By Judy Reed

The win (and possible share of the conference title) was within their grasp. It was so close that the Red Hawks and their fans could taste it. With 38 seconds left on the game clock, Ryan Miller scored the touchdown that brought them within one point of the Catholic Central Cougars. Would they get the 2-point conversion to seal the win?

In what was being called a showdown for the title in the OK Gold conference, Cedar Springs hosted Catholic Central at Red Hawk Stadium last Friday, October 15. Both teams were 5-0 in conference. The Cougars have not lost a conference game since 2016, and were state champions in Division 5 in 2020, and in Division 4 in 2019, 2017, and 2016.

But no team since 2018 has scored as many points against Catholic Central as Cedar Springs did Friday night.

“I thought our offensive line played one of the best games I’ve ever witnessed,” said Cedar Springs Coach Gus Kapolka. “They were dominant from beginning to end. Our special teams were solid as well, with a kick return for a TD, and two blocked PAT’s (point after touchdown kicks).”

Cedar Springs hit the scoreboard first, when with 6:52 left in the first, Ryan Mitchell ran 10 yards to the left to score. The 2-point conversion was no good.

Catholic Central then scored with 2:40 left in the first, when quarterback John Passinault ran right for a four-yard touchdown. The point after kick by John Meyer was good.

With 2:27 left in the first, Catholic Central then kicked off to Cedar Springs. Antwuan Nicholls got the ball on the Cedar Springs 20-yard line and ran it 80 yards down field to score the next touchdown. Alex Ream’s run for two more points was good.

With 1:23 left in the first, CC scored again, when Passinault threw to Nolan Zeigler for a 14-yard touchdown. The Red Hawks didn’t allow Meyer to attempt the point after kick.

At the end of the first quarter, it was CS 14, CC 15.

Cedar Springs scored twice more in the second quarter, on a 10-yard run by QB Aiden Brunin and a 1-yard run by Alex Ream. Brunin ran in the 2 points after Ream’s TD.

Catholic Central scored again, when Passinault threw to Devin Fridley-bell for a 25-yard touchdown. The Red Hawks blocked Meyers point after kick.

The score at half was CS 28, CC 23.

Catholic Central held the Red Hawks at bay in the third and came back with three touchdowns. Passinault scored on both a one-yard run and a 67-yard run and threw a pass to Fridley-bell for a 7-yard touchdown. They scored 2-point conversions after two of the touchdowns.

After three quarters, it was CS 28, CC 41.

In the fourth quarter, Cedar Springs not only had to play catch up, they had to hold back Catholic Central. Cedar Springs drove down the field and scored on a two-yard run by Brunin with 8:26 left on the clock. Brunin’s pass to Josh Kriekaard for extra points was no good. It was now CS 34, CC 41.

Catholic Central started their next drive on their 20-yard line. They made it to the Cedar Springs 33-yard line, and on 4^th down and 3, Passinault tried to run up the middle but was stopped by Antwuan Nicholls for no gain. Cedar Springs took over on their 33-yard line.

Cedar Springs drove down the field and made it the Catholic Central 3-yard line. Ryan Mitchell ran left for the 3-yard touchdown. It was now CS 40, CC 41, with 38 seconds on the clock. Cedar Springs called their third time out. They needed a two-point conversion to win the game, and a possible share of the conference title.

Brunin rolled out with the ball but couldn’t make it in to the endzone.

Cedar Springs kicked off, and tried an onside kick, but it was picked up at the 50 by Catholic Central. They made one play to lose two yards, and the game was over. Final score CS 40, Catholic Central 41.

“I’m proud of the way our guys battled all the way down to the final play on Friday night,” said Kapolka.   “We are obviously disappointed with our effort, but I am pleased with how we competed. The game came down to us making 2-3 critical plays at crucial times, and we just couldn’t make them.”

Cedar Springs racked up 327 yards on the ground. They were led by Aiden Brunin with 98 and 2 TDs, Ryan Mitchell with 72 and 2 TDs, Carter Falan with 57, Antwuan Nicholls with 52, Alex Ream with 39 and one TD, and Kyle Hoort with 9. Nicholls also had an 80-yard TD run on a kickoff return.

Catholic Central had 170 yards rushing between three players: John Passinault had 104, Jack Rellinger had 53, and Ronin Russell Dixon had 13.

Passinault also threw for 256 yards, including three touchdowns.

Cedar Springs is now tied for second place in the OK Gold with South Christian High School. They will battle them this week at East Kentwood High School.

We asked Coach Kapolka what challenges that game will bring to the Red Hawks.

“South Christian will present similar problems to Grand Rapids Catholic Central. They are big and athletic, and they will try to spread us out and throw the ball,” he explained. “We have to fix some things defensively this week to be ready for their dynamic attack.” Make the trip Friday to East Kentwood High School to cheer on your Red Hawks! Game time is 7 p.m.

For the second year in a row, the Cedar Springs Varsity Football team has landed atop the OK-White as conference champions! They went 6-0 in conference, and were 8-1 overall in the regular season. Their only loss was to Caledonia. They clinched sole possession of the title last Friday night, when they defeated Forest Hills Northern, 42-0. To read about the game, and what’s coming up for this Friday’s playoff game, click here.

By Judy Reed

The Cedar Springs Red Hawks swooped into Greenville’s Legacy Stadium last Friday night and snatched a victory before the Yellow Jackets were able to get off the ground.

The Red Hawks have scored 146 points in their first four games, while allowing 63. They score early and often, and Friday was no exception. They scored three times in the first quarter, including on their first possession, a 63-yard drive. With 9:51 left on the clock in the first quarter, Zak Schmid ran to the left for a 19-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion run by QB Jeremy Campione was good, making the score  8-0 Red Hawks. 

They scored again on their next possession, a 54-yard drive, when Aiden Brunin ran the ball to the left and the last two yards into the end zone with 4:58 left on the clock in the first. Ben Shaw’s run in for extra points was good, making the score now Cedar Springs 16, Greenville 0.

Then, with only 8 seconds left in the first, Ben Shaw run up the middle for a 53-yard touchdown, and Da’montae Barnett ran in the extra points, making it Cedar Springs 24-0 as the first quarter ended.

Only a few plays into the second quarter, Red Hawk Kaleb Colby recovered a fumble by Greenville QB Grant Twaites, and Cedar Springs now had the ball on the Greenville 16 yard line. Two plays later they scored, with Aiden Brunin scoring his second touchdown of the night on a 12-yard run. Zak Schmid’s run for extra points was no good, and the score was now 30-0 Red Hawks, with 10:48 left on the clock on the second quarter.

Cedar Springs scored twice more before the second quarter was over. When they kicked off to Greenville with 10:48 left, they did an onside kick, and Red Hawk Nathan Male recovered the ball. That drive then culminated in Zak Schmid scoring his second touchdown of the night on a one-yard run into the end zone with 8:12 left on the clock. Kicker Owen Sweezer then kicked an extra point, something we hadn’t previously seen the Red Hawks do this year. The score was now Cedar Springs 37, Greenville 0.

The Red Hawks scored again just before half when Campione ran one-yard up the middle and into the end zone. Sweezer kicked another extra point, and with 14 seconds remaining in the half, it was Cedar Springs 44, Greenville 0.

The Yellow Jackets came out after half and played a little more aggressively. They kept control of the ball during much of the third quarter, and finally scored with 2:32 left on the clock, when Matt Laudenslager ran up the middle for a one-yard touchdown, and Zane Bigelow’s two-point run was good. Score was now 44-8.

Cedar Springs came back and scored one final time in the fourth quarter, when David Dipiazza ran up the middle for a 21-yard touchdown with 4:39 left on the game clock. QB Logan Petty’s pass to Kyle Hoort was no good, and the game ended with the score Cedar Springs 50, Greenville 8.

The Red Hawks had 315 yards rushing, while the Yellow Jackets had 111. Leading rushers for the Cedar Springs included Ben Shaw, with 61 yards on four carries including one touchdown; Aiden Brunin with 58 yards on six attempts and two touchdowns; Zak Schmid with 43 yards on three runs and two touchdowns; Jeremy Campione with 40 yards on four runs and one touchdown; Nathan Male with 27 yards on four carries; Da’montae Barnett with 25 yards on four runs; David Dipiazza with 21 yards on one carry and one touchdown; Kyle Hoort with 20 yards and seven carries; Alex Ream with 16 yards on four runs; and Jeff Clark had four yards on one carry.

The defense had 46 tackles and two assists. Zak Schmid led in tackles with eight, Nate Webb with seven, Brennan Porter with five, Seth Almas with four, and several other team members with three or less.

Cedar Springs will travel to Allendale this Friday for their third non-conference game of the season, where they will face off against the Falcons, who are part of the OK-Blue, and are also 3-1. Game time is 7 p.m.

Pictured is the Varsity football team after their Ok White conference win.

Boys cross country are number one in the OK White conference.

Two Cedar Springs athletic teams made history last week when they captured their first ever OK White conference championships. Both the Varsity football and boys cross country teams have won championships in the past, but this is the first in the OK White, which they’ve been a member of since 2016. Way to go! For more details, see stories here.

COMMUNITY TAILGATE: The football team will host Gaylord this Friday, October 26, in a pre-district game at 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to a community tailgate in the Cedar Springs High School parking lot from 4 p.m. until game time. Lots of fun planned: music/DJ, balloon artist, contests, lawn games, cheap hot dogs (50 cents or $1 with chips) and free waters. Or bring your own food and snacks! Cheerleaders and band will be there as well. Be sure to wear all black—it’s a black out game!

The Red Hawks scored their 8th straight win of the season Friday against Forest Hills Northern. Courtesy photo.

Red Hawks win OK White championship

By Judy Reed

The Cedar Springs Red Hawks Varsity football team accomplished three feats on Friday night—and two of them hadn’t been done in Cedar Springs for 60-plus years.

The biggest and most important feat was that they won their first ever OK White Conference championship, and they won it outright—they were undefeated in conference play, and finished 6-0 in conference, and 8-1 overall in the regular season. It was their first conference championship since they shared the OK Bronze conference championship with Forest Hills Eastern in 2015.

“It is a great accomplishment for our team,” said Coach Gus Kapolka. “Winning the OK White was one of our goals from the very beginning of the season. I’m proud of how dedicated all of our kids were in winning Cedar Springs’ first ever OK White Championship. We need to continue with our dedication and preparation moving forward throughout the playoffs.”

The second feat they accomplished was three straight shut outs in a row, which they hadn’t done since 1956, when they were part of the Newaygo-Cnty league and had five in a row. 

The third accomplishment was that they won eight straight games—something that had not occurred since 1954, as part of the Newaygo-Cnty league. That year they went 9-0, winning every game on their schedule. This year’s only loss was the first game of the season to Saginaw Swan Valley, the 2017 Division 5 state runner up. 

The game last Friday against Forest Hills Northern was cold and wet, but the Red Hawks pulled off another great performance. They scored once in the first quarter on a 33-yard touchdown run by Lucas Pienton, and quarterback Kolby Swank passed to Ethan West for the extra two points. 

They scored three times in the second quarter. With 9:48 on the clock, Kolby Swank ran in a 7-yard touchdown, and Ryan Ringler ran in the extra points. With 1:32 left, Sage Serbenta ran right for a 5-yard touchdown, and Ringler ran in the extra points. Then with 39 seconds left til half, Serbenta returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown, and Swank’s pass to Ringler was good for the extra points.

In the third quarter, Ringler scored on an 8-yard touchdown run, and Serbenta ran in the extra points.

The Huskies got close to scoring in the fourth quarter after a fumbled punt put them within five yards of the goal line. But the Red Hawks gave no quarter, and and the Huskies were stopped on the one-yard line, by Red Hawks Xavier Anderson and Zak Schmid, and Cedar Springs took over the ball.

The Red Hawks rushed for 333 yards, with Serbenta getting 109; Ringler 78; Pienton 44; Ethan West 41; Landon Totten 33; and Swank 24.

Ringler led in tackles with 12; the rest of the team had four or less.

This Friday Cedar Springs will host Gaylord (6-3) in the Division 3 (region 1, district 1) pre-district playoffs. Ticket prices are $6. Come on out and cheer on your Red Hawks!

Cedar Springs ran away with the game against Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills last Friday, 48-0. Courtesy photo.

By Judy Reed

The Cedar Springs Red Hawks varsity football team won their seventh straight game last Friday, October 12, when they traveled to Houseman Field to take on GR Ottawa Hills Bengals.

The Red Hawks controlled the game from the very first quarter, limiting the Bengals to only 47 yards and one first down the entire game. 

“I was pleased with the way our guys went out and took care of business,” said Red Hawks Coach Gus Kapolka. “We were focused and executed well, which sometimes is hard to do when you are playing an opponent who has a 1-6 record.”

Cedar scored early in the first quarter when Ryan Ringler ran up the middle for a 49-yard touchdown with 11:32 left on the clock. Ethan West’s run into the endzone for the two-point conversion was good.

The Red Hawks scored again in the first quarter with 4:43 left when Sage Serbenta ran left for a one-yard touchdown, and Kolby Swank then ran in the extra points.

They scored again with 2:09 left in the first when Ryan Ringler blocked a punt from Ottawa Hills, and Cedar scored a safety. The score at the end of the first was Cedar Springs 18, Ottawa Hills 0.

The Red Hawks scored three times in the second quarter. With 10:07 left on the clock, Ben Shaw ran up the middle for a 23-yard touchdown and Kolby Swank ran in the extra points. Three minutes later they scored again when Sage Serbenta ran one yard into the endzone for the touchdown and then Ethan West ran in the two-point conversion. They scored again at the 2:20 mark when Landon Totten ran left for a 10-yard touchdown, and took the ball into the endzone again for the two-point conversion. The score at the end of the half was Cedar Springs 42, Ottawa Hills 0.

Neither team scored during the third quarter, but the Red Hawks scored one more time in the fourth. With 2:11 left on the clock, Jeremy Campione ran up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown, then Campione attempted a pass to Zack Shmid for the extra points, but it was no good.

The Red Hawks accumulated 380 yards rushing, with Ryan Ringler (92), Sage Serbenta (77), and Landon Totten (63) leading the way. Ben Shaw added 44, Jeremy Campione 30, Lucus Pienton 21, Gage Gardner 16, and Zack Schmid 14. Swank added 4 yards rushing, and 4 yards passing.

On defense, Kaden Liggett led in tackles with 6 and Miles Cartwright had 5. The rest of the team had 3 or less each.

The Red Hawks sealed at least a share of the conference title with the win, and as they are now only one game away from the playoffs, Kapolka was happy to give some of the younger players a chance to get some experience on the gridiron.

“We were able to play a lot of young guys in the second half, and those game reps are invaluable for them moving forward,” he said.

This Friday Cedar Springs (7-1, 5-0) hosts Forest Hills Northern (5-3, 3-2) in their last regular season game. Come on out and cheer them on!

Please note that according to Cedar Springs Athletic Director John Norton, the MHSAA has raised District Ticket prices to $6 moving forward. So be prepared as you head off to post-season events. This will include all playoff football games as well. And remember, even if the event is at Cedar Springs, no passes are accepted during post-season play.

Cedar Springs put the pressure on Greenville last Friday night in their 44-8 win. Here they force the Yellow Jackets to fumble the ball. Courtesy photo.

By Judy Reed

The Cedar Springs Red Hawks Varsity football team came out focused and ready to win their game against Greenville Friday evening, September 14 and fans were not disappointed. The team took the lead in the first quarter and kept the pressure on the Yellow Jackets both offensively and defensively, only allowing them to score once in the 44-8 Red Hawk victory.

“I thought our defense did a good job preparing for a unique offense that featured an unbalanced line and multiple shifts,” said head Coach Gus Kapolka. “Our kids executed our game plan well and limited big plays throughout the game. 

“Our offensive line is improving every week and they played their best game of the season Friday night. They have improved tremendously since week one. We need to maintain our focus and sense of urgency moving forward.”

Cedar Springs scored seven times on Greenville: twice in the first quarter, three times in the second, and once in each of the last two quarters.

Sage Serbenta started the scoring when he ran for a two-yard touchdown with 8:39 left in the first, and then also ran in the extra points. The Red Hawks scored again in the second with 3:23 left when Greenville’s Ryan Burden fumbled on the Cedar Springs 50-yard line and Ryan Ringler recovered it and ran 50 yards for the touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good. The quarter ended with Cedar Springs leading 14-0.

In the second quarter, QB Kolby Swank ran the two yards into the end zone for a touchdown with 10:16 left on the clock, then completed a pass to Ethan West to get the extra points. With 8:04 left on the clock, there was a bad snap from center, allowing Cedar Springs to get a safety. Then with 4:15 left, Sage Serbenta ran 15 yards for the touchdown, and Ryan Ringler ran in the extra points. At the end of the second quarter it was Cedar Springs 32, Greenville 0.

Greenville finally had their chance to score wit 8:03 left on the clock in the third when QB Cameron Heppe passed to Ryan Olsen for a 10-yard touchdown. He then passed to Jake Rasmussen for the extra points. But that was the only joy of the evening for the Yellow Jackets.

Cedar Springs came back and scored again just a few minutes later. With 5:15 on the clock, Ryan Ringler ran 15 yards up the middle for another touchdown. The extra points attempt was no good. At the end of the third quarter, it was 38-6.

Ben Shaw scored for the Red Hawks in the fourth quarter with 2:30 on the clock when he ran up the middle for a 12-yard touchdown. The run for extra points was no good, and the game ended with a score of 44-8.

The Red Hawks ran for 292 yards as a team, and lost only 3. Leading rushers for the Red Hawks were Sage Serbenta with 86; Ethan West with 59; Ryan Ringler with 54; Ben Shaw with 40; Lucas Pienton with 36; and Zack Schmid with 23. 

Greenville rushed for 114 yards but lost 41. They also passed for 138 yards with Greenville QB Cameron Heppe completing 15 of 23 passes.

Defensively, Ryan Ringler led in tackles with 12; Zack Schmid had 8; Lucas Pienton had 7; Gage Gardner had 5; Sage Serbenta and Ben Shaw each had 4; Ethan West, Seth Almas, and Landon Totten each had 3, and seven other Red Hawks got 1 or 2 each for a total of 59 tackles.

Four Red Hawks recovered fumbles: Ryan Ringler, Seth Almas, Ethan Wood, and Xavier Anderson.

The Red Hawks are now 2-0 in the OK White and 3-1 overall. This Friday they host Allendale (2-0, 3-1 overall) in a non-conference game for homecoming at Red Hawk Stadium at 7 p.m. The classes should wear class colors, and the rest of the fans should wear red. Come on out and cheer on your Red Hawks in what looks to be a great game!

Cedar Springs’ Sage Serbenta rushed for 200 yards in the win over Northview last Friday.
Photo by Kelly and Rob LaLone.

Red Hawk offense gains 300 yards rushing

By Judy Reed

The Cedar Springs Red Hawks Varsity Football team kept their winning streak against Northview alive Friday night, September 7, defeating them 26-10 in their sixth straight victory against the Wildcats. But the Red Hawks did more than that—they limited the Wildcats to only 10 points, something the two previous teams Northview faced couldn’t do.

The Wildcats had scored 68 points in their 68-47 win over Comstock Park, and 36 points in their 43-36 loss to Jenison. But Cedar Springs stood up to the pass and didn’t allow them to get an edge.

“Our defensive coaching staff did a great job with the game plan and our kids really executed it on Friday night,” said Red Hawk Coach Gus Kapolka. “I thought we tackled well against a dangerously explosive team in the open field, and limited their opportunities. Our special teams were key as well with a blocked punt to set up a score, as well as a blocked field goal.”

Northview attempted to score first with a field goal with 6:04 left in the first quarter but it was blocked by Cedar Springs. The first score of the game came in the second quarter, with 11:35 remaining, when Cedar Springs running back Sage Serbenta ran for a 60-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion was no good.

Northview attempted a second field goal with 9:55 left in the second quarter and the 31-yard kick by Chris Mendez was good this time. The score was now 6-3.

Cedar Springs scored again with 4:55 left in the quarter when Sage Serbenta ran for a 15-yard touchdown. The two point conversion was no good, leaving the score 12-3. But the Red Hawks came back and scored again when Ryan Ringler ran for a 12-yard touchdown with 57 seconds left in the quarter. The two-point conversion was no good, and the quarter ended with a score of 18-3, Cedar Springs.

Northview scored again in the third quarter, when Jalen Williams ran for a 10-yard touchdown with 6:01 left. The extra point was good, making the score 18-10.

Cedar Springs put one more nail in the coffin with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter, when Ryan Ringler scored again with a 5-yard run. They scored two more points when Kolby Swank ran the ball in to get the two-point conversion. Final score Cedar Springs 26, Northview 10.

Overall, Cedar Springs had 301 yards rushing (but lost 15 on penalties), with Sage Serbenta getting 203. “Sage is new to our program, but he has picked up our offense quickly,” remarked Kapolka. “He has great speed and vision when running the ball, and our offensive line did a good job opening up space for him.”

Other rushing leaders included Ryan Ringler with 43 yards, Ethan West with 30, Lucas Pienton with 15, and Ben Shaw with 9.

Defensively, Ryan Ringler led in tackles with 9; Landon Totten had 7; Graham Bayink 6; Lucas Pienton and Sage Serbenta each had five. 

Cedar Springs is 1-0 in conference and 2-1 overall. They will host Greenville (also 1-0 in conference, 1-2 overall) this Friday, September 14, at Red Hawk Stadium. The Hawk’s Nest spirit theme is a blackout. Dress in black and come on out and cheer on your Red Hawks!

Cedar Springs took a 21-12 loss at Saginaw Swan Valley in their non-conference opener last week. Photo by Kelly and Rob LaLone.

By Judy Reed

The Cedar Springs Red Hawks varsity football team went on the road last Thursday, August 23, for their first ever game against the Saginaw Swan Valley Vikings, the 2017 state runner-ups in Division 5. 

Cedar Springs kicked off to Swan Valley to start the game, but the Vikings fumbled the ball and the Red Hawks recovered. They didn’t score, however, and Swan Valley took over on their own 39-yard line. On their second play, Deon Danders ran up the middle for a 61-yard touchdown, and the extra point was good, making the score 7-0, Swan Valley, with 9:29 left in the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Red Hawks scored with 2:33 left when quarterbank Kolby Swank ran right for three yards into the end zone. His pass to Kaden Liggett for extra points was no good. The score was now Swan Valley 7, Cedar Springs 6.

Swan Valley scored again in the third quarter with 3:38 left, when Alex Fries ran up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown. Their extra kick was good, making the score 14-6.

The Red Hawks rallied and came back and scored again before the quarter was over. With :33 left on the clock, Swank ran up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown. Ryan Ringler attempted a run into the end zone for a two-point conversion but it was no good. The score was now Swan Valley 14, Cedar Springs 12.

The Red Hawks would not score again, but Swan Valley put one more into the end zone to seal the victory. With 4:46 left on the clock, Fries passed to Ethan Champney for a 10-yard touchdown. The after kick was good, and Swan Valley took a 21-12 victory over Cedar Springs.

Cedar Springs rushed for 179 yards, on 54 attempts. Leading rushers were Ryan Ringler with 65 yards on 19 attempts, and Ethan West with 49 yards on 15 attempts. Kolby Swank contributed 23 yards on six attempts, and Sage Serbenta had 21 on 6 attempts. Ben Shaw added 16 yards on three attempts, and Zack Schmid added 5 yards on 5 attempts.

Swan Valley rushed for 208 yards, with Deon Danders leading the way with 102 yards on 9 attempts, and quarterback Alex Fries coming in second with 43 yards on 12 attempts.

Ringler led the Red Hawks in tackles with 7, followed closely by Sage Serbenta with 6 and Zach Schmid with 5. 

Mitchel Boehler led the Vikings in tackles with 16.

Cedar Springs Coach Gus Kapolka thought his team did some things well against a tough team.

“I thought we played well in the kicking game and defense against Swan Valley, but we were just not able to generate enough offense to win the game. I thought our kids played a very tough opponent on the road and acquitted themselves very well. We need to improve in many areas before our next game, but we especially need to improve our offensive line play. I have every confidence that will happen,” he said.

Kapolka was also pleased by an email they received from Swan Valley after the game. “We were forwarded an email from Swan Valley’s Athletic Director commenting on our player’s and fans sportsmanship at the game, and complimenting us on how we handled ourselves. It makes me as a coach very appreciative of our parents and fans, and proud of our players for handling themselves with poise under difficult circumstances. It is one of the core values of our program, and one of the things that makes Cedar Springs a great place.”

The Red Hawks play their first home game of the season tonight, Thursday, August 31, when they host Caledonia at 7 p.m. at Red Hawk Stadium.

Red Hawk Ryan Ringler leaps over several Pioneers as he scores a touchdown. Photo by K&R LaLone photography.

Community pep rally Thursday evening

By Judy Reed

Before last Friday evening, October 24, the Cedar Springs Red Hawks Varsity Football team had only played the East Grand Rapids Pioneers a handful of times—four times to be exact, and none were wins for the Red Hawks. Two of those games were play off games. As a matter of fact, the last time Cedar Springs faced them was 10 years ago, in 2007. It was also a pre-district game at East Grand Rapids, and the Pioneers went on to win the state championship. But the Red Hawks turned up the heat Friday night, and gave the Pioneers (who were undefeated) a run for their money with a 41-40 win. And now the Red Hawks will face DeWitt in the district final on Friday, November 3, at 7 p.m. at DeWitt. Read more here.

There is even more to celebrate than the Varsity football team, and Cedar Springs High School invites everyone to come out for a community pep rally tonight (Thursday, November 2) at 8 p.m. at Red Hawk Stadium. They will celebrate band and cross country going to state, and other great things going on. The event is free. Come on out and show your spirit!

UPDATE: from Cedar Springs Public Schools… The Community Pep Rally for tonight has been moved from the Red Hawk Stadium to the Cedar Springs High School gym due to the weather.

The Cedar Springs Varsity Football seniors walk across Red Hawk field one last time after their win over Ottawa Hills last Friday. Photo by K. Alvesteffer/R. LaLone.

By student reporter, Maddie Nichols

The Cedar Springs Red Hawks varsity football team ended their season with a blowout against the Ottawa Hills’ Bengals. Although saying goodbye to our senior football players is tough, concluding with a big win made it a little easier.

The Hawks started off the game with carries by seniors Jacob Hooker and Dylan Ostrom-Howell, leading junior John Todd into the end zone with 10 minutes and 45 seconds remaining of the first quarter. With an immediate head start, the Hawks didn’t let down. Sophomore Lucas Pienton intercepted a pass and ran it in for a touchdown shortly after, and with a solid kick from senior Dustin Shaw, the score became 14-0. Todd made his way to the Bengal’s end zone again after a long run, with a little less than 7 minutes before the end of the first quarter. Pienton also made his way to another touchdown with a little over 3 minutes to go, and with a two-point conversion by Hooker, the score became 29-0. However, Cedar wasn’t stopping there. With only 38 seconds left, sophomore Ryan Ringler made a touchdown, making the lead even more significant. Tackles throughout the quarter by seniors Austin Basso, Jaron Spencer, Collin Alvesteffer and Thomas Hill, as well as Ringler, Todd and Pienton, prevented the Bengals from scoring, ending the first quarter with a score of 36-0.

Senior Thomas Hill started off the second quarter on a high note for the Hawks with a touchdown 12 seconds in. The score then became 43-0. Hill and junior Nate Patin held off Ottawa Hills for a while, but the Bengals picked off a Cedar pass and ran it into the end zone, making the score 43-6, with Cedar still holding a huge lead. Carries from seniors Austin Ellis and Joe Reich-Tanis led to junior Nick Campione running in for a touchdown with 6 minutes and 52 seconds remaining of the first half, making the score 50-6. Tackles by Pienton, juniors Darius Barnett and Colton Gould, and senior Jaron Lucas gave the ball back to Cedar. Junior Jake West made a touchdown with 3 minutes left, increasing the score to 57-6. Tackles by junior Riley Hawkins, Ringler and Ellis held that score going into the second half.

The second half was full of support from all of the players. Senior starters went on the sideline and watched their underclassmen play their hearts out. With emotions running wild, the Hawks did nothing but prevail. Carries by Todd and junior Paul Krajewski kept the momentum going, as well as tackles by Spencer, Pienton, and Krajewski. Then, as if the night couldn’t be any greater, senior Dustin Shaw kicked the longest field goal in Cedar Springs’ history—40 yards—making the score 60-6, and that’s where the score stayed until the end.

The season was an emotional and intense one, but the community of Cedar Springs could not be any prouder of the way it ended. The boys of fall graduating will be going on to greater things, and the ones remaining will keep their legacy going next year. Cedar Springs finished the season 3-3 in conference, and 4-5 overall.

Red Hawks take down the Zeeland West ball carrier. Photo by K. Alvesteffer/R. LaLone.

By Maddie Nichols

This past Thursday, August 25 , the Cedar Springs Red Hawks varsity football team traveled from Cedar Springs to Zeeland West to compete with the Dux for their first game of the season. The intensity, offensively and defensively, from both sides stayed consistent throughout the whole game. However, in the end, the Red Hawks fell short with a final score of 14-9.

The first quarter may have finished without scoring from either side, but senior Collin Alvesteffer had some major tackles that led to shutting down the Dux’s offense. Going into the second quarter, the combination of tackling from Alvesteffer and Junior John Todd took Zeeland down. With two minutes left of the first half, senior Dustin Shaw had a successful 22-yard field goal attempt, concluding the second quarter with the Red Hawks up 3-0.

After a long 10 minute drive from Zeeland West in the third quarter, the Red Hawks were left to hold the Dux at the 1-yard line. The Hawks give up the touchdown after a second attempt making them fall behind 8-3.

Right away in the fourth quarter, Collin Alvesteffer made a 34-yard touchdown to up the score 9-8. Both teams fought hard during the rest of the game. Great tackles from senior Austin Basso held back the Dux until the Red Hawks lost them defensively and the Dux got a touchdown after their fourth attempt, with 1 minute and 43 seconds left of the game. After a failed two-point conversion, the score was 14-9, Dux up by 5.

The Red Hawks came back with a strong offensive drive. With great efforts from John Todd, Collin Alvesteffer, and sophomore Ryan Ringler, the Hawks kept possession of the ball and got to the Dux 18-yard line. A 5-yard penalty against the Dux gave Cedar Springs more hope towards getting into the end zone. With only 2.8 seconds left on the clock, the Red Hawks fell short with an incomplete pass, concluding the game with a Hawk loss, 14-9.

Tonight, Thursday, September 1, the Red Hawks travel to Sparta to take on the Spartans at 7 p.m. Next week Friday, September 9, they travel to Greenville.