Heritage Rises to Top of New Division
February 10, 2016
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
SAGINAW TOWNSHIP — Conventional wisdom suggests that Saginaw Heritage received an easier path to an MHSAA hockey championship with its drop from Division 2 to Division 3 this season.
While competing against smaller schools might improve a team's championship hopes in other sports, that scenario doesn't apply to hockey.
All three divisions in the MHSAA Tournament are loaded with traditional powerhouses. The big schools in Division 1, headlined by Detroit Catholic Central, obviously have strength in sheer numbers. In Division 2, Trenton and Birmingham Brother Rice hold their own against anybody year in and year out. Down in Division 3, the road to an MHSAA championship features formidable roadblocks in the form of non-public school heavyweights like Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and any team strong enough to survive a brutal Upper Peninsula Regional.
So, it's pretty much a case of picking your poison.
"I don't think it matters what division you're in," Heritage coach J.J. Bamberger said. "We saw we were in Division 3, and it doesn't matter. Our first-round game against Flint Powers isn't anything different than us being in our first game against Midland High or Midland Dow the last few years. It's not like it gets any easier in any division you're in. In Division 1, 2 or 3, there are a lot of good teams. Hancock, the Division 3 No. 4 team, just beat the No. 1 team in Division 2. It's not any easier wherever you are."
What seemed like a break for Heritage quickly changed when the opening-round pairings were drawn. Right off the bat, the Hawks will face one of the premier Division 3 programs in the state in Flint Powers Catholic at 6 p.m. Feb. 29 at Saginaw-Bay Ice Arena, the Hawks' home rink. Powers has been in the Quarterfinals 14 times in 16 years of Division 3 play, winning a record 32 Regional championships since the MHSAA began sponsoring a hockey tournament in 1974-75.
It will be Heritage's first postseason game in Division 3 after being a Division 2 squad ever since the MHSAA went to a divisional format in 2000. Heritage has made the Quarterfinals six times in Division 2, reaching the Semifinals three times.
Having home-ice advantage against Powers will be a boost for the Hawks, though they may not need one. They have already made a statement to the rest of Division 3, going into Powers' home arena on Feb. 2 and skating off with a decisive 5-2 victory over a team that was riding a 12-game unbeaten streak and No. 2 ranking in Division 3 at the time.
"They're pretty deep," Powers coach Travis Perry said. "Their top line has got a lot of speed, and they gave us a lot of problems. We have to find a way to get ready for them."
That victory put Heritage in sole possession of first place in the Saginaw Valley League, the only thing that mattered to the Hawks on that night. Any thoughts of the game being a postseason preview were brushed aside.
"It's a big win," junior goalie Danny Yockey said. "We haven't won the Saginaw Valley League in seven years; it's ours to lose now."
"It's part of our process of trying to win our league," Bamberger said. "We're taking it one game at a time. We're not worried about anything come playoff time. I told the guys, 'Let's not make this about anything other than tonight.'"
Perhaps an even greater statement was made the following weekend when Heritage ended Hancock's 11-game winning streak, beating the currently second-ranked Bulldogs 4-3 on Feb. 5 in Trenton. The next day, the Hawks won 3-0 over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, which was No. 14 in Division 3 last week.
A four-game winning streak following an 11-1 loss to Toledo St. Francis on Jan. 29 had the Hawks at 17-2 and ranked No. 6 in Division 3 entering this week. The most recent rankings, which came out Wednesday, saw Heritage climb to the top spot.
"It's the chemistry," junior forward Sam Spaedt said. "Most of us juniors and seniors mesh together. We're having fun in the locker room. We're having fun on the ice. The coaches are great, too. The leadership is good. That's what's getting the job done."
Spaedt is far and away Heritage's leading scorer with 42 points, but there's plenty of depth throughout the rest of the lineup. Devan Bayne has 27 points, Gavin Dietrich 26, Chris Cornford 21, Zach Dornseifer 20, Brandon Ashley 17, Hunter Parasiliti 17 and Spencer Vondette 16.
Dietrich's 15 goals and Spaedt's 31 assists are team highs.
"We have a lot of forwards who can really go and really skate," Bamberger said. "We get some different scoring from different lines. I don't consider our fourth line a fourth line, because a fourth line generally doesn't play. Our fourth line not only plays, but they contribute. Each line had a goal (against Powers). From a tenacity standpoint, our guys keep going, keep going; you're going to wear teams down."
Spaedt has been the consummate setup artist for the Hawks, with his point total leaning heavily toward assists. He has 11 goals to go with his 31 assists. Three of those goals have come while shorthanded. His goals have come in bunches, with four two-goal games. He's had at least three assists five times.
"I'm always in a pass-first mentality," Spaedt said. "The guys are great. They bury the puck after I give it to them. If I have a chance to score, I'll take it. I'm happy if the guys give me the puck. The team really meshes well; that's part of the points, too."
For all of his playmaking prowess, Spaedt still ranks third on the team in goals.
"He scores, too," Bamberger said. "To be honest with you, I didn't realize that he's got (11) goals and 30-some assists. I think it's because he's a real smart player. More so than that, we have a lot of finishers on our team. We have a lot of guys who can put it in the net. Whoever he's giving it to, they're putting the puck in the net."
Yockey has played the majority of minutes in goal for Heritage, posting a 12-2 record, a 2.64 goals-against average and an .888 save percentage. In his last three games, all against state-ranked Division 3 teams, he has a 1.67 GAA and a .929 save percentage. Devin Wolfgang is 4-0 with two shutouts, a 0.57 GAA and a .966 save percentage as the backup goalie.
"The forwards are really good at back-checking and we're just smart in our zone," Yockey said.
Before Heritage can focus on the rematch with Powers, the Hawks will look to close out the Saginaw Valley championship with games against Mount Pleasant tonight and Bay City Central on Feb. 17. The pre-tournament tuning-up phase will include a game against Howell, the seventh-ranked team in Division 1, on Feb. 24.
Bill Khan served as a sportswriter at The Flint Journal from 1981-2011 and currently contributes to the State Champs! Sports Network. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Saginaw Heritage’s Mitch Wise, right, prepares for a faceoff during a recent game against Flint Powers Catholic. (Middle) Leading scorer Sam Spaedt rips a shot for the Hawks. (Photos by Bill Khan.)
High 5s: 3/20/12
March 20, 2012
Every Tuesday, Second Half honors 2-4 athletes and a team for its accomplishments.
Have a suggestion for a future High 5? Please offer it by e-mail to [email protected]. Candidates often will have accomplished great things on the field of play -- but also will be recognized for less obvious contributions to their teams, schools or the mission of high school athletics.
Madison Ristovski
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett senior
Basketball
Ristovski led her team to within a win of the Class C championship. She had 15 points and seven assists in a Semifinal win over Concord on Thursday, then scored 42 points -- second-most in MHSAA girls championship game history -- although the Knights fell 61-57 to Morley-Stanwood in Saturday's Final. Earlier in the week, she was named this season's Miss Basketball as the state's top senior player. She was joined on the Knights this season by junior sister Haleigh and freshman sister Lola.
Up next: Ristovski received a scholarship offer from the Unversity of Michigan after her freshman year, and accepted it as a junior. She's hopes to study education, get her teaching certificate and go into school administration.
Before the game, a winning routine: "Every single game day I wear the same outfit to school. I always eat the same pre-game meal -- a cheeseburger and medium fries from McDonald's. I sit in the same spot on the same bus for every game. ... I have to play with curly hair. I can't play with straight hair. I'm very superstitious."
Favorite offensive move: "With my right hand, cross over to the middle and jumpshot."
I learned the most about basketball from: "My dad, Loren Ristovski. My dad first started coaching when I was about nine months old (he coached at Harper Woods for 10 years). That's when he first started taking me into the gym. I could sit up at nine months, and I would roll the ball back and forth with my dad in the gym. I just went to everthing, and I grew up in the gym with my dad."
My favorite player is: "Pistol" Pete Maravich.
Sister power: "I'm really competitive with them in practice. We always go against each other, and we always make sure to push each other the hardest we can. In the games, I'm really supportive of them, but also I tell them when they are doing something wrong. Haleigh is a really good defender, but she can shoot the lights out. Lola can dribble really well and (is strong) in transition. I'm better at going to the basket and finding open players."
Had to be a Wolverine: "When I was in fifth grade, U-M was the very first basketball camp I went to outside of the local rec place and the high school. It was a huge place, and I loved it. My dad and I walked out of Crisler Arena, and my dad looked around and said to me, 'This is where you'll play basketball.' And I was like, 'Are you crazy? Those girls are so big.' My dad said, 'Madison, I promise you'll play at U-M.' Ever since, that's where I wanted to go."
Shar'Rae Davis
Grand Haven senior
Basketball
Davis, a point guard, scored 19 points -- including the winning lay-up with six seconds to play -- as Grand Haven completed an 18-point comeback to beat Grosse Pointe South 54-53 in Saturday's Class A Final at the Breslin Center. The 18-point comeback was the third-biggest in MHSAA girls basketball championship game history. The Buccaneers also beat reigning champion Inkster in their Semifinal. The MHSAA title was Grand Haven's first. The team lost only once this season, early to East Kentwood.
"I'm so happy we lost that game. It definitely gave us a shift back into our mindset that we need to work hard every game to get where we are now -- state champs."
Up next: Davis is remaining quiet at this point about who is recruiting her, but expects to play basketball at the college level.
Staying relaxed before the game: "We definitely listen to music. You would think all us girls would get our heads into it, be super serious. But our team can't be serious. We're an outgoing team. Before (Friday's) game, we were dancing in the locker room. And we definitely have a team prayer thanking God for everything he does for us."
I learned the most about basketball from: "I would have to say my family, every single one. I can't even put it specifically. My dad (Terry Foster), my little brother (Terrence II), my mom (Cavina Foster). They've all just contributed in every way. I love them all."
My favorite player is: "Either Kobe (Bryant) or LeBron (James). Game-wise, they are just pretty amazing. How they're able to stay calm and collected in games, hit shots under pressure, all that type of thing. I try to resemble their games. They're pretty awesome players."
Alexis Huntey
Morley-Stanwood senior
Basketball
Huntey, a 6-foot-1 center, had 27 points and 16 rebounds as Morley-Stanwood won its first MHSAA girls basketball championship by edging Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 61-57 in Saturday's Class C Final. She also played a sizable role in Morley-Stanwood winning its second volleyball championship in the fall. She was named all-state this winter by The Associated Press and was a Miss Volleyball finalist in the fall. At that time she reported a 3.98 grade-point average.
Up next: Huntey has signed to play volleyball this fall at George Washington University. She's continuing a Division I college legacy in her family -- her father and Morley-Stanwood athletic director Clark Huntey played baseball at Central Michigan.
Basketball vs. volleyball championship: "There's definitely a comparable feeling to it. But it's so different. In basketball there are more nerves. Bigger gyms. It's (Michigan) State. I was really excited."
I learned the most about basketball from: "I would have to say Coach (Bob) Raven. I've looked up to him since I was this tall, and I was a water girl. I've always been so excited just to play for him."
Pre-game prep: "We stretch and then we pray as a team. Bailey (Cairnduff) leads it."
My favorite move is: "I fake up to the left, and the go back to the left."
James Counsman
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett junior
Hockey
Counsman, a left win, had a goal and an assist in University Liggett's Division 3 Semifinal win over Chelsea on March 9, then scored his team's first two goals in its 3-0 win over Houghton in the next day's championship game. The MHSAA title was University Liggett's first in hockey since 1990. Counsman also plays lacrosse.
"I've never won anything of this caliber. It's great. I love it. We've done so much. ... Every guy has worked as hard as he can to make this happen. I'm glad we achieved our goal."
Up next: Counsman is just a junior, but hopes to play college hockey, perhaps at the Division III level, and would like to take a shot at playing juniors as well. At this point, he's considering a major in business.
I've learned the most about hockey from: "(Liggett coach) Robb McIntyre. He's coached me all throughout my growing up. He's been an awesome coach. I've learned everything from him."
I look up to: "Definitely my dad (Rich Counsman). He played college sports (football and baseball at Kalamazoo College), and he's just a great guy. I love him."
Before every game: "I gotta get in my jump ropes. I like to get in a nice long run, not too much stretching, and I gotta have a grape jelly peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. That's what we do. I like Smuckers, Jiff peanut butter. There's a process to making these sandwiches. Every guy makes them before games. Individually wrapped, cut diagonally, grape jelly."
Goodrich Girls Basketball
The Martians finished 28-0 in winning the Class B championship, their first MHSAA title. Goodrich beat a number of ranked teams in Class A, B and C this season, including No. 3 Detroit Country Day, No. 6 Dearborn Divine Child and No. 10 Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the final three rounds, respectively, of the Class B tournament. Divine Child was the reigning Class B champion. Among others to fall to the Martians this season were Class A Semifinalist Inkster and Class C runner-up University Liggett.