2018-19 Orchard View Boys Varsity Basketball
2018-2019 Boys Varsity Basketball
Final Lakes 8 Boys Basketball Standings
Updated on 06/10/2022
| Boys | Wins | Loss | Pct. |
| Muskegon Heights | 9 | 1 | 0.900 |
| WMC | 6 | 4 | 0.600 |
| Orchard View | 5 | 5 | 0.500 |
| Ludington | 5 | 5 | 0.500 |
| M. Catholic Central | 5 | 5 | 0.500 |
| Manistee | 0 | 10 | 0.000 |
Thornton’s free throws push Orchard View past Ludington
Updated on 06/10/2022
LocalSportsJournal.com
Deitrich Thornton hit a pair of free throws in the final seconds to give the Orchard View 
boys basketball team a thrilling 55-53 victory over Ludington in Lakes 
8 Conference action on Friday.
It was Orchard View’s first win over Ludington since 2012.
The Cardinals led 7-4 after one quarter and increased its lead to 24-17 at halftime.
Ludington cut into the lead in the third quarter and trailed 34-29 after three.
Ke’ontae Barnes led the Cardinals with 22 points with Davion Lane adding 18.
Josh Laman paced Ludington with 22 points and Nathan Lange had 11.
The Cardinals finished the regular season with a 13-7 record.
OV’s multi-sport specialist, Brady Bowen, ready for challenging week in bowling, basketball
Updated on 06/10/2022
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By Steve Gunn
LocalSportsJournal.com
MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP – It’s been a senior year full of big accomplishments for Orchard 
View multi-sport specialist Brady Bowen.
But he’d like to do even better in bowling and basketball, and he will have several chances to do so over the next week.
On Friday and Saturday, he and his OV teammates will compete in a Division 2 high school bowling regional tournament in Grandville, trying to qualify for the state finals.
Bowen will be more than motivated to bring his best game, after finishing second individually in last week’s Greater Muskegon Athletic Association Bowling Tournament, as well as Wednesday’s Coastal Conference Tournament.
Brady Bowen makes a throw during the GMAA city bowling finals for Orchard View. Photo/Jason Goorman
Then next week, Bowen and his teammates on the much-improved Orchard View boys basketball team will compete in a Class B district tournament on their home court.
While the team has been good, posting a 12-7 record with a game to go in the regular season, the Cardinals will finish no higher than third in the Lakes 8 Conference. They would love to have a district trophy to cap the program’s first winning season in quite some time.
If all of that sounds like a lot to accomplish in a few short days, it’s just par for the course for Bowen, a 5-foot-7 dynamo of an athlete.
He already had a great fall as a standout center-midfielder for the Orchard View boys soccer team, which advanced all the way to the Division 2 state quarterfinals, and he will turn to baseball as soon as basketball and bowling are done.
But winter is particularly busy, because he juggles two sports and takes both very seriously.
A good example was on Wednesday, when Bowen spent all day with the OV bowling team at the Coastal Conference Tournament, then had to hustle to get to the OV basketball game in Shelby.
Brady Bowen laces the shot over WMC’s No. 11 Nick Moser during a Lakes 8 matchup on January 4. Photo/Jason Goorman
“His dad is really good about coordinating it all,” said OV boys basketball coach Nick Bronsema. “Yesterday he bowled all day, and got to Shelby for the game around 7. We started at 7:30. He was just in time.”
“This is really the busiest time of the season for me, but it works out perfectly in my schedule” said Bowen, 17. “It’s tiring most of the time, but sports are where I met most of my friends, and it’s all really fun.”
Bowen’s father, Bill Bowen, has obviously had a big influence on Brady’s choice of winter sports. He is an assistant coach for the OV boys basketball team, and is also the head coach of the Muskegon Community College bowling team.
As any coach’s kid will tell you, top effort is expected at least most of the time, and Bowen lives up to that expectation.
“My parents are always pushing me to do my best in any sport I play,” he said.
Pushing hard in two sports
Of course Bowen gets the most attention for his accomplishments in basketball.
He is one of the more deadly outside shooters in the area, and leads his team in 3-point shooting percentage. He had two really big games this season from beyond the arc, hitting six triples against both Western Michigan Christian and Shelby.
Most of the season he was the team’s shooting guard, but Bronsema recently moved him to the point, because Bowen has basketball smarts, and is good at running the offense and controlling its pace.
Bowen eyes the pins during his OV team’s appearance in the GMAA city bowling finals. Photo/Jason Goorman
“We want the ball in his hands more often,” Bronsema explained. “He has great instincts on the court that allow him to play bigger than his size. He plays smart and does the little things well.”
The OV boys basketball team was not very successful in the recent past, winning only a combined 11 games between 2014-15 and 2016-17. But last season, Bowen’s first on the varsity squad, the team came close to being .500 with a 10-11 record.
This season the Cardinals started out 7-0, and will finish with a winning record for the first time in quite a while. They are currently 12-7 with a game left against Ludington on Friday.
But just being over .500 isn’t good enough for Bowen and the Cardinals. They would love to cap things off with a district championship next week, and Bowen thinks they can do it.
The Cardinals drew a first-round bye in the tournament, and will play the winner of the Whitehall-Fruitport game in Wednesday’s semifinals.
“Everybody is starting to buy into what we’re doing, and it’s getting fun,” Bowen said about the basketball team. “We’re starting to learn how to win, and win big games. We got a good draw in districts. If we play up to our potential, we can win.”
Bowen goes in for a layup during an OV basketball practice on Thursday. Photo/Jason Goorman
Just as important to Bowen is bowling. He’s been on the Cardinals varsity team since he was a freshman. He finished 11th in the state individually as a ninth-grader, failed to qualify for state as a sophomore, and qualified but did not place at state last season.
He’s had a great senior year of bowling so far, leading the Coastal Conference with a sizzling 222 average, but he hasn’t quite reached his goals, from a team or individual perspective.
The OV boys bowling team had a good season, going 8-4 in conference matches, which was good for third place. The team also finished third in the Coastal Conference tournament and third overall.
The Cardinals would love to qualify as a team for state.
Individually, Bowen had a great GMAA tournament last week, finishing with a 394 series. But that was second to tournament champion River Zwart of Oakridge, who bowled a 433.
In Wednesday’s Coastal Conference tournament, Bowen shot an impressive 678 series, but again finished second, this time to Derek Place of Ravenna, who bowled a 685.
“I told him you have to get off this runner-up stuff!” Orchard View Athletic Director LeRoy Hackley said with a laugh.
But Bowen isn’t laughing. He is tired of being really good, but only second best. In this weekend’s regional, the top three teams and top 10 individuals will qualify for state, and Bowen wants to be in that group.
“It’s pretty frustrating,” said Bowen, who threw a perfect 300 game in a match last season. “I told my friends I’m tired of finishing second. I need to pick up more spares.”
Regardless of how he does the rest of the way, Bowen’s bowling career is likely to continue. While his skills in numerous sports would give him several options for college, there is a good chance he will stay in town and bowl for his dad.
“I thinking about Muskegon Community College on a bowling scholarship,” Bowen said.
- Brady Bowen tries to get around WMC’s No. 28 Brevin Byrne during an OV soccer game on October 4. Photo/Jason Goorman
- OVs Brady Bowen gets ready for the pitch back on April 28 during his junior season. Photo/Mike Banka
Cards Defeat Manistee
Updated on 06/10/2022
ORCHARD VIEW 49, MANISTEE 35 – A 16-9 second quarter advantage helped the Cardinals defeat Manistee on Monday night.
Davion Lane led the Cardinals with 17 points while Bryant Thomas and Darius Williams each added 10 points. The Cards improve to 11-5 overall and 4-4 in conference
Cardinals defeat WMC in Lakes 8 Action
Updated on 06/10/2022
The Cardinals took control by building a 28-14 halftime lead, fueled largely by an 18-9 edge in the second quarter.
WMC made a late run, trimming the deficit to seven points, but could get no closer.
Ke’ontae Barnes paced Orchard View with 14 points while Dietrick Thornton added 11.
Owen Varnad and Kellen Mitchell scored 13 and 9 points, respectively, for WMC.
Second half defense leads OV past Montague in non-conference boys basketball matchup
Updated on 06/10/2022
LocalSportsJournal.com
Orchard View defense helped erase a 16-point second half deficit to top host Montague in a non-conference boys basketball matchup on Tuesday.
The Cardinals held Montague to just 14 second half points after trailing 17-5 to start the second quarter and 35-23 at halftime.
Edmari Mitchell had a team high 14 points for the Cardinals. Ke’ontae Barnes followed with 11 points while Dietrich Thornton had nine points and seven assists.
Sebastian Archer and Kenyan Johnston paced the Wildcats with nine points each. Drew Collins and Peyton Burton each added eight points for Montague.
Cardinals move to 8-1 with 78-36 win over Hesperia
Updated on 06/10/2022
January 8, 2019
The Cardinals returned to their winning ways with a 78-36 win over Hesperia. The Cards will be back in action Friday at home vs Muskegon Heights.
Cardinals drop first game of the season to Western Michigan Christian
Updated on 06/10/2022
January 4, 2019
LocalSportsJournal.com
The freshmen duo of Owen Varnado and Kellen Mitchell sparked the Western Michigan Christian boys basketball team to an exciting 55-51 Lakes 8 Conference win over previously unbeaten Orchard View on Friday.
Varnado gave WMC an early lift, scoring eight of the Warriors’ first 10 points, finishing with 16. Mitchell, who played his first game after suffering a concussion, finished with 12 points.
The Warriors led 16-7 after the first quarter and 27-22 at halftime. WMC built a 44-36 lead after the third quarter and led by as many as 15 points in the fourth.
But Orchard View’s defense pushed WMC into a dozen turnovers in the final quarter, and the Cardinals cut their deficit to 53-49 with just under two minutes to play. But the comeback fell just short.
Brady Bowen kept the Cardinals in the game with his hot hand, draining six 3-pointers and finishing with a game-high 18 points.
Keontae Barnes added 14 points for OV and Davion Lane chipped in eight.
Brant Zeerip scored 10 points for the Warriors, who had nine different players score in the win.
- Keontae Barnes dribbles the ball against pressure from WMC’s Owen Varnado. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Freshman Owen Varnado bocks the shot for WMC. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Nick Moser gets ready to pass to the outside as No. 0 Keontae Barnes tries to defend. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Owen Varnado goes up for the shot in the post for WMC. Photo/Jason Goorman
- WMC’s Kellen Mitchell gets ready to drive baseline against OV’s No. 24 Dayton Rose. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Owen Varnado takes the outside shot for WMC. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Brady Bowen laces the shot over WMC’s No. 11 Nick Moser. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Tyler Somers gets the shot on the fast break over OV’s Donovan Daniels. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Brevin Byrne drives across the lane against OV’s Keonte Barnes. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Davion Lane drives to the hoop against WMC’s Jake Betten. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Dietrich Thornton takes the jump shot over WMC’s No. 3 Zach Butkis and No. 21 Tyler Somer. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Keontae Barnes sets up the play for OV. Photo/Jason Goorman
Boys Varsity Basketball defeats Tri-County 90-37
Updated on 06/10/2022
December 20, 2018
LocalSportsJournal.com
The Orchard View boys basketball team has played great all season so far and has continued it with a 90-37 pounding of Tri-County on Thursday in non-league action.
Ke’ontae Barnes paced the Cardinals with 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while Davion Lane added 20 points and 11 rebounds. Darius Williams chipped in with 12 points and four steals for OV.
The Cardinals led 16-9 after the first stanza, 39-18 at halftime and 72-31 through three quarter.
Orchard View is now 7- 0 overall on the season.
Cardinals defeat Fruitport in non conference tilt
Updated on 06/10/2022
December 18, 2018
The Cardinals hosted the Trojans of Fruitport in a non-conference tilt and improved their season record to 6-0 with a 44-34 win.
The Cardinals led 9-8 after the first, 17-15 at the break and 29-26 after three. The Cardinals outscored the Trojans 15-8 in the fourth to pull away for the win.
Davion Lane paced Orchard View with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Luke Mitchell and Gavin Fisher led the Trojans with 10 points apiece.
The Cards will be back in action Thursday with another non-conference tilt at Tri County.
Orchard View boys hang on against Muskegon Catholic, run record to 5-0
Updated on 06/10/2022
LocalSportsJournal.com
The Orchard View boys basketball team remained unbeaten with a 53-47 victory over Muskegon Catholic on Friday in Lakes 8 Conference action.
Orchard View jumped out to a 23-6 lead after the first quarter, led 34-15 at halftime and had a 42-26 advantage after the three quarters.
MCC rallied late with a 21-11 edge in the fourth but couldn’t quite make up the difference.
The Cardinals were paced by Davion Lane with 14 points while Brady Bowen added 12.
Jared Dugener led MCC with a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds while Seth Arends contributed with 11 points and six rebounds.
Sophomore Ke’ontae Barnes helping to ignite OV boys basketball rebirth
Updated on 06/10/2022
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By Nate Thompson
LocalSportsJournal.com
MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP – After nearly every one of his games, Orchard View sophomore guard Ke’ontae Barnes receives constructive criticism from his uncle, Lamond Austin, a man who has played a big role in helping him develop his skills.
“He’s got high expectations for me,” Barnes said after a recent Cardinals practice. “At our last game, he said from my freshman year to now he could tell that I’ve improved my game. But he also said I have to work on my dribbling, my passing.
Barnes paused. “And oh yeah, my free throws.”
For Orchard View coach Nick Bronsema, those family exchanges between Barnes and Austin are music to his ears. His team is off to an impressive 4-0 start, and Barnes has played a big part in that success.
And success is something that Orchard View boys basketball has not experienced much in recent seasons.
Orchard View’s Ke’ontae Barnes. Photo/Mitchell Dixon MSD Photography
Two years ago, in Bronsema’s first season at OV, the Cardinals won just four games all season. Now with victories being more common, the coach wants his players to remain humble and stay hungry for more wins.
“All that stuff really doesn’t mean anything,” Bronsema said of his team’s undefeated start. “I’m definitely not ready to drink the Kool-Aid. We’re very fortunate to be in this position, but it could change in a hurry.
“What I want them to do is to take each moment, each game, minute by minute, and never take it for granted. We want to value the game of basketball and not disrespect it by not giving our best effort at any practice or game situation.”
That’s a message the Cardinals have thoroughly bought into, led by Barnes and senior forward Davion Lane, who each could have been charged rent for the amount of time they spent working on their skills in the Orchard View gym in the offseason.
“(Barnes) made the West Michigan Lakers (AAU team), but he didn’t have a ride to their practices, so he spent a lot of time at our gym,” Bronsema said. “Last spring, he’d come in on his own, and our principal, Mr. (Dan) Bolhuis, would open the gym for him. That’s different with this administration from what I’ve seen at other schools. It’s refreshing to see.”
Ke’ontae Barnes brings the ball up the floor for Orchard View last season. Photo/Jason Goorman
Barnes has been a dynamic playmaker throughout the Cardinals’ red-hot start, averaging nearly 22 points a game, along with 5.5 rebounds, five steals and three assists.
Maybe his defining moment came on Dec. 4 against rival Oakridge. Despite his struggles with free throw shooting throughout his freshman season, Bronsema said he felt confident when Barnes was fouled with two seconds remaining, with the game tied 56-56.
Barnes sank both to give the Cardinals a thrilling victory. He finished with 27 points, six rebounds, five steals and three assists.
“There’s no doubt who I wanted to have the ball in that situation,” Bronsema said. “He hasn’t shot free throws great in the past, but when he stepped up to the line in that situation, I had no doubts he could come through. He’s a gamer.”
Bronsema said Barnes makes difficult shots look routine, and is a ball of energy in the Cardinals’ up-tempo offense, and in their full-court defensive pressure. His basketball IQ and ability to set up teammates for easy baskets has improved significantly since his freshman season, when the Cardinals won nine games, aided by a late-season five-game winning streak.
“We noticed Ke’ontae at an early age,” Bronsema said. “He was surprisingly confident as a freshman. This year, I think the game has slowed down for him. We’re looking to him at being the centerpiece at what we’re trying to do here.”
Molded on the hardwood by his uncle throughout his childhood and continuing today, Barnes said his goals are to lead the Cardinals to a long-awaited district title this season, and one day earn All-State honors.
“We’d be the first team to win districts in what seems like forever,” he said. “And I want to lead our team as far as we can go in the playoffs.”
- Ke’ontae Barnes guards Muskegon Heights’ Lamonta Townsend in a matchup between the two teams last season. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Ke’ontae Barnes, right, looks towards the referee after a collision with Muskegon Heights’ Lamonta Townsend last season. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Orchard View’s Ke’ontae Barnes passes the ball from atop the key last season. Photo/Jason Goorman
- Ke’ontae Barnes gets ready to check in for Orchard View in a January matchup with Muskegon Heights last season. Photo/Jason Goorman
OV boys hoops squad improves to a perfect 4-0 record, cruises past Belding
Updated on 06/10/2022
December 11, 2018
LocalSportsJournal.com
The Orchard View boys basketball team remained perfect on the season with a 66-43 win over Belding on Tuesday in a non-league game.
The Cardinals led 14-12 after the first quarter, then outscored Belding by a 25-5 advantage during the second quarter to take a 39-17 halftime advantage.
OV outscored the Black Knights in the second half 27-26 as they were able to hold onto the win.
Ke’ontae Barnes led the Cardinals with 22 points while Brady Bowen added 11 of his own.
Orchard View stays undefeated at 4-0 on the season.
They will be back in action Friday vs Muskegon Catholic.
Cardinals Ranked #5 in Area First Poll
Updated on 06/10/2022
OV remains unbeaten, defeats Manistee in Lakes 8 action
Updated on 06/10/2022
LocalSportsJournal.com
The Orchard View boys basketball team continued its hot start, defeating Manistee 50-43 on Friday in a Lakes 8 game.
The Cardinals trailed 15-13 after the first quarter, led 25-23 at halftime and had a 37-35 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Ke’ontae Barnes paced OV with 17 points and five steals while Dietrich Thornton added 13 points.
Strong defense was key for the Cardinals in the fourth, as they were able to pull away for the victory.
Ke’ontae Barnes led the Cardinals with 17 points and five steals while Dietrich Thornton added 13 points of his own.
Orchard View improved to 3-0 overalll on the young season.
Orchard View boys pull out an exciting 58-56 win over rival Oakridge
Updated on 06/10/2022
December 4, 2018
LocalSportsJournal.com
Orchard View’s Ke’ontae Barnes drove the length of the floor in the final seconds of the game, drew a foul and sank both free throws, giving the Orchard View boys basketball team a thrilling 58-56 victory over rival Oakridge on Tuesday.
Barnes finished with 23 points, six rebounds, five steals and three assists. Brady Bowen and Dietrich Thornton each added 10 points for the Cardinals.
Tanner Karel led the Eagles with 16 points while CoCo Watson had 15. TJ Ruel added 13 points, nine rebounds and four steals.
Orchard View improved to 2-0 on the season while Oakridge dropped to 0-3.
OV wins opener against Kent City in non-league play
Updated on 06/10/2022
November 27, 2018
LocalSportsJournal.com
The Orchard View boys basketball squad started its season on the right foot with a 60-52 non-league win over Kent City on Tuesday.
The Cardinals trailed 16-12 after the opening quarter and 32-27 at halftime. OV stormed back with a 16-10 third quarter run to take a 43-42 lead after three quarters before closing out the game on a 17-10 tear.
Ke’ontae Barnes led OV with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Brady Bowen added 12 points and Davion Lane contributed with nine rebounds.
The Eagles were led in a losing effort by Eli Carlson with 22 points while Brenden Geers added 20.