Soccer standouts honored with All-Conference and All-State awards

 Hartford and Coloma soccer stars scored some major awards recently as All-Conference and All-State awards were announced.

Hartford varsity soccer coach and Athletic Director Nick Blackmer had plenty of reasons to smile as quite a few of his players won local and state awards.

Hartford’s William Martinez was selected to Division 4 First Team All-State. The junior midfielder was the lone Indian to earn First Team honors at the state level.

MARTINEZ MAKES ALL-STATE… Hartford’s William Martinez 

Jake Griffith, a senior keeper, and Michel Calderon, a senior midfielder, received Second Team All-State awards.

Austin Nelson, a senior forward, Nick Pultz, a freshman defender, Noel Soto, a senior defender, and Danny Soto, a senior defender, all received All-State Honorable Mention nods.

Griffith, Martinez, Calderon, Nelson, and Soto were also named First Team All-Conference award winners. Receiving Honorable Mention awards at the conference level were Hartford’s Daniel Soto, Brandon Galvan, Nick Pultz, and Roy Rodriguez.

Blackmer awarded MVP and MIP at this year’s banquet in November. William Martinez was honored with the team’s MVP award, while Nick Pultz received the Most Improved Player award.

AUSTIN’S AWESOME AWARD… Austin Nelson

Coloma varsity coach Rick Redman is saluting quite a few of his players as well.

Coloma senior keeper Grant Kroschel earned First Team All-Conference honors. He was joined by fellow senior Comet field players Kobe Hunter, Tyler Sherrill, and Patrick Guntz.

Coloma’s Zack Heater, a senior, and sophomores Antonio Gagliardo and Jacob Bryant earned Honorable Mention awards in the conference.

MICHEL MAKES GOOD… Michel Calderon

GRIFFITH GETS IT DONE… Hartford keeper Jake Griffith 

SOTO SO GOOD… Hartford’s Noel Soto 

At the team’s banquet, Kobe Hunter was given the Golden Boot and leading scorer awards.

Kroschel earned the Golden Glove and team MVP awards.

Best defensive player award was bestowed upon Patrick Guntz, while Tyler Sherrill picked up the Best Work Ethic award.

The Most Improved Player on offense was awarded to Antonio Gagliardo. Jacob Bryant won the MIP award for his defensive play.

Shawn Moore, a senior, won Most Versatile, and senior Sam Tavolacci was given the Leadership award.

Comet cagers court a winning season

Coloma’s girls’ varsity basketball team is under new leadership this season. Longtime veteran coach Fred Paulsen has taken over as head coach. Paulsen previously coached at both the high school and college levels. Jenn Ickes has joined the team and will act as the assistant coach.

Last year’s team, under the guise of former coach Curt Mead, ended their season after being hammered by Berrien Springs 60-33 in the first round of district competition.

That squad was led by Paige Derrick, Gabby Gordon, and Tristin Hicks, all of whom graduated in the spring. The trio displayed aggressive and powerful athleticism and will no doubt be missed on the court this year.

That being said, Coloma remains deep with talented, experienced players.  Seven returning players will reunite and be joined by five former junior varsity players.

Seniors Alyssa Dillenbeck, Nicolle Larson, and Jenna Walter will lead the team alongside juniors Kayla Yore, Morgan Wagner, Skylar Crisenbery, and sophomore Hannah Mathis.

A pack of juniors are up from JV including Julia Sternaman, Mika Andersen, Emily Bolis, Mallory Spaulding, and Mya Potter.

“Our roster is dominated by a junior class,” Paulsen commented, “But it will be the leadership of our seniors that may have the most impact.”

Paulsen credits his predecessors with creating a strong basketball program. “I have been the varsity assistant the last six years here in Coloma for three coaches who were great guys and outstanding coaches.”

The strong foundation started by those coaches will give Paulsen a tremendous jumping off point as he melds his team.

“Our manta this year is to ‘Play hard – play smart – play together.’ What is more important is that all our players buy-in to what we are doing and accept their roles on the team and be a good teammate.”

And, although the squad is long on experience and depth, Paulsen knows adjustments on the floor and during a game will be necessary. “Like any good team we are going to try and exploit our strengths and hide our weaknesses. We must be concerned with the process and the product tends to take care of itself. Our biggest obstacle will be that we need to improve with what we do and then adjust to our opponents.”

 The Lady Comets open their season on Tuesday, November 29 at home against Decatur. Tipoff is 7:00 p.m.

Hartford hoopsters hope for another stellar season

 Hartford girls’ varsity basketball coach Lee Mireles has his work cut out for him this year.

PAULSEN’S PRACTICE… Coloma’s new varsity girls’ basketball coach Fred Paulsen runs his squad through drills in preparation for the team’s new season. Coloma opens their sea-son Tuesday, November 29 with a home game against Decatur. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Mireles, at the helm of Hartford basketball for the fourth year, is facing the loss of nine seniors from last year’s dynamic, physical Hartford team. That squad entered district competition having won five of their previous six games played. The team was seeking a district championship title, and it appeared they would get one.

The squad won their opening game in districts barely eking out a 47-44 victory over Bangor. Then, the semi-final game against Kalamazoo Hackett was a tight 44-42 win for the Indians.

Hartford continued the heart stopping action in the district finals games taking the contest to not one, not two, but three overtime periods before bowing out 65-62 against Gobles. The team played hard, fast, and very physical and the loss of nine seniors will certainly be felt this year.

However, Mireles is not too concerned. “After last year’s run we have high expectations for this year. It won’t be easy, but we have some great athletes that will make the transition a little smoother,” he said.

Four players from last year’s squad will hit the court later this month when the first contests of the 2016-17 season begin. Seniors Marissa Beraza, Madyson Earls, and Amara Wesaw will be joined by junior AJ Jackson and all four will have to step into leadership roles in a hurry.

Mireles said, “Leading this year’s team will be Beraza and Amara Wesaw. Both are four year players. Beraza will be an outside presence and will handle the ball for us. Wesaw will help us with outside shooting and also on the boards.”

Improvement under the basket is key, according to Mireles. “We will have better rebounding this year.  AJ Jackson will be a big presence in the middle. She will control the boards for us and lock down the paint.”

Juniors Jessica Cortes, Elly Valdes, Angela Saldana, Cora Wesaw, and Madison Garland as well as sophomore Mikenzie Chambers will join the varsity squad this year.

“From the JV Cortes will be our sharp shooter. Earls is our bruiser; she will help on the board and has great court vision,” Mireles shared.

It is that foresight on the floor that Mireles will be depending on. “We will not (have the ball handling skills) that we did last year but we will make that up with court vision.”

This year’s team remains very physical and athletic. They have a spark on the court that is very reminiscent of last year’s team. They hope their returning starters as well as the boost from the new players will meld together to form a solid, cohesive team. A team that will battle for wins and one that hopes “to contend for a division and district title,” said Mireles.

“Our goals for this year is to compete in each game (and) be better basketball players at the end of the season when it counts the most.”

You can bet Hartford will fire on all cylinders in their opening season game scheduled for Tuesday, November 29 at home against Galesburg-Augusta.

Volleyball awards handed out at Watervliet and Hartford

 Watervliet varsity volleyball coach Edie Daugherty doled out awards to her players during the team’s awards banquet recently and announced that Kara Liles, a junior, and Mercede Daugherty, a senior, were named to the All Region team.

Liles was a First Team All-Conference award winner as well.  Daugherty, sophomore Grace Smith, and junior Zoe Smith each received All-Conference Honorable Mention nods.

Daugherty and Liles shared the Watervliet volleyball Most Valuable Player award. Katie Clark, a junior, was selected as Most Improved.

The 2016 captains for the Panther squad were Zoe Smith, Daugherty, and senior Maggie Lynch.

Clark, Grace Smith, and junior Madalyn Hutchins earned their varsity letter.

Watervliet ended their season in the district finals game. The Lady Panthers defeated Brandywine 3-2 in a semi-final match on November 2 to move to the finals.

They were topped 3-0 by Bridgman to close out their season on Thursday, November 3.

Patricia Matheny, varsity volleyball coach at Hartford, also presented her players with awards during their annual banquet in November. Hartford volleyball’s MVP was Amber Martin, a senior on the squad. Two players, Ashley Kling and Elly Valdes, shared the team’s Most Improved award.

Amara Wesaw earned individual All-State Academic honors, and the entire varsity team was named All-State Academic. “These were some awesome achievements,” Matheny said. “It shows that my players worked hard in the classroom and on the court.”

Martin was the lone Indian to achieve a First Team All-Conference award. Olivia Kling earned an Honorable Mention nod.

Hartford ended their season following a three game loss to Gobles in the first round of districts on Monday, October 31.

Cross country runners hailed during awards banquets

 Hartford girls’ cross country coach Doug Paran shared that Angela Saldana was the Indians’ Most Valuable trekker for the 2016 season. Jessica Cortes was named the Most Improved.

Saldana’s top finish of the season was ninth place in the Tiger Invitational on September 21.  The junior set a season record on October 11 at the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship with a time of 23:23.4.

Cortes’s top finish was a 42nd place at the Tiger Invitational. The junior set a new personal record after running a 30:49.8 at the Little Guys Invitational on October 22.

Spencer Carr, the head coach for the Hartford boys’ cross country team, awarded Francisco Loera the team’s MVP award.  Most Improved went to Francisco Medrano.  Carr also handed out a Captains Award to Tristan Hanners.

Loera, a sophomore, set a personal record on October 22 at the Little Guys Invitational. Loera ran the course in a time of 19:29.5. His top finish of the season was 17th place at the Tiger Invitational.

Freshman Medrano began the season by running the Teske Invitational with a time of 42:59.3. His marked improvement throughout the season showed when he set a new personal record time of 33:16.3 at the very difficult RedBud Moto Cross course in Buchanan on October 29. Medrano’s highest finish came on September 21 in the Tiger Invitational when he finished in 42nd place.

Hanners best finish came during the SAC Conference Championship on October 11 when he ran a 20:39.3. The senior’s highest finish came during the Tiger Invitational where he took 29th place.

Watervliet cross country coach Aaron Weber had great news to share with his squad during their awards banquet.

MVPs for the 2016 season were state qualifiers Jobe Kerr and Allie Pazera.

Kerr took 38th place overall at state competition on November 5. His season record best time was set on October 8 at the Portage Invitational. The senior finished the course with a time of 16:44.0.  Kerr won two individual championship titles at both the Teske Invitational and SAC Lakeshore Jamboree 1 and also finished second in five other races this season.

Sophomore Pazera blazed a trail through the competition this year. She won an individual championship at the Bangor Invitational on September 24. Her season record of 21:11.9 was earned on October 1 at the Berrien County Championship invitational.

Most Improved awards were given to Rick Ertman and Jade Miller.

Ertman, a senior, placed ninth at the Bangor Invitational; he recorded his best time of 19:18.5 at the regional contest at RedBud Moto Cross in Buchanan on October 29.

Miller’s best finish time this season came on October 22 at the Kalamazoo Christian Invitational; the senior set a new personal record of 22:34.5. Miller’s highest finish of the season came on September 24 at the Bangor Invitational where she took 14th place.

SAC realignment consideration continues

 The Hartford Board of Education was presented with information on Thursday, November 17 from the school’s athletic department regarding the district’s possible departure from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Six schools, including Bangor, Bloomingdale, Decatur, Eau Claire, Hartford, and Marcellus, are considering leaving the SAC. The entities are weighing an option to form a new 10-school conference with current BSC members Cassopolis, Centreville, Mendon, and White Pigeon. Tentatively, the newly formed conference would be called the Southwest-10 Conference.

Should the 10 school districts approve the creation of a new conference, which would leave 14 schools – including Coloma and Watervliet – in the SAC.

Hartford Athletic Director Nick Blackmer is anticipating that all 10 schools should have a recommendation or approval by their boards by mid-December.  Hartford’s Board of Education will likely vote on the topic at their next meeting held on December 15.

Blackmer is quick to quiet the speculation that Hartford is leaving the SAC because of increased competition. “I think, as the soccer coach, I have a pretty good perspective of the highs and lows of the conference. (In) boys’ soccer we have been undefeated the last two years in SAC play. (In) girls’ soccer we only won a few SAC games. Competition level really depends on the sport, and their kids, and the state of their program.

“A driving point here is that we were sought out to join the new conference. We did not make calls and ask, nor did we express our disappointment with the SAC. We just feel that the new conference would be a better fit.”

Blackmer also said, “We have built many relationships (within the SAC) that mean very much to me. If the creation of a new conference does come together, I would hope that we could continue the relationships we have built with those schools no longer in the conference.”

In the new SW-10, Hartford would have the third highest enrollment at 330 students. Bangor would have the highest enrollment at 365, with Marcellus and Mendon tied for ninth with 204 students.

Hartford seeking to fill varsity football coach position

Hartford Public Schools is looking to fill the position of varsity football coach. According to the posting dated November 18, 2016 on the district’s website, the school is seeking a new football coach for the 2017-2018 season.

Ben Kain led the Indians this past season to a 2-7 record; he was not offered the coaching contract for next season. In 2015, the team went 5-5 under Jason Fiacco. Both Fiacco and Kain spent one year as head coach of the squad.

Superintendent Andrew Hubbard is accepting applications for the head coach position through November 30.

Interested parties can view the posting by visiting Hartford Public Schools at hartford-schools.org and clicking on “jobs.”

Rodney-Isbrecht continues to lead Armchair Quarterback contest; Third and fifth place all knotted up

 RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht continued to lead the Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterback contest by one game over Greg Krell. But third and fifth place are all tied up as some of the contestants struck gold and others were left holding an empty miners pan.

Each week, six local football fanatics try their hand at predicting the winners of eight football games. Records are tabulated each week, and at the end of the season the primo predictor wins a TCR AQB championship cap.

One game each week is specially selected as the tie-breaker game. Our seers must predict the total points that will be scored in that one contest. The tie-breaker game then determines the standings in the roster in the event of a tie.

This week, Rodney-Isbrecht and Krell scored 7-1 records and their place in the standings was determined by the score of the Ohio State and Michigan State game.

OSU topped MSU by one point, securing a 17-16 victory. Rodney-Isbrecht guessed 57 points would be scored, so she earned the standing’s top spot. Krell captured second place with his 64 point guess.

Third place last week went to Tim Hildebrand. He predicted his way to a 6-2 record. Fourth place was firmed up by Rodney Lynch’s 5-3 record.

That left Tom Gear and Chris Leach battling for fifth and sixth place. Both ‘backs went 4-4 for the week, so their tie-breaker guess came into play. Gear grabbed fifth place, as he guessed 63 points would be scored. Leach landed in sixth place courtesy of her 68 point prediction.

With 104 games under their belts this season, the AQBs are doing a bang up job! Everyone is over .500, and only four games separate the top four players.

Rodney-Isbrecht leads the pack with a 76-28 record. Krell is one game back in second place. He holds a 75-29 record and continues to keep pace with Rodney-Isbrecht.

Third place is tied up with Lynch and Hildebrand holding identical 72-32 records. Hildebrand has been turtling his way up the standings, moving up steadily and quietly one game at a time over the last several weeks. Lynch took a gamble last week by predicting Edwardsburg and Cassopolis would win their respective games; both lost and that hurt Lynch.

Fifth place is also tied up between Gear and Leach at 58-46. Gear has suffered through a few .500 weeks recently, and Leach lost ground on her Edwardsburg and Cass picks.

With only four games separating first and fourth, this game is getting good!

High school football ends this week, but with no local teams in contention, we are filling the roster with college and pro games. Your AQBs have selected their winners of the following contests:

Michigan State @ Penn State

Michigan @ Ohio State

Notre Dame @ USC

Florida @ Florida State

Central Michigan @ Eastern Michigan

Minnesota @ Detroit

Tennessee @ Chicago

Pittsburgh @ Indianapolis

The tie-breaker game will be the #2 versus #3 team – Michigan/OSU. That is the game to watch this week. Can Michigan maintain their winning ways or will OSU prove they are too tough to beat? How will your favorite AQB fare? Check back next week!

Johnson wins seventh sprint cup championship

 Jimmie Johnson joined rare air Sunday after he won his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt in title trophies.

The final race of the 2016 NASCAR season was hosted by Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Johnson’s day did not start off too well.

The #48 Chevy failed inspection and moved from a 14th place start all the way to the back of the pack in the 40th slot.

The Ford EcoBoost 400, the 36th race of the season, featured 268 laps and four competitors vying for the championship title. In the hunt were Johnson, Joey Logano, Carl Edwards, and Kyle Busch.

Edwards appeared to have the title locked up. He only led 47 laps but was near the front of the pack for much of the race. In fact, at one point, all four championship seeking drivers ran second, third, fourth, and fifth.

Edwards was still heading up the pack with 10 laps to go. After the green flag dropped following a caution period, Edwards scooted down the track to block a hard charging Joey Logano. Edwards and Logano made contact, and Edwards spun out, collecting a few drivers – including a (literally) fired up Martin Truex Jr. – in the process. Johnson drove through the spinning cars and flying debris unscathed. However, NASCAR officials red-flagged the race for a half-hour so parts and pieces could be picked up off the track. Racing commenced, Johnson led the final three laps and ran away with his seventh title.

Johnson earned five wins this season and 11 top five finishes. In the last seven races, he won three times.

Larson, who led a race high 132 laps, took second place. Pole sitter Kevin Harvick finished third after leading 79 laps.

Logano mustered up a fourth place finish. He led six laps. Logano collected three wins this season and 16 top five finishes.

Jamie McMurray earned his second top five of the season after crossing the finish line in fifth place.

Kyle Busch led one lap and finished in sixth place. Edwards had his title hopes dashed in the massive accident but went on to finish 34th.

The 268-lap event featured 20 lead changes, seven caution periods, and 16 drivers finishing on the lead lap.

Johnson’s previous Cup victories occurred in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013. He began his Sprint Cup career in 2002.

And in other NASCAR news, Tony Stewart closed out his full-time Sprint Cup racing career with a 22nd place finish on Sunday.

Also finished is Sprint. The title sponsor will not be back in 2017, and NASCAR is still searching for a replacement for the upcoming season that begins on February 26 at Daytona International Speedway.

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson!