Muskegon
Area
Sports
Hall of
Fame
inducts
milestone
25th
anniversary
class
Dan Bylsma, shown here coaching the Pittsburgh Penguins, played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League and is now one of the league's top coaches. Bylsma headlined the 2011 Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame induction class on Saturday night.
Dan
Bylsma
concluded
the
evening
by
telling
the
crowd
at
the
25th
annual
Muskegon
Area
Sports
Hall
of
Fame
induction
banquet
that
his
"wide
world
of
sports"
started
in
Muskegon.
That
journey
started
at
his
family's
backyard
ice
rink,
led
all
the
way
to
playing
and
later
coaching
in
the
Stanley
Cup
finals
and
came
full
circle
on
Saturday
night
at
the
Holiday
Inn
in
downtown
Muskegon.
"I
look
out
and
see
so
many
of
the
faces
that
taught
me,
coached
me
and
played
with
and
against
me
and
made
me
who
I am
today,"
said
Bylsma,
the
third-year
head
coach
of
the
Pittsburgh
Penguins
and
one
of
three
finalists
for
the
National
Hockey
League's
coach
of
the
year
honor.
"I
am
very
humbled
to
be
here
tonight."
Bylsma's
induction
and
his
presence
at
the
banquet
—
after
initially
not
being
able
to
attend
due
to
team
meetings
that
were
later
changed
—
was
a
perfect
exclamation
point
to a
special
evening.
Preceding
him
into
the
MASHF
on
Saturday
were
student-athlete
honorees
Lauren
Merz
of
Western
Michigan
Christian
and
Jamie
Potts
of
Oakridge,
service
award
winner
Jim
"Red"
Heeres,
Lee
Gilbert
and
Josh
Keur.
The
bright
future
of
the
local
sports
hall
was
never
more
apparent
than
during
the
eloquent
acceptance
speeches
from
Merz
and
Potts,
who
both
thanked
God,
family,
coaches
and
teammates
for
helping
them
achieve
their
success.
The
milestone
25th
anniversary
induction
class
brings
the
local
hall's
membership
to
99
individuals,
eight
teams,
21
Distinguished
Service
Award
winners
and
32
student-athletes.
The
MASHF
displays
are
housed
on
the
concourse
area
of
the
L.C.
Walker
Arena
in
downtown
Muskegon.
Jim
"Red"
Heeres
Jim "Red" Heeres
Heeres
started
his
acceptance
speech
by
asking
the
crowd:
"What
am I
doing
here?"
The
answer
to
that
question
came
in
the
presence
of
many
of
those
that
taught,
coached
and
played
for
Heeres
during
his
48-year
career
at
Whitehall
High
School.
Heeres
coached
football,
basketball,
baseball
and
softball
for
many
years,
but
he
obviously
taught
lessons
that
go
well
beyond
the
playing
field
during
those
years.
A
Facebook
page
thanking
him
for
all
he's
done
now
has
more
than
1,200
fans.
Heeres
was
quick
to
point
out
during
his
speech
that
in
this
age
of
technology,
human
interaction
and
sharing
and
connecting
is
more
critical
than
ever.
"God
still
does
it
through
people,"
Heeres
said.
"I
have
tremendous
gratitude,
which
comes
from
the
heart.
Out
of
the
heart
comes
all
of
the
issues
of
life."
Lee
Gilbert
Lee Gilbert
Gilbert
was
one
of
the
few
basketball
players
in
area
history
to
start
at
the
Division
I
level,
then
returned
home
and
won
more
than
500
basketball
games.
The
standout
Muskegon
Heights
and
later
University
of
Oklahoma
player
used
most
of
his
acceptance
speech
to
thank
what
he
called
his
"success
team."
Family
members,
assistant
coaches
and
teaching
colleagues
were
all
recognized
by
Gilbert,
who
won
more
than
500
high
school
basketball
games
at
Heights
and
Grand
Rapids
Ottawa
Hills.
"You
don't
get
anywhere
by
yourself,"
Gilbert
said.
"There
is a
team
of
support
behind
all
of
us
up
here."
Gilbert
guided
Heights
to
back-to-back
Class
B
state
championships
in
1978
and
1979,
along
with
a
runner-up
finish
in
1993.
After
Ottawa
Hills,
he
also
coached
two
years
at
Muskegon
Community
College
before
retiring.
Josh
Keur
Josh Keur
Echoing
a
theme
of
all
of
Saturday
night's
inductees,
Keur
said
he
owes
much
of
his
success
to
the
tremendous
support
he
received
from
the
Muskegon
area
throughout
his
career
—
which
he
said
continues
today.
Keur,
a
three-sport
star
at
Orchard
View,
went
on
to
become
a
rare
four-year
starter
at
the
Division
I
level
as a
tight
end
at
Michigan
State.
The
6-foot-5
redhead
started
off
as
primarily
a
blocking
tight
end
under
George
Perles
and
developed
into
a
major
receiving
option
by
his
senior
year
under
Nick
Saban.
He
caught
34
passes
for
355
yards
as a
senior
and
was
named
the
Spartans'
most
valuable
offensive
player.
His
professional
career
was
cut
short
after
he
ruptured
his
Achilles'
tendon
three
days
before
the
Aloha
Bowl
in
his
senior
year,
but
he
has
started
a
second
sports
career
locally
as
North
Muskegon's
volleyball
coach.
He
left
this
year's
student-athletes
and
everyone
in
the
crowd
with
a
couple
of
tidbits
before
stepping
down.
"You
can't
cheat
and
be
well-liked,"
Keur
said,
crediting
that
line
to
former
Orchard
View
coach
John
Shillito.
"And
the
secret
is
to
fall
in
love
with
the
game
and
to
fall
in
love
with
the
journey."
Dan
Bylsma
Dan Bylsma
Bylsma,
like
many
young
boys,
dreamed
of
playing
professional
baseball,
hockey
or
golf.
Unlike
99.9
percent
of
those
boys,
Bylsma
had
the
talent,
work
ethic
and
grit
to
make
that
dream
a
reality.
The
golf
and
baseball
standout
at
Western
Michigan
Christian
decided
to
focus
on
hockey
later
in
his
high
school
years,
playing
junior
hockey
in
Ontario,
college
hockey
at
Bowling
Green
and
lower-level
professional
hockey
seemingly
all
over
North
America.
Bylsma
stuck
with
it
and
wound
up
playing
429
games
with
the
NHL's
Los
Angeles
Kings
and
Anaheim
Mighty
Ducks.
"Some
of
you
might
have
played
on
our
backyard
ice
rink,"
said
Bylsma,
who
led
Pittsburgh
to
the
Stanley
Cup
championship
in
2009
in
his
first
year
as
the
Penguins'
coach.
"That's
where
all
of
this
began.
That
was
my
dreamland.
Now
it's
a
reality."
Muskegon
Area
Sports
Hall
of
Fame
continues
to
grow
and
evolve
after
25
years
Tom Fallon addresses the crowd at the first Muskegon Area Sports
Hall of Fame induction banquet in 1987. Chronicle file photo
This year’s Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame induction class brings a smile to the face of Gene Young.
Three outstanding athletes who are now award-winning coaches — Dan Bylsma, Lee Gilbert and Josh Keur — headline the local sports hall’s 25th induction banquet on June 18 at the Holiday Inn-Muskegon Harbor.
“The question was asked early on what we would do when we run out of quality inductees,” said Young, the MASHF’s president since 1994, with a smile.
“People underestimated the number of great athletes we have here in Muskegon in so many different sports. Our list isn’t running out, it’s still growing.”
The non-profit MASHF, which was started by former Muskegon Chronicle sports writer Dick Hedges in 1986 and has a 14-member volunteer board of directors, is indeed still growing and evolving 25 years later.
While the annual induction banquet is the group’s marquee event every year, Young emphasized that the MASHF has grown into a vibrant, year-round organization.
The MASHF plaques, memorabilia and exhibits have been displayed on the concourse area of the L.C. Walker Arena in downtown Muskegon since 1998. Those interested can experience Muskegon’s sports past at any time on the hall of fame’s web site at mashf.com.
The organization has hosted a Holiday Classic boys basketball tournament between Christmas and New Years since 2002 and, last year, added a girls basketball tournament.
Members of the board of directors regularly speak at local schools and civic organizations and have started a program at local middle schools to teach kids about Muskegon’s rich athletic history.
“This has really become a neat deal that is about more than just sports, it’s very pro-Muskegon,” Young said.
Hedges and Fallon
The MASHF began in a small room at the Muskegon County Museum with an all-star first induction class in 1987.
Four of the charter members of the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of
Fame posed for this picture at the 1987 induction banquet. From left,
Earl Morrall, Leo Redmond, Okie Johnson and Sonny Grandelius.
Chronicle file photo
The seven charter members of the hall are all giants in Muskegon sports lore — Gus Cohrs, Sonny Grandelius, Okie Johnson, Earl Morrall, Bennie Oosterbaan, Leo Redmond and Sally Sessions.
“I remember how moving that first banquet was, looking up there and seeing all those legends together for what proved to be the last time,” said longtime board member Jim Moyes, who has emceed the induction banquet each year since 1997, with the exception of 2007 when former Muskegon Fury broadcaster Terry Ficorelli was at the podium.
That first night was a dream come true for Hedges, who shifted seamlessly from his duties as a Chronicle sports writer to the president of the MASHF.
One of the best moves Hedges ever made was getting former Chronicle city editor and later Bay City Times editor-in-chief Tom Fallon to host the induction banquet. Fallon handled that duty with a classic, poetic approach performed from 1987 to 1996.
It was during those early years that the hall set its high standards for induction, which normally means more than just high school stardom, with almost all of the current 99 individual members going on to college or professional success. The hall also showed diversity from the start, honoring both male and female athletes in a variety of sports.
Among the big-name inductees from those early years were boxer Kenny Lane (1988), star basketball brothers MC Burton (1988) and Ed Burton (1989), hockey great Bryan McLay (1989), golf star Cliff Taylor (1992) and baseball-playing sisters Donna and Doris Cook (1993).
In 1991, the hall began honoringan annual Distinguished Service Award winner, who is a person who made a major contribution to sports in the area, but not as an athlete. Legendary Muskegon Chronicle sportswriter Mart Tardani was the first service award winner.
Fallon, known for his elegance at the podium, was also clearly in charge of the induction ceremonies.
That was never more apparent than at the 1991 banquet at the L.C. Walker Arena annex, the only one of the first 24 banquets which was not held at the downtown Muskegon Holiday Inn due to major renovation work.
When former Muskegon Heights and University of Michigan great John Regeczi went well over the allotted five-minute time for an acceptance speech and started rambling about the evolution of the prolate spheroid shape of the football, Fallon stepped in as Regeczi reached down to retrieve more notes off the floor and thanked him for his words.
Young and Moyes
The death of Hedges in 1994 was a crossroads for the MASHF, but Young was prepared for the challenge.
Young, the former community education director for Fruitport Schools and a local sports radio commentator, took charge immediately and the hall soon inducted its first team in 1995 (the 1927 Muskegon High School football team) and bridged a gap with the next generation with the first pair of Student-Athlete honorees in 1996 (Jamie Ahlgren of Mona Shores and Mike Burde of Newaygo).
Two years after the death of Hedges, Fallon stepped down as the emcee, which opened the door for the irrespressible Moyes.
”I never thought that we’d be able to replace Tom Fallon because he did such a good job and then we get Jim and he’s just as good,” MASHF board member Mike Mack said.
Moyes is opposite of Fallon in many ways in his approach, using humor, personal anecdotes and almost roasting the inductees while also honoring their accomplishments.
Among the many memorable inductees from the “Moyes Era” were ex-NFL football player Curtis Adams (1997), larger-than-life football coach Roger Chiaverini (1998), sailing legend John Nedeau (2004) and, just last year, two-time Olympic luge medalist Mark Grimmette.
While Moyes covered many of the inductees during his many years as the voice of Muskegon-area sports on the radio, he is often at his best when introducing inductees from outside of his comfort zone.
Moyes had the packed ballroom crowd in stitches in 2001, when he introduced drag racing star Dave Boertman and told the story about pulling up next to him at a red light late one night in downtown Muskegon.
During that same banquet in 2001 came Moyes’ classic induction speech for Sherm Poppen, the inventor of the Snurfer and considered the father of snowboarding. Moyes noted that the first snowboarding championship was held on Blockhouse Hill in North Muskegon, before telling the crowd:
”The winner of that first snowboard race was not some guy named Franz from Austria,” Moyes said, before pausing for effect. “The winner of that race was none other than the old bartender from the Bear Lake Tavern, Ted Slater!”
With that, Moyes had Slater, an area realtor, stand up in the back of the room as the crowd exploded with applause and laughter.
Still evolving
The busiest year in the MASHF’s 25-year history was 1998.
The members of the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame's
14-member volunteer board of directors. Back row, from left,
Jim Moyes, Steve Hoffman, Dan Beckeman, Gene Young,
Tom Stribley, Jon Sepeshy, Bob Page. Front row, from left,
Tom Kendra, Mike Mack, Terri Clock, Matt Duplissis, Al Nichols,
John Arter, Ron Pesch.
The hall had outgrown its cramped quarters at the Muskegon County Museum, so it moved its displays one block away to the concourse area of the downtown Walker Arena, the hub of the Muskegon-area sports scene.
Also that year, the local hall hosted the annual convention of the International Association of Sports Museums and Halls of Fame.
While Young holds the visible position of president and has emerged as the MASHF’s front man and spokesman, he is always quick to defer credit for the hall’s accomplishments - always mentioning the support of The Muskegon Chronicle and longtime publisher Gary Ostrom and the many talents of the hall’s board of directors.
Just last month, members of the hall of fame board met with Walker Arena manager and Muskegon Lumberjacks team owner Josh Mervis about keeping the hall’s exhibits at the Walker Arena while incorporating the hall with the arena’s new look.
Among the dreams of the MASHF board is to raise money to replace the wall of plaques with a video kiosk for the arena concourse, which will constantly scroll with names, photos and information on all of the hall’s members - which now numbers 99 individuals, eight teams, 21 service award winner and 32 student-athletes.
Board members say they are constantly re-energized by each year’s inductees.
”I remember walking in the Summer Celebration parade last year with Lynn Hahn (2010 inductee) and he had the biggest smile and a handshake for everyone as a new hall of fame member,” board member Matt Duplissis recalled. “It was priceless.”
Through the years, the inductees have proved to be interesting, informative, inspirational and certainly unpredictable.
In 2001, former Muskegon Mohawk hockey great Joe Kastelic told Gene Young on a weekly basis leading up to the ceremony how he hated speaking in front of crowds and wondered if he would be able to do it.
”Joe Kastelic’s speech might have been the best one ever - filled with humor and touching,” recalled board member Ron Pesch, the official historian of the Michigan High School Athletic Association. “He had the crowd in the palm of his hand.”
Indeed.
And when he signed off with three simple words, he was speaking for the many inductees before him and many still to come:
”Thank you, Muskegon,” said Kastelic, with tears streaming down his face.
Western
Michigan
Christian's
Lauren
Merz
does it
all,
wins
area
Female
Student-Athlete
of the
Year
honor
Sunday,
May 29,
2011
Contributed photo: Dr. John Mulder
Lauren Merz was the 5-9 middle hitter and captain for the Western Michigan Christian volleyball team.
The
biggest
question
with
Lauren
Merz
is
how
she
found
the
time
to
do
it
all.
“Sports
parents”
know
how
crazy
three
sports
can
be,
as
Merz
played
soccer,
volleyball
and
basketball
at
Western
Michigan
Christian.
But
she
was
just
as
involved
in
choir
and
band.
Throw
in
her
duties
as
senior
class
president,
co-chair
of
the
Muskegon
Community
Foundation’s
Youth
Advisory
Council
and
Student
Council
treasurer
—
and
many
other
volunteer
positions
—
and
you
wonder
how
Merz
could
possibly
have
graduated
as
WMC’s
valedictorian
with
a
4.18
GPA.
“I’m
pretty
good
at
managing
my
time,”
said
Merz,
the
oldest
of
four
children
of
Dr.
Glen
and
Sherry
Merz
of
Spring
Lake.
“I
guess
it’s
just
a
personal
drive.
I
always
want
to
do
well.
I’m
a
perfectionist.”
Merz
was
selected
out
of
more
than
30
candidates
as
the
Muskegon
area’s
Female
Student-Athlete
of
the
Year,
an
award
presented
by
The
Muskegon
Chronicle
and
the
Muskegon
Area
Sports
Hall
of
Fame.
Merz
will
receive
her
award
at
the
MASHF’s
25th
annual
induction
banquet
June
18
at
the
Holiday
Inn-Muskegon
Harbor.
Hard
work
and
humility
Those
that
know
her
well
say
Merz’s
secret
is
her
combination
of
hard
work
and
humility.
Chronicle file photo
Lauren Merz played some in the field for the Western Michigan Christian soccer team, but is best known as the team's standout goalkeeper.
“She
is
an
amazing
athlete
with
a
heart
to
work
to
improve
at
every
opportunity,”
WMC
girls
soccer
coach
Dan
McAllister
said.
“Her
humble
heart
and
compassion
toward
her
teammates
has
won
her
teammates
over.”
McAllister
said
it’s
that
work
ethic
which
has
made
Merz
a
college-level
soccer
goalkeeper.
Merz
will
attend
Calvin
College
on a
trustees
scholarship
in
the
fall,
with
a
plan
to
major
in
pre-med
and
English
with
a
minor
in
Spanish,
and
she
also
hopes
to
play
goalkeeper
on
the
Knights’
soccer
team.
“Soccer
has
always
been
my
No.
1
sport,
ever
since
I
was
a
little
girl,”
said
Merz,
who
started
playing
goalie
when
she
was
in
middle
school
at
Grand
Haven
Christian.
She
was
an
all-state
honorable
mention
choice
in
soccer
and
was
twice
all-conference
in
the
River
Valley
and
a
three-time
all-district
pick.
Merz
also
was
a
team
captain
for
the
WMC
volleyball
team,
a
5-foot-9
middle
hitter
who
led
the
team
in
both
kills
and
digs.
She
was
a
two-time
honorable
mention
all-state
selection
in
volleyball.
“She
was
one
of
our
captains
and
she
did
that
role
very
well
— on
the
court
and
off,”
WMC
volleyball
coach
Bret
Noordhoff
said.
“The
girls
listened
to
what
she
said.
I’ve
really
enjoyed
coaching
her
for
the
past
three
years.”
Runs
in
the
family
Merz
is
far
from
your
typical
jock.
She
has
developed
a
strong
love
and
appreciation
of
music
from
her mother,
Sherry,
a
piano
teacher
and
choir
accompanist.
Merz
has
been
the
first
chair
on
the
clarinet
in
the
WMC
band
for
all
four
years
of
high
school
and
is
also
active
in
choir.
She
recently
returned
from
Virginia
Beach,
Va.,
on a
choir
trip.
She
said
that
her
father,
Glen,
a
family
doctor
at
Mercy
General
Health
Partners
in
Muskegon,
has
been
another
positive,
supportive
influence
in
her
life.
“My
dad
always
encourages
me,
never
pressures
me,
but
just
supports
me,”
Merz
said.
Merz
has
tried
to
pass
on
that
supportive
love
to
her
three
younger
siblings
—
Julie,
a
sophomore
who
played
on
the
same
volleyball
and
soccer
teams
as
Lauren
this
school
year;
Michael,
a
seventh-grader
who
loves
basketball;
and
Jeffrey,
a
fifth-grader
who
Lauren
calls
“a
real
sports
fanatic.”
In
addition
to
school,
sports,
staying
active
at
Ferrysburg
Community
Church,
band,
choir
and
community
involvement,
she
makes
a
point
of
trying
to
be a
good
big
sister.
“I
try
to
set
the
example
for
them
the
best
that
I
can,”
Merz
said.
“I
hope
they
enjoy
high
school
as
much
as I
have
and
I
know
that
they
will
do
well,
too.”
THE FINALISTS
Name:Beka
German
School:Fruitport
GPA:3.4
Sports:
Volleyball
(4
years),
Basketball
(4
years),
Soccer
(4
years)
Honors-Awards:
No More
Sidelines,
Student-Athlete
Leadership
Team,
Cancer
Walk,
Spanish
Club,
second
team
all-area
on 2010
Class B
state
championship
volleyball
team,
four-year
soccer
starter,
first
team
all-area
basketball
player
as
senior
Name:Ashley
Cook
School:Hart
GPA:3.97
Sports:
Volleyball
(4
years),
Basketball
(4
years),
Soccer
(4
years)
Honors-Awards:
National
Honor
Society,
Freshman
Focus
Club,
Students
Against
Drunk
Driving,
Captains
Club,
Hart
Rotary
student
of
month,
Homecoming
Queen
candidate,
three
years of
varsity
basketball
and
volleyball,
first
team
all-area
and
third
team
all-state
in
soccer
Name:
Katie
LaRue
School:Montague
GPA:3.83
Sports:Cross
country
(3
years),
Basketball
(4
years),
Track (4
years)
Honors-Awards:DECA
nationals,
National
Honor
Society,
GVSU art
school,
Montague
city
council
representative,
four-year
state
track
qualifier
and
two-time
all-stater,
basketball
district
champion
Name:Rachel
Hoffman
School:Shelby
GPA:2.89
Sports:Volleyball
(4
years),
Basketball
(4
years),
Track (4
years)
Honors-Awards:SAFE,
Big
Brothers/Big
Sisters,
Community
Pride
Day,
Church
youth
group,
Showcase,
seven-time
all-state
in track
and
three-time
state
champion,
two year
all-conference
in
volleyball,
basketball
all-conference,
team
captain
in all
three
sports,
will
play
volleyball
at
Muskegon
Community
College
One of a kind: Muskegon Oakridge's Jamie Potts chosen Muskegon area Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Saturday,
May 28,
2011,
6:00 AM
Jamie Potts set 12 school records in football at Oakridge. He also was a star basketball and baseball player, earning the Muskegon area Male Student-Athlete of the Year award.
It
should
be
duly
noted
that
Jamie
Potts
is a
proud,
born-and-raised
Oakridge
boy.
He’s
best
known
in
the
community
as a
stellar
student,
three-sport
star
athlete
and
model
citizen.
And
even
though
Potts
rolls
in
near-celebrity
status
—
possibly
being
selected
in
the
upcoming
Major
League
amateur
baseball
draft
— he
prefers
deflecting
the
limelight
to
his
fellow
Oakridge
boys.
“This
is
my
home
and
I
grew
up
playing
with
these
guys,”
Potts
said
with
passion
in
his
voice.
“To
play
for
Oakridge
has
been
awesome
and
I
couldn’t
ask
for
a
better
school.
“I’ve
learned
a
lot
of
things,
but
being
close
to
teammates
is
the
most
important
thing
in
sports.
You
achieve
more
when
you
care
about
the
guys
you
play
with
and
when
you
play
together.”
Perhaps,
no
other
Oakridge
athlete
has
accomplished
as
much
as
Potts
in
three
sports.
But
his
talent
and
unselfish
approach
to
all
aspects
of
life
separates
him
from
most
others.
For
his
all-around
accomplishments
in
and
out
of
sports,
Potts
was
chosen
the
area’s
Male
Student-Athlete
of
the
Year
by
The
Chronicle
and
the
Muskegon
Area
Sports
Hall
of
Fame.
He
is
the
16th
recipient
and
the
second
from
Oakridge
High
School.
In
football,
Potts
(6-foot-3,
205
pounds)
excelled
as
the
star
quarterback,
punter
and
all-state
defensive
back
and
kicker.
In
basketball,
he
inspired
teammates
as
the
possessed
forward
who
could
score,
rebound
and
defend
as
well
as
anybody
in
West
Michigan.
In
baseball,
he
throws
87
mph
fastballs,
hits
the
ball
all
over
the
park
and
plays
any
position
on
the
field.
“He’s
one
of
those
kids,
as a
three-sport
athlete,
I
don’t
know
if
Oakridge
will
have
another
one
like
him,”
Oakridge
boys
basketball
coach
Tracy
Ruel
said.
In
football,
Potts
set
12
school
records
as a
quarterback
and
kicker
and
led
the
Eagles
to
the
2008
Division
5
state
championship.
He
often
was
hounded
by
kids
for
autographs
and
high-fives
at
Russell
Erickson
Stadium.
“In
my
42
years,
he’s
one
of
the
top
outstanding
individuals
I’ve
had
the
chance
to
coach,”
said
recently-retired
Oakridge
football
coach
Jack
Schugars.
“Not
only
as a
football
player,
but
with
his
character
and
going
out
of
his
way
to
help
others.
He’s
an
outstanding
young
man
who’s
made
a
pretty
big
mark
in
the
community.”
Schugars
will
never
forget
the
time
Potts
suffered
a
slightly
separated
shoulder
against
Orchard
View,
yet
he
returned
to
the
game
to
throw
the
winning
touchdown
pass
in
overtime.
Jamie Potts is a four-year starter in baseball and may get selected in next month's baseball amateur draft.
Potts,
the
youngest
son
of
Tom
and
Kathy
Potts,
will
attend
Grand
Valley
State
University
and
plans
to
play
football
and
baseball
for
the
Lakers.
Ironically,
both
of
Potts’
older
brothers
played
on
state
championship
football
teams
at
Oakridge
—
Aaron
(1997)
and
Andy
(2005).
Ask
Potts
what
saying
or
phrase
he
would
tuck
away
in
his
wallet
for
the
rest
of
his
life
and
there
is
no
hesitation:
“Yes,
it’s
a
verse
from
the
Bible,
‘I
can
do
all
things
through
him
who
strengthens
me,’”
Potts
said,
quoting
Philippians
4:13.
In
basketball,
Potts
averaged
17.1
points,
12.6
rebounds,
2.6
steals,
2.3
assists
and
showed
his
toughness
by
taking
14
charges
during
his
All-Area
senior
season.
He
had
no
trouble
earning
respect
on
the
court.
“Once
he
got
his
(Grand
Valley)
verbal
commitment
out
of
the
way,
he
went
on a
10-game
span
where
he
had
over
20
points
and
12-13
rebounds
per
game,”
said
Ruel,
whose
team
finished
10-10.
“Once
he
got
his
basketball
legs
— if
he
wasn’t
the
best
player
in
the
area
from
the
Christmas
break
on,
he
was
one
of
the
best.
He’d
meet
any
challenge
out
there.”
Potts
could
have
skipped
basketball
as a
senior.
He
could
have
taken
the
winter
off
to
work
on
his
baseball
skills
and
lift
weights
for
college
football.
He
could
have,
but
he
didn’t.
“I
had
a
lot
of
pressure
not
to
play
—
they
said
there
was
no
point
in
playing
because
you
weren’t
going
to
play
college
basketball,”
Potts
said.
“But
I
did
it
my
whole
life.
Playing
with
those
guys
again,
that’s
why
I
did
it.
It
was
fun
just
competing
against
the
guys
in
basketball
again.”
You
can
find
Potts
cruising
the
east
side
of
town
in
his
1999
Toyota
Camry.
He’s
just
as
proud
of
that
old
car
as
his
football
helmet.
“I
backed
into
a
tree
in
the
driveway
and
I
smashed
the
back
light,”
Potts
said.
“I
cracked
the
back
bumper
a
few
times.
It
was
my
brother’s
car.
It
has
a
spoiler
on
the
back
and
it
has
a
sun
roof.
I’m
happy
with
it.”
In
baseball,
Potts
set
several
school
records
during
his
four
years
as a
varsity
starter.
He’s
currently
hitting
a
whopping
.580
with
his
power,
speed
and
dangerous
left-handed
swing.
On
the
mound,
Potts,
18,
also
has
struck
out
85
batters
in
40
innings
and
is
focused
on
leading
the
Eagles
back
to
the
Final
Four
in
Battle
Creek.
“He’s
just
a
quality
person,”
Oakridge
baseball
coach
Brandon
Barry
said
about
Potts,
who
has
been
featured
more
in
center
field
this
season.
“And
he’s
a
rarity
these
days
that
he
can
excel
in
2-3
sports
and
not
specialize.
He’s
made
all
of
our
teams
competitive.
His
talents
and
his
teammates’
talent
have
brought
a
lot
of
nice
accolades
to
Oakridge
High
School.”
In
addition,
Potts’
bat
speed
and
skills
have
caught
the
attention
of
scouts
and
there’s
a
good
chance
he
may
be
drafted
next
month.
“I’ve
been
talking
to
the
Texas
Rangers
and
a
Kansas
City
Royals
scout,”
said
Potts,
who
plans
to
study
sports
management
or
broadcasting
in
college.
“I
would
still
go
the
college
route,
unless
there
was
a
lot
of
money
offered
that
I
couldn’t
pass
up.”
Potts
realizes
his
prep
career
is
coming
to a
close.
He
plans
to
make
the
most
of
this
final
stretch
of
wearing
the
Oakridge
uniform.
No
matter
what
the
future
brings,
Potts
will
cling
to
his
Oakridge
memories.
And
he’ll
always
be a
proud,
born-and-raised
Oakridge
boy.
THE FINALISTS
Name: Collin Breit
School: Western Michigan Christian
GPA: 4.13
Sports: Soccer (4 years), Golf (4 years), Basketball (3 years)
Honors-Awards: MHSAA Scholar Athlete Award, Hope College Presidential Award, Salutatorian, volunteer for International Aid, Child Abuse Council, school and church service projects, Student Council, Junior class president, senior class vice president, concert and jazz band (trombone), church youth band (piano); Soccer captain, “Warrior Award,” all-conference, All-Area, all-state first team; Golf all-conference, All-Area, all-state; Earned seven MHSAA state medals in three sports
Name: Anthony Root
School: Montague
GPA: 3.4
Sports: Football (4 years), Basketball (4 years), Baseball (2 years), Track (2 years)
Honors-Awards: Church youth group, Reading Buddies; Football all-conference, All-Area, all-state, played on two state championship teams and set state finals record for longest play from scrimmage (98-yard TD catch), signed to play football at Michigan Tech University; Basketball all-conference, All-Area honorable mention
Name: Jerry Westerman
School: Grand Haven
GPA: 3.51
Sports: Football (4 years), Wrestling (4 years), Golf (1 year)
Honors-Awards: Volunteer at Robinson Baptist Church and Robinson Elementary Mentoring Program; All-OK Red first team, all-district, all-region, All-Area, all-state, academic all-state
Name: Bryant Westra
School: Muskegon Catholic
GPA: 3.74
Sports: Football, Basketball, Baseball
Honors-Awards: Volunteer for McLaughlin Neighborhood Community Summer Camp and Bethany Christian Reformed Church children’s programs; Baseball captain, MVP, all-conference, All-Area; Basketball captain; Football captain
Whitehall's
Jim
'Red'
Heeres
to be
honored
for
years of
service
to
students,
athletes
Tom
Kendra | The
Muskegon
Chronicle
Friday,
February
04, 2011
Chronicle
file
photo
Jim
“Red”
Heeres
may be
75 years
old, but
he
cannot
wait to
go back
to
school.
Heeres
retired
last
summer
after 48
years as
a
teacher
and
coach at
Whitehall
High
School,
even
though
he
didn’t
want to.
“I
absolutely
love
teaching
and
coaching
— I
never
worked a
day in
my
life,”
said
Heeres,
who
taught a
variety
of
subjects
and
coached
four
sports.
“The
only
reason I
retired
is so
that one
of the
young
teachers
with a
family
could
keep his
job.”
But now
Heeres,
who is
still
recovering
after
falling
in the
weightroom
and
breaking
his hip
last
fall,
will be
returning
to
Whitehall
in March
to teach
four
sections
of the
class
for
which he
is best
known,
“Self-Discovery”
— a
class
for
seniors
to look
inside
themselves
and to
evaluate
who they
are and
what
type of
person
they
want to
become
in the
future.
“I can’t
wait,”
Heeres
said.
That
passion
for
working
with
kids,
both in
teaching
and
coaching,
is the
main
reason
why
Heeres
will
receive
the
Muskegon
Area
Sports
Hall of
Fame’s
2011
Distinguished
Service
Award,
given
annually
to an
individual
who has
made a
significant
contribution
to
sports
in the
area,
but not
as an
athlete.
Heeres
will be
inducted
along
with Dan
Bylsma,
Lee
Gilbert,
Josh
Keur and
a male
and
female
student-athlete
winner
at the
MASHF’s
25th
annual
induction
ceremony
June 18
at the
Holiday
Inn-Muskegon
Harbor.
“Every
student
I’ve
ever had
and
every
player
I’ve
ever
coached
will
vicariously
be part
of that
honor,”
Heeres
said.
SEE
HEERES,
B4
Heeres
has
never
been
married
and has
no
children
of his
own, but
he
became a
father
figure
of sorts
to
thousands
of
Whitehall
students
through
the
years.
His
sports
background
started
back in
his prep
days at
Western
Michigan
Christian
High
School,
where he
was part
of the
school’s
first-ever
graduating
class in
1953 and
played
basketball
for
legendary
Elmer
Walcott.
Shortly
after
graduating,
Walcott
asked
Heeres
to be
his
junior
varsity
basketball
coach
that
winter.
“That
was
pretty
amazing,”
Heeres
recalled.
“I was
18 years
old and
a junior
varsity
basketball
coach.
Elmer
Walcott
really
believed
in me
and his
confidence
in me
had a
profound
effect.”
Heeres
was
drafted
into the
Korean
War out
of high
school
and
ended up
serving
time in
Europe.
He
returned
home and
played
basketball
at
Muskegon
Community
College,
before
finishing
his
college
degree
at
Central
Michigan
University
in 1962.
That
summer
he got a
teaching
job at
Whitehall
and
that’s
where
he’s
been
ever
since.
Heeres
served
as the
Vikings’
athletic
director
for one
year and
coached
football
for 22
years,
basketball
for 10
years,
baseball
for 13
years
and
softball
for 17
years.
Heeres
started
the
softball
program
at
Whitehall
and the
school’s
softball
field
was
renamed
in his
honor in
2005.
(“I’m
humbled
almost
to the
point of
embarrassment,”
Heeres
said at
the
time.)
His
overall
record
as the
Vikings’
softball
coach
was
235-174,
with
five
West
Michigan
Conference
titles,
three
Muskegon
County
championships
and two
district
crowns.
He was
named
The
Chronicle’s
All-Area
softball
coach of
the year
in 1992
and
1998.
But none
of those
numbers
or
awards
mean a
whole
lot to
him.
“The
most
satisfying
part of
coaching
is to
see kids
have a
victory
over
themselves,”
Heeres
said.
“What I
mean by
that is
that all
of us
have
doubts
about
ourselves.
Sports
teaches
us that
we can
go
through
pain,
work
hard,
persevere
and
overcome
so many
things.”
Any
doubts
about
his
impact
on the
student
and
athletes
of
Whitehall
can be
erased
by
visiting
the
“Fans of
Jim
‘Red’
Heeres”
page on
Facebook.
It
currently
has
1,178
members
and a
wall
full of
tributes
to an
iconic
figure
in the
community.
In the
summertime,
Heeres
worked
as the
waterfront
director
at Camp
Pendalouan
for
eight
years,
then
served
for 30
years as
the
director
of the
swimming
school
at White
Lake
Yacht
Club.
Heeres
remains
busy in
the
summers,
working
as a
seasonal
employee
at
Hickory
Knoll
Golf
Course
in
Whitehall,
where he
mows
greens
and
washes
golf
carts.
But
Heeres,
a man of
faith
who led
the
Whitehall
chapter
of the
Fellowship
of
Christian
Athletes
for more
than 30
years,
can’t
wait to
get back
in the
classroom
at
Whitehall
in March
and help
more
teenage
kids try
to make
sense of
it all.
“I can’t
wait to
get back
inside
the
school
and to
look
kids in
the face
and hear
what
they are
feeling
and what
they are
thinking,”
Heeres
said.
“To me,
it
doesn’t
get any
better
than
that.”
Freshman
leads
Muskegon
over
Reeths-Puffer;
Mona
Shores
holds
off
Fruitport
David
Tomczak
|
Muskegon
Chronicle
December
30, 2010
Only a
freshman,
Muskegon
point
guard
Janiece
Levelston
stands
only
5-3.
But for
most of
Thursday
night’s
game
against
Reeths-Puffer,
Levelston
stood
above
everyone
at the
Muskegon
Area
Sports
Hall of
Fame
Holiday
Classic
girls
basketball
tournament
at Mona
Shores.
Facing
an
unexpected
tough
pressure
defense
from the
Rockets,
Levelston
controlled
the
game’s
tempo
and
helped
lead the
Big Reds
to a
37-34
victory.
“She’s a
natural
talent
and she
loves
basketball,”
Muskegon
coach
Tashuana
“Peaches”
Churchwell
said.
“Some of
the
things
she’s
able to
do (on
the
court),
she
shouldn’t
be able
to do.”
It was a
nice
bounce-back
win for
the Big
Reds,
who fell
in the
opening
game of
the
tournament
to the
host
Sailors,
48-37.
Levelston
led a
Big Red
offense
that
took
some
time to
get
going,
falling
behind a
scrappy
Puffer
squad
9-6
after
one
quarter.
The
Rockets
turned
the
tables
on
Muskegon,
applying
a 3-2
halfcourt
trap
defense
that
surprised
the Big
Reds.
“Actually,
we
weren’t
expecting
Reeths-Puffer
to
press,”
Churchwell
said.
“But we
are
always
ready
for
anything.”
Muskegon
seemed
to find
its
stride
with a
three-guard
offense
of
Levelston,
Wraenique
Coleman
and
Khelsea
Bahr,
outscoring
the
Rockets
14-10 in
the
second
quarter.
At one
point,
Muskegon
took a
seven-point
lead
before
Puffer
cut it
to 20-19
at the
half.
But
Muskegon
never
trailed
again.
“When
they
took
that
seven-point
lead
late in
the
quarter
we could
have
folded,”
Reeths-Puffer
coach
Brandon
Barry
said.
“But we
made
some big
shots to
get back
into
it.”
While
Reeths-Puffer
was able
to hang
around
in the
second
half, it
was
unable
to take
advantage
of 11
Muskegon
fouls,
making
just
2-of-9
free
throws
in the
half.
For the
game,
the
Rockets
finished
6-of-20
from the
charity
stripe.
“We hurt
ourselves
quite a
bit,”
Barry
said.
“But the
tournament
gave us
a good
look at
what we
have to
work
on.”
Holding
a 33-30
lead for
most of
the
final 3
minutes
of the
game,
Levelston
and
Kiara
Donaldson
hit
back-to-back
jumpers
to
extend
the Big
Red
lead.
“(Reeths-Puffer’s)
press
made us
turn the
ball
over,”
Levelston
said.
“(But)
it made
us work
harder,
play
with
more
pride
and
pushed
us
forward.”
Muskegon
also
struggled
at the
line
(1-of-7)
but
finished
with a
16-13
field
goal
advantage,
including
a 4-2
edge
from
3-point
range.
Levelston
led
Muskegon
with 10
points,
six
rebounds,
four
assists
and two
blocked
shots.
Jasmine
Clay,
recovering
from a
concussion,
came off
the
bench to
score
five
points
and grab
six
rebounds
and
Kiara
Johnson
had five
rebounds,
all in
the
fourth
quarter.
The Big
Reds
improved
to 2-5
while
Reeths-Puffer
fell to
1-5.
“It was
good to
come out
(tonight)
and have
some
success,”
Churchwell
said.
“We’re
just
trying
to get
that
winning
vibe
going.”
Mona
Shores
40,
Fruitport
32
Marylou
Kiley
found
her
stroke
in
the
second
half,
scoring
12
of
the
19
points
for
Mona
Shores
after
halftime
in a
40-32
win
over
Fruitport.
That
was
enough
to
hold
off
a
Fruitport
team
that
trailed
7-0
early
in
the
game
and
bounced
back
to
keep
the
game
close
throughout.
“It
was
just
one
of
those
battle
games,”
Mona
Shores
coach
Brad
Kurth
said.
“They
played
good
defense
and
forced
us
to
find
good
shots.”
Leading
22-17
at
the
half,
Shores
held
the
Trojans
to
six
third-quarter
points,
all
by
Beka
German.
Once
the
Sailors
shut
her
down
in
the
fourth
quarter,
they
increased
their
lead
to
10
points.
Shores
won
both
its
games
in
the
tournament
and
improved
to
4-1
on
the
season,
with
its
only
loss
coming
at
Grand
Haven.
“We’re
still
working
through
the
kinks
with
some
of
the
younger
players,”
Kurth
said.
“But
the
kids
are
playing
unselfish
and
buying
into
what
we
do.”
Meredith
Smith
led
Shores
with
five
steals
and
four
assists,
Kristina
Kitchen
had
six
rebounds
and
Sydney
Tharp
added
five
points.
German
led
Fruitport
with
11
points
and
Rachael
Folkmier
grabbed
11
rebounds.
Talk about
role
reversal.
Muskegon
Heights is
normally the
more poised
team, the
team that
smothers the
opposition
with
full-court
pressure,
the team
with the
flock of
long-armed
jumping
jacks who
seem to
block every
shot and
grab every
rebound
until the
other team
implodes out
of
frustration.
This year,
Muskegon was
that team.
Muskegon
dominated
Muskegon
Heights in
every facet,
jumping out
to a 15-6
lead and
never taking
its foot off
the gas
pedal in a
stunningly
easy 64-41
victory in
front of
3,200 fans
at the final
game of the
ninth annual
Muskegon
Area Sports
Hall of Fame
Holiday
Classic boys
basketball
tournament
at Reeths-Puffer.
“It feels
good, that’s
for sure,”
said
Muskegon
coach
Bernard
Loudermill,
whose team
snapped a
two-game
losing
streak to
the Tigers
in the
annual
holiday
tournament.
“We attacked
the glass
the whole
game. I was
pleased
because we
stayed in
attack mode,
even when we
had a big
lead. They
made a
couple of
runs, but
our kids did
a good job
of settling
back down.”
Heights
(4-1) could
not match
the length
and jumping
ability of
the Big Reds
inside.
The most
impressive
jumping jack
for Muskegon
was 6-3
junior
Travell
Oakes, who
finished
with 11
points and a
game-high 12
rebounds.
But he was
far from
alone.
Other Big
Reds who
were active
inside on
both ends of
the court
were Kenneth
McDaniel
(four points
and eight
rebounds),
Najee
Brown-Duren
(10 points
and eight
rebounds)
and Todd
Mitchell (10
points and
six
rebounds).
The best
all-around
game for
Muskegon
came from
6-1 junior
guard
Trellis
Loudermill,
the coach’s
son, who
scored a
game-high 14
points with
seven
rebounds,
six steals
and six
assists.
Heights
coach Keith
Guy was
impressed by
Muskegon’s
aggressive
play.
“My hat goes
off to the
Big Reds —
it was
Muskegon’s
night,” said
Guy, who
guided
Heights to
the Class B
semifinals
last winter.
“We have to
grow some
kids up in a
hurry. I had
some young
kids playing
in this
environment
and
hopefully
they learned
some
things.”
Muskegon
(5-1)
extended its
lead to
29-17 at
halftime and
43-28 after
three
quarters,
but could
never relax,
not with the
constant
threat of a
Heights run
to ignite
the largely
orange-and-black
clad crowd.
On this
night, the
Big Reds
stayed
aggressive
and had an
answer for a
couple of
mini-runs
that Heights
was able to
muster.
Muskegon did
it all
despite
playing most
of the
second half
without
senior guard
and leading
scorer
Courtney
Hill, who
scored nine
points but
sat out most
of the
second half
after
picking up
his fourth
foul with 1
minute left
before
halftime.
Marquis
Childers
scored 11
points and
Deontae
Hudson added
10 points
with six
rebounds for
a Heights
team which
often had a
difficult
time getting
the ball up
the court
against
Muskegon’s
pressure and
then
struggled
against
Muskegon’s
2-3 matchup
zone
defense.
Rowmell
Crawford, a
6-5 senior
who
transferred
from
Muskegon to
Heights, had
six points,
nine
rebounds and
six blocked
shots.
The
exclamation
point on the
victory came
with 2:13
remaining,
when
McDaniel
grabbed yet
another
offensive
rebound for
his team and
dunked it
home.
“That felt
great, to
make a play
like that
and beat
Heights in
my senior
year,” said
McDaniel, a
6-5 senior
with an
incredibly
long
wingspan.
“It wasn’t
so much
getting the
dunk, but
just getting
the victory.
Heights has
had our
number for
awhile.”
Not this
year.
This time,
Muskegon
beat
Muskegon
Heights at
its own
game.
