Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 1
December 4, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Boys basketball is back and a bit earlier than usual this winter.
But the trails to Breslin Center already are being blazed as we head into first full week of December and second week of this season.
We’ll again begin every week with a “Breslin Bound” look at the most significant results from the week that was, a look at a pair of teams in every division that are making noise and then a quick glance at games to watch in the week to come. (Changes to keep in mind this season – in addition to the boys season starting and ending a week before the girls, the tournament is now organized by Divisions, 1-4, instead of the traditional Class A-B-C-D.)
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. Benton Harbor 67, Dowagiac 66 – The reigning Class B champion held on in a rematch of last season’s Regional Final, which saw Dowagiac’s season end at 17-6.
2. Detroit Martin Luther King 54, River Rouge 51 – Hopes are high for both of these programs, as River Rouge made the Class B Semifinals a year ago and King was a Regional finalist in Class A; they now play in Divisions 2 and 1, respectively.
3. Grand Rapids Christian 60, Wyoming Godwin Heights 59 – These two likely will be ranked among the best in Division 2 when Associated Press polls begin, and the Eagles own the upper hand after avenging last season’s four-point loss.
4. Sterling Heights Stevenson 59, Clarkston 53 – The Wolves graduated a ton and saw one of the state’s winningest coaches retire after back-to-back MHSAA titles, but beating the reigning Class A champion to start the season still had to be huge for the Titans.
5. Ypsilanti Lincoln 80, Ann Arbor Huron 69 – Last season, Lincoln lost by 20 to Huron, which finished 16-6. But the Railsplitters enjoyed the upper hand this time in the high school debut of freshman sensation Emoni Bates.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
• Marquette (2-0) – The Redmen started the season with a statement, downing Brighton 63-58 in overtime on the first day of the Petoskey Tip-Off Classic and then coming back the next day to beat the host 53-31. Marquette was 15-6 a year ago after opening with a 17-point loss to the Northmen, who went on to finish 19-3.
• Portage Northern (2-0) – The Huskies finished 6-16 last season, with a pair of regular-season losses to Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West champion St. Joseph. Perhaps an upset of the Bears in the District opener was a sign of things to come; Northern downed Coloma (18-3 last season) in its opener 71-66 and then St. Joseph 61-48.
DIVISION 2
• Clare (2-0) – The reigning Jack Pine Conference runner-up looks to chase Sanford Meridian again after opening with a 58-56 win over Beal City and then taking a league win 53-48 over Roscommon. Clare reached its District Final last season, when it finished 19-4.
• Essexville Garber (2-0) – After closing last season with five defeats in their final seven games to finish 11-11, the Dukes are roaring into this winter. They started by avenging last winter’s loss to Saginaw Nouvel with a 61-53 win and then outlasted neighbor Bay City John Glenn 44-42.
DIVISION 3
• Ironwood (2-0) – The Red Devils, coming off a 12-9 finish last winter, edged Bessemer 54-52 in the opener and won more comfortably against Bayfield (Wis.), 71-58, to close the week. Both games had notable highlights – the first was won on a halfcourt shot, while the second saw Griffen Revoyr score 45 points (as reported by The Upbeat).
• Sanford Meridian – The reigning Jack Pine Conference champion opened with a 58-49 win over Division 1 Saginaw Heritage, and then started league play with an 81-21 victory over Gladwin. The Mustangs were 21-4 a year ago and reached the Class C Quarterfinals.
DIVISION 4
• Brimley (2-0) – The Bays are rallying right away after last season’s 20-4 finish and run to the Class D Regional Finals. They started last week by avenging that Regional championship game loss with a 71-49 win over Cedarville, and continued with an 81-49 victory over DeTour. That first win could make Brimley the team to beat in the Eastern U.P. Athletic Conference after finishing second to Cedarville a year ago.
• Engadine (2-0) – The Eagles have improved from two to 12 to 15 wins over the last three seasons, and they’re off to the right start as they try to build on last winter’s 15-6 finish. Engadine scored big in a couple of opening week wins, beating Rock Mid-Peninsula 89-50 and Newberry 91-73. The Eagles also play in the EUPAC.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Friday – Dansville (1-0) at Pewamo-Westphalia (0-0) – The Central Michigan Athletic Conference is loaded with small-school contenders, and Dansville is a popular pick to go far in Division 3 – and beat the Pirates by a point in a Class Regional Semifinal when these two last met.
Friday – Iron Mountain (2-0) at Calumet (2-0) – These two both were league champions last season and are off to fast starts again; when they last met nine months ago the Mountaineers emerged with a 56-44 win and Class C Regional title.
Friday – St. Joseph (1-1) at Stevensville Lakeshore (2-0) – These two finished first and second, respectively, in the SMAC West last season with the Bears winning their games by five and 13.
Friday – River Rouge (1-1) at West Bloomfield (1-0) – The Lakers stumbled to finish last winter but could be back in the mix and show it by avenging last season’s two-point overtime loss to the Panthers.
Saturday – Holland West Ottawa (1-0) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (0-0) – Last season’s Class A runner-up faces the runner-up from Class B in the 7 p.m. game of GRCC’s Winter Breakout.
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: Lansing Everett and Shamar Howard (0) kicked off this season with a big road win last week at Grand Blanc. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 7
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 19, 2026
League play is taking over the spotlight as boys basketball season moves through its second month and several conferences reached their midway points last week.
We highlight several of those races below, and there will be more details to come as Michigan’s statewide contenders focus first on local rivals before stretching out their championship chases with the MHSAA Tournament beginning a month from Friday.
“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. East Kentwood 69, Rockford 68 Add East Kentwood (10-1) to the contenders in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red, which top-to-bottom might be strongest league in Michigan after the first half as Rockford (10-2) has been ranked among the top few statewide.
2. Detroit Catholic Central 86, Benton Harbor 82 The Shamrocks (8-4) stopped a two-game slide with a win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s followed by handing Benton Harbor (14-1) this first defeat at the Rocket Classic at Westland John Glenn.
3. Fowler 56, Concord 52 These two remain among the top three in Division 4 MPR statewide but with a little shuffling as Fowler (12-1) dealt Concord (11-3) this loss.
4. Saginaw Heritage 62, Mount Pleasant 42 The Hawks (11-3) finished the first half of the Saginaw Valley League North schedule by moving into first place alone and sending the Oilers (10-2) into second.
5. Auburn Hills Avondale 43, Clarkston 38 Similarly, Avondale (12-1) finished the first half of the Oakland Activities Association schedule in first place with Clarkston (10-3) now a game back.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
East Lansing (13-0) The reigning Division 1 champion has now won 36 straight games and capped the weekend with a 47-31 victory over Warren Fitzgerald in the Horatio Williams Freedom Classic at Wayne State. A week earlier, the Trojans downed Rockford 80-71 in overtime in what was a matchup of the top two teams in Division 1. Also among the most notable this winter are a 62-41 win over Brother Rice, a 63-60 win over Roseville and a 41-40 victory over Detroit Martin Luther King.
Grandville (9-0) The O-K Red has four teams with at least 10 wins this winter and one undefeated team in Grandville, which saw its matchup with Grand Haven on Friday postponed but can continue to build on its big start this week against Rockford and Hudsonville. The Bulldogs already have all but guaranteed bettering last season’s 9-15 finish, with a 47-45 win over Pewamo-Westphalia at the Cornerstone University Holiday Showcase among the most impressive victories during the turnaround.
DIVISION 2
Frankenmuth (11-0) Although the Eagles finished last season third in the Tri-Valley Conference Red, they defeated champion Bay City John Glenn in a District Final and appear to have carried that momentum into this season as they capped the first half of league play undefeated. Frankenmuth sits in first place thanks to a 47-43 win over second-place Freeland on Jan. 9, and remains undefeated overall in part because of a 47-46 overtime win over the host Raiders at the Flushing Winter Classic.
South Haven (10-0) The Rams have won 15 or more games all of the last three seasons and could be on the verge of taking another step up coming off their 17-4 finish a year ago. That run included finishing second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore after being swept by champion Bridgman, but South Haven already owns a 59-41 win over the Bees and also handed Coloma its only league loss. A Feb. 10 trip to currently-undefeated Gobles should be circled on the calendar.
DIVISION 3
Harbor Beach (8-2) A 49-48 loss to Division 1 Marquette may have been a tough way to end the week, but it couldn’t have started much better than handing Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker a 45-42 defeat – Harbor Beach is in first in the Big Thumb Conference Black, while Laker leads the BTC White. The Pirates finished 23-2 a year ago, so they have plenty to build on and they’ve lined up some nice postseason prep taking on Marquette and with their other loss to Division 2 contender Freeland on Jan. 2.
McBain (9-1) The Ramblers are chasing Beal City in the Highland Conference after falling to the Aggies 49-41 on Dec. 19. But McBain also lost their first meeting with Beal City last season and rebounded to win a third-straight league title. Those two face off again Feb. 3 in Beal City. In the meantime, McBain finished this past week dealing third-place LeRoy Pine River a 68-45 loss and on Jan. 2 avenged its other regular-season defeat from a year ago by downing Cadillac 64-37.
DIVISION 4
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (10-1) The Chargers have a new all-time leading scorer in Ethan Esse, who broke coach Mark Kraatz’s career record for career points during a 78-54 win over Whitmore Lake last week. Their team also is off to another stellar start coming off last year’s run to the Division 4 Quarterfinals. After losing to Detroit Country Day in the season opener, Inter-City has played only two single-digit games – in wins over Division 1 Grosse Pointe South and Allen Park. The Chargers are first in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue thanks to last week’s 67-51 win over Southfield Christian.
Felch North Dickinson (9-1) Coming off a Division 2 runner-up finish in 8-player football, the Nordics have brought their successful run into basketball season with their only loss Dec. 16 to Stephenson. North Dickinson finished 18-6 a year ago and last week avenged last-winter losses to both Norway and Munising. Next up is arguably the biggest of all; the Nordics visit Crystal Falls Forest Park, which defeated them three times last season including in a Regional Semifinal.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Greenville (11-1) at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (13-0) – These two are tied atop the River Cities Alliance, with Greenville the reigning league champion.
Tuesday – Croswell-Lexington (10-3) at Yale (13-0) – Yale shared the Blue Water Area Conference title last year, with Cros-Lex a game back in third, and missed winning the league outright in part because of a 42-40 loss to the Pioneers that Yale then avenged with a three-point District Final win.
Tuesday – Ludington (11-0) at North Muskegon (12-1) – These are the league leaders in the West Michigan Conference Lakes and Rivers, respectively.
Tuesday – Detroit Western (13-0) at Detroit Davis (9-1) – The Cowboys own a half-game lead over the Aviators in the Detroit Public School League Gold as both head into the final stretch of league play.
Friday – Grand Haven (12-1) at East Kentwood (10-1) – The O-K Red will continue to sort itself out as these are two of three teams undefeated in league play entering this week.
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.
PHOTOS (Top) Surrounded by Negaunee’s entire lineup, Ishpeming Westwood's Ethan Marta makes a move into the lane to score two points during a 65-41 win Friday; he set a school record with 46 points. (Middle) Saginaw Heritage senior Jaylin Cooper (5) drives past a Freeland defender during their Jan. 6 matchup, won by the Falcons 65-58. (Negaunee/Westwood photo by Cara Kamps. Heritage/Freeland photo by Kolleth Photo.)