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Chelsea Coach Back 'To See This Through'

October 26, 2018

By Doug Donnelly
Special for Second Half

CHELSEA – Is anyone more excited about the start of prep basketball season than Josh Tropea?

With the calendar turning to November soon, we are only days away from the first boys basketball practice of the 2018-19 season. One of the biggest hardwood stories in southeast Michigan is that Tropea is back at Chelsea High School for his second stint as the head varsity coach there.

He wasn’t gone long – he stepped away for just two years to coach at Spring Arbor University – but Tropea has brought his high energy and passion for basketball, and his whole family, back to the high school ranks.

“I’m thrilled to be back,” Tropea said. “I love being in a packed gymnasium on a Friday night. I’m so looking forward to battles with Dexter and playing Ypsilanti and going on the road for games. I love it.”

Tropea said he stepped away from the college job for several reasons – including the time he was spending away from his family on the weekends and because the timing was right to come back. Mark Moundros resigned after two years when he moved from the area. Tropea said he wanted to ensure the program continued its upward path.

“I have two sons at Chelsea,” he said. “If Mark had stayed I would not be here. But, when Mark left, and they didn’t have a viable candidate at the time, I felt like I didn’t want to let my two years here, the two years I had invested before leaving, to fall apart. Mark did a great job. I’d love it if he stayed, but I felt like I owed it to the kids to come back and see this through.”

The college experience has changed his approach to the game.

“I loved my college experience – loved it. Absolutely no regrets,” Tropea said. “But, I tell you, they have a much better version of me now. My temperament is better. I think I see the bigger picture better. Spring Arbor is all about being the best person you can be. I think I’m better now, not just in the Xs and Os, but as a person, as a coach.”

Tropea was already pretty good.

A South Lyon native, he’s been a basketball junkie for years. He got his first high school coaching job at Walled Lake Western while still in college. He made stops at Whitmore Lake and Howell while looking for a permanent teaching job, then landed at Milan in what turned out to be a made-for-each-other job. In short time, he rejuvenated the Milan Big Reds program from two wins the season before he took over the varsity to a surprise run to the Class B championship in 2013-14.

It wasn’t so much of a surprise that the Big Reds won the title that season, but how quickly Tropea built them into a powerhouse. During the summer before the title run, Tropea had his troops playing games all over the state, lining up scrimmages and playing in shootouts and tournaments that exposed the Milan players to some of the other elite.

“We had a lot of kids come from struggling homes or from tough situations,” Tropea said of his time at Milan. “Those kids were not entitled kids. As a family, we were able to make an impact in so many ways. Team dinners were a big deal. That’s what made leaving Milan so hard.

“It was maybe the best five years of my life for my wife and I,” he added. “It was such an exciting time, and we were just so embraced by the community.”

During his time there, the Big Reds went 92-27 and won three Huron League titles. The Class B title run was led by future college players Nick Perkins and Latin Davis. The Big Reds’ state championship was the first in boys basketball in the Monroe County Region in more than 60 years.

Tropea left Milan, he said, because of the teaching and coaching opportunity in Chelsea. Frankly, he said, the job paid more, and, for a young family, that was a big deal.

“It was a very difficult decision, but it was right for my family,” he said. “I was on a pay freeze for five straight years at Milan. Plus, we loved the Chelsea community. My wife wanted to come here.”

Although he was there just two seasons, Chelsea’s basketball program also came a long way in a short time.

The Bulldogs improved from 3-18 the year before he was there to 9-13 in 2014-15 and 16-6 in 2015-16, tying for second place in the Southeastern Conference White his second season. More importantly, Tropea laid the groundwork for the future. He started by getting into the lower levels of the school and teaching basketball to the younger students – and trying to let his passion for the game pass on to them.

“It’s rolling now,” he said. “The first year I had a summer camp, we had 17 kids. This past summer, we had 121. Everybody knows you have to have a youth program.

“We won 16 games my last year here, we won a District title two years ago and the team went 12-8 last year,” he said. “The program is in great shape.”

Tropea never has been afraid to adapt his game or the way he interacts with his players. He draws on his experiences working with other coaches every chance he gets.

“The game is constantly changing, and so are the kids,” he said. “You have to. You have to change.”

In today’s world that means using social media, such as Twitter, to set the tone of the program.

The @ChelseaBoysHoop Twitter feed, for example, regularly includes messages about workouts, inspirational quotes from some of game’s great players and encouragement to other Bulldogs athletes.

“I feel it can be a great tool if it is done right and positive,” he said of Twitter.

His wife, Alicia, is an integral part of the program, as are his children, Luke and Zack.

“This is definitely a family deal,” he said. “We are all in. I know no matter what, my wife will be in the third row and she’s so supportive. She’s all-in all the time. She supports me and my passion. You have to have that.”

Years from now, he said he might get back into the college game. But for now, being back at the high school level fits more his love of teaching the game.

“I’m a teacher at heart,” he said. “I love teaching the game. I love the four-player workouts and teaching the kids footwork and the importance of passing the ball with the seam. That’s what it’s all about – making an impact on the kids’ lives.”

The SEC can be a brutally tough league, and this year it’s only going to be stronger with the addition of Jackson to the division. With boys basketball season starting a week earlier this year and Chelsea’s football team alive in the MHSAA Playoffs, Tropea is employing somewhat of a different strategy than normal. The emphasis on the season, he said, will be to get his team ready for the Class B tournament come late February. He doesn’t want the players to peak too soon.

“We have one game before December 15,” he said. “We back-loaded the heck out of our schedule. I don’t care how good we are in November and December. I want to be playing our best basketball in March. We’re playing for March.”

Chelsea will have seven or eight seniors and five or six juniors on this year’s squad, Tropea said. Many of those seniors were part of a group that went 20-0 as freshmen and won 16 games as sophomores.

“We have some experience, and not just athletes but basketball players,” he said. “They are leaders. I’m so excited for this season. I’m happy to be back.”

Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.

PHOTO: Returning Chelsea boys basketball coach leads his Milan team to the Class B championship in 2014 at Breslin Center.

Crystal Falls Forest Park's Gabe Quevedo, dribbling, considers his next move during Tuesday's win over Pickford.

Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys Semifinals Preview

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 12, 2025

Michigan State University’s Breslin Center will once again provide opportunities for dream finishes for 16 teams concluding another MHSAA boys basketball season this weekend.

MI Student AidMark Keeler has been involved in plenty. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian’s leader will retire this weekend as the third-winningest coach in MHSAA boys basketball history – and after his 16th trip to Finals weekend.

His Defenders are joined by Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Division 1 and Warren Lincoln in Division 2 as returning title winners seeking to finish repeat runs. Meanwhile, half of this weekend’s field will attempt to accomplish what Lincoln also did a year ago – end at Breslin as a champion for the first time.

Semifinals will be played Thursday and Friday, with all four championships games set for Saturday.

DIVISION 1 - Friday
East Lansing (26-1) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary's (20-6) - Noon
Wayne Memorial (24-3) vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth (22-5) - 2 p.m.

DIVISION 2 - Friday
Kingsford (22-3) vs. Romulus Summit Academy North (23-3) - 5:30 p.m.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (21-7) vs. Warren Lincoln (21-4) - 7:30 p.m.

DIVISION 3 - Thursday
Ishpeming Westwood (22-5) vs. Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac (20-1) - Noon
Riverview Gabriel Richard (23-2) vs. Pewamo-Westphalia (24-3) - 2 p.m.

DIVISION 4 - Thursday
Crystal Falls Forest Park (25-2) vs. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (25-2) - 5:30 p.m.
Fowler (24-3) vs. Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (24-3) - 7:30 p.m.

Finals - Saturday
Division 1 - 12:15 p.m.
Division 2 - 6:45 p.m.
Division 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Division 4 - 10 a.m.

Tickets for this weekend’s games are $12 for both Semifinals and Finals and available via the Breslin Center ticket office; for information and links visit the Boys Basketball page.

All Semifinals will be broadcast and viewable with subscription on MHSAA.tv, and all four Finals will air live on FanDuel Sports Network. The Divisions 4 and 1 games will be broadcast on the FDSN primary channel, and the Divisions 3 and 2 games will be broadcast on FDSN Extra. Audio broadcasts of all Semifinals and Finals will be available free of charge from the MHSAA Network.

The Boys Basketball Semifinals & Finals are sponsored by Michigan Achievement Scholarship/MI Student Aid.

Here’s a look at the 16 semifinalists (with rankings by regular-season Michigan Power Ratings and statistics through Regional Finals):

Division 1

EAST LANSING
Record/rank: 26-1, No. 2
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference Blue
Coach: Ray Mitchell, seventh season (124-34)
Championship history: Class B champion 1958, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 72-49 over No. 11 Ann Arbor Huron in Quarterfinal, 77-42 over No. 45 Kalamazoo Central in Regional Final, 65-48 (District Final), 62-60 and 75-65 over No. 9 Lansing Waverly, 84-74 over No. 35 Detroit Renaissance, 69-68 over No. 1 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 69-54 over Division 2 No. 1 Warren Lincoln, 60-56 over Division 2 No. 6 Romulus Summit Academy North.
Players to watch: KJ Torbert, 6-3 jr. G (20.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Cameron Hutson, 6-6 sr. G (18.5 ppg, 49 3-pointers, 7.4 rpg,); Kingston Thomas, 6-5 soph. G (8.0 ppg).
Outlook: This will be the Trojans’ first trip to the Semifinals since 2008, and their only loss came in overtime 69-65 to Muskegon (20-3) on Dec. 21. The three players noted above are all sons of former Michigan State standouts (Kelvin Torbert, Andre Hutson and David Thomas, respectively) and have accounted for 61 percent of East Lansing’s 77 points per game this season, which have come against one of the strongest schedules in the state. Hutson and Torbert both made the all-state first team last season. Senior guard Jayce Branson adds another 7.8 points and two steals per game.

FLINT CARMAN-AINSWORTH
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 12
League finish: Fourth in Saginaw Valley League
Coach: Jay Witham, 12th season (204-69)
Championship history: Class A runner-up 2004 and 2003.
Best wins: 54-51 over No. 25 Byron Center in Quarterfinal, 64-56 over No. 9 Marquette in Regional Final, 64-60 (OT) over No. 3 Rockford in Regional Semifinal, 73-64 over No. 30 Saginaw United in District Final, 84-64 over No. 15 Port Huron Northern, 87-82 over No. 9 Lansing Waverly, 90-88 (3OT) over Division 2 No. 2 Flint Powers Catholic, 55-51 over Division 3 No. 9 Pewamo-Westphalia.
Players to watch: Donovan Hamlin, 6-5 sr. F (14.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.0 apg); MarQuinn Weston II, 5-10 sr. G (14.5 ppg, 41 3-pointers, 3.4 spg); Kendreyas White, 6-6 jr. F (7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg).
Outlook: Carman-Ainsworth’s first trip to the Semifinals since 2004 began to take shape after a stretch of four losses in five games during the second half of January. The Cavaliers have won 13 of 14 games since, and the District Final victory over Saginaw United avenged a 14-point regular-season defeat. Rafael Murphy Jr. (6.6 ppg) and Fred Thomas IV (6.2) are among four more players averaging at least 5.5 points per game – and Thomas drilled the game-winner in the Quarterfinal. Freshman guard Anthony Mull has been the team’s second-most productive 3-point shooter and is the son of another past Spartan, Anthony Mull, who is also a Cavaliers assistant coach.

ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 20-6, No. 1
League finish: Third in Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Todd Covert, 10th season (170-60)
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 58-57 over No. 5 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 54-37 over No. 24 Waterford Mott in Regional Final, 72-41 over No. 20 Grand Blanc in Regional Semifinal, 76-73 over No. 35 Detroit Renaissance, 72-41 over No. 4 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 49-48 over No. 17 Grand Rapids Northview, 51-44 over No. 3 Rockford.
Players to watch: Trey McKenney, 6-5 sr. F (22.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg); Sharod Barnes, 6-2 sr. G (11.7 ppg, 4.2 apg); Jayden Savoury, 6-5 sr. F (9.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg).
Outlook: The Eaglets return to Breslin with three starters from last year’s championship run plus senior guard Isaiah Hines (9.7 ppg), a top sub who now starts. Leading the way, of course, is Mr. Basketball Award honoree McKenney, who was also last season’s Division 1 Player of the Year from The Associated Press and has signed with Michigan. He’s the program’s all-time leading scorer, but St. Mary’s still went 4-2 when he was out with an injury midseason – losing to East Lansing by only one point and Brother Rice by two during that stretch. Junior forward Luke Crighton adds another 6.3 ppg, and freshman guard Mateen Cleaves – also a son of a former MSU standout – provides 5.1 points off the bench.

WAYNE MEMORIAL
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 14
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association East
Coach: Steve Brooks, fourth season (60-48)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 70-44 over No. 10 Detroit Martin Luther King in Quarterfinal, 72-70 over No. 5 Detroit U-D Jesuit in Regional Final, 66-49 and 59-54 over No. 32 Belleville, 69-60 over No. 23 Traverse City West, 77-52 and 76-63 over No. 21 Dearborn.
Players to watch: Austin Tory, 6-7 sr. G/F/C (11.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg); Carlos Medlock Jr., 6-0 jr. G (24.9 ppg, 49 3-pointers, 6.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 3.0 spg); Jaylohn Allen, 6-2 jr. G (17.7 ppg, 58 3-pointers, 4.4 apg).
Outlook: After taking losses to Birmingham Groves (18-6) and St. Mary’s in December, Wayne has won 20 of its 21 games this calendar year and 16 by double digits. Brooks is 384-164 since becoming a varsity coach in 2001 and also took Inkster and Ypsilanti to Quarterfinals; he’s brought Wayne from 2-11 his first season to its first Semifinal since 1997. The third loss this winter was to Novi (19-5), by just two points in the KLAA championship game. Senior guard Jalahn McClellan (4.7 ppg, 29 3-pointers) is another player who must be accounted for on the perimeter.

Division 2

GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 21-7, No. 25
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Coach: Chris Pearl, first season (21-7)
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2021, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 47-44 over No. 7 Grand Rapids South Christian in Regional Final, 44-35 over No. 4 Hudsonville Unity Christian in District Semifinal, 58-33 and 54-43 over No. 42 Grand Rapids Christian, 59-43 over No. 33 Marshall in Quarterfinal, 71-46 over No. 35 Allendale in District Final.
Players to watch: Izaya Larthridge, 6-5 jr. F (15.5 ppg, 61 3-pointers, 5.1 rpg); Jack Bowen, 6-6 sr. C (7.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg); Brieland Watkins, 6-2 jr. G (10.7 ppg).
Outlook: In addition to its championship in 2021, Grand Rapids Catholic Central finished Division 2 runner-up in 2022 and reached the Quarterfinals last season. They’ve continued to advance under Pearl, who played at Otsego and then collegiately at Sienna Heights, Grand Valley State and Davenport and served as a Catholic Central assistant for a year before taking over the program this winter. All but one of the Cougars’ losses came against opponents that won at least 16 games during the regular season, and the Unity and South Christian playoff victories avenged two of those defeats. Jordan McCoy adds another nine points and 3.6 assists per game.   

KINGSFORD
Record/rank: 22-3, No. 3
League finish: Tied for first in Great Northern Conference
Coach: Ben Olsen, first season (22-3)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 48-46 over No. 10 Freeland in Quarterfinal, 72-60 over Division 1 No. 6 Marquette, 57-53 over Division 3 No. 7 Iron Mountain, 59-32 over Division 3 No. 11 Elk Rapids, 57-50 over Division 3 No. 18 Ishpeming Westwood, 56-39 over Division 4 No. 1 Crystal Falls Forst Park.
Players to watch: Owen Olkkonen, 6-3 jr. F (7.0 ppg, 33 3-pointers); Morgan Sleik, 6-4 sr. C (12.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg); Gavin Grondin, 5-11 sr. G (24.3 ppg, 79 3-pointers).
Outlook: Kingsford’s Regional titles last week and last season were the program’s first since 1992, and this will be its first trip to the Semifinals since 1965. The Flivvers avenged losses to Marquette and Iron Mountain along the way, sharing the GNC title with the former, and prior to the Freeland win the other four during the postseason were all by at least 18 points. Grondin earned an all-state honorable mention as a junior and has made nearly 39 percent of his shots from 3-point range. Olsen took over the program this season after previously coaching the boys and girls teams at Gwinn.

ROMULUS SUMMIT ACADEMY NORTH
Record/rank: 23-3, No. 6
League finish: First in Charter School Conference Gold
Coach: Derek Clark, first season (23-3)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 68-41 over No. 37 Lansing Sexton in Quarterfinal, 59-53 over No. 12 Adrian in Regional Final, 60-47 over No. 21 Detroit University Prep, 59-33 over No. 11 Detroit Old Redford, 62-40 over Division 1 No. 28 Birmingham Groves, 65-64 over Division 1 No. 35 Detroit Renaissance.
Players to watch: Amir Perryman, 5-10 sr. G (11.4 ppg, 3.5 apg); Chance Houser, 6-6 jr. F (14.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg); Jordan Fuller, 6-0 jr. G (13.1 ppg, 2.9 apg).
Outlook: Summit is returning to the Semifinals for the second time in three seasons, this time under Clark, who coached Detroit University Prep Art & Design to league and District titles over three seasons before taking over the Dragons. Their losses tell a good story as well; Summit lost to Walled Lake Central (18-5) by just six at the end of December, then by just four to East Lansing and two in overtime to University Prep in a league tournament semifinal. Senior forward Andrew Ashwood (10.7 ppg), junior guard Marquan White (7.5) and junior forward Demetri Campbell (5.6) also bolster the balanced offense.

WARREN LINCOLN
Record/rank: 21-4, No. 1
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Coach: Wydell Henry, seventh season (113-39)
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2024.
Best wins: 59-44 over No. 11 Detroit Old Redford in Regional Final, 66-65 over Division 1 No. 5 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 56-48 and 74-58 over Division 1 No. 15 Port Huron Northern, 56-51 over Division 1 No. 11 Ann Arbor Huron, 76-66 over Division 1 No. 13 Muskegon.
Players to watch: Geon Hutchins, 6-5 sr. G (16.5 ppg); Markus Blackwell, 6-2 sr. G (19.5 ppg, 2.5 apg); Da’Marion Bozeman, 6-5 sr. G (13.3 ppg).
Outlook: Bozeman, Markus Blackwell and senior guard Moses Blackwell (6.5 ppg) all started last season’s championship game, and 6-7 senior guard Christopher Morgan (11.7 ppg) was a top sub and starts now. Warren Lincoln played the second-toughest schedule in any division this regular season, as its opponents combined won 70 percent of their games. The Abes have won 17 straight after working through a string of defeats to Division 1 East Lansing, Byron Center, Brother Rice and Grand Rapids Northview over a six-game stretch in late December and early January. Markus Blackwell made the all-state first team last season.

East Lansing's KJ Torbert drives to the basket during a regular-season victory over Lansing Waverly. ""

Division 3

ARTS & TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY of PONTIAC
Record/rank: 20-1, No. 13
League finish: First in Charter School Conference Silver
Coach: Orlando Lovejoy, first season (20-1)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 74-44 over No. 50 Flint New Standard Academy in Quarterfinal, 82-61 over No. 49 Detroit Loyola in Regional Final, 84-43 over No. 46 Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 68-61 over Division 2 No. 11 Detroit Old Redford, 83-67 over Division 1 No. 38 River Rouge.
Players to watch: Lewis Lovejoy, 5-8 fr. G (17.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 8.4 apg, 3.4 spg, 2.3 bpg); De’Vontae Grandison, 6-4 jr. F (13.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 4.2 apg, 3.0 bpg); Terrance Hicks, 6-3 sr. G (15.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 spg, 1.0 bpg).
Outlook: ATAP finished 3-12 just two seasons ago and 8-7 last year but has taken a mighty step under Orlando Lovejoy. Losing only to nonleague Division 1 Hamtramck (15-9), the Lions won their division of the Charter School Conference and then reached the league tournament championship game (which was canceled) by getting past Old Redford – which was ATAP’s only single-digit win. The Lions have scored more than 80 points 12 times and 90 in three games. Senior guard Teyshaun Hicks adds another 11.9 points, six assists and one block per game.

ISHPEMING WESTWOOD
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 17
League finish: Second in Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East
Coach: Luke Gray, fifth season (75-37)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 48-40 over No. 16 McBain in Quarterfinal, 62-40 over No. 1 Maple City Glen Lake in Regional Final, 55-53 (District Final) and 61-56 over No. 7 Iron Mountain, 72-44 over Division 2 No. 36 Houghton.
Players to watch: Ethan Marta, 6-4 jr. G (27 ppg, 50 3-pointers, 5.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 3.5 spg); Tristan Miller, 6-1 sr. F (10.6 ppg, 31 3-pointers); Reid Frustaglio, 6-1 sr. F (9.6 ppg).
Outlook: Westwood is traveling to the Semifinals for the first time since 2003, making a jump from 14-10 a year ago and getting past West-PAC East champion Iron Mountain after a regular-season split in the midst of one of the most impressive tournament runs in any division. The losses came in spurts of three and two as Westwood lost a pair of Division 1 Marquette (22-4) and once to Kingsford, which is playing this weekend in Division 2. Westwood also lost a first meeting with Division 2 Negaunee (15-9) before winning the rematch. Marta entered the week making nearly 63 percent of his shots from the floor.

PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 9
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Coach: Dominic Schneider, fifth season (98-21)
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2019, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 50-45 over No. 14 Schoolcraft in Quarterfinal, 46-39 over No. 23 North Muskegon in Regional Final, 56-39 over Division 1 No. 20 Grand Blanc, 59-48 and 51-49 over Division 4 No. 4 Fowler.
Players to watch: Grady Eklund, 6-3 jr. G (17.5 ppg, 45 3-pointers, 3.4 apg); Trent Piggott, 6-5 jr. G (8.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg); Dominic Weber, 6-2 sr. G (9.1 ppg, 66 3-pointers).
Outlook: Schneider has directed the Pirates to three league, five District and three Regional titles since taking over the program, and this will be their first trip to the Semifinals since the 2019 championship run. Eklund made the all-state first team last season and can fill the scoresheet when needed. In addition to defeating Division 1 Grand Blanc on Feb. 7, P-W also got looks at strong competition in losses to Division 1 Hudsonville and Flint Carman-Ainsworth and Division 2 Grand Rapids South Christian. The Hudsonville defeat Feb. 18 was P-W’s only loss over its last 19 games.

RIVERVIEW GABRIEL RICHARD
Record/rank: 23-2, No. 2
League finish: First in CHSL AA
Coach: Kris Daiek, 14th season (226-75)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 62-30 (Quarterfinal), 82-48 and 88-65 over No. 5 Jackson Lumen Christi, 77-53 over No. 35 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in Regional Final, 81-46 and 88-50 over Division 2 No. 46 Dearborn Divine Child, 79-58 over Division 1 No. 12 Flint Carman-Ainsworth.
Players to watch: Nick Sobush, 5-10 sr. G (19.7 ppg, 53 3-pointers); Luke Westerdale, 6-1 sr. G (16.8 ppg, 86 3-pointers, 3.8 apg); Charles Kage, 6-8 sr. F (11.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg).
Outlook: All five starters and the only sub who saw the floor in last season’s two-point Semifinal loss to Old Redford will be back this weekend, riding an 18-game winning streak and with their only two defeats this time to Division 1 Grand Blanc and Division 2 Flint Powers both in December. Sobush made the all-state first team last season. Senior 6-5 forward Drew Everingham (10.8 ppg, 46 3-pointers) is another returning starter and perimeter threat, and junior guard Derek Lesko (4.8 ppg) fills out that intact starting lineup from a year ago. Senior 6-4 forward Bryce White is adding another 7.3 points off the bench.

Division 4

ALLEN PARK INTER-CITY BAPTIST
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 6
League finish: First in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue
Coach: Mark Kraatz, 36th season (596-285)
Championship history: Class D champion 1985.
Best wins: 63-50 over No. 17 Kingston in Quarterfinal, 58-41 over No. 8 Clarkston Everest Collegiate in Regional Final, 70-50 (District Final), 64-63 and 56-43 over No. 32 Southfield Christian, 64-61 over Division 1 No. 46 Riverview.
Players to watch: Ethan Esse, 5-10 jr. G (22.3 ppg, 64 3-pointers, 4.6 apg); Carlos Jackson, 6-3 jr. F (11.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 5.0 apg); Mason Kowalski, 6-3 jr. F (9.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.4 apg).
Outlook: Esse and Jackson started on last season’s championship team, and Kowalski, senior guard Josh Hamilton, junior forward Asher Bettinger and sophomore guard Jack Dawson saw the most minutes off the bench and fill larger roles on this team. Esse made the all-state first team last season and has added another bucket to his scoring average while remaining a dangerous threat from 3-point range. Inter-City’s losses came to Division 1 Detroit Cass Tech (19-4) and Taylor and Division 2 Detroit Voyageur College Prep, and the Chargers earned several more wins against larger opponents.

CRYSTAL FALLS FOREST PARK
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 1
League finish: First in Skyline Central Conference small-schools division
Coach: Jason Price, fourth season (70-27)
Championship history: Class D runner-up 1995 and 1981; Crystal Falls, Amasa and Alpha high schools won a combined 14 titles with five runner-up finishes before consolidating into Forest Park in 1967.
Best wins: 45-43 over No. 14 Pickford in Quarterfinal, 58-35 (District Final), 66-44 and 65-54 over No. 5 Norway; 51-34 (Regional Semifinal), 69-58 and 47-36 over No. 18 Felch North Dickinson; 76-41 over No. 24 Ewen-Trout Creek, 62-56 over Division 3 No. 8 Munising.
Players to watch: Kevin Giuliani, 6-5 sr. F (14.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg); Vic Giuliani, 6-2 soph. F (22.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Gabe Quevedo, 5-7 sr. G (6.9 ppg, 36 3-pointers, 3.8 apg).
Outlook: Price has taken Forest Park from 7-9 the season before he took over to two straight Regional titles and now the program’s first trip to the Semifinals since 2004. The Trojans tested themselves in losses to Division 1 Marquette and Division 2 Kingsford and also picked up wins over Division 2 Escanaba and Division 3 Menominee. Forward Matt Showers (5.2 rpg) joins Kevin Giuliani and Quevedo in the starting lineup, but they are the only seniors and the top two subs are underclassmen in addition to Vic Giuliani and sophomore Dax Huuki (7.2 ppg) filling out the starting lineup. Sophomore guard Izaiah Tarter adds 8.1 points and 3.8 assists per game off the bench.

FOWLER
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 4
League finish: Second in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Coach: Kam Riley, sixth season (77-62)
Championship history: Class D champion 1952, runner-up 2002 and 1950.
Best wins: 66-27 over No. 19 Bellaire in Quarterfinal, 60-53 over No. 11 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in Regional Semifinal, 62-59 over No. 2 Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 58-46 (District Final), 53-40 and 59-37 over No. 23 Portland St. Patrick; 62-32 over No. 16 Fulton, 69-57 over Division 2 No. 33 Marshall.
Players to watch: Jacob Halfmann, sr. G (12.5 ppg, 41 3-pointers, 4.0 apg); Aaron Simon, sr. G (12.3 ppg, 65 3-pointers); Alex Halfmann, sr. F (11 ppg, 6.7 rpg). (Heights not submitted.)
Outlook: Fowler will play in its first Semifinal since 2002 after winning a District for the second-straight season. The Eagles opened this winter with a win over reigning champion Tri-unity Christian, and their only losses were twice to Pewamo-Westphalia – playing in Division 3 this weekend – and once to Division 2 Fruitport (17-6). Four seniors anchor the starting lineup including the three noted above and guard Asher Koenigsknecht, who adds 11.7 ppg and entered this week with 53 3-pointers. He, Jacob Halfmann and Simon all had connected on at least 38 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.

WYOMING TRI-UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 2
League finish: First in Alliance League
Coach: Mark Keeler, 38th season (719-218)
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 56-43 (Quarterfinal) and 58-44 over No. 9 Adrian Lenawee Christian, 80-45 over No. 15 Bellevue in Regional Final, 50-29 over No. 21 Marion, 50-34 over Division 3 No. 39 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, 62-42 over Division 3 No. 12 Beal City, 52-39 over Division 3 No. 14 Schoolcraft, 38-30 over Division 2 No. 5 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian.
Players to watch: Keaton Blanker, 5-11, sr. G (11.1 ppg, 4.2 apg); Noah Silverton, 6-3 sr. G/F (11.1 ppg); Joey Mellon, 6-7 sr. C (13 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.3 bpg).
Outlook: Tri-unity is not only attempting to send coach Mark Keeler into retirement with one more championship, but also get to Saturday’s Final for a fifth-straight season; the Defenders also won Division 4 in 2022 and finished runners-up most recently in 2021 and 2023. Blanker – who had 11 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in last year’s title game – is the only returning starter from that run although Mellon saw solid minutes off the bench. Sophomore forward Cody Osbun is another returning player who has moved into the starting lineup and averages 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Tri-unity’s only losses were to Fowler (noted above) and Division 2 Grand Rapids West Catholic, both in December.

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PHOTOS (Top) Crystal Falls Forest Park's Gabe Quevedo, dribbling, considers his next move during Tuesday's win over Pickford. (Middle) East Lansing's KJ Torbert drives to the basket during a regular-season victory over Lansing Waverly. (Forest Park photo by Cara Kamps. East Lansing/Waverly photo by John Johnson.)