Reigning Division 4 Champion Munising Eager to Begin Next Tournament Run

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

February 27, 2024

MUNISING — The Munising boys basketball team is primed for what the Mustangs hope will be another deep run into the MHSAA Division 4 Tournament.

Upper PeninsulaThe reigning champion is 17-4 this season and drew an opening-round bye in its District, and will visit Newberry (5-16) to open its run at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

“There was a little more pressure as defending state champion early in the season,” Munising coach Terry Kienitz said. “We could tell we had a target on our back, but once we got some games in we were fine. Expectations are to get back to the Breslin Center (at Michigan State) and defend our title. You do the mapping and look at who might win the other Districts. It will be a lot harder road to get there this year. 

“Norway and Pickford beat us, and we had close games with Crystal Falls (Forest Park) and Rudyard. It was nice to beat Forest Park because they’re so deep. They have a real good team. The new foul rule I think will help the deeper teams. We have to focus on staying out of foul trouble and staying healthy.”

Junior point guard Trevor Nolan reached the 1,000-point mark on the last shot in an 86-44 victory over Rapid River on Feb. 13.

“It was an amazing feeling to see the team come together,” Nolan said. “It was also great for the community and took a little pressure off me doing it as a junior. We’ve definitely had some adversity, but have gotten through it and I think we’re better for it. 

“Both Regionals are tough in the U.P. There’s so much competition. Whoever gets to the Breslin will be battle-tested. Our District will also be challenging. Newberry is well-coached. They have good athletes who play very hard. There’s always a chance for an upset. You always have to be at your best, because it’s one loss and you’re done.”

Munising's Trevor Nolan (5) is defended by Ishpeming's Hunter Smith.Senior Tyler Nelson noted the Mustangs’ experience. Nolan, Carson Kienitz and Jack Dusseault all started as sophomores in Munising’s 39-37 championship game win over Wyoming Tri-unity Christian.

“The District will be a challenge,” Nelson said. “There’s a target on our back and we know it, but we have three starters back and a lot of experience. The whole tournament run last year was a bit of a highlight. We had a great group of guys.

“Basketball is such a great sport, and we definitely have a great group of guys again this year. We certainly have our work cut out. Nobody’s going to just give it to us. There’s a lot of competition, but we’re looking forward to it. It’s definitely going to be a fun tournament. I’m glad to see basketball is on the upswing in the U.P. Many of our teams are getting recognition.”

The Mustangs are taking a four-game winning streak into the postseason since dropping a 52-48 decision to Escanaba on Feb. 6. Total, they’ve won 13 of their last 14 games.

“The season is going real well so far,” junior guard Carson Kienitz said. “We had a couple unfortunate losses, but records don’t matter once you get into the tournaments. The game at Escanaba was tough. It seemed like it was all there for us. Our offense is better than it showed in that game. I think we can definitely win our District, although it’s not like we're looking past anyone. Newberry will be a challenge. The most improvement I’ve seen is the way we’re playing as a team, and we need to do that to win the bigger games.”

The Mustangs defeated Newberry 51-29 in their lone regular-season meeting Jan. 24.

“I think Newberry will be tough in our District,” Coach Kienitz said. “They’ve got talent. That was a good test. Everybody’s 0-0 once you get into the tournaments. We made a lot of adjustments which is something we needed on offense.”

If they win their opener, the Mustangs will visit Big Bay de Noc (14-4) or Rapid River (7-15) for Friday’s District Final.

“I think the bye will help us,” Nolan said. “No matter who comes out of the other bracket, you have to be ready. We have very good coaches. We always believe we’re well prepared.”

John VrancicJohn Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

PHOTOS (Top) Munising's Carson Kienitz (2) and Ishpeming's Caden Luoma go after a loose ball during the Mustangs’ 54-48 win Dec. 28. (Middle) Munising's Trevor Nolan (5) is defended by Ishpeming's Hunter Smith. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)

Union City, Mendon Bring Small-Town Matchup to Little Caesars' Big-Time Stage

By Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com

January 3, 2024

DETROIT – The annual nonconference boys basketball rivalry game between Union City and Mendon took on a different twist in early December.

Southwest CorridorRather than their usual meeting at the school gym, this year's clash took place on a much bigger stage inside Little Caesars Arena, home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons.

It was Union City posting a 62-45 win over Mendon when the final buzzer sounded on Saturday, Dec. 2. The game capped off a busy first week to the 2023-24 season for the two squads.

Originally, Union City, located in Branch County, and Mendon were supposed to play Tuesday, Dec 5.

However, after replying to a general email over the summer from Brandon Goebel – a senior group sales account executive for the Pistons – Union City athletic director Hayley Denney accepted an invitation to play a game at Little Caesars.

Denney was given the opportunity to choose who Union City wanted to play, and she reached out to Glen Samson, Mendon's AD, to see if the Hornets were interested. Samson readily agreed, and the game was ultimately bumped up a few days.

"We received an email from him (Goebel) with 10 different dates and once we decided, that day just worked out well for both schools, especially with it being on a weekend," Denney said.

"This is a pretty cool event because our teams and kids get to play their game on the NBA court, and the tickets to our game also allowed you to attend the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers game later that same night."

The Union City and Mendon junior high boys teams got to take the court against one another during halftime of the varsity contest.

In addition to receiving a complimentary Pistons item, Union City and Mendon fans also were allowed down on the floor after the Pistons/Cavaliers game to shoot a free throw.

Each school was required to sell at least 125 tickets to the game, and the response in each community was an overwhelming success. 

"It was just a unique experience for our kids to play at such a big venue. Our boys spent the night before the game in Ypsilanti, and it was a great team bonding moment. There was great community support for both schools," Samson said.

Union City, a member of the Big 8 Conference, is currently 4-3 overall, including a 2-1 league mark. The Chargers, who are coached by Ben Chard, return a group of seasoned starters with league and District title aspirations after finishing 12-13 a year ago. A league championship would be the program's first since 2008.

Chard believes the thrill and experience of an early-season game played under the big lights at Little Caesars will help immensely with building momentum for the remainder of this season.

"The Little Caesars facility is outstanding. When you step onto the floor, it's very humbling. Our boys certainly embraced the opportunity. They did a great job being grown men and taking the game seriously," Chard said.

Union City varsity boys basketball coach Ben Chard coaches during the Chargers' game against Mendon.

Union City overcame an early 15-4 deficit to gain a sizable halftime lead over Mendon. The Chargers dominated the boards and were able to shut the Hornets down defensively during the second half in pulling out the win.

Union City returns a pair of seniors and three juniors who all started for Chard at one time or another last season. The starting lineup includes junior Rick Austin (6-foot-2) running the Chargers' offense and junior Eli Payne (6-1) at shooting guard, along with senior forwards Jeremy Zehr (6-0) and Nathaniel Maurer (6-3) and junior center Aidan Decker (6-1).

"This is the first time in many years where I've had the luxury of having multiple options to put on the floor," Chard said. "Our seniors work extremely hard, and our junior class is extremely talented. We are very team-oriented with a lot of depth."

Four Union City players scored 10 or more points against Mendon.

Zehr relishes his role on the wing, creating space and shooting from the perimeter.

“Playing at Little Ceasars was insane. You have to play well off the get-go. You can't have slow starts. The way we played against Mendon in the final three quarters is how we play Union City basketball," said Zehr, who aspires to become a business entrepreneur.

"We have huge goals this season. Achieving those will require us to be mentally focused every day in practice, and that requires the seniors to be strong leaders."

Austin has played point guard the majority of his basketball career.

"I like being able to get my teammates open and making good passes,” said Austin, who hopes to continue playing basketball in college and eventually become a game warden.

“We tried to focus on rebounding during the week preparing for Mendon. We want to win the Big 8, Districts and move on to Regionals and see what happens from there."

Emmett Fraley, a former standout at Union City and 2013 graduate, has been a big asset to the program as one of Chard's varsity assistants. Fraley went on to play baseball and basketball at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, an NAIA school in Ohio.

"I played for Coach Chard my senior year. He put a lot of time into helping me, and I wanted to find a way to give back to Union City's program," Fraley said. “This team is capable of success, but you have to be mentally checked in every day. Once you can do that, then the sky is the limit.”

Mendon, 11-14 last winter, is looking to turn things around after joining a new conference.

After competing in the Southwest 10 Conference for several years, the Hornets joined the Southern Central Athletic Association's West division at the start of the current school year.

Mendon's Owen Gorham (20) applies defensive pressure on Union City's Eli Payne (3) during the first half.Mendon head coach Danny Schragg, a former prep basketball standout and previously the head coach at Burr Oak, knows what it takes to compete with the top teams in the SCAA.

The trip to Detroit from St. Joseph County has helped Schragg's Hornets grow closer.

"It was very exciting to be out there, have some fun and take it all in. It was a good overall experience. Union City had size on us and worked us over on the boards. We had some trouble scoring the ball, but we've learned a lot about our team since that game," Schragg said.

"As a team, we want to continue building that bond. We have 10 guys on our roster. It will take everyone playing together to win games. We have some talent, and I think we can win a lot of games in this league. We are young and play a lot of sophomores. I'm hoping down the road we can come together well as a team. We preach effort all the time, and are using our athleticism to our advantage."

Mendon has a pair of returning seniors in shooting guard Jack McCaw and post player Dylan Cupp. Schragg expects heavy contributions out of those two both on the court and in leadership roles. 

"Jack is our top defensive player, but he can also fill the basket up offensively. Dylan has moved into a starting role and needs to score more. We need them to average double figures, along with one of our sophomores Ryder Gorham," Schragg said.

"The new conference is good for Mendon. We've gotten smaller over the last two or three years. It will be a great league with us facing schools more our own size. We will be competitive and match up better with these teams. This team is quick, and I think we can compete for a division title."

McCaw, a three-year letterwinner, plans to attend Western Michigan University to further his education in physical therapy and play lacrosse for the Broncos program in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association. 

A standout tailback and leading rusher for Mendon's football team, McCaw helped lead the Hornets to the 2022 8-Player Division 2 Final at the Superior Dome in Marquette.

While McCaw has played in several big football games, he stated the experience of playing basketball in a big venue like Little Caesars Arena was equally rewarding.

"I've watched a lot of NBA games, but I never thought I'd actually get a chance to play in a game on a professional court," McCaw said.

"I'm just here to have some fun and help our team go as far as we can in my final season. There seems to be some good basketball teams and individual players in our conference."

But lacrosse always has been one of McCaw's favorite sports. He has played midfielder on The Bandits, a youth travel team out of the Portage/Kalamazoo area.

Through his participation in lacrosse, McCaw has struck up a strong friendship with Justin Shipp, the head men's lacrosse coach at WMU. Shipp officially has extended an invitation to McCaw to join the Broncos' varsity roster.

"I've played lacrosse for about seven years, and it's one of the sports I'm best at. I play midfielder, so I play offense and defense and I'm always running," McCaw said.

McCaw sees parallels in lacrosse that help him on the football field and basketball court as well.

"Lacrosse really helps me with my defense in both football and basketball. In lacrosse, you must have your stick down, be able to shuffle and keep your guy in front of you because if you don't they will score on you. It also helped me see the holes better to run through for a touchdown or a layup in basketball," McCaw said.

Cupp, who begins his third season on varsity, is one of the most versatile players on Mendon's roster.

"I can play any of the five positions on the floor. It just depends on who is in the game at that particular time for our team," Cupp said. "We're kind of a young team, so I'm working as hard as I can to help those guys to make them better and build the future of this program."

Cupp plans to attend Central Michigan University to study accounting.

"I learned a lot about basketball from alumni in open gyms. Playing at Little Caesars Arena was a big deal to us,” Cupp said. “Before the game, your legs are shaking when you walk down to the arena, but once you start its just like any other game."

Scott HassingerScott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Union City junior guard Rick Austin (10) shoots over Mendon junior guard Mason Wilczynski (12) in the lane at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Middle) Union City varsity boys basketball coach Ben Chard coaches during the Chargers' game against Mendon. (Below) Mendon's Owen Gorham (20) applies defensive pressure on Union City's Eli Payne (3) during the first half. (Photos by Scott Hassinger.)