02-28-2019 Tri-City Area Sports

Andrews resigns varsity football head coach position after 13 years

On Monday afternoon Coach Jeremy Andrews gathered his football team in his classroom at Watervliet High School. Early meetings aren’t unusual, but this one was called to let them know he was resigning as their coach to take a job as the offensive coordinator for the Lakeshore Lancers football program.

EAD COACH… Jeremy Andrews steps down at WHS. Coach Andrews had 13 successful seasons as a Watervliet Panther.

The announcement shocked the students, and they came out of the meeting texting their friends and parents who were just as shocked. Most parents saw Andrews as a sure thing to rebuild the Panthers and return them to the playoffs in a couple years.

Andrews compiled an 87-47 record in his 13 years as the head varsity football coach at Watervliet, with a third of those losses coming in his first and last seasons. In an unprecedented string of success at Watervliet his teams won three district championships and earned trips to the playoffs eight times. Under his leadership the team won eight conference titles and had two undefeated regular seasons.

Andrews brought the Panthers a high flying spread offense, designed to score early and score often. It worked, and every offensive school record is held by one of his players. The Panther offense became a scoring machine, typically averaging around 50 points a game, often scoring 28 points in the first quarter. He has a hill to climb as he joins a Lakeshore team that scored 91 points during the entire 2018 season.

Andrews says that his family was a big factor in the decision to move. He has young children and switching to an assistant position gives him a lot more time to be a part of their lives. He will remain a teacher at Watervliet.

Asked for a comment, Jeremy said:

“To all Watervliet players (current and former), parents, and community members: “Stepping down as your head coach is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I have done it for so long it has become a part of who I am. These last 13 years have been full of great memories, great relationships, and great people. The players and coaches I have been fortunate enough to work with have made an indelible impression on my life. I hope to have made a positive impact on theirs as well. While I will no longer be the head football coach at Watervliet High School, the relationships and memories will live on.

“We were fortunate to have had quite a bit of success over these past 13 years. We could not have done it without a supportive administration, parents who supported the program, coaches who did all that I asked (and more), and of course players who bought in and gave everything they had. While I’m proud of what we accomplished, I’m more proud that we did it the right way. We followed the rules, hopefully got better as people, and I think made our school and community proud.

“Thank you to the entire community for being such great supporters of mine and of the Watervliet Football program over the years. It has truly been one of the great experiences of my life.”

Thank you Coach and good luck!

Lady Panthers fall to South Haven

The Watervliet girls’ basketball team hosted South Haven on Monday, February 18 and came out on the losing end 46-30.

The girls fell behind 14-6 in the first quarter, and despite playing good defense they hit just one basket in the second quarter and trailed at the half 22-8. They saved their best shooting for the final quarter when they scored 14 points, but the Rams kept pace and the Panthers weren’t able to make up any ground before time expired.

Celina Klimkiewicz and Victoria Smith led the scoring with six points each. Emma Yazel and Ally Pazera scored five points apiece. Sabrina Klimkiewicz scored four points. Serena Reyna scored three points, and Brittney Porphir scored one point.

This week’s play includes a rescheduled Senior Night on Monday, Feb. 25, when they host Lake Michigan Catholic. The following night is away to Michigan Lutheran, and then they travel to Schoolcraft for the final regular-season game on Thursday.

Shorthanded boys basketball takes on Holland Calvary

The boys hosted the Holland Calvary Crusaders on Monday, February 18. The Panthers dressed just eight players with sophomore guard Kade Van Neil out due to an illness.

The Panthers jumped out to an 18-10 lead in the first quarter, and then extended the lead in the second quarter to 31-20. After halftime the Panther shooting cooled off and the Crusaders dialed in the three-pointers, hitting six. The Panthers held onto the lead while being outscored in the third quarter 15-8, but they couldn’t hold on as the Crusaders pulled away in the fourth quarter to win by a score of 52-45.

Andrew Chisek hit a trio of three-pointers on his way to scoring 19 points. Omar Cardoso was hot early, scoring all of his eight points in the first quarter. Dylan Lawson and Curtis White each scored six points, while Kris Lenox and Curtis White each scored three points.

Boys lose to South Haven

The Panthers hosted the South Haven Rams on Tuesday, Feb. 19 in their final home game of the 2018-19 season. The senior players, cheerleaders, and dance team were honored then played and cheered and performed for the last time in the Panther gymnasium.

The still-shorthanded Panthers held the Indians to just 13 points in the second half, but couldn’t get the shots to fall late in the game and lost 39-34.

On the bright side the Panthers were 17 of 24 from the free throw line, hitting 70% for their most prodigious foul line output of the season so far.

Andrew Chisek continued his hot streak and led the Panthers with 23 points, including three from beyond the arc. Kenny Russell hit one three-pointer and finished with seven points. Senior Austin Roberts also scored seven, while seniors Omar Cardoso and Kris Lenox each scored five points. Curtis White scored four points, and Cole Pline scored two points.

Panther Boys Basketball at Coloma

The Panther boys’ basketball team took on the Comets on February 22 in the regular-season finale for both teams. The tough and experienced Comets beat the Panthers 77-37 with a balanced attack and solid defense. The only bright spot was the Panther defensive scheme holding the Comet scoring machine Zach Goodline to a season-low 12 points. Otherwise the Comets were just too strong and deep for the young Panthers.

Andrew Chisek led all scorers with 15 points. Dylan Lawson, Omar Cardoso, Danaveon Gilbert, and Kenny Russell each scored four points. Kris Lenox scored three, Austin Roberts scored two, and Kade Van Neil hit a single free throw.

The Panthers finish the regular season at 1-17, and will have played Bangor in the district opener by press time.

Panther girls at Coloma

The Lady Panthers also played at Coloma last Friday, in a contest that wasn’t decided until the end of the third quarter. The girls started strong, jumping out to a 6-0 lead early as Elaine Koshar showed off a solid outside shot. The Comets came back from that early deficit to take a 20-19 lead at the half.

POWER UP… Coloma’s Megan Neubecker fights to get a shot off Friday night against the visiting Watervliet Panthers in a SAC match-up. Defending under the hoop is Elaine Koshar. Neubecker would contribute 11 points and 13 rebounds in the Comet cause as Coloma soared to a 42-31 victory. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

 The Panthers didn’t score in the second half until 1:25 in the third quarter, meanwhile the Comets scored 12 to take a 32-21 lead. That lead was the final difference as the Comets won 42-31.  Victoria Smith scored a season-high 13 points. Celina Klimkiewicz scored 10, and Elaine Koshar scored eight

March Madness begins this week for high school sports: Coloma Comet teams and individuals looking to win state championships

As this week marks the beginning of the end for the Coloma High School winter sports season, Comet fans will have plenty to cheer for this week, as the varsity girls bowling team is seeking their second state championship, they also have three individuals who qualified for the state individual finals. The Comets have three wrestlers looking for individual state crowns, and the boys’ basketball team begins district tournament play.

Boys’ basketball ends regular season with 2 more wins

The Comet boys’ basketball team began district play this week, and they went into their second season with a ton of confidence, built on ending the season with a 10 game winning streak and having won 15 of their last 16 games.

LOFTY LAYUP… Coloma senior guard Kenny Crowder drives to the hoop for a layup Friday night as the Comets faced off against visiting Watervliet. Crowder scored a team high 15 points in the 77-37 win over Watervliet, as Coloma captured the Southwestern Athletic Conference – Lakeshore Division crown with a 9-1 conference record. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The Comets started the season slowly with a couple of close losses and losing three of their first four. After a mid-season loss to Benton Harbor, the number one ranked team in the state, the boys from Coloma finished strong by winning the final 10 games on the schedule, and the outright conference championship in the Lakeshore Division of the SAC.

The Comets began last week with a Wednesday win at Schoolcraft, a makeup from an earlier game postponed by the weather, by the score of 61-48. Coloma was led by Zach Goodline, who put 26 more points in the books, including two baskets from 3-point land. Phil Caldwell helped out with 14 points including four shots from downtown. Michael Dancer had five points and eight rebounds. Zach also contributed nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals.

The Comets then ended the regular season with a home win Friday night against their neighbor from Watervliet by a final score of 77-37. Coloma coach Paul Marfia started the game with the five seniors from the roster, and had also brought up five members from the JV team.

The Comets started slowly and missed many early open looks, but led after the first quarter by a 15-10 score. Then on the strength of the Comet defense, turning the Panthers over time and again they had a comfortable half time lead of 39-23. Coach Marfia substituted freely throughout the game, and played the seniors for much of the night. With the conference championship locked up previously, he had that option.

All of the players from the regular season roster scored in the game, and it was the most balanced scoring the Comets have showed all season. Zach Goodline added 12 to his career total, which now stands at 2,179. Zach would need 32 more points to surpass Richie Jordan from Fennville, who is the all time leading scorer from Southwest Michigan. Jordan scored 2,210 points and stands in 12th place all time in the state of Michigan; he played from 1962-65.

With about five minutes to go in the game, Coach Marfia began subbing for his seniors, bringing each to the bench one at a time so as to give the crowd a chance to show their appreciation for the years of work they have put in, and honor them one last time on the home court. The last to come off the floor was Zach Goodline and the Comet faithful certainly showed their appreciation. The last couple of minutes were played by all five of the JV players, as the fans were given a little glimpse of what the future will look like on the Comet hardwood.

The Comets finish the regular season with an overall record of 16-4, and finished 9-1 in the league. The Comet boys are competing for a district crown this week, and could get another chance to face Benton Harbor, when the district title would be on the line.

Comet girls go 1-1 falling to Schoolcraft and defeating the Panthers

The Comet girls’ basketball team fell to Schoolcraft on Wednesday, Feb. 20 by a score of 44-24 at home. Mia Cole scored a season high 10 points to lead the Coloma team. Megan Neubecker scored four points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Megan Koenigshof and Kelsey Ellis also scored four for the Comets.

The Comet Ladies then played at home against the Panthers in a packed home gym on Friday evening. After a slow start they trailed by a 12-4 score before fighting back and taking a 20-19 lead going into the locker room at halftime. The Comets then outscored their Red Arrow neighbor by 12-2 in the third quarter and cruised to the victory.

Coloma coach Kim Swisher said they came out a little flat at the start of the game, but turned up the defensive pressure in the second half and made things very tough on their Watervliet guests. Megan Neubecker had another big game for the home team scoring 11 points, pulling down 13 rebounds, had four steals, and two blocked shots.

Megan Koenigshof also played very well scoring 11 points and had five steals, and Melissa Sherburn added seven points to the Coloma attack.

The Comets are now 6-12 overall and 3-7 in the league. They have two more regular season games before beginning the district tournament.

Coloma girls win Regional bowling tournament, headed to State; Boys bowling ends season short of state competition

The Coloma Comet girls bowled their way to the regional title in impressive fashion, at the M-66 Bowling Alley in Battle Creek on Feb. 22. They now move on to try for a state title at Northway Lanes in Muskegon, this weekend. The Comet girls last won the State Championship in 2010.

The girls total in this team competition was 3,419 and the second place team rolled a score of 3,248. Members of the Comet team are Ashley Ikerd, Emily Feldten, Carissa Richmond, Morgan Hosbein, Paige Burgess, Narelle Hickmon, and Lainey Meader. They are coached by Carley Burrell.

Coloma also had three individuals bowl their way to the state finals where they hope to bring home a champion’s crown. Those individuals are Emily Feldten, Narelle Hickmon, and Lainey Meader.

The Coloma boys’ team, ranked number one in the state, finished the team event in 7th place and failed to qualify for the state championship this weekend.

In the boys individual qualifying Jonathon Swetay and Damien Gomez finished 14th and 15th respectively out of a total of 98 keglers, and narrowly missed the cut to advance to the state finals being held this weekend. The Comet boys end their season, but they had great success and look to continue to build on that in the future. The boys are coached by Sharon Ball.

Coloma Comet wrestlers have three competing this weekend for a state crown

The Coloma wrestlers competing this weekend looking for individual championships are Cole Alsup, a junior, wrestling at 285 has a record of 36-6 on the season and finished in 2nd place in the regional to qualify. Cody Reese a senior at 145 had a record of 34-7 on the season and finished 3rd at regional. Caeleb Ishmael is a Comet freshman. He qualified at 103 pounds and had a season record of 39-8, and also finished in 3rd at regionals to qualify for state.

These three will be competing at Ford Field in Detroit this weekend, Friday and Saturday, March 2 and 3.

 Best of luck to all the Comet individuals and teams competing in the state sponsored tournaments this week.

Hartford Boys Basketball goes 2-1, falls in conference title game

In Tuesday night’s game against Bloomingdale, Hartford rushed out to a 19-point halftime lead and cruised to a 66-51 victory over the Cardinals. The Indians started out hot, outscoring the visiting Cardinals, 25-14, in the first quarter behind nine baskets, including three three-pointers. Offense turned into defense in the second quarter, with both teams looking for baskets, but Hartford managed to extend the lead to 39-20 at halftime behind a 14-9 scoring advantage in the frame.

The second half featured back-and-forth basketball, with the team’s trading baskets. Bloomingdale outscored Hartford in both the third and fourth quarters by a combined 31-27 margin, but the lead the Indians built in the first half allowed them to cruise to the 15-point win.

Aaron Sinclair led the team with a game-high 24 points, including nine baskets, five of which were from behind the arc. He also added 10 rebounds, another team-high. Trey Ackerman was just one point behind Sinclair, as he scored 23 points, including three three-point baskets, while he also grabbed eight boards.

In Wednesday night’s game against Eau Claire, Hartford was dominant once again, leading from start to finish, in scoring a 63-31 victory over the Beavers.

Hartford was paced by a pair of scorers in double-digits, even though many of the starters sat out a majority of the second half. Trey Ackerman was the leading scorer for the Indians, putting up a game-high 19 points, while Aaron Sinclair scored 14 points in the victory.

Those players also scoring for the Indians were Brandon Galvan (9 points), Moses Beraza (5 points), Elijah Ledesma (4 points), Jose Villalobos (3 points), Elijah Rodarte (3 points), Evan De La Rosa (3 points) and Anthony Rodarte (3 points).

In Friday night’s game against Cassopolis for the conference championship, Hartford led for just a small bit of the first quarter, but fell 92-72. Hartford had just a few open looks in the first quarter, with Cassopolis forcing turnovers and contested shots. The host Rangers held a 25-13 lead after the first quarter, and extended it to 44-29 at halftime, thanks to a 19-16 scoring advantage in the second quarter.

 Hartford got back within 10 multiple times in the third quarter, but Cassopolis answered every run with a run of their own.

SURE SHOT… Hartford’s Meghan Deckard readies for a shot at the hoop Wednesday night, Feb. 20 against Eau Claire. The Indians overwhelmed the Beavers 52-3. (Photo courtesy of Angie Johnson of A&A Photography)

Cassopolis also outscored Hartford, 23-20 in the fourth quarter to put away the win. However, the Indians never quit and played 100% the whole way, and the community should be proud of them! Hartford was paced in this game by three scorers in double figures, and at the end of the game, they had scored 55 of the team’s 72 points. Aaron Sinclair led Hartford with 25 points, while Brandon Galvan added 20 points and Trey Ackerman scored 10 points.

After going 2-1 for the week, Hartford’s record moved to 17-3 on the season, and they finished 15-3 in Southwest 10 Conference play. The Indians begin postseason play in the Districts hosted by Niles Brandywine. After receiving a first-round bye, Hartford faces the winner of the game between Watervliet and Bangor on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The results were not available at press time. Should the Indians win that game, they would move to the District Finals on Friday, Mar. 1.

Hartford girls’ basketball goes 1-1 in topsy-turvy week

The Hartford Indian girls’ basketball team took to the hardwood twice last week, as they competed in a pair of conference games. After falling in their lone game the week prior, the Lady Indians fell below .500 for the first time this season. They had a chance to get revenge against Bloomingdale, a team they lost to at home earlier in the year in a close game. They also hosted Eau Claire, a team that came in winless on the season.

In Tuesday night’s game against Bloomingdale, the Lady Indians kept it close all night, but fell to the host Cardinals in a tight-one, 36-32. The first half was played tight the entire way, with neither team having a very large lead. Both teams struggled from the field shooting the ball, and there were many turnovers caused by stifling defense. After one half of play, the score was tied at 11-all, with both teams managing four points in the first quarter and seven points in the second quarter.

Hartford managed to get the lead in the third quarter, and after outscoring Bloomingdale, 10-9 in the stanza, led 22-21 with eight minutes left. However, the host Lady Cardinals took the game over in the fourth quarter, outscoring Hartford, 16-11 in the final frame. The Lady Indians had their chances, but the Lady Cardinals made four free-throws in the closing stretch, and that was the margin of victory.

Hartford was led by Jaelyne Galvan, who was the lone scorer in double-digits with 12 points, all of which came from behind the arc. She also added three assists to her stat line. Nautica Covington scored seven points and dished out four assists, while Megan Nelson added five points and three boards. Mikenzie Chambers did not score in the game, but led the team with 12 rebounds.

Those players also scoring for the Lady Indians were Alexis Snodgrass (4 points), Gillian Kuehnle (2 points) and Descenya Rodarte (2 points). The team finished the game having made 19 two-point baskets, 4 three-point baskets, and was 3-for-6, or 50 percent, from the free-throw line.

In Wednesday night’s game against Eau Claire, Hartford led from start-to-finish and held the Lady Beavers to three points in a 52-3 victory. The Lady Indians led 18-0 after one quarter and 31-0 at halftime. They extended their lead to 41-0 after three quarters and outscored Eau Claire, 11-3, in the fourth and final quarter.

 After splitting the pair of games during the week, Hartford moved to 8-9 on the season, and is now 7-8 in Southwest 10 Conference play. The schedule for this week brings with it the final chapter of the regular season. On Monday, Feb. 25, they hosted neighbor Lawrence in non-conference action, before traveling to Bangor one day later, on Tuesday, Feb. 26 for a conference contest. They will then finish the week on Thursday, Feb. 28 against Cassopolis in conference action, making up a game from a postponement earlier in the season.

Press Box Playerof the week

By Jerrod Birmele

Janell Babcock, a senior at Hartford High School, is this week’s Tri-City Record Press Box Player of the Week.

This winter, Janell has been an integral part of the Hartford Competitive Cheerleading team that improved every competition and made a run at a second straight regional appearance. Serving as the team captain this season, she is the only competitive cheerleader in Hartford history to cheer all four years in high school.

Throughout her high school career, she has been a main flyer and tumbler for the team and with that, she has earned many accolades. In 2018, she was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. This season, she repeated as Most Valuable Player, while also earning All-Conference and 2nd Team All-District honors.

This past fall, Janell also competed on the varsity volleyball team. For the season, she recorded 296 digs (5th highest on the team), served 29 aces (2nd highest on the team) and put away 15 kills (4th highest on the team). In her two year career, she recorded a total of 484 digs, 35 aces, 19 kills and two assists.

Outside of playing sports, Janell excels in the classroom. She was recently named to the first semester Honor Roll at HHS, and is a second-year welding student at the Van Buren Technology Center in Lawrence.

 As one of her coaches put it, “she definitely deserves Press Box Player of the Week”. Congratulations on this great honor, Janell!

One last chance to sign up for Hartford Rec Baseball/ Softball!

Parents and guardians have one last chance to sign up their kids for spring & summer baseball, softball and t-ball programs with the Hartford Council for Recreation!

They have two in-person sign-ups coming up on Thursday, March 7 and Friday, March 8 during Parent-Teacher Conferences at Redwood Elementary. Sign-ups will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on March 7 and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on March 8.

Online registration is open at http://www.hartfordrecreation.org through March 15. Click on the “Online Registration Form” link on the left-hand side of the Home Page under the “Documentation” section. From there is access to the registration form that allows the user to sign up and pay online right from the comfort of their own home.

Parents and Guardians are reminded that payment is due at sign-ups and no exception will be made. The Hartford Council for Recreation accepts cash, check and most major credit and debit cards, including Visa, MasterCard and Discover Card. For families with financial difficulties, sponsorship programs are available. Please speak with a member of the Hartford Council for Recreation for more information on how they can help.

 More information may be found on their website, as well as on social media channels. Follow them on Facebook (Hartford Council for Recreation) or on Twitter (@IndianPridePark) all season long for information and updates.

Bowling fundraiser to benefit Watervliet Rec and WHS Softball

Watervliet Rec Council in partnership with Watervliet High School Softball is holding a fundraiser on Sunday, March 10 at Coloma Lanes. The fundraiser from noon to 4 p.m. offers three games of bowling and shoe rental for $10.

In addition, there will be a 50/50 drawing, raffle items, baked goods and a sloppy joe basket for purchase.

Contact Rec members Arica Angelo at 269-449-5868 or Jessica Clark at 269-449-2296 for tickets. Other Watervliet Rec Council members and Watervliet Varsity and JV softball players also have tickets for sale; call Coach Golden at 269-200-7435.

Proceeds from this event are being split between the two programs.

Coloma Lanes is located at 6025 Mountain Road.