No Need to Dazzle - Kent City Just Wins
March 8, 2018
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
Kent City doesn’t have the star power or pizzazz normally associated with an undefeated basketball team.
In fact, the most flashy thing about the Eagles is the loud pants worn each game by third-year head coach Dave Ingles – which were an especially gaudy half-pink and half-burgundy disaster that would have made Al Czervik from Caddyshack blush during Wednesday’s 48-38 District Semifinal win over Muskegon Western Michigan Christian at Ravenna.
“I lost a bet with the kids last year and had to wear pink pants for a game,” explained Ingles, who has guided Kent City to a 21-0 record and improbable No. 2 state ranking in Class C.
“Since then, it’s become a thing. If I wore khaki pants to a game, our crowd would boo me out of the gym. So now I spend half my coaching salary and half my time finding pants for each game.”
If nothing else, they bring a little shine to an otherwise throwback, working-class basketball team devoid of superstars that just finds a way to win every game with suffocating defense, outstanding shooting and unselfish team play.
The Eagles pulled another one out Wednesday against tradition-rich Western Michigan Christian, which slowed the game to a crawl and led 15-12 at halftime. It looked like a monumental upset might be in the works as Kent City was stone cold from the field, and its standout backcourt duo of senior Fraser Wilson and sophomore Eli Carlson was held scoreless in the first half.
But just like they have all season, the Eagles stayed calm and found an answer.
This time it was a 10-0 run to start the second half, keyed by three steals on the defensive end and a pair of 3-pointers by Carlson, which turned the game around. KC then sealed the win by knocking down 14 of 16 free throws in the final 2:05.
“We definitely don’t panic or yell and scream at each other,” explained Wilson, who averages 14 points per game and shoots nearly 50 percent from 3-point range. “Our shots weren’t falling, but we stayed calm. We believe in each other.”
Kent City repeated as champion of the Central State Activities Association Silver, which isn’t known as a basketball-rich conference. More impressive is the Eagles won all 10 of their nonconference games, with nine of those 10 wins coming against Class A or Class B opponents.
Ingles points to his team’s 49-44 win Feb. 3 over Class A Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, a game played in an arena environment at the DeltaPlex before a Grand Rapids Drive game, as a key to the season. The Eagles had to rally for that victory to get to 14-0, and ever since have experienced tournament-like pressure to get to 20-0.
Since they have been dealing with the extra scrutiny and the focus on winning every game for more than a month, Carlson said the team is more prepared for March Madness.
“The pressure was getting that 20-0,” explained Carlson, who also averages 14 points and shoots better than 50 percent from the floor. “Now, we were 0-0. Everyone is 0-0, starting a new season. We don’t take it as pressure.”
The question now is how high can the Eagles fly?
Kent City will be shooting for its 13th District championship since 1950 on Friday when it takes on West Michigan Conference champion North Muskegon at 6 p.m. at Ravenna. A victory there would vault the Eagles into the MHSAA Class C Regional tournament at Beal City next week.
The Eagles have won only one Regional title since 1950, in 2004, when they made it all the way to the Class C semifinals at Michigan State University before losing to Charlevoix.
The program has steadily improved each year since Ingles took the reins prior to the 2015-2016 season. KC finished 13-8 in 2016 and 14-7 last year, getting knocked out of the tournament both years by Muskegon Heights Academy, which is now in Class D.
The team was expected to be good this season after losing just one regular contributor off last year’s conference champion, but no one expected a quantum leap to 20-0 and a lofty state ranking.
“It’s special what this team has been able to do,” said Inglis, who is assisted by Phil Stevens and Gabe Hall. “This is not a physically impressive team in any way, shape or form. Our success starts with defense and with nobody caring about their own stats. They just want to win.”
The guard duo of Wilson and Carlson, along with senior Jace Dailey, has provided the leadership all season long. Brendan Geers, a 6-foot-3 junior, is the closest thing the Eagles have to a big man and a workhorse inside. Hunter Nelson, Cody Bowers, Gavin Mead, Miguel Arechiga and sophomore call-up Max Hudson are also key contributors.
Another key factor pushing this unbeaten team along is a rabid fan base, which has been packing “The Nest” at home games all year and is following its team in “Hoosiers”-like fashion now that the MHSAA Tournament has begun. Kent City fans packed the parking lot and gymnasium at Ravenna well before Wednesday’s 5:30 p.m. tip-off and are expected to do the same for Friday’s showdown against North Muskegon.
“There is definitely a buzz more than normal around town,” said Wilson after Wednesday’s District win. “It’s fun to be a part of it. We’ve got our perfect regular season already; now we’ll just see how long we can keep it going.”
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) Senior Fraser Wilson, who is shooting almost 50 percent from 3-point range this season, surveys the defense. (Middle) Sophomore Eli Carlson is only 5-5 but has come up big as a leading scorer for Kent City this season with 14 points per game. (Below) Third-year Kent City coach Dave Ingles wears the net after the Eagles completed a 20-0 regular season March 1 with a victory over visiting Kentwood Grand River Prep. (Photos courtesy of Kent City Basketball/Mary Wilson.)
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 7
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 19, 2026
League play is taking over the spotlight as boys basketball season moves through its second month and several conferences reached their midway points last week.
We highlight several of those races below, and there will be more details to come as Michigan’s statewide contenders focus first on local rivals before stretching out their championship chases with the MHSAA Tournament beginning a month from Friday.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and 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. East Kentwood 69, Rockford 68 Add East Kentwood (10-1) to the contenders in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red, which top-to-bottom might be strongest league in Michigan after the first half as Rockford (10-2) has been ranked among the top few statewide.
2. Detroit Catholic Central 86, Benton Harbor 82 The Shamrocks (8-4) stopped a two-game slide with a win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s followed by handing Benton Harbor (14-1) this first defeat at the Rocket Classic at Westland John Glenn.
3. Fowler 56, Concord 52 These two remain among the top three in Division 4 MPR statewide but with a little shuffling as Fowler (12-1) dealt Concord (11-3) this loss.
4. Saginaw Heritage 62, Mount Pleasant 42 The Hawks (11-3) finished the first half of the Saginaw Valley League North schedule by moving into first place alone and sending the Oilers (10-2) into second.
5. Auburn Hills Avondale 43, Clarkston 38 Similarly, Avondale (12-1) finished the first half of the Oakland Activities Association schedule in first place with Clarkston (10-3) now a game back.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
East Lansing (13-0) The reigning Division 1 champion has now won 36 straight games and capped the weekend with a 47-31 victory over Warren Fitzgerald in the Horatio Williams Freedom Classic at Wayne State. A week earlier, the Trojans downed Rockford 80-71 in overtime in what was a matchup of the top two teams in Division 1. Also among the most notable this winter are a 62-41 win over Brother Rice, a 63-60 win over Roseville and a 41-40 victory over Detroit Martin Luther King.
Grandville (9-0) The O-K Red has four teams with at least 10 wins this winter and one undefeated team in Grandville, which saw its matchup with Grand Haven on Friday postponed but can continue to build on its big start this week against Rockford and Hudsonville. The Bulldogs already have all but guaranteed bettering last season’s 9-15 finish, with a 47-45 win over Pewamo-Westphalia at the Cornerstone University Holiday Showcase among the most impressive victories during the turnaround.
DIVISION 2
Frankenmuth (11-0) Although the Eagles finished last season third in the Tri-Valley Conference Red, they defeated champion Bay City John Glenn in a District Final and appear to have carried that momentum into this season as they capped the first half of league play undefeated. Frankenmuth sits in first place thanks to a 47-43 win over second-place Freeland on Jan. 9, and remains undefeated overall in part because of a 47-46 overtime win over the host Raiders at the Flushing Winter Classic.
South Haven (10-0) The Rams have won 15 or more games all of the last three seasons and could be on the verge of taking another step up coming off their 17-4 finish a year ago. That run included finishing second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore after being swept by champion Bridgman, but South Haven already owns a 59-41 win over the Bees and also handed Coloma its only league loss. A Feb. 10 trip to currently-undefeated Gobles should be circled on the calendar.
DIVISION 3
Harbor Beach (8-2) A 49-48 loss to Division 1 Marquette may have been a tough way to end the week, but it couldn’t have started much better than handing Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker a 45-42 defeat – Harbor Beach is in first in the Big Thumb Conference Black, while Laker leads the BTC White. The Pirates finished 23-2 a year ago, so they have plenty to build on and they’ve lined up some nice postseason prep taking on Marquette and with their other loss to Division 2 contender Freeland on Jan. 2.
McBain (9-1) The Ramblers are chasing Beal City in the Highland Conference after falling to the Aggies 49-41 on Dec. 19. But McBain also lost their first meeting with Beal City last season and rebounded to win a third-straight league title. Those two face off again Feb. 3 in Beal City. In the meantime, McBain finished this past week dealing third-place LeRoy Pine River a 68-45 loss and on Jan. 2 avenged its other regular-season defeat from a year ago by downing Cadillac 64-37.
DIVISION 4
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (10-1) The Chargers have a new all-time leading scorer in Ethan Esse, who broke coach Mark Kraatz’s career record for career points during a 78-54 win over Whitmore Lake last week. Their team also is off to another stellar start coming off last year’s run to the Division 4 Quarterfinals. After losing to Detroit Country Day in the season opener, Inter-City has played only two single-digit games – in wins over Division 1 Grosse Pointe South and Allen Park. The Chargers are first in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue thanks to last week’s 67-51 win over Southfield Christian.
Felch North Dickinson (9-1) Coming off a Division 2 runner-up finish in 8-player football, the Nordics have brought their successful run into basketball season with their only loss Dec. 16 to Stephenson. North Dickinson finished 18-6 a year ago and last week avenged last-winter losses to both Norway and Munising. Next up is arguably the biggest of all; the Nordics visit Crystal Falls Forest Park, which defeated them three times last season including in a Regional Semifinal.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Greenville (11-1) at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (13-0) – These two are tied atop the River Cities Alliance, with Greenville the reigning league champion.
Tuesday – Croswell-Lexington (10-3) at Yale (13-0) – Yale shared the Blue Water Area Conference title last year, with Cros-Lex a game back in third, and missed winning the league outright in part because of a 42-40 loss to the Pioneers that Yale then avenged with a three-point District Final win.
Tuesday – Ludington (11-0) at North Muskegon (12-1) – These are the league leaders in the West Michigan Conference Lakes and Rivers, respectively.
Tuesday – Detroit Western (13-0) at Detroit Davis (9-1) – The Cowboys own a half-game lead over the Aviators in the Detroit Public School League Gold as both head into the final stretch of league play.
Friday – Grand Haven (12-1) at East Kentwood (10-1) – The O-K Red will continue to sort itself out as these are two of three teams undefeated in league play entering this week.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” reports 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. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and X @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Surrounded by Negaunee’s entire lineup, Ishpeming Westwood's Ethan Marta makes a move into the lane to score two points during a 65-41 win Friday; he set a school record with 46 points. (Middle) Saginaw Heritage senior Jaylin Cooper (5) drives past a Freeland defender during their Jan. 6 matchup, won by the Falcons 65-58. (Negaunee/Westwood photo by Cara Kamps. Heritage/Freeland photo by Kolleth Photo.)