Hartford steals 48-45 win from Coloma’s grasp

 Hartford girls’ varsity basketball team started off sluggish Friday, February 3, against Southwestern Athletic Conference – Lakeshore Division foe Coloma. The Winterfest contest at Hartford tipped the Indians way in the form of a 48-45 victory.

Coloma sent Hannah Mathis, Kayla Yore, Morgan Wagner, Nicolle Larson, and Jenna Walter to the floor to start the game. Angela Saldana, Amara Wesaw, Jessica Cortes, Marissa Beraza, and AJ Jackson started for the Indians.

The first points of the game were scored with 6:10 left in the period as Coloma’s Wagner tossed up a 3-point shot. On the ensuing Hartford possession, Larson stole the ball, drove to the basket, and was fouled. She hit one of two free throws, giving Coloma a 4-0 lead.

ANYBODY’S BALL… The basketball was up for grabs Tuesday, January 31 as Water-vliet faced off against Coloma. Here, Coloma’s Robbie Schroeder (20) and Adam Hearn (34) join Watervliet’s Larmarrius Smith (22), Sheldon Tobar (44), and Bryant Kieft (33) in the rebounding fracas. Although Smith would wind up with the rebound, Coloma won the game 54-36. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Larson followed up her free throw with a layup that sank through the net.

Hartford, reeling from the 6-0 start by Coloma, finally found their footing as Mikenzie Chambers scored two points.

The tide turned as Hartford’s Cora Wesaw hit a 3-pointer, drawing the Indians within one point of Coloma.

Wagner sparked a Coloma offensive effort. She landed two 3-pointers. Coloma led 12-5 before Hartford’s Cortes landed a 3-pointer of her own. That was followed by a 3-pointer from Coloma’s Kayla Yore.

Megan Nelson of Hartford chipped in two points before Larson was sent back to the free throw line. She hit one of two shots to give Coloma 16-12 lead.

As the buzzer sounded, Hartford’s Beraza heaved a 3-point attempt but it was no good.

Hartford’s defense finally kicked into gear in the second period. The Indians held Coloma to just seven points. Yore opened the second period with a 3-pointer but the Coloma squad only mustered an additional four points over the following seven minutes.

Hartford, meanwhile, enjoyed a burst of energy and effort from their offense. Jessica Cortes landed two 3-pointers and AJ Jackson put up four points in the period.

At halftime, Hartford enjoyed a three point lead, 26-23.

Third period play featured a tremendous effort by Coloma’s Mathis. She scored four of her team’s 10 third quarter points. Hartford scored eight points, including six on two 3-pointers courtesy of Beraza and Cortes.

Coloma drew to within one point as the third period closed out, trailing 34-33 as they tightened up their shooting and defensive play.

In the fourth period, Cortes jump started the Indians with a 3-pointer. Yore responded with a 3-pointer for Coloma.

AJ Jackson then went on a tear. She scored six points in the team effort that downed Coloma 48-45. Wagner attempted a game tying half-court shot as time expired but the ball bounced off the backboard.

Cortes led Hartford with 12 points, all 3-pointers. Jackson followed with 10 points and six rebounds.

Beraza chipped in six points and contributed five rebounds.  Cora Wesaw and Nelson put up five points each. Amara Wesaw scored five points and served up six assists.  Chambers ended the evening with four points. Saldana added one point. Hartford swished eight 3-pointers and shot 50% from the free throw line, hitting two of four.

Wagner was the high scorer for Coloma with 19 points including five 3-pointers.  Yore scored 10 points, and Larson added eight points.  Mathis scored six points, while Mika Anderson had two.

Coloma also tossed in eight 3-pointers and shot 58% from the charity stripe, landing seven of 12.

ALL HANDS ON THE BALL… Coloma Kayla Yore tips the ball out of Watervliet Jaelyn Pitre’s hands during the game on Tuesday, January 31. Pitre would make the Comets pay, landing four 3-pointers in the third quarter to aid the Panthers in the 42-22 victory. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Coloma’s Jamane Smith captures conference wrestling crown

 Coloma’s Jamane Smith won the conference crown in the 189 lb. weight class as Coloma hosted the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament championship Saturday, February 4. Smith was the area’s top finisher at the meet.

Smith received a first round bye in competition. He then faced Germaine Davis of Bloomingdale and stuck him at 1:28. In the semi-finals matchup against Matt Morey of Constantine, Smith worked to a 10-4 decision.

In the championship match, Smith faced Zach Scholly of Martin. Smith would go on to defeat Scholly 12-4.

Cody Reese of Coloma wrestled his way to a second place finish in the tournament. He received a first round bye then pinned Henry Loomis of Gobles at 3:30. Reese finished second after losing a tough match 5-2 to Coy Helmuth of Decatur.

Coloma’s Ian Ishmael also had a successful day on the mat in the 130 lb. weight class. He took third place after defeating Isaiah Smith of Gobles 5-0.

Ishmael started the day off with a first round bye.  He then pinned Darian Davis of Eau Claire at 3:33. In his semi-final match he lost to Brian Paquette of Bloomingdale 10-6. In the consolation round, Ishmael pinned Emilie Laporte at 2:16 before facing Smith in the dual for third place.

Watervliet’s Klayton Marshall earned a third place finish on Saturday in the 125 lb. weight class. He began the day with a bye. In his next match he pinned Jaxom Alwine of Constantine at 3:46.

Marshall then lost to Coy Helmuth of Decatur by a pin at 0:47.

In the consolation bracket, Marshall won an 8-0 major decision over Schoolcraft’s Brady Gilaspie. Marshall’s next victory was a 5-2 decision over Lawton’s Nick Baldwin, which gave him third place.

Brad Yazel of Watervliet continued to put up wins in the 152 lb. weight class on Saturday as he finished third. Yazel won his first round match against Mauricio Bedolla of Fennville by a pin at 3:06. He then earned a 12-6 decision over Delton-Kellogg’s Mark Sherman.

A pin at 1:09 by Jared Checkley of Decatur sent Yazel into the consolation round where the Panther then pinned Coloma’s Cole Allmon at 2:27. In his final match of the day Yazel earned an 11-7 decision over Mike Myers of Gobles.

Coloma’s Teo Mastral and Watervliet’s Trevor Pelton tangled in the 103 lb. weight class for fifth place. Pelton notched the 1-0 win over Mastral.

Watervliet’s Logan Swigart (189 lbs.) finished sixth after he was pinned by Matt Morey of Constantine.

Mike Case, who wrestled in the 140 lb. weight class for Coloma, also finished sixth in the tournament. He lost a 1-0 battle to Lawton’s Andrew O’Donnell.

Dylan LeClear of Coloma wrestled his way to a sixth place finish in the 112 lb. weight class after he lost a 10-5 decision to Ethan Reed of Delton Kellogg.

Coloma’s Cole Allmon finished sixth after he lost 1-0 to Mark Sherman of Delton Kellogg.

MASTRAL ON THE MAT… Coloma’s Teo Mastral pinned Constantine’s Gracie Plank at 0:58 in the 103 lb. weight class during their match Saturday at the Southwestern Athletic Con-ference meet at Coloma. Mastral wrestled his way to a sixth place finish. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Watervliet whips Coloma 42-22

 It was all Watervliet all game long Tuesday, January 31. The Panthers closed out the first month of the year with a 42-22 road win over Southwestern Athletic Conference – Lakeshore Division opponent Coloma.

Early on it appeared Watervliet was off. The squad scored only three points in the first period. Coloma got on the board courtesy of two point shots from Kayla Yore, Morgan Wagner, and Hannah Mathis.

Watervliet, on the other hand, struggled early and often. From missed free throw to missed rebounds, the Lady Panthers just did not seem to be firing on any, much less all, cylinders.

Coloma led Watervliet 8-3 after the first period. In the second period, Watervliet finally found a groove on both sides of the ball.

The Panthers got some help from Jaelyn Pitre, who hit a 3-pointer, and Katie Schultz and Casie Gohr with field goals.

Coloma had a difficult time sending the ball through the basket. They had ample opportunity to land easy layups but did not finish their shots. Watervliet had their own problems; turnovers aplenty peppered the Panther play in the second period. At intermission, Coloma led 14-11.

Watervliet blazed onto the court in the second half and outscored Coloma 31 to eight. Pitre put away four 3-pointers. Defensively, Pitre was on fire; she had four steals. Whether she was robbing Coloma of the ball or pressuring their offense, Pitre did a nice job.

Watervliet formed a cohesive unit in the second half of play. They had easy inbounds passes they put up for two points and sank some timely 3-pointers.

Watervliet was led by Pitre with 15 points, all 3-pointers.  Katie Schultz scored 13 points. Mikayla Lee, Zoe Smith, and Kara Liles tallied three points apiece. Logan Mizwicki and Gohr scored two points each, and Ariana Rowe had one.

Defensively, Smith was credited with six rebounds and Liles contributed four.

Watervliet shot 33% from the free throw line. They sank two of six shots.

Wagner was the high scorer for Coloma with nine points. Mathis posted six points. Yore had four points.

Mika Anderson scored two points, and Nicolle Larson had one.

Coloma shot 73% from the charity stripe, hitting eight of 11 attempts.

Goodline drains 30 as Coloma wallops Watervliet

 While Coloma was celebrating their 54-36 victory over Watervliet Tuesday, January 31, the Panthers had to be questioning why nothing seems to go their way.

The first possession of the game went to Coloma. Levi Wilkens got the ball and scored a quick two points.

Watervliet’s Cam Rendo responded by tossing up a 3-pointer but the ball bounced off the rim and was rebounded by the Comets.

Bryant Kieft scored Watervliet’s first points of the game. He was fouled by Zach Goodline and sank one of two shots.

Just a few minutes later Goodline went on a scoring spree. He stole the ball and hit two points on an easy layup. Then, he buckets a 3-pointer; then another. Then he snagged another steal and sank another 3-pointer. He scored 11 points singlehandedly within minutes.

At the end of the first period, Coloma enjoyed a healthy 19-10 lead over the visiting Panthers.

Second period action opened with Sheldon Tobar at the free throw line after he was fouled by Coloma’s Robbie Schroeder. Tobar scored one point.

Goodline sandwiched two 3-pointers between a Kieft field goal. At halftime Coloma led 32-19.

In the third period, Coloma outscored Watervliet – but just barely – 12-10 to keep a 44-29 lead. In one of the best moments of the game, Watervliet’s Bryant flew under the basket to grab a ball heading out of bounds. He latched onto it and tossed it back into the field of play, right into a teammate’s hands. Tobar scored the bucket.

Coloma put the win away with a 13-point fourth period.

Watervliet’s Dan Cluster did a nice job in the paint during the contest. He blocked numerous shots and tipped in a wayward Watervliet shot.

Coloma was led by Goodline’s 30 points. He hit six 3-pointers and was perfect from the free throw line hitting six of six. He was credited with three steals and five assists.

Adam Hearn scored eight points for Coloma, and Wilkens chipped in seven. Kobe Hunter added three points, as Grant Kroschel and Robbie Schroeder chipped in two points each. Tevon Blazier and Michael Dancer each scored one point.

Coloma was 10 of 15 at the free throw line (67%).

Tobar was Watervliet’s high scorer with 11 points.  Kieft scored 10 points. Cam Rendo tallied five points. James Bell dropped four points for Watervliet. Mark Myers and Cluster scored three points each.

Watervliet struggled at the free throw line. They landed just nine of 22 shots (41%).

TIPS IT… Hartford’s William Martinez lets the basketball roll off his fingertips as Coloma’s Robbie Schroeder tries to get his on the ball to stop the bucket. Friday’s game in Indian Territory was won by Coloma 50-38. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Coloma pulls out the win against Hartford in the second half

 Coloma defeated Hartford 50-38 on Friday, February3 in a road game.  The Southwestern Athletic Conference rivals opened the contest with Zach Goodline, Levi Wilkens, Grant Kroschel, Robbie Schroeder, and Adam Hearn starting for Coloma and Hunter Ackerman, Jake Griffith, William Martinez, Austin Nelson, and Garrod Johnson starting for Hartford.

Martinez got the initial score for Hartford, singing a two-point shot after tipoff. Teammate Johnson also scored two points to give the Indians a 4-0 lead.

Coloma’s Zach Goodline got on the board with two points. The two teams exchanged buckets over the next several minutes. At the buzzer, Martinez launched a 3-pointer that rang true and gave Hartford a 15-12 lead.

Coloma’s Calvin Starnes scored a shot from beyond the arc to tie the game at 15-15 as the second period opened.  The teams squared off again and as the first half faded away, the squads were tied at 21.

Goodline opened the third period with a three-point play under the basket, giving Coloma the lead. The Comets spread their scoring between Robbie Schroeder, Kroschel, Goodline, and Hearn. As the third period closed out, Coloma raced out to a 42-31 lead.

It took over two minutes before any points were scored in the fourth period. Martinez got an easy bucket for two points.  He then scored another two after rebounding another shot on a separate possession.

Goodline scored the next six points for Coloma as the Comets won 50-38.

Goodline scored 27 points to lead Coloma. Wilkens had eight points. Hearn scored six points, and Schroeder chipped in four. Starnes, Kroschel, and Hunter scored three points each.

Hartford was led by Martinez and Nelson who combined for 31 of their team’s points.  Garrod scored five points and Trey Ackerman had two.

Mizwicki nets 19 as Watervliet sinks Saugatuck

 Logan Mizwicki helped the Lady Panthers top Saugatuck 54-42 Friday, February 3. She scored 19 points and had six rebounds and four steals.

The loss is the second for Saugatuck at the hands of the Panthers. Watervliet also beat them 45-36 in December at home.

This week the game was on the road but it did not seem to make much difference. Watervliet bounded out of the gate with a 12-10 lead after the first period of play. A strong second period by the Panthers increased their cushion; they lead 25-17 at intermission.

Saugatuck checked back into the game after half-time with a much more focused offense. The squad scored 15 points to Watervliet’s 13 but still trailed the Panthers 38-32 at the end of three.

Watervliet continued to aggressively add points to the scoreboard. They poured in 16 and limited Saugatuck to 10 to take the 54-42 victory.

Mizwicki was high scorer for Watervliet. Zoe Smith scored 12 points for Watervliet; she was also credited with four assists.  Katie Schultz scored six points and had three assists.

Casie Gohr got on the board with four points; she grabbed six boards. Katie Clark netted four points and snagged four rebounds. Jaelyn Pitre scored four points.

According to Watervliet head coach Jason Forrester, “Everyone contributed to the win with great effort and teamwork.”

With the win, Watervliet remains atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference – Lakeshore Division standings with a perfect 9-0 record. Overall, the squad is 13-3.

Saugatuck offense stifles Watervliet

 The Watervliet boys’ varsity basketball team traveled to Saugatuck Friday, February 3 for a little hoops action. It was a rough outing for your hometown Panthers as they lost 77-52.

Watervliet and Saugatuck kept pace with each other and exchanged basket for basket throughout the first period. The game was knotted up at 15 apiece at the end of the first period.

Saugatuck broke out in the second period for a whopping 26 points. Watervliet scored 13 but trailed 41-28 at the half.

The third period continued to see Saugatuck put up a ton of points. They scored 25 and limited Watervliet’s dwindling offense to just 10. At the end of the third period, Saugatuck held a commanding 66-38 lead.

Fourth period action found Watervliet outscoring the Indians 14-11. But, it was not enough to overcome the large point gap and Watervliet lost 77-52.

Trent Boone and Dan Cluster led Watervliet with 10 points apiece.  Cam Rendo and Mark Myers scored nine points each.

Watervliet’s Tyler Brant wins MHSAA Scholar-Athlete award

 Watervliet’s own Tyler Brant, a senior, has been named as a winner of Michigan High School Athletic Association’s $1,000 college scholarship.

Brant is one of six recipients in Class C competition to receive the award, which is sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance.

Award winners must hold a 3.5 grade point average minimum and have earned a high school letter in a varsity sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a post-season tournament.  Applicants also had to write an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics and show active participation in community and school activities, according to a press release from the MHSAA.

Brant played varsity football for two years and holds two school records in that sport. He earned conference and all-state recognition for his football prowess. Brant also earned conference and all-state awards in baseball.  He is a triple threat as he also plays on the varsity basketball team.

Academically, Brant is a member of the National Honor Society and is in the Whirlpool Engineering Apprenticeship program. He plans on attending Trine University  to study business administration.

In his essay to MHSAA, Brant wrote, “The value I place on sportsmanship cannot be pinpointed to one specific person or game, but rather to a culmination of every practice and game experience throughout my life.  I have been fortunate to have had numerous coaches who have always placed the qualities of sportsmanship – fairness, hard work, and handling every situation with dignity – above winning or losing.”

Brant will be honored at halftime in the Class C boys’ basketball state finals game on March 25 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. In addition to the scholarship, Brant will receive a commemorative medallion.

Congratulations, Tyler!

Hartford quad yields mixed results

 Grapplers from Martin and Watervliet converged on Hartford High School for quad action Wednesday, February 1. Action between the three squads yielded mixed results.

Watervliet bested Hartford 35-11. Contested matches included Hartford’s Tristan Hanners and Watervliet’s Hannah Yerington in the 140 lb. weight class. Hanners got the win on a 20-5 technical fall.

In the 145 bout, Hartford’s Austin Spires notched a pin of Coby Henslee at 3:38.

Watervliet’s Brad Yazel pinned Hartford’s James Terry in the 152 bout at 0:30.

Watervliet also faced Martin and lost 48-26. Three Panthers proved victorious during their matches.

In the 189 lb. weight class, Watervliet’s Logan Swigart won 13-6 over Zach Scholly. At heavyweight, Watervliet’s Chad Cowsert recorded a pin of Ethan Huff at 2:16. Watervliet’s Klayton Marshall won his match in the 125 bout against Gavin Hall by an 18-0 technical fall.

Coloma wrestlers top Benton Harbor and River Valley

 Coloma wrestlers posted a huge win over Benton Harbor on Wednesday, February 1. The Comets beat the Tigers 75-0.

Contested matches included Teo Mastral in the 103 lb. weight class. He pinned Aaliyah Jefferson-Crenshaw at 1:36.

Sergio Hernandez pinned Kyle Williams at 3:42 in the 145 lb. match.

Calvin Hutchinson won 8-6 over Avonte Young in the 215 bout.

Against River Valley, Coloma won 54-30. Six Comet grapplers notched victories in their matches.

Cody Reese (125) won by forfeit over Derek Warner. Ian Ishmael (130) pinned Chase Elliott at 5:19. Nathan Wilder (135) benefitted from a forfeit by Joel Doepker.

Mike Case pinned Chris Reitz at 5:00 in the 140 bout. Cole Allmon (152) pinned Billy Long at 1:08. Jamane Smith (189) notched his win by pin over Scott Bolin at 3:27.

AQB WRAP-UP

Everything truly is bigger in Texas – including the Super Bowl;

Krell takes AQB top spot for the final week, Rodney-Isbrecht is overall predictor

By Kristy Noack

A stunning comeback. A colossal collapse. The first overtime Super Bowl in history. No matter what you were searching for in the final gridiron game of the season, you found it Super Bowl Sunday in Houston.

The Atlanta Falcons threaded two and a half quarters together that featured a masterful performance by quarterback Matt Ryan and aided by the Dirty Birds defensive line and looked to be a lock for the victory.

Both teams were held scoreless in the first period of play, but Atlanta began a scoring blitz that found them leading New England 14-3 at the end of the first half.

New England struggled on both sides of the ball. Frankly, it appeared that they were stuck in neutral while Atlanta was in hyperdrive.

Third quarter action saw the Falcons score first, making it a 21-3 ball game. But, as Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterback Greg Krell said, “Never count Brady out.”

The Patriots would score 28 unanswered points to tie the game up at the end of regulation. With a flip of the coin, the Pats called “heads” and won the first possession in the extra period of play. Brady marched his offensive line down the football field in short order for the game winning touchdown. New England came from behind to snatch the 34-28 victory from Atlanta.

Three TCR AQBs predicted New England would prove victorious: Tim Hildebrand, Krell, and Tom Gear. They post 1-0 records for the final week of competition.

In the event of a tie, each AQB provided the total number of points they predicted would be scored in the contest. With 62 as the final number, Krell won the week. He guessed 59 points would be scored. Hildebrand finished in second place with his 49-point guess. Gear took third place; he predicted a point total of 32.

RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht, Rodney Lynch, and Chris Leach were 0-1 as they set their sights on the underdog Falcons. Rodney-Isbrecht claimed fourth place as she forecasted 60 points would light up the scoreboard.  Lynch finished fifth with his 55-point guess. Leach took sixth with her 38-point guess.

The AQB season is officially over and winning the championship TCR AQB ball cap is Rodney-Isbrecht. Her 121-43 overall record earned her a second consecutive cap. Hildebrand ended the season 116-48, just five games out of first.

Krell’s 114-50 record was good for third place. He finished seven games out of first and two behind Hildebrand.

Lynch predicted his way to fourth place with his 110-54 record. He was 11 games out of first and four behind Krell.

Leach’s 96-68 record earned her a fifth place finish, just four games behind Lynch and 25 out of first place.

Gear finished the year with a 95-69 record and in sixth place. He trailed Leach by just one single contest and was 26 from the top spot.

It was a heck of a Super Bowl and heck of a season for our Armchair Quarterbacks. I would like to thank them for their precise picks, dedication to deadlines, and love of the game. Congratulations, RoxAnn! Way to go!!