Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 7
January 25, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
There may be 25 undefeated boys basketball teams left in Michigan.
But this week will be telling for a quite a few – both those expected to shine this brightly and also for some surprising us along the way.
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
Canton (12-0) – The reigning league champion Chiefs look like they’ll be tough to stop in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association South again after winning every game of the first run through the division schedule by an average of nearly 15 points per.
Detroit U-D Jesuit (11-0) – Most people’s preseason favorite in Class A hasn’t disappointed – or had an in-state opponent come closer than 10 points. Last week’s lone win, over Detroit Catholic Central, gave the Cubs first place solo in the Detroit Catholic League Central.
Holland West Ottawa (10-0) – The Panthers moved into first place alone in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red with a 58-53 win over former co-leader East Kentwood on Friday – and long ago bested last season’s 6-15 finish.
Macomb Dakota (9-0) – The Cougars showed they were up for stepping into the elite during the first week with wins over West Bloomfield and Clarkston, teams they lost to during the first week last season. In addition to leading the Macomb Area Conference Red, Dakota also has added another impressive win over Lansing Everett.
Class B
Big Rapids (9-1) – The Cardinals picked up a pair of 40-point league wins to hold on to a one-win lead in the Central State Activities Association Gold, but may need to finish a sweep against Grant next week to repeat as champion and this time win the title outright after sharing with Newaygo a year ago.
Leslie (10-1) – Although they’re from one of the smallest schools in Class B, the Blackhawks are riding high with nine straight wins and atop the Greater Lansing Activities Conference after beating reigning champion Lake Odessa Lakewood and former co-leader Stockbridge last week.
Onsted (10-0) – University of Michigan recruit Austin Davis is the player everyone knows, but he’s getting plenty of help as Onsted sits atop the Lenawee County Athletic Association with only second-place Hillsdale coming within striking distance so far.
Whitehall (9-1) – After tying for third in the West Michigan Conference last season, Whitehall leads the league with a 7-0 record through the first round of conference games and has lost only to nonleague Spring Lake.
Class C
Beaverton (8-0) – The Beavers have won 27 straight Jack Pine Conference games and lead the field by two wins in the league standings as they look to repeat; they’ve beaten the three teams tied for second by five, seven and 15 points, respectively.
Iron Mountain (10-0) – The Mountaineers surely have been looking forward to this week for a while after falling to Negaunee in the regular-season finale a year ago – and by doing so, giving up first in the Mid-Peninsula Athletic Conference to the Miners. Both are undefeated as they prepare for this week's latest rematch.
Lutheran Westland (9-0) – The Warriors are another team that surely has prepped for this week; after sharing the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Red title with Sterling Heights Parkway Christian last season, they’re tied for first again and play Friday for the first time this season.
McBain (9-0) – The reigning Highland Conference champion is tied for first with rival McBain Northern Michigan Christian, making this week’s matchup much more meaningful than two one-sided Ramblers wins a season ago.
Class D
Alanson (9-0) – A 58-57 win over Boyne Falls to start the new year has Alanson just ahead of the pack in the Northern Lakes Conference; the Vikings tied for second in the league last season.
Lake Linden-Hubbell (9-0) – The Lakes won the Copper County Conference championship last year and have the upper hand in the new Copper Mountain Conference’s Copper Country division with only nonleague Calumet coming within 12 points.
Powers North Central (9-0) – The winning streak is up to 36 straight for the reigning Class D champion, which continues to score like few teams in the state are capable; the Jets have hit 87 twice and scored at least 70 five more times.
Vestaburg (7-0) – This week will be the biggest so far for the Mid-State Activities Conference co-leader as it faces co-leader Carson City-Crystal on Friday after finishing a win ahead of the Eagles for the league title a year ago.
PHOTO: Vestaburg sits tied for first in the MSAC thanks in part to a win over Coleman this winter. (Click for more photos from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Southfield Christian Takes Back D Title
March 24, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – After three seasons away, Southfield Christian returned to the Class D championship game Saturday.
And for the fourth time in seven seasons, the Eagles added their school to the list of MHSAA title winners as well, with a 64-54 clincher over Buckley at the Breslin Center.
The title was the program’s first since winning three straight from 2012-14, and after falling by a point in last season’s Semifinals to eventual champion Powers North Central.
“It just means a lot for us as a team,” said Eagles senior Bryce Washington, whose older brothers Blake and Brock both were part of past champions. “It puts us on the map. The last few years, people were like, ‘Whatever happened to Southfield Christian?’ We were still in the gym, still working, still a great team. It’s just great to be back here.”
Southfield Christian (23-4) showed all weekend it could get rolling in a hurry. Starting at the 5:57 mark of the first quarter Saturday, over the next 2:41 the Eagles went from a point down to 10 up. Junior Harlond Beverly scored 10 points, had a steal, two rebounds and a blocked shot. He made six of his first seven shots from the floor total in scoring his team’s first 11 points and 11 of the Eagles’ first 14.
“I didn’t even notice it was the first 11 points. I was just trying to play basketball and do what I do,” Beverly said. “The rim, it feels as big as the ocean. It was feeling good.”
Beverly finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, eight steals, six blocks and four assists.
“He brought a lot of energy, a lot of effort, and he can make great plays in transition and get us an easy one,” Southfield Christian coach Josh Baker said. “We struggled the rest of the game. His start, that was the game.”
The Eagles did have to fend off a second-half comeback attempt by Buckley, which returned to Breslin this weekend with the entire starting five that made it to last season’s championship game before falling 78-69 to North Central.
Southfield Christian pushed its lead to 22 on another Beverly basket with 4:27 to play in the second quarter, but the Bears came back with a 19-3 run over the next six minutes to cut the deficit to 38-32 two minutes into the third.
The Eagles pushed the lead back to 12 during the opening minute of the fourth quarter, and the Bears couldn’t get it back into single digits.
“We just never give up,” Buckley senior Denver Cade said. “We were in the same position last year, but it was a bigger margin. I just kept trying to pound that into (my teammates). I wasn’t having the best game myself, and I’ll probably regret that the rest of my life … but I tried to be a leader and put that motivation into them.”
Cade finished with eight points and nine rebounds. Senior guard Joey Weber led with 26 points, eight rebounds and three steals, and senior forward Austin Harris added 15 points and seven rebounds. All three were four-year varsity players and 1,000-point career scorers. “I’m missing them already,” Buckley coach Blair Moss said.
“We’re a little disappointed; the kids played their hearts out,” Moss added. “That’s a quality team out there. There’s not much to say. The kids worked their butts off, and they’ve been doing it for the last 10 years to get here. … We don’t see teams like that up north; let’s face it. They play in a Detroit league, they play up, and that’s why we try to play up to match that.”
Buckley (21-6) shared the Northwest Conference title this season with Frankfort and Maple City Glen Lake; the latter reached Saturday’s Class C championship game.
Southfield Christian won the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue and also played a nonleague schedule loaded with Class A and B opponents, including Class B semifinalist River Rouge, plus Class C finalist Detroit Edison.
“Part of the deal with our program and our mentality as a coaching staff is how do we get our guys better with every opportunity,” Baker said. “We want to play the best competition whenever we can.”
Junior guard Caleb Hunter added 13 points including four 3-pointers for Southfield Christian. Washington had 12 points and nine rebounds, and sophomore guard Da’Jion Humphrey had 11 points and seven rebounds.
Buckley finished 74-25 over the last four seasons, including 47-7 over the last two.
“Last year we said we have another crack at it, and now we don’t, of course,” Harris said. “But I wouldn’t want to trade these guys for anything. They worked hard and they helped me work hard and build my character up.
“A lot of people dream of losing their last high school game at the Breslin, and I got to share in that.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Southfield Christian’s Harlond Beverly works to get past Buckley’s Brock Beeman during the Class D championship game. (Middle) The Bears’ Joey Weber goes up for a shot at the Breslin Center.