DeMotte Christian Knights

The Demotte Christian Lady Knights basketball season came to an end Tuesday night at West Central in the first round of IHSAA sectionals. It was a memorable season to say the least. The Knights finished with an 18-6 record, tied for the second-most wins in program history, highlighted by victories over Washington Township, Morgan Township, and Faith Christian, and a trophy at the Cougar Classic. The conclusion of this season also means saying goodbye to a beloved head coach and a highly successful senior class. Mike DeFries retires as the winningest coach in program history totaling 77 Knights victories in his five years. Yet his impact on the program goes far deeper than wins and losses, and he will be missed by the players, fans, and DMC community at large. Similarly, the class of 2025 is undeniably a special one. Sophie Bakker, Claire Bakker, Audrey DeVries, Allie Myers, and Ella Rottier will graduate with a 66-29 record over their four seasons, the best record of any class in program history. The five seniors averaged a combined 35.5 points and 24.6 rebounds this season, and made plenty of history in the process. This season Sophie Bakker became the third Lady Knight to reach 1,000 points, joining Maria Nanninga and Skylar Bos. Her twin sister Claire surpassed the 800 rebound mark, further cementing herself as the program’s all-time leader on the boards. Demotte Christian finished third in the top-heavy Midwest Conference behind West Central, who defeated DMC in sectionals, and Tri-County, sectional 49 champions and ranked fifth in the state in the ICGSA 1A poll. DMC will return three rotation players, all juniors– starting guard Cassie Nanninga, forward Cora Dyke and bench sparkplug Emmelene Dyke. Freshman Tenley Neises, who appeared in fourteen games this season, will likely make the jump to varsity, and other returning juniors Mackenzie Bult and Bella Parsons will be asked to step up in some capacity as well. The final three players on the varsity roster were all freshmen– Eleona Phegley, Heidi Perzee, and Ruby Davis. Of course, these players will be under the tutelage of a new head coach, who has yet to be named. Note: Thanks to Lyndsy Van Schouwen for the photos