Coloma clipped by Brandywine

Coloma was clipped by Brandywine 39-31 Saturday, January 21 in a non-conference contest at the Comet gym.

Brandywine opened the game with a four point run before Coloma was able to get two points on the board.

Early on, Coloma had numerous turnovers and struggled inbounding the ball.

Once they were able to get the ball inbounds, Coloma couldn’t get it halfway across court or it was stolen. Brandywine kept up intense pressure throughout the first period on the Comet offense. Additionally, Brandywine baskets led to a 14-4 lead at the end of the first period.

The second period opened with Coloma’s Hannah Mathis scoring a quick two points. Another four unanswered Comet points sliced Brandywine’s lead to 14-10. But, Brandywine went back to the bucket. At the end of the first half, Coloma trailed 22-15.

Lady Comet woes continued in the third period. The team scored eight points and was hampered by their lack of game under the basket. The team gave up numerous rebounds which led to a multitude of Brandywine shot opportunities.

WITH THE GREATEST OF EASE… Watervliet junior guard Ryan Chisek shoots the ball during Monday’s game against Brandywine. Although Chisek scored six points in the contest, Watervliet dropped the game 55-33. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Coloma’s Kayla Yore scored the team’s only 3-pointer in the third period. Headed into the fourth period, Coloma trailed 28-23.

Coloma pulled to within four points of catching Brandywine in the fourth period. However, Coloma turnovers and missed free throws sealed the Comets fate. Brandywine walked away with the 39-31 victory.

Mathis was the high scorer for Coloma. She scored 10 points. Kayla Yore, Morgan Wagner, and Nicolle Larson each scored six points. Julia Sternaman chipped in two points. Coloma shot 55% from the free throw line, hitting six of 11 attempts.

Goodline’s 29 can’t crush unbeaten Brandywine

 The Coloma basketball squad headed into Saturday, January 21’s game knowing they would be facing a tough opponent. And, although Coloma would have home court advantage, it wouldn’t be enough to stop the undefeated Brandywine Bobcats.

Coloma’s Zach Goodline kept the Comets in the game, but his 29-point effort wasn’t enough to down the ‘Cats. Coloma lost 62-54 in a hard fought contest.

The first period found Brandywine in possession of the tip-off. A quick foul sent a Bobcat to the line but he was zero for two. Both teams exchanged possessions without points until the game was stopped with 5:49 on the clock due to a medical emergency in the stands.

Once the game returned to action, Coloma’s Grant Kroschel scored the game’s first points. He dropped in a free throw for one point. Brandywine scored their first points at the charity stripe too, landing both shots to take a 2-1 lead.

Coloma’s Levi Wilkens had a real nice play when he stripped a Bobcat of the ball but it trickled out of bounds.

Goodline scored five points for Coloma in quick succession, two at the free throw line and a 3-pointer.  At the end of the first period, the game was knotted up at nine apiece.

In the second period, Brandywine scored 19 points and limited Coloma to six. The Bobcats held a 28-15 lead at intermission.

Coloma ramped up their offense in the second half of the game, outscoring Brandywine to 39-24. Unfortunately, the Comets ran out of time to overtake the Bobcats.

Coloma’s Goodline scored five 3-pointers, hit four of seven shots from the charity stripe, and scored another 10 points for a 29-point total.  Wilkens scored eight points.

Calvin Starnes hit two 3-pointers for six points. Robbie Schroeder scored three points, while Kroschel, Michael Dancer, Tevon Blazier, and Kobe Hunter each had two points.

Coloma head coach Paul Marfia commented after the game, “We knew Brandywine was a very good team that could score a lot of points. I felt Levi Wilkens and Michael Dancer played exceptional defense on (Brandywine’s) point guard Hunter Slaughter, shutting him out in the first half. (Slaughter) had been averaging over 20 (points) a game and they held him to seven points.

“I was proud of how tough we battled the entire game.”

Jackson scores 16 points as Hartford hands Lawrence a loss

  Hartford’s girls’ varsity basketball team traveled to Lawrence Tuesday, January 17 for a Southwestern Athletic Conference game between the Lakeshore division Indians and the Central division Blue Devils. Hartford ran away with the 66-45 win.

The Indians dominated the first half of play. They scored 11 points in the first period and held Lawrence to seven.

In the second period, Hartford’s Amara Wesaw scored five points as the team added 17 to their total. At the half, Hartford led 28-20.

Third period action found AJ Jackson pouring in the points for Hartford. She scored six field goals and two free throws for a total of 14 of the team’s 22 points in eight minutes. At the end of the third period Hartford enjoyed a 50-25 lead.

LARSON’S LAYUP… Nicolle Larson, a senior on Coloma girls’ varsity basketball squad, goes for the layup Saturday during the team’s game against Brandywine. The Bobcats would go on to top the hometown Comets 39-31. Larson scored six points for Coloma.                          (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Jessica Cortes scored a 3-pointer and one free throw in the fourth period to lead Hartford. The Indians scored 16 points in the period and, although they were outscored by Lawrence’s 20 points, Hartford claimed the 66-45 victory.

Jackson notched the double-double for the Indians. She scored 16 points and had 10 rebounds.  Mikenzie Chambers also completed a double-double. She dropped in 12 points and grabbed 10 boards.

Marissa Beraza scored 10 points. Cora Wesaw and Cortes chipped in seven points apiece. Amara Wesaw scored five points and was credited with four assists.

Madison Garland gave four points in the Indian effort. Megan Nelson and Elly Valdes scored two points each, with Nelson tallying two steals. Angela Saldana scored two points.

The Indians nailed five 3-pointers and shot 54% from the free throw line, sinking 17 of 31 attempts.

Hartford’s Martinez lights up Lawrence for 30 points

 The Hartford Indians trifecta of talent on the basketball court had another grand night, Tuesday, January 17. Led by William Martinez, Austin Nelson, and Garrod Johnson, the team faced Lawrence on the road and bounced the Blue Devils 75-41 for the win.

It was an incredible night both offensively and defensively for the Indians. The squad allowed only four points in the first period and jumped out early with a 10 point lead.

In the second period, Hartford scored 27 points, while Lawrence ramped up their offensive effort with 14 points.  At the half, the Indians held a 41-18 lead.

Third period scoring by Hartford added 12 points. The Indian lead increased as Lawrence could only tack on 11 points.

After a 22-point fourth period by the Indians, Hartford won by a decisive 75-41 total.

Hartford’s William Martinez blew past Lawrence’s offense all night. He scored a whopping 30 points. Nelson was credited with a double-double as he added 12 points and 11 assists to the Indian effort. Garrod Johnson chipped in eight points and grabbed 11 boards.

Watervliet’s Schultz scores 12 points in victory over South Haven

 Watervliet’s balanced approach on the basketball court earned them a 50-41 victory over South Haven on Tuesday, January 17.

The Lady Panthers spent part of the first period settling into the non-conference matchup before blitzing their way to the basket. The squad, trailing 8-4 early, scored six unanswered points to lead 10-8 at the end of the first period.

Watervliet continued to pressure South Haven and was able to add a little cushion to their lead in the second period. At intermission, Watervliet led 26-17.

The third and fourth periods proved exciting for basketball fans. The teams traded point for point throughout the final 16 minutes of the game. As the game closed out, Watervliet still held the nine point lead they enjoyed at the half. The victory gave the Lady Panthers their eighth win of the season.

Katie Schultz led the Watervliet scoring effort with 12 points; she also had three assists and three steals.  Casie Gohr and Logan Mizwicki scored nine points apiece. Mizwicki had five rebounds and five assists.

Ariana Rowe contributed six points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Taylor Shafer provided six points, four rebounds, three steals, and two assists.

Kara Liles snagged six rebounds and scored two points. Zoe Smith added two points and three steals in the team effort. Jaelyn Pitre had two points and two assists, and Madalyn Hutchins scored two points.

Coloma claims first place at Shawn Cockell Memorial Wrestling Invitational; Smith and Spaulding go 3-0

Comet grapplers claimed the championship at the Shawn Cockell Memorial Wrestling Invitational in Quincy Saturday, January 21.

Harrison Spaulding and Jamane Smith went 3-0 on the day in the 112 and 189 weight classes, respectively.

Cody Reese (125), Ian Ishmael (130), and Alec DeLaTorre (145) wrestled to 3-2 records during the event.

Dylan LeClear (112) and Cole Allsup (285) notched 2-1 records. Nathan Wilder (135), Cole Allmon (152), Dalton Turner (160), and Calvin Hutchinson (215) recorded 1-2 records.

Teo Mastral (103) was 0-2 and Mike Case (140) went 0-3.

Watervliet bounced by Brandywine

 Watervliet boys’ basketball lost a non-conference game at home on Monday, January 16 to Brandywine, 55-33.

Bryant Kieft led the Panthers with 10 points. Lamarrius Smith scored seven points, and Ryan Chisek and Cam Rendo each netted six points.

Watervliet’s Brant and Rendo finalists for MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award

The Michigan High School Athletic Association has announced the finalists for its 2016-17 Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete awards.

Farm Bureau underwrites the 32 MHSAA scholarships offered to student-athletes since 1989-90.

According to an MHSAA press release, recipients of the $1,000 scholarship will be announced in early February.

The only local nominees for the award hail from Watervliet. Tyler Brant and Cameron Rendo have been named as finalists in Class B boys’ sports. Watervliet was one of 17 schools to have two finalists.

There are 12 student-athletes competing in the Class C boys’ division, including Brant and Rendo. Competition is tough; of the 12 nominees, three will be awarded the scholarships.

Both young men are triple threats in sports. They play football, basketball, and baseball.

Good luck, guys!

Jackson scores double-double as Hartford fans Fennville

 Hartford notched another victory in their record book Friday, after they defeated Fennville 46-37 on the road.

Hartford received another huge boost from AJ Jackson. She put up 16 points and hauled in 10 rebounds, notching her second double-double of the week.

Hartford jumped out to an early 12-8 lead and never relinquished it. At half-time, the Indians led 23-15.

The Indians kept the eight-point lead throughout the balance of the game. After the third period, Hartford led 34-26 and closed out the game 46-37 for their second win of the week. Of Hartford’s 12 points scored in the fourth period, Jackson netted 10 of them.

Jackson was joined in scoring by Jessica Cortes, who had seven points and three assists.  Megan Nelson scored six points on two 3-pointers.

Marissa Beraza chipped in five points, all coming from the charity stripe, and notched seven steals. Cora Wesaw contributed four points and 10 boards. Elly Valdes added four points. Amara Wesaw scored on a shot from beyond the arc, while Madison Earls added one point.

As a team, the Indians hit a dismal 39% from the free throw line.

Coloma’s LeClear, Spaulding, and Allmon earn wins over Decatur

THRILLING WIN… Coloma’s Harrison Spaulding locked up Decatur’s Emile Laporte last week as the duo wrestled in the 119 lb. weight class. Harrison would go on to pin Laporte with one second left in the final period.               (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Coloma wrestling hosted a quad Wednesday, January 18 featuring teams from Decatur, Martin Climax Scotts and Delton Kellogg.

Against Decatur, Coloma lost 54-18 but did have three grapplers win their contested matches.

Dylan LeClear tangled with Romeo Lopez in the 112 lb. weight class and won an 11-6 decision.

At 119, Harrison Spaulding fought an exciting match against Emile Laporte. Spaulding trailed 4-0 after the first period but rallied back to tie the match at six all in the second period.  Spaulding circled Laporte and, after tying him up in a hold, took a two-point lead. The score would not matter as, with 1.7 seconds left on the clock, Spaulding pinned his opponent for the win.

Cole Allmon drew Everette Blonde in the 152 lb. weight class and won an 11-6 decision.

The Comet squad then wrestled Martin Climax Scotts and earned a 44-30 victory.

Winning their contested matches for Coloma was: Harrison Spaulding (119), Cody Reese (125), Ian Ishmael (130), Mike Case (140), Cole Allmon (152), Jamane Smith (189), Teo Mastral (103), and Dylan LeClear (112).

Rowe gets third double-double of the season in 63-34 Watervliet win

Ariana Rowe helped Watervliet win their fifth straight game Friday, January 20 by tallying her third double-double of the season. She scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds in the Lady Panthers’ 63-34 domination of Bangor.

The contest turned into a lopsided event. The Lady Panthers took an early 14-11 lead over the Vikings and built on it substantially throughout the contest.

At the half, the Panther squad held a 29-18 victory. Continuing their defensive press, Watervliet held a 48-25 lead at the end of the third period, en route to the 63-34 win.

Nine Panther players scored in the contest. Watervliet was led by Katie Schultz. She sank 17 points. Zoe Smith scored 10 points and had seven rebounds and four assists, as Jaelyn Pitre notched seven points.

Madalyn Hutchins scored five points and was credited with two steals. Taylor Shafer put up four points, as Casie Gohr scored four points and had five steals and three assists.

Kara Liles added to the Panther effort with two points and three assists, while Maggie Lynch scored two points.

Watervliet remains undefeated atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference – Lakeshore division standings. They sport a 6-0 conference record and are 9-3 overall.

Hartford flummoxed by Fennville

 Fennville got the better of visiting Hartford Friday, January 20, as the Black Hawks outpaced the Indians 80-64.

Hartford held a 22-17 lead after the first period of play, but things went downhill after that. The Indians mustered only seven points of offense during the eight-minute period and fell behind 37-29 at the half.

Fennville, meanwhile, outran and outscored Hartford 21-12 in the third period to take a 58-41 lead.

Hartford’s offense rebounded in the fourth period, as they scored 23 points, but the Indian defense was unable to shut down the Black Hawks. Fennville finished off the Indians 80-64.

Austin Nelson led the green and white tribe with 25 points. Teammate Will Martinez added 22 points.

Tobar’s 16 points give Watervliet a triple overtime win

The Watervliet Panthers won their first game of the season in a big way Friday at Bangor. The squad turned in an epic performance to win the game 70-66 in three overtime periods.

Watervliet led early in the first period. Thanks to a stingy Panther defense Bangor was held to six points. Watervliet tacked 16 points on the scoreboard to take a 16-6 lead heading into the second period.

In the second round of eight minutes, the Panther offense continued to make buckets, but Bangor began to slice through the Watervliet defense. At the end of the first half, Watervliet held a 30-22 lead.

Second half action found Watervliet’s offense stymied by Bangor. The Vikings scored eight points, as they shrunk the Watervliet lead. With three-fourths of regulation complete, Watervliet led 37-30.

Bangor continued to chisel away at the Panther lead in the fourth period. They shell shocked Watervliet for 14 points and clamped down on the Panther offense. Watervliet garnered seven points in the fourth period, allowing Bangor to tie the game at 44 all.

In the first overtime period, Watervliet and Bangor slowed down the momentum and played a more conservative game. At the end of OT, the score was 51-51.

The second overtime period found Watervliet trailing early. According to Watervliet head coach Chris Prom, “Some early turnovers helped Bangor jump to a six-point lead with about 2:30 left (in the period). Watervliet needed a score, and Trent Boone answered by running off a great screen by Dan Cluster, received a great pass from Mark Myers, and knocked down a clutch 3-pointer.” The second overtime period ended in a 60-60 tie.

On to the third OT period, Watervliet scored 10 points in the period, with “huge baskets by Myers, Tobar, and Cluster,” commented Prom. It was Cameron Rendo “who ultimately hit the game sealing free throw.”

Tobar led the Panther squad with 16 points. Cluster hit 13 points. Rendo sank 10 points, and Trent Boone scored nine points.

Watervliet Rec Council baseball/softball sign-ups announced

 The time for cleats, gloves, and bats will be here before you know it. Get your child signed up for baseball and softball offered through the Watervliet Rec Council.

Sign-ups will be held Sunday, February 5 from 9:00 a.m. until noon; Tuesday, February 7 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, February 11 from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Stop by the Watervliet High School cafeteria to register your child. Please also bring your budding Mike Trout or Eric Hosmer or Laura Berg to the sign-ups so the player can be measured for uniform sizing.

Hartford wrestlers suffer loss to Schoolcraft

Hartford grapplers faced Schoolcraft on the road Wednesday, January 18 in quad action. The Indians lost 70-0 as three wrestlers took to the mat.

Sam Shank lost a 6-4 decision in the 130 lb. weight class to Michael Thornton.

Austin Spires, wrestling at 145, was pinned by Justin VanDyken at 1:25.

In the 160 lb. bout, James Terry was pinned at 0:11 by Travis Mikel.

Four Watervliet wrestlers place at Marcellus Invitational

Four Watervliet athletes wrestled their way to a medal Saturday, January 21 at the Marcellus Invitational.

Brad Yazel took second place in the 152 lb. weight class after he was pinned by Paw Paw’s Zachery White at 1:10.

In the 103 lb. weight class, Watervliet’s Trevor Pelton took fourth place. He lost a 6-4 decision to Paw Paw’s Kennen Loehrs.

Also taking fourth place was Matt Melcher. He lost a 5-3 decision to Mark Phelps of Schoolcraft in the 189 lb. match.

Due to an injury, Coby Henslee was unable to finish his match against Andrew Lough of Three Rivers and finished eighth.

AQB WRAP UP

Rodney-Isbrecht and Hildebrand record perfect Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterback

week as Super Bowl opponents are set

By Kristy Noack

 Sunday’s matchups of Green Bay taking on Atlanta and New England facing Pittsburgh had people talking. Would Pittsburgh top the Patriots, as some believed? Would Aaron Rodgers continue to deliver some Packer magic and beat the Dirty Birds of Atlanta?

In short, no and no. Pittsburgh collapsed against New England and did not even show much life in their 36-17 loss. New England presented a balanced offense that carried them into the title game on February 5.

Green Bay, meanwhile, was schooled by Atlanta in a surprise win. Green Bay did not even score until the second half of the game, but by then it was too late. Give Atlanta kudos; they just wanted it more.

Two of our Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterbacks posted perfect 2-0 records this week. RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht and Tim Hildebrand notched the big wins. They are leading the pack as this football season winds down.

For the past 22 weeks six local football fans have predicted high school, college, and professional football games. Each week the super seers also predict the score of a tie-breaker game.

The tie-breaker game is used to determine the AQBs’ ranking if two or more are tied following their weekly picks prediction. The tie-breaker game was used extensively this week, as players tied with 2-0, 1-1, and 0-2 records.

Rodney-Isbrecht and Hildebrand went 2-0, so their place in the weekly standings was determined by the tie-breaker game of Green Bay and Atlanta.

The total score in that contest was 65 points, so first place went to Rodney-Isbrecht with her 60 point guess. Hildebrand settled into second place, just one point off the total at 59.

Greg Krell and Chris Leach posted 1-1 records for the week. Krell claimed third place; he guessed 60 points would be scored in the battle. That left Leach in fourth place, as she guessed 58 points. What a tight week!

Rodney Lynch and Tom Gear rolled the dice and picked Green Bay and Pittsburgh as the winning teams. With their 0-2 records, their ranking came down to the tie-breaker game as well.

Lynch took fifth place as he predicted 63 points would be scored in the contest. Gear ended the week in sixth place as he lowballed the scoring at 42 points.

Overall Rodney-Isbrecht leads the contest with a 121-42 record. She holds a six game lead over second place Hildebrand. Krell fell one game further behind the top two. His third place overall record is 113-50. Lynch remained in fourth place with a 110-53 record. He fell one game further behind Krell.

Leach added a one-game cushion between her and cellar-dwelling Gear. Leach holds a 96-67 record and is in fifth place overall. Gear is now 94-69 and in sixth place.

There is only one more game in this year’s AQB contest: the Super Bowl in Houston featuring Atlanta and New England on February 5. Next week we will look back at the 2016-17 season and how our prognosticators have fared. Then, it is on to a Texas-sized game for the championship!