Marty Howard has decided to step down as Wayland girls’ varsity basketball coach after six seasons.

Howard told his players and their parents about his decision at the Lady Wildcats’ basketball banquet last month, explaining that he wants to spend more time with his family. It has been reported that he will remain as boys’ varsity track coach.

Howard had an up and down career guiding the Lady Wildcats. The ups came in his first and fourth seasons.

The 2011-12 Wayland squad won its first regional championship since 1989 and went 21-5 overall for the season. The Lady Wildcats, who also were co-champions in the O-K Gold Conference, lost finally in the state Class B quarterfinals to league rival Grand Rapids Catholic Central, a team they beat in overtime to gain a share of the Gold title.

Key players on that team were Molly Lameyer, who went on to star in volleyball at Davenport University, and Autumn Anderson, who was a softball and basketball star at Hope College.

Interestingly, it was a freshman guard named Presley Hudson who was beginning to make waves.

The next two seasons yielded winning records at 13-8 and 14-7, but in both the teams seemed to start strong and then fade down the stretch. In their defense, the 13-8 squad lost to eventual state champion Grand Rapids South Christian in the district opener. Other solid athletes on those teams, besides Hudson, were Northwood University volleyball standout Allison Getty and Davenport softball whiz Haley Obetts.

Though the 2011-12 team earned plenty of accolades, it was the 2014-15 group that threatened to win the state title, but was upset in the regional finals by Haslett, which went all the way to the finals.

The Lady Wildcats, with Hudson finishing runner-up in the Miss Basketball balloting and guards Ali Cutler, Ali Martus and Caroline (C.J.) Miller providing a solid supporting cast, were at one time ranked No. 2 in the state. They lost only one game in the regular season, a surprising blowout at the hands of Catholic Central, which which they once again shared the league title.

Wayland finished the season with its best overall record since 1989 by posting a 23-2 mark. And Hudson went on to be named Mid-American Conference freshman of teh year playing for Central Michigan University.

But the following season, missing Hudson, Miller and post player Morgan Winger, the Lady Wildcats again started strong, but faltered down the stretch, owing a great deal to injuries to Cutler and Karli Warning and MacKaylah Donewald leaving the team.

Howard and the Lady ‘Cats finished the season at 10-12, losing in the district finals to state runner-up South Christian, but suffering through Howard’s only losing season.

So, for the six seasons he coached, Howard had a combined record of 98-38.

Some observers now claim the talent has almost dried up, as Wayland will lose Martus, Cutler, Hope Dollarhide, Warning and Sydney Ritz to graduation this spring.

There have been no reports yet of anyone stepping forward to express interest in taking over the program that was built by the legendary Zack Moushegian, starting in the fall of 1976.

Coralie Ritz Miller, who was an all-stater playing for Moushegian in the mid-1980s and the junior varsity coach the past two seasons, has indicated no interest in succeeding Howard.

Ironically, It was Miller who succeeded Moushegian when he finally retired, but she stepped down as varsity coach five seasons ago to make way for Howard.

Editor’s Note: Mary Howard was WHS girls’ varsity coach for six, not five, years.

PHOTO: Marty Howard