Cancer Free, Haske Pulls Double Duty
March 3, 2016
By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half
TRAVERSE CITY – Keith Haske calls coaching basketball “therapeutic.”
It’s a term that now holds more meaning for the 58-year-old Traverse City St. Francis basketball coach, who is recovering from a stage four throat cancer diagnosis two years ago.
“When you’re coaching you just kind of lose yourself,” he said. “You don’t think about how you’re feeling or what you went through.”
Coaching has been a major part of Haske’s life for 32 years – 13 at St. Johns, 13 at Charlevoix and six at St. Francis. Even when he felt weak and tired last season, Haske continued as the boys coach, using an amplified headset at practice to lessen the strain on his throat.
His health, he said, is continually improving. He’s cancer free. His energy and strength are returning – so much so that he added to his workload this season by taking on the girls varsity coaching duties, too.
“When you go through this stuff you almost have a renewed energy,” he said. “Your body fights so hard to beat the cancer, and you go through so much suffering, that when you come out the other side things really don’t faze you as much.”
This is a time of the year that will test Haske’s stamina because his schedule is busier than ever. He coached three doubleheaders last week. With the girls reaching Friday’s MHSAA Class C District Final, he’ll coach five games in five days this week. It could be a repeat next week if the boys and girls advance along the tournament trail.
“I can’t tell you how much fun that would be,” Haske said.
Another tough District matchup awaits, though. The girls team (21-1) played Elk Rapids (15-6) on Wednesday and will next face host Glen Lake (20-2). The boys (12-7) will face Johannesburg-Lewiston (16-2) – the team that knocked the Gladiators out last season– in their District opener Monday.
It’s a challenging schedule. But Haske, who’s taken four teams to the MHSAA Finals, is accustomed to challenges. None bigger than his battle with cancer.
The diagnosis came the day after Easter in 2014. Haske, who kept physically fit, couldn’t believe what the doctor was telling him.
“I said, ‘There’s no way,’” he recalled. “I never smoked, never chewed tobacco, things you would attribute (to throat cancer).”
He wasn’t the only one stunned.
“Most of the team started breaking down crying,” senior Dylan Sheehy-Guiseppi remembered when Haske broke the news. “We were so shocked. We couldn’t understand how it happened to him.”
Neither could Haske’s close friends.
“Your first take is that it’s pretty devastating because you don’t know (what to expect),” Adam Wood, who played for and coached under Haske at Charlevoix, said. “Cancer can run the gamut as far as severity. The one thing I did know is that he would fight it as hard as he could.”
Haske took his fight to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He, and his wife Barb, spent most of the summer there as Haske underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatment.
It was on a return trip to Houston a few months later – he still goes back every four months for scans – when he learned he was cancer free.
“When I left (in July) they were still worried about one of the lymph nodes, whether they got it or not,” Haske said. “Sometimes it gets inflamed from the radiation, and they can’t tell.”
Turns out, it was inflammation. No cancer was detected.
On the way home, Haske received a call from principal Eric Chittle, who then revealed the good news at a school assembly.
“The whole student body went crazy,” Haske said. “It was cool.”
For Haske, the dean of students at the high school, it was a big hurdle to clear. But there was a side effect – Haske’s throat was still inflamed, and he struggled to eat.
“When I came back I went six months without eating a single morsel of food,” he said. “I lived on Ensure and ice cream.”
He ended up losing 53 pounds – and at one point inquired about a feeding tube.
“He (doctor) said, ‘You don’t need it. You’ve been through the worst. You’ll be all right,’” Haske recalled. “He was right. A couple weeks later it started to turn around.”
After the boys basketball season concluded last March, and as Haske’s health improved, the girls basketball job opened up. Haske had coached girls basketball at Charlevoix for three seasons, leading the Rayders to a 27-1 record and a Finals appearance in 2004. He stepped down when the girls season was switched from fall to winter.
St. Francis athletic director Tom Hardy thought about the possibilities and approached Haske, a member of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame, about adding a second coaching job. After consulting with Barb, who he said has been “unbelievable” in his recovery process, Haske accepted.
Wood, who is now the boys basketball coach and athletic director at Lake Michigan Conference rival Harbor Springs, was among the first to call his former coach.
“He asked, ‘Adam, am I crazy?’” Wood said laughing. “My response was ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘I’ve been getting a lot of that lately.’
“For him to take that on was beyond impressive. It was all about the kids.”
What about physically?
“When I saw him this year I told him he looked great,” Wood said. “He said he felt great. The difference between this year and last is quite dramatic.”
Haske – who is mentoring two young coaches in the system, Tyler Sanborn and Stephanie DeNoyelles – said the casual fan might not even realize what he’s been through.
“If you were looking at me across the gym you wouldn’t have any idea,” Haske said. “If you get closer, I still have some swelling in my jaw, and I talk a little funny sometimes.”
But he’s enjoying every minute.
“The kids here are great, and that makes it so much easier,” he said. “You just don’t have many problems.”
The players are thankful to see their coach returning to his old self.
“He’s not only a basketball coach, he’s a mentor,” Sheehy-Guiseppi said. “He wants to make sure you’re taking care of stuff outside the game of basketball first. He really cares about you as a person, and he looks forward to helping you grow as a person.”
St. Francis officials adjusted Haske’s work schedule during the winter to accommodate his coaching, and Hardy had to work out arrangements with league members to schedule more varsity doubleheaders.
“All the schools were great about it,” Hardy said. “We have not had an issue with Keith having to be at two spots at the same time.”
Now comes the challenge of March Madness. And for the girls, that means a showdown with Glen Lake.
“They’re a lot like us,” Haske said, when asked about the Lakers. “They don’t have any one person you can key on. They have five or six girls that all share the ball and are dangerous. They’re tough in the paint and they can shoot. They’re very balanced, very sound.”
So are the Gladiators, who have won 19 in a row. Senior Annie Lyman is the leader, averaging 14 points, eight rebounds, five steals and five assists per game.
“She does it all,” Haske said. “She’s a tough, aggressive player.”
Juliana Phillips, a 6-foot-4 junior who has committed to play volleyball at St. Louis University, and 6-foot senior Lauren McDonnell also average in double figures.
Haske likes the growth he’s seen in his team.
“I think we’ve made great strides in understanding the system and what we’re trying to do,” he said. “We have some pretty talented kids. We have some size, some quickness, some kids who can shoot it. It’s a well-rounded team.”
The boys, meanwhile, are trying to find some consistency. Haske thought the Gladiators were turning the corner when Gabe Callery hit a mid-court shot at the buzzer to stun previously unbeaten East Jordan earlier this year. But St. Francis dropped three consecutive road games in February.
“A lot of it is shooting,” Haske said. “There are nights we just don’t shoot it well. When we do shoot it well, we’re a really good team.”
How good will be determined in March.
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Traverse City St. Francis coach Keith Haske huddles with his boys basketball team during a game against Grayling. (Middle) St. Francis' girls team, here against Kalkaska, will play for a District title Friday. (Below) Haske speaks with a few of his players during a District game against Grand Traverse Academy. (Photos by Julie English.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Regional Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 10, 2025
The first week of this girls basketball postseason proved to be a notable rematch season as well – and some familiar opponents will face off again as we move into Regionals tonight.
Our top two "Week in Review" games below were reversals of regular-season series, and multiple brackets we preview also feature rematches from the regular season or the 2024 MHSAA Tournament.
Find everything you need to know this week about tickets, brackets and more as the tournament continues on the Girls Basketball page. To watch any of several games online, visit the NFHS Network, and see below for several of the intriguing matchups. Host sites are in bold.
“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. Gladstone 50, Negaunee 47 Gladstone (22-2) avenged its only two losses of the regular season, downing the Miners (22-1) in a Division 2 District Final after previously losing their matchups by 17 and 14.
2. Midland Dow 58, Midland 49 The Chargers (16-8) had finished tied for fifth in the Saginaw Valley League and fallen to Midland (19-4) by three and 15 during the regular season before providing this jolt to the rivalry in their Division 1 District Final.
3. South Lyon 55, Northville 47 The Lakes Valley Conference’s Lions (20-2) won a matchup of league champions in this Division 1 District Final, ending the season for the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West’s Mustangs (15-9).
4. Blissfield 57, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 42 The Royals (21-2) entered the postseason off a loss but finished a Division 3 District title run by handing St. Mary (22-2) just its second of the season.
5. Harbor Beach 44, Cass City 39 The Pirates (14-7) avenged a 15-point loss from Dec. 11 and also District losses from the last three seasons in edging the Red Hawks (21-3) in this Division 3 decider.
Regionals at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold:
DIVISION 1
Howell
South Lyon (20-2) vs. Hartland (19-5)
Dexter (18-6) vs. Belleville (23-1)
It would be easy to assume KLAA East co-champion Belleville is the favorite – and tough to argue as the Tigers play to reach Breslin for the second-straight season. But it’s also not that simple. As noted above, South Lyon also a league champion, and Hartland avenged a pair of losses to Howell (17-7) on Friday with a 10-point win to advance. Dexter finished second in the Southeastern Conference Red but has won 12 of its last 13, the only defeat during that time by one point to Chelsea (18-4). But bringing things back to Belleville, it’s only loss was to Wayne Memorial, avenged two weeks later, and only one other opponent has come within single digits of catching the Tigers this season.
Traverse City Central
Traverse City Central (16-6) vs. Midland Dow (16-8)
Saginaw Heritage (21-3) vs. Rockford (23-1)
The Big North Conference champion Trojans host coming off their 14th win over their last 15 games – including also defeating Midland in their regular season finale – and now get the surging Chargers who have won 10 straight. Heritage finished second to Midland in the SVL and also has won 10 straight and defeated Dow by 11 just before that streak began. All three will hope their momentum pays off as Rockford is bringing a 21-game winning streak into this week as it continues to pursue a fourth-straight trip to Breslin. The Rams have lost only to Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (23-1) while playing one of the state’s strongest schedules.
Westland John Glenn
Farmington Hills Mercy (19-4) vs. Wayne Memorial (18-6)
Detroit Renaissance (21-2) vs. Bloomfield Hills Marian (10-15)
This bracket includes three league champions – Wayne sharing in the KLAA East, Renaissance from the Detroit Public School League Blue and Mercy from the Catholic High School League Central West. Those three also have not played each other this season but have common opponents, adding to the intrigue. Wayne has won 16 of its last 18, Mercy 14 of its last 15 and Renaissance’s defeats both came to opponents with at least 19 wins. Marian is a great story too, emerging from fifth in the CHSL Central West to build a run of seven wins over its last 10 games, and with nine of its losses to teams that won at least 14 games during the regular season.
DIVISION 2
Grand Rapids South Christian
Paw Paw (20-4) vs. Grand Rapids South Christian (22-2)
Edwardsburg (15-9) vs. Vicksburg (22-2)
The Wolverine Conference has shown its power this postseason with champion Vicksburg, runner-up Paw Paw and fourth-place Edwardsburg claiming District titles last week. Vicksburg’s lone defeat was 50-47 to Paw Paw on Jan. 31 after defeating the Red Wolves 66-65 on Dec. 6, and a third meeting between them no doubt would be a gem. Edwardsburg did take a win from Paw Paw as well, on Jan. 15, and fell to Vicksburg only 33-29 in their second meeting Feb. 21. South Christian, meanwhile, shared the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold title with Grand Rapids West Catholic (20-3), with the Sailors’ only other loss this season by two in December to Hudsonville (17-7) – which won a District title in Division 1.
Pinckney
Goodrich (21-3) vs. Eaton Rapids (13-10)
Haslett (21-3) vs. Chelsea (18-4)
Goodrich and Chelsea are coming off especially notable District Final wins, Goodrich over Flint Powers Catholic (18-6) and Chelsea over Parma Western (21-3) – and they won those games by 16 and 17 points, respectively. Goodrich’s defeats all came to teams with at least 18 wins, and Chelsea’s to opponents with at least 16 victories. Haslett defeated a familiar opponent in rival Williamston but, like Goodrich and Chelsea, has played several top teams over the course of the winter with a win over Detroit Country Day (18-5) and losses to three 20-win opponents. Eaton Rapids is bringing some juice as well with 10 wins over its last 14 games and some good losses along the way.
Tecumseh
Carleton Airport (17-7) vs. Tecumseh (22-1)
Romulus (15-5) vs. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (23-1)
This Regional includes two of the top contenders in Division 2 overall, as they played the second and fourth-strongest schedules during the regular season and still have just one loss apiece. Tecumseh defeated Airport 76-44 in both teams’ regular-season finale, but Airport has won 15 over its last 18 overall. The Jets were runners-up in the Huron League, and Romulus was runner-up in the Western Wayne Athletic Conference and has won 12 of its last 14. Father Gabriel Richard finished Division 2 runner-up last season after defeating Tecumseh in a Quarterfinal.
DIVISION 3
Grandville Calvin Christian
Grandville Calvin Christian (18-6) vs. Kent City (19-5)
Pewamo-Westphalia (24-0) vs. Saugatuck (23-1)
All four of these teams added District titles to league championships this season. Pewamo-Westphalia has prepped for its run by winning the Central Michigan Athletic Conference – which had three more winners of at least 17 games – and also defeated Flint Powers (see above) and New Lothrop (noted below). Saugatuck lost only to Lawton (15-6) in its first game of 2025 and owns an 11-point win over Kalamazoo Christian (also noted below), while annual contender Kent City has won 12 of its last 14 games and Calvin Christian bounced back from an 0-3 start to the season and two losses heading into the playoffs – avenging the second of those with a 45-42 win over Muskegon Western Michigan Christian in their District Final.
Niles Brandywine
Watervliet (11-13) vs. Kalamazoo Christian (20-4)
Niles Brandywine (14-0) vs. Bronson (22-2)
Reigning Division 3 runner-up Brandywine headlines a powerful field and defeated Bronson 69-37 on Jan. 14. The Bobcats’ closest game was eight points, and the rest of their wins were by double digits. Bronson hasn’t lost since – it’s only other defeat by three to Concord (19-4) – as it went on to share the Big 8 Conference title and build a 17-game winning streak. Kalamazoo Christian made it through a third matchup with rival Hackett Catholic Prep, winning the District Final 53-38 after those two split regular-season meetings, and the Comets’ other three losses were to Division 2 or 3 teams that won their Districts. Watervliet started this season 1-6 but has bounced back significantly and has six wins over its last seven games.
Springport
New Lothrop (21-3) vs. Hemlock (21-3)
Leslie (18-6) vs. Jackson Lumen Christi (17-6)
New Lothrop and Hemlock will face off in a meeting of league champions, Hemlock from the Tri-Valley Conference Blue and New Lothrop after sharing the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title. New Lothrop’s losses this season were by a combined 11 points and all of its wins this calendar year have come by double digits. All 21 of Hemlock’s wins were by 10 or more points, with its losses to three Division 1 and 2 teams that are still playing as well. On the other side of the bracket, Leslie has emerged after finishing third in a strong Cascades Conference East, and Lumen the same from a tough CHSL Central East. Lumen defeated Cascades East champ Grass Lake (19-4) in their District Final, 59-52.
DIVISION 4
Marlette
Genesee Christian (21-2) vs. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (15-6)
Kingston (20-2) vs. Ubly (9-14)
Kingston finished Division 4 runner-up a year ago and loaded up to prep for another run losing only to Division 1 Saginaw Heritage (see above) and Division 2 Imlay City. The Cardinals interestingly have a 42-38 win over Ubly from Feb. 3, and the Bearcats stunned in downing Deckerville (18-6) to clinch a District title. Genesee Christian also has played several larger opponents this season, losing only to Division 2 Flint Hamady (20-1) and Adrian Lenawee Christian (12-11). The Soldiers advanced with a District Final win over Clarkston Everest Collegiate (18-3), a common opponent with Our Lady, which won its first District title since 2021 and is enjoying its winningest season since 2019-20.
McBain
Gaylord St. Mary (20-3) vs. Mio (18-5)
Buckley (17-7) vs. Frankfort (16-6)
This bracket also includes three league champions plus three repeats from a year ago. Start with Frankfort, which won the Northwest Conference but faces fourth-place Buckley for the third time after losing their first meeting by one point but winning the rematch Jan. 31 by 13. The Panthers have won 11 of their last 13 games, and Buckley has won nine of its last 11. St. Mary won the Ski Valley Conference just ahead of another 20-win District champ in Indian River Inland Lakes but faces a unique but familiar challenge in Mio. The Thunderbolts won the North Star League Little Dipper title and feature Mia McGregor, who averaged 41 points per game last season as a freshman, but St. Mary did win their Regional matchup last year 61-54 before falling to Frankfort 64-37 in the Regional Final.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (20-0) vs. Onekama (20-4)
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (18-6) vs. Fowler (22-2)
Fowler reached the Division 4 Semifinals last season, and its only losses this winter were to Division 3 Pewamo-Westphalia (see above) – with a recent win over Division 1 Holt (17-7) another reminder of the Eagles’ potential. Sacred Heart’s undefeated run came in part against a Mid-State Activities Conference that produced four more teams with 13 or more wins, and Onekama finished second in a Northwest Conference that produced three District champs. MLS finished second in the TVC Blue to Hemlock (see above) and has wins over the second and third-place teams from the MSAC – St. Charles and Merrill, respectively – with four losses to teams that have won 21 games.
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PHOTOS (Top) Gladstone players including Lillie Johnson (21) and coaches celebrate their Division 2 District Final win over Negaunee on Friday. (Middle) DeWitt’s Golden Nicholson (24) drives to the basket with Lundyn Elam (4) defending during the Panthers’ 55-35 District title win over East Lansing in Division 1. (Gladstone/Negaunee photo by Cara Kamps. DeWitt/East Lansing photo by Terry Lyons.)