The Sun and News, Saturday, April 17, 2021/ Page 11Scots happy to be kicking it around the yard again
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
A lot of Caledonia girls
were focused on the 2020
season, and missing out on
that campaign was made all
the tougher for the Caledonia
varsity girls’ soccer team
because the roster included
13 seniors.
The seniors of the Class of
2021 are getting their season
in thought, and they’re
already off to a 2-2 start with
a 1-2 mark in the OK Red
Conference.
“On a personal level, I am
extremely happy these ladies
get to have a season,”
Caledonia head coach Paul
Kramer said in the presea-
son. “After the horror of the
2020 season being cancelled
and 13 seniors losing out on
their last high school season
(my daughter being one of
them), I plan on not allowing
any of us to take a moment
of the 2021 season for grant-
ed. If we have learned any-
thing so far this school year,
it is that your season can be
shut down or taken away at a
moment’s notice through no
fault of your own.”
“This might be a very sim-
plistic approach to looking at
our season opposed to just
the results, etc., but the men-
tal well being of our players
comes first and that flourish-
es just by being together as a
team practicing and getting
to play games. The results
will be what they are (and
they are important), but at
least we have the chance to
achieve them”
The senior class for the
Fighting Scots this spring is
highlighted by forward
Carmen Maas and winger/
defender Kennedy Elles.
Coach Kramer is also happy
to welcome sophomore
Stella Haan back to the varsi-
ty after she earned a spot as a
freshman in tryouts lastspring.
Freshman Laney Petersen
and freshman goalkeeper
Davaney Balczak will add to
an already strong back line
for the Scots.
“Defensively we should
be very strong, “Kramer
said, “with two exceptional
goalkeepers and a stout
backline, we can remain in
any game against any oppo-
nent.”
The Scots have to be ready
against every opponent in the
OK Red Conference as any
team can beat any other on
nearly any evening, depend-
ing on which players are
available for that evening’s
contest.
“We have a good core, and
some good youth talent that
has come in as well,” Kramer
said. “Losing a week of pre-
season with our tryout date
pushed back did not help the
cause, so we will look to
build and progress through-out the season and quickly
learn from any mistakes we
make. The one thing I know
for certain is this is a very
hard-working group with a
strong desire to get better
and a good camaraderie
between each other. The
team culture is good and we
will continue to build on
that.”
Rockford, Hudsonville
and Grand Haven look to be
the favorites in the OK Red
early on according to Kramer.
The Rams and Buccaneers
are the two teams that have
bested the Scots so far in
conference play.
Caledonia is scheduled for
another tough week in the
conference with games at
Grandville Tuesday and at
home against Hudsonville
Thursday in the week ahead.
They finish the week with
Saturday home game against
Portage Northern April 24.Good Luck
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Athletes
Amber LewandowskiJosh OomScots hope seasoned distance
runners and new sprinters score well
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
Caledonia varsity boys’
track and field coach Ben
Thompson, who is entering
his 18th season leading the
program, is hoping his boys
have what it takes to finish in
the top half of the OK Red
Conference this spring.
The Rockford, East
Kentwood and Hudsonville
group that should make up
the top three will be tough to
break into, but the Fighting
Scots might have the make-
up to be right there in the
mix in the middle of the
pack.
Rockford showed off itsstrength in a 113-23 win over
the Caledonia boys to open
the conference duals this
week.
Caledonia managed two
first place finishes, with Eli
Miller taking the high jump
at 5 feet 4 inches and Daniel
Cruz winning the discus with
a throw of 119-0.
The Scots went 2-4 to fin-
ish in fifth place in the OK
Red in 2019.
“Our goal is to continue to
move up in arguably the best
track conference in
Michigan,” coach Thompson
said. “We want to move up
higher than fifth this year in
the conference standings. Weshould be able to lean on our
mid-distance and distance
kids and add our new sprint-
ers to that mix.”
The distance group should
be a good one, with plenty of
representation from the state
runner-up cross country team
from last fall. That pack is
led by senior Jamin
Thompson and junior Josh
Oom. Coach Thompson is
also happy to have seniors
Ian Scheidel, Eli Haan, Eli
Miller, Jayden Martin and
junior David Carey back try-
ing to score points for the
varsity team after a year
without a track season.
Coach Thompson is alsoexcited to add senior Brendon
Standhardt, freshman DJ
Walker and sophomores
Jimmie Floyd and Justice
Reed to the scoring mix.
Coach Thompson said he
likes his team’s leadership
and its attitude, but it is a
somewhat smaller roster this
spring – especially in the
field events.
The Scots are back in
action today, April 17, host-
ing their annual Soderman
Relays. They will go on the
road Monday to take on
Hudsonville and then host
Grandville Wednesday in the
week ahead.