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Lumen Christi plays roles to beat Western
by
joosting Wednesday January 07, 2009, 12:48 AM
Five games into the 2008-09 season, Lumen Christi High School boys basketball coach Dan Crowley has a feeling he knows what it's going to take to make this a memorable season for the Titans.
Any road to success, according to the coach, will have to involve a little role-playing.
"We're starting to understand what our roles are," Crowley said after the Titans held off Western 43-40 at Western on Tuesday night. "We had to remind them of that at halftime. If you're not a shooter, don't shoot a three. Get in there and rebound and hustle.
"If we can learn our roles, I think we could be a pretty good basketball team."
Senior Sean Gallant understood his role against the Panthers. He had seven points and a game-high 12 rebounds, and he hit a pair of free throws with 8 seconds left to help ice the victory.
Sophomore Dan Chilcote had 12 points to lead the Titans.
Western (1-3) was led by Nate Scholten with 17 points and Nick Eddy with 10. Eddy scored all of his points in the first quarter, while Scholten scored all 10 of Western's points in the third quarter.
The game was close throughout, with Western leading 13-10 after one quarter and 22-21 at intermission.
Western's largest lead was five points in the first half. Lumen Christi's first lead of the game came on a tip-in by Chilcote of a Scott Hough miss with 5:28 left in the third quarter that put the Titans ahead 26-24.
A bucket by Western's Jake Lee from about 10 feet with 6:45 remaining in the game gave the Panthers their last lead of the night at 36-35.
Lumen Christi (3-2) then put together an 8-3 run that was kicked off by a Corey McEldowney layup off a steal and was capped by Gallant's free tosses.
"Obviously, we wanted to score more points than that, but we wanted to pressure them so they couldn't take it down and beat on us in the backcourt," Western coach Lee Ingles said. "I thought we did that for the most part.
"It was not the most pretty game."
Western tried to attack the bigger Lumen Christi team from the outside, hitting six 3-pointers. Scholten hit three of the 3-pointers and Eddy two. All of Lumen Christi's 17 field goals came from inside the arc.
"We didn't have much choice," Ingles said. "We knew we were going to have to beat them from the outside. We were just a few plays away. They're big, and we're not."
Lumen Christi outrebounded Western 39-27. Gallant grabbed the final four rebounds for the Titans.
"You hate to lose, but it was good for us because we had to play a team that was a lot bigger," Ingles said. "We've just got to learn how to finish games."
Any road to success, according to the coach, will have to involve a little role-playing.
"We're starting to understand what our roles are," Crowley said after the Titans held off Western 43-40 at Western on Tuesday night. "We had to remind them of that at halftime. If you're not a shooter, don't shoot a three. Get in there and rebound and hustle.
"If we can learn our roles, I think we could be a pretty good basketball team."
Senior Sean Gallant understood his role against the Panthers. He had seven points and a game-high 12 rebounds, and he hit a pair of free throws with 8 seconds left to help ice the victory.
Sophomore Dan Chilcote had 12 points to lead the Titans.
Western (1-3) was led by Nate Scholten with 17 points and Nick Eddy with 10. Eddy scored all of his points in the first quarter, while Scholten scored all 10 of Western's points in the third quarter.
The game was close throughout, with Western leading 13-10 after one quarter and 22-21 at intermission.
Western's largest lead was five points in the first half. Lumen Christi's first lead of the game came on a tip-in by Chilcote of a Scott Hough miss with 5:28 left in the third quarter that put the Titans ahead 26-24.
A bucket by Western's Jake Lee from about 10 feet with 6:45 remaining in the game gave the Panthers their last lead of the night at 36-35.
Lumen Christi (3-2) then put together an 8-3 run that was kicked off by a Corey McEldowney layup off a steal and was capped by Gallant's free tosses.
"Obviously, we wanted to score more points than that, but we wanted to pressure them so they couldn't take it down and beat on us in the backcourt," Western coach Lee Ingles said. "I thought we did that for the most part.
"It was not the most pretty game."
Western tried to attack the bigger Lumen Christi team from the outside, hitting six 3-pointers. Scholten hit three of the 3-pointers and Eddy two. All of Lumen Christi's 17 field goals came from inside the arc.
"We didn't have much choice," Ingles said. "We knew we were going to have to beat them from the outside. We were just a few plays away. They're big, and we're not."
Lumen Christi outrebounded Western 39-27. Gallant grabbed the final four rebounds for the Titans.
"You hate to lose, but it was good for us because we had to play a team that was a lot bigger," Ingles said. "We've just got to learn how to finish games."
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View commentsConcord cruises past Jonesville
by
joosting Wednesday January 07, 2009, 12:18 AM
The Concord High School boys basketball team capitalized on a slow start by Jonesville on Tuesday night, pouncing on the Comets in the first half and cruising to an easy 68-40 victory.
It was a nice turnaround for Concord after a 64-59 loss to Hanover-Horton on Saturday.
"The intensity level from the Hanover-Horton game carried over," Concord coach Matt Lehman said. "We played with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder."
Concord (2-2, 2-0 Big Eight Conference) jumped out to an 18-8 lead after one quarter. The Yellow Jackets limited Jonesville to two field goals and three free throws, including a basket on a disputed goaltending call.
Zach Hersha scored seven of his nine points in the first quarter, including a dunk that helped stir a previously subdued Concord crowd.
Concord continued to control the action in the second quarter, even with the 6-foot-10 Hersha on the bench for most of the quarter with two fouls.
In Hersha's absence, sophomores Christian Anderson and Zach Brigham stepped in to fuel the Concord offense. Anderson finished with 13 points, while Brigham added eight.
"Christian Anderson was a monster," Lehman said. "He played great."
Concord relentlessly pushed the ball up the court and burned the Comets repeatedly with transition offense. As the Yellow Jackets pulled away, Lehman decided there was no reason to take his younger bench players out of the game.
"It became an opportunity for me, because I saw the confidence level of the second unit," Lehman said. "Those young guys stepped up, and we're going to need them. Now they have something to draw from."
Concord made nine of 11 free throws in the first half and finished 15-for-20 from the line.
Concord's Jordan Bulloch scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half, and the Yellow Jackets held a comfortable 40-21 lead at halftime. Jonesville went on a brief 4-0 run early in the third quarter but was unable to sustain it.
"We have a good basketball team," Lehman said. "That score is not indicative of how good Jonesville is. They just didn't play well."
Hersha finished with a game-high 10 rebounds, and the Yellow Jackets dominated the glass at both ends of the court. Concord outrebounded Jonesville 33-16.
Josh Saldana had 10 points and four assists for Concord.
Travis Haas scored 11 points to lead the Comets.
It was a nice turnaround for Concord after a 64-59 loss to Hanover-Horton on Saturday.
"The intensity level from the Hanover-Horton game carried over," Concord coach Matt Lehman said. "We played with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder."
Concord (2-2, 2-0 Big Eight Conference) jumped out to an 18-8 lead after one quarter. The Yellow Jackets limited Jonesville to two field goals and three free throws, including a basket on a disputed goaltending call.
Zach Hersha scored seven of his nine points in the first quarter, including a dunk that helped stir a previously subdued Concord crowd.
Concord continued to control the action in the second quarter, even with the 6-foot-10 Hersha on the bench for most of the quarter with two fouls.
In Hersha's absence, sophomores Christian Anderson and Zach Brigham stepped in to fuel the Concord offense. Anderson finished with 13 points, while Brigham added eight.
"Christian Anderson was a monster," Lehman said. "He played great."
Concord relentlessly pushed the ball up the court and burned the Comets repeatedly with transition offense. As the Yellow Jackets pulled away, Lehman decided there was no reason to take his younger bench players out of the game.
"It became an opportunity for me, because I saw the confidence level of the second unit," Lehman said. "Those young guys stepped up, and we're going to need them. Now they have something to draw from."
Concord made nine of 11 free throws in the first half and finished 15-for-20 from the line.
Concord's Jordan Bulloch scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half, and the Yellow Jackets held a comfortable 40-21 lead at halftime. Jonesville went on a brief 4-0 run early in the third quarter but was unable to sustain it.
"We have a good basketball team," Lehman said. "That score is not indicative of how good Jonesville is. They just didn't play well."
Hersha finished with a game-high 10 rebounds, and the Yellow Jackets dominated the glass at both ends of the court. Concord outrebounded Jonesville 33-16.
Josh Saldana had 10 points and four assists for Concord.
Travis Haas scored 11 points to lead the Comets.
Women bowlers invited to take Challenge
by
Bob Bowen Tuesday January 06, 2009, 2:32 AM
Wednesday is the final day to enter the Women's Challenge Tournament, a unique Jackson USBC tournament giving bowlers a chance to compete with others at their level.
This is not a tournament for the scratch bowlers. The Challenge Tournament is open to women bowlers with averages of 190 and below. There will be three divisions, for those with averages of 170-190, 155-169 and 154 and below.
Continue reading "Women bowlers invited to take Challenge" »
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Onsted 81, East Jackson 70
by
joosting Tuesday January 06, 2009, 2:29 AM
East Jackson trailed by four at halftime and was down by six in the final 2 minutes before Onsted's free throw shooting secured the victory.
Tyler Riske scored 24 points for the Trojans (0-4). Cody Putnam added 19 points, and Bryan Goostrey had 15. Riske and Putnam each made four 3-pointers as East Jackson made 13 of 38 3-point attempts.
"We missed a lot of easy ones," East Jackson coach Greg Zeller said. "That's our first option on offense most of the time."
Tyler Riske scored 24 points for the Trojans (0-4). Cody Putnam added 19 points, and Bryan Goostrey had 15. Riske and Putnam each made four 3-pointers as East Jackson made 13 of 38 3-point attempts.
"We missed a lot of easy ones," East Jackson coach Greg Zeller said. "That's our first option on offense most of the time."
Napoleon 63, Stockbridge 59
by joosting Tuesday January 06, 2009, 2:28 AM
The Pirates saw their double-digit lead shrink in the second half but held on by shooting 10-for-15 at the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
"Stockbridge played really hard," Napoleon coach Jim Dutton said. "They wanted to be the ones to knock us off. We have to learn how to react to that."
Napoleon (5-0), ranked fifth in the state in Class C, made 10 3-pointers and was led by Marshawn Norris with 18 points and C.J. Adams with 17. Alex LaSerra scored 13.
Thomas Lovachis paced Stockbridge (3-2) with 19 points, followed by Jeff O'Brien with 13 and Jake Powers with 11.
"Stockbridge played really hard," Napoleon coach Jim Dutton said. "They wanted to be the ones to knock us off. We have to learn how to react to that."
Napoleon (5-0), ranked fifth in the state in Class C, made 10 3-pointers and was led by Marshawn Norris with 18 points and C.J. Adams with 17. Alex LaSerra scored 13.
Thomas Lovachis paced Stockbridge (3-2) with 19 points, followed by Jeff O'Brien with 13 and Jake Powers with 11.
Hanover-Horton 64, Homer 58
by joosting Tuesday January 06, 2009, 2:28 AM
Sam Spink scored 22 points to help Hanover-Horton hold off Homer.
Dylan Schuette added 15 points and Ken Warren had 11 for the Comets (3-1).
Wade Brodock scored a game-high 18 points for Homer (2-4), which trailed by 10 at halftime. Lincoln Hackworth added 13 points, and Tayler Dow had 12.
"We picked up the intensity (after halftime)," Homer coach Tom Fleming said. "We were playing catch-up ball."
Dylan Schuette added 15 points and Ken Warren had 11 for the Comets (3-1).
Wade Brodock scored a game-high 18 points for Homer (2-4), which trailed by 10 at halftime. Lincoln Hackworth added 13 points, and Tayler Dow had 12.
"We picked up the intensity (after halftime)," Homer coach Tom Fleming said. "We were playing catch-up ball."
JCC men win big
by Citizen Patriot staff Saturday January 03, 2009, 10:53 PM
Derek Belote had 20 points and nine assists to lead the Jackson Community College men's basketball team to an 81-62 victory over Grand Rapids Community College in its Michigan Community Colleges Athletic Association opener.
Clifton Ross had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Jets (5-6). Nick Minerath added 17 points, and Elliot Munz had 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Continue reading "JCC men win big" »
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Hanover-Horton overcomes rust
by joosting Saturday January 03, 2009, 10:19 PM
The Hanover-Horton High School boys basketball team shook off the cobwebs of a three-week holiday break and knocked off Concord 64-59 Saturday in a game between two teams expected to contend for conference championships this season.
And, as Comets coach Chad Mortimer admitted, the rust showed.
"At times we played pretty well, and at times it was really sloppy," Mortimer said. "We'd get up and then take some ill-advised shots and turn the ball over.
"It was an ugly win, but we take it and move on."
Hanover-Horton (2-1) was led in scoring by Sam Spink with 16 points. Senior center Ken Warren added 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
Concord (1-2) of the Big Eight Conference got 16 points and seven rebounds from 6-foot-10 senior Zach Hersha. Nick Thorrez was next with 13 points.
Hanover-Horton of the Cascades Conference led most of the game and ran its advantage to a game-best 14 points when Warren scored off an inside move to give the Comets a 47-33 lead with 2:55 to play in the third quarter.
Concord spent the rest of the game playing catch-up, and the Yellow Jackets made things close down the stretch. Hersha scored six points and Jordan Bulloch five points in a fourth-quarter run that cut the lead to four points.
Two Bulloch free throws with 27 seconds to play pulled Concord to within 61-57. Spink answered with a pair of free throws for Hanover-Horton 2 seconds later to inch the margin back to six points.
A basket by Hersha with 6 seconds to play made it 63-59, but Concord could get no closer.
"If the players thought I was going to chew them out after this one, they were totally wrong," Concord coach Matt Lehman said. "They played their butts off against a good team. We were down 14, and we fought back and had our chances.
"I'm proud of my guys. We showed that we can play with the good teams."
And, as Comets coach Chad Mortimer admitted, the rust showed.
"At times we played pretty well, and at times it was really sloppy," Mortimer said. "We'd get up and then take some ill-advised shots and turn the ball over.
"It was an ugly win, but we take it and move on."
Hanover-Horton (2-1) was led in scoring by Sam Spink with 16 points. Senior center Ken Warren added 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
Concord (1-2) of the Big Eight Conference got 16 points and seven rebounds from 6-foot-10 senior Zach Hersha. Nick Thorrez was next with 13 points.
Hanover-Horton of the Cascades Conference led most of the game and ran its advantage to a game-best 14 points when Warren scored off an inside move to give the Comets a 47-33 lead with 2:55 to play in the third quarter.
Concord spent the rest of the game playing catch-up, and the Yellow Jackets made things close down the stretch. Hersha scored six points and Jordan Bulloch five points in a fourth-quarter run that cut the lead to four points.
Two Bulloch free throws with 27 seconds to play pulled Concord to within 61-57. Spink answered with a pair of free throws for Hanover-Horton 2 seconds later to inch the margin back to six points.
A basket by Hersha with 6 seconds to play made it 63-59, but Concord could get no closer.
"If the players thought I was going to chew them out after this one, they were totally wrong," Concord coach Matt Lehman said. "They played their butts off against a good team. We were down 14, and we fought back and had our chances.
"I'm proud of my guys. We showed that we can play with the good teams."
Spring Arbor beats No. 2 team
by Chip Mundy Saturday January 03, 2009, 8:50 PM
The difference between winning and losing was an inch Saturday afternoon.
The Spring Arbor University men's basketball team upset second-ranked Bethel 66-65 when a tip-in attempt at the end of the game teetered on the rim before falling out.
Continue reading "Spring Arbor beats No. 2 team" »
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Lumen Christi nips Western
by joosting Saturday January 03, 2009, 8:31 PM
The Lumen Christi High School girls basketball team overcame a seven-minute scoring drought and 12-2 deficit after one quarter to defeat Western 50-47 on Saturday at home.
Lumen Christi outscored the Panthers 33-19 during the second half and took its first lead with about a minute left in the game, but Lumen Christi coach Mike Wilson said his team did not deserve to win.
"We had a lot of opportunities to make shots in the first half, but we missed 15 layups; we missed free throws; and we missed 3s," Wilson said. "It snowballs after a while."
Erika Bullock led Lumen Christi (3-3) with 19 points. Katy Rhodes added nine points, and Megan Hayes had eight.
Joelle Scholten led Western (0-5) with eight points. Emily Kesterson and Samantha Barclay scored seven points apiece.
Lumen Christi outscored the Panthers 33-19 during the second half and took its first lead with about a minute left in the game, but Lumen Christi coach Mike Wilson said his team did not deserve to win.
"We had a lot of opportunities to make shots in the first half, but we missed 15 layups; we missed free throws; and we missed 3s," Wilson said. "It snowballs after a while."
Erika Bullock led Lumen Christi (3-3) with 19 points. Katy Rhodes added nine points, and Megan Hayes had eight.
Joelle Scholten led Western (0-5) with eight points. Emily Kesterson and Samantha Barclay scored seven points apiece.
Boys bowling preview
by joosting Saturday January 03, 2009, 8:28 PM
Capital Area Activities Conference
Blue Division
Jackson
n Coach: David Rodriguez (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowlers to watch: Returning Citizen Patriot Dream Teamer Alex Rieman (junior), David Rodriguez II (freshman), Brady Parr (senior), DeAndre Buckner (junior), Kendall Long (sophomore)
n Coach says: "These guys are really good bowlers. They don't even understand how good they are yet. We have a chance to win the state title with some very talented players. We are emphasizing spare shooting a lot in practice."
Capital Area Activities Conference
Red Division
Northwest
n Coach: Gerry Lobdell (eighth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 2
n Bowlers to watch: Nick Taylor (sophomore), Josh Saylor (junior)
n Coach says: "I'm looking for a good season. I think we can compete in the conference. We were 5-4 last year, and I think we've improved."
Jackson Area Conference
Albion
n Coach: Andy Horodecki
East Jackson
n Coach: Mark Burger (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 3
n Bowler to watch: Danny Trolz (senior)
n Coach says: "We lost the majority of our bowlers to graduation. It's going to be close this year. We won't sweep all of our matches, but we're going to be a decent team."
Grass Lake
n Coach: Tres Smith (second year)
n Returning letterwinners: 4
n Bowlers to watch: Alex Perry (sophomore), Branden Embury (junior)
n Coach says: "We might finish in the top half of the conference. I had a huge turnout, which was really surprising. Twenty boys tried out, and we still have 16. I'm just hoping for the best this year."
Hanover-Horton
n Coach: Dave Gilpin (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 0 (no team in 2007-08)
n Bowlers to watch: Seniors Brian McKnight and Kyle Fournier
n Coach says: "I have some younger players, including some freshmen that show a lot of promise. They bowl in Saturday morning leagues and have for some time, so they have had some instruction."
Hillsdale
n Coach: Jeff Woodbury (seventh year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowlers to watch: Nick Dehn (junior), Derek Spiteri (junior), Jacob Francis (senior)
n Coach says: "We expect to finish pretty high after placing fourth in the league last year at 7-2. We are returning four out of five starters, and they're all seasoned bowlers. They have all practiced and improved quite a bit."
Jonesville
n Coach: Matt Molinaro (ninth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowler to watch: Greg Null (senior)
n Coach says: "I hope to get back to state again. We have four out of five starters returning, and we finished 10th in the state last year."
Leslie
n Coach: Larry Hook (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 0 (first year of program)
n Bowlers to watch: Artie Ostrander (senior), Brad Millican (senior)
n Coach says: "We are very inexperienced. We have a lot of kids that haven't bowled before but are getting better as we go."
Lumen Christi
n Coach: Rod Wiedmeyer (fifth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowlers to watch: Juniors Ryan Wiedmeyer and Kolin Thayer
n Coach says: "We're on the border line. It could be a really good year. We have five strong players coming back with two seniors and three juniors. I picture the starting five being really tough."
Michigan Center
n Coach: Gary Baldwin (second year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowler to watch: Kyle Simon (senior)
n Coach says: "I expect we will improve from what we did last year. We were 6-4, and I expect us to be a little better than that. We have two freshmen that I'm counting on. Both are pretty good bowlers."
Napoleon
n Coach: Brian Beaman
Stockbridge
n Coach: Mike Klimkiewicz (seventh year)
n Returning letterwinners: 7
n Bowlers to watch: Elijah Dunham (junior), Michael Thurston (senior), Michael Moore (sophomore)
n Coach says: "Knowing the conference we are in, I'm quite confident that we'll be in the top half."
Vandercook Lake
n Coach: Libie Ambs (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 7
n Bowlers to watch: James MacKinder (senior), Casey Reichard (junior), Sam Holst (sophomore). Mackinder and Reichard were named to the Citizen Patriot Dream Team last season.
n Coach says: "My expectations are to be a contender in the conference. That's what we're hoping for. Then we want to make it through regionals and go from there."
Western
n Coach: Darcy Clark (fifth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 3
n Bowlers to watch: Hunter Crawford (freshman), Andrew Cunningham (sophomore)
n Coach says: "We're a young team. I expect us to finish in the top three in the league. We had one kid make it to state last year, and I would like the team to qualify this year. They're certainly capable if they can just stay focused for an entire day."
Blue Division
Jackson
n Coach: David Rodriguez (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowlers to watch: Returning Citizen Patriot Dream Teamer Alex Rieman (junior), David Rodriguez II (freshman), Brady Parr (senior), DeAndre Buckner (junior), Kendall Long (sophomore)
n Coach says: "These guys are really good bowlers. They don't even understand how good they are yet. We have a chance to win the state title with some very talented players. We are emphasizing spare shooting a lot in practice."
Capital Area Activities Conference
Red Division
Northwest
n Coach: Gerry Lobdell (eighth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 2
n Bowlers to watch: Nick Taylor (sophomore), Josh Saylor (junior)
n Coach says: "I'm looking for a good season. I think we can compete in the conference. We were 5-4 last year, and I think we've improved."
Jackson Area Conference
Albion
n Coach: Andy Horodecki
East Jackson
n Coach: Mark Burger (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 3
n Bowler to watch: Danny Trolz (senior)
n Coach says: "We lost the majority of our bowlers to graduation. It's going to be close this year. We won't sweep all of our matches, but we're going to be a decent team."
Grass Lake
n Coach: Tres Smith (second year)
n Returning letterwinners: 4
n Bowlers to watch: Alex Perry (sophomore), Branden Embury (junior)
n Coach says: "We might finish in the top half of the conference. I had a huge turnout, which was really surprising. Twenty boys tried out, and we still have 16. I'm just hoping for the best this year."
Hanover-Horton
n Coach: Dave Gilpin (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 0 (no team in 2007-08)
n Bowlers to watch: Seniors Brian McKnight and Kyle Fournier
n Coach says: "I have some younger players, including some freshmen that show a lot of promise. They bowl in Saturday morning leagues and have for some time, so they have had some instruction."
Hillsdale
n Coach: Jeff Woodbury (seventh year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowlers to watch: Nick Dehn (junior), Derek Spiteri (junior), Jacob Francis (senior)
n Coach says: "We expect to finish pretty high after placing fourth in the league last year at 7-2. We are returning four out of five starters, and they're all seasoned bowlers. They have all practiced and improved quite a bit."
Jonesville
n Coach: Matt Molinaro (ninth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowler to watch: Greg Null (senior)
n Coach says: "I hope to get back to state again. We have four out of five starters returning, and we finished 10th in the state last year."
Leslie
n Coach: Larry Hook (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 0 (first year of program)
n Bowlers to watch: Artie Ostrander (senior), Brad Millican (senior)
n Coach says: "We are very inexperienced. We have a lot of kids that haven't bowled before but are getting better as we go."
Lumen Christi
n Coach: Rod Wiedmeyer (fifth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowlers to watch: Juniors Ryan Wiedmeyer and Kolin Thayer
n Coach says: "We're on the border line. It could be a really good year. We have five strong players coming back with two seniors and three juniors. I picture the starting five being really tough."
Michigan Center
n Coach: Gary Baldwin (second year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowler to watch: Kyle Simon (senior)
n Coach says: "I expect we will improve from what we did last year. We were 6-4, and I expect us to be a little better than that. We have two freshmen that I'm counting on. Both are pretty good bowlers."
Napoleon
n Coach: Brian Beaman
Stockbridge
n Coach: Mike Klimkiewicz (seventh year)
n Returning letterwinners: 7
n Bowlers to watch: Elijah Dunham (junior), Michael Thurston (senior), Michael Moore (sophomore)
n Coach says: "Knowing the conference we are in, I'm quite confident that we'll be in the top half."
Vandercook Lake
n Coach: Libie Ambs (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 7
n Bowlers to watch: James MacKinder (senior), Casey Reichard (junior), Sam Holst (sophomore). Mackinder and Reichard were named to the Citizen Patriot Dream Team last season.
n Coach says: "My expectations are to be a contender in the conference. That's what we're hoping for. Then we want to make it through regionals and go from there."
Western
n Coach: Darcy Clark (fifth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 3
n Bowlers to watch: Hunter Crawford (freshman), Andrew Cunningham (sophomore)
n Coach says: "We're a young team. I expect us to finish in the top three in the league. We had one kid make it to state last year, and I would like the team to qualify this year. They're certainly capable if they can just stay focused for an entire day."
High school girls bowling preview
by joosting Saturday January 03, 2009, 4:01 PM
Capital Area Activities Conference
Blue Division
Jackson
n Coach: David Rodriguez (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 2
n Bowlers to watch: Juniors Abby Green and Brittany Cook
n Coach says: "We only have five bowlers, but we're working with it."
Capital Area Activities Conference
Red Division
Northwest
n Coach: Becky Evans (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 6
n Bowlers to watch: Ciara Ricketts (senior), Shelby Marks (junior)
n Coach says: "Hopefully they will do pretty well. I hope we make it to state. I would like to win more than half of the matches. We're working really hard on picking up spares."
Jackson Area Conference
Albion
n Coach: Andy Horodecki
East Jackson
n Coach: Kim Svinicki (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowlers to watch: Jaimie Poole (senior), Noel Albert (junior)
n Coach says: "I think they're going to do pretty well in the conference and hopefully make it to state."
Grass Lake
n Coach: Tres Smith (second year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowler to watch: Sami Lytle (sophomore)
n Coach says: "I think we'll probably finish in the top three in the conference. I have a pretty strong contingent coming back. Losing Jeni Lindamood was a big hit, but we picked up a senior (Shelbie Fagan) who didn't bowl last year, so who knows?"
Hanover-Horton
n Coach: Dave Gilpin (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 0 (no team in 2007-08)
n Bowlers to watch: Seniors Ashley Holdridge, Kaylyn Hoy and Shelby Iseler
n Coach says: "Our goal is to be able to compete and have the possibility of winning some matches and improve over the course of the season."
Hillsdale
n Coach: Kamie Benzing (seventh year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowlers to watch: Sarah Nelson (senior), Amanda Sawdey (sophomore), Stephanie Pietruszka (senior)
n Coach says: "I think we're going to be competitive in the league. There are going to be those teams that are impressive, and we hope to have a good showing against them. Hopefully we will be coming in above .500."
Jonesville
n Coach: Matt Molinaro (ninth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 3
n Bowlers to watch: Lynsey Molinaro (sophomore), MeKinsey Molinaro (junior)
n Coach says: "They are much improved. We have some new girls, and they've got the hunger this year. They're hoping to surprise a few teams."
Leslie
n Coach: Larry Hook (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 0 (first year of program)
n Bowler to watch: Mariah Rudd (sophomore)
n Coach says: "The girls seem to be able to compete. There is hope of winning a couple of matches. They seem to be improving a lot as we go."
Lumen Christi
n Coach: Suzy Thayer (fifth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 4
n Bowlers to watch: Emily Wiedmeyer (senior), Lindsey Gilbert (senior), Rachael Jasinowski (freshman)
n Coach says: "If we continue to bowl as well as we can, we should be right up there. We have girls with some experience. Our team did pretty well at regionals last year and has improved so much. We have a ton of potential."
Michigan Center
n Coach: Alicia Clement (first year)
Napoleon
n Coach: Brian Beaman
Stockbridge
n Coach: Mike Klimkiewicz (seventh year)
n Returning letterwinners: 8
n Bowlers to watch: Genna Hoard (senior), Heather Chapman (sophomore)
n Coach says: "I expect to be in the top half of the league. They're still pretty inconsistent. You never know when they're going to bring their ‘A' game."
Vandercook Lake
n Coach: Todd Reichard (sixth year, also coached three years at Jackson)
n Returning letterwinners: 8
n Bowlers to watch: Senior Nicole Crabtree (2007-08 Citizen Patriot Bowler of the Year). Nikki Stevens (senior), Amber VanDusen (senior) and Jenny Bunch (junior), who all made the Citizen Patriot Dream Team last season
n Coach says: "We are bringing everybody back from last year's state runner-up team. That is hard to downplay, even though you would like to. I think it's going to be a good season. Anything can happen. I'm excited about it."
Western
n Coach: Bill Moore (fourth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 4
n Bowlers to watch: Meghan Kania (sophomore), Hilary Kania (junior), Hope Anderson (sophomore)
n Coach says: "If we get (senior) Jennifer Grubba back, I expect us to go to state. She has been the anchor bowler for three years and has pulled tendons in her ankle. With her and the other three, we should have a decent team."
Blue Division
Jackson
n Coach: David Rodriguez (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 2
n Bowlers to watch: Juniors Abby Green and Brittany Cook
n Coach says: "We only have five bowlers, but we're working with it."
Capital Area Activities Conference
Red Division
Northwest
n Coach: Becky Evans (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 6
n Bowlers to watch: Ciara Ricketts (senior), Shelby Marks (junior)
n Coach says: "Hopefully they will do pretty well. I hope we make it to state. I would like to win more than half of the matches. We're working really hard on picking up spares."
Jackson Area Conference
Albion
n Coach: Andy Horodecki
East Jackson
n Coach: Kim Svinicki (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowlers to watch: Jaimie Poole (senior), Noel Albert (junior)
n Coach says: "I think they're going to do pretty well in the conference and hopefully make it to state."
Grass Lake
n Coach: Tres Smith (second year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowler to watch: Sami Lytle (sophomore)
n Coach says: "I think we'll probably finish in the top three in the conference. I have a pretty strong contingent coming back. Losing Jeni Lindamood was a big hit, but we picked up a senior (Shelbie Fagan) who didn't bowl last year, so who knows?"
Hanover-Horton
n Coach: Dave Gilpin (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 0 (no team in 2007-08)
n Bowlers to watch: Seniors Ashley Holdridge, Kaylyn Hoy and Shelby Iseler
n Coach says: "Our goal is to be able to compete and have the possibility of winning some matches and improve over the course of the season."
Hillsdale
n Coach: Kamie Benzing (seventh year)
n Returning letterwinners: 5
n Bowlers to watch: Sarah Nelson (senior), Amanda Sawdey (sophomore), Stephanie Pietruszka (senior)
n Coach says: "I think we're going to be competitive in the league. There are going to be those teams that are impressive, and we hope to have a good showing against them. Hopefully we will be coming in above .500."
Jonesville
n Coach: Matt Molinaro (ninth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 3
n Bowlers to watch: Lynsey Molinaro (sophomore), MeKinsey Molinaro (junior)
n Coach says: "They are much improved. We have some new girls, and they've got the hunger this year. They're hoping to surprise a few teams."
Leslie
n Coach: Larry Hook (first year)
n Returning letterwinners: 0 (first year of program)
n Bowler to watch: Mariah Rudd (sophomore)
n Coach says: "The girls seem to be able to compete. There is hope of winning a couple of matches. They seem to be improving a lot as we go."
Lumen Christi
n Coach: Suzy Thayer (fifth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 4
n Bowlers to watch: Emily Wiedmeyer (senior), Lindsey Gilbert (senior), Rachael Jasinowski (freshman)
n Coach says: "If we continue to bowl as well as we can, we should be right up there. We have girls with some experience. Our team did pretty well at regionals last year and has improved so much. We have a ton of potential."
Michigan Center
n Coach: Alicia Clement (first year)
Napoleon
n Coach: Brian Beaman
Stockbridge
n Coach: Mike Klimkiewicz (seventh year)
n Returning letterwinners: 8
n Bowlers to watch: Genna Hoard (senior), Heather Chapman (sophomore)
n Coach says: "I expect to be in the top half of the league. They're still pretty inconsistent. You never know when they're going to bring their ‘A' game."
Vandercook Lake
n Coach: Todd Reichard (sixth year, also coached three years at Jackson)
n Returning letterwinners: 8
n Bowlers to watch: Senior Nicole Crabtree (2007-08 Citizen Patriot Bowler of the Year). Nikki Stevens (senior), Amber VanDusen (senior) and Jenny Bunch (junior), who all made the Citizen Patriot Dream Team last season
n Coach says: "We are bringing everybody back from last year's state runner-up team. That is hard to downplay, even though you would like to. I think it's going to be a good season. Anything can happen. I'm excited about it."
Western
n Coach: Bill Moore (fourth year)
n Returning letterwinners: 4
n Bowlers to watch: Meghan Kania (sophomore), Hilary Kania (junior), Hope Anderson (sophomore)
n Coach says: "If we get (senior) Jennifer Grubba back, I expect us to go to state. She has been the anchor bowler for three years and has pulled tendons in her ankle. With her and the other three, we should have a decent team."
Jonesville wins consolation game
by joosting Tuesday December 30, 2008, 9:34 PM
The Jonesville High School boys basketball team bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 65-19 victory over North-Adams Jerome on Tuesday in the consolation game of Hillsdale's Pat Paterson tournament.
Reading toppled the Comets 61-55 in overtime on Monday to advance to the championship game.
"Losing an overtime game was a big letdown," Jonesville coach Dustin Scharer said. "We wanted to be playing in the championship. I challenged the players to come back and play hard (Tuesday)."
Jonesville (4-1) got off to a fast start and led the Rams 42-12 at halftime.
"We hit some shots early," Scharer said.
Mitch Miller led Jonesville with 11 points.
The two teams met in the season opener on Dec. 8, and the Comets narrowly escaped with a 56-52 win.
Reading toppled the Comets 61-55 in overtime on Monday to advance to the championship game.
"Losing an overtime game was a big letdown," Jonesville coach Dustin Scharer said. "We wanted to be playing in the championship. I challenged the players to come back and play hard (Tuesday)."
Jonesville (4-1) got off to a fast start and led the Rams 42-12 at halftime.
"We hit some shots early," Scharer said.
Mitch Miller led Jonesville with 11 points.
The two teams met in the season opener on Dec. 8, and the Comets narrowly escaped with a 56-52 win.
Jackson wins Chelsea tournament
by joosting Tuesday December 30, 2008, 7:56 PM
Jalen Jarrett explained a shooter's mentality after showing what it can produce.
"I think everything is going in," Jarrett said Tuesday after his 3-point basket broke a late tie and the Jackson High School boys basketball team nipped Chelsea 47-45 for the Chelsea Holiday Tournament championship.
Nothing was going in for Jarrett and the Vikings - they made three baskets outside the lane all night and had missed 14 consecutive 3-point attempts - when Jarrett canned his 3-pointer with 1:15 to play.
The basket that put Jackson ahead 46-43 came when Virgil McGuire drew the defense inside and kicked it out to Jarrett on the right wing.
"That was the shot we wanted," Jackson coach Ramsey Nichols said of the play that followed a timeout. "We work on that every day. Big-time players make big-time plays, and that's what we needed."
Jackson blocked three shots by Chelsea on its next two possessions, sandwiched around a Jackson turnover, and Michael Perdue clinched Jackson's second straight title in the tournament with a free throw with 8 seconds left. Chelsea made a basket at the buzzer.
Chelsea had rallied from a 42-33 hole early in the fourth quarter - the biggest margin of the night - to tie it 43-43 on Jake Mantel's two free throws with 2:01 left.
It was an odd topsy-turvy game, thanks in large part to the effectiveness of Jackson's fullcourt pressure defense. In the first and third quarters, Jackson forced 19 turnovers and outscored the Bulldogs 35-20. In the second and fourth quarters, Chelsea committed just seven turnovers and held a 25-12 scoring edge.
"We have to be consistent," Nichols said about his team's defensive effort. "We caused them problems in stretches, and in other stretches we gave up easy baskets."
Though the Vikings are trying to push an up-tempo game, they are giving up just 51 points a game with a defense Nichols expects to improve. Jackson is off to a 4-1 start with its loss coming by one point.
"It takes focus and discipline," he said. "It's going to take time to completely understand my philosophy. I've been patient. By March, we're going to be a whole lot better."
"We can play better defense," Jarrett agreed. "We can hustle a little more and get hands on more balls."
Jarrett scored a team-high 12 points, the first time this season someone other McGuire led the Vikings in scoring. McGuire made five assists and five steals.
"I think everything is going in," Jarrett said Tuesday after his 3-point basket broke a late tie and the Jackson High School boys basketball team nipped Chelsea 47-45 for the Chelsea Holiday Tournament championship.
Nothing was going in for Jarrett and the Vikings - they made three baskets outside the lane all night and had missed 14 consecutive 3-point attempts - when Jarrett canned his 3-pointer with 1:15 to play.
The basket that put Jackson ahead 46-43 came when Virgil McGuire drew the defense inside and kicked it out to Jarrett on the right wing.
"That was the shot we wanted," Jackson coach Ramsey Nichols said of the play that followed a timeout. "We work on that every day. Big-time players make big-time plays, and that's what we needed."
Jackson blocked three shots by Chelsea on its next two possessions, sandwiched around a Jackson turnover, and Michael Perdue clinched Jackson's second straight title in the tournament with a free throw with 8 seconds left. Chelsea made a basket at the buzzer.
Chelsea had rallied from a 42-33 hole early in the fourth quarter - the biggest margin of the night - to tie it 43-43 on Jake Mantel's two free throws with 2:01 left.
It was an odd topsy-turvy game, thanks in large part to the effectiveness of Jackson's fullcourt pressure defense. In the first and third quarters, Jackson forced 19 turnovers and outscored the Bulldogs 35-20. In the second and fourth quarters, Chelsea committed just seven turnovers and held a 25-12 scoring edge.
"We have to be consistent," Nichols said about his team's defensive effort. "We caused them problems in stretches, and in other stretches we gave up easy baskets."
Though the Vikings are trying to push an up-tempo game, they are giving up just 51 points a game with a defense Nichols expects to improve. Jackson is off to a 4-1 start with its loss coming by one point.
"It takes focus and discipline," he said. "It's going to take time to completely understand my philosophy. I've been patient. By March, we're going to be a whole lot better."
"We can play better defense," Jarrett agreed. "We can hustle a little more and get hands on more balls."
Jarrett scored a team-high 12 points, the first time this season someone other McGuire led the Vikings in scoring. McGuire made five assists and five steals.
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Kalin Lucas scored 20 points to lead eighth-ranked Michigan State to a 67-58 win over Ohio State on Tuesday night. The Spartans (12-2, 3-0 Big Ten) has won eight straight since being routed by North Carolina and 26 in a row at home. Raymar Morgan added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
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