West Michigan All Star » Pioneers

Longfellow Stands On Head In East’s Loss to GRCC

Brandon Royston — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:16:22 +0000

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.

Friends Forced To Become Foes

Brandon Royston — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:20:48 +0000

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!

Take Five, Pioneers

Ryan H. Vaughn — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:11:48 +0000

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

East dispatches Mt. Pleasant, looks East to impending rematch

Ryan H. Vaughn — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 23:05:17 +0000

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.

Photo Blog: East Grand Rapids overpowers Byron Center

Ryan H. Vaughn — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:40:11 +0000

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

Photo Blog: East Grand Rapids comes from behind to beat Lowell

Ryan H. Vaughn — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:20:12 +0000

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

East Grand Rapids shocks Lowell, a player-centric breakdown

Ryan H. Vaughn — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 02:49:50 +0000

Down 24-40 in the fourth quarter, East Grand Rapids fans slowly began to trickle toward the exit. Although both the Pioneers and their hosts Lowell were ranked number 1 in the state in their respective divisions, the smart money said that Lowell would simply overmatch East Grand Rapids. Even after quarterback Ryan Elble found tight end Nick Mulhall for his second touchdown catch of the night, pulling the Pioneers within 10-points, the feeling was that this just wasn’t the year.

Then tailback David Drummond scooted in from 32-yards out to pull East Grand Rapids within three, with just under 8:00 left on the clock. The exits clogged as people began to turn around. Lowell was still in the driver’s seat, holding the ball and an offense tailor made to milk the clock. Maybe. Probably not, but you never know.

Gabe Dean runs the ball | David Chandler Photography

Lowell began their slow march down the field. Senior linebacker Trent Voss got in the way. He read the quarterback’s eyes and neatly picked off a Red Arrow pass, returning the ball deep into Lowell territory. East Grand Rapids capitalized, as Elble found Mulhall for the duo’s third touchdown connection to put the Pioneers up 44-40, their first lead since 7-0.

The Lowell crowd, on their feet all night, was silent. A defensive stop later and East Grand Rapids walked away with the come from behind victory, on the road over archrival Lowell, 44-40. And I’m still not sure I believe it.

That critical interception, that wasn’t Voss’s first game-changing play.

Voss failed to punch in a one yard touchdown run on East Grand Rapids’ opening drive, even with two cracks at it. He still got his points. Voss drove his way through the Lowell offensive line and wrapped up the Lowell ball-carrier in the endzone, clubbing the football loose for his teammate Peter Daly to recover for a defensive touchdown. Early in the second half, Voss broke through the first line of defenders and hustled 71-yards for an offensive score (quick aside: few things more intimidating than a 6’3”, 215 pound beast chugging along at a breakneck clip). Those three plays alone constituted an unbelievable game for the senior linebacker/fullback, 14-tackles notwithstanding.

Gabe Dean | David Chandler Photography

For Lowell, all-everything quarterback Gabe Dean did what we’re accustomed to seeing from him, racking up 358-total yards along with a pair of scores. Dean is thick and quick, which accounts for some of his success on the ground this season. He doesn’t go down to arm tackles. But the real story is Dean’s intelligence. Not only as a quarterback reading the defense to decide where to put the ball, but also as a runner, patiently waiting for his blocks to set up before hitting the hole like gangbusters. So many backs outrun their blocks in a rush to get down the field; it’s impressive to see Dean hiding behind a 300-lb tackle, waiting for the defender on the other side to commit before going the other direction.

Voss’s counterpart in red, Sam Young, did his part for the Red Arrows as well. Coaches often preach for running backs to keep their legs moving. No matter what, just keep them moving, and good things will happen. Young takes that mantra seriously, and builds a career off of it. He is impossible to bring down, even when he seems to be down. Even a foot off the ground, Young keeps his legs moving and churns out an extra couple yards or more.

But in the end, in games of this magnitude just like backyard two-hand touch, it comes down to execution. East Grand Rapids coach Peter Stuursma has his guys believing down to their core that they’re going to win, and it shows in their play late in the game. Even down 16 in the fourth quarter, they never doubt it, even if the fans do.

Maybe that’s that East swagger.

Professional action shots from tonight’s amazing game are available from WMA’s own, David Chandler Photography.

Photo blog: East Grand Rapids takes down Grand Rapids Christian

Ryan H. Vaughn — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 15:31:41 +0000

In front of a standing room only crowd Friday night, East Grand Rapids defeated Grand Rapids Christian 21-14, in a battle of two of the top teams in the O-K Conference. It was a game in which both teams waited patiently for their opportunity to strike. East played with poise and took advantage of their opportunities late to come away with the victory.

Photos are courtesy of Murray Photography (check out the full album and get your profile pics here).

GRC's Matt Grasmeyer takes off for a first down

Ryan Elble pulls off the jump-throw

Trent Voss rumbles down the field

Andre Davis breaks free of the pile

Andre Davis begins to hurdle a defender

Deon Jobe pulls in the reception

Mike Hofman looks to seal the edge

LAX game to watch: East Grand Rapids @ Forest Hills Central

ryan vaughn — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:11:17 +0000

East Grand Rapids' Jake Coretti | Facebook pic

This time of year, every game is the most important game of the season. Lose, and you start summer vacation. Win, and go on to play an even bigger most important game of the season. This is the position in which Forest Hills Central and East Grand Rapids lacrosse find themselves in the lacrosse state semifinals.

EAST GRAND RAPIDS (10-10) @ FOREST HILLS CENTRAL (16-3)

In two previous matchups between the teams, Forest Hills Central has won by a combined 16-goals. They have a level of offensive firepower that has been tough to match for any team, and has overwhelmed East Grand Rapids this season.

Thing is, the last time FHC beat EGR was in mid-May. And this team the Rangers will play tonight is not the same EGR team that they beat then. Give FHC the edge to advance to the finals, and you won’t hear any argument. But don’t be surprised if it’s anyone’s game when the clocks ticking down in the fourth quarter.

East Grand Rapids

The Pioneers are the three-time defending Division-2 state champions, so don’t expect to see them wilt under the pressure of a state semifinal matchup. They field a very young team this year, which has made wins relatively harder to come by. But no matter how good you were in the regular season, in the playoffs your record resets to zero. After a roller coaster ride of a season, the Pioneers are gelling at the right time.

They are lead by junior Jake Coretti, and the freshman with the coolest lacrosse name in the world, Gunnar Elder. The duo have been a force on the offensive end all season, and will likely continue in tonight’s semifinal. What will be the determining factor for EGR’s success is how the Pioneers work together.

Forest Hills Central

Forest Hills Central has lead the West Michigan pack all season. They’ve been at or near the top of the pack for a while now, but after three consecutive years looking up at the Pioneers holding the state championship trophy, the Rangers’ senior class is looking at 2010 as their last, best chance to take home the hardware. But they’ve got to get through EGR first.

The elder statesmen relative to EGR’s young bucks, FHC is lead by seniors Trevor Lundblad and Jake Turcotte. They lead a Ranger offense that sliced through opponents like a fine European cheese in the regular season, and has raised the level of their game for the postseason.

The Gist

East Grand Rapids is fully capable of upsetting Forest Hills Central in this one, but even at the top of their game they’ll need some help from the Rangers to do so. The Rangers are the favorite to advance to the state championship, and if they play their absolute best game they will, no matter what EGR throws at them.

Prediction

FHC advances to the state championship (finally) over EGR, 17-14.

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EGR continues hot slugging in second half of ironman doubleheader

ryan vaughn — Fri, 07 May 2010 10:48:23 +0000

Strike | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

On Tuesday East Grand Rapids played Grand Rapids Christian until a setting sun stopped the game after the first half of the second game of the double header. On Thursday we picked up in the second half of the first game of a second double header.

Reread that, and I promise it makes sense.

DavidChandlerPhoto.com

Tuesday’s game was postponed during the fourth inning, after East Grand Rapids has just tied the game at 4-runs each. The hot bats continued for the Pioneers over the two day reprieve, as they nearly matched their 17-run performance in game one by tallying 14-runs in game two to beat the Eagles 14-6.

Grand Rapids Christian struck first, when a triple scored a baserunner to give them a lead of 5-4. East worked their way out of the top of the 5th then in the bottom half Ryan Elble managed an RBI triple of his own to tie the game 5-5. Kyle Wollett drove in Elble with an RBI of his own, then a walk and a double scored two more and East finished the inning up 9-5.

The top of the sixth started out promising for the Eagles, as they started by putting runners on first and second. A double play on a line drive at second base and a subsequent strike-out ended the side as fast as it had started. In the sixth, the Pioneers capitalized on a two-run homerun by Murphy Ainsworth to score 6 runs and put the game out of reach 14-5. The Eagles scored one more in the top of the seventh to finish the game 14-6, but in the end the Pioneers came out on top in this ironman doubleheader.

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