Breslin Bound: Girls Report Week 2
December 15, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It’s hard to believe after only two weeks, but there are girls basketball teams in Michigan that have completed 25 percent of their regular-season schedules.
And that’s given us good opportunity to figure out some that we’ll continue to hear from as the winter goes on, including a few listed below.
Each week, we’re looking at four teams from each class that stuck out over the previous seven days or the season to that point as we point toward the start of the MHSAA District tournaments March 2. For schedules of each day’s games statewide and results as we receive them, plus links to each team’s full schedule, results and league standings, click here – and please help us by filling in missing scores or emailing them to [email protected].
Class A
Ann Arbor Huron (3-0) – The River Rats are 14-1 since the midpoint of last season with the latest victory 59-34 over 2013-14 Class B semifinalist Flint Powers Catholic.
Lansing Waverly (5-0) – The Warriors' fast start has been keyed by five players scoring at least five points per game and paced by senior Breanna Mobley at 18.2 ppg.
Lowell (3-0) – The surging Red Arrows avenged two of last season’s 12 losses by beating Ionia 43-27 in their first game and Ada Forest Hills Eastern 48-41 on Tuesday.
Marquette (4-0) – The impressive run past Petoskey and Brighton during the first week continued with a close win over Gladstone and bigger one over Ishpeming Westwood.
Class B
Frankenmuth (3-1) – The Eagles took a tough loss to a strong Midland Bullock Creek team during the season’s first week, but a three-point win over Reese on opening night and two-pointer against Saginaw Nouvel last week provide plenty to anticipate over the next three months.
Gladwin (3-1) – The Flying G’s finished second in the Jack Pine Conference last season with two league losses, both to champion Clare. A 46-44 win over Clare on Thursday was a nice way to come back from a tough loss to Bullock Creek on Monday.
Ludington (4-0) – No team including Class A Grand Haven has come closer than 14 points this season; Ludington beat the Buccaneers 40-26 on Tuesday.
Sparta (4-0) – The Spartans’ excellent play during last season’s Quarterfinal run has continued, with a 42-41 win over East Grand Rapids on Friday keeping the slate perfect so far.
Class C
Britton-Deerfield (2-0) – The Patriots finished second in the Tri-County Conference a year ago and look good to contend again considering a second straight close win over Waterford Our Lady to start the season and a 29-pointer over Morenci last week.
Detroit Edison Public School Academy (3-1) – The Pioneers, winners of 15 games a year ago, are looking like a possibility to take the step from solid to elite after defeating Class A Detroit Pershing, Macomb Dakota and Westland John Glenn so far.
Michigan Center (5-0) – A 54-48 win over Concord last week was a nice way to split up two early Cascade Conference wins for one of three teams tied atop the league standings.
Sandusky (4-0) – Only one opponent has come closer than 20 points as Sandusky has matched half of last season’s opening 8-0 run.
White Pigeon (3-0) – The Chiefs are coming off an 11-10 finish a year ago that included 53-12 and 36-25 losses to Mendon; Friday’s 49-34 win over the Hornets no doubt turned those into more distant memories.
Class D
Engadine (3-0) – The Eagles are nearly halfway to last season’s win total of seven thanks in part to a 46-44 win over Eastern UP Conference foe DeTour on Friday.
Frankfort (4-0) – The Panthers are up to 27 wins in their last 30 games with an average margin of victory of 28.5 points per so far this winter.
Morrice (4-0) – The Orioles’ start included a 27-25 overtime win Tuesday over New Lothrop, which beat Morrice twice during 2013-14.
PHOTO: Frankenmuth defeated Otisville-LakeVille in Tri-Valley Conference East play last week to move to 3-1 this season. (Photo courtesy of Frankenmuth High School.)
Hartland Sets Sights on Unprecedented Heights
January 14, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This season isn’t half over for the Hartland girls basketball team. And as impressive as they’ve performed over the first six weeks, there are lessons from the last few seasons they must continue to recall with expectations high this winter.
Take last week’s 50-40 win over Plymouth. The Eagles trailed early 14-1 – reinforcing coach Don Palmer’s message that every opponent is aiming to bring its best against a Hartland team with championship aspirations.
“I think a lot of times they’ve very focused and excited,” Palmer said of his team. “But … being teenagers, sometimes they’re complacent and take it for granted – and that’s just natural. That’s when we get upset, so we just kinda battle that a little bit.”
The hope is winning those prepares the Eagles for an unprecedented opportunity at the end of March.
The Hartland girls basketball team is the MHSAA/Applebee’s “Team of the Month” for December, opening with four wins including victories over a pair of reigning MHSAA Finals champions – Division 4 Adrian Lenawee Christian (61-40) and Division 1 Saginaw Heritage (37-26) in the Eagles’ first two games. They closed the month with double-digit wins over Okemos and Bay City John Glenn, two more programs with high hopes this winter, and have since moved to 6-0 heading into Tuesday’s game against Howell.
Palmer has coached high school varsity basketball a combined 71 seasons, leading teams to 963 wins through Friday – the most in Michigan high school history. So when he says this season’s Hartland girls basketball team is the most talented he’s coached, that carries significant weight.
Palmer ranks seventh in MHSAA girls basketball history with a 616-311 record after leading Milford from 1977-2009 and then the Eagles since 2009-10. He quickly can recount the three athletes he sent on to Division I college athletics during those first three decades – before then offering context by describing how this Hartland team is led by University of Michigan recruit Whitney Sollom with at least five more players holding or on the verge of opportunities at the next level.
So talent isn’t a question. But will this also turn out to be Palmer’s best team?
Hartland has made the Class A/Division 1 Quarterfinals the last two seasons, finishing 22-4 a year ago. Sollom, a 6-foot-3 post, has been on varsity all four of her seasons, with the team a combined 70-12 during that time.
A likely Miss Basketball candidate, Sollom was averaging 11.4 points and 12 rebounds per game entering last Friday’s 44-point win over Salem. Leading the team in scoring is Nikki Dompierre at 12.6 ppg, while Madi Moyer adds 8.2 and 7.4 rebounds per game. All three are senior captains.
Junior Syd Caddell and sophomore Amanda Roach also are back as the team returned its entire starting lineup this winter.
The challenges will start locally. Undefeated Brighton and the one-loss Highlanders also both play in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West. Howell also is in Hartland’s District.
Palmer said his team’s unselfishness and support of one another have impressed him most. But of course there’s a long way to go this season – and the team is hoping to build to a big finish as it seeks its first MHSAA Finals championship in this sport.
“We’re really in a great cycle,” Palmer said. “When I got the job at Hartland, I had been in the same league at Milford, and we were beating their varsity by 1-2 points. But the lower levels, we could just seeing it coming. My comment to my staff is we’ll have no excuses for not winning.
“I’m very happy and thrilled about the success, but I also knew we’d have players.”
Past Teams of the Month, 2019-20
November: Bridgman girls cross country - Report
October: Allegan boys tennis - Report
September: Ishpeming Westwood girls tennis - Report
PHOTOS: (Top) Hartland's Whitney Sollom puts up a shot during a December win over Okemos. (Middle) The Eagles celebrate with a team photo after the win over Bay City John Glenn. (Top photo courtesy of State Champs Sports Network; middle photo courtesy of the Hartland girls basketball program.)