HB 4.22.2021 DONE

Page 14 — Thursday, April 22, 2021 — The Hastings Banner

DK boys chase fourth straight

SAC Valley Championship

Brett Bremer

Sports Editor

The Panthers are on their marks and set to

get going, and the starter’s pistol is finally

supposed to fire this afternoon.

The Delton Kellogg varsity boys’ track and

field team is set to compete for the first time

since the 2019 MITCA Team State Finals

when it plays host to Hackett Catholic Prep

for a Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley

Division dual today (April 22).

“We’ve already had our first three meets of

this season cancelled or postponed. Athletes,

parents, coaches and meet staff are all anx-

iously excited about getting the season started

after the long interruption of competition,”

DK head coach Dale Grimes said.

The Panthers won their third consecutive

SAC Valley Championship in 2019, going a

perfect 6-0 in conference duals. This 2021

championship will be decided only by Valley

Division duals.

Delton Kellogg has a handful of guys back

from the 2019 conference championship win-

ning squad. The group includes seniors Cole

Pape in the throws, Hunter Marshall in the

hurdles, Micah Ordway in the distance races,

junior thrower Caden Ferris, junior sprinter/

hurdler Corey Moore and junior jumper/

sprinter Cameron Spaulding.

Pape is a former state qualifier and coach

Grimes said he is desperately seeking the

chance to throw at the state finals again.

“The team this year is very well balanced in

terms of the number of athletes per grade and

each class is represented by several members

who will undoubtedly contribute to the scor-

ing,” Grimes said. “We will be relying heavily

on our juniors and seniors who have that vet-

eran experience – even though it has been

basically two years since they have had the

chance to compete. In addition, there is a sig-

nificant number of rookies, both upperclass-

men and lowerclassmen, who show great

work ethic and potential to contribute signifi-

cantly to the team.”

A few guys in that group of newcomers

working to score for the Panthers will be

seniors Gavin Houtkooper and Kiran Vazquez

in the sprints and jumps; juniors Peyton

Pumel and Austin Blocker, sophomores Philip

Halcomb, Hector Jimenez, Jason Lundquist

and Isaac Shepard and freshmen Torren

Mapes and Cade Burns.

The Valley Division of the SAC should be

tough once again. Coach Grimes expects

league newcomer Parchment to be a contend-

er for the conference title along with

Constantine, Schoolcraft and the Kalamazoo

Christian boys who should be decent as well.

The DK boys are also scheduled to run at

the Allegan Invitational Friday. Their league

dual with Schoolcraft is set for Monday after-

noon and then they will face Galesburg-

Augusta in Delton Wednesday (April 28).

Panther program still going

strong on the softball diamond

Brett Bremer

Sports Editor

It has been nearly two years since the

Delton Kellogg varsity softball team won its

second consecutive district championship.

Girls graduated, many are playing college

ball, and a few members of that 2019 squad

are back on the field in 2021 to keep the pro-

gram rolling.

The Delton Kellogg varsity softball team

looks to be strong up the middle with Lizzy

Fichtner taking over at catcher, Josie Lyons

filling the second base spot, and varsity new-

comers Abby Fichtner at pitcher and Aubrey

Aukerman at shortstop and Paige Thomas in

centerfield for head coach Duane Knight.

That group led the DK team to the finals of

the 2021 Barry County Invitational in Hastings

Saturday where the Panthers were ultimately

bested 2-1 by the Lakewood girls.

Abby Fichtner was excellent in her varsity

debut in the circle Saturday in Hastings, and

the other Fichtner behind the plate threw out

both girls who tried to steal second against her

at the tournament. Abby and Aukerman each

belted their first varsity home run over the

fence in the opening game of the tournament

too.

DK is also looking for contributions from

Allie Trantham, Mya Brickley, Jordan Lyons,

Karlee Aukerman and Allison Brandli this

spring.

The Panthers are scheduled to open

Southwestern Athletic Conference play at

Parchment this afternoon and then go to Gull

Lake Saturday. The Panthers are scheduled to

play their first home ballgames Wednesday,

April 29, against Hackett Catholic Prep.

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Garrett Schisser

DK coach likes ball team’s

senior leadership in 2021

Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
The Delton Kellogg varsity boys’ baseball
team was chasing a third consecutive district
championship with seven seniors who were
three-year varsity ballplayers in 2019.
The Panthers ultimately were bested in a
tough district final with Bronson, and an
almost totally new DK varsity took the field
for the first time in the 2021 season Saturday
at the Barry County Invitational in Hastings.
The Delton boys have as good senior group
once again, it is just one with far less varsity
playing experience than the one that graduat-
ed in the spring of 2019. The group is led by
captains Blake Thomas and Hunter Belew
who were each a part of that 2019 squad as
sophomores.
DK head coach Jesse Lyons is happy to
bring back seniors Britton Stevens, Jacob
Kemp and Garrett Schisser to the program
along with junior Seth Lebeck and sophomore
Mason Nabozney.
All seven of those guys could see time on
the mound at some point. Belew will be in the
outfield when he is not on the bump. All the
rest have plans for spots on the infield, with

Kemp and Thomas seeing time in the outfield

too.

The group of additions includes a collec-

tion of seniors as well, outfielders Andrew

Fales, Matthew Fales, Landon Pharr and Jerry

Rose. Key newcomers to the DK program

also include juniors Alden Whitmore, Alex

Whitmore, Garrett Warren and freshman

Adrian Deboer.

Coach Lyons likes his team’s overall speed.

The early part of the season will be mostly

about the younger guys gaining experience so

the team has a chance to start a new run at a

district championship by the end.

Delton Kellogg had its first two ballgames

cancelled or postponed. The Panthers now

have plans for a doubleheader at Parchment

this afternoon (April 22) and a trip to

Caledonia for two on Friday.

DK will play its first home ballgames of the

season April 29 against Hackett Catholic

Prep. Coach Lions expects the Fighting Irish

to once again be one of the top teams in the

Southwestern Athletic Conference along with

perennial powers Schoolcraft and Kalamazoo

Christian.

Lizzy Fichtner

Cole Pape