Frankfort 'Factory' Producing Contenders
December 9, 2015
By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half
FRANKFORT – Tim Reznich and Reggie Manville are fly fishing and coaching buddies.
They share and enjoy mutual interests, especially when it comes to running Frankfort's two successful basketball programs.
Reznich, now in his 14th season, has guided the girls to nine District, four Regional and two MHSAA Class D titles.
Manville, beginning his fifth season, has led the boys to four District and three Regional championships in a row, with a Semifinal appearance in 2014. Before Manville's arrival, the Panthers had gone 11 years without a District crown, nearly 40 without a Regional title and almost 50 without a Semifinal berth.
"Our expectations are high (in both programs)," Manville said. "We've set that bar, and now it's a situation where people expect us to be there. It's a product of past success. Last year our girls and boys were a combined 45-5. That's an unbelievable record when you stop and think about it.
"One of the programs I tried to emulate when I took over was the girls program," Manville added. "They had been there (to the big stage) before; the boys hadn't. I wanted to get us to the point where we were at the same elite level. When I say elite, I mean that you're usually winning a Regional because then you've got a shot at winning a state title. That's where both programs are right now. I joke around with Tim. Being from Flint, a factory town, I like to say this is our Frankfort basketball factory. We've got two shifts going 24/7."
The girls made a serious run at a third MHSAA crown last March, losing to eventual champion St. Ignace in the Semifinals. The Panthers led by 13 in the first half. Then Margo Brown hit seven 3-pointers to fuel the Saints’ comeback.
"They were deep 3s, 23-footers coming off screens," Reznich said. "It was something."
The boys reached the Quarterfinals before falling in overtime to Fulton.
Optimism is high as the teams embark on their 2015-16 campaigns.
Reznich returns three starters, including two-time all-state pick Mackenna Kelly, who signed with Central Michigan University last month. Junior Cecelia Schmitt and senior point guard Anna Hunt are also back. They all have their eyes on the top prize.
"The goal is the same as it is every year – to win a state championship," Kelly said. "That's the ultimate goal, and we're working hard in practice every single day to reach it. That's the plan."
Reznich believes that goal is realistic.
"They've been preparing for this," he said. "They feel good, they feel confident, they feel it's their time to shine.”
The Panthers boast an experienced team with seven seniors, plus Schmitt, who averaged about 11 points a game as a sophomore. Kelly said the chemistry between the players is the strength of the team.
"We've all been together a long time," she said. "We know each other really well."
Chemistry is not the only strength, though. Reznich likes two other qualities his team possesses.
"This might be the most athletic, and the quickest, team I've had," he said.
That helps make up for a lack of size, although Kelly and Schmitt play bigger than their listed heights of 5-foot-10.
Frankfort opened last week with a 57-37 win over McBain, traditionally one of the stronger Class C teams in the north. The Panthers, who shot better than 60 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, led 22-2 after the first quarter.
Satisfying? Sort of, Kelly said. She thought the Panthers lost some intensity after building their lead. She described it as a learning moment.
"That game told us we need a lot of work," the 17-year-old said. "We came out pretty hot – we weren't missing a lot of shots – but we kind of fizzled out. Most of our action was in the first half, which can't happen. It needs to be (like that) the whole game."
Kelly finished with 24 points. A year ago, she averaged 17 points and seven rebounds for the 24-2 Panthers. She said she spent her offseason working on her range and a pull-up jumper.
"I've had a tendency on the fast break to try and plow through everyone, which doesn't go in my favor most of the time," she said.
"She still gets to the rim, but instead of forcing her way to the rim she's worked on a pull-up jumper," Reznich added. "She shot really well against McBain. I expect her to do that all season."
Frankfort’s run the table in the Northwest Conference the last two seasons. Reznich is expecting a battle this season, especially with Maple City Glen Lake picking up Sarah Carney, a transfer from Traverse City St. Francis.
The Gladiators remain a challenge, though, as Frankfort fell to St. Francis 76-72 on Wednesday. The Panthers’ schedule also includes Manistee, Saginaw Arthur Hill and Harper Woods Chandler Park. They'll play Arthur Hill in the Motor City Classic later this month in Detroit. Chandler Park will travel to Frankfort in January.
"We've put ourselves out there (with this schedule)," Reznich said.
So has Manville's team, whose nonleague schedule includes larger schools like St. Francis, Elk Rapids, McBain and Boyne City. The Panthers opened the season Tuesday with a 67-16 win over Class B Remus Chippewa Hills.
"One of reasons we've had success in the postseason is that we've toughened our schedule up," he said. "Like I said, I'm from Flint. That's all we did, played tough teams – Saginaw, three Flint schools, Pontiac. It didn't matter who you played. They were all good.
"As a coach, you want your regular season to prepare you for the tournament. You don't want any surprises. You want your kids to see everything so they're well-seasoned. Wins and losses? I would like to win every game. I'm very competitive. But my main goal is winning championships. That's what I want."
Manville, who coached Charlie Bell at Flint Southwestern, returns five players from last year's rotation. Plus, senior Mason Loney is back. The 6-2 Loney, who was on varsity as a freshman, injured a knee in football and missed his entire junior year.
"Physically, he's about 100 percent," Manville said. "Mentally, he's still working on being more aggressive. He'll be fine. He'll get there."
When Loney was out last season, the Panthers replaced him in the lineup with his younger brother, Matt. Now a sophomore, Matt will be one of the go-to players on the team, along with sophomore Jaylon Rogers, senior point guard Nate Frieswyk, four-year veteran Kole Hollenbeck – a standout on the football team that reached the Regionals – and Tristan Rogers.
"I think this will be the best shooting team I've had here, and the quickest team," Manville said. "We're going to get up and down the floor. We're not big, though, and that could be a problem on the boards. That's something we'll have to continually work at."
The Panthers are 73-25 over the last four years. They were 21-3 last season, one in which the 70-year-old Manville missed several games with health issues. He had back surgery in December, a hip replacement in February. Manville returned to the bench, but then spent the night of the Quarterfinal game in the hospital after having a bad reaction to the medication he was given. He credits his assistant, Dan Loney, for keeping the team on task and on track. Former head coach Dave Jackson also assisted.
"I can't be more pleased with the job he's doing," Manville said of Loney.
Loney had to step in the previous year, too, when Manville suffered a heart attack during the season.
He said he feels "great" now and that coaching gives him a positive outlet in his life.
"Walking in that gym is a plus," he said. "You need positives in your life when things are going bad, and basketball's always been there. Coaching's a love."
Right now, basketball’s a love in Frankfort. The teams are generously supported by the community, the school administration and a lively student body that was a 2014 finalist in the MHSAA’s Battle of the Fans contest.
“The atmosphere here is awesome,” Kelly said. “Everyone talks about the games the day before, the day of, the day after. It’s a fun thing.”
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Mackenna Kelly, left, and Nate Frieswyk have helped Frankfort's teams to MHSAA Semifinals at the Breslin Center during the last two seasons, the girls advancing in 2015 and the boys in 2014. (Middle) Anna Hunt (22) is among returnees for a Panthers team expected to contend. (Below) Boys coach Reggie Manville, with clipboard, discusses strategy with his team during the 2014 trip to East Lansing.
Freshman-Infused Heritage Overcoming Injuries to Make Big Impression Fast
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
January 3, 2025
Saginaw Heritage entered this girls basketball season flying under the radar of most casual observers.
That turned out to be a quick flight.
A 26-point win against reigning Division 1 champion West Bloomfield on Dec. 7 showed the rest of the state what those in the program knew all along – despite having zero seniors, and freshmen making up half their roster, the Hawks are ready to compete at the highest level now.
“I guess I was a little, but I wouldn’t say there was a lot of surprise,” Heritage sophomore Emma Duran said. “We worked a lot this summer and into the season, so when we finally got to the season, we knew how to work as a team and how to get better. I wasn’t really surprised about it, because I knew how much talent we had.”
Heritage has stormed out to a 6-1 start, knocking off not just West Bloomfield, but also postseason contenders such as Sanford Meridian, Freeland, Detroit Cass Tech and Hemlock by an average of 23.2 points.
That’s happened with four freshmen starting most of their games, as the Hawks are not only young, but have been without star junior Alesia Ode for the past four games.
“I knew we had something special probably in April when we started doing workouts,” Heritage coach Jaden Clobes said. “These kids didn’t miss anything all summer. It’s a special group that is really committed to being excellent. It’s fun to coach kids that obviously know basketball, but that also want to get better and are committed to being the best.”
Heritage had a solid season a year ago, going 14-11 and winning a District title in Clobes’ second season in charge of the program before losing to eventual Division 1 runner-up Rockford in a Regional Semifinal.
While not a single upperclassmen was coming back from that team, there were major pieces to build upon. That included leading scorer Ode and classmate Bree Hamilton, who Clobes called the best leader he’s coached. Emma and Ava Duran were also coming back after solid freshman seasons, although a knee injury suffered in April has kept Ava off the court. Clobes called them two of the best defenders he’s coached.
Around those pieces, Clobes was able to add perhaps the most talented freshman class in the state: Josie Ode, Zariya McCrary, Jayla Laster, Brooklyn Isom, Londyn Newton and Phoenix Brownfield.
It’s a group that went unbeaten in middle school (24-0 over two seasons), and several of them play high-level AAU in the offseason.
“We have a lot of talent,” McCrary said. “We all came from a team where we all played together, so we’re used to playing together.”
They immediately meshed with their older teammates and gave Clobes the ability to play his preferred up-tempo, pressing style.
“It was fun to put this group together,” Clobes said. “I’m a pressing coach, and we haven’t had the pieces the first two years to do it. This year, we have the length, we have the size, have the speed, have the IQ. We’ve caused 40 turnover in a game, we’ve caused 35 turnovers in a game. It’s fun to watch this team. They can kind of play the game without me having to say, ‘Hey, set this screen. Do this. Do that.’ I really haven’t had a team where I can just let them go play.”
They’ve earned this type of trust and praise from their coach while playing in big games, and without the help of the older Ode on the court. Their early success, however, has made her feel comfortable waiting until she’s fully healed to come back. A year ago, she said she suffered the same injury and it lingered for much of the season as she rushed returns multiple times.
“I’m proud of these freshmen,” she said. “They’re making big plays to help us win. I love the way they play. They play free. They play with passion. They’re not scared; they just play their game.”
As great as those freshmen have been, in order for Heritage to reach the goals it’s set for itself, Alesia Ode will be needed. But it’s been nice to have others grow their roles in her absence.
“Losing Alesia, obviously as a junior and someone who knows how to play, definitely is a challenge,” Hamilton said. “She gives us 15 points a game, so we lost those. But we’ve had freshmen step up. She’s also a good leader, so I’ve stepped up as that.”
One other thing that could help the Hawks reach that goal – the one loss on their record. Heritage lost its most recent game 60-51 against Howell, handing the freshmen their first-ever defeat playing basketball for their school.
“That was very eye-opening for us,” Hamilton said. “We have six freshmen on varsity, and they haven’t lost a game. The outside view does really get to you sometimes, and we came in and honestly did not have good practices before. It was a big learning moment, which was good. It’s eye opening and a good lesson that hard work is really what you need. You need to come into practice every single day and work hard. There are no rest days.”
To hammer that point home, Clobes hands out a hard hat to the hardest-working player each week. They tote it around during school, bring it to practice and set it at the end of the bench during games as a reminder.
“There’s a great quote that says, ‘Hard work does not equal success,’” Clobes said. “‘It’s the opportunity for success.’”
If it all comes together, the Hawks feel they can achieve their goals – which include getting past Rockford in the Regional, making a trip to Breslin for Finals weekend, and winning it – and the pieces do appear to be falling into place.
If they don’t, the Hawks certainly seem to be fine for at least another year, and likely longer, as they try to bring the program back to the heights it reached in 2002, 2018 and 2019, when they brought home Finals titles.
While they acknowledge that the future if full of those possibilities, they’d much rather take care of business now.
“Our huge goal is winning a state championship this year or next year, and getting to the Breslin Center,” Emma Duran said. “We want to do it with this team. We hope to, and that’s our top goal is winning a championship. Or, it could be both years.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Saginaw Heritage’s Bree Hamilton (11) makes a move toward the basket during a win over Freeland. (Middle) Hawks coach Jaden Clobes (kneeling) huddles with his team. (Below) Josie Ode (23) looks to make a play against the Falcons. (Photos courtesy of the Saginaw Heritage girls basketball program.)