Countdown to Calvin: Girls Report Post-Break
January 7, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The new year brings with it endless possibilities – and that extends to this Michigan high school girls basketball season.
Sure, there are some teams looking absolutely unbeatable right now – see Detroit Edison below for a closer look at arguably the best. But we have more than two months to find out and figure out a lot more as we shift over these next few weeks to league play for most and the start of the midseason grind for all of this season’s hopefuls.
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. Carlton Airport 48, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 42 – The Jets bounced back from a close loss to reigning Class D champ Adrian Lenawee Christian with an impressive win over last season’s Class C runner-up.
2. Michigan Center 95, Williamston 90 (5 OT) – Two championship contenders combined to tie for the longest game in MHSAA history and second-highest scoring.
3. Comstock 49, Kent City 44 – Standout Daisy Ansel scored 27 points to help undefeated Comstock hand Kent City a second close loss this winter, this one at Grand Valley State University.
4. St. Ignace 63, Reese 59 (OT) – The unbeaten Saints needed extra time at the Motor City Roundball Classic to hand Reese its only loss, then two days later did the same to Detroit Mumford 55-53.
5. Eaton Rapids 44, Jackson Northwest 41 – The Greyhounds remain a game below .500, but can claim the only defeat this season of the reigning Class B runner-up Mounties.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
• Grosse Pointe North (5-1) – A Class A semifinalist last season, Grosse Pointe North is the likely favorite in a Macomb Area Conference Red that is always among the state’s strongest leagues and this winter is made up of six teams that are all at least 5-2 to this point. Michigan State signee Julia Ayrault leads a group which has lost only to undefeated Bloomfield Hills Marian.
• Royal Oak (7-0) – The Ravens are building well on last season’s 19-3 run and shared Oakland Activities Association White title. Royal Oak is playing in the Red this winter and hoping to unseat reigning co-champions Clarkston and Southfield Arts & Technology. The Ravens already have avenged last season’s loss to the Wolves.
DIVISION 2
• Grand Rapids West Catholic (6-1) – The Falcons are unbeaten since falling to Traverse City West by five on opening night, and only one win away from matching last season’s 7-14 success. Among the most impressive wins is a 53-41 defeat of 2018 Class D semifinalist Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart at the Muskegon Holiday Classic, which remains the Irish’s only loss.
• Detroit Edison (9-1) – The reigning Class C champion opted up to Division 2 with its star power back from last season, and is one of two programs statewide (girls or boys) fielding two varsities. The “A” team – led by Mississippi State signee Rickea Jackson – has wins over reigning Class B champion Detroit Country Day and 2018 Class A semifinalist Wayne Memorial, with its only loss to also-nationally renowned Columbus Africentric (Ohio).
DIVISION 3
• Schoolcraft (6-0) – The Eagles have won all of their games by at least 11 points, including in handing Delton Kellogg its only defeat. Those two are among the top three in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley standings as Schoolcraft looks to build off last season’s title and run to the Class C Quarterfinals.
• Stockbridge (5-1) – The Panthers are early leaders in the Greater Lansing Activities Conference, a near-complete turnaround after winning five games total a year ago. The only defeat this winter came to Eaton Rapids (see above), and they entered break with a 10-point win over frequent league contender Olivet.
DIVISION 4
• Rogers City (5-1) – We highlighted Onaway earlier this season, so we’ll waste no time recognizing Rogers City coming off Friday’s 46-40 overtime win over the Cardinals. The Hurons’ only loss was by two to Division 2 Tawas in the season opener, and they also have a win over Hillman after finishing second to the Tigers in the North Star League Big Dipper last season.
• Ontonagon (6-0) – The Gladiators have a jump on surpassing last season’s 12-11 finish and should make another run at first in the Porcupine Mountain division of the Copper Mountain Conference after finishing second a year ago. A 48-40 win over reigning Class D runner-up Chassell on Dec. 18 avenged last season’s 15-point District Final loss.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Southfield Arts & Technology (6-1) at Detroit Country Day (4-3) – The Warriors’ only loss was by two to reigning Class A champ Saginaw Heritage, and they can make a statement with a victory over last season’s Class B winner.
Tuesday – Utica Eisenhower (6-0) at Grosse Pointe North (5-1) – They played in different leagues last season and combined for 39 wins. Now they’re together in the previously-mentioned MAC Red.
Wednesday – Flint Carman-Ainsworth (7-2) at Saginaw Heritage (6-0) – These are the early leaders in the respective Saginaw Valley League divisions after Heritage came in first and Carman-Ainsworth second in a combined league a year ago. They also went on to meet in the Regional Final.
Friday – Detroit Edison (9-1) at Muskegon (3-2) – The Big Reds will be up to the challenge; their losses this winter were by a combined four points to Division 1 contenders East Kentwood and East Lansing.
Friday – East Lansing (6-0) at Grand Ledge (5-1) – The reigning Class A runner-up Trojans beat rival Grand Ledge three times last season, but by only two points in the first meeting.
Second Half’s weekly “Countdown to Calvin” reports are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Student Financial Services Bureau located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information, including various student financial assistance programs to help make college more affordable for Michigan students. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 savings programs (MET/MESP) and eight additional aid programs within its Student Scholarships and Grants division. Click for more information and connect with MI Student Aid on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO: Grand Ledge, here playing Lansing Waverly in December, will attempt to hand rival East Lansing its first defeat of the season this week. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Goodrich Finishes Winter Season with Perfection, Completing Undefeated Title Run
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 21, 2026
EAST LANSING – Kayla Hairston approached the Division 2 bracket poster with two hands on the Goodrich nameplate, getting it positioned on the final line in the only way she and her teammates knew how to do things – perfectly.
The Martians defeated Tecumseh 55-44 on Saturday in the night’s concluding Girls Basketball Final at the Breslin Center, finishing off a 29-0 season.
“Playing Tecumseh, the team that knocked us out last year, and beating them for the state championship felt amazing,” Hairston said. “We came to Breslin and we emphasized that we don’t want to be at Breslin, we want to be here for a state championship, and that mindset is what got us here.”
It was the third title for the Goodrich girls team, and first since the program won back-to-back Class B titles in 2012 and 2013. The Martians’ victory also prevented Tecumseh from repeating as the Division 2 champ.
“It’s definitely special,” Goodrich senior Tanner Schramm said. “Coming out and getting this win today against Tecumseh is big, because we lost to them last year thinking we could win it all last year. Coming out and winning today feels even better.”
Hairston finished with 21 points in her final game at Goodrich, while Baylor Lauinger had 14 and Schramm had eight. Lauinger added five rebounds and four steals, both team highs.
Avery Zajac led Tecumseh with 19 points, while Addi Zajac had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Everything was difficult for Tecumseh, however, as it was held to its third-lowest scoring output of the season.
“I thought our kids were just awesome today,” Goodrich coach Jason Gray said. “Tecumseh’s a very good team, and we thought there were certain things that they had advantages on, and certain things that we had advantages on, and we really kind of leaned on our advantages tonight. All year, our defensive pressure has been a key. We don’t always trap and run all over the floor like that, but we do press to the ball. Tonight was probably one of the best (games) we played all year long.”
Goodrich’s unrelenting defense had Tecumseh sped up throughout the first half, as the returning champ had as many turnovers as points through 16 minutes and trailed 29-14 at the break.
Three Martians – Kat Federick, Baylor Lauinger and Kaylee Eickhoff – had three steals apiece by halftime, and the team had scored 22 points off turnovers.
All of that success came despite star senior Schramm being saddled with foul trouble and spending a majority of the half on the bench.
“We really couldn’t run anything,” Tecumseh coach Kristy Zajac said. “We were really trying to pound it into the post to Addi, and our guards were getting pressured so much, and we kept turning the ball over. You can’t turn the ball over in big games like this. That kind of made our offense struggle all together.”
Tecumseh (26-3) settled down in the second half, but the hole was too deep. Even when it did get the game back to a 10-point deficit in the final seconds of the third, Schramm hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to extend the lead and wipe away any Tecumseh momentum heading into the fourth.
“That was tough,” Kristy Zajac said. “We were working our way back little by little, then they hit that 3, and that was the dagger. This crew never gives up. I told them in the timeout that we were down to Chelsea by 11 with a minute to go and we came back and won that game – they fight and they fight, and they battle and battle until the last buzzer sounds, and I thought they did that tonight. They just made more shots than we did and played a little bit better.”
Schramm’s shot came off a set play for the Martians, even though Gray didn’t have to call a timeout or even signal to Hairston and Schramm to run it.
“Kayla knew exactly where she was going to go: She was either going to get a layup or she was kicking it to Tanner,” Gray said. “Tanner knew that ball was coming, and Tanner knew that shot was coming. It really gives the kids a lot of confidence when they know they’re supposed to be taking the shot and they’re not questioning it. That 3 was huge, but it was by design. Our kids were ready for that moment.”
From there, Hairston and the Martians left no doubt. The senior scored eight points over the quarter’s first 1½ minutes as Goodrich built a 19-point lead and put the game away.
“It feels great, but I give it all to my teammates,” Hairston said. “I’ve been struggling a little bit with my 3-point shot, so them just having my back and telling me that’s my shot and not to give up on myself, even though I’ve been missing, it just means a lot. For them to set me up and get me those open shots, it means a lot.”
PHOTOS (Top) Goodrich’s Kayla Hairston (12) drives to the basket as Tecumseh’s Addi Zajac (40) goes for a block during Saturday’s Division 2 Final at Breslin Center. (Middle) Goodrich’s Kaylee Eickhoff (10) makes a move on the baseline with Avery Zajac defending. (Photos by Keionna Banks and Lilanie Karunanayake/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)