Countdown to Calvin: Girls Report Week 11
February 19, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It’s championship time in Michigan high school girls basketball.
With all of the recent snow-outs pushing rescheduled games into these final two weeks of the regular season, it seems like hardly a day goes by without at least one team celebrating a league title – and there’s plenty more to come, as we highlight below.
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. Ann Arbor Pioneer 53, Monroe 44 – Although Pioneer went on to lose its next game, in overtime to reigning Class D champ Adrian Lenawee Christian, this win over Monroe locked up the program’s first league title since 2000.
2. Detroit Edison 57, Bloomfield Hills Marian 51 – Edison dealt Marian its only loss this season as both turned up for anticipated long tournament runs in Divisions 2 and 1, respectively.
3. Detroit Mumford 59, Detroit Martin Luther King 49 – By an impressive margin, Mumford repeated as Detroit Public School League Tournament champion with this title game win.
4. Rockford 59, Grand Haven 49 (2 OT) – The Rams pushed into first in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red with this victory over Grand Haven and then Friday’s over East Kentwood; those opponents are now tied for second place.
5. East Grand Rapids 71, Grand Rapids South Christian 51 – The Pioneers are a win away from a perfect run through the O-K Gold after finishing second a year ago and clinched the league title outright with this victory over the reigning champ.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
• DeWitt (15-1) – The Panthers actually improved to 16-1 on Monday with a 58-46 win over East Lansing – which entered the night as the only undefeated team left in Division 1. The Panthers and Trojans this winter are in the same league for the first time and tied for first in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue, both with a league game to play. DeWitt’s only defeat came to the Trojans by four Dec. 14, and the Panthers own a 12-point win over Ann Arbor Pioneer and 13-pointer over Jenison among other standout victories.
• Grand Rapids Northview (13-1) – The Wildcats have clinched a share of the O-K White and can claim the title outright Friday against second-place Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern. It’s a solid improvement on last season’s 12-8 finish, and comes with an impressive 13-game winning streak after opening this winter with a loss to Rockford.
DIVISION 2
• Freeland (14-2) – To see the Falcons in the mix locally and statewide is nothing new. Freeland has made Class B Quarterfinals the last two seasons and could have another run ready to launch – although first the Falcons have a chance to clinch the Tri-Valley Conference Central championship Friday against Shepherd. Losses to Division 1 state powers Midland Dow and Saginaw Heritage should prove valuable next month.
• Muskegon Oakridge (15-2) – The end to its 82-game league winning streak Jan. 8 against Whitehall can fall further into the rearview mirror if Oakridge can clinch the West Michigan Conference title again Thursday against Shelby. Oakridge avenged that loss to Whitehall in their rematch Feb. 8 and took its only other defeat Dec. 22 against likely Division 3 contender Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.
DIVISION 3
• Grass Lake (14-1) – After finishing second to Michigan Center a year ago, Grass Lake could be closing in on its second Cascades Conference title in three seasons. The Warriors have won 12 straight since falling to the Cardinals on Dec. 13 – including a 42-39 victory in the rematch Feb. 1 – and without another loss are guaranteed to at least share the championship. A nonleague matchup with Adrian Lenawee Christian on Feb. 26 could also be an indicator of the program’s potential to win a third straight District title.
• Houghton Lake (14-0) – After finishing 8-13 just two seasons ago, Houghton Lake is a win away from clinching a share of the Jack Pine Conference championship and hasn’t had a game closer than 13 points this season. The Bobcats did show improvement last year finishing 15-8 and winning a District title, but could have their sights set on more with Lake City next week a great test heading into the postseason.
DIVISION 4
• Ann Arbor Rudolf Steiner (15-1) – The Storm is already three wins better than last season’s 12-10 record, with its only defeat to non-MHSAA Ann Arbor Christ the King on Dec. 17. Rudolf Steiner’s conference dissolved before this season, so it didn’t have that chance to contend this winter – but the Storm can look forward to postseason possibilities in two weeks after reaching the District Final a year ago.
• Baraga (14-2) – The Vikings can clinch a share of the Copper Mountain Conference Copper Country title Thursday against Republic-Michigamme, a nice jump after last season’s third place and 10-11 overall finish. Baraga has won six straight since falling to Ontonagon on Jan. 15, with a 22-point victory over L’Anse avenging its only other defeat this winter.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Hartland (15-2) at Wayne Memorial (15-2) – This Kensington Lakes Activities Association semifinal pits the East outright champion hosting the West co-champ.
Tuesday – Byron Center (14-3) at Hamilton (16-0) – The Hawkeyes can clinch the O-K Green title outright against second-place Byron Center and after winning their first meeting by 21 on Jan. 22.
Thursday – Brown City (14-2) at Sandusky (13-3) – Brown City holds a one-game lead in the Greater Thumb Conference East after beating Sandusky 48-43 in overtime on Jan. 22.
Friday – Detroit Edison (15-1) at Michigan Center (14-1) – This week’s big game featuring Division 2 favorite Edison sees it traveling to take on an anticipated Division 3 contender.
Friday – Grass Lake (15-1) at Hanover-Horton (12-4) – Hanover-Horton is likely out of the Cascades Conference race, but can mix it up at the top by taking down the leader.
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: Kingston and Croswell-Lexington are both leading their leagues as we head into the final two weeks of the girls basketball regular season. (Click to see more from Varsity Monthly.)
Fremont Builds on Coach's Inspiration to Become League, District Champion
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 14, 2024
FREMONT – The Fremont girls basketball team entered this season with relatively low expectations.
Three straight sub-.500 seasons with double-digit losses and a new coach didn’t necessarily have the Packers considered as one of the top contenders in the West Michigan Conference.
Peter Zerfas, who won more than 300 games over 21 seasons as Fremont’s boys coach, was hired last April to help rejuvenate the struggling program.
“I think the girls might have been a little nervous of me at first, and didn’t really have that high of expectations,” Zerfas said. “But I told them on the first day of practice we could win the conference.”
Fremont hadn’t won an outright conference championship since 1978. Yes, 46 years ago, although the Packers did share the league title with Big Rapids in 2020.
So what did the players think when their new coach mentioned such a lofty goal?
“I thought we always had the potential to be good. and I thought we had the athletes to be good the past few years,” said senior Jessica Bennett, a four-year varsity player. “He said we were going to be conference champs this year, and when he said that no one really believed him. I sure didn't.
“I thought we could be good and win some more games, but it's hard to have faith in someone you don’t really know.”
Senior Katie Ackerman, a three-year player, also had her doubts.
“I thought that was a really big goal, and I didn't believe him at first,” she said.
The Packers opened the season with a loss to Spring Lake, but then reeled off 10 wins over their next 11 games.
They defeated Whitehall on the road Jan. 10 and moved to 4-0 in conference play, but the major turning point came two weeks later when they knocked off five-time reigning conference champion Ludington, 41-35.
Ludington had beaten the Packers 15 straight years.
“I could see in the locker room after that game that they believed we could win the conference,” Zerfas said.
Fremont averaged 64 points per game over the next nine and defeated Ludington again 42-38 on Feb. 27 in front of a large home crowd.
That victory gave the Packers an undefeated conference season.
“When we went to Whitehall and beat them, that's when I pretty much bought in I think,” Bennett said. “I thought it was a good test for us, and at that moment I bought in and thought we had the potential to be good.”
Fremont entered District play on a high, but lost second-leading scorer Mia Clemence to an ankle injury.
However, a win over Sparta put the Packers in the District Final against rival Grant.
After scoring only one point in the first quarter and falling behind 20-6, Fremont stormed back to earn a 49-40 win and its first District title since 2009.
Fremont advanced to a rematch with Spring Lake in Monday’s Division 3 Regional Semifinal, but saw the season end with a 58-27 defeat.
“They had beaten us by 20 or more twice and they were the better team, but my center was on crutches, our leading scorer had a broken thumb on her shooting hand and we had two girls with high temperatures before the game,” Zerfas said. “The girls battled and played their best, but it was the perfect storm with injuries and illnesses. And Spring Lake is really good and deserved to win.”
Still, Fremont ended with a 20-5 overall mark, the most wins in a season since 1978 when that team advanced to the Quarterfinals.
“I believe the success we had came from great senior leadership and them accepting me as a coach and what I wanted to teach them,” Zerfas said. “But most importantly, they worked hard and worked together. The season was a ton of fun, and I’m going to miss the pasta dinners, the team bonding and how close this team was.”
It was a memorable season for all.
“I expected us to be better than previous years, but I did not expect us to be as good and go as far as what we did,” Ackerman said. “It was a really cool experience, and he made basketball fun. It’s one of the best years I’ve ever had playing.”
Bennett credited her coach for bringing a different mindset to the program.
“It was about Coach coming in and completely changing the system and the culture from what we had done in the past,” she said. “We were going to push the ball up the floor, and we were going to play fast and shoot a lot. And the leadership on our team was good.
“It was very exciting to win the conference, and it’s easier to play really hard for a coach that believes in you and has faith in you.”
The community also embraced the team as wins began piling up. Sparse crowds to begin the season ballooned midway through, and an estimated 1,000 people from Fremont showed up for the District Final.
“Everywhere you went in town, people who loved basketball were talking about our team and how hard they worked and how fun they were to watch,” Zerfas said. “Our local media was talking about us, too, and for a little while we were the talk of the town.”
The future could remain bright for the Packers as they will return seven players next season. In addition, their junior varsity went 20-1.
Fremont’s middle school teams also are having success as they have combined for only one loss.
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Fremont’s girls basketball team finished 20-5 this season and won its first outright league title since 1978. (Middle) Packers captains Katie Ackerman (22) and Jessica Bennett with coach Peter Zerfas. (Photos courtesy of the Fremont girls basketball program.)