Sports and recreation

10.12.11

Three Rivers spoils Rams homecoming hopes

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Homecoming turned out to be a somber occasion for South Haven as the Rams fell to a dominant Three Rivers squad, 49-22, in Wolverine Conference play, Friday.
It was the first victory of the year for the Wildcats (1-6-0), and South Haven turnovers made it easily attained. The Rams tallied up six turnovers three fumbles and three interceptions, of which the Wildcats gained considerable advantages.
The game began with an 86-yard kickoff return for Three Rivers Dusty Stevens to put the Wildcats on the board, followed by a 15-yard interception return from Patrick Spain.
South Havens T.J. McCloughan then scored on a 2-yard run (2 point conversion from John Preston was good), making the score 14-8 by the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the quarter back/receiving duo of Sam Shutes and Anderson Goff scored touchdowns on 10-, 27-, and 43-yard passes for the Wildcats. The fourth quarter brought a 14-yard pass from Shutes to Corry Brown, and Shutes also ran in for a 17-yard touchdown.
For the Rams, Marquiz Dixon scored on an 11-yard run in the second quarter and Caprice Thomas caught a 51-yard pass from McCloughan in the third to make up the Rams 22 points.
It was great to get a win, said Three Rivers coach J.J. Wagner. The guys really earned it.
South Havens Shaquill Bell led the way on offense with 81 yards on 11 carries, and Curtis Williams contributed 60 yards on 10 carries.
Anderson Goff earned three touchdowns for the Wildcats for 80 yards and Sam Shutes racked up 155 yards, two interceptions, and connected for 10- of-16 passes on four touchdowns.
Next, South Haven (1-6-0) faces Vicksburg (4-3) on Friday, at home.

10.3.11

Cardinals, Rams pick up key victories

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

BLOOMINGDALE After losing four consecutive games, Bloomingdale finally claimed a 34-6 victory against Bangor on Friday.
We really needed this win, said Bloomingdale coach A.J. High. Bloomingdales record jumps to 2-4, and 1-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference North Division after defeating Bangor.
For the Cardinals, Matt Tewell tallied in 157 yards on 18 carries for two touchdowns (29- and 4-yard runs) and T.J. Sobota earned 92 yards on 13 carries for three touchdowns with 11-, 10-, and 37-yard runs.
Bangors Scott Thorbjornsen had 68 yards rushing and David Watkins passed for 63 yards. Andrew Johnson scored the Vikings sole touchdown on a 5-yard run in the second quarter.
Bangors record is now 1-5, and 1-1 in the conference.
Bloomingdale will face Martin on Friday and the Vikings will play against Saugatuck.

SOUTH HAVEN 24

COMSTOCK 21

COMSTOCK Friday night, the South Haven football team came with their minds made up to winand thats exactly what they did.
The Rams edged Comstock for a 24-21 victory on the Colts home turf. We had a good week in practice and I simply told the guys coming out last week, the only thing we need to do is win, said South Haven coach Corey Cunningham.
You know, weve had five weeks to work on good sportsmanship and all those moral victories that you want them to get. But I said we really need to focus on getting a win here. Because you know, when youre not winning, it may feel a little tenser out there, he said.
Comstock jumped to an early lead after a 68-yard touchdown run from Brandon Taylor, and a subsequent field goal pushed the score to 7-0. South Haven picked up the pace in the second quarter with a 6-yard run from Curtis Williams for a Rams touchdown, followed up by an 80-yard touchdown pass from Marquiz Dixon to Caprice Thomas. Comstock then scored another touchdown as Sawyer Heffner tossed the ball to Brandon Taylor on a 24-yard pass, pushing the Colts lead to 14-12.
After the half, Michael Williams 80-yard kickoff return put the Rams in control. Comstocks Austin Lansky answered with a 45-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, South Haven tightened up defensively, successfully foiling the Colts plans to score. Curtis Williams scored the final Rams touchdown on a 5-yard run for the victory.
I was really proud of Patrick Allen, he gave up a few big plays and came right back and made some big plays, said Cunningham, At the beginning of the year, I dont think he would have responded that way. Allen earned five defensive tackles for the night.
Weve been very focused this week in practice, and I think thats what led to it (winning), continued Cunningham, You know we started out with almost 50 kids and were in the mid- to low-30s now. We lost some kids that didnt want to play football. I think that what helps the attitudes is the atmosphere is a lot lighter.
The Rams record is now 1-5, and they will face Three Rivers (0-6) at home on Friday.

Photo by Jody Warner

Bangor running back Ezequiel Calvillo dodges defensive players as Bloomingdale's Justin Taylor (21) tracks him through the back field during Friday's SAC North Division game.

South Haven soccer team undefeated in the Wolverine Conference

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

With victories against Otsego and Paw Paw this past week, the South Haven Rams soccer team remains undefeated in the Wolverine Conference. The Rams are also state-ranked as Honorable Mention in Division III.
Against unbeaten Otsego Tuesday, it was a battle for both teams.
The Rams and Bulldogs were both unyielding defensively, and frustration greatly set in for the Rams as they were unable to sink a goal past Bulldog goalie Alex Miltenberger, who earned 14 saves for the night. Despite taking 25 shots to the Bulldogs 8, the Rams did not score throughout the game, which remained at 0-0 into overtime.
A first 10 minutes of overtime went without a goal from either team, bringing about a second overtime. As time trickled down to 5 minutes remaining on the clock, South Havens Lucas Katt took matters into his own feet, hitting a goal off a pass from teammate Tony Canonie. Soon after, Colton Schanke booted a goal with 1:20 remaining in the game, locking in the 2-0 win for the Rams.
The whole game we kept saying its just a matter of time were going to score, said Rams Coach Benno Trenkle with a chuckle. We shouldve won the game in the first half, we had a lot of chances but we just didnt put the finishing touch to it.
I think we came out really composed, played really well, handled lots of shots, and we dominated the first half. Thats the funny part of the game, the best team doesnt always come out on top you know, and we just missed chance after chance, Trenkle said. After awhile, frustration sets inand I think thats what happened with usI think frustration was really a big issue, more than anything else. But I think we handled the pressure really well, he said.
I thought Kyle Fitton was an anchor back there. He was leader, and he keeps that defensive back together I just thought he was outstanding today.
On Wednesday the Rams put away Paw Paw in a 4-0 shutout. South Haven scored three goals in the first half, grabbing the lead early. Omar Calderon and Chad Dotson scored two goals each, while Branden Holtzman added three assists. Dotson also assisted one of Calderons goals.
The Rams were put to the test on Sept. 24 when they faced Division II, state-ranked Lakeshore. Although they were considered the underdogs, the Rams held steady, and the match ended in a 1-1 tie. Lucas Katt scored the Rams sole goal..
South Havens record is not 10-1-2 overall and 4-0 in the Wolverine Conference. The teams only loss came to Division I Portage Northern earlier this season.

South Haven cross teams take third in Bangor Invitational

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

The Watervliet boys cross country team took first place at the Bangor Invitational and Plainwell locked in the win for the girls race, Sept. 24.
In the boys race, top finishers for the Panthers included Brock Thumm (17:37), taking sixth and former South Haven runner Mark Cornett (17:40), who earned seventh place. Kirk Love finished ninth for the Panthers and Michael Foote and Patrick Lynch both finished in the top 20 to give Watervliet the win.
"I really think our depth really worked in our favor," said Watervliet coach Aaron Weber.
In individual scores, Ryan Hearth of Cadillac (16:55) took first in the Div 1 for the boys, and Mackenzie Evers (19:33) of Plainwell took first in the girls race. Bloomingdales Brian Larabel took second (17:13) in the boys race.
For the girls race, Plainwell came in first overall, followed by Cadillac and South Haven. The South Haven girls and boys teams both finished third in Division 1. Grace Katt (20:22) placed sixth for the Rams, followed by Grace Carter (21:13) at 12th. Jessica Miles (21:48), Kristian Johnson (22:29), and Bri Dotson (23:19) placed well enough to lock in the Rams' third-place finish.
The rest of the varsity teams and a very strong group of junior varsity runners also competed very well, with several Rams beating or nearly beating their personal records, stated Paul Flower, South Haven boys and girls coach.
Bangor boys took fourth and the girls seventh overall in Division 1. The other division, which consisted of smaller schools, was taken by Saugatuck, who won both the boys and girls races.
In the girls Division 2 race, Saugatucks girls Heather Price (20:04) took first and the Indians grabbed three of the top four positions. For the boys race, Saugatuck took three of the top five finishes. Sean Kelly (16:40) took 1st place overall for the Indians.

Rams easily defeat Dowagiac in cross-country meet

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Although rainy and wet weather was the setting for Tuesdays cross country meet, the South Haven boys and girls squads still managed to easily defeat Dowagiac by large margins.
For the second consecutive meet, the girls earned a perfect score, topping Dowagiac 15-50. A string of purple and white jerseys came into view as the Lady Rams grabbed the first seven places. Grace Carver came in at first with a time of 20:15. Grace Katt followed in second at 20:49, freshman Jessica Miles, junior Kristian Johnson, freshman Bailey Rooker, sophomore Olivia Nichols and freshman Bri Dotson rounded out third through seventh places , respectively, for the Rams.
They are really in the last couple of weeks starting to gel as a team, said South Haven boys and girls coach, Paul Flower. Were young, both girls and boys, and were continuing to really develop. The work is really starting to pay off, and the kids are starting to come into form, so its fun to watch them win.
The sun came out for the boys meet, and Dowagiacs Chris Gantt took first place, clocking in at 17:10. The South Haven boys took second through seventh places for a 20-43 win over the Chieftains.
For the Rams, junior Evan Hendrix came in second place at 17:22, surpassing his previous personal record. Sophomore Nathan VanderRoest, Ian Everitt, Zach Kenriech, Cameron Sleeper, Alex Barton, and senior Josh Billings rounded out the Rams' top seven in consecutive order.
Most of them have been focused on just getting faster, so I dont know if theyre aware that as a team theyre starting to come together too, said Flower. I think its going to take a couple of weeks to start to see it. Last Saturday we did very well at Bangor.
Last Saturday at Bangors Cross Country Invitational the South Haven boys placed third out of 14 teams and the girls also placed third out of 13 teams. Last year the boys were eighth and the girls were fifth, so the team thing is going to start to occur for us soon, continued Flower, but its pretty exciting to watch.

9.26.11

Bangor earns much-needed SAC North Division victory

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

BANGOR Toppling the Fennville Blackhawks, 41-12, on Friday, Bangor landed its first big SAC North Division win of the football season.
It was much needed, it was nice medicine quite frankly, Vikings coach Ron Markel said. It was a total team effort. The last couple days these guys have really come together, and Im just so proud of the guys right now.
Last Friday against Hartford, the Vikings got off to a late start scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the Indians held on for a 17-14 win. However, against Fennville Bangor took the early lead, and continued to take advantage of the Blackhawks weakening defense. The Vikings held Fennville to just 116 yards.
Last week we played really, really tough. And tonight the kids were saying weve got to go get it, and thats exactly what they did. Watkins (David) did a very nice job on offense tonight, Markel said.
Bangor quarterback David Watkins completed 7-of-16 attempts for 106 yards, including a throw to Andrew Johnson on a four-yard score in the first quarter. Mario Diaz then hit a one-yard field goal and went on to complete five more including a 33-yard goal in the third quarter. Scott Thorbjornsen then scored on a three-yard run, and David Watkins hit Nick Watkins in the second for a 33-yard touchdown. Fennvilles Seth Schut then completed a 24 -ard pass, and Bangor led 24-6 by then end of the half.
Andrew Johnson scored on a five-yard run in the fourth quarter, and recovered a Blackhawk fumble for a 19-yard touchdown. Nick Oviedo scored the final Blackhawk touchdown of the night on a 12-yard run, and Bangor cruised to a 41-12 win.
They showed a lot of resolve tonight, and they keep fighting, keep fighting, and keep fighting, and coming to play football, Markel said. Im just really proud of the effort tonight.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Photo by Jody Warner
Bangor senior Nick Watkins (right), hits Fennville's Nick Oviedo and knocks him off his feet for a loss of yardage during Fridays SAC North Division game.

South Haven grad named Player of the Week in soccer

Nick Thon, a 2008 graduate of South Haven High School, was recently named Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Associations Defensive Player of the Week at Trine University, in Angola, Ind.
Thon, a senior who plays goal keeper for Trines soccer team, had nine saves in a match with DePauw University, in September. In six matches, Thon did not give up a goal. The teams record as of last week was 5-0-1.
While in high school, Thon played for the Rams varsity soccer team as goal keeper. He is the son of Mike and Carolyn Thon, and is majoring in chemical engineering.

South Haven kickers shut down Bangor

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

South Haven defeated a frustrated Bangor soccer squad 4-0, this past Monday, continuing their winning streak with a record of 8-1-1, good enough for an Honorable Mention in the Division 3 state rankings.
The Rams put defensive pressure on Bangor from the start, making it difficult for the Vikings to take hardly any shots on goal.
South Haven on the other hand, was able to push past Bangors defense to gain an early lead. After several close attempts, the Rams scored the first goal of the night, via Ryan Dorow, assisted by Angel Rodriguez, at 25 minutes into the first half.
I thought we played really good team defense. They were really not able to generate any offense, said Rams coach Benno Trenkle. They had their star player, who I think we were able to really, just clamp down on and I think his frustration showed in the second half. I think his frustration set in because he wasnt able to do much.
As the Vikings apparent frustration set, in the game became more physical, with yellow cards and even a red card given out.
The second half brought three more goals for South Haven; Chad Dodson scored the first (Tony Canonie assisted); Canonie the third (Zach Nelson), and a final goal came from Drew Hill (Dorow).
Our scoring is really well-rounded; we have three, four, five guys that are real close in goals and assists, and thats good, Trenkle said. And thats rare, because usually teams rely on a couple guys to do all their scoring.
For Bangor, Kevin Cuevas earned 14 saves in an effort to defend against a barrage of Rams kicks.
It was a tough place to play, because the fields so small, Trenkle said. We play better on larger fields In smaller fields its more difficult to pass and get good shots, and because its easier to defend smaller spaces. So that was really an interesting game from that point.Both teams were able to get able a lot of people behind the ball, and it made it difficult from that standpoint too.

BANGOR 4
GOBLES 3
Bangor recovered from its non-conferene loss to South Haven, Monday, to defeat Gobles, Wednesday, in a SAC conference match. The win improved the Vikings record to 4-3 in the SAC, good enough for a first-place tie with Hartford in the North Division.
The Vikings took the early lead as a goal from Kevin Cuevas (Brian Cuevas) and two from Daniel Lopez brought the score to 3-1 by the end of the first half. Bangors Hugo Alcaraz scored a goal in the second half (assisted by Lopez) solidifying the Viking win.
Gobles Alex Goldsberry scored two unassisted goals and Raul Lalo also scored a goal for the Tigers. Bangor will face Fennville on Monday, continuing conference play.

9.19.11

Rams lead cut short by Otsego offense

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

South Haven took the early initiative in Friday nights game against Otsego, but the game ultimately went the Bulldogs way as they locked in a 55-21 Wolverine Conference win over the Rams.
The game began on a high note for South Haven, as Caprice Thomas caught a 77-yard pass from Marquiz Dixon, 15 seconds into the first quarter. The Rams extra point was good, and South Haven lept to an early 7-0 lead. However, South Havens lead was extremely short-lived as Otsegos Nate Kirkpatrick answered with an 80-yard kick return for a touchdown, tying the score at 7-7.
Soon after, Otsego added to their lead as Alex Proskurnya caught a 6-yard pass from Jared Klien pushing the Bulldogs lead to 14-7 after another successful field goal from kicker Eric Dennis.
The second quarter was all Otsego territory; the Bulldogs scored four touchdowns from Colin Ahrens, Caleb Wedel, another from Proskurnya, and lastly Taylor Nast who scored the sixth consecutive Otsego touchdownt. By the end of the half, the Bulldogs led 35-7.
After an entertaining Latin-themed halftime show from the South Haven marching band, the Rams returned in the third quarter with some renewed vigor. Curtis Williams scored on a one-yard run for the Rams, and Caprice Thomas caught a 36-yard pass from Dixon for South Haven. However, Otsego brought in another touchdown from Mitchell Klien on a two-yard run. The Rams struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, and Brandon Campbell scored the final Bulldog touchdown, solidifying their 55-21 win.
The Bulldogs earned 374 rushing yards and 180 yards in the air, for a total of 456 yards. Campbell led Otsegos rushing yards with 144 on 12 carries and Caleb Wedell added 130 yards. For the Bulldogs, Jared Klein and Brandon Campbell each completed 7-of-10 passes for 85 yards and three TDs. For South Haven, Caprice Thomas led the Rams with 123 receiving yards, earning two touchdowns. The Rams had 270 total offensive yards for the night.
We came out and we played in spurts. Weve got to learn how to play a full 48 minutes. Thats what the goal is for our next game; a solid 48 minutes, said Rams Coach Corey Cunningham. Their attitudes are getting better. Weve lost some players who didnt want to play football they wanted to complain. And that was just dragging the team down.
South Havens record is currently 0-4. The Rams will face Paw Paw on Friday for their next conference matchup. Weve got to be able to sustain drives offensively. Weve got to learn to play together, Cunningham said.

PHOTO CAPTION: South Haven senior tight end Nick Goodrich tips a pass just before being hit during the game against Otsego at Ratcliffe Field, Friday. (photo by Jody Warner)

Kickers cruise to victory over Trojans; Also win first-ever SH tournament

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

The Rams soccer team continued to improve its record this week, with dominating wins over Dowagiac, Plainwell, Coloma, Bridgman and capturing the championship trophy in first-ever South Haven soccer tournament.
On Sept. 7, the Rams topped Dowagiac 9-1 in a mercy rule decision. Tony Canonie unleashed his offensive prowess, racking up four Rams goals and two assistst. Chad Dotson scored a goal and two assists, and Ryan Dorow also scored a goal and an picked up an assist. Travis Stricklin, Kyle Fitton, and Christian Davis each added goals for the Rams, and Zach Nelson and Andrew Lewis earned two assists. Dowagiacs sole goal was earned by Craig Zebell via a penalty kick in the first half.
on Sept. 10, the Rams came out winners in the first ever soccer tournament called the South Haven Shoreline shootout. Bridgman, the first opponent for South Haven, fell 3-0.Travis Stricklin, Omar Calderon, and Chad Dotson hit the games three goals in the first halfand the Bees were unable to close the lead or execute offensively against South Havens defense. Lucas Katt had two assists, while Travis Stricklin also earned an assist for the Rams. Christian Davis made eight saves for the purple and gold.
Next in the tournament, the Rams put away Coloma 8-0, with the game ending by mercy rule. South Haven scored consistently, earning four goals in each half. Chad Dotson was the Rams point leader with four, earning three goals and one assist. Ryan Dorow shot two goals, Omar Calderon and Tony Canonie each took one, and Lucas Katt had one goal and an assist. Travis Stricklin and Colton Schnake each added two assists and Branden Holtzman had one assist for the Rams.
In the tournaments final match, South Haven faced state-ranked Whitehall, and the game ended in a 0-0 tie. Christian Davis put in defensive work for the Rams, with 13 saves. Whitehall is ranked number three in the state in Division 3, our division, said Rams coach Benno Trenkle. We played them to a tie, but we had better results against Bridgman; we beat them three to nothing and they beat Bridgman two to nothing.
Soccer tournaments honor a point system and because the Rams scored one more goal than Whitehall - against a common opponent, they were crowned the overall winner. When we tied (with Whitehall), that clenched the tournament for us, said Trenkle.
The tournament also featured JV teams, with South Haven placing 2nd defeated by Whitehall in a close 2-1 bout.
On Wednesday, South Haven continued its winning ways against rival Plainwell. Omar Calderon scored the first Rams goal, assisted by Chad Dotson at 20:05 into the game, setting the Rams lead at 1-0 by the end of the half. South Haven gained offensive momentum in the second half with goals by Tony Canonie (Lucas Katt) at 47:01, Ryan Dorow (Branden Holtzman) and Travis Stricklin (Joey Osbon). Plainwell took only five shots on goal to South Havens 20. Jeremy Young earned 14 saves for the Trojans, and South Havens Chris Davis had 5.
I thought defensively we were really strong. We didnt give up a lot of good opportunities, Trenkle said. I dont think Chris (Davis) had a whole a lot of saves, so I think our defense shut them down. Kyle Fitton had a great game, Tanner Plochocki, Colton Schnake, Andrew Lewis, Zach Nelson all played a really strong game today. And our team defense was really superb, we just didnt give them any chances, we pressured the ball really well, he said. And then in the second half, they (Plainwell) played a lot of people back in defense so in the second half we kind of figured out the game, I thought we played better by going wide, making a lot of crossing passes..
The Rams record currently stands at 7-1-1 and 2-0 in the Wolverine Conference. South Haven will face off against Bangor on Monday.

PHOTO CAPTION: South Haven players try to defend a goal kick in a match against Plainwell, Wednesday.

SH Navy reservist delivers the ball in Detroit Tigers game

A South Haven native who has served tours of duty for the U.S. Navy in Iraq and Libya, was given the rare honor of delivering the game ball at a Detroit Tigers game recently.
Lt. Jay Compton, now of the Naval Reserves, delivered the game ball to Tigers manager Jim Leyland in Detroits game against the Kansas City Royals, Sept. 1.
The Tigers have been doing a program all summer where service members who have recently returned from deployments deliver game balls to the mound just minutes before the team takes the field, Compton said.
During active duty, Compton served overseas for three years aboard the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. For two additional years he served as the senior supply officers on the U.S.S. Stout, in the Mediterranean Sea for Operation Odyssey Dawn, near the coast of Libya, as well as various missions near the coast of Israel. Awards he earned included the Joint Commendation Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals, and a Navy Achievement Medal.
Compton, who separated from active duty on Sept. 1 after serving nearly 7 years with the Navy, is now working on his Masters of Business Administration degree at Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University.
A graduate of South Haven High School and Michigan State University, where he served as drum major for the Spartan Marching Band, Compton is the son of Stan and Cindi Compton of South Haven.

PHOTO CAPTION: Lt. Navy Reservist Jay Compton, a native of South Haven, (left), stands next to Tigers manager Jim Leyland, shortly before delivering the ball to start Detroit's game against the Kansas City Royals, Sept. 1.

Bangor defeats Hartford in key SAC match

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Bangor kickers continue a winning streak after topping an undefeated Hartford squad, 2-1, in Wednesday nights SAC North Division match and defeating Brandywine and Comstock earlier in the week.
On Saturday, Sept. 10, the Vikings traveled to Brandywine and dominated 10-2. Mario Diaz was an offensive powerhouse for Bangor, scoring 4 goals and earning 2 assists. In addition, 2 goals from Roberto Leyva and goals from Gage Sefcik, Hugo Alcaraz, Daniel Lopez, and Bryan Cuevas locked in the win for the Vikings. Sefcik also added an assist. For Brandywine, Zach Schmidt scored both points.
Monday night, the Vikings traveled to Comstock, and defeated the Comets after a late start.
The night did not look very promising after two critical mistakes put the Vikings down 2-1. Bangor suffered from an own-goal when the defender was trying to clear the ball and a penalty early in the half, stated Bangor coach Ernesto Diaz.
Comstock led 3-2 at halftime, with goals from Michael Williams, Scott Young, and Ulises Delmoral making up the Colts lead. Bangors Mario Diaz assisted by Hugo Alcaraz scored the first Viking goal, and scored a second at 30 minutes into the first half.
The second half brought a comeback for Bangor, as Mario Diaz shot two unassisted goals and a third from Juan Andrade (Diaz assisted) jolted the score to 3-5 for the Vikings win.
It was a great defensive effort led by Gage Sefcik, Josh Kelley, Matt Fales, and Roberto Leyva, coach Diaz said. Viking goalkeeper Kevin Cuevas had 4 saves and Leo Leyva added two.
On Wednesdays Hartford versus Bangor game, it was an all out battle, as both teams fought hard for glory, with all points scored via penalty kicks, no doubt from the defensive efforts on both sides.
Once again, Mario Diaz put in work, scoring the first Viking goal for Bangor at 22 minutes into the first half, capitalizing on a penalty kick. Diaz went on to score a second penalty kick in the second half, pushing Bangors lead to 2-0. One of the regions leading scorers, Hartfords Juan Perez, was kept relatively quiet during the game until hitting a penalty kick late in the second half but Bangor held on to clench a 2-1 win.
Hartford came in ranked 9th in the state and undefeated. I spoke with the boys on Tuesday when we were going over our tactics and made them believe they could win. It took a total team effort to beat a team like Hartford. We were able to shut down their only two options by playing a defensive game and countering with our speed. At the end, it was too much for Hartford and their defense has never seen a player like Mario and I think that was the difference, coach Diaz said.
Teams must make a decision when they play against us, do they push up and try to score, or keep everyone back to defend Mario. All of our players bought into the tactic and thats why we came out on top, he said. Our team is slowly getting all the starters back and it shows as we have won our last four games. We are still missing two and hopefully we will have them before the end of the month.
Bangor will play South Haven on Monday.

Otsego outruns South Haven harriers

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Both the girls and boys South Haven cross country teams fell to Otsego on Tuesday.
The loss thought wasnt too much of a disappointment to South Haven Coach Paul Flower, however.
While both girls and boys teams lost to Otsego, they continued to close the gap on the Bulldogs, who are favored to finish at or near the top of the league and region again this year, Flower said.
For the boys race, the Bulldogs downed South Haven 22-46. With one of our top runners, Ian Everitt, out due to a virus, the Rams still continued to drop time and show tremendous potential, Flower said.
Nathan VanderRoest took fourth place at 17:19, Evan Hendrix came in fifth at 17:42; other South Haven placings include Willis Dotson at 11th (18:50), Cameron Sleeper at 12th (18:51), and Zach Kenreich in 14th (18:58). Sophomore Alex Barton and senior Josh Billings finished 16th and 17th.
In the girls race, Otsego defeated the Rams 23-31. Top finishers for South Haven included Grace Carver in first place with a time of 19:40, Grace Katt in third at 20:53, and Jessica Miles at 22:43, taking eighth place. South Havens Kristian Johnson and Bailey Rooker finished at 9th and 10th in 23:05 and 23:21, completing the Rams top five. Olivia Nichols and Bri Dotson locked in 12th and 13th places for South Haven.
All South Haven runners who finished last night's race set new personal records for the season or for their careers, Flower said..
Both the South Haven girls and boys records are 0-2. Next on the schedule for Rams boys and girls teams is the Sparta Invitational, on Saturday.

8.31.11

Valve cover races take off at popular antique tractor show

Area youth are invited to participate in valve cover racing at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Michigan Flywheelers Museum's Antique Engine and Tractor Show.
Similar to a pinewood derby, valve cover racing is a competitive event that is gaining in popularity. It involves taking an old American-made automotive valve cover from an internal combustion car engine, throwing some wheels on it, keeping it under 10 pounds and racing it on a gravity feed track.
And, of course, just like pinewood derbies, racers often decorate their valve covers with favorite designs and characters - the more unique the better.
The race is just one of the many activities that take place during the four-day show that runs from Thursday, Sept. 8 through Sunday, Sept. 11. Hundreds of antique engines, tractors and farm machinery will be on display during the annual event which is one of the largest shows of its kind in the state.
Other activities include working demonstrations, exhibits, entertainment, flea market, parades, tractor pulls and children's activities.
Admission is $6 per person. Children under 12 years old are free with adult. Thursday is Seniors Day and admission is $3 for those 62 years old and up. Rustic camping is available. This is a pet-free event.
The Michigan Flywheelers Museum is located at 06285 68th Street, South Haven. For more information, call 269-639-2010, michiganflywheelers@yahoo.com, www.michiganflywheelers.org or on Facebook.

8.29.11

SH harriers place second in invitational

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

The South Haven harriers placed second to powerhouse Otsego on Tuesday in an invitational hosted by the Rams.
The cross country team is in a rebuilding mode and seems to be moving in the right direction, said Coach Paul Flowers We really exceeded expectations. Both the girls and boys teams finished second to Otsego, which is one of the top teams in the region. A few of our kids set personal records (PRs); when you do that the first meet of the year, it's pretty amazing and it's a good indication that many of our kids have come into the season in shape and ready to roll.
Numbers are up for the squad, much higher than in recent years. Now it's pretty simple: we want each kid to get faster and we want to start beating more teams; the first meet showed we're on our way to doing both of those thing,. Flowers said.
The Rams are focused on improving personal records, finishing higher in conference standings, and qualifying for the state meet; all goals of which Flowers is confident can be accomplished by this years squad.
With the group we have, and the willingness of so many of these kids to put in the work, I'm fairly confident we'll reach those goals.
This seasons team is comprised of a couple of senior boys and girls, seven sophomores, and five freshmen. Current school record holder, Grace Carver is now a senior, and a major contender on the Rams squad. Carver finished 61st at the cross country state meet last year and broke the school record in the 1600-meter and 800-meter runs in track this past spring. She is looking very strong as she starts her senior year, continued Flowers. Sophomore Grace Katt, our number two runner for much of last season, is also back and should have a great year. For the guys, our top sophomores Ian Everitt, Nathan VanderRoest, Cameron Sleeper, Zach Kenriech and Alex Barton will lead us, along with two newcomers, junior Evan Hendrix and senior Willis Dotson.
South Haven will travel to Vicksburg on Tuesday, Sept. 6 for the seasons first Wolverine conference meet.

Rams netters look forward to upcoming season

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

With five lettering senior returning, the season looks good for South Havens volleyball squad, and after finishing in the middle of the Wolverine conference last year, the squad is focused on improving their standing.
One goal we have for the season is to continue to climb the ladder in the Wolverine Conference, said Coach Katie Bates. Last year we finished fifth in the conference and I would love to see the team finish even higher this season. We are starting to establish ourselves as a competitive program and improvement each season is the key. Even though we lost five seniors from last years squad, we still have six returners from last years team and a transfer (Alley Kerr) with varsity experience. I am expecting to see solid play out of my returning kids and lots of leadership on and off the court.
Returning this season is libero Kelly Ducharme, setter Meghan Hojara, middle blocker and outside hitter Lauren Harry, middle blocker Makiah Martin, and defensive specialist and outside hitter Michelle Sondgerath. Other key players include Emma Toneycliffe, a junior outside hitter.
The Rams will play in a quad (four team) tournament at home on Tuesday, and will face Plainwell on Wednesday in their first conference match of the season.

Bangor opens football season with a loss

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Friday nights season opener was a tough one for Bangor, with a 41-7 loss to Comstock Park.
It was the first time Bangor and Comstock Park have played. Comstock Park is located in the Grand Rapids area and is a Class C team, as is Bangor.
Comstock controlled the game from the get go, and Bangor struggled to keep up with the Panthers offense. Comstock scored 13 points in the first quarter, three touchdowns in the second, and by Halftime led 34-0.
It was really great to begin the season with a win, said Mark Chapman, Comstock Park coach. Our defense was very physical. Offensively we had over 200 yards rushing and Jake Brown threw over 200 yards.
Jon Hoffman threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Lathrop, and also rushed 217 yards for the game on 16 carries, one of which was an 82-yard touchdown. Comstock quarterback Jake Brown was especially on point, completing 15 out 17 passes, and also throwing a 67 yard pass to Dan Madura for a touchdown. Brown passed for 204 yards.
In the third quarter, Bangors Andrew Johnson powered through a wall of Panthers, putting an end to Comstocks clean sheet with a four-yard touchdown. The Vikings were unable to score again, and the Panthers sealed their win at 41-7.
This week, Bangor will travel to Lawton on Friday to face the Blue Devils in another non-conference game.

Rain fails to stop runners from competing in 5K race

They came from all over Michigan, 15 other states, Canada and Brazil. They came young and old, large and small. They came for a variety of reasons. Some held steadfast in the rain while some made other plans. But, they all had one thing in common; they registered to participate in the 2011 National Blueberry Festival 5k run/walk, sponsored by the South Haven Health System Foundation.
One thousand four people registered for the race this year from age 4 to 81 making this a successful festival event again this year, in spite of the rain.
Although the weather put a damper on the event, we are thrilled that this many people registered and that 824 registrants stuck it out in the rain to complete a race. states Kim Wise, race director. Everybody was energized and having fun despite the hour delay and the weather.
Runners who placed in the races are listed below.For full race results, visit South Haven Health System on Facebook and click on the race results link.
The South Haven Health System Foundation shares the race proceeds with the National Blueberry Festival Committee to support the festival. Proceeds from the race this year are approximately $5,000. The Foundation offers free health screenings and educational programs to the community throughout the year, annual Wellness Center Membership Scholarships and supports the hospital with various equipment needs.For more information about the Foundation, or if you would like to make a donation, contact Charlene Wilson at 269-639-2803.

RESULTS:

Female Age 1-10
Allison Pazera, Watervliet, 27:52
Kaitlyn Bailey, Coloma, 28:15
Amy Alexander, Madison, NJ, 30:15

Female Age 11-14
Jenna Maas, Holland, 21:36
Kelsey Ramirez, Stevensville, 21:43
Amber Castoreno, Allen Park, 22:18

Female Age 15-19
Alex Forsythe, Dorr, 19:13
Grace Carver, South Haven, 19:28
Aziza Ahmadi, Grand Rapids, 19:52

Female Age 20-24
Amanda Weaver, Marshall, 18:04
Julie Helm, St. Joseph, 19:22
Allie Heniff, Mokena, Ill. 20:10

Female Age 25-29
Crystal Cowell, Hartford, 22:43
Stacy Doubleday, Coldwater, 22:43
Pam Gordon, Kalamazoo, 23:11

Female Age 30-34
Emma Tate, Paw Paw, 20:56
Abigail Paul, Cassopolis, 21:03
Marie Vermeulen, Kalamazoo, 22:16

Female Age 35-39
Amanda Lacy, Zeeland, 23:01
Kari Cislo, Milan, 24:56
Carrie Bale, Allegan, 25:08

Female Age 40-44
Peggy Hasse, Three Rivers, 21:27
Amy Nemeth, Williamston, 21:34
Monica Koning, Mattawan, 22:57

Female Age 45-49
Renee Warner, Clare, 23:52
Lesa Reynolds, Marshall, 23:58
Meg Fredian, Western Springs, Ill. 24:05

Female Age 50-54
Michael Taylor, South Bend, Ind., 19:51
Dawn Allen, Allegan, 23:04
Rebecca Linstrom, South Haven, 24:51

Female Age 55-59
Angela Elhammer, Kalamazoo, 25:17
Kathy Kordewick, Schoolcraft, 26:38
Darcy Baskin, Benton Harbor, 27:25

Female Age 60-64
Sue White-Sutton, Plainwell, 23:47
Carla Schut, Jenison, 26:43
Nancy Bunkley, Portage, 29:05

Female Age 65-69
Lois Koning, Kalamazoo, 32:34

Female Age 70-99
Judy Bodjack, S. Joseph, 28:37
Miriam Palmer, Carmel, Ind., 32:08
Jackie Krubert, Winnetka, Ill., 41:57

Male Age 1-10
Derek Maas, Holland, 21:35
Max Rathburn, Portage, 24:12
Evan Alexander, Madison, NJ, 25:46

Male Age 11-14
Zachary Kenreich, South Haven, 19:47
Nate Fierstos, Springfield, Ill., 20:19
Lewis Tate, Paw Paw, 21:41

Male Age 15-19
Billy McManus, Fort Wayne, Ind., 15:52
Brendan Molony, Kalamazoo, 16:17
Jeremiah Barnes, Schoolcraft, 16:46

Male Age 20-24
Matthew Melvin, Bangor, 16:41
Andrew Fuentes, Grand Junction, 16:56
Ben Lewis, South Haven, 17:08

Male Age 25-29
Fred Stadelbauer, Kalamazoo, 18:04
Chris Reynolds, St. Clair Shores, 18:05
Jeffrey Herman, Chicago, Ill., 18:06

Male Age 30-34
Scott Nordeat, Hartford, 18:16
Jim Raseman, Plainwell, 19:56
Donald Pierce, Benton Harbor, 20:51

Male Age 35-39
Scott Westover, Ann Arbor, 16:49
Sam Schmidt, Tecumseh, 19:31
Matt Small, South Haven, 20:07

Male Age 40-44
Troy Thompson, S. Joseph, 18:19
David Solvin, Three Rivers, 18:59
Patrick McManus, Chicago, Ill., 19:09

Male Age 45-49
Pat Deighan, Birmingham, 16:44
James Springer, Saugatuck, 18:12
Ken Bowlds, Wheaton, Ill., 19:43

Male Age 50-54
Kenneth Flannery, Williamsburg, 17:49
Ron Scholl, Hillsdale, 19:35
George Sleeper,South Haven, 20:33

Male Age 55-59
Mike Carey, North Liberty, Ind., 20:44
Curtis Birky, Glenn, 22:46
Jeff Cayo, St. Joseph, 23:07

Male Age 60-64
Gary Gardner, Niles, 21:58
Tom Demoore, Portage, 23:00
Mike Jackson, Grand Rapids, 23:44

Male Age 65-69
Ed Strong, South Haven, 21:31
John OConnell, Peoria, Ill., 23:10
Rich Cullen, Naperville, Ill., 26:48

Male Age 70-99
Les Collins, St. Joseph, 25:21
Ed Stanek, Lawrence, 32:38
Robert Banfield, Kalamazoo, 36:45

5K Walk

Female Age 1-30
Madelyn Cislo, Milan, 41:41
Elyana Cauwels, Lake Villa, Ill., 42:20
Carpenter Valk-Feeney, Byron Center, 42:32

Female Age 31-50
Sarah Clouse, Noblesville, Ind., 34:13
Kara Nickels, Oak Park, Ill., 37:49
Sally Moeller, Fennville, 38:33

Female Age 51-99
Christine Robbins, Paw Paw, 38:15
Gail Goff, Sturgis, 38:59
Linda Johnston, Key Largo, Fla., 39:20

Male Age 1-30
Brett Sandford, Kalamazoo, 33:38
Benjamin Cislo, Milan, 41:42
Rob Janicki, South Haven, 45:16

Male Age 31-50
Todd Sandford, Kalamazoo, 34:47
Chad Szymczak, Paw Paw, 38:17
Michael Heater, Coloma, 41:21

Penalties help contribute to Rams first loss of the season

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

DOWAGIAC The quarterback/receiver duo of Marquiz Dixon and Caprice Thomas gained respectable yardage, but South Havens penalties gave Dowagiac more of an edge, and the Chieftains ran away with a 41-14 win in Thursday nights Wolverine conference play.
Dowagiacs star kicker Brett Scanlon kept the Rams starting deep for the majority of the game. South Haven began eight of 13 possessions at 20 yards or deeper, with Scanlon sending five kickoffs into the end zone and almost hitting two long field goal attempts of 55 and 58 yards. The Chieftains led 14-7 at halftime, and soon put the lead far out of reach from South Haven.
Our defense did a really good job in the first three quarter, and then we just got a little fatigued, said Rams coach Corey Cunningham.
The Rams struggled overall with errors giving Dowagiac the upper hand by committing 15 penalties, two bad snaps on punt attempts, failing to recover a fumble, and throwing an interception.
Caprice Thomas led the team in receptions, racking up 144 yards, and Hakeem Dodson took the lead in rushing with 11 carries for 52 yards. Marquiz Dixon also put in work, with an interception and two touchdowns for a total of 167 yards. Dixon threw to Thomas for South Havens two touchdown plays with passes of 29 yards and 85 yards to Thomas. Dixon hit seven of 12 passes for 192 yards.
Weve got to get better on fundamentals, and I think well be fine, said Cunningham. We came out last night, and we were ready to play football, we fought hard, but we didnt execute our game plan at times. But our kids showed a lot heart and were very proud of them. And well get better.
The Rams will face Plainwell on Thursday at South Haven.

Buchanan 41
Fennville 0
The Bucks used a balanced attack that piled up 387 yards of offense and saw five different players score.
Lyman Thomas was 8 for 10 for 154 yards and a 46-yard touchdown pass to Cash Krumrie to lead Buchanan.
Doug Freeman led the Bucks' ground attack with 89 yards and two touchdowns.
Xavier Grigg led the Blackhawks with 193 yards passing, but could not find the end zone.
Alvaro Oviedo was his favorite target, catching six balls for 59 yards.

South Haven kickers get off to a winning start

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

South Havens varsity soccer team started the season with an 8-0 mercy rule against Buchanan on Tuesday, with the Rams showing apparent experience against a more youthful Buck squad.
Buchanans pretty young and kind of rebuilding, and I think we dominated and were the stronger team, said Rams coach Benno Trenkle. I thought the whole team gave a really good effort, and played together, passed really well
Buchanan came with impressive numbers, and an army of underclassmen, but lacked in seniors with only three.
South Havens Travis Striklin scored the first goal of the game at 15:29, assisted by Colton Schnake. Zach Nelsons goal, assisted by Tony Canonie followed soon after, pushing the Rams to a 2-0 lead at the end of the half.
South Haven returned with defensive vigor in the second half, refusing Buchanan access to the goal, and overpowering the Bucks on offense. Branden Holtzman was the games most unselfish player, racking up three assists in goals scored by Andrew Lewis, Tony Canonie, and Kyle Fitton. Holtzman also scored an unassisted goal, and Omar Calderone (assisted by Lewis) and Kyle Fitton (assisted by Lucas Katt) also added goals to round out the 8-0 score. The Rams had 40 shots for the game, with 22 on goal.
The Rams squad has a bit of experience behind their belts this season with seven seniors on the roster.
Theyre a team that I think plays well together, unselfish, and theyre really skilledtheyre good with the ball. And they have quite a bit of talent, Trenkle said. I think the thing that we have to build on now is our ability to possess the ball, and theyre meshing, theyre coming together; were not where we want to be yet but were getting closer.
Trenkles goal for this season is to win the Wolverine Conference, and progress as far into the state tournament as possible. There might be a couple other teams that will be very good, but I think well be right there with them.
The Rams will face Portage Northern on Monday and Edwardsburg on Wednesday, at home.

Bangor suffers loss to Loy Norix, defeats Galesburg

BY FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Bangor soccer teams lack of depth and Loy Norrixs experience contributed to a 6-1 Viking loss on Thursday, in a physical non-conference bout.
The Knights took the early lead with a goal from Jay McIntosh at 4:33, assisted by Stevenson Storm. The duo of McIntosh as kicker and Storm as passer scored two more goals in the first half. Class A Loy Norrixs defense effectively dissipated Bangors offense, however the Vikings continued to battle. Mario Diaz brought Bangor back into the game, powered the ball down field to score an unassisted goal, pushing the score to 3-1 at the end of the half.
The second half proved to be trying for Bangor, as the Vikings could not penetrate deep enough into Loy Norrixs territory for more shots on goal; fatigue and frustration set in for the smaller Bangor squad. Stevenson Storm earned two goals, one unassisted, the other aided by Josh Salazar. Brendon Goggle (Rosner Storm) also scored to lock in the 6-1 win for the Knights.
We did a lot of things well, but we still have a lot of things to work on, said Loy Norrix coach, Matt MacCullough. We graduated eight seniors and most of those were defenders in some capacity, whether starters or they came off the bench and helped. Were trying to kind of find our way in the back and with team defending, but our goal is to improve over last year.
With some key players on the bench due to injuries, Bangor struggled with a lack of fresh bodies, and the inability to utilize players in more suitable positions. Were still trying to build our program, Bangor coach Ernesto Diaz said. Theres a lack of depth on our team; we have 14 kids out right now, and if two go down, we only have one sub left. But I think that was it, they got tired, and a lack of depth.

BANGOR 4
GALESBURG-AUGUSTA 3
The Vikings came off of a 4-3 win against Galesburg-Augusta on Monday. Bangors Brian Cuevas scored the only goal of the first half; a goal from Hugo Alcaraz (Roberto Leyva) and two unassisted goals from Mario Diaz pushed Bangor to the lead in the second. A late scoring spree from Galesburg produced three goals from Jacob Nantz, Austin Pierce (Nantz), and Andy Greeg (Nantz), but the Vikings held on for a win. Bangors next game will be against Coloma on Tuesday, at Bangor.

8.1.11

South Haven Gus Macker tourney draws a crowd of participants, onlookers

By ANDREW LERSTEN
For the Tribune

What do you get when 664 passionate basketball players from three states converge on the South Haven High School parking lot at once?

You get the controlled chaos and circus-like atmosphere of the second annual Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament, which kicked off Saturday and concluded Sunday.

There were 16 courts set up in the parking lot to accommodate the 161 teams from across Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. There are 20 more teams participating than in the debut event last summer, said tournament coordinator Teresa Cunningham.

The first tournament was coordinated by high school principal Shane Peters and his wife, Jill. But they have moved out of South Haven, so Cunningham under the auspices of the organization she leads, Youth Development Company/PAL stepped in to take the reins this year.

Our mission is to work with the youth of the community, so it made sense (to tackle the tournament), said Dana Getman, a Youth Development board member. And Teresa is always up for a challenge.

There were more than 50 volunteers helping at the event, and proceeds benefitted not only the Youth Development organization but also several local school groups, Cunningham said.

For example, the high school choir was collecting $5 parking fees. Meanwhile, the volleyball team, football team and band members got a slice of the proceeds by working on various aspects of the tournament ranging from registering teams to collecting and cleaning up trash, she said.

The basketball teams ranged in age from under 10 to over 30, and had colorful names such as Silver Bullets, Young Guns, Misfits, Old Kicks, Tom Cats, Out of Breath and the Bloodhounds.

Robert Saxton of Vandalia, Mich. brought his sons and a friend to South Haven to take part in the games. His three teenage sons and their friend were part of the team Lil Dawgs.

PHOTO CAPTION: Competitors play during the Gus Macker tournament this past weekend in South Haven. (Photo by Jody Warner).

Set your sights on these sails
South Haven Yacht club hosts races every Thursday

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Sailboat racing enthusiasts don't have to travel far to see competitions.
Each Thursday, members of the South Haven Yacht Club set sail to race in weekly events.
Racing began in June and lasts until September, with boats setting sail near South Haven's pier at 7 p.m.
There are two racing divisions. The first is Spinnaker, which features boats designed for sailing off the wind, with sails usually positioned in front of the mast. On a Spinnaker, the sail balloons out in front of the boat when it deploys, and this occurrence is called flying. The other division is Jib & Main. This division features boats with triangular staysails ahead of the foremast. There are several types of staysails, but tallboy staysails are more suited for racing yachts.
Marge Moe is a race officer and part of the senior sailing committee for the Yacht Club. She competes in the Spinnaker division with her husband Blake, who has been a yacht club member since 1976.
We do the Spinnaker division, and thats four legs. Then when its finished you have to keep score, which I do, said Moe. I love being out on the waterthe weather has been great for racing in the last couple weeks.
On July 7t and July 14 races, the Singlemalt won the Spinnaker division, and the Rodone won Jib & Main.
Its really fun to be out there, said Mike Kiefer, an avid boater who often watches the Yacht races from his own boat. They normally set up a triangular course with three markers in the water, more like buoys. The committee starts the race with a gun, the boats race upwind on the first leg, they race downwind on the next leg, then cross the wind on the third leg and repeat that two or three times.
As a spectator, Kiefer, like others who come to watch the races, park their boats near the markers.
We usually park near the one where they complete the upwind leg and start the downwind leg because thats when they change sails and a lot of the action is going on, said Kiefer. They put up their big Spinnakers, which are those beautiful balloon type sails and youre close enough to hear the skippers yelling at one another, occasionally youll see a collision which is interesting.
In 2012, South Haven Yacht Club will gain the spotlight as it will host the finish in the prestigious Queens Cup. The Queens Cup will be in its 74th year of competition, and is the most coveted trophy in sailboat racing. Over 200 boats will set sail from Milwaukee on June 29, 2012 and finish in South Haven; holding true to tradition the race begins on a Friday and end on Saturday. For more information about the South Haven Yacht Club and the Queen Cup, visit www.southhavenyachtclub.com.

PHOTO CAPTION: The sailboat "Archelon" (foreground) flies her bright red spinnaker during the Thursday evening sail boat races on Lake Michigan, off shore from South Haven harbor. (Photo by Jody Warner).

Gus Macker basketball fever builds in South Haven

By BECKY BURKERT
Editor and general manager

Keeping track of 500 players, 150 volunteers and hundreds of spectators can be quite a chore for most sporting event organizers, as Teresa Cunningham will attest.
Yet the guru behind South Havens Gus Macker basketball tournament remains undaunted and hopes to attract even more players and volunteers for the upcoming event, July 30-31.
Last year there were 150 teams plus their families, thats about 2,000 people in town for the weekend, she said. We believe in four to five years it will be huge and were hoping to have it down at the beach.
For now, the Gus Macker will take place at South Haven High School. In its second year, the tournament is organized through Youth Development Company/Police Activities League and South Haven High School. Cunningham, executive director of Youth Development Company, and her staff have spent the past couple of months promoting the event and canvassing the area for sponsors and volunteers.
This tournament really does take a village to organize, Cunningham said. It was first started here last year by the high school principal (Shane Peters). When he left, someone needed to take over. We (Youth Development Company) thought it was a good thing to put our name on. Were excited about it.
The tourney costs $12,000 to bring to South Haven, but the more players it attracts, the more money organizers can use to funnel back into the community.
We believe in four or five years we can make $40,000 to $50,000 for the community, Cunningham said. Every group that helps out, we pay them. Plus, the tournament brings people to town - new people. Last year, I heard people say ,I never realized this town was here.
A number of organizations have been eager to jump on the bandwagon to either volunteer or sponsor the event, including Seelye-Wright, McDonalds, 103.7-FM, Village Market, Pats Pronto Print, St. Basil Church, South Haven Elks Club, the high school football and volleyball teams, and the band and choir boosters.
The football team sets up and tears down.. The volleyball team registers players, theres a lot of different things people can do, Cunningham said, noting that more score keepers are needed.
Roles that will not be left to volunteers are that of the officials.
I think were unique in that well only be having certified officials for refereeing, Cunningham said.
Teams in the tournament will consist of four players and players of all ages are invited to participate. The youngest category is 10-12, however, if younger players want to be part of a team they can. They can always step up, Cunningham said. In addition to competing for the tournament championship, players can also participate in a slam dunk contest, 3-point shoot out and free-throw competition.
Registration is $128 per team. To register, visit www.macker.com. For more information, call Youth Development Company/PAL at 639-2489. Deadline to register is Monday, July 18.

New Rams football coach looking forward to rebuilding team

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

A familiar face will take charge of the South Haven football team this season, as Cory Cunningham, previously an assistant coach for the Rams, takes the reins.
And to get athletes fired up for the upcoming fall season, Cunningham along with several former college playera, will operate two football camps this month.
For high school level athletes only, a two day Offensive Line Technique Camp is scheduled Wednesday and Thursday.. The camp will feature former staring offensive lineman for Western Michigan University, Matt Stover, and Nate Luna, a former football player for Saginaw Valley State University.
Were allowing students from the surrounding areas to come in, and of course we expect that our kids will be there, but what were doing is teaching a lot of the fundamentals going over the basics, because we want to teach fundamentals. Thats important in football, Cunningham said.
For Cunningham, the camp is only a prelude of what is to come for this football season.
We look forward to bringing the program back to a level of respectability, he said. And of course in working with kids, we use the vehicle of football to teach them about life, to pursue their goals, and thats always been exciting.
Cunninghams transition from assistant to head coach should be a smooth one, in that other assistant coaches will be returning, including Denny Carlson, Phil Hecksel, Larry Whitfield and Jim McCloughan, Coach McCloughan will be back with us, and so Im just excited about all of it to be honest, Cunningham said.
Cunningham has served as a football assistant coach for five seasons. The South Haven High School and Hope College graduate played football at both the prep and collegiate levels and is currently a science teacher at South Haven High School.
In efforts to build a well-rounded program, the Rams coaching team will also offer a camp for both middle and high school athletes July 26-28. The camp will focus on all areas of football including passing, receiving, tackling, blocking, kicking, teamwork, position instruction and running. The Rams coaching team also stresses the importance of teaching athletes at an early level, and how beneficial it is for athletes to interact with older players.
We want to make sure that the middle school kids are connected to us at the varsity level and at the JV/freshman level. Its not three separate teams; we want us all to be there at one time and get to know each other, Cunningham said. Anytime you can get a young kid to look up and say hey, thats Caprice Thomas, Im going to play like him one day it makes them feel like theyre a part of something, and that something is going to be a respectable South Haven Rams football program.
Official practice for high school football begins Aug. 8, and Cunningham and South Havens football coaches anticipate a great season.
We have a great group of kids; a lot of kids are excited. We were out last night (Tuesday) and did our first 7 on 7 down in Saint Joe. as the night progressed you could just see kids growing by leaps and bounds. Theyre hungry for wins, said Cunningham. A lot of these kids came to me back when the job was still openbasically the kids talked me into it, so many reached out. Its a win-win, were going to have fun and were going to help rebuild a solid program.
The South Haven O-Line camp will begin Wednesday, July 20th from 5-7 pm, and on Thursday, July 21st from 5- 7 pm. Registration begins at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, and the fee is $25 per athlete with walk-up applications available on Wednesday. The middle and high school camp, July 26-28, costs $20 per athlete and will take place at the South Haven high school practice fields. Grades five through eight will have camp from 8-10 a.m., followed by the high school camp from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. For more information contact coach Cory Cunningham, ccunningham@shps.org

South Haven Womens Golf Association results

Here are results from the South Haven Womens Golf Association for June 30:
The even was a social golf scramble with a luncheon afterwards at Cousins restaurant.

• First place team: Kathy Korse, Sandy Fera, Connie Wall and Carol Schmitt.
  Second place team: Mary Lyn Hladik, Char Klein, Barb Wendling and Leslie Roell-Weber.
  Third place team: Mary Lou Sejud, Jane Van Liere, Judy McCabe and Jan Jones.
  Longest Drive: Kathy Korse
  Closet to the Pin: Ginger Felts, Carol Schmitt and Barb Wendling.

Here are results from the July 7th outing. The play of the day was Most Ts and Fs.

18-hole results

• First place: Carmen Sine, 10.
• Second place: Carol Schmitt, Kathy Korse, Monica Karney, Char Klein, Ginger Felts and Mary Lou Sejud.
• Low putts: Mary Lou Sejud, 31
• Second low putts: Carmen Sine, 32.
• Carmen Sine had a birdie and a chip-in on No. 6 and Char Klein had a birdie and a chip-in on No. 15.

9-hole results

• First place: Jan Jones and Lyn Winkel, 3 (tie)
• Second place: Kathe Dempster, Mary Lou Callan, Kay Whale and Barbara Schrader, 2 (tie)
• Low putts: Kathe Dempster, 17
• Second low putts: Lyn Winkel, 18.

6.28.11

Bark Peelers win easily over House of David Echoes

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Despite a downpour that sent players and cranks scattering to the trees for shelter, the South Haven Bark Peelers earned a 25-10 victory against House of David Echoes in vintage baseball last Saturday.
The game remained tight for three innings, with South Haven leading the way 4-3. In the final three innings, it seemed as if the rain gave the Bark Peelers renewed energy, and they powered out 19 runs to lock down the win.
It was a family affair as the days standout players included a father and sons trio; father Ken (Lumpy) and sons Alex (Nugget) and William (Nubby) Davis racked in 10 of the 25 runs for the Bark Peelers. Also, brothers Josh (Junior) and Lamont (Rookie) Dick had game-changing plays at bat and in the field for South Haven.
The home teams opponent, the House of David Echoes is coached by Ron (Captain) Taylor, and has a rich history dating back to the 1920s and 30s when barnstorming teams were famous around the country.
Barnstorming refers to sports teams that travel to various locales usually small towns to stage exhibition games.
These teams competed against such famous players as Grover Cleveland Alexander, Babe Ruth and Satchel Paige, said Rich Olsen, of the South Haven Historical Association. In the earlier days of baseball, Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel Page barnstormed with a team called Dempsey Hovlands Caribbean Kings.
Although barnstorming isnt as common now, there are some teams that still follow this tradition such as the Harlem Globetrotters and softballs King and His Court. In addition, WNBA team the Colorado Silver Bullets barnstormed in the 1990s, prior to formation of the womens professional basketball league.
Holding true to the gentlemanly customs of Vintage baseball, the teams saluted each other at the games end, and joined together for a meal provided by the Historical Association of South Haven at historic Hartman School, the associations home and museum.
Much reminiscing and exaggeration of baseball prowess took place as a sumptuous meal was consumed by one and all, continued Olsen. The Davis also contributed their world famous macaroni and cheese to the post- game activities. Because of their contributions (both athletically and culinary wise) the Davis family earned the Most Valuable Player honors for the game.
The history surrounding barnstorming teams can be experienced at the Marys City of David Museum, which is overseen by Ron (Captain) Taylor. For information about the museum call (269) 925-1601.
The Bark Peelers will next face off against the Ludington Mariners at 2 p.m., today, at Kids Corner ball field, corner of Monroe Boulevard and Monroe Street.

South Haven volleyball player plans to continue her skills at Hillsdale College

Emily Edwards, a 2011 graduate of South Haven High School, has signed an intent to play volleyball for Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College, in Moore, Okla. The Hillsdale Saints volleyball team won the Association of Christian College Athletics national championship in 2010-11.
Edwards, the daughter of Gordon and Sonya Edwards, was a middle hitter for the Rams varsity volleyball team this past year and was named to the Wolverine All-Conference 2nd Team in 2011.
Besides volleyball, Edwards was active in basketball, where she was also chosen all-conference 2nd Team in 2011, her church youth group, the high school History Club, and choir. During her high school career, she maintained a 3.76 grade point average and received a Board of Education Award for her academic efforts.

6.18.11

South Haven's Wilma Wilson named Coach of the Year

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Wolverine Conference Coach of the Year has a good ring to it, and for veteran South Haven softball coach Wilma Wilson, it is an honor well deserved.
Wilson coached this years Rams to an 18-0 record in the Wolverine Conference, and an overall record of 35-1 this season. The Rams also earned their third consecutive District title in Division 2 before their season ended with last weeks Regional playoff loss to Lakeshore.
It was an honor (to be named Coach of the Year), because that comes from the other coaches, Wilson said. Weve had a really, really good season and being 18-0, the closest (team) to us was a tie for second 13-5. So being five games out I think that really said a lot for our team.
In 2007, Wilson received an award for 20 years of coaching in the Wolverine Conference, and this season marks her 24th year coaching.
As for the athletes she instructs, Wilson is a true leader to them.
What I enjoy most about having Wilma as a coach would be her dedication to the team, said senior Keysharri Gill. She really has a love for the game and is very enthusiastic about it, which makes the rest of us enthusiastic. She puts her heart into everything she does and encourages us to always give our all. Even with our record this year, she still recognizes the little things we need to work out.
Wilson runs an annual softball camp for younger children, and Gill was one of her campers every year until she reached high school.
Wilma is a great coach, in fact the best coach Ive ever had. Shes funny, down to earth and like a mother to the 14 of us girls, said team member Meagan Spears. She knows every aspect of the game.
This season is especially unique in that Wilsons daughter, Marlee, is a member of the team. The sophomore is already proving to be a standout athlete with impressive batting and pitching abilities;
In addition, both Wilson and teammate Alyssa Eastman have broken the school record for base hits in a single season. Eastman also broke the school strikeout record earning 17 and in District play against Coloma, she struck out 18 batters.
South Havens two losses this season were to the defending state champion, Lakeshore. Despite the two losses, the team felt they had accomplished a lot.
Overall this season has been incredible, even better then I imagined it would be, Spears said.

Area athletes named to all-conference teams

Area athletes have been named to all-conference teams in a variety of spring sports.
A list of schools, sports and students follows:

BANGOR

• Softball SAC All-Conference 1st team - Monique Johnson; SAC All-Conference 2nd team - Emma Thorbjornsen and Shelby Weber. Honorable Mention - Cinnamon Jackson and Em Shafer.
• Baseball SAC All-Conference 1st team - Andrew Johnson, Scott Thorbjornsen and Brandon Graham. 2nd team - Nathan Bus. Honorable Mention - Nick Watkins.

BLOOMINGDALE

• Baseball SAC All-Conference 1st team - Brody Harris and Jeremiah Johnson. 2nd team - Matt Tewell. Honorable Mention - Gavin Bechtol and Bryce Bodtke.
• Softball SAC All-Conference 1st team - Alicia Carson. Honorable Mention - Chelsea Starbeck and Hailey Sue McNees.
• Track SAC All-Conference 1st team - Danny Lucas

SOUTH HAVEN

• Baseball - Wolverine Conference All-Conference 1st team - Aaron Kreiger, Aaron Dehn and Ryan Dorow.
• Softball Wolverine Conference All-Conference 1st team - Alyssa Eastman, Marlee Wilson, Mariah Boss, Meghan Hojara and Lauren Barnes. Honorable Mention - Hayley Bierhalter, Kelly DuCharme and Sam Phillips. Coach of the Year - Wilma Wilson.
• Soccer Wolverine Conference All-Conference 1st team - Dakota Trinka. 2nd team - Emma Brzenzinski. Honorable Mention - Grace Katt. All-District players - Claire Trapp, Michelle Sondgerath, Emma Brzezinski, Grace Katt, Dakota Trinka, Sarah Dehn, Devon Kovell and Maddie Miller.

• Track Wolvereince All-Conference - Lamont Dick, Caprice Thomas, Weston Orrico, Allen Jackson, Grace Carver, Hannah Simon, Stephanie Ticknor and Jocelyn VanWynen.

• 
  Compiled by Farah Green

Rams fall to defending state champs Lakeshore in regional finals

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

South Havens stellar softball season came to a grinding halt against 2010 state champion Lakeshore.
The Lancers defeated the Rams 12-1 in the Division II Regional finals, Saturday, June 11. Prior to the final game, the Lancers shutout Coldwater 10-0 and South Haven overtook Wayland, 5-2.
Coached by the legendary Denny Dock, Lakeshore teams have won over 900 games including five state championships and 10 Regionals in his 22 years as head coach.
Things came together for us this week. We had a beautiful week in practice," Dock said.
Although the Rams missed their chance at a Regional title, their season ended with an impressive 36-2 record.
We surely surpassed some of our goals: we wanted to win conference but going undefeated was amazing, said Rams Coach Wilma Wilson. Of course, we wanted to win districts and did and had a really good game against Wayland in Regionals, but kind of ran out of gas against. Lakeshore.
Against Wayland, South Haven scored four runs in the first inning, utilizing Waylands two walks and three errors to their advantage. The Rams came out on top with Alyssa Eastman striking out nine batters.
The bout against the Lancers was a much different scenario for the Rams. South Havens only loss prior to the Regional finals also came from Lakeshore, in a 2-1 nail biter during regular season play.
They definitely beat us this year, Wilson said. It was the wrong time to have a somewhat mediocre game but we had so many great games,....being 36-2 means we stayed peaked most of the season; we didnt do too much wrong, a few things didnt happen for us versus Lakeshore and against a good team like them, they will cash in on that.
Rams players Meghan Hojara (outfield), Alyssa Eastman (pitcher) and Marlee Wilson (third base) were given All-Regional recognition.
Always optimistic, Wilson looks forward to next season, and will enter her 24th year as a coach. Im excited for next year with eight strong players returning....and will fill holes with some other good players in the program. Were looking to earn another conference title next year.

6.6.11

Bangor's Scott Thorbjornsen reaches for first base as a pick-off attempt is caught by Hartford first baseman Jered Meachum during the District baseball game in Bangor. Gobles ended up winning the Distrct championship, Saturday. (photo by Jody Warner)

South Haven golfers head to Regional competition

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer
South Havens golf team will advance to Regionals after finishing fifth (370) in the Division 3 district match held at the Island Hills golf course in Centreville.
Schoolcraft finished in the top six scoring 366 as a team, and finishing third overall. Dowagiac took first place with 311 followed by Watervliet with 352 and Parchment with 367. Coloma clenched the final regional slot scoring 373 for sixth place.
Billy Capps carded 88 to lead the Rams. Bangors Arthur Cross was one of several individual golfers to advance to Regionals even though their teams dont qualify.
Cross scored a 92; other individual regional qualifiers were Comstocks Sawyer Heffner (83), Paw Paws Corey Siwala (79), and Constantines Chris Treacher (92).
The Regional match will be held in June 9th at the Medalist golf club in Marshall.

Ram softball team wins its third district title in a row; Sets school record with 35 wins in a season

By H-P Staff

A two-run double by Meghan Hojara rallied South Haven to a 2-1 win over Coloma to win a Division 2 softball district on Saturday. The Rams will face Wayland in their regional game Saturday at Gull Lake.
South Haven (35-1) trailed 1-0 after Coloma scored in the top of the fifth inning. Hojaras bases-loaded doubled came in the bottom of the frame.
South Haven pitcher Alyssa Eastman tossed a three-hitter and struck out 18 batters.
South Haven advanced to the final by beating Hamilton 4-0.
Coloma beat Allegan 1-0 in the other semifinal as Emily Najacht struck out 10 batters.
Marlee Wilson had two hits for South Haven against Coloma. Najacht, who suffered the loss, struck out six and had two singles to top the Comet offense.
South Haven set a school record with its 35th win and won its third straight district title.

By Jody Warner

South Haven junior Aaron Dehn is caught and tagged out during a pickle at home plate during the District semi-game with Hamilton in South Haven on Saturday. South Haven lost the game 12-4. Hamilton went on to win the District finals by defeating Allegan 9-6.

5.31.11

Sports physicals coming up

Sports physicals for South Haven students who want to participate in sports at Baseline Middle School and South Haven High School are scheduled June 6.

Sponsored by South Haven Athletics and South Haven Health System Foundation, the physicals will be from 6-8 p.m. in the high school gym, 600 Elkenburg St. The physicals are for the 2011-12 sports season. Cost is $10 per person. Physicals have to be on file in the athletic office before students can participate in sports, including practices.

Area athletes headed to state track meet

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

For the Bangor boys track team, a discus thrower will be the sole traveler to the state meet, Saturday, at Comstock Park High School in Grand Rapids. Tim Howard of Bangor took first place in the discus at the Division III regional meet in Constantine.
Howard had a throw of 142-0 to take first place. I felt alright before the meet, said Howard. I looked at the paper and saw that I was seated tenth and everyone else was a lot higher than me. So I felt like I was going to come in and do alright. But when I was warming up it was just going great. And I felt great--it was a good day.
Howards previous personal best this season was 1251, which he threw at the Bangor Invitational. This will be Howards first trip to state, and the high school junior couldnt be more excited about whats to come. It feels like its going to be an experience, and Id have to get used to it at first. Ill learn from it and do even better next year.
Other local qualifiers for the Division III state meet include Michael Braswell of Bloomingdale with an 800 meter run time of 2:03.40, and Danny Lucas in the pole vault with a leap of 130.
South Havens Josh Carter and Lamont Dick are both headed to the Division II state meet at Houseman Field in Grand Rapids, Saturday. Both tied for second place in the high jump with leaps of 6'2. Caprice Thomas also qualified in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.5. For the South Haven girls, Grace Carver is headed to the state meet after qualifying in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:24.60.

Rams finish Wolverine Conference season undefeated

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

South Haven softballs season is one for the record books. The Rams made school history in being the first softball team to go undefeated since the league expanded 6 years previously, and their current record stands at an impressive 30-1 and 18-0 in the conference.
South Haven dominated again this week, earning wins against Allegan and Bridgman. On Tuesday, South Haven out hit the Tigers, winning 17-2 and 10-1. In game one South Havens Alyssa Eastman shut out Allegans batters, earning 11 strikeouts. The Rams' 17 runs were composed of hits from Mariah Boss with 2 singles, Meagan Spears 3 singles, Marlee Wilson, 2 singles, a double and 4 RBIs, Alyssa Eastman 2 singles, Sam Phillips a single, Meaghan Hojara a single,2 doubles and 2 RBIs, and Lauren Barnes with a double.
In the nightcap, Eastman continued her reign, with 7 strikeouts for South Haven and the Rams continued to make hits. Keysharri Gill brought in a single, Meagan Spears 4 singles, Marlee Wilson a single and 2 RBIs, Meaghan Hojara a double and 2 RBIs, Lauren Barnes a single, Jordan Spears a single, and Mariah Boss has 2 singles, a double, and 3 RBIs.
In Fridays game against Bridgman, the Rams won 5-2, and 13-0. In game one South Haven took the early lead, scoring 4 runs in the first inning and 1 in the fourth, and holding Bridgman to two runs for the remainder of the game. Marlee Wilson, Alyssa Eastman and Kelly DuCharme all had singles for the Rams, while Mariah Boss and Hayley Bierhalter had 2 singles. Meghan Hojara hitting game was especially up to par with 1 single, a homerun and 3 RBIs.
Game 2 was reminiscent of South Havens usual domination of an opponent, as Alyssa Eastman struck out 11 batters and the Bees were allowed only one hit. Mariah Boss brought in a single, Meagan Spears 2 singles, Alyssa Eastman 2 singles and a double, Meghan Hojara a double, Sam Phillips 2 singles, Hayley Bierhalter a single, Keysharri Gill a single, Kelly DuCharme a single; and Marlee Wilson slammed two homeruns, 2 singles, and 5 RBIs for the game to make up South Havens 13-0 score.
Post-season play begins for South Haven on Tuesday, with Paw Paw being the first opponent at the District competition. The winner will advance to play in the District finals, Saturday. We look to beat Paw Paw on Tuesday and move to Saturday and play Hamilton at 1 p.m., stated Rams assistant Coach Mike Sweet. If we win the 1 p.m. game, we play the winner of the 10:30 a.m. game which has Coloma and Allegan playing. Finals are scheduled for 3:30 p.m.. Notice I say a lot of ifs.
In between Tuesday's game and Saturday, South Haven will play Portage Northern at home on Wednesday.

South Haven baseball team ends regular season on mixed note

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

South Havens baseball team faced a tough week with a loss against Comstock on Monday, and split wins against Allegan on Tuesday and Plainwell on Friday.
On Monday, the Rams faced Comstock in a continuation of May 13ths rained out doubleheader, with the Colts winning 9-6, and the score from the previous game being 6-5. We did not come out ready to play today, said Rams coach Dave McWhinnie. We gave up 7 walks and 3 errors. You dont win games playing like that. We tried to make a game of it in the fifth scoring 4 runs, making it a three run game but then gave them 6 easy outs in the sixth and seventh.
The Rams faced Allegan on Tuesday with slightly better results, splitting with the Tigers. South Haven won game one, 4-1, and Allegan took the nightcap 8-2. South Havens Chris Davis was the winning pitcher for game one.
In Fridays game, Plainwell and South Haven took turns racking up hits. In game one the Trojans defeated the Rams 12-2, and in the nightcap South Haven came out on top 11-1. Top hitters for South Haven were Chris Davis who had 2 hits, a triple, a homerun, and 3 RBIs in game two. Aaron Dehn chiipped in with a hit, a homerun and 2 RBIs.
We are a good team when we want to be, cMcWhinnie said. It would have been really nice to string some wins together here and finish the regular season on a high note going into the tournament.
South Haven begins the District tournament on Tuesday, at home.

Mom and kids score big at fishing tournament

South Haven Steelheaders annual season of fishing tournaments has gotten underway for the summer.
The season opened with an Open Tournament, May 7, with 15 participating boats and anglers.
Every boat reported a catch if not a limit for this event. Fish were caught in as little as 20-feet of water, but the best place for fishing was at depths of 40-to-60 feet.
Several boats brought in over 100 pounds of fish. Heat Wave, owned by Don Fraizier, had a nice even dozen with a total weight of 101.4 pounds. Jim Bairds IT IL DO did quite impressively with over 125 pounds of fish. Bairds crew consisted of a mom, three kids and their dog. Baird said he and his crew had just planned on fishing for the morning but joined the tournament as an after-thought. Baird said the gear that worked best was Fuzzy Bear spoons.

Tournament results follow:
Biggest salmon - Chinook caught by IT IL DO at 15.45 lbs.
Largest Steelhead caught by Neighbor Dave at 3.7 lbs
Largest Lake trout hooked by IT IL DO at 13.65 lbs
Tournament overall winner - IT IL DO with 125.05 lbs. of fish
Steelheader membership is open to anyone with an interest in enjoying and protecting Michigan's world class fishery. Meetings are held at 7 pm on the 3rd Thursday of the month at the Moose Lodge at 1025 Wells St in South Haven. More information is available at www.michigansteelheaders.org
The South Haven Steelheaders will host the Merle Morris Memorial tournament on June 7 and the Weigh 2 tournament on Saturday, June 18 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Weigh 2 is open to the public. Other public events follow:
July 30: Kids Tournament, 7 a.m.-noon. Hot dogs served afterwards.
Nov. 26: River Tournament, 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Visit the steelheaders website or contact Pyles Porthole in South Haven for more information.

PHOTO CAPTION: Captain Jim Baird of IT IL DO is shown with his crew. IT IL DO was the overall winner of the South Haven Steelheaders Open Tournament in May. The captain and crew caught a total of 125 pounds of fish.

Youth ball players test their pitching, hitting and running skills

South Haven area youth showed off their baseball and softball skills during the Pitch Hit & Run competition and now 12 of them will be headed to a sectional contest in June.
The local Pitch Hit & Run contest was held earlier this month at South Haven High Schools ballfields and was sponsored by South Haven Junior Youth League and the South Haven Elks.
Forty-two junior youth league members participated in the event, which was targeted at players, from 7-14. The winners of the local competition will now head to the sectional competition, June 5 at Richland Park, in Richland Township. The winners of the sectional contest will proceed to a regional contest and eventually, winners of that competition will proceed to the National Pitch Hit & Run will compete at the Major League Baseball All-Star game this summer.
I think for a first-time event it went pretty well, said Barb Dotson of the local Elks club.
For the pitching competition players had to throw strikes to a designated target; for the Hit portion, players had to hit from a stationary batting tee for distance and accuracy, and for the run portion of the contest, they had to sprint from second base to home plate while being clocked for their time.

Local winners follow:
Boys
Ages 7-8: Will Baker, all-around, pitch and hit; Trevor Winkel, run
Ages 9-10: Chandler Carey, all-around and pitch; Drake McFadden, hit; Brady Cochran, run
Ages 11-12: Zach Pickens, all-around and pitch; Nick Postma, hit; Gage Gardner, run
Ages 13-14: Tanner Winkel, all-around, run and pitch (tie); Will Cadwell, pitch (tie); Dakota Beam, hit
Girls
Ages 9-10: Ellie Honcharanko, all-around, hit, run champ
Breanna Hecht and Kelsey Mulick, tie (pitching)
Girls 13-14: Caitlin Koch, champ in every event

PHOTO CAPTION: Winners of the Pitch, Hit & Run competition follow: Back row from left are Zach Pickens, Will Cadwell, Caitlin Koch and Drake McFadden. Front row from left are Gage Gardner, Ellie Honcharenko, Trevor Winkel, and Chandler Carey. Not shown are Breanna Hecht, Kelsey Mulick, Will Baker, Brady Cochran, Nick Postma, Tanner Winkel and Dakota Beam.

5.24.11

Lady Rams capture first place in Wolverine Conference

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

A blanket of dense fog was no match for the South Haven softball team this week, and neither were Vicksburg or Three Rivers. The Rams clinched the Wolverine Conference championship with the two wins to improve their record to a perfect 12-0 in the league and 26-1 overall.
In Tuesday's double header against Three Rivers, South Haven completely shut down their opponent, 10-0 in game one. Sam Phillips was the winning pitcher for South Haven, with seven strikeouts. Mariah Boss,
Meagan Spears and Sam Phillips all had singles for the Rams. Marlee Wilson smacked a double and brought two runners home, Alyssa Eastman had a triple, Hayley Bierhalter a double, and Meghan Hojara also had a single for the game.
For the nightcap, it was almost an exact replica of the first game, with the Wildcats earning no runs to South Havens 10. Alyssa Eastman had 11 strikeouts for the Rams. Both Boss and Eastman earned a single and a double, while Spears, Hayley Bierhalter, and Kelly DuCharme all earned singles. Game one's pitcher Phillips also had a double for the Rams.
On Thursday, South Haven earned redemption against Vicksburg, who was the winner of their bout last year. Unusual fog made visibility somewhat difficult for the players, but it didn't hinder South Haven from dominating the Bulldogs. The Rams scored consistently, winning 10-3 in game one. The Rams continued to rack up hits with a single from Hojara, two singles for DuCharme, two for Bierhalter, a single and a triple for Phillips, and two singles and a double for Wilson. Eastman was especially on point, having a single, a double, four RBIs, and a home run for the game.
I felt like we responded well to adversity and to them trying to sneak back into the game. Our bats were hot and to be honest we hit the heck out of the ball up and down the lineup, said Rams Coach Wilma Wilson.
Game two was a another hitting extravaganza for South Haven the Rams brought in 16 runs to Vicksburg's 3. Eastman was the winning pitcher for the Rams, earning 10 strikeouts for the game. Eastman and Hojara each had homeruns for the nightcap, eliciting excitement from the crowd and the bench. Boss took in a double, Spears a single and two RBIs, Wilson a single, Phillips a single, Hojara two singles and three RBIs, Bierhalter and Barnes, two singles each, Wood a single, and DuCharme had two singles and two RBIs.
I am so proud of the team accomplishments last year we were 16-2 and lost to Vicksburg, so defeating them rather handily was bitter sweet. Over the last two years our conference record so far is 32-2.awesome, Wilson said.
South Havens goal of going undefeated in the conference will be put to the test Tuesday, in a doubleheader against Allegan.
We clinched the conference title, which was a goal from the beginning and we talked about how important consistent play is in getting to that goal-how we came back earlier in the year from behind to beat Gull Lake and Dowagiac.We are still shooting for an undefeated conference title by beating Allegan twice on Tuesday, Wilson said.

PHOTO: Mariah Boss makes contact with the ball during a doubleheader with Vicksburg this past week.

(Photo by Jody Warner)

Rams split doubleheader with Vicksburg

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

South Haven split with Vicksburg on Thursday in a game that almost didnt happen due to eerie-looking, dense fog covering the fields.
The fog was unbelievable. It was almost impossible to play outfield in that stuff. I was a little worried they were going to call the game, said Rams coach Dave McWhinnie.They talked about it in the third inning, but we decided to play on. By far the foggiest game I have ever been a part of.
South Haven took the early lead in game one, however Vicksburg ended up taking the lead, and eventually the win as the Rams were unable to get hits and gain momentum.
We had four hits in the first inning of game one, and then we lost our focus and stopped hitting, McWhinnie said.Vicksburg took the game 4-2.
For South Haven, Chris Davis, Travis Stricklin, Aaron Krieger, Ryan Dorow, and Aaron Dehn all had singles. Willis Dotson also had an RBI, and Dehn hit a double and took one RBI.
The nightcap began similarly to game one, however South Haven was able to turn the tables; the Rams earned 13 runs to Vicksburgs 2.
Game two looked like it might be the same thing until the fifth when we busted out with seven hits and 11 runs. It was nice to get a win in the nightcap after a disappointing first game, McWhinnie said.
South Haven scored 11 runs, alone in the fifth inning. Trevor Brown earned a single, Krieger took a single, Dorow hit a single and an RBI, Dotson had a single, double and two RBIs, Wagner a single, Nelson a single and an RBI, and Stricklin had an RBI.
We had two good pitching performances today. Chris Davis and Trevor Brown both threw very well. Unfortunately, only one of them received a win tonight. McWhinnie said. South Haven also played Three Rivers on Tuesday, winning 18-12 and losing the nightcap 9-8. The Rams record currently stands at 9-12-0, and they will face Comstock on Monday.

5.17.11

Photo by Jody Warner

The Rams softball team meets sophomore Marlee Wilson at home plate after she hit a grand slam against Comstock last week.

Rams stay perfect in Wolverine Conference with wins over Paw Paw, Comstock

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

This past week was a beautiful week weather-wise for softball and for South Haven its been a beautiful season. The Rams are currently ranked third in the state in Class B with an impressive record of 19-1 and 12-0 in the Wolverine conference. The softball powerhouse racked more up wins this past week in defeating Paw Paw and Comstock.
The Rams completely dominated Paw Paw in Tuesdays game and South Haven pitchers Marlee Wilson and Alyssa Eastman shined; Wilson threw a no hitter and Eastman threw a one hitter. In addition, Eastman threw 17 strikeouts against Plainwell last week, breaking the school record of 16.
Paw Paw was no match for the Rams and with 10 errors between the two games, the Pirates easily fell to South Haven. It was a complete shutout; the final score for game one was 15-0 and game two 11-0, with South Haven scoring a total of 26 runs for the evening.
It was good again to see our team combine good pitching with good hitting and a very solid defense, said Rams coach Wilma Wilson. We are taking each game at a time to trying to keep a perfect record in the Wolverine Conference and not have to worry about what other teams do.
Thursdays games against Comstock were especially thrilling. Game one got off to a slow start but by the third inning South Haven picked up the momentum. Meagan Spears first hit a single for the Rams followed by Marlee Wilson who slammed the ball to right field, bringing in Spears for a run. What followed was a succession of hits and RBIs from Meghan Hojara, Lauren Barnes, and Kelly DuCharme jolting the score to 4-0. Comstock finally made three outs, however did not get much time at bat as South Haven quickly put them away. Megan Spears hit another single followed by a triple from Alyssa Eastman, and Meghan Hojaras RBIs pushed the score to 7-0.
Comstock continued to struggle offensively, but did not get much of a chance at bat due to a double play from Marlee Wilson. In perhaps the most thrilling highlight of the evening, Wilson then hit a grand slam home run over the fence in the fifth inning, dishing a final blow to Comstocks confidence. A final run was scored as a South Haven player stole home, and the Rams defeated the Colts 11-0.
We started out a bit slow in game one but broke out with a bang. As the year goes we had a lot of contributors and key plays and hits. I really feel we have such a potent line up that we never have to rely on one section of the lineup to do all the workwe are strong and capable up and down the lineup, Wilson said.
Game two couldnt have begun more differently than the first and was a rollercoaster. Perhaps the scorching heat drained South Havens energy, but the Rams were a bit more silent than the game ones team. The Comets came back after the break fired up and with confidence, tightening up their defensive game. Comstock scored a run every inning until the fourth, and for the Rams the hits just werent coming. South Havens three errors for the game were costly, and gave the Colts the push they needed to take the lead. Finally in the third inning the Rams scored, then brought in three runs in the fourth and tied the score at 4-4. South Haven gained back their spark, earning four runs in the fifth inning and one in the seventh. Apparent frustration set in for Comstock, with the win slipping from their grasp, and South Haven won the nightcap 9-4.
I think Sam Phillips pitched really well in game one and we had good defense behind her..Alyssa Eastman held us in and Marlee Wilson came in and got the save to shut them down in the last two innings, Wilson said. We had to work extra hard the second game and we let them in the game with some errors, but our bats came alive and we stayed focused on our goal of winning conference.
The Rams will have another conference game on Tuesday, against Three Rivers.

South Haven v Paw Paw: Game 1: (SH) Mariah Boss-single, Meghan Hojara- 2 singles, 2 RBIs, Lauren Barnes-2 singles, double.
Game 2: (SH) Mariah Boss-2 singles, Kelly DuCharme-single, double, 2 RBIs, Marlee Wilson-single, double, 4 RBIs, Alyssa Easman-single, double, triple, 1 RBI, Sam Phillips-single, Hayley Beirhalter-single, 2 RBIs, Jordan Spears-single. (PP) A. Ampey-single.
South Haven v Comstock: Game 1: (SH) Megan Spears-S singles, Marlee Wilson-1 double, Grand Slam HR, 5 RBIs, Alyssa Eastman, triple, 1 RBI, Meghan Hojara-2 singles, 2 RBIs, Hayley Bierhalter-single, Lauren Barnes- double, 2 RBIs, Kelly DuCharme- double, 1 RBI. (C) K Rickstad- 2 singles, May- single, T Clements-single. Winning pitcher: Sam Phillips (SH).
Game 2: Mariah Boss- 2 singles, 1 RBI, Meagan Spears-single, Alyssa Eastman-double, Sam Phillips-single, Lauren Barnes-triple, 2 RBIs, Kelly DuCharme- 3 singles, 3 RBIs. (C) A. Tafil-single, J. White-single, J. Clements-single, K. Tiller-single. Winning pitcher: Alyssa Eastman.

South Haven goes 2-3 in Wolverine Conference play last week

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

It was a mixed week for South Haven baseball, with a win and a loss against Paw Paw on Tuesday and another loss against Comstock on Friday.

In Tuesdays game against Paw Paw, South Haven jumped to the lead, scoring two runs.. The Rams continued to score consistently, bringing in five total runs against Paw Paws 1. In game two, the teams seemed to have switched roles, with Paw Paw taking the early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning and four in the third. The final scores for the games were 5-1 and 9-4 in favor of Paw Paw.
I thought we played really well in the first game.Chris Davis did a great job on the mound. Aaron Kreiger, Ryan Dorow and Willis Dotson all had key hits for us driving in runs, said Rams Coach Dave McWhinnie. In the second game, basically they had better pitching and hitting. We left some guys on bases in key opportunities. Drew Biederman, Dorow and Aaron Dehn all had two hits for us but that was the extent of our hitting.
Comstock came out on top in Fridays game, defeating the Rams in a close 6-5 game. South Haven held the lead for the majority of the game, but a homerun during the seventh inning brought in two runs and also the win for the Colts. South Haven outhit Comstock overall with 11 hits to their 5, but were unlucky.
We have been talking about doing the little things all year. There were a couple times in the game when we didnt do the little things that win one-run games, continued McWhinnie. They executed a little better than we did and stepped up with big hit when they needed it. We have to become more consistent with our play.
The Rams face Three Rivers on Tuesday.

CUTLINE: Photo by Jody Warner

South Haven senior infielder Roger Wagner slides into second ahead of the Comstock throw.

South Haven v Paw Paw: Game 1: (SH) Travis Stricklin 1 hit, Ryan Dorow 2 hits, 1 RBI, Aaron Krieger 2 hits, Willis Dotson 1 hit. (PP) Marquis Gill 1 hit, Eric Williams 1 hit, Francisco Posada 1 hit, Josh Thomas 1 hit, Justin McCauley 1 hit, Skyler Springer 1 hit, Grant Lewis 1 RBI. Winning pitcher: (SH) Chris Davis, 7 Ks, 1 W.
Game 2: (SH) Ryan Dorow 2 hits, Aaron Dehn 2 hits, 1 double, 1 RBI, Andrew Biederman 2 hits, 1 double, 3 RBI. (PP) Justin McCauley 1 hit,1 RBI, Marquis Gill 1 hit, 1 double, Ben Stieber 1 hit, Eric Williams 3 hits, 1 double, 1 RBI, Francisco Posada 1 hit, 1 RBI, Skyler Springer, 1 RBI, Colton Moldovan 1 RBI, Sam Rice 1 hit, Kyle Williams 1 hit. Winning pitcher: (PP) Justin McCauley, Chris Lyons.
South Haven v Comstock: Game 1: (SH) Aaron Krieger 1 hit, 1 double, 2 RBI, Travis Sticklin 1 hit, 1 RBI, Ryan Dorow 3 hits, 1 double, Chris Davis 1 hit, Willis Dotson 3 hits, 1 double, 1 RBI, Zach Nelson, 1 hit, 1 double, Trevor Brown 1 RBI. (C) Tyler Gaiser 1 hit, Stephen Oliphant 1 hit, Brett Stewart 1 hit, 1 homerun, 2 RBI, Ben Wuis 1 hit, 1 homerun, 2 RBI, Colin Perez 1 hit, Scott Massey 1 hit, Nick Kreene 1 hit. Winning pitcher: (PP) Tyler Gaiser.



5.9.11

South Haven freshman midfielder Grace Katt closely tracks Bangor's Amanda Streeter during a makeup game in South Haven on May 5. (photo by Jody Warner)

Rams shut out Bangor in soccer match

By FARAH GREEN
For the Tribune

South Havens soccer team completely shut out the Bangor Vikings Thursday in a makeup game, ending the match at 8-0 due to a mercy ruling.
The Vikings had difficulty breaking past South Havens defense and were unable to set up an offense. The Rams took advantage of Bangors youth and inexperience, making goal after goal. Bangor also suffered an injury to one of its players, who left the game to seek medical attention in the first half.
I think our inexperience just shows, said Bangor Coach Dennis Yunke. Most of my girls have only one or two years experience in organized soccer and the teams that we play have anywhere between five and ten seasons. So the fact that we play as well as we do and as hard as we do is a credit to the team. This is Bangors second year having a soccer team.
Rams Coach Benno Trenkle duly noted Bangors inexperience. Theyre in a building process, said Trenkle. South Haven had recently come off a loss to Otsego on Wednesday. For us it was kind of a fun gameeveryone got to play.

SOUTH HAVEN 2
GULL LAKE 4
South Havens soccer team fell to the more experienced and slightly faster Gull Lake last Monday, 4-2.
Gull Lake's Carley Rice scored two goals in the first half to take the early lead. South Haven's Simone Brown then scored, assisted by Deven Kovell, putting the Rams back in the game. However, Gull Lake scored again shortly after that with a goal from Kendra Sosnoki to give the Devils a 3-1 lead. Dakota Trinka scored the final goal of the game.. She was assisted by Elle Johnson. In other statistics, South Haven goalie Claire Trapp had 15 saves.
"It's a learning experience," said Rams Coach Benno Trenkle. "Their experience and our youth, and I think it took us out of our game their size, strength, speed, I think they were a little faster than us. But they didn't quit, they hung in there, and made it a little exciting at the end. Gull Lake is a very solid, strong, big team and that showed today just differences in strength."

Rams remain perfect in Wolverine Conference with wins over Otsego

South Haven girls softball team took both ends of a doubleheader against Otsego Friday, winning by the identical scores of 7-2. The Rams record in the Wolverine Conference improved to a perfect 8-0, while their overall record improved to 16-1.
Sam Phillips picked up the win in the opener.
The Rams got on the scoreboard first earning two runs in the second and followed up with three more runs in the third and two in the fifth.
Alyssa Eastman and Meghan Hojara led the Rams on offense with a single, double and RBI, each. Hayley Bierhalter hit a double and earned an RBI, while Mariah Boss, Marlee Wilson, Phillips and Lauren Barnes singled.
In the nightcap Alyssa Eastman earned the victory on the mound and led on offense with a home run, a double and four RBIs. Wilson, Barnes and Kelly DuCharme singled twice, while Boss and Hayley Bierhalter each singled.

South Haven runner breaks school record for the mile run

A junior on South Haven girls track team recently broke an 18-year school record in the mile run.
Grace Carver won the event with a time of 5:21 at a meet against Dowagiac, April 29. In doing so she broke Cymbre Flemings record of 5:26.2, set in 1993, according to assistant track coach Paul Flower. In running to her latest finish in the mile run, Carver knocked 11 seconds of her previous personal best.
Carver also won the half-mile run with a time of 2:28, three seconds off her school record in that event.
South Haven boys won the meet, 84-53 over Dowagiac, while the Rams girls team was narrowly defeated 73-64.

Tennis team faces stiff competition

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

South Havens tennis team playedseveral matches this past week against Three Rivers, Vicksburg, and Otsego. The relatively small tennis program has showed growth and improvement this season even though they have yet to earn a team win.
On Monday in the singles matches against Three Rivers, South Havens Madison Griffin and Melyssa Rodgers earned wins against Ashley Mckee and Taylor Kastsaros. Overall the girls played well. No one really got blown out of the water. Even Zanita Robinson (4th singles) played very well and got to deuce often, even if her scores didn't show it, said Rams Coach Erin ONeil. Griffin (2 singles) and Rodgers (3 singles) played strong matches today and took home wins. They are both proving themselves to be stand-out players. They are both gaining in their consistency. Three Rivers won the match overall, 6-2.
The Rams faced Vicksburg on Wednesday, however the girls weren't able to earn a win and Vicksburg shut out South Haven 8-0. In Thursdays matches against Otsego, Melyssa Rodgers earned another win to improve her individual record. It was a difficult battle for many of the players, and ONeil felt that their performances were commendable. Most of the girls came a little more alive in their second sets, but it just wasn't enough to squeak out a win. Otsego took the match 7-1.
As far as growth in the future, ONeil is confident that the current team is providing the example needed to build the program. They're modeling great commitment and dedication to working hard for the girls that will come after them, she said.
South Haven will next face Allegan on Monday, followed by Gull Lake on Tuesday, and Lake Michigan Catholic on Thursday.

South Haven v Three Rivers: 6-2 (2S Griffin v McKee, 6-2, 7-6) (3S Rodgers v Katsaros 6-1, 6-1); South Haven v Vicksburg: 7-0; South Haven v Otsego: 7-1 (3S Rodgers v Allard, 6-1, 6-4).

Cardinals settle for second in tri-meet

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

BLOOMINGDALE Cassopolis swept Wednesday's tri-meet hosted by Bloomingdale, and also attended by Martin. All three track teams lacked runners to compete in all competitions.
For the girls, Cassopolis earned 59 points to take first, followed by Bloomingdale with 46 and Martin with 29. Cassopolis dominated the sprint races and relays, while Bloomingdale earned points in the distance races.
Valeria Tapia and Paulina Villalon took first and second in both the mile and 3,200 meter runs, earning much needed points for the Cardinals. The only other first-place finish for Bloomingdale was earned by Staci Peterson in the 800-meter run. Despite having only five girls, Martin fared well in the meet, taking four first-place finishes three in field events alone. Tayler Van Putten of Martin took first in the 300-meter hurdles and also generated a new school record in the pole vault with a leap of 9'0.
In the boys meet Bloomingdale excelled in the distance races and hurdles while Cassopolis earned most points in the sprints and field events. Cassopolis took first with 97 points and Bloomingdale second with 77, while Martin lacked a boys team. Although Cassopolis was the largest team at the meet, their numbers are still lower than coaches would like to see.
"We're definitely having a numbers problem," said Cassopolis boys coach Glenn Williams. "We couldve done better and we're missing some kids that would have won some races."
Bloomingdale's Brian Larabel had two first-place finishes in the 800- and mile-runs, and was also a leg of the winning 3,200 meter relay team. The Cardinals took first in nine events and Cassopolis took ten events.
"All in all, pretty decent," said Bloomingdale boys coach Shon Cottle. "We're lacking numbers but the guys that come are working hard, and so far we're pretty decent."

Girls Results: Shot put: 1. Tuer (M) 27'2.5 2. Pantoja (B) 24'4 3. Howard (C) 23'3 Discus: 1. Howard (C) 63'4 2. Tuer (M) 61'6.5 3. Larson (M) 58'10 High Jump: 1. Curry (C) 4' Pole Vault: 1, Van Putten (M) 9' 110 H H: 1. Eleazer (C) 18.7 100 M Dash: 1. Coleman (C) 13.14 2. Robinson (B) 13.95 3. Van Putten (M) 14.14 4X200 Relay: 1. C (Williams, Curry, Briggs, Coleman) 2:00.7 1600 Run: 1. Tapia (B) 6:48.7 2. Villalon (B) 7:07.1 4X100: 1. C (Eleazer, Briggs, Curry, Coleman) 59.88 400 Dash: 1. Williams (C) 1:10.1 2. Robinson (B) 1:20.4 3. Klaason (M) 1:21.9 300 IH: 1. Van Putten (M) 58.49 2. Eleazer (C) 1:02 800 Run: 1. Peterson (B) 2:53.2 2. Ayers (C) 2:55.3 200 Dash: 1. Coleman (C) 29.27 2. Williams (C) 30.03 3. Harris (B) 31.2 3200 Run: 1. Tapia (B) 15:17.2 2. Villalon (B) 16:33.9 1600 M Relay: 1. C ( Ayers, Curry, Briggs, Williams) 4:58.

Boys Results: Shot put: Miller (C) 34'1 2. Pitchford (C) 36'7.5. 3. Forbes (C) 34'1 Discus: 1. Miller (C) 97'9 2. Stanbro (B) 88'0.5 3. Pitchford(C) 85'5 High Jump: 1. Jones (C) 6' 2. Hardline (C) 5'3 3. Lucas (C) 5'3 Pole Vault: 1, Lucas (B) 13'10 100 H: 1. Navarro (B) 17.86 2. Montgomery (C) 18.06 3. Stanbro (B) 19.14 100 M Dash: 1. Lawson (C) 11.33 2. Messersmith (B) 11.65 3. Stanbro (B) 12.14 4X200 Relay: 1. C (Lawson, Jones, Kadlec, Hartline) 1:40.5 1600 Run: 1. Larabel (B) 4:59 2. Smith (B) 5:42.7 3. Reinmueller (B) 6:04.19 4X100: 1. C (Lawson, Jones, Roberts, Hartline) 48.55 400 Dash: 1. Braswell (B) 53.26 2. Montgomery (C) 58.86 3. Keil (C) 1:02.39 300 IH: 1. Navarro (B) 45.19 2. Mourea (B) 47.70 3. Montgomery (C) 50.01 800 Run: 1. Larabel (B) 2:21.42 2. Lopez (B) 2:22.73 3. Smith (B) 2:31.25 200 Dash: 1. Lawson (C) 23.78 2. Messersmith (B) 24.10 3. Forbes (C) 26.33 3200 Run: 1. Breswell (B) 12:08.03 2. Mousea (B) 12:08.25 3. Reinmueller (B) 12:08.44 1600 M Relay: 1. C ( Kodec, Jones, Hartline, Montgomery) 3:57.

5.2.11

Bangor hosts 12-team track meet; Boys place third

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Bangor boys track team had a decent showing on Friday, placing third in the second annual Bangor Relays. Inexperience seemed to be a factor for both the Bangor girls and boys teams, as Bangor girls placed fifth in the meet.

CUTLINE: Yarizza Rodriguez competes in a relay race during the Bangor High School track meet April 29.

Paw Paw dominated the running events, taking first places in all and also in the long jump for a total of 101 points. Bangor earned 58 points, with four second-place finishes in the 160 and 3200-meter relays, and the shot put and pole vault.
"I was pretty pleased, we're still a bit behind in field events, just because of the rain hindering practice. As far as the rest of the team we've been making pretty good progress--our 3200 relay team is starting to drop their time. We're young, so the older guys will have to step up," commented Bangor boys coach Ron Markel. " My sprinters are getting more mature, especially in the last few meets -- and I think we ran pretty well so that was encouraging to see."
For the girls meet, Gobles and Paw Paw dominated, with Gobles winning six events and Paw Paw five to tie for first place. The Lady Vikings placed fifth overall with a total of 33.5 points.

Bangor will next face Gobles on Wednesday, followed by the Bangor Invitational on Friday.

Boys Results

1. Paw Paw 101, 2. Berrien Springs 63, 3. Bangor 58, 4. Hopkins 56, 5. Eau Claire 38.5, 6. Gobles 33, 7. Battle Creek Pennfield 30, 8. Bridgman 20, 9. Galesburg-Augusta 17, 10. Lawrence 16.5, 11. Coloma 15, 12. Decatur 14. High jump - 1. Berrien Springs (Zach Mottley, Jeff Gumbo) 11-10.

Distance medley - 1. Paw Paw 9:59.7. Shot put - 1. Berrien Springs (Devonte Shabazz, John Williams) 79-3 1/2. 400 relay - 1. Paw Paw 45.0. Long jump - 1. Paw Paw (Demarcus Leak, Andrew Buskirk) 41-4. 3200 relay - 1. Paw Paw 8:53.3 Discus - 1. Hopkins 244-0. 800 relay - 1. Paw Paw 1:35.5. Discus relay - 1. Paw Paw 49.6 Freshman 400 relay - 1. Paw Paw 49.9. Pole vault - 1. Battle Creek Pennfield 22-6. 1600 relay - 1. Paw Paw 3:40.1

Girls Results

1. Gobles and Paw Paw (tie) 94, 3. Coloma 49, 4. Hopkins 38, 5. Bangor 33.5, 6. Berrien Springs 33, 7. Bridgman 29, 8. Battle Creek Pennfield 28, 9. Lawrence 23, 10. Decatur 17.5, 11. Galesburg-Augusta 7, Eau Claire 2.

Distance medley - Discus - 1. Lawrence (Nicole Carpp, Liz Pingel) 178-0. 1. Gobles 12:12.9. Long jump - 1. Gobles (Rita Morris, Melina DeKilder) 29-8. 400 relay - 1. Paw Paw 52.8. Shot put - 1. Paw Paw (Bryce Miller, Natalie Kmet) 61-0. 3200 relay - 1. Gobles 11:03.8.800 relay - 1. Paw Paw 1:53.8 Discus relay - 1. Gobles 57.4. High jump - 1. Gobles (Lauren Dietrich, Melina DeKilder) 9-4. Sprint medley - 1. Paw Paw 1:59.4. Freshman 400 relay - 1. Paw Paw 55.8. 1600 relay - 1. Paw Paw 4:31.4. Pole vault - 1. Gobles (Brindley-Trevino) 15-0.

Bdale splits with Fennville

Bloomingdale went 1-1 with Fennville in a doubleheader this past week.
In the opener, Fennville went ahead 3-1 in the second inning and scored another two hits in the third to defeat the Cardinals 5-2. Kyle Martinez took the loss.
For Bloomingdale Gavin Bechtol went two for three, Brody Harris tripled and Tucker Rigney had a hit.
In the nightcap, Bloomingdale rebounded and won 4-3, thanks to two runs in the sixth inning. The game was called after that due to darkness.
Seth Adams was the winning pitcher.
On offense Matt Tenell was two for three, Martinez doubled, and Jeremiah Johnson and Bryce Bodtke each had a hit.
Fennvilles record is 5-3 overall, and 1-1 in the SAC, while Bloomingdales record stands at 3-3, and 1-1 in the SAC.

Bangor girls lose doubleheader
Bangors softball team lost a doubleheader to Saugatuck this past week, 7-4 and 11-10.
Emma Thorbjornsen and Makiah Ereland pitched the first game for Bangor, while Thorbjornsen and Jessica Klause pitched the second game.
On offense in the first game, Micayla Frame had two singles, while Shelly Weber and Cinnamon Jackson each had a hit. Frame and Thorbjornsen also scored an RBI, each.
In the nightcap, Monique Johnson had two doubles, Thorbjornsen smacked three hits, Em J. Shafer had two hits and Weber, Kelcey Gravatt and Jackson each singled. Thorbjornsen led in RBIs with three.
The Vikings also played Gobles this past week, losing by the close score of 5-4.
Thorbjornsen picked up the loss, striking out five batters and walking two.
Gravatt, Weber and Johnson had two hits, while Shafer and Jackson picked up one.
Bangors record is now 0-8 overall and 0-3 in the SAC.

Gull Lake takes two from the Rams
Gull Lake kept its perfect record intact in a doubleheader against South Haven this past week.
The Rams were defeated 6-2 and 15-0.
Chris Davis picked up the loss for South Haven, striking out 13 batters and walking two.
On offense Travis Stricklin went two for three with a double, Ryan Dorow was two for four and Aaron Kreiger hit a double.
In game two, Trever Brown picked up the loss for South Haven, striking out one batter.
South Havens record is now 6-4 overall and 2-2 in the Wolverine Conference.

Rams softball team sweeps Gull Lake
South Havens softball team picked up two more victories this past week, defeating Gull Lake 6-5 and 9-1.
Alyssa Eastman was the winning pitcher in the opener. Top hitters for South Haven were Mariah Boss with two singles, Marlee Wilson with two singles and two RBIs, Sam Phillips with a single, double and two RBIs and Lauren Barnes with a single and a double.
In the nightcap, Eastman was once again the winning pitcher. Top hitters for South Haven included Boss with two singles and an RBI, Wilson with two singles and a double, Eastman with two singles and a double, Phillips with a double and an RBI, Meghan Hojara with a single, double and two RBIs, Haley Bierhalter with three singles and an RBI and Barnes with two singles and an RBI.
The Rams are now 12-1 overall and 4-0 in the Wolverine Conference.

4.19.11

Rams face stiff competition from Otsego

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

Otsegos track teams came with large numbers of competitors to defeat South Haven on Tuesday. Both of the Rams teams had some great moments for the meet, however Otsego easily pulled away with the points.

For the South Haven girls, depth seemed to be their downfall. The final score was Otsego 92.5-South Havens 44.5. However, the Rams had some shining moments with Grace Carver winning the 800-meter and 1600-meter runs, Makiya Martin winning the 400- and 200-meter dashes, Stephanie Ticknor winning the 300-meter low hurdles, and Hannah Simon and Jocelyn Vanwynen racking up points in the pole vault.
We had two pole vaulters break the old school record of 8 feet 6 inches, said girls coach Chris Standeford. Hannah Simon broke it first at 8-8.5.. And we turned around and five minutes later Jocelyn VanWynen broke it at 8-9. Those were two positives on the girls side that helped them score some points..VanWynen is now the girls pole vault record holder at 8-9..
For the boys, South Haven took first place in six events, with Otsego earning major points in the 400-meter dash, 3200-meter relay, 800-meter relay, 1600-meter run, mile relay, 3200-meter run, and 400-meter dash. South Haven boys also swept the high jump taking first, second and third. The final score for the boys was South Haven 53-Otsego 84.
Otsego boys Coach Matt Grile was very pleased with his team. I thought that both teams ran well considering we were coming off of Spring break.I was happy with our pole vaulters who all posted personal bests, our 800 meter relay ran well and I was very pleased with our mid- and long-distance crew, who pulled in a lot of points and swept several events.We also have a few hurdlers who are looking to have a good season, Trevor Brinn is our returning Division 2 state champion in the 800, he has a positive attitude and a great work ethic; Im looking for good things from him this season.
South Havens next meet will be away on Tuesday against Vicksburg.

PHOTO: South Haven junior Hannah Simon competes in the girls 100-meter dash during the track meet with Otsego.

• Results: Boys: Discus 1. A. Arngman OT 10010 2. J. Hoggard SH 9610 3. M. Gleiss SH 953. Pole Vault 1. E. Cornell OT 11 2. A. Jackson SH 11 3. W. Orrico SH 11 Shot put 1. B. Campbell OT 392 2. M. Gleiss SH 362 3. J. Hoggard SH 353. High Jump 1. J. Carter SH 6 2. K. Ferguson SH 510 3. R. Phillips SH 58 Long Jump 1. C. Thomas SH 1911 2. C. Wedel OT 188 3. P. Allen SH 183 3200 M Relay 1.Otsego 110 M. High Hurdles 1. M. Kiel OT 17.12 2. A. Jackson SH 18.78 3. T. Covey SH 18.96 100 M Dash 1. J. Carter SH 11.34 2. K. Wedel OT 11.42 3. R. Phillips SH 11.56 800 M Relay 1. Otsego 1600 M Run 1. Harvey OT 4:56.81 2. Webber OT 5:01.94 3. T. Starr OT 5:02.88 400 M Relay 1. South Haven 47.21 400 M Dash 1. Brinn OT 51.68 2. Kiel OT 54.78 3. Pfeiffer OT 55.99 300 M Low Hurdles 1. K. Patrick OT 43.31 2. Trobeck OT 43.81 3. R. Phillips SH 43.91 800 M Run 1. Nunley OT 2:19.47 2. Cole OT 2:21.10 3. VanderRoest SH 2:25.47 200 M. Dash 1. C. Thomas SH 23.36 2. H. Dodd SH 24.93 3. Cornell OT 25.15 3200 M Run 1. Harvey OT 10:21 2. T. Starr OT 11:11 3. J. Starr OT 11:12 1600 M Relay 1. Otsego.
• Girls Results: Discus 1. K. Morand OT 862 2. K. Maxcom OT 666 3. McCuller OT 518 Shot Put 1. K. Morand OT 261 2. McCuller OT 2310 3. B. Welcher OT 236 Pole Vault 1. J. VanWynen SH 89 2. H. Simon SH 88 3. K. Owens OT 6 High Jump 1. M. Miller OT 48 2. K. Owens OT 46 3. S. Ticknor SH 46 Long Jump 1. M. Miller OT 142 2. J. VanWynen SH 135 3. M. Darnel OT 1210 3200 M Relay 1. Ostego 100 M. High Hurdles 1. K. Moran OT 19.18 2. C. Anderson OT 19.7 3. A. McKormick OT 19.9 100 M Dash 1. M. Martin SH 13.82 2. M. Friel OT 13.94 3. B. McCuller OT 14.44 4. H. Simon SH 14.44 800 M Relay 1. Otsego 2:08.93 1600 M Run 1. G. Carver SH 5:36.18 2. Drobney OT 5:48.62 3. Kosher OT 5:57.50 400 M Relay 1. Otsego 57.02 400 M Dash 1. M. Martin SH 1:08.44 2. M. Rickstad OT 1:10.19 3. M. Miller OT 1:12.76 300 M Low Hurdles 1. S. Ticknor SH 57.00 2. Anderson OT 57.12 3. McCormick OT 57.79 800 M Run 1. G. Carver SH 2:35.56 2. Drobney OT 2:43.56 3. Nord 2:48.28 200 M Dash 1. M. Martin SH 29.52 2. Friel OT 29.81 3. McDurman OT 30.49 3200 M Run 1. R. Schwartz OT 13:37.55 2. C. Webber OT 14:07.50 3. Nichols SH 16:24.40 4. Johnson SH 16:24.40 Mile Relay 1. Otsego.

Rams softball team gets by state-ranked Mattawan

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

The South Haven softball team held on to its perfect season after beating state-ranked Mattawan, 2-1, on Thursday..
For the Rams, who are now 6-0, it was an exciting finish that was well worth the wait for fans who chose to brave the chilly weather.
The first four innings went scoreless until South Haven scored in the fifth. Mattawan then scored in the sixth, with the score remained tied 1-1, until the Rams scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to win.
South Haven Coach Wilma Wilson couldnt have been more pleased with the results.
We were hoping that it was going to be a very competitive game, Wilson said. Theyre ( Mattawan) currently ranked fourth in Division I and were currently eight in Division 2, so we were definitely hoping for a competitive game. It was pitched very well on both ends, I really felt that a lot of momentum was in our direction, and once you put the ball in play, good things can happen.
As far as the overall season goes, Wilson said her goal is to win the Wolverine conference and hopefully hold on to an undefeated record.
Last year we lost in the Regionals and our goal is to go farther into the state tournament. The kids are all on that same page and pretty excited about it. Were fairly young still, but we have a lot of good balance.
The first win at home for the season was exciting for the Rams and the celebration following their win could surely be heard blocks away. We didnt lose a home game at all last year, so winning this one at home is big as well. So definitely the whole team has high expectations, Wilson said.
The games winning pitcher, Alyssa Eastman had eight strikeouts and one walk. Sam Phillips had one hit for South Haven and Meghan Hojara had one RBI. Alyssa McBride had one hit and one RBI for Mattawan.
South Havens scores for previous games this season follow: South Haven v. Mattawan 2-1; SH v. Watervliet 13-0, 11-1; SH v. Grand Haven 17-1; and SH v. Coloma 1-0, 14-5.
The Rams will next play Dowagiac at home on Thursday.

South Haven baseball team thrilled with victory over St. Joseph

By BEN SANDERS
H-P Sports Writer

South Haven came away from Fridays mat c h u p with St. Joseph with a quality win. The Bears just left feeling frustrated.
The Rams took advantage of several St. Joseph miscues to pull out a 4-3 victory. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was called due to rain with the Bears leading 4-0 in the top of the first inning.
Theyre a very good team, a very good program, South Haven coach Dave McWhinnie said. We feel pretty good about that first game, obviously.
St. Joseph was hurt by six walks and four errors.
It was a wasted day for us, St. Joseph coach Eric Danapilis said. We didnt come to play and wasted a game where we couldve got better.
Despite the mistakes, St. Joseph had a chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh inning. Trailing 4-3, the Bears loaded the bases by drawing three walks off of South Haven reliever Ryan Dorow, including an intentional free pass to Steven Ross. Ross provided most of the offense for the Bears, hitting a two-run double in the third and scoring in the sixth after reaching on a walk.
Dorow recovered and struck out Ty Taylor swinging to end the game. The players exchanged words immediately after the game, and Taylor was restrained by the umpire and ejected.
When we play St. Joseph, its a pretty big game for us, McWhinnie said. Ryan got a little excited and thumped his chest a little bit, and the batter took exception to that.
Their pitcher got excited and said something to our player, Danapilis said. I know kids get excited, but both sides have to learn to control their emotions.
Dorow earned the save in relief of Chris Davis, who struck out six batters over six innings of work.
Chris did a great job for us, McWhinnie said. Hes our top pitcher for a reason.
South Haven trailed 2-0 before St. Josephs defense began to struggle in the fourth, allowing three unearned runs on two walks and three errors. Tony Canonie had the Rams only hit of the inning, an RBI single.
St. Joseph got off to a better start in the second game, taking advantage of several walks to score four runs and put two other runners in scoring position before the contest was halted. Danapilis was unhappy with the decision.
The umpires should have either called it (after the first game) and not had us come back out, or let us play, Danapilis said. (The weather was) not any worse than it was to start the game.

South Haven 4, St. Joseph 3

St. Joseph 002 001 0 3 3 4 South Haven 000 310 x 4 4 3 WP Chris Davis 6k. LP Charlie Kormanick 6k. S Ryan Dorow.

Top hitters St. Joseph: Steven Ross 2b, 2 RBIs. South Haven: Aaron Dehn 2b; Tony Canonie 1b, RBI; Aaron Krieger 1b, RBI. Records St. Joseph 4-2, South Haven 3-2.

Bangor defeats Lawton

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune staff writer

BANGOR It was a good day, Monday, for the Bangor Varsity baseball team, as they defeated Lawton 10-6. Both teams played well, with some exciting plays coming from both sides. Despite it being a somewhat cold day, fans got a good show of athleticism.
Bangor Coach Lynn Johnson felt that his team has improved in a weeks time.
We did better than the first game, although we had too many errors tonight, he said. We hit the ball well and pitching was good, but we didnt have enough defensive support. And we had a couple bad innings, but I think with it being early, that will change.
Bangor had a total of five errors for the game.
The Vikings squad includes several veterans and starters from the previous season.
Branden Graham, who pitched tonight, and Joe Whalen are both seniors, Johnson said. I expect them to have real good seasons and they both did well tonight. They are both third year varsity players, and actually weve got seven starters back from last years team. Our expectations are to be able to play for a league championship and hopefully a district championship again this year.
Graham allowed 10 runs on five hits, and struck out six batters. The top hitters for Bangor were Nik Abbot with 2-4, Joe. Whalen; 1-3, (double) and 1 RBI, Nick Watkins; 1-4 (double) and 1 RBI, and Roberto Leyva 1-3, 1 RBI.
Bangor will next play Marcellus on Monday.

4.11.11

Bowlers named All-Conference

Five South Haven High School bowlers earned all-conference honors this past week.
Kelly DuCharme was named to the First Team for the Rams girls team, while Ashley Thon and Meghan Hojara were named to the Second Team.
The girls placed third in the conference, narrowly behind second-place Allegan. South Haven racked up 12,715 scratch pins, compared to Allegans 12,715. However both teams earned the same number of points - 5. Coloma won the conference with 15,411 total pins and 10 points.
Ducharme ended the season with a high series of 391 and a high game of 204. Thons high series was 386 and her high game was 215, while Hojaras high series was 360 and her high game, 198.
For the boys, both Zach Hoyt and Judah Robinson were named to the all-conference Second Team. The Rams placed second in the conference behind Brandywine and won a trip to the Class B state finals for the first time in their five-year history.
Hoyt had a high series of 504 for the season and a high game of 258, while Robinsons high series was 437 and his high game 258. Hoyt also was named individual Regional champ earlier this year.
The teams are coached by Barry Skuza.

South Haven girl heads to regional karate competition
A South Haven girl won several medals in the Michigan AAU Karate championship, this past weekend, and will now be headed to the Regional competition in Chicago in May.
Nikki Munjoy, 11, won the Gold Medal in Weapons and in Kumite (sparring). She also received a Silver Medal in Kate (forms) and in Advanced Kate, according to her coach, Rick Lambert.
If Munjoy places at the Regional level she will go to the AAU national competition in July and the AAU Junior Olympics later that month.
Munjoy earned her Black Belt in December of 2010 and has been studying the martial arts Uechi-Ryu for six years, according to Lambert.
She not only works out a couple nights a week in karate, she competes while also keeping her grades in school above average, said Lambert, operator and owner of Shindokan Dojo. She is also active in other curricular activities in school. This is a prime example of young leadership for the future.

3.28.11

Photo by Jody Warner

Bangor sophomore Andrea Avitia bumps into Coloma senior Becka Willming during Thursdays game in Bangor. The temperature at the game time was 32 dregrees.

Bangors soccer team gets off to a chilly start

By FARAH GREEN
Tribune Staff Writer

BANGOR A chilly, yet sunny day was the setting for Bangor and Coloma high school girls soccer teams who faced off on Thursday.. Bangor showed great improvement from last season, coming close to defeating Coloma who had previously held them 6-0 last season. Each team showed promise, and although it was the first match of the season for both, it was an exciting prelude of what is to come.
To start, both teams played well defensively, with Bangor setting the pace early in the match. Bangor Freshman Destiny Perry scored a goal at 15:59 into the first half, displaying her hustling ability. Bangors defense worked hard contesting Coloma as they attempted to get in position for a goal. Bangor goalie Marina Sanchez had numerous saves, which contributed to Coloma being unsuccessful in scoring in the first half.
The second half began with a slow start, however Coloma quickly picked up the pace after a goal from Junior Meghan Guntz.
While the Comets gained their confidence back, Bangor struggled hard to tie up the score. The Vikings tightened up their defensive game and had numerous scoring opportunities but were unable to produce. A determined Olivia Zvonar, a senior for Coloma, finally scored at 18 minutes after several close attempts at a goal, pushing the Comets lead at 2-1.
Following Zvonars goal, Bangor was unable to recover and their shots continued to miss the mark. Coloma managed to hold on to their lead and clench the win.
Although this game did not produce a win for Vikings Coach Dennis Yunke, he was proud of his teams performance and felt that their development from last year was already apparent within the first game. They had a really good game Yunke said, With last year being our first yearlast year we played Coloma and lost 6-0. This year we lost 2-1. We led at half-time; thats an improvement already.
Yunke is confident in his teams abilities, but feels that experience is still lacking for the young Vikings squad. We gave them chance after chance, after chanceits their inexperience showing. Most of the time up front theres all freshmen, but if they stay at it this, theyre going to be a very good team in a couple years.
Coloma Coach Nathan Kahne was also content with his teams effort, even with the slow start to the game.. The first half was rough, but the girls played hard the whole game and I think we won because we had some skill up top. Theres still so much we have to work on in terms of moving the ball and were still learning positions. But for the first game well take it.

Covert players named all-conference

Two Covert basketball players were named to the All-Red Arrow Conference teams this past week.
Guard Mike Smith was selected to the First Team, while Donsha Evans made it to the Second Team. Davontay Easterling and Cordell Dawson were named Honorable Mention.
The Bulldogs finished with a 8-1 record in the Red Arrow Conference and 15-5 overall. They made it to the Class C District finals before losing to Fennville 51-48.
For the Covert girls team, both Roshawna Clark and Nakeya Sowell were named Honorable Mention candidates.

3.21.11

Baseline Middle School sixth grader Jonathon Byers rushes to the middle of the playing court to grab a ball during the third annual Baseline Middle School Dodgeball Tournament last week. (Photo by Jody Warner).

Dodgeball tourney a hit at Baseline Middle School

By BECKY BURKERT
Editor and general manager

The older students get, the tougher it becomes to join a sports team, but Baseline Middle School offers one sporting opportunity in which every student can compete the annual Dodgeball tournament.
Now in its third year, the event attracted 38 teams of students who took part in the two-day competition, March 15 and March 17 at the middle school.
The idea for a dodgeball tourney started with three teachers Bellinda Cowell, Shelly Fouts and Michelle Dudycha who thought the academic curriculum of the classroom left little time for students to exercise and have some fun.
It started as a what if thought and blossomed into something much bigger, said Dudycha, who coordinated this years event. We wanted to make sure the tournament included all of our students. Any student can be on a dodgeball team and be successful. Dodgeball is a great way for everyone to have fun, and enjoy a little friendly competition.
The idea has proved to be a hit with students and attracted more than 300 spectators each evening of the tourney this year.
The team Best Be Ready, consisting of captain Sarah Washegesic, Alec Washegesic, Colton Toney and Ryan Capps, won the tournament, while the Cyclones, consisting of captain Jared Goodwin, Jack Filbrandt, Emily Olivas and Mormon Olivas, won the Dodgeball Trivia award.
Putting on the dodgeball tournament takes a lot of work, Dudycha commented.
Although the idea sparked from three teachers, it takes several staff members to put on the actual tournament, as well as an additional 25 volunteers, she said.
Dodgeball is often played in gym at the elementary and grade school level, however, Baseline Middle School is one of the few schools in the area to actually offer a tournament.
Students get to choose their own teams, but must follow a few rules.
Teams register in four-person, mixed-grade-level teams that must be co-ed, Dudycha said. This not only integrates our grade levels but also helps build our school community.

3.15.11

Two South Haven swimmers place at state finals

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

HOLLAND In front of a packed Holland Aquatic Center, the Rams hit the water to compete this past weekend in the Division 3 state championship. South Haven tied Otsego to place 37th as a team, while Eddie Verdonk and Mitch Baker went toe-to-toe in individual events.
Eddie Verdonk took 16th in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:05.12. Verdonk also placed 16th in the 100-breastroke while teammate Mitch Baker placed 14th in the same event.
The top 16 finishers at the state tournament earned medals.
South Havens coach Ben Herrman was proud of the performance the Rams put forth this past weekend and throughout the season.
Overall, we dropped time in every race except for the 100 Backstroke, which I was very happy with. More important is the journey each one of those guys took to get to the state meet, Hermann said. We had some relay and individual times that none of those guys predicted at the beginning of the season. The team accepted the challenges placed in front of them at the beginning of the season, got to work, came together as a team, and saw the successes that resulted. Although I'm sad to see our seniors leave us, I'm excited to see what Eric (Goril) and Eddie can lead next year's team accomplish.3.10.11

South Haven's Tevin Hunter controls the ball and is guarded by Plainwell junior Austin Lutz during the Rams district game against Plainwell in Paw Paw. Photo by Jody Warner.

Rams, Bulldogs advance to the finals in District tournament

Both South Haven and Covert basketball teams will be playing in District finals games Friday.
The Rams squeezed into the finals with a 47-46 victory over Plainwell Wednesday, while Covert easily defeated Bloomingdale 52-35.
South Haven now faces Parchment at 7 p.m., in Paw Paw, while Covert will travel to Hope College fieldhouse to play against Fennville, who defeated Bangor, Wednesday, to advance to the finals. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

Covert 52
Bloomingdale 35
Covert faced the Cardinals during regular season play and won by a mere two points using a man-to-man strategy.

The Bulldogs changed their game plan to a zone defense for Wednesdays game and it seemed to work, according to Covert coach Tyrone Brown.
We dropped back into a zone and pressured the corners because they have good outside shooters, Brown said. By the time they reacted it was too late.
The game was close in the first quarter, which ended with a 10-8 score in favor of Covert. But in the second quarter, the Bulldogs pulled away 26-14 and led for the rest of the game.
Covert was led in scoring by point guard Michael Smith with 21 points and Demonte Atkins with 13 points. Twelve of Smiths points came at the free-throw line with 10 made in the fourth quarter, alone. Atkins led in rebounds with 8 while Cordell Dawson grabbed five steals.
Bloomingdale was led in scoring by Barry Logan with 6 points.
This is the first year ever that Covert has had to play in the Class C district playoffs. Normally they are slotted into Class D post-season play.
We were eight people over the Class D limit, Brown said with a laugh. The Bulldogs are used to playing against bigger schools, however, and are no strangers to post-season play, he added.
Earlier this season Covert faced Fennville (21-0) and lost by two points.
We can play with Fennville if we play our best, Brown predicted. It will be a decent ball game.

Photo by Don Kark

Covert's Michael Smith (10) runs past Bloomingdale's Bryan Adams in Wednesday' semi-final game. Smith earned 21 points in the game.

South Haven 47
Plainwell 46
PAW PAW South Haven built a big lead early and then had to hold off a late Plainwell rally as the Rams defeated the Trojans to advance to the Class B boys basketball district final.
The Rams started the game on a 24-10 run, but would not score in the double digits the last three quarters.
Plainwell closed the game on a 15-5 run, but fell a point short of the comeback
Ryan Jones led South Haven with 16 points and Thomas Bell had 10 points.

Fennville 79
Bangor 50
Fennville built up a 35-18 halftime lead that Bangor couldnt surpass to take the semi-final win and advance to Fridays finals. The team was happy about the victory in light of the loss of their star player, Wes Leonard, who died suddenly two weeks ago after making the winning shot in a game against Bridgman.
Fennville was led in scoring by Xavier Grigg with 25 points, Pete Alfaro scored 13 points, and Jordan Vanderbok added 12.
Jimal Valentine led Bangor with 23 points.
We just didnt start well, Bangor coach Rocky Johnson said. If it was the venue, if its just the whole thing thats going on right now, I dont know. I know that the kids are hurting. I think it shouldve been a more even game, but they just got out on us and we put all of our energy into trying to get back.

The Herald-Palladium sports staff contributed to this report.

Ram diver headed to state diving finals

By TRACY HAMANN

Tribune staff writer

EAST GRAND RAPIDS South Haven diver, Colton Schnake, qualified to advance to the Division 3 State Meet this Friday and Saturday. With an outstanding effort, Schnake scored 316.20 after 11 dives, landing a 9th place finish at the regional tournament in East Grand Rapids on Tuesday.
With the support of his teammates cheering him on in the stands, Schnake passed through three rounds of cuts before placing 9th in the group of 12 divers awarded the opportunity to compete for a state title. Schnake will join his fellow teammates this weekend at the State Meet in Holland to compete against the top swimmers and divers in Michigan.

3.9.11

Bangor travels to Holland for semi-final game with Fennville

By BECKY BURKERT

Editor and general manager

Bangor's basketball team and fans will head to Hope College's fieldhouse for the Class C District semi-final game with Fennville High School.

The Vikings normally would have traveled to host site Bloomingdale for the game, but the location was changed due to the recent death of Wes Leonard, Fennville's star basketball player, who died after making the winning shot in a game against Bridgman. Because Leonard's death garnered nationwide attention from the media, Michigan High School Athletic Association officials switched the location for Fennville's District games in anticipation of the large crowd from Fennville and the surrounding area.

Bangor High School Principal Jeff Melvin thinks MHSAA made the right decision and said his school's basketball team is pleased to play at Hope College.

"You wouldn't want to have a venue where there's only 1,400 seats and 1,000 people standing outside," he said.

A lot of emotion has been involved in the District tournament following the death of Leonard.

"We took our kids to Wes's visitation as a team," Melvin said. "We're having a T-shirt made for tonight's game that will have the words Bangor Vikings on the front and No. 35 on the back, which was Wes Leonard's (jersey) number."

But Bangor also wants to win the game, Melvin added. "We're going to Hope College to play basketball and we want to win. Wes was the type of competitor who would want to win."

"There's) a lot of distraction but we are working through the process," said Bangor coach Rocky Johnson. "We are focused and look for a great game tonight. The venue will be exciting, packed to the rafters and fun."

Fennville, which won the SAC Conference championship with a 19-0 record, faced Lawrence in the District opener, Monday at Hope College, and won. Bangor lost to Fennville earlier this year, however, without star player Leonard, the game may be more evenly matched.

The winner of the semi-final contest will meet the winner of tonight's Bloomingdale-Covert game in the finals, Friday, at 7 p.m.

Rams make it to District semi-final game

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

PAW PAW South Haven opened Class B District play, Monday, against Paw Paw and beat the Redskins easily, 72-39. The Rams now advance to the semi-final game tonight, against Plainwell, at 6 p.m. Paw Paw is hosting the game. The Rams played the Trojans earlier in the season, narrowly losing, 54-47.
Ram Thomas Bell kicked-off Mondays opener, hitting a three point shot with 5:10 on the clock in the first quarter. Minutes later, Bell followed with a steal and an additional two-point bucket. Paw Paw struggled with breaking South Havens full-court press and Ram Josh Preston, capitalized with a steal and easy lay-up to make the score, 9-4.
Paw Paws Nolan Snyder gave his Redskins an extra boost going into the half as he hit a three-point shot at the buzzer, but it merely made a dent in the deficit, as the score remained in South Havens favor, 30-16.
Paw Paw struck first in the third quarter, but the Rams continued their offensive attack. With 1:49 on the clock, South Havens Leon Harris was fouled after a successful steal, hitting both free throws, helping the Rams finish the third quarter 51-30. South Haven continued to steamroll past Paw Paw in the fourth quarter, causing frustration for the Redskins with their full-court press and taking advantage of free throw opportunities, outscoring Paw Paw 21-9.
South Haven Coach Jamin Olds was pleased with the total team effort. Tonights game was by far our most complete game of the season, he said. The kids were focused and had great intensity throughout the entire game. Our goal was to pressure them the entire game and the kids did that. The kids played together and won this game as a team.
The Rams were led in scoring by Josh Preston with 19 points; Brian Harris, 15 points; Thomas Bell, 11 points; and Ryan Jones added 8 points.

3.8.11

Four wrestlers earn medals in state finals

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

AUBURN HILLS Four wrestlers from Bloomingdale and Covert brought back medals from the Division 4 state wrestling finals this past weekend.
Three-time state qualifier Juan Aburto (171) of Covert wrestled to a third-place finish in the tournament, March 4. The finish was bittersweet for the Covert senior who came very close to bringing home a state championship to his hometown, according to Covert Coach Vince Gervais. Aburto ended his senior year with a 49-1 record.

PHOTO: Covert's Juan Aburto is shown wrestling to a third-place finish in the Division 4 wresting state finals.

Fellow wrestler Ivan Gallegos (112) also made it to the finals, settling for a seventh-place finish, ending his season with a 46-4 record, while senior Robert McCaffrey (215) also finished seventh at the state finals, ending his high school career with a solid 42-7 season record.
I was very happy with the way that our guys competed. I know Ivan and Juan were not happy with their placements but I was pleased with their effort, Gervais said. It was a great experience for all of the guys that qualified. The past five yearswe have only had three state medalists, and this year alone we added three. We had four guys reach 100 wins this year, which is also an incredible accomplishment.
Bloomingdale wrestler Nathan Luce (189) also brought home a state medal. This year marked the first time the senior competed in the state finals, where he finished seventh, ending his season with a 26-7 record.
Luce is the first wrestler from Bloomingdales four-year-old wrestling program to place at the state tournament and coach Ben Munoz was pleased with the wrestlers hard work.

South Haven bowlers place 13th at state tournament

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

JACKSON South Haven bowlers traveled to Airport Lanes in Jackson, Michigan this past weekend to the Division 3 state championship tournament to compete amongst the best bowlers in the state. Already champs for qualifying for the team state tournament for the first time in the Rams five-year program, the boys placed an impressive 13th at the state tournament.. Unfortunately a few low baker games troubled the boys team, although they did roll high scores ; 880 in game one and 912 in game two to finish the day with a 3,079 total score.
South Havens Zach Hoyt rolled his way to a 51st place finish at the Division 3 individual state tourney notching impressive scores. Hoyts two high games of the six game series were 196 and 182, helping him to finish with a 1007 total.
Bowlers representing South Haven at the state tournament were Zach Hoyt, Alex Davis, Richard Moore, Judah Robinson, Ben Crawford and Michael Wilkinson.

Bangor bows to Gobles in District finals

By H-P Staff

BANGOR Last year was Bangors turn to defeat Gobles and be crowned Division 3 District champs. This year it was Gobles turn.
In a closely contested game, the Tigers won by a basket, 45-43, to head on to Regional competition this week.
(Gobles) had control, Bangor coach Mary Spade said. We were struggling the entire game. They played a nice game. We were fighting for every free throw, every basket we could get.
Melina DeKilder had 23 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks to lead Gobles to the District title, Friday.
The Tigers used their size to beat the Vikings quickness in a matchup of teams with contrasting styles.
It was a little big better to be bigger tonight, Gobles coach John Curtis said. Our guards had a hard time in the first half, and in the second half they kind of calmed down. We didnt allow Bangor to go on any 8-0 or 10-0 spurts, which theyre very capable of.
Shanell Smith led Bangor with 13 points and Kristian Moore added 11. The Vikings trailed by as many as 12 befoe rallying to within a point.

Photo by Jody Warner

The Class B district semi-final game did not smile brightly on South Haven girls basketball team this past week. The team faced state-ranked Gull Lake and lost 61-14. "It was a rough one," commented South Haven Coach Vince Bowman. "You can't make a pass on a team that has three girls over 6 feet tall. This is a team that runs deep." In the photo, Cailon Blunt (left) stripped the ball from a Gull Lake player after she fell on the court while dribbling. Makiah Martin (right) then began to chase the loose ball.

3.4.11

Bangor faces Gobles in Distrct championship tonight

By BECKY BURKERT
Editor and general manager

Deja vu.
Thats how it will be tonight when Bangor faces Gobles in the Division 3 District girls basketball championship.
We played them last year in the finals and we won, Bangor Coach Mary Spade said. She and her team hope they can repeat last years results at tonights game in Bangor. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
The Vikings made it to tonights finals after defeating Lawrence, Wednesday, in the semi-final game and Hartford, Monday, in the opener.
The Vikings and Tigers have played each other three times this year. Bangor won two of the games.
But Spade isnt taking her teams opponent lightly. Weve seen each other in the District finals in the last three years, she said.

BANGOR 55
LAWRENCE 36
Never judge a book by its cover and never judge a basketball game by the first few minutes of play.
Thats what the crowd learned Wednesday when Bangor faced Lawrence in the Division 3 District semi-final game. After the tip-off, both teams traded baskets for the first three minutes of play, but then the
Vikings took over, leaving the Tigers to play catch-up for the rest of the evening.
Lawrence managed to tie the score once, early in the second quarter, but Bangor ran off with the lead for the remainder of the game, winning easily, 55-36.
Our outside players hit their shots (in the first half) and that helped a lot. They (Lawrence) were using a box-and-one on our key players, said Bangor Coach Mary Spade. Co-coach Dwayne Johnson added, We were decent on offense and were getting better at playing a complete game on defense.
Both coaches gave Lawrence a lot of credit, indicating that the game was really closer than the score indicated.
They played hard, Johnson said, regarding Lawrence. The Tigers, however, had difficulty getting past the Vikings aggressive man-to-man defense.
The key to Bangors win came in the third quarter when it ran a full-court press, and forced Lawrence players to turn over the ball. Bangors Shanell Smith led in steals with 8, while Monique Johnson had 3 steals. Smith also led in scoring with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Johnson led in rebounds with 10. She also scored 10 points and had 2 assists. Sami Bray helped the teams cause with 9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

PHOTO: Bangor's Megan Everett looks for an opening during Monday's game against Hartford. (photo by Don Kark).

BANGOR 57
HARTFORD 40

BANGOR Bangor had a hard time penetrating Hartfords zone defense in Mondays Division 3 District opener, but the Vikings managed to score enough outside shots to win the contest, 57-40, and advance to the semi-final contest against Lawrence.
The Vikings got off to a slow start in the first quarter, yet maintained a slight lead 14-9, thanks to two treys from Shanell Smith and Alicia Oviedo.
In the second quarter, the Indians kept maintained their three-two zone defense and slight height advantage, effectively stalling the Vikings attempts to get inside. Meanwhile, on offense, Hartfords Kaitelyn Smith and Julia Kling overcame Bangors man-to-man defense to score a combined 10 points, to put their team one point away from taking the lead, 20-19. It was then that Monique Johnson scored two back-to-back shots to help give the Vikings the edge again, 26-19, and to head into the halftime break with a 29-21 lead.
Hartford played hard, said Bangor coach Dwayne Johnson. We let them back in the game. We didnt have a good night on defense.
After the half, Bangors Smith and Johnson worked together on offense to get inside the paint to put the Vikings up 40-33 at the end of the third quarter. But it wasnt easy for the Vikings who lost an 18-point lead that Hartford whittled down to 7 points.
Theyre a good team, they kept coming back, said Bangor head coach Mary Spade.
The fourth quarter, however, belonged to Bangor, which forced a number of turnovers, led by Kristian Moore, who led the Vikings in steals with 6. She (Moore) did a good job getting the ball down the court, Spade said. The Indians also got into foul trouble, allowing Bangor to earn 7 points from the charity stripe to end the game 57-40.
Smith led Bangor in scoring with 18 points and was followed by Johnson with 17. Smith also had 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, while Johnson hauled down 9 boards, 2 steals and 1 block.

3.2.11

It's 1,000 points and counting for Bangor point guard

By BECKY BURKERT
Editor and general manager

BANGOR A scrappy, feisty point guard for Bangors varsity girls basketball team has accomplished a fete that few high school players achieve she has earned 1,000 career points.

And senior Shanell Smith is still counting. As of Mondays District opener, she had scored 1,097 points, and expected to score more in the semi-final game with Lawrence, tonight.
She is small but mighty and has been a pleasure to coach, said Bangor Athletic Director and girls basketball coach Mary Spade of Smith, who stands 56 and weighs a mere 110 pounds.
In Mondays District opener, Smith sparked her teams offense with 18 points and 14 rebounds on its way to a 57-40 victory over Hartford.
Following the game she received the game ball for scoring 1,000 career points in the four years that she has started as point guard for the Vikings. Prior to the game, she also received a floral bouquet and a certificate in recognition of her accomplishment.

PHOTO: Shanell Smith (second from left) receives a certificate and flowers for scoring 1,000 career points for Bangor High School's varsity basketball team. From left are Shanell's father, Bangor girls basketball coach Dwayne Johnson, and Mary Spade, Bangor athletic director and girls basketball coach.

Swimmers take third in conference meet

By BECKY BURKERT
Editor and general manager

ALLEGAN South Havens swim team placed third in the Southwest and Central Michigan Swim League with 14 swimmers and divers earning All-Conference honors.
The two-day conference meet attracted six teams with Plainwell coming in first with 655 points, and Otsego trailing in second with 496 points. The Rams finished with 350 points, while Allegan, Alma and Albion High School placed fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.

Rams who earned All-Conference honors did so by finishing in the top 8 places of the swim meet events. They are Colton Schnake, Weston Orrico, Eric Goril, Eddie Verdonk, Mitch Baker, Bobby Goril, Cameron Thaler, Lucas Katt, Ryker Diekema, Alex Anders, Davis Baker, Pablo Olivas, Trevor Brown and Ryan Miller.
Two Rams captured championships in the conference meet. Schnake came in first place out of eight competitors in the one-meter diving competition, squeezing past runner-up Michael Wallace of Allegan by a mere 6.5 points.
He pulled ahead on his last dive, said South Haven coach Ben Hermann.
Colton Schnake will now head to the Michigan High School Athletic Association Class B regional meet Tuesday, in East Grand Rapids to compete in diving.
The other South Haven athlete to capture a championship was Eddie Verdonk, who tied with Michael Haas of Plainwell in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:03.67. In the same event, South Havens Mitch Baker placed third with a time of 1:05.02 while Eric Goril finished sixth with 1:06.95.
The Rams 200 freestyle medley team of Weston Orrico, Eric Goril, Eddie Verdonk and Mitch Baker earned runner-up honors in the conference meet with a time of 1:35.64, narrowly being edged by Plainwell, which finished with a time of 1:33.21. The Rams time was a season best, Hermann noted. Bobby Goril also captured a second-place finish in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:02.00.
On Saturday, everyone stepped up and swam well, Hermann said. Our team spirit was at an all-time high on Saturday and helped fuel the guys throughout the day, making it an especially fun way to end the season.
The remaining results of the conference meet follows:
100 Backstroke - Cameron Thaler, 6th, 1:09.19.
400 Freestyle medley - Lucas Katt, Ryker Diekema, Alex Anders and Bobby Goril, 7th, 3:52.22; Pablo Olivas, Trevor Brown, Cameron Thaler and Ryan Miller, 8th, 4:17.13.
200 Freestyle medley - Cameron Thaler, Eric Goril, Lukas Katt and Davis Baker, 6th, 1:54.73
200 IM - Eric Goril, 7th, 2:18.78.
50 Freestyle - Weston Orrico, 4th, 23.26; Mitch Baker, 7th, 23.61

PHOTO: South Haven diver Colton Schnake raises his hands after being named diving champion at the conference meet this past Saturday. Schnake won the event on his last dive. (photo by Jody Warner)

Ram swimmers head to state competition
Six South Haven swimmers have qualified to compete in the Class B State Finals March 11-12 at the Holland Aquatic Center, in Holland.
Mitch Baker will compete in the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay and 100 Breaststroke; Bobby Goril in the 200 Medley Relay and 100 Backstroke; Eric Goril in the 200 Freestyle Relay and 100 Breastroke; Weston Orrico in the 200 Medley Relay, 50 Freestyle and 200 Freestyle Relay; and Eddie Verdonk in the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Individual Medley (IM), 200 Freestyle Relay and 100 Breaststroke. Ryker Diekema will serve as an alternate for relays.

Rams make it to state finals in bowling for the first time

By BECKY BURKERT
Editor and general manager

For the first time in its five-year history, the South Haven Rams boys bowling team will be headed to the Division 3 bowling team state finals.
The Rams earned their right to compete in this weekends finals in Jackson after placing third in the Division 3 regional team tournament in Battle Creek this past Friday.
The Rams squeezed by Paw Paw be a mere 28 pins to be among the top three teams selected, according to South Haven Coach Barry Skuza. And he gave a lot of the credit to sophomore Judah Robinson and his sister, Zanita.
Zanita, a junior who was bowling for the Ram girls team, told her brother she had scored 206 for her game. Judah, a year younger, didnt want to settle for less than that. So he put some pressure on himself and bowled a 212 which, Skuza said, helped the Rams to their third-place finish. That got us there, he said.
The South Haven bowlers who will compete in the state finals are Zach Hoyt, Alex Davis, Richard Moore, Judah Robinson, Ben Crawford and Michael Wilkinson.
Fifteen teams throughout the region competed in the contest. Marshall finished first with 3,811 points, followed by Battle Creek Pennfield with 3,786. South Haven scored 3,562, while Paw Paw settled for fourth place with 3,534.
For the girls, South Haven finished in seventh place out of 15 teams. The girls team consists of Kelly DuCharme, Ashley Thon, Kendyll Hoyt, Meghan Hojara and Audrey Flood.

South Haven bowler wins Regional title; heads to state meet

Zach Hoyt achieved an impressive fete this past weekend at the Division 3 individual regional bowling tournament he bowled to a first-place finish and advanced to the state finals.
There were over 100 bowlers there from 15 schools and he finished No. 1, said South Haven varsity boys bowling coach Barry Skuza. Thats incredible.
Hoyt, a junior, won the boys bowling individual title, Saturday, in Battle Creek. He bowled the six-game series and earned a total of 1,224 points with a high game of 228. He will now will go on to the state finals this weekend in Jackson.
Hoyt said he was please and a little surprised at his accomplishment.
I went into the contest wanting to make it to the state finals, but I wasnt expecting much, he said. Last year I thought I was better prepared.
Last year, Hoyt placed 30th in the individual regional tourney.
At the end of the first game, though, I started to do well and then everything started to fall in place, Hoyt said, regarding his first-place finish.
Also at the boys individual bowling tournament, South Haven teammate Alex Davis placed 22nd with a total score of 1074 and a high game of 206.
For the South Haven girls, Kelly DuCharme bowled to a 24th-place finish with a total score of 952 and a high game of 206.

2.21.11

Area wrestlers advance to State Individual Wrestling Tournament

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

A dozen area prep wrestlers have earned a spot in the State Individual Wrestling Tournament. This years event will take place March 3-5 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
The wrestlers head to the state finals after competing at the Division 4 regional tournament in Watervliet and Division 3 regional tourney in Allendale this past Saturday.
Covert advanced four wrestlers including Juan Aburto who took the regional title at 171. Ivan Gallegos (112) and Robert McCaffrey (215) took second place while Aarin Reyna (145) placed fourth.
Bangor will send five wrestlers to the state finals, including Dan Efting (130), who took the regional championship for the third consecutive year. Also advancing with Efting are Zach Birkhead (152) and Adam Borah (189) who both placed third, and Stephon Willis (112) and David McNealy (140) who won fourth place.
Bloomingdale will be represented by Nathan Luce (189), who placed second at the regional tournament.
South Haven put two wrestlers through to the state finals. Taylor Gohn (189) and Zach Tate (135) both placed fourth at the Division 3 regional tournament in Allendale.

South Haven wrestlers win District tourney; fall in Regional finals

By BECKY BURKERT
Editor and general manager

OTSEGO After winning a District 3 championship trophy last week, the Rams wrestling team made it to the Regional 3 finals before bowing to Wolverine Conference rival, Otsego, Wednesday.
The Bulldogs, who hosted the tournament, defeated the Rams, 53-14.
It was pretty much how weve wrestled them before, said South Haven Coach Tim Simpson, regarding the teams third meet with Otsego this year. But the matches this time were closer.

The more powerful Bulldogs won the first five matches of the finals before South Havens Alex Gildea decisioned Logan Keyzer 14-9 in the 152 weight class. Hakeem Dodd (189) and Taylor Gohn (215) were the only other Rams wrestlers to capture wins in the finals match. They both pinned their opponents.
Bulldogs coach Brian Sparks was pleased with the way his wrestlers won the first five matches, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
We came out of the gates pretty hard, he said.
The Rams made it to the finals of the Regional tournament after narrowly defeating Kelloggsville, 40-36.
South Haven trailed 12-10, before Willis Dotson pinned Daris Hall in the 140-pound weight class to put the score in favor of the Rams, 16-12. The Rams continued to dominate the rest of the tournament, until Kelloggsville came back at the end to win the final two matches, narrowing the score to 40-36.
South Haven wrestlers who captured wins in the Kelloggsville meet included Anthony Duncan (125), Zack Tate (135), Allen Jackson (145), Shaquill Bell (160), Alex Gildea (152), Andrew Biederman (171), Taylor Gohn (215) and Max Gleiss (285).
We figured it was going to be close, Rams coach Simpson said regarding the final score. We gave up a few matches we werent expecting to.
Despite the Regional finals loss, Simpson said he was pleased at the teams performance this season.
The Rams placed fourth in the Wolverine Conference tournament, after being narrowly edged out of third place by a half-point, and then won the District championship. South Haven easily defeated both of its opponents in the District match. The Rams got to the finals by defeating Parchment, 56-24, and then beat Comstock 60-16 in the finals.
In the conference tourney, powerhouse Allegan took first, Otsego, second and Three Rivers, third.

PHOTO: Andrew Biederman of South Haven makes a move to pin Otsego's Andre Miller in the Regional final match in Otsego. Biederman narrowly lost the match, 8-6. (Photo by Don Kark)

Bangor edged out of Regional competition by Brandywine

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

BANGOR The Bangor Vikings wrestling team suffered a tough loss, Wednesday, to Brandywine in the Division 4 Regional tournament semifinal match.
The Bobcats narrowly defeated the host Vikings, 39-36, to move on wrestle Decatur in the championship round. The Raiders made quick work of the Bobcats, taking the regional championship trophy with a final score of 66-12.
Bangor and Brandywine were neck-and-neck the entire match. As soon as the Vikings obtained a slight lead, the Bobcats evened the score.
Victories by David McNealy (145), Scott Thorbjornsen (152), Zach Birkhead (160) and Adam Borah (189), gave the Vikings a 18-12 lead almost midway through the match.
Tied again at 24-24, Viking Stephon Willis (112) won his match in a 24-second pin giving his team a 30-24 lead. Bangors Cory Wollin (125) had his match tied 6-6 at the end of the third period, and won it in overtime. Wollin was quickly defeated after taking the whistle in the fourth period, giving the Bobcats a slight advantage of 33-30. Bangors Prince Parker (130) was pinned, giving the Bobcats even more room to breathe, 36-30. Senior Viking Dan Efting (135) won the last match of the semi-final, with a pin, bringing the score to 39-36, just three points shy of the Bobcats.
Vikings who won their semi-final match included David McNealy (145), Scott Thorbjornsen (152), Zach Birkhead (160), Adam Borah (189), Paul Garcia (Hwt), Stephon Willis (112) and Dan Efting (135).
Bangor ended its team wrestling season with a 25-5 record. The Vikings made it to the Regional tournament after winning the District 4 tournament championship last week. It marked the 10th time in 11 years that the Vikings had captured a District championship in wrestling. They defeated Lawrence in the finals, 66-15 to win this year. They also defeated Bloomingdale 48-30 in the semifinals.

Bangor overcomes slow start against Martin
By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

BANGOR The Vikings were slow to hit the boards Tuesday, but pulled off an SAC North win against Martin, 68-46.
The Clippers had a six-point lead before Jimal Valentine got Bangor on the board. After Martin was hit with a technical foul, Viking Branden Graham was able to sink both shots to give Bangor the lead, 12-11, midway through the first quarter. From that point on, the Vikings remained in control.
Currently third-place in the SAC North Division, Bangor was riddled with foul trouble in the Martin, accumulating a total of 19 fouls by the end of the game.
Jabari Brazelton had his best game of the season tonight and Craig Peterson provided a much needed spark off the bench tonight, said Vikings Coach Rocky Johnson. Second-half defense was the difference tonight.
Leading the Vikings were Branden Graham, 14 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals; JaBari Brazelton, 13 points, and 7 rebounds; Charles Cox, 12 points; Andrew Johnson, 12 points and 4 assists; Jimal Valentine, 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals; and Tim Howard with 7 points.

South Haven bowling teams defeat Tigers

ALLEGAN In the last regular season match of the year, South Havens bowling teams won their games, Wednesday, with identical scores of 27-3. The boys team bowled two strong bakers games, both scoring over 200 points each. Ram Alex Davis narrowly won his first game by one pin (241-240), picking up a key spare in the last frame. The girls team also dominated with Kelly DuCharme scoring a 190 in her second game for a 334 total.

South Haven team Game 1- 933, Game 2- 885, Total 1818
South Haven Baker games 227 & 212
South Haven Individual Alex Davis 426 (241), Zach Hoyt 418 (223), Judah Robinson 344 (174)

South Haven team Game 1-786, Game 2- 728, Total 1514
South Haven Baker games 154 & 122
South Haven Individual Kelly DuCharme 334 (190), Ashley Thon 332 (180), Meghan Hojara 321 (169)

2.14.11

Covert cruises past Baldwin; girls lose heartbreaker in OT

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

COVERT Coverts girls basketball team lost a heartbreaker Saturday, Feb. 12 in a high-scoring overtime loss to Baldwin 63-58, while the boys easily handled the Panthers, 75-46.
The lady Bulldog offense ignited against the Panthers for the first three quarters, but they couldnt stop
Baldwins late rally in the fourth quarter. Baldwin managed to tie the score to force the Bulldogs into overtime. Unfortunately the Bulldogs were haunted with foul trouble and finished without their top three offensive players who fouled out before the Bulldogs could close out the game. Baldwin netted 12 points in overtime to take the win from Covert 63-58.
Point leaders for Covert were Bridget Fricke with 19 points, Nakeya Sowell, 15 points, Rashonda Clark, 15 points and Melinda Hayes with 9 points.
Covert boys outscored Baldwin each quarter to secure their victory with ease. The Panther defense was no match for the Bulldogs, who finished with Donsha Evans and Mike Smith, each scoring 18 points.
Cordell Dawson helped the scoring effort with 14 points and DeVontay Easterling added 11 points.

Baldwin's Aaron Thomas grabs a rebound as Covert's Mike Smith goes for the bal in Saturdays non-conference game.

Wrestlers advance to regional competition

Rams qualify 5 wrestlers; Vikings 8

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

Area wrestlers from Bangor, Bloomingdale, Covert and South Haven, competed Saturday, Feb. 12, for their respective individual district titles.
Bangor High School hosted the Division 4 Individual Districts where three area wrestlers were named champions, Dan Efting (130) from Bangor, and Juan Aburto (171) and Robert McCaffrey (215) from Covert.
Bangor finished with eight qualifiers, Bloomingdale had 4 qualifiers and Covert with 4 qualifiers. These wrestlers will now go on to the individual regional competition.
Coloma hosted the Division 3 Individual District tournament where South Haven competed, qualifying five wrestlers for regional competition.
Results follow:

• Champions: 130 Dan Efting (Ban), 171 Juan Aburto (Cov), 215 Robert McCaffrey (Cov)
• 2nd Place: 189 Nathan Luce (Blo), 215 Tony Oliva (Blo), 140 David McNealy (Ban), 152 Zach Birkhead (Ban), 112 Ivan Gallegos (Cov), 145 Aarin Reyna (Cov)
• 3rd Place: 135 Brian Larabel (Blo), 112 Stephon Willis (Ban), 145 Scott Thorbjornsen (Ban)
• 4th Place: 140 Matt Lopez (Blo), 119 Cory Wollin (Ban), 189 Adam Borah (Ban), Hwt Paul Garcia (Ban)

• 2nd Place: 160 Shaquille Bell (SH), 189 Taylor Gohn (SH)
• 3rd Place: 125 Anthony Duncan (SH), 135 Zach Tate (SH), 145 Alex Gildea (SH)

Rams defeat Paw Paw in Wolverine matchup

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

In front of a packed, energy-filled gym, the Rams boys and girls basketball teams hosted Paw Paw in a set of Wolverine Conference match-ups. The girls dropped their game 63-19 while the boys were victorious against the Redskins winning, 63-59.

South Haven girls had a difficult time getting past Paw Paws offense. The Redskins led throughout the entire game. The lady Rams were led by Meagan Spears with 8 points; Maddie Miller, 8 points; Hayley Bierhalter, 2 points; and Makiah Martin with 1 point.
Before the start of the boys game, there was a moment of silence in remembrance of Jaylin Hatter, whose 17th birthday was Saturday, Feb. 12. Jaylin was a popular student-athlete at South Haven who was killed in a car accident in October. of 2010. Hatters #25 jersey was walked to center court to a roar of applause.
The intensity transferred to the beginning of the boys game as the Rams jumped ahead to an early 7-0 lead. The Redskins stayed within striking distance, but they were never able to take the lead from the Rams.
With 1:12 left in the fourth quarter, Paw Paw pulled within 3 points (60-57) after hitting a pair of free throws. Down to 32 seconds on the clock, South Havens Brian Harris was fouled and hit one of the shots to push the score to 61-57. Caprice Thomas was called for a foul with 12 seconds left, which allowed the Redskinsto close the scoring gap to 61-60. After a time-out called by the Paw Paw bench, Josh Preston scored on a breakaway lay-up, leaving no time for the Redskins to rebound. Brian Harris scored an outstanding 27 points to assist with the Rams win, but the overall shooting percentage by the team was fairly low.
I think we may have been too hyped-up tonight, noted South Haven Coach Jamin Olds, regarding the teams offense. Paw Paw helped with that too. As to the last minute excitement, Coach Olds said, Paw Paw attacked the rim late. I dont like them that close, but a win is a win.
The boys were led by Brian Harris, with 27 points,; Ryan Jones, 9 points; Skyler Cornstalk, 8 points; and Thomas Bell and Josh Preston each contributed 5 points.

Paw Paw forward Andrew Buskirk tries to grab a rebound against South Haven's junior center Skyler Cornstalk in Friday nights Wolverine Conference game.

Rams qualify swimmers for state meet

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

In their second meet of the week and last dual meet of the season, another loss (123-63) by the Rams swimming and diving team was overshadowed by some excellent swims.
Most notably, the Rams set three new state cuts: the 200 Free Relay of Weston Orrico, Eric Goril, Edward Verdonk, and Mitch Baker with a time of 1:35.99; Eric Goril in the 100 Breaststroke with a time of 1:06.35; and Edward Verdonk in the 100 Breaststroke with a time of 1:04.62. Wins for the Rams included Edward Verdonk in the 200 IM (2:13.44), diver Colton Schnake with a score of 194.20, and Edward Verdonk in the 100 Breaststroke. Other personal best times were achieved by Alex Anders, Ryan Miller, George Zapalski, Steven Zimbrich, Cameron Thaler, and Robert Heinrich.
The Rams end their dual-meet season with a record of 5-7 (3-2 in their Conference).
"A definite highlight was going 1-2-3 in the Breaststroke, all with state qualifying times, said Coch Ben Hermann. Overall, the meet was a great way to send our seniors off, although we still have big goals to accomplish at conference and state."
The team will compete at the Southwest and Central Michigan Swim Conference Meet on Feb. 25-26 at Allegan and will be sending five athletes to the Division 3 State Championships on March11-12 in Holland.

• 200-yard medley relay: Second place Bobby Goril, Mitch Baker, Lucas Katt, Edward Verdonk 1:54.38, Fourth place Cameron Thaler, Eric Goril, Davis Baker, Ryan Miller 2:02.11
• 200-yard freestyle: Fourth place Ryker Diekema 2:11.56, Fifth place Alex Anders 2:11.85, Sixth place Pablo Olivas 2:24.36
• 200-yard IM: First place Edward Verdonk 2:13.44, Third place Eric Goril 2:24.70, Sixth place Lucas Katt 2:39.51
• 50-yard freestyle: Fourth place Weston Orrico 24.41, Fifth place Mitch Baker 24.50, Sixth place Ryan Miller 27.29
• 1-meter diving: First place Colton Schnake 194.20, Fifth place Alex Anders 93.65
• 100-yard butterfly: Fourth place Davis Baker 1:11.50, Fifth place Lucas Katt 1:14.59
• 100-yard freestyle: Second place Bobby Goril 54.42, Fifth place Ryan Miller 1:00.41, Sixth place Cameron Thaler 1:05.68
• 500-yard freestyle: Fourth place Ryker Diekema 6:04.20, Fifth place Pablo Olivas 6:30.22, Sixth place Robert Heinrich 6:56.75
• 200-yard freestyle relay: Second place Weston Orrico, Eric Goril, Edward Verdonk, Mitch Baker 1:35.99, Fourth place Lucas Katt, Colton Schnake, Davis Baker, Alex Anders 1:47.60, Sixth place Trevor Brown, Ben Robertson, George Zapalski, Steven Zimbrich 2:06.39
• 100-yard backstroke: Second place Bobby Goril, 1:01.82, Fifth place Cameron Thaler 1:12.06
• 100-yard breaststroke: First place Edward Verdonk 1:04.62, Second place Mitch Baker 1:05.75, Third place Eric Goril 1:06.35
• 400-yard freestyle relay: Second place Alex Anders, Ryan Miller, Ryker Diekema, Bobby Goril 4:00.35, Fourth place Trevor Brown, Robert Heinrich, Davis Baker, Cameron Thaler 4:32.26, Fifth place John Hager, Ben Robertson, Tim Larson, Carl Thompson 5:03.40

Rams lose to Spring Lake; qualify swimmers for state

By TRACY HAMANN
Tribune staff writer

Despite losing to Spring Lake 107-79, Tuesday ended up being a good night for South Havens swimming and diving team. The Rams may have lost the meet, but several teams and individuals earned their best times of the season and qualified for the Division 3 state meet.
Starting off the meet, the 200 Medley Relay team of Bobby Goril, Mitch Baker, Eddie Verdonk and Weston Orrico won with a state qualifying time of 1:47.12, getting the cut by 1.27 seconds.
Next, Eddie Verdonk cruised to a lifetime best in the 200 Individual Medley (IM), winning with a 2:08.69, improving his previous state-qualifying time by 4.78 seconds. Later in the meet, Bobby Goril got second place in the 100 Backstroke with a lifetime best and state-qualifying time of 1:00.24, for a 3.74 second improvement.
To top things off, Mitch Baker won the 100 Breaststroke with a lifetime best and state-qualifying time of 1:03.86, for a 4.56 second improvement.
Coach Ben Herrman was pleased with the improvements his team showed this week.
In addition to the state qualifiers, there were a slew of other lifetime best swims: from Cam Thaler in the 100 Back to Pablo Olivas in the 200 Free and 500 Free, to Carl Thompson in the 100 Free...the list could go on and on. We came off of two weeks of great, tough practices and the work the guys have put in really showed tonight, Herrman said.
Swimmers who did not make state cuts yet will begin tapering next week for the Conference meet, Feb. 25-26, at Allegan. The team will then compete in the Division 3 State meet March 11-12, at the Holland Aquatic Center.

• 200-yard medley relay: First place Bobby Goril, Mitch Baker, Edward Verdonk, Weston Orrico 1:47.12, Third place Cameron Thaler, Eric Goril, Lucas Katt, Davis Baker 2:00.62
• 200-yard freestyle: Third place Ryker Diekema 2:09.23, Fourth place Alex Anders 2:14.77, Sixth place Pablo Olivas 2:20.98
• 200-yard IM: First place Edward Verdonk 2:08.69, Second place Eric Goril 2:23.14, Fifth place Katt Lucas 2:37.99
• 50-yard freestyle: Second place Mitch Baker 24.25, Fourth place Ryan Miller 26.89, Fifth place Cameron Thaler 27.98
• 1-meter diving: Second place Colton Schnake 187.10, Fifth place Alex Anders 89.50
• 100-yard butterfly: Second place Edward Verdonk 1:02.39, Fifth place Davis Baker 1:10.59, Sixth place Lucas Katt 1:14.08
• 100-yard freestyle: Second place Bobby Goril 54.19, Fifth place Ryan Miller 1:01.66, Sixth place Trevor Brown 1:06.38
• 500-yard freestyle: Second place Ryker Diekema 5:59.12, Fifth place Olivas Pablo 6:25.16, Sixth place Robert Heinrich 7:11.09
• 200-yard freestyle relay: Second place Weston Orrico, Alex Anders, Eric Goril, Edward Verdonk 1:40.55, Fourth place Colton Schnake, Ryan Miller, Pablo Olivas, Ryker Diekema 1:52.59, Sixth place Ben Robertson, John Hager, Carl Thompson, Tim Larson 2:14.42
• 100-yard backstroke: Second place Bobby Goril 1:00.24, Fourth place Cameron Thaler 1:08.17
• 100-yard breaststroke: First place Mitch Baker 1:03.86, Second place 1:12.55, Fourth place Davis Baker 1:16.38
• 400-yard freestyle relay: Second place Ryker Diekema, Bobby Goril, Alex Anders, Mitch Baker 3:57.01, Fourth place Ryan Miller, Pablo Olivas, Katt Lucas, Davis Baker 4:24.05, Sixth place Trevor Brown, Carl Thompson, Robert Heinrich, Tim Larson 4:44.99