Soodsma Reaches 700 Boys Hoops Coaching Wins as Unity Launches Another Title Pursuit
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
February 26, 2026
HUDSONVILLE – Hudsonville Unity Christian boys basketball coach Scott Soodsma has been a fixture on the sidelines for more than 40 years.
And while he’s known as a man of faith, a fierce competitor and a coach who pours everything he has into his players, he’s most commonly known as the coach with the blue towel.
“I’ve had the same blue towel for 34 years at Unity, and it’s had holes in it and been sewed up a few times,” the 66-year-old Soodsma said. “It’s been around for a long time.”
The blue towel has been with Soodsma at every game, except for the first game this season against Grandville Calvin Christian.
“I had no idea where it was,” said Soodsma, who retired from teaching last year. “I stuck it in an old diaper bag and thought I would remember that I put it in there, but I didn’t. Luckily, my wife found it. I’ve never not had it except for that first game this year.”
The comfort of having a towel with him during games started during his first season (1983-84) at James Valley Christian, located in Huron, South Dakota.
It has been a lasting presence ever since, although the colors have changed.
“I had a pink towel when I coached girls at Unity, a yellow one at James Valley, and a maroon towel at McBain Northern Michigan Christian,” he said. “I don’t know, it’s just something I started having with me and I’ve had my wife run home from games when I've already been there and forgot it.
“I've sent her back home to get it because I didn’t want to coach without it. It’s been the thing I've been known for, for a long time.”
Soodsma had it with him when he earned his 700th career win as a boys coach in a 69-28 victory over Zeeland West on Feb. 12.
He currently is fifth on the list of winningest coaches in MHSAA boys basketball history with a 688-258 record coaching at Northern Michigan Christian and Unity.
“It’s really amazing, and I've been very blessed to be able to go the length I have gone,” Soodsma said. “There were times when I thought I was done and I was dumb enough to do girls for five years at the same time and I did one season when the girls and boys were together.
“I’ve had a lot of texts and calls from kids after the 700 wins went out in the public and those are things that make it all worthwhile, to hear the comments and the thank-yous for what you did and the part you played in their life. More valuable than that, wanting to be part of their journey and their faith as well has been a big deciding factor in why I've stayed in it.”
Soodsma, who has won over 800 games combined as a boys and girls coach, led McBain Northern Michigan Christian to the Class D boys title in 1987. He won the Division 2 championship at Unity in 2019.
He also coached Unity’s girls to the Class B crown in 2006.
“I still love it,” he said. “I love the kids and I love the competition, but over the years, most people don't realize it, but I have mellowed a lot and I think I’m in it for the right reasons because I enjoy the kids. I want to be a factor in their life, not only from a basketball perspective, but from a Christian perspective and a faith perspective. It means a lot more to me now at my age than when I was 35-40. It’s not about wins and losses anymore.”
Unity Christian senior Kyler Berguis said Soodsma has had a profound impact on his life.
In my three years of having him as my coach I’ve never had someone motivate me more to accomplish a goal we both love so much, and that is winning,” he said. “He’s an amazing motivator, always pushing kids to be their very best every single time he steps on the court, whether that is in practice, games or shootarounds, it doesn't matter.
“You will never not feel the energy that Coach brings to the court, and the crazy thing is he’s been doing it forever. He not only has pushed me in basketball but most importantly he pushes the players off the court in how to be a man of God.”
Past Crusaders standout Gabe Newhof, currently a senior at Division I James Madison in Virginia, said Soodsma’s compassion for his players runs deep.
“Coach has had an incredible impact on my development as a young man,” Newhof said. “Through the mountains and valleys of my life, he has been there for me. When I suffered an awful broken leg, he came and visited me at my house to let me know he cared.
“During my successes in college he has always been a voice of encouragement. I am so glad to have had a coach like him who truly cares about me on a much deeper level than just a player.”
Soodsma has guided this year’s squad to an Ottawa-Kent Conference Black title, which included going a perfect 12-0 in league play, and a 20-3 overall record after Wednesday night’s Division 2 District Semifinal win over host Wyoming Godwin Heights.
The Crusaders’ losses were to state-ranked Rockford, Hudsonville and Freeland. Unity hopes for a deep postseason run but has been hampered recently by sickness and without a couple of its top players.
“This has been a special group,” said Soodsma, who boasts seven seniors. “The one thing we pride ourselves on at Unity is getting better as the year progresses, and I could really see the kids stepping up.
“We knew we had some good kids coming back, but I didn’t think we were playing exceptionally well in December or early January. But in the middle of the month, I started to see some kids really take some huge strides in a lot of ways. The kids have done a great job of coming together as a team, and it’s definitely shown. We’ve been playing some of the best ball we have all year.”
Soodsma has been asked frequently over the past few years when he is going to step away from coaching and retire.
He said he takes each season one at a time, but as he gets older he doesn’t want to miss out on moments with his grandkids, who are scattered through the country.
“I evaluate after every year, and I will evaluate again after this season, but this could be it,” Soodsma said. “I always like to wait till the end of the season before I make any rash decisions.
“I have family all over the United States in Seattle, Denver and South Dakota, so I really want to spend some quality time with my grandkids before they get too old."
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Unity Christian boys basketball coach Scott Soodsma, kneeling, confers with his staff during his team’s 2019 Division 2 Boys Semifinal win over Ludington. (Middle) Soodsma, far right, stands for a photo with his 1987 Northern Michigan Christian Class D boys basketball champion. (Below) Soodsma maps out strategy during a break in the 2006 Division 2 Girls Basketball Final. (MHSAA file photos.)
1,000-Point Scoring Pair has Howardsville Christian Eying Postseason Possibilities
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
February 5, 2025
MARCELLUS – Despite facing a shorter bench and tougher schedule this winter, Howardsville Christian’s boys basketball team still started this season much slower than head coach Ken Sparks had anticipated.
But Sparks, now in his fourth season, said the Eagles are highly confident they can achieve big things before the 2024-25 campaign ends.
Two reasons why are the exceptional play of shooting guard Kaden Sparks – Ken's son – and point guard John Paul Rose. The two four-year varsity players and senior starters both recently eclipsed the 1,000-point career scoring mark.
Howardsville Christian has fewer than 80 students, and they were the first pair in school history to achieve that milestone during the same season. A total of 17 players are now on the Eagles’ 1,000-point list, led by Dylan Jergens, the third-leading scorer in MHSAA history with 2,782 career points. All of their names appear on a banner on the wall behind one of the baskets inside the school gymnasium.
Needing just two points to reach his career milestone, Kaden Sparks scored a game-high 27 points in a 57-46 loss by Howardsville Christian to Division 2 Edwardsburg in the Tri-State Holiday Classic on Dec. 14 at Southwestern Michigan College.
Rose achieved the rare feat in the Eagles' 55-44 win over St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic on Jan. 7. Rose needed 30 points to reach 1,000 and scored exactly that many.
Making their feats even more impressive is that both Eagles starting guards stand just 5-foot-9.
Out of necessity, Kaden Sparks and Rose both made immediate impacts as freshmen on the Eagles' varsity.
"We knew that Kaden and John Paul were going to be good players from the very start of their careers. Both of them became starters right away because we didn't have lot of impact returners in the way of upperclassmen. That forced them to play at a high level early on, and now it’s really paying off for both of them," said Ken Sparks, a 2000 Howardsville graduate and also a member of the 1,000-point club. "When both Kaden and John Paul are on the court, they find a way to get the ball to the other. Even though they are our main scorers, they are also our top two guys in assists and work hard to get everyone else involved.
“Having two guys in the same class reach 1,000 points is really special. We try to make it a big deal so it inspires our younger kids in the program to work hard and achieve similar success when they reach the high school level."
Kaden Sparks’ strength and athleticism is a big reason why he leads the Eagles in every statistical category. Through 16 games, Sparks is averaging 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.2 steals per game.
"We're confident if Kaden gets the ball inside the post that he can still finish against bigger guys because of his strength. That's a big reason he is able to lead us in rebounding, because he does such a great job of boxing out," Ken Sparks said. "His athleticism and quickness help him anticipate where the ball is going. Defensively, he's led our team in steals the last couple seasons. As a coach, out of nowhere you'll see him intercept the ball and head the other way downcourt. He has more speed than most other players on the floor. Offensively he's always shot one of the higher percentages during his career."
On Jan. 2 in a game against Battle Creek St. Philip, Kaden suffered a bad ankle sprain that sidelined him nearly three weeks. But he's returned to top form.
"Scoring 1,000 points has always a goal of mine, and it’s neat to accomplish the same thing my dad did, but to also have a teammate from my class achieve that too is pretty special as well," Kaden Sparks said. "I don't consider my scoring as my biggest contribution to the team though. I pride myself on defense and try to motivate my teammates to do the same. That's what wins championships."
Rose is currently averaging 19 points, 6.2 rebounds, three assists and 2.1 steals per game. Scoring and rebounding have been his two biggest areas of improvement the past two years.
"John Paul led us in scoring as a junior. He was a great young point guard his freshman and sophomore year and led our team in assists. I've gotten several compliments from opposing coaches about what a great ballhandler he is and his ability to run the point guard position. He's been a good mainstay for us that way," Ken Sparks said. "He has a very solid mid-range jump shot and also has a knack for finishing well under the basket. His quickness allows us to put him on the other team's best offensive player too. From a leadership standpoint, he's very vocal on the court and is a good encourager for our younger players in practice. Like Kaden, he's really put in the time during the offseason to improve."
Rose credits cousins David and Michael Crips, both assistant varsity coaches at Howardsville, as being big influences to him in basketball.
"Those two have helped me a lot in my development and inspired me to work hard. Last year we had six losses and three of those were to Our Lady of the Lake Catholic, so being able to get my 1,000th point this year against them was pretty special," Rose said. "I'm proud that I've become a better ballhandler. I have a good mid-range shot, while Kaden is a better 3-point shooter. But I feel like I've made my most improvement defensively."
Last year Howardsville finished 19-6, losing in the Regional Semifinals 49-43 to Our Lady of the Lake.
"I think we have a good shot to repeat as District champions, but it’s going to be tough with (Kalamazoo) Phoenix and Marcellus is a pretty good team as well," Ken Sparks said.
Howardsville's overall record stands at 6-11, including a 4-4 mark good enough to tie for third in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph League. Kaden's career point total now stands at 1,168, and Rose had scored 1,092 entering Tuesday's home game with Covert.
One of Howardsville Christian's other losses came Dec. 28 to Jackson Northwest, a Division 1 school, 73-51 in the Spring Arbor University Shot Clock Classic.
The Eagles, with six games remaining, have their sights set on finishing the regular season on a strong note and building momentum for the postseason. Howardsville Christian has won six District titles over the last nine seasons, including a run to the Quarterfinals during Jergens' senior year in 2018.
Howardsville Christian will be one of five teams vying for the District title Feb. 24-28 at Marcellus High School, along with the host school, Phoenix (12-1), Kalamazoo Heritage Christian and Lawrence. Howardsville lost to Phoenix 53-50 on Dec. 20.
"If we could win our remaining regular-season games, that would give us momentum for the postseason. John Paul and I are a big presence and give our team lots of energy when we are on the floor, so that makes us work that much harder to help our team succeed," Kaden Sparks said.
Howardsville's head coach is confident his Eagles can work some postseason magic, especially with five seniors joined by three talented freshmen to make up the current roster.
Other Eagles seniors besides Kaden Sparks and Rose playing key roles are guard Sean Kimble, 6-4 center Isaac Nagel and 5-11 forward Jonah West. Leading a solid freshman class are 5-10 guard Kole Sparks – Kaden's younger brother – 6-3 Keaton Grandlinard at forward/center and 6-2 forward Caden Grant.
"Our No. 1 goal is to repeat as District champions. I know we're about to turn the corner. We wanted to challenge our kids by scheduling some tougher games this season and finish in the top of our conference," Ken Sparks said. "We've really spoke with our other seniors and younger guys about stepping up in scoring, rebounding and defense. Everyone plays a role, and I think it’s set us up for a good run here at the end of the season."
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, Howardsville Christian’s John Paul Rose (3) brings the ball upcourt this season against Cassopolis. At right, Kaden Sparks drives around a screen set by a teammate against Kalamazoo Phoenix. (Middle) Howardsville Christian teammates and coaches pose for a photo after Sparks surpassed 1,000 points for his career during a loss to Edwardsburg in the Tri-State Holiday Classic at Southwestern Michigan College. (Below) Howardsville teammates and members of the coaching staff celebrate Rose reaching 1,000 career points against St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic. (Howardsville/Cassopolis photo by Brooklyn Scheidel. Howardsville/Phoenix photo by David Sparks. Banner photos by Kristen Sparks.)