Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 11
February 19, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Only a few boys basketball teams remain this season that look unstoppable with the playoffs set to begin in two weeks.
Those squads top this week's list of recent high achievers. But in a bit of irony, they are followed by teams that over the last week knocked off highly-regarded opponents and made things look as wide open as ever.
1. Detroit Pershing (19-0) – Considered Michigan’s best regardless of class all season, Pershing beat Cass Tech 80-61 to claim the Detroit Public School League championship.
2. Grand Blanc (16-0) – The Bobcats have improved from 12 to 14 to now 16 wins over the last three seasons and won the KLAA West championship by four games.
3. Climax-Scotts (17-0) – The Panthers aren't a surprise after making last season’s Class D Final before falling to Southfield Christian, but they look like the favorites to finish with a win this time.
4. Detroit Country Day (13-3) – The Yellow Jackets beat Class A power Saginaw Arthur Hill in a big way last week, 86-61.
5. Dowagiac (16-1) – The Chieftains last week earned their best win of a great run by beating Otsego, which had only one loss as well; expect them to meet again in the Wolverine Conference championship game.
6. Midland (13-4) – The Chemics have had a solid winter and are third in the Saginaw Valley Association North, but they made a statewide wave by beating reigning Class A champion Saginaw 64-59 last week.
7. Rockford (12-6) – The Rams have had a couple tough runs this season after finishing Class A runner-up a year ago, but won a key rematch by beating East Kentwood 44-40 last week after losing by six to the Falcons at the end of January.
8. Southfield Christian (14-4) – The reigning Class D champion earned three wins last week including one of its best this season, 47-46 over also highly-regarded Allen Park Inter-City Baptist.
9. Redford Thurston (13-4) – The Eagles entered last week’s game against Dearborn Heights Robichaud 3-3 over their last six, but then avenged a 29-point loss by beating Robichaud 65-55 in their rematch.
10. Goodrich (13-4) – The Martians won their seventh game in eight tries by beating previously one-loss Frankenmuth 53-44 to cap off last week.
PHOTO: Detroit Pershing's Kahlil Felder (12) led his team to the Detroit Public School League championship and was named Mr. PSL for this season. (Photo courtesy of the Detroit PSL.)
Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 10
February 17, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Plenty can change – and change again – over the course of a four-month high school basketball season.
Below are this week’s highlighted teams in each class that have jumped out of late – including a number that started slowly this winter but are playing their best with the postseason less than a month away.
CLASS A
Birmingham Brother Rice (11-4) – The Warriors’ basketball program certainly is overshadowed by the football and perhaps hockey teams. But Rice went 3-1 over the second half of the Detroit Catholic League Central season and avenged an earlier 16-point loss to champion Detroit U-D Jesuit by handing the Cubs their only league loss this season, 58-53 last week.
Davison (12-3) – The Cardinals likely can’t catch leader Flint Northwestern in the Saginaw Valley Association South title chase, but can celebrate coming back strong off two straight sub-.500 seasons. Their only losses in 2014-15 are two to Northwestern and the third to Flint Southwestern Academy.
DeWitt (9-6) – An 0-4 start knocked down expectations a little for the reigning Capital Area Activities Conference Red champion. But the Panthers came back with a five-game winning streak and on Friday beat Haslett for the second time this winter to push into a first-place tie with the Vikings. All but one loss were by six or fewer points.
Grand Rapids Northview (13-3) – Last season’s runner-up in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Bronze is a win over reigning champion Forest Hills Northern on Friday from clinching a share of the league title. Northview is undefeated in league play and winner of nine of its last 10 games.
CLASS B
Benzonia Benzie Central (12-2) – The Huskies trail both Frankfort and Maple City Glen Lake by half a loss in the Northwest Conference standings, but play both during the final two weeks of the season. Until then, Benzie Central will try to build on a five-game winning streak and nine victories in their last 10 games.
Big Rapids (10-5) – The Cardinals trail Grant in the Central State Activities Association Gold and will need help if they’re to climb into first, but beat Grant 43-36 on Feb. 6 and added another league win Friday to stay within one of the lead.
Leslie (12-2) – The Blackhawks joined the Greater Lansing Activities Conference in the fall after a few seasons as an independent, and they’re in contention for the championship after beating first-place Lake Odessa Lakewood 43-41 on Friday. Lakewood, on Jan. 9, handed Leslie its last loss before this nine-win run.
Milan (14-2) – The reigning Class B champion is back in fine form, with its only losses this season to Class A teams that won league titles – U-D Jesuit and Romulus. The Big Reds are undefeated in the Huron League but face second-place Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central twice over their final four regular-season games.
CLASS C
AuGres-Sims (8-7) – Its overall record is just over .500, but AuGres-Sims is holding on to a slim lead in the Little Dipper division of the North Star Conference. The Wolverines have won three straight league games and have three to play, including a pair against opponents that are a combined 4-20.
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (12-2) – The Crusaders hold a slim lead in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue thanks to a 66-52 win over Sterling Heights Parkway Christian on Thursday – after they lost to Parkway on Jan. 30. Lutheran Northwest finished 1-20 and last in the Blue a year ago.
Ironwood (15-2) – The Red Devils have followed last season’s run to the Regional Finals with another impressive performance; their only losses are to Wisconsin teams, and they edged Bessemer (see below) by a bucket on Friday to complete a season sweep.
Ishpeming (10-5) – The Hematites didn’t play their first game until Jan. 2 and are accustomed to late starts after three straight trips to the Football Finals at Ford Field. A loss to rival Negaunee on Friday broke a six-game winning streak that included a win over first-place Iron Mountain on Feb. 6.
CLASS D
Bessemer (12-5) – The Speedboys opened 2-3 and have absorbed a second loss this season from Ironwood. But they also have claimed a share of the Porcupine Mountain Conference title and can make it an outright championship March 5 against Ewen-Trout Creek – which beat Bessemer on Dec. 19.
Brethren (10-5) – The Bobcats are tied for fourth in the West Michigan D League, but their losses to first-place Onekama and second-place Baldwin over the last three weeks were both by only two points. Brethren gets Baldwin one more time, in its regular-season finale March 3.
Climax-Scotts (12-4) – Despite a seven-point loss to Battle Creek St. Philip near the end of January, Climax-Scotts remains in first place in the Southern Central Athletic Association West. The Panthers have won five of their last six and will equal last season’s win total with their next victory.
Hillman (16-1) – The Tigers will at least share the North Star League Big Dipper title and sit undefeated in the league standings, their only loss on opening night to still-undefeated Cedarville. Hillman hasn’t had a win by fewer than 10 points.
PHOTO: Grand Rapids Northview needs one more win to claim the O-K Bronze title, thanks in part of to a 75-50 win over Greenville on Friday. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com).