John Raffel
Sports Scene
Lansing Sexton is looking to make it two straight Class B state championships this season. Sexton ended last season at 26-2 with a 75-60 state title victory over Muskegon Heights last March.
Denzel Valentine returns after scoring 17 points and bringing down 11 rebounds against Muskegon Heights in the title game.
Valentine’s father and team coach Carlton Valentine was on the Michigan State University basketball teams coached by Jud Heathcote in the mid-1980s. On Wednesday, Denzel signed a national letter of intent to attend Michigan State. He had verbally committed to the university a year ago.
Valentine is a 6’6″, 210-pound standout guard. He averaged over 12 points, about eight rebounds, and over eight assists per game last season.
Two other seniors, Bryn Forbes and Anthony Clemmons, will also lead to a dangerous attack against Sexton opponents.
In the state championship game, Forbes had 10 points, while Clemmons put in 15 points and was a key 7 of 8 from the free throw line.