Stars-Now-Educators Relish Northport Run
March 3, 2017
By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half
TRAVERSE CITY – Coach Gordie Wick was addressing the crowd that had gathered to celebrate Northport’s Class D boys basketball championship when he glanced at the trophy in front of him.
“You look at this trophy, and it’s just a piece of wood with a little brass on it,” he said. “But when you put Class D state champions on it, that tells the whole story. We were not No. 2 or No. 3. We were No. 1.”
That will be the goal for hundreds of teams throughout the state when the MHSAA boys tournament tips off Monday.
And Northport’s magical seven-game postseason run in 1988 provides hope for the underdogs. The Wildcats, ranked 16th in the final Associated Press poll, beat four top-10 teams en route to their first and only MHSAA Finals title.
“I don’t think people gave us a shot,” said Jason Stowe, a senior guard on that team.
The players and coaching staff believed, though, and that March produced two of the most memorable shots in Northport history.
First, Jason Stowe hit an arching jumper from the top of the key in the waning seconds to lift Northport to the District title with a 67-65 win over Maple City Glen Lake, which had beaten the Wildcats twice during the regular season. Then, in the Class D championship game, Jason’s cousin, Dan Stowe, leaned in between two Beal City defenders and put up a shot that bounded around the rim and fell through with two seconds left to give Northport an 80-78 win – and the title.
“Every player has a dream to be in a situation like that,” said Dan Stowe, reflecting back. “I was lucky enough to have the ball in my hands, and I was lucky enough to have the shot go in.”
The championship trophy represented a collective effort. Among the starters, all-state guard Sander Scott, then a junior, averaged nearly 29 points a game in the tournament. He lit it up for 39, 40 and 46 in a span of 12 days. Senior guard Freddie Thomas, playing the best basketball of his career, averaged nearly 17 a game during the run. He was the star of the Semifinals with 27 points, seven steals and four assists in a win over Iron Mountain North Dickinson at Jenison Fieldhouse. Jason Korson and Dan Stowe, 6-foot-2 juniors, averaged double figures scoring, too, although it was their interior defense that proved critical. Jason Stowe’s tournament was interrupted by strep throat, but he had another moment to remember at the end – intercepting Beal City’s last gasp in-bounds pass and heaving the ball into the air to start the celebration.
For Jason Stowe, Scott and Dan Stowe, those days as students and players marked the start of their educational paths in Leelanau County. All three became teachers, coaches and school administrators. Jason Stowe is now in his seventh year as superintendent at Leland Public Schools. Scott, who previously served as associate superintendent at Traverse City Area Public Schools, was hired as superintendent at Glen Lake last year. Dan Stowe served as a principal at Northport before returning to the classroom two years ago.
Back to the classroom
It was a coincidence all three former Eagle Scouts went into education.
Jason Stowe made the switch to elementary education after his freshman year at Western Michigan University. He returned to Northport during his break and helped coach tennis, another sport he played in high school. He had experience teaching tennis, previously helping with youth lessons. It all made an impact.
“I realized I needed to teach,” Stowe recalled. “I was pretty good at it, and I loved being around a school environment. I thought it would be a great fit.”
Stowe’s sister, Tammy, was an elementary teacher and would become a big influence on his career choice.
Stowe landed his first job at Northport.
“I was a December graduate and there was an opening in mid-year,” he said. “I lucked out.”
He spent more than five years in Northport before taking a job at Leland. In addition to teaching, he coached varsity basketball for 12 years at the two schools. Two of his teams at Leland reached the Class D Quarterfinals.
Stowe, who has two children with his wife Cathy, said the most satisfying part of his job as an educator is helping students grow, and providing opportunities for them.
“I’ve been fortunate to work in Northport and Leland my entire (23-year) career with incredible people in incredible communities,” he said. “I go to work every day, and it’s a good day.”
Scott had visions of coaching college basketball when he was in high school. He went on to a stellar career at Central Michigan University – finishing 14th all-time in scoring (1,187 points), fourth in 3-pointers, third in 3-point accuracy (43 percent), and third in free throw accuracy (82.4 percent) – but his focus changed after his oldest son was born between his sophomore and juniors years. By then, he had also developed a keen interest in psychology.
“The life of a college basketball coach, especially when you’re starting off, is not very family oriented,” he said. “I didn’t want to spend that much time away from my family.
“After I began my course work at Central Michigan, I took some psychology classes from Gary Dunbar (whose brother Dirk was a basketball standout at Cadillac High School and later CMU). He was quite an inspiration to me. I fell in love with psychology. He was so engaging. His classes were so powerful that it drew me in.”
Scott, who has three children with his wife Shannon, majored in psychology, and then added English as a second major. Secondary teaching was in his plans.
“In order to get a good job, I knew I couldn’t just major in psychology,” he said. “I had to have something that would be more in demand.”
Hence, English, a subject his grandfather once taught.
Scott’s first teaching job was at Leland, where he also coached boys and girls basketball. He would later coach boys basketball for one year at Elk Rapids and Traverse City St. Francis. Scott then moved into administrative roles in Oscoda, Kingsley and Traverse City before taking over at Glen Lake.
Although he’s no longer in the classroom, Scott values the relationships he builds with students. Providing them with the best learning environment is his ultimate goal.
“I’m passionate about how human beings learn and what I can do in my current role to help develop systems that can (enhance) that,” he said.
Dan Stowe also completed his undergraduate studies at Central Michigan, where he majored in social studies. Returning to the classroom made sense.
“I enjoyed my time in school as a student,” he said. “In small northern Michigan communities, the school is the hub, the center of activity, whether it’s a homecoming celebration, a prom, a critical meeting regarding something in the community. I was always interested in that. I liked to be in places where people were talking about issues.”
Like Jason, Dan Stowe was able to come back to Northport to start his teaching career. He’s now been there 21 years. Most of that time has been in the classroom, although he spent four years as an assistant principal and one year as a principal under superintendent Jeff Tropf (a former Holt High School and CMU basketball standout). He coached girls varsity basketball for several years and boys varsity basketball for one. He and his wife Beth also run a beef cattle farm.
Stowe said he’s enjoyed his return to the classroom.
“It was a good time to do it,” said Stowe, who has two children in school. “I would be interested in going back into administration at some point. But I missed the classroom and the life-long relationships you make there. I still have students that stop by unannounced to tell me what’s going on in their lives and sharing their experiences. I missed that.”
Stowe said the teachers he had at Northport were instrumental in his career decision.
“I had a good experience,” he said. “I’m forever grateful to the teachers I had. They were top notch.”
Coach and teacher
All three former players count Wick as one of their mentors. Wick coached all the players in seventh and eighth grade, and most of them at the junior varsity level. He was in his second year as varsity coach when the Wildcats won the Class D crown.
Wick inherited a driven, athletic team. All the players competed in soccer as well, and that’s where they got their first taste of success at the statewide level, reaching the Class D Finals three consecutive years. The Wildcats – with a student enrollment of 72 - won it all in 1987. In the fall of 1988, Northport lost in a Semifinal shootout to Detroit Country Day.
But the players made amends for that disappointment in basketball.
“Think about it, four state finals in four years, that’s incredible,” said Jason Stowe.
The players back then were almost inseparable.
“We were together a lot, I mean a lot,” said Jason Stowe. “That helped build that bond. We all came from hard-working families where the message was always to do your best and don’t get outworked. I think that’s why we were so successful. Now, some teams beat us, but they never outworked us.”
The players credit Wick’s leadership in harnessing the talent in basketball.
“He was a great coach,” said Jason Stowe. “He was really thoughtful. He put a lot of time into preparation – and he had a good temperament. He knew when to keep his calm and when to get after us, which wasn’t very often. He knew he had kids who were dedicated and put a ton of time into basketball. His job was to put the pieces together, and he did a great job doing that.”
Scott, who finished his career with 2,358 points, agreed.
“Gordie was always a very soothing person to me,” he said. “Basketball, I was obsessed with it and was very self-critical. Gordie knew he had a group of highly competitive individuals, and he was able to get us to come together and really develop a chemistry.”
For Scott, part of that development came in seventh grade, his first year playing for Wick.
“We had just started practice and I was trying to demonstrate how good I was to my coach,” he said. “We were doing a 3-on-2 drill and in my attempt to show I could play, I was taking it the basket myself and scoring. I did that once too many times and Gordie (cornered) me against the mat (under the basket) and said, ‘You need to learn how to pass the ball.’
“I had a temper as a kid and was mad so I stormed out and ran down the hill to my parents’ gas station. I proceeded to tell my dad what just happened. As I was telling the story my dad’s face was getting redder and redder and he was shaking his head up and down. I could tell I was digging my hole even deeper. Finally, he said to me, ‘Are you quite finished? You get your rear end back up there and apologize and get back into practice.’
“Gordie’s lesson that day was powerful to me. It was like ‘sure you can show me how good you are, but you’re not going to be able to do it alone. It’s a team sport, and to accomplish (success) it takes a team effort.’”
That was evident in 1988.
Ready to run
Northport, 15-4 in the regular season, opened the Districts with a 74-61 verdict over Leland. All five starters scored in double digits.
That set the stage for the District Final battle with No. 7 Glen Lake before a packed crowd at Traverse City Senior High.
It didn’t start well for the Wildcats as Glen Lake raced out to a 14-1 lead.
“Gordie told us to relax and chip away at it,” Jason Stowe recalled.
That’s what happened. The game was tied nine times in the fourth quarter – the last at 65 when the Lakers hit one of two free throws with 14 seconds left. As Northport looked to get off the final shot, Glen Lake pressured Scott, who spotted Stowe open at the top of the key. His shot was all net.
“He (Stowe) sure was cool, wasn’t he?” said a smiling Wick afterwards. “I’m about 10 feet off the ground right now. You always dream about those kind of things happening and tonight our dreams came true, but I’m still pinching myself to make sure this really happened.”
He wasn’t alone.
“Winning that district against Glen Lake was pretty special,” Stowe reminisced. “It wasn’t just that shot. I got the opportunity and took advantage of it. But playing in front of a packed crowd like that in Traverse City was special. Kids nowadays have a hard time imagining that 2,400 people would show up for a District Final to watch two Class D teams.”
And it was just the start.
In the two Regional games, Scott went off for a combined 86 points and 20 assists in wins over No. 8 Mio (87-72) and Bellaire (103-72). Thomas, a 5-8 senior guard, added 40 points and 13 steals over the two triumphs.
“Freddie is the heartbeat of this team,” declared Wick after the Mio win. “When he gets excited, we get excited. He represents the spirit on this team.”
It was Northport’s first Regional title in 43 years.
In the Regional Final with Bellaire, Jason Stowe started but could not continue.
“I was running a fever of 102, but I didn’t tell my parents or Gordie,” he said. “I didn’t want to miss that game.”
After the first quarter, he was taken to the locker room. Antibiotics helped restore his health in time for the Quarterfinals.
The Quarterfinal showdown with reigning Class D champion McBain Northern Michigan Christian also was held at Traverse City Senior High, and once again it was filled to capacity. Some officials estimated the crowd close to 3,000.
Northern Michigan Christian, ranked No. 10, had beaten Northport by about 10 in a summer tournament at Manton. But the results were different this night. The 6-foot Scott filled the stat sheet with 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks in a 71-55 win. Thomas contributed 18 points, five assists and four steals while Dan Stowe chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds.
“I still think Beal City is the best team we’ve faced this season,” Northern Michigan Christian coach Scott Soodsma said afterwards, ‘but don’t sell Northport short. They’re right up there.”
The Wildcats turned it on again with Thomas leading the way in a 79-55 victory over North Dickinson in the Semifinals.
That put Northport into the Finals opposite No. 5 Beal City. Down 11 with just more than three minutes left in the third quarter, the Wildcats mounted a comeback and actually built a five-point lead with less than three minutes to play. But that’s when Scott fouled out.
Once again the players turned to Wick.
“He was that calm voice we needed,” Jason Stowe remembered. “We were strong-willed kids and he just said, ‘We’ve got good leadership on this team. We’re fine. We can finish this.’”
Beal City, though, tied the contest at 78 with 16 seconds remaining.
The Wildcats set up a play, but Dan Stowe said that option was taken away and he ended up with the ball.
“I’m sure if you were to ask Gordie he would tell you the plan wasn’t for Dan Stowe to take an off-balanced shot,” he said.
Stowe did, and it went in.
And after Jason Stowe intercepted the inbounds pass, the celebration was on.
As Scott was celebrating he saw McBain Northern Michigan Christian all-state center Mike Heuker watching from the sideline. Heuker, Scott recalled, had stayed on the court after their Quarterfinal game to congratulate the Wildcats. He told Scott then that “if you’re able to win this, it will be one of the best moments in your life.”
So at Crisler Arena that day, during the celebration, Scott went over to Heuker and the two shook hands. As they did, Heuker said, “It’s true, isn’t it?”
Scott could not argue.
Segments from that game can still be viewed on YouTube. Players have copies of it, but Dan Stowe has watched it only a couple times.
“I want to remember it for how it felt at that point in time,” he said.
When Scott looks at the team picture taken at mid-court that day, he realizes that, with the exception of one player, all had older brothers who had played before them.
“They toughened us up,” he said. “They had a lot to do with our competitiveness.”
Jason Stowe agreed.
“We grew up in a culture of working hard, playing hard,” he said. “There was no other option. When you’re growing up and watching your older brothers you’re so involved that you live and breathe it. They set the standard for us, and we carried the torch a little further.
“And it kind of helps to have Sander Scott on your team, by the way,” he added, laughing. “Those type of players come around once in a lifetime.”
The school held a celebration the day after winning the championship. Wick talked about how the team embraced the role of underdog.
JV coach Hugh Cook and his wife had planned a spring break trip long before the tournament run. He left the team after the Regional, but vowed to fly back if the Wildcats reached the Final Four. Sure enough, he was back on the bench that weekend. He had listened to the broadcast of the Quarterfinal game via a long distance call.
“I knew he’d be there. That’s just the way he is,” said Wick. “But I bet he’s not looking forward to his next phone bill.”
“That’s when you paid by the minute,” added Jason Stowe.
Wick closed out the ceremony by telling his players there would be no practice the next day.
“They won’t let us play anymore,” he said.
To which his brother, Jim, who helped as a scout, responded, “That’s because there’s no one left to beat.”
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) The 1988 Class D title-winning Northport boys basketball team poses with its championship trophy. (Middle) From left: Sander Scott, Dan Stowe, Jason Stowe. (Below) Northport's Sander Scott launches a jumper against Beal City during the 1988 Final. (Top photo courtesy of Dan Stowe.)
Longtime Friends 'Living Dream' Leading Top-Notch Brandywine Hoops Teams
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
March 5, 2024
NILES – Niles Brandywine’s Josh Hood and Nathan Knapp spend countless hours in the gym shaping the lives of young people.
And the two long-time Bobcats basketball head coaches, along with their respective family members, wouldn't have it any other way.
Not only have Hood and Knapp, both Brandywine alumni, built a winning culture within the program, but their passion and enthusiasm have sparked pride and support from the community as well.
Hood is 318-36 over 15 seasons at Brandywine as varsity girls coach following successful stints in the boys programs at Coloma and Cassopolis.
Brandywine, which hosts a Division 3 District this week, has won 10 titles between the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph League and Lakeland Conference, 10 Districts, seven Regionals and advanced to the MHSAA Semifinals twice (2010, 2016) under Hood.
The Bobcats, 20-1, suffered its lone loss in early February to Vicksburg, a Division 2 school, 46-38. They were No. 1 in The Associated Press state rankings for a few weeks before finishing in the No. 2 spot behind Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.
Brandywine has played a difficult schedule and owns wins over 2023 Division 3 runners-up Blissfield (45-43) at the Michigan Hardwood Classic in Romulus over holiday break and last year quarterfinalist Hart (62-52) at Brandywine on Jan. 2. Brandywine’s regular-season schedule included five conference champions and 12 Division 1 or Division 2 opponents.
"We built our schedule this year to be the toughest in the state and get us well prepared for what could be a magical run," Hood said.
Just like any other coach, Hood says a successful program just doesn't happen overnight.
All 14 of Brandywine's varsity girls players began by participating in the Kiddie 'Cats Youth Basketball Program.
"This year we had 102 girls in K-6th grade in our youth program. Our current varsity girls are all primarily multi-sport athletes, and their success has been a body of work since they were in second grade. Our commitment in the summer and offseason since we lost to No. 1 Buchanan last year in Districts is unlike anything I've ever seen since I've been here," Hood said.
This year before the girls basketball season began, each member of the team was required to put up 27,000 shots.
"This is a talented group, but make no mistake it's because these girls have put in the hard work to get themselves to this point. We've ran into a buzzsaw the last few years. Fortunately, we get to host Districts and this team wants to get their name on a banner. We know it's not going to be easy though," Hood said.
Brandywine is averaging 58.2 points per game while allowing just 29.6 at the defensive end.
"Our top 10 girls on this team have been on varsity since they were freshmen. Practices are a real brawl and very competitive,” Hood said. “We have former players who are successful women on our staff that our kids can look up to. Not many coaching staffs can say that.”
Mackenzie Cass, Hood's younger sister, coached the Brandywine junior varsity to a record of 18-0 this season. Hood's varsity staff also consists of former Brandywine playing standouts Tammy Lee, Kalie Wieger and Nicole Price, along with Frelen Gowen, Mike Troup and Dave Roeder.
Senior point guard Ellie Knapp, Nathan's daughter, leads the Bobcats at 14.2 points, 4.7 assists and 4.1 steals per game. She has verbally committed to play basketball at Holy Cross College, an NAIA school, in South Bend, Ind.
"Freshmen year was difficult because Brandywine had lost its entire starting lineup. Right away I had to be a leader and learn the offense and defense. That wasn't easy," Ellie Knapp said. "As a sophomore we were still young, but we matured a lot as juniors. Buchanan ended our season in Districts the last couple years. This year we're more experienced and everyone has bought in and worked hard for the success we've had. The last three years were tough, but I feel like you must lose first before you can learn how to win. It takes a lot of heart too."
Senior Kadence Brumitt, a Valparaiso University volleyball commit, averages 8.7 points and eight rebounds at the post position.
"I wasn't really a basketball player when I came in as a freshman. I stuck with it and I progressed,” said Brumitt, who plans to study nursing. “We struggled early on. This group of girls have played together for a real long time so there are no issues with chemistry."
While only two seniors in Ellie Knapp and Brummit, Hood says their contributions to the program the last four years have been immeasurable.
"Ellie and Kadence are both fierce competitors who come from great families and do things the right way. We've been very blessed to have such great role models in our program for future players," Hood said.
Another key player for Brandywine is junior Miley Young, who averages 8.8 points and 3.1 assists per game.
"It's great to have people like Miley who get even better going up against players like Ellie and Kadence every day in practice," Hood said.
Hood, who is Brandywine's Middle/High School assistant principal, didn't work in the same building his first six years in the school district.
"It's nice to be able to be here in the building now everyday and building those relationships with the students. Now I can also read the pulses of my players better. If one of them is having a bad day, I can pull them in and find out what's going on," Hood said. "Just being here now and being able to build the community support, it's like no other place. We call our gym the 'Bobcat Den.' It's a special place and is packed every Tuesday and Friday night. That's a tribute to the community. There's no city of Brandywine; the epicenter is Brandywine High School. This community does a great job of supporting our kids, and we're very grateful for that. It's a family here, and we support all the sports and the kids see that."
Hood and his Bobcats make a point to give back to the community each season.
"One of the things we talk about in our program is the opportunity to give back. We talk to the girls about servant leadership. Our kids have embraced that and like to thank the community for supporting us. We ring a bell at Christmas time for the Salvation Army and held a food drive at a local church this year," Hood said.
Brandywine held its annual Pink Game and Cancer Awareness Night at its final regular-season game against St. Joseph. The event raised money donated to the Brian Parker Cancer Foundation benefiting the local community.
Hood works well with his counterpart Knapp, Brandywine's boys' coach.
"How many coaches in the state can say that one of your peers was one of your best friends growing up and that you played high school basketball with them. There's nothing else, outside of our families, that we take more pride in than Brandywine," Hood said. "It's unbelievable. We can share the gym, build our schedules and between our two programs we have over 200 kids in our youth programs. I've learned so much from Nate. He's a phenomenal person. We're living out the dream."
Brandywine's boys team (21-3) is looking to return to the Breslin Center later this month after winning Friday's District final against White Pigeon. The Bobcats harbor hopes of duplicating last year's historic run.
Brandywine faces Union City in a Regional opener tonight in Watervliet. The winner takes on either No. 8 Schoolcraft or Watervliet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Regional Final.
Brandywine lost to Traverse City St. Francis 46-36 last year in its first Semifinal appearance.
Knapp, the Bobcats boys head mentor for 19 seasons, graduated four off a 25-2 team, but returned eight including seniors Byron Linley and Jaremiah Palmer, along with sophomore Nylen Goins.
Linley leads the Bobcats in scoring at 13.7 points per game, followed by Palmer (13.1) and Goins (11.5).
"Byron is our shooter. He does a lot of the intangibles like scoring and plays great defense. He's always going 100 percent and is the last one to leave the gym," Knapp said. "Nylen is very athletic and brings great energy to the floor. He's quick and can get up and down the court. When he does, we're amazing. He's still raw defensively, but he's getting there and can really shoot."
Senior Jamier Palmer, Jaremiah's twin brother, along with classmates Robert Whiting and Ja'Torian Smith play key roles as well, along with senior Brock Dye.
"Jaremiah and Jamier are our spark. They do anything we ask of them. They are two of the most unselfish and athletic players I've ever coached. They can score and are lock-down defenders," Knapp said.
Brandywine’s boys, co-champs in the Lakeland Conference with perennial state power Benton Harbor, beefed up their nonleague schedule as well.
The Bobcats' losses this season came to Riverview Gabriel Richard (57-55) in the Motor City Roundball Classic in Ferndale on Dec. 27, Benton Harbor (72-59) and Portage Central (71-67).
Brandywine avenged the earlier-season loss to Division 2 No. 3-ranked Benton Harbor with a 63-57 victory at the “Bobcat Den.” The Bobcats were ranked No. 3 in the final Division 3 AP poll, but were rated No. 1 at one point this season as well.
"Last year we won our first Regional. The glass slipper just really fit. This season we've had a target on our back from day one,” Knapp said. “We put a brutal schedule together for these guys. Our mindset was to play the better competition. We felt like St. Francis was a little long, and they kept getting a piece of the ball. This season we wanted to face teams like that before the tournament begins so we're ready for it. These kids have rose to the occasion every night and are warriors.”
Linley, a guard, feels the Semifinal loss to St. Francis served as big motivation this season.
"Since losing in last year's Semifinals I think that has just made us want to get back there (Breslin) even more. We just have to keep pushing one another in practice," Linley said. "Our coaches do a nice job daily of letting us know how good we can be and what we need to work on."
Jaremiah Palmer, a starting guard, feels his biggest assets on the court are his athleticism and quickness.
"I'm able to finish and get to my spots quick before opponents can stop me,” Jaremiah Palmer said. “Most of us have been playing together since middle school or longer. We have to translate what we learn in practice over to the game and play like it's our last one. Any team can beat you this time of year. No one on this team is selfish. We all work together."
Knapp (1991-1994) and Hood played their high school basketball at Brandywine for Al Westendorp.
"My senior year in high school we got upset in Districts by Marcellus. I tell our kids you have to be ready to play anyone every night," said Knapp, who runs Brandywine's CTE Program.
Knapp served as Hood's JV coach at Coloma before returning to Brandywine to become the varsity boys coach.
"We have great and amazing people around us here at Brandywine. It's a family atmosphere. My sons Austin and Carson are two of my assistant coaches, along with Brandon Glover, Casey Udell, Zach Livovich and Gabe Gouin. I'm older so when the kids don't get a point I'm trying to get across, the younger coaches help them understand what I'm trying to say," Nathan Knapp said.
The second game against Benton Harbor was a wake-up call and will serve as a big inspiration.
"We were down by 20 in the third quarter," Knapp said, "and the kids just stuck together, believed in themselves, played good defense and came back to win."
Scott 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) Kadence Brumitt (32) scores inside for Niles Brandywine against St. Joseph. (2) Niles Brandywine varsity girls' basketball team members and coaches pose for a photo during the Bobcats’ annual Pink Game on Cancer Awareness Night. (3) Niles Brandywine senior Byron Linley (11) drives between Buchanan defenders during last week's District game at White Pigeon. (4) The Brandywine boys basketball team poses with the trophy after defeating White Pigeon. (Linley photo by Kelly Sweeney/Leader Publications; all other photos by Scott Hassinger.)