Butch Harmon
Spirts Scene
CLASS A BOYS
A familiar list of names will be the teams to watch as the Class A boys state basketball tournament begins in March. Perennial Detroit powerhouse Pershing reeled off 17 straight wins to begin the season and is atop the polls in Class A. The Doughboys are again the favorite to win the state title led by talented senior Sherron Dorsey-Walker and junior standout Martez Walker.
In suburban Detroit, Romulus is loaded with talent once again while Warren De La Salle is the premier team out of the Detroit Catholic League.
Across the state, familiar powers are also enjoying standout seasons. Saginaw and Saginaw Arthur Hill lead a strong contingent of teams out of the Saginaw Valley League that includes Bay City Western. In the Lansing area, Lansing Eastern, East Lansing and Okemos have been enjoying big years while Kalamazoo Central leads the way again in Southwest Michigan.
TOP TEAMS STATEWIDE
1. Detroit Pershing
2, Romulus
3. Warren De La Salle
TOP LOCAL TEAMS
1. Saginaw
2. Lansing Eastern
3. Saginaw Arthur Hills
TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Ray Lee, Romulus
2. Sherron Dorsey-Walker, Pershing
3. Nick Tatu, Clarkston
TOP LOCAL PLAYERS
1. Matt Costello, Bay City Western
2. Frederick Edmonds, Lansing Eastern
3. Chris Harrison-Docks, Okemos
4. Jordan Hare, Saginaw Arthur Hill
5. Rashaun Carroll, Lansing Waverly
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
1. James Young, Troy
2. Eric Davis, Saginaw Arthur Hill
3. Martez Walker, Pershing
4. Cha Cha Tucker, Lansing Eastern
LOCAL ANGLE
Lansing Eastern and East Lansing have been two of the premier teams in the Lansing area this season. The two teams square off in an opening-round district game. Eastern has won both previous meetings, the last by two points. Beating a team three times in one year is always tough. The winner most likely faces off against Okemos, if the Chieftains can get past Waverly, in the district title game. Saginaw and Arthur Hill are on a collision course in the Flushing district. To the west, Greenville has won its first 16 games and captured the OK White title. The Yellowjackets have a difficult first-round game against Grand Rapids Northview and the winner will likely find Rockford waiting in the district title game.
CAN’T MISS OPENING NIGHT GAME
Lansing Eastern vs. East Lansing at Lansing Everett district.
CLASS B BOYS
Defending Class B state champion Lansing Sexton picked up where it left off last season. The Big Reds have dominated Class B basketball this season and their only loss came against Class A power Detroit Pershing. Sexton will have a challenger locally in Lansing Catholic Central and on the state level Detroit Crockett and Detroit Country Day lead the way from the Detroit area. West Michigan has plenty of challengers this season. Wyoming Godwin Heights and Grand Rapids Christian come out of the Grand Rapids area while Muskegon Heights has a ton of young talent. Otsego and Stevensville-Lakeshore offer strong teams from Southwest Michigan while Cadillac is a power from the North country.
TOP TEAMS STATEWIDE
1. Detroit Crockett
2, Detroit Country Day
3. Wyoming Godwin Heights
TOP LOCAL TEAMS
1. Lansing Sexton
2. Lansing Catholic Central
3. Bridgeport
TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Khaliq Spencer, Dearborn Hts. Robichaud
2. Jared Klein, Otsego
3. Jordan Price, Country Day
TOP LOCAL PLAYERS
1. Denzel Valentine, Lansing Sexton
2. Anthony Clemmons, Lansing Sexton
3. Steve Repichowski, Lansing Catholic
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
1. Derrick Walton, Harper Woods Chandler Park
2. Dontel Highsmith, Dowagiac
3. Drake Harris, Grand Rapids Christian
4. Reid Dugan, Otsego
LOCAL ANGLE
Lansing Sexton and Lansing Catholic Central would be a game worthy of a state championship setting. The two teams will likely play for a district championship at the Eaton Rapids district. Sexton is loaded with talent but Catholic Central is a senior-laden squad that plays well together and has the improving sophomores duo of 6-7 Dre Dentmond and 6-7 David Poljam to give it a strong inside presence. Look for Bridgeport to make a run from the Saginaw area.
CAN’T MISS DISTRICT GAME
Potential district final at Eaton Rapids between Lansing Sexton and Lansing Catholic.
CLASS C BOYS
Detroit Consortium has talent worthy of Division 1. It has been ranked at the top of the Class C rankings for much of the season and has a blend of size, talent and depth few teams in Class C can match. Flint Beecher also has plenty of talent. The Bucs have one of the premier juniors in the state in Monte Morris and are tested tough in the tournament. To the north, Traverse City St. Francis has one of the premier big men in the state in Sean Sheldon. Pewamo-Westphalia is set up for a long tournament run and the Pirates have as good a young group of players as any team in Mid-Michigan.
TOP TEAMS STATEWIDE
1. Detroit Consortium
2, Flint Beecher
3. Traverse City St. Francis
TOP LOCAL TEAMS
1. Pewamo-Westphalia
2. Clare
3. Laingsburg
TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Sean Sheldon, Traverse City St. Francis
2. Luke Morrison, Elk Rapids
3. Lucas Landis, Shelby
TOP LOCAL PLAYERS
1. James Wezensky, Clare
2. Stone Beckwith, Beal City
3. Trevor Bohnhoff, Saginaw Nouvel
4. Lucas Genther, Laingsburg
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
1. Monte Morris, Flint Beecher
2. Luke Ryskamp, Schoolcraft
3. Vince Hunter, Detroit Consotium
4. Nick Spitzley, Pewamo-Westphalia
LOCAL ANGLE
Pewamo-Westphalia is ranked fourth in the state Class C this season and is primed for a long post-season run. The Pirates have outstanding young players in sophomores Nick Spitzley and Lane Simon leading the way. Pewamo-Westphalia will have a major obstacle to clear in the district at Laingsburg with the host Wolfpack. The two teams played a barnburner in Laingsburg during the regular season with Pewamo-Westphalia winning 49-45. Clare is another local team that is setting up for a deep post-season run. Led by shot-blocking center James Wezensky, the Pioneers have been ranked in the top ten in Class C for much of the season.
CAN’T MISS DISTRICT GAME
Potential district title game at Laingsburg between Pewamo-Westphalia and Laingsburg.
CLASS D BOYS
Defending Class D state champion Wyoming tri-Unity is loaded with talent once again and will be difficult to oust in the upcoming tournament. The Defenders are well coached and have been battle-hardened for the tournament by a rugged regular-season schedule. A number of teams from Northern Michigan are primed to make deep runs this season including Bellaire, Boyne Falls and Pellston. In Southwest Michigan, Climax-Scotts and Kalamazoo Phoenix both have talented squads.
TOP TEAMS STATEWIDE
1. Wyoming tri-unity
2, Southfield Christian
3. Bellaire
TOP LOCAL TEAMS
1. Fulton
2. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary
3. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Chris Hass, Pellston
2. Josh Puroll, Boyne Falls
3. Chris Dewberry, Southfield Christian
TOP LOCAL PLAYERS
1. Tyler Walden, Fulton
2. Corey Hungerford, Fulton
3. Todd Brassow, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary
4. Cody Johnson, Fulton
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
1. Joey Blauwkamp, Tri-unity
2. Brett Brandstrom, Rock Mid-Peninsula
3. Lindsey Hunter IV, Southfield Christian
LOCAL ANGLE
Fulton tangled with Tri-unity Christian in last year’s Class D state title game and the two teams may meet once again this March. Fulton has turned in another solid season and led by the senior trio of Tyler Walden, Corey Hungerford and Cody Johnson Fulton has the talent and experience to make it back to The Breslin Center. To make it to East Lansing Fulton will have to get past a solid Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart team in the district finals. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary has been hanging around the top ten for much fo the season and has the talent to make a deep run of its own.
CAN’T MISS DISTRICT GAME
Potential district title game at Fulton between Fulton and Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart