Howardsville Christian Striving to Transfer Fall Successes to Basketball Court
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
November 28, 2023
HOWARDSVILLE - There is a sign that hangs inside Howardsville Christian School's tiny gymnasium that accurately depicts the mission for the Eagles during the 2023-24 boys basketball season.
It reads "In Jesus' name we play."
Ken Sparks and the eight players on his varsity basketball roster have challenged themselves to help one another understand what it means to give their season to God.
"My goal is to help these boys find gratitude in playing for a greater power than themselves," said Sparks, a varsity standout himself at Howardsville from 1996-2000, member of the 1,000-point club and an honorable mention all-stater his senior year.
Nestled on the border between St. Joseph and Cass counties along Bent Road, Howardsville Christian, a Division 4 school for its sports with fewer than 80 students, has enjoyed a rich tradition of spiritual learning both in the classroom and on the court and playing fields.
The contribution of many talented athletes from several families has been instrumental in Howardsville's athletic success for years, especially this school year.
Howardsville won District titles this fall in boys soccer and girls volleyball. Now the Eagles hope to carry that momentum over to the basketball court.
With four starters returning, Sparks is looking for Howardsville’s boys team to battle for supremacy in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph League and improve on a 13-10 record from last season. The Eagles finished 7-7 in the league last winter and endured a disappointing District Semifinal loss to Marcellus. Howardsville Christian had won its District the season in 2021.
"We competed well with all the teams on our schedule and lost to some teams we shouldn't have," Sparks said. "There are eight teams in our conference, and this season we need to beat Benton Harbor Countryside to be the top team. It's been a good league for us."
Senior twin brothers Colin and Dylan Muldoon return for Howardsville, along with junior cousin Kaden Sparks, son of the head coach, and junior John Paul Rose.
The Muldoon brothers both are beginning their third year as varsity starters.
"Working together as a team is something we really want to do well. A lot of teams set a goal of winning Districts. The last two years we've fallen short of that goal. It's definitely something we want to achieve this year," Colin Muldoon said.
Dylan Muldoon echoed that sentiment.
"Our success in soccer makes us want to attain the same goals in basketball. We know we are capable of reaching those, so I think it makes us want to pull things together," Dylan Muldoon said. "There's a lot of long-distance running in soccer, but there's also a lot of quickness and turning in basketball, especially when you're guarding or driving around someone. You just have to be quick."
Kaden Sparks, another three-year starter, will be Howardsville's best shooting guard.
"Winning Districts is achievable. We have to learn to work together. I played summer ball, and the biggest takeaway is that it taught me that I have to always give 100-percent effort out there. We had a great soccer season, and It’s taught us a lot about accountability," Kaden Sparks said.
Rose will be Howardsville Christian's starting point guard. He has been a starter since his freshman year, along with Kaden Sparks.
"The team chemistry and communication we had in soccer easily transfers over to basketball. As our point guard, it's important for me to try to get the ball to other guys who have open looks," Rose said. "I want to be more aggressive defensively, push the ball up the floor more and increase my scoring."
In addition, Ken Sparks believes the physicality a majority of his team learned from soccer will be a big benefit on the basketball floor.
"You build up your physicality from playing soccer with having to always body up. Watching them play sometimes hurts me, but that's what I want them to do in basketball. It helps them to want to draw contact and be physical on the floor," Ken Sparks said.
The lack of upperclassmen on Howardsville's varsity the last couple of years gave Rose and Kaden Sparks an immediate opportunity to play as freshmen.
"The fact John Paul and Kaden had that early chance at the varsity level is really paying off now,” Ken Sparks added. “Kaden is an excellent shooter. I want him to get the confidence that I had when I was in high school. He tends to be a little more passive on the floor than I like, but he's finally getting that aggressive nature that you need offensively.”
Kaden, Colin Muldoon and Rose all averaged double-digit scoring last season, while Dylan Muldoon is the Eagles' best defensive player. The Muldoon brothers will serve as Howardsville's team captains.
"Kaden is very self-motivated to become a better basketball player. His goal is to be the best player that he can be," Ken Sparks said. "John Paul is explosive and has really refined his jump shot to where he can be a scoring threat. He sees the floor very well and can really push the ball up the floor without turning it over. We're going to see big strides from him because of his determination and drive.
"Colin is a great overall player. He's a threat from the outside and can score inside with his height as well. If we're going to be successful, he and Dylan have to bring the same drive that John Paul and Kaden bring to the court.”
"I've coached all of the guys on our team for the last three seasons except one,” Sparks added. “We talk about being well-rounded. These guys are the best academically and spiritual leaders in our school."
Howardsville Christian’s most well-known alumni is Dylan Jergens, the third-leading scorer in state history with 2,782 career points.
During the fall soccer season, the Muldoons, Kaden Sparks and Rose helped Howardsville win a second-straight District title. The Eagles then lost 5-0 in the Regional Semifinal to eventual Division 4 champion Muskegon Western Michigan Christian. Both Muldoons, Kaden Sparks and Rose were named to the first-team all-BCS and District soccer squads.
The Muldoons were the two main catalysts in the Eagles' soccer run, along with Lukas Krueger. Dylan Muldoon had 28 goals and nine assists, while Colin Muldoon posted 14 goals and eight assists. Krueger added 19 goals to go with 16 assists. Kaden Sparks had five goals and four assists, and Rose added three goals and three assists.
Steve Muldoon, Colin and Dylan's father and Howardsville's head boys soccer coach, sees many correlations between soccer and basketball that will bring the Eagles success in hoops this winter.
"Communication is key. A team that doesn't talk on the field/court isn't going to win. They learn how to correct and encourage one another to deal with problems without getting too negative," Steve Muldoon said. "Individually, they learn how to anticipate. There isn't much difference between anticipating a pass and stepping in front of it in soccer or basketball or making a hard run down the court/field to get open for a layup/counterattack. They learn how to react and make the correct decision under pressure. The skills needed to do it in soccer and basketball are different, but most of it is mental and that carries over."
Determination was another big factor for Howardsville's soccer success this fall.
"We beat Lansing Christian this fall in a weekend soccer tournament and they are a much bigger and physical team than us, but we managed to beat them," Colin Muldoon said. "That win gave us a lot of confidence for the remainder of the season that we could beat anyone."
***
The family dynamic doesn't stop with Howardsville's boys basketball team.
Senior Kyla Sparks, Ken's daughter and Kaden's older sister, is one of three cousins on the roster for a Howardsville girls team that finished 12-11 last year. All five starters are back for that Eagles team as well.
"As a team, we want to improve on last year's record. With all our starters back, we feel we have a good shot to finish at the top of both our conference and District. Most of our basketball team also played volleyball this fall, and we view us all as family," Kyla Sparks said. "Being able to play with my two cousins makes good lifelong memories."
Kyla Sparks, who averaged 12 points per game her junior year, starts with sophomore cousins Kelsie Muldoon and Kate Evans. Those three also started on the varsity volleyball team that captured its first District title since 1997.
Coincidently, the mothers of Kyla, Kelsie and Kate were all on the 1997 District champion volleyball team.
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) Colin Muldoon drives to the basket against his twin brother Dylan Muldoon during recent Howardsville Christian boys basketball practice. (Middle) Eagles varsity boys basketball coach Ken Sparks, far left, is pictured by the school's trophy case with his four returning starters Colin Muldoon, Dylan Muldoon, Kaden Sparks and John Paul Rose. (Below) The boys soccer and girls volleyball teams earned District titles during the fall. (Top and middle photos by Scott Hassinger. District championship photos courtesy of Howardsville Christian School.)
TC Christian's Broderick Sets Standard for Boys Hoops 3-Point Shooting
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 2, 2026
Traverse City Christian’s Reece Broderick tied an MHSAA record on Jan. 24, 2025, when he drilled 15 3-pointers during an 85-36 win over Grand Traverse Academy. He finished with 45 points total, with a high of six 3-pointers during the first quarter.
Those 15 contributed to his season total of 108 – which ranks fourth all-time – and he closed his four-year, 89-game varsity run that winter as the MHSAA career record holder with 368 3-pointers.
Total, he has five listings in the MHSAA boys basketball record book, with his 104 3-pointers as a junior continuing to rank fifth for a single season and just behind his senior-year performance.
See below for several recently-added listings to the boys basketball record book, and click the heading to see the record book in full. Several more applications have been received and are in the process of being confirmed.
Boys Basketball
Austin Cole played his roles well on both ends of the court in Burr Oak’s Jan. 10, 2023, win over Athens, and magnificently on the defense end. The sophomore had 15 steals in the 55-33 victory, setting a new single-game record, to go with his 11 points.
Eight days after Cole’s 15-steal game, senior Cody Boling tied the record with 15 steals in Center Line’s 79-54 win over Hazel Park – during which Boling also scored 31 points.
Five days after Boling’s 15-steal game, Crystal Falls Forest Park’s Felix Quevedo also totaled 15 steals, on Jan. 23, 2023, against Gwinn. Quevedo finished that season with 134 steals – fifth-most all-time – over 24 games.
Ben Miller finished his three-season varsity career at Dundee in 2018 with 316 rebounds over 24 games that winter to make the single-season list and 700 rebounds to make the career list in that category.
Saginaw Nouvel’s MJ Yeager added two more record book entries during a brilliant junior season in 2022-23. His 118 3-pointers over 26 games rank second on that list, and his 90-percent free-throw shooting success rate tied for 13th-highest for one season. He’s now playing at Oakland.
Mesick’s 2022-23 success included a District championship and a series of record book entries, especially for 3-point shooting. The Bulldogs were added three times for single-game 3-pointers, with a high of 18, and their 231 over 25 games rank sixth all-time. Carter Simmer was added for 88 3-pointers for the season and 195 over his four-season career. Teammate Ashtyn Simerson was added for 107 steals over 25 games.
Brandon Johns enjoyed a decorated four-season career at East Lansing from 2015-18 that saw him score 1,753 points and make the MHSAA record book with 378 free throws, 891 rebounds and 270 blocked shots – all over 89 games. He went on to play at University of Michigan and Virginia Commonwealth.
David Shillinger provided a record book-worthy defensive boost to Ludington during the 2022-23 season with 87 steals over 23 games as the Orioles finished 20-3.
Cooper Whipkey capped his Mackinaw City career in 2022-23 on three record book lists – for 93 3-pointers as a senior, 214 over his four-season varsity career, and also for 81 steals as a senior. Teammate Lucas Bergstrom made the single-season rebounds list with 331, and 2021 graduate Kal O’Brien was added for 708 rebounds over his four seasons. Lars Huffman made the single-season steals list in 2022-23 with 81 as well and the career list with 245 over four seasons. He's continuing his track career at St. Norbert (Wis.).
On Feb. 14, 2006, Benzie Central’s Tyler Moss totaled 14 steals in a game when he did so during a 71-63 win over Elk Rapids. Moss was a senior that season. Jaxon Childers made his presence known on both ends of the court throughout his four-year Benzie Central career, and defensively he made state history. Childers finished 2023-24 with 305 steals over 91 career games, good for 11th on that all-time list. He also made the single-season list with 98 as a sophomore and 93 as a junior. He played football at Northern Michigan.
Trent Hopkins made the list for most 3-pointers in one season in 2022-23, draining 81 in 223 attempts over 23 games for Auburn Hills Oakland Christian.
Cameron Peterson’s junior season at Rudyard in 2022-23 included a historic highlight, and he’s been added for his 20 points during the second quarter of a Jan. 21 game against Brimley. Peterson made six 3-pointers and another field goal over those eight minutes.
Carson Knoll undoubtedly found the zone Jan. 6, 2023, when he scored 21 points during the second quarter of Frankenmuth’s 68-28 win over Saginaw Swan Valley. Frankenmuth as a team also was added for making 16 3-pointers in a 75-45 win over New Lothrop that Jan. 18 and 15 against Standish-Sterling during the 2018-19 season.
Parker Hovey’s 217 assists over 24 games as a senior in 2022-23 are ranked 10th on that single-season list. The Hart graduate is continuing at Hope College.
Adrian Lenawee Christian’s 88-38 win over Britton Deerfield on Feb. 2, 2024, got off to a fast start – fast enough to make the record book. Lenawee Christian was added for points scored in one quarter after taking a 41-9 lead by the end of the first. Lenawee Christian also was added for making 216 3-pointers in 2024-25 and 196 in 2023-24.
Posen senior Logan Timm contributed plenty all over the floor in 2023-24, but most memorably on defense with 176 steals over 24 games. He also made the single-game steals list four times, with a high of 14 twice.
Senior Zander Smith drilled 12 3-pointers in a Feb. 2, 2024, New Haven win over Detroit Universal Academy, tying for fifth on the single-game list in that category. New Haven also made the team list with 19 total.
Among Cory Coe’s accomplishments as a senior in 2001-02, the Williamston senior made 90 percent of his free-throw attempts to make that record book list. He went on to play at Hillsdale College.
The 22 made free throws by Steve Balza on Feb. 14, 1989, ranked sixth-most in one game in MHSAA history at the time and remain tied for 10th-most 35 years later. He was a senior that season at St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran and attempted 30 total that game against Covert.
Bronson then-junior Kamron Brackett reached the record book for the first time in 2023-24 with 103 steals over 23 games, and he just missed the single-game steals list with 10 in two contests.
A little more than a decade later, LeRoy Pine River’s Tyler Lewis has reached the record book for his outstanding perimeter shooting as a senior in 2012-13. He was added to the season 3-pointers list with 84 after making nearly half his shots from beyond the arc. He went on to play at Lansing Community College.
After already earning a single-season steals listing as a junior, Grand Rapids Wellspring’s Zeekeal Jackson finished his career in 2023-24 with 267 steals over four seasons and 74 games. Grand Rapids Wellspring also was added to the records for making 206 3-pointers that winter, and 15 in a game.
Layk Woodruff and Reese Longstreth helped Beaverton coach Roy Johnston finish his career in 2023-24 as the all-time winningest in Michigan boys basketball history. Woodruff made the single-season 3-pointers list with 91 over 24 games, while Longstreth made the rebounds list with 310.
Austin Vang was like a wall on Suttons Bay’s side of the floor during a Feb. 18, 2025, win over Boyne Falls. The Norsemen then-senior set an MHSAA record with 16 steals.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central’s Jonas VanderWoude finished his high school career in 2024 making the record book for the first time with a .901 free-throw percentage over 26 games. He’s playing now at Davenport.
On Feb. 4, 2025, Hannahville Nah Tah Wahsh made a state-record 32 3-pointers in a 96-50 win over Wetmore Munising Baptist; all of the team’s points were scored from beyond the arc. Senior Jayden Sagataw tied for the fifth-most on the single-game individual list with 13.
Jalen Kampen capped his Parchment career in 2024-25 as one of the top free throw shooters in state history, connecting on 87 percent of his attempts as a senior to tie for 17th on the career list with a .807 percentage. He also made the single-season free throws made list with 162. As a team, Parchment made the single-game 3-pointers list with 15 and combined with opponent Delton Kellogg to make the list for two teams in one game as they had 24 together Jan. 7, 2025 – which tied for ninth-most on that list. Kampen is continuing at Central Michigan.
Carson Ososki earned an entry in the MHSAA record book in 2024-25 as a junior with his defensive work. He totaled 94 steals in 21 games played for Au Gres-Sims.
Shane Rykse finished his four-year Schoolcraft career in 2024 with 261 3-pointers, ranking 13th all-time, and with a career free-throw percentage of .852 that ranks fifth on that list. Additionally, Schoolcraft as a team was added multiple times including for 215 3-pointers (tied for 12th) during the 2023-24 season. Rykse plays at Spring Arbor. Tucker Walther capped his four-season Schoolcraft career in 2024-25 tied for fourth all-time having played in 104 varsity games. He helped his team to an 83-21 record and is continuing at Hope College.
Ewen-Trout Creek’s Jaden Borseth finished his four-year varsity career in 2022 with 2,073 points, one of only 47 players to reach 2,000. He continued at Gogebic Community College.
Austin Long finished his four-season varsity career at Vassar in 2024-25 on the all-time free throw list with 315 made in 420 attempts over four seasons and 91 games. He’s now playing football at Elmhurst (Ill.).
Cooper Wagner earned Saginaw Swan Valley’s first record book listing in this sport as a junior in 2024-25, with 112 steals in 24 games played.
Buckley’s Landon Kulawiak capped his four-season varsity career in 2024-25 on three career lists reflecting his scoring talents. He made the career points list with 2,034 over 91 games, the career 3-pointers list with 261 and career free throws list with 333. His 3-pointers total is tied for 13th.
Oskar Kangas finished his four-season varsity career at Iron Mountain in 2024-25 on the career rebounds list with 978 over 94 games. He also fell only 26 points shy of scoring 2,000. He’s playing at Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Gregory Grays’ 60-point game for Southfield-Lathrup against Toledo Scott (Ohio) in 1997 already was in the record book, but a few more listings have been added. Grays scored 25 points during the fourth quarter of that game, and he also made 20 of 21 free throws – including 20 straight. He went on to play at Penn State and Detroit Mercy.
Landen Reister earned his school’s first boys basketball record book entry in 2024-25, when he made the steals list with 83 over 25 games. He was a senior and is playing now at Grand Rapids Community College.
Trey Lynn became the second player in Brimley history to reach the record book in this sport, doing so for single-season steals three times including with 111 as a senior in 2024-25, and for his 299 steals over 87 games and four seasons. Lynn is playing baseball at Bay College.
Brad Coleman finished his Millington career in 2025 as one of an elite group who have scored at least 2,000 varsity points – but also is listed in multiple other categories. Coleman finished with 2,058 points over 96 games and four seasons, and he also ranks in career steals and four times in free-throw categories, including eighth all-time with 523 made in 670 attempts. He’s continuing his career at Grace Christian.
More than 40 years after graduating from Melvindale, Paul Bargardi was added for his 367 rebounds as a senior in 1982-83. He went on to play at Saginaw Valley State.
Luke Tropea earned multiple 3-pointers listings during his career at Chelsea as a freshman and Jackson Lumen Christi over his final three seasons before graduating in 2025. He made the single-season list as a senior with 90, and the career list with 233.
Onsted’s Ayden Davis finished his impressive four-year run in 2024 on single-season and career lists for rebounds and blocks. He ranks fifth all-time with 1,222 career rebounds over 90 games, and second on the blocks career list with 479 – with a fourth-best single-season listing of 161 blocks as a sophomore. He’s playing at Wright State.
PHOTO Traverse City Christian’s Reece Broderick shoots a 3-pointer against Gaylord St. Mary during his senior season. (Photo courtesy of Traverse City Record-Eagle.)