Butch Harmon
Sports Scene
With a young team heading into the season, expectations were not high for the Corunna boys’ basketball team. Under first-year coach Kyle Clough, however, the Cavaliers exceeded expectations and set the foundation for future success for the program.
After winning nine games total the previous four seasons, the Cavaliers rebounded in a big way by winning 10 games this season. The season became even more memorable at the end when the Cavaliers captured the Class B district tournament at Durand. Corunna reeled off three straight wins to capture the district title, as it defeated Ovid-Elsie 54-45 in the opener, Chesaning 57-39 in the semifinals, and Perry 62-54 to capture the district trophy.
Corunna then advanced to the Class B regional at Mt. Morris where it defeated Caro 58-40 before falling to Goodrich in the regional title game.
“This season was a great journey for our young team,” Clough said. “In the previous four seasons, Corunna basketball had a combined total of nine wins, and for our guys to rally and put 10 wins together says a lot about their determination to restoring pride into Cavalier basketball. This group was so enjoyable to be around and really benefited from solid leadership and great cohesiveness off the court. I was very proud of all team members for believing in our system and trusting each other.”
Corunna’s season-ending exploits put the capper on what was a successful first season for Clough.
“I’ve always felt that playing your best basketball at the end of the season is a great indicator of the character and competitiveness of your team,” Clough said. “Our kids certainly were playing their best basketball in March, and that is a testament to them in those two areas. Our players never stopped working or believing that they were a team good enough to win a district and regional championship.”
Two Cavaliers were honored for their play this season when the CAAC White division all-conference team was announced. Sophomore MJ Myles was voted captain of the all-conference team while freshman Mikhail Myles was honorable mention.
With the 2011-12 season in the books, the Cavaliers now set their sights on next season.
“We are excited about this off-season,” Clough said. “It was a very proud moment as a coach to hear so many of our players talking after our regional finals loss about how hard they are going to work in order to be good enough to win that thing next season. We have a very good core of players coming back next year, and our players expect to be good, which is a nice change around here. However, they know that there is no magic wand…the wand is the work, and they can take no short cuts this off-season if they want to improve on their record and experiences from this year. I have great confidence that our kids will be committed to the weight room and gym, so I expect great things for the future of Corunna Basketball.”