Breslin Bound: 2021-22 Boys Report Week 2
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 20, 2021
No school for the next two weeks hardly means no basketball for many teams across the state.
Holiday showcases, classics, tournaments, etc., canceled last season because of the COVID-related late start are returning to close this calendar year, and they’ll surely clue us in more on the teams to watch once we return and turn to 2022.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. Send corrections or missing scores to [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Richland Gull Lake 78, Kalamazoo Central 75 (OT) The Blue Devils are off to a 3-0 start, with this Central’s first home league loss since 2014.
2. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 60, Clarkston 51 The Eaglets (3-0) continued their impressive start by dealing Clarkston (2-1) its first defeat.
3. River Rouge 61, Warren Fitzgerald 59 Rouge (3-0) won three times last week, two times by a bucket, beginning with this victory and followed by a 62-61 win over Belleville.
4. Benton Harbor 73, Flint Carman-Ainsworth 62 The Tigers (3-0) are revving again after last season’s trip to the Division 2 Quarterfinals, with this win coming at Grand Rapids Union’s Showcase Classic.
5. Buckley 61, Maple City Glen Lake 59 It’s hard to imagine a better start for Buckley (1-0), defeating the reigning Northwest Conference champ after finishing 7-13 overall and seventh in the league last season.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
Division 1
Ann Arbor Huron (3-0) Last season’s Division 1 runner-up is up to a combined 43-2 since the start of 2019-20, with a couple of solid and close wins last week. After opening the season Dec. 10 with a 15-point victory over Ypsilanti Lincoln, the River Rats defeated Ann Arbor Skyline 48-42 and Saline 41-39 – the only losses for those latter two opponents so far.
Hamtramck (4-0) The Cosmos are now a combined 35-6 going back to the start of the 2019-20 season and coming off a Michigan Metro Athletic Conference Black championship last winter. So far, so good this season as well, with last week featuring a 54-52 overtime win over Canton and an 81-54 victory over Wyoming Godwin Heights at Cornerstone University. The first matchup with league rival River Rouge is Jan. 28.
Division 2
Olivet (4-0) The Eagles returned to their usual successful ways with a 13-3 run last winter, and they appear on that path again. The 59-32 opening win over Union City remains the Chargers’ only defeat, and Olivet followed that up with a 55-24 win over a Hanover-Horton team coming off a run to the Division 3 Semifinals. All four Eagles victories have come by at least 20 points.
Parchment (5-0) The Panthers broke a string of two straight sub.-500 finishes with a 14-4 run last winter, and they’ve already defeated Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley reigning champion Schoolcraft after tying for second in the league last season. Parchment will meet Grand Rapids West Catholic in Wednesday’s Cornerstone University Holiday Tournament Red championship game after defeating Wyoming Potter’s House Christian in Monday’s opener.
Division 3
Bad Axe (5-0) The Hatchets closed last season’s 12-3 showing with a District title, and expectations should be growing as four of five wins have been by at least 17 points. The only losses last winter came to league rival Reese – the Rockets also won the Regional matchup – and those teams meet for the first time this season Jan. 12.
Vandercook Lake (5-0) The Jayhawks appear ready to take the next step after winning four games two seasons ago and finishing 9-9 last winter. A 56-53 win over Homer on Dec. 10 avenged an 18-point loss to last season’s Big 8 Conference champion, and Thursday’s 70-56 victory over Michigan Center avenged a pair of 2020-21 defeats.
Division 4
Britton Deerfield (3-0) After two straight winning seasons, Britton Deerfield dropped back to 6-11 last winter. But the Patriots look to be putting that quickly behind them with three double-digit wins to start. Last week’s 68-56 win over Morenci was the Bulldogs’ lone defeat.
Hillman (3-0) Last season’s 12-8 finish broke a string of two sub-.500 seasons, and the Tigers are off and running again. Two of three wins so far have avenged losses from last winter – the 39-37 victory over Rogers City in the opener after Hillman lost last season’s meeting by a point, and a 65-31 win over Alcona last week after the Tigers lost last winter’s meeting by 12.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Wednesday – Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (2-0) at Detroit Renaissance (3-0) Contenders from the Detroit Catholic League and Detroit Public School League help kick off two weeks of big-time nonleague holiday games.
Wednesday – Parchment (5-0) vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic (3-0) at Cornerstone University – These two will face off for the Holiday Tournament Red championship.
Dec. 27 – Flint Beecher (4-0) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (1-1) at Ferndale – The Motor City Roundball Classic returns, and this matchup features the reigning Division 3 champ and a Division 1 contender.
Dec. 27 – Grand Rapids Catholic Central (1-0) vs. Detroit U-D Jesuit (3-1) at Ferndale – Both are recent Finals participants, GRCC the reigning Division 2 champion and Jesuit the 2019 Division 1 runner-up.
Dec. 28 – Williamston (5-0) vs. North Farmington (3-0) at Ferndale – This Roundball Classic game also features top teams in Divisions 2 and 1, respectively.
Second Half’s weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Traverse City St. Francis opened last week with a 59-40 win over reigning Lake Michigan Conference champ Charlevoix. (Middle) DeWitt's Landen Poe (20) drives while being defended by Howell's Breven Weller (0). (Photos by Rick Sack and Cara Kamps, respectively.)
Vander Klay's Dedication to Wyoming Schools Netted 400+ Wins, Trip to Breslin
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
April 6, 2026
WYOMING – Over the past 31 years, it was relatively easy to notice a boys basketball team coached by Thom Vander Klay.
Athletic and tough-nosed players who competed hard while playing an up-tempo offense and in-your-face defense were trademarks of his teams at Wyoming Park and Wyoming High School.
“In some ways, at Wyoming Park, and then Wyoming, our athletes have been very similar through those 31 years of varsity,” Vander Klay said.
“Some teams were more skilled and more athletic than others, but they were the same. We never had big kids. We’ve always had kind of gritty kids that would compete hard and play fast, and we had quite a few of them on every team. That bled into what we did.”
Vander Klay will retire from teaching after 40 years at the end of May, and his time as the longtime basketball coach will end as well.
“It’s been a struggle, and it’s hard because it’s my home,” Vander Klay said. “I live in Wyoming, my kids went to Wyoming and I went to Wyoming (Park). I’m the youngest of three and my older brother and sister were Vikings and that’s who I was. I was Wyoming, and I still am, so it was really difficult to say I was going to step away from things I really enjoyed doing.”
Vander Klay has been coaching for 41 years. He was the junior varsity coach at Wyoming Park before replacing Kelly McEwen in 1995.
When Wyoming Park and Wyoming Rogers merged in 2012, he became the head coach at the new Wyoming High School.
During his tenure, he went 424-274 as a varsity coach and won nine conference championships, six District titles and one Regional title. He also helped coach football and track & field.
“So many memories and so many kids, and you love those kids,” said Vander Klay, who coached his two sons, Brock and Chase. “When I think back to when I started, guys like Jack VerDuin, Ron Engels, Dick Locke, Frank Grimm and Kelly McEwen were great mentors that I had. I go back to those days and blink, and here we are 40 years later and I'm the old guy.”
Vander Klay’s best season came in 2004 at Wyoming Park, led by eventual Michigan State standout Drew Neitzel. The Vikings advanced to the Class B Semifinals, losing to Detroit Renaissance.
Vander Klay was named Class B Coach of the Year and enjoyed his time coaching Neitzel, the Mr. Basketball Award winner who is widely considered one of the best players in program history.
“Drew was so well-rounded,” Vander Klay said. “A great leader, great student, great attitude and just mentally tough and so skilled.
“Coaching him was more about trying to get all five guys on the same page, but those teams that Drew played on, we had good players other than him, too. It wasn't just him because we had other guys who stepped up – but he was the best player in the state.”
Jacob Underhill, Vander Klay’s longtime assistant and junior varsity coach, said Vander Klay has been more than just a mentor.
“He has been the blueprint for the teacher and coach I strive to be,” Underhill said. “He has always been incredibly gracious in sharing his knowledge of the game and his wisdom on how to lead young men. Every decision he makes is filtered through a single focus: doing what is best for the students and athletes of Wyoming.
“While his retirement marks the end of an era, his legacy is undeniable. Since the merger of Wyoming Park and Wyoming Rogers, he has been the heartbeat of the basketball program. He has had a profound impact on my professional career, and I cherish the time we’ve spent serving the community together.”
Underhill has witnessed firsthand the influence Vander Klay has had on former players with whom he has reconnected.
“It’s a true testament to his character,” Underhill said. “He is an exceptional human being who makes everyone around him better and ensures they recognize their own value.”
The 62-year-old Vander Klay is keeping his options open in terms of a return to coaching elsewhere.
“I’ll take some time off and maybe there is something else out there,” he said. “I'm wide open to anything, and maybe I’ll coach again and maybe not. We will see what the future holds.”
Two other longtime Grand Rapids-area coaches also stepped down after longstanding careers on the hardwood.
Unity Christian coach Scott Soodsma retired after 43 years on the sidelines. He won more than 800 games and three MHSAA Finals championships as a boys and girls coach. Soodsma coached his last game in the Division 2 Boys Basketball Final at Breslin Center. The Crusaders lost to Freeland, 42-32.
Sparta boys basketball coach Scott Berry also retired after 34 seasons. He won 245 games at Comstock Park and Sparta.
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Coach Thom Vander Klay (kneeling) talks to his Wyoming Park team during a break in its 2004 Class B Semifinal at Breslin Center. (Middle) Vander Klay (kneeling) coaches his Wyoming High team. (Top photo from MHSAA archives; middle photo submitted by Thom Vander Klay.)