 Photos by Matthew Zerfas Fremont hosted Muskegon Heights tonight in a non league matchup. The Packers jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead behind Mossen Green's 7 first quarter points, and led 11-9 after 1. Muskegon Heights took a 18-16 lead at the half. Both teams traded runs in the second half and were tied with .05 seconds to go. A missed dunk by the Heights sent it into Overtime. Both teams traded buckets back and forth in Overtime which then led to double OT. Fremont jumped out to a 6 point lead and the Heights hit a big three to cut it to three, but that was as close as it got. Fremont pulled away late in the second overtime to secure the win. Fremont was led by Mossen Green with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Redick Powell had 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. Brayden Crosley had 9 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Carter Sherman had a massive night on the boards with 7 points and 14 rebounds. Logan McLain had 6 rebounds and 4 blocks, and Noah Hansen finished with 6 rebounds. Fremont plays at Manistee on Friday in a WMC Matchup.  
0 Comments
 Mystery Ref is a stickler about no pre game dunking Friday Matchups for Lions, Packers, Tigers and White Cloud
Girls Newaygo (7-2) at Chippewa Hills (1-7) The Lions bounced back from a mistake-filled loss to Big Rapids to take a hard fought win over White Division co-leader Kent City. We’re a little less than a month away from a rematch with the Cardinals and it’s difficult to see another loss in the Red before then. It’s even more difficult to see the Warriors being in this one at the end. If the Lion offense can get some traction early there should be some court time for the bench and the long bus ride home from Remus should be a happy one. Big Rapids (9-1) at Grant (4-5) The Tigers are 4-0 against teams with a losing record and 0-5 against teams with a winning record. The Cardinals don’t have an offensive juggernaut but defensively they are strong and have allowed over 40 points just once all season. The Tigers have struggled to find a consistent offense lately making their chances of an upset more than a bit tenuous. Fremont (8-2) at Manistee (4-5) The first of 5 straight road games for the Packers. The Mariners have dropped 4 straight to a quartet of pretty solid WMC teams, but they were in the Ludington game right up to the buzzer. In their two losses that bookend 8 straight wins, teams held the Packers under 40 points. I doubt Manistee’s defense will be able to do that . A new streak begins Friday. White Cloud (2-7) at Central Montcalm (4-5) That was a gritty performance by the WC defense holding the Red Division leading Cardinal team to 34 points. If that D shows up again they might have a shot against the Hornets, but they have to score more than 30 and they’ve only done that twice all season. Boys Big Rapids (9-2) at Grant (9-0) This should be a dandy. The Tigers are having a magical season under new coach Dan George and Friday they will have their biggest test of the season when the Red Division co-leader Cardinals come to town. How good are the Tigers? They have steamrolled through their schedule thus far and a win over BR would solidify their status as one of the elite teams in the region. It’s not going to come easy though and they haven’t been in a dogfight like this one looks to be. Newaygo (4-6) at Chippewa Hills (4-6) The Lions defense has opened the floodgates for opponents yielding over 70 points in each of their last 3 losses. The Warriors aren’t a great team but they have won 4 out of their last 5 and while they don't score a ton of points, neither did Montague before they hung 71 on the Lions last week. . Toss up game but the Warriors are at home. Fremont (3-9) at Manistee (5-7) The Mariners have won 3 in a row and are at home. The Packers bounced back from a beatdown by Whitehall to give a solid Big Rapids team a game and then went into double overtime to beat the Heights, a regular tournament rival back in the day. Interesting side note, this was the 4th OT game for the Tigers this season. The teams, along with Montague, share the bottom rung of the Lakes Division and neither team is likely to light up the scoreboard. I like the Packers chances here. White Cloud (7-5) at Central Montcalm (3-8) The Hornets have yet to find a consistent offense which should sound familiar to Coach Jones. He was down a shooter in the loss to BR and we don’t know the status going into Friday. If the defense can do what they’re capable of and a couple of players get hot WC can get a win here and stay in contention for a title but a loss here and those slim hopes are gone. 
 Photos by Brent Foondle Newaygo 37 Kent City 31 The Lions put together a comeback win over the White Division leading Eagles . A sluggish Lion offense in the first half sent them to the locker room trailing 21-12 but they came roaring out in the third with a 14-3 run that put them in the drivers seat entering the 4th. KC’s team put together a couple of charges to move back into the lead but the Lions held them off down the stretch to earn their 7th win in the last 8 contests. Ruby Hughes absolutely ruled the glass taking down a game high 17 boards while tossing in 9 points. Kija Schultz knocked down a team high ten points and snared 9 steals while Amaya Lathrop hit for 8 points and added 5 steals and a trio of rebounds. Coach Thomasma: “I am so proud of how the team fought and battled tonight. We didn't shoot the ball well (7-23 from the FT line) and we had a rough game on Friday and then had a subpar first half but the girls dug deep, answered the bell in the second half and got the win. Our defense really settled it and it helped give us some transition offense along with better rebounding.” Newaygo (3-1, 7-2) visits Chip Hills on Friday . Big Rapids 34 White Cloud 15 The Cloud couldn't get their offense going against the visiting Cardinals but the defense held the Red Division leader to their lowest output since early December. Coach Wilk: “Tonight we held Big Rapids to 15 points in the 1st half and 35 overall for the game. Defensively, I was extremely proud of how we played. Offensively we couldn't get much going. Their athleticism and length is very tough to play against. We held our own against a really good team, and we showed a lot of growth tonight even though we struggled to score. “Before the game we talked about being aggressive, and we did a great job of getting to the free throw line, but unfortunately we only sank 5 of 16.. On Friday, we will be looking at getting our offense going early. White Cloud (0-3, 2-7) heads to Stanton Friday take on the Hornets in a White Division matchup Grant 41 Central Montcalm 40 The Tigers took a big lead but the Hornets whittled away at it and it took a free throw in the final second to salvage the win for the hosts. Coach Delamater: “We ran out of gas and allowed them to come back after being up by double digits.” Alexa Obenauf hit the free throw that sealed the win for the Tigers, finishing with an even dozen points and taking down rebounds. Emma Thompson had a big night on the glass grabbing 11 boards to go with her 12 points.
Photos by Matthew Zerfas Evart 54 Fremont 39 There are a fistful of outstanding teams playing out of the Highland Conference this season. State-ranked teams from McBain and Roscommon as well as a highly regarded Manton squad are among their best but it is Evart who currently sits atop the league. The Wildcats came into town Tuesday and in Coach Pete Zerfas’ words, “...did to us exactly what we have been doing to other teams.” “It was a good lesson for us. They were more physical, rebounded better and were able to score in transition. We played hard, but just not as well as Evart.“ The Pack edged out to a slim 11-9 lead after one but the ‘Cats had their way on the court in the second outscoring their hosts 17-8 and taking a 7 point lead into intermission. Evart came out of the break with 6 straight points and by the time the teams were entering the final frame the visitors were up 18 and cruised to the win. Ella Shriver and Mia Clemence hit for 7 apiece while the trio of Grace Evans, Khalia Noordyk and Taylor DeKuiper each notched 5. Riley Chase and Taylor Johnson both finished with 4 points and Anna Norris added 2. Fremont (5-0, 8-2) returns to Division play with a road game against Manistee Friday. It is the first of 5 straight road games before the Packers return home on February 4th to face Ludington. The Orioles are currently a game behind the Packers in the Lakes title race.   
Photos by Amanda Louck-Booth Grant 72 Central Montcalm 24 The Tigers once again dominated the court in their visit to the Hornet gym where they took control early building a 20-2 lead after one. The teams traded baskets in the second, reaching intermission at 35-17 and drawing some locker room criticism from Coach George who was not happy with his team’s turnovers, defensive lapses and bench play. "We have set a higher standard than how we played in the second quarter," The Tigers responded by holding the Hornets to just 7 second half points, reaching a running clock toward the end of the third and once again allowing for ample court time for the bench. as Grant rolled to its 9th straight win and remained undefeated on the season. Ethan DeLong led 4 Tigers who reached double figures hitting for 19 points. Sincere Hatch notched 15, Zaiden Phillips knocked down a dozen and Jack Swanson canned 10. Grant (3-0, 9-0) will host Red Division co-leader Big Rapids on Friday Kent City 76 Newaygo 53 The Lions dropped their 3rd straight as the visiting Eagles took an early lead and never looked back. Hunter Yearsovich banged in 21 points with Russell Toth and Ethan Reburn accounting for 10 apiece, Newaygo (2-2, 4-6) will visit Chip Hills on Friday. Big Rapids 56 White Cloud 35 White Cloud faced off against Red Division co-leader Big Rapids and once again struggled on the offensive end in the loss to the Cardinals. Coach Jones: “Our already strained offense reared its ugly head again tonight.We are in a tough stretch of games and we will have to play a lot better to get wins.” Brady Strait was the lone Cloud player in double figures hitting for 10 points. Coleson Cruzan scored 9, Jayden Robinson finished with 8. “Jayden Graves and Reece Hewitt gave us some great minutes tonight.,” Jones added. “We look to get back on the winning side Friday night.” White Cloud (1-2, 7-5) will head to Stanon Friday to face the Hornets. Monday Big Rapids 50 Fremont 43 The Packers were able to rebound from a 10-0 deficit to make it a close game as they entered the final frame down just 4 points, but they could not overtake the Cards Redick Powell led the Packers with17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and a pair of assists. Mossen Green tallied 10 points to go with his 5 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals and Brayden Crosley finished with 4 points 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Fremont (1-4, 2-9) will get back into Laked Division action Friday when they visit Manistee.  Alex Russo and Kashton Atwood
Atwood finishes 6th in 16 team tourney
Photos by Mike Espinoza For the second straight Saturday Alex Russo battled his way to first place in a multi team tournament. This week Russo took the 126lbs weight class championship at the Ron Helmbolt Sparta Invitational. The 16 team tournament boasted some of the best teams from the area. The Tiger senior started with a pin over his Plainwell opponent, before a major decision in the semifinals against Hendrick from Sparta. Russo also majored Bessinger from Grand Haven in the finals. Kashton Atwood finished 6th at 132lbs. After a pin against his Ravenna opponent in the first round, Kashton fell to the 1# seed Gant. Atwood won his next match by tech fall, then a decision over Coller from Byron Center. Kashton fell in the placement match to DeKorne from Sparta. The Tigers go to Kent City next Wednesday for a CSAA Tri meet. 
Photos by Brent Foondle Kent City 53 White Cloud 28 The Cloud hung with the Eagles in the first half hitting the buzzer down just 7 to a strong Kent City team. KC extended the lead to 11 after 3 and ran away from their hosts in the final frame to take the White Division contest. Coach Wilk: “Unfortunately our execution in the 2nd half fell off a bit. We just need to keep working on being strong with the ball and making good decisions.” Andi Vincent (9points) and fellow freshman Addyson Cook (8) led the Cloud with Payten Bird finishing with 7. White Cloud (0-3, 2-6) will host Big Rapids on Tuesday. Big Rapids 45 Newaygo 30 In a battle for the top spot in the Red Division the Lions went into intermission trailing by 12 and could not cut into the lead enough to mount a challenge to the Cardinals. Coach Thomasma: "Big Rapids dictated the tempo of the game tonight. We struggled with turnovers early and gave them some easy buckets. Every time we made a run at them they had an answer. Credit to them. They played a better ball game tonight than us." Naomi Schillman led the Lions with 11 points. Ruby Hughes had 8 rebounds. Kija Schultz chipped in 6 points and 4 steals and 4 rebounds. Newaygo (3-1, 6-2) plays at Kent City Tuesday. Grant 35 Reed City 27 Down a bucket at the half the Tigers battled back to take the lead entering the final frame. They were able to hold off the Coyotes, limiting them to just 5 points in the 4th to secure a much needed win for Grant and snap a 4 game skid. Coach Delamater: “This was a pivotal game for us. We were sitting at 2-5 but all five losses were to teams with 2 or fewer losses. We are also still trying to find our way offensively. Credit Reed City for playing great defense in the first half and making us uncomfortable. We started getting stops in the second quarter after switching defenses and started to get some buckets. We broke the game open in the third and handled their pressure to close the game out. Payton Bouwkamp led a balanced scoring attack with 8 points while Reese Gragg hit for 7 and Emma Thompson knocked down a half dozen.Lily Gee was key to the Tiger success on the press that sparked the third quarter comeback. Grant (2-1, 3-5) will host Central Montcalm on Tuesday.    Clemence pours in 34. Fremont 78 Whitehall 42 This was my first time seeing the Packers this season and I came away impressed by what Coach Zerfas has on the floor. From the get go the defense befuddled the Vikings who took nearly half of the first quarter to get the ball past mid court. The Packers scored the first 13 points and If the Fremont shots had been falling early it could well have been twice that. Granted, Whitehall doesn't have the scoring power the Packers possess, but they have some talent and a couple of sharpshooters and once they snuck by the Packer press players popped in a couple of triples but after one the hosts held a commanding 20-6 advantage. The Vikings regrouped a bit in the second but could not keep pace as Fremont inched even further ahead taking a 39-21 lead into the locker room. The third quarter started with Whitehall exchanging points with the Packers then midway Taylor DeKuiper hit a shot, got a plus one and missed but got the rebound and scored. Mia Clemence then took over, scoring the next 11 points and when followed by a Khalia Noordyk bucket the 3rd ended 62-26 Packers. Coach Zerfas: “I liked their intensity. We talked before the game today and I asked them what I told them on the first day of practice. Mia raised her hand and said ‘you gotta rebound, take care of the ball and set the pace because other teams don’t want to play that pace.’ We did a good job of that tonight” Clemence dropped a cool 34 on the Vikings as she continues to be one of the top scorers in the area, and added 8 boards, 7 steals and 4 assists. Riley Chase fired in 16 and collected 7 rebounds and Taylor Johnson finished with 8 steaks to go with her 11 points. Ella Shriver also pilfered 8 from the visitors.Rounding out our scoring were Taylor DeKuiper with 5 points, Anna Norris with 4, Khaila Noordyk with 4, Ella Shriver with 2, and both Brynna Barnhart and Ariana Tanner had 1. Grace Evans had 5 assists to go with her 3 steals. Fremont (5-0, 8-1) will host Evart of the Highland Conference on Tuesday. The Wildcats are 7-1 on the season.     3rd loss in a row sees running clock Whitehall 74 Fremont 33 The Vikings took control early going up 27-5 after one. The Packers never got traction in this one, falling behind by 35 points by halftime and with more than 6 minutes remaining in the third the game had shifted to a running clock. Brayden Crosley led the hosts with 10 points. Fremont (1-4, 2-8) welcomes in an old rival on Tuesday when Big Rapids comes to town. 
Grant photos by Amanda Louck-Booth WC Photos by Bobbie Cruzan Grant 77 Reed City 27 The Tigers made it 8 in a row with a dominant win over the Coyotes that saw a running clock put into play midway through the 3rd quarter. The hosts emptied the bench during the 4th and 10 Tigers made it into the book. Coach George: “"We hit all of our team marks tonight, offensively and defensively. I was thrilled with our defensive effort, the best of the season." 4 Grant players reached double figures led by Zaiden Phillips with 15. Sincere Hatch hit for 14 Blake Rider knocked down a dozen and Ethan DeLong finished with 10. Logan Deur came off the bench to play about 4 minutes of running clock and poured in 9 points. Grant (3-0, 8-0) will travel to Stanton Tuesday to take on the Hornets of Central Montcalm before hosting a Red Division showdown with co-leader Big Rapids on Friday. Big Rapids 70 Newaygo 54 The Cardinals showed no rust in their first game back since the break as they fired off 8 triples to take a 47-25 lead into intermission. The Lions were able to make some adjustments at halftime and competed in the second half but were unable to claw back into contention and dropped the Red Division game. Hunter Yearsovich led the Lions in scoring hitting for 16 while Isaiah Miedema and Russell Toth both scored 15. Ethan Reyburn finished with 8. Newaygo (2-2, 4-5) will host Kent City on Tuesday. Kent City 55 White Cloud 39 Host WC lost their second straight game in a divisional matchup with the first place Eagles. White Cloud (1-2, 7-4) will travel to Big Rapids Tuesday to face the Cardinals.Amanda Louck-Booth
 |
Categories |
RSS Feed