Nate Schneider
Sports Scene
Boys Basketball
The Yellowjackets have yet to fully hit their stride through nine games, but is coming off a positive result after a 56-31 victory Jan. 19 at home over St. Charles to improve to 5-4 on the season.
After completing the 2017 portion of its schedule with a 53-46 home win over a tough Fulton squad on Dec. 28, Ithaca lost back-to-back games to begin the new year via a 66-59 home setback versus Ovid-Elsie and a 57-55 tilt at Ovid-Elsie.
On a positive note, both of those losses can be chalked up as close losses to strong teams but Yellowjackets head coach Jim Thompson knows there is plenty of room for improvement.
“Our league is very, very good this year,” Thompson said. “Ovid-Elsie and Hemlock are very good. Valley Lutheran too. I’d say Fulton was a quality win for us, but we struggle against good teams right now because we struggle to score. And along with that, we turn the ball over too many times. It’s cost us. Plus, as a varsity basketball team we’re shooting 50 percent from the free throw line.”
Junior Baylee Chaffin leads a balanced scoring attack for the Yellowjackets at 11.9 points per game plus 8.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals. Senior Joey Bentley is tallying 10..4 points, 4.9 boards, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals. Junior Tom Steward is putting in 10.3 per game, connecting on 20-of-55 from 3-point range.
Due to a snowed out game against Pinconning, Ithaca began a stretch with St. Charles where it will play five games in eight days.
“Sometimes the best remedy is just getting out on the court and playing games,” Thompson added. “They won’t have to listen to me at practice and can just work things out on the court in games. Hopefully that will get us on the right track.”
Girls Basketball
Ithaca has struggled to the tune of a 2-7 record with future Michigan State Spartan Kayla Belles sidelined with a torn ACL.
While hope is still being held on the chance that Belles could return by the end of the season, right now she acts as an extra assistant coach and the team’s top supporter from the sideline.
The Yellowjackets dropped to their current record following a 38-29 home loss to Ovid-Elsie, in which Lindy Litwiller had her head cut open in the second quarter and had to go to the hospital.
While Litwiller was ultimately OK and cleared to play in the next game, her absence the rest of the way versus the Marauders sapped Ithaca of a player who has been key thus far this season.
“Litwiller going out really hurt us and [point guard] Sam Vermeesch got into foul trouble,” Yellowjackets coach Ty Warczinsky said. “So we had to play through some adversity. And we were tied with them at 28-28 with about 2:30 left, but just kind of ran out of steam at the end.”
Prior to the O-E game, the Yellowjackets did win their contest over the holidays as it rolled past Shepherd 52-31 at home on Dec. 29.
“There is definitely reward in watching these young players grow on the court,” Warczinsky added. “Even though we’re not having the season we wanted, we know improvements are being made and we’re happy with the progress that has been made to this point.”
Wrestling
Ithaca split its double dual at Michigan Lutheran Seminary on Jan. 17, dropping a close heartbreaker 35-33 to Hemlock while rolling past Saginaw Valley Lutheran to the tune of 54-9.
Tristan Sparks (152) and Cole Tilton (160) both won by fall against Hemlock. Dakota Hamilton (145) won his match via decision. Jared Barden (171), Guillermo Macias (189) and Chance McCormick (215) all won their matches by forfeit.
Kyle Wood (119), Sparks, Hamilton, Macias and Ethan Schall (HWT) each won by fall versus Valley Lutheran. Harrison Cameron (130), Juan Ixcotoyac (135), Darren Gutierrez (171) and Zack Hessbrook (215) all won due to forfeit.
Macias is a team-best 26-3 this season with 18 of his wins coming by fall. Schall is 19-6 with 14 victories via fall, while Hamilton comes in with an 18-8 record.