Zach VanValkenburg

2016 All Stars – West Team

VanValkenburg, Zach

Defensive Line

6’4″ 240

High School, Region: Zeeland West, 6

High School Coach: John Shillito

College: Hillsdale College

Zach is the son of Dale and Rebecca VanValkenburg. He has two sisters, Rachel (22) and Sarah (16), and a brother named Eli (13).

Zach started playing rocket football in second grade in Hudsonville and switched to Zeeland football in fourth grade. In his freshman year, Zach played half the regular season on the freshman team and the other half on JV, after which he was pulled up to varsity for the playoffs, where his team lost to the eventual state champs in the district finals. In his sophomore year, Zach started on varsity and his team won the OK Green conference title and the 2013 Division 3 State Championship. In his junior year the team won the conference title again with an undefeated regular season, but lost to Muskegon in the State Semi-finals. In his senior season, Zach served as team captain and his team went undefeated and once again won a conference title and also the Division 4 State Championship. Zach has gone 39-2 overall in high school.

Zach also participated in wrestling and track since seventh grade. In high school, he participated on varsity for four years in each. In 2015, Zach was an MHSAA wrestling and track state qualifier, and in 2016 he earned third at States in the 215 pound weight class. Along the way he broke team records in season wins, season pins, career wins, and career pins.

Zach thanked his parents, Dale and Rebecca, for always supporting him and providing him with the opportunities for success. He thanked his coach, John Shillito, for the means and the guidance in which to achieve it. Zach plans to attend Hillsdale College to get his degree and to play football.

 

Awards

All Conference OK Green, 2014 and 2015

Defensive Player if the Year,

 Holland Sentinel, 2015

Dream Team, Grand Rapids Press, 2015

All State Dream Team, Detroit Free Press, 2015

1st Team All State, 2015