Next Generation Sports

HOOPS: Lumen Christi vs. Owosso

2009-01-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

**sophomore Dan Chilcote**
**Owosso had problems containing Chilcote**

**Joe Blanchett looking to shoot**

**Jay Willis sizes up his opponent**

Owosso- Friday night I headed out to Owosso to check out the Trojans’ game verse Jackson Lumen Christi. Lumen Christi has a balanced attack as five players scored nine or more points but leading the way, just like he has done all season, was sophomore Dan Chilcote. The 6-7 wing forward is off to a solid sophomore season as he fills up the stat sheet on a nightly basis and Friday night wasn't any different in Lumen Christi’s 67-51 win over the Trojans.

Chilcote came alive in the second quarter by following up a long 2-pointer with a drive and dish to Sean Gallant to spark Lumen Christi to a 8-0 run and a 21-13 lead. But then Chilcote picked up his third foul and was forced to spend the rest of the quarter on the bench. While on the bench, Chilcote’s teammates held their own as they managed to take a 29-18 lead into the half.

While I made the trip to evaluate Chilcote’s progress, I left impressed with another player- Owosso’s Joe Blanchett. Blanchett has a pure stroke from deep and did his best to keep his team at bay. The junior guard scored eight points in the final two minutes of the third quarter to trail 49-37. But in the end Lumen Christi had just too much beef down low for Owosso to contend with in 6-7 Chilcote, 6-6 Gallant, and 6-5 Zach Thomas.

BREAKDOWN: Lumen Christi improves to 3-0 in CAAC-Red play and the Titans can also make some noise in March as they play in a pretty soft district and teams will have trouble matching up with their size.

It was evident that Owosso lives and dies by the 3-pointer, and against Lumen the Trojans just couldn’t get shots to fall but you also have to credit Lumen’s defense for that. Owosso can get hot on certain nights just like I'm guessing they did when they beat Grand Ledge earlier in the season.

PLAYER OF GAME: Dan Chilcote, Lumen Christi second quarter foul trouble limited Chilcote’s minutes but it didn’t slow down his production. As a sophomore Chilcote is the key to his team’s success as he contributes in every aspect of the game, his stat line against Owosso read- 18 points, 11 boards, 4 assist, and 3 blocks.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Joe Blanchett, Owosso- very crafty with the ball and he knows how to get open. He never quits moving, he constantly was running off picks trying to free himself up. As good as Blanchett is shooting he’s just as smooth putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket, finished with 19 points.

Sean Gallant, LC- 6-6 senior who is more productive in the post but isn’t bad handling the ball out on the perimeter. Chipped in with 9 points.

Zach Thomas, LC- he’s listed at 6-5 but looks a lot taller due to his frame, especially the width of his shoulders. Showed off some decent post moves on the block, also chipped in with 9 points.

GIRL'S TEAM RANKINGS: 1-16

2009-01-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

Below is the NGS "BIG 50" along with team rankings for every class.

CLASS A
1. Arthur Hill
Rebounded from a season opener loss at Brighton to win six straight. Juanita Cochran, Kiah Douglas, and Corie Buchanan form the state's best defensive trio.
2. East Lansing
Sami Tucker and Klarissa Bell have the Trojans at a perfect 8-0, but needed a fourth quarter rally to beat Class B- Eaton Rapids at home on Tuesday.
3. Brighton
Quite impressive so far with a 6-1 record that includes a win over Arthur Hill with lone loss coming to East Lansing.
4. Detroit Renaissance
A 6-2 record with both looses being by single digits to Country Day and Arthur Hill on the road. Forwards Lorreal Jones and Asia Boyd are two of the state's best!
5. Benton Harbor
Destiny Williams will keep the Tigers competitive and highly ranked with a 6-1 record, however only loss was by nearly 20 points to Detroit Community.
6. Canton
7. Midland High
8. East Kentwood
9. Ann Arbor Huron
10. Grosse Pointe North

CLASS B
1. Country Day
Every night a different D-1 prospect has led the way as the Yellowjackets continue to make statement wins in Michigan and Ohio.
2. Detroit Community
Big win over Benton Harbor has everyone thinking that Community just may have a shot against Country Day. Nya Jordan and Crystal Bradford have been fantastic!
3. Grand Rapids C.C.
Building a nice resume with wins over Powers, Nouvel, and Rockford.
4. Flint Powers
As Grace Herzog continues her strong play the 8-1 Chargers will only get better. Sure bet the Chargers would like another shot against G.R.C.C.
5. Dewitt
Rebounded from a loss to East Lansing with a win over conference rival Eaton Rapids to stand at 6-1.
6. Zeeland East
7. Grand Rapids Christian
8. Haslett
9. Goodrich
10. Eaton Rapids

CLASS C
1. Flint Hamady
Michigan State commit Jasmine Thomas is just one of Hamady's D-1 prospects...could this be the year Hamady finally gets by Nouvel?
2. Nouvel C.C.
An embarrassing losses to Country Day still lingers, but this veteran team is still an elite team in Class C, having Jenny Ryan doesn't hurt either.
3. Houghton
The Gremlins are a perfect 8-0
4. Morley Stanwood
April Emerson and Alexis Huntley have led Stanwood to a 7-0 record.
5. Sandusky
Marissa DeMotte is making her case for Class C player of the year as she has led her team to a 7-1 record.
6. Laingsburg
7. Michigan Center
8. McBain
9. Saginaw Valley Lutheran
10. Flint Beecher

CLASS D
1. New Lothrop
Defending champs have shot out to a 8-1 record with lone loss coming to rival Flint Hamady by 12 points. Ashley Root heads a balance scoring attack.
2. Marine City Cardinal Mooney
The Threut sisters- Sammy, Allie, and Sarah, are perfect at 8-0.
3. Cedarville
Jessica Duncan has picked up where she left off as Cedarville is undefeated at 8-0.
4. Michigan Lutheran Seminary
MLS is 6-1 with a loss to Nouvel is season opener. 6-0 wing Gracie Baumgartner just might be the best player in Class D!
5. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
First year head coach Damon Brown has a rebuilt Sacred Heart team sitting at 8-1.
6. Portland St. Patrick
7. Birmingham Roeper
8. Muskegon Catholic Central
9. Johannesburg- Lewiston
10. Ontonagon

“BIG 50”
1. Country Day
2. Arthur Hill
3. Detroit Community
4. East Lansing
5. Brighton
6. Detroit Renaissance
7. Grand Rapids C.C.
8. Flint Powers
9. Benton Harbor
10. Flint Hamady
11. Canton
12. Midland High

Has surprised the SVL with an 8-0 record that includes wins over Midland Dow and Cadillac. Big game tonight against Arthur Hill.
13. East Kentwood
14. Ann Arbor Huron

Tyler Hardy has Huron at 6-0 while the senior joined the 1,000 point club this week.
15. Grosse Pointe North

Don't look now but guess who's back? Ariel Braker scored 19 in her first game back and expect to see North quickly climb this list.

16. Birmingham Marian
17. Detroit Pershing
18. Zeeland East
19. Flushing
Big win at Midland Dow but the loss to Powers hurts, but Flushing will see Powers two more times in conference play.
20. Midland Dow
One of the elite teams in the state on paper with Becca Mills and Jessica Schroll but Dow didn't look good in losses to Flushing and Midland.
21. Southfield Lathrup
22. Okemos
23. Grosse Point South
24. Flint Northern
Despite a 4-3 record, with losses to Arthur Hill, Marian, and Ann Arbor Huron, the Vikings can play and will compete for the SVL title.
25. Haslett
26. West Bloomfield
27. Grandville
28. Nouvel C.C.
29. Livonia Franklin
30. Grand Rapids Christian
31. New Lothrop
32. Dewitt
33. Temperance Bedford
34. Chippewa Valley
35. Lake Orion
36. Marine City Cardinal Mooney
37. Ypsilanti
38. Howell
39. North Farmington
40. K-Zoo Loy Norrix
41. Detroit Cody
42. Hartland
43. Houghton
44. Walled Lake Central
45. Detroit Mumford
46. Utica Ford
47. Muskegon Mona Shores
48. Monroe
49. Cedarville
50. South Lyon

HOOPS: Northwestern vs. Northern

2009-01-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

**sophomore Shaq Smith**
**Walter Trouser scored a career high 28 points**
**sophomore Shaun Coffer**

**Northwestern's Trence Cureton**

FLINT- Monday night Flint Northwestern and Flint Northern got together for a big time rivalry game with two schools that sit less than 5 miles apart from each other. Northern held ground on their home court with a 66-61 win in a hard fought game.

Northern held a 16-12 lead heading into the second quarter and guards Shaquille Smith and Carlos Benton were getting plenty of open looks in the opening quarter, forcing Northwestern to switch defenses to a 2-3 zone. The move worked as Northern went cold trying to shoot over the zone and only scored 5 points in the second quarter.

While Northern was going through their shooting woes Northwestern was off and running. Three buckets from Walter Trouser keyed a Wildcat 10-0 run to give Northwestern a 19-16 lead. Three of Northern's five second quarter points came on a Demetrius Peterson 3-pointer as the halftime horn sounded to cut Northwestern's lead to 22-21.

In the second half 5-5 sophomore Shaun Coffer exploited the Wildcat zone and his ability to break down the zone gave Northern their scoring edge back. Northern regained the lead on a Smith lay up with less than five minutes to play in the fourth quarter. The Vikings then switched defenses to a full court press and two forced turnovers turned into easy baskets for Smith and Benton to take a 56-62 lead with 3:26 to play. Those baskets proved to be the game's difference as Northern held off Northwestern for the remainder of the game.

BREAKDOWN: I won't get into any DeAndre Upchurch conversation but I will say Northwestern is not the same team anymore. Even without the obvious, (Upchurch's scoring) the Wildcats just seem to be unfocused and you can tell as a team that they are hurting on and off the floor without their teammate. But while they are struggling right now, don't expect to just see this team fade away because Coach Bush and staff will make sure this team bounce back.

On the other side, I like what I see out of Northern- they have some fight in them and they have a solid group of young talented players in Smith, Fisher, and Coffer. As this core continues to improve Northern will be tough to beat for the next couple of years.

PLAYER OF GAME: Shaq Smith, Northern- the sophomore 2-guard was quite impressive, although he did manage to pick up three fouls, all on offensive charges. For the most part I like his decision makings and his aggressiveness to attack the basket but at times he just needs to take the foot off the gas.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Donald Fisher, Northern- had 3 blocks in a two minute span of the first quarter while finishing with 6 blocks to go with 6 points and 5 rebounds. The older and more physical Chris Campbell tried to go right at the 6-7 freshman but Fisher held his ground.

Shaun Coffer, Northern- Coffer has matured quiet a bit on the court and he uses his size to his advantage, forcing teams to contend with his speed. Coffer was solid in running the offense and moving the ball around when his teammates were struggling against the zone.

Walter Trouser, NW- had 11 of his game high 28 points in the second quarter when Northwestern took over the lead. Trouser will have to carry most of the scoring load for the rest of the season and he could have had 40 points in this game but plenty of shots just rolled in and out on the 6-2 senior.

HOOPS: Muskegon Heights vs. Sexton

2009-01-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

**Drew Valentine goes up for 2 of his 18 points**
**Denzel Valentine splits the top of a zone**

**Sean Davis led the Hieghts with 18 points**

**Lemarcus Beckem catches an ally**

Lansing- Saturday afternoon Muskegon Heights traveled south to take on the Big Reds of Sexton High School and while Sexton controlled most of the game it was their inability to handle a frantic Muskegon press in the final minute that allowed the visiting Tigers to steal a 73-67 win.

Drew Valentine got going early and his offensive tip back gave Sexton an 8-3 lead but then both defenses flexed their muscles and points were hard to come by as Sexton led 13-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Four straight points from Denzel Valentine extended the Big Red lead to 17-9 early in the second. Muskegon answered with a run and a lay up from, junior, Jamil Thornton tied the game at 21-21. A 3-pointer from sophomore Tyrin Wade capped a Sexton 8-0 run but then Muskegon finished the quarter with their own 8-0 run to make the score 30-29 in Sexton's favor at the half.

Sexton controlled the momentum and the scoreboard for a majority of the second half but the Big Reds just couldn't distance theirselves from a scrappy Tiger team. Sexton controlled a 61-52 lead, with 5: 23 left in the fourth, on a Nate Duhon 3-pointer but a 13-3 run and a 3-pointer from Muskegon's Moses Buckley cut the Sexton lead down to a single point with 1:30 to play. A Tiger's foul shot tied the game with 56 seconds left and a steal from Ricarri Stimage turned into a Buckley lay up to give Muskegon their first lead of the game at 68-66 with 50 seconds left. Muskegon was able to knock down five foul shots in the final 20 seconds to seal the win.

BREAKDOWN: Sexton had control of this game for four quarters but it was the turnovers late in the game that killed them. The Heights is a scrappy team and Coach Keith Guy always has his teams well prepared year in and year out, so you just knew Muskegon was going to hang around. Muskegon pressed periodically the whole game and Sexton handled it well, but I'm just not sure why they had trouble late in the game as Muskegon forced 4 steals in the final two minutes. But Sexton will be just fine down the road because they are still gelling as a team since this was just Drew Valentine's third game back from injury. Once Valentine gets fully comfortable the Big Reds will be tough to beat.

PLAYER OF GAME: Sean Davis, Heights- a lanky wing that can spot up and shoot but is most dangerous when he slices his way to the basket. The 6-2 senior finished with a team high 18 points.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Jullian Plummer, Heights- a nice player who relies on his physical traits. The 6-6 forward had a quiet day as he battled foul trouble trying to guard Drew Valentine. On another note Plummer was listed as a freshman last year but is now a junior and it was confirmed by his coach.

Ricarri Stimage, Heights- logged 7 points but came up with 2 big steals in the game's final minute to give his team the lead.

Drew Valentine, Sexton- in his third game back Drew still doesn't look 100% but he was easily the best player on the court. Drew just has a feel for the game and always seems to make the right play. Led his team with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Denzel Valentine, Sexton- the young freshman made some real nice plays and was solid taking care of the ball against the press. He was five of six at the free throw line as he finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Nate Duhon, Sexton- added 17 points for Sexton.

GIRLS HOOPS: Saginaw vs. Arthur Hill

2009-01-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

Kiah Douglas prepares to bring the ball up court**
**Corie Buchanan prepares to attack the paint**
**Diamond Tolliver pushes the ball in the first quarter**

**Juanita Cochran blocks a shot**

Saginaw- Rivalry week continued in Saginaw this week as Saginaw High's and Arthur Hill's girls team took center stage Thursday night at Arthur Hill, and while the girl's game might not have the same pizzazz as the boys, you couldn't tell that to the ladies who took the court or the packed crowd who filled the gym.

Things didn't get off as planned for the Lady Jacks when point guard Corie Buchanan picked up her second foul just a minute and a half into the contest. With Buchanan on the bench, Saginaw's point guard Diamond Tolliver took advantage and her "and 1" play gave the Trojans an 8-3 lead.

Arthur Hill's Juanita Cochran and Kiah Douglas stepped up and carried the load with Cochran doing her thing in the paint and Douglas sliding over to the point. An assist from Douglas to Nana Hall tied the game at 11-11 and a second assist from Douglas to My'esia Moore gave the Hill their first lead at 13-11 as the first quarter horn sounded.

Midway through the second quarter Buchanan checked back into the game and went right to work, a pull-up jumper followed by two assist from Buchanan and Arthur Hill had theirselves a 25-15 lead with 3:30 on the clock. With just seconds until halftime, Tolliver lost her edge and was called for a technical foul giving Douglas a pair of free throws as Arthur Hill led 31-20 at halftime.

A three point play from Cochran gave the Hill a 39-25 lead with 3:48 to play in the third but then Saginaw fought back with a 8-2 run to cut the lead to 41-33. Two steals from Buchanan turned into open court lay-ups for herself and Douglas to give the Lady Jacks a 49-34 lead heading into the final quarter but Saginaw was never able to threaten again as Arthur Hill took a 67-58 victory.

BREAKDOWN: neither team played their best basketball but Saginaw was able to get up 10 points in the second quarter and that proved to be the difference. Arthur Hill really looked lost early on when Buchanan got into foul trouble. Saginaw got plenty of open looks and even took better shots near the basket but their undersized forwards just couldn't get shots to fall, but credit Cochran for that, as she controlled the paint.

PLAYER OF GAME: Juanita Cochran, Hill- the 6-2 center picked up a pair of fouls early but she did a great job the rest of the way by staying on the ground, keeping her hands high in the air, and forcing Saginaw to shoot over her. The results were a poor shooting percentage by Saginaw and a 18 point, 11 rebound, and 3 block night for Juanita.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Corie Buchanan, Hill- never really got her shot going but she made up for it by attacking the paint and tossing some pretty fancy passes to her teammates for easy shots. Finished with 11 points, 5 steals, and 7 assist.

Kiah Douglas, Hill- did a nice job at the point while Corie was in foul trouble. She was able to push the ball and get into the lanes, added 13 points in the winning cause.

Diamond Tolliver, High- finished with 14 points and her play and ability to push the ball was the reason Saginaw took an early lead but then she faded away in the second half.

Amber Jackson, High- the five foot senior is small but she is tough as heck and gets very physical defensively. She wasn't around early in the season but she makes Saginaw a better team.

HOOPS: Saginaw vs. Arthur Hill

2009-01-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

**Jimmy Davis throws up a runner in the paint**
**Pookie slashes into the lane**

**Greg Hayes throws up a floater**

**Mike Schaaf throws down a 1st quarter dunk**

**Tommie McCune makes a move towards the basket**

**Freshman Jordan Hare**

**Mike Green aggressively attempts a lay-up**

Saginaw- Saginaw High traveled west to Arthur Hill for "round 1" of the schools annual three game series rivalry, and after watching the two teams duke it out for four quarters it's no wonder that the last three Class A State Champions have played in this game. For four quarters both teams exchanged punch for punch, but time ran out on the Lumberjacks before they could counter back and deliver one last punch to send the game into overtime, allowing the High to give the Hill their first lost of the season with a 83-81 decision.

It was a see-saw battle from the opening tip as the sold out crowd fueled both teams with an enormous amount of energy. Dunks from Chris Webb and Mike Schaaf helped Arthur Hill take an early 8-2 lead and a 22-19 lead going into the second quarter.

Arthur Hill's lead built to 29-19 in the second quarter as Maurice "Pookie" Jones took it right at the Trojan's press and constantly found Schaaf open under the basket for easy buckets. But then Saginaw's Jimmy Davis got hot and knocked down two 3-pointers and a break away two handed slam from Greg Hayes cut the lead to 31-28. The High took their first lead of the game, 32-31, on Tommie McCune's 18 foot jumper and built a five point lead on baskets from Demetrius Simmons and Mike Green, while Pookie's 3-pointer at the buzzer cut the Trojan lead to 39-38 at the half.

The third quarter turned into a 3-point contest as the two teams combined for 10 straight 3-pointers. In a 15 second span of the third quarter Davis, Pookie, and Hayes all connected on long 3-pointers as the two teams went back and forth. In the midst of the hectic play Saginaw built a double digit lead but another 3-pointer from Pookie cut Saginaw's lead to 62-56 heading into the final quarter.

Five straight points from Pookie cut the Trojan lead to 68-66 but then McCune stopped the Lumberjack rally with a monsterous slam right over Schaaf. But Pookie just wouldn't let his team go away and the 5-7 guard knocked down another 3-pointer that was followed up by a bucket from Webb that tied the game at 72-72 with 3:41 to play.

Arthur Hill took a 81-76 lead with a Webb 3-pointer and Pookie's kiss off the glass with 1:26 to play. A Davis 3-pointer for Saginaw made the score 81-79; and then the Lumberjacks turned the ball over twice in the final minute of the game which led to two mid-range jumpers from Green, one to tie the game and the other to take a 83-81 lead with 11 seconds to play.

Arthur Hill pushed the ball up the court but Pookie's fade away 3-pointer just rimmed off however Jalen Bland was there for a tip back that appeared to have sent the game into overtime, until one official ran over and waved the basket off saying the clock had expired.

BREAKDOWN: This game deserved overtime! I don't know if anyone in the gym can honestly say they were looking at the clock when it expired. These two teams fought and laid it on the line for four quarters and the refs shouldn't have decided the game, they should have let the players play it out in OT.

This was one of the better high school games I have seen in a while, I could have watched these teams fight all night long. Each team had a number of players that stood up and made plays. But as good as this game was it really didn't mean a thing except for bragging rights since it was a non-league game. These teams will meet up in conference play in two weeks, and then again in districts.

PLAYER OF GAME: Jimmy Davis, High- Davis knocked down seven 3-pointers on his way to a 30 point performance. But it wasn't just the scoring that made Davis the player of the game. This game is so intense that most young players aren't ready to play in this kind of atmosphere but Davis was all over the place shouting out instructions to his young teammates and leading the way mentally.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

(alphabetical order)

Jalen Bland, Hill- entered the game and went right to work by knocking down three 3-pointers in the first half while finishing with 11 points.

Mike Green, High- as far as scoring goes, Green was quiet for most of the game until he hit the two big buckets in the end. But just like Davis, Green did a great job of leading the way and helping out the young fellas. Finished with 11 points.

Jordan Hare, Hill- the 6-7 freshman had 3 blocks in the first quarter to go with a tip back and a 10 foot jumper. He was quiet in the second half but showed flashes that he can be a real "special" player.

Greg Hayes, High- the football standout is turning into a big time hoops prospect. He's so quick and can slice his way into the paint at will, and his two hand slam showed great athleticism and was just SICK! Hayes was one of the few players that could stick with Pookie in the open court. Finished with 14 points.

Pookie Jones, Hill- Pook carried the scoring load in the second half while continuing to find open shots for his teammates. Pookie connected on four 3-pointers that led to 24 points, 10 assist, and 4 steals. Saginaw tried to trap Pookie every time he touched the ball but it didn't faze the lightning quick guard at all.

Tommie McCune, High- stat line read 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks but Tommie played a much bigger role than what his numbers indicate. McCune is the emotional leader of this team and he fed plenty of energy into his team. His dunk over Schaaf nearly brought the roof down.

Mike Schaaf, Hill- came up big time for his team. He was tough in the paint and ran the floor hard which led to plenty of scoring opportunities. He added a 3-pointer on his way to 25 points and 8 rebounds.

Demetrius Simmons, High- finished with 18 points, that were spread out over all four quarters, but it seemed like every basket came at a crucial time for the Trojans.

Chris Webb, Hill- finished with 11 points on three 3-pointers and a dunk. Did a good job of handling the Trojan press.

GIRLS HOOPS: Flushing vs. Midland Dow

2009-01-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

**Jordan LaDuke goes up while being fouled**
**6-3 sophomores- Becca Mills and Connor Morrish battle for a rebound**
**freshman Emily Wendling**

**Jessica Schroll pushes the ball after a steal**

Midland- Both teams entered the game with 6-0 records, but it was Flushing who stayed undefeated with a 43-29 win over Midland Dow. Flushing took away every advantage that the Chargers are use to having and forced 27 turnovers in the win.

A basket from freshman Emily Wendling gave Flushing a 9-2 lead and a Jordan LaDuke runner in the lane made the score 16-8 midway through the second quarter. At the 4:19 mark of the second quarter Jessica Schroll picked up her third foul and was forced to sit, but teammate Rebecca Mills picked up the slack and led a Charger run that allowed Dow to trim the lead to 18-15 at the half.

A steal and bucket from Schroll gave Midland their first lead at 21-20 with 5:40 to play in the third; but Flushing ended the quarter with a 7-0 run, 5 straight points from LaDuke, to take a 32-25 lead into the fourth quarter.

Flushing continued to pull away and a 3-pointer from LaDuke gave the Raiders a 10 point lead. Flushing made 7 free throws in the final minute and a half to stay undefeated.

BREAKDOWN: memo to coaches: both teams have basketball players so let the girls ball! Neither team could get into any kind of groove as they both walked the ball up the court just to run a play every time down the court, and I mean every time down the floor. The teams would even pull out of fastbreaks just to run a play as they looked like robots out there.

I was in awe of the size that both teams were able to put on the floor, at one point in the game Dow had four players six feet or taller on the court. It was also the first time that I saw two 6-3 sophomores go at it.

PLAYER OF GAME: Jordan LaDuke, Flushing- LaDuke started off slow but when she got hot it allowed Flushing to pull away. She's not just a spot up shooter anymore as she aggressively attacked the basket and was able to find the free throw line where she connected on 10 free throws that led to a game high 16 points.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Emily Wendling, Flushing- 6-1 freshman forward that added 4 points and 5 rebounds. She has good balance and isn't afraid to get physical in the paint.

Connor Morrish, Flushing- a 6-3 sophomore that was forced to roam the 3-point line for most of the game due to Flushing's offense. She never got the opportunity to catch the ball on the block. She has work to do as she grows into her body but she also looks like she has some more growing to do.

Jessica Schroll, Dow- the Iowa State commit was in foul trouble and that limited her aggressiveness, however she still made some big plays on both ends of the court. A 6-0 she has a nice post game to go with her guard skills. Had 13 points and 4 steals for Dow.

Rebecca Mills, Dow- Mills, a 6-3 sophomore, was the best player on the floor. Very polished game and a number of times she brought the ball up the court after a rebound. She only finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds because Flushing collapsed on her every time she touched the ball in the post.

HOOPS: B.V. vs. Reed City

2009-01-04T08:58:00.001-08:00

**Dedo Jackson splits a double team**
**Will Surles gets off a one handed floater**
**Reed City's Dylan Ridderman knocks a ball loose**

**Dedo sets up the offense**

Saginaw- "Always show your opponent respect"... I think that was the lesson Buena Vista learned yesterday as the Knights hosted Reed City. Buena Vista started the game nonchalant and even though Devante "Dedo" Jackson's 3-pointer gave the Knights a 12-5 lead and four more consecutive points from Jackson made the score 20-11 early in the second quarter BUT Reed City wasn't gonna go away.

The visiting Coyotes continued to scrap and fight for every loose ball, a tip back from Zack Grams cut the Knight lead to 26-23 with less than two minutes until halftime. Sophomore guard George Goodman then gave BV a much needed spark as he scored 10 straight points to end the half and send BV to the locker room with a 36-26 halftime lead.

Reed City started the third quarter with a 6-0 run and a 3-pointer from Grams gave the Coyotes their first lead of the game at 43-41 with 11 seconds left in the third quarter.

The game stayed knotted up for the entire fourth quarter and a "and 1" play from Reed City's Caleb Goodman again tied the game at 53-53 with 1:16 left in the fourth. A steal and open court lay in from Jackson gave BV a two point lead with 30 seconds to play but Grams was then fouled by Jackson and made both free throws to send the game into overtime, the foul was Jackson's fifth.

BV was forced to play overtime without both their best players- Jackson and Anthony Mills, both fouled out, but Goodman and Dequavion Hogg both stepped up and scored 6 points in OT to secure a 70-66 win.

BREAKDOWN: BV came in overconfident and almost let this game slip away. Give Reed City all the credit for never giving up and forcing overtime. BV improves to 3-1 but if they want to keep the winning up they'll need more consistency out of players besides Jackson. Jackson could have finished with 20 assist if his teammates learn to finish plays.

PLAYER OF GAME: Dedo Jackson, BV- Jackson made a heads up play late in the game by sliding over and fouling Grams, forcing him to make both shots in a 1-and-1 situation rather than just giving up an easy basket. Jackson made smart plays like that the entire game as he is turning into a true floor general. Jackson registered 15 points, 6 assist, and 4 steals.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

George Goodman, BV- at times he's too offensive minded and as a sophomore he still needs to learn how to play the game the "correct" way. He can score though as he had a game high 21 points.

Derrick Washington, BV- seems to have found a home after spending his freshman year at Nouvel and Arthur Hill. The sophomore is tough and is focused in on playing hard on both ends and added 12 points including a big lay up in overtime.

Zack Grams, RC- a solid high school player at 6-3 with good fundamentals, did everything for his Coyotes. Played big in the paint and even stepped out and guarded the smaller BV guards.

HOOPS: Arthur Hill vs. DeLaSalle

2009-01-04T06:06:00.000-08:00

**Pookie lays in two off the glass**
**Northwestern commit Alex Marcotullio**
**sophomore Jalen Bland**

**Omari Humes boxes out Kevin McCarthy**

Warren- 19 to 2, that was the lead the DeLaSalle had after one quarter of play was in the books. The first quarter saw DeLaSalle run their half court offense and get open look, primarily Alex Marcotullio who was able to score eight points in the opening quarter.

Then it was Maurice "Pookie" Jones who handled the final three quarters as well as he handles the basketball. Pookie and his Lumberjack teammates picked up the pressure and forced 12 turnovers in the second quarter that allowed Arthur Hill to outscore the Pilots 26-12 and five straight points from Pookie to end the quarter cut the Lumberjack deficit to 31-28 at the half.

A Pookie steal, with 4:40 to play in the third, led to a Dell Simon basket which gave Arthur Hill their first lead of the game at 39-38. Kevin McCarthy responded with four straight points for DeLaSalle but the Lumberjacks went on a 7-2 run to end the third quarter and take a 50-44 lead into the fourth.

A 3-pointer from Marcotullio followed by a baseline jumper from Ben Hayes tied the game at 59-59 with 1:35 to play but Pookie's lay up gave the Jacks a 61-59 lead and a steal and dunk from Chris Webb gave the Jacks breathing room as Arthur Hill finished off DeLaSalle from the free throw line for a 69-62 win.

BREAKDOWN: It's tough to have a 19-2 lead after one quarter and loose the game but you knew the Jacks were going to pick up the pressure and Arthur Hill got good shots but just couldn't buy a bucket in the opening quarter. The game was a battle for the final three quarters however it was Arthur Hill who dictated the pace of the game which eventually wore down the Pilots.

PLAYER OF GAME: Maurice Jones, Hill- Pookie just flat out dominated this game. He pushed the ball and the pilots just couldn't run with him. Pookie is becoming a consistent 3-point shooter as he knocked down 4 of 5 on his way to 23 points and 10 assist.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Jalen Bland, Hill- scored all 11 of his points in the second quarter and that was critical in helping the Jacks get back into the game.

Omari Humes, Hill- Humes played his first game in two weeks and still isn't quite 100% but he was healthy enough to throw his body around in the paint. He needs to regain his feel shooting the ball but he was still a defensive force and pulled down 6 boards.

Mike Schaaf, Hill- out played McCarthy for most of the game by just getting better position and playing more physical.

Alex Marcotullio, DLS- finished with 15 points on mostly open looks but failed to capitalize when he had a hand in his face. Also looked foolish at times defensively when he was caught guarding the much quicker Pookie and tried swiping at the ball.

Kevin McCarthy, DLS- got some shots to fall near the basket but didn't stand out like a future D-1 player should.

Sterling Johnson, DLS- made some nice passes in the first quarter and looked confident running the offense but once the Hill picked up their pressure Johnson was no where to be found.

HOOPS: Beecher vs. Flint Northwestern

2008-12-31T14:18:00.000-08:00

**Chris Campbell was a monster against Beecher**
**Janero Walker pulls up for two of his 17 points**
**Travon Mitchell skies for a third quarter dunk**

**Taron Boose gets fouled while shooting**

FLINT- Flint Northwestern and Beecher met up for the feature game in the second day of the Flint Coca-Cola Holiday Classic Tuesday at Flint Central. Despite playing without leading scorer DeAndre Upchurch, Northwestern used a 17-0 run to start the second half to pull away for a 66-48 win.

Northwestern's Chris Campbell controlled the paint and kept the momentum in the Wildcats hands for a majority of the first half. However Beecher's Janero Walker kept his Bucs close as Beecher only trailed 32-29 at the half.

Even though the Bucs were fighting to just stay close in the first half, I was not expecting Northwestern to start the second half they way they did, while Campbell was dropping bunnies in the paint, guards Chatavius Turner and Travon Mitchell were getting baskets in transition. Walkers basket with 2:30 to go in the third stopped the run but the damage had already been done as Northwestern held a 49-31 lead.

But Beecher never threw the towel in and a 3-pointer from Walker cut the lead to 9 points midway through the fourth quarter but that would be as close as Beecher would get.

BREAKDOWN: Northwestern showed up big despite not having Upchurch, Eric Lundy (broken nose) or Walter Trouser for most of the game as Trouser was fighting a back injury. The Wildcats were also without head coach Dave Bush who was out of town due to a family matter but assistant coach Lamont Tolbert stepped up in his place and did a fine job.

Beecher is young and will still be a team to reckon with come March despite a 2-4 record to start the season. What you got to remember is Beecher is a class C team and they play a majority of class A teams all season. Coach Mike Williams has only 1 senior on the team and a handful of talented freshman and sophomore who are still in their learning stage.

PLAYER OF GAME: Chris Campbell, N.W.- finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks as Beecher had no answer for the physical power forward. Campbell was a beast on the glass and I actually thought he finished with more than 15 boards.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Chatavius Turner, NW- is usually the third guard option for the Wildcats but he stepped up big for his team as he racked up 16 points and was even better running the point and not turning the ball over.

Jalen Magee, NW- the sophomore was moved up from the JV team and has always had a reputation as a pure scorer and he showed it in a five minute stretch in the 2nd quarter when he scored 9 points- two 3-pointers and a "and 1" play.

Janero Walker, Bucs- the Buc captain is a true floor general but he is also carrying the scoring load for his team, which is something new for the pass first point guard. Walker finished with 17 points and 6 assist.

Taron Boose, Bucs- Boose did some nice things despite struggling to get shots to fall on this night. He does know how to get to the free throw line and that helped him get to 12 points to go with 8 rebounds.

Javonte Hawkins, Bucs- the 6-4 freshman guard can play. He has a nice stroke from deep and isn't afraid to let it fly. If he continues to work and develop he will be a good one from the class of 2012.

GIRLS HOOPS: Arthur Hill vs. Flint Northern

2008-12-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

**Corie Buchanan looks to drop an assist** ** Kiah Douglas finds an easy bucket**
**Chaniese Turner chases down a lose ball**

**Juanita Cochran pulls up for two**

Flint- the S.V.L. title picture became a little clearer last night as Arthur Hill was able to rally back and take a 55-44 decision over Flint Northern in a league game at the Coca-Cola Holiday Classic hosted by Flint Central. Both Northern and the Hill entered the season as my favorites to win the conference crown along with Midland Dow.

Arthur Hill used two fastbreak lay-ups from Kiah Douglas to spark a 6-0 run and take a early 11-4 lead. Northern got consecutive baskets from Chaniese Turner and Latosha Beasley to cut the lead to 11-10 heading into the second quarter. In the second quarter Turner found her groove and swung the momentum back into Northern's favor. Turners' 3-pointer gave the Lady Vikings a 22-21 halftime lead.

The third quarter belonged to Turner and her Viking teammates as Northern took a 37-27 lead with 2:38 to go in the third quarter. But slowly Arthur Hill fought their way back into the contest.

But while Turner owned the third quarter it was Arthur Hill's Corie Buchanan who took over the fourth quarter. The junior's steal and lay in tied the game at 42-42 and senior center, Juanita Cochran, connected on a pair of free throws to give the Lumberjacks a 44-42 lead, their first of the second half. Buchanan continued to do her thing as she made 3 baskets on a Arthur Hill 10-0 run take a 54-42 lead to put Northern away.

BREAKDOWN: this game came down to coach's adjustments in the second half. Coming out of halftime Northern switched to a 1-3-1 zone and Saginaw just couldn't get any high percentage shots off, allowing Northern to take a 10 point lead. In the fourth quarter the Hill switched to an aggressive 2-3 trap and Northern just couldn't handle the pressure, careless turnovers allowed Buchanan and Douglas to get out in transition to go on the big run in the end.

PLAYER OF GAME: Juanita Cochran, Hill- dominated Northern inside, Northern was forced to keep two bodies on the 6-2 center and that opened up scoring chances for the rest of the Lumberjacks. Cochran knew this and chose to pass the ball instead of forcing shots. Cochran seems to have a better understanding of the game and her position which led to 13 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 assist.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Corie Buchanan, Hill- took home the tourney MVP plaque and continues to make her case as one of the state's top juniors. She dominated the fourth quarter after being a ball distributor for the first three quarters, she showed great court vision and was right on target with some nifty no-look passes. Finished with 14 points, 4 steals, and 5 assist.

Kiah Douglas, Hill- led the Jacks with 16 points and 9 steals. Continues to out hustle any opponent she matches up against.

Chaniese Turner, Northern- Turner played a strong game even though she just couldn't get shots to fall. She still led her team with 13 points and was the only Northern player to not register a turnover.

Latosha Beasley, Northern- had her hands full against Cochran but she was smart enough to try and take Cochran off the dribble which led to Cochran getting into foul trouble. Beasley registered a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Kierra Bell, Northern- I'm not sure what's going on with Bell right now because she just hasn't played like herself, she hasn't been as aggressive and she seems to just be going through the motions right now. Northern needs Bell to be successful.

GIRLS HOOPS: Benton Harbor vs. Det. Community

2008-12-29T12:07:00.000-08:00

**Community's Crystal Bradford**
**Benton Harbor's Destiny Williams**

Harper Woods- It was one of the most pubbed girls games to take place in a long time in Michigan. Benton Harbor features Miss Basketball favorite- Destiny Williams, who is a top 10 player in the country and ESPN even has her ranked #1. On the other side was Detroit Community who is arguably the best "team" in Michigan, along with Country Day.

But even with all the hype, the game got out of control as Community rolled to a 62-44 win. Williams was doing her thing early and kept Benton Harbor close as Community led 14-12 after one quarter.

In the second quarter Community went on a tear and built a 15 point lead. Williams then picked up her fourth foul with 4:30 to go in the quarter but was left in because it was the only way her Tigers could keep pace with the speedy Community team.

In the third quarter Benton Harbor cut the lead to 10 points at 32-22 but then Williams picked up her fifth foul on what looked to be a clean block. From there it was all Community, as the Hurricanes lead 46-28 after three quarters.

BREAKDOWN: Well, Williams is the real deal but from a team aspect they are far from being the #1 team in class A, that's where the AP has them. I understand her team needed her but it was crazy to see her playing with 4 fouls in the second quarter.

As far as Community goes- I just can't wait to see them play Country Day. It is going to be a battle. Nya Jordan and Crystal Bradford are ballers!

PLAYER OF GAME: Nya Jordan, Community: the Michigan commit is undersized for being a forward but she gets the job done. She was able to get Williams in foul trouble and led her team with 19 points and 7 rebounds.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Crystal Bradford, Community- Jordan got the MVP because she was more consistent for all four quarters but Bradford dominated the third quarter and is a special, special player. The sophomore is also ranked top 10 in the country for her class.

Destiny Williams, BH- foul trouble limited her way below her averages, finished with 10 points and 7 boards. But she is the best senior in Michigan and should still win Miss. Basketball.

HOOPS: Saginaw vs. Det. Southeastern

2008-12-29T10:57:00.000-08:00

**Willie Gholston slams home 2 points**
**Greg Hayes pulls up for infront of Carlos Carter****

**Both teams fought hard for every loose ball**

Harper Woods- The Saginaw High/ Detroit Southeastern match-up was the late game Saturday night at Harper Woods and I'm stressing the word "late", especially since both teams took the floor with white Jerseys, forcing an even later tip off since Southeastern had to go back home and get their dark jerseys.

But the fans who stuck around were given a show from two very talented teams! In the end the Jungaleers with stood a handful of Trojan rallies to escape with a 65-61 win.

Southeastern took an early 10-0 lead before Mike Green hit two long shots to cut the lead to 10-5. But then sophomore phenom Brandan Kearney hit a pair of 3-pointers from each corner to build the lead back to double digits at 15-5. In the second quarter, five straight points from Green tied the game at 25-25. Southeastern again responded with a 9-0 run to go up 37-26 at halftime, the run featured a two handed slam from Willie Gholston.

In the second half the Trojans picked up the full court pressure, and forced turnovers kept the score close. Another reason Saginaw was able to stay close was the play of Greg Hayes in the second half. The junior speedster torched Southeastern and connected on two "and 1" plays as well as a short jumper to make the score 51-50 early in the fourth quarter.

However midway through the fourth quarter Hayes was knocked out of the game needing 9 stitches and Saginaw's super sophomore Tommie McCune fouled out. Saginaw refused to give up and a basket from DeAnthony Arnette made the score 61-59 with 1:37 to play. Southeastern wasn't going to let this game slip away and a Kearney free throw along with a huge offensive rebound and tip back from Percy Gibson secured the win for the Jungaleers.

BREAKDOWN: this gave was fast pace and very intense, there were bodies diving all over the place. The coaches were playing chess as they both tried to get an advantage, Saginaw tried to play small ball with their full court press while S.E. wanted to use their bigs as an advantage in the half court game. Saginaw's press causes big problems but late in the game S.E. put the ball in Kearney's hands and he took care of it.

PLAYER OF GAME: Brandan Kearney, S.E.- teammate Kimani Boyton took home the MVP award for leading the team in points but if you know basketball it was Kearney's ability to take care of the ball that sealed the win. Saginaw brought the pressure and Kearney was cooler than the other side of the pillow while handling the press.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Kimani Boyton, S.E.- is starting to turn into a scoring machine, had a team high 22 points to go with 10 boards.

Willie Gholston, S.E.- one of the nation's top football prospects gave Saginaw problems inside with his physical play. He added 10 points and 6 rebounds but stats don't show how big of a role he played in the win.

Mike Green, Saginaw- Green continues to perform on a high level and has now thrown his name in the top echelon for the Mr. Basketball award. He had team highs of 22 points and 7 rebounds.

Greg Hayes, Saginaw- Hayes was spectacular in the second half... he was flat out ballin! Added 14 points, 5 boards, and 4 steals with most of coming in the third quarter. Early in the fourth he took a hit in the face while driving to the basket, and was knocked out of the game.

HOOPS: Hartland vs. Flint Powers

2008-12-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

**Sugar Shane goes up for 2 of his 27 points**
**Vonn Jones led Hartland with 27 points and 10 assist**
**Powers' Demarco Sanders**

**Matt Poches added 20 points and 8 boards**

Harper Woods- this was a very intriguing game due to the match-ups at every position, as big time recruits filled the court on both teams. Hartland is a veteran team looking for some state wide love while Powers brought back almost everyone from a team that advanced to the state championship last year.

Powers used that state final experience to jump out to a 12-2 lead and a 32-16 lead at the end of the first quarter. Powers was off and running and resembled the Harlem Globetrotters as they took turns tossing no look passes to each other. Midway through the second quarter Vonn Jones had seen enough and went on a 3-point bomb fest to cut the lead to single digits. Two baskets from Powers' Shane Moreland built the lead back to 46-29 at halftime.

Baskets from Vonn and Matt Poches kept Hartland close as they again trimmed Powers' lead to 10 points. However Hartland had no answer for Rodney Anderson, who's "and 1" slam put Hartland way and Powers cruised the rest of the way for a 94-71 win.

BREAKDOWN: boy, oh boy, was Powers impressive. They spread the floor with shooters all over the place and they don't waste any time pushing the ball. That was the difference in the game because Hartland's transition defense was horrible and Powers must have had atleast 30 points in fastbreak lay-ups. Powers is so balance in scoring that all five starters reached double figures. Powers will only get tougher in January when transfer Pierre Brackett becomes eligible- giving Powers one of the best defenders in the country.

PLAYER OF GAME: Shane Moreland, Powers- Sugar Shane seems more focused into getting his teammates involved this year. He can still score whenever he wants, as he put up 27 points in this game. But I love his ability to pass the ball and his eagerness to feed his teammates.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Patrick Lucas-Perry, Powers- PLP played like a seasoned veteran. He controlled the tempo and quickly pushed the ball up the floor. He knocked down a handful of mid range jump shots, which is starting to become his signature mark just like the Piston's Richard Hamilton. Finished with 18 points.

Rodney Anderson, Powers- Hartland was never able to get a body on the 6-8 leaper. Andersons' skills are so raw but the light is starting to turn on for him. He finished with three sick dunks on his way to 12 points and 9 rebounds.

Demarco Sanders, Powers- I was really impressed with Sanders, teamed up with PLP and Sugar Shane, Powers now has three guards that can fill it up. Sanders added 12 points and 8 boards and is much improved from a year ago.

Vonn Jones, Hartland- Powers tried to double team Jones but he was still able to get his. Jones rained six 3-pointers on his way to a 27 point and 10 assist game.

Matt Poches, Hartland- had his motor running which led to 20 points, 8 boards, and 4 steals.

HOOPS: Arthur Hill vs. East G.R.

2008-12-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

**Pookie with his MVP award**
**Dell Simon fights his way to the basket**
Freshman Jordan Hare came up big against East GR**

**Pookie came up just short of a triple-double**

Harper Woods- Make no doubt about it- come March East Grand Rapids will be tough to knock out and the Pioneers have a good chance to advance to the Breslin Center... but Saturday's game against Arthur Hill in the Motor City Roundball belonged to the Lumberjacks and particularly Maurice "Pookie" Jones. Jones, pound for pound the best player in the state, took it right to the bigger Grand Rapids team and headed back north to Saginaw with a 68-63 win.

You could tell early in the contest that this was one of those games that had overtime written all over it. While East had no answer for Jones, Saginaw couldn't stop Colin Voss inside. The 6-8 junior controlled the boards as East jumped out to 12-0 run to take a 38-32 lead with a minute till halftime, but two consecutive 3-pointers from Jones cut the lead to 38-35 at the half.

The Pioneers controlled the lead for a majority of the second half until a Jones assist turned into a Chris Webb 3-pointer and a 51-50 Arthur Hill lead. Late in the game East regained the lead on a Voss put back. A Jones jumper followed by a steal and bucket from Jones gave the Hill a 58-57 lead but then Robert Bell was able to knock down a free throw to send the game into overtime.

The extra session was dominated by Jones! Jones first connected on two free throws to take a 4 point lead. Then three consecutive assist sealed the win for the Jacks.

BREAKDOWN: going into the contest I wasn't sure how Coach McMath was going to contain the size factor that East had, especially without 6-5 forward Omari Humes, who missed the game with a leg injury but should return shortly; but Saginaw played solid team defense and quickly came with help while rotating defensively.

I was impressed with the guard play East has, I knew what they had inside but Bell and AJ McEwen are solid even though neither could stay with Jones, but who in Michigan can?

PLAYER OF GAME: Pookie Jones, Hill- the Jacks are off and running and that's because Pookie has taken his game to another level. He's unguardable in Michigan and that led to a 22 point, 14 assist, and 7 steal performance. East tried to trap him but nothing worked. Jones got into the paint and found open teammates at will.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Chris Webb, Hill- added 20 points, mostly 3-pointers. He has a consistent stroke but has really picked up his play defensively.

Jordan Hare, Hill- the 6-7 freshman guard was forced to go down and defend Voss in the second half and he held his own. Hare finished around the basket and added four points in OT to help put the game away. Hare ended with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

Jaylen Bland, Hill- the sophomore has become consistent on both ends. He added some big baskets and did a good job helping out with the rebounds.

Colin Voss, East- finished with 27 points and 21 rebounds, according to the Grand Rapids Press, and he was consistent for all four quarters. Voss is a player and could easily become a high major recruit.

AJ McEwen, East- AJ never got into a comfort zone having to chase Jones around but I don't recall him turning the ball over either. He's a pass first point guard but I would like to see him look for his shot more often.

DeAndre Grady, East- the 6-1 freshman is a big factor off the bench and has a bright future ahead of him. The big stage didn't faze him and he took care of the ball while running the point.

HOOPS: Grand Blanc vs. Heritage

2008-12-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

**Tony Jones drains a jumper**
**Lavario Smith squares up for a tough shot**

**Chris Jones draws a foul attacking the basket**

**AJ Thomas goes around the back on a defender**

Saginaw- Heritage led 17-15 after one quarter of play but a Will Sams 3-pointer, to open the second quarter, gave Grand Blanc a 18-17 edge. Heritage's Chris Jones managed to tie the game up at 26-26 with his own 3-pointer. However Grand Blanc ended the half with a zone trap that allowed the Bobcats to force a few turnovers and get some fastbreak points to take a 32-28 lead into the half.

Heritage continued to fight in the third quarter and stuck basket for basket with the Bobcats but then Tony Jones got hot and knocked down three jumpers on three consecutive trips down the floor.

Two free throws from AJ Thomas cut the Bobcat lead to 51-49 with 6:13 to go in the fourth quarter. Grand Blanc fired back with a 9-0 run to take a 60-49 lead with two minutes to play, but Heritage still wouldn't go away. Baskets from Lavario Smith and Jones cut the lead to three points with ten seconds to go. Sams was able to sink a free throw with four seconds to go to give Grand Blanc a 65-61 road win.

BREAKDOWN: these are two of the more improved teams from a year ago. I really like the guard play that both teams have to offer but I am not sure how either team will do in conference play or during the state tournament because neither team has true inside presence.

PLAYER OF GAME: Tony Jones, GB- the 6-0 combo guard did an excellent job of distributing the ball to his post players. He finished with 9 assist and atleast 5 of them came on no look passes from the other side of the court. Jones added 13 points.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Will Sams, GB- the 6-2 guard needs to improve his decision making if he wants to be a point guard at the next level. He did show off the value of his length by blocking two 3-point attempts. Sams has improved his 3-point shot as he drained three of them for a team high 15 points.

Mitchell Vallie, GB- the forward finished with 12 points and even though he is undersized for a 6-4 center he is consistent and has good lateral movement. He also finished strong around the basket.

AJ Thomas, Heritage- AJ is one of the most improved players from a year ago. He didn't waste any time to push the ball up the court. He has a good handle on the offense and does a good job of moving the ball around. Thomas finished with 9 points, 5 assist, and 2 steals.

Lavario Smith, Heritage- led the Hawks with 18 points and 12 rebounds. At 6-2 Smith can play a number of positions for his team.

Chris Jones, Heritage- Jones is more than a 3-pointer shooter. He made some nice hustle plays on both ends of the court and added 10 points to his team.

HOOPS: Sexton vs. Cass Tech

2008-12-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

**Denzel Valentine gets ready to throw down a dunk**
**Cass Tech's Shannon Williams**
**Sexton's Nate Duhon**

**Daniel Bellany pulls down a rebound**

Southfield- Lansing Sexton and Detroit Cass Tech hooked up for the third game of the Mr. Basketball Holiday Classic at Southfield High School. This game turned into a low scoring defensive battle between two physical teams. Cass Tech held a 8-6 lead after one quarter and a 22-10 edge at halftime.

Sexton went on a 7-0 run midway through the third quarter and a 3-pointer from Denzel Valentine trimmed the lead to 23-21. Cass Tech's Shannon Williams responded with a dunk to keep the lead with his team. The two teams went back and fourth for the remainder of the game and Sexton stayed within two to three points down the stretch.

Two free throws from Jordan Howenstine made the score 45-46 with 27 seconds to play. Chris George made a free throw on the other end leaving Sexton with only 0.2 on the clock to take a 49-47 win.

BREAKDOWN: this was a slug fest especially in the final minutes, neither team could get into any kind of rhythm which made it a low scoring game.

PLAYER OF GAME: Chris George, Cass, 6-1 guard- led Cass with 16 points and 8 assist. Was clutch down the stretch at the free throw line.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Shannon Williams, Cass, 6-7 fwd- one of the top forwards for his class, plays hard on both ends and has some nice moves with the ball. Chipped in with 9 points and 10 rebounds.

Denzel Valentine, Sexton, 6-4 wing- stepped up for his team and didn't play like a freshman, had 14 points to go with 7 rebounds. Also had the play of the day went he split a double team and went right into the paint for a one handed slam that blew the roof off of the gym.

Nate Duhon, Sexton, 6-0 guard- Duhon is lightning quick and gets up and down the floor in a blink of an eye. He struggled to get shots to fall against Cass but had 28 points in Sexton's first win.

HOOPS: Southeastern vs. Community

2008-12-21T10:20:00.000-08:00

**Percy Gibson gets fouled from behind**
**Brandan Kearney pulls up for a jumper**

**James Still boxes out Darren Washington**

** Kimani Boynton tries to get off a shot**

Southfield- Southfield High School was the location for the first annual Mr. Basketball Holiday Classic. Four games took place with Detroit Southeastern and Detroit Community meeting up in the day's second contest.

A pair of mid-range jump shots from Providence commit, James Still, along with a 3-pointer from teammate Marcel Smith helped give the Hurricanes a 21-14 lead after one quarter of play.

In the second quarter Brandan Kearney's pull-up jumper edged the Jungaleers closer while a pair of Kyle Bryant free throws gave Southeastern a 26-24 lead. A 6-0 run to end the quarter gave Southeastern a 33-27 lead at the half.

Seven straight points from Percy Gibson sparked a 12-0 Jungaleer run in the third to build a 45-29 lead. Community tried to crawl back into the game late, but Gibson shut the door with a two handed slam to keep the lead at 14 points, as Southeastern took home a 57-50 win.

BREAKDOWN: I was impressed with the fight in Community but they loose focus and throw up too many ill-advised shots. It's no secret that Still is Community's biggest weapon but he'll go four or five trips down the floor without even touching the ball.

Southeastern was a little sluggish in the early going and found theirselves down early, they woke up and quickly took the lead over. The Jungaleers have so many weapons and Community just couldn't contain all of them.

PLAYER OF GAME: Percy Gibson, S.E., 6-8 fwd- Gibson was quiet for most of the first half but he came out in the second half aggressive and went right to work. The 12-0 run in the second, in which Gibson scored 7 straight, was the difference maker in the game. Gibson's dunk was impressive- he squared up, took two hard dribbles, and elevated right over his defender for the two hand slam. The sophomore finished with 9 points and 8 rebounds.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Kimani Boynton, S.E., 5-11 guard- led the Jungaleers with 20 points.

Brandan Kearney, S.E., 6-6 guard- didn't shoot much but was key in his team's press break and distributed the ball nicely. Finished with 6 points, 7 assist, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Darren Washington, S.E., 6-10 center- the sophomore did a solid job defensively against James Still. He held his own in the paint and even drew a charge.

James Still, Community, 6-10 center- Still has improved his shot and knocked two down from 16 feet out. He picked up a technical early the third and his coach sat him for most of the second half. He added 3 dunks to accumulate 13 points.

Marcel Smith, Community, 5-8 PG- added 12 points and shot 3 of 7 from 3-point range.

HOOPS: Midland vs. Saginaw High

2008-12-19T11:25:00.000-08:00

**Mike Green gets ready to knock down a 3-pointer**
**Freshman Kevin Marshall makes a move to the basket**
**Jimmy Davis scored a game high 21 points**
**Malcolm Shaw shoots over 6-10 Branden Crane**

Saginaw- The final score seems like it was an easy victory for the defending champs but Midland High made the Trojans sweat a little more than expected in the first half of Saginaw's 77-56 win.

The Chemics came out knocking down shots from all over the court and quickly took an 8-2 lead in the opening minutes, which led to an 18-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Even after trailing, the Champs didn't seem affected at all and stuck to their game plan which saw Coach Lou Dawkins play as many as 10 players in the second quarter. Consecutive baskets from Mike Green and Jimmy Davis cut the Midland lead to 32-30 at the half.

You could sense that Saginaw's depth started to wear down Midland in the second quarter and in the third quarter Saginaw really turned up the pressure with their full court press. Tommie McCune's long 2-pointer gave Saginaw a 35-32 lead and Green's NBA range 3-pointer gave Saginaw a 43-33 lead. The Trojans ended the third quarter with a 10-0 run to outscore Midland 28-8 in the third.

The 28 point third quarter performance buried the Chemics as Saginaw cruised through the final quarter for the 21 point win over their SVL foe.

BREAKDOWN: No, this isn't last year's Trojan team but Saginaw has simply reloaded with plenty of talent and this year's team might just be deeper than the previous two. Now with that being said, they do lack experience and are still learning Coach Dawkins' system but seniors Mike Green and Jimmy Davis are doing a great job of leading the way.

Midland was bombing 3's from all over in the first half, but Saginaw was never rattled, and you could just feel at halftime that Saginaw was going to blow up in the third quarter.

PLAYER OF GAME: Mike Green, High, 6-1 guard- the senior captain followed Tuesday's 35 point and triple double performance with another standout game of 20 points, 8 assist, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals. Green made big shots when he had to but did a phenomenal job of getting his teammates involved.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Jimmy Davis, High, 6-1 guard- led Saginaw with 21 points. Has really improved his all-around game and it showed last night. Along with Green, Davis gives Saginaw two lights out shooters.

Tommie McCune, High, 6-7 wing fwd- McCune had a quiet night scoring, chipped in with 7 points and 8 rebounds, but was impressive on the defensive end by challenging every Midland shot they took in the paint. Also dominated the much taller Branden Crane.

Demetrius Simmons, High, 6-2 PG- Simmons is very athletic and his length forced a lot of steals in this game. In his first year at the point he does a good job of handling the offense.

Trey Babers, High, 6-4 wing- I'm just a big fan of Trey and I think he has a chance to be really good. The sophomore is bouncy and had 3 key steals in the third quarter.

Kevin Marshall, High, 6-7 PF- the freshman played hard and was banging around with the 6-10 Crane. He ran the floor well and blends right into the speed of the varsity level. He had a real big block in the third quarter that fired up the crowd.

Branden Crane, Midland, 6-10 C- Crane has improved but this just wasn't the type of game that he would stand out in. He just couldn't handle the speed of Saginaw and was really a nonfactor in this one.

HOOPS: Southwestern vs. Northwestern

2008-12-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

**Kortes Ross guarded by Walter Trouser**
**Cincinnati football commit-DeMarkus Bracy**
**DeAndre Upchurch looks for a shot**

**Chatavius Turner cashes in on a steal**

Flint- Crosstown rivals, Southwestern and Northwestern, kicked off the Flint city series in an intense fashion last night infront of a packed gym. Both Southwestern and Northwestern are my favorites to win the city championship, with Northwestern holding the crown as last year's champion.

The game was physical from the opening tip seeing that the refs let the two teams bang around. Brandon Thompson scored the first four points of the game to give Southwestern the lead. But less than three minutes into the game DeMarkus Bracy picked up his second foul and sat the rest of the first half. Walter Trouser later tied the game at 9-9 with his runner in the lane, as the two teams ended the first quarter tied 13-13.

A long 3-pointer and dunk (yes a dunk!) from DeAndre Upchurch gave the Wildcats a 20-13 lead. However the Knights clamped down and fought their way back, Kortez Ross' long 2-pointer tied the game late in the second as the teams stayed deadlocked at 29-29 during halftime.

With the game so close the crowd cheered like crazy, giving both teams a full tank of adrenalin. Unfortunately for Northwestern, the Wildcats could never settle down and the result were plenty of turnovers. The Knights took advantage of those turnovers and built a 46-39 lead after three quarters and as big as a 50-42 lead midway through the fourth.

The Wildctas were able to rally back, and two long shots from Upchurch tied the game at 52-52 with 2:34 to play. Bracy answered for the Knights with a pair of free throws, and then a steal from Chuck McLaurin set up another pair of Bracy free throws to make the score 58-52 with 57 seconds to play and secure Southwestern a 61-52 win.

BREAKDOWN: this was a great high school basketball game. Both teams played hard and gave it their all for four quarters. Both teams also showed great sportsmanship along with a crowd that was ecstatic for two hours non stop. It was good to see the teams feed off of the crowd's energy but too many times players got too excited and took bad shots or tried to force something and just ended up turning the ball over.

Chris Campbell is Northwestern's only inside force and when he fouled out with 4:37 to play it allowed Bracy to take over and bring home the win for Southwestern. Southwestern is going to be good and they play hard, especially on the defensive end, but they don't have a true point guard and that might hurt them down the road.

PLAYER OF GAME: Kortez Ross, SWA, 6-3 wing- Tez was the only Knight that managed to stay out of foul trouble and he was the most consistent player for all four quarters. The win was a full team effort but Ross is the glue to this team. Ross just doesn't get enough credit for his skills. Yes, he is a hustle player, but he also can do some nice things with the basketball.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

DeMarkus Bracy, SWA, 6-5 fwd- got in early foul trouble and sat most the first half but he was big down the stretch by knocking down 6-of-6 free throws in the final quarter. Scored 8 points and pulled down 7 boards.

Deonte Savage, SWA, 6-6 center- the big fella gave his team productive minutes in the first half when Bracy was in foul trouble. At 6-6/310 pounds Savage ran the floor well and showed a soft touch around the basket which led to 6 points and 7 rebounds.

DeParris Gordon, SWA, 6-3 wing fwd- the junior is starting to come into his own. He played smart and made some big blocks that fired up the crowd. Chipped in with 10 points and 3 blocks.

DeAndre Upchurch, NW, 6-0 guard- "Church" had to work hard just to get open because the Knights were all over him. Too many times he went spurts without touching the ball, but when his team needed a basket he delivered one. Finished with 15 points.

Walter Trouser, NW, 6-3 PG- Trouser continues to impress me time after time. Upchurch gets most the team pub, but Trouser is just as valuable. Just check out his stat line- 17 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.

Chris Campbell, NW, 6-4 Power fwd- for the second straight year Northwestern's paint duties will fall on the shoulders of Campbell. He bangs around and uses his strength to make up for a lack of height.

GIRLS HOOPS: Country Day vs. Nouvel C.C.

2008-12-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

**Amber Moore goes around Jenny Ryan for 2 points**
**Sharena Taylor pulls up for a jumper**

**Madison Williams gets an offensive board**

**Jessi Franz attempts to box out Troy Hambric**

Saginaw- Country Day and Nouvel Catholic Central met in the final game of the James Monroe Classic, in a game featuring two of last year's state champions. However Country Day showed Nouvel that they are worlds apart on the hardwood.

Country Day started the game off with consecutive 3-pointers from Amber Moore to take a 6-0 lead. The lead built to 14-0 after one quarter of play as Nouvel struggled to even get shots off. The Country Day guards shadowed Nouvel step for step and 6-7 Madison Williams tallied 6 blocks in the first quarter alone. Nouvel attempted to put full court pressure on the Yellowjackets but Country Day point guard Sharena Taylor made quick work of that. Nouvel finally got on the board with 6:35 to play till halftime on Jenny Ryan's lay-up.

Country Day showed Nouvel plenty of respect by not blowing the game open and shuffling in bench players early in the game. Country Day led 30-11 at halftime, 49-23 after three, and finished the game with a 64-27 win.

BREAKDOWN: this game showed the difference between college bound players and every day high school players, even Jenny Ryan looked average against Country Day. Jenny Ryan is considered a top candidate for Miss basketball and even though Country Day has a handful of players who are better it will just be tough for any of them to win the award because they will all split votes.

PLAYER OF GAME: Madison Williams, CD, 6-7 center- the junior only scored 6 points but did her damage with 11 blocks and 14 rebounds in limited minutes. Most of her blocks and rebounds came in the first quarter.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Amber Moore, CD, 5-11 guard- the Illinois commit had a game high 17 points. She came out aggressive but let up as soon her team took a double digit lead.

Sharena Taylor, CD, 5-10 PG- the Georgia Tech commit does an excellent job running the show for such a talented team and is still able to find a way to get hers while keeping her team involved. Taylor is the state's top point guard, she finished with 12 points and 6 steals.

Jenny Ryan, Nouvel, 5-10 guard- Ryan had a tough game in front of her future coach, Michigan's Kevin Borseth. You can give her a pass because she single handily couldn't play with Country Day but she also hurt her chances of winning Miss Basketball. Ryan led Nouvel with 13 points.

GIRLS HOOPS: Renaissance vs. Arthur Hill

2008-12-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

**Corie Buchanan soars to the basket**
**Lorreal Jones is a force in the paint**

**Kiah Douglas runs a fastbreak**

**Juanita Cochran and Amber McKithen battle for a rebound**

Saginaw- Saturday marked the annual James Monroe Classic at Arthur Hill High School, where four varsity games took place. The third game of the day, host Arthur Hill vs. Detroit Renaissance, featured two of the top teams in the state year in and year out.

Arthur Hill started the game in a tight 2-3 zone, with 6-2 center Juanita Cochran anchoring the middle. The zone forced Renaissance to shoot from outside where the Phoenix struggled to make shots early on. Offensively, Arthur Hill went inside to Cochran who had a big size advantage. Cochran's 10 first half points helped Arthur Hill have a 26-23 halftime lead.

Lorreal Jones scored the first four points of the second half to give Renaissance a 27-26 lead. The Phoenix went on a 10-0 run to close the third and open the fourth to take a 45-37 lead, Jones and sophomore Asia Boyd sparked the run.

Down eight points with time running out, Corie Buchanan took control of the game. The junior guard led a Lumberjack comeback and scored six of the Hill's next eight points. Buchanan's "and 1" play tied the game at 50-50 with 2:03 to play. Buchanan then tossed two assist to Kiah Douglas to help Douglas score the next six points of the game to give Arthur Hill a 56-50 lead with 1:09 left to play. The Lumberjacks finished the Phoenix off at the free throw line to take a 62-54 win.

BREAKDOWN- Renaissance let a lead slip away and that was because they couldn't stop Buchanan or Douglas late in the game. Arthur Hill played consistent defense four four quarters and that was the key in the win. The Hill improves to 2-1 and with Cochran, Buchanan, and Douglas, the Hill can compete with any team in the state. The same can be said for Renaissance, with standout forwards Jones and Boyd leading the way. Renaissance falls to 2-2 with close losses to Arthur Hill and Country Day.

PLAYER OF GAME: Corie Buchanan, Hill, 5-7 guard- the junior proved on the big stage that she is one of the state's elite. She was consistent for all four quarters but when her team needed it, she took over. She knocked down long shots and got to the basket at ease to finish with a game high 23 points to go with 6 assist, 5 steals, and 5 rebounds.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Juanita Cochran, Hill, 6-2 center- Cochran's play was just as big for her team as Buchana's was. She is a force to deal with in the paint and usually draws double teams, allowing her teammates to get high percentage shots. Cochran did miss allot of easy shots but she still finished with 18 points to go with 14 boards.

Kiah Douglas, Hill, 5-6 guard- I still feel that if Douglas didn't get hurt last year that the Hill would have won a state title. She still doesn't look quite 100% but even at 80% she is as good as anyone in the state. She just does so much for her team and brings so much energy. She chipped in with 16 points, 8 coming in the fourth quarter.

Lorreal Jones, Ren., 6-0 fwd- Jones is a tough one and gives the Phoenix some inside muscle. The junior also has the game to handle the ball on the perimeter and play on the wing. In the second half Jones' play allowed Renaissance to take the lead. Jones finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds.

Asia Boyd, Ren., 6-0 fwd- Boyd is one of the top sophomores in the state. She's a big time recruit with plenty of skills. She paced her team with 13 points and 12 boards while playing all five positions.

HOOPS: Southeastern vs. Robichaud

2008-12-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

**Brandan Kearney knocks down a 3-pointer**
**Ray Lee attacks the basket**
**Percy Gibson powers his way to the basket**

**Darren Washington tips in a basket while being fouled**

Detroit- The future is now for Detroit Southeastern! Everyone in the media has gone on record stating that Southeastern, with their talented group of sophomores, has an opportunity to compete for a state crown in a year or two, but the way the Jungaleers played yesterday in their 86-63 win over Dearborn Robichaud only showed that Southeastern has a good shot to compete for the PSL title and a state title this year!

Southeastern quickly jumped out to a 10 point lead on two first quarter 3-pointers from Brandan Kearney. A steal and basket from Kimani Boynton made the lead 15 points heading into the second quarter. In the second quarter it was the Jungaleer's big fellas who made their presence felt, particularly Percy Gibson. The 6-8 sophomore challenged every shot Robichaud took in the paint, and showed some sweat post moves on the offensive end to help Southeastern take a commanding 49-24 lead into the half.

Another Kearney 3-pointer followed by a steal and dunk from Boynton built the lead to 30 points as Southeastern cruised through the final 10 minutes.

BREAKDOWN- Southeastern is loaded with depth and that was seen yesterday as Coach Mark White shuffled in player after player on every dead whistle. The Jungaleers have key players at every position and have a at least 5 post players that are at least 6-5 to control the paint.

Robichaud has a solid starting five but depth was a big factor on why the score was so one sided. The Bulldogs have some athletic forwards but just couldn't match muscle for muscle with the Jungaleers.

PLAYER OF GAME- Brandan Kearney, S.E., 6-6 PG- Robichaud started the game with a 2-3 zone and BK quickly made them pay by knocking down shots from deep range. His basketball I.Q. is just so rare to find in a sophomore. He sees the floor well and did a great job setting up his teammates. Finished with 19 points to go with 8 assist, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Percy Gibson, S.E., 6-8 Fwd- Gibson is starting to realize just how good he can be. He really inserted himself and was a force against Robichaud. He dominated the paint with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

Ray Lee, Robichaud, 6-1 PG- the freshman is long and very bouncy, he has a good feel what to do with the basketball, only problem was his teammates didn't give him many touches in this game. He still logged 7 points and 4 assist.

Kimani Boynton, S.E., 5-10 G- the combo guard chipped in with 16 points. At times he forces shots but he brings his team allot of energy on both ends.

Darren Washington, S.E., 6-10 C- Big D is starting to get his feet underneath him. He runs the floor well and doesn't have any problems keeping up with his guards. He blocked 2 shots against Robichaud. Even though it takes big guys longer to develop, Big D is way ahead of the curb.

Carlos Carter, S.E., 5-10 G- gets unnoticed in a loaded line-up but Carter is a big part of Southeastern. He brings a toughness and swagger to the team.

Will Gholston, S.E., 6-5 PF- just a animal on the block, another Jungaleer that brings a swagger and that toughness to a talented team. He didn't log many stats but numbers don't show what he brings to the team.

Anthony Fields, S.E., 6-0 PG- didn't play due to a wrist injury. Shouldn't be out long.

Winthrop Thomas, Robichaud, 6-3 wing fwd- athletic wing who led his team with 14 points. Good all around game and he does a good job of making the right play.

GIRLS HOOPS: Saginaw vs. Flint Central

2008-12-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

**Diamond Tolliver holds the keys to Saginaw's offense**
**Tiffina Bennett drives to the basket**
**Shaqueal Blackmon goes up for 2 of her game high 19**

**Sophomore Ashley Beemon lays in a basket**

Flint- Two things stood out in Saginaw's 74-46 win over previous undefeated Flint Central.

1. The obvious conditioning advantage the Trojans had over the Phoenix. Saginaw instantly put the full court pressure on Central and didn't let up as Coach Sophia Jordan went to her bench early and often to keep fresh bodies on the floor as Saginaw left Central hugging their shorts.

2. The play of junior point guard Diamond Tolliver. Tolliver controlled the game's tempo and seemed like she was on a mission to set her teammates up with easy baskets, and she did just that with her ability to penetrate, draw a second defender, and then drop a dime to a wide open teammate.

The Trojans quickly took a 8-0 lead before Tiffina Bennett connected on consecutive baskets to get Central going. Midway through the second quarter a Bennett 3-pointer cut the Trojan lead to 17-13 but that would be the closest Central would get. Saginaw pulled away when Tolliver tosses 3 straight assist to end the half as Saginaw went up 37-23 at the half.

Saginaw started the second half with a 10-0 run as sophomore Ashley Beemon's long 2-pointer gave the Trojans a 47-23 lead. Saginaw put an exclamation point on the win at the end of the third quarter by stealing two straight inbound passes to end the quarter with a 6-0 run to take a 58-32 lead into the final quarter.

BREAKDOWN: the Trojans looked much improved from just a week ago when they lost the season opener to Howell. Saginaw is now 2-1 on the year and is starting to play with confidence now that players know their role. Saginaw is deep with wings and guards that can run the floor while Qwandra Stephens and sophomore Chloe Davis are beast in the paint.

Central now stands at 3-1 on the season. The Trojan press just kept Central from ever getting comfortable and it also limited the shots Bennett could get off.

PLAYER OF GAME: Diamond Tolliver, Saginaw, 5-5 PG- Tolliver played like a high major point guard last night and also looked like a true point guard as she controlled the game's momentum single handily. She only scored 8 points but had 11 assist on the night.

NOTABLE STANDOUTS

Tiffina Bennett, Central, 5-9 wing- is easily one of the top players in the state, only problem is she doesn't have much help on her team. Bennett racked up 20 points while shooting a high percentage.

Chloe Davis, Saginaw, 5-8 Fwd- the sophomore forward led Saginaw with 16 points and 9 rebounds.

Shaqueal Blackmon, Saginaw, 5-7 Fwd- led Saginaw with 19 points.

HOOPS: Mt. Pleasant vs. Bay City Western

2008-12-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

**Trey Zeilger goes up for a dunk**
**Sophomore Tyler Ellis on a fast break**
**Trey Zeigler finished with 34 points**

**Western's Corey Arnold tries to avoid Zeigler**

Auburn- Michigan is loaded with talent across the state, but nobody gets it done on both ends of the floor like Mt. Pleasant's Trey Zeigler does and the 6-5 junior guard made that statement very evident as he led his Oilers to a 63-41 win over Bay City Western.

Zeigler's first big play came, on Western's first field goal attempt, when Zeigler pinned a lay-up attempt against the glass. Offensively Zeigler was insatntly doubled teamed, so he just kicked it out to his teammates for wide open shots and a 5-0 lead. Zeigler's first points came off of a tip back, and the next trip down the floor Zeigler knocked down a 3-pointer for a 12-1 lead. Western's Corey Arnold connected on his own 3-point attempt to keep Western in reach at the end of one quarter, as Mt. Pleasant led 16-6.

For the remainder of four quarters Western had no answer for Zeigler. Every time Western did something good or made a play, Zeigler just answered back with a basket of his own or a big play defensively. The Oilers led 29-18 at the half and 48-30 after three quarters.

BREAKDOWN- Western has some solid guard play but that's about it, they lack depth and guys who can make their own shots. Western might be in a for a long season in the SVL.

As far as the Oilers are concerned they have the state's top player, but others will need to be consistent night in and night out. I give Zeilger a ton of credit because he is patient with his team and does a wonderful job of coaching them up on the floor, he understands they weren't blessed with his God given talents and he does what he can to make them better.

PLAYER OF GAME- Trey Zeilger, Mt. Pleasant, 6-5 guard- Trey finished with 34 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assist, and 3 blocks. Defensively he completely took away the smaller but faster Arnold, Western's point guard. Zeigler scored with dunks, 3-pointers, and variety of mid-rage jumpers from every angle.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Corey Arnold, Westen, 5-11 PG- Arnold is a scrappy blue collar type player. He's a good athlete with solid speed. He can get to the basket normally but Zeigler took that away and forced Arnold into a tough shooting night, still finished with 10 points.

Tyler Ellis, Western, 5-9, PG- a sophomore starter for Western. Solid handles and a good shot but just needs to get stronger in time. Did a good job of taking care of the ball.

HOOPS: Linden vs. Hartland

2008-12-10T07:48:00.000-08:00

**Vonn Jones drains a 3-pointer from the corner**
** Matt Poches floats in 2 of his 25 points**
**Jake Warner powers his way up for 2 points**

**Jones and Poches look to lead Hartland to a big season**

Hartland- This year Hartland's football team put together a season that will go down in history as the school's best, and now the Eagles are focused to put together a similar run on the hardwood, and that run got off to a good start as Hartland blasted Linden 84-55 in the season opener.

Vonn Jones and Matt Poches went right to work from the opening tip to give Hartland a quick 11-2 lead. Poches, a 6-4 sophomore, scored 14 of Hartland's first 24 points as the Eagles led 27-8 after one quarter of play. Jones finished the first quarter with 5 points, 5 assist, and 4 steals.

Hartland spent the rest of the game preparing the team for the long season by splitting time equally with all 15 players. At times Hartland had all five players from the end of their bench in the game and this allowed Linden to only trail 40-22 at halftime as Linden stayed with their starters.

In the third quarter the starting unit played the first five minutes and went on a 16-0 run to go up 70-32 heading into the fourth quarter.

BREAKDOWN: Hartland will be strong this year with 9 veteran seniors and their super sophomore. They are still missing 6-9 Luke Lamond who is coming off an injury and won't be cleared to play until January 2nd. Hartland has a different mind set this season, and expect to see the Eagles play a faster full court pace and try to run on every possession.

PLAYER OF GAME: Matt Poches, Hartland, 6-4 wing- the 2011 product finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 steals. He scored early and often and Jones rewarded him for running the floor hard. Even with a game high 25 points, Poches logged less than 20 minutes of clock due to the lop sided score.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Vonn Jones, Hartland, 5-11 PG- Hartland goes and Jones goes. For the past two years Jones has had to carry the scoring load but now with more developed weapons around him he can focus on being a true point guard. Jones deferred to his teammates all night long and came up just short of a triple double in limited minutes, 10 points, 11 assist, and 8 steals. He is still the top point guard in the class of 2009.

Jon Stevens, Hartland, 6-5 fwd- Stevens is noticeably stronger and does all the little things a team needs to win. He won't have a problem holding down the paint till 6-9 Lamond returns and then he can return to his natural forward position. Stevens contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Zach Kaul, Hartland, 5-9 PG- Kaul is a starter and comes to Hartland after moving from California, he brings the team an energetic ball handler that will allow Jones to slide over to the wing at times. Kaul plays with a different type of flavor, maybe it has to do with the Cali sun?

Chris Cagle, Hartland, 6-1 wing- Cagle struggled with his shot but contributed in other ways. He ran the floor well, played hard defensively, and fed his teammates with some nice passes.

Jake Warner, Hartland, 6-2 fwd- a 6-2/215 pound bruiser from the football team that plays with the same mentality on the hardwood. Warner comes off of the bench and gives Hartland a physical presence. He can also put the ball on the floor as well as score.

GIRLS HOOPS: Powers vs. Heritage

2008-12-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

**6-1 Jourdan Erskine drives to the basket**
**Liza Flewelling chases down a loose ball**
**Davi'elle Thomas tries to stay on her feet**

**Grace Herzog goes up for 2 over 2 defenders**

Saginaw- Jourdan Erskine and Davi'elle Thomas were able to keep their Heritage team close for the majority of the first half against Powers on Monday night. But after Erskine picked up her third foul, and was forced to take a seat with 3:37 to play in the half, Powers went on a 8-0 run to take a 27-17 lead into the half.

The run continued into the second half as Powers scored the first 18 points of the third quarter until Erskine's steal and lay-up ended the run, making the score 45-19. Powers' Stephanie Kelly's basket, while being fouled, completed a three point play to give her Chargers a 49-19 lead going into the fourth quarter. Powers ended the game with a 67-33 win.

BREAKDOWN: Powers just wore Heritage down, but I give credit to Erskine and Thomas for fighting and hitting baskets to stay close early on. Powers has a very deep bench and was able to use plenty of energy to get out and run.

Powers also had a huge rebounding advantage with six players standing 5-11 or taller. Powers did a phenomenal job of out-letting the ball, to get out in transition, which led to uncontested baskets.

PLAYER OF GAME: Grace Herzog, Powers 6-3 center- the SVSU commit has really improved her game. She blocked 4 shots in the second quarter to ignite Powers' big run, while finishing with 6. She added 10 rebounds to go with 9 points and she did a good job of forcing Erskine to shoot over her.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Jourdan Erskine, Heritage, 6-1 wing fwd- has really improved her range and ability to play other positions. The New Mexico commit had good rotation on her shot, and knocked down two 3-pointers. She even played point guard at times and seemed comfortable bring the ball up court. She finished with 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Davi'elle Thomas, Heritage, 5-7 PG- the junior point guard is fast and can really push the ball up the court. Powers was forced to play zone to keep Thomas out of the paint or else she would just blow by her defender with a simple crossover. Thomas struggled to get shots to fall and was only able to score 5 points.

Stephanie Kelly, Powers, 5-4 PG- Kelly is a tough point guard that really has a handle on Powers' offense. She does a good job moving the ball around as well as getting into the lane. She ended up with 8 points, 5 assist, and 5 steals.

Liza Flewelling, Powers, 6-0 PF- Liz is more of an enforcer which compliments Herzog well, she is also more polished offensively and can finish plays near the basket.

Lindsey McPherson, Powers, 6-0 wing- at 6 foot the junior is more of a wing and has a good shot from beyond the arc. She comes off the bench but her play keeps Powers at full strength.

GIRLS HOOPS: Howell vs. Saginaw High

2008-12-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

**Nikki Gunning takes on a double team**
**Diamond Tolliver gets to the basket**
**Charlie French pulls up for for 2**

**Keyandra Rohelia chases down a loss ball**

Saginaw- The Trojans and Highlanders matched bucket for bucket for the vast majority of four quarters, but down the stretch it was Howell's ability to knock down free throws that allowed the Highlanders to take a 58-51 win in the season opener for both teams.

Howell went up 6-0, the biggest lead for either team, to start the game before the Trojans woke up on their home floor. Saginaw's steal and solo bucket from Keyandra Rohelia tied the game 8-8, and Diamond Tolliver's basket gave the Trojans their first lead of the game.

The teams used the next two quarters duking it out as both tried to control the game's tempo. Saginaw wore down Howell with their full court man pressure while Howell slowed the game down and forced Saginaw to spent allot of energy chasing down back door cutters and shooters coming off of screens.

Saginaw stayed close late into the fourth quarter until Nikki Gunning bombed a long 3-point to give Howell a 49-44 lead, their biggest in the second half, with three minutes to play. Saginaw continued to attack the basket down the stretch, and was able to draw foul and get into the bonus, however Saginaw missed the front end of three 1-and-1's while Howell knocked down 5 of 6 in the final two minutes.

BREAKDOWN: both teams played hard, and the game could have gone either way, but in the end Howell made their free-throws when it counted. I think both teams will be in for successful seasons and both should win at least 14 games.

Howell's starting 5 are all players, they all see the floor well and they can handle the ball. They are also great passing the ball overall as a team. Saginaw on the other hand found success with their defensive full court pressure but they only used it in spurts, they should have used it from the opening tip. The Trojans have a deep bench and have the ability to run some teams right out of the gym.

PLAYER OF GAME: Charlie French, Howell, 5-11 wing- the volleyball stud, is just as talented with a basketball. She ran the floor well and made her presence felt on both ends. Defensively, she guarded Tolliver, Saginaw's 5-3 point guard. French forced Tolliver into tough shots as she had to shoot over French's long wing span. Offensively, French played all 5 positions and her ability to handle the ball was key in Howell's overall ability to handle Saginaw's pressure.

NOTABLE PLAYERS

Nikki Gunning, Howell, 5-5 PG- was big in the fourth quarter with the long 3-pointer and taking care of business at the line. She finished with a a game high 20 points. Tough point guard that can really handle the basketball.

Megan Hatter, Howell, 5-11 Fwd- Hatter is athletic and can do some damage with her back to the basket or driving from 10 feet out. She got her hands on allot of loose balls.

Diamond Tolliver, Saginaw, 5-3 PG- the junior guard is Saginaw's best player. She keeps the ball in her hands and you can tell she is trying to be a leader and a complete point guard, even though she is a natural scorer. She does a good job passing the ball in traffic even though her teammates at times weren't prepared for some of her passes. Tolliver finished with 7 points, 7 assist, and 4 steals.

Qwandra Stephens, Saginaw, 5-8 PF- the senior is a beast on the boards. She lacks height for a true center but she is relentless and fights for every rebound. Her offensive skills are developing however she still managed to log 17 points and 11 boards.

Ashley Beemon, Saginaw, 5-5 PG- the speedy sophomore point guard got plenty of clock off of the bench. She was nervous in the early going but settled down and played well. She has a good shot and has confidence shooting it. Beeman finished with 9 points and 5 steals.

Keyandra Rohelia, Saginaw, 5-7 fwd- gave her team energy early and started the Trojan's engine after falling behind 0-6. But Rohelia picked up her third foul in the second quarter and faded away in the second half.

GIRLS HOOPS: Nouvel vs. M.L.S.

2008-12-04T16:35:00.001-08:00

**Miss Basketball candidate Jenny Ryan**
**Ashley Albito controls Nouvel's offense**

**Sophomore Jessi Franz pushes the ball up court**

**Jenny Ryan posts up Jenna Williams**

Saginaw- Nouvel's quest for a third consecutive title got on track with a 53-38 win over Michigan Lutheran Seminary at Nouvel on Wednesday night. Seminary put their focus on Miss Basketball candidate, Jenny Ryan, from the opening tip. With Ryan not able to get a shot off in the early going Nouvel got down 7-2. Ryan then got into attack mode and scored 6 straight points to give Nouvel an 8-7 lead.

With first game jitters both teams got sloppy and both teams found theirselves in the double bonus with 2 minutes still to play in the first quarter. Seminary's got their own "go to" player in Gracie Baumgartner, and five straight points from the wing made the halftime score 22-21 in Nouvel's favor.

Baumgartner continued to score to start the third and Seminary took a 4 point lead. But Nouvel cranked up their full court pressure and went on a 14-2 run to end the third quarter and take a 37-27 lead into the fourth quarter and Seminary was never able to threaten again.

BREAKDOWN

Nouvel- the two time champs have more size than they had last year and that allowed them to rebound the ball well, but Nouvel is most dangerous when they play a full court fast pace game. Even when their press didn't force turnovers, it just seemed to keep Seminary off balance. Ryan was held to 13 points and her teammates were able to step up, showing this isn't a 1 person team.

MLS- even in the loss I was impressed with Seminary, they got some real decent players and should win the Tri-Valley West. They play hard on defense and really forced Nouvel to work for good shots.

PLAYER OF GAME- Jenny Ryan, Nouvel- a good player doesn't always have to score to make her presence felt and that was the case with Ryan on this night. She still finished with 13 points but it was her 6 rebounds, 6 assist, and 5 steals that made the difference in this game.

NOTABLE STANDOUTS

Gracie Baumgartner, MLS- had a game high 20 points and did a good job defensively as she helped guard Ryan. She's a 5-10 wing that contributes in a variety of ways on both sides of the floor.

Jessi Franz, Nouvel- the 6-0 sophomore led Nouvel with 15 points. She does most of work in the post and has some good post moves. She's also not afraid to put the ball on the floor when needed.

Ashley Albito, Nouvel- the 3 year varsity point guard has really improved her shot. I was also impressed with her vocal leadership that wasn't there last year. Her ability to run the offense allows Ryan to run off picks.

Jenna Williams, MLS- a 5-1 speedy point guard that runs around the floor like the energizer bunny. She was all over Ryan and never let up. She also does a good job of wasting no time to push the ball up the court.

GIRLS HOOPS: Flint Northern vs. Marian

2008-12-04T15:32:00.000-08:00

**Chaniese Turner goes up for 2 of her 29 points**
**Michelle Lindsey brings the ball up the floor**

**Kierre Bell fouled while shooting**

**LaTosha Beasley lays in 2 of her 14 points**

Flint- Flint Northern has high hopes this season with the Lady Vikings boasting their first veteran team in quite some time. The core of the Lady Vikings' team are now in their third year of varsity basketball with Chaniese Turner and Kierra Bell leading the way. But Northern's season got off to a rocky start as Birmingham Marian came up I-75 to take a 69-62 win in the season opener.

After trailing 8-9 Marian went on a 14-0 run to end the first quarter and start the second. An offensive put back from Northern's LaTosha Beasley finally ended the run with six minutes to go until halftime to trim the lead to 26-11. Coming out of a time out Northern inserted their full court press and it instantly gave Marian problems. Consecutive steals from Bell helped cut the deficit to 12 points and a mid-range jumper from Turner made the halftime score 35-25.

The Lady Vikings continued to pressure the Marian guards in the third quarter and a 3-pointer from Turner followed by a lay-up from Bell made the score 39-37 late in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter Marian made a defensive adjustment of their own, by falling back into a 2-3 zone. The zone slowed the game down and Northern struggled to find easy paths to the basket.

Northern stayed close through out the fourth quarter but three consecutive turnovers gave Marian some cushion. Marian's Mara Mulroy's offensive put back while being fouled, followed by a technical foul from Northern's Shanae Williams made the score 67-57, closing the door on any hope of a comeback.

BREAKDOWN

Marian- the Mustangs are going to be tough this year. They don't have a pure point guard but they have plenty of size. They easily had a three inch advantage at every position over Northern, and this allowed them to control the boards which was the key in their win.

Northern- Northern should of won this game but they were flat in the early on and got down by as many as 21 points. To their credit they fought back to get within 2 points but then they started turning the ball over. Too many veterans on this team to have so many turnovers, especially with guards like Turner, Bell, and Williams.

PLAYER OF GAME: Chaniese Turner, Northern despite the loss, Turner was fantastic as she had a game high 29 points. She had a good shot selection and didn't take many shots but just made what she threw up.

NOTABLE STANDOUTS

Mara Mulroy, Marian- at 6-1 Mulroy gave Northern plenty of problems on the glass. She finished with 19 points and most of it came off of offensive rebounds.

Michelle Lindsey, Marian- a combo guard who isn't a true point but has good enough handles to be effective. She has a consistent shot that led her to a 19 point performance.

Kierra Bell, Northern- I just love Bell's aggresiveness and mental toughness, the combo guard got her hand on 7 steals to go with 13 points. She was aggressive attacking the basket and was able to get inside the Marian zone.

LaTosha Beasley, Northern- at 5-11 Beasley is Northern's only true inside force. The pressure was on Beasley to hold down the paint and she did a solid job of it. She scrapped her way to 11 rebounds and 14 points.

Shanae Williams, Northern- the speedy guard comes off the bench and supplies Northern with instant energy on both sides of the floor.

FINALS: DIVISION 1

2008-12-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

**Ryan Cochran scores from 6 yards out**
**Ryan Darby pulls down Kim Bruce**
**Joe Stefanski chases down Branden Oakes**

Rockford held back Lake Orion to take a 17-7 win at Eastern Michigan in week 1, in that game Lake Orion had their chances but Rockford made just a few more plays. The story was pretty much the same as the two teams met again in the division 1 final. Rockford again made a few more plays, particularly in the second quarter, to head back west with a 26-14 win.

The game came unraveled in the second quarter, after trailing 7-6, Rockford took over the lead, 13-7, off of a 47 yard TD pass from Tim McGee to Nick Stokes. On the ensuing possesion Lake Orion's punt was blocked by Rockford's Alex Rojas, giving the Rams the ball on the six yard line. Ryan Cochran then scored to give Rockford a 20-7 halftime lead.

Lake Orion threatened in the third quarter by taking the second half kickoff and marching deep inside the redzone but only to have Gabe Speirs intercept a Sean Charette pass and return it 38 yards to the 45 yard line. However on the very next play Rockford fumbled the ball right back to the Dragons as Kane Hayes came up with the ball. This time the Dragons took advantage and Branden Oakes scored from 3 yards out to cut the lead to 20-14.

Lake Orion looked set to take over the lead but after a 25 yard gain Jeff Heath fumbled the ball and Rockford recovered near midfield. A McGee pass to Jordan Morren put the Rams in the redzone and Ryan Darby's 5 yard run capped the drive and extended the lead to 26-14.

A failed attempt on 4th-and-3 on the 41 yard line by Lake Orion pretty much sealed the win for Rockford as the Rams ran out the remainder 4:00 minutes to win their third state crown in the last 5 years.

BREAKDOWN

Rockford- the Rams won this game on special teams with the big blocked punt right before halftime. The second half was pretty much even as neither defense gave up much but in the end turnovers gave Rockford the win.

Lake Orion- the Dragon defense doesn’t have much weight but they are disciplined and did a fantastic job of plugging gaps, they didn't give up much except for the long touchdown pass.

Game MVP- Joe Stefanski, Rockford- no Ram really stood out, this was a total team effort. The defense overall got the job done and Stefanski was the main man from his middle LB position. The 6-3/225 junior is a work horse.

Tim McGee, Rockford- very composed and always makes the smart decision. He’s only asked to manage the game and he knows his limits.

Ryan Darby, Rockford- junior back, showed some great cut back abilities ans should carry the load next year. Also added an INT on defense.

Brogan Bibler, Rockford- I just love the attitude and arrogance of this senior safety, and while his playing days are probably over, you gotta love the swagger and energy he brought to the Ram defense.

FINALS: DIVISION 2

2008-12-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

**Muskegon celebrates their State Championship**
**Jason Hannett prepares to deliever a hit**
** Jason Hannett stays on his feet**

**Anthony Davis Jr. tackles Jim Martinez **

Zero turnovers for Muskegon and the results were a 34-14 win over DeLaSalle for the State Championship. Last week the Big Reds nearly cut their own throats with seven turnovers and had to use a dramatic comeback win over Davison, but not in this game. Muskegon’s looked flawless on both sides and never gave DeLaSalle any hope of pulling out a win.

Anthony Davis' 46 yard touchdown gave the Big Reds a 7-0 lead. Then Elan Banks and Jason Hannett added short runs of their own to give Muskegon a 20-0 halftime lead, and while Muskegon was running all over the place it was the complete opposite for DeLaSalle. The Pilots have a platoon of different backs that rely on either power or speed, and none of them could find any kind of running room. The downfield threats of brothers Jim and John Martinez, were taken away by a tough and physical Muskegon secondary.

The lead grew to 27-0, on Hannett's 6 yard score, before DeLaSalle could find the endzone on a Tim Zabawa run. But then Hannett answered right back with a 55 yard score to keep DeLaSalle at bay.

BREAKDOWN

Muskegon- no team in Michigan does a better job of breaking and eluding tackles like the Big Red backs do. Play after play Muskegon runners spun out of the first would be tackler to pick up another 5 yards. Coach Tony Annese is the best coach in the state, in my opinion, his team's are well prepared and disciplined, in a very complicated no huddle offense.

DeLaSalle- had and took some shots early but they ended up dropping passes and you can't do that against a great team and expect win. I'm a big fan of what DeLaSalle does and I picked them to go to the finals but they were just out of their league against Muskegon.

Game MVP: Jason Hannett, Muskegon- I have been saying for three years that I don't know why he isn't getting more college interest. He can play either side of the ball at the next level. He gave DeLaSalle fits from his linebacker/safety position while running for 155 yards and 3 TD's on 22 rushes.

Elan Banks, Muskegon- not strong enough of a arm to be a college QB but he was fantastic all season for Muskegon, he managed the offense, and made the throws when he had to. Completed half of his throws for 76 yards and ran 16 times for 117 yards.

Melvin Crews, Muskegon- has a great blend of strength and speed from D-end. He has good technique with his hands to shed blocks and is a real playmaker defensively.

Anthony Davis Jr., Muskegon- the third force in the Big red backfield and even though he only had 6 touches he still rung up 80 yards and a TD.

Willie Coulter-Hill, Muskegon- a 5-10/255 pound junior guard. He had to go up against Ben Hayes all game and when I first saw the match-up, I thought Hayes was going to have a field day but credit Coulter-Hill because he did a fantastic job of shutting Hayes down.

FINALS: DIVISION 3

2008-12-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

**Joe Glendening runs 1 of his 39 carries**
**Devin Gardner takes off for a gain**

**Chris Blair turns up field after a catch**

The division 3 final showcased two great, but total different style of offenses. Inkster came in with their spread offense that is highlighted by the QB/WR tandem of Devin Gardner and Cameron Gordon. But it was East Grand Rapid's power run double tight end offense that paved the way to a third consecutive state title and a 43-24 win.

After forcing a three and out defensively, East marched down field and Joe Glendening's 2 yard run gave the Pioneers a 7-0 lead. Inkster's offense responded with a nice drive of their own that resulted in a 5 yard pass from Gardner to Gordon, the two then hooked up again for a 2-point conversion and a Inkster 8-7 lead.

At this point in the game Inkster had all of the momentum until Gardner set up to throw a screen pass but didn't see D-end Colin Voss, who intercepted the pass and took down inside the 10 yard line. Glendening crossed pay dirt four plays later for a 14-8 lead.

East took a 22-16 lead into the half, and then took the opening possession of the third right down Inkster's throat with a variety of run plays. Glendening scored his third TD to give East a 30-16 lead. Quarterback Andrew Thompson increased the lead to 37-16 with his 1 yard sneak and Thompson's 4 yard TD pass to Chris Blair sealed the win.

BREAKDOWN

East- East took control of the game by regaining the lead right before halftime and then scoring right away to start the third, those sequence of plays took the air out of Inkster. I love East's double tight end I-formation offense, especially with a 6-4 and a 6-7 tight end.

Inkster- the Vikings were in the game early and should have had the lead at halftime, but once they got down all East had to do was run the ball and Inkster couldn't stop it. Inkster will loose some real good athletes but they'll also have no problem reloading and there could be a rematch game next year.

Game MVP: Joe Glendening, East- carried the load for 39 rushes that produced 177 and 3 TD's. "Joe The Show" doesn't have top notch speed or power but he is a patient runner who knows how to follow his blocks. He"ll be able to do the same at the D-2 level.

Colin Voss, East- the 6-7/225 junior tight end has high major written all over him but his biggest play was the INT in the second quarter to set up East's second TD.

Chris Blair, East- the 6-3/230 pound tight end was too much of a load for Inkster's secondary to handle. He finished with 5 catches for 57 yards and 2 TD's.

Devin Gardner, Inkster- he's the real deal, and even though he didn't hoist the trophy he proved he can handle the big stage. His numbers didn't show it but he did a solid job of eluding the blitz and trying to make the right play.

Cameron Gordon, Inkster- just too much physical strength for any corner to handle. Had 4 catches for 58 yards and a TD to go with two 2-point conversion receptions.

Donovan Lindsay, Inkster- the sophomore corner will be a high major recruit. He can really get inside a receiver. He came away with one interception and should have had another but he fell out of bounds.

FINALS: DIVISION 4

2008-12-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

**A.J. Westendorp throws a TD**
**Jason Ray picks up yards after a catch**

**Bennie Fowler finds running room**

**Lee Bailey brings down A.J. Westendorp after a short gain**

It's never been a question about how good Country Day is, and for the last two seasons they have been in the category of the state's elite teams- but for the second straight season the Yellowjackets have advanced to Ford Field only to run into a hot quarterback. Actually, calling Holland Christian quarterback A.J. Westendorp's performance hot is an understatement. What he did was flat out remarkable as Westendorp led a second half rally to deliver a 35-20 win.

Country Day opened the game with a two play drive to take a 6-0 lead before Holland even knew what hit them. Bennie Fowler took an end around and ran for 35 yards and then Josh Harris hooked up with his big brother, Allen Harris, for the 31 yard score.

Westendorp struck back with two TD passes to take a 14-6 lead after one quarter of play. The first touchdown went 25 yards to Nic Kiekover and the second went 10 yards to Matt Hochhalter. O'Neil Swanson answered back with his own pair of touchdown runs (6 and 3 yards) for Country Day to give the Yellowjackets a 20-14 halftime lead.

The third quarter belonged to Westendorp as he just controlled the ball and found the endzone three times. Westendorp's 22 yard TD pass to Jordan Mast gave Holland a 21-20 lead, the play was set up by a blocked punt. Westendorp then found sophomore Willie Snead from 14 yards out and Jeff Vroom's 2 yard score put the exclamation mark on the win.

BREAKDOWN

Holland Christian- zero dropped passes, as good as Westendorp was, his receivers were just as good as they caught everything. I thought the CD athletes would give Christian a problem but they did a good job of suffocating them defensively.

Country Day- the defensive scheme was solid but you just can't game plan for a performance like Westerdorp's. They attacked from different angles and dropped back in coverage but nothing worked. In the second half penalties slowed down drives and they just didn't get enough chances to score. The Yellowjackets return a strong nucleus of players, so will next year be the year?

Game MVP: A.J. Westendorp, H.C.- completed 26 of 33 passes for 318 yards and 4 TD's to go with 120 rushing yards on 19 carries. What made the performance so special is how the 6-2/215 pound QB gave himself time by sliding around the pocket, and making the correct decision to throw and take off running. He spread the ball around to eight different receivers.

Willie Snead IV, H.C.- the sophomore receiver runs perfect routes, and can make the tough catch off balanced. He finished with 9 catches for 81 yards and a TD.

Bennie Fowler, CD- Fowler ran 11 times for 81 yards and had 5 catches for 84 yards; showing his versatility. Holland was all over the Michigan State commit but he was still a factor. I'm very confident that he will have a great career at MSU.

Josh Harris, CD- the sophomore QB completed 14 of 26 passes but his teammates had atleast 5 drops. He was composed on the big stage and did a good job making the correct decision.

FINALS: DIVISION 5

2008-12-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

**Ovid Elsie's Chris Robinson**

**Chris Robinson drags a defender**

**Luke Cole stays in bounds after making a catch**

With less than a 15 seconds till halftime and trialing 13-7, Ovid-Elsie's Cameron Hurst intercepted a pass and returned it 30 yards to the Oakridge 33 yard line with just one second left. O-E then threw a 33 yard TD from Jason Goosen to David Russek to end the half up 14-13.

Matt Eaker's 16 yard run regained the lead for Muskegon Oakridge, 19-14, a minute into the fourth quarter. On the ensuing possession O-E was set to go for a 4th-and-1, but a delay of game forced them to punt. Oakridge regained possession with 9 minutes to play in the fourth quarter and went 75 yards in 10 plays to milk the clock down to 3:14 and finish the drive with a 11 yard TD run from Mike Shoop to take a commanding 26-14 lead.

BREAKDOWN

Oakridge- controlled the whole game and even though they trailed at halftime it took some luck for OE to get the lead. Oakridge controlled the clock and in the fourth quarter O-E's defense couldn't get them off the field when they needed to.

OE- I understand they didn't many offensive plays but you still got to feed Chris Robinson. He's the reason you got to Ford Field and 14 touches won't cut it.

Game MVP: Mike Shoop, Oakridge- ran 24 times for 178 yards and a TD. Shoops ability to find cut back lanes kept the chains moving.

Chris Robinson, O-E only had the 14 touches but still ran for 117 yards and a TD. His season total of 2,844 is good enough for third most yards in a single season in Michigan history. I always worry about how good Tri-Valley Conference backs can be in college but Robinson is a true D-1 prospect- he has the speed and power to go with great field vision.

FINALS: DIVISION 6

2008-12-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

**Cody Kater throws a 98 yard TD**
**Travis Crowe looks to deliver a pass**
**Kater got great protection from a physical O-line**

Sometimes it’s just meant to be and teams have destiny on their side. Montague had that feeling in the division 6 final as the Wildcats used their momentum from last week’s overtime win over Nouvel C.C. The Wildcats jumped out to a 14-0 lead just two minutes into the game off of touchdown runs from QB Cody Kater (30 yards) and AJ LaRue (13 yards). Montague extended the lead to 21-0 when Kater hit Anthony Root for a 46 yard touchdown half way through the first quarter.

But midway through the first half, even after trailing 21-0, Leslie took control of the game’s momentum. Their defense toughened up and their offense found running room. Trent Page's 50 yard touchdown kept Leslie's hopes alive as the lead was cut to 21-6.

The game took a swing back towards Montague's direction when they Wildcats stuffed Leslie on 4th-and-goal from the 4 yard line. On the very next play it appeared that Kater was sacked for a safety but the officials ruled that his forward progress was stopped at the one yard line. Two plays later Kater threw a 98 yard touchdown to Root. The sequence of plays pretty much determined the game as Montague took a 35-6 lead into the half and finished off Leslie 41-20.

BREAKDOWN

Montague- the thing that stood out to me the most about Montague was their defensive line. They averaged 5-7 and 200 pounds but I don’t think I would ever try to steal a potato chip from one of them. The Wildcats also do a good job of downfield blocking, even 20 yards down field, they block till they whistle blows.

Leslie- the offense showed flashes and even put together some pretty impressive drives but they just dug theirselves too deep of a whole and defensively they just couldn’t stop Montague. The 98 yard touchdown just broke Leslie’s back but credit the coaching staff because the kids never gave up and fought for the entire game.

Game MVP: Cody Kater, Montague- the junior was plagued the whole game with a hip injury he sustained in the first quarter but you couldn’t tell by his performance. Kater played safety, QB, and even recovered an onside kick. At 6-3/and 200 pounds he has a good shot of playing QB in college.

Matt DeJong, Montegue- a good size receiver at 6-3 even though he only had 1 catch for 16 yards but he drew double coverage. He's a phenomenal downfield blocker. Also started at safety.

Drew Pineda, Montague- the junior linebacker can really get physical and stuff the run. Led Montague in tackles.

Trent Page, Leslie- Page is a true "Mr. Do It All" although he had to be used as a decoy because Montague shadowed his every step. Although he still had 3 TD's.

Devin Twombley, Leslie- a pure power back that lowers his should and runs down hill. He racked up 123 yards and 12 touches.

FINALS: DIVISION 7

2008-12-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

**Michigan State commit LB Max Bullough**
**Ryan Farley races for his second TD**

**St Francis defenders sacks Ubly's Jordan Kaufman**

Traverse City St. Francis made a return trip to Ford Field after falling short last year, but not this year, as the Gladiators took it right to Ubly with a 41-13 win.

St. Francis took an early 7-0 lead on Ryan Farley's 1 yard dive. Ubly hung tough but just couldn't stop the Gladiators from making big plays. Ben Swan's 47 yard run made the score 14-0 and Corey Williams TD passes of 34 yards to Matt Benson and 58 yards to Farley made the score 28-0 at the half.

Ubly came back with a big play of their own in the third when QB Jordan Kaufman took off and cut back across the field for a 65 yard run. Farley quieted the Ubly crowd with his third touchdown, a 33 yard run, to extend the lead to 35-7. Swan added another TD run for St. Francis, this time from 70 yards, to secure the win.

BREAKDOWN

St. Francis- the Gladiators feed off a talented linebacker core that holds it down for their defense but the offense really came to play today with so many big play touchdowns. The Gladiators will return plenty of talent and can easily make a third trip to Ford Field next year.

Ubly- in game's like this it's nearly impossible not to cheer for the small town underdog. Ubly was out of this game by halftime but the crowd, that seemed like everyone from the small town, stayed and cheered their team for four quarters, congrats Ubly on a great season!

Game MVP: Corey Williams, TCSF- the two big TD passes in the second quarter were the back breakers for St. Francis. He only threw 6 times, but completed 4 of them, and they were all big plays.

Ben Swan, TCSF- ran 8 times for 139 yards and 2 TD's.

Max Bullough, TCSF- the Michigan State commit has great instinct and pure linebacker skills. The junior was all over the field and did a good job chasing down the small Ubly backs.

Spencer Wheelock, TCSF- the least pubbed of the St. Francis LB's but he had a big day at Ford Field with a pair of sacks. He goes 6-3/200 pounds and really comes off the edge hard, he could be a big asset for a D-2 school.

Joe Kerridge, TCSF- I can't wait till next year to see this 2011 prospect play full time at LB, he already starts at fullback and is very physical. He's also very developed at 6-2/215 pounds.

Matt Zakrzewski, TCSF- a 6-4/225 junior safety that doesn't waste any time to come up and make a big hit. I was equally impressed with his ability to cover down field. I can see him playing D-1 football as a linebacker.

Kyle Lints, TCSF- a 6-4/240 pound sophomore left tackle. Great footwork and strength and with two years still he'll only get better.

FINALS: DIVISION 8

2008-12-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

**Jared Johnson splits a pair of tacklers**

**Brian Johnson sacks Bob Reid**

**A crew of Crusaders pound on F.P.'s Josh Siler**

It didn't come to any surprise that the division 8 final was a lopsided affair as Muskegon Catholic Central shutout the defending champs- Crystal Falls Forest Park 40-0.

Back in week 3 I had the opportunity to watch Muskegon beat Country Day 35-6 and I knew then that the Crusaders would just walk through the small school division, but I also thought the defending champs would at least be able to find the endzone.

Muskegon's defense shined as they allowed Forest Park to pick up only four first downs and 129 yards of total offense. However the key stat to the game was that Muskegon held Forest Park to 0 for 13 on third and fourth down conversions. Forest Park's inability to move the ball gave Catholic Central great field position and Muskegon cashed in.

The Crusaders were able to find plenty of running room from the very start, and didn’t need any misdirection or trick plays to get it, they simply ran right into the heart of Forest Park’s defense. Quarterback Jared Johnson struck first with a 71 yard scamper with 5:30 to play in the first. Johnson then found Brian Johnson for a 38 yard touchdown pass to take a 14-0 lead two minutes into the second quarter. Muskegon C.C. tacked on two more second quarter touchdowns to pretty much decide the game before the half came around. Steve Mitchelle raced in from 32 yards, while Rodney Anderson scored from 23 yards out for the second TD.

Colin Kolkema added a 20 yard run in the third quarter to make the score 33-0 and Major Metcalf finished the scoring with a 85 yard run just 45 seconds into the fourth quarter.

BREAKDOWN

Muskegon C.C.- the Crusaders just physically dominated this game in every aspect. They knocked at least four Trojans out of the game and it easily could have been more. The C.C. offense put up big yardage but their defense controlled this game by limiting Forest Park and it seems like every other tackle was in the Trojan backfield.

Forest Park- in the second half you could just sense Forest Park was just trying to get home healthy. A team that lives off of the run game couldn’t even muster positive yardage. No shame because they won it last year and just returning is a huge accomplishment but it was obvious who the better team was.

Game MVP: Jared Johnson, MCC- Johnson isn't your typical throwing QB, although he did complete 3 of 5 for 51 yards and a TD. Johnson killed Forest park with his feet as he totalled 156 yards and a score on 11 rushes.

Colin Kolkema, MCC- the fullback led the way all day and constantly ran over defenders. He was rewarded with 5 touches that allowed him to gain 82 yards and TD.

Adrian Baker, MCC- the 6-0/240 pound D-end/tight end made a physical presence on both sides of the ball. Baker had a pair of sacks.

SEMIS: Lake Orion vs. Dearborn Fordson

2008-11-24T15:08:00.000-08:00

**Freshman QB Sean Charette**
**Ali Baidoun gets pressured from Evan Gros**
**Branden Oakes runs in for his second TD**

**Ali Alaboody couldn't find any running room**

Troy- The phrase states "defense wins championships", and that phrase hasn't won Lake Orion a championship yet, but it certainly has propelled the Dragons into the championship game as Lake Orion shutout Dearborn Fordson with a 38-0 victory.

Lake Orion's defense set the tone on the game's first play when John Chanthakhot intercepted Ali Baidoun's pass and returned it 25 yards for a 7-0 lead. Fordson turned the ball over again on their second possession on Abdullah Homayed's fumble. Lake Orion's Jared Lee recovered the ball at the 48 yard line. Branden Oakes' 1 yard touchdown made the score 14-0 with six minutes to play in the first quarter.

Lake Orion tacked on another touchdown with a 1:34 to go in the first half when Oakes ran up the gut nearly untouched for a 40 yard scamper to leave a rowdy Fordson crowd in shock.

Chanthakhot struck again in the third quarter with his second interception, returning this one inside the five yard line. Three plays later Daniel Ney crossed paydirt for a 21-0 lead. Lake Orion also added a 20 yard touchdown run from Marques Stevenson, and a 28 yard field goal to complete the scoring.

BREAKDOWN

Lake Orion- the Dragon defense couldn't have been better on this cold night. Besides the forced turnovers they laid the wood and didn't give Fordson anywhere to run or throw.

Lake Orion fires off the ball extremely fast on both sides of the ball. Offensively they hit you so fast with dives and trap plays that they got 5 yards before you even know what hit you.

Fordson- the Tractors were never in this game; from the first play they lost the lead and could never get anything going in their favor. None of Fordson's big named players could make a play in this game as Lake Orion had them all in check. 5 turnovers and only 6 first downs just wasn't the Fordson team we have seen all season.

GAME MVP: John Chanthakhot, Lake Orion the senior corner's first pick for a TD set the tone and his second pick was the nail in the coffin.

Mikael Lott, LO- the senior slot receiver has speed and can really stretch the field. He added a few big run plays off of end arounds.

Sean Charette, LO- the freshman had some balls sail on him early but other than that he did a good job of managing the game without turning the ball over and what else can you ask out of a freshman in such a big game.

Abdullah Homayed, Fordson- got the job done at middle linebacker and held it down between the tackles. After Fordson got down by 21 Homayed became a non-factor at fullback. At 6-4/240 I would like to see him play D-end in college.

Baquer Sayed, Fordson- has the tools to be one the state's top 10 receivers next year but Lake Orion just would allow him to get free. Is a big target at 6-2/180 pounds.

Hassen Amen, Fordson- was the most consistent Fordson play on both sides of the ball. Better defensive prospect at the next level than offensive. Didn't have any errors on defense nor mistackles.

SEMIS: Country Day vs. Croswell-Lexington

2008-11-24T06:58:00.000-08:00

**O'Neil Swanson celebrates after scoring his second TD**
**Lexington had trouble bringing down Bennie Fowler**

**Mose Hogan pressures Cameron Barrett**

**Lee Bailey brings down Ryan Fabbri**

Macomb- After falling behind 6-o, Country Day used their special teams to help rally back with 48 unanswered points for a 48-6 win in a Division 4 semi-final. The Yellowjackets used their special teams to set up the touchdowns but it was seniors Bennie Fowler and O'Neil Swanson who did most of the cashing in for the Yellowjackets who now advance to the division 4 championship game against Holland Christian.

Although the score looks one sided, Croswell gave Country Day an early scare. The Pioneers were able to move the ball early on through the air but credit the Yellowjackets because they came up with key sacks to stop the Pioneers from putting up any first quarter points. Crosswell got deep near the goal line on their third drive but a sack on 3rd down from Tim MacLean pushed the Pioneers back to face a 4th-and-17 on the 18 yard line. Cameron Barrett threw a dagger in the endzone that was caught by Dominic Arnold. The extra point was blocked giving Lexington a 6-0 lead.

The Yellowjackets didn't waste anytime to retake the lead, on the ensuing possession O'Neil Swanson twisted out of a tackle and raced 58 yards for a touchdown to take a 7-6 lead. After forcing a 3-and-out, Mose Hogan blocked the punt, giving C.D. the ball on the 21 yard line. Sawnson's 7 yard run gave C.D. a 14-6 lead. Special teams struck again for the Yellowjackets by recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Bennie Fowler's 6 yard touchdown, followed by Swanson's 2 point conversion run, gave C.D. a 22-6 lead. Country day added a 36 yard field goal to end the half making the halftime score 25-6.

Country Day started the third quarter with a 60 yard run from Swanson to set up a 1st-and-goal from the 2. Fowler capped the drive on the next play. Two plays later Jason Ray intercepted a pass and returned it 42 yards for a 39-6 lead. Fowler added another TD run and the Yellowjackets added a safety to finish the scoring.

BREAKDOWN

Country Day- I like the fight I saw out of Country Day early on when the game wasn't going their way. The defense was phenomenal, even early on when Lexington was moving the ball, C.D. came up with some big sacks to end drives. The secondary didn't give up any yards after the catch and picked off four passes. The special teams played the biggest role by blocking a punt, forcing a fumble, blocking an extra point, and constantly setting up solid field position.

Lexington- the Pioneers had a solid game plan and I like their aggressiveness to pass early on, but they just had never seen the type of athletes that Country Day puts on the field and couldn't keep pace.

GAME MVP: O'Neil Swanson, Country Day the Yellowjackets couldn't get anything going on offense till Swanson broke loose for the 48 yard TD. Swanson finished with 158 yards, 2 TD's, and a 2-point conversion run.

Bennie Fowler, CD- Fowler had two big plays to set up a pair of 1st-and-goals in the first half. He added 3 scores and close to 100 all purpose yards. CD does a good job of moving Fowler around to get him the ball in open space.

Chris Eddins, CD- continues to prove his D-1 value by making plays at D-tackle. The 6-4 Eddins batted down a pass and added a sack.

Lee Bailey, CD- the sophomore corner held his side down, rarely gave up catches but instantly made the tackle.

Mose Hogan, CD- Hogan plays a few positions but is always around the ball. His block punt was huge in the win.

Jason Ray, CD- the 6-2/200 pound safety comes up and hits like a linebacker. He has great instincts and speed that were both seen in his 42 yard INT return.

Ryan Fabbri, Lexington- the sophomore receiver had a handful of receptions, and even took a reverse for a first down. He was forced to play QB after Barrett was knocked out of the game for a series. 5-10/155 pound athlete with some decent speed.

Dominic Arnold, Lexington- the freshman receiver had his team's lone TD and made a nice catch in traffic for it.

NGS ALL-2011 TEAM

2008-11-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

Below is NGS' 1st and 2nd teams for the class of 2011. Teams were chosen on players performance based on this season only. Teams don't have any reflection on player rankings or next level potential.

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE:

QB- Ryan Morley, Grand Blanc, 6-1/165
RB- Jeron Clayton, Ann Arbor Pioneer, 5-9/160
RB- Justice Hayes, Grand Blanc, 5-11/170
RB- Davion Stackhouse, Canton, 5-10/175
WR- Matt Poches, Hartland, 6-4/185
WR- DeAnthony Arnett, Saginaw High, 6-0/165
WR- Willie Snead IV, Holland Christian 5-11/165
OL- Damon Knox, Muskegon, 6-2/240
OL- Robb Coleman, Fulton-Middleton 6-5/250
OL- Budd Gilfillen, Hudsonville, 6-4/250
OL- Bryce Hall, Melvindale, 6-3/260
OL- Kyle Foreman, Berkley, 6-3/265
K- Aaron Mick, Southfield Christian, 5-9/150

DEFENSE:

C- Lee Bailey, Country Day, 5-10/160
C- Ashton Gaines, Detroit Crockett, 5-10, 165
S- Jimmy Pickens, Brother Rice, 6-0/185
S- Donovan Lindsay, Inkster, 5-11/180
LB- Lawrence Thomas, Detroit Renaissance, 6-3/215
LB- Tyler Tucker, East Lansing, 6-3/180
LB- Dell Simon, Arthur Hill, 5-10/175
LB- Percy Johnson, Detroit Denby, 6-0, 200
DT- Sinquarious Hayden, Flint Northern, 6-3/265
DT- Tyler Lemke, Mt. Pleasant, 6-3/230
DE- Julian Plummer, Muskegon Heights, 6-6/240
DE- Conor Hart, Brother Rice, 6-4/220

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE:

QB- Josh Harris, Country Day, 6-0/195
RB- Neno Jones, Farmington, 5-8/162
RB- Darryl Flemster, Oak Park- 5-10/195
RB- Jamel Abrams, Marine City, 5-11/190
WR- Anthony Johnson, Parkway Christian, 6-4/180
WR- Chandler Young, Arthur Hill, 5-10/160
WR- Devon Ivy, Ottawa Hills, 5-9/150
OL- Vincent McCall, Detroit Finney, 6-1/270
OL- Trice Richard, Oak Park, 6-2/290
OL- Corey May, Muskegon Heights, 6-3/265
OL- David Brown, Country Day, 6-0 230
OL- Cortez Riley, OLSM, 6-0/255
K- Kyle Brindza, Plymouth, 5-9/155

DEFENSE:

C- Patrick Lucas-Perry, Flint Powers, 5-10/165
C- Ronald Walker, Detroit Cooley, 6-2/185
S- Ken Knight, Country Day, 6-3/ 175
S- Ryan Griffin, Ann Arbor Pioneer, 5-9/170
LB- Tim Hamilton, Brother Rice, 6-1/205
LB- Joe Kerridge, Traverse City St. Francis, 6-0/190
LB- Justin Messner, Detroit C.C., 6-0/175
LB- Davonte Snyder, Detroit Denby, 6-0/190
DT- Dylan Ochala-Gorka, Livonia Churchill, 6-0/215
DT- Cody Knoll, DeLaSalle, 6-0/230
DE- Dwight Trammer, Oak Park, 6-3/220
DE- George Darany, Detroit C.C., 6-2/200

REGIONALS: Hartland vs. Rockford

2008-11-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

**Vonn Jones cradles in a 2-point conversion pass**
**Matt Poches turns up field after a catch**
**Alex Rojas takes a misdirection run play**

**Rockford's Josh Osbun sacks Chris Cagle**

Rockford- Rockford put an end to Hartland's dream season Saturday afternoon as the host Rams used a 5 star performance from their defense to clamp down on Hartland's explosive offense en route to a 24-8 win.

Hartland started the game by picking up 3 first downs but a dropped pass on 3rd-and-3 forced Hartland to punt the ball away. Rockford went right to their power run game and Jordan Morren raced 45 yards for the game's first score with 7:48 to go in the first quarter to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.

Hartland had their chances in the first half as the Eagles forced three Rockford turnovers, unfortunately the Eagles failed to capitalize on any of them. Twice Hartland went for it on 4th-and 3's but failed to convert. Rockford was able to tack on a 20 yard field goal to make the halftime score 10-0.

After forcing a three and out to start the third quarter, Hartland put together their best drive of the game. The Eagles moved down near the redzone but a fumble ended any hope of scoring. Rockford took advantage of the fumble recovery and marched down field 80 yards on all run plays. Once the Rams got near the goal line they ran a play-action to score on a 5 yard pass to Morren from Tim McGee to take a 17-0 lead. Morren added his third touchdown with 9:15 left in the fourth quarter, running in from 2 yards out, to take a commanding 24-0 lead.

Hartland showed their heart by never giving up. The Eagles were able to get on the board off of Matt Kenwell's 4 yard run. Vonn Jones catch added on the 2-point conversion making the final 24-8.

BREAKDOWN

Rockford- the Rams lost their starting running back early in the game but never skipped a beat showing how deep their roster goes. Defensively the Rams had a great game plan as they double teamed Hartland's weapons forcing other players to make plays. The Rams were able to get pressure on Cagle by only rushing four and dropping everyone else back in pass coverage.

Hartland- it's been a heck of a ride for the Eagles this season as they proved many doubters wrong. They showed the state that not only do they have some pretty good football players but as a team they can compete with anyone. Hartland had their shots but just couldn't get into the endzone against Rockford.

GAME MVP: Jordan Morren, Rockford- the halfback turned into the feature back after Aaron Kwekel went down. Morren gets credit for all 3 Ram TDs as he finished with 111 on 15 rushes.

Chris Cagle, Hartland- I think Cagle was sacked only twice but he was on the run all day which shows his ability to move around the pocket to buy time. Cagle had a great season as he has proven that he in one of Michigan's top throwers. It will be near impossible for Hartland to replace what Cagle has given them this year.

Matt Poches, Hartland- Rockford's head coach said afterward that his game plan was to take away Poches, and that states allot for the value of a sophomore. Rockford shadowed Poches with a 6-3 corner and kept a safety within 10 yards on every down.

Vonn Jones, Hartland- Jones also received plenty of attention from the Rockford secondary but was still able to collect 5 catches. Jones had Hartland's biggest play of the day when he went up over two Ram defenders to make a catch to keep a drive alive.

Joe Stefanski, Rockford- the junior linebacker did a solid job of covering ground against the spread offense. He's a phenomenal tackler in the open field as well as pass coverage.

Alex Rojas, Rockford- the Ram split back mostly gets the ball on misdirection plays but those are the perfect situations for the little, but speedy, back to make plays in. he ran for 78 yards and seemed to have picked up a first down on every carry.

REGIONALS: Davison vs. Midland

2008-11-17T13:27:00.001-08:00

**Jake Thompson runs in a 2-point conversion**
**Andrew Maxwell moves out of the pocket to buy some time**
**Midland had trouble tackling Oliver Saylor**
**A Davison corner gets yardage after making an interception**

Midland- At halftime it looked like Davison would again loose another playoff game at Midland's Community Field, for the third straight year, as the Cardinals trailed Midland 7-12. Two years ago Davison lost to Muskegon in a semi-final game and last year they lost to Midland in a regional final.

But this year would prove to be different as Davison got their run game going in the second half with QB Jake Thompson and RB Oliver Saylor to take a 25-19 win to advance to the Division 2 semi-finals.

Davison got on the board first when Thompson hit a wide open Daniel Thwing in the middle of the field for a 21 yard TD. Midland answered back on their first possession with a 80 yard drive. The drive was keyed by a 4th-and-1 conversion on Davison's 25 yard line when Andrew Maxwell ran under center to move the chains. On the very next play Maxwell hit Drew Moulton for a touchdown. The extra point snap was botched keeping the lead in Davison's favor 7-6 with 3:37 to go in the first.

For the remainder of the first half Davison's offense failed to pick up first downs while Midland just couldn't take advantage like the Chemics normally would. In the second quarter Midland missed a 36 yard field goal, had a touchdown called back for holding, threw an interception, and got stopped on a 4th-and-2 on Davison's 17 yard line instead of attempting a field goal.

Midland did manage to convert a touchdown with 27 seconds left in the half when Maxwell found Michael Albrecht in the corner of the endzone. The Chemics 2-point attempt sailed incomplete giving Midland the 12-7 halftime lead.

In the third quarter the Cardinals capitalized off of another Maxwell interception. A 25 yard pass from Thompson set up a 1st-and-goal from the two yard line and Saylor finished the drive on the very next play. Thompson ran in the 2-point attempt giving Davison a 15-12 lead.

Davison took control of the game early in the fourth quarter when Thompson scored from 12 yards out and a Cardinal 28 yard field goal gave Davison a 25-12 lead with just over four minutes to play.

Davison was able to withstand a Chemic rally late in the game, after Midland scored off of a 33 yard pass to Moulton, Davison was able to recover a Midland onside kick with 30 seconds left, securing the Cardinal win.

BREAKDOWN

Davison- the Cardinal defense bent but never broke, and they really took over the second half as they were able to get pressure on Maxwell. Midland's offense could never get going in the second half but the Davison offense gets credit for that because they kept Maxwell and company off of the field by controlling the ball.

Midland- the Chemics just didn't seem to be as fired up for this game as Davison was. Too many mistakes and mental errors cost Midland the game. In the second half Midland had no answer for the Davison run game.

GAME MVP: Oliver Saylor, Davison a pure bruiser on both sides of the ball! When Saylor wasn't laying the wood from his linebacker spot he was running people over on offense. Saylor kept the chains moving in the second half as Davison controlled the clock. Saylor finished with 135 yards and a TD.

Jake Thompson, Davison- the sophomore QB didn't play like no regular sophomore. He did have a fumble and an interception but for the most part he was solid managing the game.

Andrew Maxwell, Midland- Maxwell spent most of the game on the run avoiding D-ends. He showed good mobility with a strong arm but just didn't come up with the plays you would expect out of a big 10 bound quarterback.

Michael Albrecht, Midland- the Saginaw Valley MVP showed why he was the MVP, even on a team with two big 10 bound prospects. Albrecht intercepted a pass to go with a touchdown in his final game.

REGIONALS: South Haven vs. Holland Christian

2008-11-17T07:27:00.001-08:00

**A.J. Westendorp runs for a 25 yard TD**
**6-7 Isiah Grimes takes off down field**
**Jordan Brassard hauls in a pass near the goal line**
**Sophomore Willie Snead had 146 receiving yards**

Holland- Holland Christian and South Haven took the field Friday night in a regional final that featured two of the state's top senior signal callers in A.J. Westendorp of Christian and Isiah Grimes of South Haven.

The two teams traded first half touchdowns as South Haven took a 19-18 lead into the half. But the second half belonged to Westendorp, who's ability to make plays with both his arm and legs, overwhelmed the South Haven defense allowing the Maroons to rally back and cruise to a 53-25 win to advance to next week's semi-final against Grand Rapids C.C.

Christian scored on the game's opening possession when Westendorp avoided a sack and dashed 35 yards for an early 6--0 lead. It didn't take the Rams long to fire back, South Haven regained the lead on a 78 yard touchdown pass from Grimes to Chris Massenburg on the Ram's first play from scrimmage to take a 7-6 lead.

South Haven looked to build on the lead when they set up a 1st-and-goal on the 3 yard line but the Rams fumbled the ball away. On the very next play Westendorp hit a wide open Willie Snead for a 93 yard touchdown. Holland built their first half lead to 18-7 off of a Westendorp 4 yard run early in the second quarter.

South Haven cut the lead to 18-13 on Kelip Goodwin's 8 yard sweep. On the ensuing kickoff South Haven attempted an onside kick that was shortly recovered by Snead, who was then rocked by Blain McGowan causing Snead to loose the ball as the Rams recovered. South Haven regained the lead, 19-18, on a 13 yard TD pass from Grimes to Aaron Sollman.

In the third quarter Holland got a splash of luck when Westendorp's deep pass bounced off the fingertips of Nic Kiekover and fell right into the hands of teammate Matt Mulder, the 57 yard TD gave Holland a 25-19 lead that the Maroons would never relinquish. In the next 5 minutes Westendorp added touchdown runs of 25 and 12 yards to give the Maroons a 39-19 lead. A 55 yard TD pass from Westendorp to Eric Slenk capped Holland's huge 3rd quarter giving the Maroons a 46-19 lead.

Holland's final score came off of Matt Hochhalter's 1 yard run while South haven managed to get a 50 yard TD run from sophomore Josh Taylor late in the game.

BREAKDOWN

Holland Christian- the Maroons are very disciplined in their complicated spread offense that gives Westendorp plenty of freedom to pick apart defenses just like he did against South Haven. Holland's offense line has decent size but nothing extraordinarily big, however they do a heck of a job of staying with their blocks and getting down field to pick up blocks.

South Haven- the Rams put up a good fight but the in the third quarter the offense failed to pick up a first down giving Westendorp too many opportunities.

GAME MVP: A.J. Westendorp, Holland Christian the 6-2/210 pound senior goes both ways as a QB/outside linebacker. As good as AJ is with the ball on offense I think he has a better chance to excel as a linebacker in college. But don't get me wrong, his numbers alone prove he is a player- 16 of 19 pass attempts for 359 yards and three TDs to go with 17 rushes for 124 yards and four more scores.

Isiah Grimes, South Haven- the 6-7 Grimes has a rocket for a arm and can really thread a pass into tight traffic. In the cold weather his receivers had trouble holding on to the hard throws but Grimes put the ball where it had to be.

Camron Kiekintveld, Holland Christian- the junior goes both ways as a guard and D-end. Good size at 6-2/240 pounds but his ability to fire off the ball really caught my eye, really good speed rusher as well.

Willie Snead, Holland Christian- another stud receiver for the class of 2011. Finished with 6 catches for 146 yards. The WR/safety/ kick returner rarely leaves the field.

Josh Taylor, South Haven- the sophomore showed good speed in his 50 yard TD, and should get the bulk of carries next year for the Rams.

PLAYER FEATURE: Janero Walker, Flint Beecher

2008-11-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

Flint Beecher's football season ended last week in the district championship with a 41-45 loss to St. Charles; and while the Bucs won't have the privilege of playing in this week's regional finals the season was one for the Beecher community to be proud of. "The loss was tough knowing we were up at halftime but overall I had a fun senior season", states Janero Walker, "We had some growing pains early on but as they season went along we really started to click."

Growing pains is what you can call it when you start a pair of sophomores at running back and a freshman at quarterback. "It was a lot different from last year because we had a veteran team and a senior QB" says Walker. Walker, who has started on offense and defense for the varsity since he was a freshman, was the only returning starter on offense and one of three on the Buc's defense this year. "Honestly, I didn't know what to expect because I knew we were just so young but Coach Hawkins did a good job of teaching the young guys and I'm just proud of how we did overall." says Walker.

Walker also helped out the young fellas by being a big time playmaker on the field for the Bucs. Walker finished the season with 56 catches for 906 yards and 9 TDs to go with a kickoff return for a TD and adding 7 interceptions on defense.

PROGRAM HAS TURNED AROUND

Walkers' freshman season ended with a 1-8 record and his sophomore campaign wasn't much better as the Bucs finished 2-7. But now Beecher has a football program to be proud of. "I was really thinking of transferring after my freshman year but then Coach Hawkins took the job. He has taught me everything I know about football. He taught me technique and how to carry ourselves off the field as well. I have been really privileged because he played the same positions" says Walker.

"My goal was always to play in the playoffs and I have accomplished that" states Walker. Walker has done more than just play in the playoffs, the Bucs have made the postseason that past two years and have won a playoff game in both of those seasons. So while most kids take the easy road of jumping on another school's coat tail, Walker has stuck it out as a Buc and has now reaped the benefits.

LEADERSHIP

Coach Courtney Hawkins did a phenomenal job this season at Beecher finishing the season with a 7-4 record but Walker also had his share in the development of the young guys. "I was raised to be a leader, not a follower. My coaches enforced it on me and I knew it would be my major role this year. I worked with the receivers and that allowed coach to put more focus on other positions. Being a leader has never been a problem for me because it just comes naturally to me," says Walker.

Walker also gives his teammates something else to look up to, besides being a leader in sports, Walker is also a leader in the classroom. The senior is currently carrying a 3.7 GPA and has a cumulative GPA of 3.5.

BASKETBALL

Now that the Buc's football season is over, Walker has little time to rest to get ready for basketball season. Walker is returning as the starting point guard of a team that fell in the State Championship last year to K-Zoo Christian. "Last year we fell a couple points short at the Breslin, our goal this year is not just to get back to the Breslin but finish what we couldn't last year- win a State Championship!" states Walker.

Walker's job won't be much different in basketball as it was in football. "We are going to be young this year but quicker than we were last year. I will have to be more of a vocal leader then I was last year," says Walker.

RECRUITMENT

Walker, who runs a 4.5 forty flat, has received major interest in multiple sports. "I am currently being recruited by different schools for football, basketball, and track." says Walker. Walker is getting interest from plenty of D-2 schools in basketball like SVSU, Northwood, and Hillsdale.

But his major interest comes in track and football. "I really want to play college football because that's where my heart is. I don't care if I play offense or defense, anything to get on the field," says Walker. Walker is currently getting recruited by Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Ball State, Western Michigan, as well as Northwood and Ferris State.

NGS SCOUTING REPORT: Walker is one of those prep athletes that you can't help but wish the best for. As good of an athlete he is, he's an even better person. Janero is a true leader and does whatever is needed in the best interest of the team in any sport he plays.

While I have no doubt that Walker can excel in track or basketball at the next level, I feel his calling is in football as a lock down corner. His techniques are flawless and he has the foot speed to stay with receivers 40 yards downfield.

HIGHLIGHTS: Vonn Jones, Hartland

2008-11-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Vonn Jones has made his name popular in most Michigan homes with his standout play as a basketball player. For the past couple of years this hardwood phenom has spent his falls playing football just to stay busy. But this year Jones got rid of his tag of being a "basketball player just playing football" and has become a true "football player".

This season Hartland has raced out to a 9-2 record and will face Rockford Saturday in a regional final. Jones' growth as a football player has played a key role in Hartland's success. Jones never leaves the field as he handles punt return and kickoff return duties on top of playing receiver and corner.

Jones has become a big time playmaker and has made huge plays for Hartland this season, below is a hyperlink to a play in which Jones makes a 50 yard diving catch against Howell in the district championship. It is just one of many of Jones highlight plays.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1909906742/bclid1906868761/bctid1909941976

DISTRICTS: Goodrich vs. Marshall

2008-11-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

**Joe Boisture throws downfield**

**Jamar Wimberly ties the game with his second TD**

**Jake Bourassa runs for his second TD**

**Kyle Elsworth dives for a completion**

Goodrich- If only the whole game could have been as easy as the first two drives were for Goodrich. The Martians looked flawless as they jumped out to a 14-0 lead in yesterday’s Division 4 district final. Unfortunately the Martians were unable to muster another point as they fell 24-14 to the visiting Marshall Redhawks.

Goodrich took a 7-0 lead on the game’s first play from scrimmage as Jake Bourassa ran nearly untouched for an 80 yard score. After forcing a three and out, Joe Boisture and his Martian offense were back in business. Goodrich mixed the pass and run to quickly move the ball downfield. A 15 yard pass from Boisture to Kyle Elsworth put the ball inside the 10 yard line and Bourassa finished the 8 play, 71 yard drive, with a 9 run to take a 14-0 lead with 7:55 to play in the first quarter.

But then Marshall woke up!

A fumble by Bourassa switched field position and Marshall took advantage on their next possession by giving Goodrich a heavy dose of Jamar Wimberly. The junior back used four rushes to gain 40 yards, and on his fifth rush he scored from 4 yards out to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 51 seconds to go in the first quarter.

Marshall's defense then put the pressure on Boisture. A sack by D-end Dave Giese put Goodrich back on the 1 yard line but on the ensuing play Boisture hit his tight end for a 8 yard gain but the tight end fumbled the football away, giving Marshall the short field. Marshall tied the game on a 1 yard dive from Wimberly to tie the game 14-14 with 10:21 in the second quarter.

The game belonged to both defenses from here on out as the score stuck at 14-14 at the half. Goodrich put their focus on Wimberly, taking away the Redhawk run game. Marshall used their D-line to continue to put pressure on Boisture and limit Bourassa.

Late in the third quarter Marshall punted the ball away and stuck Goodrich on their own 1 yard line. Two plays later Giese sacked Boisture for a safety to give Marshall their first lead at 16-14.

After the teams traded possession Goodrich punted the ball to Marshall's Blake Iobe. Iobe fumbled the ball but instantly picked it up, then dodged two diving Martians as he raced down the right sideline for a 93 yard run. Wimberly ran in the 2-point conversion to give Marshall a 24-14 lead going into the final quarter.

Goodrich managed to get down to the Marshall 31 yard line and went for it on 4th-and-1 but the Redhawks held ground and Goodrich never got any closer to scoring as Marshall ran most of the clock off in the final 5 minutes.

BREAKDOWN

Marshall- after watching warm-ups and especially the first four minutes of the game, I thought this was going to be a 40 point win for Goodrich. But the Redhawks are very, very well coached and disciplined. They made huge adjustments on both sides of the ball and while their offense struggled they made the needed plays on defense and special teams.

Marshall failed to complete a pass (0 for 9) and that will be a huge problem next week against Country day if they can't throw the ball.

Goodrich- just one of those games where everything that could go wrong- went wrong. The two first quarter fumbles allowed Marshall to crawl back in the game after they were dead quite from being down 14 quick points.

GAME MVP: Jamal Wimberly, Marshall the junior runs hard and his teammates feed off of his emotion. He finished with 116 yards and the two TDs on 27 rushes.

Marshall front four: Garrett Woods (DT), Zach Francs (DT), Dave Geise (DE), James Wimberly (DE)- Marshall's D-line consisted of all juniors. Wimberly is a 6-1/180 pound speed rusher but the other three lineman all go 6-2/230 pounds of muscle and they are all mean and know how to get after the quarterback.

Joe Boisture, Goodrich- the 6-6 junior QB just couldn't get comfortable or get into any kind of rhythm. He was sacked 6 times and couldn't do anything about it. He tried to dive out of the endzone during the safety but his knee was called down.

DISTRICTS: Nouvel vs. Carrollton

2008-11-09T09:04:00.001-08:00

**Kevin Robinson found plenty of running room against the Cavs**
**Robert Essex fights for yardage against Nouvel**
**Ryan Miller races for a 78 yard score**

**LT Calvin Jackson did what he could to contain the Nouvel defense**

Saginaw- Carrollton has had a fantastic season, smashing all sorts of school records, on their way to reeling off 9 wins for the first time in school history. But Friday night the Cavs just could not match the fire power or experience of the two time defending champs- Nouvel Catholic Central. The Panthers overwhelmed Carrollton on their way to a 35-3 win to advance to next week's regional final vs. St. Charles.

However, the Cavs showed no fear by forcing Nouvel into a three and out series on the game's first possession. Carrollton's offense then drove down field behind the running combination of feature back Robert Essex and fullback JJ Perry. After picking up a 1st-and-goal at the 6 yard line, the Cavs settled for a field goal from the two yard line to take a 3-0 lead with 1:45 to go in the first.

Nouvel got a big play from receiver Sam Herbert, who ran a basic hitch route, then shook off a defender to put Nouvel in the redzone. Kevin Robinson finished the drive with a run from a yard out to get Nouvel on the board with 6:15 left in the second quarter. Carrollton managed to block the extra point keeping the score at 6-3 in Nouvel's favor.

After regaining possession Nouvel got a 35 yard run from Robinson to again move inside the redzone. A screen pass to Robinson got Nouvel even closer and then Ryan Miller capped the drive with a 10 yard run to give the Panthers a 13-3 lead.

Nouvel's defense took over in the third quarter and erased any hope for a Cavalier comeback. A diving interception from Michael O'Connor gave Nouvel a 1st-and-goal from the 7 yard line. On first down Nouvel ran a play-action pass and Ryan Henris hit a wide open Murphy Wilson for the score. On the extra point attempt Carrollton jumped offsides and Nouvel decided to send the offense back onto the field. Miller ran in the 2-point conversion making the score 21-3.

Nouvel's defense got only stronger as they just physically pounded on Carrollton every chance they got. Another interception by Nouvel, this time safety Zach Garner, gave Nouvel another 1st-and-goal from the 4 yard line. On first down Miller plowed his way up the gut for a 28-3 lead with 5:27 to play in the third. Nouvel tacked on another score early in the fourth when Miller ran behind his 6-7/ 276 pound tackler, junior Shawn Kamm, for a 78 yard TD.

BREAKDOWN

Nouvel- the Panthers had 6 drops in the first quarter- 3 from receivers and 3 from DB's that could have turned into INT's. If Nouvel is to 3-peat they need to take advantage of those situations.

Defensively Nouvel just took away everything from the Cavs. The safety's were in position to make plays and the front 7 just pounded Carrollton on every down.

On another note I love Nouvel's down field blocking, from interception returns to screen plays, Nouvel does a fantastic job picking up blocks down field and those are the little things that can make a difference.

Carrollton- nothing to hang your head about but Nouvel is just on another level right now as far as a program is concerned. But the Cavs have the perfect opportunity to establish a program by installing a winning mentality into the younger grades and getting the returning players right back in the weight room.

GAME MVP: Kevin Robinson, Nouvel- Robinson left the game in the third quarter with an injury but by then the game had already been decided. The senior power back had thee plays (all of 20+ yards) in the first quarter to help the Nouvel offense get going. Robinson had 100 all-purpose yards all in the first half.

Ryan Miller, Nouvel- the junior back only had 6 rushes but produced over 100 yards and 3 TDs. He showed speed on his big 78 yard score and power on the other two TDs but just running over linebackers.

Bo Themm, Nouvel- the senior captain has really taken over the defense since linebacker Josh Fallon ended his season with a knee injury a few weeks ago. Themm relies on his strength and instincts to finish plays while racking up over 120 tackles so far this season.

Robert Essex, Carrollton- the junior just couldn't get anything going as he was constantly hit in the backfield. He finished the season with close to 2,000 rushing yards and 20 TDs.

PLAYOFFS: Farmington vs. Southfield

2008-11-03T07:09:00.000-08:00

**6-4 DeAndre Sutton goes up for a catch**
**QB Eddie Beal is a true playmaker**
**Sophomore Neno Jones had success running the ball**

**Sophomore QB Matt Craven has a bright future**

Southfield- The 8-1 Blue Jays were heavy favorites Saturday afternoon as they hosted a Farmington team who started the season 0-3 but won six straight to qualify for the playoffs. But Farmington showed that fight that got them into the playoffs by giving Southfield a big wake up call in the first half.

The Falcons limited Southfield for the first two quarters; and even when Southfield recovered a Farmington fumble on Farmington's 23 yard line the Blue Jays couldn't muster a single yard.

Meanwhile the Falcons were able to move the ball downfield by relying on the running of sophomore Neno Jones. Farmington was able to keep Southfield's offense off of the field but the Falcons just couldn't finish any drives and the game stayed scoreless till the final minute of the second quarter. That's when Southfield retained possession with 1:13 to play and quarterback Eddie Beal went to work. Beal picked apart the Falcons cover 2 defense and moved the ball 70 yards downfield. With time running out Southfield settled for a 21 yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead at the half.

Beal continued where he left off in the third quarter by hooking up with DeAndre Sutton for a 28 yard touchdown in the corner of the endzone to take a 9-0 lead with 6:15 left in the third, the extra point was blocked.

The 9-0 lead took Farmington out of their preferred offense, to run the ball, and forced the Falcons to go to the air. In the fourth quarter Southfield's Antoine Lee picked off a screen pass and returned it 30 yards for a 16-0 lead with less than three minutes in the game.

BREAKDOWN

Southfield- the Blue Jays are loaded with pure athletes at every position. They are just physically intimidating and you knew it was just a matter of time before they took control of the game, even though they didn't play their best game. Southfield seems to be determined to run the ball but they found more success throwing the ball.

Farmington- the Falcons struggled to go 0-3 to start the season but as they developed they finished the year as a pretty competitive football team, and that says allot for a team that relies on a handful of sophomores on both sides of the ball. I'm expecting big things from Farmington in a year or two.

Offensive MVP: Eddie Beal, Southfield- the QB did a good job of moving around the pocket to buy some time, he never panicked and scrambled, just bought another second and delivered the ball downfield. He has a soft touch and delivers the ball to his receivers in stride.

Defensive MVP: Charles Jackson, Southfield- the senior D-tackle sizes up at 6-2/225 of pure brute strength. He just bulldozed the Farmington O-line and made plays in the backfield. I would like to see him play D-end because he has real good speed but he's strong enough to be successful at D-tackle.

Farmington sophomores: The Falcons were led by four sophomores, Neno Jones (RB), Matt Craven (QB), Dae'Von Scarber (WR/C), and Mitch Sanders (WR/LB). Jones is a talented back while Craven is skilled at 6-3 with good foot speed.

PLAYOFFS: Crockett at Country Day

2008-11-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

**O'Neil Swanson runs for a handful of his 122 yards**

**Chris Eddins was all over Crockett**

**Tony Lippett races for a first down**

**Bennie Fowler had the Rockets missing all day long**

Beverly Hills- The Yellowjackets knew coming in that they would have their hands full against Crockett. Last year Country Day was able to sneak pass Crockett 7-0 in the district finals. So when the going got tough Saturday afternoon Country Day tightened up their chin straps and decided to play smash mouth football on their way to a 17-7 win.

Country Day took advantage of a Rocket fumble on the Crockett's own 23 yard line, a few plays later Bennie Fowler took an end around to the house for a 7-0 lead with 7:06 to play in the first quarter. Country Day appeared to have built the lead in the second quarter when sophomore Josh Harris connected with tight end Jason Ray who dove for the left pylon but was whistled just inches short. On the very next play Harris tried to sneak the ball across the goal line but the ball was knocked loose and Crockett retained possession to end the threat keeping the score 7-0 at the half.

The Rockets got a big play from Ashton Gaines in the third quarter when the sophomore blocked a Yellowjacket punt giving Crockett the short field. Crockett took advantage and tied the game on a 15 yard pass from Tony Lippett to Gaines with 8:52 to play in the third.

Crockett repaid the favor late in the third quarter when Lippett was sacked and fumbled, Country day recovered the ball on Crockett's 22 yard line. A few plays later O'Neil Swanson scored from 5 yards out to take a 14-7 lead.

The Yellowjackets sealed the win in the fourth quarter by sticking to the run game and running nearly 10 minutes off of the clock while moving 75 yards down field. Country Day tacked on a field goal with 55 seconds left in the game to make the final 17-7.

BREAKDOWN

Country Day- I like how Country Day matched the physical play of Crockett in the second half. They tightened up the formation and ran it right down the Rocket's throat. Country Day's young secondary has grown up and they are also playing extremely well- especially junior Jason Ray and sophomores Lee Bailey and Kenny Knight.

Crockett- the Rocketts were talented enough to pull off the upset and I was particularly impressed with how physical and hard hitting the Rockets were. But they had too many mental miscues and turnovers that cost them the game.

Offensive MVP: Bennie Fowler, CD- while Swanson carried the load, it was the big play ability of Fowler that keyed the win. Fowler forced Crockett to bite on every ball fake and when he did touch the ball he produced first downs.

Defensive MVP: Chris Eddins, CD- I just love how Eddins takes advantage of his size and speed over opponents. The 6-5/ 250 pound D-end and D-tackle gets off the ball fast and has a speedy pass rush. He chased Lippett all over the field and Lippett never got comfortable sitting in the pocket.

O'Neil Swanson, CD- usually excels in the open field but he got the job done running hard between the tackles for a total of 141 yards and a TD on 28 carries.

Aaron McCord, Crockett- I knew the the CMU commit had great athleticism at D-tackle but I was also impressed with the aggression he plays with. He excels at both run stopping and pass rushing.

Ashton Gaines, Crockett- the 2011 corner/receiver made big plays in all three aspects of the game. His blocked punt help set up his own TD reception, where he did a good job of keeping his feet in bounds. But Gaines shines at corner and was phenomenal all day in pass coverage.

PLAYOFFS: Dearborn at Walled Lake Western

2008-11-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

**Michael Hatcher powers his way pass the goal line for 1 of his 7 TDs**
**Gilvanni Johnson did what he could to carry Walled Lake**
**Khalil Hazime is a hard nosed football QB**

**Michael Hatcher had a memorable playoff performance**

Walled Lake- it wasn't uncommon to see Michael Hatcher run a player over last night against Walled Lake Western, but most of the people in attendance will remember all of the times the Dearborn tailback bobbed and weaved his way downfield while leaving Walled Lake hugging air. Hatcher amazed the crowd to a performance that saw the senior rush for 285 yards and 7 touchdowns, 6 rushing and 1 receiving.

And while its Hatcher's numbers that stoodout it was a full team effort as the visiting Pioneers trounced the Warriors 49-26 to advance in the Division 2-Region 4-District 1 finals next week against Southfield.

Walled Lake actually got on the board first when they took advantage of the game's opening drive and used two big pass receptions to John Popa to move the ball downfield. Gilvanni Johnson capped the drive with a 17 yard dash to give Western a 7-0 lead with 8:14 in the first quarter.

Dearborn's offense got on the field they didn't waste anytime to tie the game as Hatcher made the first of his gamebreaking plays by shaking off a handful of Western defenders as he trotted 66 yards. The Pioneers then took the lead off of a Hatcher 36 yard run with 3:41 to go in the first quarter.

Special teams doomed Walled Lake in the second quarter, allowing Dearborn to take a big lead that the Pioneers would never relinquish. First Walled Lake was set to punt the ball but the snap was off target and the punter was tackled at the Walled Lake 8 yard line. Hatcher scored his third touchdown on the very next play for a 21-7 lead.

Panic then forced Walled Lake to attempt a fake punt run that was stuffed by linebacker Nores Fradi to give Dearborn the ball on the Walled Lake 24 yard line. Dearborn took advantage on Hatcher's 5 yard touchdown run that gave the Pioneers a 28-7 lead with 6:34 in the second quarter. Walled Lake's third special team miscue came right before the half ended when they put together a solid drive and tried to attempt a short 23 yard field goal that sailed left.

Dearborn showed no let up in the second half as Hatcher added three more scores to put the game away.

BREAKDOWN

Dearborn- the offense looked very explosive as the Pioneers didn't wasted any time to move the ball downfield by picking up huge chunks of yardage on a consistent basis. Coach Mifsud does a solid job of spreading the field and giving his playmakers space to make big plays. Defensively I like how Dearborn's players all just focus on their job and everyone is held accountable.

Dearborn had an obvious speed advantage over Walled Lake but that'll change next week against Southfield.

Western- Walled Lake killed theirselves with mistakes in the second quarter and trying to pull off the fake punt so early in the game was suicidal. The defensive game plan looked solid but Western just couldn't finish the tackles, allowing Dearborn to make big plays.

Offensive MVP: Michael Hatcher, Dearborn- the numbers alone give Hatcher this honor- 7 TDs and over 300 yards all purpose. Hatcher did an phenomenal job of making guys miss by hitting the breaks and quickly getting back in motion.

Defensive MVP: Nores Fradi, Dearborn- the 6-1/ 200 pound junior linebacker finished with 16 tackles. He did a good job of sniffing out plays and he has good speed to get around the field. I would like to see him bulk up a little more before I label him as a D-1 prospect.

Khalil Hazime, Dearborn- the senior linebacker only stands 5-9 but he seems to have a solid grip on the offense. He made good throws all night and I also liked how he tried to deliver the hit when he ran the ball.

Walter Knapp, Dearborn- Knapp (6-4/194 pounds) is a deep field threat and really opened up stuff underneath for Hatcher. He made a real nice catch 30 yards downfield and also broke open a simple hitch route for a big play after shaking off a tackle.

Sam Welch, Western- the 5-11/200 pound junior was Western's starting QB. He's a tough runner and a handful to bring down out of the spread option but he had his struggles reading the defense and delivering the ball downfield. Welch just has a little homework to do over the off season.

Gilvanni Johnson, Western- I don't have an exact number but I am sure the senior back had well over 100 yards rushing. He's a good every down back but just lacks that true breakout speed.

John Popa, Western- Popa also had his share of big plays. The 6-3 receiver did a good job of finding space and then shielding his defender to make the catch.

PLAYOFFS: Grand Blanc at Hartland

2008-11-01T04:42:00.000-07:00

**Matt Poches goes up for 1 of his 8 catches**
**Ryan Morley looks to throw downfield**
**Vonn Jones has turned into a lockdown corner**

**Justice Hayes runs behind Justin Music**

HARTLAND- While both Hartland and Grand Blanc used their high powered offenses to punch their tickets to the big show, it was Hartland's defense that stole the show under the Friday night lights. The Eagles' defense stifled a Bobcat offense that averaged 38 points a game in the regular season in route to a 21-0 victory.

Hartland took the opening possession and instantly took advantage of 6-4 sophomore Matt Poches, who had a 7 inch advantage over a Grand Blanc corner, to move the ball downfield. But the drive appeared to be stalled on 4th-and-8 when Hartland was set to punt the ball but Grand Blanc was flagged for encroachment. Hartland sent the offense back on the field and QB Chris Cagle went right back to Poches who was interfered with to keep the Eagle drive alive. Four plays later Hartland faced another fourth down, and again Cagle went to Poches, this time connecting for a 22 yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 6:22 to play in the first quarter.

Neither team would score again for the remainder of the first half. Grand Blanc struggled to sustain drives by going three and out on their first two drives and turning the ball over on their next two. Hartland was able to move the ball downfield but fumbled the ball away at Grand Blanc's 20 yard line and a sack on third down kept Hartland from tacking on a field goal as a 39 yard attempt fell just short.

The play of the game came midway through the third quarter, Grand Blanc tried to throw a bubble screen to Tony Jones but Carson Pippin read the play and hopped the route, intercepting the ball, and giving possession back to Hartland on the two yard line. Three plays later Cagle crossed the goal line for a 14-0 lead.

Grand Blanc attempted to get back in the game to start the fourth quarter, but after setting up a 1st-and-goal on the 10 yard line, a run was stuffed for a three yard loss, and three passes fell incomplete in the endzone. Two of those passes were batted down by Vonn Jones.

Hartland then put the nail in the coffin with a with a 27 yard halfback fake reverse pass to Poches for the game's final touchdown.

BREAKDOWN

Hartland- the Eagles now advance to the district championship where they will get a rematch against Howell, who they lost to 20-30 in week 6. Hartland's offense show up as predicted with a sick receiving core of Matt Poches and Vonn Jones, and quarterback Chris Cagle who can deliver the ball anywhere on the field.

But it was the Eagle defense that impressed me. Grand Blanc's offense is just as good as any in the state and Hartland just swarmed all over the field looking to hit anything in reach. If the Eagles can continue to stay consistent on both sides of the ball then they are capable of playing with anyone in division 1.

Grand Blanc- I know the Bobcats don't want any moral speeches but they can raise their heads with pride. The Bobcats have been in playoff mode for six weeks now, after starting 1-3, the Bobcats won their final five games just to qualify for the playoffs and that is an accomplishment in its own.

And while G.B. will miss seniors like Justin Music, Adam Cesal, and James Dehoff, the future looks as bright as even in Bobcat Country with studs like sophomore Ryan Morley (QB), junior Tony Jones (WR), sophomore Justice Hayes (RB), and junior Gabe Martin (WR/LB) all returning.

Offensive MVP: Matt Poches, Hartland- although he's just a sophomore he was the difference in the game. Grand Blanc had no answer for the combination of size and speed of Poches. Poches finished with 8 catches for 115 yards and two TDs.

Defensive MVP: Vonn Jones, Hartland- going into the game I knew Jones would have his hands full by having to perform well on both sides of the ball but I couldn't have been prouder of the job Jones did defensively. Not only did he have an interception but the senior corner added 5 tackles and 5 pass deflections. Jones added 7 receptions for 76 yards as a receiver.

Chris Cagle, Hartland- the senior QB completed 20 of 28 passes for 211 yards and a TD to go with a rushing TD, Cagle also added 60 yards on the ground.

Jon Stevens, Hartland- the 6-5 TE/DE had some big plays on both sides of the ball by hauling in 4 catches to go with a pair of sacks.

Ryan Morley, GB- no it wasn't the game the sophomore wanted but he gained valuable experience and will only learn from this game. His skills are the real deal however he was thrown off balance by Hartland's pass rush and a fast secondary.

Justice Hayes, GB- Hayes played despite being only 70% according to his teammates. He was consistent on the ground but just lacked his homerun speed that we are acustomed to seeing. He still managed to finish with 100 all-purpose yards.

Tony Jones, GB- Hartland's game plan was to shadow Jones all night and they did. GB still tried to get Jones involved with a number of screens and reverses but Hartland was all over the junior star. Jones did manage to make 4 receptions for 77 yards.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Division 1

2008-10-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

**Will Campbell looks for one more shot at Southeastern**

**Hartland's Chris Cagle can do it by air or land**

**Aaron Gill helps pace the Lake Orion defense**

BREAKDOWN: While every other Division has a favorite or two to win the State Championship, division 1 leaves everyone scratching their head. Of the 32 teams in Division 1, I give 15 teams a realistic shot of hoisting the trophy.

In Region 1 everyone will look for the Grand Ledge/ Rockford winner to win the Region, but I also like the chances of the Grand Blanc/ Hartland winner.

In Region 2, teams like Canton, Pioneer, and Stevenson are all good but they all depend on the run, and usually that's a good thing, but not when you have to line up across Detroit C.C., who can win a game with pure brute strength.

Region 3 will be fun to watch because it's a playoff between the MAC and OAA, and while the MAC has two time defending champ- Macomb Dakota and the talented S.H. Stevenson, I'm gonna roll with the OAA and Lake Orion! Defense always trumps offense and Lake Orion can play some defense.

Now Region 4, is the tricky Region because everyone likes Fordson. But I'm gonna go with Southeastern to knock off Cass Tech, for a third time, and then shut down that powerful Fordson run game.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Nick Kissane, Grand Ledge most of the Grand Ledge credit goes to the receiving core, especially Ohio State commit James Jackson, I credit Kissane. He has looked good on film and plays with poise while deleivering the ball all over the field.

DEFESIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Will Gholston, Southeastern I told you earlier in the week that Gholston is the best player in Michigan and now he's gonna show you why! He'll shut down some real good offenses, and in four weeks allot more people will agree with me.

UNDERCLASSMEN TO WATCH: Ryan Morley, Grand Blanc is this sophmore ready? I say yes, because he has had Grand Blanc in playoff mode by winning 5 straight just to get in. Justice Hayes (RB) and Matt Poches (WR) are two more good sophomores that will be playing in the same game but Morley will have the ball in his hands every snap!

TOUGHEST DISTRICT: Region 3- District 1

TOUGHEST ROUND 1 GAME: Grand Blanc at Hartland, I already got my ticket for this first round match-up. Two great QB's in Chris Cagle (Hartland) and Ryan Morley (GB) plus stud skilled position players in Vonn Jones and Matt Poches for Hartland and Tony Jones and Justice Hayes for GB. I don't even know who is going to win this game but I am sure there will be plenty of points scored!

UPSET BREWING: West Bloomfield over Livonia Stevenson, W.B. is stingy on defense and they know how to shut down good running backs, so beware Austin White...look what they did to Edwin Baker in a 32-0 win over Oak Park.

SLEEPER TEAM: Sterling Heights Stevenson, QB Jason Fracassa knows how to find the endzone and he has a mamoth offensive line to protect him.

FINAL 4 PICKS: Grand Ledge vs. Detroit C.C. and Detroit Southeastern vs. Lake Orion

FINALS PICK: Southeastern over Grand Ledge

WHY SOUTHEASTERN: I the last couple of weeks the Jungaleers have made me a believer! They have just too many "special" players to contend with. Each game Edward Thomas has improved and he will only get better as he rolls through the playoffs.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Division 2

2008-10-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

**Andrew Maxwell looks to start another playoff run with another win over Arthur Hill**

**Anthony Davis is just one of Muskegon's many weapons**

**Josh Sinagoga of DeLaSalle**

BREAKDOWN: this division is flat out loaded with teams worthy of a State Title. While everyone loves Muskegon (so do i), the Big Reds have the toughest road with games against Hudsonville and Lowell before the semi-finals.

In Region 1- SVL Champ, Bay City Western is the favorite but don't dare underestimate Midland, Davison, or even Arthur Hill. In Region 3 it's gonna be a battle between Rochester Adams and Brother Rice right out of the gate, with DeLaSalle waiting next. And as much as people like the MEGA teams, I don't see any of them knocking off Southfield in Region 4.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Elan Banks, Muskegon Banks will kill you with arm just as easily as he will with his legs.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Ben Hayes, DeLaSalle the Pilots have been great defensively this year, and it starts with Hayes upfront.

UNDERCLASSMEN TO WATCH: Jimmy Pickens, Brother Rice the sophomore safety will have his hands full against Adams but he’s very capable of making a big play or two.

TOUGHEST DISTRICT: Region 2- District 2

TOUGHEST ROUND 1 GAME: Brother Rice at Rochester Adams

UPSET BREWING: #4 seeded Davison over #1 seed Fenton, if you can even consider that an upset.

SLEEPER TEAM: Southfield, could easily be undefeated and the Blue Jays have a ton of athletes that nobody will want to bump heads with.

FINAL 4 PICKS: Muskegon vs. Midland and DeLaSalle vs. Southfield

FINALS PICK: Muskegon over DeLaSalle

WHY MUSKEGON: it's gonna feel like deja vu from two years ago when DeLaSalle nearly pulled off the upset, but this a different Muskegon team that's hungry and out to prove a point for their beloved Coach Annese.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Division 3

2008-10-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

**Inkster's Alan Freeman**
**Mt. Pleasant could surprise a few folks**

BREAKDOWN: unfinished business- two years ago Inkster lost to Nouvel in the State Championship, last year the Vikings dominated the state but missed the playoffs after having to forfeit the season for using an ineligible player. Now Inkster is as talented as ever and has high major talent all over the field.

On the other side of the bracket sits East Grand Rapids who has been ranked in the top 100 nationally all year, and the two could meet up for one heck of a State Championship Game....but not so fast because there will be plenty of hurdles along the way. Teams like Mason, Lansing Sexton, Mt. Pleasant, St. Joseph, and Chelsea are just and talented, making Division 3 a fun one to keep an eye on.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Joe Glendening, East Grand Rapids- as talented as East is, they follow the lead of "Joe the Show". He's won State Titles as a sophomore and junior but can he cap a wonderful high school career with a third?

DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Dylan Farrington, Adrian a month ago people had Adrian as the team to beat, can this D-end get his team back on track?

UNDERCLASSMEN TO WATCH: Onija Miller, Sexton the speedy sophomore back gives Sexton a lighting and thunder punch with Carlous Kelley providing the thunder, making Sexton that much tougher.

TOUGHEST DISTRICT: Region 3- District 1

TOUGHEST ROUND 1 GAME: Adrian at Mason

UPSET BREWING: Ogemaw Heights over Petoskey, O-H looks to avenge a 20-21 loss in week 2.

SLEEPER TEAM: Mason, the Bulldogs don't rely on superstars and for that reason they get overlooked but Mason is tough and relentless on the line and might just beat up on those so called superstars.

FINAL 4 PICKS: East G.R. vs. St. Joseph and Inkster vs. Warren Fitzgerald

FINALS PICK: East Grand Rapids over Inkster

WHY EAST G.R.: because this is what East does, win State Titles The experience from the last two State Title runs will give East a huge advantage.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Division 4

2008-10-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

**Joe Boisture has led Goodrich to a perfect 9-0 record**

**O'Neil Swanson heads the Country Day run game**

BREAKDOWN: Marine City is the defending champs but that won’t last for long, they’ll run into Clintondale, who’s seeking revenge from a close week 6 loss. I do like Country Day but they’ll have the toughest road to Ford Field with match-ups against Crockett, Southeastern, and Goodrich lined up. Region 3 is incredibly tough and whomever survives will win a State Championship!

OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Joe Boisture, Goodrich just how good is the 6-6 signal caller? He’s been exceptional all season long but just how many playoff wins will he be able to deliver as a junior?

DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Aaron McCord, Crockett the Rockets draw a huge test against Country Day but for Crockett to have success they must get pressure from the 6-3/275 pound Central Michigan commit up the middle.

UNDERCLASSMEN TO WATCH: Josh Harris, Country Day the sophomore QB is very talented but lacks playoffs experience, he’ll have to manage the game without any turnovers, but he does have receiver Benny Fowler to help bail him out.

TOUGHEST DISTRICT: Region 3- District 2

TOUGHEST ROUND 1 GAME: Detroit Crockett at Country Day

UPSET BREWING: Mt. Morris over Yale

SLEEPER TEAM: Goodrich, the Martian offense is dangerous with the arm of Boisture and the running from Jake Bourassa.

FINAL 4 PICKS: Country Day vs. Clintondale and Holland Christian vs. Muskegon Orchard View

FINALS PICK: Country Day over Holland Christian

WHY COUNTRY DAY: the Yellowjackets have too many seniors that still have a sour taste in their mouth from last year’s lost to Marine City. Besides playing with a chip on their shoulder they just have too many weapons on both sides of the ball for opposing teams to contain.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Division 5

2008-10-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

**Is Lumen Christi capable of returning to Ford Field?**

BREAKDOWN: While I didn't list Standish Sterling's Austin Collier in the players to watch, I do think he gives his team an edge over any Division 5 opponent. Teams like Allendale, Lumen Christi, Hillsdale, Onsted, and any of the Tri-Valley teams have a legitimate shot but they don't have Collier on their roster.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Mitchell Gabriele, Hillsdale the senior leads Hillsdale no huddle spread offense and has connected 96 of 151 passes for 1,423 yards.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Nick Madden, Ovid-Elsie the linebacker is a four year starter and has seen it all.

UNDERCLASSMEN TO WATCH: Justin Pettenger, Freeland the sophomore is in his second year as the starting safety for the Falcons and he's a big time hitter in the secondary.

TOUGHEST DISTRICT: Region 4- District 2

TOUGHEST ROUND 1 GAME: Hillsdale at Lumen Christi- the two teams finished #4 and #6 respectfully in the A.P.'s Division 5 top 10.

UPSET BREWING: Essexville Garber over Millington- the Dukes fell loss 19-20 to Millington in week 5 after leading most of the game and it cost them the conference title, can you say- REVENGE?

SLEEPER TEAM: Freeland- a team that plays with a ton of heart

FINAL 4 PICKS: Standish-Sterling vs. Freeland and Lumen Christi vs. Allendale

FINALS PICK: Standish-Sterling over Lumen Christi

WHY STANDISH-STERLING: because Austin Collier is really that good! He does everything for his Panthers on both sides of the ball and he will show why he's Bowling Green bound.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Division 6

2008-10-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

**Murphy Wilson has been huge for Nouvel on both sides of the ball**
**Janero Walker brings Beecher senior leadership**

BREAKDOWN: the biggest question floating around Division 6 this year is: Can anyone prevent Nouvel from a 3-peat, my answer in no! It will be interesting to see who Nouvel plays at Ford Field because there are a number of contenders that could come out of region 3 or region 4.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Robert Essex, Carrollton the junior tailback has rushed for 1,600 yards and 19 TD's while averaging close to 25 rushes per game.

DEFFESIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Josh Fallon, Nouvel the 6-3/209 pound middle linebacker is a throwback type player and his teammates will follow his toughness for 5 more games.

UNDERCLASSMEN TO WATCH: Antwaun Burks, Beecher the freshman quarterback hasn't allowed the speed of the varisty level to rattle him, not lets see how he handles the pressure of the playoffs.

TOUGHEST DISTRICT: Region 2- District 2

TOUGHEST ROUND 1 GAME: Marlette at Carrollton

UPSET BREWING: Calvin Christian over Clare

SLEEPER TEAM: Beecher, they are as well coached and disciplined as any team in the playoffs, plus they have the speed to go with mental toughness.

FINAL 4 PICKS: Iron Mountain vs. Nouvel C.C. and K-Zoo Christian vs. Blissfield

FINALS PICK: Nouvel C.C. over K-Zoo Christian

WHY NOUVEL: The Panthers finished 9-0 and their schedule was tougher than any other team in Division 6. Coach Boyd will have his team prepared and you just can’t match the experience factor that Nouvel will have over any opponent.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Division 7

2008-10-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

** #20 Devon Bailey will lead Southfield Christian into the playoffs**

BREAKDOWN: It's no disrespect to any other team in Div. 7 but I just can't see anyone topping Traverse City St. Francis. The Gladiators are as balanced as you can get on both sides of the ball. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, comes in at 9-0, and is another favorite to reach Ford Field but they have a tough road ahead of them.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Jason Pratt, Merrill the 6-6 gunslinger carried Merrill to the regional finals last year and Pratt has the skill set to pick apart any secondary.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Max Bullough, St. Francis the 6-3/215 pound junior LB is already committed to play at Michigan State and he'll show you why!

UNDERCLASSMEN TO WATCH: Charlie Hengesbach, Pewamo-Westphalia the sophomore has helped deliver the school's first conference title in close to a decade by playing both sides of the ball.

TOUGHEST DISTRICT: Region 4- District 2 You know it’s a tough district when I’m predicting the four seed to advance.

TOUGHEST ROUND 1 GAME: Potterville vs. Grass Lake

UPSET BREWING: Merrill over Fife Lake Forest

SLEEPER TEAM: Southfield Christian, the Eagles enter the playoffs as a #4 seed, but trust me they have some very skilled athletes, the can create a big play, making Christian a very dangerous team.

FINAL 4 PICKS: St. Francis vs. Pewamo-Westphalia and Reading vs. Ubly

FINALS PICK: Traverse City St. Francis over Ubly

WHY St. Francis: no other team stands out on paper like St. Francis does in Div. 7. The Gladiators fell short last year at Ford Field and bring nearly everyone back including a nasty linebacker core of Bullough and Grant Robb.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Division 8

2008-10-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

**Rodney Anderson leads Muskegon C.C. as the Div. 8 favorite**

BREAKDOWN: Division 8 has the pleasure of boasting two defending State Champs in Crystal Falls Forest Park and Mendon, but even with these two experienced teams roaming in Division 8, the clear cut favorite is Muskegon C.C.

While these three schools are the obvious favorite, other teams the can pull off a huge surprise are Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart, Beal City, Frankfort, and Deckerville.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: Rodney Anderson, Muskegon C.C. I had the opportunity to watch Anderson torch Country Day, for not one, but two 50 yard TD runs in week 3...it'll be tough for any Div. 8 school to contain Anderson.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: C.J. Nightingale, Mendon the junior DB has intercepted 7 passes in just 7 games this season.

UNDERCLASSMEN TO WATCH: Josh Sutton, Bay City All-Saints the 2011 QB takes his 6-3 Cougars into the playoffs while playing Class C schools all season, making All-Saints capable of pulling off an upset or two.

TOUGHEST DISTRICT: Region 3- District 1

TOUGHEST ROUND 1 GAME: Central Lake vs. Manistee C.C.

UPSET BREWING: Gaylord St. Mary over undefeated Cedarville

SLEEPER TEAM: Mendon, all the talk swirls around Muskegon C.C. but Mendon knocked off the Crusaders 7-6 last year in Div. 7 in route to a state title. The two are set to meet in a regional final.

FINAL 4 PICKS: Muskegon C.C. vs. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart and Forest Park vs. Frankfort

FINALS PICK: Muskegon C.C. over Crystal Falls Forest Park

WHY Muskegon C.C.: the Crusaders finished the regular season with a perfect 9-0 record and have proven to be battle tested with big wins over Country Day, Allendale, and Wisconsin power- LaCrosse Aquinas. Muskegon C.C.'s line will just physically overwhelm their Division 8 opponents.

WEEK 9: Cass Tech vs. Southeastern

2008-10-27T14:26:00.001-07:00

**super freak Will Gholston applies pressure**
**Will Sturges finds open space**
**Dior Mathis makes 1 of his catches**
**Thomas Gordon trying to make a play**

**QB Edward Thomas is the real deal**

Detroit- Cass Tech gets a ton of ink around the state, and deservingly so, with William Campbell, who is ranked with the top of the nation's best regardless of position. Then throw in two Michigan commitments in Teric Jones and Thomas "Flash" Gordon and you have a exceptional nucleus for a high school football team...But i truly believe that it's Southeastern who can boast the most talent out of the two teams, and the Jungaleers have proof of it, not once but twice, as Southeastern topped their conference rival again, and this time more convincingly, with a 36-13 thumping in the PSL Championship Game.

Southeastern scored first on Will Sturges' 14 yard reception from junior quarterback Edward "The Future" Thomas. The two point conversion gave the Jungaleers an 8-0 lead. Cass Tech then took control of the game, although it wouldn't last for long, on a 14 play drive that was capped by a 2-yard run from Jones on 4th-and-goal. On the ensuing kickoff Southeastern fumbled the ball away and the Technicians took over on the Jungaleers 22 yard line. Gordon first connected with Dior Mathis for a 12 yard gain, then finished the short drive with a 7 yard scamper to give Cass Tech a 13-8 lead.

The game took a huge turn late in the first half when Gordon appeared to have picked off Thomas near midfield but the play was taken away due to a personal foul before the pass was thrown. A few plays later Southeastern regained the lead off of a 4 yard run from Donovan Wilson, to allow the Jungaleers to take a 14-13 lead into the half.

What looked like a game that would come down to the final minutes quickly turned into a Jungaleer highlight reel. Thomas found Darryl Pitts for consecutive touchdowns on Southeastern's first two drives of the second half. Pitts' first grab came 9 yards out and the second was a 23 yard strike. Cass couldn't find the endzone in the second half and the Jungaleers tacked on one more score to make the final 36-13.

BREAKDOWN

Southeastern- it's just sick how much talent this team has, and they mesh incredibly well together. The Jungaleers have two speeds- fast and really fast. There isn't a week link at any position, they have it all- big yet athletic lineman, exceptional speed at every skilled position, and a defense that just flies to the ball.

Southeastern has a ton of confidence in their passing game and went right to it on their first three plays. Unlike most teams, they throw to open the run game and once the run game is open, the opponents mine as well pack it up and call it a day.

Cass Tech- the first meeting (a 20-12 S.E. win in week 6) could have gone either way but this loss had to embarrassed the Technicians. Cass will get one more shot at S.E. and we all know it's tough to beat a team as talented as Cass three times in one season. I did like Cass' game plan, and that was to also use the pass attack to open up run lanes, but S.E.'s secondary was just to good to pass against.

GAME MVP- Edward Thomas, S.E.- I guess "The Future" is now! Thomas made a name for himself with a huge performance on the PSL's biggest stage. He completed 8 of 14 passes for 180 yards with four of those completions reaching paydirt. I was very impressed with the accuracy Thomas had on his deliveries, he made perfect throws that allowed his receivers to catch the ball in stride.

Will Gholston, S.E.- Gholston's the best player in Michigan regardless of class, yeah, I said it! He's a pure freak of an athlete and he can excel at either linebacker or D-end for any high major college. He has phenomenal speed and can get sideline to sideline. I've never seen a player rush a QB then race 20 yards downfield to tackle the receiver. His engine never slows down and he goes 100 miles per hour on every play.

Kyle Bryant, S.E.- a prototypical lineman at 6-6/280 pounds. he has quick feet and has a solid blend of power and athleticism that allows him to be equally good at run and pass blocking. Bryant is a quiet and well manured kid but once he steps on the field it's a different story.

Darryl Pitts, S.E.- the DeLaSalle transfer came up big and his second half TD's sealed the win. He matched the Cass secondary with footspeed but his 6-3 frame was just too much for Cass to handle. I hear Wisconsin and Cincinnati are very close to offering while most MAC schools have already offered.

Will Sturges, S.E.- the playmaker list just doesn't stop for S.E. and Sturges might be the toughest to slow down out of all the S.E. skilled position players. He does a terrific job of finding the opening against opposing secondaries and he made some nice catches in traffic. He finished with 175 all purpose yards to go with a pair of scores.

Will Campbell, Cass- Campbell had some big plays including 2nd down and 3rd down tackles for loss in the second quarter to keep the Jungaleers out of the endzone when they set up a 1st-and-goal at the 4 yard line.

Dior Mathis, Cass- Cass made sure they got the speedster the ball early and often. He had four catches in the opening quarter. While his trade mark is still being a lock down corner he looked good catching balls. He had two big catches to set up both of Cass' TD runs.

Teric Jones, Cass- the Michigan commit has a solid day with 20 carries for 97 yards and a TD but he was held in check for most of the day.

WEEK 9: Detroit CC vs. DeLaSalle

2008-10-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

**DeLaSalle's John Martinez tries to make a play**
**Niko Palazeti is tough to bring down**

**DeLaSalle's Jim Martinez brings down George Darany**

Ford Field- You just got to love the conpetitive edge of the Catholic League. Not only do they give you that college atmosphere of playing a conference Championship Game but they go the extra mile to play the game at Ford Field.

The game was a rematch game from week 5 when DeLaSalle edged the Shamrocks with a 12-7 win on C.C.'s homefield. The Shamrocks started the game and looked like a completely different team as they physically owned the line of scrimmage in the first half. The Shamrocks used that advantage to take an early 7-0 lead when Niko Palazeti powered his way pass the goal line in the final minute of the first quarter.

DeLaSalle failed to pick up a first down on their first three possessions which allowed C.C. to get valuable field position. C.C. again cashed in with 5:30 left in the second quarter when Sam Landry found Steve Harding open down field for a 13 yard pass to take a 14-0 lead.

DeLaSalle went to the passing game and nickle and dimed their way down field with short passes that usually found Jim Martinez and John Martinez on the receiving end. The Pilots capped the drive with a 1 yard TD run from quarterback Josh Sinagoga to trim the Shamrock lead to 14-7 right before the half.

The Pilots tied the game a minute into the fourth quarter on a Sinagoga 31 yard TD pass to Tim Zabawa, who was able to sneak pass the C.C. secondary. DeLaSalle then took a 21-14 lead on John Martinez's 8 yard pass reception. With time running out on C.C., the Shamrocks were forced to go to the air but Mark Karam ended any hope of a comeback when he intercepted a pass and returned it 40 yards for a score and a 28-14 DeLaSalle win.

BREAKDOWN

DeLaSalle- you have to give the Pilots credit, when they fell behind 14-0 there was no panic and they stuck to their game plan. Even when the game was tied you started to feel in the atmosphere that DeLaSalle was in control, and C.C. looked like they were playing for overtime.

The Pilots are one of the hardest working teams in the state, they don't have any big time recruits and non of their players really wow you, but they are all tough as nails and you can tell they play for each other. The Pilots are in for a long playoff run and just might play at Ford Field one more time this season.

C.C.- as far as power running goes and moving the ball between the tackles, nobody does it better than the Shamrocks in Michigan, and it's been that way for a real long time. But when C.C. has to go to the air it just spells trouble. Now they'll get you with the play-action but when they get down and have to throw it just isn't their cup of soup.

With that being said, C.C. can beat anyone especially with the weather getting bad, but with a lack of a passing game it's just tough to predict how far they can get in the playoffs.

GAME MVP- Josh Sinagoga, DeLaSalle- the Pilot QB made some tough throws to go with some nice little runs to keep the chains moving. He's done a great job managing games all year and he is a big reason why his team sits at 9-0.

De'Angelo Parris, DeLaSalle- the junior back saw the bulk of the carries, all year long DeLaSalle has used running backs by committee, but it looks like Parris is becoming the man. He only stands 5-8/165 pounds but he's a quick and tough to get ahold of.

Niko Palazeti, C.C.- the junior is no stranger to weight room and has really become a key part to C.C.'s team on both ends of the ball. He is a phenominal lead blocker at fullback and holds it down as a linebacker/D-lineman.

WEEK 9: Arthur Hill at Saginaw High

2008-10-27T10:07:00.002-07:00

**Omari Humes runs in from 11 yards out**

**DeAnthony Arnett hauls in a pass**

**Mike Schaaf on the move**

**Mike Green makes 1 of his 5 catches**

Saginaw- Arthur Hill walked away with the win in the state's biggest city rivalry game Saturday afternoon. Arthur Hill used the 21-12 win from an emotionally filled game to secure theirselves a playoff spot and a rematch with Midland, who ended the Jack's season a year ago.

Arthur Hill took the early lead on the game's opening drive behind the running of workhorse Omari Humes. Humes ran the ball six straight times, and on the sixth carry he crossed the goal line from 12 yards out.

Saginaw managed to get on the score board with 27 seconds left until halftime when the Trojans' Ayinde Ashford connected with Mike Green for a 14 yard touchdown on fourth down.

Arthur Hill grabbed the game by it's horns in the third quarter with two solid drives that ended in touchdowns produced by Mike Schaaf. Schaff plowed in from a yard out on the first drive and threw a 6 yard strike to Humes for the second TD to give the Jacks a 21-6 lead. Saginaw capped the game's scoring with two minutes left in the fourth quarter on a 14 yard pass from Ashford to Montrel Frazier.

BREAKDOWN

Arthur Hill- the Jacks have an explosive run game with a rotation that includes Humes, Jerrell Wilson, Demarcio Copes, and sophomore Chandler Young. All four runners bring a different aspect to the field and all four are capable of carrying the load. But the Jacks passing game just doesn't seem to be in sync and they will need to pass the ball against Midland. I'm not sure what it is but Schaaf just doesn't seem comfortable with all of his receivers.

The Jack defense grades out better than the offense because they answered the calling every time it was needed. They did give up a few big plays but they also came up with some big stops. The Jacks are solid at all 11 positions defensively, with a tough linebacker core leading the way.

Saginaw- the Trojans wrap up the season with a disappointing 3-6 record. The talent was there all year and at times it looked like it was coming together but other times it just didn't click. Saginaw has four receivers that have D-1 potential in seniors Jimmy Davis and Mike Green (although they might choose to play basketball at the next level), junior Greg Hayes, and sophomore DeAnthony Arnett. With a core like that Saginaw should have used their deep field threats more but at least Hayes and Arnett will return next year to give it another go.

GAME MVP- Omari Humes, Hill I still don't know why Humes hasn't received more D-1 offers. As talented as the Hill is, it is Humes who has carried the Jacks all year. I still believe he is more useful as a receiver but he's a very powerful back that just runs people over, so I understand why the coaching staff likes him back there. Humes also chipped in with 11 tackles at outside linebacker. At 6-3/225 Humes can play either tight end or linebacker at the D-1 level.

Dequavion Green, Hill- at times the linebacker also know as "D.Q." gets unnoticed but he has been reliable all year long as an outside LB for the Hill. He does a good job of tackling between the tackles as well as falling back in pass coverage. He also knows how to wrap up and finish tackles.

Jerrell Wilson, Hill- Wilson took over the running duties in the second half, and finished with 54 yards but he still doesn't look 100% yet. He just can't get into that second gear and elude tackles like we're used to seeing him do. Hopefully he can get to 100% before Friday night.

Mike Green, High- led Saginaw with 5 catches for 96 yards and a TD. Green has the ability to play either hoops or football in college and I believe he could excel at both. His football skills are just so raw, he naturally runs crisp routes and he has great hands and can scoop up anything in reach. He knows how to get open and find the end zone.

Greg Hayes, High- at times I don't even think Hayes knows how good he can be with the speed he has, he's just a true playmaker. Saginaw can do a better job of getting Hayes the ball in open space, because his touches were limited against the Hill.

DeAnthony Arnett, High- the former Jack drew double coverage most of the game from his former teammates, but I guess they just knew how dangerous Arnett can be. He was held to 2 catches and 70 yards but only saw two passes thrown his way. I can't wait to watch Arnett next season, because I think he'll put up some huge numbers.

WEEK 9: Heritage at Flint Southwestern

2008-10-27T10:07:00.001-07:00

**Curtis Brown brings down a 2-point conversion**
**Cam Stover runs for a TD in the 2nd quarter**
**Adam Leibinger turns up field**
**Dwayne Lewis will return next season for the Knights**

Flint- I took the final Friday night of the regular season to get one last glimpse of some talented athletes that wouldn't be fortunate enough to participate in the playoffs. It was predicted that Heritage would have a rough go of it this season but that fact that Southwestern finished without enough wins to reach the playoffs comes to a surprise to the whole state.

I also didn't expect either team to produce many points in the pouring rain, especially with offenses that have failed to be consistent all year. But Southwestern looked good in their final game...real good! Cameron Stover and Kortez Ross stole the show in the first half by connecting on two touchdown plays. The first came from 25 yards out, and Dwayne Lewis' 2-point conversion run gave the Knights a 8-0 lead.

Heritage responded with a touchdown drive that ended with a TD pass from Connor Rodriguez to Curtis Brown. The two also connected for the 2-point conversion to tie the game early in the first quarter, but Heritage would have trouble keeping pace with Southwestern for four quarters.

Stover found Ross 45 yards downfield, for their second connection, and a 14-8 lead. Stover gave his team a 20-8 halftime lead with a 17 yard scamper. Stover was nearly sacked but he spun out of the tackle and dashed for the left pylon.

The junior QB continued to look impressive in the third quarter with two more touchdowns- a 25 yard pass to DeMarkus Bracy and a 15 yard run. Southwestern took a 32-15 lead into the final quarter and Quan Young's 60 yard sprint to paydirt secured the win for the Knights.

BREAKDOWN

SWA- no excuses but Southwestern was just too talented this season to finish 3-6. They managed to beat Arthur Hill, a playoff team, and lost to Midland High and Mt. Pleasant by less than a field goal, two teams that finished 8-1. They'll have a tough time replacing Ross, Bracy, and some interior lineman but they will return some talented players in Stover, Lewis, DeParris Gordon (WR), and Dionte Savage (OT/DT).

Heritage- the Hawks just didn't have the size and strength that they are used to having. Guys like Brown and Rodriguez are solid in what they do but they're not just good enough to carry a team through a tough S.V.L.

GAME MVP- Cameron Stover, SWA- the junior had a huge performance with 5 touchdowns, 3 throwing and 2 rushing. He finished 15-of-20 for 175 yards. He's faster than I thought he was and has good pocket presence. I was also impressed on how he was able to deliver the ball on target with the rain coming down as hard as it was.

Kortez Ross, SWA- Tez was the most consistent Knight all season long at receiver and safety. He goes 6-3/180 pounds with a exceptional pair of hands. Ross has put together a pretty impressive highlight film to WOW college coaches with.

DeMarcus Bracy, SWA- at 6-4/240 Bracy is just a physical specimen. He can play a number of positions ranging from receiver to D-end. He's a great person with a great work ethic so the sky is limit for Bracy at the next level.

WEEk 9: TOP GAMES

2008-10-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

I finished 7-3 on last week's picks and that makes me 52-28 on the season. Well this is it- the final week of the season but there is still allot to be decided, like who will advance into the playoffs, and their are a whole lot of teams sitting on 5 wins. Below are my top 10 games and picks of week 9.

10. Arthur Hill (5-3) at Saginaw (3-5) no, this game isn’t intriguing as when these teams meet on the hardwood but it’s still one of the state’s top rivalries, and both teams want bragging rights. The Hill needs the win to get into the playoffs and the High would love to ruin those playoff hopes. The big question is how healthy Jerrell Wilson is for Arthur Hill, without him the Jacks have slipped a notch.
NGS PICK- Arthur Hill 34-26

9. Southgate Anderson (7-1) at Wyandotte Roosevelt (8-0) it’s no disrespect to Roosevelt but who have they play at 8-0? Not one of their wins is against a team already qualified for the playoffs. Anderson on the other hand has battled all season and their lone loss is to highly rated Fordson.
NGS PICK- Anderson 28-21

8. Lansing Everett (6-2) at Lansing Sexton (6-2) you just don’t know what Sexton team will show up? The team that smacked Holt and Davison or the team that smacked around by Mason. Regardless you know Sexton can put up points but can they stop Reggie Williams?
NGS PICK- Sexton 27-20

7. Brother Rice (5-3) vs. OLSM (4-4) I just didn’t expect either of these teams to have this many looses this season, believe me these teams are better than their records indicate but it always comes down to what’s on paper. St. Mary’s snuck past a hobbled Brother Rice team in week 5 but the Warriors are healthy now.
NGS PICK- Brother Rice 35-32

6. Holt (5-3) at Davison (5-3) although I do believe that both teams will get into the playoffs, neither wants to finish 5-4 and depend on playoff points. Both teams are very talented but both are also victims of scheduling a ridiculously tough schedule. This is going to be a dog fight and Davison’s sophomore QB Jake Thompson will have to provide some more magic for the Cardinals.
NGS PICK- Davison 27-23

5. Clarkston (6-2) at Lake Orion (7-1) not to brag but I just knew Lake Orion’s defense was going to get the job done against Rochester Adams last week and I’m predicting another big time performance from the Dragons. Freshman QB Sean Charette has been fantastic for Lake Orion. But don’t expect either team to show too much because they might have a rematch next week in round 1 of the playoffs.
NGS PICK- Lake Orion 33-21

4. Detroit Osborn (8-0) vs. Detroit Southwestern (7-1) the PSL division B Championship doesn’t have the star power like the division A game will have, but it should be just as good of a showing. Osborn has a powerful run game with a platoon of backs however Southwestern has only given up more than 6 points once this year…something has to give?
NGS PICK- Osborn 12-8

3. DeLaSalle (8-0) vs. Detroit C.C. (5-2) this is a tough pick especially since I witnessed the first meeting where every snap was crucial. The Ford Field turf will benefit DeLaSalle’s speed and the Pilots will need another spectacular performance from Ben Hayes, whom dominated the C.C. O-line in week 5.
NGS PICK- DeLaSalle 21-17

2. Detroit Cass Tech (7-1) vs. Detroit Southeastern (7-1) everyone in Michigan already knows what defensive head-hunters William Campbell (Cass) and William Gholston (S.E.) bring to the table. So the difference maker in this game comes at the quarterback position, whoever can make the most plays with their arm out of Thomas Gordon (Cass) and Edward Thomas (S.E.) will come out PSL Champs!
NGS PICK- Southeastern 22-20

1. East Grand Rapids (8-0) at Lowell (8-0) it’s finally here, the game that everyone had circled all the back in August! Two of the nation’s best will duke it out for the OK-White crown. Neither team has been truly tested all season so it will be interesting to see how both teams react come the fourth quarter. Can Lowell slow down the East run game led by Joe Glendening? Can East find a way stop the Lowell pass combo of Kyle Nichol and Torsten Boss?
NGS PICK- Lowell 38-35

BIG 50

2008-10-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

1. Muskegon, 8-0, beat Rockford 34-6
2. East Grand Rapids, 8-0, beat Greenville 56-16
3. Lowell, 8-0, beat GR Christian 49-13
4. De La Salle, 8-0, beat U of D Jesuit 58-13
5. Grand Ledge, 8-0, beat Holt 48-34
6. Dearborn Fordson, 8-0, beat Southgate Anderson 36-21
7. Lake Orion, 7-1, beat Rochester Adams 34-28
8. Macomb Dakota, 7-1 beat Utica Eisenhower 17-0
9. Detroit Southeastern, 7-1, beat Detroit Ford 36-0
10. St. Joseph, 8-0, beat Mattawan 46-6
11. Inkster, 7-1, beat Romulus 55-15
12. Rockford, 7-1, loss to Muskegon 6-34
13. Mason, 7-1, beat Owosso 55-17
14. Hudsonville, 6-2, beat Grand Haven 30-6
15. Southfield, 7-1, beat Troy 32-18
16. S.H. Stevenson, 7-1, beat Romeo 43-36
17. Bay City Western, 7-1, beat Flint Northern 24-0
18. Midland, 7-1, beat Flint SWA 43-40
19. Detroit C.C., 5-2, beat Devine Child 42-7
20. Detroit Cass Tech, 7-1, beat Detroit Cody 27-14
21. Rochester Adams, 7-1, loss to Lake Orion 28-34
22. Muskegon C.C., 8-0, beat LaCrosse Aquinas (WI) 20-3
23. Caledonia, 8-0, beat Ottawa Hills 41-14
24. Mt. Pleasant, 7-1, beat Midland Dow 34-13
25. Nouvel C.C., 8-0, beat Bay City John Glenn 44-7
26. Marine City, 8-0, beat St. Clair 35-14
27. Muskegon Oakridge, 8-0, beat Mason Central 63-13
28. Brother Rice, 5-3, beat Powers 33-7
29. Howell, 7-1, beat Lakeland 28-26
30. G.R. Kenowa Hills, 7-1, beat Holland 43-14
31. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 8-0, beat Taylor Truman 23-20
32. Clarkston, 6-2, beat F.H. Harrison 28-20
33. Lansing Everett, 6-2, beat Jackson 28-27
34. Stevensville Lakeshore, 7-1, beat Niles 35-21
35. Allendale, 7-1, beat Wyoming Kelloggsville 48-7
36. Southgate Anderson, 7-1, loss to Dearborn Fordson 21-36
37. Canton, 7-1, beat Novi 38-21
38. Traverse City St. Francis, 7-1, beat Grayling 43-28
39. Portage Central, 7-1, loss to B.C. Central 27-28
40. Lansing Sexton, 6-2, beat Waverly 42-12
41. Romeo, 6-2, loss to S.H. Stevenson 36-43
42. Adrian, 6-2, beat Saline 24-21
43. Davison, 5-3, beat OLSM 22-20
44. Country Day, 6-2, beat Old Redford 42-6
45. Goodrich, 8-0, beat Pinconning 38-21
46. Dearborn, 6-2, beat Monroe 14-13
47. Detroit Cody, 7-1, loss to Cass Tech 14-27
48. Holland Christian, 8-0, beat Zeeland East 46-23
49. Hartland, 6-2, beat Waterford Mott 30-12
50. Detroit Osborn, 8-0, beat Detroit Douglass 41-24

WEEK 8: Cass Tech vs. Cody

2008-10-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

** William Campbell hunts down Cody's Brandon Hall****Cass Tech's Teric Jones**

**Cody's Damon Johnson makes an acrobatic catch**

**Cass Tech's Thomas Gordon**

Detroit- 6-1 Cass Tech entered the game supposedly as the "underdog" as they faced the higher seeded Cody Comets, who came in a perfect 7-0 to Saturday's Detroit PSL division A semifinal at Detroit Northwestern. But it's Cass Tech who features all of the high major D-1 recruits and they played like it!

Teric Jones and Thomas Gordon put on a show in the first half as the University of Michigan commits took turns putting together clips for a highlight reel to give their Technicians a 21-0 halftime lead in front of a standing room only crowd.

First, Gordon faked a handoff to Jones and then sprinted 50 yards on the game's opening drive for a 6-0 lead. Next it was Jones turn, as he dashed to paydirt from 61 yards out. Jones picked up a huge block from teammate Dior Mathis, that made the run possible. An extra point made the score 13-0 with 6:20 to play in the second quarter. Jones reached paydirt again, from 6 yards out, to make the score 21-0 at the half.

While Cass was running up and down the field; Cody couldn't generate any kind of offensive flow, Cody prefers to move the ball with the arm of QB Brandon Hall but Hall spent most of the day on his back thanks to William Campbell who spent most of his time in the Comet backfield.

In the thrid quarter Cass secured the win with a goal line stand to keep Cody of the endzone. Cass took over on downs and on the second play Gordon sprinted for a 96 yard TD run and a 27-0 lead.

Cody's offense got rolling but it was just too little too late as Hall tossed two TD completions, a 15 yarder to Damon Johnson and 25 yarder to Larue Boudreaux.

BREAKDOWN

Cass Tech- the Technicians are playing solid football right now, and no better time to be functioning on all cylinders. The D-Line fueled the defense as the got constant pressure from all four lineman, not just Campbell. That pressure allowed the secondary and linebackers to just fly all over the field. Cass Tech has just so many weapons besides the "big 3" but you got to love the team first attitude with all egos put aside.

Cody- the Comets were killed by the big play and just overwhelmed by the speed of Cass Tech. Open field tackling killed Cody in the first half however they did manage to tough up in the second half and hold Cass to only one TD.

GAME MVP- Teric Jones, Cass Tech Jones finished with 161 yards and two TDs and constantly picked up chunks of 20 yards. He is just sick in the open field with great cut back ability and field vision.

Thomas Gordon, Cass Tech- Gordon could have also been MVP with his 146 rushing yards and two TDs. His play at safety was limited to long passing downs but you can't fault the coaching staff because Gordon is still favoring a hamstring injury and you can afford to loose your QB.

William Campbell, Cass Tech- just a pure beast and physical presence on the line. Speed, strength, technique- he has the whole package but more importantly he is a true team leader. Campbell is constantly firing up his teammates and slapping hands. He had a pair of sacks but put Hall on his back atleast 6 times.

Dior Mathis, Cass Tech- like Jones did last year, Mathis, a junior, will have to wait his turn to become the offensive focal point. He still gets plenty of attention at corner with offers from Michigan, Tennessee, Miami (Fl.), Oregon, and Iowa already in his back pocket.

Daniel Easterly, Cass Tech- gets unnoticed at times but this 6-3 outside linebacker is player! He knocked a Cody Rb out of the game, made another big hit on special teams, then added a interception.

Brandon Hall, Cody- the 6-4 QB has a nice soft touch to his release. I like the way he scans the field and made some tough throws, only problem was he rarely had time to throw but he stayed in the pocket and took his hits.

Damon Johnson, Cody- at 6-5 he gives Hall a big target at tight end. Johnson has good hands and made some tough catches in traffic. No doubt that he can play at the next level.