Onsted looks to keep perfect record going strong in Class B regional final
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Onsted – Perfect, so far.
If the Onsted boys basketball team wants to keep the season that way, it will do so tonight in a Class B regional final.
And if the Wildcats do, they will snap a regional-title drought dating back to 1983.
“And truthfully, that’s not on the guys’ mind at all,” coach Brad Maska said. “Our guys are more focused on what happened in last year’s regional final when we lost to Milan. Our goal was to get back to this point and avenge that. We have that chance now.”
Onsted, 23-0, takes on River Rouge (21-3) at 6 p.m. tonight at Dundee.
“They have a good point guard, a very aggressive kid who can get to the rim,” Maska said. “They also have some size. They force turnovers. It’s an interesting match up. It comes down to taking care of the ball. They are going to try and get us to turn the ball over. If we can take care of it and force them into some contested shots, we’ll be in good shape.”
Onsted may have the hottest player in the state right now in senior Austin Davis.
The 6’10” University of Michigan commit scored 46 points with 13 rebounds in a 71-54 regional semifinal victory over Grosse Ile.
In last week’s district final against Adrian, he scored 42 with 19 rebounds and six blocks.
“River Rouge has size, but Austin has played against size before,” Maska said. “He may not score 46, but he’ll get his. Really, our success starts with our defense. When we are able to get a lead, we can force teams into playing from behind and going man to man. That creates mismatches. We have three guards with more than 60 assists. We can share the ball well. We don’t take bad shots.”
“We’re excited about the opportunity,” he said. “I think the kids understand how neat it is to be in this situation. After a district title we had fire trucks lead us into town. They saw all the fans. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do what we’re doing right now. We’re trying to enjoy every moment of it.”
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’