Bogan says Pitt; Adams has the Pack

5 Reasons Why We Think Our Team Will Win Sunday

BOGAN

1. Big Ben gets it done.

While his off-the-field antics have been questioned — and rightfully so — Ben Roethlisberger’s performance on the field during the post-season has been nothing short of spectacular.

At age 28, he has a pair of Super Bowl rings — two more than Dan Marino  and one more than Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.

He will not put up gaudy passing numbers (his passer rating is 10th this post-season while Green Bay counterpart Aaron Rodgers is rated No. 1), but he finds ways to make important plays at crunch time.

Think Tom Brady would give up his 36 touchdown passes and Offensive Player of the Year award to be playing Sunday? 

You bet he would.

2. The defense is deadly.

When a team can put on the field the likes of James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, Troy Polamalu, James Farrior and Casey Hampton, it’s going to be good.

And the Steelers’ defense is REALLY good.

No doubt, the defense is going to give up some plays, but if the unit turns potential touchdowns into field goals, that will be bad news for the Packers.

Harrison and Woodley are going to have big games for the Steelers.

     

3. Underappreciated wide receiver Hines Ward. 

Bet you didn’t know that Ward (954) has more receptions than Pittsburgh legends Lynn Swann (336) and John Stallworth (537) — combined. 

Ward is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was the MVP of Super Bowl XL.

He has great hands and is one of the best blocking wide receivers in the league.

When Roethlisberger needs a big play, he looks to Ward.

I would not be surprised Sunday to see Ward snag another Super Bowl MVP.

4. Packers are due for a letdown.

 Green Bay’s playoff push really started in the final week of the regular season when it had to win against Chicago to earn a playoff spot.

The Packers have followed that up with trips to Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago — three division champions — to secure their trip to the Super Bowl.

I realize this is the Super Bowl, but the Packers have taken a lot of lumps this season — and I think it catches up to them and they implode Sunday.

5. The Favre Factor.

Come on... The Football Gods would NEVER let Green Bay win the Super Bowl the same year Favre retires.

No way. No how. 

Karma is on the side of the Steelers.

PREDICTION: It probably won’t be the prettiest of games, which plays right into the hands of the Steelers.

I see Big Ben leading his team to a go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter. 

And when Aaron Rodgers has a chance to answer, LaMarr Woodley or James Harrison make a game-saving play.

PICK: Steelers 20, Packers 17

ADAMS

1. Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood.

Quick question: Who is the top rated passer in NFL playoff history?

Not Tom Brady, not Joe Montana or even Steve Young.

It’s Aaron Rodgers.

Granted, Rodgers hasn’t played as many games as the QBs I just mentioned, but he’s made a heck of a splash in the few playoff games he’s played so far.

Rodgers has a rating of 101.2 in the regular season, but increased it to 109.2 in three playoff games this season. Indoors, his rating balloons to 115.2. Sunday’s game is in the temple known as new Cowboys Stadium. He’s completing 71 percent of his passes, has six touchdowns to just two picks and 790 yards.

Although his counterpart, Ben Roethlisberger, gets a lot of attention for his ability to keep plays alive, Rodgers has the same ability.

You can’t argue with Roethlisberger’s two rings, but if I had my choice of any quarterback playing right now to win a game, it’s Rodgers.

2. Weapons.

Yes, Pittsburgh has a wonderful defense, but it’s about to be tested.

Green Bay will not be able to run on the Steelers — that’s a given. But the Packers will be able to establish their passing game.

They feature a receiving group led by Greg Jennings with 76 catches (12 touchdowns), Donald Driver 51 catches (four TDs), James Jones 50 catches (five TDs) and Jordy Nelson 45 catches (two TDs). Running back Brandon Jackson also has 43 catches out of the backfield with a score.

I expect Green Bay to try and run the ball early, but look for plenty of four receiver sets to keep the Pittsburgh defense spread out.

3. Defense.

When you think of the Steelers, you automatically think defense.

But Green Bay features a rather stingy defense of its own, led by the man with the best lettuce on the field — linebacker Clay Matthews. 

Fellow linebackers Frank Zombo and A.J. Hawk should help to contain the run game. And watch out if nose tackle B.J. Raji drops into coverage. 

The Packers’ secondary will be tested, but with 2009 Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson, it should be fine.

Believe it or not, Green Bay is actually allowing less points per game in the playoffs than Pittsburgh.

4. The Steelers can be had.

Baltimore bolted out to a 21-7 lead on the Steelers during the Divisional Round.

The Ravens did that with an offense not nearly as good as Green Bay’s.

If the Packers could get out to a similar lead on Sunday, this one will be over early.

5. The Favre Factor.

Mike Bogan said there’s no way Green Bay will win a Super Bowl the same year Brett Favre retires.

First, I’ll believe he’s retired when, or if, next season starts and he’s not there for the first game.

I believe the so-called “Favre Factor” actually works in the Packers’ favor. With a win on Sunday, Rodgers can match the legend with one ring — and in far less time than it took Favre.

Favre’s legacy is motivation for Rodgers. 

Sunday, he will fully emerge from No. 4’s shadow.

PREDICTION: Go Green Bay!

PICK: Green Bay 24, Pittsburgh 20

Anyone else have a pick?

   

Bitzer on the bench at MPSH

MOUNT PLEASANT — Jordan Bitzer let his standout play speak for itself while on the basketball court with Unionville-Sebewaing Area and Central Michigan University.

Now, Bitzer is taking that low-key, high-energy focus and using it to teach the game he loves to a team with potential to become a state champion.

The former USA and CMU star is in his first year as an assistant varsity coach at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart High School.

Bitzer’s friend, MPSH head coach Pat Theisen, offered him the job on the bench right before the season started. It was a chance he couldn’t pass up.

“I really miss playing and just being around the game, so I figured this was a great way to be around it,” Bitzer said. “I feel like I interact with the players pretty well. Joking around with them is pretty easy and understanding what they are thinking at times helps...”

Entering this week, MPSH was 10-1 overall and ranked No. 7 in Class D. There are many of the same kids on the team who played for the Division 8 state championship football squad.

“We have a great group of kids and they are pretty athletic for a small Class D school,” Bitzer said. 

Bitzer says his coaching style is a lot like how he played — cool and calm.

“I'm not much of a yeller or screamer, but I try to teach the kids and give them advice,” he said. 

“Since this is my first year helping, at first I had to get the hang of how they did things. All basketball teams are different and every coach has a different philosophy, so I was just trying to understand the system. I give my input on drills that we used to run at USA and CMU and try to integrate them to make things more competitive and help strengthen some of the weaknesses we have.”

Bitzer, who is in his last semester taking classes at CMU, is in the process of starting a new chapter in his life. 

After a very solid career with the Chippewas, the 2006 USA graduate contemplated playing professionally overseas. This past summer, he and fellow CMU teammate Robbie Harman went out to Las Vegas and played in a pro-am tournament with scouts from all over the world.

But after weighing his options, he decided to stay in the U.S. and finish his schooling.

“I was definitely thinking about going over and playing, but it just didn't work out,” Bitzer explained. “I am still on scholarship, and getting my fifth-year aid was a big factor. A lot of people I talked to told me the more years you take off from school, the harder it would be to come back and finish. 

“I really didn't get an offer that was good enough for me to go over (to Europe). I didn't receive any offer until I was two or three weeks into school this past fall and I already started my classes. And the money I would have made would not have been enough to pay for my school when I would have came back.”

 Bitzer reflects fondly on his time at CMU. He ranks in the top 20 all-time at the school in scoring, is second all-time in steals and third in three-pointers.

“Obviously, winning more games and having the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament would have been nice, but I am pretty happy with how things went,” he said. “I went through some struggles at times, which have made me a better person today. And I realize how blessed I have been with a great family, friends, coaches and teammates. I have definitely learned a lot and can take a lot away from experiences I have had and use them later on in my life. I am happy and thankful I was given the opportunity to represent the Thumb area for four years.”

While he held off this past summer in his quest to play professionally, he still gets the itch every now and again, especially when he gets in the gym with MPSH players.

“I’m not going to lie, I have thought about trying to play basketball again, but it would be hard for me to market myself having taken one year off,” he said.

For now, though, Bitzer’s plans are to finish college and get on with his life — whether it be in or out of basketball.

“I think I may go back to school and get my teaching certificate and pursue a teaching career,” he said. “After the semester is over, I'm going to sit down and talk with my parents and coaches and see what input they may have. I could see myself coming back to the Thumb and coaching and teaching possibly in the future. So we will see...”

2006 USA graduate Jordan Bitzer (right) has traded in his playing uniform for a seat on the bench as an assistant coach at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.

The snow is coming; Games cancelled

Please post any of tonight's cancellations you hear of on this post.
So far, USA at Bad Axe (girls), EPBP at Vassar (girls), Peck at Port Hope (girls) and Deckerville at Caseville (girls) are cancelled.
Also, both games at Harbor Beach between the Pirates and Mayville are cancelled.
Here is what we have as of 3 p.m. Tuesday

BOYS
TUESDAY’S GAMES

Mayville at Harbor Beach, PPD

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

USA at Bad Axe

Cass City at Reese

Ubly at Brown City

Memphis at Port Hope

EPBP at Vassar, PPD (Makeup Feb. 16)

CPS at Caseville, PPD

GIRLS

TUESDAY'S GAMES

BCAS at Bangor John Glenn

Armada at Brown City

CPS at A-Fairgrove

Memphis at Owen-Gage, PPD (Makeup Feb. 16)

Cros-Lex at Marlette, PPD

USA at Bad Axe, PPD

Cass City at Reese, PPD

Mayville at Harbor Beach, PPD  

Kingston at North Huron, PPD

EPBP at Vassar, PPD

Peck at Port Hope, PPD (Makeup Feb. 4)

Deckerville at Caseville, PPD

This week's rankings

Here are the Tribune polls for this week as well as the AP polls.
A note to everyone that the Harbor Beach boys are playing tonight at home against Mayville in a boy/girl doubleheader. The girls game is at 6 p.m., followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m. This is because of the impending snow storm coming in later tonight.

Tribune Boys Top 10
1. CPS 12-0 49    

2. Marlette 10-2 46    

3. BCAS 8-3 38

3. (tie) Sandusky 9-4 38

5. Ubly 8-3 29

6. Harbor Beach 7-3 26

7. Cass City 7-5 21

 8. Vassar 6-5 15

9. USA 6-5 9   

10. Reese 5-5 5

Others: Peck 1

Tribune Girls Top 10

 School                       10-11 Record       Pts.

1. Sandusky 13-0 50    

2. Reese 11-1 45    

3. Marlette 11-2 40

4. Brown City 10-3 35

5. EPBP 8-4 30

6. Vassar 5-5 23

7. USA 6-5 22

8. Harbor Beach 6-6 14

9. Deckerville 9-5 9

10. Memphis 9-4 4

Others: Port Hope (2)

STATE BOYS 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 Points

 1. Romulus (4) (10-1) 74

 2. Ann Arbor Huron (9-1) 66

 3. Detroit Southeastern (1) (12-2) 64

 4. Kalamazoo Central (10-1) 59

 5. Warren De La Salle (11-1) 55

 6. Lansing Eastern (9-2) 51

 7. Saginaw (11-2) 44

 8. Detroit Cody (12-2) 41

 9. Okemos (9-2) 32

T10. East Lansing (10-1) 19

T10. Petoskey (11-0) 19

Others receiving votes: Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 16, Southfield 12, Ypsilanti 8, Benton Harbor 7, Auburn Hills Avondale 7, Bay City Western 5, Traverse City Central 5, Detroit Mumford 5, West Bloomfield 4, East Kentwood 4, Detroit Henry Ford 2, Flint Northwestern 1.

Class B

School Total Points

 1. Detroit Country Day (4) (11-2) 74

 2. Lansing Sexton (1) (10-0) 71

 3. Grand Rapids Christian (11-0) 63

 4. Flint Powers (10-1) 61

 5. Richland Gull Lake (12-0) 54

 6. Detroit Douglass (12-2) 49

 7. Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy (13-1) 47

 8. Saginaw Swan Valley (11-0) 41

T9. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (10-1) 29

T9. Williamston (10-1) 29

Others receiving votes: Detroit Crockett 20, Comstock Park 19, Chelsea 13, Standish-Sterling 12, Melvindale 7, Richmond 5, Wyoming Godwin Heights 3, Muskegon Heights 1, Carrollton 1, Wayland 1.

Class C

School Total Points

 1. Detroit Consortium (3) (9-2) 71

 2. Melvindale Academy for Business And Tech (2) (11-0) 70

 3. Flint Beecher (11-2) 63

 4. Schoolcraft (11-0) 60

 5. Saginaw Buena Vista (9-3) 59

 6. Montague (10-0) 50

 7. Fennville (11-0) 42

 8. Napoleon (11-0) 33

 9. Clinton (11-1) 23

T10. Bridgman (10-2) 19

T10. Ishpeming (10-1) 19

Others receiving votes: Sanford-Meridian 18, Flint Hamady 17, Pewamo-Westphalia 14, McBain 11, Fife Lake Forest Area 8, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian 7, Charlevoix 4, Jonesville 3, Maple City Glen Lake 3, Covert 2, Negaunee 2, L’Anse 1, Hanover-Horton 1.

Class D

School Total Points

 1. Cedarville (4) (11-0) 74

 2. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (1) (10-1) 69

 3. Posen (12-0) 63

 4. Carsonville-Port Sanilac (11-0) 62

 5. Rapid River (10-1) 52

 6. Eben Junction Superior Central (11-1) 49

 7. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (10-1) 47

 8. Climax-Scotts (9-1) 37

 9. Big Rapids Crossroads Charter Academy (12-0) 34

10. Fulton-Middleton (9-2) 33

Others receiving votes: Auburn Hills Oakland Christian 25, Pellston 15, Bellaire 7, Bay City All Saints 7, Academy of Inkster 5, McBain Northern Michigan Christian 5, Holland Calvary 5, Harbor Light Christian 5, Beal City 2, Bear Lake 2, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 1, Carney-Nadeau 1.

GIRLS STATE POLL

Class A

School Total Points

 1. Inkster (5) (14-0) 75

 2. Grand Haven (13-0) 69

 3. Detroit Pershing (13-0) 66

 4. Byron Center (13-0) 60

 5. Midland Dow (13-1) 54

 6. Canton (10-2) 47

 7. Midland (10-2) 45

 8. East Lansing (10-2) 40

 9. Livonia Ladywood (10-2) 26

10. Petoskey (11-2) 23

Others receiving votes: Auburn Hills Avondale 19, Detroit King 17, Mattawan 11, Saginaw Arthur Hill 9, Westland John Glenn 7, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 6, Lansing Waverly 6, Romulus 5, Grand Blanc 4, Waterford Kettering 4, Detroit Renaissance 3, St. Johns 3, East Kentwood 1.

Class B

School Total Points

 1. Detroit Country Day (5) (12-0) 75

 2. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (12-1) 65

 3. Morley-Stanwood (12-0) 64

 4. Goodrich (12-0) 61

 5. Three Rivers (13-0) 53

 6. DeWitt (11-2) 47

 7. Frankenmuth (11-1) 38

 8. Ida (12-1) 33

 9. Grand Rapids Christian (10-2) 22

10. Olivet (12-1) 18

Others receiving votes: East Grand Rapids 16, Holland Christian 14, Hemlock 14, Battle Creek Harper Creek 12, Richland Gull Lake 11, Brooklyn Columbia Central 11, St Joseph 9, Chelsea 6, Dearborn Divine Child 5, Big Rapids 5, Ludington 4, Wayland 3, Jackson Northwest 3, Shelby 3, Carrollton 3, Muskegon Oakridge 2, Grant 2, Grand Rapids West Catholic 1.

Class C

School Total Points

 1. Flint Hamady (5) (12-0) 75

 2. St. Ignace LaSalle (12-1) 70

 3. Kent City (12-0) 57

 4. Pewamo-Westphalia (12-1) 56

 5. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett (12-1) 51

 6. Kalkaska (12-0) 44

 7. Clare (12-0) 37

 8. Saginaw Valley Lutheran (11-1) 36

 9. Michigan Center (12-2) 29

10. Traverse City St. Francis (11-0) 23

Others receiving votes: New Lothrop 20, Niles Brandywine 17, Sandusky 16, Leroy Pine River 16, McBain 13, Lawton 10, Manton 8, Sand Creek 6, Madison Heights Bishop Foley 4, Saugatuck 4, Grandville Calvin Christian 3, Reese 2, Grand Rapids Covenant Christian 2, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 1.

Class D

School Total Points

 1. Central Lake (5) (12-0) 75

 2. Hillsdale Academy (15-0) 67

 3. Waterford Our Lady (11-1) 66

 4. Posen (14-1) 55

 5. Marine City Cardinal Mooney (10-1) 54

 6. Watersmeet (12-0) 51

 7. Gaylord St. Mary (12-2) 47

 8. Manistee Catholic Central (12-0) 43

 9. Mason County Eastern (13-1) 32

10. Brimley (11-2) 22

Others receiving votes: Ellsworth 18, Eben Junction Superior Central 18, Chassell 11, Crystal Falls Forest Park 10, Lansing Christian 8, Climax-Scotts 7, Hillman 6, Bark River-Harris 5, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 3, Traverse City Christian 2.

Friday: HB boys win thriller; All scores

HARBOR BEACH — Not so fast, Greater Thumb East.

The defending league champions are bound and determined to get back into the conference title chase after all.

In as close as a “must win” game as there is in January, Harbor Beach brought everyone closer to the top here Friday night, earning a thrilling 52-51 overtime decision over league-leading Marlette.

Sophomore Aaron Ginther drained a free throw with seven seconds left to make for the winning margin. Marlette had a chance as time wound down, but its desperation — but open — three-point attempt clanked off the rim as time expired.

Harbor Beach, Marlette and Sandusky now each have one league loss, setting up what should be an exciting second half to the GTE season.

“It’s going to take the whole weekend to wipe the smile off my face,” said Harbor Beach coach Ron Wruble. “We were concerned about their ball handlers and their quickness. Early on, they were breaking us down and (our defense) really wasn’t working. So, we went to Plan B and kind of frustrated them. We slowed down the tempo and we were able to hit some shots.”

Nobody hit more important shots for the Pirates than senior Sean Sorenson, who poured in a season-high 20 points, including a critical three-pointer in the overtime, answering Marlette’s triple just seconds into the extra session.

“The huge key for us tonight was the play of Sorenson,” Wruble said. “He’s been struggling and he’s been kind of frustrated.”

Sorenson more than doubled his season’s scoring average, carrying the Pirates in the second half with his clutch outside shooting.

“Tonight, he played like he’s capable of playing,” Wruble said. “And I expect that kind of play from him the rest of the year.”

Andrew Siemen added nine points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Ginther chipped in six points and Eli Kraft notched five, including a pair of free throws with 1:10 left which wound up being the final points in regulation.

The Pirates rallied to grab a five-point edge early in the fourth quarter before the Raiders managed a comeback of their own. The Raiders actually had a chance to win in regulation, but missed a shot as time expired.

Marlette’s Alex Storm drilled an early three-pointer to open overtime, but Sorenson responded seconds later to tie it at 51. The Pirates wound up with the ball with 1:49 to play and ran the clock down to 26.4 seconds before calling a timeout. 

Ginther then drove the lane and was fouled. After a shaky miss on the first attempt, the less-than-50-percent foul shooter calmly knocked in the second toss.

Marlette still had one last chance. After a timeout, the Raiders moved the ball up the right side and got off a decent 22-footer, though it banged off the front rim as the buzzer sounded.

For the Raiders, Storm knocked in 17 points while Kyle Hall chipped in nine and Kolby Lange eight.

Wruble was pleased with the play of his reserves, including Dustin Mazure and Jordan Booms, both of whom provided quality minutes in the paint.

“We juggled the lineup to shake things up a bit,” he said. “The kids did a nice job. That’s what being part of a team is all about.”

Marlette, now 10-2 overall, 3-1 GTE, is off until next Friday when it takes on Sandusky.

Meanwhile, Harbor Beach, now 7-3 overall, 2-1 GTE, hosts Mayville on Tuesday before hosting rival Ubly next Friday.

Marlette led 11-2 at one point of the first quarter, settling for a 13-7 edge. Harbor Beach pulled to within 25-22 at halftime, and behind 10 third-quarter points from Sorenson, grabbed a 42-41 advantage heading to the final eight minutes.

ROUNDUP

Ubly 73, Bad Axe 66

UBLY — A big second quarter helped Ubly knock off Bad Axe.

The Hatchets actually led 20-16 after one quarter, but the Bearcats used a 21-10 second-quarter edge to take control.

Ubly then outscored the Hatchets 16-10 in the third quarter to grab a 53-40 lead.

Marshall Leipprandt led the Bearcats with 17 points while Lenny Nowicki added 14 and Jason Kaufman 11.

Bad Axe had Ethan Sisco with 18 points, including four three-pointers, while Jeremy Pawlowski added 16 and Spencer Kelly notched 11.

Sandusky 49, Brown City 38

SANDUSKY — Sandusky shook off a slow start to beat Brown City.

The Redskins trailed 8-2 after one quarter before using a 19-6 second-quarter run to bag a 21-14 lead.

Chase Baysdell led the Redskins with 19 points while Jordan Coats netted 11.

Charles Baird had 13 points for Brown City.

Caseville 69, Port Hope 27

CASEVILLE — Caseville picked up its first win of the season by beating Port Hope.

The Eagles led 36-12 at the half.

Charlie Karafa led the winners with 13 points while Tommy Kennedy had 12 and Tyler Claydon 10.

“The boys played great tonight,” said Caseville coach Ron Bergman. “It’s been a long time coming, but we got our first win. They hustled, found the open man and attacked the basket.”

Port Hope had Travis Phillips with 11 points.  

USA 46, Reese 42

REESE — Unionville-Sebewaing Area jumped out to a big lead and then had to hang on to clip Reese.

USA led 32-16 at the break, but the Rockets used a 14-2 third-quarter edge to get back into the game.

Andrew Botello scored 14 points for USA while Sean McBrayer netted 10.

Caleb Gnatkowski had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets.

BCAS 62, EPBP 48

BAY CITY — Bay City All Saints followed up Wednesday’s thrilling win over Unionville-Sebewaing Area with another solid effort over Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port.

The Cougars led 16-12 after one quarter, 33-22 at the half and 41-32 after three quarters.

Drew Janer led the Cougars with 22 points while Garrett Bowker netted 18 and Nick Dorion 10.

The Lakers had Brody Lawrence with 16 points while Chase Voelker notched 13 and Paul Zwemmer nine.

GIRLS SCORES

FRIDAY’s RESULTS

Deckerville 60, Peck 43

Mayville 46, Owen-Gage 27

Kingston 47, CPS 34

Port Hope 41, Caseville 29

North Huron 59, Akron-Fairgrove 23

Harbor Beach’s Andrew Siemen goes high in the air for a shot over a pair of Marlette defenders in the first half Friday night.

Dustin Mazure of Harbor Beach rises over Marlette’s BJ Mellstead.

Marlette’s Alex Storm makes a strong move to the basket against Harbor Beach’s Andrew Siemen (40). 

Saturday morning quarterback...

After 2 weeks vacation, I actually DO have some things on my mind.

Just a few...

• It’s been several years since the Michigan High School Athletic Association was forced to realign its sports seasons.

The biggest — and most controversial — move was the switching of the girls basketball and volleyball seasons. Since the flip-flop in 2007-08, volleyball is played during the fall and girls basketball is played during the winter — joining the boys on the hardcourt.

The gist of the lawsuit against the MHSAA had to do with a group of parents who claimed their daughters were not getting a fair shake when it came to being recruited for volleyball scholarships because college coaches, the group said, did the majority of their recruiting during the fall.

Now we could argue all day if that’s true or not. I don’t think it is. But some volleyball coaches in this area do.

Nevertheless, nowadays there’s no arguing the fact that girls basketball has taken a hit in the state of Michigan, including right here in the Thumb.

In its January 2011 monthly report, the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Executive Director, Tom Hursey, reports that he’s hearing schools are dropping non-varsity level girls basketball teams due to lack of participation. Indications are that fewer girls are playing high school basketball since the changes in seasons took place.

Hursey also tells a story about how he recently attended a boys and girls basketball doubleheader between Okemos and Lansing Eastern, teams in the Capital Area Activities Conference.

Ironically, this past year the CAAC has been threatened by a lawsuit from a group wanting girls basketball games to be played after the boys games in an effort to make things “equal” when it comes to varsity doubleheaders.

Well, Hursey goes on to report that he estimated the crowd at the boys game — the first game — to be right around 2,000. 

Alas, by the time the girls game rolled around, he said there were maybe 300-400 fans in the stands.

This has happened right here in the Thumb, too, when schools have hosted doubleheaders. I was at one earlier this year when Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port hosted Sandusky. The girls actually played first to a sparse crowd. And while the gym certainly was not full for the boys game, there were many more people in attendance when it started at around 7:30 p.m.

What can schools do? Well, around here they are limiting varsity doubleheaders for sure. There actually was one last night at Caseville between the Eagles and Port Hope, but there are very few scheduled for the remainder of the season.

And that means, we get basketball shoved at us five nights a week — way too much if you ask me. Overall attendance at area basketball games, according to several Thumb athletic directors, is down quite a bit. I think that’s simply because there’s just too much of it. And at $5 a head, it’s still relatively cheap, but they’re certainly not giving it away, especially for a family of four or more.

Regardless if you think the switching of seasons was good or bad, there’s no denying girls basketball has suffered. 

I don’t have the answer, but I am looking for some feedback from area girls basketball players, coaches or fans. 

What do you think? Play first. Play second? Switch the seasons back? Email me at mbogan@hearstnp.com or post it on the Tribune sports blog. If I get some good stuff, I will relay it to you in a later column.

• A big thank you goes out to several North Central Thumb League coaches who have come to our rescue in recent days and updated us with their conference standings.

We have finally been able to piece together the boys standings in the NCTL. Thanks to Carl Nicol at Kingston, Adam Moore at Akron-Fairgrove and Cliff Amey at Carsonville-Port Sanilac for helping us out.

• We are hearing from several NCTL coaches that the conference is highly considering going back to the 18-game league schedule, leaving schools with just two open dates for non-league contests. 

HUGE MISTAKE. It makes no sense to have 90 percent of the schedule made up of league games.

As big a headache as it’s been tracking down the league records this season due to the conference’s new format, I am sure many league coaches are absolutely disgusted at the thought of playing 18 league games again.

NCTL officials need to get their act together and map put a plan that is easy to understand and makes the most sense to ALL of their member schools.

An 18-game league schedule is the easy way out.

Red Hawks knock off Lakers

PIGEON — Another night, another reshuffle at the top of the Greater Thumb West boys basketball standings.

Title contender Cass City remained in the wild fray here Wednesday night with an important road victory at pesky Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port. The Red Hawks once again used a balanced scoring effort combined with just enough defensively to secure a hard-fought 59-48 win over the Lakers.

 Cass City is among four teams with one loss in the super-tight GTW. Red Hawk coach Jim Green knows the importance of stealing victories on the road in the league.

“Any GTC coach is going to be happy getting a road win,” he said. “In general, I was pretty happy. We played hard. We made some mistakes, but I give Lakers credit for that. They are an improving team which hustles. They made us fight for everything.”

Cass City never trailed, though was pushed by the Lakers until the waning moments. The Red Hawks led by just four after three quarters, and weren’t able to put EPBP away until they hit 8-of-10 free throws in the final period.

“Fortunately, we were able to keep our head above water the whole night,” Green said. “If they would have went ahead of us, I am not sure what would have happened.”

For the Lakers, first-year coach Jeremy Macejewski has seen this script play out too many times for his team. EPBP has just two wins, but the Lakers have been in most of their games until the final few minutes.

“This game’s kind of been like our season,” Macejewski said. “We have played pretty well at times, and then we have some stretches in games where we don’t play well. 

“We battled hard, but battling hard in this league is not enough. I like our effort, but we have to get over the hump.”

Cass City was paced by post player Cameron Dunnuck’s 22 points, 14 of them coming in the second half when the Red Hawks made a deliberate effort to get the ball inside to their big guys. Guard Justin Ketterer added 15 points while backcourt mate Cody Orban netted 12. 

“Early on, we didn’t do a very good job of getting the ball inside,” Green said. “Fortunately, we were hitting some outside shots. In the second half, we concentrated on getting the ball inside and (Dunnuck) did a nice job for us. 

“We were reversing the ball better and he was getting a lot of one-on-one chances.”

After a slow start to the season, Dunnuck is averaging 19 points over his last four outings. That’s probably due in part to Cass City’s improved outside shooting. The Red Hawks hit just seven three-pointers in their first six games. In contrast, they have knocked down 24 threes in their last five games.

“No team is going to survive around here being one dimensional,” Green said. “Since Christmas, we have been knocking down some threes and getting it inside. We’ve had some balance.”

The Lakers were led by freshman Paul Zwemmer, who had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his second varsity game. Chase Voelker added 13 points while Tim Warack chipped in six.

Zwemmer, at 6-foot-4, was brought up to help the Lakers on the glass, but has contributed in the scorebook, as well.

“He is playing pretty well,” Macejewski said. “We’re kind of looking for an identity with him in there. With him on the floor, it’s going to take some time. 

“We have gone from a team that was running and gunning to now where we are looking to be patient. I like where we’re headed, though.”

Cass City led 19-10 after one quarter and 29-22 at the break. The Lakers remained close, but could never take the lead, settling for a 42-38 deficit heading to the final eight minutes. From there, a Dunnuck offensive rebound putback and three-point play with 1:49 left basically sealed the Red Hawk victory.

Cass City, 6-5 overall, 2-1 GTW, has another critical league contest Friday at home against Vassar (6-4, 2-1). EPBP, now 2-8, 0-3, travels to Bay City All Saints (7-3, 3-1) Friday.

“You have to have effort each night in this league,” Green said. “The team which consistently does that will start to rise to the top. 

“We’ve struggled with that in the past, but hopefully we can continue what we’ve started...”

Cass City’s Cameron Dunnuck eyes the bucket against EPBP’s Paul Zwemmer.

EPBP’s Chase Voelker makes a strong move to the basket against Cass City’s Cameron Dunnuck in the second half Wednesday night.