Breslin Bound: Girls District Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 2, 2020
The season begins anew tonight for more than 700 girls basketball teams across Michigan.
This week will end with 128 taking a giant first step as they pursue championship opportunities at Breslin Center later this month.
District tournaments tip off all over the state, and again, for the first time, with the top two seeded teams separated on opposite sides of the bracket. Check out “Tracking the Tournament” on MHSAA.com for every matchup from all of them, and see below for some of last week’s most eye-catching scores and three Districts in each division that could play especially important roles in who makes those trips to East Lansing later down this tournament road.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. Send corrections or missing scores to [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Detroit Renaissance 44, Farmington Hills Mercy 32 – The Detroit Public School League champion Phoenix (18-2) defeated the Detroit Catholic League Bishop champion Marlins (17-3) in the annual Operation Friendship game.
2. Hartland 32, Brighton 30 – The Eagles (19-1) added this two-point victory to a previous three-pointer over the Bulldogs (17-3) to claim the overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association title.
3. Hemlock 41, Ithaca 39 – The Huskies won the matchup of teams both 18-2 overall to clinch the Tri-Valley Conference West title outright.
4. Charlevoix 45, Traverse City St. Francis 11 – Expectations could have sunk preseason when all-stater Elise Stuck was ruled out for the winter with an injury; instead Charlevoix (15-5) won the Lake Michigan Conference, clinching the title outright against the second-place Gladiators (16-4). And Stuck has returned for the postseason
5. Grass Lake 62, Adrian Lenawee Christian 57 (2OT) – Defeating the reigning Division 4 champ should be a major confidence booster for Grass Lake entering the postseason, with the unfortunate sidebar that Lenawee Christian star Bree Salenbien was lost for the playoffs with a knee injury during the first overtime.
Districts at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold:
DIVISION 1
Bloomfield Hills Marian
1. Bloomfield Hills Marian (15-5), 2. Southfield Arts & Technology (13-7), Birmingham Groves (10-10), Berkley (15-4), Royal Oak (9-11), Birmingham Seaholm (8-12).
Marian capped its toughest stretch of the season with a win over Detroit Cass Tech 45-36 on Thursday, and the Mustangs enter the postseason with the No. 8 MPR in all of Division 1. They face Seaholm first, with Berkley (No. 50 in Division 1) awaiting the winner. On the other side of the bracket, Southfield A&T has the No. 20 MPR after facing many of the state’s best in Divisions 1, 2 and 3, and the Warriors rode a four-game league winning streak to a shared title in the Oakland Activities Association Red. Last season’s Division 1 runner-up will be plenty prepared for its toughest matchups to come, with a 59-47 victory over Carman-Ainsworth on Jan. 28 showing its potential.
Caledonia
1. East Grand Rapids (19-1), 2. East Kentwood (16-3), Byron Center (19-1), Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (11-9), Wyoming (6-14), Caledonia (4-16), Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (3-17).
This loaded District features three of the top teams statewide by Division 1 MPR, with East Grand Rapids No. 5, East Kentwood No. 9 and Byron Center No. 21. EGR won the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold and a Dec. 17 meeting with East Kentwood 50-43, before the Falcons went 14-1 the rest of the way and claimed the O-K Red title. East Kentwood opens play tonight against O-K Green champion Byron Center, also in a rematch. The Falcons handed the Bulldogs their lone loss of the winter in the season opener, 48-43.
Swartz Creek
1. Flint Carman-Ainsworth (16-4), 2. Saginaw Heritage (12-8), Flushing (15-5), Swartz Creek (13-7), Saginaw (0-18).
Carman-Ainsworth enters the postseason with the fourth-highest MPR in all of Division 1, with Heritage 26th and Flushing 46th. All three are league champions, Flushing in the Flint Metro League Stripes where Swartz Creek finished third. The Raiders and Cavaliers meet in an opener tonight in a rematch of a Dec. 6 meeting won by Carman-Ainsworth 38-30 before it started its march to the Saginaw Valley League Blue title. SVL Red co-champ Heritage awaits on the other side of the bracket, and Carman-Ainsworth also won their lone meeting 58-39 on Jan. 7.
DIVISION 2
Buchanan
1. Edwardsburg (19-1), 2. Three Rivers (17-3), Niles (11-9), Buchanan (15-5), Berrien Springs (8-12), Dowagiac (2-18)
The Wolverine Conference South co-champions top this District, having split their matchups this season – Three Rivers won 62-44 on Dec. 20, and Edwardsburg then won 56-32 on Jan. 31. On the way to a possible third meeting, Three Rivers will have to go through Buchanan and Niles. The Bucks finished second in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference Red to Niles Brandywine, one of the most highly-regarded teams in Division 4. Niles, meanwhile, was runner-up in the Division 1-dominated Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West.
Cadillac
1. Big Rapids (19-1), 2. Cadillac (19-1), Benzie Central (11-9), Ludington (16-4), Manistee (7-12), Reed City (4-16).
The first four all are top-45 in Division 2 MPR. Big Rapids made a huge jump from 6-14 last season to share the title in a Central State Activities Association Gold that featured five of eight teams with at least 11 wins. After losing to co-champ Fremont by six on Dec. 20, the Cardinals (No. 18 MPR) have won 14 straight. Cadillac’s only loss came to Division 3 contender Maple City Glen Lake by six Feb. 10, as the Vikings (No. 14) otherwise cruised to a Big North Conference championship and also earned a six-point win from Ludington on Feb. 18. Those two face off in an opener tonight; Ludington’s only losses this winter were nonleague as it finished a perfect run through the Lakes 8 Activities Conference and built the No. 41 MPR. Benzie Central will be upset-minded on the other side of the bracket after building a No. 45 MPR by coming in third in a Northwest Conference featuring co-champs Glen Lake and Kingsley.
Chelsea
1. Chelsea (17-3), 2. Parma Western (18-2), Eaton Rapids (14-6), Onsted (13-7), Hillsdale (4-16).
The first four teams listed above all are top-50 by MPR, with Parma Western the second seed but moving past Chelsea over the last two weeks for the District’s highest rating at No. 8 in Division 2. The Panthers are carrying an eight-game winning streak and defeated second-place Battle Creek Harper Creek 51-35 on Friday to claim the outright Interstate 8 Athletic Conference title. Chelsea, No. 11 in MPR, shared the Southeastern Conference White title with Dexter and got a nice test Friday in a 10-point loss to Division 1 No. 1 Ann Arbor Huron. The Bulldogs open with Eaton Rapids (No. 40), which has lost three of its last four but tied for second in a loaded Capital Area Activities Conference White. Onsted (No. 43) awaits the winner of Chelsea/Eaton Rapids.
DIVISION 3
Centreville
1. Centreville (19-1), 2. Schoolcraft (18-2), White Pigeon (15-4), Constantine (7-13), Marcellus (7-11).
Centreville has won the Southwest 10 Conference title all three seasons of its existence and will look to build on last year’s Regional Final run. But the Bulldogs’ only loss this winter came Feb. 7 in the second regular-season meeting against White Pigeon, which tied for second in the SW10 and will be awaiting in a District Semifinal the winner of tonight’s Centreville/Constantine opener. On the other side of the bracket, Schoolcraft won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley title for the third-straight year, and is likely further motivated after last year’s first-game District exit. Centreville is No. 6, Schoolcraft No. 9 and White Pigeon No. 29 in Division 3 MPR.
Grass Lake
1. Brooklyn Columbia Central (18-2), 2. Grass Lake (18-2), Michigan Center (17-3), East Jackson (10-10), Vandercook Lake (0-20).
Grass Lake has been considered a championship contender nearly all of this season with wins over reigning Division 3 title winner Pewamo-Westphalia plus Parma Western, Michigan Center and more recently reigning Division 4 champ Adrian Lenawee Christian to its credit. But the Warriors did fall in a rematch to Michigan Center, 65-55 on Feb. 4, and the two shared the Cascades Conference title. Grass Lake is up to No. 7 in Division 3 MPR and Michigan Center No. 11, and they face off in a District Semifinal on Wednesday. On the other side of the bracket, Columbia Central is No. 4 in MPR and the top seed after claiming the Lenawee County Athletic Association title. BCC’s losses came to Parma Western in the season opener and Lenawee Christian on Feb. 7, but it swept Division 2 No. 17 Ida.
Lake City
1. Manton (18-2), 2. Lake City (19-1), McBain (13-7), Houghton Lake (12-8), Roscommon (2-18).
Lake City moved all the way up to No. 5 in the final Division 3 MPR with wins over second-place Manton and third-place McBain over the last two weeks to win the Highland Conference. The Trojans – Division 3 semifinalists a year ago – then closed the regular season by handing Bellaire its only loss. The Highland might have been the toughest Division 3 league in the state; Manton finished No. 10 in MPR, McBain No. 30 and fourth-place Houghton Lake No. 53. Manton opens with Houghton Lake tonight, while McBain and Lake City face off in a Wednesday District Semifinal.
DIVISION 4
DeTour
St. Ignace (17-2), Pickford (16-3), Cedarville (12-6), DeTour (7-13), Mackinac Island (7-8).
This District features the Nos. 2, 10 and 14 teams in Division 4 MPR, although the Saints are the reigning Division 4 runners-up and enter with a 22-point win over Pickford and 24 and 36-point wins over Cedarville to their credit. St. Ignace also has wins over Division 1 No. 1 Ann Arbor Huron and Division 2 No. 6 Sault Ste. Marie and No. 20 Goodrich. But all of that said, the Pickford win came Jan. 15 and the rematch was canceled – so the Panthers should be raring for this one if the teams meet in Friday’s District Final.
Hillsdale Academy
1. Camden-Frontier (18-2), 2. Hillsdale Academy (15-5), Pittsford (17-3), Waldron (2-17), Morenci (3-17), Hillsdale Will Carleton Academy (7-10).
Camden-Frontier finished first, Pittsford second and Hillsdale Academy third in a loaded Southern Central Athletic Association East, and they finished Nos. 13, 23 and 33, respectively in Division 4 MPR. Camden-Frontier and Pittsford meet tonight; the Redskins won the regular-season meetings 54-34 and 56-46. C-F split with Hillsdale Academy, losing the first 52-45 but winning the second 45-37. If Pittsford upsets C-F tonight and reaches a Friday matchup with Hillsdale Academy, they too split during the regular season – Hillsdale Academy winning 45-34 on Feb. 15 and Pittsford winning 44-43 five days later.
Lansing Christian
Fowler (16-4), Portland St. Patrick (16-4), Morrice (14-5), Lansing Christian (10-10), Webberville (3-17).
Fowler finished second and Portland St. Patrick third in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference behind reigning Division 3 champion Pewamo-Westphalia, and now they’ll have the opportunity to surge like Fowler did in making the Semifinals last season. Similarly, Morrice finished second in the Genesee Area Conference to reigning Division 3 runner-up Flint Hamady. The Orioles see St. Patrick in a District Semifinal on Wednesday – St. Patrick won a Jan. 22 game with Morrice 52-13, and a repeat would set up a possible Friday rematch with Fowler. The Eagles took both meetings with the Shamrocks this season, but they were close – Fowler won 52-49 on Dec. 18 and then 61-53 in double overtime Jan. 30. Fowler is No. 4, St. Patrick No. 17 and Morrice No. 29 in Division 4 MPR.
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PHOTO: Detroit Edison in Division 2 and Flint Carman-Ainsworth in Division 1 met Feb. 25 and are among favorites in Divisions 2 and 1, respectively. Edison won 73-50. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
Launching Pad and Destination
November 30, 2012
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
Lamont Simpson’s “home” is a place he visits twice a week during his peak season, when NCAA Division I officiating duties have him navigating the Midwest like a person in a race for frequent flyer miles.
His travels pale in comparison to Stacey Thomas, who has lived in Latvia, Turkey and Sweden thanks to the game of basketball.
Then there’s Jim Garofalo, who authored his own cheat sheets to assist with the eight different rules books which intertwined during a period of time in his hockey officiating career, which included a trip to the Olympic Games.
So, naturally, there’s Simpson officiating an MHSAA Pre-District Football Playoff game in Detroit last fall, taking a postgame earful from a father who believed his son was the subject of a cheap shot during the game.
There’s Thomas, blowing a whistle with teenagers at the Healthy Kids Club in Detroit this summer
There’s Garofalo, ditching seven of the rules books over the last few years, and using only one now: the high school rules book.
It’s true that Simpson is at the pinnacle of his career, working Big Ten, Mid-American Conference and Horizon League men’s basketball, in addition to the WNBA in the summer, where he recently worked his eighth straight WNBA Finals.
And, yes, Thomas has her sights set on the NCAA Division I level and beyond, as her officiating career is still in its infancy.
Sure, Garofalo has achieved much on the ice both as an amateur and professional referee.
But, like so many in the officiating family, they deeply appreciate their roots and the people who helped them along the way. It’s a people business, first and foremost.
This week, continuing its "Making – and Answering – the Call" series, Second Half introduces Simpson, an officiating veteran of more than three decades. Profiles of Thomas and Garofalo will follow later this month.
It's about patience and honesty
The late June heat at the Kensington Valley Golf Course doesn’t seem to bother Lamont Simpson. The secret to his cool aura lies in his hand, a golf ball which he has identified as “Ref” in permanent marker.
Simpson is indeed a ref – permanently – thanks to a suggestion from Robert Menafee during the late 1970s, and the 1977 Detroit Redford grad has been most comfortable in the heat of competition’s spotlight ever since.
“I was at a football game at Henry Ford a year or two after high school, and Mr. Menafee, my former coach, saw me and asked what I was doing,” Simpson recalled. “He said I should try officiating. That’s the first I’d ever thought about it.”
It would be the impetus to a craft that has consumed nearly 30 years of Simpson’s life, as he now jets around the country as a top-flight NCAA Men’s Basketball official, and one of the senior officials in the WNBA, where he recently called his eighth consecutive Finals.
For all of his accomplishments, Simpson can still recall with great detail various moments that led to his current standing; mental snapshots which help to explain why he still registers as an MHSAA football official each year, and why he gives so freely of himself to anyone interested in getting a start in officiating.
“I still remember my first game, thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this,’” Simpson recalled. “In my second year I did a PSL (Detroit Public School League) playoff game, and to this day, walking into that gym is still one of my most gratifying times. There were about two or three thousand people in the stands, and I remember the butterflies.”
Fast forward to the Pontiac Silverdome in November 1992. In the waning seconds of the MHSAA Class A Football Final, a pigskin floats in the air doing its best butterfly imitation. Following a double-reverse pass, the tipped ball is finally corralled by Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Stacey Starr at the 10-yard line and carried into the end zone to give his school a 21-18 win over Walled Lake Western in one of the most frenzied finishes in MHSAA Finals history.
Simpson had a good view of the moment.
“I was the back judge, working my first MHSAA Final. My first thought is to get in position and then, ‘Oh man, the ball is tipped,’” Simpson replays in his mind. “You’re part of a game-ending situation and you don’t want to screw it up. You almost become a fan in a game like that—a moment like that—but you’ve got your job to do. Afterward, when it was all over, I just remember thinking, ‘What a football game I got to be a part of.’”
Simpson would also get a shot as a Football Final referee in 2003, and worked the 1995 Boys Basketball Final which featured Flint Northern’s team led by future MSU Spartans Mateen Cleaves and Antonio Smith. But, Simpson remembers that game for a different reason.
“It was the last time that the Final was worked with a two-person crew.” Simpson said. “I remember the great athletes in the game, and being part of history as the last two-man crew in the Finals is something to be proud of.”
Simpson is quick to point out, however, that simply having what it takes to officiate an athletic event at any level is something of which to be most proud. While it’s natural for new officials to covet championship assignments and careers beyond the high school level, Simpson stresses patience, hard work, and – in many cases – honesty with one’s own performance as the most valuable traits an official can possess.
“I work and speak at a lot of camps, and I stress that people need to work at the craft – mechanics, rules, physical appearance – and above all have patience.” Simpson said. “The thing I see in younger officials now that is so different than when I was coming in, is they don’t have the patience; they don’t want to pay their dues.”
Sometimes, even the greatest amount of patience, perseverance and hard work isn’t enough. And, that’s where honesty in self-evaluation comes in. Yes, there are egos in officiating. To some extent, it’s a prerequisite. However, humility can also lead to finding a niche in the game.
Simpson himself is an example.
“My goal was to work in the NBA, but after seven years in the CBA, I realized that it probably wasn’t going to happen,” he said. “But, you know, there was still a lot of good basketball out there to work. When I left the CBA, I did so on my own terms, and went to work on my college career. So, sometimes you weigh your options and focus on the next goal.
“The point is, work at being the best at whatever level you work. I’ve seen guys spend a lot of money at the same camps year after year, and never get that college assignment,” Simpson said. “Maybe it’s time for them to focus on a different level.”
In that respect, the very thing that drives officials and gets them in the game in the first place can by the very thing that drives them out. Passion and drive, the need to reach the next level, can keep people focused in their chosen quest; the frustration of not advancing can also lead to their exit.
True, Simpson is one of 32 officials in the WNBA, and just worked his eighth WNBA Final. He has a full NCAA Division I men’s basketball schedule. But, the father of three grown children and grandfather of five cannot express enough the fringe benefits that officiating brings at any level.
“You become a better people person through officiating. Your communication skills are sharper,” he says. “Not only what to say and when to say it, but you learn to listen. You have to be a listener in this business, and that’s a great skill to have in life.”
It also provides the opportunity to be a teacher and recruiter. It’s one of the reasons he’s closing in on nearly three decades as an MHSAA registered official. What better way to pass the knowledge forward?
“No matter where you end up, always remember where you started, and keep your friends,” Simpson said. “I return every call, every text. I still talk to the same guys I grew up with. From an officiating standpoint if we could all just bring along one person at a time, think of the effect that would have.”
Simpson does more than his share, from speaking at camps and clinics – all voluntarily, mind you – to the behind the scenes recruitment, such as the time he surrendered all of his baseball umpiring equipment to a friend under the condition that person register with the MHSAA and begin working games.
He thinks back to the suggestion from Coach Menafee frequently. “Oh, all the time,” Simpson said. “I think of the places I’ve been, the things I’ve seen, the people I’ve met and the person I’ve become. This is what being an official does.”
There’s a scenario that Simpson replays time and again when he talks of officiating, and it doesn’t pertain to his collegiate or professional experience. In fact, it’s not even about basketball.
“It’s Friday night, and you’re working the big rivalry game between two communities. You get on the field, the bleachers are packed, the bands are playing, and you’re right in the mix,” Simpson says with reverence. “That’s it right there. It doesn’t get much better than that. That’s it.”
PHOTO: Lamont Simpson officiates WNBA games during the summers, including this contest involving the Atlanta Dream and player Erika de Souza (14).
NOTE: This is the fifth installment in the series "Making – and Answering – the Call" detailing the careers and service of MHSAA officials. Click the links below to view the others.