Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Report Week 8
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 27, 2025
Michigan is thawing out after last week’s deep freeze – and just in time.
This week’s schedule is full of top-notch girls basketball matchups – we mention five below, a few more elsewhere in this week’s “Report,” and we’ll be keeping an eye on Armada/Yale, Mio/Oscoda and several more as we continue surging into the regular season’s second half.
“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. Gaylord St. Mary 51, Indian River Inland Lakes 47 (OT) The Ski Valley Conference includes five teams at .500 or better and St. Mary (10-1) sits at the top thanks to this overtime win over the formerly co-leading Bulldogs (9-3).
2. DeWitt 51, Holt 38 The Panthers (12-1) avenged their lone loss, 47-39 on Dec. 6, and took a half-game lead in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue on the second-place Rams (8-4).
3. Stevensville Lakeshore 56, St. Joseph 44 This was another matchup for first place, and Lakeshore (8-1) leads the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West after handing St. Joseph (7-1) its lone loss.
4. Frankenmuth 39, Saginaw Heritage 31 These two met at the Martin Luther King Classic at Saginaw Valley State, the Division 2 Eagles (11-2) earning one of their best wins in downing the Division 1 Hawks (11-2).
5. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 49, St. Charles 40 Sacred Heart (11-0) sits atop the Mid-State Activities Conference and St. Charles (7-3) moved to second with this standings shifter.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Renaissance (14-1) The Phoenix have seen their last two seasons end with losses to the eventual Division 1 champions, and this could be their turn with an another impressive run so far including wins over Hartland (11-2), Detroit Cass Tech (10-4) twice and St. Clair Shores South Lake (11-4) among others. The lone loss was to Grass Lake (10-3) on Jan. 11, 53-49 in overtime, and Renaissance is carrying a 22-game winning streak in the Detroit Public School League Blue into this week after already clinching a third-straight league title.
Utica Ford (12-0) After last season’s campaign ended with an unanticipated loss to rival Utica High, Ford has stormed back beginning with a 46-point opening-night win over the Chieftains and continuing with a run that’s seen only one game decided by fewer than 13 points. Ford entered this winter coming off two straight Macomb Area Conference White championships and will face Utica Eisenhower (12-1) on Tuesday for first place in the MAC Red.
DIVISION 2
Freeland (9-2) A solid 62-45 win over Sault Ste. Marie (9-2) on Jan. 18 at the Jeff McDonald Memorial Showcase in Cadillac is their most recent game, but the Falcons will return from a 10-day break Tuesday hoping to pick back up on a five-game winning streak as they no doubt are eyeing a Feb. 7 home date with Frankenmuth (11-2) that could determine if they end up sharing the Tri-Valley Conference Red title. Freeland downed the Eagles in last season’s Regional Semifinal after two regular-season losses, and Frankenmuth won the first meeting this winter by 27. Freeland’s only other loss this winter came to Division 1 Saginaw Heritage (11-2).
Holland Christian (11-1) After two seasons of pushing Grand Rapids West Catholic in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue, Holland Christian is in the O-K Black this season and leading the league by two games after a first run through the schedule. A 53-41 win over second-place Zeeland East (10-4) has been arguably the most notable since the start of the new year, and the Maroons also did solid work with earlier one-basket wins over East Grand Rapids and Zeeland West. The lone loss came 58-44 to Grand Rapids South Christian – a potential District foe after also defeating Holland Christian in double overtime to win their bracket last year.
DIVISION 3
Pewamo-Westphalia (12-0) The Pirates are chasing what would be a first Central Michigan Athletic Conference championship since 2019-20 and lead Fowler (10-1) by a game through the first half of the league schedule thanks to a 46-43 win over the Eagles on Dec. 17. P-W’s three nonleague wins also have been close and notable; the Pirates opened with a 66-63 double-overtime victory over Division 1 East Lansing, edged Division 1 Lowell 47-46 at the end of December at Cornerstone University and followed that with a 53-50 win over Division 2 Flint Powers Catholic. The Fowler rematch is Feb. 5, and a Feb. 19 game at New Lothrop (11-1) also awaits.
Saugatuck (8-1) The Trail Blazers have built a solid lead in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Central as they seek a repeat championship, and all eight of their wins have come by at least 15 points as they seek to build on last year’s 22-2 run. The lone loss came to SAC Valley contender Lawton, 50-43 on Jan. 7, and the next time those two could meet would be a Division 3 Quarterfinal. In the meantime, a pair of matchups with South Haven (9-1) will be telling, as will later games with Kalamazoo Christian and league rival Gobles, Saugatuck having defeated the latter 50-26 on Jan. 17.
DIVISION 4
Leland (9-1) Keyed in part by a defensive effort giving up just 25.5 points per game, Leland has jumped from 11-13 last season to first place in the Northwest Conference. The only time the Comets have allowed more than 31 points was a double-overtime win over Maple City Glen Lake, 45-40, after Leland had lost by 21, 16 and nine to the Lakers last winter. A 46-36 toppling of Onekama was especially notable, and the Comets will be hoping for a similar result when they face second-place Frankfort for the first time Wednesday. Leland’s lone loss was 31-26 to Lake Leelanau St. Mary on Jan. 14, and they meet again Feb. 17.
Pittsford (13-0) The Wildcats won 18 games every one of the last three seasons, and they are off to another magnificent start this time with the return of coach Chris Hodos – who previously led the program to back-to-back Class D titles in 2016 and 2017 and stepped away after the 2018-19 season. The Wildcats are allowing just 22 points per game and lead the Southern Central Athletic Association East heading into Thursday’s matchup with second-place Hillsdale Academy; Pittsford won the first meeting by 20.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Negaunee (14-0) at Gladstone (11-0) – They are leading their respective leagues and may be the best of another very strong group in the Upper Peninsula this season.
Tuesday – Midland (10-1) at Saginaw Heritage (11-2) – These are two of the three teams in the Saginaw Valley League without a conference loss, and Midland also plays the third, Mount Pleasant, on Friday.
Tuesday – Blissfield (11-1) at Adrian Madison (11-1) – These two are tied atop the Lenawee County Athletic Association and won’t meet again until the league finale Feb. 21.
Friday – Tecumseh (10-1) at Chelsea (10-1) – Tecumseh leads Chelsea by a game in the Southeastern Conference White after winning their first meeting 53-41 on Jan. 9.
Friday – Rockford (14-1) at Grand Haven (11-1) – It’s the same story in the O-K Red as league leader Rockford won the first meeting with the second-place Buccaneers 60-48 on Jan. 3.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews 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. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Pewamo-Westphalia’s Elly Bengel launches a halfcourt shot that gave the Pirates an eight-point lead during their 58-34 win over Laingsburg on Jan. 16. (Middle) An Otsego player gets up a shot in the lane during her team’s win over Three Rivers on Dec. 19. (P-W/Laingsburg photo by Jim Pivarnik. Otsego/Three Rivers photo by Gary Shook.)
Comstock 'Stampedes' to Elusive Title
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
February 21, 2017
COMSTOCK — It took almost a quarter century, but the Comstock girls finally put their mark on the basketball banner hanging in their gym.
They have to share the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Red title with Buchanan, but that is OK with them.
“It’s been (24 years) since Comstock girls won conference,” junior Ahkyla Blakely said. “I’m very excited. We’ll get our year up on the banner.”
With a junior and three sophomores among the starting five, one might have thought the team was in a rebuilding season.
But when it comes to experience, there is nothing young about this team.
The Colts have a 17-2 overall record, 9-1 in the conference.
The team may be young, but the girls grew up playing together in the youth program called “The Stampede” that started when the current sophomores were in fourth grade and with coaches that included Justin Ansel, the girls varsity coach for the last five years.
“Our junior class started when they were in fifth grade, so they grew up together with their class,” Ansel said. “Last year, the combination of the two classes, we had a whole year of playing together.”
This year, that experience is paying rewards.
Sophomore Daisy Ansel leads the Colts, averaging 15.2 points per game, followed by junior Blakely at 12.4 and sophomore Caylin Lopez at nine.
Ansel and Lopez also started last year as freshmen.
Abby House, who was pulled up from the junior varsity team midway through last season, is the other sophomore starter along with Blakely and senior Miranda Cannon.
Friends & Family
Having her dad as a coach can be both good and bad, Daisy Ansel said.
“It’s challenging at times, but it makes me better because he pushes me harder as an individual player,” she said.
“At home we talk about basketball all the time. It’s probably brought us together more as a family.”
Her brother, Seth, is a junior on the boys varsity basketball team.
Justin Ansel said the day his daughter does not feel comfortable with him as her coach is the day he will step down – as tough as that would be.
“We do have a relationship that at the end of every season I tell her if you don’t want me to coach any more, I’ll gladly step away and be a parent in the stands and support you in that respect,” he said.
“Each year, she’s always wanted me to be her coach. That feels good.”
He added that it is not just her he would miss coaching.
“You develop a relationship since fourth grade with these girls, and it’s not just your daughter,” he said. “I feel like I have a bunch of daughters out there.”
Senior Arreona Blakely said the turning point in the season was defeating Buchanan, 54-33, on Feb. 3.
The Colts lost to the Bucks 37-33 the month before.
“(Our win) was probably our best game, communication and defense-wise,” Blakely said.
She has no problem with her younger sister starting while she waits for the nod.
“I’m used to it,” the senior said. “It’s more I know my position, which is to be a leader and a communicator versus being the one out there scoring points. She’s more the athletic one versus me.
“I’m not really that athletic like her, but I’m good to support her. When she’s going through a rough time, I’m the only one who really knows how to pick her back up, spirit-wise, and get her going.”
Ahkyla Blakely said two things have helped the team improve from its 13 wins last year.
“It’s conditioning and practice,” she said. “Our coach makes us run these Sweet 16s every practice, and we’ve got to try to beat a time. He pushes us.
“We’ve been waiting for (last year’s) freshmen to come up, and now they’re sophomores and we’ve all been together for a long time. It feels like family.”
Daisy Ansel said the girls have a connection.
“We know who our shooters are, who we’re trying to get open,” she said. “We know all the plays. We have over 10 plays we can run against any team, and we all know them.
“When we’re out there together, we all just click like in middle school, and outside of basketball we get along.”
Ansel is a captain along with the Blakely sisters.
“Normally, sophomores aren’t captains, but going through travel ball has taught me so much, like the communication part of basketball,” Ansel said.
“I used to think you had to work the hardest and had to win everything, but now you’ve got to pump up everybody on your team to have the strongest practice. I work on giving more energy and communication in practice because it plays a bigger part than you think on the basketball court.”
House is a five-sport athlete, playing volleyball and golf in the fall, basketball and bowling in the winter and softball in the spring.
“It’s pretty tough between homework and all the practices and games, but I try to make it work,” she said. “Coaches work with me a lot.”
She said it is an advantage to have been coached by Justin Ansel on the Stampede team.
“He’s been our coach since we were little, so we know what he wants us to do,” she said. “He challenges us more because he knows what we can do.”
This season, “We’re generating a lot more offense. We’re all playing together as one team instead of as individuals, and our defense has tremendously improved since last year.”
Sophomore Madelyn Caswell is the tallest on the team at 5-foot-9, but “with my lankiness, my coach says I’m about 5-11,” she said, laughing.
Playing her first year on varsity, “The competitiveness is a lot more intense,” she said. “We have big goals and working to get there is a lot more competitive, and we’re a lot more driven than we were on jayvee.”
More to achieve
Comstock will host an MHSAA Class B District next week where it could face perennial power and reigning Class B champion Marshall in the second game.
“We play Parchment in the first round and if we win that, Marshall in the finals,” Justin Ansel said. “Marshall is very tough. We’re going to have to be fundamentally strong on both ends of the floor.
“Last year we got to Marshall in the first game. Four out of my five years (coaching Comstock), Marshall has ended my season.”
But the team entered this winter with high aspirations, and already has made good on making history.
“It’s something we talked about, but it wasn’t something we imagined doing,” Caswell said. “Throughout the season we realized we could make (winning conference) more of a reality.”
Marissa Vandyk is the other senior on the team. Juniors are Kierra Lovelace and Kaylee Gilley.
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) Comstock sophomore Caylin Lopez guards a Parchment ball handler this season. (Middle top) Comstock coach Justin Ansel and sophomore Daisy Ansel. (Middle below) Comstock junior Ahkyla Blakely and senior Arreona Blakely. (Below) Sophomore Madelyn Caswell (40) works to defend a shot. (Action photos courtesy of the Comstock girls basketball program; head shots by Pam Shebest.)