Not Quite There Yet

Reeths-Puffer High School hockey had their best season in school history. They went 25-3-1 (including playoffs) and lifted their first regional trophy. You can read more about their season here. I followed them on their road to the state title, but unfortunately it wasn't a very long one. 

After going down 5-2 in the state quarterfinal game, they clawed back to force overtime only to lose 43 seconds into the extra frame. A really deflating defeat and a crappy way to end the season after accomplishing so much. I plucked a few selects that I liked from my time with them. Enjoy.

Girls Class A State Basketball Championship

For a little bit, I thought my sports jinx extended to even the teams I was covering. Grand Haven came into the Class A state championship game on a 51-game winning streak. Their opponent, Grosse Pointe South, was the same team they beat a year earlier in the final after rallying from an 18 point second half hole.

The even though Grand Haven controlled most of the game, it looked like it was going to slip away from them in the very last seconds. But thanks to a combination of a good defensive play and some luck, they hung on until overtime and sealed the deal there. Two state titles in a row for the Buccaneers.

 I shot a ton, had a blast and learned a lot, this being my first state title game. Here are a handful of frames I liked from the day.

Girls Basketball Playoffs

A framed picture of Katie Bridgeforth is passed between members of the Grand Haven School Board, while her mother, Lisa Hall, speaks to the board about the racial insults and harassment her daughter has faced at Grand Haven High School. Parents and community members addressed the board about the incidents, which have become the focus of a federal civil rights investigation.

Division 1 Regional Championship - Mona Shores vs. Reeths-Puffer

Organic narratives in sports are a curious thing. 

A couple of weeks ago I shot these two teams play against each other before a more than packed audience. From what I was told, the MS Sailors beats up on RP year after year. I don't know if RP had ever even won a game against them. That game went to overtime, but it didn't take long for the Rockets to end the game and finally beat their longtime foe.

Fast-forward to yesterday afternoon. The teams were set to square off once again, this time for a regional championship. After a scoreless first period, the teams traded goals before the rockets got two goals in less than a minute by the same player. The Sailors would crawl back to within one goal twice, but ultimately lose 5-3. The Rockets go on to the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history, and they had to beat a heated rival to do it.

I had more fun shooting this game then probably any assignment I've had so far this year. Here's hoping the Rockets can go to states and this guy gets to go to Plymouth and shoot from the bench with them.

   

Today was a miserable day to be in Muskegon

because... well, just look:

Hurry up, Spring so this town can be warm and beautiful again!

2013 Muskegon Polar Plunge

This past Saturday was the annual Polar Plunge in Muskegon, which used insane people jumping into a frozen lake in snowy 19º weather as a platform to raise money for the Special Olympics. Organizers literally had to cut a hole in Muskegon Lake just to get to the water, and it was so cold outside the water that splashed on my camera froze almost instantaneously.

Needless to say, I had a blast shooting this. Mostly because I would watch everyone scrambling out of the water, grabbing blankets and running for the heated buses thinking, "Man, I'm cold. But at least I'm not THAT" cold.

In addition, the other photo intern and good friend Ariana van den Akker decided she was insane/badass enough to do it herself. The California native was able to cross another thing off her Michigan Bucket List, I got to take pictures of her turning into an ice cube, and over $45,000 was raised for the Special Olympics. Now that's a good day.