Gorham Twins Setting Scoring Pace as Mendon Climbs Into League, District Contention
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
February 10, 2026
MENDON – After another stellar football season, Mendon is making some big waves on the basketball court as well this winter.
As the 2025-26 regular season winds down, and coming off a run to the 8-Player Football Regional Finals with some of the same players leading the way, the Hornets are enjoying their finest season on the hardwood in many years. Under second-year head coach Matt Gorham, they are 16-1 overall, with a 10-0 record in the Southern Central Athletic Association West following an 84-40 win Monday in a divisional contest at Bellevue.
Mendon, which hosts its Division 4 District later this month, is looking to win its first league title in boys hoops since 2014 and raise its first District trophy in the sport since 2015.
Two of the biggest catalysts in Mendon's pursuit of those two goals are senior guards and twin brothers Ryder Gorham and Owen Gorham. Both four-year varsity letterwinners went over the 1,000-point mark for their respective careers this winter and are the sons of the Hornets' head coach.
Ryder and Owen have experienced both the good and lean times during their careers. During their freshman season, Mendon finished with an 11-14 record before attaining back-to-back winning seasons as sophomores (12-11) and juniors (14-9).
"Mendon has always had good athletes. When I got here, I wanted to bring a professional look to the program in terms of preparing for teams, practicing hard and teaching life skills so that when they get out of here they are better people with a competitive nature," said Matt Gorham, who is employed as an agent for State Farm Insurance in Battle Creek and brought more than 25 years of coaching experience from Vicksburg, Portage Central, Portage Northern, Mattawan, Schoolcraft and Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
Gorham, who previously owned a business training athletes, got involved last spring as an assistant track & field coach at Mendon. That helped him build a better rapport with his current players.
"The kids have gotten to know me, and having two kids myself in the school helps,” he said. “I give last year's seniors that we had on the team a great deal of credit. They helped set the tone for the kids we had coming back. This year it was a matter of rinse and repeat, let's get a bit more focused and prepare better.”
Team speed and unselfishness are two of Mendon's biggest weapons.
Ryder Gorham, the Hornets' point guard, is averaging 24.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 4.6 steals per game.
"Having been on varsity four years really helps. The pace of the game is much faster. I've always played against older and bigger guys, so it just helps the game come to me more naturally,' Ryder Gorham said.
Mendon is averaging 69.6 points per game and owns a pair of overtime wins over divisional rival Colon (80-75 and 80-73). The Hornets' lone loss came 78-65 in another overtime thriller against Hillsdale Academy. Those two schools could meet again in the Division 4 Quarterfinals.
"Our defense generates most of our offense most of the time. We like to just get out and run,” Ryder Gorham said. “This team can set up plays, but we prefer to score a majority of our points in transition because most of the teams we play are bigger than us."
Ryder Gorham poured in a game-high 36 points in Monday's win at Bellevue. That effort pushed his career total to 1,344 points, surpassing the school record of David Schrock, who previously held the mark with 1,320. Ryder also owns school records for career 3-point field goals made at 141 and steals with 236. Owen Gorham is second in career steals at Mendon with 226.
"It all starts with Ryder. He makes us go and is a special player when the ball is in his hands,” Matt Gorham said. “He's an extremely great passer and establishes the tempo for us. Our biggest trick was to get Ryder's outside shot going so he could get more 3s up. He can drive, finish well and get to the free-throw line too."
Ryder loves the chemistry he and his brother Owen have developed by playing together throughout their high school careers.
"It's awesome being on the same court with my brother. We've been playing together our entire lives. We have that chemistry and know when each of us is hitting their shots. Our dad sometimes jumps on us a little more, but that's the way it's supposed to be," Ryder Gorham said.
Owen Gorham, a shooting guard, is averaging 18 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 4.2 steals per game.
"My job is just to try and score any way I can. I feel like I've improved my rebounding the most over last season, and outworking people," Owen Gorham said.
"Owen moves very well without the basketball and does a nice job getting rebounds for a 5-10 kid. He almost always averages a double-double," Matt Gorham said.
Also playing a vital role in Mendon's starting lineup is senior forward Carter Huston with norms of 11 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
"I'm usually a forward but they put me everywhere. I can reach around other people and get a lot of boards and get to my spots quickly," said Hutson, who hopes to continue his golf or baseball career in college and major in sports entertainment and marketing.
"We have more leadership, and the guys are more focused in practice this season. This group really works together well. That's why whenever we come out of a huddle we say, 'As a team.’ My position challenges me. I'm average size, but yet I'm tall enough that I can jump and get more rebounds. I'm trying to be more of a leader and communicate better on the floor. We have better team chemistry this season too."
Hustle points, rebounding and getting tip passes are Huston's forte.
"Carter has developed into a pretty good third scoring threat for us. He takes the ball to the bucket and is a pretty good free-throw shooter," Matt Gorham said.
Other key players for Mendon are junior forward Tristan Wood (4.1 points, 5.3 rebounds) and 6-foot-5 junior center Dante Goto (7.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 4.6 blocks).
"Dante is just a sponge. He soaks stuff in and has real good timing on rebounds and blocked shots. He's working on his mid-range shooting," Matt Gorham said. "Tristan is just an insane hard worker who does a lot of the dirty work for us by playing defense, getting loose balls, steals, rebounds and boxing out well. His hustle translates to points for us. You need those kind of guys."
Junior Kyron Truckey has been a sparkplug off the bench at a guard spot averaging 3.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and one steal per game.
"From last year to this season Ky might be our most improved player as far as not just his play, but his basketball mind and maturity. He works extremely hard, plays good defense, takes good care of the basketball and knows his role," Matt Gorham said.
Senior post player Jayden Haigh is a two-year varsity contributor making an impact.
"Jayden is a very physical player and a real good passer. He gets pumped up when he makes a great pass, and that just shows the unselfishness of this team," Matt Gorham said.
Mendon's loss to Hillsdale Academy also should make the Hornets stronger in the postseason.
"We watched film for over two hours straight after that loss. I know we are going to learn a great deal from the mistakes we made in that game,” Owen Gorham said. “We are hoping we see (Hillsdale Academy) again somewhere down the line after Districts.
“It’s great to see us building a legacy here that no has seen before. We just want to help put basketball on the map at Mendon.”
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) At left, Owen Gorham shows off a banner earlier this season identifying him as a 1,000-point scorer. At right, Ryder Gorham holds up a banner commemorating him as Mendon's all-time leading scorer with 1,344 points following Monday's 84-40 win at Bellevue. (Middle) Second-year Mendon varsity boys basketball coach Matt Gorham addresses his team during a recent home game against Athens. (Below) Mendon junior guard Kyron Truckey (2) drives inside for a layup and scores against Athens. (Top photos provided by Matt Gorham. Game photos by Scott Hassinger.)
1,000-Point Pair Setting Tone for Watervliet's Hoops League Champions
By
Wes Morgan
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2022
Watervliet High School’s varsity boys basketball team was trailing Fennville on the road Feb. 8 when senior shooting guard Andrew Chisek reached 1,000 career points. His milestone was acknowledged during the contest, but Chisek reduced the cheering to a low-frequency buzz as he went back to work — like that of the faint mechanical hum from furnaces and lights bouncing around the walls of an empty gymnasium.
Gym rats know that sound.
The Panthers (15-3) ended up losing that night, a rarity this season for coach Dan Hoff’s re-energized program, which shared the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title. Watervliet won just nine games combined during Chisek’s first two seasons. The Panthers won 13 games during last year’s COVID-shortened slate and have a shot at 16 this winter with one regular-season game remaining.
Like all the hours spent with a shooting machine and no one there to witness it, Chisek wasn’t concerned about individual praise.
“I’ve just been focusing on the next game, but I’m sure it will hit me after the season how crazy that is,” Chisek said. “I just want to play more and more games. I haven’t really focused on my achievements as much as team achievements. It’s kind of a next-game mentality. It’s an effort thing. I’m hoping to win a District championship.”
Hoff, who took over in 2019-20, explained how Chisek’s example set the tone for a rebuilding process at Watervliet.
“The biggest adjustment for Andrew was he began playing with players who were capable of scoring like he was,” Hoff said. “He did a wonderful job of getting them more involved in the scoring part of the game. Previous to that he didn’t have to and shouldn’t have because he was such an important scorer for the team.”
Chisek’s production this season includes 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He’s the third 1,000-point scorer on the boys side in Watervliet history, joining the likes of Kevin Bryce (1,114 points in 2009), Dan Hutchinson (1,016 points in 1983) and Jason Forrester (1,158 points in 1992).
“To Andrew’s credit and the type of person he is, it appeared to me that he just wanted to help the team try to win the game (against Fennville),” Hoff added. “It was a brief moment of recognition, but his focus was immediately back on what we can do to be successful. The team approach of these guys has been remarkable. With all of my years of coaching I’ve had, I’ve been amazingly impressed with how these guys have buried their egos, buried their personal goals and really focused on what we can do every day to get better.
“When you’re working to start a new program like we have in my first three years, to have one of your best players be so dedicated to improving himself while having other kids join him, has been so instrumental in our progress.”
The student-athletes who do the extra work when nobody’s around are often the ones that require the least attention.
Samantha Dietz, a junior forward for the Watervliet girls squad, knew she was approaching the same feat this past Saturday after leading the team in scoring the last three seasons, needing eight points to join the exclusive club. After she knocked down a free throw in the second quarter at Paw Paw, the public address announcer made note of the accomplishment and Dietz admitted the pause in action rattled her. She missed the second free throw and was happy the moment had passed so she and the Panthers could get back to the task at hand. They closed out the game for a 54-37 win — their 18th of the year.
“It was cool that it happened,” she said. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect, I guess. It was good to get it out of the way before tournament time. Now I can just focus on that. What has helped the most is having those rough years. It was a struggle my freshman year. It helped to go through that. We all play all the sports we can, and we’ve all been together and work hard.”
Her father, Watervliet athletic director and varsity girls coach Ken Dietz, has had the best seat in the house during this journey. In an undoubtedly proud dad moment, he didn’t stray from his role of coach. The two can look back on the memory as father and daughter later.
“It was just business,” said Ken Dietz, whose team is preparing for a Division 3 District Semifinal matchup Wednesday with Cassopolis. “I fist bumped her after the game and told her ‘Congratulations,’ but we keep it separate. We just keep it that way. It has worked that way. It sounds simple. It’s fun and it’s not stressful at all. I don’t think I treat her any different than anyone else on the team. I’m one of the blessed ones.
“I’m just so proud of her work ethic. If your best player doesn’t work hard every day in practice and doesn’t work hard in the game, it’s tough to get everybody to work hard. In high school, if you work harder than everybody, you’re going to be a better-than-average player. Her work ethic is impressive, and it has created a standard for our kids. She’s a good teammate. When she’s not playing, she’s cheering for the other kids. That’s infectious to everybody else.
Dietz is averaging 17.4 points and 13.3 rebounds per game this year, and she’s the sixth girls basketball player at Watervliet to eclipse 1,000 career points. She joins Nicole Winter (1,086 points in 2013), Rachel Sheffer (1,490 points in 2009), Kim Gear (1,062 points in 2005), Lisa Ashton (1,299 points in 1997) and Kim Carney (1,057 points in 1981) on the esteemed school list of all-time scorers.
But after experiencing only five wins as a freshman in 2019-20, it is how the program has made such a stunning turnaround that is most impressive.
“It wasn’t too long ago that we couldn’t get the ball across half court,” Ken Dietz said. “We played Schoolcraft four years ago when I first took over and we could not get the ball across half court in the first half. It was just ugly. So, we have come a long way in a few years. I’ve told the girls, ‘You’ve built this place, so live in it, enjoy it and have fun. You deserve to be here.’”
Putting his AD hat back on, Ken Dietz is thrilled to see where the school is as a whole.
“We’re headed in the right direction,” Ken Dietz said of Watervliet athletics. “One, we have great kids representing our school right now. Andrew and Sam are obviously two of those. There is nobody who has shot more baskets and put more time into boys basketball than Andrew the last few years. He has set that standard. They are leaders because they work hard and do the right things.”
Wes Morgan has reported for the Kalamazoo Gazette, ESPN and ESPNChicago.com, 247Sports and Blue & Gold Illustrated over the last 12 years and is the publisher of JoeInsider.com. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Samantha Dietz and Andrew Chisek both have reached 1,000 career points for Watervliet this season. (Middle) Chisek pulls up for a jumper; he’s averaging 13.4 points per game this season. (Below) Dietz gets a shot up over a pair of Gobles defenders. (Photos courtesy of the Watervliet athletic department.)