HOLTON – Holton will get more sports media coverage than most high schools in Michigan in the 2023-24 academic year, thanks to an exciting new agreement between the school, MuskegonSports.com and Dave’s Tavern.

Beginning in August, MuskegonSports.com will publish game-by-game coverage for all Holton varsity sports teams, starting with fall sports – football, girls volleyball, boys cross country, girls cross country and girls golf.

The same intensive coverage will continue throughout the winter and spring sports seasons, as well.

Stories and photos for all the games and matches, as well as feature stories on standout Red Devil athletes, will be published on the Holton High School website and school Facebook page, as well as the MuskegonSports.com website and social media outlets.

The comprehensive media coverage is expected to produce about 30 original stories per month, giving the Holton athletic program far more media exposure than most other schools in Muskegon County, or the entire state, for that matter.

The coverage is made possible through the sole sponsorship of Dave’s Tavern, 8520 Holton Road, a popular restaurant and social gathering spot that opened in 2020.

The new media agreement is perfect for a Holton athletic program that had its share of success in the 2022-23 sports season, its first as a member of the historic West Michigan Conference.

The always-powerful Holton girls softball team led the way by winning its ninth district championship in 11 years and producing three first-team All-State players – Ryann Robins, Grace Thompson and Abigail Fowler. Kenzie Greene was honorable mention All-State.

Robins and Fowler also had the distinction of earning All-Conference honors in volleyball, basketball and softball.

Vanessa Peltoniemi qualified for the state finals in cross country. Rylee Pierce and Justin Hill were state qualifiers in wrestling. Bo Larabee and Aiden Moore were state qualifiers in bowling while Blake Casteel was a state qualifier in track.

The entire Holton girls bowling team also qualified for the state finals.

Dustin DeBeau, Holton’s second-year athletic director, expects more of the same type of success in 2023-24 and is thrilled about sharing more good news with the community and the entire area.

“I’m excited about the extra coverage for our kids and the opportunity to showcase our programs,” DeBeau said. “A big part of my job is celebrating our students’ success. We’ve had a lot of it, we want our community to know about it, and we want our athletes and coaches to know that their efforts are appreciated and supported.”

Dave’s Tavern became the sponsor of Holton’s expanded media coverage in the late spring, when co-owner Dan Taylor-Tubergen jumped at the opportunity to help the Red Devils gain more attention in the crowded world of online media.

As part of the agreement, Dave’s Tavern will name a Holton Athlete of the Week throughout the school year, and that athlete will be rewarded with a free meal at the restaurant.

“Since we opened, we have met and become friends with a lot of Holton athletes and their families who come in to eat on a regular basis,” Taylor-Tubergen said. “When you get to know good people and learn about their passion for Holton sports, it becomes very easy to share that passion.

“The Holton sports program is something that the entire community rallies around, so we are thrilled to sponsor full media coverage for all the Red Devil teams and athletes.”

DeBeau noted that Dave’s Tavern made the media agreement possible.

“We are very blessed to have Dave’s Tavern on board to make this work,” he said. “They have already done a great job for us providing meals for pregame activities, and they already give us a discount on food that we buy for athletic events. They just do a great job of supporting Holton athletics across the board.”

MuskegonSports.com is very excited to add Holton to its growing list of coverage schools in 2023-24. The company will also continue its comprehensive coverage of Reeths-Puffer and Fruitport varsity sports in the coming season.

MuskegonSports.com is the first media company in the area to offer individual high schools full media coverage for all varsity teams.

“We are extremely excited about providing our extensive, specialty coverage for Holton High School this season,” said MuskegonSports.com editor Steve Gunn. “We feel like the Holton school district, and its athletic program, have been largely underserved by the local media for a very long time, mostly due to the school district’s geographic location in Muskegon County.

“There have been a lot of great teams and great athletes from Holton over the years who never received the type of media exposure they deserved, and we fully intend to change that!”