By Jordon Buell
There’s a saying: “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.” But what happens when talented individuals show up every day, work hard, and give it their all every single night? You get the 2021-2022 Schoolcraft Eagles varsity boys basketball team. When they take the court, the result is a hard-nosed defense and a fluent offense.
This group of Eagles, led by Coach Randy Small – who recently earned his 400th win as a head coach in a win over Delton-Kellogg – has shown that they are serious contenders to make a run in the postseason. They are currently 6-1 in league play, placing them in second place and a record of 8-1 overall on the season thus far.
For the month of January, it was nothing short of dominance. They currently are on a seven-game winning streak, going 6-0 in the month of January with only one game left, against Galesburg-Augusta, on the schedule.
The team has been led on this terrific run of wins by seniors Ty Ryske, Tyler Degroote, Luke Housler, Asher Puhalski, and Nolan Strake. Also, the sharpshooting talents of juniors Beau Onken, Shane Ryske and sophomore Tucker Walther have been put on display in key moments to help the team to wins.
This team is very much locked in on the defensive end as well. Against Constantine High School and Hackett Catholic Prep High School, the Eagles recorded 13 steals in each game. Key contributors on defense were Shane Ryske, Malachi Sampley, Eli Devisser, Tyler Degroote and Ty Ryske. With Coach Small at the helm, the sky’s the limit for this team.
