BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ITHACA — It can never be an easy task for a coach to take over a team mid-stream of the regular season, regardless of the sport or level of competition.
Jesse Rayburn was thrusted into such a tough spot with Ithaca’s girls basketball program when Bob Anderson resigned in January due to long-term health conditions. Anderson, who had over 700 coaching wins in girls basketball and boys basketball at various mid-Michigan high schools, handed the reigns to Rayburn and she made the most of the unusual situation.
“It was challenge, like you would expect, but the girls were very focused and worked so hard,” said Rayburn, who used to coach at Ithaca and was originally brought back as an assistant coach for the season. “Everybody loved Bob. But he had some serious health issues and he came to an agreement (with Ithaca Administration) that it would be best for him to step down.”
Rayburn took over for the ninth game. Grasping the ground work that Anderson laid three years ago, Rayburn added a few layers to aid the school’s best season to date in girls basketball.
The Yellowjackets, who had won a rare district in 2015 under Anderson and reached the Class C regional semifinals before falling to Saginaw Nouvel Catholic, took a few steps further in 2016. Rayburn guided Ithaca to its first-ever regional title and state quarterfinals victory.
The train stopped in the state semifinals at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center, where the Yellowjackets felt the sting of a Final Four defeat to eventual state champion Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (72-44).
For her efforts, Rayburn has been selected as the 2015-16 High School Sports Scene All-Sports Female Co-Coach of the Year.
Rayburn, who is a teacher in the Ithaca district, agreed only to help coach for one season, as she is expecting another child in October and is aiming to put forth her upcoming efforts to her family. But not before she took an unusual circumstance and helped turn it into 24 wins and a storybook campaign for all those involved.
“There’s been so much success in sports in Ithaca,” reminded Rayburn, who competed at Class C Whitemore-Prescott during her prep days and graduated from Hillsdale College in 2009. She relishes to be able to be a part of the another successful chapter in recent Ithaca lore.
“The football has won a bunch of state championships recently, the girls track and girls bowling won state titles this year and the (girls cross country also won) a couple of years ago,” said Rayburn. “There is so much community support with athletics in Ithaca. In girls basketball, there was a lot of talent on this team and they had big goals for themselves.
“As a teacher, you look forward to working with students and helping them grow and mature. I will still be able to that (in the future),” added Rayburn. “The program is in good hands. There’s a lot of talent coming up in the seventh and eighth grade and they will return (8-of-13) varsity players. “It’s headed in the right direction.”
EAST LANSING – From an annually struggling girls basketball program to the Breslin Center, the rise of Ithaca has been remarkable to say the least.
Badly wanting to get back into high school coaching in 2012, long-time mid-Michigan staple Bob Anderson was asked if he had interest in coaching the Lady Yellowjackets.
He gladly accepted, but the kicker was that he inherited a program desperate for any sort of success after decades losing or at best so-so season.
Anderson was not on the bench Thursday afternoon when Ithaca’s girls lived the dream of playing a basketball game at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. He stepped away from coaching the Yellowjackets in January due to health concerns, right after he had achieved his 700th career MHSAA coaching victory between boys and girls basketball.
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But Ithaca kept on chugging along without the legendary coach guiding them, instead finding its way to the Class C state semifinals with another bright basketball mind in interim coach Jesse Rayburn.
It was a difficult situation for everyone involved, but without the classiness it was handled from all parties the tension might have been too much to overcome.
Instead, Anderson stepped aside gracefully and watched from the sidelines as the team he had such an influence in molding chalked up victory after victory.
For his patience in watching a three-win team the year before he arrived eventually turn into a 24-victory squad in four short years, Anderson must be commended and given plenty of credit for helping make the Yellowjackets’ journey possible even if he was unable to see it through until the end.
Bob, you are a gem.
No doubt he was proud Thursday despite the result as Ithaca was overrun by top-ranked Ypsilanti Arbor Prep by a count of 72-44, unable to overcome the loss of senior sparkplug Brooklyn Dolloff to a severe ankle sprain late in the first quarter.
Anderson is certainly beloved by the Ithaca players, something evident in the days leading up to the quarterfinals and semifinals.
“The girls love Bob,” Rayburn said following the quarterfinal victory over Flint Hamady. “They saw him at the assembly (Tuesday) and were all excited saying, ‘Oh, Coach Anderson’s back.’ That was great for them to have a remembrance for someone so instrumental during their time here.”
Rayburn, to her credit, used her previous experience as Ithaca girls basketball head coach to her advantage as there was very little rockiness in the transition. It also helped that she was on staff with Anderson for the previous month-plus to allow the roster to get used to her style.
Once she took over, the Yellowjackets continued to roll through the TVC West before embarking on a lengthy postseason run where they did not meet their match until meeting the No. 1-ranked team in the state.
If there was a statewide award for co-coaches of the year, Anderson and Rayburn would have a strong case to clean up in the category.
But the main ingredient in success is the roster at hand and the Yellowjackets went through severe growing pains before turning a corner.
Senior Dolloff and Kylee Chaffin each have been mainstays as starters for the past several years, while Liz Bentley as well as Alysa Betcher and Claire Reeves rounded out a class that has played a major role in establishing the blueprint for the continued improvement of the Ithaca girls basketball program.
“We have seventh and eighth grade girls that are just ecstatic about Ithaca basketball,” Rayburn said. “It’s because of this senior group. They were all here. They’re always asking the girls how many points they scored, if they won, who the next opponent is and if they’re ready. The seniors have really set the bar for the younger girls.”
Dolloff has been the lifeblood of Ithaca all season, manning the point guard spot the majority of the time and not only setting up the offense but also serving as a defensive stopper.
When Dolloff went down to injury, the Yellowjackets trailed by a slim 16-15 margin. She had four points on 2-of-2 shooting through seven minutes of play, while adding two rebounds and an assist.
As soon as she went down, it turned into a disaster as Arbor Prep outscored Ithaca 20-10 in the third quarter before starting the third on a 17-0 run to effectively put it away.
Rayburn spoke afterward about what Dolloff means to the Yellowjackets on an everyday basis.
“Along with Kylee and Liz, Brooklyn has played with me for seven or eight years,” Rayburn said. “She helps the girls with a lot of confidence on the court. She takes some pressure off them. Arbor Prep is obviously going to bring a lot of pressure and losing her today was really difficult for us to come back from.”
Chaffin has been a constant as an outside sharpshooter whileBentley is a rebounder and a do-everything type of player every roster needs. Betcher and Reeves provide solid minutes off the bench plus extra leadership.
In developing a budding success, the five-girl class Ithaca employed was a perfect mix to get the ball rolling.
“We brought a lot of talent,” Bentley remarked. “I’m sure that will be missed next year, but there is other talent coming up that I’m sure is determined to do the same thing and get back to the Breslin Center. I definitely think future Ithaca teams will want to have success after seeing us get so far.”
Ithaca should be in fine form again next year as the dominant 6-foot-3 Kayla Belles somehow becomes an even bigger force her junior year. Belles had 16 points and seven boards Thursday, while teammate Maddie Brock was also impressive with 11 points and is going to be looked at as another go-to player next season. Additionally, plenty of other talented Ithaca players are ready to rise through the ranks and become valuable varsity contributors.
Don’t expect the Yellowjackets to disappear from the limelight any time soon.
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Girls Basketball
After 702 wins, health concerns force Ithaca coach Bob Anderson into retirement
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Ithaca girls basketball head coach Bob Anderson watches a his team play against Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 at Michigan Lutheran Seminary high school. (Andrew Whitaker | MLIve.com)
Hugh Bernreuter | hbernreu@mlive.com
Bob Anderson retires after 702 coaching wins.
By Hugh Bernreuter | hbernreu@mlive.com
on January 23, 2016 5:48 AM
ITHACA, MI – On the sideline, Bob Anderson has a difficult time admitting defeat.
In a doctor’s office, however, he really had no choice.
The Ithaca girls varsity coach announced his retirement after a 9-0 start to the season, leaving the job for assistant Jessie Rayburn.
Anderson, 67, owns the Michigan high school record for varsity games coached with 1,145. He also became just the fifth coach in Michigan high school history to reach 700 wins, putting up a 702-443 record before a doctor set him down.
“It’s tough getting old,” Anderson said. “I’m going to miss the girls. I’m going to miss coaching.”
But Anderson had no choice. Before last season, Anderson suffered a stroke and learned that he had an aneurysm. After the season, doctors operated on his brain, removing the aneurysm.
Still, Anderson returned to the sidelines for an Ithaca team expected to dominate the Tri-Valley Conference West Division and make a long run in the Class C playoffs.
But something wasn’t right.
“I wasn’t doing well with the medicine and the stroke and the brain aneurysm,” Anderson said. “Nothing s as tough as having a stroke and then having brain surgery. It makes you appreciate life. I’ve been very fortunate to coach. I love coaching, obviously.”
But during a checkup with specialists in Okemos, Anderson got more bad news.
“They asked me what I was doing to make my blood pressure so high,” Anderson said. “I told them I was coaching. They said that probably wasn’t a good idea.”
Still, Anderson was able to reach 700 wins.
“The No. 1 concern is Bob’s health,” Ithaca athletic director Terry Hessbrook said. “He’s Mr. Ithaca. He’s a great man. He took our girls basketball program and really solidified it and got it going back in the right direction.”
Anderson, a 1967 graduate of Ithaca High School, plans to attend the basketball games and, perhaps, make a trip out to Las Vegas with his family. Matthew Anderson, an Alma College graduate, lives in Okemos, while Jeremy Anderson lives in Salt Lake City.
“My wife (Jeannie) is planning a family trip to Las Vegas … it’s on the to-do list,” Anderson said. “The people in Vegas see me coming. They get the chair out, get the stool out and say ‘use this one.’ I think I half-bought a casino or two.”
Anderson coached a total of 52 seasons, sometimes coaching both boys and girls varsity teams during the season school year.
“The kids deserve a young coach,” Anderson said. “It’s time to end.
“It’s just time.”
EAST LANSING – Liz Bentley and Kylee Chaffin were part of some tough years for the Ithaca girls basketball program in the early stages of their varsity careers.
Neither ever expected to find themselves on the Breslin Center floor for the final stages of the state tournament four years ago.
But that’s exactly where the seniors were Thursday afternoon as they contributed to a historic season for the No. 7-ranked Yellowjackets.
It’s been quite the experience for Bentley and Chaffin. They were just disappointed it couldn’t have had a better ending.
A season that has been the best in school history for Ithaca ended with a 72-44 loss to top-ranked Ypsi Arbor Prep in a Class C semifinal at Breslin Center.
The loss brought an end to the deepest state tournament run in program history for Ithaca, but Bentley and Chaffin were appreciative of the journey.
“We started from the bottom,” Bentley said. “You can see it from our record. Nobody would have expected us to go this far. Being here feels amazing and just getting this far because of where we started. Right now it doesn’t feel so good, but the experience has been amazing.”
Sophomore Class C all-state center Kayla Belles had 16 points and seven rebounds and junior Maddie Brock added 11 points for the Yellowjackets, who close their record season 24-3.
“Our seniors have a bittersweet feeling, but I think the younger girls are disappointed with how they played and that they didn’t win,” Ithaca coach Jessie Rayburn said. “I think that they know that they have next year. I think that they know the feeling of being here and what it would be like to be here again.”
Natassja Chambers had a game-high 24 points to help the Gators (24-2) spoil Ithaca’s first-ever state semifinals experience and advance to face Traverse City St. Francis in Saturday’s Class C state championship game. Ypsi Arbor Prep used its pressure defense to force 30 turnovers.
Many of those miscues came after Ithaca senior point guard Brooklyn Dolloff went down with an ankle injury late in the first quarter.
Ithaca trailed just 16-15 shortly after Dolloff’s exit, but Arbor Prep forced 11 turnovers in the second quarter to take control. The Gators then broke the game open with a dominant third quarter where they outscored the Yellowjackets 30-5.
“It was very sad (without Brooklyn),” Chaffin said. “Obviously coach said we had to play different positions than we’re used to. It was kind of a bummer. We wanted to (win) for her, but we just couldn’t really.”
Still the experience is one Ithaca’s seniors wouldn’t trade for anything.
“Finishing my last game off in my senior year at the Breslin Center is pretty amazing,” Chaffin said.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.