Author: Andy Hawley | Page 10

Hanover girls ready to host districts, seeking first title in 18 years

February 26, 2018

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Horton — Andrew Birch remembers the last time the Hanover-Horton girls basketball team won a district title. “I remember it very well, actually,” the Comets’ coach said simply. “I was still in high school. It’s been a long, long time.” Too long for Birch and his program’s liking. But on Monday evening, the Comets can take the first step in changing all that. “We’ve had our share of ups and downs, but we know we can compete with anybody,” Birch said about the district tournament, which begins tonight across the state. “Now we have to go out and do what we know we can.” The Comets get things going at tonight at 7 p.m., playing host to Lumen Christi in a Class C opener. “That’s a tough team, and I promise you this, they are better than the record shows,” Birch said of Lumen, which ended the regular season 4-16. “That’s a team used to tough competition and tough games.” Hanover, which closed the regular season 13-7, defeated Lumen 62-53 on Jan. 30. “They have some good height down low, which is going to be tough…

Albion Athletics names strength and conditioning coach

February 19, 2018

(Photo Courtesy Bobby Lee) Aaron Mehl will join the Albion College athletic department as its first strength and conditioning coach as part of the developing relationship between the Britons and Henry Ford Allegiance Health. No stranger to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, as a 2005 Hope College graduate, Mehl has experience in professional athletics through the United States military and in the private sector. Most recently, Mehl has served as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Virginia State University football team, while also working as an adjunct faculty member at the American Public University System. Mehl, who holds a master’s degree in sports leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University, has also served as a strength coach in the Detroit Tigers organization, Virginia Commonwealth University, Longwood University, Liberty University, the Southwest Sports Institute, the New Mexico Prep Sports Academy and the U.S. Army. “Strength and conditioning is important in developing collegiate student-athletes who perform at the highest level,” said Albion Athletic Director Matt Arend. “With the recent upgrades to the weight room in the Dow Recreation and Wellness Center and the addition of Aaron Mehl to our staff, we are demonstrating our commitment to our student-athletes who strive to be…

Girls District Basketball Schedule

February 19, 2018

Class A at Mason (Photo: Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports) Okemos vs. Holt 2/26/18 Semifinals Everett vs. Okemos/Holt 2/28/18 6pm Mason vs. Jackson 2/28/18 7:30p.m. Class B at Eaton Rapids Western vs. Stockbridge 2/26/18 Semifinals Eaton Rapids vs. Leslie 2/28/18 7:30pm Northwest vs. Western/Stockbridge 6pm Class B at Adrian Onsted vs. Columbia Central 2/26/18 Jonesville vs. Hillsdale 2/26/18 Semifinals Adrian vs. Onsted/Columbia 2/28/18 5pm Michigan Center vs. Jonesville/Hillsdale 2/28/18 7pm Class C at Hanover-Horton Hanover-Horton vs. Lumen Christi 2/26/18 East Jackson vs. JPEC 2/26/18 Vandercook Lake vs. Concord 2/26/18 Semifinals Hanover/Lumen vs. East Jackson/JPEC 2/28/18 5:30pm Grass Lake vs. Vandercook/Concord 2/28/18 7pm Class C at Clinton Clinton vs. Pittsford 2/26/18 Manchester vs. Sand Creek 2/26/18 Addison vs. Napoleon 2/26/18 Semifinals Clinton/Pittsford vs. Manchester/Sand Creek 2/28/18 5:30pm Hudson vs. Addison/Napoleon 2/28/18 7pm Class C at Delton Kellogg Vermontville Maple Valley vs. Saranac 2/26/18 Springport vs. Potterville 2/26/18 Semifinals Pewamo-Westphalia vs. Vermontville/Saranac 2/28/18 5:30pm Delton Kellogg vs. Springport/Potterville 2/28/18 7pm Class D at Lenawee Christian Morenci vs. Waldron…

Community Garden Plots Available at Dahlem

February 9, 2018

By Alex Cash (Photo Courtesy of Dahlem) Staff Writer In the middle of a cold, harsh winter, images of spring can seem far into the distance. But, soon enough birds will be singing, trees will be green, and the fruits of the Earth will be growing again. Gardening can calm the nerves, quiet the mind, and provide a sense of accomplishment when growing something that is useful. However, gardening takes space, resources, and knowledge. If those aren’t available out your backdoor, consider the community gardens at the Dahlem Conservancy. For a $40 yearly membership fee gardeners can rent a 20 x 20 plot of land located on the site of the historic Wickwire Farm, 1427 Wickwire Road, on Dahlem’s property. Resources such as healthy soil, a deer and rabbit fence, water, hoses, hand tools and more are available as part of the rental fee. What’s more, is the knowledge and know-how brought by fellow gardeners in this communal space. Ben Dandrow, Executive Director of the Dahlem Conservancy, thinks this is an excellent community resource. “It gives people an opportunity…

Masyn Shannon Michigan Center Girls Basketball

Strong season so far leading to promising playoff run for MC girls basketball team

February 9, 2018

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Michigan Center — There’s not much about this season that has surprised Joe Lusk. That’s not a bad thing, keep in mind, but when the 2017-18 winter season began for the Michigan Center girls basketball team, Lusk had a roster all-but-intact from last year. That team, one should note, went 20-4 and reached a regional semifinal. So when asked this week if he was expecting what’s played out so far this time around, Lusk didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, I really did,” Lusk said of his squad, which is 13-2 so far. “We went 20-4 last year with a team of freshmen, a couple juniors and one senior. So we knew we had some great talent.” The Cardinals started the year with a 45-27 win over Jonesville. In the second game, they led big at Springport, only to fall 48-47 to sit at 1-1 with more questions than answers. Since then, it’s been dominance and smooth sailing. “Not long after that loss we played an awesome Williamston team,” Lusk said. Williamston has lost once this year. “We hung with them (lost 67-59), and I’ve never seen us play that…

Northwest boys basketball looking to get on track in second half

February 8, 2018

By Mike Moore (Photo: Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports) Staff Writer Jackson — He wants to be that team others don’t want to face come tournament time, that squad that may have taken a while to find its bearings, but as the regular season winds down, can be just as dangerous as anyone. After a slow start, Northwest boys basketball coach John Moffitt is starting to get the sense that some of that may be in the very near future. “Especially the past four games, or so,” Moffitt said. “We’ve really been playing well.” The most recent game may have been the Mounties’ best. Last Friday the team jumped out to a nice lead against Lumen Christi at home, and on the heels of multiple players scoring in double figures, ran away with a 63-51 victory. The win pushed Northwest to 3-10 on the season. “I feel like this group has grown up and found ways to play better lately,” Moffitt stressed. “We lost some games early on, and during this season, that I really attribute to being a young team.” Northwest led Harper…

Dailey is Hanover-Horton’s stats guru and much more

February 2, 2018

By Gary Kalahar (Photo by Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports) Staff Writer Larry Dailey was sitting in the bleachers watching his nieces play softball for Hanover-Horton High School when then-coach Bill Jones approached. It was a few games into the 2000 season, and Jones had noticed that having his players keep the scorebook left him puzzled over whether they were recording the action or doing artwork. Jones asked Dailey if he would head to the dugout and keep the book. “Of all the maneuvers I pulled as a coach,” said Jones, who coached softball and then baseball until 2015, “that might have been the best one.” Getting Dailey involved brought tremendous benefit to Jones’ teams through the years – just like everything else Dailey has been involved with at Hanover-Horton. And that is a lot. For 20 years in a variety of capacities, Dailey’s volunteer efforts have helped bolster a successful Hanover-Horton athletic program. Now that program is helping him with his battle against a cancerous brain tumor. “He’s very dedicated and committed to Hanover-Horton,” boys basketball coach…

Young guns carrying Grass Lake boys basketball team

February 2, 2018

By Mike Moore (Photo by Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports) Staff Writer Grass Lake — Senior Night is a common occurrence in just about every athletic season as teams take a brief moment before the season is out to honor those with less than a year of eligibility remaining. Joel Cook was asked recently if his Grass Lake boys basketball team was going to hold such an event this winter. “I don’t know,” he said with a laugh. “It’d be a pretty lonely night.” Funny, but oh-so true. “This is my ninth year, and I’ve never had a roster without a senior,” Cook said. But he does now, and at times, you’d never know it. Entering Friday, the Warriors were 7-5 on the season and playing much more mature and talented basketball than their roster would suggest. “I’ve been excited for a long time about this group,” Cook said. “When I started the youth program when I started coaching, the sophomore class was the first in the program I saw and worked with. I’ve known for along…

YMCA Storer Camps Receives Grant

February 2, 2018

By Alex Cash (Courtesy Photo) Staff Writer When children run around the grounds of YMCA Storer Camps, playing game of tag, they aren’t just having fun and getting exercise-they are learning about ecological systems. To play the game of Predator Prey, players take on the roles of squirrel, skunk, wolf and more; just like animals found within a specific ecosystem. When players tag or prey on other animals to get them out, they can see just how a food chain works. Later, they discuss how small changes in the ecosystem can have major effects. This is just one of the many activities that happen at YMCA Storer Camps in Napoleon where every year more than 13,000 students and teachers spend time in the great outdoors learning and having fun. The game of Predator Prey is an example of STEM-based outdoor education, which allows students to learn about science in a practical, hands-on way. Recently, Storer received the opportunity to strengthen their STEM-based education by receiving a grant from the DTE Energy Foundation. The grant allowed the camp to create a new staff position; one that shows their dedication to staying in the…

Mark Hubbard Noah Hubbard Jackson Viking Wrestling

Wrestling helps Hubbards forge father-son bond

January 26, 2018

By Gary Kalahar (Photo By Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports) Staff Writer Jackson - Perhaps it is not surprising that the individual aspect of wrestling is what Mark and Noah Hubbard find most appealing about the sport. In a sense, the Jackson High School wrestling coach and his son have been on their own for many years. After a divorce when his son was just shy of two years old, Mark raised Noah and sister Sydnee essentially himself as their mother remained largely out of the picture. “I’m thankful for him,” Noah said. “I could have very well taken that negative situation and followed along that path and gone down somewhere that I wasn’t supposed to. But instead he was always there to keep my head straight. I used it more as motivation, to prove that I could be successful despite not having a mom and having to deal with that as a young kid.” It would be an understatement to say that Noah will emerge from his school-age years having proven that. A 4.0 student with a course load that’s included…

Andy Hawley