Defenders Rise Again at Breslin

March 21, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

EAST LANSING – Wyoming Tri-unity Christian on its own has been plenty to contend with for Class D opponents over the last two decades.

At Michigan State University’s Breslin Center, the Defenders have been nearly unbeatable – which wasn’t good news for first-timer Powers North Central on Thursday.  

The top-ranked Defenders – champions on this floor only two seasons ago – improved to 12-4 in playoff games on MSU’s home court with a 51-36 Semifinal win over the Jets. Tri-unity will face reigning champion Southfield Christian at 10 a.m. Saturday in one more Breslin game to finish the season.

“It’s going to give me a little bit of an advantage,” said Tri-unity senior Joey Blauwkamp, who also started on Defenders’ 2011 championship team. “It gives me just a feel for what’s coming.”

Tri-unity (25-2) has four titles over the last 17 years, and coach Mark Keeler’s recipe is proven – the Defenders haven’t had a losing season since 1992.

Once again this winter, Tri-unity played about one third of its regular-season games against Class A and B schools, and in the process built an edge that likely contributed to a deciding fourth-quarter run in this Semifinal.

“Those are the games that really make it so when we go here, we’re ready for this atmosphere,” said Keeler, who is finishing his 26th season. “And this game will help Powers next year. You’ve got to be in it to experience, carry it out. That’s just the way it is for us.”

For playing its first tournament game at Breslin – and coming off its first Regional title in 29 years – No. 10 North Central (23-4) didn’t show any signs of being uncomfortable in the cavernous surroundings.

The teams were tied 27-27 into the final seconds of the third quarter.  

But that was despite North Central scoring only one field goal in the period. Blauwkamp dropped in a basket at the quarter buzzer to give the Defenders a two-point lead, and it seemed to get the ball rolling for a big Tri-unity fourth quarter.

“It was a little bit deflating, especially because we were struggling offensively at the end of the third quarter as well,” Jets coach Adam Mercier said. “If we got that one stop, we get the ball coming out of the fourth quarter and maybe make a run. That was a little blow to us mentally.”

Tri-unity held the North Central to only one field goal in the fourth quarter as well, and it didn’t come until 1:19 remained in the game. Meanwhile, Defenders senior Daniel Cole scored 11 of his game-high 18 points as his team pulled away.

Blauwkamp added 10 points and 14 rebounds for Tri-unity. Most impressive, it was the 15th time this season the Defenders held an opponent to 40 or fewer points.

“We rely so much on good defense. We trust one another, and we’ve been playing with one another since … seventh grade at the latest,” Tri-unity senior Evan Przybysz said. “So we know one another. We’ve got each other’s backs. And we know how to get stops when we have to.”

Junior forward Rob Granquist led Powers North Central with 13 points, and junior center Trevor Ekberg had eight and seven rebounds.

But here’s the kicker: The Jets won’t graduate anyone from this season’s roster, allowing them the opportunity to build off some of the experience Tri-unity uses so well to its advantage.

“It was the first end-of-the-season speech where I didn’t see any tears. They’re hungry for more,” Mercier said. “If we do the right things in the offseason, individually pick it up and get better, I hope the kids will be back in the same position next year. This was a great experience for our kids to be here against a great team … and they’ve got a hunger in their eyes.”

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS: (Top) Wyoming Tri-unity's Daniel Cole drives between Powers North Central defenders Rob Granquist (15) and Trevor Ekberg (40) on Thursday. (Middle) Tri-unity's Joey Blauwkamp prepares to shoot against the Jets' Travis Vincent. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)

Pair of 4th-Year Standouts Helping Fuel Bronson's Rising Expectations

By Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com

December 3, 2024

BRONSON – Kam Brackett and Boston Bucklin are hoping to close out their Bronson basketball careers with a Big 8 Conference title and more postseason hardware this winter.

Southwest CorridorBrackett and Bucklin, who both begin their fourth seasons on the Vikings' varsity, are confident they can accomplish some lofty goals.

Both Brackett and Bucklin and their teammates are riding a wave of momentum following a successful football season that saw Bronson finish 6-4 and make the MHSAA Playoffs.

Eighth-year Bronson boys basketball coach Damien Loveless is excited to see how far his two senior leaders can take the Vikings, who finished 14-9 last winter.

"Kam is a phenomenal basketball player. He came in as an physically undersized freshman, and we asked him to go in there and bang with bigger guys. By the end of the season he became our starting point guard," Loveless said.

Loveless had another solid scorer at the time in then-junior Aiden Hathaway.

"It was around game 11 that we needed someone to relieve some of the pressure on Aiden. We put Kam at point guard and bumped Aiden off the ball, and the switch was very instrumental to our success and we ended up winning Districts,” Loveless explained. “This undersized kid (Brackett) thrived in that role. and he could've cared less if he scored and did a nice job distributing the ball to the other guys. He showed right away that he understood the game of basketball. When you have someone like that in your lineup, you're going to be a pretty good team.”

Brackett averaged 5.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and a pair of assists his freshman year. As a sophomore, he averaged 12.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per contest as Hathaway remained as Bronson's main scoring threat.

After losing Hathaway to graduation in 2023, Loveless asked Brackett to shoulder more of the scoring load as a junior. The son of Dave Brackett, a past all-stater at Burr Oak, Kam Brackett didn't disappoint as he finished his junior campaign averaging 23.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.5 steals. That performance earned the 6-foot-0 Brackett all-state honorable mention in Division 3, along with a runner-up finish for the Big 8 Conference Player of the Year honor. He is a two-time first-team all-league player.

"Last year we asked Kam to become our scorer, and that's a role he willingly stepped into," Loveless said.

Brackett poured in 37 points during Bronson's 2023-24 season opener and later posted a season high of 42 and another game with a triple-double with nine steals.

Bronson senior post player Boston Bucklin (35) battles for a rebound in a District game against Union City last winter. "Halfway through my freshman year I moved up and earned a starting spot on varsity. Ever since then I've been working to continue growing as a person and increasing my basketball skills," Brackett said. "My biggest strength is definitely getting to the rack. When my teammates find me open, I'm looking to drive and score or dish the ball off to our big guys when the defense collapses in on me. Coach Loveless and my teammates show a lot of trust in me when I have a good shot.

“I feel like we're going to go far in the tournament this year. We have a real good group of guys with different abilities and a bunch of underclassmen who will contribute greatly. There are a lot of people who can score, rebound or make a good pass. This team has improved a great deal over last season. We have to focus on league and Districts first, but a big step to putting our mark on this program would be to win a Regional title."

Going into the season opener against Battle Creek St. Philip last week, Brackett had 963 career points and was just 37 shy of going over the 1,000-point milestone for his career.

"Kam's instincts on the basketball court are so incredible. I love watching him play,” said Loveless, who during the school day serves as White Pigeon High School principal. “He's a great defender and takes a great deal of pride in that. Many of his points come off transition, but he can just flat out shoot, scores the ball very well and can play the game at the rim. He just loves the contact, pressure and intensity and thrives in the moment. Having someone like that on your team makes everyone around him better."

Brackett is looking to continue his academic career by studying business in college focusing on finance or accounting. Following a big football season this fall as a wide receiver, Brackett is weighing his options and  considering continuing his gridiron career at the next level.

Bucklin, a 6-1 power forward, averaged 5.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and one steal per game his junior season.

"Boston has always been a big and athletic kid. He's physical, our strongest guy on the team and is going to move bodies out on the floor. He is good at just about everything he puts his mind to," Loveless said.

Bucklin is anxious to help put his stamp on the Bronson program as well.

"Like every year we are hoping for a Big 8 championship and a District title. Our conference is pretty tough, and our team is one of the most skilled teams I've ever been on,” Bucklin said. “Kam is one of those players that just makes everyone around him better. Everyone is always double-teaming him, and he still finds a way to score or he passes off to that open guy.

“Our team doesn't have lot of size, but it’s about how hard you are willing to work to be successful. I'm more of a rebounder than a scorer and prefer to get that rebound and get the ball back out to Kam or another teammate because I know they are going to do something great with the basketball. Everyone on this team is so positive when we're together."

Vikings head boys basketball coach Damien Loveless, left, is joined by his two returning four-year senior standouts Brackett (middle) and Bucklin.Besides basketball, Bucklin has participated in football, soccer and track & field. He has been accepted and will attend the University of South Florida where he plans to study to become a physician's assistant.

Basketball runs in the Bucklin family genes. Boston's father Steve Bucklin and his uncle Jeremy Bucklin both played at Bronson. Jeremy Bucklin recently served as Sturgis' varsity girls coach. Boston's cousin Aaron Bucklin, another Bronson grad, is the varsity boys coach at Coldwater.

Brackett, Bucklin and Tyler Wilber, another senior, will serve as the Vikings' tri-captains. The remaining seniors on the roster are Drew Norton and Keegan Krebs. Other key players are sophomores Layne Arver and Warner Wotta, juniors Matt Anderson, Spencer Losinski, Stevie Wilson, Zeb Olsen and Carter Sikorski, and freshman Owen Losinski.

Bronson finished second in the Big 8 Conference last winter and fell in the District Semifinals to league rival Union City. The Vikings have not won a league title since joining the Big 8 Conference, but Loveless expects this team to be in the hunt.

Bronson finished 6-15 a year before Loveless took the reins of the program beginning with the 2016-17 season. The Vikings have won at least 13 games the last three seasons.

"To see the change in our kids' expectations the last few seasons has been remarkable and has set the tone for our program," Loveless said.

Loveless, an Olivet native and a Grand Valley State University graduate where he served as a student assistant, served as director of basketball operations at Olivet College before coming to Bronson. 

While a student at GVSU and working at Olivet College, Loveless conducted research on the correlation between yoga and sports injuries. Along with weightlifting, Loveless has included yoga as part of his team's workouts twice a week at Bronson.

"When I was at Grand Valley we did a lot of stretching, and that led me to do some research. I found that there was this college that had implemented yoga in its sports program, and they had a 70 percent injury prevention rate," Loveless said.

"Yoga helps with your flexibility and injury prevention. It also makes our athletes a lot stronger."

Scott HassingerScott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Bronson senior point guard Kam Brackett (11) looks to score against Sturgis during a game his junior season. (Middle) Bronson senior post player Boston Bucklin (35) battles for a rebound in a District game against Union City last winter. (Below) Vikings head boys basketball coach Damien Loveless, left, is joined by his two returning four-year senior standouts Brackett (middle) and Bucklin. (Top photo courtesy of Brandon Watson/Sturgis Journal. Middle photo courtesy of Troy Tennyson/Coldwater Daily Reporter. Loveless/Brackett/Bucklin photo by Scott Hassinger.)