Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 10
February 4, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Last week from a boys basketball point of view was one to mostly forget, as just about every team statewide was forced to postpone one if not more games – bad news as we’re less than a month from the start of District play.
But thanks in part to a memorable event at Grand Rapids Union on Saturday, we closed on a high note – and there are plenty of critical league matchups this week to get us rolling again.
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 86, Ypsilanti Lincoln 83 – Another week, another big-time matchup for the Tigers, and this time they moved to 15-1 by handing Lincoln just its second loss of the season in the headlining game of the Redhawks Showcase at Grand Rapids Union.
2. Grand Rapids Christian 57, Kalamazoo Central 54 (OT) – Not to be outdone at Union, Grand Rapids Christian sank a halfcourt buzzer beater to break a two-game losing streak.
3. Muskegon 56, Grand Blanc 53 – Also at Union, the Big Reds won their seventh straight in handing the Saginaw Valley League-leading Bobcats a defeat.
4. Milford 37, Walled Lake Northern 34 – The Mavericks handed Northern their first loss of the season, in part leading Waterford Kettering to secure a shared championship in the Lakes Valley Conference.
5. Westland John Glenn 67, Wayne Memorial 63 – John Glenn finished a regular-season sweep of Wayne to create a three-way tie for first in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East between those two and Belleville.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
• Canton (13-1) – The Chiefs can lock up a share of the KLAA West title Tuesday against second-place (tied) Northville, which they beat by 19 on Dec. 20. Canton has won 24 straight league games, including a perfect run last season through the former KLAA Black. Canton also has won 13 straight this winter since falling to reigning Class C champion Detroit Edison by just three points, 69-66, in its opener.
• Okemos (14-1) – A loss three weeks ago to Detroit Catholic Central has been the only detour from an otherwise perfect run for Okemos this winter. The Chiefs can lock up a share of the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title – which would be their second straight – with wins this week over Holt and East Lansing.
DIVISION 2
• Dearborn Divine Child (11-3) – The Falcons guaranteed themselves at least a share of the Detroit Catholic League AA championship Saturday with a 61-58 win over former leader Detroit Loyola – which had defeated Divine Child by six in overtime on Jan. 4. The title is the Falcons’ third straight either shared or outright, and the team’s only other losses are to Edison and another league leader in Rochester Adams.
• Grand Rapids South Christian (11-3) – A dramatic finish put Grand Rapids Christian among our top-five results above, but South Christian’s 56-50 win over the Eagles on Friday could end up much more significant. It avenged the Sailors’ loss in the teams’ first meeting Jan. 4, and put South Christian in first in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold as well as extended an eight-game winning streak since that defeat.
DIVISION 3
• Detroit Pershing (14-1) – The Doughboys finished a 10-0 run through the Detroit Public School League East-Town heading into this week’s PSL tournament. Pershing could be making some big plans over the next two months – the only loss this winter came by four to Toledo Scott, and an overtime win over Ypsilanti Arbor Prep early remains impressive. And don’t forget, Pershing’s 2017-18 season ended with a pretty strong six-point defeat to Edison in a Regional Semifinal.
• Oscoda (14-0) – The Owls won eight games two seasons ago and 14 last winter, and they’re guaranteed to at least equal that finish as they close in on an anticipated North Star League Big Dipper championship. Oscoda downed second-place Mio on Friday for the second time this season, 41-34, and after winning the first meeting by two points.
DIVISION 4
• Carsonville-Port Sanilac (11-2) – The Tigers lead the North Central Thumb League Stripes title chase and have won nine straight games after opening the season 2-2. Carsonville-Port Sanilac finished just 6-14 a year ago and has guaranteed its first winning season since 2012-13.
• Frankfort (10-2) – The Panthers trail Northwest Conference leader Maple City Glen Lake by just a game heading into their rematch Thursday – Glen Lake won the first meeting by 25 on Jan. 9. Frankfort’s only other loss came Dec. 12 to Elk Rapids, a contender in the Lake Michigan Conference, as the annual success has continued under first-year coach Daniel Loney.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – Martin (9-1) at Coloma (8-4) – These two are tied for first in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore after Coloma’s win Friday over another former co-leader Fennville.
Tuesday – Hudsonville Unity Christian (12-2) at Holland Christian (11-2) – Unity Christian can’t lock up the O-K Green title yet, but only one of its league games has been decided by single digits and the Crusaders won the first meeting of this series by 21 on Jan. 8.
Tuesday – Kalamazoo Central (9-2) at Mattawan (11-0) – The first-place team in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West hosts the leader of the SMAC East.
Tuesday – Kalamazoo Hackett (11-1) at Schoolcraft (13-1) – Thanks to a 16-point win in their first meeting Dec. 18, Hackett owns a slim lead over Schoolcraft in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley.
Saturday – New Lothrop (10-3) at Mount Morris (10-2) – Mount Morris is tied for first during this inaugural season for the Mid-Michigan Athletic Conference, but New Lothrop is just a game behind and also sees co-leader Ovid-Elsie again.
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PHOTO: Okemos, here against Lansing Waverly, can clinch a league title with a pair of wins this week. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Small Schools, Big Northern Lights Finish
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
February 29, 2016
HANNAHVILLE — Not too many high school conferences in Michigan have their own basketball tournament.
The Northern Lights League in the Upper Peninsula, however, is one of the exceptions to the rule.
Each year the league’s eight schools meet at Hannahville for their annual tourney.
“This is such a great tournament for our conference,” said Maplewood Baptist boys coach Steve May. “What an opportunity for small schools. These are the types of things these kids will never forget. This is their chance to shine. They get to experience March Madness, although it comes a little early.”
The tournament, traditionally held in late February, showcases all the talent these schools have to offer.
This year’s girls tourney featured the league’s first all-U.P. player in senior Hannah May, a second-team selection a year ago.
“This is really a nice tournament,” Hannah said. “All the small schools come together and make some new friendships. This is the highlight of the year. This gives us something to shoot for.”
Hannah May showed why she’s all-U.P. in the championship game Feb. 20, sinking a buzzer-beating 20-foot jumpshot from the right wing to force overtime in Maplewood’s 79-70 triumph over Wilson Nah Tah Wahsh.
She scored 35 points, and classmate Harmony Bailey added 24.
“We enjoy this tournament,” said Maplewood girls assistant coach Caroline May. “We look forward to it every year.”
Senior Selena Williams, looking to play ball at Gogebic Community College in Ironwood next season, led Hannahville with 26 points. Sophomore Cecilia Beaver added 23.
“I love our team,” said Beaver. “We all get along. We’re also real good friends with Maplewood Baptist, and we get along with the other teams. We’ve developed a lot of friendships.”
The Maplewood Baptist boys also captured the league tourney crown in a 73-54 conquest of Hannahville.
Senior Patrick Gomes scored 19 points for the Kinross-based school, which placed four in double-digits. Senior Cody Meshigaud paced the defending champs with 24.
The tournament provides plenty of opportunity for team bonding and camaraderie among all the teams.
“I like it and the kids enjoy it,” said Ojibwe Charter girls coach Ashley Bishop. “You see the upsets and victories. It’s nice to see all the teams get together. All the schools are very small, and I think the kids make better friends this way. At the motel we stayed at in Escanaba, we had kids and coaches from 4-5 schools hanging out together.”
Ojibwe boys coach Brandon Kerfoot believes the tournament is part of the learning process for a team with no seniors.
“I think being able to end the season with schools about our size is a big stepping stone for the kids,” he said. “It’s a different game once you hit the tournaments. Anything can happen once you reach this point.”
The Ojibwe boys started two juniors and a sophomore, freshman and eighth-grader in a 69-46 semifinal loss to Maplewood Baptist.
Ojibwe’s girls started two juniors, two sophomores and an eighth-grader in a 56-34 loss to Hannahville in the semifinals.
PHOTOS: (Top) A pair of Kinross Maplewood Baptist defenders surround a Wilson Nah Tah Wahsh player bringing the ball upcourt during the Northern Lights League Tournament. (Middle) A Maplewood defender works to wall off a Bay Mills Ojibwe Charter guard. (Photos by Paul Gerard.)