Zeeland West senior tight end Marshall Johnson (8) celebrates his fourth-quarter touchdown reception against Niles last Friday night. Joining Johnson in the celebration are Dux teammates Eli Chavez (78), Mason Myers (50), Jace Henry (68) and Niko Moungkhoun (21).
Photo credit Angela Howe Creations
Photo credit Angela Howe Creations
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland West varsity football team showed last Friday night that it’s not ready to relinquish its crown as the defending Division 3 state champions.
The Dux came from behind with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to stun previously unbeaten Niles, 30-21, to advance to this Friday’s district final against St. Joseph at Dickinson Field.
West improved to 7-3 with its first playoff win under first-year head coach Jeff Bolhouse, while the Vikings, who had their first perfect regular season since 1979, finished with a 9-1 mark.
Niles took the opening kickoff and drove 59 yards in seven plays, with senior running back Elijah Norris compiling nearly all of the yardage on the drive. Norris’ 7-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-2 staked the Vikings to an early 7-0 lead.
Niles threatened to add to their lead later in the first quarter, driving inside the West 30-yard-line. But on the Vikings’ first pass attempt of the game, junior defensive back Logan Nash came up with a game-changing play for the Dux, picking off Will Turnbull’s pass at the West 16, the first of his two interceptions for the game.
West then drove 84 yards in 14 plays, consuming more than seven minutes off the clock. A 15-yard pass from junior quarterback Drew Albrecht to Nash on a fourth-and-6 highlighted the drive. Junior Brandon Holman finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, then ran in the two-point conversion to give the Dux their first lead at 8-7 with 8:17 remaining in the first half.
Niles regained the lead with a little more than two minutes left in the half as Norris scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run. Norris then caught a pass from Turnbull for the two-point conversion, and the Vikings led 15-8 at halftime.
West put together another methodical drive to start the second half. Holman finished off the 80-yard, 12-play drive with his second touchdown of the game, a 4-yard run. The two-point conversion failed, and Niles hung on to a 15-14 lead.
The Vikings came back late in the third quarter with a 58-yard, nine-play drive to add to their lead. Brandon Walsh hit paydirt from three yards out. West stopped the two-point conversion attempt, but Niles led 21-14.
The Dux responded with an 80-yard, seven-play drive to take the lead for good early in the fourth quarter. And it was the passing game that came up big.
On second-and-3 from the Niles 42 and with the Vikings gearing up to stop the run, Albrecht threw deep to senior Marshall Johnson, a former offensive guard who was moved to tight end this season. Johnson caught the ball at the 18 and outran the Niles secondary to the end zone for his first career touchdown. Albrecht then connected with junior Niko Moungkhoun for a two-point conversion pass to put West in the lead at 22-21 with 10:09 to play.
The Dux recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff at the Niles 23. But the Vikings held and took over on downs.
The West defense responded with a three-and-out where Niles lost yardage on all three plays, capped by a Jonah Leslie sack on third down. The Dux got good field position after the punt at the Niles 42.
West then put the game away with a classic grind-it-out drive, running the ball on nine consecutive plays. Leslie scored on a 5-yard touchdown run with 3:23 remaining. Holman then ran in the two-point conversion to give the Dux a two-score lead at 30-21.
West outgained Niles 330-276 for the contest, rushing for 261 yards on 58 attempts. Leslie pounded out 118 yards on 24 carries while Holman toted the rock 20 times for 77 yards. Albrecht completed three of five passes for 69 yards and the go-ahead touchdown, and added 38 rushing yards on four carries.
Junior Jace Henry led the West defense with 12 tackles, six of them solos, while Holman had seven stops.
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland West varsity football team showed last Friday night that it’s not ready to relinquish its crown as the defending Division 3 state champions.
The Dux came from behind with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to stun previously unbeaten Niles, 30-21, to advance to this Friday’s district final against St. Joseph at Dickinson Field.
West improved to 7-3 with its first playoff win under first-year head coach Jeff Bolhouse, while the Vikings, who had their first perfect regular season since 1979, finished with a 9-1 mark.
Niles took the opening kickoff and drove 59 yards in seven plays, with senior running back Elijah Norris compiling nearly all of the yardage on the drive. Norris’ 7-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-2 staked the Vikings to an early 7-0 lead.
Niles threatened to add to their lead later in the first quarter, driving inside the West 30-yard-line. But on the Vikings’ first pass attempt of the game, junior defensive back Logan Nash came up with a game-changing play for the Dux, picking off Will Turnbull’s pass at the West 16, the first of his two interceptions for the game.
West then drove 84 yards in 14 plays, consuming more than seven minutes off the clock. A 15-yard pass from junior quarterback Drew Albrecht to Nash on a fourth-and-6 highlighted the drive. Junior Brandon Holman finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, then ran in the two-point conversion to give the Dux their first lead at 8-7 with 8:17 remaining in the first half.
Niles regained the lead with a little more than two minutes left in the half as Norris scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run. Norris then caught a pass from Turnbull for the two-point conversion, and the Vikings led 15-8 at halftime.
West put together another methodical drive to start the second half. Holman finished off the 80-yard, 12-play drive with his second touchdown of the game, a 4-yard run. The two-point conversion failed, and Niles hung on to a 15-14 lead.
The Vikings came back late in the third quarter with a 58-yard, nine-play drive to add to their lead. Brandon Walsh hit paydirt from three yards out. West stopped the two-point conversion attempt, but Niles led 21-14.
The Dux responded with an 80-yard, seven-play drive to take the lead for good early in the fourth quarter. And it was the passing game that came up big.
On second-and-3 from the Niles 42 and with the Vikings gearing up to stop the run, Albrecht threw deep to senior Marshall Johnson, a former offensive guard who was moved to tight end this season. Johnson caught the ball at the 18 and outran the Niles secondary to the end zone for his first career touchdown. Albrecht then connected with junior Niko Moungkhoun for a two-point conversion pass to put West in the lead at 22-21 with 10:09 to play.
The Dux recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff at the Niles 23. But the Vikings held and took over on downs.
The West defense responded with a three-and-out where Niles lost yardage on all three plays, capped by a Jonah Leslie sack on third down. The Dux got good field position after the punt at the Niles 42.
West then put the game away with a classic grind-it-out drive, running the ball on nine consecutive plays. Leslie scored on a 5-yard touchdown run with 3:23 remaining. Holman then ran in the two-point conversion to give the Dux a two-score lead at 30-21.
West outgained Niles 330-276 for the contest, rushing for 261 yards on 58 attempts. Leslie pounded out 118 yards on 24 carries while Holman toted the rock 20 times for 77 yards. Albrecht completed three of five passes for 69 yards and the go-ahead touchdown, and added 38 rushing yards on four carries.
Junior Jace Henry led the West defense with 12 tackles, six of them solos, while Holman had seven stops.
East Season Ends with Loss to St. Joseph
Zeeland East senior Kolter Rotman (0) catches a 13-yard touchdown pass from junior Will Drnek during last Friday’s playoff game against St. Joseph, as Bears’ defensive back CJ Scott (21) was unable to prevent the catch. Rotman caught six passes for 48 yards in the game.
Photo credit Andrea Brink Photography
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
A shorthanded Zeeland East varsity football team battled valiantly last Friday in its Division 1 playoff opener in St. Joseph.
The defense stood tall most of the game, but the Chix offense could only muster one touchdown as they dropped a 20-6 decision to the Bears at Dickinson Field.
East finished the season with a 6-4 record, while St. Joseph will take a 6-4 record into this Friday’s district final against Zeeland West at home.
The Chix played without at least 15 players who were sidelined by injuries, most notably their game-breaking junior wide receiver, Isaiah Boonstra, and their leading tackler on defense, senior linebacker Ben DeLost, who both suffered knee injuries in the Oct. 24 regular-season finale against Hamilton.
St. Joseph held East on downs on the opening series of the game, taking over at its own 47-yard-line. The Bears needed seven plays to drive 53 yards, with quarterback Caden LeClear scoring on a 20-yard run. The extra point was no good, but St. Joseph had the early lead at 6-0.
The Bears had a chance to open up a two-score lead on their next possession. A 77-yard run by Brayden Malone put the ball at the East 8-yard-line. But two plays later, the Chix forced a fumble, and junior Josiah Norman recovered at the 6.
East would capitalize on the turnover. A 33-yard run by junior running back Payton Sackett and three passes from junior quarterback Will Drnek to junior wide receiver Coby Miller highlighted a 94-yard, nine-play drive. Drnek connected with senior wideout Kolter Rotman on a 13-yard touchdown strike to tie the game at 6-6 with 20 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The point-after kick was wide left.
St. Joseph responded with a 71-yard, 10-play drive after the East touchdown. Ish Dixon ran 16 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, then added a two-point conversion run. The Bears led 14-6 at halftime.
East had a chance to pull even in the third quarter, driving to the St. Joseph 7. A 20-yard run on a jet sweep by senior Isaiah Strom highlighted the drive. But Drnek was sacked for a 6-yard loss on first down, and the Bears defense forced two incompletions, including a fourth-down breakup in the end zone, to stymie the East scoring threat.
The St. Joseph defense came up with another big stop with about six minutes remaining, as Nate Schmitt intercepted a Drnek pass on fourth down. The Bears converted on a fourth-and-2 moments later, and would go on to score the clinching touchdown on a 25-yard run by Landynn Peterson with 2:38 remaining.
St. Joseph outgained Zeeland East 320-215 for the contest, including 301 yards on the ground.
Drnek led East with a 16-for-24 performance through the air for 121 yards. Miller caught nine passes for 65 yards while Rotman hauled in six receptions for 48 yards. Sackett led the Chix ground game with 54 yards on eight carries.
Zeeland Record
A shorthanded Zeeland East varsity football team battled valiantly last Friday in its Division 1 playoff opener in St. Joseph.
The defense stood tall most of the game, but the Chix offense could only muster one touchdown as they dropped a 20-6 decision to the Bears at Dickinson Field.
East finished the season with a 6-4 record, while St. Joseph will take a 6-4 record into this Friday’s district final against Zeeland West at home.
The Chix played without at least 15 players who were sidelined by injuries, most notably their game-breaking junior wide receiver, Isaiah Boonstra, and their leading tackler on defense, senior linebacker Ben DeLost, who both suffered knee injuries in the Oct. 24 regular-season finale against Hamilton.
St. Joseph held East on downs on the opening series of the game, taking over at its own 47-yard-line. The Bears needed seven plays to drive 53 yards, with quarterback Caden LeClear scoring on a 20-yard run. The extra point was no good, but St. Joseph had the early lead at 6-0.
The Bears had a chance to open up a two-score lead on their next possession. A 77-yard run by Brayden Malone put the ball at the East 8-yard-line. But two plays later, the Chix forced a fumble, and junior Josiah Norman recovered at the 6.
East would capitalize on the turnover. A 33-yard run by junior running back Payton Sackett and three passes from junior quarterback Will Drnek to junior wide receiver Coby Miller highlighted a 94-yard, nine-play drive. Drnek connected with senior wideout Kolter Rotman on a 13-yard touchdown strike to tie the game at 6-6 with 20 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The point-after kick was wide left.
St. Joseph responded with a 71-yard, 10-play drive after the East touchdown. Ish Dixon ran 16 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, then added a two-point conversion run. The Bears led 14-6 at halftime.
East had a chance to pull even in the third quarter, driving to the St. Joseph 7. A 20-yard run on a jet sweep by senior Isaiah Strom highlighted the drive. But Drnek was sacked for a 6-yard loss on first down, and the Bears defense forced two incompletions, including a fourth-down breakup in the end zone, to stymie the East scoring threat.
The St. Joseph defense came up with another big stop with about six minutes remaining, as Nate Schmitt intercepted a Drnek pass on fourth down. The Bears converted on a fourth-and-2 moments later, and would go on to score the clinching touchdown on a 25-yard run by Landynn Peterson with 2:38 remaining.
St. Joseph outgained Zeeland East 320-215 for the contest, including 301 yards on the ground.
Drnek led East with a 16-for-24 performance through the air for 121 yards. Miller caught nine passes for 65 yards while Rotman hauled in six receptions for 48 yards. Sackett led the Chix ground game with 54 yards on eight carries.
East’s Raab Earns All-State Honors at Cross Country Finals
Adalyn Raab
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Zeeland East sophomore Adalyn Raab earned All-State honors with a ninth-place individual finish at the Michigan high school Division 1 girls cross country finals Saturday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Raab posted a time of 17 minutes, 42 seconds over the 5-kilometer course at MIS. East finished 25th in the team standings with a score of 556 points. Ann Arbor Pioneer won the meet with 96 points.
Senior Taryn DiLaura was the next fastest runner for the Chix, finishing 128th in 19:33. Rounding out the top five runners for East were Meredith Cook (20:18.7), Megan Kuzma (20:36.7) and Emily Graves (20:51.2).
Zeeland West runners Caralyn Elkins and Tessa Albrecht also ran in the finals. Elkins, a sophomore, finished 73rd in 18:56.0, while Albrecht, a freshman, posted a time of 19:42.4.
Holland Christian won the girls Division 2 title for the first time in school history, defeating Otsego by six points with a team score of 113. Avery Engbers led the Maroons with a sixth-place finish in 18:05.0, followed by Eliana Stob (17th, 18:29.1), Annika Stob (33rd, 18:45.1), Layla Geurink (42nd, 19:03.8) and Ellery Lampen (54th, 19:17).
Holland Christian placed sixth at the boys Division 2 finals. Grant Lampen led the Maroons with a 56th-place finish in 16:23.6, followed by Zander Stewart (80th, 16:36.0), Macen White (85th, 16:38.5), Will Johnson (91st, 16:40.8) and Landon Gerritsma (101st, 16:44.2).
Chix Sweep Dutch in Final Regular Season Match
The Zeeland East varsity volleyball team picked up its 30th win of the season Oct. 29 in its regular-season finale, sweeping Holland 25-7, 25-13, 25-11.
The Chix (30-4) finished second to Holland Christian in the O-K Black with a conference record of 10-2.
Junior outside hitter Lizzie Risdon led East with 14 kills and nine digs. Sophomore middle blocker Ava Geerlings added nine kills. Sophomore setter Kyla Kuiper dished out 16 assists and served up three aces. Senior setter Elyse Smith also had 16 assists in the match. Senior defensive specialist Jordan Inosencio led the Chix in digs with 15 while senior defensive specialist Mahalia Vis added 10.
Zeeland West, meanwhile, split two matches last Thursday at the Calvin Christian quad, falling to the host Squires 19-25, 25-13, 25-20, then bouncing back to defeat Wayland 25-20, 26-24.
The Chix and Dux both played semifinal matches in the Division 1 district at Byron Center on Wednesday. Results of those matches were not available at press time but will be published in the Nov. 13 edition of the Zeeland Record.
The Chix (30-4) finished second to Holland Christian in the O-K Black with a conference record of 10-2.
Junior outside hitter Lizzie Risdon led East with 14 kills and nine digs. Sophomore middle blocker Ava Geerlings added nine kills. Sophomore setter Kyla Kuiper dished out 16 assists and served up three aces. Senior setter Elyse Smith also had 16 assists in the match. Senior defensive specialist Jordan Inosencio led the Chix in digs with 15 while senior defensive specialist Mahalia Vis added 10.
Zeeland West, meanwhile, split two matches last Thursday at the Calvin Christian quad, falling to the host Squires 19-25, 25-13, 25-20, then bouncing back to defeat Wayland 25-20, 26-24.
The Chix and Dux both played semifinal matches in the Division 1 district at Byron Center on Wednesday. Results of those matches were not available at press time but will be published in the Nov. 13 edition of the Zeeland Record.
