12-07-2017 Tri-City Area Sports

AQB WRAP-UP

Lynch leaps into sole possession of first place in TCR AQB contest

By Kristy Noack

Rodney Lynch scored a 7-1 weekly record in the Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterback contest last week and leapfrogged into first place by a substantial margin.

With the lead formerly tied between Lynch and long-time leader and fellow competitor Tim Hildebrand, Lynch’s record this week claimed the top spot and gave him a three-game lead over his closest rival.

Each week, six local football fans try their hand at predicting the winner of eight football games. The season includes high school, college, and professional games and culminates in a winner being crowned TCR AQB in February. High school seasons are complete, so only college and pro games remain in the hopper.

The contestants must also determine how many points will be scored in a specially selected game.  The tie-breaker game comes into play if two or more ‘backs record the same record. The AQB who guesses closest to the actual point total wins the higher ranking.

Lynch’s crystal ball was working overtime last week. His 7-1 record was best, and he claimed first place.

Bryan Conrad filled the runner-up position with his 6-2 prediction.

RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht and Chris Leach both posted 5-3 weekly records. Their spot in the standings relied on the outcome of the Miami of Florida and Clemson contest. Clemson came out on top 38-3 for a 41-point total.

Rodney-Isbrecht secured third place with her 48-point guess, which left Leach in fourth place; she predicted 54 points would be scored.

Greg Krell’s 4-4 record gave him fifth place on the docket, and Hildebrand slid into sixth place for the week with a 3-5 record.

Overall, Lynch moved into the top spot with his 90-30 record. He is now three games ahead of second-place Rodney-Isbrecht. She holds an 87-33 record.

Trailing Rodney-Isbrecht by one game with an 86-34 record is Hildebrand. He is now four games from the top spot.

Fourth place overall is held by Krell; he sports a 78-42 record. Krell is fending off a fast approaching Leach and Conrad, who are tied for fifth place with 77-43 records.

This week, only one college football game is on the roster. Army faces Navy and will be the tie-breaker game. The games for this week’s predicting are:

Army vs. Navy

Chicago @ Cincinnati

Detroit @ Tampa Bay

New Orleans @ Atlanta

Minnesota @ Carolina

Washington @ LA Chargers

Seattle @ Jacksonville

NY Jets @ Denver

Is Detroit on the ropes after their 44-20 loss to Baltimore? Is another loss on the horizon for the struggling Bears? Will Lynch’s lead continue next week or will a new AQB reign supreme? Check back next week to find out!

Coloma girls bowling starts off on a roll

 Coloma’s girls’ varsity bowling squad is on a roll already this season. The team opened their 2017-18 winter sports season Monday, Dec. 4 on their home turf at Kelley’s Bowl in St. Joe.

The Comets welcomed Bronson and scored a decisive 28.5 – 1.5 victory.

Ashley Ikerd, Narelle Hickmon, Lainey Meader, and Morgan Hosbein made up the starting lineup for game one.

Meader rolled a game-high 202. Hickmon and Hosbein tallied 167 pins apiece.

In the second game, Hickmon, Meader, and Hosbein were joined by Paige Burgess and Carissa Richmond on the lanes.

Meader led that game as well, with 200 pins. Burgess rolled a 160 with Hosbein nailing a 151.

Meader also led the squad with a 402 series. Hosbein followed with a 318, and Hickmon posted a 310.

Coloma scored 799 to Bronson’s 550 in the first game and 789 to 623 in the second. The pin total was 1,588-1,173, advantage Coloma.

The team is led by head coach Carley Burrell who advised that although she does not have a senior on the team, the squad is deep with experience, having finished last year ranked fourth in the state.

The Comets traveled to Comstock Thursday, Dec. 7 and will return to their home lanes Monday, Dec. 11 when they host Constantine.

Coloma boys bowling strikes out for another winning season

 Coloma’s boys’ varsity bowling team opened their season Monday, Dec. 4, rolling strikes and spares at Kelley’s Bowl in St. Joe, their home turf.

The squad welcomed the Bronson Vikings to the alleys but lost 26-4 in their home and season opener.

MEADER ROLLS ON… Co-loma’s Lainey Meader rolls her third strike of a four-strike run Monday, Dec. 4 at Kelley’s Bowl. Meader finished with a series high 402. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Head coach Sharon Ball is leading a well-rounded group of young men.

The squad is led by Danny Cleary, the lone senior on the team. He is joined by juniors Jason Ridge and Christian McDonald, as well as sophomores Charlie Cullitan, Nick Santarlas, Damian Gomez, Cameron Needham, Michael Case, and Mark Newton. Noah Blankenship, a freshman, is also a member.

In Monday’s match, Bronson outscored Coloma in singles play 905-840 points in the first game and 950-862 in the second game. Bronson won the regular matches by a 1,855-1,702 pin count.

Santarlas rolled a game-high 206 in the first contest, Cleary had 202, and Cullitan picked up 176.

Cleary led game two with 213 points, while Cullitan had 178 and Gomez rolled 177.

Cleary also led the team with a 415 series, followed by Santarlas and Cullitan with 354 apiece.

Coloma will hit the road for a matchup Thursday, Dec. 7 versus Comstock. The Comets will welcome Constantine to Kelley’s Bowl Monday, Dec. 11.

Panthers post loss to Lawton

 The Panthers of Watervliet took to the basketball court Friday, Dec. 1 and opened their season with a 39-30 loss.

Starting for the Panthers were senior forward Ariana Rowe, senior guard Taylor Shafer, senior guard Zoe Smith, senior guard Jaelyn Pitre, and senior forward Kara Liles.

[Author’s note: Liles was inadvertently omitted from last week’s article regarding the returning members of the squad.]

The tip-off went Lawton’s way but no damage was done. Both squads suffered from numerous turnovers and shots that fell outside the hoop.

Lawton scored the first points of the game with 5:47 left in the first period to take a 2-0 lead over Watervliet.

The Blue Devils banked another basket before Watervliet got on the board.

The Panthers notched one point courtesy of Shafer’s free throw following a foul with under five minutes to go in the period.

Lawton added another point to take a 5-1 lead.

It was Pitre who would score the Panthers’ second point of the game, also from the free throw line.

The first period closed out with Watervliet trailing Lawton 7-2.

SMITH’S DRIVE… Watervliet senior guard Zoe Smith drives toward the basket in the first quarter of Friday night’s game at Lawton while teammates Elaine Koshar (2) and Taylor Shafer (5) set up for the next play. Watervliet was limited to two points in the quarter and went on to suffer their first loss of the season with a 39-30 de-feat. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

In the second period, Lawton added another 13 points and held Watervliet to six to take a19-9 lead at the half.

The Panthers’ play improved in the second half as they outscored Lawton 22-19. Watervliet head coach Jason Forrester advised, “Ariana Rowe played a very good second half, as she scored 12 points after halftime.”

Rowe totaled 14 points scored and was strong under the basket with six rebounds and two blocks.

Shafer chipped in one point, four rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Pitre scored seven points. Liles tallied four points, four rebounds, and two steals.

Celina Klimkiewicz contributed two points and two steals, while Vicky Smith scored two points.

Watervliet followed Friday’s contest with their home opener Tuesday against Michigan Lutheran. Results of that contest were not available at press time and will be published in next week’s Press Box column.

Coloma girls drop season opener

 The Coloma girls’ varsity basketball team suffered a 45-27 road loss at the hands of the Schoolcraft Eagles Friday, Dec. 1.

The contest was Coloma’s season opener.  The team had their first game at home Tuesday, Dec. 5 against Buchanan; details of that contest will be available in next week’s Press Box column. The Comets will return home Friday, Dec. 15 when they face Martin.

Father and son face off on the basketball court

 The Coloma High School gymnasium will be the place to be Thursday, Dec. 21 at 6:00 p.m. The Comets of Coloma and the Tigers of Grant will tangle in a girls’ varsity basketball matchup.

Coaching the Comets is Fred Paulsen. Leading the Tigers is Paulsen’s son, Paige.

According to Paige, “This is the first time that we have coached against each other in an actual game. We have scrimmaged each other before, and he was my assistant for my last year coaching girls’ varsity at Coloma.”

Much like his father, Paige has a long history with basketball. In addition to being the girls’ varsity coach since 2014, he has also been the Athletic Director at Grant High School since 2015.

Paige was a girls’ varsity basketball coach at Coloma 2012 through 2014 and previously held the position of assistant basketball coach at Wayne State College from 2009 to 2011.

But long before his coaching career began, Paige played ball. Basketball in the summer. Basketball in high school. And his coach was his father.

It was his father who ran drills with him. It was his father who taught him plays. It was his father guiding him on the court.

“I coached Paige more than maybe he would have liked,” Fred shared. “[From] youth basketball, which is the summer program team, and [I] was an assistant at the high school where he played and won a state championship.”

Yes, Paige Paulsen, a forward, was on the winning state championship basketball team in high school. Fred’s son was also Mr. Basketball in South Dakota and the 2002-2003 Gatorade Player of the Year for South Dakota.

Grant High School, which is located north of Grand Rapids, isn’t just a stone’s throw from Coloma. Both Paulsens “had an open date on our schedule and thought [a game] would be a great idea around the holidays,” Paige commented.  “It is another excuse for my parents to see their grandkids and spend a couple days with family,” he added.

The idea the game between father and son can become an annual tradition interests both coaches. “I hope we can do this as long as we both coach. It is a special thing because there is not many families that get to do this or would enjoy the opportunity,” Paige stated.

Fred commented, “I am excited to play them more as a father than a coach.”

Fred readily admits that the line between father and coach can blur very easily. “I probably did not do a great job of separating the coach part and father part with any of my sons,” he shared.

The two will step foot on the court at Coloma with one goal: win.

“I am definitely going to enjoy the moment because who knows if we will ever get another opportunity,” Paige stated.

Fred said, “I don’t think I taught him everything he knows but would like to think I gave him a good foundation. As I did with all my boys I tried to teach them the game the way it was supposed to be played.”

“There is a hint of nostalgia associated with my dad and I being on the same court. I knew my dad as a coach and our family revolved around basketball,” stated Paige.

Fred opined, “My wife Marilyn just didn’t like playing referee between me and boys!”

“It sort of comes full circle,” Paige explained, “in the sense that what he taught me I am either teaching my girls or not teaching on purpose.

ARNOLD DEFENSIVE SW10 STAR… Hartford’s Cory Arnold was named to First Team – defense in the inaugural South-west 10 Conference awards. Arnold had 50 tackles and re-covered one fumble for the Indians in the 2017 varsity foot-ball season.

“What nobody will understand while watching the game, is how it got to this point where we get to square off against each other. What is done on my side is a direct reflection of everything that my dad has taught me about the game of basketball. What happens on his side of the floor will be him teaching what he knows best.”

And, ultimately, that one goal of winning – much like the score – doesn’t seem to matter, when you get right to the heart of the matter. Both coaches will have something far greater than a “W” in the game – a moment where they shine together on the court, honoring the game, their past, their present, their futures, their family, and each other.

Paige sums it up best: “After the game we will hug, I will kiss my wife, kids, mother, and grandmother, and the Paulsen family will go on loving each other the best way they know how.” And in that scenario, everyone is a winner.