Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 6
January 15, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Undefeated teams quickly are becoming few as boys basketball season heads into mid-January.
But this week's list of teams making noise includes a handful that remain perfect – although a few more will face their toughest challenges soon.
Records and scores below are based on those submitted to the MHSAA.com Score Center.
1. New Haven (6-0) – Coming off 21 wins last season, the Rockets had high expectations – and made great on a good start with a 101-98 double-overtime win over Mount Clemens on Friday; Mount Clemens hadn’t lost.
2. Detroit Pershing (9-0) – The Doughboys just keep proving their status as Detroit's best, downing Detroit Martin Luther King 78-64 and then Detroit Douglass 73-67 in overtime last week.
3. Stevensville Lakeshore (7-0) – A Class B Semifinalist a year ago, Lakeshore is surging again with only one win by fewer than 11 points this season – and that was against South Bend St. Joseph of Indiana.
4. Holt (10-1) – The Rams further cemented themselves as the class of Greater Lansing this season by beating reigning Class B champion Lansing Sexton 50-46 on Friday.
5. Frankenmuth (8-0) – This week’s “Battle of the Fans” contestant will need all the support against rival and top Tri-Valley Conference East competitor Bridgeport on Friday, but the Eagles survived a 50-46 win over Essexville Garber a week ago.
6. Climax-Scotts (8-0) – The Panthers got their first test this season in a 51-42 win over Bellevue on Friday, but no other opponent has come within 14 points.
7. Muskegon Western Michigan Christian (7-3) – After opening 1-3, the Warriors have won six straight and handed Spring Lake its first loss, 49-47, on Saturday.
8. Ithaca (7-0) – The Yellowjackets know how to play football, but they’ve long had a strong hoops program as well and have an early lead in the TVC West.
9. Lake Linden-Hubbell (7-0) – The Lakes had to survive overtime against Hancock and then three more against Calumet in December, but have won four straight by at least 18 points.
10. DeWitt (6-2) – A relative newcomer to Class A, the Panthers shocked the local competition with a 56-54 win last week over Okemos, and also own a five-point victory over improved Grand Ledge.
PHOTO: Ithaca's Markes Gadlen (14) pushes the ball upcourt against Carson City-Crystal this season. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
North Central Powers to MHSAA Record
January 28, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Powers North Central boys basketball team has owned Class D the last two seasons. The Jets now own what was one of the longest-standing MHSAA records as well.
With a 76-29 win over Bark River-Harris on Friday, North Central took over alone the Michigan boys hoops record for longest winning streak with 66 straight victories, dating to opening night of the 2014-15 season. The Jets' last loss was an 81-79 Class D Quarterfinal defeat to Cedarville during the 2013-14 season, when they finished 25-1.
Tuesday's win over Rock Mid-Peninsula had tied North Central with the Chassell teams from 1956-58 with 65 straight wins. The Jets are 11-0 this winter, and returning most of their top players from the last two seasons are expected to make another long tournament run and potentially push their record streak beyond 80 straight victories.
Click for full coverage of the record-breaking performance from the Escanaba Daily Press. Longtime Daily Press sports editor and Second Half correspondent Denny Grall will bring additional context to the record with a 2H piece next week.
The game was broadcast live on MHSAA.tv with production by a crew from School Broadcast Program member Marquette High School. Click the link above to watch the replay on-demand.
In addition to the winning streak record, the Jets also celebrated the 1,000th career point for senior Dawson Bilski, who with seniors Jason Whitens, Bobby Kleiman and Marcus Krachinski has been among standouts during the entirety of North Central's run. The North Central football team, featuring some of the same standouts, also hasn't lost in two seasons while claiming two MHSAA 8-player championships.
PHOTOS: (Top) The North Central Jets hold up a banner made by students to celebrate the team's 66-game win streak, the longest in MHSAA history. North Central defeated Bark River-Harris 76-29 onFriday night to surpass Chassell's 65-game streak, which had stood since 1958. (Middle) North Central's Dawson Bilski gets a hug from Jets' assistant coach Gerald Whitens during a stoppage in play. Bilski reached the 1,000 point mark for his career during the victory. (Photos by Keith Shelton.)