Andy Hawley, Author at JTV Jackson

Is the turn coming?

January 15, 2016

Neville sees Western game as a chance to get Lumen’s hoops season on track By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson – He says the confidence is there, the will is strong and the belief in each other hasn’t faded. The one thing lacking so far for the Lumen Christi boys basketball team has been the wins. And according to coach Pat Neville, the opportunity his guys have Friday night could go a long way in shifting the direction of 2016. “We’ve taken some steps in the right direction lately,” Neville said. “We were down one against a good Marshall team. We were down six against Jackson in the fourth. The confidence is fine with this group. They are working so hard right now, but when the wins don’t show up, it’s tough to really feel it. A win (Friday) night could do a lot to show what we’re doing is working.” Entering Friday night’s home contest with Western, Lumen is 1-5 on the year. The lone win was a victory in December against Northwest in which the Titans surrendered a 21-point lead and had to hold on late to win. But as Neville…

The one you circle

January 14, 2016

Jackson United and Lumen Christi hockey teams set to meet for the first time this season By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson – Bring out the clichés, because in this instance, they certainly apply. Records out the window, the date on the calendar circled. This is one of those games every year, and when the puck drops Saturday night at the Optimist Ice Arena, the Jackson United and Lumen Christi hockey teams can settle the score. For now. “It’s a huge game, really the biggest game of the year,” United coach Andy Sinkovitz said of the 5:30 p.m. contest. “You think the playoffs are the biggest game, but at a local level, it doesn’t get bigger than this.” “Huge game, the one both teams point to all year long,” Lumen coach Mike Wartella said. “When you do summer skates, you’re thinking about this game.” The teams split last year’s meetings, each winning once by a 4-3 count. The second game went to Jackson, and the Old Leather Skate the teams play for has had its orange and black side showing since then. “And our guys see it everyday we go…

Biggest test yet

January 14, 2016

Undefeated Northwest girls head to Marshall Friday night for I-8 clash By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson – Tuesday night was supposed to be the final prep, one more study session before the season’s biggest exam yet. Mother Nature had other ideas, so now the Northwest girls basketball team can focus solely on Friday night’s road game at Marshall, and, as coach Ryan Carroll put it, the team’s “first, real big test on the road.” “It’s certainly big for the obvious reasons, when you look at the conference standings,” Carroll added. “But it’s also a chance for us to go on the road and see what we’re made of.” Northwest was scheduled to play Charlotte Tuesday night before the game was postponed. The Mounties, 6-0 on the year, travel to play at Marshall (7-1) Friday at 6 p.m. The game’s winner takes over first place in the Interstate 8 conference. “I think it starts with the coaching, and Sal (Konkle) does a great job,” Carroll said when asked what makes Marshall so strong. “They are always one of the most well-coached teams we play every single year. They will be prepared. They…

Albion women’s basketball drops game to Hope College

January 14, 2016

File photo courtesy of Bobby Lee ALBION, Mich. - Albion College shot 10-of-15 from 3-point range in falling, 66-54, to Hope College in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association women's basketball action. Darian Payne scored as Albion trailed by just three, 38-35, early in the third quarter. Hope scored the next 13 points and led by double digits most of the way. Oreyana Curry scored seven in a row as Albion tried to make things interesting as it pulled within seven with 2:45 to play. Angelique Gaddy squelched the rally when she produced an old fashioned three-point play on Hope's next possession. Curry produced 16 points, hitting on 4-of-5 shots from 3-point range. Emily Zgoda, who was also 4-of-5 from 3-point range, finished with 12 points. Jay Bard provided a spark off the bench with 13 points. Gaddy led Hope with 18 points and nine rebounds. Maura McAfee and Mandy Traversa also scored in double figures with 16 and 11, respectively. Albion will play its next five games on the road, starting with a Saturday date at Adrian College.

Albion picks up home win over rival Kalamazoo

January 14, 2016

File Photo of Jordan Herron ALBION, Mich. – Jordan Herron and Travell Oakes staked Albion to a 15-point lead by scoring the first seven points of the second half as the Britons cruised to an 83-67 victory over Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival Kalamazoo inside Kresge Gymnasium Wednesday night. The 16-point spread marked the largest margin of victory for Albion which has won its last two to move to 7-7 overall and 2-1 against league rivals. Albion will play its next three on the road, starting with a Saturday night game at Adrian. Kalamazoo came in with one victory on the season, but helped by Dermarco Dickerson's 22-point outburst, it never let Albion pull away until late in the first half. "Kalamazoo is a better team that its record indicates," Albion Head Coach Jody May said. "We talked before the game about the importance of respecting the opponent. We decided we weren't going to lose tonight and started playing hard." Robert Ryan, Dakota Kazen, Oakes and Haren scored baskets over the final 2 ½ minutes as Albion seized a 42-34 halftime lead. Herron and Oakes led Albion on the early second half run and Albion led by at least seven…

Tickets and camping on sale at MIS

January 14, 2016

Track will host two race weekends in 2016, June 10-12 and Aug. 26-28 BROOKLYN, Mich. (Jan. 13, 2016) —Monday is your chance to get in on all the action at Michigan International Speedway in 2016. Tickets go on sale for both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekends on January 18. The speedway is making it easy for you to get the best tickets and camping. Fans can visit www.mispeedway.com or call 800-354-1010 to find the perfect ticket, package or campsite. The first of the track’s two NASCAR weekends is June 10-12 with the Corrigan Oil 200 ARCA Racing Series on June 10; NASCAR XFINITY Series on June 11; and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 12. The Sprint Cup Series will wind up its summertime stint at MIS on August 28 with the Pure Michigan 400. The Camping World Truck Series Careers for Veterans 200 presented by The Cooper Standard Foundation & Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation is on August 27. Keloorah, a music festival experience, will take place on the Friday and Saturday of the June FireKeepers Casino 400 and the August Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup weekends at MIS. The music festival will feature…

Third generation Cougar signs with Spring Arbor Women’s Tennis

January 13, 2016

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Western High School senior Tori Buchholz will follow in the footsteps of her parents (Paul and Karol Buchholz) and grandparents (Lloyd and Judi Ganton) as she has chosen to continue her tennis career at Spring Arbor University. “We are very excited to have Tori joining our team next year, and it is pretty special for her to be able to continue her family’s legacy here at SAU,” said head women’s tennis coach Bobby Pratt. “She brings with her a great work ethic on the court and in the classroom. I know she will make a positive impact both on our team and on our entire campus.” Buchholz is a two-time All-Conference selection for the Panthers, and she helped her squad reach the state tournament during her sophomore year. Off the court, Buchholz has been a member of the National Honor Society since eighth grade, and is also a member of the Select Choir at Western. She will be graduating at the top of her class this spring with a 4.0 grade point average, a mark she has carried since middle school. While attending SAU, she plans to major in pre-med.

Jonesville vs. Concord Girls Basketball – Photo Gallery

January 13, 2016

Jonesville defeated Concord 53-48 Tuesday night in a girls Big 8 match-up. Concord, led by Lindsay Lehman's 19 points falls to 2-2 in conference play and 5-5 overall. The Comets improved to 3-1 in the Big 8 and 8-1 on the year. Both teams are in action this Friday as Concord travels to Homer while Jonesville visits Union City. View Photos from the Game

Spring Arbor Men’s Basketball drops league game to #5 Saint Francis

January 13, 2016

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Three Spring Arbor University men’s basketball players scored in double figures but it was not enough to overcome No. 5-ranked University of Saint Francis (Ind.) who grabbed an 84-62 win on Tuesday night inside the SAU Fieldhouse. Junior Caleb Hogans led the Cougars with 14 points. Sophomore Drew Zuidema followed with 12 while classmate Zach Medendorp finished with 10 points and four blocks – the fifth straight game he has recorded multiple blocks. Spring Arbor got off to a great start jumping out to a 6-3 lead over Saint Francis (16-3, 6-1 CL), who entered the contest having won its last 10 games. The visitors settled in, though, and began to flex their muscles using a 19-4 scoring run to build a double-digit lead. Hogans halted the run with a three-pointer to trim the deficit to nine, 22-13, at the 8:53 mark, but USF answered with back-to-back triples from Seth Small to regain control. The Cougar defense stepped up, however, and held Saint Francis without a field goal over the final seven minutes of the period while the offense went to work. Just before halftime, senior Peter Barry sparked a 7-0 run…

COULD $1 REALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

January 11, 2016

With the right support and coaching, the answer is: absolutely, positively “yes.” Jackson, Mich – Could $1 really change your life? Cindy Keen is living proof that it could. In just two years, Keen lost 258 pounds and, last year alone, she ran more than two dozen 5K races. Dave Mathis is another example. Born with a rare genetic disorder which prevented him from walking until he was seven years old, Mathis is now competing in all sorts of athletic events while inspiring others. The same is true of Leslie Hoffman. Once depressed and significantly overweight, Hoffman recently lost nearly 200 pounds – and she’s now loving life and enjoying time with her family. What do they all have in common? They each took a courageous first step and sought help from a supportive local gym where they learned how to take control of their lives. “Taking that first step is the hardest part,” said Steve Klobucar and Kyle Grimes, certified personal trainers at Anytime Fitness in Jackson, Michigan. “After that, it gets a whole lot easier. The key to making big changes is recognizing and appreciating little victories. Dozens of members of our gym have dramatically improved the quality of…