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Sand Creek Celebrates Long-Sought Success
By
Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
February 24, 2017
By Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
SAND CREEK – It is a season of special anniversaries for the Sand Creek boys basketball team.
It's also becoming a special season.
Twenty-five years ago, Sand Creek made its only appearance in an MHSAA championship game, losing to Muskegon Western Michigan Christian in the Class D Final.
Twenty years ago, it won the Tri-County Conference title – a feat it had not repeated until Tuesday night when the Aggies downed Ottawa Lake Whiteford 55-40 to remain undefeated and win its first conference championship since 1997.
“It's awesome; it hasn't been done in 20 years,” junior point guard Noah Hague said. “It's very special to be a TCC champ and be a part of Sand Creek history.”
While preseason expectations were high, not many could have predicted a 17-0 start and a No. 4 ranking in The Associated Press’ Class C state poll. But that's where the Aggies are after an 11-11 season last winter that was the first time in a decade Sand Creek reached the .500 mark.
At Sand Creek, football has been the high-profile program with 17 postseason appearances from 1984-2008, including eight trips to the MHSAA Semifinals and one to the Class DD championship game. However, from 2009-2015, the football team had just one playoff appearance and even endured a winless season – but last fall the Aggies rebounded to make the playoffs.
Senior Michaja Wilson played quarterback in the fall, and he starts for the basketball team.
“We had a good year in football,” he said. “We went 8-1 in the regular season, but the last couple of years we were under .500. To bring what we did in football and put it on the basketball court has definitely put us on the map.”
Coach Tory VanSickle believes the football success helped the basketball program.
“They realized how much support you can get in a small town like this when you win games,” he said.
Laying the groundwork
In VanSickle, Sand Creek hired an experienced basketball coach three years ago who had guided varsities at Addison, Hudson and Onsted. He knew it was going to take time to get his new program running in the right direction.
“It was somewhat easier for me coming in as opposed to the last job I had because they hadn't been successful, so the kids were willing to buy into what we wanted to do,” VanSickle said. “The hardest part was getting them to buy into something new that wasn't necessarily best for the team at that time but was best for the program to get back in the right direction.
“For them to buy into playing man-to-man the first year - and now we're not playing that at all. We are pressing a lot and playing a lot of zone and letting the kids do things that they are comfortable doing right now.”
The first year, the Aggies finished a few more wins under .500 but advanced to the District Final before losing. Last year, they won 11 games but again lost in the District Final.
“It was a feather in our cap to get to the District Finals the first year, and the second year was kind of a kick in the teeth to not be able to seal the deal,” he said. “They set the goal this year to win the conference and win the District. We hope to readjust the goals as we go along.”
VanSickle said he saw hints of what has turned out to be a special season a year ago.
“Last year, we lost at least five games that we had in the fourth quarter and gave away in some shape or form,” he said. “I thought we could have been a little better last year, so we might have snuck up on a few people early this year who thought we were just a .500 team from last year. I thought we were more like a 13-7 team.
“We expected to win 15 games and, if we were coachable and truly team players, we thought we had a chance of doing what we're doing. We hadn't been truly coachable or truly team players in the two years prior. We've been a little bit stubborn about changing and somewhat individualistic – and not on purpose, just not recognizing when to pass up a pretty good shot for a really good shot. Make two more passes and realize the impact that has on a team. When everyone touches the ball and we score, everybody plays better defense. When you make one pass and score, you lose some of that camaraderie.”
Making a season special
It was a different summer for the Aggies. Instead of long road trips to scrimmage teams, Sand Creek stayed close to home and worked on fundamentals.
“We spent our summer in this little old pole barn basically,” VanSickle said of the school gymnasium. “We didn't go to any team camps, we didn't go play any games against anyone other than we scrimmaged Addison once and Grass Lake once. The rest of the time we've been in here with the football team lifting weights.
“We tried to build ourselves from the ground up. The year before we played 30-some games, but it's so hard in the summer with kids playing baseball and 7-on-7 football. We would get somewhere and have five kids. It was frustrating more than anything, and it was a real eye-opener for me. This summer we got a lot more work done because we had kids around, and we could keep them for another hour or hour and a half that we would have spent on the road.”
Sand Creek won its first six games with relative ease. Each of the first three victories were by more than 20 points, and the Aggies didn't have a single-digit win until their seventh game. That opened some eyes on the team.
“At the beginning of the season, we were playing good as a team,” Hague said. “The first couple of games we blew teams out, and in the past those games had been closer. So playing as a team and blowing them out felt good because in the past they had been close games.”
A five-point win at Adrian Madison was next, and it, too, was a key victory.
“Beating Madison at their place was really good for this group of guys because Madison has sort of owned Sand Creek for the last decade,” VanSickle said. “That one let us know we could play with good teams.”
Four double-digit wins followed, and one of those wins came against a then-unbeaten Ottawa Lake Whiteford squad. The 70-53 road victory was a confidence-builder for certain.
“Honestly, I didn't expect to be undefeated,” senior Hunter Gallagher said. “I knew that Madison, Summerfield and Whiteford were going to be good, so I didn't expect to go undefeated.
I think it was after we beat Whiteford the first time. When you beat a good team like Whiteford, you get the rest of the teams' attention.”
Two games later, Sand Creek played what Wilson called “an awful game.”
“We went to Summerfield – their gym is haunted; there is something wrong with their gym – and we were down by seven with two minutes to go, and we ended up coming back and winning,” he said. “It was an awful game, but we ended up winning by one, and we haven't had any close games since.”
It might have been “an awful game,” as Wilson said, but it was a meaningful game, too.
“We saved ourselves when we went down to Summerfield,” VanSickle said. “It's a team we always struggle with; we struggled with them at home and trailed by 10 in the first half and ended up beating them in the second half.
“We were down seven with a minute, 40 to go and pulled it out 49-48. That game told us we had what it took to win those close games. We really hadn't been in many close games.”
The Aggies continued to steamroll opponents, and going into Tuesday night's home game against Whiteford, they needed to win to clinch the outright conference title. A loss likely would have left Sand Creek as co-champion.
“After having a year like this, you don't want to stub your toe at the end,” VanSickle said. “We didn't want to share the title.”
Sand Creek beat Ottawa Lake Whiteford 55-40 to win the Tri-County Conference championship. It was the ninth TCC title for Sand Creek, and seven schools have won the conference since the last time Sand Creek did it. Thirteen players got into the game for Sand Creek.
“We have 14 on the team, and 11 or 12 play in the first half,” VanSickle said. “Our big three kids are Parker Randall, Noah Hague and Hunter Gallagher. They all average between 14 and 15 (points per game), so they're all bunched.”
Gallagher came into the week averaging 15.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Randall is at 15.1 points per game with 5.9 assists and 5.5 steals, and Hague is scoring 13.7 points per game with 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
“Noah's the point guard,” VanSickle said. “He's 6-3 and the best free-throw shooter in the county and gets to the basket. He's our second-best post-up guy besides Hunter.”
Wilson, one of four senior starters, is averaging 5.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, and he has scored in double figures in three of the past four. Logen Gallagher – twin brother of Hunter Gallagher – is averaging 6.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
“Wilson is starting to come on, and Tim Gritzmaker has started at the wing for us,” VanSickle said. “He's a good 3-point shooter and a smart kid, Logen comes in and backs Tim up, and he's another 6-3 kid who can shoot the ball from a ways out and can score from inside.
“We have a lot of seniors who can do a lot of different things. We bring in Jake Houston, who was an all-conference center in football. When we need a guy to get rough and tough and rebound the ball, Jake plays. When you have a team that is trapping and pressing, Jake watches. They all buy into it. No one gets mad about not playing. They understand the goal is the name on the front of the jersey.
“There are five juniors off the bench who play between three and four minutes in the second quarter, but they get some time so hopefully next year we don't have a real letdown in terms of our experience. Most of our scoring comes from our seniors, but our juniors are getting game experience and letting our seniors get breaks. The depth has been huge for us.”
Of course, the mission is not complete. Sand Creek has a shot at an undefeated regular season, and then it will try to win its first District championship since 1996.
“We went to the District finals in football, and in basketball the past two years we went to the district finals, and we ended up losing every time,” Wilson said. “Quite honestly, I'm sick of losing District Finals, so I am hoping we can win a District and then keep going.”
That attitude is contagious.
“We came into the season feeling like we needed to win the league, and we needed to win the District,” Randall said.
The architect
VanSickle has a connection with the Sand Creek program from the magical 1992 season. When the Aggies played for the Class D championship, VanSickle called the game for WLEN radio.
“I worked for the radio station and announced that game, and Jason Boring, the best player off that team, is now helping me coach here,” VanSickle said. “So I've kind of come full circle a little bit.”
VanSickle comes from a coaching family, and a successful one at that. His father, Denny, coached Onsted to an undefeated regular season in 1969-70, and his uncle Steve Prange coached Onsted to an unbeaten regular season in 1982-83.
VanSickle hopes to add another unbeaten team to the family circle.
“I remember that 1982-83 team was a deep team and a lot of guys who could play,” he said. “They kind of remind me of ourselves with a lot of depth and a lot of guys who can bump down and play a different spot depending on the opponent. I was at the age when I was pretty impressionable, so a lot of those guys were guys I looked up to.”
Now, the Aggies are looking up to him, and in three years, they have totally bought into what VanSickle is selling.
“I think when coach came in, we had more freedom to play our game instead of what he wants us to do,” Gritzmaker said. “He wants us to play within ourselves and do what we can do. He likes what everybody brings to the table.”
VanSickle has the Aggies playing a full-court press, and that aggressive attitude has been welcomed by the players.
“I'm liking the press,” Hague said. “It helps keep the game high-tempo, and that benefits us more than the other team playing, at that fast pace.”
With a high-tempo game comes some mistakes, and Hunter Gallagher said Coach VanSickle sent a message about those miscues.
“If we turn the ball over, he expects us to hustle back on defense,” Gallagher said. “He says that instead of complaining about something we did wrong on offense, take it out on the other team by playing defense.
“It was about halfway between my sophomore year when I really understood what he wanted to do offensively and defensively.”
VanSickle seems to be a perfect match. He is a basketball coach who has resurrected his program at a school that is known for football. That is not always a simple thing to do.
“It's fun to be a part of a resurgence, and it's good for me, too,” he said. “I kind of needed a resurgence after my last job. I've been kicked in the teeth a little bit, so it's nice to see the team and our school have a little revival, and myself, also.
“They are really starting to buy in, especially in the last month as we started to get ranked in the state. We talk and say, 'Hey, it's just an opinion,' but it does draw some attention, and it's a matter of respect, not only for us but for our conference, too.”
And the Sand Creek community has noticed. In the middle of winter, fans are parking near the football field and walking past the green bull outside the gym to watch the basketball team.
“The crowds have been great,” VanSickle said. “We're getting a lot of the old-timers to come out, and they take the young kids under their wing. You can see them pointing at the kids during the game and talking to them after the game. It's neat to see.”
And likely, vice versa.
Chip Mundy served as sports editor at the Brooklyn Exponent and Albion Recorder from 1980-86, and then as a reporter and later copy editor at the Jackson Citizen-Patriot from 1986-2011. He also co-authored Michigan Sports Trivia. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Sand Creek's Hunter Gallagher pulls up for a shot against Adrian Madison. (Middle) Noah Hague splits a pair of defenders while retaining possession. (Below) Parker Randall rises above an opponent to take a shot. (Photos courtesy of the Adrian Daily Telegram; top and middle by John Discher and below by Deloris Clark-Osborne.)
![Jayce Branson (3) gets to the rim during East Lansing's 52-29 win over DeWitt last week.](/sites/default/files/2024-01/240122_bbb_2H.png)
Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Boys Report Week 8
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 22, 2024
Tuesday’s matchup of Cadillac (11-0) hosting Whitehall (12-0) would crack our five “Can’t-Miss Contests” for the upcoming week most weeks every season – and it's lined up to be a great one.
But perhaps indicating the decisive stretch we've reached this season, it falls just outside our preview list below – which is loaded with potential league title deciders, be they the first meetings between expected favorites or rematches from early-season faceoffs that now mean much more.
“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. Iron Mountain 48, Kingsford 47 Coming out of this matchup of arguably the top two teams in the Upper Peninsula, Iron Mountain (11-0) stands alone as the last undefeated team on its side of the Bridge after handing the neighboring Flivvers (11-2) just their second defeat.
2. Port Huron Northern 59, Warren Lincoln 57 The Huskies (10-2) drew even with Lincoln atop the Macomb Area Conference White by avenging an 80-46 loss to the Abes (9-2) from Dec. 15.
3. Zeeland West 61, Detroit Cass Tech 42 West (8-3) delivered the only defeat this season to the reigning Division 1 champion Technicians (9-1) during the Gottagetit Hoops Classic at East Kentwood.
4. Warren Lincoln 49, Grand Rapids Christian 47 Lincoln bounced back from its loss to PHN quickly, defeating Romeo on Thursday and then handing Grand Rapids Christian (8-1) its only loss, also at East Kentwood.
5. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 76, Detroit U-D Jesuit 68 The Eaglets (10-1) avenged their lone loss this winter, 60-55 to Jesuit on Dec. 18, to take a two-game lead in the Detroit Catholic League Central.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Martin Luther King (11-3) After opening this season with losses to a pair of strong opponents in Lansing Waverly and North Farmington, King has reasserted itself among the elite with 11 wins over its last 12 games (and the only defeat during that time to undefeated East Lansing). The Crusaders join Cass Tech at the top of the Detroit Public School League Blue heading into Tuesday’s matchup, and are coming off handing Grand Rapids Northview a 54-53 loss in East Kentwood on Saturday – adding to wins over Kalamazoo Central, Saginaw and Detroit Southeastern and Renaissance among others.
Rockford (9-3) The Rams also got off to a slow start, relatively speaking, opening 2-3 but with those losses to Muskegon by a point, Byron Center and Grand Rapids South Christian. Rockford has won its last seven games, defeating Zeeland West (see above) to win the Zeeland Holiday Tournament and last week moving into first place alone in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red by handing the only losses this season to Hudsonville (55-52 OT) and East Kentwood (61-56). Rockford tied for third in the league behind those two last season.
DIVISION 2
Benton Harbor (13-0) After stumbling a bit to end last season on a 3-6 streak, Benton Harbor has cruised to another magnificent start with Saturday’s 58-48 victory over Wyoming Lee in East Kentwood tying its closest win this winter. A 72-59 victory over Niles Brandywine on Jan. 11 has the Tigers atop the Lakeland Conference again as they look to repeat, with a 92-46 win over Detroit Douglass from Dec. 28 also among their most impressive. Big-time matchups await against South Haven, Kalamazoo Central, Watervliet, Brandywine again Feb. 16 and Niles in the regular-season finale after the Vikings ended Benton Harbor’s 2022-23 run.
Tecumseh (10-1) A nine-game winning streak last February and March was stopped by an overtime Regional Final loss to Chelsea, but Tecumseh picked right back up this winter with this start and its only defeat 55-51 to Riverview over the break. Tecumseh has avenged losses from last season to Adrian Madison and Temperance Bedford, can avenge another in Tuesday’s matchup with Pinckney, and sees Chelsea for the first time Jan. 30 after Chelsea dealt Tecumseh three defeats total during last season’s 20-7 campaign.
DIVISION 3
Alcona (9-4) The Tigers are showing a nice ability to rebound – first from a 1-3 start with their current 8-1 run, and more recently after falling 38-37 to Ogemaw Heights on Jan. 8 but coming back a week later to defeat Oscoda 47-36 to stand alone in first place in the North Star League Big Dipper. That was the closest of Alcona’s nine wins, and the second game in the Oscoda series is on the Tigers’ homecourt Feb. 6. Alcona was 10-12 but second in the league a year ago.
Iron Mountain (11-0) As noted above, Iron Mountain is the lone undefeated team left in the Upper Peninsula, and Kingsford was the first team to come within single digits of the Mountaineers since their 51-43 victory over Gladstone in the season opener. This is familiar territory for Iron Mountain, of course, and three more of these victories came over opponents that have won at least nine games. Iron Mountain does go to Kingsford Feb. 13, and circle as well a home game Feb. 5 against Menominee, which ended the Mountaineers’ seasons the last two winters.
DIVISION 4
Lake Linden-Hubbell (8-2) The Lakes have enjoyed a nice climb from seven to 13 to 17 wins over the last three seasons, respectively, and they could be ready to take another step. The losses came to Houghton and Painesdale Jeffers, which both have 11 wins this season, and Lake Linden-Hubbell welcomes Jeffers for a rematch Feb. 6. A 74-42 season-opening win over Chassell also was a highlight, and the Lakes travel to Chassell on Feb. 9 and for possibly another telling matchup a week later at Stephenson.
Saginaw Nouvel (9-3) The Panthers, coming off a Division 3 Regional Final run, tested themselves right away this winter and went 0-3 the first week against Essexville Garber, Pewamo-Westphalia and still-undefeated Cass City (falling 54-53). They haven’t lost again. Nouvel sits atop the Tri-Valley Conference White with just Ithaca to play to complete a first-half run through the league, defeated nine-win opponents Imlay City and Standish-Sterling, and will test itself again Feb. 20 at Chesaning, which is off to an 11-0 start.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Detroit Cass Tech (9-1) at Detroit Martin Luther King (11-3) – Both are undefeated in the PSL Blue, and Cass Tech won all three matchups last season: 57-55, 74-70 (OT) in the PSL championship game and 71-59 in a District Semifinal.
Tuesday – Pewamo-Westphalia (9-1) at Laingsburg (10-0) – The Wolfpack are first and the Pirates second in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference thanks to Laingsburg’s 59-55 overtime win Dec. 6.
Thursday – East Lansing (11-0) at Okemos (10-1) – These rivals split last season’s two matchups just three days apart, and they enter this one as the only two teams undefeated in Capital Area Activities Conference Blue play.
Friday – Riverview Gabriel Richard (11-1) at Jackson Lumen Christi (10-0) – This eventually could decide the Detroit Catholic League AA title as these two are undefeated in league play and the next contender has two conference losses.
Friday – Beal City (11-2) at McBain (9-1) – The Aggies also are trying to even the season score in this series, as McBain leads the Highland Conference thanks to its 60-43 win over Beal on Dec. 13.
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) Jayce Branson (3) gets to the rim during East Lansing's 52-29 win over DeWitt last week. (Middle) Flint Southwestern and Kearsley face off Jan. 5. (Top photo by Max McCallister; middle photo by Terry Lyons.)