Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 11
February 22, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half
This week’s list of Michigan boys basketball teams to watch next month includes quite a few that have taken next steps toward elite this season, plus a few looking to hold on to top spots.
Most weeks during the season, we check in with four teams from each class that have been especially impressive. After a bit of a hiatus, we’re back for the rest of the winter starting with this look at 16 more.
Class A
Detroit East English (15-3) – The Bulldogs won a nail-biter over Detroit Collegiate Prep to advance to the Detroit Public School League tournament final, then won their first PSL tournament championship with an 86-62 victory over Renaissance.
North Farmington (15-2) – The Raiders have been surging since last losing Jan. 14 to Clarkston; they’ve won eight straight, including beating Clarkston 58-53 on Feb. 12, and are tied with Clarkston for first in the Oakland Activities Association Red standings with two league games to play.
Petoskey (15-1) – The Northmen are a perfect 10-0 in Big North Conference play and have lost only to Cheboygan, by a point Jan. 5. Petoskey must beat Gaylord tonight and then finish a season sweep against second-place Traverse City Central on Friday in order to clinch the league title outright.
Ypsilanti Community (15-1) – The Grizzlies are Class A contenders and have their destiny in their control; they can clinch the Southeastern Conference White title outright by winning out.
Class B
Birch Run (15-2) – Save for a two-game losing streak over six days in early January, Birch Run has been on point and sits second in the Tri-Valley Conference East. The Panthers take on league leader Frankenmuth on Wednesday with a chance to take a share of first place.
South Haven (14-2) – The Rams have clinched the outright Wolverine Conference North championship after tying for second in the South a year ago. A one-point loss last week to Edwardsburg was the team’s first since opening night.
Wayland (15-1) – The Wildcats earned a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold title with an 81-41 win over Hastings on Friday and have won 12 straight since their only loss, 63-56 to Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central on Dec. 29. Wayland finished second in the league last season.
Wyoming Godwin Heights (15-2) – The Wolverines earned a share of the O-K Silver title by beating Hopkins 77-42 on Friday, coming off a surprise three-point loss to Portage Northern three nights before. The reigning Class B champion hadn’t fallen since opening night, but Northern is solid in Class A at 11-5.
Class C
Kalamazoo Hackett (16-0) – The Fighting Irish have won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley title and need only one more win to equal last season’s team that finished 17-7. They haven’t had an opponent come within single digits since Schoolcraft – their next opponent – did so Feb. 1.
Muskegon Heights Academy (13-2) – The Tigers’ only losses were to Class A teams – Rockford last week and Battle Creek Central in December. They’ve equaled the 13 games won all of last season and with four more to play before the tournament begins.
Niles Brandywine (13-5) – The Bobcats came back from a three-game losing streak Feb. 5-12 to win twice on back-to-back nights last week and hold a half-win lead on Bridgman in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference Red with a league game to play.
Southfield Christian (16-1) – The Eagles have won 14 straight since falling to West Bloomfield by a point in overtime Dec. 12, and they can finish a perfect run in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue by beating fourth-place Ann Arbor Greenhills this week. They own wins over Belleville by a point and Southfield by three.
Class D
Bellaire (15-1) – The Eagles have won 12 straight since falling to East Jordan on Dec. 18 and can clinch a share of the Ski Valley Conference championship against fourth-place Indian River Inland Lakes tonight after handing second-place Johannesburg-Lewiston a loss on Friday.
Frankfort (15-1) – The Panthers finished their first back-to-back league titles since 1961-62 by beating Buckley on Friday to clinch the Northwest Conference championship; they lost only to Traverse City St. Francis, by a point Dec. 17.
Onekama (15-2) – The Portagers clinched the West Michigan D League title outright with a win over Custer Mason County Eastern on Friday after tying annual league power Baldwin for the title last season; Onekama has a two-game lead on Baldwin this time.
Wyoming Potter’s House Christian (14-3) – The Pumas’ 80-50 win over two-loss Kalamazoo Heritage Christian last week earned them the Alliance League South title; their losses this winter were by a combined six points, and they beat Pewamo-Westphalia 55-53 on Friday to extend their winning streak to 11.
PHOTO: Rivals Saginaw and Saginaw Arthur Hill are among many teams prepping for tournament runs with Districts set to begin in two weeks. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 5
January 11, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It’s hard to tell this early how well some of our early risers will play out the final two months of this boys basketball season.
But judging by some of the scores we’ve seen, it fair to believe at least a few are in contention to stay, at least at the league level.
Each week during the regular season, we’ll glance at four teams from each class that have caught our attention. Results and records below are based on schedules posted at MHSAA.com.
Class A
East Lansing (6-0) – It’s fair to call East Lansing the best of a strong group in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue; keyed by standout sophomore Brandon Johns and a strong group of 3-point shooters, the Trojans lead the league and have wins over reigning champion Lansing Everett and CAAC White contender Williamston.
Flushing (4-0) – The Raiders are off to their best start this decade after finishing last season with nine wins over their last 10 games; this winter’s victories are by 20, 13, 38 and 22 points, respectively.
Pontiac (8-0) – The Phoenix is off to its best start since 2010-11 with Oakland Activities Association White play beginning this week; Pontiac was a solid 14-7 a year ago and a league runner-up to Troy Athens, which is in a different division this season.
Rochester Adams (6-0) – Led by scoring machine Spencer Littleson, the Highlanders are off to their best start since 2012-13 with three straight wins by five or fewer points after a fourth in overtime to open this season.
Class B
Alma (5-1) – After opening with a loss to Haslett, Alma has run off five straight victories to build a one-game lead in the Tri-Valley Conference Central over Freeland, which the Panthers beat 42-38 on Dec. 15. Alma beat Freeland by a win to claim the league title last season.
Detroit University Prep (7-0) – University Prep has been nearly unstoppable, with Auburn Hills Avondale and Detroit Cass Tech the only opponents to finish within striking distance.
Dowagiac (7-0) – The Chieftains have won back-to-back overtime games over Niles and Edwardsburg after five-point wins over Sturgis and Jackson to end December; they’ve helped erase memories of the team’s three straight losses to close last winter.
Standish-Sterling (4-0) – The Panthers are 4-0 for the first time since 2010-11, and including last year have won nine straight in the regular season – with eight of those nine wins by double digits.
Class C
Bad Axe (7-0) – The Hatchets are playing for their second straight league title and are off to a solid start with five double-digit wins but also two close ones – including last week’s 42-41 Greater Thumb Conference West opener over Vassar.
Erie-Mason (6-0) – The Eagles have topped out at 12 wins twice this decade, but find themselves halfway there already and tied early for first in the Lenawee County Athletic Association and with four straight wins by 12 or more points.
Ishpeming (4-0) – The Hematites again got a late start coming off a fourth straight trip to Ford Field for the MHSAA Football Finals, but have caught up quickly; we’ll see how far along they are when they face rival Negaunee on Wednesday.
Lakeview (6-0) – The Wildcats are playing for their third straight league title and face last season Central State Activities Association Silver runner-up Kent City on Friday; Lakeview has had only one game decided by fewer than 10 points so far, last week against Morley Stanwood.
Class D
Buckley (5-0) – The Bears improved from a combined three wins from 2012-14 to reach 11-11 last winter, and are continuing the rise as they sit tied for first in the Northwest Conference and with four games scoring at least 76 points.
Crystal Falls Forest Park (6-0) – The Trojans will again have to deal with reigning Class D champion Powers North Central in the Skyline Central Conference West, but they’re gearing up with a streak of four straight wins by at least 20 points.
Ewen-Trout Creek (4-1) – Despite a two-point overtime loss to Houghton on Thursday, Ewen-Trout Creek is in first place in the Copper Mountain Conference Porcupine Mountain standings coming off two straight sub-.500 finishes.
Onaway (4-0) – The Cardinals have been an upper division team in the Ski Valley Conference over the last three seasons, but hope to be a contender this time and look strong so far with wins of 44, 17, 21 and 26 points, respectively.
PHOTO: A Lakeview player, right, works for position during last week’s win against Remus Chippewa Hills. (Click for more photos from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)