East Lansing junior Caleb Hoekstra is shooting 47 percent from 3-point land for the unbeaten East Lansing Trojans.

EAST LANSING – Not many days went by this past offseason where Steve Finamore didn’t look down at his phone to see some type of message from Caleb Hoekstra.

More often than not, Finamore, who is in his sixth season as the East Lansing boys basketball coach, said his junior guard would ask for just an hour of his time. And more often than not he would give it to him.

“He texted me all the time, ‘Coach, can you open the gym?,'” Finamore said. “We’d come up here for an hour, I’d open the gym and he’d pull out the (shooting) gun by himself and he’d shoot 600 to 900 shots. He did it every chance he had.

“If he couldn’t get me then he called our junior varsity coach.”

Hoekstra, who came off the bench as a sophomore, has always been labeled as a shooter within the Trojans’ program. While he’s embraced that, he said he’s now starting to feel “comfortable” with the tag.

East Lansing boys roll past Williamston to stay perfect

The 6-foot-1 shooting guard is displaying his confidence through his team’s first five games by averaging 13 points per game while shooting 47 percent (19 of 40) from 3-point land.

He’s hit five 3-pointers in three different games this season for the undefeated Trojans (5-0, 2-0 in CAAC Blue).

“Coach said my role is to shoot 3s, so that’s what I’m going to do,” Hoekstra said. “If they start defending me well, and I have to put the ball on the floor, I’m confident doing that.”

Hoekstra said his confidence grew over the summer with his Kalamazoo-based AAU team, Camp Darryl. It was with them that Hoekstra said he was given “the ultimate green light” to shoot. And in one game he connected on 10 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 37 points.

“That gave me a big confidence boost because now I know all the things I can do on the court,” Hoesktra said.

The junior, who said he’s received some interest from Division II and III college programs, also noted the team’s faith in him to hit shots as a contribution to his efficient shooting.

In one of East Lansing’s first games this season, Finamore recalls subbing Hoekstra out for passing up an open shot, which is something he said his guard did far too often last year.

“He goes ‘Did I do something wrong?,'” said Finamore, who, in hindsight, realized it was a good pass. “I said ‘Yeah, you didn’t shoot the ball.'”

And while Hoekstra embraces the label as a shooter, he said he spent most of the summer refining other tools in his arsenal in an attempt to continue to develop into “a more complete player.”

East Lansing sophomore forward Brandon Johns said Hoekstra’s growth has been evident this season, and that his play has even helped him improve his passing.

East Lansing’s Brandon Johns named to USA hoops team

“He’s come out of his shell a lot,” said Johns, who is ranked 20th in the nation in the 2018 class by Rivals.com. “Before he wouldn’t dribble, he was a set shooter. Now he’s a great ball-handler, he can go into his shot and create space for his shot.

“If someone’s in his face, now, and there’s just a little bit of room, then he’s shooting it.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Okemos’ JC Pruitt, right, and Holt’s Quinton Armstrong (50) chase the ball Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, in Holt, Mich.

HOLT – Okemos point guard Chaz Richardson was looking forward to visiting conference rival Holt on Friday night.

It wasn’t just because the Chiefs hadn’t played a meaningful basketball game since Dec. 29. The fact that the Rams were entering the matchup unbeaten and sitting atop the CAAC Blue wasn’t the sole reason, either.

Richardson had never walked out of Holt High School victorious since being a part of the Chiefs’ varsity program, and the senior was desperate to do so in his last go-round.

The 6-foot-1 guard got his wish by helping Okemos overcome an eight-point, third-quarter deficit to defeat the Rams, 38-36, and hand them their first loss of the season.

It was the Chiefs’ (2-3, 2-1) first win at Holt since 2010.

“Personally, it was a big win for me, and it was a big win for the team,” said Richardson, who scored a team-high 16 points. “We lost a couple of games real early and, you know, this could be a start to get us rolling again.”

• BOX SCORE

Richardson, who has stepped up as Okemos’ go-to guy with the loss of current Michigan State men’s basketball walk-on Conner George to graduation, led the fourth-quarter charge for the Chiefs. His opening-quarter basket fueled a quick 7-0 run, and it eventually led to Okemos outscoring Holt 16-6 in the final quarter.

The senior scored eight points in the fourth.

“I think it’s a step-out game (for Richardson),” Chiefs coach Jeff Wonch said. “It’s the first time where it’s kind of his team out there with a big win. And that’s the first time we’ve done that.”

Defensively, Wonch said Okemos’ gameplan was to get the ball out of the hands of Holt’s 6-foot-10 junior Jaron Faulds. The Chiefs brought an extra defender every time Faulds, who is receiving Division I interest, touched the ball and it left the big man with just nine points by the end of the night. However, the Rams (5-1, 2-1) were able to get a game-high 18 points out of Faulds’ frontcourt mate Quinton Armstrong.

Holt scored just three field goals in the fourth quarter after scoring 17 points in the third.

“We let them dictate our game,” said Armstrong, whose team went 0 for 8 from the free throw line in the final eight minutes. “We let them get into what their defense wanted, which is sagging off, and we didn’t attack. We weren’t aggressive.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Vote for the Lansing State Journal prep video of the week.

Two videos made the cut for this week’s LSJ prep video of the week voting. The poll is open until 4 p.m. Thursday (Poll best viewed in Firefox, Google Chrome), and we’ll announce the winner at LSJ.com shortly after.

Videos can be best submitted weekly until 5 p.m. Sunday using the Twitter hashtag #LSJVOW or emailed to James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Each week we’ll select the best videos and post them online for public voting.

Videos can be of any high school event: A great play from any sport, a pep rally, a matching band performance, someone being honored or a team choreographed dance at practice. If you find it interesting, we want to see it.

Hoekstra’s 3-point shooting helping East Lansing boys to undefeated start
LSJ prep video of the week winner: Clay Soule

Next summer, we’ll chose 10 of the best videos from the entire school year and ask you to vote on the video of the year. The winner will be recognized at the Lansing State Journal Greater Lansing Sports Awards banquet.

(Note: The poll to vote is at the bottom.)

EAST LANSING’S CALEB HOEKSTRA SEND GAME TO OVERTIME VS. SEXTON

East Lansing’s Caleb Hoekstra hits a 3 to send game into overtime

DANSVILLE’S CLAY SOULE NAILS HALF-COURT SHOT BEFORE HALF

Clay Soule Half-court Buzzer Beater
Vote for the LSJ prep video of the week – Jan. 4-9

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Danville High School’s boys basketball team has gotten out to a 5-0 record to start the new season.

DANSVILLE – The Dansville boys basketball team decided enough was enough after losing at Bath in last year’s regular-season finale.

It was the Aggies’ seventh straight defeat — also the ninth in 10 games — and it came just six days before they were scheduled to compete in the Class C district semifinals.

So the players kicked the coaches out of the locker room and held a players-only meeting, hoping to salvage what was left of their 7-13 season.

“We were talking about how no matter what we had done to close out the season, our season would be defined by what we do in the postseason,” Dansville senior forward Calvin Minnis said. “And that’s what we had to focus on, starting over from there and building off that for next year.”

Since the sit down, which several player said was full of “positivity,” the Aggies haven’t been the same. They went on to capture their first district championship since 2000 before losing by one point to Addison in the regional semifinals last year. And to begin this season, Dansville is off to a 5-0 start and already has four Central Michigan Athletic Conference victories.

The Aggies haven’t won more than five conference games since 2010.

“I think the big key for us is that we always talk about how this is the best (Class) C and D league in the state,” said sixth-year coach Cole Feldpausch, whose program hasn’t won a league title since 2000. “We knew if we could hang with anyone in that league that we could do damage in the postseason.

“Now we can win some of those close games we lost before, and we have the experience of playing in a good league.”

Senior Andrew Hodgson credited his team’s change in mentality for its latest run. The forward said Dansville is now approaching every game as if it is expected to win, which he feels wasn’t the case in previous seasons.

“A lot of time last year we would go into games, and while we wouldn’t say it, we would almost expect to lose,” he said. “That would leave us susceptible to an early run and we’d get down. It was almost more mental because we’ve been talented for a couple of years. This year we’ve really been focused on the mental side of stuff as well as the talent side.

“We don’t have any fear going into games anymore.”

Now the Aggies, who returned all but one player from last season, are in the early stages of learning to become the feared. In years past, Minnis said he felt team’s “expected to beat us” and added that Dansville came out this year trying to show that it does belong, despite what recent history says.

Vote for the LSJ prep video of the week – Jan. 4-9
Vote for LSJ prep athlete of week: Jan. 4-9

“We talk about just getting a taste of that district and regional atmosphere and wanting to get back,” said Feldpausch, whose squad will face Fulton, a team fresh off a Class D state semifinal appearance, at home Tuesday. “And then setting a goal for this year, we kind of talked about MSU (football) reaching higher and never settling.

“Now we’ve been there, so let’s challenge to win this league. Let’s not just hope to win district this year, let’s try to win this league and advance further in regionals.”

The addition of Andrew’s brother, 6-foot-8 Caleb Hodgson, has also helped the Aggies get off to a hot start. The freshman, who was a manager for the team last season, is averaging a team-high 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and has already exceeded Feldpausch’s lofty expectations.

And having been around the program during its most recent metamorphosis, Caleb already had an understanding of what it would take to maintain Dansville’s newfound success.

“Everybody is back with a hunger to get more than last year,” he said. “We’re just trying to never settle and get better than last year.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Take a look at the Greater Lansing high school boys swimming and diving honor roll.

Here are the boys swimming and diving standings and top performances in mid-Michigan so far this season.

CAAC BLUE

Haslet…4-0, 2-0

Okemos…3-1, 2-0

DeWitt…2-0, 2-0

Holt…2-1, 1-1

St. Johns…1-1, 1-1

Jackson…1-3, 0-2

Grand Ledge…0-2, 0-2

East Lansing…1-2, 0-2

CAAC RED

Owosso…4-0, 2-0

Mason…2-0, 2-0

Eaton Rapids…1-1, 1-1

Waverly 1-1, 1-0

Ionia…0-3, 0-2

Williamston…0-3, 0-2

Lansing Legacy…0-2, 0-1

NON-CAAC

Alma…3-1

Corunna…1-0

Charlotte…0-1

Ovid-Elsie…0-2

200 MEDLEY RELAY

1. DeWitt (Cameron Sackett, Ryan McVicker, Ryan Armbrustmacher, Nick Schieberl) – 1:46.90

2. Grand Ledge (Justin Maidlow, Arison Harris, Nathan Buchweitz, Troy Anderson) – 1:47.23

3. Okemos (Andrew Himebaugh, Jin Kang, Thomas Rachman, Kevin Yan) – 1:47.35

4. Haslett (Kai Jeffery, Will Miklavcic, Angus Macfarlane, Ryan Abbott) – 1:47.70

5. East Lansing (Michael Kuhl, Zachary Sneathen, Charles Schertzing, Jerry Sweitzer) – 1:48.05

6. Owosso (Marty Horger, Max Leduc, Trever Svarc, Noah Slusher) – 1:50.32

7. St. Johns (Lucas Jandernoa, Sam Beagle, Justin Brown, Justin Woodbury) – 1:50.34

8. Waverly (Robbie Estill, Joe Wright, Joey Lashbrook, Niels Lashbrook) – 1:53.70

9. Holt (Alexander Coleman, David Hefty, Burrell Jones, Noah Richards) – 1:54.13

10. Williamston (Seth Costello, Ethan Schrader, Brock Monette, Nicolaus Edwards) – 1:54.78

200 FREESTYLE

1. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 1:51.29

2. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 1:52.74

3. Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 1:52.89

4. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 1:53.35

5. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 1:53.93

6. Michael Kuhl (East Lansing) – 1:54.16

7. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 1:54.46

8. Will Kirkconnell (Holt) – 1:55.44

9. McKain Williams (Haslett) – 1:55.62

10. Seth Costello (Williamston) – 1:55.89

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

1. Andrew Himebaugh (Okemos) – 2:07.14

2. Broderick Ross (Alma) – 2:07.24

3. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 2:07.69

4. Justin Maidlow (Grand Ledge) – 2:07.80

5. Zachary Sneathen (East Lansing) – 2:10.43

6. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 2:10.94

7. Kevin Yan (Okemos) – 2:11.10

8. Angus Macfarlane (Haslett) – 2:11.96

9. Jakob Jorda (St. Johns) – 2:12.02

10. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 2:212.15

50 FREESTYLE

1. Trever Svarc (Owosso) – 22.86

2. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 23.06

3. Ryan Armbrustmacher (DeWitt) – 23.21

4. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 23.21

5. Marty Horger (Owosso) – 23.33

6. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 23.41

7. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 23.66

8. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 23.67

9. Michael Kuhl (East Lansing) – 23.67

10 Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 23.70

1-METER DIVING (6)

1. Riese Penn (Ionia) – 3:04.10

2. Cayden Petrak (St. Johns) – 284.20

3. Brock Petrak (St. Johns) – 272.60

4. James Gilroy (St. Johns) – 268.40

5. Caleb Petrak (St. Johns) – 250.90

6. Luke Lathrop (Eaton Rapids) – 222.95

7. Andrew Gordon (Okemos) – 206.60

8. Hunter Whitman (Okemos) – 200.55

9. Thomas Sutphen (Owosso) – 188.55

10. Ben Vangorder (Haslett) – 181.80

100 BUTTERFLY

1. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 55.88

2. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 56.34

3. Angus Macfarlane (Haslett) – 57.67

4. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 57.86

5. Trever Svarc (Owosso) – 57.99

6. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 58.45

7. Ryan McVicker (DeWitt) – 58.73

8. Ryan Armbrustmacher (DeWitt) – 58.80

9. Myles Michalski (DeWitt) – 58.84

10. Kevin Yan (Okemos) – 58.87

100 FREESTYLE

1. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 50.15

2. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 50.43

3. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 50.48

4. Marty Horger (Owosso) – 50.68

5. Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 51.25

6. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 51.27

7. Trever Svarc (Owosso) – 51.35

8. Michael Kuhl (East Lansing) – 51.44

9. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 51.52

10. Zeke Ely (St. Johns) – 51.80

500 FREESTYLE

1. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 5:08.03

2. Broderick Ross (Alma) – 5:09.93

3. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 5:10.07

4. Alexander Eddy (Okemos) – 5:13.71

5. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 5:14.19

6. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 5:15.55

7. Andrew Himebaugh (Okemos) – 5:17.42

8. Niels Lashbrook (Waverly) – 5:21.62

9. Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 5:22.97

10. Noah Richards (Holt) – 5:25.73

200 FREESTYLE RELAY

1. Okemos (Andrew Himebaugh, Kevin Yan, Thomas Rachman, Ewan Woolcock) – 1:33.56

2. DeWitt (Cameron Sackett, Nick Schieberl, Ryan McVicker, Ryan Armbrustmacher) – 1:34.63

3. Haslett (McKain Williams, Ben Brittain, Ryan Abott, Spencer Rice) – 1:36.18

4. Holt (Burrell Jones, Noah Richards, David Hefty, Will Kirkconnell) – 1:36.66

5. Waverly (Joey Lashbrook, Joe Wright, Bryson Hill, Niels Lashbrook) – 1:36.92

6. East Lansing (Michael Kuhl, Jerry Sweitzer, Zachary Sneathen, Charles Schertzing) – 1:37.62

7. St. Johns (Jakob Jorda, Zeke Ely, Justin Woodbury, Ben Rumney) – 1:37.86

8. Owosso (Ethan Wilson, Trever Svarc, Eric willis, Noah Slusher) – 1:38.12

9. Williamston (Jack Bellinger, Seth Costello, Alexander Nicholson, Nicolaus Edwards) – 1:39.27

10. Grand Ledge (Justin Maidlow, Arison Harris, Troy Anderson, Nathan Buchweitz) – 1:40.06

100 BACKSTROKE

1. Andrew Himebaugh (Okemos) – 57.66

2. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 57.84

3. Justin Maidlow (Grand Ledge) – 58.73

4. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 59.15

5. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 59.51

6. Seth Costello (Williamston) – 59.74

7. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 59.89

8. Kai Jeffery (Haslett) – 1:00.16

9. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 1:00.22

10. Angus Macfarlane (Haslett) – 1:01.04

100 BREASTSTROKE

1. Bradley Barningham (Eaton Rapids) – 1:03.81

2. Arison Harris (Grand Ledge) – 1:04.56

3. Broderick Ross (Alma) – 1:05.23

4. Kevin Yan (Okemos) – 1:05.50

5. Jin Kang (Okemos) – 1:06.23

6. Zachary Sneathen (East Lansing) – 1:06.23

7. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 1:06.34

8. Angus Macfarlane (Haslett) – 1:07.38

9. Joe Wright (Waverly) – 1:08.57

10. Ryan McVicker (DeWitt) – 1:09.80

400 FREESTYLE RELAY

1. Okemos (Ewan Woolcock, Andrew Himebaugh, Thomas Rachman, Adam Schnepf) – 3:27.00

2. DeWitt (Cameron Sackett, Nick Schieberl, Ryan McVicker, Ryan Armbrustmacher) – 3:28.59

3. Holt (Burrell Jones, Brian Moore, Noah Richards, Will Kirkconnell) – 3:34.35

4. Haslett (McKain Williams, Angus Macfarlane, Ben Brittain, Spencer Rice) – 3:34.82

5. Owosso (Trever Svarc, Eric Willis, Noah Slusher, Marty Horger) – 3:35.53

6. St. Johns (Justin Brown, Brett Post, Zeke Ely, Ben Rumney) – 3:39.99

7. East Lansing (Charles Schertzing, Jonathan Sparrow, Jerry Sweitzer, Zachary Sneathen) – 3:41.76

8. Waverly (Joey Lashbrook, Niels Lashbrook, Robbie Estill, Bryson Hill) – 3:42.89

9. Williamston (Jack Bellinger, Seth Costello, Nicolaus Edwards, Alexander Nicholson) – 3:43.29

10. Grand Ledge (Nathan Buchweitz, Arison Harris, Justin Maidlow, Troy Anderson) – 3:45.00

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Chaz Richardson ,left, of Okemos blocks a shott attempt by Zhervonte Smith of Sexton during their game Tuesday January 12, 2016 in Lansing.

Toughness, effort and leadership are the three things Luke Stagg sets out to provide for the Okemos boys basketball team every time he touches the court.

The junior forward provided all three, plus some, for the Chiefs on Tuesday night.

Stagg scored a game-high 14 points and came up with some key defensive stops as Okemos outscored Sexton in the fourth quarter to pick up a 53-49 victory.

“All of our guys are pretty tough, but if I had to pick the toughest, I would definitely pick Luke on that one,” said Chiefs coach Jeff Wonch. “He’s constantly guarding guys that are four or five inches taller than him, and he’s up for the challenge.

“He got some big rebounds for us tonight and took care of the ball for us, too.”

Stagg, along with senior guard CJ Pruitt, propelled Okemos to its second straight victory – and its first winning streak of the season – by combining to score 10 of the Chiefs’ 18 fourth-quarter points. Okemos went into the final eight minutes trailing the Big Reds (1-7, 0-4) by one but was able to take the lead for good midway through the fourth with a 9-4 run.

Pruitt netted eight of his 12 points in the second half and provided a scoring boost for the Chiefs (3-3, 3-1) as the team’s leading scorer, Chaz Richardson, was held to just nine points.

“A lot of the guys who came back from last year are really stepping up,” Stagg said. “We got some newcomers who are stepping up, too. Everyone has new roles and we’re just trying to fill them and score some points.”

Okemos boys hand Holt its first loss of season

The loss gives Sexton its sixth single-digit loss of the season. Coach Carlton Valentine said the Big Reds’ early-season misfortunes has to do with lack of experience, specifically in the backcourt.

However, it was sophomore guards Zhervonte Smith and Cody Blankenburg who helped Sexton grab a 24-23 lead going into the half with six points each. Smith finished with a team-high 13 points.

“The game of basketball has changed. It’s all about guard play,” said Valentine, whose team had the lead at the end of each of the first three quarters. “If you don’t have experienced guard play than you’re going to have trouble. We haven’t won a lot (this year), so that’s always tough – guys get down on themselves.

“We have to really trust the execution on offense and defense. If you don’t trust your execution on offense and defense then eventually you’re going to make mistakes, and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

Senior Devin Taylor scored eight for the Big Reds and senior big man Kahari Foy-Walton scored nine.

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

DeWitt girls basketball coach Bill McCullen is looking to get the Panthers back to the Breslin Center in his 20th season.

DEWITT – Jan. 5 was one of the rare instances in which the DeWitt girls basketball team wasn’t scheduled to compete.

But senior Lilly George knew better than to expect a night off. Because in the eyes of her coach, Bill McCullen, there’s always something that can be done.

“He said, ‘There’s St. Johns vs. Grand Ledge tonight, Ionia vs. Haslett, so I want everyone to go to a game tonight,'” said George, whose team faced Waverly the following Friday. “He’ll probably get four hours of sleep all week just staying up and watching film for Friday. It’s the little things, he just takes everything so seriously and has a plan for everything.”

DeWitt seniors ready to complete final mission

McCullen’s meticulous attention to detail that George speaks of is part of the reason she’s been able to play under the bright lights of the Breslin Center. It’s also part of the reason the forward has been part of two conference championships and Class A district and regional titles.

And, not to mention, the reason she’s leading another Panther team that yet again expects to be playing in late March.

“I think that’s one of the things they learn quickly is that we’re pretty focused,” said McCullen, who is in the midst of his 20th season at the helm of the program. “We stay on task, we have routines, we have expectations and we’re consistent about that stuff.

“The kids who eventually get to the varsity level figure that out by watching the girls coming up before them. And my hope is that they see that and want to be like (them).”

It’s a cycle, and one that McCullen said he began to formulate shortly after taking over the team before the 1995-96 season. At that time, he set out to build a program that was supported by two basic pillars: consistency and tradition. And nearly two decades later, the current Panthers are a walking, talking example of the program’s essence.

DeWitt is off to a 9-0 start after losing four starters from last year’s Class A state runner-up team, which finished the season with a 25-2 record, and is currently ranked No. 2 in the latest Michigan Associated Press high school girls basketball poll.

George, who leads the team in scoring (15.0 points per game) and rebounds (6.6 rebounds per game), said seeing the Panthers regarded as one of the state’s best this early in the season surprised her.

However, McCullen said it hasn’t surprised him. Nor has it surprised current DeWitt volleyball coach Christy Drayton, who was a four-year guard under McCullen from 1999-2002.

“My freshman year we had Jen Smith, who went to play at Michigan and play in the WNBA, and we were 25-2,” she said. “Everyone said the next year was going to be a rebuilding year because we didn’t have Jen. He ended up taking us back to the final four. We went 21-4.

“Coach McCullen’s biggest thing, and I use this in volleyball, is that tradition never graduates. …He’s carried on a program for 20 years that always wins. No matter who is there.”

Drayton, who was on McCullen’s staff for seven years following graduation, was present when tradition was introduced, as an 11-year-old water girl on the varsity team. And since that time, she said the biggest thing McCullen, who is Mason native, has done is turn the program into a family.

One of McCullen’s assistants, former DeWitt hoops standout Sam Dalman, has been by his side for all 20 seasons. Same with junior varsity coach Scott Palmer. His other assistant, Marcy Uyl, is in the middle of her 11th season with the program. And until this past fall, the program has had the same seventh and eighth grade coaches since he started.

Claudia Reid Q&A: Princeton hoops, DeWitt, etc.

“There’s a consistency, whether it’s the vocabulary or what people are emphasizing, all of the coaches at all the levels are good friends, get along, and understand their role in the process,” McCullen said. “Everyone is doing what they can to help the program become successful.”

Under McCullen, who has a career record of 367-79 and said he hasn’t had a losing season as a coach, the Panthers have captured everything possible except a state championship. As a part of Class B, the Panthers won three regional titles, seven district titles and 12 conference titles. In Class A, which it joined during the 2011-12 season, DeWitt has one regional and district title to its name, and three conference titles.

“He’s well liked, well prepared,” said Dalman, who was an assistant with McCullen on the boys staff in the early 1990s under the late Jim Lutzke. “Everything he does is very organized. Expectations are on the table, and there are no false expectations.

“Bill’s not only an educator, but he’s a student of the game. And I think at a young age he latched on to Jim Lutzke, who was a very successful coach at Williamston and came to DeWitt, and he was a great mentor for Bill.”

The Panthers still have a long way to go if they plan on living up to this year’s team slogan of “Our Turn,” a phrase referencing DeWitt’s pursuit of the elusive state title. Friday night’s conference showdown with Class A No. 4-ranked Haslett may tell how far the Panthers have really come in a short amount of time.

And regardless of the result, McCullen and his staff are going to be back at the drawing board the next day. He’s got another 20 years ahead of him.

“We know DeWitt is always going to have a good team,” George said. “It’s just how we’ve been brought up and how the program has been.”

DeWitt girls, Ithaca boys No. 2 in AP hoops poll

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Dansville junior Clay Soule

Dansville boys basketball guard Clay Soule doesn’t consider himself a scorer.

So when the junior launched a half-court prayer as the first quarter came to a close in last week’s win over Laingsburg, he was as surprised as anyone when the ball ripped through the net.

“In practice, sometimes, we do around-the-world three point shots with half-court shots to win it,” said Soule, whose heave was voted the LSJ prep video of the week. “I’ve never made one of those.

“Everyone was kind of shocked.”

Clay Soule Half-court Buzzer Beater

Just a few months after Soule helped the Aggies’ football team to its best finish in school history – earning a Division 7 district championship on the way to a 10-2 season, he’s helped the basketball program get out to a perfect start.

Dansville boys hoops answering self-dialed call

Dansville is currently sitting atop the Central Michigan Athletic Conference, having already grabbed four conference wins in its five games, and Soule said the last few months “have been crazy.”

“People don’t really expect (much) out of Dansville, and we keep going and grinding,” he said. “Even a lot of past alumni didn’t think we were going to do as well as we did in football.

“As it goes it gets better and better.”

Galbreath bringing new life to Dansville football
Dansville senior finds comfort and more in football

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Vote for the LSJ prep video of the week.

Four videos made the cut for this week’s LSJ prep video of the week voting. The poll is open until 4 p.m. Thursday (Poll best viewed in Firefox, Google Chrome), and we’ll announce the winner at LSJ.com shortly after.

Videos can be best submitted weekly until 5 p.m. Sunday using the Twitter hashtag #LSJVOW or emailed to James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Each week we’ll select the best videos and post them online for public voting.

Videos can be of any high school event: A great play from any sport, a pep rally, a matching band performance, someone being honored or a team choreographed dance at practice. If you find it interesting, we want to see it.

LSJ prep video of the week winner: Dansville’s Clay Soule

Next summer, we’ll chose 10 of the best videos from the entire school year and ask you to vote on the video of the year. The winner will be recognized at the Lansing State Journal Greater Lansing Sports Awards banquet.

(Note: The poll to vote is at the bottom.)

OLIVET’S DYLAN REDFIELD HITS GAME-WINNING 3-POINTER

DEWITT’S TANNER REHA SENDS GAME VS. HASLETT INTO OVERTIME 

Video Credit to @_georgekhoury_ @JLEdwardsIII you think this could be a #LSJVOW winner? https://t.co/8MLmOAGIvv

—
Carter McCullen (@cartermcc22) January 16, 2016

OKEMOS FROSH LAYA HARTMAN SCORES NINE POINTS IN 59 SECONDS

59 Seconds — 9 Points — 1 Win

FOWLER SOPHOMORE MASON PLINE WITH ONE-HANDED PUTBACK DUNK

@masonpline 😵👀🔥💦😈 https://t.co/XQg1O52wep

—
Jamison Goerge (@JamisonGoerge) January 15, 2016

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Take a look at the top boys swimming and diving performances in mid-Michigan.

Here are the boys swimming and diving standings and top performances in mid-Michigan so far this season.

CAAC BLUE

Haslet…5-0, 3-0

Okemos…4-4, 3-0

DeWitt…3-0, 3-0

St. Johns…2-1, 2-1

Holt…2-2, 1-2

Jackson…1-4, 0-3

East Lansing…1-3, 0-3

Grand Ledge…0-3, 0-3

CAAC RED

Owosso…6-0, 3-0

Mason…3-0, 2-0

Waverly 2-1, 2-0

Eaton Rapids…1-4, 1-2

Williamston…1-3, 1-2

Ionia…0-4, 0-3

Lansing Legacy…0-3, 0-2

NON-CAAC

Alma…3-1

Ovid-Elsie…2-4

Corunna…1-0

Charlotte…0-1

200 MEDLEY RELAY

1. Grand Ledge (Justin Maidlow, Arison Harris, Nathan Buchweitz, Troy Anderson) – 1:46.64

2. DeWitt (Cameron Sackett, Ryan McVicker, Ryan Armbrustmacher, Nick Schieberl) – 1:46.90

3. Okemos (Andrew Himebaugh, Jin Kang, Thomas Rachman, Kevin Yan) – 1:47.35

4. East Lansing (Michael Kuhl, Zachary Sneathen, Charles Schertzing, Jerry Sweitzer) – 1:47.52

5. Haslett (Kai Jeffery, Will Miklavcic, Angus Macfarlane, Ryan Abbott) – 1:47.70

6. St. Johns (Zeke Ely, Justin Woodbury, Justin Brown, Ben Rumney) – 1:48.08

7. Owosso (Marty Horger, Max Leduc, Trever Svarc, Noah Slusher) – 1:50.32

8. Waverly (Robbie Estill, Joe Wright, Joey Lashbrook, Niels Lashbrook) – 1:53.70

9. Holt (Alexander Coleman, David Hefty, Burrell Jones, Noah Richards) – 1:54.13

10. Williamston (Seth Costello, Ethan Schrader, Brock Monette, Nicolaus Edwards) – 1:54.78

200 FREESTYLE

1. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 1:49.97

2. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 1:50.46

3. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 1:51.16

4. Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 1:52.89

5. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 1:53.35

6. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 1:53.93

7. Michael Kuhl (East Lansing) – 1:54.16

8. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 1:54.46

9. Alexander Eddy (Okemos) – 1:54.55

10. Will Kirkconnell (Holt) – 1:55.44

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

1. Andrew Himebaugh (Okemos) – 2:07.14

2. Broderick Ross (Alma) – 2:07.24

3. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 2:07.69

4. Justin Maidlow (Grand Ledge) – 2:07.80

5. Zachary Sneathen (East Lansing) – 2:08.26

6. Zeke Ely (St. Johns) – 2:10.43

7. Arison Harris (Grand Ledge) – 2:10.46

8. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 2:10.94

9. Kevin Yan (Okemos) – 2:11.10

10. McKain Williams (Haslett) – 2:11.65

50 FREESTYLE

1. Trever Svarc (Owosso) – 22.86

2. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 23.06

3. Ryan Armbrustmacher (DeWitt) – 23.21

4. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 23.21

5. Marty Horger (Owosso) – 23.33

6. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 23.41

7. Michael Kuhl (East Lansing) – 23.43

8. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 23.45

9. Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 23.47

10. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 23.66

1-METER DIVING (6)

1. Riese Penn (Ionia) – 321.00

2. Cayden Petrak (St. Johns) – 284.20

3. Brock Petrak (St. Johns) – 272.60

4. James Gilroy (St. Johns) – 268.40

5. Caleb Petrak (St. Johns) – 250.90

6. Luke Lathrop (Eaton Rapids) – 237.65

7. Hunter Whitman (Okemos) – 213.20

8. Andrew Gordon (Okemos) – 206.60

9. Wesley Pasikowski (East Lansing) – 191.40

10. Thomas Sutphen (Owosso) – 188.55

100 BUTTERFLY

1. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 55.13

2. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 56.34

3. Joe Wright (Waverly) – 57.36

4. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 57.36

5. Angus Macfarlane (Haslett) – 57.67

6. Trever Svarc (Owosso) – 57.99

7. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 58.45

8. Ryan McVicker (DeWitt) – 58.73

9. Justin Maidlow (Grand Ledge) – 58.79

10. Ryan Armbrustmacher (DeWitt) – 58.80

100 FREESTYLE

1. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 50.15

2. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 50.43

3. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 50.48

4. Marty Horger (Owosso) – 50.68

5. Michael Kuhl (East Lansing) – 51.03

6. Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 51.25

7. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 51.26

8. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 51.27

9. Trever Svarc (Owosso) – 51.35

10. Zeke Ely (St. Johns) – 51.44

500 FREESTYLE

1. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 5:04.21

2. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 5:07.41

3. Broderick Ross (Alma) – 5:09.93

4. Alexander Eddy (Okemos) – 5:13.64

5. Zachary Sneathen (East Lansing) – 5:14.11

6. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 5:14.19

7. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 5:15.55

8. Niels Lashbrook (Waverly) – 5:16.93

9. Andrew Himebaugh (Okemos) – 5:17.42

10. Jakob Jorda (St. Johns) – 5:20.28

200 FREESTYLE RELAY

1. Okemos (Andrew Himebaugh, Kevin Yan, Thomas Rachman, Ewan Woolcock) – 1:33.56

2. DeWitt (Cameron Sackett, Nick Schieberl, Ryan McVicker, Ryan Armbrustmacher) – 1:34.63

3. St. Johns (Justin Woodbury, Brett Post, Zeke Ely, Ben Rumney) – 1:35.44

4. Holt (Burrell Jones, David Hefty, Noah Richards, Will Kirkconnell) – 1:35.48

5. Haslett (McKain Williams, Ben Brittain, Ryan Abott, Spencer Rice) – 1:36.18

6. East Lansing (Michael Kuhl, Jeohn Ward, Charles Schertzing, Zachary Sneathen) – 1:36.65

7. Waverly (Joey Lashbrook, Joe Wright, Bryson Hill, Niels Lashbrook) – 1:36.92

8. Owosso (Ethan Wilson, Trever Svarc, Eric willis, Noah Slusher) – 1:38.12

9. Grand Ledge (Nathan Buchweitz, Arison Harris, Justin Maidlow, Troy Anderson) – 1:39.22

10. Williamston (Jack Bellinger, Seth Costello, Alexander Nicholson, Nicolaus Edwards) – 1:39.27

100 BACKSTROKE

1. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 56.55

2. Andrew Himebaugh (Okemos) – 57.66

3. Justin Maidlow (Grand Ledge) – 58.73

4. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 59.15

5. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 59.51

6. Seth Costello (Williamston) – 59.74

7. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 59.89

8. Kai Jeffery (Haslett) – 1:00.16

9. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 1:00.22

10. Spencer Rice (Haslett) – 1:00.96

100 BREASTSTROKE

1. Bradley Barningham (Eaton Rapids) – 1:03.35

2. Arison Harris (Grand Ledge) – 1:04.56

3. Broderick Ross (Alma) – 1:05.23

4. Kevin Yan (Okemos) – 1:05.50

5. Angus Macfarlane (Haslett) – 1:05.53

6. Jin Kang (Okemos) – 1:06.23

7. Zachary Sneathen (East Lansing) – 1:06.23

8. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 1:06.34

9. Joe Wright (Waverly) – 1:08.57

10. Ryan McVicker (DeWitt) – 1:09.80

400 FREESTYLE RELAY

1. Okemos (Ewan Woolcock, Andrew Himebaugh, Thomas Rachman, Adam Schnepf) – 3:25.43

2. DeWitt (Cameron Sackett, Nick Schieberl, Ryan McVicker, Ryan Armbrustmacher) – 3:28.52

3. Holt (Burrell Jones, David Hefty, Noah Richards, Will Kirkconnell) – 3:33.12

4. Haslett (McKain Williams, Ben Brittain, Spencer Rice, Ryan Abbott) – 3:33.69

5. Owosso (Trever Svarc, Eric Willis, Noah Slusher, Marty Horger) – 3:35.53

6. St. Johns (Justin Brown, Brett Post, Zeke Ely, Ben Rumney) – 3:39.99

7. East Lansing (Charles Schertzing, Jonathan Sparrow, Jerry Sweitzer, Zachary Sneathen) – 3:41.76

8. Waverly (Joey Lashbrook, Niels Lashbrook, Robbie Estill, Bryson Hill) – 3:42.89

9. Williamston (Jack Bellinger, Seth Costello, Nicolaus Edwards, Alexander Nicholson) – 3:43.29

10. Grand Ledge (Nathan Buchweitz, Arison Harris, Justin Maidlow, Troy Anderson) – 3:45.00

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Williamston guards Renee Sturm (left) and Maddie Watters (right) are leading the fast-paced Hornets.

Williamston guards Renee Sturm and Maddie Watters are leading the fast-paced Hornets.

Maddie Watters and Renee Sturm

WILLIAMSTON – Time was the only thing separating Maddie Watters from the varsity ranks as she sat in the bleachers of Williamston High School a few years back.

Then, as a middle schooler, Watters was a spectator, often watching a couple of her soon-to-be teammates compete. One of them was Renee Sturm, an up-and-coming threat in the Hornets’ program.

“I knew her style of game because I would go watch a lot of their games and stuff,” said Watters. “I definitely looked forward to playing with her because I knew she was a good player, and I thought it would be fun to work with her.”

Williamston sophomore Maddie Watters is averaging just south of 18 points per game while leading the area in 3-point shots made.

As time dissolved, and Watters made the transition from the stands to the floor, the two showed quickly that they were a perfect fit. Last season, Watters, a freshman, and Sturm, a junior, morphed into one of the area’s best backcourts while helping lead the Hornets to a 10-0 record in the CAAC White. A year later, the duo is making a case as one of the state’s best — averaging a combined 32.9 points per game while helping Williamston earn a Class B No. 6 ranking midway through the season.

Both Sturm and Watters step on the floor looking to do the same thing: fill up the bucket. But, according to the two guards, it’s the subtle difference in their games that makes the pairing work. Sturm, who is averaging 15.2 ppg, 7.7 rebounds per game and 6.6 assists per game, is more of “the drive and kick or drive and attack” player, according to Watters. And the sophomore, who is scoring 17.7 ppg, is one of the best shooters in mid-Michigan. She’s hit an area-leading 37 3-pointers this season, which is 18 more than the next closest player.

“I had a couple workouts with her, and she could shoot like crazy. That’s not me as much,” Sturm said of her first couple of encounters with her backcourt mate. “When I did a workout with her it was like, ‘Well, she’s young and little and stuff,’ but she knew what she was doing and she had a high basketball IQ.

“She just makes my job super easy. She’s always out running wide for me and our offense is fast paced. …I’ve seen her hit 10 out of 12 (from 3) in a game before.”

For nine-year Williamston coach Pete Cool, whose team is 4-0 in the CAAC White and faces 4-0 Portland on Friday, the fast-paced offense is something he’s always tried to incorporate — a style he picked up from Michigan State teams of the early 2000s — but hasn’t always been able to execute. With Sturm and Watters pushing his offense, he’s able to successfully play the style he deems as “more fun.”

Williamston’s Renee Sturm, left, is leading the Hornets in assists and steals while averaging about 15 points per game.

“It’s nothing fancy,” Cool said. “It’s been fun coaching those two, but even when Renee graduates next year we’re going to try and push the ball. We tried to do it five years ago. It’s just a matter of if we’re able to do it or not.”

When trailing, which has been rare this season, Sturm said the Hornets (10-2) never feel out of games because of their pace. And the team has high expectations due to the growth of the cast surrounding the dynamic backcourt, she said.

“We’re trying to make it less of a two-man show,” said Sturm, whose team lost one of its two games to Class A No. 3-ranked Haslett. “Allison (Peplowski) had a great game against Fowlerville — she had 17 points. Halle (Wisbiski) has been our leading scorer before, Elana (Lycos) has been our leading scorer. So we’re bringing those pieces together, we have great chemistry, and I really think we can have some success.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Josh Horford ,top, of Grand Ledge lays the ball in forthe game winning basket as Sexton defenders look on in the last seconds of their game Tuesday January 19, 2016 in Lansing.

Josh Horford knew he would have to make an impact at some point for the Grand Ledge boys hoops team to escape Sexton with a win on Tuesday night.

And after early foul trouble meant a scoreless first half for the 6-foot-5 senior, he set out to make sure the final 16 minutes wasn’t the same tale.

It wasn’t.

Horford capped his strong second-half performance with a game-winning layup with less than six seconds remaining to lift the Comets past the Big Reds, 60-58, in a CAAC Blue showdown.

• BOX SCORE

“My teammates just let me know that they needed me,” said Horford, who scored all 10 of his points in the second half. “I had to step up, play a little smarter. …Those fouls got to me. I wasn’t getting buckets easily, nothing was falling, but my teammates kept encouraging me.”

Here's Horford's potential game-winning bucket. https://t.co/leEdCtiabq

—
James Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) January 20, 2016

The shots started falling for Horford, who also had four rebounds, in the third quarter when his back-to-back layups fueled a 9-0 run for Grand Ledge to close the quarter, helping the Comets to a seven-point lead to start the fourth. The senior picked up where he left off in the final quarter by scoring two quick buckets to help put his team up by eight.

Senior guard Malek Adams scored nine of his 18 points in the second half and assisted on the Horford game-winner.

“Josh is our motor,” said Grand Ledge coach Scott Lewis, whose team has won six of its last seven games. “Everybody focuses on Malek, and Malek is a heck of a ball player, but if Josh plays well then our team plays well.

“We put the ball in those two guys’ hands and we came out here and got a W.”

The victory almost slipped away from the Comets in the final minutes of the contest thanks to Sexton sophomore Zhervonte Smith, who scored a team-high 15 points. With his team trailing, 57-50, with less than two minutes remaining, Smith scored eight straight points for the Big Reds (2-9, 0-6) to tie the game at 58.

Sexton has now lost eight games this season by single-digits – four games by five points or less. Smith said the tight losses have been frustrating for the inexperienced Big Reds, but also added that the team understands it’s going through a learning process.

“You can’t lose every game like this, so if you keep the same mindset … the Basketball Gods are eventually going to give you one,” Smith said. “We’re just waiting for our turn. Right now, they (Basketball Gods) don’t want us to get one.

“We’re just trying to keep our mind focused and have mental toughness. We don’t want to start getting down at this time because it’s crunch time, the second half of the season. I know we’re a young team and all, but we’re trying to get ready for the end of this season and the start of next season.”

Grand Ledge’s Jordan Goebel scored 12 of his 18 points in the first half and sophomore guard Luke Smith scored nine points on the night.

Sexton sophomore Karl Brooks added 14 points and senior Kiston Branson scored nine.

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Fowler sophomore Mason Pline

For Mason Pline, throwing down a right-handed dunk is no problem. Two hands? Easy.

But the Fowler High School sophomore, who is right handed, had no idea he could dunk with his left. Until last week.

Pline, who is 6-foot-6, flushed down a left-handed, putback dunk in last week’s 56-46 loss to Dansville, and surprised himself and everyone on his team in the process. The slam was voted the LSJ prep video of the week.

“It might have been a fluke thing, or it might be something I need to do more,” Pline said of his play. “I’ve always thought about trying for one (putback dunk). I couldn’t have gotten a much better bounce for one.

“I didn’t really know what happened. After the play, my teammate grabbed me and said, ‘That was sweet.'”

@masonpline 😵👀🔥💦😈 https://t.co/XQg1O52wep

—
Jamison Goerge (@JamisonGoerge) January 15, 2016

The loss to the Aggies, who, along with Fulton, are sitting atop the Central Michigan Athletic Conference, was the Eagles’ (5-3, 3-2) third in five games. Pline said Fowler came into the season with high expectations, as the roster consists of three guys that are 6-foot-5 or taller.

The Eagles are currently in the middle of a tough CMAC conference. However, they’re just one game out of first place. Pline said he believes Fowler can get back on track if it picks it up on the defensive end.

“We knew we needed to work on getting quicker defensively, and we knew if we started big guys we we would have to guard quicker guys and communicate,” he said. “We’re definitely not satisfied by any means.

“Coming into this week of practice we knew we had to get better defensively. And I think we got better.”

Sturm, Watters step up the pace for Williamston girls hoops
Prep athlete of the week: Haslett’s Megan Mowid

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Raegan Vorce wouldn’t describe the Lansing Catholic girls basketball team as one that “lives and dies off the 3.”

Hannah Powell, center, of Fowlerville and Chloe Miller, right, of Lansing Catholic fight for the ball during their game Friday in Lansing.

But the senior does admit her team isn’t afraid to let it fly.

Regardless, the long-distance shooting that ignited the Cougars’ hot start Friday night, and left them stagnant in the second and third quarter, revived them in the final minutes as Lauren Rule’s 3-pointer capped a nine-point, fourth-quarter comeback for Lansing Catholic against Fowlerville.

“We do shoot a lot of 3s, but we practice them a lot in practice,” said Vorce, who hit three 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 16 points in the 55-52 victory over the Gladiators (7-4, 3-3). “That’s what our coach teaches us: keep shooting and, if you miss, you just got to keep shooting. Eventually, they’ll go in.”

And as the shooting cooled down, the Cougars (6-4, 2-3) found themselves trailing Fowlerville, 50-41, midway through the fourth quarter. But coach Kacee Reid made a defensive adjustment — switching to a half-court trap — and her Lansing Catholic squad was able to frantically work its way back by forcing several turnovers.

The Cougars cut into the Gladiators’ nine-point lead quickly by going 3-for-3 from the charity stripe and by getting much-needed scoring from Ellie Dionise. The senior guard scored four of her eight points in the final five minutes and tied the game at 50-all before Rule, a senior, nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer.

Ollie Updike, right, of Fowlerville knocks down a 3-point shot over Lansing Catholic defenders during their game Friday in Lansing.

“That (defensive adjustment) was a credit to Fowlerville, they were getting anything they wanted — getting to the basket, driving through the middle of the lane,” said Reid, whose team has now won two straight CAAC White matchups after dropping its first three. “We just wanted to give them a different look and see how they would react.

“In practice, the last two weeks, we’ve been doing situations — down by eight with two minutes to go, down by 10 — so I think that helped us tonight, just knowing that we can come back from that deficit.”

The youthful Gladiators were able to go into the fourth quarter with the lead after an impressive second-quarter performance, a span in which they outscored Lansing Catholic, 20-11. Sophomore guard Ollie Updike scored six of her 12 points in the quarter, and freshman Jackie Jarvis scored five of her team-high 13 points during that stretch.

Fowlerville coach Nick Douglass said Friday’s game portrayed the “ups and downs” of having an inexperienced team.

“When you factor in that we’re at Game 11, freshmen aren’t freshmen anymore, mentally,” he said. “And then you factor in the amount of games that the freshmen and sophomores have played at the AAU level, outside of high school, it isn’t even a factor as far as that goes.

“But it did show because of the (lack of) experience in a high school setting, the situation, the variables. … It just got the better of us tonight.”

Freshman Elie Smith added 10 points for the Gladiators.

Rule scored 11 for the Cougars, including three 3-pointers, and senior Chrissy Jurkovic added eight points.

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Clay Boak ,12, of Fowlerville lines up a successful reverse layup over a Lansing Catholic defender during their game Friday January 22, 2016 in Lansing. KEVIN W. FOWLER PHOTO

Chuck Paehn of Lansing Catholic knocks down a jumper over a Fowlerville defender during their game Friday January 22, 2016 in Lansing. KEVIN W. FOWLER PHOTO

The Lansing Catholic student section celebrates a 3-point shot by a Lansing Catholicnboys basketball player during their game with Fowlerville Friday January 22, 2016 in Lansing. KEVIN W. FOWLER PHOTO

Tony Poljan of Lansing Catholic dunks after staeling the ball from a Fowlerville player in the 4th quarter of their game Friday January 22, 2016 in Lansing. KEVIN W. FOWLER PHOTO

The Lansing Catholic boys basketball team proved earlier this season that it could get the job done without standout forward Tony Poljan.

But the addition of the 6-foot-7 senior, who missed the first two games of the season, has taken the Cougars over the top. Poljan scored a team-high 22 points and added 10 rebounds Friday night as Lansing Catholic picked up its sixth consecutive double-digit victory by defeating Fowlerville, 79-65, at home.

“Tony has adjusted really well,” said first-year Lansing Catholic coach Eric Trojanowicz. “We work a lot of things off Tony, and when that double team comes he gets that thing out and finds our shooters. We have people that are cutting off of him, and that makes a big difference. It opens everything up for him.”

The Cougars (8-0, 5-0), who were eliminated by the Gladiators (5-4, 3-2) during last year’s postseason, struggled early against a feisty Fowlerville squad. The Gladiators opened the game on an 8-0 run, and behind eight first-quarter points from senior Sam MacDowell, who finished with a game-high 23 points, they were able to take a 15-10 lead into the second quarter.

But Lansing Catholic picked up the intensity just before the half and ended the game’s first 16 minutes on an 11-2 run. Four different players, including senior Mitchell Burnett, who scored 14 points in the game, tallied on the score sheet for the Cougars during that run.

Poljan, who recently verbally committed to Central Michigan for football, scored 19 of his points in the second half.

Vote for the LSJ prep video of the week.

Three videos made the cut for this week’s LSJ prep video of the week voting. The poll is open until 4 p.m. Thursday (Poll best viewed in Firefox, Google Chrome), and we’ll announce the winner at LSJ.com shortly after.

Videos can be best submitted weekly until 5 p.m. Sunday using the Twitter hashtag #LSJVOW or emailed to James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Each week we’ll select the best videos and post them online for public voting.

Videos can be of any high school event: A great play from any sport, a pep rally, a matching band performance, someone being honored or a team choreographed dance at practice. If you find it interesting, we want to see it.

LSJ prep video of the week winner: Fowler’s Mason Pline
Vote for the LSJ prep athlete of week: Jan. 18-23

Next summer, we’ll chose 10 of the best videos from the entire school year and ask you to vote on the video of the year. The winner will be recognized at the Lansing State Journal Greater Lansing Sports Awards banquet.

(Note: The poll to vote is at the bottom.)

DANSVILLE’S HAYDEN VOSS THROWS BEHIND-THE-HEAD PASS

Hayden “Behind The Head Pass” Voss

ST. JOHNS’ LOGAN MARTENS HITS GAME-WINNING SHOT

SJ JV Boys at Fowlerville

LANSING CHRISTIAN BOYS: STEAL, PASS AND DUNK FOR THE AND-1

Lansing Christian steal, pass and dunk
Vote for the LSJ prep video of the week – Jan. 18-23

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Check out the Greater Lansing-area boys swimming and diving high school honor roll.

Here are the boys swimming and diving standings and top performances in mid-Michigan so far this season.

CAAC BLUE (overall, league)

Haslet…6-0, 4-0

Okemos…5-4, 4-0

DeWitt…3-1, 3-1

St. Johns…3-1, 3-1

East Lansing…3-3, 1-3

Holt…2-3, 1-3

Jackson…1-5, 0-4

Grand Ledge…0-4, 0-4

CAAC RED

Owosso…7-1, 4-0

Mason…4-0, 3-0

Waverly 3-1, 3-0

Eaton Rapids…2-5, 1-3

Williamston…1-3, 1-2

Ionia…0-5, 0-4

Lansing Legacy…0-4, 0-3

NON-CAAC

Alma…4-1

Ovid-Elsie…3-4

Corunna…1-0

Charlotte…0-2

200 MEDLEY RELAY

1. Haslett (Kai Jeffery, Angus Macfarlane, Mckain Williams, Ryan Abbott) – 1:44.26

2. Okemos (Andrew Himebaugh, Kevin Yan, Thomas Rachman, Ewan Woolcock) – 1:46.25

3. Grand Ledge (Justin Maidlow, Arison Harris, Nathan Buchweitz, Troy Anderson) – 1:46.64

4. DeWitt (Cameron Sackett, Ryan McVicker, Ryan Armbrustmacher, Nick Schieberl) – 1:46.90

5. East Lansing (Michael Kuhl, Zachary Sneathen, Charles Schertzing, Jerry Sweitzer) – 1:47.52

6. St. Johns (Zeke Ely, Justin Woodbury, Justin Brown, Ben Rumney) – 1:48.08

7. Waverly (Joey Lashbrook, Joe Wright, Robbie Estill, Bryson Hill) – 1:49.05

8. Owosso (Marty Horger, Jake Lawton, Trever Svarc, Eric Willis) – 1:49.10

9. Williamston (Seth Costello, Ethan Schrader, Jack Bellinger, Alexander Nicholson) – 1:50.98

10. Holt (Alexander Coleman, Nam Phan, Viet Phan, Collin Wisner) – 1:53.29

200 FREESTYLE

1. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 1:49.97

2. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 1:50.46

3. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 1:51.16

4. Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 1:52.39

5. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 1:52.49

6. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 1:53.35

7. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 1:53.93

8. Michael Kuhl (East Lansing) – 1:54.16

9. Alexander Eddy (Okemos) – 1:54.55

10. Seth Costello (Williamston) – 1:54.83

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

1. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 2:03.07

2. Andrew Himebaugh (Okemos) – 2:07.14

3. Broderick Ross (Alma) – 2:07.24

4. Justin Maidlow (Grand Ledge) – 2:07.65

5. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 2:07.69

6. Zachary Sneathen (East Lansing) – 2:07.83

7. Jakob Jorda (St. Johns) – 2:08.19

8. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 2:09.66

9. Zeke Ely (St. Johns) – 2:10.43

10. Arison Harris (Grand Ledge) – 2:10.46

50 FREESTYLE

1. Trever Svarc (Owosso) – 22.82

2. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 23.06

3. Ryan Armbrustmacher (DeWitt) – 23.21

4. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 23.21

5. Marty Horger (Owosso) – 23.33

6. Justin Woodbury (St. Johns) – 23.34

7. Michael Kuhl (East Lansing) – 23.39

8. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 23.41

9. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 23.45

10. Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 23.45

1-METER DIVING (6)

1. Riese Penn (Ionia) – 321.00

2. Cayden Petrak (St. Johns) – 284.20

3. Brock Petrak (St. Johns) – 272.60

4. James Gilroy (St. Johns) – 268.40

5. Caleb Petrak (St. Johns) – 250.90

6. Luke Lathrop (Eaton Rapids) – 237.65

7. Hunter Whitman (Okemos) – 229.80

8. Andrew Gordon (Okemos) – 223.10

9. Wesley Pasikowski (East Lansing) – 191.40

10. Ben Vangorder (Haslett) – 189.50

100 BUTTERFLY

1. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 55.13

2. Angus Macfarlane (Haslett) – 56.14

3. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 56.34

4. Joe Wright (Waverly) – 57.28

5. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 57.36

6. Trever Svarc (Owosso) – 57.99

7. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 58.45

8. Ben Brittain (Haslett) – 58.57

9. Ryan McVicker (DeWitt) – 58.73

10. Justin Maidlow (Grand Ledge) – 58.79

100 FREESTYLE

1. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 50.15

2. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 50.26

3. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 50.43

4. Marty Horger (Owosso) – 50.51

5. Ryan Armbrustmacher (DeWitt) – 50.65

6. Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 50.72

7. Michael Kuhl (East Lansing) – 50.76

8. Trever Svarc (Owosso) – 51.11

9. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 51.26

10. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 51.27

500 FREESTYLE

1. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 5:02.23

2. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 5:03.16

3. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 5:09.75

4. Broderick Ross (Alma) – 5:09.93

5. Ben Rumney (St. Johns) – 5:12.19

6. Alexander Eddy (Okemos) – 5:13.64

7. Zachary Sneathen (East Lansing) – 5:14.11

8. Charles Schertzing (East Lansing) – 5:14.19

9. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 5:15.55

10. Niels Lashbrook (Waverly) – 5:15.64

200 FREESTYLE RELAY

1. Okemos (Andrew Himebaugh, Kevin Yan, Thomas Rachman, Ewan Woolcock) – 1:33.56

2. St. Johns (Justin Woodbury, Brett Post, Zeke Ely, Ben Rumney) – 1:34.15

3. DeWitt (Cameron Sackett, Nick Schieberl, Ryan McVicker, Ryan Armbrustmacher) – 1:34.63

4. Haslett (Spencer Rice, Angus Macfarlane, Ben Brittain, Ryan Abbott) – 1:35.23

5. Holt (Burrell Jones, David Hefty, Noah Richards, Will Kirkconnell) – 1:35.37

6. East Lansing (Zachary Sneathen, Abdullah Sahyouni, Michael Kuhl, Charles Schertzing) – 1:36.65

7. Waverly (Joey Lashbrook, Joe Wright, Bryson Hill, Niels Lashbrook) – 1:36.92

8. Owosso (Ethan Wilson, Trever Svarc, Eric willis, Noah Slusher) – 1:38.12

9. Grand Ledge (Nathan Buchweitz, Arison Harris, Justin Maidlow, Troy Anderson) – 1:39.22

10. Williamston (Jack Bellinger, Seth Costello, Alexander Nicholson, Nicolaus Edwards) – 1:39.27

100 BACKSTROKE

1. Joey Lashbrook (Waverly) – 55.48

2. Andrew Himebaugh (Okemos) – 57.66

3. Justin Maidlow (Grand Ledge) – 58.59

4. Nick Schieberl (DeWitt) – 59.04

5. Kai Jeffery (Haslett) – 59.19

6. Ewan Woolcock (Okemos) – 59.51

7. Seth Costello (Williamston) – 59.74

8. Cameron Sackett (DeWitt) – 59.89

9. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 1:00.22

10. Spencer Rice (Haslett) – 1:00.96

100 BREASTSTROKE

1. Bradley Barningham (Eaton Rapids) – 1:01.92

2. Arison Harris (Grand Ledge) – 1:03.10

3. Angus Macfarlane (Haslett) – 1:04.71

4. Broderick Ross (Alma) – 1:05.23

5. Kevin Yan (Okemos) – 1:05.50

6. Justin Maidlow (Grand Ledge) – 1:05.90

7. Jin Kang (Okemos) – 1:06.23

8. Zachary Sneathen (East Lansing) – 1:06.23

9. Thomas Rachman (Okemos) – 1:06.34

10. Justin Woodbury (St. Johns) – 1:07.66

400 FREESTYLE RELAY

1. Okemos (Ewan Woolcock, Andrew Himebaugh, Thomas Rachman, Adam Schnepf) – 3:25.43

2. DeWitt (Cameron Sackett, Nick Schieberl, Ryan McVicker, Ryan Armbrustmacher) – 3:28.52

3. St. Johns (Justin Brown, Jakob Jorda, Zeke Ely, Ben Rumney) – 3:32.40

4. Holt (Burrell Jones, David Hefty, Noah Richards, Will Kirkconnell) – 3:33.12

5. Haslett (McKain Williams, Ben Brittain, Spencer Rice, Ryan Abbott) – 3:33.69

6. Waverly (Joey Lashbrook, Joe Wright, Niels Lashbrook, Bryson Hill) – 3:34.81

7. Owosso (Trever Svarc, Eric Willis, Noah Slusher, Marty Horger) – 3:35.53

8. Grand Ledge (Troy Anderson, Nathan Buchweitz, Arison Harris, Justin Maidlow) – 3:40.04

9. Alma (Rees Wimmer, Kolton Kovac, Kyle Lovas, Broderick Ross) – 3:41.59

10. East Lansing (Charles Schertzing, Jonathan Sparrow, Jerry Sweitzer, Zachary Sneathen) – 3:41.76

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

BATH – With the CMAC race starting to heat up, Hannah Thelen had no choice but to stomach the flu bug that crept up on her Tuesday morning.

Tessa Hosford ,left, of Bath steals the ball from Brenna Wirth ,right, of Pewamo-Westphalia in the 1st half of their game Tuesday.

The Pewamo-Westphalia girls basketball team entered game day two games out of first place – and just one game behind Bath, the opponent awaiting them Tuesday night – and Thelen wanted to make sure she helped her squad remain in the league hunt.

The senior guard did just that.

Thelen, who was an all-league selection last season, scored eight of her game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Pirates outlasted the Bees, 53-40, to pick up their third straight conference victory.

“We knew that we had to work hard, work as a team, because this (game) is what matters,” said Thelen, whose team lost to Bath, at home, by 11 points earlier in the season. “We had to get them this game.”

The two conference rivals went into the fourth quarter tied at 36, and that’s when the senior’s leadership came into play. Thelen, who was shooting 43 percent from 3-point range coming into Tuesday’s game, went 2-for-2 from downtown – her only 3-point attempts of the night – and spearheaded a Pewamo-Westphalia defense that held Bath to zero fourth-quarter field goals.

The victory evens the Pirates (8-5, 7-2) and the Bees (9-2, 7-2) in the race for the CMAC title, as both teams are chasing unbeaten Laingsburg. Pewamo-Westphalia will host the Wolfpack next Thursday.

“She’s (Thelen) that calming effect where we bring the ball up the floor, get the ball to her, and when she’s got the ball I think everyone else kind of relaxes,” Pirates coach Steve Eklund said. “She takes a lot of pressure off of everybody else. They know she’s going to come out and dish out five (assists) a game, and she’s going to score when we need a bucket. Like tonight.”

Thelen’s fourth-quarter heroics were needed after the Pirates’ seven-point lead quickly vanished in the third quarter. Bath, trailing 32-25, ended the third quarter on an 11-4 run thanks to the gutsy defensive efforts of Bath junior Tessa Hosford, who recorded five steals and eight points in the game. The Bees forced Pewamo-Westphalia into seven turnovers in the final five minutes of the period.

Tessa’s sister, freshman Tait Hosford, scored six of her team-high 14 points in the third quarter.

“We controlled our own destiny before this game,” said Bath coach Chris Rypstra, whose team also has one more meeting with the Wolfpack. “Thinking and looking at a conference title, we become P-W’s biggest fan and they become are biggest fan when we play Laingsburg.

“League titles and districts are what they are, but every high school team wants to improve every day, every game, so that you’re playing the best at the end, and it was one of those things where we didn’t tonight. We got to accept that and move on and get better from it. P-W is a great team and I give them all the credit in the world.”

Sophomore Emily Spitzley scored 13 points for the Pirates and senior Alyssa Nurenberg added eight.

Junior guard Taylor Buck contributed with five points for the Bees.

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Leslie High School senior Kanen Storr, left, is a two-time state champion and is committed to Iowa State University.

Below is a look at the top high school wrestling records in mid-Michigan through Jan. 27.

(Note: Records are based on information submitted to the LSJ. Coaches are asked to submit records to jledwards@lsj.com Wednesday by noon.)

103

Nathan Mariutza (Owosso)…26-5

Devin Gibbs (Leslie)…25-12

Cole Cudney (Ionia)…23-4

Cole Jackson (Lakewood)…22-7

Tyler Koehn (Eaton Rapids)…21-8

Ronnie Slater (DeWitt)…17-8

Heh Say (Mason)…10-8

112

Anthony Mack (Dansville)…34-4

Cameron Mahlich (Ionia)…26-1

Jackson Severns (DeWitt)…26-4

Jon Maag (Lakewood)…22-8

Seth Bunting (Mason)…18-10

Hamandi Lugendo (Sexton)…16-6

Alex Kingsley (Grand Ledge)…14-5

Hayden Campbell (Eaton Rapids)…13-8

119

Quenten Hall (DeWitt)…27-4

Cole Janes (Grand Ledge)…25-2

Chaz Kehres  (Dansville)…24-7

Emilio Compos (Owosso)…23-2

Isaac Coolidge (Eaton Rapids)…20-9

Jordan Richardson (Ionia)…19-2

John Jackson (Lakewood)…14-12

125

Jack Snauko (Grand Ledge)…26-1

Austin O’Hearon (Eaton Rapids)…23-6

Jesse Leonard (Lakewood)…18-8

Tyler Pressley (Mason)…18-11

Garrett Smith (Williamston)…16-10

130

Colton Hanysak (Williamston)…26-8

Kilian Southworth (DeWitt)…24-7

Jacob Fisher (Owosso)…24-6

Karson Kost (Grand Ledge)…20-8

Chase Hill (Sexton)…16-4

Matthew Hagaman (Eaton Rapids)…15-15

Lazaro Gallardo III (Lakewood)…12-10

135

Clay Ragon (Dansville)…32-4

Quintin Lopez (Williamston)…23-9

Tyler Albarez (DeWitt)…18-11

JD Greathouse (Mason)…12-3

Nick Haynes (Eaton Rapids)…11-3

140

Dresden Simon (Dansville)…31-1

Sam York (DeWitt)…24-4

Hunter George (Eaton Rapids)…23-7

Eli Palmer (Williamston)…20-10

Tristan Miller (Mason)…19-9

Garrett Johnson (Lakewood)…18-9

Derrick Lee (East Lansing)…16-7

Dave Mays (Leslie)…13-7

Brayden McNamara (Eaton Rapids)…9-7

145

Kanen Storr (Leslie)…37-0

Austin Melton (DeWitt)…33-0

Lane Allen (Lakewood)…29-2

Dylan Steward (Grand Ledge)…26-1

Jeromy Price (Mason)…12-10

Chaz Castillo (Sexton)…11-7

Niko Rincon (Dansville)…9-5

152

Joseph Vondrasek (Owosso)…26-3

Lane McVicker (Eaton Rapids)…22-0

Rome Dornbush (Leslie)…17-14

Malcym Carroll (East Lansing)…13-3

Barak Leonard (Lakewood)…9-4

160

Austen Hutchison (Eaton Rapids)…25-3

Brian Hamilton (Ionia)…23-13

Brandon Poland (Williamston)…22-5

Johnny Stid (Dansville)…22-6

Isiah Williams (Everett)…21-6

Conner Frizzell (Lakewood)…16-11

171

Cash Thompson (Lakewood)…30-1

Ethan Korb (Dansville)…29-5

Gabe Larner (DeWitt)…27-2

Luke Weaver (Ionia)…23-13

Tristen Schultz (Eaton Rapids)…20-6

Chase McManaman (Williamston)…18-7

Cordell Sweezy (Leslie)…11-4

189

Trevor Piggott (Ionia)…33-1

Brad Wilton (Mason)… 29-1

Nick Brandt (DeWitt)…28-5

Zach Chesney (Leslie)…28-7

Josh Days (Eaton Rapids)…12-11

Jacob Kelley (Lakewood)…11-5

215

Matt Dolbee (Leslie)…30-7

Clayton Higelmire (Eaton Rapids)…23-1

Zane Froelich (DeWitt)…13-9

Kris Kasper (Lakewood)…11-4

Ben Surato (Mason)…9-5

Jashaun Hill (Everett)…9-6

Jason Rivera (Sexton)…9-9

Kris Kristofferson (Mason)…8-4

285

Luke Tromp (Lakewood)…26-7

Allen Pranshka (Leslie)…25-6

Maddox Maki (Williamston)…24-1

Triston Warner (Eaton Rapids)…24-4

Matt Hummel (DeWitt)…21-4

Sam Benson (Mason)…17-2

Matt Lloyd (Grand Ledge)…14-2

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Hayden Voss

Dansville High School freshman Hayden Voss is a big supporter of the Michigan State men’s basketball program.

His favorite player …

“(Lourawls) ‘Tum Tum’ Nairn,” said Voss, whose the starting point guard on the Aggies’ junior varsity team. “He’s around my height, not super big, but he’s doing it big at Michigan State.”

Nairn, however, isn’t known for his flashy plays. But MSU senior standout Denzel Valentine is, and that’s who Voss looked like when he dished a behind-the-head pass in last week’s 75-22 win over Springport.

The dime was voted the LSJ prep video of the week.

Edwards: Introducing LSJ prep sports video of the week

“I’ve been trying to do more cool passes,” Voss said. “I mess around at practice and happened to do it in a game.

“The crowd was going ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh.’ That was the best part.”

Hayden “Behind The Head Pass” Voss

Voss, who is averaging about 14 points and five assists per game, has been a key piece for the Aggies’ junior varsity team, which is off to an 8-1 start to the season. Dansville’s varsity team is also 8-1 and is in a two-way tie for first place in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference.

Voss said he’s noticed a shift in the school’s basketball program over the past couple of seasons.

“Our whole program is doing really well right now,” he said. “The basketball program is going uphill.”

Prep athlete of the week: Grand Ledge’s Malek Adams

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.