Countdown to Calvin: Girls District Preview
March 4, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The countdown to this season’s Girls Basketball Finals at Calvin College speeds up significantly beginning tonight.
Teams all over Michigan will start District play culminating in 128 championships at the first level of the tournament this weekend. Check out “Tracking the Tournament” on MHSAA.com for every matchup from all of them, and see below for some of last week’s most eye-popping scores and three Districts in each division that could be especially important pieces to the final puzzle of this girls basketball season.
Countdown to Calvin is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. To offer corrections or fill in scores we’re missing, email me at [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Saginaw Heritage 55, East Lansing 53 – This rematch of last season’s Class A Final also went the Hawks’ way after they won by 21 at Calvin College a year ago.
2. Bloomfield Hills Marian 60, Detroit Mumford 47 – The Detroit Catholic League Tournament champ avenged last season’s loss to Public School League winner Mumford in the Operation Friendship game.
3. Ann Arbor Pioneer 41, Chelsea 39 – The Pioneers’ victory in this matchup of Southeastern Conference divisional champions also was Chelsea’s only loss of the regular season.
4. Wayne Memorial 61, Brighton 48 – East champ Wayne finished the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Tournament having beaten both co-champs of the KLAA West.
5. Stanton Central Montcalm 65, Kent City 42 – The Hornets finished a second straight 20-0 regular season against White Cloud two days later, but 16-win Kent City was one of the toughest obstacles to repeating perfection this winter.
Districts at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Mumford
Detroit Mumford (15-4), Detroit Renaissance (13-6), Oak Park (5-9), Redford Union (13-5), Southfield Arts & Technology (18-1).
With only a Dec. 8 loss to last year’s Class A champion Saginaw Heritage – and by just two points at that – Southfield A&T has been considered a Division 1 favorite all season. Double-digit wins over Flint Carman-Ainsworth and Detroit Country Day, plus a league sweep of Royal Oak, have backed up that expectation. But the Warriors will have to go through the best of the Detroit Public School League West-Town to get through this week. On Wednesday, A&T will face West-Town co-champ Renaissance, which has a few more losses but against teams like Division 2 favorite Detroit Edison (twice) and Mumford (twice). On the other side of this bracket, Mumford shared the West-Town title because of a split with Renaissance in league play, but won the PSL Tournament. But the Mustangs can’t look past Redford Union tonight.
East Grand Rapids
Byron Center (15-5), East Grand Rapids (18-2), East Kentwood (15-4), Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (5-15), Wyoming (8-12).
Five of seven teams in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red had winning records this season, making it even more impressive that East Kentwood against finished on top for the third straight season. But one of the Falcons’ few losses this winter came by four Dec. 18 to East Grand Rapids, which went on to sweep the O-K Gold and has won 15 straight games. Those two would meet again in this District Final – but of course, it’s not that easy. Byron Center finished second only to unbeaten Hamilton in the O-K Green and would see EGR in a Wednesday District Semifinal showdown.
Lapeer
Davison (11-9), Flint Carman-Ainsworth (15-5), Flint Kearsley (16-4), Flint Southwestern (1-15), Grand Blanc (15-5), Lapeer (6-14).
One of tonight’s most intriguing openers matches up Saginaw Valley League Blue champ Carman-Ainsworth against runner-up Grand Blanc; the Cavaliers won the regular-season meetings by nine and 13. On the other side, Kearsley finished second in a similarly strong Flint Metro League and gets a test right away against Blue third-place finisher Davison. Kearsley’s losses this winter were to league champ Fenton twice, Macomb Dakota and last week to Edison. Carman-Ainsworth also has seen most of the best, falling to Saginaw Heritage, Southfield Arts & Technology, Midland Dow, Michigan Center, and Edison on Thursday by only seven.
DIVISION 2
Bay City John Glenn
Bay City John Glenn (15-5), Essexville Garber (15-5), Freeland (18-2), Midland Bullock Creek (6-13), Saginaw Swan Valley (8-11).
In addition to winning four straight Tri-Valley Conference Central titles, including this season’s, Freeland has won seven straight District championships. But this bracket threatens that streak. On Freeland’s side is Garber, the TVC East champion. Freeland did beat Garber by 25 on Jan. 8, and the Dukes won’t get another chance unless they win tonight against Swan Valley, which they beat by a point in their season opener. On the other side of the bracket, John Glenn finished fourth in the Division 1-strong SVL Red, with three of its five losses to Heritage, Dow and Bay City Western. John Glenn also owns an early two-point win over Garber.
Harper Woods
Detroit Denby (7-6), Detroit Edison (19-1), Detroit Osborn (9-5), Harper Woods (6-7), Harper Woods Chandler Park (16-4), St. Clair Shores South Lake (9-11).
As noted above, and all season many places, 2018 Class C champion Edison is a major favorite to win Division 2 with its only loss to Ohio powerhouse Columbus Africentric by five points Dec 15. The Pioneers spent the rest of the season beating many of the best across the Lower Peninsula. But Chandler Park, a Class C quarterfinalist last season, is an intriguing opponent should they meet Wednesday. The Eagles also have played many of the elite with some impressive results, including closing the regular season with successive wins over Detroit Cass Tech, Flint Hamady and Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.
Whitehall
Fruitport (3-17), Montague (11-9), Muskegon Oakridge (17-3), Muskegon Orchard View (3-13), Spring Lake (11-9), Whitehall (17-2).
Perhaps the most intriguing opener tonight, at least on the west side of the state, pits Oakridge against host Whitehall. Oakridge edged Whitehall by a win to claim the West Michigan Conference title, but Whitehall’s triple overtime victory in their first meeting Jan. 8 ended Oakridge’s 82-game league winning streak (Oakridge won the second meeting by 13 on Feb 8). Spring Lake finished fifth in a competitive O-K Blue and will be waiting Wednesday for whichever team comes out of what’s sure to be an emotional matchup, and Montague could be ready to play spoiler as well in the District Final.
DIVISION 3
Bloomingdale
Bloomingdale (16-4), Gobles (20-0), Kalamazoo Christian (12-6), Kalamazoo Hackett (9-10), Lawton (1-19), Schoolcraft (18-2).
Gobles won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore and Schoolcraft won the SAC Valley, and they meet tonight in another of the biggest Division 3 openers statewide. Bloomingdale, which tied for second to unbeaten Centreville in the Southwest 10 Conference, awaits the winner. But because those three are on one side of the bracket doesn’t mean the District Final will be an easy victory for whichever team emerges. Hackett knocked Gobles out of the District the last two seasons, while Kalamazoo Christian finished third in the SAC Valley this winter and has won seven of its last 10 games with just a four-point loss to Bloomingdale on Thursday.
Elk Rapids
Elk Rapids (15-5), Grand Traverse Academy (7-5), Manton (16-3), Maple City Glen Lake (18-2), Traverse City St. Francis (10-9).
Manton from the Highland Conference and Glen Lake from the Northwest Conference are league champions, and host Elk Rapids finished second in the Lake Michigan Conference that St. Francis won just a year ago. Manton and Glen Lake get things started tonight in a rematch after Glen Lake won 37-34 on Feb. 6 and also knocked Manton out of the District last season. Elk Rapids awaits in the District Semifinal having lost to both this season. Glen Lake’s only defeat came Dec. 8 by four to Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.
Pewamo-Westphalia
Carson City-Crystal (17-3), Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian (16-4), Ithaca (12-6), Pewamo-Westphalia (19-1), Saranac (4-16).
After reaching the Class C Final two years ago and Semifinals last season, P-W has been a major Division 3 favorite all winter. Its only loss was to Edison on Jan 21, and the Pirates came back a week later and beat Country Day, to go with an earlier impressive 20-point win over Dow. But again, there are obstacles this first week of the tournament. NorthPointe Christian awaits Wednesday after winning the O-K Silver. On the other side of the bracket, Mid-State Activities Conference champion Carson City-Crystal has won 15 straight including an 11-pointer over 18-2 Reese.
DIVISION 4
Athens
Athens (16-4), Battle Creek Calhoun Christian (16-4), Battle Creek St. Philip (8-12), Bellevue (20-0), Climax-Scotts (12-8).
Four of these five teams are in the Southern Central Athletic Association West, won by Bellevue with Athens finishing runner-up. Bellevue won their two regular-season games by one in double overtime and then last week by 16. They could meet again in this week’s District Final. Calhoun Christian faces Athens on their side of the bracket Wednesday, with a loss to Bellevue in December as well but a 20-point win over Athens in the season opener Dec. 4.
Chassell
Baraga (16-3), Chassell (13-6), Dollar Bay (0-18), Hancock (11-9), L’Anse (11-9), Lake Linden-Hubbell (7-13).
Chassell was last year’s Class D runner-up and hosts a competitive group this week with the chance for a third meeting in the District Final against Baraga. The Vikings won the Copper Mountain Conference Copper Country title with Chassell second this winter, downing the Panthers by 11 and three points in their regular-season matchups. Hancock and L’Anse finished tied for second and fourth, respectively, in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper and will try to play spoilers on their sides of the bracket. L’Anse handed Baraga one of its few defeats, by 12 on Dec. 14.
Morenci
Adrian Lenawee Christian (18-2), Britton Deerfield (6-13), Morenci (9-11), North Adams-Jerome (4-15), Pittsford (16-4), Waldron (13-5).
Lenawee Christian won Class D a year ago and has been considered a contender throughout this season. But only a few removed from its back-to-back title run in 2016 and 2017, Pittsford remains an opponent no one wants to face. They meet tonight, Lenawee’s only losses having come to Division 3 contenders Grass Lake and Michigan Center while Pittsford is riding a 10-game winning streak after suffering first-half losses to Hudson, Manchester, Bellevue and Athens before winning the SCAA East title. SCAA Central champion Waldron awaits the winner on Wednesday. Morenci on the other side of the bracket has bounced back from a 3-7 start this winter.
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PHOTO: Essexville Garber took a 41-40 win over Alma on Dec. 14 and will look to add a District title this week to its league championship won this winter. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Step by Step, EGR's Brown Climbs to Miss Basketball Award, College Future
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 16, 2023
EAST GRAND RAPIDS – Macy Brown remembers spending her Saturday mornings with her older sisters scrambling around gymnasiums when she was no older than a first grader.
The long and winding journey from those early days to a sterling career at East Grand Rapids is one chronicled by overcoming the gangly body of a middle schooler, surrendering interest in two other sports in favor of basketball, countless hours of AAU, critical advice from two older sisters, a misfortunate accident to a teammate as a junior that necessitated a position switch and eventually to sorting through scholarship offers from a handful of elite college programs.
It's a path that concluded this week with the Pioneers’ point guard not only becoming one of just 1.3 percent of high school players to accept a Division I scholarship, but also being named winner of the prestigious Miss Basketball Award as the state's top senior player.
It's a long way from those weekend mornings to becoming the school's all-time leading scorer, a four-year starter, all-stater and Miss Basketball winner – and a story that Brown says exceeds anything she could have imagined.
"It's been amazing, magical at times," Brown said. "You don't realize how you've spent your time until it's over. There were a lot of sacrifices, but you also gain so much with the relationships you've had through basketball."
The journey started at the East Hills center in Grand Rapids with older sisters Oliva and Jillian, both of whom are currently playing Division I college basketball, and their mother Noelle, who ran an AAU program. It was the first time Macy Brown recalls taking an interest in the sport and began taking stock of what it would take to play basketball at the high school or possibly even college level.
By the time Brown entered middle school, she was all of 5-foot-9 with skills that while encouraging, were far from a guarantee that a long basketball bloodline would be extended by one more daughter. In fact, it was the first time Brown was spotted by EGR coach Troy Hammond, who recalls her as anything but the player who would become the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,537 points while starting all 86 of the team's games over four varsity seasons.
"She was a tall, lanky kid who was just figuring her body out," Hammond said, "She was a tag-along with her sisters. She was always smiling, a happy-go-lucky kid who loved being in the gym. But I would be lying if I said she would be as good or better than the experiences I had with her sisters. That was no foregone conclusion."
Still, Brown stuck it out and slowly made progress, both mentally and physically. Boosted by advice from her sisters, Brown's on-court talent began to take shape. She also grew about three inches and began hitting the weight room to gain strength. As she entered middle school, she elected to give up lacrosse and soccer to spend more time playing basketball. Armed by having additional time for basketball, she threw herself into even more AAU ball. College coaches who constantly mine the AAU circuit for emerging talent began to notice Brown, who received her first scholarship offer from Loyola of Chicago following her eighth-grade season.
Despite the interest, however, Brown knew she had to become a better player.
"I was pretty good, but you don't realize how big of a leap it is from middle school to high school," said Brown, who had no second thoughts about becoming a single-sport athlete. "I grew up around basketball, it was always my first sport. I couldn't see playing lacrosse or soccer past high school."
Brown was good enough to make EGR's varsity as a freshman, She averaged 11.7 points per game in her inaugural season and gained additional attention from playing on a 22-1 team that would have been in contention for a Division 1 title if the season hadn't been cancelled because of COVID-19.
Brown continued to hone her game, averaging 13.5 points as a sophomore. She made all-conference for a second time and also made her college choice: she would become a Michigan Wolverine.
"When you know, you know," she said. "I knew I would wind up at Michigan because when I went other places, I would always compare them to Michigan. It just felt like home."
Brown said she relied on her sisters to know what required her utmost attention during the recruitment period. Olivia started at St. Bonaventure and now plays at Valparaiso, while Jillian is at Northwestern. Both offered crucial advice on how to pick a school.
"It definitely helped playing against them. I would get beat on, but it helped me," Macy said. "It was all for the best because it helped me become a better player."
It was after picking her college that Brown's career took another significant step forward. The Pioneers' senior point guard, Ally Carlson, who now plays at Western Michigan, suffered a season-ending ACL injury before senior-year practice began. The injury meant Brown, who had been a shooting guard her first two seasons, would have to move to point. She had to transition from becoming the team's second or even third offensive option to someone counted on to score points. She responded by averaging 22.4 as a junior and tossing in 25 points per game this season.
"I watched her develop into a leader, both as a person and on the court," Hammond said. "To see that development as a coach, it was wonderful."
Brown's improvement as a player included serious self-reflection. She admits to being the kind of athlete who maps out goals and then isn't satisfied until she reaches them.
"Every year was a checkpoint for me," she said. "I worked hard every offseason, and I would always notice what it took to play the game."
While the book on her high school career closes with the Miss Basketball Award, another door is opened in Ann Arbor. Brown said if she were to speak to a room full of young basketball wannabes, her advice would be simple. Brown was once in their position, and better than anyone else knows what it takes to conquer the next step in moving up the basketball ladder.
"It's definitely step by step, and you have to learn from your experiences," she said. "You make sacrifices, but you can gain so much."
PHOTOS (Top) Macy Brown is this season's Miss Basketball Award winner. (Middle) Brown and her sisters celebrate her award this week. (Top photo by Steve Vedder. Middle photo courtesy of the East Grand Rapids athletic department.)