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As we head into May, the Harbor Springs High School gym currently lies empty most nights after yet another busy basketball season.
But, even as the 2026-27 season starts up and the years that follow come, there’s an emptiness that’ll remain for the Harbor Springs basketball teams, Ram fans and the Harbor community.
A single corner within the Harbor gym, just beyond the Rams’ home bench, will be vacant, once filled by Stevie Cupps, a gentle giant of a man and as big of a Ram fan as you’ll find.
Cupps passed away the night of April 21 after a brief illness at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
I’ve been around this job going on 15 years now, so I’ve always seen Stevie around the gym and Harbor Springs events.
But, it wasn’t until the past few years that I really got to start having conversations with Stevie.
A surprise to nobody, they were all about the Rams. They focused on the game that night and if I thought the Rams could win. We talked about schedules, player news, districts. You name it, Stevie knew it when it came to Harbor Springs.
Stevie’s spot in the gym, complete with his own director’s chair next to the the game and warmup balls he happily dished out, was always my first stop in the gym.
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I preferred Stevie’s company. He wanted to talk about the game and who was playing well, not who I wasn’t writing about enough or which team I was covering too much.
He liked to talk about my articles and whose picture ran big in the paper. It made me happy he liked to follow along with the old print edition.
This past winter season, we had something particularly fun to talk about every time I showed up to a boys or girls Harbor Springs basketball game.
Harbor Springs ordered Stevie a brand new hooded basketball sweatshirt. And boy did he talk about it.
It took much of the season for the sweatshirt to arrive and he kept myself and Sarah Shepherd of the Harbor Light Newspaper well informed about it. Every game I’d show up asking, ‘No sweatshirt yet, Steve?’
His response was of course no, and I’d usually say, ‘Well, they must just be backed up on orders.’
It gave us both something to look forward to and when it did finally come the first week of February, Stevie beamed with joy, so much so he had Sarah take a picture at the game and text it to me. He said he owed me the picture.
He was right. That made my night.
Next time I got to a Harbor game, he was wearing it of course and the first thing he asked was if I got that picture. I did indeed I told him and that I was excited to see it.
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What I didn’t say – as we talked about the game that night and the district schedule ahead – was that I hoped to some day write about his fandom.
I’ve done pieces in the past celebrating fans like Stevie that just have a presence to them. They’re what make high school sports so great.
As someone that grew up in Harbor Springs and continued to be diehard Ram fan, Stevie deserved to be celebrated.
Which is why it brings me great sadness to only being writing this now. I hope he knew how much he meant to the Ram community and teams.
I’ve seen tributes on social media from past players, coaches and fans in just the hours since his passing, but hopefully they got the chance to tell Stevie how much he meant while he was here.
I’m instead reminded today not to wait and there’s a pit in my stomach because of it.
And while there’s an emptiness that’ll be felt in that gym next winter, Stevie’s presence and impact left behind fills memories for generations in Harbor Springs.
That’s something to smile about.
Rest easy, Stevie.
Reach Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at [email protected] and follow him on X @DrewKochanny and Instagram @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: The words I wish I could have said sooner to Harbor's Stevie: Kochanny
Continue reading...
But, even as the 2026-27 season starts up and the years that follow come, there’s an emptiness that’ll remain for the Harbor Springs basketball teams, Ram fans and the Harbor community.
A single corner within the Harbor gym, just beyond the Rams’ home bench, will be vacant, once filled by Stevie Cupps, a gentle giant of a man and as big of a Ram fan as you’ll find.
Cupps passed away the night of April 21 after a brief illness at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
I’ve been around this job going on 15 years now, so I’ve always seen Stevie around the gym and Harbor Springs events.
You must be registered for see images attach
But, it wasn’t until the past few years that I really got to start having conversations with Stevie.
A surprise to nobody, they were all about the Rams. They focused on the game that night and if I thought the Rams could win. We talked about schedules, player news, districts. You name it, Stevie knew it when it came to Harbor Springs.
Stevie’s spot in the gym, complete with his own director’s chair next to the the game and warmup balls he happily dished out, was always my first stop in the gym.
Petoskey's Russell: Looks like a beast, plays like a beast; Petoskey’s Tate Russell a force early in 2026
Harbor's Lemieur: Harbor Springs' Nick Lemieur opens 2026 campaign on 11-strikeout gem
I preferred Stevie’s company. He wanted to talk about the game and who was playing well, not who I wasn’t writing about enough or which team I was covering too much.
He liked to talk about my articles and whose picture ran big in the paper. It made me happy he liked to follow along with the old print edition.
This past winter season, we had something particularly fun to talk about every time I showed up to a boys or girls Harbor Springs basketball game.
Harbor Springs ordered Stevie a brand new hooded basketball sweatshirt. And boy did he talk about it.
It took much of the season for the sweatshirt to arrive and he kept myself and Sarah Shepherd of the Harbor Light Newspaper well informed about it. Every game I’d show up asking, ‘No sweatshirt yet, Steve?’
You must be registered for see images attach
His response was of course no, and I’d usually say, ‘Well, they must just be backed up on orders.’
It gave us both something to look forward to and when it did finally come the first week of February, Stevie beamed with joy, so much so he had Sarah take a picture at the game and text it to me. He said he owed me the picture.
He was right. That made my night.
Next time I got to a Harbor game, he was wearing it of course and the first thing he asked was if I got that picture. I did indeed I told him and that I was excited to see it.
Charlevoix Golf: Back together again, Charlevoix golf team comes up on one year since devastating crash
What I didn’t say – as we talked about the game that night and the district schedule ahead – was that I hoped to some day write about his fandom.
I’ve done pieces in the past celebrating fans like Stevie that just have a presence to them. They’re what make high school sports so great.
As someone that grew up in Harbor Springs and continued to be diehard Ram fan, Stevie deserved to be celebrated.
Which is why it brings me great sadness to only being writing this now. I hope he knew how much he meant to the Ram community and teams.
I’ve seen tributes on social media from past players, coaches and fans in just the hours since his passing, but hopefully they got the chance to tell Stevie how much he meant while he was here.
I’m instead reminded today not to wait and there’s a pit in my stomach because of it.
And while there’s an emptiness that’ll be felt in that gym next winter, Stevie’s presence and impact left behind fills memories for generations in Harbor Springs.
That’s something to smile about.
Rest easy, Stevie.
Reach Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at [email protected] and follow him on X @DrewKochanny and Instagram @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: The words I wish I could have said sooner to Harbor's Stevie: Kochanny
Continue reading...
