Breslin Bound: Girls Report Week 6
January 13, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Most if not all MHSAA girls basketball teams have reached the midpoints of their regular seasons, or will do so by this week’s end.
And many of the best we’ve seen so far are winners we’ve come to expect over the years – although this week’s list of teams to note again mixes in some that are shining much brighter in 2014-15 than in the recent past.
Class A
Farmington Hills Harrison (7-1) – The Hawks have opened 7-1 for the second straight season, with the only misstep to one-loss Ann Arbor Huron and only one win by fewer than 12 points; Harrison opens Oakland Activities Association Red play Friday against undefeated Rochester Adams.
Gaylord (6-1) – The Blue Devils’ showdown with Traverse City West last week for first place in the Big North Conference was postponed to Jan. 20; regardless, Gaylord earned wins against Cadillac by 15 and Charlevoix by 29 and hasn’t lost since opening night.
Saginaw Heritage (7-0) – The Hawks’ 2013-14 season ended abruptly with an overtime loss to Midland Dow in their District opener, but Heritage has avenged that one already this winter, by 10 points, its closest win as it’s moved to the top of the Saginaw Valley Association North.
St. Johns (6-3) – The Redwings’ losses are to teams with a combined record of 20-3, and they’ve won three straight – defeating Detroit Pershing, followed by 2014 Class A semifinalist Grand Ledge by three last week and then Owosso by 29.
Class B
Goodrich (6-1) – The Martians have a combined five regular-season losses dating back to the start of the 2012-13 season, and the lone defeat this season was last month to Class A power Farmington Hills Mercy. All of Goodrich’s wins are by double figures, including 70-46 over second-place Flint Beecher last week in a matchup of the top two teams in the Genesee Area Conference Red.
Holland Christian (5-2) – The Maroons came back strong from a tough loss to Grand Rapids Christian with a 15-point win over East Grand Rapids and a 20-pointer over Hamilton last week – just in time for Friday’s matchup with rival Holland.
Hudsonville Unity Christian (5-1) – Holland Christian’s colleague in the Ottawa-Kent Green hasn’t lost since falling to Grand Rapids Christian before break and owns a 10-point win over reigning Class B runner-up Grand Rapids South Christian and a 29-pointer over Allendale from last week.
Macomb Lutheran North (8-0) – The Mustangs lead the Detroit Catholic League AA in part after last week defeating Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, the only team to beat Lutheran North during the regular season in 2013-14. That 35-16 win matched the other seven all in double figures.
Class C
Dryden (6-2) – The Cardinals improved from six wins in 2012-13 to 10 last season and look good to surpass that this winter with a pair of wins last week continuing a three-game streak.
Ithaca (7-0) – Longtime coach Bob Anderson keeps leading winning teams; last week’s 77-37 victory over St. Louis was the 1,130th game of Anderson’s coaching career, girls and boys combined, and he has the Yellowjackets on pace to cruise past last season’s total of 10 wins.
Saginaw Arts & Sciences (5-0) – The Dragons were a solid 14-7 a year ago and continue to improve, with last week’s 53-16 win over Owendale-Gagetown by far their biggest this season and a great way to jump into the Michigan Summit League schedule.
Tawas (9-1) – The Braves have surpassed last season’s 8-11 finish and have a pair of two-point wins – over Class A Bay City Central early and Class D contender Posen 38-36 on Monday.
Class D
Felch North Dickinson (4-3) – The Nordics are halfway to last season’s win total of eight and riding a three-game winning streak with the latest 69-46 over Skyline Central Conference opponent Powers North Central.
St. Ignace (6-3) – Never mind the Saints’ three losses; they are to teams that are all in Class C or larger and are a combined 19-4. St. Ignace kicked off the new year with big wins over Class C Charlevoix and Class A Sault Ste. Marie.
Kingston (8-2) – The North Central Thumb League leaders rebounded off a loss to Brown City in that school’s tournament final to beat Peck and Caseville both by more than 30 points last week; Kingston already owns one win against second-place Deckerville, with the rematch scheduled for Jan. 26.
Newberry (8-1) – The Indians are a three-point December loss to Munising from a perfect record this season and opened the new year with a 54-41 win over solid Engadine on Friday; Newberry and St. Ignace face off Thursday for first place in the Straits Area Conference.
PHOTO: Saginaw Heritage’s 44-24 win over Flint Powers Catholic on Jan. 7 was one of the most impressive of its 7-0 start this season. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com).
Countdown to Calvin: Girls Report Week 7
January 15, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Picking the five most impactful girls basketball results from last week was a challenge.
Picking this week’s most intriguing five next Monday could prove even tougher.
A great set of matchups is coming Michigan’s way this week as schedules reach a halfway point for most teams. None may pack the boom of the first in our “Week in Review” below, but plenty more will resonate through league standings and state polls.
Countdown to Calvin is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. To offer corrections or help us fill in missing scores, email me at [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Ann Arbor Huron 46, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 36 – Might Huron be the state’s best team regardless of class? This result combined with the next two below start the discussion.
2. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 54, Detroit Edison Public School Academy 49 – Reigning Class C champ DEPSA was building a reputation as that top team in the state, until Arbor Prep battled back from the Huron trip-up. But DEPSA did hand Huron its only loss.
3. East Kentwood 52, Caledonia 45 – The reigning Class A runner-up keeps impressing as it remains undefeated, this time handing Caledonia its first loss of the season (and week; the Fighting Scots then fell Friday to Hudsonville as well).
4. Negaunee 59, Marquette 45 – These are two of the best from the Upper Peninsula, and now the Miners are contending perhaps only with St. Ignace for the title after handing the Redettes their first loss this season.
5. Coldwater 54, Battle Creek Pennfield 45 – The Cardinals bounced back from suffering their first loss this season in overtime two weeks ago by handing the first loss to Battle Creek Pennfield, creating a four-team first-place tie in the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each class making sparks:
CLASS A
Jenison (7-3) – The Wildcats are sitting in the middle of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Black, for now. They are quite close to equaling last season’s 10-13 success already this winter. Jenison earned a 45-40 win over O-K White leader Lowell last week and followed that up with an impressive 43-30 victory over Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, last season’s league runner-up.
Macomb Dakota (8-1) – The Cougars are sitting alone atop a Macomb Area Conference Red that again looks like one of the toughest leagues in the state. Dakota got there last week by handing reigning league champion Warren Cousino a nine-point defeat and improved Romeo a five-point loss. The Cougars have fallen only to Ann Arbor Huron.
CLASS B
Chelsea (9-1) – The Bulldogs are in first place in the Southeastern Conference White after finishing second both of the last two seasons, and they are only a three-point loss to annual power Marshall from a perfect first half. Chelsea hasn’t played Tecumseh – which also hasn’t lost in the SEC White – but their first matchup is set for Jan. 23.
Comstock (9-1) – Comstock is undefeated through the first round of Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference Red games, with its only loss to Class A Richland Gull Lake. The run has included a 19-point win over Buchanan, with which the Colts shared last season’s championship, and an early 22-pointer over second-place Niles Brandywine – which remains Brandywine’s only defeat.
CLASS C
Kent City (8-2) – The Eagles moved into first place alone in the Central State Activities Association Silver with Friday’s 59-43 win over Morley Stanwood and have won outright or shared the league title the last three seasons. The two losses were good tests, in the opener against Class A Rockford and then by a point to Class B Comstock Park. No other opponent has come within single digits.
Traverse City St. Francis (5-1) – The Gladiators have won or shared the Lake Michigan Conference championship every season this decade, four times splitting it with Kalkaska. But a 49-46 win over Kalkaska on Friday put St. Francis a half-game ahead of Charlevoix and in first alone for now, and its only loss was in the opener to still-undefeated Maple City Glen Lake.
CLASS D
McBain Northern Michigan Christian (5-2) – Generally a dweller in the middle of the Highland Conference standings, NMC is making itself at home on top as the first half of the league schedule draws to a close. The Comets beat reigning champion Leroy Pine River by 30 last week and have handed second-place Manton its only league loss while also just falling to Class C Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (8-2).
Munising (7-1) – Despite graduating valuable veterans from last season’s 20-1 team, Munising is back in the mix. Last week’s 56-52 win over second-place Bark River-Harris has the Mustangs sitting in first place in the Skyline Central Conference’s Large School division. The lone trip-up came to Class C Gwinn.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Flushing (7-2) at Fenton (6-3) – The reigning Class A champion Raiders have rattled off seven straight wins after opening with a pair of defeats, but second-place Fenton would love to move into a first-place tie in the Flint Metro League by breaking the streak.
Wednesday – Gaylord St. Mary (7-1) at Bellaire (9-1) – Revenge surely is on the Eagles’ minds as St. Mary beat Bellaire twice to win the Ski Valley Conference title last season and a third time in the District.
Friday – East Kentwood (10-1) at Hudsonville (9-1) – These two are the only two left undefeated in O-K Red play after only a handful of games and also met in last season’s Regional Final as the Falcons advanced.
Friday – Okemos (7-2) at East Lansing (9-0) – Both are 5-0 in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue, with the Chiefs surely anticipating this matchup to show they belong in the conversation with a strong group of Lansing-area Class A teams.
Friday – Maple City Glen Lake (9-0) at Kingsley (8-0) – These are shaping up as the two best in the Northwest Conference again this season after a Glen Lake sweep of Kingsley gave the Lakers the title over the Stags a year ago.
PHOTOS: East Kentwood contained Grand Haven for a 51-47 win earlier this month, its closest of 10 victories this season. (Photo courtesy of the Grand Haven Tribune.)