By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Both of Zeeland’s varsity football teams will hit the road Friday night to begin state playoff action.
Zeeland East (6-3) will visit St. Joseph to face the host Bears (5-4), while defending Division 3 state champion Zeeland West (6-3) faces a stern test as the Dux travel to unbeaten Niles (9-0). Kickoff for both games is 7 p.m.
The Chix closed out the regular season last Friday with a hard-fought 28-21 victory over Hamilton, while the Dux fell to Division 5 powerhouse Grand Rapids West Catholic, 28-16.
East’s victory came at a heavy price, as five Chix were injured in the second half of the game, including junior quarterback Will Drnek, junior wide receiver Isaiah Boonstra and senior linebacker Ben DeLost. Drnek was able to return to the game, but Boonstra, East’s leading receiver, and DeLost, the leading tackler for the Chix, were not. Their status for Friday’s contest was unknown at press time.
“I think we had 12 season-ending injuries coming into the game. Then we lose five kids to some degree - bam, bam, bam,” East coach Joe Woodruff said after the game. “There were some pretty serious, pretty freakish injuries … But the way our kids responded to it, I was very, very proud of that. I told them after the game that we hope they learned a life lesson of overcoming adversity and being able to fight through adversity.”
The Hawkeyes, coached by 2010 Zeeland East graduate Zach Harbison, took the opening kickoff and marched 68 yards in 11 plays to open the scoring. Hudsen Hulst threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Klaus Reister to give Hamilton the early 7-0 lead.
The Chix came right back on their first possession. Boonstra took a swing pass from Drnek and turned it into a 58-yard catch-and-run to put the ball in the red zone. Boonstra finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep.
The extra-point kick was no good, leaving East behind 7-6.
The Chix struck for two touchdowns in the final three minutes of the first half. Senior wide receiver Kolter Rotman scored on a 12-yard run, then caught a two-point conversion pass from Drnek to put East back in the lead at 14-7.
After forcing a Hamilton punt, East got another big play as Drnek connected with Boonstra for a 52-yard gain. Following a pass interference penalty, senior Isaiah Strom, on just his second carry of the season, scored on a 15-yard run, and the Chix led 20-7 at the half.
Hamilton cut the lead to 20-14 midway through the third quarter, but East took advantage of a botched fake punt to score the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter. Senior running back Peyton Davis squeezed into end zone from the one, followed by a two-point conversion, to give the Chix a 28-14 lead with 7:51 remaining.
The Hawkeyes pulled to within seven on a touchdown pass with a little than three minutes left, but East held on for the win.
Drnek completed 14 of 17 passes for 227 yards to lead the Chix, while Boonstra caught seven passes for 161 yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with his injury.
Meanwhile, the Dux started strong against a West Catholic team that entered the game No. 2 in the Division 5 playoff points standings. West took the opening kickoff and methodically moved the ball 90 yards in 16 plays, taking up 9:45 of the clock.
Junior quarterback Drew Albrecht capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to senior Jonah Leslie. Junior Brandon Holman ran in the two-point conversion and the Dux had an early 8-0 lead.
West Catholic came back with a 63-yard drive on its first possession. Grady Augustyn threw the first of his three touchdown passes in the game, a 12-yard connection to Cal Peterson, to cut the West lead to 8-7 early in the second quarter.
Collin Abram gave the Falcons their first lead later in the second quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run. But West answered before the end of the half.
Holman finished off a 63-yard, nine-play drive for the Dux with a 3-yard touchdown run with 1:09 remaining in the half, then ran in the two-point conversion. West led 16-14 at halftime.
The Falcons struck quickly on the opening drive of the second half to take the lead for good. West Catholic needed just three plays to go 65 yards, with Augustyn finding Owen Hunter for a 10-yard touchdown pass, giving the Falcons a 22-16 lead.
Then with just under nine minutes remaining, Augustyn threw his third touchdown pass, this one for 50 yards, to put the game out of reach.
West finished the contest with 287 yards of total offense, including 231 yards rushing on 55 attempts.
Holman led the Dux with 157 yards rushing on 30 carries, while Albrecht completed 5 of 10 passes for 56 yards. Leslie rushed for 52 yards on 13 carries and caught three passes for 38 yards. Junior Taoufik Semia led the defense with seven tackles, including five solo stops.
Zeeland Record
Both of Zeeland’s varsity football teams will hit the road Friday night to begin state playoff action.
Zeeland East (6-3) will visit St. Joseph to face the host Bears (5-4), while defending Division 3 state champion Zeeland West (6-3) faces a stern test as the Dux travel to unbeaten Niles (9-0). Kickoff for both games is 7 p.m.
The Chix closed out the regular season last Friday with a hard-fought 28-21 victory over Hamilton, while the Dux fell to Division 5 powerhouse Grand Rapids West Catholic, 28-16.
East’s victory came at a heavy price, as five Chix were injured in the second half of the game, including junior quarterback Will Drnek, junior wide receiver Isaiah Boonstra and senior linebacker Ben DeLost. Drnek was able to return to the game, but Boonstra, East’s leading receiver, and DeLost, the leading tackler for the Chix, were not. Their status for Friday’s contest was unknown at press time.
“I think we had 12 season-ending injuries coming into the game. Then we lose five kids to some degree - bam, bam, bam,” East coach Joe Woodruff said after the game. “There were some pretty serious, pretty freakish injuries … But the way our kids responded to it, I was very, very proud of that. I told them after the game that we hope they learned a life lesson of overcoming adversity and being able to fight through adversity.”
The Hawkeyes, coached by 2010 Zeeland East graduate Zach Harbison, took the opening kickoff and marched 68 yards in 11 plays to open the scoring. Hudsen Hulst threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Klaus Reister to give Hamilton the early 7-0 lead.
The Chix came right back on their first possession. Boonstra took a swing pass from Drnek and turned it into a 58-yard catch-and-run to put the ball in the red zone. Boonstra finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep.
The extra-point kick was no good, leaving East behind 7-6.
The Chix struck for two touchdowns in the final three minutes of the first half. Senior wide receiver Kolter Rotman scored on a 12-yard run, then caught a two-point conversion pass from Drnek to put East back in the lead at 14-7.
After forcing a Hamilton punt, East got another big play as Drnek connected with Boonstra for a 52-yard gain. Following a pass interference penalty, senior Isaiah Strom, on just his second carry of the season, scored on a 15-yard run, and the Chix led 20-7 at the half.
Hamilton cut the lead to 20-14 midway through the third quarter, but East took advantage of a botched fake punt to score the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter. Senior running back Peyton Davis squeezed into end zone from the one, followed by a two-point conversion, to give the Chix a 28-14 lead with 7:51 remaining.
The Hawkeyes pulled to within seven on a touchdown pass with a little than three minutes left, but East held on for the win.
Drnek completed 14 of 17 passes for 227 yards to lead the Chix, while Boonstra caught seven passes for 161 yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with his injury.
Meanwhile, the Dux started strong against a West Catholic team that entered the game No. 2 in the Division 5 playoff points standings. West took the opening kickoff and methodically moved the ball 90 yards in 16 plays, taking up 9:45 of the clock.
Junior quarterback Drew Albrecht capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to senior Jonah Leslie. Junior Brandon Holman ran in the two-point conversion and the Dux had an early 8-0 lead.
West Catholic came back with a 63-yard drive on its first possession. Grady Augustyn threw the first of his three touchdown passes in the game, a 12-yard connection to Cal Peterson, to cut the West lead to 8-7 early in the second quarter.
Collin Abram gave the Falcons their first lead later in the second quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run. But West answered before the end of the half.
Holman finished off a 63-yard, nine-play drive for the Dux with a 3-yard touchdown run with 1:09 remaining in the half, then ran in the two-point conversion. West led 16-14 at halftime.
The Falcons struck quickly on the opening drive of the second half to take the lead for good. West Catholic needed just three plays to go 65 yards, with Augustyn finding Owen Hunter for a 10-yard touchdown pass, giving the Falcons a 22-16 lead.
Then with just under nine minutes remaining, Augustyn threw his third touchdown pass, this one for 50 yards, to put the game out of reach.
West finished the contest with 287 yards of total offense, including 231 yards rushing on 55 attempts.
Holman led the Dux with 157 yards rushing on 30 carries, while Albrecht completed 5 of 10 passes for 56 yards. Leslie rushed for 52 yards on 13 carries and caught three passes for 38 yards. Junior Taoufik Semia led the defense with seven tackles, including five solo stops.
Runners Qualify for Girls State Finals
The Zeeland East girls cross country team and two runners from the Zeeland West girls team will run in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 finals that will take place this weekend.
The Chix finished third among 14 teams at the Division 1 regional meet at Portage Central last Saturday with 92 points, while the Dux were fourth with 147 points. West Ottawa won the regional with 56 points while the host Mustangs were second with 67 points.
The state Division 1 girls finals will take place Saturday at 2:10 p.m. at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Zeeland West finished fifth in the boys regional with 141 points while Zeeland East finished 14th with 392 points. Kalamazoo Central won the regional with 58 points.
East sophomore Adalyn Raab ran away with the girls individual regional title to lead the Chix qualifying effort. Raab completed the 5-kilometer course in 18 minutes, 4.01 seconds, more than 14.5 seconds faster than runnerup Collette Wierks of West Ottawa.
Senior Meredith Cook finished 13th for East with a time of 19:24.02. Rounding out the top five runners for the Chix were senior Taryn DiLaura (23rd, 20:05.52), senior Megan Kuzma (25th, 20:09.50) and senior Libby Post (30th, 20:19.45).
Sophomore Caralyn Elkins and freshman Tessa Albrecht will represent West at the state finals after qualifying runs at the regional. Elkins finished 11th in 19:12.81 while Albrecht placed 15th in 19:37.52.
Finishing among the top five runners for the Dux were junior Kaila Keeler (20th, 20:00.85), junior Rowan Sloothaak (50th, 21:26.85) and senior Evie Kleinheksel (51st, 21:37.72).
In the boys regional, senior Keagan Smith led West with a 16th-place finish in 16:05.39. Freshman Bryson Hassevoort finished 26th in 16:36.46, followed by senior Ethan Dalman (28th, 16:36.99), senior Rob Dodd (34th, 16:42.58) and senior Reid Cousins (37th, 16:46.00).
East junior Nate Davis finished 57th with a time of 17:12.54. Sophomore Nico DiLaura finished 82nd in 18:23.90, followed by sophomore Levi Groenhout (83rd, 18:26.31), junior Tristen Hinson (85th, 18:28.64) and senior Josiah Muller (86th, 18:53.06).
The Chix finished third among 14 teams at the Division 1 regional meet at Portage Central last Saturday with 92 points, while the Dux were fourth with 147 points. West Ottawa won the regional with 56 points while the host Mustangs were second with 67 points.
The state Division 1 girls finals will take place Saturday at 2:10 p.m. at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Zeeland West finished fifth in the boys regional with 141 points while Zeeland East finished 14th with 392 points. Kalamazoo Central won the regional with 58 points.
East sophomore Adalyn Raab ran away with the girls individual regional title to lead the Chix qualifying effort. Raab completed the 5-kilometer course in 18 minutes, 4.01 seconds, more than 14.5 seconds faster than runnerup Collette Wierks of West Ottawa.
Senior Meredith Cook finished 13th for East with a time of 19:24.02. Rounding out the top five runners for the Chix were senior Taryn DiLaura (23rd, 20:05.52), senior Megan Kuzma (25th, 20:09.50) and senior Libby Post (30th, 20:19.45).
Sophomore Caralyn Elkins and freshman Tessa Albrecht will represent West at the state finals after qualifying runs at the regional. Elkins finished 11th in 19:12.81 while Albrecht placed 15th in 19:37.52.
Finishing among the top five runners for the Dux were junior Kaila Keeler (20th, 20:00.85), junior Rowan Sloothaak (50th, 21:26.85) and senior Evie Kleinheksel (51st, 21:37.72).
In the boys regional, senior Keagan Smith led West with a 16th-place finish in 16:05.39. Freshman Bryson Hassevoort finished 26th in 16:36.46, followed by senior Ethan Dalman (28th, 16:36.99), senior Rob Dodd (34th, 16:42.58) and senior Reid Cousins (37th, 16:46.00).
East junior Nate Davis finished 57th with a time of 17:12.54. Sophomore Nico DiLaura finished 82nd in 18:23.90, followed by sophomore Levi Groenhout (83rd, 18:26.31), junior Tristen Hinson (85th, 18:28.64) and senior Josiah Muller (86th, 18:53.06).
Zeeland Girls Swimming Honors Seniors
The Zeeland girls swimming team defeated Unity Christian 108-77 Oct. 21 on Senior Night at the Zeeland West natatorium.
Zeeland honored its seven seniors prior to the meet. They are Madison Ensing, Anna VanDyken, Paige Davis, Grace Shoemaker, Peyton Weenum, Addison Mishler and Jossalyn Wolters.
Ensing won two individual events for Zeeland, as did sophomore Natalie Lauritzen. Ensing won the 100-yard freestyle in 53.14 seconds and the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:08.67. Lauritzen was first to the wall in the 200-yard individual medley (2:12.58) and the 100-yard backstroke (:58.16).
Davis won a close race in the 100-yard butterfly by 0.2 seconds in 1:03.98 while Weenum took the 500-yard freestyle in 5:39.24.
Zeeland swept all three events, taking the 200 medley relay (1:55.70), 200 freestyle relay (1:42.07) and 400 freestyle relay (3:52.92).
Zeeland honored its seven seniors prior to the meet. They are Madison Ensing, Anna VanDyken, Paige Davis, Grace Shoemaker, Peyton Weenum, Addison Mishler and Jossalyn Wolters.
Ensing won two individual events for Zeeland, as did sophomore Natalie Lauritzen. Ensing won the 100-yard freestyle in 53.14 seconds and the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:08.67. Lauritzen was first to the wall in the 200-yard individual medley (2:12.58) and the 100-yard backstroke (:58.16).
Davis won a close race in the 100-yard butterfly by 0.2 seconds in 1:03.98 while Weenum took the 500-yard freestyle in 5:39.24.
Zeeland swept all three events, taking the 200 medley relay (1:55.70), 200 freestyle relay (1:42.07) and 400 freestyle relay (3:52.92).
East Volleyball Falls to HC in First-Place Battle
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
For the second time this season, the Zeeland East volleyball team battled through a five-set match with Holland Christian.
And for the second time, the Maroons came from behind to win the match, clinching a share of the O-K Black Conference championship in the process.
Holland Christian overcame a two-sets-to-one deficit Monday night to defeat the Chix on East’s home floor, 23-25, 25-15, 20-25, 25-18, 15-12.
The loss dropped East to 9-2 in the O-K Black Conference and 29-4 overall, while the Maroons improved to 10-1 in the conference and 24-8 overall. The Chix played Holland Wednesday night in their final regular-season match before next week’s district tournament.
East got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 10-3 lead in the first set. Holland Christian twice battled back to within a single point at 15-14 and 24-23, but sophomore Ava Geerlings delivered a kill to clinch the set for the Chix.
Holland Christian got its attack going in the second set, finding holes in the East defense. The Maroons scored the first five points and never let up in taking the set 25-15.
The third set was closely fought, with the teams tied at 17-17. Back-to-back kills by juniors Lizzie Risdon and Bri Cole, along with a pair of aces by senior defensive specialist Jordan Inosencio, ignited an 8-3 run to give East a two-sets-to-one lead.
Holland Christian came back in the fourth set, racing to a 10-2 lead. East got no closer than five points as the Maroons tied the match.
Holland Christian jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the fifth and deciding set and took its biggest lead at 12-6. But the Chix had one final run left, scoring six of the next seven points, capped by a Risdon crosscourt kill to cut the HC lead to 13-12.
But the Maroons sealed the match on back-to-back kills by Brooklyn Phelps and Allison Lamer.
“These girls played with their heart, and they played with everything they got,” East coach Sara Mulder said after the match. “We saw some really good glimpses of things. I think it’s good to recognize that, especially going into postseason play. We need to tweak a few things, and we’re right there.”
Risdon led East with 27 kills and 19 digs in a losing cause. Cole had eight kills and five blocks. Inosencio led the Chix in digs with 18 and served up four aces. Kyla Kuiper had 26 assists and Elyse Smith 24.
Lamer led the Maroons with 16 kills and 11 digs, while Kate Van Appledorn added 15 kills and five blocks. Sophie Terpstra had 11 digs and dished out 47 assists.
Zeeland East and Zeeland West will play in the semifinals of the Division 1 district at Byron Center next Wednesday. The Dux will face the host Bulldogs in the first contest at 5 p.m., followed by the Chix facing the winner of next Monday’s district opener between West Ottawa and Holland at 7 p.m. The semifinal winners will face each other at 6 p.m. next Thursday for the district championship.
Zeeland Record
For the second time this season, the Zeeland East volleyball team battled through a five-set match with Holland Christian.
And for the second time, the Maroons came from behind to win the match, clinching a share of the O-K Black Conference championship in the process.
Holland Christian overcame a two-sets-to-one deficit Monday night to defeat the Chix on East’s home floor, 23-25, 25-15, 20-25, 25-18, 15-12.
The loss dropped East to 9-2 in the O-K Black Conference and 29-4 overall, while the Maroons improved to 10-1 in the conference and 24-8 overall. The Chix played Holland Wednesday night in their final regular-season match before next week’s district tournament.
East got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 10-3 lead in the first set. Holland Christian twice battled back to within a single point at 15-14 and 24-23, but sophomore Ava Geerlings delivered a kill to clinch the set for the Chix.
Holland Christian got its attack going in the second set, finding holes in the East defense. The Maroons scored the first five points and never let up in taking the set 25-15.
The third set was closely fought, with the teams tied at 17-17. Back-to-back kills by juniors Lizzie Risdon and Bri Cole, along with a pair of aces by senior defensive specialist Jordan Inosencio, ignited an 8-3 run to give East a two-sets-to-one lead.
Holland Christian came back in the fourth set, racing to a 10-2 lead. East got no closer than five points as the Maroons tied the match.
Holland Christian jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the fifth and deciding set and took its biggest lead at 12-6. But the Chix had one final run left, scoring six of the next seven points, capped by a Risdon crosscourt kill to cut the HC lead to 13-12.
But the Maroons sealed the match on back-to-back kills by Brooklyn Phelps and Allison Lamer.
“These girls played with their heart, and they played with everything they got,” East coach Sara Mulder said after the match. “We saw some really good glimpses of things. I think it’s good to recognize that, especially going into postseason play. We need to tweak a few things, and we’re right there.”
Risdon led East with 27 kills and 19 digs in a losing cause. Cole had eight kills and five blocks. Inosencio led the Chix in digs with 18 and served up four aces. Kyla Kuiper had 26 assists and Elyse Smith 24.
Lamer led the Maroons with 16 kills and 11 digs, while Kate Van Appledorn added 15 kills and five blocks. Sophie Terpstra had 11 digs and dished out 47 assists.
Zeeland East and Zeeland West will play in the semifinals of the Division 1 district at Byron Center next Wednesday. The Dux will face the host Bulldogs in the first contest at 5 p.m., followed by the Chix facing the winner of next Monday’s district opener between West Ottawa and Holland at 7 p.m. The semifinal winners will face each other at 6 p.m. next Thursday for the district championship.
Chang Named Zeeland Girls Lacrosse Coach
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Zeeland Athletics has announced the hiring of Meghan Chang at its new varsity girls lacrosse head coach.
Chang, a 2025 graduate of Calvin University, replaces Brooke VanderStelt in charge of the Zeeland program.
A native of Clarksburg, Md., Chang played three seasons for the Calvin women’s lacrosse team. This past season, she was named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s Defensive Player of the Year and was a first team All-MIAA selection. She was a second team All-MIAA selection in 2024.
A team captain for the Knights, Chang scored 34 goals and added a team-high 26 assists for 60 points during the 2025 season. She led the team in draw controls with 108 and caused turnovers with 35. She finished her career as Calvin’s all-time leader in caused turnovers with 89. She also added 83 goals and 50 assists in 51 games during her three years with the Knights.
In addition to her playing career, Chang has a strong foundation in coaching. She has worked with East Grand Rapids’ youth program, leading seventh and eighth grade girls teams. She has also coached club lacrosse in Maryland as well as with Balance Lacrosse in West Michigan.
"I’m ecstatic to be joining Zeeland athletics as the girls lacrosse coach,” Chang said in a prepared statement. “As a recently retired college player, I’m eager to share my passion and knowledge of the game with Zeeland’s student-athletes, assisting with the development of their lacrosse IQ and helping to foster a genuine love for the sport within the community. I’m already so impressed with the facilities and support here at Zeeland. I can’t wait to get started.”
Zeeland Record
Zeeland Athletics has announced the hiring of Meghan Chang at its new varsity girls lacrosse head coach.
Chang, a 2025 graduate of Calvin University, replaces Brooke VanderStelt in charge of the Zeeland program.
A native of Clarksburg, Md., Chang played three seasons for the Calvin women’s lacrosse team. This past season, she was named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s Defensive Player of the Year and was a first team All-MIAA selection. She was a second team All-MIAA selection in 2024.
A team captain for the Knights, Chang scored 34 goals and added a team-high 26 assists for 60 points during the 2025 season. She led the team in draw controls with 108 and caused turnovers with 35. She finished her career as Calvin’s all-time leader in caused turnovers with 89. She also added 83 goals and 50 assists in 51 games during her three years with the Knights.
In addition to her playing career, Chang has a strong foundation in coaching. She has worked with East Grand Rapids’ youth program, leading seventh and eighth grade girls teams. She has also coached club lacrosse in Maryland as well as with Balance Lacrosse in West Michigan.
"I’m ecstatic to be joining Zeeland athletics as the girls lacrosse coach,” Chang said in a prepared statement. “As a recently retired college player, I’m eager to share my passion and knowledge of the game with Zeeland’s student-athletes, assisting with the development of their lacrosse IQ and helping to foster a genuine love for the sport within the community. I’m already so impressed with the facilities and support here at Zeeland. I can’t wait to get started.”
