Grace-ful Run Into Swan Valley History
November 16, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Alex Grace knew there would be high expectations when he joined Saginaw Swan Valley’s varsity football team this fall as a sophomore.
But he also spent all last season – and most of his life – learning how to fulfill them from one of the Vikings’ best.
Grace watched proudly from the sideline last fall as his older brother Johnathan ran for 1,790 yards and 21 touchdowns. And then, taking Johnathan’s spot this fall, Alex tried to do the same in the same way.
Running with a similar physical style, Grace has helped the Vikings into their third MHSAA Semifinal in seven seasons; Swan Valley takes on Detroit Country Day in one of two Division 4 semis Saturday. He has rushed 256 times for 2,091 yards and 27 touchdowns. With 109 yards and three more touchdowns, he’ll make the MHSAA record book in both categories.
“I was expected to come in and be as good or better than him. I put it behind me,” Alex Grace said. “I just do the best I can, and see what happens.”
So far, this week's Second Half High 5 honoree been making school history and blowing those expectations away.
There are some definite similarities between the brothers. Swan Valley coach Ken Bourbina said Alex is simply carrying on the family tradition.
Like Jonathan, Alex is fast – he can run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds. That’s a tick or two slower than his incredibly speedy brother, but Alex said his speed carries longer – he can beat Jonathan in a 200.
They certainly share similar styles. Jonathan liked to take defenders on, and Alex already is 6-foot and 185 pounds, with a penchant for running over instead of around.
“They both have the ability to turn it on, the ability to lower a shoulder. It’s a good mix,” Bourbina said. “There’s a few differences, but they have the same type (of style). His brother worked extremely hard for us, and (Alex) has just followed in his brother’s footsteps.”
And it’s no doubt helped to run in the footsteps of some of the same blockers. Like any respectful back, Grace is the first to thank his guys up front – tackles Tyler Branch and Anthony Martin, guards Mike Sielinski and Mitch Temple and center Brad Boehler, plus tight end Alex Dils. Branch, Sielinski and fullback Jaime Jimenez are all seniors who also blocked last season for Jonathan.
They’ve given Alex their endorsement. He said they too sense the similarities between the brothers.
“I try to run (tacklers) over. It makes me feel powerful,” Grace said. “I try to keep the runs straight ahead, get the most yards I can. I try to be just like him.”
Johnathan Grace, a redshirt freshman this fall at Michigan Tech, did his part as well to prepare his younger brother for the next level. He took Alex under his wing in the weight room over the summer and guided him through agility work, and that time together brought the brothers even closer.
Johnathan was listening to Swan Valley’s District Final game on the radio two weeks ago when Alex surpassed his yardage total from 2011.
“He was proud of me. He called me,” Alex Grace said. “He said congratulations … and he knew I could do it.”
PHOTO: Swan Valley sophomore Alex Grace (35) runs for some of his 127 yards against Freeland earlier this season. (Click to see more from the Regional Final at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Off to Fast Start, Gunsells Aspiring to Assemble Lasting Ludington Legacy
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
September 11, 2025
Cameron Gunsell has been building things at Ludington High School his entire life.
“One of my earliest memories is making forts with the blocking dummies with my older brother during football practices,” recalled Gunsell of his and older brother Wilson’s adventures.
The Gunsells are now building something much bigger and more permanent at Ludington – with dad, Charlie Gunsell, in his 22nd and final year as the Orioles’ head football coach, Wilson an assistant coach and Cameron the team’s unquestioned leader and senior quarterback.
Cameron has rushed for nine touchdowns and thrown for three more over the first two weeks, leading Ludington to lopsided road wins over Coopersville and rival Mason County Central and heading into Friday’s home and West Michigan Conference Lakes opener against Fremont.
There is a buzz in this small town, best known for its Lake Michigan car ferries, which hasn’t won a football conference title since 1999 and has only one playoff victory in school history, which came during the COVID year of 2020.
“We definitely feel like this is our time,” said Cameron, 18, who is three years younger than his only sibling, Wilson. “Our motto this year is ‘Wake People Up.’ We brought back a ton of playmakers and had the best offseason in the weight room getting ready.”
The Orioles started making noise right away at Coopersville, where Cameron carried the ball 34 times for 246 yards and five touchdowns while completing 8-of-11 passes for 116 yards and a TD. He also made a team-high six tackles from his free safety position.
Last week, he was back at it against rival MCC in the Lumberman’s Cup, this time doing more damage through the air completing 8-of-15 passes for 245 yards and two scores while rushing 16 times for 161 yards and four TDs. He again led the team with eight tackles.
“It’s uncomfortable for me as the head coach talking about my son, but he is really good,” said Charlie Gunsell, a Caro native who was the starting quarterback at Ferris State in 1997. “Cam is so stinking competitive, and 80 percent of what we do offensively is a read through him. He is the guy who makes us click on both sides of the ball.”
Cameron (6-foor-3, 190 pounds), in his third year as the starting quarterback, is closing in on 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards for his career. His play caught the attention of college scouts, drawing scholarship offers from Grand Valley State, Davenport and reigning Division II national champion Ferris.
Gunsell announced last month that he would be following in his dad’s footsteps at Ferris, which he said was not an easy decision.
“I honestly was really close to choosing Grand Valley,” said Cameron, who completed 70 percent of his passes last season. “But, in the end, I have always wanted to be a Bulldog. Just like here at Ludington, I grew up going to football games at Ferris.”
With that choice behind him, Cameron is focused on the immediate goal of helping his team unseat Whitehall, which has won three straight WMC Lakes titles, and then making a run in the Division 4 playoffs.
He knows that defenses are going to be keying on him and stacking the box after his fast start.
“If they want to focus on me, that’s great for us,” explained Cameron, who lines up in the shotgun every play and distributes the ball to the Orioles’ four-wide skill players. “We have a lot of other weapons this year.”
The leading receiver is junior Taj Williams with seven catches for 142 yards over two games, while sophomore Kyle Himes has three catches for 122 yards.
Ludington actually features three Himes brothers, with freshman Mikie Himes the team’s second-leading rusher through two games with 88 yards. Junior Messiah Himes is a dangerous running and receiving threat from his slot position.
“We have a lot of kids who deserve touches, and they will get them as we get into our conference games and everyone tries to take Cam away,” said Gunsell, who is assisted by offensive coordinator Brent Gillett and defensive coordinator JP Deines.
Coach Gunsell points to conference foes like Oakridge, Montague, Orchard View and Whitehall as teams that have had the type of playoff success his team wants to emulate.
In order to make a run, he said the team must get the job done up front, where they are led by seniors Walt Autrey (6-4, 298), Colin Shelton and Connor Chaney.
“We have had talented players before, but our biggest thing up here is, are we tough enough?” said Gunsell. “These kids have worked so hard in the weight room to get stronger and to make that toughness our calling card.”
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) Ludington quarterback Cameron Gunsell launches a pass during his team’s win over Mason County Central last week. (Middle) Gunsell’s father and head coach, Charlie Gunsell (in headset) monitors the action from the sideline. (Photos by Jason Goorman/Local Sports Journal.)