Article - High School Sports Scene

By BUTCH HARMON

Thanks to a pair of four-year varsity players, the Holt boys basketball team is off to a strong start this season.

After winning the Capital Area Athletic Conference (CAAC) Blue division last year, the Rams have set their sights on defending that title and on making another deep run in the state tournament in March.

The Rams began the season with a seven-game winning streak. Key to Holt’s fast start has been solid team defense. “Our defense has been pretty good,” said coach Matt Essell. “We have been holding opponents to 54 points per game. We’re guarding people pretty well. We also have a pair of four-year varsity players who are playing really well.”

The four-year veterans give the Rams a strong inside-outside game. Senior Don’quall Jackson (5’10”) plays the point guard position, while Colin Jones (6’4″) is back at power forward.

“Colin is a good inside-outside player,” Essell said. “He has made our second-most three-pointers, and he is also a real good inside player. Don’quall leads us in assists and scoring. They are both four-year players, and they have started the majority of the games during their careers.”

Jackson is one of the Rams’ team captains, as is senior Tyrell Williams (6’3″), who plays a wing position.

“Tyrell leads us in three-pointers, and he is averaging nine points per game,” Essell said. “He is our third top scorer. Combined, the three seniors average about 45 points per game for us.”

While the Rams have a solid core of seniors, they also have some talented young players like freshman post player Jaron Faulds (6’8″). “Jaron just keeps getting better and better,” Essell said. “He has just had two double-figure games in a row. Things are starting to slow down for him on the floor and starting to click for him. He has been a big help for us.”

The improvement of Faulds and the rest of the team will be key for Holt down the stretch this season and going into the tournament, where it hopes to make another deep run.

“We reached the regional finals last year,” Essell said. “We played Grand Rapids Christian, and Drake Harris scored 38 on us and they beat us by five. We got a tough district and anything can happen. We want to win our district and then try to get to the Breslin. That is the big goal for us this year.”

Overall, Essell sees some differences between this year’s squad and last year’s team. “We are not as quick on the perimeter as we were last year,” he said. “This year we are a little longer. We don’t turn teams over as much on defense, but we probably play better team defense. We probably have a little more skill offensively. The guys handle pressure well and can get to the basket.”

One of Holt’s closest wins this year was a double-overtime win against Hudsonville at the Breslin Center during the Holiday Hoops Invitational. Another was the defeat of East Lansing on a buzzer-beating shot by Williams.

“We are trying to get all the parts working at the same time,” Essell said. “Getting that clicking is the biggest challenge. We won some close games this year, and we’ve gutted some out.”

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By BUTCH HARMON – Growing up with a basketball coach for a dad and a pair of athletic older brothers, it should have been no surprise that DeWitt senior guard Natalie Knauf developed into a standout point guard.

A three-year varsity player, Knauf is the floor general for a DeWitt girls’ team that has plenty of balance and is off to a strong start this season.

“Natalie is that person who pushes the tempo for us,” coach Bill McCullen said. “We try to push the tempo with our full-court press, but when the press is not clicking, Natalie knows how to push the tempo.”

Knauf also knows how to get the ball to the open teammate. The Panthers have a balanced offense, led by Hannah Stoll with 11.9 points per game, Abby Nakfoor with nine points, Claudia Reid with 8.1 points, and Lexi Banaszak with eight points.

“We have had different people stepping up and scoring,” McCullen said. “We have a very balanced offense, and that is why I enjoy this team. They are happy to make the extra pass, and that is one of our biggest strengths.”

The fact that the team members get along is crucial to their success. “I think we are having an awesome season,” Knauf said. “Our team chemistry is one of the reasons we are doing real well. This is by far the best team chemistry of any team I’ve been on.”

Having a solid point guard like Knauf also helps develop balanced scoring. “We have several different scoring options, and Natalie does a nice job of running the offense and making us go,” McCullen said. “She has also worked on her shot, and teams have to play her honest. She is capable of knocking down the open three. That has made her a better passer, because teams have to guard her on the perimeter, and that opens things up. She is a tough kid and a hard-nosed kid who does a nice job for us.”

Having older brothers who are athletes helped to develop that toughness. “Her brothers are football players and wrestlers, and they are tough kids,” McCullen said. “Growing up in that family, it helped make her competitive.”

Natalie’s brother Nick currently plays college lacrosse at Indiana Institute of Technology, while her other brother Nate is a wrestler at Campbellsville University in Kentucky. Natalie’s dad Doug Knauf is the head boys’ basketball coach at St. Louis High School.

“I loved growing up and playing sports with my brothers,” Natalie said. “We would always be playing sports in the backyard and playing basketball in the front. My dad has also coached football and basketball for 28 years. It helps having a coach for a father. Whenever we would drive back from an AAU game, he would talk to me about my game, and he would tell me whatever he could to help me improve.”

While Knauf is a standout point guard, basketball is not the sport that she will be playing in college. Also an excellent soccer player, Knauf accepted a scholarship offer to play college soccer at the University of Toledo.

“I’m excited about playing soccer in college,” Knauf said. “It’s something I always wanted to do.”

Before the spring soccer season and college soccer, though, Knauf and her teammates have plenty of basketball to play.

“We are just taking it one game at a time,” Knauf said. “We want to get through districts and then go as far as we can.”

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By BUTCH HARMON

When it comes to combining athletic achievement with excellence in the classroom, few high school athletes do it as well as Alma senior guard Maddy Seeley.

A four-year varsity player for the Panthers, Maddy has been enjoying a memorable senior season.

She kicked off the season in a big way when she scored her 1,000th career point in a 69-44 win over Swan Valley on Dec. 12. After she recorded her 1,000th point, the officials stopped the game and presented her with the game ball.

“It was real exciting,” Maddy said. “I didn’t know that they would stop the game and announce it. It was real cool to have my family and friends there with me, and it was real cool for the officials to do that for me.”

Scoring her 1,000th point was an accomplishment that meant a lot, not only to Maddy, but also to her coach and to the program.

“Maddy scored her thousandth point more than a month ago in front of a home crowd,” said coach Jenny Intveld. “Based on what I have been told from long-time residents and our administration in Alma, this milestone has not been reached by many of our girls’ basketball players in the past. We honored her by pausing the game and giving her the game ball. You could tell that she was overwhelmed by the support that our fans and community members gave that evening. It means a lot to the program to see someone work incredibly hard, and it also means that she is really supported by selfless teammates who set great screens, make great passes, and haul in rebounds that give us those opportunities on offense.”

Seeley finished the game with 28 points, and on Jan. 8, she set another milestone when she scored a career-high 38 points in a 52-48 win against Shepherd.

While she is averaging just shy of 30 points per game, scoring is only one of the facets of her game. “Maddy is a solid guard that has developed into an explosive scorer,” Intveld said. “She is the type of player that can shoot the lights out from the perimeter but can also penetrate and create shots in paint. As a defender, she is athletic enough to hang with the best players on the opposing teams, and her knowledge of the game allows her to see things defensively that others may not. Maddy leads very easily by example and is always the first one in the gym and the last one out. She never tires when it comes to working on her game and improving her skill set. This year, she has focused on becoming more of a vocal leader both on and off the court.”

A point guard in the past, Maddy has settled in at shooting guard this year thanks to a familiar face joining her in the backcourt. “I’ve been more of a shooting guard this year,” she said. “My sister [Mackenzie] is a freshman, and she has taken over at point guard. Having my sister play point guard allows me to do more things off the ball.”

Being able to share her senior season with her sister is special. “It’s real fun and I am really enjoying it,” Maddy said. “It’s really cool having her as a teammate. We push each other and help each other out. It’s been really great.”

As good a player as Maddy is, her personality and character are just as outstanding. “As an individual, Maddy is an absolute gem,” Intveld said. “She has a big heart for others, and I know that kind of caring demeanor comes from her solid family structure and influence.”

Maddy is the daughter of former Alma athlete and graduate Paul Seeley, and her mom Tracey was a standout athlete at Parkway High School in Rockford, Ohio. Maddy’s decision to commit to play college basketball at Northwood University was made easier knowing that she would still be close to her family.

“I am real close to my family, and Northwood is close to home,” Maddy said. “It also has a very good business school, and that is what I wanted to go into. I’m real excited about playing at Northwood. I committed over the summer, and it was nice being able to concentrate on my senior year knowing I had my college figured out. I’ve always been interested in Northwood, and I really like the coaches there.”

Seeley plans to major in business, and excelling in the classroom has gone hand-in-hand with being a standout athlete.

“Outside the gym, Maddy’s focus has been on family and academics,” Intveld said. “She has maintained a 4.0 GPA through almost four years of high school and sets a high bar for herself when it comes to success in the classroom, which comes as no surprise when you look at the work ethic she displays on the court.”

Seeley has steadily improved as a basketball player during her four years at Alma, and her high school coach sees plenty of room for growth as she becomes a college player.

“I’ve seen very few athletes, at all levels of play, make such growth each year after being moved up to varsity as a freshman,” Intveld said. “Naturally, you would think this would happen, but for some it doesn’t. Maddy hasn’t plateaued yet, and I’m just not sure where the ceiling is for her. Each year she gets better and better. That is a testament to her and her work habits/competitive nature. I don’t think she will allow herself to ever be satisfied with where she is at as a player, and because of this, I’m confident that she will continue to develop new aspects of her game and be a great contributor to the Northwood team next season. Her impact on the high school game in our area and to our school is only the start for this kid.”

Before she begins her college career, Maddy still has some unfinished business with the Alma girls’ team.

“Right now, I think we are just getting better and better as a team,” Seeley said. “League play is starting over, and I think we are going to show some teams that we’ve improved. I’m real excited to see how we do against everyone the second time around the league.”

With Seeley leading the way, the Panthers will be a dangerous team down the stretch.

“To our team, Maddy means the world, but not solely based on her incredible production on offense,” Intveld said. “She means the world to this team because of the examples she sets on and off the floor. You won’t find a kid who works harder than she does every time she steps on the floor, and you will have a hard time finding someone who wants to pass their knowledge along to those on the team and those coming up through the ranks within our program. It is her heart, her ability to lead by example and through the choices she makes, as well as her hard-working nature that will make her difficult to replace.”

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If there’s one sport that should enjoy the higher-than-average snowfall the area has seen this winter, it would be skiing.

In past winters, mild weather sometimes made it tough for ski resorts to be open any earlier than January, causing problems with ski teams that wanted to get in preseason work. Most schools’ ski programs have official meets that start in January and end with the state tournament in late February.

Jeff David is the coach of the Okemos ski team and notes that the team’s time improved for training and regular season meets.

The team skis at Mount Brighton, and “compared to years past, there’s no comparison” David said. “We have been blessed with temperature that allows for snow making. [The new owners] have increased their snow production capabilities by five-fold.

“We have had coverage from the first day on with snow…The week after Thanksgiving, we were on the hill. It’s been terrific.

“Our approach is to get as much mileage as we can in terms of our pre-skiing and primarily drill work,” David said. “We started off getting kids comfortable on the snow and going through our battery of drills. Early season, even though there may be coverage, often time resorts don’t want you to plant courses yet for a variety of reasons.

“We have had a chance to get on snow early and train and have drills. It helped our team prepare for our first competition. It gives us a chance to get an early start. It will help kids to get to be where they need to be sooner. Hopefully, they can continue to build their skills. Provided the weather stays the way it is, we’ll have a great opportunity to have our regional and state without any chance for delay. The past couple of years, we’ve struggled by having to throw chemicals on the hills, especially down here in southeastern lower Michigan where we train.”

Terry Avink, Rockford ski coach, concurred that the snow has made it a good ski season so far. “As a team, we generally train more up north than we have this season,” he said. “The large amount of natural snow here at Cannonsburg and Pando has allowed us spend more time on the snow and less time driving to northern resorts. We always have trained in December, however, this season allows us more local training and the option to pretty much do any type of training we choose, whether it’s tall poles, stubbies, or brushes.”

Avink agrees that meets have been highlighted with good quality snow, and it could make for excellent conditions at the late-season meets.

“Our condition at the ‘burg was normally good even in lean snow years due to their snow-making process,” Avink said. “However, with the large amount of natural snow, they are able to groom terrain into the hill as opposed to having to focus on making snow.

“Natural snow also makes us as ski racers feel more excited about our sport and also gets friends and families more involved.”

Clare, coached by Jann Cleary, usually trains and competes at Snow Snake Ski & Golf in Harrison.

“This year we had dry land training for only two days, and then we were able to hit the slopes to concentrate on the techniques of skiing,” Cleary said. “Having this extra time has allowed many of the racers to improve significantly and the more advanced skiers to hone in on their technique. Ski racing is a very precise sport with very little room for error.

“Snow Snake does an excellent job preparing the race hill for all the race teams in the area, so we have always had enough snow on the hill to practice, but not always the excellent conditions we have had this year. The extra fresh snow has made for wonderful skiing conditions. But, we are not the only ski team that has the advantage of great snow; all teams have had this benefit.”

Clare started practice Nov. 18 for dry land and took off Thanksgiving week.

“Then we were skiing on the hill Friday after Thanksgiving when Snow Snake opened to the public,” Cleary said. “The following week we also skied and conditioned by hiking the hill many times.

“Last year, we were not able to ski until just before Christmas. We have our ski camp up at Schuss Mountain every year, and last year, the first time we all skied was at the first day of camp. This year, all of us had been skiing before camp. This made camp much more beneficial.”

Heritage coach David Corcoran said his team usually trains in the Saginaw area. The additional snow probably doesn’t directly have an impact on his team, he indicated.

“Our first meet doesn’t take place until kids come back from holiday break,” he said. “We can’t practice over break. Now that we’re in season, it’s nice to have great snow to ski on. But overall, there’s been no effect on the Heritage team.”

In fact, additional snow, which canceled school at Heritage, also canceled ski team practices.

“Our preparation time was lost due to the overabundance of snow,” Corcoran said.

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Laingsburg senior Malachi Marshall got off to a 21-4 start this season and picked up his 100th career win. His career mark as of mid-January stood at 102-98. He’s not your ordinary wrestler, says coach Nicolas Rowley. “He’s a great scrambler with an unorthodox style. He hates to lose. Malachi is a bit of a prankster and is a ton of fun to watch wrestle. His matches are usually exciting.”

Rowley has high expectations of Marshall for the rest of the season.

Neil McCully is a Belding senior wrestling at 189 pounds.

His record is 20-2, which includes a championship at the Lakeview Invitational. He finished runner-up at the New Lothrop Hall of Fame Invitational, losing in the final by a point to Angus Arthur of St. Johns.

“He is a fourth-year varsity wrestler and has grown quite a bit over four years,” said coach Travis Meyer. “He is an incredible student and is a leader in the classroom and through all of his extracurriculars. He’s a great young man to be around and is a positive influence on the youngsters in our program. He works hard in the practice room and never gets out-worked on the mat. It’s impressive that, through all of his success, he still is one of the most humble, coachable kids we’ve had experience working with.”

Waverly senior wrestler Cameron Lee is 20-2 so far this season at 215 pounds with an overall career record of 136-34.

He has defeated the No. 1-ranked wrestler in Division 4, as well as three other ranked wrestlers in various divisions. He has been a team captain for the past three years.

“Cameron Lee has many strengths as a wrestler, but I think his willingness to listen and continuously learn are his strongest attributes,” said head coach Cory Posey. “He is also physically strong and has a big gas tank. In addition, Cameron is an experienced wrestler who has won a national title as a youth wrestler and is a returning all-state wrestler.

“I strongly believe Cameron is capable of winning the state tournament this season. If he decides to attend the NHSCA senior nationals, there will be the opportunity for him to earn all-American honors. With Cameron’s attitude and constant improvement, I believe that is a possibility this season.”

Jeremy Winsor is the varsity wrestling coach at Fulton and has an outstanding wrestler in Trevor Hilgendorf, who will compete at 112 pounds in the postseason. Hilgendorf started this season at 12-1 and has a 109-26 mark in his career.

“He is wrestling well for us currently, [is a] great team leader, [and is] preparing for some tough matches in our conference in the next few weeks,” Winsor said, adding that Hilgendorf wrestles well on his feet and is strong with takedowns.

Hilgendorf appealed his alpha test to make him eligible to compete at 112 pounds for the postseason.

“At 112, he looks to be a contender for the title,” Winsor said.

Hilgendorf will enter the Marines at the end of his senior year at Fulton.

Logan Emery and Brandon Ayris are having outstanding seasons for Clare’s wrestling team. Emery is 14-6 this season and 107-30 in his career. Ayris is 14-5 this season and 80-33 in his career. Emery won the Chippewa Hills and St. Louis invitationals. Ayris was second at St. Louis and fourth at Chippewa Hills.

“Logan is quick on his feet, [a] tremendous team leader,” said coach Kyle McKay. “Brandon has phenomenal quickness [and is] a leader who speaks with his actions and not his words.”

Each has a chance to be a state placer and Jack Pine Conference champion.

“Both of these wrestlers are two-time returning state qualifiers; Brandon is a returning state placer,” McKay said. “Coming into their senior season is going to be the big test; they have both been to The Palace [of Auburn Hills] twice; this is their last chance to make it count.

“Brandon is looking to pick up a wrestling scholarship somewhere; his work ethic, attitude, and team mentality are the qualities that any college coach would be delighted to have on their team. They have both been captains on this team for three years now, and their leadership has helped shaped the Clare wrestling program during their time here. They will be greatly missed.”

Senior Chase Challendar is having a solid season for Charlotte’s wrestling team at 215 pounds.

His career record is 122-33. A major highlight was defeating the No. 2-ranked wrestler in his weight class, Cameron Lee of Waverly, 11-3.

“Chase is extremely good on his feet and is very mentally tough,” said coach Bill Blair, who acknowledged that Challender hopes to be a two-time state placer, a four-time regional qualifier, a three-time conference champion, “to finish his career with above an 80 winning percentage, and complete his junior and senior year only losing half a dozen matches over that time.”

Rylen Droscha is a senior on coach Brian Martel’s Mason wrestling team who wrestles at 160 and 171 pounds. Last season, he was at 44-12 and qualified at 160 pounds for the Division 2 state tournament for the third year in a row. He was 1-2 last year and didn’t place and is looking to return to The Palace this year.

This season, he had a match at 189 pounds against Noah Pieh of Northwest, which he won by pin in 1:45.

Montabella coach Shaun Balhorn has three wrestlers who have been having strong seasons so far. Dan Davidson (285 pounds) is 14-3, Jonny Durham (171) is 22-1, and Dalton Kuklewski (130) is 22-2.

“Dan has placed at all three tournaments this season and has pinned three ranked wrestlers, Jonny has taken first at two tournaments and second at another, and Dalton has placed first at two tournaments and second at another,” Balhorn said. “Dan is physically strong for a heavyweight. He has the ability to wear on his opponents. Jonny is technically a gifted wrestler. His tempo and work ethic have made him truly fun to watch. Dalton is physically strong and can score from all positions.

“Dan has a chance to be in the state finals this season. Jonny should be in the state finals this season. Dalton should place in the top six this year.”

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Saginaw Valley Lutheran dropped its first game of the season Saturday night 70-66 to Nouvel Catholic Central. Valley Lutheran, 8-1, was up 18-12 after the first quarter, 41-33 at halftime and 51-48 after the third quarter. Nouvel had a 22-15 scoring edge in the final eight minutes to take the win.

Rylan Appold scored 28 points for Valley Lutheran while Josh Appold netted 20 points.

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Rylan Appold scored 28 points for Valley Lutheran while Josh Appold netted 20 points.

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Cedar Springs wrestling team improved to 12-6 with a 46-31 victory over Grand Rapids Northview on Wednesday.

Winners for Cedar Springs were Anthony Topolski at 140 pounds over Jason Rector with a 26-15 major decision, Michael Smith at 145 pounds with a pin over James Bennett and Jared Vodry at 160 with a pin over Vodry at 160 pounds.

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Rockford improved its girls basketball record to 4-5 with a 63-27 win over Hudsonville. Rockford was up 18-10 after the first period 36-19 at halftime and 44-25 after the third quarter. Logan McCane scored 19 points for Rockford while Kadison Klausing added 13 points. Tiana Colovos scored five points.

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Rockford fell to 16-4 in wrestling action Wednesday with a 51-11 loss to Grandville. For Rockford, Stephen Jenditz at 119 pounds beat Kleedan Hoezee 11-3, Terry Gant at 125 pounds decisioned Booney Merryweather 10-4 and Nick Guerra at 152 pounds got a major decision at over Jake Brower.

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Holt boys basketball

Natalie Knauf DeWitt girls basketball

Maddy Seeley Alma basketball

Ski teams prosper with more snowfall this season

Wrestling briefs (eight)

Saginaw Nouvel beats Valley Lutheran

Saginaw Valley Lutheran drops first game

Cedar Springs wrestlers improve to 12-6

Rockford girls improve to 4-5

Rockford wrestlers fall to Grandville