Butch Harmon
Sports Scene
There is still over a month left in the boys’ high school basketball season, but if early results are any indication, the state tournament is going to be very exciting for many mid-Michigan teams.
* A preview of how exciting it can be took place when long-time powerhouses Saginaw and Saginaw Arthur Hill met for the second time this season. Both teams are ranked in the top ten in Class A in the state and are threats to make it to the Breslin Center for the Class A final four.
Arthur Hill defeated Saginaw High in the first meeting between the two teams but Saginaw High claimed the rematch 88-76.
While Saginaw High may not have a superstar like Draymond Green in the lineup, it has a squad of talented players like Markell Bradshaw, Keyon Addison, Travontis Richardson, and Jeffrey Hill. That assemblage of talent has enabled the Trojans to win nine of their first 10 games this season.
* Arthur Hill opened the season winning nine of its first 12 games. The Lumberjacks have been getting solid play from 6’4″ junior Jalen Adams, who is averaging 22 points per game. Arthur Hill has also been getting solid minutes from Montez Cochran, Johnathan Trimble, and Leonardo Parker. A big key for the team will be consistency from senior all-state candidate Jordan Hare, who missed the Saginaw game due to a suspension.
* The Lansing Eastern Quakers have picked up where they left off last season. Led by junior point guard Cha Cha Tucker and senior swingman Frederick Edmonds, the Quakers opened the season with a 9-1 record and are ranked third in the state in Class A. Edmonds has made up plenty of the production that the Quakers lost when LeDontae Henton graduated. Edmonds poured in a career-high 38 points in Eastern’s win against Jackson and also added 13 rebounds and six steals in the win.
* While Bay City Western may have started the season with a 6-3 record, senior Matt Costello is turning in a season worthy of a Mr. Basketball winner. In Western’s win against Flint Southwestern, Costello just missed a quadruple double as he poured in 49 points, 20 rebounds, blocked seven shots, and added six assists.
* Defending Class B state champion Lansing Sexton is well on its way to making it two in a row. The Big Reds have been sitting atop the Class B state rankings the entire season. Sexton does have one loss on its ledger, but that was a thrilling 81-80 defeat suffered against Detroit Pershing, the No. 1-ranked team in Class A.
* Few Class B teams have what it takes to derail the Big Reds. One team that can play with them is crosstown rival Lansing Catholic. Led by senior standouts Steve Repichowski and Jacob Bullock, Lansing Catholic opened the season a perfect 9-0.
* The East Lansing Trojans are off to another strong start this season. Led by senior Efe Scott-Emaukpoor, Javon Haines, and Tracey Edmond, the Trojans are ranked in the top ten in Class A. They won six of their first eight games this season, with the two losses coming against Lansing Eastern and Lansing Sexton.
* One of the surprise teams in Class A is Greenville. The Yellow Jackets reeled off 11 straight wins to open the season and are in first place in the rugged O-K White Conference. Led by Austin Somerfield, Chris Mickey, and Torrey Davis, the Yellow Jackets have impressive wins over teams like Holland, East Grand Rapids, and Grand Rapids Christian this season.
* The Rockford Rams honored former coach Steve Majerle during a ceremony before the Jenison game. Current Ram coach Nick Allen, a former player of Majerle’s, is making his former coach proud, as the Rams are off to a 7-2 start this season. They are atop the O-K Red Conference standings and are one of the premier Class A teams in West Michigan.
* Waverly is off to a big start in the CAAC Gold. It is led by standout senior guard Rashaun Carroll, who has helped the Warriors to a 5-0 start in league play. Carroll is getting plenty of help in the scoring column from Dee Roberts.
* In Class D, look for Fulton to make another strong run at the Class D state title. The Pirates won eight of their first nine games this season, with the lone loss coming against rival Pewamo-Westphalia. The Pirates are paced again this year by senior Tyler Walden. Walden recently broke the school’s all-time career scoring record when he scored 21 points in a win against Saranac. The Pirates have also been led in scoring by Cody Johnson, Brandon Trefil, and Corey Hungerford. Hungerford has recorded a number of double-doubles in points and rebounds this season. Both Hungerford and Walden have already signed to play college basketball at Siena Heights College in Adrian next season.
* Pewamo-Westphalia is in first place in the CMAC this season thanks to a 62-43 win against Fulton. The Pirates opened the season with nine straight wins and were ranked sixth in the state in Class C as the season approached its midpoint. The Pirates have a balanced and deep team led by Ty Simon, Justin Thelen, Adam Wesley, and Nick Spitzley.
* Shepherd is off to a solid start in Class B. The Blue Jays, led by Marcus Sura, Avery Hohlbein, and AJ Travis, won seven of their first nine games.
* Beal City opened the season on a roll. Led by senior standout Stone Beckwith, it reeled off seven straight wins before falling to Clare 58-57.
* Clare is also off to a strong start this year. The Pioneers, led by big man James Wezensky and Zach Thomas, opened the year with wins in eight of their first nine games.
* The City of Portland is enjoying a big basketball season. The Raiders of Portland High School won seven of their first nine games, led by some strong play from Jared Krausz. Portland St. Patrick matched the Raiders’ strong start, as they also opened the year with a 7-2 mark led by the tandem of Ryan and Kyle Wilcox.
* Robert Geoghegan is turning in a big senior season for the Owosso Trojans. Geoghegan is one of the top scorers in mid-Michigan and has helped Owosso start the season with a 9-3 record. Owosso is battling it out with DeWitt and St. Johns in the CAAC Red this season.