2013 Boys' Varsity Soccer September 30 VS Hamilton

The Maroons returned to the field in search of another win on Monday, as they hosted the Hamilton Hawkeyes. The Maroons were able to take advantage of a lot of errors made by the Hawkeyes. Bryce Eggers began the game's scoring when he crossed the ball to the Hamilton goal, where it hit off of a Hamilton defender and found its way into the net to put the Maroons up 1-0. Hamilton was able to fight back to score a goal of their own 10 minutes later, to tie the game up at one goal apiece. With nine minutes to go in the first half, the Maroons managed another goal off of a long Cody Machiela throw in that bounced off a Hamilton defender and found its way to the back of the net. Allyn Anthony finished the 1^st half scoring with a nice shot that made it past the keeper to close out the first half with a score of 3-1 in favor of the Maroons.

 The second half didn't have as much scoring as the first half. The only goal came with 3 minutes remaining in the game, when Hamilton was able to fight for a goal to cut the Maroons lead to just one goal. The Maroons were able to fight off the Hawkeyes in the last couple minutes, to seal the 3-2 victory for the Maroons. With this victory, the Maroons improve to 9-3-4 on the season. Holland Christian will return to action on Wednesday, October 2, as they take on their cross-town rivals of Holland High School.  

2013 Boys Varsity Football September 27 VS Grand Rapids Catholic Central

The Maroons welcomed Grand Rapids Catholic Central to the turf on Friday for what was sure to be an exciting match. The Maroons played great on both sides of the ball throughout the entirety of the match. Isaac Boes led the Maroons with a long interception return at the end of the first quarter, which ended in a 20 yard touchdown pass from Caleb VanderLugt to Kyle Steigenga to put the Maroons up 7-0. Grand Rapids Catholic Central fought back and scored a touchdown of their own at the beginning of the second quarter to knot the game up at 7-7. Catholic Central was able to capitalize off of an interception on the next drive to put them up by a score of 14-7. Holland Christian capitalized on their next drive as Caleb VanderLugt threw a 45 yard touchdown to the wide-open Casey Meyaard down the field to tie up the score at 14-14. Holland Christian closed out the first half with a short touchdown pass from Caleb VanderLugt to Kyle Steigenga to put the Maroons up by a score of 21-14.

 Grand Rapids Catholic Central began the second half with a touchdown to tie the game up at a score of 21-21. In the fourth quarter, Isaac Boes had another amazing interception, this time Boes returned the ball a total of 75 yards, placing the ball 15 yards from the goal. That drive ended in a 6-point touchdown pass thrown by VanderLugt and caught by Steigenga to put the Maroons up by a score of 27-21 with five minutes remaining. With one minute remaining in the game, Grand Rapids Catholic Central was able to scramble for a touchdown, and they were able to make the extra point to put them up by a score of 28-27. The Maroons began their last drive with all of a minute on the clock. VanderLugt launched a deep ball to Isaac Boes to put the Maroons on approximately the 15 yard line. After two failed attempts to the end zone, Coach Caserta decided to put Sophomore kicker Bryce Eggers in with 15 seconds left on the clock to give the Maroons the victory. Eggers was able to place the kick between the uprights to give the Maroons the lead. The time expired, and the game ended at 30-28, in favor of the Maroons. Coach Caserta said following the victory, “We were able to pass the ball on them a little bit tonight, and our defense played great! Isaac Boes played unbelievable with 3 interceptions and numerous key receptions!” The Maroons look to continue their 2-game win streak on Friday, October 4, as they travel to Hamilton to take on the Hamilton Hawkeyes. 

2013 Girls' Varsity Golf Jamboree September 25 @ Byron Center

The Maroons traveled to Byron Center on Wednesday, as they competed in the Byron Center Green Jamboree. The Maroons had a great day overall, as all six girls were able to shoot under 60. Bre Luurtsema and Lydia Wiersema led the Maroons' scoring today, both were able to finish with a score of 49. Kate Ellens shot a 52 on the day, Nola Tolsma shot a 54, and Candace Hoitenga and Sarah Vroon were able to seal the Maroons victory with 59 apiece. “Our scores went up today due to fast greens. The girls struggled today with short chips and keeping them on the green, however all of the teams struggled and their scores reflected.” The Maroons will be back in action on Tuesday, October 1, as they travel to Hamilton to take part in the Hamilton Green Jamboree.  

2013 Boys' Varsity Soccer September 25 @ Zeeland West

The Maroons traveled to Zeeland today, as they took on the Zeeland West Dux. The majority of the game was spent in the Zeeland defensive zone, as the Maroons continued to attack the Zeeland net. The Maroons got on the board first, as Allyn Anthony finished a perfect cross to the front of the net to put them up 1-0. Holland Christian tacked on another goal with a minute remaining in the first half, with Abe Wierda's incredible individual effort to juke past the defender and hammer it past the goalie to end the first half at a score of 2-0 in favor of the Maroons.

 The 2^nd half was also almost entirely in the Maroons' possession. Abe Wierda started the second half scoring with a bullet from 25 yards out that was drilled right past the Dux' goalie to extend the Maroons' lead to 3-0. Brandt VanHeest finished the scoring with an amazing header off of a Cody Machiela throw-in to seal the win for the Maroons by a score of 4-0. “We set a new standard to get better every day, and we are getting better every day. Tonight we made some great aggressive plays on the ball that won us a lot of opportunities” The Maroons will return home on Saturday, September 28, as they host Hudsonville High School at 1:00pm.

2013 Girls' Varsity Golf Match September 24 VS Forest Hills Northern

The Maroons returned home on Tuesday as they hosted Forest Hills Northern. Holland Christian's Bre Luurtsema and Lydia Wiersema each shot a 43 on the day. Candace Hoitenga and Nola Tolsma were also key in the Maroons' performance today as they were able to finish with a 49. Forest Hills Northern also played exceptional, however they were no match for the Maroons, who combined were able to finish with one of their best scores on the season. Holland Christian closed out the day with a combined score of 183, and Forest Hills Northern finished with a score of 193. The Maroons look to repeat today's performance on Wednesday, September 25, as they travel to Byron Center to compete in the Byron Center Green Jamboree.  

2013 Boys' Varsity Soccer September 23 VS Unity Christian

The Maroons returned to field again on Monday, as they took on their rivals from Unity Christian. The game was scoreless until Unity was able to capitalize on a rebound in front of the net seven minutes int the game to put them up by a score of 1-0. The Maroons had a few opportunities at the net in the first half but they were unable to finish any of them. The second half began similar to the first, predominantly in the Maroons' defensive zone. Unity was able to score their second goal with eight minutes left in the game, to put them up 2-0. Despite the great effort by the Maroons, Unity was able to finish the game with a 2-0 victory. Coach DeBoer commented after the game, “We had a couple mental lapses that (Unity) capitalized on...but they are going to take advantage of the opportunities that are given. We just need to continue to work together and get better every day.” The Maroons' season record is currently at 6-3-4. Holland Christian will look to get another win on Wednesday, as they take their talents to Zeeland to face off against the Dux.

2013 Boys Varsity Football September 20 @ Forest Hills Eastern

The Maroons took on the Forest Hills Eastern Hawks on Friday, in what was sure to be a great match. Forest Hills Eastern started the scoring off with a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter to put them up by a score of 14-0. Holland Christian fought back in the second quarter with a series of great runs by quarterback Caleb VanderLugt, which ultimately led to a one yard touchdown run by VanderLugt. The Hawks fought back for a 6-point touchdown to extend their lead to 20-7. The Maroons responded with a 6-point touchdown of their own, as VanderLugt connected with Kyle Steigenga for a 25 yard touchdown pass to make the Halftime score 20-13 in favor of the Hawks.

The Maroons started the second half with a couple great passes. One of which was a long pass to Kyle Steigenga to put the Maroons in the red zone, the other was a short touchdown pass to Matt DeKock to tie the game up at 20 points apiece. On the next Hawks drive, the Maroons were able to force a key fumble, which was picked up by Holland Christian's David Williams. That Maroons drive ended with another VanderLugt rushing touchdown to put the Maroons up by a score of 27-20. At the end of the third quarter, the Maroons had another key offensive drive. Matt DeKock led the Maroons to the 10 yard line with multiple running plays, and Caleb Vanderlugt was able to finish that drive with his 3rd rushing touchdown of the night. The Hawks began the 4^th quarter with a touchdown pass to make the score 34-27 in favor of the Maroons. Holland Christian added another touchdown with three minutes remaining in the game, as Caleb VanderLugt ran for another touchdown to extend the Maroons lead to a score of 41-27. The Hawks were able to add another touchdown to cut the lead to just seven points, however the Maroons held on and earned their first win of the season by a score of 41-34.

Coach Caserta said following the first win of the Maroons' season, “The first half was a struggle, our defense wasn't on top of their game, but we really played well in the second; we were physically a lot better.” The Maroons look to get their second win of the season on Friday, September 27, as they welcome Grand Rapids Catholic Central to their home turf.

2013 Girls' Varsity Golf Invite September 20 @ Thornapple-Kellogg

The Maroons participated in the Thornapple-Kellogg Invite at Yankee Springs today, as they competed against seven other teams. As a whole, each of the girls were able to score well. Leading the scoring for the Maroons was Bre Luurtsema, who ended the day with a 93 on the day. Luurtsema's 93 also ended up to be the 8^th best score of the day. Nola Tolsma also came out strong today, as she was able to shoot a 97 on the day. The Maroons finished in third place, behind North Pointe and Lakewood. Following the third place finish for the Maroons, Coach Velthouse commented, “Our goal today was to beat Lakewood or Wayland because they are in our regional this year. We accomplished that today by beating Wayland!” The Maroons will return home on Tuesday, September 24 for their next match as they host Forest Hills Northern.

2013 Boys' Varsity Soccer September 18 @ Byron Center

The Maroons returned to the field on Wednesday, as they took on Byron Center High School. It didn't take long for the Maroons to get on the board: Abe Wierda was able to finish a ball from Rilee Bouwkamp only two minutes into the game to put the Maroons up 1-0. Byron Center was able to fight back to get a goal in the last minutes of the first half to tie the game up. However Holland Christian bounced right back to the lead, as Marcus Hoekstra scored off of another Bouwkamp pass to put the Maroons up by a score of 2-1 at the half.

 The second half was in complete control of the Maroons. The Maroons started the half off with another first-minute goal. Isaac Brace scored a beautiful goal that was assisted by Micah Bieri to put the Maroons up 3-1. It was only a minute later that the Maroons got their next goal, Andrew VanDeWalker knocked one in off of a Cody Machiela throw-in to add to the Maroons' score, making it 4-1. With eight minutes to go in the game, Isaac Brace scored his second goal of the game off of a perfectly placed free kick from just outside the box, adding another goal to the Maroons' total. Brandt VanHeest finished the game with another goal off of a Cody Machiela throw-in to seal the game for the Maroons. The final score was 6-1 in favor of HC. Holland Christian will return to their home turf on Monday, September 23, as they host the Unity Christian Crusaders.  

2013 Girls' Varsity Golf Match September 17 @ Zeeland West

After coming off of a great performance just the previous day, the Maroons got back to their game today as they played in the Zeeland West Green Jamboree. Six teams, including HC, were involved in the jamboree. All of the girls played exceptionally today, as all five of the Maroon golfers were able to score in the 40s. Coach Velthouse says, “Candace (Hoitenga) is on fire this week” as she was able to finish with another low score of 43. Kate Ellens shot a 46 on the day. Bre Luurtsema, Sarah Vroon, and Nola Tolsma all finished with a score of 48. At the end of the day, the Maroons were able to finish in first place. Holland Christian finished with a total team score of 185, which was 17 points ahead of the runner up of Zeeland West (202). Holland Christian will be back in action of Friday, September 20, as they participate in the Thornapple-Kellogg Invite at Yankee Springs golf course.  

2013 Girls' Varsity Golf Match September 15 VS West Ottawa

Holland Christian welcomed the West Ottawa Panthers to their course on Monday, on what was a perfect afternoon for golf. The Maroons played well and made great shots throughout the match. Candace Hoitenga shot her personal best round, as she shot a 40. Hoitenga was also able to sink a putt from 30 feet out to get an eagle. Lydia Wiersema also had an incredible shot as she was able to birdie hole #15 with a 40 yard chip in. Bre Luurtsema shot a 43 on the day, Nola Tolsma shot a 50, and Kate Ellens finished with a 52. In the end, The Maroons shot a 185, and the Panthers were able to shoot a 175. Coach Velthouse said following the match, “I'm very proud of Candace today with her personal best score and her eagle!, It's fun to see these younf girls mature and become awesome golfers!” The girls will play their next match on Tuesday, September 17, as they participate in the Zeeland West Green Jamboree at Crestview.  

2013 Boys' Varsity Soccer September 16 VS Holland

Holland Christian was fired up on Monday night, as they welcomed Holland High to their home turf. It was all back and forth between the two teams, and both teams had numerous quality scoring chances throughout the first half. The game remained scoreless until Holland was able to break the tie 20 minutes into the first. After a lot more competitive soccer, the half came to a close by a score of 1-0.

The second half also had a lot of opportunities on both sides of the field. On the Maroons side of the field, goalie Luke Schepers was able to make a myriad of saves that kept the Maroons in reach of Holland High. The Maroons got on the board with 13 minutes to play in regulation, when Marcus Hoekstra fired a bullet from 20 yards out that found its way past the Holland keeper. The game stayed knotted up at one goal apiece for the remainder of regulation.

The teams continued to battle throughout the 20 minutes of overtime. Despite the great intensity put forth by both teams, neither team was able to get past the opponent. The game came to a close after overtime with a final score of 1-1

 According to Coach DeBoer, “If we defend well we can play with anybody, and if we stay organized and stay together we can compete with anyone.” That was the case on Monday night, as The Maroons defense was able to control the Holland Dutch. The Maroons' next match will be held at Byron Center High School on Wednesday, September 18, at 6:45.

2013 Boys' Varsity Soccer September 14 @ West Ottawa

The Maroons traveled to the home of the West Ottawa Panthers tonight, in what was sure to be a great matchup. The game was full decent opportunities on both sides of the field, however neither team was able to put a shot in the back of the net. Goalie Cody VanderLaan led the Maroons to their 4^th consecutive shutout, and Holland Christian's 8^th of the season. “Defensively, we did a nice job of limiting their quality opportunities, we just need to continue to battle and get better.” said Coach DeBoer following the 0-0 tie. Holland Christian will return home on Monday, September 16 as they host the Holland Dutch.  

2013 Boys Varsity Football September 13 VS Zeeland West

It was another perfect night for football on Friday, as the Maroons took on the Dux of Zeeland West. The first portion of the game was scoreless until the Dux got an 8-point touchdown halfway through the first quarter. Holland Christian responded with a touchdown of their own as Caleb VanderLugt connected with Justin Dykgraaf for the touchdown to make the score 8-6. The Dux added another 8-point touchdown to close out the first quarter with a score of 16-6. The second quarter started with another Holland Christian touchdown. This time it was Caleb VanderLugt to Kyle Steigenga making the score 16-12. Steigenga also had an outstanding performance as the Maroons' punter, as he was able to place two punts in the first half within two yards of the end zone. The Dux were able to add two touchdowns, making the halftime score 30-12.

The second half started with a couple touchdowns by Zeeland West, putting the Dux up by a score of 46-12. On the special teams, Casey Meyaard and Alex Bosch each had a pair of exceptional kick returns which led the Maroons to multiple scoring opportunities. The Maroons were able to add another passing touchdown from VanderLugt to Steigenga, along with a two-point conversion QB sneak by VanderLugt. The Dux were able to add another touchdown in the closing seconds of the game, however the extra-point attempt was blocked by the Maroons' Austin Shumaker. The game ended with a final score of 52-20, in favor of Zeeland West.

Coach Caserta said following the game, “I thought we did some great things tonight, but the story of the game is that we made too many mistakes...if it wasn't for the mistakes we would have been right there with them.” The Maroons will look to get their first win of the season as they travel to Forest Hills Eastern on September 20.  

2013 Boys' Varsity Soccer September 11 @ Hamilton

Coming off two consecutive shutouts, The Maroons traveled to the home of the Hamilton Hawkeyes on Wednesday. Similar to the past two games, the match started out with Maroon dominance. Only 15 minutes into the game, it was the sophomore who put Holland Christian on the board. Bryce Eggers scored with the assist from his sophomore counterpart Andrew Keizer. The Maroons were able to put another shot in the back of the net only 10 minutes later, when Colin Bennett netted a ball from Kyle Wassink. Defensively, the Maroons could not be beat. Goalie Luke Schepers and his defenders did not let any past throughout the entirety of the game. The Maroons finished the game with a final score of 2-0, which earned them their 3^rd consecutive shutout. The Maroons will look to get another as they play the West Ottawa Panthers in Hope's Van Andel Arena. The game will kickoff at 7:00.  

2013 Boys' Varsity Soccer September 9 VS. Zeeland West

It was a beautiful night for soccer on Monday, as the Holland Christian Maroons took on the Zeeland West Dux. The Maroons were in the complete control of the game, as nearly 90% of the time was spent in the Maroons attacking zone. Sophomore Bryce Eggers got the Maroons on the board first, as he had an amazing juke around the Dux defender, and then hammered it past the goalie. The Maroons added another goal in the closing seconds of the first half as Marcus Hoekstra tapped in a goal after multiple rebounds in front of the Dux net to put the Maroons up by a score of 2-0 at the half.

The Maroons continued their dominance in the second half. The beginning of the second half began with multiple attempts at the Zeeland West net, none of which found the back of the net. This was until Abe Weirda had a perfect volley shot from 20 yards out find its way to the goal. The Maroons finished the game with a dominant score of 3-0. “We did a great job possessing the ball tonight” says coach DeBoer, “And we executed all of the things that we practiced” DeBoer added. The Maroons look to extend their win streak on Wednesday, September 11, as they travel to the home of the Hamilton Hawkeyes.  

2013 Boys Varsity Football September 6 VS South Christian

The Maroons continued their season on Friday night as they took on the Sailors of South Christian. It was the Maroons' offense that started off the game. Caleb Vander Lugt threw an 80 yard touchdown pass to Kyle Steigenga on the 2^nd play of the game to put the Maroons up 7-0. South Christian responded with two touchdowns of their own which gave the Sailors the 14-7 at the end of the first quarter. Defensively, Holland Christian Senior Matt DeKock intercepted a South Christian pass, which led to a great offensive effort by the Maroons. The Sailors added one more touchdown at the end of the first half, making the Halftime score 21-7 South Christian.

The South Christian Sailors began the half with the possession, but the powerful Maroons defense was able to hold them to only a field goal. The Maroons' defense also forced and recovered a South Christian fumble. The Sailors ended the scoring with a touchdown, making the final score 30-7 South Christian.

 Coach Caserta said following the match, “We made good strides this week...we just have to keep taking positive steps.” The Maroons look to turn their season around on Friday, September 13, as they welcome the Zeeland West Dux to their home turf.  

2013 Boys' Varsity Soccer September 5 VS. Thornapple-Kellogg

The Maroons ran out on the field strong on Thursday, as they Welcomed Thornapple Kellogg High School Trojans. It didn't take long for the Maroons to get on the board, as they scored only three minutes into the game. Marcus Hoekstra shot a bullet past the Trojan's goalie from 20 yards out to put the Maroons up 1-0. Defensively, Maroons' goalie Luke Schepers made numerous amazing stops at goalie. Schepers made an incredible diving stop on a Trojan penalty kick. Schepers also made back-to-back diving stops on two shots right in front of the goal. Allyn Anthony continued the scoring for the Maroons, as he placed one in the back of the net off a rebound of his own penalty shot. Marcus Hoekstra scored his second goal of the game off of a beautiful through ball by Bryce Eggers. The Maroons ended the half with the commanding lead of 3-0.

 The second half started out just as good as the first. Rilee Bouwkamp netted an amazing shot to put the Maroons up 4-0. Marcus Hoekstra also scored his 3^rd goal of the game. Joe Spoelhof fed Hoekstra a perfect through ball which Hoekstra ended up sliding past the goalie. The game ended with the final score of 5-0 Maroons. “We did a great job taking advantage of the opportunities tonight” said Coach DeBoer following the 5-0 victory. The Maroons will return to their home turf on Monday, September 9, as they face off against the Zeeland West Dux at 7:15.  

2013 Girls' Varsity Golf Jamboree September 4 @ Unity

After coming up just short the day before, the girls returned to the course as they participated in the Unity Green Jamboree. Bre Luurtsema set a team record with (6) 1 putts, and she finished with a total of 13 putts on the day as she shot a 45 overall. Sarah Vroon also shot a 45 on the day as she had her best outing of the year. Candace Hoitenga also had a one of the best outings of her year as she finished with a 46 on the day. Hoitenga also set a record today, as she sank the longest putt of the year, as she made it from 40 feet away! Kate Ellens also kept her score under 50, which sealed the win for Holland Christian. The Maroons will be back in action on Thursday, as they welcome the Chix of Zeeland East at 3:30

2013 Girls' Varsity Golf Match September 3 VS Grand Rapids Christian

 It was a beautiful day for golf on Tuesday, as the Maroons hosted Grand Rapids Christian. All of the girls had played great throughout the entirety of the game. Senior Bre Luurtsema shot a 44 on the day, Junior Lydia Wiersema shot a 45, senior Candace Hoitenga shot a 47, and senior Kate Ellens shot a 48. Despite the Maroons great game, Grand Rapids Christian came out on top with a final score of 184-180. “Their 5^th player played well today to make the difference in the match. I hope we bounce back tonight and get a win in our Jamboree at Pigeon Creek”. Their next match will be the Unity Green Jamboree, which will be played at 3:30 at Pigeon Creek on Wednesday.  

2013 Boys' Varsity Soccer September 3 VS. Grand Rapids Christian

September 3, 2013

The Maroons returned home on Tuesday as they faced the Eagles of Grand Rapids Christian. For the first few minutes, both teams had excellent scoring opportunities. However Grand Rapids Christian was the first to capitalize in the match. The Eagles scored their goal on a cross to the middle, where the Grand Rapids striker was there to finish it. The first half came to a close with the Eagles on top 1-0.

 The 2^nd half started in Grand Rapids Christian's favor, as they got a goal only three minutes into the half, as they got a nice ricochet in front of the Holland Christian goal. Later in the half, Holland Christian had a quality scoring chance. Alex Keizer sent the ball from half to Marcus Hoekstra in front of the net, where he got a head on it, however the Eagles' goalie was there for the save. With 10 minutes left in the game, Holland Christian goalie Cody VanderLaan made an amazing diving stop that saved a shot that was shot from only 10 yards away. The Eagles added a goal with three minutes left off of a header by the Grand Rapids forward to make the final score 3-0. Coach Spoelhof said following the match, “There is opportunity for growth in finishing”, “And taking advantage of the opportunities that we are given...” added Coach DeBoer. The Maroons will be back in action on Thursday as they host Thornapple-Kellogg High School at 7:15.