By Judy Reed

Two of the toughest teams in the OK Gold went head to head last Friday evening: Catholic Central—the reigning Division 4 state champs, and Cedar Springs—conference champs in the OK White two years in a row. Both teams were 2-0 on the season. 

But another win for Cedar Springs just wasn’t in the cards Friday night. They took it on the chin 42-28, in spite of a rally in the second half that brought them within a touchdown of the Falcons.

“We obviously ran the ball extremely well and controlled time of possession, but we gave up too many big plays on defense and couldn’t get off the field on 3rd down,” explained Cedar Springs Coach Gus Kapolka. “I’m proud of the fight our kids showed in the second half, scoring on three consecutive drives and recovering an onside kick.”  

Catholic Central scored first at the 2:10 mark in the first quarter when Joey Silveri completed a pass to Danny Mikolay for a 21-yard touchdown. The kick by Jack Barlow was good for the extra point. 

At 9:56 in the second quarter, Silveri completed another pass, this time to Jace Williams for a 5-yard touchdown. The extra point kick was good.

With 7:16 left in the second, the Red Hawks scored when Alex Ream ran to the left and into the endzone for a 3-yard touchdown. Quarterback Jeremy Campione then ran the ball in for the two-point conversion. 

Just seconds later, Catholic Central came back and scored again with 6:59 left in the half on another pass from Silveri, this time to Nolan Zeigler, for a 49-yard touchdown. The extra point kick by Barlow was good. At the end of the half, the score was CC 21, CS 8.

Cedar Springs came out in the second half determined to make up for lost opportunities.

Catholic Central scored first, with 10:29 on the clock, on a one-yard run by Nick Hollern. The extra point kick was good.

Cedar Springs then scored with 5:01 left on the clock in the third when Aiden Brunin ran for an 18-yard touchdown. Alex Ream’s two-point conversion was good, making the score 28-16.

CC scored again when Silveri passed to Hollern for a 48-yard touchdown. The extra point kick was good, making the score 35-16.

Cedar Springs rallied and scored twice in the fourth quarter, for 12 more points. The first was on a run by Brunin for a 7-yard touchdown, and the second on a one-yard run by Campione. Extra points were no good. The score was now 35-28.

Catholic Central sealed the victory with 1:28 left in the game on a 28-yard run up the middle by Silveri. The extra point kick was good, making the final score CC 42, CS 28.

Cedar Springs had 383 yards on the ground. Leading the charge was Aiden Brunin with 151; Antwuan Nicholls with 88; Alex Ream with 87; Jeremy Campione with 28; Nathan Elliston with 20; Kyle Hoort with 6; and Da’Montae Barnett with 3.

Catholic Central had 191 yards rushing. Joey Silveri had 110, and Nick Hollern had 81. Silveri also completed 7 out of 8 passes for 191 yards on the air.

Defensively, Cedar Springs had 21 tackles, and Catholic Central had 73.

Cedar Springs (2-1) hosts South Christian (3-0) this Friday for homecoming. What does Coach Kapolka think they need to do win that game?

“We need to repeat our success on the ground against South Christian and limit the big plays on defense,” he said. “Those are our goals this week.”

While fans can buy tickets to the freshman and JV games this week, none are being sold at the gate for the Varsity Friday night, as it would exceed the 1,000 person cap. Three tickets to the game are being made available to participants (football, cheer, band) and extras to students.t

For others to watch, you will need to stream the game at https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/cedar-springs-high-school-cedar-springs-mi/game2f253c198. According to a post by teacher Justin Harnden, their crew will be filming the game, not using the automated camera.

The cost for the streaming subscription to nfhsnetwork.com is $10.99 per month and less for a year’s subscription. A subscription allows you to watch games from all over the state of Michigan.

By Judy Reed

Do you know of someone that was an athlete or coach at Cedar Springs High School that excelled in their position, or went on to excel in sports outside of high school? That person might be a good candidate for the newly established Cedar Springs High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Cedar Springs Athletic Leadership Council (ALC), which is made up of student athletes and overseen by teacher Justin Harnden, has been working on this new Hall of Fame to “recognize and honor those Cedar Springs High School athletes, coaches, administrators, volunteers, and supporters who excelled in their respective sports or coaching/support roles.”

The student athletes have been working on the Hall of Fame for the last year—researching what other schools do, what Cedar Springs had before, planning how the nomination process will work, how the nominees will be elected, where it will be in the school. They will also design it and promote it as well.

Harnden said he knew they used to have something honoring athletes at the old high school (Red Hawk Elementary) and they had tried to find out what happened to it. He said his understanding was that it was more like press clippings and other things honoring the athletes, such as trophies. “This Hall of Fame will be something bigger and more prestigious—something at a higher level,” he explained.

Four of the students working on the project spoke with the Post on Monday, and went before the Board of Education Monday evening to talk about their plans.

“I think it’s a very special thing to start something as huge as this could be,” said Kaylie Andres, a senior. “It’s cool to acknowledge people I know and those who have been here before in athletics. It’s huge for the community.”

“We’ve been striving to improve the culture of the athletic department,” explained Harlow Hovarter, also a senior. “With this, the community gets to support our culture and see what we’ve been doing.”

Senior Kaden Liggett is excited about the work they’ve done, and will still be doing on the Hall of Fame. “I was really surprised we didn’t already have one,” he remarked. “When I have kids and bring them here, and I can point to it and tell them I helped create that. I had an impact here,” he said. 

He added that Cedar Springs is an athletically inclined community. “It’s a good way for the ALC to leave our mark,” he said.

Senor Desiree Wise has also been working on the Hall of Fame. “So many people focus on the here and now and don’t look at the success we’ve had. This will help us look at the show of leadership and be proud of what has come in the past.”

“It’s good to look at where we’ve come from and highlight Cedar Springs as a whole,” added Harlow. 

The goal is for forms for nominations to be out for distribution by Red Flannel Day, and they will take nominations through December. The forms will be available on the school website. Any community member can nominate someone, but Harnden said it would be a pretty stringent process. An athlete has to have been out of high school for 10 years. A coach has to have been at the school for at least 10 years, and then out of the school for at least five years. State champions or teams will automatically be considered, and do not have to be nominated. Once a person has been nominated, they will be up for consideration for five years. After that, they must be nominated again, and they can be nominated a total of four times.

No more than eight people will be chosen for the Hall of Fame each year, with a possible exception the first year. A board consisting 5-12 members will cast the deciding votes. To be elected, a nominee must get a yes vote from at least 75 percent of the board members. The board will be made up of the Athletic Director, a CSHS building administrator, a retired or former administrator, current and former coaches, current and former faculty members, and a current or former athletic booster member. They will each serve two-year terms. 

After the decisions are made, an induction ceremony will be held. 

The new Hall of Fame area will be in the hallway near the gymnasium, But it doesn’t come without cost. Harnden said that the Athletic Boosters have given them $1,000 in seed money, and if the community would like to donate to the Hall of Fame, they could do it through the Cedar Springs Athletic office. Any checks should note they are for the Cedar Springs Hall of Fame, and be sent in c/o AD John Norton.

Watch the Post for more information, as the forms for the first rotation of nominees for the Hall of Fame get ready to roll out!

The Hawks Nest student section during the pink out game against Lowell last Friday, January 26. Photo by K&R Lalone.

By Judy Reed

The Cedar Springs Red Hawks’ student section—the Hawks Nest—just barely missed making it as a top three finalist for MHSAA’s Battle of the Fans VII. But they are winners none-the-less.

“Our student body has been absolutely fantastic this year. In fact, I believe it has been the best it has been in many years,” said teacher and coach Justin Harnden, who has been working with the student Athletic Leadership Council to create a culture that positive and supportive for all fans and teams. “A large amount of students have taken the challenge of changing the culture of our student section and making it a positive experience for everyone.”  

Cedar Springs was chosen as one of nine semi-finalists and one of three in Class A, on January 16. They then had 12 days to step up their game and show what they could do, and record it on social media. On January 23, almost 1,000 students cheered on a Special Olympics basketball game between Cedar Springs and Sparta—and they cheered for both sides. They also cheered at pink out games for girls and boys basketball. During last Friday’s pink out boys basketball game against Lowell, the positive spirit they showed made a big impact on at least one of the opposing team’s fans.  

Joel Fritsma, a Red Arrow fan, posted this on Twitter: “Shoutout to @CedarALC for the hospitality Friday night! The pink out was really fitting. Quite the SS you guys have put together this year! Keep up the great work, and best of luck towards moving on in the #BOTF rankings! – A Lowell Student #HowBasketballGamesShouldBe”

Harnden said that sentiment really exemplies all that they have done this year. 

“There have been a large amount of great moments the past two sports seasons that are highlighted with one of the largest sections we have ever had for our Lowell football game, and partnering with the school Be Nice campaign for our Glow Out Bullying basketball game,” he said.

“While we were disappointed that we didn’t make the finals, everyone here is extremely proud of all the we have done and we absolutely will try again next year. The upperclassmen that we currently have put forth so much effort into the shift and they have laid the groundwork for everyone else to follow.”  

Harnden hopes the positive impact of the campaign extends beyond school walls. “I hope that the positive shift resonates with not just our students, but our community as well. Everyone leading and pushing in a supportive way makes the games so much fun to be a part of and when we can lead the shift out of the student section we can make a much bigger difference in the lives of many other people,” he explained. 

Boyne City, Buchanan and Petoskey were selected as finalists by MHSAA’s Student Advisory Council. Voting among the top five semifinalists was particularly close, according to the MHSAA. Cedar Springs and Charlotte just missed earning spots among the top three. Munising, Negaunee, Pellston and Traverse City West also were among the semifinalists.

“Charlotte and Cedar Springs were very close to becoming part of this year’s finalists tour,” said Andy Frushour, MHSAA director of brand management and advisor to the Student Advisory Council. “Both have established incredible fan cultures, and we certainly plan on seeing them in this contest again next year.”
Harnden agrees. 

“This year semi-finalists; next year champions,” he said.

Visit CedarSpringsTV on youtube.com to see several examples of the Hawks Nest in action during Battle of the Fans VII.

This photo was taken by Natalie Kieda as she rode in the helicopter over the town on Red Flannel Day last Saturday.

Natalie Kieda won a complimentary helicopter ride on Red Flannel Day.

By Judy Reed

The weather held true to the spirit of the Red Flannel Festival Saturday, with temperatures in the 40s. The nip in the air and the sporadic sprinkles didn’t put a damper on the festivities, however, as thousands of people lined the streets to celebrate the Red Flannel Festival’s 75^th anniversary.

Helicopter rides were one of the highlights of the day, and the helicopter could be seen and heard buzzing over the town all day long. Courtland Township resident Natalie Kieda was one of the people who took advantage of the attraction. Kieda, who works at Cedar Springs Public Schools, said she won the ride as a door prize the school gave away.

“I really enjoyed it,” remarked Kieda. “I had never ridden in a helicopter before. I was a little nervous, but it was an amazing view. It was nice to see the town from the air.” She took some aerial photos, which she shared with us.

She said the helicopter took off from Red Hawk Elementary, went north of town, out over the highway, and circled back to Red Hawk. “It was a nice experience. A pretty smooth ride, too,” she added.

Events and attractions could be found all day, up and down Main Street, on side streets, at the schools, in Morley Park and up on 17 Mile in the Tractor Supply parking lot (the car show was there). People were able to take the trolley to various locations.

As usual, the Grand Parade was a big hit, with Cedar Springs TV production teacher Justin Harnden and crew filming a live lip dub production during the parade, and the Scottville Clown band entertaining at the end of the parade, and in a concert afterward. Activities continued on into the evening, with the Red Flannel Talent show, a movie at the Kent Theatre, a powder puff football game, and live music at the Grand Lodge and at the American Legion.

To see the lip dub, go to youtube.com and type in Red Flannel lip dub.

Many people submitted their Red Flannel photos to the Post Facebook page this week. We couldn’t fit them all in, but download this week’s Red Flannel Post and see if you can find yours!

Students at Cedar Springs High School all got to be part of something special before leaving for spring break—a lip dub that involved all 900 students at the school.

According to TV Production teacher Justin Harnden, it was 100 percent student filmed, planned and directed.

Harnden said that a discussion in their CSTV (Advanced television production) class at the beginning of the year got the idea going for the lip dub, and once they got into the third trimester, senior Alex Hughes took the idea even further. “He got everyone in the school involved, and then, with the help of junior Bryan Taylor, organized the whole event,” explained Harnden.

The video was done during Cedar Pride week, and was put out to showcase the pride that students have in the school. The lip syncers were members of various school clubs and sports. Filming was done by Joel Carter, Cody Hoogerheide, and Derrick Liggett, with Hughes and Taylor directing.

Harnden said they had 10 full runs with the singers, many more times through with just the directors planning the route, and the only time they had everyone involved was for the filming, right before their Cedar Pride assembly on Thursday, April 3, the day before spring break began.

The  video was online on their youtube channel by 4:30 p.m. that day, and had over 12,000 views in less than 24 hours. They currently have just over 20,000.

Have you seen the video? Help the video go viral by viewing and sharing with friends and family. It can be found on youtube.com, just search for Cedar Springs TV or Cedar Springs High School lip dub.

By Kendra Coons

Change. It’s something many people don’t deal with well. In this case, it was for the better at Cedar Springs High School. In 2012, drama teacher Justin Harnden took over the television program at CSHS. The second he took it over many changes were made to the C.S.T.V. program. The program bought brand new cameras, computers, TVs, and much more. He started working on getting his students to film sporting events, work on Public Service Announcements, capture the latest news in the school, and the biggest change, start announcing play-by-play.

“We are here to put out more than just news for our school and community. We are doing sports, award shows, graduation, Red Flannel things, and much more. We are destined for great things,” expresses Harnden.

With one year under his belt, Harnden started to submit C.S.T.V.’s work to MHSAA. After the fall season of 2013, Thom Lengyel and Ken Kolb, who are a part of the Student Broadcast Foundation, heard C.S.T.V. production students Kyle Maka and Kody Hall perform play-by-play for one of the Cedar Springs’ football games. After listening to both of them, Lengyel contacted Harnden and offered for Maka, Hall, and the rest of the class to come down to Ford Field. Lengyel explained to Harnden that the trip to Ford Field would give the class a chance to receive a behind the scenes look at what goes on during a broadcast and give Maka and Hall a chance to call the Division 1 state championship high school football game.

On Saturday, Nov. 30 the C.S.T.V. Production program traveled out of their little town of Cedar Springs, Michigan to face the big town of Detroit, Michigan. The day started out with the students boarding the bus at 8:15 a.m. for a three-hour drive to the east side of the state. Once the students stepped off the bus they received their press passes. This gave them full access to walk out onto the field, and sit in press row. Once the class arrived at Ford Field, they traveled up to the seventh floor to meet Lengyel. Lengyel then introduced the class to Kolb, showed them where Fox Sports does all of their announcing, and showed them where press row was located. After all of that was done, it was time for Maka and Hall to announce play-by-play for the Division 1 championship. Another member of C.S.T.V., Alex Hughes, also received a chance to announce play-by-play for the game.

Coming from a town with an estimated 3,500 people in it, the three boys were not used to a big stage. A lot of the community would annually attend our high school football games, but nothing to the caliber of what the three boys were about to announce.

“Doing the play by play was just amazing. I felt on top of the world. It was the best experience of my life,” comments Maka.

“It was honestly a feeling that I’ve never felt before…. It almost didn’t seem real at first, but once I opened up [to] the environment I had an amazing time,” states Hughes.

While the three boys were announcing play-by-play, the rest of the class received the opportunity to walk onto the field and sit in press row. After the game, the students received the chance to walk through the Fox Sports trailers. These trailers are where all of the action happens. Being able to walk through these trailers was a once in a lifetime experience for the C.S.T.V program.

“I thought looking around the Fox Sports Detroit mobile studio was eye opening. Seeing two of the three trucks that will handle all the production aspects of the Super Bowl was really great. We were able to see all that goes on in that setting and we were amazed by it,” explains Harnden.

“Getting to tour Fox Sports was crazy because normally the behind the scenes work isn’t seen at all, so that opportunity was perfect for the class,” says Hall.

After the students toured the buses, they all headed back up to the seventh floor to grab their things, say their goodbyes, and thank Lengyel and Kolb for the opportunity. Right before the class got ready to leave Lengyel had a few words to say to the class. He told the class how well they were behaved and how well the three boys did at calling the game.

“Getting those compliments from someone who has been in the business for so long was quite overwhelming, especially for myself not knowing much about football and being the first time doing commentary,” says Hughes.

“[I had] a sense of joy and pride. I was so glad that somebody of his job caliber enjoyed how we did…” tells Hall.

“When Thom gave us those compliments, I just could not stop smiling. When Thom said that we were just as good on our fourth game as those who have been calling games for four years, just made me believe that this is something I can really do for the rest of my life. I hope that dream comes true,” comments Maka.

Not only did Lengyel and the rest of their class believe they did a great job, Maka, Hughes, and Hall’s teacher also believed that they did exceptional.

“I thought Kyle, Kody, and Alex did a great job. This was only the fourth game that they have called and they went above and beyond our expectations. Everyone involved with the production was impressed with what they did,” states Harnden.

The students were able to take away many things from traveling to Ford Field. Going behind the scenes of Fox Sports is something not many people get a chance to say that they did. The class and Harden believe it was very beneficial to be able to participate in an experience like this.

“The students were exposed to a lot of aspects within media production. From press row, to the Fox Sports Detroit mobile studio, calling the game on the radio, and being allowed to see every aspect of a big stadium production really was eye opening,” explains Harnden.

The experience of traveling to Ford Field was definitely an experience that none of the class members will ever forget. Not only did they have a blast, but they learned a ton too.

“I definitely think that the trip benefited the class because we [were all able] to see things about professional broadcasting that most people can’t. [Also] we [were able] to learn what it takes to make a professional broadcast,” says Maka.

The day after the program traveled to Ford Field, Lengyel emailed Harnden about C.S.T.V. Production and his view on their performance.

“Yesterday, before I uploaded your mp3 file to your class email and apps account, and after trimming the front and tale of the dead air (that is the only editing I did. The rest of the file has no editing done on it), during the broadcast I knew that they were doing a good job,” expresses Thom. “So I wanted to listen to their broadcast when I got home. I could not put the mp3 player down. I did not pause it until halftime. For their fifth broadcast, listening to their preparation come out in the broadcast, changed my opinion to they hit it out of the park.”

Lengyel has been in the business for many years. Having a compliment like that from a man with so much experience really hit home for the C.S.T.V. Production program.

If you would like to see what  C.S.T.V. is all about, like us on Facebook “CSTV”, follow us on Twitter “@CedarSpringsTV”, visit our website, “www.cedarspringstv.com” and make sure to watch our newscasts and listen for our play by play on MHSAA!

C.S.T.V. Production truly wants to thank the Student Broadcast Foundation for the opportunity that they were given. And a special thanks to Lengyel and Kolb for selecting C.S.T.V. and helping them with advancing their program to the next level.

Hughes states, “I can’t thank the Student Broadcast Foundation and the MHSAA enough for letting our class have the opportunity to go to Ford Field and experience everything that we did. I would also like to thank our teacher Justin Harnden for turning around our TV Pro program… Lastly, I would like to thank our class for always being there for one another and making this year memorable.”