CHANDLER, Ariz. – Less than a week after winning the state championship, Valley Christian High School senior Brandon Haagsma signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Dordt College.
Haagsma signed during a ceremony with family, friends, classmates, coaches and teachers at the school on Friday. Also in attendance was Dordt College President Dr. Erik Hoekstra and his wife Dr. Barb Hoekstra.
Haagma’s senior year capped a successful four-year career as a student-athlete. The Trojans captured the D-III basketball state championship after finishing as state runner-up in 2013. The head coach of the boys basketball team is Brandon’s dad, Greg, who is a 1991 graduate of Dordt and played baseball for the Defenders.
Brandon also earned Section Player of the Year honors (Division Player of the Year, All-Division and All-State teams are still to be announced). Coming off a junior year in which he was named to the D-III All-Division 1st team, Brandon was named as one of the top 30 players in the class of 2014 by the Arizona Republic. Haagsma also started at quarterback and kicked for the Trojans this year under former NFL and college quarterback and coach Jeff Rutledge.
“It has been a fun experience being able to coach my son,” Valley Christian boys basketball coach Greg Haagsma stated. “It made this year a very special experience to be able to win a state championship with him. I’ve enjoyed being able to coach him and now look ahead to being able to watch him be coached by someone else and play at the next level.”
Not only has Brandon worked hard and been successful as an athlete, he has demonstrated excellence in the classroom as well. Haagsma was named to the Arizona All-Academic 1st Team for both football (2013) and basketball (2013) and should also earn top academic honors again for the 2014 basketball season.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Brandon’s continued commitment to excellence athletically and academically,” commented Dan Kuiper, Valley Christian’s Assistant Principal who is also a 1982 graduate of Dordt College and former Dordt Board of Trustee member. “Dordt is not just getting an outstanding basketball player and a great student, but a well-rounded, exceptional young man.”
Dordt College is located in Sioux Center, Iowa. The Defenders compete in NAIA D-II and are members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference. The basketball team enters the 2014 NAIA National Tournament as the #6 seed with a 28-5 record after winning the GPAC regular season championship. The Defenders made the Elite Eight of the national tournament in each of the last two seasons.