1,000-Point Scoring Pair has Howardsville Christian Eying Postseason Possibilities
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
February 5, 2025
MARCELLUS – Despite facing a shorter bench and tougher schedule this winter, Howardsville Christian’s boys basketball team still started this season much slower than head coach Ken Sparks had anticipated.
But Sparks, now in his fourth season, said the Eagles are highly confident they can achieve big things before the 2024-25 campaign ends.
Two reasons why are the exceptional play of shooting guard Kaden Sparks – Ken's son – and point guard John Paul Rose. The two four-year varsity players and senior starters both recently eclipsed the 1,000-point career scoring mark.
Howardsville Christian has fewer than 80 students, and they were the first pair in school history to achieve that milestone during the same season. A total of 17 players are now on the Eagles’ 1,000-point list, led by Dylan Jergens, the third-leading scorer in MHSAA history with 2,782 career points. All of their names appear on a banner on the wall behind one of the baskets inside the school gymnasium.
Needing just two points to reach his career milestone, Kaden Sparks scored a game-high 27 points in a 57-46 loss by Howardsville Christian to Division 2 Edwardsburg in the Tri-State Holiday Classic on Dec. 14 at Southwestern Michigan College.
Rose achieved the rare feat in the Eagles' 55-44 win over St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic on Jan. 7. Rose needed 30 points to reach 1,000 and scored exactly that many.
Making their feats even more impressive is that both Eagles starting guards stand just 5-foot-9.
Out of necessity, Kaden Sparks and Rose both made immediate impacts as freshmen on the Eagles' varsity.
"We knew that Kaden and John Paul were going to be good players from the very start of their careers. Both of them became starters right away because we didn't have lot of impact returners in the way of upperclassmen. That forced them to play at a high level early on, and now it’s really paying off for both of them," said Ken Sparks, a 2000 Howardsville graduate and also a member of the 1,000-point club. "When both Kaden and John Paul are on the court, they find a way to get the ball to the other. Even though they are our main scorers, they are also our top two guys in assists and work hard to get everyone else involved.
“Having two guys in the same class reach 1,000 points is really special. We try to make it a big deal so it inspires our younger kids in the program to work hard and achieve similar success when they reach the high school level."
Kaden Sparks’ strength and athleticism is a big reason why he leads the Eagles in every statistical category. Through 16 games, Sparks is averaging 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.2 steals per game.
"We're confident if Kaden gets the ball inside the post that he can still finish against bigger guys because of his strength. That's a big reason he is able to lead us in rebounding, because he does such a great job of boxing out," Ken Sparks said. "His athleticism and quickness help him anticipate where the ball is going. Defensively, he's led our team in steals the last couple seasons. As a coach, out of nowhere you'll see him intercept the ball and head the other way downcourt. He has more speed than most other players on the floor. Offensively he's always shot one of the higher percentages during his career."
On Jan. 2 in a game against Battle Creek St. Philip, Kaden suffered a bad ankle sprain that sidelined him nearly three weeks. But he's returned to top form.
"Scoring 1,000 points has always a goal of mine, and it’s neat to accomplish the same thing my dad did, but to also have a teammate from my class achieve that too is pretty special as well," Kaden Sparks said. "I don't consider my scoring as my biggest contribution to the team though. I pride myself on defense and try to motivate my teammates to do the same. That's what wins championships."
Rose is currently averaging 19 points, 6.2 rebounds, three assists and 2.1 steals per game. Scoring and rebounding have been his two biggest areas of improvement the past two years.
"John Paul led us in scoring as a junior. He was a great young point guard his freshman and sophomore year and led our team in assists. I've gotten several compliments from opposing coaches about what a great ballhandler he is and his ability to run the point guard position. He's been a good mainstay for us that way," Ken Sparks said. "He has a very solid mid-range jump shot and also has a knack for finishing well under the basket. His quickness allows us to put him on the other team's best offensive player too. From a leadership standpoint, he's very vocal on the court and is a good encourager for our younger players in practice. Like Kaden, he's really put in the time during the offseason to improve."
Rose credits cousins David and Michael Crips, both assistant varsity coaches at Howardsville, as being big influences to him in basketball.
"Those two have helped me a lot in my development and inspired me to work hard. Last year we had six losses and three of those were to Our Lady of the Lake Catholic, so being able to get my 1,000th point this year against them was pretty special," Rose said. "I'm proud that I've become a better ballhandler. I have a good mid-range shot, while Kaden is a better 3-point shooter. But I feel like I've made my most improvement defensively."
Last year Howardsville finished 19-6, losing in the Regional Semifinals 49-43 to Our Lady of the Lake.
"I think we have a good shot to repeat as District champions, but it’s going to be tough with (Kalamazoo) Phoenix and Marcellus is a pretty good team as well," Ken Sparks said.
Howardsville's overall record stands at 6-11, including a 4-4 mark good enough to tie for third in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph League. Kaden's career point total now stands at 1,168, and Rose had scored 1,092 entering Tuesday's home game with Covert.
One of Howardsville Christian's other losses came Dec. 28 to Jackson Northwest, a Division 1 school, 73-51 in the Spring Arbor University Shot Clock Classic.
The Eagles, with six games remaining, have their sights set on finishing the regular season on a strong note and building momentum for the postseason. Howardsville Christian has won six District titles over the last nine seasons, including a run to the Quarterfinals during Jergens' senior year in 2018.
Howardsville Christian will be one of five teams vying for the District title Feb. 24-28 at Marcellus High School, along with the host school, Phoenix (12-1), Kalamazoo Heritage Christian and Lawrence. Howardsville lost to Phoenix 53-50 on Dec. 20.
"If we could win our remaining regular-season games, that would give us momentum for the postseason. John Paul and I are a big presence and give our team lots of energy when we are on the floor, so that makes us work that much harder to help our team succeed," Kaden Sparks said.
Howardsville's head coach is confident his Eagles can work some postseason magic, especially with five seniors joined by three talented freshmen to make up the current roster.
Other Eagles seniors besides Kaden Sparks and Rose playing key roles are guard Sean Kimble, 6-4 center Isaac Nagel and 5-11 forward Jonah West. Leading a solid freshman class are 5-10 guard Kole Sparks – Kaden's younger brother – 6-3 Keaton Grandlinard at forward/center and 6-2 forward Caden Grant.
"Our No. 1 goal is to repeat as District champions. I know we're about to turn the corner. We wanted to challenge our kids by scheduling some tougher games this season and finish in the top of our conference," Ken Sparks said. "We've really spoke with our other seniors and younger guys about stepping up in scoring, rebounding and defense. Everyone plays a role, and I think it’s set us up for a good run here at the end of the season."
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) At left, Howardsville Christian’s John Paul Rose (3) brings the ball upcourt this season against Cassopolis. At right, Kaden Sparks drives around a screen set by a teammate against Kalamazoo Phoenix. (Middle) Howardsville Christian teammates and coaches pose for a photo after Sparks surpassed 1,000 points for his career during a loss to Edwardsburg in the Tri-State Holiday Classic at Southwestern Michigan College. (Below) Howardsville teammates and members of the coaching staff celebrate Rose reaching 1,000 career points against St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic. (Howardsville/Cassopolis photo by Brooklyn Scheidel. Howardsville/Phoenix photo by David Sparks. Banner photos by Kristen Sparks.)
Breslin Bound: Boys Regional Preview
March 13, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Only 128 teams remain in the MHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament – and seven have yet to taste defeat this season.
That’s guaranteed to change beginning with tonight’s Regional Semifinals, where Class A and C will enjoy matchups of teams that have achieved perfection to this point this winter. Our Breslin Bound report – powered my MI Student Aid – looks more closely at those sections of the bracket as we glance at three Regionals in each class that jump off the screen most this week.
Click to check out all Regional brackets for every class: Class A | Class B | Class C | Class D
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Manton 54, McBain 48 – McBain was undefeated and arguably the favorite to win all of Class C, and had beaten Manton by 16 on Feb. 22.
2. Frankenmuth 58, Bridgeport 49 – The “tie-breaker” between Tri-Valley Conference East co-champions went to the Eagles in this Class B District Final.
3. Detroit Cass Tech 45, Detroit Martin Luther King 43 – This rematch of the Detroit Public School League championship game again went Cass Tech’s way in Class A.
4. Flushing 39, Flint Carman-Ainsworth 36 – The Raiders went on to win the Class A District after opening with this victory over the Cavaliers, who had beaten Flushing by three a week earlier.
5. Onsted 52, Hillsdale 45 – Onsted went on to fall to Chelsea 57-45 in their Class B District Final, but on the way handed Hillsdale its first and only loss after falling to the Hornets in overtime and by two during the regular season.
Regionals at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold:
CLASS A
Dearborn Fordson
Dearborn Fordson (11-12), Detroit Cass Tech (18-4), Detroit U-D Jesuit (18-3), Westland John Glenn (20-3).
There’s a chance for a meeting of champions of the Detroit area’s two most prestigious leagues; Cass Tech opens against Fordson, while Catholic League A-B winner and reigning Class A champion U-D Jesuit faces John Glenn in the other Semifinal. John Glenn just missed being a champion as well, finishing second in its division of the Kensington Lakes Activities Conference and runner-up in the Kensington Conference tournament. Fordson is the potential spoiler and has won seven of its last nine. Jesuit did beat Cass Tech 65-53 in an Operation Friendship game just two weeks ago.
Grand Haven
Grand Rapids Christian (23-0), Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (16-7), Holland West Ottawa (22-1), Muskegon (23-0).
Tonight’s second Semifinal pits the undefeated Eagles and Big Reds, arguably the most highly-anticipated matchup in Michigan this week. And that very well could work to the advantage of the teams on the other side of the bracket; Holland West Ottawa’s only loss this season was by eight to Grand Rapids Christian on Dec. 28, and Forest Hills Northern is riding high after a one-point upset last week of rival Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, which won their Ottawa-Kent Conference White.
Richland Gull Lake
Battle Creek Central (19-3), East Lansing (23-0), Holt (19-4), Kalamazoo Central (19-3).
East Lansing got past last season’s nemesis, Lansing Everett, with a five-point win in the District Final, but the living won’t be easy this week. Two of Battle Creek Central’s losses were to rival Kalamazoo Central, and the Bearcats have won 13 of their last 14 games. The Maroon Giants came within a basket of downing undefeated Grand Rapids Christian in their regular-season finale two weeks ago and feature Mr. Basketball Award finalist Isaiah Livers. But Holt won’t be an easy out – especially with motivation to see East Lansing again after falling to the Trojans by only four and five in league play this winter.
CLASS B
Allegan
Battle Creek Harper Creek (15-8), Benton Harbor (19-3), Three Rivers (15-7), Wayland (20-3).
The Tigers closed the regular season with two losses over three games, but by a combined three points after suffering their only other defeat in overtime. (And all three of those losses were to Class A teams.) Harper Creek, tonight’s opponent, beat one of those three that downed Benton Harbor – Sturgis, by eight – and has won 11 of its last 12 after starting the streak against Three Rivers. Three Rivers happens to be on the other side of this bracket, the Wolverine Conference South champion which advanced with two four-point wins in its District. Wayland might be the contender getting talked about least, so keep an eye out; its three losses were twice to Grand Rapids Christian and once, by only two, to one-loss Wyoming Godwin Heights.
Corunna
Alma (17-6), Frankenmuth (20-2), Freeland (20-2), Lake Fenton (17-6).
Both sides of this bracket pit a 20-2 team vs. a 17-6 opponent tonight. Of the 17-6 pair, Alma finished second to Freeland in the Tri-Valley Conference Central but has won nine of its last 10 since an overtime defeat to the Falcons. Lake Fenton similarly has won 10 straight and tied for second in the Genesee Area Conference Red behind Class C power Flint Beecher. Freeland has won 11 straight since dropping back-to-back games in late January. And Frankenmuth has won 20 of its last 21, including by 19 over Alma midseason.
North Branch
Almont (20-3), Flint Northwestern (11-11), New Haven (22-1), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (14-9).
New Haven has seemed rather unstoppable and is pursuing a third straight Regional title. But tonight’s opponent Flint Northwestern is playing with major motivation as this could be the final run for the longtime hoops power – the Wildcats won their District games by three and then in overtime, respectively. On the other side of the bracket, Almont is a great story coming from 6-15 last season to win the Blue Water Area Conference title and 12 straight games heading into this week. Notre Dame Prep got hot at the right time, winning its District after dropping three of four to close the regular season.
CLASS C
Bangor
Cassopolis (18-4), Kalamazoo Christian (16-7), Quincy (19-4), Schoolcraft (22-1).
Cassopolis, Quincy and Schoolcraft all won league titles this season, and Christian finished third in Schoolcraft’s league, the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley. Those two face off again tonight, with Schoolcraft winning the previous two meetings first by 26 but then only two on Feb. 17. Quincy shared the Big 8 Conference title with 14 wins over its last 15 games since dropping its only defeat in the league. Cassopolis, the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Red winner, has won 10 of its last 11 and is battle-tested after needing double overtime twice last week to advance.
Houghton Lake
Boyne City (16-7), Manton (18-4), Maple City Glen Lake (18-4), Whittemore-Prescott (15-6).
Manton finished second in the Highland Conference, but might be the favorite to win its first Regional since 1998 after handing league champion and previously-undefeated McBain its first and only loss in the District Final. Glen Lake similarly finished runner-up to an undefeated team (Buckley) in the Northwest Conference and has won 13 of its last 15. Boyne City won its third straight District title and has found its stride again after opening this season 8-1 but running into a tough stretch midway through. Whittemore-Prescott is 8-1 over its last nine and has now improved from six to 11 to 15 victories over the last three seasons.
Hudson
Adrian Madison (15-8), Ann Arbor Greenhills (15-7), Michigan Center (23-0), Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (22-0).
Tonight’s first Semifinal pits the undefeated teams. Michigan Center is continuing a run that hasn’t seen any opponent get closer than 11 points this season despite playing 19 and 16-game winners during last week's District. St. Mary has had only one single-digit game, an overtime win over Class B Notre Dame Prep on Jan. 6, and is playing for its fourth Regional title in six seasons. The only Regional championship between Madison and Greenhills ever was won by Greenhills in 1996, no doubt adding to the excitement of this week for both. Madison avenged two earlier losses by beating previously-undefeated Sand Creek to open its District title run, while Greenhills has won nine of its last 12 games and claimed all three of its District games by at least 14 points.
CLASS D
Big Rapids Crossroads Academy
Baldwin (20-1), Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (14-9), Muskegon Catholic Central (10-12), Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (14-8).
It’s hard to believe Baldwin hasn’t won a Regional title since 1984, but that could change this week as the team’s only loss this season was by two to West Michigan D League co-runner-up Crossroads on Jan. 12. Only two other opponents got within single digits of the Panthers this winter. MCC’s record is a little deceiving because it plays in a Lakes 8 Conference with all Class B and C teams and lost seven of eight games to close the regular season before dominating its District. As noted last week, Tri-unity made the Class D Semifinals last season and its record also is deceiving with more than half of its games against larger opponents. Same with Sacred Heart, which won all of its District games by double digits and has 11 wins over its last 14 after a rough first two months.
St. Ignace
Cedarville (16-6), Engadine (12-10), Hillman (22-1), Pellston (16-6).
Hillman didn’t appear too stung last week after suffering its only loss by three two weeks ago to Lincoln Alcona. But next up is opening-night opponent Cedarville, which Hillman beat by 17 all the way back on Dec. 6; the Trojans went on to finish second in the Eastern Upper Peninsula Athletic Conference and then downed league champion Pickford by 24 in their District Final. Pellston also was a league runner-up, to Bellaire in the Ski Valley Conference, quite a jump after finishing 6-16 a season ago. Engadine’s comeback has been arguably more substantial; the Eagles are still alive after going just 2-19 last winter.
Traverse City
Bellaire (22-1), Buckley (22-0), Hale (17-6), Suttons Bay (13-10).
While this would seem to line up a Buckley/Bellaire matchup in the championship game, it’s not that easy. Yes, Bellaire hasn’t lost since opening night (by three to Harbor Springs). But Suttons Bay stunned Frankfort in their District Final and could be capable of giving the Eagles a close game as well. Buckley hasn’t lost since last season’s Regional Final against Bellaire, but Hale has won 10 of 12 and also is a league champion having won the North Star League Little Dipper title – after going just 7-12 last season.
PHOTO: Flint Northwestern got past Goodrich 76-70 in overtime Friday to win their Class B District. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)