Scott Keyes
Sports Scene
Redemption.
Call it what you want, but Nouvel Catholic Central wasn’t about to let the Class C state championship slip through its fingers for a second year in a row.
The Panthers were business-like throughout the entire tournament, especially senior Rachel McInerney. Her performance in the semifinal win against Gobles and the 62-40 final victory over St. Ignace lived up to the season’s high expectations.
Against St. Igance, McInerney scored 22 points and grabbed 23 rebounds, just two away from a tying an MHSAA state finals record.
When McInerney and the Panthers hoisted the state championship trophy, the reality set in that Nouvel was a state champion. “I said two months ago I wanted to end my career as a state champion,” McInerney said. “What everyone on this team has overcome this season is pretty remarkable, but to finally get this far and win the whole thing during my senior year is pretty incredible.”
This year’s championship win was somewhat bittersweet for McInerney, as last year’s final game left her with a bad taste in her mouth.
Two broken fingers are likely the reason that this year’s title is not the team’s “second consecutive championship.” Being a champion is definitely nice, but the memory of the loss to Manchester in last year’s final is still vivid in the back of McInerney’s mind.
McInerney played last year’s final with two broken fingers. Like the trooper she is, she played through the pain, and Manchester saw that. To make a long story short, McInerney was called for a technical foul late in the game. The momentum shifted, and Manchester got the victory.
“After that loss, we went back to work,” she said. “You hate getting that far just to lose the game. Especially the way we lost. I would love nothing more than to celebrate this year’s win with those seniors on last year’s team. We fought through a lot of things this season, but we did it. We won a state title.”
Nouvel entered this tournament ranked only No. 10 after assistant Mary Jo Skiendziel was promoted to head coach with only two games left in the regular season. Skiendziel guided the Panthers to late-season victories over Freeland, Carson-City Crystal, Powers Catholic, and Midland. Powers and Midland were the cream of the crop in the Saginaw Valley League all season, and Nouvel ‘s winning those games was a testament of how bad the it wanted to win a state title.
Skiendziel, a Nouvel graduate, coached the freshmen basketball team for six seasons in addition to helping the varsity at the start of this winter. She inherited some key leaders, including three who started in the 2013 final.
“From the beginning, we knew our team would stick together through anything,” said sophomore guard Laurel Jacqmain, one of those returning starters. “Our goal was to get back here, and we knew we could with each other. That’s what we were going to do.”
McInerney did her part as a leader, making sure her teammates soaked up the moment during the game and reminding them to have fun. “Just because I experienced it last year, I know what it’s like to let it go by. I did not have fun last year,” McInerney said.
St. Ignace coach Dorene Ingalls was impressed by the way McInerney plays the game.
“She just intimidates,” Ingalls said. “She had maybe struggled a little bit, didn’t score like she usually does in the semi (three points). But we knew what she was capable of, and she showed it today.”
McInerney had only four of her points during the 24-7 third-quarter run, but she did grab six rebounds and block four shots during that 8-minute span. Jacqmain did most of the offensive damage during the run, scoring 13 of her game-high 23 points.
“To get this far and to win the whole thing the way these kids did just shows you the true character of the team,” Skiendziel said. “They left everything they had out there on that floor, and I couldn’t be prouder.”
McInerney had a big week, as she scored her 1,000th career point during the 47-40 quarterfinal victory over St. Louis. She scored 19 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked eight shots in the win. He final point of the night gave her the milestone.
“When I found out she needed one point, I made sure the other players knew about it so they’d get her the ball,” Skiendziel said.
Needless to say, it was an emotional week for the 6-foot-2-inch McInerney. Scoring her 1,000th point and a state championship all in the same week. What more could a girl ask for?