#Charleytough Getting Stronger Amid Outpouring of Support
By
Tim Robinson
Special for MHSAA.com
March 11, 2021
On a recent evening at the home of Corunna boys basketball coach John “Rocky” Buscemi and his wife Chloe, the household is a whirlwind of activity.
Their daughter Charley, 5, darts in and out of the Buscemis’ home office to ask questions, mimic riding a horse, or whatever else comes to the mind of a little girl full of energy.
The only thing that would tell you that cancer had interrupted their lives for five months in the fall and winter is the hair that just now is starting to grow on Charley’s scalp.
Shock, then Support
Charley Buscemi is named after her grandfather, Charley Silm, who refereed high school basketball for 22 years in and around mid-Michigan when he wasn’t working on the farm. He often took his daughter, Chloe, to games he worked when she was a youngster.
“I remember packing up my little bag with snacks and watch my dad officiate,” Chloe Silm-Buscemi recalled. “Even though I didn’t play basketball, I grew up in the gym, just like Charley did.”
Her daughter has grown up watching her dad coach. She confidently refers to Corunna players as “her boys” and announces that she wants to coach with him some day.
Last summer, Charley was having trouble sleeping, and sleep apnea was diagnosed. Her doctor advised that removing Charley’s tonsils would likely eliminate the apnea.
The Buscemis agreed, and her tonsils were removed Sept. 25.
“We knew nothing else,” Chloe said, “but apparently the doctor noticed that one of the tonsils looked abnormal, or a little awkward, so he sent it off for testing.”
Chloe said she was told that any complications might require another operation to stop bleeding in the area, but she was stunned when the doctor’s office called back Oct. 1.
“We didn’t know the testing had been done,” Chloe said. “We got a call that said ‘the findings of the pathology are consistent with a diagnosis of lymphoma.’ And we were like, ‘Wait. What?’ It caught us completely off guard. (Charley) was racing in circles around our kitchen island and our dining room table, and I was like, no, you’ve got the wrong kid here. There’s no way this kid has cancer.”
“Initially, it was, this can’t be right,” Rocky said. “I was trying to read between the lines and find some wording that gave some idea that this is what they think. I tried to hang onto the idea that there’s got to be more tests, and those tests will show us that it’s not (cancer).”
The diagnosis was correct. Charley had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It’s a fast-growing cancer that affects B-lymphocytes, a type of blood cell that helps fight infection.
While it is a fast-growing lymphoma, it’s considered potentially curable.
The cancerous cells found in Charley’s tonsil were sent to the Mayo Clinic and the National Institute of Health, and the diagnosis was confirmed.
Charley began chemotherapy at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing and celebrated her fifth birthday there.
Chloe, meanwhile, was also navigating the second trimester of her pregnancy.
“I spent most of my second trimester sleeping on a cot in the hospital while she got chemo treatments,” Chloe said.
“Her first round of chemo was horrible,” Rocky said. “She didn’t react to it well, and we were there 20 of 25 days.”
But once word got out, people in the Corunna school system, neighbors, fellow coaches and others reached out in the Buscemis’ time of need.
“The schools were so understanding,” Rocky said. “Once we found out, it was, go be with your family. Put in for your (Family and Medical Leave Act). Everyone was supportive from that end.”
The Corunna basketball players drove out to the Buscemi home and raked up its leaves. Some Corunna alumni got together to string up Christmas lights, the Orchard Lake St. Mary’s team sent her a giant stuffed panda, and many more showed support.
“We’re working on thank-yous now,” Chloe said. “My mom says people would know if you posted a thank-you (online), but I want to be able to send something out. Right now there’s something like 250 thank-yous.”
Strength & Sliver Linings
Charley had two rounds of chemotherapy and has been pronounced cancer-free. She has monthly meetings with her oncologist and quarterly CT scans scheduled for the next year.
“They’re watching her heart, because the chemo can affect that, so we meet with the cardiologist,” Chloe says.
“It’s a lot for a little person,” she adds as Charley flits back and forth between parents, announcing at one point she has cleaned her plate at dinner with no small amount of pride. “But for the most part, she’s just like this. She’s pretty happy, pretty easy-going, and takes it in stride. Sometimes I struggle with it more than she does. You feel totally helpless.”
For Rocky, the whole experience is full of silver linings, however hard-won.
“You’re always trying to find the silver linings,’ he said. “We had no idea she had cancer, but the silver lining was once we found out what it was, and it was confined to the tonsil, the blessing was it was almost a miracle we had her tonsils removed almost at the same time it was starting to develop. It wasn’t found anywhere else, so that’s a silver lining.
“Recently she’s been diagnosed as having celiac disease, and we’ve been given the OK to (shift) to a gluten-free diet. If she hadn’t had cancer, we might not have known until she was a teenager and had permanent damage. We’ve been so fortunate and blessed to find things out when we did.”
The Buscemis talk in tones of awe and appreciation for the caring and other gestures that have come their way.
“It’s incredibly humbling,” Rocky said. “It makes you want to do for someone else. I’m much more aware of people in need, and I hope to pay it forward. There are a lot of people you wouldn’t have anticipated reaching out who have reached out.”
The fear and stress of that time, he said, are often near, even with Charley in the clear.
“I wanted to be strong for Chloe and my family and be that rock that could be leaned on,” he said. “But man, oh man, there are still mornings when I drive to school and tear up. It’s nice to have other guys who understand that or have been through it. I’d be the rock here (at home) and then I’d be emotional with my friends in the coaching fraternity.”
Charley and 3-year-old brother Sam were mainstays at practice last year, playing quietly in a corner of the gym while the team practiced. Charley was at most every game, and Rocky always made a point of looking for her and her mother in the stands.
That hasn’t been the case this year, as Charley’s immune system has been weakened by the chemo and has kept her at home this season, watching the Cavaliers play on her mother’s laptop.
There’s been another change, too.
“I’ve adopted a one-day-at-a-time, appreciate-every-moment approach,” Rocky said. “A year ago in 9-degree weather, I might have been trying to find reasons not to go outside. Now if Charley wants to go sledding, we’re going sledding!”
He laughs as he says that, a man who has a new appreciation of things.
His players have been honoring her, too, wearing black T-shirts at warmups with a large unicorn on the front with the hashtag #Charleytough and the Corunna logo on a basketball.
As for Charley, she will go back to kindergarten next year, but at the moment, she’s anxiously awaiting the birth of her brother or sister March 22.
She already has informed her parents that her new sibling will be a girl, named Maggie, and wants the newborn to sleep in her room.
“She says, ‘Mommy, I’ll feed the baby,’” Chloe said, chuckling. “I told Rocky we don’t have to worry about parenting a third baby. Charley’s got it.”
Besides another new brother or sister, if all goes well, Charley will be back on the sideline with her dad and her basketball team next winter.
Rocky says his family’s experience, among other things, showed him how strong the ties are in the coaching community.
“It was nice to see the game be the bridge that allowed me to reach out and depend on people a little bit,” he said “Without it, you don’t have those relationships. Things like this make you realize how special those things really are. If you don’t experience it, you don’t get to understand people’s true motivations.
“It was humbling,” he added. “It was scary at times, but all in all it was a little bit of everything that helped us to be able to get through this.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Charley Buscemi and her dad Rocky enjoy a fun moment at home. (2) From left: Charley, Rocky, Chloe and Sam Buscemi. (3) Corunna players wear #Charleytough T-shirts as warm-ups for their games. They prominently feature Charley’s favorite animal, a unicorn. (4) Charley’s immune system isn’t robust enough for her to attend games in person, but she never misses a chance to watch “her boys” play on her mom’s laptop. (Photos courtesy of the Buscemi family.)
Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Boys District Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 26, 2024
Being “Breslin Bound” takes on a whole new meaning starting tonight for more than 700 boys basketball teams across Michigan.
District play begins this evening, and two weeks from Thursday we’ll be tipping off our first Semifinals at Michigan State University.
We always switch up our “Breslin Bound” format just a bit once the MHSAA Tournament starts, as last week’s most intriguing results below are followed this time by glances at three District brackets of note in each division. Host sites are bolded, and teams playing in those brackets are listed in order of how they stack up by Michigan Power Rating (MPR), with the top seeds listed first.
Everything you could want to know this week about tickets, brackets and more can be found on the Boys Basketball page. To watch any of several games online, visit the NFHS Network.
“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:
2. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 73, Detroit Cass Tech 41 If this Operation Friendship win for the Eaglets (20-1) over reigning Division 1 champion Cass Tech (20-2) is an indication of its momentum heading into the postseason, watch out.
2. Saline 69, Ann Arbor Huron 60 The Hornets (18-4) finished Southeastern Conference Red play by downing then co-leader Huron (17-4) to clinch the league championship outright.
3. Dearborn 65, Canton 52 The Pioneers (22-0) claimed the overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association title and finished a perfect regular season with a solid win over KLAA West champ Canton (18-4).
4. Saginaw Heritage 80, Flint Powers Catholic 40 The Hawks (18-3) clinched a share of their eventual outright Saginaw Valley League title, made more impressive as eight of the league’s 13 teams including Powers (17-5) finished above .500 for the regular season.
5. Mancelona 54, Bellaire 52 Although the Ironmen (17-5) lost their regular-season finale to Charlevoix two days later, this win was the one they needed as it secured a shared Ski Valley Conference title with Bellaire (18-4).
Districts at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Martin Luther King
No. 1 Detroit Cass Tech (20-2), No. 2 Grosse Pointe South (18-4), Detroit Martin Luther King (14-6), Detroit Western (10-10), Grosse Pointe North (9-12).
The reigning Division 1 champion Technicians have been mostly unstoppable again, with their only loss besides last week’s to St. Mary’s (see above) coming to Zeeland West (15-7) on Jan. 20 in East Kentwood. Cass Tech opens against GPN in a District Semifinal, and all three opponents on the other side of the bracket could make for a strong District Final matchup. GPS is coming off a league tournament championship and has won 13 of its last 14 games. The Blue Devils will see in their District Semifinal the King/Western winner; Western gave Cass Tech a four-point game earlier this season before losing the rematch 69-42, and King took Cass Tech to overtime in their Jan. 24 matchup.
Mason
No. 1 East Lansing (20-2), No. 2 Okemos (18-4), Mason (20-2), Holt (9-13), Lansing Everett (9-11).
East Lansing has been among the leaders in Division 1 MPR all season and entered second on the list only to St. Mary’s (see above), with its only losses to St. Mary’s and Warren Lincoln. Holt gave East Lansing a nine-point game in their second meeting Feb. 12, but otherwise the Trojans defeated the Rams and Everett by solid margins. But the District Final matchup against either Okemos or Mason – which face each other Wednesday – should be much more challenging. East Lansing did sweep the regular-season series with the Wolves, 66-54 and 68-55, but winning that third matchup often is tougher – and the home-team Bulldogs would bring some unfamiliarity if they advance instead.
Muskegon Mona Shores
No. 1 Muskegon (19-2), No. 2 Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (19-3), Muskegon Mona Shores (14-8), Greenville (13-9), Cedar Springs (4-18).
The Muskegon High/Reeths-Puffer matchups were among the most followed this regular season, as Reeths-Puffer stunned the reigning Division 1 runner-up 63-45 on Jan. 30, but Muskegon came back to win the rematch 48-28 on Feb. 9. They ended up sharing the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green championship (with Mona Shores fourth) and would see each other again in Friday’s District Final. The Rockets face Mona Shores in a District Semifinal on one side of the bracket, while Muskegon may see Greenville – which finished fifth in an O-K White that was one of the deepest leagues in the state.
DIVISION 2
Detroit Pershing
No. 1 Warren Lincoln (17-4), No. 2 Ferndale (13-8), Detroit Pershing (11-8), Detroit Osborn (10-11), Hazel Park (7-15), Ferndale University (3-18).
Lincoln is the only team that’s been among the top two in Division 2 MPR to begin every week since the start of the calendar year, and its only losses were to Division 1 opponents who all won at least 15 games this season. But Ferndale is the reigning Division 2 champion and also has remained high on that MPR list in part because of its loaded schedule. The Eagles are 9-3 over their last 12, with all of their losses this season to Division 1 opponents – and seven of those defeats to teams that finished the regular season among the top 18 on the statewide D1 MPR list.
Hudsonville Unity Christian
No. 1 Grand Rapids Christian (20-2), No. 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian (18-4), Grand Rapids South Christian (17-5), Wyoming Godwin Heights (16-5), Kentwood Grand River Prep (13-6), Wyoming Kelloggsville (2-20).
Grand Rapids Christian has spent most of the season at the top of the statewide Division 2 MPR list, with its only losses to Warren Lincoln, by two Jan. 20, and then by six to Division 1 Byron Center on Feb. 6. The Eagles face one of the strongest Districts in any division this week, and have seen only one possible opponent – South Christian, who they defeated 58-48 on Dec. 5. South Christian, Godwin Heights and Unity all are on the other side of the bracket, and the Sailors defeated Unity 58-56 in their lone meeting Dec. 15. Godwin Heights faces South Christian tonight and has won 12 of its last 14.
Manistee
No. 1 Ludington (16-6), No. 2 Reed City (18-4), Big Rapids (16-6), Manistee (10-12), Hart (12-10), Mason County Central (9-13).
Ludington was the runner-up in the West Michigan Conference Lakes to undefeated Whitehall, and the Orioles have won 10 of their last 12 games with only defeats to Whitehall and Division 1 Cadillac (20-2) breaking up the string. They could be in for a tough matchup right away Wednesday; Manistee and Big Rapids face off tonight on that side of the bracket, and Big Rapids finished last week with a 48-46 win over Reed City in the Central State Activities Association Tournament final. The Coyotes also lost to Cadillac over the last two weeks, but already have a win over possible District Semifinal opponent Mason County Central and did defeat Big Rapids in their first meeting Dec. 8, 49-30. And don’t forget Hart, which went 23-1 just a year ago and has won nine of its last 12 after a slow start.
DIVISION 3
Charlevoix
No. 1 Charlevoix (17-5), No. 2 Harbor Springs (15-7), Mancelona (17-5), Elk Rapids (15-7), East Jordan (8-14), Johannesburg-Lewiston (6-16).
This District includes two league champions – but not the teams one might expect by the seeding. Elk Rapids won the Lake Michigan Conference with Charlevoix and Harbor Springs tied for second, and Mancelona (see above) was the co-champion in the Ski Valley Conference. The Elks have won 11 straight games and swept both Charlevoix and Harbor Springs, making a 1-6 start this winter a distant memory. They are on the same side of the bracket as Mancelona and Charlevoix and face Mancelona tonight; the Ironmen are coming off a 65-37 loss to Charlevoix last week but did open this season with a 50-41 win over Harbor Springs.
East Jackson
No. 1 Jackson Lumen Christi (18-4), 2. Michigan Center (19-3), Napoleon (19-3), Springport (15-7), East Jackson (8-14).
This District features three league champs, as Lumen Christi shared the Catholic High School League AA title, and Michigan Center and Napoleon were co-champions of the Cascades Conference East – with Napoleon then winning the crossover with West champ Hanover-Horton last week. Michigan Center claimed the first Napoleon matchup 50-38 on Dec. 21, while Napoleon won the second 50-44 on Jan. 25, and they wouldn’t see each other again until the District Final. To get there, Michigan Center will have to get through East Jackson and Lumen – and the Titans took a 72-65 win over the Cardinals on Dec. 28. Napoleon faces Springport in the other District Semifinal, the Spartans coming off a third-place finish in the Big 8 Conference.
Harbor Beach
No. 1 Cass City (21-1), No. 2 Harbor Beach (19-3), Caro (12-9), Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (13-9), Bad Axe (6-16), Unionville-Sebewaing (5-17).
This could see another colossal District Final matchup, as Cass City’s only loss this winter was 56-43 to Harbor Beach on Feb. 9. But both could run into obstacles on the way to Friday. Cass City faces the winner of Caro and USA in a District Semifinal, and while the Red Hawks swept both during the regular season, they defeated Caro only 62-60 in their second meeting Feb. 2. Harbor Beach won their single matchups with possible District Semifinal opponents Laker and Bad Axe, both by double digits – but both Laker and Bad Axe gave Cass City nail-biters only a few weeks ago.
DIVISION 4
Adrian Lenawee Christian
No. 1 Adrian Lenawee Christian (19-3), No. 2 Britton Deerfield (16-6), Petersburg Summerfield (18-4), Ann Arbor Central Academy (6-13), Morenci (1-20).
Lenawee Christian won the Tri-County Conference and Petersburg Summerfield finished tied for second, with Lenawee winning their matchups 69-62 on Jan. 16 and 56-53 on Feb. 9. They will meet in the second District Semifinal on Wednesday, with Britton Deerfield on the other side of the bracket. The Patriots finished fourth in the TCC and also were swept by Lenawee Christian, but they did split with Summerfield, winning the first meeting 42-41 on Dec. 8 as part of a 9-0 start and before the Bulldogs won the rematch 59-53 on Jan. 23.
Athens
No. 1 Marcellus Howardsville Christian (17-5), No. 2 Colon (13-8), Mendon (14-8), Burr Oak (13-9), Marcellus (9-11), Athens (0-22).
Howardsville Christian finished third in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference and has won eight straight and 10 of its last 11 games after a tough January stretch that included a 69-51 loss to Mendon on Jan. 20. Mendon isn’t seeded but did tie Colon for third in the Southern Central Athletic Association West (with Burr Oak fifth), defeating the Magi 55-50 in its season opener but then losing to Colon 65-50 in the Jan. 19 rematch. Mendon and Howardsville Christian could see each other again Wednesday, if the Hornets get by Burr Oak tonight, with Colon on the other side of the bracket.
Maple City Glen Lake
No. 1 Maple City Glen Lake (18-4), No. 2 Frankfort (15-7), Traverse City Christian (16-6), Suttons Bay (7-13), Lake Leelanau St. Mary (7-14), Leland (4-17), Grand Traverse Academy (2-20).
Glen Lake moved into Division 4 this season and enters the tournament 18-4 for the second straight and with victories over every team in this bracket except Grand Traverse, which the Lakers didn’t play. Glen Lake finished second in the Northwest Conference to Division 3 Benzie Central, but did sweep Frankfort along the way and also defeated Traverse City Christian 69-41 on Jan. 19. Another matchup with either would come in the District Final, and Frankfort and TC Christian face off tonight, at TC Christian, for the first time this season. Frankfort reached the Division 4 Semifinals a year ago and defeated a pair of league champions last week in Rudyard and Baldwin to tune up for another run.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Saginaw Heritage’s Tyler Ode throws down a dunk during his team’s 80-40 win Thursday over Flint Powers Catholic. (Middle) Laingsburg’s Zander Woodruff (23) puts up a shot during his team’s 90-27 win over Bath last week. (Top photo by Terry Lyons, middle photo by Click by Christine McCallister.)