Bellaire's 'Captain' Robinson Making Senior-Year Impact Sure to Last
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
February 18, 2022
Oh, the glory days.
When Paul Koepke took over Bellaire basketball, he stepped into some mighty big coaching shoes.
He’s got the Eagles on the right track as they work to return to being a powerhouse program. The culture almost fits the visions he’s had since taking over for legendary and hall of fame coach Stan Sexton. They’re 8-7 overall and 6-5 in Ski Valley League play.
But today he’s preparing to lose his only senior starter, Cole Robinson, perhaps better known as The Captain. Robinson may not be as famous as the professional athletes whose careers led to being known as The Captain — baseball’s Derek Jeter and hockey’s Steve Yzerman —but he is to the locals.
“I have a bunch of freshmen,” noted Koepke, who’s been around the Eagles since the early 2000s as a middle school and varsity assistant coach. “I couldn’t ask for a better set up than having him as my captain.”
Robinson, a three-sport star for the Eagles, joined Bellaire’s 22-2 varsity team his freshman year as the postseason run ended with a 50-41 upset loss to Suttons Bay in the Regional. That loss ended a string of deep postseason runs covering decades. It was Koepke’s first year at the helm.
Today the Eagles are preparing to host Fife Lake Forest Area with their captain possibly on the sideline. He suffered an ankle injury in this week’s 44-32 win over Pellston. Koepke helped the senior guard off the floor after his first career injury.
He saw a glimpse of how things could be next year without The Captain, but he loved how his Eagles responded and how Robinson handled it.
The Eagles immediately went into a “win it for Cole” mode. Bellaire hopes tonight’s game will be the only game the 6-foot, 205-pounder needs to sit for a full recovery.
“Cole was on the bench cheering like a mad man after the injury,” Koepke said. “The kids were high-fiving him, and he was coaching kids up.
“We probably had better effort after that,” he continued. “We competed at a higher level, and I think we won that one for Cole.”
The injury didn’t hamper his leadership skills a bit. The Eagles beat Pellston with the same freshmen and sophomores Robinson’s had under his wings for some time.
Robinson has high hopes the young players will help win a District championship like the Eagles regularly did during their glory days. He has yet to win a District title – in any sport – during his years at Bellaire. He’s got this basketball season and his senior baseball season to experience it.
He did experience a first earlier this basketball season. Bellaire beat Gaylord St. Mary 69-62 on Feb. 8, the first win Cole and his senior teammates had experienced over the Snowbirds in any sport.
Robinson, who admits football is his favorite sport followed by baseball, likes helping his young teammates on the court. And he can’t wait to see them on the baseball field.
The Eagles have racked up more basketball wins this season than the previous two combined.
“For us, this is a big improvement,” Robinson said. “We’re a really young team.
“I think we’re going to surprise a few teams in the Districts,” he continued. “It’s going to be a tough one.”
Ellsworth, last year’s champion, will likely get the top seed in the 2022 tournament, hosted by Central Lake. Boyne Falls and Gaylord St. Mary also will vie for the title. The Eagles lost to Ellsworth 70-52 in the season opener. The freshmen were coming off just a two-game middle school season due to COVID-19 cancellations.
“Our record is starting to show we’re not just a bunch of freshmen just being freshmen,” Koepke said. “We’re starting to get pretty good.”
Bellaire starts three freshmen, a sophomore and The Captain.
“This man is selfless,” Koepke said about Robinson. “He’s the first one to come to me when I get there (to practice or games) to give me a fist bump and ask me how my day is going.
“Captain means a lot of things. He’s the last one to go off the bus. He cleans the bus. He’s the last one to leave the locker room.”
Robinson is averaging nearly six points and three assists per game. He also hauls in eight rebounds per contest. He’s coming from an outstanding football season as the Eagles’ tight end, tackle and defensive end. He had two touchdown receptions in the fall.
Jayden Hansen, a freshman, leads the team in scoring at more than 15 per game. Another freshman, Drake Koepke, averages 12 points. Hanson is among Northern Michigan’s leading rebounders. Koepke, the coach’s son, is among the area’s leaders in steals.
“We’re always looking for the third scorer,” Koepke said.
But the starting lineup is set.
“We finally kind of found out these are our guys, our lineup,” Koepke said. “We’re growing now.
“We understand who we are, and now we have to fix some things we struggle with,” he continued. “Right now we have a great attitude, and we are peaking.”
Robinson goes back a long way in Bellaire. He was a water boy for the varsity team when his father, Brock, was the Eagles’ head football coach. Brock died suddenly in 2020, and had served as The Captain’s youth football and baseball coach and high school football coach his freshmen and sophomore seasons.
The younger Robinson also lost his 2020 baseball season due to COVID. But he has persevered. Today he’s a regular on the court coaching youth basketball and his youthful teammates.
“You can say it’s been a little tough —I obviously miss him of course,” The Captain said. “He loved sports just as much as I do.
“I think about him usually before most sporting events – especially football games I’d think about him beforehand.”
Coach Koepke, who also assisted Coach Robinson in football, is amazed by his captain’s career and his contribution to the Eagles’ success.
“He is always a positive person,” Koepke said. “There are so many things he does.”
If the Eagles don’t make the great run this season as they have in the past, the veterans they’ll have next season along with others impacted by Robinson should help them return to the glory days.
“You are going to be a better person because you met Cole,” Koepke said. “That’s basically what Cole is.
“We’re all going to miss Cole. He’s made me a better person for sure.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Bellaire’s Cole Robinson looks for an open teammate during a game against Johannesburg-Lewiston. (Middle) Robinson works to bring down a Bear Lake ball carrier. (Below) Robinson works with players in Bellaire’s youth program on their shooting form. (Top and middle photos courtesy of the Antrim Review; below photo courtesy of the Bellaire athletic department.)
1st & Goal: 2024 Week 5 Review
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 30, 2024
We have our first league champions of the 2024 Michigan high school football season. And we have several more who could join them soon.
We highlight many of both below in our discussion of Week 5 and as we moved past the midway point of the regular season. That being the case, you’ll also notice several references to playoff-point average and positioning, a growing theme of note as we continue into the final four weeks before this year’s brackets are selected Oct. 27.
Bay & Thumb
HEADLINER Port Huron Northern 30, Port Huron 23 After an 0-2 start this season, Northern has won all three of its league games and can clinch a share of the Macomb Area Conference Blue title against Fraser this week. Lincoln Watkins scored the go-ahead points with 3:26 to play, and Mailk Thompson had two interceptions over the final 2:54 as Northern avenged last season’s 34-0 loss to the Red Hawks (3-2). Click for from the Port Huron Times Herald.
Watch list Saginaw Heritage 10, Lapeer 7 Despite an 0-2 start in Saginaw Valley League Red play, Heritage (3-2) isn’t going away. The Hawks will need major some help to climb back into the league title race, but handing Lapeer (4-1) its first loss was the right start.
On the move Almont 28, Croswell-Lexington 14 This along with Armada’s big win over Yale set up an Almont/Armada matchup this week for first place in the Blue Water Area Conference. Almont (5-0) is the reigning champ and Cros-Lex (3-2) was the runner-up last year. Chesaning 17, Birch Run 9 Chesaning is 5-0 for the first time since its Division 4 championship season of 2001 and will see the other top three teams in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference over the next three weeks after sending Birch Run to 2-3. Grand Blanc 35, Lansing Everett 21 The Bobcats (4-1) continued an impressive surge by handing Everett (4-1) its first loss. Grand Blanc has jumped from No. 21 to No. 10 in Division 1 playoff-point average over the last two weeks.
Greater Detroit
HEADLINER Detroit Catholic Central 31, Warren De La Salle Collegiate 14 Sunday’s Boys Bowl victory put Detroit Catholic Central (5-0) within one more win of clinching a share of the Catholic High School League Central title. DCC jumped out to a 21-0 first-half lead, and Samson Gash scored three times as the Shamrocks ended a three-game losing streak against the Pilots (3-2). Click for more from the Oakland Press.
Watch list Lake Orion 28, Rochester Adams 25 Lake Orion (4-1) impressed with a season-opening win over Northville, lost a tough one to much-improved Oxford in Week 4, but bounced back to stop a charging Adams team (4-1). The Oakland Activities Association Red race remains wide open as the Dragons seek to repeat.
On the move Riverview 52, Flat Rock 45 Riverview (5-0) will face Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central this week for first in the Huron League after downing another former co-leader Flat Rock (4-1) with a go-ahead touchdown during the final seconds. Warren Fitzgerald 18, Madison Heights Lamphere 7 Fitzgerald started this season 0-2 but can clinch a share of the MAC Gold title this week after handing a first loss to Lamphere (4-1), which entered the game atop the statewide Division 4 playoff-point average list. Birmingham Groves 28, Harper Woods 12 Groves (5-0) clinched a share of the Oakland Activities Association White title after finishing second a year ago, when league opponents Harper Woods and Southfield Arts & Technology both went on to win MHSAA Finals championships.
Mid-Michigan
HEADLINER DeWitt 42, East Lansing 35 Although this was only their second league game, the high-scoring Panthers (5-0) put themselves in position to take back the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title for the first time since 2021 and also moved into the top spot for statewide Division 3 playoff-point average. Trav Moore scored three times, and the Panthers made a last-minute defensive stand as DeWitt defeated reigning league champ East Lansing (3-2) in the teams’ third-straight meeting decided by seven points or fewer. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal.
Watch list Leslie 45, Manchester 28 It’s still early in the Cascades Conference East schedule as well, but Leslie stands alone on top after handing Manchester (4-1) its first defeat. The Blackhawks finished 4-5 and fifth in the league a year ago.
On the move Portland 35, Lansing Catholic 14 The two-time reigning champ Raiders (5-0) extended their CAAC White winning streak to 17 as they moved into first place alone thanks to a third-straight victory over the Cougars (3-2). Howell 27, Northville 12 The Highlanders (5-0) already have outdone their finishes from the last two seasons and are tied for first in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West after this win over reigning champion Northville (2-3). Ovid-Elsie 42, Montrose 7 The Marauders (5-0) kept pace with Chesaning in the MMAC and put Montrose a game back in avenging last year’s 29-22 loss to the Rams (3-2).
Northern Lower Peninsula
HEADLINER Traverse City St. Francis 49, Kingsley 20 As stated in Friday’s preview, the winner of this showdown would emerge as the likely favorite in the Northern Michigan Football League Legends, and St. Francis (4-1) can now clinch a share of the title this week at Cheboygan. The Gladiators broke away after taking a 22-14 lead into halftime to avenge a 44-21 loss to the Stags (3-2) from last season. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Watch list Ogemaw Heights 41, Clare 34 In its first season in the Jack Pine Conference, Ogemaw Heights (5-0) edged an annual favorite to pull within a win of clinching a share of the JPC Division 1 title. Ogemaw moved past Clare (4-1) with the go-ahead score with 1:08 to play.
On the move Maple City Glen Lake 7, East Jordan 6 Glen Lake (4-1) can clinch a share of the NMFL Legacy title this week after handing East Jordan (3-2) its second one-score loss in as many weeks. Traverse City Central 21, Midland Dow 7 Central (2-3) pulled Dow (2-3) out of the shared lead in the SVL Blue and also moved up substantially in Division 2 playoff-point average after three straight losses to start this month. Charlevoix 34, Benzie Central 14 Charlevoix (3-2) is one win from clinching the NMFL Leaders championship for the second-straight season after defeating last year’s league runner-up Benzie (2-3).
Southeast & Border
HEADLINER Petersburg Summerfield 20, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 14 The final Tri-County Conference championship in football may be headed to Summerfield (4-1), which can clinch a share of its eighth championship in this league either this week (if Whiteford defeats Erie Mason) or next (with a win over Erie Mason) after its first win over Whiteford (2-3) since their 2020 District Final. The Bulldogs scored the only touchdown of the second half and made an impressive defensive stand, especially considering Whiteford had scored at least 42 points every meeting during a four-game winning streak in the rivalry. Click for more from the Monroe News.
Summerfield 🏈 spoiled Whiteford's Homecoming festivities by posting a 20-14 triumph. pic.twitter.com/BQWtQrwLsD
— BCSN (@BCSNsports) September 29, 2024
Watch list Ypsilanti Community 27, Jackson 20 Ypsilanti Community (2-3) tied its win total from last season and moved into the No. 32 spot on the Division 3 playoff-point average list with its first win over Jackson since the Vikings (4-1) joined the Southeastern Conference in 2018. The Grizzlies also have losses by only five and one point as they seek their first winning season since 2014.
On the move Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 32, Milan 0 As noted above, SMCC (5-0) will face Riverview this week for first in the Huron League, and coming off its third-straight shutout. Hudson 44, Blissfield 6 After opening this season with a loss, Hudson (4-1) continues to roll and sits tied for Clinton atop the Lenawee County Athletic Association. Napoleon 30, Grass Lake 26 The reigning champion in the Cascades Conference East, Napoleon (3-2) bounced back from a Week 4 loss and could make the standings messy this week against leader Leslie and with Grass Lake (3-2) also in the mix still as well.
Southwest Corridor
HEADLINER Parchment 32, South Haven 0 With its third shutout of the season, Parchment (4-1) advanced its best start since 2017 and avenged last year’s 52-20 loss to South Haven (2-3). The Panthers amassed nearly 500 yards of offense and are one of three teams tied for first early in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Watch list Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 6, Battle Creek Central 0 The Knights (3-2) already have guaranteed their best finish since 2012 and after winning a combined three games over the last four seasons. They returned to the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference this fall after four seasons as an independent.
On the move Portage Central 7, Mattawan 0 Portage Central (3-2) remains one of three teams without a league loss early in the SMAC East, despite a significant push from the Wildcats (2-3). Union City 35, Sand Creek 14 Union City (5-0) joins Bronson and Springport atop the Big 8 Conference standings and plays them back-to-back, respectively, over the next two weeks. Dowagiac 63, Benton Harbor 6 After a few rough seasons to start this decade, Dowagiac is 4-1 for the second season in a row – and seeking to improve on last fall’s 5-4 finish.
Upper Peninsula
HEADLINER Escanaba 62, Grayling 21 With its highest-scoring game since 2009, Escanaba (3-2) guaranteed its best finish since 2019 after winning two games apiece the last two seasons. All three Escanaba victories this fall have avenged losses from a year ago; Grayling won last season’s meeting 37-30. Click for more from the Escanaba Daily Press.
Watch list West Iron County 24, Gwinn 16 (2 OT) West Iron had a rough go over the last three seasons, winning just one game total. But in avenging two losses to Gwinn (2-3) from a year ago, the Wykons (2-3) have guaranteed their best finish since 2020.
On the move Iron Mountain 63, L’Anse 8 The Mountaineers (5-0) clinched a share of the Western Peninsula Activities Conference Iron championship and ran their regular-season winning streak to 22. Ishpeming Westwood 42, Gladstone 15 The Patriots (2-3) have doubled their win total from a year ago in avenging last year’s 49-8 loss to Gladstone. Kingsford 14, Calumet 0 The Flivvers (5-0) posted their third shutout in five games but also ran into a strong defensive effort from the Copper Kings (2-3), who held Kingsford to a season low.
West Michigan
HEADLINER Hudsonville Unity Christian 20, Zeeland West 8 These two entered the weekend among 28 undefeated teams statewide, and Unity (5-0) finished the weekend leading an Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold that also includes among six teams three at 4-1 and a fourth at 3-2. Unity scored a season low, but also joined Mona Shores as the only teams to keep the Dux (4-1) to single digits over the last five seasons. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Watch list Jenison 15, Rockford 14 If the season ended today, Jenison (2-3) would be in the playoffs for the first time since 2018 (not counting 2020, when nearly every team qualified because of COVID-19). This will be an unforgettable win from coach Josh Lucas’ first season as it broke a 12-game losing streak to the Rams (3-2) that began in 2006.
On the move Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 34, Grand Rapids South Christian 13 South Christian (4-1) also entered the weekend among the undefeated, but reigning Division 3 champion FHC (4-1) did its part to also shake up the O-K Gold standings. Muskegon Mona Shores 42, Muskegon 27 The Sailors (5-0) ended a five-game losing streak against the Big Reds (1-3) that included regular-season and playoff defeats in 2023. Lowell 28, Cedar Springs 14 The Red Arrows (3-2) were another team to hand out a first loss this week, to the Red Hawks (4-1), and did so for the second consecutive week after delivering Marquette its first defeat as well in Week 4.
8-Player
HEADLINER Burr Oak 60, Waldron 34 After last scoring 60 pints in 2020, Burr Oak (4-1) did so for the third time this fall in handing Waldron (4-1) its first loss. The last time Burr Oak had defeated the Spartans also was in 2020. And keep an eye on this storyline: The Bobcats’ next two opponents are both 1-4, and two more wins would guarantee Burr Oak its best finish since 1974, according to Michigan-Football.com. Click for more from the Sturgis Journal.
Watch list Morrice 22, Fulton 0 The Orioles (4-1) bounced back from their first loss with their second shutout of the season, handing a first defeat to the Pirates (4-1) – who were averaging nearly 58 points per game.
On the move Brown City 26, Kingston 16 Brown City supporters may have just become Kingston’s biggest fans outside the Cardinals’ hometown as this Green Devils (4-1) win kept them in the Big Thumb Conference Blue race – as long as Kingston (4-1) can defeat league leader Deckerville in two weeks. Gobles 38, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 8 Gobles (5-0) handed NorthPointe its first in-state loss this season in avenging last year’s defeat by the Mustangs (3-2). Indian River Inland Lakes 30, Ishpeming 22 Inland Lakes (5-0) held on for its closest regular-season victory this fall. Ishpeming (3-2), meanwhile, faced an undefeated opponent for the third-straight week. Britton Deerfield 48, Adrian Lenawee Christian 26 Britton Deerfield (4-1) clinched a share of the Southern Central Athletic Association White championship with its first win over Lenawee Christian since 2014.
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PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Catholic Central’s Samson Gash reaches the end zone during his team’s win over Warren De La Salle Collegiate. (2) DeWitt’s Jadon Bender (11) cuts back between East Lansing defenders. (3) Negaunee's Brady Mager (4) takes on Hancock's Ethan Anderson (45) during the Miners’ 48-20 win. (4) Perry defenders pursue a Bath ball carrier during the Bees’ 40-0 victory. (Top photo by Adam Sheehan. DeWitt/East Lansing photo by Terry Lyons. Negaunee/Hancock photo by Cara Kamps. Perry/Bath photo by John Johnson.)