Boys Basketball: Flat Rock overcomes quick takeoff by Jets

CARLETON – Airport’s boys basketball team did exactly what it wanted to do in the first quarter Tuesday night.

The Jets came out with a lot of energy, played great defense and got 9 points from Cooper Nye.

That added up to a 15-8 lead over Flat Rock.

But Flat Rock didn’t become the defending Huron League champion and current league leader by folding under pressure.

Coach Rick Smith’s team came roaring back to dominate the second period 15-3 for a 23-18 halftime lead.

The Rams went on to a 57-44 win that moved them to 12-2 overall and 8-0 in the league.

“Credit Coach Smith with making the necessary adjustments in the second quarter in creating ways to get Graham Junge some better looks,” Airport coach Jason Ruhlig said.

Junge scored all but 3 of Flat Rock’s points in the second quarter and finished with a game-high 23 points. Odin Nemeth added 12 points and Corey Lannon 10.

Nemeth also collected 10 rebounds.

Nye finished with 16 points and Joel Westaway added 15 for Airport (6-9).

Flat Rock also won the junior varsity game 46-35 and the freshman contest 69-33. Evan Szalay led the Rams with 13 points in the JV game and freshman Andrew Gillum rang up 28 points.

Tyler Furman led Airport’s JV with 12 points.

FLAT ROCK: Breslin 3 2-2 8, Lannon 3 (3) 1-2 10, Nemeth 3 6-8 12, Murphy 2 0-0 4, Junge 8 (3) 3-4 23. Totals 19 (6) 13-17 57.

AIRPORT: Nowak 0 0-2 0, Westaway 7 1-2 15, Harvell 1 0-0 2, Moore 1 0-0 2, McComas 4 1-2 9, Nye 7 2-4 16. Totals 20 4-19 44.

Bedford 73, Dexter 50

DEXTER – Two things you can’t do when you play Bedford is give Griffin Wolf open looks at 3-pointers or put Andrew Hollinger on the free-throw line.

Dexter learned that lesson the hard way Tuesday as the Mules snapped a two-game losing streak and ran their record to 11-3.

Hollinger hit 12 of his 13 free throws and scored 24 points and Wolf knocked down five shots from behind the 3-point arc for 22 points.

“A big bounce back win for us after dropping two last week,” Bedford coach Jordan Bollin said. “I thought Griffin Wolf had his best career overall game tonight. He was really efficient shooting and was stellar defensively.

“Griffin’s play really complimented Andrew inside.”

BEDFORD: Huss 2 0-0 4, Fackelman 0 1-2 1, Elder 1 (1) 0-0 3, Behnke 3 (1) 2-3 9, Campbell 3 4-5 10, Hollinger 6 12-13 24, Wolf 8 (5) 1-1 22. Totals 20 (7) 21-26 73.

DEXTER: Demerrell 4 (2) 4-4 14, Sharp 1 0-0 2, Vaughn 2 (1) 0-0 5, Haroldson 4 0-0 8, Blumberg 4 (1) 0-2 9, Seeland 0 2-2 2, Taylor 3 (2) 0-0 8, Cook 1 0-0 2. Totals 50.

Huron 55, Grosse Ile 51

GROSSE ILE – All five starters scored in double figures as New Boston Huron avenged a loss from December.

Ethan Woolery led the attack with 12 points and 11 rebounds while Kyle Kantola added 11 points, and Sammy Farrugia, Gavin Moczydlowsky and Chad Martin 10 each.

“It was great to get a win to start the second half of the Huron League away against a great opponent in Grosse Ile,” Huron coach Ted Tackett said. “They are well-coached and play extremely hard. We committed to our game plan and executed it on both sides tonight. We took another step in the right direction.”

Huron, which improved to 5-6, got off to a blazing start with a 21-10 lead after the first quarter.

NEW BOSTON HURON: Farrugia 3 (1) 3-4 10, Handyside 1 0-0 2, Kantola 5 (1) 0-1 11, Martin 2 (1) 3-3 10, Moczydlowsky 4 (2) 0-1 10, Woolery 3 6-6 12. Totals 18 (5) 12-17 55.

GROSSE ILE: Cappellin 7 (4) 0-0 18, Molnar 2 (1) 0-0 5, Swick 5 1-4 9, Driscoll 5 (4) 0-0 14, Miller 1 1-4 3. Totals 19 (9) 2-8 51.

Jefferson 65, Milan 54

MILAN – Myles Tackett scored 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as Jefferson exploded for 31 points.

The Bears led 28-26 at halftime, but Milan led 35-34 heading into the final stanza.

Eastin Kegley finished with 20 points.

“Nice overall team effort by the entire team,” Jefferson coach Corey Wiley said of his 5-9 team. “We got great contributions from everyone who played. Myles and Eastin had really nice games. And freshman Trey Oldenburg had a good overall game.”

Connor Dessellier led Milan (3-10) with 16 points.

JEFFERSON: Tackett 8 6-7 22, Gelso 1 0-2 2, Swann 1 0-0 2, Schroeder 2 0-0 4, Kegley 6 (2) 6-6 20, Merkel 2 (1) 2-3 7, Oldenberg 3 2-7 8. Totals 23 (3) 16-25 65.

MILAN: K. Ballard 3 (2) 0-0 8, Hill 1 (1) 0-0 3, Maurer 1 0-0 2, Denham 2 (2) 0-0 6, C. Ballard 3 0-0 6, Beck 0 1-2 1, Walline 3 (1) 2-2 9, Aeschbacker 1 (1) 0-0 3, Dessellier 7 (1) 1-2 16. Totals 20 (8) 5-6 54.

Erie Mason 47, Summerfield 46

PETERSBURG – Summerfield made a bid to hand Mason its first Tri-County Conference loss of the season.

“The boys played their hearts out and just fell short of beating the first-place team in our league,” Summerfield coach Phil Schiffler said. “We had a shot at the end that I would be okay with at the end of every game, we just didn’t hit it. Erie Mason is very good. I don’t believe in moral victories, but I am hoping this teaches these young men that they can play with anyone when they are dialed in mentally.”

Alex Langenderfer led Mason (9-4) with 13 points. Tyler Dafoe scored 12 and Bryce Kalb 11 for Summerfield (7-7).

Mason was a 60-33 winner in the junior varsity game.

ERIE MASON: Langenderfer 5 (3) 0-0 13, Car. Brown 3 (1) 0-0 7, Cas. Brown 2 (1) 0-0 5, Wise 3 (3) 0-0 9, Iocoangeli 3 1-1 7, T. Herrera 1 0-1 2, Knopp 2 0-0 4. Totals 19 (8) 1-2 47.

SUMMERFIELD: Gault 3 (1) 0-0 7, B. Kalb 5 (1) 0-0 11, St. John 3 (2) 0-0 8, Dafoe 5 (2) 0-0 12, Myshock 4 0-1 8. Totals 20 (6) 0-1 46.

Riverview 60, SMCC 43

RIVERVIEW − St. Mary Catholic Central kept pace with the second place team in the Huron League through one quarter before the Pirates pulled away.

The Falcons held Riverview's Kolby Dorn to 8 points in the first half, but he came back with 12 in the second half to help the Pirates pull away.

Buddy Snodgrass led SMCC with 15 and Joe Boberg added 13.

RIVERVIEW: McAlinden 6(2) 2-2 16, Tiberia 0 1-2 1, Doyle 4(2) 1-3 11, Dorn 7(2) 4-5 20, Gallimore 3 6-6 12. Totals 20(6) 14-18 60.

SMCC: Foster 1 2-3 4, Kuehnlein 1 0-0 2, Snodgrass 6 3-3 15, Kinsey 1(1) 0-0 3, Lipford 2(1) 0-0 5, Martin 0 1-2 1, Zachel 0 0-2 0, Boberg 5(3) 0-0 13. Totals 16(5) 6-10 43.

Carlson 33, Edsel Ford 29

GIBRALTAR − Gibraltar Carlson rallied in the second half Tuesday against Dearborn Edsel Ford to win its sixth straight game.

Edsel Ford led 15-12 at halftime but was outscored 12-4 in the third quarter by Carlson.

Edsel Ford beat the Marauders 41-35 in December.

Dejuan Johnson scored 12 to lead the Marauders.

GIBRALTAR CARLSON: Macbride 0 3-10 3, Kemokai 0 1-3 1, Braddy 3 0-0 6, Anderson 0 1-2 1, Jones 1 0-1 2, Johnson 5 2-3 12, Smith 1 0-0 2, Przytula 0 6-10 6. Totals 10 13-29 33.

DEARBORN EDSEL FORD: Birchenough 3(2) 0-0 8, Travis 0 2-2 2, Foster 1(1) 0-2 3, Dover 3 4-4 10, Morstead 0 5-7 5, Owenby 0 1-2 1. Totals 7(3) 12-17 29.

Ann Arbor Pioneer 54, Monroe 49

Monroe lost to Pioneer by 20 points in December, but nearly came out on top this time.

“That was our best game of the season start to finish,” Monroe coach Larry Middleton said. “Proud of the way our guys executed our plan. Pioneer just made one more play than we did. Proud of our guys fight tonight.”

Monroe led 31-16 at the half and 42-37 after three quarters. Pioneer won by controlling the final period 17-7.

Lukas Johnson scored a career-high 16 points to lead the 3-10 Trojans, Kellen Roberts and Logan Frank added 10 points each.

ANN ARBOR PIONEER: Cristien 3 0-0 6, Sompa 7 (5) 2-2 21, Pacmik 4 (3) 0-0 11, Mutinda 1 1-2 3, Strauss 2 1-2 5, Delancy 3 2-2 8. Totals 20 6-8 54.

MONROE: Scznsny 3 3-4 9, Johnson 8 0-2 16, Roberts 4 (2) 0-0 10, Frank 4 (1) 1-2 10, Sweat 1 0-0 2, Simmons 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 (3) 4-8 49.

Adrian Madison 72, Whiteford 51

OTTAWA LAKE – Whiteford fell two games back in the Tri-County Conference race with a 21-point home court loss.

Madison led 11-7 after the first quarter but poured in 28 second quarter points to build a big lead going into the second half. Both teams put up 33 points in the final 16 minutes.

Evan Parker led Whiteford with 13 points and was the only Bobcat player in double figures.

Whiteford has lost three straight games and is 9-6 on the season. They are 5-2 in the TCC, two games behind Erie Mason (6-0).

ADRIAN MADISON: Saad 3 (3) 0-0 9, A. Nieto 5 (1) 3-5 14, Jordan 3 0-0 6, Burciaga 3 (1) 9-10 16, Holly 5 0-0 10, Benson 3 0-0 6, Frederick 1 0-0 2, Regalado 3 (1) 0-1 7, Douglas 1 0-0 2. Totals 27 (6) 12-16 72.

WHITEFORD: S. Ruddy 1 0-0 2, Joerin 2 (2) 3-4 9, DeBarr 2 (1) 1-3 6, Rasor 1 3-4 5, Parker 4 (2) 3-5 13, Waterford 1 0-0 2, R. Ruddy 1 0-0 2, Masserant 2 4-4 8. Totals 16 (5) 14-20 51.

Bloomfield Hills Christian 52, State Line 30

BLOOMFIELD HILLS − Slow starts to each half doomed State Line Christian.

The Patriots trailed 12-2 after one quarter then were outscored 14-5 in the third period to expand a 17-point halftime deficit to 42-16.

Eli Dyer led State Line (12-6) with 13 points.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS CHRISTIAN: Gnider 2 2-2 6, Krieg 1 0-0 2, Ruma 5 (3) 0-0 13, Peterson 1 0-0 2, Backos 5 (1) 2-2 13, C. Backos 5 (1) 1-2 12, MacArthur 2 0-0 4. Totals 21 (5) 5-6 52.

STATE LINE CHRISTIAN: Reddick 2 1-3 5, Rains 1 2-2 4, E. Dyer 6 1-6 13, Marshall 4 0-0 8, L Worley 0 0-2 0. Totals 13 4-13 30.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Boys Basketball: Flat Rock overcomes quick takeoff by Jets