Southfield A&T Aiming for Highest Goal
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
February 14, 2019
SOUTHFIELD – This is season three since the merger combining Southfield’s two former public high schools, Southfield High and Southfield-Lathrup. And the shining star through all of the hubbub, at least athletically, is the girls basketball program.
The result of the merger is Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology, commonly known as Southfield A&T. The school is located at the former Southfield High, at the corner of 10 Mile Road and Lahser Road. While the boys track & field and football teams have been competitive since the merger, the success of coach Michele Marshall’s girls basketball team has gained statewide attention.
This season the Warriors could have the best team in Southfield history, whether at Southfield High, Southfield-Lathrup or A&T.
No, we’re not forgetting the 2005 Southfield-Lathrup team, also coached by Marshall (her name was Michele Jackson then), which won the Class A title. There are similarities between that team and this year’s squad, which we will address later.
This season the Warriors are 14-1 and ranked No. 2 in Division 1 in the latest Associated Press poll. Their only loss came in the second game to 2018 Class A champion Saginaw Heritage, 45-43, at Ypsilanti Arbor Prep as part of the Icebreaker Challenge. Southfield A&T is 7-0 in the Oakland Activities Association Red, a half-game ahead of Royal Oak (14-1, 7-1) after the Warriors won 60-47 at Royal Oak on Feb. 5.
The teams will complete the regular season against each other Feb. 28 at Southfield A&T.
“It was (a big victory),” Marshall said. “I watched the Royal Oak program grow even when I was coaching at Lathrup. They play very hard. Anytime you walk into a gym where there’s a hostile crowd, it’s going to be a challenge. It was for first place. They were undefeated. We need all the competition we can get to get ready for the state tournament.”
Southfield A&T will host Bloomfield Hills tonight, and barring a major upset in the next two weeks the Warriors will win the Red. It’s no slight to any of the teams in the division, but Southfield has bigger goals – notably, the Division 1 championship.
“That’s a lofty expectation,” Marshall said. “We hope to win a state championship. That’s our goal. If that isn’t (your goal), you have to ask yourself, why are you coaching?
“(But) having won a state title, I know you have to have a lot of things go your way.”
This team has experience with three starters returning led by senior Alexis Johnson and junior Cheyenne McEvans. They are both 5-foot-10 and two of the state’s top players in their respective classes, and both started on the 2016-17 team that reached a Class A Semifinal before losing to East Kentwood, 55-51.
Johnson, who surpassed 1,000 career points and averages 20 per game, is a four-year varsity player and has signed with Marshall University. McEvans averages 18 points and, although she spends much of her time at the guard position, grabbed 22 rebounds in the victory over Royal Oak.
The third returning starter is sophomore Kayiona Willis, who took over at the point guard spot last season and is averaging eight points per game. The other two starters are Soleil Barnes, a 5-8 senior who averaged 16 points last season while attending Nordonia High in Macedonia, Ohio, near Cleveland, and is contributing 10 per game this winter; and Jasmine Worthy, a 6-3 junior who attended nearby Birmingham Groves last season and is averaging eight points and eight rebounds. Her presence inside has allowed Johnson, a post player her first three seasons, to play on the perimeter or wherever Marshall sees fit.
Few teams can match the versatility, experience and talent of Marshall’s starting five. What can’t be measured is the commitment of this group. It’s not a stretch to make comparisons with the 2005 Southfield-Lathrup team. That team returned all five starters from the 2004 team that reached the Semifinal round before losing a heartbreaker to Lansing Waverly, 50-49.
Waverly, which would go on to defeat Detroit Martin Luther King, 33-32, for the Class A title, trailed Southfield-Lathrup after each of the first three quarters before pulling out the victory. And those 2004 Chargers learned their lessons well as they, too, won a close Semifinal (62-58 over Grandville in overtime) a year later before defeating King, 48-36, for the school’s only MHSAA Finals title.
Talent and experience are just two reasons why this season’s Warriors are such legitimate contenders. Look at the teams that win state titles. Normally you find an experienced coach on the bench. And that’s why this program is so highly respected.
Marshall has coached girls basketball for 27 years, the last 25 as a head coach, the first 22 at Southfield-Lathrup. She’s also taught English during this period all within the Southfield school system. When the two high schools merged, decisions had to be made on who would be the head coach of each of the athletic programs. After some debate, Marshall was named head coach at A&T.
Looking back it would appear the school district made the right choice. Above all else, Marshall has provided stability for a situation that could have turned ugly. Coaching a team where many players were rivals the season before had it challenges. There were jealousies and selfish tendencies with which to contend. That 2016-17 season challenged Marshall as a coach, and as a teacher and mentor away from the court.
Most of the players had played for Southfield High the previous season and she, of course, had coached against them. Known as a strict but fair coach, one who allows her players to be creative, Marshall dug deep to find the courage and patience to win her players over.
“They were our rivals,” said Johnson – the only remaining player from the pre-merger days – of her new teammates who came over from Southfield-Lathrup. “There was tension at first. … Coach said if we want to win, we had to work together. We connected after the King game.”
Showing how difficult that process was and how long it took, that game against King was the Regional Final.
“Nothing was easy,” Marshall said. “I took the most prominent leader from Lathrup and the most prominent leader from Southfield to help lead us. By the end of the season the kids all came together. We got to the semis. It was fun.”
And Johnson said that 2017 Semifinal loss to East Kentwood continues to provide motivation. And there’s an air of confidence that exuberates throughout.
“When we lost to East Kentwood, we were hungry to win a state title,” she said. “This team’s work ethic is different than any team I’ve been on. We all just want to win. We’re all on the same page.”
Tom Markowski is a correspondent for the State Champs! Sports Network and previously directed its web coverage. He also covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Southfield Arts & Technology’s Cheyenne McEvans looks to make her move during her team’s win over Royal Oak on Feb. 5. (Middle) Warriors coach Michele Marshall talks things over with her players. (Photos courtesy of C&G Newspapers.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Report Week 8
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 27, 2025
Michigan is thawing out after last week’s deep freeze – and just in time.
This week’s schedule is full of top-notch girls basketball matchups – we mention five below, a few more elsewhere in this week’s “Report,” and we’ll be keeping an eye on Armada/Yale, Mio/Oscoda and several more as we continue surging into the regular season’s second half.
“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. Gaylord St. Mary 51, Indian River Inland Lakes 47 (OT) The Ski Valley Conference includes five teams at .500 or better and St. Mary (10-1) sits at the top thanks to this overtime win over the formerly co-leading Bulldogs (9-3).
2. DeWitt 51, Holt 38 The Panthers (12-1) avenged their lone loss, 47-39 on Dec. 6, and took a half-game lead in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue on the second-place Rams (8-4).
3. Stevensville Lakeshore 56, St. Joseph 44 This was another matchup for first place, and Lakeshore (8-1) leads the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West after handing St. Joseph (7-1) its lone loss.
4. Frankenmuth 39, Saginaw Heritage 31 These two met at the Martin Luther King Classic at Saginaw Valley State, the Division 2 Eagles (11-2) earning one of their best wins in downing the Division 1 Hawks (11-2).
5. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 49, St. Charles 40 Sacred Heart (11-0) sits atop the Mid-State Activities Conference and St. Charles (7-3) moved to second with this standings shifter.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Renaissance (14-1) The Phoenix have seen their last two seasons end with losses to the eventual Division 1 champions, and this could be their turn with an another impressive run so far including wins over Hartland (11-2), Detroit Cass Tech (10-4) twice and St. Clair Shores South Lake (11-4) among others. The lone loss was to Grass Lake (10-3) on Jan. 11, 53-49 in overtime, and Renaissance is carrying a 22-game winning streak in the Detroit Public School League Blue into this week after already clinching a third-straight league title.
Utica Ford (12-0) After last season’s campaign ended with an unanticipated loss to rival Utica High, Ford has stormed back beginning with a 46-point opening-night win over the Chieftains and continuing with a run that’s seen only one game decided by fewer than 13 points. Ford entered this winter coming off two straight Macomb Area Conference White championships and will face Utica Eisenhower (12-1) on Tuesday for first place in the MAC Red.
DIVISION 2
Freeland (9-2) A solid 62-45 win over Sault Ste. Marie (9-2) on Jan. 18 at the Jeff McDonald Memorial Showcase in Cadillac is their most recent game, but the Falcons will return from a 10-day break Tuesday hoping to pick back up on a five-game winning streak as they no doubt are eyeing a Feb. 7 home date with Frankenmuth (11-2) that could determine if they end up sharing the Tri-Valley Conference Red title. Freeland downed the Eagles in last season’s Regional Semifinal after two regular-season losses, and Frankenmuth won the first meeting this winter by 27. Freeland’s only other loss this winter came to Division 1 Saginaw Heritage (11-2).
Holland Christian (11-1) After two seasons of pushing Grand Rapids West Catholic in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue, Holland Christian is in the O-K Black this season and leading the league by two games after a first run through the schedule. A 53-41 win over second-place Zeeland East (10-4) has been arguably the most notable since the start of the new year, and the Maroons also did solid work with earlier one-basket wins over East Grand Rapids and Zeeland West. The lone loss came 58-44 to Grand Rapids South Christian – a potential District foe after also defeating Holland Christian in double overtime to win their bracket last year.
DIVISION 3
Pewamo-Westphalia (12-0) The Pirates are chasing what would be a first Central Michigan Athletic Conference championship since 2019-20 and lead Fowler (10-1) by a game through the first half of the league schedule thanks to a 46-43 win over the Eagles on Dec. 17. P-W’s three nonleague wins also have been close and notable; the Pirates opened with a 66-63 double-overtime victory over Division 1 East Lansing, edged Division 1 Lowell 47-46 at the end of December at Cornerstone University and followed that with a 53-50 win over Division 2 Flint Powers Catholic. The Fowler rematch is Feb. 5, and a Feb. 19 game at New Lothrop (11-1) also awaits.
Saugatuck (8-1) The Trail Blazers have built a solid lead in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Central as they seek a repeat championship, and all eight of their wins have come by at least 15 points as they seek to build on last year’s 22-2 run. The lone loss came to SAC Valley contender Lawton, 50-43 on Jan. 7, and the next time those two could meet would be a Division 3 Quarterfinal. In the meantime, a pair of matchups with South Haven (9-1) will be telling, as will later games with Kalamazoo Christian and league rival Gobles, Saugatuck having defeated the latter 50-26 on Jan. 17.
DIVISION 4
Leland (9-1) Keyed in part by a defensive effort giving up just 25.5 points per game, Leland has jumped from 11-13 last season to first place in the Northwest Conference. The only time the Comets have allowed more than 31 points was a double-overtime win over Maple City Glen Lake, 45-40, after Leland had lost by 21, 16 and nine to the Lakers last winter. A 46-36 toppling of Onekama was especially notable, and the Comets will be hoping for a similar result when they face second-place Frankfort for the first time Wednesday. Leland’s lone loss was 31-26 to Lake Leelanau St. Mary on Jan. 14, and they meet again Feb. 17.
Pittsford (13-0) The Wildcats won 18 games every one of the last three seasons, and they are off to another magnificent start this time with the return of coach Chris Hodos – who previously led the program to back-to-back Class D titles in 2016 and 2017 and stepped away after the 2018-19 season. The Wildcats are allowing just 22 points per game and lead the Southern Central Athletic Association East heading into Thursday’s matchup with second-place Hillsdale Academy; Pittsford won the first meeting by 20.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Negaunee (14-0) at Gladstone (11-0) – They are leading their respective leagues and may be the best of another very strong group in the Upper Peninsula this season.
Tuesday – Midland (10-1) at Saginaw Heritage (11-2) – These are two of the three teams in the Saginaw Valley League without a conference loss, and Midland also plays the third, Mount Pleasant, on Friday.
Tuesday – Blissfield (11-1) at Adrian Madison (11-1) – These two are tied atop the Lenawee County Athletic Association and won’t meet again until the league finale Feb. 21.
Friday – Tecumseh (10-1) at Chelsea (10-1) – Tecumseh leads Chelsea by a game in the Southeastern Conference White after winning their first meeting 53-41 on Jan. 9.
Friday – Rockford (14-1) at Grand Haven (11-1) – It’s the same story in the O-K Red as league leader Rockford won the first meeting with the second-place Buccaneers 60-48 on Jan. 3.
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PHOTOS (Top) Pewamo-Westphalia’s Elly Bengel launches a halfcourt shot that gave the Pirates an eight-point lead during their 58-34 win over Laingsburg on Jan. 16. (Middle) An Otsego player gets up a shot in the lane during her team’s win over Three Rivers on Dec. 19. (P-W/Laingsburg photo by Jim Pivarnik. Otsego/Three Rivers photo by Gary Shook.)