Calvin football showcases program with scrimmage; Zeeland West grad scores first touchdown

GRAND RAPIDS - Fans were tailgating in the parking lot hours before the game started. There were cheerleaders, a big student section and stands were packed.

Calvin University is ready for some football.

The Knights now have a football team for the first time in their147-year history.

Calvin played an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday afternoon at Grand Rapids Christian High School.

“It gives me chills, honestly,” coach Trent Figg said. “I tell people all the time that I'm excited to be here. Our players don’t take lightly that they are writing the history (of Calvin football).”

There wasn’t a lot of scoring on an 80-degree sunny afternoon. There were only two touchdowns as the Maroon team won 17-0.

Calvin will officially begin its program in the fall of 2024. The Knights will host Hope College on Nov. 9.

Local kid scores first TD in Calvin football history

So who scored the first touchdown in Calvin history? A kid who graduated from Zeeland West High School.

Peter DeKruyter, a 6-foot-5 tight end, caught a 9-yard pass from quarterback Luca Prior with 2:12 to go in the first half.

“It’s kind of the first one,” DeKruyter said with a smile. “I mean, it’s just a scrimmage. Luca threw a dot to the back of the end zone and I was wide open. It was a nice, easy catch.”

Trigg said the touchdown means more than DeKruyter was letting on.

“Peter’s such a great kid,” Trigg said. “He was already a student at Calvin when I got here. His family has a long history at Calvin. He came off the field with tears in his eyes. That’s how much it means to him. He knows what it means to catch that ball. I’m so proud of him.”

Pretty good for a kid that only played one year at Zeeland West and wasn’t part of the offense.

“I only played my senior year,” DeKruyter said. “I loved it. I played just tackle. So this is my first year playing tight end. Completely different ballgame. At Zeeland West, we ran the Wing-T, which is a lot of fun because there’s a lot of hitting. But here, I get to run some routes.”

After he graduated from Zeeland West, he never planned to strap on the pads again.

“Everybody was shocked in my family,” DeKruyter said. “But to call yourself a collegiate athlete is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I talked to Coach Figg. He knew I only had one year of experience, but he was like ‘come help the team any way you can.’”

He finished with three catches for 39 yards.

Five Lakeshore athletes on the roster

The Calvin University football roster has 62 players on it and five are from the Lakeshore area: DeKruyter, Kobe Haglund (West Ottawa), Evan Karsten (Holland Christian), Conner Smits (Holland Christian) and Henry Steenwyk (Holland Christian).

“Definitely a different feel to it,” said Steenwyk, a 6-foot-4 tight end. “Obviously, we weren’t going full 11-on-11. But it feels great to be back out there playing again. There’s a lot of support out here from Calvin and the West Michigan community.”

More: Holland Christian's Conner Smits, Henry Steenwyk commit to first Calvin football class

More: Kobe Haglund to join new Calvin football program

Steenwyk didn’t get to play much, however.

“On the third play, I had someone land on my ankle,” he said. “It’s likely a high ankle sprain.”

Injuries marred his senior year at Holland Christian, too.

“I played my junior and senior year,” Steenwyk said. “In my senior year, I got hurt in the third week when I fractured my leg. I had a five-week recovery time and I made it back for the final game. Even though I didn’t play much in high school, Coach Figg reached out and said, ‘You’ve got the size and the athleticism for college football and you could develop into a good player.’”

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Calvin football showcases program with scrimmage; Zeeland West grad scores first touchdown