LMCU Basketball Blitz Week 7

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time to head to the hardcourt. Here on ninety
six won the game with the only weekly high school
basketball show in West Michigan.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Packed up high to claiment down the left sideline with
the dribble. That's Levi Stewart over the hat and good
looking a free docks and got it. Dial it up
another trip o'brooks hat and he's their leading score coming
in at twelve points per game. Kicking right side WI pitch.
That's Addison leaving at short and a y pitch. Don't
flying through with a rebound and off the window with
a ballow Marsers went up, lots of contact, got it stripped.

(00:29):
Here comes bond bought in transition for a bread Carol
the Alliop slam. That might be your ten X Family
Stores highlight of the game. Pretty basketball there that's going
to afford the CC timeout.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
This is the LMCU Basketball Blitz presented by Lake Michigan
Credit Union and also brought to you by J and
H Family Stores, Vandor Lon Holme Improvement, Kids Food Basket,
Trinity Health, Sporting You Wing, Doozy Hals, Jepson Physical Therapy, Discount, Door,
Straight Line Fence, Repid Radios Uptown, Cheap Skates stores in Granville,

(01:05):
kent Wood and Holland, MKD Funeral Homes and Meyer.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
We are back.

Speaker 4 (01:12):
I know, I'm back ten from the Sunshine State. We
missed the LMCU Basketball Blitz last week, but I think
you're gonna like the way the schedule sets up Brett Pikita,
Jason Hutton because we're gonna do something next week that'll
be kind of fun. We're gonna go live pretty much
with some taped coaches corner interviews for the show from
six until about six forty five, six point fifty leading

(01:33):
into Jay what will be a boys regional final game.
We don't know where we're gonna be yet or what
the teams are obviously because the boys just starting district
play this week, but I think that's gonna be a
great way for Week eight to kind of wrap up
the Basketball Blitz show live on location.

Speaker 5 (01:48):
Yeah, I'm excited. I can't wait. I mean, getting right
into that regional final. I'm excited. It's a live show.
We don't do those a lot, so I'm really looking
forward to it.

Speaker 4 (01:56):
And we also had off of obviously wrapping up the
regular season this week. There are some games that will
happen tonight on the girl's side, but a lot of
teams are also done getting ready for district play next
week on the road to the Bresident Center, which you
can listen to live girls and Boys coverage courtesy of
MKD Funeral Homes on ninety six to one the game,
we wanted to have two coaches corner segments, one for

(02:16):
the girls, and we're gonna highlight Cedar Springs champs outright
of the River City's alliance with their first year head
coach Charles Johnson. He's going to join us coming up
next segment on the show tonight, and then we're also
gonna have a boys segment. And even though the boys
are in the midst of as we tape this district
semi final action on a Wednesday night, we're taping on
a Wednesday morning, Taylor Johnson, head coach of South Christah

(02:38):
the boys, is gonna join us. So we got to
ask him about Carson VISs did not make the Mister
Basketball Finalists list. You and I can't believe that no
one from the west side of the state. But also
just talk about I think one of the teams that's
really trending to watch out for a Division two in
the Sailors, who are.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
What seventeen and one.

Speaker 4 (02:53):
I think you had the stat because you are the
book since what late December early January.

Speaker 5 (02:57):
Yeah, they lost to Byron Center at the invite end
December fourteenth to follow one and three. They're seventeen to
one since the only loss coming fifty seven to fifty
five at Northview on a Brady Schwartz bucket in the
final seconds. You know, defensively they've just turned it on.
South is flip to switch. They talking to Taylor and
that win over Northview last Tuesday.

Speaker 6 (03:13):
City. Our goal is fifty five.

Speaker 5 (03:14):
We're trying to hold teams under fifty five, and they've
done that in every game except for the two Northview
games in which they split. So South's playing at really
high level. I'm excited to talk to Andre Johnson and
Cedar Springs too at first year leading the RedHawks.

Speaker 6 (03:24):
Obviously, Cedar was really good last year.

Speaker 5 (03:26):
If we remember, they finished second to Grandaup's Catholic Central
and neilk Gold won a bunch of games.

Speaker 6 (03:30):
Did graduate.

Speaker 5 (03:31):
Grace Carlson was outstanding but brought back mostly everybody else
and Cedars had a really good run through this RCA,
and of course they're in a very loaded district there
at Miskegan.

Speaker 4 (03:38):
I want to say thank you to you and Buck Gino.
I know you guys were both under the weather for
the call on that Tuesday night when I was down
in Florida on vacation. South Christian Northfiew didn't disappoint him
by the way, South Christian avenging one of those losses
beating Northview and Carson VISs even though he was in
foul shouble in that game. Just fantastic to lead the
way again for sc.

Speaker 5 (03:57):
Yeah, he was on his way to forty plus the
way he started that game, but he got whistled for
a few files head to go to the bench. I
thought a lot of guy Ike Scroton Moore was just outstanding.
It has been for over a month now for South
Christian really on both ends of the floor. I mean defensively,
he's tough, he can score with his back to the basket,
plays above the rim. Davis Kemper's outstanding. And I thought
their bench, Caleb Krishelle and Austin Burgess, the sophomore, we're

(04:19):
both outstanding. So but this, I mean, he steers that chip,
he's outstanding.

Speaker 4 (04:22):
If you want to listen to that broadcast, any of
other LMCU high school basketball Game of the Week broadcast
for this year, or a basketball blitch shows, they're all available.
Trinity Health High School Basketball page available, Wood Radio dot com,
nine six one, The Game dot Com and we'll continue
that and now fresh up you want to check it out,
We've got a whole graphic there our road to the
Bresln Center coverage brought to you by MKD Funeromes and

(04:43):
where we're going to be. We're focusing on a lot
of finals, district finals, regional finals for both the boys
and the girls. As we get to the final four
at the Breslins Center. Remember the boys first, then the
girls come last. This season, one other thing before we
dive into girls scores from Tuesday night and kind of
look at the end of the regular season.

Speaker 3 (04:59):
Jay.

Speaker 4 (04:59):
We wrapped up on Tuesday night with Muskegan knocking off
West Catholic in our Game of the week. Buck Gino
and I were out there fifty two to forty six
to the final, our last game to put into the
coffer with LMCU for our Baskets for Kids campaign for
year three. We only had four triples believe it or
not in that contest, but another two hundred dollars out
of the total, so we finished the year at forty

(05:21):
eight hundred dollars. Thank you to all the student athlete
players knocking down those threes to help feed our local kids.
That's the goal, nourish local kids to reach their full potential.
And thanks again to MCU and Kids' Food Basket for
the partnership.

Speaker 5 (05:33):
Yeah, it's a fun partnership. It's been really fun to
follow all season, a great cause. And you know, the
three point basket continues to become more and more a
part of every team's game, every player's game, and so
it's really fun to see that develop over the years.

Speaker 4 (05:45):
All Right, So as we do this, we do want
to salute since the girls are wrapping up are different
Okay Conference Division champions and the RCA champion and kind
of look at the different games and scores and also
our top ten rankings per se is the best way
to do that. So you look at it. Since we
weren't here last week, we've had a little bit of shuffling.
You and I Rockford, though I think we still agree

(06:07):
is still our top team and just one loss on
the season for the Rams. The a nice win over
franken Mouth during this break, So twenty one and one,
get ready for that tough Miskegon district.

Speaker 5 (06:16):
Yeah, and they win the Oka Read by three games.
I mean Grand Have and Hudsonville are some really quality teams,
but there's just nobody in this area in my opinion,
on Rockford's level at this point. So the Rams this
cruise there. You know, we had two big games last
Friday night at the girls side, they were winner take
all conference championship games. Caledonia at home beats Mona Shores
Graduations to Todd Bloomers and the Lady Fighting Scott's you know,

(06:36):
winning the outright Okay Green championship. You know that's a
program that had been stuck in that Okay red for
all those years where you know they they hadn't won
a conference championship in a while. And then for Stiel's
Northern Grandup's Catholic Central on the girls side, how about
the job Jim Sprague is done and the Seatsmith's sisters
they go to Catholic Central and win, and the Huskies
outright okay White conference champion. Of course, we know the
Okay gold split between South Christian and West Catholic. That

(06:58):
was kind of pretty much just I did a couple
of weeks ago when South one and overtime at West Catholic.
And how about Holland Christian the Okay Black We had
Coach Phelps on two weeks ago on our show, just
their second conference championship in school history. They win the
Okay Black outright. And then I'd like to give a
shout out to Calvin Christian Okay Silver champs fourteen and oh.
I realized the Silver is not really strong, but to

(07:19):
go fourteen and oh and not lose a conference game,
and remember they will share the title with North Point
Christian last year. So twenty seven and one the last
two years for the Lady Squires in girls basketball, and
that's been really impressive for Calvin Christian to win that
Okay Silver outright. By the way, just a couple of mentions.
You know, the Alliance League Potter's House, some moschquiit and
Catholic Central split it. Freemont wins the West Michigan Conference,

(07:42):
Lakes Heart wins the West Michigan Conference Red, and Kent
City wins the CSAA White.

Speaker 4 (07:47):
So as we look at we want to talk about
teams that we feel are trending, maybe one or two
to look for as we start the road to the
Buzzin Center. But let's kind of go through our rankings
and do that. It just makes sense. So we both
have Rockford one.

Speaker 3 (07:59):
Now.

Speaker 4 (07:59):
Since the time that we last had the rankings a
couple of weeks ago, you've had West Catholic lose, a
couple of times, you had Grand Haven. So my new
number two jay is South Christian. With that win over
West Catholic that I did witness, I was covering that
one for Fox seventeen and they finished the year at
nineteen and two overall. Eleven and one is okay, gold
coach Champs with the Falcons.

Speaker 5 (08:18):
Yeah, I mean South Christian's really good. They're trending at
the right time of the year, and they're going into
a really difficult district there at Hopkins where they could
see Holland Christian, they could see Whalen for a third time.
You know, Whalen just took Forsoils Northern to overtime on
Tuesday night, So we know Whalen's really good and they're
no pushover. So but I agree, I have South Christian
two as well, So Rockford won South Christian two, and
I have grent Haven in at three. You know, the
Buccaneers did have the lost to Hudsonville the second time

(08:41):
through in the Okay Red, but you know they've rebounded
and played well. And then I have Hudsonville at four
because hutsonvillet big win overs the in the West on Tuesday.
That's a team trending as well. Hudsonville, who will be
the number one seed in their district.

Speaker 4 (08:52):
All right, now, this is where it gets crazy, and
I know I just saw them and Mariah say's the
real deal. They're hoping to add CC Bonner next week
for the districts, which they're going to need every able
body they have as far as scoring when they face
off against Rockford, which would be a semi final matchup,
because I'm Miskeigan not having a great year, so a
lower seed, and so I have Miskegan all the way up,
Jay to number four and Mariah saying twenty eight in

(09:14):
their open her last Friday in the win over Reese Buffer.
She had twenty one in the win over West Catholic
and is just their go to leaders. She's a different
type of athlete, and I'm excited if they get CC bonderback.
I mean, just look out, because that's what this team needed. Obviously,
when you lose your starting backcourt and they're that good,
other players are going to get a chance, which they did.
But boy, you put them back in there. What are

(09:36):
always big come tournament time guards? Right, you gotta have
guard play to handle pressure to get the fast break running.

Speaker 3 (09:41):
Miskiging is so athletic.

Speaker 5 (09:42):
I don't think it's crazy. I mean, you put miskig
in at four, and I have no argument against that.
I've said all year long if they were healthy, they'd
be number two for me.

Speaker 3 (09:49):
And so did Derek Pies. By the way, yeah you
feel better.

Speaker 5 (09:52):
And no, no more proof than the fact that they
beat it's not really good West Catholic team on Tuesday night.
So while I did go Hudsonville four for Soils Northern five,
I have Miskeigan at nine and eleven in there at six,
and I think you can make the argument, as you
do that they're even better. You know, getting Mariah stanback
is one thing, right, Like she scores twenty eight last
Friday when they beat Rees Puffer and she scores twenty
one when they beat West Catholic. But it's not just

(10:12):
about her ability to score. I mean her presence on
the floor. It just makes a difference. Her basketball IQ,
her talent level, it's just incredibly high, and so having
her on the floor just makes a big difference. And
so even without C. C. Bonner, who's a huge piece
to them, I don't have much problem with you putting
them at four.

Speaker 4 (10:29):
I have West Catholic rounding out my top five. I
have Forest Hills norther than six. I'll let you pick
it up there. But West Catholic. What I did like
to see is I asked Derrick Pies, who are some
players that need to maybe give you a little bit more?
She get ready because Division two is going to be
just as low as a Division one, maybe even more
so for West Cathrick to try to get back for
a fourth straight time to the President Center and he said,

(10:51):
you know what, our senior leader, Alicia Dykstra is so
good at a lot of different things, but we just
need her to be a little more aggressive. She was
a little maybe too aggressive because she got a foule trouble.
But as she got her fourth foul before half, she
played the entire second half, maybe came out here or there,
but never picked up that fifth foul. So I think
they grew from that loss at Muskeg in a tough

(11:12):
place to play and just look out for West Catholic.
I think that was a good non conference matchup for them.

Speaker 5 (11:18):
Yeah, I know, question about it, and that's that's why
they play that game late. You know, Derek Pribace wants
to schedule hard teams play good teams, and only she
Dykes was going to be huge for them as they
try to make a run to the Bresident Center for
the fourth straight year. So I dropped West Callock to seven,
like I think we were both in agreement. West Caleck
comes now behind Miskegan. So I just didn't want to
penalize Hudsonville and Forestials Northern because not only have they
both had great seasons, but they both played really well

(11:40):
late in the season, right, I mean, Hudsonville beating Grant
have even the second time through, and Forestills Northern the
way they've played, you know since the calendar turned to February,
I could punish them. So I had Hudsonville for Forces
Northern five, Miskeigan six, and West Catholic seven.

Speaker 4 (11:52):
Hudsonville is the one. I'll be honest that after seeing
them member. We got to see them in the second
half against Rockford and they played Rockford tough even though
they lost that game. Before we did the boys game
the other night. They're a team that I said, you
know what, I need to try to give them a
boost a little bit.

Speaker 3 (12:06):
It's just so hard.

Speaker 4 (12:06):
Because I had Holland Christian seven, I have Hudsonville eight.
Then I finish off with Catholic Centralist, had a couple
of stubs of the tow fourteen and six at nine
and second place in the OK White two four Stills Northern,
and then I have Cedar Springs at ten. But as
I say that, and one of the things you want
to get into was teams that are trending, Hudsonville's a
team I wouldn't want to face come tournament time.

Speaker 5 (12:27):
Well see, I have a much bigger problem with where
you rank Hudsonville than where I do where you rank
miskign I mean, I just don't think it's fair. Remember,
Hudsonville beat your number two and your number three team
right both and they're playing great basketball. So I cannot
justify where you rank Hutsonville. I have no problem with
where he ranked miskig And, so I went Holland Christian eight,
Zealand West nine, Cedar Springs ten, and I just Zealand

(12:50):
West to me. I felt like they deserved to be
in there, and they did lose to Hudsonville on Tuesday.
But as I've said, I'm really high on Hudsonville. I
just think the wins are good for Zealand West, not
only beating Holland Christian a couple of weeks ago, but
don't forget they beat Muskegan in December with Mariah Sane
with Mariah Saan, so I kept Zealand West in my

(13:12):
top ten. Caledonia gets the short end of the stick
for me. I do really like the Fighting Scotts, but
I have them just outside the top ten and eleven.

Speaker 6 (13:19):
So I have Cedar Springs ten me too.

Speaker 4 (13:21):
So you asked a question, I'll let you have the spotlight. Now,
obviously Hudsonville's won for me, but I got a couple
other ones. Give me your trending teams that you like
right now that you wouldn't want to go against com tournament.

Speaker 5 (13:31):
Well, it's got to be East Grant Rapids. I mean
Eastern Rapids is in the district of Forest Hills Northern
and that could be a great final. What's interesting is
East Grend Rapids started Owen seven Owen seven, but listen
to they played Holland, Christian, Hudsonville, Zeland West, Wyoming, South
Christian West, Callican Rockford, all teams we've had ranked inside
the top ten this year, it really is. And everybody

(13:51):
but Wyoming we still have in the top ten.

Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (13:54):
So they were ow and seven against an unbelievable schedule.
They're twelve and three in their last fifteen. But what's
interesting thing is two of those three losses are to
Forest Hills Northern in that twelve and three stretch, and
so they're going to play four.

Speaker 6 (14:06):
I could play.

Speaker 5 (14:08):
Forest Hills Northern in that district final. It be Catholic Central, right,
be Cavioc Central. Yeah, East Grand Rapids. Cathic Central Wheel
helped Forces Norther win the league title out right, So yeah,
I have East Grand Rapids as the team I wouldn't
want to face at twelve and ten, twelve and three
in their last fifteen and the two seed in the district,
which will be at East Grand Rapids, so that'll be fun.

Speaker 4 (14:28):
All right, So let me throw in we both like Miskegan, right,
They're going to be dangerous even though they're in the
Rockford District. I like Muskegan as one of my teams
to watch out for, especially with the CC Bonder edition
if that can happen next week in time. Obviously, I
mentioned Hudsonville so my third one, and they're all the
way up to number two, but they didn't start there.
But I just like the chemistry of this team. I

(14:49):
like the way they play. I like them like Michigan State,
where they have size at different positions, flexibility, different people
can step up and score, and yet they've got people
that contribute from freshmen all the way up to seniors.
South Christian, I really think South Christian can make a
deep run of division to do and I say that
they're in a tough district like you talked about at
Hopkins and we could have another great district final with

(15:11):
Holland Christian. But South Christian, to me, I don't think
they still have played their best basketball yet.

Speaker 5 (15:17):
Listen, now, that's why we have them ranked number two.
So I guess my team is I would want to
play is Rockford, right, I mean that's the team of
Nowell's to play.

Speaker 4 (15:24):
But I'm saying that we kind of know what Rockford is. Yes,
they added Wolf and that's another addition that I think
will make them untouchable for a while. But I'm just
saying with South Christian, the blending of the freshman, sophomores,
juniors and seniors, right, because they have all different grades
that are players.

Speaker 3 (15:43):
In their top what ten.

Speaker 4 (15:44):
Yeah, they remind me a lot of Michigan State and
tom Izzo where they they're tough because they have an
answer offensively or defensively for whatever you want.

Speaker 3 (15:52):
To do to them.

Speaker 6 (15:53):
Yeah, I think they're built for March. I really do.

Speaker 5 (15:55):
I mean you talk about guards this time of year.
So three appearances tough as nails. What's interesting to me
is the dynamic of this tournament for South Christian because
are they going to play Whale for a third time?
Remember last year they lost to Whalen twice beat them
in the district and this time it's rules are reversed
and then will we see them play Holland Christian in

(16:15):
the district final. I mean, I don't think that South
Christian and Whalem will play beause I think Whaleen's the
three seed will like to play holand Christian in the
semi final. But then remember last year the double overtime
game in the district final, how Christian South Christian that
if seats Hold would be the district final.

Speaker 3 (16:29):
Coming up next.

Speaker 4 (16:29):
On the LFCU basketball, let's speak in ofout a team
that maybe haven't heard a lot about, but they're making
some noise. River City's Alliance champions, the RedHawks, the Cedar
Springs and their head coach Charles Johnson. The Montel Construction
Coaches quarter After we take this time out here on
ninety six to one, they game.

Speaker 3 (16:55):
Now final three seconds. They get a good look.

Speaker 2 (16:58):
The Wayancy knots out to meet the buzzer. How about
that Shambari Hamilton on senior.

Speaker 7 (17:04):
Night, Well and Wes Kathleen just was very passive, fell
back to make sure that it didn't happen, and that
just nobody steps up on the shooter and Hamilton buries it.

Speaker 4 (17:18):
Now into the girls edition of our Montel Construction Coaches Corner.
We promised you to here this week seven edition of
the LMCU Basketball Blitz, b Repikit and Jason Hutting joined
and we're meeting for the first time the new head
varsity girls basketball coach at Cedar Springs Conference champions of
the RCA this year, first conference title for a girls
basketball team for Cedar Springs since nineteen seventy. Charles Johnson's

(17:41):
joins us. He also goes by Andre coach, congratulations and
it's a welcome home for you. We understand because you
played back in the day to Ottawa Hills, right, yes.

Speaker 8 (17:49):
Thank you, thank you, and thank you for giving that
Inpullance Theater. Yeah, I'm from Grand Raptis play for Odawa
Hills back in two thousand and seven.

Speaker 5 (17:57):
Coach, How big of a goal was this for you
guys to to win a conference championship, something that hadn't
been done in so long at Cedar Springs And what
did it mean to accomplish it?

Speaker 8 (18:05):
Well, it meant a lot. That was one of the
girls when I first took the job and I met them.
That was the thing that they had at the top
of the list is it's the first year for the
RCA conference. I know last year they came in second
in the Okay conference that they were in under Catholic.
So going into a new conference and just how they

(18:26):
finished last year. Top of the list for them was
you know, being that first RCA champion and achieving that
goal and then moving on forward from there.

Speaker 4 (18:35):
So, Charles, your background at AAU coaching in the Grand
Rapids area and even out of states, and you love basketball, obviously,
I'm wondering if it's a similar situation. We've had Derek
Pizon from West Catholic who also had an AAU background,
coached at the lower levels for Hudsonville before he got
his opportunity, and he feels like, you know, a kid
in a candy shop, right because he's like, I get

(18:57):
the West Catholic job with what he had returning. You
kind of feel the same way with Cedar Springs because
of what you just said and a lot of youth
on that team from a year ago bus.

Speaker 8 (19:05):
The success this year right right, So coming in, I
mean they're coming off a strong season, uh three four
lost season last year and then they returned to a
lot of girls this year, I mean, and this year
we're still you know, we're playing two tenth graders that
you know, never played varsity before and then two juniors
and one senior. So we still have a relatively young,

(19:29):
inexperienced team, so still being able to hit that level
and you know, beat some of the teams that we
be or you know, play close games against some of
the you know, deeper, more talented teams, has been you know,
we've been able to grow throughout the season as as
we win, and that's that's a big thing for us,
is being able to check off those those little things
that help keeping us climbing the rings as as a team.

Speaker 5 (19:54):
We're talking with Cedar Springs first year girls basketball coach
Andre Johnson coaches team sixty in five as they headed
into the regular season finale tonight against Nowego. Coach, you know,
you look at your schedule and you played some good
teams before your conference. You know, yeah, you had some
losses to good opponents, but then you got hot there
middle of January through the middle of February ten in

(20:14):
a row. What was the key to your team to
kind of find in its groove and playing its best basketball.

Speaker 8 (20:20):
Yeah, So our first couple, i mean, one of it
we may get into was just girls in secondary sports
of basketball. But right there around January, coming off Christmas break,
we battled, you know, just having an identity for ourselves,
and not in terms of defensively, just the girls just

(20:40):
experience while someone stepping in, you know, filling the shoes
of Grace Carlton from last year. It was kind of
you know, us standing around looking at one another. And January,
really the best thing that happened was our first lost
to Kenawa. You know, some of the girls missed attending
soccer and travel volleyball and whatever else other sport they're playing,

(21:01):
and it forced some girls that wasn't necessarily ready to
step into the light. And then, you know, the low loss,
they kind of realized that every every day they got
to come out and bring their best, best effort, put
the best foot four. And from there we really got hot,
got rolling, started paying more attention to details and working
on the little little things that we were necessarily clicking at.

(21:24):
We got hot at that point and then it's you know,
it's it's snowball. Throughout the season, we just got better
and better and better at the things that we were missing.

Speaker 3 (21:32):
This coach is.

Speaker 4 (21:33):
Corner segment being brought to you by my friends at
Montel Construction. I call them my home team. You can
see them in person this weekend. West Michigan Home and
Garden Show, Downtown Ground Rapids Devas Plays Booth thirteen twenty five,
or check them out online for your next exterior project
at Montelconstruction dot com. Talk about some of your players,
Coach Johnson, I know you're very proud and some of
your leaders, even if they aren't seniors, want to know

(21:55):
that we've honored on the show as a player of
the week Forest the grand Appatorio's Faith Carlson, who's really
been coming on for you and leading this bunch thus
to the conference championship.

Speaker 8 (22:04):
Yeah, absolutely, Faith Carlson. I mean that's another one. Last
year she was I mean probably all her life, she's
just been in the shadow of her older sister Grace.
And then this year around that same time, I mean
the off season she's been doing good, but really coming
off of Christmas break, she found out that she's that
type of player. I mean, she loves defense more than offense.

(22:27):
But once her offense got rolling, her confidence got a
little bit higher. I mean she's been extremely hot, you know,
from game winning shots to just consistent play. You know,
she she's a tough person. She's willing to play through
everything and you know, go out there every night and
give her give her best. But aside from her, I
mean we got Poet Schueneman. She's our senior that plays

(22:51):
ella pec. There's another junior that does really good, small
scrappy guard. She has a great, great average only be
five two. She does, you know, six seven rebounds a game,
six assists, six deals, nine points. So she's just rolling
right along. She's our leader. She's our heartbeat, really, and

(23:12):
then you know tenth grade and Emery Smith. She's a
taller guard, inexperience, but getting better every game, learning how
to play. And then really our muscle is our center.
Another tenth grader, taller girl coming off volleyball, so her
first year playing basketball, but she just understands how to

(23:33):
run the floor, rebound and she can get you. At
eight she has multiple twenty rebound games. So really, our
younger girls are fueling us. But it's just gaining that
confidence every every game.

Speaker 5 (23:45):
Coach, I don't know how much input you had on
the schedule. Who's being your first year, and I don't
know if it was already in when you when you
got the job or not, But how do you like
this last week of the regular season because you're playing
good teams and you know you're going into a really
good district next week. So you played dut on Tuesday
nineteen and one when they came to your place, and
then you finished with Nowego, who's eighteen and three? Important

(24:06):
for you guys to play this competition going into.

Speaker 8 (24:08):
That district, Yeah, absolutely, So I got the job relatively late,
like you were saying, but they were trying to figure
out one two last games, and I know I was
able to get to do it games scheduled in and
that was just important. Looking at you know, what I
had coming back from last year and just that inexperienced level.
I expected us to be able to grow as a team.

(24:30):
You know, I didn't know record wise what we would be,
but I expected by this time will we should be
hitting our stride, everybody learning new roles, and it actually
worked out that way. So scheduling team like DeWitt, who's
been you know, consecutively good year after year for the
last four or five years, that was a significant step
because I wanted that to be Coming off the conference tournament,

(24:54):
you have a lot of folk, well not tournament but
conference player. You have a lot of focus on winning
that achieving that goal of winning the RCA. But now
you've got to be able to refocus and play a
team that's extremely strong on attention to detail. So now
you're coming off that high of winning a conference title,
and then now you've got to reshift and be able

(25:14):
to do the little things, because that's what separates us
from going to the next level is being able to
execute those little things, pay attention to that attention to
detail to beat the top end teams.

Speaker 4 (25:25):
Coach, with your background in AAU for both girls and boys,
you brought up something to me. And we love talking
to coaches about different trends or things that might be
happening in the game beyond what you see on the court,
and you had mentioned to us, and I've seen this
too in the school district I live in a little bit.
Is girls basketball because of multi sport athletes, maybe becoming

(25:45):
where it might have been the first choice or second choice,
second or third.

Speaker 3 (25:49):
Why do you think that is?

Speaker 8 (25:51):
I think a lot of the just from my experience
with the girls out there, it's just basketball hasn't necessarily
been the focal. We don't have a lot of girls
that play. I think Face my only girl that has
played AU she only did it for one year, but
a lot of them don't have it, and they're looking
for they're just grasping that straw, trying to get attention

(26:16):
in everything. So I go through with soccer and volleyball.
They're doing a lot of travel soccer, a lot of
travel volleyball, and it's a mix between the girls and
the parents. They want to be great at everything and
then they're you know, missing out the opportunity on their basketball.
Some of them have you know, a miss talent in basketball,

(26:36):
but they have so much focus in everything else. So,
like me as a coach this year, something we battled
with at the beginning of the season is missing games
to go participate in soccer or participat in volleyball, and
it's like you're picking up one thing, sending down another
and kind of mastering nothing. We love the Martie sport athlete,

(26:56):
but it's kind of, you know, overshadowing the basketball nature
of a lot of the schools that I see. I
know other coaches go through the same aspect, and it's
just we got to be able to focus, get everybody
focused on what season that they're in at the time.

Speaker 5 (27:11):
Coach, I want to look ahead real quick to next week.
You're the number two seed in your district. Rockford is
the number one seeds, So you await the winner of
I believe it's Mona Shores and Reese Puffer. They'll play
on Monday night. Wednesday night, you'll play the winner of
that game. So how do you guys balance You know,
your guys, I'm gonna get a guess you're gonna go
watch the game on Monday or at least see film
on it. How do you balance like preparing for your

(27:31):
opponent when you don't even know who your opponent's going
to be, and then just kind of worrying about yourselves
here as you get to the district tournament.

Speaker 8 (27:37):
Uh, I mean we already started that going into the
game against DeWitt Is. You know, we're trying to mix
in being able to adjust on the fly. So it's
not always that things are going right, but we got
to be able to because like when you go on
the tournament play, like you mentioned, scouting is gonna be
a lot higher. You're going to be playing a lot
better teams as you progress and the tournament play. So

(28:03):
right now, it's trying to get the girls to understand
that we're gonna have breakdowns or we're gonna have teams
that have more talent deeper than us and they're able
to scout. So now they know what play we're running,
know what spots you should be in. Now can we
make the little adjustments during play to be able to
shift a little bit and have alternative options to be

(28:24):
able to succeed. So these last two games and taking
the girls on Monday absolutely to watch. We have to
be able to put ourselves in that same situation and
be successful, be able to compete as we progress throughout
the tournament, which we aspire to do.

Speaker 4 (28:40):
Andre, have you noticed a big difference between coaching AAU
ball and coaching high school ball? It's a different game,
I think when I watch it, But I'm curious to
see from a coaching standpoint, do you have to do
anything different or how much different is it.

Speaker 8 (28:57):
I was coaching AAU boys, I mean always everybody always,
actually difference between boys and girls. I was doing ninth
grade or high school level for the boys. I mean.
The thing that I see from AAU is, especially when
you're playing on the higher circuits, the kids kind of
have that understanding of you only have that three game guarantee,

(29:20):
So they're locked in a little bit more where they're
willing to, you know, have that grit, have that intensity
to behind them that if they want to have a
strong weekend, they have to be able to overcome the
obstacles things that they encounter throughout the week to be
able to achieve those championships, win those gyms and all
the different tournaments. And then in high school, for me,

(29:45):
just looking at the other teams, my team as well,
you go through the battles or you you it's easier
to go through it where you're not consistently playing the
same level talent. So Tuesday you play a really good team,
Friday you drop that a little bit, and then you
kind of start seeing that in the teams that they're playing,
they don't get up for every game. It's just like, Okay,

(30:08):
last year we beat this team by ten fifteen is
going to be exactly the same this year. And that's
not how it works. But that's what I'm saying. Difference
between AU and high school for me is just being AU.
Every weekend, you're trying to get that intensity because you
know what it takes. There's no guarantee you can have
two good games, Saturday, letdown Sunday, and your weekend's over look.

Speaker 4 (30:31):
Out the RedHawks girls basketball program. People are taking notice
RCA Conference champion sixteen and five overall, ten and two
in conference play, and their first year head coach Andre
Johnson has him fired up and ready for district play
next week. Coach, thank you so much for joining us tonight.
We appreciate it. Congratulations on season one.

Speaker 8 (30:51):
Oh, thank you, thank you, appreciate you having me.

Speaker 1 (30:59):
This is the LMC do you Basketball Blitz on your
home for high school hoops and West Michigan's Home for sports.
Ninety six won the game WMAXFM, Holland Grand Rapids.

Speaker 4 (31:14):
Welcome back to this week seven edition of the LMCU
Basketball Blitz here exclusively on ninety six to one the game.
Joining Jay and I right now as we have one
of two coaches Corner segments tonight, brought to you by
Montel Construction.

Speaker 3 (31:26):
We'll go on the boys side.

Speaker 4 (31:27):
South Christian head coach Taylor Johnson always enjoyed the conversation
and coach one of the hottest teams out there in
West Michigan.

Speaker 3 (31:34):
And you know how deep this boys field is.

Speaker 4 (31:35):
But I think seventeen and one Now you had that
early those early games that were tough battles coming off
the football season, everything against very good teams, as you know,
but you want to get ready for the month of
March and the tournament, and certainly you guys are there
coach champs with Norfview and the ok Gold.

Speaker 8 (31:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (31:53):
I mean, it's been a heck of a arrived for
us here, you know, Brett, I feel like, you know,
it's one of those seasons that you kind of saw
coming at a little bit. Our schedule was so frontloaded,
and you know, thanks to our good friend Danny Brown,
our football coach, we knew they probably make a run
again and not give us any preparation time. And it's
no excuse. We were playing great teams at the beginning

(32:14):
of the year, but we just weren't ready. We just
weren't playing the way that we know we are capable
of playing. It just takes high school kids' time tojus
and get things better. But since then, we've played a
great schedule. We had some huge wins over Palamo and
Belleville and North View and Catholic and we really feel
like we've tested, you know, and seen every type of
defense that we can to prepare us here for a

(32:37):
hopefully a tournament run.

Speaker 5 (32:38):
Coach, take us back to practice December sixteenth, that week, right,
you're getting ready for a Saturday trip to Frankfurt. But
he didn't have any games that week. You were sitting
there one and three and all the things you just
mentioned are very true. Short on practice time, you played
some really good teams. But what's the mood in practice
and what was your message to the team there that
week at one and three?

Speaker 9 (32:57):
Yeah, that was a special week for us. In Loan
played for me at Western Michigan. He coaches up at
Frankfurt and they're competing first state tout of the year
and we actually got an airbnb for the boys that
we got a log cabin and it happened to be
a crazy snowstorm, and really my message was just learn
how to connect this group off the court. We didn't

(33:18):
have like an off season or early anything to get
to know each other. We had tryouts and cuts, nobody
knew who's going to be on the team, Like they
didn't even know each other. And that week I said, guys,
there's two things. One we're gonna get shaped. That's the
first thing. So you're not gonna love that, but too
that we're gonna get to know each other. We're going
to find out what makes you tick, what makes you grow,

(33:38):
what bushes need to push, how how do you want
to be talked to, how do you want to be encouraged,
and all the things off the court to really grow
a team, to really come together. And I'm being honest
with you, guys, it was one of the best weekends
in my life. Wasn't because of the time on the court,
but the time off the court was truly special. And
I felt like even as a coaching staff, we got
to know our kids and a whole deep level. And

(34:00):
once you do that, you kind of figure out a
little bit how to coach them and then how to
maybe you know, hopefully bring them together. And I felt
like that trip really catapulted us. After Christmas, Taylor, you.

Speaker 3 (34:11):
Had a special senior night.

Speaker 4 (34:12):
You had a great group of seniors, guys that have
played a lot of varsity basketball for South Christians. So
how much do you lean on their experience now and
that trust factor you always hear coaches talk about.

Speaker 9 (34:25):
Yeah, I mean, we had five sophomores on that state
finals team two years ago that are all with us
right now, and they've had a lot of experience. They've
been with us for a long time, and I think
more than anything, it's just that they've been through the
moment before and it's not going to be too big
for him, you know. I mean our whether it's our
soccer team or football team or basketball team, Like we've

(34:46):
been in these moments so many times, and these kids
have experienced so much. It's a strong senior class and
it was great to honor them last week, but they
they're playing for something bigger and they know that they're
trying to have that internal you know, the internal peace
in their life that you know brings them back through
a championship, whether it's you know, the Okay Gold or

(35:06):
something bigger and better. And that's what's fun to be around.

Speaker 5 (35:09):
South Christian boys basketball coach Taylor Johnson our guest coach.

Speaker 6 (35:13):
I looked at your team in that stretch at the.

Speaker 5 (35:15):
End of the year when you were one and three,
and I know you played really good teams and you
had some really close games there, but my concern for
your team watching it was your presence inside, Like there
just wasn't one, and I was really concerned and now
I look at your team and not only is that
not a concern, it's a strength.

Speaker 6 (35:32):
Of your team.

Speaker 5 (35:32):
Take me through the progression of Ike Scrotenbor and how
he's gone from the beginning of the season to now,
because watching him play now, it's incredible the strides he's made.

Speaker 9 (35:41):
In my opinion, yeah, I think, you know, looking at
our team at the game of the year, like, oh man,
you're really tall, you're really big. But the guys have
to one learn how to pass it inside and then
the guys inside I have to learn what to do
with it. And you know, I still more as a
kid that needs to be recruited by every division free
school out there. And he just keeps getting better and
better and better. And he's a kid who stayed the journey,

(36:05):
you know, kept working, kept growing, had some bad games Virginia,
the kept working and now I feel like he's one
of the best big men in the area. And they
shoot sixty eight percent from the field. You know, he
can knock down the three. He's making his free throws.
He's getting five six three bounds a game. You know
him compared to you know, you put him with David
Kept for a guy who can you step out and

(36:25):
shoot the three and score inside. I really feel like
we have the best two big men. But the number
one thing with those guys, and was definitely my concern
too Jason, was protecting the rim. I wasn't sure they
were going to be great rim protectors, you know. I
didn't know if they could block shots and do the
vitality rule and really own the pain. And that's where

(36:46):
I've seen the most gross with this team is rebounding
on the interior, blocking shots and just protecting the rim.
And that's where I'm most proud of this team because
I don't think we're that elite on the ball defensively,
so when you have that help on the backside, it
just changes everything.

Speaker 4 (37:02):
Coach, I know you like Tom isel right this time
of year, there's always something that you're not happy about.
Do you want to clean up or you want to
be better? If I say that team wise, or maybe
it's a specific player that you want more out of,
or they got to hit some breeze or whatever, what
would it be?

Speaker 3 (37:15):
Give me give me two?

Speaker 9 (37:17):
Yeah, you know me a little too well. I think
every time every time Tom is Well speaks of the microphone,
everything that comes out of his bows is exactly what
I'm feeling. Just go to give a body microphone to
say so. You know, there's always a couple of things
that I want to do better. Our number one is
we got to limit our empty possessions. So for our listeners,
an empty possession would be either a turnover or like

(37:39):
a misshot, but not just a misshot, like a bad misshot,
a tough two shot you don't practice, could be an
execution situation where you don't execute we're supposed to do.
And we've just had some really bad empty possessions. And
the reason why I say that is when we don't
have empty possessions, we take the right shot or get
the right shot. Like our field goal percentages very high

(38:00):
and we're very difficult to guard. And then we can
get back on defense, which is huge. And our second one.
You know, we're hard to prepare for. We change defenses
a lot. We'll play some man, we'll play some zone.
We have three different presses that will throw at you.
We just got to continue to communicate a little bit
better on the court when you're changing defense is the
way the way we do. If you don't communicate, you

(38:21):
could give up an easy one really quick. So if
we can take care of those two things and get
better at those two things, I do believe that this
team can continue to grow and make a run.

Speaker 5 (38:30):
But you talked about your experience. You know, five sophomores
that we're with you when you went to the Bresident
Center two years ago, and you start five seniors and
you rely on those guys heavily. How important has been
the development of everybody else though? Because you know, when
we saw you against Northview last week, I thought Austin
Burgess the sophomore played great, with Carson VISs in foul trouble,
Caleb Krashell has really come on for you. How important

(38:50):
are those guys to you right now, especially this time
of year.

Speaker 9 (38:53):
Yeah, I mean they're everything for us right now. I
mean I don't put a lot of pressure on those
guys because I think they kind of already feel it.
I think when you're younger and you come off the
bench and you know you're not a starter, I think
like you come in and you're always like putting pressure
in yourself.

Speaker 3 (39:08):
I got I got to.

Speaker 9 (39:09):
Hit this shot in our stay in the game, you know,
like get to do that all the time. It's like
you're coming out no matter what. I don't Gary make
this shot or not. But what helps our team is
if we have some more depth and if we get
in Pola Trovo or Carson needs the rest, or Davis
needs the rest. But those guys come in and we
don't miss a beat. We look at plus minus a
lot and our bench has not been greating the plus

(39:31):
minus category. And I really thought, you know, the progression
of Cable Crochell and Austin Burgess and even Ty Brinks
coming in on the inside has really helped us a lot.
I think we're able to go a little deeper rotation,
stay a little bit more rested. But let's just call
what it is. I mean, if you make threes, it's
a game changer. And Crochell at three threes on Friday night,

(39:52):
I think at five on the week. Burgess had thirteen
points on Tuesday. And you know, those guys got to
keep getting more confident. We have to continue to give
them the in order to go out there and do it.

Speaker 3 (40:01):
You and I talked a couple of weeks ago.

Speaker 4 (40:03):
I got a chance to see you in person when
you were really starting to find your rhythm and wailing
in a blowout win. And I talked to you before
that because we had covered the girls game, and I
said to you, Taylor, I'm seeing that eye of the
tiger look that your boss David Coole had when he
used to make runs with South Christian was mister basketball
with a guy that I worked with and Drew Knight,
So who you know very well did it Wilmy Park

(40:24):
And I'm seeing that in Carson VISs. Now let me
add another layer to that. In football, they didn't rank
him in the top fifty rankings as far as players
in the state, and I talked to Danny Brown about
that and he said, yeah, that kind of thing fires
Carson up. And it was because obviously he was a
basketball commit to Western, but still one of the top players,
no doubt about it. Football, we just had the mister
Basketball finalists come out. I don't know how he wasn't

(40:47):
on that list, but he wasn't. Does that give him
a little extra chip because he's that type of kid,
he's so competitive.

Speaker 9 (40:54):
Yeah, he's a kid, you know, who does things the
right way. And I think we have programs here that
we do things the right way. I'm gonna be honest
with you, guys, I think if Carson wanted to get
thirty forty points a game and we let him, he would,
but he doesn't want to and we don't want him to.
We're not worried about individual awards. I think it always
creates a little extra motivation, but we're worried about team success.

Speaker 8 (41:16):
Here.

Speaker 9 (41:16):
We only raise one banner, and that's a state title banner.
You can come in our gym and we've got two
mister basketballs mcdownd's All Americans and NBA draft picks, and
you won't see one thing about them in our gym anywhere.
We are a team first school, and I think Carson's
the team first guy. And you know, when he's done playing,
I'll probably share some opinions on the football and basketball
things right but right now, as we're in this moment

(41:39):
right now, you know he's completely bought in. You know,
he's humble, he's focused on our team's success, and that's
what we're trying to do. We're trying to make some
turn them bond with this group, and we're worry about
the other stuff. The other day, Coach, I.

Speaker 5 (41:52):
Want to ask you from a broader perspective, we get
the mister Basketball finalists and they're all from the east
side of the state. I mean, it's like we don't
play basketball over here, you know, as well as anybody,
how much talent there is here. I mean, Carson Viiss
leads that charge. I would argue he's the best player
on the side of the state. But Cam Thompson at Whitehall,
Brady Sports at Northview. Is it fair that we didn't

(42:12):
get anybody even a finalist for Mister Basketball because it
seems strange to me.

Speaker 8 (42:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (42:17):
You know, I love our bekm board and our membership,
and I do think they do a really good job.
I think it's one of the more loaded classes we've
seen in a long time. You know, you mentioned Brady Schwartz,
Cam Thompson'll give some other names. Cam Hudson, he's going
to Saint Louis is not on the list. You know.
Phoenix Glasner's all time score at Dayla Style, he's not

(42:38):
on the list. So I think it's a really competitive thing.
I think, you know, with three guys on the West side,
they probably just decided to go with none of them,
which I don't think is fair. But I think that's
what it is, you know, biasly Obviously, I think Carson's
more than deserving to be on that list. I think
he earned it. I think he did everything he was

(42:59):
supposed to do. But you know, the Mister Basketball Award.
I want to make this clear. I do think Trey
McKenny is the best player in the state. I think
he's deserving of the award. I think being on the
list does mean a lot. I think the kids means
a lot. But let's call it what it is.

Speaker 8 (43:15):
Trey is the.

Speaker 9 (43:16):
Best player in the state. We are thankful to have him.
We are thankful that he stayed here in this state
to continue to play. We are excited that he picked
the University of Michigan that's continued to represent the state.
And we're all pulling for Trey, and I really do
think he's going to win that award.

Speaker 6 (43:31):
Well said he is.

Speaker 4 (43:31):
Taylor Johnson, head coach of South Christian. That's why I
always join the conversation. We kind of saved you for later.

Speaker 3 (43:37):
Coach. You're probably wondering we didn't give you a call
early because we always want to do it.

Speaker 4 (43:40):
Getting ready for the road to the Breslin Center. Coach,
appreciate it. Best of luck to the Sailors. Congratulations on
so far coach championship as a team with Norfield. I
know that meant a lot to you guys because the
Okay Gold was tough.

Speaker 8 (43:52):
Yeah, it was tough.

Speaker 9 (43:53):
And North Vie's, you know, a very very good team,
very deserving, and I mean they have four Division one
players on the court. I feel like every time I
loved up. So that was a great win for us
on Tuesday. The fans were great, the crowd was great.
Being able to share that title is definitely a goal.
But now we got to know, move past that, folks,
some other things the bigger things.

Speaker 10 (44:10):
For in bounds, that comes to Brady Schwartz, worts to
Ryan's Ryan puts it on the floor, checked by Blue,
nice pass at Tibu the chief a block by stroke Bore.

Speaker 6 (44:28):
The South student section love it. Here comes Carson Biss
Thiss behind.

Speaker 10 (44:32):
The back dribble, Dike Scroccore for the dunk, and that's.

Speaker 6 (44:36):
Gonna course it.

Speaker 10 (44:37):
David Channon time out halfway through the first quarter. It's
ten two South Christians and Ike Scrotenboor has been active
on both Dad's the big dunk.

Speaker 4 (44:50):
So we heard from Taylor Johnson South Christian boys said
basketball coach. Here on this week seven edition the LMCU basketball.
Let's thanks to coach for joining us. And now we've
got to wrap things up talking about the conversation as
we're in the middle of district action on the road
to the Breslin Center for the boys and give you
our uptown cheapskate players of the week along the Lake
Shore and the Grand Aperseria. Will do that quickly, but

(45:11):
first want to remind everybody the road to the Breslin
Center starts tomorrow night. Jay and I will be up
most likely unless things change at Muskegereeze Puffer High School,
the site of what should be an unbelievable I mean,
we're talking two of the top teams regardless of division
in the state.

Speaker 3 (45:28):
I'd put them both in the top ten.

Speaker 4 (45:30):
Meeting for a district final Division one Rockford and Miskegan
is what we're thinking. Six forty five of the pregame
coverage seven o'clock the tip right here on ninety six
to one. The game and again brought to you this
season by MKD Funderalhomes. Our full schedule as far as
dates that we're going to have games, is up at
the Trinity Health High School Basketball Page.

Speaker 5 (45:48):
Yeah, only three conference champions in that district. I mean
Greenville goes twenty one to one and didn't get a bye.
So Greenville Miskeigan on Wednesday night, Mona Shores Rockford on
Wednesday Night Rockford Miskeigan OK Red Champ against OK Green Champ.

Speaker 6 (46:01):
And you would be pointed to this at the start
of the season.

Speaker 5 (46:03):
Wow, Rockford Miskeighan in the same district, Like that's where
we're going to be for the district final. Then James
Martin goes down and you're like, what does that do?

Speaker 8 (46:09):
Well?

Speaker 5 (46:09):
Muskegan has played really well without him, So I still
think it's an unbelievable matchup and the winner has a
really good chance of making it to the Bresentent Center.
Because Rockford won the OKA read outright. Despite it stumble
in our game of the Week on February eleventh to Hudsonville,
they still win over the Eagles by a game. Miskegan
goes unblemished through the OKA Green a perfect ten and
zero to edge out Byron Center. Growing up as Catholic

(46:30):
Central Boys, when they're ninth straight conference championship, they're outright
in the OKA White. Despite losing last Friday night to
Forests norm they had already wrapped it up.

Speaker 6 (46:37):
They still win by two games.

Speaker 5 (46:38):
South Christian and Northeast, but the ok Gold as we
saw what they split their two meetings. How about Uni
Christian had stumbled late at Hamilton but still wins the
ok Black by two games over Zealand Ees. Big shout
out to Fruitport, you know, in the Okay Silver this year,
winning their first ever conference championship in wars basketball, first
rate ever. So they went at Belding last Friday night,
Godwin Heights got beat. So that means fruit Port is

(47:00):
the outright Okay Silver champion. We talked about Greenville outright
O River Cities, Trinity Christian rolled in the Alliance. The
West Michigan Conference winners were Whitehall in the Lakes, North
Miskegan and the Rivers. And how about the Grant Tigers
a perfect ten to zero in the CSAA rat outright
champions in Kent City wins the CSAA White.

Speaker 4 (47:15):
All right, so how about our top ten rankings. Well,
do like me do with the girls. We'll have our
discussion and then also I'd like a team or two.
And as we tape this, keep in mind on Wednesday morning,
we don't know what's going to happen with the district
semi finals, even though this is airing Thursday evening, getting
ready for the district finals for the boys the very
next night. Some teams that you know, just you're keeping
your eye playing their best basketball meat right now. It

(47:36):
could make some noise. They're trending as we are going
through district life. Well, you want me to start with
my top ten, I'm my trending. Yeah, so top ten,
I'm going to Skegan one, Rockford two, South Christian three.
I have Byron Center for Hudsonville five, Northview six, Grand
Haven seven, Unity Christian eight, Try Unity Christian nine and
Covenant Christian coming in at ten. You talk about a

(47:58):
loaded Division two district, Wow, I've grand up. It's Cacolock Central.

Speaker 5 (48:01):
Now outside of my top ten, I only lost to
Pop Pulp but also was in the Forestals North, but
they're still a factor. Unity Christian, Covenant Christian, and Allendale
is one of those teams that's certainly coming on right now.
I have on Dale at thirteen, but at sixteen and six,
I think at a four seed, they're as good of
a four seed as you're gonna find.

Speaker 4 (48:16):
How good is that you just highlighted the Muskegan dis
jerk and I mean it should say the Miskeigan Ree
Puffer District. But Myskigan, Greenville, Rockford and there. I mean
you could argue that that Division two is deeper at
Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

Speaker 6 (48:29):
It's really good, it's really good.

Speaker 5 (48:30):
So I thought of Allendale, my team that's trending right now,
that I wouldn't want to play Forest Hills Northern. Remember
the Huskies started two and seven. They are ten and
three since January fourteenth, and don't forget, five of their
losses have either come by four points or fewer or
in overtime, and they lost by ten to teams like
Rockford and Unity Christian. They beat ground up. It's Catholic
Central Friday night. They are the two seed at Northview. Now,

(48:50):
who knows by the time this airs, maybe they're already
eliminated because they play Forest Hills Central on Wednesday night.
But a potential for a really hot forestles Northern team
to take on a really good North team in that
district final.

Speaker 4 (49:00):
All right, I've got Myskegee number one, Rockford number two.
Of course, right before I left on vacation, we did
the game on that Tuesday night, Rockford going to Hudsonville
and the Eagles handed them their second loss of the season.
I have as one of my trending teams South Christian.
I've got them all the way up to three, as
you mentioned, co champs with the Okay Gold with Nordview
Unity Christian with that loss and overtime to Hamilton drops

(49:22):
down to four from me. Remember I had him pretty
high Norview five. Then I've got Byron Center six, Hudsonville seven,
Grand Haven eight, Grand Rapids, Catholic Central nine, and then Greenville.
You're RCA Boys champions outright. The Yellowjackets with just one
loss in the season and my top ten. Now, as
I say that, South Christian is a team that I like.

(49:43):
I really liked Hutsonville. I know you did two when
we saw them, Joe von Daniels as their leader and
a guy that can just go off and give you
thirty any given night. But I'm gonna say this, have
you watched the scores and the way that they've finished
the last two weeks for Grand Haven? Grand Haven is
a team and I go back to what Eric Elliott
told us when they beat the Eagles. He said, they

(50:04):
just shot the lights out and they're capable of that.
I mean, he was giving them credits like they shot well,
but they can do that to teams. Grand Haven might
be a tough out on the boys side in Division one.

Speaker 5 (50:15):
They're the one seed in their district, of course, and
they're gonna play Holland on Wednesday night and then they're
gonna get either the West Out or a Zealand East
in that district final. But I would consider grand Haven certainly.
And that's what's interesting is if we do get all
these one seeds in that region on Hudsonville, I think
that's a whale of a regional with grand Haven, Byron Center,
Hudsonville and Northfield if it.

Speaker 4 (50:34):
Happens, and that's obviously the boys regional final we're looking
at for one week from tonight, and that will be
our live show out. They're leading into the pregame of
that that night, starting at six o'clock to wrap up
the LMCU basketball Blitz for the season.

Speaker 5 (50:49):
I know we're running low on time here, but let
me just ask this. If you're Hudsonville, let's assume they
beat Jennison on Wednesday night, which we don't know at
the taping of this right, Well, if you're Eric Elliott,
and we'll already know the matchup on this airs, would
you rather play Coopersville or Grandville in the district final?
Because with Coopersville you got the trickiness of that two
three zone which gives everybody fits. But they just played
Grandville last Friday night and beat them in overtime.

Speaker 3 (51:10):
Yeah, that's a tough call.

Speaker 4 (51:11):
I think coaches would say who we're familiar with, but
at the same time they're familiar with you too and
what they need to do. And Coopersville, well, Coopersville is
just that math problem that no one wants to.

Speaker 5 (51:21):
My point of this all is I say that about
the four number one seeds. My guess is all four
don't get there.

Speaker 6 (51:26):
But we'll see.

Speaker 3 (51:27):
It's the magic of March.

Speaker 4 (51:28):
We wrap up with the uptown cheapskate players of the week.
We'll do it a little bit different. I'm gonna stick
with the Lakeshore girls and boys. Then Jail will give
you the Grand Rapids are And I know you've got
an honorable mention too, because we had a lot of
great standouts for the boys side this week on our
lake Shore coverage. But Muskegan because I saw her in
person the other night, Junior God, Mariah Sain, Welcome back

(51:49):
to the Lady Big Reds twenty eight and they just
blew out respar for a team they lost to you,
by the way the first go round of the regular
season last Friday night and then twenty one in the
victory over West Catholics. Was our uptown cheapskate player of
the game for that one. So Mariah saying of Miskegan
on the girls side of the boys side, I'm gonna
go from Holland Christian Titus Spencer. It was a senior

(52:10):
night that they didn't want to disappoint their seders. And
he's not even a senior, but he's saying we needed
to step up at home and get it done. They
did an overtime coming back from seventeen down late in
the third quarter to the Hamilton Hawk guys to win
at seventy five sixty eight. He had twenty nine points,
eight of those in overtime.

Speaker 5 (52:28):
Yeah, Titus Spencer's really good. I mean he's been lighted
up to scoreboard all season long, and they're gonna Hunkers
is gonna need him as they get into that district
because that's that's one of those districts with Wayland and Hamilton,
and I think a lot of different teams are capable
of winning that district. My honorable mention in the boys Lakeshores,
Hunter Hayse camp for Fruitport on his sixteenth birthday last
Friday night. He goes for twenty in the win Overbuilding
and helps the Trojans to their first ever boys Basketball

(52:50):
Conference championship. All right, for the Grand Rapids area players
of the week, how have we not gotten to Brendan
Cargill before this, But Brendan Cargill, like Titus Spencer, has
been scoring in bunches this year. How about thirty eight
last Friday night in the winter for Forestels Eastern, thirty
eight more Monday as they beat Grand up at Junior
in that district opener. As I said, by the time
this airs, they'll have already played Forestails Northern on Wednesday night.
So Brendan Cargill our boy. And on the girls side,

(53:13):
we're gonna go with Addie Rhodes, the outstanding guard from
Calvin Christian twenty two last Friday night as the Squires
beat Hopkins to finish a perfect unbeaten and conference championship
season in the ok Silver and she went for twenty
four more on Tuesday night against Kalamzu Christian. Now the
Squires lost that game fifty three to fifty. Jordan Bonama
had a big game. Bonhama and Rhodes a lot of
fun to watch. Two great teams there that could potentially

(53:35):
meet I guess in a state quarterfinal in Division three.
But there's lots of good teams in Division three that'll
be a tough road.

Speaker 4 (53:40):
Congrats the Lady Squire's on that Okay Silver Division championship
outright this year. There's our Uptown Cheapskate Players of the Week,
brought to you by Uptown Cheapskate, Bring in your stuff
locations in Granville, Kentwood and Holland. Uptown Cheapskate they buy
what you loved yesterday, sell what you want today, clean
out your closet and earned cast for your clothes. Plus
you can bec coming uptown inside. Give monthly deals with

(54:00):
Uptown Cheapskate dot com. I get a lot of my
sports stuff there, loved. Thank you Uptown Cheapskate. And that's
going to do it for this edition of the LMCU
Basketball Blitz Red Wings Hockey coming up next for Jasonutton.
My name is Prep Pikitah. Thanks for our coaches, join us.
We'll see you next week for the season finale. It's
the LMCU Basketball Blitz, exclusively here on Naughty six to
one The Game.

Speaker 1 (54:21):
This has been another edition of the LMCU Basketball Blitz,
presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union and also brought to
you by J and H Family Stores, Vanderloin Home Improvement,
Kids Food Basket, Trinity Health, Sporting You Wing, Doozy Hals,
Jepson Physical Therapy, Discount, Door, Straight Line Fence, Rapid Radios,

(54:42):
Uptown Cheapskate Stores in Granville, kent Wood and Holland MKD Funeral,
Holmes and Meyer. Be sure to join us next Thursday
night starting at six or another edition of the LMCU
Basketball Blitz. And just a reminder, if you miss an
episode or want to hear one of our Game of
the Week broadcast, go to the Trinity Health Michigan High
School Basketball page at ninety six one The Game dot

(55:05):
com and search under the podcast section you're listening to
West Michigan's home for Sports. Ninety six won the Game