Football, Basketball Successes May Be Just Start for Talented Ludington Crew
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
March 13, 2026
Thad Shank has coached basketball at Ludington for almost 30 years and has lived in the quiet, Lake Michigan shoreline town for most of his 58, and he’s never seen anything quite like it.
“We have a lot of young talent in Ludington right now, some really special athletes coming through at the same time,” said Shank, whose team completed a memorable 24-3 season with a loss to Freeland in Tuesday’s Division 2 Quarterfinal at Mount Pleasant.
“And they are only going to get better.”
That’s a scary thought for Ludington’s opponents, who have already felt the wrath of the new-look Orioles in football and basketball this year.
Ludington posted its first undefeated regular season in football last fall since 1989, outscoring its nine opponents by an average of more than 40 points and winning the West Michigan Conference Lakes title for its first outright conference championship since 1999.
Many of those same athletes jumped right onto the hardcourt, where the Orioles were once again perfect in the WMC Lakes (12-0) and won District and Regional titles – the 16th boys basketball Regional championship in school history.
Moments after that basketball run ended Tuesday night in Mount Pleasant, the Orioles were already talking about next year.
“I can’t wait for my senior year,” said Ludington junior Taj Williams, a 5-foot-11 point guard and wide receiver who led all scorers with 24 points. “We have a lot of athletes coming back, and we will be even better. This offseason is going to be huge for us to get bigger and stronger.”
Tuesday night was the passing of the torch, in an unfortunate way, as senior leader Cam Gunsell left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury and Williams stepped forward as the Orioles’ new leader.
Gunsell, who has committed to play quarterback and defensive back at Ferris State, surpassed 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards during his career, and also topped 1,000 points in basketball.
Williams, a definite college prospect at receiver, led the Orioles last fall with 31 catches for 900 yards.
Williams showed off his basketball skills on a statewide stage Tuesday, alternating between draining mid-range jumpers with his smooth, lefty stroke and acrobatic finishes at the basket. The Orioles’ floor general also led the team in scoring at 19 points per game.
Returning alongside Williams next year in both sports will be three multi-talented Himes brothers – Messiah (junior), Kyle Jr. (sophomore) and Mikey (freshman) – who all bring electric energy and tremendous speed and leaping ability.
“It’s different now,” said Kyle, who scored 14 points off the bench in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal. “Ludington is kind of known for having big guys, but not a lot of speed. We are the opposite. We’re pretty small, but we have a lot of athleticism.”
Mikey Himes has already been tabbed as Gunsell’s replacement at quarterback by new football coach Brent Gillett, who was promoted from his offensive coordinator spot after Charlie Gunsell stepped down after 22 years. Messiah and Kyle will both play key roles as receivers and ball-carriers.
Ludington could potentially start a small but extremely athletic basketball lineup next winter with Williams and the three Himes brothers, but the list of returnees to watch doesn’t stop there. In fact, six of the Orioles’ nine players in their regular rotation are underclassmen.
Juniors Steele Stowe and JT “Country Strong” Keith also are playing key roles among several contributors whereas they might have been counted on to shoulder more on past Ludington teams.
While the Orioles had great seasons in football and basketball, Williams noted there is certainly unfinished business in both sports.
Ludington football still has just one playoff victory in school history, which came during the COVID year of 2020, after a heartbreaking 32-31 loss to Big Rapids in last year’s Division 4 District opener – a game which Ludington led by 11 points with less than six minutes remaining.
In basketball, Williams & Co. would love to get back to the “Final Four” at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, where Ludington advanced in 2017 (lost in Finals) and again in 2019 (lost in Semifinals).
“You look at it and we lost last year in the Regional Finals when most of these kids were sophomores,” said Shank, whose father, Gene, was also a basketball coach at Ludington.
“We took that next step this year, and we’ll see what next year brings. The best part is these kids are not just great athletes, they work hard and they love to compete. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Ludington’s Kyle Himes Jr. (21) brings up the ball during a game against Mason County Central on Dec. 20. (Middle) Taj Williams looks up court during the Orioles’ 64-43 victory. (Photos by Leo Valdez/Local Sports Journal.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys Report Post-Break
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 7, 2025
Believe it or not: Boys basketball season is only seven weeks away from the start of District play.
Things have heated up quickly coming out of a busy holiday break for several championship hopefuls. League play will take over from here on out for most, but this weekend also will include another big showcase in East Kentwood featuring two more massive matchups of Division 1 contenders.
Today’s “Breslin Bound” catches us up after three weeks away and 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. Muskegon 69, East Lansing 65 (OT) The Big Reds (6-0) opened a 4-0 run through the break at the D Zone Invitational with this matchup of Division 1 contenders – and by dealing East Lansing (7-1) its only loss.
2. Detroit Martin Luther King 48, Kalamazoo Central 38 The Crusaders (8-1) also put together a 4-0 run through the break, finishing it with this win over the previously-undefeated Maroons (6-1) at the Muskegon Basketball Showcase.
3. Byron Center 65, Warren Lincoln 63 Byron Center (7-2) is riding a six-game winning streak thanks in part to emerging from this close call against the reigning Division 2 champion Abes (3-3).
4. Flint Powers Catholic 69, Riverview Gabriel Richard 66 These two both finished last season at the Breslin Center in Semifinals and gave each other a great test at the D Zone Showcase.
5. Grand Rapids Catholic Central 54, Grand Rapids Christian 43 The Cougars (5-3) bounced back from a loss to Byron Center to take a strong first step in the Ottawa-Kent Conference White with this victory over the 2024 Division 2 runner-up Eagles (4-4).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (9-1) The Warriors trail the Catholic High School League Central leaders by a game with their lone loss to Detroit U-D Jesuit a month ago. But they are coming off a holiday break that included wins over East Kentwood, Warren Lincoln, Flint New Standard Academy and Jackson and should surge into the remainder of the league schedule which picks back up Friday at Detroit Catholic Central. Circle that one and matchups Saturday against Muskegon and Jan. 24 at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s as ones to watch over the next few weeks.
Hudsonville (6-1) Nearly half this team’s roster made a quick turnaround from playing for the Division 1 football championship at Ford Field to hitting the basketball floor running, and did so successfully. The lone defeat was by a point in overtime to Grand Rapids Christian on Dec. 10, but Hudsonville pulled out a notable five-point win over Hudsonville Unity Christian – Unity’s only loss so far. The Eagles also downed Detroit Catholic Central by 13 at their showcase event in mid-December and posted impressive double-digit victories against Whitehall in the season opener and Holland West Ottawa last week to kick off the O-K Red schedule.
DIVISION 2
Flint Powers Catholic (8-0) As noted above, the Chargers reached the Division 2 Semifinals last season and have continued to accelerate to start this winter. Their best two wins, arguably, have come in their last two games as they edged Gabriel Richard and then downed Schoolcraft 68-60 at its Champions Classic on Saturday. Six of their first eight opponents remain .500 or better, and it’s already easy to circle a Feb. 18 game at currently-undefeated Flint Carman-Ainsworth that could not only decide the Saginaw Valley League championship but indicate Powers’ potential to power through another deep postseason run.
Kingsford (7-1) Although the Flivvers stumbled just a bit with their first loss of the season last week against Marquette, 58-53, they came into that game off a 10-day break and came back to defeat Crystal Falls Forest Park by 17 on Monday. Kingsford finished off their 2024 slate with a championship at the Elk Rapids Invitational, defeating the host Elks by 27 and then Jackson by 20 to clinch the title. Three more wins this season have come against opponents that have at least six victories. The Flivvers reached the Regional Finals last season (where, coincidentally, they fell by four to Flint Powers).
DIVISION 3
Jackson Lumen Christi (8-0) Lumen Christi is another team coming off a trip to the Quarterfinals and also an eight-win jump from 2022-23. They’ve started out the right way to continue the climb, with all of their wins this season by double digits including a 73-36 victory over Clarkston Everest Collegiate on Saturday that was the Mountaineers’ first defeat. The Titans shared the CHSL AA title last year with Riverview Gabriel Richard before falling to RGR in the CHSL Cardinal championship game and MHSAA Tournament, and those two will face off for the first time this season Jan. 21.
Maple City Glen Lake (5-1) The Lakers finished second in the Northwest Conference last season but reached the Division 4 Quarterfinals, and they’ve impressed this winter already despite facing five opponents playing better than .500 ball and a sixth that’s just a smidge below. Wins over Harbor Springs 71-63 and Charlevoix 68-62 avenged 2023-24 defeats, and they’ll get a chance to do the same for last year’s Quarterfinal loss to Mount Pleasant Sacred when they face the Irish next week. The Lakers did fall to Frankfort, 49-42, and will attempt to reset the top of the Northwest Conference standings when they see the Panthers again Jan. 30.
DIVISION 4
Crystal Falls Forest Park (7-1) Monday’s loss to the Division 2 Flivvers came after a perfect December for the Trojans as they look to build off last season’s 22 wins and trip to the Quarterfinals. A 62-56 win over Munising avenged a 2023-24 loss, and the Trojans defeated Norway last week after splitting with the Knights last season. Forest Park also handed Dollar Bay its only loss, 67-49 on Dec. 30 at Michigan Tech, and perhaps their most impressive win came 44-41 over Division 3 Menominee. They’ll get a similar opportunity again Division 2 Escanaba on Thursday and finish the regular-season at Division 1 Marquette.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (8-0) The Irish played as long as they could last winter, finishing Division 4 runners-up, and they are thriving again with all eight wins by double digits and six by at least 30 points. Sacred Heart opened with a 63-53 win over Fulton, which finished second to the Irish in the Mid-State Activities Conference a year ago, and the Irish lead the league again thanks as well to a 69-37 win over second-place Vestaburg. Games next week against Glen Lake and Jan. 25 at Lumen Christi could tell even more about Sacred Heart’s potential to march again.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Wednesday – Flint Carman-Ainsworth (7-0) at River Rouge (7-2) – Rouge’s schedule is loaded again playing as an independent, and coming off two-straight two-point losses the Panthers next will welcome the SVL leader.
Friday – Michigan Center (8-1) at Grass Lake (7-0) – Grass Lake is finding itself in a league title mix for the first time in half a decade in the Cascades Conference East, and reigning co-champion Michigan Center shares first place again.
Friday – Detroit Old Redford (6-0) at Romulus Summit Academy North (7-1) – Reigning Division 3 runner-up Old Redford somewhat kicked off that Breslin run last season with a 52-51 win over Summit in the Charter School Conference Tournament final.
Saturday – Muskegon (6-0) vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (9-1) at East Kentwood – Less than 24 hours after playing Byron Center in a game that could have massive league title implications, the Big Reds will tip off at the Gottagetit Hoop Classic against another statewide Division 1 power.
Saturday – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (6-3) vs. East Lansing (7-1) at East Kentwood – Two more Division 1 contenders will finish off the Gottagetit event with a highly-anticipated 7 p.m. matchup.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). 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 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) River Rouge's Roland Berry III (21) drives to the basket against Birmingham Groves on Dec. 30. (Middle) Kingsford's Gavin Grondin (20) makes a move toward the basket while being defended by Marquette's Jacob MacPhee on Friday. (Top photo by Team Arreguin Photos; middle photo by Cara Kamps.)