OURSPORTS
SECTION B
Heritage Media
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MIKE LARSON
Little
bro?
Heck
no “Sometimes you get your lit-
tle brother excited when you are
playing basketball and stuff. Let
him get the lead, then you just
come back and take it back.”
Those words were infamously
uttered by former University of
Michigan running back Mike
Hart after a come-from-behind
victory over Michigan State in
November of 2007.
Hart sat smugly answering
questions, doing his best to
politely rub salt in the wounds
of the Spartans.
After all, Michigan was the
better team and the better pro-
gram. In Hart’s mind, the best
team won.
But what happens when “lit-
tle brother” steps up and socks
you in the mouth?
Ask the Skyline boys’ basket-
ball team, because this season’s
Eagles’ squad has a lot in com-
mon with those Spartans of
2007.
The Skyline basketball team
was supposed to be a doormat
this season.
They were supposed to be
the “little brother” of the
Southeastern Conference.
They were supposed to be the
team that everyone destroyed.
The team that everyone
played and then afterwards, the
winning team’s coach would
talk about how good they were
going to be in the future.
Skyline was supposed to play
the role of the little brother, get-
ting waxed like a Corolla in the
family driveway by the more
talented, more experienced, and
slightly condescending older
brothers.
But that’s not how things
have unfolded.
Let’s get one thing straight.
Skyline might have the young-
est team in the league, but
the team has proved it isn’t
anyone’s “little brother.”
This is Skyline’s first season
playing in the competitive SEC
Red Division.
In its third year as a school,
Skyline has just freshman,
sophomores and juniors.
Every other team in the
league is made up of exclusively
juniors and seniors.
“Yeah, I think you could look
at it as a disadvantage,” Skyline
head coach Mike Lovelace said.
“But we never really focused on
that. We lack size and strength,
we know that, but we also have
a lot of speed and agility. The
way we look at it is we just try
to play to our advantages.”
And that philosophy has
worked.
The Skyline team has made
fast-paced, aggressive basket-
ball its signature.
The Eagles play at a pace that
seems to keep opponents off
guard.
Oh yeah, the Eagles also have
a roster full of pure shooters
and at least one player (Theron
Wilson) who is going to garner
consideration for All-State rec-
ognition.
“We had a good vision for this
team,” Lovelace said. “And they
keep exceeding our expecta-
tions.”
And recently, the Eagles have
been outstanding.
After dropping four of their
first five games of the season,
Skyline has rebounded by win-
PLEASE SEE LARSON/2-B
Unbeaten Phoenix fall to Huron
By Mike Larson
A2 Journal
Goliath lives.
Despite a valiant effort by the
Ypsilanti Phoenix, there was no
slaying of the giant.
On Tuesday night, in front of
an estimated crowd of around
1,200, last year’s Class A state
runner up, Ann Arbor Huron,
stormed into Ypsilanti and
handed the Phoenix its first
loss.
Despite coming into the
game with a 14-0 record,
Ypsilanti was considered the
underdog in this game.
And the River Rats showed
the packed gym why, winning
the Southeastern Conference
crossover 73-53.
Despite the big win, Huron
Skyline sweep
Photo by Jonathan Knight/A2 JOURNAL
Skyline’s Jordan Woods, above, goes up for a dunk against Pioneer on Friday while the
Skyline fans, right, celebrate. The Eagles defeated the Pioneers in a 54-52 shocker.
Richard hockey championship bound
Irish take down Riverview
to advance to CHSL finals
By Mike Larson
A2 Journal
One way or another, there
was going to be a Gabriel
Richard hockey team in the
Catholic High School League
Division 2 Championship.
As it happened, it turned out
the Richard team from Ann
Arbor made the cut.
Last Monday, the Fighting
Irish from Ann Arbor hosted
Riverview Gabriel Richard at
Yost Arena, with a champion-
ship berth on the line.
head coach Waleed Samaha
said the game was much closer
than it seemed.
“A lot of people will look at
the score and think we domi-
nated, but I’ll tell you, we had
a fit against their defense,”
Samaha said. “They play some
great defense. Best defense
we’ve seen all year.”
The game was close in the
first quarter as Ypsilanti
jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead.
However, Huron rebounded
before the end of the frame,
taking an 18-13 lead at the end
of the first.
In the second quarter, Huron
went on an 11-0 run, holding
the Phoenix scoreless for over
two minutes.
That run proved to be a turn-
ing point, as Huron took a 39-23
Ann Arbor took control and
won the game 2-1 and earned a
spot in the CHSL’s title game.
“It was our biggest game of
the year,” Ann Arbor coach
Tom O’Brien said. “We really
played well and our defense
stepped up in a big way.”
The biggest defensive perfor-
mance was turned in by Ann
Arbor goalie Colin McMahon,
who made 14 saves in the win.
“Colin was great,” O’Brien
said. “He played a great game.
Riverview had some great
PLEASE SEE RICHARD/3-B
lead at the half. Ypsilanti was
never really able to get back
within striking distance.
“It was an important game
for us,” Huron’s A.J. Mathew
said. “We knew we had to come
out strong, and we did.”
Huron was led by Dante
Williams with 19 points, while
Mike Lewis added 14 and
Mathew added 12.
The majority of Ypsilanti’s
scoring came from Mamadou
Ba, Aaerion Allen and Tristan
Simmons, who all scored 15.
“It’s a tough loss,” Allen said.
“This isn’t what we wanted to
happen, but Huron is a good
team. We just have to go back to
the gym and keep on working.”
Mike Larson can be reached
by email at Mlarson@A2Journal.
com.
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February 17, 2011
Photo by Jonathan Knight/A2 JOURNAL
Huron’s Jeff Hugan is guarded closely by Ypsilanti’s Derrick
Richardson on Tuesday. Huron won the game 73-53.
Eagles shock SEC with
back-to-back wins over
Dexter and Pioneer
By Mike Larson The shot never even drew
A2 Journal
iron, but fell in the hopeful
hands of Mann.
Skyline’s Jarrius Mann has
He banked the ball off the
a way of coming through at
glass and into the basket just
the end of games.
as the buzzer sounded, giving
Last season, in a district
Skyline the 54-52 win.
game against Tecumseh,
“Jarrius has a knack for
Mann nailed two free throws
hitting shots at the end of the
at the end of regulation to tie
game,” Skyline coach Mike
the game and send it to over-
Lovelace said. “He just really
time.
came through for us.”
Skyline later won.
The game was close most
On Friday night, Mann
of the way through, although
came through again for
Pioneer was handicapped with
Skyline (7-7, 6-4) in a thrill-
the loss of several players due
ing win over cross-town rival
to illness and academic eligi-
Pioneer (10-4, 4-3).
bility issues.
With just four seconds left in
Pioneer’s Jeremiah Strode,
the game, the two Ann Arbor
Darien Hill and JaKorey Davis
schools were tied at 52-52.
all sat the game out.
Skyline’s Jack Clark
“We knew they were miss-
inbounded the ball to team-
ing some of their best play-
mate Theron Wilson, who
ers,” Mann said. “So we really
drove and put the ball up
toward the basket. PLEASE SEE SKYLINE/2-B
File Photo
The Gabriel
Richard hock-
ey team pre-
pares for a
game earlier
this season.
The Fighting
Irish recently
defeated
Riverview
Gabriel
Richard to
advance to
the Catholic
High School
League finals.