Basketball Season Recap: Previewing boys basketball district tournaments

Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News
·9 min read
The Jonesville Comets boys basketball team head into the tournament with a Big 8 championship on their resume and a 17-4 record.
The Jonesville Comets boys basketball team head into the tournament with a Big 8 championship on their resume and a 17-4 record.

HILLSDALE COUNTY — The boys high school basketball regular season has come to a close. With final games being played this weekend, boys basketball programs in Hillsdale County get ready for their potential March tournament runs. We take a look at each team in the county and preview their chances on improving on their 2021-22 postseason outcomes. This is the 2022-23 preview edition for the boys high school basketball postseason coverage. To remind fans, all game tickets must be purchased online for the MHSAA tournaments.

Camden-Frontier

  • Record (As of March 3): 7-12

  • Tournament Assignment: D4 District 121 - Hosted by Camden-Frontier

  • Resume: Four game win streak from Feb. 1 to Feb. 15

  • Players to Watch: Senior Wade Brown; Senior Beau Groves, Junior Ethan Wickham

  • First Matchup: March 6. at 5:30 p.m.; District Quarterfinals vs. Will Carleton Academy

Notes: It has been an up-and-down season for the Camden-Frontier boys prep hoops program. Head coach Bryan Morrison and the team started out their season with five straight losses. However, the team has played admirably against their rivals this season. They swept the Waldron Spartans in their contests. The team also has a four-game win streak near the end of their season that includes wins against Jackson Christian and Athens.

Dominic Scharer (35) will be a key player for Hillsdale Academy in their postseason run.
Dominic Scharer (35) will be a key player for Hillsdale Academy in their postseason run.

Hillsdale Academy

  • Record (As of March 3): 16-5

  • Tournament Assignment: D4 District 121 - Hosted by Camden-Frontier

  • Resume: SCAA East Divisional Champions; Pat Paterson Pool A Consolation Winners

  • Players to Watch: Sophomore Mikey Plemmons; Junior Dominic Scharer; Senior Conner Welden

  • First Matchup: March 8 at 5:30 p.m.; District Semifinals vs. winner of C-F and WCA

Notes: The Academy clinched their division title with a 68-44 win over Burr Oak. Two of their players to watch scored 20-plus points in the game, with Dominic Scharer leading the way with 27. Scharer, Plemmons and Welden will lead the Colts on both ends of the floor. The team is battle tested, having faced half of the teams in their district assignment and beating them by double-digits. They enter as the favorites to repeat as district champions.

Jonesville junior Jack Bowles will be one of Hillsdale's key players for this year's March tournament.
Jonesville junior Jack Bowles will be one of Hillsdale's key players for this year's March tournament.

Hillsdale

  • Record (As of March 3): 4-16

  • Tournament Assignment: D2 District 51 - Hosted by Adrian High School

  • Resume: Wins against Sand Creek, Blissfield and Springfield (all in separate conferences)

  • Players to Watch: Senior Jacob Davis, Sophomore Jace Lennox, Junior Jack Bowles

  • First Matchup: March 6 at 5:30 p.m.; District Quarterfinals vs. Adrian

Notes: First-year head coach Rob Salisbury and the Hornet boys prep hoops program have struggled to finish games in 2022-23 as the team searches for another gear to take them over the top. This season, the Hornet program has focused on building foundations for a stronger future, but in the LCAA, many teams were able to take advantage of the Hornets' late game fatigue to pull away in several close contests. The Hornets ended their season with a 36-41 loss to Clinton and a 28-41 loss to Lumen Christi. The Hornets' secret weapon remains junior lead scorer Jack Bowles. Bowles is one of the most dynamic scorers in the county, regularly scoring more than 20 points in each contest. The Hornets match up with the Maples for the second tournament in a row. The Maples had the Hornets' number last season, winning 74-35.

Jonesville celebrates capturing the Big 8 championship in their final season as members of the conference.
Jonesville celebrates capturing the Big 8 championship in their final season as members of the conference.

Jonesville

  • Record (As of March 3): 17-5

  • Tournament Assignment: D3 District 83 - Hosted by Jackson Lumen Christi

  • Resume: Three-Time Big 8 Basketball Championship; wins against Reading, LCAA conference champion Onsted

  • Players to Watch: Senior Brady Wright, Senior Damion Scharer, Senior Jaxson Phifer

  • First Matchup: March 8 at 7:00 p.m.; District Semifinals vs. winner of Homer and Jackson Lumen Christi

Notes: Head coach Jeff Turner and the Comets head into their district assignment with wins against half of the teams in district 83. They enter as the number one seed of the tournament. The Comets ended their season with a close one-possession loss to 20-1 Napoleon High School 61-63. The Comets have had a strong core mix of juniors and seniors, with up-and-coming stars Gavin Van Kampen and Warrick Elder having risen to the top in recent weeks. The Comets have played in the D2 tournament their past few seasons, and this year they will enter D3 looking to earn their first district championship since the start of the new decade.

Litchfield's Junior Alvarez (22) attempts to nail a floating jumper against Tekonsha.
Litchfield's Junior Alvarez (22) attempts to nail a floating jumper against Tekonsha.

Litchfield

  • Record (As of March 3): 13-8

  • Tournament Assignment: D4 District 121 - Hosted by Camden-Frontier

  • Resume: SCAA Central Division Champions; Christmas Tourney Champions

  • Players to Watch: Junior Simon Collins; junior Junior Alvarez, Junior Tyler Bills

  • First Matchup: March 8 at 7:00 p.m.; District Semifinals vs. winner of North Adams and Marshall Academy

Notes: The Litchfield Terriers head into the postseason tournament winning two of their last games against rivals North Adams-Jerome and Camden-Frontier. The Terriers look to make it to the district championship game after being eliminated by Pittsford in the semifinals last season. The Terriers have won games against half of the teams in their district tournament. The secret to success for the Terriers has been the emergence of star players Brandon Campbell and Simon Collins. In addition to those Terriers, Tyler Bills, Junior Alverez and senior Logan Buehrle make for a formidable lineup that should be a favorite to match up with Hillsdale Academy in the district title game.

North Adams-Jerome

  • Record (As of March 3): 4-17

  • Tournament Assignment: D4 District 121

  • Resume: Wins over Jackson Prep, Will Carleton Academy, Athens

  • Players to Watch: Senior Casey Loper (1,000-point career points)

  • First Matchup: March 6 at 7:00 p.m.; District Quarterfinals vs. Marshall Academy

Notes: Senior Ram Casey Loper achieved the career milestone of 1,00 career points in the team's senior night victory over Athens to end their season. That win could be enough to propel the Rams to a quarterfinal win over Marshall Academy. The team will need an upset-caliber night of scoring to take down the offensive machine of the Litchfield Terriers, should they make it to the semifinals.

Pittsford enters the Postseason with a 16-4 overall record and a Pat Paterson Pool B championship on their resume.
Pittsford enters the Postseason with a 16-4 overall record and a Pat Paterson Pool B championship on their resume.

Pittsford

  • Record (As of March 3): 16-4

  • Tournament Assignment: D4 District 122 - Hosted by LCS

  • Resume: Runner-up SCAA East Division; Pat Paterson Pool B Champions; wins over Academy (3OT)

  • Players to Watch: Senior Kade Spahr, Junior Gavyn Carden, Senior Pat VanDusen

  • First Matchup: March 8 at 5:30 p.m.; District Semifinals vs. winner of JC and JP

Notes: Head coach Mike Burger and the Wildcats almost ended their season with a six-game win streak that started with a triple overtime victory against SCAA East champion Hillsdale Academy. This is the second longest win streak the Wildcats have had this season, starting the year with a eight-game streak that included a tournament championship. The Wildcats are formidable shooters from the outside, but they will need big games from athletes like senior Pat VanDusen if they want to march their way to a district championship.

While the Rangers lost their final four games, they enter the postseason as the number one seed in their district tournament and have a Pat Paterson Pool A championship on their resume.
While the Rangers lost their final four games, they enter the postseason as the number one seed in their district tournament and have a Pat Paterson Pool A championship on their resume.

Reading

  • Record (As of March 3): 13-9

  • Tournament Assignment: D3 District 80 - Hosted by Union City

  • Resume: Pat Paterson Pool A champions; wins vs. Bronson, Union City, Big 8 champions Jonesville

  • Players to Watch: Senior Colton Wiler, Senior Zac Affholter, Senior Jesse Cabrera

  • First Matchup: March 8 at 5:30 p.m.; District Semifinals vs. winner of Quincy and Centreville

Notes: Head coach Brett Kerspilo and the Rangers ended their season with four tough losses to conference rivals and a hot-shooting Hanover-Horton team in the Cascades crossover game. It has been more than a month since the team last had a large win streak, which came to a close after eight games in January. The Rangers are looking to get back to their early success this season that led to an 8-0 start and a tournament championship win over rivals and eventual Big 8 champion Jonesville. The secret to the Rangers' success in the early parts of the season was their ability to dominate inside and outside at the 3-point shooting line. If they can get back to that success, they'll have a chance to win a district title against potential teams they have faced before and won against in the regular season.

Waldron

  • Record (As of March 3): 10-12

  • Tournament Assignment: D4 District 122 - Hosted by LCS

  • Resume: Pat Paterson Pool B consolation winners; wins vs. Climax-Scotts, Battle Creek St. Phillip, Burr Oak

  • Players to Watch: Senior Laiken Barnes, Senior Mavrick Stuckey, Senior Frank Duelo

  • First Matchup: March 6 at 7:00 p.m.; District Quarterfinals vs. Morenci

Notes: The Waldron Spartans ended their season with a three-game losing streak. Before that, head coach Mark Long and the Spartans had begun to figure out how to use their unique size and strength advantage that starts with seniors Laiken Barnes and Mavrick Stuckey. If the Spartans can find offensive consistency, which usually involves getting to 50-plus points, they should be favorites to defeat Morenci and face Lenawee Christian in the semifinals. That game would be a rematch from last postseason, where the Spartans lost a close game to the Cougars.

Will Carleton Academy

  • Record (As of March 3): 7-14

  • Tournament Assignment: D4 District 121 - Hosted by Camden-Frontier

  • Resume: Sweeps of Marshall Academy, Pansophia Academy, Factoryville Christian

  • Players to Watch: Sophomore Thomas Maier, junior Tyler Barnes, sophomore Tyler Slade

  • First Matchup: March 6 at 5:30 p.m.; District Quarterfinals vs. Camden-Frontier

Notes: Head coach Jason Coward and the Cougars had a tough stretch to end their season that included games against two SCAA Division contenders and games against Tekonsha and Jackson Prep. The Cougars have played in close games consistently throughout the season, and they will match up well against the district host school Camden-Frontier in the quarterfinals. However, WCA will need another big game from lead scorer Thomas Maier and sophomore Tyhler Slade in order to pull off the upset on Camden's home court. Last season, the Cougars fell to Pittsford in the district semifinals. They were able to knock out Camden-Frontier in the quarterfinals of that tournament.

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Boys high school basketball postseason previews for each team

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