Panthers, #4 Eagles set for 2021 regional finals rematch

Mar. 14—TRAVERSE CITY — The stage is set for Wednesday's Division 4 regional finals with No. 4 ranked Lake Leelanau St. Mary and unranked Frankfort both surviving the regional semis on Monday.

Frankfort (16-8) relied only on their starting five the entire game to defeat Gaylord St. Mary (20-5) by a 52-47 final; and the Eagles (20-3) battled the Bulldogs of Mesick (19-6) to win, 59-58.

Both teams will meet back at Traverse City West Senior High School on Wednesday.

The Panthers didn't sub once the entire game, as Frankfort's Emmerson Farmer led the team with 17 points and four rebounds. No matter how close the Snowbirds got, the Panthers had answers.

Panthers' senior Nick Stevenson made his presence known inside with 14 points and a team-high 17 rebounds.

"It means a lot to get this win because we got a shutout last year in the first round of regionals," Stevenson said. "We're finally coming together toward the end of the season and playing together."

The 3-pointers were falling for the Snowbirds as Gavin Bebble had a team-high 18 points, with a most of the points coming from beyond the arc. The Panthers did what they could defend the three, and whenever the Snowbirds missed, Frankfort responded with transition points.

As the game progressed, it became evident there wasn't enough time for the Snowbirds to mount a comeback.

"I feel good about tonight, we've put ourselves in a position to play in the regional championship game," Panthers coach Daniel Loney said.

The Panthers have been in this position before, but this season, they have grown into the underdog mentality.

"It's my senior year, and all I've wanted is to play another game," Frankfort senior Xander Sauer said. "There are some who talked down on us — like Glen Lake — but we are still going."

The Panthers will get the 2021 D4 regional finals rematch with a Lake Leelanau St Mary team that still remembers the loss.

Nothing was easy for Lake Leelanau St. Mary because Mesick's senior Ashtyn Simerson didn't make it easy. Simerson left it all out on the court Monday, scoring a team-high 31 points.

Mesick seniors Carter Simmer and Joe O'Neil combined for 14 points.

The Bulldogs fought their way back from down nine points to tie it in the fourth, but a few missed 3-pointers and free throws didn't help their chances at the end.

"I always want to be on the other side of these, but there's a lot for these kids to be proud of this year," Mesick head coach Nathan Hall said. "Defensively, they ran through districts and put on a great show for everybody. These stands were full, and I'm proud of them for coming out and supporting the team."

Mesick played their first regional game since 1982, and with a deep senior team, Hall said he couldn't have been prouder of them for what they did this season.

"I can't say enough about the senior class we had this year. They committed to themselves that they were going to be there for each other and play a heck of a defensive game," Hall said. "That's what led us to our district title."

Eagles' seniors Shawn Bramer and Dylan Barnowski had themselves a night with Barnowski finishing with a team-high 24 points and Bramer collecting 17.

"Bramer is a damn beast," Eagles' head coach Matt Barnowski said. "I had a Benzie Central coach come up and tell me (Bramer) is a cheat code. He's just dominated down low to start the game, and we got one of the best two combos in all of northern Michigan. When one gets going, we feed him; and if one slows down, we start the other one. They're tough to stop, but I'm super proud of them."

The Eagles duo has been playing with each other since they were in third grade, and both attested to how their chemistry has been vital for the postseason.

"It's a trust thing between me and (Bramer)," Barnowski said. "I see him look at me when I'm at the top of the key, he knows I'm about ready to do something, and he's ready."

Barnowski said this season has been "something special.

"We've all been playing together. With the addition of Drew Thompson, who's an electric shooter and great ball handler, it's the team that won that game tonight," he said.

Thompson finished the game with five points. Jerry Schaab finished had four, and Luke Bramer collected six.

Frankfort and Lake Leelanau St. Mary have bigs who enjoy their time in the paint and are familiar with each other.

"Frankfort is a great team, and Dan has done a heck of a job with those guys over there," Coach Barnowski said. "We thought that's who we'd be facing, so we had it in the back of our minds. They are bigger than what Mesick was, so I still think we'd be able to handle their pressure. That is a well-coached team."

Both teams have recent state playoff experience as Lake Leelanau St. Mary hopes to get another shot after falling short in the state semifinals last season.

The Panthers lost in the state quarterfinals to Mount Pleasant in 2021, but they were eliminated in the regional semifinals last season.

Tipoff between the two starts at 6 p.m.