( Photo by Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports )
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Michigan Center — This was one to remember, a group of young men and their historical season.
This was a winter that may never be bettered by teams yet to come, and forever cherished by those who were a part of it, or served as a witness from the stands.
Some 24 times Travis Gaddy led his Michigan Center boys basketball team into battle.
Only once, on the final night, were the Cardinals on the wrong end of the scoreboard.
“It was a great ride, it really was,” Gaddy said.
And that may be an understatement from a coach who’s slowly built Center into the power it is, and for the 2016-17 season, earned JTV Sports Coach of the Year honor.
“I enjoyed every minute of it,” Gaddy said late Monday night. “There were times at practice, and I’d talk to the training staff or coaches and really talk about how we’re going to miss these kids and this group. They’ve really grown up in front of us.”
This year’s finish, a 23-1 record, wasn’t some flash in the pan.
In fact, Gaddy has been slowly building and grooming this group for greatness.
“Four of these guys have been here at least three years,” Gaddy said. “When you have guys for two years, you really form some cool bonds. But when you have kids for three or four years, you really get to know them. That’s what made this year so special.”
Under Gaddy’s direction, the Cardinals went 15-6 two years ago, then took another step forward with an 18-4 finish last winter.
This year’s team hit the ground running and never looked for a slower gear.
It started with a 75-35 victory over Jackson Christian, and that’s exactly what it was, just the start.
While consistently scoring 70 or more points, the Cardinals started 7-0 before meeting, and beating Hanover-Horton 66-47.
That was the one that stood out, the win that made it known Gaddy and his guys were for real.
By the time the regular season ended, Center was a perfect 20-0 overall and 14-0 in the Cascades Conference.
“Before this season started, I talked about last year, and we went 18-4 and had a feeling we’d be even better this year,” Gaddy said. “Then we did two team camps over the summer and went undefeated. Then we played in our summer league and lost once.”
The writing was on the wall.
“The biggest challenge we had was not losing focus of what we were doing,” Gaddy said. “I think that’s really where I came in. I had to keep my thumb on them, keep them focused at practice, keep them sharp mentally. We couldn’t take anything for granted.”
The perfect regular season gave way to a pair of lopsided district wins, and then a 68-53 victory over Hanover, earning the Cardinals their first district title since 1998.
The journey ended in the regional semifinals in a loss to Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, a team still alive in the Class C playoffs.
“You hated to see it come to an end, but we lost to a great team,” Gaddy said.
Now, the focus is on next year, and like any good, driven coach, Gaddy is already looking forward to it.
“You have to,” he said with a laugh. “It’s been a week or so, and I’m already thinking about who we lose and who we’re bringing back and how we have to teach and adjust. You hate to see any season and any group go, but we’re going to get back to work and be ready to go.”
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.
