Mourning Those Who Contributed Much
April 14, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend was a sad one for those who work in Michigan high school athletics or have appreciated the contributions from three who gave significantly to our games but died after long fights with cancer.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart's Keisha Brown, Grand Haven's Robin Bye and Haslett's Jamie Gent left memorable legacies in their passing – Brown on Thursday, Gent on Friday and Bye on Saturday.
Following are just a few details of their contributions to schools and sports, followed by a handful of Twitter posts celebrating their commitments.
- Brown in 2006 became the first and only female coach to lead a boys team to the MHSAA Basketball Finals, guiding the Irish to the Class D Final before they fell to Wyoming Tri-unity Christian. She also served as principal and athletic director at Sacred Heart and coached the boys basketball team to a 114-30 record before taking over the Alma College women’s program, which she coached through this season. Click to read the memorial column from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun’s Jim Lahde.
"RIP Keisha Brown. What a truly inspiring human being that battled cancer with courage and strength. My thoughts are with her family.” – Oakland Press reporter Drew Ellis, formerly of the Morning Sun
“Rest in Peace Keisha Brown #TrueWarrior. Words cannot express my sadness #HeartBroken.” – Alma College Sports Information Director Mike Hanson
- Bye worked in the Grand Haven school system for 34 years, including the last two-plus as athletic director after formerly serving as an assistant and a girls basketball coach. He also had been a middle school art teacher in the district, and last year received its “Spirit of Grand Haven” award for commitment and dedication to Grand Haven schools. Click to read the story on his passing from the Muskegon Chronicle’s Scott Brandenburg.
“Thinking of the Bye family tonight. Robin will be missed. As a person and an AD, he made me want to be better a person/coach. God Bless.” – Grand Haven boys basketball coach Steve Hewitt.
“I will miss Robin Bye. He made a big difference for the youth in our town, more than an athletic director; an inspiration.” – Grand Haven parent Pat McGinnis
- Gent began his career at Haslett in 1967 as a middle school teacher and high school coach in three sports. He was head coach of the track and field, boys basketball and football varsity teams at different times and began his second stint as the school’s athletic director in 1991. He also was an MHSAA registered official for more than 15 years and a mentor to many both in the Lansing area and statewide through his contributions to the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. He received the MHSAA’s Charles E. Forsythe Award in 2008. See below for a video posted that year in honor of Gent as he retired as athletic director, and click for Dick Hoekstra's piece in the Lansing State Journal posted today.
“Sad to hear of the passing of Jamie Gent, long time Haslett HS athletic director. Really great guy, very kind hearted.” – former Haslett athlete, current White Pigeon teacher/coach Kurt Twichell
“Jamie Gent was one of the best ADs I had the privilege to know. A great loss tonight for the Haslett community.” – Chelsea football coach Brad Bush
PHOTOS: (Clockwise from left) Former Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart boys basketball coach Keisha Brown comforts one of her players after the Irish fell in the Class D Final in 2006. Jamie Gent, left, receives his Charles E. Forsythe Award from Negaunee's Jim Derocher during the 2008 Boys Basketball Finals. Grand Haven athletic director, Robin Bye, is recognized as an assistant coach on the 1981 girls basketball team inducted into the Grand Haven sports Hall of Fame.
Watervliet Baseball Cements 'Legendary' Status with School's 1st Finals Win
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
June 15, 2024
EAST LANSING — The terms “legendary” or “historic” often can be exaggerated, but that forever won’t be the case with the 2024 Watervliet baseball team.
Going into Saturday’s Division 3 Baseball Final, Watervliet not only hadn’t won a baseball state championship, but longtime athletic director Ken Dietz said the school had never won a state championship in ANY sport.
That isn’t the case anymore, as Watervliet took its community on a historic ride and punctuated it with a history-making 9-1 title-clinching triumph over Jackson Lumen Christi at McLane Stadium.
Whether it’s parades or festivals over the summer in the community, or for future reunions, the team will never be forgotten in the southwestern Michigan town.
The championship also was the perfect gift for Dietz, who is retiring after nearly four decades of service.
“The whole town turned up, and we appreciate all the support,” said Watervliet head coach Josh Tremblay.
The seeds were sown for Watervliet after it lost in the Quarterfinals last year. With only two starters not returning from that team, the Panthers knew 2024 had the potential to be special.
“We lost a game we probably shouldn’t have last year, and we know it,” said Watervliet senior Alex Hicks. “We had a lot built up inside of us that we were going to take it this year. We knew we had the core, and we were ready to go.”
The Panthers finished the job in East Lansing by doing what they did throughout the MHSAA Tournament – pitch well and play great defense.
Watervliet (31-7) allowed just seven runs over the entire tournament and didn’t make an error in the Final, while Lumen Christi made five.
After senior Wyatt Epple allowed just two runs in a Semifinal win over Detroit Edison, sophomore Caleb Jewell did even better in the title decider, allowing just one run, striking out six and walking none in a complete-game effort.
“We knew we had a lot of guys returning with experience,” Tremblay said. “We had really high expectations. We knew our pitching and our defense was good. We got our bats hot at the right time, and we’re really hard to beat when we have all three working.”
Offensively, junior leadoff hitter Owen Epple led the way with two hits and three RBI, while No. 9 hitter and senior Chase Tremblay had two hits and two RBI.
Lumen Christi, which was making its first trip to a championship game since 2015, finished 30-11.
“It’s a special season for these guys,” Lumen Christi head coach Phil Clifford said. “We won the Catholic League and lost in the state finals. You can’t script it any better than that other than winning this game. I’m really proud of everyone.”
Watervliet broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning with three runs. The Panthers took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single to right by senior and No 8 hitter Caden Burdick, and then Tremblay hit a sacrifice fly to right for a 2-0 lead. Epple then followed with an RBI single to center.
Lumen Christi got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting its deficit to 3-1 on an RBI single with two outs by junior Nathan Hinkley.
In the sixth, the Panthers added a run on a sacrifice fly by Hicks for a 4-1 lead. It was the fourth RBI sacrifice fly of the weekend for Hicks.
The Panthers then got precious insurance runs in the seventh, scoring five to take a 9-1 lead. The big blow was a two-run double by Epple that made it 8-1.
Lumen Christi also helped Watervliet’s rally by committing three errors in the final inning.
PHOTOS (Top) Watervliet celebrates its first Finals championship in any sport Saturday at McLane Stadium. (Middle) The Panthers’ Wyatt Epple (10) and Lumen Christi catcher Kash Kalahar follow one of his drives. (Below) Sam Crago (12) slides into home safely for Watervliet.