North Carolina State strong safety Josh Jones speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL combine.

INDIANAPOLIS — North Carolina State safety Josh Jones is in a unique position to evaluate the top quarterbacks in this year’s NFL draft.

Jones, a Walled Lake Western product, faced potential first-round picks Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer and Mitch Trubisky during N.C. State’s season.

The Wolfpack beat Notre Dame (Kizer) and North Carolina (Trubisky) and lost to Clemson (Watson) in overtime.

“All those guys are phenomenal quarterbacks,” Jones said, adding Miami (Fla.)’s Brad Kaaya, a mid-round prospect to the mix. “All those guys are elite. They ran their offense very well. Very well. They had good stats against us, so I don’t know how to rank those guys but to me they’re all great quarterbacks and I would love to have all three of them.”

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Kizer had one of his worst games of the season against N.C. State, completing just 9 of 26 passes for 54 yards.

Trubisky threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns while completing 23 of 38 passes.

Watson threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning 10-yard pass in overtime.

Jones had two tackles against both Notre Dame and North Carolina, and 11 tackles and one pass breakup against Clemson. He said the Clemson games was one of the best he played all year.

“I did my job,” Jones said. “A couple plays that I liked in that game were good. But that team was good. They won the national championship with his leadership.”

Asked which of the quarterbacks was toughest to go against, Jones singled out Watson out of the group.

“Because he’s such a competitor,” Jones said. “I admire the way he took control of the Clemson offense. Just him finding ways to win week in and week out, that was a close game we had against them. It came down to overtime and his will to win is what impressed me, is what I admired.”

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter  @davebirkett . Download our Lions Xtra app for free on  Apple  and  Android !

Brittany Schnicke poses for a photo with family members and coaches after winning the Division 1 individual state bowling title at Sterling Lanes on Saturday.

STERLING HEIGHTS — The first piece of advice for Brittney Schnicke after the tips of her fingers were cut off was to go to the sink.

During her sophomore year at Caledonia High School, Schnicke was in wood shop class when she suffered an accident that severed the tips of her middle and ring fingers on her left hand.

“It was on the jointer,” Schnicke said. “I was trying to sand down a piece of wood and I guess the pilot got caught on the guard and my finger just slid off.”

And yes, the fingers that Schnicke severed off a couple of years ago were on her bowling hand.

If this sounds like some gruesome story where there is no way Schnicke and her family can look back on it and laugh at it in any manner whatsoever, you are mistaken.

The family was all smiles and laughs Saturday at Sterling Lanes in Sterling Heights, posing for pictures and gleefully celebrating Schnicke’s individual state championship at the Division 1 state bowling tournament.

Related:

Pennfield’s James Ruoff, Haley Hooper are state champs

Now a senior, Schnicke defeated Brighton senior Natalie Klein in the title match, rallying from a 37-pin deficit for a 440-404 victory.

It was quite an improbable journey since that awful day, which included her finger tips being completely obliterated into the jointer and her running off to the sink frantically to get it washed up before an ambulance arrived.

Schnicke’s parents, Michelle and Chuck, were notified and when they got to the hospital, Michelle Schnicke said doctors were asking about the whereabouts of the finger tips in hopes of re-attaching them.

“They asked if we had it,” Michelle Schnicke said. “It was already off.”

After a day in the hospital to fix the wounds, the first thing on Brittney Schnicke’s mind was whether she would be able to bowl again.

Fortunately, doctors said she could, although she had to have surgery on the fingers a week after the accident and was told to wait a few months before rolling again.

Of course, with parts of her bowling fingers gone, it was almost like learning how to bowl again.

“My whole grip system had to be changed,” Schnicke said. “I couldn’t put a grip in it. I had to put my whole ring finger in it. The whole thing changed. When I first started, I would throw 100 games. But I got used to it. My junior year, my average went up 10 pins.”

Schnicke came back better than ever, winning the regional tournament as a junior to qualify for the state tournament. She then had a terrific senior year, winning the regional tournament for a second straight year.

At the state tournament, Schnicke came out of the qualifying block as the No. 11 seed and started off the elimination round with a 419-320 win over Flint Carman-Ainsworth senior Caity Cox.

Schnicke then beat Clarkston freshman Hannah Turk in the quarterfinals, 378-358, before beating Macomb Dakota senior Hannah Forton in the semifinals, 412-393.

Schnicke then recovered from the bad first game against Klein to claim the title and put quite a storybook ending she wasn’t sure she would enjoy after her accident.

“Every year, she has progressed,” Michelle Schnicke said Saturday. “Even there, she struggled yesterday and struggled this morning. She just battled back.”

Indeed, it certainly was easy for the Schnickes to glean the most important lesson of the entire situation.

“Never give up,” Chuck Schnicke said. “That’s the bottom line right there. Never give up.”

Brighton goalie Logan Neaton makes the save during Catholic Central’s 3-0 win over Brighton in the 2016 Division 1 hockey final Saturday at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.

Here is a look at finals week in high school hockey, including the quarterfinals that will be played Tuesday and Wednesday in Divisions 1-3. Rankings used are from the regular season-ending numbers posted by the coaches association through the Michigan High School Hockey Hub.

Can Hartland break through for its first hockey state championship?

Hartland (ranked No. 2 in Div. 2 at 24-2-1) has yet to collect a state title, but has had many chances in recent years after earning its sixth consecutive regional crown Saturday. The Eagles (led by Mr. Hockey candidate Josh Albring) will have to get through 2016 state runner-up Livonia Stevenson (ranked No. 4) on Tuesday night in Novi to qualify for their fourth final four appearance in the past six years. Hartland has been the state runner-up twice — in 2013 and 2014.

Can Flint Powers Catholic win its first state title?

Like Hartland, but spread out over the past 35 years, Powers Catholic has been only a runner-up. Six times — even dating back to 1983 when Greg Rolston set the state record for most goals in a season at 93 (until Powers’ Ron Rolston broke it the following year with 94, which still stands today).

Now ranked the No. 1 team in Division 3 at 27-1, this could be the Chargers’ year. They must get past No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at 24-2-2 in the quarterfinal Wednesday and potentially No. 3 Calumet in the semifinal Friday to make school history.

U.P. Power

Calumet has been there before, winning six state championships since 1992. The Copper Kings’ last championship game appearance came as Div. 3 runner-up in 2011, and they will take on unranked Big Rapids in the Wednesday quarterfinal at Sault Ste. Marie.

Can Romeo repeat as defending champ in Division 2, arguably the most balanced division in the state?

Not likely. Not only would Romeo (16-11) have to face the winner of Hartland-Stevenson in the semifinals, it first has to get through No. 1-ranked Birmingham Brother Rice (22-4-1) in the quarterfinals. That would be the upset of the season.

Geographic brackets or seeding?

A strong case was made for seeding the tournament based on some local regional results that paired up higher-ranked teams pretty early. Brighton took out No. 1-ranked Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the weekend regional, but it was less of an upset because of the fact the Bulldogs had been No. 1 prior to dropping to No. 3. Coaches said that game would have been a great state final or at least a semifinal, a few games later on the tournament path than when it took place. The same thing happened in Div. 3 in the U.P. where only Calumet advanced, leaving No. 4 Hancock and No. 7 Sault Ste. Marie out of the quarterfinals.

Another Brighton vs. Novi Detroit Catholic Central Div. 1 finals matchup?

For fans and coaches who are fine with not seeding early-round tournaments, all could still witness yet another Brighton vs. DCC showdown in the state final. DCC, led by Mr. Hockey candidate Zach Sprys-Tellner, is the three-time Div. 1 defending state champ ranked at No. 2. It beat Brighton in the championship game last year and in 2014. Brighton won the state championship in both 2012 and ’13, beating the Shamrocks in the ’13 title game.

Will top Mr. Hockey candidate Jake Crespi lead Brighton to that title again?

The senior forward was an eighth-grader the last time Brighton won the state championship. If anyone can change that tide, Crespi can. He is unique in high school hockey in that the majority of prep players advance to junior hockey — or avoid joining their high school team altogether — before committing to a college program. But Crespi verbally committed to Lake Superior State in December. “I wanted to have more fun with hockey,” Crespi, who played AAA hockey for seven seasons, told the Livingston Daily at the time. “I lost touch with my love of hockey. That was difficult because it’s been my dream since I was a little kid. Losing your dream and kind of losing your way was tough. When I made the jump to high school, I found it again.” He has 28 goals and 26 assists in 28 games.

Livonia Churchill’s first final four?

No. 5 Livonia Churchill (20-8) won its first regional crown over the weekend since winning regionals back-to-back in 2011 and ‘12. But the Chargers, led by Mr. Hockey candidate John Doyle, have never gotten to the Final Four. That could more easily change as they are favored in a quarterfinal date with unranked Saline on Tuesday and should also be favored over the two unranked teams coming out of the west side quarterfinals.

Northville’s first final four since 2004?

No. 4 Northville (21-6-1) has its best shot of advancing to the final four in many years after beating No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood in the regional final, 3-2, in overtime. Not only a confidence booster but now the Mustangs play unranked Macomb Dakota (15-10-2), which knocked off No. 9 Detroit U-D Jesuit in the regional, 7-6. Northville last reached the final four in 2004.

Conference powers

Both the Kensington Lakes Activities Association and the Detroit Catholic High School League have five representatives each still alive as regional champions. And despite the soon-to-happen breakup of the KLAA, all the teams return to their respective conferences next season.

Detroit Cornerstone’s Jamal Cain before a game against Wayne Memorial on Dec. 6, 2016, at Wayne Memorial high school.

Marquette quietly has sneaked into metro Detroit the past couple of years, and it has paid off with the signing of two of the Free Press’ top-seven preseason basketball players: 6-foot-6 Jamal Cain (No. 2) of Detroit Cornerstone and 6-10 Ike Eke (No. 7) of Detroit U-D Jesuit.

“Over the years, obviously Detroit has a great basketball history, and even broader than that, the state has turned out a lot of really good players,” said Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski, who took over the program in April 2014. “It’s not very far away from Marquette so we’ve really tried to do a good job of developing relationships and putting in legwork in the states the closest to us, including our own.”

Cain, a Mr. Basketball finalist, is averaging 24 points a game, 14 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals, according to Cornerstone.

Eke averages 10.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, two blocks and is shooting 40% from three-point range. U-D Jesuit is the defending Class A state champ, and Marquette first saw Eke when recruiting Michigan State’s Cassius Winston the previous two years.

“First of all, I was sold on them as people,” Wojciechowski said of the Detroiters. “And secondly, I think both those kids have really high ceilings as players. They’re both big-time athletes who are just scratching the surface of who they could end up potentially being as players. I really love both of those kids, really good guys. They’re very easy to be around. I think they’ll fit in really well with the other guys we have in our program.”

Related:

Marquette-bound Cornerstone senior Jamal Cain on mission

U-D Jesuit coach Pat Donnelly said Eke’s only other official college visit was to Xavier, another Jesuit school.

“But he came home from his visit and told me, ‘Coach, I really want to go to Marquette. I just feel comfortable there, and it’s where I want to go.’ So, whatever they were selling, he was buying.”

North Farmington defenders battle for a rebound with U-D Jesuit’s Ikechukwu Eke, center, in a Class A boys high school basketball state championship game March 26, 2016, in East Lansing.

Eke is in the U.S. via the F1 student visa, which is granted to foreign students to study in the country. Donnelly spoke on behalf of Eke because he returned to Nigeria for an undisclosed time a week ago to be with his family. His mother was hit by a car and killed.

“He loved the players returning,” Donnelly said of Eke picking Marquette. “He connected with them very well and just came home from his visit and said he was very comfortable, he felt at home with Marquette being a Jesuit school. It had a lot of the same philosophies that U-D has. It was just something really in his comfort zone.”

Wojciechowski had a successful playing career at Duke in the mid-to-late 1990s, ranking eighth at Duke in all-time steals and assists. After a one-year stint in the NBA with Portland, he returned to join Mike Krzyzewski’s staff.

The Marquette staff includes assistants Brett Nelson, Stan Johnson and Chris Carrawell.

“The coaching staff just felt like family,” Cain said. “They really encouraged me to come in and do what I do best. And my future teammates … they are great people. None are selfish, they have good character, and they just want to win.

“They didn’t hide the facts about what players would be leaving or staying. They just keep it real, and that’s what I really liked about them.”

Marquette finished the regular season 19-11. The Golden Eagles won four of their past five regular-season games to place sixth in the Big East at 10-8 entering this week’s conference tournament.

Wojciechowski isn’t done. It’s well-known in recruiting circles he is looking at high-scoring Greg Elliott, a senior at Detroit East English Village, who also is strongly considering Michigan State.

Prep basketball

Class A

District First Round

District 1

Niles 54, Portage Northern 52

St. Joseph 57, Mattawan 39

District 2

Battle Creek Lakeview 59, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 45

Coldwater 45, Sturgis 40

District 3

Holt 58, Jackson 48

District 4

East Lansing 64, Grand Ledge 47

District 5

Byron Center 65, Caledonia 54

East Kentwood 66, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills 59

Grand Rapids Christian 58, East Grand Rapids 43

District 6

Holland West Ottawa 54, Grandville 33

Hudsonville 66, Jenison 50

Wyoming 83, Zeeland East 54

District 7

Grand Haven 57, Muskegon Mona Shores 38

Muskegon 76, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 29

District 8

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 47, Rockford 46

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 45, Cedar Springs 42

Greenville 49, Lowell 48

District 9

Flushing 39, Flint Carman-Ainsworth 36

District 10

Bay City Central 45, Bay City Western 38

Mount Pleasant 60, Saginaw Heritage 49

District 11

Saginaw 82, Flint Kearsley 53

Saginaw Arthur Hill 64, Davison 55

District 12

Marquette 72, Alpena 43

Traverse City West 58, Gaylord 55

District 13

Temperance Bedford 61, Ypsilanti 47

Ypsilanti Lincoln 53, Monroe 42

District 14

Brownstown Woodhaven 65, Gibraltar Carlson 45

Southgate Anderson 48, Riverview 46

District 15

Allen Park 49, Lincoln Park 36

Romulus 91, Taylor Truman 45

District 16

Dearborn Fordson 65, Melvindale 51

Detroit Cody 61, Dearborn Heights Crestwood 58

District 17

Ann Arbor Huron 62, Saline 56

Pinckney 54, Dexter 33

District 18

Northville 52, Detroit Catholic Central 39

Novi 57, Canton 54

District 19

Livonia Franklin 54, Redford Thurston 46

Westland John Glenn 77, Livonia Stevenson 74

District 20

Detroit East English 82, Hamtramck 45

Detroit Western International 73, Grosse Pointe South 60

District 21

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 58, North Farmington 42

District 22

St. Clair Shores Lake Shore 68, Roseville 46

Warren Woods Tower 74, Eastpointe East Detroit 44

District 23

Troy Athens 51, Royal Oak 46

Warren Mott 72, Warren Cousino 48

District 24

Warren Fitzgerald 61, Berkley 51

District 25

Auburn Hills Avondale 59, Birmingham Groves 53

Troy 50, Birmingham Brother Rice 42

District 27

Hartland 59, South Lyon East 37

District 28

Fair Haven-Anchor Bay 53, Port Huron 52

Macomb Dakota 81, Port Huron Northern 37

District 29

Utica Ford 72, Fraser 44

District 30

Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 54, Utica Eisenhower 51

District 31

Clarkston 76, Waterford Mott 20

Pontiac 56, Oxford 39

District 32

Linden 54, Holly 52

Class B

District First Round

District 33

Berrien Springs 52, Stevensville Lakeshore 44

Coloma 56, Buchanan 55, 2OT

District 34

Paw Paw 67, Dowagiac Union 62

District 35

Battle Creek Harper Creek 78, Parchment 48

District 36

Leslie 54, Jackson Northwest 49, OT

District 37

Adrian 49, Brooklyn Columbia Central 46

Hillsdale 61, Tecumseh 36

District 38

Milan 56, Ida 41

District 39

Dearborn Heights Annapolis 49, Flat Rock 41

Grosse Ile 61, Dearborn Henry Ford Academy 40

District 40

Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 57, Canton Prep 48, OT

District 41

DCP-Northwestern 74, Dearborn Advanced Technology 54

Detroit Douglass 74, Detroit West Side Academy 34

Detroit Voyageur 53, Detroit Cesar Chavez 36

District 42

Detroit Osborn 80, St. Clair Shores South Lake 56

Harper Woods 80, Center Line 55

Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy 58, Warren Lincoln 29

District 43

Detroit Mumford 72, Ferndale 67, OT

Detroit University Prep 62, Ferndale University 32

District 44

Detroit Ford 73, Southfield Bradford Academy 41

Detroit Old Redford 83, Livonia Clarenceville 29

District 45

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood 64, Clawson 63, OT

Macomb Lutheran North 64, Clinton Township Clintondale 51

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 55, Detroit Country Day 53

District 46

Fowlerville 66, Lansing Catholic 52

Williamston 58, Lansing Eastern 39

District 47

Hastings 53, Charlotte 42

District 48

Otsego 54, Plainwell 40

Wayland Union 82, Hopkins 39

District 49

Allendale 62, Coopersville 55

Holland Christian 52, Hamilton 42

District 50

Wyoming Godwin Heights 80, West Michigan Aviation 32

District 51

Ada Forest Hills Eastern 66, Grand Rapids West Catholic 51

District 52

Muskegon Orchard View 47, Fruitport 39

Spring Lake 71, Montague 35

District 53

Grant 63, Fremont 44

District 54

Alma 52, Shepherd 45

Ithaca 71, Stanton Central Montcalm 44

District 55

Corunna 51, Perry 38

Lake Fenton 53, Ovid-Elsie 50

District 56

Marysville 45, Richmond 38

New Haven 94, Marine City 43

District 57

Almont 40, Croswell-Lexington 35

Caro 40, North Branch 39

Imlay City 48, Yale 30

District 58

Flint Powers 58, Flint Academy West 50

Goodrich 73, Flint Southwestern 57

District 59

Saginaw Swan Valley 73, Carrollton 62

District 60

Bay City Glenn 65, Essexville Garber 63

District 61

Standish-Sterling 67, Pinconning 28

West Branch Ogemaw Heights 60, Gladwin 45

District 62

Cadillac 38, Reed City 35

Ludington 63, Big Rapids 49

District 63

Grayling 64, Kalkaska 44

District 64

Kingsford 63, Houghton 55

Class C

District Semifinal

District 93

Newberry 71, Rudyard 52

St. Ignace LaSalle 78, Manistique 66

District 95

Calumet 53, L’Anse 25

Hancock 61, Ironwood 51

District First Round

District 65

Niles Brandywine 57, New Buffalo 44

Watervliet 60, Eau Claire 46

District 66

Lawton 78, Decatur 59

Schoolcraft 60, Constantine 42

District 67

Quincy 64, Jonesville 53

Union City 48, Reading 45

District 68

Hanover-Horton 73, Vandercook Lake 59

Michigan Center 88, Jackson East Jackson 58

Napoleon 70, Concord 59

District 69

Addison 32, Clinton 31

Adrian Madison 66, Sand Creek 63

Hudson 47, Manchester 41

District 70

Ottawa Lake Whiteford 80, Blissfield 60

Petersburg Summerfield 68, Britton-Deerfield 55

District 71

Ann Arbor Greenhills 67, Frankel Jewish Academy 32

District 72

Ecorse 58, Allen Park Cabrini 41

Riverview Richard 60, Detroit Cristo Rey 55

District 73

Detroit Delta Prep 60, Madison Heights Madison 57, OT

Detroit Pershing 82, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 35

District 74

Detroit Community 78, Dearborn Riverside Academy-West 20

Detroit Cornerstone 55, Detroit Jalen Rose 25

District 75

Madison Heights Bishop Foley 37, Royal Oak Shrine 33

District 76

Brown City 66, Landmark Academy 25

Capac 57, Memphis 44

District 77

Bath 77, Byron 38

Pewamo-Westphalia 36, Carson City-Crystal 11

District 78

Delton Kellogg 68, Saranac 45

Potterville 50, Vermontville Maple Valley 41

District 79

Gobles 68, Bangor 47

Kalamazoo Christian 58, Hartford 48

District 80

Grandville Calvin Christian 65, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 59

District 81

North Muskegon 62, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian 42

District 82

Burton Bendle 57, New Lothrop 41

Flint Beecher 80, Flint Hamady 64

Montrose 62, Burton Atherton 38

District 83

Marlette 68, Sandusky 25

Reese 74, Kingston 45

Vassar 67, Genesee 29

District 84

Elkton-Pigeon Bay Port Laker 48, Bad Axe 44

Unionville-Sebewaing 70, Cass City 35

District 85

Breckenridge 75, Saginaw Arts and Science 31

Saginaw Nouvel 62, St. Louis 51

District 86

Evart 69, White Cloud 48

District 87

Mason County Central 56, Shelby 41

District 88

Beaverton 47, Beal City 37

Blanchard Montabella 53, Farwell 52

District 89

Roscommon 74, Lake City 64

District 91

Elk Rapids 66, Mancelona 38

District 92

Boyne City 41, Charlevoix 38

Class D

District First Round

District 97

Benton Harbor DREAM 78, Lawrence 55

St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic 58, Three Oaks River Valley 34

St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran 61, Covert 23

District 98

Marcellus Howardsville Christian 60, Burr Oak 47

District 99

Hillsdale Academy 57, Litchfield 27

North Adams-Jerome 65, Jackson Prep 24

District 100

Pittsford 47, Adrian Lenawee Christian 44

District 102

Allen Park Inter-City Baptist 66, Taylor Trillium Academy 26

District 103

Bloomfield Hills Roeper 54, Detroit Cornerstone 40

Southfield Christian 70, Detroit Davis 48

District 105

Novi Franklin Roads Christian 74, Auburn Hills Christian 51

District 106

Burton Faith 64, Swartz Creek Valley 30

Burton Genesee Christian 58, Burton Madison 55

Burton St. Thomas More 85, Michigan School for the Deaf 56

District 107

Brighton Charyl Stockwell 57, Livingston Christian 39

District 108

Climax-Scotts 67, Tekonsha 64

District 109

Bellevue 62, Kalamazoo Lakeside Charter 24

Martin 63, Calhoun Christian 43

District 111

Fruitport Calvary Christian 54, West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science 51

District 112

Portland St. Patrick 78, Fulton-Middleton 72

District 113

Carsonville-Port Sanilac 47, Mayville 44

District 114

Akron-Fairgrove 31, Caseville 27

District 115

Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 66, Marion 31

District 116

Mason County Eastern 68, Pentwater 60

District 117

Bear Lake 53, Brethren 44

Onekama 62, Mesick 30

District 118

Leland 65, Suttons Bay 50

District 119

Hale 57, Fairview 54

District 121

Bellaire 64, Gaylord St. Mary 47

Ellsworth 64, Boyne Falls 26

District 122

Harbor Light Christian 42, Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian Academy 40

District 126

Powers North Central 72, Carney-Nadeau 44

District 127

Bessemer 57, Watersmeet 44

Wakefield-Marenisco 75, Republic-Michigamme 53

District 128

Chassell 76, Baraga 43

Dollar Bay 69, Ontonagon 47

Prep basketball

Class A

Dearborn Fordson 65, Melvindale 51: Yousuf Farhat had 22 points, and Hamze Elzayat finished with 15 points for Fordson (9-12). Montrez Fuster recorded 20 points, Josh Higgins contributed 12 points and Antonio Peeples chipped in 10 points for Melvindale (17-4).

Detroit Cody 61, Dearborn Heights Crestwood 58: Isiah Cunningham had 14 points, and William Palmer finished with 12 points for Cody (13-7). For Crestwood (15-6), Malik Rogers finished with 17 points, and Bilal Taleb recorded 11 points.

Livonia Franklin 54, Redford Thurston 46: Keyon Brown led with 18 points for Franklin (10-11) while Mark Mettie scored 17 points and eight rebounds. Jonny Cantrell scored 11 points. Daquan Gadson scored 11 points for Thurston (8-12).

Macomb Dakota 81, Port Huron Northern 37: Jermaine Jackson Jr. had 19 points and four steals, while Thomas Kithier finished with 19 points and 12 boards for Dakota (18-3). Jack Ballantyne recorded 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Jaylen Hall produced 13 points, four assists, three blocks and three steals. Matthew Baravik finished with 13 points for Northern (6-15)

Northville 52, Novi Detroit Catholic Central 39: Jake Justice had 16 points, while Kevin Morrissey had seven points and six assists for Northville (13-8). Gustaf Tjernberg added 13 points. C.J. Baird finished with 11 points for Catholic Central.

Related:

Boys basketball state tournament first-round scores

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 58, North Farmington 42: Caden Prieskorn scored 18 points for St. Mary’s (15-6) while C.J. Wilson added 16 points. Amauri Hardy led with 23 points in the loss for North Farmington (11-9) while Pat Brooks added 11.

Troy 50, Birmingham Brother Rice 42: Danny Sully had 16 points, and Jason Dietz had 15 points in the Class A district-opening triumph for Troy (17-4). Additionally, in the loss for Brother Rice (8-13), Nick Massey and Jack Moran each contributed 10 points.

Troy Athens 51, Royal Oak 46: Taylor McCaskill put up 24 points and seven rebounds for Athens (9-12). Nick Cotton scored 11 points and six rebounds. Tyler Dawsen scored 17 points for Royal Oak (14-7).

Utica Ford 72, Fraser 44: Donnie Schuster led with 21 points for Ford (13-8) while Mario Djeljaj added 17 points. Alek Ivanivic scored 12 points. Conner Ferguson scored 12 points for Fraser (6-15) while Brendon Gordly added nine.

Warren Mott 72, Warren Cousino 48: Tyler Gillery had 21 points and eight boards, while Jaalon Brown had 21 points and eight steals in the Class A district-opening victory for Mott (13-8). Additionally, Cousino (7-14) was led by Nathan Frazier, who recorded a team-high 14 points.

Westland Glenn 80, Livonia Stevenson 77 (OT): Joe Moon scored 28 points for Glenn (18-3). Christian Agnew scored 25 points. Devin Dunn scored 22 points for Stevenson (14-7) while Ian Knoph added 18.

Woodhaven 65, Gibraltar Carlson 45: Joshua Warren led with 21 points and eight assists for Woodhaven (16-5), while his brother Weshaun Warren added 20 points. Deondre Walker scored 15 points. Tyler Koons scored 16 points for Carlson.

Class B

Ann Arbor Richard 57, Canton Prep 48 (OT): Max Moon scored 16, and Andrew Kendzicky added 15 for Richard. Also, Will Lyles led all Canton Prep scorers with 13 points. Richard will play Dearborn Heights Robichaud Wednesday.

Dearborn Heights Annapolis 49, Flat Rock 41: Alex Ismail had 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Larry Rivers finished with 12 points, three assists and three steals in the Class B district-opening victory for Annapolis (13-8). Additionally, in the loss for Flat Rock (6-15), Seth Bogataj recorded a game-high 17 points.

Detroit Collegiate Prep 74, Dearborn Advance Technology 54: Kylan Shipp led with 30 points and five steals for Northwestern (17-3). John Ivory put up 12 blocks, 10 rebounds and two points for Northwestern.

Detroit Douglass 74, Detroit Westside Academy 34: Kelly Brodus led with 25 points for Douglass (15-6). Carlos Buyers-Walker scored 17 points. Robert Hearst scored 16 points. Scott Nelson scored 11 points for Westside.

Detroit Henry Ford 73, Southfield Bradford 41: Davantaye Webb had 15 points, and Antonio Green recorded 12 points for Henry Ford (11-10).

Detroit Old Redford 83, Livonia Clarenceville 29: Rocket Watts had a monster game with 40 points for Old Redford (12-9). Jawan Snoddy scored 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Detroit Osborn 80, St. Clair Shores South Lake 56: Kenneth Holloway put up 26 points and 18 rebounds for Osborn (13-8). James Lloyd scored 24 points. Donovan Zanders scored 11 points. Cody Harris led with 14 points for South Lake (11-11).

Detroit University Prep 62, Ferndale University 32: Tavis Smith led with 19 points and seven steals for Prep (17-4). Derrick Bryant Jr. scored 19 points and six assist. Andrew Legarde scored 10 points for Ferndale (7-14).

Detroit Voyager College Prep 53, Detroit Caesar Chavez Academy 36: Lamuel Polt scored 24 points for Prep (13-8). Elijah Belle scored 18 points. Pernell scored 22 points for Chavez.

Harper Woods 80, Center Line 55: Jovon Horton had 19 points and seven assists, while Sergio Stephen also finished with 19 points for Harper Woods (18-2). Center Line’s John Dibella finished with 17 points.

New Haven 94, Marine City 43: Ashton Sherrell put up 23 points and seven rebounds for New Haven (20-1). Romeo Weems scored 19 points and seven steals while A.J. Crawford Jr. added 11 points. Will Patsalis scored 16 points for Marine City.

Class C

Detroit Community 78, Dearborn Riverside 20: Damario Turner scored 21 points for Community (9-12)  while Jordan Thomas added 10 points, seven steals and seven rebounds.

Detroit Cornerstone 55, Detroit Jalen Rose Academy 25: Jamal Cane scored 15 points and 14 rebounds for Cornerstone (15-5). Robert Carpenter scored 15 points and 11 rebounds. Anthony Ball scored 12 points for Jalen Rose.

Riverview Richard 60, Crystal Rey 55: Anthony Brown scored 14 points for Richard (17-3). Yuri Alonte scored 14 points as well. Sam Stewart led with 18 points for Crystal Rey (7-11).

Class D

Allen Park Inter-city Baptist 66, Taylor Trillium 26: Max Walker had 12 points for Inter-city Baptist (8-13). Taylor Trillium (0-16) was led by Pratik Singh, who finished with 10 points.

Birmingham Roeper 54, Detroit Cornerstone Leadership and Business 40: Evan Akkashian had 17 points, and Josiah Smith had 15 points for Roeper. Josh Vens chipped in 11 points.

Novi Franklin Road Christian 74, Auburn Hills Christian 51: Rohman Struggs scored 15 points, 10 steals and 10 assist for Franklin Road (5-16). Mackenzie Blackwell scored 16 points and 20 rebounds. Andrew James led with 15 points for Auburn Hills (12-9).

Utica Ford 72, Fraser 44: Donnie Schuster led with 21 points for Ford (13-8) while Mario Djeljaj added 17 points. Alek Ivanivic scored 12 points. Conner Ferguson scored 12 points for Fraser (6-15) while Brendon Gordly added nine.

Armonee Felder says he has learned a valuable lesson.

The Detroit Osborn senior point guard was suspended for two games — and five days of high school — for punching a Detroit Cornerstone player during a game at Cornerstone last week. He is the younger brother of former Oakland star and current NBA player Kay Felder.

Armonee Felder punched Cornerstone’s Davion Bradford in the third quarter. Attempting to make an inbounds pass, he threw the ball off of Bradford’s leg to avoid a 5-second infraction. Felder said Bradford took exception to the play and aggressively came toward him.

“There shouldn’t have been a fight,” he told the Free Press last week. “I need to make better decisions. I’m really sorry for that.”

Cornerstone coach Derrick Edwards, who reviewed the game film numerous times, said Felder was the “aggressor” and Bradford the “victim.”

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Edwards said Felder was not trying to avoid a 5-second violation on the inbounds pass but rather was frustrated by Bradford’s tight defense during the game. Holding the ball with two hands over his head, Felder purposely threw it toward Bradford’s groin area, according to Edwards.

“Davion fell back, clenched his fist and looked toward our bench,” Edwards said. “He never attempted to punch Felder. It was a knee-jerk reaction when he clenched his fist. What would you do if someone threw a ball at your groin?”

After the punch, Felder said he started walking toward Osborn’s bench as players and fans stormed the court.

“It was a hostile environment, people standing and screaming,” Osborn coach Lonell Williams said. “Even before the punch, there were numerous hard fouls and talking back and forth. Prior to the altercation, we should have went to our benches and made a judgment to either carry on with the game or end it.”

Officials called off the game and declared Cornerstone the winner. It led, 42-40, at the time of the incident.

While suspended, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Felder missed Osborn’s 67-47 win over Melvindale AB&T on Friday and an 80-56 win over St. Clair Shores South Lake in its Class B district opener Monday. Osborn is the two-time defending district champion.

Detroit Osborn senior guard Armonee Felder goes up for a shot against East English Village in January.

Felder is averaging 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds this season and can return for the Knights’ district semifinal against Harper Woods at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday  at Warren Lincoln.

Felder played at Detroit Pershing for his first two years of high school, then transferred to Osborn as a junior. He was academically ineligible to begin this season and missed the team’s first six games.

“It was going to be a good game, and I should have let it keep playing out,” Felder said of Cornerstone. “That’s not who I am, for real. It was just one incident, and there won’t be anymore.

“The suspension could have been for the rest of the year, so I’m very fortunate. I love the support that Osborn has given me, especially coach Williams and my teammates.”

Bradford, who suffered two black eyes and a cut across his nose, went to the hospital after the game and missed the next day of school. He was interviewed by police after the incident, but no criminal charges have been filed against Felder.

Bradford came back to play last week against Detroit Henry Ford, finishing with 14 points. Cornerstone (15-5) faces Detroit Central in a Class C district semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Detroit Loyola.

Osborn senior forward Kenneth Holloway, who was at the substitution table when Felder threw the punch, stands behind his friend and teammate.

“He’s family, and family sticks together, no matter what,” said Holloway, who is averaging 26 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. “That’s not our behavior at Osborn. There were people surrounding him, the crowd was surrounding him, putting pressure on him. It was a real hostile environment.”

Felder, who has committed to play basketball at Morehouse College in Atlanta, spoke to his older brother after the incident. Kay Felder is a guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“My brother always keeps it cool with me, no yelling or nothing,” Armonee said. “He keeps it straight with me and says to take care of business. He’s my role model, for sure, and I try to follow his footsteps.”

Williams said he apologized to Cornerstone coach Edwards after the game and doesn’t believe that there will be hostility between the schools moving forward.

“We want positive stories about high school basketball, especially the Detroit Public School League,” Williams said. “This was a black eye for us. We wish it wouldn’t have happened.”

Detroit Osborn senior guard Armonee Felder, left, poses for a picture with coach Lonell Williams at Osborn on Friday, March 3, 2017.

LANSING — Kyle Bieniewicz became a sports referee at age 12 because it’s what his father loved to do.

referee Peter Morelli (135) talks with line judge Sarah Thomas (53) in the second half of an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Lions in New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 21, 2015.

But their shared passion turned to tragedy in 2014, when John Bieniewicz was punched by a player in the Livonia adult soccer league and died two days later. Now Kyle and his mother, Kristen Bieniewicz, want some good to come from the death.

“When someone is overly passionate about their kid fighting their way around the rules of the game, it gets taken out on us,” Kyle Bieniewicz told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. “We screw up sometimes. We shouldn’t have to worry about the fear of being attacked when we screw up.”

Related:

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The mother and son were testifying on two bills that would increase penalties for an assault against a referee, making a simple assault a misdemeanor punishable by one year in jail instead of the current 93 days. An assault causing injury that requires medical attention would be a felony carrying a maximum penalty of two years in prison, rising to five years for a serious impairment.

John Bieniewicz’s attacker, Bassel Saad, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and is serving 8-15 years in prison as part of a plea deal.

“The big difference between what is in place and what is being proposed is one key word — ‘felony,’ ” Kristen Bieniewicz said. “That word alone is able to help deter people and make them think twice about what they’re doing and saying in the stands.

“Referees are out on an island; there’s nobody there to protect them,” she added. “It’s not like they’re packing a gun. They’ve got a whistle. That’s it.”

The committee voted 3-1 to move the bills to the full Senate for a vote, with the hope that they go further than they did in 2015, when bills passed the committee but never got a vote in the Senate or House of Representatives.

“I really get the feeling that we’re dealing with a much larger problem,” said Sen. Steven Bieda, D-Warren. “Maybe there could be more signs posted or warnings on tickets. There needs to be a mind-set change here.”

James Dworman, an attorney and sports official from West Bloomfield, said increasing penalties helped organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving hammer home the point that drunken driving is a costly crime.

“Years of exposure to the message, along with greatly enhanced penalties, have really curtailed that problem,” he said, adding that discourse at sporting events and even in politics has deteriorated. “Unfortunately, we don’t live in (an) Andy Griffith society. We live in the ‘Jerry Springer’ society.”

But Sen. Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton, who voted against the bills, said they run counter to the state constitution, which guarantees equal protection for all under the law.

“There is a coarsening in society. People are getting divided by race, religion, and now it will divide us based on occupation,” he said. “How does this bill, carving out special protection for certain citizens, comply with our Constitution?”

Michigan would join 23 other states that have laws regarding assaults on referees, according to the Wisconsin-based National Association of Sports Officials, which has been advocating for such laws since 1984.

The bills — SB 200-201 — now move to the full Senate for consideration.

Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4430, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal.

Isaiah Livers is a four-star forward from Kalamazoo Central.

This is the first in a series of profiles on the six finalists for the Hal Schram​ Mr. Basketball Award, which will be announced March 20 at the Free Press. 

Kalamazoo Central senior Isaiah Livers wrapped up the regular season as a finalist for the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award.

But now that the postseason is here, he’s focused on helping his team improve by getting the Maroon Giants (17-3) to what they call “Level 5.”

“Level 5 is where (Central coach Ramsey Nichols) says we should be at before March Madness starts or where we should be right in the middle of March Madness,” Livers said last week. “It’s not something you can get to automatically. We have to work harder as a team, play as a team and do everything right.”

Nichols developed his “Levels” evaluation system over his career. A Level 5 team shows up to practice on time, doesn’t goof around during drills or while Nichols is teaching, and does all the small things on the court correctly.

Related:

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During summer workouts, Central hovered around Level 2. It got to Level 3 at the beginning of the season and has reached 4 at times, but the Maroon Giants still have work to do before they reach that fifth level.

Livers, a 6-foot-8 power forward who signed with Michigan in November, expects the Maroon Giants to be there when they open the Class A district tournament with a semifinal matchup at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Niles (6-15).

“We have not gotten to Level 5 yet this season,” Livers said. “We’ll play Level 4 some nights and drop to Level 3 some nights. The other night, we were playing at Level 3 as a team. I’m confident we’ll be playing up to Level 5 (by Wednesday).”

Livers was one of six finalists the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan named for the Mr. Basketball Award in late February. He was joined by Detroit Cornerstone’s Jamal Cain, Detroit East English Village’s Greg Elliott, North Farmington’s Amauri Hardy, Grand Rapids Christian’s Xavier Tillman and Powers North Central’s Jason Whitens.

Individually, Livers has been preparing himself for college, working on the things U-M coach John Beilein wants the senior to improve on before next season.

That includes shooting the ball more and being aggressive when opportunities arise for him to make a play or take a tough shot he’d normally pass up.

“Coach Beilein said I need to shoot the ball a lot more than I do,” he said. “Sometimes I find myself playing too much within in the offense and not creating enough shots for myself. I create a lot of shots for my teammates.

“Coach (Nichols) has said I’ve got a lot more confidence this season, and I think it’s the highest I’ve ever had because I’ve gotten stronger and been in the weight room three to five days a week and doing things to get quicker on my feet.”

Nichols said Livers, who averaged 17.5 points, 14 rebounds and 2.4 blocks during the regular season, will be a versatile player when he gets to college.

“He has improved every summer, and he’s added everything to his game,” Nichols said. “He can handle the ball like a point guard, and he’s increased his shooting range. He’s long and athletic, so he impacts the game, both offensively and defensively. He’s a great shot blocker with excellent vision.”

Livers is a pretty good teammate, too.

“He’s the ultimate team player,” Nichols continued. “He plays within our offense, and I would like him to be more assertive at times, but he’s a very disciplined ballplayer in our offense, and he doesn’t deviate from what we do as a team.

“He’s just as happy for his teammate’s success as his own.”

Prep basketball

Class A

Ann Arbor Huron 61, Wyandotte Roosevelt 38

Belleville 54, Wayne Memorial 53

Bloomfield Hills Marian 34, Grosse Pointe North 31

Detroit King 67, Dearborn 31

East Kentwood 57, Muskegon Mona Shores 43

East Lansing 60, Battle Creek Lakeview 45

Farmington Hills Mercy 47, Hartland 42: Jackie Bauer led with 20 points for Mercy (21-3). Chloe Godbolb added 10 points. Whitney Solom scored 11 points for Hartland (22-2) while Lexi Tobel added 10.

Fenton 53, Rochester Adams 48

Flushing 60, Lapeer 39

Hudsonville 48, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 38

Kalamazoo Central 56, Mason 45

Macomb Dakota 42, Waterford Kettering 35: Tara Bieniewicz led with 18 points for Dakota (18-6). Cameron Grant scored 10 points. Marissa Brady put up 10 points for Kettering (18-6).

Midland Dow 59, Marquette 36

Southfield A&T 67, Livonia Churchill 40

Walled Lake Western 48, Novi 42

Warren Cousino 56, Utica Ford 44

Class B

Cadillac 44, Tawas 25

Center Line 46, Redford Union 39

Dearborn Henry Ford Academy 40, Chelsea 35

Detroit Country Day 79, Croswell-Lexington 31

Detroit Mumford 76, DCP-Northwestern 31

Freeland 62, Corunna 36

Goodrich 56, Marine City 45

Grand Rapids Catholic Central 55, Howard City Tri-County 32

Hamilton 55, Muskegon Oakridge 24

Ithaca 50, Saginaw Swan Valley 46

Kalkaska 58, Houghton 57

Marshall 71, Stevensville Lakeshore 44

Otsego 49, Three Rivers 38

Portland 43, Eaton Rapids 38

Williamston 57, Grand Rapids South Christian 36

Ypsilanti Arbor Preparatory 53, Ida 38: Adrian Anderson led with 15 points to help Prep (24-0) remain undefeated. Lasha Petri scored 12 points.

Class C

Allen Park Cabrini 46, Detroit Jalen Rose 10

Blissfield 48, Michigan Center 38

Bronson 32, Niles Brandywine 22

Calumet 60, Negaunee 49

Charlevoix 52, Lincoln-Alcona 22

Detroit Edison (DEPSA) 60, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest 34: Rickea Jackson put up 18 points, 11 rebounds and five steals for Edison (18-5). Shaulana Wagner added 11 points and six steals.

Flint Hamady 57, Harbor Beach 43

Grass Lake 46, Ann Arbor Greenhills 12

Hemlock 70, Shelby 45

Leroy Pine River 65, Blanchard Montabella 30

Maple City Glen Lake 60, Lake City 45

Pewamo-Westphalia 34, Grand Rapids Covenant Christian 31

Sandusky 49, Brown City 34

Schoolcraft 51, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central 24

Springport 59, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian 44

St. Ignace LaSalle 67, West Iron County 58

Class D

Bark River-Harris 45, Painesdale Jeffers 37

Battle Creek St. Philip 42, Mendon 39

Crystal Falls Forest Park 60, Cooks Big Bay de Noc 43

Deckerville 51, Burton Genesee Christian 23

Engadine 50, Harbor Light Christian 24

Frankfort 47, Gaylord St. Mary 44

Fruitport Calvary Christian 65, Mason County Eastern 33

Hillsdale Academy 34, Ann Arbor Rudolf Steiner 23

Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 52, Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 21

Onekama 55, Fairview 51

Pickford 51, Hillman 45

Pittsford 62, Morrice 26

Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 44, Portland St. Patrick 39

St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic 56, Athens 51: Emily Witkowski led with 20 points for Lake Michigan Catholic (21-2) while Erika Rosenbaum added 21 points. Jillayne Wheeler scored 18 points for Athens (16-8) while Jaiden Hurst added 12.

Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 50, Allen Park Inter-City Baptist 49

Waterford Our Lady 56, Southfield Christian 18

Pontiac High School and Oxford were both losers in Monday night’s district boys’ basketball opener.

Basketball ball over floor in the gym.

Pontiac beat Oxford, 56-39, at Lake Orion High School, but the Michigan High School Athletic Association has withdrawn Pontiac from the Class A tournament as a result of using an ineligible player.

Waterford Kettering, who would’ve been Pontiac’s next opponent in the district semifinal, instead will advance directly to Friday’s district championship game to face the winner of Wednesday night’s district semifinal between Lake Orion and powerhouse Clarkston and All-State guard Foster Loyer.

Oxford will receive a forfeit win for Monday’s contest against Pontiac but does not advance because of Pontiac’s withdrawal from the tournament.

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4-star basketball recruit, Grand Rapids Christian Xavier Tillman.

This is the second in a series of profiles on the six finalists for the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award, which is to be announced March 20 at the Free Press.

A February game against East Grand Rapids showed Xavier Tillman’s progression.

The Grand Rapids Christian basketball star received a pass some 15 feet away from the rim. The 6-foot-8, 270-pound power forward could have made a move toward the basket and finished with an authoritative dunk.

Instead, he opted for a quality jump shot.

“I never shot jump shots,” Tillman said last week. “But in that East Grand Rapids game, I had one jump shot that gave me confidence. As I caught it, I just felt, because I wasn’t getting touches that game as much as I would have liked to because of their 2-3 zone, that I had to shoot it.

“As soon as I touched the ball, I wanted to get that shot off.”

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Six finalists announced for 2017 Michigan Mr. Basketball award

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Tillman’s willingness to expand his game is among the things catching the attention of scouts. The four-star prospect, who signed with Michigan State in November, is rated as the state’s top player in the 2017 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan backed up his status when it named him a Mr. Basketball finalist in February. He was joined by Detroit Cornerstone’s Jamal Cain, Detroit East English Village’s Greg Elliott, North Farmington’s Amauri Hardy, Kalamazoo Central’s Isaiah Livers and Powers North Central’s Jason Whitens.

“When I talked to the college coaches when they were recruiting him, that’s what set him apart,” Grand Rapids Christian coach Mark Warners said. “They watch a lot of high school kids play, and with him, they saw somebody who sees the floor like he does at his size, and that’s a big thing for them to see.

“He has the ability to handle the ball. He’s not quite an 18-foot jump shooter, but a 15-foot jumper? He can catch that on the high post and stick that shot.”

Tillman’s versatility includes averages of 13.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.1 blocks for the Eagles (21-0) this season. He has posted several triple-doubles.

The high post is where he did most of his damage as a ballhandler and passer, as the Eagles ran their offense through him.

“It’s just a mentality thing,” Tillman said. “When you catch it, you got to have that dog in you. You got to look at the rim first in triple-threat, and that’s when you look to score. When I catch in triple-threat, it helps me see the hoop and everything.”

Tillman’s “dog” mentality hasn’t always been there, and he and Warners believe that’s the best thing he improved in high school.

“I’ve definitely improved my aggressiveness, especially when I get the ball and look to score a little more with it,” Tillman said. “Post-wise, I’m more aggressive, and I make sure my body is up to the defender. I work to get to the free-throw line.

“My goal is to be aggressive in every game, set the tone and make sure I’m running the court to make sure I affect each play and still get the win.”

Warners said Tillman shares some of the same skills that former G.R. Christian standout guard Drake Harris had in high school, but he also said parts of Tillman’s game is more advanced.

Harris garnered Division I basketball offers before signing to play wide receiver at Michigan.

“They’re totally different players in that Drake Harris would shoot the ball 20 to 25 times a game, and he had the ball in his hands a lot,” Warners said. “He wasn’t nearly the passer that X is, though, and they play different positions. Drake was bringing the ball up the court, and most of the time, X isn’t.

“X, we said to him so many times, we needed our offense to run through him, not necessarily for him to score but because of the attention he draws and, most importantly, his passing abilities. That’s a good thing for this team to have.”

Canton High School gymnast Katherine Najduk is among the athletes competing in the 2017 MHSAA gymnastics state championships.

The gymnastics state championships begin this week at Plymouth High in Canton. Team competition for 13 teams is Friday and the individual championships begin Saturday. Here are eight storylines to watch:

Rockford chasing three-peat

Rockford, which won titles the past two seasons while combining with Sparta, should contend again with returning balance beam state champion Nicole Coughlin. Rockford, no longer unified with Sparta, had the best team score among the four regionals last week with 147.8. Farmington  posted 146.225 and won two regular-season events over Rockford, at the Canton Invitational and Rockford’s Flip-Flop tournament.

Canton, the 2014 state champion, won its regional for the eighth consecutive year, and it placed second to Farmington at its own invitational while finishing ahead of Rockford.

Can team win it all with only Div. 2 members?

It’s possible, and Farmington might have the horsepower to do it. Jacquelyn Farquhar and Elisa Bills took first and second, respectively, over an 18-team field in the Div. 2 all-around at the Canton Invitational. The teammates then flipped places at regionals, with Bills taking first and Farquhar runner-up.

Their consistency could make Farmington a contender in the team championship. Gymnastics is a uniquely scored sport in that scores count toward one overall team winner, regardless if the gymnasts compete individually in Div. 1 or 2.  If a gymnast ever reached Level 8 or higher in club gymnastics (AAU or USAG) competition, they must be classified as Div. 1. All other gymnasts can choose to compete in Div. 1 or Div. 2 as an individual.

Who to watch in the all-around?

Some coaches consider Brighton’s Courtney Casper a contender in Div. 1. She and Rockford’s Coughlin tied for second behind all-around winner Isabelle Nguyen of Grosse Pointe at the Canton Invitational.

“People who have seen her are pretty impressed with what she can do; she makes it seem easy,” Brighton coach Nancy Gregory said of Casper.

Christine Byam of Grand Rapids Forest Hills won all-around at the Rockford Invitational, ahead of Canton junior Victoria Faber and Coughlin, who bounced back to win the west side regional over Byam by just 0.100. Faber and Casper also won all-around at their regionals.

Both Divisions are wide open after the graduations of Div. 1 champ Rachel Hogan of Grand Ledge and Div. 2 winner Brianna Rhoad of Livonia Blue. Farmington’s Bills and Farquhar are expected to contend.

Ready to repeat

Coughlin is the only Div. 1 gymnast returning to defend and individual title, scoring 9.650 to win the the beam last season.

Jessica Weak of Livonia Blue returns after winning the Div. 2 uneven bars, though she fell to Grace Jankowski of Northville in the event at regionals this season. Weak did  win her regional on the vault.

Howell’s Alyssa Walker won the Div. 2 beam state title last year but has been slowed by injuries this season. She has moved closer to form lately, winning her regional on the beam. Howell’s Kacy Wolfram is the defending vault champion but has not competed this season because of injury.

Best bets for beam

Several gymnasts are peaking at the right time. Div.1 regional winners were Rockford’s Kaitie Killinger, East Lansing’s Devon Carapellucci, Northville’s Mackenzie Wilson and Troy/Avondale’s  Lana Meaders.

In Div. 2, Walker and Farquhar joins Lowell’s Karmen Anderson and Canton’s Rachel Socha as region winners.

Contenders for floor exercise

Div. 1 regional winners were Coughlin and Casper, plus Saydee Viau of Livonia Red and Brianne Smith of Port Huron.

Div. 2 regional winners] were Lowell’s Lisa Price, Rockford’s Morgan Case (tied for regional crown), Grand Ledge’s Afton LaFrance, Livonia Red’s Mikaela Hillie and Bills.

Names to know on vault

Regional winners that should lead the way in Div. 1 are Coughlin, Casper, Port Huron’s Brianne Smith, Northville’s Erin McCallum and Livonia Blue’s Aniessa Conway.

Conway and McCallum tied that their regional.

In Div. 2 watch for regional winners: Weak and Bills the lead Div. 2 pack, along with Forest Hills’ Lydia Bouma and Howell’s Taylor Gillespie.

Regional winners on uneven bars

Coughlin, Casper, Faber and Nguyen were the Div. 1 regional winners.

Bills joined Lowell senior Corah Kaufman,  Brighton’s Sarah Mossett and Northville’s Grace Jankowski as Div. 2 region winners.

Canton High School gymnast Katherine Najduk, attempting a vault, is among the athletes competing in the 2017 MHSAA gymnastics state championships.

Canton High School gymnast and vaulter Katherine Najduk is among the athletes competing in the 2017 MHSAA gymnastics state championships.

Prep basketball

Belleville 68, Temperance Bedford 54: Gabe Brown led Belleville (19-2) with 21 points. Davion Williams had 19 points, six rebounds, six assists and six steals. Joey Wiemer scored 16 points for Temperance Bedford (14-8).

Brownstown Woodhaven 60, Wyandotte Roosevelt 51: Weshaun Warren had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Brownstown Woodhaven (17-5). DeAndre Walker added 18 points. Bryce Armstrong scored 26 points for Wyandotte Roosevelt.

Detroit Cody 63, Dearborn 44: Kyle Jones had 18 points and eight rebounds for Detroit Cody (15-7). Malik Frederick chipped in 17 points. Will Palmer added 14 points. Mahdi Hamade scored 13 points for Dearborn (13-9).

Detroit Cornerstone Health and Technology 76, Detroit Central 36: Jamal Cain led Cornerstone Health and Technology (16-5) with 15 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Robert Carpenter had 15 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Jujun Robinson added 14 points. Detroit Central finishes (3-16).

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Detroit Douglass 75, Detroit University Prep Science and Math 35: Kelly Broadus had 27 points and eight steals for Detroit Douglass (16-6). Carlos Byars-Walker scored 21 points. Jarnard Smith Jr. added 20 points. Travion Barksdale scored 11 points for Detroit University Prep Science and Math (7-14). Luke Brown added 10 points.

Detroit Osborn 77, Harper Woods 60: Kenneth Holloway led Detroit Osborn (15-7) with 24 points. James Lloyd added 23 points. Armonee Felder chipped in 22 points. Sergio Stephens scored 24 points for Harper Woods (15-3).

Detroit Osborn basketball star Armonee Felder learns lesson from punch

Grosse Ile 56, Romulus Summit 51: Matthew Frost scored 15 points for Grosse Ile (14-8). Justin Moores chipped in 12 points. Keyon Wright scored 30 points for Romulus Summit (9-9).

Hillman 81, Onaway 48: Hillman (20-1) defeated Onaway boys basketball team in a district 120 semifinals game. Keaton Brewer had 27 points and 12 rebounds for Onaway (10-11). Cody Cruse had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Livonia Franklin 53, Livonia Churchill 42: Mark Mettie had 21 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks for Livonia Franklin (11-11). Keyon Brown had 18 points and six assists. Genesis Barnes scored 14 points for Livonia Churchill (6-15). Avery Anderson added 12 points.

Marine City Cardinal Mooney 58, Austin Catholic 32: Daniel Everhart scored 12 points for Marine City Cardinal Mooney (8-13). Noah Hoxie added 11 points. Alex Rutwick scored 15 points for Austin Catholic (1-18).

Northville 48, Plymouth 37: Jake Justice chipped in 20 points for Northville (13-9). Kevin Morrissey added 10 points. Anthony Crump scored 13 points for Plymouth (9-12)

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 65, Farmington Hills Harrison 36: C.J. Wilson scored 25 points for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (16-6). Cooper Abrams added 11 points. Trey Walker scored 11 points for Farmington Hills Harrison (5-16). Russell Campbell added 10 points.

River Rouge 61, Dearborn Heights Annapolis 37: DreQuan Bell had 30 points, six rebounds and 10 assists for River Rouge (20-1). Delantae Peterson had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Alex Ismail scored 12 points for Dearborn Heights Annapolis (13-10).

St. Clair Shores Lake Shore 77, St. Clair Shores Lakeview 32: Cortez Jackson scored 21 points for St. Clair Shores Lake Shore (19-3). Jaylen Dixon scored 15 points. Caleb Bates added 10 points. St. Clair Shores Lakeview finishes (5-16).

Sterling Heights 82, Warren Mott 66: Shawn Kama led Sterling Heights (17-4) with 35 points. Malot Dushaj added 14 points. Howard Turner scored 17 points for Warren Mott (13-9). Charles Johnson added 10 points.

Troy 54, Bloomfield Hills 47: Leon Ayers scored 22 points for Troy (18-4). Jason Dietz added 17 points. Justin Henry chipped in 17 points for Bloomfield Hills (10-11). Kiewuan Graham added 12 points.

Warren De La Salle 75, Troy Athens 59: Luke Pfromm scored 17 points for Warren De La Salle (12-9). Kole Gjonaj added 11 points. Clark Joslin had 17 points and 15 steals for Troy Athens (9-13). Taylor McCaskill added 11 points.

Warren Michigan Collegiate 66, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest 64: Jordan Davis had 18 points and 15 rebounds for Warren Michigan Collegiate (18-3). Sophomore Reggie Lawrence had 13 points and six assists. Antonio Simley had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Tim Irwin scored 15 points for Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (15-6). Freshman Jacob Justice added 13 points.

Wayne Memorial 61, Allen Park 46: Rashad Williams had 23 points and seven assists for Wayne Memorial (18-3). Trevez Nix had 10 points and seven rebounds. Antonio Mangiapane scored 16 points for Allen Park (12-8).

Westland John Glenn 78, Garden City 52: Christian Agnew scored 34 points for Westland John Glenn (19-3). Daijon Parker added 19 points. Jacob Sadowski and Cameron Walter each scored 20 points for Garden City (4-17).

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Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood senior captains Giorgio Guttilla, Mac Woodbury and Eric Youshal hope to lead the Cranes to their fourth consecutive Division 3 state championship this weekend at the Holland Aquatic Center.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Lower Peninsula boys’ swimming and diving championships take place Friday and Saturday at Oakland University (Division 1), Eastern Michigan University (Division 2) and the Holland Aquatic Center (Division 3). Free Press special writer Wright Wilson previews the three competitions:

SIT AND STAY AWHILE

Get to the pool early and find a good seat. The MHSAA reports that total attendance at the 2016 finals increased by 14.6 percent over the prior year, outpacing all other sports but football and boys’ basketball (whose venues are much larger). The sessions start at noon each day, but hardcore fans show up to secure the best views when the doors open at 9:30 a.m.

A CLOSE SHAVE

Will you recognize your favorite swimmer? That might be tricky, as serious competitors often shave their heads – as well as arms, legs, chests and even backs – to eliminate the drag caused by body hair. Teams even hold “shave parties” the week of the state meet. Does it pay off? Sometimes it does. Last year’s Division 1 200-yard freestyle was decided by .01 seconds, a razor-thin margin.

TOP TEAMS

Many of last year’s trophy-winners are among the favorites this weekend. In Division 1, Birmingham Brother Rice is favored to win its fourth straight title. Division 3 could see a fourth consecutive championship from neighboring Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, which shares the coaches’ poll’s top ranking with East Grand Rapids. Division 2 is a toss-up between Ann Arbor Huron, Birmingham Groves and last year’s champion, Dexter.

RETURNING CHAMPS

East Grand Rapids won eight of the 12 events last year, and two Pioneers are back to defend titles: junior Christian Bart (1:50.61/individual medley) and senior Grant Williams (443.45 points/diving). Joining them is Holland Christian junior Skyler Cook-Weeks (a Division 3-record 4:31.48/500 freestyle). In Division 2, the lone returning champion is Rochester Adams sophomore Graham Miotke (4:35.64/500 freestyle).

MORE RETURNING CHAMPS

In Division 1, Saline senior Dakota Hurbis (516.80/diving) hopes to retain his 2016 crown, and he’s joined by a defending champion in two events: Holland West Ottawa senior Spencer Carl (1:37.15/200 free and a Division 1-record 48.12/butterfly). In addition, Brother Rice returns the four members of its winning 400 free relay: Jake Zalinski, Patrick Olmstead, Mason Wilczewski and Alex Margherio.

READY TO SURFACE

Other swimmers who could win their first state titles: Novi senior Camden Murphy (butterfly, individual medley), West Ottawa sophomore Derek Maas (backstroke), Zeeland senior Gabriel Trevino (50 free, 100 free), Fraser freshman Alexander Capizzo (500 free), Midland Dow junior Jacob Krzciok (50 free, 100 free) and Detroit Catholic Central junior Jon Lee (breaststroke). Also, Chelsea senior Joey Mangner won the 50 free two years ago but was disqualified last year.

FOLLOW THE RULES

They don’t call traveling, holding or cross-checking, but swimming officials look for specific infractions, the most common being false starts or early takeoffs during relays. Those guilty of violations are disqualified from their event, and that could prove fatal to a team with championship aspirations. East Grand Rapids suffered a DQ in a relay last year and finished as Division 3’s runner-up.

TITLE TOWNS

East Grand Rapids holds the distinction of winning the most state swim titles with 25, including a state-record 15 in a row from 1948-62. (Marquette also has won 25, exclusively against Upper Peninsula competition.) Next in line are Ann Arbor Pioneer (18 titles), and Battle Creek Central (16). Brother Rice is fourth on the list – their next title would be No. 11.

LEAVING A LEGACY

Who will be the next Cameron Craig? The 2016 Monroe High graduate set all-class records last year in the individual medley (1:45.42), backstroke (47.33), and 100 freestyle (a 43.55 relay split, which can count as a record if executed on the lead leg). Now a freshman at Arizona State University, Craig broke the Pac-12 record in the 200 freestyle last Saturday, going 1:31.71 – the eighth-fastest all-time mark.

ABOVE THE BRIDGE

You won’t see any swimmers from the Upper Peninsula competing this weekend – they had a separate championship meet Feb. 17-18, with the Marquette boys team winning its fourth straight title, and the Houghton girls emerging victorious. Sault Ste. Marie freshman Andrew Innerebner won the 200 free by 11 seconds, setting an Upper Peninsula record of 1:46.36. He also won the 100 free (49.55).

Forest Hill’s Tyler Kaminski (white) and Saline’s Zach Harrison tangle for position just outside a center ice face off during a Division 2 state semifinal game on Thursday, March 9, 2017.

Saline High School’s hockey team led in the wrong statistical category.

Nine penalties went against the Hornets in a 4-2 loss to Forest Hills Northern/Eastern on Thursday in the Division 2 state semifinals at USA Hockey Arena.

Forest Hills (20-8-2), which will play either Birmingham Brother Rice or Hartland in Saturday’s state championship, scored three goals on power plays, including two in the first five minutes of the first period. Its fourth goal came on an empty net with 34.5 seconds remaining.

“Tonight, obviously we had a lot of opportunities,” Forest Hills coach Tom Bissett said. “Felt we could have buried a few more. Decent puck movement but a little slow at times. We’ve been able to have a few different looks. We have quite a few different weapons on the PP. We’ll dial it in and talk it over and get ready for the next game on Saturday.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game. It wasn’t the best game that we’ve played but we were able to find a way and get it done. Just really proud of the team and the ability for us to battle through and make it to our first state final.”

Forest Hills’ Nathan Nickelson (23) gets a shot off, but the puck is stopped by Saline goalie Justin Flanagan during a Division 2 state semifinal game on Thursday, March 9, 2017.

Both teams came into the playoffs unranked. Saline battled No. 5 Livonia Churchill to double overtime in the quarterfinal on Tuesday night.

“If we would have won that game in regulation, if it wasn’t a close game, I think we would have come into this game a little bit less motivated to win,” said Saline senior Noah Helber. “Having a big crowd out there helped us, but legs wise, we were working out all year, we were in good shape and all of us felt alright in this game.”

Four of the first five penalties went against Saline. The last five were consecutively called against the Hornets during a span that bridged the second and third periods. The big loss was senior Dallas Klaasen, who scored a goal in the first period but had four penalties assessed throughout the game. Time was added to the fourth one, preventing him from returning in the third period.

“We have four great defensemen, he’s one of them,” said Saline coach Paul Fassbender. “He’s been outstanding and especially in the playoff run. Losing a guy like that is tough. They have a good power play; we knew that. Gave it too much respect. Once we settled down and started playing more aggressive on it they weren’t getting the easier shots that they wanted. I thought we played a little tougher on the kill.

Forest Hills’ Keelan Baker knocks the puck away from Saline’s Logan Dejanovich during a Division 2 state semifinal game on Thursday, March 9, 2017.

“We shot ourselves in the foot a little too much tonight. Our five on five we played pretty well. Our penalty kill was outstanding. We had some chances, but it’s a tough one to swallow.”

Wyatt Radakovitz scored Forest Hills’  first goal, and Joel Brandinger added two goals. Forest Hills had  27 shots on goal to Saline’s 16. Collin Clark scored the other goal for Saline (22-6-1).

“We weren’t being as aggressive as we were being all year,” Fassbender said. “Gave them too much time and space and if you give a team that they’re going to make plays.”

The Mercy girls basketball team celebrates after winning the Class A regional at North Farmington.

They say if defense wins championships, then the Farmington Hills Mercy girls basketball team is on the right path.

The Marlins, who overcame a slow start leading only 5-4 after one quarter, used their signature half-court trap in the second and it propelled them to their first Class A regional crown since 2014 with a 35-14 victory Thursday night over Walled Lake Western in the finals at North Farmington.

With the victory, Mercy (22-3) advances to the state quarterfinals beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 14 at Southfield against defending Class A champion Warren Cousino (23-2), which survived its regional final with a 41-39 overtime win over Bloomfield Hills Marian.

Related: Cousino needs OT to take down Marian

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It was the half-court trap that tipped the scales in Mercy’s favor in a 47-42 regional semifinal win over Hartland and it was again the magic potion against Western, which bowed out with a 20-5 overall record.

“That’s been a good defense for us,” Morris said. “We rely on pressure, try and create turnovers to generate some offense, get some easy baskets. I think we execute it pretty well. I think other teams prepare for it because at this point there’s no secrets. Fortunately it was effective for us, especially in the regional. I thought we were solid defensively in everything we did. That was really good to see.”

The Marlins extended their lead to 20-10 at halftime and put the game away by outscoring the Warriors 12-2 in the third quarter.

“I don’t think it was’t really a secret that we’d come out with it, but it’s really how well they prepare to come out with it,” said Mercy junior guard Jenna Schluter of the half-court trap. “I think they just couldn’t find a way around it.”

Sophomore point guard Jenna Schluter works against the West Bloomfield defense during a game last season.

Mercy went only 1-of-10 from the field in the opening quarter and made just 32.2 percent of its shots, but yet won by 21 points.

“It shows how good of a team we are that we can come out and not hit shots and still win by how much we won,” Schluter said. “I think we trust each other as a team. We’re a good defensive team and offensive team, but if we’re not good offensively, we can come out and play really good defense.”

Western made only 5-of-27 shots from the floor (18.5 percent) and committed 11 turnovers after having just six in a 48-42 regional semifinal win over Novi.

The Warriors’ leading scorer, junior guard Janara Flowers, finished with just three points.

“That was probably the best defensive effort that we’ve had put against us all year,” Western coach Skip Stevenson said of the Marlins. “They did the things that we like to pride ourselves on here. They played great defense and the credit goes to them. They won the game. They deserved this region, there’s no doubt about it.”

Mercy’s hero in the upset win over Hartland, senior guard Jackie Bauer, finished with a team-high nine points hitting three timely 3-pointers, two in the second quarter and one in the third.

“So far she’s been hitting ‘threes’ to start to the game,” Morris said of Bauer. “That wasn’t the case today, but then eventually you figure she’s going to hit shots and she did.”

Senior guard Chloe Godbold and Schluter each added eight points.

“I thought we had a number of players play really well,” Morris said. “I’m happy for this group. It’s been a hard working group. They really compete and it’s great to win a regional final.”

Mercy slowly dismantled Western, which had only four players score, led by sophomore guard Kailee Ford’s six pints.

“It was the same half-court trap that gave Hartland fits,” Stevenson said. “We looked at it and we thought we were going to be O.K. We wanted to attack it head-on-head. We rolled the dice with it  We looked O.K. at times, but they made us pay every time. And what was worse is that we didn’t hit a shot. We needed to hit just a couple of them.”

Despite the loss, Stevenson was proud of the season the Warriors put together.

“Like I told them in there, I said, ‘Yes, it’s disappointing and would I have liked a better result? Absolutely,'” said Stevenson, who loses five seniors to graduation. “It’s tough, but it’s the whole body of work in the season. Twenty wins, won the (KLAA) North (Division), won the district and made the regional finals. I can leave here tonight being very content.”

Meanwhile, the Marlins will try and earn a spot in the state semifinals for the first time since 2014 with Cousino standing in the way.

“I so excited and I think our team works really hard,” Schluter said. “I think we deserve this and we’re all really excited.”

bemons@hometownlife.com

Twitter: @BradEmons1

Sometimes, even the best teams just run into a terrible matchup.

For Hartland’s hockey team, Kryptonite comes in the form of Birmingham Brother Rice.

The Eagles went 25-1-1 against every other team on their schedule this season, going 4-0 against the top three teams in Division 1, but were overpowered twice by Brother Rice.

Hartland’s season ended in the state Division 2 semifinals for the second straight season with a 5-2 loss to the top-ranked Warriors Thursday night at USA Hockey Arena.

One of the top programs in Division 2 is still in search of its first state championship.

“We had a great year,” Hartland coach Rick Gadwa said. “We lost three games. … Good things happened throughout the year. We won over 20 games again; we lost only three. We won our league title for the second year in a row. We won our conference, our division. We beat Brighton twice. … Those are all big things for us as a program. On the negative side, we’ve got one — and it’s right here. This stings. It’s another year where we have a good opportunity to win the whole thing, and we don’t.”

Brother Rice beat Hartland, 4-0, on Dec. 13 at Oak Park Arena. Hartland put up a much better effort this time around, outshooting the Warriors 35-28, but couldn’t find a way to beat Rice.

“The hardest thing for us is how consistent they are,” Hartland defenseman Carter Eiden said. “We had trouble coming out starting from the beginning. It’s one of the things we’ve tried to focus on. Their consistency, their grind, their will to play, it’s hard to play against them. They’re a great team.”

Hartland preached discipline after allowing three first-period power-play goals to Brother Rice in the first meeting, but two penalties by the Eagles allowed the Warriors to take a 2-0 lead after one period on two goals by red-hot Blake Tosto.

Tosto has a nine-game goal-scoring streak, burying 13 goals over that stretch. He has 10 multiple-goal games and 30 goals.

The Warriors (24-4-1) will face Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern-Eastern in the state championship game at 10 a.m. Saturday

Hartland hadn’t allowed a goal in three postseason games, but that shutout streak ended just 2:34 into the game.

Just five seconds after a power play ended, and before Jed Pietila could get back in the play after serving a roughing minor,

Tosto squeezed one in from along the goal line off a pass from Jack Reinhart.

“It’s always nice getting that first goal,” Tosto said. “It gets the pressure off and it builds momentum.”

The Eagles regrouped and were outshooting the Warriors, 11-6, when Brenden Lipon went off for tripping. During that power play, Tosto scored from the left circle with 2:26 left in the first period to make it 2-0.

“That was pretty much our main goal for our team from the start was staying out of the box and staying physical as much as we can,” Hartland forward Josh Albring said. “Unfortunately, we took a couple penalties early. They cashed in and got momentum in the beginning.”

Hartland squandered a glorious opportunity to get back in the game during a scoreless second period when a charging penalty to Alec DeLuca gave the Eagles a five-on-three power play for 1:25. Hartland managed only two shots during the two-man advantage.

The game opened up in the third period, with each team scoring twice. Jake Gallaher got Hartland on the board at the 1:55 mark, but Jack Clement and Reinhart scored 2:29 apart to put Rice ahead, 4-1.

Jake Behnke got Hartland within 4-2 with four minutes remaining, but an empty-net goal with 1:02 left by Reinhart sealed Rice’s victory.

“The score at the end isn’t really indicative of the game it was,” Rice coach Kenny Chaput said. “They’re a good team. They came out and battled. I’m extremely proud of our guys. We’ve been locked in at the end of the season.

“Our goal is to stay up and be aggressive. We want to be right up on the offense,” he said. “We don’t want to let them generate speed. I don’t remember a lot of times where they just controlled the puck on zone entries. Our kids did a good job of keeping tight with our gaps.”

Blake Tosto (27) continued his hot scoring to lead Brother Rice past Hartland in Thursday’s Division 2 state semifinal game.

Forest Hills Northern-Eastern (20-8-2) will play in its first state championship game after beating Saline, 4-2, in the other semifinal. Northern-Eastern lost in three previous semifinal appearances to the eventual state champion, including 5-2 to Romeo last season.

“We had some pretty good wins over Trenton and some good teams on the west side of the state, so we know we can play,” Northern-Eastern coach Tom Bissett said. “We’ve got a good team. We’ve got four senior leaders who have stepped up all year. We kind of had a feeling last year once we made it to the state semis that we’d be back. Just continuing to build our program and put Forest Hills Northern-Eastern on the map.”

Prep basketball

BOYS BASKETBALL

Riverview Gabriel Richard 68, Universal Academy 37

Tim Augustyniak led with 11 points for Richard (18-3). Matt Silka added 11. Kahleb Saif scored nine points in the loss for Academy (5-14).

Utica Ford 73, L’Anse Creuse 48

Alek Ivanovic led with 22 points for Ford (14-8) while Alex Iafrate added 11. Donnie Schuster scored 12 points. Andrew Salter scored 15 points for Creuse (8-13).

Birmingham Roeper 41, Centerline Math & Science 22

Evan Akkashian scored 21 points for Roeper while Jacob Galdley added 11 points.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

CLASS B

Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 59, Dearborn Henry Ford 26

Rozhane Wells put up 13 points and four steals for Prep (25-0) to become regional champions for Class B. Adrianne Anderson scored 13 points. Lauryn Carroll added 12 points. Lauren Whitford scored 10 points for Ford (19-6).

CLASS A

Farmington Hills Mercy 35, (20-5) Walled Lake Western 14

Jackie Bower scored nine for Mercy (22-3) in the Class A regional final. Kailee Ford scored six points in the loss for Western.

Mercy girls storm into quarterfinals

Macomb Dakota 63, Fenton 51

Emily Langolf scored 26 points for Dakota (19-6) as they sealed the regional championship in Class A. Sara Bieniewitv added 19 points. Aly Lenz put up 13 points in the loss for Fenton (18-7) while Taylor Mowery added 12.