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.)
Future Becomes Now as Freshman Oliver Pulls Douglass Past Dollar Bay
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 12, 2026
EAST LANSING — Judging by the Detroit Douglass and Dollar Bay rosters Thursday, one thing is for certain:
The day’s first Division 4 Semifinal might not be the last time those two schools – located 553 miles apart on opposite ends of the state – hook up at the Breslin Center over the next few seasons.
In a matchup between teams with rosters dominated by underclassmen, Douglass had a little too much on this occasion, advancing to the Division 4 championship game for the first time since winning it all in 2021 with a 58-47 win.
Douglass head coach Pierre Brooks had high praise after the game for Dollar Bay head coach Jesse Kentala and how he prepared his team, and knows the Hurricanes could be running into the Blue Bolts again.
“I heard about the young guys they have on their team,” Brooks said. “I think Coach told me they were here in 18 or 19. So hey, I wouldn’t mind seeing them again.”
One advantage Douglass had Thursday – and will if they meet again in the near future – is freshman Damani Oliver.
Entering the game leading his team in scoring at over 22 points a game, Oliver played like someone beyond his years, scoring 17 of his 21 points during the second half to help Douglass pull away.
“I (didn’t) see too many (Detroit) Lions games this year because every Sunday, he’s calling me to get into the gym,” Brooks said. “He’s definitely put in the work and I’m glad in the second half he decided to really pick it up.”
Holding a 22-17 lead at halftime, Oliver started the third quarter with a four-point play and finished the third with 10 points to help Douglass take a 40-35 lead into the fourth.
The Hurricanes put the game away from there, going up 51-38 with 3:44 remaining on a basket by sophomore Quinn Davis.
He also scored 14 points for Douglass, which didn’t shoot the ball well from the perimeter. Douglass was just 4 of 20 from 3-point range, but made that up a bit with a 30-22 rebounding advantage.
Junior Baron Colbert scored a game-high 23 points for Dollar Bay (24-3), which was making its first Semifinal appearance since 2019. With just three seniors, three freshmen and two eighth graders on the roster, Dollar Bay should be heard from again.
Kentala just hopes that if his team returns next year or beyond, the weather will be a little better.
Many of the school and community’s fans couldn’t make it down to the game as expected because the Mackinac Bridge was closed due to a winter storm.
“It’s been a great ride,” Kentala said, talking about his team’s tournament run. “I thought our plan was right. I thought these guys executed it just beautifully. I thought we did everything in our power. I thought we kept them guessing. We mixed up our zone and man pressure. I thought we attacked, I thought we were fearless, I thought we were tough. Sometimes the shots don’t fall, and (Oliver) really stuck a few key shots. A really nice player.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Douglass’ Kamari Howard (12) gets a shot up over Dollar Bay’s Liam Tourtillott (20) during Thursday’s first Division 4 Semifinal at Breslin Center. (Middle) Tourtillot makes a move into the lane while guarded by Douglass’ Dimauvion Smith-Powe (35). (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)