Paying Tribute with Diamond Donation
May 14, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Rochester Adams and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood baseball players and coaches both had loved ones on their minds when they took the field at Comerica Park earlier this month.
And they paid tribute to those loved ones over their hearts and across the backs of their jerseys.
Together, the teams raised more than $3,500 for the Coaches vs. Cancer research initiative.
Instead of its usual brown and yellow, Adams wore jerseys of light blue with a green ribbon as the middle “A” in its name across the front in honor of those suffering with lymphoma, including 2011 graduate and former standout Matt Williams.
Cranbrook-Kingswood wore dark blue jerseys with a pink ribbon as the “A” in Cranbrook and with lime green writing on the back as the Cranes remembered longtime coach Jack Sanders, who died in 2012 after also battling lymphoma.
Sanders’ was among names adorning the backs of jerseys, along with other cancer victims the players and coaches knew.
Adams won the May 1 game, 18-3. Click to read more from the Oakland Press’ Keith Dunlap, who leading up to the game detailed both Williams’ fight and Sanders’ longtime contributions.
Net finder
Lake Fenton’s Jordan Newman will finish her high school soccer career later this spring as the top goal-scorer in MHSAA girls soccer history.
The Blue Devils’ senior forward broke the career record on April 28, scoring her 169th goal against Perry to pass the mark set by Newaygo’s Jaleen Dingledine from 2004-07. Newman also is a four-year varsity player.
Click to read more on her record run from the Flint Journal's Eric Woodyard.
5 K, 1 IP
The MHSAA doesn't keep a record for most strikeouts in an inning. But if it did, there’s a great chance Brighton’s Garrett Russell would top the list.
Against Ann Arbor Pioneer on April 5, Russell struck out five batters in an inning.
Yes, five.
Here’s how:
Russell struck out the first two batters of the inning swinging, leaving one out to get. He then struck out that third batter as well, but that batter reached first base because the third strike turned into a wild pitch.
The fourth batter of the inning was the only one to not strike out – he walked, putting runners on first and second base with two outs. Those runners advanced to second and third base, respectively, on a wild pitch thrown to the fifth batter of the inning.
That fifth batter then struck out swinging (which made it four strikeouts in the inning), but that third strike turned into a passed ball – and that batter ended up on first base, loading them for the sixth hitter of the inning.
But Russell found enough for one more K, striking out that sixth hitter swinging on a 2-2 pitch.
His line for the inning: 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 bases on balls, 5 strikeouts.
Brighton went on to sweep the doubleheader 12-4 and 11-1.
Family ties
Basketball clearly runs in a pair of families who have come through Corunna High School.
This winter, brothers M.J. and Mikhail Myles both scored their 1,000th career points – M.J., a senior, on Jan. 3 and Mikhail, a junior, in the team’s District Semifinal on March 5.
On Feb. 18, senior Payton Birchmeier became the fifth player in girls program history to score her 1,000th point – despite scoring only four points as a freshman before suffering a season-ending knee injury in her first high school game. She became the first Corunna girl to score 1,000 since her sister Megan finished accomplishing the feat in 2010.
Payton Birchmeier went on to play her final three seasons also on varsity, and M.J. Myles also was a four-year varsity player. Mykhail Myles has played three on varsity with next season still to play. The Myles' stepsister Klarissa Bell this winter finished an outstanding career at Michigan State University and won the Miss Basketball Award as a senior at East Lansing High School in 2010, and stepbrother Devlin Bell also was a Trojans standout.
PHOTOS: (Top) Rochester Adams players congratulate each other during their May 1 game at Comerica Park. (Middle) The Adams' first baseman and a Cranbrook-Kingswood base runner await the next pitch. (Photos courtesy of Rochester Adams baseball.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys Report Week 12
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 17, 2025
Everyone now knows what will happen next week, but let's not allow this final week of the boys basketball regular season slip by without appreciating a few more moments before we begin this winter's final suspenseful ascent.
District brackets were announced Sunday, and teams no doubt will spend at least a little bit of time this week collecting final information to prep for potential future opponents. But there are still league titles on the line for a few, school history to make for others, and if nothing else last-minute details to cover one more time as playoff tune-ups are underway.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid 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. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 58, Detroit U-D Jesuit 57 The Eaglets (14-6) avenged a 63-54 loss to Jesuit (18-3) from Dec. 13 to win the Catholic High School League Bishop championship.
2. Detroit Renaissance 69, Detroit Martin Luther King 62 The Phoenix (14-7) added the Detroit Public School League Tournament title to its PSL Blue championship by adding to a 63-61 win over King (17-4) from Jan. 10.
3. Walled Lake Central 53, Waterford Mott 50 (OT) These two are tied for first in the Lakes Valley Conference with one league game to play as Central (17-4) avenged a 54-51 loss to Mott (18-3) from Dec. 13.
4. Hudsonville 74, Rockford 69 The Eagles (14-5) will need help to grab a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title from the Rams (19-2), but still made a wave by avenging a 56-54 loss to Rockford from Jan. 14.
5. Bridgman 66, South Haven 58 The Bees (14-5) clinched a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title with one league game to play, but South Haven (16-3) still has a chance to celebrate as well – Bridgman finishes up with third-place Coloma, which handed the Bees their only league loss.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Ann Arbor Huron (16-4) The River Rats will attempt to finish a perfect run through the Southeastern Conference Red on Tuesday against Saline after tying for second in the league behind Saline a year ago but then advancing to the Division 1 Semifinals. Huron has been gearing up for another run with an 11-2 record since the start of January and its only losses to U-D Jesuit, Muskegon, Warren Lincoln (16-4) and Detroit University Prep (17-5). The River Rats have wins over Grand Rapids Northview (16-4), Dearborn (17-3), Port Huron Northern (13-8) and Ann Arbor Skyline (13-7) twice, and will play in a District with four other SEC Red opponents.
Detroit Renaissance (14-7) The Phoenix opened the season 1-3 but have won 10 of their last 12 games and total are 13-4 against in-state competition. The PSL Blue title included wins over second-place Cass Tech (16-3) and third-place King (17-4), and Renaissance also defeated Detroit Central (15-4) during the PSL Tournament. The in-state losses were to Romulus Summit Academy North (18-3), East Lansing (19-1), East Kentwood and West Bloomfield, and this weekend’s matchup with Orchard Lake St. Mary’s will provide more valuable prep for the District the Phoenix will host that includes U-D Jesuit and Warren Fitzgerald (18-2).
DIVISION 2
Bay City John Glenn (18-2) A 66-55 win over Freeland last Tuesday, followed by a 54-50 nail-biter over Bridgeport on Friday, gave John Glenn the outright Tri-Valley Conference Red title. The Bobcats had finished third in the league last season but this time lost only to Frankenmuth, 57-48 on Dec. 6, and avenged with a 60-48 win Jan. 17. John Glenn’s only other loss this season came Nov. 30 to Mount Pleasant, 47-45. In addition to the season sweep of the Falcons (16-3) and wins over the Eagles (14-5) and Oilers (11-7), the Bobcats downed Gladwin (17-3) and will get a pair of Division 1 tests this week in Midland Dow and Gaylord.
Dearborn Advanced Tech (16-3) The Lakers have built from six to nine to 14 wins a year ago to 16 heading into this week and finished 15-0 in the Detroit Metro Athletic Conference Upper division after placing third in the league a year ago – especially notable as five of six teams in the DMAC Upper have double-digit wins this season. The losses came to Hazel Park (13-8), Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and Lincoln (17-3), and Advanced Tech has won 10 straight and earned the top seed in the District at Detroit Edison that also includes University Prep.
DIVISION 3
Alcona (16-2) The Tigers have repeated as North Star League Big Dipper champions, clinching a share of the title with last week’s 34-31 win over second-place Oscoda. Alcona has won 14 straight games, with its losses to Division 2 Standish-Sterling (18-2) and Grayling, and has also won close over Mio (12-6) and Rogers City (12-7) and swept St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy (14-5). Heston and host Oscoda will join Alcona in District play next week. The Tigers also have a win this season over Roscommon, which ended their season in their District a year ago.
Pewamo-Westphalia (18-2) The Pirates wrapped up an outright Central Michigan Athletic Conference title Thursday with a 66-30 win over Bath, and after finishing runner-up to Laingsburg the last two seasons. Only second-place Fowler (18-3) has gotten within single digits of P-W in league play this season, with the Pirates’ losses coming from Division 1 Flint Carman-Ainsworth (15-5) by four points and Division 2 Grand Rapids South Christian (16-5) by 13 in back-to-back games at the turn of the calendar year. P-W downed Division 1 Grand Blanc (12-7) by 17 points on Feb. 7 and will face Division 1 Hudsonville (14-5) on Tuesday.
DIVISION 4
Kingston (12-5) Kingston finished second to Dryden in the North Central Thumb League Stars a year ago, but defeated Dryden on Friday to clinch a share of the inaugural Big Thumb Conference Blue title. The Cardinals will play three league games this week and need to win just one to claim the championship outright. They have played seven straight against opponents with double-digit wins this season and gone 4-3, but with those losses to Division 2 Yale (18-2) and Division 3 Harbor Beach (17-1) and Sandusky (11-9). Competition pays off as Kingston reached the Quarterfinals last season after entering the Division 4 Tournament at 14-8.
Pentwater (16-2) The West Michigan D League leader can clinch the title outright with wins this week over Walkerville and Mesick, and will fit in a makeup game against Division 3 Shelby as well. The Falcons were 11-13 and fifth in the league two seasons ago before jumping to 16-7 and runner-up last winter, and they’ve swept Baldwin after losing both last season, avenged another loss to White Cloud from a year ago and split with Marion after also splitting with the Eagles last season and then losing to them in their District opener. Those two aren’t in the same District this time, but Baldwin will join Pentwater in the bracket at Mason County Eastern.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Centreville (17-2) at Hartford (17-2) – Two league games remain in the Southwest 10 Conference, and Centreville leads Hartford by one win at the top of the standings after claiming their Jan. 27 meeting 59-50.
Tuesday – Kalamazoo Central (15-3) at Muskegon (17-2) – Two of the most long-standing powerhouses in MHSAA history are both league champions again this winter and will get a nice tune-up before playoffs begin.
Tuesday – McBain (17-2) at LeRoy Pine River (17-3) – McBain can finish an outright league title run in the Highland Conference, but a Pine River win would open an opportunity for Beal City to share the championship – although Pine River also plays at Beal on Thursday.
Thursday – Marquette (18-2) at Kingsford (15-3) – The Flivvers are coming off a revenge win over Iron Mountain last week, and another in this matchup might mean a shared Great Northern Conference title.
Saturday – Detroit Renaissance (14-7) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (14-6) at Detroit Mercy – The Operation Friendship game between PSL and CHSL Tournament champions will be one of the final tip-offs of the regular season.
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PHOTOS (Top) Muskegon's Elija Langston throws down a dunk during his team's 55-43 win over Byron Center on Feb. 7. (Middle) Michigan School for the Deaf's William Booker (right) drives to the basket during a game against Ohio School for the Deaf earlier this month. (Muskegon/Byron Center photo by Tim Reilly. Michigan School for the Deaf/Ohio School for the Deaf photo by Kolleth Photo.)