Grief-stricken Fennville will play Monday playoff game
Matt Charboneau, The Detroit News
Only days after suffering an unspeakable tragedy, the Fennville boys basketball team has decided to play on.
After practicing Saturday and meeting with the family of Wes Leonard, who collapsed and died after a postgame celebration Thursday, it was announced Fennville would, indeed, play in Monday's state playoff game.
The game was scheduled to played at Lawrence, but will be moved to Hope College's DeVos Fieldhouse, which seats 3,300.
"We would like to offer our deepest thanks to Lawrence Public Schools," Fennville superintendent Dirk Weeldreyer said in a statement. "They have been more than gracious and accommodating in making this decision. By doing so, they are relinquishing home-court advantage. It is a display of the utmost sportsmanship.
"We also recognize that Lawrence has been cast in an unenviable position and must feel as if the world will be rooting against them. Rather than focusing on the outcome of Monday's game, our joint goal is to make it a fitting tribute to the memory of Wes Leonard."
On Thursday night, Leonard, a junior, died of a heart attack after scoring the winning layup in Fennville's victory over Bridgman. It capped a perfect 20-0 regular season for the Blackhawks and further cemented Leonard's status as Fennville's unquestioned star.
On Friday, still reeling from the death of the 16-year-old, the team had not decided whether it would play in its Class C district against Lawrence.
Photo caption: From left, former football coach Tim Schipper, basketball teammates Adam Siegel and DeMarcus McGee and boys' basketball coach Ryan Klingler react during a news conference Friday, March 4, 2011, in Fennville, Mich, about the death of teammate Wes Leonard on Thursday. Leonard, 16, sank a shot in overtime to give Fennville a win over Bridgman, then collapsed and died. (AP Photo/The Holland Sentinel, Dennis R.J. Geppert)
