Starkey's Petoskey Ready to Shine Again
December 15, 2017
By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half
PETOSKEY – Dennis Starkey remembers it like it happened yesterday.
Thirty-five years ago, at the age of 23, Starkey made his varsity head coaching debut with the Boyne City Ramblers.
“The first game I coached was against the legendary Charlie Paige (Harbor Springs),” Starkey recalled. “I got it handed to me pretty good. I knew I had a long way to go after that ballgame.”
Starkey learned quickly. Now, starting his 31st season as coach of the Petoskey Northmen, the 58-year-old is among the winningest coaches in MHSAA history. His 536 career wins rank 18th all-time among boys coaches – with an average of nearly 16 wins a season.
Starkey should move up that list in the coming weeks as the Northmen appear poised for a promising winter.
Petoskey opened the campaign by capturing its Tip-Off Classic last weekend, beating Marquette 55-38 and Manton 66-57. Marquette won 20 games a year ago, while Manton was a Class C semifinalist.
“It’s a great start,” Starkey said. “We played two good teams. We have a lot of work to do, but we’re excited. This is a good group. These guys were really committed during the offseason. Hopefully, that will pay dividends.”
Petoskey was an uncharacteristic 12-8 a year ago. That squad was comprised of three seniors and nine juniors – and one of the key juniors, 6-foot-9 center Danny Kolp, was recovering from knee surgery.
“I’ve always said you win and lose with seniors,” Starkey said. “Our inexperience really showed last year. Luckily, we’re loaded with seniors this year. We’re hoping to get back to where we were before.”
The Northmen were 20-2 two years ago.
Motivation should not be a problem.
“We were pretty unhappy with how we did last year,” senior Joel Wilson, a two-year starter, said. “I expect a lot from this team.”
So does Kolp.
“(High school) memories last forever, and we want to make this a memorable senior season,” he said. “We want to reach our full potential. We have a high ceiling.
“We have the athleticism and skills to make a run in the tournament,” he added. “That’s our goal. Petoskey hasn’t been to a Regional (since 2012). We have a good chance to do it this year if we keep playing as a team.”
Petoskey, which returns four starters, put its size and balance on display last weekend. Seth Mann, a 6-5 guard, averaged 17 points in the two wins. Kolp, who has signed with Northwood University, came up big in the paint, averaging 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks. The athletic 6-4 Wilson contributed 13 points a game, and 6-5 Jake Lee 9.5 points. All are seniors, as is starting point guard Collin Kingma.
Petoskey not only used its length to its advantage – especially defensively and on the boards – but played with a focus.
“I think the biggest improvement thus far is mental,” assistant coach Kevin Starkey, Dennis’s son, said. “Even coach Hiller (Ryan Hiller at Manton) told me after watching the Marquette game that the guys looked locked in, ready to go. It’s visibly noticeable.”
Dennis Starkey started this season much like he has the previous 34, preaching a “team first” approach. From there, he addressed the standards his program is built on.
“It starts with being good students, good citizens,” he said. “If you have to fight issues that do not involve basketball, then you’re never going to be successful (on the court). Our guys have bought into a system that starts with everyone playing together, playing the way we expect and acting the way we expect.”
Starkey asks that his players, especially his seniors, take ownership of the team. As a reminder, after each practice, the coaches step away as the players huddle on the court to dissect that day’s effort.
“The one thing I’ve always enjoyed about coach Starkey is that he emphasizes it’s our team and we can make it how we want to make it,” Kolp, a three-year varsity veteran, said. “We’re not going to be as good if he’s the only one barking at us. He holds us accountable, and we enjoy that challenge.”
“He likes to say we’re all coaches on the court, that we should be coaching and learning from each other,” Wilson added. “He stresses that every day.”
It helps, of course, to have a team that’s already tightly woven. The seniors on this team have been playing basketball together since fifth grade and are “buddies” off the court.
On the court, Starkey clearly sets the tone, though.
“He’s not afraid to get in your face,” Wilson said. “He pushes you hard. But it’s all for the better.”
Petoskey has long been noted for producing disciplined, fundamentally-sound teams. That’s Starkey’s style.
“We try to play up-tempo as much as we can,” he said. “But we really rely on executing offensively and defensively in the half court.”
It’s an approach that runs deep in the system. Sean Pollion, Matt Tamm and Jason Miller all have 20-plus years coaching high school basketball at the school. Pollion is an assistant to Starkey, Tamm is now the JV coach while Miller just moved over to the girls program. In addition, Kevin Starkey and Jon Flynn, a star on the school’s two Class B Semifinal teams in the late 1990s, are assisting.
“That continuity means so much in high school basketball,” Dennis Starkey said. “Some programs have a hard time keeping coaches for extended periods. It’s been an advantage for us. It’s paid dividends.”
Starkey started honing his skills at Boyne City, serving a one-year apprenticeship under Bob Taylor, who went on to coach in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. He replaced Taylor, who took the Lake Superior State women’s job, and then left Boyne City after a season to accept a head coach/athletic director position at Vanderbilt. It was there he met his wife, Karen. After three years, Starkey moved on to Petoskey. To this day, former longtime Petoskey athletic director Gary Hice calls it one of the best decisions he ever made.
Inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame in 2014, Starkey has coached teams that have won 17 Districts and four Regionals.
His 1996-98 squads featured guards Trevor Huffman, who later led Kent State to an Elite 8 NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002, and Flynn, Grand Valley State’s all-time leading scorer (2,220 points).
Starkey would later coach his sons, Kevin and Cory. Cory, who went on to earn all-state honors, played at Bucknell and then a year professionally in Ireland. After earning his master’s degree in international finance, Cory accepted a job with an investment company in Chicago. His boss? Former Charlevoix basketball standout Scott Friske, now a senior vice president at First Trust. Friske and Petoskey’s Damon Huffman, Trevor’s younger brother, were teammates at Brown. Another former Charlevoix Rayder, Jared Hunt, also works at First Trust.
“Basketball opened a door for (Cory) in the business world,” Dennis Starkey said. “He’s been blessed. When you’re involved in this sport, you have so many contacts. And a lot of the northern Michigan guys look after each other. It’s a real special bond they create, all because of high school basketball.”
But the story is not over. Trevor Huffman is also in Chicago and lives with Cory. Huffman is still involved in basketball.
“He’s using basketball as an adult workout platform,” Starkey said. “He has guys come in and they do drills, much like we do in practice. So instead of going to the gym and lifting weights and doing cross-training, his clients, most of them former players, use basketball as a form of exercise to become more fit.”
After graduating from University of Michigan, Kevin Starkey headed back north and took a teaching/coaching job at Manton, serving as an assistant to Hiller. The Rangers first game that season? Petoskey.
“That was bizarre, coaching against my dad,” Kevin admitted.
When Dennis Starkey retired as a physical education teacher, Kevin Starkey was hired to replace him. He’s now in his third year at the school.
It’s given Kevin a unique perspective on his dad. He played two years for him on varsity (2007-08 and 2008-09) and has now coached with him three years. When asked if he has a favorite story that encapsulates the type of person his father is, Kevin doesn’t have to think long.
“My senior year we were playing Charlevoix and I had just recently broken my hand,” he said. “It was my first game back. We didn’t know what to expect. When the game started, they were sagging off me because (the injury) was to my shooting hand. When I put up that first shot, I hit it. Then, all of a sudden, I hit five 3s in the first half. He never lets it go. It’s something I remember because he was so proud of me. It was my last (home) game and I was just trying not to air-ball it. Somehow, a few of them went in.
“Well, the next year when I came home from college – we sometimes watched old game films, or films of us growing up – he puts that game in first. He was like, ‘Man, that was so cool.’ I say that not because I need credit, but it was one of those things where he was more excited than I was for myself.”
That, Kevin added, is how Dennis is with his players. He wants the best for them.
This team is no exception.
Kolp, who has had two knee operations, is finally healthy. His last surgery was in June of 2016, and he missed the first six games a year ago.
“He really wasn’t himself - until now, to be honest,” Starkey said.
In eighth grade, Kolp landed awkwardly on his right leg, tore a ligament and dislocated his kneecap.
“They couldn’t do the full operation because I was still growing,” he explained. “Two years later I blew it out again.”
Kolp, who plans to go into an entrepreneurial program at Northwood, spent this past offseason working hard in the weight room.
“I was in there five days a week, lifting to improve my upper and lower body,” he said. “Now, during the season, I’m in there two to three times a week to maintain my strength. I feel good. Everything is coming together.”
Wilson, all agree, is the most athletic player on the squad. He was a first-team all-Big North Conference pick as a quarterback and outside linebacker in football. Several colleges have expressed interest, and he is visiting Central Michigan this weekend and will miss Saturday’s game with Zeeland East. Central Michigan is recruiting him as a preferred walk-on with plans to use him at tight end.
“It’s (disappointing) to miss the game, but I have a decision to make that will (affect) the next four years of my life,” he said.
Mann is the team’s top perimeter shooter.
“Seth is a skilled shooter,” Starkey said. “He has good size and length. I think he’s going to have a great year.”
Kolp agrees.
“With our size, if we get it into the post, and (opponents are) starting to play help defense from the backside, and Seth is in the corner, he’ll punish them for it,” he said.
It could be a special season.
Starkey, though, is not one to think too far ahead. He said the best advice he ever received was to “live in the moment, coach in the moment.”
And he knows there will be challenges ahead. There are no guarantees.
“As excited as I am with all the guys we have back, every coach in the league feels the same way,” he said. “Last year there was only one senior on the first and second all-conference team. It’s going to be a very good race.”
As for the future, Starkey, who credits a strong support system at home for his success, is not saying how much longer he’ll coach.
Kevin has an opinion, however.
“It’s something he’s really good at,” Kevin said. “I look at it like this: Don’t throw it away if you’ve still got it.”
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Petoskey coach Dennis Starkey huddles with his team during the season-opening Tip-Off Classic. (Middle) Joel Wilson (14) and Jake Lee share a celebratory moment. (Below) Senior Danny Kolp pushes the ball upcourt during the event. (Photos courtesy of the Petoskey News-Review.)
Breslin Bound: 2022-23 Boys Regional Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 13, 2023
If last week’s Districts were an indication, watch out as the final 128 boys basketball teams make their way through the final two weeks of this MHSAA Tournament.
Six of 16 teams that reached the Breslin Center in 2022 saw their 2023 runs end last week. So too did two of the top seven (including No. 1) in this regular season’s Division 1 Michigan Power Ratings (MPR), five of the top 10 in Division 2, two of the top six in Division 3 and two of the top four in Division 4.
Below are glances at five of the most noteworthy results from District week, and a few more details on three Regionals of note in every division.
Once again, 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:
1. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 57, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 50 The Eaglets (11-10) were the second seed in their District but still sent a shockwave through the entire bracket in upsetting arguably the overall Division 1 favorite Warriors (22-2).
2. Warren Michigan Collegiate 60, Warren Lincoln 55 The Cougars (20-2) took a big step as one of the overall favorites in Division 2 in downing another popular pick in Lincoln (19-5).
3. Menominee 60, Iron Mountain 54 The Maroons (14-10) had some retooling to do this winter after graduating standouts from last year’s Division 3 runner-up finisher, but they’ve won five straight and clinched this District title by avenging a 12-point Feb. 6 loss to the Mountaineers (21-2).
4. Michigan Center 49, Napoleon 46 After losing their first meeting by 17 and their second by only five, Michigan Center (17-7) pulled even and got past the league rival Pirates (22-2) in another Division 3 District Final.
5. Cadillac 56, Hart 32 One of the most competitive Districts in any division was clinched by the Big North Conference co-champion Vikings (20-4), who dealt the Pirates (23-1) their lone loss.
Regionals at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold:
DIVISON 1
DeWitt
Kalamazoo Central (20-3) vs. East Lansing (14-9), Holt (16-9) vs. Battle Creek Central (16-7)
Longtime power Kalamazoo Central has reached 20 wins for the first time since 2016-17 and is playing for a second-straight Regional title. An intriguing Regional Final could await as a Feb. 23 rematch with longtime rival Battle Creek Central was snowed out after the Maroon Giants won their first meeting 63-51 on Jan. 19. Standing in the way are a pair of teams from the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue, and probably not the ones anticipated. East Lansing finished third in the league but upset champion Lansing Waverly on Friday, and sixth-place Holt eliminated league runner-up Okemos in a District Semifinal.
Holland West Ottawa
Rockford (18-7) vs. Hudsonville (17-7), East Kentwood (18-6) vs. Muskegon (22-2)
A District Final upset also plays into this bracket as Rockford defeated 2022 Division 1 semifinalist Grand Rapids Northview 53-49 on Friday. The Rams next see Hudsonville for the third time after winning the first two matchups by three and one point. Both of those teams finished behind champion East Kentwood in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red, the Falcons sweeping Rockford and splitting with Hudsonville but winning the second meeting by 12. But amid all of the O-K Red, O-K Green champion Muskegon is arguably the favorite this week – and tonight’s matchup is especially notable as Big Reds coach Keith Guy and Falcons coach Mike Thomas have had tons of success at the championship levels of the MHSAA Tournament.
Troy
Detroit U-D Jesuit (20-4) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (11-10), Troy (18-6) vs. North Farmington (21-1)
This bracket was going to be power-packed no matter what, and features an added storyline after St. Mary’s avenged two defeats to Brother Rice in winning their District Final. Next up is another Catholic League Central power, and the Eaglets and Cubs split this season – St. Mary’s winning by three and then Jesuit winning by 15 in the rematch. On the other side, North Farmington has been considered among a handful of Division 1 favorites all season long. The Raiders have won 17 straight but face a Colts team that’s steadily been rising from six wins two seasons ago to 13 last year. If they both win tonight, this is sure to be brought up before Wednesday: St. Mary’s defeated North Farmington 46-44 in a Regional Semifinal last season.
DIVISION 2
Caro
Bridgeport (20-4) vs. Flint Hamady (18-4), Shepherd (20-4) vs. Saginaw (18-6)
After an uncharacteristic 8-13 finish a year ago, Bridgeport is back and an intriguing contender this week riding an eight-game winning streak. Hamady is another, having reached the Regional Final last season and losing this one only to rival Flint Beecher twice, Detroit University Prep and Division 1 Davison. Shepherd has been a great story enjoying its best season in at least a decade. But a lot of eyes will be on Saginaw High, which is nearing its end as one of the most legendary programs in state history as the school will merge with Arthur Hill in 2024. The Trojans lost to Hamady in a Regional Semifinal last season, but all of their defeats this winter came against strong Division 1 teams.
Gaylord
Kingsford (20-3) vs. Boyne City (20-4), Cadillac (20-4) vs. Standish-Sterling (22-0)
On paper alone, this might be the most competitive Regional in any division. All four are league champions in addition to 20-game winners – and none has faced any of the others this winter. Cadillac emerged as the Regional champ from a similar grouping a year ago, defeating Standish-Sterling along the way, and that remains the Panthers’ only loss over their last 37 games. The Flivvers were 6-15 just three seasons ago but lost to only one instate opponent this season – 21-game winner Iron Mountain twice. Boyne has had several solid wins and good losses as well, and it shared the Lake Michigan Conference title with Traverse City St. Francis, which is still playing in Division 3. Cadillac’s losses all came to Division 1 teams as it shared the Big North Conference title with Traverse City Central.
Imlay City
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (11-13) vs. Croswell-Lexington (21-3), Richmond (22-2) vs. Goodrich (20-4)
A third matchup of Blue Water Area Conference co-champions Croswell-Lexington and Richmond could be on the way in the Regional Final, with Richmond winning their first meeting by nine and Cros-Lex the rematch by the same margin. It would seem the Blue Devils have the tougher challenge to set up that opportunity, as Goodrich was one of three co-champions in the Flint Metro League Stars and reached the Regional Final a year ago. But don’t count out the Fighting Irish – they defeated Goodrich in that Regional Final last season (although Goodrich avenged with a 15-point win Jan. 6) and have won five of their last seven while playing 19 games this winter against teams with winning records.
DIVISION 3
Detroit Edison
Detroit Edison (15-9) vs. Madison Heights Bishop Foley (12-11), New Haven (17-7) vs. Detroit Loyola (23-1)
Loyola reached the Regional Final last season and lost this season only to Division 1 Flint Carman-Ainsworth, along the way defeating Bishop Foley by 23 and several larger opponents as well. New Haven is the team that defeated Loyola in last year’s Regional Final, and the Rockets are plenty prepared for this week after navigating a schedule that also included mostly Division 1 teams. Edison has played the same; few teams in any division have a more impressive list of losses, and the Pioneers claimed notable wins over River Rouge and Detroit Western coming off a Division 2 Quarterfinal run a year ago. Bishop Foley loaded it up its final weeks of the regular season and defeated 18-win Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest in their District Final.
Hanover-Horton
Laingsburg (23-0) vs. Jonesville (19-5), Michigan Center (17-7) vs. Leslie (18-6)
The Wolfpack have nearly doubled their victory total from a season ago and downed 18-game winner Ovid-Elsie by 40 in the District Final; Laingsburg has yet to play a single-digit game this season. Jonesville should provide one of its strongest challenges. The Big 8 Conference champion nearly handed 21-game winner Napoleon what would’ve been its first loss, falling to the Pirates by just a basket two weeks ago. After eliminating Napoleon in a District Final, Michigan Center is playing for a second-straight Regional title and opens with a relatively familiar opponent after defeating Leslie 64-55 on Dec. 13. The Blackhawks have won 11 of their last 13 games, however, and five of their losses came to teams that won 20 games or District titles.
Kent City
Blanchard Montabella (22-2) vs. Grandville Calvin Christian (23-1), Pewamo-Westphalia (17-6) vs. North Muskegon (19-4)
More success this week would just add to a great story for Montabella, which won six games three seasons ago, improved to seven and then jumped to 18-4 last winter before further dominating this one. The Squires, meanwhile, haven’t received a ton of fanfare this season but deserve it – their only loss was to Division 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian on Dec. 9, and they won an O-K Silver that has seen five teams win 14 or more games. P-W finished second to Laingsburg in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference and defeated Calvin Christian during last year’s Regional on the way to reaching the Quarterfinals. The Pirates have won five straight following a three-game losing streak near the end of February. North Muskegon made the Regional Semifinals in 2022 and its Regional Final the season before, and a championship this week would be its first at this level of the playoffs since 2003.
DIVISION 4
Fowler
Baldwin (22-1) vs. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (18-6), Lansing Christian (15-9) vs. Fruitport Calvary Christian (14-9)
Reigning Division 4 champion Tri-unity always seems to be a contender, and this season is no different as the Defenders can boast notable wins over reigning Division 3 champion Schoolcraft and P-W (see above) among others. But Baldwin could be its biggest challenge so far, its only loss to Division 2 Remus Chippewa Hills in mid-January and with a pair of big wins over Mesick (19-5) highlighting its run. On the other side, Lansing Christian has emerged as the smallest school from a Greater Lansing Activities Conference that included Leslie, and after the Pilgrims finished just 5-16 a year ago. Calvary Christian plays in the Alliance League with Tri-unity and opened this surge with its best win, by 23 over Saugatuck to start the final week of the regular season.
St. Ignace
Munising (22-1) vs. Rudyard (19-5), Mackinaw City (20-4) vs. Onaway (21-3)
Munising hasn’t played a team with less than a winning record since the last day of January, making its run even more impressive. The Mustangs edged Rudyard 67-64 on Feb. 8, but Rudyard has lost only once since – to Division 1 Sault Ste. Marie – and swept Brimley, the only team to defeat Munising. Mackinaw City and Onaway both won league championships and also faced off twice this season, Mackinaw City winning 76-70 during the first week and Onaway avenging 87-74 in the regular-season finale. The Cardinals went on to win their District games by a combined four points, the championship decider 58-55 over Indian River Inland Lakes, one of two teams with which Onaway shared the Ski Valley Conference title. The win over Mackinaw City was the Comets’ only loss over its last 12 games.
Traverse City West
Gaylord St. Mary (20-4) vs. Frankfort (15-8), Mesick (19-5) vs. Lake Leelanau St. Mary (19-3)
Gaylord St. Mary was the third team that shared the Ski Valley title with Onaway and Inland Lakes, and the Snowbirds have bounced way back from last season’s 10-13 finish. Frankfort has won six of its last seven games and has plenty of experience at this stage, having reached the Quarterfinals in 2021 and the Regional Semifinals last winter as well. Mesick has been making up for some unfinished business from last year when it suffered its only loss in a Division 3 District Final, and Lake Leelanau St. Mary is on a mission as well after reaching the Division 4 Semifinals a year ago. The Eagles have wins over Frankfort by 26 and Gaylord St. Mary by 12 this season.
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PHOTOS (Top) Kingsford's Gavin Grondin (23) goes up for a shot last week while defended by Negaunee's Brodin Bell (20). (Middle) Holt’s Isaiah Foster (4) finds a teammate during the Rams’ win Friday over Mason. (Top photo by Cara Kamps, middle photo by Click by Christine McCallister.)