Glen Lake Hoops Ready to Make Impression
December 1, 2017
By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half
MAPLE CITY – When the Glen Lake boys basketball team went on a team-building retreat, coach Rich Ruelas asked his players to pick a word that would be their mantra for the season.
Cade Peterson chose “footprint.”
“Coming into my senior year, it hit me,” the three-sport standout said. “This is my last go-around for every sport. I thought, what kind of legacy do I want to leave, that our team wants to leave? It’s like footprints in the sand. How do you want to be remembered? This is a journey. Depending on how we play, how we act, we can be remembered here for years and years and years. That’s a big thing to grasp.”
The Lakers return nine players, including four starters, off an 18-5 squad that reached the Class C Regionals.
They are not the only Glen Lake basketball team that wants to leave a footprint.
The girls return five of their top seven players off a team that went 23-4 and played in the MHSAA Semifinals.
Optimism is high.
“We have experience, and a deep bench,” senior Savannah Peplinski said, reflecting on the team’s strengths. “We’ve all improved our skills. We’re tougher, mentally and physically. We’re focusing on individual things that combined will make us more complex as a team.”
It promises to be an exciting winter on the hardcourt at this Leelanau County school, where basketball tradition runs deep.
Glen Lake won boys Class D state crowns in 1959 and 1977 and was runner-up in 1996. The 1977 team, which upset Detroit East Catholic in the Final, celebrated its 40th anniversary of that championship this summer. The reunion was organized by Hall of Fame coach Don Miller, who has returned to the sidelines as the JV coach.
The Lakers claimed a girls state championship in 1978 and lost a heartbreaker in the 1979 Finals. Glen Lake has produced two of the best players to ever come out of northern Michigan – Laura Wiesen and Liz (Shimek) Moeggenberg, now the JV coach. Wiesen, a math teacher at the high school, is among the all-time assist leaders at Northwestern University while Shimek is Michigan State’s third all-time leading scorer (1,780 points) and the leading all-time rebounder (1,130).
The girls team returned to the spotlight with last season’s tournament run, which ended with a loss to Pewamo-Westphalia in the Semifinals.
Coach Jason Bradford said that run made believers out of his players.
“I told the girls they had the capability to go that far,” Bradford, now in his 10th season, said. “But I don’t think they believed it until they actually did it. It was a confidence builder, making it down (to the Semifinals).”
Peplinski agreed.
“Last year really opened our eyes as to how much talent we do have and how much harder we have to push ourselves to reach our potential,” the 17-year-old said.
A District win over nemesis Traverse City St. Francis, which had played in the Class C Final the previous year, catapulted the Lakers.
“You still have people who think it was luck we made it down there (to the Breslin Center),” Bradford said. “It’s like, you always have to prove yourself. (Because) we made it down there, and return a lot, there’s pressure to repeat, but that’s what the girls want.”
Glen Lake, which tips off its season tonight at Elk Rapids, has a solid nucleus with returnees Peplinski, Jennifer LaCross, Kaitlyn Schaub, Allie Bonzelet and Lily Ewing. LaCross averaged 10.8 points per game a year ago while Peplinski was at 10.1. Schaub, a 6-foot junior, led the team with seven rebounds a game.
“Jennifer is a forward-center, but she can play any position,” Bradford said. “She handles the ball well. She’s hard to guard. Kaitlyn’s our post player. She’s an inside-outside (threat). She has a soft touch around the hoop, and she can step out for a shot. Savannah is going to have the ball in her hands, dictating. She’s a great passer. We’re going to be pushing the ball.”
LaCross, Peplinski, Bonzelet and Schaub all saw time on the varsity as freshmen, Bradford said.
“They’ve played a lot of minutes together,” he said. “It’s a fun group, very unselfish and very supportive of each other. They accept their roles. They want to be part of this team and that’s half of it, if not most of it.”
Bonzelet is one of the top defenders on a team that prides itself on defense.
The Lakers will need to replace leading scorer Kelly Bunek and center Sarah Carney.
“It’s going to be tough to fill those holes,” Peplinski said. “But we’re working at it and building our confidence back up. I think it will be a good season.”
Sophomore Karrigan LaCross and freshman Hailey Helling are stepping in to provide the Lakers with added depth.
Glen Lake, which has won 32 consecutive Northwest Conference games, will be challenged by Kingsley and Benzie Central, which both opened the season with double-digit wins over teams from the larger Big North Conference. Frankfort is traditionally strong, too.
“It’s going to come down to the end,” Bradford said. “We have Frankfort, Benzie and Kingsley to finish the season. That’s a nice way to end it.”
As for the boys, Ruelas challenged his team over the summer. The Lakers competed in tournaments at Benzie Central. Traverse City West, Ferris State and Grand Valley State.
“We wanted a challenge so we got put in the top brackets at Ferris and Grand Valley,” Ruelas said.
Glen Lake won its bracket at Grand Valley and was runner-up at Ferris State.
The Lakers return four starters in seniors Peterson and Nick Apsey, junior Xander Okerlund and sophomore Reece Hazelton. Okerlund averaged 17.5 points and 4.8 rebounds a year ago, while Peterson was at 15.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.
“We have balance, inside and out, length and leadership,” Ruelas said.
Peterson, who has committed to play football at Grand Valley, is 6-5, as is Hazelton. Okerlund measures 6-4.
The Lakers also welcome back 5-7 senior point guard Peyton McDonough, who missed most of last season with a torn meniscus.
“We’re very athletic,” McDonough said. “We can run the floor. We have good shooters - we can drive and kick. We’re a well-rounded team.”
Glen Lake did not win the Northwest Conference last season. That honor went to Buckley, which ran the table. The Bears, who reached the Class D Final, return all five starters. Frankfort also has its top talent back.
“(Our players) know we have great teams in our conference,” Ruelas said. “We don’t throw that in their face. It’s motivation for us to work hard, do the right things and take it step by step.
“If we work together, work hard, have fun and are connected as a team, that’s my goal. I want us to get better every day.”
Connected was the word Ruelas chose at the retreat.
“It’s a we – not a me – mentality,” he said. “We’re trying to live that day in and day out. It’s easy to say, but if we can live it they know the sky’s the limit.”
Peterson said chemistry is one of the Lakers’ strengths.
“We’re more unselfish, more together,” he said.
“Everyone’s really positive and excited for the challenge,” Okerlund added.
McDonough. Peterson and Okerlund are the captains, and all bring something different to the table.
“Peyton’s the vocal leader,” Ruelas said. “He’s challenging everybody to get better every day, even if it’s one percent. Cade brings that competitiveness to the team. He wants his senior class to go out the right way, not have any regrets. Xander leads by example. He works his tail off.”
Glen Lake opens its season Tuesday against St. Francis – the start of a near four-month journey.
“We’re not going to lose sight of the important things,” Ruelas said. “Of course, we want to win the conference, the District, and so on. Every good team wants that.
“But basketball is like every other sport. On any given night, maybe the ball doesn’t fall, things don’t go your way. (Our season) could end in the state championship game or in a District Final. Whenever it ends, we want to look back and say we worked hard, had fun, respected each other and enjoyed the journey. If we walk away knowing that, I can’t think of a reason we would have any regrets. That’s what matters.”
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Savannah Peplinski (left) and Peyton McDonough are among those expected to contribute to strong Glen Lake basketball teams this winter. (Middle) Jennifer LaCross defends against Frankfort last season. (Below) Max Lerchen goes to the basket last winter against Leland. (Girls photos courtesy of Robert Ewing; boys photos courtesy of Don Miller.)
Kalamazoo United Teammates Personify Program's Friendly Rivalry After Fall is Done
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
December 17, 2024
KALAMAZOO – Troy Ayotte was cheering on his son, Jack, at Kalamazoo Christian’s rivalry basketball game against Hackett Catholic Prep two weeks ago.
All of a sudden, he felt conflicted.
He found himself cheering for a couple of Hackett players.
Ayotte is head football coach of Kalamazoo United, a co-op team with players from both schools.
Three of those players – Keegan McCue, Gavin St. Martin and Elijah Brooks – were now wearing Irish green on the floor.
“I was like, ‘Oh no, (K-Christian) is getting beat, but then you see someone like Keegan or Elijah or Gavin, any of the football players over there and they make a shot and you go, ‘Yes!’” Ayotte said.
“It’s like, what’s wrong with me? Until you experience it, you don’t know how to explain it. You’re happy for them. They’re playing against kids you coached, and you’re just glad to watch them out there competing.”
Besides Jack Ayotte, K-Christian basketball players who also played for United are Jackson Herder, Carter Manion and Chris Daniels.
Hackett won the game, 79-35.
“It wasn’t the way I wanted (the game) to go, but it was fun,” Herder said. “It was fun to see all my football buddies without their helmets and football jerseys, playing another sport they work hard at.”
McCue quickly chimed in, laughing, “I liked the outcome.”
Continuing the bantering, Herder responded, “We’ve got one more game and maybe the postseason, so we’re coming Keeg.”
Being part of the football family in the fall – then rivals by winter – is no big deal, the juniors agreed.
“We go at each other during the (basketball) game, then after the game you’re talking to each other like best friends,” McCue said. “It’s an awesome place to be.”
The friendly rivalry started in eighth grade when United fielded two middle school teams, one for K-Christian players and the other for Hackett.
“We scrimmaged each other every week, and the one time we had an actual game, they beat us for the only time,” Herder said.
“It was fun. Ever since then, we’ve clicked both on the football field and off the football field.”
Clicking is an understatement.
McCue and Herder led United to a Division 5 Regional Final where the Titans lost to Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 21-14.
Both players put up monster numbers throughout the season.
Herder, a 6-foot, left-handed quarterback, amassed 2,615 total yards, 2,041 of them passing, with 33 for touchdowns including 28 through the air.
Many of those yards were with McCue, a 5-10 wide receiver who compiled 1,500 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns.
McCue not only piled up numbers on offense, but was also proficient on defense. The safety recorded 111 total tackles, many for loss, and snagged four interceptions. He also had six pass breakups, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two blocked punts.
McCue favors defense because “I love making plays on the ball and tackling people and hitting them hard. It’s so fun.”
Last week he was named Michigan Sports Writers Division 5 first-team all-state.
10-year anniversary
United had a bumpy start 10 years ago trying to combine players from two rival schools into one team.
Both Herder and McCue said they think that being faith-based schools helped the team mesh.
“We pray before every practice, after every practice, before games, after games,” McCue said. “Having that religious aspect to it definitely helps.
“It’s actually really awesome because those guys you don’t see every day during school, but you see then every day during practice during the season and it’s like you don’t go to a different school at all. You’re just family, just brothers, so it’s awesome.”
Troy Ayotte said the biggest challenge for him is answering to two schools.
As for the players, faith is an attribute, the coach said. “They all have common goals.
“Both schools share the same faith-based element, and there are a lot of similarities there. Athletically, both schools stand for the same thing, and that’s excellence.”
Ayotte is not surprised at the success of both Herder and McCue and expects even better things from them next season.
“These two take it upon themselves to become the great athletes they are, and it’s an honor to be on the ride for it,” he said.
Herder went through his lumps last year and he learned from them, Ayotte said. “That’s the highest compliment. Everybody’s going to fail; it’s how you succeed,” the coach noted. “He really put in the time and the effort and had a great junior year.”
Ayotte said there are other players in the system who want to play quarterback, which is good to keep people sharp.
For now, Herder is atop the depth chart.
“Jackson’s got great moxie and a boatload of confidence,” he said. “Saying he’s confident doesn’t mean he sits higher than the rest of the team. He’s very humble in the way he does it.
“It’s a unique thing. You just know when somebody’s ‘got that,’ the ability to lead but not be too boisterous, just have that nice combination.”
As for McCue, “Keegan brings the thunder,” Ayotte said. “He’s the vocal, he’s king hype. There’s nothing ingenuous at all. It’s not fake.
“What the kids see is the truth in it. Keegan plays with such heart and passion for the game, it’s undeniable.”
With football season over, Herder is translating those skills from the turf to the hardwood.
“I feel like the Lord has blessed me with the ability to lead,” he said. “All the work and dedication that fits that role fits the personality and attitude he gave me.
“It fits with my character and attitude off the field, too. Leader off the field, leader on the field.”
K-Christian basketball coach Seth Dugan appreciates that skill.
“We have seven seniors on our team and Jackson is a captain as a junior, which says a lot about him,” Dugan said.
“He’s good at getting guys in the right spot and sees the floor very well. He’s a natural leader and, as a quarterback, that comes pretty naturally. He puts the team first and is positive and vocal.”
McCue’s leadership on the football field also has carried over.
“He is a competitor who makes his teammates better by pushing them in practice,” Hackett basketball coach Ryan Basler said.
“He is a leader who is not shy to lead by example. I love that he leads our team in prayer many days; this shows his leadership and faith life.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Kalamazoo United football teammates Jackson Herder and Keegan McCue are rivals during basketball season playing for Hackett Catholic Prep and K-Christian, respectively. (2) United football coach Troy Ayotte. (3) Herder, right, directs the football offense at quarterback against Berrien Springs, with McCue his top receiver advancing the ball. (4) Herder, top, prepares to inbound the basketball, and McCue gets to the hoop against Constantine. (Top photo and headshot by Pam Shebest. Football photos by Kristin Browning. Herder basketball photo by Travis Long, and McCue basketball photo by Chris Ogrin.)