Aggressive Muskegon stuns Muskegon Heights for second-straight year at Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Holiday Classic

Tom Kendra | The Muskegon Chronicle
December 29, 2011

(Chronicle photo | Greg Lindstrom)
Muskegon's E'Montae Briggs, left, and Juwan Loudermill (5) celebrate the Big Reds' win over Muskegon Heights during the MASHF Classic at Reeths-Puffer High School on Thursday, December 29, 2011. Muskegon won 68-62.

Muskegon coach Bernard Loudermill knows that beating archrival Muskegon Heights one time can be written off as a fluke or dismissed as an aberration.

Winning two in a row is a different story.

"Validation," a sweaty Loudermill said after the Big Reds stunned the favored Tigers, 68-62, in Thursday's finale of the annual Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Holiday Classic in front of 3,000 fans at Reeths-Puffer.

"We needed to win this one to validate what we did last year. To beat a great team like Muskegon Heights two years in a row is very, very special for our program."

Fluke or aberration had nothing to do with this win, which was all about the older and maybe not-as-talented Big Reds playing aggressive and taking the fight to the younger and more timid Tigers.

Muskegon (3-2) did it by pressing full-court for the entire 32 minutes.

Heights (3-1) roared out to a 9-1 lead, before the Big Reds' pressure started to have its desired effect. Muskegon snapped out of its second-straight slow start with a 17-8 run to take the lead, 18-17, early in the second quarter.

Juwan Loudermill, who scored 17 points with four assists and three steals, then made all three of his 3-pointers during a two-minute stretch late in the second quarter as Muskegon went into halftime with a 29-24 lead.

"We showed our youth," Muskegon Heights coach Keith Guy said of his team's 22 turnovers, most coming against the Big Reds' press. "Congratulations to the Big Reds, they played great. We'll take our lumps and keep getting better every day until March."

D'Vonte Dockery scored four points to key an 8-1 Heights run late in the fourth quarter, which was capped by 6-5 junior standout Juwon Martin's offensive rebound and putback off a missed free throw with 2:35 remaining. That cut Muskegon's lead to 59-58, and it appeared at that point that Heights would again find a way to beat its rival.

However, Muskegon persevered, mainly because it never stopped playing aggressive.

View photos from the game

Instead of trying to hold onto its slim lead, the Big Reds kept pushing — with Laquinton Miller hitting a key baseline jumper with 1 minute remaining for his only points of the game and Travell Oakes and Loudermill sealing the win with baskets off assists from senior point guard Jhamonte Melton.

"We thought if we kept the pressure on them, we could get them to turn it over," said Melton, who transferred to Muskegon from Texas.

Melton finished with 15 points and five assists, while Oakes had 17 points, 11 rebounds (eight offensive) and four steals.

The good news for Muskegon is that it has now won rare back-to-back basketball games against Heights.

The bad news for the Big Reds is that they may be done beating the Tigers for a few years.

Heights starts two outstanding sophomore guards in Deshaun Thrower and Aaron Sydnor. While Sydnor struggled on Thursday, Thrower showed his toughness with a team-high 17 points.

Dockery and Martin, both juniors, scored 16 points and 12 points, respectively.

"This will be good for us in the long run," Guy said, lamenting his team's 17-of-31 shooting from the free-throw line. "We will grow up a lot from this game."

Heights certainly has the makings of a team that could make a long postseason run.

But for now, city bragging rights remain with the Big Reds.

Muskegon 68, Muskegon Heights 62

• Game ball: Muskegon's Travell Oakes, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, finished with 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, including eight offensive rebounds. He also had a game-high four steals.

• Key play: Muskegon stayed aggressive to the end, with senior Laquinton Miller hitting a key baseline jumper with 1 minute remaining for his only points of the game.

• Key stat: The Big Reds, who have struggled shooting all season, made 16-of-30 shots in the second half.

• Notable: Heights won the first five games against Muskegon in the annual Holiday Classic, but Muskegon has now won three of the past five games, including two in a row.

• Quotable: "We wanted to be in their face and pressure them and then hit the boards. My goal for rebounding is to try and get every one" — Muskegon's Travell Oakes.

By Staff reports

The Holland Sentinel

Posted Dec 29, 2011

Muskegon - The Zeeland East boys basketball team defeated Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 75-36 in the Reeths-Puffer Holiday Tournament on Thursday.

The Chix improved to 7-0 on the season after holding the Rockets to 11 points in the second half.

“We had pretty consistent scoring,” Zeeland East coach Mickey Cochran said. “Everybody got a lot of minutes tonight.”

The Chix led 19-8 after the first quarter and 37-25 at halftime before outscoring the Rockets 22-3 in the third quarter

“We came out with a little more final and intensity in the third quarter,” Cochran said.

Zac VanBeek scored 19 points to lead the Chix, while Colton Curtiss added 14 points.

VanBeek was held to eight points in the tournament opener after getting in foul trouble.

“Zac still only played about half the game, but he got involved early,” Cochran said.

Mona Shores girls runs past Fruitport, Muskegon pulls away from Reeths-Puffer at Hall of Fame Classic

David Tomczak | Muskegon Chronicle
December 29, 2011

MONA SHORES 52, FRUITPORT 22

Host Mona Shores used a 22-3 second quarter run to put Fruitport down 34-7 by halftime. The Sailors' pressure defense gave the Trojans few open looks while picking up 21 steals in the game.

"I'm proud of our defensive effort," Sailors coach Brad Kurth said. "We could've had a let down after (beating) Muskegon."

Mona Shores' frontcourt of Jasmyn Walker and Brigid Kiley combined for 28 points and 18 rebounds, with both players scoring 14. Both girls created scoring chances for themselves, grabbing rebounds and going the length of the court for baskets.

"We have a really athletic team this year," Walker, who had 10 rebounds, said. "We like to get out and run."

Meredith Smith added 11 points and seven steals for Shores (3-2). Debbie Pekel and Rachael Folkmier had four points each for the Trojans (5-2).

MUSKEGON 58, REETHS-PUFFER 47

Muskegon's girls basketball team likes to get out and run. That strategy didn't work in a loss to Mona Shores Tuesday and it almost came back to haunt them against Reeths-Puffer Thursday.

But the Big Reds got help from their sophomore forward and held off the Rockets, 58-47, at the Muskegon Chronicle-Muskegon Sports Hall of Fame game at Mona Shores. The Rockets (0-5) trailed 20-10 at halftime but rallied against the Muskegon (3-2) press defense and took a 23-22 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter.

"We got down a couple times and we got impatient," Muskegon coach Tashuana Churchwell said. "In the second half (Puffer) sped us up a little, but we kept our composure."

The Big Reds would take a 34-30 lead into the fourth quarter and that's when sophomore forward Jade Paige took over. Paige controlled the boards all game, finishing with 15, but it was in the fourth that she found her shooting touch. Paige scored 12 of her 20 points in the final frame, posting up low or scoring off of putbacks.

"She just took over," Rockets coach Brandon Barry said. "She did a good job getting early position and they got her the ball."

Muskegon's Janiece Levelston added 13 points and had five assists and Jemauree Neal scored 10. Reeths-Puffer's Britnee Dye scored 11 fourth quarter points to keep her team in the game, and finished with 15. Christy Schultz and Grace Swanson added 12 points each and Schultz added six steals.

Zeeland East starts fast, endures Muskegon rally to win opener at Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Classic

By Tom Kendra | The Muskegon Chronicle
December 28, 2011

Muskegon and Muskegon Heights had completely different "tuneup games" on Wednesday in preparation for tonight's clash in the finale of the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Holiday Classic at Reeths-Puffer.

Muskegon had to show everything in its arsenal and use plenty of energy trying to come back in a 63-47 loss to tournament newcomer Zeeland East in Wednesday's opener.

Muskegon Heights, meanwhile, was able to conserve energy and emotion in an 87-30 rout of tournament host Reeths-Puffer in Wednesday's second game.

"Yes, we played a tough opponent, but we didn't play with any passion," Muskegon coach Bernard Loudermill said. "Hopefully, we will be more hungry for it (tonight)."

Heights coach Keith Guy doesn't think the outcome of Wednesday's games will have much impact in tonight's 7:30 p.m. tournament finale.

"When Heights and Muskegon play, it comes down to who can handle the the moment the best," Guy said.

Muskegon will certainly need to get off to a better start than it did against Zeeland East, which came in unbeaten and just three years removed from an appearance in the Class B state championship game.

The Chix bolted to a quick 21-6 lead against the sleepwalking Big Reds and then weathered a third quarter storm.

Muskegon came out pressing and energized in the third quarter and — led by the trio of Juwan Loudermill (13 points), Jhamonte Melton (10 points) and Travell Oakes (7 points) — trimmed the Zeeland lead down to three points.

But the experienced Chix never lost their cool, pushing the lead back out to eight points at the end of the quarter (41-33), then sealing the win with a strong press break and free-throw shooting.

"I think we caught them sleeping a little bit in the first quarter," said Zeeland East coach Mickey Cochran, whose team moved up to Class A last year. "Then we were very resilient when they came after us."

Nate Poll led Zeeland East (6-0) with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, and Josh Groenhof added 10 points.

The question now is how much the opening day battle and loss took out of the Big Reds, who shot just 20 percent (13 of 64).

Muskegon and Heights are similar in that both are deep, talented and lack dominant post players. The biggest difference between the teams is experience, with Muskegon being a veteran team while Heights has one of the youngest teams in Guy's tenure.

Heights has won seven of the first nine meetings between the schools in the Hall of Fame Classic. Muskegon's only wins came in 2007 and last year, which was a lopsided 64-41 Big Reds' win.

"Our goal is to validate last year's win and prove it wasn't just a one-year thing," Loudermill said. "Hopefully, our senior leadership will make a difference. But we have to be hungry for it or that won't matter."

View photos from the game

Mona Shores runs past Muskegon, Fruitport gets past Reeths-Puffer in Muskegon Sports Hall of Fame Classic

By David Tomczak | Muskegon Chronicle,
December 27, 2011

Mona Shores girls basketball team wasn't afraid to try and match its speed against Muskegon.

The host Sailors ran whenever they could and stood toe-to-toe Tuesday night with the Big Reds Tuesday at The Muskegon Chronicle-Muskegon Sports Hall of Fame Classic.

Running right at the Muskegon press, Mona Shores (2-2) used a big second quarter to earn a 54-41 victory and will face Fruitport Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in the tournament's final game.

The Trojans beat Reeths-Puffer 37-26 in the evening's opener. The Rockets face Muskegon at 6 p.m on Thursday.

MONA SHORES 54, MUSKEGON 41

"We start five guards and this is the most athletic team we've had," Sailors coach Brad Kurth said. "It's the first team I've ever had that ran on a Muskegon team."

Tied 10-all after one quarter, the Sailors took advantage of the Big Reds' cold shooting and got the ball to Brigid Kiley in the post or in transition.

Kiley scored nine of her game-high 17 points in the second quarter as Mona Shores outscored Muskegon 17-9 for a 27-19 halftime lead.

"We just tried to get the ball to the open player and get on a run," said Kiley, who also grabbed 13 rebounds. "We expected the press and Muskegon brought it and we did a good job against it."

The Sailors' lead was trimmed quickly early in the third quarter, as the Big Reds' Janiece Levelston hit a trio of 3-pointers to cut the lead to 31-27.

But Muskegon (2-2) could get no closer as the Sailors outscored the Big Reds 15-12 in the quarter. Their defense was able to get out on the perimeter and shut down the long-range attack.

"We just had some shots that didn't fall for us," Big Reds coach Tashuana Churchwell said. "It was a battle of effort is all it was and they outworked us tonight."

Jasmyn Walker added 11 points and eight rebounds for Mona Shores, Jenna DeVoursney had four assists and Meredith Smith and Morgan Smith each finished with three steals.

Levelston led the Big Reds with 13 points and seven rebounds, Raven Moore had six assists and Kimyonna Thompson had nine points and eight rebounds.

View photos from the game

FRUITPORT 37, REETHS-PUFFER 26

Fruitport scored as many points in the third quarter as it had in the entire first half in winning the opening game of the tournament.

Both teams started off slowly, as the game's first basket came with 1:35 left in the first quarter. The Trojans led 5-2 after one quarter and 15-10 at halftime. But Fruitport (5-1) scored 15 points in the third as Kaelyn Laufersky scored all eight of her points in the quarter.

"We got the win so we'll smile and be happy," Trojans coach Bob German said. "But that wasn't the kind of game we want to play."

Lauren Hazekamp and Amber Carmean each had eight points and seven rebounds for Fruitport and Laufersky added four steals. Reeths-Puffer's Taylor Walker finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots.

View photos from the game

Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Holiday Classic basketball tournament reaches double digits

By Tom Kendra | The Muskegon Chronicle
Saturday, December 24, 2011

The Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Holiday Classic has reached double digits.

In its 10th year and now featuring both boys and girls tournaments, the annual event between Christmas and New Year's Day has been a success story on several different levels.

"It has really turned into a social event over Christmas break," said tournament director and MASHF board member Mike Mack. "I've had all kinds of people tell me that coming out to the tournament is something they look forward to when they're home over break. It's worked out great."

In addition to the social aspect, the Holiday Classic has been a financial boost for the four teams that participate each year.

The MASHF has given back more than $100,000 over the past nine years to area schools. Proceeds from the event are divided five ways — between the four competing schools and the Hall of Fame, Mack said.

This year's boys event is Wednesday and Thursday at Reeths-Puffer. Tickets are $6 per day.

Wednesday's games feature Muskegon vs. Zeeland East at 6 p.m. and Muskegon Heights vs. Reeths-Puffer at 7:30 p.m. Thursday's games are Reeths-Puffer vs. Zeeland East at 6 p.m. and then the annual feature game between Muskegon and Muskegon Heights at 7:30 p.m., which always attracts a crowd of more than 3,000.

Heights has dominated the Classic over the first nine years, with a 16-2 overall record. Both of those losses have come against Muskegon, in 2007 and again last year.

The Hall of Fame went outside of the area for the first time this year, bringing in Zeeland East. Mack hinted that bringing in out-of-town teams, even a team from the Detroit area, might be done occasionally to create new buzz for the event.

"We are always looking at it and looking at ways to make it better and keep it fresh," said Mack, who noted that the boys junior varsity tournament is held on the same days in the afternoon at Muskegon Heights, with the freshman tournament at Muskegon.

The MASHF started a girls tournament last year, with the varsity, junior varsity and freshman games all held at Mona Shores and under the direction of Shores athletic director Ryan Portenga.

The girls tournament is Tuesday and Thursday with an admission charge of $5 per session.

On Tuesday, Fruitport plays Reeths-Puffer at 6 p.m. and Mona Shores plays Muskegon at 7:30 p.m. On Thursday, Muskegon plays Reeths-Puffer at 6 p.m. and Mona Shores takes on Fruitport at 7:30 p.m.

Fame Games

Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame
Holiday Classic

GIRLS (at Mona Shores)

Tuesday: Fruitport vs. Reeths-Puffer, 6 p.m.; Mona Shores vs. Muskegon, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday: Muskegon vs. Reeths-Puffer, 6 p.m.; Mona Shores vs. Fruitport, 7:30 p.m.

BOYS (at Reeths-Puffer)

Wednesday: Muskegon vs. Zeeland East, 6 p.m.; Muskegon Heights vs. Reeths-Puffer, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday: Reeths-Puffer vs. Zeeland East, 6 p.m.; Muskegon vs. Muskegon Heights, 7:30 p.m.

Muskegon Zephyrs of 1962, Fred Storck and Trinity Townsend to join Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame

By Tom Kendra | The Muskegon Chronicle
Sunday, December 18, 201

Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame officials know there are plenty of future inductees currently playing professional sports — Nate McLouth, Justin Abdelkader and Todd Herremans are a few who immediately come to mind.

But there are also plenty of deserving "old-timers" vying for a spot in the prestigious hall.

The MASHF has chosen two of its three Class of 2012 inductees from more than a generation ago — Fred Storck, a star at Muskegon St. Mary's who played 11 years of professional baseball; and the 1962 Muskegon Zephyrs hockey team, the area's first professional hockey team to win a league championship.

The third inductee is former Muskegon Heights and University of Michigan runner Trinity Townsend, who became one of the country's top half-milers.

"People know there are a lot of great young athletes from Muskegon out there right now," MASHF president Gene Young said. "But I think this induction class proves that we have not closed the book on the past."

The MASHF Class of 2012 will be inducted June 9 during a banquet, which will be held at Muskegon Country Club for the first time.

The Class of 2012 will also include a Distinguished Service Award winner, to be announced in February, and a male and female Student-Athlete Award winner, to be announced in May.

The non-profit MASHF, which was started by former Muskegon Chronicle sports writer Dick Hedges in 1986 and has a 14-member volunteer board of directors, started in a small room at what is now the Lakeshore Museum Center.

The hall now showcases its exhibits on the concourse at L.C. Walker Arena in downtown Muskegon. Information on the hall of fame and its past inductees can be found on the hall's web site at www.mashf.com.

Here's a thumbnail sketch of the Class of 2012 inductees.

Fred Storck

Fred Storck was a reliable bat and a popular player throughout his 11-year professional baseball career from 1946 to 1956.

Chronicle file photo
Fred Storck

Storck, a prep star at Muskegon St. Mary's who started his professional career as a pitcher, was a journeyman outfielder who enjoyed his best professional seasons at Fort Worth, Texas, and Pueblo, Colo.

Storck had a huge year at Class AA Fort Worth in 1950, batting .297 in 98 games. He was expected to join the Brooklyn Dodgers of the major leagues in 1951, but he was drafted into the Korean War in the fall of 1950.

After serving his country for two years, Storck resumed his baseball career. He had back-to-back big seasons at Pueblo, knocking in a career-high 83 runs in 1954 and smacking a career-high 22 home runs in 1955.

Storck's final season was 1956, after which he returned home to Muskegon and started a 30-year career as a detective with the Muskegon Police Department.

He retired from the police department in 1987. Now 83, Storck still lives in Lakeside and remains active.

Trinity Townsend

Trinity Townsend is a Muskegon Heights kid who delighted in exceeding expectations.

Chronicle file photo
Trinity Townsend

He led the Heights' Quiz Bowl team to state prominence, but it was on the track where he left his biggest mark. Townsend was a 400-meter state champion who went on to become a four-time All-American runner at the University of Michigan.

Townsend was a Big Ten champion in the 800 meters, which became his main event at the college and post-collegiate level. He placed third at the 1998 U.S. Nationals in the 800 meters, a performance that would have given him a spot on the U.S. Olympic team if it had been an Olympic year.

Townsend placed fourth in the 800 meters at the 1996 NCAA Nationals, fifth at the 1999 U.S. Nationals and sixth at the 1998 Goodwill Games. Last year, he was inducted into the Michigan Men's Track & Field Hall of Fame, an elite fraternity which includes just 54 members.

He has continued to do his hometown of Muskegon Heights proud after hanging up his running shoes.

Townsend, 37, taught high school in Ann Arbor for several years while completing his law degree. He is not an attorney with the King & Spalding law firm in Atlanta.

Muskegon Zephyrs 1962 hockey team

Chronicle file photo
The 1961-1962 Muskegon Zephyrs hockey team, which was the first Muskegon professional team to win a league championship. The Zephyrs beat favored St. Paul four games to none in the Turner Cup finals to capture the International Hockey League title.

A good way to start a fight, or at very least a heated discussion, is to get some former Muskegon professional hockey players and fans together and ask them what was the greatest single team in Muskegon's 50-year professional hockey history.

One thing that is not disputable is the first team to bring Muskegon a professional league championship.

That prestigious honor belongs to the 1961-1962 Muskegon Zephyrs, a group which was small in numbers (carrying just 13 players for much of the season) but long on talent, winning the International Hockey League's Turner Cup title.

The 1962 Zephyrs were led by two of the league's top scorers in Joe Kastelic and Bryan McLay, both already members of the MASHF. The team's other wingers were Ron Stephenson, Stan Konrad, Ken Hayden and Claude Boucher. The centers were Lyle Porter, Warren Back and Larry Lund.

Muskegon only had three defensemen on the final roster, with one of those being player/coach Moose Lallo, along with Gerry Claude and Joe Kiss. The star player in the Turner Cup finals was goaltender Jim McLeod.

The Zephyrs finished with an outstanding 43-23-2 record in the regular season, but really caught fire in the playoffs.

Muskegon beat Indianapolis in five games, Minneapolis in five games and then a stunning four-game sweep of favored perennial power St. Paul in the finals, led by the acrobatic goaltending of McLeod.

The team was owned by Jerry DeLise. Frazier Gleason was the team's trainer and Dick Bittner the office manager.