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Andy Hawley

This author has written 581 articles
Jared Riggins, left, of Jackson High School pinned his opponent Thursday at the MHSAA Division 1 team district semifinal at home.

Riggins looks to get back to wrestling final

Jared Riggins, left, of Jackson High School pinned his opponent Thursday at the MHSAA Division 1 team district semifinal at home.   By Jeff Steers JTV Sports   It is hard to believe that the wrestling career of Jackson High School senior Jared Riggins could be over in a month. Totally over. The three-time state qualifier said Wednesday he is not sure he will continue his wrestling career in college. A scholarship offer from a difference source has helped sway Riggins in another direction. Riggins recently earned the Chick Evans Scholarship through the Country Club of Jackson. The Evans Scholarship a full ride scholarship that includes tuition and housing and is renewable up to four years. “I told the Michigan State University wrestling coach that I would make a decision after the season,” Riggins said. Riggins plans to study business at MSU. Now, he has some unfinished business to attend to. Riggins lost in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state wrestling finals a year ago to Joshua Edmonds of Detroit Catholic Central at 130 pounds. Riggins said he made some mental mistakes in the match. “I took a not very smart shot that cost me,” Riggins recalls.…

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Duo has Springport riding high in girls basketball

Alana Nelson (54) of Springport High School looks for an open teammate during a home game Monday against Homer.  By Jeff Steers JTV Sports   Springport High School girls’ varsity basketball Coach Rick Saldana calls players Alex Maher and Alana Nelson his “Kobe and Shaq.” Only at times it is hard to tell who is playing Kobe and who is supposed to be Shaq. Nelson likes to take over at the point guard position and be the team leader like Kobe. But most players in the Big Eight Conference will tell you she plays hard inside in Shaq. Maher likes to get physical inside and grab rebounds that others miss. But the junior is the leader on the floor who sets the offensive tone in a game. Either way Maher and Nelson have Springport on top in the Big Eight with a chance to win three titles – albeit not NBA titles – before they graduate in 2020. The Spartans are 9-2 overall and 8-0 in the Big Eight following a 58-25 win over Homer Monday night at home. After starting the season at 0-2 – with losses to Grass Lake and Leslie – the Spartans are on a nine-game…

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Ethan Weatherspoon, left, of Napoleon High School practices with Olympic hopeful and former University of Michigan wrestler Domenic Abounader during a recent practice.

Weatherspoon wrestling title tradition continues at Napoleon

Ethan Weatherspoon, left, of Napoleon High School practices with Olympic hopeful and former University of Michigan wrestler Domenic Abounader during a recent practice.    By Jeff Steers JTV Sports   A wrestling tradition started a dozen years at Napoleon High School continues today. That tradition is a Weatherspoon winning a wrestling state title for the Pirates. It has almost become a battle of one-upping one another in the sports arena. Ethan Weatherspoon won a wrestling state title last year in Division 3 at 189 pounds with a 6-4 overtime win against Brockton Cook of Birch Run. A dozen years ago his brother, Jason, started the tradition of winning state titles with a championship in the same weight class and division. Lelund Weatherspoon duplicated Jason’s feat with a 2011 championship in Division 4 at 152 pounds. He became the school’s first undefeated state champion in the process. A year later he won a state wrestling title at 160 pounds in Division 3. Just for good measure, their sister Kaniya Weatherspoon won a pair of titles in track and field. “There is definitely a competition in our family,” Ethan said. “It is all about creating your own bragging rights in the family.…

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Tyler Hunt photo : Jackson High School player Tyler Hunt (0) scored 16 points in a 46-44 loss to Chelsea on Tuesday night at home.

Nine-game winning streak ends for Vikings

Jackson High School player Tyler Hunt (0) scored 16 points in a 46-44 loss to Chelsea on Tuesday night at home.   By Jeff Steers JTV Sports   On a night where the Jackson High School boys’ basketball raised money for cancer research, they could not find a cure for complacency. Jackson – riding a nine-game winning streak – lost to Chelsea High School 46-44 at home Tuesday night. The Vikings had beaten Chelsea on the road 62-56 earlier in the year. Jackson falls to 10-3 overall, 6-2 in the Southeastern Conference White division. “We have to be ready to play every night,” Coach Dan Crowley said. “In this league you are not going to walk into the gym and win just because you have a better record than the other team. “Everybody in the league is capable of beating us if we don’t come ready to play.” The Vikings have played everyone in the league at least once except for leaders Ypsilanti Lincoln. Jackson will travel to Ypsilanti Lincoln Feb. 12 and will host them Feb. 18 in a make-up game. “We saw how the league went in the fall and knew we were going to be competitive,” Crowley…

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JAG well represented by area schools

Northwest High School student Maddie Girard works on her routine on the beam during a recent Jackson Area Gymnastics practice at Hunt Elementary School Jeff Steers JTV Sports   Lumen Christi Catholic High School senior Brooke Green was wearing her JAG apparel to school earlier in the year. Someone noted that she was wearing Jackson High School stuff. JHS and five other local schools. The Jackson Area Gymnastics incorporates six Jackson County schools with Jackson Public Schools as the administrator. The other five are Lumen Christi, Northwest, Grass Lake, Napoleon and Concord. The combination of more than 20 gymnasts has JAG flying high so far this season. “We are undefeated in the South Central Gymnastics Conference,” Coach Marcy Miller said. “We have had some injuries that have taken a toll on our team, but we are competing well and continue to work hard toward that conference title.” The five schools have a signed cooperative agreement with Jackson High School as approved by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. The team has a coop agreement with Concord, but currently does not have any CHS students on the team. Students or the school district pay a fee to be involved in the…

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Paul Marandet Spring Arbor University Mens Basketball

Spring Arbor Men’s Basketball continues rise in national rankings, moves up to No. 5

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Spring Arbor University moved up to No. 5 in the latest edition of the NAIA DII Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, released by the national office on Tuesday.   The Cougars jumped three spots to land in the top-five for the first time since the 1997-98 season. Indiana Wesleyan University is the new No. 1 and Oklahoma Wesleyan University dropped to No. 2. Morningside (Iowa) and the College of Idaho round out the top-five.   Head coach Ryan Cottingham and the Cougars have won six straight games following their double overtime victory over Grace College on Tuesday night, and have won 10 of their last 11. The team currently sits alone at the top of the Crossroads League standings with a 10-1 record.   Spring Arbor ranks among the nation’s best in shooting this year. The Cougars rank 11th in overall field goal percentage (0.496) and 12th in three-point field goal percentage (0.404). Paul Marandet and Brandon Durnell are the team’s leading scorers, averaging more than 16 points per game while Marandet also leads the country in assists (156). SAU also boasts two of the nation’s top sharp-shooters in Tom Hamilton and Luke Barber. Hamilton…

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East Jackson High School bowler Kendra Moore is succeeding on the lanes and in the classroom for the Lady Trojans.

Moore successful on, off bowling lanes

East Jackson High School bowler Kendra Moore is succeeding on the lanes and in the classroom for the Lady Trojans.  By Jeff Steers JTV Sports   So how does a bowler go from rolling scores in the low 100s to becoming a state qualifier? A sore thumb, supportive coaches and relatives, and a lot of practice. East Jackson High School senior Kendra Moore joined the bowling team as a freshman to be with her friends. Today, she is helping lead the Trojans to a successful season. East Jackson is 6-1 in Cascades Conference bowling with a showdown Wednesday against Vandercook Lake for first place. Moore joins fellow seniors Lailah Maull, Lexy Rudd, and Hailee Adams on the team. “I joined the bowling team as a freshman just for fun,” Moore said. “In my sophomore year a number of our top bowlers graduated (from a state qualifying team) and I earned a spot on the varsity.” Moore points to the fact that she started using her own ball – not one off the rack – during her sophomore year. But her biggest improvement came between her sophomore and junior seasons. Moore started bowling six games per day at Suburban Lanes near…

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Springport restarts conference winning streak

  Springport High School wrestler Matt Riehle, left, defeated Jake Carr of Concord High School 9-3 in a hard-fought match at 130 pounds. Photos by Jeff Steers,  JTV Jeff Steers                                    JTV Sports   In the northwest corner of the Springport High School gym there is a wrestling banner that gives a subtle reminder of how the Spartans have dominated the sport in the Big Eight Conference. From the years 2000-2016 (and probably 2017 and 2018) the Spartans won the conference every season except for 2009. Jonesville surprised the Spartans in a dual meet that year. Last week, the Spartans lost another Big Eight match to newcomers Bronson High School. In between the two defeats, the Spartans accumulated a 66-match winning streak – unheard of in any sport. The one-point loss to Bronson means the Spartans will have to win the conference meet and hope that another team defeats the Vikings in a dual match or at the final meet. The Spartans restarted their streak with a 69-9 win over Homer, and a 79-0 win over Concord at home Wednesday to celebrate senior night.…

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2019 Jackson Golf Schedule

Men  April 27-28                           Spring Thaw                                                       Cascades May 11                                 Jackson County Best-Ball                              Arbor Hills May 18                                 One-man Scramble                                         Sharp Park June 1-2                               Jackson Masters                                               CC of Jackson June 22                                 Lyle Ambs qualifying                                       Sharp Park June 29-30                          Lyle Ambs Memorial                                       Sharp Park July 13-14                            Senior County Open                                       Cascades July 20-21                            County Open                                                     Cascades July 27-28                            Joe Fiero City Senior                                       Sharp Park Aug. 3-10                             City Championship                                          Cascades Aug. 24                                 Jackson Stableford                                          Sharp Park Sept. 8                                  Tournament of Champions                          Arbor Hills Sept. 15                                Jackson Golf Hall of Fame                             Sharp Park Oct. 12                                 Fall Two-Man                                                     Cascades   Women April 26                                 One-day Meet                                                  CC of Jackson May 18-19                           Ladies Spring Thaw                                          Cascades May 24                                 Lassie Cup                                                           Hankerd Hills May 31                                 One-day Meet                                                  Arbor Hills June 12-14                          Medal Play                                                          Heart of the Lakes June 28                                 One-day Meet                                                  Green Valley July 8-11                               Match Play                                                          Sharp Park July 26                                   One-day Meet                                                  Lakeland Hills Aug. 8-9                               Senior Crystal Classic                                      Sharp Park Aug. 23                                 One-day Meet                                                  Grande Aug. 25                                 Tournament of Champions                          Cascades Sept. 6/13                           Best-Ball                                                              Calderone/CC of Jackson   Junior…

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Grass Lake Girls basketball

Underclassmen lead Warriors to big win

Abrie Cabana, left, of Grass Lake High School scored 23 points in a win over East Jackson at home on Thursday Jeff Steers JTV Sports   New East Jackson High School girls’ basketball Coach Jerell Sanders told one of his students to “forget everything he has taught her” before the EJ/Grass Lake high school basketball game last night. She didn’t listen. Freshman Lexus Bargesser scored 19 points helping the Warriors to a 60-9 win over East Jackson at home Thursday. The Warriors improved to 7-1 overall, 2-1 in the Cascades Conference with the win. The Trojans are now 1-7 overall, 1-3 in the conference. Sanders worked with Bargesser and Grass Lake Coach Andrea Cabana as part of Michigan Premier Basketball this past summer. “We will be talking about this game,” Bargesser said of one of her instructors following the big win. Bargesser is learning about the huge jump from junior high basketball to the varsity level. “There was no such thing as face guarding in junior high,” Bargesser said. “I have been learning how to play through it.” The Warriors have also learned over the years that defense triggers everything for the team. They mastered that lesson in the first…

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