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.)
Tri-Unity Christian Sends Retiring Coach to Championship Day 1 More Time
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 13, 2025
EAST LANSING — One thing is certain.
Saturday will see the last game in the career of legendary Wyoming Tri-unity Christian boys basketball coach Mark Keeler.
The question now is whether Keeler will go out with a seventh MHSAA Finals championship, or a seventh runner-up trophy as he finishes off his 38th and final season as head coach of the Defenders.
Tri-unity Christian helped send Keeler, who announced his retirement earlier this season, to a fifth-straight championship game with a 67-46 win over Crystal Falls Forest Park in the first of two Division 4 Semifinals on Thursday.
“I asked my wife Cheryl before we came today to please pray for me because I’ve been pretty emotional all week,” Keeler said. “It’s hard sometimes after 38 years of coaching to realize it’s going to be my last game. At the same time, it’s amazing it gets to be at the Breslin in the championship. I think it’s a win-win situation.”
There wasn’t much doubt from the start against Forest Park that it would be a winning situation for Tri-unity Christian, which made four of its first five shots from 3-point range and jumped out to a 20-6 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The margin kept growing in the second quarter with the Defenders leading by as many as 21 points before going into the locker room at halftime up 38-19.
Tri-unity Christian shot 75 percent (15 of 20) from the field in the first half and limited Forest Park to 5 of 18 shooting.
“If we buy in on the defensive end, that is what’s going to win us championships,” Tri-unity Christian senior Keaton Blanker said. “That’s what we are here to do. We just bought into it. Everybody plays their role, and we have amazing trust in each other. It’s just a grind.”
Sophomore Cody Osbun led the way offensively for the Defenders (26-2), finishing with 16 points. Blanker added 11 points and senior Joey Mellon added 10 for Tri-unity Christan, which shot 64.1percent from the field (25 of 39) for the game and made 8 of 13 shots from 3-point range.
Senior Kevin Giuliani scored 16 points and sophomore Vic Guiliani added 10 for Forest Park (25-3), which advanced to the Semifinals for the first time since 2004.
“The start of the game didn’t go the way we wanted it,” Forest Park head coach Jason Price said. “Quick shots from us and easy layups for them in the first quarter. That’s just how the game went.”
The Trojans actually ended up shooting decent from the field, connecting on 44.1 percent of their attempts overall (15 of 34) and making 5 of 11 from 3-point range. But 15 turnovers didn’t help.
Forest Park was able to take the next step after losing in the Quarterfinals last year, and the future looks even brighter with six sophomores and a freshman on the roster. Kevin Guiliani, Matt Showers and Gabe Quevedo were the only seniors.
“We’re young,” Price said. “We’ve got a lot of talent coming back, and we’ve got some younger talent down at the middle school level. These (seniors) have paved the way.”
PHOTOS (Top) Tri-unity Christian’s Brayden Nelson (12) grabs a rebound near Forest Park’s Vic Giuliani on Thursday. (Middle) Kevin Giuliani, right, and the Defenders’ Joey Mellon ascend for the game’s opening tip.