Stroble steps down as Comets' head coach

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="199" caption="After three seasons as the head football coach at Jonesville High School Brian Stroble has resigned."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 27, 2009

Just when it looked like the Brian Stroble-era of Jonesville football was getting rolling, it has suddenly come to a screeching halt.

The Comets head coach of three seasons notified the school of his resignation Tuesday, citing a desire to spend more time with his family and focus on things other than football in what had become a year-round, daily commitment.

Jonesville Community Schools has already posted the coaching vacancy on its Web site and Stroble will officially announce his resignation at the district's next board of education meeting.

Jonesville went 10-17 under Stroble's leadership, including a promising 5-4 campaign in 2008, where the Comets came up just one win short of a playoff berth.

While Stroble admitted it was tough to step down, Jonesville athletic director Kathy Bondsteel agreed that the timing is right for both Stroble and the program as a whole.

"Brian has a new family and I know he wants to spend some time with his family and it's a lot time away from them to have to run a football program," she said. "I don't think I would ever say it wasn't the right fit. It's just that a varsity position is a huge time commitment and sometimes when you have a family it's hard...it's really hard to say."

Bondsteel added that her former head coach is a great teacher who does a good job with children, the current state of Jonesville football just dictated that the parties go their separate ways.

Stroble has a daughter who turns five in July and a 4-month-old son and he said he just couldn't put the football program's success ahead of spending quality time with his family.

"I think in order for the program to continue to get better I would have had to spend more time working in the program and with the program, and it takes a lot (of hours) to be the varsity football coach. I know Marc Lemerand over at Hillsdale has a young family and he's made it work, but right now in my life I'm young. I'm only 30 years old and other opportunities will come around," he said. "Football, as much as I love the kids and the game, my family comes first. My son was born in December and now summer is coming along and I'd be spending hours in the weight room and hours in meetings and sessions, but my son is only going to be young once."

Bondsteel echoed Stroble's mindset, saying whoever is hired to replace him is going to have to prove to her they want to "live, breathe, and die football at Jonesville" starting July 12.

"They've got to want to have the parents of the players on board and I've got parents here who are waiting to be as helpful as they can, because they like to see success for the kids and for the community as a whole," she said. "The (community) takes ownership and have pride in Jonesville and that's one thing that's a positive aspect here."

Stroble said he has no regrets from what he is calling his "first career" in football, but did say it would've been nice to go out after a playoff appearance and he wishes he would've started using the Wing-T offense a little sooner to give his players a better shot at success. He said a 10-17 record isn't one he considers to be great by any means, but he does feel good about how with the help of assistants like Dustin Scharer and Louie LaMothe the Comet football team seems headed in the right direction.

"With next year's group of guys coming through, Jonesville looks to be reckoned with. We have 17 starters returning...I feel like I've left the program in a great position and now I can focus on my family and teaching," he said.

This was never an easy decision for Stroble, who said he will "always love the game" and be back coaching when his children are older, so not surprisingly he actually found some solace in the words of a fellow Big Eight coach earlier this week.

"I e-mailed the Big Eight coaches and thanked them for three years of, I guess you could say, ethical football coaching; and I got a response back from (Reading's) Rick Bailey and he expressed that he was sorry to hear I was leaving and he thought I had done a great job and he could see Jonesville working their way back to where (former coach) Greg Morrison had it," he said. "I played against (Rick's teams) when I was in high school at Quincy and as an official I've crossed paths with him lots of times, so I took what Rick Bailey had to say, and that helped me out a lot."

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2008-09 All County Girl's Basketball Team

Just a tip, the ZOOM function may come in handy if trying to read the top part on this one. Feel free to leave comments on if you agree or disagree with these selections. And just FYI, I did indeed consult most area coaches on who they felt was deserving on the honors.

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Audio from an interview with Keith Otterbein

This week signifies the start of spring practices for college football. I recently spent about half an hour chatting with Hillsdale College head coach Keith Otterbein.

We talked about a possible quarterback controversy, some of the newest incoming recruits and what matters most five months before the first contest.

Here's a link to the entire audio interview:

http://rjwalters.mypodcast.com/index.html

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Brian Stroble steps down as Jonesville High School head football coach

After just three seasons at the helm, Jonesville High School football coach Brian Stroble has resigned as the Comets head coach. He resigned Tuesday, citing the desire to spend more quality time with his family, instead of living in the weight room and film room.

He has a little girl who is almost five years old and a 4-month-old son. From talking with several sources off the record I thought there may have been quite a rift between Stroble and Jonesville athletic director Kathy Bondsteel, but after talking with both of them at length I thing my radar may have been a bit off.

No, they're probably not best friends and never will be, but they had a solid working relationship and both of them came to the realization Stroble needed to show more commitment to the program to take it to the next level and they both knew he wanted to put that time in elsewhere — with his wife and kids — which I personally think is a great thing, despite what Comet athletic boosters and some fans might think.

A full-length article with quotes and other details will be on here tomorrow afternoon.

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Gabriele earns all-state honorable mention status for Class C

Hillsdale High School senior guard Mitchell Gabriele might be able to get some of the bad taste out of his mouth from a first-round district loss to Coldwater with the aid of his latest honor.

Gabriele was announced this week as an honorable mention all-state selection by the Associated Press. The fiery floor general averaged 21.3 points per game, including a 43-point outburst earlier in th year, to go along with 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.2 steals. He also made a league-high 53 3-pointers in helping the Hornets to a 14-7 record overall.

The only question now is: Why can't this stud get at least a D-III school to bite? He's not that small, he doesn't lack confidence by any means and continued to mature throughout his senior campaign. I'm interested as to what is keeping small college coaches at arm's length.

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Tharp talks about incoming recruiting class for men's hoops

[caption id="attachment_311" align="alignright" width="181" caption="Chris Casterline, a guard out of Centreville High School, was late addition to the Hillsdale College men's basketball team's incoming recruiting class. "][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 26, 2009

To remain competitive in the GLIAC every night, year-to-year there can be no lull in recruiting, regardless of the sport.

Hillsdale men's basketball coach John Tharp understands that to a tee and he said he's bringing in some size, athleticism and toughness in his second recruiting class as the Chargers' head coach.

Anthony Manno (Dearborn Divine Child), Tony Nelson (Jenison), Nick Washburn (Seymour High School/Mahomet, Ill.), and Chris Casterline (Centreville) will all join the men's basketball team as incoming freshmen for the 2009-10 season.

With the graduation of Tony Gugino, Keith MacKenzie, Travis Worst and Chris Skaggs several key holes need to be plugged, meaning this group of freshmen could potentially make waves, although the sophomore class and several redshirt freshmen from last season will compete for minutes as well.

Tharp said there is plenty of time between now and next season to figure out which players fit in where.

“Everything will be determined by how guys walk in, in the fall. We’ll rely on some of our experienced guys for certain, but we will have a lot of sophomores and a lot of freshman who are ready to contribute," he said. "I imagine it will take most of the fall for things to shake out and then we’ll figure out if anyone is red-shirting and what our rotation is going to look like.”

Washburn might be the most highly touted of the recruits, and he may not even be playing Division II basketball if not for an injury suffered in May 2008.

The 6-9, 240 pound post presence was receiving calls from D-I schools until he broke the venicular bone in his foot, causing him to be sidelined for two months, including most of the summer, when coaches are blazing the recruiting trail.

Nonetheless, he is extremely pleased to be a Charger, according to comments he made to IlliniHQ.com, an Illinois sports Web site, in December.

"I get along with the coaches really well," Washburn said in a Dec. 2 article. "They're just great coaches. I saw a couple games. I like their style of play. I got along with the players really well...it just seemed like the right fit for me."

Washburn said he appreciated the Hillsdale coaching staff's honesty and candor, traits he said not all schools had.

"There was another school that put on a petty front," Washburn said. "Then I figured out after I made a commitment (to them) I called the coaches and I got a complete different side of the story from them and really kind of jerkish comments about other programs. It was almost a surprise to me."

Washburn played for the Illinois Wolves AAU team with players who are going on to play at Wisconsin and Illinois according to Tharp and he earned a 4.02 GPA in high school.

Tharp said Washburn's  foot is fully healed, but unfortunately his senior season was cut short in January when a nerve in his shoulder was crushed, forcing him into a 10-hour surgery to treat the injury.

Nonetheless Tharp said he expects the big man to possibly grow another inch and he didn't try to hide his excitement in landing him.

"He’s got a big frame, a different body type than a guy like Tony (Gugino) and we think his by his sophomore or junior year we’re gonna really like what he brings to the floor.”

What Washburn brings in size, Tharp said Manno brings in toughness.

Manno played in one of the toughest leagues in the state, the Detroit Catholic League. He was a McDonald's All-American nominee, and helped lead his team to a first-place finish in the Catholic League as a junior in 2007-08. Manno also earned All-State, All-Catholic and All-City honors throughout his career.

“That kid is a warrior, that’s the definition of him. He’s strong and relentless," Tharp said. "Yeah he has some things to work on, but every night you know what you’re going to get…and in practice he’s the kind of guy who will push his teammates a step further, the kind of guy you wish all your players were.”

Tharp said he has a tireless work ethic and shoots 400-500 shots a day on his own time.

He is also a 4.0 student, who led his AAU team in scoring, pouring in 24 points per game.

Nelson, the younger brother of Hillsdale College football alum Derek Nelson, is a 6-9 wingman who drew interest from big-time programs early in his high school career.

“His sophomore year he was looked at by Washington State I know, and some mid-majors," Tharp said. "But he played with a ton of talent on his AAU team, so it was hard to stand out and the past few seasons he’s had some young guards on his high school team, so he hasn’t always gotten the ball in the greatest spots or positions.”

He was one of the state's top 3-point shooters as a junior at Jenison High School and was named All-Conference. He averaged more than 10 points and 10 rebounds per game in his last two seasons.

Tharp said he Nelson is "as skilled a 6-9 kid as we're going to get here" and he likes how Nelson can handle the ball well, find teammates wide open and even stroke an occasional 3-pointer.

Casterline distinguished himself as a college-caliber point guard at Centreville High School when he set the school record with 163 assists as a junior in 2007-08, and had more than 300 assists total in his final two seasons.

He also swiped 136 steals in his final two seasons, ranking among the 10 best in the state in that category. Casterline is another 4.0 student who is the president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chapter of his high school. He plans to study medicine at Hillsdale College, and has worked at several mission trips through his high school years.

“He comes from a great family and is a pure point guard," Tharp said. "He makes his teammates better and knows how to distribute and protect the ball.”
The Chargers are already getting into individual workouts and have said farewell to the 2009 senior class, something that is never easy to come to grips with, Tharp said.

“We met the Thursday before spring break and had a meeting as a team and after the first part of it we said goodbye to the seniors, they walked out the door one last time and that was it," he said. "After all the battles they went through with our guys…after counting on them and being able to call timeouts and just draw things up to get the ball Tony when we needed..it’s just kind of a “wow” experience, but we’re excited to get into individual workouts and see what we’ve got.”

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Sorry, the U.P. ate me

No, my boss didn't catch me updating my blog and looking at other blogs on company time...I just happened to drive 600 miles to watch some friends get married, all while staying in the same state. How lovely!

Did you know that I could actually drive 600 miles south and almost be in Georgia instead? Now you do.

Anyways, in the next few days I'll start getting more content on here on a very regular basis, including some podcast style interviews and maybe, I said m-a-y-b-e, some video content if I have the time.

So thanks for always stopping by, look for Hillsdale College hoops recruiting stuff on here later today and there's a good possibility of some pretty interesting stuff regarding a high school football coach who "resigned", also known as was forced out recently. We'll see what comes of some interviews I have set for the next few hours.

And by this weekend the HDN will announce it's All County girl's basketball team and I'll throw that up on here too.

Have a tremendously terrific Thursday.

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Hillsdale Chargers spring ball prospectus: Four things you need to know five days before the team's first practice

[caption id="attachment_307" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Soon-to-be junior quarterback Troy Weatherhead has a promising first year as a starter for Hillsdale College, but a broken bone in his knee, suffered playing basketball in January, has set him back a little bit, making the QB race one worth watching."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 19, 2009

Weatherhead is out due to injury

So much for a smooth transition from year one as a starter to year two for quarterback Troy Weatherhead.
He ended last season on the upswing and finished 2008 with 2,874 yards and 21 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, but an injury suffered during intramural basketball this January put a quick halt to his progression.
"He hurt his knee, broke a bone in his leg, was on crutches and immobilized for a while," Charger head coach Keith Otterbein said. "We looked at him here, he's got a doctor he goes to back home and they both said the same thing. He cracked off the top of his bone, kind of just slipped while playing basketball. So he hasn't been doing all the running, he's been in the pool doing a little conditioning and now he's off his crutches."
Weatherhead has still been able to work out his upper body, but is not quite healthy enough at this point to participate in spring practices on more than a very limited basis.
Otterbein admits the injury certainly scared him a little, but he said that's the fine line that is tiptoed when deciding to let players have some freedom. He said it's hard to argue with allowing his guys to play intramural sports, because it facilitates competition, is a good way to stay fit and provides an arena to further bond with teammates.
"It's hard because you don't want kids to get hurt but you can get hurt slipping on ice walking to class. It's that whole thing, do you live your life in a little bubble or do you just live?" he said. "We could say we don't let our players play intramurals and let's not have any fun."
Otterbein said life is full of surprises and maybe Weatherhead's injury could actually pay dividends for the team as a whole as long as he fully recovers.
"Why'd it happen? I don't know — maybe so those other three other guys can go beat each other's brains out this spring and compete so we can figure out who our number two quarterback is," he said.
Last season Weatherhead played with a slight tear in his medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his knee, when doctors originally thought he had a total tear of the MCL and some damage in his anterior cruciate ligament as well.

The QB depth chart is far from set

With Weatherhead sidelined the question becomes: Who will step up in his absence? All the signs point to Weatherhead being fully recovered in the next few months, but starting Tuesday three other QBs will have the perfect platform to impress the Charger coaching staff.
Junior Brad Otterbein, Keith's son, redshirt sophomore Matt Bryan and redshirt freshman Anthony Misfud will all duke it out to earn possible playing time, but most likely to just solidify their spot as the main backup according to their head coach.
Otterbein admitted that every job on the board is open for opportunity, but it would take a lot for someone to beat out Weatherhead, in part because of the leadership qualities he demonstrated last season.
"I've said a lot of times what Troy has is a very calm demeanor on game day and he doesn't get rattled, doesn't get flustered," he said.
Otterbein said that his coaching staff will grade all three of the backups on things such as play selection, their arm strength and accuracy and their overall understanding of how to execute the offense. What it ultimately comes down to though is who can go out and put points on the board come game day.
"A lot of times it just comes down to a gut feeling of what's the right thing, the 'it'," Otterbein said. "You just know and there is no number of testing statistics you can vary, there's no completion percentage...you just get a feel for who can move the football team and get it in the end zone. After 30 years hopefully you can figure it out a little bit."
One of the more intriguing talents on the entire team is Misfud, the son of former Charger receiving star Dave Misfud. Misfud played well enough in high school to garner interest from D I-AA schools like Richmond and Davidson last winter.
He gained about 15 pounds in his first year on campus and now stands 6-4, 208 pounds. Despite the hype and a year of college workouts under his belt Otterbein refused to give him an edge over any of the other signal-callers.
"He's a good football player, there's no question. He's a good football player and he works real hard at his skills, so that's a tough combination to beat," he said with a smile.

2009 recruiting class now at 18

The Charger recruiting class has ballooned from 13 to 18 players since National Signing Day and two of the athletes are especially notable, one for his potential and one for his local ties.
On signing day Otterbein said he was hoping to bring in one or two more linebackers to solidify that position. He did just that by bringing in two, including a South Carolina prospect who he said could possibly even see playing time as a freshman if everything works out.
6-2, 221 pound Daniel Gaines hails from Simpsonville, S.C. and according to Otterbein, linebackers coach John Lindley received a recruiting e-mail on Gaines, did his homework and in a short time the two sides found it was a natural fit for him to become a Charger.
"He's got a good nose for the ball, he's active, runs pretty well...you know if he can run and hit and find the football and has good instincts, he can play" Otterbein said.
Gaines was looking for a school to go into pre-med at and although he could've likely been a preferred walk-on at bigger schools he decided on Hillsdale after making his campus visit.
While Gaines is a product of the South, a product of Jonesville High School will also be joining the Chargers come fall.
Halfback Casey Clow, who is listed at 5-8, 171 pounds, will likely red-shirt as a freshman, but Otterbein said the Comet star has everything he looks for in prospective recruits.
Clow is just the latest local product the Chargers have brought in the last few years, but Otterbein said just because he's from the area doesn't mean he'll automatically be successful.
"A lot of time lately recruiting local guys has turned out pretty well, but it doesn't always," he said.
Also added to the Chargers roster in the last six weeks are three more Michigan players: Offensive lineman Benjamin Jones (6-3, 200) out of Muskegon Catholic Central, defensive lineman Zachary Morelli (6-1, 208) from Roosevelt and linebacker Devin Moynihan (5-10, 222) from Churchill High School.

Staff continuity = advantage Chargers

While players come and go it should be noted that Otterbein has been able to retain the core assets of his coaching staff for a while now, and this year is no different.
That fact alone allows the staff to focus more on training and analyzing than making sure everyone's on the same page, which is a huge plus in Otterbein's mind.
"Staff continuity is one of the biggest components of a successful program. Year in and year out if people are with each other it's kind of like a marriage — the longer you're married the more you're going to figure out the way the thing works," he said. "You're going to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of your partner and each other and we figure out the strengths and weaknesses of our football staff and adapt, adjust and tweak."
He said that he doesn't really enjoy hearing himself talk and having meetings just for the sake of it because he'd much rather be focusing on the Xs and Os.

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The heart of a champion: Former Ohio State defensive tackle shares a message of faith with area teens

[caption id="attachment_300" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Former Ohio State defensive tackle Joel Penton shared a message on using your shield of faith in God to stand your ground when life throws you a curveball. He spoke to more than 200 youth at Reading High School Tuesday."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 18, 2009

According to Joel Penton a BCS National Championship ring is big, shiny and exciting, but not something that is a trustworthy object of his faith.

For him, that object is Jesus Christ, and he is not afraid to share that news with anyone who is willing to listen.

The former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle, part of the 2002 national championship team, spoke a message of “standing your ground” via an unshakeable faith in God to more than 200 area middle school and high school students at Reading High School Tuesday night.

Coupled with the tunes of young musician Ryan Holiday, prize giveaways and a Nerf gun battle used as an example of what shields can do in fighting life’s biggest battles, Penton grabbed the young audiences' attention, asking them questions far beyond the realm of academics and athletics.

“We all need to be ready when that day of evil comes. And that day of evil could come tomorrow for you — it’s a day of trial, of temptation, of tragedy, and we have to be ready,” he said in his speech. “And sure, yeah wearing this national championship ring is fun, but it’s not going to provide me with purpose and meaning. Where I found a trustworthy object of my faith is with Jesus.”

The 25-year-old Penton related his journey of faith time and again with his journey as a Division I football player.

He said that when he was a freshman in 2002, it was the faith of seniors, like cornerback Chris Cornwell that made the difference between being a good team and the nation’s best.

Despite beginning the season not even ranked in the Top 10 Cornwell was always talking to the younger players about how they were going to be national champs come January because of the faith they all had in the coaches, game plans and their own abilities.

Penton said initially he laughed at the idea of being so sure of something so big in the world of college sports, but after the Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes 31-24 in double overtime at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, all he could do was think of what Cornwell had been saying all along.

“Standing there in confetti, with Coach Tressel accepting the national title trophy all I could think about was how Chris Cornwell talked all year about how I’d have a national championship this year,” Penton said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how he and all the seniors held up their shield of faith all season and never doubted.”

Penton also recalled a huge fourth-and-one conversion from a late-season contest with Purdue when explaining how football taught him many lessons about the idea of faith.

Trailing 6-3 with two minutes to go in a pivotal road game, Tressel decided to go deep and senior quarterback Craig Krenzel found receiver Michael Jenkins wide open for a 37-yard game-winning score. Penton said what he remembers even more than the play itself is what Krenzel said to a reporter after the game.

“I was blown away when he told the reporter, ‘I knew it was a touchdown when I let go of the ball’. His faith was amazing,” he said.
Penton said that while most teenagers try to identify with and fulfill themselves with activities, relationships and substances, through personal experiences he has learned that only a personal savior will suffice.

“I know it makes people uncomfortable, but I truly believe one day we will all face judgment. On that day under our own power none of us will stand our ground,” he said. “However, the only way we will be able to stand our ground is if we’re covered in the blood of Jesus Christ.”

Camden-Frontier sophomore Morgan Warfield said she really liked what Penton had to say at her school assembly and came to Tuesday night’s event with a group of friends to hear even more.

“I think it is really cool that he (is a former college football player) and he shares his message with younger people and it shows a lot about him and what he went through,” she said. “I just got the message (of keeping) faith in yourself and just believe in yourself and keep trying to do what’s right.”

Crossroad Ministries executive director Doug Routledge said he was encouraged by the turnout and excitement.

“What Joel has done is excellent, what Ryan does is excellent and I think anytime you have excellence projected to your high school or junior high kids, especially excellence related to a relationship with Jesus Christ, it has an impact, it’s extremely positive,” he said.

Penton has been a professional speaker for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes since early 2007 and Crossroads Ministries welcomed him to the Rangers home gym on the same day he spoke at Camden-Frontier and Reading at school assemblies.

In 2006, Penton received the prestigious Danny Wuerffel Trophy, also known as the “Humanitarian Heisman.”  The trophy recognizes the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

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Good things come in sets of three

[caption id="attachment_297" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Hillsdale senior guard Mitchell Gabriele was named to the SMAA First-Team for his efforts on the court this season."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 18, 2009

Trio of Hornets honored by SMAA
Following a 14-7 season that included a an 8-4 mark in SMAA play, three Hillsdale seniors, affectionately called “The Big Three” by Hornet coach Brad Felix were honored by the conference for their play.
Senior guard Mitchell Gabriele, one of the Jackson area’s leading scorers, was the lone SMAA First-Team selection.
He averaged 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.1 steals per game this season.
He also mae a team-high 53 3-pointers and scored 43 points in a game earlier this year.
At the end of December he was named the Pat Paterson Holiday Tournament MVP for Hillsdale’s pool.
6-4 big man Nick Kelley was named an SMAA Second-Team selection in his final season.
He was a double-double machine, averaging 12.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest.
He also averaged 1.8 steals and 1.2 assists per game, while shooting nearly 53 percent from the field.
Senior guard Scott Lantis was an Honorable Mention pick by the league.
He also averaged 12.7 points per contest, to go with 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
He made 37 3-pointers on the year.
The SMAA First-Team consisted of these four players aside from Gabriele: Thomas Lovachis of Stockbridge, Ryan Hobson of Albion, Nate Scholten of Western and Albion’s Justin Edmonds.

Chargers have three earn All-American status
Each year, the Hillsdale College track teams end up well-represented among the nation's best, and the 2009 version was no different.
Aaron Falk, Andrew Dodson and Jared Krout all earned All-American status this weekend at the 2009 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships, held in Houston, Texas.
This was the second consecutive year Dodson has been named an indoor track All-American, both times placing among the top eight in the country in the high jump event.
Dodson was tied for seventh in Division II with his best jump of 6 feet, 8 inches. His two-time All-American status makes Dodson one of the best high jumpers in the past decade at Hillsdale.
Falk has emerged as a dominant athlete in the weight throw event over the past two years, and at this year's championships, he only added to that reputation. He placed fourth in the nation with a weight throw mark of 64 feet, 10 inches, also earning five points for the Charger team at the national meet.
Krout, who already has many All-American honors on his impressive resume, tacked on another one with his performance in the long jump event. His mark of 23 feet, 6 3/4 inches was good enough for eighth place, and his fifth All-American honor in three indoor track seasons.
On the women's side in the meet, two impressive performances were turned in by Marta Schiewe and Amanda Putt, though neither were able to advance to the finals in their respective events.
Schiewe ran the 400 meter dash in just 59 seconds, a blazing-fast time. Putt, a freshman, turned in a mile run in 5:10, both performances putting a cap on excellent seasons for each.

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Hillsdale's Curby wins Div. 3 wrestling crown at 171 pounds

[caption id="attachment_293" align="alignleft" width="510" caption="Mike Curby is officially declared the Division 3 state wrestling champion at 171 pounds at The Palace Saturday."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_294" align="alignright" width="510" caption="Jonesville senior Andrew Barrett was a Division 4 runner-up."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 16, 2009

At the last second possible Saturday Hillsdale junior Mike Curby proved he was not only among the state's best in his weight class — he was indeed the best.
With a Division 3 state title hanging in the balance Curby grabbed Allegan junior John Rizgalleh's left leg, yanked him to the mat and pushed his arm out of the way to earn a takedown with just two seconds remaining in the finals, just enough points for a 3-2 decision in the 171-pound weight class.
It was the sweetest form of revenge for Curby, who actually lost to the Rizgalleh (65-2) in the regional championship bout several weeks ago.
Curby finished the year with a 50-2 record and will have a chance to defend his state crown next season.

Other high-placing area wrestlers

Runner-up
Andrew Barrett, Jonesville Sr.
Barrett was second overall in the 125-pound weight class in Division 4 Saturday, falling 13-0 to New Lothrup's Allen Krupp in the championship bout. Barrett was 48-4 overall this year and was two positions better than his fourth placer state finals finish in 2008.

Third place:
Payden Armstrong, Jonesville Sr.
Armstrong took a 3-2 decision over Bill Krisch in the 152-pound consolation match, earning a third place medal.
Armstrong ends his senior year with a 48-3 record.

Fourth place:
Chase Weber, Pittsford Sr.
Despite a second-round loss Saturday the Wildcat senior fought back to make it all the way to the consolation match. In that match he lost a 3-2 decision to Luke Jones. He ends the season 52-7.

Ben Wines, Pittsford Sr.
Hudson's Gabe Elliott took down Wines 11-3 in the third round Saturday, but he bounced back to make the 189-pound consolation match, which he dropped 16-10 to Taylor Trim of Dansville. His final record for the season is 57-9.

Fifth place:
Trent Morris, Reading Sr.
Grant Cook of Dansville ended Morris' title hopes with an 11-3 second round win in the 171-pound weight class. Morris took fifth place with a 9-2 victory to end his career. His season record was 43-5.

Sixth place:
Buddy Poljan, Hillsdale Sr.
At 285-pounds Poljan fell 6-3 in the semifinals before losing 5-2 to Onsted's Gauge Aebersold in the fifth place match. He ends the year at 35-7.

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3-pointer with 3.7 seconds to play ends Lady Chargers season in first round of NCAA Tournament

March Madness is humbling — just ask the Lady Chargers.

Three crucial missed free throws and a dramatic 3-pointer by Indianapolis guard Jessica Canary with 3.7 seconds remaining gave the 7-seed Greyounds a thrilling 73-72 win over the 2-seed Chargers, the second straight first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament for the Chargers.

The Chargers led 62-52 more than halfway through the second half, but Greyhounds’ sophomore forward Samantha Meissel went toe-for-toe with Charger superstar Katie Cezat and her senior teammate hit the dagger to end the Chargers’ season at 27-4.

Cezat finished her career with another vintage performance, 36 points and 16 rebounds, after scoring just nine points in the first half.

Meissel scored 32 points and hit 4-of-5 from 3-point range.

The Chargers crutch proved to be free throws, as they went just 19-of-30 from the charity stripe.

Brooke Knight scored 10 points for Hillsdale in her final game.

For a full game recap pick up a copy of Saturday’s Hillsdale Daily News.

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Tourney time: The tale before tip-off for Lady Chargers

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Wildcats go one and done in districts after perfect regular season

[caption id="attachment_274" align="alignright" width="188" caption="Hudson's Sam Klinger sends back a shot from Pittsford's Garet Lee as the Tigers put an end to the Wildcats perfect season."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 12, 2009

It took the Hudson Tigers just 32 minutes to tear down what the Pittsford Wildcats spent nearly four months building.

After losing to the Wildcats by 22 points Friday night the district-hosting Tigers (8-13) didn't trail by more than nine points Wednesday and their intense defense was just enough to keep Pittsford uncomfortable and timely shooting eventually helped break the Wildcats 20-0 season, 56-52.

"We just wanted to return the favor for what they did to us last time and we just had great momentum to do that and we wanted to get to the finals," Hudson junior forward Sam Klinger said, after scoring seven points in the win.

For Pittsford it appeared senior forward Corey Gamble might set the table, as he went off for three 3-pointers and 16 points in the first half, and junior forward Garet Lee might serve the Tigers a defeat, as he gathered steam and scored nine points in the third quarter alone. But Gamble didn't score a single point in the second half, Lee made just six of 14 free throws and a 29-22 halftime lead didn't stand the test of time.

An emotional Mike Burger said funny things sometimes happen in single elimination tournaments and he couldn't fault his kids effort, only praise Hudson's.

"They made a lot of shots, they played hard, they wanted it just as bad as we did and they just made a few more plays than we did. Friday was a different night. That's the quirky thing about basketball...March Madness, one and done," Pittsford's head coach said.

He said his players certainly felt the pressure to succeed on the bigger stage and that may have played into the final outcome.

"The pressure was there to be successful, they knew the magnitude of the game, they knew what was at risk and maybe that got to them a little bit. But you've got to give credit to Hudson for making the plays," he said.

Nathan Smith, Luke Milligan and Brandon Hephner all led Hudson with eight points, but it was the same team mind-set on defense that truly made a difference.

Burger said the Tigers are "big and strong" and he thought Klinger affected quite a few Wildcat shots. Klinger had help from Hephner among others down low and he said everything went according to plan.

"We just wanted to be great defenders and we wanted to shut down Lee and basically their 3-point stuff and make them go low," he said.

Lee had only three points at the half ad the Wildcats were piggy-backing onto Gamble's back, much to the delight of Pittsford fans who roared loudly with every long-range attempt from the lanky senior.

He not only buried three triples in the first half, he was also fouled on two 3-point attempts and he was far and away the game's most effective offensive player.

As Klinger said though, Hudson coach Lance Horwath switched his concern from interior defense to perimeter coverage at the half.

"We talked about never leaving your man if you can and making sure you got back on time and we just played tough in-your-shorts man-to-man 'D' and it worked out," he said.

Pittsford led 32-24 early in the second half thanks to several strong drives from Lee and some errant long-range shooting from Hudson.

Nonetheless Luke Milligan finally drilled a 3-pointer with 1:05 left in the third period and a 7-2 run to end the quarter put the Tigers within 40-41.

Josh Shephard made one of the biggest plays of the contest on Hudson's first possession of the fourth quarter when he made a long 3-pointer to give his team their first lead all night.

Pittsford guard Seth Weber hit a triple of his own to get the Wildcats within one with 4:32, but a 51-46 deficit with 2:20 remaining proved too much to overcome. The Wildcats went just 10-for-20 from the charity stripe in the contest and several Clark Pelham 3-pointers rimmed out in the final minutes.

Pelham was held to just three points Wednesday, as was Wes Smith. Zac Vanlerberg tallied four.

Despite an earlier finish to the season than he hoped for, Burger said he will never forget the ride this group of guys took him on and their character would be defined as much by the first-round loss as all their victories.

"You could play 1,000 games like tonight and lose a lot and win a lot and you learn so much about yourself, and that's what sports is about. You know you feel so alive and so wonderful during the game, the fight and just watching the guys play and I couldn't be more proud of them," he said. "They had a ton of fight tonight, they didn't quit and I think you learn a lot your character in adversity and these guys, they'll be alright."

Hudson's gift for taking down the Wildcats is a finals date on Friday with 18-4 Hanover-Horton who beat Manchester 56-40 Wednesday.

"We're going to have to play some real tough 'D' because defense wins games mostly and we have to find out who there best player is and shut them down." Klinger said.

Tip-off for that game is set for 7 p.m.

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Failure may be fruitful for Hornets

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

A column published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 11, 2009

Call me a loser, because in fact I like losing.

I was a starter on a JV basketball team that lost 16 times in 20 tries my sophomore year, I lost out on a $10,000 college scholarship by .04 of a grade-point and I've lost myself numerous times, only to have God bring me out a better man.

From my experiences you can either let losing eat you alive and turn you into a spiteful, regretful person or you can lose admirably and try hard to learn from failure.

On Monday night I saw the Hillsdale Hornets boys basketball team lose, but during and after the disheartening 60-32 district defeat at the hands of Coldwater I saw kids maturing and how losing can truly impart wisdom on individuals.

Take senior star Mitchell Gabriele for example. He is arguably one of the finest scorers in the greater-Jackson area, but he also has a tendency to let his über-competitive personality take over for the worse at times.

Getting thrown out of the first contest this season and sometimes taking poor shots out of frustration much to the dismay of his coaches are just two examples.

But if Monday night is any indication, he has matured the past few months and winning is still what drives him, but not what controls him.

In the midst of the worst shooting performance of his career, a 2-for-22 outing, Gabriele remained poised and just kept willing himself to get open and try to lead the troops back.

When he could’ve barked at the refs for not calling obvious contact he remained tight-lipped and prepared to go to work on defense; when his outside shot continued to rim out he started posting up and trying to get even better looks, instead of just hoisting up bad shots because the game was already decided.

"Yeah I was getting contact, but they were letting us play on both sides of the ball,” he said. "It is frustrating... anytime you shoot that bad when you're averaging as many points as I am. When they're not falling and they should be falling, and you're trying to get your team back on top and trying to get the 'W' it's very frustrating and it hurts."

Yes losing hurts but no one should let it define who they are, and to his credit Gabriele quickly found the positive in the darkest of moments last night, something that’s not always easy after failing to meet expectations and letting down a rather passionate fan base.

“Toward the end of the season we had two back-to-back losses and this one kind of sticks a dagger to your heart. But you know, we played well the whole season and there are no regrets, we don't regret anything, but it's too bad we couldn't pull out a 'W' tonight," he said. "Like coach said earlier on, he was talking to people in the community and they were like 'I think it would be good if you guys won five games' and then we came out and won (14), so it feels good."

Sometimes effort doesn’t equal results every time out in life, whether at work, in relationships or in striving for goals and the Hornets now know that all too well.
Head coach Brad Felix said the team executed his game plan to a near tee and he had no reason to yell at them, because missing shots, shooting 21.8 percent from the floor, was not a result of being undisciplined or ill prepared, it kind of just happened.

It is a reminder that we aren’t always in control of everything no matter how hard we try to and there are always unknown variables involved — such as Coldwater point guard Cameron Holicki (26 points, five assists) in Hillsdale’s case. Or just tough-luck rims or mounting pressure, pick your poison.

Senior Scott Lantis said it would've been nice to have gone out playing better and it wouldn't have stung so much if they could have shot decent, but instead of looking at it as an end all he still gave credit to Felix for having them prepared and told it as it was without sugar-coating it.

"We've got some athletes here, we've got some players and if we would've gone out and shot well and they beat us, I think we'd have a little better taste in our mouths," he said. "We had the looks, the game-plan was there, but you can't coach shooting and like coach said, we weren't trying to miss. The game-plan was perfect, coach had us ready, we just couldn't finish."

In the wake of one of their most difficult nights as high school athletes Gabriele and Lantis were good enough to take the time to be honest with me and try to put it all in perspective. No excuses, just heavy hearts, but hearts that were thankful for the opportunities they've been given. I wouldn't say they were joyful in defeat, but they were at least respectful and reflective.

Lantis talked about how he felt their senior class had stayed loyal to the Hornet tradition and Gabriele said he was proud to have gone to battle with his fellow seniors, even though they'll never win a district title.

It would do us all some good to remember that Michael Jordan was cut from his JV basketball team, the apostle Paul was once a Pharisee and we all fall short, but can choose how we act and react in the face of failure.

Being a proponent of failing for your own good once in a while, I was impressed with how Hornet players handled themselves at a most vulnerable time.

Lantis' last words to me after the game were "God bless you" — and no, I didn't sneeze.

A fitting ending to another life experience that everyone involved will remember, and a hopeful look at how very special some of our area teenagers really are.

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Redskin girls fall in regional play

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 11, 2009

The Camden-Frontier girls basketball team got another taste of what it’s like at the regionals level, but that’s all.

Amber Sammons led New Lothrop with 20 points and C-F star Morgan Warfield was held to just three points as the Redskins fell to the Hornets at Lansing Christian.

The Hornets are the defending Class D state champions and C-F head coach Melissa Warfield was certainly impressed with what they brought to the table.

“They’re a very good team and I think we were exhausted by halftime just from trying to play defense,” she said. “They move the ball around a lot and almost everyone can shoot from inside. Every shot they took was either a layup or a 3-pointer.”

On defense she said New Lothrop was equally tough to deal with, making sure Morgan Warfield had the ball in her hands as little as possible.

C-F trailed 17-10 after one quarter and the contest was all but over after a third quarter in which the Hornets outscored the Redskins 15-2.

“It was just one of those nights for our girls, but we’re  so young and it’s good to just get the experience,” she said. “We’re hoping the girls liked the little taste of success we had and they’ll want to get in the gym and work hard all summer.”

Ashley Root scored 13 points for the Hornets and Monica Confer added nine.

Danielle Abney led C-F with seven points, Megan Schwartzengraber added six and Effie Spieth and Kara Bryner both scored four.

The Redskins finish the season 15-8 overall.

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Just not on target: Hornet boys shoot 21 percent in first-round loss

[caption id="attachment_265" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Nick Kelley (40) and Scott Lantis (30) walk off the court for the final time as Hillsdale Hornets basketball players."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sport Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 10, 2009

The one thing coaches say you can't teach is the one thing the Hillsdale Hornets boy's basketball team couldn't do Monday.

In a first-round district showdown with Coldwater the Hornets took care of the ball, played solid defense for four quarters and executed their game-plan almost to a tee according to head coach Brad Felix — but they couldn't shoot worth a lick and their season is now over because of it.

The Hornets shot just 21 percent from the field as a team, senior guard Mitchell Gabriele was held to seven points on a 2-for-22 shooting effort and for the second straight meeting Cardinals' point guard Cameron Holicki was the man of the hour in a 60-32 Coldwater victory.

It was an unfathomable way for the Hornets to end a season in which they finished 14-7 and almost pulled off an SMAA championship.

Hillsdale players were antsy to finally get over the hump and win a district title with this group of guys, but a short-handed Coldwater team, who was without starters Jacob Robison and Bobby White due to team violations, shot 58 percent from the field and ended the game on an astonishing 35-6 run.

Felix said he wasn't angry whatsoever, just disappointed.

"I told them it was a tough way for the seniors to finish their career. Quite frankly we're real disappointed...we picked a horrible time to shoot the ball like that. It's a little embarrassing," he said. "They play good man-to-man defense, but I'll tell you what man, we got good shots. We had a real good game-plan coming in and we were getting the ball where we wanted it and to the people we wanted to be touching it."

Coldwater head coach chalked Brian Stevens chalked the win up to defense and heart.

"That was our best defensive effort all year right there. And you know we had to really step it up because we knew we were going to have some guys out, but it was just a fantastic effort," he said. "I've never been more proud of a group of kids than I was tonight. The telling thing here is we have a good team and we don't have to rely on just two people."

It also didn't hurt that Holicki had one of the best games of his career on the same night Gabriele's had one of his toughest outings.

Holicki scored 13 first-half points, the same number the Hornets had in falling behind by 10 at the break, and he finished the game with 26 points to go with six boards and five assists.

Stevens said Holicki was at his best when Hornets defenders got right up in his face and he was able to drive by them and get to the lane.

"He's a gamer. He knew he was going to have to step up ands play huge tonight with a few guys out," he said. "The guy is a great competitor... they just gave him the opportunities and he took them."

For the Hornets, Gabriele gave it his all and even hit a key 3-pointer early in the second half to begin a run that would give the Hornets a 26-25 advantage, but no one had an answer to why the ball just wouldn't fall through the cylinder.

"It is frustrating... anytime you shoot that bad when you're averaging as many points as I am. When they're not falling and they should be falling, and you're trying to get your team back on top and trying to get the 'W' it's very frustrating and it hurts," he said.

Felix said he doesn't understand what happened, but he has sympathy for his floor general.

"It's tough to fathom. I just feel bad for Mitchell that he's got to finish his career like that. That's his last game and he probably couldn't have shot the ball any worse than he did," he said, "He's a competitor man, and we were going to keep throwing him the ball and getting him looks and we even tried to get him the ball inside. The sets we ran worked, we got him shots on the block and he just couldn't finish."

Backcourt mate Scott Lantis had a little better success, knocking down three 3-pointers en route to 11 points, but he said the sting of losing in such a fashion is pretty strong.

"I just think it would've been nice if we went out playing well. We've got some athletes here, we've got some players and if we would've gone out and shot well and they beat us, I think we'd have a little better taste in our mouths," he said. "We had the looks, the game-plan was there, but you can't coach shooting and like coach said, we weren't trying to miss."

For the Cardinals, who will take on Parma Western in the semifinals Wednesday, Seth Szafranski pitched in nine points and Sam Foster and Spensor Tanner both put in seven.

Nick Kelley had six points and six rebounds in his final game as a Hornet.

Despite the defeat, Felix said he was extremely proud to have coached a team who was led by a senior class who had to overcome the shadows of players like the Laser brothers and Mike Blanchard.

"I think they've overachieved really and it's a credit to them. Another thing I'll remember is they're competitors, they always go the extra mile and they've been loyal parts of our program," he said. "I enjoyed coaching those guys and I thought they had a great year. We didn't finish it how we wanted to, but overall it was a pretty good year."

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Charger women's title chase begins in Kentucky

[caption id="attachment_258" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The Hillsdale College women's basketball team won a GLIAC Tournament championship title last weekend. Now their sites are set on loftier feats — such as an NCAA title. Photo courtesy of Brad Monastiere, Hillsdale College."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 9, 2009

The 2008-09 Hillsdale College women’s basketball team has accomplished an amazing amount of mind-blowing achievements this season, but this Char-gers team will ultimately be remembered by what happens starting now.

The Chargers are officially “dancing”, making their third NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and second in a row — this time as a 2-seed.

It was announced Sunday evening that the Chargers will soon be headed to Highland Heights, Ky., home of the Midwest Region’s top-seed, and defending national champion, Northern Kentucky.

On Friday the Chargers will start their drive toward a national title with a game against the region’s 7-seed, the University of Indianapolis.

The Greyhounds went 20-10 this season as a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, but won just six of their final 13 games in the rough-and-tumble conference that features Northern Kentucky, as well as the Midwest Region’s 3-seed and 6-seed, Quincy (Ill.) and Drury.

Oddly enough the Chargers and Greyhounds already have a little history, having played each other early on this season.

Hillsdale downed Indianapolis 77-63 in Indianapolis in November. Charger senior Katie Cezat tallied 29 points and 14 boards in that contest and Hillsdale shot better than 55 percent from the field as a team.

Indianapolis is led by sophomore forward Samantha Meissel who averaged 18.5 points and 4.5 rebounds this season. Junior guard Jessica Canary scored 14.0 points a game for the Greyhounds, while making two 3-pointers a game.

If the Chargers can get by them, the road to a regional championship becomes considerably tougher.

They will play the winner of the 3-6 match-up between Quincy (Ill.) (25-4) and Drury (18-9).

Quincy is the team who put an end to Hillsdale’s season in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament last via an 82-73 win.

On the other side of the bracket, the top-seeded Norse face GLIAC power Grand Valley State and GLIAC foes Michigan Tech and Northwood will butt heads in the 4-5 showdown.

The Norse have made it to the national tournament 18 times in their storied history and Grand Valley State won a national championship in 2006.

For the Chargers to be fully recognized as one of the nation’s best they will undoubtedly have to beat some of the country’s elite programs.

But their conference opponents know them well and have plenty of experience preparing to go up against Claudette Charney’s squad.

The Chargers took down Michigan Tech Saturday to win the GLIAC Tournament championship, but they split with the Huskies in the regular season.

The GVSU Lakers also stole one from the Chargers earlier this year, while it twice took overtime for Hillsdale to get by Northwood.

Look in the HDN later this week for more game details and what to watch for when the D-II tourney begins.

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For all the marbles: Boys high school hoops postseason starts tonight

[caption id="attachment_255" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Hillsdale's Scott Lantis and Pittsford's Chase Weber are just two local kids who will star this week. Photos by RJ Walters."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 9, 2009

If girl's district play was any indication, these postseason battles will be worth every penny of your $5 ticket in boys district action this week. Here is a breakdown of who is playing where and what to look for:

District No. 36 at Marshall
Hillsdale County teams: Hillsdale
Hillsdale head coach Brad Felix used the word “loaded” several times to describe the Hornets’ district and it’s hard to argue with him.
Two of the teams in the district have handed the Hornets losses this season, one is fresh off a victory over Jackson High and two teams who have hovered around .500 have been deceptively good at times.
To even discuss a possible district championship the Hornets have to get by Coldwater, a team that beat them 73-61 at the Hive in late January. In that contest guard Cameron Holicki put up 18 points to go with nine assists, but he had plenty of help — including from Jacob Robison and Bobby White, a pair of starters who may not even suit up Monday.
They were suspended last week for violating team rules and did not dress for the team’s regular season finale Thursday. Several sources have said they expect the pair to be absent from the lineup for the district opener, but Felix said nothing is set in stone yet and he’s preparing for the game as if they’ll be able to play.
“That’s up in the air. I’ve heard that (Robison) is not playing and there’s another starter in limbo who is appealing the whole thing. I’m sure they’ll pull as many strings as they can to get their guys in there, but from what I’ve heard they’re in trouble,” he said.
“I’ll tell you what though, I watched the film on that game and I think we can beat that team with them or without them. Sometimes guys will come off the bench and play inspired too, so we’re going to treat it as if they’re going to be full-strength in our practices and if (they don’t) play, (they don’t) play.”
Despite what Felix said, Robison and White had a major impact in the outcome the first time the teams met. Robison tallied 19 points and 16 boards and White shadowed Hornet star Mitchell Gabriele all evening, forcing him into a 10-for-25 shooting performance.
Felix said he expects the momentum from Thursday’s game from Lansing Christian to carry over and the fact his boys are seeking a little sweet revenge on the Cardinals doesn’t hurt either.
If they can reverse their fortunes from earlier this season, they will face league foe Parma Western in the semifinals.
The two teams split the season series, with both squads winning at home. Western finished the season 10-10 overall.
A trio of teams loom as a possible district finals opponent: Jackson Lumen Christi, Marshall, and Columbia Central, with the Titans and Redhawks being the most likely challengers.
Lumen Christi finished the season 13-7, including a 71-67 win over Jackson High Thursday. Looking at common opponents, the Titans beat Western 43-40 early on this season and were blown out by Coldwater, 59-32 on Jan. 13.
Marshall started the season 4-0, but has been on a roller-coaster ride ever since and they finished out the year with back-to-back losses to Mattawan and Sturgis. Nonetheless, Felix and his assistants have noted several times this season that Marshall has quite a few athletes and the Redhawks are not a team to take lightly.
As Felix said, he’s not taking anything at less than face value in the postseason.
“We feel like we can win the district and we’ve got to play better than we have the last few weeks,” he said. “Even back against Leslie and Harper (Creek) we hit 12 and 13 threes those nights, but as far as our game goals were concerned, they were a little low, so I was a little red-flagged because we weren’t playing all that well, just shooting well. Sometimes you hit 12 or 13 pointers and it can mask other stats and Albion got us and Stockbridge got us.”
Editor’s pick to make the finals: Jackson Lumen Christi and Hillsdale

District No. 67 at Bronson
Hillsdale County teams: Jonesville, Reading
A trio of area teams will tangle in Bronson this week, with at least one guaranteed a berth in the district finals.
Quincy and Reading both have the luxury of first-round byes, but one of them will be going home after the two teams meet in the semifinals Wednesday.
Jonesville on the other hand will go up against the host Vikings at 7 p.m. Monday, where a victory would earn them a date with Union City two days later.
Records alone would tell you this is Quincy’s district to lose, but both Jonesville and Reading have two variables that could very easily propel them to a district crown — a go-to outside shooter, who can bury 3-pointers in tight situations, and a post presence who can cause a little havoc, especially when they’re playing against guys their own size.
For the Comets, guard Mitch Miller has already hit one game-winner and several other timely shots this season, and down low Logan Jenkins has been putting up double-figure rebounds and 3-7 blocks per outing over the course of the last month as Jonesville surged to a winning regular season.
For Reading, Joe Hubbard is as close to a 3-point specialist as you’ll find around here, and forward Alex Eastwood isn’t afraid to bang bodies in the paint, but he can also step out and routinely hit the 15-footer, making him a tough assignment for any defender.
Bronson has been a model of inconsistency much of the year, finishing 8-12, but they do have a road win at Quincy to their credit.
The Orioles finished near the top of the Big Eight, and seem to fare best when they can control the tempo and keep the score below 60.
Who will come out on top though is anybody’s guess and the head-to-head match-ups between some of these teams shows why.
Quincy drilled Jonesville 63-39 on Jan. 16, but the Comets paid them back with a 7-point victory just last week.
If a team has a few players get hot for a couple of games it could make all the difference.
Editor’s pick to make the finals: Bronson and Quincy

District No. 68 at Hudson
Hillsdale County teams: Pittsford
The Pittsford Wildcats can hang their hats on a 20-0 regular season, a feat that even time will not change, but the clock is now reset for all intensive purposes.
The records of some of the challengers on their side of  the Class C district in Hudson may not look all that impressive, but the fact that it’s Class C period is a challenge in itself.
The Wildcats have the minimum number of students enrolled to qualify as a Class C school, meaning they are essentially a Class D team, who has played mainly Class D competition trying to take a step up the ladder.
Pittsford head coach Mike Burger is not using that as a crux though, and quite frankly he likes the challenge his boys have ahead of them.
They have a bye Monday, before taking the court at 7:30 p.m Wednesday.
“We’ve got a good team, it’s a wide-open district, with some exceptional teams like Hanover-Horton and Clinton and we’re going to play the winner of the Hudson-Addison and they’re going to come out and fight,” he said. “If it’s Hudson, it will be their fans this time, their community and they’ll fight hard if they can get past Addison.”
The Wildcats beat Hudson 65-43 in their final game of the regular season Friday.
Addison finished well below .500 this season, but lost by only four points to a Michigan Center squad that finished 16-4 and only fell by a combined 24 points in a pair of battles with Napoleon who finished the season 20-0.
The marquee matchup in this district — prior to the championship game — is Clinton taking on Hanover-Horton at 6 p.m. Monday.
The Komets went 16-4 this year using their depth and several sharp-shooters to lead the way.
Clinton meanwhile won eight of its last 10 games and 12 of its final 15 to finish the year at 13-7.
The winner of that game will take on Manchester for a spot in the finals.
Pittsford senior guard Clark Pelham said he’s confident he and his teammates have what it takes to win a district, but if that doesn’t happen this season will still be just as meaningful to him.
“Do I want this thing to end? No, I wish it never would. But if it does, then oh well, we have something no one can ever take away from us and it’s still an amazing feeling,” he said.
Editor’s pick to make the finals: Hanover-Horton and Pittsford

District No. 100 at Litchfield
Hillsdale County teams: Camden-Frontier, Hillsdale Academy, Litchfield, North Adams-Jerome, Waldron, Will Carleton Academy
This district may be one of the biggest crapshoots of them all.
Waldron brings the best record to the table, but they have to take on Hillsdale Academy at 5:30 p.m. Monday and all three games between these two teams have been single-digit margins this season.
With a healthy Peter Sullivan in the lineup the Colts are not a team to take lightly, especially when guys like Thomas Lundberg start getting into a rhythm. Mark Long’s team on the other hand has shown plenty of promise and is at its best when playing a physical brand of basketball and attacking the rim.
Two-time Pat Paterson Holiday Tournament MVP John Martin will be one player to keep an eye on, because a loss means his career as a Spartan is over.
In another first-round matchup, Camden-Frontier butts heads with the host Terriers, two teams who have struggled to find consistency this year.
The Redskins have plenty of scoring options all over the floor, but need to rebound well to win, while the Terriers have one of the SCAA’s best post presences in Terry Lawler, to go with Jeremy Cornish on the perimeter.
The other side of the bracket should not be overlooked though.
North Adams-Jerome surprised everyone but themselves last season by winning a district title in Pittsford and Patrick Humphrey has been playing as well as anyone in the area the last month.
They take on Jackson Da Vinci Institute at 7 p.m. Monday, and a win would set them up against Will Carleton Academy Wednesday.
Will Carleton’s Greg Balcom has been putting up monster scoring and rebounding numbers the second half of the season and this is the perfect stage for him to showcase his skills.
Editor’s pick to make the finals: North Adams-Jerome and Waldron

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Hudson wrestlers reach the peak of the mountain, win first-ever state championship

If you're a Hillsdale County wrestling fan it's likely a big deal to you that the Hudson Tigers (only miles from the county border) were able to overcome Hesperia in an intense state finals title bout Saturday in Battle Creek. While I was not out at the festivities, Marc Townsend from HDN's sister paper, the Adrian Daily Telegram, wrote an emotion-filled, short novel on one of the biggest athletic achievements in Tiger history.

Here's a link to his well-written story that has several interesting anecdotes that make it worth your time. Give it a looksie.

HUDSON'S WAIT IS OVER

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Can't get any better than this: Wildcat boys finish regular season 20-0

[caption id="attachment_249" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Senior guard Clark Pelham gets some love from a teammate after Pittsford wrapped up a perfect regular season Friday."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 7, 2009

It was a wondrous night in Pittsford, the type grandparents tell their grandchildren about 40 years later, the kind that makes a small town feel like the only place in the world for a few hours.

The Wildcat boys basketball team methodically hammered Hudson 65-43 in front of an electric crowd at home, putting the finishing touches on the first undefeated regular season in Pittsford High School history —a feat that left head coach Mike Burger nearly speechless, and something so big for the community that the team was donning brand new Wildcat shirts with a huge "20-0" on the back by 9:15 p.m.

"It's an exceptional bunch of guys and to me that's what it's about — having the rare privilege of coaching a great bunch of kids who are just extra special in my heart and I probably will never see this again in reality, and I'm going to savor it that much more," Burger said.

"I think a lot of  it had to with the amazing atmosphere we had down here. I mean, it was electric, our community came out big for our kids tonight and supported us. I think we just fed off the energy of this atmosphere."

The band was playing loud and proud for four quarters, it was standing room only in the gym and the Wildcat players rose to the occasion.

Fired up by five quick points from star Garet Lee, off of two steals by the junior forward, the Wildcats jumped out to an early 14-9 lead.

Less than two minutes later, after a Clark Pelham triple followed by a fist pump and a Corey Gamble 3-pointer it was 22-11 and the rout was on. The Wildcats had already experienced a close call earlier this week, in a three-point overtime win over Battle Creek St. Phil, and they weren't about to let the Tigers hang with them.

"I just told everyone 'This is just a regular game, play it like we play any other game' and we came out intense and it shows on the scoreboard," said Pelham, a senior guard who scored 11 points in his final home game.
Pelham said to go undefeated with this group of guys is by far the best thing that has happened to him in his athletic career, but he also realized he has a special place in history for years to come.

"With about 5:00 left in the fourth I looked at the scoreboard and said to myself, they can't come back, we just did it, we did it, 20-0," he said. "We just tied the school record for wins (in a season), we just made history — we are history."

Lee dominated all phases of the game, per usual, with 19 points, nine rebounds, seven steals and three assists, but it was junior guard Seth Weber who signified the progress the team has made over the course of one year.

As a sophomore he admits he was at times unsure, and hardly ever looked for his shot. On Friday he wanted to take the big shots, and almost every chance he had he delivered in the clutch. He was a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc and finished with a game-high 21 points to go with four assists.

"He's the leader of this team period. Everything run through Seth, he and I have a lot of important conversations and he's really grown up," Burger said. "He worked, he lifted, you can see it in his game. Sure he gets rattled and has a turnover here or there, but good players will make turnovers trying to make plays....but tonight it seemed like every time Hudson started to make a run Seth made a big basket at just the right time."

Weber credited Burger for teaching him how to settle down and just make plays, while realizing mistakes happen and you just have to play through them. And as for Friday's performance, he said it was the fruits of his labor. as well as a certain optical enhancement.

"At the beginning of the season I wasn't shooting very well and then I started working on my shot, getting more gym time and I just shot all the time, even in sixth hour at school in Advanced P.E. And I got contacts last week and the rim is humungous now," he said.

What also is humongous right now is Pittsford's confidence, after completing a regular season journey that began December 9 unblemished.

Sure they have Class C district play in Hudson starting next Wednesday and Burger said he'll probably start turning his attention to that rather soon, but even he was all about basking in the moment.

"It's just an amazing feeling, I couldn't be more proud of those guys. I mean they work so hard to get where we're at, we put them through heck everyday in practice and they just work so hard and they deserve it," he said. "We play three sports down here and we just expect our kids to play sports at Pittsford, and they do and they learn to depend on each other and it develops this camaraderie...and there's nothing better than winning with your good buddies. It's just an amazing thing, I can hardly express it at this point."

Garrett Schoonover led Hudson with 10 points and Luke Milligan pitched in with eight including a pair of 3-pointers.

The Tigers drew no closer than 16 in the second half.

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Seniors thrive at The Hive

Hornets senior Nick Kelley put in 14 points and played solid defense down low in Hillsdale's Senior Night romp. Photo by Nick Sarles, HDN.

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 6, 2009

It was a perfect home finale for Hillsdale's five seniors Thursday night.

The Big Three, as head coach Brad Felix calls them — Nick Kelley, Scott Lantis and Mitchell Gabrielle — all had their way offensively, totaling 58 points, senior forward Brennan Holroyd played shut-down defense on a center who killed the Hornets last month and Kyle MacDonald put in six points. Everyone was smiling, fans were having a good time and Hillsdale paid back Lansing Christian (14-6 overall) with a fundamentally sound 73-52 win, helping build some momentum heading into district play next week.

"It was a blast. I think we came in really relaxed with Senior Night tonight, we all just wanted to enjoy it one more time at The Hive. I think because we were so relaxed we were kind of just having fun — you saw the smiles," said Lantis, who scored 19 points, including three 3-pointers, to go with four assists. "Gabriele, Kelley and I got together before the game and came out here before anyone was here and realized this is it. It has been an amazing ride, coach Felix is an amazing coach to play for, we've been really truly blessed in our time here at Hillsdale, and tonight was a fun way to go out."

Gabrielle scored 25 points to go with seven boards, five assists and four steals and Kelley was good for 14 points, after he nearly got shut out the last time the two team's met, when the Pilgrims pulled out a 57-54 victory.

"It was good to see we were firing on all cylinders. Kelley was playing awesome down low, Mitchell is always awesome and I got some shots to fall and so did Mac and those guys and this is a good time to start getting things together," Lantis said.

While the offense was strong the entire way , shooting 56 percent from the field and totaling 14 assists to just eight turnovers, it was the Hornet defense, specifically Hillsdale's post warriors who were the difference.

Pilgrims junior center Mickey DeVries went off for 25 points and 18 boards the last time the teams battled. On Thursday, thanks to a three-pronged attack from Holroyd, Kelley and Kurtis Condon, DeVries was constantly forced away from the basket and made just three free throws for three points the entire contest, while being held to four rebounds.

"Brennan Holroyd gets the player of the game man, he shut down (DeVries) all night, not necessarily a stat thing that you'll see in the newspaper as a stat, but he absolutely did an amazing job tonight," Lantis said. "Our (post defense) was really our focus because he tore us up at their place and Tyler, Brennan, and Nick need to all be commended for that defensive effort."

DeVries was visibly frustrated throughout the contest and took just six field goal attempts and was eventually pulled with almost seven minutes to go.

Felix said his boys executed the game-plan to near perfection.

"They were told they were to have an arm-bar on him the entire time, so we wanted to play physical with him because we thought he got frustrated in (Lansing) when we played physical in the second half," he said. "I told Brennan and Kurtis...if I catch you boxing out at the top of the key and you get zero rebounds all night long, you've done your job. We wanted to keep him on the perimeter...and we did, those two guys deserve the game ball."

Matthew Rahme tallied 12 points for Lansing Christian and Greg Garza finished with seven points and three assists, but a 26-14 margin after just one period proved too much for them to overcome.

Pilgrims head coach Mike Delano took several timeouts to try and right the ship in the third quarter, but his efforts proved fruitless and the Hornets were comfortably ahead 62-38 heading into the final period.

"We played well tonight, we played inspired a little bit with Senior Night and everything," Felix said. "It was nice to see those guys get out and play well together and I thought all our seniors pitched in and did a pretty good job tonight."

Felix said he's glad to have built some momentum after a pair of tough losses, but he know his team has to be physically and mentally ready to go come Monday, when the Hornets take on Coldwater in district play at Marshall. The Cardinals out-gunned the Hornets at the Hive earlier this season, but Felix said he thinks his team is as good as both Coldwater and Marshall, who they could play later in the week, if not better.

"It's a loaded district with us being loaded too. We really feel like we've got a shot at winning this thing if we bring our A game to Marshall next week," he said. "We wanted to get a little momentum tonight, we wanted to get some confidence after two losses, we weren't feeling good about ourselves yesterday."

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Pittsford boys close in on perfection

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 6, 2009

The idea of a perfect season for the Pittsford Wildcats is no longer a premature one, because by 10 p.m. tonight the boys basketball team will either be 20-0 or they won't — no room left for a debate.

The Wildcats made that prospect increasingly possible with a 71-35 home win over North Adams-Jerome Thursday, a contest in which they jumped out to a 21-5 lead and never looked back.

"We focused on deflections on defense and carried some momentum over from Tuesday's game (against Battle Creek St. Phil). I thought we played well," Pittsford head coach Mike Burger said.

Garet Lee led the Wildcats with 15 points, Zac Vanlerberg pitched in 11 and Brandon Williams was good for 10 points and five rebounds. Seth Weber added five points and eight assists.

Patrick Humphrey and Logan Longman both scored 11 for North Adams-Jerome in a game the Rams trailed the entire way.

Thursday's game may have been just another contest, but even Burger can't deny the opportunity his team has tonight when the Wildcats host Hudson at 7:30 p.m.

"It is what it is and I'll be honest, I'm excited about this. I'm pumped about the opportunity and the challenge," he said. "My boys have taken it one game at a time all season long and even though the pressure has built they've always played hard and done what it takes. If we get beat it will be because the other team is better for one night."

Burger said he know the Tigers have several good athletes who can bang bodies down low and Taylor Milligan is a threat all over the floor, but he thinks his team stacks up well against them.

The Tigers have had somewhat of a tumultuous season, with head coach Wayne Perry having brain surgery earlier this year, and Burger said he's just glad Perry is recovering steadily and he knows the Tiger players have been playing hard for him ever since he left the sidelines.

If Pittsford can pull it out though, it will be the first recorded undefeated regular season in school history, for a program that has won just six district titles.

"The guys want it real bad and they will show that I think. If they get it done it will be something real special they will always have."

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Spartans survive an instant classic with Colts, march on to district finals

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 5, 2009

The Hillsdale Academy Colts stole away the SCAA East title from Waldron several weeks ago, but on Wednesday the Spartans put a dagger in their foes' season in euphoric fashion — but only after one last fateful bounce was overcome by the school that hasn't won a girl's basketball district crown since 1973.

Both teams turned the ball over 23 times and the Colts (15-6 overall) had a slight 45-42 edge on the boards, but a timely 3-pointer by a Waldron senior not known for her outside shot propelled the Spartans to a 59-57 overtime win in the district semifinals at Litchfield.

In the final game of her decorated career Colts senior guard Connaught Blood hit an off-balance 3-pointer with no time remaining on the clock in regulation to send the game to overtime, but Spartans senior star Ashley Jagielski buried the Academy with a long-range bomb of her own with 22 seconds left in overtime.

It may have been an unexpected finish to an unforgettable classic, but Jagielski's range was something Waldron head coach Jeff Knowlan knew might come in handy down the stretch this season.

"She wasn't shooting 3-pointers until a few weeks ago and I told her she needed to shoot some jump-shots because (defenders are) sagging one you and don't want you drive," he said. "So I've been really harping on her in practice to shoot them and she would tell me, 'I can't make them' and I'd tell her you can't make them if you don't shoot them and I'm glad she shot that one."

That shot erased Jagielski's nine turnovers and countless lay-ups that she and her teammates missed throughout the evening as they failed to put the Colts away. As Knowlan said, his girl's panicked with the lead several times, but he assured them they could pull it out with relentless defense and good shot selection.

"It feels great. Did you see the girl's faces?" he said. "I've been telling them in practice all week that it's just effort, I know we had some injuries and were hurt and my daughter had to come out (tonight) and have her ankled taped over here  in the middle of the third quarter...it was just effort and hustle and making good shots."

The Spartans (18-4) hit a host of clutch free-throws down the stretch and Abbe Wines finished with 21 points and 19 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end. Jagielski put in 13 points to go with seven assists, 12 boards and four steals and MacKenzie Price added eight points.

The Colts had to rely more than ever on Blood, when sophomore forward Heather Lantis went out for several minutes in the second quarter and had to play the rest of the game with a taped up hand, but Blood and her youthful teammates gave it everything they had.

"We fought valiantly. When you lose your second best player and she's immobile and hanging tough and yet we were on the edge and just couldn't make it happen....I'm very proud and I'm sad this season is ending because I've enjoyed them so much and for what this young has accomplished, it's been amazing," Colts head coach Jeff Hubbard said.

Blood finished with a game-high 31 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer which ricocheted off the far side of the rim and in with triple-zeros showing. Along side her were two freshmen and three sophomores playing major minutes, something Knowlan said factored into the end result because they struggled to hit shots in the second half.

Blood finishes her career as the Colts all-time leading scorer and with her guidance Academy teams have gone 76-14 over the past four years.

Hubbard said he doesn't even want to think about life after Blood — at least not right now.

"A few weeks ago, I always go in before the game and write the starters on the board and I wrote her name down and I realized it was one of the last times I would get to do that — and I panicked," he said. "She's helped turn our program around and make us a recognizable program in the area and the state. I won't even know what to do at the start of practice next year without her, but she's got a bright future ahead of her."

Although Lantis scored just one more basket after being injured, she tallied 17 rebounds to go with her four points and Meg Ryan scored nine points, all on 3-pointers. Emily Pewe pitched in three points and 10 rebounds.

Hubbard said the future is brighter than ever with this group of girls and he's already excited to start next season and see where the 2009 SCAA East champions can go.

As for Knowlan, he's concerned about Friday's district finals bout with Camden-Frontier, a team they split with in the regular season. One thing he's certain of, thanks to what he saw Wednesday, is his team's ability to handle pressure.

Knowlan said his girls easily could have froze up after Blood's tying 3-pointer, but his leaders took charge.

"We could've folded, but the girls came over here and I heard Ashley, Kelsey and Abbe, our three captains tell the team we could do these, even before I said a word and I was so happy they all hung together," he said.

"That's huge, because we're 18-4 now and we haven't won a district game in I don't know how many years and I'm proud of what they've done."

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C-F Redskins coast into district finals where their season will be defined

By RJ WALTERS / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 5, 2009

The Camden-Frontier Redskins have only one thing on their minds — a district championship — thus, taking care of business Wednesday was a necessity.
Against the upstart Will Carleton Academy Cougars, they did just that.

Defense turned into offense all game long for the Redskins and Morgan Warfield led all scorers with 19 points as C-F cruised into the district finals with a 70-29 win over the Cougars.

It wasn’t the prettiest game, but every C-F player scored and three put in double figures in the win.

“It’s kind of two-fold. Because my girls are so young they need a game, because when they just hear the word ‘districts’ I think they get nervous, so it was a good game in that aspect,” C-F head coach Melissa Warfield said. “But it was not such good a game because we tend to play a little lazier…but we’re ready to play Friday.”

The Redskins jumped out to a 26-4 lead thanks to a whole host of transition buckets and despite a second-quarter push from the Cougars the contest was never in question.

Will Carleton was only outscored 18-15 in the second quarter behind strong play from Jamie Davis and Leah Robinson, showing signs of what made it a successful season for Mandy Salsbury’s squad.

The Cougars tied for its league title and won its first-ever district game, against North Adams-Jerome on Monday.

Davis paced the Cougars with 12 points, while Robinson added nine and Cheyenne Hobbs scored eight.

According to Warfield everything comes down to Friday night for the Redskins, will they butt heads with Waldron, who they split with this season.

“I don’t think anything has mattered up until now, other than Friday night’s game.”

Warfield says she knows her team is capable of big things, her girls just have to stay even-keel and stay tough under pressure.

“From my perspective, we just have to be consistent. Morgan has to be on, I need Jackie on, I need Megan on, our big girls need to rebound…everyone has to be there at the same time,” she said.

It also helps that sophomore Effie Spieth, who scored 12 points and had six steals, has stepped up of late, to give the Redskins another weapon.

“I’m extremely proud of her,” Warfield said. “She struggled being the only sophomore left down with the JV group, so I know she’s glad to be up here and she’s a worker and she works hard defensively and I like it because I can get the ball out of Morgan’s hands a little bit, and she doesn’t have to feel so much pressure.”

To go with her 19 points Morgan Warfield added eight rebounds and four assists Wednesday. Jackie Parker scored 16 points and Jasmine Mann tallied five points, seven boards and seven steal.

Friday’s title game will tip off at 7 p.m. at Litchfield High School.

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Charger men fail to relish home-court advantage, season may be over

[caption id="attachment_233" align="alignright" width="243" caption="Keith MacKenzie and the Hillsdale Chargers didn't do enough driving and penetrating to hang with Michigan Tech Tuesday. Photo by Nick Sarles, HDN."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 4, 2009

With a three seed and home game in the league tourney the 16-10 Hillsdale men's basketball team had big plans, the kind athletes work their entire careers to achieve.

But in 40 short minutes everything changed thanks to a hot-shooting, hard working Michigan Tech team and a lethargic Chargers squad that may have played its last game this season, a 69-54 loss to the Huskies at Jesse Philips Arena.

Hillsdale's intent to crash the GLIAC Tournament was short-lived and the plane tickets for a trip to a D-II NCAA Tournament game may never be printed.

The six-seed Huskies led the entire game Tuesday and built a 29-12 lead just 14 minutes into the contest, a margin that proved too deep even for a hot Chargers team.

"As much passion and heart as we played with last week I think we were just really just half a step slow and had sort of methodical look to us...and wrong time for that to happen to us," Charger head coach John Tharp said.

"I think we were slow to everything. You saw it from the offensive glass, (where they out-rebounded us) 14 to 4 and I think they wanted it it a little bit more."

The Huskies (14-14 overall) not only appeared to want it more, they rebounded and shot the ball better and put a dagger in several Charger runs with clutch 3-pointers from several different players.

As a team the Huskies shot 9-of-18 from beyond the arc, a world away from their 0-for-13 performance in a home loss to Hillsdale earlier this month, and they won the battle of the boards 38-20.

When senior guard Robby Springborn (12 points) and junior forward Georgio Holt (14 points, four 3-pointers) weren't swishing jump-shots late in the shot clock, it was Fedrick Bowe working it in the post (10 points, eight rebounds) and the Huskies had too many answers for a Hillsdale team that had too many questions.

Tony Gugino scored 15 points and Keith MacKenzie put in 14, while freshman Tyler Gerber scored 10, but Hillsdale was just 4-of-18 on 3-pointers and had seven assists to 12 turnovers.

Ultimately though Tharp said it wasn't really physical skills that made the difference, it was a a lot of poor decisions and a lack of continuous intensity.

"I just told our guys I think we just got caught up a bit in the GLIAC Tournament and the three seed and we fought so hard for that, and maybe we forgot to take a deep breath and just kind of forgot what we were doing well that allowed us to be in this position," he said. "That's a disheartening loss for us right there, from the standpoint of opportunity. You don't get too many opportunities to host a first-round GLIAC game, and we didn't play with much passion tonight."

The loss has implications beyond being just another early exit from the league tournament though, it may be a season-ending defeat. The Chargers went into Tuesday's contest ranked No. 8 in the latest Midwest Regional Poll and the top eight teams at the conclusion of conference tournaments qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

No .9 Kentucky Wesleyan won a game since the last poll came out and has the GLVC Tournament this weekend, while No. 10 Grand Valley State defeated Ferris State 67-49 in the first round of the GLIAC Tournament Tuesday night, setting up a semifinals date with Lake Superior State.

Tharp said he's not completely giving up hope on a tournament bid, but admitted the odds are against it.

"Well you know what, right now we're thinking we blew an opportunity. Tech played pretty (darn) well, they really did, and they made plays and really moved the ball, moved the ball and then made plays at the end of the possession," he said. "So I think we had an opportunity not only to look at the NCAA Tournament, but also to win a game like this at home. Part of the process is for us to do that and then you can go to Findlay for one weekend and the thing is we don't want this to end, because we had a good vibe and we felt like we were doing the right thing."

Senior guard Travis Worst, one of five seniors who may have played their last collegiate game said it's a hard proposition to consider.

"You never want to look back at the end of a season and look at your losses, but it's hard not to do that right now and we'll just have to see what happens," he said.

Worst just shrugged his shoulders when asked why things went awry in such an important contest, but he said getting behind early was the last thing he and his teammates needed.

"We just didn't come out with the intensity we have lately. We fell flat and couldn't recover," he said. "It's always hard when you're fighting and trying to comeback and the other team is making everything, but we had to do a better job of covering the gaps and getting on their shooters."

The D-II tournament field is officially announced Sunday evening and the selections can be found on both ww.CSTV.com and www.GLIAC.org.

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