Two dominant wins send Packer grapplers to the Regionals
Fremont Wrestling hosted the Division 2 Team District Meet. In the first round, the Packers faced the Ludington Orioles. The dual started off at 171 pounds with Maverick McKinnon pinning Aric Storm in 46 seconds. Dennis Halasinski then won at 189. Caden Christoffersen pinned Hayden Moore at 215 pounds in 39 seconds. At 103, Elias Bowen won followed by RJ Thome, Eli Beasley, Tee Ward, Braulio Gomez, and Trey Myers all posting victories. At 140, Alex Gleason pinned Tiler Marrison in 1:16. Wei Chen won at 145 pounds. Vinnie Mellema had a pin against Mason Marrison in 1:49 at 152 pounds. Trey Breuker finished up the dual with a win at 160 pounds. The final score was Fremont 78 and Ludington 6. In the Team District finals, the Packers opposition was Mt. Pleasant. Michael Romero took the mat first for Fremont and pinned Jack Gearheart in 30 seconds. Cade Christoffersen then pinned Blaine Brown in 4:25, followed by Briar Hambrock getting the fall against John Stevens in 4:35. RJ Thome pinned Saunders in 1:50 at 112 pounds. Tee Ward pinned Mason Tapia in 3:07. Daniel Romero pinned Taylor Zeneberg in 1:50. Trey Myers had a technical fall 15-0 against Chris Bacon. Alex Gleason defeated Kayden Ivey by a pin in 3:49. Gage Montague beat Preston Walton 6-2. Jager Kibart pinned Logan Zenneberg in 1:15. Trey Breuker took 3:11 to pin Preston Dell. The Packers won 62-10 and won their second straight Team District Championship. Fremont (24-2) will host Team Regionals next Wednesday, March 24.
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Boys-McDonald Hits 1000; Devils Clinch Share of Silver; Girls-Zerlaut, Miller Pace Packer Win; Lions Continue to Roar
Boys Fremont 67 Chippewa Hills 20 The Packers cruised to the home win over the Warriors. Braiden McDonald came into the game needing just 8 points to reach the coveted 1000 career point mark and he took care of business early scoring the first 6 for the Pack before dropping both halves of a 1:1 to reach four figures. Coach Zerfas: “ I am very proud of the team as everyone scored in the blowout win, but I am especially proud of Braiden who went over 1000 points tonight. We started talking about this way back in 6th grade when Dylan Krim went over 1000 and what it would take to get there. Braiden has worked tirelessly both during the season and out of season to get there. He is definitely a special player I am proud to coach.” McDonald became the 8th player in Packer history to surpass 1000. The other 7? Ty Miller -1990 Jason DeKuiper -1998 Brandon Gerth-2003 Jeremy Gerth-2007 (all time leader with 1512) Tyler Krim -2011 Mike Siegel 2012 Dylan Krim-2014 Newaygo 63 Reed City 51 Newaygo took an 8 point lead at half and extended it to 12 for the victory over Reed City. The two seniors (Mortensen, Stephens) had a big night scoring the ball as the host Lions were able to secure the win with a big 4th quarter. Wyatt Mortensen poured in 28 points, Ashton Stephens hit for 20 and.Bryce Decker finished with 8. Big Rapids 66 Grant 51 The Cardinals kept their grip on the top spot in the Gold with a road win in Grant. Orion Evans led the Tigers with 12 points with Seth Schuitema adding 10, Payton Swinehart hitting for 9 and Elliott Butchart chipping in 8. Holton 56 White Cloud 24 Coach Swanson: “The past week and a half we have taken our lumps, but it has pushed us to evolve, and I think we could see some of that tonight. The team was very focused. They knew White Cloud had a strong team, and they also knew tonight was an opportunity to clinch a share of the conference titles. I'm so proud of our them and how hard they've worked for what they wanted.” Aidan Poling 22 points 5 assists 5 steals Wyatt Monette 12 points 5 assists 5 steals Austin Fowler 8 points 4 steals. Lakeview 60 Hesperia 24 Coach Worcester: “Lakeview did a great job shooting the ball and capitalizing on second chance shots. We had a lot of opportunities to score but couldn’t get them to go in tonight. Shooting the ball has hurt us all season. Our guys played hard and I’m proud of their resiliency to keep competing.” Maddox Mosley led the Panthers with 9 points. Girls Newaygo 67 Reed City 24 The newly crowned Champions of the Gold Conference returned to the business of winning Tuesday with a resounding road victory over Reed City. Newaygo outscored the host Coyotes 42 to 14 in the second half to pull away. Emmerson Goodin continues to elevate her performance on the court as she led the Lions with 22 points, snared 10 steals and wrestled down 8 rebounds. Jaxi Long also hit for double figures firing in 16 points and dishing out 6 assists. Lily Swinehart pulled 5 off the glass to go with her 9 points. Coach Thomasma: “Girls played good defense all night. It took us a little bit to settle in on offense and hit some shots, once we did we were fine. Got a tough one coming on Friday against Big Rapids at home to finish the season that we now have to get ready for." Fremont 54 Chippewa Hills 37 Fremont traveled to Remus Tuesday night to face theWarriors. The Packers took a 16-7 lead after the first quarter, led by Haley Zerlaut scoring the first 7 points for Fremont and Calla Miller adding 5 more in the quarter. The two teams played an even 2nd quarter on the scoreboard, and Fremont led 29-20 at the half. The Packers opened up the lead in the third quarter with a 12-4 advantage to lead 41-24 at the end of the third quarter. The two teams then played another even quarter to set the final score at 54-37. Zerlaut finished with 21 points, while Miller tallied 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. The win moved the Packers to 5-11 overall, 5-8 in the conference. They host Central Montcalm for the final regular season game on Friday night. Coach Zerlaut -- "It was a good team effort tonight. Everyone got at least several minutes of playing time and they all played hard. We didn't shoot the ball exceptionally well, but made up for it with 31 offensive rebounds." Hesperia 72 Lakeview 20 The Panthers blew past Lakeview to post their 4th win in a row. Hesperia jumped off to an 18-3 lead after one and never looked back. Coach Grodus: “We grabbed the lead early and maintained it for the game. It was a good performance for us defensively. We got balanced scoring with 3 players in double figures.” Emily Bayle dropped an even 2 dozen on the Cats while Emmi Tinkham hit for 16 and Emma Joppich fired in 13. Kent City 65 Morley Stanwood 36 The Eagles remained undefeated and captured the Silver Conference title with the win over Morley. Kenzie Bowers knocked down 24 points while Jenna Harrison dropped in a dozen andMaddie Geers hit for 10. Big Rapids 44 Grant 19 Boys Orchard View 72 Newaygo 49 The Cardinals were on a roll with 14 wins in a row and a tenuous grasp of the Lakes 8 top spot. Most of those wins were dominant performances including a 29 point pasting of the Packers in week one. Then they had a stumble last Friday against WMC, a loss that put them in danger of missing out on an outright championship and served to fire them up heading into the stretch. And the Lions were their next opponent. Falling behind early the visitors caught fire and hit the breakup 14. They extended the lead after intermission and took home the non-con win. Coach Long:” "The boys battled throughout the whole game competing against one of the best teams in our area." Bryce Decker continues to put together solid games for the Lions as they head for tourney play next week. He tossed in 17 points while collecting 8 boards and rejecting 5 Cardinal attempts. Ashton Stephens hit for 9 points and Gabriel Schillman added 8. Coopersville 71 Holton 38 After a close opening quarter the Broncos broke away in the second to take a 15 point halftime lead, running away from the Devils in the third to ice the win. Coach Swanson: ”Coopersville has a nice team that was able to get some things going against us. It was a good stiff challenge to get us ready for a huge week in conference play.” Carter Brant led the RD’s with 15 points and Wyatt Monette dropped in a dozen. Walkerville 59 Hesperia 35 Coach Worcester: “Walkerville played better overall. Walkerville stayed consistent on the offensive end. We could not generate any offensive flow or keep up on transition. Hats off to Coach Lee for being a class act for our senior night. We have lakeview tomorrow at lakeview. we did not have a couple of players during our last meet. so i hope to have a better outcome tomorrow night.” Kile Pomeroy led the Panthers offense with 16 points. Girls Hesperia 68 Chippewa Hills 58 Coach Grodus: “We grabbed the lead early and maintained it for the game. It was a very choppy game with 47 free throws shot between the two teams. It is always good to get a win over anyone in the Gold division.” Emmi Tinkham paced the panther offense knocking down 22 points and dishing out 5 assists. Emily Bayle ripped the nets for 18 and Rachel Romero hit for 15. Muskegon Catholic Central 41 Holton 35 Coach Mason: “We fell behind early, and just struggled climbing back in the game. Other than the first 6 minutes of the game we fought hard and played pretty well. Give credit where credit is due and credit to MCC for coming out ready to play.” Madi Bossett hit for 16 points and Ryann Robins slapped in 9 for the Panthers. If you love the sights and sounds of basketball being played in our local gyms you also are aware of the hard work and perseverance that goes into wearing those unis on winter evenings. Whether a starter, a role player or one of the players who primarily provide preparation during practices, these cagers all need to be recognized for their efforts. N3 selects a Player of the Week from both the Girls and Boys teams. Whether nominated by a coach or chosen by our contributors we will strive to highlight some of the hoop heroics that fill those local gyms we mentioned. This week’s honorees: Emmerson Goodin, Newaygo Part of the team that reached a Covid-cancelled Regional final she saved her best game for that win over G.R. Christian slapping her patented tough defense on a much taller but ultimately frustrated opponent. This season Goodin has developed into an absolute force in the paint for a Lion team that clinched a Conference Championship on Friday. She posted three straight double-doubles this week in helping her team take out two teams standing in the way of that elusive title. Coach Thomasma:”"Emmerson is a very hard worker but also still stays humble. She has always been a great rebounder and athlete but she continued to fine tune her offensive game over the past few years and we are starting to see more consistency. “Emmerson had an unbelievable week for us. It's been fun to watch." Joshua Zerfas, Fremont
If you were putting together a team of the best players in the area the most important cog would be the guy operating the point. If you’ve watched a lot of Packer basketball you’d know it would be hard to go wrong selecting Zerfas to fill that position. In a tough win over Reed City with the teams top scorer sent to the bench with foul trouble the player absolutely took over and willed his team back into the game and kept them there. Coach Zerfas: "I don't know where we would be this year without Joshua's leadership and presence on the court. Every play he is moving people to the correct spots. He flirts with a triple double almost every game. He has one of the highest winning percentages as a starting point guard in our school's history. I think he is one of the more underrated players to ever play here." Story and photos by Mike Gesler Grant 84 Central Montcalm 65 On most nights, putting up sixty-five points in this conference will net you a check in the win category. But on most nights you don’t expect your opponent to score a season high eighty-four points either; especially from a Tiger team that has struggled to find themselves. Tonight, however, despite the constant nagging pressure of Central Montcalm’s full court press, the Tigers did indeed find themselves. The first quarter was marked by runs. Tied at six apiece, Central Montcalm went on a seven point run to go up 13-6 before Grant turned the tables with an eleven point run upping the Hornets 17-13. The Hornets put in four to tie, but the Tigers hit one to close the quarter with a two point advantage. With both teams now settled in, the second quarter was a battle with the teams trading shot for shot and neither willing to concede any ground. With a few minutes left in the half, Sawyer Carr came off the bench giving the Tigers a much needed lift putting up six of an eleven point Grant run to end the half and a twelve point advantage to start the second half. The third saw a repeat of the first only this time it would be Grant to draw blood first with an eleven point run. With the Tigers now up by twenty-three, it became apparent that fatigue was beginning to set into the starting Tiger line-up. Central Montcalm began a fourteen point run as Coach Schuitema gave his starters a much needed rest.
With a younger, inexperienced bench now in the game, the Tiger fans saw their twenty-three point lead dwindle down to two with still six minutes still left in the game. Fans were left to wonder if this was going to be a bad decision or a brilliant tactic by Coach Schuitema. In the end, it was a brilliant decision. The now rested starters picked up right where they left off, went on a ten point run, limited the Hornets to just eight for the remainder of the game, and put in an additional fifteen to firmly claim an eighty-four sixty-five victory. “It was a very typical game for us,” stated Coach Schuitema. “I think in this league you’re not really sure how the outcome is going to go. Pretty balanced, competitive, both teams working hard. Central Montcalm puts a lot of pressure on you with their full court press, and kind of a relentless mindset which gave us some fits for a while. I’m proud of our guys. Three games this week in four days. A really nice win on Wednesday at Holton, and then a nice win tonight. We’re going to enjoy this.” Three Tigers found themselves in double digits tonight. Seth Schuitema led with twenty-three, followed by Gage Burrows (15) and Orion Evans (14). Also contributing to tonight’s winning effort were Cole Lesley (7), Diego Krepps (6), Sawyer Carr (6), Elliot Butchart (6), Brett Long (4), and Payton Swinehart (3). Story and photo by Mike Gesler
Central Montcalm 49 Grant 32 The Central Montcalm Hornets came into Grant tonight looking to improve upon their 9-4 record. What they probably did not expect was for their senior Guard, Bailey Vissman, to put on a clinic racking up thirty-one of their forty-nine total points. “Number 20 [Vissman], she did a fantastic job tonight handling the ball,” stated Grant’s Coach, Josh Delamater. “You know when you’re a four year starter, you got a lot of experience. You know how to close out games, and that’s a huge deal. She just played a great game.” Despite Vissman’s efforts against the Tigers, the game in itself was a sign that this young Tiger’s team continues to improve. Grant remained tied at the end of the first quarter, and went into the half only down by five. The Tigers roared back to tie the game in the third before the Hornets went on a twelve point run giving them a ten point margin to start the fourth. Yet Grant did not let that be the game, and continued to battle hard letting Central Montcalm know if they wanted this win, they would need to earn every point. “We played pretty hard. There was a lot of effort there tonight,” Coach Delamater shared. “That’s something we have really been working on; is just building in that effort. Going into that last quarter, going into the last six minutes, five minutes, of the game, we’re hanging around which is a step in the right direction for this program for sure. We are really working hard at finishing games. It’s tough. You play a top tier team like that. They bury their free-throws. Kudos for our girls for just going out and continuing to play hard and work hard at it. It was a good game for us.” Leading in the Tigers efforts tonight was Julie Ashbaugh with eight points. Jaycee Rider and Trinity Swanson each had seven, and Sara Arends and Chloee Chase added five apiece. Bayle drops 36 on the Devs
Photos by Sue Harrison Girls Kent City 56 White Cloud 23 The Indians fared better than their first encounter with the Eagles but still fell far short as the visitors once again took charge early and never allowed the Cloud back in the game. Jenna Harrison and Maddie Geers each notched 17 and Kenzie Bowers knocked down 13. Undefeated Kent City clinched a tie for the top spot in the Silver and will face Morley Stanwood Tuesday for a shot at an outright title. White Cloud (6-6, 4-4) will visit Holton Tuesday. Hesperia 47 Holton 37 The Panthers fell behind early and the Devils stayed in the game trailing by just one at intermission but an explosive night by Emily Bayle accelerated in the second half and the visitors could not keep pace. Bayle had a stat sheet stuffing performance dropping a cool 36 on the RD’s while peeling 20 off the glass and adding 5 steals for good measure. Coach Grodus: “We overcame a slow start in the first quarter against an improving Holton squad. Emily Bayle had a monster night making 12 out of 13 free throws in the second half....10 of which were in the 4th quarter.” Madi Bosset and Ryan Robins each scored 10 for Holton and Abbie Fowler added 8. Holton (2-5, 6-8) takes on Muskegon CC on the road Monday before returning home to face White Cloud Tuesday. Hesperia (5-5, 2-5) hosts Mason County Eastern Monday before hitting the road to Lakeview on Tuesday. Boys Holton 65 Hesperia 12 The Red Devils had this one wrapped up early in the 1st quarter as they raced to a 27-2 lead and stuck in another 10 points before hitting the break while the Panthers were stymied. Coach Swanson: “Both teams played hard. We're happy to get an important league win in a big rivalry game.” Brodrick Fialek paced the scoring with 20 points, Aidan Poling had 15 in one quarter of play and Joseph McLean hit for 8. On the defensive end Wyatt Monette had 7 steals to go with his 6 points all accomplished in the first quarter and Bret Hosmer picked off 5 steals. Holton (11-4, 8-0) plays at Coopersville Monday before returning to conference play on Tuesday with a visit from White Cloud. A win over the Indians would clinch a tie for the conference title. Hesperia (0-12, 0-8) will visit Lakeview Tuesday. Kent City 53 White Cloud 47. The two Silver squads did battle on the Indian home court as the hosts edged out to a 21-20 halftime lead. The teams continued to exchange blows in the second half with the Eagles taking the lead heading into the final frame and the Cloud snatching it back. A late 6-0 run put KC in the driver's seat and they held off W for the win. Coach Jones:”Proud of my men and the way they played tonight. They left everything on the court. Just couldn’t finish it off.” Taylor Bode and Mason Ruether led White Cloud in scoring with 10 apiece while Sam Venema and Jared Watson recorded 9 each. Dexter Cox also pitched in hitting for 5. Kyler Larson paced the Eagles 17 points, Cayden Armstrong knocked down 13 and Hayden Carlson finished with11. White Cloud (5-7, 3-5) visits Holton Tuesday while Kent City ( 6-6, 5-3) heads for Morley Tuesday after a Saturday visit from Cedar Springs. Balanced scoring and defense spark Fremont Girls; Boys get a lift from Zerfas
Fremont 59 Reed City 35 The first quarter saw the Packer offense sputter a bit with turnovers and missed shots but Kaitlyn Bennett made a couple of defensive plays in the paint and sister Jessica Bennett ripped a triple toward the end of the period to keep the hosts close at 11-8. Halfway through the second and trailing by 4 the Packer press went to work and when J Bennett hit another three it gave the Packers a lead they would hold the rest of the game Abby VandenBerg took advantage of some RC turnovers to hit a pair of buckets as well as going 3-3 from the stripe and Mia Witte capped off the scoring with 4 points including a pair of FT’s and the half ended with Fremont firmly in front 28-18. The teams played an even 3rd quarter but in the 4th the Packers pulled away as Jeanelle Scharphorn, Brianna Webber and Calla Miller hit early and often and sealed the win for Fremont. Coach Zerlaut -- "It was a slow start, but it was really nice to see the ball go in the basket consistently tonight in the final three quarters. The girls have been playing with great effort but not making shots. That gets frustrating for them, as well as those watching. It becomes deflating when you are doing so many things right, but can't put any points on the scoreboard. Tonight was a great team effort with 9 different players scoring points, 29 steals for the team, and 19 assists on 22 baskets." Miller and Haley Zerlaut flashed some defensive wizardry on the court with Miller dishing out 12 assists to go with her 13 points and 6 boards. Zerlaut also reached double figures in scoring with 10 and VandenBerg finished with 9. Fremont (4-10, 4-8) will head for Remus Tuesday to play Chip Hills before finishing their regular season at home Friday against Central Montcalm Fremont 51 Reed City 48 It was a more typical Fremont Reed City court battle than the earlier one up North. The spirited Coyotes took control early with the Packers struggling to find the hoop and the visitors zeroing in from long range. In the second the hosts clawed their way back and took a 22-21 lead halfway through the period, but from there on it was all RC as they poured in the next 10 points and went to break with a 9 point edge and a surge of momentum. The game was a contrast to their previous game in Coyoteland, a game where the Packers cruised to a dominant 27 point win. The RC defense was denying the paint and shutting down Braiden McDonald who was hampered by foul trouble all night. The Coyotes kept the Pack at bay and halfway through the 3rd McDonald was whistled for #4. Fremont’s top scorer took to the bench with his team staring at a 6 point deficit. That was when Joshua Zerfas stepped up. The senior put his team on his back in a flurry of scoring, steals and dishes including dropping 9 straight points to put the Pack back in front. But it wasn’t over. The Coyotes proved to be a game group as they kept the Packers within striking distance and refused to go down easy. Holding the lead, the hosts took the air out on a pair of possessions but the Coyotes managed to stay in sight to the final ticks when Lane Converse split from the line with 1.1 secs on the clock and Reed City’s ¾ court Hail Mary fell short. Coach Zerfas: “I think we really came together as a team when Braiden had to go out with foul trouble. It could have been a bad turning point but we came together with some great energy on defense.: Zerfas (Joshua, not Coach) finished with a team high 14 points adding 7 steals and a half dozen dimes to the stat sheet. McDonald managed 9 points in limited court time and Payton Mansfield also scored 9 while swatting away a pair of Coyote tries and performing well against rugged competition in the paint. Fremont (11-4, 10-2) remains a half game back of Big Rapids in the Gold. They will face Chip Hills at home Tuesday and Central Montcalm will arrive to wrap up the regular season on Friday. Lady Lions Earn 12th Conference Win By Alexis Mercer Perhaps it is just a thing loving parents say to their children on a winning team when they play against a team that is significantly less successful, but the phrase “it is hard to play a team like that” seems to have truth to it. Unless, of course, you’re a Lady Lion playing for this season’s basketball team. Rather than allowing a struggling Chippewa Hills team to throw them off their game, or let the lack of excitement heading into a game against a team whose record only has one win, the Newaygo Lions pounced with all their might and played exactly the kind of fantastic basketball the fans have come to expect out of them every time they set foot on the floor. Chippewa Hills made the first basket and continued to impress in the first minutes of the game in Lion Country. But when the score hit 5-4, the Warriors would officially see the last lead of the night. Every Lion contributed to this solid win, which also happened to be Senior Night for Anna Brummel, Jaylee Long, and Lillian Ruehmeier. The senior leaders held their heads high and followed their shots to walk out of the gym with a 65-19. Emmerson Goodin led the Lions with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Jaylee Long had 18 points and 4 assists. Jaxi Long had 10 points and 3 rebounds. Newaygo jumped out to a 25-5 lead after the first quarter and was able to extend their cushion throughout the game. Newaygo clinched at least a share of the CSAA Gold conference with the win with two games to go. Coach Nate Thomasma said "Great win tonight on Senior Night. We had a great first quarter. This team has worked extremely hard over the past few years and to have earned at least a share of the conference crown. We're hoping to continue the momentum next week." Newaygo improves to 13-1 (12-0 in conference) Chippewa Hills drops to 1-13 (1-11 in conference) Boys Finish Strong for the W
Attendance has been allowed to reach a higher percentage of total capacity of gym size, but based on the eerie quiet after the first quarter when the home Lions only had scored 6 points, no one would have known there were any fans at all. The Lions were not deterred. Despite being down 6-17 at the end of the 1st quarter, they came out with a little more bounce in their step to start the 2nd. Momentum is a funny thing. The crowd agreed. The silence very quickly turned into hopeful cheers and within a few minutes a roaring excitement. The Lions weren’t giving their rough start any attention; they were here to win. By the time the clock hit 5:00 the Lions found themselves up 21-20 and back in the game. Chip Hills’s bench gave it their all in keeping their players fired up; every single one of them would explode with excitement for each made basket. Their team spirit was infectious. But none of that mattered to senior Lion Ashton Stephens. Tied at 25 with 2:47 left in the half, he stepped back behind the 3 point line, drained a 3 and got right to defending. Newaygo was up 31-27 at the half. Once the Lions found their groove, they weren’t letting it go. The momentum was clearly in their favor. Up by 13 at the end of the 3rd, it looked like the Warriors would fade out exactly the opposite as they started the game. Chip Hills did manage to give one final push in the 4th and the Lions were only up by 5 when Josiah Long drained a 3. Warrior Gage Saathof answered with his own 3, but Gabe Schillman said enough and dropped a 3rd and final 3 in the series. The Lions never looked back. Newaygo defeated Chippewa Hills 69-57. Lions were led by Wyatt Mortensen with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Ashton Stephens added 15 points, Gabriel Schillman with 10, and Bryce Decker with 12. Coach Jason Long “The boys kept their composure after the first quarter and kept playing hard and trusted the process and each other. I thought the boys showed perseverance tonight and battled. Tonight we celebrated senior night so I was glad to see we were able pull out the win." By Ken De Laat Girls Chip Hills (1-12, 1-10) at Newaygo (12-1, 10-0) The Warriors and the Reed City Coyotes have each won one game. Against each other. The List of Lion scorers will be equal to the size of their roster. And Goodin could easily post a 20-20 game if Coach T. kept her on the floor all night. Central Montcalm (8-4, 8-3) at Grant (4-8, 4-7) The Hornets can score and the Tigers have had some issues with offensive production. If Grant wins it will be their first against a team with a winning record but they’d better not fall behind early because CM won’t stop scoring if they get hot. Reed City (1-9, 1-9) at Fremont (3-10, 3-8) As we said above… The CH Warriors and the Coyotes have each won one game. Against each other. The Packers have lost 4 in a row to 4 good teams. Reed City is not one of those teams. It’s late in the season and the team still needs to look to someone besides Miller when they’re in trouble. This game could reveal who that might be. Hesperia (4-5, 1-5) at Holton (6-7, 2-4) The Red Devils might be the most improved team after winning 4 out of their last 5. They have some players in Robins, Fowler et. al. Still, they were absolutely swamped by Tinkham, Bayle and Romero first time around and that kind of sticks with teams. Not saying the Devs won’t come out ready to play but if the visitors take an early lead Holton will struggle to get back in. Kent City (12-0, 6-0) at White Cloud (6-5, 4-3) The Cloud hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record and boy oh boy do the Eagles have a winning record. In their first matchup at the Nest they never let the Indians catch a breath before they had the game locked up and put away. The Magnificent 7 on the KC team just wears down teams with a relentless combination of stifling defense and high octane offense and only 2 teams have finished within 20 points of the Eagles. They took down a better than decent D1 Big Red team Monday. By 25 points. WC is at home but if the visitors show up at full strength the Cloud would have to play awfully good just to stay close. Boys Central Montcalm (4-9, 3-8) at Grant (6-8, 5-6) The Tigers have lost some tight ones of late, but I still think they are a team to be reckoned with once tourney time hits. The Hornets snapped an 8 game losing streak with a pair of wins over a good Morley team and a strong, albeit inconsistent, Newaygo team. The first time around Grant produced their highest point output of the season. If CM keeps it close its anyone's game and the Tigers seem to keep every game close. Chip Hills (2-10, 2-8) at Newaygo (4-8, 4-7) CH is a much better team than their record shows. Lots of close losses so they may not know how to finish but outside of a crushing loss to Big Rapids they’ve been in the game. The Lion offense seemed to go into a bit of hibernation earlier this week. If Mortenson and Stephens can break the offensive funk with some paint help from Decker the Lions should snare win # 5. # 6 might be tough with a trio of tough teams coming to town. Reed City (5-6, 5-5) at Fremont (10-4, 9-2) My hunch is the Pack will use this game to pour out their frustrations over 2 straight losses as well as seeing the chances for a conference crown diminish with the loss to BR. The Coyotes will be ready and will probably keep it closer then the last time around but if both McDonalds are in the lineup and Zerfas can keep finding them... Hesperia (0-11, 0-7) at Holton (10-4, 7-0) The Devs have lost 2 close ones they once held leads in and would be looking at a 4 game skid had they not fought off a comeback and battled through 2 OTs for their win over KC. They have a conference title in their sights and beat the Panthers by nearly 50 points a couple weeks ago. Coach Worcester has done well to keep his team together through a, uh, challenging season, but they’d best bring a miracle down Maple Island if they are going to win #1. Kent City (5-6, 4-3) at White Cloud (5-6, 3-4) The Eagles are inconsistent. So are the Indians. KC took Holton deep but other than that they’ve not done well against any of the better teams except for a win over a depleted Grant squad. The Cloud also gave Holton a battle but haven’t fared well against the better teams. Tossup here, but would love to see the hosts win this one. It's been a while since they hung an L on the Eagles. |
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