Romeo Weems scores 24, New Haven beats Warren Woods-Tower in MAC basketball tournament semifinal2/20/2018 George Pohly, Macomb Daily
The New Haven Express rolled into the championship round of the MAC Blue/Gold boys basketball tournament. Romeo Weems scored 16 of his 24 points and Tavares Oliver 12 of his 14 in the first half to lead the Rockets to a 49-18 advantage and carry undefeated — and largely unchallenged — New Haven to a 75-25 victory over Warren Woods-Tower in a tournament semifinal game on the Titans’ floor Tuesday night. Ronald Jeffery III added 11 points and Ashton Sherrell 10, and Ascaun Johnson had 11 rebounds as New Haven ran its two-year winning streak to 44 games and qualified for the tournament championship game that starts at 3 p.m. Saturday at Grosse Pointe North. New Haven (18-0), which has won its games by an average margin of 34 points this season, will take on Lake Shore looking for its second Blue/Gold tournament championship in the two-year history of the event. The Rockets’ work habits give them confidence that they can win the tournament, Weems said. “We go hard at practice every day and improve,” Weems, a 6-foot-7 junior wing, said. “We don’t take days off. We compete at practice every day.” Weems and Oliver called the Rockets’ practices “intense.” “We go at it,” Weems said. “Our scout team goes hard, running (the opponent’s) offense. Every day is intense. I’m not going to let my guys slack off.” “Our coach,” Oliver added, referring to Tedaro France II, “makes our practices hard so the games seem easy. It’s intense. Everybody is competing, trying to make us better.” Oliver said the Rockets approached playing Warren Woods-Tower like any game. “We play everybody like they’re the best team we’ve played,” the senior guard said. “We take every game the same way.” The Rockets are two victories from something they didn’t accomplish during their run to the 2017 state Class B championship— a 20-0 regular season. New Haven lost its second game of the 2016-17 campaign to Dakota and then reeled off 26 wins in a row on the way to the second state championship won by a county boys team. Weems and Oliver provided the offensive spark during the first half when the MAC Blue champion Rockets took advantage of other strengths like pressure defense and rebounding to build the big lead against the MAC Gold Titans. New Haven continued to distance itself from WWT in the third quarter, taking a 55-18 power dunk by Weems. Part of the second half was played under running clock after the New Haven lead grew to 40 points. Charles Anderson-Louis led the Titans (11-7) with 10 points. “We just didn’t have everyone on the same page,” Titans coach Nick Evola said. “They took it to us. “Instead of digging deep and finding a way, we unraveled. Credit to them, they had that killer instinct. We didn’t answer.” Lake Shore advanced with a 70-68 victory over St. Clair, the MAC Gold champion. Joseph Hayes, The Times Herald
For a quarter, it was intense back-and-forth action. By the time the second quarter arrived, however, the New Haven boys basketball team had taken its play up another notch, to a level Port Huron Northern simply couldn't match. That ultimately led to New Haven outscoring Northern, 33-16 in the second quarter en route to a 76-35 victory in front of a packed crowd at Port Huron Northern High School. While the crowd showed up in droves to see forward Romeo Weems, it was New Haven guard Tavaras Oliver that stole the show in the Macomb Area Conference tournament game. Oliver scored 17 second-quarter points for New Haven (17-0), on the way to 22 for the night, to spark his team and help them enter halftime with a 51-16 advantage. "It's tough," Northern coach Brian Jamison said. "They can overwhelm you. I thought early on we did a good job breaking their pressure. It's tough going 32 minutes without allowing a big stretch against a team like that. We were trying to clog the lane and make drives difficult and hope that a few guys had a cold night. We wanted to keep guys like Romeo away from the basket but the other guys played really well." Weems finished the night with 19 points, 11 rebounds, seven steals, five assists and three blocks in an overall solid night. Ashton Sherrell also added 19 points for the Rockets. "We played hard," Weems said. "We trapped them and played defense. Our bench was hype, too. We have to keep working hard and try to get ready for the playoffs." Tre Kidd led Port Huron Northern (6-11) with a team-high 14 points, which included four 3-pointers. Kofe Kimbrell added eight points for Northern. With the end of the season in sight, the teams will now move forward with Northern continuing to prepare for the district round and New Haven hoping to win the MAC tournament. "The kids work hard each and every day," New Haven coach Tedaro France II said. "We don't prepare to win games. We prepare each day to get better and do things the right way. When you do that, you win games. When you build a team that defends and plays the right way, they are fun to watch. "It's a blessing to see how much support our kids get from fans and how they have people who want to come watch them play. I tell my players all of the time, 'You never know who is watching you. Be a great teammate and show great character all of the time.' I look at not only how well they played, but how well they act. They are humble and they continue to work hard and play great defense." Joseph Hayes, The Times Herald
It has been another memorable prep basketball season. With the end of the year in sight, several local boys and girls basketball teams have realistic opportunities to claim district, regional and even state championships. But before the postseason arrives, let's take a moment to feature some of the people who largely go unnoticed in the success of their teams — the coaches — with a list of the best coaches our area has to offer this season. Boys 1. Tedaro France II, New Haven: France II is simply the best. It's pretty simple. Just look at the record (16-0), look at last year's Class B state championship and the way New Haven has built a brand and a statewide following. They are handling teams by an average of 33 points per game this year while fans drool over junior Romeo Weems. Meanwhile, France II has brought a family feel to the program and has excelled in his preparation off the court and adjustments on it. All things considered, France II is likely the best overall coach in the Blue Water Area. 2. Mike McAndrews, Cardinal Mooney: The veteran coach seems to be getting better with age. He has coached the program through highs and lows and has won consistently year after year. His effort this season, however, might be his finest to date. He has led a talented Cardinals team to an undefeated league season for the first time in school history, while dominating teams that used to give his team problems. His fiery and competitive approach to the game, mixed with his immense knowledge, has put Cardinal Mooney in position to compete for a state championship. 3. Shawn Sharrow, St. Clair: The veteran Saints coach always has his team ready to play. It doesn't matter what situation they face on the court. Sharrow is able to adjust on the fly and get the Saints into the right look. Over the course of the last four years, it has been easy to see Sharrow is also great at developing talent. He has transformed senior Ben Davidson into one of the program's all-time great players and has compensated for his team's lack of size. The Saints will be a tough team to face the rest of the way. 4. Josh Presnell, Richmond: Presnell has brought a completely different style of play to the Blue Water Area Conference and he is enjoying success because of it. Despite losing two of his top players from last year, Richmond is still out front in the BWAC entering the final stretch of the season. That's a credit to Presnell and the type of program he has built. The future appears to be very bright at Richmond. Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Joseph_Hayes11. By Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com
25. ColomaRecord: 14-0 Class B At 14-0, Coloma has already surpassed its win total from last year with six regular season games still to go. Watervliet is up tonight followed by a huge test on Wednesday with a trip to Benton Harbor. A home game against Saugatuck finishes the week on Friday. 24. BellevilleRecord: 10-4 Class A Bellville improved to 9-1 in its past 10 games with a 76-53 win over Dearborn last week. Belleville has two home games this week, facing Redford Thurston on Tuesday and archrival Romulus on Friday. 23. Detroit RenaissanceRecord: 11-4 Class A Winners of eight of their last nine, the Phoenix knocked off Detroit East English Village in the PSL tournament quarterfinals. Renaissance moves on to face Detroit Edison in the semifinals on Tuesday at Cass Tech. 22. TroyRecord: 11-3 Class A Troy beat Bloomfield Hills by 28 points in its only game last week. Up next is Southfield A&T on Tuesday and Clarkston on Friday. Troy was able to keep things close in a 59-54 loss to Clarkston back on Jan. 9. 21. Grand LedgeRecord: 11-2 Class A With its only game last week postponed, Grand Ledge now has a busy week with East Lansing on Tuesday, Lansing Eastern on Friday and Jackson on Saturday. The game against East Lansing will look to help break up a three-way tie at the top of the CAAC Blue. 20. FrankenmuthRecord: 13-1 Class B Frankenmuth notched a 12-point win over Essexville Garber last week. Its Friday game against North Branch was moved to tonight. Yet, the big game this week is Friday’s road matchup against Bridgeport. The Eagles will look to avenge its only loss this season, a 68-54 loss back on Jan. 5 against Bridgeport. 19. BridgeportRecord: 12-1 Class B Bridgeport has now made it 12 in a row after blowing past Burton Bendle by 42 points last week. North Branch is up on Wednesday followed by a huge Tri-Valley matchup against Frankenmuth on Friday. 18. YpsilantiRecord: 11-1 Class A Ypsilanti beat Adrian by 30 in its only game last week, setting up a two-game schedule this week with Ypsilanti Lincoln on Friday and Saginaw on Saturday. 17. Grand Rapids Forest Hills CentralRecord: 13-2 Class A Now winners of 13-straight, Forest Hills Central beat Grand Rapids Northview and Greenville with ease last week. Road matchups against Cedar Springs and Lowell are each up this week. 16. WilliamstonRecord: 12-2 Class B Escaping with a close 60-58 win over Lansing Everett, Williamston then had its game against Eaton Rapids cancelled. St. Johns and Fowlerville are up this week. Flint Carman-AinsworthRecord: 10-2 Class A Carman-Ainsworth handled Lapeer without issue and then saw its matchup against Flint Powers Catholic get canceled because of weather. Bay City John Glenn, Davison and Mt. Pleasant are all up this week. 14. Detroit Cass TechRecord: 13-4 Class A The Technicians entered the PSL tournament as favorites but were upset in the quarterfinals yesterday, falling to Detroit Public School Academy, 59-51. It’s a tough loss to swallow but Cass Tech still has the skill and depth to make things happen in March. 13. Grand Rapids Catholic CentralRecord: 13-1 Class B Catholic Central added wins over Comstock Park and Grand Rapids West Catholic last week to push its win streak to 10-straight games. Allendale awaits on Tuesday followed by a matchup against Coopersville on Friday. 12. Benton HarborRecord: 15-1 Class B The Tigers beat St. Joseph by 18 points on Saturday to bounce back from its first loss of the season. Benton Harbor travels to face Battle Creek Central on Tuesday and then come right back with a home game against Coloma on Wednesday. 11. Detroit U-D JesuitRecord: 13-3 Class A Jesuit beat Warren De La Salle on Saturday with a buzzer-beating layup to claim the Catholic League Central Division title. Now, the Cubs prepare for the upcoming Catholic League A-B tournament that starts on Saturday. 10. Wyoming Godwin HeightsRecord: 14-1 Class B After an 85-73 win over Wyoming Kelloggsville last week, Godwin Heights will be busy this week. The Wolverines host Belding on Wednesday and Hopkins on Thursday before travelling to face Wyoming Lee on Friday. 9. Detroit East English VillageRecord: 13-3 Class A After winning a dozen games in a row, East English was knocked off by Detroit Renaissance in the PSL tournament quarterfinals yesterday, falling 66-65 despite a last-ditch comeback effort. East English will regroup likely find another couple of opponents in the coming weeks before the state tournament. 8. River RougeRecord: 15-0 Class B River Rouge hammered Detroit Henry Ford Academy for Creative Studies for the second time this season while its game against Hamtramck was canceled on Friday. River Rouge travels to face Southfield Christian on Friday. 7. Holland West OttawaRecord: 14-1 Class A Comfortable wins over Rockford and Grand Haven last week set up home games against East Kentwood on Tuesday and Grandville on Friday. It’s now 14 wins in a row for West Ottawa. 6. East LansingRecord: 11-2 Class A East Lansing’s only game last week against Lansing Sexton was postponed to a later date. Games against Grand Ledge on Tuesday and Holt on Friday are up this week. 5. Hazel ParkRecord: 13-1 Class A After not having a game scheduled for last week, Hazel Park hits the road for a matchup against North Farmington on Tuesday and then a home matchup against Bloomfield Hills on Friday. 4. CantonRecord: 14-0 Class A Canton’s 57-52 win over Wayne Memorial last week clinched the KLAA Black title for the Chiefs. Canton’s non-conference matchup against Ypsilanti Lincoln was canceled on Friday. The Chiefs will close out division play against Plymouth on Tuesday night. Canton just barely beat Plymouth back in January, 44-42. The KLAA tournament awaits next week. 3. New HavenRecord: 16-0 Class B New Haven hammered L’Anse Creuse last week before edging Saginaw Arthur Hill, 71-68, on Saturday. The Rockets now prepare for the MAC Blue/Gold tournament and, of course, they are heavy favorites. 2. Ann Arbor SkylineRecord: 14-0 Class A Skyline had no issue with Lansing Waverly last week and its Friday home matchup against Huron has been moved to tonight. Skyline finishes off its rivalry week at Ann Arbor Pioneer on Friday. 1. ClarkstonRecord: 13-1 Class A Clarkston’s only game last week against Southfield A&T was cancelled because of the weather. No word yet on if it will be rescheduled for this week. Currently, Clarkston’s only game scheduled this week is a home game against Troy on Friday. Mick McCabe, Detroit Free Press
Boys basketball Super 10 Rank, school, record, class 1. Clarkston, 13-1, A 2. New Haven, 16-0, B 3. Ann Arbor Skyline, 14-0, A 4. River Rouge, 15-0, B 5. Canton, 16-0, A 6. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 14-1, B 7. Holland West Ottawa, 15-1, A 8. Hazel Park, 13-1, A 9. Benton Harbor, 15-1, B 10. U-D Jesuit, 13-3, A Class A 1. Clarkston, 13-1 2. Ann Arbor Skyline, 14-0 3. Canton, 16-0 4. Holland West Ottawa, 15-1 5. Hazel Park, 13-1 6. U-D Jesuit, 13-3 7. Detroit East English Village 13-3 8. Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 11-2 9. Detroit Renaissance, 11-4 10. East Lansing, 11-2 Class B 1. New Haven, 16-0 2. River Rouge, 15-0 3. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 14-1 4. Benton Harbor, 15-1 5. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 13-1 6. Bridgeport, 12-1 7. Detroit Henry Ford, 13-4 8. Williamston, 13-2 9. Coloma, 14-0 10. Frankenmuth, 13-1 Class C 1. Monroe St. Mary CC, 13-0 2. Kent City, 16-0 3. Iron Mountain, 15-0 4. Flint Hamady, 11-3 5. Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, 13-3 6. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 12-2 7. McBain, 13-1 8. Maple City Glen Lake, 13-2 9. Kalamazoo Christian, 13-1 10. Unionville Sebewaing, 12-0 Class D 1. Southfield Christian, 11-3 2. Bellevue, 14-0 3. Dollar Bay, 13-0 4. Frankfort, 12-1 5. Ewen-Trout Creek, 14-1 6. Buckley, 11-3 7. Marine City Cardinal Mooney, 14-2 8. Hillman, 13-0 9. Fowler, 12-2 10. Hillsdale Academy, 13-1 George Pohly, The Macomb Daily
New Haven survived a close call to extend its county-record winning streak. Ashton Sherrell scored 19 points and took 15 rebounds and Romeo Weems and Tavares Oliver added 15 points apiece Saturday night to lead the Rockets to a 71-68 non-league boys basketball victory over visiting Saginaw Arthur Hill. Weems also had 16 rebounds and four blocked shots, and Ronald Jeffery III had 12 points for New Haven. Reggie Williams had 23 points and Bert Brown added 15 for Arthur Hill, which led 34-29 at halftime. The victory was the Rockets’ 42nd in a row. New Haven is 16-0 this season. |
New Haven BasketballRocket Country Categories |