Countdown to Calvin: Girls Report Week 3
December 18, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It’s easy at this time of year, at least from a basketball point of view, to look past these next few weeks toward January, the start of league play and the most intense part of every regular season.
But not so fast. Doing so would mean missing out on more great early matchups that took place last week and some big-time contests coming up over the next two, some of which are mentioned below.
For many teams, there is little break over the end of December – and we’ll catch up again with the most notable news and notes from the last half of this month during the first week of January. These reports are based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com – to offer corrections, email me at [email protected]. Countdown to Calvin is powered by MI Student Aid.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Detroit Country Day 70, Detroit Martin Luther King 58 – The reigning Class B champion Yellowjackets have won in back-to-back seasons over the Class A power Crusaders.
2. Bloomfield Hills Marian 53, Farmington Hills Mercy 46 – Round one of this annual rivalry series went to Marian, which finished second to Mercy last season in the Detroit Catholic League Central and lost to the Marlins three times by a combined 13 points.
3. Flint Carman-Ainsworth 63, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 59 – The Cavaliers moved to 5-0 by downing the reigning Class B runner-up Gators, who are in Class C this winter.
4. Williamston 62, Wayne Memorial 52 – The undefeated Hornets continue to look like one of Class B’s best after handing Class A Wayne its first defeat, and after the Zebras previously downed Country Day.
5. River Rouge 52, Southfield Arts & Technology 49 – The Panthers could be making a jump this season, and last week bounced back from a loss to Ann Arbor Huron to hand 2017 Class A semifinalist Southfield A&T this defeat.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each class making sparks:
CLASS A
Grand Blanc (4-2) – The Bobcats added a 42-36 win over Hartland and 41-40 victory over Flint Powers last week to a strong start after they went 9-12 last winter. Hartland last season won the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West, while Grand Blanc finished fifth; both now are in the KLAA Gold.
Romeo (4-1) – The Bulldogs actually started 7-0 in 2016-17 before a loss to Port Huron Northern (17-4 last winter) ended the streak and began a 7-9 finish. Romeo has taken a loss early this time, but beat Port Huron Northern last week after falling to the Huskies by 17 and 16 a season ago.
CLASS B
Battle Creek Pennfield (4-0) – As noted last week, Coldwater ended Marshall’s Interstate 8 Athletic Conference winning streak at 42. Pennfield could be one of the teams on the rise in the league after defeating the Redhawks 49-40 on Friday. The Panthers tied for third in the I8AC last season.
Fowlerville (5-1) – After an opening loss to Okemos, Fowlerville has come on strong as it looks to take another step. The Gladiators have improved from four, to 13, to 15 wins the last three seasons and were one of three teams that tied for second in the Capital Area Activities Conference White last winter.
CLASS C
Byron (5-0) – The Eagles have won all of their games by nine or more points as they also are looking to take another step after going 16-5 last season. They beat Class B Perry by 10 last week and get Class B Chesaning this week before the break.
Schoolcraft (6-0) – Handing Bronson its first loss last week 62-61 was the initial attention getter on Schoolcraft’s schedule, but more are the come. The Eagles made the Quarterfinals last season but finished second in their league to Galesburg-Augusta – the second opponent on the schedule when things get rolling again in January.
CLASS D
Adrian Lenawee Christian (4-0) – The Cougars’ run so far has included a 13-point win over a reigning league co-champ in Morrice and victories over Class B Ida and most recently Class B Tecumseh. Lenawee Christian finished 15-8 last season.
Athens (6-0) – Athens had been in the mix annually as the smallest school in the otherwise Class C Big 8 Conference, and this year the Indians moved to a Southern Central Athletic Association West made up of five Class D schools. They have the upper hand early after last week’s 50-48 win over reigning league champion Bellevue.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – East Kentwood (6-0) at East Grand Rapids (4-0) – The reigning Class A runner-up Falcons have looked unstoppable, but should get their toughest challenge yet from an EGR team that went 17-4 last season.
Wednesday – Ishpeming (5-0) at Negaunee (4-0) – These two look like the best out of the gate in the Mid-Peninsula Conference and among the best in Class C in the Upper Peninsula.
Wednesday – Saginaw Heritage (4-0) at Freeland (4-1) – The only loss between the two this season was Freeland’s two-pointer to Bay City Western, and all of Heritage’s wins have been by at least 20 points.
Friday – Detroit County Day (2-1) at Midland Dow (3-0) – The Chargers have to contend with rival Midland first on Tuesday but then can see how they measure up against the reigning Class B champ.
Dec. 29 – Ann Arbor Huron (5-1) vs. Grand Haven (5-0) at Detroit Northwestern – This Motor City Roundball Classic game pits two teams that could be ranked in Class A in January.
PHOTO: A Byron player goes hard to the basket during a win over Durand. (Click to see more from Varsity Monthly.)
Newaygo Eyeing Another Playoff Run Led by Crew That's Been There
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
December 2, 2021
NEWAYGO - Newaygo made a “Hoosiers”-like run to the Division 2 girls basketball championship game in April, but in its first game back Tuesday, the Lions found themselves trailing at halftime.
Time for seventh-year Newaygo coach Nate Thomasma to peel the paint off the locker room walls?
Nah.
“We were in there about three minutes,” laughed Thomasma, who returns five of the eight players from last year’s magical team. “I just told them we need to do this, this and this and, if we do, then our shots will start falling.”
The Lions must have done those three things, as they outscored visiting Shelby 29-7 in the second half to turn a one-point halftime deficit into a comfortable 47-26 nonleague victory.
Over the final 16 minutes, the Lions looked like a team that could make another tournament run like last season’s, which didn’t end until a 52-32 Finals loss to Portland at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.
Newaygo got the state’s attention in 2020 with a stunning upset of No. 5-ranked Grand Rapids Christian in the Regional Semifinals on a long-range, 3-pointer from then-sophomore Jaxi Long with six seconds remaining. That excitement was wiped away quickly, as the season ended abruptly the next day due to the COVID pandemic.
The “Little Lions” with their eight-player roster picked up right where they left off last postseason, knocking off perennial powers Grand Rapid West Catholic in Regionals and Detroit Country Day in the Semifinals at Van Andel Arena, before running out of gas in the championship game.
It was a ride to remember for the town of 2,471 residents, located about 30 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, which has just two state championships in school history – won by the back-to-back Class C girls basketball champions in 1985 and 1986.
The Lions are back at it again with a 10-player roster, including five starters who were part of last year’s team – senior forwards Emmerson Goodin, Kayla Fisk and Lily Swinehart, senior guard Jaxi Long and junior guard Grace Painter.
“I really think we have a chance to go just as far,” said Long, whose older sister Jaylee was the star last year and is now getting increasing minutes on the varsity team as a freshman at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids. “We need to play great defense, rely on each other and trust our abilities.”
Jaxi Long showed the ability to heat up from long range, nailing five 3-pointers and scoring 16 of her game-high 24 points to key the second-half run and bring the excited student section in “The Jungle” to its feet. Long added six rebounds and three steals.
As good as Long was after halftime, it was the 5-foot-10 Goodin who kept Newaygo close in the first half, scoring 10 of her 15 points before the break. Goodin grabbed a game-high nine rebounds (putting her over the 500-career rebounds plateau), along with three blocked shots.
Long and Goodin are the captains and unquestioned leaders of this year’s team, which played elevated competition this summer after the Finals appearance, including a demanding week at Grand Valley State’s team camp.
“It felt like we had a target on our backs and that everyone was coming for us,” said Goodin, who was also one of the standouts on Newaygo’s volleyball team this fall, which won a District championship. “We learned how to fight back. It made us a lot better playing those bigger teams that we are not supposed to be able to beat.”
Goodin is the team’s top returning scorer (13 points per game) and rebounder (nine per game). Long averaged 11 points, five assists and four rebounds last year.
Fisk could be the “X factor” on this year’s Newaygo team, with her 5-10 height and long wingspan making her a disruptive force on defense, particularly on the point of the Lions’ halfcourt trap. Fisk finished Tuesday’s game with six points, six steals and four rebounds.
Thomasma, who received honorable mention Division 2 Coach of the Year recognition last season, knows he has a seasoned, veteran team this fall – with four of the team’s five starters being seniors – while all five players on the bench are underclassmen.
“He is positive, and his criticism is always constructive criticism,” said Goodin. “He gets after us, but he doesn’t just yell at us for no reason.”
Newaygo entered last year’s postseason unranked, before reeling off a series of upsets. The Lions finished 14-0 in the Central State Activities Association Gold and 21-2 overall, with both losses coming against Portland.
Newaygo celebrated its runner-up finish with a new banner for the gymnasium, which was unveiled before a football game Sept. 24. Since that time, Thomasma has tried not to look back.
“These girls are confident because of the success we’ve had the past two years,” said Thomasma, who is assisted by Dan Maki. “But this is a new season. We’re going to attack it and make our own legacy.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS Newaygo's Jaxi Long (13) directs her teammates during last season's Division 2 Semifinal win over Detroit Country Day. (Middle) Kayla Fisk brings the ball up court at the Breslin Center. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)