Michigan Center has chance to end Hanover streak, earn first district since 1998
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Michigan Center – It’s been 14 years of unbridled consistency in the district round for the Hanover-Horton boys basketball team.
Fourteen years, 14 district crowns.
The Comets are seeking No. 15 tonight when they travel to take on Michigan Center in a 7 p.m. Class C final, though Travis Gaddy and his guys certainly want something to say about that.
“It’s a great opportunity for these kids,” Gaddy said Friday morning. “They’re excited. They’ve never had a chance to do something like this before.”
In fact, as Gaddy pointed out, most of his team wasn’t even born the last time the Cardinals earned a district trophy.
“It’s been a while,” he said of a drought that’s lasted since 1998. “When this staff took over six years ago, we talked about building a program, and we wanted to model it after Hanover’s consistency. We’re starting to get the classes we were counting on to give us that chance. This is an opportunity to get a title, and hopefully start that consistent trend.”
The teams met twice already this year.
Center (18-3) won the first meeting, a 56-55 victory at Hanover on Jan. 21.
Hanover (20-2) took the second game, a 75-60 decision at Center on Feb. 19.
“Their scorers played well and got us big time last time,” Gaddy said of the 15-point loss in which Hanover’s Jay McMiller scored a game-high 27 and Preston Laketa added 23.
“It has to start on the defensive end for us,” Gaddy said. “I think the team that finds ways to get a few key stops is going to have a huge advantage.”
That may be the only advantage, too.
Gaddy laughed when asked if playing at home would factor in, considering each team won on the road during the regular season.
“Throw the home-court advantage out the window,” he said.
But he did stress how important going to Hanover and getting a win was, if for nothing else than the belief this playoff machine that is the Comets can be defeated.
“Had we lost both games, I think there’d be a lot of doubt as to whether or not we could actually win this one,” Gaddy said. “But the fact we went there and won shows our kids that this is something they can do.”
Center is playing in its first district final since 2010.
The game’s winner advances to the Springport regional and faces Dansville (13-8) or Delton Kellogg (12-10) at 7:30 p.m. March 14.
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’
Love, Defined is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tate Publishing or by contacting Mike directly.