Well Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everyone. We are at the halfway point of the Girls Basketball season, here are my surprises and head scratchers so far this season.
Surprises.
Harrison
Who would have ever thought that the Hawks would have a 2-0
league record after an 0-2 start to the season. Harrison has won four of their
last five games, including their last two by a combined two points. Coach
Shavon Caldwell’s team are led by the Big Three of Tedi Pickens, Olivia
Perkins, and Nila Warren. The Hawks still have a tough schedule though with
Royal Oak twice, Bloomfield Hills twice, Oxford twice, and a trip to Orion.
That district for Harrison at Farmington is looking very manageable by the
second for the Hawks.
Avondale
The Yellow Jackets have been a major surprise this season
under first year coach Phil Dawson but they suffered a bit of a setback as
their star player Olivia Russell sprained her ACL and it is unknown when she
will be back. Avondale has other players like Toya Golden, Grace Schwerin, and
Brooke Blanchette to step up. The Yellow Jackets might need Russell back as
quick as possible as their next two games will be tough against both Pontiac
Notre Dame Prep and Seaholm.
Oak Park
The Knights have been a surprise in league play thanks to
their freshman Kiya Wilson. Wilson had 24 points in an 46-45 upset at Avondale.
Oak Park has a forward in Delicia Gardner whom had 12 points on the night. The
Knights have a first-year coach in Deidra Hines whom took over for Peggy Evans
Carr last season. Hines has Oak Park heading in the right direction so far
despite the 4-4 start.
Seaholm
The Maples were left for dead once coach January Hlauski
found out that Mackenzie Harbort was lost for the season with a torn ACL
however Seaholm has stepped their game up and really improved winning three
straight league games. The Maples are led by their big girls Dana Hoerman and
Wendy Wilkerson. Hoerman has been the big catalyst carrying this team so far,
this season and will need to be going forward for Seaholm.
Head Scratchers.
Orion
No one saw this coming with the Dragons especially after the
turmoil this program went through last summer. Orion had the preseason hype
coming into the season with a new coach in Kevin Kopec and a young nucleus led
by Maddie Novak. The Dragons have struggled mightily this season at 3-6 and
already are in a two-game hole in the division. Orion has a tough schedule yet
to play with trips to Royal Oak, West Bloomfield, and Stoney Creek. There is
still time for this group to fix some things but they got to do it quickly if
they want to make up the ground lost but then again this was the same thing
last season and look what happened. Don’t count this group out yet.
Rochester
I had a lot of expectations for the Falcons this season with
whom they have back in Jenna Norgrove and Paola Barazza-Duran but it has not
translated chemistry wise nor victory wise for coach Adam Sheldon’s team.
Rochester has lost eight straight games which is not good. The schedule doesn’t
get any easier for the Falcons especially with Troy Athens, Troy, Seaholm, Oak
Park, Adams, and Avondale all loom. I think Rochester is in big trouble here.
Stoney Creek
The Cougars have had a brutal non-league schedule but coach
Kellen James has said the schedule is not an excuse. It didn’t help that Stoney
Creek didn’t have Emily Solek or Morgan Porter for their game against Flint
Carman Ainsworth. The Cougars have lost four of their last six games and they
have a tough schedule coming up with Adams, Southfield Arts and Tech, North
Farmington, Clarkston, Bloomfield Hills, and Orion. Stoney Creek should be a
dangerous team come March once districts come so don’t count this group out yet.
Heard Novak is transferring from Lake Orion? Any word where she is going?
ReplyDeleteYep writing on the blog right now.
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