Tradition-Rich Kingston Adding to Legacy
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
January 31, 2018
Camryn MacGuire remembers watching Kingston varsity basketball games and dreaming about the day she could be on the court.
Evan Neff enjoyed going to games so much as a kid, he kept coming back even after his family moved away for a few years while he was in middle school.
Now both are leading the way for the Cardinals on the court as the Kingston girls and boys basketball teams are inspiring another group of youngsters in their small town.
“I know a lot of little kids come to our games and are huge fans,” said Neff, a sophomore on the boys team. “I know I’ve talked to a couple eighth graders, and they say they can’t wait to play on varsity with me their sophomore year. I think a lot of the littler kids can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Basketball is king in Kingston, and this winter, Cardinals fans have plenty to cheer about. The girls team was 12-0 heading into Wednesday night’s game against Croswell-Lexington, and ranked No. 1 in Class D by the Detroit Free Press and No. 2 by The Associated Press.
The boys started the season on a nine-game winning streak, and are 11-2.
“I think it’s the same thing wherever you’re going to: if you’re winning, if you’re putting a good product out there, you’re going to see a lot of people there,” boys coach Dave Lester said. “In our little town, it seems like everybody is there for the girls games and guys games. We’ve got a great, great student body. Our home games are electric. It’s a fun atmosphere. It’s fun to coach, and it’s gotta be fun to play.
“It’s what high school sports are all about. I think that atmosphere attracts your younger athletes to want to be a part of it. If they’re there and seeing us win, that’s contagious.”
Lester and girls coach Jay Green have been part of it for the better part of the past three decades, first as players for Kingston and now as coaches.
They played together in the late 1980s, and in Green’s senior year, he helped the boys team reach the MHSAA Quarterfinals.
Green returned to coach the girls team and win four District titles in four years – along with his brother, Dave – during the late 90s. Lester took over the girls program in 2003 and coached the team to the Quarterfinal. The Greens came back to the program in 2011, and Lester took over the boys team midway through the 2013-14 season.
“I think there’s probably a little more passion toward what you do, and what you’re trying to instill into the girls and the boys because you are an alumni,” Jay Green said. “I think both of us could say we were successful alumni in the past. And we both learned under coach Leon Westover when we played, then developed our own ideas, and we have that pride of seeing both the boys and girls doing well.”
Green credits his team’s current success, in part, to the parents in the program, who have taken the time to get their girls to the gym for years and been supportive throughout.
MacGuire agreed.
“My parents, and a bunch of the girls on my team’s parents were always pushing us, and always getting us to play as much as we could,” the point guard said. “They were always telling us that big things were coming. Our starting five is all juniors, and we’ve been playing together since the fourth grade or third grade.”
Kingston’s girls aren’t focused too much on the rankings, or the record, but more on preparing themselves for the postseason. They’ve already scored a win against Class C power Sandusky, and the game against Cros-Lex will provide a test against a strong Class B program. A game against another Class B school, Yale, was postponed because of weather this past Monday.
“I love playing bigger schools,” MacGuire said. “It gives you more competition, and you get to push yourself even more; then it’s even better if you come out with the win. It’s going to benefit us in the tournament.”
Their classmates are providing plenty of support to both teams. MacGuire said there’s been a buzz in the hallways all season, and both she and Neff said their teams make sure to cheer each other on whenever their schedules allow.
“I never really watched girls basketball until seventh or eighth grade when we moved back to Kingston,” Neff said. “I remember watching those teams, and I was really impressed. My eighth grade year, they had like four or five freshmen on varsity, and I knew they were going to be outstanding. Those girls work really hard, and they’re great athletes.”
“We try to make it to as many (boys) games as we can, even the road games,” MacGuire said. “We support each other both ways. It’s a good atmosphere.”
No Kingston team has ever been beyond the Quarterfinals, but the conference and District championships have piled up through the years. And as dedicated players keep walking into the program, it could just be a matter of time before a group of them breaks through.
“It’s just a tradition here, and our kids know it,” Lester said. “When you walk into our gym, there’s tons and tons of basketball banners. We really talk about tradition and how it would be great to continue that tradition and put up more banners.
“Obviously, we would like to make a long run. At some point, you want to win a state championship, but it’s a process. We’ve got some kids who were playing a lot of basketball, putting a lot of time into it. They want to win, and they want to be a part of that tradition.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Kingston’s Carley Smith, left, pushes the ball upcourt while junior Nathan Cloyd, right, launches a shot. (Middle) Gerilyn Carpenter looks for open teammates during a game this season. (Below) Sophomore Evan Neff works to get around a Bad Axe defender. (Photos by Spot On By Shari.)
Breslin Bound: 2021-22 Girls Report Week 3
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 20, 2021
How last season ended can affect how next season begins – and among trends this season are a number of girls basketball programs picking up again after strong finishes last winter.
That’s also a theme among headliners in our Breslin Bound report this week, as we cruise into a holiday break that will slow things down for some – but still include a number of notable matchups, as we’ve also covered below.
“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. Detroit Edison 67, Hudsonville 48 The Pioneers (3-1) continued another great start with a big win over the reigning Division 1 champion Eagles (3-2) at the West Michigan Spotlight.
2. Wayne Memorial 61, Detroit Renaissance 44 This win over the reigning Division 1 runner-up Phoenix (2-2) started an impressive week that also included double-digit victories over Belleville and East Grand Rapids that pushed Wayne to 3-1.
3. Portland St. Patrick 53, Fowler 49 Two of the state’s best in Division 4 are neighbors, and the Shamrocks improved to 6-0 by handing reigning Finals champion Fowler (5-1) its first defeat; they meet against Feb. 1.
4. Hudsonville 59, Byron Center 56 (OT) While the Eagles’ losses have come to statewide contenders Edison and Midland Dow, they’ve stacked some wins closer to home with Byron Center (2-2) coming off a league title.
5. Sault Ste. Marie 51, St. Ignace 29 Reigning Straits Area Conference champion Sault Ste. Marie (5-3) earned a key win in what could be a three or four-team (out of five) race this winter, with the Saints (3-1) always a factor.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
Division 1
Haslett (6-0) The Vikings are building on a 14-3 finish from last winter that included two losses to East Lansing, including the season-ender in the District Final. They avenged those with a 43-42 win last week, with their only other single-digit victory so far a noteworthy 41-38 edging of Jackson Northwest in the opener.
Utica (6-0) The Chieftains followed two straight 15-win seasons by finishing 6-10 last winter, but closed with a District title. They’ve rolled right into this winter with four wins by 28 points or more, but also two by just a bucket that have been the most impressive – handing the only losses to Port Huron (42-40), and last week, Macomb Dakota (48-45).
Division 2
Otsego (6-0) Despite last winter’s abbreviated schedule, Otsego did improve a win to 9-6 and has continued to rise this winter. A 53-47 victory over Portage Central on Dec. 7 remains Central’s lone defeat, and the Bulldogs have a chance to close the calendar year with another nice statement when they host Marshall on Dec. 30.
Saginaw Swan Valley (5-1) The Vikings won five of their last six games to close 2020-21 at 10-7, their first winning season over the last three, and they’ve also carried some momentum into December. The lone loss was to still-unbeaten Lansing Catholic, and Swan Valley dealt the only defeats to Reese and Essexville Garber by matching 54-43 scores.
Division 3
Carson City-Crystal (4-0) Last season’s 8-10 finish included a pair of losses to Mid-State Activities Conference rival Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, and the highlight of this start has no doubt been the 37-32 win over the Irish last week. All three of the Eagles’ other victories were by 16 points or more. The first matchup with reigning MSAC champion St. Charles is Jan. 21.
Hancock (5-1) Hancock’s only loss came to undefeated Calumet last week as it builds on last winter’s 11-5 finish. The Bulldogs’ highest win total over the last five seasons has been 13 wins, and they should make a run at surpassing that after also handing Ewen-Trout Creek its lone defeat and avenging last season’s District loss (and also a two-point regular-season defeat) to Negaunee.
Division 4
Baraga (6-0) The Vikings are perhaps the Upper Peninsula’s strongest program that remains a bit under the statewide radar, but they’ve won league and at least District championships the last three seasons and show no signs of slowing down. After opening with a five-point win over Ontonagon, Baraga has won its last five games by an average of 33 points per contest.
Lake Leelanau St. Mary (4-0) Edging a Rudyard team 47-45 on Saturday that could contend in the Straits Area Conference was an attention-grabber for the Eagles, who won five of their last six last season to finish 9-7. Games this week against Saginaw Valley Lutheran and then at Carlton Airport’s showcase to end December will provide opportunities to make noise as well.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (3-0) vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic (3-0) at Cornerstone University – These two will meet in a Blue opener of Cornerstone’s annual holiday event.
Wednesday – Grand Rapids Christian (4-1) vs. Kent City (6-0) at Cornerstone University – They will play for the Gold title, with Grand Rapids Christian defeating reigning Division 2 runner-up Newaygo on Monday to advance.
Dec. 29 – Frankenmuth (4-0) vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (4-0) at Redford Westfield Prep – This may be the premier game of the Motor City Roundball Classic, matching contenders in Divisions 2 and 3, respectively.
Dec. 29 – St. Ignace (3-1) vs. Port Huron (3-1) at Redford Westfield Prep – This is another of the most intriguing Motor City Roundball Classic matchups.
Dec. 30 – Marshall (3-1) at Otsego (6-0) – As noted above, this pairs two Division 2 teams that appear on the rise, with Marshall’s only loss by three opening night to Division 1 Battle Creek Lakeview.
Second Half’s weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. 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 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as 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) Davison evened its record last week with a 55-40 win over Saginaw Arthur Hill. (Middle) Otsego moved to a 6-0 with a 72-46 win over Vicksburg. (Photos by Terry Lyons and Gary Shook, respectively.)