By BUTCH HARMON
When the snow falls and the winter winds blow cold, the warmest place to be in the Pewamo-Westphalia area is inside the high school gym watching either the Pirates boys’ or girls’ basketball team. Both the boys and girls have turned in some outstanding seasons, and this year the action is really heating up, as both squads have big goals after turning in strong tournament runs last winter.
Last season was memorable for the boys, who reached the Class C state quarterfinals before falling to Schoolcraft. The girls reached the regional semifinals, where they fell to a Concord team that was ranked No. 2 in the state.
With a large group of talented players returning from last year’s quarterfinal team, the boys have big goals for this season. The Pirates started the season strong this season and their schedule has been put together with an eye toward the postseason. They opened the season with wins against Detroit’s Allen Academy, University Liggett School, and league rival St. Patrick Catholic, while dropping a game against Detroit Loyola.
“We looked to make our schedule as difficult as we could,” said coach Luke Pohl. “We wanted to get some of the games later in the season, but that is the way it worked out, and we are very pleased with our schedule.”
The Pirates face that schedule with a solid roster of talented and experienced players. Junior guard Nick Spitzley leads the way for the Pirates.
“Point guard play is one of the strengths of the team,” Pohl said. “He is a three-year starter and an outstanding point guard.”
The Pirates are also solid up front.
“We have Ty and Lane Simon back up front,” Pohl said. “They are both 6’5″, 6’6″, and they are real good on the glass and around the rim. They are a real strong point for us.”
Senior Andy Pung is another factor up front. “Andy is 6’3″, and he is a very good athlete,” Pohl said. “He has been a pleasant surprise this year for us at forward.”
The Pirates are looking to make a run at the conference title, where Laingsburg, Bath, and Fowler will be the top challengers.
A deep postseason run, however, is something that Pewamo-Westphalia fans are anticipating.
“Number one, we have to stay away from injuries,” Pohl said. “That is a big key for us. If we put the whole thing together, myself and the kids on the team feel we can make a long tournament run come March.”
Like the boys, the Pewamo-Westphalia girls’ team returns plenty of experience and talent and is also looking for a big regular season and postseason. The girls won their first three conference games, including a showdown with St. Patrick, the team that they are expected to battle for the conference title.
“We’re off to a good start,” coach Steve Eklund said. “We return all five starters from a team that went 17-7 last year and won the district.”
The Pirates have a solid starting five led by point guard Brooke Lewis, who averages 11 points and five assists per game. Joanna Klein is the other guard, and she is one of the premier defensive players in the league. Senior Kylee Schneider rounds out the backcourt.
“Kylee is a very good offensive player,” Eklund said. “She can score a lot of points in a hurry. Joanna is the top defensive player in the conference. She can defend any position.”
Up front, the Pirates have the one-two punch of junior Marlena Klein (5’11”) and Madison Smith (5’11”). Klein is averaging 12 points and 11 rebounds per game, while Smith is a three-year varsity player.
“Madison is a very intelligent player who can play inside or outside,” Eklund said. “Marlena is a very athletic player. She jumps real well, runs real well, and really gets after it.”
The Pirates also have a deep bench led by Holly Simon, Emily Kramer, and Hannah Bengel, who is coming back from an ACL injury to her knee.
“We have a very experienced team,” Eklund said. “We have three girls who are in their third year on the varsity and played two years ago on our team that went to the quarterfinals. We have a lot of experience and balance, and there is no one player any team can key on.”
Which continues an exciting year for Pewamo-Westphalia fans, whose football and volleyball teams enjoyed big fall seasons.
“I think the teams feed off each other,” Eklund said. “The football team and the volleyball team had great runs, and that excitement from the fall season goes right into basketball. The more success all the programs have carries over to the other sports. With the boys and the girls, its going to be an exciting few months around here.”