As Francis Fills it Up, Adrian Record Falls
January 17, 2020
By Doug Donnelly
Special for Second Half
ADRIAN – It’s hard to imagine a 15-year-old having a better week on the basketball floor than Joe Francis had last week.
In the span of seven days and three games, the Adrian High School sophomore scored 33 points in a victory over East Jackson, hit a half-court buzzer-beater to force overtime and scored 32 points in a victory over Monroe and broke the 20-year-old Adrian single-game scoring record with 42 points against Manchester.
On the doorway that leads into the Adrian Gymnasium, the school lists all the Maples’ basketball record holders. It may hold off a while before switching Francis’ name with the previous record holder for single-game points, Chris Howard. That’s because Francis has his eyes on breaking that record again. And again.
“I’m not really worried about it right now,” he said. “I’m not satisfied. I’ve got a lot I have to work on still. I feel like I can beat that record, but I just have more work to do.”
Jordan Kelly, an Adrian graduate, became coach of the Maples before last season. One of his first decisions was to put the then-freshman Francis on the varsity. Francis had a steady season with the Maples, concluding it with a season-high 11 points in their Division 2 District loss to Chelsea.
That set the tone for this season.
“Over the summer we had a team meeting,” Francis said. “We set goals and talked about what we wanted to accomplish this year. The seniors and the captains are just stepping up. We were missing the communication part, but we are better now.”
The three-game win streak was Adrian’s first in what has been a trying couple of seasons. But the Maples are 4-4 this winter, and Francis is leading the way.
“He’s the epitome of a gym rat,” Kelly said. “He gets guys together to play. He always wants to be in the gym. We sometimes have to make him take a rest day.”
Francis is from Adrian. His dad, Joe, played college basketball in Missouri and is an assistant coach with the Maples. His mom, Tammy, ran track at Saginaw Valley State University and is the boys and girls track coach at Adrian. Athletics always have been important in the Francis house.
“They’ve always pushed me hard,” Francis said. “That’s what I need.”
Francis has played summer travel ball for a couple of seasons now. Playing on the varsity last year as a freshman didn’t faze him.
“For my teams, I’ve always played up,” he said. “We played against some of the best players in the state.”
Francis not only has matured, he’s also grown up. He was listed at 5-foot-9 on Adrian’s roster last season. He’s almost 6-3 now.
“He’s maturing so much, even since September,” Kelly said. “He’s learning. He’s working on his leadership skills. It’s been very cool to watch him grow.”
Francis gives a lot of credit for his success to Kelly.
“We’re trying to start a new standard,” Francis said. “Coach Kelly keeps talking to us about turning Adrian basketball around, to turn it back to what it used to be. That’s very important.
“He works us hard. He knows how good we can be if we just do the little things and play together. I give a lot of props to him.”
Despite reaching double figures in three of Adrian’s first four games, Francis felt the start to his season wasn’t what it should have been. So, he did what he knows best – got into the gym.
“Over Christmas break I worked a lot with my dad on my shot,” he said. “I had been struggling with my 3. We got into the gym, and I found my groove again.
“We’d start with ball-handling, using the heavy balls for about 15 minutes, then we’d work on spot shooting and then shooting 3-pointers.”
Against East Jackson, Francis made 15 field goals – including two 3-pointers – in the first game back from the break. It was impressive, but four nights later he popped in 42 against Manchester, making 18 field goals, including four triples. Oddly enough, he didn’t score in the first quarter.
He went to the Adrian bench in the fourth quarter with 39 points, but came back in, converted a pair of fastbreak layups to break the record, then went back to the bench. Three days later, he had perhaps his finest performance on the road at Monroe.
He got off to a slow start but came to play in the fourth quarter and overtime, scoring 22 of his 32 points during the last 12 minutes. The halfcourt shot to tie the game brought Adrian back from what looked like a certain loss.
“I got the ball on an out-of-bounds play,” Francis said. “I knew I could hit that shot. I had a lot of confidence. I broke the press, and when I saw there was just two seconds left on the clock, I just shot it.”
The Maples were down 11 and missing three starters who fouled out, but got on Francis’ back and won the game in overtime.
Kelly said Francis has always had a lot of confidence in himself. Now, his teammates have that confidence and he has that same feeling about his teammates.
“He’s going to have a lot of success because of his work ethic,” Kelly said. “This is what he’s worked for. He gets guys playing. We challenge him. We have some good defensive players go up against him because we want to make him better.”
Playing in the rugged Southeastern Conference helps, too.
“There’s definitely some top-tier talent in the league,” Kelly said. “If he can hold his own in our league, he can play anywhere.”
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.
PHOTOS: (Top) Adrian’s Joe Francis elevates to get a shot up over a Chelsea defender Tuesday. (Middle) Francis works to find an opening from the top of the key. (Photos by Mike Dickie.)
Kalamazoo United Teammates Personify Program's Friendly Rivalry After Fall is Done
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
December 17, 2024
KALAMAZOO – Troy Ayotte was cheering on his son, Jack, at Kalamazoo Christian’s rivalry basketball game against Hackett Catholic Prep two weeks ago.
All of a sudden, he felt conflicted.
He found himself cheering for a couple of Hackett players.
Ayotte is head football coach of Kalamazoo United, a co-op team with players from both schools.
Three of those players – Keegan McCue, Gavin St. Martin and Elijah Brooks – were now wearing Irish green on the floor.
“I was like, ‘Oh no, (K-Christian) is getting beat, but then you see someone like Keegan or Elijah or Gavin, any of the football players over there and they make a shot and you go, ‘Yes!’” Ayotte said.
“It’s like, what’s wrong with me? Until you experience it, you don’t know how to explain it. You’re happy for them. They’re playing against kids you coached, and you’re just glad to watch them out there competing.”
Besides Jack Ayotte, K-Christian basketball players who also played for United are Jackson Herder, Carter Manion and Chris Daniels.
Hackett won the game, 79-35.
“It wasn’t the way I wanted (the game) to go, but it was fun,” Herder said. “It was fun to see all my football buddies without their helmets and football jerseys, playing another sport they work hard at.”
McCue quickly chimed in, laughing, “I liked the outcome.”
Continuing the bantering, Herder responded, “We’ve got one more game and maybe the postseason, so we’re coming Keeg.”
Being part of the football family in the fall – then rivals by winter – is no big deal, the juniors agreed.
“We go at each other during the (basketball) game, then after the game you’re talking to each other like best friends,” McCue said. “It’s an awesome place to be.”
The friendly rivalry started in eighth grade when United fielded two middle school teams, one for K-Christian players and the other for Hackett.
“We scrimmaged each other every week, and the one time we had an actual game, they beat us for the only time,” Herder said.
“It was fun. Ever since then, we’ve clicked both on the football field and off the football field.”
Clicking is an understatement.
McCue and Herder led United to a Division 5 Regional Final where the Titans lost to Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 21-14.
Both players put up monster numbers throughout the season.
Herder, a 6-foot, left-handed quarterback, amassed 2,615 total yards, 2,041 of them passing, with 33 for touchdowns including 28 through the air.
Many of those yards were with McCue, a 5-10 wide receiver who compiled 1,500 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns.
McCue not only piled up numbers on offense, but was also proficient on defense. The safety recorded 111 total tackles, many for loss, and snagged four interceptions. He also had six pass breakups, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two blocked punts.
McCue favors defense because “I love making plays on the ball and tackling people and hitting them hard. It’s so fun.”
Last week he was named Michigan Sports Writers Division 5 first-team all-state.
10-year anniversary
United had a bumpy start 10 years ago trying to combine players from two rival schools into one team.
Both Herder and McCue said they think that being faith-based schools helped the team mesh.
“We pray before every practice, after every practice, before games, after games,” McCue said. “Having that religious aspect to it definitely helps.
“It’s actually really awesome because those guys you don’t see every day during school, but you see then every day during practice during the season and it’s like you don’t go to a different school at all. You’re just family, just brothers, so it’s awesome.”
Troy Ayotte said the biggest challenge for him is answering to two schools.
As for the players, faith is an attribute, the coach said. “They all have common goals.
“Both schools share the same faith-based element, and there are a lot of similarities there. Athletically, both schools stand for the same thing, and that’s excellence.”
Ayotte is not surprised at the success of both Herder and McCue and expects even better things from them next season.
“These two take it upon themselves to become the great athletes they are, and it’s an honor to be on the ride for it,” he said.
Herder went through his lumps last year and he learned from them, Ayotte said. “That’s the highest compliment. Everybody’s going to fail; it’s how you succeed,” the coach noted. “He really put in the time and the effort and had a great junior year.”
Ayotte said there are other players in the system who want to play quarterback, which is good to keep people sharp.
For now, Herder is atop the depth chart.
“Jackson’s got great moxie and a boatload of confidence,” he said. “Saying he’s confident doesn’t mean he sits higher than the rest of the team. He’s very humble in the way he does it.
“It’s a unique thing. You just know when somebody’s ‘got that,’ the ability to lead but not be too boisterous, just have that nice combination.”
As for McCue, “Keegan brings the thunder,” Ayotte said. “He’s the vocal, he’s king hype. There’s nothing ingenuous at all. It’s not fake.
“What the kids see is the truth in it. Keegan plays with such heart and passion for the game, it’s undeniable.”
With football season over, Herder is translating those skills from the turf to the hardwood.
“I feel like the Lord has blessed me with the ability to lead,” he said. “All the work and dedication that fits that role fits the personality and attitude he gave me.
“It fits with my character and attitude off the field, too. Leader off the field, leader on the field.”
K-Christian basketball coach Seth Dugan appreciates that skill.
“We have seven seniors on our team and Jackson is a captain as a junior, which says a lot about him,” Dugan said.
“He’s good at getting guys in the right spot and sees the floor very well. He’s a natural leader and, as a quarterback, that comes pretty naturally. He puts the team first and is positive and vocal.”
McCue’s leadership on the football field also has carried over.
“He is a competitor who makes his teammates better by pushing them in practice,” Hackett basketball coach Ryan Basler said.
“He is a leader who is not shy to lead by example. I love that he leads our team in prayer many days; this shows his leadership and faith life.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Kalamazoo United football teammates Jackson Herder and Keegan McCue are rivals during basketball season playing for Hackett Catholic Prep and K-Christian, respectively. (2) United football coach Troy Ayotte. (3) Herder, right, directs the football offense at quarterback against Berrien Springs, with McCue his top receiver advancing the ball. (4) Herder, top, prepares to inbound the basketball, and McCue gets to the hoop against Constantine. (Top photo and headshot by Pam Shebest. Football photos by Kristin Browning. Herder basketball photo by Travis Long, and McCue basketball photo by Chris Ogrin.)