SPORTS
Canton
Canton’s Girls Basketball team entered this season with high expectations. The Chiefs elected to start the year with one of the hardest schedules they could find to test themselves before the state tournament, including a likely match against the Salem Rocks in the first round, who defeated the team last season. After losing a tough match vs. back to back defending state champion Bloomfield Marion to open the season on the road with a loss, the Chiefs battled back, defeating annual power-house Grosse Point South to win their first home game of the year. Canton would then win their next two games on the road against Divine Child and South Lyon before an upsetting loss by South Lyon East on Dec. 17. The following week, however, the Chiefs would once again find their groove and take down Mercy in a hard-fought competitive game from both teams.
“It was really beneficial to have a difficult beginning of the season. It’s been very beneficial that we play on the road. We do a great job of focusing on winning and not letting outside factors influence our play,” Samantha Mattern, a junior, said. She also added, “The reason that we can stay solid with coaching changes is the unity between teammates and our universal desire to succeed as a team.”
Canton entered conference play with a 4-2 record, which put them in a good spot going into the divisional section of their schedule. Canton got off to a hot start in division play, earning a 60 point win over Livonia Franklin on the road and a close overtime battle over John Glenn at home. The Chiefs would also defeat Wayne Memorial 45-40 as well as Livonia Churchill 49-34, increasing their record to 8-2 leading up to a rivalry game against the Plymouth Wildcats when they ended up defeating Plymouth in a low scoring 31-19 victory to go undefeated in the first half of division play. After another crushing defeat of Livonia Franklin, as well as another win over John Glenn on the road, the Chiefs improved to 11-2 on the season and led the divison. After suffering their first and only divisional loss at home vs. Wayne Memorial in the next game, they would go on to win the next two vs. Churchill and Plymouth to enter the conference tournament at 13-3 overall, giving them a number one seed.
Girls Basketball: Season Recap
By: Chris Robbins
Sports Editor
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Plymouth
The Plymouth Wildcats Girls Basketball team got off to a very rough 1-5 start this season, before finishing the season strong and earning the fourth seed in the KLAA Conference Tournament. The team’s only win in a non-divisional play came in a road game at Allen Park. The Wildcats were not able to overcome an extremely difficult road schedule which featured park-rival Salem, Waterford Kettering - ranked 7 in the state by AP at the time– and undefeated Novi, and Dexter, whose only loss came at the hands of a top Ohio team. The Wildcats started out division play better, by opening with a loss on the road to Wayne Memorial in a 48-32 loss, but bouncing back to earn a win vs. Livonia Franklin in a 60-24 blowout. The Wildcats lost their last game in the first half of division play to the Canton Chiefs in a 31-19 defeat. Plymouth would then get defeated again, giving them another loss to Wayne Memorial at home by ten, before coming back the following game with a big 55-22 victory over Livonia Franklin. The Wildcats stood at 4-9 overall in the season. They would go on to finish the remainder of the season winning three of their last four including the win against Franklin, with their only loss being a two point defeat at Canton. They finished the season 6-10 overall heading into the conference and state tournaments.
“We haven’t done as well as we’ve hoped.” Mikayla Rose, a junior, said earlier this season. “We have had some players get injured to start the season off, but I do think that we will be able to come back strong when we are completely healthy and finish the season off great,” she added.
Jordyn Chouinard, a senior on the team, would add to that saying, “I don’t believe our record is indicative of our team’s talent. Injuries and learning a new system has delayed us from reaching our full potential.”
Bailey Brown, a senior, said, “Our non-division games were a good opportunity for our team to experience a high level of play, motivating us to acquire a stronger physical and mental toughness that will keep us fighting in our future division games. Our record reflects our challenging non-division play. We have learned a lot and worry a little about our losses because each loss provided us with an avenue for growth that is key for our growth. I believe our team needs to maintain our growth mindset and stay persistent in order to be successful. We need to communicate. We need to play loose. We need to be confident.”
Salem
Salem’s Girls Basketball team has gotten off to a good start this season, ending their first month of play at 5-1 after defeating Plymouth, Livonia Churchill and Brighton at home, as well as Divine Child and Livonia Franklin on the road. The Rocks’ only loss during non-conference play was vs. Mercy, who would end up getting the win the second game of the Rocks’ season. That was until their back to back losses to start out conference play vs. Novi and at Northville, dropping the team’s overall record to 5-3 (0-2 inter-division). After wins vs. South Lyon, South Lyon East and Livonia Stevenson, as well as an additional loss to Novi, the Rocks improved to 8-4 overall heading into the second half of the season. After another loss to Northville, the Rocks had an 8-5 overall record with an interdivision record of 3-4 heading into critical games vs. South Lyon and South Lyon East. The Rocks would fall to South Lyon East on the road, dropping them to 8-6 (3-5) before bouncing back with a three point win against South Lyon at home, setting up a three way tie going into the final game vs. Livonia Stevenson. The Rocks would defeat Stevenson at home, clinching them a spot in the conference tournament, earning the fourth seed.
The winds of change have blown for Salem quite heavily this season, as Lyniah Wilson has been named academically ineligible for a large chunk of the season, the three Petree sisters left halfway through the conference schedule, and Zoe Talley has been hurt long term twice, including a season-ending shoulder injury. As a result, Marisa Martin has had to step up, and has done so putting up team and career highs in points since the Petrees left. Junior Emily Stewart has also stepped up multiple times, and junior Jayna Lenders has been a top player for the Rocks as well, dominating the post. “Rebounding is all about effort. It’s a stat where height doesn’t matter, as long as you put in the effort size doesn’t matter in basketball.” The Rocks effort throughout the season has shown, and when they win the rebounding battle, often times they come out on top.
For Canton to succeed in the state tournament, the Chiefs will have to get continued production from their bench. Canton’s biggest strength this season is their bench depth and the ability for their backups to come in and limit a production drop. Every player on the Chiefs plays a role in every game and Canton should continue that for them to continue on a winning path. Coach Heitmeyer has mentioned every player at one point as a key one, and in particular vs. teams with less depth the bench could mean the difference between a win and a loss.
Another key for Canton is to win the rebounding battle. Erin Hult (junior) in particular has the ability to out-rebound most other players due to her length and natural ability. Rebounding has always been an important part of the Chiefs’ success.
“We need to be able to keep our calm rather than letting other teams control the pace of play. Basketball is a 32 minute game and you can’t stop competing throughout the whole game. Regardless of whether you are ahead or behind, you have to finish the game,” Madison Archibald, a senior for the Chiefs said.
Pace of play is something that plays a role in every game. It is something that the whole team plays a role in, which generally works to Canton’s advantage.
“Everyone works hard every day and we’ve improved so much over such a short period of time. It’s impressive,” Hult said, regarding the Chiefs’ work ethic this season. “We’ve learned the most from the South Lyon East game because it is a game we should have won, but we didn’t. We all made mistakes and it made us realize we all have to work harder and work as a team,” she added.
Canton has grown throughout the season under head coach Rob Heitmeyer and his staff. The Chiefs coaching staff has done well leading this year’s team and has consistently helped put a talented Canton team in a good spot to win. Senior Natalie Winters has made many good contributions for the Chiefs and has become one of the conference’s top defensive players so far, showing growth on both sides of the ball. Juniors Raquel Church and Shamya Butler have shown improvement throughout the course of the season as well and sophomore Alaina Heitmeyer has the potential to be a future leader for the Chiefs and is developing well under her father’s coaching. Marissa Templeton was praised by the coach after a great Plymouth game, and Erin Hult continues to be a top rebounder and scorer for the Chiefs as well. Madison Wolfbauer and Brianna Finn have also both stepped up their games this season, and entering the conference and state tournament have joined the starting five after consistent effort and solid play throughout the season.
Alaina Heitmeyer said, “So far this season has been a great experience for us. I think we’ve all learned how to work together better.” After the Wayne Memorial game, her dad, Coach Heitmeyer would add: “There wasn’t a moment we didn’t give 110 percent. There are a number of things we have to work on."
Natalie Winters, a senior on the team, also said, “I think we’ve been successful so far because of our fourth quarter mentality and working together as a team. Our biggest strength is our athleticism running down the court, (and) our biggest weakness is being too rushed.”
Coach Heitmeyer also would add: “The nice thing about this group is we have a very deep bench. When Erin came out (due to foul trouble in the Mercy game) we had someone right behind her who could come in and do a great job for our team.” He also made note that, “Winters is one of those kids you’re never disappointed with and Butler finds and absolutely exploits open space. Sam Mattern and Raquel Church have had clutch baskets for us and I can’t say enough about Archibald, Templeton and Wolfbauer [who] are also key players. The first couple of people who come off the bench enter the game at a key time and I’m a big believer in developing a bench and letting them contribute.”
Overall, it is going to be team play that will help drive Canton to any potential success they can achieve the rest of the year in the state and conference tournament.
Plymouth overall has done much worse on the road than at home. Of the team’s first seven losses this season, six of them were on the road (out of nine this season), including six of their seven double digit losses. Their only home losses until Canton at the end of the season were a one point heartbreaker that went in favor of Livonia Stevenson, a three point loss to Livonia Churchill, and a hard fought double digit loss to Wayne Memorial.
“One thing we could improve on is continuing to sharpen our offense and make smart decisions. Our biggest improvement this year is going to be rebounding hard, because we aren’t a very tall team, but we can overcome that with proper technique.” Chouinard said. “I hope the team continues to develop and enjoys the rest of the season with each other. I think we’ve done our best by working together and never giving up,” she added.
Plymouth’s head coach Ryan Ballard said, “We are looking to just be better than we were yesterday, attacking each practice with the mindset of getting out of our comfort zone.” He continued throughout the season to mention the relentless effort of the team, and how hard they work at practice. He also praised the academic success his kids have had this season as well. The new coaching staff lead by Ballard has prioritized character and work ethic on and off the court, and it shows in the team’s sportsmanship and relentless effort throughout the season despite some tough losses.
Brown said in regards to the new coaching staff that, “Our new coaching staff is outstanding as they have pushed us outside our comfort zones. Although learning a new system has been challenging, with each new experience, our team chemistry has improved.”
Hannah Badger, also a senior on the team said, “I believe we’ve been keeping a very positive attitude and that we keep working very hard and getting better every day. The season isn’t over yet and March is when it really counts.”
Brown would add to Badger’s point, saying, “It’s motivating to train alongside teammates and coaches who are all in, willing to sacrifice their sweat, mind and heart for each other. We are truly a team that wins together and loses together.”
Ballard said, “Our biggest strength is our resilience. We have dealt with a lot of adversity so far this season, but it hasn’t fazed our kids. They attack each day with a growth mindset attempting to get better each day, I’m more proud of that than anything. Like we always say, ‘keep watering the bamboo tree.’” He would also add, “We have played one of the toughest schedules in the state, are battle tested and are ready for division play.”
Overall, basketball is more than just a game; it’s about the team, the players and their growth, particularly at the high school level. Ballard said, “I love my team. They are high character kids that will be successful this season and beyond. I’m confident that when our kids leave our program, they will make a positive impact on society. That’s Plymouth Basketball.”
Lasha, Jala and Mahri Petree were key contributors for the Rocks before leaving the team, as well as freshman Wilson and junior Lenders. Marisa Martin and Leah Moss have been senior leaders for Salem. Stewart, Cecilia McIntosh and Darby Scott have provided bench depth for Salem’s head coach Lindsay Klemmer early in the season before becoming key contributors later on, and contributed to the positive team atmosphere and energy the team has provided so far this season.
Salem has had key games from several other players to help them get to their spot that was among the state’s best heading into conference play. Sophomore Lasha Petree had the game of a lifetime on Jan. 5 vs. Brighton, earning a triple double with 17 points, 15 blocks, 12 rebounds and 8 steals. According to Hometown Life, she may have set the Salem record in blocks. Freshman Lyniah Wilson had a good opening game vs. Plymouth, as did Jayna Lenders, playing good defense and keeping Plymouth’s scoring in the paint totals low. Every player had a good night vs. Livonia Franklin, when the team had a whopping 50-8 42-point victory, propelling the Rocks to earn a top ten spot in the MLive Detroit’s girls’ basketball rankings. Martin’s performance vs. South Lyon came at a very key time for Salem, and was a career best for her as well.
Moss would say “We are just going to use every game to work on things we need to work on, and get better every game. We don’t give up, and we work hard, we just have to work on our weaknesses and get better.”
“The challenge for our team is learning how to play together, as a team. The [Mercy] game we lost focus and we should have beaten them, but 5-1 is a great record to start out with,” Emily Stewart said before the Novi and Northville losses. Stewart would receive praise from Klemmer multiple times throughout the season, earning a starting role after the Petrees left. Klemmer said “Emily is a fundamentally sound player and she’s strong.” amongst other things.
Another player that that received praise earlier this season is Lyniah Wilson. After the season opener vs. Plymouth when she took over Zoe Talley’s role after an injury, Salem coach Lindsay Klemmer said “She really stepped us for us. We told her we need her to be strong. She was the one person I would pinpoint as our star of the game, and she’s a freshman. I’m excited about the future with her.” Klemmer would continue this throughout the season as well. The team motto going into the Livonia Stevenson game at the very end of the year was “You never know how strong you can be, so being strong is your only option.”
One note that was also stressed by Klemmer about the team in general throughout the season was limiting turnovers. Salem had committed several turnovers in their first few games and that was arguably their weakest point so far this season. It seems as though some of it has been helped out in practice throughout the season though, as the Rocks went on a 4-0 after their loss in the Mercy game.
The final point that Klemmer emphasized that needed to be improved was making shots. While this has also improved throughout the season, Salem needs to make shots to get points on the board.
All photos provided by John Kemski and Express Photos.
Jordyn Chouinard
Left: Erin Hult Right: Brianna Finn
Plymouth: Bailey Brown Salem: Zoe Talley
The Wildcats Journey to Playoffs
By: Janet Nava
Staff Writer
Monday, March 7, 2016
After the win against Grandville on Feb. 5, Plymouth Varsity Hockey prepared to for their game against Hancock High School.
“I think it boosted our confidence,” senior right wing Max Chumley said. “It felt good to win as we did, for we had been in a losing streak. It made us think that we could beat a good team if we brought our best game against Hancock.”
But The Wildcats efforts fell short, for they lost against Hancock with a close score of 2-3 on Feb. 6.
“The most difficult part about playing Hancock was that the game rough,” Chumley said. “So we had to stop worrying about how they were playing and focus on the game. Our biggest weakness was that we allowed them to score goals without working hard, we need to make other teams work harder if they are going to score against us.”
The Wildcats then led onto win 2-0 against Flint Powers Catholic School at the away game on Feb. 12. This led them up to Plymouth’s Varsity Hockey Senior Night that was held on Feb. 13.
“Senior Night meant a lot to have my family there, especially my grandma,” senior center James Baldwin said. “It was awesome and to celebrate it with these group of seniors was even better, I couldn't have asked for better teammates”
The Wildcats swept the scoreboard with a 8-0 victory, ending the game early.
“Playing against Churchill was big for us, when we played them earlier this season, we didn't have our best game,” Baldwin said. “So it was a big statement game against a good team in our league and in division 2 who we could see again in playoffs, it lets other teams know that we are ready to make a playoff push.”
With the playoffs already under way, the Plymouth Wildcats prepare and look forward to their next opponents in the trek to regional champs.
“I'm looking forward to playing Hartland and Salem in the first round, both will have a great and competitive atmosphere,” Baldwin says. “But we're still going to take it day by day and game by game, our team is skillful enough to make a good run in playoffs.”
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Five is the Magic Number:
Rocks beats Cats and Chiefs 5-2
By: Hannah Saad
News Editor
The Salem Varsity Rocks had quite the week; the Rocks beat the Chiefs on Feb. 29 5-2, then the Wildcats March 2 by the same score, to advance to the regional final on March 4 against Livonia Stevenson.
Scoring against Canton was spearheaded by Salem senior Nick Callegari, who registered his first hat trick in his varsity career. Against Plymouth, Salem junior Jake Saunders led scoring with two back to back goals, including the eventual game-winner. Salem had 44 shots against Canton and 27 shots against Plymouth.
“Taking on the whole Park and coming out strong is just an amazing feeling,” said Saunders.
“Evan Newel’s goal in the third was a big point in the (Plymouth) game. It gave us the momentum to keep going and eventually win the game,” said Salem junior Tristan Rehling, who made 13 saves against Canton and 22 saves against Plymouth.
“Against Canton, Nick Callegari scored a hat trick; he did really well. Against Plymouth, (Jake) Saunders had two goals and an assist. We really had guys that stepped up,” said Salem senior Evan Newel.
Penalties were an issue for all three teams. Plymouth drew a five minute major late in the second period, during which Salem scored the game-winning goal. Canton had a total of six penalties, including three in the last minute of the game and a 10 minute misconduct. Salem drew four penalties in each game, but also allowed a power play goal in both games.
The Rocks eventually lost to Livonia Stevenson in the regional final 2-1. They finished the season with a record of 17-9-2. For more information about the Park hockey teams, check out the March issue of The Perspective.
Photos taken by Hannah Saad
Top: (Left) Colin Goleniak, (right) Spencer Rochowiak
Bottom: (Left) Colin Goleniak, (right) Joe Fontana
When it comes to winter sports, bowling might not be the most highly recognized, but it’s hard to ignore the success the Salem Rocks had on the lanes this season. The Salem Rocks boys and girls bowling teams both finished in the top 3 in MHSAA Division 1 regional competition, earning both teams state final spots.
The Salem girls finished in 3rd place at the regional competition with a score of 3,483, finishing just behind John Glenn and first place Farmington. The boys came out on top of their region, winning with a score of 3,972, just 25 points ahead of second place Wayne Memorial.
“It was really exciting. We were at the top for most of the day but it was really close. To come out on top was pretty awesome,” said sophomore bowler Brendan Kwapis.
The boys’ win at the regional competition did not come easy. The team edged out Wayne Memorial by 25 points and Belleville by only 90.
“Belleville and Wayne were tough. They were neck and neck with us all day,” said senior Zach Gonyea. Gonyea added, “We only won by a small margin, the smallest our coach said she’s ever seen.”
The regional victory was the first regional win for the Salem boys since 2013, when the team won both regionals and states. Both teams went to the state championships at Sterling Lanes in Sterling Heights. The boys finished in the top 8 in the state, with the girls coming in 14th. One Salem team did emerge victorious from states, with the boys JV team winning it all.
This season was a special one on the lanes for Salem bowling. The Rocks boys reigned victorious at regional competition and were the kings of the Park, winning the Park Cup. The team is also looking forward to future success, with a limited amount of seniors leaving, the team will be retaining many players that helped with their success.
For those seniors departing, going out on a victorious note is the best way to end their careers with the Rocks.
“Going to states meant a lot to me this year,” said Salem bowling senior Jake Kurth, “I’ve wanted to make it since my freshman year and the team finally made it my last year.”
Salem Bowling Celebrates Successful Season
By: Michael Adzima
Sports Editor
Thursday, March 24, 2016