MHSAA State Championship Basketball Games!
That’s it! The final buzzer has sounded and basketball season in the state of Michigan has ended. The Michigan High School Athletic Association has crowned four champions. While some players realized lifelong dreams, others made memories that will last forever. Either way, these young men and women who played basketball have become part of something bigger than themselves. Let’s review who won state titles this past Saturday on the campus of Michigan State University.
Class A
Saginaw High 54 Rockford 42
As some of you know, I used to coach football at Saginaw High. Naturally, I was rooting for my guys to win it. Throughout the game, I was getting pumped up hearing the announcers talk about how great Trevon Bentley was playing. He finished with seven points, a steal, a block, and four rebounds. All-State selection Travontis Richardson led the team with 13 points, five steals, and three rebounds. Julian Henderson scored 12 points, stole one ball, blocked one shot, tossed one assist, and grabbed three boards. Saginaw High had a terrible first quarter, but took a one point lead into halftime. It wasn’t until the middle of the fourth quarter that the Trojans pulled away. For Rockford, they were led by Chase Fairchild. He scored 14 points, tossed one assist, and grabbed two rebounds. Scott Nikodemski scored nine and grabbed four boards. Chad Carlson and Alex Durkin each scored eight points. Coach Julian Taylor of Saginaw High won a state title in his first year as the head coach, like his predecessor Lou Dawkins (now coaching at Northern Illinois) did in his first season.
Class B
Lansing Sexton 67 Stevensville Lakeshore 32
It’s hard to compete with a team like Lansing Sexton this year. They have four players that are going to play Division 1 basketball. Sexton took a 32-10 lead into the break. Bryn Forbes led Sexton with 19 points, two rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. He was followed by future Spartan Denzel Valentine with a 15 point, 11 rebound, seven assist, two block, and one steal performance. Jalen Hayes scored 12. For Stevensville Lakeshore, Ryan Avery and Keith Brushwyler each scored six points to lead their team. Avery also pulled down two rebounds and tossed two assists. Brushwyler also grabbed two boards and blocked one shot.
Class C
Flint Beecher 74 Traverse City St. Francis 60
It took three trips to the Breslin Center, but Flint Beecher finally won it all (again). Not only that, but they finished a perfect 28-0 for the best record in school history! Monte Morris scored 18 points for Beecher while also grabbing seven rebounds, tossing six assists, and stealing one ball. Autuan Burks scored 16, grabbed six boards, made six assists, and stole four basketballs. Leading all players in scoring was TCSF Sean Sheldon. He scored 22 points, grabbed an amazing 19 rebounds, tossed four assists, blocked six shots, and stole one ball. It was a monster of a game for the young man, even in the losing effort. Sophomore Byron Bullough scored 11, grabbed two rebounds, and had one assist and one steal. Those points included three 3-point shots. The Bucs forced TCSF into eight first quarter turnovers and led by 20 at halftime.
Class D
Southfield Christian 76 Climax-Scotts 44
The Breslin was raining for Southfield Christian…raining three pointers! Southfield Christian tied a championship game mark with 12 3-pointers in the win. They tied the 2008 Saginaw High squad who also nailed 12 of them. The championship is a complete turnaround for SC…they only won one game in the 2010 season and squeaked out an 11-10 record last season. Chris Dewberry led all scorers with 30 points (including six three point shots), six rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Lindsey Hunter III scored 15, grabbed eight rebounds, tossed three assists, blocked one shot, and stole two balls. For Climax-Scotts, Jacob Hinga scored 11 and grabbed eight rebounds. Zach Nabozny scored nine, grabbed three rebounds, tossed two assists, and stole one basketball.
That concludes the coverage of prep sports for the year for me. It’s been a lot of fun. I’ll see you all this coming fall! (That is unless Hondo comes up with an assignment for me in the meantime…and he usually does!)
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