Muskegon Makes Return to Semis Count
March 21, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Muskegon High School has waited a long time for this.
And after waiting one more year than they'd hoped, the Big Reds finally have earned the opportunity to play for their first MHSAA boys basketball title since 1937.
Senior Deshaun Thrower said he and his teammates thought last year might’ve been theirs – but fell by three points to Grand Rapids Christian in a Quarterfinal.
Playing Friday in its first Semifinal since 1947, Muskegon earned that title chance with a 63-47 win over Mount Pleasant at the Breslin Center.
“Last year we were 32 minutes away from here, and we felt we could’ve won it. We beat ourselves,” Thrower said. “That feeling never left us. It’s something we’ve prepared for and something we go off of every game and every practice.”
The top-ranked and undefeated Big Reds (27-0) will finish this season facing either Detroit U-D Jesuit or Bloomfield Hills at noon Saturday.
And despite discussions about Mount Pleasant possibly pulling off the biggest comeback in MHSAA Semifinals history – the record is 18 points – the result never felt completely up for grabs after the end of the first quarter.
Muskgon led by as many as 23 points, nearly halfway through the third quarter before the Oilers were able to wither the advantage to nine twice during the fourth quarter. But they could get no closer.
“When you dig yourself a hole the way we dug it, you’ve got to press so hard to try to make a comeback because you’ve got to start giving up things on the defensive end," Mount Pleasant coach Dan Schell said. "And when you don’t capitalize when you do have opportunities, it’s huge because possessions are so limited and important at that point in time.
“You can go down the stretch when we had a chance, but the first 8 to 14 minutes is what cost us the game.”
All five Muskegon starters scored between nine and 14 points and grabbed 4-6 rebounds. Combined, the starters shot 50 percent from the floor and scored all but five of their team’s points.
Senior William Roberson, Jr., and junior Joeviair Kennedy led with 14 points, while senior guard Jordan Waire added 11 and junior center Deyonta Davis had 10 points, six rebounds and six blocked shots.
Thrower – this season’s Mr. Basketball Award winner – scored only nine points, but grabbed six rebounds to go with five assists. Kennedy had 13 of his points during the first quarter as Muskegon jumped to an 18-9 lead.
“It’s the flow of the game. Because I think in that starting lineup, we’ve got five guys who can put it in the basket,” Muskegon coach Keith Guy said. “(Kennedy) got it going early and it didn’t do anything but help us. Hopefully he can do the same thing (Saturday).
Mount Pleasant, itself ending a long Semifinals absence by playing in this round for the first time since 1981, finished 22-5 to double its win total from 2012-13.
The Oilers started five seniors, with center Jaleel Hogan leading with 14 points and 10 rebounds and guard Aaron Leasher adding six points, eight rebounds and five assists.
“People around the state who know basketball know how hard it is to get through our Regional because you have to go through Saginaw or Saginaw Arthur Hill every year, or a good Flint team,” said Schell, an Oilers player during the early 1990s. “So just to get out of the Regional, we were happy but not content.
“We sure wanted to bring a state championship back. Hopefully we’ll get another special group some day and we’ll find a way to get back here.”
Click for the full box score and video from the press conference.
PHOTOS: (Top) Muskegon's Jordan Waire works to get past Mount Pleasant's T.J. Johnson on Friday. (Middle) The Big Reds' Deshaun Thrower drives to the basket.
HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Mount Pleasant got a 14-point, nine -ebound effort in the Class A Semifinal against Muskegon from Jaleel Hogan. Here he takes a feed from Aaron Leasher and scores to give his team a 4-2 lead. (2) Off the long miss, Muskegon's Deyonta Davis scores on the putback for two of his 14 points. He was one of four players in double figures for the Big Reds.
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 1
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 8, 2025
Winter has certainly arrived in Michigan over the last few weeks – at least from a snowy standpoint – and right on the time to signal the start of boys basketball season and our first report on the annual march to Michigan State's Breslin Center.
Big matchups already are happening, and every game against an MHSAA Tournament opponent counts toward seeding for District brackets, and once again we're diving into the results you need to know from the previous week, teams that are showing up big in each division and matchups coming up that you won't want to miss.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Grand Rapids South Christian 75, Grand Rapids Christian 71 The Sailors (2-0) opened by adding to last season’s District Final win over Grand Rapids Christian (1-1), and after having lost to the Eagles 72-55 in their season opener a year ago.
2. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 71, Detroit U-D Jesuit 42 Brother Rice (2-0) enjoyed some significant payback after falling to Jesuit twice last season, during the regular season in what eventually decided the Catholic High School League Central title and then in their Regional Semifinal matchup.
3. Saginaw United 67, Detroit Catholic Central 57 The Phoenix (2-1) opened their new fieldhouse with a notable season-opening victory over the Shamrocks (2-1), who defeated United 69-55 in their opener a year ago.
4. Grand Blanc 76, Hamtramck 75 (OT) The Bobcats (2-0) opened the season with this notable win at the Horatio Williams Tip-Off Classic.
5. Warren Fitzgerald 41, East Kentwood 40 This was another exciting finish at the Horatio Williams event, again in a faceoff of teams with high aspirations this season.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Grand Haven (3-0) The Buccaneers finished an opening week of road games without a loss, defeating Coopersville 65-42 and then Traverse City Central 83-71 and Traverse West 79-77 over the weekend. Grand Haven improved from 11-12 in 2023-24 to 18-6 last season and will have some opportunities to get rolling heading into the new calendar year with a Dec. 22 matchup against Freeland and its Lake Michigan Cup on Dec. 29-30.
North Farmington (2-0) The Raiders are coming off a 12-10 finish and third place in the Oakland Activities Association Red last season, and got off to a fast start under first-year coach Peter Mantyla with a 41-35 win over Canton and a 62-47 victory over Davison while hosting the Horatio Williams Tip-Off Classic. Reigning league champion Birmingham Groves is up next, on Friday, and the first matchup with Farmington – which ended the Raiders’ season last winter – is Dec. 19.
DIVISIION 2
Dundee (3-0) The Vikings appear on track to bounce way back after going 21-5 in 2023-24 but then only 5-18 last winter. They opened last week with a 12-point win over Saline Washtenaw Christian, a 47-46 victory over Milan and a 51-45 triumph over Britton Deerfield – and after losing to Washtenaw Christian by six points during the early going a year ago.
Freeland (3-0) The Falcons are coming off a 22-4 finish and run to the Division 2 Quarterfinals last winter, so a fast start isn’t a surprise. But it was still impressive; Freeland opened with a 22-point win over Bridgeport, then defeated Menominee by 22 and Petoskey by 15 at the latter’s Sean Pollion Invitational. Showcase games against Auburn Hills Avondale and Grand Haven later this month will be opportunities to impress.
DIVISION 3
Ishpeming Westwood (3-0) The Patriots reached the Semifinals last season for the first time since 2003 with Ethan Marta leading the way, and he’s doing so again to begin his senior year as Westwood opened with sizable wins over West Iron County and Hancock. They finished a perfect first week with an 83-64 victory over rival Ishpeming.
North Muskegon (3-0) The Norsemen are off to the right start as well after last season’s 23-2 finish and Regional Final run. They won all three of their games last week by at least 20 points, defeating Division 1 Walled Lake Western 64-44 in the championship game of the Will Lynch Invitational at Benzie Central. And they celebrated senior Adam Dugener reaching 1,000 points in the season-opening win over Holton.
DIVISION 4
Clarkston Everest Collegiate (2-0) A Regional finalist and 24-2 overall last season, Everest jumped 10 wins from 2023-24 and is off to a fast start again. The Mountaineers opened with a 61-42 win over Livonia Clarenceville and followed with a 59-42 victory over Flint Beecher. Clarenceville is a Division 2 team, and the great majority of Everest’s regular-season opponents play in Division 2 or 3 with a date as well against Division 1 South Lyon East on Feb. 19.
Eben Junction Superior Central (3-0) Two of last season’s first four losses came to Hannahville Nah Tah Wahsh as Superior Central went on to finish the season 9-14 – after going 16-8 in 2023-24. But the Cougars got on the right track immediately this winter with a 57-42 win over Nah Tah Wahsh to open last week before defeating Cedarville 42-41 and Mackinaw City 48-41 on successive days to win the Battle of the Bridge hosted by the latter.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – Ishpeming Westwood (3-0) at Kingsford (2-0) – These two both made it to Breslin Center last season, Westwood reaching the Division 3 Semifinals and Kingsford the same in Division 2.
Tuesday – Flint Powers Catholic (2-0) at Bay City John Glenn (1-1) – These two Division 2 hopefuls both won 20 games last season.
Friday – Grand Rapids Catholic Central (0-0) at Rockford (1-0) – The Division 1 Rams may have won their matchup last season 70-43, but the Cougars went on to finish their season in the Division 2 Semifinals.
Saturday – Warren Lincoln (1-0) vs. Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac (0-0) at Detroit Mercy – These two also both reached Breslin Center last season, Lincoln winning the Division 2 title and ATAP finishing Division 3 runner-up, and they will face off at the U-D Mercy Showcase.
Saturday – East Lansing (1-0) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (0-1) at Lansing Eastern – The reigning Division 1 champion Trojans should get a strong challenge at the Moneyball Tip-Off Classic from King, which made the Quarterfinals last winter.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” reports are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and X @mistudentaid.
PHOTO While being defended by Ishpeming's Dax Kakkuri on Friday, Ishpeming Westwood's Ethan Marta makes a move to the basket. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)