C-D Preview: Favorites Seeking to Finish
March 16, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The proposed favorites at this weekend’s MHSAA Class C and D Girls Basketball Finals have unfinished business from trips to the Breslin Center a year ago.
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep and Pittsford entered the postseason as the top-ranked teams in those classes, respectively, by The Associated Press – Arbor Prep coming off a Semifinals loss in 2015 and Pittsford bouncing back from an overtime defeat in the Class D championship game.
But claiming a title this time won’t be as easy as returning to East Lansing. All four Class C contenders are seeking to play in an MHSAA Final for the first time. Stephenson is seeking the same in Class D – and along with the Wildcats, faces a Semifinal opponent with recent championship history.
All four Class C and D Semifinals will be played Thursday, with all four championship games Saturday.
Semifinals - Thursday
Class C
Niles Brandywine (24-2) vs. Traverse City St. Francis (25-1), 1 p.m.
Ithaca (24-2) vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (23-2), 2:50 p.m.
Class D
Pittsford (25-0) vs Waterford Our Lady (20-4), 6 p.m.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (23-1) vs Stephenson (24-2), 7:50 p.m.
Finals - Saturday
Class A - Noon
Class B - 6 p.m.
Class C - 4 p.m.
Class D - 10 a.m.
Tickets cost $8 per pair of Semifinals and $10 per two-game Finals session. All Semifinals will be streamed live on MHSAA.TV on a pay-per-view basis. All four Finals will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit’s primary channel, with the Class B game on a delayed basis at 10:30 p.m. Free radio broadcasts of all weekend games will be available on MHSAANetwork.com.
And now, a look at the semifinalists in Class C and D. Click on the name of the school to see that team’s full schedule and results from this season. (Statistics are through teams' Regional Finals; Ithaca’s include Tuesday’s Quarterfinal.)
Class C
ITHACA
Record/rank: 24-2, No. 7
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference West
Coach: Jessie Rayburn, fourth season (40-42)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 51-43 over No. 2 Flint Hamady in Quarterfinal, 68-45 over Reese in Regional Final, 53-41 over New Lothrop in Regional Semifinal, 57-53 over Hemlock in District Final.
Players to watch: Kayla Belles, 6-3 soph. C (18 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 4.2 bpg, 2.1 spg); Maddie Brock, 5-10 jr. F (9.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Brooklyn Dolloff, 5-4 sr. G (9.5 ppg, 3.9 spg).
Outlook: Ithaca has been on the verge of this best-ever run, but it’s still a little incredible given that coach Bob Anderson retired midseason because of health issues. In stepped assistant Rayburn, who was head coach from 2009-11, and the Yellowjackets have barely missed a beat with their only losses to Class B No. 8 Freeland and No. 9 Frankenmuth. Belles has put up some incredible games over her first two seasons, and she’s surrounded in the starting lineup by three seniors and a junior. The Regional title also was the first in program history.
NILES BRANDYWINE
Record/rank: 24-2, honorable mention
League finish: First in Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference Red
Coach: Josh Hood, seventh season (162-12)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 53-47 over No. 9 Gobles in Regional Final, 40-24 over Grand Rapids Covenant Christian in Quarterfinal, 53-44 over Class B honorable mention Stevensville Lakeshore.
Players to watch: Makenna Hartline, 5-10 sr. C (no statistics submitted); Michaela Hartline, 5-10 sr. F (no statistics submitted).
Outlook: Brandywine is back at the Semifinals for the first time since 2010 and has won at least 20 games every season and never lost more than two under Hood since he took over the program that historic winter. Five seniors start, and while the Bobcats don’t go taller than 5-10, the Hartlines are strong in the post. The only losses this season were to South Bend Adams (Ind.) and Class A Southfield, which finished 20-2.
TRAVERSE CITY ST. FRANCIS
Record/rank: 24-1, No. 3 (tied)
League finish: First in Lake Michigan Conference
Coach: Keith Haske, first season (24-1)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 48-44 over No. 6 St. Ignace in Quarterfinal, 62-55 over Maple City Glen Lake in District Final, 76-72 over Class D No. 7 Frankfort, 51-38 and 54-29 over Kalkaska.
Players to watch: Annie Lyman, 5-10 sr. F (14 ppg); Juliana Phillips, 6-4 jr. F (12 ppg, 10 rpg).
Outlook: St. Francis has won 23 straight since falling early to Class B No. 5 Manistee. Haske coached both the boys and girls teams this season and has taken a girls team this far before – his 2004 Charlevoix team finished Class C runner-up. With two sophomores and a junior in the starting lineup and only three seniors total, this might be the first of a few trips for this group. Senior center Lauren McDonnell adds another 10 points per game.
YPSILANTI ARBOR PREP
Record/rank: 23-2, No. 1
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Coach: Rod Wells, fifth season (101-17)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 40-30 over No. 5 Napoleon in Regional Final, 66-42 over No. 10 Saginaw Nouvel, 52-41 over Class B No. 5 Manistee, 50-47 over Class B No. 2 Bay City John Glenn.
Players to watch: Nastassja Chambers, 5-8 sr. G (11.2 ppg, 2.8 apg, 2.8 spg); Ro’zhane Wells, 5-5 jr. G (11 ppg, 3.3 apg, 2.6 spg); Cydney Williams, 5-11 jr. F (7.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.6 bpg).
Outlook: Arbor Prep has won three straight Regional titles and fell to eventual runner-up Hamady in a Semifinal last season. Chambers is the lone senior starter but has been the team’s leading scorer during its two runs to Breslin. And big-game experience isn’t a problem: the Gators again played one of the toughest schedules for a Class C school, handing Class B contender John Glenn its only loss and falling to reigning Class B champion Detroit Country Day and Class A No. 5 Ann Arbor Huron.
Class D
MOUNT PLEASANT SACRED HEART
Record/rank: 23-1, No. 3.
League finish: First in Mid-South Activities Conference.
Coach: Damon Brown, eighth season (153-39)
Championship history: Class D champion 2014, runner-up 2008.
Best wins: 27-26 over Gaylord St. Mary in Quarterfinal, 44-25 over Fruitport Calvary Christian in Regional Semifinal, 54-34 over Big Rapids Crossroads Academy in District Semifinal, 45-40 over Class C honorable mention Morley Stanwood.
Players to watch: Averi Gamble, 6-3 sr. C (16.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.1 bpg); Scout Nelson, fr. G (9.2 ppg, 3.2 apg, 3.3 spg).
Outlook: Sacred Heart has made the season’s final week the last four years and won Class D in 2014 with now-seniors Gamble and guard Megan English in the starting lineup. Gamble was named this week the Class D Player of the Year by The Associated Press. The Irish’s only loss was by five to Class C No. 10 Saginaw Nouvel, and they’ve had only four wins decided by double figures – and given up more than 40 points only three times. Sophomore forward Sophie Ruggles adds 7.6 points and five rebounds per game.
PITTSFORD
Record/rank: 25-0, No. 1
League finish: First in Southern Central Athletic Association East
Coach: Chris Hodos, fourth season (89-8)
Championship history: Class D runner-up 2015.
Best wins: 61-43 over Class D No. 5 Climax-Scotts, 56-36 over Manchester, 53-41 over Belleville.
Players to watch: Maddie Clark, 5-10 jr. F (17.7 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 3.5 spg); Jaycie Burger, 5-9 jr. G (19.2 ppg, 72 3-pointers, 6.3 apg, 3.1 spg).
Outlook: Pittsford’s 2015 Finals run ended with an overtime loss in the championship game. Three starters and six of eight players who saw the floor that day returned for this run, with Burger and Clark continuing to shine after breaking onto the statewide scene at Breslin a year ago. Senior center Maddie Ayers adds 8.5 points per game and sophomore guard Sydni Brunette had scored 8.3 off the bench a team outscoring opponents 67-23 on average. The Wildcats haven’t lost a regular-season game since 2011-12.
STEPHENSON
Record/rank: 24-2, No. 8
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Coach: Shanna Beal, second season (35-12)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 60-35 over No. 2 Newberry in Semifinal, 60-36 over honorable mention Crystal Falls Forest Park in Regional Final, 57-56 (OT) over No. 4 Bark River-Harris in District Semifinal, 51-43 over Norway.
Players to watch: Tori Wangerin, 5-10 sr. C (18 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 2.0 bpg); Karley Johnson, 5-8 sr. G (11 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.8 apg, 3.4 spg); Kelsey Johnson, 5-8 sr. G (14 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 4.6 apg).
Outlook: Stephenson advanced from its first Quarterfinal since 1982 to its first Semifinal ever while facing most of the best from the Upper Peninsula and avenging an earlier loss to Bark River-Harris along the way. The Eagles made a huge jump after finishing 11-10 during Beal’s first season, and with Wangerin and the Johnsons as the team’s only seniors. Stephenson’s 10-game winning streak has included nine by 13 or more points.
WATERFORD OUR LADY
Record/rank: 20-4, No. 6.
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League East.
Coach: Steve Robak, ninth season (166-56)
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2012), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 51-43 over Kingston in Quarterfinal, 47-35 over Morrice in Regional Final, 40-24 over Madison Heights Bishop Foley, 46-44, 41-23 and 55-53 over Wixom St. Catherine.
Players to watch: Alex Troy, 5-4 sr. G (12.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 3.0 spg); Tiffany Senerius, 5-8 soph. F (12.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.2 spg).
Outlook: Our Lady will make its sixth Semifinal appearance in seven seasons and with all five starters back from last year’s surprise run, when the Lakers advanced after entering the postseason with a sub-.500 record. They have won 10 straight and avenged a loss to Bishop Foley by winning a final rematch in the Catholic League C-D championship game. Our Lady graduates four players, but 10 could return for another run in 2017.
The Girls Basketball Finals are presented by Sparrow Health System.
PHOTO: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart's Averi Gamble grabs a rebound during a Regional Final win over Portland St. Patrick. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Arbor Prep Earns Another Title Game Trip
March 15, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
GRAND RAPIDS – Ypsilanti Arbor Prep calls its championship pursuit a “4-mile run.” And the Gators got through about 3.9 a year ago.
They’ll get another chance to finish the final leg after a 53-35 Class C Semifinal win over Maple City Glen Lake on Thursday at Van Noord Arena.
The Gators, who won Class C in 2016 and then finished Class B runner-up a year ago, will face reigning Class C title winner Detroit Edison in Saturday’s 4 p.m. championship game.
Arbor Prep was the only team this season that defeated Edison, downing the Pioneers 54-49 on Jan. 11.
“Considering what happened with us last year, and the type of players we are and the type of team we have this year, we’re anxious that way,” Arbor Prep senior Jala Petree said. “We’re ambitious to get what we deserve. And I think we’re going to keep working. It isn’t over yet.”
Junior Mahri Petree – Jala and senior Lasha’s younger sister – said after she can feel “a different type of energy in our locker room and practices.”
Arbor Prep (21-5) came out with that drive, opening the Semifinal on a 12-1 run. Glen Lake (23-3) – a semifinalist last season as well – pulled to within four points with two minutes to go in the first half, but the Gators finished with another 7-0 surge.
“It’s like a roller coaster,” Glen Lake coach Jason Bradford said. “The first couple of buckets, (our) first two layups were in and out.
“We’ve been behind before, and the girls know how to work through the runs. We say it’s a roller coaster and just keep on fighting. We have confidence since these girls are used to fighting back, since freshman year, each tournament run … (they have) a lot of composure and a lot of heart.”
The Lakers played Arbor Prep even in the third quarter – notable especially because senior forward Jennifer LaCross, who scored 10 points during the first half, didn’t play at all during the second because of a broken nose.
But the Gators got rolling again in the fourth quarter, closing on a 12-5 run to earn the third straight championship game berth.
Jala and Mahri Petree both scored 12 points, Mahri grabbing seven rebounds with five assists and three steals. Lasha Petree, a Miss Basketball Award finalist this season, had eight points, five assists, five steals and four blocks.
“Last year, losing, that pain is still in my heart,” Lasha Petree said. “I want to avenge it, and I’m ready for it and want to help my teammates do whatever to win.”
Freshman Hailey Helling led Glen Lake with 11 points and five rebounds. LaCross, despite not playing the second half, was the second-leading scorer. The Lakers’ 35 points total were 10 fewer than their previous season low.
Guard Savannah Peplinski and forward Allie Bonzelet joined LaCross finishing four-year careers that included two league titles and two Semifinal trips – and many more memorable moments.
“As a team, it’s just fun the memories we make – not even during the games, but like at the hotel (during Finals weekends),” LaCross said. “I’ll probably be thinking about it when I’m missing basketball the rest of my life.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Maple City Glen Lake’s Allie Bonzelet (11) works to get past Arbor Prep’s Karli Waddell (11) and Lasha Petree. (Middle) Petree defends against Savannah Peplinski.