeview 45, 5. Otsego 49, 6. Grand Rapids South Christian 52, 7. Holland Black River 64, 8. Holland 69, 9. Vicksburg 69, 10. Sturgis 75, 11. Lakeshore 80, 12. Kalamazoo Hackett 81, 13. Berrien Springs 90, 14. Mattawan 99, 15. Kalamazoo Central DNF and Kalamazoo Christian DNF.

PHOTO: South Haven's Cate Frost finishes in 13th place during the girls junior/senior race. (Photo by Don Campbell)

Rams place third at league jamboree

South Haven golfers made a good showing at the first Wolverine Conference jamboree of the season at HawksHead Golf Links in Casco Township.

The host Rams placed third, Monday, behind Sturgis and Three Rivers, who placed first and second, respectively.

"We surprised ourselves, in a nice way,” said Rams coach Barry Shanley.

Erin Taylor of Three Rivers was the top medalist with a 39. Rebecca Franklin of Dowagiac came in second with 41, while Carley Mielke of South Haven earned a 42 for a third-place finish. Her teammate, Dani Bidol, tied with Heidi Hines of Three Rivers for tenth place with a 52.

Shanley said his team had hoped for more young players this year to fill out its roster.

“Of the five eighth graders on our middle school team last year, only one, Abby Bocock, is playing golf this year.”

Despite the disappointment, Shanley was not disappointed in how the Rams played at its first league jamboree of the season.

“Carley Mielke is a college-bound, very dedicated team captain and player. Dani Bidol shot about where we should expect, which was nice.  Makenzie Marr had an off day, broke her driver hitting the ball so hard on her first hole of play...and struggled to hit it straight off the tee after that,” Shanley said. “Abby is improving in leaps and bounds.  She was 20 strokes lower for 9 holes than her first event late last week, and I believe if she sticks with golf she'll be a super player. We have a new player to golf, freshman Jina Patel, who is picking this up faster than anyone I can remember in my 35 seasons overall. 

Team results for the jamboree follow: 1. Sturgis, 19;, 2. Three Rivers, 212; 3. South Haven, 216; 4. Allegan, 218; 5. Dowagiac, 226; 6. Otsego, 233; 7. Vicksburg, 255; 8. Plainwell, 293.

South Haven's results: Carley Mielke, 42; Dani Bidol, 52; Makenzie Marr, 60; Abby Bocock, 62; and Sarah Helm, 73.







8.14.17

Covert won't be fielding a football team this fall

By JASON MITCHELL

H-P Sports Editor

High school football practice officially started statewide this past week, but not in Covert.

The Bulldogs’ athletic director Tray Cursciel wasn’t sure last month whether or not he’d be able to field a team this fall. This past week, he officially confirmed that there’d be no varsity squad this season.

“We will not be having high school football this fall due to low numbers,” he told me in an email. “We are turning our focus to the middle school program to rebuild for the future.”

Indeed, the most recent list of eight-man football teams in Michigan does not include Covert. There are 61 eight-man teams listed, 59 of which are eligible for postseason play.

Covert, with a MHSAA 2017-18 enrollment of 96 students, hasn’t had a winning season since going 5-3 in 2002.

The school didn’t field a team from 2011-2014, and has managed just one on-the-field victory since.

At one point, Covert had Michigan Lutheran on the schedule twice this fall, but the Titans have a full schedule posted that doesn’t include Covert.

MHSAA releases data from 2016-17 concussion report

The Michigan High School Athletic Association has completed its second year of collecting head injury reports from member schools as it continues to build data that will assist in identifying trends and progress being made to reduce the incidence of head injuries in school sports.

The 2016-17 concussion report found an 11 percent decrease in the number of confirmed concussions from the previous year. Athletes at MHSAA member high schools encountered during 2016-17 a total of 3,958 head injuries – or 5.2 per member school, similar but lower than the 2015-16 average of 5.9.

Total participation in MHSAA sports for 2016-17 was 283,625 – with students counted once for each sport he or she played – and only 1.4 percent of participants experienced a head injury; that percentage in 2015-16 was 1.6.

However, MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said that while it’s significant to note the similarity in those statistics over the first two years of injury report collection, the lower percentages in 2016-17 don’t necessarily represent a trend – that conclusion can only be made after more data is collected in years to come.

Some differences in data from the first year to the second could be the result of schools’ increased familiarity with the reporting system, the refinement of the follow-up reporting procedure and other survey error that is expected to decrease with future surveys.

“Our first survey in 2015-16 raised some initial themes, and the data we collected this past year and will continue to collect will help us identify the trends that will guide our next steps in reducing head injuries in interscholastic athletics,” Roberts said in a news release. “However, the necessity for more data to determine these trends should not delay our efforts to experiment with more head protection and modified play and practice rules in contact sports like ice hockey, soccer, wrestling and lacrosse – which all ranked among the top 10 sports for numbers of head injuries per thousand participants.

“We will continue to look for ways to make our good games better and our healthy games safer, and the collection of this data will continue to prove key as we work toward those goals.”

Following a first mandate to do so in 2015-16, member schools again were required to report head injuries to the MHSAA identifying the sport that each student-athlete was participating in and whether the injury was sustained during practice or competition.

As with the first year of reporting, the MHSAA received data from more than 99 percent of its member high schools after the fall, winter and spring seasons and continued to track each injury report through its conclusion this summer. Member junior high and middle schools also were allowed, although not mandated, to report their potential head injuries; and those findings are not part of the published report.

Although the total number of confirmed concussions was significantly lower in 2016-17, a number of findings detailing those injuries fell in line with results of the 2015-16 survey.

Boys experienced 2,607 – or 66 percent – of those injuries, nearly the same ratio as 2015-16 and as boys participation in sports, especially contact sports, remained higher than girls. More than half of head injuries – 55 percent – were experienced by varsity athletes, which also fell within a percent difference of last year’s findings.

A total of 2,973 head injuries – or 65 percent – came in competition as opposed to practice. More than half took place during either the middle of practice or middle of competition as opposed to the start or end, and 52 percent of injuries were a result of person-to-person contact. The largest percentage of athletes – 27 percent – returned to activity after 6 to 10 days, while 23 percent of those who suffered head injuries returned after 11-15 days of rest. All of these findings were within 1-4 percent of those discovered

from the 2015-16 data.

Contact sports again revealed the most head injuries. Ranking first was football, 11 and 8-player combined, with 44 head injuries per 1,000 participants – a decrease of five head injuries per 1,000 participants from 2015-16. Ice hockey repeated with the second-most injuries per 1,000, with 36 (down two injuries per 1,000 from 2015-16), and girls soccer was again third with 28 head injuries per 1,000 participants (also down two from the previous year).

In fact, after football and hockey, the next four sports to show the highest incidences of head injuries were girls sports – girls soccer followed by girls basketball (23 per 1,000), girls competitive cheer (22) and girls lacrosse (20). Although girls basketball moved up from fifth to fourth for highest ratio, it did see a decline of six injuries per 1,000 participants from 2015-16.

Schools report possible concussions online via the MHSAA Website. Reports are then examined by members of the MHSAA staff, who follow up with school administrators as those student-athletes continue to receive care and eventually return to play. Student privacy is protected.

The reporting of possible concussions is part of a three-pronged advance by the MHSAA in concussion care begun during the 2015-16 school year. The MHSAA completed this past spring (2017) the largest-ever state high school association sideline concussion testing pilot program, with a sample of schools from across the state over the last two years using one of two screening tests designed to detect concussions. The second year of the pilot program (201617) allowed participating schools to use the sideline detection tests in all sports but mandated they be used in sports (11 total over three seasons) showing the highest prevalence of concussions.

The full report is available on the health and safety page of the MHSAA website at www.mhsaa.com.

— From the Michigan High School Athletic Association

8.7.17

Dorow chases Major League dream

Former South Haven, Adrian College shortstop drafted by Texas Rangers

By AARON CRIDER

H-P Sports Writer

Ryan Dorow’s professional baseball career has just begun.

Taken by the Texas Rangers in the 30th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, the ex-South Haven baseball player is trying to make a name for himself in the Arizona Rookie League as part of the AZL Rangers. 

“I’ve been playing a lot. Other than off days, I’ve been in the lineup every day,” said Dorow. “I’m at the ballpark just about every day. It’s nice. It keeps you in the rhythm and gets you in front of as many eyes as possible.”

Since being drafted, Dorow has started in 21 games with 66 at-bats. He’s managed 21 hits with 13 runs and holds a .333 batting average. 

After graduating from South Haven in 2013, Dorow went on to play at Adrian College, where he was a four-year starter at shortstop. He holds a career total of 267 hits—a school record—with 23 home runs and 179 runs total. 

He also played in the Northwoods League, a summer collegiate wooden bat circuit, as part of the Battle Creek Bombers. He started 56 games and held a .293 batting average before an injury forced him out.

“I think the wooden league helped out a lot,” said Dorow. “We traveled a lot and it’s gotten me used to the atmosphere and this lifestyle. You never know when you are going to get called up or it might be your last day at the ballpark.”

Even though Dorow was drafted as a shortstop, the Rangers have him bouncing around multiple positions.

“I’ve been playing mostly second and third base,” he said. “I’ve also played left field, which is new for me. It’s new, but enjoyable.”

Dorow’s draft call came after a long three-day stretch of watching and waiting. A time that he spent virtually glued to the computer screen. 

“It was stressful. I was trying to stay calm, which was hard. I got a couple calls early in the third day and then nothing happened,” he said. “We got to the 30th round and I was wondering if it was going to happen. I was checking the computer to see if my name was going to come through. I got up from the computer and my name popped up. My dad told me I was picked up.

“I was excited. I think it’s every young baseball player’s dream (to be drafted),” Dorow continued. “Whether it starts sooner or later, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and I’m very thankful that I have the opportunity to do it. 

“The Rangers have a great reputation of taking care of their players. I’ve been taken care of very well. I’m glad to be part of an organization that loves baseball. I’m glad to be part of a club that rewards hard-working players. The Rangers are a great fit for me. The future looks bright.”

PHOTO: Ryan Dorow is shown at bat playing for Olivet College this past spring. (Photo by Tom Renner)

7.31.17

State cross-country champs reunite

South Haven High School's 1992 cross-country team, which won the Class B state champion, got together for their 25th reunion earlier this month. The 1992 team was the first Rams cross-country team to win a state championship. The team was led by four seniors and a sophomore who, along with one junior and a freshman, worked hard to accomplish their goals. From left are Kevin Hartgerink, Chris Lewis, Brian Nordin, David Antonson, Nate Lewis, Eddy Foley and Andy Anderson. The event was hosted by the Larry Lewis family at their home.

7.17.17

State runner-up volleyball team reunites for 40th anniversary

By FARAH GREEN

For the Tribune

A special reunion took place at the South Haven Historical Association last Sunday, which was 40 years in the making.

South Haven’s 1977 volleyball team, which finished as runner-up in the Michigan High School Athletic Association state competition, held a reunion along with their former coach Dene Hadden on Sunday, July 9.

“The athletes worked hard, and learned fast," said Hadden as he recalled his years coaching that team.  They knew the game and respected each other, and I think they had a lot of fun." said Hadden, who coached volleyball South Haven for 17 years.

The team took home the first state tournament-level trophy ever won by a women’s team in South Haven school history. Ever the adventurous group, the teammates arrived for the reunion from locations all across the country including Texas, Georgia, Minnesota, Colorado, Washington and even from the Big Apple itself, New York. 

“They were great kids and they’ve grown up to be great adults. That’s just one of the things I think athletics helps with, to grow confidence. This team has grown up to be top-notch women. They were fun to coach, and just to get to see them and share some memories was great,” said Hadden. 

The 1977 South Haven volleyball team finished their season with an impressive 25-1 record. The reception included cake, punch, the runner-up trophy, and copies of news articles, and the scorebooks of that final match. 

Diane Skuza of South Haven was a junior at the time her team won the trophy, and also attended the reunion and helped with its planning.

“Dene set it up through Facebook, and there were some names that he couldn't get but was able to contact many through brothers, sisters, and other family. Three players we couldn't get, as one had passed away and the other two were out of town," said Skuza.

"It was great to see people I haven't seen in thirty-plus years and it felt just like yesterday when I saw them. So, I really applaud Dene for making the effort. We had people come from Oregon, Maryland, Georgia, so many places,  so it was really special to have so many of us there.”

Skuza also remembers that final game vividly, recalling how Sturgis took home the title, and beat her team in the Regional finals the following year. However, the fact remains that her team will forever remain etched in school history, breaking ground for women's sports at South Haven.

Another former player in attendance was Libby Edson, who was a sophomore on the 1977 team.

"It has been quite awhile since we've all been together, but all but a few people. It was like no time has passed since we were such a close knit team," Edson said.

"We haven't changed a bit in terms of how much we love each other."

Edson credits Hadden for setting an early foundation for the success she has achieved in her life 

"What really stood out for me was what we learned that season from our coach. We had such a successful season, even though volleyball was just introduced in 1976. Dene didn't have much experience in coaching volleyball at the time, other than playing recreational. So he did that first season (1976), and we played in basketball uniforms and basketball converse shoes," said Edson with a laugh.

 Volleyball was introduced as a sport in 1976 at South Haven High School, following the implementation of Title 9.

"He then attended a camp with some of the best coaches, and threw himself into it, and brought everything he learned to us. He helped us fall in love with the game, and encouraged us — he worked us really hard, but he did it so kindly. He coached us beyond what we thought we were capable of. "

It was only the second year of Hadden's volleyball program at South Haven that his team achieved a 25-1 record.

"He expected so much from us on and off the court, which set us up for success,” Edson said. “We are all doing well, and I can't help but to think that he gave us some of that foundation."

Edson  herself went on to play volleyball at the University of Montana, and a few more women from Hadden's team played college volleyball as well.

"Now I teach yoga to college and high school athletes, and now I realize going back (to the reunion), that some of the techniques I learned from him,” Edson said. “It was so wonderful seeing all of them. I've been smiling ever since. We didn't know we were making history, and we had so much fun doing so."

The original trophy the team received previously resided at South Haven High School, but will now be housed at the Historical Association of South Haven museum.



6.19.17

Reliving a historic moment

A group of women who made history for South Haven High School's female sports programs 40 years ago, will be honored in July. The Lady Rams 1977 volleyball team was the first female sports team from South Haven to make it all the way to the state finals. They settled for runner-up honors and ended the season with a 25-1 record. The former team and their coach, Dene Hadden, will be recognized at a reception at 1 p.m., Sunday, July 9 at the Historical Association of South Haven's museum, located in historic Hartman School, 355 Hubbard St. During the ceremony the team and coach will donate news articles and scorebooks from their 1997 season. There will also be refreshments available.



Coaches and managers, please feel free to send us results of your games and matches to southhaventribune@yahoo.com