D1 Preview: New Finalists Assured, 1st-Time Champion Guaranteed

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 16, 2022

We will have a first-time MHSAA Division 1 girls basketball champion this weekend.

That simple statement alone should generate plenty of excitement for Friday’s Semifinals and Saturday’s championship game.

West Bloomfield finished runner-up in Class A in 1989. Rockford, Wayne Memorial and Hartland have never played in the Final, and at least one is guaranteed to do so.

DIVISION 1 Semifinals – Friday
West Bloomfield (23-1) vs. Rockford (23-2), noon
Hartland (24-1) vs. Wayne Memorial (23-2), 2 p.m.
FINAL – Saturday – 12:15 p.m.

Tickets for this weekend’s games are $12 for both Semifinals and Finals and are available via the Breslin Center ticket office. All Semifinals will be broadcast and viewable with subscription to MHSAA.tv, and all four Finals will air live Saturday on Bally Sports Detroit’s primary channel as well as on the BSD website and app. Audio broadcasts of all Semifinals and Finals will be available free of charge from the MHSAA Network.

Here’s a look at the four Division 1 semifinals (with rankings by MPR and statistics through Regional Finals):

HARTLAND
Record/rank: 24-1, No. 4
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West and overall
Coach: Don Palmer, 13th season (254-13)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 56-51 (OT) over No. 2 Midland Dow in Quarterfinal, 48-46 over No. 20 Clarkston in Regional Final, 45-36 (District Final), 63-48 and 48-36 over No. 10 Howell, 60-49 over No. 18 Grand Blanc.
Players to watch: Leah Lappin, 5-9 sr. G (9.3 ppg, 36 3-pointers); Lauren Sollom, 6-2 sr. F (9.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg); Amanda Roach, 5-7 sr. G (8.8 ppg, 3.3 apg).
Outlook: The Eagles are making their first trip to the Semifinals after reaching the Quarterfinals for the fourth time over the last eight seasons. Despite the first-time appearance coming up, this lineup is experienced and also balanced – five seniors start, and Gracey Metz adds another 8.3 points and 2.9 assists per game to the mix as no player averages double-digit scoring. The lone loss came Jan. 11 to Howell and was avenged twice. Palmer, who formerly coached more than 30 years at Milford, is up to a combined 1,024 girls and boys varsity wins and entered this season seventh on the girls coaching victories list.

ROCKFORD
Record/rank: 23-2, No. 9
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Coach:
Brad Wilson, fifth season (80-31)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins:
54-43 over No. 14 East Lansing in Quarterfinal, 54-32 over No. 1 Hudsonville in Regional Final, 66-29 over Muskegon Mona Shores in Regional Semifinal, 55-43 over No. 15 Byron Center, 50-46 over Division 2 No. 8 Grand Rapids West Catholic. 
Players to watch: Grace Lyons, 5-6 soph. G (11.8 ppg, 49 3-pointers); Alyssa Wypych, 5-9 jr. G (10.9 ppg, 35 3-pointers); Gabrielle Irwin, 5-9 sr. G (8.6 ppg, 2.9 apg).
Outlook: After losing to Hudsonville by 14 and 10 during the regular season, Rockford avenged those lone defeats on the way to its second Regional title (first since 2010) and now first trip to the Semifinals. The Rams have allowed only five opponents to break 45 points this season (Hudsonville twice) and one of those six games went to overtime. Irwin earned an all-state honorable mention last season.  

WAYNE MEMORIAL
Record/rank: 23-2, No. 16
League finish: First in KLAA East
Coach:
Jarvis Mitchell, eighth season (136-47)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins:
44-33 over Riverview in Quarterfinal, 40-36 over Brighton in Regional Final, 55-33 over Northville in Regional Semifinal, 61-44 over Detroit Renaissance.
Players to watch: Davai Matthews, 6-3 sr. F/C; Mayla Ham, 5-11 jr. G/F; Colleena Bryant, 5-7 fr. G. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: The Zebras are back at the Semifinals for the fourth-straight season (not counting COVID-shortened 2020). Ham, Matthews and junior Paris Bass all started in last season’s Semifinal appearance as well. Matthews is the only senior starter and one of only two on the team, and she’s a difference maker who will continue next season at Long Beach State.

WEST BLOOMFIELD
Record/rank: 23-1, No. 6
League finish: First in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: 
Darrin McAllister, first season (23-1)
Championship history: Class A runner-up 1989
Best wins:
59-31 over No. 12 Grosse Pointe North in Regional Final, 72-42 over No. 3 Farmington Hills Mercy in Regional Semifinal, 46-35 over No. 13 Bloomfield Hills Marian in District Final, 73-47 and 80-65 over No. 20 Clarkston, 68-55 over No. 19 South Lyon East, 65-62 over Division 2 No. 1 Detroit Edison.
Players to watch: Summer Davis, 5-9 soph. G (14.5 ppg, 35 3-pointers, 3.6 apg, 3.3 spg); Indya Davis, 5-0 soph. G/F (14.3 ppg, 32 3-pointers, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 spg); Sydney Hendrix, 5-11 jr. F (10.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg).
Outlook: West Bloomfield is making its first trip to the Semifinals since 2003, and it might be just the start for a team getting significant contributions from sophomores and juniors. The Lakers’ win over Edison was Edison’s first in-state loss since 2017-18, and West Bloomfield’s only defeat came in its season opener to No. 7 Dexter. Hendrix and Indya Davis both earned all-state honorable mentions last season. Senior guard Myonna Hooper is another key contributor averaging 11.2 points and three assists per game, and senior center Zaneiya Batiste grabs a team-high eight rebounds per contest.

PHOTO West Bloomfield’s Summer Davis (23) works to get past a Marian defender during their District Final matchup. (Photo by Douglas Bargerstock.)

Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Girls Report Week 11

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 24, 2026

With Sunday’s announcement of this season’s Girls Basketball District seeds and matchups, more  than 650 teams across the state now know their championship paths once the playoffs begin.

MI Student Aid

But the journey really started months ago – and there’s one more week left this regular season for contenders to build up momentum as they prepare to play for more. We detail some of what we've seen and what to expect below.

“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.

Week in Review

The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:

1. Grass Lake 52, Brooklyn Columbia Central 42 These two have met in three straight Cascades Conference championship games, and Grass Lake (19-1) won its third straight title in adding to a previous victory this winter over Columbia Central (17-3). 

2. Flint Powers Catholic 49, Saginaw Heritage 40 The Chargers (19-2) won this matchup of Saginaw Valley League division winners, sending Heritage to 15-6. 

3. Goodrich 58, Fenton 27 The Martians (21-0) won their third-straight Flint Metro League overall championship, downing Fenton (14-8) for the second time this season. 

4. Rockford 61, Grand Haven 41 The Rams (19-1) finished an outright championship run in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red and a season sweep of the Buccaneers (17-3). 

5. Farmington Hills Mercy 60, South Lyon East 47 The Marlins (16-4) handed East (19-1) its only loss this season.

Watch List

With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:

DIVISION 1

DeWitt (16-4) The Panthers have wins over four teams with at least 15 victories this winter, and all four of DeWitt’s losses came to teams with at least 15 wins. Despite splitting with Holt, the Panthers finished just behind the Rams in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue, but could see Holt again in a Regional Final. DeWitt also has an opportunity to see East Lansing again in their District Final after falling to the Trojans in their second of two regular-season meetings. 

Holt (15-4) After finishing second and tied for second in the CAAC Blue to DeWitt the last two seasons, Holt celebrated clinching the outright championship by finishing a regular-season sweep of East Lansing on Feb. 13. The Rams then followed with an impressive 52-51 win over Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richand and impressed as well despite falling to Haslett (18-2) by three points on Thursday. All four losses have come to opponents with at least 15 wins this season. 

DIVISION 2

Warren Regina (15-5) The Saddlelites have tied last season’s win total with at least three more games to play, and one more victory will give them their highest total in at least 15 years. The losses came in clumps; Regina won its first seven games, lost five of the next seven, but have now won six straight. The Saddlelites finished third in a Catholic High School League Central West that also included Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (16-3) and Farmington Hills Mercy (16-4), both Division 1 teams. 

Yale (19-1) The Bulldogs clinched a share of their third-straight Blue Water Area Conference title Friday and can make the championship outright Tuesday against second-place Armada – and after Yale and Armada shared the championship a year ago. The Bulldogs’ only loss this winter came to Division 1 New Baltimore Anchor Bay (17-2), and Armada in the teams’ first matchup is the only other opponent to get within single digits.

Baraga's Danica Jahfetson directs the offense against Ishpeming.

DIVISION 3

Kalamazoo Christian (15-3) Five of six teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley have winning records, and topping them is undefeated Kalamazoo Christian – which has won the title outright with an opportunity to finish a perfect league run against second-place Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep on Tuesday. The three Comets’ losses came to Division 1 and 2 opponents that are a combined 48-12, and K-Christian will be playing next week for a fourth-straight District title.  

Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (15-4) The Crusaders made a memorable jump last season starting 1-3 and ending as the Division 3 runners-up. They got rolling a little more quickly this winter and have won eight straight while clinching the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue title outright despite playing in a league that has four of six teams with at least 13 wins. Lutheran Northwest also has tested itself nonleague with losses to Division 1 Clarkston and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek and Division 2 St. Clair. 

DIVISION 4

Mio (16-4) The Thunderbolts will seek to add to two straight trips to the Regional Semifinals when they begin their postseason march next week, and they’ll hope to secure a third-straight league title tonight when they play Hillman with a share of the North Star League Little Dipper championship on the line. Mio split back-to-back games with Au Gres-Sims, which has clinched a share of the title. Mia McGregor has passed 2,000 points this season as a junior and is in line to pursue the all-time MHSAA career scoring record next winter.

Portland St. Patrick (16-4) The Shamrocks have been championship contenders – and won their share – over the last several decades, but this season is a little different as past championship player and assistant coach Michelle Smith has taken over the program from longtime leader Al Schrauben. The success continues. While St. Patrick is fourth in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference – which features four teams with at least 16 wins – all of its losses have come to those other three teams, which all play in Division 3.

Can’t-Miss Contests

Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up: 

Tuesday – Kingston (21-0) at Deckerville (17-3) – This will finish determining one of the final league races still outstanding, as Kingston has clinched a share of the Big Thumb Conference Blue title but Deckerville can do the same by avenging an earlier 53-34 loss to the Cardinals. 

Tuesday – Beaverton (17-2) at Standish-Sterling (17-3) – These two will face off for the overall Jack Pine Conference championship after also facing each other Friday, with Beaverton winning the first round 58-47. 

Thursday – Belleville (21-0) vs. Howell (20-1) at Northville – This has been one of the most anticipated matchups in the state for weeks as the reigning Division 1 champion Tigers seek to finish as repeat overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association champs.

Thursday – Rockford (19-1) at Grand Rapids South Christian (20-0) – Both are strong candidates to finish at Breslin Center next month, the Rams in Division 1 and the Sailors in Division 2. 

Thursday – Negaunee (19-1) at Gladstone (17-3) – Gladstone will be seeking to avenge a 30-19 loss to the Miners from Jan. 27, and they’re lined up to potentially see each other in a Division 2 District Final next week as well.

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PHOTOS (Top) Mio’s Mia McGregor (33) handles the ball during a game against Saginaw Arts & Sciences earlier this month. (Middle) Baraga's Danica Jahfetson directs the offense against Ishpeming. (Mio/SASA photo by Kolleth Photo. Baraga/Ishpeming photo by Cara Kamps.)