Soaring Eagles Score Big with Record Range
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
February 25, 2020
HANNAHVILLE – The Hannahville Nah Tah Wahsh boys basketball team likes to play uptempo and has a knack for hitting 3-point field goals.
The Soaring Eagles excelled at both on their home court Feb. 5 when they sank an Upper Peninsula-record 24 3-point shots in a 73-39 triumph over Northern Lights League rival Big Bay de Noc. They also drained 20 trifectas just four days earlier in a 68-20 victory on Mackinac Island.
In addition to tops in the U.P., the 24 3-pointers also rank third all-time in MHSAA history, while the 20 are tied for seventh-most by a team in one game.
"We didn't think that was a big deal," said 6-foot-2 junior Joe Larson, who connected on six 3-point shots for 18 points against Big Bay. "It's just great to be part of this program. It's like a family atmosphere.
“Coach (Josh Eagle) wants us to split it up a little. He wants us to work the ball inside and continue shooting the threes. Getting the record was so much fun and getting 20 at Mackinac Island got us a step closer. We still need to work on some little things in practice. Once we get those ironed out, we'll be fine."
Eagle tries to encourage the players to take the 3-point shots, which he believes is just part of the game.
"We try to get a shot up pretty quick," he said. "Earlier this season, the kids were pretty shy about shooting the threes when we were facing zones. Now, they're not shy. Our strength is running the floor. We try to launch as many threes as we can and get offensive rebounds."
The Soaring Eagles (14-4) rode an eight-game winning streak into last weekend's NLL Tournament, where they beat Beaver Island and then lost in the championship game to Kinross Maplewood Baptist.
In their previous outing the Saturday before, sophomore Gage Sagataw scored 23 points as the Soaring Eagles hung on for a 60-58 triumph over Bay Mills Ojibwe Charter.
Sagataw sank seven triples and scored 22 points on Hannahville's record-setting night.
"It felt great to do that," he said. "We've been close friends for a long time, which made it more special. We put a lot of time in on our shooting in the offseason, but sometimes we have to rely on our defense. It doesn't bother me if I miss a three because I know we just have to get back on defense.”
Hannahville now will prepare for the Division 4 District tournament at Rapid River. The Soaring Eagles face Rock Mid Peninsula in a District Semifinal on March 11.
Eagle coached the girls team at neighboring Bark River-Harris for three seasons prior to returning as boys coach to the school on the Potawatomi Reservation in northeastern Menominee County.
"They always work real hard, and we're giving them the opportunity to become men," said Eagle, who coached boys and girls basketball at Hannahville prior to his time at BR-H. "Training the kids to be good people and teaching them the value of hard work is the main objective. Seth Miller (former coach), Ross Rahoi (current assistant coach) and I work with each other and other people from the community to help make them good representatives.
"We're proud of all the players. They're good ambassadors for the community, and as always, there's a long road ahead of us."
John 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) Hannahville’s Joe Larson (14) looks for an open teammate during this past weekend’s Northern Lights League Tournament game against Mackinac Island. (Middle) Gage Sagataw brings the ball up the court. (Photos by Robyn Rhode.)
Breslin Bound: 2021-22 Boys Regional Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 14, 2022
The magic number is down to "3" to earn a trip to East Lansing as Michigan's remaining 128 high school boys basketball teams pull closer to reaching the season's final weekend at Michigan State's Breslin Center.
Rematches won by the team that lost the first time (or two) headlined our District Finals from Friday, and a number of rematches are possible again this week with several highlighted below. Check out “Tracking the Tournament” on MHSAA.com for every matchup from all brackets.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Detroit Cass Tech 58, Detroit Martin Luther King 54 (OT) The Technicians (19-3) avenged a 56-51 loss to King (19-3) from Jan. 21 that ended up deciding the Detroit Public School League Blue title.
2. Grand Rapids Catholic Central 68, Hudsonville Unity Christian 48 The reigning Division 2 champion Cougars (21-1) handed Unity Christian (21-1) its only loss of the season.
3. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 63, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 40 The Eaglets (18-4) had lost to Brother Rice (15-7) by two and 12 during the regular season.
4. Michigan Center 63, Napoleon 47 The Cardinals (17-6) had finished third in the Cascades Conference but defeated champion Vandercook Lake and then runner-up Napoleon (19-3) to claim a Division 3 District title.
5. Grandville Calvin Christian 61, Grand Rapids Covenant Christian 55 The Squires (19-3) avenged a 68-61 overtime loss to the rival Chargers (17-4) from Dec. 17 – Calvin’s last defeat this season.
Regionals at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Renaissance
Detroit U-D Jesuit (16-5) vs. Hamtramck (19-3), North Farmington (18-3) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (18-4)
To say this Regional is loaded is an understatement. Jesuit was No. 1 in final Division 1 MPR, St. Mary’s was No. 2, Hamtramck No. 9 and North Farmington No. 13. Jesuit won its first two meetings with St. Mary’s this season, but the Eaglets won the most recent 65-43 in the Detroit Catholic League Bishop Tournament. Hamtramck hasn’t lost since Jan. 15, with a pair of wins over River Rouge (17-4) highlighting its run. North Farmington’s losses came to opponents that all won 15 or more games, and the Raiders avenged the most recent by defeating Oak Park 45-36 in a regular-season finale. For common opponent purposes, Oak Park fell to Jesuit in their District Final by just a point.
Grand Haven
Muskegon (20-2) vs. Grand Rapids Northview (22-1), Holland West Ottawa (11-12) vs. Wyoming (15-7)
Tonight’s Regional Semifinals feature a titanic matchup between Ottawa-Kent Conference champions as Green title winner Muskegon takes on White title winner Northview. The Wildcats’ only loss was in their second meeting against Grand Rapids Christian (18-4), while Muskegon has lost only to Kalamazoo Central (14-7) and Ferndale (18-3) – and all three of those opponents also have gone on to win District titles. The Big Reds were ranked No. 10 in final Division 1 MPR. West Ottawa lost five straight to end the regular season before reversing course with a District title run, and Wyoming finished second to Muskegon in the Green and also faced Northview this season.
River Rouge
Lincoln Park (16-6) vs. Brownstown Woodhaven (18-4), Dearborn (17-5) vs. Detroit Cass Tech (19-3)
Cass Tech’s District Final win continued a run of 10 victories over its last 11 games, and the Technicians last week actually avenged two of their regular-season losses by also defeating Detroit Western in a District Semifinal. They next face a District full of similarly hungry programs looking to take a big step. Woodhaven won the Downriver League and Lincoln Park was second despite Lincoln Park winning both of their regular-season meetings. Lincoln Park was 3-12 just a season ago, and Woodhaven is riding high with eight wins over its last nine games and all by double digits. Dearborn has taken a couple of nice steps the last few seasons, and three of its losses were to Kensington Lakes Activities Association East champ Belleville (16-6) as the Pioneers finished second this winter.
DIVISION 2
Flint Powers Catholic
Richmond (19-3) vs. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (15-7), Croswell-Lexington (22-0) vs. Goodrich (18-4)
Crowell-Lexington is a combined 61-3 over the last three seasons, with COVID-19 ending its 2020 run and an overtime Quarterfinal loss finishing 2021. The Pioneers were first again in the Blue Water Area Conference and Richmond second, but Croswell-Lexington won the second meeting Feb. 22 only 56-54. To set up a third, the Pioneers will have to get by another league champion in the Flint Metro League Stars’ Goodrich, which avenged a late loss to Lake Fenton by defeating the Blue Devils by 11 in their District Final. Richmond takes on Notre Dame Prep, which also had a bit of a rough end to the regular season – facing some of the state’s top teams with a loss to Goodrich during that stretch – but the Fighting Irish came back to edge Warren Michigan Collegiate (15-5) by a point in their District Final.
Three Rivers
Benton Harbor (20-2) vs. Holland Christian (15-7), Edwardsburg (15-7) vs. Parchment (20-1)
On opposite sides of this bracket sit No. 5 Parchment and No. 8 Benton Harbor, Parchment seeking its first Regional title since 2000 and Benton Harbor its first since 2018 when it went on to win the Class B championship. Parchment’s only defeat was to Schoolcraft (20-2), while Benton Harbor lost only to Muskegon (see above) and Detroit Edison (16-6) – all three of those opponents are still playing this week. Parchment first must get past Edwardsburg, also a league champion. Benton Harbor opens with Holland Christian, which tied for second in a power-packed O-K Blue and suffered all of its losses to opponents that won 16 or more games this winter.
Williamston
Marshall (20-2) vs. Lansing Catholic (13-10), Williamston (22-0) vs. Onsted (22-0)
Unbeatens Onsted and Williamston make for one of tonight’s premier matchups, in any division, with Williamston playing only one single-digit game this season and Onsted only three. Williamston last won a Regional title in 2018, and Onsted is seeking its first since 1983. On the other side, Marshall shared the title in an Interstate 8 Athletic Conference that produced four teams that won at least 14 games. Lansing Catholic defeated Division 1 Holt on the way into the playoffs and then the two teams that finished ahead of the Cougars in the Capital Area Activities Conference White – champion Ionia and runner-up Lansing Sexton – on the way to the District title.
DIVISION 3
Centreville
Lawton (15-7) vs. Schoolcraft (20-2), Watervliet (18-3) vs. Bronson (13-9)
Schoolcraft and Watervliet both shared Southwestern Athletic Conference divisional titles but haven’t seen each other this season, although they have three mutual opponents. Schoolcraft hasn’t lost since Dec. 28, including handing Parchment (see above) its only defeat. The Eagles open with Lawton, which finished third in Watervliet’s SAC Lakeshore division. Watervliet faces Bronson, which finished fifth in a competitive Big 8 Conference and is riding an eight-game winning streak.
Flint Beecher
Hemlock (15-7) vs. Flint Beecher (19-2), Bad Axe (20-2) vs. Marlette (12-11)
Reigning Division 3 champion Beecher has been a favorite to repeat all season, ranked No. 2 in final Division 3 MPR and with its only losses to Division 1 Grand Blanc (17-5) and Detroit Martin Luther King (19-3). The Bucs are coming off a 31-point win over Reese (18-3) in their District Final. Hemlock has seven losses, but six of them were by a combined 17 points – or just under three per defeat – and they avenged one with an 18-point win over Ithaca in last week’s District Final. On the other side, Bad Axe will see Marlette for the second time in two weeks after winning the first meeting by 18. The Hatchets’ only losses were to Reese.
Sault Ste. Marie
Ishpeming Westwood (17-4) vs. Menominee (19-3), Harbor Springs (10-11) vs. Benzie Central (19-3)
Menominee entered the postseason as the No. 1 team in overall Division 3 MPR with its losses to teams that have at least 18 wins and are still alive in their respective divisions. The Maroons actually defeated Escanaba (18-4) twice to finish first in the Great Northern Conference before losing their third meeting, and they are seeking their first Regional title since 2008. Westwood also is a league champion, from the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East, and is seeking its first Regional title since 2016. Benzie, winner of the Northwest Conference, is seeking its first Regional title since 1997 after emerging from one of the strongest Division 3 Districts in the state, with Harbor Springs one of the surprise District champs after upsets of St. Ignace (15-6) and East Jordan (13-9) last week.
DIVISION 4
Kingsley
Lake Leelanau St. Mary (18-4) vs. Ellsworth (19-3), Frankfort (11-11) vs. McBain Northern Michigan Christian (22-0)
Ellsworth is seeking its first Regional title since 2009, NMC its first since 2003 and St. Mary its first since 1950. Frankfort has more recent history playing in the late stages of this tournament, finishing Division 4 runner-up in 2019. The Panthers represent the strong Northwest Conference won by Benzie Central (see above), but NMC did win their Feb. 26 meeting 61-49 and claimed the title in a similarly Division 3-heavy Highland Conference. Ellsworth won the Northern Lakes Conference, with its two most recent losses to Division 3 teams. St. Mary as an independent has played a variety of schools all over the state and has wins over Ellsworth (71-63) and Frankfort (64-38), with three of its four losses to Division 3 schools and the fourth to Rudyard (21-1).
Negaunee
Ewen-Trout Creek (19-3) vs. Lake Linden-Hubbell (13-8), Powers North Central (18-4) vs. Munising (19-2)
Ewen-Trout Creek finished second in overall Division 4 MPR, with North Central No. 4 and Munising No. 12. All three are league champions. Ewen-Trout Creek owns a big win over Lake Linden-Hubbell from a month ago and also a one-pointer over Menominee (see above) from March 1, but the Lakes are riding a six-game winning streak. North Central and Munising meet again after the Jets won their Feb. 23 game 59-48 and Munising won the rematch March 3 64-43. North Central’s only other losses were to Menominee, with Munising’s other defeat to Rudyard.
Peck
Clarkston Everest Collegiate (17-5) vs. Marine City Cardinal Mooney (14-8), Genesee Christian (18-4) vs. Ubly (17-4)
All four finished among the top 24 in Division 4 MPR – with Genesee Christian No. 7, Ubly No. 11 and Everest No. 13. Genesee Christian has three losses from either Beecher or Flint Hamady, which also advanced to this week in Division 2, and the Soldiers defeated Everest 55-50 on Jan. 29. Ubly won the Greater Thumb Conference East with all four of its losses to Division 3 teams that won 14 or more games, and the Bearcats earned a 69-44 win over another league champ Kinde North Huron to finish last week’s District run. This will be the third meeting between Everest and Cardinal Mooney, with the Mountaineers winning the first two by two and then three in overtime, respectively. Everest also has a two-point win over annual contender Southfield Christian.
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PHOTO Jalen Kampen (22) gets his hand on a loose ball during Parchment's 58-55 win over Otsego to clinch a Division 2 District title Friday. (Photo by Gary Shook.)