PH Northern Measures Up Among State's Best
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
January 4, 2017
It wasn’t long ago that Port Huron Northern’s girls basketball team started scheduling measuring stick games.
The Huskies put teams like Detroit Country Day, Flint Powers and Detroit Martin Luther King on the schedule to see what it was like to play against the best in the state.
Now, in coach Mark Dickinson’s ninth season, the Huskies still have those games on the schedule. They’re just looking more like the “measuring stick” team for their opponents, instead.
“It’s a great feeling,” Northern senior Kendyl Keyes said. “A couple years ago, it’s hard to believe that we would have been at this point, because you’re coming in, you’re so young, and it’s like, ‘Wow, we really did make it.’
“All this work that we put in, that the coaches put in, it’s paid off.”
Northern is 7-0 to start the season, with big early-season wins against Farmington Hills Mercy and Williamston. The Huskies are ranked No. 2 in Class A and No. 4 in the Super 10 by Tom Markowski of State Champs! Sports Network.
The biggest early-season game, however, comes tonight when Northern plays host to reigning Class A champion Warren Cousino, a team it defeated twice a year ago to prove it belongs in the conversation of the state’s best teams.
“I think the kids are more and more confident that we can play with anybody as a team,” Dickinson said. “We pride ourselves on having a team. We don’t have Miss Michigan, but we have a lot of good players from top to bottom.”
It’s a long way from where the Huskies were less than 10 year ago.
Point Guard University
Dickinson’s tenure as varsity coach had humble beginnings. In his first season (2008-09), the Huskies went 1-20, and he and his coaching staff decided to focus on basic fundamentals.
“The first year, we were limited because three kids moved away,” Dickinson said. “We were playing with people who were out of position, so we said, ‘Hey, we’re going to play good D, we’re going to start with that. It’s like building a house, and laying the foundation.’ The first two or three years, that’s what we talked about, that we were going to lay one layer of bricks, lay another layer of bricks.
“The first two years, I had a segment of practice called Point Guard University, where we had them all do tons of ball-handling. We were having some struggles with ball-handling, so we made everybody improve their ball-handling, and it started growing from there.”
It worked. Over the next six seasons, Northern managed to win more games than it had the year before: 9-12 in 2009-10, then 11-10, 17-4 (with a conference title), 18-5 (conference title), 19-7 and 21-4 in 2014-15. Last season also saw 21 wins (21-5), and a co-Macomb Area Conference Red title shared with that eventual Class A champion Cousino.
While it was an entirely different set of girls doing the winning, Dickinson gives a lot of credit for the recent success to the girls who came before them.
“Even the groups before that that didn’t win Districts, they really started to compete and put themselves in position to win games. We just didn’t have quite enough depth at that time, or enough shooters,” Dickinson said. “They were the building blocks of the program. I look back at those early teams, those kids were the ones that kind of set the tone that we’re working in March and April; instead of sitting home and watching TV on Sunday, we’re going to be up here working. Those kids started it, and then it just kind of snowballed.”
Breaking through
While the program started taking off in 2012, its postseason breakthrough didn’t come until 2014 when it won a Regional title, its first under Dickinson. It was also the first District title under Dickinson, and the first of three straight.
Last season, Northern repeated the feat, winning another Class A Regional title before falling in the Quarterfinal against St. Johns. All of that in a season many saw as a rebuilding year, as Northern had graduated a strong senior class the year before.
Thanks to the foundation the Huskies have built, however, rebuilding has turned into reloading.
“I think, partly, we’ve got a really good coaching staff from top to bottom,” Dickinson said. “That’s huge for skill development during the season. During the offseason, we put a lot of time in, and the kids have bought into that. We’ve had kids that have made a commitment to come in year-round and work on their shot, work on their ball-handling. When we do our team stuff in the summer, I know a lot of teams have trouble getting their whole teams there, but I usually have everybody there.”
While the talent and depth continues to grow for the Huskies, the work ethic instilled on those early teams has remained the same.
“We’ve just been in the gym a lot together as a whole,” senior Jenna Koppinger said. “Whenever you want to come in, the coaches are here. If you want to go at 6 a.m., they’re here. If you want to go at 6 at night the same day, they’re back again. That’s really what’s founded it.”
The early-season tests against top-level competition have helped take the Huskies to their current level, but so has playing in the Macomb Area Conference Red, which Dickinson considers one of the best conferences in the state. The Huskies also have traveled throughout the summer to play against the best and in big venues, including at the legendary St. Cecelia’s in Detroit.
All of that combined has created a team that isn’t afraid to play on the biggest stages or wildest environments.
“It’s so exciting – it’s fun,” senior Bree Bauer said. “It gives you a lot of adrenaline, and I think it makes me play better.”
This year’s team features six seniors – Keyes, Koppinger, Bauer, Cassidy Koschnitzke, Brooke Austin and Kathleen O’Connor – as well as an experienced, play-making junior in Sami Klink. But beyond the experience, there’s a large group of girls waiting for their turn.
Dickinson said several members of his junior varsity team would be varsity players most years, but with his current depth he simply can’t bring them up. His JV squad was a perfect 20-0 a year ago, and spent the summer holding its own against varsity teams, so don’t expect the Huskies to fade away any time soon.
Of course, there’s still plenty to accomplish in the present. With its foundation solidly built, Northern can now look to break through its ceiling, something recent results show it’s more than capable of doing.
“A lot of people think you can’t win a state championship in Port Huron,” Dickinson said. “I’m not going to go that far. We have to keep getting better, and it would nice to make a run at it – we’ve been close. If you get to Breslin Center, you never know what’s going to happen, so we’re knocking on the door. I don’t know if we’re ever going to get there, but we’re working towards it. If you don’t have a goal like that, you’re never going to achieve it.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Northern's Sami Klink moves the ball around the perimeter against Detroit Cass Tech on Dec. 28 at the Motor City Roundball Classic. (Middle) The Huskies hoist the championship trophy after defeating Croswell-Lexington on Dec. 22 to win the Port Huron Holiday Tournament. (Photos by Jill O'Connor.)
Countdown to Calvin: Quarterfinal Preview
March 13, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The final minutes are ticking down until Michigan’s finest girls basketball teams play for MHSAA championships this weekend at Calvin College’s Van Noord Arena.
The trip to this final week of the season has been four months in the making for 32 hopefuls that will take the court tonight in Quarterfinals all over our state.
Our final “Countdown to Calvin” report – powered by MI Student Aid – takes a glance at all 16 Quarterfinals, which are all at 7 p.m. unless noted. All Quarterfinals will be broadcast and viewable with subscription on MHSAA.tv. And come back Wednesday night for a more in-depth look at our 16 finalists as they head into this weekend.
Class A
Grosse Pointe North (19-5) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (18-3) at Southfield Arts & Technology – 5 p.m.
Grosse Pointe North will play in its first Quarterfinal since 2010, while King will be back for the first time since 2012. The Norsemen have only one senior and are paced by 6-foot-2 junior guard/forward Julia Ayrault (19 ppg, 10.3 rpg). Senior guard Jordan Lewis (14 ppg) leads three Crusaders averaging double-digit scoring. Two of King’s three losses are to reigning MHSAA champions.
Clarkston (20-4) vs. Saginaw Heritage (24-1) at Grand Blanc
Heritage is back in the Quarterfinals for the third time in six years and first since 2015, while Clarkston has made the final week for the first time since 2005. The Hawks – whose only loss was to reigning Class C champ Detroit Edison, by a basket – are paced by junior guard Moira Joiner (14.6 ppg, 4.2 apg). Seniors Maddie Beck (14.4 ppg) and Kayla Luchenbach (14.1 ppg) have the Wolves on an eight-game winning streak.
East Lansing (24-0) vs. Muskegon (22-2) at DeWitt
East Lansing will play in its second Quarterfinal in three years to make it to the Semifinals for the first time since 2010. The Trojans are led by newly-honored Miss Basketball Award winner Jaeda Hampton (15 ppg, 57 3-pointers). Muskegon is coming off its first Regional title and has won 19 straight, keyed by junior guard Alyza Winston (19.6 ppg).
Wayne Memorial (21-4) vs. Hartland (20-5) at Southfield Arts & Technology
Wayne is another first-time Regional champion, led on this march by Miss Basketball finalist Camree’ Clegg (23.7 ppg, 6.4 apg). Hartland won its second Regional title, and second in four seasons, and will try to make its first Semifinal in part on the post power of 6-4 sophomore Whitney Sollom (10.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 4.7 bpg.)
Class B
Hamilton (24-1) vs. Jackson Northwest (23-1) at Marshall
Both of these quarterfinalists are coming off their first Regional titles in program history. Hamilton has won 24 straight since losing to Jenison in its opener, paced in part by senior Ashlen Wolfram (10.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg). Northwest’s only defeat came early as well to Battle Creek Harper Creek; the Mounties are on a 21-game winning streak with junior guard Sydney Shafer pouring in a team-high 17 ppg.
Michigan Center (22-2) vs. Harper Woods Chandler Park (17-6) at Tecumseh
Michigan Center, up from Class C this school year, is making its first Quarterfinal appearance since 2005. After falling to an uncharacteristic 6-15 in 2015-16, the Cardinals are 42-6 over the last two seasons and start one senior with four underclassmen. Chandler Park is playing in its first Quarterfinal, with freshman Emaia O’Brien (12.7 ppg, 43 3-pointers) an impressive leading scorer while playing against a loaded schedule.
Detroit Country Day (20-4) vs. Freeland (23-2) at West Bloomfield
Reigning Class B champion Country Day is going for its third title in four seasons, led by Miss Basketball finalist Kaela Webb (15.9 ppg). All four of its defeats are to teams still alive this week. Freeland advanced to the Semifinals a year ago, and its only losses are to Class A teams. The Falcons are led by the Argyle sisters – senior guard Kaylee and junior forward Alyssa, both averaging 11.5 points per game.
Muskegon Oakridge (22-3) vs. Kingsley (25-0) at Cadillac
Oakridge broke through with its first Regional title since 1991, and will try to extend the run against an undefeated Stags team playing in the final week for the first time since 2008. Junior guard Sophia Wiard is the playmaker for the Eagles, averaging 22.8 points and 4.2 assists per game. Sophomore guard Brittany Bowman (11.5 ppg) and junior guard Jacie King (10.1 ppg) are leading scorers and two of three Kingsley players with at least 30 3-pointers.
Class C
Detroit Edison (21-1) vs. Flint Beecher (18-5) at Howell
Reigning Class C champ Edison has been even more dominant this season, beating Wayne Memorial (twice), Country Day, Heritage and St. Ignace among others. Junior 6-3 guard Rickea Johnson (22.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and sophomore guard Gabrielle Elliott (16.4) are stars. Beecher got through rival Hamady and others to reach its first Quarterfinal since 2003, with senior guard Imani Thompson (13.5 ppg) leading three averaging double-digit scoring.
Pewamo-Westphalia (24-0) vs. Kent City (22-3) at Cedar Springs
Reigning Class C runner-up P-W has had one single-digit game all season, in the District Final against Springport, but should expect a good one tonight from a Kent City team coming off its first Regional title since 1989. Freshman guard Kenzie Bowers leads Kent City with 19.5 points and 5.1 steals per game. Senior guard Emily Spitzley (17 ppg) keys a Pirates starting lineup that features three sophomores.
Schoolcraft (25-0) vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (19-5) at Bronson – 6 p.m.
After making the Quarterfinals last season for the first time, Schoolcraft is back for the second straight. Senior guard Lydia Goble (19.5 ppg) has made an astounding 75 3-pointers and will have to be a focus for Arbor Prep, last season’s Class B runner-up. The Gators are led by Miss Basketball finalist and senior guard Lasha Petree, who averages 20.2 points per game and has 42 3-pointers.
Maple City Glen Lake (22-2) vs. St. Ignace (23-1) at Gaylord
Glen Lake is seeking its second straight trip to the Semifinals after getting past St. Ignace in last year’s Quarterfinal. The Lakers’ only losses this winter are to undefeated Class B contender Kingsley, and senior guard Savannah Peplinski (15.6 ppg) leads a mostly veteran lineup. The Saints surely have been looking forward to this opportunity. Their only loss this season was to Edison. Junior forward Emily Coveyou (18.3) and senior forward Linnie Gustafson (16.3) are a productive 1-2 scoring punch.
Class D
Gaylord St. Mary (23-1) vs. Chassell (24-1) at Sault Ste. Marie – 6 p.m.
St. Mary has lost three Quarterfinals over the last six years by a combined five points. The Snowbirds are hoping senior guards Averi Bebble (11.5 ppg) and Alex Hunter (13.7 ppg, 31 3-pointers) can help them get to the Semifinals for the first time since 2002. Chassell battled through a pair of close Regional games to reach the Quarterfinals for the first time. The Panthers are keyed by a senior pair as well – guard Milly Allen (15.5 ppg) and 6-1 center Sydney Danison (13.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg).
Waterford Our Lady (18-4) vs. Kingston (23-0) at Burton Bendle – 6 p.m.
These two will meet in a Quarterfinal for the third time in four seasons. Kingston is looking to reach its first Semifinal and Our Lady its seventh in eight seasons after falling in the Quarterfinal to Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary a year ago. Junior forward Carley Smith (10.7) leads a balanced Kingston lineup with four players averaging at least 8.5 ppg. Senior forward Tiffany Senerius puts up 14 ppg for Our Lady and has made 41 3-pointers.
Athens (21-4) vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian (23-1) at Richland Gull Lake
Athens will play in its fifth Quarterfinal this decade but first since 2014 against a Lenawee Christian team making the trip back for the first time since finishing Class D runner-up in 2010. Four senior starters have helped the Indians through a tough tournament run that’s included avenging a loss to rival Bellevue. Lenawee Christian is paced by 6-2 freshman guard Bree Salenbien (21.3 ppg) and has been perfect this season aside from a one-point loss to Class A Monroe.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (24-0) vs. Bellaire (21-3) at Scottville Mason County Central
The Irish have won six straight Regional titles and come into this game undefeated for the second year in a row. Last season they made it to the Semifinals before falling to eventual champion Pittsford. Sacred Heart is leaning on a lineup with four seniors, including Sophia Ruggles (15.6 ppg), and junior guard Scout Nelson (13.8 ppg, 5.1 apg) to take another step. Bellaire has won more than 20 games for the third time in five seasons and broke through for its first Regional title, led by senior forward Lexi Niepoth (14.9 ppg, 11.5 rpg).
PHOTO: East Lansing’s Aaliyah Nye (32) guards a Grand Ledge ball handler during a District win two weeks ago. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)