Bad Memory Fades with Eagles' Fast Start
March 22, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – In case his players didn’t remember the heartache, Southfield Christian coach Josh Baker made sure they remembered.
Every practice, he’d mention last season’s Class D Semifinal loss to Powers North Central, decided in overtime on a last-second shot.
The Eagles never let Thursday’s return to the Semifinals get that far, or that close.
Southfield Christian opened up a double-digit lead before Dollar Bay scored its first point, and finished with a 71-32 victory at the Breslin Center.
“The mindset was just completely different this year,” Southfield Christian senior Bryce Washington said. “Coach brings up every day in practice that loss last year, how we have to play our hardest every possession. You see defensively we’ve been a lot better in the playoffs. It’s just played into our game.”
The Eagles (22-4) will play at 10 a.m. Saturday for their fourth Class D title this decade and first since 2014, against either Buckley or Hillsdale Academy.
Defense indeed is a renewed strength for Southfield Christian, and the 32 points were 13 fewer than Dollar Bay’s season low this winter.
Hand in hand with that improved defense is the team’s increased depth – and it played a major role in shutting the Blue Bolts down as Baker rotated multiple players to handle Dollar Bay seniors Devin Schmitz and Jaden Janke. They combined to score only 17 points.
“Last year we (played) about six or seven guys every game,” Eagles junior guard Harlond Beverly said. “This year we go 9-10 deep, and that makes it a lot easier for all of us … to get a two-minute break every game, come back in and keep that energy going.
The Blue Bolts (26-1) responded to the opening run with a 13-11 stretch, and Schmitz’ 3-pointer with 2:17 to play in the second quarter pulled his team within 12 of the lead.
It would get that close one more time 44 seconds later, but never closer.
Dollar Bay coach Jesse Kentala and his players all admitted it was just about impossible to prepare for Southfield Christian’s speed, even as the Blue Bolts often have that advantage on opponents.
“That was the first time anyone’s matched our speed,” Kentala said. “We’ve kinda lived off being able to go by guys and exposing defenses. I think we were shocked because the first three or four minutes of that game, we couldn’t go by them. And (my players) kept looking at me going, ‘Coach, what do you want us to do?’
“They are so fast and such active defenders … we just don’t see athleticism like we saw tonight.”
Washington led Southfield Christian (22-5) with 23 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Junior guard Caleb Hunter added 17 points, four assists and five steals and Beverly – who opened the game with a reverse dunk – added 12 points and four steals. Junior guard Jon Sanders had 10 points and three assists off the bench.
Janke had 12 points, six rebounds and two steals to lead the Blue Bolts in all three categories.
PHOTOS: (Top) Southfield Christian’s Harlond Beverly throws down a dunk during his team’s Class D Semifinal win Thursday. (Middle) Dollar Bay’s Devin Schmitz (20) works to get around Southfield Christian’s Rahmon Scruggs.
Breslin Bound: 2022-23 Boys Report Week 9
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 6, 2023
We are down to the final four weeks of this MHSAA boys basketball season – and while the entertaining part is detailed below in our regular Monday report, there’s some major data crunching underway behind the scenes as well.
Seeding the top two teams in every District requires thousands of data points – and a season-long process of collecting them all. More than 720 varsity teams are playing this winter, and we’re in the midst of a process of checking their schedules one by one – about a 24-hour task by itself to make sure all scheduled games are showing, league standings are set up correctly, etc.
Additionally, daily we’re sorting through disputed scores, changes to schedules because of weather or teams that have discontinued their seasons, and other adjustments. But we’re always striving for perfection – and when Districts are drawn and those top teams seeded Feb. 26, we hope to have every schedule up to date and every score filled in.
“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. North Farmington 68, Muskegon 55 These two have lived at or near the top of Division 1 MPR all season, making this win by the Raiders (12-1) at the 2K23 Showcase at Aquinas College arguably their best, especially considering it also was the first loss for the Big Reds (13-1).
2. Saline 57, Ann Arbor Huron 47 The Hornets (11-4) saw an eight-game winning streak end three days later, but in this one handed Huron (13-1) its lone defeat of the season.
3. Ann Arbor Huron 67, Benton Harbor 55 The River Rats, meanwhile, rebounded immediately with a 13-point win over Dexter and then a 67-55 victory over Benton Harbor (13-3) at Aquinas.
4. Warren Lincoln 52, Grand Rapids Northview 37 The Abes (12-3) just keep impressing, this time with a big win over a Northview team matching their 12-3 record, also during the 2K23 Showcase.
5. Iron Mountain 64, Powers North Central 58 This matched arguably the best in the Upper Peninsula in Divisions 3 and 4, respectively, with the Mountaineers moving to 13-1 and the Jets to 11-2.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Detroit U-D Jesuit (14-2) The Cubs have won outright or shared the last two Detroit Catholic League Central championships, and they’re hoping to run that streak to three by winning Friday’s rematch with first-place Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (14-1). A 68-53 defeat to the Warriors on Jan. 24 and a 67-64 loss to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s on Jan. 6 have left Jesuit a game back, but the Cubs do have a sweep of reigning Division 1 champion Warren De La Salle Collegiate plus early impressive nonleague wins over Clarkston and Ferndale.
Kalamazoo Central (13-2) After just missing the Division 1 Semifinals a year ago – losing to Northview by two in a Quarterfinal – the Maroon Giants are ahead of their 16-win pace from that finish with their only losses to Brother Rice and Battle Creek Lakeview (11-3), the latter by a point. They also defeated Lakeview in the teams’ first meeting, handed Mattawan its only loss and most recently defeated Detroit Renaissance at the 2K23 event.
DIVISION 2
Ferndale (7-6) Few if any have played a tougher schedule, especially considering Ferndale is Division 2 playing most of the Division 1 powers. The Eagles are No. 5 in Division 2 MPR despite a 1-5 start including losses to Brother Rice, Jesuit, St. Mary’s and Muskegon, and then a two-point loss to North Farmington last week. Meanwhile, Ferndale has defeated Grosse Pointe South (13-3), Flint Beecher (12-3), Clarkston (11-5) and River Rouge (10-5). The North Farmington rematch is Feb. 24, and a Feb. 11 matchup with Port Huron Northern should also boost MPR.
Grand Rapids Christian (10-4) The Eagles may be in fourth in the Ottawa-Kent Conference White, but they are No. 6 in Division 2 MPR. Three of the four losses were to league opponents, but Christian is coming off a 55-53 double-overtime win over Warren Michigan Collegiate (13-2) on Saturday at Aquinas. An early win over Grand Rapids Catholic Central and a Jan. 21 victory over De La Salle also stand out.
DIVISION 3
Flint Beecher (12-3) The Bucs are off to another big start after last season’s finish at the Division 3 Semifinals, losing only to Detroit Cass Tech (17-0), Benton Harbor and Ferndale as Beecher also has loaded up its nonleague schedule. Beecher also has four wins over teams with double-digit victories, with an 80-71 defeat of Flint Hamady (14-2) on Jan. 10 putting the Bucs in first in the Genesee Area Conference Red. The Hamady rematch is Feb. 18, before a major regular-season finish against Goodrich (13-1) and Grand Blanc (14-2).
Napoleon (14-0) The Pirates aren’t sneaking up on anyone after going 19-3 last season, but they are dominating nonetheless. All but one win have been by eight points or more, and Napoleon leads the Cascades Conference after finishing second last year with a pair of losses to Vandercook Lake. The Pirates not only defeated Vandercook in their first meeting, by 40, but next defeated Michigan Center by 17 after the Cardinals ended their season last winter. Napoleon also has a 63-45 win over Big 8 Conference co-leader Concord.
DIVISION 4
Baldwin (13-1) The Panthers are coming off an 18-5 finish and second place in the West Michigan D League, and they lead it this time by two games and with a win over Mesick after losing both meetings to the eventual league champ a year ago. Baldwin also has avenged a 2021-22 loss to Mason County Eastern and could avenge another hosting Traverse City Christian on Tuesday. The Panthers also have given Marion (11-4) half its losses.
Powers North Central (11-2) As noted above, the Jets are at least among the handful of elite small-school Upper Peninsula teams, No. 4 in statewide Division 4 MPR although second in D4 in the U.P. with Painesdale Jeffers in the top spot. Those two wouldn’t see each other until a Regional Final, where North Central’s 19-5 run ended last season. The Jets only defeats this time are to Division 2 Kingsford and Division 3 Iron Mountain, which stand a combined 25-3.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Goodrich (13-1) at Corunna (12-2) – They’re tied atop the Flint Metro League Stars with Goodrich winning the first meeting 69-54 on Jan. 10.
Friday – Detroit U-D Jesuit (14-2) at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (14-1) – As noted above, the Detroit Catholic League Central title will be on the line, as Jesuit can force a shared championship.
Saturday – Hamtramck (10-5) vs. Kalamazoo Central (13-2) at Benton Harbor – The Cosmos have faced their share of statewide elite as well, and will be seeking what would be one of their most notable wins in this Wilson Chandler Shootout matchup.
Saturday – Flint Hamady (14-2) at Davison (10-5) – Old rivals meet again as Davison is coached by longtime Beecher leader Mike Williams.
Saturday – Saginaw Arthur Hill (7-9) at Saginaw (14-4) – They’ll still have 2023-24 left before one the best rivalries in state history ends with a school merger, but this year’s rematch comes after Saginaw won 57-55 on Jan. 14.
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PHOTOS (Top) A Saginaw player gets to the rim during Friday's 59-54 loss to Mount Pleasant. (Middle) A Montabella player goes to the basket during his team's 43-28 win last week over Carson City-Crystal. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)