Defense Key to Sailors' Title Defense
September 21, 2016
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – Goalkeeping and defense were catalysts in last year’s MHSAA Division 3 championship run for the Grand Rapids South Christian boys soccer team.
As the Sailors attempt to replicate last year’s success, those two elements remain vital in their quest for back-to-back titles.
South Christian, top-ranked in Division 3 this week, has had to fill huge holes after the departures of all-state goalie Carter Selvius and all-state Dream Team defender Austin Clark.
“Our defense is really what we’re working on right now, knowing the guys I lost,” Sailors coach Jason Boersma said. “We lost our goalie and two real keys to our defense. It doesn’t automatically get replaced overnight having new players coming in.
“We’re working hard at figuring out what the best line-up is. We’re doing well, and we haven’t had a lot of goals scored on us, so that’s a positive.”
The Sailors surrendered only 13 goals last season, including only a single goal over seven MHSAA tournament victories.
They defeated Williamston 1-0 in a shootout to capture their third MHSAA Final in the last six years.
Selvius was one of the heroes in that game with 14 saves, and Boersma knew his absence in the net would be felt entering this season.
There was no clear-cut favorite to take over in net at the beginning. That allowed Boersma to look at a group of potential replacements.
“That’s why I kept four of them on my team,” Boersma said. “We knew what we were losing, and we had four guys who were somewhat equal. They all had different strengths and weaknesses, and we were going to let them battle it out.”
Junior Jake Tanis earned the job, and has spent a majority of time in the net.
“I’m going to give him as much experience as I can right now with him playing every single game just for more knowledge back there,” Boersma said. “He was more of a field guy, but his best chance to get time on this team was as a goalie. He has a big frame. He’s 6-2, 230 pounds, and so he has good size and is very athletic. He’s really learning right now.”
Senior midfielder Ryan Doornbos is one of eight starters back. He has faith in the players who have filled in at important positions.
“I trust them,” he said. “They’ve done a good job so far in replacing those roles, and I hope they continue to do that the rest of the year.”
Thirteen in all have returned from last season, including standouts Zack DeKock, Emmett DeJong, Sam DeVries and Daniel Sculley.
The Sailors opened the season with nine straight wins, but suffered consecutive losses to East Grand Rapids (2-0) and Caledonia (1-0) during the past week.
Doornbos missed both games with a concussion, while DeKock also is nursing an injury and didn’t play against Caledonia.
“It’s a huge difference with having him on the field for the team chemistry and moving the ball around,” Boersma said. “The effort he brings is phenomenal, and that’s a huge loss without him. He should be back within a week.”
The recent setbacks and injuries haven’t spoiled the Sailors’ outlook. Boersma would rather have them occur now than in late October and November.
“The guys are OK with losses because they learn from them,” he said. “Obviously no player likes to lose and they are competitive, but they are real good at sitting back after a game and knowing that they have to work on this and this.
“They are a very hard-working crew, and that’s one of my favorite things about them. They leave it all on the field each and every day. They know in games they lost that we made small mistakes. We make sure they don’t happen again.”
Boersma believes this team has the talent to make another deep run, but understands it will revolve around defensive adjustments.
“Knowing all the offense we had back, I was incredibly optimistic that we were going to have an opportunity, if we play the game we’re capable of playing, that on paper (we) could be one of the best teams in Division 3 in my mind,” Boersma said. “We also know soccer, and all the years I’ve watched my teams do well it has typically been my defense. You get great teams towards the end, and in the playoffs and there are numerous games you have to win in a shootout. That’s the way it goes in soccer.”
Doornbos hopes this year’s team can follow in the footsteps of last year’s in terms of staying together and creating a positive atmosphere.
“I think we need to keep each other hyped up and really be tight as a family,” he said. “I think that’s what helped us last year; our whole team was a family. We also enjoyed it last year, and that’s how we kept winning because we were having fun. We need to do those things and keep working hard.”
Dean Holzwarth covered primarily high school sports for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years and more recently served as sports editor of the Ionia Sentinel and as a sports photojournalist for WZZM. Contact him at[email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) South Christian players, in white jerseys, defend their goal against Middleville Thornapple Kellogg last week. (Middle) Key returnee Zack DeKock moves the ball upfield. (Photosby Craig Pollatz.)
Records May Not Show It - Yet - But Kingsley Soccer Improving, Ready to Rise
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
October 21, 2022
Kingsley did not go on unnoticed this fall in Northwest Conference soccer play.
In fact, many took considerable notice of the Stags.
And, the coaches of the league’s top teams are looking for even bigger things ahead from Kingsley. Quite, frankly, they’re hoping it comes to fruition for their own teams’ sakes.
“It’s always beneficial to have a solid conference – as it helps teams prepare for playoffs,” said Rob Sirrine, coach of this year’s league title winner, Leland. “We expect them to improve in the next few years.
“Kingsley has had a rough go of it the last few years – not unlike other schools in our conference that also have football teams,” he continued. “I think they have some potential based on the coaches they have brought in and volunteers that are helping out the program.”
Second-year Kingsley head coach Tim VanWingerden welcomed Mike Alanson as a volunteer varsity assistant coach and two middle school coaches — Bert Baker and Lars Mitchell — this fall. Baker and Mitchell had kids on the Stags’ middle school squad this season.
League opponents, including the varsity coaches, noted big differences already.
Buckley coach John Vermilya, whose Bears finished second this year after winning the crown a year ago, echoed Sirrine.
“Kingsley has shown incredible resilience over the last three seasons,” Vermilya said. “This season they bounced back with an influx of young players, and you can see their growing tactical awareness along with technical ability.”
Youth soccer is growing in the Kingsley community as well, adding to the excitement. In fact, VanWindergen has two boys —Ted, 10, and Gunnar, 9, playing in the youth program. Tabatha VanWingerden, wife of the Stags’ head coach, is the coach of the U-12 team.
Mitch Miggenburg, Kingsley’s athletic director, is pleased to see the growth in numbers as the Stags move through “a 3-5 year” plan to become more competitive in soccer and cross country. He’s hoping those sports can find success similar to that of the Stags’ football team.
Kingsley is 6-2 on the gridiron and looking ahead to the football playoffs again. The Stags are fielding a full squad of cross country runners this fall after some lean years.
With an enrollment of well under 500, Kingsley has been able to involve 62 boys in football, 10 in cross country and 17 in soccer. Miggenburg noted cuts had to be made to the school’s co-ed middle school team this fall.
“I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Miggenburg said. “If you look at our record, you might not see it.
“This is not something that is going to happen overnight,” he continued. “In order for us to develop the way we want to develop, we’ve got to put some time in outside the season. And we have some coaches willing to help and do that, and it will only benefit us in the future.”
The Stags have not won a game the last two seasons, but VanWingerden believes success, as defined by wins, is right around the corner. He knows his team has shown moments of brilliance in every contest before the goals mounted against the Stags.
VanWingerden and Kingsley have been praised for outstanding sportsmanship by referees, opposing players and coaches.
Other bright spots in 2022 included outstanding play by freshman goalie Nate Lamie and stellar defense by senior captain Zakkeus Bedford. The Stags will have to overcome the loss of Bedford, their only senior this year, who played with tremendous drive and was the leader on the field.
But, they should return rest of the squad hungry for wins. And, they’ll add some solid incoming freshman players.
“I think next year is going to be a big turnaround,” VanWingerden predicted. “So the next two, three years, we’re going to start turning some heads.”
Despite not experiencing wins either of the last two seasons, the Stags have enjoyed playing soccer.
“There is a camaraderie there with these kids I just can’t quite put my finger on, but it’s part of what binds them better, facing that adversity on a regular basis and getting though it together as a team,” VanWingerden said. “They’ve come to practice the next day determined to work hard and try to improve little by little.
“The common goal to get better pulls them together and gives them a determination that is hard to find.”
Many conference games this year were played 9 vs. 9 or 10 vs. 10 per conference agreement. Benzie Central and Glen Lake played with fewer than 11 players in every contest this season. Benzie Central, Glen Lake, Kingsley and Suttons Bay all compete in cross country, football and soccer. Leland and Buckley do not field football squads.
The Comets won a District championship 1-0 on Thursday at Suttons Bay. The Bears are playing in a District Final on Saturday in Lakeview. Kingsley’s 0-19 season ended with a Division 3 District-opening loss to Boyne City last week.
The Stags have already begun working on next year. Offseason plans include drop-in soccer and participation in a newly-developed strength and conditioning program.
“The program is not going to move forward unless we put in a ton of work,” VanWingerden acknowledged. “We’ve had glimpses into what we could be if we did it on a regular basis.
“It is really encouraging.”
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) Kingsley’s Rolando Torres works to gain possession against Traverse City Bulldogs’ Tyler Ritola (17), Jonathon Scott (27) and Syrus Ritola (19), as Josephine Arrowood officiates. (Middle) This fall’s Kingsley soccer team. (Below) Zakkeus Bedford lines up a kick this season. (Photos courtesy of the Kingsley athletic department.)