Friday Night Hoop

FRIDAY FINALS
BOYS

Reese 69, Bad Axe 54

BCAS 50, Cass City 47

Vassar 52, USA 43

Harbor Beach 43, EPBP 42

Ubly 62, Sandusky 53

Brown City 54, Mayville 35

Marlette 71, Kingston 29

Port Hope 59, Caseville 50

GIRLS

Sandusky 65, Ubly 35 

Port Hope 54, Caseville 35

Deckerville 40, Peck 14

North Huron 48, A-Fairgrove 46

My NEW Boys Top 10

Here is my NEW boys Top 10 after Wednesday's games.

1. BCAS (12-3) – The Cougars are getting scoring from more than just Drew Janer. Garrett Bowker had 28 points in a win over Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart on Wednesday. He had 31 a week ago vs. Vassar

2. Harbor Beach (11-3) – The Pirates have steadied the ship after a few struggles in the middle part of the season.

3. Ubly (11-4 CORRECTED, SORRY!) – The Bearcats will get a big test Friday against a pesky Sandusky squad.

4. Marlette (12-4) – The Raiders were bombed by Saginaw Buena Vista earlier this week, but I think any GTC would get bombed against them. Still right there in the hunt for the GTE crown.

5. Reese (9-7) – The Rockets lost four in a row, but have now won four in a row. They still have a shot at the GTW title.

6. USA (9-6) – The Patriots are certainly Cass City fans this Friday when the Red Hawks host BCAS.

7. Sandusky (11-6) – The Redskins have enough talent to still be a factor in the GTE.

8. Cass City (8-7) – The Red Hawks MUST salvage this week with a win over BCAS on Friday.

9. CPS (15-1) – Disappointing second-half showing against Sandusky earlier in the week moves the Tigers way down the poll.

10. Vassar (8-7) – Need a win against a top-tier GTW team to move up the poll.

The Tigers did NOT need this

Tigers’ Cabrera arrested on DUI charge in Fla.

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera was arrested late Wednesday on suspicion of drunken driving in Florida, police said, the latest episode for the first baseman who has struggled with drinking-related problems.

Cabrera, 27, was spotted by a deputy in a car with a smoking engine alongside a road in Fort Pierce. Inside the vehicle, Cabrera smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech and took a swig from a bottle of scotch in front of a deputy, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. He refused to cooperate and more deputies were called to the scene.

The arrest occurred about 110 miles southeast of Lakeland, where the Tigers hold spring training. Pitchers and catchers began workouts earlier this week, but position players like Cabrera don’t start until Saturday.

“It’s hard,” said second baseman Carlos Guillen, who is in camp recovering from an injury. “He’s a really good friend. I know he was working hard in the winter to have a good season this year.”

According to the police report, Cabrera was wandering into the road with his hands up before he was handcuffed. He kept saying, “Do you know who I am? You don’t know anything about my problems,” and cursed at deputies who tried to get him into a patrol car.

One deputy struck Cabrera in the left thigh several times with his knee after Cabrera pushed into him, causing the ballplayer to fall into the patrol car. Cabrera refused to take a breath test, deputies said.

He was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and resisting an officer without violence. He posted $1,350 bond and was released from jail at 7:45 a.m. Thursday.

The news was slow to reach the Tigers’ spring training complex, but Guillen, who like Cabrera is from Venezuela, was shaken when he found out.

“I worry about him. He’s got a lot of talent,” Guillen said. “It’s tough for him, for us, for Venezuelans.”

Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski wasn’t immediately available for comment.

Cabrera is coming off perhaps his best season. He hit .328 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs in 2010 and finished second to Josh Hamilton in the American League MVP vote.

In 2009, police said the All-Star first baseman got into a fight with his wife after a night of drinking, right before his team surrendered the American League Central Division title to the Twins.

Dombrowski had to pick up Cabrera at the station after that incident. No charges were filed.

During spring training last year, Cabrera said he was done drinking alcohol after he spent much of the offseason in counseling.

“You guys write in the paper ’alcoholic,’ that’s not right,” he said last March before a spring training workout. “I don’t know how to explain, but it’s not an alcohol problem.”

Cabrera has a home in Boca Raton, about 75 miles south of Fort Pierce. There was no phone listing for him.

Updated Area Standings

Boys Basketball

GREATER THUMB WEST

Team W L W L

BCAS 7 1 12 3

Reese 5 3 9 7

USA 5 3 9 6

Cass City 4 3 8 7

Vassar 3 4 8 7

Bad Axe 2 6 5 10

EPBP 1 7 3 12

 GREATER THUMB EAST

Team W L W L

H. Beach 6 1 11 3

Marlette 5 2 12 4
Ubly 4 3 11 4

Sandusky 4 3 11 6

Brown City 1 5 4 12

Mayville 0 6 1 14

Conference records supplied by league

NORTH CENTRAL THUMB NORTH

Team W L W L

North Huron 7 3 9 7

A-Fairgrove 7 4 7 9

Owen-Gage 2 8 2 13

Caseville 2 9 2 13

Port Hope 1 9 1 12

NORTH CENTRAL THUMB SOUTH

Team W L W L

*CPS 10 0 15 1

Memphis 8 3 9 8

Deckerville 7 3 9 7

Peck 5 4 9 6

Kingston 2 8 6 9

*Clinched at least share of title

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

Bad Axe 59, North Huron 35

USA 50, Cass City 36

Reese 64, Pinconning 44

Saginaw Buena Vista 74, Marlette 36

Vassar 49, EPBP 43

TONIGHT’S GAMES

Owen-Gage at A-Fairgrove

Memphis at CPS

Deckerville at Peck

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Bad Axe at Reese

BCAS at Cass City

Vassar at USA

EPBP at Harbor Beach

Sandusky at Ubly (B/G DH)

Brown City at Mayville

Kingston at Marlette

Caseville at Port Hope (B/G DH)

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Girls Basketball

GREATER THUMB WEST

Team W L W L

Reese 9 1 15 2

EPBP 8 2 12 5

USA 4 4 9 7

Cass City 4 4 7 9

Vassar 4 5 8 8

BCAS 2 7 6 11

Bad Axe 1 9 5 11

GREATER THUMB EAST

Team W L W L

Sandusky 7 0 16 0

Brown City 6 2 13 3

Marlette 6 2 13 3

H. Beach 4 5 8 9

Mayville 1 7 2 15

Ubly 0 8 0 17

Conference records supplied by league

NORTH CENTRAL THUMB NORTH

Team W L W L

Owen-Gage 8 4 9 8

Port Hope 8 4 13 4

Caseville 3 5 3 10

North Huron 3 7 5 10

A-Fairgrove 0 11 0 15

 NORTH CENTRAL THUMB SOUTH

Team W L W L

*Memphis 13 0 14 4

Deckerville 8 3 10 6

Kingston 5 5 8 9

CPS 5 6 8 9

Peck - - 3 12

*Clinched title

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

Memphis 59, Owen-Gage 27

TONIGHT’S GAMES

Bad Axe at Reese

BCAS at Cass City

Vassar at USA

EPBP at Harbor Beach

Brown City at Mayville

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Sandusky at Ubly (B/G DH)

Caseville at Port Hope (B/G DH)

Peck at Deckerville

A-Fairgrove at North Huron

USA clips Red Hawks

Adams covered the makeup game between USA and Cass City on Wednesday night.
Here's his report...

SEBEWAING — This week was supposed to be moving week for Cass City.

Unfortunately for the Red Hawks, they’re moving in the wrong direction.

They began Monday tied with Bay City All Saints for the top spot in the Greater Thumb West. Following Wednesday’s 50-36 loss to Unionville-Sebewaing Area, they’re two games back.

Monday, they dropped a 56-44 decision to Reese. 

“Going on the road to Reese and USA is tough for anyone in this league,” said Cass City coach Jim Green. “We were in both games. Tonight, I just thought USA elevated their game and executed well.”

After trailing 28-21 at the break, the Red Hawks cut the deficit to just 32-28 heading into the fourth quarter.

Still trailing by four points two minutes into the fourth, Sean McBrayer hit back-to-back threes and Cass City never recovered.

“I really thought those two threes turned around the game around for us,” said USA coach Mark Gainforth. 

Although Green praised USA’s effort, Gainforth thought it could have been better.

“There’s just too many spaces in the game that we have runs of turnovers,” he said. “It’s not the effort from game to game, it’s the game within the game. 

“It’s consistency within the game.”

Cass City led 13-10 after the first quarter, but Jake Holland helped USA recapture the lead for good, scoring eight of his game-high 22 points in the second.

“He played his best game tonight,” Gainforth said. “In the first half, he really took over our offense because we were really struggling.”

Added Green: “Holland really came through for them tonight. He was consistent throughout the game and we really didn’t have a good answer for him.”

McBrayer added nine points for the Patriots while Andrew Botello had eight points.

Alex Varney came through with 19 points to lead the Red Hawks while Cameron Dunnuck added 13.

USA ended the night with a 36-22 rebounding edge. 

“There’s no way you’re going to win at USA getting dominated on the glass like that,” Green said. 

In the third quarter, Botello tweaked an ankle. He left the game and the bench to get treatment, but quickly returned to contribute to the win.

“Andrew Botello, for being the shortest guy out there, was probably our leading rebounder,” Gainforth said. “Every time I looked, he was down there digging for the ball.

“That’s the good thing about guys like Andrew... Something doesn’t go right with one part of their game, they find another way to contribute.”

Cass City returns home Friday night, trying to salvage the week and bring BCAS back to the pack.

The Red Hawks will have the support of the other teams in the GTW, including USA, which still has another game with the Cougars.

“I just look at the parity we have in our league — somebody has to knock off All Saints eventually,” Gainforth said. “More than any other year, you have to be ready to play because most teams aren’t good enough to just roll the ball out and be ready to go.

“We would need help, but Reese is there, Cass City is there, Vassar is there. We’re big Cass City fans on Friday night.”

In the first meeting, BCAS defeated Cass City 81-63.

“We have to come through with a better effort Friday night,” Green said. “It was about effort tonight. We just have to feed off the fact that it’s time to get a win. We’re at home, we have to get a good win and All Saints would be that. But we have to bring a much better effort Friday night.”

“All Saints is in first place for a reason. They have an outstanding team, it’s not the Drew Janer Show, they have a solid team. They’re very good defensively, too.”

USA’s Jake Holland (24) is fouled by Cass City’s Cole Israelson during the first half of the Patriots’ 50-36 win on Wednesday night in Sebewaing. 

STATE POLLS

WE WILL POST THE TRIBUNE POLLS FRIDAY MORNING AFTER WEDNESDAY'S BOYS GAMES.

The top 10 teams in the Michigan Associated Press high school basketball poll, with records in parentheses. Totals are based on 15 points for a first-place vote, 14 for second, etc.:

Class A

School Total Pts

 1. Romulus (5) (15-1) 75

 2. Ann Arbor Huron (13-1) 69

 3. Det. Southeastern (15-2) 66

 4. Saginaw (14-2) 56

 5. Detroit Cody (15-2) 52

 6. Kalamazoo Central (11-2) 49

 7. Lansing Eastern (12-3) 43

 8. East Lansing (13-2) 35

 9. Ypsilanti (14-0) 31

10. Petoskey (15-1) 30

Others receiving votes: Warren De La Salle 25, Okemos 20, Bay City Western 20, Detroit Henry Ford 7, Brighton 6, Flint Carman-Ainsworth 6, Pontiac 4, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 4, Benton Harbor 1, Eastpointe East Detroit 1.

Class B

School Total Pts

 1. Country Day (4) (13-2) 74

 2. Lansing Sexton (1) (13-0) 71

 3. GR Christian (15-0) 62

 4. Richland Gull Lake (15-0) 60

 5. Flint Powers (13-2) 54

 6. Detroit Douglass (14-3) 49

 7. H. Woods Academy (16-1) 47

 8. Sag. Swan Valley (15-0) 43

 9. GR Catholic Central (13-1) 34

T10. Lansing Catholic (10-3) 25

T10. Comstock Park (13-1) 25

Others receiving votes: Standish-Sterling 20, Williamston 11, Muskegon Heights 9, Madison Heights Madison 7, Wayland 4, Imlay City 3, Detroit Crockett 2.

Class C

School Total Pts

 1. Det. Consortium (4) (11-3) 73

 2. Melvindale ABT (1) (15-0) 70

 3. Flint Beecher (14-2) 63

 4. Schoolcraft (14-0) 61

 5. Montague (14-0) 56

 6. Saginaw BV (9-5) 45

 7. Fennville (15-0) 41

 8. Bridgman (13-2) 40

 9. Clinton (13-1) 29

10. Sanford-Meridian (14-1) 22

Others receiving votes: Flint Hamady 20, McBain 16, Pewamo-Westphalia 13, Ishpeming 11, Suttons Bay 10, Fife Lake Forest Area 9, Negaunee 9, Napoleon 4, Vandercook Lake 4, Hanover-Horton 2, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 2.

Class D

School Total Pts

 1. Cedarville (3) (14-0) 73

 2. Wy. Tri-unity (2) (13-1) 70

 3. CPS (15-0) 66

 4. Posen (15-0) 60

 5. Eben Junction (14-1) 55

 6. Big Rapids Cross. (15-0) 51

 7. Fulton-Middleton (12-2) 40

 8. AH Oak. Christian (14-0) 39

 9. Climax-Scotts (12-2) 30

T10. Pellston (13-2) 25

T10. Rapid River (12-2) 25

Others receiving votes: Bay City All Saints 17, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 11, Bellaire 9, Holland Calvary 8, Bark River-Harris 6, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 4, Adrian Lenawee Christian 3, Detroit Westside Christian 3, McBain Northern Michigan Christian 3, Mason County Eastern 2.

Girls Prep Poll

The top 10 teams in the Michigan Associated Press high school basketball poll, with records in parentheses. Totals are based on 15 points for a first-place vote, 14 for second, etc.:

Class A

School Total Pts

 1. Grand Haven (3) (16-0) 73

 2. Inkster (2) (16-1) 71

 3. Detroit Pershing (16-0) 66

 4. Byron Center (16-0) 60

 5. Midland Dow (16-1) 55

 6. Canton (14-2) 50

 7. Midland (13-2) 45

 8. East Lansing (14-2) 39

 9. Petoskey (15-2) 30

10. Det. Renaissance (12-3) 25

Others receiving votes: Auburn Hills Avondale 24, Lansing Waverly 16, Livonia Ladywood 14, Waterford Kettering 9, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 5, Grand Blanc 4, Detroit King 3, Romulus 3, Clio 2, St. Johns 2, Detroit Mumford 2, Pinckney 1, Novi 1.

Class B

School Total Pts

 1. Country Day (5) (15-0) 75

 2. GR Catholic Central (15-1) 66

 3. Goodrich (15-1) 63

 3. Morley-Stanwood (15-0) 63

 5. Three Rivers (16-0) 55

 6. DeWitt (14-2) 50

 7. Olivet (15-1) 43

 8. GR Christian (14-2) 37

 9. Ida (15-2) 27

10. Frankenmuth (14-2) 26

Others receiving votes: East Grand Rapids 22, Richland Gull Lake 17, Brooklyn Columbia Central 9, Muskegon Oakridge 6, Ludington 5, Battle Creek Harper Creek 5, Kingsley 5, Chelsea 4, Wayland 4, Hemlock 3, Carrollton 3, Tawas 2, Grant 2, Jackson Northwest 2, Holland Christian 2, Shelby 2, Hudsonville Unity Christian 1, Onsted 1.

Class C

School Total Pts

 1. Flint Hamady (5) (16-0) 75

 2. St. Ignace LaSalle (15-1) 70

 3. Kent City (14-0) 65

 4. P-Westphalia (16-1) 57

 5. G. Pointe Liggett (14-1) 50

 6. TCSF (15-0) 40

 7. Sag. Valley Luth. (15-1) 39

 8. Clare (16-1) 35

 9. Kalkaska (14-1) 32

10. Niles Brandywine (16-1) 31

Others receiving votes: Michigan Center 20, Saugatuck 18, Lawton 15, McBain 14, Sandusky 13, Leroy Pine River 9, Manton 7, New Lothrop 4, Sand Creek 2, Grandville Calvin Christian 2, Houghton 1, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 1.

Class D

School Total Pts

 1. Central Lake (5) (16-0) 75

 2. Hillsdale Academy (18-0) 70

 3. Watersmeet (17-0) 58

 4. Gaylord St. Mary (15-2) 57

 5. Posen (16-1) 55

 6. Manistee CC (15-0) 50

 7. Marine City CM (13-2) 42

 8. Waterford Our Lady (15-3) 40

 9. M. County Eastern (16-1) 37

10. Brimley (14-2) 35

Others receiving votes: Ellsworth 18, Crystal Falls Forest Park 17, Chassell 14, Eben Junction Superior Central 8, Lansing Christian 7, Camden-Frontier 6, Climax-Scotts 4, Bark River-Harris 4, Hillsdale Will Carleton Academy 3.