Breslin Bound: 2021-22 Girls Report Week 7

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

January 17, 2022

We’ve reached the midway point of girls basketball season for most of Michigan’s teams – with seven weeks done and seven more until District play begins.

MI Student Aid

And we’re getting a better idea every week about which teams might be extending their stays a week, two or three longer.

Our latest look at the week that was includes a few references to MPR – Michigan Power Ratings – the metric used to seed the top two teams in every District. Click to see the girls basketball MPR in full.

“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. Lansing Catholic 55, Portland 52 The Cougars (11-0) earned higher billing in the Capital Area Activities Association White and statewide Division 2 conversations in dealing reigning league and Finals champion Portland its first loss. 

2. Howell 37, Hartland 31 The Highlanders (6-3) halted Hartland’s regular-season winning streak at 33 in dealing the Eagles (8-1) their lone defeat. 

3. Hudsonville 62, Rockford 48 The Eagles (7-2) set themselves up as the top contenders in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red with undefeated Holland West Ottawa, although Rockford (8-1) is likely to be heard from again. 

4. Edwardsburg 52, Otsego 32 The Eddies (9-0) made their undefeated start look even stronger in handing previously-undefeated Otsego (10-1) this loss. 

5. Traverse City St. Francis 54, Harbor Springs 37 The Gladiators (8-2) also handed out a first loss last week, riding a strong defensive effort to this win over the Rams (8-1). 

Watch List

With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:

Division 1

Battle Creek Lakeview (9-0) The Spartans are consistently a top team in southwest Michigan, and they raised their profile even more over the last few seasons with 16 wins in 2019-20 and a 13-2 record last year. They opened this one with a 36-33 win over Marshall (6-3), and the highlight of the first half almost assuredly was a 39-38 win over Kalamazoo Central on Dec. 9; Central dealt Lakeview both of those losses last year. 

Dearborn Divine Child (9-0) Wins over annual favorites Bloomfield Hills Marian and Farmington Hills Mercy to start the 2022 calendar year have vaulted Divine Child to the top of the Detroit Catholic League Central. The Falcons also are No. 2 in Division 1 MPR with six opponents boasting winning records. The Marian and Mercy rematches come up over the next week, and Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard also could provide a couple of tests.

Division 2

Frankenmuth (8-1) The Eagles took over first place alone in the Tri-Valley Conference 8 with a 50-45 win over Freeland on Friday, as they look to repeat as league champions. Arbor Prep (see below) is the only team to deal Frankenmuth a loss this season, during the Motor City Roundball Classic. The Eagles reached the Regional Finals last year, falling by four to Portland, and will have an opportunity to avenge last season’s other defeat when they face Division 1 contender Midland Dow on Tuesday. 

Tecumseh (10-0) A frequent contender in the Southeastern Conference White the last few seasons, Tecumseh looks like an early favorite this winter after a perfect first half filled with impressive performances. Tecumseh is winning its games by an average of 36.2 points per, with victories over Blissfield (8-3) and Onsted (8-1) among the most impressive.  

Division 3

Niles Brandywine (9-1) The Bobcats quickly bounced back from their lone loss, by two points Jan. 7 to Division 2 Benton Harbor (5-3), to hand Buchanan (9-1) its only loss; Brandywine will meet the Bucks again Feb. 17 in Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference Red play. Brandywine also owns a 59-54 overtime win over Bronson, but no other opponent has come closer than 15 points.

Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (8-0) The Gators on Thursday handed Redford Westfield Prep its lone loss; Arbor Prep previously did the same to Wayne Memorial and Frankenmuth, and seven of eight opponents this season have .600 or higher winning percentages. None but Westfield has come closer than 15 points of catching the Gators, who are led by one of the state’s best in senior Mya Petticord.

Division 4

Coleman (7-1) The Comets are seeking their first league title in at least a decade, and look well on their way after handing reigning Mid-State Activities Conference champ St. Charles its lone league loss Jan. 10 and then contender Carson City-Crystal the same 33-31 on Friday. The lone defeat came to Farwell (6-3) on Dec. 8, but Coleman has otherwise shined as it builds on last year’s 12-7 overall finish. 

Posen (8-0) The Vikings are another team always in the mix. They’re playing for what would be a fifth-straight league title coming off last year’s 15-2 run that also included a District championship. A 56-49 overtime win over Oscoda capped the 2021 calendar year, and a 50-46 win over Hillman on Friday put Posen in a solid position in North Star League play as they approach the midpoint. 

Can't-Miss Contests

Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:  

Tuesday – Houghton (10-0) at Calumet (7-0) – These undefeated teams meet for the only time during the regular season in a matchup that eventually could decide the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference title.

Tuesday – Midland Dow (8-0) at Frankenmuth (8-1) – The Chargers are No. 4 in Division 1 MPR and the Eagles are No. 3 in Division 2.

Tuesday – Elk Rapids (6-1) at Traverse City St. Francis (8-2) – These two have emerged as the early favorites in the Lake Michigan Conference again; Elk Rapids was last season’s champion and St. Francis the runner-up.

Tuesday – Sanford Meridian (10-1) at Coleman (7-1) – Both are leading their leagues, Coleman the MSAC (see above) and Meridian the Jack Pine Conference.

Thursday – East Lansing (7-2) at Detroit Edison (3-1) – This also matches up two of the elite from Divisions 1 and 2, respectively.

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.

PHOTO Muskegon takes on Grand Rapids Union on Jan. 11 in what would end up the second of a current three-game winning streak for the Big Reds. (Photo by Tim Reilly.)

2005 Miss Basketball DeHaan Cherishing Newest Title: 1st-Time Mom

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

July 25, 2022

JENISON – Allyssa DeHaan-Clark remains one of the greatest shot blockers in national high school and college basketball history.

Recently, the former Grandville High School and Michigan State University standout became a  mother for the first time.

DeHaan-Clark, and her husband Aaron, adopted a baby girl last September.

Bradley Noelle Clark was born on Sept. 29, 2021, at 36 weeks.

When the Clarks found out about the impending delivery, they drove straight to the hospital from their vacation in Tennessee to meet her. They took her home a few days later.

“Parenthood is awesome, hard, wonderful and beautiful,” DeHaan-Clark said. “She’s 9½ months old, and she just lost her first tooth and is starting to crawl. She says, ‘Da, Da’ a lot, even though I’m with her most of the time during the day.”

DeHaan-Clark, who turned 34 last month, married in 2012. She and her husband had aspirations to raise a family.

Unfortunately, the road to parenthood was more difficult than they envisioned.

“We tried to get pregnant for six years,” DeHaan-Clark said. “We went through a lot of testing and different fertility procedures, but nothing took. We never had one positive pregnancy test.”

Although disappointed and frustrated, the Clarks pursued another avenue.

“Adoption was always in the back of our mind, and it came to a point where I didn’t know what to do,” DeHaan-Clark said. “One night we prayed to God for clarity and wisdom and just some direction. He answered that prayer the next morning with a text message, and that put us on a fast track to adoption.”

Grandville basketballThe Clarks went through the application process last June. Four months later, Bradley was born. She officially became a Clark in May.

“It was awesome for God to answer that prayer so quickly,” DeHaan-Clark said. “After six years of struggle, she was meant to be in our family. We love her so much and adore her to pieces.

“She’s loved by so many, and we are very thankful that the birth family chose us. After all that pain and suffering, God made something beautiful through that.”

DeHaan-Clark was a four-year towering presence at Grandville. As a junior in 2004, she set the MHSAA record for blocks in a single season with 236 and averaged nearly a triple-double (27 points, 13 rebounds and 9.5 blocks per game).

As a senior, she helped lead the Bulldogs to a 25-2 record and their first Class A Semifinal appearance. She was named the 2005 Miss Basketball Award winner by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan.

DeHaan-Clark grew six inches during middle school and entered her high school freshman year at 6-foot-6. She was 6-9 as a senior before taking her talents to East Lansing.

“Middle school was tough for everyone, but it was extremely tough for me,” DeHaan-Clark said. “I was entering a new school system, and I had just started playing basketball a year or two before that and had a huge growth spurt. Learning how to be coordinated and play the game took a while.”

DeHaan-Clark was a part of three consecutive Ottawa-Kent Conference Red championship teams. The Bulldogs won District and Regional titles in 2005 before defeating previously-unbeaten Benton Harbor in a Class A Quarterfinal. Grandville’s run ended with an overtime loss to Southfield-Lathrup in the Semifinal at Breslin Center.

“My senior year was the best,” DeHaan-Clark said. “It was so much fun with the championships and all the wins. Playing with the same girls for four years and then finally having a successful team was amazing.”

DeHaan-Clark made the MHSAA’s single-season scoring list as a senior with 710 points, having averaged 26.3 per game that fall. She also finished with 718 career blocks, setting an MHSAA record later broken by Kalamazoo Central’s Asia Robeson (723) in 2014. Still, DeHaan-Clark remains seventh all-time nationally for career blocks, with Robeson sixth on the list.

DeHaan-Clark arrived at Michigan State with high aspirations.

“I had big goals of playing in the Olympics and playing professionally, but obviously those didn’t come to fruition,” she said. “I learned to dream big, so I set big goals from the beginning.”

DeHaan-Clark emerged as a dominating shot blocker for the Spartans, and was Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2006-07 as she set the conference record with 145 blocks.

As a sophomore she re-established the Big Ten record for single-season blocks with 150. She was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2009-10.

She ended her career as Michigan State’s all-time blocks leader with 503 – with that total also second in Division I history at that time and now third on the NCAA DI list – to go with career averages of 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

“It was a big transition from high school to college, but I wanted to be a contributor,” DeHaan-Clark said. “I had amazing coaches and teammates, and my freshman year turned out better than I thought it would.

“My big goal was to be a key defensive player and break as many records as I could with blocked shots because of my height.”

In 2009, DeHaan-Clark was the catalyst in Michigan State’s run to the Sweet 16. The Spartans upset top-ranked Duke in the second round before losing to Iowa State, 69-68.

But DeHaan-Clark suffered a back injury during the Big Ten Tournament that winter which ultimately ended her hopes of playing beyond college.

“I never recovered from that, so I didn’t enter the WNBA draft,” DeHaan-Clark said. “I ended up having back surgery and finished my remaining classes before graduating.”

DeHaan-Clark returned home and worked in the medical field while also helping lead a sports ministry program at Grand Valley State University.

Grandville basketballShe received an intriguing opportunity to continue playing college sports as part of the Lakers volleyball program.

“I needed to take more graduate classes, and I had one more season of college eligibility other than basketball,” she said. “My skill level wasn’t to the level of basketball, but it was still really fun to play and compete and be a part of a team because those are things I still love doing today.”

DeHaan-Clark changed her focus from medicine to continuing her work in sports ministry, as well as for a non-profit organization.

She also got her real estate license in 2015, and she and her husband began flipping houses on the side.

“It brings me a lot of joy to cast a vision of what a home could look like after a lot of blood, sweat and tears,” she said. “I love that kind of work.”

The projects allowed the Clarks to spend meaningful time together.

“It was a lot of nights and weekends, and we just had to learn things as we went,” DeHaan-Clark said. “The one thing we learned is we cannot do drywall. It’s not our skill set, so in order to save our marriage and our relationship we would hire it out.

“We did a lot of it ourselves, and we like seeing the transformation from old to new. It’s really fun, and hopefully we can do it again.”

The Clarks currently reside in Jenison and have been embraced by their community and friends. They live on a lake, enjoying water sports in their free time. Allyssa was inducted into the Grandville High School Athletic Hall of Fame in March.

As for the future, DeHaan-Clark said nothing is set in stone.

“We take it one day at a time,” she said. “I still have my real estate license, so we’re hoping to renovate and invest. I’m sure in the future there will be more kids added to the Clark clan, but right now we’re very happy and content with just one.”

2021-22 Made in Michigan

July 21: Championship Memories Still Resonate with St. Thomas Star Lillard - Read
July 14:
Portage Central Champ Rolls to Vanderbilt, Writing Next Chapter in Alabama - Read
July 12: Coaching Couple Passing On Knowledge, Providing Opportunities for Frankfort Wrestlers - Read
June 30: Hrynewich's Star Continuing to Rise with Olympic, Pro Sports Arrivals - Read

PHOTOS (Top) At left, Allyssa DeHaan puts up a shot during Grandville’s 2005 Class A Semifinal against Southfield-Lathrup. At right, the Clark family including Allyssa, husband Aaron Clark and daughter Bradley. (Middle) DeHaan looks for an open teammate while playing her high school finale at her future college home, the Breslin Center. (Below) The Clarks enjoy a moment together. (Basketball photos from MHSAA archives; Clark photos courtesy of Allyssa DeHaan-Clark.)