Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 1
December 14, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
One week can tell only so much about a season just beginning. But plenty of hopeful Michigan high school boys teams hope last week's successes are an indication of more to come.
Each week during the regular season, we’ll glance at four teams from each class that have caught our attention, and this week's list includes a handful off to bounce-back starts. Results and records below are based on schedules posted at MHSAA.com.
Class A
Ann Arbor Pioneer (3-0) – Pioneer improved from six wins two seasons ago to 12 in 2014-15, and is a quarter of the way there again after a week that included a 71-64 overtime win over rival Skyline; Pioneer beat Skyline in the District last year after losing twice to the Eagles during the regular season.
Caledonia (2-0) – The Fighting Scots won close last week, 49-47 over Hastings and 73-67 over Byron Center, a couple of victories worth celebrating as the team works to rebound off a 5-16 finish from a year ago.
Grand Rapids Union (2-0) – After ending 9-13 last winter, Union could be a candidate for significant improvement as well; the Red Hawks opened with a 53-39 win over reigning Class C runner-up Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian and followed with a 54-53 nail-biter over Detroit Loyola.
Lake Orion (2-0) – The improvement has been immediate for the Dragons, who defeated Linden 66-62 and then Romeo 71-52; last season they won three games total and didn’t get their first victory until Feb. 4.
Class B
Coldwater (2-0) – Coming off the best football season in school history, the Cardinals are keeping the good times rolling; a year ago, an overtime loss to Marshall in the season’s second game started a 10-game losing streak and Coldwater finished 5-16, but this time the Cardinals followed another opening-night win over Battle Creek Lakeview with an 80-73 win over the Redhawks.
Chelsea (2-0) – Fresh off its first trip to the MHSAA Football Finals, Chelsea (9-13 a season ago) kicked off the winter with a 55-45 win over Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard and 50-39 win over a Milan team that made it to the Class B Semifinals in March.
Croswell-Lexington (1-0) – Last week’s 39-35 victory over Marine City was only one, but significant after the Pioneers finished 5-16 a year ago and didn’t win their first game until Jan. 9. They’ll look to get to 2-0 tonight against Memphis.
Lansing Catholic (2-0) – The Cougars quickly switched gears after a Semifinal football run to open with wins over nonleague rival Okemos (50-44) and Capital Area Activities Conference White rival Williamston (72-69 in overtime), the team it tied for the league title last season.
Class C
Addison (2-0) – The Panthers finished a 12-12 season strong last winter with a District title, and started this one similarly by defeating Hudson (44-42) and Quincy (40-37) after losing to Quincy by 40 points the last time they met.
Detroit Allen Academy (1-0) – Detroit Allen played only once last week, but made a statement with a 107-79 win over Class A Southfield; the Wildcats were 11-11 a year ago.
Flint Beecher (3-0) – What a way to start a new season: Beat a local rival in Flint Southwestern (77-49) and raise last season’s championship banner on opening night, then down Montrose 65-41 and Class A Detroit East English 72-69.
Johannesburg-Lewiston (2-0) – A year has made a difference for these Cardinals as well, as they beat Boyne Falls on opening night after losing by 25 to the same opponent in December 2014 on the way to finishing a solid 16-7.
Class D
Chassell (2-0) – After starting last season 0-3, the Panthers are off to a quick start to improving on last season’s 7-14 finish. They downed Watersmeet 84-53 and Baraga 64-61 after losing to them by 35 and 23 points, respectively, a year ago.
Hillman (2-0) – The Tigers are hoping to build on last season’s Quarterfinal run, which ended with a loss to eventual champion Powers North Central; they started this time with a 60-43 win over Cedarville, which lost only once last season and beat Hillman by 15 on opening night 2014.
Portland St. Patrick (2-0) – The Shamrocks are seeking their first winning season since 2011-12 and are off to the right start with victories over Morrice (39-34) and Bellevue (52-50). Brandon Schreurer made six 3-pointers against the Broncos.
Rogers City (2-0) – The Hurons started 2-0 last season too en route to 8-13. But if the second win of last week is an indication, this will be different as Rogers City broke 80 points for the first time since 2012 with an 87-54 victory over Posen.
PHOTO: Standish-Sterling also opened 2-0 with a win over Ogemaw Heights followed by this victory over Beal City. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys Report Week 7
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 13, 2025
We've reached the midpoint of this boys basketball season, and that means shifting gears slightly as we take on the next six weeks before District play begins.
We will still be highlighting the major statewide matchups our teams play, of course, and have done so with last week's below. But the focus at this point for most has turned to league play, and we're highlighting several potential title deciders as well, including with all five of our "Can't-Miss Contests" coming up over the next five days.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid 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. Berrien Springs 69, Benton Harbor 51 Berrien Springs (7-2) moved into first place alone in the Lakeland Conference after having been swept by eventual co-champion Benton Harbor (8-3) last season.
2. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 66, Muskegon 50 The Warriors (12-1) made a statewide statement in this matchup of Division 1 contenders at the GottaGetIt Classic at East Kentwood, handing the Big Reds (8-1) their lone loss.
3. Grass Lake 39, Michigan Center 34 Grass Lake (9-0) remained undefeated and moved into first place alone in the Cascades Conference East, sending Michigan Center (9-2) to second.
4. East Lansing 69, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 68 The Trojans (10-1) held on in East Kentwood in another matchup of Division 1 contenders, although the Eaglets (7-5) played without injured star Trey McKenney.
5. Jackson Lumen Christi 53, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep 41 The Titans (10-0) impressed in winning the Traverse City Catholic School Tournament, downing Hackett (9-2) after defeating Saginaw Nouvel in their semifinal.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Lansing Waverly (7-2) The Warriors – 19-6 and District champs a year ago – moved into a tie for second place in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue with last week’s 48-45 win over Okemos, and their only two losses this season are to league leader East Lansing and Flint Carman-Ainsworth – which are a combined 18-1. Waverly also handed Belleville what remains its lone defeat, 60-53 on Dec. 7, and will get another shot at East Lansing on the road Feb. 7.
Warren Fitzgerald (9-1) The Spartans made a nice jump last season, going from 10-14 two years ago to 17-6 and Macomb Area Conference Gold champions. Now in the MAC White, Fitzgerald has jumped out to a quick co-lead thanks in part to a 67-37 win over Utica, which avenged a league tournament championship loss from last season. The Spartans also have avenged a last-season loss to Detroit Edison and handed Waterford Mott its lone defeat, falling only to Grosse Pointe South 39-37.
DIVISION 2
Freeland (9-1) The Falcons are leading the Tri-Valley Conference Red again as they look to repeat as champions, thanks in part to a 67-61 overtime win over second-place Frankenmuth on Jan. 3. Freeland also is nearly halfway to last year’s 20 wins, with its lone loss 58-49 to Saginaw United on Dec. 11. Total, six of the team’s victories are against teams with winning records so far, and the Falcons will get another league challenge this week from Bay City John Glenn.
Onsted (10-0) The Wildcats have opened up an early lead in the Lenawee County Athletic Association as they seek to win the league title for the fourth-straight season, and they’ve also already avenged losses to Stockbridge and Dundee after finishing 20-6 a year ago. A 59-34 win over Adrian Madison on Dec. 12 is to thank for the top spot in league play, and a 63-57 win last week over Ypsilanti Arbor Prep also jumps out among first-half results.
DIVISION 3
Harbor Beach (8-1) The Pirates are a two-point loss to Blue Water Area Conference leader Yale from a perfect record, but have handed BWAC second-place Croswell-Lexington a 45-41 loss and can establish themselves as the lone team without one in the Big Thumb Conference Black with a win over Ubly on Wednesday. Harbor Beach won the former Greater Thumb Conference East by a large margin last season and finished 20-4 – a stunning jump from 7-12 in 2022-23.
Millington (8-0) The Cardinals have surged to the top of the first-year BTC White after tying for first in the TVC Blue a year ago. Their only single-digit games have come against Carrollton and Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, the former coming off a 2023-24 season split with the Cavaliers and the latter pushing Millington into the league lead alone last week. The Cardinals can take a couple more big steps in establishing themselves as conference favorites this week against Bad Axe and Reese, which joins Laker tied for second in the BTC White.
DIVISION 4
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (7-1) The Chargers went from second in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue all the way to the Division 4 Semifinals last season, and capped last week with a 59-50 win over Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest – the reigning league champion. Inter-City has played all larger schools so far this season and pulled out three wins by five or fewer points, with its lone loss to Division 2 Detroit Voyageur College Prep, 63-57.
Pickford (8-1) A 67-42 win over Rudyard is likely the highlight so far; in addition to facing Rudyard twice a year in Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference play, Pickford also has seen its last three seasons end with losses to the Bulldogs. The Panthers also downed St. Ignace by 43 after being swept by the Saints a year ago and has swept Brimley coming off a 2023-24 season split with the Bays. The lone loss came to Harbor Springs; no other opponent has come closer than 17 points to catching Pickford.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Hartford (9-1) at Centreville (7-0) – These two are both undefeated in Southwest 10 Conference action, Hartford with a half-game lead having played one more league game.
Tuesday – Cheboygan (8-1) at Harbor Springs (9-1) – Harbor Springs is undefeated in Northern Shores Conference play and Cheboygan is one of three teams tied for second, but these two have been the best of the bunch overall so far.
Thursday – Okemos (10-1) at East Lansing (10-1) – East Lansing has taken on and defeated several of the state’s elite, but this time will do so to hold onto first place alone in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue.
Thursday – Yale (10-1) at Croswell-Lexington (8-3) – This will be the first of two meetings between these Blue Water Area Conference rivals, and Yale holds a one-game edge at the top of the league standings.
Friday – Petersburg Summerfield (10-0) at Adrian Lenawee Christian (8-1) – This pair is tied atop the Tri-County Conference standings heading into their first of two meetings.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews 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. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) A Mt. Morris player soars toward the basket during his team's 70-42 loss at Davison last week. (Middle) Iron Mountain's Oskar Kangas blocks a shot by Marquette's Kyler Sager during their teams' December matchup, won by the Sentinels 67-47. (Mt. Morris/Davison photo by Terry Lyons. Iron Mountain/Marquette photo by Cara Kamps.)