FRUITPORT – Beating Spring Lake in basketball is a pretty big deal in the Anspach household.
When it happened back in 2015, Adam Anspach was Fruitport’s head coach, and his son Grade was the elementary-aged water boy.
The Trojans won 52-49, after losing to the Lakers 66-26 earlier in the season.
“I think I was probably in the first or second grade,” said Grade, whose name is pronounced Grady. “I remember being the little water boy for my dad. That was one of the most exciting times in my life back then, when they won that game. We lost to them the first time that year by 40.
‘”My dad has this newspaper sitting in his room (from that victory). I have always looked at it, even now and then.”
[1]It took a lot of years, and 16 games, for the Trojans to beat the Lakers again, but when it finally happened a week ago Friday, the Anspachs were right in the middle of it once more. Grade was a starting guard for Fruitport, and his dad was on the bench as an assistant coach.
Grade, a small but gutsy 5-foot-8 senior, had a great game, particularly on the defensive end, when his eight steals helped keep the Lakers’ offense off balance.
He also scored 11 points and had two assists and three rebounds.
It was a huge win for Grade and the Trojans, because they want to accomplish some things this year, but felt like it was important to get that Spring Lake monkey off their backs first.
The Trojans are off to a great start this season with a 5-2 record, after going 7-18 last year.
[2]“This one was probably more exciting, because I was actually part of it,” Grade said about the latest win over Spring Lake. “It was one of the main motivations our team had, to get over that hump. We knew that we could do it, and it showed everyone that we are not a team to take lightly anymore.
“If we can stay together and play together, we could win a district championship or go even further. We saw this coming when we played together over the summer. We were winning then, and there was a lot of team chemistry.”
Everyone who follows the Trojans knows that Grade is a crucial part of the mix, even though he doesn’t get the headline stats very often.
He has a nice shot from the outside and scores some big points, like he did last season when his buzzer-beating three-pointer gave the Trojans a thrilling one-point win over Comstock Park.
He’s averaging around 10 points per game.
Grade also snags a few rebounds, despite his small size, averaging 3.2 boards per game.
[3]He’s averaging around four steals and three assists per game, illustrating his value as a defender and playmaker.
He’s a different player than his older brother, Bode Anspach, who was a big scorer who broke the Trojans’ single season three-point record two years ago.
“Bode could get hot,” said Fruitport head coach Steve Erny. “He could be very tough to stop. We was super quick and he could jump out of the gym. Grade doesn’t have a lot of that explosiveness. He has more of that traditional point guard mentality.
“Grade is more cerebral, which compensates for his lack of size or whatever. He’s very smart and very competitive and he helps the team win games. We have a few other guys scoring more points, but he’s the glue that keeps a lot of it together.”
Grade only cares about one stat – the number in the Trojans’ victory column.
[4]
Anspach drives past a Muskegon Heights defender in the season opener this year. Photo/Jeremy Clark
[5]
“I’ve always had guys around me who can score, so I never had to,” he said. “I make plays for them so they can knock down the shots. I don’t mind, as long as our team wins.”
Grade’s most important role on the team can’t be measured with numbers, anyway.
He is a leader and an organizer who uses his intelligence and understanding of the game to keep his teammates on the same page, according to Coach Erny.
He’s sort of like an extra coach, which is not really surprising for the son of a coach.
“He’s such a smart player,” Coach Erny said. “He just has a great feel for the game and helps the other guys on the floor make adjustments and get to their spots.
“He has that coach kid type of attitude. There’s a real confidence to Grade. He loves trash talking and poking and prodding his teammates and getting after them a little bit – that’s just Grade – but he also does a great job of building them up. He’s really gotten better at not just wanting to be a competitor, but understanding that you have to bring your teammates with you.”
[6]
[7]
Grade says that part of his game is probably due to his dad’s influence.
With the exception of a few seasons here and there, Adam has been coaching Grade’s teams, at school or AAU level, since he was small.
“It’s been a great experience,” Grade said about growing up in the sport with his dad’s leadership. “He’s had one of the biggest influences on my career. We see the game a lot alike. We are always thinking alike.”
However…
“He likes to say he’s taught me everything I know,” Grade added. “I think I have learned a few things on my own!”
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]