Countdown to Calvin: Girls Report Week 10
February 12, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Girls Basketball Districts begin in three weeks, and contenders are making a few final statements as they finish up league play, compete for league tournament titles and tune up with a little more high-caliber prep before the most urgent time of the season begins.
We take a glance again this week at a number of top matchups from the last few days and preview the next few on the way– but also offer a look at some great stories from programs that might not be in the statewide spotlight.
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. Southfield Arts & Technology 60, Royal Oak 47 – Both teams are now 14-1, and Southfield Arts & Technology will carry the Oakland Activities Association Red lead into the Feb. 28 rematch.
2. Detroit Edison 41, Saginaw Heritage 37 – With both teams missing injured standouts, this one lost a little of its luster but still matched up last season’s Class C and A champions, respectively.
3. Hartland 46, Brighton 35 – The Eagles avenged their seven-point Jan. 15 loss, handed Brighton its first defeat of the season and moved into a tie for first with the Bulldogs in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West.
4. Harper Woods Chandler Park 66, Grosse Pointe North 55 – Chandler Park could be one of few that can challenge Edison in Division 2, and this win over a Division 1 contender proves it.
5. St. Ignace 68, Kingsley 37 – The Saints are one of a few obvious teams to beat in Division 4, with this win over two-loss Division 2 Kingsley more evidence.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
• Detroit Mumford (13-3) – The Mustangs shared the Detroit Public School League West-Town title with Renaissance, and then defeated Renaissance 55-38 on Monday in a PSL Tournament semifinal to advance to Friday’s championship game against Martin Luther King. Mumford is plenty tested with losses to Renaissance, Edison and St. Ignace coming off last season’s Regional Final appearance.
• Midland Dow (13-1) – The Chargers have won 12 straight since falling to Division 3 contender Pewamo-Westphalia on Dec. 8, and a victory Thursday against Bay City Western would clinch Dow’s third league title in four seasons. The big win of course came against rival Saginaw Heritage on Feb. 1, and with a pair of future college guards leading the Chargers could be just getting started.
DIVISION 2
• Charlotte (12-3) – A win Friday at winless Lansing Sexton would pull the Orioles a step closer to possibly earning at least a share of the Capital Area Activities Conference White title, quite a jump after four straight sub-.500 seasons. Charlotte’s best win was the only loss this winter for league foe Portland, and those two will meet again Feb. 22 potentially tied for first. Both have a loss in league play.
• Muskegon Oakridge (13-2) – Rival Whitehall deservedly earned big headlines by ending Oakridge’s West Michigan Conference 82-game winning streak in triple overtime Jan. 8. But Oakridge took the rematch 42-29 on Friday to take over a slim lead in the league race. The Eagles will meet Whitehall again in their District opener March 4.
DIVISION 3
• Centreville (13-0) – The Bulldogs improved to 14-0 on Monday and extended their lead atop the Southwest 10 Conference that was earned in part by handing Mendon a 37-33 defeat Friday. Centreville is 30-0 in league play since the SW10 was formed two years ago and has had only one other game in single digits this season – in handing Schoolcraft its only loss, 44-42 on Jan. 18.
• Maple City Glen Lake (13-2) – The Lakers quietly have been building on last season’s second straight march to the Class C Semifinals, falling only in a close game early to Ypsilanti Arbor Prep and then in their first meeting this season with Northwest Conference rival Kingsley. Glen Lake won two games by three points apiece last week over Manton and Benzie Central – which are a combined 20-7 – and have to be eying that Kingsley rematch Feb. 22.
DIVISION 4
• Bellevue (12-0) – With Monday’s 37-36 double-overtime win over rival Athens, Bellevue is 49-8 over the last three seasons and closing in on a third straight league championship. Monday’s win, which put the Broncos at 13-0, was the only game not decided by double digits so far this winter.
• Gaylord St. Mary (11-1) – A loss to Division 3 Traverse City St. Francis on Monday actually sent St. Mary to 11-2. However, the Snowbirds remain atop the Ski Valley Conference by a comfortable margin and hadn’t lost since a season-opening defeat against Division 2 Escanaba.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Thursday – Detroit Edison (13-1) at Bloomfield Hills Marian (15-0) – The Mustangs will get some final prep for the Detroit Catholic League and Division 1 tournaments against the Division 2 favorite.
Friday – Detroit Mumford (14-3) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (14-1) at Cass Tech – Mumford’s success is discussed above, and King can add a PSL Tournament title to a successful run that has seen only a two-point loss keep it from perfection.
Friday – East Kentwood (11-3) at Rockford (11-3) – The Rams also have to get past Grand Haven on Tuesday, but by the end of this week the top of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red should be clearer.
Friday – Negaunee (12-2) at Ishpeming Westwood (15-1) – The Miners are the only team to defeat Westwood this winter, and the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Iron title will be on the line in the rematch.
Saturday – Detroit Edison (13-1) at Wayne Memorial (14-1) – The Zebras have locked up the KLAA East title and will get a tournament-caliber test as they start looking toward the postseason.
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: Bloomfield Hills Marian is one of 15 undefeated Michigan high school girls basketball teams left with three weeks to play in the regular season. (Photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers.)
Senior Pair's Decision to Play Makes for Memorable Mackinaw City Season
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
March 13, 2026
Mackinaw City gave all of its girls basketball opponents the “friends & family” treatment this season.
And it certainly wasn’t a discount.
But the Comets did sport a discounted roster with just seven players, made up of three sisters and four close friends. And the roster could have been even smaller.
As the Mackinaw City volleyball season ended and the basketball opener was a few weeks away, Jake Huffman – the Comets volleyball and girls basketball coach – was facing the possibility of coaching this basketball season with just five girls on his roster.
Perhaps worse yet, Huffman was visualizing a roster with no seniors and one eighth grader. Kerry-Ann Ming, the Northern Lakes Conference volleyball Player of the Year, was not planning to play her senior season, instead intending to focus on her volleyball game during the offseason. She had been on the Comets’ basketball team the three previous seasons.
Ming’s friend and fellow senior Liz Kruczynski had never played on the Comets’ basketball team. And, in fact, she hadn’t been on any basketball team since she was a second grader.
But that all changed one November day when Ming and Kruczynski were shooting baskets during lunch break in the school’s gymnasium.
“And a lot of our friends were trying to convince both of us to do it, and word got to Mr. Huffman that we were indeed playing basketball and he came walking in and said, ‘Kerry, Liz! You're playing?’ and it was just like, let's go, we’re going to have a sweat season,” recalled Kruczynski. “Coach said, ‘It'll be great,’ and he was jumping up and down.”
And great it was. The Comets went 15-7 and earned a postseason win over Mackinac Island.
“I am so thrilled that both of these ladies played because they did provide some nice solid senior leadership for us, and they were really huge contributors for our team in what they gave to the team and how they worked with their teammates,” said Huffman. “Early in the year, we dropped some of those 50/50 games and towards the end of the season, we were starting to win those. The girls played hard and grew a ton as a team.”
Kruczynski, a forward, and Ming, the team’s center, were keys to that success. Kruczynski averaged better than two rebounds a game while playing great defense and significant minutes.
The pair also helped the Comets battle foul trouble and finish all 22 contests. Mackinaw City did end a few games with fewer than five eligible players due to fouling out or illness.
“Liz is a really good athlete, and for somebody who's never played basketball, she's got a pretty nice shot,” Huffman pointed out. “I'm so glad that she decided to play this year. She was a huge asset.”
Kruczynski chose to play basketball for her friends Ming, Rian Esper and Kenzlie Currie. She also did it for the chance to play a season with her sisters Emily, a freshman, and Ella, an eighth grader.
“There was only seven of us, and I think that a lot of people don't understand how much of like a family it really was with all the girls,” Kruczynski noted. “We're all extremely close, and the bonds go outside of the sport.”
Last summer, thinking of the possibility of playing basketball for the Comets, she put in a lot of work learning the game.
“I knew it would be my last high school sport together with Kerry, and it's one more sport with my friends and my sisters so I just did it,” Kruczynski said. “I took a lot of positive criticism and help from my siblings that have played for years and my friends as well. My siblings were a big part of the reason I enjoyed basketball so much.”
The Comets seniors leaders credit Currie’s passion, Esper’s hard-working mindset and Poppy Wallace’s dedication for a good portion of Mackinaw City’s success on the hardcourt.
But Ming can’t avoid getting the biggest share of the credit.
“Kerry was a very busy young lady this winter between school and basketball and volleyball,” Huffman acknowledged. “She managed to juggle it all.”
Ming led the team with more than 10 rebounds and three steals per game. She also added two blocks and nearly two assists per contest. She finished her career as the school’s second-leading shot blocker and third on the all-time rebounding list. She also set the school single-season rebounding record at 304 as a junior.
“I knew I was going to miss it and regret in the end if I didn’t play (this season),” Ming admitted. “My parents and God were there to support my decision, and my parents cheered me on every game.”
Ming will continue playing volleyball after graduation. She’s signed a letter of intent to play middle hitter for Kirtland Community College.
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) At left, Mackinaw City’s Kerry-Ann Ming pushes the ball upcourt, and at right, teammate Liz Kruczynski considers her options on offense. (Middle) Comets coach Jake Huffman talks things over with his team. (Ming photo by Billy Mac Photos. Kruczynski photo by Heather Huffman. Team huddle photo courtesy of the Cheboygan Daily Tribune.)