By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Michigan Center — There’s been some research done, some sifting through record books and interviewing of those who may know.
So, as he and his team prepare for their final game of the regular season — Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Vandercook Lake — Travis Gaddy and the Michigan Center basketball squad are one win shy of a new benchmark.
And perfection.
“Not many teams have the chance to do what we do, and I think the kids understand that,” Gaddy said Wednesday night, roughly 24 hours before his Cardinals (19-0) close out the regular season at VCL. “We’ve talked about every game from this point forward really meaning something to us.”
The Cardinals clinched the Cascades Conference title last week, won their 19th game Tuesday in a 71-28 thrashing of Addison, and enter Thursday trying to end the regular season without a blemish.
“We’ve researched and talked and everything,” Gaddy said, “and we don’t think a Michigan Center team has ever done that before.”
Thursday is the second time the Cardinals and Jayhawks will have met this winter, with Michigan Center winning 75-53 at home on Feb. 8.
“Focus. We have to focus and maintain what we do,” Gaddy said. “That’s a scary team that’s athletic. We have to make sure were not overlooking anyone.”
VCL hung right with Center for portions of the first game.
The Cardinals led just 23-17 after the first quarter, but then went on a 27-13 run in the second quarter.
The rest of the way they outscored VCL by just two points.
It was a balanced offensive attack that made the difference, with five different Cardinals scoring in double figures.
Connor Pelham led the way with 21.
“Vandercook likes to press and extend full court and get up and down,” Gaddy said. “That’s what we like to do as well. A lot of teams don’t try to match that with us, so to go up against a team that won’t fear us, we have to take care of the ball. We have to get quality possessions. We have to limit what they do and execute when we have the chance.”
Gaddy was asked about the risk of going undefeated, if it would shelter his team from knowing how to handle adversity with the state playoffs set to begin in just a few days.
“I don’t buy into that at all,” he said with a laugh. “If I’m 19-0, I want to be 20-0. If I’m 20-0, I want to be 21-0. I think you’re lying to say there’s such thing as a good loss.”
Maybe so, but there are historic wins, and the Cardinals have a chance at that now.
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports.
He’s also a Real Estate agent with Real Estate One, specializing with buyers and sellers throughout Michigan, from the Jackson area to metro Detroit. You can reach him at mmoore@realestateone.com or by calling (313) 770-6365 with any inquiries.