West Michigan boys basketball opened the 2025-26 season Tuesday with a little bit of everything—high-powered scoring, momentum-swinging runs, and defenses that took over when shots weren’t falling. Fremont used a dominant stretch to pull away from Shelby, Fruitport flipped the game with a lockdown middle quarter against Western Michigan Christian, and Spring Lake surged past Whitehall after a strong second period. Manistee rallied from an early hole to edge Mason County Central, while Hart set the tone early and rolled past Montague.
Fremont 85, Shelby 47
Fremont pulled away after Shelby’s quick early burst, using a dominant close to the first quarter to seize control. The Packers led 43-16 at halftime and kept building the margin the rest of the way. Gabe Hulst led Fremont with 29 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Mossen Green added 21 points with five rebounds and five assists. Collin Trouslot scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds, Brayden Crosley finished with nine points and 10 rebounds, and Logan McLain contributed eight points, five rebounds, and five blocks. Shelby was led by Eli Kelley with 12 points, and Leighton Belasco added eight.
Next: Fremont visits Whitehall Friday; Shelby hosts Mason County Central Friday.
Fruitport 48, Western Michigan Christian 35
Fruitport shook off a slow start and leaned on strong defense to take control in the middle quarters. After trailing 11-6 following the first, the Trojans jumped ahead by halftime and maintained separation through the second half. Dexter Lillmars posted 15 points and 13 rebounds, Hudson Hazekamp added 15 points and six rebounds, and DayDay Williams contributed 13 points along with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Garrett Olson added five points and six rebounds.
Next: Fruitport hosts Cedar Springs Friday; WMC visits Tri-Unity Christian Friday.
Spring Lake 62, Whitehall 46
Whitehall led after one quarter, but Spring Lake responded with a decisive second-quarter surge to take a 31-19 halftime lead. The Lakers extended the advantage to 50-32 after three and finished off the win. Max Feltner led Spring Lake with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Ayden Ayers added 16 points and four steals. Jacob Ayers and Vaughn White scored eight points each, Landon O’Donnell added seven, and Jack Brown contributed four points, three steals, and four assists.
Next: Spring Lake travels to Ludington Thursday; Whitehall hosts Fremont Friday.
Manistee 45, Mason County Central 42
Manistee rebounded from an early deficit by locking in after halftime and turning the game with a big third quarter. The Mariners cut the gap to two by the end of the third and edged the finish to complete the comeback. Landin Sowa scored 19 points and did much of his damage at the free-throw line. Dayvion Neal-Berry scored seven, while Braylen Zimmerman and Chaos Davis added six apiece. Mason County Central was led by Cole Vanderhaag with 14 points, with Tyler Norton and Michael Chye scoring eight each.
Next: Manistee hosts Lake City Wednesday; Mason County Central travels to Shelby Friday.
Hart 74, Montague 41
Hart’s fast start created immediate separation, and the Pirates kept pressure on through all four quarters. Montague made a second-quarter push, but Hart responded before halftime and controlled the second half. Jagger Lenon led Hart with 21 points, Caleb Ackley scored 17, and Kolton Rockwell added 16. Montague was led by Cole Moss with 10 points, with Cole Herremans adding eight and Noah Raeth scoring seven.
Next: Hart hosts Oakridge Thursday; Montague hosts Manistee Friday.
North Muskegon 77, Holton 11
North Muskegon sprinted out early and kept its foot on the gas, pairing steady quarter-by-quarter scoring (28-25-15-9) with constant pressure to earn an opening-night win over Holton.
Braylen Burrel led the way with 23 points, while Adam Dugener added 19 points and filled up the stat sheet with seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals. Dugener was highly efficient, finishing a perfect 7-for-7 shooting. Brody Frees scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds, David Markiewicz had five points and three rebounds, Ameere Layton contributed four points and three assists, and Bronson Hurst pulled down four rebounds.
Holton’s offense was highlighted by the McMillian brothers, who each knocked down one 3-pointer.
Next: North Muskegon moves to 1-0 and plays Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Benzie Central tournament against Charlevoix.
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