Beginning Again

In any two year athletic program, having new players is nothing new. But this year at KVCC goes beyond what almost any two year program in the country has had to face. Every single player is new to the Cougar program! The fourteen player roster is made up of all first year players, a first for KVCC, in the twenty-two year tenure of Coach Dick Shilts.

Averaging over twenty wins per year for the past twenty years, the Cougars suffered their first losing season in over two decades last year, posting an 11-16 record. Coach Shilts and his able staff, consisting of Matt VanDussen and Tyler Whitcomb, searched the boundaries of the lower peninsula last year, looking for incoming freshmen that could compete successfully right away in the tough Western Conference of the MCCAA.

The good news is that Shilts believes that this young crop of players possesses the raw talent to get KVCC back on the winning track. Says Shilts: "This will be an extremely young team, but this group of recruits possesses the potential to be competitive in our conference right away. Several things will have to happen for this to occur this year: 1) we need to stay clear of serious injuries, 2) all of our recruits will need to adjust successfully to the academic rigors of college work, and 3) we will have to combine a strong work ethic with a unique team chemistry. This is the kind of challenge that should motivate all of us to reach deep inside to give the best we have in the pursuit of excellence, both on the court and in the classroom. I look forward to the struggle to achieve. This could become a very special class of Cougars."

The Cougars have shown some depth in early practices. Frontliners, Nate Tagert, 6’7" center from Coldwater, Andy Gustafson, 6’6 forward from St. Joseph, and Dominick Melton, 6’6" forward from Muskegon have led the way, with backup help from Galesburg Augusta standout, Bret Stephenson, 6’5 forward. Lanky Demetrius Guise, 6’6 frontliner from Flint Northern also has shown glimpses of potential. Small forwards are Dan Clothier, 6’4" (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s), Matt LaMacchia 6’5" (Buckley), and Mark Wilson, 6’2" (Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian). Scoring guards are Lansing Eastern’s Joe Gonzales, 6’0", Derrick Calhoun, 6’2 swingman from Detroit Martin Luther King, and White Cloud’s Dan Abbott, 6’0". The point guard position will be shared by Brandon Steward, 5’9" leader of Flint Beecher’s state title run, Shane Nowak, 5’10" sparkplug for Wayne Memorial, and Ryan Cheevers, 5’8", former quarterback from St. Joseph.

[2000-01 Player Sketches]