Ball Joins Dad, Uncle Among Elk Rapids Scoring Elite
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
February 26, 2021
Riddle 1: How can a ball get passed from another to another and go through the bottom of the net resulting in three points and three of them appearing on a list on a school banner?
Riddle 2: How can three Balls from Riddle 1 represent one-third of the list?
Answer: Only one ball is a basketball. The other four Balls are all related to each other. They are Kevin Ball, Jeremy Ball, Preston Ball and Spencer Ball.
Kevin and Jeremy are brothers who played basketball during the 1990s for Elk Rapids High School. Kevin is also currently coaching the Elks. Preston and Spencer are also brothers playing today for the Elks. And, Kevin is the father of Preston and Spencer.
As a result of the basketball being passed by Spencer to Preston in a win over Boyne City last week and Preston subsequently burying a 3-pointer, Preston became the Elks’ ninth member of the 1,000 point club joining his father and uncle.
“It is really cool,” the four-year Elk Rapids starter said of joining his father and uncle. “Three Balls on the list ... I really can’t put it into words ... it’s incredible.”
His father agrees.
“As a family we’re very blessed and been very fortunate to have all of our kids have success in athletics,” said the proud father of three children raised with his wife Charlotte. “So to have Preston join us is awesome.
“We’re excited that Spencer has been a part of it as well,” he conditioned. “To be able to play with his brother is pretty special. With my brother being four years apart, we didn’t have that opportunity until after we graduated.”
Spencer and Preston have also teamed up on the soccer pitch for the Elks, who reached the Division 3 Semifinals this fall. Preston led the Elks in scoring all four years amassing 86 goals and 41 assists. Spencer assisted Preston’s final career goal and the Elks’ only goal in the Semifinal shootout loss to Grand Rapids South Christian.
And Spencer’s very first goal for the Elks was assisted by Preston.
Spencer had hopes all along he’d be the one getting the assist on the 1,000th point. It was on the sophomore’s mind as Preston neared the mark entering the game with the Ramblers. But it didn’t cross his mind in the game until play was stopped to recognize the accomplishment.
“I wanted to, but our whole team wanted to do the same thing,” Spencer noted. “They all wanted the assist on it.
“I guess it just fell in place.”
And Preston is thrilled it did come from his brother.
“It was pretty cool the way it all turned out,” he said.
Preston currently ranks ninth among the school’s all-time career scorers. Kevin’s 1,188 points are second, and Jeremy is third on the list with 1,171. The senior is not likely to pass top scorer Luke Morrison, but topping his father and uncle may be in reach.
Preston recalls watching Morrison join the 1,000 point club.
“Luke Morrison was kind of the guy I looked up to a lot,” Preston said. “Watching him throughout his career kind of inspired me.
“My dad and uncle being in the 1,000 point club was also something I wanted to join them in and coach (Brett) Graham also in the 1,000 point club,” he continued. “All three of them had a tremendous impact on my game and my life.”
Graham coached the Elks when Preston began his varsity career. Kevin was the JV coach and was happy to see his son move up to the varsity right away. Kevin took over the boys varsity last year when Graham stepped down.
Kevin wasn’t and still isn’t sure how far Preston would go, but he knew there was a good chance Preston would join him in the 1,000 point club the day he started on the varsity. Preston’s summer camp display proved to coach Graham that he could play varsity, his father said. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
“Once he made (varsity) and once he was in that position to be a starter as a freshman, I knew he had a shot (at the 1,000 point club),” the coach said.
Both coach and son are glad to put the accomplishment behind them and move on. The Elks are 8-1 after Friday’s win over East Jordan.
“I tried to think about it as little as possible,” said the senior who is averaging nearly 20 points, five assists and five rebounds per game. “It felt really good to get past that benchmark.
“Hopefully people kind of stop talking about it for a little bit and I can just focus on the rest of season, play my game and just enjoy it.”
The Balls’ younger sister, Mattea, is an eighth grader. She is expected to carry on the Ball family tradition next year playing basketball for Elk Rapids.
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Preston Ball (3) went over 1,000 career points last week against Boyne City, on a basket assisted by brother Spencer (24), to join the school’s 1,000 point club with father/coach Kevin Ball (far left) and uncle Jeremy Ball (far right). (Middle) The school’s 1,000-point scorers banner will soon include Preston as well. (Below) Preston Ball brings the ball upcourt this season. (Group and banner photos courtesy of Charlotte Ball. Action shot courtesy of the Elk Rapids boys basketball program.)
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 10
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 9, 2026
We’ve nearly reached the end of this boys basketball regular season, and District seedings and brackets will be released Sunday on this website.
But it’s never too late to make a move heading into the playoffs.
See two-time reigning Division 2 champion Warren Lincoln. The Abes are 5-15 but broke a 13-game losing streak Saturday with a 65-64 overtime win over Benton Harbor – one of the top teams in Division 2 this winter at 17-2.
Lincoln finds itself lined up as the second seed in its District if brackets were finalized today. Others have been racing up their respective Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) lists as well, and we’re tracking them all as a season’s worth of work goes into how teams are placed when playoffs begin.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Grand Rapids Northview 63, East Lansing 46 Northview (13-4) put an end to reigning Division 1 champion East Lansing’s 40-game winning streak during the final game of the 2K26 Showcase.
2. Freeland 65, Hudsonville Unity Christian 60 A week that started with a loss to Alma for the Falcons (16-3) ended with a win over the Crusaders (14-3) in a matchup of the top two teams statewide in Division 2 MPR.
3. McBain 44, Beal City 40 The Aggies (15-1) entered undefeated and atop the Highland Conference thanks to a December win over McBain, but the Ramblers (15-1) are lined up now to at least share the league title.
4. Rockford 57, East Kentwood 55 For a few days, the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red had co-leaders as the Rams (14-3) avenged a one-point loss to the Falcons (15-2) from last month – but East Kentwood stands alone again after Hudsonville downed Rockford 62-55 on Friday.
5. Grand Rapids South Christian 50, Grand Rapids Northview 47 (OT) Although Northview’s week ended with a statewide rim-rocker, South Christian (15-2) started it by avenging a January overtime loss to the Wildcats to create a first-place tie in the O-K Gold.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Ann Arbor Huron (17-2) A win over Dexter on Tuesday would set up a first-place showdown Thursday in the Southeastern Conference Red between Huron and Ann Arbor Pioneer, which won their first matchup 60-52 on Jan. 16. Huron’s only other loss this season came to SEC White contender Chelsea, by two points, and the River Rats closed last week with a 66-51 win over the leader of that division, Ypsilanti Lincoln – one of eight Huron victories over teams with at least 12 this winter. Huron has reached at least the Quarterfinals the last three seasons.
Kalamazoo Central (14-2) The Maroon Giants load up a tough schedule every season and are in the conversation among Division 1 teams to watch most winters. They made a loud statement with a 95-80 win over Muskegon on Jan. 31, and a 40-28 victory over Warren Fitzgerald at the 2K26 Showcase also complements well Kalamazoo Central’s lead in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference. The Maroon Giants can clinch a share of the league title Tuesday at Mattawan, which would give them four straight. The lone losses this season were to Division 1 contenders Detroit Martin Luther King and Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice.
DIVISION 2
Kingsford (12-4) The Flivvers – Division 2 semifinalists a year ago – moved up seven spots to No. 7 in statewide Division 2 MPR this week thanks in part to a 51-49 win over Gladstone that has Kingsford a half-game back of the lead in the Great Northern Conference standings but controlling its destiny with home games against league leader Menominee and second-place Marquette next week. The Flivvers are the only team in the league to defeat Menominee, a statewide contender in Division 3, and they’ve put together seven straight wins after a midseason three-game losing streak that included a two-point defeat against Gladstone.
Michigan Center (17-1) The Cardinals have clinched the Cascades Conference East title after finishing second to Grass Lake a year ago, and they face Brooklyn Columbia Central on Saturday at Spring Arbor for the overall league championship. Michigan Center also is making for an intriguing team in the Division 2 race in its second year after previously playing in Division 3. The Cardinals’ only loss this season came to Marshall on Dec. 13, and they lead for the top seed in a District that includes Adrian and Columbia Central among six teams total and five with winning records.
DIVISION 3
New Haven (15-2) A 58-47 win over Warren Woods-Tower avenged a 41-39 loss from Jan. 20 and made those two tied atop the Macomb Area Conference Gold with one league game left for both. New Haven’s only other defeat this winter came against Adrian, a solid Division 2 opponent, and the Rockets already have their most wins in a season since 2022-23. Only three other opponents have come within single digits of catching New Haven, and tonight could see another test against MAC Silver co-leader Center Line; the Rockets defeated the other leader in that division, Eastpointe, by 10 in early December.
Ottawa Lake Whiteford (15-3) A 69-61 win over Adrian Lenawee Christian last week avenged a 61-60 loss from Jan. 9 and put Whiteford in position to at least share a first Tri-County Conference title since 2017-18. The Bobcats may need to win both of this week’s games against Britton Deerfield and Erie Mason, and total they have four games left before Districts begin – and need just one more win to tie last year’s victory total. Also among highlights this winter is a 55-48 overtime win over Huron League contender Monroe Jefferson that gave Whiteford its home New Year’s Tournament title.
DIVISION 4
Genesee Christian (14-3) The Soldiers have made a nice jump after going 10-15 last season but reaching the Regional Finals. They began this winter 0-2 but have lost only once more over the last two months, and all three defeats were to Division 1 or 2 teams. A 23-point win last week over International Academy of Flint (16-2) was among their best, and add victories over Dryden (10-7) Lenawee Christian (11-7), Maple City Glen Lake (12-3), Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (14-3) and Southfield Christian (13-5) to an impressive list.
Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian (13-3) Harbor Light won 20 games two seasons and 19 last winter, and might be ready to make another jump after advancing to the Regional Finals last year as well. Two losses this time have come against Pickford and Traverse City Christian – both 17-0 – and the third came to Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian (12-3), which Harbor Light should see again in a Northern Lakes Conference crossover. The Swordsmen have five wins over teams with at least 12, and a couple more big opportunities coming up starting with a rematch Thursday against Traverse City Christian.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – South Haven (13-1) at Gobles (14-0) – These are the leaders of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore and Central, respectively.
Wednesday – Romulus Summit Academy North (19-1) vs. Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac (12-2) at Ecorse – Although the Charter School Conference Tournament concludes Friday, this semifinal matchup pits last season’s Division 2 and 3 runners-up, respectively.
Friday – Auburn Hills Avondale (18-1) at Clarkston (15-3) – If Avondale also defeats Farmington on Tuesday, the Yellowjackets could be playing to clinch the Oakland Activities Association Red title – or Clarkston could be playing to tie or take over first place.
Saturday – Catholic High School League Central Final at Oakland – Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (15-4), Detroit Catholic Central (13-5), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (8-8) and Toledo St. John’s Jesuit remain in the mix with semifinals Wednesday.
Saturday – Grand Blanc (14-2) at Muskegon (14-1) – The Bobcats already have clinched the Saginaw Valley League South title, and Muskegon leads the O-K Green.
Sunday – Detroit Public School League Final at Wayne State – The final two contenders will face off for the city championship, with quarterfinals set for Tuesday and semifinals Friday.
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PHOTOS (Top) Felch North Dickson's Ty King is guarded closely by Marquette's Connor Fierstine during the Sentinels’ 68-34 victory Friday. (Middle) Flint Carman-Ainsworth defenders converge on a Davison player driving the lane during the Cavaliers’ 60-49 win Dec. 19. (North Dickinson/Marquette photo by Cara Kamps. Carman-Ainsworth/Davison photo by Terry Lyons.)