Michigan: Quickness, quick start help Brandywine win first boys basketball regional title

COLOMA ― Finally, the Brandywine trophy case will have to make room for a boys basketball regional championship trophy.

After failing in four previous regional title games over their history, the Bobcats finally came through for 18-year head coach Nathan Knapp. With junior twins Jeremiah and Jamier Palmer scoring 14 and 10 points, respectively, and senior Michael Palmer (no relation) adding 12 to outscore Centreville by themselves, Brandywine routed the Bulldogs 58-35 Tuesday night in the Division III Regional 20 championship game at Coloma High School.

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“I’ve been dreaming this from day one for those kids over there,” said Knapp, who wasn’t around when Brandywine lost its previous four regional title games (in 1965, 1969, 1992 and 1999). “These kids are so resilient – I love them to death. For the past six years, we’ve had the goal to get that regional title, and we finally did.”

Next up for the Bobcats (24-2) is a quarterfinal date Tuesday night at Portage Central High School against Pewamo-Westphalia (19-6), which advanced on a tip-in basket at the buzzer to oust 24-2 Grandville Calvin Christian 63-61. A victory Tuesday would send Brandywine to the Division III semifinals at Michigan State’s Breslin Center Thursday, March 23. The state championship is Saturday, March 25 at Breslin.

“This feels amazing, man,” Michael Palmer said after he started the Bobcats on their way to their eighth straight victory with two early baskets during a 17-0 run in the first 6½ minutes of the game. “Heart, will and desire got us here. We get punched in the mouth, we hit back harder. We just never give up.”

Tuesday night, it was Brandywine which was doing all the punching. Knapp extended his team’s man-to-man defense full-court, and Centreville never got into any kind of rhythm. Not even an early timeout 1:44 into the game by Centreville coach Matt Price could stop the Bobcats, who forced nine turnovers and limited Centreville to just one basket in four attempts in the quarter which ended with Brandywine up 19-2.

“We wanted to take their hopes away from the start,” Knapp said. “We wanted to get them out of their rhythm. When our kids have something on their mind, they come out and do it.”

The Bobcats, whose only losses this season came against Lakeland Conference champion Benton Harbor, kept up the pressure in the second quarter, forcing another six turnovers and outscoring the Bulldogs 19-7 to take a 36-9 halftime lead.

“I was a little worried at practice yesterday because they were a little tired (after beating Kalamazoo Hackett Monday 58-42),” Knapp continued. “I thought their energy was low, but they brought it tonight. This is a group you want to go to war with every day.”

When Knapp talks, the Bobcats listen.

“Coach Knapp makes us work hard every day in practice,” said Jaremiah Palmer, who had 12 of his 14 points in the first half and led the Bobcats with eight rebounds as Brandywine won the battle of the boards 37-22.

“Coach wanted us to come out and play fast,” Jamier Palmer added after pulling down five boards.

Michael Palmer and freshman Nylen Goins each scored four points in the third quarter as Brandywine started with a 6-0 run to increase its lead to 42-9 on the way to a 48-16 lead after three quarters. Brandywine’s biggest lead of the night was 34 points, 50-16, on Michael Palmer’s final basket of the night with 7:04 to play.

Knapp eventually emptied his bench, and Centreville (18-8) outscored Brandywine 19-10 in the final eight minutes as senior Roman Robinson scored seven of his team-high 16 points.

BRANDYWINE 58, CENTREVILLE 35

Division 3-Regional 20 at Coloma High School

BRANDYWINE (58): Jaremiah Palmer 7 0-0 14, Byron Linley 1 0-0 3, Jamier Palmer 3 3-4 10, Nylen Goins 1 4-4 6, Michael Palmer 6 0-0 12, Robert Whiting 3 2-2 8, Brock Dye 0 1-2 1, Jaydon Spitler 0 0-0 0, Kevin Roberts 0 0-0 0, Ethan Adamczyk 0 0-2 0, Robert Hartz 0 0-0 0, Brad Covington 2 0-0 4, Caiden Wagley 0 0-0 0, Hunter Inman 0 0-0 0, TOTALS 23 10-14 58.

CENTREVILLE (35): Micah Lemings 0 1-2 1, Jacob Sikanas Jr. 0 0-0 0, Roman Robinson 7 1-3 16, Harrison Gregory 2 0-0 6, Gavin Bunning 2 3-4 8, Corey Carpenter 0 0-0 0, Kobe Carpenter 0 0-0 0, Brady Miller 1 0-0 2, Declan Kane 0 0-0 0, Cohen Longacre 0 0-0 0, Ben Truckenmiller 0 2-2 2, Ethan Miller 0 0-0 0, Gavin Palmer 0 0-0 0, TOTALS 12 7-11 35.

3-point goals: Brandywine 2 (Linley 1, Jamier Palmer 1), Centreville 4 (Gregory 2, Robinson 1, Bunning 1). Shooting: Brandywine 23 of 50 for 46.0 percent, Centreville 12 of 37 for 32.4 percent. Rebounds: Brandywine 37 (Jaremiah Palmer 8, Jamier Palmer 5), Centreville 22 (Lemings 5). Turnovers: Brandywine 9, Centreville 24. Total fouls (fouled out): Brandywine 10 (none), Centreville 10 (none). Records: Brandywine 24-2, Centreville 18-8. Officials: Larry Brewer, Tim Baker, Dave Buck.

MHSAA DIVISION III BOYS BASKETBALL QUARTERFINAL PAIRINGS

Tuesday, March 21

At Waterford

Detroit Loyola (25-1) vs. Flint Beecher (21-4), 7 p.m.

At Ypsilanti

Laingsburg (25-0) vs. Ecorse (19-4), 7 p.m.

At Gaylord

St. Ignace (22-4) vs. Traverse City St. Francis (22-4), 7 p.m.

At Portage Central

Brandywine (24-2) vs. Pewamo-Westphalia (19-6). 7 p.m.

SEMIFINALS

Thursday, March 23

At Michigan State University's Breslin Center

Waterford winner vs. Ypsilanti winner, noon

Gaylord winner vs. Portage Central winner, 2 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, March 25

At Michigan State University's Breslin Center

Semifinal winners, 4:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Brandywine vs. Centreville in MHSAA Division 3 boys regional