#TBT: Inkala Celebrated as Athlete, Coach
June 25, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The mid-Michigan and statewide tennis communities are mourning the death last weekend of longtime Okemos girls coach Al Inkala, who led the Chieftains to four MHSAA championships over a 20-season tenure that ended in 2013. He was 66 years old.
From 1994-2004, his Okemos girls tennis teams finished either first or second at their MHSAA Finals all but 1996, and his 1998-2001 teams won four straight Division 2 titles. But those were his only final chapters to a high school career that began as one of the most accomplished athletes of his time from the Upper Peninsula, where he played football, basketball, tennis, baseball and ran track for Wakefield before graduating in 1967.
A 6-foot-5 center, Inkala was a Class C all-state basketball selection as a senior, leading the Cardinals to the MHSAA Class C Semifinals with 33 points in an 85-60 Quarterfinal win over Gaylord. A three-year varsity basketball player, Inkala scored a school-record 540 points as a senior and a school-record 1,160 for his career. He also scored a school-record 42 points against Baraga during the 1966-67 season as Wakefield strung together its first undefeated regular-season finish. Inkala was second in his league in scoring after finishing first as a junior and made the all-U.P. Class C team after both of those seasons.
Inkala also was selected for the top senior basketball award for the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference by the largest margin ever accorded for the award to that point, and based not only on his athletic proficiency but also good sportsmanship.
His prowess extended far beyond the basketball court. In tennis, Inkala was undefeated at singles as a senior until his second match of the U.P. Finals – in those days, there was only one division in the Upper Peninsula, and only one flight for singles and one for doubles at all MHSAA Finals – as he led Wakefield to a fifth-place team finish. He was the singles champion in the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference.
Inkala ran four events – the 220-yard dash, 120-yard high hurdles and half-mile and mile relays – in helping Wakefield to its Regional track &field title in 1967. Wakefield then finished second as a team at the U.P. Class C Final, with Inkala taking fifth in the high hurdles.
As noted above, Inkala also played baseball and football; on the football team, he played both offense and defense and was the punter. Inkala also served as his class president, sung in the school chorus and was part of the conservation club at Wakefield High, about a 20-minute drive from the Wisconsin border.
He went on to play basketball at Northern Michigan University, serving as a team captain as a senior in 1970-71. He led the team in rebounding that winter and sits 30th on NMU’s single-season rebounding list and 12th on the career list, having played in 90 games over his four seasons.
On a personal note, Inkala was a huge help to me covering mid-Michigan girls tennis while at the Lansing State Journal from 1999-2011. He was the best of coaches when it came to being honest about his players’ abilities and making sure those from other schools got deserved recognition as well – especially during a period when his teams’ No. 5 singles and doubles players could’ve played the top flights for nearly every school in the surrounding area and likely beyond.
The stories heard around our office this week focused on how he worked to give Okemos’ opponents the best experiences possible when facing his incredibly-talented teams.
Against those with just enough players to fill a lineup, or teams with most athletes in perhaps only their first few seasons of play, he’d fill his lineup with players who otherwise didn’t see the court when Okemos faced others of the state’s elite. The Chieftains shared their equipment and knowledge with many opponents, providing humble leadership in a tennis community that embodied a coach who gave the same always from the background and with little fanfare despite deserving much.
The Lansing State Journal talked to a number of his area counterparts this week; click here for that report.
Inkala died June 20. A memorial service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Sunday at Okemos Community Church.
PHOTOS: (Top) Al Inkala, far left, accepts with his teammates the Class C District championship trophy during the 1967 season. (Middle) Inkala launches a free throw during the title game against Ontonagon. (Below) Inkala led his Okemos girls tennis teams to six MHSAA championships. (Top photos courtesy of the Ironwood Daily Globe; bottom courtesy of the Lansing State Journal.)
Frankfort Advances in Memorable Fashion
March 14, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Either way late in Friday night’s Division 4 Semifinal, Frankfort was headed to the record book.
For most of the first three quarters, it seemed the Panthers were cruising toward reaching the MHSAA championship round for the first time.
Then, over six minutes of game time, they found themselves running the risk of being on the wrong end of the largest comeback in Finals weekend history.
After senior Ethan Ness’ free throw with eight seconds left on the clock, and then one more stop on the other end of the court, Frankfort emerged with a 44-43 win over Wyoming Tri-unity Christian to reach the final day of the season for the first time in this sport.
The Panthers will take on Southfield Christian in Saturday’s first Final at 10 a.m., after a day to recover from also watching a 23-point lead dissolve between the third and fourth quarters.
“We trust our teammates. If we go down, we get ready, we get back up, and we trust everyone on this team,” Frankfort sophomore guard Jack Stefanski said. “Everyone is here for a reason. We’ll fight through anything.
“This has never happened in Frankfort history for boys, and no one thought we’d be good this year. … We knew we had to step up this year, with a new coach and new players. We had to start our legacy, and this is how we started.”
And for all the reasons mentioned above, it was unforgettable.
Frankfort (21-5) did graduate its top six players from last season, and coach Dan Loney did take the program over this winter after previously serving as an assistant. The Panthers did finish second in the annually-strong Northwest Conference – but then lost to sub-.500 Buckley in the regular-season finale and needed overtime wins twice to get to Breslin Center.
Thursday’s start, against a Tri-unity program with four Class D championships and four more runner-up finishes, was truly impressive. In part with a 10-0 run to finish the first half, Frankfort took a 26-12 advantage into the break, then opened the third quarter with nine more consecutive points to make it 35-12 with 2:22 to go in the period.
But longtime Tri-unity coach Mark Keeler had a card or two left to play – namely, a defensive press that contributed to 10 Frankfort turnovers over an ensuing 27-2 comeback.
“I’ve had that happen before, having coached as long as I have. The key is we need to focus on defense – but saying it and doing it are two different things,” said Keeler, who has led the team to 599 wins over 32 seasons.
“When we went to the press … they finally made up their minds that they wanted to give it everything they had. All of a sudden they were focused on defense, not focused on offense, and that takes the pressure off. You relax, and all of a sudden you’re getting shots to fall.”
The Defenders (22-4) took a 39-37 lead on senior Elijah Badgero’s basket with 4:08 to play.
But like in nine other games won by six or fewer points this season, Frankfort came through. First, senior guard Will Newbold tied the score with 3:26 to play. Ness gave the Panthers a three-point lead at 2:39 with a long-range shot, and Newbold made the margin four with a free throw with 55 seconds left.
They needed every one of those points, as Tri-unity senior Brayden Ophoff and freshman Brady Titus sunk buckets to bring the score even at 43-43 with 20 seconds to play. But Ness was fouled on the next possession and connected on one of two free-throw tries to take back the lead once more. A group of Panthers held their ground in the lane on Tri-unity’s final attempt for the win, and Frankfort celebrated.
“I’m not sure why it keeps coming down to this,” Loney said. “We knew they would make a run at some point tonight. It was not going to be a blowout by any means. When they brought that full court pressure, it rattled the guys a little bit.
“(But) these guys have found ways to win close games all year. They’re a resilient bunch, no matter what the score is. I can’t tell you guys how many close games we’ve had like this this year, and these kids have stepped up to the plate and ended with a win.”
Newbold led the Panthers with 16 points and four steals. Ness finished with 11 points and six rebounds, Stefanski had seven points and 13 rebounds and senior forward Jack Reznich had five assists and six rebounds.
Senior Bennett Sinner led Tri-unity with 16 points and six steals, and grabbed eight rebounds. Badgero had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
PHOTOS: (Top) Frankfort’s Ethan Ness (22) sets up the offense while Brady Titus defends. (Middle) Jack Stefanski (0) looks for an open teammate Thursday with Brayden Ophoff applying pressure.