03-14-2019 Tri-City Area Sports

12-2 SEASON… Watervliet 7th grade basketball girls white team ended the season on a great note Saturday, March 2, 2019, taking second in the Comstock tournament. The girls had a fabulous season with a record of 12-2. In the photo (from the left) are: Back row – Coach Nicol Wildeman, Kennedy Warren, Olivia Camp, Chelsea Lange, Ellie Wildeman, Alyssa Brown; Front row – Dezi Warren, Anya Sexton, Aleah Sexton, Makena Edelberg, Riley Preston.

Press Box Player of the Week!

By John Oliphant

Our Press Box Player of the Week is Watervliet’s Elaine Koshar.

Elaine just completed her career on the Watervliet girls’ basketball team Friday night in the district championship game against Brandywine. She finished her final season with a bang, scoring 21 points against Bangor in the first game of the tournament, helping to propel the Panthers into the district finals.

Elaine was the linchpin of the Panther offense, playing center and getting banged around under the basket all season long. She also handled the tip-off duties for the team.

She’s been playing basketball since the third grade, and also played on the Panther volleyball team, where she led the team in kills and blocks.

She says the best advice she’s received from a coach was to play as hard as you can for as long as you can.

Elaine ended the season with 155 points and 167 rebounds. She shot 41% from the field and 65% from the line. She also had games of 17 and 16 points, and her top rebounding game was 14.

Coach Ken Dietz said, “Elaine expected a lot from herself each and every day. This drove her to be successful. I enjoyed and appreciated her effort and dedication to what we were trying to accomplish this year.”

The Panthers had a tough year with just four wins, but Elaine was upbeat about her team and their final season together: “We may not have won a lot, but our team played our hearts out every day. We got to the district championship game, which is something not a lot of teams can say. It wasn’t the season we wanted but seeing my teammates every day was worth it.”

Elaine’s favorite class is Biochemistry, and after graduation she plans to attend Michigan State University to major in Animal Science and then attend veterinary school. Meanwhile, she plans to enjoy the rest of her senior year at Watervliet High School.

Congratulations, Elaine!

Coloma Press Box By Dave Vollrath

Coloma girls lose heartbreaker to Berrien Springs, 42-41 in overtime

The Coloma Comet girls’ basketball team had their dreams of a first ever district championship end in heartbreaking fashion as they took Berrien Springs to overtime, but eventually fell by a final score of 42-41. It was the second semi final game of the night in the district tournament being played in the South Haven Ram’s gym. Benton Harbor had won the first semi final game in a huge upset of South Haven, and holding them off for a 33-29 victory.

The Comets had come into the game with great hopes for a district title, as all six teams in the district had come in carrying losing regular season records. Coloma had won their first district game in impressive fashion over the Buchanan Bucks by a score of 45-30. However, in the end, what was a huge strength for Coloma in that first game turned into a glaring weakness, and ultimately cost the Comets a chance to move on to the district championship.

In the defeat on Monday of Buchanan, Coloma hit on 11 of 14 free throws, a very respectable 78%. In the game versus Berrien, however, Coloma could only manage to connect on 15 of 27 free throws, only a 55% clip. So you have to go back and look at that as a deciding factor in an overtime game that was decided by a single point.

COLE ON A ROLL… Coloma’s Mia Cole shoots for two during the Comets’ first round Division 2 district basketball game against Buchanan in South Haven Monday, March 4; she scored six points. Coloma topped the Bucks 45-30 but fell in overtime 42-41 Wednesday to Berrien Springs in the semi-final game. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The game started out slowly as each team had a little trouble putting the ball in the bucket, and it resulted in the first quarter ending with the Shamrocks leading by a score of 7-5.

It was a game played with great intensity on both sides. There were 40 fouls whistled for the game, 16 against the Comets. Defensively both teams really went after it, resulting in Coloma getting 12 steals on the game against nine for Berrien Springs. The game was very close throughout and the first half ended with Berrien Springs still on top by a count of 20-16.

The Lady Comets came out of the locker room after halftime showing a little more patience offensively and were trying to get the ball to Megan Neubecker, down on the low post. But Megan was having a little trouble getting in position for her shots, as she was being double teamed for much of the game. Coloma did creep in a little closer during the third quarter, which came to an end with Berrien Springs still on top, but now by a single point 30-29.

The game was in the fourth quarter and the lead changed hands several times. As the clocked ticked down, the Comets found themselves trailing 36-34. Bringing the ball down court with less than 10 seconds to play, they worked the ball around looking for a shot.

With about two seconds on the clock Mia Cole, a sophomore, put the ball up and made a huge shot from near the 3-point line. The referee closest to Mia immediately raised both his arms indicating a made 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to end the game. But as the Comet team and fans began wildly celebrating a phenomenal buzzer beating victory, the other two refs came in blowing their whistles, which could barely be heard, and waving their arms.

As they got things calmed down, they ruled that Mia’s foot was touching the line which negated the three points making it only a two point shot. Instead of winning, the Comets were tied with the Shamrocks, 36-36, and headed for overtime.

Coloma Coach Kim Swisher said about that final play in regulation, “I thought it was a three, but Cole was honest and said her foot was on the line. I thought, OK, at least it was a two and we’re headed for overtime.”

In any case it was a huge made shot and created a tremendous amount of excitement for the Coloma team and fans. That excitement was short lived however, as once again the Comets found themselves trailing by two. With only a few seconds left on the clock Coloma had a couple of good looks inside, but the ball was not going in easily on this night and as the final buzzer sounded it looked like the Comets had lost.

Once again, however, the refs came in blowing their whistles and were calling a foul underneath the bucket on Berrien Springs. The ruling sent Marissa Sherburn to the line to shoot two free throws and have another chance to tie the score and send the game into a second overtime. With no time on the clock, and all of the other players standing around mid court, Marissa stepped to the line and you could hear a pin drop. She calmly sank that first free throw hitting nothing but net and pulling the Comets back to within a single point.

The Berrien Springs faithful were not going to make things that easy for her on the second attempt however, and began yelling and stomping their feet as Marissa’s second shot clanged off the rim and ended the Comet hopes for going to the district final.

Megan Koenigshof finished the night with a double/double as she had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Megan Neubecker, even though she somewhat struggled, managed to score eight points and had a huge night on the boards with 16 rebounds. Coloma finishes the season with a record of 8-14, and high expectations for the future, as this young team returns many of the players who led the team in most categories.

Coloma Comets have 4 wrestlers earning All Southwest Michigan Wrestling Honors

Coloma Comets placed four wrestlers on the All Southwest Michigan wrestling team for the 2018-2019 season. Earning second team honors for the Comets was Ian Ishmael at 140 pounds. Ian finished the season with a record of 41-5. He had only three losses on the season going into the regional meet, but had his worst day of the year finishing the day with two losses and out of the running to go to the State Finals.

Cody Reese finished with a record of 37-11 wrestling at 145 pounds. Cody went to the state finals where he finished in 6th place. Cole Alsup, a junior, had a great year finishing at 40-8, and a 5th place finish at the recently held State Championships. Reese and Alsup also received second team honors.

Earning honorable mention was Caeleb Ishmael. The Comet freshman sensation with a 4th place finish at state in a very competitive division, capped a 44-10 season.

The Comet team finished with a record of 14-14. But having sent two underclassmen to state this year and Ian having gone to state the previous year bodes well for the future of the Comet program.

Coloma Comet athlete earns 1st Mr. Blossomtime for Coloma

Sin’cere Taylor, one of the top athletes in the senior class at Coloma, earned the title of Mr. Blossomtime this week at the Pageant held at the Mendel Center of Lake Michigan College. Sin’cere also was voted as Mr. Nice Guy to double up on his honors.

Taylor played on the Comet football team and had a fine season. He lined up on offense at wide receiver and had 11 receptions for 326 yards, with a longest of 76 yards, and scored one touchdown. Taylor also had over 200 yards returning kicks. On defense, Sin’cere had 27 solo tackles and 10 quarterback sacks, a great number playing from the defensive backfield.

Sin’cere’s best sport however, would be when he steps on the track for the Comets. He ran last year on one of the top relay teams in the state. Sin’cere ran a leg on the 4 x 200 relay team that won the state championship last spring, as well as a leg on the 4 x 400 team that finished in second at state.

We congratulate Sin’cere on this incredible honor and wish him good luck in the upcoming track season.

Hartford Prress Box By Jerrod Birmele

Well, the time has finally come to write the final chapter on the winter sports season in Hartford. It seems that with every year that goes by, it flies by faster-and-faster. And this year was no exception. This week, the column will be solely dedicated to the Hartford Girls Basketball team, who entered the postseason hoping to make a playoff run. And that would begin with District competition. Are you ready to find out how the Girls Basketball team did last week? Without further ado, it’s time to open the door to the Press Box and jump right into the highlights of all things Indian Athletics!

DRIVE… Hartford’s Nautica Covington drives toward the basket as the Indians’ head coach Kailee Friday looks on Wednesday, March 6 during a Division 3 district semi-final matchup against Brandywine. Hartford ended their season with a 55-25 loss. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Hartford Girls Basketball bows out in District Semifinals

The Hartford Indian Girls Basketball team entered the postseason last week, as they were involved in District competition, hosted by Bridgman. The Lady Indians went into play fresh off of a three game winning streak to end the regular season. However, they knew the competition would be tougher, and fiercer. After hearing Brandywine won their game earlier in the week, Hartford knew it would have to play an A+ game to have a realistic chance to win.

In Wednesday night’s district semifinal game against Brandywine on March 6, Hartford played hard from start to finish. However, thanks to a 19-percent shooting percentage and some costly mistakes, along with tough defense from the Lady Bobcats, the Lady Indians would fall, 55-25.

Brandywine jumped out to a 14-5 lead after the first quarter, before extending their lead to 27-16 at halftime with a 13-11 showing in the second quarter. Hartford had their chances to hack into Brandywine’s lead in the second and third quarters, but could not buy a basket from the perimeter.

The Lady Bobcats then proceeded to outscore the Lady Indians, 10-6 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 37-22 with eight minutes to go. They put the game out of reach in the fourth and final quarter by blasting Hartford, 18-3, in the last stanza. And when the horn sounded, just like that, the Lady Indian season was over.

Hartford was led by Megan Nelson, who finished her junior season with a 16-point, 4-rebound performance. The final chapter of Mikenzie Chambers’ Lady Indian career ended with six points and 10 rebounds in an injury-shortened game, while freshman Alexis Snodgrass finished with three points, a team-high 15 rebounds and three blocks. The team finished the game making five two-point baskets, four three-point baskets and shot 3-for-4, or 75 percent, from the free-throw line.

Hartford finished their 2018-19 season with an 11-10 record. The Indians will lose just two seniors, Chambers and Abby Rodriguez, to graduation this spring. So, they will be returning plenty of ladies to make a run at it again next season. Congratulations to the Hartford Girls Basketball team on a solid season!

Hartford spring sports on the horizon

The conclusion of winter sports brings with it spring flowers – and, oh yeah, a return to outdoor sports! In the weeks ahead, check back with the Hartford Press Box to get inside information on the Hartford Baseball, Girls Soccer, Softball and Track and Field teams. Practices began on Monday, March 13, so look for team previews to come in the next few weeks. Go Indians!

Watervliet Press Box by John Oliphant

Panthers seek new football coach

The search for a new varsity football coach is underway at Watervliet High School. The position has been posted internally and externally. Applicants can go online to www.watervlietps.org, hover over the District tab and then click on Employment to submit their information.

Athletic Director Ken Dietz said that departing Coach Jeremy Andrews created a culture and an expectation at Watervliet that he wants to build and improve on, and that his time and effort are greatly appreciated. “Jeremy did a great job at getting our kids to love the game of football, play it at a high level, and believe in a style of football that made Watervliet very successful over the last decade making the playoffs eight out of the last 10 season. Our goal in hiring a new coach is to continue to build on that culture and success, and at the same time strive to make it even better.”

Applications will be accepted through, Thursday, March 28. After spring break the selection process will begin and interviews will take place.

Panther girls beat Bangor

The Watervliet Lady Panthers took on the Bangor Vikings in the district tournament opener last week, winning 47-35. The Panthers started the scoring early and played tight defense to jump out to a 14-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. Elaine Koshar and Victoria Smith scored all of the Panthers’ 14 points. In the second quarter their defense was even better as they held the Vikings scoreless while adding 12 more points, heading to the locker room at halftime with a 26-5 lead.

SMITH’S SWEEP… Watervliet’s Vicky Smith drives around and then past her Bangor opponent March 6 during the Lady Panthers’ Division 3 district semi-final game against Bangor at Bridgman. Watervliet beat Bangor 47-35 but lost the championship title game 56-19 to Brandywine Friday night. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

In the third quarter Bangor finally got their offense working, putting up 17 points against five by the Panthers. The referees got plenty of action from their whistles in the fourth quarter when three Viking players fouled out of the game. The Panthers went 9-for-13 at the free throw line versus Bangor’s 3-for-10, ultimately outscoring the Vikings 15-13 in the quarter and holding on for the 12-point win.

Elaine Koshar led all scorers with a career-high 21 points on nine field goals and all three of her free throw chances. Victoria Smith scored 11 points, eight of those coming in the first quarter. Celina Klimkiewicz scored seven points, including five free throws in the final quarter. Emma Yazel scored six points, and Ally Pazera scored two points.

Panther girls fall in district championship

The win against Bangor on Wednesday earned the 4-15 Panthers a seat at the district championship game against the 19-2 Brandywine Bobcats. Brandywine had won four straight district titles coming into the game, and made it five in a row after beating the Panthers 56-19 on Friday, March 8.

The Panthers took the early 3-0 lead when Victoria Smith passed to an open Emma Yazel who drained the three-pointer. That would prove to be the sole highlight of the game for the Panthers, who hit only five more shots in the game, while five different Bobcats hit nine three-pointers in the first half to put the game away early.

On top of their prolific shooting, the Bobcats ran a powerful defense that made even simple passes tough and forced numerous turnovers. Brandywine advanced to face 15-6 Kalamazoo Christian in regional play.

Celina Klimkiewicz led the Panthers with six points, followed by Emma Yazel with five points. Elaine Koshar scored four points, and both Ally Pazera and Brittney Porphir scored two points.

The last game of their season meant plenty of emotions for the seven Panther seniors and their parents as their high school basketball careers come to a close.

Note from Athletic Director Ken Dietz on Division 3 Boys Basketball Tournament

Watervliet hosted the Division 3 Boys Basketball Tournament last week on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Basketball fans came from all over to watch three great games in Panther Gymnasium.

Athletic Director Dietz expressed a great BIG THANK YOU to the faculty, staff, coaches, administrators, and community members for volunteering their time to make this event a success. A special thanks is extended to Chief Tim Sutherland and his officers who provided extra help in and around Watervliet High School on both nights to make the environment safe.

GREAT JOB PANTHERS!!

Watervliet grad slugging at Trine

Watervliet Class of 2017 graduate Mercede Daugherty is having a big sophomore softball season at Trine University. The second baseman was recently named Position Player of the Week in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) after collecting 13 hits, 11 RBI, three doubles and a home run.

On the season Daugherty is batting .471 for the 8-2 Thunder and leads the team in several offensive categories including RBI, hits, doubles, triples, and slugging at .824. She has seven extra-base hits, including two home runs. In her most recent game she led the team with three RBI on two doubles and two singles.