Elite Storm16U basketball teammates are football stars, too

The Grand Rapids Storm 16U UA Rise team poses after winning the Brawl for the Ball on July 16, 2023. Front row from left, coach Doug Fleming, Jah Hatchett, Braeden Holder and Michael DeKuiper. Back row from left, Jake Chapman, B.J. Walker, Camden Thompson, Trey Miller, Lucas Pitsch, Carson Vis, Phoenix Glassnor and assistant coach B.J. Saunders. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Grand Rapids Storm 16U UA Rise travel basketball team is oozing with talent. It had some of the best juniors in the state this past summer.

Now imagine putting them in shoulder pads and football jerseys. They would make a pretty talented high school football team.

Nine of the 11 players on the Storm 16U roster are playing football this season, which is pretty impressive.

“It’s cool,” said forward Carson Vis. “It shows that we have more than just basketball players. We’re athletes in other sports, too. There’s not many people who can stand out at both.”

Vis plays quarterback on the South Christian football team.

“Football translates to basketball with the way you have to cut, be fast and be physical,” Rockford’s Michael DeKuiper said. “I think that translates to the UA (Under Armor) circuit. We could compete with the top teams because we were more physical.” 

Lucas Pitsch, who plays with DeKuiper on the 7-0 Rockford football team, says it pays to be physical.

“I think the lifting, the physical play, the hitting, the running … it can translate to basketball,” Pitsch said. “Most of the time, if you aren’t physical in the paint, you aren’t gonna get a bucket. It’s definitely a benefit for our Storm team.”

Jah Hatchett, a standout guard from East Kentwood, loves that his Storm teammates have a football mentality.

“I think it’s dope,” he said. “None of them are scared of contact and don’t care who we play. They’re not scared of nobody.”

DeKuiper, Pitsch, Vis, Jake Chapman and Hatchett have all played together in the Storm program since they were in eighth grade.

The Storm 16U team was coached by Doug Fleming this summer and it was put together by Jason Martin. 

Rockford’s Lucas Pitsch, left, shakes hands with teammate Michael DeKuiper during warmups before a game on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

JAKE CHAPMAN, Hudsonville Unity Christian: The 6-foot-7 forward plays tight end for Unity Christian football and was talented enough to draw attention at some elite football camps. But Chapman’s sports career might be over after he suffered a near fatal blow when he had a cardiac arrest on Sept. 28. After two weeks in the hospital, he was finally allowed to go home on Oct. 9. On the basketball court, Chapman was dunking by the time he was in eighth grade. He’s a physical presence in the paint for a strong Unity Christian program. “We played them this year and last year,” Camden Thompson said of his Whitehall football team playing Unity Christian. “We talked a little after the game to catch up. He’s a great football player. They put me at safety and it was hard to get around his blocks.” 

MICHAEL DEKUIPER, Rockford: The 6-foot-1 speedy and physical point guard plays football with abandon. He is a slot receiver for Rockford, which is the No. 2 team in the state in Division 1. “I’m not gonna lie. When I play football … I’m not scared, but I kind of run for my life,” he said with a laugh. “That’s my mindset.” On the basketball court, he’s physical, too. But he’s a smart pass-first point guard who is a great defender.

PHOENIX GLASSNOR, Warren De La Salle: The smooth 6-foot point guard had a huge summer. He got eight basketball offers, including Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Ohio and Western Michigan. “He’s a really good athlete,” Vis said. “He excels at all three sports. It looks like basketball is his best sport. He could play all three in college if he wanted to, which is pretty cool.” Glassnor also plays baseball at De La Salle. “He’s a super-good athlete,” DeKuiper said. “He might not have the height, but he runs, he jumps and he’s shifty. He’s really tough.” On the football field, Glassnor has 28 catches as a wide receiver for 412 yards and three touchdowns for the No. 1-ranked De La Salle team. He is the son of Gus Macker legend Rodney Glassnor. 

BRAEDEN HOLDER, Warren De La Salle: One of only two Storm players who does not play football. Smooth 5-foot-11 point guard, makes for a great backcourt tandem with his De La Salle teammate Glassnor. He’s a pass-first guard with the Storm, but he can really shoot, too. “Great point guard,” Thompson said. “Not selfish. He can really shoot the ball also.” 

JAH HATCHETT, East Kentwood: Hatchett, the uber-talented 5-foot-10 point guard, is one of the two Storm players not to play football. He doesn’t mind, though. “I don’t feel like its a bad thing that we (he and Holder) don’t play. It feels good just to go to the  games and support (my East Kentwood football) team and have fun.” Hatchett said he last played football when he was 10. But his future is in basketball. He has offers from Ferris State and Northwood. “Even though Jah doesn’t play two sports, he’s really athletic,” Vis said.

JALEN KAMPEN, Parchment: The 6-foot-3 guard/forward has a lot of skill. He’s smooth shooting and when he’s driving to the basket. Last season, he averaged 18.4 points and 4.7 rebounds for Parchment. But he might end up being a better football player. This season as a wide receiver, he has 68 catches for 852 yards and has caught eight touchdown passes through seven games.

TREY MILLER, Lansing Waverly: The 6-foot-5 forward comes off the bench for the Storm, but that’s just because the starters in front of him are superstars. Miller is an athletic forward who is physical in the paint. He’s a smart kid, too. He’s got a GPA of 3.95. On the football field, he’s listed as a quarterback on the Waverly roster. 

LUCAS PITSCH, Rockford: It seems like Pitsch gets taller every year. The 6-foot-6 forward is fearless in the paint and he can shoot the ball from 3-point range. His future might be on the football field, however. He’s a starting receiver for the 7-0 Rams. “Me and Mikey both play receiver,” Pitsch said. “He plays slot (a receiver who plays in the middle of the field) and I play on the outside.” Lucas’ older brother, Joey, is a wide receiver at Lawrence Tech.  

CAMDEN THOMPSON, Whitehall: The best overall athlete on the Storm roster. The bouncy 6-foot-5 forward would still be one of the best players in the state if he just played defense alone. He can block shots, guard quick players and he is an elite rebounder. Last season with Whitehall, he averaged 23.6 points and 14.3 rebounds. Pitsch, DeKuiper and Vis all agree that Thompson is the best athlete on the Storm. “That kid can fly,” DeKuiper said. “It’s crazy. He jumps and runs … he’s so athletic on the basketball court. He does it on the football field, too, which is just as impressive.” In football, Thompson is a receiver, who has seven touchdowns this year for a 7-0 Whitehall team. He has seven basketball offers: Northern Michigan, Grand Valley, Saginaw Valley, Oakland, Bowling Green, Stephen F. Austin and Western Michigan. He has one football offer from WMU and interest from Penn and Central Michigan. He’s an elite track athlete, too. He made it to the state finals in the high jump the past two years. 

CARSON VIS, Grand Rapids South Christian: Vis has a really high ceiling. The 6-foot-4 guard/forward helped lead his South basketball team to a deep run in the playoffs. The Sailors made it to the Division 2 state championship game. But if he hadn’t broken both wrists in the regional title game, they would have won it all. “He’s a great shooter,” Thompson said. “It’s great to have a guy like him as a teammate because he can knock down anything.” Vis has basketball offers from Ferris State, Grand Valley State and Western Michigan. This fall, he had workouts in front of a bunch of Division I coaches, including Syracuse and the University of Michigan. He also has a football offer from Ferris State. “You know you’re really good when you can go Division I in multiple sports. Carson and Phoenix are both like that,” Pitsch said. On the football field, Vis helped lead South Christian to the Division 4 state title last fall. Back then, he was an elite receiver, who caught 13 touchdowns. This season, he’s the starting quarterback for a 6-1 team. So would Vis consider playing football in college? “Not right now, I wouldn’t,” he said. “I’m a basketball guy.”

B.J. WALKER, Zeeland East: Walker joined the Storm team late, so he didn’t get as much playing time as the rest of his teammates. But the 6-foot-3 guard can really play. He put up an impressive 19.9 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Chix last season. “Hard ballplayer and aggressive on the rebounds,” Thompson said. “I like how he plays. We (Whitehall) played them in the regular season and he gave us problems.” Walker played football last season. But this year, he didn’t make up his mind until the season already started. So when he showed up to practice, he injured his hand and never got into a game. 

South Christian quarterback Carson Vis threw seven touchdown passes in Week 1 against Grand Rapids Christian on Aug. 26, 2023. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).