Boys Finals: Your Dose of C and D
March 21, 2012
One thing is certain to happen this weekend at the often-unpredictable MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals:
We will have a first-time Class D champion. And there's a decent chance the Class C champion could feel like a first-timer as well.
All four Class D Semifinalists will be playing today for a first championship game berth. Only Traverse City St. Francis among Class C Semifinalists has never made a championship game -- but Flint Beecher is seeking its first MHSAA title since 1987, and Shelby its first since 1972.
Not that Schoolcraft is out of sight, out of mind. The Eagles are back at the Breslin Center to defend their Class C title, and with an all-stater to lead the way.
Below is a schedule for today's Semifinals and all four Saturday Finals. Tickets cost $8 per session, and parking at Michigan State is $5. All Semifinals will be streamed live at MHSAA.tv along with the press conferences after each, and the C and D Finals both will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit. Click for scores as they come in, and return to Second Half for coverage of all 12 games this weekend at Breslin.
Today's Semifinals
Class C
Flint Beecher (26-0) vs. Schoolcraft (22-4) - 1 p.m.
Traverse City St. Francis (24-2) vs Shelby (24-2) - 2:50 p.m.
Class D
Muskegon Catholic Central (17-9) vs. Southfield Christian (22-2) - 6 p.m.
Climax-Scotts (25-1) vs. Carney-Nadeau (23-2) - 7:50 p.m.
Saturday's Finals
Class A - 4 p.m.
Class B - 8 p.m.
Class C - Noon
Class D - 10 a.m.
Now, a look at this season's Class C and D Semifinalists (Click for glances at Class A and B Semifinalists.):
Class C
FLINT BEECHER
Record/rank: 26-0, No. 1
League finish: First in Genesee Area Conference Blue
Coach: Mike Williams, eighth season (137-61)
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recently Class B in 1987), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 63-49 over No. 4 Madison Heights Madison (Regional Semifinal), 38-36 (OT) over No. 3 Detroit Consortium (Regional Final), 59-55 over honorable mention River Rouge (Quarterfinal).
Players to watch: Monte Morris (6-3 jr. G – 18.3 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.4 rpg, 3.5 spg), Antuan Burks (5-9 sr. G – 12.6 ppg, 34 3-pointers).
Outlook: This is the third straight season Beecher has made it to the Semifinals – last season the Buccaneers lost in overtime to eventual runner-up McBain. But this might be the season they break through led by Morris, the Class C Player of the Year by The Associated Press for the second straight season.
SCHOOLCRAFT
Record/rank: 22-4, honorable mention
League finish: Second in Kalamazoo Valley Association
Coach: Randy Small, eighth season (161-34)
Championship history: One MHSAA title (2011), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 55-52 over No. 2 Pewamo-Westphalia (Quarterfinal), 65-52 over honorable mention Bloomingdale (Regional Final), 68-58 over Olivet.
Player to watch: Luke Ryskamp (6-3 jr. F – 23.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg).
Outlook: A team with seven seniors including all-stater Ryskamp will try to defend its 2011 championship. Senior Bryan Jones, a 6-2 forward, also started in last season’s Class C Final. Schoolcraft avenged two of its losses during the District tournament, and can extend a solid run by Small that has included six league titles in eight seasons and three Regional titles over the last four.
SHELBY
Record/rank: 24-2, No. 8
League finish: First in West Michigan Conference
Coach: Rick Zoulek, 27th season (385-221)
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recently 1972), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 60-41 over honorable mention New Haven (Quarterfinal), 69-59 over North Muskegon.
Players to watch: David Beckman, Jr. (6-3 sr. F – 13.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Lucas Landis (6-4 sr. F – 12.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg).
Outlook: Shelby is big in the frontcourt with Beckman and Landis getting additional help from 6-5 senior center Jeremiah James (11.3 ppg). Guards Cody Stotler and Kody Plummer round out an all-senior starting line-up that has Shelby back in the conversation among Class C’s best. Total, the team boasts eight seniors. Its only losses were to North Muskegon and Class B Semifinalist Muskegon Heights.
TRAVERSE CITY ST. FRANCIS
Record/rank: 24-2, No. 5
League finish: First in Lake Michigan Conference
Coach: Keith Haske, second season (39-9)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 67-42 over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 68-52 over No. 7 Clare (Regional Final), 71-60 over honorable mention Negaunee (Quarterfinal).
Players to watch: Sean Sheldon (6-9 sr. F – 21 ppg, 11 rpg), Devin Sheehy (5-11 sr. G – 12 ppg, 7.0 apg, 5.0 spg).
Outlook: Haske has St. Francis at Breslin Center after bringing Charlevoix to the Finals multiple times. Sheldon, an all-stater, is one of two 6-9 players on the team and one of three 6-4 or taller in the main rotation. The Gladiators have mauled their postseason competition so far by an average margin of 24.8 points per game.
Class D
CARNEY-NADEAU
Record/rank: 23-2, honorable mention
League finish: First in Skyline and Central Upper Peninsula conferences
Coach: Jacob Polfus, fourth season (60-30)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 57-51 over No. 7 Munising (Regional Final), 72-56 over No. 2 Pellston (Quarterfinal).
Players to watch: Lucas Moreau (5-10 sr. G – 18.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.9 apg), Wade Schetter (5-10 jr. G – 18.9 ppg, 3.8 apg, 5.0 spg).
Outlook: Carney-Nadeau is led by high-scoring guards Moreau and Schetter, who have scored nearly 60 percent of the team’s points this season. Sophomore guard Keenan Lampinen adds 10.4 more points per game for a team boasting only one starter that stands even 6-1. That hasn’t seemed to matter much during a 20-game winning streak, which included wins over the two opponents who beat the Wolves early.
CLIMAX-SCOTTS
Record/rank: 25-1, No. 5
League finish: First in Southern Central Athletic Association
Coach: Steve Critchlow, first season (25-1)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 54-49 over honorable mention North Adams-Jerome, 50-39 over Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (Quarterfinal).
Players to watch: Malachi Satterlee (6-7 jr. F – 18.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.3 bpg), Aaron Cook (6-7 jr. F – 10 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg).
Outlook: Satterlee was named all-state earlier this week and keys a towering frontcourt that also gets 9.5 points per game from 6-2 forward Jacob Hinga. Climax-Scotts hasn’t faced a team ranked in the top 10 of the state polls at the end of the regular season, but dominated its competition – its lone loss was by four to Kalamazoo Phoenix, and since the Panthers have won 11 of 12 games by double figures.
MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 17-9, unranked
League finish: Fourth in River Valley Conference
Coach: David Ingles, second season (32-19)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 48-43 over No. 10 Fulton-Middleton (Regional Final), 61-50 over No. 4 Bellaire (Quarterfinal).
Players to watch: Jason Ribecky (6-4 sr. C – 19.1 ppg), Cari Campbell (6-3 jr. F – 11.4 ppg).
Outlook: Ribecky earned an all-state honorable mention earlier this week and has put the team on his shoulders during the tournament run – the Crusaders have beaten every playoff opponent by double figures except reigning runner-up Fulton. This is the longest run by Muskegon Catholic since it won its Class C Regional in 1999.
SOUTHFIELD CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 22-2, tied for No. 7
League finish: First in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference
Coach: Josh Baker, first season (22-2)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 78-77 over Belleville, 70-57 and 67-64 over Allen Park Inter-City Baptist, 98-84 over honorable mention Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (Quarterfinal).
Players to watch: Gavin Toma (6-2 sr. G – 19.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Chris Dewberry (6-2 sr. G – 16.2 ppg, 4.4 apg), Lindsey Hunter III (6-1 sr. G – 15.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.0 apg), Lindsey Hunter IV (5-11 soph. G – 11.9 ppg).
Outlook: Southfield Christian’s record is especially impressive considering the number of much larger schools it faced this season – the losses came to Class A power Southfield (by two points) and Class B Semifinalist Detroit Country Day. All four postseason wins have come by double figures (Southfield Christian also won one by forfeit.) The Hunters III and IV are the sons of the former Detroit Pistons guard by the same name.
PHOTO: Flint Beecher's Monte Morris had 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in his team's 70-66 Semifinal loss to McBain in last season's Class C Semifinal. He's back to lead Beecher again today.
Work Ethic Continues to Drive Van Dyk's Endeavors as Co-Owner of Family Farm
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
August 4, 2026
Matt Van Dyk’s work ethic was always easy to spot, even for those not spending every day at Imlay City’s basketball practices.
“The only way he could get out of work in the summer was for church or basketball, nothing else,” Imlay City boys basketball coach Don Gauthier said. “We would have summer league games in Flint or wherever we were playing, and he would show up five minutes before tip off, covered in mud, dirt, or whatever he was doing on the farm, and with no excuses, would come out there and play as hard as anybody. That work ethic, it was contagious to everybody else.”
That work ethic was born in the fields at Van Dyk Farms, grew through his time on the court for Imlay City and eventually Michigan State, and continues to serve him in his role as part owner of that same family farm, which serves as one of the largest produce suppliers in the eastern United States.
“I’ve had some phenomenal coaches in my life,” Van Dyk said. “My high school coach was Don Gauthier, and he really instilled work ethic into us. I think his favorite quote was, ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.’ When I think about high school, just that work ethic of working hard every day really helped with being at the college level, but also with farming. And, really, I’ve been blessed to have role models that have all echoed that same mentality. My high school coach, my junior college (St. Clair County Community College) coach Dale Vos, and at Michigan State with coach (Tom) Izzo, plus my father, Doug Van Dyk.”
Matt Van Dyk, a 2012 Imlay City graduate, returned home to the 1,000-acre family vegetable farm after graduating with his agri-business degree from MSU in 2017.
While he’s officially one of the owners, he said his unofficial title is field operations, as he oversees planting, growing and harvest operations.
“I’m the person they call when something’s broken down, or they need to know what field to go into next,” he said.
Van Dyk has immersed himself in the Imlay City community since his return, joining the township board for a while, as well as his church council. He’s also giving back as an athlete, helping with the basketball program. His wife, Rachel, who played volleyball at MSU, was the varsity girls volleyball coach at Imlay City for three seasons and still works with clubs in the area.
“The Bible says that to who much is given, much is expected, and I’ve been given a lot, more so than I deserve,” he said. “The opportunity to play at Michigan State, not many people get that opportunity. For me, to be able to use that and give back is what we’re called to do. With the farm, too. I have the opportunity to work on a family business, and some people will say that you’re starting on second base – well there’s a lot that’s expected from me with this opportunity that I’m given. That is where my true worth comes from; it doesn’t come from personal success, it comes from what our team here at Van Dyk farms can accomplish.”
While Van Dyk describes his time at MSU as an opportunity he was given, the reality is it was one he fought long and hard to earn.
After becoming an all-state selection in Class B and Blue Water Area Conference MVP at Imlay City, he originally went to Hope College after high school but transferred to SC4 following one semester.
During his lone year there, he was named the Michigan Community College Athletic Association Eastern Conference Freshman of the Year, First-Team All-MCCAA and National Junior College Athletic Association Region XII All-Defense.
That earned him scholarship offers from in-state Division II programs, but he chose instead to walk-on at MSU and follow his dream of playing for the Spartans. At worst, he thought, he would graduate with a top-notch degree in the field he wanted.
Of course, he ended up with much more than that. After two years as a walk-on, Van Dyk earned a scholarship for his final season at MSU. He wound up playing in 53 games during his career, starting four during the 2016-17 season.
“I guess while you’re in it, it’s just work,” he said. “You put your head down, take it one day at a time. Looking back and seeing how there are no days off in life, you’re like, ‘OK, maybe that was pretty awesome what I did.’ I got to go to Italy, got to go to Madison Square Garden, got to play at Duke, got to travel the world.”
He also went viral.
While work ethic was what pushed Van Dyk to reach his dreams, he was also a remarkable athlete, possessing one of the best vertical leaps on the roster. That came out in a game against Ohio State his junior season, during which he threw down a massive dunk off an alley-oop. The play made the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10.
“That’s not my style of play at all,” Van Dyk said with a laugh. “Dunking, that’s what got me on the team, was my athleticism. But being flashy, that’s not my thing. It’s a funny way to work things out, and I’m forever indebted to Alvin Ellis for throwing it off the backboard.”
Now, as Van Dyk is back in Imlay City with his wife and two young daughters with another on the way in November, he’s putting his head down to better his family’s business and the community at large. All while continuing to set the right example for the next potential athlete willing to work for what he earned.
“They see him, and he played at Michigan State, and there’s his picture on the wall,” Gauthier said. “Most young kids have big dreams, and they have a guy right there in their hometown that did it. They look up to that. For the athlete and basketball player he is, he’s just a better person. He’s very humble, he doesn’t act big time toward anybody. That’s even more impressive.”
2026 Made In Michigan
July 24: Hackett Mentor's Care Sparked Lifetime in Hoops for BCAM President White - Report
July 24: Mackey Leaving Court with 500+ College Hoops Wins, Many More Lessons Shared - Report
July 16: Country Day Two-Time Champ Moore Building Perennial Winner at Harvard - Report
July 9: Multi-Sport Career at TC West Helps Gillis Thrive as Pro in Game She Once Left Behind - Report
July 2: Inspired by Home, Eager to Give Back, Spencer Hosts Hoop City Alumni Games - Report
PHOTOS (Top) At left, Matt Van Dyk puts up a jumper for Imlay City. At right, Van Dyk and his daughters enjoy a moment in one of his family’s fields. (Photos provided by Matt Van Dyk.)