SN 12-4-2021

The Sun and News, Saturday, December 4, 2021/ Page 11

Sun &

News

269.945.

1351 N. M-43 Hwy.,

Hastings, MI 49058

1-888-422-

highpointcommunitybank.com

Member FDIC

Phone:

269-795-

4525 N. M-37 Hwy.,

Suite B, Middleville

Phone:

616-891-

Caledonia D&W Center

Phone: 616-891-

9800 Cherry Valley,

Caledonia

CALEDONIA

RENT ALL

Skag Mowers

Husqvarna Outdoor Products

Phone:

616-891-

227 E. Main St.,

Caledonia

FRONTIER

HEATING & COOLING

616-891-

210 E. Main St., Caledonia

Call Frontier Now! 10197 Garbow Rd., Middleville

269-795-

http://www.creeksidegrowers.com

120 E. Main St.

Middleville, MI 49333

269-241-

brokensmoker.com

COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR

Middleville:

269-795-

Caledonia:

269-891-

Phone:

616-891-

110 Johnson St.,

Caledonia

9321 Cherry Valley Ave., Caledonia

jdubbssignaturesubs.com • Facebook:jdubbssignaturesubs

616-275-

1900 Patterson Rd.

Middleville, MI 49333

269-241-

mtd-inc.com

“Innovation

is a

deliberate

focus”

Thanks to these sponsors that support local SPORTS

Physicality and defense will be

trademarks of CHS boys’ team

Brett Bremer

Sports Editor

The guys most focused
on basketball for the 2020-
2021 Caledonia varsity
boys’ basketball team grad-
uated in the spring, includ-
ing the top two scorers.
Caledonia head coach
Phil Visser has a team filled
with quite a few football
players, from what was one

of the top MHSAA Division

2 teams in the state this fall,

and he is expecting the

Fighting Scots to have a

different look because of it.

“We have a lot of length

this year and are looking

forward to causing some

chaos on the defensive end

with our length and ability

to deflect passes and dis-

rupt the timing of other

team’s offense,” Visser

said. “We are a very physi-

cal team, with many of our

players also playing foot-

ball, this is the most physi-

cally strong team I have

had at Caledonia.”

The top returnee from

last year’s squad is senior

center Nick Henry. Also

back are senior guards

Liam Mulnix and Camden

Raffler and senior forwards

Nick Fox, Nic Bender and

Gavin Hurst.

“Our depth this year will

be a major benefit to us, we

have a lot of guys who can

contribute and I think it is

going to vary by game who

steps up and plays a major

role as we have a lot of

guys capable of doing it,”

Visser said. “With one

returning starter, we are

looking to get Nick Henry

very involved in our offense

as that is a major strength

of our team, with his ability

to score and finish around

the hoop.”

The depth in the program

also includes junior guards

Mason McKenzie and

Elijah Hold, junior for-

ward/center Tyler Burd,

junior forwards Kaden

DeHorn, Theren Sanders

and Canyen Veldhouse, as

well as sophomores Ky

VanderWoude and Brock

Townsend who are joining

the varsity for the first time.

“We are inexperienced in

regards to having lost four

starters and another senior

who played a major role on

the team last year,” Visser

said. “We are working very

hard to get guys ready to

play at the varsity level,

and are excited for where

we see this team getting to

as we get better and push

each other every day in

practice.”

Finding some scorers

will be key to the Scots’

success.

Rockford is the defend-

ing OK Red Conference

champion and Visser

expects the Rams to be

tough to beat again, but

what team isn’t tough to the

beat in the OK Red

Conference?

“The OK Red is a gruel-

ing conference in basket-

ball, with great players and

coaches who make every

night on the court a battle,”

Visser said. “We are look-

ing to get better every sin-

gle day, and want to be

playing our best basketball

at the end of the season.”

Caledonia opens the sea-

son dec. 10 at Byron Center

and then will face Covenant

Christian and Thornapple

Kellogg before the holiday

break.

“It should provide a

good opportunity to get

some good competition in

before we head into

Christmas break. We do

have one game over

Christmas break, when

Owosso comes to our place

on December 30.”

LCTK skaters at

home twice this

weekend, off to

an 0-3 start

Nick Henry

It has been a tough start to the season so far for

the Lowell/Caledonia/Thornapple Kellogg (LCTK) var-

sity hockey team. The skaters are currently 0-3 after

tough losses to Mona Shores, Kenowa Hills and

Jenison. Dan Swink has taken over head coaching

duties for the varsity team this winter. The team was

slated to host back-to-back contests on its home ice

at Kentwood, taking on Plymouth Dec. 3 and Livonia

Stevenson today (Dec. 4). Game time Saturday is set

for 3:00. In the week ahead, the LCTK skaters will visit

Grand Rapids Christian Wednesday, Forest Hills

Eastern Friday and Rockford Saturday (Dec. 11). (File

photo)