Breslin Bound: Boys District Preview
March 9, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The reigning Class D champion is playing in Class C this season. Last year’s Class A and B champions have only three losses between them. And there are four undefeated teams in Class D – with next week’s Regional the earliest two can meet up.
We’ve got a chance to see some familiar faces for the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals in three weeks, and likely a higher probability of seeing a few teams that have yet to lose this winter. But to determine who makes the trip, a ton of basketball must yet be played – beginning tonight.
To kick off Districts, this week's Breslin Bound report looks at five teams in each class that have made some of the biggest waves throughout this winter. Click to “track the tournament,” with results as we receive them and interactive brackets.
Class A
Clarkston (20-0) – The Wolves equaled last season’s win total by going undefeated during the regular season and now will be charged with surpassing last year’s Regional Final appearance. Clarkston won all but three games by double figures, including over Macomb Dakota (18-2) and Auburn Hills Avondale (17-3) during December and twice over North Farmington and Mr. Basketball candidate Jeron Rogers.
Detroit Western International (19-0) – The Cowboys posted big wins early, including 69-57 over Saginaw Arthur Hill (17-3), then rolled through the Detroit Public School League to win that championship for the first time since 1922. A 58-49 win over Detroit U-D Jesuit (17-3) in last week’s Operation Friendship game further cemented Western as a likely favorite.
East Kentwood (20-0) – The Falcons handed reigning Class A champion Muskegon its only loss, 58-57 on Dec. 30, and also beat a solid Birmingham Brother Rice team in December before storming through the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red to win that league title by three games. East Kentwood had finished second in the league and 13-8 overall a year ago.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (20-0) – The Rangers repeated as champions in the O-K White, this season by four games, and own a 59-55 win over O-K Bronze champion Grand Rapids Northview (17-3), which ended Forest Hill Central’s 2013-14 season in the District Final. The Rangers twice beat Grand Rapids Christian, led by Mr. Basketball candidate DeLeon Brown.
Muskegon (19-1) – The Big Reds have more than made up for their first loss (see East Kentwood above) since 2012-13. Muskegon edged Saginaw Arthur Hill by two in mid-December, then beat Romulus (14-5) by 10 in mid-January and River Rouge (15-5) in the regular-season finale – in addition to winning the O-K Black by three games. Center Deyonta Davis is a favorite, perhaps the favorite, for the Mr. Basketball Award.
Class B
Flint Northwestern (15-3) – The Wildcats had a few stumbles through the middle and end of February, but still won the Saginaw Valley Association South by three games, losing only to third-place Flint Powers Catholic, Class A power Arthur Hill and Class C contender Flint Beecher. Northwestern opened this winter with a 10-game winning streak after finishing 6-13 only a season ago.
Milan (18-2) – The reigning Class B champion is revved for another run with 11 straight wins and another Huron League title that included a pair of victories over second-place Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (17-3). Milan's losses were to Class A contenders Romulus and Detroit U-D Jesuit, and all 18 wins came by double-digit points.
New Haven (20-0) – The Rockets launched from 12-9 a year ago to return to a form more similar to their 19-4 team of 2012-13. They won the Macomb Area Conference Gold championship by three games, but the tournament will be an interesting test – New Haven moved up this school year from Class C. A 51-43 win over MAC Blue champion Mount Clemens on Feb. 27, however, is a good sign.
Wayland (17-3) – Although the Wildcats finished behind Class A Ottawa Hills in the O-K Gold standings, they lost only to Class A teams this season – twice to Ottawa Hills and once to Middleville Thornapple Kellogg – and posted a 17-point win on Otsego (17-3). Lacey James is a Mr. Basketball candidate and could carry Wayland far if it can get past Godwin Heights this week.
Wyoming Godwin Heights (19-1) – The Wolverines came back from a January loss to Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian to avenge two weeks later and finish as champion again in the O-K Silver. Godwin Heights is 44-2 over the last two seasons, having fallen in the 2014 Quarterfinals, and looks lined up for another run with February wins against North Farmington (17-3), Otsego and then Grand Rapids Christian on Tuesday.
Class C
Beaverton (20-0) – The Beavers have won at least 20 games three straight seasons and earned the Jack Pine Conference title. They won by fewer than double digits only three times – including twice over league-runner-up Clare (15-5). Beaverton also won a pair over Class D Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (14-5) and by 16 over Vestaburg (17-2).
Flint Beecher (18-1) – The Buccaneers should be back in championship contention after falling by a point in last year’s Quarterfinals. They again won the Genesee Area Conference Red, this time by two games over Class B Goodrich (18-2), and also posted impressive victories over Saginaw (14-6), Flint Northwestern, River Rouge and reigning Class C champion Detroit Consortium (12-5).
Jackson Lumen Christi (18-2) – The Titans should be scary in Class C after making the Regional Finals in Class B last season and then finishing atop an Interstate 8 Athletic Conference filled with larger schools. Lumen Christi won the league title by a game over Class B Battle Creek Harper Creek (18-2) and also owns impressive wins over Hanover-Horton (19-1) and Flint Powers Catholic (14-6).
Hillsdale (20-0) – The Hornets have won at least 20 games four straight seasons and are looking to improve on last year’s Quarterfinal run. Hillsdale capped the regular season with a 53-50 win last week over Vandercook Lake (15-5), opened with a win over Adrian Madison (15-5) and also twice beat Onsted (16-4) to win the Lenawee County Athletic Association championship.
Southfield Christian (17-3) – The back-to-back-to-back Class D champion is up a class and continued to play a number of larger opponents, losing to North Farmington and Detroit Pershing during the season’s first two weeks. The Eagles came back to win the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue with a pair of victories over rival Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (16-4).
Class D
Cedarville (20-0) – The Trojans haven’t slowed a bit since reaching last season’s Semifinals, cruising to another Eastern U.P. Athletic Conference championship while reaching 20 wins for the third straight season. Cedarville fit in a couple of downstate opponents in early January and beat Boyne City (15-5) last week, to go with domination of its local opponents including a 100-86 win in mid-February over Rudyard (15-5).
Hillman (19-1) – The Tigers just edged Lawrence as the only non-undefeated team on this list after winning the North Star League Big Dipper with a pair of wins over Mio (17-2). Hillman also put up a 10-point nonleague win early over Rudyard (15-5) and hasn’t lost since falling to Cedarville on opening night – after also losing to Cedarville in last season’s Regional Final.
Lake Linden-Hubbell (20-0) – The Lakes have climbed from three to 16 to 19 to 20 wins over the last four seasons. They won the Copper Country Conference title by two games over runner-up Republic-Michigamme (16-4). Lake Linden-Hubbell won all but one of its games by double digits.
Powers North Central (20-0) – The high-scoring Jets have shined again, putting up more than 90 points twice and more than 80 five more times. They dominated the Skyline Central Conference West with a pair of wins over Crystal Falls Forest Park (16-4) and earned another over SCC East champ Munising (18-1). North Central is 45-1 over the last two seasons, with the only loss to Cedarville in last year’s Quarterfinal.
Waterford Our Lady (20-0) – The Lakers also have made great strides, from 11 to 12 to 17 to 20 wins over the last four seasons. They won the Detroit Catholic League Intersectional #1 title by four games and added to an impressive run with wins over Southfield Bradford (14-6), Harbor Beach (15-4) and Burton St. Thomas More Academy (15-2).
PHOTO: Muskegon's Deyonta Davis (21) goes for a blocked shot during a January game against Saginaw Arthur Hill. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Pennfield Adds Semifinal Win to Storybook Season
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
April 8, 2021
GRAND RAPIDS – The Battle Creek Pennfield boys basketball team doesn’t mind playing the underdog role.
In fact, the Panthers have to come expect it throughout the MHSAA Tournament.
They proved the doubters wrong yet again with a 62-52 win over Bridgeport in Thursday’s second Division 2 Semifinal at Van Andel Arena.
Pennfield jumped out to a double-digit lead and never looked back in securing the program’s first Finals berth.
The Panthers (21-2) will face unbeaten Grand Rapids Catholic Central (19-0) on Saturday at Breslin Center.
“I think we’re surprising a lot of people,” said Pennfield senior Ryne Peterson, who recorded 12 points and six rebounds.
“We’ve been seeing the picks, and we will embrace the underdog role. It’s nothing new to us. We were supposed to lose to Williamston, we were supposed to lose to (Romulus) Summit and we were supposed to lose to Bridgeport, so we’re used to it.”
Pennfield’s storybook season added another chapter as the Panthers never trailed after building a 13-3 lead in the first quarter.
Last week they won their first Regional since 1972, and hadn’t played in a Semifinal before Thursday.
“This is a group that started playing together in third grade, and I don’t think they would’ve thought we would get where we are tonight,” Pennfield coach Nate Burns said. “It was a dream, and for it to come to realization that Battle Creek Pennfield is going to play for a state championship on Saturday ... these guys are amazing.”
A strong start has been a staple of this team, and it was key in the win as the Panthers controlled the second quarter as well en route to a 33-17 halftime edge.
“We’ve been able to get off to good starts all year, and that’s been one of our strong suits,” Burns said. “The guys show up ready to play, and tonight we did it again. We wanted to put our foot on the pedal, but we knew Bridgeport was going to come back and fight and compete and they did. Our guys' composure the last couple games has been phenomenal, and we are a veteran group.”
The Bearcats, appearing in their first Semifinal since 2009, tried to battle back, and cut the deficit to six points (37-31) late in the third quarter after Remaureon Arthur’s 3-pointer.
It was as close as Bridgeport would get, though, as it never recovered from missing its first 10 shots from the field.
“I think nerves got the best of them at the beginning, but then we settled down and started playing,” Bearcats coach Kevin Marshall Sr. said. “We haven’t had to come back from that kind of deficit, and it was something we couldn’t overcome.
“We overcame a lot of adversity just to be here today, and it hurts, but I'm still proud of my kids. We just fell short today.”
Pennfield junior guard Luke Davis led the way with 25 points and was 10 of 13 from the free throw line. Junior Aiden Burns knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points.
The Panthers returned their top eight, including all five starters, from a year ago.
“We won a District championship last year and didn’t get a chance to finish, obviously,” Davis said. “We all had a goal to get here, and we just worked hard every day. Now we’re here.”
Pennfield held the Bearcats at bay by converting 14 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers are looking forward to the challenge of playing a talented Cougars squad.
“CC is a phenomenal program,” Burns said. “We know it's a big mountain to climb. We’ve taken a lot of steps to get to the top of that mountain so far, and we know we have one big hurdle to go on Saturday. These guys will be ready.”
Arthur finished with a team-high 18 points for Bridgeport (17-3), while Omarion Wilkins added 11 points and 14 rebounds.
PHOTOS: (Top) Pennfield's Luke Davis gets around the Bridgeport defense and scoops a shot during Thursday's Division 2 Semifinal. (Middle) Zalyn Martin (40) is among Bearcats to get a hand up as Davis looks to score. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)