Saturday, December 13, 2014

2014-15 Boys Basketball December 12 vs. Zeeland East

Holland Christian welcomed the Zeeland East Chix to the Civic Center on Friday night for the first home game of the season. As was the case in the Otsego game this past Tuesday, the Maroons struggled to score early, but heated up as the game progressed. As a result, Zeeland East led 17-8 after the first quarter. Sam VanderSluis scored six of the Maroons' eight points in the second quarter. The Chix, however, still maintained a 30-16 lead at halftime.
Matt Maas and Tyler Hyma each scored five points in the third quarter, but Zeeland East still carried the momentum, knocking down shot after shot from beyond the arc. The Maroons found themselves down 50-31 going into the fourth quarter. Matt Maas tallied eleven points by hitting all four of his shots in the quarter. Holland Christian outscored Zeeland East 19-16 in the final quarter, but Zeeland East still prevailed with the 67-49 victory.
The Chix were able to make shots at the right time. Zeeland East hit a basket at the buzzer for each of the first three quarters, totaling eight points.
Matt Maas led the team with 18 points, followed by Sam VanderSluis with 13. Holland Christian will take on Grand Rapids Christian on Friday night in search of their first victory of the season. 

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

2014-15 Boys Basketball December 9 @ Otsego

The Holland Christian Maroons tipped off their season on Tuesday night against the Otsego Bulldogs. The fourth ranked Otsego team found itself on top of the Maroons 17-6 after the first quarter. That deficit diminished as the game progressed. Tyler Hyma hit both of his second quarter three-pointers after missing his first three attempts. Hyma and Matt Maas both  finished with six first half points. At halftime, the Maroons trailed 29-21.
Tyler Hyma came into the second half hot, and he came out even hotter. He tallied ten points in the third quarter alone, including a buzzer beater from the opposite free throw line, similar to this Kyle Steigenga shot from last season. The Maroons trailed the Bulldogs 41-37 after the third quarter. Sam VanderSluis and Matt Maas each scored four points in the fourth quarter. The Maroons were able to cut the deficit to 45-44, but ultimately fell short. The Bulldogs finished with the 53-48 victory thanks to their seven-foot center, who put up 21 points and pulled down 12 rebounds.
Tyler Hyma led the Maroons with 16 points. Maas and VanderSluis each had 12 points. First-year senior guard Jared Stygstra went two for two beyond the arc, giving him six points off the bench.
Holland Christian will host Zeeland East on Friday, December 12, at the Civic Center.

Friday, October 24, 2014

2014 Boys Soccer October 23 @ Regional Finals Mason

Holland Christian played in the Regional Finals on Thursday night against the top-ranked Mason Bulldogs. The game was scoreless until Mason found the back of the net with just under two minutes remaining in the first half of regulation. Mason took a 1-0 lead and a lot of momentum into the second half.
In the second half, the Maroons countered that momentum by scoring a goal of their own. With the ball placed along the sideline 20 yards from the goal, Bryce Eggers found Brandt VanHeest, who headed the ball off the crossbar and into the back of the net. With 27 minutes left in the game, a Mason player earned a red card, giving the Maroons a man advantage for the remainder of the game. After the second half of regulation, the scoreboard said 1-1, forcing two 10-minute overtime halves.
Mason scored on a breakaway with 5:12 remaining in the first half of overtime. The Holland Christian fans, student section, and players did not give up, however. In the final minutes of the second half of overtime, Jake Kammeraad used his left foot to set up Andrew Keizer's strike that found its way past the keeper. 100 minutes of play didn't determine the winners of this game. The teams headed into the five-round shootout.
Jake Kammeraad, Mitch DePree, and Bryce Eggers scored for the Maroons as the first, fourth, and fifth shooters, respectively. Mason missed the first two shots, but made the next three. In the sixth round of the shootout, Mason put away the game winner.
The Holland Christian boys soccer team finished the 2014 season with a 19-4-1 overall record, a 12-1-1 home record, and a district championship.


Thursday, October 23, 2014

2014 Boys Soccer--Season Summary and Keys to Success

The Holland Christian boys soccer team finished the 2014 season with a 19-4-1 overall record, a 12-1-1 home record, a district championship, and various other achievements.
At the core of every good team is a good coach. Coach DeBoer challenged his players to be the best they could be both on and off the field.
The Maroons also boasted two of the best goalkeepers in the greater West Michigan area, Luke Schepers and Cody VanderLaan. Luke and Cody combined for an impressive 13 shutouts this season.
Another key to success was the talent and depth of the HC defense. Along with the three solid senior defenders, talented juniors Josh Busscher and Ben Stump rotated at the center defensive-mid position, providing a solid defensive presence throughout the season.
Allyn Anthony and Andrew Keizer, both three year varsity players, provided strong transitions from defense to offense at the two center-midfield positions. Jake Kammeraad and Micah Bieri gave the Maroons some speed and efficiency on the wings.
Mitch DePree and Bryce Eggers combined for 16 goals and 10 assists at the two starting forward positions.
Most importantly, Holland Christian had an extremely talented bench that was able to substitute any player at the call of Coach DeBoer.
Luke Schepers, Allyn Anthony, Bryce Eggers, and Andrew Keizer were given all-conference honors.

The Maroons will lose eleven very talented seniors, but there is a lot of potential for the future of Holland Christian Boys Soccer!
 

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

2014 Boys Soccer October 21 @ Plainwell Regionals

Holland Christian played against Plainwell in the first game of the Regional tournament at Gull Lake High School. At halftime, the scoreboard said 0-0. The Maroons, however, dominated in every other aspect of the game. Holland Christian had 5 corners in the first half, while Plainwell never tallied a corner kick in the entire game.
Holland Christian had multiple possessions that consisted of multiple scoring chances. With less than six minutes remaining in the game, Allyn Anthony assisted Micah Bieri, who found the back of the net from 20 yards out. Holland Christian fended off Plainwell for the remainder of the game. The Maroons went home with the 1-0 victory. Holland Christian has been on fire as of late, outscoring their opponents 18-1 since the Night of Nets game that took place on September 29.
The next round of Regionals will be on Thursday, October 23. Holland Christian will play against Mason High School.  

2014 Cross Country October 18 @ Spring Lake Invite

The cross country team ran at the Spring Lake Invite on Saturday. Nathan Schloff led the boys to a second place finish by running a 16:57. Luke Peterson ran a 17:31 and Nate Mulder ran a 17:48, a personal best. Ryan VanAppledorn and Drew Duncan finished together at the 18:27 mark. For Duncan, a sophomore, today's race was also a personal best. Aidan Edmunds rounded out the boys' times with a 19:06. Sparta earned first place overall with 42 points. Holland Christian snuck into second place by one point, beating third place Whitehall 85 to 86.

Senior Maria Kuiper led the girls with a 19:40, a personal best. Kayla Windemuller followed with a 19:42. Margaret VanWylen finished with a 21:17, also a personal best. Tessa VanDeWalker ran a 21:18, Katelyn DeWitt ran a 21:23. Tessa and Katelyn both ran season bests. Alyssa Boeve ended with a 21:46. Holland Christian took third place with 71 points. Whitehall finished in second place with 51 points. Spring Lake, the host, took home the girls' first place trophy with a score of 49.

Holland Christian will run in regionals on Saturday, October 25.



Saturday, October 18, 2014

2014 Boys Soccer October 18 District Finals vs. Byron Center

The District 18 championship game took place on Saturday morning between Holland Christian and Byron Center. The Maroons outplayed the Bulldogs from the first whistle, but it took awhile to get on the board against a team that they had beaten 4-1 and 5-0 this season. With seven minutes remaining in the first half, Bryce Eggers slammed home the first goal of the game after the goalie failed to hold on to a shot from Mitch DePree. Two minutes later, Jake Kammeraad found the back of the net after he ripped a shot off of a Byron Center defender. The first half came to a close with a comfortable 2-0 Holland Christian lead.
The Maroons spent the majority of the second half in the attacking zone. By the end of the game, Holland Christian had nine corner kicks; Byron Center had none. The game ended with the Maroons on top 2-0, making them the 2014 District 18 champions.

 With a phenomenal 18-3-1 record, Holland Christian will travel to Richland Gull Lake HS for the regional tournament. The first game will be at 7:00 on October 21 against Plainwell. 

2014 Football October 17 vs. Unity Christian

Holland Christian hosted Unity Christian on Friday night. Being the last home game of the season, all eleven seniors were honored before the game: Jake Kalkman, Jared Stygstra, Ben Conklin, Carter VanderKolk, Josiah Yonker, Tyler VanderWall, Nico Maldonado, Gerry Tamez, Alex Hoffman, Kody Rigterink, and Stefan Burke.
Unity scored a touchdown on their first play from the line of scrimmage. The first quarter ended with the Crusaders on top 21-0. Their lead maxed out at 27-0 after another touchdown in the second quarter. Caleb Brink ran the ball for a 15 yard touchdown with four minutes remaining in the half. Backup kicker Alex Bosch added the extra point to make the score 27-7 in favor of Unity.
Jared Stygstra opened the second half scoring by keeping the ball for a seven yard touchdown. After three quarters of play, the Crusaders led the Maroons 34-13. Lukas Bruxvoort's 14 yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter put Holland Christian within two scores of Unity. After another Crusader touchdown, the Maroons pulled a trick play to score a touchdown on a 4th-and-6 from the 18 yard line. Jared Stygstra handed the ball off to running back Caleb Brink, who then threw the ball to a wide open Alex Bosch in the corner of the end zone. After that touchdown, Unity had the 41-25 lead. The Crusaders scored another touchdown shortly thereafter. Jared Stygstra wrapped up the scoring by running in a two yard touchdown, and then running in the two point conversion. In the end, Unity Christian defeated Holland Christian 48-33.

 Holland Christian (3-5) will face the Dux of Zeeland West next week Friday in the last game of the season. 

2014 Boys Soccer October 16 @ District Semifinals vs. Zeeland East

Holland Christian hosted Zeeland East on Thursday in the district semifinals. The Maroons had many scoring chances in the first half. Andrew Keizer almost put them ahead early by striking the left post from thirty yards out. Despite these chances, the teams headed into halftime scoreless.
The Maroons maintained the pressure in the second half by taking advantage of all opportunities that came their way.
When these two teams met earlier in the season, Brandt VanHeest scored twice with his head in the Maroons' 4-1 victory. Tonight, VanHeest, a middle defender, scored again with his head. Bryce Eggers placed a free kick to the middle, where VanHeest headed the ball into the net to give the Maroons the 1-0 lead with ten minutes left in regulation. Holland Christian fought off Zeeland East's last minute surge and won 1-0. The Maroons will host the District 18 championship game against either Byron Center or Allegan on Saturday at 10:00 AM.


2014 Cross Country October 15 @ Conference Helder Park

The cross country team ran at Helder Park in Zeeland on Wednesday afternoon. Nathan Schloff and Luke Peterson both ran all conference times of 17:04 and 17:41, respectively. Nate Mulder earned an honorable mention by running an 18:01. Nolan VanderZwaag and Drew Duncan both finished just under 19 minutes. Holland Christian finished in third place with 70 points; Hamilton finished in second with 65 points. Zeeland West took home the conference trophy with a score of 33.
Kayla Windemuller, Maria Kuiper, and Tessa VandeWalker earned all conference honors. Windemuller ran a 19:47, Kuiper ran a 20:15, and VandeWalker finished with a time of 21:36. Alyssa Boeve earned an honorable mention by running a 21:52. Margaret VanWylen and Saskia Praamsma rounded out the varsity scores for the Maroons. Holland Christian and Hamilton both earned the same score of 47, but Praamsma's sixth place finish was better than that of Hamilton, therefore giving HC the conference victory. Hamilton finished in second place and Byron Center earned third place with a 77.

Cross Country will run again on Saturday, October 18 at the Spring Lake Invite. 

2014 Boys Soccer October 14 District Quarterfinals vs. Holland

Holland Christian began district play on Tuesday night against their rivals from Holland High. In the two regular season matches, the Maroons defeated the Dutch 3-2 and then 3-0.
Both teams came out with a lot of energy, as both of their postseason lives relied on this match. The Dutch had four corner kicks in the first half, but the tough Maroon defense was able to keep the game scoreless heading into halftime.
Holland Christian scored the first goal of the game three minutes into the second half. Bryce Eggers sprinted to save the ball from going out of bounds on the Dutch end line, Jake Kammeraad received the sliding pass from Eggers and kicked it past the Dutch keeper. After 35 minutes of consistent pressure and tough defense, the Maroons finished with the 1-0 victory.

 The District semifinals will also be played at the HC turf on Thursday. Holland Christian will play against Zeeland East at 5:30; Byron Center will play against Allegan at 7:30. The finals will be played at 10:00 AM on Saturday, October 18. 

Saturday, October 11, 2014

2014 Football October 10 vs. Byron Center

Holland Christian continued their season on Friday night against their conference rivals from Byron Center. The Bulldogs scored four touchdowns over the course of the first quarter, giving them a commanding 27-0 lead after the first quarter. They extended their lead to 34-0 after another touchdown drive early in the second quarter. Holland Christian countered that touchdown with a touchdown of their own: Jared Stygstra found Alex Bosch from 33 yards out, making the score 34-7 at halftime.

 Byron Center added two more touchdowns over the course of the second half. Jared Stygstra scrambled for a 15 yard rushing touchdown with two minutes remaining in the game. Byron Center finished the game on top 48-14. Holland Christian's record currently sits at 3-4 overall; 2-1 Conference. The Maroons will play their last home game of the season against Unity Christian on October 17.

2014 Boys Soccer October 8 @ Zeeland West

Holland Christian traveled to Zeeland to take on the Dux in the final game of the regular season on Wednesday. Bryce Eggers got the Maroons on the board by sneaking a ball past the goalie from inside the box. Twenty minutes later, Eggers dribbled it to the corner and centered the ball the Mitch DePree, who was there to put the ball in the back of the net. Matt VanderZwaag rounded out the first half scoring by tapping in a loose ball past the Zeeland West goalie. The Maroons took a commanding 3-0 lead into halftime.
Andrew Keizer extended the Maroons' lead to 4-0 after he scored the rebound from his own corner kick. Shortly thereafter, Dylan Busscher assisted Josue Nuñez in the fifth goal of the game. Holland Christian came out on top against the Dux 5-0.
The Maroons finish the regular season with a 15-3-1 overall, 8-2 conference record. They will begin district play on Tuesday, October 14 against Holland. The winner of the Holland-HC game will move on the play the winner of Zeeland East and Zeeland West on October 16. The winner of that game will play either Hamilton, Byron Center, or Allegan for the district championship on October 18.  

2014 Cross Country October 8 @ Ridgepoint

Holland Christian ran at Ridgepoint on Wednesday against Byron Center. The Maroons topped the charts in the boys' races with three seniors: Nathan Schloff, Luke Peterson, and Nate Mulder. Schloff ran a 17:42, Peterson ran an 18:00, and Mulder ran an 18:25. Nolan VanderZwaag finished in sixth place with 19:13. Ryan VanAppledorn ran a 19:29 for seventh place.
Freshman Kayla Windemuller ran a 19:47 for the girls. That time earned her first place overall by almost 30 seconds. Maria Kuiper followed with a 20:37. Tessa VandeWalker and Alyssa Boeve finished together at 21:40 and 21:44. Saskia Praamsma ran a 22:19 and Margaret VanWylen finished with a 22:22.

 Both boys and girls finished over Byron Center. Holland Christian will run at Helder Park on Wednesday afternoon.  

2014 Girls Golf October 8 @ Diamond Springs Regional Tournament

Holland Christian girls played at the regional tournament on Wednesday at Hamilton's Diamond Springs golf course. Abby Karsten earned seventh place overall by shooting an 89. Lydia Wiersema rounded out her career at Holland Christian with a 97. Brittney Statema followed her with a 98. Brooke Statema rounded out the scoring for the Maroons with a 114. Overall, the girls shot a 398, good enough to earn fifth place. South Christian finished in first place despite the passing of their coach Rod VanDyke just a day before the tournament.


Holland Christian's eventful season comes to a close after the outcome of this tournament. Lydia Wiersema took her last strokes as a Maroon. In conference play this year, Wiersema finished with an average score of 48 (9 holes). 

2014 Boys Soccer October 6 vs. Unity Christian

The Maroons played their last home game of the regular season on Monday night against the Unity Christian Crusaders. Before the game, Holland Christian had the chance to honor its 11 seniors: Luke Schepers, Micah Bieri, Colin Bennett, Jake Kammeraad, Mitch DePree, Joe Spoelhof, Andy Edstrom, Brandt VanHeest, Allyn Anthony, and Kyle Wassink.

Currently, MHSAA has Holland Christian as the 8th-best team in Division 2; Unity is ranked 1st-in Division 3. When the two teams clashed earlier this season, Unity ran away with a 6-0 victory. That wasn't quite the story on Monday night. The game remained scoreless for more than 95 minutes of play: Two 40 minute halves of regulation and one and a half 10-minute halves of overtime. Both teams made a lot of great passes and attempts at the net but both goalies were on top of their game. Luke Schepers made countless game saving stops in net for the Maroons. Unity eventually broke the tie with just under five minutes remaining in the second half of overtime. After 100 minutes of play, Unity came out on top 1-0. Despite the loss, Coach DeBoer still acknowledged his team's ability to “compete well and to compete together”. Holland Christian's record currently sits at 14-3-1 going into the last game of the regular season. The Maroons will take on Zeeland West on Wednesday, October 8.  

2014 Girls Golf October 6 @ West Ottawa Conference Meet

Holland Christian participated in a conference tournament at West Ottawa on Monday after it was rained out on Friday. Lydia Wiersema scored an 81, the best score of any of the 35 players involved. Brittney Statema followed with an 84. Abby Karsten also shot a great game of 88. Ali Swets, Brooke Statema, and Jocelyn Kacekowski rounded out the scoring for the Maroons. Holland Christian finished in first place with 356. Hamilton came in second place with 394 after winning the tiebreaker against Unity, who also had 394. Overall, this was the best 18 hole match of the entire season for the Maroons. Holland Christian will participate in the regional tournament on October 8 at Diamond Springs.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

2014 Cross Country October 4 @ Portage

Holland Christian ran at the Portage invite on Saturday afternoon against more than forty schools from across the state. Nathan Schloff ran a 16:47, the 32nd-best time of anyone in the division. Luke Peterson followed Schloff with a 17:16. Nate Mulder finished with a time of 17:56. Ryan VanAppledorn, Nolan Vanderzwaag, Aidan Edmunds, and Jacob Bol all finished about one minute after Mulder. The boys finished 21st-overall with 588 points. Six of the seven varsity runners set personal records.
Freshman Kayla Windemuller earned the 23rd-fastest time of any girl in Division 2 by running a 19:35. Maria Kuiper also ran a great race and finished with a 19:45. Alyssa Boeve ran a 20:43, Tessa VandeWalker ran a 21:36. Saskia Praamsma, Margaret VanWylen, and Katelyn DeWitt all ended their runs just under 22 minutes. The girls finished in 13th-place with 424 points.

Holland Christian will run at Ridgepoint against Byron Center on Wednesday, October 8.  

Friday, October 3, 2014

2014 Football October 3 @ Holland

The Maroons endured cool temperatures and a late game rainstorm against the Holland Dutch on Friday night. The Dutch began the game with a five minute drive that resulted in a touchdown. The Maroons, however, were able to stop the two point conversion attempt, keeping the score at 6-0. Holland Christian recovered a fumble on defense early in the second quarter. Jared Stygstra finished that possession by putting both teams on his back as he fought his way to the end zone for a 15 yard touchdown run. The Dutch threatened at the end of the second quarter, but Lukas Bruxvoort put their hopes to an end with a last minute interception. The teams went into halftime knotted up at 6-6.
Holland Christian took the lead in the third quarter by converting 4th-and 4 to a 39 yard passing touchdown from Stygstra to sophomore standout Caleb Brink. Bryce Eggers added the extra point to put to the Maroons up 13-6 at the end of the third quarter.
After a key stop on defense, Holland Christian took it down the field all the way to Holland's 43 yard line. From there, Alex Bosch ran the ball to the end zone. Eggers made the score 20-6 by adding the point after.

 Holland Christian improves to an even 3-3 record with tonight's win. They will host Byron Center on Friday, October 10, in search of their fourth consecutive victory. 

2014 Girls Golf October 2 @ Forest Hills Northern

After sealing first place in the OK Green Conference just two days prior, Holland Christian traveled to Forest Hills Northern for a non-conference match. Abby Karsten once again led the team with a 44. Lydia Wiersema also finished with an amazing score of 45. Brittney Statema shot a 50 and Ali Swets shot a 53. Every stroke was valuable for the Maroons today. Statema saved a few of those strokes by hitting a birdie on a very tough hole. The girls finished on top by a score of 192-195. Holland Christian will play in a conference meet on Friday morning at West Ottawa.

2014 Boys Soccer October 1 @ Byron Center

Holland Christian played against Byron Center on Wednesday night. The Maroons took a demanding 2-0 lead into the half thanks to two goals by Allyn Anthony. Josh Busscher began the second half with a strike that found its way past the Byron Center goalie to make the score 3-0. Busscher later assisted Andrew Keizer's goal off of a beautiful set piece. Caleb Rozeboom added the last goal of the game on a penalty kick. The Maroons finished the game on top 5-0. Holland Christian will host their rivals from Unity Christian on Monday night in a game that potentially determines the outcome of the OK Green Conference.  

2014 Cross Country October 1 @ Holland


Holland Christian ran against Holland on Wednesday afternoon. Nathan Schloff (17:32) finished in second place for the boys. Luke Peterson (17:58) finished in fourth place, and Nate Mulder (18:10) followed in fifth place. Nolan VanderZwaag, Ryan VanAppledorn, and Aidan Edmunds rounded out the scoring for the Maroons. Overall, Holland Christian came out on top 27-30. Kayla 
Windemuller led the girls with a time of 20:26. Maria Kuiper followed Windemuller with 20:40. Tessa VanDeWalker ran a 21:45. Saskia Praamsma, Alyssa Boeve, and Margaret VanWylen all ran great races as well. The lady Maroons finished with a dominant 15-50 victory.Holland Christian will run at Portage on Saturday, October 4.

2014 Girls Golf September 30 @ Holland Jamboree

The Maroons took their talents to Holland's course on Friday for the last conference jamboree of the season. Abby Karsten and Brittney Statema kept the score low by shooting a 47 and a 49, respectively. Lydia Wiersema came out with another great performance and earned herself a 50. Ali Swets shot a 60, Brooke Statema followed with a 61, and Jocelyn Kacekowski earned a 66. Holland Christian fought hard enough to outscore Byron Center by two points, 206-208. The Maroons also finished on top of the conference with 34 points and a nine point cushion. Byron Center finished in second place with a total of 25 points, followed by Zeeland West with 22. In order, Hamilton, Unity, and Holland rounded out the conference. Holland Christian will continue their season on Thursday at Forest Hills Northern. 

2014 Boys Soccer September 29 vs. Holland

Holland Christian hosted their crosstown rivals from Holland on Monday night. Earlier this season, Bryce Eggers' late goal pushed the Maroons past the Dutch. Tonight, Eggers found the back of the net again from about 25 yards out. The Maroons went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, along with a lot of momentum.
With about 22 minutes remaining in the second half, Andrew Keizer extended the lead to 2-0 after ripping a 30-yard shot past the Dutch goalie. Joe Spoelhof earned the third goal of the game by heading a bouncing ball into the cage with about seven minutes left to play. Holland Christian finished the game on top 3-0.

Holland Christian's record improves to 13-2-1 overall. The Maroons have three games left in the regular season—all of which are conference matches. Their next game will be at Byron Center on October 1.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

2014 Boys Soccer September 27 @ Hudsonville


Holland Christian played against Hudsonville on Saturday afternoon. After many early chances, Bryce Eggers found the back of the net in the 27th minute for the lone goal of the first half. Andrew Keizer scored a few minutes into the second half to give the Maroons the 2-0 lead. Hudsonville scored a goal late in the game but wasn't able to overcome the deficit. Holland Christian finished with the 2-1 victory. Though the goal gap was only one, The Maroons dominated in corner kicks (7-1) and shots on goal (12-2). Coach DeBoer's team improves to an impressive 12-2-1 record heading into Monday night's “Night of Nets” game against Holland.

Friday, September 26, 2014

2014 Girls Golf September 26 @ Mac Legends Invite


Holland Christian played against Byron Center, Hastings, and Holland in the Mac Legends Invite on Friday morning. Holland Christian finished in second place with a team record (for 18 holes) of 389. Hastings took first place with 366. Three Maroons finished in the top 5: Abby Karsten took second place with an 87, Brittney Statema took fourth place with a 91, and Lydia Wiersema took fifth place with a 93. Holland Christian will participate in another conference jamboree on Tuesday, September 30, at Holland. 

2014 Football September 26 vs. Hamilton

The Maroons played in their first conference game on Friday night against Hamilton. The Hawkeyes began the game with a five minute touchdown drive to take an early 7-0 lead. The Holland Christian defense forced a fumble a couple minutes into the second quarter. That offensive drive ended in a seven yard touchdown pass from Jared Stygstra to Lukas Bruxvoort. Each team had an interception in the final minutes of the second quarter, but neither team was able to capitalize. The score was knotted up at 7-7 at halftime.
Hamilton broke the tie by making a field goal from about 30 yards out. A few minutes later, Holland Christian powered through the Hamilton defense with three consecutive first downs. After a few runs, passes and penalties, Stygstra found Bruxvoort again for a 14 yard touchdown pass to take the 14-10 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Maroons' defense protected the lead throughout the majority of the fourth quarter, giving Holland Christian the 14-10 victory.

 With tonight's victory, the Maroons improve to a 2-3 overall; 1-0 conference record. All four remaining games are against conference rivals. Holland Christian will play at Holland on October 3. 

2014 Girls Golf September 25 @ Zeeland West Jamboree

Holland Christian played in a conference jamboree on Thursday afternoon at Crestview golf course. Abby Karsten shot a 45 to lead the Maroons. Brittney Statema backed up Abby with a 47. Lydia Wiersema earned a score of 51 and Ali Swets scored a 55. Overall, the Maroons played a decent match. However a few missed putts ended up costing them. Holland Christian finished in third place, giving them a total conference score of 27, well ahead of each school in the conference. Holland Christian will participate in the Macatawa Legends Invite on Friday morning. The Maroons will play in the final conference jamboree on Tuesday at Holland.  

2014 Boys Soccer September 24 @ Hamilton

Holland Christian took on Hamilton on Wednesday night for the second time of the season. The first game resulted in a 3-0 victory. The Maroons scored the lone goal of the first half when Bryce Eggers kicked home a loose ball in front of the goal.

Hamilton knotted the game up at 1-1 shortly after halftime. Six minutes later, Dylan Busscher found the foot of Joe Spoelhof to break the tie. Allyn Anthony extended the deficit to 3-1 about halfway through the second half. Two minutes later, defender Colin Bennett took a shot from 30 yards out that snuck past the keeper to make the score 4-1. Bryce Eggers scored on a free kick in the final minutes to make the final score 5-2. Holland Christian improves to 11-2-1 overall; 5-1 conference record. The Maroons have a non-conference match at Hudsonville on Saturday at 10:00

2014 Cross Country September 24 @ Hamilton

Holland Christian raced against Hamilton on Wednesday afternoon. Nathan Schloff, Luke Peterson, and Nate Mulder earned the second, third, and fourth best times of either team. Schloff ran an 18:04, Peterson ran an 18:23, and Mulder finished with an 18:27. Jacob Bol also had a great race for the Maroons, as he finished with a 20:25. The boys ended up falling short of the victory by three points.
Kayla Windemuller and Maria Kuiper both finished in the 21st minute to earn the second and third best times, respectively. Despite the tough course, the girls finished with above-average times. The girls lost 31-24.

 The cross country team will take on Holland on October 1.  

2014 Girls Golf September 23 @ Hamilton Jamboree


Holland Christian traveled to Hamilton on Tuesday to participate in a conference jamboree. Brittney Statema stepped up to earn a team best 45. Lydia Wiersema and Abby Karsten followed numerically with a 46 and a 47, respectively. Brooke Statema and Ali Swets rounded out the scoring for the Maroons. Holland Christian shot a 191 to once again take first place. Hamilton came in second place with a 199. The Maroons lead the conference with 24 points, followed by Byron Center with 15. The girls will be back in action on Thursday at Zeeland West's conference jamboree.  

2014 Boys Soccer September 22 vs. Zeeland West

Holland Christian played against the Dux of Zeeland West on Monday night. Allyn Anthony opened the scoring five minutes into the game when a 25 yard strike found its way through the keeper's hands. The Maroons took a small, yet dominant 1-0 lead to the second half.
Anthony scored his second goal of the game with ten minutes remaining in the game to push the Maroons to a 2-0 victory. Coach DeBoer said following the match, “I thought we played with good effort. I feel like everybody worked hard but getting into the final third we weren't able to create a lot of scoring opportunities.”

 Holland Christian's record improves to 10-2-1 overall, 4-1 in the conference. These two teams will rematch at Zeeland West on October 8. The Maroons will continue conference play at Hamilton on Wednesday night.  

2014 Girls Golf September 22 @ Zeeland East


Holland Christian played at their home course of Winding Creek on Monday afternoon against Zeeland East. Abby Karsten played very efficiently and earned a 41. Lydia Wiersema shot a 45 thanks to some clutch shots throughout the match. Juniors Ali Swets and Brittney Statema shot a 50 and a 51. Brooke Statema followed her sister with a 54. Freshman Danni VanIwaarden shot a 66 in her varsity debut. In the end, Holland Christian won 187-215. Coach Velthouse commented on her team's performance, “It was a great team win. We have a long week with four matches...two OK Green Jamborees.” Holland Christian will be right back at it on Tuesday at Hamilton in a conference Jamboree.  

2014 Cross Country September 20 @ Cougar/Falcon Invite

Holland Christian ran in an invitational on Saturday at Calvin College's Gainey Athletic Complex. Nathan Schloff ran an even 17:00, one of the best times of anyone on the day. Luke Peterson followed Schloff with a 17:52, Nate Mulder followed with an 18:04. Nolan VanderZwaag, Aidan Edmunds, and Ryan VanAppledorn all finished within 30 seconds of each other after the 18:30 mark. Drew Duncan earned a varsity letter time of 19:30. The boys finished seventh out of 12 teams.

 Kayla Windemuller led the girls—and all freshmen in HC History—with a personal best 19:25. Maria Kuiper ran a 20:16 and Saskia Praamsma finished with a 21:40. Margaret VanWylen, Alyssa Boeve, Tessa VandeWalker, and Katelyn DeWitt all finished within the next minute. The girls earned sixth place out of 12 teams. The Maroons will be back in action on Wednesday at Hamilton.  

Saturday, September 20, 2014

2014 Football September 19 @ Belding

Holland Christian traveled to Belding on Friday night in search of their first win of the season . On the second play of the game, David Williams burst through the middle for a 64-yard touchdown run. Just a few moments later, Alex Bosch recovered a loose ball on defense. That possession ended up putting the Maroons up 13-0 after Jake Kalkman scored a touchdown on a 24-yard pass from Jared Stygstra. Bryce Eggers extended the margin by three points by kicking a 31 yard field goal. After a stop on defense, the Maroons' offense continued their dominance with another touchdown. Stygstra heaved a 54-yard pass to Alex Bosch, who was wide open on the right side. Belding eventually responded with a touchdown to cut the lead to 22-6. With a minute left in the half, Brandon Riemersma recovered a fumble and took it back about 25 yards. The Maroons put the finishing touches on the first half with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Lukas Bruxvoort. David Williams ran in the two point conversion to send the Maroons into halftime with a commanding 30-6 lead.

Belding put up the first points of the second half with a short touchdown run. Lukas Bruxvoort hauled in his second touchdown of the night on a 35 yard bomb from Stygstra on 4th down. The Maroons led the Redskins 36-13 midway through the third quarter. Sophomore Caleb Brink intercepted a pass on defense and returned it 30 yards to set up David Williams' 4-yard touchdown run. Williams scored another touchdown a few minutes later as he dragged four opponents into the end zone with him. In the end, Holland Christian trampled Belding 49-13.

David Williams finished with a total of three rushing touchdowns. Lukas Bruxvoort had two receiving touchdowns. Bryce Eggers accounted for five points as the kicker. Tonight's game draws a conclusion to the non-conference play. Holland Christian begins the conference play with a 1-3 record. The Maroons will host Hamilton on Friday, September 26.


2014 Girls Golf September 19 @ TK Invite


Holland Christian participated in an invitational on Friday at Thornapple Kellogg. There were a total of 12 teams, including HC. Abby Karsten led the Maroons with a 97, followed closely by Ali Swets, who earned a 98. Brittany and Brooke Statema scored 101 and 110 respectively. Holland Christian finished in seventh place with a collective score of 406. West Catholic finished first, NorthPointe Christian in second, and Forest Hills Eastern in third. Holland Christian will play against Zeeland East on Monday afternoon at Winding Creek golf course.  

2014 Boys Soccer September 17 @ Unity Christian


Holland Christian took on Unity Christian in a conference matchup on Wednesday night. Unity outscored the Maroons 4-0 in the first half, giving the Maroons a tough challenge for the second half. Holland Christian continued to fight but was unable to overcome the deficit. Unity finished with the 6-0 victory. These two teams will play again on October 6. The Maroons are currently 10-1-1 overall. Holland Christian will take on Zeeland West on Monday, September 22.  

2014 Cross Country September 17 vs. Zeeland West

Holland Christian took on a talented Zeeland West team on Wednesday. Nathan Schloff ran an 18:20 on a difficult course. Luke Peterson finished in just under 19 minutes. Nate Mulder, Nolan VanderZwaag, and Ryan VanAppledorn all ran great varsity races. The boys fell just short of Zeeland West.

 Maria Kuiper, Kayla Windemuller, Alyssa Boeve, and Saskia Praamsma all had top 5 finishes. This propelled the girls to a very confident victory over the Dux. Holland Christian's JV team also performed well, as many of them kept up with Zeeland's varsity girls. The Maroons will compete in the Cougar/Falcon Invite on September 20.  

2014 Girls Golf September 16 @ Byron Center Invite


Holland Christian participated in another conference jamboree on Tuesday afternoon at Byron Center. Brittney Statema shot a 47, the best score of anyone in the jamboree. Abby Karsten followed Brittney with a 50. Lydia Wiersema's score of 51 kept the Maroons' score low enough to finish in first place for the third time in a row. Ali Swets, Brooke Statema, and Jocelyn Kacekowski rounded out the scoring to give the Maroons a final score of 206. Byron Center's knowledge of their home course earned them a second place finish with 216. Byron Center is currently tied with Unity Christian for second place in the conference with 11 points. The Maroons sit atop the conference with the maximum score of 18. Holland Christian will play at Thornapple-Kellogg on Friday, September 19.  

2014 Boys Soccer September 15 vs. Byron Center

Holland Christian was ranked eighth in the state of Michigan this past week. The Maroons proved that dominance on Monday night against Byron Center. Allyn Anthony and Mitch DePree both tallied goals in the first eight minutes of the game. After 20 more minutes of continuous pressure, Jake Kammeraad placed a penalty kick into the bottom left corner to put the Maroons up 3-0. Bryce Eggers later added the Maroons' fourth goal of the half. Holland Christian took a demanding 4-0 lead into halftime.

 The Maroons' came out of halftime with an aggressive, yet conservative mentality. Byron Center added a goal with just over four minutes left in the game, but Holland Christian still finished with the 4-1 victory. The Maroons improve to a perfect 3-0 in the OK Green conference and a 9-1-1 overall record. Holland Christian has a huge in-conference game on Wednesday at Unity. The Crusaders are currently ranked one place above the Maroons.  

2014 Girls Golf September 15 vs. West Ottawa


It was a great afternoon for golf at Winding Creek on Monday as Holland Christian hosted West Ottawa. Lydia Wiersema's six pars earned her a score of 40, the best round of the season. Brittney Statema also set a personal best with 45. Abby Karsten shot a 49. Ali Swets earned a 52, including a birdie on hole 9 after sinking a 20-foot putt. Collectively, Holland Christian finished with an impressive 186. West Ottawa unfortunately came out on top with a 171. The Maroons will be at Railside golf course on Tuesday, September 16, as they take on Byron Center. 

Monday, September 15, 2014

2014 Boys Soccer September 13 vs. West Ottawa

Holland Christian hosted West Ottawa on Saturday afternoon. With 29 minutes remaining in the first half, Allyn Anthony took a shot from 20 yards out for an unassisted goal. The Maroons struck again 15 minutes later when Jake Kammeraad crossed the ball to the middle and earned a lucky ricochet off of a West Ottawa defender. The Maroons went into halftime with a 2-0 lead over the Panthers.

 Neither team scored for the first 30 minutes of the second half despite many opportunities for both sides. In the final minutes, Bryce Eggers added the Maroons' third and final goal of the day. Holland Christian only took a total of four shots on goal, but they made the most of them. The Maroons' record currently sits at 8-1-1. Holland Christian will host a conference match against Byron Center on Monday, September 15.  

2014 Football September 12 vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central

Holland Christian continued their season on Friday night against the Grand Rapids Catholic Central Cougars. The Cougars took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter after stringing together a few runs. The Maroons appeared to tie the game when Jared Stygstra connected with Jake Kalkman for 35 yards. The touchdown was unfortunately called off because of a penalty. Catholic Central ended the first quarter with another touchdown to make the score 14-0. A third touchdown late in the second quarter put them up 21-0 at halftime.

 It only took a few plays for the Cougars to capitalize for another touchdown in the third quarter. The game eventually came to a close 28-0 in favor of Catholic Central. Holland Christian will travel to Belding on September 19 in search of their first win of the season. 

Friday, September 12, 2014

2014 Girls Golf September 11 @ Grand Rapids Christian

The girls' golf team played against Grand Rapids Christian on Thursday. The course had many obstacles: hills, fast greens, and a hole of 507 yards. Despite the difficult course, the girls all maintained above-average scores. Abby Karsten earned a 48, followed by Lydia Wiersema and Brittney Statema with a 49 and a 50, respectively. Brooke Statema rounded out the scoring with a 58 to give the team a collective score of 204. Grand Rapids Christian shot a 205, giving the Maroons the one stroke victory. Holland Christian will host West Ottawa on September 15.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

2014 Boys Soccer September 10 @ Holland

Holland Christian took on their rivals from Holland on Wednesday night. The Dutch struck first with about twenty minutes left in the first half. Andrew Keizer responded with a 20 yard strike that found its way past the Dutch keeper. At halftime, the game was knotted up 1-1. At the 16:25 mark of the second half, Bryce Eggers ripped a long shot from about 30 yards out. The goalie did not handle it properly, allowing Josue Nuñez to finish it to take the 2-1 lead. One minute later, Holland scored off of a set piece to tie the game 2-2. Right as the game was getting interesting, the game got delayed for 30 minutes because of the weather. Holland Christian came out of the delay with enough momentum to score with a minute left in the game off of a Bryce Eggers shot. The game finished with a 3-2 Holland Christian victory. HC improves to a 7-1-1 overall record. The Maroons and the Dutch will rematch on September 29 at Holland Christian. The Maroons will host West Ottawa on Saturday, September 13 at 1:00.


2014 Cross Country September 10 vs. Unity

Holland Christian hosted a conference meet on Wednesday afternoon. The Maroons ran specifically against Unity Christian. Nathan Schloff once again led the Maroons with a 17:48, the second best time of anyone on the day. Luke Peterson and Nate Mulder finished about a minute behind Schloff. Nolan VanderZwaag ran a 19:13; Ryan VanAppledorn rounded out the varsity scores one minute behind VanderZwaag. Thanks to the guys' earning the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th best times of the race, the Maroons were able to finish ahead of Unity.
The girls also finished with a few amazing times. Freshman Kayla Windemuller earned the second best time of 20:32. Maria Kuiper, Saskia Praamsma, Alyssa Boeve, and Tessa VandeWalker all followed within two minutes of Windemuller. Altogether, the lady Maroons' depth earned them an incredible score of 21, which also defeated Unity.
Holland Christian will race against Zeeland West on Wednesday, September 17 at Unity Christian.


2014 Boys Soccer September 8 vs. Hamilton


Holland Christian played their first conference match of the season on Monday night against Hamilton. Both teams came out strong to start the game but neither team found the back of the net. 11 minutes into the second half, Andrew Keizer began the scoring with a perfectly placed volley that found its way past the Hawkeye keeper from about 25 yards out. Six minutes later Allyn Anthony blasted one past the goalie to put the Maroons up 2-0. Josue Nuñez used his head to score the Maroons' third and final goal of the day off of a perfect cross from Ben Stump. With this, the Maroons head into their next conference game with a 6-1-1 record. That game will be played at Holland on Wednesday, September 10. Kickoff is at 6:45.  

Sunday, September 7, 2014

2014 Cross Country September 6 @ Christian Schools Invitational

Holland Christian ran in the Christian Schools invitational on Saturday. There was a total of nine Christian schools for both boys and girls. According to coach DeKruyter, it was one of the muddiest runs that he has ever seen in his 20 years of coaching.
Nathan Schloff led the Maroons with a great time of 18:03. Nate Mulder and Luke Peterson finished right next to each other around the 19:10 mark. Nolan VanderZwaag, Ryan VanAppledorn, Aidan Edmunds, and Henry Feikema rounded out the varsity times. Holland Christian earned 4th place with 124 points.
Kayla Windemuller ran a 21:24, the seventh fastest time of the day for the girls. Saskia Praamsma, Tessa VandeWalker, and Margaret VanWylen all finished in the 24th minute. The girls also finished in 4th place with 115 points.

Holland Christian will host their next meet on Wednesday, October 10.  

2014 Football September 5-6 @ Adrian

It was a very eventful weekend for the Maroons: 12 hours of traveling, 3 hours of game delay, and a game that lasted about 25 hours from kickoff to the final whistle. On Friday night, the Maroons and the Adrian Maples played eleven minutes of scoreless football before a storm interrupted them. After nearly three hours of lightning, the game was laid off until Saturday night. Holland Christian packed up their things and headed home to Holland. Eleven hours after arriving back at Holland Christian, they got on the bus and headed back to Adrian.
The first quarter eventually came to a close with a 0-0 tie. The Maples began the second quarter with a touchdown. Holland Christian's next drive was highlighted by a 30 yard pass from Jared Stygstra to Jake Kalkman, and a 10 yard touchdown run by Jared Stygstra. At halftime, Adrian had a 14-7 lead.
The Maples extended their lead to 28-7 by scoring two touchdowns in the third quarter.

Holland Christian added seven points after Jared Stygstra found Alex Bosch on a 4th and 9 goal line pass. Later on in the fourth quarter, the Maples found themselves on top 42-14. In the final minutes of the game, Lukas Bruxvoort caught a 40 yard pass from Stygstra to put them at the 12 yard line. David Williams finished off the game's scoring with a 12 yard touchdown run. In the end, the Maroons lost 42-20. Holland Christian will return home on Friday, September 12, as they host Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

2014 Boys Soccer September 4 @ Thornapple Kellogg

Holland Christian took on Thornapple Kellogg on Thursday night. Neither team was able to capitalize in the first half. The Maroons exploded in the second half for four goals. Bryce Eggers scored in the 45th minute from Mitch DePree. DePree scored eight minutes later on a ball from Andrew Keizer. A few minutes later, Caleb Rozeboom finished a ball from Ben Stump. Josue Nuñez finished the scoring in the final minutes off of a corner kick from Dylan Busscher. Holland Christian's 12 shots on goal gave them a 4-0 victory, improving their record to 5-1-1 on the season. The Maroons will host the Hamilton Hawkeyes on Monday, September 8.


Tuesday, September 2, 2014

2014 Boys Soccer September 2 @ Grand Rapids Christian

The Holland Christian Maroons continued their season on Tuesday night against the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles. After the Eagles put up three goals, Mitch DePree found fellow striker Bryce Eggers, who put the Maroons on the board. Two minutes later, Grand Rapids Christian added another goal, sending the Eagles into halftime with the 4-1 lead.

 Grand Rapids Christian capped the scoring with two goals in the first few minutes of the second half. Holland Christian took a total of nine shots on goal, but failed to find the back of the net enough to gain sufficient momentum. Holland Christian (4-1-1) will play at Thornapple-Kellogg on Thursday.  

Thursday, August 28, 2014

2014 Football August 28 vs. Forest Hills Eastern

Holland Christian kicked off their season on Thursday night against Forest Hills Eastern. In the first half, Maroons struggled to achieve enough first downs to get down the field and get on the board. Forest Hills Eastern rallied for three touchdowns over the course of the first quarter, giving the Hawks a 21-0 lead over the Maroons.
Jared Stygstra began the Maroons' drive in the second quarter with a 20 yard run to put them at midfield. On the next play, Stygstra heaved a ball 35 yards to sophomore Lukas Bruxvoort, who came down with the ball under double coverage. A few plays later, Coach Caserta decided to go for it on 4th and 10. That decision led to a 20 yard touchdown pass from Stygstra to Brandon Riemersma to get the Maroons on the board with ten minutes left in the first half. Forest Hills added a couple of touchdowns before halftime, giving them a 35-7 lead.

 Each team added a touchdown in the second half. Holland Christian's came from a long drive consisting of passes to Lukas Bruxvoort and rushes by David Williams. That drive ended in a 10 yard touchdown pass to Caleb Brink. The game ended in a disappointing 42-13 loss. The Maroons will be back in action on Friday, September 5, as they travel to the east side of the state to take on Adrian.  

2014 Boys Soccer August 27 vs. Zeeland East


 Holland Christian welcomed Zeeland East to the turf on Wednesday night. The Maroons maintained possession in the attacking zone for the majority of the first half. Neither team capitalized in the first half, but the first half gave the Maroons a lot of momentum that led to an early second half explosion. Just two minutes into the second half, a corner kick from Andrew Keizer found the foot of Brandt VanHeest, who put the ball in the back of the net. VanHeest is a middle defender, but he is pulled up for certain set pieces. Less than a minute later, Jake Kammeraad took a corner kick that found its way to VanHeest's shoulder for his second goal in 60 seconds. Three minutes after that outburst of goals, Micah Bieri put another one on the scoreboard by striking one past the goalie from 15 yards out. With just under 20 minutes to play in the game, Reed Valk managed to kick in the fourth goal of the game. Zeeland East pushed in the final minutes for a goal, and they got one. The game ended in a 4-1 Maroons victory. After the game, Coach DeBoer complimented his players for their ability to “reward themselves with the work that they do each game”. The Maroons improve to 4-0-1 on the season. Holland Christian's next game will be played at Grand Rapids Christian at 4:30 on Tuesday, September 2.  

2014 Cross Country August 25 @ Orchard View Invite

Holland Christian participated in the Orchard View Invite on Monday night. Nathan Schloff led the boys race with an amazing 17:59. Nate Mulder and Luke Peterson also finished with strong times of 18:28 and 18:33 respectively, despite the humid conditions. The guys' team earned 4th place out of 12 teams on the day. They will continue to work to close the gap between their top three runners and the next few runners.
The girls team has a lot of depth, both in age and general running ability. Maria Kuiper, a senior, led the Maroons with 21:31. Freshman Kayla Windemuller followed Kuiper with a 21:35. The girls' team finished in second place out of nine teams.
The next cross country match will be at South Christian's sports park on Saturday, September 6.

2014 Girls Golf August 26 @ HC/ZE invite

Despite the wet conditions, Holland Christian participated in the Unity Christian Jamboree on Tuesday afternoon. Abby Karsten finished with a spectacular score of 40, the best score of any golfer in the event. Fellow junior Brittney Statema finished with a 47, Lydia Wiersema finished with a 49. Ali Swets rounded out the scoring with a 62. Altogether, the Maroons finished with a score of 198. That score would be enough for a first place finish on the day. Unity Christian finished in second place with a 212, followed closely by third place Zeeland West with 213. Holland Christian currently sits atop the OK Green conference with six points. Unity Christian has five points and Zeeland West has four.

Monday, August 25, 2014

2014 Boys Soccer August 25 vs. South Christian

Holland Christian played their first game under the lights on Monday night against their non-conference rivals from South Christian. In the first half, the Maroons outplayed the Sailors in the categories of corner kicks, possession time, and chances. With three minutes to play in the first, Allyn Anthony fired a shot at the goal. The ball would have gone in the net if it wasn't for a South Christian defender who managed to get his shoulder on the ball. The teams went into halftime with a 0-0 tie.
A few minutes into the second half, Josh Busscher ripped the ball past the South Christian goalie from 20 yards out to put the Maroons up 1-0. About ten minutes later, the Sailors tied the game on a corner kick. Both teams had chances to take the lead late in the game but neither capitalized. The game ended in a 1-1 tie. Luke Schepers held the anchor in the goal by stopping six shots. Coach DeBoer commented on his team: “We have a different team than last year. We have to continue to take advantage of our chances.” Holland Christian's record becomes 3-0-1 after tonight. Zeeland East will make a visit to the HC Turf on Wednesday at 7:15.  

Saturday, August 23, 2014

2014 Boys Soccer August 23 Tournament


Coach DeBoer kicked off his second season as the varsity head coach on Saturday, as the Maroons hosted a four-team tournament. Competing against Holland Christian were Covenant Christian, Allendale, and Saugatuck. The match against Covenant Christian proved to be the most difficult for the Maroons, but they still came out on top by a score of 2-1. From there, things only got easier. They defeated Allendale 3-0 to push them into the championship game. Holland Christian went on to rout Saugatuck 8-0 in the final, hence taking home the tournament victory. Today's games push the Maroons to a quick 3-0 start to the season. Holland Christian's next game will take place on Monday night as they host their rivals from South Christian.  
2014 Maroons:
(top left, Juniors): Reed Valk, Ben Stump, Topher Leys, Dylan Busscher, Matt VanderZwaag, Caleb Rozeboom, Josh Busscher, Daniel Walters, Andrew Keizer, Bryce Eggers
(bottom left, Seniors): Kyle Wassink, Cody VanderLaan, Mitch DePree, Brandt VanHeest, Colin Bennett, Luke Schepers, Allyn Anthony, Micah Bieri, Jake Kammeraad, Andy Edstrom, Joe Spoelhof

Sunday, June 8, 2014

2014 Baseball Statistics Summary


PITCHING
Saw a total of 3,133 pitches. Nate DeZwaan saw 425
Our pitchers pitched 3051 pitches.
Mike Mokma
     881 Pitches
     76 strikeouts
     33.4% of batters faced struck out.
     59% first pitch strikes
     Finished 6-1
     Allowed 17 Runs in 53.1 innings (.919 ERA)
     1.012 WHIP


FIELDING
91% Fielding Percentage
57 Errors on 621 Total Chances




HITTING
227 Hits
.304 Average
179 Total Runs
.400 Slugging
.340 Sophomore Batting Average
Mike Mokma
     .449 Average
      40 Hits

     89 At Bats

2014 Baseball June 7 vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central Regional Tournament

The Maroons played against Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the regional tournament on Saturday at Hope College. Holland Christian put two men on base in the first inning, but failed to score. The Cougars scored a run with two outs in the second inning. The Maroons put runners on base in the third and fifth innings, but fell just short. The Maroons outhit the Cougars 5-4, but Grand Rapids Catholic Central's lone run gave them the 1-0 victory. Nate DeZwaan led the team with two hits. Casey Meyaard, Mike Mokma, and Dan Lynch also had hits. Mike Mokma pitched all six innings for the Maroons, struck out four, and didn't allow any earned runs.
Holland Christian finished their season with a 20-9 record. Collectively, they scored 179 runs, had 227 hits, and maintained a .304 batting average. Sophomore Mike Mokma led the team with 40 hits, 10 doubles, 22 RBIs, and a .449 batting average. Nick Hill led the team on the bases with 17 stolen bases. David Williams had four triples and two home runs.
Holland Christian pitching struck out a total of 189 batters and only gave up 1.6 runs per nine innings pitched (ERA). Mike Mokma pitched 53.1 innings and struck out 76 batters.
There were eight seniors on the team this year: Brandon Roon, Josiah Coleman, Landon Brower, Casey Meyaard, Nick Hill, Nate DeZwaan, and Dan Lynch. These seniors combined for 75 RBIs.
This season was the first season under Coach Jim Caserta, and it was a great one!



Thursday, June 5, 2014

2014 Baseball District Tournament May 31@ Hamilton/Byron Center

By Seth Walters (Class of 2016)
Holland Christian played against Hamilton for the first game of the district tournament on Saturday. In the third inning, Nate DeZwaan drove in the game's first run. Hamilton countered with a run of their own, making the score 1-1 after three innings. Landon Brower led off the fourth inning with a double to deep centerfield. David Williams, the next batter, doubled to the same spot, sending Brower to the plate. Hamilton tied the game 2-2 in the fifth inning off of an RBI single. David Williams drove in the Maroons' third run by singling in Mike Mokma. That run would prove to be the winning run, as Holland Christian won 3-2. Mike Mokma pitched all seven innings for the Maroons and struck out nine batters.

Byron Center beat Zeeland West in the first round of districts, and became the Maroons' opponent for Game 2. Byron Center got on the board first with a 3 RBI triple in the third inning. In the top of the fifth inning, Josh Sterenberg came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. Sterenberg popped the ball up to the second baseman. The ball dropped, and two runs came in, giving the Maroons new life. In the sixth inning, Nick Hill hit a suicide squeeze bunt in an attempt to score the tying run from third base. The bunt was successful, the run scored and Hill was safe at first. Hill was eventually driven in by Mike Mokma's single to centerfield. Holland Christian added an insurance run in the seventh inning. Dan Lynch lined to centerfield, scoring Josh Sterenberg. The Maroons faced the meat of the Bulldogs' order in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Nick Hill pitched an easy 1-2-3 inning. Sophomores Mike Mokma and Josh Sterenberg each had two hits. Nate DeZwaan pitched 3.2 innings and earned the no decision, while Nick Hill pitched 3.1 and earned the win. Hill and DeZwaan combined for five strikeouts. With tonight's victory, Holland Christian becomes the District 46 Champions. The Maroons advance to the Regional tournament on Saturday, June 7, that will be held at Hope College. The Maroons' first game of that tournament will be against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. If they win that game, they will play against the winner of East Grand Rapids and Fruitport. 

Thursday, May 29, 2014

2014 Lacrosse May 27 vs. Okemos

Holland Christian played their final game of the year on Tuesday, as they played against Okemos, the sixth best team in the state. The Maroons found themselves down 9-2 at halftime. Both goals were scored by Jake Kalkman.
Kalkman also scored a goal in the third quarter. Allyn Anthony and Jon Nykamp also scored, but Okemos extended their lead to 15-5 after three quarters of play. Holland Christian outscored Okemos 4-2 in the fourth quarter, but ended up falling short by a score of 17-9. Jon Nykamp led the fourth quarter scoring with two goals. Justin Dykgraaf and Micah Bieri also found the back of the net.
Jake Kalkman and Jon Nykamp each totaled three goals. Allyn Anthony, Micah Bieri, and Justin Dykgraaf each had one.
Six seniors played their final game in a maroon uniform: Justin Dykgraaf, Jon Nykamp, Ty Steggerda, Nick Genzink, and Isaac Boes.

 Joe Spoelhof led the Maroons with 47 goals on the season, followed by Jon Nykamp with 41 and Jake Kalkman with 35. Holland Christian finished with a 14-5 record. 

Saturday, May 24, 2014

2014 Baseball May 24 vs. Fennville

The second game against Fennville was better for the Maroons both offensively and defensively. Josiah Coleman started scoring with a 2 RBI bloop single over the first baseman's head. Coleman went on to add the third run by scoring off of a wild pitch. Casey Meyaard continued the scoring by hitting an RBI single. After Meyaard stole second and third, he scored off Nick Hill's groundout. Mike Mokma drilled a ball to the left field fence that sent Nate DeZwaan all the way around to home plate. Two plays later, David Williams nailed a ball over the left field fence for his first high school home run. After two innings, Holland Christian was leading 8-0. In the fourth inning, David Williams made the score 10-0 by hitting his second home run of the game. After the top of the fifth inning, the game was called due to the mercy rule.
David Williams finished 3 for 3 with two home runs and four RBIs. Casey Meyaard also had a great game, as he went 2 for 2 with a single, a triple, and an RBI.
Josh York led the Maroons defensively by pitching all five innings, striking out 7 and walking 1. York also did not allow any hits, leading the Maroons to their second no-hitter of the season.

 After today's games, the Maroons record becomes 18-8. Holland Christian will travel to Hamilton on Saturday, May 31, as they play in the district tournament.  

2014 Baseball May 24, 2014 @ Zeeland East

Holland Christian played against Zeeland East in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday. Holland Christian hit the ball hard a lot, but they failed to collect enough hits to score a run. Zeeland East's big 4 run fourth inning earned them the 7-0 victory on the day. Nate DeZwaan and Landon Brower each had a hit. Brower also pitched five innings, struck out six, and only gave up one earned run. Nick Hill came in and pitched the final inning.
In other action, Holland beat Fennville. Because Holland Christian and Fennville both lost, they played each other in Game 2.

Friday, May 23, 2014

2014 Lacrosse May 22 vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central

Holland Christian hosted Grand Rapids Catholic Central on Thursday night in the first round of the tournament. Jon Nykamp, Jake Kalkman, and Joe Spoelhof all scored in the first quarter, and the Maroons took a 3-1 lead into the second quarter. Allyn Anthony led the Maroons with two goals in the second quarter to give them an 8-3 lead at halftime.
Justin Dykgraaf scored two of the Maroons' three goals in the third quarter. After three quarters of play, Holland Christian led 11-8. Jon Nykamp finished the game by scoring two goals in the final quarter. In the end, the Maroons came out on top 16-10.
Jon Nykamp and Allyn Anthony each scored four goals on seven shots. Justin Dykgraaf scored three. Brad Houskamp kept the Maroons in the game by stopping 21 shots at goalie.

 Holland Christian's overall record improves to 14-4 on the season. Holland Christian's next game will be held at Grand rapids Christian on Tuesday, May 27, and will be played against Okemos. 

2014 Baseball May 23 @ West Ottawa

Holland Christian took on the West Ottawa Panthers on Friday afternoon in the first game of the Holland-Area Tournament. West Ottawa got on the board first by scoring two runs in the first inning off of a few Holland Christian errors. West Ottawa added their third run of the game off of a home run in the second inning, followed by an RBI single to go up 4-0 heading into the fourth inning. Holland Christian responded with four unanswered runs. David Williams drove in the first run by hitting a double to the fence in centerfield in the fourth inning. The other three runs came in the top of the seventh, all three of which with two outs. Nick Hill scored Josh Sterenberg off of a swinging bunt that resulted in a West Ottawa throwing error. Nate DeZwaan drove in the final two runs by drilling a ball to the centerfield fence, making the score 4-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. West Ottawa, however, filled the bases and ended up winning off of a walkoff single.
Mike Mokma pitched 4.1 innings, struck out 7, and earned the no decision. Nate DeZwaan pitched the rest of the game. Offensively, DeZwaan led the team with two hits and two RBIs.

 Holland Christian's overall record becomes 17-7 after the 5-4 loss to West Ottawa, and they will play a doubleheader on Saturday, May 24, at Zeeland East.  

2014 Baseball May 22 @ Coopersville

It was another great day for baseball on Thursday, as Holland Christian took on Coopersville. The score was tied 0-0 until the sixth inning, where the Maroons managed to score the game's three runs. With the bases loaded, Casey Meyaard walked in the first run of the game. Two more runs scored on the next play when Nick Hill drew a throwing error. The game ended 3-0 in favor of the Maroons.
Josh Sterenberg pitched 5.1 innings and earned the Win, while Nate DeZwaan pitched for 1.2 innings. Altogether, Holland Christian outhit Coopersville 7-4. Three of those HC hits came from David Williams, who finished 3 for 4. After today's victory, Holland Christian improves to 17-6 on the season; 11-1 in their past 12 games.

 Starting on Friday, May 23, there will be a Holland-Area tournament. Eight teams will take place in this tournament: Holland, Zeeland East, Zeeland West, West Ottawa, Fennville, Saugatuck, Hamilton, and Holland Christian. Holland Christian's first game will be at West Ottawa on Friday. . Holland Christian's baseball field will host the winners' side of the bracket, and Zeeland East will host the losers' side of the bracket. The Maroons will play a doubleheader at their respective location depending on the outcome of the game against West Ottawa.  

Sunday, May 18, 2014

2014 Lacrosse May 17 vs. Oxford

Holland Christian hosted Oxford on Saturday night in their last regular season game. It was also senior night for seven Maroons: Justin Dykgraaf, Caleb VanderLugt, Nick Genzink, Ray Guo, Jon Nykamp, Isaac Boes, and Ty Steggerda.
Jon Nykamp scored two goals in the first quarter, and Joe Spoelhof scored one.
In the second quarter, Jake Kalkman, and Jon Nykamp all found the back of the net; Joe Spoelhof found the back of the net twice. Holland Christian led 8-2.
Luke Harbottle, Joe Spoelhof, and Justin Dykgraaf all scored in the third quarter, along with Jake Kalkman scoring two. Holland Christian was outscored 2-0 in the final quarter, but still finished with the confident 13-5 victory.

 Holland Christian will participate in the Regional quarterfinal on Thursday, May 22, on the HC Turf. 

2014 Baseball May 17 Doubleheader vs. Spring Lake

The Maroons played their final regular season doubleheader on Saturday as they hosted Spring Lake. With two runners in scoring position, Landon Brower hit a 2 RBI single to centerfield. Brower later scored off of a Josh Sterenberg single. Holland Christian led 3-0 until the fourth inning, when they added three more runs. Nick Hill doubled in a run. Nate DeZwaan hit a suicide squeeze bunt that scored Casey Meyaard from third base. Mokma brought the fourth inning scoring to a close hitting an RBI single, making it 6-0 after the fourth inning.
Nate DeZwaan drilled a ball to the fence that he stretched into a triple. Mokma drove in the seventh and final run of the game by hitting a sacrifice fly that scored DeZwaan. Holland Christian won the first game by a score of 7-1
Mike Mokma and Landon Brower led the Maroons offensively as each of them drove in two runs. Mokma also led the Maroons on the mound, as he threw six scoreless innings, struck out six batters and only gave up three hits. Freshman pitcher Spencer Brewer came in to pitch the final inning. In that inning, he struck out two batters.
In the bottom of the first inning of Game 2, Mike Mokma and Landon Brower hit back-to-back sacrifice hits. Each team scored two runs in the second inning. The Maroons' runs came from Nate DeZwaan's 2 RBI single. After two innings, Holland Christian led 4-2. In the fourth inning, Nate DeZwaan hustled all the way in from first base as Mike Mokma drilled a triple to the fence. The Maroons scored five runs in the fifth inning. Max Wierda drilled in the first run by hitting an RBI double down the left field line. Nate DeZwaan drove in two more runs with his second 2 RBI single of the game. Mike Mokma wrapped up the scoring by drilling his second triple of the game, scoring two more runs in the process. In the end, Holland Christian came out on top 10-5.
Mike Mokma and Josh Sterenberg each had three hits. Nate DeZwaan and Mike Mokma each had 4 RBIs. Nick Hill and Nate DeZwaan each scored three runs.

 Nick Hill pitched 5 innings, and Nate DeZwaan pitched the other 2. Both pitchers had three strikeouts. Holland Christian's record improves to 16-6 after today's sweep of Spring Lake.