By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
FENNVILLE—On Saturday, Feb. 17, Fennville hosted its 13th Annual Never Forgotten Games to honor the memory of Wes Leonard and raise money for the Wes Leonard Heart Team.
As always, Saugatuck was the opponent.
And for that, Saugatuck girls basketball coach Kevin Tringali could not be more thankful.
“I knew Wes,” said Tringali, who led his team to the 67-22 win over the Blackhawks. “I coached Wes in AAU. So I see my job as making sure my team knows what a great young man he was, what kind of player he was and all of the great things his foundation has done since his passing.
“We talk each year about being grateful for this opportunity Fennville has given us to be part of this game because they could have anyone they want to participate in this game and they chose us. So, this is so special and we don’t take it lightly.”
The outcome of the game was never in doubt, as Saugatuck jumped out to a 19-2 lead after one quarter and continued to pull away.
Ms. Basketball candidate Brook Simpson scored a game-best 26 points to lead the Trailblazers (17-1), with Kennedy Gustafson going for 16 points. Mylah Simpson added nine points.
“We got to play a lot of girls, which is always nice,” Tringali said. “And everyone came out of the game healthy, which is so important at this time of year. The regular season is starting to wind down and we have a tough, tough district ahead of us. So, we need to be full strength in order to give it our best shot.”
Lila Rosema paced Fennville (4-14) with eight points. Ceeley Howard added six points.
The game was the second in two days and third in four days for Saugatuck.
The Trailblazers beat Delton 58-19 on Friday, Feb. 16, and bested Buchanan 49-35 on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Brook Simpson drained five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points against Delton. Gustafson and Mylah Simpson joined her in double figures with 15 and 11 points, respectively.
“I’m pleased with our overall effort, but our kids know enough not to be satisfied,” Tringali said. “We still have a lot to clean up as we move forward.”
The win over Buchanan featured six triples and 24 points from Brook Simpson to go with 15 points from Gustafson and 10 points from Mylah Simpson.