SN 1-8-2022

The Sun and News, Saturday, January 8, 2022/ Page 9

Caledonia boys set to

do battle in OK Red

The Caledonia varsity

boys’ basketball team fin-

ished off its pre-conference

schedule by scoring an

80-55 win at Mattawan

Tuesday.

The win moves the

Caledonia boys’ record to

3-2 overall this season. The

Scots were bested 64-52 in

their final game of 2021,

against visiting Okemos

Dec. 30.

The Fighting Scots were

scheduled to begin confer-

ence play against a 5-

Rockford team at

Caledonia High School

Friday.

The Scots are on the road

to face 4-2 Jenison Tuesday

and 5-0 Grand Haven

Friday in the week ahead in

the OK Red.

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WE

WORK ALL

WINTER

Volunteers begin push

towards February Winterfest

at Gun Lake

Gearing up for the 2022

Gun Lake Winterfest, event

organizers began holding

their volunteer meetings

weekly this month.

Meetings are held on

Mondays at 6 p.m. at Red’s

Sports Bar and Grill in

Middleville.

Winterfest is still on the

hunt for sponsors for the

2022 event, which will be

held the weekend of Feb. 19.

Information on becoming a

sponsor of the event can be

found on the Winterfest

website at gunlakewinter-

fest.com.

Plans are already in the

works this year for the

return of the Gun Lake Idol

karaoke contest, with final

rounds to be held at Stage

131 at the Gun Lake Casino

Feb. 16. A euchre

Tournament is planned for

Feb. 17 at the VFW in

Wayland. There will be the

usual Firemen’s Pancake

Breakfast at Yankee Springs

Fire Department, the polar

dip, a brew tent, trolley,

vendor tent, a disc golf

tournament and kids games

and activitiesSaturday, Feb.

19.

Registration forms for a

.05K Beer Run are on the

event website as well.

Turnovers troublesome for TK boys as they fall at Plainwell

Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
It is on to the tough OK
Gold Conference schedule
now for the TK boys.
The Thornapple Kellogg
varsity boys’ basketball
team was set to open con-
ference play at South
Christian last night, Jan. 8.
TK was 1-3 in its four
non-conference ballgames
to open the season. The TK

Trojans fell 60-48 at the

home of the Plainwell

Trojans Tuesday in the first

game back from the holiday

break.

Terrell Jefferson had a

team-high 25 points for TK

and Jaymes Thorne added

nine points.

TK head coach Josh

Thaler said it was turnovers

that really did his guys in.

“We had 20 turnovers

and they had 18 points off

turnovers and 13 points off

of second chance rebonds.

Two areas where if you

minimize those things, that

is half their points off those

two aspects of the ball-

game,” Thaler said.

“We’re getting to our

spots of where we want to

be able to penetrate,”

Thaler said of the battle

against turnovers. “Now it

is just being consistent on

making good passes. That

is not just on the passer,

but also to the guy who the

ball is being passed to. If

we get stuck in one spot it

is still easy for the defend-

er to step in and take that

pass away.”

With some absences

from the usual rotation,

Thaler was happy to see

Tyler Gavette and Jaxon

Sias, up from the junior

varsity, contribute some

good minutes. The TK

coach said Sias had six or

seven rebounds in the quar-

ter of action he saw.

TK was down 29-23 at

the half and the Plainwell

lead hung around there until

the final minutes when the

Plainwell Trojans started

knocking down free throws

as the TK boys had to foul

to try and extend the game.

Overall, Thaler liked the

defensive intensity his guys

played with throughout the

ballgame.

TK will be on the road at

Forest Hills Eastern

Tuesday, Jan. 11, and then

home to take on Kenowa

Hills Jan. 14. That is the

Trojans’ lone home contest

until a Jan. 25 match-up

with Wayland.

Michigan DNR offers tips for outdoor adventurers in winter

As many people start ven-
turing outside for winter
recreation, the Michigan
Department of Natural
Resources reminds every-
one to consider seasonal
safety tips before enjoying
their favorite winter activi-
ties.
“People often get caught
up in the excitement of the
moment and overlook gen-
eral winter safety,” said Lt.
Tom Wanless, with the
DNR Law Enforcement
Division’s Recreational
Safety, Enforcement and
Safety Section. “We want
to send out a beginning of
the season reminder to
please keep safety in mind
this winter. Dress for the
weather, check the forecast
before you go out and, if
you’re snowmobiling,
please ride sober and at a
safe speed.”
Regardless of ones
favorite winter activity,
people should prepare
before they leave the
house by checking, dress-

ing and packing for the

weather. That means any

number of things, includ-

ing wearing light layers

that can easily be added or

removed - it is possible to

overheat even during the

winter.

Adventurers should

carry the appropriate

equipment for your activi-

ty, such as a flashlight,

rope, ice picks or ice claws

and even have spare equip-

ment available in case

something breaks. Folks

are reminded to stay

hydrated and fueled - bring

water and snacks.

Bringing a buddy is not a

bad idea, and it is a good

idea to inform others about

where one will be and how

long they plan to be gone

and schedule check-in

times.

In Michigan, all snow-

mobile operators between

ages 12 and 16 are required

to obtain a Michigan-

approved snowmobile safe-

ty certificate to operate

without a legal guardian or

to cross a highway or street.

Riders can earn a snowmo-

bile safety certificate or

purchase a trail permit

online at Michigan.gov/

Snowmobiling.

The DNR’s Ride Right

snowmobile safety cam-

paign emphasizes the

importance of riding sober,

at a safe speed and on the

right side of the trail. Speed

is the main factor in fatal

and serious injury snowmo-

bile accidents.

There were 12 fatal acci-

dents during the 2020-

snowmobile season.

If you plan to plan to be

around ice, always use

extreme caution, as there is

no reliable way to test ice

thickness.

A pond begins to freeze over in 2021 near the snowmobile trail through the Middleville State Game Area in

Irving Township. The Michigan DNR is encouraging good safety habits by all outdoor enthusiasts this winter.