Canton Corrals Comets in Class A Semi
March 14, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – The way Canton wins would be easy to overlook, if not for the key word in that statement.
It’s become impossible to ignore the defensive-minded Chiefs, who entered this postseason as only an honorable mention in the final Associated Press Class A poll – and advanced to their first MHSAA Final on Friday at the Breslin Center.
Canton prides itself on defense, giving up only 28 points per game this season.
And the Chiefs made that average stick in handing No. 4 Grand Ledge a 35-28 defeat to advance to Saturday’s championship game against Bloomfield Hills Marian.
“Sometimes we haven’t been thought of as a leading team or whatever, underestimated,” Canton senior center Taylor Hunley said. “It’s great to work so hard to make the final day of the season and be able to spend as much time with each other as possible.”
The Chiefs just missed advancing to the Class A championship games in both 2009 and 2010. But this team is different in that its run is a bit unexpected.
Canton’s only losses were to Marian, Mercy, and a couple more contenders in Grosse Pointe South and Waterford Mott. But it was lack of flashiness in their wins that maybe made this team easier to forget – and yet now, unforgettable.
“We always talk about playing on the last day. The first two (Canton) teams that came, that was sort’ve expected because they were ranked in the top three all year and there was a lot of pressure to get here,” Canton coach Brian Samulski said. “These guys have really been able to enjoy this run they’ve put us on. There’s no real pressure. No one talked about them. But we refuse to lose and keep plugging away, and go from there.”
The first few minutes Friday ended up a good indicator of what was to come; Grand Ledge scored the game’s first basket, but not until more than three minutes had been played.
The Comets entered the week with three players averaging double figures scoring – senior sisters Hannah (15 ppg) and Lindsay Orwat (13.4) and 6-foot-3 junior Cori Crocker (10.7). As a team, Grand Ledge averaged nearly 58 points per game before Friday.
But the trio combined for only 21 points, led by Lindsay Orwat’s nine.
“Me and my sister love to shoot off ball screens, but they were right there in our faces,” Hannah Orwat said. “We’d dump it in to Cori, and there would be five girls on her. We couldn’t get in a flow.”
The teams identically took 39 shots, both making 11. But whereas Canton has been used to this kind of game, the Chiefs could sense by the second quarter that the Comets were getting frustrated.
They were knotted 19-19 heading into the fourth quarter before Hunley and senior Paige Aresco keyed an 8-0 run that seemingly put this low-scoring game out of reach for Grand Ledge.
“A lot of great teams are focused on offense, offense, offense. And then they come up against us,” Aresco said. “We’ve done a great job shutting them down, and it’s been kinda shocking for them, I think.”
The Comets, who will graduate six players, were in their first Semifinal appearance. They finished 24-3.
“This group of Grand Ledge girls has been going to school together their whole lives, and we kept focusing on that as the year went on,” Grand Ledge coach David Jones said. “Experiencing this together, being together, we’re proud of accomplishing getting this far. And a lot of the credit goes to this senior class.”
Click for a full box score and video from the press conference.
PHOTOS: (Top) Canton’s Paige Aresco (14) works to drive against Grand Ledge’s Hannah Orwat. (Middle) Orwat searches for an open teammate as two Chiefs converge.
HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Grand Ledge grabs a 17-15 third-quarter lead against Canton on a pull-up jumper by Lindsay Orwat. (2) Canton scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to break the game open. This layup by Aresco starts the run.
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Girls Report Week 9
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 9, 2026
It’s league championship time this girls basketball season, and with less than a month until District play begins and some interesting clusters of games coming up thanks to winter-weather postponements, there will be at least a few wild finishes over the next few weeks.
Our report below includes news on a few teams that already have clinched, mentions of more that are closing in, and explanations of at least two pairs of contenders likely to decide their league titles while seeing each other twice over just a matter of days.
“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. Midland 38, Grand Haven 36 In the midst of a deadlocked Saginaw Valley League North race, co-leader Midland (13-4) took on another Division 1 contender in Grand Haven (13-2).
2. Birmingham Groves 73, Detroit Edison 62 This win over an annual power just adds to an incredible turnaround for Groves (13-2), which won six games last season and is guaranteed its first winning record since 2017-18.
3. Clarkston 52, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 45 This pulled the Wolves (12-5) even with Stoney Creek (12-2) atop the Oakland Activities Association Red standings, and these two face off again tonight.
4. Jackson Lumen Christi 55, Farmington Hills Mercy 49 The Titans (14-2) moved into the Catholic High School League Bishop final with this win over the Marlins (11-4).
5. Grand Rapids South Christian 50, Grand Rapids West Catholic 44 The Sailors (16-0) continued to pull away in an Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold where West Catholic (12-4) is one of three more teams with at least 10 wins.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Howell (17-1) The Highlanders have already clinched the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title with three league games left to play. The title is Howell’s second in three seasons, and the dominance has extended through its nonleague schedule with the only loss to Rockford (13-1) at Cornerstone University in December. Many statewide eyes will be turned toward the KLAA overall championship game Feb. 26 and the Highlanders’ anticipated matchup with reigning Division 1 champion Belleville.
Utica Eisenhower (12-2) The Eagles can clinch a share of the Macomb Area Conference Red title with a win against Port Huron on Tuesday, and they are a combined 34-5 over the last two seasons having also shared the league title a year ago. Eisenhower has loaded up tough nonleague competition and no doubt benefitted even from losses to Goodrich and Detroit Renaissance – with a chance to head into the postseason on a roll with a trip to Flint Powers Catholic for the regular-season finale.
DIVISION 2
Big Rapids (10-3) The Cardinals have won 20 straight Central State Activities Association games and lead the Red after the first cycle through the schedule and after winning the title a year ago. They defeated CSAA White leader Morley Stanwood 57-53 and have lost to Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, Spring Lake and Mount Pleasant – which are either undefeated or contending for league titles. Matchups with Saginaw Heritage and Kent City on back-to-back days next week will be a valuable challenge.
Otsego (12-1) The Bulldogs are a one-point overtime December loss to Richland Gull Lake from perfection, and that’s while playing a schedule that’s included two wins over Sturgis (13-2) and one apiece against Marshall (10-5), Plainwell (10-3) and Saturday over Niles Brandywine (15-1). Otsego looks ready to climb after winning 12-14 games each of the last three seasons and has jumped from No. 15 to No. 4 in statewide Division 2 MPR over the last two weeks.
DIVISION 3
Cass City (12-3) The Red Hawks have won 10 of their last 11 and have a half-game lead on Caro in the Greater Thumb Conference White with Thursday’s matchup with the Tigers potentially for first place alone in the league. Cass City already handed Caro one of its two losses and Deckerville one of its two defeats, with wins over Sanford Meridian and Unionville-Sebewaing also especially of note. Two of the Red Hawks’ losses were back-to-back to Hemlock (15-1) and Kingston (15-0), but Cass City will have a similar opportunity against Sandusky (14-1) in the regular-season finale.
Morley Stanwood (12-2) As noted above, Morley Stanwood leads the CSAA White, with those losses nonleague to Big Rapids and Fremont (11-3). Both came during a string of four straight games against opponents now with double-digit wins, and Morley Stanwood also defeated Kent City and Mio during that string. The Kent City win was by a 64-62 score, and the rematch is set for Feb. 20. The team needs just one more win to equal last season’s total.
DIVISION 4
Au Gres-Sims (14-1) The Wolverines jumped 11 spots to No. 6 in statewide Division 4 MPR this week thanks in part to a 55-37 win over Hale (10-3) after they defeated Hale by just a point in overtime in their first meeting Jan. 8. Au Gres-Sims and Mio are the only undefeated teams left in North Star League Little Dipper play and meet Tuesday for the first time this season and then again Friday. The Wolverines’ only loss came to Tawas (11-2) in their season opener, by just four points.
Ishpeming (12-2) The Hematites are a half-game back of first-place Negaunee and a half-game ahead of Houghton atop the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference standings – and although it didn’t count toward the league title race, Ishpeming avenged its WestPAC loss Friday by downing the previously-undefeated Miners 51-39. The Hematites did that after falling to Gladstone 53-49 in overtime only three nights before. Baraga (14-2) and Munising (12-3) should be two more challenging opponents before Ishpeming finishes the regular season with Houghton (11-4).
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – Grass Lake (15-1) at Michigan Center (14-2) – There are a handful of Cascades Conference games left, but the East championship should come down to this matchup after Grass Lake won the first meeting 61-55.
Tuesday – Wayne Memorial (14-1) at Belleville (16-0) – The Tigers can clinch a share of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East championship with a win over the rival Zebras, who have lost only to Belleville.
Tuesday – Hanover-Horton (13-2) at Brooklyn Columbia Central (13-2) – These two are tied for first in the Cascades Conference West and will meet again Feb. 17.
Wednesday – New Lothrop (13-1) at Ovid-Elsie (12-2) – New Lothrop has a half-game lead on Ovid-Elsie in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference after winning their Jan. 5 meeting 47-34.
Friday – Jackson Lumen Christi (14-2) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (15-2) at Oakland – The champions of the Catholic High School League Central-East and Central-West, respectively, will meet for the Bishop Tournament title.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” reports are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and X @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy’s Symone Brandt (1) drives during a 51-43 loss to Mio on Friday. (Middle) Houghton's Kate Filpus cuts between Marquette's Kylie Smith (25) and Hayley Taylor (22) and takes a shot. (SASA/Mio photo by Kolleth Photo. Houghton/Marquette photo by Cara Kamps.)