Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 2
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 15, 2025
The calendar year may be drawing to a close, and schools soon shutting down for break. But there will be little rest for basketball fans seeking to see several of the state’s title contenders in action over the next three weeks.
Several leagues have either started play or will over the next few days, and this weekend starts full schedule of boys hoops showcases that will see many teams across the state playing at least once over the holidays before the regular-season schedule falls into routine in January.
“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. Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac 60, Warren Lincoln 59 Last season’s Division 3 runner-up Lions (2-0) earned one of their most impressive wins over the last two winters by edging reigning Division 2 champ Lincoln (2-2) at the Best of Michigan Tournament at Detroit Mercy.
2. East Lansing 41, Detroit Martin Luther King 40 The reigning Division 1 champion Trojans (4-0) answered their closest call of the early season to win one of the most notable matchups at the Moneyball Tip-Off Classic at Don Johnson Fieldhouse.
3. Ishpeming Westwood 59, Kingsford 54 These two both made Semifinals at Breslin Center last season, and Westwood (5-0) came back from 17 points down to avenge a seven-point loss from last year to the Flivvers (3-1).
4. Lansing Sexton 86, Detroit Cass Tech 81 Sexton (2-1) opened this season with a loss at East Lansing but has rebounded to make a statement about its potential to build on last season’s Division 2 Quarterfinal run with this win over the Division 1 Technicians (3-1) at Don Johnson.
5. Grand Rapids Northview 50, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 44 The Wildcats (3-1) returned to The Invite at Calvin University and downed the Cougars (0-2), also Division 2 semifinalist last season.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Auburn Hills Avondale (4-0) Winners of 16 games both of the last two seasons and runners-up in the Oakland Activities Association Red last winter, the Yellow Jackets may have more in store after this solid start including a 69-51 win over West Bloomfield on Thursday. Avondale’s holiday break slate is loaded with notable matchups against Freeland, Grand Blanc, Detroit Mumford and Hamtramck.
Jackson (3-0) The Vikings are off to a solid start as they look to build on last season’s 12-12 finish and tie for second in the Southeastern Conference White. Jackson opened league play Friday with a 60-47 win over Tecumseh, one of the other two teams that also tied for second in the league last season, and will get a first look at reigning champion Adrian on Friday.
DIVISION 2
Ludington (5-0) The Orioles’ fast start has included handing Spring Lake it’s only loss, 55-46 on Dec. 4, and delivering a first defeat to Fremont on Friday, 73-67 in overtime. Ludington lost to Spring Lake twice last season on the way to finishing 16-9, and the Orioles also are the early leaders in the West Michigan Conference Lakes after finishing second to Whitehall last winter.
Romulus Summit Academy (6-0) Last season’s Division 2 runner-up has not slowed down a bit, with a 35-29 win over Warren Fitzgerald on Saturday adding to a 65-59 overtime win over Detroit Edison and 65-54 victory over Detroit U-D Jesuit among notables during a busy but successful opening two weeks. Friday’s home game against Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac could end up deciding the Charter School Conference Gold title.
DIVISION 3
Gobles (4-0) The Tigers have improved from four, to nine, to 12 wins over the last three seasons and could add to that climb after four double-digit victories to open this one. The team’s fast start included last week a 55-45 win over Bloomingdale – avenging a last season loss – and a 50-36 victory over Delton Kellogg, with which Gobles split Southwestern Athletic Conference Central meetings last winter.
Onsted (4-0) The Wildcats have won at least 18 games every season this decade and finished 21-2 in sharing the Lenawee County Athletic Association title with Adrian Madison last winter. Onsted split with Madison last season and won their first meeting again this time, 45-38 on Friday, with the rematch Jan. 29. Also worth noting: Onsted is in Division 3 this season after previously playing in Division 2 and Class B before that.
DIVISION 4
Concord (5-0) A 53-51 win over Bronson on Friday kept Concord perfect to start this season, with that also their first single-digit game of this winter. The Yellow Jackets finished the last one 17-10 and tied for second in the Big 8 Conference, and the Bronson win also avenged a December loss from a year ago – as did the 67-57 victory over Battle Creek St. Philip on Dec. 5. Concord will see reigning league champion Stockbridge for the first time Jan. 8.
Traverse City Christian (5-0) The Sabres finished 23-3 last winter, when they also started 5-0 before running into Lake Leelanau St. Mary. Those two faced off Friday, and this time TC Christian handed St. Mary its first loss, 55-36. Onekama and Bellaire were the other teams to defeat the Sabres last season, and neither is on the regular-season schedule this time – but matchups against Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart on Jan. 19, Traverse City St. Francis on Feb. 6 and Lake Leelanau St. Mary again Feb. 10 should be circled.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Dec. 18 – Detroit Cass Tech at Detroit Martin Luther King (1-2) – They finished a combined 40-10 last winter, splitting their regular-season meetings. With Cass Tech defeating reigning champ Detroit Renaissance on Friday, this matchup could weigh much more heavily on the Detroit Public School League Blue title chase.
Dec. 20 – Grand Rapids Catholic Central (0-2) vs. Ann Arbor Huron (5-0) at Hazel Park – Arguably the top matchup at the D Zone Showcase will feature two teams that won Regional titles last season.
Dec. 28 – East Lansing (4-0) vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (5-0) at Ferndale – This Motor City Roundball Classic matchup will feature two of the favorites in Division 1.
Dec. 29 – Schoolcraft (2-1) vs. Grand Rapids South Christian (3-1) at Cornerstone University – These two are joined by Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern and Paw Paw in the Green bracket.
Jan. 3 – Clarkston (4-0) at Grand Blanc (3-0) – This matchup might be the best of a strong slate at the annual Carmody Classic.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” reports are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and X @mistudentaid.
PHOTO Freeland senior forward Wilson Huckeby, right, navigates around a defender during the first quarter of last week's 70-47 Falcons win over Gaylord. (Photo by Kolleth Photo.)
Iron Mountain Dream Season Continues
March 14, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – “Living this dream.”
Iron Mountain coach Bucky Johnson put special emphasis on those words Thursday afternoon.
He may have been pointing out the present tense of “living” after his Mountaineers ended the season for 2018 Class C champion Detroit Edison. Or maybe the “dream” as his team earned a shot to play for its first MHSAA boys basketball championship since winning the Upper Peninsula-only bracket in 1939.
Iron Mountain faced a tall task in the day’s first Division 3 Semifinal, even for a team that hasn’t tasted defeat this season. But the Mountaineers held off Edison 60-57 in their first Semifinals appearance since 1994.
“There’s not a lot of U.P. teams that get to come down here and experience this,” Iron Mountain junior guard Foster Wonders said. “To come down here and win too is something special. We take pride in that. It’s been unbelievable.”
Iron Mountain (27-0) will face also-unbeaten Pewamo-Westphalia in Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. championship game.
The Mountaineers have enjoyed quite a visit to East Lansing. On Wednesday, they spent an hour with 1973 graduate Tom Izzo, then watched his Michigan State team practice Thursday morning.
And all of that set up the Semifinal they weren’t necessarily expected to win – despite the perfect record they brought downstate. Edison (18-9) had more losses than all but one team making the trip to Breslin this weekend, but all seven to in-state opponents had come against Division 1 and 2 teams, and the Pioneers had just toppled top-ranked Flint Beecher in their Quarterfinal.
Edison then led most of the first quarter, carrying a seven-point advantage into the second.
“In the U.P. you don’t really see any athletes like that, with the length and athleticism they had,” Iron Mountain junior guard Marcus Johnson said.
But he and his teammates had a few surprises for Edison as well.
First was a game plan to attack the paint, which resulted in two first-quarter fouls for Pioneers’ 6-foot-6 junior Bryce George. He ended up limited to only 15 minutes for the game, with eight points and six rebounds that could’ve been a lot more with more time on the floor. He had four points and four rebounds before picking up that second foul 5:11 into the game.
Next, Iron Mountain played only six players, and four all 32 minutes. Edison had 12 players with at least four minutes of action, but couldn’t wear the Mountaineers down.
Not surprising was how Iron Mountain won. Johnson was averaging 23.3 points per game entering this week, and sophomore guard Foster Wonders was averaging 23.9. Wonders had 28 on Thursday, making nearly half his shots from the floor and 9-of-10 free-throw tries. Johnson had 23 points, with five 3-pointers and perfection on six free-throw attempts.
“One thing we knew about this team is they were winners. If a team has gone all season not losing a basketball, game, you have to respect them to the utmost,” Edison coach Brandon Neely said. “These guys play six guys, and one guy played four minutes. The thing about this team is they play so well as a team because they know where guys are. Teams like that are a great example to learn from.
“They played like champions.”
Sophomore guard Ralph Johnson came off the bench to lead Edison with 14 points, and senior forward Brian Taylor was held to 11 points and seven rebounds. Taylor, the team’s leading scorer coming into this week, was also its lone senior this season.
Edison shot a game-high 47 percent from the floor during the fourth quarter and got within 45-44 with 3:26 to play. But Iron Mountain’s “makers” – as Bucky Johnson called them, spinning off the “shooters shoot” phrase – had connected on 64 percent of their shots during the third quarter and made 50 percent during the fourth, including both shots from the floor and 10 straight free throws after Edison pulled within a point.
“Coach Izzo told us some people like it, some people love it and some people live it,” Marcus Johnson said. “And we want to live it. It’s an awesome feeling to get to the championship, and we want to get it home.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Iron Mountain celebrates Thursday its first Semifinal win since 1939. (Middle) Jake Dumais (32) battles Edison’s Brian Taylor for a loose ball.