Steady Seniors Pace Zeeland East's Special Season
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
March 26, 2021
Trip Riemersma couldn’t have scripted a better way to score the 1,000th point of his four-year varsity career.
The Zeeland East senior stole a pass during the fourth quarter of Thursday’s Division 1 District runaway against visiting archrival Zeeland West, then put the exclamation point on it with a breakaway dunk for points 999 and 1,000.
Right on cue, the small but enthusiastic student section at “The Coop” started chanting: “1,000! 1,000!”
“It’s very special, one of many things this season,” said Riemersma, who finished with 20 points in the undefeated Chix’ 61-27 victory to start postseason play. “I couldn’t have reached this milestone without my teammates. They get me the ball when I’m open, and I just convert.”
It was actually just the latest chapter in a storybook season for Zeeland East (17-0), which completed the school’s first undefeated regular season since 2009 – the year that Korey Van Dussen and Nate Snuggerad led the Chix all the way to the Class B championship game, where they lost to Flint Powers Catholic.
This year’s group has similar aspirations after winning the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title and being ranked No. 9 in Division 1 in the final Associated Press state poll, led by five senior starters who will all be playing college sports.
Riemersma, the 6-foot-3 son of former University of Michigan football standout Jay Riemersma, gets much of the attention with his ability to shoot, drive and play inside. He averages 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and will play basketball next year at Saginaw Valley State.
The inside work on both ends of the court is done by the Claerbaut twins – Nate (6-11), a game-changer defensively who averages 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks; and Brandon (6-5), who scores better than 10 points per game, along with averaging four rebounds and 3.4 assists. Many of those assists are to his brother as the pair possess a unique chemistry on the court, which they will take to Ferris State next year.
The point guard is 5-10 senior Adam Cassel, a Hope College football recruit, who brings the girth to a starting five known for its height and length.
Rounding out the Chix starting lineup is 6-2 senior Ethan Houghtaling – a throwback, three-sport athlete, who is the quarterback of the football team and the star pitcher on the baseball team (and committed to Western Michigan for the latter), but has no problem humbling himself and filling a critical supporting role on the hardcourt.
“Before almost every game, Ethan asks me: ‘Coach, what do you need me to do?’” said Zeeland East coach Jeff Carlson, a former standout himself at Holland and later Hope College. “I’m really blessed with this group. They are all phenomenal athletes, they are all competitors and they are all unselfish. That sure makes coaching a lot easier.”
Next up for the Chix is a Saturday District Final matchup with neighboring rival Holland West Ottawa, which went to overtime to down Hudsonville in Thursday’s opening game. Tipoff is 7 p.m.
Houghtaling is normally well into baseball season by now, but he has no problem at this point with leaving the bat and glove in the garage for a couple more games and, who knows, maybe a couple more weeks.
“This is the season we have been working toward since seventh grade,” explained Houghtaling, who had his typical workmanlike performance Thursday with six points and eight rebounds. “Even though we are unbeaten, our mentality is to go out every game and prove we are for real and to keep adding to it.”
He is savoring every moment, as his last three seasons have all been cut short or eliminated by COVID-19.
The Chix finished 16-6 last basketball season, which was truncated during District week by the pandemic. Houghtaling’s junior baseball season never got started, and his senior football season ended abruptly with a 4-2 record when East was forced to forfeit its Division 3 District opener due to coronavirus cases in the program.
“I am so happy for these kids, that they have been able to have the type of season they’ve had,” said Carlson, who is in his second year as the Chix head coach and is assisted by Tyler Bartolacci. “They deserve it.”
Now the question becomes: How far can they go?
The Chix certainly put on a clinic Thursday, against a talented Zeeland West team which gave East its closest game of the season, a 44-39 victory back on Feb. 23. This time, the Chix put on the clamps defensively and got out and ran to a 19-3 lead after one quarter, extended it to 31-9 by halftime and cruised from there.
The only thing missing was the usual standing-room-only crowd of close to 3,000 fans when the two Zeeland schools meet. Carlson would love to have those crowds, but knows this team doesn’t need that to get pumped up.
The Chix are so focused and serious that Carlson often starts practices with a game of tag to try and lighten the mood.
The problem is, as Riemersma explains, even tag soon becomes ultra-competitive with this year’s team.
“It’s team-bonding stuff and supposed to be a little bit of fun before we get focused in on basketball,” said Riemersma. “But we all want to win everything we do, so it usually gets pretty intense, but I guess that’s a good thing.”
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) Zeeland East 6-10 senior center Nate Claerbaut, right, goes up for a clean blocked shot, while his twin brother, 6-5 senior forward Brandon Claerbaut, applies pressure from the other side during a game last season. (Middle) Zeeland East senior Trip Riemersma poses with the commemorative basketball he was presented after scoring his 1,000th varsity point in Thursday's 61-27 Division 1 District Semifinal win over rival Zeeland West. (Below) Zeeland East senior guard Ethan Houghtaling sizes up a 3-point shot. Houghtaling, who played quarterback in football for the Chix, is a three-sport athlete who will play baseball next year at Western Michigan University. (Top and below photos contributed; middle photo by Tom Kendra.)
Mr. Basketball Drills Mr. Basketball-Level Shot To Keep East Lansing Repeat Drive Alive
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 13, 2026
EAST LANSING – The only surprise would've been if it hadn't been East Lansing's KJ Torbert lining up the final shot.
The Trojans' senior star added another thrilling chapter to a storybook season when he nailed a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to give East Lansing a wild 55-52 win over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in Friday's packed Division 1 Semifinal at the Breslin Center.
After the Warriors' Jordan McDaniel converted a clutch three-point play with 15.8 seconds left to tie the game 52-52, the Trojans took a timeout to devise a strategy that certainly revolved around getting the ball into the hands of Torbert, named the state's Mr. Basketball Award winner earlier this week after averaging 25 points per game and accepting a scholarship from Bowling Green.
"What do you think?" East Lansing coach Ray Mitchell said when asked who would be tasked with attempting the last shot.
Torbert's game-winner kept East Lansing's hopes of successfully defending its state title alive. The Trojans (27-1), who won their 10th straight game, will play Rockford in Saturday's 12:15 p.m. Final.
Torbert, who finished with 23 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, said he saw an open spot on the floor about 25 feet from the basket and took advantage of getting off a quality shot.
"It's the kinda stuff you dream about, hitting a 3-pointer to win a game," he said. "It's an exciting feeling; I can't stop smiling. It's exciting to hit a shot like that on the big stage."
Trojans teammate Kingston Thomas said it's no surprise to him who was pegged with taking the shot – or the final result.
"He's a great teammate who's been doing that all year," Thomas said. "I have 100-percent confidence in him in taking that shot. I knew he'd make it."
In the midst of a fourth-straight one-loss season, East Lansing led 23-19 at the half, but the Warriors, behind a sensational effort from McDaniel, rallied to lead 45-43 as late as 3:56 left in the game. Torbert's layup with three minutes left snapped a 45-45 tie, and the Trojans never trailed again.
McDaniel scored 12 of his 31 points during a torrid five-minute stretch late in the third quarter and the first three minutes of the fourth. His layup and free throw tied the game 52-52 with 15.8 seconds left.
Mitchell said there were actually any number of other players capable of attempting a last shot. And all were needed at some point in the game, he said.
"We've got capable shooters; we need everyone to step up, and all of them will step up," he said. "They've all had their moments. We've got guys who can knock down shots and make the right play. We're capable of that, and I hope we do it tomorrow. Passing and knocking down shots – that's how it's supposed to work."
East Lansing's Tyree Anthony said there's little doubt that the attempt at winning a repeat Division 1 title has been tougher than winning a year ago.
"We get everyone's best shot, everyone comes after us," he said. "We prepare for that."
Brother Rice coach Rick Palmer, whose team was playing in its first Semifinal in 14 years, said hats off to Torbert, who hit 8 of 18 shots, for coming up huge.
"We guarded the whole game," he said. "We just didn't make one more stop. He's a great player who made a great shot."
PHOTOS (Top) East Lansing’s KJ Torbert pulls up for the game-winning shot during the final seconds of his team’s Semifinal victory Friday. (Middle) Brother Rice’s Jordan McDaniel (1) makes his move to the basket. (Top photo by John Castine; middle photo by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)