Zeeland East's Coop Crazies Share the Love
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 17, 2020
ZEELAND – Jonah Bunce had been waiting for this opportunity. With Hope College just down the road, the Zeeland East senior had grown up studying the Dutch’s Dew Crew and its powerful student section punch.
Classmate Liz Bays had been looking forward to her time in “The Coop” as well. Her father had coached multiple teams at East Kentwood, and she spent years watching the Falcons’ student section at work and readying for her chance to be part of something that looked like so much fun.
East’s “Coop Crazies” seemingly have had everything necessary to be a force. The section even had a little bit of history, having made the Battle of the Fans II finals in 2013.
But recent history had fallen short. And by the end of last school year, Bays, Bunce and their friends had realized it would be up to them to make up for three years that had fallen way below their expectations.
“What we focused mainly on was just having fun, honestly. We just like to have fun, and we like to keep a positive atmosphere,” Bunce said. “I knew one day I would be up in this position because it’s just something I love to do. And so what we strive (for) is inclusiveness, and we make sure all freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors are all appreciated.”
We saw for ourselves how that’s paid off during the final MHSAA BOTF IX visit Friday for Zeeland East’s boys basketball game against Hamilton.
We met first with Bunce, Bays and seniors Abby Beckett, Will Fredrickson and Ryan Stockdale to find out how they’ve created such a happy home again.
The Coop always has been senior-run, and that leadership structure is unchanged. What’s different is the approach.
Between talking things through with younger siblings and their friends, or during classes with students in the lower grades, the senior Coop leaders were able to start fostering a newly-inviting culture pretty quickly. And after the second football game this fall, they knew they had the makings of something special.
But filling the stands for football never has been a problem – the downer is they would empty out after the fall was done.
This winter, though, the good vibes have carried over.
“The Coop,” Bays said, “has become a place where everyone wants to be.”
Game Time
This year’s rise started on their last day of school as juniors, when Bays, Beckett and Bunce went to athletic director Josh Glerum and told him they wanted to lead the section in 2019-20. “We said, ‘We want to take over The Coop. We want to make this better. And we want to leave behind what we didn’t have the last three years,’” Bays recalled.
What they would create was hatched during summer meetings at the local ice cream shop. It began to play out during the first football game – when, without anything special planned or specifically organized, “We just had fun,” Bunce said, “and everyone realized this is legit. This is awesome.”
The Crazies aim and claim to be mostly impromptu and spontaneous. But they clearly put some planning into a slate of innovative ideas that kept about 200 in The Coop busy Friday from warm-ups until the final buzzer sounded.
The Zeeland East band provided an upbeat soundtrack for a night built around Valentine’s Day and filled with glitter, hearts, and cupid wings. It also was Senior Night for both the girls and boys varsity teams, and the latter made its entrance to the gym prize-fight style, through a door at the back of the student section and through The Coop to the floor.
The section prides itself on getting noisy when opponents have the ball, and the Crazies made their share Friday. From start to finish, they always seemed to have something going, including a halftime ceremony that included passing out roses to mothers cheering for both teams.
The best thing we saw fell under the “we can’t officially suggest this, but we enjoyed it” department. Two section leaders staged a fight in front of the section broken up by the school’s real-life resource officer, a deputy from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department who was in on the fun and then led the section in something of a cruiser chase during a first-half break.
His moves were rivaled by a middle schooler whose second-half breakdance was worth the price of admission on its own.
Everyone was feeling the love, and when the beat dropped for “Party Till We Die,” the air above The Coop filled with a “glitter bomb” that more or less defined the night.
“We wanted to get a bunch of a glitter and just throw it up in the air and make it more of a party,” Beckett said. “We love doing that.”
Be like Zeeland East
Take some of these tips from the Coop Crazies:
Include everyone: It’s the best way to maximize section power, and as noted above served as a base belief for The Coop’s revival this school year. “It’s not just about the senior class, or one class,” Stockdale said. “Your student section isn’t going to be good unless all four levels are going crazy. We kinda realized when our freshmen are at their best, we’re at our best.”
Trust the process: Coop leaders have picked up specific roles, which simplifies putting together great nights for their classmates. Beckett and Bays always handle social media. Fredrickson is the flier guy, putting together the postings hung around the school. Stockdale and Bunce are the digital masters and build videos for the school’s daily announcements. All have specific jobs, and as a group they’ve found their groove.
Find help in the administration: Glerum taking over as athletic director before the 2018-19 school year definitely had an impact on The Coop. It’s not a coincidence – Glerum was the athletic director at Muskegon Western Michigan Christian when its section was a BOTF V finalist in 2016. Last year’s Coop leaders began meeting more regularly so everyone was on the same page, and this year he’s been available to provide whatever the section needs. Also, he never brought up Battle of the Fans. But as soon as Bays asked what it was all about during the fall, he sprung into action and made sure the Crazies had all the information.
Think outside the box: The Valentine’s Day theme may have seemed a little obvious given game night was Feb. 14. But we had to admire how the section honored moms for both teams, how they got local law enforcement involved and all in all how they supplied the highest level of creativity we saw this BOTF season.
They said it best
Home sweet home: “I grew up watching this stuff and I realized how much fun everyone was having, how much everybody enjoyed it,” Bunce said. “I think, coming from my personality, I enjoy having fun and going crazy. So I think when I saw that, I realized this was a place where I could show those emotions.”
It’s our time: “I think the big thing this year that has been a change is our whole senior class is trying to just enjoy the moment,” Stockdale said. “We preach, ‘It’s just a party.’ We don’t promote it as a game – just a party. Just come and have fun.”
Let fun take its course: “We weren’t trying to do anything special (to get this restarted),” Bunce said. “We would just put it out there on social media, and it was just the word (getting around) and everybody knowing that it was fun. Then it would just take care of itself.”
This is why we’re here: “Everything’s fun. Just cheering on your buddies – there’s nothing better than seeing our buddies succeed,” Fredrickson said. “And when they fail, you’re still there to support them.”
Next stop on BOTF: With all three finalists visits complete, online voting will begin Tuesday on the MHSAA’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook feeds and continue through 4 p.m. Thursday. The MHSAA’s Student Advisory Council will consider those results when selecting the winner. The Battle of the Fans IX champion will be announced Friday, Feb. 21.
The Battle of the Fans is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.
PHOTOS: (Top) Zeeland East’s “Coop Crazies” filled the gym with plenty of red and pink during Friday’s Valentine’s Day-themed game. (Middle) Senior Jonah Bunce, in cupid wings, helps lead his classmates in a dance. (Photos by Kiersten Palmbos, Zeeland East senior.)
2026 Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients Announced in Class C & D
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 3, 2026
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected 10 student-athletes from Class C and D member schools to receive scholarships through the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 37th year of sponsoring the award, will give $2,000 college scholarships to 32 individuals who represent their member schools in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament. The first 30 scholarships are awarded proportionately by school classification and the number of student-athletes involved in those classes; also, there are two at-large honorees who can come from any classification.
Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must be carrying at least a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have previously won a letter in a varsity sport in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Other requirements for the applicants were to show active participation in other school and community activities and produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
The 32 scholarship recipients will be recognized March 14 during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
The Class C Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are Maya Carlson, Manistique; Hope Miller, Blissfield; Irelynn Pachulski, Saranac; Gavin Comero, Ishpeming Westwood; Drew Ruddy, Ottawa Lake Whiteford; and Ethan Stine, Bridgman.
The Class D Scholar-Athlete Award recipients are Caila Fitchett, Dryden; Madison Karakashian, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart; Jack Nelson, Ontonagon; and David Wahl, Gaylord St. Mary.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class C Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Maya Carlson, Manistique
Played three seasons of varsity volleyball, ran three of cross country, played two seasons of varsity basketball, one of golf, and is finishing her first season of swimming & diving. She also will compete in her fourth season of track & field this spring and has played travel ice hockey throughout high school. Finished among the top four at MHSAA Cross Country Finals twice and earned all-state and academic all-state in that sport. Earned all-region and academic all-state in volleyball and qualified for MHSAA Finals all of her first three seasons of track. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and as treasurer, serving third year as student council president and first as student leadership vice president. Served on Youth Advisory Council and participated in YETI service club throughout high school and served as president of both. Will attend Trine University and major in exercise science.
Essay Quote: “I learned that being competitive and being a good sport aren’t opposites. In fact, they depend on each other. When you respect the game and the people playing it, your victories feel more accomplished, and your losses teach you more.”
Hope Miller, Blissfield
Ran four seasons of cross country, is playing her second of varsity basketball, and will compete in fourth of varsity track & field this spring; also played two seasons of varsity soccer. Earned all-state in cross country three times and set school record in that sport, earned all-state two seasons in track and set school records in two races, and earned all-league in soccer. Helped basketball team to league and District titles. Served as cross country team captain the last two seasons. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and as secretary, fourth on student council and as vice president, and third on Lenawee Youth Council. Founded and serving as editor of school newspaper. Participated in two years of debate and received top speaker awards. Is undecided where she will attend college but intends to study ecology or environmental sciences.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship allows for a community to be built around a shared love for the sport and a goal of improving oneself as much as possible. In order for athletes to reach their full potential they must be in an environment that supports their goals and their needs as well as encourages them to have fun with their sport.”
Irelynn Pachulski, Saranac
Played two seasons of varsity volleyball, is completing her second of varsity basketball, and will play her third season of varsity softball and compete in her fourth season of track & field this spring. Also played two seasons of junior varsity football, and participated on the sideline cheer team as a senior. Earned all-league recognition in volleyball, softball and track, also all-region in softball and qualified for the MHSAA Finals in track the last two seasons. Served as captain in volleyball and softball and served on hiring committees for varsity volleyball and softball coaches. Participated in Scouting throughout high school and attained Eagle Scout rank as a sophomore. Played in marching and concert bands throughout high school, serving as marching band drum major and percussion section leader. Participating in third year of National Honor Society and second on student council, as treasurer. Played lead roles in three drama productions. Will attend Montcalm Community College and study exercise science, then transfer to finish her studies in physical therapy.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship in high school athletics starts with strong leadership. When coaches set the pace, players follow. Where an intentional culture of good sportsmanship exists, you can try new things. You can be brave. You can learn.”
Gavin Comero, Ishpeming Westwood
Played two seasons of varsity football, is completing his fourth season of wrestling and will compete in his fourth season of track & field this spring. Earned all-state in track & field and all-conference in football and wrestling, and all-academic in wrestling as well. Served as team captain for football and wrestling. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and third on student council. Played in concert/pep band throughout high school and competed with Business Professionals of America the last three years, earning state and national places in BPA and serving as president as a senior. Served as student council vice president as a freshman and sophomore and band council vice president this school year. Participated two years in Key Club and as part of local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, and served as volunteer youth wrestling coach throughout high school. Will attend University of Michigan and study business administration.
Essay Quote: “Throughout the season I learned the bigger picture of sportsmanship, playing with integrity at all times. No matter what that scoreboard read at the end each Friday night, we continued to play with 110-percent effort. We had every reason to be negative and start pouting, but we remained positive and persisted.”
Drew Ruddy, Ottawa Lake Whiteford
Played three seasons of varsity football, is playing his second season of varsity basketball and will compete in his fourth season of track & field this spring. Earned all-state and academic all-state in football and played on Finals championship and runner-up teams. Qualified for MHSAA Finals in track & field and earned academic all-state in that sport, and earned league scholar-athlete awards in all three sports all four years. Served as captain of all three varsity teams. Serving fourth year as class president and participating in second year of National Honor Society. Participating in third year of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as huddle leader. Participated three years in Future Farmers of America and was a state competitor, and has contributed to multiple community service projects. Will attend Hillsdale College, but is undecided what he will study.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is a mental discipline that requires integrity, strength of character, and the willingness to make the right decisions every time. It is also about practicing emotional intelligence, exercising self-control, and speaking with respect to others while on and off the field. Sportsmanship is about respecting yourself enough to accept both wins and losses with humility.”
Ethan Stine, Bridgman
Played three seasons of varsity football and two of varsity soccer, is playing his fourth of varsity basketball and will play his fourth of varsity baseball this spring. Earned all-league honors in football, basketball and baseball, all-state recognition in soccer and academic all-state in baseball. Helped baseball team to Division 3 Finals championship as a freshman and all three of his other teams to league and/or District championships. Served as captain of football, basketball and baseball varsity teams. Serving second year on MHSAA Student Advisory Council and participating in third year of National Honor Society, and this year as chapter president. Competed on DECA team throughout high school, twice qualifying for state finals. Is undecided where he will attend college but intends to study engineering.
Essay Quote: “… Sportsmanship is the active choice to empathize with the people around you – whether they wear a stripe, a rival uniform, or our own colors. It's the unwavering commitment to life lessons over scoreboard outcomes. Our wins fade, but the way we treat people under pressure defines us forever. That competitive integrity, built on genuine respect and humility, is the most valuable degree we earn in educational athletics.”
Other Class C girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Ashley Carlson, Norway; Lillian Kwiatkowski, Rudyard; Izabella Latuszek, Laingsburg; Anna Poppema, Bath; Addyson Rhodes, Grandville Calvin Christian; Brynne Schulte, Elk Rapids; Molly Soper, Hanover-Horton; Luella Whipkey, Oscoda; and Emma Winans, Perry.
Other Class C boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Sean Dammann, New Lothrop; Joe Gaffney, Charlevoix; Ryan Kowalczyk, Pinconning; Amos Miller, Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy; Luke Paxton, Pewamo-Westphalia; Sean Siems, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep; Logan Slimko, North Muskegon; Eli Smith, LeRoy Pine River; and Grason Weber, Leslie.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class D Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Caila Fitchett, Dryden
Ran four seasons of cross country and also played her first of varsity volleyball in the fall, bowled as a junior and played two seasons of varsity soccer, and will compete in her fourth season of track & field this spring. Earned all-conference in eight track events during her career and all-state as part of the 1,600 relay as a sophomore. Won league cross country championship and served as captain of both the cross country and track teams. Participating in third year of National Honor Society and has served as chapter president two years. Serving fourth year on student council and has held office of vice president, and also has served as president of National Junior Honor Society, Spanish Club and school’s indoor track club. Participating in fourth year of youth group and co-founded Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. Earned Rural and Small Town Award from College Board and Horatio Alger Association scholarship. Will attend Hope College and study psychology.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is powerful because it teaches something the stopwatch never could. … It’s not about perfection. It’s not about medals or times. It’s about creating an environment where athletes realize that kindness, belief, and respect can change a season, or even a life.”
Madison Karakashian, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart
Ran third year of cross country in the fall, is competing in third season of varsity skiing and will play third year of varsity tennis this spring. Earned all-region recognition in skiing and has served as that team’s captain three seasons. Competed in equestrian for more than five years including her first two of high school and qualified for national events multiple times. Participating in National Honor Society and serving fourth year in student government. Earned College Board recognition and the Dartmouth Book Award, Women in STEM Award from Rochester Institute of Technology and Rensselaer Medalist Award. Served as captain three years for debate and ethics bowl team, earning all-Catholic honors. Founded school’s all-girls robotics team that qualified for state competition. Founded and served as president of school’s Mental Health Matters Club, and founded company that generated more than $50,000 in revenue in the equine care industry. Is undecided on where she will attend college but intends to study biomedical engineering.
Essay Quote: “Athletics have also taught me that sports mirror real life. There are wins and losses, moments of confidence and moments of doubt. Sportsmanship is what helps you navigate all of it.”
Jack Nelson, Ontonagon
Played three seasons of varsity football, playing fourth of varsity basketball and will compete in fourth of track & field and golf and second of varsity baseball this spring. Also ran cross country as a freshman. Earned all-conference recognition in football and basketball, all-Upper Peninsula in golf and qualified for the MHSAA Finals in that sport. Served as captain of basketball team for four seasons and football team for two. Participating in third year of National Honor Society – this school year as chapter vice president – serving fourth as class vice president and attended American Legion Boys State. Serving as school radio station student manager, participating in second year of yearbook committee and fourth with school’s TANGO service group, and has participated all four years as part of St. Nicholas Project service efforts. Will attend University of Michigan and study sports management.
Essay Quote: “To me, the two core values of sportsmanship are respect and humility. These traits are important in every aspect of life, whether it's on the court, in the office, or at your grandparent’s house. Sportsmanship is like a compass, not only guiding athletes through competition, but pointing them towards the character values that will shape their lives, long after the final whistle blows.”
David Wahl, Gaylord St. Mary
Played three seasons of varsity football, is playing second of varsity basketball and will play fourth of varsity baseball this spring. Earned all-league recognition in football and served as captain of that team. Earned National Merit Scholarship Commended Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction awards, and College Board National Rural and Small Town recognition. Participating in third year of National Honor Society, serving as president, and third year as part of school student leadership team. Serving third year as local Downtown Development Authority student representative, and served as representative on national Youth Leadership Council. Participating in fourth years in school’s theatre club and music ministry, and played two years in marching/concert/jazz band earning Division 1 ratings for district and state solo and ensemble. Will attend University of Notre Dame and intends to study civil engineering.
Essay Quote: “Since that day, I approach competition differently. I’ve become a captain who models respect for opponents and empathy for teammates. I appreciate every moment I’m given, recognizing that each play, each season, is a privilege rather than a guarantee. I have learned to temper my drive with humanity and to pursue perfection without sacrificing compassion.”
Other Class D girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Emily DelFavero, Wakefield-Marenisco; Isabel Rookard, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart; Alexa Ross, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart; Audrey Stone, Bessemer; Lorna Wiesen, Leland; and Hope Woolman, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian.
Other Class D boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Zyan Breznik, Adrian Lenawee Christian; Ian Flanagan, Deckerville; Connor Hill, Hillsdale Academy; Brady Jungwirth, Felch North Dickinson; Louis Kowalsky, West Bloomfield FJA; and Noah Zeien, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
The Class B scholarship award recipients will be announced Feb. 10, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 17.
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The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.
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