Hanover-Horton High School basketball player Garrett Gumper drives past an opponent during a Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 regional semifinal at Springport High School on Tuesday. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.
By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
Playing defense and being the next man up are two of the principles that have led to the success of Hanover-Horton High School boys’ basketball program.
Those principles worked again for the Comets in the opening round of the Michigan High School Athletic Association regional tournament.
The Comets defeated Michigan Center High School 69-38 for the third time this season advancing to the MHSAA Division 3 regional semifinal.
Hanover-Horton will face Leslie (16-1) in the regional final Thursday at Springport High School beginning at 7 p.m.
Just a year after graduating eight seniors – six of whom are playing college basketball – Hanover-Horton is continuing its success with a number of new faces in the starting lineup.
“This senior group is my son’s group so they have been playing together for a long time,” HHHS head Coach Chad Mortimer said. “They just fell behind a good senior class … there wasn’t enough minutes for everyone.
“Now it is their turn.”
The Comets are taking advantage of their turn.
“We battled those guys (members of the H-H class of 2020) every day in practice,” Hanover-Horton junior Carson Sanders said. “Our mentality is playing defense and being tough.”
The Comets were just that in the first quarter outscoring the Cardinals 18-9. Sanders led the charge with eight points and six rebounds in the first eight minutes of action.
Hanover-Horton turned it up a notch allowing just four points in the second quarter taking a 37-13 lead into the locker room.
“This was one of the best defensive games we have had in a long time,” Coach Mortimer said.
Brogan Brockie added the offensive power for the Comets in the second quarter with eight points.
The Comets led 55-28 at the end of three quarters as Brockie scored seven more points. He finished with a game-high 20 points in the win.
Sanders tallied 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Conner Mortimer finished with 10 points and three assists, Kyler Rod scored eight points, and Garrett Gumper dished eight assists for the Comets in the victory.
Michigan Center (14-4) was led by Dylan Villarreal with 10 points and five rebounds, Matt Brown scored nine points, and Daylen Hinkle and Carter Kosmet scored seven points apiece.
Division 2 Regional: B.C. Pennfield 75, Western 34. Western ends the season at 7-9.
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