Breslin Bound: Boys Report Post-Break
January 8, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
League games mean more, and the postseason trumps all. But some of the most intriguing matchups of each basketball season take place during holiday break.
This winter was no different.
Below is this week's list of 10 boys teams that caught my eye over the last few weeks, based in large part on some impressive wins at showcases around the state.
(Records are based on results reported to the MHSAA Score Center.)
1. Detroit Consortium (5-0, Class C) – The Cougars have built another impressive start including wins over Detroit Douglass, Saginaw by 30 and Grand Rapids Christian by 35.
2. Muskegon Heights (5-1, Class C) – The Tigers looks to be back among the contenders in their class, with holiday break wins over Benton Harbor and DeWitt both by a point and their only loss by four to Rockford.
3. Taylor Truman (5-0, Class A) – The Cougars have jumped to a quick start and tie for first place in the Downriver League, with their nonleague win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s arguably the most impressive so far.
4. North Farmington (4-0, Class A) – The Raiders’ perfect start was punctuated by their most recent win, a one-pointer over annual Class B power Lansing Sexton at the Motor City Roundball Classic.
5. Bay City John Glenn (5-1, Class B) – The Bobcats’ lone loss was to solid Class A Okemos, and a two-point win over Flint Powers Catholic last week was a great return to the win column.
6. Otsego (5-1, Class B) – The Bulldogs have beaten all of their in-state opponents by at least nine points; their lone loss was to Ontario’s St. Marguerite d’Youville in the final of the Grand Rapids Catholic Central Tournament.
7. Holt (5-0, Class A) – The Rams can make the argument, with Okemos just behind, as the Lansing area’s best team so far in 2013-14; Holt already owns a win over Lansing Eastern, another contender for the top spot.
8. Troy Athens (5-2, Class A) – The Redhawks have rattled off five straight wins including a two-pointer over Auburn Hills Avondale, and won the championship at the Northville Holiday Tournament.
9. Muskegon Western Michigan Christian (4-1, Class C) – The Warriors have been one of the most impressive small-school teams on the west side of the state, with four wins after an opening loss to Mona Shores; the latest victory was a seven-pointer over Class D power Wyoming Tri-unity Christian.
10. Lawrence (4-1, Class D) – The Tigers won only eight games last season and are halfway to equaling that total thanks in part to a 74-40 win over Climax-Scotts, a quarterfinalist in 2012-13.
PHOTO: Detroit Consortium (gray jerseys) drove past Saginaw over holiday break and the rest of its opponents so far this season. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Breslin Bound: Boys Report Post-Break
January 7, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first full week of January means changing lanes for the high school boys basketball season, with many of the mega nonleague matchups in the rear-view mirror and league championship chases up ahead.
But first we have a few weeks of catching up to do after another highlight-filled holiday break showed us a few more contenders to keep an eye on as we settle into the local portion of our annual winter hoops run.
Breslin Bound is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. To offer corrections or fill in scores we’re missing, email me at [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Canton 64, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 57 – The Winter Jam at Lawrence Tech was filled with great matchups, but Canton’s win over the reigning Class B runner-up – GRCC’s lone defeat – was the most impressive.
2. Benton Harbor 79, Saginaw 70 – These two are MHSAA championship contenders most seasons, and the Tigers moved to 10-0 with this win at Grand Blanc’s GottaGetIt Classic as they continue to build on last year’s Class B title.
3. Flint Beecher 57, Flint Carman-Ainsworth 50 – The Division 3 Bucs are up to 8-0 this winter after winning a rare matchup with this one of their Division 1 neighbors.
4. Detroit Martin Luther King 45, Kalamazoo Central 43 – The Crusaders came up with arguably their best win of a great start by handing the Maroon Giants their lone defeat during Friday’s Muskegon Classic.
5. Muskegon 55, East Kentwood 53 – The Big Reds are 3-2 while playing another tough early slate, and this win over the Falcons at the Hall of Fame Classic has been the highlight.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
• Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (7-1) – The Rockets are climbing after finishing 10-12 and tying for fifth in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Black a year ago and winning just three games total in 2016-17. Annual league favorite Muskegon awaits, of course. But Reeths-Puffer has looked up to the task so far with wins over Ludington and Holland West Ottawa and the only defeat by five Dec. 7 to one-loss Zeeland West.
• Saginaw Heritage (5-1) – Since opening with a loss to still-undefeated Sanford Meridian, the Hawks also are perfect – and compared to a 3-4 start last season. They started the new year with a 64-53 win over Frankenmuth as they seek to build on last season’s 14-7 finish.
DIVISION 2
• Flat Rock (7-1) – Just 6-15 two seasons ago, Flat Rock improved to 18-6 and second in the Huron League last winter and last week edged Grosse Ile 42-40 after splitting with the Red Devils in 2017-18. Flat Rock’s only loss this season came by four Dec. 11 to Temperance Bedford. On Friday, the Rams get the first of two opportunities against reigning league champ Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central after being swept by the Falcons last season.
• Holland Christian (6-0) – The Maroons jumped 10 wins last season to finish 14-8 and second in the O-K Green, and might be starting on another leap. Holland Christian handed Maple City Glen Lake its only loss this season, 48-44 on Dec. 28 at the Lakeshore Cup at Grand Haven, and then downed Petoskey 66-59 the next day. Up next is reigning O-K Green champ Hudsonville Unity Christian, which defeated the Maroons three times last season.
DIVISION 3
• Kalamazoo Hackett (6-1) – The Irish bounced back from their only loss, to Division 1 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, by handing Schoolcraft a 72-56 defeat Dec. 18. That win has Hackett just ahead of Schoolcraft in first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley standings after the Irish finished second to Kalamazoo Christian (and 18-4 overall) a year ago.
• North Muskegon (7-0) – The Norsemen’s encore to last winter’s 20-4 finish has been perfect, including handing Ravenna the latter’s only defeat, 61-51 on Dec. 21. That victory has North Muskegon one win ahead of the Bulldogs in the West Michigan Conference, and no other opponent has come closer than 14 points.
DIVISION 4
• Athens (8-0) – After going 16-5 last season, Athens has big games this week against Jackson Christian and Battle Creek St. Philip (both 5-3) as it goes for a perfect first half. Union City gave the Indians their closest game Dec. 20, an eight-point win, and Athens came up big in December against Hillsdale Academy – which, although struggling, was a Class D semifinalist a year ago.
• Camden-Frontier (9-0) – The Redskins have the early lead in the Southern Central Athletic Association East after finishing second to Hillsdale Academy last winter, and doubled up the Colts in their Dec. 13 meeting. Camden-Frontier also repeated as the Pat Paterson Holiday Tournament champion with double-digit wins over Hillsdale and Reading to get halfway to besting last year’s 17 wins.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Novi (3-3) at Canton (5-1) – Novi beat Canton by five in last season’s Kensington Lakes Activities Association semifinals and then by two when they met again in a District Semifinal; they were the Chiefs’ only defeats of the season.
Tuesday – Macomb Dakota (6-1) at Sterling Heights Stevenson (6-1) – These two are tied for first in the Macomb Area Conference Red after Dakota edged Stevenson for the title by a win a year ago.
Thursday – Bellevue (6-0) at Camden-Frontier (9-0) – Both lead or are tied for the lead in their respective divisions of the SCAA, plus might end up among the top-ranked in all of Division 4.
Friday – Frankenmuth (4-3) at Bridgeport (7-0) – The same may not end up true this winter, but a year ago Bridgeport’s sweep of Frankenmuth gave the Bearcats the Tri-Valley Conference East title ahead of the runner-up Eagles.
Saturday – Grand Blanc (7-2) at Kalamazoo Central (5-1) – Coming off a key league matchup with Davison on Friday, Grand Blanc heads west to see another statewide Division 1 contender in Central.
Second Half’s weekly “Breslin Bound” reports are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Student Financial Services Bureau located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information, including various student financial assistance programs to help make college more affordable for Michigan students. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 savings programs (MET/MESP) and eight additional aid programs within its Student Scholarships and Grants division. Click for more information and connect with MI Student Aid on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO: Flint Beecher’s Earnest Sanders works for post position during his team’s win over Flint Carman-Ainsworth on Dec. 27. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)