04-30-2020 Tri-City Area Sports

Hartford Rec Baseball / Softball decision coming soon, new sport added

Parents have signed their participants up for baseball, softball, t-ball and the League of Miracles in the highest numbers in recent history, but the recent COVID-19 pandemic has put those plans on hold. There have been questions asked and rumors going around Hartford in regards to the future of the season. However, the truth is this – no official decision has been made, but the expectation is that one is looming in the coming days or weeks.

The Hartford Council for Recreation’s Interlocal Board of Directors met last week and had a lengthy discussion about the topic, and found it best to await further information. This will allow the group to make a rational decision based on the data and facts it has on hand, and will make the best decision possible in the best interest of staff, coaches, players, parents, families, fans and visitors, alike. The health, safety, and well-being of everyone involved are the paramount foundational traits that the organization stands by each and every day. Because without everyone being involved, the organization does not exist.

The Hartford Council for Recreation appreciates the patience and understanding of everyone while they wade through these tough waters. The decision lying ahead is one of the toughest they will ever have to make, so the goal remains to make the right call using all the resources to their advantage. In the meantime, more information can be found on their website (http://www.hartfordrecreation.org), or on their social media channels. Like the organization on Facebook (@HartfordRec) or follow them on Twitter (@IndianPridePark) to get the latest, up-to-date news straight from the leadership.

Despite the hardships the organization faces in the near term, the Hartford Council for Recreation is excited to announce that the group will be taking over leadership of the youth basketball program in the community starting next winter! This decision means that those boys and girls currently playing in the elementary school will come under the council’s umbrella starting with the 2020-21 school year. More plans will be made in the coming months regarding this exciting new endeavor, and they encourage everyone to become involved, and give them their opinion on how they can make this as successful as their other sports.

Hartford Rec once again thanks everyone for supporting them, and they encourage their families to stay home, stay safe and stay healthy during these truly unprecedented times. Everyone must work TOGETHER to make our communities a healthier place to live.

A look back: Hartford senior stories beginning next week

In the previous edition of the Tri-City Record, readers were told that the Hartford Press Box will be taking a look back, and recognizing many great Indian senior student-athletes in the coming weeks and months. We are excited to announce that the process will begin next week, and hope to do as good of job reporting about these great individuals as they have done wearing the green and white on the athletic courts and fields all these years.

Just a friendly reminder that I am asking for everyone’s help in making these future columns special for all those involved. Senior athletes or their parents are encouraged to reach out to me via email at jerrod_birmele@hotmail.com. When you do so, in keeping with the term “student-athlete” please include both athletic and academic accomplishments for publication. We want to document all of the fantastic things your daughter or son has achieved while they have attended Hartford High School.

As always, GO INDIANS!

Watervliet Press Box by John Oliphant

Extended off-season

The only good news in high school sports is that we didn’t have to sit outside in the cold and wet weather last week for meets and games. But as an old Scouting leader used to say, there’s no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing choices. The weather is changing for the better, and while it might be rainy it looks like it’s finally going to warm up a little.

For those of you who will be playing Panther sports next year please reach out and let us know what you’re up to in this extended off-season. How are you staying in shape, what are you doing to prepare for the fall and winter seasons? The football coaches have posted several equipment-free home workouts on the Watervliet Football Facebook page. Edie Daugherty has posted several non-equipment workouts that can be done at home for her volleyball program. All these workouts are suitable for all sports if you don’t have a sport-specific workout of your own. Hopefully the school’s facilities will be open soon for the weightlifting programs and other activities.

Seniors in the spotlight

This week we continue to put the spotlight on seniors, up next is Panther athlete Alex Isbrecht.

Alex finishes his senior year with ten varsity letters. He started his high school athletics career on the cross-country team as a freshman, earning four varsity letters. In his senior year he participated on the new boys’ soccer team as well as cross-country.

His mark on Panther athletics came as a wrestler. He completed his freshman season with a 21-21 record at 112 pounds, and then improved to 26-23 his sophomore season. He finished fourth in the district tournament that year, qualifying for a slot at the regional meet.

His junior year was a good one, finishing 31-18. He finished fourth at the district meet, extending his season but setting him up against the top seed in the regional meet. After losing to that top seed he won two matches before losing again to the same wrestler. That fourth place at the Division 4 regional meet punched his ticket for a spot at the state finals in the 125-pound class, where he went 1-2. The season highlight may have been his tournament championship at Fruitport.

As a senior he grew to the 135-pound class and the team was bumped up to Division 3 due to the growth of the school. He finished 26-14 in his final season after a valiant performance at the Division 3 regional meet against tough competition. The highlight of his senior season was his 100th win, which he earned in front of the home crowd in the Panther gym on Senior Night.

In reflecting on his time as a student-athlete at Watervliet High School, Alex said, “I had a good connection with most of my teachers, but one teacher stood out. I think part of the reason for that was because I never had him as a teacher. Mr. Weber was my coach, but he was also someone who could teach you more than the history that was his job. While cross-country does have some strategy, it is more about getting the most out of the runners because what it comes down to is whether they want to get faster and better, both individually  and as a team.”

Alex plans to attend Grand Valley State University in the fall to study computer science.

Watervliet Press Box wants to write about your Panther senior athlete! Email John Oliphant at tcrpressbox.whs@gmail.com to schedule an interview.

VANDERMOLEN WILL GET HER KICKS AT LMC…. Coloma Comet Emma Vandermolen has signed a letter of intent to play soccer for the Lake Michigan College Red Hawks. Her parents are Lucas and Cindy Vandermolen of Coloma. Emma had intended to sign during her senior season with coaches and team mates with her but the virus would not allow that to take place. Emma is flanked by her brother Ethan on the left and sister Abby on the right, both solid athletes also at Coloma High School.

Coloma Press Box By Dave Vollrath

Honoring Senior Tracksters

It’s only right that we begin to honor our Comet track athletes with Cole Alsup, one of the top honored athletes in Coloma athletic history. Cole was very much looking forward to the 2020 spring track season, which would have been the crowning moment and put a cap on an outstanding athletic career on the Coloma Comet campus.

Cole has been gifted with many athletic attributes, and has been a much honored athlete since his freshman year. Cole says that it really hurts not being able to finish his track career, especially spending the time with fellow teammates and coaches, which he has always enjoyed as a big part of the athletic experience. Cole’s top events were both in the field. He has been one of the top discus and shot putters in Southwestern Michigan, and has been to the State finals. He would have liked to have had one more shot at a state championship, in at least one of his events.

One of Cole’s top attributes, according to his head football coach Joe Stephens, is above the shoulders. He is very strong willed, and unlike many athletes who continue to work on their strengths, Coach Stephens says that Cole constantly worked very hard on his weaknesses. Cole’s work in the classroom is also well above average, as he holds a 3.2 GPA.

Cole was named to the all state team as a lineman following his junior year of football, and has been all state in wrestling and track, as well as multiple all conference selections in all three of his sports. Of all the awards Cole has collected through his Comet career, he is most proud of the fact that he went over the 150 win mark and the 100 pin total during his senior wrestling year. Cole says that wrestling has been his passion and favorite sport, since he was first introduced to the mat, during his eighth grade year, by assistant wrestling coach Todd Smith.

Cole has not finalized all of his plans for after graduation, but he is currently leaning toward starting in an apprenticeship in either welding or machine tool.

Nick Santarlas, another senior member of the Coloma track team, is also a 3-sport athlete who has been a stand out performer all four years as a Comet. Up until this year Nick was mainly entered on the track in the running events. He says he was looking forward to this spring track season because he has been working hard learning to shot put and throw the discus. He claims that he had made great progress and was looking forward to seeing how far he could get in his new events.

In addition to track, Nick also played four years of football – the last two on the Comet varsity. Also, he was an all conference honorable mention bowler, who also qualified to go to the state championship this winter in the singles competition.

Football is Nick’s favorite sport, as he says he loves the way it is played and the adrenaline rush he gets playing it. Nick played at wideout and linebacker, and was named to the all-conference team this past fall. As well as being nominated to the Addix All Star Game. In the words of head football coach Stephens, in talking about Nick says, “Nick always rises to the occasion, and has his biggest moments, in his team’s biggest moment. Nick loves to play sports, and is the guy who always finds others to get a pickup game going.”

Nick is currently working part time at Coloma Harding’s. His plans after graduation are to continue his education starting with two years at Lake Michigan College, and then transferring for two years at Western Michigan University.

Coloma senior track athlete Nathan Strunk says he was definitely disappointed with his senior year of track being canceled because of COVID-19. It would have been his fourth year competing on the track for the Comets. Nathan’s main events were the 100- and 200-meter dashes, and he also ran a leg on the 1600-meter relay.

He was very much looking forward, with his fellow senior teammates, to being the leaders on the team and to help bring the younger members along in sharing their wisdom and experience with them. Personally, Nathan had some high goals for the coming year as he wanted to shave time off from his personal bests, and possibly qualify for the state championship meet.

In addition to track, Nathan says his favorite sport was football, which he participated in two years of junior varsity and two years on the varsity football team. According to head football coach Stephens, Nathan had a successful career because he was an extremely hard worker and someone who paid a great deal of attention to every detail in practices and in poring over game films. Nathan beat his opponent as much with his mind as playing with an overwhelming energy and passion for the game.

Some of Nathan’s favorite memories in his Comet career are, making the football playoffs in his junior year, and going to the regional track meet, also during his junior year. Nathan also has a variety of hobbies, as he loves to go hunting and camping, playing the guitar, and he also makes time for a part time job, currently working at Pizza Hut. Nathan plans to serve our country by joining the U.S. Air Force, following graduation.

Coloma’s Zach Goodline to transfer to Huntington for hoops

Former Coloma Comet standout and all state basketball player Zach Goodline has decided to take his talents and is transferring to Huntington University. While in high school Zach originally had signed to play at Huntington, but ultimately chose to walk on at Oakland University which is a division one university. Huntington has recently hired Kory Alford, the son of Indiana legend Steve Alford, to take over the head coaching duties and Zach will be Alford’s first signed recruit. Alford has a great deal of experience as a D-1 player, and assistant coach, but this will be his first head coaching opportunity.

Coach Alford says that Zach is a fierce competitor, and that he will be a great fit for the Huntington basketball program. In his one year playing at Oakland, Zach began the season as a red shirt, but dropped the red shirt early in the season, and in spite of starting one game, and playing significant minutes in another, he had very limited opportunities on the court to show what he was capable of.

Press Box Player of the Week!

By John Oliphant

Tri-City Record Press Box Player of the Week for April 30, 2020 is Watervliet’s Gus Hinch. Gus finished his athletic career as a Panther at the cross country state championships back in the fall, and has amassed an impressive resume while running in a maroon jersey.

Gus was a key runner on what would have been a dominant long distance crew on the 2020 track team this spring. His best time in the 3200-meter race was 10:40 and ran the 1600-meter (mile) in 4:55.

But cross country is where he made his mark, qualifying for the state finals meet three times. He was on the team for six years under the tutelage of Coach Aaron Weber. Gus credits Weber with teaching him the strategy of a 5k race, including just starting faster.

His best time was 17:15. In 2017 he was All Conference Honorable Mention, a regional medalist, and named the team’s MVP after running in the state finals. In 2018 he earned First Team All Conference honors, was a repeat regional medalist and landed in the middle of the pack at the state finals. In 2019 Gus had teammate Ezra Troyer chasing and pushing him all season and the duo had a fine season together, with both earning First Team All Conference honors, placing near the top of the regional meet, and racing well at the state finals at Michigan International Speedway.

His favorite memories include the state meets late in the season where friends made the trip to MIS to cheer him and Ezra on. Gus said the toughest course he’s run is at Red Bud, where the hills combined with the cold and wet weather make for a brutal race.

Gus plans to help coach the team next year while he works towards his associate’s degree at Lake Michigan College. After that, he’s looking possibly at attending Grand Valley State University to complete a psychology degree.

Congratulations Gus!