Breslin Bound: Girls Report Week 2
December 11, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We're only two weeks into this girls basketball season. But there are plenty of teams that already can take pride in strong starts that either are continuing on last season's success or showing a nice turnaround after a rough run.
Some of those are highlighted in this week's report. Remember, what's below isn't any sort of statewide ranking – merely a top-10 list of notables from last week.
Records and results are through Sunday and based on those found at MHSAA.com. Click on Score Center to follow scores throughout the week and enter those of the games you attend.
1. Concord (3-0) – Most of the key pieces to last season’s Class C Semifinalist team are back, and they earned a pair of close wins. Concord edged Michigan Center 36-32 – after also beating Michigan Center in overtime in the District opener last season – and then got past Homer 37-35.
2. L’Anse (4-0) – The Purple Hornets are again off to a nice start – with a bonus. According to the Houghton Daily Mining Gazette, L’Anse’s 60-56 win over Houghton gave Houghton its first loss to a team from the state’s four northernmost counties since Nov. 2, 1999. Click to read more from the Daily Mining Gazette.
3. Westland John Glenn (2-0) – The Rockets got off to a strong start with a 66-34 win over Grosse Pointe North and then a 63-56 victory over Dearborn Divine Child. Divine Child is coming off a trip to the Class B Semifinals.
4. Grand Rapids South Christian (3-0) – Two of the Sailors four losses last season came to Grand Rapids Catholic Central. They haven’t played GRCC yet, but did edge Grand Rapids Christian 50-46 just three days after the Eagles beat GRCC by six.
5. Marshall (3-1) – This returning Class B Quarterfinalist added a strong week to a solid start. First, Marshall topped Richland Gull Lake 48-44 – Gull Lake won its Class A District last year – and then the Redhawks finished the week with a 46-33 win over Battle Creek Central.
6. Pontiac (2-0) – The Phoenix were a .500 team last season, but are off to a quick start thanks to two close wins. Pontiac beat Waterford Mott 49-45 and then Harper Woods Chandler Park 57-55.
7. Manchester (4-0) – The Flying Dutchmen have beaten every opponent by at least 10 points this season, including Onsted 59-40 and Napoleon 64-34 last week. Napoleon entered 3-0.
8. Bloomfield Hills Marian (2-0) – Marian is off to a solid start after beating annual Class A power Canton 44-30. Marian opened by beating Grosse Pointe North two weeks ago.
9. Athens (3-0) – The reigning Class D runner-up is off to a fast start again. Athens opened last week by beating Climax-Scotts 55-44, then survived a close one against Reading, 37-31.
10. Saginaw Heritage (2-2) – The Hawks bounced back from two losses during the first week to even their record by beating Arthur Hill 54-35 and Bay City Western 51-14. Heritage lost to Arthur Hill by 17 in their game last season.
PHOTO: Howell junior Meredith Wood works to get around a defender as the Highlanders pushed toward their first win of the season, 60-48 over Carrollton on Thursday. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Class B: Goodrich to Greatness
March 17, 2012
EAST LANSING – Flint Powers Catholic stood in the way for a long time. Then Detroit Country Day. Last season, Dearborn Divine Child stopped Goodrich one game short of its first championship chance.
So although the Martians talked early this season about remaining hungry despite their recent success, it’s hard to believe losing that drive was ever a possibility.
Goodrich was on the edge of elite then. But Saturday’s 60-53 win over Grand Rapids Catholic Central gave the Martians both their first MHSAA title and a final boost into that group of teams considered the state's best regardless of class.
It didn’t come easy. But it seemed nearly inevitable after the team advanced to the Quarterfinals in 2010 and the Semifinals a season ago.
“When we went into that huddle, Coach was speaking and we’re like, just hold your heads high. We’re fighting. We want this,” Goodrich senior Frankie Joubran said. “Because what it comes down to is who wants it more. I guess it showed."
Saturday’s Final was Goodrich’s first. The Martians, ranked No. 1 in Class B heading into the tournament, finished 28-0.
But just because Goodrich knocked off the reigning champion in the Semifinal, beating Grand Rapids Catholic (24-4) was anything but a formality.
Cougars seniors Shellis Hampton and Tiesha Stokes were in their third championship game in four seasons, and going for the 100th win of their four-year varsity careers. Stokes had 19 points and 11 rebounds Saturday and Hampton had 12 points and six assists.
After trailing by two at halftime, the Cougars led 40-39 with a quarter to play.
“We had a lot of things that didn’t go our way,” Goodrich coach Jason Gray said. “But eventually, we had that last run in us.”
Grand Rapids Catholic increased its lead to five with 5:32 to play. But the Martians finished on a 9-2 run thanks to scoring from four players over the final 2:07.
“We were pretty even on a lot of things, but a couple of possessions we missed some rebounds, and I think that killed us,” Grand Rapids Catholic coach Colleen Lamoreaux-Tate said. “It’s so back and forth, back and forth, and we needed to get some rebounds. It’s a one possession game all the time.”
Joubran led Goodrich with 16 points and junior guard Aketra Sevillian added 13.
Seven seniors will graduate from a team that finished 51-1 over the last two seasons. And the Martians also had a deeper inspiration to finish on top this season.
Longtime administrator Al Martus remains a legend in Goodrich and was close to both Gray and some of the team’s leaders. He began battling pancreatic cancer a year ago and died over the summer.
Photos of Goodrich’s state champions hang in the hallway outside the gym. So does a large picture of Martus. And next to that is a blank spot soon to be occupied by the team he provided with so much.
“It was weird, but we didn’t talk about it a lot as a team. But it was always there,” Gray said. “I don’t know if we kept quiet because we didn’t want to end up in the same situation or feel bad again.
“He was a great man, a great boss to me, and great mentor to the girls. And I know he’d be very proud of the effort they put forth this year.”
Click for the box score. Watch the game and both teams' postgame press conferences at MHSAA.tv.
PHOTOS: (Top) Goodrich celebrates its first MHSAA championship. (Photo courtesy of Terry McNamara Photography.)