Butch Harmon
Sports Scene
As the girls’ high school basketball season heads into the home stretch, area teams are fine-tuning in advance of the state tournament that begins in late February.
A number of area team have high hopes for the playoffs, with none having higher hopes than Sacred Heart Academy. The Fighting Irish hit the ground running this season and have not taken their feet off the pedal. Ranked No. 1 in the state as of press time, Sacred Heart has been defeating teams by double-digit margins for the bulk of the season. They improved to 11-0 this season after a 72-14 win against Ashley.
Leading the way for the Irish has been the sister act of Erica and Sara Hansen. The sisters have given the team a potent one-two offensive punch. In the win against Ashley, they combined for 41 of Sacred Heart’s 72 points. The sisters are averaging 30 points and a combined four assists per game.
Defense has also been a strong point for the Irish. Sara Hansen leads the team in steals, while seniors Kelly Jaksa and Tara Throop are both averaging over two steals.
The Freeland Falcons are off to a fast start in Class B. Led by standout Tori Jankoska, the Falcons have taken command of the Tri-Valley Conference Central Division. They reeled off seven consecutive league wins to take command of first place in the league and won nine of their first 10 games overall.
Jankoska, one of the top scorers in mid-Michigan, has had games of 34 and 31 points to lead the way for the Falcons. Senior Tara Padgett is second on the team in scoring and is also part of a defense that has been forcing numerous turnovers. Freeland’s defense totaled 25 steals in a 71-29 win against Chesaning as the Falcons improved to 9-1 overall.
The Portland Raiders are another mid-Michigan area team that is off to a strong start in Class B. Led by senior center Sarah Trierweiler, the Raiders opened the season by reeling off 11 consecutive victories.
Trierweiler pumped in 15 points as the Raiders defeated Class A Holt 48-27 to improve to 11-0 for the season. Portland has a deep team that has also been receiving contributions from Taylor Roe and Kelsey Spitzley.
In Class A, a number of teams are off to strong starts. Heading into the season, expectations were high for Waverly, and so far the Warriors have not disappointed their fans. Waverly improved to 12-0 for the season after defeating Lumen Christi Catholic 61-42. The Warriors have a deep and talented team led by Jasmine Wood and junior point guard Victoria Milton. Sylvia Maxwell and Breanna Mobley both recorded double-doubles in points and rebounds in the win against Lumen Christi.
The East Lansing Trojans have been one of the top teams in mid-Michigan and the state the last few years, and they are off to another solid start this year. Led by seniors Alex Green and Aimie Konkel along with junior standout Piper Tucker, the Trojans opened the season with five straight wins in the CAAC Blue to take command of the league standings. The Trojans have also been receiving strong efforts from Natalie Rose Brogan, Gracie Whelan, Meechi Thompson, and Kelcie Haizlip and are a Class A honorable-mention team.
The St. Johns Redwings have enjoyed a solid start to the season and are ranked as an honorable-mention team in Class A. They improved to 9-1 for the season and 5-0 in the CAAC Red when they outlasted DeWitt 31-30 in a defensive struggle in which sole possession of first place in the league was on the line.
St. Johns has a veteran team that is led by senior Jordyn Nurenberg, a solid all-around player, and senior Alex Hallenback in the post. The Redwings have also been receiving solid guard play from seniors Mikayla Silm and Skylar Hebert, who is an accurate outside shooter, and Dallas Austin, who has delivered some timely points.
St. Johns’ lone loss in its first 10 games came against Midland. The Chemics are perfect in the Saginaw Valley League and turned in a 9-1 record their first 10 games. Midland features a balanced attack this season, led by senior Maura McAfee and standout sophomore point guard Jessica Walter along with Jen Jarema.
Grand Ledge is off to a solid start this season and is challenging East Lansing for the top spot in the CAAC Blue. The Comets have a solid one-two combination in Lindsay Orwat and Krysta Kramer and have also been receiving contributions from Sophia Guzman, Kelli Combs, and Erin Koren.
After reeling of 24 straight wins last season, the Clare Pioneers have picked up right where they left off. They reached the halfway point of the season with a perfect 10-0 record. Sophomore Lindsay Winter has led the way for the Pioneers, who have also been receiving strong efforts from juniors Melissa Benchly and Ashley Petree along with Addy Kleinhardt and Corinne Wezensky.