Bradley Richards, senior at Calvary Christian School in Fruitport, has signed with Cornerstone University to play basketball and run track for the Golden Eagles.
By Nate Thompson
LocalSportsJournal.comThere’s a new scoring king in Muskegon County for boys basketball.
Following Muskegon Catholic Central’s close 66- 62 loss to Pentwater on Dec. 13, senior forward Bradley Richards entered rare territory by topping 2,000 career points on the hardwood.
Richards is currently sitting at 2,157 career points after scoring 32 against Orchard View and 39 against Wellspring Prep. In the OV game, he became the top career scorer ever in Muskegon County. The mark was held by North Muskegon graduate Spencer Krannitz, who poured in 2,008 points from 2009 to 2012.
His storied career actually started as an eighth grader on varsity during the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season in which he remarkably averaged 16.2 points and 11 rebounds in 15 games with Fruitport Calvary Christian.
Not surprisingly, he’s only gotten better and better.
A three-time Division 4 all-state first team honoree, Richards is now playing at Muskegon Catholic Central due to Calvary Christian not having enough players to field a varsity team this winter. The Michigan High School Athletic Association restricted Eagles players from transferring to other schools, so instead, they formed a cooperative with MCC, much like they have done in football and soccer.
Richards, who possesses outstanding leaping ability and agility, plus a silky shooting touch in his 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame, said he was aware he was close to reaching the 2,000-point milestone, but didn’t realize he topped the mark against the Cardinals until after the game was over.
“It’s a big deal, but it’s not the biggest thing I’m worried about,” said Richards, who helped Calvary Christian win its first district championship a year ago, and hopes to lead MCC to similar heights. “It just makes me realize that I’ve gotten to where I’m at because I’m extremely blessed. God creates a platform for all of his followers and I’ve tried to live my life honoring Him. I’m the school worship team leader and it’s a big part of my life.”
Much like his trio of sisters who preceded him in dominating on the hardwood – Taylor, Allyson and Kelsey – the Richards children have thrived with the combination of faith, family and basketball, led by their father, Brad Richards, who has coached all of his children at Fruitport Calvary until this season. He’s now an assistant under head coach Andre Zackery at MCC.
“It is a little strange (working at a different school),” the elder Richards said. “But we’re extremely grateful that MCC was willing to partner with our kids (at Calvary).”
Senior guard Quinn Swanson is the only other former Calvary Christian player who now calls himself a Crusader this winter. But obviously, Richards’ addition was a huge one. Thus far, he also averages double-digits in rebounds.
He’s had a remarkable stretch of athletic success, which has not been limited to the basketball court.
“He’s an extremely busy kid,” Brad Richards said of his son. “Somehow, he’s found a way to balance it all.”
In the fall, competing in just his second year of football, he was MCC’s leading receiver and was named to the all-region team. And last spring, Richards was the state runnerup in the high jump with a leap of 6-6. A year earlier, as a sophomore, he took top honors in D-4 by clearing 6-10, which is the best mark ever in Muskegon County.
Richards qualified for the National Track and Field Event in the high jump in consecutive years. At the National Track and Field events, he earned All American honors, finishing in sixth place at the University of Oregon in 2024 and National Champion Runner up at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia in 2023.
Richards said he started working several years ago with area coach and trainer Jim McHugh, a Pentwater native who was a two-time national champion in high jump at Hillsdale College, and now coaches West Michigan athletes in the event. Richards said working on plyometric exercises with McHugh. That consists of short, intense bursts of activity. That has not only helped him on the track, but also in basketball.
“For sure,” he said. “Especially with dunking. It’s a lot easier now.”
Richards said received recruiting interest from several large schools for track that included the University of Michigan, but his goal is to do both high jump and play basketball at the college level. He also received D2 offers for basketball.
That familiarity in the Grand Rapids based Cornerstone, and the influence of his sisters’ footsteps, made the decision a lot easier for Richards.
“They’re still some of my biggest supporters,” Richards said. “And they still give me tips after some of my games.”
On Dec. 29, Richards made his college commitment official and declared himself a Cornerstone Golden Eagle.
“Bradley Richards, senior at Calvary Christian School in Fruitport, has signed with Cornerstone University to play basketball and run track for the Golden Eagles,” said the Richards family in a press release.
After a lengthy process, Richards chose Cornerstone for a variety of reasons including its willingness to allow him to play both basketball and track, as well as being accepted into the Creativity Innovation Honors Program for Business (CIHI), a very competitive and sought after academic program.
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