Countdown to Calvin: Girls Report Week 8
January 22, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This week’s “Countdown to Calvin” came with some tougher choices than usual.
Our “Week in Review” of the top five meaningful games could’ve been 10, at least. Our “Watch List” is growing in every class – and we had enough jump out this week especially in Class A that finding more to highlight the rest of the way won’t be difficult.
Countdown to Calvin is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. To offer corrections or help us fill in missing scores, email me at [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Kingsley 61, Maple City Glen Lake 45 – The Stags made a big statement in the Northwest Conference, remaining undefeated overall while handing Glen Lake its first defeat of 2017-18.
2. Detroit Mumford 44, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 35 – A string of three losses at the end of December is becoming a memory for Mumford with big wins like this one over last year’s Class B runner-up, now arguably the favorite in Class C.
3. Grand Rapids South Christian 57, East Grand Rapids 40 – The Sailors stand alone atop the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold standings after handing the Pioneers their first league loss and second defeat overall.
4. Gaylord St. Mary 41, Bellaire 39 – St. Mary moved a game up in the Ski Valley Conference standings and should in statewide Class D regard after this meeting of teams that are a combined 19-3.
5. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 52, New Boston Huron 47 (OT) – The Kestrels moved into first place alone in the Huron League with just one loss overall after handing Huron its first this season.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each class making sparks:
CLASS A
East Kentwood (12-0) – The Falcons arguably have been the most impressive team in the state. After finishing Class A runner-up last season, East Kentwood opened this one with eight wins by at least 16 points. The Falcons then won closer over O-K Red rivals Grand Haven (8-3) and Caledonia (8-2), but upped the margin again beating second-place Hudsonville (9-3) by 31 on Friday.
St. Clair Shores Lakeview (12-0) – Last season’s 21-2 run ended abruptly in a District Final loss, but that’s proving to be just a bump as the Huskies are cruising again. Fraser has come closest to catching them, falling by only 11 on Dec. 12 – and Lakeview won the rematch Friday by 29. The Huskies also own a 20-point win over New Baltimore Anchor Bay, the next-best team in the Macomb Area Conference Blue.
CLASS B
Armada (9-1) – The Tigers won 13 games a year ago and finished second in the Blue Water Area Conference to Croswell-Lexington. Armada now sits in first in the league thanks to a 44-42 win over the Pioneers on Friday, with two more league wins by four points or fewer. The only loss came last week as well, by two to Marlette.
Stanton Central Montcalm (13-0) – The Hornets’ 17 wins last season represented an increase for the fourth straight winter, and they’re making an even bigger splash. Not only is Central Montcalm undefeated in a Central State Activities Association Gold that also includes Big Rapids (11-1) and Reed City (9-2), but the Hornets have 10 wins by double digits and another nice victory over Class A Greenville (7-3).
CLASS C
Allen Park Cabrini (8-2) – The Monarchs opened 0-2 but haven’t lost since Dec. 5, their latest win a one-pointer over Madison Heights Bishop Foley. That was one of only two single-digit wins during the run – Riverview Gabriel Richard got within five earlier this month. Big games against Wixom St. Catherine and Royal Oak Shrine over the next two weeks will be telling.
Harbor Springs (7-4) – Harbor Springs finds itself with some intriguing opportunities in the Lake Michigan Conference after upsetting Kalkaska 47-42 on Friday despite falling to the reigning league co-champion big twice last winter. The Rams this week get first place Traverse City St. Francis and second-place Charlevoix, with more visions of vengeance no doubt.
CLASS D
Chassell (10-1) – Since falling to L’Anse by four points in its opener, Chassell is undefeated and nearly unchallenged with only one other single-digit game – against Baraga on Dec. 12. The Panthers are first and Baraga is second in the Copper Country division of the Copper Mountain Conference after Chassell finished third a year ago.
Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian (11-0) – The Swordsmen are building off Northern Lakes Conference and District titles last season, and excelling. They won an overtime game early over Harbor Springs (see above), but aside from a close win right after over Alanson have dominated. Harbor Light also has a 25-point win over NLC second-place Mackinaw City with their second meeting coming up next week.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Detroit Country Day (8-1) at Detroit Edison Public School Academy (9-1) – The reigning Class B and Class C champions, respectively, remain among heavy favorites in those brackets.
Tuesday – Bloomfield Hills Marian (9-1) at Farmington Hills Mercy (11-1) – This rivalry means as much as ever, as Marian won the first meeting 53-46 and the winner of this one could end up Detroit Catholic League Central champion.
Tuesday – Cedarville (11-1) at St. Ignace (10-0) – These are among the best small-school teams in the Upper Peninsula, with a 61-29 Saints win Dec. 6 the difference between which is undefeated.
Tuesday – Tecumseh (7-3) at Chelsea (10-1) – Both are undefeated in Southeastern Conference White play, Chelsea ahead in the standings with one more league win.
Friday – Macomb Dakota (9-2) at Warren Cousino (8-4) – After a 3-3 start, Cousino is surging in Macomb Area Conference Red play and can move into a tie for first place with Dakota if it can avenge a nine-point loss to the Cougars from Jan. 9.
PHOTOS: Grand Rapids South Christian, here against Ada Forest Hills Eastern, has surged into the top spot in the O-K Gold. (Photo courtesy of the Grand Rapids South Christian athletic department.)
Kent City Shooting for Long Tourney Run
March 7, 2019
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
RAVENNA – As Zara Weber explains it, part of growing up in Kent City is learning how to properly shoot the basketball.
“They start us young at camps, working on our form and things like that,” said Weber, one of two senior starters for Kent City (18-4), which rolled over Holton 55-13 on Wednesday and into Friday’s Division 3 District Final against Muskegon Western Michigan Christian at Ravenna.
“They get us started, and then it’s up to all of us to put in the time. We spend a lot of time in the gym. A few of us made it our goal to shoot 10,000 3-pointers over the summer.”
So, for Weber, the 3-pointer that she made late in the first quarter on Wednesday was just another shot – but it was also the shot that tied the team state record for most 3-pointers made in a season.
It was fitting that the record-breaking trey, which came less than a minute later, was made by a reserve, senior Janelle Krueger – because all of these Eagles can shoot.
“Almost every girl on the team can shoot it,” said 10th-year Kent City coach Scott Carlson, who knows something about scoring as the all-time leading scorer in school history with 1,263 career points. “I don’t think the record really mattered. We knew we were getting close. I just have a great shooting team.”
Kent City, which was ranked No. 8 in the final Associated Press Division 3 poll, finished with eight 3-pointers on Wednesday, pushing its season total to 244 – and breaking the old record of 237 triples by Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central set in 2005.
The boys state record is 356 by Whitmore Lake in 2009-2010.
Carlson did not make a big deal about the state record. The game was not stopped after Krueger’s record-setting shot, and no announcement was made; in fact, most of the Eagles did not know until after the game.
Earlier this year, Kent City broke the state record for 3-pointers in a single game, making 25 in a home win over Holton. Kent City had the previous record of 23 in a single game, set during the 2012-2013 season, when current assistant coaches Kendal Carlson and Aleah Holcomb were on the roster.
How do they do it?
The Eagles’ motion offense normally features four players spotted up at different points along the 3-point arc, with players taking turns driving and kicking it back out to one of those players, who are always ready to shoot. KC shoots 32 percent from 3-point range and averages 11 treys per game.
The “big three” for KC all season long has been Weber and sophomore standouts Jenna Harrison and Kenzie Bowers – who have all made more than 50 3-pointers this season. The other starters for the Eagles are sophomore Audrey Dreyer and senior Lauren Freeland, an all-state track and cross country standout who will run at Michigan State next year.
“Shooters got to shoot,” explained Harrison, who led all scorers on Wednesday with 13 points, including two 3-pointers. “We know that we have to shoot if we are open; that’s the way our offense works. If the defense comes out on us, then we have to drive.”
The Eagles know their games will keep getting tougher, starting with Friday’s District championship game against Western Michigan Christian. If the Eagles prevail, it could set up a blockbuster Regional Semifinal matchup at home Monday against top-ranked Pewamo-Westphalia.
“That’s the game everyone in town is talking about, but we’re just taking them one at a time,” Harrison said.
The Eagles’ outstanding season has been a pleasant diversion for Carlson, who has experienced more family tragedies resulting from car crashes than any one man should ever have to endure.
In 1989, his younger brother Todd was paralyzed in a car accident. One year later, his younger sister Shannon was paralyzed and suffered a closed head injury in a car accident. In 2009, his mother, Jane, died in another car accident (Todd lost his right leg in the same accident).
Then last August, Todd – who served as an assistant coach for the Eagles and helped run Kent City’s youth basketball program for 15 years – died in yet another crash at the age of 49.
“It’s been tough because he was such a big part of this team,” said Carlson. “I’ve learned you just have to keep going forward. Basketball is something we have always had to focus on and work on.”
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: (Top) Kent City’s Jenna Harrison lines up to shoot a 3-pointer against Cedar Springs during a Feb. 19 win. (Middle) Mikayla Loew (21) looks for an opening around the perimeter. (Photos courtesy of the Kent City athletic department/Sue Harrison.)