That was ugly.




Vikings stink it up: What happened? A-F played really good in their first two games. They defeated Areanac-Eastern last Tuesday, behind Mike Allen's 21 points, and they played close to Peck last Friday night. Allen scored 25 points on Friday, including 16 in the fourth. Allen was so good that we named him TCA Athlete of the Week for the first week of the boys basketball season. So, last night, with Port Hope making the long trip to the Fairgrove, I decided to make the trip there as well, almost positive that I was going there to cover an easy Viking victory. So what happened? A-F scored three lousy points in the second quarter, Port Hope scored 15, and the Blue Stars poured it on in the second half, putting a serious 60-41 whooping on the Vikes. I thought I was going there to see an up and coming talented team; what I saw was a team that would have a difficult time defeating most other schools JV teams. Port Hope ran a box-on-one on Allen, and A-F had no other option to score. Port Hope was not that good...and they are a lot better than A-F. A-F coach Leon Westover told me after the game that his team lacks the fundamentals that are required to win as a team. He said his team works on the fundamentals in practice, and since that takes so much of the time given for practice, they lack time to work on the execution of those skills. I hate to see what happens when these guys have to play Kingston...game could be over in the first quarter. At this rate, I'd be shocked if the A-F basketball team wins more games than the A-F football team did this year (which, by the way, was one.)

Speaking of Kingston, here's my Top Ten for the TCA coverage area:

1. Kingston (2-0): These guys are good. I think they are just beginning to scratch the surface of how good they really are. What they need is a challenge, which they don't get in the NCTL. Look out Ubly Tournament.

2. USA (3-0): I'm not so sure the Patriots are that good yet, but their record warrants their ranking.

3. Frankenmuth (0-2): Yes the Eagles are winless, but 'Muth two losses are to undefeated Flint SWA, picked by many as the favs in Class B to win the state title, and to unbeaten Bridgeport. Just wait.

4. Millington (2-0): Kujat's team has some talent, led by junior point guard Dustin Griesing. They have height (6-6 Jay Morse), good scoring from the bench (6-4 Gerry Smith) and a quick 2 guard (6-2 Garrett Stier). The Cardinals are for real.

5. Reese (2-0): The Rockets are undefeated, but they haven't been tested yet. Deckerville (73-50) and Ubly (54-33) are not exactly powerhouses, but Reese has some good athletes.

6. Cass City (2-1): The Hawks have some talent, but they are probably a .500 team at best.

7. Mayville (0-3): The 'Cats have to be the best winless team in the area. They pushed BCAS on opening night, lost by two to Lakers last Friday, and lost to Bad Axe by five last night. These guys are going to win more than they end up losing.

8. North Branch (2-1): The Broncos have a winning record, but they got that by beating Yale and Imlay City. "Muth will bring them back to reality this Friday night.

9. Marlette (1-1): New coach Chris Storm needs more time, but expect these guys to climb this list very soon.

10: Owen-Gage (1-1): Bulldogs should win a few this year.

Not ranked: Caro (0-2), Vassar (0-2) and Akron-Fairgrove (1-2). Why? Just watch any of these teams play, and you'll see why.

Three to watch:
1. Brad Redford-Frankenmuth: Hands down the best player in this part of the state. It's a shame that Frankenmuth is not considered part of the All-Thumb Area. If they were, just give him the trophy for Player of the Year right now.
2. Brandon Jones-Kingston: The Cardinals 6-6 swingman is the real deal, but can he do it against real competition? We'll see in Ubly, when Kingston faces some real varsity teams.
3. Dustin Griesing-Millington: The junior guard matured as the Cardinals quarterback in the fall, and it did him some good. Kujat told me he thinks Griesing's ready to be a star.

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