Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 9
February 5, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Being successful in the MHSAA Tournament can be all about playing well at the right time.
Some of the records for teams on this week's list of high performers aren't too pretty. But if these teams can keep up their strong play the rest of this month, postseason foes better beware.
Results and overall records below again are drawn from our MHSAA Score Center. The Breslin Bound report will not be published next week but will return Feb. 18
1. Saginaw Valley Lutheran (10-4) – The Class C Chargers beat two strong B teams, Bridgeport and Saginaw Swan Valley, in Tri-Valley Conference crossovers last week; Valley Lutheran had lost to Bridgeport by 24 on opening night.
2. Macomb L’Anse Creuse North (12-1) – The Crusaders have won 11 straight to take control in the Macomb Area Conference Red and last week finished a sweep of Macomb Dakota.
3. Battle Creek Central (11-2) – The Bearcats' two losses came over a four-game span to Richland Gull Lake and Holt; they avenged the first by beating Gull Lake 50-45 on Friday.
4. Covert (9-2) – The Bulldogs weren't their usually-powerful selves in finishing 11-13 last season, but they've won five straight and could soon eclipse last year’s win total.
5. East Jackson (9-4) – The Trojans have bounced back from three straight losses with four straight wins, including victories over solid Napoleon and Vandercook Lake.
6. Cass City (9-4) – The Red Hawks need one more win to tie last season’s total and are second in the Greater Thumb Conference West; they got one win closer to first by beating league leader Reese 52-47 last week.
7. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (6-7) – Don’t forget about the Eaglets despite their sub-.500 record; St. Mary’s has won four of its last five and beat Detroit Catholic League Central leader Detroit U-D Jesuit 77-72 last week.
8. Powers North Central (9-2) – The Jets have won five straight and beat Carney-Nadeau 52-49 last week to avenge their first loss of this season.
9. Williamston (7-6) – The Hornets have been up and down, starting 0-3, and now winning three straight for a second time. This streak includes a victory over impressive Class A DeWitt last week.
10. Paw Paw (8-5) – The Redskins have won four straight and five of their last six, and during this streak avenged an opening-night loss to Vicksburg with a 17-point victory.
PHOTO: Class C Saginaw Valley Lutheran got two wins over Class B teams during last week's league crossovers. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 6
January 16, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
As conference races begin to heat up on both peninsulas, the best of the best are starting to show it against arguably their toughest opponents – those most familiar.
Our top game from last week in this week's Breslin Bound report – powered by MI Student Aid – features two such neighbors facing off again as they have for decades, while a number of rivals also saw each other for the first of two meetings this season.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Saginaw 62, Saginaw Arthur Hill 49 – This annually is one of the state’s best rivalries, and the Trojans have the edge in the Saginaw Valley League North with the rematch coming Feb. 3.
2. Detroit East English 73, Kalamazoo Central 63 – After being stunned by Detroit Osborn on Friday, East English came back to win the premier game of the Floyd Mayweather Classic at Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills on Saturday.
3. Wyoming Godwin Heights 114, Wyoming Kelloggsville 75 – The Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver includes three teams from Wyoming that are a combined 20-2, but Godwin Heights remains the leader at 8-0.
4. East Lansing 70, Holt 66 – The undefeated Trojans should be contenders in Class A, and now have survived a second challenge in the strong Capital Area Activities Conference Blue.
5. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore 56, St. Clair 38 – Lake Shore, sitting in first place in the Macomb Area Conference Silver, handed then-MAC Gold leader St. Clair its first loss.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each class making sparks:
CLASS A
Saginaw (7-1) – The Trojans opted up to play in Class A again despite an enrollment of just fewer than 600. And they’ll again be in the mix, judging from last week’s 62-49 win over Arthur Hill; the lone loss was to Chicago Orr, which also has wins over Detroit Martin Luther King and Pershing.
Wayne Memorial (7-1) – After finishing 8-14 only a season ago, Wayne has asserted itself atop the Kensington Lakes Activities Association South. Friday’s one-point win over Canton put the Zebras in first alone and the Chiefs in second.
CLASS B
Benton Harbor (9-0) – The Tigers are looking like a challenger in Class B again after a step back, relatively speaking, to 15-6 last season. Last week showed plenty – a 55-45 win over Class A Battle Creek Central and an overtime win over struggling but recently successful Stevensville Lakeshore.
Richmond (7-1) – Better known for football and wrestling, Richmond finished third in the Blue Water Area Conference last season but has an early leg up with a win over co-champion Imlay City and that other co-champ, Yale, coming up Tuesday.
CLASS C
Gobles (8-2) – The Tigers’ defeats have come to Class B one-loss teams Fennville and Wyoming Lee, and they are closing in on last season’s 12-win total. The rematch with Fennville comes Jan. 31 and could end up deciding the champion in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore.
Negaunee (7-0) – The Miners have won all of their games by at least 16 and six by at least 21 points to keep pace with also-undefeated Norway in the Mid-Peninsula Athletic Conference. Negaunee split the league title last year with Iron Mountain, winning its first 19 before losing its final two games.
CLASS D
Fowler (6-1) – The Eagles took a mid-December loss to Bath, but remain the mix in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference after last week’s 63-56 win over rival and 2016 Class D semifinalist Fulton.
Deckerville (6-2) – These Eagles are looking to challenge Dryden again after splitting the North Central Thumb League title last season, and will circle the March 2 rematch with the Class C Cardinals after falling to them Dec. 12.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – Negaunee (7-0) at Marquette (7-1) – Two Upper Peninsula league leaders will face off in one of the north’s top nonleague matchups this season.
Tuesday – Detroit Martin Luther King (6-1) at Detroit East English (7-1) – First place in the Detroit Public School League East Division 1, and superiority in the league as a whole, could be at stake.
Tuesday – Buckley (5-0) at Frankfort (5-0) – The Northwest Conference co-leaders are also potentially two of the best in all of Class D.
Tuesday – Dundee (9-0) at Hillsdale (8-0) – These two lead the Lenawee County Athletic Association and also are rising up the ranks in Class B.
Tuesday – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (7-1) at Detroit U-D Jesuit (6-2) – The Eaglets are in the Detroit Catholic League Central conversation again, and can take a commanding step against the reigning Class A champion.
PHOTO: Deckerville, attempting a shot, earned a win over Sandusky earlier this season and sit 6-2. (Click to see more from Varsity Monthly.)