Breslin Bound: Boys C-D Semis Preview
March 20, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
If new MHSAA champions are crowned in Class C and D this weekend at Michigan State's University's Breslin Center, there's a possibility they'll celebrate another accomplishment to go along with taking home the top trophy – beating last season's champion along the way.
Among eight teams taking the court Thursday are reigning Class C champion Flint Beecher and reigning Class D champion Southfield Christian.
Below is the schedule for all four Thursday Semifinals and four Saturday Finals, plus broadcast information and a look at all eight C and D Semifinalists.
Semifinals - Thursday
Class C
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (23-2) vs Flint Beecher (25-1), 1 p.m.
Laingsburg (23-2) vs Negaunee (24-1), 2:50 p.m.
Class D
Powers North Central (23-3) vs Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (24-2), 6 p.m.
Southfield Christian (21-4) vs Lansing Christian (22-3), 7:50 p.m.
Finals - Saturday
Class A - Noon
Class B - 6:30 pm
Class C - 4:30 pm
Class D - 10 am
Tickets cost $8 per pair of Semifinals and $10 per two-game Finals session. All Semifinals will be streamed live on MHSAA.tv and available on a pay-per-view basis for $3.95 per day or $6.95 for the weekend. Saturday's first three Finals will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit, with the Class B game on Fox Sports Plus and then re-broadcast on Fox Sports Detroit at 10:30 p.m.. Free radio broadcasts of all weekend games will be available on MHSAANetwork.com.
And now, a look at the Semifinalists in Class C and D.
Class C
FLINT BEECHER
Record/rank: 25-1, No. 1
League finish: First in Genesee Area Conference Red
Coach: Mike Williams, ninth season (163-65)
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recently 2012), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 83-46 over No. 7 Harbor Beach (Regional Semifinal), 69-47 over No. 6 Mount Clemens (Regional Final), 46-44 over No. 9 Detroit Consortium (Quarterfinal).
Players to watch: Monte Morris, 6-3 sr. G (21.5 ppg, 9.5 apg, 5.3 rpg, 5.4 spg); Markell Lucas, 6-4 sr. F (8.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg).
Outlook: Williams has returned Beecher to powerhouse status, with a combined 77-4 record over the last three seasons. Obviously, Iowa State recruit Morris has had a lot to do with that; the four-year varsity player was named Mr. Basketball earlier this week. Lucas earned all-state honorable mention Tuesday and also started in last season’s Final, and junior guard Emmanuel Phifer (11.1 ppg) was a top option off the bench in 2012 and now is the team’s second-leading scorer. Its only loss was to Class A No. 1 Detroit Pershing, by seven.
LAINGSBURG
Record/rank: 23-2, honorable mention
League finish: Tied for first in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Coach: Greg Mitchell, 24th season (350-191)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 40-37 and 44-33 (District Semifinal) over honorable mention Pewamo-Westphalia, 61-59 over honorable mention Muskegon Heights (Regional Final), 42-32 over honorable mention Beaverton (Quarterfinal).
Players to watch: Jake Zielinski, 6-2 sr. G/F (16 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.4 apg); Shaun McKinney, 6-3 sr. G/F (11.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.2 apg).
Outlook: This run has been a worthy reward for one of the Lansing area’s most consistent programs – the Wolfpack have posted 20 winning seasons under Mitchell, and only one losing season over the last 14. Laingsburg relies on veteran leadership and balance; four seniors start and six are part of the main rotation, and four more players in addition to the two above average between four and eight points per game.
MONROE ST. MARY CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 23-2, honorable mention
League finish: Second in Huron League
Coach: Randy Windham, fourth season (74-25)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 59-48 over honorable mention Hillsdale (Regional Semifinal), 71-62 over honorable mention Schoolcraft (Quarterfinal), 47-32 over Class D honorable mention Adrian Lenawee Christian.
Players to watch: Kevin Woodson, 6-2 sr. G (19 ppg, 53 3-pointers, 2.2 apg); Chinedu Nwosu, 6-3 sr. F (9.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg).
Outlook: Aside from a pair of losses to Class A honorable mention Milan, St. Mary cruised through the Huron League against mostly much larger opponents and won all of its tournament games by at least nine points. Woodson, an all-state honorable mention, is the leading scorer and top shooter of the bunch, but four others average between five and 10 points per game and two others have made at least 25 3-pointers. The 6-3 Nwosu starts alongside two 6-6 posts, senior Jeffery Albright and junior Bradley Sherman.
NEGAUNEE
Record/rank: 24-1, No. 3
League finish: First in Mid-Peninsula Athletic Conference
Coach: Michael O’Donnell, eighth season (156-45)
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recently 2000), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 56-55 over honorable mention Maple City Glen Lake (Quarterfinal), 66-41 over Class D honorable mention Eben Junction Superior Central, 55-35 over Marquette.
Players to watch: Tyler Jandron, 6-1 jr. G (17.3 ppg, 4.3 spg, 4.0 apg); Tanner Uren, 6-3 sr. F (12.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.4 spg).
Outlook: Negaunee cruised through the regular season and into the Quarterfinals with only a pair of wins over Gwinn closer than 10 points. The Miners’ lone loss was to Class A Marquette, but they avenged that as well. The rotation is only six players, but they bring a variety of skills; senior Brock Weaver is a 6-7 body in the middle, and junior guard Eric Lori is the second-leading scorer at 12.7 points per game and had 37 3-pointers entering the week.
Class D
LANSING CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 22-3, honorable mention
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Coach: Steve Ernst, first season (22-3).
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 67-54 over honorable mention Adrian Lenawee Christian, 67-32 over Peck (Regional Final), 57-48 over Hanover-Horton.
Players to watch: Skylar Ross, 6-2 sr. F (18.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 60 3-pointers); Jordan Terry, 5-9 jr. G (15.6 ppg, 31 3-pointers, 4.3 apg, 3.1 spg).
Outlook: The Pilgrims made the best of not playing in a league by loading their schedule with much larger opponents; they beat Class A, B and C teams and their losses were twice to Class B Stockbridge and once to a strong St. Johns Homeschoolers program. Ross made the all-state team and Terry earned an honorable mention Tuesday, and they’re joined by two others scoring in double figures: 6-4 senior center Jeff Whitney (14.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and 6-0 senior forward Jay Noyola (10.7 ppg, 3.8 spg).
POWERS NORTH CENTRAL
Record/rank: 23-3, No. 10
League finish: First in Skyline Conference and Central UP Conference
Coach: Adam Mercier, seventh season (80-76)
Championship history: 1984 Class D champion.
Best wins: 65-60 and 64-61 (Regional Semifinal) over honorable mention Eben Junction Superior Central, 52-49 and 65-54 (District Semifinal) over honorable mention Carney-Nadeau, 71-57 over No. 2 Cedarville (Quarterfinal).
Players to watch: Travis Vincent, 6-2 jr. F (15.7 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 4.2 bpg); Trevor Ekberg, 6-5 jr. C (11.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.8 bpg).
Outlook: North Central won its first Regional title in 29 years on the way here, after also winning its first District title in 17 season in 2011 under former all-league player Mercier. And the Jets have made this run with no seniors on the roster. Vincent and Ekberg provide the team with two strong rebounders as the team, on average, is grabbing five more boards than its opponents. Junior forward Rob Granquist adds 12.6 points and three assists per game.
SOUTHFIELD CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 21-4, No. 3
League finish: First in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue
Coach: Josh Baker, second season (46-6)
Championship history: MHSAA champion 2012.
Best wins: 51-49 over No. 4 Climax-Scotts (Quarterfinal), 47-46 and 68-61 (Regional Final), over No. 7 Allen Park Inter-City Baptist, 60-58 over Detroit Community
Players to watch: Bakari Evelyn, 6-1 soph. G (20.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.7 apg); Lindsey Hunter IV, 5-10 jr. G (14.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg).
Outlook: Hunter is the only returning starter from last season’s championship team, and he earned an all-state special mention Tuesday. But Evelyn has emerged from the top sub into an all-state selection and keys a team that also beat larger Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and Southfield, among others. Freshman 6-3 guard Eugene Brown provides another big boost – he’s averaging 9.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.
WYOMING TRI-UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 24-2, No. 1
League finish: First in River Valley Conference
Coach: Mark Keeler, 26th season (498-141)
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recently 2011), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 49-48 over Class A honorable mention Zeeland East, 53-52 over Hudsonville, 55-51 over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central.
Players to watch: Joey Blauwkamp, 6-1 sr. G/F (14.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 4.2 apg); Daniel Cole, 5-10 sr. G (15 ppg, 2.0 spg).
Outlook: Tri-unity Christian’s template for success is well-established: load the regular-season schedule with larger schools, shine against them, and then do the same on the way to the Breslin Center. The team’s losses were to Class C Grandville Calvin Christian and Class B No. 6 Wyoming Godwin Heights. Blauwkamp was named Class D Player of the Year by The Associated Press on Tuesday, and Cole earned an all-state honorable mention.
PHOTO: Laingsburg's Sam Edwards (5) works to get around a Grandville Calvin Christian player during the Wolfpack's Regional Semifinal victory. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Soodsma Reaches 700 Boys Hoops Coaching Wins as Unity Launches Another Title Pursuit
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
February 26, 2026
HUDSONVILLE – Hudsonville Unity Christian boys basketball coach Scott Soodsma has been a fixture on the sidelines for more than 40 years.
And while he’s known as a man of faith, a fierce competitor and a coach who pours everything he has into his players, he’s most commonly known as the coach with the blue towel.
“I’ve had the same blue towel for 34 years at Unity, and it’s had holes in it and been sewed up a few times,” the 66-year-old Soodsma said. “It’s been around for a long time.”
The blue towel has been with Soodsma at every game, except for the first game this season against Grandville Calvin Christian.
“I had no idea where it was,” said Soodsma, who retired from teaching last year. “I stuck it in an old diaper bag and thought I would remember that I put it in there, but I didn’t. Luckily, my wife found it. I’ve never not had it except for that first game this year.”
The comfort of having a towel with him during games started during his first season (1983-84) at James Valley Christian, located in Huron, South Dakota.
It has been a lasting presence ever since, although the colors have changed.
“I had a pink towel when I coached girls at Unity, a yellow one at James Valley, and a maroon towel at McBain Northern Michigan Christian,” he said. “I don’t know, it’s just something I started having with me and I’ve had my wife run home from games when I've already been there and forgot it.
“I've sent her back home to get it because I didn’t want to coach without it. It’s been the thing I've been known for, for a long time.”
Soodsma had it with him when he earned his 700th career win as a boys coach in a 69-28 victory over Zeeland West on Feb. 12.
He currently is fifth on the list of winningest coaches in MHSAA boys basketball history with a 688-258 record coaching at Northern Michigan Christian and Unity.
“It’s really amazing, and I've been very blessed to be able to go the length I have gone,” Soodsma said. “There were times when I thought I was done and I was dumb enough to do girls for five years at the same time and I did one season when the girls and boys were together.
“I’ve had a lot of texts and calls from kids after the 700 wins went out in the public and those are things that make it all worthwhile, to hear the comments and the thank-yous for what you did and the part you played in their life. More valuable than that, wanting to be part of their journey and their faith as well has been a big deciding factor in why I've stayed in it.”
Soodsma, who has won over 800 games combined as a boys and girls coach, led McBain Northern Michigan Christian to the Class D boys title in 1987. He won the Division 2 championship at Unity in 2019.
He also coached Unity’s girls to the Class B crown in 2006.
“I still love it,” he said. “I love the kids and I love the competition, but over the years, most people don't realize it, but I have mellowed a lot and I think I’m in it for the right reasons because I enjoy the kids. I want to be a factor in their life, not only from a basketball perspective, but from a Christian perspective and a faith perspective. It means a lot more to me now at my age than when I was 35-40. It’s not about wins and losses anymore.”
Unity Christian senior Kyler Berguis said Soodsma has had a profound impact on his life.
In my three years of having him as my coach I’ve never had someone motivate me more to accomplish a goal we both love so much, and that is winning,” he said. “He’s an amazing motivator, always pushing kids to be their very best every single time he steps on the court, whether that is in practice, games or shootarounds, it doesn't matter.
“You will never not feel the energy that Coach brings to the court, and the crazy thing is he’s been doing it forever. He not only has pushed me in basketball but most importantly he pushes the players off the court in how to be a man of God.”
Past Crusaders standout Gabe Newhof, currently a senior at Division I James Madison in Virginia, said Soodsma’s compassion for his players runs deep.
“Coach has had an incredible impact on my development as a young man,” Newhof said. “Through the mountains and valleys of my life, he has been there for me. When I suffered an awful broken leg, he came and visited me at my house to let me know he cared.
“During my successes in college he has always been a voice of encouragement. I am so glad to have had a coach like him who truly cares about me on a much deeper level than just a player.”
Soodsma has guided this year’s squad to an Ottawa-Kent Conference Black title, which included going a perfect 12-0 in league play, and a 20-3 overall record after Wednesday night’s Division 2 District Semifinal win over host Wyoming Godwin Heights.
The Crusaders’ losses were to state-ranked Rockford, Hudsonville and Freeland. Unity hopes for a deep postseason run but has been hampered recently by sickness and without a couple of its top players.
“This has been a special group,” said Soodsma, who boasts seven seniors. “The one thing we pride ourselves on at Unity is getting better as the year progresses, and I could really see the kids stepping up.
“We knew we had some good kids coming back, but I didn’t think we were playing exceptionally well in December or early January. But in the middle of the month, I started to see some kids really take some huge strides in a lot of ways. The kids have done a great job of coming together as a team, and it’s definitely shown. We’ve been playing some of the best ball we have all year.”
Soodsma has been asked frequently over the past few years when he is going to step away from coaching and retire.
He said he takes each season one at a time, but as he gets older he doesn’t want to miss out on moments with his grandkids, who are scattered through the country.
“I evaluate after every year, and I will evaluate again after this season, but this could be it,” Soodsma said. “I always like to wait till the end of the season before I make any rash decisions.
“I have family all over the United States in Seattle, Denver and South Dakota, so I really want to spend some quality time with my grandkids before they get too old."
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) Unity Christian boys basketball coach Scott Soodsma, kneeling, confers with his staff during his team’s 2019 Division 2 Boys Semifinal win over Ludington. (Middle) Soodsma, far right, stands for a photo with his 1987 Northern Michigan Christian Class D boys basketball champion. (Below) Soodsma maps out strategy during a break in the 2006 Division 2 Girls Basketball Final. (MHSAA file photos.)