Lacrosse and Golf: Beacon Issue 5/10/15

No space to put everything in this week! That's what our dear old friend the blog is for. Apologies to the teams involved.

Here is the lacrosse and golf result sheet for this week.

LACROSSE: Rockets fall to Zeeland

ZEELAND — Zeeland pounded Reeths-Puffer Tuesday night, 16-3, in a game that got out of hand quickly.

The hosts outscored R-P 4-0 in the first quarter and at halftime, held a 9-2 lead. The Rockets could never get their offense on track and were outshot by Zeeland 51-18.

Nick Schanhals, Connor Weessies and Luke Sessink each had a goal for Reeths-Puffer, and Gavin Poulin and Jake Kovalcik both had assists. Lawson Fairfield made 19 saves.

R-P splits 2 at home

MUSKEGON — Reeths-Puffer played a pair of games last Saturday at home and won both, defeating Byron Center 15-1 and edging Cadillac 7-5. Both games were played with running-clock halves rather than the usual quarters.

The Rockets dominated their opener against Byron Center, blanking the Bulldogs 8-0 in the second half of the win. Jake Kovalcik had a huge offensive game, piling up five goals and four assists. Nick Schanhals, Eric Ream and Brad Groothuis each had two goals. R-P dominated possession to such an extent that Lawson Fairfield only had to make three saves.

In game two, the Rockets and Cadillac were tied at three at halftime, but R-P came up with the big plays late to get the win. With the game tied at five and 5:50 to go, Schanhals scored the game-winning goal off an assist from Kovalcik, and Josh Blackburn clinched it moments later with a 15-yard sidearm shot. Schanhals had three goals and two assists on the day, and Kovalcik had two goals and three helpers.

“Our defense played outstanding,” Rockets’ coach Bob Walters said. “We really limited their good looks at the goal and forced some turnovers late to protect the lead. Fairfield made some great saves. He really seemed to frustrate their shooters.”

GOLF: Vikings 3rd, Montague 6th at WMC Jamboree

SHELBY — Whitehall again finished third in Tuesday’s West Michigan Conference jamboree at Shelby, and the Vikings are now just 11 shots behind Shelby in a tight race for second in the league. North Muskegon continued its sweep of the jamborees, while Ravenna edged Whitehall for second. Montague placed sixth.

Hayden Collins led Whitehall with a score of 86 at the jamboree, and Derek Baker and Ian DeVlieg weren’t far behind, as both shot 88s to match their scores from the previous day. Connor Rake was the Vikings’ fourth scorer, shooting a 90.

Devin Roesler again led Montague, as he has in each of the jamborees, shooting an 87. Matt Visger had a 91, and Riley Norkett shot a 96. Jordan Weaver and Caleb Semelbauer each had scored of 98 for the Wildcats.

Rockets 2nd at Shores jamboree

MUSKEGON — Reeths-Puffer put together a strong showing Monday at the most recent O-K Black Conference jamboree, finishing just five shots behind league favorite Mona Shores, 159-154.

The Rockets finished six shots ahead of Zeeland East for the runner-up spot and seven ahead of Kenowa Hills.

Trevor Fowler led R-P, tying for the league’s top spot on the day with Shores’ Riley Duff with his nine-hole score of 37. Ryan Kooiman added a 38 for Reeths-Puffer.

Whitehall 3rd at home jamboree

WHITEHALL — Whitehall tied for third Monday at its home jamboree as the West Michigan Conference golf season continued to heat up. The Vikings shot 345 to tie with Ravenna. Montague finished sixth, posting a score of 365. North Muskegon again won the jamboree, with Shelby taking second.

Hayden Collins led area scorers with an 84 for the Vikings, and Connor Rake shot an 85. Derek Baker and Ian DeVlieg each had 88s, giving Whitehall a closely-grouped complement of scores.

For Montague, Devin Roesler continued his strong play by shooting an 85. Matt Visger and Caleb Semelbauer each had scores of 92, and Riley Norkett carded a 96 to rond out the Wildcats’ scoring.

Shelby Basketball on to the Quarterfinals

Don't want to wait for next week for a Shelby wrap-up? Well, you don't have to. The full game story from last night's regional win over Laingsburg won't run until next week, but I'm posting a sidebar story about Jeff Beckman right here on the Sidebar. We'll also toss out a few photos. It's like Christmas. Sort of.

By Andy Roberts

Herald-Journal Writer

BEAL CITY — With just under five minutes to play in last Wednesday’s regional final game between Shelby and Laingsburg, the Wolfpack had cut Shelby’s lead to six, and doubt was creeping into the heads of Tigers’ fans. After two consecutive heartbreaking losses in this round, could it be happening again?

Junior center and all-state candidate Jeff Beckman could sense it too, and he decided he wasn’t going to let it happen. The Tigers called timeout, and Beckman delivered a simple directive to his teammates: Get me the ball.

The inbounds pass went to Beckman in the lane, and he charged towards the basket as if a pack of lions wouldn’t have stopped him. He was fouled, knocked down a pair of free throws, and a minute later, scored again on a driving layup to extend Shelby’s lead to 39-29. The Tigers were never threatened again in their 46-33 victory.

“I really felt the last two years that someone needed to take over and nobody did,” Beckman said. “I just thought, why not? I might as well take it. I’m bigger than them, and I can get the foul.”

“Even in the full-court, he wanted the ball,” Shelby coach Rick Zoulek said. “He wants to shoot free throws, he wants to get the ball down here, and that’s the type of leadership we’ve had with him and Michael (James) both.”

Beckman’s free-throw shooting ability is a big reason for his late-game confidence. Through last Wednesday’s game, he is an 84.4 percent free-throw shooter, a huge benefit to have from your center.

That success is no accident. Jeff’s dad, Brian, played for Shelby and once went 39 for 39 from the charity stripe during a season. He wanted his son to equal the feat.

“My dad told me I shouldn’t miss a free throw during the year,” Beckman said. “I got out in the driveway and he rebounded for me.”

Beckman’s defensive skills have been just as vital to the Tigers’ success as his free-throw shooting. In the regional semifinal game against Beal City, Beckman was virtually everywhere in the post along with James, and without that dynamic post defense, the Tigers, who won 45-43, would likely have been upset.

After the game, each player gave Zoulek a big hug on their way to receive regional championship medals from the Tigers’ athletic director and JV coach, Chuck Persenaire. Beckman, who was last, gave out the biggest one.

"Coach Z and Coach Persenaire nag on me a lot,” Beckman said with a smile. “Our relationship is pretty special. When we moved (here), we went and talked to him and he laid out where Shelby basketball was. He’s like another grandpa to me.”

Heading into the quarterfinal game against NorthPointe Christian, Beckman sounded matter-of-fact while describing what his team needed to do to come out on top.

“We just have to go play our game,” Beckman said. “If we play defense like we have, the game isn’t any different. The rims are still 10 feet and the three-point line is still the same. We’ll be fine.”

LAINGSBURG (33) Wade 2 9-10 13, Franks 4 1-2 9, Walker 0 1-2 1, Harkness 0 2-2 2, Hayes 1 0-2 2, Richard 1 0-0 3, Mitchell 1 0-0 3. Totals 9 13-18 33.

SHELBY (46) D. Beckman 4 3-4 15, Anderson 1 0-0 2, James 4 0-5 8, Landis 1 4-8 7, J. Beckman 5 4-4 14. Totals 15 11-21 46.

Laingsburg..... 6 11  5 11 — 33

Shelby.........15  9 10 12 — 46

Three-point goals — Laingsburg 2 (Richard, Mitchell), Shelby 5 (D. Beckman 4, Landis). Total fouls — Laingsburg 19, Shelby 14. Fouled out — Anderson.

Shelby's Jeff Beckman missed this shot because he
couldn't seem to decide between a dunk or a layup.

Most of the Shelby Beckmans.

Individual State Wrestling Finals Capsules

It's been a while, but I found an excuse to liven up my long-dormant side blog.

In total, 16 wrestlers from my eight-school coverage area will be traveling to Auburn Hills this week to compete in the individual state finals — 7 from Whitehall, 4 from Hesperia, 2 each from Shelby and Reeths-Puffer, and 1 from Hart.

The brackets have been released for the state tournament, and MichiganGrappler.com, which always does a great job, has all 16 state participants at each weight class ranked. So I have assembled quick capsules of each area wrestler’s first-round opponent, and the second wrestler they will face if rankings hold in round one. Two wins for any wrestler clinches a top-eight placement, and two losses (before first getting to two wins) eliminates any wrestler.

Division 2

#10 Paul Douglas, Reeths-Puffer, 140 — First-round matchup against #5 Connor Charping of Trenton. Barring an upset, if rankings hold, second-round opponent would be #14 Joey Ramos of Harper Creek.

#8 Sean McWilliams, Reeths-Puffer, 160 — First-round matchup against #5 Derrien Perkins of Warren Lincoln. Barring an upset, if rankings hold, second-round opponent would be #15 Zach Chehowski of Coldwater.

Division 3

#4 Corey Robinson, Whitehall, 112 — First-round matchup against #5 Connor Behem of Richmond. Barring an upset, if rankings hold, second-round opponent would be #16 Noah Gorrell of Columbia Central.

#10 Roger Champion, Whitehall, 119 — First-round matchup against #9 Kyle Hughes of Monroe Jefferson. Barring an upset, if rankings hold, second-round opponent would be #8 Landon Honsinger of Hemlock. 

#2 Reiley Brown, Whitehall, 125 — First-round matchup against #15 Charlie Newton of Essexville Garber. If rankings hold and Brown wins, second-round opponent would be #5 Tylor Orrison of Dundee. 

#6 Dylan Felt, Shelby, 125 — First-round matchup against #14 Cole Federer of Sanford-Meridian. If rankings hold and Felt wins, second-round opponent would be #3 Alex Martinez of Ida.

#4 Jwan Britton, Whitehall, 135 — First-round matchup against #16 Jacob Stahl of Columbia Central. If rankings hold and Britton wins, second-round opponent would be #2 Grant Turnmire of Almont. 

#9 Joe Dowdell, Whitehall, 140 — First-round matchup against #3 Marshall Conley of Caro. Barring an upset, if rankings hold, second-round opponent would be #15 Branden Fisher of Flat Rock.

#9 Keanyn Brown, Whitehall, 145 — First-round matchup against #5 Austin VanAtter of Richmond. Barring an upset, if rankings hold, second-round opponent would be #14 Anthony St. Andre of Monroe Jefferson.

#7 Trip Thommen, Whitehall, 171 — First-round matchup against #12 Boyd Glenn of Almont. If rankings hold and Thommen wins, second-round opponent would be #8 Dominick Reo of Paw Paw.

#7 Trent Montambo, Shelby, 285 — First-round matchup against #16 Lathen Mardin of Capac. If rankings hold and Montambo wins, second-round opponent would be #4 Tristan Howard of Dowagiac.

Division 4

#12 Jacob Bosley, Hart, 103 — First-round matchup against #10 Frankie Najera of Adrian-Madison. Barring an upset, if rankings hold, Bosley would face #6 Nathan Park of Pine River in the consolation bracket.

#2 Gerrit Yates, Hesperia, 135 — First-round matchup against #15 Phil Ragatzki of Pine River. If rankings hold and Yates wins, second-round opponent would be #3 Cole Hersch of New Lothrop.

#1 Trenton Roesly, Hesperia, 140 — First-round matchup against #16 Troy Reissig of Erie Mason. If rankings hold and Roesly wins, second-round opponent would be #8 Gabe Bennett of New Lothrop.

#13 Trentyn Gleason, Hesperia, 145 — First-round matchup against #5 Mauricio Diaz-Reyes of Elkton-Pigeon-Bay. Barring an upset, if rankings hold, Gleason would face #16 Vincent Bischoff of Mio in the consolation bracket.

#6 Josh Ehrke, Hesperia, 285 — First-round matchup against #15 Aaron Kelley of Byron. If rankings hold and Ehrke wins, second-round opponent would be #3 Nick Burt of Addison.

Whitehall will face huge test in G.R. South Christian

Whitehall's magic carpet ride of a season will come to a screeching halt if the Vikings can't stop Jon Wassink this week.

Wassink is the quarterback for Grand Rapids South Christian, Whitehall's opponent in Friday's regional championship game after the Vikings pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in the state's history last week to beat Comstock Park 41-36. Whitehall trailed 30-7 in the second quarter of that game before improbably rallying.

Last week, the Vikings were tasked with stopping Monterio Smith, CP's top-notch running back. That specific part didn't go so well, as Smith had 182 yards of offense in the game, with a pair of touchdowns. Then again, Smith also had a game-changing fumble prior to the Vikings' winning score.

Wassink, though, is a whole new challenge. The two-star Rivals.com recruit has committed to Western Michigan and is making noise to be considered in state player of the year races. He had seven (SEVEN) touchdowns and over 400 yards of offense in the Sailors' 58-34 win over Unity Christian last Friday.

This won't be Whitehall's first experience with a signal-caller that can do the job through the air and on the ground. Comstock Park QB Pat Naughton had both skills and showed them last week. But Wassink is even better. He was 7 of 7 for 105 yards passing last week, and ran for 300 yards. For a district championship game, those are mind-boggling numbers.

And no, that wasn't a fluke. Wassink shredded Unity Christian for 310 yards of offense and four scores earlier in the season, went for nearly 300 and a pair of scores against Grand Rapids Christian, threw for 303 and three scores against Grand Rapids Catholic Central, and threw for 293 and four scores against Hastings. Just to give you an idea.

Wassink isn't alone. Geff Plasman is the Sailors' running back, and in the team's last three regular-season games, he ran for at least 125 yards and for three scores in all of them. He's also got three scores on receptions this year.  Jake Wierenga is probably the Sailors' top receiver, and he went over 100 yards against GRCC.

If Whitehall's going to win, the Vikings will probably have to outscore the Sailors. The good news  there is South Christian has proven susceptible to giving up points, surrendering 23 or more in three of its last four games. Whitehall's Zarren Aylor has 'come into his own' in the last month, said coach Tony Sigmon, and he played probably his best game of his career in leading the Vikings' comeback.

This week, he'll probably have to play even better. Aylor, Trip Thommen, Keenan Aylor and Cheston Manns will be the keys on offense. Whitehall's task is clear: Outscore the Sailors. That South Christian will put up points is inevitable. The Vikings will have to keep up.

Whitehall vs. Comstock Park - A Preview

Photo by Andy Roberts

For the first time in eight years, Whitehall football will be playing in a district championship game. No better time to awaken my long-dormant blog for a quick preview.

The Vikings will host Comstock Park Friday at 7 p.m. The Panthers upset district 1-seed Cadillac 19-10 last week to give Whitehall hosting duties for this game, while the Vikings advanced with a 21-0 whitewashing of Spring Lake.

By playoff points, Whitehall is favored in the game, which is why the Vikes get to host. But the Panthers have reached the Division 4 semifinals three years running. Whitehall will have its hands full this week.

The Panthers beat Allendale, another playoff team, in O-K Blue Conference play, and battled Grand Rapids West Catholic most of the way in a 47-33 loss. You might know West Catholic - they're 10-0 and projected to roll through the Division 5 playoffs. Comstock Park also played district finalists Cedar Springs and Zeeland West, though it also lost lopsided games to both.

Whitehall, of course, also had its share of tests this season, losing to playoff teams Oakridge and Ravenna. The Vikings also prevented North Muskegon and Mason County Central from making the playoffs by handing both one of what turned out to be four losses. Coming into the postseason, Whitehall had looked vulnerable after the aforementioned losses, plus a tough game against Grant, but the Vikings answered any questions in the dominating win over Spring Lake.

The Panthers might be the biggest test yet, though, coming in with a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard passer, plus another rusher pushing 1,000.

QB Pat Naughton will also be key to the CP efforts. He's over 1,200 yards passing this year at a 58.3% completion rate. Perhaps most impressively, he's done that without a receiver over 208 (also Smith, BTW). Outside of the big-time schools, you rarely see a QB in high school put up big numbers in the air without a singular go-to guy, but Naughton has effectively spread the ball around. He's also carried for 964 yards. Probably the most impressive thing about Naughton is that his best game this year came against mighty West Catholic. He was 19/28 for 168 yards and a TD in that game and carried 27 times for 186 yards and four scores. Also, Naughton called the signals last year for the Division 4 semifinalists. He's no stranger to the bright lights.

Monterio Smith will likely be the Panthers' most important player besides Naughton on Friday. He's over 1,100 yards this season and carried for 124 against Cadillac. West Catholic shut him down, but Smith shredded Allendale for 318 yards in the Panthers' week 7 win, so he's proven himself twice over against top competition.

Whitehall will counter with Trip Thommen, who's well over 1,000 yards this year, and quarterback Zarren Aylor. Aylor had a solid game against Spring Lake and has been markedly improved from a year ago, but the guess here is that Aylor will have to make a couple of big plays with his arm for Whitehall to win. If he does, it's a good bet twin brother Keenan will be on the receiving end of those plays. Keenan is generally Zarren's option one, two and three when Whitehall does go to aerial.

The Vikings' lines will have to replicate the fantastic efforts they gave last week, when the defense held Spring Lake to under two yards per carry while paving the way for big run after big run. They probably won't be able to shut out Comstock Park, but if they can hold them under 20 points, the Vikings have a good shot.

I'm excited for this game. It'll be a golden opportunity for Whitehall, 1-8 last year, to make its biggest statement yet that it's back. It should be a fun, although frigid, night on the football field.

Bonus Photos: RP Tennis and Whitehall/Montague Soccer

I'm not very good about updating this blog, but I did promise some bonus photos on my Twitter account. So here are a couple of good photos from each of the titled events that won't run in the paper. The tennis photos were shot by me, the soccer photos by Beacon editor Greg Means.

James Ransom hitting a return shot in a second doubles match.

Gracyn Sanger hitting a return shot in a fourth doubles match.

Montague's Anthony Borrego and Whitehall's Jonathan Gonzalez converge on a loose ball.

Montague's Joey Davis and Whitehall's Ethan Avery battle for a loose ball.

Photos from Saturday's R-P Volleyball Invite

Fall season is in full swing, and since we won't run the roundup of this event until next Sunday's Beacon, I thought I would pass along a sneak peek at some of the photos I took today at the Reeths-Puffer Invitational Saturday morning. I apologize for the lack of cutlines, as at this time I don't have access to the R-P volleyball roster. The two Montague photos are from their match against Fremont, while R-P was facing North Muskegon.

As I said, we'll have a roundup of Saturday's action in next week's paper.