Nine area wrestlers punched their ticket to individual regional competition Saturday

 Coloma participated in the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s district 24-3 competition at Constantine Saturday, February 11. Five wrestlers earned a fourth place or better finish and will move on to regional action Saturday, February 18 at Delton Kellogg. Dylan LeClair captured fourth place in the 112 lb. weight class. He lost a 10-6 decision to Ethan Reed of Delton Kellogg.

Cody Reese, wrestling in the 125 bout, took second place after he was pinned by Lake Odessa-Lakewood’s Jon Maag at 0:47 in the championship match.

Cole Allmon finished in fourth place. He lost his match in the 145 lb. weight class to Trent Ackerman of Delton Kellogg 6-3.

Cole Allsup won third place in the heavyweight category after his opponent Noah Fayling of Parchment withdrew on a medical forfeit.

Jamane Smith wrestled in the championship match at 189 but lost a 3-2 decision to Anthony Reo of Paw Paw for a second place finish.

Hartford and Watervliet wrestled at the MHSAA district 28-4 meet at Bangor Saturday. One Indian and three Panthers will move on in regional competition Saturday, February 18 at Kent City.

LOCKED UP FOR THE MOMENT… Hartford’s Sam Shank was leading his Bangor opponent 11-10 until the final seconds of the third period in their match during team district competition Wednesday at Watervliet. Shank lost the match 12-11. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Sam Shank of Hartford won his third place match in the 130 lb. weight class. He wrestled to a 5-4 decision over Isaiah Smith of Gobles.

Klayton Marshall took fourth place Saturday.  He lost a 7-0 decision to Kristopher Tobin of Homer in the 125 lb. weight class.

Brad Yazel, in the 152 bout, earned a second place finish.  He was pinned at 3:26 by Franklin Ulrich of Vermontville-Maple Valley in the championship match.

Logan Swigart won third place by defeating Greg McPike of Gobles 7-3 in the 189 weight class.

Coloma wrestling wins team district title

 Coloma’s varsity wrestling squad grappled their way to the team district title Wednesday, February 8. They defeated Berrien Springs 45-30 in a roller coaster outing for the championship.

Coloma won seven contested matches; Berrien Springs won four.

Wrestlers earning victories for Coloma included Jamane Smith, who continued his winning ways by pinning Mason McCray at 1:02 in the 189 lb. weight class.

Comet Cole Allsup won the heavyweight match by pinning O’Shaveon Williams at 1:26. Teammate Cody Reese notched a pin at 1:35 of Scotty Gervais in the 125 lb. bout.

DISTRICT CHAMPIONS!… Coloma’s varsity wrestling squad shows off their newest addition to the trophy case: the 2017 district championship. The Comets defeated Berrien Springs 45-30 to take the Division 3 district title. (Contributed photo)

Mike Case pinned Nate Affriseo at 3:40 in the 140 lb. weight class. Alec DeLaTorre wrestled the 145 lb. weight class and pinned Sean Halliwell at 1:23.

Sergio Hernandez fought Steven Dortch in the 152 lb. bout and won a 14-12 decision.

Cole Allmon pinned Chip Wells at 3:15 in the 160 lb. class.

The following Comets lost their bouts: Billy Boyd (215), Teo Mastral (103), Taquan Shurn (119), and Ian Ishmael (135).

Coloma hosted regional team wrestling competition Wednesday, February 15. The Comets faced Constantine with Lake Odessa Lakewood taking on Hopkins. The winners of both matches wrestled for the regional championship. Results from that event will be available in next week’s Press Box.

Decatur dashes Hartford hoops hopes

 If you were not in the Indian high school gymnasium on Tuesday, February 7 you missed a heck of a contest between Hartford and visiting Decatur. The game came down to the final seconds and one last shot before the Raiders were declared the 60-57 victor.

Hartford clearly came to play, as they opened up an 18-14 lead over Decatur in the first period. But, Decatur, choosing to slow the tempo a bit in the second period, inched back. Hartford was limited to eight points in the second period, while Decatur put up 10. At the half, Hartford held a slim 26-24 lead.

Both teams worked tirelessly in the third period. Both scored 16 points. And, although they would have preferred a larger cushion, Hartford continued into the fourth quarter holding the two-point lead, 42-40.

The fourth period was both thrilling and gut-wrenching. With four minutes on the clock, the score was tied at 49-49. Hartford’s Austin Nelson continued to tear up the court as he has done all season. He scored five points in quick succession to hand Hartford a 54-49 lead. But, Decatur scored a two-point basket.

Hartford’s William Martinez was fouled and sent to the free throw line; he sank the first shot. Martinez missed the second attempt but teammate Garrod Johnson jumped up, grabbed the rebound, and hit a short jumper for two points. That gave Hartford a 57-52 lead.

But, a four point run by Decatur put them one point away from tying the Indians. With 25 seconds on the clock, Decatur scored two points and yanked the lead from Hartford’s grasp.

With 8.1 seconds left, Hartford called a time out to review their playbook.

Subsequently, Austin was given the ball and his shot missed. Johnson leapt for the rebound and was fouled. His free throw shots did not fall through the basket, and Decatur still maintained the 58-57 lead.

Johnson fouled a Decatur player, who then sank both of his free throw attempts to take a 60-57 lead with 2.8 seconds on the clock. Nelson’s last second 3-pointer was no good, and Decatur earned the win.

Nelson was Hartford’s high scorer with 36 of his team’s 60 points. Martinez scored 10 points.

Lady Comets fan Fennville as Yore scores 20 points

 Coloma hosted Fennville Friday, February 10. In a balanced offensive attack, the Lady Comets fanned Fennville 46-22.

Coloma scored double-digits in three of four periods of play. They also limited Fennville to four points or less in three of four periods.

Coloma routed the Blackhawks for 11 points in the first period and 14 in the second period to take a 25-4 lead at half-time.

In the third period, Coloma scored 13 points as Kayla Yore, Morgan Wagner, and Mya Potter put up buckets for the Lady Comets. At the end of three, Coloma enjoyed a healthy 38-8 lead.

With most of the starters taking a break for intermittent periods of time in the fourth quarter, Coloma scored eight points while Fennville added 14. When the buzzer tolled, Coloma had the 46-22 win in hand.

Yore led Coloma with 20 points, including two 3-pointers. Wagner scored 18 points in the contest as she hit four 3-pointers and six free throws. Nicolle Larson scored six points, and Potter had two.

Coloma was 12 of 21 from the charity stripe (57%).

Watervliet bows out of district wrestling competition

 Watervliet hosted Michigan High School Athletic Association District 211-4 team wrestling Wednesday, February 8.

In the first round, Watervliet faced Lawrence as Bangor took on Hartford.

Bangor topped Hartford 70-4. Watervliet beat Lawrence 60-18.

In the contested matches between the Panthers and Lawrence, Watervliet’s Brad Yazel pinned Arturo Perez at 0:34 in the 152 lb. weight class. Logan Swigart of Watervliet pinned Justin George at 1:39 in their 215 lb. bout. In the 103 lb. weight class, Watervliet’s Trevor Pelton pinned Veronica Cornejo at 2:34.

With Hartford and Lawrence out of competition following their losses, Watervliet took to the mat against Bangor for the district championship. Unfortunately for our hometown Panthers, the team lost 57-24.

Earning victories for Watervliet against Bangor was Brad Yazel (152). He pinned Austin Busscher in short order at 0:27.

Alex Isbrecht also pinned his opponent in the 119 lb. weight class. He stuck Colby Petranek at 4:51. At the end of the first period, Isbrecht and Petranek were tied at two points apiece.  Isbrecht got two points on a takedown and two points on a near fall in the second period to lead 6-2 headed into the third period. Isbrecht got the win by pin in the third.

Klayton Marshall also came up big for Watervliet. Wrestling in the 125 lb. weight class, Marshall pinned Marcos Francos at 1:04.

Watervliet wrestlers who were defeated by their Bangor opponents included Jesse Hite (160), Domanik Skidmore (215), Chad Cowsert (285), Trevor Pelton (103), Hannah Yerington (135), and Coby Henslee (140).

Fennville nips Coloma 60-57

 A 25-point Coloma fourth period could not overcome a frenzied Fennville attack as the Comets fell 60-57 to the visiting Blackhawks Friday, February 10.

Fennville set and kept a torrid pace. Coloma was able to keep up for much of the contest, although they were limited to just six points in the second period.

The Blackhawks began the charge with the opening tipoff. The squad tried a 3-pointer which circled the rim and then fell out but was rebounded by their own and an easy bucket put them on the board with two points.

Coloma’s first, second, and third possessions yielded zero points as passes sailed out of bounds, a layup did not land, and one shot bounced off the rim.

Zach Goodline of Coloma nailed a 3-pointer to get the Comets scoring started. Fennville scored six unanswered points before Coloma’s Grant Kroschel drilled a 3-pointer. At that point, Fennville led 8-6 in the first period.

Fennville scored another three points before Coloma’s Tevin Blazier responded with two points of his own. Another Fennville bucket was scored, but Coloma’s Levi Wilkens drove the lane to score the basket and was fouled. His bonus was good, and Coloma trailed by two at the end of the first period, 13-11.

Coloma mustered six points in the second period, four from Goodline and two from Adam Hearn. At the half, Fennville led 25-17.

The two squads battled it out in the third period, with Fennville adding three points to their lead. The ‘Hawks scored 18 points but Coloma knocked down 15 to stay in the hunt.

The Comets zipped through the fourth period scoring 25 points. Fennville, trying to hold onto the lead, scored 17. Although Coloma responded, it was just too little too late. Fennville took the win, 60-57.

Goodline led Coloma with 31 points. He hit five 3-pointers and hit six of seven free throw shots. Blazier scored seven points. Wilkens added six points, while Hearn had four.

Calvin Starnes, Kroschel, and Robbie Schroeder scored three points apiece.

Indians down Decatur 41-29 as Jackson records double-double

 The Hartford Indians girls’ varsity basketball team traveled to Decatur Tuesday, February 7 for a little hoops action. Hartford commanded the game from the get-go and held Decatur to eight points or less in three of four periods.

Decatur opened the game with an 8-6 lead over Hartford, as the Indians worked to settle into the game.

In the second period, Hartford outscored Decatur 10-6 and held a 16-14 lead at intermission.

It was all Hartford in the second half. The Indians scored 11 points in the third period and held Decatur to 10, their highest scoring period of the night.

In the fourth quarter, Hartford blew away the Raiders, netting 14 points and limiting Decatur to just five. Hartford rolled to a 41-29 road win.

Hartford’s AJ Jackson scored 25 points; she also grabbed 13 rebounds.  Cora Wesaw scored six points. Madisyn Earls pulled down four rebounds. Marissa Beraza doled out four assists, and Amara Wesaw had three steals.

Lady Panthers maul Marcellus

SENIOR SCORER… Water-vliet’s Logan Mizwicki cele-brated Senior Night by scoring 17 points in the Lady Panthers’ 42-33 victory over visiting Marcellus. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The Lady Panthers of Watervliet celebrated Senior Night with a 42-33 win over visiting Marcellus Tuesday, February 7.

Katie Schultz, Mikayla Lee, Jade Miller, Casie Gohr, Maggie Lynch, and Logan Mizwicki were the seniors honored following the game.

Watervliet jumped out to an early lead in the contest and was never threatened. After the first period, Marcellus trailed 11-7.

Second period action found the teams tied up at 17 apiece with a minute left on the clock. An inbounds pass to Watervliet’s Zoe Smith resulted in an easy two-point layup for the junior. Schultz drained a 3-pointer to give Watervliet a 22-17 lead at intermission.

Watervliet’s offense continued their torrid pace in the second half of the ball game. Casie Gohr scored two points for Watervliet. On their next possession, Mizwicki scored two points for Watervliet after driving the lane. She was fouled and made the bonus. Smith scored two points and Mizwicki’s shot from beyond the arc gave Watervliet a 34-25 lead at the end of three.

Kara Liles scored Watervliet’s first four points of the fourth period. Smith scored on both of her free throw attempts giving Watervliet a comfortable 40-25 lead before Marcellus could score.

At the buzzer, Watervliet walked away with the 42-33 win, their 10th consecutive victory.

Mizwicki turned in a scorching performance. She scored 17 points to lead Watervliet; she also had seven rebounds and four steals. Liles scored six points and snagged nine rebounds. Smith contributed six points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

Gohr gave the Panthers four points, four assists, and four steals. Jaelyn Pitre notched four points and four rebounds. Schultz was credited with three points, two assists, and three blocks. Taylor Shafer scored two points and blocked two shots.

Following the contest, Watervliet head coach Jason Forrester spoke highly of his team. “We came out strong. We played very unselfishly. Any time they tried to get close, we shut them down.” He complimented his squad on their ability to play cohesively on the court, cheer each other on, and not get complacent based on their string of wins.

Get out your rod and reel

 The first free fishing weekend of the year, for the State of Michigan anglers, is Saturday and Sunday, February 18 and 19.

According to the state’s Department of Natural Resources press release, residents and out-of-state visitors can enjoy fishing on inland lakes and Great Lakes for free. You can drop a line and hope to hook any species on the two free fishing days.

The intent of the free fishing program is to bring awareness to the sport of fishing and encourage individuals to take part in more activities outdoors.

For additional information, visit www.michigan.gov/dnr.

The DNR will also sponsor a second free fishing weekend this summer. Mark your calendars for the weekend of June 10 and 11 for another opportunity to cast a line.

Lady Panthers lose to Gobles 42-40

 Watervliet head coach Jason Forrester was cautiously optimistic prior to Friday’s away game against Gobles. He knew the lady Panthers would be put to the test, and he was right. “It was a back and forth battle between the top two teams in the division,” he commented.

Watervliet suffered their first loss in 10 games, as Gobles got the 42-40 win.

Watervliet led 13-12 after the first period of play, and the game was tied up 21-21 at intermission.

In the third period, Gobles took the lead 31-29. In the fourth period, the teams traded basket for basket; both squads scored 11 points, giving Gobles the 42-40 victory.

Casie Gohr was the high scorer for Watervliet. She tallied 12 points. Logan Mizwicki chipped in eight points. Katie Schultz added seven points. Jaelyn Pitre scored five points, and Ariana Rowe had four. Kara Liles and Zoe Smith each scored two points.

Watervliet’s next game is Tuesday, February 21.

ON A ROLL… Coloma girls’ varsity bowling team is undefeated in their regular season and sits atop the Kalamazoo Valley Association Conference. Additionally, the team took first place recently at the East Kent-wood bowling tournament. Team members include (from the left): Back row – Narelle Hickmon, Morgan Hosbein, Darcy Kirby, Coach Carley Burrell, Carissa Richmond, Emily Feldton, Lainey Meader, and Ashley Ikerd; Front row – Alyssa Blankenship and Amanda Armstrong. (Contributed photo)

Coloma girls’ bowling rolls on undefeated

 The Coloma girls’ varsity bowling team continues to roll on through their season with an undefeated record.

The squad is also in first place in the Kalamazoo Valley Association Conference.

On January 29, the team scored the championship trophy at the East Kentwood 2017 Invitational tournament.

On February 6, the team tallied a 29-1 win over Galesburg-Augusta to remain undefeated in the conference. Another match against Schoolcraft on February 8 resulted in another Comet victory.

The squad is comprised of Narelle Hickmon, Morgan Hosbein, Darcy Kirby, Carissa Richmond, Emily Feldton, Lainey Meader, Ashley Ikerd, Alyssa Blankenship, and Amanda Armstrong. The young ladies are coached at Carley Burrell.

Senior night success for Watervliet

 Watervliet scored a 49-33 victory over Marcellus Tuesday, February 7, as the hometown crowd honored the team’s seniors. Ryan Lefor, Tyler Brant, Devon Flowers, Mark Myers, Cameron Rendo, who started the game for the Panthers, and manager Cody Nearpass were feted for their work on the basketball team.

It looked as though Watervliet would be in for a rough outing after Marcellus scored the first six points of the game. It was Cam Rendo who knocked down Watervliet’s first bucket for two points.

Sheldon Tobar scored two points on an assist from Rendo, and then Bryant Kieft hit a quick two points to tie the game at six.

Another bucket went to Marcellus. Watervliet drew to within one point on a Tobar free throw.

Watervliet took the lead after Kieft rebounded a shot and then hit the basket from underneath. Trent Boone got on the board for Watervliet with a 3-pointer that danced around the rim of the basket before falling true. At the end of the first period, Watervliet held a 12-8 lead over the visiting Wildcats.

The Panthers scored five points early in the second period as Tobar hit a two-point bucket and Boone sliced another 3-pointer through the net. Marcellus responded with a four-point run, but that was halted by buckets from Rendo, Tobar, and Daniel Cluster. At the end of the first half Watervliet led 25-15.

Marcellus came out shooting in the third period, draining 12 points. But, the Panthers kept pace with 12 of their own. At the end of the third period, Watervliet led 37-27.

Watervliet defense held strong in the fourth period. The squad allowed only six points to be scored by Marcellus. The Panther offense continued their assault, scoring 12 points. Watervliet won 49-33.

Kieft was the high scorer for the Panthers with 14 points. Cluster scored eight points, while Boone and Rendo had six points each.

Watervliet held Marcellus to eight points and fewer in three of the four periods played.

Hartford’s Nelson and Martinez team up for 42 points

 Hartford welcomed Saugatuck to the basketball court Friday, February 10. It was, as Hartford head coach John Johnson commented, “A tough one,” as the Indians lost 67-65. But, give Hartford the credit they deserve. Saugatuck continues to be a powerhouse, but Hartford sure made it a ball game.

GETTING THAT RAIDER REBOUND… Hartford’s Gar-rod Johnson and Rolando Contreras reach for a rebound during Tuesday’s home game against Decatur. Although the Indians led the game with a minute left to play they ended up losing the heartbreaking game 60-57. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The Indians led much of the game until a shocking 24-point fourth period by Saugatuck gave them the victory.

Hartford led 15-8 after the first period and 37-26 at the half. It was not until the fourth period that the wheels fell off the Indian cart.

Saugatuck scored 24 points in the fourth. Hartford was unable to keep up and netted just 13 points. In the end, it was Saugatuck with the 67-65 loss.

Hartford’s Austin Nelson and William Martinez scored 21 points apiece.

Watervliet caps off winning week with 52-38 victory over Gobles

 Watervliet made it two wins in a row this week after topping Gobles 52-38 Friday, February 10 on the road.

Watervliet took a 7-5 lead after the first period and the Panthers continued to build thereafter. The squad has certainly come into their own after a season-long struggle to win ball games.

The second period saw Watervliet scored 14 points. They would score in double digits in both second-half periods as well. The score at intermission was 21-11 with Watervliet firmly in control.

Gobles scored 27 points in the second half of the game, really stepping up their offensive play. Watervliet, however, was not concerned as they continued their scoring blitz, knocking down 31 second-half points. According to Watervliet head coach Chris Prom, “The Panthers used great defensive intensity to hold the Tigers to 27% shooting from the field.”

Watervliet tallied their fourth win of the season with the 52-38 victory.

James Bell led Watervliet with 17 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Dan Cluster scored a double-double; he had 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Lamarrius Smith, in his best game of the season, contributed 12 points, seven steals, six rebounds, five deflections, one assist, and one block.

Hartford’s Amara Wesaw records triple-double in 58-39 sinking of Saugatuck

 The Indians were on fire Friday, February 10! The girls’ varsity basketball team notched a decisive 58-39 victory over Saugatuck.

Hartford raced out to an early 13-9 lead and never looked back. Amara Wesaw scored seven of the team’s 13 first period points.

The squad held a 31-21 lead at the half as six Indians put up points, including four apiece from Marissa Beraza and AJ Jackson.

A strong Hartford defense smothered the Saugatuck scoring opportunities. Saugatuck was limited to just nine points in the third and fourth periods.

Hartford tallied 16 points in the third period and 11 in the fourth. The Indians sank Saugatuck 58-39.

AJ Jackson led Hartford with 17 points. She also had two blocks, three steals, and eight rebounds.

Amara Wesaw tallied a triple-double as she scored 11 points and had 12 boards, 10 steals, and two assists.

Beraza contributed nine points, seven steals, three assists, and four rebounds. Megan Nelson scored nine points and had two assists and two steals.

Jessica Cortes scored four points, while Makenzie Chambers had three. Chambers was credited with five rebounds, one steal, and one assist. Cora Wesaw and Elly Valdes added two points apiece. Angela Saldana scored one point.