Mason, Okemos Score for a Cure
November 11, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Three weeks remain in the MHSAA’s 2014 fall season, and we’ve collected a few notes to pass along as we wind down the final three sports before moving inside (except for skiing) for the winter.
Below are an update on a fundraising game we previewed earlier, plus recognition for perfection at our Girls Golf Finals and another high honor for one of the top players in MHSAA volleyball history.
Score for a cure
We wrote in September about an upcoming soccer game between Lansing-area powers that would raise money for pediatric cancer research. The “Compete for a Cause” game between Okemos and Mason on Sept. 13 was the third of what has become an annual event started by Mason’s team and coaching staff.
Attendance for this season’s game was nearly double the year before, and funds raised increased more than 500 percent.
The final tally: Roughly 1,400 fans attended the game, which raised $11,000 that was split between the CureSearch for Children’s Cancer national foundation and the Michigan State University Pediatric Oncology Clinic.
The first “Compete” game in 2012 raised $1,000, and the 2013 game drew 800 fans and raised about $2,000. This fall, Okemos was ranked No. 1 in Division 1 and Mason No. 7 in Division 2 when the game was played; it ended in a 1-1 tie. Both went on to postseason success – Okemos advanced to a Regional Final, and Mason fell to eventual Division 2 champion East Lansing in overtime in their Semifinal.
Only one shot needed
It’s a rarity – most of the time. But for the second straight season, a player at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Girls Golf Finals sunk a hole-in-one.
Grosse Pointe South’s Lucy Buzolitz aced the par-3 No. 12 at Bedford Valley in Battle Creek, dropping the shot from 97 yards out during the first round of Division 1 play. Buzolitz was one of two individual qualifiers from her team and shot a 92-97-189 for the two-day tournament.
At the 2013 Division 2 Final, Fenton then-sophomore Madison Shegos aced the par-3 18th hole at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers East.
Sportswoman of the Year
Former Leland and Penn State University volleyball standout and current U.S. national team setter Alisha Glass was a finalist for 2014 Team Sportswoman of the Year at the 35th Salute to Women in Sports gala in October in New York City.
The event, put on by the Women’s Sports Foundation, annually recognizes a Sportswoman of the Year for both individual and team sports based on nominations by sport governing bodies and the public. Glass was one of 10 candidates this year for the team award after being named USA Volleyball Indoor Female Athlete of the Year in 2013. She also was named International Federation of Volleyball’s best setter at the 2014 World Championship in Italy after helping the United States to the title.
Olympic gold medal-winning ice dancer Meryl Davis received the Sportswoman of the Year team award, while the individual award when to gymnastics all-around world champion Simone Biles.
PHOTOS: (Top) Members of the Mason and Okemos boys soccer teams present a check for $5,500 to the MSU Pediatric Oncology Clinic and Dr. Renuka Gera last month. (Middle) Lucy Buzolitz receives a plaque recognizing her hole-in-one at the Division 2 Golf Final from Bedford Valley head pro Dean Kolstad.
Brandywine Seizes Momentum on Dunk, Rides Surge to 1st Championship Win
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 16, 2024
EAST LANSING – It may be a stretch to believe a lone play early in a third quarter could decide a state championship game, but that's the best explanation Niles Brandywine could offer.
A steal and ensuing slam dunk ignited eight dominating minutes that earned the Bobcats their first MHSAA Finals title with Saturday's 56-48 win over Detroit Old Redford in Division 3 at the Breslin Center.
A steal and subsequent dunk by senior guard Jaremiah Palmer during the third period's opening seconds were what players credited with turning around a contest which saw Brandywine actually outscore Old Redford in just that one quarter.
"Jaremiah got the steal and the dunk, and we just kept it going after that," senior guard Byron Linley said. "We saw his intensity, and we wanted to match it."
Prior to Palmer's steal and basket, Niles Brandywine had led only 4-1 midway through the first quarter and for less than three minutes of the second quarter, entering halftime down 24-23.
But Palmer's exploits kicked off a 20-5 third-quarter surge which led the Bobcats to as much as a 44-31 lead halfway through the period.
"Our goal was to come here and win and finish (the season) in a good way, and we did," Jaremiah Palmer said.
Senior guard Jamier Palmer said it wasn't the first time the Bobcats have rallied in the second half, and the steal and dunk were at least a key part of the championship win.
"I think so," he said. "We've been down before and fought our way back. Against Benton Harbor we were down like 20 points, and we still made that game ours."
Senior center Brock Dye said at halftime players talked about making a big play.
"We knew we had to change things, that we couldn't be one stop short," he said. "Then we got the dunk, and everything changed quickly. It energized us. We told ourselves, 'OK, we're here to play.'"
Brandywine coach Nate Knapp, whose team has won 51 games over the last two seasons, said while the steal and dunk played a part, he also credited defense. The team gave up an average of just 39 points over seven tournament wins. Old Redford (21-8) shot just 38 percent from the floor while missing 16 of 18 3-point attempts.
"We have five guys on the floor and one heartbeat," Knapp said. "We take things one step at a time. That's what we preach, and that's what the kids buy into."
Jaremiah Palmer finished with18 points, six rebounds and three steals while Ja'Torian Smith had seven points and 10 rebounds.
Sophomore Jaylin Muldrow had 14 points and Ja'Quan Stennis added 10 for Old Redford. The Ravens started only one senior in forward Justin Adams, while underclassmen scored all 48 points.
Old Redford coach Ray Reeves said the team settled for jump shots instead of getting the ball inside, and also set far too many picks on offense. Brandywine held a 36-27 advantage on the boards, with 13 offensive rebounds.
"They were more aggressive than us, and I think experience came into play," he said. "We've been outrebounding teams, and tonight they killed us. There are no excuses, we just didn't rebound or get to the line. They dominated both.
"From the middle of the first quarter on, they attacked the boards and got the ball down the floor. They did the things that got us here."
Knapp said defense has been a strength all season.
"Defense wins big games; you've got to defend," he said. "We said tonight we've got to do one of our best jobs of stopping their penetration and help box out. We came out and imposed our will in the third quarter.”
PHOTOS (Top) Jaremiah Palmer slam dunks during Niles Brandywine’s Division 3 championship win Saturday at Breslin Center. (Middle) Jamier Palmer (1) raises the trophy surrounded by teammates. (Below) Old Redford’s Jaylin Muldrow (1) gets to the basket with Jaremiah Palmer defending. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)