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 Creek in the fourth quarter, only to lose by one point. In another close game they lost by five to Eaton Rapids.
In a game against Marshall, Northwest led by five with two minutes to play, only to lose 43-41.
“I feel like that game was one where we grew up,” Moffitt said. “We lost, but it gave us a chance to go back and see the mistakes and grow from them. We’re losing games different now than at the start when we had kids that just didn’t have the experience or knowledge.”
With just two seniors — Jake Maples ad Harry Moore — seeing significant time, and sophomore Anthony Cole running the point, Moffitt knew there would be growing pains.
“This is a group still learning how to win,” Moffitt added. “They are figuring out how to take a third-quarter lead and finish it.”
Northwest resumes game play Friday night with a trip to Coldwater. The Mounties will hit the road in an attempt to continue a winning streak and take another step toward the postseason.
“It starts with defense, and we’re going to preach that,” Moffitt said. “The guys have gotten so much better on team defense, pressuring the ball and having each others back. Were going to play physical. We’re going to rebound, and if the offense continues to get better, continues to shoot and share the ball, we can be that dangerous team come playoff time.”
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports.
He’s also a Realtor 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.
