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Records aplenty in Lowell’s softball season of missed opportunity

It was a disappointing ending to what will  be remembered as an unfinished softball season in Lowell.

The Red Arrows finished with a record number season victories (34). Ironically it was an 18-strikeout, perfect game pitched by Morgan Groom against Rockford which put Lowell in violation of MHSAA rules.

That one extra game kept the Red Arrows out of post season play. One which carried high hopes that Lowell would venture further into the tournament than any other Red Arrow team which preceded it.

The senior-laden class of Groom, Sara Mogar, Jenna Smith, Lyndsey Crawford and Carissa Paiz all represented Lowell for the final time as Red Arrow softball players in the John Bos Conference All Star game.

Groom led the club to an 8-1 victory with a 15-strikeout performance.

For the senior it was just one more highlight during a stellar senior season.

Groom also earned a plethora of post season awards. She was named the top Division I pitcher in the state by the coach; a Detroit Free Press Scholar Athlete; to the Division I All State team; and as a member of the O-K White All Conference team, All District team and All Region team.

Groom set school records in ERA (0.25); career ERA (1.132; season strikeouts (349); most Ks in a six or seven inning game; runs allowed in a season (11); runs earned in a season (6) and wins (24).

The Red Arrow ace also pitched two perfect games in addition to Rockford, threw 18 shutouts; seven no-hitters; two 20 strikeout games; two 18 strikeout games. Groom averaged 15 1/3 strikeouts per game; while walking just 10 batters in 159.7 innings pitched.

All of this while hitting .400 at the plate.

Sexton overwhelms Lakeshore, wins 2nd straight Class B boys state basketball championship

Lansing Sexton coach Carlton Valentine and player/son, Denzel celebrate a second straight state title..

For those who still were hanging onto some doubt, Lansing Sexton boys basketball coach Carlton Valentine exclaimed it following his Big Reds 67-32 dismantling of a hearty, but less talented Stevensville-Lakeshore team in the Class B state finals at the Breslin Center Saturday night.

“This team has endured so much pressure being the number one Class B team in the state all year. I’ll say it, regardless of class, this is the number one basketball team in the state of Michigan,” Valentine said. “They (this selfless group of individuals) also played the toughest schedule in the state.”

The Lancers, the team from the Lakeshore, were left afterwards with looks of admiration.

Lansing Sexton - 2012 Class B Boys Basketball State Champions

“That’s one of the best basketball teams I’ve ever seen,” said Lakeshore basketball coach Sean Schroeder. “The game didn’t play out how we’d envisioned. It was one of those nights we did not bring out our best, but that’s a very, very good basketball team over there.”

It was Sextons third straight appearance in the state championship game and its second consecutive Class B state title.

Over the last three years, The Big Reds have won 75 basketball games. That gave reason for Valentine and his players to be asked where they rank among the best of all time?

 

“I think we’re pretty good. We’ve put a ton of work into this. It didn’t just happen. I think we’ll go down as one of the greatest,” said Bryn Forbes with the smile and soft laugh of a champion.

As a freshman Denzel Valentine endured two knee surgeries. Michigan State boys’ basketball coach Tom Izzo told him he couldn’t play for the Spartans because he couldn’t shoot it.

“Denzel went to the gym immediately after that and shot 500 jump shots,” said the senior’s coach.

Three years later he finishes his last game in a Big Reds uniform with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in the title tilt. Come Fall, he will be back on the East Lansing campus as a member of the MSU men’s basketball team.

“Denzel is a great basketball player and now he has back-to-back championships to prove it,” Valentine said. “He’s been every father’s dream. Both my sons (Drew and Denzel) have enjoyed playing the game I love most.”

The underdog Lancers shot 22 percent from the floor in a game that was never in doubt. Lakeshore was outscored 32-10 in the first half and 25-10 in the third quarter.

The game’s most dramatic play occurred in the second quarter when Sexton senior guard Anthony Clemmons had to leave the game after landing hard on floor following a rebound attempt. Clemmons returned in the final minute of the game for one play and one final salute from the Sexton faithful.

Anthony Clemmons receives his championship medal.

“It (my back) hurt, but I hurt more inside because I couldn’t finish the game. My teammates, however, kept the energy and kept going,” Clemmons explained.

Forbes led all Sexton scorers with 19 points. Jalen Hayes also added 12.

Lakeshore’s top scorers were Ryan Avery and Keith Brushwyler with six points apiece.

 

Lansing Sexton advances to championship with 74-59 win over Detroit Country Day

Venerable Detroit Country Day boys’ basketball coach Kurt Keener knew if top ranked Lansing Sexton played its “A” game his Yellowjackets were in trouble.

The Big Reds showed just enough flashes of their “A” game to post a ho-hum 74-59 Class B semifinal win Friday night at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University.

Anthony Clemmons elevates as he drops in two of his 21 points in leading the Big Reds to a 74-59 win over Detroit Country Day in Friday night's semi final victory.

“It’s a win but wins are not always pretty,” said Sexton boys basketball coach Carlton Valentine. “We were not the smartest team offensively tonight, but our guys made plays when they needed to.”
The Big Reds 26th win of the year secured their place in Sexton’s third consecutive state championship game. The defending champions will battle Lakeshore-Stevensville, a winner over Muskegon Heights.
“I had not seen Lakeshore prior to tonight. They are a very good, well-coached, good shooting basketball team,” Valentine said. “They have great length and use it to pressure the ball both in the full and half court.”
Country Day forced Sexton into 19 turnovers. “All year long we’ve won with defensive pressure. Our hustle has created loose balls,” Keener said. “Sexton, however, gets the ball out so quickly. They have five guys on the floor capable of going to the basket. They look like a team on a mission.”
The Big Reds showed glimpses of that when Country Day looked to challenge. Trailing 5-2 to start the game, Sexton slapped a 14-0 run on the Yellowjackets to take a 16-5 lead.
Detroit Country day narrowed the margin to four (19-15) early in the second quarter, only to see Sexton unleash another 14-0 run to expand its lead to 33-15.
The Yellowjackets narrowed a 14-point halftime deficit to seven to start the third quarter, however, the Big Reds answered with a 12-4 burst to begin the final stanza, building up a 64-49 advantage.
“I am hard on these guys, but I’m proud of the work they’ve put in and I’m excited for them to be playing in their third straight state championship game,” Valentine explained.
Anthony Clemmons led all scorers with 21 points for the Big Reds. Teammate Bryn Forbes netted 19 while Denzel Valentine and Jalen Hayes each contributed with 12 points apiece.
Robert Puleikis led Country Day with 16 points.

 

Okemos ‘rolls’ Lansing Eastern in district title tilt, 72-62

It appeared that a three by Frederick Edmund to end the third quarter, giving Lansing Eastern an eight-point advantage,  might propel the Quakers to a third consecutive district win over Okemos.

Chris Harrison-Docks, a sharp shooting senior guard and his Chieftains, however, “rolled” out a different plan and with it wrote a different ending.

“We’ve lost to Eastern the last two years in the district and I wasn’t going to let that happen my senior year,” Harrison-Docks explained. “It’s a long fourth quarter and we’ve been in those tight spots before. We knew we had to maximize each possession,”  Harrison-Docks said.

Frederick Edmund slams home two of his team-high 25 points, but the Quakers fell to Okemos in overtime in a Class A district final.

The senior maximized his touches as he poured in 33 points in leading Okemos to a 72-62 Class A District title win over the Quakers in Magic Earvin Johnson’s Gymnasium at Lansing  Everitt High School Friday night.

“That’s what he does. He pulls up and hits threes off that high screen and roll,” said Okemos boys basketball coach Dan Stolz. “I told the kids after Edmund hit a three to end the third quarter that there would be no excuses, no talk about a lucky shot to end the third quarter. They needed to go out and win the game.”

Okemos trailed 16-11 after the opening eight minutes of play, but the Chieftains battled back in the second quarter to tie the game 27-27 at half time.

Okemos trailed 48-40 to start the fourth quarter, but they rallied to tie the game at 57-57 when Harrison-Docks tickled the twine for the from beyond the arc.

“I am thrilled for our kids and how much they have come through. They have struggled and had adversity but never did they finger point. Instead, they played unselfishly,” Stolz explained.

Lansing Eastern had a shot to win the game in regulation, but Brian Morten Jr’s running short jumper in the lane rimmed softly off the iron with time expiring.

Overtime belonged to the Chieftains as they tallied seven unanswered points to start the extra four-minute period. The Quakers never got any closer than five points  the rest of the way.

Okemos battled back from an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Lansing Eastern Friday night

“We didn’t defend their high screen and roll. We gave Chris (Harrison-Docks) to much space and time,” said Lansing Eastern coach Rod Watts. “Okemos made shots tonight and we didn’t. We’re not folding up our tent, there is life after basketball.”

Edmund led all Quakers with 25 points. He went to the bench with four fouls early in the fourth quarter which happened to coincide with Okemos’ 8-0 run.

“He is one of the best players in the state and I thought Hared Motley did a terrific job  defensively on him,” Stolz said. ” We can’t be satisfied with this. We have a tough game Monday night in Portage (against Niles). We play in a tough league (Capitol Area Athletic Conference – Blue Division) which I believe has prepared us well for the tournament.”

 

 

Lowell Wrestling: Andrew Morse wins 2nd wrestling title; nine Red Arrow grapplers place at state tourney

Andrew Morse was one of nine Lowell wrestlers to place at the Division 2 Individual State wrestling tournament Saturday at the Palace in Auburn Hills.

The Lowell senior, however, was the only Red Arrow to wrestle away a state title. Morse, 152 pounds, won his second individual title with a 4-2 win over St. John’s Travis Curly. He advanced to the finals with a 4-0 decision against Mason’s Nick Starzec.

Morse defended his 2011 individual state championship as he finished his stellar Lowell wrestling career with a perfect 34-0 record in his senior year.

Also looking to defend his 2010-11 state title was Gabe Morse. The senior entered the weekend with a 34-1 record. His only loss against St John’s Ben Whitford in the Division 2 team state championship.

Morse  advanced to the individual title match at 140 pounds  with a 4-2 win over Sparta’s Nick Trimble. The win set up a rematch between Morse and Whitford.  The St John’s junior won for the second time within a week posting an  11-4 decision.

Morse finished his senior year with a record of 37-2.

Lowell senior Gabe Dean, Cornell bound in the fall, lost a 5-1 decision to Greenville’s Jordan Thomas in the 189 pound final. Dean finished his senior year at 30-4. Half of those losses came against Thomas.

Dean recorded a 21-6 technical fall against Wyoming Rogers’ Taylor Komoely to advance to the title match.

Freshman Josh Colegrove, 215 pounds, lost a 5-2 semi-final decision to Holly’s Shawn Scott (eventual state champion). He then dropped down and posted wins against Patrick Eldred (5-1) and Fowlerville’s Brian Moran (tech-fall 18-2) to finish third.

Colegrove was one of four freshmen to place in the top six.

Nate Limmex, 125, finished fourth, as he lost a heartbreaking 9-7 decision in overtime to Coopersville’s Alex Melinn.

Arthur Angus, 145 pounds, finshed the tourney with a 4-2 over New Boston Huron’s Logan Ritchie, placing him fifth.

Jordan Hall, 119 pounds, finished sixth after losing to Spring Lake’s Tyler Nietering via a pin at 3:41.

Sophmore Bailey Jack (112) and senior Garett Stehley (171) both placed sixth.

 

 

Lowell wrestlers fall 41-18 to three-time state champion, St Johns

St. Johns’ seven senior wrestlers hung onto some of the pain that stemmed from a 34-26 Division 2 semifinal loss to Lowell in 2009.

Fast forward four years to Saturday, at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, where the Redwings served up a little revenge as it dismissed Lowell in the Division 2 title match 41-18 and with it celebrated its third consecutive state title.

“The seniors leave with a tremendous legacy, three in a row,” said St. Johns coach Zane Ballard after its 41-18 win over Lowell (26-2). “You know, these guys came in as freshmen and, ironically, Lowell beat our team out in the semis four years ago. Now these guys are leaving their senior year getting a little revenge.”

The Redwings won nine of the 14 matches and it appeared as though at every critical point in a match, it was St. Johns who scored the crucial point. None were bigger than Ben Whitford’s 11-8 decision over Gabe Morse. Both wrestlers entered the match undefeated.

“Morse is a tremendous wrestler and very, very dangerous,” Ballard said. “And Ben is one in a million. He came out there and got the job done. I’m sure they’re going to see each other again in the individual finals.”

Lowell (25-2) won just two of the first seven matches. Nate Limmex (135) defeated Rory Bender 13-6 and Andrew Morse (152) battled for a 3-2 win over Travis Curley.

“We made some adjustments hoping to swing some matches our way. It just wasn’t in the cards,” said Morse. “It’s d been a great four years – been in the state tournament three times and in the finals twice.”

Trailing 25-6 midway through, the Red Arrows strung together consecutive wins at 189 and 215, cutting the deficit to 25-12. Gabe Dean defeated Payne Hayden 12-5 and Josh Colgrove followed with a 16-7 decision over Alex Dominquez.

Lowell’s only other victory and only pin came at 103 pounds where Derek Krajewski pinned Joey Horrell in 1:06 of the first period, cutting the deficit to 10 at 28-18.

The three-time state champions closed out the match with wins at 112, 119 and a void at 125. Zac Hall (112) earned a 26-14 major decision over Bailey Jack. Logan Massa (119) posted a decision against Jordan Hall, 10-9. Redwing Jacob Schmitt tallied six points via a Lowell void at 125

Undefeated and three-time St John state champion, Michigan bound, Taylor Massa pinned Lowell’s Jake Stehley in 1:17 of the first period.

“That is a hell of a wrestling team. I’m not sure if we’d wrestled a perfect match if that would have been enough,” said Lowell wrestling coach Dave Dean. “St Johns has set the bar pretty high.”

The Redwings (25-1) jumped out to a quick start and never looked following  Brant Schafer pin against Lowell’s Kalvin Meyer in 1:03 for a 6-0 lead.

“I’m proud of these guys, they came here to wrestle and gave a great effort,” Ballard said. “They did great all the way through. We were prepared for anything, we were ready to go. We knew Lowell was going to be tough, they made some adjustments to us, but our kids came out and they wrestled unbelievable.”

Lowell, which started eight underclassman, was not short on effort either.

“I feel for these guys. They have worked very hard to be in a dual with chance to beat some of the best wrestlers in the country,” said Dean. ” You need to win all the close ones in a match like this, and we didn’t do that. They put a lot of pressure on you at every weight class. Our kids gave everything they had, but St. Johns is a very good wrestling team. They have set the bar very high for the rest of us.”

St Johns advanced to the title match with a 59-6 semifinal win over Tecumseh, wile Lowell dispatched of Allegan 46-21.

 

 

 

 

WRESTLING: Lowell harnesses nerves in 54-15 rout of Holly

The energy in the Kellogg Arena and the enormity of it all – that is the Michigan High School Team Wrestling Finals, can affect even the best wrestlers.

“I remember being here as a freshman. It was nerve-wracking. The gym is so huge and everything is going on around you,” said Lowell senior Andrew Morse. “I just remember I didn’t wrestle well and barely won my match.”

Andrew Morse picked up his 100th career pin in Friday night''s quarterfinal against Holly.

Morse used his experience to provide insight to the eight Lowell underclassmen making their first trip the state finals in Battle Creek on Friday night.

“I told them to go out on the mat and focus just on wrestling and don’t think about the other things around you,” Morse explained.

The three-time state champion then went out and showed them how its done. In the second match of the night, Morse pinned Andrew Scott in 1:35 of the first period in helping propel the second ranked team in Division 2 to a 54-15 win over Holly.

The win advanced the Red Arrows into the semi-final against Allegan (33-3). The Tigers won their quarterfinal match, 29-28, against Stevensville-Lakeshore on a Taylor Simaz (145) first-period pin.

“We saw Lowell at the Individual Regional and they qualified like 12 wrestlers for the state tourney. Lowell will be a tough one,” said Allegan wrestling coach Murray Rose. “I know this, we will have to wrestle a whole lot better than we did tonight if we are going to win.”

Lowell won eight of the opening nine matches against the Bronchos in building an insurmountable 45-3 advantage.

Along with Morse, Kanon Dean (152), Gabe Dean (189), Luke Stephens (285), Derek Krajewski (103) and Jordan Hall (119) and produced first-period pins.

“We wanted to wrestle well and be healthy going into Saturday,” said Lowell wrestling coach Dave Dean.

Lowell’s Jake Stehley (171 and Gabe Morse (140) both posted decisions while Bailey Jack (112) won via default. Angus Athur (145) ended the evening with a third-period pin against Holly’s Kyle Pepper.

“I though our kids with more experience wrestled well,” said Holly coach Don Pluta. “Our second tier wrestlers will need to prepare better in the offseason so when they return next year they can match the energy level on the mat that they encountered tonight. Overall, though, I was pleased with our performance.”

Holly’s wins were recorded by Shawn Scott (215); Mason Cleaver (125) via the pin; and Jesse Torres (135)

The Bronchos have won the Flint Metro League in each of the last two years along with three consecutive district titles and two straight regional titles.

In the other Division 2 quarterfinals, Tecumsah defeated Greenville 30-29 while top ranked St. Johns rolled Mason 61-11. The two winners will meet in the other semifinal on Saturday (11:45 a.m.)

 

 

Koenigsknecht leads Lansing Waverly to CAAC Blue Division title

No one had to tell Lansing Waverly’s Scott Koenigsknecht that he hasn’t been playing well. No, the junior was well aware and with that in mind told his head coach to get after him and to not let up.

Waverly coach Craig Fields obliged. “I have had no trouble doing that,”he explained.

The 6-5 junior Warrior center responded Friday night in tallying 27 points while grabbing eight rebounds to lead Waverly to a 58-56 Capitol Area Athletic Conference Blue Division championship.

“It was a breakout game for Scott. He hasn’t been playing well. He’s been good then bad, good and then bad. I just told him to go out their and relax,” Fields said.

Scott Koenigsknecht's game-leading 27 points led Waverly to a conference championship Friday in the warriors 58-56 win over Mason.

Koenigsknecht  entered the game with more letters in his last name than points scored in his last four games. That changed, with the stakes at the highest they’ve been all year. Koeniasknecht netted a first-quarter shot from the foul line extended, muscled in a number of shots from underneath the basket and even dropped in a baseline baby hook from within five feet late in the fourth quarter to extend Waverly’s lead to three. The junior, fouled on the play, then stepped to the line and completed the three-point play.

“It’s the best game I’ve played by far. It feels good. I wanted this one so bad,” Koenigsknecht said.

The Warriors (13-4, 9-0) led by 11 points after one quarter of play, thanks to a three-quarters, half-court shot banked in by Rashuan Carroll as time expired in the opening quarter. Mason trimmed the lead to eight at halftime, however, Waverly built the lead up to as many as 13 in the third quarter before a gutty Mason team, 15-2, 7-2 (only losses to Waverly), battled back to tie the game at 56-56 with 17 seconds to play.

Waverly’s Dee Roberts, a couple seconds later netted the game’s winning points from the foul line. Mason’s final attempt bounced off the rim and two final put-backs missed their marks.

“This team has battled all year. They struggled shooting tonight, but kept  battling. This isn’t the first time they battled back from a double-digit deficit in the second half,” Mason boys basketball coach Lee Chaney explained. “The difference tonight was we were 10-of-26 from the foul line. This has been one of my better foul-shooting teams”

The win clinched an outright championship for Waverly in its first year in the Blue Division.

“It didn’t come easy. Mason always plays us tough. We knew they were going to come after us,” Fields said. “It’s actually our third straight league title, we tied Sexton the last two years in the Red Division. I don’t like sharing, but tying Sexton, I’ll take that.”

Jakob Somerville led all Mason players with 23 points. Thomas McNamara chipped in with 13.

Mason entered the game focused on holding Lansing Waverly’s top two scorers below their season average.

“Our game plan was to slow down Carroll  and Brown (Louis) and make their role players step up,” said Mason boys basketball coach Lee Chaney.

They did. Carroll and Brown had been averaging over 40 points a game between them. The Bulldogs held them to 26 points – Carroll (14) and Brown (12).

However, that Waverly role player, named Koenigsknecht, stepped up on this night to lead his Warriors to a championship.

 

Lowell wrestlers dominate in winning fourth regional title in seven years

Lowell captured its second consecutive Division 2 regional wrestling championship Wednesday night with the ease one would expect from a premier wrestling program.

The Red Arrows, considered the second best wrestling team in all of Michigan, behind only defending Division 2 state champion, St. Johns, defeated Fruitport in the regional championship 77-0.

Sometimes score can be misleading, this was as one-sided as the final tally would  indicate. Lowell recorded 10 falls, a technical fall, two decisions and one win via a void. This with four district champions not in the starting lineup. A lineup that included three freshmen and four sophomores.

“I’ve been impressed with the young kids’ willingness to do the hard work,” said Lowell wrestling coach, Dave Dean. “And they are still working and embracing working hard. We have a lot of young kids wrestling who are further along as competitors. Many have been wrestling varsity kids for a couple of years now.”

Lowell advanced to the regional final with a 69-6 semi final win over conference foe Northview.

Recording pins for the Red Arrows against their Trojan counterpart were Bailey Jack, 112; Jordan Hall, 119; Nate Limmex, 125; Gabe Morse, 140; Angus Arthur, 145; Kanon Dean, 152; Andrew Morse, 160; Matt Hoogenboom, 189; Nick Shaffer, 215; and Shawn Dulin, 285.

Decisions were handed in by Ryan Walters (135) 5-3; and Derek Krajewski (103) 7-1. The night’s only technical fall was earned by Garett Stehley (171) 20-3. William Nagy won via a void at 119 pounds

Fruitport advanced to the finals with a win over Wyoming Rogers.

 

 

Edmond and Lansing Eastern sail past Everett, 65-34

When Lansing Eastern boys basketball team is on – offensely and defensely, it’s a really tough club to beat.

Lansing Everett learned Friday night that when the Quakers are not they’re still better than most.

Frederick Edmond led a talent superior Eastern team to a 65-39 rout over the Vikings.

The senior has been looked to pick up the scoring slack this year with the departure of LaDonte Henton. Edmond has done alright in that category. he’s averaged 27 points a game and against Everett he poured in 31 points, 18 in the second half – of which 11 came in the third quarter.

“We started a little slow but then turned it on in the third quarter,” Edmund said. “My strengths are going strong to the basket and crashing the boards.”

Quaker basketball coach Rod Watts also appreciates Edmond’s basketball knowledge.

“I am able to put Frederick on the floor with the reserves because he has a high basketball IQ.” Watts explained. “He’s  a workhorse. Fredrick blocks shots, rebounds, shares the ball and scores. He’s my conference MVP.”

Everett, meanwhile, continued to struggle at the offensive end.

“We’ve had problems all year scoring. We’re shooting just 30 percent from the floor,” said venerable Everett coach, Johnny Jones. “We played a little better in the first half, especially the second quarter. Eastern killed us on the offensive glass. They have a good basketball team.”

Lansing Eastern led 18-9 after the opening eight minutes. Everett outscored the host 15-14 in the second quarter to pull within eight (32-24) at halftime. The Quakers, however, outscored the Vikings 33-15 over the final two quarters.

Lansing Eastern improves to 13-2 overall and 9-1 in league play. Everett is now 3-11 overall and 1-9 in the conference.