Tag Archives: Kent City

Kent City Concludes Season at Muskegon Catholic Central

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Kent City traveled west to Muskegon Catholic Central for a first round showdown a year after missing the post season. MCC made their debut in Division 6 and took the victory over the visiting Eagles after a close first half that widened inside the final two minutes of the half when a Crusader interception gave MCC field position and another touchdown to go up 21-7 at half.

The Eagles had a key injury to burly senior running back and linebacker Mason Westbrook, which hampered Kent City on both sides of the ball, but most noticeably on offense. The Eagles suffered another devastating injury that stopped gameplay for an extended period of time as KC senior linebacker and tight end Chase Moreno went down with a broken fibula.

The Eagles made one more push for a score, but were stifled at the goal line and ended the season with a 42-14 loss.

Perhaps, interestingly enough, electrical service to the stadium was experiencing issues, which kept half the lighting from functioning and the scoreboard was only lit intermittently throughout the night.

Muskegon Catholic Central will travel to face a formidable foe in Reed City in what is likely to be a very tough contest for the Crusaders.

Kent City Did It Again

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There are few teams that lost as much as the Kent City Eagles did last spring as two all-time Kent City greats, Kenzie Bowers and Jenna Harrison, graduated. The two school and state record holders left the small town of Kent City, Michigan to continue their basketball careers in the collegiate ranks (Bowers at Illinois State and Harrison at Siena Heights).

One could have been forgiven for assuming the Eagles would take a step back in 2022, even as they brought back several key pieces of that historic run. The Eagles had other plans and have battled their way into the state final with an unblemished record for the second straight season after handling Madison Heights Bishop Foley with relative ease. The Eagles got a huge boost from junior guard Lexie Bowers, who was held to just 6 points in the state quarterfinal, but was on fire inside Breslin for the second straight year.

Last year the Eagles faced Grass Lake and Big 10 Indiana commit Lexus Bargesser & Northwood commit Gabi Lutchka. This year the Eagles advance to challenge another giant, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.

The Gators are loaded with Division 1 talent and led by Texas A&M commit Mya Petticord and Bethune-Cookman commit Karianna Woods.

One could also be forgiven for thinking the Eagles should shift into “just glad to have made it” mode with such a task ahead of them Saturday evening. While Arbor Prep’s aggressive and physical style of play will be on display in the final, it should be expected to see a Kent City team ready to respond and play with a chip on their shoulder as well.

It is not often that the David in the “David and Goliath” metaphor is the defending state runner-up, but it is the place Kent City finds itself and the stigma they’ve been upending all season long on their way to a perfect 26-0 record going into the final matchup of the season with a state championship on the line.

Clean Sweep for Area Girls Basketball

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The talents of west Michigan girls basketball were on full display Tuesday night. Kent City traveled an hour south to face Schoolcraft in the quarterfinal for a second year in a row, Rockford welcomed East Lansing just down the road at Calvin University and West Catholic faced undefeated Edwardsburg in Wayland.

A year after Kent City (25-0) routed Schoolcraft (finished season 23-2), the teams battled it out through four quarters of defensive brilliance. Schoolcraft managed to slow Kent City star, Lexie Bowers, and held her to just six points. However, sisters Emma and Maddie Geers played sister-sister and led the Eagles on the offensive end to the 34-33 victory. The Eagles will head to Breslin for the second time in school history in as many years. They will face Madison Heights Bishop Foley (20-3).

While it took the Kent City faithful four quarters to find out if their Eagles would advance, West Catholic (24-1) had their answer much earlier in the night. Undefeated Edwardsburg (finished season 24-1) was outmatched from the jump and never got their bearings. The Falcons ran away with things in the first half and did the unthinkable by forcing a running clock in the second half during the state quarterfinal. West Catholic advanced with the stunning 82-27 final. The Falcons are playing with a fire brought on by a heartbreaking exit last year, partially due to Covid protocols and will have something to prove against Detroit Country Day this Thursday.

The final showcase of west Michigan girls basketball talent was the Rockford Rams (23-2) and East Lansing Trojans (finished season 19-5). Both teams are stacked with stellar guards able to handle and shoot the ball with efficiency. East Lansing also had the unique aspect of a post presence in senior center, Ella Miller. Both teams played a hard-fought first half with Rockford freshman Anna Wypych giving a standout shooting performance on the way to a 23-21 lead at the break. East Lansing’s offensive efficiency waned in the third quarter after coming out hot in their first few possessions and fell behind double digits. The Trojans made several runs, but couldn’t sustain them long enough to overcome the Rams’ hot shooting touches. The Rams advanced to the state final with the 54-43 victory.

All three west Michigan programs advance, proving once again that west Michigan hosts some of the best girls basketball in the state and deserves more recognition in the state-wide hoops landscape.

Kent City Eagles Continue Journey

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Despite a very aggressive Covenant Christian team, the Eagles continued their journey towards the grand prize, a State High School Championship.

Covenant Christian led most of the first quarter, with the Eagles trailing close behind. But soon the tide changed and the Eagles took off.

Lexi Bowers finished with 19 points, but it was Madelyn Geers who had to take charge when Bowers got her fourth foul at the begging of the 3rd quarter. The Kent City Eagles defeated Covenant Christian 46-32.

Lexie Bowers 19 points Madelyn Geers 16 points Taryn Preston 9 points.

Kent City (24-0) will play Schoolcraft (23-1) tuesday at Edwardsburg High School at 7pm.

Kent City Fends Off Morley Stanwood in Opener

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Friday night brought fans their first taste of high school football this fall in a CSAA matchup between the visiting Kent City Eagles and the hometown Morley Stanwood Mohawks.

The Eagles managed to hold the Mohawks out of the end zone after a long drive in the first quarter that stalled with a strong goal line stand.

The Eagles were subsequently the beneficiaries of several short fields after repeated defensive stops, but failed to capitalize on the excellent field position with multiple fourth down passes falling incomplete.

A final defensive effort kept the Mohawks buried in their own territory and forced a punt in the closing seconds of the first half and took both teams into halftime with a scoreless tie. Despite the initial Mohawk drive, the Eagles managed to hold the Mohawks to just 61 yards in the opening half.

The score would not remain tied, however, as Kent City sophomore running back, Mason Westbrook, barreled in for a touchdown early in the third quarter. The Eagles capped off the score with a two point conversion to make the score 8-0.

A few series later, Mason Westbrook went down with an apparent leg injury midway through the third quarter and was sidelined to receive attention from trainers and coaches.

Sophomore QB Kyler Larson also went down shortly after and forced an Eagles timeout with under a minute left in the third quarter. Both returned to action after the Kent City defense stifled the driving Mohawks once again; this time taking advantage of a fumbled snap.

Kent City answered with a drive of its own, but was also almost derailed by a fumble before being recovered by Kent City. The Eagles gained 6 yards on the play and a few plays later, sophomore running back, Webb Longcore, sprinted into the endzone on a second and goal play. Giving the Eagles their second touchdown of the evening. A penalty pushed the two point try to the 7-yard line, but sophomore quarterback, Kyler Larson, was able to scamper through a small hole up the middle and gave the Eagles the 16-0 lead.

The Mohawks responded on the kickoff with a determined return by junior Levi Schuberg that gave them position at the 40 yard line. The drive extended once again, but ended with an interception on a highly lofted ball tossed by junior quarterback, Aaron Moore, that enabled Eagles DB, Kyle Monterusso, to step in and take the pass the other way with just under 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

In the end, the visiting Eagles stifled Mohawk attempts to get on the board and posted the 16-0 shutout to start the season.

HS Football Makes its 2020 Debut Tonight

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When the class of 2020 graduated and athletes walked off their respective fields, diamonds and courts for the last time a bit earlier than planned, many had to assume their senior year would be among the most unique in history. Six months later, the argument could be made that the class of 2020’s swan song was mostly “normal.”

Tonight, thousands of Michigan football players will take to the field in helmets and pads. Only this year, those accoutrements will be accompanied by another piece of gear: masks.

As the 2020 high school football season kicks off we will all watch and hope it provides the athletes and fans some sense of normalcy in a tumultuous and tenuous situation this fall.

Stay tuned for our coverage of the CSAA conference matchup between the Mohawks of Morley Stanwood and the Eagles of Kent City.

Kent City Completes Season Sweep of Morley Standwood to Win District Final

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Just under a year ago, the Kent City Eagles competed in a post-season matchup in which they controlled things most of the way until poor free throw shooting allowed the visiting team to overtake them in the final minute.

That team was eventual state champion Pewamo-Westphalia, and while there is no guarantee the regional win would have given Kent City the same results, they certainly are justified in wondering what could have been. This year, the Eagles welcomed Morley-Stanwood to The Nest for the teams’ third matchup of the season and the District Championship on the line.

In a scene that was very reminiscent of a season prior, the Eagles led the Mohawks all night but left an opening at the end as free throws missed the mark in large numbers.

Morley Stanwood made great strides from an earlier season showdown at The Nest when the Kent City Eagles shot the lights out and ran away with a lopsided victory. The Mohawks were not dismayed and closed the gap between the teams to 10-points in the second matchup a few weeks later and just 6-points in the district final. The game got as close as 3-points in the final few minutes of play.

The tale of the night was undoubtedly the second consecutive game where the Eagles struggled from the field.

In the district semi-final, Kent City managed to get solid looks, but continually failed to turn those chances into points. Friday night looked very similar. The Eagles were able to work the ball through their offense and get open shots, but continued their cold streak and allowed the Mohawks to stick around until the final seconds ticked away.

Both games proved Kent City can win even when its shots aren’t falling. The Eagles can win games on the defensive end when needed and that is something they will once again need to do to advance this coming Tuesday.

The Mohawks end the season 19-4 with 3 losses coming against Kent City. They graduate a host of seniors, but will also return a number of impact players for the 2020-2021 season. The conference battle between the two schools should be back in full force next season and basketball fans are sure to be in for a treat when they meet again.

The #3 ranked Kent City Eagles advance to the round of 32 to face #1 ranked and defending state champion, Pewamo-Westphalia. The matchup marks the third consecutive year the two squads will face off in a post season contest with each year coming a round earlier than the last (2018 – round of 8, 2019 – round of 16, 2020 – round of 32). The teams will meet this Tuesday at Morley Stanwood High School.

Stay tuned for our preview of the game and opinion piece on some improvements that need to be made by the MHSAA.

Kent City Advances to District Final with Win Over Hesperia

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The gym at Kent City High School could have been temperature controlled off the scorching hot shooting of the Kent City Eagles, alone, on Tuesday night in their opening match of post-season play.

Any energy savings that were accumulated earlier in the week were quickly spent on Thursday night as the Eagles went stone cold much of the night when they faced the Hesperia High School Panthers in the semi-final.

The Eagles managed to create open looks through their offense early and often, but were unable to capitalize. Shot after shot was off the mark and, at times, fans could have been forgiven for wondering if a prankster had fastened plastic wrap over the rim.

In lieu of their trademark three point barrage, the Eagles relied on their defensive pressure to separate from their opponent. The Eagle press kept the ball on the Kent City side of half court most of the evening and gave the cold shooters plenty of time to warm up the rims for Friday’s third clash of the season against Morley Stanwood. So, despite significant shooting woes that most fans of the Eagles have rarely seen in recent years, Kent City led 34-7 at the half.

The uncharacteristic shooting may have been a timely, though unexpected, positive. The early shooting woes meant Eagles had to call upon additional scorers further down the typical stat sheet than junior standouts Kenzie Bowers and Jenna Harrison. The Eagles got their primary offense from underclassmen Lexie Bowers (Kenzie Bowers’ freshman sister) who was also aided in stretches by sophomore Taryn Preston. The pair will undoubtedly have to contribute as significant scoring options when the Eagles move on to face state ranked competition later in the post-season, should they advance that far.

Lexie Bowers finished the Game with 19 points and Preston Finished with 7. Harrison finished with 10 points and K. Bowers ended the night with 13 points; an altogether quiet evening for the duo on one of the few remaining nights this season that they will not be needed to be electric in order for the Eagles to advance.

Despite the obvious shooting slump, Kent City managed a 61-26 victory while running through substitution lines and getting JV call-ups some varsity action for much of the second half.

Kent City will undoubtedly have to shoot better on Friday to secure their third win over the Mohawks this season. After a blowout first matchup, the Mohawks played a tighter game just a few weeks ago and will look to build on that performance Friday evening at “The Nest.”

Kent City and Morley Stanwood Split in Rematch

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After a matchup in recent weeks in which the Lady Eagles dismantled the previously undefeated Mohawks of Morley Stanwood, the second contest proved to be a more closely fought game.

The biggest difference in the rematch between KCHS and MSHS was undoubtedly the shooting percentage by the Kent City girls.

In the first matchup, the Lady Eagles seemed unable to miss and took advantage of blistering three point blitzes to set up full court pressure. Conversely, they seemed unable to make even lightly contested layups and open three point buckets in the second matchup between the squads.

That is not to take away from the effort put forward by the Morley Stanwood girls team, who came ready to play and applied as much pressure as they could muster in an attempt to upset the #2 ranked class C group. The group undoubtedly put a scare into the visiting fans that the Eagles would let one slip and Kent City found themselves down early before mounting large runs to gain and defend the lead the rest of the way.

However, the lack of made baskets kept Kent City out of their press most of the way, and while little changed in the way of scoring for the Mohawks compared to the first game, the team managed to put together a more controlled game.

Even without their press or offense being difference makers, Kent City’s half court defense kept Morley Stanwood off the scoreboard most of the evening and the Eagles took the win in a low scoring affair: 42-30. The Eagles can clinch the conference championship with a win in at least one of their final two remaining conference games.

Kenzie Bowers (19 pts) and Jenna Harrison (17 pts) combined for all but six of Kent City’s points.

The Kent City boys took the hardwood in the second game of the evening and hoped to squeak out another victory against second place Morley Stanwood.

The Eagles jumped out early thanks in large part to senior forward Will Wright who was a one-man wrecking ball to the Mohawk defense. Wright has really come alive in recent weeks and become a reliable offensive scoring weapon as teams look to take away fellow seniors Eli Carlson and Max Hudson. Wright has shown he is fully capable of stepping into the role of the top scoring threat when called upon and managed to propel the Eagles early in the game through offensive rebounds, post play and hard takes in the paint.

The Eagles took a thin two point lead into the half 26-24 after a last second heavily contested layup attempt by Mohawk guard Axel Woolworth seemed to defy physics and drop off of the iron at the buzzer.

However, Woolworth and fellow Mohawk guard Aiden McLaughlin were able to crack through the Eagle defense, that kept them largely at bay in the previous meeting, through an inside-out game that eventually gave Morley Stanwood the lead on a fouled three point attempt by Woolworth and a technical foul, which put the guard at the line for five straight free throws and gave the Mohawks possession. Morley Stanwood was also aided in holding off any Kent City attempts at a comeback with a big second half by Ryland Nelson who put forward a big run that helped maintain the lead going into the fourth.

Kent City attempted you make a run in the second half that cut things to single digits, but never got closer than a multi-possession game. The Mohawks snatched the victory in the conference rematch, 59-51, but Kent City still controls their destiny and will simply need to win remaining contests against Hesperia and Holton to win the CSAA conference championship.

Undefeated No Longer: Kent City Pours it on to deliver Morley Stanwood Boys/Girls 1st Losses

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In what could only have been called must-see high school action in rural West Michigan, four teams traveled from Morley Stanwood to Kent City in a rescheduling of games that were postponed due to a possible ice storm.

The games may have been postponed, but Morley Stanwood ran into a storm of a different kind on Tuesday night.

With JV Girls and Boys splitting courts between the middle school and high school in the interest of time, fans were warmed up for a night of CSAA Silver intraleague action. The Kent City JV boys battled back to beat the Mohawks by four points and the JV girls bested MSHS by double digits with a standout performance by freshman post-player, Abby Pecynski, who hauled in an incredible 18 rebounds for the Eagles.

With two wins under their belt, the Kent City Eagles prepared to take center stage for the main events of the night: two varsity matches with conference championship implications.

The first game of the night was between the lady Eagles (9-1) and Mohawks (8-0). Morley Stanwood came into Kent City boasting an undefeated record and the one-loss Eagles looked to bring momentum from a conference drubbing of Hesperia and victorious battle against class A and local foe Cedar Springs in the week preceding Tuesday’s showdown at The Nest.

Many in attendance likely assumed they were in for a real (and rare) treat, a tight game of highly contested basketball. What they witnessed was far from outside the ordinary and more of what Kent City faithful have come to expect from the Eagle women in recent years. Namely, absolute domination from tip off to buzzer.

A week earlier at home, the Eagles had used a high pressure full court defense and a searing combination of dribble drives and three point shooting to jump out to an early lead against Hesperia. However, such a start seemed far less likely against the undefeated Mohawks.

It happened again.

Kent City got hot early by forcing offensive turnovers and errors, which set up the Eagle three point attack by Jenna Harrison, who hit several in just the first few minutes. Mikayla Loew and both Lexie & Kenzie Bowers joined in the barrage. The Eagles eventually finished the game with an astonishing 16 three point buckets.

With the scoring in full swing it looked like Kent City was in position to hold a solid lead, which could resist a likely run by the Mohawks. No run ever happened, however, and Kent City continued to build upon their lead before closing out the game with a jaw-dropping 75-33 win over the previously undefeated Mohawks.

The boys game also professed to give fans a great battle between conference leaders, but while the girls game had come to a shocking, though anticlimactic end, the boys game proved to be all it was predicted to be. Morley Stanwood (7-0) also entered the game with an undefeated record, though the Eagles (4-3) had posted similar scores against mutual opponents.

Morley Stanwood started fast in the second game with a host of open three point shots generated off of sagging help defense by the Eagles trying to take away the dribble-drive by hyper-athletic senior guards Aiden McLaughlin & Axel Woolworth.

Kent City was able to withstand the spree and began generating offense on the other end through a combination of cutting drives by senior guard, Eli Carlson, and superbly fundamental post play by fellow senior, Shawn Anderson. The two gave Kent City several early buckets while the rest of their scorers got going and both teams settled into the flow of the game defensively.

Things went into the second half with neither team looking as though they were ready to put the game out of reach. Each successive run was quickly answered, which kept things close late into the third quarter.

Kent City managed a huge run that got them up by double digits in the fourth before Morley Stanwood mounted another comeback and looked to put the game in striking distance in the final minute as Kent City held a narrow one point lead.

Morley Stanwood managed to foul after a wide open Shawn Anderson wisely passed on a corner three to run time and force the Mohawks to scramble to foul. A haphazard three point attempt by Morley Stanwood was no good and the Eagles knocked off the previously unbeaten Mohawks 67-61.

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