Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Girls Report Week 8
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 29, 2024
February is league championship time on basketball courts all over Michigan, and our first girls basketball title winners could be crowned this week.
As we leave January behind, those potential deciders are among several big-time matchups coming up, and we continue to focus on local title implications below (and keep an eye on Stoney Creek/West Bloomfield, Baraga/Lake Linden-Hubbell and Ishpeming/Munising this week as well).
“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. Rockford 55 Lansing Catholic 48 The reigning Division 1 champion Rams (13-1) finished a three-win week by downing the reigning Division 2 champion Cougars (8-3) at the Calvin University Showcase.
2. Frankenmuth 54, Freeland 49 The Eagles (9-2) firmed up their lead in the Tri-Valley Conference Red by finishing a regular-season sweep of the Falcons (11-2), and remain the only team to defeat Freeland this winter.
3. Fremont 41, Ludington 35 Fremont’s first win over Ludington (7-6) since 2007 put the Packers (10-2) in first place alone in the West Michigan Conference Lakes, a game ahead of the 2022-23 league champ.
4. East Grand Rapids 60, Lowell 49 The Pioneers (8-5) have won five straight and with this victory have a half-game edge atop the Ottawa-Kent Conference White standings, with either Lowell (9-3) or Byron Center set to join them as co-leader with the result of their matchup tonight.
5. Utica Ford 56, Romeo 54 (OT) Ford bounced back from a 41-38 upset by rival Utica to maintain its lead in the Macomb Area Conference White as Romeo (9-4) also entered the evening with just one league defeat.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
East Kentwood (12-1) The Falcons are continuing an impressive climb from 12-10 two seasons ago to 16-8 last winter and now a near-perfect start to this winter – their only loss was 51-49 on Dec. 21 to Lowell at the Cornerstone Holiday Classic. Eight of East Kentwood’s victories have come against teams with winning records, and the Falcons broke Rockford’s 33-game winning streak two weeks ago and sent Grand Haven to 11-2 with a 58-45 win Friday. The Rockford rematch is Feb. 16.
Temperance Bedford (9-1) The annual contenders are leading the Southeastern Conference Red again, and Bedford sits alone at the top after sharing last season’s championship with Saline. After earning that share by defeating Saline in their second meeting in 2022-23, Bedford won the first meeting this time, 39-30 last week, and followed with a 56-40 victory over Dexter to send the Dreadnaughts into second place. Bedford’s only loss was in its season opener to Sylvania Northview (Ohio), and wins over Tecumseh and Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central have also been among the most attention-grabbing of the team’s first half.
DIVISION 2
Detroit Edison (10-0) The Pioneers are among the state’s elite again and impressing across the Midwest with wins over opponents from Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin and two more games coming up in Illinois this weekend. Closer to home, Edison most recently defeated Detroit Cass Tech 54-29 and Grand Rapids Catholic Central 64-57 as it seeks to return to Breslin after ending last season in a Regional Final. Chicago Kenwood (60-49 win) and Columbus Africentric (53-47) are among the top-ranked teams in their divisions in their respective states and surely were valuable prep as Edison readies to take on undefeated West Bloomfield and Detroit Renaissance on Feb. 6 and 8, respectively.
Frankenmuth (9-2) The Eagles are hoping to return to Breslin as well after finishing Division 2 runners-up a season ago, and their only losses this winter were to teams that also made the trip to East Lansing – Rockford and 2023 Division 2 semifinalist Goodrich, in back-to-back December games. As noted above, Friday’s win over Freeland highlights a 6-0 start to this calendar year, and the schedule is loaded over the next five weeks with road matchups at reigning Division 3 champion Hemlock and Lansing Catholic followed by Edison coming to Frankenmuth for a regular-season finale Feb. 29.
DIVISION 3
Blissfield (8-2) Last season’s Division 3 runner-up also is finishing off a solid first half, with last week’s 42-35 win over 10-win Adrian Madison keeping the Royals alone atop the Lenawee County Athletic Association standings. The losses were to Division 2 Tecumseh and undefeated Niles Brandywine, the latter just 45-43, and Blissfield is lined up nicely to surge into the postseason again with the Madison rematch and a tough faceoff with Division 2 Carleton Airport lined up for the end of February.
Springport (9-2) The Big 8 Conference co-leader (with Bronson and Concord) handed Colon its only loss this season Saturday, 50-40 at Spring Arbor and after downing Bronson 54-43 two days earlier. Springport finished 20-4 overall but second to Bronson in the Big 8 last season, and the Feb. 20 rematch is a game to circle, as is the Feb. 27 matchup with Concord, which defeated Springport 47-43 two weeks ago. Bath, Reading and Hanover-Horton should give the Spartans a challenging week but with opportunities to move up the Division 3 MPR list.
DIVISION 4
Lake Leelanau St. Mary (10-1) The Eagles might be taking the next step after winning 14 and 15 games the last two seasons, with their only loss this winter 45-42 to Division 3 Benzie Central. Last week’s 52-42 win over reigning Division 4 champion Maple City Glen Lake avenged a pair of losses from last year’s 14-9 run, and St. Mary also has avenged 2022-23 defeats to Gaylord St. Mary, Saginaw Valley Lutheran and Traverse City St. Francis. Upcoming games at Bedford (see above) and Sault Ste. Marie are especially intriguing.
Morenci (10-1) After starting 14-0 last season, this isn’t an unfamiliar situation for the Bulldogs. But they did last week defeat Adrian Lenawee Christian 44-28 after Lenawee ended Morenci’s 2022-23 in a District Final, and before that also avenged last season’s late loss to Petersburg Summerfield by winning 58-53 this time. Morenci tops the Tri-County Conference standings ahead of both, with rematches coming up Feb. 15 (Summerfield) and Feb. 20 (Lenawee). The only loss was 30-27 to Division 2 Adrian Madison.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – Belleville (10-1) at Wayne Memorial (8-2) – Previously scheduled for Jan. 16, this matches the co-leaders in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East to finish off the first half of the league schedule.
Monday – Grosse Pointe North (11-1) at Macomb Dakota (12-2) – These two enter their rematch tied atop the MAC Red standings with two more league games to play and GPN having won the first meeting 50-41.
Tuesday – Elk Rapids (12-1) at Harbor Springs (10-2) – Elk Rapids’ 61-51 win in their first meeting Jan. 9 is all that separates these two at the top of the Lake Michigan Conference standings.
Wednesday – Detroit Henry Ford (9-0) at Detroit Communication Media Arts (9-1) – This is likely to clinch the winner at least a share of the Detroit Public School League Gold title, and Ford could win it outright if the Trojans also defeat Detroit Cody tonight.
Friday – Paw Paw (10-1) at Vicksburg (10-1) – This could eventually decide the Wolverine Conference title, as both have one league loss. Paw Paw won their first meeting this winter 60-50.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). 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 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) Bath’s Aubrie Schaibly (30) works to wall off Fowler’s Katie Spicer during the Eagles’ 46-41 overtime win Friday. (Middle) Ada Forest Hills Eastern’s Hannah Bhatnagar (5) puts up a shot against Forest Hills Northern earlier this season. (Top photo by Click by Christine McCallister; middle photo by Michigan Sports Photo.)
Laker Following Mother's Path as Wayland Multi-Sport Standout
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 5, 2024
When Wayland junior Harmony Laker opted to embrace athletics many years ago, she never worried about following some pretty impressive footsteps nor matching the hefty accomplishments of someone very close to her, a mentor who had herself been a standout three-sport athlete in high school.
In fact, Laker has wound up starring in the same three sports in which her mother, 2000 Wayland grad Kara Potter, also excelled in high school – basketball, volleyball and softball.
Kara was all-conference in all three sports and earned all-state recognition in volleyball and basketball. Harmony has been all-league since her freshman season in the same three, and all-region in volleyball and basketball.
Just a chip off the old block? Maybe, says Harmony.
But if there is anything mother and daughter have in common it's a love of sports.
"They introduced me to sports, and I've always strived to be like my parents," Harmony Laker said. "I was always drawn toward basketball, volleyball and softball. That's where my heart has always been, on a court or a field.
"I always wanted to play three sports; that's been my goal since middle school. Like my mother, I've always taken them seriously."
Like her mother, Laker hasn't just lettered in three sports – she's been outstanding. As a junior, she's already shattered the 1,000-point career basketball mark, reaching the milestone when she scored 38 points against Grand Rapids South Christian in late January. She's averaging 19 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists per game.
In volleyball, Laker had 864 kills, 513 digs, 80 blocks and 64 aces while serving 90 percent this season.
In softball, Laker has a 29-4 record as a pitcher over her first two seasons while batting .449 with six doubles and three homers as a sophomore. She's twice made all-conference in that sport, leading Wayland to two conference titles.
Kara Laker – also Wayland’s volleyball coach – said she and Harmony's father, Lance, a former varsity basketball coach at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, never tried to edge their daughter toward athletics.
But when Harmony took up a variety of sports, the parents had one standing rule: Commit to the sport you're playing at the time. Worry about the other sports when it's time.
"Sports has always been a big part of our lives," Kara said. "We've never pushed our kids, but we've told them if you're going to be successful, you have to put in the time. My parents wanted us to do what we could (in sports). It was always in our prayers that our kids would truly love all sports. We're a competitive family, and we've always been drawn to sports."
The Laker family navigates a busy sports schedule. Liberty Laker plays volleyball at Grace Christian University, eighth grader Charity plays the same three sports as her mother and sister, and third grader Christian plays football, baseball and basketball.
"We divide and conquer," Kara said of her and her husband following the robust schedules of four children.
Harmony's first memories of sports involve supplying water to her father's basketball players. From there, she progressed to copying the three sports in which her mother excelled.
Kara won Wayland's coveted Multer Award as the school's top multi-sport athlete. Harmony hasn't won the award yet, but seems a shoo-in before she graduates in 2025.
Kara said it's tougher for athletes now to play three sports as AAU and travel sports often collide with high school athletics. But in terms of playing three, she said that decision has always been left to the kids.
"It's harder these days, but we were three-sport athletes who wanted to be good in all three," said Kara, who admits she's had discussions with Harmony about narrowing her participation list.
"It's actually a discussion we're having at this moment," she said. "A lot of it comes down to coaches and having them all work together so Harmony can play."
In order of preference, Harmony lists her favorite sports as basketball, volleyball and softball. But when it comes to cutting out a sport, Harmony hedges. If she plays all three as a senior – and that's currently the plan – she'll leave Wayland with 12 varsity letters, a rarity in today's high school sports world.
Harmony said the advice offered by her parents is the same that trickled down from their parents (her grandparents). Play as many sports as you choose, but also be well-rounded off the courts and fields.
Harmony is a member of the National Honor Society, leads the Wayland chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, is a member of the student council and has gone on numerous mission trips through her church.
But when it comes to athletics, Harmony is quick to revert to what she was taught early.
"I just want to work at my craft. You're only as good as the time you put in," she said. "My mom and dad have always said it's the heart that makes sports great. There are so many moments which are trials in sports and games, but ultimately that is what's going to make you better.
"Playing with pressure is a privilege. If a game is close and you have to execute, that's a privilege. God has put you out there for a reason, and you take the moments as they come."
PHOTOS (Top) Wayland’s Harmony Laker lines up for a free throw while playing her favorite sport, basketball. (2) Harmony, right, is successfully following in the multi-sport footsteps of her mother, Kara Laker. (3) Harmony Laker (12) soars to get a hand on a ball during volleyball season. (4) Laker makes her move toward the plate as a pitcher during the spring. (Action photos by Shannon N Jessica Photography.) mother/daughter photo courtesy of the Laker family.)