Class C-D Preview: Pursuing perfection
March 18, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A pair of undefeated teams from Class C and D will play for their first MHSAA girls basketball championships this weekend.
Laingsburg, in Class C, and Class D Pittsford also won their first Regional titles on the way and are joined by two others hoping to reach championship games Saturday at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center for the first time in their programs’ histories.
But standing in the way are a three-time champ in Class C and three teams with a combined nine titles seeking to win again in Class D.
All four Class C and D Semifinals will be played Thursday, with all four championship games Saturday.
Semifinals - Thursday
Class C
Calumet (22-2) vs Laingsburg (26-0), 1 p.m.
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (22-3) vs Flint Hamady (25-1), 2:50 p.m.
Class D
Pittsford (25-0) vs Waterford Our Lady (12-12), 6 p.m.
Frankfort (24-1) vs St. Ignace (20-5), 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 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.)
Class C
CALUMET
Record/rank: 22-2, unranked.
League finish: Second in Western Peninsula Athletic Conference.
Coach: Jeff Twardzik, first season (22-2).
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 43-37, 53-36 and 45-37 (District Final) over Hancock, 46-23 over Tawas in the Quarterfinal.
Players to watch: Lexie Rowe, 5-5 sr. G (11 ppg, 2.7 spg); Ellen Twardzik, 5-10 sr. C (9.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg).
Outlook: Calumet is making its first Semifinal appearance after playing in its first Quarterfinal since 1977. The Copper Kings are only a pair of losses to Class B and league rival Houghton from a perfect record. Seven seniors lead a veteran group, with four in the starting lineup. Junior Clara Loukus adds 7.6 points and 3.1 assists per game. Twardzik took over the varsity after previously leading the junior varsity to a 38-0 mark.
FLINT HAMADY
Record/rank: 25-1, No. 5.
League finish: First in Genesee Area Conference Blue.
Coach: Keith Smith, 13th season (292-38).
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent Class C 2010), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 44-42 over No. 10 Saginaw Nouvel in the Quarterfinal, 42-26 over honorable mention Sandusky in the Regional Semifinal, 45-33 over honorable mention Flint Beecher in the District Final, 54-29 and 44-32 over Class D No. 9 Morrice.
Players to watch: Jalisha Terry, 5-7 jr. G; Aaliah Hill, 5-9 sr. C (statistics not provided).
Outlook: Hamady is back at the Semifinals for the first time since 2011 after winning back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. The Hawks again cruised through the GAC Blue for their sixth league title in seven seasons, and fell only to Class B semifinalist Detroit Country Day. Terry is a three-year varsity player at the point and one of the state’s top juniors, and she and Hill are surrounded by three underclassmen in the starting lineup with another freshman playing a key role off the bench.
LAINGSBURG
Record/rank: 26-0, No. 1.
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference.
Coach: Doug Hurst, third season (55-15).
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 33-26 over No. 2 Niles Brandywine in the Quarterfinal, 40-29 over Morley Stanwood in the Regional Final, 33-24 over Kent City in the Regional Semifinal, 28-17 over No. 10 Carson City-Crystal in the District Final, 32-26 (District opener), 36-33 and 39-29 over Pewamo-Westphalia.
Players to watch: Lindsey Smith, 5-7 jr. F (11.2 ppg, 2.4 spg, 41 3-pointers); Julia Angst, 5-4 jr. G (8.0 ppg, 2.8 apg).
Outlook: Although Laingsburg has had nice seasons playing in a league that includes multiple previous MHSAA champions, this clearly has been the Wolfpack’s best run. The juniors above are the leading scorers but surrounded by three seniors in a starting lineup that is balanced not just in putting points on the board but rebounding and defensively as well – four players have between 54-64 steals and seven have grabbed at least 50 rebounds.
YPSILANTI ARBOR PREP
Record/rank: 22-3, tied for No. 3.
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Coach: Rod Wells, fourth season (78-14).
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 59-39 over No. 8 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett in the Regional Final, 58-38 over No. 6 Blissfield in the Regional Semifinal, 59-55 over Class B No. 3 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 54-39 over Class B No. 6 Detroit Country Day.
Players to watch: Nastassja Chambers, 5-9 jr. G (15.3 ppg, 2.1 apg, 3.7 spg); Karlee Morris, 5-11 sr. F (8.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.4 spg).
Outlook: Arbor Prep won Regional titles the last two seasons – it fell to eventual champion Eaton Rapids in last season’s Class B Quarterfinal – and is tested against some of the biggest and best in Michigan with losses to Class A Southfield-Lathrup, Ann Arbor Huron and Bloomfield Hills Marian. Five players score at least six points per game, with senior guard Payton Sims adding eight points per and making 44 3-pointers heading into the week.
Class D
FRANKFORT
Record/rank: 24-1, No. 1.
League finish: First in Northwest Conference.
Coach: Tim Reznich, 13th season (236-72).
Championship history: Class D champions 2006 and 2005.
Best wins: 49-42 over No. 7 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in the Quarterfinal, 52-30 over No. 3 Bellaire in the Regional Final, 61-38 over St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran.
Players to watch: Mackenna Kelly, 5-10 jr. G (17.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.3 spg); Cecelia Schmitt, 5-10 soph. G (13.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg).
Outlook: Frankfort emerged from a 10-11 record only two seasons ago to go a combined 47-3 over the last two – and knocked off reigning champion Sacred Heart to reach its first Finals weekend since winning the back-to-back titles. The only loss was in December to Portland, a Class B District finalist. Kelly and Schmitt are strong shooters – Schmitt better than 50 percent from 3-point range – and Kelly gets plenty of rebounding help from seniors Shayla Soto (9.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.1 apg) and Madison Stefanski (4.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg).
PITTSFORD
Record/rank: 25-0, No. 2.
League finish: First in Southern Central Athletic Association East.
Coach: Chris Hodos, third season (63-7).
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 65-20 over No. 9 Morrice in the Regional Final, 50-45 over St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran in the Quarterfinal, 47-39 over Manchester.
Players to watch: Maddie Clark, 5-9 soph. F (19.4 ppg, 10 rpg, 4.0 spg, 1.4 bpg); Jaycie Burger, 5-9 soph. G (17.9 ppg, 6.5 apg, 3.9 spg).
Outlook: Pittsford has gotten here in part with an incredible defensive effort. The Wildcats are giving up an average of 27.6 points per game during the postseason and total have kept opponents under 30 points 18 times this winter. Only four of 13 players are upperclassmen, making this potentially the first of a few impressive runs to come.
ST. IGNACE
Record/rank: 20-5, No. 6.
League finish: First in Straits Area Conference.
Coach: Dorene Ingalls, 16th season (335-65).
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent Class D 2013), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 66-51 over No. 10 Crystal Falls Forest Park in the Quarterfinal, 81-51 over Hillman in the Regional Final, 55-40 over Cedarville, 52-48 and 56-35 over Sault Ste. Marie.
Players to watch: Margo Brown, 5-7 sr. G (13.8 ppg, 3.2 apg, 3.4 spg, 51 3-pointers); Abbey Ostman, 5-9 jr. G/F (16.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.8 apg, 4.0 spg).
Outlook: Class C or D matters not to the Saints; they’ve made six straight Finals weekends and played in two straight championship games, finishing as runner-up in Class C a year ago. Ostman and Smith also started last season and 6-0 senior center Sarah Smith played the most minutes off the bench in the Final; she’s averaging 8.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. St. Ignace has won 10 straight since falling to Class A Gaylord on Feb. 2, and all five of its losses were to bigger schools.
WATERFORD OUR LADY
Record/rank: 12-12, unranked.
League finish: Third in Detroit Catholic League East.
Coach: Steve Robak, eighth season (147-52).
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2012), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 38-35 over honorable mention Birmingham Roeper in the Regional Semifinal, 39-36 over Kingston in the Quarterfinal, 46-44 over Allen Park Inter-City Baptist in the Regional Final.
Players to watch: Tiffany Senerius, 5-8 fr. G (10.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Alex Troy, 5-6 jr. G (10.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.8 apg).
Outlook: Our Lady is in the rare situation as a surprise at the Finals – the Lakers won three straight titles and then finished runner-up from 2010-13 before falling to 8-13 a year ago. They’ve been revived with two freshmen starters and a sophomore in the playing group to go with three junior starters. This weekend will continue to provide valuable experience for a lineup that has gone 8-4 over its last 12 games.
PHOTO: Clara Loukus (10) stands in the way of a Hancock ball handler during Calumet's District championship win. (Photo courtesy of Calumet High School.)
Hiller Piling Up Points as Manton Builds for League, Postseason Possibilities
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
January 16, 2026
Three is the magic number today for the Manton girls basketball team.
It may become four, and many would argue it already is five – as in jersey #5.
The Rangers are riding a three-game winning streak with their eyes on a third-straight District championship. It may take a fourth-straight District title though for Manton’s star point guard – Aubrey Hiller, who wears the number five – to get a shot at becoming the all-time leading scorer in Manton girls basketball history.
Hiller, a junior, is leading the way for the Rangers. The win streak started with a 48-24 victory over McBain Northern Michigan Christian. She scored 25 points that day while joining the Manton 1,000-point club, becoming just the ninth female player to do so. There are 10 males in the club, including Hiller’s father, Ryan, and uncle, Matt Hicks.
With 36 points in a 56-42 win over LeRoy Pine River on Tuesday, Hiller moved to the seventh spot on the all-time scoring list. Last week she surpassed the career scoring of her aunt, Amy, with a 25-point effort in a 43-29 win over Beal City.
Hiller, an all-conference and second-team all-state performer last year, is averaging just over 25 points per game. She also collects almost eight rebounds per contest while racking up at least five assists and five steals. To top off a typical game, Hiller adds almost five pass deflections, mostly in the paint.
And Hiller is shooting almost 80 percent from the free-throw line. In the Rangers’ win over Pine River, she was 13 of 16 on free-throw attempts.
As the Rangers keep their focus on this season, many are wondering how high Hiller can climb on the all-time scoring list. Danielle Bundy has held the top spot since 1999.
Hiller still has the majority of her junior season to play and a senior season ahead. But to get to the top, Hiller will have to stay healthy, keep her torrid scoring pace going, and likely lead Manton to deep postseason runs both years.
“I want to say 1,900 might be tough, but it's definitely there for her to take,” Rangers coach J.P. Katona acknowledged, while noting Abby Brown’s 1,256 points could be topped next.
“I didn't even know I was getting to the 1,000 mark, but I think since I've gotten that another 150 will probably be my next goal,” Hiller said. “And then, if I can surpass that, then I'll go to the next and just hopefully climb up.”
In addition to Hiller’s big numbers, the Rangers also are getting more than eight points per game and nearly 11 rebounds from freshman Ella Barnes. Rylyn Wilder, part of Manton’s strong seven-member junior class, averages eight points per game.
Team chemistry is outstanding, and the ability to climb a high learning curve has been impressive for the previously inexperienced Rangers.
“We put a lot into practices and we're so connected off the court and our team chemistry off the court just makes it so much easier and faster to learn how to play with each other on the court,” Hiller pointed out. “A lot of the girls haven't seen this level of basketball ever. I think as we go, we'll just continue to grow stronger.”
A significant contribution has come from senior and first-year varsity player Kailyn Carter. She played junior varsity as a freshman and was the team’s statistician the last two years.
Carter has become a sound defensive player and a coach’s dream on the court.
“Kaitlyn Carter's story is pretty remarkable,” Katona said. “She does a lot of things that don't show up on the stat sheet. She doesn't make mistakes, doesn't turn the ball over — she’s one of those players that you always want on your team.”
And the Rangers are just getting back senior shooting guard Kelsey Harding. She’s working hard to build up minutes on the court, coming off a knee contusion. She hit a clutch 3-pointer to help ice the win over Pine River, as Manton led only 35-31 going into the final quarter.
Harding, now in her third year on the varsity, credits Hiller with helping the Rangers relax more on the court. And she’s making everyone better.
Even if opponents are full-court pressing, doubling up or triple-teaming Hiller, the 5-3 Rangers are confident she’ll come through.
“We can all trust Aubrey that she's going give us a nice pass to shoot, and we can trust her to bring the ball up the court so we can spot up,” said Harding, one of just two seniors on the team. “Aubrey likes to pass the ball to share the glory – she can get her own shot, but she likes to make other people look good.”
The Rangers lost considerable talent from last year’s Regional finalist team that went 21-6. Manton will look to build on its three-game winning streak with four straight home games.
With a roster of just 10, the Rangers knew they would take their knocks early, and Manton suffered December league losses to McBain and Evart. But the Rangers already have their sights on those rematches and exciting possibilities once the postseason begins.
“It felt pretty good knowing that we don't have a lot more that we need to do in order to beat those teams,” Katona said. “We just have to play a complete game but with the type of team that we have, that takes time. The majority of the teams that were at the top last year have everybody or majority of the starters back, and my personal opinion is the Highland Conference is by far the most competitive girls conference in Northern Michigan.”
While still holding conference championship hopes, the Rangers are looking to the Division 3 District tournament. They will vie for the title with four other league opponents: Lake City, McBain, Pine River and host Evart.
“We've had two great past seasons, and we want to go for a third one,” Hiller said. “We're just a building team and we really are building it. We improved a lot from the beginning of the year till now.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. 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) Manton’s Aubrey Hiller points something out on her coach’s clipboard during a break against LeRoy Pine River. (Middle) Hiller handles the ball while defended by multiple Pine River players including Sabrina Cutler (20). (Photos by Mike Dunn/Cadillac News.)