By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
ALLEGAN
Brian Baker may be new to the role of head coach at Allegan, but he is definitely not new to coaching hoops.
Baker has 25 years of coaching experience.
And he’s been encouraged by what he’s seen so far in Allegan, particularly the fact that 40 kids showed up for tryouts.
“We narrowed it down to 32 players across the varsity, JV, and freshmen teams, with this year being the first time in several years we’ve been able to have a freshmen team,” Baker said.
Six players return from last year’s squad that posted a 9-12 record.
Those players are senior guards Brandon Thrash and Liam Antoine, junior guards LJ Dial and Nathan Martinez, junior forward Brayden Kosiorowski and sophomore center Ayden Fusco.
Three first-year seniors—guards Hayden McAlpine and Ethan Tyler along with center Matheson Vernia—are among six newcomers who round out the roster.
“We have a team full of hard-working kids that get after it every day,” Baker said. “He also have pretty good length across the board, so rebounding should be a strength.
“While we do have six returning players from last year’s team, they were in more of a supportive role. How are they going to handle the new roles and responsibilities that will be put on them? That will play a big role in how our season goes.”
Among the goals for the Tigers, according to Baker, are to having a winning record, to win a divisional title and to compete for a district crown.
Not that he expects winning a divisional title to be an easy task.
“The SAC is a tough basketball conference and each division game is going to be a battle,” Baker said. “In our division, we have South Haven, Bridgeman, Coloma, Watervliet and Fennville.
“Based on last year’s results and where I think our team is this year, we have a shot at winning the division. I am a very confident person, and I have all the confidence in my players. We are going to surprise some people and teams this year that may not be expecting much from us.”
HAMILTON
Under the guidance of head coach Nick Kronemeyer, Hamilton has played in four straight district finals.
In order for the Hawkeyes are to extend that streak to five straight, Kronemeyer will need his extremely young team to adjust to playing at the varsity level.
Senior wing Hudsen Hulst is the lone returning player on the roster.
“The entire rest of the team is newcomers, with Hudsen the only varsity minutes returning,” Kronemeyer said.
Given the youthful makeup of his team, Kronemeyer knows there will be a learning curve, especially in the initial stage of the season.
“A new group means unknown, and we will use the first bit of the season to measure who we are and where we are at,” Kronemeyer said. “Then, as always, we are looking to play our best basketball at the end of the year.
“This group of incoming juniors is very balanced, and our team goals are to win the next game and play our best basketball at the end of the season.”
Kronemeyer expects defense and rebounding to be this team’s calling card.
“We have no reason to not be great defensively and on the glass,” he said. “The team has as much height and strength as I have coached and we should be able to maximize this through winning the possession battle as consistently as possible.
Hamilton wasn’t alone in losing players to graduation in the conference. Because of that, Kronemeyer believes the fight for the top spot in the league should be intriguing.
“I expect it to be a very competitive and balanced league,” he said. “Unity Christian has the most returning and they would be the favorite heading into the year.”
HOPKINS
There’s a new sheriff in town for Hopkins.
Or, more accurately, a new coach.
After eight years—with an OK Silver championship and a district title included—Jake Jewett resigned as head coach to spend more time with his family.
Enter Steve Smith, who has served as the JV coach in Hopkins for the past six years.
That familiarity with the program and its players should help Smith as he gets acclimated to his new role.
“We will be a young team this year with only two seniors,” Smith said. “We have eight juniors and two sophomores.”
That overall youth could lead to some struggles early in the season.
“I think we will have some really good moments but also have some not-so-great moments, especially early,” Smith said.
Three returning guards will be asked to help lead the way for the Vikings.
Those guards are juniors Trent Smith and Merek Zapolnik along with senior Cruz Hitzler. All three are entering their third season at the varsity level, with Trent Smith and Zapolnik both earning All-Conference accolades last season.
“Having that experience at the guard position is huge,” Steve Smith said. “I believe our team chemistry is going to be a key factor in our development. We have a solid group who really cares about one another. It’s a very unselfish and very talented group.”
Sophomore forward Dexter Graczyk also returns, with sophomore guard Kash Moored and junior forward Jackson Iciek among the team’s top newcomers.
“We should be a solid defensive team,” Steve Smith said. “We also should be able to shoot the ball. We are not very big, so we will use are athleticism and try to create some advantages that way.”
Steve Smith views Fruitport as the favorite to win the OK Silver title, but he thinks the league will be tough overall.
“I do think anyone can beat anyone on any night,” he said. “There is not a bad team in the conference and there is a ton of really good players, so it is going to be a fun year. Our conference will have us ready for district play, that’s for sure.”
MARTIN
The 2024-25 season was one of marked improvement for Martin.
After securing a single victory the previous season, the Clippers posted an 8-15 showing last year.
Third-year coach Corby Callaway hopes to see that upward trajectory continue this season.
“We are looking to take a big step with our program this season,” he said. “We had a seven-game win improvement over my first and second year coaching and we look to continue building on that.
“Our (participation) numbers are up across the board, so that is a good thing.”
A quartet of seniors lead the way for the returning players. They are guard Weson Elkins and forwards Ethan Fitzpatrick, Jackson Kennedy and Chase DeGlopper.
“We will be a senior-led team this season,” Callaway said. “It’s the third year in our system now, so we’ll be able to add some more layers to what we are trying to do. I think our guys understand what our expectations are of them now and are working hard to meet them.”
Also returning are sophomore guard Jason Marshall and junior forward Blake Sweeting.
Newcomers expected to make an impact include junior guards Devin Bogdan and Kevin Weers, although Callaway will have to wait to get his whole team together.
“We won’t have our full team for practice until Nov. 24, after the football team plays in the State Finals,” he said. “So we’ll have some catching up to do.”
In the division, Callaway believes Gobles, Delton and Galesburg will be towards the top.
“We have the ability to compete with anyone in our conference, though, and our guys are starting to understand that,” he said. “Our guys are hungry and have been in the gym a ton since the end of last season.
“We played in the Wyoming High School summer league this past June and it was a real eye opener for our guys. It showed us what it took to compete at a high level. I’m excited for the season to really get going to see what we can do.”
OTSEGO
After being at or near the top of the Wolverine Conference standings for the past seven years, Otsego took a step back last season at 5-18 as injuries and illness took a toll.
But with six returning players and some solid newcomers, Otsego coach Matt Dennis is excited to see what his team can accomplish in the new campaign.
“We have a solid group of athletes with size, skill and basketball IQ,” Dennis said. “Our bench will be deeper than last year and we have multiple players who can score, so teams won’t be able to key in on one player. They’ll have to guard everyone, every possession.
“Last year, the injury and illness bug hit us hard. If we can stay healthy, this team is going to be a lot of fun to coach.”
Returning players include the senior tandem of guard Roman Buscher and forward Colin Fitzpatrick and the junior duo of forward Owen Santman and guard Kal-El Leonard.
Sophomore guards Wyatt Dennis and Leeland Longcore are also back after being moved up from the JV squad mid-season a year ago.
“We are athletic this year and have multiple players who can put up points,” Matt Dennis said. “This is a change from last season, where we were moving players up from the JV and playing different lineups every game. Our depth, athleticism and skill are much improved this year.
“The biggest concern is our youth. We only have three seniors, two of which played last year. The addition of senior Chris Weirick gives us another outstanding athlete, but he hasn’t played since his sophomore year, so he has a little catching up to do. Most of our young guys did see varsity minutes last year, but this year they’ll be asked to carry a heavier load.”
It’s a team that will strive to get back to the top of the Wolverine Conference standings.
The Bulldogs won six straight titles before finishing second two years ago.
“I think Paw Paw is at the top, having won the conference last year and returning several key players,” Matt Dennis said. “Vicksburg should be improved. They had a solid JV group, with a couple of underclassmen on varsity. Niles has a new coach, but returns good size and athleticism
“We will be a sleeper, but we have the tools to compete with the top teams and make some noise.”
PLAINWELL
If an experienced roster translates into success, then this should be quite a successful season for Plainwell coach Larry Ash and his squad.
The Trojans—fresh off a 14-7 campaign that included a district championship—has nine returning seniors on the roster.
“Our strength will be our senior leadership, plain and simple,” Ash said. “This team also gets along together really well and they have worked pretty hard getting ready for this season. So it should be a lot of fun.”
Center/forward Chib Amaezechi headlines the list of returning players after garnering Honorable Mention All-State as a junior.
He’s joined by guards Drew Rayman, Reece Trahan and Nate Lunt; forwards Gibson Young and Tyler Venderstelt; guards/forwards Trason Stephenson and Ronald Nunez; and center Luke Filkins.
Juniors Max Vandenhonbergh (forward), Gavin Heath (guard) and Landon Naas (guard) are also in the mix for Plainwell.
It’s a team that Ash fully believes can build on last season’s accomplishments.
“We set our goals high every year, and this year is no different,” Ash said. “We just want to work hard and let everything else take care of itself.”
While the Wolverine Conference always presents its share of challenges in terms of the quality of play, Ash thinks the competitiveness will be at an even higher level this year.
“I think the conference will be tougher and everyone can beat up on each other on any given night,” he said. “We have a couple of new coaches and some who are in their second year, so this will be fun like the Wolverine Conference is every year.”
SAUGATUCK
As Ty Rock enters his second season as head coach in Saugatuck, he does so with a largely young and inexperienced team.
The senior tandem of guard Sammy Gamboa and forward Sam Bos are the only two players back from last season’s 3-20 squad.
“We have a lot of newcomers this year with only two returning players from last year’s team,” said Rock, who previously had a successful coaching stint with archrival Fennville.
Despite the youthful makeup of the roster, Rock expects his team to take several steps forward compared to last season.
“Last year was a disappointing year and we look to bounce back,” he said. “We expect to take a step forward with a lot of newcomers of all different grades.
“This year I believe the team will be more connected and will have many different contributing players on any given night.”
A trio of first-year seniors—forward Brennan Nor and guards Noah Conklin and Isaac Cruz—lead the list of newcomers.
“With so many newcomers, it’s tough to say what our strengths will be as a team,” Rock said. “I believe that it is possible we can be a solid defensive team with the amount of guys we have and each individual skill set should complement each other.
“This can also be our weakness, as with so many newcomers we don’t have the experience or rotations in what our lineup is going to look like.”
Given the unknowns that come with a young roster, Rock intends to do quite a bit of mixing and matching with lineup combinations at the start of the season.
“We expect to experiment a lot early to find our footing fast with games starting,” he said
When he looks at the divisional race, Rock thinks there is a clear line of delineation.
“Our division is split between the top three and the bottom three,” he said. “If you look at who is returning from the previous year, the top teams returned almost everyone.
“I do believe the bottom of our division got better and you never know. It could be a competitive conference between all teams.”
Rock’s hope is that his team will challenge for a spot in the top half of the standings.
“We are looking to take a step forward and compete with that top tier,” he said. “I think all of our conference games will be a battle and if we don’t come ready to play every night, the results are not going to be pretty.”
WAYLAND
Experience and size will be strengths for Wayland this season.
The Wildcats have two four-year seniors in guard Tyler Pehrson and guard/forward Brady Perrin and two three-year juniors in guard Eli Warsen and Easton Williams.
And Perrin, Williams, second-year senior forward Dacon Sidebotham, first-year sophomore forward Nathan Ainsworth and first-year junior forward DeMarcus Billups all stand 6-foot-4 or taller.
Yep, experience and size.
“We hope this size and length will help us on the defense end and give us an edge when it comes to rebounding,” Wayland coach Chris Jasinski said.
When it comes to shooting the ball, Jasinski is excited about what he’s seen from Ainsworth, Perrin, Pehrson, Warson and first-year junior guard Brayden Calkins.
“Those guys are all above-average shooters from the perimeter, so we should be solid from that standpoint,” Jasinski said.
Second-year senior forward Jack Lyons is the team’s other returning player.
“We had a pretty solid summer competing and working out as a team, and hope to take that momentum into the season,” Jasinski said.
That momentum should help the Wildcats as they make their way through a tough OK Gold schedule.
“The OK Gold ranks up there as one of the tougher conferences in the OK League,” Jasinski said. “And our schedule and conference are always tough. But at the same time, we hope it prepares us for the postseason.”
Jasinski expects Northview be to the top contender in the OK Gold.
“South Christian is always very good and seems to just reload talent,” he said. “Wyoming will be quick and athletic. West Catholic has a new coach and a couple of new players that have transferred in.”
Non-conference games for Wayland include Holland Christian, Forest Hills Northern and Hamilton.
NOTE: No preview information was received from Fennville prior to deadline.
