Class A-B Preview: Recognizable Returns
March 18, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Plenty of familiar uniforms will be running the Breslin Center floor during Friday’s Class A and B Semifinals.
Only one team is seeking its first championship game berth – the other seven semifinalists have a combined 25 MHSAA titles.
And the familiarity doesn’t end there. Reigning Class A champion Bloomfield Hills Marian is top-ranked and played No. 2 Detroit Martin Luther King to a one-point win only three weeks ago – and they meet in a Semifinal. Capital Area Activities Conference Red rivals DeWitt and Haslett don’t meet this weekend because they play in different classes – but are representing their league well after sharing its championship.
Saginaw Heritage has a player whose dad made national headlines on the Breslin court, and Benton Harbor has a star who will join the Spartans upon graduation. Goodrich and Detroit Country Day are both regulars at Finals weekend, and back after a short time away.
All four Class A and B Semifinals will be played Friday, with all four championship games Saturday.
Semifinals - Friday
Class A
DeWitt (24-1) vs Saginaw Heritage (24-3), 1 p.m.
Bloomfield Hills Marian (24-1) vs Detroit Martin Luther King (24-1), 2:50 p.m.
Class B
Benton Harbor (20-5) vs Haslett (21-5), 6 p.m.
Goodrich (25-1) vs Detroit Country Day (20-4), 7:50 p.m.
Finals - Saturday
Class A - Noon
Class B - 6 pm
Class C - 4 pm
Class D - 10 am
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, the Class D, A and C title games on FOX Sports Detroit's primary channel and the Class B game on FOX Sports Detroit-PLUS. Free radio broadcasts of all weekend games will be available on MHSAANetwork.com.
And now, a look at the semifinalists in Class A and B. Click on the name of the school to see that team’s full schedule and results from this season. (Statistics are through Regionals Finals.)
Class A
BLOOMFIELD HILLS MARIAN
Record/rank: 24-1, No. 1.
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Coach: Mary Cicerone, 32nd season (584-194).
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 51-42 over No. 7 Waterford Kettering in the Quarterfinal, 49-33 (Regional Final), 65-28 and 54-32 over honorable mention Farmington Hills Mercy, 47-36 over No. 3 Southfield-Lathrup in the Regional Semifinal, 50-49 over No. 2 Detroit Martin Luther King. 68-41 over Benton Harbor, 56-26 over Class C No. 3 Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.
Players to watch: Brittany Gray, 5-11, sr. F (12 ppg, 4.9 rpg); Samantha Thomas, 6-0 soph. G (11.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.4 spg).
Outlook: Marian is the favorite to repeat after last season winning its first championship since 1998. The Mustangs are 67-7 over the last three seasons and lost this winter only to Chicago Whitney Young, by four points. Senior guard Kara Holinski (9.7 ppg, 3.3 apg) and junior guard Bailey Thomas (7.4 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.1 spg) joined Gray and Thomas starting in last season’s Final, and senior guard Jaeda Robinson played the most minutes off the bench and adds another 7.4 points per game to the starting lineup.
DETROIT MARTIN LUTHER KING
Record/rank: 24-1, No. 2.
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League East.
Coach: William Winfield, 33rd season (687-55).
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2006), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 43-36 over No. 9 Grosse Pointe South in the Regional Semifinal, 43-36 (District Final), 66-53 and 53-49 over Detroit Cass Tech, 49-35 (Quarterfinal) and 68-34 over Romulus.
Players to watch: Janae Williams, 5-8 sr. G (15.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.3 spg); Malaysia McHenry, 6-3 F/C, sr. (10 ppg, 12 rpg, 2.1 bpg).
Outlook: King is making its first trip to Finals weekend since 2006 but hasn’t won fewer than 22 games since 2002 or lost more than one in a season since 2010. The lone loss this winter was to top-ranked Marian, by a point, making their rematch Friday the must-see game of the Semifinal round. No team left has as much size as the Crusaders; McHenry is joined in the starting lineup by 6-3 senior Leah Mathis, with 6-2 junior Jasmine Flowers filling in off the bench. Sophomore guard Alicia Norman adds 11.4 points per game. Williams has signed with Division I Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.
DEWITT
Record/rank: 24-1, No. 4.
League finish: Tied for first in Capital Area Activities Conference Red.
Coach: Bill McCullen, 19th season (357-78).
Championship history: Class C champion 1977.
Best wins: 48-43 OT over No. 5 Ann Arbor Huron in the Regional Semifinal, 65-53 over Kalamazoo Central in the Regional Final, 53-38 (District Final), 62-48 and 54-51 over Lansing Waverly, 51-47 over Class B No. 8 Haslett.
Players to watch: Claudia Reid, 5-7 sr. G (10.3 ppg, 6.5 apg, 2.6 spg); Abby Nakfoor, 5-10 sr. F (12 ppg, 5.3 rpg).
Outlook: A three-time Class B semifinalist (most recently in 2009), DeWitt moved up to Class A for 2011-12 and has this winter tallied the third-most wins of McCullen’s successful tenure. Reid is a four-year varsity point guard and with Nakfoor is joined by two more seniors in the starting lineup in guards Cayce Palmer and Maria Moss, with junior 5-10 center Lilly George the team’s third leading scorer at 8.2 ppg.
SAGINAW HERITAGE
Record/rank: 24-3, honorable mention.
League finish: Second in Saginaw Valley Association North.
Coach: Vonnie DeLong, second season (38-8).
Championship history: Class A champion 2002, runner-up 2001.
Best wins: 39-31 over No. 10 Flushing in the Regional Final, 50-31 over No. 7 Marquette in the Regional Semifinal, 52-38 (District Final) and 49-39 over No. 6 Midland Dow.
Players to watch: Allie Miller, 5-7 sr. G (9.6 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.4 spg); Jaela Richardson, 6-0 fr. F (8.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.4 bpg).
Outlook: Heritage has stormed through the postseason, beating Dow after finishing second to the Chargers in league play and then downing Flushing after falling to the Raiders in overtime Feb. 24. No player averages in double figures scoring, but six score at least six points per game and four players grab at least four rebounds per. Richardson, the daughter of Philadelphia 76ers guard Jason, surely will carry some intrigue as she plays on her dad’s former college home floor.
Class B
BENTON HARBOR
Record/rank: 20-5, honorable mention.
League finish: Second in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West.
Coach: Lisa Harvey-Gondrezick, fifth season (69-46).
Championship history: Class A champion 2009, Class A runner-up 1984.
Best wins: 50-47 over No. 10 Plainwell in the Regional Final, 56-53 over Class A honorable mention Stevensville Lakeshore, 90-79 over Kalamazoo Central.
Players to watch: Kalabrya Gondrezick, 5-8 sr. G (17.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 8.1 apg, 2.8 spg, 1.1 bpg); Kysre Gondrezick, 5-9 jr. G (27.5 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 5.4 apg, 3.6 spg).
Outlook: Benton Harbor has steadily improved in five seasons under Harvey-Gondrezick, a former Benton Harbor standout, and has won 13 straight heading into this weekend. Her daughters are stars now; Kalabrya was a Miss Basketball finalist and will play at Michigan State, while Kysre is the team's leading scorer and rebounder and only a junior. Senior guard Dennee Brown adds 10.1 points and 1.2 blocks per game, and 6-1 senior center Gabrielle Dortch is one of two players 6-0 or taller in the playing group; she averages 9.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 20-4, No. 6.
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Coach: Frank Orlando, 34th season (710-110).
Championship history: Ten MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 47-39 over honorable mention Dearborn Divine Child in the Quarterfinal, 57-43 over No. 8 Haslett, 72-36 over Class C No. 5 Flint Hamady, 59-52 over Class C No. 10 Saginaw Nouvel.
Players to watch: Destiny Pitts, 5-10 soph. F (15.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.8 apg, 45 3-pointers); Kaela Webb, 5-6 fr. G (7.8 ppg, 2.1 apg, 2.1 spg, 28 3-pointers).
Outlook: Country Day has won 18 straight Regional titles but is making its first Semifinal appearance since 2010 – although this lineup seems to indicate a return to Breslin regular. Although the Yellowjackets start two seniors, they are the only seniors on the team, and there are seven underclassmen including 6-3 starting sophomore center Tylar Bennett. The losses came to three strong Class A teams and Class C contender Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.
GOODRICH
Record/rank: 25-1, No. 2.
League finish: First in Genesee Area Conference Red.
Coach: Jason Gray, 17th season (340-45).
Championship history: Class B champion 2013 and 2012.
Best wins: 57-40 over No. 7 Manistee in the Quarterfinal, 55-43 over No. 8 Haslett, 45-41 over No. 9 Frankenmuth in the Regional Semifinal, 50-48 over No. 1 Midland Bullock Creek in the Regional Final.
Players to watch: Tania Davis, 5-5 sr. G (19.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.7 apg, 2.9 spg ); Alexis Sevillian, 5-7 jr. G (15.6 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.4 spg).
Outlook: Not that it required justification, but Goodrich has more than proved why it belongs back at Breslin and as the likely favorite. The Martians eliminated three top-10 teams and handed Bullock Creek and its trio of 1,000-point scorers its only loss this season. Davis was named Miss Basketball on Monday and teams with Sevillian for a dominating backcourt. Senior Isabella O’Brien provides plenty of presence to complement the star guards down low; she’s 6-2 and averages 9.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
HASLETT
Record/rank: 21-5, No. 8.
League finish: Tied for first in the Capital Area Activities Conference Red.
Coach: Bob Currier, sixth season (102-38).
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 48-38 over No. 3 Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the Quarterfinal, 63-56 over No. 4 Wayland in the Regional Final, 53-43 over No. 5 Williamston in the District opener, 55-44 over No. 4 DeWitt.
Players to watch: Makenna Ott, 5-10 sr. F (13.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Karson Tripp, 6-0 jr. F (11.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.5 spg, 1.4 bpg).
Outlook: The Vikings are one of the most intriguing stories this weekend; they made the Regional Finals in Class A last season, then moved to Class B with a senior-dominated lineup and high expectations but worked through a tough stretch midseason with Ott out with an injury. She’s back and the team has knocked off three top-five teams during the last three weeks. Ott and Tripp are the leading scorers, but hardly the only key contributors. Senior guard Kenzie DeCook averages 11.5 points per game and had 34 3-pointers entering the week, while senior guard Adrianna Stolicker is a captain with Ott and averages 10.3 ppg.
PHOTO: DeWitt guard Maria Moss goes up for a shot in the Panthers’ Quarterfinal win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of tcp-photography.)
Past Wildcats Bringing Valuable Experiences Home as Three Rivers' New Hoops Coaches
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
December 2, 2025
THREE RIVERS – Basketball has always been a passion for rookie Three Rivers coaches Drew Bosma and Michael Morrison.
The two former Wildcats aim to bring that same level of energy they exhibited during their playing careers as they embark on their first varsity coaching stints.
Both Bosma and Morrison have brought along a few familiar faces as they begin working to rebuild Three Rivers' strong basketball tradition.
Bosma, a 2009 graduate, replaced long-time mentor Brian Burg as the Wildcats' varsity boys coach, while Morrison has taken the reins of the girls program from Carley Shoesmith.
As a student-athlete at Three Rivers, Bosma excelled in football, basketball, baseball and track & field. He continued his playing career at Alma College and Liberty University before returning home and completing his undergraduate studies in psychology through online courses.
"My psychology background has been useful in my coaching career. The kids you work with have so many different issues they encounter than when I was in school," said Bosma, who is employed in the RV Industry at Grand Design in Elkhart, Ind.
Bosma's early shift works out perfectly with his coaching duties. After 11 seasons as Three Rivers’ JV boys coach, he spent the last two as a varsity assistant at Portage Northern. His immediate goal is to renew enthusiasm within the program.
"My experience with Three Rivers basketball as a player was a very good one. I want to build the culture to the point where people want to be here, the effort isn't questioned and (we) have kids who enjoy the game," Bosma said. "I've had a lot of good mentors in this game. Now that I'm a head coach, I want our players to be able to step onto the court and play freely. Yelling after every mistake they make isn't going to teach them anything. They are going to make mistakes in life, and they have to understand it’s ok to mess up and learn from those mistakes.”
Bosma's additional goals this season are simple ones.
"I want our kids to make it known that we have competed hard in every game with a no-quit attitude. It's a coach’s dream to win every game, but I want to make sure these kids are becoming better people as well as basketball players," Bosma said.
Long-range goals include increasing interest among students to try out for the team. He and his staff have organized the Three Rivers NextGen Boys' Basketball Program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade that will begin in January and focus on building skills and nurturing players who may fill the ranks down the road.
Bosma's coaching philosophy includes being tough on his players while showing that he truly cares about their well-being.
"As a coach I'm going to be hard on you, but these guys know that it’s out of love and concern for them,” he said. “They understand that anything I say to them is meant truthfully, and it comes from the heart. I want them to know they can come and talk to me. I want them to return 10-12 years later and notice the same type of feeling in this program. All of my coaches are either former teammates of mine or guys who played for me.”
Tirrell Hausmanis, a former hoops star at Three Rivers, serves as Bosma's varsity assistant. Brenden Brown is the Wildcats' junior varsity mentor, and alumnus Thomas O'Dell is the freshman coach.
"Having Three Rivers alumni on our coaching staff teaches these kids how important basketball is to our community," Bosma said.
Offensively, Bosma expects the Wildcats to be able to stay in space and use their long wing players and better shooters to their advantage. Among the top returners are junior point guard Brayden Carpenter, 6-foot-6 senior forward Zander Barth (who is committed to Central Michigan for football), and senior forward Carter Langston.
Carpenter averaged 13 points per game as a sophomore, as Three Rivers finished 7-15.
"You can tell there's a different attitude under the new coaching staff. There are lot of guys now who want to put in the extra time and energy to get better,” Carpenter said. “Our communication on the court has improved, and Coach Bosma's system allows us to play freely without worrying about the consequences of making a mistake.”
Three Rivers looks to be more adaptable at the defensive end.
"Defensively I want to change things up all the time. We don't want to just sit back in one zone or play man-to-man, but rather press whenever we can,” Bosma said. “We have a group that has improved its basketball IQ, which allows us to do so much more as coaches. We have good team camaraderie and kids who are going to play for each other. These guys are more excited about getting the win rather than what shows up in the box score.”
Bosma has seven seniors on his roster, but Three Rivers still is a fairly young team in terms of experience.
"We have long and athletic kids and guys who could be pretty good once they build their confidence level. We have great guards and kids who like to defend. Defense has become somewhat of a lost art in high school basketball. We have the tools though to be a successful basketball team," Bosma said.
Morrison, a 2003 Three Rivers graduate who played football, basketball and baseball for the Wildcats, has taken the reins of the girls program. After high school, Morrison attended Ferris State University where he graduated with a psychology degree as well. He is employed as a probation officer for the state.
Morrison has extensive experience coaching basketball. He started out coaching travel basketball in Paw Paw while also coaching high school teams at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, Vicksburg and Three Rivers, including the last five years as the JV boys coach under Burg. He also served as an assistant men's coach at Glen Oaks Community College under Mike Elliott.
"Working under Mike taught me so much more about basketball and has made me an even better coach. That time was very beneficial," Morrison said.
Morrison's immediate goal is to provide stability in the girls program.
"These girls have had several coaches in the last few years. I want to provide some stability and help the program grow from the lower levels,” he said. “Obviously you want to win championships, but right now we have to start with attainable goals like finishing over .500, which we haven't done in a while.”
Other goals that Morrison feels are within Three Rivers’ grasp are finishing in the top half of the Wolverine Conference and competing for a District title. The Wildcats were 8-14 last season and tied for sixth in the league.
His philosophy centers around pace and space.
"I want to get up and down the floor and defend. We want to execute an offense in the halfcourt, but also get up and down the floor and get some fastbreaks when we can. We spent the first couple weeks of practice working on executing things the right way," Morrison said.
Senior guard Dani Glass, a second-team all-Wolverine Conference pick last season, returns for her fourth varsity season. Glass, who averaged 12 points per game as a junior, has committed to play at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
"Dani makes us go and is our catalyst for everything we do offensively. We expect more from her this season as she gets ready for the next level," Morrison said.
Sophomore post player Braylee Burg will be another key component for the Wildcats, along with senior defensive specialist Jersey Roehrs.
"I feel I help my team most with my ability to box out and create a lane for my guards along with providing rebounding. I want to work on finishing stronger at the rim this year,” Burg said. “Our coaching staff has us doing fun drills that are getting us ready for the season. We want to get the ball down the floor more effectively and set up our offense."
Morrison is most excited about his team's work ethic.
"We are very excited about this team's potential and are really leaning heavily on our seniors to give us a big great burst of energy and bring everyone else along,” Morrison said. “People are going to see a very well-disciplined group that works hard and together as a team. We are working extremely hard on our communication and shooting as well."
Parker Ellifritz, who ranks among Three Rivers’ all-time leading scorers, serves as Morrison's varsity assistant. Olivia Hancock, whose played on the 2016 Class B championship team at Marshall during her prep days, fills the role of junior varsity coach with Payge Ellifritz, Parker's sister, serving as her assistant.
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Above, the Three Rivers boys basketball coaching staff, from left to right: junior varsity coach Brenden Brown, head varsity coach Drew Bosma, varsity assistant Tirrell Hausmanis and freshman coach Thomas O'Dell. Below, the girls basketball coaching staff, also from left to right: varsity assistant Parker Ellifritz, head varsity coach Michael Morrison and junior varsity coach Olivia Hancock. (Middle) Junior point guard Brayden Carpenter (0) returns for his second varsity season at Three Rivers. (Below) Senior Braylee Burg (52) returns for her second varsity season for Three Rivers. (Photos by Scott Hassinger.)