Championship Experience from Coach's Point of View Unimaginable, Unforgettable
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
April 4, 2024
WYOMING – As the final buzzer sounded, it was all I could’ve imagined – and more.
In the weeks leading up to March 16 and the Division 4 championship game, I experienced every emotion possible as I envisioned what it would feel like to be an assistant coach on the bench at Michigan State’s Breslin Center as the Wyoming Tri-unity Christian boys basketball team achieved its ultimate goal.
In my first year as the junior varsity coach at Tri-unity, I had been on the varsity bench for a majority of the season, assisting legendary coach Mark Keeler and fellow assistants Brent Voorhees, Bob Przybysz and Mike Kaman.
I was there encouraging, motivating and supporting the varsity team. It was a role I embraced, and had become accustomed to over my almost 30 years coaching high school basketball.
I started coaching in 1995 as Jim Ringold gave me my first opportunity as the freshmen girls coach at Wyoming Kelloggsville High School. I would then coach Kelloggsville’s freshmen boys team for eight seasons, while also coaching the freshmen girls at Grandville High School. I would also coach the junior varsity teams at both schools.
I love coaching. I have a passion for it. I’ve always enjoyed getting the most out of my players while creating a bond between player and coach.
When girls basketball season moved from fall to winter joining the boys in 2007-08, I stayed at Grandville. I spent 21 seasons there before stepping down.
I still wanted to coach, and I heard that the Tri-unity junior varsity position was available. I had always respected and liked Keeler and was excited for the prospect of joining a perennial powerhouse.
I didn’t really know about Tri-unity growing up in the Wyoming Park school district. But as a young kid, I would rush home and eagerly await the afternoon delivery of the Grand Rapids Press. I would quickly find the sports page and read it from front to back, hoping one day to see my byline.
I began writing for the Press’ sports department in 1997. It was my dream job. And that’s also when I first started covering Tri-unity boys basketball.
I remember watching eventual NBA all-star Chris Kaman, along with Bryan Foltice and others play for this little Christian school and have unbridled success under Keeler.
MHSAA Tournament runs became the norm for the Defenders. They won their first Finals title in 1996, and they would claim four more over the next 26 years. They also had six runner-up finishes.
I was sitting on media row writing for MHSAA.com in 2022 when Brady Titus led Tri-unity to its fifth state championship.
I never thought that two years later I would be on the coaching staff as the Defenders pursued another one. But there I was.
I knew this year’s team had the potential to be special.
Tri-unity had returned four of its five starters from a year ago, after suffering a heart-breaking two-point loss to Munising in the Division 4 Final.
Eight seniors were on the roster. The team had a mix of talented guard play, senior leadership, size and depth. We had shooters and we played great defense, a trademark of Keeler’s teams.
This was the year, and that heaped lofty expectations on Keeler and the team. It was basically “state championship or bust.” Anything less would be considered a disappointment.
Keeler wanted it badly, and I knew the players did as well. I think they felt the pressure at times of living up to the expectations that had been set.
We had several lopsided wins, but also had a few tough losses to Division 2 and Division 3 teams – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, Wyoming Lee, Grandville Covenant Christian and Schoolcraft – all talented teams that I think made us better despite falling short.
As the postseason started, there was anxiety and excitement.
We were one of the favorites, but it wouldn’t be easy. We would have to earn each of the seven victories needed to win it all.
First came a District title, but then we had to play a quality Fowler team in its home gym in the Regional Semifinal. This was a game we knew would be a challenge – and it was.
We led by only one at halftime after a 7-0 run to end the second quarter. The score was tied 33-33 in the fourth quarter before senior Lincoln Eerdmans made a key 3-pointer to spark our victory.
As we went through the handshake line, several Fowler players said, “Good luck in the Finals.”
Our defense played extremely well in the Regional Final and state Quarterfinal to secure our team another trip to the Breslin.
St. Ignace was our opponent in the Semifinal, and we had to face a senior guard who could do it all – Jonny Ingalls. He lived up to the hype. He was good, and we didn’t have any answer for him in the first half. We trailed by one, only to fall behind by seven late in the third quarter.
Was this the end? Were we going to fall one game short of our goal?
We were down by five points in the fourth quarter, but junior guard Keaton Blanker, and others, rose to the occasion. We rallied to win a tight one, and now we were one win away from a Division 4 title.
The night before the championship game, we stayed at a hotel in East Lansing as we had the first game of the day at 10 a.m. We had a team dinner, and the players seemed relaxed and eager to close out the season the way they had intended.
There was one thing that worried me. We were playing Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart. A team we had played in the second game of the season and defeated by 30 points.
Would we be overconfident? I had no idea. They were a different team now, but so were we. Anything could happen.
Keeler gave a spirited and emotional pregame speech. In last year’s loss to Munising, he felt like the team played not to lose, and this season his big thing was “I want to win.” He said it to every starter that Saturday morning during the final moments in the locker room before tipoff, asking all five individually to say it back – which they did, the first one quietly but followed by teammates replying louder and louder as everyone got fired up and “I want to win” rang through the locker room. I think it inspired all of us.
After a competitive first quarter, we started to find our rhythm and expanded the lead. We were ahead by double-digits at the half, and a state title was within our grasp. Senior Wesley Kaman buried a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the third quarter to give us a 20-point cushion. It was at that point I knew we were going to win.
All five starters reached double-figure scoring, led by Jordan VanKlompenberg with 19 points and Owen Rosendall with 14. That balance was intentional and a successful sign for our team all season.
The exhilaration of winning was intoxicating. I loved watching the boys celebrate something they had worked so hard to accomplish. I will never forget their faces. I looked to my right from my seat on the bench and watched them running onto the court, just wearing their joy. They were just elated.
I was so happy for Keeler, a devout Christian who is respected by so many people in high school basketball circles. I learned so much from him this season. The way he approaches each game, his competitiveness. He instills his strong faith in his players and understands that the game of basketball is a bridge to a higher purpose.
Keeler is the fourth-winningest coach in state boys basketball history with a record of 694-216, and will be the winningest active coach next winter as all-time leader Roy Johnston retired from Beaverton at the end of this season.
The tournament run was one of the best coaching experiences I have had, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of a state championship season.
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) The Wyoming Tri-unity Christian bench, including the author (far right) and head coach Mark Keeler (middle), celebrate a 3-pointer late in the Defenders’ Division 4 championship win over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart. (Middle) Tri-unity’s assistant coaches, including Holzwarth (second from right), monitor the action. (Below) Holzwarth and the coaching staff greet Keaton Blanker (4) as he comes off the floor. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys Report Week 12
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 17, 2025
Everyone now knows what will happen next week, but let's not allow this final week of the boys basketball regular season slip by without appreciating a few more moments before we begin this winter's final suspenseful ascent.
District brackets were announced Sunday, and teams no doubt will spend at least a little bit of time this week collecting final information to prep for potential future opponents. But there are still league titles on the line for a few, school history to make for others, and if nothing else last-minute details to cover one more time as playoff tune-ups are underway.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 58, Detroit U-D Jesuit 57 The Eaglets (14-6) avenged a 63-54 loss to Jesuit (18-3) from Dec. 13 to win the Catholic High School League Bishop championship.
2. Detroit Renaissance 69, Detroit Martin Luther King 62 The Phoenix (14-7) added the Detroit Public School League Tournament title to its PSL Blue championship by adding to a 63-61 win over King (17-4) from Jan. 10.
3. Walled Lake Central 53, Waterford Mott 50 (OT) These two are tied for first in the Lakes Valley Conference with one league game to play as Central (17-4) avenged a 54-51 loss to Mott (18-3) from Dec. 13.
4. Hudsonville 74, Rockford 69 The Eagles (14-5) will need help to grab a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title from the Rams (19-2), but still made a wave by avenging a 56-54 loss to Rockford from Jan. 14.
5. Bridgman 66, South Haven 58 The Bees (14-5) clinched a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title with one league game to play, but South Haven (16-3) still has a chance to celebrate as well – Bridgman finishes up with third-place Coloma, which handed the Bees their only league loss.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Ann Arbor Huron (16-4) The River Rats will attempt to finish a perfect run through the Southeastern Conference Red on Tuesday against Saline after tying for second in the league behind Saline a year ago but then advancing to the Division 1 Semifinals. Huron has been gearing up for another run with an 11-2 record since the start of January and its only losses to U-D Jesuit, Muskegon, Warren Lincoln (16-4) and Detroit University Prep (17-5). The River Rats have wins over Grand Rapids Northview (16-4), Dearborn (17-3), Port Huron Northern (13-8) and Ann Arbor Skyline (13-7) twice, and will play in a District with four other SEC Red opponents.
Detroit Renaissance (14-7) The Phoenix opened the season 1-3 but have won 10 of their last 12 games and total are 13-4 against in-state competition. The PSL Blue title included wins over second-place Cass Tech (16-3) and third-place King (17-4), and Renaissance also defeated Detroit Central (15-4) during the PSL Tournament. The in-state losses were to Romulus Summit Academy North (18-3), East Lansing (19-1), East Kentwood and West Bloomfield, and this weekend’s matchup with Orchard Lake St. Mary’s will provide more valuable prep for the District the Phoenix will host that includes U-D Jesuit and Warren Fitzgerald (18-2).
DIVISION 2
Bay City John Glenn (18-2) A 66-55 win over Freeland last Tuesday, followed by a 54-50 nail-biter over Bridgeport on Friday, gave John Glenn the outright Tri-Valley Conference Red title. The Bobcats had finished third in the league last season but this time lost only to Frankenmuth, 57-48 on Dec. 6, and avenged with a 60-48 win Jan. 17. John Glenn’s only other loss this season came Nov. 30 to Mount Pleasant, 47-45. In addition to the season sweep of the Falcons (16-3) and wins over the Eagles (14-5) and Oilers (11-7), the Bobcats downed Gladwin (17-3) and will get a pair of Division 1 tests this week in Midland Dow and Gaylord.
Dearborn Advanced Tech (16-3) The Lakers have built from six to nine to 14 wins a year ago to 16 heading into this week and finished 15-0 in the Detroit Metro Athletic Conference Upper division after placing third in the league a year ago – especially notable as five of six teams in the DMAC Upper have double-digit wins this season. The losses came to Hazel Park (13-8), Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and Lincoln (17-3), and Advanced Tech has won 10 straight and earned the top seed in the District at Detroit Edison that also includes University Prep.
DIVISION 3
Alcona (16-2) The Tigers have repeated as North Star League Big Dipper champions, clinching a share of the title with last week’s 34-31 win over second-place Oscoda. Alcona has won 14 straight games, with its losses to Division 2 Standish-Sterling (18-2) and Grayling, and has also won close over Mio (12-6) and Rogers City (12-7) and swept St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy (14-5). Heston and host Oscoda will join Alcona in District play next week. The Tigers also have a win this season over Roscommon, which ended their season in their District a year ago.
Pewamo-Westphalia (18-2) The Pirates wrapped up an outright Central Michigan Athletic Conference title Thursday with a 66-30 win over Bath, and after finishing runner-up to Laingsburg the last two seasons. Only second-place Fowler (18-3) has gotten within single digits of P-W in league play this season, with the Pirates’ losses coming from Division 1 Flint Carman-Ainsworth (15-5) by four points and Division 2 Grand Rapids South Christian (16-5) by 13 in back-to-back games at the turn of the calendar year. P-W downed Division 1 Grand Blanc (12-7) by 17 points on Feb. 7 and will face Division 1 Hudsonville (14-5) on Tuesday.
DIVISION 4
Kingston (12-5) Kingston finished second to Dryden in the North Central Thumb League Stars a year ago, but defeated Dryden on Friday to clinch a share of the inaugural Big Thumb Conference Blue title. The Cardinals will play three league games this week and need to win just one to claim the championship outright. They have played seven straight against opponents with double-digit wins this season and gone 4-3, but with those losses to Division 2 Yale (18-2) and Division 3 Harbor Beach (17-1) and Sandusky (11-9). Competition pays off as Kingston reached the Quarterfinals last season after entering the Division 4 Tournament at 14-8.
Pentwater (16-2) The West Michigan D League leader can clinch the title outright with wins this week over Walkerville and Mesick, and will fit in a makeup game against Division 3 Shelby as well. The Falcons were 11-13 and fifth in the league two seasons ago before jumping to 16-7 and runner-up last winter, and they’ve swept Baldwin after losing both last season, avenged another loss to White Cloud from a year ago and split with Marion after also splitting with the Eagles last season and then losing to them in their District opener. Those two aren’t in the same District this time, but Baldwin will join Pentwater in the bracket at Mason County Eastern.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Centreville (17-2) at Hartford (17-2) – Two league games remain in the Southwest 10 Conference, and Centreville leads Hartford by one win at the top of the standings after claiming their Jan. 27 meeting 59-50.
Tuesday – Kalamazoo Central (15-3) at Muskegon (17-2) – Two of the most long-standing powerhouses in MHSAA history are both league champions again this winter and will get a nice tune-up before playoffs begin.
Tuesday – McBain (17-2) at LeRoy Pine River (17-3) – McBain can finish an outright league title run in the Highland Conference, but a Pine River win would open an opportunity for Beal City to share the championship – although Pine River also plays at Beal on Thursday.
Thursday – Marquette (18-2) at Kingsford (15-3) – The Flivvers are coming off a revenge win over Iron Mountain last week, and another in this matchup might mean a shared Great Northern Conference title.
Saturday – Detroit Renaissance (14-7) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (14-6) at Detroit Mercy – The Operation Friendship game between PSL and CHSL Tournament champions will be one of the final tip-offs of the regular season.
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PHOTOS (Top) Muskegon's Elija Langston throws down a dunk during his team's 55-43 win over Byron Center on Feb. 7. (Middle) Michigan School for the Deaf's William Booker (right) drives to the basket during a game against Ohio School for the Deaf earlier this month. (Muskegon/Byron Center photo by Tim Reilly. Michigan School for the Deaf/Ohio School for the Deaf photo by Kolleth Photo.)