Breslin Bound: 2021-22 Girls Report Week 2
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 13, 2021
We’re two weeks into this girls basketball season, and it’s not taking long to recognize a few teams that could be in the championship mix in three months.
Midland Dow and Parma Western were among those to continue headline-making starts last week, and another power-packed schedule coming up could vault a few more potential contenders as we move toward the holiday break.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. Send corrections or missing scores to [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Midland Dow 56, Hudsonville 51 The Chargers (4-0) actually defeated two reigning Finals champions last week – Hudsonville (2-1) on Tuesday in a rematch of last season’s Division 1 Semifinal, and then Division 3 Grass Lake on Saturday.
2. Parma Western 44, East Lansing 43 The Panthers (4-0) handed East Lansing (1-1) its first regular-season loss since Feb. 26, 2019.
3. Portland St. Patrick 46, Pewamo-Westphalia 30 After breaking a 12-game losing streak against the Pirates (3-1) in last season’s lone showdown, the Shamrocks (4-0) made it two straight over their rivals to continue a perfect start.
4. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 68, Wayne Memorial 41 The Gators (3-0) should again be among Division 3 favorites and made a nice statement with this Best of Michigan Holiday Classic win over the Division 1 Zebras (0-1).
5. Grand Blanc 72, Clarkston 43 Both were District champions last season, and this is a nice early move as the Bobcats (3-1) look to build on last winter’s 12-4 finish.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
Division 1
Brighton (2-0) The Bulldogs went 15-4 with a District title last season, and they’ve rolled that success back into this winter. After opening with a 59-40 win over Flint Carman-Ainsworth, Brighton on Friday defeated Farmington Hills Mercy 58-32 – Mercy is the reigning Detroit Catholic League Tournament champion and likewise an annual Division 1 force.
Saline (4-0) The Hornets entered this season a combined 40-4 over the last two, with both regular-season defeats during that run to Temperance Bedford. Saline has an upper hand in that Southeastern Conference Red showdown this winter, defeating Bedford 38-29 on Friday, and after opening the week with a 51-44 overtime win over Canton.
Division 2
Houghton (3-0) Breaking a four-game losing streak against Negaunee could be a great sign for a team that went from 6-15 to 12-6 last season and seemed on the cusp of taking even a few more steps up –four of those losses were by five points or fewer. The Gremlins defeated the Miners 65-56 and also have handed the lone defeats to Ishpeming and L’Anse.
Lansing Catholic (3-0) While the Capital Area Activities Conference White also features reigning Division 2 champion Portland, the Cougars have emerged as another league force winning 13 games and a District title last winter. They’ve more than doubled up their first three opponents, including last week at Detroit Cass Tech.
Division 3
Cass City (3-0) The Red Hawks are off to a fast start as they seek their first above-.500 finish since 2018-19. After finishing 6-9 last season, Cass City is halfway to equaling that win total and Friday avenged a February loss to North Branch, 39-36. The Red Hawks opened the week with arguably an even more impressive win, 49-30 over Ubly, which went 11-4 last season.
Hartford (3-0) After tying for second place in the Southwest 10 Conference last season and finishing 11-6 overall, Hartford is off to a speedy start and already has avenged two of last winter’s losses – opening with a 36-30 win over Gobles and following with a 45-31 win over Mendon. Gobles had ended Hartford’s 2020-21 season with a four-point Regional loss March 29.
Division 4
Portland St. Patrick (4-0) While some of their toughest competition may come from also-undefeated league foe Fowler, the Shamrocks may be on their way back into the statewide Division 4 elite. In addition to Division 3 Pewamo-Westphalia (noted above), St. Patrick also has handed lone losses this season to Lansing Christian and Adrian Lenawee Christian – and is winning its games by an average of 25 points per victory.
Rudyard (2-0) The Bulldogs made an early Straits Area Conference splash with a 55-53 win over reigning champion Sault Ste. Marie on Friday, avenging 22 and 15-point losses from last season to the Division 2 Blue Devils. Rudyard has won 11 or 12 games all of the last three seasons, but did finish last winter on a 9-3 run.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Wednesday – Detroit Renaissance (2-0) at Wayne Memorial (0-1) – This is a rematch of a Division 1 Semifinal from last season, won by Renaissance 75-72.
Friday – Parma Western (4-0) at Jackson Northwest (3-1) – Western won both meetings last season and is an emerging Division 1 force, but Northwest has received its share of statewide attention over the years as well.
Friday – Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (3-0) at Plymouth Christian Academy (2-0) – The Eagles made some noise with their first-week win over Detroit Country Day, and a win over Arbor Prep might ring even louder.
Friday – Fowler (4-0) at Portland St. Patrick (4-0) – The Central Michigan Athletic Conference might have two of the top Division 4 teams statewide, and this will be their first meeting of the winter.
Saturday – Detroit Edison (1-1) vs. Hudsonville (2-1) at Aquinas College – This is arguably the premier matchup of the West Michigan Spotlight; Edison is coming off a two-point loss to Indiana power South Bend Washington.
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PHOTO Mikayla Sharrow and Charlevoix surged to a 33-22 win over Boyne City. (Photo courtesy of the Petoskey News-Review.)
Jahfetson Makes History from 3-Point Range in Taking Baraga to 2023 Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 23, 2024
Baraga’s Corina Jahfetson graduated in 2023 as one of the most accomplished 3-point shooters in MHSAA history and coming off one of the most impressive single seasons from beyond the arc.
Her 103 3-pointers as a senior over 29 games were the second-most for one season and included eight in a Quarterfinal win over Mackinaw City – the second-most in an MHSAA Quarterfinal, Semifinal or Final.
She finished with 236 3-pointers over 96 games and four seasons, ranking 12th on that career list, and Baraga finished the season as Division 4 runner-up. She’s continuing her career at Northern Michigan.
See below for more recent additions to the MHSAA girls basketball record book, and click the heading to view the record book in full.
Girls Basketball
Alma junior Bailey Walkington earned her school’s first single-season individual record book entry for girls basketball in 2022-23. She made the steals list with 143 over 23 games.
Dalton DeBoer became the latest Midland Dow long-range shooting ace to make the records after she drained 70 of 206 3-point attempts over 24 games in 2022-23. DeBoer is a junior this school year.
Durand senior Jordyn Lawrence earned her school’s first girls basketball individual record book entry with 15 steals in her team’s 44-31 win over Flint Kearsley on Dec. 2, 2022. She’s continuing at Mid-Michigan College.
Leah French finished her Engadine career in 2023 with a series of game, season and career record book entries detailing her scoring and defensive skills. She earned single-game listings for 54 points and 19 free throws against St. Ignace on Feb. 6, 2023, and nine 3-pointers against Manistique that Jan. 9. She made the single-season list with 81 3-pointers, 177 free throws and 168 steals over 25 games as a senior. And she made the career lists with 171 3-pointers, 354 free throws and 405 steals over 85 games and four seasons. She’s continuing her career at Aquinas College.
Arieonna Ware earned Battle Creek Central's first girls basketball record book entry with 51 points in a Feb. 11, 2020, win over Portage Northern. She actually finished with a triple-double, adding 12 rebounds and 12 steals. Ware also was added for 47 points in a March 6, 2019, District game against Sturgis.
Mesick senior Kayla McCoy made the MHSAA record in 2022-23 as a junior, totaling 144 steals over 23 games. It was Mesick’s first individual entry in the girls basketball record book.
Coldwater’s Carlee Crabtree made a career-high 52 3-pointers during her senior season of 2019-20 on the way to making the MHSAA career list for long-distance shots with 163, in 469 attempts, over four seasons and 88 games total. She went on to play at Central Michigan and Hope College.
Battle Creek Pennfield’s Kaylee Glidden capped her three-year varsity career in 2023 among the most accurate free-throw shooters in MHSAA history – and also among top 3-point aces. She made 90.6 percent of her free-throw attempts as a senior, good for fifth-highest percentage all-time for one season, and her 84.4-percent success rate ranks fourth on the career list. She also made the single-season 3-pointers list with 67 that winter and the career list with 168. She continued at Kellogg Community College and has committed to Great Lakes Christian College.
Larissa Huffman made a pair of career lists upon completing her four-year varsity career in 2023 at Mackinaw City. She was added for 468 assists and 411 steals, both over 92 games, and she’s continuing her career at St. Norbert (Wis.). Additionally, Mackinaw City was added to the single-game field goals list as a team for making at least 39 in a game six times over the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, with a high of 45.
Lansing Christian earned a listing on the team 3-pointers list when it sank 14 on 32 attempts against Webberville on Jan. 20, 2023. Seven players drained at least one of the long-distance shots.
Grayling’s 66-49 win over Houghton Lake on Dec. 19 included one of the most impressive defensive performances of all-time as senior Makayla Watkins had 19 steals – tying for third-most in one game.
Brooklyn Columbia Central’s Zoandria Bamm grabbed 28 rebounds during a Feb. 14, 2023, game against Clinton to make the single-game list in that category and on the way to finishing her senior season with 380 rebounds over 25 games – tying for 13th most on that list. She’s playing at Jackson College.
Riley Abney became the first player to be listed for points scored in a quarter of a girls basketball game when she sank 21 of her 36 total during the fourth quarter of a 64-47 loss to Linden on Jan. 16. The Ortonville Brandon senior has committed to be a preferred walk-on at Oakland.
A pair of Paw Paw standouts earned single-game accomplishments within three days of each other in January. On Jan. 26 against Sturgis, junior AJ Rickli grabbed 31 rebounds, tied for seventh-most for one game. On Jan. 29 against Three Rivers, sophomore Stella Shaefer made the single-game assists list with 14.
Keira Maki joined the single-game points list on Feb. 22 when she scored 47 in Escanaba’s 64-49 win over Sault Ste. Marie. The senior will continue at Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
PHOTO Baraga’s Corina Jahfetson (22) brings the ball upcourt during the 2023 Division 4 Final against Glen Lake at Breslin Center.