Page 12/The Sun and News, Saturday, August 28, 2021Experienced TK tennis team
should be one of Gold’s best
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
The Trojans did a good job
of challenging each other in
the preseason, shifting the
line-up around with improved
skills, and now they’re doing
a good job of challenging
their opponents.
The Thornapple Kellogg
varsity boys’ tennis team is
off to a 2-0-1 start in duals
this fall, with wins over
Lowell and Zeeland West.
The one tie came in a dual
with Zeeland East. The TK
guys also took the champion-
ship at the Aug. 21 Hamilton
Invitational, outscoring the
host Hawkeyes 21-18 at the
top of the fourth team stand-
ings which also included
Otsego and Plainwell.
All four Trojan singles
players are seniors with a ton
of varsity experience. Nick
Vreeland played first singles
as a sophomore. Jack Geukes
took over the top spot for the
Trojans in their junior season
last fall, and Vreeland is back
into the top spot for now to
start their senior season.
Josh Wedyke and Payton
Wilkinson are manning the
third and fourth singles posi-
tions. Wilkinson was at sec-
ond singles throughout the
fall of 2020, so he has expe-rience playing against some
of the top players around.
Everyone going higher in the
line-up just makes things a
little bit more manageable
everywhere else in the line-
up. Wilkinson had a strong
season going 8-9 at number
two, but is already off to a
6-0 start in the fourth singlesposition.
Vreeland has three wins
already this season, Geukes
four and Wedyke five.
Seniors James Thorne and
Ronald Simmons already
have a 4-2 mark at first dou-
bles to open their time as a
duo for TK. The only two
defeats came in super
tie-breakers against the teams
from Zeeland East and West
Wednesday.
Hayden Oly and Robby
Holler are also seniors return-
ing to top spots in the dou-
bles line-up.
TK head coach Philippe
Sylvestre said he also sees
that junior doubles players
Ben Cuisson and Aaron
Michalk have come a long
way and he expects them to
continue to develop as the
season progresses.
The Trojans should be one
of the top teams in the OK
Gold Conference for the sec-
ond season in a row, although
overtaking the likes of Forest
Hills Eastern or Grand
Rapids Catholic Central will
be a tall task.
The TK guys open the
conference season Monday
at South Christian and then
will host Forest Hills Eastern
Wednesday in the week
ahead.Trojans rebuilding their offense
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
Graduation hit the
Thornapple Kellogg varsity
football program hard last
spring after a senior-filled
team picked up the program’s
first playoff win since 2004
in 2020.
A lot of new guys will be
getting their hands on the
ball this fall, as the team will
have new regular starters in
about 90 percent of its offen-
sive positions.
Carsen Burbridge, a junior,
will take over at quarterback
in head coach Jeff Dock’s
offense this fall, and when he
is not taking off with the ball
himself he’ll have a couple
of varsity newcomers in the
backfield to get the ball to in
sophomore running back
Tyler Gavette and junior run-
ning back Hayden Garcia.
In the two-way tradition,
Burbridge and Garcia will
both see time at linebacker
and Gavette in the Trojan’s
defensive backfield.
There are a few more
returning regulars on the
Trojan defense, including
junior lineman Noah
Rosenberg, senior Sean
Flynn and safety Jonah
Summerhays. Also back is
senior linebacker Matthew
Middleton.
Ben Hanson and Kenny
Krul, will be taking over a
couple spots on the offensive
line.
Out wide, the Trojans are
looking for senior LoganWestcott and sophomore
Jaxan Sias to step up as
play-making wide receivers.
“Our chemistry is solid
and we are more athletic than
we have been across the
board,” coach Dock said.
Dock said the team would
like to compete in the OK
Gold with eyes on a confer-
ence championship, but the
competition will be stiff.
“We had three teams make
a big run last year in the
playoffs,” Dock said, “with
Catholic Central winning it
all and South [Christian] and
Forest Hills Eastern making
deep runs. Cedar [Springs] is
returning some big time
players and will be good as
they always are.”
The Trojans didn’t farewell outside of the confer-
ence on the opening night of
the season, being bested 30-
at Hastings.
“They have a great team
this year. They have a terrific
senior class and they are
coming off a deep playoff
run as well,” coach Dock
said of Hastings in the pre-
season.
TK will play its home
opener against Byron Center
Thursday (Sept. 2) and then
open OK Gold Conference
play against South Christian
Sept. 10.
Homecoming this season
is slated for Oct. 1 when the
Trojan s take on Cedar
Springs.Ph (269)
948-Fax (269)
948-123 W. State Street
Hastings, MI 49058221 W. Apple St.
Hastings, MI 49058Good Luck
Thornapple Athletes
Credit
Union
410 S. Broadway
Middleville, MI 49333
(269) 241-
http://www.thornapplecu.comJason Parks
9028 N. Rodgers Ct. S.E., Caledonia
616-891-
[email protected]
FarmBureauInsurance.comFRONTIER
HEATING & COOLING616-891-
210 E. Main St., CaledoniaCall Frontier Now!499 Arlington St
Middleville, MI 49333(269) 795-
COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR
Middleville:
269-795-Caledonia:
269-891-500 Edward St., P.O. Box 277
Middleville, MI 49333-PH; 269.795.
http://www.mkpcpa.comPhone:
269-795-
4525 N. M-37 Hwy.,
Suite B, MiddlevillePhone: 616-891-9800 Cherry Valley,
CaledoniaCALEDONIA
RENT ALL
Skag Mowers
Husqvarna Outdoor Products1-888-422-
highpointcommunitybank.comMember FDIC10197 Garbow Rd., Middleville269-795-
http://www.creeksidegrowers.comAndrew R. Cove, AAMS®
Financial Advisor
421 W. Woodlawn
Hastings, MI 49058
269-945-1900 Patterson Rd.
Middleville, MI 49333
269-241-
mtd-inc.com“Innovation
is a
deliberate
focus”120 E. Main St.
Middleville, MI 49333269-241-
brokensmoker.comSun &
News
269.945.
1351 N. M-43 Hwy.,
Hastings, MI 49058Good Luck
Athletes
Dr. Scott Bloom O.D.
216 N. Main St.
Wayland, MI269
792-Jonah SummerhaysPayton Wilkinson (front)
and Nick VreelandTK soccer undefeated through
its first six matches of 2021
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
The Thornapple Kellogg
varsity boys’ soccer team
was still undefeated heading
into a Friday night (Aug. 27)
match at Zeeland East.
The TK boys improved to
5-0-1 with a 4-0 win at
Hastings Wednesday eve-
ning.
The Trojans need to get
every bit of experience and
growth they can out of the
early-season schedule as the
OK Gold Conference season
starts for TK with a tough
match at South Christian
Monday evening.
The Trojans and Sailors
were two of the top teams in
the conference a year ago.
South Christian got the better
of the Trojans twice scoring
3-0 wins.
The Trojans were 8-5 in
the shortened season in 2020.
South Christian, TK ,
Forest Hills Eastern and
Catholic Central should be
the favorites again in the bat-
tle for the conference cham-
pionship.
TK has a talented group of
guys that have been kicking
the ball around for years
together on the turf this sea-
son.
A couple of the top return-ees to the varsity for TK this
fall are senior goalkeeper
Daniel Beyer who will man
the net with help from senior
defender Mitchell Corner
once again. Corner was hon-
orable mention all-confer-
ence in the OK Gold last
season and contributed three
assists from the back.
Jackson Curtis, a junior,
returns to lead the midfield.
Curtis had three goals andtwo assists a year ago and
earned honorable mention
all-conference as well.
Juniors Nacho Hervas and
Terrell Jefferson give the
Trojans a potent attack along
with the likes of junior Austin
Chivis. The TK senior group
also includes Alexander
Harrington, Cody Mascorro,
Carson Woods and GrantDaniel BeyerContinued next page