Grand Rapids Christian had already taken both regular season games against East Grand Rapids, entering tonight’s District final, but the Eagles didn’t care.  Tonight was more important than any bragging-rights gained over the two victories earlier this year.  Likewise, the Pioneers knew that taking down Christian would mean so much more than anything won or lost during the regular season.  The Quest Center was packed, the crowd was noisy, and both teams were eager to put their own exclamation point on the 2011/2012 season.

The Eagles came out gunning, quickly getting ahead of the Pioneers.  Midway through the first Grand Rapids Christian managed to build up a precarious seven point lead, 13-6, but given East’s comeback victory on Wednesday, one would be foolish to think  their lead would be safe.  Sure enough, the Pioneers ended the quarter on a little run, to end the first eight minutes trailing by a tally of 14-10.  To open up the second, Grand Rapids Christian stomped on the gas pedal, jumping out on a 6-0 run, and building their lead up to ten, just under three minutes into play, finding themselves ahead 20-10.  Proving that no lead would be safe tonight, in barely three and a half minutes, East Grand Rapids clawed their way back into the thick of things, putting up a 12-4 run of their own, making the score 24-22, in favor of Christian.  The Pioneers continued their surge over the last 2:24 of the half, managing to work their way ahead of the Eagles, going into break with a 27-26 lead.

Although Grand Rapids Christian had squandered a ten point lead, the Eagles were still full of fight as second half play got underway.  Christian quickly stole all the momentum away from East, charging to a 35-31 point lead in the first three and a half minutes of the third.  The teams started trading buckets for much of the rest of the quarter, but the Eagles managed to keep their lead, ending the third ahead 45-40.  The game entered the final quarter of regulation, and Grand Rapids Christian’s lead began to grow, going on a 6-0 run to gain their second double-digit lead of the night, 51-40.  Just as earlier in the night, East Grand Rapids was not about to roll over, and the Pioneers started to chip away at their rival’s lead.  Over the next five and a half minutes, East Grand Rapids started to hit shot after shot, getting some help with the occasional timely three.  With twenty three ticks left on the clock, East had pulled within two points of Christian, 58-56.  Both sets of fans were on their feet.  The crowd was at a fever pitch, and a season’s worth of hard work was going to come down to the final few seconds.  East Grand Rapids brought the ball down into the offensive zone, but was unable to sink a bucket.  This allowed Christian to storm down the court, drawing a foul with two seconds left.  Both free throws were hit, and barring a freak foul, the Eagles knew this game was locked up.  East Grand Rapids put up a hail mary of a pass, but the three point shot harmlessly missed the net, as the Grand Rapids Christian bench stormed the court, celebrating their 60-56 victory.

East Grand Rapids had four players in double digits in tonight’s thriller– DeAndre Grady (10), Austin Howell (11), Deleon Brown (12) and Marcus Hall (16).  Drake Harris led all players with 20 points in the victory, getting help from Jordan Daley (12) and DaRohn Scott  and his powerful dunks (10).  With tonight’s victory Grand Rapids Christian advances to Regionals at Coopersville, where they will face the winner from the Lakewood District.

Matt Philpott Photography was excited to bring you coverage from tonight’s game.  Like a photo featured here?  Visit his website to contact the photographer and order a copy!

The Cougars and Pioneers took the court on Wednesday night to much fanfare.  Both teams knew what was at stake– win, and play in Friday night’s District title game.  As play began, one thing was clear– the offenses came ready to put on a show early on.  East Grand Rapids and Catholic Central traded blows back-and-forth over much of the first quarter, with Catholic Central managing to cling to a slim four point lead as the horn blew, 18-14.  The game continued to be shot-for-shot in the early stages of the second, but the Cougars started to find their stride and pull away from East.  The Pioneers had trouble converting anything on offense, and Catholic Central went on a 13-2 run to end the half, to bring a comfortable 31-20 lead into the break. Victory, it would seem, was all but sealed up for the Cougars.

Shane Johnson with a jumper early in Wednesday's action.

East Grand Rapids was not about to go without a fight, which they showed almost immediately as play resumed in the third quarter.  The Pioneers opened the quarter trading buckets with the Cougars for the first three minutes of play, but suddenly exploded for an 18-7 run, to actually manage to take a 43-42 lead into the start of the fourth quarter.    Momentum was clearly on East’s side, and Catholic Central appeared to be deflated.  The Cougars tried to fight back and regain the lead they had let slip away, but the Pioneers were able to counter each Catholic Central basket.  East’s lead slowly began to grow, causing Catholic Central to resort to the three ball as a way to stop the bleeding.  The buckets would not fall for the Cougars, and East Grand Rapids had a hard-fought 58-52 victory when all was said and done.

Matt Alt charges the basket hard.

East Grand Rapids came into tonight’s showdown riding a four game win streak, during which they outscored opponents by an average of twelve points.  If keeping the streak alive wasn’t enough motivation, the Pioneers were also looking to avenge a loss at home against Northview during their earlier match-up this year.  With emotions running high for both squads, the Pioneers and Wildcats both put on an offensive show, and in the end East extended their winning streak to five, with a 72-62 victory over host Northview.

The Pioneers found themselves in an 0-2 hole before tip, after Northview was awarded two free throws to start the game, but that was the only time East would trail.  East quickly fought their way back as play began, and the Pioneers ended the first quarter with a 14-10 lead.  Northview was not about to go quietly, however, as tough defense kept the game within reach.  The Wildcats had hoped to end the half without giving up much ground to the Pioneers, but a last-second turnover near mid-court resulted in a dramatic buzzer-beating bucket by East, giving them a 15-12 edge for the quarter, and a 29-22 overall score.

Both offenses came out hot in the third quarter.  Emotions were hot, too, with East’s Brandon Belke getting ejected from the game.  According to comments overheard by referees, Belke was caught throwing a punch at a Northview player.  The Pioneers managed to extend the gap yet again during the third, outscoring the Wildcats 20-19, and going into the final quarter of play the score was 49-41, in favor of East Grand Rapids.  Offense again was on showcase as the game entered the home stretch, with both teams putting up over twenty points on the scoreboard, but Northview was unable to outscore the Pioneers for the fourth straight quarter.  As the final horn blew, East celebrated a ten point 72-62 win.

East’s Marcus Hall led all scorers tonight with 25 points.  Freshman Deleon Brown chipped in 21 points for the Pioneers.  Leading the way for Northview were Kevin Rich, with 23 points, and Ryan Ruschmann with 17 points.

With the victory, East Grand Rapids improves its record to 8-10, 4-5 in the OK White.  The Pioneers will head toward the lake shore on Tuesday, when they play Reeths-Puffer on the road.  Northview falls to 10-7 on the season, 4-5 in the OK White.  The Wildcats take the court next on Tuesday when they face Forest Hills Central on the road.

[View with PicLens]

Matt Philpott Photography was happy to bring you coverage of tonight’s game.  Please visit his website to learn more about the services he can offer you!

Our very own Chris Carlisle took to the roads last night to catch the Rockford Rams as they hosted the East Grand Rapids Pioneers in some spirited hockey action.  Joining him, and providing the following commentary was Chris’s son, Joshua.

Traversing the treacherous roads on Friday night was worth the effort, as two power house hockey teams from West Michigan took to the ice– with the Rockford Rams hosting the East Grand Rapids Pioneers at Griff’s IceHouse.  The game started off slowly as the two teams battled, feeling each other out.  At the end of the first period the scoreboard sat frozen at 0-0, with Rockford getting the upper hand in shots, 12-4 over East Grand Rapids.  The second period started like a mirror image of the first, until Rockford’s Nate Hill scored with 5:58 left in the period.  As the second period drew to a close, Rockford already had the advantage on the scoreboard, but the Rams also controlled the tempo of the game, once again out shooting East Grand Rapids, with a two-period tally of 24-11.  The third period of play started off with a bang when Rockford’s Ben Glass scored the second goal of the game for the Rams, with 12:43 left in regulation.  Rockford found the net twice more in the third with Cam Bathum and Zack Schwandt scoring, respectively.  When the final horn blew, the score was 4-1 in favor of Rockford, with the Rams out shooting the Pioneers 37-19.

Chris Carlisle was proud to bring coverage of this OK Conference battle.  Chris has photos from this, and many other events, available for purchase.  Please visit his website to order your shots today!

Beautiful Patterson Ice Arena was packed last night in anticipation of a great game between Grand Rapids Catholic Central and East Grand Rapids. Those who came got what they came for.

The first period action was fast paced and intense as the players flew across the glistening ice. The Cougars came out strong and carried the play as they launched shot after shot at Steven Longfellow. Steven however was up to the challenge as he kept his team in the game stopping 14 of the 15 shots. The other shot was stopped by a goaltender’s best friend, the red pipe, allowing East to escape the first period with the score tied 0-0.

The second period started with a huge shift as the Pioneers took the play to GRCC. Staggering and on their heels, the Cougars fought back trying to get the puck out of their zone. They succeeded and got a beautiful opportunity with 7:35 remaining in the period. Longfellow kept his team in the game however as he made another brilliant save to keep the game tied. The high pace and intensity seemed to do East in during the last minute of the period however as Longfellow, after stopping another 12 shots, was unable to stop the 13^th shot with 0:37 left in the period after his team turned it over in their own end. GRCC took their one goal lead into the third period.

The third period began with a feel of desperation and focus by the Pioneers as they took the play to the Cougars once again. For the first two minutes East kept the play deep in GRCC’s zone and because of this they were awarded numerous opportunities. Peter Stewart finally capitalized on one of these opportunities as he scored the equalizer with 15:49 remaining in the period. The celebration was short lived however as another turnover allowed GRCC to hack at the puck and bounce it over Longfellow only thirteen second later. This goal, scored by Catholic forward Donald Sund would prove to be the game winner as GRCC would go on to win 2-1.

GRCC is now 9-2-1 on the season.

After the loss East forward Travis Baranoski thought that the Pioneers played a good game.

“I thought we played really well. We had tons of chances and were unable to capitalize. We also shot ourselves in the foot on their two goals. Both were the direct results of turnovers by us. We played well enough to win, it just wasn’t our night. We have a big game tomorrow vs. Forest Hills Northern Eastern and we plan on playing just as hard as we did tonight. It’s a league game and two very big points for us. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow and we plan on taking care of business and correcting our mistakes.”

East is now 7-3 with the loss, but will look to improve that record tonight.

As heated as high school sports can be, many different teams have players who at one time, were friends and teammates elsewhere. This will be the case with the game between East Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Catholic Central this Friday. Facing each other in a heated battle on the ice this week are former teammates and friends Josh Keller and Travis Baranoski, who currently play for East, and Owen Kane, Remy woods, Hunter Jenerou, Josh Berry, and Donald Sund, who currently play for GRCC. In the fall, each of these players was selected to play for team West Michigan in the MDHL. The Michigan Developmental Hockey League allowed for each of these players to join together and play games against other teams every Saturday throughout the fall in Hockey Town (Detroit). Friday these players will help their current teammates defeat those who once played at their sides. Will the Pioneers defeat the number one team in our rankings? Or will the Cougars hold onto their third spot. Come to the game this Friday at Patterson Ice Center to find out. The game will be at 6:00pm. We hope to see you there!

]]> http://westmiallstar.com/2012/01/friends-forced-to-become-foes/feed/ 0 http://westmiallstar.com/2010/11/take-five-pioneers/ http://westmiallstar.com/2010/11/take-five-pioneers/#comments Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:11:48 +0000 Ryan H. Vaughn http://westmiallstar.com/?p=7264

The East Grand Rapids Pioneers made it five consecutive state football championships in Division-3, with a 35-27 victory over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.  This victory was the Pioneers third state finals victory over the Eaglets in their last five.  The story is best told via the work of Murray Sports Photography.  All images may be distributed however you like (some pretty killer profile pictures here).

Murray Sports Photography

Murray Sports Photography

Murray Sports Photography

Murray Sports Photography

Murray Sports Photography

Murray Sports Photography

Murray Sports Photography

On a sunny, brisk Saturday in November, East Grand Rapids traveled to Ferris State University in Big Rapids to take on M.t Pleasant in the Division 3 state semifinals. To listen to coach Peter Stuursma, the Pioneers didn’t play their best game on Saturday. They didn’t execute on several occasions, and their killer instinct was sporadic. Yet, they took down their undefeated opponents 31-16, winning their 32nd consecutive victory in a game that really wasn’t as close as the score.

East Grand Rapids has been slow out of the gate all season, which has lead to some close contests that probably didn’t need to be close. Yes, they’re still undefeated. Yes, they’re heading into their fifth consecutive state title game. But this year’s Pioneer squad isn’t quite as dominant as in years past.

That said, the Pioneers jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead on the first drive of the game, when tailback David Drummond took the ball in from a yard out. Drummond followed that score up with a 22-yard scoring run midway through the second quarter, and then caught a 34-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Elble for his third touchdown of the half. Drummond finished with 83-yards rushing and 78-yards receiving, along with the three scores. All this, and the Pioneer defense had kept Mt. Pleasant from sustaining a drive for more than eight plays.

Murray Sports Photography

Trying to end the half with some momentum, Mt. Pleasant finally got into a rhythm on the final drive of the half, stringing together a series of big gains on the strength of quarterback Ryan Elliot. But on 4th and goal from the 6-yard line, Elliot’s pass was broken up by, guess who, Drummond.

Still, Mt. Pleasant opened the second half with a couple strong defensive stops. They held East Grand Rapids to a three-and-out on their first posession, and held them to a field goal attempt on their subsequent two, only one of which was converted. Overwhelmed in the first half, the Mt. Pleasant defense held their own in the second, but they still couldn’t get it going on offense.

Finally, late into the fourth quarter, the Oilers found some success in a rapid-fire offense, designed to keep the Pioneers on their heels. Running back Alex Horton scored twice on a pair of short runs, which punctuated his 145-yards rushing. There were signs of the previously undefeated Oilers’ dominance, but they were fleeting. The East Grand Rapids machine, not as dominant as in years past, was simply too good.

Which is promising, considering they’ll be meeting nemisis Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the state finals for the third time in the last five years. And the first two victories, by teams considered to be relatively more dominant, came by a combined 10 points.

Quick Hitters:

• As a converted linebacker playing fullback, Trent Voss’s ability to navigate between blockers and would-be tacklers to find the crease on a run is impressive for a guy his size, and lead to 31-yards rushing on the day. But it’s not surprising, considering that those are the same skills he has used so successfully all season to avoid blockers to tackle ball carriers, which lead to 9.5 tackles. He’s still a bruiser, first and foremost, but don’t let him fool you — that big guy’s got some light feet.
• Vulnerable more frequently this year than in years past, East Grand Rapids has been successful by not panicking. This attribute is personified by quarterback Ryan Elble, who along with being an accurate and effective passer, is as good of a leader on the field as the Pioneers have had through their 5-year run. Send the house on a blitz at him, and Elble neatly evades those who get through while keeping his eyes on the open man downfield. That script was repeated multiple times on Saturday.

Photos courtesy of Murray Sports Photography.

East Grand Rapids took down Byron Center in the District semifinals on Friday, final score of 45-29.  This was East’s 29th consecutive victory.

The Pioneers were the better team this night, but Friday’s game foreshadows a tendency to start slowly out of the gate.  This is something they must shore up if they are to reclaim their state championship throne for the fifth consecutive year.

The story of the game is best told by David Chandler Photography.  Action shots and the rest of the gallery are available here.

Looks like a pick is actually a touchdown for Byron Center to put them up early | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

East's Nick Mulhall on the go | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

Ryan Elble directs traffic before throwing a first down | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

Directing the front line | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

East wideouts found openings when Elble had time to work | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

Pep talk for the D | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

Byron Center found room to run in the second half | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

Byron Center's defense played with intensity | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

In the end, East was just too good | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

David Drummond crosses the goal line | Murray Photography

Gabe Dean breaks free | Murray Photography

Sam Young bursts through the line | Murray Photography

Gabe Dean sprints in the open field | Murray Photography

Trent Voss caps off his interception | Murray Photography

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