Friday Night Kickoff

First off, I still hate that girls basketball is in the winter, too many games all over the schedule.  If you don't have some sort of electronic method of keeping track of the schedule your daytimer probably has more crossed out ink and white out than Office Depot has in stock.

The rough few weeks of weather played havoc with the boys and girls schedule.   It's hard enough to schedule the season with both boys and girls playing twice a week, plus still finding practice time for 6 basketball teams is hard enough (provided that you have all three levels for both boys and girls).  It's easy for places like St. Joe that has 6 basketball courts at the high school.  But places like Benton Harbor don't.    Lakeshore also has an aux gym which makes is easier.   The Big 16 has altered the way they will schedule girls and boys games next season.  Varsity divisional games will be played on the same night.  So on a Friday where St. Joe plays at Lakeshore, the two freshman teams and one of the JV teams will play the night before at St. Joe. It should make things a little easier.  The non divisional Friday games will be played at the opposite sites meaning if the St. Joe Boys are at Portage Central, the Girls will also face Portage Central in St. Joe.  Confused yet???  Believe me I don't fully understand it myself fully yet either.

Second...

There is an old saying about when the playoffs start everybody is now 0-0 and the regular season is meaningless.  No more is that true than for the boys and girls basketball teams at St. Joe.   Both of the teams entered the district tournament with less than stellar records.  The St. Joe girls were 5-15 on the season and dead last in the Big 16 West.  Now they may have not fared very well, but the Lady Bears were playing better and better down the stretch.  St. Joe also had the luxury of hosting the District Tournament.  The Lady Bears avenged a season opening loss at Buchanan in the first round, rolled over Edwardsburg, and then saved their best for last as they blitzed Lakeshore in the district final, a team that beat St. Joe twice by double digits in the regular season.  St. Joe's girls won their first district title since 1994.  The Lady Bears season came to an end the following week in the regionals but nobody could imagine that the 5-15 Bears, who didn't have a player over 5'9", a team with only one senior, a team that starts a freshman, two sophomores, a junior, and one senior, could have pulled that off.

As for the boys, the St. Joe boys team struggled in the middle of the season, after a double overtime loss at Lakeshore, St. Joe went into a tailspin, losing their next 6 games, but as I've said before, it's how you play at the end of the season.  St. Joe played their best basketball of the season in the last three weeks.  Losing in overtime to Mattawan, but then the upset over Lakeshore at the Bear Den.  A couple of more losses to a tough Loy Norrix team and an OT loss at Niles.  But the second season gave the Bears a new lease on life as the Bears beat Lakeshore in the Districts on the Lancers home floor, and then holding off the Dowagiac Chieftains in the District Finals.   Zeeland East ended the Bears season in the regionals at St. Joe high school the next week, but like the Lady Bears, nobody would have picked the St. Joe boys to be playing in the regionals on their home floor after the 7 game losing skid.

It goes to show you that no matter how the regular season goes.  The playoffs are a whole different story.  And teams that get hot at the right time can make a lot of noise in the tournament.

Third...

It used to be that the Class B district was usually held at Battle Creek's Kellogg Arena or University Fieldhouse at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.  While I have no problem with either of the two facilities.  I think that having the regional games at a high school gym is much better.  The simple reason is the facilities at WMU and Battle Creek keep the fans farther away from the action and change the "feel" of the game.  It truly feels like a high school game when the game is held in a high school gym rather than the "arenas" in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo.   During the Class B regional at St. Joe high school, the three games at the Bear Den were the perfect example of what a high school basketball game should be.  The excitement and energy couldn't be topped.  I will guarantee you that if they hold those games at Kellogg Arena or WMU, you wouldn't have had the kind of energy and excitement as they did at an actual school gym.

Fourth...

The Girls basketball finals will be going back the the Breslin Center next year after two seasons at the Convocation Center at Eastern Michigan University.  The Boys finals are still at the Breslin Center as they have been the last dozen or so years.   Now the Girls finals have been at Kellogg Arena, Rose Arena in Mount Pleasant, Breslin Center in East Lansing, and Convocation Center in Ypsilanti.

Now I would love to see the MHSAA basketball finals be moved around every 4 years or so.  I know MSU is in the MHSAA's back yard in Lansing, but there are other locations where the MHSAA could have the finals.  Obviously the finals used to be held at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, they could go back there.  There is nothing wrong with University Fieldhouse in Kalamazoo or the EMU Convocation Center.   Does anybody remember when The Palace in Auburn Hills held the MHSAA finals???

The same is true for some other MHSAA Finals.  Football.  Keep it at Ford Field.  I don't think anybody wants to sit outside on Thanksgiving weekend at the Big House in Ann Arbor.  So keep it in Detroit. 

But how about the MHSAA hockey finals, they are always held at Compuware arena near Detroit.  Come on??? Is that the best we can do?? Compuware Arena?   How about Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids?  A perfect hockey venue.  Has anybody thought about Joe Louis Arena???   The marquee hockey venue in the state would be a perfect place to hold a three days of games.   If the MHSAA likes saying close to home,  Munn Ice Arena in Lansing is fine.  I would love to see the high school championships played at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor... That would be great.

Fifth...

Parents suck... before you jump over me, here is a story from the Grand Rapids Press.

Grand Rapids Christian girls basketball coach VanDenBosch steps down after parent revolt

A parent revolt??? Are you kidding me, a parent revolt???  How do parents revolt, and get a coach fired?  This is just another example of people who feel the rules don't apply to them and a prime example of why meddling parents are ruining most sports because they feel that little Johnny's or little Suzies's feelings are being hurt.   It's called life.

and finally but certainly not least

CONGRATS TO THE BENTON HARBOR LADY TIGERS ON THEIR 2009 CLASS A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

She may not have been Miss Basketball, but Benton Harbor's Destiny Williams truly is the best player in the state, the domination she showed through the tournament is all the proof you need.  Good luck at the University of Illinois. 

It'll be fun when Illinois faces the University of Michigan the next four years as Rachel Scheffler of Watervliet signed with the Wolverines before the season.  

Posted by Dave Wolf at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First off let's look back at the Girls Districts

As expected Benton Harbor won the district at Jenison, you can probably say it was "Destiney,"   Williams had 32 points to lead The Harbor to the district crown, the Tigers beat Holland 67-24.  The Tigers next face Muskegon Mona Shores at Grand Rapids Northview High School on Tuesday.

Another expected win was the Michigan Lutheran Titans advancing, but you wanna talk about waiting until the last minute.   ML had to rally from a 2 point deficit with 20 seconds left and defeated Watervliet Grace Christian 34-30 at Covert.

A few surprises.

Rachel Sheffler's last game at Watervliet probably came a little earlier than expected as the Panthers lost to Brandywine in the C District final at New Buffalo.  Brandywine won 53-48.

Now this one really isn't a "surprise" but the Niles Vikings won their first District title since moving up from Class B as they defeated Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 61-53,  the Vikings lost earlier in the season to the Knights.  The Vikings get the surprise in the more important of the two games.

Now THE SURPRISE

During tournament time, you're likely to hear the phrase "It's tough to beat a team three times in a year."   Generally that's true, you rarely play a team three times in a year, let alone beat them three times in a year, but this phrase couldn't be more true than it was in the Class B district final at St. Joseph High School.

It's hard to believe that the St. Joe Lady Bears, a team with the history of the Lady Bears, some of the great players that have played, like Tracey Bloodworth and a former Miss Basketball Kim Knuth, and the legendary coach Rick Bloodworth has not won a district title since 1994.  Tracey Bloodworth, now a new mother Tracey Dorow, the head coach of Ferris State University.  Kim Knuth who was all everything at the University of Toledo, is now an assistant coach.  It's been that long.

But the Lady Bears faced arch rival Lakeshore in the Class B district final at the Bear Den on Friday.  A team that St. Joe had lost 5 straight games to.  Including twice this season.   But the Lady Bears would not let that continue as St. Joe had 4 players in double figures.  Freshman Lindsay Peirce, daughter of former St. Joe Lady Bear great Amy Porritt (Peirce) had 20 points, Sophomore Katie Mavis added another 19 points.  St. Joe started the game on a 10-2 run and never looked back as the Lady Bears ended their district drought at 14 seasons with a 66-54 win over Lakeshore.

St. Joe is off to play in the regionals at Otsego High School against Holland Christian, the Maroons are 19-4 on the season, so it'll be another uphill battle for the Bears.  The Bears have been battling an uphill battle all year long.  After a 4-17 record last year under first year head coach Jeff Wallace, the Bears would have to try to improve on that in a very tough conference and non conference schedule.  Try playing Benton Harbor and Niles twice a year, along with the Lakeland Conference Champs Buchanan.  The schedule wasn't the only thing that was rough on the Bears, St. Joe hasn't really had the numbers and the depth chart most other teams have,  St. Joe lost 1 of 2 seniors for medical reasons halfway through the season, some injuries and other circumstances left the Lady Bear basketball program with only 6 players on the freshman and 6 on the JV team.   St. Joe had to suspend the rest of the Freshman season with 3 games left to field a full JV and Varsity team. 

It's been an uphill battle for the Lady Bears, and this victory wasn't just a district title, it shows that no matter how bad the regular season was.  Everybody is back to 0-0 and it's a new start.  The Bears certainly got a new start at things and a district championship is just a first step for this group of Young Bears in the rebuilding of the Lady Bears basketball program from top to bottom.  Plus St. Joe loses only 1 senior going to next year.

 Now for the Boys

Class A
Benton Harbor's turnaround season will take them to Holland West Ottawa and they will have the winner of the Hudsonville/Grandville game on Wednesday.  James Black and Aaron Clayborn will definitely be two of the Tigers to watch.

Class B

At Lakeshore.   I think you can say there are a number of teams that could win this tournament, and as luck would have it, three of those "favorites" are on the same side of the bracket.  Host Lakeshore faces Buchanan on Monday at 8, the winner gets St. Joe.   Now Lakeshore as the host is yes...a favorite, Buchanan is the top of the Lakeland is another favorite... But St. Joe???

Yes St. Joe, I know I am showing my maize and blue colors (SJHS Class of '93), but St. Joe has been playing a lot better as of late, and it's this the time of year you want to be playing well.  The Bears defeated Lakeshore last week 73-65.  The Bears could be a favorite if they play the way they did against Lakeshore, not the collapse of Friday at Niles.  On the other side of the Bracket, you'll find Berrien Springs, Edwardsburg and Dowagiac,  I think you'll see Berrien in the title game against... take your pick from the other side.

Posted by Dave Wolf at 04:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know this is a high school sports forum, but I need to say a few words about the first real "Hockey Mom" Colleen Howe, wife of Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe.  Two of her three sons Marty and Mark Howe, both played in the NHL with dad Gordie late in Gordie's career in the WHA, and are still involved in hockey today.

I actually spent about 30 minutes with the Howe family back in 2000.  During the 2000 IHL Turner Cup Finals, Gordie and Colleen were in Grand Rapids to attend the hockey game to watch and support their son Marty who was an assistant coach for the Chicago Wolves.  Before the game I had dinner at the TGI-Friday's next to Van Andel Arena, I sat in a booth ordering my burger and a few minutes later Gordie and Colleen were in the booth right next to me, needless to say I was less concerned with the hamburger I got than with the new neighbors that had sat down.  I was wearing my Griffins jersey and just getting ready to chow into my meal when half of the restaurant formed a human wall around my table to do the standard "Hero worship" of Gordie. You know, the autographs of everything from napkins, T-shirts, jersey, and the numerous "can I have my picture with yous"

You could tell Colleen really didn't appreciate her dinner being interrupted by the groups of fans wanting a moment with their hero.  Colleen proceed to order her dinner despite the mob around the table.  After a few minutes, the gathering had been forced to return to their seats by the management.   I continued with my burger which was a little cold after watching the events behind me,  the waiter brought the burger back to the kitchen to warm it up a little,   Gordie and Colleen both turned around and actually apologized for the ruckus that caused my burger to cool.  I said it wasn't a problem, they didn't get the thing right in the first place and shared a brief chuckle before the burger returned from the microwave.   He asked me if I was going to the game,  I said I was and that I drove from St. Joe to get there.  They told me that on their way from Chicago they actually stopped in St. Joe to eat.

I got up and left a few minutes later to enter the arena, they were still eating.  Now I am one of those folks that likes to be the first in the arena when the gates open.  I got to my seats and just a few rows ahead of me walk in Gordie and Colleen, so not only do I run in to Gordie at Friday's but he's standing a few rows ahead of me by the bench talking to his son Marty the assistant coach.   After a few minutes he started walking back up the walkway and asked if I was following him,  I replied something along the lines like I was here first, I think you were following me.   A few more chuckles later and I took off my jacket and he just asked me what I thought of the the playoffs, about the game, and I talked a little hockey with him.   

During the brief 30 minutes I had spent with Gordie and Colleen, I never once asked for an autograph, never once asked for a photo, or something else of Gordie.  I just was happy with actually talking to the NHL's greatest player ever and his wife, who consistently tried to shield Gordie from a lot of the fans.   She never did with me,  I just sat and talked to them.  Not asking for the autographs or the photos.  I didn't bring up those glory days with the Wings.  I just talked to him and Colleen about their trip through St. Joe, the trip to Grand Rapids, and the upcoming game.   That's all I really wanted.  A chance to just talk with Gordie, something I'll remember for the rest of my life.

Colleen Howe passed away on Friday at the age of 76 with complications from Pick's disease which is a neurological condition that causes dementia.

Posted by Dave Wolf at 04:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)