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North Central Nearing Regional Opportunity
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
March 8, 2019
POWERS – A group of female athletes at North Central High School hopes to accomplish something no other girls basketball team at its school has done since 1980.
Bring home a Regional championship trophy.
The Jets (16-6) took the first step toward their goal Monday night in a 65-25 victory over Republic-Michigamme (3-16) in a Division 4 District opener on their home floor.
"We just wanted to set the tone for the rest of the District," said sophomore Andie Arsenault, who averages nearly 13 points a game. "We wanted to gain some confidence. This is a very important step."
The Jets followed with a 54-42 triumph at Felch North Dickinson (9-12) Wednesday night, earning the right to host Stephenson (10-9) in tonight’s championship game.
"I was pretty excited to be playing our first District game at home," said senior Jadie Linder, who averages slightly more than 9.5 ppg. "I never played against (Republic-Michigamme) before. It was just business as usual. We weren't looking past anyone. We got off to a good start, which helped me relax. I'm usually super nervous at first."
North Central is shooting for its first District title in six years.
A victory tonight would send the Jets to next week's Regional tournament at Kingsford, knowing there's a strong possibility if they win that round that they could face top-ranked St. Ignace (22-0) in a Quarterfinal game at Marquette.
"Our goal is to win the Regional and get a shot at St. Ignace," said senior Chloe Wells, who averages 12.5 ppg. "It was real important for us to win the first District game. I think it shows other teams we mean business. Our press is pretty intense. It can get other teams frustrated and intimidated. We've all become more comfortable with our shot, and balanced scoring has helped. Everybody has shared in the success."
Junior Bree Arsenault, who averages nearly 11 points, said she enjoys the camaraderie she shares with her teammates.
"We're all real close," she added. "It's easy to play well when you're surrounded by people you get along with. I think we're in a good mold. We're all ready to score and play defense. I think this just shows we're capable of getting things done. It's real exciting to go through this with people who are your best friends."
Coach Lee Vincent likes the way the Jets play defense and share the ball.
"Our team defense and being unselfish with the ball has been key," he said. "If someone's open, they're going to get the ball. Alex Neville has been playing tough, and Hailey Pavlat is coming on. We talk to the girls about taking one game at a time. Their attitude has been great. They all can score. Different girls have taken their turn being the leading scorer."
North Central, like other teams, has lost practice time due to the weather.
"I know all the schools are affected by it," said Vincent. "You get on a roll, then you lose a week. Kids tend to lay around when they're not in school. When they're in school, they're together going to class and talking about the game."
Among the team's highlights this winter was a 45-37 triumph at neighboring Bark River-Harris on Jan. 28.
The Jets also have learned some lessons along the way.
"When we beat them (BR-H) it really got us pumped up," said Wells. "After our loss at Carney-Nadeau (50-46 on Feb. 9) we learned we just have to play better defense and become more confident in our shot."
The Jets are well aware other factors also can come into play.
"We definitely have to stay out of foul trouble and stay healthy," said Vincent. "We want to peak at the right time."
PHOTOS: (top) Powers North Central’s Delaney Smith, left, shuts down a drive against Republic-Michigamme on Monday. (Middle) Jadie Linder puts up a jumper during the District win. (Photos courtesy of the Escanaba Daily Press.)
![Hart's Girls & Boys Basketball Teams](/sites/default/files/2023-03/230323_Hart_2H.jpg)
Teams of the Month: Hart Girls & Boys Basketball
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 23, 2023
Few communities in Michigan this winter celebrated as many sizable basketball achievements as small-town Hart.
The 2,000-resident Oceana County seat, about seven miles off the Lake Michigan shore and sitting about 20 miles south of Ludington and 30 north of Muskegon, celebrated accomplishments by both its girls and boys basketball teams that carried statewide significance – and made choosing either over the other’s impossible.
The Hart girls and boys basketball teams are the MHSAA/Applebee’s “Teams of the Month” for February, and this announcement is coming toward the end of March as both just kept winning and adding to their season-long lists of feats.
The Pirates girls made the first major headline when they defeated second-place Mason County Central 51-32 on Feb. 10 to clinch the outright West Michigan Conference Rivers championship. The Hart girls had also won the formerly one-division WMC in 2021-22, and this year’s run ran their league winning streak to 31 games.
Then the boys took their turn, clinching a share of the Rivers championship Feb. 17 with a 67-51 win over North Muskegon and then the title outright by defeating Mason County Central 63-45 on Feb. 23. This league title received some statewide buzz as it was the Hart boys’ first since 1963.
A week later, Hart’s boys finished a 22-0 regular season – becoming the only boys team, and joined by only three girls teams – to go 22-0 this first season that MHSAA member schools were allowed to play 22 games instead of the previous longtime maximum of 20.
The Hart boys then drew into one of the strongest Districts in the state in any division, with the Division 2 group at Big Rapids including four league champions. The Pirates opened with a win over the host Cardinals – winners of the Central State Activities Association – before ending their season at 23-1 with a loss to Big North Conference co-champ Cadillac in the District Final.
The Pirates girls, meanwhile, had clinched their Division 3 District with a third win over Mason County Central, and then won a Regional by edging two-time reigning Finals runner-up Kent City 37-34 – in the process also avenging Hart’s first loss of this season, from Dec. 20. The Regional title was the Hart girls' first since 1992.
Next up was 23-1 Buchanan – and Hart made its biggest statewide splash by handing the Bucks a 45-41 Quarterfinal defeat that sent the Pirates to the MHSAA Girls Basketball Semifinals for the first time.
Hart would end up falling to eventual champion Hemlock 57-26 at Breslin Center, finishing the season 24-4.
“I said it the other day: We’re kinda overlooked. Last year we had a really good team, probably one injury away from another run like this,” said Hart girls basketball coach Travis Rosema during the press conference after the Semifinal. “It started with people investing into the girls. Now that players like Aspen (Boutell) and Abbey (Hicks) have made this run, I saw so many young faces. … We left this morning, the elementary school was packed, and every kid had a sign. It’s a positive impact (and) it’s going to be a lot moving forward.”
The Pirates girls were keyed by Hicks, a junior, sophomore Addi Hovey and Boutell, one of three senior starters.
The boys were paced by senior Parker Hovey, who went over 1,000 points for his career and will continue at Hope College.
Past Teams of the Month, 2022-23
January: Taylor Trillium Academy bowling - Report
December: Byron Center hockey - Report
November: Martin football - Report
October: Gladwin volleyball - Report
September: Negaunee girls tennis - Report
(PHOTOS by Kara Raeth/CatchMark SportsNet.)